TAMPA CITY COUNCIL
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
5:01 p.m.
Budget session
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05:05:41 >>MARY MULHERN:
City Council is called to order.
We are here for our September 21st, 2011 second public
hearing procedure.
I yield to Councilman Reddick to introduce our invocation.
05:06:52 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
We are privileged to have with us to lead us in the
invocation our city clerk, Ms. Shirley Foxx-Knowles.
Will you all stand, please?
05:07:05 >>SHIRLEY FOXX-KNOWLES:
Good evening.
Let us pray.
Father, thank you once again for the opportunity to be here
at this moment in time.
Thank you for your grace and your mercy.
Please continue to bless our council, our mayor, our
administration, our employees, and our wonderful citizens.
Bless this budget hearing and guide our council so that they
do what is best for all of our citizens.
Let us always remember to be instruments of your will.
These things we ask and thanks we give.
Let us all say amen.
(Pledge of Allegiance)
05:08:00 >>MARY MULHERN:
Roll call, please.
05:08:11 >>MIKE SUAREZ:
Here.
05:08:13 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
Present.
05:08:13 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Here.
05:08:16 >>HARRY COHEN:
Here.
05:08:17 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
Here.
05:08:18 >>MARY MULHERN:
Here.
Could I have a motion to open the public hearing?
05:08:27 >> So moved.
05:08:28 >> Second.
05:08:29 >>MARY MULHERN:
All in favor?
Anyone opposed?
Councilman Cohen, our finance chair.
05:08:34 >>HARRY COHEN:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This is the second public hearing for the City of Tampa
fiscal year 2012 budget.
The proposed millage rate is 5.7326 mills which is 4.11%
less than the rolled-back millage rate of 5.9782 mills.
Property tax funds are used to support the general fund,
operating budget of the city.
This fund includes such departments as fire rescue and
police, human resources, parks and recreation, and public
works.
I believe the City of Tampa is going to make a presentation.
05:09:13 >>MARY MULHERN:
Ms. Little, our CFO.
05:09:22 >>SONYA LITTLE:
Good afternoon.
This afternoon, I would just like to take you through just a
couple of brief slides as it relates to our proposed budget.
You have already certificated in two workshops related total
budget on June 9th and June 21st, we presented to
you our historical and projected revenues in great detail.
In addition, we provided you with information on our
projected budget shortfall of 3.5 million.
On July 28th, the mayor presented to City Council a
balanced budget where we filled a 34.5 million budget
shortfall, and on September 7th we held our first public
hearing and today we have our second and final public
hearing.
We will just briefly, in a couple of slides, go over the
proposed 2012 budget, in particular highlighting the millage
rate and capital improvement plan.
The city's proposed budget is a total of $765.4 million, and
this is a decrease after 34.7 million over the prior fiscal
year.
This has occurred because we have trimmed and cut back our
overall budget.
As you can see, the large blue area reflects our general
fund of being the largest component of all of our overall
budget.
And this is largely attributable to property taxes which is
on revenue extreme for the City of Tampa.
Other revenues included in our general fund our sales taxes,
franchise fees, permit fees, occupational license fee.
Another very large component of our overall budget is
attributable to our enterprise fund which comprises 36%.
Our enterprise funds are water, wastewater, solid waste and
parking.
As it relates to our general fund expenditures, they total
just under $358 million with the largest component being
attributable to our public safety at 59% of our total
general fund expenditures.
We also have central government, which are our normal
operating expenditures, or nonenterprise costs that are a
part of our general fund expenditures, parks and recs,
public works, economic development, and CIP vehicles.
For the fourth previous fiscal years, our millage rate has
been 5.7326 mills, and for the fifth consecutive year we are
proposing that we maintain that same millage rate.
Again, this is a very large component of our budget, and we
use these funds primarily to cover our public safety
expenses.
Our capital improvement program as part of the budget is a
five-year plan and under Florida statutes we are required to
obtain approval from the Hillsborough County, city-county
Planning Commission.
And on September 13th we received written approval of
our plan as a part of the overall comprehensive plan for the
county.
So we are certainly in compliance as far as receiving that
approval.
You will note here that under the five-year plan, we have
numerous items that again are fully detailed in your actual
budget book, but we wanted to provide with you an overview
by category of the amounts budgeted during this five-year
plan.
In particular, you will note that parks and rec, we are
budgeting over $18 million.
Public works, 13 million.
Transportation 55 million and another line item I would like
to highlight is investing in neighborhoods at just over --
just under $63 million for the five-year period.
For 2012
In this investing in neighborhoods category
We have increased
Our budget for that category over the prior year by
$2.4 million for a total of 12.4 million in fiscal year
2012.
Again, all of these items and particular projects are
highlighted in the full blown budget book.
And with that, I would open it up to questions whenever
appropriate, Madam Chair.
05:14:10 >>MARY MULHERN:
Any questions from council?
Councilman Reddick?
05:14:20 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Thank you for your presentation.
I just want to follow up from the first hearing.
Council appointed a citizens committee to make
recommendations.
They came back at the first hearing with several
recommendations that I felt was pretty good that we needed
to take under consideration.
My question is, have you had a chance to review those
recommendations, or do you plan to implement any of those
recommendations from the citizens advisory committee?
05:14:58 >>SONYA LITTLE:
Yes, sir.
First of all, I would like to thank all of the advisory
committee members for their participation on the committee.
They did do a fine job.
They asked a lot of tough questions and made some great
recommendations, and we are taking them under consideration,
Councilman, but I would like to update you on just a few
things that are already underway, if I may.
As it relates to our solid waste, I believe very early on
during our budget briefing starting back as early as June,
we notified council that there was some strain as it relates
to solid waste and parking.
Queer currently underway with internal studies as it relates
to both those systems in its entirety, and we hope to,
within the next couple of weeks, come back with a proposal
that's to remedy some of the concerns related to those two
systems.
