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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 6C_8/10/2000 i ai v ` re,` Af v VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA r �.�`z i ��� Post Office Box 3273 • 250 Tequesta Drive • Suite 300 , C `` �a Tequesta, Florida 33469-0273 • (561) 575-6200 e'' ' Fax: (561) 575-6203 4cp cn to VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JULY 19, 2000 I . CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Tequesta Village Council held a special meeting at the Village Hall, 357 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida, on Wednesday, July 19, 2000. The meeting was called to order at 11 : 03 A.M. by Mayor Joseph N. Capretta. A roll call was taken by Betty Laur, Recording Secretary. Councilmembers present were: Mayor Joseph N. Capretta, Vice Mayor Elizabeth A. Schauer, Councilmember Basil E. Dalack, Councilmember Geraldine Genco, and Councilmember Sharon Walker. Also in attendance was Acting Village Manager and Village Clerk Joann Manganiello. II . APPROVAL OF AGENDA Acting Village Manager and Village Clerk Joann Manganiello announced that the time of the meeting on the Agenda should be corrected to 11 A.M. Vice Mayor Schauer made a motion to approve the Agenda as submitted. Councilmember Walker seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Elizabeth A. Schauer - for Basil E. Dalack - for Geraldine Genco - for Sharon Walker - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted and the Agenda Recycled Paper SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 2 was approved as submitted. III. COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS There were no communications from citizens. IV. VILLAGE MANAGER CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS Mayor Capretta announced that there had been three interviews scheduled and his plan had been that at the end of the interviews he would ask the Village Councilmembers to vote their first, second, and third choices to see if there was a consensus for any one candidate. Candidate Greg Dunham had withdrawn the previous day, leaving only two, and in an effort to have three candidates, Acting Assistant Village Manager Richard Diamond had been asked if he would consider becoming an applicant for the position. Mr. Diamond had discussed the matter with his wife and decided not to apply, since he wanted to be an assistant manager. Mayor Capretta commented that most of the candidates had been from outside the State of Florida. The Mayor announced that after the interviews had been completed he would ask the Councilmembers to vote for the candidate they would be willing to support for Village Manager. The votes would be tallied by Acting Village Manager Manganiello to see if there was a consensus . It was noted that a consensus for one candidate did not mean the other was second choice. At least four votes were necessary in favor of one person to offer that person the position, and there was the possibility that the chosen candidate would decline the position. Discussion ensued. Councilmember Dalack indicated he would like to interview every candidate with one vote in the State of Florida. The possible expense for airfare and hotels was discussed. Mayor Capretta announced the procedure to be followed at the interviews for this meeting: Each Village Councilmember would have ten minutes to ask questions, and after everyone had had an opportunity to question the candidate, each Village Councilmember would be given two more minutes . At the conclusion of the second round of questioning, members of the public would be asked to submit SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 3 questions to Mayor Capretta, who would ask those questions. Candidate Susan Boyer was interviewed beginning at 11 : 15 a.m. Councilmember Genco asked why Ms. Boyer had left her employment with the town of Lady Lake, Florida. Ms. Boyer responded there had been differences and it was a parting of the ways. Councilmember Genco questioned whether Ms . Boyer had done any research on the Village. Ms. Boyer responded yes, that she had spoken to Tom Bradford, and felt the Village' s strongest points were its financial condition, which was extremely solid. Ms. Boyer stated that the Village had made very wise financial moves in anticipation of moving forward to build new facilities, and although almost built out had managed to maintain the Village' s identity. Councilmember Genco commented that the Village had a Village Manager form of government with experienced staff people and asked how much interaction Ms. Boyer thought the staff should have, to which the response was that Ms. Boyer felt department heads needed a lot of interaction with the Manager; that they knew their jobs and were the experts, but she would be the one reporting to the Village Council, and the staff should run day to day operations but include her in the loop with policy decisions. Councilmember Genco asked how much leeway staff should have in making their own budgets. Ms. Boyer stated staff should be given parameters, present their budgets to her which she would discuss with them to prioritize the items and she would hope to bring a balanced budget reflecting immediate needs to the Village Council, who could make changes . Ms. Boyer stated a lot of interaction was needed to come up with a proposed budget. Councilmember Genco questioned what criteria Ms . Boyer would use to assess the performance of her staff. Ms. Boyer responded that she would let people begin with a self-analysis, listing their goals and objectives for the year. She would look at that with them, finalize the goals and objectives, and at the end of the year review them to see if they had accomplished the goals and objectives and if not, to discuss the reasons. Councilmember Genco commented that over the period of a year or two there might be a time when the Village Council focused on doing something that she did not agree with, and asked how