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HomeMy Public PortalAboutvillage-manager-annual-report-2020 2021BAL HARBOUR - VILLAGE - OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER MEMORANDUM To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village Council From: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager 0/11 --- Date: November 12, 2021 Subject: Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 The purpose of this 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 over the course of the next 2 weeks to discuss the report in person. Attached for your review is the Annual Report with supporting attachments. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. JMG/MH BAL HARBOUR - VILLAGE - OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER TO: FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager IITh DATE: November 12, 2021 SUBJECT: Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021, marks my eighth -year anniversary as the Village Manager of Bal Harbour Village. As I reach this milestone, I am honored to continue to have the opportunity and privilege to serve as your Village Manager. As I have done each year, I am proud to share this Annual Report which summarizes our achievements, accomplishments, and activities from this past year. The 2020-2021 Annual Report is aligned with the "Mission, Vision and Values" for Bal Harbour Village and highlights the key intended outcomes and successes in delivering The Bal Harbour Experience. Pursuant to Section 5.3 of my employment agreement with the Village, the Village Council shall evaluate the performance of the Village Manager each year. The 2020-2021 Annual Report summarizes the areas of focus this past year and the resulting accomplishments and should be a helpful resource in consideration of my evaluation. As I have done in the past, I am including 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. MEMORANDUM Honorable Mayor and Members of the Village C9.uncil Our mission, vision and values guide our strategic plan, which sets clear goals, establishes priorities, and provides for the direction of our organization. This past year, we have continued to focus on these priorities, and we continue to align our resources to achieve our goals. At our annual Village Council Retreat in May 2021, the Council reaffirmed our commitment to the "vision" established in 2019, that Bal Harbour Village will be the safest residential community, with a beautiful environment and unparalleled destinations and amenities, providing exclusivity and access to ensure the highest quality of life for our residents, and with an unmatched experience for our visitors from around the world. This vision helps achieve our mission of delivering "The Bal Harbour Experience" - that distinctive feeling one experiences when living in or visiting our unique, exclusive, curated and refined community. Also at this year's retreat, we discussed our priorities to ensure that they remain relevant and reaffirmed the relative importance and priority. Since my last Annual Report to you, I am proud to share that we have had a very productive year, with many positive accomplishments, despite the various challenges and unexpected circumstances we have had to address. This past year, we continued to address the lingering Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 2of11 impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic; in addition, on June 24 we were faced with the impacts of the tragic collapse of the Champlain Tower South Condominium and by July 6 we found ourselves preparing for the potential landfall of Hurricane Elsa. To further complicate conditions, we were called upon to assist in coordinating a U.S. Presidential visit and an extended visit from the Florida Governor as a result of the building collapse. Essentially, for a period of time, Bal Harbour Village was operating under three separate Emergency Orders, something that I can assure you I have never experienced in my more than 30 years of public service. Notwithstanding these emergency challenges, I was focused on several initiatives that required my direct involvement. I am happy to report we made significant progress on various fronts. Our Capital Improvement Program - both above ground and utility improvements - continued to proceed on all active projects. We have increased our efforts to solicit and have been successful in securing grants for our various capital projects. Once again, I led the efforts to successfully negotiate an Addendum to the Development Agreement between the Village and the Bal Harbour Shops. This addendum resulted in the Village securing accelerated payment for the New Village Hall of more than $18 million, the receipt of past due amount of $1 million voluntary contribution, as well as, receiving the deed to the Fairfield parcel now instead of in 2025. Earlier this year I made a personnel change in the Building Director. We seamlessly transitioned to the new leadership, transformed the department staff, streamlined processes, and enhanced the level of service and customer satisfaction. Lastly, as was discussed in our Village Council Retreat, we were beginning the collective bargaining process with the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on a successor three-year collective bargaining agreement. I am happy to report that we were able to reach a "Tentative Agreement," which has been presented to the membership for ratification and is an item on the Village Council agenda for the November, 2021 meeting for consideration. The following is a summary of our accomplishments this past year. For ease of reference, I have aligned them to our key pillars which comprise The Bal Harbour Experience: Beautiful Environment Presenting an aesthetically beautiful setting for our residents and visitors is a key contributor to The Bal Harbour Experience, and our efforts remain focused on