Village Commission - workshop

I got a thumbs up.

Sorry, what did you say? Huh? I see 601. Oh. I thought I was going nuts. All right, good evening, everyone. Let's call to order our first budget workshop for our budget season. Madam Clerk, could you do the roll call for us, please? Okay. Okay. We'll skip the roll call. Thank you, Madam Clerk. All right. So we'll open our workshop this evening with public comment. I know we have a few folks here. Does anyone like to give public comment in? Oh, it's a workshop. Any public comment? No, no. Any on Zoom? Do we have anyone on Zoom? No? Okay, no public comment. We'll close public comment at this time. We'll go straight to our presentation. So before we get to the presentations, I know we have two set for this evening for two sections of our budget, the police and the code sections. Al, I just wanted to ask very quickly, you know, traditionally or historically, I guess the way that we normally do it is we kind of split these two workshops into two different sections of the budget. Is that still the plan for this evening?

Yes, Mr. Mayor. Once you're ready to start the meeting, I'll do a brief introduction. I'll turn it over to Paul. Paul has some brief announcements also with respect to the budget. We have two presentations this evening. Paul will go over some of the other information on the budget. And then we have the remaining departments will be at the next budget workshop, which will be on the Tuesday, August 17th, 18th.

18th, yep. At 6 p.m. Okay. All right. Well, then, if there's nothing from anyone else, I guess I'll turn it over to you to get us started. Okay.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and members of the Village Commission. As you know, tonight is the first workshop of our two scheduled budget workshops. TONIGHT'S PRESENTATIONS WILL BE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SECOND ONE WILL BE FROM THE CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT. IF YOU TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THE BUDGET THAT'S BEING PRESENTED FOR BOTH THESE DEPARTMENTS, THE BUDGETS ARE VERY LEAN AND EACH DIRECTOR HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME REVIEWING THE BUDGET, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ONLY REQUESTING ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AT THE LEVEL THAT WE'RE OPERATING PRESENTLY. And I think you'll agree that both departments that are lean and the other departments that were presented to you are also lean budgets. With that, I'll turn it over to our finance director, Paul Winklejohn, who has a few comments about the budget overall.

Thanks, Al. Go ahead.

Test. It's working nice and hot. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for the opportunity to say hello and welcome you to the second budget workshop. As the village manager indicated, we're only going to cover two departments tonight, but I thought I'd give a quick 30,000, 50,000 foot level of the village financially and how the details you're going to see with the departments fit together in the big picture. This year, we've proposed the maximum millage rate to match last year, which is the 9.3 millage rate. 9.3 millage rate would generate $4.5 million in revenue, which is a 9% increase over last year. That $400.5 million is actually about $4.75 million because we're Due to conservative budgeting strategies throughout the state of Florida, most municipalities never budget on 100% of that given revenue. And likewise, with the exception of one year, we've always done that. This year, at the 95%, it is $4.5 million. The department heads and the manager went through each budget and generated their changes through the year. I would characterize those changes as very conservative, no material or programmatic changes. In the famous words of all city finance directors and village managers, no reduction in services. And that's the magic phrase that we all get to say over and over and over again through the budget process. And that's a good thing to the residents. Two years from now, we may not be saying that, but we shall see. So that revenue decision is to be determined. But right now, that would generate, after the department heads budget, details you'll get over the next two workshops is projected to be about $650,000 of new money. And that's a very, very healthy hit the bottom line type of money that will grow your reserve, your emergency reserve and your capital improvement buckets, which is how we do things. When you adopt your budget, that projection would be would bring you up over five and a half million dollars. Five and a half million dollars is a particularly valuable benchmark for you all, which I have to applaud this commission and this village since we took over almost 10 years ago. We were in a negative fund balance, believe it or not, at one point, and no reserves. We were using reserves to bail out hurricane costs, et cetera, et cetera. So here you are with more than an entire year of operating projected to be in your reserves and your balance sheet. And that's ideal. And that's a very healthy state. That's the standard statewide. If you were in a budget analysis position, that would be the standard. So congratulations for that. And I don't have too much to say other than the highlights of the budget, like I said, are very conservative, very carefully done by the department heads. You're seeing a lot of efficiencies in the departments now that, again, I have that background. of five, six, eight years ago, it didn't exist that way. So you're very healthy in terms of use of funds. Understanding of the funds is triple what it used to be. It's fantastic. And, you know, I don't advocate people making my job harder and my stress level higher. So thank you very much for all that. At this time, Mr. Manager, I don't have anything else unless there's questions.

No, thank you very much. Any questions from the mayor and commission?

Just very quickly, remind me, we set our cap at 9.3, correct?

Yes. 9.3, but we can lower it. We're thinking about we would like to lower it to 9.2, and we'll be working with the finance director.

So he beat me when I questioned, because I know in years past during this exercise, we've asked ourselves, in theory, if we so choose to try to lower the millage, what do we have to cut out of this in order to get down to 9.2?

A little over $80,000. Okay, that's it. Bring you right to it.

Just wanted to know what the benchmark was.

Yes. And I forgot in the revenue summary, we're very conservative. So if you choose nine, nine, two, there's a lot of ways we could, we can balance it.

Not saying I'm advocating for it. Just was curious as to the mechanism by which we would get there.

If you're in good shape to be able to accomplish that.

