Town of Ponce Inlet
TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES
Special Meeting January 30, 2010
1. Call to order: Pursuant to proper notice, Mayor Goudie called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. in the Council Chambers at 4300 South Atlantic Avenue, Ponce Inlet, Florida.
2. Pledge of allegiance: Mayor Goudie led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll call:
Council present:
Mayor Goudie, Seat #1
Vice-Mayor Derr, Seat #2
Councilmember Rutledge, Seat #3
Councilmember Davis, Seat #4
Councilmember Lewis, Seat #5
Department/Division heads present:
Ms. Clauss, Town Manager
Mr. Gunter, Public Works Manager
Mr. Joulani, Director of Planning & Development
Chief Lurcock, Acting Police Chief
Mr. Marks, Chief Building Official
Ms. Pont, Acting Finance Administrator
Chief Scales, Fire Chief
Ms. Yoon, Planner
Support staff members present:
Ms. Avera, Office Specialist
Ms. Cherbano, Human Resources Manager/Deputy Clerk
Ms. Hunt, Administrative Specialist
3. External Issues and Trends. Council and staff discussed the following external issues and trends:
Real estate bubble and subsequent reduction in ad valorem tax revenue
High unemployment rate
Increased foreclosures
EVAC’s withdrawal of contingency transport agreement
TRI data study
Unfunded mandates
Economic effect of fishing regulations: grouper, reds…
Hurricanes
- Federal control of environmental concerns: beach…; Environmental Protection Agency standards now coming from Feds because of State’s slow response
- Stimulus funds
- Reduction in County services: libraries, beach management, behavioral services, homeless assistance, bus service…)
- Utility service provider is outside the Town
- Evacuation routes contingent upon other communities
- State transportation needs and changes
- Increased reliance on technology while NASA faces a program reduction
- Federal, State, and County regulations
- Hometown democracy
- TABOR
- External memberships may not convey Town perspective on matters
- Consumptive Use Permit restrictions
- Desalination costs
- Politics at higher levels of government
- Health care costs and availability
- Less funding available for mutual aid
- Urban sprawl
- Growth management policies
- Depletion of ECO systems
- Energy costs
- Fuel costs
- Flood insurance: flood plain management
- Building / fire code changes
- Waterway / environmental concerns
- Market equity: benefit package of competitors
4. Internal Issues and Trends. Council and staff discussed the following internal issues and trends:
- Board vacancies and efficiency review
Reliance on external organizations for data and recommendations; should use internal resources as much as possible
Out-dated areas of the Charter
Land use and development code re-write process – transition
Population and visitor growth
Levels of service (requirements / expectations vs funds)
Aging infrastructure
Aging equipment
Maximum reserve policy (currently at max of 9 months)
72% reliant on ad valorem revenue
Some fixed income residents
Planning department workload
Young families and their needs
Special events now being done more by volunteers
Historic preservation
Reliance on technology
Supervision of waterways – do we need to increase efforts or can we rely on County/State agencies
Mooring fields increasing
Expensive legal ads required by law – State re-evaluating for alternatives
Reduction in condominium population
Foreclosures
- Less vacationers; decrease in short-term visitors; increase in long-term visitors; fewer traveling abroad
- Homestead increase
- Increased transparency in government
- Live-a-boards in waterways
- Sewer expansion vs. septic; subsidizing cost of Port Orange infrastructure/capital
- Street re-paving
- Reduction in gas tax revenues – new policy to limit street resurfacing to what can be done without supplementing with ad valorem dollars.
- Recreation – funding improvements / maintenance
- Stormwater improvements needed in certain areas
- Bus routes – encourage use (public awareness / promotion)
- Change in management – internal cooperation
- Participating in cooperative training opportunities
- Prioritizing customer service
- Seeking simplification of regulations
- Tax reduction
- Aggressive review for efficiencies
- Encouraging technological reliance; website use
- Police and fire pension costs
- Desire to have own police/fire/dispatch services
- Dealing with County desire for unification of services
- Protection of residential community vs. allowing businesses to promote themselves
- Pro-active in lawsuit reduction
- Striving for consistency
- Increase in use of non-motorized boats
- Desire for greater access to waterways
- Greater need for regular budget review / meeting discussion
- Greater public involvement
- Unions – have fire, now possibly police
- Employee morale – decrease after budget process
- Accreditation
- Cost/benefit analysis of everything due to economic downturn
- Training (council and employees)
- Past frustrated communications between council, staff, and public
- Lack of public knowledge
5. What’s Working / What Needs Work. Council and staff identified the following areas that are working or that need work:
What’s Working:
- Level of Service – we have high quality and commitment; work ethic is high
- Have commitment to transparency
- Expanding partnerships with neighbors
- Lighthouse volunteers
- Each departments service delivery
- Town employment positions are becoming more efficient – less people doing more
- Budget review and implementation
- Computer purchase program for employees
- Legal bills are reducing
- Special events by citizen groups
- Unified vision of the town – carried through council, boards, staff
- Healthy reserve fund
- Very good emergency response time of police, fire, and public works
- Good working relationships for fire prevention codes
- Fire grants
What needs work:
- Communications need to be more open (Council, department heads, staff)
- Level of Service – we have high quality and commitment; work ethic is high
- Need to communicate culture change: change in philosophy and leadership
- Public demands (statewide) are working their way down
- Equipment aging
- Still have a ways to go with economic downturn
- GIS conversion needed in planning
- Balancing aging population with increase in technology – transition with wide array of generations.
