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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Miscellaneous_09/07/1993_Finance & Administration Committee E VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA Post Office Box 3273 • 357 Tequesta Drive Tequesta, Florida 33469 -0273 • (407) 575 -6200 3 o Fax: (407) 575 -6203 f 3 0 A 4� f4CH C0041 F I N A N C E A N D A D M I N I S T R A T I O N C O M M I T T E E M E E T I N G M I N U T E S S E P T E M B E R 7, 1 9 9 3 I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Finance & Administration Committee of the Village Council held a Committee Meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 1993 in the Village Hall, 357 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida. The meeting was called to order at 8:30 A.M. by Chairman Earl L. Collings. Finance & Administration Committee Co- Chairman William E. Burckart was also in attendance. Staff members present were: Village Manager, Thomas G. Bradford; Finance Director, Bill Kascavelis; Village Clerk, Joann Manganiello; Scott Ladd, Building Official and Gary Preston, Director of Public Works. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA The Agenda was approved as submitted. III. REVIEW OF PROPOSED 1994 BOND ISSUE AND INTERIM FINANCING PLAN AND ESTIMATED BUDGET FOR EACH PROJECT ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Village Manager Bradford submitted to the Committee for their confirmation, a project spreadsheet showing potential projects which may be included in the proposed 1994 Bond Issue. Constitution Park - $310,000 The Lease Agreement for Constitution Park has been approved by the Village Council, signed by JTJC, but has not yet been signed by the Village, pending receipt of a Title Insurance Policy. Presently on hand is $92,000 for Constitution Park, enough for some engineering and preliminary site work, but no recreational facilities: o Design Expenses ... $ 40,000 o Construction ... $270,000 Recycled Paper Finance and Administration Committee Meeting Minutes September 7, 1993 Page 2 -------------------------- Village Manager Bradford felt the logical solution would be to allow for monies in the 1994 Bond Issue for the recreational facilities, for Constitution Park. Dover Ditch - $826,850 Village Manager Bradford explained that Palm Beach County Staff has agreed to recommend to their County Commission the County's participation in the costs for rectifying problems with Dover Ditch. If the County does participate, it is hoped that Jupiter will also be encouraged to participate in these costs. With this in mind, it was felt it might be feasible to reduce proposed Bond monies allotted for Dover Ditch. Tequesta Park - $590,000 Design Expenses $65,000 Forty thousand dollars of these costs are for the: 1) two teeball fields; 2) parking expansion; and 3) back field lights, all of which would need approval by the State (which would require that complete topographies, surveys, etc. be presented to the State) before work could begin. The only way to determine whether the State will allow these three projects to continue would be to prepare the engineering plans (approximately $40,000), allowing for the possibility that the State could reject the projects. The Finance & Administration Committee, because of this possibility, decided to hold off on the engineering plans needed by the State, thereby reducing design expenses to $25,000. Upgrading Existing Parking Lot ... $145,000 Playground ... $85,000 The Committee discussed the pros and cons of whether major playground area and its equipment would be better concentrated at Tequesta Park or Constitution Park. Chairman Collings felt Constitution Park would not have the acreage nor parking allowance for a major play area to be located there, and that Tequesta Park would be the most likely candidate. Co- Chairman Burckart felt the opposite. Village Clerk Manganiello explained to the Committee that Constitution Park has a very small area allotted for a tot lot. Future expansion of the playground area would be possible if there proved to be a need. There is at Constitution Park a total area of 4.3 acres, which includes the building. Also, there is a minimal amount of parking for Constitution Park - 39 parking spaces. Therefore, it would not seem feasible that a major playground area be located at Constitution Park. Finance and Administration Committee Meeting Minutes September 7, 1993 Page 3 -------------------------- Existing Fields . $40,000 Upgrading of the three existing ball fields is necessary, which would also include new fencing of the two back fields. This can be done with no objection from the State. However, the State does not, today, allow a great deal of changes within their park systems. There is now a State Law which requires that two Committees within the State approve any changes which take place within a State park. The next three items listed below would involve a change in Tequesta Park, thereby requiring State approval. That approval would take 6 -8 weeks to complete. Two Tee Ball Fields ... $35,000 Parking Expansion $80,000 Back Field Lights . $140,000 The Committee did not desire to risk the $40,000 on engineering and construction reports with the possibility that the projects could be denied by the State. Therefore, it was