HomeMy Public PortalAboutvillage-manager-annual-report-2018-2019BAL HARBOUR
-VILLAGE -
OFF ICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER MEMORANDUM
TO : Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council
FROM :
DATE:
Jorge M . Gonzalez, Village Manager] L"_/·V1)
November 19, 2019
SUBJECT: Village Manager's Annual Report 201 -2019
November 12, 2019 marked my sixth year of service with Bal Harbour Village, and I am
honored by the privilege to continue to serve as your Village Manager. This Annual
Report is a summary of the many activities, achievements and accomplishments we can
be proud of over the past year. You will recall that early this year (at our second annual
retreat), you formalized the Bal Harbour Village Mission, Vision and Values statement
for our organization, with the direction to deliver: The Bal Harbour Experience -whi ch
represents that distinctive feeling one experiences when living in or visiting our unique,
exclusive, curated and refined community. Creating a Beautiful Environment; with
Destination & Amenities; offering Exclusivity & Access; and ensuring Safety are the
pillars of our Strategic Plan. Having an approved strategic plan with clear goals and
direction for the organization is a key component of operating a high performing
organization . Our process to develop this plan has focused our efforts on the priorities
we have identified collectively and we have a ligned our resources and energies
accordingly . I want to take this opportunity to share our achievements in our key
priority areas of focus.
Pursuant to Section 5.3 of our employment agreement, the Village Council shall
evaluate the performance of the Village Manager each year. This memorandum
summarizes the activities we have undertaken this past year and the resulting
accomplishments. As I have done in the past, I have attached a form developed by the
International City/County Management Association (ICMA) modified for use by Bal
Harbour Village, which you may want to use as you cons ide r the achievements of the
past year. Please be reminded that this information is subject to the Florida Sunshine
Law and should be used with that consideration.
Since joining this organization six years ago, one of my main goals has been to build a
high performing and resilient organization that meets the needs of the community
efficient ly and effectively, and that is regarded among the best in the nation . Over the
last six years, as a team, we have assessed many of our processes and procedures to
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find opportunities for improvement; we have invested in technology to bring our
systems up to the leading standards; and we have evaluated our organizational
structure and personnel to make sure we are aligned with our priorities and we are
staffed with a high quality/high performing staff. Lastly, we are much more strategic in
our initiatives and remain focused on delivering The Bal Harbour Experience!
In addition to the many accomplishments and areas we have focused on, which are
highlighted later in this document under our five (5) key Budget Development Goals,
the following specific accomplishments are worthy of specific mention and note.
Making senior-level staff decisions are among the most important decisions a manager
can make. During the early part ofthis year, I was challenged with having to make three
senior level hires and work with them to transition efficiently into their specific
assignments and into the broader team. Senior-level positions are key components of
a high functioning team. Recruiting and selecting high level talent and effectively
integrating them into the larger team requires careful thought and deliberation. The
new position of Capital Improvements Program Manager was added to the budget last
year. Mattie Reyes, who is an experienced professional (Registered Architect) with
nearly 30 years of experience managing capital projects in a variety of public sector
organizations began her tenure on February 28, 2019. With her arrival, we have been
able to greatly accelerate our more than $70 million CIP program as we move from the
planning phases to the executing phases. We also filled, in a smooth and seamless
manner, the vacancy created by our previous CFO's departure early this year. A
licensed CPA, Claudia Dixon brings to our organization nearly 25 years of experience
in both public and private organizations, as a Finance Director, Controller and Internal
Auditor. She began her tenure on April 1, 2019, and immediately worked to complete
the fiscal year end close-out process and the Comprehensive Financial Annual Report
(CAFR) without missing a step. She then turned her attention to developing the FY
2020 Operating Budget and the, first for Bal Harbour, 5 Year Capital Improvement
Plan. Lastly, after purposely keeping the position vacant for an extended period, we
conducted a nation-wide search to fill the Chief Marketing Officer (Tourism Director)
with an expanded role. Trip Barrett joined our team on March 4, 2019. He joins us with
over 30 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality field, working for such
recognized companies as the Walt Disney Company, Starwood Hotels and Resorts and
Amazon. His role has been expanded to include overall Village marketing efforts in
addition to tourism duties.
