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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Regular_06/13/2002r V '~ >~ v ~~ f ~, 0 _ f, i VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA Post Office Box 3273 250 Tequesta Drive, Suite 300 Tequesta, Florida 33469-0273 (561) 575-6200 Fax: (561)575-6203 MINUTES REGULAR VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETING (Immediately following Closed Door Session) VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2002, 7:00 PM 399 SEABROOK ROAD TEQUESTA, FLORIDA 33469 I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Village Council of the Village of Tequesta held a Regular Village Council meeting on June 13, 2002. Mayor Genco called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., and Village Clerk Wolcott called the roll. MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilmember Russell J. von Frank, Councilmember Edward D. Resnik, Mayor Geraldine A. Genco, Vice Mayor Joseph N. Capretta, and Councilmember Basil E. Dalack. ALSO PRESENT: Village Manager Michael R. Couzzo, Jr., Village Attorney John C. Randolph, Village Clerk Mary Wolcott, and Department Heads. • II. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Vice Mayor Joseph N. Capretta Vice Mayor Capretta stated he was glad to have so many people participate in our meetings and we seem to be having a great time in the Village of Tequesta these days. We are looking forward to the completion of the Public Safety Building and the celebration we will have in October. We seem to be communicating well these days, and are pleased with the operation of the Council and the way we are providing good government to you. The calls I get indicate you are happy and satisfied. Vice Mayor Capretta lead the Pledge of Allegiance. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember von Frank moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Dalack; motion carried S-0. IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Ordinance No. 574-Second Reading-An Ordinance of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, in accordance with the Village Charter Article III Section 3.03 (9), setting $15,000.00 as the maximum amount the Village Manager may sign a contract for without pnor Council approval; providing for repeal of Recycled Paper Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • Ordinances in conflict; providing for codification; providing an effective date. Mayor Genco noted there was a typographical error under Section I., the maximum amount should be shown as $15,000 and not $115,000. Mayor Genco read Ordinance No. 574 by caption only. MOTION: Councilmember Resnik moved to approve Ordinance No. 574 on second reading, seconded by Councilmember von Frank; motion carried 5-0. V. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS A. Presentation of FY 00/Ol Comprehensive Annual Financial Report Finance Director JoAnn Forsythe stated it has been a challenging year, yet they have all made great strides. She thanked her staff for working so hard and all the hours they put in. We have accomplished a lot. We actually hired and trained a complete staff. We reorganized and improved efficiency. We researched and developed procedures and forms for processing various functions, and physically moved the Finance • Department. We hired new auditors. We researched, compiled and corrected errors dating back several years in the accounting records. We upgraded critical computer software from DOS to Windows. We completed the closing of the fiscal year with the time limits extended to us. We have a really good staff working at the Village now, we work well together. Finance Director JoAnn Forsythe introduced Jerry Chicoa, a partner with Rachlin, Cohen and Holtz, who is Director of Public Sector Services in the firm of Rachlin, Cohen and Holtz. Mr. Chicoa explained that their firm started in 1955 with over 40 governmental accounts. He has been with the firm since 1985. The CAFR is broken into four sections: Introductory, Financial Section, Statistical Section, Compliance Section. Page one is the Auditor's Report. It says we have conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. In our opinion, the financial statements contained herein, the financial position of the Village of Tequesta and the results of its operations and cash flows of its propriety fund types for the year end, are in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Page three, you'll see the total assets of the Village were approximately $41,179,618, and an increase of 1.3 million from the prior year. The liabilities went up approximately a million dollars leaving equity going up $300,000 to 26.7 million. The Village has 2.4 million of undesignated, unreserved fund balance. That indicates to me the Village has very good 2 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 financial stability. On Page six, you'll see the Village has an excess of revenues over expenditures of approximately $b70,000. Page seven and eight is the comparative of the budget. The enterprise fund lost about $486,000 this year. If you look towards the bottom of the page, they took out 2.1 million dollars of transfers to other funds. The enterprise funds are the water and sewer departments, community development, refuse and recycling. Activities of the pension fund, right after 9/11 the market took a real hit and all the pension funds lost substantial amounts of money. Starting on page 73 are the compliance reports. There were no instances of noncompliance that they would have to report. Page 74 is the management letter as required in the rules of the Auditor General. It says there were not inaccuracies, shortages, or indications of violations of