[CALL TO ORDER:]
[00:00:02]
I'M GOING TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND I'M GOING TO ASK THAT.
COUNCILMAN BAILEY LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
HERE. COUNCILMAN FOSTER. HERE.
MS. SHERMAN. HERE. MS. SMITH. HERE. HEY, LISTEN, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE BUSINESS ASPECT THAT WE HAVE, MY HEART IS IS REALLY, REALLY HURTING OVER OUR LOSS OF LARRY BRADLEY AND AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, I NOT ONLY LIKE TO SHARE A MOMENT OF SILENCE COLLECTIVELY WITH US HERE, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO PRAY FOR NOT ONLY HIS FAMILY, BUT BUT THE TEAM THAT WITNESS, YOU KNOW, THE LOSS OF HIS LIFE. SO, COUNCIL, IF YOU'D ENTERTAIN ME, PERHAPS COUNCILMAN, BAILEY YOU CAN AFTER THE MOMENT OF SILENCE, LEAD US IN PRAYER.
NO, TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS TO BE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS WHAT I BELIEVE.
BUT YES, IF YOU COULD JUST JOIN ME FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THEN COUNCILMAN BAILEY.
AND IF YOU'RE READY. I JUST WANT TO KNOW QUICKLY SAY PRAYERS, WE KNOW THAT.
NO, FATHER, YOU WE'RE ALL YOUR CHILDREN AND THAT YOU TAKE CARE OF US AND YOU GUIDE US ALONG OUR WAY AND AND YOU WILL YOU WILL HAVE A CONNECTION WITH MR. BRADLEY AS HE GOES WHERE HE GOES.
LET ME JUST MAKE SURE WE TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY FOR HIS SURVIVING WIFE AND THAT MS. BRADLEY AND HER FAMILY WILL BE STRENGTHENED AND REINFORCED DURING THIS TIME AND THAT YOUR SPIRIT WILL BE UPON THEM AND THAT YOU WILL JUST USE THIS AS A CHANCE TO DRAW THEM NEARER TO YOU AND THAT YOU ALSO PLEASE KEEP I KNOW MR. PATRICK MURPHY, WHO I KNOW WAS IN THERE AT THE TIME, WHO DID HIS BEST TO TO TRY TO SAVE HIS COLLEAGUE AND THAT YOU WATCH OVER HIM AND ALL THE OTHER FOLKS IN THE OFFICE WHO WHO WERE THERE, HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND GUIDE HIM TOWARDS PEACE AND COMFORT IN HIS WATCH OVER THE REST OF OUR STAFF, AS WELL AS WE ALL KNOW THAT MR. BRADLEY WAS ALWAYS KIND AND ALWAYS THE ONE EASY TO BE AROUND.
SO WE DEFINITELY WILL MISS HIM AND JUST COMFORT US AS WE WE ALL MOURN HIS HIS DEATH.
BUT JUST ESPECIALLY JUST MAKE SURE YOUR SPIRITS UPON HIS FAMILY AND HIS WIFE AND GIVE HER COMFORT AND GIVE HER GIVE HER THAT FAMILY THAT SHE NEEDS AND THAT THAT GUIDANCE SHE NEEDS AS SHE MOVES FORWARD. WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU FOR OUR CITY MANAGER AND FOR OUR COUNCIL BEING WILLING TO EVEN COME BEFORE YOU, MY FATHER, TO OFFER THIS AND AND JUST ASSURE OURSELVES AND OUR ONE HEART AND JUST THANK YOU FOR FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR US.
AND HELP US ALSO REMEMBER MR. BRADLEY'S MEMORY AND IN A GREAT WAY AND CARRY ON THOSE THINGS THAT HE WAS DOING FOR SERVICE FOR YOU FOR THE PEOPLE OF PALM BAY, WHICH ARE YOUR PEOPLE.
[INAUDIBLE] US ALL, IN YOUR HOLY SON'S NAME.
AMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN BAILEY.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS DEVASTATING FOR THOSE THAT WITNESSED IT.
AND AND I KNOW TO RENDER AID AND THE ENTIRE TEAM TOOK A REALLY TOUGH.
WE SHOULD ALL CONSIDER EACH OTHER ONE ONE FAMILY ITEM NUMBER ONE BUSINESS, MADAM SHERMAN.
[1. Discussion of Finding 21, Automobile Allowances for Specified City Employees, pursuant to the operational audit conducted by the Florida Office of the Audit General.]
THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO THIS EVENING, COUNCIL'S REQUEST, WE ARE HAVING A FALL DISCUSSION ON AUDIT FINDING NUMBER TWENTY ONE RELATED TO THE AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE.I'LL TRY NOT TO TAKE TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS ITEM A BIT ALREADY. BUT I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE EXTRA CONTEXT FOR SOME OF THE THE POINTS TO CONSIDER TONIGHT. AND I JUST REALIZED, SEAN, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T GET THE CLICKER GRAB IT.
[00:05:23]
SO SORRY ABOUT THAT, THE FIRST SLIDE IS JUST SORT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE [INAUDIBLE] AUDITORS CALLED OUT IN TERMS OF THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING THE AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE, ESSENTIALLY THEY SAID THAT THE ALLOWANCES FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE WERE PROVIDED TO EMPLOYEES WITHOUT DETERMINING COST EFFECTIVENESS OR REASONABLENESS OF THE ALLOWANCE.IT DID INCLUDE IN THEIR REPORT THAT STATE LAW DOES ALLOW CITIES TO ESTABLISH TRAVEL POLICIES THAT VARY FROM THE PROVISIONS OF STATE LAW.
SO THEY WERE LOOKING AT WHAT STATE LAW REQUIRES AND CONSIDERING THINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT WOULD HAVE MORE CLOSELY FOLLOWED STATE LAW.
ONE OF THE THINGS JUST TO MENTION HERE ALSO IS THAT THE CORE TENANTS THAT THEY BROUGHT FORWARD AS THINGS THAT WERE CONCERN ABOUT WERE REALLY RELATED TO WANTING TO SEE SOME ANALYSIS AND SOME REVIEW OF.
REASONS BEHIND THE MONTHLY AUTO ALLOWANCE, WHICH IS FOUR HUNDRED FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH.
