HomeMy Public PortalAboutvillage-manager-annual-report-2021-2022BAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER
MEMORANDUM
TO Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager
DATE: November 4, 2022
SUBJECT: Village Manager's Annual Report
The purpose of the memorandum is to transmit the Village Manager's Annual Report,
which provides a summary of our accomplishments over the last year.
I have asked Marie Hernandez to contact you to schedule a meeting with each of you
in advance of the December Village Council meeting to discuss the report in person.
Attached for your review is the Annual Report with supporting attachments.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
JMG/MH
BAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER
TO:
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager
DATE: November 4, 2022
SUBJECT:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council
Village Manager's Annual Report 2021=2022
MEMORANDUM
November 12, 2022 will mark my ninth year of service to Bal Harbour Village. I am honored to
have served as your Village Manager during this time and I look forward to continuing to have
the opportunity and privilege to do so. Each year I prepare and present to the Mayor and
Council an Annual Report which summarizes our collective achievements, accomplishments,
and activities for the past year. This report highlights the key intended outcomes and
successes in delivering The Bal Harbour Experience and is aligned with the Village's Mission,
Vision and Values.
Pursuant to Section 5.3 of my employment agreement with Bal Harbour Village, the Council
shall evaluate the performance of the Village Manager each year. This Annual Report
summarizes the areas of focus this past year and the resulting noteworthy accomplishments
and should be a helpful resource as you review the past year. As I have done in previous years,
I am attaching a copy of an evaluation form developed by the International City/County
Management Association (ICMA) modified for use by Bal Harbour Village, which may be
helpful to you as part of the evaluation process. Please be reminded that this information is
subject to the Florida Sunshine Law and should be used with that consideration.
Our mission, vision and values guide our strategic plan, which sets clear goals, establishes
priorities, and provides for the direction of our organization. These elements are reviewed
routinely throughout the year, and are revisited and reaffirmed at our annual retreat meetings.
At this year's Council Retreat in March, we reviewed our strategic plan and priorites, adjusted
the language and considered various initiatives. The outcome of that exercise was a
reaffirmation of the commitment to our vision (with some updates) which was first established
in 2019. At the June 15, 2022 Council meeting, the proposed updates were adopted. In order
to continue to accomplish our mission and vision, we have remained focused on working on
our priorities aligning our resources to achieve our goals. Our vision for Bal Harbour Village is
that we will be the safest residential community, with a beautiful environment and unparalleled
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November 4, 2022
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destinations and amenities, providing uniqueness and elegance to ensure the highest quality
of life for our residents, and an unmatched experience for our visitors from around the world.
This vision helps achieve our mission of delivering The Bal Harbour Experience - that distinctive
feeling one experiences when living in or visiting our unique, elegant, curated and refined
community.
Since my reportto you last year, I am happy to advise that we are continuing to make significant
progress on our priority areas. In addition, through prudent financial management and fiscal
policies, we ended the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year with a substantial surplus of approximately $5.4
million. All active projects in our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) have progressed and are
at expected levels of construction, design or contracting. Especially noteworthy is the long
awaited beach renourishment project which was completed without incident and well ahead
of the allotted timetable.
Our efforts in soliciting and securing grants and other non -local funds for our projects have
been hugely successful resulting in over $7 million committed to Bal Harbour projects from
outside sources this year. Improvements and service enhancements by our Building
Department have been well -received by our customers and continue to ensure that our
community is safe and structurally sound.
Public safety remains a priority and we continue our community policing efforts, which have
kept our crime rates at historically low levels. We completed the renovations to the gated area
guardhouse and are nearing completion of the installation of the long awaited security camera
and access control system for the gated community. Lastly, the installation of the security gates
for the front entrance have been contracted and should be installed within the next 4 to 6
weeks. This past hurricane season, the Emergency Management Team was activated on two
occasions as our community was threatened with potential storm landfalls. While we ultimately
avoided any direct impacts, Tropical Storm Alex and Hurricane Ian both affected our
community and staff took the necessary precautions called for in our Emergency Management
Plan.
During the past budget cycle and in anticipation of the opening of the new waterfront park, I
undertook a strategic review of our organizational structure resulting in a reorganization of the
Parks & Public Spaces and Tourism Departments. In order to better meet the needs of each of
these areas and accomplish our goals, I created the Recreation, Arts & Culture Department.
