City Commission - workshop

workshop meeting for order at 5 10 p.m. you might call this city of pohokie budget workshop meeting to order at 5 10 p.m. roll call madam clerk we will defer the roll call until we have the prayer

Okay, at this time, we'll have our roll call.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. At this time, entertain our finance director as she is ready to present regarding our budget

I want to apologize, but I don't have the meeting order here in this packet, so you guys can just let me know.

I hope we can get all the rest of them repaired.

So that grant and the sidewalks improvements for year 27-28?

Oh, I thought you were letting us know that there was an adjustment that needed to be made.

So it was something else we were questioning with regards to those utility service taxes. I don't know if this is in that category or not, but was it the cell phone towers? Is that in that category?

Is that comfortable? I mean, how can we...

Which one is that? No, who you say we have a lease with? Metro PCS. So there's no one else up there?

That's the only tower. Vice Mayor McDonald. Excuse me, sir.

That's the only tower inside the city limits?

I know when I looked at the contract I didn't see anything on there but no and I'm not actually look for it so what this one would have been old I believe your list went back to twenty twenty but it is that mean we still have a contract with you yes we do we do some say that's what I was okay

So seriously though, I would suggest that we do a comparison. and make sure that we get in the bang for our buck with regards to what they're paying us. Because to me, that just don't sound like it's what it should be.

So could we look and see? In other services that we provide in, because it looks like more than one cell tower out there on that water tower where I live at. There's a lot of them going right now. I know that ain't just from one company.

Yes. So we're not getting anything for the one that's at the...

I would say that that needs to be made a priority. And if we can establish the time that they erected those towers I would say let's go after some retroactive fees that they owe to the city.

If we didn't get paid, we'd cut the lines. If we didn't get paid, we'd cut the lines. Then they'll come up with something.

Not because you offer anything, but finance should already be aware of anything that's generating revenue within the city.

Yeah, because, I mean, that's definitely impacting our budget in a negative way if people are conducting business and generating monies for them inside our city limits and we're not benefiting from it. So certainly, I would say that's, I mean, we know that's just a workshop, but hence, we need to know these things.

Prolong this point, but I think that in the last budget workshop, we talked about knowing what was generating revenue within the city, and having a list of those entities so that we can properly manage them and also establish some type of calculation so that we can already expect that an increase is going to be on the horizon for the next year. I think we talked about one account that had not been increased for like 10 or 15 years. How can we survive as a city with that type of calculation? you know stuff in place we we can't do that yeah your bills at the house going up so what i mean as a ci

That one's the reason for asking for a copy of the contract, who we have contracts with, and that way we can survey them and look at them, what needs to be done, because it's crazy.

I'm kind of aware that we have a contract with someone for some property, but I didn't see it on that. So that means people making, they making deals, those making deals, having contracts without coming and bringing it to the commission. Because I understand, I read that, what you put together, and none of that was there. For instance, out there to the cemetery, the property on this side of the cemetery, I'm like, I didn't even know the city owned it, honestly. But now that I know that the city owned the property, these people got a contract that probably been expired five or six years ago.

If it was a contract, because it didn't state it in there. That's what threw me.

Oh, I see a lot of them missing. And I know what you had said, so that's why I didn't say goodbye.

Yeah, because what got my attention is when someone approached me about leasing it, I'm like, we don't know property. I said, yes, y'all do. And I went there. I physically drove down there and went, walked over there and looked it over. It used to be a tree farm. It's not a tree farm now. It's just property with irrigation sticking up everywhere and some people living there. Listen, I walked a bit. And I asked him, I said, well, how do you?

I said, well, how did you maintain the grass cutting and whatever? He said he used to sit in the lawnmowers. The guy told me he's just been there four months, and he said, I was there, I want to be here four months, and that's how I pay my rent, is I maintain this property. I said, you, and he gave me names of other peoples who actually, you know, they're supposed to be renovating it, or renting it, or whatever, so... I didn't ask him how much they pay or whatever.

He's subleasing it, yeah. He don't have a tree out there. Everything out there is like old or just wild. He's just living there in the trailer. And he's paying this rent? He's paying this rent for maintaining it.

He named the person who owned the tree farm, and he named the person in between him and the person who would have him out there to put him out there for the last three or four months. And the only thing he had to do is keep it cut. Keep it cut.

The reason I went there because someone wanted to lease it through the city. It's a company they wanted to lease it and I'm like okay, I'll go look and that's where we're at. So it's someone that really so we can almost set our numbers to kind of offset a lot of these things because we're leasing it out there now for whatever.