The addition of these three seasoned professionals to our team has been carefully
managed to ensure that the organization as a whole did not lose the momentum arid
progress we have made. This integration was almost immediately tested, however,
when our community faced the threat of Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 hurricane
which, for a time, was projected to make landfall along Florida's east coast. This threat
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required us to activate our Emergency Plan and implement the necessary precautions
required. While I declared a formal emergency pursuant to our charter and plan,
thankfully, Bal Harbour Village was again spared. Nonetheless we were required to
work as an emergency management team to prepare appropriately. As soon as we
were no longer in danger, we immediately began a hurricane relief effort to collect
donations for those who were affected in the Bahamas. Bal Harbour Village, Bal
Harbour Police Department and the Bal Harbour Police Legacy Foundation held a relief
drive to benefit the citizens ofthe Bahamas who were devastated by Hurricane Dorian.
Water pallets, non-perishable food items and toiletries were donated by residents,
employees and local businesses. The donations were delivered to the Church of God
of Prophecy Hawksbill in Freeport, Grand Bahama and distributed to local.residents.
Since the approval of the Development Agreement between the Village and the Bal
Harbour Shops (BHS) in May of 2017, I remain in close and constant communication
with BHS representatives to closely monitor the development, facilitate the resolution
of issues as they may arise and ensure that the approved agreement is abided by. In
October 2018, BHS transmitted a formal request for approval of a revised site plan,
proposed text amendments and proposed amendments to the development
agreement. The Minor Site Plan Amendment requested by BHS required extensive
negotiations, substantive revisions to the proposed site plan and creative problem
solving to develop workable solutions that made the project economically viable.
Along with this effort certain amendments to the Development Agreement were also
required, resulting in the approval of the First Amendment to the Development
Agreement in December 2018. Those amendments afforded the Village an
opportunity to seek additional improvements to the public benefits package included
in the amendmentthat are beneficial to the Village. This renegotiation cleared the way
for the development and accelerated certain of the previously negotiated public
benefits, most notably, the timetable to construct the New Village Hall and the transfer
of ownership of the SunTrust bank property.
In addition, several of the provisions of the development agreement with the BHS are
coming to fruition, including: receipt of the contribution of $3.5 million towards the
new waterfront park; installment 1 (FY 2019) and installment 2 (FY 2020) of the
voluntary contribution ($500,000 per installment); and imminently, the BHS will be
required to submit the $500,000 contribution for Art in Public Places. All rents and
costs associated with the Bal Harbour Police Department's occupancy of space in the
BHS have now been waived (a value in excess of $50,000 per year) and BHS has begun
to fund Off-Duty police officers both at the construction site and the roaming police
officer on premises (a value of approximately $500,000 per year). These benefits not
only increase the Village's revenue, but more importantly increase the police visibility
and presence resulting in enhanced safety. Lastly, the amended development
agreement requires the transfer to the Village of the SunTrust property and lease
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proceeds in January of 2020; you will recall that this transfer was originally set to occur
once construction drawings for the Waterfront Park were completed and permitted.
Under the new provision, we were able to set a specific date which is accelerated by at
least 6 months (or an estimated $400,000 in rent value). With the BHS construction
now underway, we will continue to work closely to ensure that all required activities
and milestones are completed in accordance with the development agreement.
Accelerating our CIP program was another key initiative I have focused on during the
past year. During this time, we were able to complete the purchase and close on the
North Miami property where we plan to relocate our operations facility. We have
completed the construction drawings for the facility and expect to award a construction
contract in January of 2020. We anticipate construction to be completed later next
year and hope to occupy in the Fall of 2020. This timeline coincides with our Waterfront
Park timeline, as well. Negotiations with Zyscovitch Architects for the construction
documents took longer and were more involved than originally anticipated. This
negotiation delayed the architects progress, but does not adversely affect our overall
schedule. At this time, we have received the 100% set of Schematic Drawings, we have
had our internal program review and have provided necessary comments. The
architects have also begun their next phase of document revisions and we have
submitted the schematic designs to our cost estimator to make sure the project
remains within budget parameters.