Special events and activations took place year-round, including the largest -yet attended
Independence Day Celebration, offering our residents and guests a variety of opportunities
to participate in cultural, arts and special event programming. Organizationally, we
implemented the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Police
Union which went into effect this fiscal year, including the Early Retirement Incentive Program,
which is expected to, yield a savings of $225,000 per year. Changes to the General Employee
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November 4, 2022
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Pension were also developed and implemented which are expected to yield savings in future
years.
I want to especially highlight two noteworthy and significant accomplishments that came to
hugely successful conclusions this past year. Late last year, the Village Council approved an
Addendum to the Development Agreement between the Village and the Bal Harbour Shops.
This addendum brought to a successful conclusion negotiations between the parties that had
been ongoing for more than one year. As part of resolving the matter, the Village received the
title to the Fairfield Parcel and received a payment in excess of $19 million towards
construction of the planned new Village Hall well in advance of what had been expected. While
the timetable for completion of new Village Hall will be delayed until 2027, the Village now
has title and funds secured and has an inflation protection clause to ensure that the project will
not be adversely affected by costs escalating due to inflation. You will recall that this issue
arose when BHS asserted force majeure and tolling protections due to the impacts of COVID-
19 and the declared emergency.
As you know, the Jetty Improvement project at Haulover Inlet received its permit from the Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) in September of this year. This review took almost three years
and was nearly rejected in June of this year. The project required my immediate intervention
and nearly full-time effort and attention until we received the approval in September. I
personally engaged with the USACE directly at all levels up to and including the District
Commander, Col. James Booth. In addition, I used my County contacts to work with a Federal
Lobbyist under contract with Miami -Dade County and engaged Representative Wasserman
Schultz' and Senator Scott's offices. While I kept you informed as the process progressed, I
cannot stress enough the significance of this successful result. It was truly a team effort and as
was related to me by members of the USACE, we were approved for a project that is "...without
precedence in their district." In addition, this permit was secured in time for the project to be
awarded the Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) grant award of $2 million.
The following is a more complete summary of our accomplishments over this past year. For
ease of reference. they are aligned with the key pillars of The Bal Harbour Experience:
Beautiful Environment
Presenting an aesthetically beautiful setting for our residents and visitors is a key contributor
to The Bal Harbour Experience, and our efforts remain focused on maintaining a beautiful
environment for Bal Harbour Village.
Progress continues with our Capital Improvement Projects. The Bal Harbour Park construction
is moving forward with the project over 60% complete with an anticipated substantial
completion for Spring 2023. The building reached a milestone in October when it was "topped
off" signifying a major milestone in the construction timeline. The Seawall and Dock
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Replacement project located at the park was completed in. January 2022. As part of the
ongoing construction, we developed the Owner's Direct Purchase Program which offers tax
savings on all materials and services paid for by the Village; to date more than $175,000 in tax
savings have been realized on this project.
The Bal Harbour Jetty at Haulover Inlet project is well into the CD phase of construction plans.
We have spent extensive effort this past year to work through the extremely difficult permitting
process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) permit. Coordination among the
Federal, State, and County review agencies has been critical, as all levels of government have
an important stake in the existing facility. There are two distinct federal projects which
converge at the location: the inlet navigation widening completed in mid -1960s and the
Shoreline Protection project and beach renourishment which was completed in the 1970s.
Understandably, there were many complex details and nuances to dealing with these issues,
but we were successful in conducting the additional required studies and ultimately were able
to secure the permit approval.
More recently, we were able to resolve the outstanding issues raised by the representatives of
the One Bal Harbour and their concerns regarding the impact to their loading dock and
parking availability once the Plaza under the Herman Fultz Bridge was constructed. This
project is a component of the larger Jetty project and was put on hold pending resolution of
the USACE permitting and resolution with the neighboring building. These matters have been
successfully addressed and we can now proceed.
