Sep 23, 2021 City Commission Budget Meeting

[1. Call to Order]

[00:00:06]

GOOD AFTERNOON, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE CITY COMMISSION TO ORDER, AND I WOULD ASK THE CLERK TO PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

TRACY UPCHURCH.

PRESENT. NANCY SIKES-KLINE.

HERE. ROXANNE HORVATH. HERE.

JOHN VALDES.

BARBARA BLONDER. HERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER VALDES WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US THIS EVENING.

THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO STATUTORILY REQUIRED SPECIAL MEETINGS FOR THE CITY COMMISSION AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT THEIR BUDGET FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.

WE BEGIN ALL OF OUR MEETINGS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT WITH A PUBLIC HEARING. THERE'S ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED BEFORE WE ADOPT EACH OF THE TWO RESOLUTIONS AND THE ORDINANCE.

SO WITH THAT PREAMBLE, I WOULD OPEN THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND ASK ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE COME FORWARD.

I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY DESIRING TO SPEAK, AND THEREFORE I WILL CLOSE THE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.

WE'RE NOW ON CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION 2021-37, WHICH INCREASES THE SOLID WASTE RATES

[3. Public Hearing – Consideration of Resolution 2021-37, increasing the Solid Waste rates $5.00 for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.]

GOOD MORNING, MR. SIMPSON. NICE TO SEE YOU.

NICE TO SEE YOU AS WELL.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MARK SIMPSON, FINANCIAL SERVICES DIRECTOR I'M HERE TO BEGIN WITH RESOLUTION 2021-37, WHICH INCREASES THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE RATE BY $5, WHICH WAS DISCUSSED IN OUR PREVIOUS WORKSHOP AND BUDGET MEETINGS, AND WE WILL DISCUSS IT AT LENGTH, I BELIEVE, MONDAY AFTERNOON AT THREE DURING A WORKSHOP.

ADDITIONAL NEEDS FOR THE SOLID WASTE FUND.

SO I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

BUT WE'RE GOING ROUGHLY FROM $17 A MONTH TO TWENTY TWO DOLLARS A MONTH FOR A SOLID WASTE RATES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SIMPSON. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS SEEING NONE, OH PLEASE.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK, SO WE'RE STILL AT ON THE CART FEE AND THIS IS THIS IS PART OF THE CART, THE ATTACHMENT.

BECAUSE EXHIBIT A COMES WITH THIS SOLID WASTE RATES.

SO WE'RE STILL AT CHARGING $100 FOR A NEW CART, FOR A NEW CUSTOMER.

TOTAL FEE, RESIDENTIAL CART.

CART FEE, $100, YES, MA'AM.

SO, ANY NEW, ANY NEW RESIDENCE, IF THERE'S NOT A CART EXISTING ON THE PROPERTY, THEN THEY'RE CHARGED A HUNDRED DOLLARS AND THEN THERE'S A $30 SWAP FEE IF YOU WANT IT CHANGED OUT FOR A CLEAN ONE OR WHATEVER.

SO. SO THAT'S PART OF THIS MOTION.

OK, THANK YOU. THAT'S CORRECT.

EXHIBIT A.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I WOULD NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON RESOLUTION 2021-37.

WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.

GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD AFTERNOON, BJ KALAIDI, WEST CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A $5 INCREASE ON RESIDENTIAL CART SERVICES.

HOME OCCUPATION, RENTALS, SHORT TERM RENTALS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES CREATE MORE TRASH, SO THERE SHOULD BE A $10 INCREASE FOR THEM.

QUESTION WHAT WILL BE THE TOTAL REVENUE THE CITY RECEIVES FROM THIS INCREASE? NUMBER TWO, WILL THIS REVENUE ONLY BE SPENT IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT.

THERE SHOULD NOT BE A FIVE DOLLAR INCREASE ON RESIDENTIAL CART SERVICES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS COMMISSION? SEEING NO ONE, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

I WOULD MOVE THAT RESOLUTION 2021-37 BE PASSED ON SECOND READING.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

THANK YOU. MOTION BY THE MAYOR.

A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HORVATH.

FURTHER DISCUSSION.

SEEING NONE. DO YOU KNOW AND CAN YOU RESPOND TO THOSE TWO QUESTIONS VERY QUICKLY? YES, ALL OF THE REVENUE WILL BE RETAINED IN THE SOLID WASTE FUND.

THAT'S CORRECT, YES.

AND THE REVENUE SHOULD INCREASE BY APPROXIMATELY $200000.

THANK YOU, SIR. AND IF I COULD JUST MAKE A STATEMENT THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT DURING OUR WORKSHOP ON MONDAY, WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER ISSUES ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS AND SO FORTH AND WASTE SOLID WASTE COSTS.