laws. The Village was not in the state of financial emergency. You're in excellent financial condition. Management letter comments: you had 20 findings in the prior year, 16 have been implemented. The Village is strong shape, you're in compliance with all your policies, accounting principles, and government auditing procedures. I think you are committed to fiscal responsibility. Councilmember Resnik thanked him for his very thorough review. Mayor Genco mentioned the 20 findings pre-existed the current Council, Finance Director and Michael Couzzo. They are updating the system to bring us up to compliance with the last four items. The staff deserves a big "thank you" from everybody. Councilmember von Frank stated he agreed. MOTION: Councilmember von Frank moved to accept the report, Councilmember Resnik seconded; motion carried S-0. B. Presentation by Song + Associates regarding proposed Village Hall Young Song, Song and Associates, stated she is here today after the decision was made as to which site to put the Village Hall. They have been asked to take a look at the project in terms of what they have already put in and what we are thinking about. We have added some ideas and data. We are doing a predesign evaluation. We talked about what would be the mission of this Village Hall and went through considerable amounts of time and brainstormed together. We are here to try to find the best solution for the Village of Tequesta that maximizes the Village Hall in serving the public as well as creating a • newer and stronger community image. We spent the first of our workshops talking about what the Village Hall is to all of us. We wanted something as a focal point of the Village and adequate facilities for people 3 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • who are serving and working, and at the same time to add flexibility. We talked of other multifunctional spaces. We did need assessments for the size of the building, and our office conducted a meeting with staff in the Village regarding the functions they have. We went over this, looked at the next five and ten year projections, and also looked at the existing square footage and proposed new adequate space for each space. In five years we are talking about hiring only maybe two employees. We f nd that the space you need is much greater than the number of people you will hire. When we visited your existing Village Hall, you were undersized too many people in one space. That is the main reason you needed more functional space. Mayor Genco asked when she did the Village Hall program recap, there was a net x 1.34, why were you using a multiplier of 1.34. Young Song stated normally when you do the programming, we have a recommended office size based on square footage, a 10'x12' office would be a 100 sq ft. Depending on the kind of building we have, there is mechanical space, electrical space, exterior wall thickness, hallway and common space. Usually a governmental project usually runs 30-35%. So 34% is what we are multiplying. When we design the building, it could • run 5% less or 5% more, depending on how much common space we put in it. Young Song stated the site has some constraints. There are traffic concerns, there is a park in front of it, and there are some well fields. We maintained the site plan. Hopefully we can build a sense of a government center with the new Public Safety Building. We have two story instead of one story in this concept because of the size of the land. First we thought based on the concepts and the identity of the land and existing building. We put utility customer service and community development on the ground floor because that is where most of the public is visiting. What I am showing you tonight, after working with you it can be changed, but we had to make some assumptions so we can show you our recommendation. Village Council chambers are on the ground floor, easily accessible, and a public space with its own separate entrance. On the second floor we located finance and administration. Human Resources and the Village Clerk could be located on either floor. Young Song stated they wanted the architectural style to be balanced and to work together with the new Public Safety Building, maintaining classical design. This is one of the design ideas. This is only a concept which could be done. Of course it depends on budget. Mayor Genco stated she understands this meeting is for conceptual, and the actual Village Hall may not look anything like this. 4 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • Young Song continued that this is some idea of what we would like to do, and we are looking for a direction to go, with your guidance. We thought it would be good information to use about $200 per square feet. If you put real stone in the front, you are talking a lot of money, so I just want to get some guidance where we are going. It could be more or less. Mayor Genco asked how much the Public Safety Building cost us per square foot. Village Manager Couzzo stated it was under $175, with the Emergency Operations. Mayor Genco remarked $200 would be the high end for us. Young Song stated you have to remember when building, as the building gets smaller, the building price is going to be higher. The Public Safety Facility is 3500 feet larger. Village Manager Couzzo stated the project is currently under budget, and if you figured what the Village had originally figured as a contingency on this project--15% of $4 million would be $600,000, so it is technically $600,000 in difference, and if you cut down the square footage you are going to change the numbers upward. Mayor Genco commented, so this is comparable and this would actually be high end depending on the materials