Lastly, we were able to develop an Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Surfside to revive
the 96th Street Street End improvement project. Once approved by the Surfside Council, the
agreement will allow us to proceed to develop Construction Documents for the design. It is
our intention to bid those documents concurrently with the Jetty project (assuming the timing
aligns) in order to maximize economies of scale and take advantage of the contract
administration. The 96th Street Street End Project is a gateway that creates a progressive vision
that highlights the goals and ambitions of our active communities of residents and tourists.
The plan brings together three distinct objectives: improving civic spaces for residents and
visitors, improving resiliency and sustainability, and creating a new vision for the entrance into
our coastal beachfront.
The new Village Hall project is moving along as well with the Council having approved the
Architectural and Engineering agreement with Zyscovich Architects and the programming
phase expected to commence by the end of the year. We anticipate conducting various
community input meetings early next year ultimately resulting in a Basis of Design Report for
the Village Council consideration in 2023.
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Our Utility Infrastructure Improvement projects continue to make progress. On the north end,
the 700 -foot sanitary sewer line main replacement was completed earlier this year. The
remaining section is expected to be completed within the coming days. The water system and
curb and gutter installations are complete. Upon completion of the final section of sewer line,
the north section of the gated area will be ready for the final milling and paving of all streets
north of Harbour Way West.
We continue to proceed with the Utility Master Plan work on the south side of the gated area
and have made significant strides on the water portion. All distribution lines for areas 5B, 5C,
6A and 6B have been installed (ahead of schedule). Meter relocations continue in the 5B and
5C areas as planned. Sewer lining has been completed in most areas, with the exception of
sections which are slated for replacement (3-4 locations in the south end).
In addition, the Village was successful in securing a $2 million grant (which will be matched
with $1 million from funds awarded through the federal Infrastructure Bill) to substantially
upgrade and upsize the stormwater pump station. This upgrade is now project #7 and is an
unplanned addition to our utility program. It is the result of aggressive grant writing and
capitalizing on opportunities as they arise. This project is currently in design and we expect to
award a construction contract next year. This is in addition to extensive stormwater work
required for the areas along Camden and Park Drive in areas 6A and 6B, which is also in design
with expected work to commence next year.
The newly reorganized Public Works & Beautification Department continued to work this past
year on improving the appearance of the Village through routine maintenance, landscaping
and cleaning of our public areas. Implementing smart policies and strategic solutions to
address the challenges of today and to ensure that we remain a Resilient and Sustainable
community able to protect our future are critical. Several projects completed this year
contributed to this goal. Most significantly, the long-awaited beach sand nourishment project
was completed, which added over 164,000 cubic yards of sand to Bal Harbour Beach, 74 days
ahead of completion schedule. We continue to coordinate with Miami -Dade County to provide
daily beach cleaning and seaweed removal along the northern portion of Bal Harbour Beach.
The amount of sargassum on the beaches throughout the county is at a record high, already
surpassing the last two years. In December 2021, the Village Council passed a Resolution
following up on the passage of the Beach Equipment Ordinance, which now provides for the
compliance and regulation of storage bins, chairs and umbrellas for all properties on Bal
Harbour Beach, ensuring a cleaner and more consistent order of these items. Our efforts to
promote recycling in the Village continued with site visits to all multi -family condominiums
along Collins Avenue and meetings with management representatives to review their
collection programs and provide site specific recommendations for recycling enhancements.
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Developing and maintaining well -designed and modernized public facilities and infrastructure
is critical to our overall efforts in creating a beautiful environment. The continuous
maintenance of the Village's infrastructure is an ongoing effort and was again conducted
throughout this fiscal year. This included: cleaning and rehabilitation of sewer and storm -
water manholes and catch basins throughout the Village; replacement and installation of
pumps at all Village pump stations; installation of 390 tons of coquina sand on the beach and
service paths; various sidewalk repairs along Collins Avenue and our landscaping efforts
throughout all areas of the Village.
Lastly, our Public Works & Beautification staff all received training this past year in order to
maintain existing and newly constructed Village Facilities and Infrastructure, with courses and
certifications related to utilities, water delivery, and wastewater, sanitary and stormwater
collections.