Okay.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

So, Mr. Mayor, if I could be, before I bring up the chief, I just want, he's going to present his budget. If you could just go, if you have this printout of his budget and the financial overview that shows the actuals for each year of the police department and what is being proposed this year. But the actuals for 2022 were $2,001,200. The actuals for 2020 2023, we're $2,395,804. 2024, we're $2,827,391. I'll repeat that, $2,395,804. 827,391. And then 2025, we're 2,154,862. So what's being proposed for 2027 is 2,272,931, which is actually lower than the 2023 budget, the actual budget. So we're operating at 2023 budget levels in 2027. So I think that it's an excellent reflection on our directors and the management and the police department and his senior staff and all the officers and getting us to a 2023 level that we're operating on. So overall, it shows a 7% increase from last year, but we're still operating at 2023 levels. All right, with that, sir, bring up our Carlos Avila is our police chief to present his budget.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and commissioners, Mr. Manager. So this is the report from Biscayne Park Police Department budget presentation 2026-2027. Next page. So the Biscayne Park Police Department budget proposal for FY2026-2027 police function.

The primary function of the Biscayne Park Police Department is to prevent

Preservation of life, protection of property, prevention and detection of crime, maintenance or public order, and the delivery of professional law enforcement services that enhance the quality of life of all residents, businesses, and visitors. These responsibilities are accomplished through proactive policing, community partnerships, strategic planning, and a steadfast commitment to accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Our mission is to provide the exceptional police safety services through crime prevention, traffic safety, community engagement, and effective problem solving while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct. The department remains committed to fostering strong relationships with our residents, through open communication, accessibility, and collaborative partnerships that strengthen public trust and improve the overall quality of life throughout the village. During the past fiscal year, the department continued to strengthen its operational capabilities by expanding community oriented policing initiatives, investing in modern technology, improving officer safety through enhanced equipment and training, and implementing innovative solutions that increase operational efficiency while reducing costs though responsible finance through responsible financial management the department secured and has applied for grants reimbursements interagency partnerships and cooperative purchasing opportunities that maximized available resources while reducing financial burden on the village As we move forward into fiscal year 2026-27, the Biscayne Park Police Department will continue building upon these accomplishments and by enhancing public safety, strengthening community partnerships, pursuing additional funding opportunities, modernizing equipment and technology, and maintaining sound fiscal stewardship of the taxpayers' resources. Through strategic planning, innovation, and unwavering commitment to service, the department remains focused on providing the highest level of professional law enforcement, while preserving the exceptional quality of life that defines the village of Biscayne Park. Next page. So in this graph, it shows what we did In the in the three past years, the amount of traffic citations traffic warnings arrest watch orders and calls for service, I will remind you that this graph for this year that i've made it's only for half a year, so when you're looking at 2026 it's only January through June. The next page yeah. So. The next page is graph that shows the trends. between 2024 and 2026 of. Actual citations traffic warnings arrest watch orders and calls for service. 2026 enforcement trends year-to-date summary. Based on the activity from January through June 2026, the Village of Biscayne Park Police Department continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to proactive policing. Traffic safety and community engagement. Although the current statistics represent only the first six months of the calendar year, enforcement activity remains on pace with prior years in several key categories. Key highlights. Uniform traffic citations remain a primary focus of the department. 1,663 citations issued through June of 2026. At the current pace, the department is projected to exceed 3,300 citations by year and significantly surpassing The 2,667 citations issued during all of 2025. Traffic warnings continue to support the department's emphasis on voluntary compliance, public education, with 786 warnings issued during the first six months of 2026. This places the department on pace to exceed 1,139 warnings issued through 2025. Arrests totaled eight through June of 2026. While below pace established during the previous two years, the department continues to prioritize proactive enforcement of discretion and community oriented policing strategies focused on crime prevention and public safety. Watch orders remain a significant component of the proactive patrol operations with 8,607 watch orders completed during the first half of the year. This reflects the department's continued commitment to directed patrols, neighborhood visibility, and addressing community concerns through proactive enforcement. Calls for service totaled 428 through June, 2026. While lower than the annual totals recorded in 2024 and 2025, call volume remains consistent with the department's proactive policing philosophy and continued emphasis on crime prevention, visible patrol, and community engagement. The summary, next page. The first six months of 2026 reflects the Biscayne Park Police Department's continued focus on proactive law enforcement, traffic safety, and community-oriented policing. The trafficking enforcement activity remains exceptionally strong and is on pace to exceed previous years. While others continue to maintain a highly visible presence through proactive patrols and neighborhood watch orders, the department remains committed to enhancing the public's safety, reducing opportunities for crime, and delivering professional, responsive, and fiscally responsible police service for the residents of Biscayne Park. Next page is a... is our graph of