she would handle that situation. Ms . Boyer responded that although she and the SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 4 Village Council would not always agree, it was important to be able to express her opinion as to why she thought it was a wrong decision, but that she would carry out the Village Council' s decisions . Councilmember Genco asked what the most difficult personnel problem had been that Ms . Boyer had had to deal with, to which Ms. Boyer responded that the Police Department in another community had been under investigation when she was hired, the Police Chief was married to the town accountant and the Mayor was his father-in-law, the person in charge of the evidence room was the daughter-in-law of the another commissioner, and she had demoted people and had done what needed to be done. Councilmember Dalack questioned whether Ms. Boyer was a Florida native. Ms. Boyer explained she had lived here since 1976, that her father had been in the air force and they had lived all over, and he had retired to West Palm Beach. Councilmember Dalack asked where Ms. Boyer had attended school before Gainesville. Ms . Boyer responded she had gone to high school at Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach, and that she and her family had lived all over the United States and in Europe. Councilmember Dalack asked if it was Ms. Boyer or Miss Boyer-she responded she was married but used her maiden name. Councilmember Dalack questioned whether she had children, to which the answer was no. Councilmember Dalack stated he was interested in the human being, and asked if Ms. Boyer read and her favorite author. Ms. Boyer responded she was currently reading works by Carl Hiaason, and some of John Grisham' s mysteries which made you think when you read them. Councilmember Dalack asked if Ms . Boyer spoke any foreign languages . Ms. Boyer responded she used to speak Italian fluently. Councilmember Dalack asked whether Ms. Boyer' s father was an enlisted man or an officer. Ms. Boyer responded he was an officer with 20+ years. Councilmember Dalack asked whether Ms . Boyer had an attitude regarding government subsidy of private enterprise, using public funds to support an individual who was doing a project to make money; for instance, the stadium in Tampa which had been built with public funds to further a private money- making project. Ms. Boyer expressed her opinion that each such case would have to be considered individually to see what it would do for the community, the long-term-effects, and the return to the local government. Depending on the SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 5 return and results for the community would have a large impact, as well as how long the public funds were committed. Councilmember Dalack asked whether Ms. Boyer would have agreed with the Tampa stadium, to which she responded that had been an extremely complicated issue for them and it was probably the right thing for them to do because of the area of town they were trying to revitalize, and the money it brought in and the jobs it created fit into their economic development plan. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned Ms. Boyer' s expertise in obtaining grants. Ms. Boyer stated she had written a number of grants and assisted staff in completing their grants especially in Port Orange, and also in Avon Park, and to a minimal degree in Lady Lake. Ms . Boyer stated there were grants for almost anything if you looked for them, but while grants could be found, consideration must be given to the strings attached such of what kind of matching grant it was, how much money would the Village have to front, whether only Village dollars could be used in the match or if private business dollars could be used as well, the length of the commitment, etc. Ms. Boyer advised there were also grants that could be done in multiple parts or that the Village might do in conjunction with a neighboring community, such as a highway beautification grant . Ms . Boyer stated she had had a lot of grant experience with historic preservation, highway beautification, and recreation grants. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned what Ms. 'Boyer' s first main objective would be to improve the Village if she were hired to be the Village Manager. Ms. Boyer responded before she could answer that she would have to get to know the Village Council and the employees and to see where the Village stood on various issues, and then make a decision what should be done first. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned Ms. Boyer' s computer and website experience. Ms. Boyer explained she had working knowledge of computers and the Word and Excel programs, and had never created a website herself, believing it was easier to hire someone to create a website. Vice Mayor Schauer asked what budget problems Ms. Boyer had encountered in the past. Ms . Boyer reported that Avon Park had been broke and capped out at their millage rate, and she had brought them back from the edge by using a lot of grants. Ms. Boyer explained that in such a situation a lot of things should be looked SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 6 at, and that most communities wanted to have a 20% reserve but most never achieved 20%; however, the Village had 23% . Vice Mayor Schauer questioned Ms . Boyer' s best accomplishment in city government Ms. Boyer reported that she was very proud of a recreation program and a recreation complex which had been started in Avon Park, which were still going on. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned what could be done for teens in recreation. Ms. Boyer stated teens were the most difficult group for which to provide activities and since she did not know what was currently available it would be very hard to answer that question. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned how Ms. Boyer would handle personnel conflicts. Ms. Boyer expressed her opinion that everyone deserved a chance to correct problems, that she would sit down with the employee and find out what the problem was, make sure they understood their job and understood the expectations, and give them a chance to resolve the problem. After a period of time she would again meet with the employee and if some things were improving, to continue working on the problem; however, if there was no improvement then she would make a decision. Vice Mayor Schauer asked why Ms. Boyer applied for this job. Ms . Boyer explained that she was being selective in applying and she was looking for a small, stable community that would provide her with opportunity. Ms . Boyer stated she wanted to stay in Florida since her parents lived in West Palm Beach, and noted that Tequesta was a financially stable community and its management had been stable. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned the manager' s level of involvement in the Village' s aggressive capital improvement program. Ms . Boyer responded that the Village Manager should be on top of the projects and know their status and whether they were over or under budget. The Village Manager should bring any problems to the Village Council. The Vice Mayor questioned Ms. Boyer' s feelings regarding the Village Council taking surveys of the residents, for example, a citizen satisfaction survey. Ms . Boyer responded one must be very careful because the way questions were worded could influence the answers, and someone with an objective viewpoint should help word the questions. Ms. Boyer described her experience in conducting a survey in Palm Beach when they were looking at service issues . Ms . Boyer commented that a survey could have merit and would let the Village know whether they were providing the services the SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 7 community wanted. Vice Mayor Schauer asked whether Ms. Boyer had any experience with reverse osmosis, to which the response was negative. The Vice Mayor questioned Ms. Boyer' s experience with labor unions and in negotiating labor contracts. Ms. Boyer explained that she had always worked with police and fire unions, and that in Port Orange and in Avon Park there had also been general employee unions . Ms. Boyer commented she had always been very careful during negotiations since it was not always easy to get what you wanted, but she understood the pros and cons. Vice Mayor Schauer asked whether Ms. Boyer would be willing to sit down with a union representative and an employee who had made a complaint to discuss the matter, to which Ms. Boyer responded she would if it was allowed under the union contract, and commented that unions sometimes tried to get around their contract, but if they had signed it she would hold them to it. Councilmember Walker questioned how the budget in Avon Park had been reversed. Ms . Boyer explained that capital projects had to be analyzed to see what needs were immediate and whether the right people were in each job. A complete look at the way they were doing government had been done. Councilmember Walker asked how morale had been maintained during the reorganization of the police department. Ms . Boyer responded that the other departments avoided the police department and there was a morale problem in the police department. The Chief resigned and then it was necessary to fill the position with the right kind of person. It had taken eight months to find the new Chief, who had turned the department around in 10-11 months . Based on the successful work he had done there, the Chief had just accepted a position in a larger community. Ms. Boyer indicated that things became much more strict under the new Chief. Councilmember Walker questioned Ms . Boyer' s management style, to which Ms . Boyer responded she was a people person, that the manager should be accessible to the Village Council, employees, and citizens, stressed the importance of returning phone calls, and making appointments with citizens or employees; but stated that rules are rules and employees needed to go through the chain of command if they had a complaint . Ms . Boyer stated department heads were hired because they were good at their jobs and needed free rein and creativity to SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 9 have learned that some residents believed the Village was in debt and not managing well financially, and that communication was the issue. One of the primary communication tools of the Village was the newsletter in which the Village communicated what it was doing and why it was doing it, and trying to make sure the public understood. Ms . Boyer responded that a newsletter was a good avenue of communication, and suggested using the Chamber of Commerce, local groups such as the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, as well as homeowners associations to get the word out. Ms . Boyer suggested that the Village Manager should go to these groups and tell them what was going on, possibly accompanied by a Village Councilmember and a staff member to answer questions . Ms. Boyer commented that local newspapers sometimes only printed negative items, and suggested working with the newspaper. Ms. Boyer suggested providing updates at meetings and that the Village Manager be available and keep the Village Council informed. Mayor Capretta asked if Ms . Boyer was aware of any governmental agencies utilizing the internet. Ms. Boyer responded that Martin County used the internet, and that many towns posted their minutes or other documents so that the people could read them. Many also provided e-mail directly to the Village Manager' s office. Mayor Capretta advised that if Ms. Boyer accepted this position she would find that the Village was changing, and that in the last year ten years the population had increased only 10%, the number of children had increased 50%, the number of residents between ages 30-44 had increased by 75%, and the number of senior citizens had decreased