Destination and Amenities
This past year was successful in many ways with regards to the Village's Resort Tax collections.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the allure of South Florida and Bal Harbour, with our
distinctive hotels featuring an abundance of suites for extended stay visitors, our secluded
beach, and the exceptional culinary offerings featuring plenty of outdoor dining, resulted in
Bal Harbour Village continuing to be a favored destination to both visitors as well as residents
who normally only spent the winter months here. Our hotels and restaurants reported very
strong demand during this time period resulting in all-time record collections in a single year.
Eight of these months (October through April and August) have been our best ever for those
months, and with year-end results just calculated, we have surpassed our previous record year
by almost 25%, with a new record of approximately $5.9 million collected in resort tax for the
FY 2021-2022. While we have begun to see some level of moderation in recent volumes, rates
continue to hold steady and our hotels all continue to prosper. Rates at each of our properties
are the highest they have ever been, with occupancy also at impressive levels. The restaurants
in Bal Harbour are also performing extremely well. This past year, Makoto moved into its new
space on the third floor of the Bal Harbour Shops and has exceeded expectations. Revenue at
all restaurants in Bal Harbour have yielded record Resort Tax collections this past year_
The Bal Harbour Shops is an important destination and amenity in the Village. The Shops
attracts visitors from all over the world with the allure of luxury shopping and high -end
restaurants. The Addendum to the Bal Harbour Shops Development Agreement was
approved by the Village Council, which continues to allow for the on -going expansion of the
Shops. Throughout the discussions between the Shops and the Village, it was my intent to
keep any changes made to the existing development agreement to a minimum. Our focus with
the Shops has been to secure as much of the pending public benefit value in advance so as to
not have a similar situation occur in the future. The main concern appeared to revolve around
the Shop's inability to deliver the New Village Hall in the timeframe originally provided for. The
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November 4, 2022
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new addendum will relieve the Shops of the responsibility to construct the project but required
them to accelerate granting the deed for the Fairfield parcel and more importantly make a full
payment on the cost of the project as of the date of the Addendum. Leaving only a "True -Up"
calculation to account for any inflation in costs between 2021 and when we anticipate
beginning construction of New Village Hall, expected to be sometime in June 2025 at the
latest. In addition, the Shops will fund project management costs the Village may incur by
assuming the responsibility to construct. On November 4, 2021 the Village received the Deed
to the Fairfield Parcel, and received the more than $19 million payment for the costs of the
New Village Hall and Voluntary Contribution installments that were past due. The Shops are
now fully current with the obligations of the Development Agreement and continue to progress
on their construction of the parking garage with an expected opening by the end of this year.
To help promote our destination and amenities, staff worked on a new and updated print,
digital and video marketing campaign which are being used in the Village's promotion efforts.
This new campaign will continue to focus on positioning Bal HarbourVillage as a premier luxury
and lifestyle destination worldwide, on strengthening our brand awareness and demand,
generating business for our partners, and contributing to and preserving beautification and
safety in our community.
Unique & Elegant
Our commitment to engaging our community and visitors remained firmly in place this past
year so as to ensure that our community is closely connected with their government. Biweekly
conference calls with all of the General Managers of the Condominiums and Hotels, which
began as part of our COVID 19 response in 2020, have continued and in June 2022 we had
the first in -person meeting with this group to further create personal relationships amongst this
group. We continue to use our various digital communication efforts - the Wireless Emergency
Notification System (WENS), e -mails, and social media - to help us connect with our residents
and guests. Over the past few months, our staff has continued to work on a new and updated
website for both our local government services and tourism offerings which has just been
launched. This new, modern website is more user-friendly and customer -service oriented, and
allows us to use it in more effective and informative ways to connect with our residents, guests
and tourists.
We have continued to focus on engaging our community and visitors through our public
events and programming to ensure our communication and outreach with all of our
stakeholders remain as connected as possible. This past year, we began to again produce our
printed quarterly Village newsletters, which had been paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For many of our residents, this printed format is the best possible way for us to communicate
with them and provide information. The proposed budget continues to fund and enhance all
of these efforts wherever possible.
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As part of the Village's 75th anniversary, a number of special events took place. The Village
partnered with the Opera Gallery, based at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort, to display eight
sculptures by renowned Spanish Artist Manolo Valdes throughout Bal Harbour, at no cost to
the Village. This partnership with the Opera Gallery will continue this upcoming year with a
new exhibit of different sculptures which will be installed throughout the Village, again at no
cost to the Village.
