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IT IS 1800 HOURS 6 P.M.. I'M GOING TO CALL THIS WORKSHOP TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER:]
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WILL BE GIVEN BY COUNCILMAN MIKE HAMMER.PLEASE RISE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
HURRAH! MADAM JONES, MAYOR MEDINA PRESENT. DEPUTY MAYOR JAFFE PRESENT.
COUNCILMAN JOHNSON IS RUNNING LATE. COUNCILMAN HE'S HE'S THROUGH THE DOOR.
COUNCILMAN. HAMMER PRESENT. COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN IS ABSENT.
MISS SMITH PRESENT. AND MR. MORTON PRESENT. MADAM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUBLICLY STATE WHY COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN IS NOT PRESENT? FROM WHAT I JUST HEARD, HE IS HAVING HIS BABY.
CONGRATULATIONS. COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN. WAY TO GO.
NOT THAT YOU'RE DOING MUCH OF ANYTHING. JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE THERE SUPPORTING YOUR WIFE, BUDDY. ALRIGHT. NUMBER ONE ITEM ON THE BUSINESS IS OUR DISCUSSION OF PLANNING AND STRATEGIC GOALS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND
[1. Discussion of planning and strategic goals for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget.]
2027. MR. MORTON, TAKE IT AWAY. GOOD EVENING.THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. APPRECIATE IT. IT'S A GOOD.
IT'S A GOOD START. SO WHY ARE WE HERE TONIGHT? I NEED MY GLASSES, AND I CAN TELL YOU WHY WE'RE HERE. OH, THERE THEY ARE.
SO LAST YEAR, I THINK BECAUSE OF A LOT OF CHANGES IN PERSONNEL AT THE CITY AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU KNOW, ONCE THINGS TEND TO KICK OFF, I LIKE TO SAY THE TRAIN HAS ALREADY LEFT THE STATION. SO THIS IS REALLY AN ATTEMPT BEFORE ANY PHILOSOPHIES ARE REALLY FORMED, BEFORE ANY APPROACHES, BEFORE A SINGLE NUMBER IS PUT ON A PAGE, BEFORE A SINGLE DECIMAL PLACE IS ALIGNED BY OUR WONDERFUL FINANCE STAFF.
WE JUST WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, WANT TO INVITE YOU TO THE CONVERSATION. WE WANT TO INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO THE CONVERSATION. THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT. THAT'S WHAT WE KEEP HEARING. SO THIS IS ALL ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE NUMBERS TONIGHT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ASKING YOU TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS TONIGHT. THIS IS REALLY STARTING WHAT I HOPE IS A CONTINUAL CONVERSATION AS WE DEVELOP THIS BUDGET PROCESS. AND WE'RE GOING TO USE ALL THE AVENUES WE HAVE.
I'LL USE SOME OF THE CITY MANAGER COFFEY OUTREACHES TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW WE'LL HAVE WORKSHOPS. WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR AND TO LISTEN. AND I'M GOING TO SHARE REAL QUICK WHY I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. IF WE CAN ROLL, THAT FIRST SLIDE WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
OR DO I HAVE THE CLICKER? I'VE GOT THE CLICKER. LOOK AT THAT. SO WHY ARE WE HERE TONIGHT.
THIS IS AN ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOU KNOW BUDGETS, NOT JUST A FINANCIAL DOCUMENT. IT'S NOT JUST NUMBERS.
AND I THINK I SAID THIS DURING MY INTERVIEW, YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT BUDGET AND TELL WHAT THIS COMMUNITY CARES ABOUT OR WHAT THEY SAY THEY CARE ABOUT, RIGHT? WE CAN SAY ONE THING. IF IT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET, THEN MAYBE. MAYBE WE DON'T CARE ABOUT IT AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT. SO IT'S A STRATEGY.
IT'S A COMMUNICATION DEVICE. WE'RE TALKING TO ANYONE WHO LOOKS.
THE FIRST PLACE I LOOK WHEN I LOOK AT A CITY IS LOOK AT THE BUDGET.
WHAT ARE THEY INVESTING IN? WHAT'S THEIR PRIORITIES? WHAT DO THEY HAVE GOING ON? IT'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S A COMMUNICATION DEVICE THAT'S MEANT TO INVOLVE THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND HELPING US WITH THE DIFFICULT CHOICES OF ALLOCATING LIMITED RESOURCES TO MEET UNLIMITED NEEDS.
PALM BAY IS NOT UNIQUE IN THAT SITUATION. I CAN GO TO ANY CITY, ANY COUNTY, ANY SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT, ANY GOVERNMENT OR POLITICAL SUBDIVISION, AND THE CHANCES ARE THEY HAVE MORE NEEDS AND MORE THINGS ON THEIR BOOKS AND THEY'RE GOING TO EVER HAVE MONEY FOR. SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT UNIQUE TO PALM BAY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE NEEDS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE RESOURCES.
THAT'S WHY THIS CONVERSATION IS IMPORTANT. HOW DO WE TRULY PRIORITIZE? BECAUSE WHEN EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT, NOTHING IS. WHEN EVERYTHING'S A PRIORITY, NOTHING'S A PRIORITY. SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO PRIORITIZE? TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO START THE CONVERSATION ABOUT A PATH FORWARD. AND IT'S ABOUT USING EDUCATION NOT AS A PEJORATIVE.
WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO THIS CONVERSATION.
WE WANT TO ENGAGE AT EVERY LEVEL, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, WHAT THEY WANT TO PRIORITIZE, THAT WE HAVE HONEST CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE TRADE OFFS THAT WILL BE REQUIRED IN SOME CASES, AND ALL FOR THE GOAL OF ACHIEVING A FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE AND, I BELIEVE, ATTAINABLE SET OF GOALS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 THAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO PLAN FOR. SO OUR WHY AND YOU'LL NOTICE HERE, PART OF WHAT WAS DRIVEN WAS THAT DOGE GOD, I KNOW I SENT THAT TO YOU.
I SENT IT TO STAFF. WE LOOKED AT THAT THAT WAS PUBLISHED BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
HOW TO DOSE YOURSELF. SO WE READ THAT. WE READ IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BRIAN, JASON AND I AND MANY MEETINGS TALKED ABOUT THAT.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST WORDS ON A PAGE. THE CITY SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESILIENT.
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AND I KNOW THAT YOUR GUYS AS HARD AS TO GET THIS CITY TO A PLACE IT'S NEVER BEEN BEFORE IN TERMS OF TAKING CARE OF OUR NEEDS, OUR PRIORITIES AND BUILDING COMMUNITY AROUND THAT. AND OF COURSE, IT'S WHERE COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IS GOING TO HOPEFULLY RESULT IN THREE THINGS A BALANCED BUDGET, REVITALIZED AND A RENEWED FOCUS ON CORE INFRASTRUCTURE. AND OBVIOUSLY, THE CITIZENS DEMAND ROBUST PUBLIC SERVICES FROM US.THEY COME TO EXPECT AND DEMAND THAT WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER CERTAIN SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND TO DO THAT, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE AN UNVARNISHED LOOK.
AT OUR BUDGET AND OUR CAPABILITIES. WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T WE BE DOING? IT'S GOING TO RELY AROUND A STRATEGIC CAPITAL PLAN.
AGAIN, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE? WHAT IS THAT STRATEGY? WHERE DOES IT GET US, WHERE WE NEED TO BE? WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THERE IN ONE YEAR. WE MIGHT NOT GET THERE IN FIVE YEARS, BUT ARE WE SETTING THE PIECES IN PLACE TO GET TO OUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION? ARE WE CHARTING THE RIGHT COURSE? AND OF COURSE, FOR ME IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT MEASURABLE RESULTS, MEASURABLE RESULTS, WHENEVER AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE, WHETHER THEY'RE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, THAT'S THAT KPI OR WHETHER IT'S GENERAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. NOW WE HAVE OUR QUANTITATIVE MEASURES.
THOSE ARE USUALLY EASIER TO GET OUR HEAD AROUND. HOW MANY MILES OF ROAD WE'RE GOING TO PAVE, HOW MANY OFFICERS WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON THE STREET, WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE TIME WE WANT TO A FIRE CALL. AND THEN THERE'S THOSE QUALITATIVE THINGS, RIGHT.
AND IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO GET OUR HANDS AROUND THOSE.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE A NORMAN ROCKWELL PAINTING.
WE'VE ALL SEEN ONE. AND MOST AMERICANS, WHEN THEY LOOK AT ONE, THEY AGREE.
HEY, I LIKE THAT, I LIKE THAT. WHAT IS THAT? NORMAN ROCKWELL? THAT'S BEAUTIFUL, BUT NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHY THEY LIKE IT, RIGHT? IT'S JUST THAT SENSE, YOU KNOW? IT'S RIGHT. RIGHT? YOUR DISCERNMENT, YOUR GUT, YOUR HEART TELLS YOU IT'S RIGHT. AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO ARE GOING TO, ARE GOING TO, ARE GOING TO TREND THAT DIRECTION.