by 10%. The Mayor commented that the older people did not want change, while younger and growing people wanted change and parks for activities, and asked how Ms. Boyer would resolve differences. Ms. Boyer commented recreation needs changed with the changing demographics and recommended looking at what both young and old wanted. Needs could include both Little League and tennis or shuffleboard. Ms . Boyer advised that balance was hard to achieve, and that the Village Manager must go out, speak to the people, and listen. Mayor Capretta noted that Tom Bradford was the Village Manager for 14 years and had been very good at getting things done on schedule, providing budgets, etc. , but that communicating with the people and perhaps morale could have been his weaknesses; however, because the Village had been financially strapped, SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 10 in order not to raise taxes Mr. Bradford had had to maintain staff as the work load increased, which was the cause of the underlying morale problem. Mayor Capretta advised that the Village was now in good financial shape, and asked how Ms. Boyer would resolve that problem. Ms . Boyer questioned whether employees were asked to do more with inferior equipment, so that equipment could be improved. Another suggestion could be a change in the benefits package if it were not equal to that of other towns Re-evaluating positions to see if the right people were being asked to do certain jobs was a possibility. Ms . Boyer advised it would take time, but re-evaluation could be done department by department. Mayor Capretta questioned whether the differences in managing which caused Ms. Boyer to leave her last position were still a problem. Ms. Boyer responded that The Villages had controlled four of the five Commission seats and although she did not always make the developer happy, she did not back down because the rules applied to everyone. Councilmember Genco stressed the importance of communication in a small village and asked how Ms . Boyer would have handled communication with a budget of $30 million and a $10 million project . Ms. Boyer recommended the Village' s newsletter and if the project was in a specific area to involve the homeowners associations or groups in that area Ms . Boyer suggested taking advantage of the business community, and any other available avenues, such as trying to get the newspaper to run a story by going to them and telling them about the great project and giving them information. Councilmember Genco questioned how to explain to citizens ahead of time the impact to their pockets, to which Ms. Boyer responded it must be conveyed that the Village was spending a lot but explain what the return would be, and the key was to find things people related to and understood, looking for the silver liming, and expressing the benefits even though it might be some time before those benefits were realized. Councilmember Genco commented the residents could see the benefits but were concerned about the financial aspects . Ms. Boyer suggested looking at the project, keep long-term debt to a minimum, and pay for project as they went along, which she believed the Village had done after reviewing their budget. Ms . Boyer recommended making the residents aware SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 11 of these strategies, beginning to educate them, and communicate that even though debt would be incurred for the project, that the Village was trying to mitigate the amount of debt they would incur. Councilmember Dalack questioned whether Ms. Boyer would provide information before a project was entered into or after. Ms. Boyer responded it depended on the project; that it made it easier if support was obtained ahead of time, and it might need to be the subject of a workshop or placed in the newsletter; however, sometimes decisions must be made that were not popular and the community as a whole might not understand but the Village might have to move forward. Ms . Boyer recommended trying to do it up front, but stated that did not always work. Councilmember Dalack questioned who in public life today Ms. Boyer admired, to which she responded anyone willing to be a City Manager today. Councilmember Dalack asked if there was anyone she did not particularly like, to which Ms. Boyer responded no one came to mind immediately. Vice Mayor Schauer commented she was looking at a skateboard park and getting grants for that for teens; and Ms. Boyer had alerted her to the fact that Tequesta had no shuffleboard courts in their parks . The Vice Mayor commented the Village had recently hired a firm to help obtain grants and asked if Ms. Boyer had ever worked with such a firm, to which the response was those firms could do very well and generally had a good success rate. Vice Mayor Schauer asked if Ms . Boyer had had success in getting different age groups to use the same facilities. Ms. Boyer responded yes, because the different groups did not use the facilities at the same time. Councilmember Walker questioned the successfulness of the municipal complex and conversion of the old town hall into a library in Lady Lake. Ms. Boyer explained that the Town Hall had been a very complicated issue and very difficult The library was a very different scenario and had been started while she was there, and a State grant had been obtained. The librarian had been involved, and the project had been workshopped several times, and the project had been completed on time and was a success for the community. Ms. Boyer indicated it would not be a problem for her and SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 12 her husband to move to Tequesta. Mayor Capretta read aloud questions from the audience. Mr. Giba asked the direction the Village should take in the future and what would she do to gain the confidence and trust of the staff if she were hired. Ms. Boyer responded that the manager needed to have honesty and integrity and treat everyone fairly, and respect would come in time. Mr. Boyer was asked her husband's occupation. She explained that he was retired from the Air Force and would relocate with her so long as he could play softball . Another question from the audience involved the relationship envisioned with the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Boyer explained that the Chamber of Commerce could be an ally and that the Village should work with the Chamber to continue economic development. Councilmember Genco made a motion to adjourn the meeting and to reconvene at 1:45 p.m. Motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Schauer. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Elizabeth A. Schauer - for Basil E. Dalack - for Geraldine Genco - for Sharon Walker - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted and the meeting was adjourned at 12:28 p.m. I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting reconvened and was called to order at 2: 00 p.m. by Mayor Joseph Capretta. A roll call was taken by Betty Laur, Recording Secretary. Councilmembers present were: Mayor Joseph N. Capretta, Vice Mayor Elizabeth A. Schauer, Councilmember Basil E. Dalack, Councilmember Geraldine Genco, and Councilmember Sharon Walker. Also in attendance was Acting Village Manager and Village Clerk Joann Manganiello. II . Vice Mayor Schauer made a motion to approve the Agenda as SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 13 submitted. Councilmember Walker seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Elizabeth A. Schauer - for Basil E. Dalack - for Geraldine Genco - for Sharon Walker - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted and the Agenda was approved as submitted. III. COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS There were no communications from citizens. IV. VILLAGE MANAGER CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS Mayor Capretta noted that there was no one present in the audience that had not been in the morning session, and reviewed the interview process for the benefit of the candidate, Michael R. Couzzo, Jr. Councilmember Genco noted that Mr. Couzzo was not currently working in a municipal capacity, to which Mr. Couzzo responded that he had felt it was time in his career to take a short sabbatical from public life and had the opportunity to go into a private enterprise, which also gave him some time to spend with his children. Councilmember Genco asked if he had learned anything working in the private sector that would transfer to a governmental position. Mr. Couzzo responded that there was always an interesting balance between the two, and he now had a greater appreciation of small business needs. Councilmember Genco inquired regarding Mr. Couzzo' s investigation of the Village, which he explained he had taken a ride through the Village with his family and had been provided with copies of the budget, auditor' s report, and the Village Council' s goals and objectives. Mr. Couzzo noted that those goals and objectives were very similar to projects he had undertaken while employed by the Village SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 14 of Miami Shores and the City of Tamarac. Mr. Couzzo reported they had to build a new police facility and convince the community of the need to do that, during an approximate 16-month period. Councilmember Genco questioned how Mr. Couzzo would involve the staff in management and what kind of interaction would he allow staff to have with the public and with the Village Council. Mr. Couzzo responded that his policy was to find the best people for the job and to give them a lot of latitude to do their jobs, and that he considered the entire work force a team. Mr. Couzzo advised that he had found some of the most unique and creative ideas came from line personnel . Councilmember Genco questioned whether Mr. Couzzo was in favor of delegating some of his responsibilities to staff to attend meetings, etc. Mr. Couzzo responded that based upon the premise that staff members were all competent and capable, he would delegate. Councilmember Genco questioned how much latitude Mr. Couzzo believed staff should have in managing their own budgets . Mr. Couzzo responded that they should have complete latitude up to the point where it came before the manager and to the Village Council and the public for review. If not given latitude, personnel would not be operating to their maximum talents, and restructuring could be in order. Councilmember Genco questioned what Mr. Couzzo' s most difficult personnel problem had been. Mr. Couzzo explained that he had managed a department with 165 employees, and the most difficult situation had been a tenured employee supervising a field trip to a county park where two children almost drowned because of the employee' s neglect, and after extensive investigation and dealings with the union, he had terminated the employee. Councilmember Genco asked how Mr. Couzzo would handle a situation in which the Village Council was focused on an area and wanted Mr. Couzzo to do something which Mr. Couzzo did not feel was the right thing to do. Mr. Couzzo responded he would calmly review why it was not to the benefit of the community at large with the Councilmember, and usually was able to convince the Councilmember to see his side. Councilmember Genco explained that communication was one of the Village' s biggest issues and asked what tools could be used in informing the community. Mr. Couzzo responded that communication with the general public was essential, and that the more informed a community was would be to SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 15 everyone' s benefit. Mr. Couzzo recommended publishing a monthly newsletter, and explained that in the past he had held an open forum in his office for one hour before each Council meeting to provide backup on agenda items. Mr. Couzzo stressed the importance of keeping staff informed, since they were ambassadors of the