Our traditional kick-off to the Holiday Season took place in November 2021 with the annual
lighting of the enhanced holiday decor on Founders Circle and along Collins Avenue. The
event featured a musical performance by the South Florida Symphony Orchestra, as well as
"snow", treats and beverages for residents and guests of all ages. On New Year's Eve, a
fireworks display took place over Bal Harbour beach to ring in the new year which was a
welcome enhancement after a several year absence.
We developed a partnership with South Florida Symphony Orchestra to host a "Symphony by
the Sea" year -long music series with "pop-up" musical performances alternating between the
Jetty and the Green Space in front of the Gated Community. Given the popularity of the yoga
on the beach program during the holidays, we expanded this activity this year and now provide
yoga on the beach events year-round.
Our "Movies on the Beach" series returned this past year, with several movies presented. This
year, we partnered with Miami Jewish Film Festival for a showing of "The Automat", which
premiered at our event. We also partnered with the Miami Film Festival (MFF) for a showing of
"Miami Rhapsody", which had premiered at the MFF 25 years ago. The movie, filmed in Miami,
included several scenes filmed in Bal Harbour Village and at the Bal Harbour Shops. Just a few
weeks ago, on October 15, we kicked off a new season of movies on the beach with Disney's
Coco, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. We will continue hosting these popular events,
with films geared towards various demographics, throughout the year.
During Art Basel / Miami Beach, we created a full week of activations, private VIP brunches for
guests and residents, and special access to many events taking place. Staff is in the process of
finalizing details for events for this year's Art Basel / Miami Beach. We relaunched our monthly
private tours with our Museum Access partners and museums for residents and guests, and
hosted several of these opportunities throughout the year. We just kicked off the season with
a private guided tour of the newly added Rubell Museum in October, and will continue with
our next event of a guided tour of the private home collection of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz.
In January 2022, we brought the "Hate Ends Now" Exhibition to Bal Harbour Village, which
provided for Holocaust education and awareness. In February, we sponsored a South Beach
Wine and Food Festival Shabbat Dinner at the Ritz -Carlton Bal Harbour. In March, as part of
the year -long 75th Anniversary programming, we again partnered for a second year with the
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November 4, 2022
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Bal Harbour Shops to bring the Fleurs de Villes exhibition to Bal Harbour. This year, we added
floral -outfitted mannequins to include the north and south entrance to Bal Harbour and in the
Bal Harbour Shops, with four of the Manolo Valdes Sculptures adorned with flowers along
Collins Avenue, Founders Circle and on the Beach Path. Additionally, St. Regis and Ritz -Carlton
both participated with mannequins featured on -property as well as in the Bal Harbour Shops.
Safety
Public Safety in our community remains our top priority. Anchored by our focus on the
"Community Policing" model, our Police Officers are staffed, trained, and motivated to provide
excellent service and safety to our residents and guests. The visible presence of our Police
Officers, investments in state-of-the-art technology and incorporation of innovative policing
strategies ensure that our community remains safe and is recognized as a leader and model
for public safety. Our efforts in our Building Department are also critical in ensuring that our
community is safe and structurally sound.
This past year, the Bal Harbour Police Department continued to focus on its mission of
providing excellent public safety services to our residents, businesses and visitors. The Village
continues to report low crime rates. The Beach Officer position remains in place to ensure
safety along our beach and jogging/walking paths. While our crime statistics remain historically
low, our arrest rates for Part I Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) crimes increased by 14.7%,
reflecting our Police Department's commitment to solving crimes in our community. In our
ongoing efforts to properly train and invest in our employees, the entire Bal Harbour Police
Department participated in an organizational and leadership training program focusing on
teambuilding and individual leadership development aligned with the Police Department's
mission, vision and values.
During this year's retreat, the Police Department provided the Council with in-depth data about
police activity throughout the Village. A focus on ensuring quality of life and enjoyment of
public spaces remains paramount to The Bal Harbour Experience and the department's
mission. As a result, this year, the department updated its traffic enforcement policy, which
provides a framework for the reduction of traffic crashes and injuries, as well as facilitates the
safe and expeditious flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. These objectives are met through
a combination of educational and enforcement activities. These activities have included
proactive traffic enforcement on the Collins Avenue corridor, as well as coordination of multi -
agency traffic details within Bal Harbour Village.