how the department is set up. The next page is a graph that shows the compensation based on the proposal, what they were in 25, 26, and what their proposed 26 and 27. Obviously, we are in the middle of collective bargaining. And I guess, you know, there's some things that I can't speak about because we're in the middle of collective bargaining. And the attorney can answer that. But we obviously are calculating that the boys are going to get a raise. And the girls, because we're about to hire a girl. In the final overview, like the manager said, You know, 2023 was an interesting year here, and 2024 even more, 2,827,391. So, yes, our budget went up a little bit. It went up by 7%. Most of what it went up is compulsory issues that we really can't control. FICA. Salaries, CBA, I already spoke to you about. FRS, workers comp, utilities, a lot of these things are compulsory that we just have no control over. We did manage to lower a lot of the expenses. Almost like, if you go to the next page, You'll see that in seven categories, we were able to lower what we budgeted last year to what we budgeted this year. Next page. So the highlights of the overall budget. The FY2026-27 proposed police department budget totals $2,272,981, an increase of 141,432, 7% over the 25-2026 adopted budget. The increase primarily reflects personnel investments while maintaining conservative spending across the operational accounts. Line items 1200, 2100, 2200, and 2300 Personnel costs, personnel-related expenditures increased primarily due to salary adjustments, the budgeting or filled positions at current salary levels, contractual wages increases, and corresponding increases in FICA retirement contributions and employee health insurance retirement contributions increased by 23%, reflecting Florida retirement system mandated employer contribution rates and payroll growth. Line item 13.000, part-time salaries increased slightly by 2% to maintain operational flexibility, allowing the department to continue utilizing part-time officers to supplement staffing during vacancy, special events, and operational needs while minimizing the overtime costs. Line item 14.000, overtime reduced by 6%. Reflecting continued efforts to efficiently manage scheduling, staffing, and special event assignments while maintaining adequate police services and public safety coverage. Line item 15.000, other pays reduced by 12% through careful budgeting and educational incentives and court-related compensation based on historical expenditures and anticipated operational needs. line item 3100 or 31.000 professional services increased by 15% to support essential technology cybersecurity cloud backup services access control software licensing and investigative resources that enhance department departmental efficiencies security and operational effectiveness. some of the items in this line item 3100 were being paid out of other line items before and i asked the finance director to assist me with putting everything that was technology together into the same same category and and he graciously did so it just it's less confusing for us Line item 40.000, travel and per diem reduced by 25% through continued emphasis on cost-effective training opportunities, virtual meetings, and prioritizing of only essential out-of-area travel while maintaining professional development opportunities for department personnel. Line item 41.000, communications increased by 9% to support ongoing communications needs, including mobile data connectivity, department hotspots, internet services, and other communication reimbursements that ensure uninterrupted field operations and connectivity. Line item 44.000, rentals and leases reduced by 2% due to the exploration of several vehicles, lease agreements and continued fleet management strategies that maximize the useful life of department vehicles while controlling long-term lease costs. Line item 46.000, repairs and maintenance reduced by 5% as the department continues emphasizing preventive maintenance, careful equipment management, and planned fleet replacement to reduce unexpected repair expenses. Line item 52.000, operating supplies reduced by 9% through continued inventory management, purchasing efficiencies, strategy procurement practices, while maintaining sufficient operational supplies for daily operations. Line item 55.000, education and training reduced by 55% to increase utilization of regional training opportunities, online learning platforms, in-house instruction, and no-cost law enforcement training partnerships while continuing to meet all mandatory state certification and training requirements. Line item 58.000, accreditation. increased slightly by 6% to ensure continued funding for maintaining the department's accreditation program, PowerDMS, police management and compliance with professional law enforcement standards. Line item 64.000, capital outlay remains unchanged, reflecting the department's continued practice of utilizing grants, donations, assets, asset forfeiture funds, and strategic long-term capital planning whenever possible. Possible to reduce the impact on general fun while maintaining a critical public safety. While maintaining critical public safety equipment budget summary. The 2026 27 police department budget reflects a balanced approach that prioritizes personnel retention officer safety technology. and operational readiness, while continuing to identify opportunities for cost savings throughout non-personnel expenditures, despite a 7% overall budget increase. The department has reduced or maintained funding, numerous operational categories, including overtime travel, vehicle maintenance, operating supplies, education and training, and vehicle leases, demonstrating its continued commitment to fiscal responsibility and efficient stewardship of village resources. Next page. Leadership and organizational accomplishments successfully completed the department's transition into a period of organizational stability under my leadership while continuing to strengthen accountability, professionalism, and operational efficiency throughout the organization. Expand staffing through the hiring and swearing in of full-time, part-time, and reserve officers while promoting qualified personnel into leadership positions to better serve the village. Operational enforcement achievements. Earned first place in the Florida Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Challenge for agencies of comparable size. That just happened this weekend. Expanded proactive. And I won a trailer. That's even more important.