and structures, etc. Ms. Song commented if the Village said they only had $150 to spend per square foot, her firm would design a building for their budget, but she thought it would be a good idea to talk right now about what the goal was and what the budget was on this building. Also, there would be additional costs of moving, furniture, window treatments, Council chambers with computer equipment, etc., which was projected in the numbers presented. Ms. Song commented you could purchase furniture later but she believed it needed to be in the budget. Mayor Genco commented she considered $200 per square foot to be high end. Ms. Song commented that it was $220, allowing for 10% contingency, but the contingency could come out; and they might be able to build for 10% less, but she liked to present figures for discussion and get guidance before going to the drawing board. Vice Mayor Capretta commented he was absolutely shocked by the size of the building, that the Village had basically the same number of employees they had had for many years. The employees had been in very inadequate facilities for many years but were now in very adequate facilities, and most were happy in the current facilities. Vice Mayor Capretta commented the employees could be housed in 4,000-5,000 square feet with chamber facilities of 2,000 square feet, so one could come up with with a number of 7,500 square feet which would be very adequate for the Village, and Ms. Song showed no growth in the number of employees but had provided double the square footage. Vice Mayor Capretta commented Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • the present Village Manager's office and administrative staff facilities were pretty good and the new one shown was four times that space, which to him was grossly over what was needed even with some growth. Vice Mayor Capretta expressed his opinion that 10,000 square feet would be more appropriate, and he found it utterly amazing that the architect would think this Village would need a 15,000 square foot facility. Vice Mayor Capretta commented that besides adequate space for the employees and a reasonable amount of growth and a Village hall, there was the question of whether there should be a lot of other functions in this building such as bar mitzvahs and parties, and he thought it had been decided that the Village did not want that, and that activities for social purposes would be held in the recreation center. Vice Mayor Capretta commented he would be willing to support an addition to the present recreation center, because he thought that was where those activities belonged. Vice Mayor Capretta commented that the Village Hall must be brought down to a more realistic number. Vice Mayor Capretta commented that the Fire Chief and Police Chief and their staffs had worked with the designers and made sure they knew exactly how the Public Safety Building would be used; consequently, there had been no engineering changes, none of the contingency had been used, and the building was coming in on schedule and on cost because of good planning and knowing what would be done. Mayor Genco asked if the architect was thinking of individual offices for people, or offices only for Department Heads and open areas with separations for other employees. Ms. Song responded that once they received a go-ahead from the Village Council, they wanted to meet to really define the program and find out what was needed. Ms. Song commented that this presentation was the wish list a year ago that everyone had talked about and they were here today to get a go-ahead in order to really get into detail, analyze the spaces, decide what would be open space or individual offices, and to get a direction, and were not into the design yet. Mayor Genco commented the concept showed everybody got a 10' x 12' office, which was not going to be the reality. Ms. Song responded that they had used a standard office size but if the Village wanted to reduce the square footage of the building then they would reduce the space and possibly create a work station rather than individual offices, and make the common space smaller. Ms. Song commented they did have a separate toilet behind the Council chambers for the Councilmembers, which might be deleted if the Village did not think it was needed, and all the design details would come in the next phase once a contract had been signed. Councilmember Resnik commented to Ms. Song that he considered this • report to be a good "straw man", a maximum size facility to look at, and he thought the Village needed time to digest what had been presented and look at it from the perspective of letting the Village residents have a 6 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 chance during a workshop to express their opinions as they did when Song + Associates presented three workshops last year and combined everybody's ideas into this concept. Now people saw how much it would cost and how big it was, and when Mr. Couzzo got his staff evaluation of what they actually needed and applied a factor for hallways and other space, and incorporated any ideas from residents if the Mayor called for a workshop which he recommended she do--then the Village should get back to Song + Associates. Councilmember Resnik commented he saw no point in going over this tonight because it was too much to digest and the Village really needed to get a good feel for what was actually needed in the space at 357. Councilmember Resnik complimented Ms. Song on presenting a nice layout which was a good starting point for discussion, but commented that it needed to be looked at in more detail. Village Manager Couzzo commented he had reviewed the proposal with Ms. Song and the needs of the