HomeMy Public PortalAboutvillage-manager-annual-report-2022-2023BAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager ocz.6-�
DATE: November 13, 2023 U
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: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager
DATE: November 13, 2023
SUBJECT: Village Manager's Annual Report 2022-2023
MEMORANDUM
I am proud to say that November 12, 2023, marks my 10th year of service as the Village
Manager of Bal Harbour Village. I am honored to have served as your Village Manager
during this past decade and I look forward to all that is yet to come. As I have done each
year since becoming your Manager, I have prepared an Annual Report which highlights
the Village's accomplishments and activities during this past year in delivering The Bal
Harbour Experience.
Pursuant to Section 5.3, the Mayor and Council shall evaluate the performance of the
Village Manager each year. This Annual Report should be a helpful resource as you review
our collective accomplishments from this past year as it summarizes the Village's areas of
focus and related accomplishments. Attached is 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.
Since adopting a strategic plan for the Village in 2019, we have aligned our mission, vision,
and values to help set clear goals, establish priorities, and provide for the overall direction
of the Village. These goals are revisited, refined, and reaffirmed at our annual Council
retreats each year, including at this year's retreat in February. We continue to remain
focused on our identified priorities and align our resources to achieve our goals, working
collectively to ensure that Bal Harbour Village remains one of South Florida's most
attractive and desirable residential neighborhoods and one of the world's most beautiful,
sophisticated, and cultured destinations. Our vision is that Bal Harbour Village will be the
safest residential community, with a beautiful environment and unparalleled 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
Village Manager's Annual Report 2022-2023
November 13, 2023
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vision is best reflected in our Mission Statement, which is to deliver The Bal Harbour
Experience, creating that distinctive feeling one experiences when living in or visiting our
unique, elegant, curated, and refined community. In addition, we continue to be guided
by our core values which are: service, integrity, professionalism, strategic, and inclusive.
Over the past year, we have continued to make significant progress on all of our identified
priority areas. From a fiscal perspective, as a result of our disciplined approach to resource
allocation, careful management practices, and conservative fiscal policies, the Village
continues to maintain a very strong financial position. Through prudent financial
management and fiscal policies, we ended FY 22 with a substantial general fund operating
surplus of $4.6 million and while there is still some time to audit and "close out" FY 23, we
again anticipate a surplus in the millions of dollars. Our annual budget development
process resulted in an FY 2023-2024 Operating Budget and Five -Year Capital Plan that
addresses our priorities and funds major capital investments (including the proposed Jetty
Project) while maintaining our historically low millage rate of 1.9654. This is the ninth
consecutive year the millage rate has remained unchanged, and keeps us as the third
lowest millage rate in Miami -Dade County. Lastly, Resort Tax Collections for the fiscal year
end remained at historic highs, closing the fiscal year within $40,000 (.67%) of our record
year collections in FY 2022.
Last year we implemented our Treasury Management Investment Policy and Program,
which allows us to more actively manage our cash and fund balances to ensure a greater
return on our investments. Through this initiative, the Village closed the year with net
investment income of $2,592,500, which is a significant increase from prior years.
Our continued and aggressive efforts to solicit grants and other non -local funds for our
projects resulted in approximately $11 million from outside sources to fund Village
operations and investments in our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) this year. This sum
Includes our successful negotiations with the developers of the Rivage (former Carlton
Terrace) Condominium to ensure minimized impact to village residents and substantial
public benefits to the Village, such as a $2 Million contribution towards the Jetty Project
and an agreement to make a "voluntary payment in lieu of Building Permit Fees" of
approximately $5.8 million for a total of $7.8 million available to the Village for capital
projects. I am also pleased to report that we have finalized our negotiations with the
Oceana Condominium Association to amend their Development Agreement. The
tentative agreement will result in a substantial "Voluntary Contribution" to construct a
playground along the beach path and self -performed enhancements to the pedestrian
path to the ocean and public green space along Collins Avenue. This amendment to the
Development Agreement will result in an estimated $1 million in public benefits and is
expected to be a discussion item on your November 2023 Council meeting agenda for
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November 13, 2023
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your consideration. Finally, we successfully secured approximately $2.3 million in grant
funding from various state agencies to support our CIP program, investments in IT
redundancy and our FreeBee door-to-door car service.