AND IF WE CAN ASSIGN A REASON AND A RESOURCE AND AN ALLOCATION AND A RATIONALE, WE ESTABLISH THAT QUALITATIVE MEASURE, THREE BROAD GOALS WE'RE HEARING AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW AND AGAIN THESE ARE ALL CONVERSATIONAL.
WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT TELLING YOU YOU KNOW, IS I'M HERE FROM THE PUBLIC.
CUT TAXES, OKAY. AND THAT'S DIFFERENT. BUT ALSO ALIGNED WITH LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE.
SO ONE AND TWO HOW DO WE REDUCE THE EXPENSES.
HOW DO WE REDUCE THE BURDEN. BUT NUMBER THREE IS DELIVER SERVICES AND IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
RIGHT. SO YOU MIGHT THINK THEY'RE A LITTLE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
HOW DO WE CUT TAXES REDUCE MILLAGE AND CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES.
THAT'S THE GOAL. THAT'S THE MAGIC THAT WE'RE HOPING TO TO ACCOMPLISH AS A COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, TO DO THAT, IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US TO COME AROUND A SHARED SET OF GOALS AND A BELIEF THAT IF WE EXECUTE A CERTAIN SET OF STRATEGIES, WHAT I CALL LEAD MEASURES, RIGHT. I'M ACTUALLY I'M WHINING ABOUT IT, A LEAD MEASURE OR THE THREE THINGS I'M GOING TO DO TO LOSE WEIGHT AGAIN.
RIGHT? I KNOW NOT TO EAT. I KNOW TO EXERCISE MORE AND DRINK MORE WATER.
RIGHT? THE LAG MEASURES. WHEN I GOT ON THE SCALE TODAY AND REALIZED I GAINED 10 POUNDS SINCE THANKSGIVING. RIGHT. SO LAG MEASURES DO ME NO GOOD. THAT'S JUST LOOKING IN THE REARVIEW, GOING, WOW, THIS IS WHAT I JUST DID, I GOT HERE.
I WON'T WEIGH MYSELF. DON'T DO IT. SKIP IT. ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT ARE WE DOING SO FAR? AS WE. OBVIOUSLY, WE NEVER STOP THINKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
WELL, THERE'S A NEW ACRONYM NOW FOR THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL REPORTING.
BUT BUT YOU KNOW, AND THEN IT GOES TO THE AUDITS AND THEN WE'RE BACK IN THIS CYCLE FOREVER.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE JUST COMPLETED FOUR MONTHS AGO, MAYBE FIVE MONTHS AGO, I GAVE STAFF A DIRECTIVE AND I SAID, LET'S PARTNER TOGETHER. I'D LIKE EVERY DEPARTMENT, NO DEPARTMENT WAS EXCLUDED TO CUT YOUR BUDGET BY 20% AS A STARTING POINT.
BUT SHOW US HOW YOU WOULD DO THAT WITHOUT REDUCING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE JUST GOT THOSE PRESENTATIONS LATE LAST WEEK FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT OVER TWO DAYS.
IT'S ABOUT 7 OR 8 HOURS WORTH OF PRESENTATIONS, AND IT'S A GREAT STARTING POINT, ONE THAT THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, BRIAN, JASON AND MYSELF ARE GOING TO BE DIGGING INTO OVER THE NEXT 2 OR 3 WEEKS AND BRINGING BACK SOME REPORTING AND LOOKING AT, AT WHAT SOME OF THESE CUTS AND WHAT SOME OF THESE OBJECTIVES REALLY MEAN.
THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT PRESENTED ITSELF REMISS NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PUBLIC'S GOING TO LOOK TO US AND SAY, BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT NOT PAVING MY ROAD OR PROVIDING THAT SERVICE TO US, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE INTERNALLY TO, YOU KNOW, TO SHARE THE PAIN IS THE COMMON I HEAR.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO TO REDUCE WHAT'S HAPPENING AT CITY HALL IN TERMS OF OVERHEAD EXPENSE, ALL THESE THINGS, WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT EXERCISE. WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THAT UP TO EVERYBODY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. SO WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THE BOOKS. WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN. IT'S PART OF THAT'S WHY TONIGHT IS HERE TO START THIS LISTENING TO COUNCIL AND CITIZENS. AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SERVICES, MEANING IT'S REAL EASY TO ERASE IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT LINE, WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING, IT'S EASY TO BLINDLY ERASE AND SAY, OKAY, WE GOT $1 MILLION GAP. I NEED TO CUT $1 MILLION.
LET'S TAKE THE RACER RIGHT HERE. THAT'S THE EASY WAY TO DO IT, RIGHT? THE EASY WAY. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS SAY, IF I NEED TO REMOVE OR AUGMENT SERVICE DELIVERY TO STILL GET TO AN END RESULT, HOW DO WE DO THAT WITHOUT THAT INTERRUPTION? RIGHT. SO MAYBE I NEED TO CUT THE MONEY. DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP DOING IT.
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A GREAT EXAMPLE IS I JUST LOOKED OVER SOME DOCUMENTS TODAY.FOR YEARS AND YEARS WE'VE DONE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS. THERE WAS A PILOT PROGRAM LAST YEAR TO TURN SOME OF IT OVER TO THE YMCA.
WE WERE LOSING, I THINK CONSERVATIVELY, JUST FROM THE RAW NUMBERS, $25,000 PER SESSION.
MORE WITH THAT, WITH STAFF TIME, MAYBE CLOSER TO 50.
NO DISRUPTION, SAME FEE TO THE TO THE END USER OR PUBLIC ROBUST SUMMER CAMPS.
RIGHT. SO MY POINT IS WE'RE JUST GOING TO LOOK AT THINGS INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING CUT, CUT, CUT. PEOPLE WANT THESE SERVICES. HOW DO WE DELIVER THEM. BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE BEDROCK TO THE COMMUNITY. IS THE CITY JUST PUMPS AND PIPES AND POLICE CARS OR IS IT ABOUT BUILDING THE GREATEST CITY IN THE FACE OF THE EARTH? WHAT IS THAT IDENTITY? IS IT THE EVENTS WE HAVE? IS IT THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY CONNECTION? RIGHT. WHAT'S THE ROLE? AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO FILL THOSE GAPS AND DELIVER THINGS PEOPLE HAVE COME TO EXPECT, LOVE AND APPRECIATE ABOUT PALM BAY, RIGHT? IT'S NOT JUST A CITY TO BE ASPHALT.
THERE'S MORE TO COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE UNWILLING TO LOOK INWARD FIRST, AS I JUST SAID. AND WE'RE DOING THAT. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INWARD. THAT'S, I THINK, WHAT EVERYONE EXPECTS US WHERE TO START. WE'RE NOT PLANNING ON ASKING COUNCIL TO EXCEED THE CAP. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT. WE'VE BEEN GIVEN ORDERS, AND THE IDEA IS TO COME IN AT THE LIMIT OR LESS, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACT WITHOUT FEEDBACK. AGAIN, WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO BEGIN A PHILOSOPHY. REALLY.
WE'VE GOT IDEAS THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SETTLE ON THAT PHILOSOPHY UNTIL WE HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK WITH YOU IN THE COMMUNITY. SO TO SUM IT UP AND TURN IT OVER TO THE TO THE REAL PROS WHO ARE GOING TO KEEP US MOVING ALONG THROUGH THIS NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS OF BUDGET CUTTING IS EASY.
AGAIN, I CAN TAKE THE WE CAN TAKE THE ERASER, BUT PRIORITIZING IS WHERE IT REALLY GETS HARD.
AND THAT ACTUALLY MANIFESTED ITSELF TODAY IN CITY MANAGER COFFEY.
AND I DREW THAT OUT OF SOME SOME RESIDENTS AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE WANT INFRASTRUCTURE. AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE? YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT WE OSTENSIBLY HAVE THIS WHAT I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST IS LIKELY DON'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL BILLION DOLLARS OF DEFICIT IN INFRASTRUCTURE. WHEN WE LOOK ACROSS THE WHOLE PANOPLY OF OPERATIONS, THE CITY DOES USE INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU AND TO SOMEONE? IT MIGHT BE THEIR ROAD OUT FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE. TO SOMEONE ELSE IT MIGHT BE MALABAR. TO SOMEONE ELSE, IT MIGHT BE STORMWATER. TO SOMEONE ELSE, IT MIGHT BE RIGHT. SO HOW DO WE ALIGN THOSE PRIORITIES TO DELIVER? AND THAT THAT'S WHERE IT GETS DIFFICULT TO DO.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO US. IT'S NOT UNIQUE TO ANY CITY. WE JUST GOT TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S A GAP BETWEEN IDENTIFIED PROJECTS AND MAXIMUM WHAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN ANY ONE YEAR OR ANY MULTIPLE SET OF YEARS. AND THAT'S OKAY IF WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING, RIGHT? THERE'S AN EXECUTION GAP. WE CURRENTLY HAVE ABOUT A $69 MILLION DEFERRED CAPITAL PROJECT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEAR PERIOD IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ABOUT 28 MILLION. SO ABOUT $100 MILLION IN TOTAL FOR EXISTING GENERAL FUND PROJECTS THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT FOUR YEAR PLANNING PERIOD. AND THOSE COULD BE FIRE STATIONS WERE COMMITTED TO SEEING COME OUT OF THE GROUND OR IN PRE-PLANNING STAGES IN, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER GENERAL FUND PRIORITIES.
ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE IS THE FIRE TRUCKS WE BOUGHT LAST YEAR.
NOW WE WERE ABLE TO PAY FOR TWO OF THOSE RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. WE DID THAT WITH THAT RAISE IN THE MILLAGE. THAT WAS A JUSTIFICATION. AND THAT MONEY WAS SPENT ON PURCHASING THOSE ADDITIONAL TWO FIRE ENGINES. THAT WAS AN INCREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROVISION CLOSED A HUGE GAP.
BUT IF YOU REMEMBER, ON THE OTHER ONES, WE DID THAT THREE YEAR ROLL UP, INTEREST FREE FINANCE, FREE TO ABLE TO GET THERE AND INVESTED STRATEGIC ORDER OVER A THREE BUDGET CYCLE. BUT TWO YEAR WINDOW BECAUSE COINCIDENTALLY, IT TAKES TWO YEARS FOR THEM TO BUILD A FIRE TRUCK. RIGHT. SO SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WE TALK ABOUT. AND LASTLY, IT'S GOING TO BRING US ALL EVENTUALLY TO A DECISION POINT CUTTING REVENUE, LOWERING TAXES, LOWERING AD VALOREM OUTSOURCING FOR FEE FOR SERVICE MODELS.
AGAIN, MAYBE LIKE THIS YMCA MODEL I JUST TALKED ABOUT, IT CAN SEEM REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WELL, WHY DON'T WE JUST RENT THAT SERVICE OUT? WHY DON'T WE JUST. RIGHT.
BUT CREATING THOSE PRIORITIES IS GOING TO HELP ALIGN US AROUND WHICH.
AND I USE THIS AS A GENERIC IDEA OF THOSE 48% OF PROJECTS OR THOSE ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE OR THE COMMUNITY MAYBE WANT US TO PROVIDE, WHICH ONES DO WE PRIORITIZE AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING GOES UNADDRESSED IN OUR BUDGET NEXT YEAR? AND OF COURSE, THOSE RANGE FROM ROAD MAINTENANCE, NEW FACILITIES OR WHAT SERVICES MAYBE SHOULD BE FEE RECOVERY, RIGHT? MAY NOT BE A GREAT IDEA TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE EXACT COST RECOVERY IS ON A VISIT TO OUR GYM AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER.
BUT MAYBE IF SOMEONE APPLIES FOR A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, THAT IS SOMETHING OUTSIDE THE SCOPE.
YOU'RE ASKING FOR A SPECIAL CONDITION. MAYBE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT TRUE COST IS INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, $300, IT'S THE TRUE COST OF SERVICE.
LIKE, EVERY DEVELOPER, WHEN THEY GO TO AN ENGINEER, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCE.
IT'S I WORK BY THE HOUR. THIS IS THE HOURLY COST.
THOSE ARE ALL CONVERSATIONS WE CAN HAVE. YOU KNOW, IN PLANNING, SHOULD WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WHERE WE'RE CHARGING BY THE HOUR? SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK WE WANT TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING. SO I'M SAYING NOTHING'S NOTHING'S WITHHELD UNTIL WE'RE TOLD BY YOU AND THE COMMUNITY THAT. NO, WE'RE LOOKING DOWN THE WRONG
[00:15:07]
ALLEY. SO WITH THAT SORT OF LEAD OFF, WE'VE GOT JESSICA HERE TO TAKE US THROUGH THE DISCUSSION POINTS AND AGAIN, SORT OF THE ORIGINATING IDEA BEHIND WHAT WE THINK IS THE BUDGET MODEL, THE FRAMEWORK.AND WE WANT TO HEAR FEEDBACK. AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? THANK YOU. YEAH. I'M SURE. I'M SORRY. GOOD EVENING.
AND THEN KICK OFF THE DISCUSSION FOR THE FY 27 BUDGET GOALS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RECAP THOSE HIGH LEVEL TOPICS THAT YOU WANTED FOCUSED ON IN FY 26.
BUT THEN NOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE TURN THOSE FOCUSES INTO ACTUAL BUDGET GOALS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL GO TO OUR DEPARTMENTS NEXT MONTH WHEN WE DO THE INTERNAL BUDGET KICKOFF.
SO FROM START TO FINISH IT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S COUNCIL ENGAGEMENT. YOUR STRATEGIES, YOUR GOALS ARE WHAT WE PRESENT TO THE DEPARTMENTS.
YOU TALKED ABOUT STORMWATER AND UTILITIES AND ALSO ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE'D LIKE TO START NOW. WELL THE FUTURE IS NOW.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. FROM HERE WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOUR GUIDANCE.
WE DO HAVE A FEW CHANGES THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT THROUGHOUT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, BUT ESSENTIALLY THAT'S THEIR TIMEFRAME FOR GETTING EVERYTHING READY AND PREPARED FOR SUBMISSION IN JUNE AND JULY. WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS AND WE COME BACK FOR AN OFFICIAL WORKSHOP WITH YOU ALL TO BRING YOU THE PROPOSED INFORMATION, AND THEN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, IF YOU NEED ANOTHER WORKSHOP IN THE ACTUAL PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL HAPPEN IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I THINK BUDGET SHOULD BE AN APPROACHABLE TOPIC FROM COUNCIL TO CITIZENS.
MOST CITIZENS DON'T READ THROUGH IT AND UNDERSTAND THE FULL CONCEPT OF WHERE DO MY TAX DOLLARS GO? SO I LIKE IT TO BE A RELATABLE TOPIC. LAST YEAR WE TALKED ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENTS AND RELATED IT TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
THIS YEAR WE'VE HEARD LOWER TAX RATES TRIM THE FAT.
WE'VE HEARD ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS. SO THIS YEAR OUR THEME AND FOCUS HAS BEEN FISCAL FITNESS.
SO LET'S GET FISCAL. THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TRIMMING THE FAT.
WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE CUTS. IT'S REALLY ABOUT CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS TO MAXIMIZE OUR SERVICE.
IS OUR BUDGET GOING WHERE WE NEED IT TO GO FOR THE STRATEGIC GOALS THAT YOU'RE SETTING FORWARD? OF COURSE, WE START WITH OUR CORE STRENGTH. YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND LEGISLATIVE. THERE ARE DRIVING FORCE FOR STRATEGY AND GOALS, SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND COMPLIANCE FOR OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE ALWAYS WANT A STRONGER EMPLOYEE BASE AND PROTECTING OUR CORE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS.
CAN'T FORGET OUR ESSENTIAL MUSCLE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
OUR LITTLE WEIGHTLIFTING GROUP, POLICE AND FIRE.
BUT ALSO WHERE DOES IT NEED TO GO TO KEEP THEIR SERVICES AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE AT? YOU HEARD FROM DEPUTY CHIEF THAT SOME OF THEIR CRIME RATES HAVE BEEN DOWN FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
THEY WANT TO KEEP THAT. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THE CRIME RATES GO BACK UP. WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT SERVICE THAT WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD. OUR ENDURANCE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR TREADMILL AND CARDIO GROUP. THIS IS PUBLIC WORKS, STORMWATER, ROADS AND UTILITIES.
THE FOCUS IS ON STEADY AND ONGOING FISCAL MANAGEMENT SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S PACING OURSELVES. WHAT PROJECTS CAN WE ACHIEVE NOW AND WHAT PROJECTS SHOULD WE BE PLANNING FOR AND SETTING ASIDE FUNDING MOVING FORWARD? THE WHOLE GOAL IS TO AVOID WORKOUT BURNOUT, MEANING WE'RE PLANNING FASTER THAN WE'RE SAVING THE MONEY FOR THE PROJECTS.
AGILITY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH. THIS IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT GROUP.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BEING ABLE TO BE DYNAMIC AND ADAPTIVE TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS.
[00:20:05]
THAT ARE GOING TO HELP GROW OUR TAX BASE AS WELL.AND THE ONE THING THAT THEY TALKED ABOUT A LOT IN THEIR PRESENTATION WAS HOW CAN THEY REALIGN THEMSELVES INTERNALLY AND FOCUS ON SOME OF THEIR REVENUE SOURCES AND REALIGNING TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING THE MOST FROM THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE TO CITIZENS? THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND SECURITY.
SO YOU HAVE OUR MAINTENANCE CREW, WHICH IS FACILITIES.
THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY HAVE OVERSIGHT OF THE NEW CITY FACILITY DEVELOPMENT, BUT THEY ALSO ARE SO VITAL BECAUSE THEY HELP REDUCE THOSE EMERGENCY REPAIR REQUESTS. IF THEY ARE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE PROPER MAINTENANCE OF OUR FACILITIES, WE DON'T GET WITH THOSE EMERGENCY THE CHILLERS DOWN.
