[00:00:02]
ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
IT'S A SPECIAL MEETING PERTAINING TO THE BUDGET.MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO CONFIRM THAT WE HAVE A WE HAVE A QUORUM.
WE WE DO HAVE A PHYSICAL QUORUM IN THE ROOM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE DUE TO A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION.
COMMISSIONER BLONDER WILL NOT BE WITH US, BUT SHE WILL BE PRESENT BY A MEDIA SO ELECTRONICALLY.
RIGHT. SO I NEED A MOTION TO CONFIRM THAT.
SECOND. ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? ROXANNE HORVATH. YES.
JIM SPRINGFIELD? YES, BARBARA BLONDER.
SO WE WILL WE DO HAVE A TIME PERIOD FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS NOW.
SO I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IF ANYBODY WISHES TO SPEAK, THEY'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO STEP UP TO THE PODIUM.
PUBLIC HEARING IS PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.
MR. SIMPSON, YOU ARE WELCOME TO PRESENT.
[3.A. Resolution 2023-26: Establishes the tentative millage rate for the Fiscal Year 2023- 2024 budget]
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR. VICE MAYOR.COMMISSIONERS. MARK SIMPSON, FINANCE DIRECTOR.
THIS IS A SCRIPTED EVENT FOR TRIM COMPLIANCE.
TRIM STANDS FOR TRUTH AND MILLAGE.
AS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN, WE WE DID SCRAMBLE A BIT AT THE LAST MINUTE.
I PREPARED THE MILLAGE RESOLUTION BASED ON NUMBERS THAT WERE PUBLISHED IN JULY AND 15 MINUTES AGO.
MS.. LOPEZ AND MISS MS. BREIDENSTEIN DOWNLOADED UPDATED FORMS. SO WE HAVE A RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
IT'S RESOLUTION 2023-26 FOR OUR PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE.
AND YOU HAVE AN UPDATED RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT OUR TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE IS 7.5 MILLS.
HOWEVER, THE ROLLBACK RATE IS 6.6089 MILLS.
UM, AND THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE IS 13.43%.
RECOMPUTED AND YOU HAVE, I THINK IT'S FOUR, EIGHT, 13.48%.
OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
SO THIS IS PROPOSED OR TENTATIVE, AND WE WILL BE BACK IN TWO WEEKS TO ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE LEVY.
SO ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. SIMPSON BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? ALL RIGHT. THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I HAVE A QUESTION, IF I MIGHT.
SURE. I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME.
AND I JUST WOULD LIKE A I GUESS, A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR 7.5% PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE, IF AT ALL.
CAN YOU OKAY. CAN YOU PUT THIS ON THE SCREEN SO THAT SHE CAN SEE IT, PLEASE? WE'RE ADOPTING.
IT'S A MATTER OF THIS RESOLUTION NEEDING TO STATE THE ROLLBACK RATE AND THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER THE ROLLBACK RATE AS PART OF OUR TRUTH AND MILLAGE COMPLIANCE.
THERE'S YOUR NUMBERS, RIGHT? GREAT. GREAT.
THAT HELPS A LOT. AND I APPRECIATE THE THE FURTHER EXPLANATION.
THANK YOU. I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, THEN. THIS PUBLIC THIS RESOLUTION IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[00:05:08]
BJ KALAIDI, WEST CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE.I WOULD ASK THAT IT BE USED THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.6089 OR 7.0 AND SEE HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR BUDGET SINCE WE'VE GOT 23.40% NOT PAYING ANY PROPERTY TAXES.
SO I'D LIKE TO GO BACK AT LEAST TO 7.0 AND WE COULD FUNCTION ON THAT.
ANY OTHER? SPEAKERS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
ALL RIGHT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED.
COMMISSIONERS ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, QUESTIONS OR DEBATE.
I WOULD WE WE APPROVE ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023, DASH 28.
OH, I'M SORRY. I'M ON THE RESOLUTION FIRST, AND I DO HAVE TO READ THESE IN THEIR ENTIRETY, SO BEAR WITH ME, OKAY? ALL RIGHT. WE NEED TO.
THAT'S THE AMENDED MOTION RESOLUTION 2023.
RIGHT. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
YES. NANCY SIKES-KLINE? YES. BARBARA BLONDER.
AND I'LL READ IT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
RESOLUTION 2023, DASH 26, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE LEVY OF AD VALOREM TAXES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, DASH 2024, WHEREAS THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, HAS CONDUCTED A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITS TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF 7.5000 MILLS AND HAS DETERMINED ITS ROLLBACK RATE IS 6.6089 MILLS, AS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA STATUTES 200.065.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, THAT THE FISCAL YEAR 2023, DASH 2024, TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, IS 7.5000 MILLS, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE IN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.6089 MILLS OF.
13.48% ADOPTED AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, COMMENCED FOLLOWING THE 430 CRA SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING AFTER 5 P.M.