And I believe that was one of the -- two of the items that
the advisory committee did point out and rightfully so.
I believe that there was some discussion regarding parks and
rec's and fees, and I am aware that the administration and
the department are reviewing those requests and suggestions
as well.
Thank you.
05:16:14 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilman Cohen.
05:16:17 >>HARRY COHEN:
To follow up on Mr. Reddick's question, I
believe also that the committee recommended that we make
changes in the giving longevity bonuses to employees, and if
I remember correctly the mayor actually made a change in the
policy that the city follows in determining who is eligible
for those longevity bonuses in that future hires will no
longer be eligible.
That is correct?
05:16:49 >>SONYA LITTLE:
That is correct.
And there was also a decrease over what's currently in our
policy for the new hires as far as sick leave pay as well.
As a part of the mayor's -- okay, thank you.
I do want to just point out it is as it relates to
nonbargaining units.
Thank you.
05:17:14 >>MARY MULHERN:
Any other questions?
Thank you.
Is there anyone from the public that wishes to speak?
05:17:30 >> Jarvis El-Amin.
Good afternoon, council.
So glad that you are here for the final budget hearing.
I have come back with some similar concerns, and this time
it's more sympathy for parks and recreation.
Okay, she's here.
I hope that we can get some more direct answers from her.
Ragan Park in particular went from about 180, 190, for
nonprofits to $500.
So for our youth in the urban core that we try to keep
getting messed up with the system, nonprofit organizations,
such as youth organizations, East Tampa civic association,
all the other community organizations that try to do things
for young people, cannot afford.
Nonprofit raising money can afford to be $500 for youth
activity.
And when we call a place a community center, it should be
available for the community.
And if you are not a nonprofit, it's better $628.
I hope that is directed -- directors are listening.
Perhaps what we can do, council, is take some of the $18
million from the capital improvement that the CFO just said
that she's going to spend on capital improvement.
I'm sure you all heard the presentation.
Take a look at that $18 million, drop the fees down so that
the community can take part, make it pretty so people can
use it.
It's about 14% of the total budget, parks and rec.
And parks and rec is important.
So let's get some clearance from Mrs. Palus, our director
and staff, and last time I was here, I have to be honest
with you, it wasn't very clear.
Everybody seemed to have been talking in riddles.
So I been bringing my little book so can we get some clear
and precise answers?
And that was voted by the citizens to deal with the budget.
That's your main task.
Not ribbon cutting.
Thank you.
05:19:57 >>MARY MULHERN:
Mr. El-Amin, did you have a question for
him ever?
05:20:09 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
Yes.
On one part where you said about speaking in riddles, I am
not sure what you are referring to.
05:20:17 >> Oh, I was talking to the parks and recreation director,
but I was talking to staff.
05:20:24 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
I thought we have all been pretty clear.
05:20:28 >> Making the final determination.
05:20:32 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
Because we talked extensively about the
things --
05:20:36 >> Talking about $507 here, do you get a car, you go to the
pool, you got $50, if you come in this time it's free,
that's free, you know.
But clear and concise, what's the deal?
05:20:52 >> And I think we talked about here on the dais at the last
budget hearing and also talked about when Mrs. Palus was
delivering some staff reports over the several months that
we have been here, the schedule of fees is very complicated.
And it is sometimes a matrix that you need a Ph.D. and a
flow chart to figure out.
So if we could work on clarifying that fee schedule, or I
don't know if I want to say simplifying the fee schedule,
that would help.
Another thing that would help would have the Web site
accurately depict what is currently the fee schedule,
because I know sometimes I have gone to the Web site, not
only of the Parks Department but several of our other
departments, to look at things and the information isn't
either right there in front of you, you have to dig for it,
it's hard to get to, so in the effort of good communication,
maybe we can work on some of those things.
05:22:01 >> One suggestion was also the boards at the recreation
center itself for people that don't go to the Web site.
Thank you.
05:22:09 >>MARY MULHERN:
Mr. El-Amin.
One other question.
I wasn't clear.
I may not have been listening but -- close enough.
Councilwoman Montelione talked about the fees and the
structure and the complexity of trying to figure it out.
But I thought I heard you talking about the rental fee.
05:22:36 >> That's what I want to put, the laser beam was on.
I was using Ragan Park for an example of the community
center.
For a nonprofit it's citizen 500.
It was about 120.
And now you go from 120 to 500 dollars.
And if you are not a nonprofit, 628.
And utilities from the community and nonprofits would
develop to community projects, you know, giving gifts back.
So if they can find some money to decrease from the capital
improvement and just put some of that money in for a buffer
to lower the fees and get more -- you have low fees, more
people use it, you still make the moneys.
05:23:21 >> Okay, yeah:
I wanted to hear what those numbers were.
Thank you.
Oh, Councilwoman Capin.
05:23:31 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
Yes, I'm glad you brought up the board,
because you reminded me that than is what I suggested at our
last meeting.
And I was informed that all the centers have computer labs
there.
They may not be available all the time.
So the board will be very helpful.
Thanks for reminding us.
05:23:51 >> I remember than you was the council lady that said that,
and I can jumping with joy.
Because being on the board, you know, really key information
out there.
Anybody else?
I don't want to keep turning back around.
[ Laughter ]
05:24:10 >> It looks like you have a chance to leave now.
No one is asking questions.
[ Laughter ]
05:24:15 >> Leave while I can.
05:24:16 >>FRANK REDDICK:
I am going to wait till you sit down, then
I am going to call him back up.
Madam Chairman, before she speaks, could we, once she's
finished, is it possible we could have the parks and
recreation director to come before us?
05:24:33 >>MARY MULHERN:
Let's hear public comment.
And then we can ask Ms. Palus if she could update us.
05:24:39 >> Good evening, council.
I'm elder Michelle Patty.
Before we get started, I'm red representing a group of
people and I would like to ask for two extra minutes if
possible because they are asking me to be their spokesperson
tonight.
