Commission Workshop

TOWN OF LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA TOWN COMMISSION WORKSHOP MINUTES Jarvis Hall 4505 Ocean Drive Tuesday, May 23, 2023 5:00 PM 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Chris Vincent called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. Also present were Vice Mayor Edmund Malkoon, Commissioner Alfred “Buz” Oldaker, Commissioner Randy Strauss, Town Manager Linda Connors, Town Attorney Susan Trevarthen, Deputy Town Manager/Public Works Director Ken Rubach, Assistant to the Town Manager Courtney Easley, Director of Budget and Finance Lucila Lang, Special Events and Marketing Coordinator Katie Anderson, and Town Clerk Katrina Adler. 2. DISCUSSION ITEM • FY2023-2024 Budget Presentation Director of Budget and Finance Lucila Lang recalled that in the past, Town Staff has prepared a balanced budget based upon the Town’s operational and capital improvement needs. The budget was then presented to the Commission for review and comments, after which Staff would revisit the document and make any necessary changes. When information is provided by the Broward County Property Appraiser’s Office in July, including new rates, the budget is brought back to the Commission, which sets the preliminary millage rate. Staff would then revise the budget to make any necessary changes, which would then go through the budget process in September. For fiscal year (FY) 2023-2024, Staff hopes to provide an opportunity for the Commission and the community to take a more “hands-on” approach to the budget process. They have reviewed the operations of each Department to determine their recurrent expenses and requirements necessary for the day-to-day operations of the Town. This information will be presented to the Commission tonight to provide an additional level of transparency to the budget process, as well as better insight into budget requests leading up to the establishment of the preliminary millage rate in July. Town Manager Linda Connors added that Staff hopes to ensure as much Commission and public involvement as possible in the budget process. Any ideas the Commissioners would like to see added to the budget this year, or examined toDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 2 of 9 determine if funding is available, are requested at tonight’s meeting. This meeting will be followed up in June to present funding associated with those ideas, and the Commission can decide how these items should be prioritized. This will give Staff a general idea of what would be needed to fund various enhancements based on the same or different millage rates. Staff has removed all salaries, overtime, insurance and retirement fees, and taxes from all Departments’ budgets, and compiled these amounts for discussion purposes. These expenses come to approximately $3.5 million annually. Town Clerk Katrina Adler noted that the Town Commission’s operational costs are relatively straightforward. They include costs associated with Commission meetings, as well as professional services, membership dues, and training. This year’s budget will also include election costs, as FY 2023-2024 is an election year. Director of Budget and Finance Lang noted that in the past, Staff has asked that donation requests be submitted online, followed by in-person presentations by requesters at a Commission meeting. Staff has discussed whether or not the Town would like to place a limit on the amount to be requested, or on total donations. She requested feedback from the Commission on how to improve this process, recalling that in FY 2022-2023, the Town budgeted $71,490 for donations. Assistant to the Town Manager Courtney Easley reviewed expenses related to the Town’s Visitor Center, beginning with contract labor. This cost does not include the two part-time Town employees who assist the Visitor Center, but covers a Staff member who provides assistance on a short-term basis if one of those employees is unavailable. Visitor Center expenses also include promotional materials, service contracts, utilities, and the website landing page as well as any auxiliary pages. Assistant to the Town Manager Easley advised that Staff has discussed holding an optional open house event at the Visitor Center once or twice per year. This would allow the Town’s businesses and hoteliers to provide ideas on how they would like to be marketed by the Town. Town Manager Connors addressed basic costs related to the operations of the Town’s administration. These include employee onboarding, electronic signature fees, operating expenses, and office supplies, among others. The current year’s budget for these expenses is roughly $235,000.DocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 3 of 9 Proposed operational enhancements include employee team-building, a Strategic Plan, and transportation analysis. Staff has reached out to the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to discuss ways the Town may access Broward County transportation surtax funds. The MPO recommended preparing an analysis in which these ideas may be documented so the Town can pursue these funds. While the Town Attorney’s operational costs are typically basic, the Town’s ethics training is usually provided by the Town Attorney’s law firm. If the Commission wishes to decrease the budget, this training could be provided elsewhere. General government expenses include basic items such as information technology (IT) support, insurance, maintenance of service contracts, property management, and ad valorem taxes. Potential enhancements include creation of a replacement program for computer hardware, which would replace this equipment on a staggered basis over three to five years. Other possible enhancements include lobbying services and the mailing of Town Topics to every household. Staff hopes to go paperless in the future with this document. Assistant to the Town Manager Easley reviewed operational costs associated with community tourism, along with costs associated with the Town’s cable channel, public information services, updates to the Discover LBTS website and the Town’s website, social media, music licensing, graphic arts, and the Town’s four key events: the Fourth of July, Boo-By-The-Sea, Veterans’ Day, and Christmas-By-The-Sea. The estimated budget for these expenses in FY 2023-2024 is $300,000. Potential operational enhancements include events, such as Bugfest/Dive Into Summer, Friday Night Music, Kids-By-The-Sea, Movies-By-The-Park, the