Lastly, during the past year we were able to conduct an RFQ process to select the
design team for the Jetty Project. Mikyoung Kim Design was selected, a contract was
negotiated and notice to proceed was given. We have conducted three well attended
community design workshops with our residents and have developed a consensus
option which will be submitted for your approval as a Basis of Design Report at the
December 2019 council meeting. This progress remains consistent with our goal to
have a design approved by the end of the year. Once approved, the design team will
proceed to develop full construction sets (through schematic, design and construction
phases) and proceed with permitting with all regulatory agencies having jurisdiction.
At our Budget Hearings in September 2019, the Village Council also approved, for the
first time, a Five-Year Capital Improvement Program incorporating a variety of above
ground (including the above mentioned) and underground utility projects. The
approximately $70 Million plan is nearly completely funded and we have begun the
necessary steps to secure possible financing for the remaining unfunded balances in a
very favorable lending market.
Resort Tax revenues and tourism in Bal Harbour Village achieved several records this
past year for the period October 1 through September 30, 2019, seven (7) months of
record collections were recorded, including for the months of October, November,
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December 2018 and January, February, April and August 2019. Revenues for eleven
(11) out of twelve ( 12) months for this fiscal year were higher than the previous year,.
with overall collections year-to-date exceeding last year's comparable period (which
was the previous b.est on record for the Village). The month of December 2018 was
the highest resort tax collection in the Village's history with collections of approximately
$600,000 for that month.
As we align our efforts to delivering The Bal Harbour Experience, we continue to focus
on the following five (5) key goals, which ensure that our resources are focused on
achieving our vision for Bal Harbour:
• Enhance community policing strategies and accountability;
• Improve and beautify our public spaces;
• Invest in our Information Technology;
• Enhance community engagement through public events and expanded
communications with our residents and visitors; and
• Establish sustainable fiscal policies and plan for future capital investments.
To accomplish this vision, our Administration has continued to focus on the following
activities during this evaluation period:
Enhance Community Policing and Accountability
Public safety is paramount to ensure our community's quality of life. As such, we remain
dedicated to a community-oriented policing model, focused on increased police
visibility through innovative directed patrol activities, and enhanced readiness for high
liability incidents.
I am proud to report that the Village has experienced a reduction in crime over the last
year, and even further reductions in comparison to just four years ago. Specifically,
these reductions can be summarized as follows:
• Through police efforts, overall crime is down 8.4% as indexed annually for the
Village by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). Moreover, the
Village has experienced a 9.9% reduction in property crimes from 2017 to 2018
and a 29.6% reduction since 2014, when the community policing model was first
implemented.
We have also made significant progress on police technology initiatives, completing
the Village's most significant implementation to date -Computer Aided Dispatch and
Records Management (CAD-RMS). The implementation was completed on-time and
within budget in April 2019. This system now provides real-time data on policing
activity throughout the Village, helping to ensure officer safety through geolocation. In
addition, the department will be finalizing the implementation of Telestaff in the next
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couple of months, which will automate the scheduling of police resources, as well as
time and attendance submittals to the Payroll Section of the Finance Department.
Other technology initiatives this year include the License Plate Reader technology (LPR)
program, which was procured by utilizing Law Enforcement Trust Funds (LETF). I am
happy to report that the mobile LPRs have been installed in four patrol vehicles, and
the LPR trailer has been delivered and will be deployed throughout the Village.
We also continue to focus on ensuring traffic mobility and safety. During the
construction of the Oceana Condominiums, a traffic study was conducted regarding
the redesign and traffic signal configuration of the intersection located at Collins
Avenue and Harbour Way East. Upon completion of the study, the traffic signal design
was changed to facilitate the flow of vehicular traffic at the Harbour Way intersection.
The reconfiguration plans resulted in a signal change that prevented vehicles from
making a legal U-turn at Harbour Way East. Chief Flowers and his staff petitioned the
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Miami-Dade County Traffic Control
to have the traffic signal at Harbour Way East reconfigured to the original traffic
signalization, which included a legal U-turn prior to the construction of the Oceana. On
February 15, 2019, FDOT contractors and Miami-Dade County Traffic Control installed
a 5-section signal head, and reconfigured the Harbour Way East traffic signal to the
original settings. Motorist are now allowed to execute a legal U-turn from the Harbor
Way East intersection.