staff with the Department Heads, and felt confident that a facility of 8,000 to 10,000 square feet would be adequate to meet staff needs well into the future. The Village Manager commented that as Ms. Song had indicated, this was her preliminary conceptual proposal to the Village Council and staff felt with some minor exceptions for storage in the Village Clerk's office and in Mr. Newell's office for storage that the current spaces were adequate at approximately 6,300 square feet. Tacking on a percentage increase, plus it was up to the Village Council to determine what size Council chambers they wanted, he believed it could be done at 10,000 square feet. Mayor Genco asked the size of the room where this meeting was being held. Mr. Newell walked it off and reported it was approximately 1,700 square feet. Mayor Genco requested that the Village Manager provide information so that at a workshop Ms. Song's conceptual proposal would be considered the upper end, and the Village Manager could give the Council an idea of what the minimum and the optimum would be, so there would be something to work with at a workshop. Vice Mayor Capretta commented not to forget his comment about why the Public Safety Building was on schedule, under cost, and had no changes, which was because the users of the building had participated in great detail with what they intended to use the building for, and therefore no changes were needed because they had planned it exactly as they wanted. Vice Mayor Capretta commented that each department under the Village Manager must do the same thing. Vice Mayor Capretta commented he hoped the Village Council had learned a lesson that the way the Public Safety Building had been done was the way to do it. Mayor Genco requested that the Village Manager work with his staff to come up with his section, and once that was done then a public workshop could be noticed, and then Ms. Song could come back with alternatives. Village Manager Couzzo indicated that was workable, and commented that at this stage the Village had not engaged Ms. Song in a full architectural and engineering contract, which was to the Village's 7 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • advantage since they had not had a 15,000 square foot facility designed that might have to be redesigned, but that Ms. Song had only done a conceptual plan for a very modest fee as opposed to a full-blown fee. Village Manager Couzzo pointed out that the Village was proceeding as Vice Mayor Capretta indicated, with a slow, conservative approach to looking at this and was spending money on an as-needed basis. Village Manager Couzzo commented this could be brought back to the Village Council after staff had looked at it. Mayor Genco requested a noticed public workshop, not at a Village Council meeting, at which the alternatives would be presented. Mayor Genco commented to Ms. Song that last time she did a very nice job of figuring out the consensus of the Village, and requested she bring the summaries to the next Council meeting. Councilmember Dalack commented that at the workshop the Council might want to consider not doing anything at all. Councilmember Dalack noted that after he saw the conceptual plan he had called the Village Manager and learned that the current annual rental of all the administrative facilities totaled $50,000, and that the only deficiency was in Community Development where Mr. Newell might need a little more space. Councilmember Dalack noted that the cost of this building was $5 million, which would be 100 years of rent. Councilmember Dalack commented there was nothing wrong with the Recreation Center, and he felt that at the workshop the Village Council should consider if they wanted to do anything at all. Mayor Genco called for a show of hands of the residents present who were voters of the Village of Tequesta of how many would consider not building a Village Hall. 7 people raised their hands. Mayor Genco asked how many wanted to build a new Village Hall. 7 people raised their hands, which was a tie. Mayor Genco commented that should also be considered at the workshop, and that the location if a Village Hall was built had been determined; however, now there seemed to be some question whether it should be built at all. Village Manager Couzzo commented budget workshops and hearings were coming up and one of the things to take into consideration was the additional new debt service on the Public Safety Building and this building and how it would impact the Village in future years, so that whether to build it or not build it and when to build it were very important to consider. Dottie Campbell asked if square footage costs were less for a second story than a first floor. Ms. Song responded that they had not yet gotten into the design to be able to give more detail, and were not yet in the schematic design phase which would occur after they had signed a contract and then worked with staff on what was desired. Ms. Song indicated it was too early to say whether a second story would cost less since it depended on what went into the second story design. • Mayor Genco indicated no action was necessary tonight other than that the Village Council had directed the Village Manager to address the workshop as reasonable quick as he could. 