HomeMy Public PortalAbout09-September 29, 2021 CSBHCITY OF OPA-LOCKA
"The Great City"
CLERK'S ACTION SUMMARY MINUTES
CONTINUED SECOND BUDGET HEARING
September 29, 2021
7:00 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Mayor Pigatt reconvened the Second Budget Hearing at 7:09 p.m. on Wednesday,
September 29, 2021 at Sherbondy Village, 215 Perviz Avenue, Opa-locka, Florida.
2. ROLL CALL:
The following members of the City Commission were present: Commissioner Sherelean
Bass, Commissioner Chris Davis, Commissioner John H. Taylor Jr., Vice Mayor Veronica
J. Williams and Mayor Matthew A. Pigatt. Also, in attendance were: City Manager John
E. Pate, Assistant City Attorney Candice Cobb and City Clerk Joanna Flores.
3. INVOCATION:
The Invocation was delivered by Vice Mayor Williams.
4. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.
5. FIRST READING ORDINANCES/PUBLIC HEARINGS:
a) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF OPA-
LOCKA, FLORIDA, ADOPTING A FINAL MILLAGE RATE PURSUANT
TO SECTION 200.065, FLORIDA STATUTES, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-
2022, COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2021 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30,
2022; SETTING FORTH PUBLIC HEARING DATES; PROVIDING FOR
ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF
ALL PRIOR ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR
SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (first
reading/public hearing held on September 15, 2021). Sponsored by City
Manager Item passed on September 22, 2021
b) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF OPA-
LOCKA, FLORIDA, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE CITY'S
GENERAL, PROPRIETARY AND SPECIAL FUNDS BUDGET FOR THE
FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022, COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2021 THROUGH
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 1
SEPTEMBER 30, 2022; PROVIDING FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF
FUNDS ESTABLISHED BY THE BUDGET; AUTHORIZING THE CITY
MANAGER TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS; PROVIDING FOR
APPROPRIATION OF ALL BUDGET EXPENDITURES; PROVIDING
FOR FEES CONSISTENT WITH APPROPRIATION AND AMENDMENT;
PROVIDING FOR ADOPTION OF REPRESENTATIONS; PROVIDING
FOR CONFLICT AND REPEALER; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY;
PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE (first reading/public hearing held
on September 15, 2021). Sponsored by City Manager
The above ordinance was read by Assistant City Attorney Candice Cobb.
Mayor Pigatt asked if it was necessary for the Commission to make a motion to discuss
Agenda Item 5-b or open public hearing.
Assistant City Attorney Cobb explained that because the Commission is essentially in the
middle of the motion to discuss Agenda Item 5-b upon reconvening the Second Budget
Hearing after the recess, it is not necessary for the Commission to make a motion to discuss
the item, but they can take public comments.
Mayor Pigatt stated that the Second Budget Hearing was recessed to give City Manager
Pate the opportunity to meet individually with each member of the Commission about the
budget, and he asked the Manager to discuss the options that came out of those discussions
and how they are reflected in the budget proposed in Agenda Item 5-b.
City Manager Pate asked Budget Administrator Anathan to speak on the deliberations that
were had during the meetings with the Commission and the options for moving forward.
Budget Administrator Bob Anathan presented the changes that were made to the budget
based on the feedback provided during the individual conversations that were had with the
members of the Commission.
Commissioner Davis noted that he did not see any additional allocations in the proposed
budget for the Public Works Department and asked if adding additional hands within that
department to increase efficiency was still on the table.
Budget Administrator Bob Anathan reminded the Commission that in various briefings he
has said that there were discussions about reducing certain City departments and adding
certain positions in other departments, including the Public Works Department as well as
hiring an internal auditor. Mr. Anathan said that the Commission is being asked to go
through that deliberation process tonight.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 2
Commissioner Davis stated that he would be in favor of cutting in half the four officer
positions being proposed to be added to the Police Department and using those allocations
to beef up the Public Works Department.
Budget Administrator Bob Anathan explained that the City will get to the point that
Commissioner Davis would like to see the Public Works Department at, and he said that it
may be premature to decide what the Commission wants to do on staffing. Mr. Anathan
pointed out that the Public Works Department added 3 employees over the course of the
past year and is currently at 8.5 people. He added that while the Commission has the liberty
to do anything they want, he wanted to ensure they understood that the staffing in the
department has gone up by 60% over the last year.
