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HomeMy Public PortalAbout1984-12-11 MeetingOn motion of Mr. McKeehan, seconded by Mrs. Antiles and voted the meet- ing was adjourned at 12:20 P.M. Attest: Village Clerk COUNCIL MINUTES December 11, 1984 November 27, 1984 The Council of Bal Harbour Village Met Tuesday, December 11, 1984 at 9:30 A.M. in the Village Hall. Present: Mrs. Antiles, and Messrs Laikin, McKeehan, Sherman and Taplin Also present were Fred W. Maley, Village Manager; Mary T. Wetterer, Village Clerk; and Anthony O'Donnell, representing Alan S. Gold, Village Attorney. The Village Clerk reported that Budget Hearing and regular Council minutes were not ready for adoption. Mr. Sherman said that the council had authorized two studies by Long Associates. One a pay study and the other a staffing study. The Budget Committee, John Kelly, Fred Maley and the Department Heads met to discuss the staffing study. Mr. Maley reported the pay study showed the Village to be right on target for the majority of employees. In comparison with ten other cities, The Bal Harbour Shops and the Sheraton Hotel, the survey suggested that the higher paid employees' salaries are too low; the middle range are fine; and the lower paid employees are somewhat higher. The staffing study also made some specific recommendations. Mrs. Caroly Long reviewed the Pay Study and explained it was based on the level of service the village wants. Bal Harbour has a high level of service, with visable results. Mrs. Long reviewed the Village's present pay plan and compared it with their suggested plan which has all positions classified, except for the Village Manager. She explained that under their plan, raises can be given more selectively. A level of responsibility was used for the study and they found the maintenance personnel to be multi -talented. Also reviewed were new job titles and proposed salary ranges. The Village Manager's salary was not studied as this is a personal choice of the community. Merit raises and their applica- tion to the scale were explained. Mr. Sherman said that the report shows that our police department is 5th in salaries among 27 cities, and the report bears out the 5% raise offered to the police officers is fair. Mr. Maley said that at the Special Master Hearing on police wages, the PBA tried to compare our salaries to only the highest paid department, plus the county. The Master's recommendation that will come will be advisory only. Mr. McKeehan asked that adoption of the Long report be held until next meeting so he could study it longer. Mrs. Long discussed the staffing study. She said the size of the community and service levels necessary to maintain the esthetics makes com- parison with other cities difficult. In doing the study she and members of the firm interviewed personnel, visited their working places and in some instances December 11, 1984 rode with them. Mrs. Long went over the different departments and their functions. Suggested were: Changing the role of the present Finance Director to Finance Consultant. The job should be for technical assistance rather than a line position; thought should be given to possibly having a full time Finance Director on retirement of the present Village Clerk; and what a new village Clerk's duties would be. In the Police Department, recommendations were made to eliminate 2 officers and two service aides. Chief Staubesand explained that the two additional police officers were requested by the council and their functions relieve the regular patrolmen from handling small complaints from the Bal Harbour Shops. The position of the service aides are being reviewed. Mr. Maley said the Department of Tourism now has one Clerk whose position is being eliminated. The part-time person in the bookkeeping office will work full time and handle tourism affairs. The council discussed the Long Associates recommendation that the Village charge for maintaining the vacant lots in the residential section. Mr. Maley said the cost to the village is about $10.00 per cutting. The Public Works Director checked with some of the local gardeners who quoted $40.00 to $55.00 per month for their service. It was moved by Mr. McKeehan, seconded by Mrs. Antiles and unanimously voted that Mr. Maley would work out the details for charging the vacant lot owners for the Village to continue cutting the lots. This would be at a fee similar to local gardeners, or the owner's could contract for this service with a private gardener. Mr. Maley said the portion of the report dealing with the handling of garbage at the Bal Harbour Shops has been worked out with Steve Bobby to Mr. Weldon's satisfaction. Mr. Maley was instructed to review the proposed salaries for Department Heands and make a recommendation to the council. Mr. Sherman asked for a change in agenda order which was agreed on. The members of the Beautification Committee present were introduced. Mr. Jim Schafer of O'Leary, Schafer and Casio, said some seagrape and sapadilla trees along Collins Avenue need replacement and they have chosen pidgeon plums. They have also revised their plan to place the trees between the property lines and the sidewalk and now recommend the placement between the sidewalk and the street. This will result, however, in some interference with the lighting levels. They suggested that a lighting consultant be hired to look into this. Mr. Sherman said he and Mr. Maley met with Mr. O'Leary who feels that the pedestrian light- ing is not in keeping with the rest of the street furniture. When Mr. Branston was here, up -lighting was suggested. Mr. Taplin said he was not in favor of spending money to do other lighting. Discarding what we have is a waste of money. Mr. Schafer suggested that the globe could be modified. Mr. Gart Urban said that so many things are happening, and his firm is trying to unify them. Mr. Maley explained that the updating of Collins Avenue and 96th Street consists of two parts; one, landscaping, which O'Leary, Schafer and Casio is doing; secondly, the signage, which Mr. Gart Urban is doing. A11 these have costs factors. Mr. Schafer suggested that the sapadilla trees could be root pruned and sold to help defer the cost of the pidgeon plums. Also Mr. Maley said he needs a decision on the location of the trees. Mr. William Whitman suggested that Bal Harbour try to go back to the tropical effect. People who come south are looking for palm trees. Our