8 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • • VI. CONSENT AGENDA A. Village Council Regular Meeting Minutes of May 16, 2002 B. Stormwater Utility Board Meeting Minutes of May 16, 2002 C. Board of Adjustment Public Hearing Minutes of April 15, 2002 D. Community Appearance Board Meeting Minutes of Apri124, 2002 E. Special Master Code Enforcement Hearing Minutes of April 25, 2002 F. Adoption of Budget Calendar for Fiscal Year 2002-2003 G. Resolution No. 47-01/02-A Resolution of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, approving disposal of non-utilized equipment owned by the Village and as described in exhibits "A" and "B". H. Resolution No. 48-01/02-A Resolution of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, awarding a contract from Froehling's/Papico, Palm City, Florida, to install a bocce court at Constitution Park, in the amount of $8,420.00, having a FY 2002 Capital Improvement Fund budget allocation of $20,000, and authorizing the Village Manager to execute the applicable proposal on behalf of the Village. I. Resolution No. 49-01/02-A Resolution of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, approving an agreement between the Village of Tequesta and the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement, Inc., Orlando, Florida, for reaccreditation of the Tequesta Police Department, and authorizing the Village Manager to execute the agreement on behalf of the Village. J. Proclamation declaring Friday, June 14, 2002 as National Sma11 Cities Day in the Village of Tequesta. K. Resolution No. 50.01/02-A Resolution of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, approving a proposal from Optilink Communications of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, for Website Design and Maintenance, in the amount of $6,250.00, with funds being appropriated from Website Maintenance General Fund, having a fund balance of $7,717.40, and authorizing the Village Manager to execute the applicable contract on behalf of the Village. MOTION: Councilmember Resnik made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor Capretta, to approve the Consent Agenda. Motion carried by unanimous 5-0 vote. • VII. DEVELOPMENT MATTERS Swearing in of witnesses: The Village Clerk swore in all those who desired to speak regarding Tequesta Cay, Willow Glen, Yacht Club Estates, and Tequesta Trace. 9 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 • Disclosure of ex pane communications: No members of the Village Council reported any ex-parte communications. A. Preliminary Plat Approval for Tequesta Cay, Centex Homes Testimony of witnesses and cross-examination, if any: Director of Community Development Jeff Newell explained that Tequesta Cay was a development by Centex Homes which had submitted a preliminary plat, for the first step in the plat approval process. Mr. Newell explained that this project had gone through DRC and site plan approval and had met required levels of service. Approval of the preliminary plat would direct the developer to move forward with construction plans for improvements, design, and preparation of a final plat survey, and the declarations were currently being reviewed by the attorney. Two requests had also been submitted: to construct a dry model prior to final plat approval, and to place a temporary sales trailer prior to final plat approval. This was necessary since the Village's subdivision regulations did not allow the issuance of any building permits until a plat was finally approved and recorded in the public records. Mr. Newell explained that this type of approval had been granted in the past. Staff recommended approval contingent upon any changes that might be required in the restrictive covenants and that there be language in the dedications concerning tracts A, B, and C that the phrase "without • recourse to the Village of Tequesta" be added. The applicant indicated they had no comments. a. Testimony by applicant -- There were no comments by the applicant. b. Staff comments -There were no additional staff comments. c. Village Council comments -There were no Village Council comments. d. Comments by the public -There were no comments by the public. e. Final comments by applicant -There were no final comments by the applicant. MOTION: Councilmember Von Frank made a motion to approve the preliminary plat for Tequesta Cay. Motion was seconded by Councilmember Resnik and carried by unanimous 5-0 vote. B. Tentative Final Plat Approval for Willow Glen, Spear Willow Corp. Testimony of witnesses and cross-examination, if cuay: Director of Community Development Jeff Newell explained that this was in the last stages of the comprehensive plan amendment where objections could be lodged, which would end at midnight June 20th. Mr. Newell reported that staff had reviewed this project and requested tentative final plat approval by the Village Council based on conditions allowed by code to fast track so that the plat could be recorded, but no construction could begin and nothing could occur on • this property until after June 20, 2002. Mr. Newell also requested additional time to review the declarations and defer them to the final plat approval. a. Testimony by applicant -There were no comments by the applicant. 10 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 b. Staff comments -There were no additional staff comments. c. Village Council comments -There were no Village Council comments. d. Comments by the public -- There were no comments by the public. e. Final comments by applicant -There were no final comments by the applicant. MOTION: Councilmember Resnik made a motion to approve the tentative.final plat for Willow Glen with all conditions as imposed by the Community Development Department subject to Department of Community Affairs approval of the comprehensive plan amendment and land use change. Motion was seconded by Councilmember Dalack and carried by unanimous S-0 vote. C. Tentative/Final Plat Approval for Yacht Club Point Estates, Jim Burg Custom Homes, Inc. Testimony of witnesses and cross-examination, if any: Community Development Director 3effrey C. Newell stated the developer has brought forth before