CC Minutes 07/09/2013 Budget Workshop

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Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) construction of the flyover at Red Bug Lake Road and SR 436 should be completed in FY 2014 and ground will break on the FDOT flyover on US Hwy 17-92 over SR 436 during the year. The City has already distributed funds to FDOT to pay for utility relocation and new mast arms at intersections on SR 436 at Oxford Road and at the Plaza Entrance for the Casselberry Exchange. Included in these two major construction projects is for SR 436 to be milled and resurfaced from Lake Howell Road (to the east) all the way to nearly Anchor Rd (to the west). This intense commercial corridor will gain a whole new look. The City will be completing in the first quarter of FY 2014 an extensive water quality project which through the use of pipe bursting will replace over 20 miles of water mains in the City. The project, valued in total at over $10 million, will have been paid for with almost $7 million in Federal and State grants administered through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). The utility will now be shifting attention to a very ambitious roster of capital improvement projects to be partially funded with accumulated reserves. It is expected that FDOT will award about $1.3 million in grant to the City for the construction of Section 3 of the Casselberry Greenway Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail System. Appropriation will occur when the award is accepted. The City will continue to provide excellent solid waste collection, stormwater and street light services with no increase to associated fees. Spectacular concerts and special events will continue to be programmed at no cost to residents. Police Department fleet has been fully replaced and no additional purchases are planned for several years. Savings is now being programmed in FY 2014 for future replacement rather than the current method of capital lease borrowing. The Fire Department will be deploying a new fire engine and rescue vehicle during the first quarter of FY 2014. The City will achieve its many missions with efficient organization and no change to the requested millage rate. A merit increase is requested for most employees that will average 3% overall. That said, the proposed cost for personal services has been well controlled. Through reorganization, as well as, pension and health benefit management, the workforce has been reduced by one from 237 to 236 and the budgeted cost for the General Fund is actually lower than that requested for FY 2013. BUDGET IN BRIEF Preparation of the FY 2014 Proposed Budget called for continued conservation of resources and my thanks are extended to the City's Department Directors who answered the call to keep personnel, operating and capital requests in line with FY 2013 levels. The FY 2014 Proposed Budget City-wide comes to $45,549,075 which is $1,899,686 greater than the FY 2013 Adopted Budget. Spending growth is led by the Water and Sewer Fund where spending has increased by $3.07 million in FY 2014. This increase is primarily due to stepped up capital improvement investment including the construction of a granular activated carbon filter system at the south water production facility at a cost of $2,000,000. It is needed to meet more stringent environmental standards. There are also many other projects planned for water mains, lift stations, and water and sewer lines. Additional capital improvement spending of $1,400,000 will come from the Neighborhood Capital Improvement Fund. It will be used to continue the City's program of neighborhood road rehabilitation. The Casselberry Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has plans for capital investment for property acquisition by $550,000 during FY 2014. The CRA will draw from fund balance in order to achieve this purchase. Spending out of A-2