For the second year, at my direction, the Bal Harbour Police Department created and
led a major hurricane post landfall re-entry table top exercise, with participation from
representatives of the Bal Harbour, Bay Harbour Islands, Indian Creek, Sunny Isles and
Surfside Police and Public Works Departments. The purpose of the 'exercise was to
create dialogue between neighboring municipalities, as to how we would respond to
a major hurricane, and the particular challenges that would present. Our organization
is poised and ready to respond to major hurricanes, as was apparent this year with the
threat of Hurricane Dorian. I am proud of the work of our team, as we worked together
to ensure the preparation of our community for the potential impacts of the storm.
As part of the community policing philosophy, our Police Department has focused on
community outreach activities, where their main goal is to build relationships with the
community and educate residents and businesses on the most current crime
prevention strategies. The department hosted a number of events over the last year,
including: Autism Awareness training for the community, Cops & Kids event, the Rotary
Club SK, Holiday Toy Drive, Back to School Supplies give away for underprivileged
students, Feeding Homeless Veterans, selecting two scholarship recipients for the
Police Chiefs Mark Overton & Miguel De La Rosa Memorial Scholarship Fund; and
working with the Bal Harbour Rotary Club on the hosting of the annual Police Chiefs
Mark Overton & Miguel De La Rosa Memorial Scholarship Fund SK Walk and Run. In
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addition, we successfully negotiated a three (3) year collective bargaining agreement
with our police union, the Police Officers Benevolent Association (PBA).
Improve and Beautify Our Public Spaces
A key component of The Bal Harbour Experience is creating an aesthetically pleasing
setting for our residents and visitors. We continue to invest in improving the
appearance of the Village through increased routine maintenance and cleaning of our
public areas. Protecting and closely safeguarding the visual aesthetic of our Village is
an important part of our beautification efforts. In May 2019, we brought forth an
Ordinance for the Council's consideration and action that was designed to bring the
Village's existing sign code ordinance into compliance with current case law. Although
important for the Village not to censor speech, the focus of this Ordinance is to provide
for the public welfare by regulating signage in the Village in a manner that enhances
the aesthetic, reduces visual pollution, provides clear information and minimizes
distractions in the interest of traffic safety.
In February 2019, we, in coordination with the Village Attorney and the Village Clerk,
collaborated to develop an Ordinance to simplify the process of providing public
notices and to assure that the Village and its applicants will always be in compliance
with the law. This section of the Code had not been revisited in at least 20 years, and
resulted in frequent questions and internal consultations. These changes to the Code
address the timing, posting and maintenance of required public notices, and was
accompanied by a resolution that addresses the size and appearance of public notices.
This year, we experienced another summer of extraordinarily high volumes of
sargassum seaweed deposits along the Bal Harbour Beach, and the existing Beach
Services agreement was re-bid to provide specific pricing for the removal of these
seaweed deposits, resulting in an overall reduced hourly rate for this work.
Additionally, the scope of services was enhanced to increase the beach sand sifting
from twice monthly to weekly. Under this new agreement, our service provider and
staff collected and disposed of over five hundred (500) cubic yards of sargassum
seaweed this summer season, which is equivalent to 50 dump truck loads.
Additionally, in July 2019, I was able to help 1secure funding from Miami-Dade County
for additional funding for seaweed removal, as Bal Harbour Beach was deemed one of
three "hot spots" in the County.
Additionally, six (6) dune crossing locations received Americans with Disabilities (ADA)
Beach access Mobi-mats to provide greater beach access to our residents and visitors.
The planned coquina sand replenishment and grading of the beach vehicle/bike path
was completed to augment the Jogging Path Restoration Project completed last year.
In preparation for the upcoming construction of the new Bal Harbour Park and
Community Center, the acquisition and preliminary renovation design of the new
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offsite Parks and Public Spaces Operations Facility were completed with construction
to begin in early 2020. Through the negotiation process, we were able to save the
Village $135,000 from the building acquisition cost. The relocation to the new facility
will provide needed site access thereby allowing the Park Project to proceed as
planned. Due to the multi-year phasing of the Park Project and the need to maintain
existing recreational components, the Bal Harbour Park and water feature received
playground refurbishments and safety surface restoration.