Police Chief Steven Barreira presented the needs for the Police Department budget.
Mayor Pigatt asked if Police Chief Barreira had a hard copy of his presentation to provide
to the Commission.
Police Chief Barreira stated that he did not have hard copies of the presentation but assured
the Commission he would get it to them.
Commissioner Davis lamented that the proposed Police Department Budget did not include
allocations for programs like Police Explorers and the Citizens Academy. The
Commissioner said that in his opinion, those programs are extremely important and that he
would also like to see an emergency operator hired for the City, so that there is not a longer
response time for 9-1-1 calls because they are routed to Miami -Dade County.
Police Chief Barreira stated that he has been an advocate for community policing since the
90s, and he said that many of the programs that Commissioner Davis said are extremely
important, represent a minimal or no cost because of partnerships that are being built with
local businesses. The Chief said that four 9-1-1 operators are currently slotted for within
the Police Department budget, and he acknowledged that the system for routing of 9-1-1
to the County is broken. He informed the Commission that he is looking at two options,
including eliminating the need for a local dispatch by tying Opa-locka' s system into
Miami -Dade County's radio system, to eliminate any redundancy with direct lines to the
City's Police Officers with no intermediary, while also eliminating significant costs to the
City. Chief Barreira explained that it is not an option at the current time because the County
is in the process of changing their dispatch systems. He also stated that while he had not
done specific research into the option of bringing a full time 9-1-1 response to the City,
based on his experience he said that hiring the appropriate individuals would significantly
increase costs and that the impact on the response time would be minimal.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 3
Commissioner Davis said that he doesn't know exactly what Police Chief Barreira meant
when he said that the costs were minimal for the programs that the Commissioner had said
are extremely important, asserting that his opinion is that funds should be allocated for
them because they are valued, and the youth is important. The Commissioner also stated
that he would like to see an analysis on having an internal dispatch, noting that he has
received several complaints on the Police Department's response time. He recalled that it
was a function that existed within the City from 2016 to 2019, which he said worked well.
Because the department's staff levels were increasing to the same levels of the prior years,
Commissioner Davis said he thinks it is imperative that they look at the option of bringing
back the service and he added that he looks forward to addressing it during the first budget
amendment.
Vice Mayor Williams joined Commissioner Davis in expressing disappointment in the low
funding for programs like Police Explorers, recalling having been a part of the program
herself. The Vice Mayor asked why the Police Department budget included such a small
amount for the Police Explorer Program compared to their community outreach material.
Police Chief Barreira explained that one of the things that was extremely successful in
getting the community out to engage them were the trinkets like the squishy badge and car
magnets, which were given along with referral materials. The Chief said that it gets the
kids out and the parents out so they can have a conversation about what's going on within
the neighborhood, and he asserted that he thinks it is an investment that is well worth it.
He assured the Commission that while he hasn't had any commitments yet, he is already
in discussion with entities that could help fully fund any marketing trinkets and free up the
funding for other programs.
Vice Mayor Williams agreed with Police Chief Barreira that people do like free stuff, but
she asked if research had been done into how much it would cost to reactivate the Police
Explorer Program, including the cost of uniforms and materials for the kids. The Vice
Mayor asserted that she would like to see more being funneled into the Police Explorer
Program, stating that it builds a bench for future officers from here.
Police Chief Barreira assured the Commission that he is a firm believer in the principle that
it is a lot cheaper to prevent something than it is to respond to it. The Chief assured the
Commission that he is a big fan of programs like Police Explorers and Police Athletic
Leagues and that he would investigate the numbers.
Mayor Pigatt asked about the review of the recommendations made by the Miami -Dade
County Police Department, that were provided through the City's partnership with the
County.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 4
Police Chief Barreira acknowledged that during the budget discussions, Mayor Pigatt asked
for an update on the recommendations made by the Miami -Dade County Police
Department. The Chief said that he did not have the list in front of him but that he would
provide it, offering assurances that most of the recommendations that the Chief felt were
appropriate, have been met.
Mayor Pigatt called on his colleagues to be careful in terms of making increases to the
Police Department Budget without the assessment of the recommendations made by
Miami -Dade County Police. Noting that it had been talked about since before Mr. Pate
began serving as City Manager, Mayor Pigatt asked what the plan was to address those
findings, because he noted that they will have a fiscal impact on the nature of the Police
Department.
