1. No Wake Zone Update - Frank D’Ambra
Mr. Frank D’ Ambra, Village of Tequesta resident, updated Council on the No Wake Zone issue. Three different municipalities, which included Jupiter, Jupiter Inlet Colony and the Village of Tequesta had residents that were directly affected by the high traffic area known as Jupiter Narrows.
Council Member Laurie Brandon arrived at 6:03 P.M.
Mr. Frank D’Ambra revealed that a study was needed, however the Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) would not pay for it, leaving the affected municipalities to cover the cost. A speed reduction proposal was made to the County, and submitted to the FWC from Mayor Brennan on behalf of the Village. There were concerns regarding safety while maintaining the natural appearance of the Coral Cove Park area.
Council Member Paterno revealed that he was rethinking his position on the speed reduction of the Jupiter Narrows area. He was concerned that areas for the Village’s recreation boaters were disappearing.
Mr. Frank D’Ambra revealed that The Federal Bureau of Land Management was supportive of the speed reduction and was aware of the environmental damage that had occurred over the last 30 years.
Council Member Paterno believed the expanded parking area along A1A, near Coral Cove, was a negative factor in the scenario and requested a reduction in off street parking be proposed. Seasonal speed zones were discussed and Mr. D’Ambra assured Council he would pass along their concerns.
Mr. Jim Tursi, 104 Yacht Club Place, felt that Council should poll the residents to see if they were on board with the wake reduction. He felt that facts and statistics should be included in the decision.
2. Budget Discussion - Capital Spending
Acting Village Manager, Jim Weinand informed Council of several recent personnel and operational changes which included: leadership changes, freezes on positions, a contract employee as Acting Village Manager, reducing open positions in Public Works,and a reduction in the planner position in the Building Department. He recommended not continuing to pay a public affairs consultant, as it was a large ticket item that was not necessary. Manager Weinand suggested splitting the Managers salary between the Utility and General Budget as per the Village Charter language. Additionally, Manager Weinand revealed that there would be approximately $201,000 coming in from FEMA from prior hurricane costs. Manager Weinand also believed there was no need for a new Utility Director, as it was not warranted as we could utilize current staff and engineers. The recent appropriations had been reduced to $193,000 in the general fund budget, and $125,000 in the utility budget.
Mr. Brad Gomberg, IT Director, revealed to Council that the Laserfiche Avante document storage replacement came in under budget at $26,000. Time and money would be saved using this new software and support services would be necessary for workflows. It was a consensus of council to go forward with the purchase.
Additionally, the firmware host, which was used by multiple departments, and cost approximately $15,450 was deemed necessary by Council. There was a Consensus of Council to replace the firewall, which cost $50,000 and would protect the Village against viral attacks. Additionally, Council agreed that the Council Chambers and Conference Room was in need of repair and improvements at a cost of approximately $100,000. Scheduling software for the Police and Fire Department was agreed upon as a Consensus of Council.
The Building Department was asking for $150,000 to go towards a generator for Village Hall as the current old generator was not functioning. The Fire Department and Village Hall were on the same FPL line, which was hardened and normally was prioritized. Further research regarding natural gas and engineering costs were still needed. Council advised going forward with the planning and engineering costs at approximately $20,000. Acting Manager Weinand advised that there might be grant money available for the generator.
Other miscellaneous items from various departments were removed from the budget and/or postponed to next year or beyond.
The Fire Department safety cartridge and bunker gear was discussed and Council decided to allocate $50,000 with bunker gear being the priority. Acting Manager Weinand believed there was a possibility of obtaining a grant for the safety cartridge. Two new trucks were needed in the Fire Department as the current ones were out of service and/or extremely old. There was a consensus of Council to replace both Fire Department vehicles.
There were some changes that were necessary in the Water Department upgrade project in regards to generator power, that would be brought to Council at a later date.
Acting Mamager Weinand revealed that Storm Water Drainage Projects were estimated at $125,000. Mr. Jay Wickham, Superintendent of Water Distribution and Storm Water Drainage, updated Council on several projects currently underway. He felt that the drainage had been neglected and was not working properly. Additionally, there were issues with Loxahatchee River District cross problems and metal culvert pipes collapsing. It was a Consensus of Council to go forward with the projects at a cost of $125,000.
3. Discussion Police Department Pension Plan and Actuarial Valuation Report
Village Attorney Keith Davis, gave a summary of the history of the police pension. Four different scenarios were discussed at length. Attorney Davis asked if Council would like to reopen the contract and start negotiating those issues with a concentration on using the Chapter 185 Funds, or stay where they were; either way the ordinance would have to be amended. It was a Consensus of Council to obtain more information and continue the discussion at a later meeting.
Acting Manager Weinand asked to discuss several Capital improvement projects. Mr. Doug Chambers, Director of Public Works explained that the Village’s crosswalks were in need of repairs. He recommended a product that would last longer at a cost of $18,000. Mr. Chambers also recommended applying a sealant on all of the Village Roads in order to prolong the life of the asphalt. Council came to a Consensus regarding the crosswalks, but was unsure about the roads. They asked that a sample stretch of road be tested before committing to the road project.
Mr. Chambers revealed that Florida Power and Light offered an opportunity to switch out the existing streetlights and replace them with LED lights. It was about a 6-month wait for the new technology which would also self monitor any lights that were out. Additionally, the LED lights would shine towards the street only, and would not illuminate any surrounding areas.
Council Member Arena distributed a hand-out on the proposed Community Recreation Center.
Mayor Brennan applauded Acting Manager Weinand’s progress with the budget, staff and other issues, in a very short amount of time and recommended not going back out to hire a new manager yet. Council discussed having a permanent Manager and agreed to begin the hiring process again on January 2, 2019. Hiring an outside firm was also a possible variable.
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ORDINANCE 17-18, SECOND READING, AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA, FLORIDA, APPROVING A PROPOSED VILLAGE INITIATED AMENDMENT TO THE VILLAGE’S CHARTER; WHICH PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD REVISE THE CURRENT REQUIREMENT FROM REQUIRING NO LESS THAN FOUR MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF HIRING A VILLAGE MANAGER OR REMOVING A VILLAGE MANAGER, TO REQUIRING NO LESS THAN THREE MEMBERS OF THE VILLAGE COUNCIL TO TAKE SUCH ACTIONS, AND ALSO REQUIRING A 30 DAY NOTICE BE PROVIDED TO THE VILLAGE MANAGER PRIOR TO ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION OR ACTION REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER; FURTHER PROVIDING A BALLOT TITLE AND A BALLOT SUMMARY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FLORIDA LAW; PROVIDING FOR THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT QUESTION LANGUAGE; AND PUTTING SAID CHARTER AMENDMENT QUESTION TO A VOTE OF THE ELECTORS OF THE VILLAGE AT THE MARCH 12, 2019 MUNICIPAL ELECTION; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.