At our annual Council retreat, you prioritized several planning and operational initiatives
that carried long term strategic benefits. These initiatives resulted in an active and robust
legislative program of work this year. Staff developed and the Village Council enacted a
significant rewrite of the Ocean Front District development guidelines which will shape
how future development of our beachfront will occur. In addition, a Village wide ordinance
prohibiting underground parking structures was enacted to ensure safety and future
resiliency. An ordinance establishing construction site and demolition safety requirements
and guidelines was enacted to ensure minimized adverse impact from future projects. A
model National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) ordinance was presented
and approved to ensure the Village remains compliant with federal discharge standards
and we do our part to reduce pollutants into Biscayne Bay. A Parks Regulations ordinance
was approved to standardize and codify our rules and regulations for the various public
spaces we control and operate. This ordinance allows for the development of
Administrative Regulations unique to each park, while ensuring a comprehensive set of
regulations that are consistent throughout the Village. Along with our park regulations,
the Council adopted an innovative Trespass Ordinance to provide additional tools to our
Police Officers to address trespass and other similar infractions of our Village Code.
We developed and approved the first Redistricting effort in Bal Harbour in many decades.
This new district map better aligns with our Village Code by ensuring a more balanced
number of voters among the five districts and allocates all residents within the gated area
to the same Council district. Minor modifications among the buildings along our
oceanfront we adjusted to achieve a better balance.
This year also saw significant progress in infrastructure activities within the gated area and
with our operational relationship with the Bal Harbour Civic Association. I am pleased to
report, that the final phase of milling and paving in the north side of the gated area has
commenced and is expected to be completed within the next 5 days. At that time, our
Utility Infrastructure Improvement Work will be completed in the North end and we will be
at 100% completion for Phases 1 through 4. We continue to progress as expected on
Phases 5 through 7 (south side of the gated area) and are, today, at various percentages
of completion on the many elements involved. After several years, the Village and BHCA
were able to reach an agreement to implement a Property Management program first
envisioned in the Milestone Agreement. The agreement has been executed and the
gradual transition of responsibilities began at the start of the fiscal year. The Security
enhancement project is in final punch list and operational, new front gates were designed
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November 13, 2023
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and installed and the rear gate at Bal Bay was converted to a two-way (entry/exit) facility as
part of the Waterfront Park capital project. While functioning, this gate has not been
completely accepted and still requires minor adjustments and corrections which will be a
part of the overall Waterfront Project punch list and closeout process.
Our continued management of the relationship with the Bal Harbour Shops and
implementation of the Development Agreement continues to bear fruit. The 96th Street
Parking Garage was shepherded to completion and a TCO was issued in April 2023. Upon
the garage being operational, the Parking Surcharge element of the Development
Agreement (DA) was triggered, and the Village has begun to collect its contractual share
of the proceeds. In addition, right of way improvements were installed along 96th street
pursuant to the DA and the long-awaited Harding realignment at Founders Circle will soon
commence.
We also continue to coordinate projects occurring in our Village through outside agencies.
The Florida Department of Transportation will be making significant capital investments
along Collins Avenue, including our requested and soon to commence safety
improvements near the Herman Fultz Bridge and traffic signalization at Harding and 96th
street. We continue to coordinate with Florida Power and Light and the BH Civic
Association to assist in enhancing the power grid and supply for the Village.
While the above is a summary of some noteworthy accomplishments worth highlighting, a
more comprehensive recap of the successes we shared this past year follows. For ease
of reference, they are aligned with the key pillars of The Bal Harbour Experience.
Safety
Public safety in Bal Harbour Village remains a top priority with the Police Department and
the Building Department each playing an important role in keeping our community safe.
The Bal Harbour Police Department is committed to the "Community Policing" model, with
our Police Officers equipped, trained, and motivated to protect and serve our residents
and visitors while providing excellent service and safety. The presence of our Police
Officers throughout the Village as well as investments in state-of-the-art technology and
equipment and the use of innovative policing strategies ensure that Bal Harbour remains
safe and is recognized as a leader and model for public safety. In addition, staffing was
added to implement the Collins Corridor detail ensuring greater police presence and
traffic enforcement on our main arteries. This detail is now part of the new Specialized
Patrol Services Unit, incorporating the Beach Ranger, Marine Patrol and specialty services.