05:24:51 >>MARY MULHERN:
What's the pleasure of council?
Looks like you are the only other person who wants to speak.
05:25:05 >> And I promise not to give a sermon.
05:25:07 >>MARY MULHERN:
Mr. Shelby, did you want us to vote on
that?
05:25:14 >>MARTIN SHELBY:
Normally there's a speaker waiver form for
a public hearing.
Council can choose to waive that to expedite things if those
people who are waiving their time one just acknowledge that
they are doing that.
Could you just raise your hand?
And -- well, there's more than two hands.
You want how many minutes total?
05:25:30 >> Just five.
I might not need them.
05:25:33 >>MARY MULHERN:
And before you start, were there not forms
in the hallway?
Because we talked about that last night.
05:25:40 >> It's just a formality.
I just want to know if they were out there in the hallway.
05:25:46 >>MARY MULHERN:
If you find them on are your way out, go
ahead and fill them out for our record.
Thank you.
05:25:52 >> First of all, I would like to say we appreciate the
opportunity to speak to you tonight.
The last time that we were here as brother Johnson stated,
Mrs. Palus stated some things that were not just correct,
and we would just like some clarification.
First of all, $15 seems like nothing.
And in the way she spoke with that jolly face and that
happiness and that warm and fuzzy.
But we got to realize that the State of Florida has one of
the highest unemployment rates, and we are losing -- our
homeless people are being fed outside daily as I stand here.
So $15, $50 for a family of four, there's a difference in
whether a family eats and whether people understand it or
not, the EBT card does not pay for clothes, deodorant, the
necessities of life.
So what we have is the haves and the have nots.
There's a lot of children that are being turned away from
the park, because when they come, whether they want to play
hoops or not, they have to have a card in order to play.
Taxpayers are saying, why can't Johnny play basketball or do
whatever without that card that I expect for him to have at
the YMCA but didn't have it here at the park?
By the time I reached home, I received numerous calls from
the seniors saying, don't leave them out, because they have
not been able to utilize the park, and the information that
I gave you that I received from Mrs. Palus is that the last
trip, the very last trip that the seniors were able to take
was a trip that I paid for.
My business paid for these seniors to go on a field trip.
They were not able to gone to the strawberry festival or do
anything because they are being charged $25 an hour to rent
a van, and I have been told by Mrs. Palus that the van
driver is already on the clock, and that's some kind of
recovery fee.
Then there's also a fee of $15 for the vehicle.
Then we go to a dollar per person to be ride the van one
way.
A dollar per person inside the city.
If they want to go to the strawberry festival, it is $2 a
head.
There's just too much taxing of our citizens who are on a
fixed, low-income budget.
We are talking about doing the budget, but we are doing it
off the backs of our seniors and our children, and that is
not fair for a city that is so great that we can bring in
the national Republican convention here, and throw our
seniors and children out to the wolves.
That's not conducive and should not be of this council.
So what we need to do is make the City of Tampa friendly
year round, year round, not just when we have a Super Bowl
or when we have special guests.
The citizens pay taxes, need to have a better break than
what they are receiving now under this plan.
So these are things -- and I am being told that the seniors
are not utilizing the parks anymore.
They used to go out there every day.
They used to receive their meals out there.
There's a lot of seniors that don't have children.
They don't have family.
So this park was their way of staying alive, whether you
realize it or not, at 70, 380.
My mother-in-law lives out there.
She's 87.
This is her connection to her friends and it brought joy to
them, gave them a chance to speak and talk to one another.
So I'm asking that you not take it lightly.
I'm really disappointed in saying that Councilman Miranda is
still out sick, and because he seemed to understand what is
going on with the seniors in our community.
So if you all could just look at that, and once again, Ragan
Park, and not only Ragan Park, all your facilities, and Mrs.
Palus tried to tell me that this happened several years ago.
And I beg to differ.
The park rates didn't go up seven years ago.
My organization just utilize dollars it at $127 and we had
children galore that came to this event.
And one of the things that the police were complaining about
would Ybor City.
So we stepped up as a nonprofit organization spending money
out of our pocket to keep the youth off the street, and now
the City of Tampa has driven them back to Ybor City and
other places, and they are being killed at alarming rates in
this city.
And you know my personal testimony, losing a child and a
grandson.
So what I'm here speaking on behalf of those who can't come
down at 5:00, at 5:00.
They are getting off work, some folks.
They don't get off till 5:00.
But you have a meeting at 5:00.
And that's not community friendly either.
So I hope that you all would take consideration on what we
are asking you all to do and are more community friendly.
Thank you.
(Bell sounds).
05:31:01 >>MARY MULHERN:
Thank you.
Councilwoman Capin has a question.
05:31:07 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
Mrs. Patty, your events that you put on are
free.
05:31:10 >> Sometimes they are and sometimes they are not because we
do provide security guards, and we pay the security guard,
we pay the deejay, but it's a very nominal fee that they pay
to get in and those that can't afford it, we come and we
turn no child away.
05:31:26 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
So there is a charge?
05:31:29 >> Yes, ma'am.
Those that can, they pay.
05:31:31 >> Is it a general charge or depends on how much the cost
was to put on the event?
05:31:37 >> No.
What we do is we put out $5 ahead.
If they come to the door and can't go in, I go in my pocket
and I pay the difference for the rental, for the deejay, for
the security.
I pay that out of my pocket.
And I don't think we have made a dollar in any event that we
made.
I have gone into my pocket and paid it.
05:31:57 >> I understand that.
Do you have numbers as to the amount of children that came
in free and the amount -- and the total amount that came to
your event?
05:32:07 >> Yes, we can provide that information for you.
Yes, ma'am.
05:32:09 >> I was just curious as to how that works.
Thank you.
05:32:18 >>FRANK REDDICK:
You caught me at the wrong time.