Police Chief Barrera stated that some of the key points addressed in the Miami -Dade
County Police Department's assessment of the Opa-locka Police Department, were the lack
of policies and the lack of supervision. The Chief acknowledged the fiscal impact of
acquiring a nationally recognized policy development in addition to the hiring and
promoting of supervisors as part of the restructuring that he completed together with City
Manager Pate.
Mayor Pigatt asked how many sworn officers the Police Department had, noting that the
assessment from the Miami -Dade County Police Department recommended an allocation
of 41 sworn positions, as being sufficient to handle the call volume and investigative
workload. The Mayor noted that the report recommended 2 additional positions for the
Police Department, including a communications coordinator and another investigative
officer.
Police Chief Barrera explained that the 2 positions that were recommended in the report
from the Miami -Dade County Police Department, were already under the existing
organizational chart for the Opa-locka Police Department.
Budget Administrator Anathan concluded his presentation of the proposed budget.
Mayor Pigatt noted that the expenditures in the proposed budget are over the revenue by
$2.1 million and asked if the funds can be used to pay down the City's outstanding short-
term debts.
Budget Administrator Anathan pointed out that the Commission could pay down the City's
debts but would have to cut back on a lot of different programs that might otherwise move
the community forward.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 5
Mayor Pigatt recommended that the City should pay down some of its debts to reduce the
burden on the water and sewer fund. The Mayor stated that he is very hesitant to tap into
those funds without approved audits that clearly detail where the City is at with its debts
and current fund balance.
Commissioner Davis agreed with Mayor Pigatt, stating that he wants to get rid of some of
the City's bad debt, including the money that is owed to Miami -Dade County for the
installation of water meters and what is due to the state for the red-light camera program.
The Commissioner also stated that he understood the Mayor's reluctance to move forward
because the City is not completely caught up with its audits. He said that while he is open
to any cuts to the fund balance, he thinks the Commission should significantly increase the
services that are provided to residents.
Vice Mayor Williams acknowledged that not having the numbers crunched has stifled the
Commission and stated that she thinks the City is in a much better place where some
services for residents can be increased. She also asked if salaries were still the same in the
budget.
Budget Administrator Anathan explained that there is a reasonably healthy amount of
money in contingency between the general fund and the water and sewer fund, for salary
increases because of the 2 union negotiations. Mr. Anathan added that once the unions are
satisfied, the rest of the population will be addressed.
Vice Mayor Williams said she was talking about executive salaries and said that she is not
seeing what Budget Administrator Anathan stated in the budget.
Budget Administrator Anathan said he is not understanding Vice Mayor Williams'
question.
Mayor Pigatt said that one of the things the Commission wanted to recommend was to put
a hold on all staff increases that are not tied to contractual obligations and the restoration
from previous cuts. The Mayor asked Vice Mayor Williams if that would address some of
her concerns.
Vice Mayor Williams stated that a hold on salary increases that are not tied to contractual
obligations and the restoration from the cuts, would address her concerns, since she
believes she saw a little bit over $200,000 in salary increases in the proposed budget.
Budget Administrator Anathan asked Vice Mayor Williams on which line of the proposed
budget, she was seeing over $200,000 in salary increases.
Vice Mayor Williams stated that on page 63 of the proposed budget, she sees an increase
in executive salaries.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 6
Budget Administrator Anathan said that the proposed budget forecasted $86,927 for FY21
and stipulates $86,927 for FY22, and that the right-hand column says no change.
Mayor Pigatt stated that he feels the same level of uncomfortability as Vice Mayor
Williams with the item and asked if anyone else on the dais has issues with the staffing
increases.
Commissioner Davis asked if the contingency fund that was described by Budget Director
Anthan was based on projections from the initial union negotiations.
Budget Administrator Anathan explained that there was a discrete line item within the
general fund of $1.5 million which is now $1.375 because of the removal of the CRA
budget, and another within the water and sewer fund that are called contingency line items.
Mr. Anathan suggested that if the Commission could arrive at a fund balance number that
they are comfortable with, if they think it should be different than the proposed $2.182
million, it would be a great starting point.
Mayor Pigatt proposed that while he was going to go for half, he would like to see that at
least 30% of the City's surplus funds be used to pay down the City's debt.