community. Councilmember Dalack inquired where Mr. Couzzo lived before he came to Florida in 1979. Mr. Couzzo responded he grew up on Long Island and went to high school in Greenmont, New York, and had gone to an engineering school, New Jersey Institute of Technology. Councilmember Dalack inquired whether Mr. Couzzo had a favorite author. Mr. Couzzo responded he that read finance books and was currently reading a book by George Stanopolis . Regarding lines of communication with the public and Village government, Councilmember Dalack asked whether input from the public would be sought before or after the Village proceeded with a project that exceeded a million dollars. Mr. Couzzo responded he would first like to review those things with the Mayor and Village Council to learn their preference. Mr. Couzzo reported that a previous community had had a monthly Mayor/Manager Neighborhood Forum where he and the Mayor went out into the community, normally in someone' s front lawn, and discussed issues in which the community was interested. Mr. Couzzo commented if the Mayor and Council were supportive of involving the community, which his prior community had been when they built their new Police Station, they had brought the public in early in the process, which was to their benefit, because informing the community on things about which they were uncertain resulted in the community spearheading the project. Councilmember Dalack questioned Mr. Couzzo' s position on the concept of using governmental funds to assist a private money-making business such as the Tampa Stadium, which was built with governmental funds for a sports entity. Mr. Couzzo responded he was not thoroughly versed on the Village' s finances, and that normally he did not subscribe to that concept; and that in large communities after it was thoroughly analyzed and planned out, some people believed it was the way to go; however, Mr. Couzzo was not yet convinced. Mr. Couzzo commented that communities subsidizing private enterprises, especially sports enterprises, raised questions in his mind, and noted this SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 16 had been done in Miami . Councilmember Dalack asked whether there was a public figure Mr. Couzzo particularly admired. Mr. Couzzo responded he admired Bob Graham, and did not mention anyone that he did not particularly admire. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned whether Mr. Couzzo had computer knowledge and website expertise. Mr. Couzzo responded that when he was with the town of Miami Shores the town had set up a website and he had recently obtained a personal website, and that although he had not personally set them up he was familiar with designing but not setting up a site. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned why Mr. Couzzo had applied for this position. Mr. Couzzo explained that he had been away from a manager' s position for awhile and found he was happier and more stimulated in this type of environment, and he and his family wanted to stay in the area. Vice Mayor Schauer asked Mr. Couzzo to expand on his grant experience. Mr. Couzzo explained his experience in obtaining grants for Miami Shores and that he felt grants should be pursued. The Vice Mayor inquired regarding Mr. Couzzo' s greatest accomplishment in the public sector. Mr. Couzzo stated there were a number of accomplishments, but one that stood out was being able to take a community like Miami Shores that was stagnant or going backwards, and reinstating it into one of the finest communities in Dade County. Vice Mayor Schauer asked whether Mr. Couzzo was comfortable working with the Village Council according to the Village Charter, to which Mr. Couzzo responded it was the same arrangement under which he had previously worked. The Vice Mayor inquired regarding Mr. Couzzo' s on surveys. Mr. Couzzo responded his experience had been that the participation level in surveys was not what was needed, since percentages tended to be relatively small, so that it did not provide a good cross section of what the community believed on any particular item. Mr. Couzzo recommended going out and meeting with various groups as a better alternative. The Vice Mayor asked what role the Village Manager should play in accounting for and monitoring capital projects that were in the budget and what he would do if he believed insufficient funds had been budgeted, to which Mr. Couzzo responded he would bring the projects before the Village Council and show them where he believed the amount budgeted was insufficient, and commented that a real world scenario needed to be done SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 17 before proceeding with a project to accommodate unforeseen circumstances that could arise. Vice Mayor asked about Mr. Couzzo' s experience with unions. Mr. Couzzo responded he had dealt with police, fire, and public employees unions, and had always felt it was his role to negotiate the contracts . The Vice Mayor asked if Mr. Couzzo would be willing to sit down with the union representative and an employee who had filed a grievance, to which Mr. Couzzo responded there were normally a set of procedures for this situation set forth in the contract between the Village and the union, and he believed that formal process should be followed. Mr. Couzzo commented that if the situation could be handled at the lower end of the managerial chain it freed his time for more pressing matters, but he had no aversion to handling the matter. The Vice Mayor asked whether anything had not been covered on which Mr. Couzzo would like to comment. Mr. Couzzo responded that he had provided additional information to Acting Village Manager Manganiello which highlighted his activities over the past 5-6 years, and also a budget book the Councilmembers might want to look over. Mr. Couzzo commented he had always taken to heart was the true trust the public bestows in a Council and Manager and the accountability for their