Even better.

Yeah, a speed trailer. Yeah. Expand proactive traffic enforcement and community-oriented policing initiatives to improve roadway safety and quality of life throughout the village. Implemented a department-wide electronic reporting and 100% electronic uniform traffic citations, known as UTCs, reducing paper... Sorry paper use, while improving reporting accuracy efficiency and transparency Community engagement and partnerships expanded the neighborhood resource officer program. Through direct resident outreach problem solving initiatives and increase Community engagement partner with Miami Dade tax collector to host multiple T connect events, providing convenient driver license and motor vehicle services village. The village residents. Next page. Successfully supported village events including Halloween, Winterfest, Spring Egg Hunt, Jazz in the Park, Memorial Day, and Independence Day community walks without significant incidents. Continued autism awareness outreach, specialized officer training, and participated in regional community initiatives. Financial stewardship and cost savings. Received $46,034 reimbursement from the Florida Division of Emergency Management for Hurricane Milton deployment expenses. Generated $15,819 in revenue through the public auction of surplus vehicles and equipment. Received the first Department of Justice asset forfeiture DAG reimbursement in several years, totaling $2,209.05. That happened this month also. After restoring compliance with federal auditing requirements, financial financial reporting procedures, and DOJ portal administration. Removed the aging vehicles and equipment that were no longer cost-effective to maintain, reducing future maintenance expenses. Expanded the use of Florida Sheriff's Association Cooperative Purchasing Program to reduce future fleet acquisition costs. Secured two newer police motorcycles through an interagency donation, reducing replacement and maintenance costs while improving officer safety. Initiated a comprehensive review of department's uniformed vendor equipment vendors to improve service quality and identify long-term cost savings and opportunities. Secured a new body armor vendor offering improved pricing and better overall value while maintaining high officer safety standards. Successfully renegotiated power DMS agreement by aligning licenses with actual staffing levels while expanding available features and reducing unnecessary costs. Technology and innovation. Expanded electronic reporting capabilities, continued implementation of technology that improves transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency. Continued investments in TRACS, CAD integration, and other reporting technologies supporting data-driven policing. Officer safety and accountability. Executed a new service agreement with Axon, Taser, if you will. Equipping every full-time and part-time sworn officer with a taser conducted energy device to enhance less than lethal response capabilities and officer safety. Successfully implemented the off-duty employment surcharge program, establishing accountability measures that ensure compliance, transparency, and additional revenue collection for the village. The finance director can tell you how much we've collected this year. Continued the comprehensive review and modernization of all departmental orders to ensure legal compliance, operational effectiveness, and future accreditation readiness. Training and professional development. Completed mandatory firearms qualifications, specialized training through regional partnerships, Participated in WebEOC emergency management training and numerous no-cost leadership and professional development programs. Continued emphasizing specialized training opportunities that improve while minimizing budget impacts. Grants and external funding. Continued pursuing Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant opportunities to obtain automated external defibrillator AEDs and emergency response equipment at no cost to the village. Pursued additional grants, reimbursements, and interagency funding opportunities to reduce operational costs and maximize available resources. Fleet and equipment improvements. Purchased and equipped new patrol vehicles through cooperative purchasing. Continued replacing aging fleet assets with more reliable and cost-effective equipment. Strengthened long-term fleet management planning to reduce maintenance costs and improve officer safety. objectives for 26-27. Continue expanding community policing and resident engagement initiatives. Maintain recognition as one of Florida's safest small police departments through proactive enforcement and traffic safety initiatives. Continue replacing aging fleet vehicles using cooperative purchasing programs. Pursue additional grants, reimbursements, and partnerships to reduce operational costs. Expand technology records management and reporting capabilities. Continue professional development opportunities for all personnel. Advance long-term accreditation readiness and continuous policy improvement. Maintain fiscally responsible budgeting while delivering exceptional public safety services. In conclusion, The Biscayne Park Police Department remains committed to providing professional, transparent, and fiscally responsible law enforcement services while maintaining the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and public trust. Throughout fiscal year 26-27, the department demonstrated its commitment to responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources by identifying cost-savings opportunities. securing grants and reimbursements, strengthening interagency partnerships, modernizing technology, and investing in the safety and professional development of its personnel. As the department continues to build upon these accomplishments, our focus will remain on enhancing public safety, improving operational efficiency, expanding community engagement, and pursuing innovative solutions that maximize available resources without compromising the quality of service provided to our residents. Through strategic planning, sound financial management, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Biscayne Park Police Department is well positioned to meet the challenge and the future while continuing to provide exceptional police services and preserving the outstanding quality of life enjoyed by the residents of the village of Biscayne Park. That is my report.

Chief, thank you very much. Any questions? I'm going to take a look.

Go ahead, Commissioner.

Go ahead.

I think that's the most important thing to me is resident safety and police officer safety. You say that in your budget you have accomplished that, and if not, is there anything in the budget that you need to be added? Well, do you think that's a trick question?

That's a trick question. I always want more, but no, no, we can handle it with what we got.

That's the key. I mean, you could always have somebody that's a trick question, but if you have somebody that's responsible, that's not a trick question.

No, I wouldn't cut anything there that puts my officers in jeopardy or the residents for that matter.

We'll go over the budget tonight, but I just wanted to find out. Okay. Thank you.

Thanks very much, Chief. So I think, you know, what we'll do is we'll kind of comb through the line items, section 12 through 64 and see if there's any questions on them. So you would just hang tight with us for just a moment. Good. What?

I don't know. We went ahead and readjusted this. It did happen under this fiscal year. Thank you.

Congratulations are in order again, Chief and Captain and the whole department for the award and the excellent service you provided to Biscayne Park as reflected in the awards that you've been receiving. Thank you very much. I'm sure we'll be talking about it again next Tuesday. Um, so, you know, I, I just, is there anything else before we, uh, launch into the discussion, Al? No? Okay. Um, so, uh, just kind of at the outset, you know, I know obviously that there's, you know, we're talking about a 7% increase for the department, but what I'd note is just in running the numbers, 95% of that increase comes from essentially areas that there isn't much choice. The increase in the pay representing a 9% variance in an increase from last year. I mean, that's coming from step up from collective bargaining, which may change. A few of the other items that the larger ones, FICA, Medicare, retirement contributions, which are statutory, health insurance, workers' comp. That right there, that's 95% of the increase. So there's not, as we've already heard, These are pretty, this department is showing us, we're reflective of how lean of a budget we're being presented with. So, you know, Chief, to you and your department, thank you for the hard work in presenting us with a modest increase. And Al and Paul, you both as well. Um, really the only other area of, of insignificant, I say that only because it's really the only other area that increased really at all is just that, um, the professional services area. Um, but I really don't have that many questions. A lot of these changes are, are required increases. So there's not a in making changes. Are there any specific areas that either of you would like to look at to discuss with the chief or with the manager while we're here? Because outside of those, I don't think I have too much.