As we look for innovative ways to address existing challenges, this year, we were able
to identify new technology to address improvements to our existing infrastructure. Our
experience during Phase 1 of the Utility Master Plan led us to look for alternatives,
which would help prevent long and intrusive disruptions to our residents. We
reevaluated our overall strategy for the Utility Master Plan to focus on opportunities to
repair and reuse existing infrastructure rather than wholesale replacement. As
presented to the Council for consideration and approval in June 2019, trench less pipe
bursting technology presented a unique opportunity that will result in project savings,
but more importantly, will avoid costly capital projects with messy and lengthy
construction periods. Further, as part of this evaluation of the Utility Master Plan, the
specific placement of various components within the projects required the Village to
secure utility easements. The easements are required to enable the Village to conduct
new utility construction activities within the Residential Gated Community streets, since
individual property ownership extends to the centerline of the adjacent street in front
of the individual properties. The Village has been working over the years to obtain
easements under the street areas in order to create a uniform and consistent easement
grid placement of all utilities within easements under the streets. In May 2019, we
brought an ordinance for Council action and consideration that would make the
easements for the Village utility construction in the street part of the individual project
approval for all properties within the Residential Section of the Village before the
Architectural Review Board (ARB}, in order to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness
prior to the issuance of a building permit. As a result, this process will provide an
established process that will address this longstanding issue in our Village, and ensure
the appropriate utility easements for effective operations.
This year, we have also taken additional steps to reinforce our commitment to
protecting our environment, and curbing ocean pollution. I am proud that in April
2019, proposed by Councilman Sklar, we developed and adopted the most
comprehensive Single Use Plastics Ordinance in the State of Florida, by enacting a
single use plastic ban for all commercial business. We continued our efforts to
promote Village recycling 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.
Also, to support community environmental awareness the first annual "Beach Sweep"
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beach and dune cleanup event was held with over ninety (90) participants. Attendees
participated in collecting area litter and received information related to
environmental/sustainability issues that affect all of us.
We have also continued to pursue the implementation of smart policies and strategic
solutions in order to remain a Resilient and Sustainable community. We have taken a
series of actions this year, which include the following:
• Continued efforts to coordinate with Miami Dade County, the State of Florida
and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to advance the Sand Bypass
Project. This draft plan is under review and the Bal Harbour Sand bypass
approach for sand replenishment has received positive feedback from the
regulatory agencies, with work continuing.
• Engagement of Coastal Systems International, Inc. to provide dedicated support
staff to develop and provide an overall coastal management program for the Bal
Harbour Beach and the adjacent coastal area;
• Utility Masterplan stormwater system rehabilitation work to repair and upgrade
the existing Village stormwater system components;
• Village membership in the American Flood Coalition to broaden our regional
engagement and enhance our knowledge with regard to sustainability and
resiliency issues;
• Coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP) and Miami Dade County to prepare for the
planned Beach Nourishment Project to place approximately 240, 000 cubic
yards of sand on Bal Harbour Beach expected to occur in the summer of 2020.
Additionally, this year the Village secured a $75,000 grant from the State of Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), Florida Resilient Coastlines Program,
for a Coastal Inundation and Economic Vulnerability Study. This study will assess the
Village's vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge under various future scenarios.
The resulting data collected from the study will allow for the preparation of Village
specific vulnerability maps that include not just sea level rise but also storm surge and
the related level of economic damage that could be expected with these future
scenarios. Lastly, the study results will be used in the future preparation of a
comprehensive plan amendment to make the Coastal Management element of our
Comprehensive Plan consistent with the Peril of Flood requirements set out in section
163.3178(2)(f), F.S. Concurrently, staff will develop required amendments to our local
Flood Plain Management Ordinance. Further, as a result of our continued lobbying
efforts, in May 2019 the State Legislature allocated $300,000 for the Village's Storm
Water System Improvements Project, which is included as part of our Fiscal Year 2019-
2020 Capital Budget.
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Invest in Information Technology
In the last few years, we have completed a number of IT infrastructure improvements
and productivity software implementations, that help create a more efficient and
effective working environment. The implementation of our Computer Aided Dispatch
(CAD) system within our Police Department went live in April 2019, marking the most
significant IT initiative to date. The project included an upgrade of our network,
backup, security and storage solutions, as well as software installation and training for
our entire Police Department.