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November 13, 2023
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The Bal Harbour Police Department continues to focus on its primary mission of providing
excellent public safety services to our residents, businesses, and visitors. The Department
continues with our community policing efforts which help keep our crime rates at
historically low levels. Last year, Bal Harbour Village experienced just one violent crime, as
indexed annually by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Arrest rates for
Part I UCR Crimes decreased by 7%, with five fewer arrests from the prior year, despite
overall arrests increasing since 2020, reflecting our Police Department's commitment to
solving crimes in the Village.
The Village Council passed an ordinance in May of 2023 to enable the Village's police
officers to issue trespass orders for Village property. The ordinance resulted after a careful
review by staff and discussion by the Council of the Village's Park regulations. The
ordinance provides a mechanism for issuing trespass orders in the case of a law violation
or a threat to public safety and provides for an appeal process.
Our Police Department is also active in the community in several ways and continues to
increase its 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; Cops & Kids Holiday Toy
Drive; School Bookbag Give Away; Coffee with a Cop, Ice Cream with a Cop; Cookies with
a Cop; Bike with the Chief; participation in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month events;
Autism Awareness trainings and events; and the continued participation by our Command
Staff in the Bal Harbour Rotary Club.
In June of 2023, the Village accepted delivery of the new Marine Patrol vessel, which was
purchased, in part, with Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND) Waterway Assistance
Program (WAP) grant funds and Resort Tax funds. The purchase of this vessel was
approved by Council at the March 2023 Council Meeting. The Village was awarded
$75,000 in grant funding toward the purchase of a second vessel that will increase marine
patrol coverage in the area, and ensure the existing marine vessel's lifespan is maximized.
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 team building and individual leadership development aligned with the Police
Department's mission, vision, and values. Equally important is the succession planning in
our Police Department to ensure the continuity of professional law enforcement services.
To assist with this effort, our Police staff continues to participate in the training and
development offered by organizations such as the Southern Police Institute and the
Federal Bureau of Investigations LEEDA Training. This year, the Department also
sponsored the attendance of our female police officers to the Law Enforcement Women's
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Empowerment Forum, where they had the opportunity to interact with experienced female
law enforcement leaders from various departments throughout the country. In our Marine
Patrol Vessel Operations, cross -training for our officers was provided this year to ensure
that our officers are trained and well-equipped to handle issues in the water. We also
conducted training for our Communication Dispatchers and continue to train and develop
this important group of staff in our Police Department. Our Police staff also coordinated
Active Shooter training and Autism Awareness training for all Village staff.
While this storm season has been relatively quiet so far, the Village's Emergency
Management Plan was reviewed and updated to ensure we are prepared for any natural
disaster that may impact our community. All members of the Village's Emergency
Response Team (ERT) participate in an in -person exercise to practice possible scenarios,
identify key resources, and address any improvements to our Emergency Management
Plan. Additionally, the Village held an in -person meeting with condo and hotel managers
in June to review our emergency operations plan.
The Bal Harbour Building Department plays an important role in ensuring that our
community is safe and structurally sound with all the construction that takes place in the
Village. Over the past two years, with a reorganization of the department and key
investments in technology and process improvement efforts, our Building Department has
accomplished a great deal in contributing to safety in our community. Improvements and
service enhancements by our Building Department have been well -received by our
customers.
Our Building Department continues to take steps in order to deliver positive experiences
for our customers in an expedited and efficient delivery of services. Inspections and Plan
Reviews continue to take place four times per week. We have established an internal
turnaround time for plan reviews at 14 days for commercial projects and 7 days for
residential projects. We have also implemented new permitting procedures and
streamlined forms for a more efficient permitting process. The "One Stop Shop" created
with Miami -Dade County offering concurrent plan review between the Village and the
County continues with great success and has reduced the plan review turnaround time for
both residential and commercial projects. In addition, we continue the additional service
of electronic recording with the Miami -Dade County Recorder's Office, allowing
contractors and residents to record documents associated with their construction project
without having to go directly to the County. Our efforts regarding the Recertification of
Building inventory in the Village continues as well, with notices prepared and sent to all
properties regarding recertification details and new State and County regulations, with
staff continuing to perform visual field inspections. The Building Department also
continues to scan all existing plans and permits to be archived digitally, and moving
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forward, will scan daily work in order to have a fully digitized archive of all documents. We
have completed the transition to our new permitting software system. This new permit
software allows for easier access to information and the facilitation of electronic plan
review. Greater customer service will result, as well as enhanced record keeping in a
geographical based system on a web -based platform. Additional modules to provide app
and text capabilities to our customers is in the implementation phase and will go live next.