Budget Administrator Anathan pointed out that Mayor Pigatt's proposal to use 30% of the
surplus funds to pay down the City's debt, would require a $1 million reduction in things
that have been recommended in the proposed budget.
Commissioner Bass agreed with Mayor Pigatt about using 30% of the surplus to reduce the
City's debt.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that everybody thinks that the exact number owed to
the State of Florida for the red-light camera program will be in the range of $2.5 million
and that it will be able to be paid over a series of years, without the need to pay $1 million
a year.
Mayor Pigatt said that one of the top complaints he hears from residents is about the red-
light camera program, and he stated that the quicker the City can pay off that debt, the
sooner they can decide on whether they want to continue the program. The Mayor also
asked for clarification on any debt to vendors.
Budget Administrator Anathan assured the Commission that there are no problems with
accounts payable at this point, and he stated that with some of the changes that have been
made, most of the vendors who have been put on blanket purchase orders, get paid within
2-3 weeks. Mr. Anathan acknowledged that typically the City has 45 days to pay invoices,
and that because of the State of Florida's involvement, some may take 60 or 70 days, but
that it is being worked through.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 7
Mayor Pigatt said that he would love to see in writing that the City of Opa-locka has no
significant debt, as stated by Budget Administrator Anathan.
Vice Mayor Williams said that the Commission has liked what they have seen in the
proposed budget for the most part, with it including the things they've said they wanted to
see since she got onto the dais. Pointing out that a 30% reduction would require that
everything would have to be cut across the board, she expressed that while she likes to pay
her debts, she had to push back a little bit on the proposal to cut 30%.
Mayor Pigatt clarified that the 30% cut he was proposing was of the $2.1 million surplus
in the proposed budget.
Commissioner Taylor agreed with Vice Mayor Williams, stating that the City is doing a
good job with beautification, illegal dumping and policing, and that he can't agree with
slashing that because it will hurt residents.
Commissioner Davis asked if Mayor Pigatt had any specific debt in mind to pay down.
Mayor Pigatt stated that he didn't have a preference on the debt that would be paid with
the surplus funds, and that it would be determined based on the recommendation of City
staff.
Commissioner Davis acknowledged that the City's debt has lingered for some time, but he
stated that he would defer to Budget Administrator Anathan's recommendation to work
out a debt repayment schedule. The Commissioner said that he shared Vice Mayor
Williams' point of view that the Commission advocated for the things that were included
in the proposed budget and he recommended that they workshop the debt.
Budget Administrator Anathan informed the Commission that the City already has a debt
repayment schedule with Miami -Dade County which is paid every month, but he said that
it must be renegotiated because the water and sewer fund has real problems with liquidity.
Mr. Anathan also reported that the representatives of the State of Florida don't seem to
have a sense of urgency to have the debt the City owes paid off, and they asked that the
City determine what is owed to establish a debt repayment schedule.
Mayor Pigatt asked if there is a debt repayment schedule for the water meter replacement.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that the debt repayment schedule for the water meter
replacement hasn't been formalized yet.
Mayor Pigatt stated that his point is that the water and sewer fund is suffering because of
the level of debt, so what he is saying is to contribute to reduce that debt to give the water
and sewer fund some support. The Mayor noted that he heard support from 2 members of
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 8
the Commission to not use the surplus to pay off debts, while two members of the
Commission do want to use the surplus to pay off debts and asked if there were any
changes.
Commissioner Davis asked where the projections were coming from, for how much was
owed to the State of Florida for the City's red light camera program.
Budget Administrator Anathan explained that the representatives of the State of Florida
didn't know they were owed money and asked the City to determine how much is owed.
Mayor Pigatt clarified that while the department of revenue over the red-light camera
program didn't know that Opa-locka owed them money, the City's financial oversight
board knew.
Commissioner Taylor stated he vaguely remembers that payments were scheduled for the
red-light camera program debt, and he asked if the state could provide how much was paid.
Budget Administrator Anathan said that the representatives of the State of Florida have no
idea and told the City to figure it out.
Mayor Pigatt clarified that based on the City's contractual agreement, a certain amount
from each red-light camera citation goes to the service provider, a certain amount goes to
the State, and the City keeps.a certain amount. The Mayor explained that for several years,
the City wasn't sending the amount required to the State and just started paying that
percentage again in 2019. He said that while the outstanding amount that was not sent to
the State is unclear, the audits should make it clear. Mayor Pigatt recalled that a few years
ago, the Commission voted to remove the red-light cameras in the City, and then voted to
bring them back because of the debts.