So we're all on the same page with regards to that. So we do expect that matter to be addressed, you know, like with a matter of priority so that we can get on top of it and make sure that we're, minimizing the liability that could potentially come to the city with regards to that particular piece of property and not only that property we like you said the list so that we can monitor and maintain everything that we're responsible for correct we have it down so we will provide a list of all properties that the city owns so you'll have that and we'll have it as well question when

Yeah, we've had that happen. I know. You know, the contracts and the deadlines, which all that information is being Yeah, it's critical that we have this information so that we can properly manage what needs to be managed here and address it properly address.

Is that on the public works or whose area of responsibility is that?

Okay, so but we understand that none of us were here when that contract was in place, but we don't want to not address it.

Okay. We're going to have a different report next time because we're going to get some matters handled regarding that we have to. I mean, we can't keep going the way that we're going.

Yes, definitely. I think we don't spend enough time on this topic, but we are all on the same page. So the next conversation we have about it, it should be on the up and up. And we can definitely, you know, give a report that that matter has been rectified. So enough said on that, unless somebody else.

Yeah, it needs to be properly advertised, and we need an RFP for it, I would say.

Okay, so that took our staff total. Is it included in this number here, or will it be updated October 1?

Let's see here. page okay it's twenty feet it's broken streets in in the budget yeah oh is that those guys I saw it they full time as of now or in the next but in the next budget okay did a full-time position okay

So public works have 10 employees now, and those gotta make 12, or are they part of this 10 that you have?

Yeah, that's what to put to the program.

Travel basketball is not provided by the city. It's a bunch of parents and coaches. The city, this year, I think they provided uniforms and they help out with transportation and they allow the coaches to use the gym, but it's not their program. not travel basketball did not oh well I'm just looking at basketball they used to be but not they don't do that there's there that's not one person work for the city does anything with travel basketball okay because I'm just trying to say if we putting it in our budget we're saying we're going to do no they got a basketball program that they do with Bel

I got a question. I've seen Park and Rec, they have nine employees?

Oh, they have nine budgeted. They'll have nine working with them.

And 2 of those apart I can see here too I'm not sure all 2 of them should be put 5 the 2 is point to write to a part-time.

Could we see what the budget was? I think they used to have a program.

I never knew that it was no longer in effect. I thought. They were still. Years ago.

How uninformed am I? I know they had a program over here. A very good program.

Excuse me, but I don't see how it costs us anything right now when we have the staff up there You say we got nine people, and I mean from eight to two, there's nobody doing it. They have a senior room. Listen, Pahokee started the senior programs before they went to Belle Glade. That's where it originated from. It was up here. So what I'm saying, everything is in place to have a senior program. And I'm just trying to figure out.

This is what I hate to say, but I know I hate to say it. We have a senior program up there. In this way, they came in social, they probably played cards, they probably did little senior activities, and they ate lunch because GA Foods still provide them food, but the I see them take it on the pier to the AARP workers.

And it's for the seniors. Like the ones that used to come in there, they come in and they do their little activities. They have their little social gathering and eat and go home, whatever. And see the bus, the little bus, the ones that didn't have a ride used to provide a ride, go pick them up and bring them. I'm like, it's the same facility that's still over there. Everything's still there, so I'm trying to figure out why we have to wait on something.

No, no, no. It's a room. It's a kitchen. That's where it was held at. That's what they call the senior room.

And I think part of the program, too, was inviting different ones to come and educate them and provide information that was helpful for them. And, you know, to just, you know, health care and so on and so forth. Well, they can do, you know, the exercises they like to do, the heart rate.

I know communities actually come and do, used to come there, like, when they do their lights and water, when they got special, instead of them having to come right now and see everything on the computer, since they're not... computer savvy, so they'll send someone in there and fill out all their paperwork and make sure that their bills and stuff get paid. They'll be doing different activities and different people just come and do stuff with them.

You know, the bad thing about it, neither one of them is a professional. Neither one of them had, you know, it's because certain chemicals you're not supposed to be working with. And no one teaching them that. They're just cleaning up, thinking, I'm home, so I'm just cleaning up.

She's saying they didn't use the summer. Oh, the summer camp counselors.

So it's kind of like we're being blindsided with some stuff. And I get that, you know, there's an explanation for it. But these kind of things should be forthcoming as far as, you know, what we're doing with our budget.

You got to transition it out. Correct. Okay. So it won't be on there for the year after that? Correct.