JUST A COUPLE SLIDES TO GO THROUGH, SOME FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THE FISCAL IMPACT, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, FOR THE AUDIT PERIOD THAT THE GROUP LOOKED AT PREVIOUSLY, THERE WERE 17 EMPLOYEES WITH AUTO ALLOWANCES.
PRESENT DAY. THERE ARE 16 EMPLOYEES TOTAL.
THERE ARE 10 WHO ARE PART OF MY REPORTING STRUCTURE, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND DIRECTORS, THERE ARE FOUR AS PART OF THE CITY ATTORNEY AND HER TEAM.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, CITY ATTORNEYS IS CONTRACTUAL DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY POSITIONS.
THOSE ARE COUNCIL APPROVED ITEMS ALREADY A CITY CLERK AND HER DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S ALSO HER CONTRACT INCLUDES IT AND THEN THE DEPUTY CITY CLERK RECEIVES IT AS WELL.
THE ANNUAL VALUE, ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS CURRENTLY AT THE FOUR OR FIVE PER MONTH COMES OUT TO FORTY EIGHT SIXTY PER YEAR PER PERSON.
SO THAT'S SEVENTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YOU CAN SEE. AND AS I'VE STATED BEFORE, ONE OF MY MY CONCERNS AND MY MY POINT THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE IS THAT THESE FOUR AND FIVE DOLLARS MONTH AUTO ALLOWANCES WERE INCLUDED IN THE BENEFITS PACKAGE, PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AT HIRE FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE FOLKS. SO THE REVIEW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, LARRY WOJCICHOWSKI, DID FOR US AND THANK YOU, LARRY, IS DID SOME REVIEW OF HOW GSA LOOKS AT THE MILEAGE RATES, WHAT THEY WHAT THEY DO, WHAT THEY PUT INTO THEIR CALCULATIONS.
SO WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANALYSIS COMPARED TO THE CITY AUTO, CITY AUTO ALLOWANCE, JUST TO KIND OF LOOK AT HOW THAT WOULD SHAKE OUT INFORMATION ON THE SCREEN IN FRONT OF YOU KIND OF TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE GSA IS REQUIRED TO DO, WHICH IS TO CONDUCT WHAT THEY CALLED PERIODIC INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COST OF TRAVEL AND THE THINGS THAT THEY LOOKED AT DURING THOSE INVESTIGATIONS ARE LISTED ON THE SCREEN.
BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S THE BASIC THINGS, DEPRECIATION OF THE VEHICLE COST.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU BUY ONE FOR THE THE EMPLOYEE, FOR EXAMPLE, OR IF YOU'RE USING YOUR PERSONAL VEHICLE, GASOLINE, OIL, MAINTENANCE COSTS, INSURANCE, TAXES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
NOT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE HISTORICAL CHANGES IN THE GSA RATE AND THE CITY'S AUTO ALLOWANCE.
AND WHAT YOU WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THERE FROM 98 TO PRESENT DAY, THE CITY'S AUTO ALLOWANCE WENT FROM ABOUT TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS TO ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH. THE GSA MILEAGE RATES AND THOSE RATES THAT ARE LISTED THERE ARE MATCHED TO THE DATES OF THE CITY ALLOWANCE, EFFECTIVE DATE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, JANUARY ONE, 1998, WHEN THE CITY'S AUTO ALLOWANCE BECAME 250 DOLLARS, AT THAT TIME, THE GSA RATE WAS POINT 31 CENTS PER MILE.
WHAT THE CALCULATION HERE SHOWS YOU THAT IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THAT RATE AND YOU WERE TO DIVIDE IT INTO THE AUTO ALLOWANCE, YOU WOULD GET THE NUMBER OF MILES DAILY ON AVERAGE THAT WOULD COVER. SO ON AVERAGE, OVER THESE YEARS, IT'S ABOUT 36, 37 MILES PER DAY OF TRAVEL. THAT THIS WOULD EQUATE TO.
ONE THING TO NOTE, THOUGH, IS THAT THE AUTO ALLOWANCE FOR THE CITY INCREASED OVER THAT 20 PLUS YEARS BY ABOUT 62 PERCENT.
THE GSA RATES INCREASED BY ABOUT 81 PERCENT OVER THE 20 PLUS YEARS.
AND ALL OF THIS IS TO BUILD TO THIS NEXT SLIDE, WHICH TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE FISCAL IMPACT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IF WE PURCHASE VEHICLES FOR FOR FOLKS.
SO WENT WAS SOME ASSUMPTIONS, SUCH AS TWENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE ANNUAL OR FOR THE EXCUSE ME, A ONE TIME PURCHASE PRICE OF A VEHICLE.
YOU'LL SEE IN THE CHART THAT WE HAD A DEPRECIATION AMOUNT FOR THAT VEHICLE.
AND WE USE THE SAME GSA TYPE RATE IN THE SCENARIO THAT THIS ACTUALLY PLAYS OUT IS USING A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF ONE OF OUR CURRENT DIRECTOR WHO WAS DRIVES ABOUT 840 MILES A MONTH.
[00:10:07]
WE'VE GOT A GOOD NUMBER THAT DRIVES SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 10000 OR SO MILES A YEAR BASED ON OUR OUR ESTIMATES RIGHT NOW.SO IF YOU USE THIS EXAMPLE, 840 MILES DRIVEN IN A MONTH, THE AVERAGE OF 70 MILES PER GALLON, YOU KNOW, BASED ON A STANDARD TYPE VEHICLE, YOU GET TO ABOUT FORTY NINE POINT FOUR GALLONS THAT WOULD BE USED.
AND WE ALSO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION THERE ABOUT THE 840 MILES TO GET IT DOWN TO A DAILY. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT 840 MILES DIVIDED BY AN AVERAGE TWENTY TWO WORKDAYS PER MONTH COMES OUT TO THIRTY EIGHT MILES PER DAY, WHICH APPLIES TO THE CHART I JUST TALKED THROUGH. SO ALL OF THAT SAID, THE CHART IS INTENDED TO SHOW YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF ALL THOSE COST ESTIMATES AND SOME ARE INDEED ESTIMATES, BUT WHAT IT COMES TO IS THAT THE TOTAL MONTHLY COST OR VEHICLE WOULD BE FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY ONE DOLLARS AND SOME CHANGE PER MONTH. WHICH IS COMPARED TO THE FOUR HUNDRED FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY USING FOR OUR AUTO ALLOWANCE.