YOGA I LOVE THIS ONE. OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
IT'S ALL ABOUT STRETCHING OUR RESOURCES WISELY AND BENDING BUT NOT BREAKING THE BUDGET.
I WILL SAY OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT HAS REALLY BEEN LOOKING AT THE REVENUES COMING IN AND ALIGNING THEM WITH THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE GOING OUT AND MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS WHERE NEEDED. YOU SAW A COUNCIL ITEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO COME FORWARD, WHERE THEY TALKED ABOUT THE DONATIONS AND THE PROGRAM FEES THAT THEY HAVE AND REALLY SETTING UP THEIR EXPENDITURES TO ALIGN WITH THE MONEY COMING IN.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO BALANCE THAT DOESN'T DIRECTLY IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WITH ALL THAT SAID, THAT THOUGHT PROCESS, THE ROLE AND MINDSET FOR OUR BUDGET GOALS IS WE DON'T WANT THE SAME THINKING AND THE SAME RESULTS. HOW WE'VE DONE BUDGET IN THE PAST IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR US, HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE WANT A NEW MINDSET AND NEW RESULTS. SO WITH FY 27, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING BUDGET GOALS, WHETHER IT BE 4 OR 5 OR HOWEVER MANY YOU GUYS DETERMINE THAT HAVE A DIRECT AND MEASURABLE OUTCOME RELATED TO WHAT THE REQUEST IS, IS YOU HAVE A HANDOUT AND IT WAS ALSO PROVIDED OVER ON THE SIDE.
IF ANYBODY NEEDS A COPY OF DIFFERENT BUDGET TYPE GOALS, THEY'RE NOT PIGEONHOLED TO ONE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE GENERIC AND AND BROAD, BUT THEY HAVE DIRECT, MEASURABLE RESULTS.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I NEED X AMOUNT OF MORE PATROL OFFICERS OR X AMOUNT OF MORE EQUIPMENT TO REDUCE MY RESPONSE TIME, WELL, WHAT'S THE TARGET TIME AND WHAT'S THE TARGET PERCENTAGE OF TIME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THAT? SO IF YOU SAY YOUR TARGET RESPONSE TIME IS EIGHT MINUTES FROM THE CALL COMING IN TO DISPATCH TO THE FIRST OFFICER ON SCENE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TIME ARE YOU TRYING TO HIT THAT CALL? THAT'S YOUR TARGET. THAT'S YOUR MEASURABLE OUTCOME THAT WOULD BE RELATED TO THAT BUDGETARY GOAL.
OR WE CAN GET IT. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN INTERACTIVE MEETING.
SO WHAT IS THE RESPONSE TIME RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS THE NET COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE TIME? ON BOTH FIRE AND AND AND POLICE. YEAH. GOOD EVENING.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE AVERAGING BETWEEN SEVEN 3745.
NOW, NATIONALLY, IT VARIES WHERE YOU'RE AT. COULD BE SIX, 6.5 MINUTES, SEVEN MINUTES, DEPENDING ON ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF THE CITY, THE MUNICIPALITY, METROPOLITAN VERSUS URBAN OR RURAL TYPE AREA.
SO ALL THOSE FACTORS COME INTO PLACE. BUT FOR US HERE IN PALM BAY, WE'RE HOVERING AROUND SEVEN 3738, 745. AND WE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE STRIVING TO GET THAT LOWER BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO TAKING THE AVERAGES BETWEEN DISTRICT TO DISTRICT.
RIGHT SOUTH END EXPANSION IS OUR NEW DISTRICT FOUR AND DISTRICT THREE.
DISTRICT TWO, DISTRICT ONE. AND THEN THAT'S A COMBINED AVERAGE OF ALL OF THOSE.
BUT WE DO HAVE AVERAGES FOR ALL THOSE DISTRICTS AS WELL.
OKAY. SO THE AVERAGE IS 630 NATIONALLY, GIVE OR TAKE.
I'M DON'T DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT. BUT THAT'S WHAT I'VE SEEN IN SOME OF THE LITERATURE THAT I'M RIGHT. AND HERE WITHIN OUR, OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WHAT'S THEIR AVERAGE.
DO WE KNOW. I DON'T HAVE THAT. WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FIRE NATIONALLY.
YOU THINK? I CAN FIND OUT LATER. GOOD EVENING.
[00:25:03]
FIRE! OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME RIGHT NOW IS APPROXIMATELY 7.4 MINUTES.7.4? YES. THE AVERAGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE STANDARD, IT'S RIGHT AROUND FIVE.
PLUS SEVERAL OF OUR STATIONS HAVE MULTIPLE CALLS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THAT ALSO HAS A REDUCTION IN RESPONSE TIME.
SO THE NATIONAL IS FIVE. DID YOU SAY RIGHT ABOUT FIVE? I THINK IT MIGHT BE 535. 35. 530. OKAY. I'LL SAY 530.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE IN PORT SAINT LUCIE? BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE OUR CLOSEST TO THE SIZE OF OUR CITY AND WHATNOT, BECAUSE WE ARE AN EXTREMELY LARGE CITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NUMBERS FROM PORT SAINT LUCIE TO SEE IF WE'RE COMPARABLE, BECAUSE, I MEAN, IF IF WE'RE DOING AS GOOD OR BETTER, THAT WOULD THAT WOULD KIND OF PUT ME IN THE WHEELHOUSE OF WHERE I WOULD, I WOULD WANT TO BE AT. I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WE CAN GET THAT AND GET IT SENT OVER TO YOU.
AND HOW DO WE GET TO THAT TARGET IS WHAT? WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO HOW WE REDUCE IT IS, IS WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN, HOW WE GO THERE.
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT HAS TO BE MADE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'M THINKING OF OF THE GUYS AT STATION TWO RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT. AND THE INADEQUATE CONDITIONS THAT THEY'RE ON.
AND THEN NOT TO MENTION OUR GROWTH. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET TO STATION SIX AND REDO THAT STATION EIGHT? STATION NINE? THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THE CONCERNS.
DEPUTY MAYOR. YEAH. QUESTION FOR CHIEF. THE AREAS WHERE WE LACK WATER, FIRE HYDRANTS, DOES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE RESPONSE TIMES AND THESE CHALLENGING AREAS. WELL, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EXCUSE ME, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE LONG RESPONSE TIMES.
THOSE TRUCKS WOULD MOVE A LITTLE SLOWER. BUT THE AVERAGE APP OR APPARATUS, THE ENGINES, THE TRUCKS, THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT WOULD NOT IMPACT THEIR RESPONSE TIME.
IT'S JUST THE THE TENDERS BECAUSE OF THE SIZE AND MANEUVERABILITY.
BUT IF THERE'S A FIRE AND THERE'S NOT WATER AVAILABLE, THERE'S A RESPONSE TIME CALCULATED BY WHO'S ON SITE FIRST OR WHO'S IS IT THE PROPER EQUIPMENT, THEIR CALL RECEIVED TO THE CALL TO FIRST UNIT UNITS.
RIGHT, RIGHT. SO THERE'S NO WATER. EVERYONE COULD BE STANDING AROUND WAITING FOR FOR WATER.
SO A SEVEN MINUTE RESPONSE TIME MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE ACCURATE.
IF THERE'S LIKE A STRUCTURE FIRE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S NO WATER. THAT'S CORRECT. BECAUSE IF WE GO TO WORK WITH A AVERAGE ENGINE COMPANY, WE MIGHT GET ABOUT THREE FOUR MINUTES OF WATER FIREFIGHTING TIME WITH THE WATER THAT'S CURRENTLY CAPABLE OR CURRENTLY IN OUR APPARATUS.
OKAY, BUT YOU STILL HAVE WATER ON THAT RESPONSE.
I'M SORRY. YOU WOULD STILL HAVE WATER IN THAT INITIAL RESPONSE TO HIS ARGUMENT.
THAT TENDER THAT BRINGS ALL THE WATER. YOU WON'T HAVE THAT EQUIPMENT, BUT WHOEVER RESPONDS WILL STILL HAVE SOME TYPE OF FIREFIGHTING TOOL, RIGHT? YOU SAID THREE MINUTES. ABOUT THREE MINUTES. APPARATUS HAS ON AVERAGE IS ABOUT 350 GALLONS.
OKAY. WATER THAT DOES NOT GIVE US LONG TO FIGHT THE FIRE, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A WELL INVOLVED FIRE.
AND THE FIRE CONSTANTLY DOUBLES IN SIZE VERY RAPIDLY.
SO DEPENDING ON HOW IT GOES. I MEAN, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET INTO A ROOM AND CONTENT, BREAD AND BUTTER, KIND OF FIRE AND GET IT KNOCKED DOWN. BUT IF WE GET TO SOMETHING LIKE WE HAD LAST WEEK WITH THE FATALITIES, THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN A LOT MORE THAN JUST A COUPLE OF TRUCKS WORTH OF WATER.
FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE HYDRANTS IN THAT AREA. COPY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DOES THAT CONCLUDE YOUR QUESTION, KERRY? SO IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR HANDOUT, SOME OF THE SAMPLE BUDGET GOALS WE HAVE IN TERMS OF BUDGET, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT, YOU HAVE A SAMPLE GOAL OF MAINTAINING UPGRADES, ROADS, FACILITIES AND UTILITIES FOR LONG TERM STABILITY.
SEEMS SIMPLE, BUT IT'S BROAD ENOUGH THAT IT APPLIES TO MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE THE STUDY THAT'S GOING ON HERE SOON THAT THAT MIGHT BE AN APPLICABLE KPI.
A ONE TIME COMPLETION RATE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR CAPITAL ASSET AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR SEAN SPILLERS ALREADY TRACKS.
[00:30:06]
SO THAT'S SOMETHING HE CAN HELP AT A DEPARTMENT LEVEL TO SET UP AS A KPI.AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE PERCENTAGE OF PREVENTATIVE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE.
IT'S A HOT TOPIC WITH CITIZENS. WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
THAT COULD BE A MEASURABLE KPI. DO WE HAVE A TARGET TIME FRAME FOR GETTING THE POTHOLES FILLED, AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TIME ARE WE HITTING THAT TARGET? SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN TAKE A BROAD RANGE GOAL, BUT HAVE SPECIFIC KPIS TO CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL I DON'T SEE ANY.
YEAH. JUST I GUESS A STATEMENT AND SOME OTHER EXAMPLES FOR, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING ON PAVING.
I THINK THE DENSITY OF THE STREET SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.
IF THERE'S 1 OR 2 HOUSES ON A STREET VERSUS A HOUSE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 70% BUILT OUT, I FEEL LIKE 60, 65% DENSITY WOULD BE A A GOOD FACTOR IN MY OPINION.
AND THEN ALSO LIKE WHEN THE ROAD PAVING PROGRAM BEGINS, I THINK THE SIZE OF THE UNITS OR THE COMBINATION OF UNITS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL TO REDUCE MOBILIZATION AND DEMOBILIZATION COSTS.
AND ONE THING WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THIS BUDGET YEAR IS LEANING INTO OUR INTERNAL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, LEADING THE WAY WITH SOME OF OUR BUDGET REQUESTS, FOR EXAMPLE, FLEET AND PARKS AND FACILITIES.
SO FLEET IS OUR HUB FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE VEHICLES CITYWIDE.
THEY HAVE THEIR PULSE ON ALL OF THE THE VEHICLES THAT REALLY NEED TO BE REPLACED.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO WORK TO IDENTIFY THE TOP 25 OR HOWEVER MANY VEHICLES ARE SLATED FOR REPLACEMENT, AND THEN THEY'LL WORK WITH THOSE IMPACTED DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE REQUEST MEETS THEIR NEEDS IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT AND BUILD OUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CHANGE THAT YOU'VE SEEN FROM THE PAST. WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS ALSO CUTS DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF REQUESTS YOU SEE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CAN HAVE 2 TO 300 OF UNFUNDED REQUESTS.
AND IT'S IN TERMS OF SERVICE LIFE, MILEAGE HOURS RUN.
THERE'S A WHOLE SLEW OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
YEAH, IF THE NUMBERS ARE THERE. RIGHT. BUT NO GUESSING AND NO CORRECT NUMBERS.
YEAH. AND IT'S THE SAME THING WITH PARKS AND FACILITIES.
SO TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST, DEPARTMENTS WOULD SEND WHATEVER FACILITIES RELATED NEEDS THAT THEY HAD TO PARKS AND FACILITIES, AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO RANK ALL OF THOSE BUDGET REQUESTS.
LAST YEAR, IT WAS OVER 150 BUDGET REQUESTS JUST FOR FACILITIES NEED CITYWIDE.
THERE'S NO WAY PARKS AND FACILITIES WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO DO THOSE 150 REQUESTS.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CARRY ON MA'AM.
OKAY. SO TO PUT IT OUT THERE WE ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP.
THIS IS OUR TENTATIVE TIMELINE FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PROCESS.
WE DO HAVE SOME DATES SET ASIDE TENTATIVELY FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS DOWN IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS IS YOUR TIME FRAME INTERNALLY WITH THE CITY.
THE GOALS THAT YOU ESTABLISH AT THE FEBRUARY 5TH MEETING ARE WHAT IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENTS AT THAT FEBRUARY 18TH KICKOFF? WE HAVE MAY 2026 AS A POTENTIAL BUDGET WORKSHOP TIME FRAME FOR YOU ALL.
THERE WON'T BE ANY NUMBERS AT THAT TIME, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST SHOW YOU THE REQUESTS THAT COME IN.
AND KIND OF LIKE WE DID THIS PAST MAY OF THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, AND GET SOME MORE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO NARROW IT DOWN FOR WHAT WE PRESENT TO YOU LATER ON IN JULY. JULY 7TH IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL HAVE YOUR MID-YEAR REVIEW AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET DATA.
THAT'S OUR TENTATIVE TIME FRAME. IF THAT DATE WORKS FOR YOU ALL. AND THEN JULY 29TH IS OUR TARGET DATE TO PUT OUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHEN WE'LL PUBLISH IT. WE HAVE AUGUST 4TH AS AN ADDITIONAL AND FINAL BUDGET WORKSHOP IF NEEDED.
LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WE HAD TO DO A SECOND ONE. IN PRIOR YEARS WE HADN'T HAD THEM.
SO WE DO HAVE IT BUILT IN JUST IN CASE. AND THEN ONCE WE PUBLISH, OCTOBER 23RD IS OUR 30 DAY DEADLINE TO GET THE BUDGET ADOPTION AND EVERYTHING FILED WITH THE STATE. SO DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. ARE YOU BUZZING IN? GO AHEAD. COUNCILMAN HAMMEL. I'D LIKE TO GO ON RECORD OF SAYING YES TO MAYOR RIGHT NOW.
[00:35:11]
YEAH, I, I THINK IT'S A GIVEN. WE'RE GOING TO GO THERE'S A LOT A LOT TO PROCESS THIS YEAR AS YOU'RE WELL AWARE.SO AND MY RESERVATION IS AND AND IT'S WARRANTED.
KEEP IN MIND. COUNCILMAN LANGEVIN IS NOT WITH US BECAUSE HE'S SUPPORTING HIS WIFE HAVING A CHILD.
BUT HE HE NEEDS TO BE PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
SO I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT FEBRUARY 20TH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO TO GET HIS CONCERNS AS WELL.
BUT DEFINITELY I'M I'M GOOD FOR MAY. AND I SEE COUNCILMAN JOHNSON WANTING TO WEIGH IN.
I'LL GET INTO THE REST ONCE YOU'RE COMPLETELY DONE.
BUT WITH MAY, THAT CAN BE OUR CHANCE TO GIVE CLEARER DIRECTION.
SO THAT WAY, IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GOING IN THIS DIRECTION WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THEY WANT TO DO, WE, YOU KNOW, REDIRECT THEM, KNOW THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
AND THAT GIVES THEM THE WHOLE MONTH OF JUNE TO REVISE, COME BACK IN JULY.
SO WHILE IT'S GOING TO BE MORE SURFACE LEVEL IN MAY.
US REVISING WHAT WE NEED TO REVISE. COME JULY, WE'LL BE READY TO GO.
YOU KNOW, FULL SAIL CAN'T BE THAT DEBBIE MAYOR.
SO HERE'S HERE'S A THOUGHT, MA'AM, AND I LAST YEAR AND FOR SEVERAL YEARS PRIOR. RIGHT. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ROLLBACK RATE.
WE'LL HAVE TO BUST THE CAP JUST TO GET TO THE ROLLBACK RATE.
IS THAT SAFE TO SAY WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THE NUMBERS YET TO KNOW WHERE THAT ROLLBACK RATE WILL FALL? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE IT FOR THE MAY WORKSHOP, BUT IN GENERAL, YOU'LL AT LEAST KNOW WHERE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE BUDGET REQUESTS ARE AT, SO YOU KNOW WHERE THE TOTAL THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS.
AND THEN AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION IN, WE CAN BRING IT BACK. SO I'D BE SURPRISED IF THAT WASN'T THE CASE AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE OF WHAT THE TREND HAS BEEN. SO THAT THAT IS THE THE AREA CONCERNED.
AND AS MOST OF YOU KNOW OUR RESPONSE TIMES ARE PRETTY HIGH.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A DEFICIT IN FIRE STATIONS.
AGAIN, I'LL MENTION THAT AND HOW WE DO MORE WITH LESS.
NOW IF I'M TRACKING WHAT WAS ALREADY PRESENTED IS EVERY DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY DEALING WITH OR WORKING WITH 20% LESS OF LAST YEAR. AM I CORRECT OR DID I MISUNDERSTAND THAT PART OF THE PRESENTATION? NO. I THINK YOU UNDERSTOOD THAT WHAT WE ASKED TO DO WAS A THOUGHT EXERCISE TO START THIS PROCESS, AND AGAIN TURNING IT TO FOCUS INSIDE FIRST BEFORE WE LOOK TO TO CHANGE OPERATIONS, CUT ANY SERVICES AT ALL.