Mrs. Patty, let me ask you, because just clarify this for
me.
You say vehicles used citizen 25 an hour.
That's transport?
05:32:40 >> This is seniors.
It's our seniors who want to go from Port Tampa to Ragan
Park.
And used to do that for Thanksgiving, like history month.
Not only the seniors but the children.
It's $25 per hour charge.
So if you go at least three to four hours.
05:33:01 >> Who pays $25, the passengers in the vehicle?
05:33:04 >> Of course.
05:33:08 >> And these are city vehicles?
05:33:10 >> Yes.
I was under the impression that some of them were donated
from transportation, that these vans was donated.
I'm not 100 percent sure.
But that's what I was told.
And the driver don't get the money.
He's already on the clock, he or she is on the clock.
05:33:24 >> All right, this is where I want to ask staff a question.
05:33:27 >> Can I ask a question of you, Mrs. Patty, to get more on
this?
So it's $25 an hour for the vehicle total?
05:33:35 >> Yes.
05:33:36 >> So if you are going for four hours --
05:33:38 >> It's 100.
Yes.
Per.
And don't forget the dollar ahead for one way, and two
dollars ahead for out of the city.
I can't afford that.
Our seniors can't.
05:33:51 >>MARY MULHERN:
Any other questions for Mrs. Patty?
05:33:55 >>HARRY COHEN:
The dollar is in addition to the 25?
05:33:57 >> Yes, sir.
And the $15 per vehicle.
So why 25 plus 15 plus a dollar plus two dollars?
And where is the money going?
If we can get a clarification on that.
Why so much?
And what are they doing with it?
05:34:14 >> Mrs. Palus?
You don't very much to come back to the mike.
I just want to make a statement.
Our chief is sitting there, and one thing you did mention
was crime and murders.
And I adopt want -- anytime somebody makes a statement like
that just in general without any numbers to support it, I
want to make sure that we remind the community and remind
those who might be watching than our crime rate is down
across the city 67%?
61.5%.
And losing even one child, and the police chief will back me
up on this, is too much.
But I just want to make sure --
05:35:08 >> That clarification --
05:35:10 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
The statement is made, it just makes it
sound to the general public like Tampa is a really dangerous
place to be.
05:35:16 >> Well, when you look at my community, it's a reality.
05:35:19 >> My community as well.
05:35:22 >> You can see the pictures where we are still looking for
killers of young people that has not reached the age of 18.
So it is a reality.
And we are not trying to put a blemish on the City of Tampa,
but that's a fact in the community.
And everyone don't die but they are hurt.
05:35:38 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
I understand that.
I just want -- I just want to make sure that we are not just
making general statements and --
05:35:47 >> One is too many.
05:35:48 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
That's right.
And I just think we need to hear from Mrs. Palus.
05:35:53 >>MARY MULHERN:
Thank you.
Is there anyone else from the public who wishes to speak?
Mrs. Palus?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Please, if you want to speak, please come up.
This is the time for the public to speak.
So if you want to speak, be ready.
05:36:12 >> I'm ready.
Will do.
Good evening, City Council.
Madam Chair.
I want to reiterate --
05:36:20 >> I'm sorry.
05:36:21 >> Michael Lewis with first victory church, 2801 east
17th Avenue, Tampa, Florida 336074.
And I serve as the pastor of first victory of faith church
located on 29th street, the corner of 29th and
17th Avenue.
And I rose to reiterate real quickly what elder Patty has
already said.
If there's not some type of reform, and major reform, a
revolution with these parks, kids have nowhere to go.
You have already moved staff from 17th, 18th street
park.
That's no staff there.
And during the summer months, our church is right there.
And these kids have nowhere to go.
They cannot afford YMCA.
They cannot afford the various other summer programs.
I understand that the budgets are tight.
But the way we are budgeting our money, giving tons of money
already to public safety, which is needed.
But surely some of that, and the economic development money
should be going to keep these parks open, keep developing
communities for these children.
You just have been no idea how encompassing it is to see so
many of these kids during the summer months after school and
there's nowhere to go.
Many of the parents are working.
There's nowhere to go.
And I just could not sit there.
I have to overemphasize that something has to be done to
keep these parks, not just a place of recreation.
It's a safety place.
When I grew up, my mother worked two jobs.
The park was all we had.
And it's a place of safety, it's a place of education.
And to all who is listening and looking, we have to
reprioritize our priorities and look again at empowering and
helping these parks stay open.
Okay.
05:38:33 >>MARY MULHERN:
Thank you.
Don't go away.
Councilman Reddick.
05:38:37 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Thank you, Mr. Lewis.
I was at a point where I thought we was getting ready to
bring closure to one issue and now you just opened another
issue.
Now, you say 17th Avenue park?
05:38:56 >> I believe that's 18th street.
05:38:58 >> And this is a recreation facility, the rec center?
05:39:04 >> Al Barnes park.
05:39:07 >> Okay, on 17th street.
There's in a staff at that park?
05:39:10 >> No, you all took the staff away.
05:39:12 >> Well, don't say y'all.
[ Laughter ]
I think it's been a year, two years now, there's no staff
there at all.
There used to be a place during the summer months where the
kids could come and get their summer lunch, and I don't
think that's there anymore either.
05:39:36 >> And that park, I know, used to have a lot of activities
out there.
That's one that is adjacent from Reverend Scott's church, if
I am correct.
05:39:46 >> Yes.
05:39:48 >> And they utilize that park a lot.
And now then is during the weekday, there's nobody there,
what you are saying, no staff at all? Okay.
Well, I wanted to get clarification on that, because when
the parks and rec director comes up.
05:40:07 >> And if she wouldn't mind responding, also, we have
attempted to contact parks to be try to be rent facilities
for some of our church events, and that is a very difficult
task, A, getting in touch with someone, getting the exact
ount, getting clarification, getting phone calls back.