tax dollars . Mr. Couzzo commented he believed the budget process was constantly changing and a 365-day-a-year process, trying to save. Mr. Couzzo stated that in the Village' s budget he had noted a comment about maintaining the standards, which he would have changed to the goal being to improve the standards with the money available. Councilmember Walker asked Mr. Couzzo to expand on the statement in his resume regarding his skills in internal training and incentive motivation. Mr. Couzzo stated he tried to really instill in staff their responsibilities. His expectations of them normally exceeded their abilities but did not exceed where they were currently. Give them a little more than they were doing to rise to, which was similar to the process used by UPS. In Tamarac, a public works employee who was cutting grass was given the opportunity to apply himself and was currently the head of the Public Works Department in Aventura. Mr. Couzzo characterized his management style as a collaborative style, and that listening to the people on his team, evaluating the information they provided and utilizing it SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 18 was extremely important. Councilmember Walker commented Mr. Couzzo had reduced the Village General Fund budget by $644, 000 while allowing for additional services and personnel and did not increase the millage rate. Mr. Couzzo explained that the Miami Shores millage rate was high and rising near the cap when he joined them. Mr. Couzzo commented that 60% to 70% of any public sector budget consisted of personal services. Restructuring the budget, especially by combining public works and recreation, restructuring outstanding debt, as well as numerous other items, could provide savings. Mr. Couzzo commented that some of the things the Village thought they could not afford to buy should be looked at as things they could not afford not to buy, and every single line of the budget should be extremely detailed and looked at to best utilize the funds. State monies could also be obtained to provide better services. Councilmember Walker asked whether any of the Councilmembers had been "gun shy" about the public forums, to which Mr. Couzzo responded it had really been the Mayor' s forum but that no one had been gun shy about participating, and the approach was open and honest and informal, similar to a "fireside chat" format, and had been successful . Councilmember Walker inquired whether any members of Mr. Couzzo' s previous Councils had had a newsletter to the residents beyond the municipal' s newsletter, as a way to communicate. Mr. Couzzo' s commented the Mayor had had a column in the municipal newsletter and on a monthly basis each Councilmember on a rotating basis was given a column to address the residents regarding whatever they wanted, which had worked very effectively. Councilmember Walker asked about Mr. Couzzo' s negotiation skills and asked him to describe a past situation where his mediation skills had been successful . Mr. Couzzo commented police and firefighters were very tough negotiators and the manager must have a good working relationship with them, a real understanding of their needs, and be able to accommodate those needs within a workable financial format and have them understand the financial format, how to negotiate, look at long-term benefits, and not to kill the goose that lay the golden eggs. Councilmember Walker noted the Village charter required the manager to move to the Village within six months . Mr. Couzzo advised he had not had a copy of the charter and would have to talk to his wife and family about SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 19 that . Mayor Capretta commented the manager' s job involved management (managing government, supervising staff, accomplishing projects as instructed by the Village Council) ; communication; and getting along the Village Council, and asked whether Mr. Couzzo had any problems with any of these items . Mr. Couzzo commented the last item, getting along with the Village Council, was probably most important, and he had worked with twenty village councils and had had excellent working relationships, particularly in Miami Shores, which was a small, family-oriented community, and advised he had developed many friendships over the years with various councilmembers, and still kept in touch with the Mayor of Plantation although he had not worked for him for 15 years. Mayor Capretta commented there was a difference between the Council' s objectives and the manager' s objectives and they needed not to be confused in order to evaluate the manager properly, and that Mr. Couzzo needed to be clear on what he was to accomplish and what the Council was to accomplish. Mr. Couzzo responded the only problem he had had in the past was not getting clear objectives from the Council, and it was much easier for a manager if the expectations were clearly delineated annually. Mayor Capretta commented on the morale problem within the Village which had been created by not raising taxes to pay salary increases while adding to the work load and had existed for several years; however, now that more revenue was available the problem hopefully could be resolved, and asked how Mr. Couzzo would handle this situation. Mr. Couzzo responded that he had faced that problem in the past and that employees who were excelling and extremely productive should expect increases and expressed his belief that governments needed to be run more like businesses. Conversely, expenditures might be being made to employees who should not receive them. Instilling such a sense of public pride could result in employees saying they did not want a certain employee on their crew because that employee was not working effectively. Mayor Capretta commented on the issue of communication, that only a certain few people attended meetings regularly, and that it was the manager' s job to communicate to the public. Mayor Couzzo asked what Mr. Couzzo would do to improve communications when a Council had undertaken projects which SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 20 the public did not support since they did not understand them. Mr. Couzzo responded that was probably why the national average tenure for managers was 2 . 