It takes some organization, even though we have what we need. Yeah, but it's been, it's not been an operation for that long. So you can't just say you're going to get up today and start, you got to look and make sure that you got the plan in place, you know, and there's different people here too. Maybe if we had the same staff, they could just step in and say, okay, let's just start this back up. But it's a risk involved, and like she said, we've got to make sure that we minimize the liability for the city.

It's been okay we still don't I'm sorry we still don't recreation right. I just wanted to get an answer to the question that I asked regarding the football application and what is covered in that fee so that we can be clear on it. Because if I'm not mistaken, I think I heard something about the parents were being asked to purchase another football uniform. And so, I mean, I just was curious what the application fee covers. And which page are you on again?

Let me find it. I'm just going off memory from the last.

They don't have anything for flag football.

So if they have three uniforms, that fee is going to cover the cost of those three uniforms. And so no parent should be asked to purchase another uniform.

Okay. So how are we making sure that that's the case? Because I know I've heard some conversation and chatter. about them having to purchase additional uniforms other than what is provided. And then too, like I said, personally, a couple of years ago, I purchased some equipment for a kid that they did not provide what he needed because of his size. And if they have their parents, if the parent is paying for what is asked as far as the application fee is concerned, and if we don't have what fits the child, then we need to make sure that we get... What is needed for the child?

And I mean, that's just, you know, like a scenario. Correct. I'm not saying it right now, but I know I came out of my pocket.

How much is the registration fee? $150. Can I put some light on why they're asking for an additional fee for a uniform? That uniform, the kid keeps, and they have their name put on the back of it. And it's optional. You don't have to purchase it. when they ask for that you know to their defense is is the pair it's not at the honestly it's not recreation the exit but it is the coaches in the end up in what they call them parents on the spirit they are still right so they had a day at home yeah yeah no but that's not coming through the city that's that listen recreation is not excellent that's t

They wear them, but that's not the one that she was talking about, the ones that the city owns. The ones that the city owns, normally you're going to see they're going to have an orange bold patch on them. The ones that you personally own, they're going to have your child's name on the back. And they take that home. They keep the pants. They keep the jersey. They keep it. They don't turn that into the city.

And they're saying it's optional, but if they got this game that they hyping up, that they getting this uniform for, what about that kid that doesn't purchase the uniform? What are they going to do? It would be the same jerseys, just that jerseys have their name.

Don't be exactly the same. I mean, you're going to be looking a little funny, so that's why you're going to buy that jerseys. I'm just kidding. Don't leave that alone. Go ahead. Y'all leave the people alone.

I mean, it's not a problem if everybody can, but we know how that goes.

that that is paid for and so we use those uniforms and provide those to the kids so each team has three uniforms i said two to three depending on the team that's what i'm saying yes each team has at least two uniforms yes they just i mean the city have uniforms but the ones the other ones the city don't keep the the parent keep them i got about two or three of them sitting on my bike points right now with my names yeah okay so um okay so that would be with that

my next question would be with regards to this they sit for the I got one more question that we're in tears are she says that's all that covers just the uniforms and wear and tear

Well, the helmets have to be refurbished. And so then we should see that as an expenditure. And that's like $7,500 per helmet. Right.

And while we're looking at that, were you able to find out how they're maintaining the turf out there? I know we was asking that question too. Is there an expenditure that is associated with that maintenance? Yeah, I didn't see that on there either.

I'll get you. Then this application fee.

They should have a receipt to show that they have taken care of everything at City Hall if they're going to be out here.

So are we done with that? Because we're kind of beating the dead horse. My next question is, have we been able to update our equipment inventory? And I know that's part of the budget so that we can be aware of what our... Do we have an updated equipment inventory?

Vehicles, anything with a serial number or VIN number.

Okay. And one last thing. What can you tell us about that house? At the cemetery, because it has a, I think I saw a sign on it or something that says private residence, no trespassing.

Okay. Okay. So that's going to be on the list of all of the city properties when we're provided that list as well. I'm sorry. That's going to be included in all of the list of the city properties.

any other questions regarding the budget I was under the impression that the auditor was going to be here but you said you was gonna check to see when she's scheduled to

When are we expecting to receive the last report from her? Seems like I remember. Maybe it was October the 2nd. I don't know. I thought I heard the city.

Okay. But we won't be voting on things until after we hear from her, correct? Voting on what?

The two code enforcement officers. You got one and a half. Right. And Miss Phillip and Miss Palumbo is the other.

One and a half. One and a half. Morrison is part-time. And Ms. Phillips. You're one and a half. Ms. Phillips.

All right. Thank you all for your time this evening. We will call this meeting adjourned.

We will call this meeting adjourned at 643. Thank you all so much.