It is extremely difficult to be get understanding when you
are trying to do something as a nonprofit organization to
cooperate with that office.
05:40:37 >> Thank you.
05:40:38 >>MARY MULHERN:
Mr. Lewis, please wait if council has any
questions.
Councilman Cohen.
05:40:50 >>HARRY COHEN:
Is it your view that the reason that people
are unable to access the parks is because the $15 is
unaffordable and, therefore, it's a deal breaker?
05:41:04 >> I think it's a combination of that, and you don't have
staff there who can help foster relationships in the
community.
When I grew up, we went to the park.
The staff is almost like a big brother.
It was almost like a parent for you, you know.
They had influence in your life.
So I think it's a combination with a $15 charge, which is a
major deal breaker, because you are dealing with
impoverished people, people that don't have that kind of
accessible money to be paying that.
So in addition to that, and no staff there, makes a big
difference, yes.
05:41:44 >>MARY MULHERN:
Thank you, Mr. Lewis.
Is there anyone else from the public who wishes oh to speak?
05:41:53 >> Madam Chair, council, my name is Michael Hadley, P.O. Box
1132 Tampa, Florida 33680.
I would like to bring to your attention that this is not
just the city parks, I don't know if you have been in
Hillsborough County, but this community from the city to the
county.
The gentleman say that kid are growing up on the park.
Let me give you an example.
I do security for one of the city's property, Moses White,
in Seminole.
Well, across the street, Nuccio park, there's no staff.
It's just a building.
They got the Nuccio boards, 56th street, and they sit
there at that park, and now recruiting teens, 15, 12 years
old, because they can't get into the park.
They have to jump the fence.
They are not safe.
Now, you made a statistic, 65% crime down from what?
You know, the City of Tampa and the community, for parks
where you can walk, there has to be a safety net.
They need this.
16, 17 years old locked in their apartment?
That's not humane.
I know you want to do the right thing but how do we do the
right thing?
You have a city budget.
Hillsborough County.
I know there's a collaboration going on.
What can we do collectively?
Not let's do what we can do, what we can't do, but what
could we do to provide this service to good people in need?
And I don't think it's any malice but sometimes we have to
think outside the box, looking at numbers.
I look at your budget.
And we did 10,000 into the Sports Authority and all these
different across the boards, and you ought to have look at
what's important.
Because every kid that we put in jail, every kid that breaks
into somebody's house, every day that kid is strong armed
where we could have stayed, that's more money that you have
to take him from one place to try to rehabilitate somebody
else.
Because they are going to be in somebody's house.
I don't care what kind of gated community you live in.
Nobody is protected.
Thank you.
05:44:40 >>MARY MULHERN:
Thank you.
Is there anyone else who wishes to speak?
Mrs. Palus?
05:44:47 >>KAREN PALUS:
Good he can.
Karen Palus, parks and recreation director.
I am going to try to take them item by item for everyone to
make sure we are clear.
I did do a nice layout with all the information for Mrs.
Patty and sent that to her back on the 14th, and also to
Councilman Reddick's office.
They had a copy of all the information they requested, and
shared with them just the excerpts from the fee schedule, so
they would have that information, and if there were further
questions I would have been happy to help with them prior to
this evening.
I just want to shown you regarding the rentals and such and
as far as the fees.
There's been a lot of different things kind of talked about
here, but essentially with Reagan, just recently
reservations, in 2010 we had 136 rentals, 79 of them were
free, and 573 were significantly discounted.
So we have three out of all those rentals that paid full
price, that paid the full amount, which is the $100 an hour,
the $25 and the fee, if they have a deposit.
There are details depending on the type of event, size of
event, scope of event, whether topped is -- TPD is involved,
whether fire res coup is involved.
We sit down with anybody that needs assistance and we walk
through that within them, and we are happy to do that with
any of the folks that were here today.
In regards to rental was our shelters and such, the
gentleman that responsible about how difficult it is, yeah,
during our peak season we received over 1,000 requests of
TXT messages and over a thousand phone calls.
You can see the earlier you make your reservations for
shelter rentals, we extremely busy.
One of the things we are attempting to go is get that up in
automation so you can do it yourself and not use staff
support to secure your location and facility you are looking
for.
Again they can access those at our computer labs locations.
I am happy to go over them within the statistics that I
shared with the rentals, but specifically for this past year
so far, average dollar spent for receipts that we have has
been just shy of $300.
So the numbers that were shared are the maximum numbers but
not the discounts.
There are some things of that have already been co-sponsored
for years.
Then continue to be co-sponsored.
But we have typically had three in one year.
I think we had eight in another year that paid the full
price.
But these are workable and we can continue to work with
folks that need assistance.
We are happy to do that.
I think that answer it is rental fee.
And I can send everyone the full information that I had sent
to Councilman Reddick about this and to Ms. Patty as well,
if you would like.
05:47:51 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilman Suarez?
05:47:55 >>MIKE SUAREZ:
Thank you, Ms. Palus.
I have a question for you.
And I think this is probably done prior to our election are
in March.
Did you do have any kind of analysis in terms of what the
cost should be in terms of April card for entrance for the
recreational facilities?
I know two of my sons have those cards.
Then partake in a lot of different activities over there.
But did you all do a study of that?
The second question I had, did you do a study about what the
real rental cost is?
I mean, we are at a spot now in our economy that it must be
extremely difficult for any of these other venues that are
out there to actually rent out.
Are we too close to what that cost is?
Or should we lower it?
Did we do any studies whatsoever about that?
05:48:47 >> Yes, we did a full assessment back in '09.
So we did -- and we worked on this for several years.
It high pressure not been done since the early 80s.
It had not been revisited other than a few incremental
things, so this is a major investment, and benchmarking and
looking at other municipalities, having multiple dialogues
through council, making sure that have been was comfortable,
where we are at, and as they fund those other cities and
such.