City Manager Pate suggested that a workshop needs to be held because the debt is a
complex subject, but he clarified that it was not being suggested to stop the Commission
from doing whatever they choose to do tonight. The Manager said that a workshop will
make clear if the Commission's priority is to repay debt early or not, and whether it would
be debt from the enterprise fund or general fund or various other debts.
Mayor Pigatt asked his colleagues on the Commission if they support using a percentage
of the fund balance to pay down the City's debt.
Commissioner Davis suggested that the City's debt be workshopped. The Commissioner
stated that he understands that the debt needs to be addressed and recalled that he didn't
vote to remove the red-light cameras in the City because he wasn't in elected office at the
time, but he voted to bring back the red-light camera program under the pretense of paying
off the program's debt.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 9
Mayor Pigatt pointed out that as the Commission approves the proposed budget, they are
doing so without any consideration for the debt. The Mayor asked his colleagues on the
Commission if they were okay with using $2.2 million of the fund balance for all the
proposed services.
Commissioner Davis, Vice Mayor Williams, Commissioner Taylor and Commissioner
Bass all indicated they were in favor of using $2.2 million of the fund balance for all the
proposed services.
Mayor Pigatt recalled that the Commission received a document after Vice Mayor
Williams requested information on the increases in City Staff salaries, and that there was
uncomfortability about why the increases happened. The Mayor stated that the
Commission was told that some of the salary increases were due to contractual obligations
with the unions, that some were tied to the restoration of salaries, and that others were
discretionary. He recommended that all salary increases in the proposed budget that were
going to be discretionary, be put into some type of reserve until the Commission has a
workshop.
Budget Administrator Anathan reminded the Commission that the funds in the proposed
budget that are allocated for salary increases are in contingency and that there are no
discretionary increases included at this time.
Mayor Pigatt said that he received a document that showed salary increases in the Parks &
Recreation Department as well as in the Building & Licensing Department.
Budget Administrator Anathan explained that the salary increases on the document
provided to the Commission had already been executed, and that they were for promotions
for additional responsibilities as well as for salary restorations.
Mayor Pigatt asked how the salary increases Budget Administrator Anathan said had been
executed, were enacted without coming before the Commission as an increase to the
budget.
Budget Administrator Anathan explained that even though he knew that there was an
overage caused by the salary increases that was going to have to be addressed by a budget
amendment, he did not submit it because he did not have the financial statements until a
month ago. Mr. Anathan added that what he and the Commission sees during the year is a
year-to-date actual, so he said that it would not be apparent that there had been an increase,
but he assured the Commission that a budget amendment is forthcoming.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 10
Mayor Pigatt said he will wait to address the salary increases when the budget amendment
comes before the Commission. The Mayor asked if the only salary increases in the
proposed budget are due to union negotiations and salary restorations.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that the only salary increases in the proposed budget
are those which are already required by contract, and that there is no line for wages that are
in negotiation because they are in contingency.
Vice Mayor Williams noted that the document she received with City Staff salary
increases, reflected that the increases were mainly in the Police Department, but she said
that she has never seen any document providing any proof that the increases were salary
restorations. The Vice Mayor said she was confused about why one salary increase was
$15,000 while another was $9,000 if they were both on the executive level.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that he understood Vice Mayor Williams wanted a
report on salary increases and didn't understand that she also wanted to see the reductions
prior to 2019 but offered assurances that he will get that documentation for her.
Mayor Pigatt pointed out that one of the operational audit findings was to ensure that the
system for salary increases is fair and equitable, which is what the Commission wants to
make sure of through their influence during the budget conversations. The Mayor also
stated that he supported the amendment to the proposed budget that was put forth by
Commissioner Davis, to increase the number of sworn officers that would be added to the
Police Department by 2 instead of 4 and allocate those funds to increase the number of
Public Works Staff to pick up trash and do regular maintenance.
Commissioner Taylor asked Budget Administrator Anathan if the proposed budget already
increased the City Staff in the Public Works Department.
Budget Administrator Anathan pointed out that the FY 21 budget indicated a 5.5 head count
for roads and streets, while the proposed budget includes an 8.5 headcount, which is
effectively about a 60% increase, in addition to the doubling of the FTEs that are assigned
to picking up illegal dumping.