Continuing to assist departments in identifying solutions that aid in maximizing their
personnel resources, this year, IT staff began the implementation of Telestaff, a
scheduling software that will automate their time and attendance process with software
specifically designed for the complexities of law enforcement administration. IT, Police
and Finance staff have been working jointly to provide personnel and time tracking
rules for system coding, and we expect the full system implementation to be
completed in the next couple of months.
Throughout the budget process, IT staff has met with each Village department and
outlined future IT needs. As a result, we have developed an updated IT Strategic Plan,
and staff is ensuring that we continue to develop best practices for our IT environment,
including enhanced security to address growing cybersecurity threats. This year, we
formally adopted our IT Security, IT Back Up and Disaster Preparedness policies, which
outline the Village's rules and procedures for ensuring network integrity and continuity.
Over the last five (5) years, the IT Support Specialist has been an integral team member
in the evaluation and implementation of each new network and software deployment.
Resources have been dedicated to ensuring that the appropriate training on the
Village's systems for our outsourced IT Support Specialist. In order to ensure the
stability and continuity of the Village's IT function, we renegotiated our agreement with
Calvin Giordano and Associates (CGA) to provide IT Director, Network Administrator
services, as well as any other IT consulting, on an as needed basis. Moreover, the
savings generated through this renegotiation were utilized to fund and transition the
contracted IT Support Specialist to a full-time position with the Village's IT Department.
This transition will better ensure retention of our systems' subject matter expert, while
at the same time, ensuring high-level expertise through CGA's consulting services.
Enhance Community Engagement through Public Events and Expanded
Communication with Our Residents and Visitors
We continue to focus on engaging our community and visitors through our public
events and programming, while continuing to ensure that our communication with our
residents and visitors is clear and that our community is as connected as possible with
their government.
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In print, the resident quarterly newsletter and postcards advising of upcoming special
events remain in place. Our electronic communication efforts include the My Bal
Harbour mobile Application (App), the Wireless Emergency Notification System
(WENS), e-mails, our social media -Facebook, lnstagram for both residents and
tourists, and Twitter for residents, and our government and tourism websites, both of
which will be undergoing major upgrades and overhauls in this current fiscal year.
In our recreation area this year, we have hosted over ten thousand (10,000) residents
and their guests in the Bal Harbour Park; produced three (3) seasonal Special Events
(Movies on the Beach) with total attendance of nearly 300 participants at each event;
conducted seasonal basketball skills clinics for children ages five (5) to thirteen (13)
totaling nearly 800 participants; and produced five (5) successful excursion for
residents, including to a Miami Heat basketball game, a Miami Marlins baseball game,
Marvel Universe at the American Airlines Arena, Dezerland Park, and Lion Country
Safari, with a total of nearly 500 total participants.
We have coordinated a number of annual public events including the holiday lighting
and decor ceremony on Founders Circle; and the Independence Day celebration on
the 4th of July for our residents and hotel guests to accompany our traditional fireworks •
display. As part of our December/January Holiday Activations, this past year we
programmed daily offerings of free Yoga on the Beach by the Jetty for residents and
hotel guests, our New Year's Eve Fireworks display on December 31, and our first ever
classical music performance at the Jetty on New Year's Day.
The Unscripted Art Program continues to evolve to embrace not only traditional
Museum Art, but also Performance and Culinary Arts as well. In addition to the
continued interest by both our residents as well as our guests to visit the many different
Cultural Institutions with whom Bal Harbour has partnered, we also hosted several
events this past year, including: A private Art Tour at the Home of Alexa and Adam
Wolman; Various special and private events during Art Basel including a VIP Brunch
and Tour at Pulse Art Fair, a private tour ofthe Christo Exhibit at the PAMM, and access
to six (6) satellite Art Fairs.
Our focus on the Culinary Arts included the annual South Beach Wine and Food
Festival (SBWFF) in February 2019, where Bal Harbour hosted three (3) intimate
dinners -one each at the St. Regis Resort and Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and a Shabbat Dinner
at the Sea View Hotel. Additionally, a wine and chocolate pairing was held at Vasalissa
Chocolatier at the Bal Harbour Shops. Bal Harbour Village worked to be the North
America Launch of Haute Cuisine, an event held annually in Verbier, Switzerland and
for the first time being held outside of Switzerland. In May 2019, the Village hosted the
four (4) day event featuring six (6) world-renowned Chefs who between them share
nine (9) Michelin Stars and included four (4) themed dinners (with a focus each on one
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ofthe following themes: Music, Art, Design and the end of event Gala) as well as six (6)
Cooking Classes. Nearly 300 guests attended the events, and plans are already
underway to launch the second edition of Haute Cuisine Bal Harbour.