NOT SAYING WE WILL WAS HOW CAN WE DELIVER THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE? REALLY GET TO WORK AND SHOW US HOW YOU DO THAT BY CUTTING 20% OF YOUR OPERATIONS BUDGET.
AND SO THAT NOW HAS INFORMED US YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME OF THE AREAS OF EFFICIENCY WE COULD HAVE OR MAYBE IF GUIDED, ONCE WE PRESENT THOSE IDEAS TO COUNCIL IN THE COMMUNITY, WE MAY BE TOLD, THOSE ARE GREAT IDEAS.
LET'S LET'S EXECUTE OR HEY, WE DON'T LIKE THAT.
LET'S, LET'S LOOK FOR REVENUE OR CHANGE OPERATIONS OR PRIORITIES, OTHER PLACES.
AND WERE YOU DONE? I DID HAVE ONE THING. I'LL CLOSE ONE AND AND WILL THAT AND WILL THAT BE READY FOR OUR FEBRUARY MEETING? THOSE THOSE 20%? NOT YET EACH. OKAY. NO, NO, I WANTED TO TRY AND SEE WHEN WE COULD START LOOKING AT THOSE THE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT ALL IT ALL RELATES TO IT PROBABLY MID-FEBRUARY WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING TO SORT THROUGH THOSE RIGHT NOW AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, DRILL DEEP. WE SAW THE PRESENTATIONS. WE TOOK IT ALL IN. WE HAD ACTUALLY EVERY DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR WAS WELCOME. MOST OF US TOOK UP TO SIT IN THOSE MEETINGS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE MY PEERS DOING? HOW DOES MY OPERATIONS IMPACT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT? SO WE TOOK THIS ON AS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, NOT JUST AN INDIVIDUALIZED RACE TO ATTRITION.
SO AGAIN, I THINK IT WAS A ROBUST EFFORT. ALL STAFF WAS ENGAGED.
AND MOVING IN IS THIS HYBRID BASED BUDGET IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT.
I THINK PRIORITIES ARE ESSENTIAL. BUT WE ALSO HEARD ZERO BASED BUDGET, ZERO BASED BUDGET.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN A PERFECT WORLD IS FIRST, WE ESTABLISH PRIORITIES.
INSTEAD OF JUST RESETTING EVERYTHING TO ZERO, WE MIGHT NOT BE DOING EVERYTHING. LET'S ESTABLISH WHAT THE PRIORITIES ARE. WE RESET THOSE TO ZERO AND LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH THAT STRATEGIC GOAL.
[00:40:02]
BUT AGAIN, BEFORE WE GET DOWN THAT ROAD, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO INVITE YOU AND THE COMMUNITY INTO THAT CONVERSATION. I'M TRACKING THAT THROUGH MY MY WHOLE THING WAS IF WE COULD GET THAT IN FEBRUARY FOR AT LEAST THAT'LL HAVE COUNCIL TO START LOOKING AT THAT.YOU'LL HAVE IN FEBRUARY, PROBABLY MID FEBRUARY, I WOULD ASSUME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON. THANK YOU. MAYOR. AND MR. MORTON, THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE ZERO BASED BUDGETING BECAUSE THAT WAS THE INTENT BEHIND IT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING THAT. AND I'M I'M DEFINITELY FOR WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
A FEW A FEW QUESTIONS. WELL, WE, YOU KNOW, WE FACED A HIRING FREEZE, WHICH I WAS IN SUPPORT OF WITH THIS 20% STAFF BUDGET REDUCTION WAS DID ANY OF THE STAFF OR DID THAT INCLUDE ANY EMPLOYEE REDUCTION AS WELL? AND I'LL LET ME FINISH WITH THE QUESTION FIRST, BECAUSE OVER THE PAST YEAR OR TWO YEARS WITH A LOT OF THE WHAT'S THE WORD? I'M LOOKING FOR THE TIMES THAT IT WAS BROUGHT TO COUNCIL FOR THESE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OUT OF NOWHERE CHANGES OR BUDGET CHANGES.
A LOT OF IT WAS STAFF DRIVEN, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MEASURABLES BEHIND IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK THAT QUESTION IN REGARDS TO SEEING.
IF YOU'VE SEEN THAT OR WHAT YOU'VE SEEN WITH YOUR TIME ON AS THE CITY MANAGER, IN TERMS OF I LOST, I LOST THE QUESTION. EMPLOYEE REDUCTION. YEP.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE SAME PHILOSOPHY WE CONTINUED LAST YEAR, NOTWITHSTANDING PUBLIC SERVICE UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING. BUT NO NEW FTES TO THE BUDGET IS MY GOAL AGAIN FOR THIS YEAR. WE ARE INITIALLY TAKING THE ATTRITION APPROACH WHERE AS VACANCIES OCCUR.
IN FACT, YOU'RE AWARE OF OF SOME THAT I'VE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF ONE DIRECTOR RETIRING AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING INWARD AND SAYING, WAIT A MINUTE, HOW DOES IT WORK? HOW CAN WE FOLD THAT DIVISION IN UNDER UNDER AN EXISTING DEPARTMENT HEAD AND SAVE THAT THAT RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT DOWN THE LINE? AND SO YEAH, WE'RE DEFINITELY FOCUSED ON THAT AS WELL AS WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE COMPLIMENT? PART OF WHAT'S GOING TO INFORM US AS TO WHERE WE'RE STAFFING AND STAFFING APPROPRIATELY IS GOING TO BE SOME OF THESE KPIS.
TO YOUR POINT, WHAT'S THE METRIC FOR REPAVING? WHAT'S A POTHOLE? WHAT SHOULD OUR RESPONSE TIME BE? RIGHT. YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE ALL THOSE THINGS. HOW QUICK SHOULD WE REACT TO A CODE ENFORCEMENT COMPLAINT.
ARE WE ARE WE DEPLOYED APPROPRIATELY OVER DEPLOYED UNDER DEPLOYED.
THAT'LL BE A BIG PART OF THE ANALYSIS AS, AS AS YOU KNOW, MOVING INTO THIS YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S A BIG ONE AS WELL, BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS WE TEND TO THINK EVEN WHEN WE THINK WITH OUR OWN HOUSEHOLD, WE MAY WANT THE STEAK AND LOBSTER, BUT WE DON'T NEED THE STEAK AND LOBSTER.
SO SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA. AND I KNOW WE SPOKE ABOUT IT AS A COUNCIL AND YOU AND I INDIVIDUALLY IN REGARDS TO THE WHOLE INSPECTOR GENERAL OR THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF MAKING SURE WE'RE CONSTANTLY LIKE, AS YOU SAID, DODGING OURSELVES OR YOU, YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP.
AND IF YOU'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO LOOK BACK AND CHECK EVERY SINGLE THING, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STEER US TOWARDS THE VISION THAT YOU'VE YOU'VE SHOWN THAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF DOING. SO WITH THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH, NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH, BUT TO SPEAK MORE ON THE CPA POSITION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY DOING OR WHERE THAT MAY COME INTO PLAY WITH THIS AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, I'M STILL PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES AROUND THAT. BUT TO YOUR POINT, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, I ONLY KNOW WHAT I KNOW. RIGHT. AND A LOT OF IT WE LEARN AND IT'S BUILDING TRUST AND DEPTH AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
I DEFINITELY CAN SEE A ROLE. I THINK THAT OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS ALWAYS GOOD. I'VE TOLD YOU I WELCOME IT. I DON'T SHY AWAY FROM IT, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE CITIZENS, FROM YOU OR AN OUTSIDE SOURCE. I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF MOVING PARTS AROUND THAT.
WITH SOME ADVISORY TASK FORCE WE'RE WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH.
I'M GOING TO GET IT WRONG. IT'S 65 DEGREES NORTH OF OR 47.
IT'S ONE OF THOSE LATITUDES. I'M STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THE AUDIT TECHNICAL PROVISIONS THAT WERE MEANT TO BE IN PLACE OVER TIME, AS WELL FOR OVERSIGHT. HAD ANOTHER CONVERSATION TODAY ABOUT SOME INTERNAL ACCOUNTING REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE THINK WE KNOW WHERE OUR NUMBERS ARE, ESPECIALLY. I'LL THROW KEVIN UNDER THE BUS. KEVIN, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CONVERSATION YET, BUT BRINGING IN SOME THIRD PARTY OVERSIGHT TO HELP US GET TO THE TRUTH AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, GET TO THE NUMBERS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE AND MOVE SOME OF THOSE LAGGING OPERATIONS FORWARD.
SO IT GOES BACK TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY. I STAND BY MY ORIGINAL COMMENTS I MADE, WHICH IS LET US GET THROUGH THIS YEAR IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PROGRAM WHATEVER YOU GUYS FEEL IS APPROPRIATE.
AND LET US, YOU KNOW, GET THE LAY OF THE LAND AND GET SOME OF THIS HEAVY LIFTING DONE.
BUT ALWAYS WELCOME OVERSIGHT FROM FROM ANYBODY.