I reviewed it and I didn't find anything that I really needed to bring up here.

Here, there you go. Say again.

Same here.

Okay.

A lot of it is we don't have a...

PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Yeah. So I did have one question about in this is just based on maybe my own inability to recall chief about the about the accreditation section. Just jam on down to that. PB, Harmon Zuckerman, That's a section line item 58 and that includes that the that software that PB, Harmon Zuckerman, Our DMS. Thank you. Yeah, um, Since I know when you first came aboard with us, we kind of put accreditation on the back burner for the time being. But this was an element, I guess, that lives in this section of the budget that we continue to use for the benefit of the department, correct?

Yes. And at the request of our finance director, he asked me to leave it there. I was going to go ahead and put it into the professional service, which is what I want to answer because you spoke about that.

Yeah.

A lot of things have been paid out of that. object code that should not have, they should have been paid through sub-account numbers and other areas of the budget. So when we did our research in conjunction with the finance department who assisted us with that, we were able to see where certain things were getting paid. That's going to be fixed in this budget now. All the technology And software and all that stuff that we use is now going to go into professional services and it'll have a sub account number. And what was happening is under the old, or the one that we're present on, they were being put in there anyways. And it showed that we blew the budget there when in fact we didn't. We're just paying from, we should have been paying from other sub accounts. So that's where we're at right now. I am presently trying to get with this company, Loxio. We're supposed to have a sit down and try to figure out some things that I'm not happy with. and see what the prices may change. So. Understood.

Is that separate from, or is that in conjunction with the part of the report where you provide us where we're adjusting licenses to reflect the actual number of folks that are using them?

Yes. PowerDMS, yeah. That's the one that we had the sit down with last year. Uh, so this year we're going to be doing the same thing with Loxia and they're going to have to show me exactly what it is we're getting for our money here.

So all those providers are on notice that you're coming for them?

Yeah, they know, they know, they, they know. And, uh, um, power DMS is a necessity. We actually use it for training purposes to keep our records and it's like an RMS system. Uh, and obviously if we ever do, uh, go into accreditation. It's an absolute necessity. Uh, you can't get accredited unless you have it.

So that was, sorry, I apologize. I don't mean to interrupt you. And that was actually the second part of the question is, do you foresee us even being able to approach that again?

Not in the near future? No. Okay. No, we're not, we're not there yet. I mean, we're, we've, We're leaps and bounds ahead of the game, but not there yet.

You know better than me, so that's the authority on the position. And then I did have one other question for you, Chief, not really questioning amounts, but just kind of a general question about the line items. In the full-time salaries in Section 12, the comment that you made earlier about hiring a new officer, is that the open position there that we see?

Well, the open position is a part-time position that we're holding open right now. Okay. Because of some legalese that are going on that I'm not at liberty to speak about. That's fine. In reference to a terminated employee, so that all depends on what happens with that arbitration. And we did hire one officer the previous year, so...

Great. Well, it really covers everything that I had, Chief, because as I mentioned already, the vast, vast majority of the increase, which is pretty nominal to begin with, is coming from required areas. Yeah, they're compulsory.

There's nothing that I can do about them there. The finance director let me know.

You know, actually, that brings to mind one more question. Sorry, I promise I'll let you go. But I saw that the insurance, the insurance for the autos didn't increase. Was that before or was that after we had brought the two new motorcycles aboard?

No, we had motorcycles before. We did have the new ones. Yeah. Just didn't even swap out. They didn't go up. As far as I know, they didn't go up. All good. Oh, excellent. OK. Chief, thanks so much. You're welcome, sir.

Are there any other questions from the rest of the commission on the police budget?

Hearing none. No. Okay.

All right. Let's move it on now.

Yeah, so Mr. Mayor, our next presentation will be from the Co-Compliance Department. Doreen Grant is our Co-Compliance Director. And before I call her up, I just wanted to point out, too, as I pointed out with the Police Department, so the actuals for the Co-Compliance Department in 2021 was $114,000. 2022 was $112,000. 2023 was $149,000. In 2024, it jumped up to $519,000. 2025 was $463,000 was their actual budget, what they actually spent. For this year, for 2026, what's projected is $215,000. And what is proposed for 2027 is $234,000. So the code compliance is actually operating half of what the actual budget spent for 2024 was of $519,000. So from last year, it's going down 1%, approximately $3,000, $109,000. Once again, congratulations to the department director and the entire department on their outstanding commitment to keeping our budget low and operating within their levels of their needs. So, Doreen, will you please come up and present your budget?

Frank, can I ask, real before you start, can I ask Paul real quick a question about 2024? Because if I remember vaguely, the reason that it jumped to that half a million dollars was because there were people being billed to that department.

Generally, yes, that was the issue. There was an overlap between the creation of the building fund and a consultant relationship started in the building fund that was different and the staffing levels were different. So you had a little bit of overlap, but you also had a... a management decision at the time to solve problems by throwing people at it, if you may remember. And that's why I got to that, in my humble opinion.