ensuring a beautiful environment for Bal Harbour Village. One of our most important priorities in this regard remains our Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) program. The completion of these various projects will add to and enhance our world - class amenities in Bal Harbour Village. With our CIP program now fully operational, progress continues to be made on all active projects. The renovation of the Parks and Public Spaces facility in North Miami was completed and staff moved in and began working out of this facility in February 2021. This allowed for the former operations building in the Village to be demolished and the site was prepared for the construction of the new Bal Harbour Waterfront Park and Community Center. The project bids were submitted in August 2021, with the approval for award made at the September 13, 2021, Council meeting. A ceremonial Ground Breaking took place in September and I am happy to report that the Notice to Proceed (NTP) #1 on this project was issued November 2, 2021. We Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 3 of 11 anticipate issuing the NTP #2 on December 2, 2021 for the commencement of construction. The seawall portion of the project is well underway with 100% of the sheet piles completed. The reconstruction of the seawall and the new dock are expected to be completed by early 2022. Progress also continues to be made on the design services for the Bal Harbour Jetty/96th Street -end project to enhance the use of the jetty, the cut -walk and 96th street end as public spaces for the community. Our consultant, Mikyoung Kim Design, has completed 90% of the Construction Document phase while the structural re -design of the south side of the Jetty is progressing in the Design Development phase. In addition, we have conducted extensive construction analysis and probable cost estimating to ensure that the project as designed is buildable and within estimated funds available. We have submitted plans to all the environmental and federal agencies having jurisdiction for the schematic design review and expect to submit the developed design documents with the proposed structural changes in December. We are hopeful that the permitting phase will be completed by the end of the Summer of 2022, which will allow us to be considered for additional FIND grant funding for construction. If approved, we could be ready for contract award for construction by the end of the calendar year 2022 or early in the next year. The Jetty Plaza design has progressed with the assistance of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) grant, and we anticipate receiving comments from the permitting agencies this month. Earlier this year, we developed a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the design of the New Village Hall. Submissions were received, and after public meetings with the top ranked firms, the Village Council made its selection of Zyscovich Architects to design our new Village Hall. Staff has been working with our Village Attorney to finalize the consultant's contract. Upon contract negotiation and execution, we would formally launch our programmatic review and update and schematic/concept plan process, which would result in a Basis of Design Report (BODR) for Village Council approval. It should be noted that since the CIP was initiated a few years ago, we have secured more than $15 million in grants with an additional $50 million in applications submitted, not to mention the tens of millions of dollars secured through development agreements with the BHS and the Oceana Condominium. Our Parks and Public Spaces Department continues to improve the appearance of the Village through routine maintenance and cleaning of our public areas. This year, they led a coordinated effort with the condominiums and hotels on the beach to develop a better back of house storage areas for surplus beach furniture and equipment which are screened with landscaping to enhance the overall cleanliness of the beach. As a result of our advocacy, Miami -Dade County continues to provide daily beach cleaning and seaweed removal service along the northern portion of Bal Harbour Beach. Funding was included in the FY 2022 Operating Budget to add one full-time position which will be primarily responsible for the appearance of the coastal portion of the Village and assist with the annual sargassum seaweed mitigation efforts. During this past year, the Utility Infrastructure Improvements Project (UIIP) Phase 4 Park Drive; 16 -inch to 20 -inch transmission water main construction was completed along with the water Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 4 of 11 system improvements related to UlIP Phases 3(A), (B) and (C). In early 2022, all the planned work for the Residential Gated Community North of Harbour Way will be complete and UlIP Phases 5(B), (C) and 6(A), (B) will commence. With the pending completion of several phases of the planned UlIP work, specifically north of Harbour Way within the Residential Gated Community, the restoration of the area roadways is approaching. The June 2020 Road Surfacing Agreement executed with the Bal Harbour Civic Association (BHCA) prescribes that, as UIIP work is completed, the area roads will be milled and resurfaced using a proportionate cost share formula to fund the restoration work. It is anticipated that the locations north of Harbour Way will be ready for this action in early 2022. However, Florida Power and Light (FPL) has presented a draft Power Grid Improvements Masterplan to the BHCA, and the timing of these proposed improvements may affect the paving schedule. A major priority for the past several years has been the coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Miami -Dade County to advocate for the Beach Nourishment Project to place more than 210,000 cubic yards of sand on Bal Harbour Beach. This project is expected to begin in just a few days. Getting to this point took a lot of work and effort to coordinate and overcome unexpected snags along the way over the years. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection Agency(FDEP) issued the Final Order Permit on December 8, 2020 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Miami - Dade County authorizing the Bal Harbour Nourishment Project. This approximately $10 million project involves the nourishment of 0.9 miles of eroding shoreline at Bal Harbour Beach with 211,000 cubic yards of sand. This is the most significant renourishment on Bal Harbour Beach in decades. On a related front, our efforts remained focus on the Sand By -Pass Project. Miami -Dade County and the Village are joint applicants for the Bakers Haulover Inlet Sand Bypassing Project that will include regular material bypassing from the updrift beach along with the extension of the jetty on the north side of the inlet. Extensive studies of coastal processes have been completed by other consultants contracted by the Village as part of the environmental permitting process. The Village recently received notification that the updated (IMP) received final approval from the FDEP and information contained within the Plan will be incorporated into the future planning activities for this area. Now that the IMP has received adoption by the FDEP, we will task the Village Environmental Engineering firm to pursue coordination meetings with Miami - Dade County, to ensure the project development continues. Destination and Amenities Over the course of the past fiscal year, our hotels and restaurants reported very strong demand resulting in record collections in a single year. Five of these months (March, April, May, June, and July) have been our best and highest ever for those months. The Fiscal Year-end total Resort Tax collection exceeded $4.8 million, which surpassed our previous record -year by more than $500,000. If you recall, prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the first five months of the 2019-2020 fiscal year started out with record results for tourism in Bal Harbour Village, but the remainder of that fiscal year proved challenging due to the impacts of the pandemic and the eventual travel restrictions, restaurant closures, hotel closures and Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 5of11 beach closures for intermittent periods of time. Not knowing what to expect for the 2020-2021 fiscal year, we budgeted cautiously with optimistic expectations. Fortunately for the Village, this past fiscal year proved to be more successful than we could have imagined. With the opening of the U.S. to International travel just a few days ago, we are well poised to have another successful year in FY 2021-2022. The Bal Harbour Shops is an integral destination and amenity within in our community. With its many luxury eateries and high -end shopping, the Shops attracts visitors from all over the world. I am happy to report, that at our last Council meeting in October 2021, the Addendum to the Bal Harbour Shops Development Agreement was approved by the Village Council to continue to allow for the on -going expansion of the Bal Harbour Shops. This Addendum was guided by our discussions at the Council Retreat in May 2021. Throughout the discussions between the Shops and the Village, it was my intent to keep any changes made to the existing development agreement to a minimum. We were able to reach a compromise resolution that I believe provides a measure of relief requested by the Shops in light of the unprecedented circumstances resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic without foregoing previously negotiated public benefits. Our focus had been to secure as much of the pending public benefit value in advance so as to not have a similar situation occur in the future. The main concern appeared to revolve around the Shops inability to deliver the New Village Hall in the time originally provided. The new addendum will relieve the Shops of the responsibility to construct the project but requires them to accelerate granting the deed for the Fairfield parcel and more importantly make a full payment on the cost of the project as of the date of the Addendum. Leaving only a "True -Up" calculation to account for any inflation in costs between now and when we anticipate beginning construction of New Village Hall expected to be sometime in June 2025 at the latest. In addition, the Shops will fund the project management costs the Village may incur by assuming the responsibility to construct. I am also happy to report that on November 4th, the Village received the Deed to the Fairfield Parcel, and received the more than $19 million payment for the costs of the New Village Hall and Voluntary Contribution installments that were past due. As of this writing, the BHS are fully current with the obligations of the Development Agreement and continue to progress on their construction. Exclusivity and Access While group gatherings or events were still not advised for most of this past year, the Village was able to plan and host several socially distanced, outdoor events. In November 2020, we held our annual kick-off to the holiday season with the lighting and enhanced holiday decor on Founders Circle and along Collins Avenue. The scaled -down event was able to be enjoyed by the community, live as well as virtually via Zoom. This year's event is already being planned for and will take place on November 17, 2021. In March 2021, Bal Harbour Village, in collaboration with the Bal Harbour Shops, partnered with the Fleurs de Villes group, in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, for the world-wide launch of this floral exhibit which translates to "flowers of the city". Nearly 30 floral - outfitted mannequins were located throughout the Village, mainly at the Bal Harbour Shops and one at the Ritz -Carlton Bal Harbour, with three Village sponsored