Following our discussions at the retreat regarding the Ocean Front (OF) zoning district, we
brought forth zoning ordinances to better protect our quality of life in Bal Harbour. These
amendments will ensure we remain a resilient and sustainable community able to protect
our future. One ordinance addressed the uncertainty with FEMA regulations of mixed -use
buildings and made it clear that predominantly residential developments may not have
underground parking, while the second ordinance addresses Zoning regulations that
affect the OF Zoning District.
In September 2023, we brought forth an additional ordinance identifying improvements
to the Village Code regarding demolitions and creating a new section to more extensively
govern construction site operations.
Beautiful Environment
Ensuring that Bal Harbour Village is an aesthetically beautiful setting, fusing casual
elegance with tranquil coastal living, set across our secluded beaches, lush landscaping,
and serene public spaces, is a key contributor to The Bal Harbour Experience. Our efforts
this past year continued to focus on maintaining this beautiful environment for Bal Harbour
Village.
As you are aware, progress continues with our Capital Improvement Projects. The Bal
Harbour Waterfront Park construction is nearing completion, we are working through the
fire/life safety inspections and the various final building inspections, and the issuance of a
TCO is imminent. Our waterfront park sits on nearly 1.5 acres and includes an open lawn,
a performance area, fitness stations, a basketball court, two playgrounds, a splash pad, and
a 15,000 -square -foot community center. The community center consists of several multi-
purpose spaces that can be utilized for events and recreational programming, as well as
an indoor playground for toddlers. Based on the feedback collected from the various
surveys we have conducted throughout the year and demo programs; we are preparing a
varied lineup of programming for the new facility to appeal to all ages. This includes Tai
Chi and Chair Yoga for seniors, Zumba and Yoga for adults, eSports and art classes for
teens, along with music and dance classes for youth. We will continue to collect feedback
throughout each season, to ensure that we are offering programs and activities that are
sought after by our community. In preparation for the opening of the new waterfront park,
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staff reviewed the current regulations for Village parks and made recommendations for a
solid basis of regulations that will ensure that Village parks are protected and maintained
in order to continue to provide a beautiful and safe environment for all residents and
guests to enjoy. The new ordinance establishes general rules for all parks in Bal Harbour,
defines areas designated as public parks, and establishes a mechanism to develop
administrative rules unique to each park.
We are nearing completion of the CD phase of our construction set of plans for the Bal
Harbour Jetty at Haulover Inlet project. As we worked on the CDs, we have conducted
extensive constructability reviews with potential marine based contractors and developed
probable cost estimates through our outside consultants -- these activities will help inform
our bid solicitation strategy. While we anticipate interest from contractors in the
solicitation phase, we are cognizant of the volatile bidding and challenging construction
environment that currently exists in the industry. We anticipate issuing our solicitation
documents early in calendar year 2024. As you know, this project will bring a reimagined
Jetty that will enhance the north end of our Oceanfront and introduce a beautiful and
resilient new amenity for our residents. While working on the drawings, we also
coordinated and negotiated with representatives of the One Bal Harbour and Ritz Carlton
to ensure harmonization of the project with their property and to ensure they are not
adversely impacted. Those negotiations resulted in a successful agreement on how the
project will progress and an enhancement to the overall project aesthetics by securing
substantial easement access from the private property to widen the path and create a
better landscape and streetscape plan for the corridor.
Elements of the Village's Utility Master Plan are moving along, with several of our Utility
Infrastructure Improvement projects, including several water mains, sanitary sewer and
drainage improvements, and the corresponding milling and paving already completed
with several others currently in construction. In addition, with a commitment to stormwater
management and maintaining water quality, updates were recently made to the Village
Code to meet requirements from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES). These updates require supervision of construction sites and enforcement of
permit requirements throughout the Village.
The Public Works & Beautification Department focused this past year on the continuous
improvement of the appearance of the Village through routine maintenance, landscaping,
and cleaning of our public areas. Our key areas of focus remain to implement smart
policies and strategic solutions to address the challenges of today while ensuring that we
remain a resilient and sustainable community able to protect our future.