Bal Harbour Village also worked to host the three (3) day Luxury Travel Forum (LTF)
attended by nearly 40 elite travel consultants with Departures / American Express
Travel & Leisure Services, cementing our position as the luxury destination in Miami.
Establish Sustainable Fiscal Policies and Plan for Future Capital Investments
Safeguarding the fiscal integrity of the Village and ensuring the functionality of our
infrastructure is a daily priority -one that is not so noticeable when all is going right -
but typically engenders unfavorable attention when it goes wrong. To this end, we
continue our efforts to establish appropriate controls and further improve the
processes of the pasts while planning for the future and developing a more resilient
community.
' I am happy to report that the Village's Fiscal Year 2018 external audit was concluded
with the issuance of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in March with an
unqualified opinion, receiving GFOA recognition for the fifth year in a row. Additional
activities this year, included working with the Federal Emergency Management
Administration to recapture expenses the Village incurred as a result of Hurricane Irma.
In addition, finance operations have evolved to improve the control environment
between functional activities, timely issuance and filing of compliance reports,
complete timely reconciliations of financial activity, an upgraded financial
management system and restructured utility billing system, supporting capital project
initiatives and drawing down funding reimbursements, and improving customer
service delivery for ad valorem and non-ad valorem tax, and Village Utility inquires.
As we continue to ensure the efficient operation of Village business, this year, we
reviewed the performance of our pension administrator. At the February 19, 2019 Bal
Harbour Village General Employees' Retirement Plan Board meeting, Pension
Consultants of Florida presented a proposal to provide services as the Administrator
for the Bal Harbour Village General Employees' Retirement Plan. The Retirement Plan
Board voted unanimously to select Pension Consultants of Florida as the Administrator
for the Plan. With this change, I am confident our pension members will receive
improved customer service, as well as effective support for our Pension Board.
Much like in prior years, we continue to review our systems and operations, and
continue our efforts to establish appropriate controls and further improve our business
processes. I am happy to report that due to these efforts we anticipate closing out the
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Village's Fiscal Year (September 30, 2019) with a significant operating budget surplus
in the General Fund as in previous years.
Conclusion
From a personal perspective, during this past year, I completed my term as the District
V Representative of the Florida City/County Management Association (FCCMA). I have
since been appointed to the most competitive of committees, the International
Committee of the International City/County Management Association. This past year I
was a guest speaker on climate change and resiliency at the ICMA Southeast Regional
Conference. And I also served as FCCMA's representative on the State of Florida's
Cybersecurity Task Force. Other staff continue to serve on the boards of their
respective professional associations, including Chief Flowers as the immediate Past
President of the Miami-Dade Police Chiefs Association and Assistant Village Manager
Ramiro lnguanzo as the current President of the Miami-Dade City/County Management
Association. Involvement in regional leadership organizations is another example of
our efforts to encourage career development, as well as the quality of staff we can
attract to Bal Harbour Village.
As a team, we have been able to accomplish a great deal over the past six years,
continuously transforming our organization and fostering an environment where
accountability, professionalism and innovation are paramount. This is made possible
by the guidance and support from the Village Council and the efforts of our
professional staff. Although we will always continue to strive for excellence, I firmly
believe we have made significant strides in building an organization that we can be
proud of and one that is responsive to our vibrant community.
I can say with confidence that the Village is better off today than it was six years ago.
With our sights set on the future, our Village is on solid financial ground, supported by
talented and capable staff. We continue to strive for excellence in how we serve the
community, and the value we offer all of our stakeholders.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve Bal Harbour Village as your Village
Manager. I look forward to continuing to lead our organization and working on all the
major on-going initiatives contributing to The Bal Harbour Experience. 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 make Bal Harbour Village an
even better place to live, work and visit.
Attachment:
ICMA Village Manager Performance Evaluation Guideline
International City/ 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.
1. 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. Re1iortlng
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 comp!aints/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 VIiiage 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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