Good evening, everyone. Mr. Mayor, commissioners, Mr. Manager, legal attorney, and staff. residents. Dorian Grant, co director for the code department here to present the 2027 budget proposal. The primary goal of the code department is to maintain and increase the safety, health and quality of life to which all village residents are entitled. The department enforces village and county code sections of the Florida building code and applicable state statutes. Noncompliant cases are presented before a quasi judicial board for hearings. The department also provides public records on code violations for lean searches on properties located in the village. The code compliance department is responsible for reviewing and recommending changes to the village code of ordinances. We are open five days a week, Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. We also conduct special and targeted inspections on Saturdays. Our co-compliance activity report has tremendously changed this year in comparison to the last fiscal year. This has been due to successfully planning and implementing our outreach program. We send letters of intent before we get out to do our inspections now. We gave our residents time and enough notice to look at their violations before we get out there. So as a result, I'm happy to report that the total projected inspections for 2026 will be down by 1,017. We'll still have 240 cases because we scheduled the same number of cases. So we'll still have 240 cases heard by the board at the end of this year. However, the cases that we've opened are less by 461. We opened 980 cases in the fiscal year 2025. To date, we have only opened 365 cases. We hope to open another 154. So our numbers will be about 519 this year. So we are opening less cases because we are able to preempt our residents. Cases in compliance, we will be able to close a few more cases than we did the last year. We will file a total of 31 liens this year, which is less $10 leans less than the past year. So our outreach program is great and working. Our personnel has not changed. We have a co-director, a co-compliance officer, and an administrative assistant who is also our code board clerk. The numbers for 2025 and 2026 are identical. and 2027 are identical. No changes there. Compensation for our staff has changed slightly. We have a variance of $8,594. And this is because in 2025, 2026, two members of staff left. code supervisor and the planning and design review board clerk who was under our department at the time left. So as a result, our number proposed this year for 2027 is 147,649. We have an 8,000 variance like I said. For professional services, the numbers have not changed. For the year 2026, the adopted was $79,000. For the year 2027, the proposed is also $79,000. And I would just like to remind the commission that $79,000 is half of the professional services, which comes out of the budget. The other half comes out of the building fund. Another $79,000. So the financial overview, we just gave the staff salaries. I'll jump to communication. The only thing to point out in communication is the 992, which is our projected for this year. We still propose $2,000 just in case we need the money. However, the director's phone is paid for CAP government. I would like to mention that. We have two iPads and a cell phone used by a code officer. We have minimized our technology this year and the last. We don't have any rentals and leases. Our property and liability insurance remains the same this year as we proposed last year. Maintenance is minimum because we have two brand new vehicles in the code department. Our operating supplies are going to be less this coming year, and this is because last year the director was supplied with a brand new computer desktop. Membership fees don't change. We have one member that we pay the... Membership fees forward to the Florida Association of Code Enforcement. That's just for the code officer. The director is covered by the CAP government. Education and training, we have left $2,150 in there so the code officer can attend the conference again this year. We have no capital outlay. Our total proposed amount for this year is 234,886, which gives us a variance of 3,109. Our adopted budget for 2026 was 237,996. However, I would like to mention that our total projected will be 215, which is $22,000 less. $215,000. As I promised Commissioner Gonzalez, $234,000 is what they adopted. The actual for 2026 is $215,000. So the adopters was $237,000. The actual is $215,000. Variance is $22,000. So I'm saving money, as I promised Commissioner Gonzalez. Yes. So the next page is just the highlights of what we just mentioned. Line items 12, the regular salaries went up by 3%, which is just the regular inflation rate. They always get the raise for 3%. 31 professional services has not changed. It's a 50-50 budget and 50 from the building fund. I would like to talk about our accomplishments for 2025-2026. Properties with approved variances, conditions for storage of recreational vehicles and trailers. We have reviewed and updated all current registrations for water vessels and trailers, and we continue to receive updated registrations. Codes of ordinances enacted, section 16.13 for exterior paint, the legal department and the manager's office helped us to put these ordinances together and we successfully enacted this one. Section 14 as well, to delegate authority to the code compliance board to settle recorded liens. The new ordinance to guide installation and maintenance of artificial turf was also enacted during this fiscal year. Department policies and procedures. All standard operating procedures and policies for the code department have been reviewed, revised and updated. to ensure consistency and maximum efficiency. We also reviewed the SOPs for the planning and design review board for support staff and those have been updated as well. Lien registry, we continue to maintain a lien registry of all recorded liens. The registry is now on the share folder for the village network so anyone can has access, staff have access to them, to the liens. We have been sending out demand letters through the legal department, and we are bringing 15 cases to the board this month to get orders to authorize foreclosure on these properties. At the moment, we have over two million in outstanding and running liens. Two million dollars. outstanding and running, accruing. We have sent out letters of demand and we are now bringing those cases to the Code Compliance Board to get orders to authorize foreclosure on these properties. We won't foreclose on properties that have homestead exemption. It will just be the other ones with no exemption. The ones that are not homesteaded. Property maintenance, continued enforcement efforts by increasing our SWPs for major property maintenance violation, such as dirty roofs, driveways, and exterior paint. Home occupational licenses, we have suspended one license. And there has been proposals in the coming year for occupational licenses, the ordinance for occupational licenses to be reviewed and reviewed. We are looking to add enhanced sections in there to accommodate some of what Commissioner Samaria has proposed. You want to go ahead?

Yes.

For occupation license, we were going to ask, and I spoke to Nicole about updating the ordinance, because I think, as an example, I have a pest control company, and we get inspected by the state, and I think that should be a requirement in part of when we get an occupation license.