OF OUR TEN DCM DIRECTOR POSITIONS, SEVEN, AS I SAID, ARE ESTIMATED TO DRIVE AROUND THIS MANY MILES PER WEEK FOR THE JOB ALREADY.
AND BASED ON OUR ANALYSIS THUS FAR, IT WOULD LIKELY COST THE CITY MORE TO EITHER BUY, EITHER TO BUY, MAINTAIN, REPLACE VEHICLES OR TO PAY THE PER MILEAGE RATE TO THE EMPLOYEES INSTEAD OF USING THE FLAT FOUR OR FIVE A MONTH RATE.
THIS IS ALL ACTUALLY REALLY FOCUSED ON INTOWN DAILY DRIVING BETWEEN WORK SITES AND GOING OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THINGS LIKE TRAVELING TO TRAINING OR CONFERENCES AND OTHER THINGS OUT OF TOWN. A FEW EXAMPLES FROM OTHER CITIES, BECAUSE OUR H.R.
DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY DID DO A SURVEY, TRIED TO FIND CITIES THAT HAD ALL THE ALLOWANCES AND ALSO ASKED FOR THE REASONINGS BEHIND THEM.
THEY GAVE US A FEW EXAMPLES HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE THE CITIES OF COCOA BEACH, MELBOURNE AND LAKELAND.
THEY RANGE FROM AROUND THREE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH, ALL THE WAY UP TO FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH.
OTHER INFORMATION THAT'S ON THIS SLIDE, JUST FOR YOUR INFO, IS YOU CAN SEE WHO SETS THE RATES IN THE CITY OF LAKELAND.
IT'S THE HIRING MANAGER IN THE CITY OF MELBOURNE.
COUNCIL SETS THE RATE FOR THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER SETS IT FOR DIRECTORS AND THE DEPUTY IN COCOA BEACH.
THEY JUST HAVE THE THE CITY MANAGER GETS IT SET BY COUNCIL.
ONE THING WE NOTED IN OUR ANALYSIS IS THAT THE SIZE OF THE CITY SEEMS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE'RE EIGHTY EIGHT SQUARE MILES.
LAKELAND IS MORE COMPARABLE TO WHERE WE'RE AT AND THEY'RE 75 SQUARE MILES.
AND SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF COMPARISON THERE.
SUMMARY OF THIS, THAT INFORMATION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE GSA MILEAGE RATE DOES LOOK AT THESE ADDITIONAL THINGS, DEPRECIATION, ET CETERA, OVER THE 20 PLUS YEARS OF GSA MILEAGE RATE HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED MORE THAN THE CURRENT CITY VEHICLE ALLOWANCE RATE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT COVERS. THE INITIAL PURCHASE OF A VEHICLE WOULD BE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE AND THEN WE'D HAVE ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL COSTS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND WE ALSO NOTED THAT IN THE CITIES WE SAMPLED ALLOWANCES OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE RANGE.
WE WEREN'T TOO FAR OUT OF WHACK OVERALL.
ON THE OTHER THING, TOO, WE DID ASK ALL THREE CITIES, WHAT IS YOUR BACKUP DATA FOR THE CALCULATION? AND NONE OF THEM HAD THAT TO PROVIDE.
MOST OF THEM TOLD US THIS IS JUST WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
AND I SAY THAT. SO HAD THEY BEEN AUDITED, THEY PROBABLY THE SAME FINDINGS, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WELL, MELBOURNE WAS ACTUALLY AUDITED, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT CAME UP AS ONE OF THEIR ISSUES. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
SO THERE'S A DIFFERENT SCOPE ON THAT AUDIT, THOUGH, AND THAT MAY BE WHY.
YEAH, SO IT COULD BE THE SCOPE, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAYS, AS COUNCILMAN BAILEY.
BUT GO ON, MA'AM. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
NO IT'S FINE. IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO THAT BRINGS US REALLY TO THE OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND I'M I'M I REMAIN IN THE PLACE THAT I'VE BEEN RECOMMENDING TO YOU IN OUR PRIOR CONVERSATIONS. SO NOT TO BELABOR IT, BUT MY PRIMARY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DON'T MAKE A CHANGE. I, I BELIEVE THIS IS DEFINITELY A POLICY DECISION WITHIN COUNCIL SCOPE TO UPHOLD AND MAINTAIN. IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
WE HAVE DONE SOME COMPARISON AND ABSOLUTELY CAN DO ADDITIONAL COMPARISON ANNUALLY.
WE CAN SET SOME SORT OF REOCCURRING SCHEDULE IN OUR POLICY TO LOOK AT THIS AND JUST SEE WHERE IT'S AT AND COMPARE IT TO OTHER CITIES AND PROVIDE THAT ANALYSIS TO COUNCIL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE. BUT THIS DOES ALLOW THIS IS A PART THAT'S PROBABLY MOST COMPELLING FOR ME, THE FLEXIBILITY FOR US TO DETERMINE, BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE ORGANIZATION, WHETHER SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE AN ASSIGNED VEHICLE, WHETHER THEY SHOULD GET AN AUTO ALLOWANCE.
AND THOSE ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT FACTORS IN RECRUITMENT AND IN IN CERTAIN CASES COULD BE RETENTION ISSUES IS TO TAKE IT AWAY.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THE SECOND OPTION IS WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME ABOUT IF YOU DO FEEL COMPELLED TO REMOVE THE AUTO ALLOWANCE, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU AT LEAST CONSIDER PUTTING IT INTO THE BASE SALARY OF THOSE WHO HAVE IT NOW SO THAT THEY'RE NEGOTIATED SALARY BENEFITS PACKAGE IS NOT A DECREASE FROM WHERE THEY'RE AT TODAY.
[00:15:01]
THAT'S IT FOR PRESENTATION, HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH IT WITH YOU ALL.I GUESS COUNCIL ANY ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? COUNCILMAN BAILEY.