THIS 14TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2023, AND IT WILL BE SIGNED BY OUR MAYOR.
[4.A. Ordinance 2023-28: Establishes the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and the five-year Capital Improvement Plan]
THE NEXT ITEM IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND A FIRST READING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE 20 2328 ESTABLISHING THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, 24 AND THE FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.MR. SIMPSON, YOU'RE WELCOME TO PRESENT.
WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2023, DASH 28, AND THE BUDGET IS LARGELY UNCHANGED FROM THE WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD IN MID-AUGUST. THERE WAS ONE CHANGE, AND WE DID ADD A NIGHTLIFE MANAGER CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSON TO THE BUDGET PER OUR DISCUSSION.
SO THAT HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE BUDGET REMAINS UNCHANGED.
SO I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS.
THIS IS A FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING AND WE'LL BE BACK IN TWO WEEKS TO DO THIS AGAIN.
YES, WE WILL. UM, MR. SIMPSON, MAYBE THIS IS A BETTER QUESTION FOR OUR CITY MANAGER.
UM, I MENTIONED AT THE HEARING THE COMMISSION MEETING ON MONDAY NIGHT.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE IS DOES THIS BUDGET ALLOW FOR THAT EXPENDITURE? VERY SIMPLE QUESTION IS, YES, THERE WAS A POT OF MONEY THAT WAS ABLE TO BE UTILIZED TO FUND THE FTE FOR THE NIGHTLIFE MANAGER AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $130,000 AVAILABLE FOR OTHER STRATEGIC ITEMS SUCH AS THAT, THAT WE CAN EASILY ACCOMMODATE THAT REQUEST.
[00:10:05]
OKAY. SO IT'S IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE KIND OF IN THE POT AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF.KEEPING IT ON TRACK? YES, MA'AM. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD. THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
I TALK WITH STAFF ABOUT THE OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUES AND THE LARGE NUMBER BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT IT WASN'T BROKEN OUT, BUT IT TURNS OUT IT WAS PRIMARILY JUST ONE ITEM, AND THAT'S THE STAR.
THE MONEY FROM THIS, FROM THE DOT FOR STAR.
IT MAY LOOK A LITTLE ODD, CORRECT? IT MAY ALL MISCELLANEOUS, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT THAT MANY ITEMS. BUT I APPRECIATE THEM GIVING ME THAT ANSWER.
COMMISSIONER BLONDER, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES. THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY OVERSIGHT, BUT I RECALL DURING OUR WORKSHOP THAT WE TALKED ABOUT A, I BELIEVE, A $50,000 RECURRING EXPENDITURE THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER ANNUALLY FOR LAND CONSERVATION.
AND I, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, AND I DON'T SEE THAT IN HERE, IS THAT SOMETHING I JUST MISSED OR COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR ME, PLEASE? SURE.
IT'S IN THE CITY COMMISSION OPERATING BUDGET.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
OH, I'M SORRY. I JUST HAD A QUESTION.
WHERE WHERE ON ALL THIS PAPERWORK IS THE ACTUAL FULL BUDGET AMOUNT? IT IS NOT THERE.
IT IS. IT IS IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
THE TOTAL BUDGET IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
$84,671,333. IT IS THE PAGE AFTER THE ARROWS.
WHAT? OKAY. PAGE AFTER THE ARROWS.
SHOULD BE PAGE NINE NINE OF THE BUDGET BOOK.
I DON'T HAVE PAGE. NO, IT'S NOT ENUMERATED AS PAGE FOUR IN MY BUDGET BOOK.
PAGE FOUR. THAT'S GOT A PIE CHART AT THE TOP.
OKAY, I'M JUST GOING TO LOOK IT UP LATER.
WHAT IS THE AMOUNT? WHAT IS THE CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESERVE FUNDS IN THE GENERAL FUND? WHAT THE RESERVE AMOUNTS ARE? SURE. CURRENTLY, OUR RESERVES ARE CALCULATED BASED ON FISCAL YEAR END 2022.
WE WILL CLOSE OUT THIS YEAR AND WE HAVE UTILIZED 1.25 MILLION IN RESERVES IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
I DO NOT HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER AS FAR AS THE SURPLUS WILL HAVE AT THE END OF 2023, BUT UNRESTRICTED RESERVES WERE 3.7 MILLION. WE USED 1.25 MILLION THIS YEAR, WHICH IS LEAVING US A BALANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILLION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
WE ARE USING OR WE ARE APPROPRIATING $1 MILLION OF THOSE RESERVES.
SO BEFORE WE BOOK THE, SO TO SPEAK, PROFIT FOR 2023, WE ARE SITTING AT JUST 1.5 MILLION OF UNRESTRICTED RESERVES IN THE GENERAL FUND.