The maintenance of our public areas and infrastructure is critical to our overall efforts of
creating a beautiful environment. Several projects completed this year contributed to this
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November 13, 2023
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goal. On the beach, the ongoing maintenance of our beach path included the addition of
over 130 tons of coquina sand on both the beach path and the service area. Ongoing
maintenance efforts continued with landscaping along the beach path and the
surrounding areas around the dunes on the beach. Over 1,300 feet of rope was replaced
along the beach path posts protecting the dunes. We continue to coordinate with Miami -
Dade County to provide daily beach cleaning and seaweed removal along the beach. With
the passage of the Beach Equipment Ordinance, our efforts are focused on the compliance
and regulation of storage bins, chairs, and umbrellas for all properties on the beach. Along
the Collins Avenue corridor and throughout the Village, over 400 square feet of sidewalk
sections were replaced and over 1,500 square feet of sidewalk was added to sections
formerly containing date palms. Ongoing street sweeping was performed throughout the
Village to keep our streets clean utilizing the newly purchased street sweeper for enhanced
service and maintenance. Our landscaping efforts around the Village ensured that all
public areas were well -kept, maintained, and beautifully landscaped. Other maintenance
efforts included cleaning and rehabilitation of sewer and stormwater manholes and catch
basins throughout the Village; replacement and installation of pumps at all Village pump
stations; ongoing replacement and upgrading of street lights; and the washing and
pressure cleaning of all the bus shelters in the Village.
Destination and Amenities
The Village's Resort Tax collections this past fiscal year were approximately $40,000 less
than the historic high of $5.97 million from the previous fiscal year. Six months of the fiscal
year reported record -high collections for those respective months.
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 restaurants in Bal Harbour are performing extremely well. Revenue at all
restaurants in Bal Harbour have yielded record Resort Tax collections this past year. This
past year, Makoto became the highest -grossing restaurant in the entire Stephen Starr
Restaurant Group. Aba opened its doors last November and several other new restaurants
are expected to open over the next few years.
To help promote our destination and amenities, staff worked on a new and updated print,
digital, and video marketing campaign which is being used in the Village's promotional
efforts. This new campaign will continue to focus on positioning Bal Harbour Village as a
premier luxury and lifestyle destination worldwide, strengthening our brand awareness
and demand, generating business for our partners, and contributing to and preserving
beautification and safety in our community. The Village's new website was launched. This
newly redesigned site created one unified platform that could be used for providing
information to our residents as well as for our marketing and tourism efforts.
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At the Council retreat in 2023, one of the priorities discussed was the need to develop a
strategic plan which will help refine and guide the strategies and goals executed by Bal
Harbour Village and our Tourism Department. Through a competitive RFP process, the firm
of Ernest & Young (EY) was identified, selected, and approved by the Village Council to
help develop this plan. EY has already begun this process. The framework of this strategic
plan will be developed using a participative process, based on the active engagement of
the relevant stakeholders in our community, with a focus on: (1) changes in and the
evolution of the Bal Harbour tourism environment, (2) emerging short and long-term
strategic issues, (3) implications for tourism development in Bal Harbour, (4) and
leveraging Bal Harbour's tourism brand to expand economic and real estate investments
and opportunities in Bal Harbour Village. We anticipate having the strategic plan to
present to the Village in early 2024.
Unique & Elegant
We continue to make strides in improving and expanding our efforts to communicate and
engage with our residents and visitors and keep them informed and connected. As
mentioned previously, our newly designed and improved website was launched this past
year, providing our users with a more efficient and visually appealing source for
information. 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. Our bi-weekly conference calls with all of the condominium
and hotel general managers, which began as part of our COVID-19 response in 2020, have
continued, with periodic in -person meetings, with the next one scheduled for November
15, 2023. The Village continues to use our various digital communication platforms,
including the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), e -mails, quarterly
newsletters, and social media, to connect with our residents and visitors, as often and as
needed, in order to provide frequent updates to our community. In May of this year, we
launched an Instagram page for Bal Harbour Village centered around news, events, and
the beauty of the Village. The page has gained over 400 followers and has received over
29,000 impressions since it launched.
In December 2022, the Village launched the Freebee On -Demand transportation service
for residents and visitors. This free car service is offered seven days per week and provides
riders with door-to-door pick-up/drop-off anywhere within our service area. The Bal
Harbour Freebee On -Demand service features a Village -branded Tesla Model X vehicle.