I MEAN, THE ONLY THING THAT I DIDN'T HEAR ADDRESSED IN HERE, I SEE THERE'S SOME NUMBERS.
I THINK SOME OF THE NUMBERS WE'RE TALKING VERBALLY, SEEING ON PAPER IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAD VERBALLY.
BUT THE ONE THING I DON'T SEE ADDRESSES.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE EMPLOYEES? I MEAN, THEY'RE SPENDING YOU'RE SPENDING THIRTY EIGHT MILES A DAY.
WHICH SEVEN DIRECTORS IS THAT THEN? THE SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE IF SOMEBODY IS SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING OVER AN HOUR A DAY ON CITY BUSINESS, WHAT ABOUT HAVING THOSE FOLKS HAVE A YOU KNOW, THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE HIGH MILEAGE, HAVING THAT THAT CITY VEHICLE WITH THE FOR IF NOT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE, FOR SIMPLE PURPOSE THAT. THEY'RE ON DUTY AND SOMEBODY KNOWS THAT THAT'S A CITY WORKER.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN DO IT FROM MEMORY, I HAVE TO PULL UP MY SPREADSHEET.
BUT THESE SEVEN DIRECTORS INCLUDE PARKS, RECREATION, PUBLIC WORKS.
INCLUDE A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER IN THAT, AND I'M MISSING ONE.
WANT TO REPEAT THAT REGARDING THE VEHICLES? YEAH, YEAH, I'M JUST CURIOUS, I MEAN, THESE FOLKS ARE OUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE ON THE ESTIMATE, I DON'T KNOW IF WE ACTUALLY TRACK KNOW HOW WE TRACK THOSE MILES, GET THE ESTIMATE, BUT THAT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT HIGH.
THAT'S A HOUR A DAY. THAT WORKS OUT TO AN HOUR A DAY.
IF YOU'RE DRIVING 38 MILES A DAY, YOU KNOW.
NO LIGHTS AND STREETS, EVERYTHING 35 MILES PER HOUR PUTS YOU ABOUT AN HOUR.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HAVING THESE PEOPLE IN MARKED VEHICLES BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THESE FOLKS LIKE THE BUILDING OFFICIAL.
THAT'S ONLY ONE I CAN NAME OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW OFF THIS LIST, BUT I THOUGHT, NO, HE WAS USING A CITY VEHICLE TO GET AROUND.
BUT IF NOT, WHY DON'T WE HAVE THESE PEOPLE IN A CITY VEHICLE, I GUESS.
I GUESS IN LARGE PART, IT'S JUST BECAUSE HISTORICALLY WE'VE HIRED THEM WITH AUTO ALLOWANCES AND WE HAVEN'T BOUGHT THE VEHICLES TO SUPPORT THAT.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH VEHICLES RIGHT NOW TO ACCOMMODATE A FULL SHIFT IN THAT DIRECTION, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO BUY NEW VEHICLES.
I HAVEN'T DONE THAT FULL ANALYSIS, BUT I KNOW IT WOULD BE PROBABLY EASILY FIVE COULD BE MORE THAN THAT FOR SURE.
BUT I'D HAVE TO KIND OF CHECK THROUGH EVERYBODY'S AVAILABLE VEHICLES.
DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I KNOW YOU'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S IT'S OF INTEREST TO ME TO HAVE FOLKS IN MARKED VEHICLES.
BUT ONE THING WE FOUND IS THAT A LOT OF THE DIRECTORS HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE DAY AFTER HOURS COMING AND GOING.
AND SO PART OF THE FLEXIBILITY OF HAVING THE.
AUTO ALLOWANCE IS THAT IT MAKES IT A LITTLE SIMPLER FOR THEM IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ACCEPTED THAT AS THEIR FLAT AMOUNTS.
THEY DON'T ARGUE IF THEY DO MORE MILES.
THEY ALSO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, THEN ON THE FLIP SIDE, YOU GET THE BENEFIT OF FEWER MILES ON A CERTAIN MONTH OR SOMETHING.
BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT CERTAINLY DOES END UP SAVING THE CITY MONEY OVER TIME.
WHEN YOU HAVE DIRECTORS WHO ARE WEEKEND, YOU KNOW, ON CALL BACK AND FORTH.
AND THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF THAT THAT DOES HAPPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE YOU KNOW, AN HOUR OF DRIVING A DAY IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR SEVERAL OF THESE FOLKS WHO DRIVE BETWEEN FACILITIES, THEY'RE OUT AND ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO DEAL WITH RESIDENT COMPLAINTS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF HANDS ON TYPE STUFF THAT GOES ON.
AND I EVEN WITNESSED THAT THIS THIS PAST WEEKEND ON A SUNDAY WITH SEVERAL A FEW OF OUR DIRECTORS, THE PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR AS WELL, PARKS AND REC.
BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS GOING TO BE FOR MADAM SMITH.
AND IN THAT YOU'RE OPTION NUMBER ONE SAYS NO CHANGE, BUT YET.
LIKE AUDIT SAID, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IS AN AREA OF CONCERN.
AND SO HOW DO WE HOW DO WE KEEP IT THE SAME? HOW HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT? AND HOW DO WE RESPOND TO THAT AUDIT? WHAT WHAT DO WE PUT IN PLACE IN THAT OPTION OR SHOULD THAT NOT EVEN BE AN OPTION? OH, THE.
AUDIT ESSENTIALLY SAID WE NEEDED TO HAVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WOULD HELP US TO COMPARE AND TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS SOME TYPE OF COST SAVINGS.
I DO BELIEVE MS. SHERMAN DID MENTION ALL THAT SHE DID THIS SAMPLE AND WOULD BE WILLING TO DO CONTINUALLY
[00:20:04]
EVALUATE THIS, COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES COMPARED TO OTHER OTHER COSTS MAY BE AND DO OTHER SAMPLING AS FAR AS WHAT THEY DID.SO I DO THINK THAT THAT IS A POLICY WITHIN ITSELF THAT ALLOWS COMPARISON IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS COST EFFECTIVE.