Tampa hasn't seen any increases, even small incremental
increases in our fee schedule since the early 80s.
As you can imagine brick that to market where other folks
were, or even close to that, would be a major, major jump.
For example, in the after-school program, not to bring up
that issue, but we proposed half the price of what other
communities were at at the lowest level.
So, I mean, that gives you an example of how we worked at
that, not just wharf else is doing but was right for Tampa
and would eventually work for our folks.
And so we continue to do that.
We continue to invest for looking at our fees each year.
Most of our programs for seniors are essentially free,
unless they are a contracted instructor.
Our rates for seniors -- and I shared all of that
information as well.
We have thousands of programs in our day to day so all you
have to do is punch in what you are looking for, and Tampa
fees and the information come up.
If they are volunteers, those are free.
Some of the programs that are club oriented like the bunko
club and the knitting clubs and -- you name it, there's a
club out there.
And those are all programmed for folks.
05:50:38 >>Are if I can interrupt, Mrs. Palus.
I think it was '09 is when you first instituted the card,
correct?
Or was it earlier?
05:50:47 >> Actually, we have had -- this is called a rec card, what
used to be called the activity fee.
And that has been for dollars per session than for years.
So Z.16 in some parts of town.
05:51:00 >> But you all changed it to a regular --
05:51:03 >> The '09.
05:51:04 >> Okay, it was '09. I remember that because I remember
going in to bring my children to a particular thing at the
park, and they said, where is your rec card?
And I had no idea about it.
The second question I have about not necessarily the fees
itself, but when someone goes to the Web site to find out
how to rent, I mean, it sounds like we are doing a lot, not
in a proactive way, at least not in terms of the Web site,
in terms of saying you can get discounted rentals.
Do you spell that out in the -- on the Web site?
I know it's a difficult thing because if you are talking
about here is the chart for the fee for use of it, do we say
up front, well, you know, if you are a nonprofit you may be
able to get a discount at a rate.
This is the same discounted rate.
I think there's a real issue here based on the conversations
that we have had with some of the public that we are not
doing a good enough job of communicating what we can do to
help nonprofits out, and then of course I think that
dovetails also into the transportation issue which I think
all of us probably want to hear some of the specifics.
You know, we are just trying to figure out, what is going to
be the best thing?
And then the second part of that is be -- and now about best
practices because you study about parks all over the
country.
And to me, I think the nexus between what is it that a park
is supposed to do in terms of the saving?
Provides amenities for those people that work and live here.
It provides a green area for folks to enjoy seeing B.but
there's also a second part of that which is the activities
of those children that are in our city, whether they have
the money to go to another recreational facility or not.
And I guess we need to find out where that balance is at,
because it doesn't look like to folks in the community that
we are striking that balance correctly.
So first thing, if you could just tell me about the Web site
and how it's presented.
And then the other two questions.
Hopefully you remembered them all.
If not you can ask me again.
05:53:14 >>KAREN PALUS:
The information is available up there.
We also have in the fee schedule, it lays out specifically
if you are a category 1, 2, 3 or 4, and laid out
sponsorships, sponsored, co-sponsored, not for profit which
means you have to be a 501(c)3, private and --
05:53:37 >> What does sponsored and co-sponsored mean?
City?
05:53:42 >> Yes.
And there's multitudes of those, going to the co-sponsorship
committee.
There's a whole separate committee set up that all of the
different departments that are impacted goes through.
That's all outlined in chapter 28 and chapter 16.
Depending on the type and style and size of an event really
determines where they fall.
So that's why we work very closely with those customers.
And again I speak to the folks that are behind me.
We are happy to sit down, our staff meet with folks day in
and day out to go over their events, help them, give them
ideas.
We work with them to help figure out ways to save money.
A lot of times, depending on the size and scope of the
event, they require additional TPD officers and require
additional security, may require additional rescue.
Those are the types of conversations we have and that's why
those folks are to help them to put on the best event, and
the city, we do a really good job at that.
Hand down when you benchmark to other communities, it's
azing what we co-sponsor and the amount of dollars we are
helping all those nonprofits because we are doing a lot and
will be happy to share that information with you all as
well.
I am going to go to the next one.
I do want touch go back to one question that you had about
the activity fee and rec card.
What we did because we have all those facilities I mentioned
last time, 26-plus throughout the city, is before we had an
activity fee, so if you paid that fee, in Hyde Park, an art
class but you are also a swimmer, it's not always open at
6:30, 7:00 and we didn't have an automated system.
So how did I know that Ms. Capin had an activity fee at Hyde
Park but it's now a lap swimmer down at Interbay and there
was no way to be communicate that.
So the rec card was a way to do that.
Again, if you are in certain parts of the city, $16 for
that.
Same thing rec card.
If you are in other parts of the city they were $12 a year.
So we standardized that.
Parks and rec came together, we standardized that and that's
where the $15 rec card came from.
We kind of flipped the baby on that eventually.
Okay.
And then the transportation, I shared with Ms. Patty on the
transportation what that is, is that -- essentially we set
up and again this is benchmarked with others.
We have a transportation schedule in regards to
transportation within Tampa Bay as a one way, outside Tampa
Bay two way, and/or direct cost.
Sometimes we chartered for larger groups so we are more air
conditioned, and tan those very nice vehicles.
So interns spread out throughout the entire group that
participate.
I will give you an example.
This is what I shared with her.
On a group of 25 seniors take a four-hour trip, it would
cost them $6 which includes the driver, the vehicle,
everything to participate.
And if there is something we need to assist with, I'm happy
to readdress that and look at it again with our seniors.
But again the majority of our seniors program are free out
there in all of our locations.
The one thing, and I don't remember, Ms. Patty or one of the
other folks, regarding the senior nutritional bunch, that
used to be housed at our Fairoaks facility, however that's
not a program we operated and they chose to no longer offer
that so that is why there was a decrease in the number of
seniors at that location during that time, and there was
another location that was feeding during lunch, and they
consolidated those efforts.
