Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes_Special Meeting_09/13/2001~~ VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA Post Once Box 3273 250 Tequesta Drive Suite 300 Tequesta, Florida 3346)-0273 (561) 575-6200 Fax: (561) 575-6203 MINUTES PUBLIC HEARING ON MILEAGE AND FY 2001/2002 BUDGET SEPTEMBER 13, 2001, 7:05 PM PRECEDING SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TEQUESTA RECREATION CENTER 399 SEABROOK ROAD, TEQUESTA I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Village Council of the Village of Tequesta held a Public Hearing on Millage and FY 2001/2002 Budget on September 13, 2001. Mayor Genco called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., and the Village Clerk called the roll. MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilmember Russell J. von Frank, Councilmember Sharon D. Walker, Mayor Geraldine A. Genco, Vice Mayor Joseph N. Capretta, and • Councilmember Basil E. Dalack. ALSO PRESENT: Village Manager Michael R. Couzzo, Village Attorney John Randolph, Village Clerk Mary Wolcott, and Department Heads. A moment of silence was observed for the World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies, the victims, their families, the rescue workers, and the country. II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Councilmember von Frank moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Dalack. Motion can~ied S-0. III. PUBLIC HEARING A. Public Hearing for Tentative Millage Rate Adoption and Tentative Budget Adoption. Mayor Genco announced the Public Hearing was open. • Finance Director Jody Forsythe stated we had a workshop on August 18th where we discussed each budget. All the information was put together in a book, given to the Council, available to the public. Recycled Paper • Page Two Budget Hearing September 13, 2001 Mayor Genco discussed a letter that came out over the weekend a letter was sent out to our residents, and sent anonymously to several people. She feels it is the equivocal of a terrorist act, without the permission of the citizens that were previously named the same. She has provided in the back a copy of what she is discussing with some information repudiating what she has received. She stated everyone here has worked hard to provide a fiscal budget despite what they had to work with. The accountants had a large number of comments about the previous administration and how they mishandled things journal entries were not reconciled, accounts receivable were not reconciled. She commented we had two million dollars in anon-interest bearing account and we took a loan out. Finance had to work with inaccurate records. The finance director and Mr. Couzzo did an extraordinarily good job. The people who sent this letter are cowards, and basically will end up causing the Village pain and costing us money, just to basically try and ruin teamwork and the positive perspective we are trying to take. Vice-Mayor Capretta asked the Councilmembers who had received calls • regarding the letter. Mayor Genco stated she had received four, Councilmember Walker stated she had received five, and none of the other Councilmembers had received such. Vice-Mayor Capretta stated the public did not make a big outcry. Village Attorney Randolph read the Ordinance relating to the millage rate 6.7305 in its entirety. i. Ordinance-First Reading-An Ordinance of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, providing for levying a millage rate of $6.7305 per $1,000.00 of taxable valuation for the Fiscal Year 2001/2002 providing an effective date... MOTION: Councilmember von Frank moved to tentatively adopt the Millage, seconded by Councilmember Dalack. Motion carried 4-1 with Councilmember Walker dissenting. Councilmember Walker stated for those of us who were here at the budget workshop, she had a number of questions, has done a lot of work, and will not be voting for the budget. She feels there are ways we can reduce the millage rate. She has a spreadsheet • outlining those. • Page Three Budget Hearing September 13, 2001 Village Attorney Randolph read the Ordinance by caption only. ii. Ordinance-First Reading-An Ordinance of the Village Council of the Village of Tequesta, Palm Beach County, Florida, providing for the adoption of the budgets for the Fiscal Year commencing October 1, 2001. MOTION: Councilmember von Frank moved to tentatively approve the budget, Councilmember Dalack seconded. Motion carried 4-1, with Councilmember Walker dissenting. U A female member of the audience stated she takes an offense to the Mayor stating these people were cowards because this letter was sent out on the heels of the tragedy, she received it on Saturday. And this has happened before: they said the Town of Tequesta had no money. It seems this Council is spending more money than ever. You hired a consultant to tell you where the town hall shall be. You are calling a special election. You complain about the letter went out, but the original letter that went out last year, two of you on the Council were elected because of that letter. Leslie Cook questioned the Encon dumping and wanted to know who was responsible, and wanted to know about the oak tree replacement in Hobe Sound. Village Manager Couzzo stated he will follow up on that. Jim Humpage stated he believed the budget was very well done and wanted to compliment the manager and staff. Mayor Genco announced the next public hearing on the budgets and millage would be September 27, 2001. She announced the public hearing was closed. IV. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Councilmember Dalack moved to adjourn, seconded by Councilmember von Frank. Motion carried 5-0. Meeting was adjourned at 7: 30 p.m. • Page Four Budget Hearing September 13, 2001 Respectfully s/ub/m~,i~tteod, ~~c~ ~ ~~ Mary Wo cott Village Clerk Date Approved • •