Mayor Pigatt pointed out that there are only 2 people and one truck that go around the City
to pick up trash and that Public Works Director Airia Austin has said that the number could
be higher to address the situation. The Mayor also noted that the amount of people that do
trash pickup and maintenance in the Parks & Recreation Department have been
significantly raised, and that the parks are just a small aspect of the City, asking why that
is not being done for the people that pick-up trash throughout the City.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 11
Commissioner Taylor asked if what was being proposed was to have additional bodies
added to the 8.5 that were already included in the proposed budget for the Public Works
Department, or if a task change was being proposed. The Commissioner also asked if the
8.5 positions that are in the proposed Public Works Department budget, are filled.
Budget Administrator Anathan confirmed that all 8.5 positions included in the proposed
Public Works Department budget are filled.
Commissioner Taylor asked if there could be a compromise because he understands the
City's beautification needs but he also likes safe streets, and he proposed that the Public
Works Department workers could have their tasks changed or could be cross trained to
both drive the trucks and pick up trash, so that there are not just 2 people doing it.
Public Works Director Airia Austin informed the Commission that the increased Staff in
his department is addressing tree trimming and beautification, and that 2 individuals are
picking up litter on all the City's roadways.
City Manager Pate stated that instead of adding 2 bodies to the Public Works Department
Staff, he would rather the money get reallocated to other contractual services for the
department, pointing out that pending requests for proposals will have some financial
impact.
Vice Mayor Williams asked for an update on the signing of the contract with the State of
Florida, to have inmates help with trash pickup in the City.
Public Works Director Airia Austin reported that his department is speaking to the
Department of Corrections, and he informed the Commission that there is a shortage of
inmates to make new crews for the City.
Vice Mayor Williams asked if Opa-locka can share the inmates that Miami Gardens has
assisting their city with trash pickups, reporting that she just saw some.
Public Works Director Airia Austin said that he is not sure of the allocation of inmates for
trash pickups.
Mayor Pigatt expressed that he and a lot of people in the community are tired of seeing
litter on the streets of Opa-locka. The Mayor said all that is being asked is to figure out
how to pick up the trash, and he lamented that Opa-locka is not funding trash pickups at
the same level as other cities. He said that the Police Department is already over their
recommended staffing levels which is 41 Officers, and that while they are already at 45
Officers, with the additional 4 Officers being proposed in the budget, they would be at 49
Officers. Mayor Pigatt said that it is being proposed to increase the sworn Officers in the
Police Department by 2 instead, because it is important that the Commission do something
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 12
to get the trash picked up. He pointed out that the pending request for proposals is for
maintaining alleyways and pressure cleaning but does not specifically address picking up
all the litter around the City. The Mayor expressed his full support for Commissioner
Davis' amendment to the proposed budget.
Vice Mayor Williams asked if the suggestion on the floor from Commissioner Davis was
to reduce the proposed increase of 4 sworn Police Department Officers to 2 additional
Officers.
Mayor Pigatt confirmed that the recommendation from Commissioner Davis was to use
the savings in the proposed budget, to increase the Public Works Department Staff for trash
pickup.
Commissioner Bass stated that what Mayor Pigatt said were her exact thoughts, and she
added that she supported the proposal to increase the Police Department Staff by 2 and the
Public Works Department Staff by 2, rather than having the increase of 4 positions go
entirely to the Police Department.
Commissioner Davis moved to amend the proposed Police Department budget and reduce
the proposed increase of 4 Officers to an increase of 2 sworn Officers, using the funding to
allocate additional Public Works Department Staff for the picking up of trash, and the
motion was seconded by Commissioner Bass.
There being no further discussion, the motion passed by a 3-2 vote.
Commissioner Taylor No
Vice Mayor Williams No
Commissioner Bass Yes
Commissioner Davis Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Commissioner Bass asked which of the City's parks are covered by the 15 part-time
employees that were being proposed to be added to the Parks & Recreation Department
and how many full-time employees the department has.
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson stated that his department's 15 part-time
employees will cover all 3 of the City's parks, including Segal, Ingram and Sherbondy.
Mr. Patterson also said that his department has 3 full-time recreation leaders.