ESSENTIALLY, THE CHARGES AREN'T BEING CHANGED, BUT THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH HAVING THE CAR ALLOWANCE, THEY ARE ISSUE REALLY WAS, IS THAT IS THERE ANY BASIS TO SAY THAT THIS IS COST EFFECTIVE? AND CERTAINLY THAT'S SOMETHING WHETHER THIS IS COST EFFECTIVE OR WHETHER COUNCIL WOULD RATHER GO IN OTHER WAYS WITHIN COUNCIL'S DISCRETION.
SO, MADAM, DO YOU YOU FEEL THAT WITH THE THE EFFORT PUT IN BY RESEARCH JUSTIFIES THAT POLICY? IN OTHER WORDS, DOES IT ADDRESS? TO THE AUDIT'S CONCERNS.
ARE YOU ASKING ME? YES, MA'AM, I AM ASKING YOU.
ULTIMATELY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY IS A QUESTION FOR THE COUNCIL, ESSENTIALLY THE WHAT THE. THE AUDIT SIMPLY SAYS THAT THE CITY SHOULD ESTABLISH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT REQUIRE AND ENSURE PERIODIC DOCUMENTED COMPARISONS OF THE COSTS FOR PROVIDING THE CITY OWNED VEHICLE TO THE AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE OPTION IS SELECTION.
IN ADDITION TO SUPPORT THE REASONABLENESS OF THE AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE AMOUNT, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES SHOULD REQUIRE AND ENSURE THAT ALL EMPLOYEES RECEIVING A MONTHLY AUTOMOBILE ALLOWANCE PERIODICALLY PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION SUPPORTING THE ACTUAL COSTS OF OFFICIAL BUSINESS TRAVEL FOR A GIVEN MONTH.
THAT WAS THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
SO THEIR RECOMMENDATION NEVER SET TO ACTUALLY REMOVE IT.
SO ESSENTIALLY, COUNCIL IS GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, IS WHAT YOU'VE HEARD SUFFICIENT FOR YOU ALL TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS A COST EFFECTIVE METHOD OR IS THERE SOME OTHER METHOD THAT YOU ALL BELIEVE IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE IN MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES ARE EITHER PROVIDED A VEHICLE OR PROVIDED THAT ALLOWANCE OR SOME OTHER METHOD THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT TRAVEL NEEDED FOR CITY BUSINESS.
LEGALLY, DO YOU FEEL THIS IS JUSTIFIED LEGALLY, DO YOU THINK THIS POLICY OR THE RESEARCH CONDUCTED IS A GOOD RESPONSE? WELL, THE LAW DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY OF THAT.
THAT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION FOR [INAUDIBLE].
THE THERE IS NO STATUTE THAT REQUIRES THAT.
THAT'S THEIR RECOMMENDATION, PRETTY MUCH, WHICH I'M GUESSING IS BASED UPON WHAT THEY THINK IS BEST PRACTICE, BUT THE LAW DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY OF THAT.
THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I UNDERSTOOD EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THAT.
I THINK THIS THIS ANSWERS WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR, IN MY OPINION.
THEY WANTED US TO JUSTIFY WHY IT'S THE RATE IT IS.
AND LOOKING AT THE GSA MILEAGE RATE FOR 2021 IN COMPARISON TO OTHER CITIES, I THINK IT DOES JUST THAT. SO I PERSONALLY WOULD BE FINE WITH GIVEN OUR CITY MANAGER DIRECTION TO WORK ON A POLICY BASED OFF ON WHAT SHE PROVIDED FOR US.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY NEED TO PULL IT ALL ALTOGETHER.
AND FROM WHAT SHE'S SAYING, IT LIKE VEHICLES WOULD BE MORE COSTLY.
AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE'S SAYING AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, MAYOR, ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON, THEY MIGHT BE WORKING ON SOMETHING, BUT THEN THEY MIGHT GET A CALL THAT THERE'S A CITY ISSUE AND, YOU KNOW, THE TIME TO COME TO CITY HALL TO CHANGE VEHICLES AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GO OUT. THEY COULD DO THAT JUST IN THEIR VEHICLE RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
THE GREEN LIGHT TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT WANT TO HEAR FROM THE COLLEAGUES TOO.
THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
COUNCILMAN, FELIX, I'LL START WITH YOU AT THAT END.
WE'LL TRY TO GIVE FORMULATE MY THOUGHT ON THAT.
BASED ON THIS EXAMPLE, AS OF 2020 2021, THE GSA, THE GSA RATE, IT'S POINT 56 WHICH JUSTIFY.
THE AMOUNT THAT CURRENTLY GIVING TO DIRECTORS AND BENEFICIARIES OF THIS THIS AMOUNT.
NOW, THE PROBLEM I HAVE OR CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT HOW DOES THAT JUSTIFY THE UTILITY OR THE PARK, THE PARK RECREATION OR PUBLIC WORKS THAT DRIVE POTENTIALLY THAT DRIVE QUITE A
[00:25:08]
BIT OF MILES? THEIR DUTIES REQUIRED THAT AMOUNT OF DRIVING. THIRTY SIX HOURS, THE AVERAGE.HOW DOES THAT JUSTIFY TO A DEPUTY DEPARTMENT OF DIRECTOR, FOR INSTANCE, THAT BARLEY DRIVE? RECEIVING THE SAME AMOUNT.
HOW DOES THAT. THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR FOCUS TO MAKE IT TO WHERE? WE COMPENSATE ALL DIRECTORS AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS.
HOARDING IS ON THE NEEDS AND THE NEED OF THE DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THE FOCUS SHOULD BE THERE IN [INAUDIBLE] I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE THAT'S WHERE I WOULD FOCUS RATHER WE USE SOME SORT OF WHERE THE REGISTERED, THE TIME, THE DRIVE TIME, OR, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY COMPENSATE ACCORDINGLY.
I KNOW IT MAY BE A BIT TEDIOUS, IN ESSENCE, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE, IN MY OPINION, WE SHOULD. I APPRECIATE THAT, COUNCILMAN FELIX, I THINK I GET YOUR POINT THERE, THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DON'T DRIVE THAT MUCH, SO HOW DO WE COMPENSATE FOR THAT? SO YOUR POINTS ARE VERY WELL NOTED.