Town’s 75th anniversary celebration, Dancing-By-The-Sea, Yoga-By-The-Sea, and the Farmer’s Market. The 75th anniversary event will be a one-time occurrence. Town Manager Connors advised that the Town has received the proposed Police budget for FY 2023-2024, which includes a 3% increase over the previous year. Possible enhancements include enhanced patrol services, which would add to the basic Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) services provided during the season. This would provide more Officers on the street during weekends and other busy times. Development Services Director Jhanelle Campbell reviewed operational costs for that Department, which include the Comprehensive Plan, contractual services, office supplies, operating expenses, professional services, and training. EnhancementsDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 4 of 9 proposed for FY 2023-2024 include a nuisance abatement program, which would enable Staff to address problem properties more quickly without going through the lengthy Special Magistrate process. This program would require an accompanying Ordinance. Another proposed enhancement is a multi-hazard mitigation plan, which would include vulnerability assessments and may be helpful in securing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants. It could also help with insurance. A Florida- friendly landscaping program would also help educate the public about alternative landscaping opportunities which could save water. Staff is currently working on creating more public-facing and accessible methods to access information from the Development Services Department. This will include finalization of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map, which can help identify any short-term and/or vacation rentals in a given neighborhood. Staff is also finalizing a Mid- century Modern brochure, which highlights examples of this architecture throughout the Town. A scavenger hunt could be added to this brochure to engage younger residents. Deputy Town Manager/Public Works Director Ken Rubach advised that some recreational funds were reallocated into Public Works in the FY 2023-2024 budget, including beach raking, buoys, and other equipment costs. The recreation account will remain for primary use by the Community, Visitor, and Senior Centers. Most non-labor-related costs in Public Works come from contractual services, such as sidewalk cleaning, tree trimming, bathroom cleaning, preventive maintenance for trees, landscaping, and electrical maintenance, including street and intersection lighting. Potential enhancements include enhanced bathroom cleaning, which began during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Town has contracted with a company that cleans restrooms and keeps them open until roughly 8:30 p.m. Enhanced beach maintenance began in 2019 when the Town began experiencing significantly heavy flows of seaweed. Both the north and south beaches are raked seven times per week. Enhanced pressure washing for the new pavers is another possibility. At present, the Downtown area is cleaned twice per week. Staff proposes that this be increased to four times per week once the new pavers have been installed and sealed. Assistant to the Town Manager Easley noted that many of the costs associated with the Senior Recreation Center have been moved to Public Works. The Town’s contract withDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 5 of 9 the Senior Center operator is set to expire in August 2023. The new contract is estimated to run for the next five years. No enhancements were proposed for this item. Development Services Director Campbell addressed the Building Fund, which has yearly operational costs including building permit processing and professional services. The FY 2022-2023 budget came to $878,000. Possible enhancements for FY 2023- 2024 include going paperless, digitization of building permits, and upgrading the Building Department website to make it more accessible to residents. Town Manager Connors clarified that the Building Fund is separate from the Town’s General Fund and is not related to the millage rate. Deputy Town Manager/Public Works Director Rubach noted that the Town’s Sewer Fund is considered an Enterprise Fund and is also separate from the General Fund. It is funded solely through sewer rates. Basic operations of the Town’s sanitary sewer system encompasses areas south of Pine Avenue and include costs associated with treatment and conveyance via force main from Pompano Beach to Broward County’s treatment plant. Operational enhancements, which began two years ago, include sewer line maintenance. Public Works has lined 37 laterals in FY 2022-2023, of which approximately 20% were near failure. Proposed enhancements for the Capital Fund include an art installation as part of the Town’s 75th anniversary celebration, review of beach portal designs, and beach renourishment, for which the first payment will be made in FY 2023-2024. There will be two subsequent payments for this program. There is also one remaining canal in need of dredging. The Downtown paving of El Mar Drive extends from alley to alley, and the paving of Commercial Boulevard would extend from A1A to the Plaza. This will provide a new roadway and allow for the installation of removable bollards, which can be used during special events. There have also been numerous requests for crosswalks, primarily on A1A. The Town is currently working on the crosswalk at 1800 South Ocean Drive with the Florida Department of Transportation and is considering another crosswalk further north in FY 2023-2024. Roadway paving and refurbishment expenses include grinding and overlay of residential roadways, which are currently being identified. Sidewalk installation has been discussedDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 6 of 9 by previous Commissions. A crosswalk is proposed for Hibiscus Avenue from Bougainvilla Drive to Seagrape Drive. Another potential enhancement is a stormwater rate study. After the previous study, projects in need of funding were identified. Staff is looking at the possibility of grant funding as well. There is also the option of stormwater tidal valve installation for outfall into the Intracoastal Waterway or canals. This proactive stance could help prevent the type of inundation seen in neighboring communities during recent flood events. Staff is also considering changing the lighting of the Town’s