- Public works stretched think with park improvements
- Need to do a better job of looking at unintended consequences (ie: various legislation proposed to meet one problem may create another)
- Personnel Rules and Regs and Charter review needed
- Board efficiency review continues
- Sign ordinance
- Land acquisition
- Relationship with lobbying agencies
- Green building incentives
- Board training due to turnover (maybe time to create a video-tape)
- Mission statement is needed
- Water expansion fund is depleted
- Police vehicles aging beyond maintenance feasibility
- Police radar units – outdated but working – no parts available
- Training costs continue
- Planning department has a lot of assignments with a small staff
- Review of mayoral alignment for elections for possible run with state / federal elections
- Meetings are long
6. Public Comment.
Ron Kramer, 4595 South Atlantic Avenue, suggested Council prioritize taking measures to conserve energy.
7. Lunch: Mayor Goudie called a recess from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. for lunch.
8. Establish Goals. The following ideas for goals were suggested by Council and staff:
Fiscal:
- Maintain dependence on ad valorem revenues instead of user fees.
- Maintain a healthy reserve.
- Not raise taxes.
Public Safety:
- Maintain necessary funding for police, fire, and dispatch services.
- Upgrade equipment to maintain current level of service.
- Define roles and provide training to employees for emergency management in conjunction with the County Plan.
- Work with County to obtain a contingency transport agreement.
Infrastructure:
- Sewer improvements / expansion.
- Street re-surfacing.
- Water line improvements.
- Stormwater improvements.
Community Outreach:
- Enhance efforts to advocate for issues of the Town, to include participating in local opportunities for training / representation on issues.
- Continue board efficiency review.
Technology:
- Stay current with technology.
- Explore opportunities to formalize the IT function (in-house).
Form and Structure:
- Employee recognition programs.
- Charter review.
- Form a policy regarding type of grants sought.
- Internally conducted salary study.
Growth Management:
- Land Use and Development Code re-write.
- Alternative transportation (bike paths, kayaks…)
- Complete sign ordinance.
- Green building initiatives to include reducing energy consumption.
- Greater public access to waterways.
- Historic preservation.
- Develop recreation master plan.
- Develop lighthouse overlay district.
- Complete Ponce Preserve and Timucuan Oaks conservation projects and determine if additional lands should be purchased.
9. Set Priorities. Council members were each given eight dots to place on items that they felt were priorities. Items receiving three and four votes are considered the top priorities for the next two years. Items receiving two votes will be attempted but at a lower level of priority. As time permits, effort will be made for items receiving one vote. Ms. Clauss stated that though this did not need to be a goal specifically of Council, it was her goal that they establish a mission statement for the Town employees and that she would work towards that aim. She stated that a vision statement is your public expressing their direction to Council about what they want their community to be and a mission statement is Council’s opportunity to
express to employees about what they want their job to be (i.e.: type/manner of service delivery).
Four votes:
- Not raise taxes
- Maintain necessary funding for police, fire, and dispatch services
- Land Use and Development Code re-write
Three votes:
- Charter review
- Historic preservation
- Complete Ponce Preserve and Timucuan Oaks Conservation Projects and determine if additional lands should be purchased.
Two votes:
- Maintain dependence on ad valorem revenues instead of user fees
- Define roles and provide training to employees for emergency management in conjunction with County Plan
- Stay current in technology
- Form a policy regarding type of grant sought
- Internally conducted salary study
- Green building initiatives to include reducing energy consumption
One vote:
- Upgrade equipment to maintain current level of service
- Work with County to obtain a contingency transport agreement
- Enhance efforts to advocate for issues of the Town, to include participating in local opportunities for training / representation on issues
- Explore opportunities to formalize the IT function (in-house)
- Employee recognition programs
- Develop recreation master plan
- Develop Lighthouse overlay district
10. Public Comment. None.
11. Adjournment. Mayor Goudie adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by:
Jeaneen P. Clauss, CMC, Town Manager/Town Clerk
Prepared by: same
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