GIVE ME A. A PERSON WHO HAD A TAKE HOME VEHICLE THROUGHOUT MY CAREER.
AND. WHEN YOU LOOK AT TAKE HOME VEHICLES OR VEHICLES ALLOWANCE.
AND I HEAR COUNCILMAN FELIX SAID ABOUT ONE DIRECTOR VERSUS THE OTHER.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU CAN LOOK AT A POLICE DEPARTMENT.
A SERGEANT VERSUS A PATROL OFFICER.
OR A TRAFFIC OFFICER VERSUS A COMMANDER, YOU'RE GOING TO DRIVE THE POLICE VEHICLE.
EACH OF THEM NOT GOING TO HAVE THE SAME MILEAGE ON THAT VEHICLE.
OH, WELL, THEY HAVE A VEHICLE.
I HAVE ALLOWANCE, I THINK THIS IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION I LIKE.
THAT OPTION NUMBER ONE, ALL WE NEED IS A POLICY AND THE CITY MANAGER.
THAT'S IN HER SCOPE OF HER DUTIES TO COME UP WITH A POLICY FOR THIS.
VEHICLE ALLOWANCE, OUR CHARTERED OFFICERS HAS VEHICLES ALLOWANCE, AND THEY DON'T THEY PROBABLY DON'T DRIVE AS MUCH AS THE DIRECTORS.
WE SHOULDN'T BE PICKING AND GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF WHO DRIVES SO MANY HOURS AND WHERE AND HOW, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A POLICY AND A POLICY NEEDS TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYONE IF YOU GET A TAKE HOME ALLOWANCE.
YOU GET TO TAKE HOME ALLOWANCE THAT VEHICLE THAT NEEDS TO BE A POLICY, BUT DIRECT HOW THAT ALL THAT POLICY IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED IF YOU GET A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE OR TAKE HOME VEHICLE IS A POLICY FOR THE TAKE HOME VEHICLES.
IT SHOULD BE A POLICY FOR A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE.
AND WE SHOULD KEEP IT LIKE IT IS.
AND YOU COULD YOU COULD VISIT IT EVERY YEAR AND SEE IF IT'S COST EFFECTIVE FROM THIS.
PRESENTATION THAT THEY DID WITH THE GSA RATING, THE GSA MILEAGE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS COST EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THE GSA MILEAGE AS WENT HIGHER THAN THE CITY.
ON WHAT PAGE WAS THAT? SHOWS THE GSA MILEAGE RATE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE CITY OVER THE YEARS.
HERE WE GO. YEAH, FROM JANUARY 1ST, 1998.
THE. WHEN HE JANUARY 1ST, 2021, THE GSA MILEAGE WENT 80 INCREASE 81 PERCENT.
MILEAGE RATE OVER 20 YEARS VERSUS THE CITY, 62 PERCENT INCREASE IN ALLOWANCE.
OVER 20 YEARS, WE ACTUALLY LEAVE BEHIND WHAT WE'RE PAYING THE GSA AND I'M FEELING VERY FAMILIAR WITH GSA AND THEY DON'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING FREE.
VERY. STRICT ON THE MILEAGE, EVEN WITH YOUR TRAVEL.
[00:30:03]
SO IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME WE'RE BEHIND ON WHAT WE GIVE AN ALLOWANCE, SO.BEHIND GSA, WHICH GOVERNS MILITARY AND FEDERAL WORKERS.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP IT LIKE IT IS AND HAVE A POLICY, HAVE THE CITY MANAGER HAVE A POLICY OR AND I THINK THAT WOULD ANSWER THE [INAUDIBLE].
OK, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN FOSTER.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU COUNCILMAN BAILEY, BUT I WANT TO ASK MADAM SHERMAN IN OUR IN OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD PROVIDED THAT ADDITIONAL FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS OR FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES THAT CAME IN AS DIRECTORS. AND SO IN THE SCOPE OF WHAT COUNCILMAN FOSTER AND COUNCILMAN FELIX SAID, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE TREATED THE DIRECTORS THE SAME, THEN THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME GIVE AND TAKE.
AND I KNOW THAT YOUR IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, NEW NEW DIRECTORS COMING IN, NOT HAVING THAT.
SO MY QUESTION I'M GOING TO POSE TO YOU AT THIS TIME IS HOW WOULD YOU ADJUST THAT? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD WITH THIS NEW POLICY, IF COUNCIL SO CHOOSES TO REMAIN WITH ITEM ONE OR PUT IT WITH OR OPTION ONE OR AN OPTION TWO MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT IT SHOULD BE STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD WITH EVERYONE IN ONE FIELD NOT NEGLECTED OVER THE OTHER.
THANK YOU MAYOR. I'VE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT AND I WILL DEAL WITH EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALLY AND WORK THROUGH GETTING EVERYBODY BACK ON THE SAME PAGE.
BUT THAT WILL BE INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATION.
SO YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? COPY THAT. AND NOW THAT WE'LL NEED A NEW NEW DIRECTOR HERE IN THE FUTURE AND SUCH, SO COUNCILMAN BAILEY. YEAH, THE KEY THING TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE, BECAUSE I HEARD THE QUESTIONS FROM THE MAYOR AND FROM OTHERS, TOO, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE AUDIT, FINDING AND GIVING JUSTIFICATION, ONE PART OF THAT THAT IT WAS KEY IS NOT JUST COST, FIRST OF ALL, COST EFFECTIVENESS.
THE PREMISE OF THAT, NO DIFFERENCE ABOUT A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAS IT 4 8 60 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE RECEIVING AND THIS EXAMPLE, WHICH IS SEVEN OF 10, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GET THE AVERAGE IN THERE, IF YOU ACTUALLY. WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON SIR? IF YOU LOOK AT.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT PAGE SIX.
SEE THAT IT'S FIVE THOUSAND FIFTY FIVE A YEAR OR THE ESTIMATE OF WHAT YOU DESCRIBE AS A TYPICAL DAY OR TYPICAL DURING THAT DAY, BUT TYPICAL AVERAGE DRIVING BY DIRECTOR.
AT LEAST IT REFLECTS SEVEN OUT OF 10.