THAT IS PART OF THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION THAT I REVIEWED WITH MR. GRANT THIS WEEK. CORRECT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE A MOTION. A SECOND, FURTHER DISCUSSION.

[00:05:02]

TRACY UPCHURCH. YES.

ROXANNE HORVATH. YES.

BARBARA BLONDER. YES.

NANCY SIKES-KLINE. YES.

THANK YOU. RESOLUTION 2021-37 PASSES.

MR. SIMPSON, WE ARE NOW ON RESOLUTION 2021-36.

[4. Public Hearing – Consideration of Resolution 2021-36, establishing the final millage rate for the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget.]

THE MILLAGE RATE REMAINS AT 7.5 MILLS.

THE ROLLBACK RATE IS 7.2269, WHICH REPRESENTS A 3.7 PERCENT INCREASE, AND WE'LL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL AD VALOREM TAX REVENUE OF APPROXIMATELY EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE MILLAGE WAS ADOPTED TENTATIVELY BY RESOLUTION 2021-26 ON JULY 12TH.

THEN AGAIN TWO WEEKS AGO, WITH RESOLUTION 2021-35.

THE INCREASE IN REVENUE WILL BE USED TO HELP THE CITY KEEP UP WITH RECENT INFLATION, SPECIFICALLY BY PROVIDING A COST OF LIVING AND SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, ADDING SIX NEW EMPLOYEES TO OUR STAFF AND THE ADDITION OF A NEW FIRE APPARATUS.

I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE AND THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING.

THANK YOU, SIR. I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS AT THIS POINT.

I WOULD OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, I BELIEVE.

BJ KALAIDI, WEST CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE.

TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID 19 AND INFLATION, AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

THE MILLAGE RATE, ALSO KNOWN AS AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX RATE, SHOULD BE ROLLED BACK TO 7.2269. THE CITY FAILED TO CHARGE THE YELLOW STATE GAS COMPANY SINCE CITY STAFF SAID IT WOULD BE AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT TO THE CITY'S REVENUE.

HOWEVER, THIS WAS A FEW YEARS AGO.

NO AMOUNT WAS GIVEN.

REMEMBER SINCE 2005 MR. REGAN AND TWENTY THREE CITY EMPLOYEES HAVE RECEIVED AN EXTRA SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS A YEAR IN ADDITION TO THEIR SALARY TO PAY THEIR WATER BILLS.

FOR TWENTY FOUR EMPLOYEES, THIS AMOUNTS TO SEVENTEEN THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TAX DOLLARS, OR TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TAX DOLLARS FOR 16 YEARS OF FREE WATER.

RECENTLY, A CITIZEN SUGGESTED TO LOWER THE WATER BILLS OF THOSE PAYING THE MINIMUM 5140 QUESTION WAS THIS SUGGESTION IGNORED? TWENTY FIVE POINT FOUR PERCENT PROPERTIES IN THE CITY DO NOT PAY PROPERTY TAXES, THEREFORE THE CITY LOSES SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS.

SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THREE MILLION, TWO HUNDRED AND NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS OVER THE YEARS, THE COLLEGE DOWNTOWN, WITH THE SILENT CONSENT OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES DO NOT PAY PILOTS PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, WHICH OTHER RESPONSIBLE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING PAY.

THE MILLAGE RATE, ALSO KNOWN AS AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX RATE, SHOULD BE ROLLED BACK TO 7.2269. THANK YOU.

I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AT THIS POINT, AND THEREFORE I WOULD CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COMMISSIONERS IS THERE A MOTION.

SO MOVED.

AND SO THE MOTION WOULD BE THAT RESOLUTION 2021-36 BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY AND PASSED, I WOULD SECOND THAT.

RESOLUTION 2021-36 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE FINAL LEVY OF AD VALOREM TAXES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022.

WHEREAS THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, HAS CONDUCTED A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITS FINAL MILLAGE RATE OF 7.500 MILLS AND HAS DETERMINED ITS ROLLBACK RATE IS 7.2269 MILLS AS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA STATUTES TWO HUNDRED POINT ZERO SIX FIVE.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, THAT THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 2022 FINAL MILLAGE RATE OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, IS 7.500 MILLS, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE IN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 7.2269 MILLS OF THREE POINT SEVENTY EIGHT PERCENT, ADOPTED AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, COMMENCING AT 5:05 P.M.

[00:10:02]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN I WAS ELECTED IN 2008, I THINK OUR BUDGET WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND FORTY SEVEN, FORTY NINE MILLION AND NOW IT IS SIXTY FOUR MILLION.

THAT'S 13 YEARS.