After a successful first six months, staff and the Village Council reviewed recommendations
to the service schedule providing for enhanced service during peak hours.
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Bal Harbour Village is an avid supporter of arts and culture. Through our innovative
Unscripted art programs, residents and guests have been exposed to art programming in
several ways over the years, including several public art installations. In 2021, the Village
Council approved the installation of an exhibition curated by the Opera Gallery of several
art sculptures by artist Manolo Valdes at no cost to the Village and the Village Council at
the October 2023 meeting approved our third year of curated programing with the Opera
Gallery. The exhibit is installed again at no cost to the Village, with the placement of
sculptures by artists Manolo Valdes, Marc Quinn, and Anthony James. In addition, we will
install a special, limited exhibition: The Power of Words, which will be located along the
102nd Street beach access path and unveiled as part of Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami
Art Week events in early December 2023. Building on the success of these events, the
installation will further establish the Village's brand and notably increase brand awareness
and recognition during this important period in our community.
Our traditional kick-off to the Holiday Season took place in early December 2022 with the
annual lighting of the enhanced holiday decor on Founders Circle and along Collins
Avenue. The event featured musical performances by local schools and professionals, as
well as "snow", treats and beverages for residents and guests of all ages. We are currently
in the process of installing this year's decor with our Holiday Lighting Celebration
scheduled for November 16. On New Year's Eve 2022, 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. Several other events take place during this holiday period, including
movies on the beach, yoga sessions, and a New Year's Day concert. Our partnership with
the South Florida Symphony Orchestra continued this past year and we again hosted a
Sounds by the Sea year -long music series with "pop-up" musical performances taking
place in various locations throughout the Village. Our Sounds by the Sea season began
this month with a special concert featuring the South Florida Symphony Orchestra at the
Bal Harbour Shops.
During Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach, we again scheduled a full week of
activations in 2022 with private VIP brunches for guests and residents, and special access
to many events taking place. We relaunched our monthly private tours with our Unscripted
Museum Access partners for residents and guests, tours included Superblue and Love is
Calling by Yayoi Kusama at PAMM accompanied by a welcome reception. We kicked off
the season with a private guided tour of the Margulies Collection last month, and will
continue with several private guided tours well into the new season. And we just recently
completed the installation of the Sports History Exhibition on the beach path. In 2023,
many major sporting milestones were achieved in South Florida, including the Miami Heat
winning the NBA Eastern Conference Championships; the Florida Panthers playing in their
second Stanley Cup Finals; the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University reaching
the NCAA Final Four; Lionel Messi joining and becoming the Captain of the Inter Miami
Major League Soccer Club; and the Miami Dolphins retaining their status as the only
Village Manager's Annual Report 2022-2023
November 13, 2023
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undefeated team in the NFL. To commemorate these milestones, Bal Harbour Village
worked with Paul George, Ph.D., the Resident Historian at the HistoryMiami Museum, to
curate an exhibit to highlight the history of sports in South Florida exploring the impact
and successes of sports in our community over the last 100+ years. Forty panels are
displayed on the beach path capturing some of these important moments in sports in our
community and include images of several sports and sporting events, including baseball,
polo, boxing, golf, tennis, swimming, bocci ball, football, horse and dog racing, car and
boat racing, hockey and soccer, among several other sports. The exhibit will be on display
on the beach path through the season.
Bal Harbour Village was again the host site for the worldwide launch of Fleurs de Ville. As
part of the event, we added floral -outfitted mannequins to the north and south entrances
to Bal Harbour, in the Bal Harbour Shops, and several of the art in public places sculptures
were adorned with flowers along Collins Avenue, Founders Circle, and on the Beach Path.
Our Independence Day celebration this year was the biggest and best we have hosted.
This year's day -long event included live musical entertainment, games, food, and our first -
ever drone laser light show, which featured customized images highlighting the beauty
and elegance of Bal Harbour. More than 1,200 residents and guests attended and the
feedback from participants was very positive.
Organizational Priorities and Internal Infrastructure
There are many other factors and areas that contribute to achieving our mission and vision
and in the successful attainment of The Bal Harbour Experience for our community.