Mayor Pigatt asked what the role of the Parks & Recreation Department's 15 part-time
employees will be and what their schedules will be.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 13
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson stated that the City's parks are open from
sun up to sun down and that most of the part time employees help run the department's
youth and athletic programs, in addition to special events and managing the parks
especially over the weekends. Mr. Patterson also explained that his department's Staff
greet residents at the parks, in addition to deterring bad activities and picking up litter for
beautification.
Mayor Pigatt asked for clarification on whether there will be someone from the Parks &
Recreation Department available at the City's parks from sunup to sundown or from 9 AM
- 6 PM, and if it would be 7 days a week.
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson informed the Commission that his
department has Staff at the City's 3 parks, 6 days a week from Monday through Saturday,
and that some staff comes in the morning and then some staff closes the parks at night.
Additionally, Mr. Patterson stated that on the weekends, the staff is at the parks from 12
PM to 5 PM on Saturdays and that the parks are closed on Sundays.
Mayor Pigatt asked if there was a policy that determined the parks had to be closed on
Sundays, or if it might be possible to have Staff allocated on a schedule like the one used
for Saturdays, to open the parks on Sundays.
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson stated that when he first began serving as
director of the department, the parks were closed on Sundays, so he just kept the same
schedule as a Monday through Saturday operation.
Mayor Pigatt said that if 15 additional aids were going to be added to the Parks &
Recreation Department, he would love to be able to tell residents that the parks will be
open 7 days a week from sunup to sundown, with representatives coordinating events
during a set daily schedule throughout the entire week.
City Manager Pate assured the Commission that he will make sure that moving forward,
the parks will be open from sunup to sundown 7 days a week.
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson stated that his department will have a Staff
person at all 3 of the City's parks from sunup to sundown 7 days a week.
Commissioner Bass asked for the starting and ending times that Parks & Recreation Staff
will be at the City's parks.
Parks & Recreation Director Delven Patterson stated that the Parks & Recreation Staff will
be at the City's parks from 7 AM to 8 PM, 7 days a week.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 14
Commissioner Taylor said that he thinks what Parks & Recreation Director Delven
Patterson was stating is that the gates to the City's parks are open from sunup to sundown,
but there will be a Staff member on premises during the scheduled times. The
Commissioner also reminded his colleagues on the Commission that because of the time
changes due to daylight savings time, the operation must be from dusk to dawn.
City Manager Pate assured the Commission that the research will be done to develop a
plan, with the understanding that they want to ensure the 15 part-time individuals being
hired for the Parks & Recreation Department, are utilized properly.
Mayor Pigatt stated that he wanted to be clear that if people have events at the parks, that
a Staff member should be there and that the park is clean before and after the event. The
Mayor also stated that in consideration of HB 1, he wanted to know how much
discretionary funding is being allocated to the Police Department with the proposed budget.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that the discretionary funding being allocated to the
Police Department is roughly $260,000. He added that based on his reading of the law,
HB 1 only comes into play if somebody on the dais or the State Attorney takes exception
to budget reductions that impact the Police Department, at which point the City would
respond to the State of Florida with the rationale for the budget decision. Mr. Anathan
asserted that he truly doesn't believe that HB 1 will be triggered by buying cars in one year
if they are not bought the next year.
Mayor Pigatt inquired about the replacing of 23 of the City's vehicles, which is included
in the proposed budget, expressing concerns about spending so much at once as well as
about locking the City into leases for the next 5 years.
Commissioner Taylor stated that he heard Mayor Pigatt's concerns with the vehicles but
urged him to look at Opa-locka' s fleet. The Commissioner shared that he has had the
opportunity to ride on the Parks & Recreation Department van which he pointed out,
children ride on without the air conditioning working. Additionally, he said that the air
conditioning barely works on the Seniors On the Move van, the Public Works Department
trucks are falling apart and half of them don't have air conditioning, in addition to Code
Enforcement Staff sharing their vehicles because they barely work at times. Commissioner
Taylor asserted that the City does not look good on the streets and said that the City must
invest.
Budget Administrator Anathan informed the Commission that each of the vehicles in the
City's fleet has been assessed in terms of mileage, age, and physical condition and it was
determined that the vehicles included in the proposed budget should be replaced. Mr.
Anathan also reminded the Commission that they had not replaced any vehicles for the past
5 years.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 15
Public Works Director Airia Austin informed the Commission that the vehicles that are
being recommended for replacement, have far outlived their useful life by more than 10
years and replacing them will reduce operational costs.