mannequins, located Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 6 of 11 one each at the north and south entrance to Bal Harbour Village and one in the Bal Harbour Shops, and a floral -decorated police vehicle in Founder's Circle. In May 2021, as we began to prepare for the Village's 75th Anniversary (August 14, 1946), several new events were launched, including the first -ever Farmers and Artisans Market, which featured curated local vendors showcasing a variety of organic produce, spices, artisan breads, cheeses, and other specialties. We also partnered with the South Florida Symphony Orchestra to host a series of "Symphony by the Sea" pop-up music events which took place throughout the Village. This partnership is ongoing into the new fiscal year, with the most recent concert having taken place on October 24, 2021. Out of respect for the families in Surfside, our 4th of July Independence Day fireworks were cancelled. In commemoration of the victims of the Champlain Tower South Building, an enhanced "Symphony by the Sea" music tribute event was held on the beach in conjunction with the Town of Surfside for residents and guests to attend. Over 200 people attended the performance and several media outlets covered the event. Miami -Dade Mayor Daniela Levine Cava, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, and members of the Surfside Town Council, along with members of the Bal Harbour Village Council, were all in attendance. Once our acclaimed museum partners began opening to the public, we reactivated our Museum Access Program and provided updates to our residents and hotels so that they could again begin enjoying this signature amenity. As part of our 75th Anniversary celebration, a series of events are planned over the next year. Among them, an art in public places installation featuring six Manolo Valdes sculptures which have been placed throughout the Village in time for Art Basel / Miami Beach in early December 2021. This well -received initiative is the result of a partnership with the Opera Gallery and was implemented at no cost to the Village. Lastly, several events to celebrate the culinary scene in the Village are also being planned, including participating in the annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival and our own "Taste of Bal Harbour" series featuring local restaurant and chefs. We are excited that our "Movies on the Beach" series will be returning this year, with several movies already planned, starting in just a few weeks with a movie event over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and the next one planned for December 22, just in time for the Winter holidays. Our commitment to engaging our community and visitors remained firmly in place, especially this past year, so as to ensure that our community is closely connected with their government. Weekly calls with all the General Managers of the Condominiums and the Hotels, digital communication efforts, including the My Bal Harbour Mobile Application (App), the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), e -mails, social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), and our government and tourism websites have allowed us to maintain as direct a link with our residents and tourists as possible. Keeping our community and residents informed during both the Covid-19 Pandemic, as well as tragic Champlain Tower South building collapse in the Town of Surfside in June 2021 has been a key focus given the rapidly changing information and regulations. To date, nearly 100 Covid-19 advisory informational notices have been distributed. In addition, several Surfside building collapse advisories were also distributed. Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 7of11 Over the course of the past year, our team spent time reviewing our existing communication tools. Our website is an area that we agreed could use help given that a well -designed, user- friendly website is an essential tool for any organization. This is especiallytrue for organizations in the pubic and customer service and tourism industry. Delayed due to Covid-19, the selection of the vendor for this project was approved by the Village Council in July 2021. This project, which is already underway, will ensure brand cohesiveness and a common navigational experience, which will result in a better overall experience for the user. Additionally, it provides the Village the most up to date advancements in digital technology, the ability to add language capabilities meet ADA requirements and provide an enhanced Bal Harbour App interface. Safety Public safety has always been, and will remain, a top priority for our Village. Creating a safe environment in our community is one of our most important responsibilities. Our efforts continue to be focused on public safety at all levels, with emphasis on continuing our ongoing community policing efforts, as well as enhancements in our building department to ensure the structural safety in the Village and for our residents. The Bal Harbour Police Department (BHPD) continues to focus on its primary mission - to provide excellent public safety services to our residents, businesses and visitors. The BHPD remains dedicated to a community -oriented policing model, focused on increased police visibility through innovative directed patrol activities, and enhanced readiness for high liability incidents. Through these efforts, the Village experienced a 5.1% reduction in the 2020 Total Part I UCR Crimes as indexed annually for the Village by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). When compared to 2014 Total Part I UCR Crimes, when the community policing model was first implemented, this decrease is even more significant at 13%. The BHPD remained proactive this past year in our community policing efforts by promoting the use of Crime Tips email address (CrimeTips@balharbourfl.gov) aimed at generating tips on investigations and