tennis courts to LED technology, as well as replacing the fencing around those courts. Deputy Town Manager/Public Works Director Rubach advised that another potential enhancement is an Opti-Com emergency preemption system, which would allow emergency vehicles to change stoplights. This would involve several traffic signals between the Fire Station and the Downtown area, as well as signals moving west over the bridge toward the two hospitals. The Parking Fund pays for the daily operation of the Town’s parking system. A number of cost-cutting measures were implemented in the current year, including removal of remaining pedestal meter heads. The Town hopes to encourage more widespread use of the parking app and use of parking station machines, which would free up Parking Staff for maintenance and enforcement activities. Another possible enhancement would address the Town’s Level 2 charging stations, for which the Town pays for electricity. The use of these stations, as well as the expense, has increased every year as electric vehicles become more common. Florida Power and Light (FPL) would install four Level 3 stations, which are faster chargers. These will be owned and maintained by FPL, and there will be a charge for their use. Costs for Fire and Emergency Services include costs associated with the operation of the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The Town annually transfers some of the monies from this fund to the General Fund. Town Manager Connors explained that Staff requests a dialogue from the Commissioners on any additional enhancements they would like to be considered, as well as any they feel should be removed. She reiterated that Staff will bring back estimates associated with these expenses in June.DocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 7 of 9 The Commissioners discussed the presentation, with Commissioner Strauss suggesting that they meet individually with Staff before the next workshop to discuss the proposed items further. Vice Mayor Malkoon commented that he would like to see the full budget book before making any decisions on FY 2023-2024 budget items. Town Manager Connors emphasized that this is forthcoming; today’s presentation is intended to provide more transparency on how the budget is prepared, as well as to provide an opportunity to add any other enhancements the Commission would like Staff to consider. Vice Mayor Malkoon advised that he will reach out to the Town Manager regarding the potential donation of public art for the Town’s 75th anniversary. Town Manager Connors explained that there will still need to be a budget for art, even if the Town knows they will be fundraising for this expense. The entire expense must be included in the budget, including the portion for which funds are expected to be raised. Vice Mayor Malkoon also addressed donations, noting that most entities which request donations determine the amount requested using a specific methodology. He suggested that this process be streamlined, as donation requests have historically increased. Vice Mayor Malkoon added that he did not know how significant the cost of ethics training may be, pointing out that the League of Cities provides free ethics training. Town Attorney Susan Trevarthen confirmed that this option would be the main alternative to having her firm provide this training. With regard to replacement of computer equipment, Vice Mayor Malkoon asked if there might be lease options for these items. Commissioner Oldaker stated that he would like Staff to evaluate the Town’s Emergency Fund and how it might be increased, as storm threats have become more severe in recent years. He also recommended focusing on development of a program to improve employee retention. Commissioner Oldaker continued that the emergency preemption program might be bundled together in the same category as cameras, electronic speed limit signs, speed bumps, and similar enhancements to create a complete traffic calming system. This would allow the Town to focus on different projects within this category rather than distributing them throughout the budget and addressing them sporadically. He alsoDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 8 of 9 noted that the Broward MPO has previously discussed improvements for the corridor between Commercial Boulevard and A1A as a single large project. Deputy Town Manager/Public Works Director Ken Rubach advised that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have proposed that work be done on the Commercial Bridge. He has requested that enhancements to the corridor be added to that project, which would require Town funding but would also provide an opportunity to take advantage of economies of scale to implement safety improvements. Commissioner Strauss observed that he would like to see the total estimate for each category, as well as a comparison between the proposed FY 2023-2024 budget and the current year’s budget. Town Manager Connors explained that the figures used to create the FY 2023-2024 budget are not yet available; the figures provided for each category are the amounts budgeted for FY 2022-2023. The FY 2023-2024 figures are expected to be available by the next workshop, which will be scheduled in June. Commissioner Strauss suggested that the FY 2021-2022 figures could be shown for comparison. Mayor Vincent pointed out that these figures are available for the Commission’s review. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT At this time Mayor Vincent opened public comment. Ken Brenner, resident, requested that the Commission work with Staff to determine the “best and leanest possible” budget for the Town, noting that Lauderdale-By-The-Sea has one of the lowest millage rates in Broward County as well as high taxable value. He pointed out that most homes and condominiums have experienced significant insurance increases and assessments. With no other individuals wishing to speak at this time, Mayor Vincent closed public comment. With no other business to come before the Commission at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 5:44 p.m. __________________________________DocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB

Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Town Commission Workshop May 23, 2023 Page 9 of 9 Mayor Chris Vincent ATTEST: ____________________________________ ___________________ Town Clerk DateDocuSign Envelope ID: 06D05FF7-1876-4578-9CB3-662DDE5841FB 7/5/2023 | 5:44 AM PDT