Based on direction from the Council, an ordinance was drafted and approved to regulate film
and photography activity within a publicly owned, managed or controlled site, facility or right-
of-way within the Village. The adoption of this ordinance, which seeks to address a safety
concern raised by the Village Council, ensures that commercial activity would be regulated in
a way which allows for the enjoyment of public areas by residents and visitors. The ordinance
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establishes an annual permit process, which went into effect in October 1, 2022, with three (3)
permit holders currently authorized to film from a designated area on the jetty.
Our Police Department continues to remain active in the community in several ways and we
continue to increase our community outreach, activities and events. These include our
ongoing community events such as the annual bicycle safety event to engage children of all
ages in our community and highlight the importance of bicycle safety; the Surf-Bal-Bay Night
Out, in conjunction with the Towns of Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands Police Departments, as
part of the National Night Out Initiative, an annual community -building campaign promoting
police -community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie; Cops & Kids Holiday Toy
Drive; School Book Bag Give Away; participation in Child Cancer Awareness Month events;
Autism Awareness trainings and events; and the continued participation by our Command Staff
in the Bal Harbour Rotary Club.
The Building Department achieved a great deal this past year toward our goal of delivering a
positive experience for our customers and an expedited and efficient delivery of services.
Several high-level accomplishments are worth mentioning, including: expanding inspections
and plan reviews to 4 days per week for all trades; establishing a "One Stop Shop" with Miami -
Dade County by offering concurrent plan review between the Village and the County (which
will greatly reduce the plan review turnaround time for both residential and commercial
projects); creating an additional service of electronic recording with the Miami -Dade County
Recorder's Office which allows contractors and residents the convenience of recording
documents locally instead of having to go to the County Recorder's Office in -person; and
establishing an internal turnaround time for plan reviews at 14 days for Commercial projects
and 7 days for Residential projects. The Building Department also continues to scan all
existing plans and permits to be archived digitally, and moving forward, will scan daily work in
order to have a fully digitized archive of all documents. Our new permitting software system
has been initiated and is in beta testing. This software will allow for convenient access to
information and facilitate efficient electronic plan review.
Organizational Priorities and Internal Infrastructure
In addition to the elements described above which contribute to The Bal Harbour Experience,
other areas contribute to our vision, including developing and maintaining our external and
internal infrastructure.
The fiscal integrity of the Village and ensuring the functionality of our infrastructure is a daily
priority. We continue to focus our efforts to establish appropriate controls and further improve
the Village's internal processes while planning for the future and developing a more resilient
community. Since I became your Village Manager, the Finance Department operations have
evolved to improve the control environment between functional activities, timely issuance and
filing of compliance reports, complete timely reconciliations of financial activity, continued
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enhancement of the financial reporting process, supporting capital project initiatives, and
improving customer service delivery for ad valorem and non -ad valorem tax, and Village Utility
inquires. We were again awarded the Government Finance Officer Association Certificate of
Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 2020 ACFR for the seventh year in a
row. The Village's FY 2021 external audit was concluded with the issuance of the ACFR with
an unqualified opinion; and we anticipate receiving the award again this year. This year, as a
result of federal grant funds received, we were required to also complete and issue a 2021
Single Audit Report in Accordance with Uniform Guidance, which was done with no
findings/comments.
As we look to effectively manage our treasury, this past year we established an investment
management program; inclusive of onboarding an investment management firm and
establishing and implementing an investment policy as well as establishing and
implementating investment financial reporting procedures. This program will result in a higher
annual yield on our investments and cash management. Additional activities this year,
included continuing to closely work with various Federal, State and Local agencies to recapture
eligible expenses the Village incurred as a result of COVID-19 pandemic as well as various
capital projects.
Over the last few years, we have completed a number of Information Technology (IT)
infrastructure improvements and productivity software implementations, that helped create a
more efficient and effective working environment for the Village staff and our departments.