I THINK THAT'S ESSENTIAL TO MAKING THIS WHOLE PROCESS WORK IS THAT THAT IN FACT, I THANK THE CITIZEN OVER THE WEEKEND FOR CALLING SOMETHING OUT AND SAID, HEY, IT'S THIS KIND OF CONVERSATION. YEAH. OVERSIGHT, ACCOUNTABILITY, DIALOG.
[00:45:04]
WE MOVE IT FORWARD. WE'RE NOT TRYING TO MAKE ISSUES. WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THOSE ISSUES. SO I THINK IT'S GOOD. IT'S GOOD. AND I WELCOME I WELCOME IT FROM ANYWHERE. AND I DO WANT TO. LASTLY, I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ON HOW YOU HANDLED THAT AS WELL TOO.SO THANK YOU FOR THAT WITH THE CITIZEN. YEP. YES, SIR.
TRANSPARENCY. YEP. AWESOME. DEPUTY MAYOR. YEAH I HIT THE BUZZER WHEN KENNY WAS COUNCILMAN.
JOHNSON WAS SPEAKING AND MATT ENDED UP TOUCHING ON IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I THINK OUR EARLY CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU AND I HAD JUST SOME BRIEFINGS WITH STAFFING, AND, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THE HIRING FREEZE WAS, WAS A, WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA.
AND, YOU KNOW, NO ONE EVER WANTS TO HAVE LIKE, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT LAYOFFS. AND YOU HAD BASICALLY SAID YOU FORECASTED LIKE THERE WILL BE ATTRITION AND WE WILL NOT REFILL THOSE POSITIONS.
AND YOU'VE BEEN RIGHT TO DATE ON THAT AND IT CONTINUES TO PROVE ITSELF.
SO I JUST I REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION AND IT'S IT'S BEEN A YEAR ALMOST, I GUESS TEN MONTHS NOW.
AND WHAT YOU PREDICTED IS HAPPENING. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR THAT, THAT VISION.
I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO BE CLEAR TO YOU, AND I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE IN ALIGNMENT. WE DON'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT THE STRENGTH OF OUR PEOPLE. AND WE'VE GOT PHENOMENAL PEOPLE. AND SO, YET TOUGH DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE.
BUT WHEN THEY CAN MAKE THEMSELVES. BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TO KNOW WE VALUE WHAT THEY DO, WE RESPECT WHAT THEY DO. I WANT THEM TO HAVE A PLACE. I THINK MOST PEOPLE ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE HERE. THEY LOVE SERVING THIS COMMUNITY, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CONTINUE THAT AND LET YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY TO YOUR POINT, LET SOME THINGS WORK OUT. SO THANK YOU.
I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. DID YOU WANT TO TEE IT BACK OVER TO ABSOLUTELY 100%.
AND THEN WE ALSO COME BACK IN THAT JUNE JULY TIME FRAME.
WE HAVE ONE ON ONE DEPARTMENT MEETINGS WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
SO THAT MAY WORKSHOP IS GOING TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE GUIDANCE GOING INTO THOSE MEETINGS, SO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK TO YOU IN JULY, YOU'LL HAVE A MORE POLISHED PRODUCT OF WHAT THAT ALIGNS WITH THE GOALS THAT YOU'VE SET FORTH.
SO THAT'S IT. I DON'T SEE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
YES, SIR. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK? PLEASE STEP FORWARD. BILL BATTEN, 586 OCEAN SPRAY STREET, SOUTHWEST.
I HAVE THREE ITEMS TO ADDRESS AFTER LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE WE'RE BUILDING TO THE SERVICES THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
ITEM NUMBER TWO. NUMBER OF HOMES ON THE STREET VERSUS RESIDENT SERVICES.
I'VE LIVED HERE LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT THAT WAS PART OF THE PROCESS THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT SAY, WELL, THIS IS THE HIGHEST POPULATION. WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PUT OUR RESOURCES WHERE THE HIGHEST POPULATION IS.
AND I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT UNIT 32, IT DIDN'T GET PAID FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
SO DON'T THINK, WELL, WE CAN ONLY SUPPORT THOSE THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST POPULATION.
ITEM NUMBER THREE. MY FEAR IS WHEN I'M LOOKING AT STUFF AND POTENTIALLY THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, WE CAN'T RAISE SPECIAL. WE CAN'T RAISE TAXES OVER A33 PERCENT CAP.
WELL, WE CAN START USING SPECIAL ASSESSMENT AND MECHANISMS LIKE THAT TO TO BRING REVENUE IN.
THIS IS JUST STRICTLY A REQUEST THAT IF YOU TAKE YOUR AD VALOREM TAX PLUS SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, PLUS YOUR CITIZEN VOTED FEES, THAT WE DO NOT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE STATE OF A MILLAGE RATE OF TEN.
RIGHT. AND THE LAST ITEM WAS AN ECG. I PERSONALLY I AM AGAINST AN ECG COMING TO THE CITY OF PALM BAY BECAUSE THAT'LL JUST BE ONE MORE EMPLOYEE. AND WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING 87% OF OUR BUDGET ON EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING. SO I'D JUST BE ONE MORE EMPLOYEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT.
THE ECG JUST GIVES AN EASY OUT. THAT'S MY TERM FOR STAFF AND I MEAN FOR COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER.
WELL THE ECG GAVE US A BILL OF HEALTH. SO THOSE ARE MY INPUTS.
[00:50:06]
YEARS. IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, I THINK.THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK? NO. OKAY. DEPUTY MAYOR. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AND THANK YOU, STAFF AND MR. BATTEN TOO, FOR YOUR FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YOU KNOW, 20 THE 2026 PREPARATION AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER WAS CHALLENGING.
WE GOT STARTED SUPER LATE, YOU KNOW, AFTER BRINGING MR. MORTON ON AND JUST REALLY THRILLED THAT WE'RE STARTING AND STARTING IN JANUARY.
AND I REMEMBER I REMEMBER THE INTERVIEW WITH MR. MORTON. I THINK HE PRETTY SURE HE SAID IN THE INTERVIEW, HE FEELS LIKE PALM BAY WAS LIKE IN A $2 BILLION DEFICIT.
AND I THINK IF YOU WERE TO ASK THAT QUESTION TO HIM TODAY, THE NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER. AND YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO TAX OUR WAY OUT OF IT. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BUDGET CUT OUR WAY OUT OF IT. AND SOME THINGS I'VE DISCUSSED WITH MR. MORTON IN THE PAST, AND SOME OF IT'S ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THE CITY NEEDS TO SELL ITS CITY SURPLUS LAND.
AND I ALSO STRONGLY FEEL LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT VIERA, IF YOU LOOK AT HISTORY IN BREVARD COUNTY, VIERA STARTED AS A GOVERNMENT CENTER. AND THEN DEVELOPMENT CAME AFTER THAT.
AND PALM CITY OF PALM BAY OWNS LAND IN THE COMPOUND.
AND I FEEL LIKE SOME OF OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES, LIKE OUR PUBLIC WORKS, IS LOCATED.
PARKS AND RECREATION, LIKE THOSE ARE SOME PRIME INTERNAL AREAS IN THE CITY OF PALM BAY.
THAT'S THAT'S VALUABLE. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO THE CITY TO POSSIBLY LOOK AT A GOVERNMENT CENTER IN THE COMPOUND ON THE CITY OWNED LAND, INCLUDING A NEW FLEET FACILITY AND A PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY.
AND THEN SOME OTHER CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD IN THE PAST ABOUT, LIKE, SPENDING IMPACT FEE MONEY, LIKE REALLY LIKE TO SEE AGGRESSIVE PLAN TO SPEND THIS IMPACT FEE MONEY. THERE'S TONS OF MONEY THAT'S SITTING THERE, ESPECIALLY IN PARKS, THAT REALLY NEEDS TO START ROLLING OUT.
AND I THINK THE NEXUS OF HOW THE IMPACT FEE DESIGNATION IS BROKEN, I THINK IT'S BROKEN BY ZIP CODE.
IT'S BROKEN UP TOO MUCH. I THINK THE NEXUS NEEDS TO BE RECALCULATED TO A NORTH AND SOUTH QUADRANT, OR AT A MINIMUM, AT LEAST A FOUR SECTION, NOT BY ZIP CODE.
I THINK WE REALLY LIMIT OURSELVES AND HOW THAT THE NEXUS IS SET UP.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT I HAD.
AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THAT. MAYOR. SO I JUST WANT TO SEE IF I'M LISTENING CORRECTLY.
THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE, YOU MENTIONED PUBLIC WORKS PROPERTY.
YOU'RE SAYING SELL THAT PROPERTY? YEAH. NO. LIKE, SO THIS WEEK, THURSDAY NIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE POTENTIAL OF, OF WHAT THE THIRD FLOOR COULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE.