4 years, that it was not a rarity to only have ten people at a meeting, and that many communities were televising their meetings on cable TV, which was effective and residents could call the next day with questions. Mayor Capretta commented he liked the idea of a meeting before the Village meeting and of visiting the neighborhoods, which were new concepts to improve communications . The Mayor commented outside issues could bring up issues about which the public became concerned, such as a newspaper article mentioning fluoride in water causing him to get calls inquiring about whether the Village had fluoride in their water, when no one had ever mentioned it before. The Mayor explained that the Village had grown only 1% in the past ten years; however, the number of children had increased 50%, the number of adults between ages 30 and 44 had increased 75%, and the number of senior citizens had decreased 10%, so the Village was changing from a retirement community. Mr. Couzzo commented that Tamarac had been designed to a retirement community but the majority of people in the town were younger. Vice Mayor Schauer questioned whether Mr Couzzo had any reverse osmosis experience, to which he responded that in Tamarac he had worked with reverse osmosis. Vice Mayor Schauer commented the budget provided by Mr. Couzzo was excellent and noted that budget had received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. Mr. Couzzo explained he had initiated the budget format, and that only 2% of the communities applying for the award received it, however, Miami Shores received it three years in a row. Mr. Couzzo commented he had worked with an extremely competent Finance Director who did serious investigations before making purchases . Mr. Couzzo commented he had been unable to bring a copy of the budget synopsis which had been given out to community residents, which had been very successful . This was a pamphlet which was very user friendly. Councilmember Walker commented that she really liked the sense of place of the neighborhood brochure which had been provided by Mr . Couzzo, the concept of which he SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 21 acknowledged that he had played a great part, and noted that the brochure had been very successful. Mr. Couzzo commented that he had been the catalyst to care for the community, which once he had started it there had been incredible support. People took great pride in their homes and almost every street corner was decorated with plants and flowers. Councilmember Walker asked about the Eagle 18 Golf Promotion, which Mr. Couzzo explained it was interesting but not as intellectually challenging as he had expected. Mr. Couzzo commented communities should provide customer service to their constituents. Councilmember Genco complimented Mr. Couzzo on the budget document, which he explained was done in-house. Mr. Couzzo explained that the Finance Director had been given latitude to do her job and was very instrumental in this budget. Councilmember Genco asked what criteria Mr. Couzzo applied in assessing employee production. Mr. Couzzo explained that it was important to set up goals and objectives which was a contract with the employee that was constantly monitored. Mr. Couzzo commented that employees were encouraged to rise to a higher level through a sense of duty rather than money. Mr. Couzzo was in favor of cross training employees . Mayor Capretta read aloud questions from the audience. Mr. Couzzo was asked his feeling on low voter turnout, to which he responded that was a nationwide epidemic and in Miami Shores the turnout was up at first but then went down because they felt things were going well. The value of working with the Chamber of Commerce was another question from the audience. Mr. Couzzo stated that working with the Chamber could be a very effective tool to trumpet the cause of the community and greatly help with communication. Since there were no further questions, Mr. Couzzo left the meeting at 3 : 08 p.m. A vote was taken by secret ballot in which each Councilmember stated their preference for either Ms Boyer or Mr. Couzzo. A talley of the ballots was read aloud by Acting Village Manager Manganiello. The vote was 5-0 for Michael Couzzo. Mayor Capretta commented that the Village Council must continue to go through the process by SPECIAL VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES July 19, 2000 PAGE 22 instructing Acting Village Manager Manganiello to check Mr. Couzzo' s credentials, require him to take a physical examination, and to prepare an offer, but expressed concern that Mr. Couzzo had not known about the 6-month rule to move to the Village, although since his daughter had just left for college that might not be a problem. Vice Mayor Schauer expressed her opinion that the process of looking for other candidates did not need to continue. Councilmember Genco commented that Mr. Couzzo seemed to have the ability to provide the citizens with the level of communication and knowledge everyone wanted. Vice Mayor Schauer stated she liked the pamphlet budget summary idea and that the budget had been very impressive. Councilmember Genco commented Mr. Couzzo was wiling to delegate work Councilmember Walker commented that the brochure was great. V. ADJOURNMENT Councilmember Genco moved that the meeting be adjourned. Councilmember Dalack seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Elizabeth A. Schauer - for Basil E. Dalack - for Geraldine Genco - for Sharon Walker - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted and the meeting was adjourned at 3:21 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Betty Laur Recording Secretary