Vice Mayor Williams asked why it was being proposed to lease some vehicles while others
are suggesting being purchased.
Budget Administrator Anathan stated that the choice to purchase some of the vehicles
instead of lease them, was decided by Police Chief Barrera. Mr. Anathan also informed
the Commission that the vehicles being proposed to be purchased, are being paid for out
of the special Law Enforcement fund, which is totally different from the general fund.
City Manager Pate informed the Commission that at the end of a 5 -year lease, through
Enterprise's government program, they provide the City the opportunity to pay $1 to
purchase the vehicle.
Commissioner Davis recalled that the decision was made by the City Manager a while back
to lease because investing in the repair and maintenance of the current fleet would have
been costly. The Commissioner asked if there is a maintenance plan once the City
purchases a leased vehicle.
City Manager Pate informed the Commission that vehicle maintenance is covered through
the lease agreement and that individual maintenance plans can be purchased for the
vehicles if the City decides to keep them.
Mayor Pigatt proposed that cuts be made to discretionary funding to hire an internal auditor
that reports to the Commission as a consultant on the operational audit.
Budget Administrator Anathan pointed out that the proposed budget already includes
$25,000 for an internal auditor, and that by reducing the proposed increase in sworn Police
Officers from 4 to 2, the Commission saved another $34,000 because of the disparity in
compensation between the Police Department and the Public Works Department. Mr.
Anathan recommended that the Commission could use those funds to see how far they go
towards funding the proposed internal auditor position, and then do a budget amendment
if it is a productive relationship and the funds are insufficient.
Commissioner Davis said that based on the City's Charter, Opa-locka is required to have
an independent audit that is not someone who works for the City.
Mayor Pigatt clarified that he was proposing to hire an internal operational auditor, and
that the City's Charter requires an independent financial audit.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 16
Mayor Pigatt moved to amend the proposed budget to increase the funding for external
auditing services using the savings from the reduction in the proposed increase in staffing
for the Police Department, and the motion was seconded by Commissioner Taylor.
There being no further discussion, the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Commissioner Bass Yes
Commissioner Davis Yes
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Commissioner Davis moved to authorize a reduction of $60,000 in the Safe Neighborhood
Fund, based on the Community Redevelopment Agency picking up the fencing project,
upon its removal from the City's budget, and the motion was seconded Vice Mayor
Williams.
There being no discussion, the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Commissioner Bass Yes
Commissioner Davis Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Commissioner Taylor moved to approve a $250,000 reduction in the transfer to the Safe
Neighborhood Fund from the general fund based on the Community Redevelopment
Agency's budget being removed from the City's budget, and the motion was seconded by
Commissioner Bass.
There being no discussion, the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Commissioner Bass Yes
Commissioner Davis Yes
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Mayor Pigatt clarified that the motions that were being made are taking what Budget
Administrator Anathan was saying and moving it as motions, acknowledging that the Chair
of the Commission usually must restate it.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 17
Vice Mayor Williams moved to approve a $5,735 increase in the transfers into the general
fund and a reduction of $13,638 in the transfers out of the general fund because the
Community Redevelopment Agency is back in place, and the motion was seconded by
Commissioner Bass.
There being no discussion, the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Commissioner Bass Yes
Commissioner Davis Yes
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Commissioner Taylor moved to add $36,765 to the proposed budget, to increase the City's
purchasing official from a part-time position to a full-time position, and the motion was
seconded by Commissioner Davis.
There being no discussion, the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.
Commissioner Davis Yes
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Commissioner Bass Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
Budget Administrator Anathan thanked everybody for going through a very tough process
and expressed his appreciation for the help.
There being no further discussion of Agenda Item 5-b, the ordinance including the
proposed FY 22 budget passed by a 5-0 vote.
Commissioner Davis Yes
Commissioner Taylor Yes
Vice Mayor Williams Yes
Commissioner Bass Yes
Mayor Pigatt Yes
6. ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business to come before the City Commission, it was moved by
Commissioner Taylor, seconded by Vice Mayor Williams to adjourn the meeting at 9:57 p.m.
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 18
J nna Flores, CMC
Ci Clerk
Matthew A. Pigatt
Mayor
Attest:
Continued Second Budget Hearing Minutes — September 29, 2021 19