their recommendation that: 1) the two tee ball fields; 2) parking expansion; and 3) back field lights be postponed for the present time, eliminating $245,000 in construction costs. Pathway Improvement ... $70,000 This project involves all of Tequesta Drive pathway from Willow Road to Country Club Drive. A concrete pathway would be constructed on the north side of Tequesta Drive, from Willow Road to the Village Hall exit (approximately $20,000). No objections from residents in that area is expected. However, in the past, objections to pathway installations have been received from residents who reside on the south side of Tequesta Drive, between Seabrook Road and Riverside Drive. They felt the pathway improvement in that area would mean the future widening of Tequesta Drive to four lanes, which is not the case. Existing in this location today is a 23 year old asphalt pathway. Another objection of these residents was that they did not want the pathway put on their property line, as does exist in the rest of the Village. Therefore, proposed for this location is merely an overlay of the existing asphalt pathway. The cost of doing a concrete sidewalk would be $30,000 more. Village Manager Bradford recommended that this project not be put in the Bond monies, and that the project be done incrementally through the Capital Improvement Program. The Finance & Administration Committee concurred. Finance and Administration Committee Meeting Minutes September 7, 1993 Page 4 -------------------------- Design Expenses ... $5,000 Construction . $65,000 Mr. Bradford stated that the proposed 1994 Bond Issue list will be re- worked, reflecting today's changes. IV. REPORT ON EQUITY STUDY COMMISSION NECESSARY TO AMEND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE TAXES IN ACCORDANCE WITH RECENT STATE LEGISLATION. Scott Ladd, Building Official. Village Manager Bradford explained that it takes approximately an additional $100,000 per year, based on current inflation rates, to run the Village. Therefore, Staff is looking at every revenue source, other than ad valorem, to bring them up to par. Some of these sources include: Building Department Development Fees; Permit Charges; Occupational Licenses; etc. The State has passed a new law which requires that an Equity Study Commission be formed by a municipality before any occupational license fee changes can take place. With the Equity Study Commission in place (consisting of members of the local business community), rates can be raised 5% every two years, if desired. Scott Ladd, Building Official, explained that this new law amends, for the first time in several years, the Occupational License Laws, changing major portions of same to allow municipalities to review their license structures with the possibility of re- classification. Chairman Collings pondered whether businesses would be encouraged to move to Tequesta if there was no occupational license fee whatsoever. Village Manager Bradford felt Co- Chairman Burckart's comment which suggested that the business community feels Tequesta is the most restrictive community (business -wise) in Palm Beach County, was an incorrect assessment on the part of the business community and felt further that eliminating occupation license fees would amount to the Village 'shooting itself in the foot'. Mr. Bradford felt business owners do not make location decisions based on a $100 license fee. Scott Ladd agreed. Co- Chairman Burckart stated he would like to see a decrease in occupational license fees. Scott Ladd explained that before Any change can be made in fees, the Equity Study Commission needed to be established. Otherwise, the State will take the liberty of assuming control of the Village's licensing processes. Finance and Administration Committee Meeting Minutes September 7 1993 Page 5 -------------------------- Chairman Collings felt the objective in reducing or eliminating occupational license fees would be to bring into Tequesta more business, thereby increasing revenues overall. Occupational licenses now generate approximately $72,000. Co- Chairman Burckart felt the good public relations that would be promoted by decreasing occupation license fees would more than make up for any lost revenues. The Committee agreed to recommend forming an Equity Study Commission to receive the input of the business community on this subject. V. ANY OTHER MATTERS o Chairman Collings asked what the feelings of the St. Jude Catholic Church were regarding the Community Appearance Board's position regarding the church's new structure. Village Clerk, Joann Manganiello, explained that the church has not appealed the Community Appearance Board's decision. Scott Ladd explained that the roof sample the church presented to the Community Appearance Board was not the color that the church installed on the roof. The roof supplier explained to the Building Official that the roof can vary in shade when the actual order comes from the plant. Finance and Administration Committee Meeting Minutes September 7, 1993 Page 6 -------------------------- VI. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Committee, the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 A.M. Respectfully submitted, Fran Bitters Recording Secretary ATTEST: Joann Mangcffiiello Village Clerk DATE APPROVED: a3