We didn't have the proper facilities and things for what
they needed to do, and they were looking at trying to be
reduce their budget as well.
So that is why that nutritional program went away from
Fairoaks.
05:57:40 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilman Reddick and Capin.
05:57:43 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Mrs. Palus, is it true that there is no
staff at 17th street park?
05:57:52 >> It is hard for staff to get over to 18th street as
well as Barnes.
A wonderful man and we pay tribute to that facility.
Actually, in 2006 we used to run a playground program there.
There are no facilities there.
It's shelter only, an open neighborhood park facility.
So during the transition of 2006 to 2007 we made the budget
reduction.
What am that is, the locations that have our rec centers in
close proximity and consolidated our efforts into both
locations.
We ran our summer programs and after-school programs boo in
build pings, not just open and out there.
We do have staff to still oversee the maintenance of that
facility and seems to provide --
05:58:44 >> So every facility that you presented not to be rec
center, so there is no staff.
05:58:52 >> Correct.
It's not a staffed program activity.
05:58:55 >> Staffed program.
Now, the facilities that are staffed programs, are all of
them with staff?
05:59:03 >> Yes, sir.
05:59:05 >>FRANK REDDICK:
So every staff program in the city has
staff?
05:59:08 >> Yes.
Like our playground center like Highland pine and Benito,
those facility are staffed and typically open from eight,
and then some of our larger facility are open till 9:00,
10:00 depending on their activities, seen sports and stuff.
They are great not only for the rentals but also for the
sports league.
We have a tremendous amount of sports activities in that
location.
05:59:38 >> So at Al Barnes facility, if someone rents that facility,
I'm assuming that someone from the city goes out and opens
up the restrooms and that type of thing?
05:59:55 >> Yes, sir.
05:59:57 >> And also maintains the cleanliness of the facility?
06:00:00 >> Yes, sir.
06:00:00 >> Then they go back and close it at the end of the day.
That is the only services that have been provided out there
at Al Barnes?
06:00:10 >> Just in oversite, the maintenance.
But we are not running it as an after-school program at that
location.
06:00:19 >> One more question.
Just one more.
With this direct cost base on $25 an hour, the drivers of
those vehicles, are they city employees?
06:00:30 >> Yes, sir, they are.
06:00:31 >> So they are there on full salary?
06:00:36 >> Yes, sir.
06:00:37 >> Do they benefit any extra financial gain through
receiving about driving the vehicles, providing
transportation for these people?
06:00:47 >> No, sir, they do not.
It's part of their normal operation and what we do is our
service attendance fees, a standard service fees as a way of
cost recovery and how we operate.
It standardized versus the actual rate for an employee.
06:01:06 >> These are city owned vehicles?
06:01:08 >> Yes, sir, they are.
06:01:09 >> So the most city owned vehicles --
06:01:18 >> Yes, sir.
06:01:19 >> As well as seat for the handicapped.
And they also utilize -- I see vans out here sometimes, so
I'm pretty sure those vans transport people, even staff to
some places.
Now, what is the purpose of the $25 cost?
06:01:37 >> It's a cost recovery for our program.
06:01:40 >> Who receives the $25?
06:01:42 >> It comes back into our general fund to help offset the
cost of our operations for the Parks and Recreation
Department.
06:01:48 >> As far as this budget, is it fair to say when you get 14%
of the budget, and 50.2 -- I guess million dollars, I
guess -- and does that $25 recovery include into that budget
allocation?
06:02:10 >> Yes, sir, it is.
It's how we balance our budget based on the revenues come in
and what we anticipate from our department.
06:02:18 >> And let me just ask one question to our chief of staff,
Mr. Santiago.
How do you do, sir?
06:02:27 >> Good evening, sir.
06:02:28 >> Oh, you are so cheerful.
06:02:30 >> Well, you know, just sitting holding onto my seat.
[ Laughter ]
You know, this is -- Mr. El-Amin will have a conversation
after the meeting.
Santiago Corrada, chief of staff.
Just like the honorable Montelione writes when something is
thrown out there, usually you don't let to let it lie
without a response.
So I can tell you the one thing I have never been accused of
is talking in riddles.
I'm as clear as I am structurally challenged and short.
So I hope I can answer with transparency.
06:03:19 >> Well, it seemed like you were anxious to get up and say
something.
06:03:23 >> Thank you.
I appreciate that.
06:03:25 >> Let me just ask you one question.
And just for you to -- just on the line of the $24 for
vehicles.
And I'm just asking in a courtesy way as can chief of staff,
would you be willing to go and evaluate this particular
issue about the $25 and see if we could be better utilized
as a service to this community?
Because when I see the budget of $50.2 million, and then I
see a recovery fee, and city employee, city transportation
vehicle, then maintenance cost, or something I can
understand.
But recovery, I don't know why, what it covers.
So if I can ask in a general way if you will be willing to
look into that and just review it?
06:04:27 >> Sir, absolutely.
We will look at the fees.
We will look at the rental fee.
We will look at any other fee.
And if we need to make some modifications and we think it's
in the best interest of the community, we will do.
That I can tell that you that cost recovery came about when
we were trying to augment what revenues the parks and rec
department was receiving to continue to operate when the
economic conditions turned the way they turned.
When we were back in 2009, we mentioned 2009, we were
looking at ways to keep the department afloat, to continue
to provide services to the community, without having to take
the drastic measures that other cities and counties are
taking when they are talking about eliminating programs
completely shutting down centers, closing down pools, so it
was a way to supplement the tax dollars with additional
revenues to continue to keep the department afloat.
And we can certainly look at rentals for not for profits,
cost recovery on field trips for adults and youngsters.
We can do that.
The parks and rec budget only has a small portion that is
attributed to these revenues we are talking about.
So in no way, shape or form should this conversation affect
the passing of this budget.