Absolutely, and we'll be proposing to increase the inspection fees as well, because this does change the scope of work that we do as officers. So the revenue in the code compliance department, we have been able to bring close to $100,000 each year from 2023, 2024, 2025. The average has been $99,447. This is in licensing fees and code board fees that have been assessed and cases that have been settled for outstanding liens. For 2026, January to date, we have collected $58,959. We collected $118,214 in 2023, $84,757 in 2024, and $95,343 in 2025. Our objectives for the upcoming year, signs. Construction signs will now be posted on sites informing workers of the parking and permitted days and hours of construction. We've also created a flyer to articulate sign requirements for permitted signs. There is an issue in the village where contractors are backed doing the big signs on their properties. So we are doing a flyer to ensure that they are informed of the correct measurements or the permitted signs. Ordinances. We continue to review ordinances with the village manager and recommend amendments and or changes. We will be recommending and proposing the following for review. The short-term vacation rental ordinance needs corrections and updating to the current code. Filming. Permitted days and hours. Special events, we don't have ordinance right now that we use to enforce special events. So we need to codify and ensure that residents have something that guides them on how they can do their special events. Painting boarded windows and doors. The unsafe structures and properties that have been vacant and abandoned are covered in boards, but those boards do not match the color of the walls. We would like to have an ordinance enacted that allows for residents to paint the same color of the house with the covers of the whatever they use the material they use to cover the windows. So it's identical. With that, I will invite your questions.

Doreen, thank you. Do we have any questions for Doreen on the code budget?

Just one. I think I got the answer already from the city manager, but I always like to have it publicly. I see the unsafe structures. I see three addresses. I know one is the B place. The 830 Northeast 120th property has been demolished. Did we do that or was it done by the property owner and done by us, what are we doing with that property? It was done by the property owner.

We issued him with violations. He resisted for a while, but we insisted, brought him to the board. He had fines running and in the end he demolished the property. 515 has also been demolished. I don't believe I added it to this list. 519 Northeast 118 has been demolished by the property owner.

And have we collected the fees that were owed to us when they demolished it?

Yes. So those cases go back to the board when they have fees running, they have liens running, we go back to the board to collect them or, you know, they apply for reduction, which they are allowed to.

Okay, thank you.

Art? I have just a quick question for Paul. So, The budget that's before us doesn't include the contribution from the building department, right?

It does. It's in here. It's already separated out. So what you'll see under the professional services, there's a notation that that's a 50% of the total cost. The other 50% resides in the building department. So that's where... It's already built in. Yeah, they're balanced with each other correctly now. There are a few code cost expenses like signs and things like that that would normally be in this budget. But because of the relationship with the building department, it's appropriate for them to be funded there.

The other question I have is payroll is going up a little bit, but FICA is going down. How does that work?

It's formulaic. I can't tell you exactly. I'll take a look at it to make sure. These numbers fall out of the actual salary schedule and they can be a little bumpy sometimes, but I'll check it.

It went down a little bit for some of the positions because of who elects what

type of insurance. There's been a little of that.

Better reduction.

Yeah. And you had two staff members leave. So your costs went to zero for some period of time.

Thank you. On that last point. Thanks, Paul. Having had those two folks that departed, which now we see the reduction in those line items for that person no longer being there. Does that impact your department to the point now where you're seeing a decrease in your operational like day to day? You know, are you going to are you going to be experiencing any difficulty by losing that the services of those folks?

Yes and no. We have experienced some difficulties, yes, in areas where we need special sweeps, we need to do special details. Manpower is the two of us. So instead of me focusing on operations, I have to get in the field and do the practical field work, which I don't mind doing, but sometimes it's not very practical for me. Budget wise, we have been able to balance the budget and we keep going down with it, which I think is also very important to the manager and to the village to ensure that we have fiscal responsibility.

I agree. But my, my, I guess my concern lies with this, you know, continuing the budget where you're at and I'm not trying to throw rent monkey wrenches in any in all the hard work that you and the manager have done. But if you're, if what you're saying is that Because I know in the past we've talked a little bit about having the equipment with you out in the field so you can better manage and not have to run back and do that, which that seems to be still sufficient.

It is sufficient, yes, I have to say. I've also been more involved in the building aspect of code, meaning the unsafe structures, zoning violations, and more complex projects. I do get intricately involved in those, and those may require me to work with the building official, do inspections with the building official, or they may require me to do a lot of research on properties and sometimes work with developers one-on-one. And this now requires me to sit in the office. I do get creative. I've stated we do weekends now. We have added a weekend schedule. So I come on Saturdays. Rafael and I change every other Saturday. So I come in Saturdays and I catch up on my work. I do get out and do inspections on Saturdays more. than I do every other day because it's quieter in the village and I'm able to do one-on-ones with residents, meet with them, talk to them. And then I'm able to sit in the office without any interruptions and do what I need to do. So that has worked out well for us. And then Rafael does it the next weekend.

Understood. So that was kind of the second part of the question I was going to ask you was having lost some personnel and kind of stretching a little bit further to be able to kind of cover that and now adding a weekend seems to be a little in opposite.

It does get a little difficult, but we find ways. If you notice, we have cut our inspections this fiscal year by a thousand inspections, meaning sending out letters every has helped us to not be out there doing the kind of inspections we would have been doing. The other thing that has helped us a lot is the change in the ordinance for landlord permits. Those were over 300 inspections we had to get out and do. We don't have to do those inspections now. So that has made a difference for us.

Have you seen, and I'm just kind of thinking on the spot now, have you seen, or Al, you know, if you've seen it either, any other opportunities for CAP or for building with that overlap that you have to kind of take, maybe trade off in some of those duties or for them to continue help on? I don't know, and we haven't been into the building department just yet, so I don't know exactly where we're at dollar to dollar for them. But I want to open a can of wine for you.