The fiscal integrity of Bal Harbour Village and ensuring the functionality of our
infrastructure is a daily priority. We continue to focus our efforts on establishing
appropriate controls and further improving the Village's internal processes while planning
for the future and developing a more resilient community. As I mentioned earlier in this
report, as a result of our disciplined approach to resource allocation, careful management
practices, and conservative fiscal policies, the Village continues to maintain a very strong
financial position. Through prudent financial management and fiscal policies, we ended
FY 22 with a substantial general fund operating surplus of $4.6 million and expect a similar
outcome for FY 23. In addition, last year we implemented our Treasury Management
Investment Policy and Program, which allows us to more actively management our cash
and fund balances to ensure a greater return on our investments. Through this initiative,
the Village closed the year with net investment income of $2,592,500, which is significant
increase from prior years.
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Our Finance Department operations continue to evolve to improve the control
environment between functional activities, timely issuance and filing of compliance
reports, timely reconciliations of financial activity, continued 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 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report
(ACFR) for the eighth year in a row. The Village's FY 2022 external audit was concluded
with the issuance of the ACFR.
This year, the Village's policies for Health, Dental, and Vision Insurances offered to
employees were all slated for renewal for the new fiscal year. In May 2023, our insurance
provider Florida Blue communicated thatthe currenttotal monthly premiums forthe health
coverage would be increasing significantly for the plan year commencing on October 1,
2023. This became more apparent in their initial proposal which included an increase of
29% (approximately $343,166 more in total premiums). As a result, and in order to explore
options, a Request for Proposal (RFP) fora group health plan was prepared and issued. As
a result of negotiations, the Village changed insurance carriers to United Healthcare as it
would reduce the total premium expenses while preserving the benefit levels currently in
place.
Our investment in our Information Technology (IT) infrastructure has led to a more efficient
and effective working environment for 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 secure environment across each location
for our employees and users of our technology. In addition, the Village was awarded a
UASI grant in the amount of $100,000 in order to replicate the Village's network
environment at our Emergency Operations Center and allow a seamless transition
between networks during an emergency. As part of our continued cybersecurity efforts,
we pursued the Florida Cybersecurity Grant and were awarded various software solutions
which will continue to enhance the Village's response and monitoring of cybersecurity
threats to our network. 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 Bal Harbour Waterfront Park and Community Center. This
enhanced access control system will allow the use of one access control card to be used at
all Bal Harbour Village facilities. And, we implemented a robust fiber point-to-point
connection between Police Headquarters and Village Hall, ensuring uninterrupted
communication and data transfer.
Village Manager's Annual Report 2022-2023
November 13, 2023
Page 14of15
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. As we eagerly await the opening of the Bal Harbour Waterfront Park &
Community Center, our recently created Recreation, Arts & Culture Department has
centralized several activities and services that were previously offered through other
Village Departments, and has expanded and enhanced 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. 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 has helped streamline and improve the delivery of service, attention
to detail, and resident and visitor experience. It has also ensured a consistent effort to
coordinate, communicate, and curate The Bal Harbour Experience for our residents and
visitors.
From my own leadership development and personal perspective, I completed my 5 -year
reaccreditation process as a Credentialed Manager, from ICMA. I also, remain actively
involved in several organizations which contribute to my role as a Village Manager. These
include the Miami -Dade City/County Management Association (MDCCMA), the Florida
City/County Management Association (FCCMA), and the International City County
Management Association (ICMA). As you know, I was elected by my peers in the
International City and County Management Association (ICMA) Executive Board as the Vice
President of the Southeast Region. During 2023, I completed my first year of a 3 -year term.
ICMA is the premier professional association for city managers and public administrators
throughout the U.S. and the world. I continue to serve on 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. And just recently, for the fourth year in a row, I was
awarded Home Rule Hero recognition by the Florida League of Cities for my efforts and
advocacy during the 2023 Florida Legislative Session.
Village Manager's Annual Report 2022-2023
November 13, 2023
Page 15 of 15
Conclusion
Reflecting on the past 10 years that I have served as the Village Manager; I am amazed at
how quickly the time has flown by and I am impressed and proud of our progress and the
work we have accomplished. Our organization has transformed into one where
accountability, professionalism, and innovation remain an integral part of how we function.
This is made possible by the continued guidance and support from you and through the
work done at our Village Council retreats. Together, we have made significant strides in
building an organization that can rise to any challenge and address any issue that may
come our way -- leading a Village that we can all be proud of.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your Village Manager for these past
10 years. 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!