Our IT team enhanced the overall network performance and security of our technology with
the latest updates and patches to allow a more stable and secured environment across each
location for our employees and users of our technology. In support of the Building
Department's new Permitting Software, all equipment and software has been programmed to
facilitate the transition. IT also worked with the Capital Improvement Projects Department to
expand the Village's access control system to include the new Parks Facility. This enhanced
access control system will allow the use of one access control card to be used at all Bal Harbour
Village facilities. In particular, this year, a great deal of effort was placed on cybersecurity
initiatives in order to ensure the safety and integrity of the Village's network. The Village
engaged Clarium, a cybersecurity consultant, for a cybersecurity assessment, which analyzed
the Village's current network environment and provided recommendations for additional
security measures and upgrades. As a result of their recommendations, the IT Department, in
coordination with our IT consultant, CGA, implemented additional security measures on the
network to isolate traffic via a geographic internet protocol to block communication with
certain regions identified as well-known malware hubs in order to enhance network security.
Moreover, our IT team identified a more advanced endpoint protection vendor, and
transitioned to Carbon Black. This anti -virus software gives the Village the ability to monitor
live any suspicious activity on the network. To provide an additional redundancy, the Village
transitioned to Quest Cloud Back Up, which allows enhanced security and encryption to our
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critical network resources to be stored in the cloud environment. In addition, the IT team
expanded and configured dual factor authentication across the Village network, which now
requires all Village users to provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves.
This supports the Village's efforts to protect the network environment from unauthorized entry.
Finally, the Village engaged the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity &
Infrastructure Security Agency to perform a penetration test on the Village network public IP
addresses. This weekly test checks for any network vulnerability and provides a report signaling
any issues that need to be addressed. This service is provided to the Village free of charge,
and provides real time insight on the status of our network.
A professional and well -trained staff is essential in order for the. Village to accomplish our
Mission and achieve our Vision. This past year, several efforts focused on important personnel
matters. Most significantly, we negotiated a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the
Police Benevolent Association police union . Several trainings and team building initiatives
were conducted throughout the year and I personally held various open forums to
discuss/dialogue with all employees and solict feedback.
As we eagerly await the opening of our new park and community center in early 2023, our
newly created Recreation, Arts & Culture Department will centralize several activities and
services which were previously offered through other Village Departments, and expand upon
and enhance those services to meet the growing needs of the Village. Much thought went into
the creation, mission and staffing of the Recreation, Arts & Culture Department, as well as into
the reorganizations of the Parks and Public Spaces and Tourism Departments. Earlier this year
we hired Sylvia Flores to lead this new department, develop the programming and events, as
well as staff the department to deliver its mission. She brings twenty plus years of experience
in this space and has already upgraded our communications and special events programming.
She has been a welcome addition to the team and I am sure you have already noticed her
enthusiasm and professionalism for yourselves, as I have.
The mission of the Recreation, Arts & Culture Department is to create and implement
programs, activities, and events which will help to elevate the quality of life for our residents,
while also positioning the Village as a unique, elegant and cultural destination for residents,
visitors and guests. In the past, our recreation efforts have been limited and in recent years,
essentially non-existent while the park and facility have been under construction.
Organizationally, these services were part of our Parks and Public Spaces Department. They
are now the main element of the new Recreation, Arts & Culture Department. In addition, our
arts programming and cultural events which have been part of our Tourism Department have
been transitioned to this department to ensure a consistent and comprehensive array of events
and activities throughout the year. Bringing these areas under the direction of the Recreation,
Arts & Culture Department will help streamline and improve the delivery of service, attention
Village Manager's Annual Report 2021-2022
November 4, 2022
Page 13 of 13
to detail, and resident and visitor experience. It will also ensure a consistent effort to
coordinate, communicate and curate The Bal Harbour Experience for our residents and guests.
From my own leadership development and personal perspective, I remain actively involved in
several organizations which contribute to my role as a Village Manager. These include Miami -
Dade City/County Management Association, (MDCCMA); and the Florida City/County
Management Association (FCCMA) and International City County Management Association
(ICMA). In June 2022, I was elected by my peers in the International City and County
Management Association (ICMA) as the Vice President of the Southeast Region and joined the
ICMA Executive Board for a three-year term which began in September 2022. ICMA is the
premier professional association for city managers and public administrators throughout the
U.S. and countries throughout the world. Lastly, this year I was also asked to rejoin the Executive
Board of the Greater Miami and the Beaches Convention and Visitor Bureau (GMCVB). I served
on this board for twelve years and after a 10 year absence, have been asked to help lead once
again. The GMCVB is the official tourism and destination promotor for our region and one of
the most successful in the Country. I look forward to bringing a Bal Harbour perspective to the
discussions.