NO NO I'M LOOKING AT IT, SLIDE SIX, IT'S THE FISCAL IMPACT ESTIMATE.
SO ONE THING IS, IS THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF THAT.
AND IF YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE FOUR OR FIVE A MONTH, WHICH I BELIEVE IT CAME OUT 4860, YOU'RE OFF BY ABOUT 200 BUCKS.
OK, SO WE'RE SAYING THAT'S TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO LEAVE IT THE WAY THIS IS WHAT IS WHAT'S BEING GLEANED FROM HERE.
BUT THAT WOULD ONLY RELY ON THE FACT THAT IT'S ACTUALLY 30 MILES PER DAY ALSO, IT RELIES ON THE FACT THAT WE'RE USING 70 MILES PER GALLON, WHICH IS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT, PROBABLY, BUT IN THE 22 WORK DAYS, I MEAN, THAT ONE'S THAT'S A THAT'S A GOOD ASSUMPTION.
SEVENTEENS PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT LOW, IN MY OPINION.
BUT BUT THE BIGGEST THING HERE THAT'S REALLY IT'S NOT KNOWING THOSE THINGS.
I CAN I'M SURE WE CAN GO AND FIND DOCUMENTATION FOR.
BUT THE KEY THE KEY VARIABLE THAT'S MOVING HERE IS WE'RE ASSUMING THAT 38 MILES PER DAY IS HOW MANY MILES ARE DRIVING.
WHERE'S THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT IF YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE TWO AND LOOK AT WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR, IT'S NOT JUST COST EFFECTIVENESS IF YOU GO TO SLIDE TWO AND LOOK AT BULLET POINT NUMBER FOUR.
AND YOU READ THE SECOND LINE THERE, WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US TO DO IS TO CONSIDER COST-EFFECTIVENESS, WHICH IS PARTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
WE'RE FINDING THAT THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER BASED ON THE ANALYSIS WE HAVE BEFORE US, BUT ALSO BE DOCUMENTED IN MONTHLY ALLOWANCES, BE BASED ON DOCUMENTATION.
WHAT'S OUR DOCUMENT MEAN? WHAT ARE WE DOCUMENTED? I GUESS THAT'S THE THAT'S THE HOLE IN ALL OF THIS IS HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU KNOW IT'S THIRTY EIGHT MILES PER DAY? DID WE DOCK? DID WE ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO DOCUMENT WHICH I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES AND THEN WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU GO AND WATCH IT FOR A MONTH AND GET
[00:35:02]
EVERYTHING TOGETHER. YOU KNOW.AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO BE PROFESSIONAL AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE IT'S A TYPICAL MONTH. THERE'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S EXTREME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON IT.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS HOW DO WE GET TO THAT AS BEING OUR ESTIMATE? I MEAN, I DON'T SEE ANY SUPPORT FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT.
MADAM SHERMAN, REGARDING THE DOCUMENTATION OF THAT, HOW HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? SO, CERTAINLY WE CAN DO MORE EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS IN THE FUTURE.
WHAT THIS IS BASED ON IS BASED ON A SAMPLE OF SEVERAL DIRECTORS PROVIDING YOU WITH THEIR INFORMATION ON WHAT THEY'RE DRIVING ON AVERAGE A MONTH.
THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THAT. ANECDOTALLY, I DON'T HAVE LIKE A BIG SPREADSHEET OR ANYTHING WHERE I DID A LOT OF DETAIL ANALYSIS.
BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE'RE OBVIOUSLY WILLING TO DO GOING FORWARD TO REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE WITH AN ESTABLISHED POLICY.
THIS IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HOW IT STILL MAKES SENSE, OR IF IT DOESN'T IN THE FUTURE. AND WE LOOK AT ADJUSTING IT.
AND I I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT TYPE OF ACCOUNTABILITY, I KNOW YOU KNOW MY MY COLLEAGUE.
COUNCILMAN FOSTER REFERRED TO HAVING A MILEAGE.
WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, I REMEMBER WITH THE STATE, WE DOCUMENTED EVERY EVERY TRIP JUST ABOUT, AND THAT WAS A VEHICLE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO LOG IN THE GAS MILEAGE.
SO I KNOW THAT ACCOUNTING PURPOSES I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN BAILEY THAT THAT WOULD SUFFICE WITH OPTION ONE IF WE GO INTO THAT RECORD KEEPING.
SO THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS, MA'AM.
COUNCIL WANT TO WEIGH IN ON ANYTHING.
I'M GOOD WITH THAT AS WELL, MAYOR.
LIKE I SAID, I'M DEFINITELY OPTION ONE.
BUT REGARDING ACCOUNTABILITY, I'M GOOD WITH THAT TOO.
AND I. AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IF WE GOT THAT SHOW ME ANALYSIS, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO WORK OUT THIS, I THINK OUR ESTIMATES ARE HIGH.
AND LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER AND THE REASON THIS IS IT'S BASED ON EVIDENCE.
BUT BUT LET'S LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE ON SLIDE SEVEN.
AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE EXAMPLES FROM OTHER CITIES SHOWS, MOST OF THEM FOR THEIR DIRECTORS. LAKELAND IS HIGHER AS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER ABOVE, IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY ACTUALLY HIGHER, 45 BUCKS, SO THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, OVER 10 PERCENT HIGHER THAN US, I BELIEVE THE BUT MOST OF THE OTHERS ARE BELOW THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR 250, 171, 350, 325, 350. WHEN I LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, I DOUBT THAT THEY'RE ASKING THEIR DIRECTORS TO DRIVE.
NO. SHOULD BE HAVING SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES ON OUR CITY.
I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER THE SIZE OF OUR SQUARE MILEAGE OF OUR CITY IN THAT.
BUT BUT THE GENERAL IS THAT THEY SHOULD BE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS SAME TYPE OF OF THINGS, OF YOU KNOW SITUATIONS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE DRIVING THAT MUCH.
THEY'RE DRIVING THE SAME. I DOUBT THAT THERE ARE BEING FORCED TO DRIVE AT A DETRIMENT TO THEMSELVES. I DON'T THINK ANY CITY IS TRYING TO FORCE AN EMPLOYEE TO PAY FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES, NOT NOT NONE OF OUR CITIES, BUT IT IS STILL PRETTY SIGNIFICANT LOWER. AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE DRIVING THAT MUCH LESS THAN US.
BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I THINK THE GOOD THING IS JUST GETTING THE ANALYSIS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID HIGHLIGHT THAT IT'S NOT JUST PURELY COST EFFECTIVENESS, IT'S THAT DOCUMENTATION.
AND I THINK THAT'S ULTIMATE BECAUSE LIKE WE'VE SEEN HERE, OTHER PLACES HAVE SIMILAR POLICIES IN PLACE.
WHAT'S REALLY LACKING IS JUST ACCOUNTABILITY OF WHY.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE JUST GOING TO SAY THIS IS A TOOLBOX AND USE THIS TO GO RECRUIT FOLKS, THAT'S GREAT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY HOW IT'S BEING USED.
I THINK FOLKS LOOK AT IT WHEN THEY'RE DOING IT.
AND JUST THE LAST POINT NOTES WHAT YOU SAID, MAYOR, THERE, IS THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN THIS FLUX BECAUSE IF WE WEREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING, THEN THE NEW FOLKS THAT WERE RECENTLY HIRED SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED IT.
BUT THEY'D ALSO KEEP IN MIND, WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME IS THAT THESE WERE NEGOTIATIONS. RIGHT.
AND THEY WERE FAIRLY THEY WERE MADE AWARE, WASN'T LIKELY.
THEY PULLED THAT ONE OFF THE TABLE FROM FRINGE BENEFITS.
SO THEREFORE, IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THEY WERE COUNTING FOR IT IN THEIR SALARY BEING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN TAKEN.
POINT TAKEN. JUST, YOU KNOW, BY COMPARISON, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'RE CLOSER TO LAKELAND BECAUSE THERE'S 75 SQUARE MILES RADIATE.
SO FROM WHAT I'M HEARING COUNCIL IS THAT WE'RE ALL GOOD WITH ITEM OPTION ONE.
HOWEVER, WE WANTED TO ADD ON THE CAVEAT OF THAT ACCOUNTABILITY OF OF LOGGING IN AND THEN PERHAPS BRING THIS IN WITHIN A YEAR OR FOR NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT WHAT I HEARD? WOULD COUNCIL? LIKE, BRING IN BRING IN POLICY OR BRING IN BOARD OR POLICY AND OR ANNUALLY, ANNUALLY.
OK. YES, SIR. IS THAT IS THAT PRETTY CLEAR? OR ARE WE GOOD COUNCILMAN FELIX? YEAH, I WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
COUNCILMAN FOSTER. YEAH, I WOULD SUPPORT IT.
[00:40:02]
YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO SEE A POLICY AND I DON'T MIND BRINGING IT BACK.SO, MA'AM, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH OR DO YOU NEED THAT IN A MOTION AND A SECOND? NO, WE'RE JUST IN WORKSHOP, SO I'M GOOD.
THERE'S NO ONE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO UNLESS ANYONE THAT'S HERE WOULD LIKE TO STEP FORWARD AND SAY ANYTHING, SEEING NONE, I CALLED THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.
MAYOR, I WANTED TO BRING UP THE ITEM.
AS YOU WERE. THIS MEETING IS UNADJOURNED.
OK, COUNCILMAN FOSTER AS YOU WERE, CARRY ON.
THE COUNCIL, THIS IS REALLY FOR COUNCIL, I WANT TO GET A SENSE, SENSE FROM COUNCIL REFERENCE OUR INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.
FOR THE WORK WE DO, IN ADDITION TO OUR SALARY, WE RECEIVE A INCIDENTAL EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
THE MAYOR GETS 200 DOLLARS MONTHLY, A DEPUTY MAYOR.
IT'S ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS IN THE COUNCILMAN.
THE LAST BUDGET THAT SET THIS RATE FOR THE MONTHLY EXPENSE ACCOUNT WAS DONE IN 2004.
I'D RECOMMEND THAT WE INCREASE THIS IN THIS I MEAN, BUDGET CYCLE.
THE MAYOR MY RECOMMENDATION IS THE MAYOR WILL BE RECEIVING A 500 DOLLARS INCIDENTAL EXPENSE ACCOUNT AND THE MAYOR AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR RECEIVED 500 DOLLARS IN A COUNCIL MEMBERS RECEIVE 400 DOLLARS.
THE LAST TIME THIS WAS AN INCREASE WAS 2004, SO I WANT TO HEAR MY COLLEAGUE'S THOUGHTS ON THIS. DEPUTY MAYOR JOHNSON, YOU WANT TO START THE CONVERSATION? I THINK I WOULD GO BACK TO BASICALLY WHAT WE JUST SHOWED ON THE SLIDE OUT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO JUSTIFY WE HAVE TO SHOW JUSTIFICATION ON.
WHATEVER AMOUNT. MAYOR? OH, YES, MA'AM, MADAM, MADAM SMITH, I KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE BROUGHT UP, AND I KNOW ESPECIALLY WITH, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S POLICY ABOUT BRINGING ISSUES UP AT A PUBLIC MEETING, WHICH IS WHY WE MAY HAVE BROUGHT IT UP, BUT.
WITH A WORKSHOP, YOU REALLY ARE SUPPOSED TO LIMIT OUR TOPICS TO WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA.
SO, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH WE'VE GOT IT OUT THERE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE BETTER IF WE IF COUNCIL WERE TO FURTHER DISCUSS THIS AT THE NEXT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH FLEXIBILITY ON WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETINGS AS WE DO AS REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS AS FAR AS TO ADDRESS ITEMS THAT AREN'T ON THE AGENDA.
AND I HEAR WHAT MY COLLEAGUE COUNCILMAN FOSTER ENSUING, BECAUSE WE DON'T WE CAN'T SPEAK ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHEN WE'RE ON THE DAIS.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THE ADVICE OF OUR CITY ATTORNEY AT THIS POINT.
SO. PERHAPS YOU COULD BRING IT UP ON THE COUNCIL REPORTS ON THURSDAY.
OK, SEEING NO OTHER SPEAKERS, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.