AND ONE WAY TO GET US IN COMPLIANCE WOULD BE TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST SOME ADMINISTRATION INTO TO THE THIRD FLOOR OF BUILDING E, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT COULD BE A MAIN COURSE ON A MAIN CORRIDOR, COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, COULD BE SOLD FOR, YOU KNOW, A VALUABLE SUM AND PUBLIC WORKS, WE CAN USE THAT AND BUILD A GOVERNMENT CENTER IN THE COMPOUND, WHICH WOULD ALSO SATISFY IF WE'RE AWARDED THE WORKFORCE GRANT BECAUSE IT WOULD CREATE JOBS IN THE COMPOUND, ALBEIT CITY INTERNAL JOBS. IT STILL CREATES JOBS.
WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE FLEET? THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE FLEET? IT WOULD BE A WHOLE NEW PUBLIC. WORKS WOULD JUST BE BUILT OUT. THERE WOULD BE WHAT NOW? ON THE CITY OWNED PROPERTY IN THE COMPOUND, THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF THE RELOCATE. CORRECT? CORRECT.
OH, I'M TRACKING NOW. I'M TRACKING. THANK YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE? GENTLEMEN? I'LL GO FIRST. YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS.
IS THAT TRUE? I AM NOT AWARE OF THAT. IF SOMEONE HAS ANY DIFFERENT KNOWLEDGE.
BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE WE HAVE PROPERTY RESERVE NOW, WE DO HAVE TO DEPUTY MAYOR'S POINT.
A LOT OF SURPLUS PROPERTY, AT LEAST FROM THIS BOOK.
ASSESSED VALUE, WHICH IS NOT THE MARKET VALUE.
THE PRELIMINARY MATH I DID WAS ABOUT $17 MILLION.
SO WE GOT TO JUST FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT DELTA IS BETWEEN ASSESSED AND MARKET.
[00:55:06]
SO ARE YOU REFERRING FOR LIKE FLEET FOR FLEET? YES, I ACTUALLY I TOLD I TOLD MR. MORTON ABOUT THAT BUILDING.IT'S ON ROBERT J. CONLON. IT'S READY TO GO AND WHATNOT.
I'M EXCITED TO HEAR ANY KIND OF UPDATES FROM OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR POLICE AND FIRE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BIG THINGS MR. BATON WAS TALKING ABOUT. FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THINGS COMING IN A GREAT LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR POLICE, FIRE AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT FOR HOSPITALS AS WELL, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M ALWAYS HEARING IS WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THE E.R.
ANOTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESPONSE TIME.
THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE MADE A LOT OF SACRIFICES.
BUT THOSE SACRIFICES WE'VE MADE HAVEN'T BEEN FULFILLED YET.
SO WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THINGS TO COME IN THAT WE MADE OUR SACRIFICES FOR IT.
HENCE FIRE STATIONS, HENCE FIRE TRUCKS. SO I THINK OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE IS GOING TO COME UP ONCE WE GET THOSE THINGS THAT WE SACRIFICED FOR US IN ACTION. AND LIKE ALWAYS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS LOOKED AT. AND WE'RE SPENDING A LOT ON CONSULTANTS.
BECAUSE I DO REMEMBER WE DID HAVE ENGINEERS ON STAFF.
A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'RE CONSULTING FOR, WE HAD PEOPLE IN-HOUSE AT PUBLIC WORKS THAT ACTUALLY DESIGNED THESE THINGS, ENGINEERED THESE THINGS, AND THIS IS ALL THINGS THAT WE DID WITHIN OUR STRUCTURE.
AND IF WE'RE STILL IF WE STILL HAVE THESE PEOPLE AS THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION IS TO COME UP WITH THESE IDEAS AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THESE THINGS I WOULD DEFINITELY ASSESS THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR COMING TO US THIS EARLY WITH THIS.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT STEP FORWARD. I THINK IT'S A GREAT INITIATIVE TO SHOW US THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS.
AND WE'RE TRANSPARENT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND DISCUSS THE THINGS THAT THEY GET SO ADAMANT ABOUT WHEN IT'S TIME TO, TO MAKE THE VOTES.
AND THAT'S IT. I JUST WANT TO THANK THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S THAT'S STEPPED UP ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVING TO HAVING TO DO TIME OTHER THAN THEIR DAILY JOB TO COME UP WITH, WITH THINGS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR US TO DO SOMETHING AND WE ARE DOING THAT INITIATIVE, THAT EXTRA, EXTRA STEP TO FULFILL THOSE NEEDS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR SO DESPERATELY.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JOHNSON. THANK YOU. MAYOR.
I'M IN SUPPORT OF SURPLUS PROPERTY EXPLORING THAT IDEA.
THE NAME OF THE GAME IS REAL ESTATE. SO LET'S LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND I'M TRUSTING YOU ON THAT, MR. MOORE, BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR GAME RIGHT THERE. SO. WELL, YEAH.
YOU YOU'RE LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE, SIR. SO KEEP IT UP.
THIS MAY BE MORE FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW MUCH.
I GUESS ANNUALLY WE'RE DISBURSING IN REGARDS TO SETTLEMENTS WITH RISK MANAGEMENT.
SO THAT'S THAT'S MORE SO ON A DIFFERENT. WELL I GUESS IT TIES TO THIS.
AND THEN ANOTHER THING FOR US TO LOOK AT IS OUTSOURCING.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, I'M GOOD, SIR. I GUESS I'LL JUST CLOSE THIS OUT.
YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN HAMMEL MENTIONED ABOUT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE THIS PAST.
I WILL SAY THIS. I'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE EARLY 90S.
REALLY GOT HERE IN 88, DECIDED TO MAKE PALM BAY MY HOME BACK THEN.
AND IN THE 90S, THEY HAD VISION BOARDS AND, AND WE SPOKE ABOUT POLICE.
AND I'VE SAID THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE SPOKE ABOUT FIREFIGHTERS, WE SPOKE ABOUT PARKS AND RECS AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE GAVE THAT THUMBPRINT ON WHICH WAY WE SHOULD GO. SO TO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE'VE INVESTED IN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY QUITE FRANKLY, WE'VE BEEN BEHIND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SINCE THE 80S.
QUITE FRANKLY, WE'VE BEEN BEHIND OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SINCE THE 90S.
[01:00:04]
AND NOW WE'RE STARTING TO MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF STRIDE.SO I'M NOT ONE TO RELEASE THAT THAT PEDAL. I'M ONE THAT SEES HOW WE HAVE ALREADY GROWN AND WE'RE STILL IN A DEFICIT, AND WE ARE MAKING STRIDES. SO ALL THESE EQUIPMENTS THESE POLICE VEHICLES, THESE WHEN I SAY EQUIPMENT TO TO EQUIP THE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH THEIR LAPTOPS, THEIR BULLETPROOF VESTS, THEIR WEAPONS AND THE WHOLE NINE.
THAT IS NOT THE SAME COST AS IT WAS IN THE 90S OR EVEN IN THE EARLY 2000.
SO FOR US TO TO THINK ABOUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND NOW WE'VE GOT FIREFIGHTERS IN STATION TWO AND IN STATION SIX THAT WE'RE EQUIPPING THEM NOT AT FULL CAPACITY TO DO THEIR JOBS.
AND SO THAT'S THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE ZIP CODES INSTEAD OF THE ZIP CODES SEPARATING THOSE IMPACT FEES, PERHAPS NORTH AND SOUTH. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE OF A LEGAL QUESTION FOR OUR CITY CITY ATTORNEY.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE'RE AT AT THAT. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT AS WELL.
I DID HIGHLIGHT THOSE STATIONS. I WANTED TO MENTION THE PROPERTY SALES THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE WITH DEPUTY MAYOR SAID MALABAR ROAD PROPERTY. THAT'S A BIG COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.
INTERESTED TO FIND OUT WHERE ELSE WE HAVE PROPERTY? AND SEE HOW WE COULD MAKE THAT. BUT TO COUNCILMAN JOHNSON'S COMMENT THAT YOUR EXPERTISE IN DEVELOPMENT AND CITY MANAGEMENT OVER ALL THESE YEARS, I THINK NOT THAT YOU'RE A A CERTAIN TYPE OF KNIFE, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GIFTED IN IN YOUR EXPERTISE ON HOW YOU COULD GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK.
SO I THINK I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AS WE WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING AS A WHOLE.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT, HOW THAT 3% CAP IS TRULY AFFECTING THE GROWTH OF OUR OF OUR CITY IN THAT REGARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT SAY.
YEAH, PUBLIC SAFETY GETS ENOUGH. BUT I PROMISE YOU THIS.
TO EVERYONE THAT'S LISTENING, UNTIL YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOM AND DAD ON A CALL OR TO TAKE CARE OF ANYTHING, YOU JUST CAN'T RELATE. BUT WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, WE HAVE MEN AND WOMEN THAT AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, ARE THERE TO PROTECT YOU AND TO SAVE YOUR LIFE.
AND THAT I HAVE WITNESSED TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M. I'M PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE PASSIONATE THAN MOST.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID WE'VE CONCLUDED WE'RE GOING TO CONCLUDE THIS.
KEEP IT UP, JADE. I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT. I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOUR HUSBAND IS NEXT TO YOUR SIDE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.