the Council a request for approval of a tentative and final plat, which the code does allow, and you can approve both actions in one action. We do have a surety bond in place, certified costs by engineering, and a letter of credit for those improvements, which allows the developer to record the final plat • into public record, but he will be unable to receive a certificate of occupancy until all the improvements are in place and accepted by the Village. Mr. Randolph has reviewed this and the declarations and conditions that the Council imposed are in there. a. Testimony by applicant -There were no comments by the applicant. b. Staff comments -There were no additional staff comments. c. Village Council comments -There were no Village Council comments. d. Comments by the public -Pat Watkins, 167 River Drive, I feel I hate to see Tequesta turn into a zero lot line community, and I think you are looking at the beginning of what it will end up being as those houses are sold along River Drive. Mayor Genco noted that this was not a zero lot line subdivision, and it does meet the setback requirements with a minimum of 10 feet. e. Final comments by applicant -There were no final comments by the applicant. MOTION: Councilmember Resnik moved to approve, seconded by Vice Mayor Capretta; motion carried 5-0. D. Tentative/Final Plat Approval for Tequesta Trace, Centex Homes. Testimony of witnesses and cross-examination, if any: • Community Development Director Jeffrey C. Newell stated the applicant was here before Council for a tentative plat approval. Mr. Newell reported that he had reviewed the site with the developer, and they had posted a letter of credit to 11 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 complete the improvements that they have in place. The applicant would not qualify for a certificate of occupancy until all the improvements are in place and accepted by the Village. Upon approval of this action, they would be able to record the plat. a. Testimony by applicant -There were no comments by the applicant. b. Staff comments -There were no additional staff comments. c. Village Council comments -There were no Village Council comments. d. Comments by the public -There were no comments by the public. e. Final comments by applicant -There were no final comments by the applicant. MOTION: Councilmember Resnik moved to approve, seconded by Vice Mayor Capretta; motion carried S-0. VIII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Howard Morton, commented he came to speak to the Resolution in support of the Palm Beach County Commission's proposed November Referendum to bury the power lines. They haven't really done this and need a substantial push to go ahead, and this is an idea whose time may have come. I think anyone would • agree that buried power lines and telephone lines would improve the look of the City. It also makes it safer during hurricane season. If it is done on a countywide basis, the cost could probably be as low is it is going to be-I'm pretty well sure it is going to be cheaper than sewers. It is a relatively simple system. It is quick and non-intrusive. I am not in a position to give an estimate of the cost, but from what I have heard it is substantially less than what we will pay for sewers and probably increase the valuation of your property instantly, but mostly it is for beauty. If it becomes a referendum, then political capital they need to expend is very light. Consensus of the Council was to place a Resolution on the next Agenda in support of the County in regards to burying power cables. Monroe Benaim, announced that he was a candidate for the Palm Beach County School Board, District 1, the County's Northern District. Recently voters approved single member districts to elect School Board Members, and they are no longer elected countywide. There is no incumbent in District 1. I have been actively involved in public education for years, and this comes from my own children being in public schools. My son Sam is 12 at Jupiter Middle School, my son Eric is 9 years old and at Beacon Cove Elementary. I feel we deserve a public school system with one of the highest graduation rates in the state, if not the country. A current rate of 65% places Palm Beach County 47th among 67 • Counties. County growth demands a much better educated workforce. I will put more focus on school readiness and parental accountability. I graduated from MIT, went on to get a Medical Doctorate, and I have been an eye surgeon in 12 Village Council Meeting Minutes • June 13, 2002 Jupiter since 1979. As many people don't know, I graduated High School with a 1.8 GPA, so I'm used to being behind the eight ball, and I can relate to students who get behind the eight ball. I lecture students and tell them it is never too late to wake up. There is hope. I am Monroe Benaim, and with your help I think we can do great things for our children. IX. NEW BUSINESS A. Determination of method for permanent financing on the Tequesta Public Safety Facility (Sale of Bonds vs Bank Loan) Village Manager Couzzo stated we have been discussing this issue for approximately a year. A year ago the Council viewed the concept of long term financing through the use of a long term commercial loan. Normally commercial loans aze based on a 10 to 15 year cycle. We have been able to get a rather unusual opportunity with Bank of America to deal an amortization over 20 years. You then don't incur the debt for 30 years. Secondly, the cost to actually secure the loan is significantly less- $200,000--$250,000. Thirdly, it is convertible if you want to do that down the road. You can achieve a closing in probably two to four weeks vs. six months. One of the big keys is because of the current