boulevard does not reflect south Florida. If coconuts are a problem he recommended palmettos. It was suggested that Mr. O'Leary and the Village Manager get together regarding the tree placement and lighting. It was decided to go ahead with the pidgeon plums and the manager will see about the lighting. Mr. Sherman said that the council and the beautification committee think that the signage costs should be somewhere between the low and high estimates of Gart Urban. December 11, 1984 Ms. Lorraine Franc discussed their recommendations including placing flower boxes on the bus shelters; painting either the whole street light pole or just the arm part to blend with the shelters; and painting the traffic light poles. Mr. Urban also discussed the new Village entrance signs, the Church sign and the entrance sign to the residential section. Mr. Maley said the estimated cost of all these changes could be over $200,000. He said the Resort Tax money has been nearly depleted. He would like to recommend that the General Fund pay for the landscaping, the entrance signs to the Village and any altera- tions to the light poles. The Tourism Department should pay for the driveway entrance signs on the east side and west side Collins at the hotels and apart- ments. It was moved by Mr. Taplin, seconded by Mrs. Antiles and unanimously voted that we proceed with the driveway entrance signs and the replacement of the trees and hedges along the est side of Collins Avenue. Mr. Santucci, President of the Civic Association said he objects to state- ments in the newspapers about association affairs. Mr. McKeehan said that he was misquoted and that they should sit down and talk. Mr. Maley said that the bus shelter at the Sheraton was too small to ac- commodate the number of passengers and the many newsracks. He has a final quote from Urban systems of $21,600, plus freight, for alterations of a small shelter to make it larger. The council discussed alternatives and on motion of Mr. Taplin, seconded by Mr. McKeehan and unanimously voted it was decided to take the large shelter from Harbour Way and place it at the Sheraton and use a small shelter at Harbour Way. Mayor Sherman said we had asked for alternate bids for the recarpeting and other refurbishing in the village hall. Mr. Dunaway, Interior Decorator, said he had gone to Harry Rich to discuss other types of carpeting and tile. He said that Harry Rich recommends removing the glue -down old carpeting but he believesthe new carpet canbe placed over the old carpet and it can be stretched if required, for much less cost. After discussion on types of carpet, methods of installing, quality of floor tile, Mr. Sherman suggested that he and Sol Taplin, Fred Maley and Wes Dunaway get together and work out the different options. Mr. O'Donnell read Ordinance No. 262, changing the Resort Tax from 2% to 3%, in full, after noting that it had been duly advertised. It was amended to provide that the tax be effective for the January business period. On motion of Mr. McKeehan, seconded by Mr. Taplin and unanimously voted Ordinance No. 262 was adopted. Mr. McKeehan explained that the Board of Directors of the Bal Harbour Club were exploring possibilities for the Yacht Club property. They would lie to knowif an apartment building could be built on the property under the present zoning. Mr. O'Donnell said Mr. Gold needs the Village Council's per- mission to respond to the Club's attorney regarding the Yacht Club zoning. It was moved by Mr. McKeehan, seconded by Mrs. Antiles and unanimously voted that Mr. Gold could give the Bal Harbour Club an opinion on the use of Yacht Club site. Mr. Sherman reported that all residents, including those in the condomini- ums, were being solicited to contribute to the Employees' Holiday Fund. Inasmuch as the Village Manager does not participate in the fund on motion of Mr. Taplin, seconded by Mrs. Antiles and unanimously voted the Manager was voted a bonus of $2,500, the same as the previous year. On motion of Mr. Taplin, seconded by Mr. McKeehan and voted the meeting was December 11, 1984 adjourned at 12:35 P.M. Attest: Village Clerk December 11, 1984 COUNCIL MINUTES January 29, 1985 The Council of Bal Harbour Village met Tuesday, January 29, 1985 at 9:30 A.M. in the Village Hall. Present: Mrs. Antiles, Messrs. Laikin, McKeehan, Sherman and Taplin Also present were Fred W. Maley, Village Manager; Mary T. Wetterer, Village Clerk and Alan S. Gold, Village Attorney. On motion of Mrs. Antiles, seconded by Mr. Laikin and voted the minutes of the Budget Hearing of October 30, 1984 and Council Meetings of November 27th and December llth, 1984 were approved as submitted. Mayor Sherman reviewed the Mayor's expenses that were referred to in the Miami Herald the previous Sunday as they pertained to the Gala and Florida League of Cities meetings. Mrs. Doris Hastings of the Beautification Committee said that an Awards Dinner would be held at the Sea View Hotel on April 3, 1985. There will be awards made to properties on both sides of Collins Avenue and in the Resi- dential Section. Mr. Maley said we are preparing to replace the trees on the east and west sides of Collins Avenue. The contract will be signed next week for the refurbishing of the hotel and apartment signs on the east side of Collins Avenue and new signs for the apartments on the west side of Collins Avenue. Mayor Sherman said that the matter of the 96th Street gate to the resi- dential section was discussed at the previous meeting. Since that time he has had several calls from residents who did not join the Civic Association who are being denied use of the gate. After conferring with Mr. Gold, he wrote the president of the Civic Association, Mr. Santucci, asking that the gate be changed back to the former combination until this meeting. Both the police department and Mr. Gold were concerned about the safety and welfare of the residents. Mr. Shiel, attorney for the Civic Association said he does not believe this is a public matter, and if the council has a legal opinion saying it was, they would challange it. Mr. Gavigan said that the civic association policy is an intrusion on his rights as a property owner, as the deeds give all property owners common rights to the streets. Mr. Valardo, President of One Harbour Way Apartments, said their owners had bought under certain conditions and had always enjoyed the use of the 96th Street gate. January 29, 1985