Conclusion
I am proud of the work we have accomplished this past year and since I became your Village
Manager. During this time, our organization has transformed into one where accountability,
professionalism and innovation remain an integral part of how we function collectively. This is
made possible by the continued guidance and support from the Village Council, particularly
through the work done at our Village Council retreats. Through these collective efforts, we have
made significant strides in building an organization that we can all be proud of. We continue
to strive for excellence in how we serve the community, and the value we offer all our
stakeholders.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue to serve as your Village Manager. I look
forward to continuing to lead our organization and working with you and our Village team on
our priorities and goals this coming year and beyond. I will be speaking with each of you one-
on-one about what we have collectively achieved this past year and how, together, we can
continue working to deliver The Bal Harbour Experience!
Attachment:
ICMA Village Manager Performance Evaluation Guideline
International City I County Management Association
Village Manager Performance Evaluation Guideline
This form may be used by each Member of the Village Council to evaluate the
Village Manager's performance in fulfilling each of the roles he plays in the
Village's government, The Village Manager is graded 1-4, with the following
scale:
1 — poor
2 — fair
3 —good
4 — excellent
Each member of the Council should complete the form and share/discuss it with
the Village Manager. The Village Manager will compile the results and tally the
scores.
t Personal
Invests sufficient efforts towards being diligent and thorough in the
discharge of duties.
Composure, appearance, and attitude fitting for an individual in his
executive position.
2. Professional Skills and Status
Knowledge. of current developments affecting the management
field.
Respected in management profession.
__— Has a capacity for innovation.
Anticipates problems and develops effective approaches for solving
them.
Willing to try new ideas proposed by Council members or staff.
3. Relations with Council
Carries out directives of the Council as a whole rather than those of
any one Council member.
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Assists the Council in resolving problems at the administrative level
to avoid unnecessary Council action.
Assists the Council in establishing policy while acknowledging the
ultimate authority of the Council.
_ Responds to requests for information or assistance by the Council.
4. Policy Execution
Implements Council action in accordance with the intent of the
Council.
Supports the actions of the Village Council after a decision has
been reached.
Enforces Village policies.
Understands Village's -laws and ordinances.
Offers workable alternatives to the Council for changes in the law
when an ordinance or policy proves impractical in actual
administration.
5. Reporting
Provides the Council with reports concerning matters of importance
to the Village.
Reports are accurate and comprehensive.
Prepares a sound agenda which prevents trivial, administrative
matters from being reviewed by the Council.
6. Citizen Relations
Handles complaints/inquiries from citizens appropriately.
Dedicated to the community and to its citizens.
Skillful with the news media - avoiding political positions and
partisanship.
Has the capacity to listen to others and to recognize their interest —
work well with others.
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Cooperates with neighboring.communities.
Cooperates with the county, state and federal governments.
7. Staffing
Recruits and retains competent personnel for Village positions.
Works to improve performance of staff.
Committed to ensuring diversity in the workforce.
Accurately informed and concerned about employee insurance,
fringe benefits, promotions, and pensions.
8. Supervision
Encourages department heads to make decisions within their own
jurisdictions without Village Manager approval, yet maintains
general control of administrative operations.
Instills confidence and initiative in subordinates and emphasizes
support rather than restrictive controls for their programs.
Has developed a friendly and informal relationship with the work
force as a whole, yet maintains the prestige and dignity of the
manager office.
9. Fiscal Management
Prepares a balanced budget to provide services at a level intended
by the Council.
Makes the best possible use of available funds, conscious of the
need to operate the Village efficiently and effectively.
Prepared budget is in an intelligible format.
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10. What have been the major accomplishments of the Village Manager this
past year?
11. What areas of the Village Manager's performance need the most
improvement? Why? What constructive, positive ideas can you offer the
Village Manager to improve in these areas?
Signature
Date
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