lowering of interest rates across the board, the differential on an annual basis between a 30 year bond and a 20 yeaz commercial loan would be approximately $55,000. We think it is a very good opportunity to take a long hard look at the 20 year loan. Mayor Genco stated from what she understands with a 20 year note, you don't have to borrow as much as money as we do for the 30 year bond. Village Manager Couzzo stated that is correct because the cost in securing the bond is fixed into the issuance price. Mayor Genco stated there is $3 million in cost savings doing it for 20 years. By doing a 20 year loan, if we decide to do a Village Hall in two years, and we have a better cash flow coming into the Village, we then might want to do a roll up where we pay off this 20 yeaz loan and do a bond financing that will cover whatever we owe on the Village Public safety plus the Village Hall. It gives us more options for the future. Vice Mayor Capretta stated he favors the shorter financing window. I prefer ZO over 30, and if we can do it, I would almost prefer 15 because the Village would save money, and because the assessed value of Village property increased over the past few years and would continue to grow over the next few years until the Village was built out, the Village would be able to make healthy payments for the next few yeazs. Vice Mayor Capretta cautioned that if the financing was for too long a period, with the cost of labor continuing to rise then it would not be as easy to pay the debt. Vice Mayor Capretta referred to a chart of projected income and 13 Village Council Meeting Minutes • June 13, 2002 expense, which indicated more income over the next few years, and suggested that money might be put into a fund to save for construction of a Village Hall later. Vice Mayor Capretta commented that the Village needed a long range financial plan, that expansion of the water plant did not have to be done right away, building a Village Hall did not have to be done right away, because the Village did not need those things, and while this revenue was coming in it was a good time to spend it wisely and pay off the debt as soon as possible to save on interest so that someday taxes would not have to be raised in order to accommodate the debt service. Vice Mayor Capretta indicated he preferred a 20-year loan rather than a 30-yeaz bond, and encouraged the Village Manager to talk to the bank about a 15-year loan. The Vice Mayor commented that the Village was in really good shape financially short-term, but long-term could be a problem. Vice Mayor Capretta urged that the debt be paid off fast and that money be set aside for a new Village Hall, so when the time came to build, the whole amount could be refinanced so that the Village would not have a problem. Councilmember Resnik stated he agreed with Vice Mayor Capretta, to have 20-year financing, which would save approximately $3 million over a 30-year bond, and the Village Manager had assured him it could be done with constructive financing. Mayor Genco commented there were new developments not yet on the tax rolls, • and she felt the Village would be in a good position to pay debt service and still accrue a reserve. Councilmember Dalack commented that according to the report received that day, Village Manager Couzzo had done a great job financially, and if he said to do it then the Village should do it. Village Manager Couzzo responded to Vice Mayor Capretta's suggestion for 15-year financing that he would recommend 20 years and the Village could always accelerate payments to the same as a 15-year loan, but having a 20-year loan would provide latitude if there was a poor year economically. MOTION: Councilmember Dalack made a motion to direct the Village Manager to arrange with the bank to obtain loan documents which would come back to the Village Council at the July Council meeting for final consideration and once that had taken place a closing would take place. Motion was seconded by Councilmember Resnik and carried by unanimous S-0 vote. B. Resolution No. 52-01/02-A Resolution of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, appointing the Village Manager as the Interim Director of Utilities of the Village of Tequesta Utilities Department to act in the place and stead of the Utilities Director and to perform ex officio the duties, responsibilities and functions of the Utilities Director; providing an effective date. Mayor Genco read Resolution No. 52-01/02 by caption only 14 Village Council Meeting Minutes June 13, 2002 i Village Manager Couzzo explained that the former Utilities Director, Mr. Estok, was no longer with the Village, and he believed it would be prudent and economically advantageous to structure filling the position as recommended. The Village Manager explained that there could be an opportunity for consolidation in the future, with no specific time frame, and the Village Attorney had indicated it would be prudent to present this recommendation for the Council's consideration at this time, since as he interpreted the code the Village was required to have an appointed Utilities Director. MOTION: Councilmember Dalack made a motion to approve Resolution No. 52- 01/02. Councilmember Resnik seconded the motion, which carried by unanimous S-0 vote. X. ANY OTHER MATTERS Mayor Genco announced that the Council had received a copy of the Budget calendar for fiscal year 2002-2003. No Councilmembers indicated any conflicts with the proposed dates. • XI. ADJOURNMENT M0770N.• Councilmember Dalack made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Capretta, and carried by unanimous S-0 vote. The meeting was 8: 31i p. m. Respectfully submitted, Mary Wolcott Village Clerk Date Approved: • 15