I DO EXPECT THE SURPLUS TO ECLIPSE $2 MILLION AT LEAST FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AFTER WE CLOSE OUT THE FISCAL YEAR, WE WON'T HAVE THOSE FINAL NUMBERS FOR YOU UNTIL LATE MARCH.
OKAY, SO I'M HEARING 2.5 AND THEN AND THEN ANOTHER 2 MILLION.
I'M SORRY. I JUST WOULD LIKE A CLARIFICATION.
IT'S 1.51 AFTER WE APPROPRIATE THE MILLION FOR LAND CONSERVATION, THAT LEAVES US 1.5 PLUS OUR SURPLUS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, WHICH IS GOING TO BE AT LEAST ANOTHER TWO.
AND WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED AS YOU AS YOU NEED TO.
BUT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS MORE THAN LIKELY WON'T BE DONE UNTIL MARCH 31ST.
[00:15:05]
OKAY. WELL, I UNDERSTAND YOUR RETICENCE TO SAY GIVE OUT A NUMBER LIKE THAT, BUT THANK YOU.THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH AND UNRESTRICTED RESERVES.
I'M OPEN TO ENTERTAINING A MOTION O PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD BECAUSE I HAVE NO SPEAKER CARDS.
OKAY, THEN PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
NOW, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
READ MY MIND. WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING BACKWARDS ON THIS ONE.
YOU READ MY MIND. OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE, UM, ORDINANCE 2023-28, AND IT'S READ BY ITS ENTIRETY.
THE WHOLE THING. THE WHOLE THING.
OKAY. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2023-28, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, RATIFYING, APPROVING, AND ADOPTING THE ANNUAL BUDGET OR BUDGET ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES FOR THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2023, AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2024, PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT HEREWITH PROVIDING FOR SEVERANCE OF INVALID PROVISIONS AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS.
SECTION ONE, THE ANNUAL BUDGET ESTIMATES OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024, AS PREPARED, AMENDED AND SUBMITTED TO THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT 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.
THE SAID BUDGET OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ADOPTED FOR THE ENSUING FISCAL YEAR 2023, 2024 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 2023, 2020, 22, 2023 AND FISCAL YEAR 2023 2020 4TH MAY BE TRANSFERRED WITHIN BY THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE PURPOSE OF EQUALIZATION WHEN NECESSARY.
SECTION FOUR ALL FUNDS FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 2022 2023 AND BUDGETED FISCAL YEAR 2023 2020 4TH MAY OVEREXTEND ADOPTED BUDGETS TO THE EXTENT THAT ACTUAL REVENUES EXCEED THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
SECTION FIVE, ALL UNENCUMBERED APPROPRIATIONS EXCEPT FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS OR COMMITMENTS BE AND ARE CANCELED AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023. AND THE CITY DIRECTOR OF FINANCE IS DIRECTED TO TRANSFER ALL APPROPRIATION CREDIT BALANCES TO UNAPPROPRIATED SURPLUS AND PLACE TO THE CREDIT OF ALL APPROPRIATION ACCOUNTS, WHICH SHOW A DEBIT BALANCE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 2023, AN AMOUNT FROM UNAPPROPRIATED SURPLUS TO BALANCE SAME AND TO CLOSE ALL SUCH ACCOUNTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 2023.
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 AND CONFLICT HEREWITH ARE HEREBY REPEALED.
SECTION EIGHT. THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE, AND THIS WILL BE PASSED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA, IN SPECIAL SESSION AT 5:05 P.M.
THIS 28TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2023.
AS WE'VE HEARD, THIS IS FIRST READING.
THIS WILL BE FOR SECOND READING ON THE 28TH.
ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.
[00:20:02]
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS, BECAUSE THESE MEETINGS OVER MY EXPERIENCE ARE RELATIVELY SHORT.BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT WE WORK ON THIS BUDGET.
WE STARTED ON THIS BUDGET AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, SO IT'S A MATTER OF MONTHS AND IT'S A MATTER OF WORKSHOP MEETINGS AND THERE'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HOW WE'RE GOING TO SHAPE THIS BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT UM THIS IS A GOOD, SOUND BUDGET.
IT WAS A WORK BY DONE REALLY EXCELLENT WORK, BY DONE BY STAFF, AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR WORK AND RECOGNIZE THE DILIGENCE AS WELL AS YOUR COMMISSIONERS WHO WERE REALLY GOOD STEWARDS ALL ALONG.
I THINK. SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS WHEN WE GO INTO THE NEXT MEETING AND I GUESS IT'S IN TWO WEEKS, THE NEXT STATUTORY MEETING THAT WILL HOLD WILL BE THE FINAL MEETING AND THE FINAL ADOPTION, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. ON THE 28TH ON THE.
ON THE 28TH, 5:05 STATUTORY AFTER 5:00.
AND WE'LL SEE YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING.
ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.