we continue to grow participation in The Exchange, a two-way communication initiative, for residents & business owners about arrests, crime prevention tips, fraud offenses and wanted subject information. The Beach Safety Officer program was implemented this year and serves to provide additional enforcement and to proactively address safety concerns for residents and beachgoers. During the early hours of June 24, 2021, the Bal Harbour Police Department was called to action and responded to the Town of Surfside, as they faced the aftermath related to the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium. The BHPD was among the first group of first responders to arrive at the scene, and through their quick and decisive action, our police officers provided critical support for the setup of the initial family reunification center. In cooperation with the Town of Surfside, Miami -Dade County Police Department and the Miami Beach Police Department, the BHPD provided support for traffic management operations and staffing at the Family Assistance Center hosted at the Sea View Hotel for several weeks. Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 8of11 At my direction, and as part of our emergency preparedness efforts, the BHPD engaged with representatives of the neighboring communities, including Bay Harbour Islands, Indian Creek, Sunny Isles and Surfside Police and Public Works Departments to continue to encourage dialogue between our neighboring municipalities, as to how we would respond to major hurricanes or emergencies. As we have been in the past, we are prepared to respond to these emergencies, as was apparent this year with the early threat of Hurricane Elsa in July 2021. We have been very fortunate again this hurricane season, but we are well prepared to deal with any situation that may arise. Our Police Department continues to remain active in the community in several ways and we continue to increase our community outreach, activities and events. On August 8, 2021, they coordinated and held a bicycle safety event to engage children of all ages in our community and highlight the importance of bicycle safety. A bicycle safety course was designed to teach rules of the road. In addition, free bicycle inspections were provided by City Bikes. On October 26, 2021, the BHPD participated, in conjunction with the Towns of Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands Police Departments, in the Surf-Bal-Bay Night Out, a community event which was part of the National Night Out Initiative, an annual community -building campaign promoting police -community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. Some notable other events included the: Cops & Kids, Holiday Toy Drive, Book Bag Give Away, Veterans Day Ceremony, Feeding Homeless Veterans, participation in Child Cancer Awareness Month and Command Staff participation in the Bal Harbour Rotary Club. Lastly, this past year, we completed the implementation and training forTelestaff, a scheduling and reporting software, which will eliminate paper -based leave requests, ensure the accuracy of time and attendance data, ensure fairness and consistency in the approval of leave and the assignment of overtime and off duty assignments, as well as increasing productivity of staff by automating leave time approvals. And the BHPD completed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Technical Audit, which serves to ensure that all law enforcement information, network infrastructure, computer systems and facilities are secured and encrypted. The structural safety of our community is included as part of our overall Safety pillar. Much of my attention this year was put into making our Building Department better equipped to carry- out the department's duties. In April 2021, I appointed a new Building Director, with nearly 30 years of experience in the industry and nearly 15 years of experience as a Building Official. Shortly after his arrival, the new Building Official appointed new, more experienced building inspectors in each of the trades. The focus of our Building Department this past year has been to improve our customer service and efficiency in the department. In these past few months, the Building Department has achieved a great deal toward our goal of delivering a positive experience for our customers. Several accomplishments in the Building Department are worth mentioning, including increasing inspections and plan review to three days per week for all trades, and establishing an internal turnaround time for plan reviews - 14 days for commercial properties and 7 days for residential properties. The Building Department has also implemented new permitting procedures and streamlined existing forms for a more efficient permitting process. Also significant, is the creation of a 40+ Year Building Inventory with notices to recertify being sent to all properties and working with properties and their engineers to confirm that buildings are safe. Staff has performed visual field inspections and the Building Official has taken action on all unsafe conditions. The Building Department has also Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 9 of 11 commenced the scanning of all plans and permits to be archived digitally. Going forward the department will continue to scan the daily work in order to have a fully digitized archive located in our Laserfiche Repository. Staff established a "One Stop Shop" with Miami -Dade County offering concurrent plan review between the Village and the County. This will greatly reduce the plan review turnaround time for both residential and commercial projects. Investments are being made in this upcoming year as well, including the funding for a new permitting system which will convert the current legacy system to a fully automated, comprehensive system which will allow for the submission of plans electronically, have access to legacy data, coordinate