OK. FURTHER DISCUSSION, COMMENTS SAYING NONE, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

ROXANNE HORVATH.

YES, TRACY UPCHURCH.

YES. BARBARA BLONDER.

YES. NANCY SIKES-KLINE.

YES. THANK YOU.

THE RESOLUTION PASSES, MR. SIMPSON. WE'RE NOW IN CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE 2021-23 THAT ESTABLISHES THE PROPOSED

[5. Public Hearing, Second Reading – Consideration of Ordinance 2021-23, establishing the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021-2022.]

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

THIS ORDINANCE 2021-23 IS ON SECOND READING THIS EVENING.

IT RATIFIES AND APPROVES THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 22.

WHICH IS FROM OCTOBER 1ST 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30TH 2022.

THIS BUDGET HAS NOT CHANGED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS WHEN YOU TENTATIVELY APPROVED IT ON SEPTEMBER NINE. I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT THE CRA'S BUDGETS THAT YOU APPROVED TWO WEEKS AGO ARE CONTAINED IN THIS BUDGET THIS EVENING, SO YOU ARE EFFECTIVELY APPROVING THEM AS WELL. I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

YOU MAY HAVE.

ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. SIMPSON.

THIS REQUIRES A PUBLIC HEARING, AND I WOULD NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INVITE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AND PLEASE COME FORWARD.

SEEING NO ONE, THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT ORDINANCE 2021-23 BE READ IN ITS ENTIRETY AND PASSED ON SECOND READING. SECOND.

ORDINANCE NUMBER 2021-23 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, RATIFYING, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OR BUDGET ESTIMATES OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER ONE, 2021 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT HERE WITH PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE OF INVALID PROVISIONS AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS SECTION ONE THE ANNUAL BUDGET ESTIMATES OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022.

AS PREPARED, AMENDED AND SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, BY THE CITY MANAGER, AS CONSIDERED AND ACTED UPON BY SAID CITY COMMISSION UNDER AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE CHARTER OF SAID CITY AND THE LAWS OF FLORIDA ARE HEREBY RATIFIED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF SAID CITY, AND THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY SET FORTH THEREIN ARE HEREBY APPROPRIATED.

SECTION TWO.

THE SAID BUDGET OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ADOPTED FOR THE ENSUING FISCAL YEAR, 2021-2022 SHALL BE SPREAD IN FULL UPON THE MINUTES OF THE CITY COMMISSION.

SECTION THREE THE APPROPRIATIONS WITHIN AN ACTIVITY OR SUB ACTIVITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 AND FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 MAY BE TRANSFERRED WITHIN BY THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE PURPOSE OF EQUALIZATION WHEN NECESSARY.

SECTION FOUR ALL FUNDS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 BUDGETED FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 MAY OVEREXTEND ADOPTED BUDGETS TO THE EXTENT THAT ACTUAL REVENUES EXCEED THE ADOPTED BUDGET.

SECTION FIVE, ALL UNINCORPORATED UNENCUMBERED APPROPRIATIONS, EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS OR COMMITMENTS, BE AND ARE CANCELED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2021, AND THE CITY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE IS DIRECTED TO TRANSFER ALL APPROPRIATION CREDIT BALANCES TO AN APPROPRIATED SURPLUS IN PLACE TO THE CREDIT OF ALL APPROPRIATION ACCOUNTS, WHICH SHOW A DEBIT BALANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021.

AN AMOUNT FOR AN APPROPRIATED SURPLUS TO BALANCE SAME AND TO CLOSE ALL SUCH ACCOUNTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021.

SECTION SIX IF ANY PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE OR THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO ANY PERSON OR CIRCUMSTANCES ARE HELD INVALID, SUCH INVALIDITY SHALL NOT AFFECT OTHER PROVISIONS OR APPLICATIONS OF THE ORDINANCES WHICH CAN BE GIVEN EFFECT WITHOUT THIS INVALID PROVISION OR APPLICATION.

AND TO THIS END, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ORDINANCE ARE DECLARED TO BE SEVERABLE.

SECTION SEVEN ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH ARE HEREBY REPEALED. SECTION EIGHT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE PASSED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ST.

AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA IN SPECIAL SESSION AT 5:05 P.M.

THIS TWENTY THIRD DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2021.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MISS LOPEZ.

COMMISSIONERS. ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS, DEBATE? IF NOT, MADAM CLERK, IF YOU'D PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

TRACY UPCHURCH.

PRESENT. NANCY SIKES-KLINE.

YES. ROXANNE HORVATH. YES.

BARBARA BLONDER.

YES. AND I VOTE YES TOO NOT PRESENT SORRY.

[00:15:02]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SIMPSON, TO YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THIS WORK OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.