I understand what you're saying. In the building department, we've had, say our building clerk went on maternity leave and then we had a new clerk come in. She had to learn how to use the three systems that we have. And I had to intricately get involved because she has access to some systems, doesn't have access to some. So I get intricately involved in doing permits or helping her get information from one system into another. I've also done sitting one-on-one with developers. I just helped a developer go through a whole, it was a whole job because they had permits in three different systems. And I had to sit with this developer over a 12-week period, go over the permits, help them organize the permits, coordinate a structured process and coordinated process so they are able to go through the multiple disciplines, mechanical, electrical and everything and do their master permit. But we were able to successfully help them go through this process, coordinate meetings with the building official. They got the CEO last week and sold that house yesterday for $4.5 million. I had to literally get one-on-one with the developer for 12 weeks.

Well, look, I'm not trying to, like I said, I don't want to go down the rabbit hole with everyone on that issue. I mean, I trust your judgment. I trust Al's judgment on the department. If what you're telling us is the budget that's being proposed, that the reduction is sufficient, then you can operate at this level without compromising what you do and what your department does. I'm satisfied with that. You know, just numbers, I think, you know, looking high level at the numbers, same way that I did when we were talking about the police department. Um, you know, you have a slight increase in salary, uh, and then as Al or as Art pointed out a smaller increase in, in FICA, but then, you know, that's offset by the decrease in the retirement, the health. So, I mean, those, those are really your only, only areas of real change. So the numbers, the dollar to dollar isn't really all that concerning. I'm just thinking more objectively in the level of service, as long as what you're telling us and what Al is telling us that, that it works, then, then that satisfies me.

It's working, but if the manager wishes, he can give us more staff. Do a little break. But we're doing just fine, I have to say.

Okay. Sure, go ahead. One last question. Seeing you're cutting out the landlord inspections, By cutting that out, it hasn't jeopardized where landlords are getting away with doing. See if I can explain it right when we have landlord inspections. We check everything out, right?

Our landlords cooperating whenever, because those are cooperating, but the tenants are also. privy to the miami-dade county rental code so when they have issues like something in the house is not working they may report to us and we may be able to get in there and issue a violation but they are protected by the county rental code and if landlords are not doing what they're supposed to do the the county comes down on them so that takes a lot of burden off of us okay no as long as okay

I think that's it, Doreen. Listen, thank you so much for the hard work and everything to date and for the upcoming fiscal and your hard work and putting together a lean budget for us again this year.

I appreciate your time.

Thank you. All right, so that covers our first, I think those are the two, only two presentations we had set for today, right, Al?

Yeah, Mr. Mayor, unless the finance director has anything he wants to go over, any of the funds he wants to go over, those are the two presentations for this evening.

Well, looking at Paul's reaction, I think the answer is no. So were there any other departments, Al, that you wanted to talk about or any of the other funds or anything you want to talk about this evening before the next workshop?

No, just overall, Mr. Mayor, members of the commission, I think you see that our departments are being effective and efficient with what is budgeted for them and that they're thinking outside the box. They're thinking of new ways to use the resources that are assigned to them. And, uh, you know, just like, uh, we were talking with wood code that, uh, before they, they never sent out the letters of intent and those have been, uh, a real, uh, key, uh, strategy for the department and that, uh, The property owners are cleaning up the property before they even make an inspection. So that's why one of the reasons you see less inspections. The properties are being cleaned up before that initial inspection is taking place. People get the letters and say, okay, or are calling and saying, give me some more time. My grass is overgrown or I need to pressure clean my roof. So they already know what the violation is before we even initiate a case. So it's been very effective.

I think that's something that we've seen both in the police report and in the code report is this proactive and proactive policing and code work has been very effective within the community and the numbers I think reflect that. Both numbers in the actions of the department and the numbers in the budget of those departments. So, Chief Doreen, thank you both for the presentations, for the lean budgets you presented. Thanks for working with Al. And Al, thanks very much for working with them to present that to us. Go ahead, John.

Mr. Mayor, save you some time for the next meeting. The legal's not changing.

We might as well go ahead and attack what we can now.

That's our presentation. The budget's staying the same.

You got to go through the whole report. So, Al, our next workshop, you know, the commission meeting in between notwithstanding, the next workshop is set for the 18th. Can you give us just kind of an outline of what the plan is to be quite to be candid? I'm probably going to be on a plane, so I might not be able to be here for that one.

So the Vice Mayor will handle it in your absence. And then we'll have presentations by the Parks and Recreation Director. Issa Thornell will make a presentation. Public Works will be making a presentation. Yeah, the administration will be making a presentation. The legal department will be waiving their presentation. Everything will be the same. And then the finance director will make a wrap-up of the overall budget.

Okay. Are we slated to look at a CIP as well?

Well, myself or the finance director will go over the CIP, yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Anything else? I've got to congratulate the city manager. Usually on a budget, we always have where we almost tear apart the budget. It just seems like these first two fall off too easily. I'm worried about the rest of the budgets because we're going pretty good.

Yes.

That's not a criticism. That's a compliment that

Okay. All right. Well, then if there's nothing else for this evening, we'll attack what Al has outlined for us at the next workshop. And next week, we'll have our regular commission meeting for August. So if there's nothing else, I think we're adjourned for this evening. Thanks very much, everybody.

Bye.