concurrent review of plans by the various trades, ensure document security, allow for the tracking of permit status on-line and greatly reduce review and approval times. Lastly, we are also in the review phase our fee analysis and cost allocation study in the Building Department to ensure that the fees are appropriate and in compliance with the recent statutory changes that have been enacted. The investment of time has paid off greatly. We have transformed this department, enhanced procedures, increased levels of service, brought in higher skilled staff, and invested in technology. The results are clear -- customer satisfaction has increased and the number of complaints about the Building Department have dropped to nearly zero. Organizational Priorities and Internal Infrastructure Since becoming your Village Manager eight years ago, one of my top goals has been to build a high performing and resilient organization that meets the needs of our community efficiently and effectively, and that is regarded among the best amongst municipal governments. Over the past several years, as a Village team, we have continuously assessed many of our processes and procedures to find opportunities for improvements; we have invested and re -invested in technology to bring our systems up to the leading standards; and we have evaluated and re- evaluated our organizational structure and personnel to make sure we are aligned with our priorities and are staffed with a high -quality team of professionals. Having the right people in place, and a high -performing team in place, allows us to collectively be much more strategic in our initiatives and remain focused on delivering The Bal Harbour Experience. From a staff development perspective, the most significant appointment I made this year was the new Building Official and Director. Shortly after his arrival, he appointed new, more experienced building inspectors in each of the trades. With these changes and improvements, the Building Department has achieved a great deal toward our goal of delivering a positive experience for our customers. I have received positive remarks from our customers and am sure you have as well. Through these changes and our efforts at working to reach positive resolutions, the Bal Harbour Shops, our largest and most important customer at this time has remarked on the significant improvements in the Building Department. Perhaps a more telling vote of confidence, though, is that they have recently informed us of their decision to use the Building Department services to review plans and conduct inspections in their next phase of the planned expansion (demolition of existing garage and construction of expansion buildings) in lieu of their original intentions to proceed with the "Private Provider" model. From an information technology perspective, we have completed several Information Technology (IT) infrastructure improvements and productivity software implementations, which have helped create a more efficient and effective working environment for the Village, our departments, and our staff. With the opening of the new Village Operations Facility this year, various IT projects were undertaken to ensure security and the continuity of operations, Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 10 of 11 while transitioning staff to different work locations and the need to provide a network connection to Village Hall to support day to day office activities. The IT Department designed, configured, and implemented the network allowing a stable connection to Village Hall, providing a seamless experience to department users. In addition, the new facility required the installation of an access control system, and this presented an opportunity to upgrade and integrate similar systems installed at Village Hall and Bal Harbour Police Headquarters. As such, IT installed and configured a new access control system, which provides additional security enhancements and integrates access control management to BHPD Headquarters, the New Village Operations Facility and Village Hall into a single platform. This enhanced access control system also allows the use of one access control card for all three locations. IT also coordinated the network extension and staff relocation to the new Parks and Public Spaces trailer at Village Hall, which would allow a direct and stable connection to Village Hall network resources. From a financial perspective, the Village remains in a very strong position. Through a disciplined approach to resource allocation, careful management practices and conservative financial policies, all while navigating the many impacts from the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Village continues to maintain a very strong financial position in all funds. The FY 2021-2022 budget was developed to ensure that The Bal Harbour Experience continues to be fulfilled, with a low millage rate which remains unchanged for the seventh year in a row, resulting in the reduction of the millage by 4.6% since 2015 and a cumulative reduction of 32.27% since 2004. The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Village, for our CAFR. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. The attainment of this award represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its financial management team. This is the seventh consecutive year that the Village has achieved this prestigious award. The Village's FY 2020 external audit was concluded with the issuance of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report in March 2021 with an unqualified opinion. Additional activities this past year, included continuing to closely work with various Federal, State and Local agencies to recapture eligible expenses the Village incurred because of Covid-19 pandemic as well as the tragic collapse of the Champlain Tower South condominium in the Town of Surfside. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic impacts suffered by our communities, local governments received significant support from state and federal funds received through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Through the CARES Act the Village received $2.1 and through the ARP, the Village has been awarded $1.48 million. Conclusion I am proud to share that Bal Harbour Village is better off today than it was eight years ago when I became your Village Manager. 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 our stakeholders. Village Manager's Annual Report 2020-2021 November 12, 2021 Page 11 of 11 As a team, we have been able to accomplish a great deal over the past several years, continuously transforming our organization and promoting an environment where accountability, professionalism and innovation are at the forefront. Although we will always continue to strive for excellence, I firmly believe we have made significant progress in building an organization that we can be proud of and one that is responsive to our vibrant community. This is made possible by the continued guidance and support from the Village Council, particularly through the work done at our Village Council retreats. The past year continued to have its unique challenges given the ongoing uncertainties, anxiety, and issues caused by COVID-19 and the other emergencies we were presented. Our actions were carefully considered and implemented in order to ensure the overall safety and well- being of our residents and the entire Bal Harbour community. Although these unexpected emergencies consumed much of our time, we never -the -less were able to accomplish a great deal. From my own leadership development and personal perspective, I remain actively involved in several organizations which contribute to my role as a Village Manager. These include Miami - Dade City/County Management Association, (MDCCMA); the Florida City/County Management Association (FCCMA); and as a member of the International Committee of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), one of the most competitive of committees to be appointed to in ICMA; and as a member of the Municipal Practitioner Committee of the Florida League of Cities. This past year, I was a guest speaker at the FCCMA State Conference and was honored to receive the 2021 Home Rule Hero from the League of Cities. As I have mentioned to many of you, this coming year I will be a nominee for Vice President of the Southeast Region of ICMA. If successful I will be serving on the Executive Board of the premier professional association for public administration. Involvement in leadership organizations is important in our efforts to encourage career development, as well as the quality of staff we can attract to the Village. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue 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, visit and play in. Attachment: ICMA Village Manager Performance Evaluation Guideline International City i County Management Association Village Manager Performance Evaluation Guideline This form may be used by each Member of the Village Council to evaluate the Village Manager's performance in fulfilling oath 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 shareldiscuss 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. Page 1 ofd FARIADMINIDOLORE84VM Eve11YMPerformehte Evaluator, 0uida 2014.dcx Assists the Council in resolving problems at the administrative level to avoid unnecessary Council action. Assists the Council in establishing policy while acknowledging the ultimate authority of the Council, Responds to requests for information or assistance by the Council, 4. Policy Execution Implements Council action in accordance with the intent of the Council. Supports the actions of the Village Council after a decision has been reached. Enforces Village policies. Understands Village's -laws and ordinances. Offers workable alternatives to the Council for changes in the law when an ordinance or policy proves impractical in actual administration, 5. Reporting Provides the Council with reports concerning matters of importance to the Village. Reports are accurate and comprehensive. Prepares a sound agenda which prevents trivial, administrative matters from being reviewed by the Council. 6. Citizen Relations Handles complaints/inquiries from citizens appropriately. Dedicated to the community and to its citizens. Skillful with the news media - avoiding political positions and partisanship. Has the capacity to listen to others and to recognize their interest -- work well with others. Pago 2444 P:WD AOMIN1OOLOREEWM Eva11VM PcRannanoe Evaluation Guide 20144oc Cooperates with neighboring 'communities. Cooperates with the county, state and federal governments. 7. Staffing Recruits and retains competent personnel for Village positions. Works to Improve performance of staff. Committed to ensuring diversity in the workforce. Accurately informed and concerned about employee Insurance, fringe benefits, promotions, and pensions. 8. Supervision Encourages department heads to make decisions within their own jurisdictions without Village Manager approval, yet maintains general control of administrative operations. Instills confidence and initiative in subordinates and emphasizes support rather than restrictive controls for their programs. Has developed a friendly and informal relationship with the work force as a whole, yet maintains the prestige and dignity of the manager office. 9. Fiscal Management Prepares a balanced budget to provide services at a level intended by the Council. Makes the best possible use of available funds, conscious of the need to operate the Village efficiently and effectively. Prepared budget is in an intelligible format. Pap aor4 RV"DADMINVSOLORESIVMCV I\VMPerformanceEvetuattonOutdo2014.da 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 Page 4 of 4 PAPPAfMINSDOLQRE81VM Eva11VM Partamanca Evaluation Ourde20144ot