I mean, it is a small percentage of that $50 million that
goes to parks and rec that is attributed to these revenues,
the rentals, the cost recovery for the use of vehicles.
So, again, we can look at those things, and we can affirm
whether we need to make those changes.
And you know me to be a fair person.
If we need to go ahead and do that we'll go ahead and do.
That but in no way, shape or form should it affect the
passage of this budget because it is a small amount of money
that we can look at.
06:06:09 >> You are absolutely right, chief.
And I will tell you by you stating that on the record, and
giving us assurance for this, I will be more than happy to
support this and be inclined to make the motion for to us
move forward once everybody gets through with their
deliberations.
06:06:26 >> Thank you, sir.
06:06:28 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilwoman Capin.
06:06:32 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
I was looking, and I guess Mrs. Palus or
chief of staff Santiago, whichever.
I'm looking at this, the program.
And zero to 17 years old.
Adult 18 to 49.
Seniors 50 years old?
[ Laughter ]
Well, percentage do not apply to programs unless covered by
private agreement, scholarship and/or reduced fees may be
available to youth programs based on need.
When you came up, Mrs. Palus, you said online there was --
if I understood that correctly, that it's available, the
different reductions, scholarships, for seniors.
And I have to tell you, my mother-in-law is 94 years old.
She lives in a wonderful subsidized apartment, excellent
place.
Her income is her Social Security.
My husband and I supplement her income.
She would never be able, if it weren't for the family, to
pay, to come to these.
And she is definitely not going to go online.
Okay?
06:08:18 >> Online is not our only option.
They can go to their closest rec center that is there to
them, and staff is there to assist them with anything they
need.
06:08:32 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
And I wrote this down.
We have sliding scale.
That's what the scholarships and reduced fees are? Because
if we have a family that's at poverty or below poverty, the
$15 individual card, is there a way to mitigate that?
06:08:53 >> Yes.
In fact, what I had sent to Mrs. Patty as well is a
scholarship so if a family needs assistance they let the
staff know and we work with them.
06:09:05 >> The forms are there with the staff?
06:09:07 >> Yes.
It's a very simple form.
For clarification, on television, tonight, we don't do the
sliding scale scenario anymore because their after-school
program is free and our summer program is the lowest rate.
We still offer scholarships, but if they still need
assistance to help with that, if it's the $15, sponsor
children and make sure they have their rec card and they can
come, those are only for the activities that have been they
need to register for within the building.
We have kids that are out there, you know, planning
activity, doing football outside, playing basketball, they
are just coming to the park.
There's no rec card required for that.
It's the registered program specific to if it's after
school, summer, if it's gym and dance, if it's Tae Kwon Do,
if it's Zumba.
There are thousands of activity out there.
Again that's the $15, a way of capturing.
We know honor is here.
They have access to the open gym, the open computer lab,
open swim, and anybody of the free volunteer type programs.
06:10:15 >> So that took the place of the program.
But playing basketball is free?
06:10:21 >> If you are outside in a park, yeah.
Any amenities that we have, you don't as a citizen have been
to come anything to come to Al Lopez and run and play and be
on a playground.
Nobody is asking you for a rec carried.
But if you are going to come in and use the fitness center,
yes, and that's $15 to have access to all our numerous
indoor facilities throughout the city and our a kilowatt I
can center.
06:10:44 >> Thank you for clearing that up for me.
06:10:47 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilman Montelione.
06:10:52 >>HARRY COHEN:
I wanted to follow up on what Councilwoman
Capin was just asking about.
Because I'm actually still not totally clear.
Is it an accurate statement that if someone cannot afford to
pay the $15, there is a bypass available to them so that
they can basically get a card without paying it?
06:11:16 >>KAREN PALUS:
If they need assistance, we go through
friends of --
06:11:24 >> How does that work?
06:11:25 >> There's a little form.
I will shoot to the you by e-mail.
They ask them to provide a little paragraph of what the need
is and what the assistance.
And as long as the parents write, you know, I have four or
five children, I need assistance, I can pay for these Bob
but need your help with the other ones, we do.
If there's programs, all of those types of things, we work
very closely with them and they have been a very big
supporter of us.
06:11:49 >> Are those forms readily available in all the parks?
06:11:51 >> Yes.
And if they don't have one they show up, we can make sure we
get them there.
06:11:58 >> I'm just wondering if people know that the $15 is not a
hurdle that is going to keep them from being able to use the
park.
Because it sounded from the public comment as though there
are people that are not using the parks because they can't
pay the fee.
And so therein seems to be a dissidence between who is using
the park and who thinks they can afford to use the park or
not.
06:12:25 >> Well, I will work with Mrs. Patty and folks in the
community to be make sure we get additional information out
to the folks.
Because I can assure you Al Lopez is 38,000 people on
average there through a month's time that know they can come
use the park without a rec card.
So I am happy to communicate that with the folks that we'll
produce some additional campaign information to make sure
that word is out.
We are happy to do all of that.
Because we want you there.
That's what those facilities are for.
We want those facility bustle with folks and activities, and
I can share with you, out with programs and activity and
make sure we are getting more information out
communicatewise in regards to what we offer and what's
available.
06:13:12 >> Just as a comment, then I am find issued.
Since this program was instituted in 2009, it's my sense
that a lot of people's circumstances may have changed
drastically.
And one of the things that I think has become clear to all
of us as we have been examining different problems in the
community is than not only are there a lot of people that
are homeless and that are without jobs, but there's an awful
lot of people who are this close to the edge, and that $15,
that may have seemed like a reasonable fine-needle
aspiration for anybody to be able to pay, even two or three
years ago, is just going to be at a reach for an awful lot
more people today than it used to be.
06:13:53 >> And we are happy to work with anybody that needs
assistance.
We have worked through that this summer.
We had a handful of folks that submitted applications, and I
think they did almost 40 scholarships for folks that
requested assistance, and we are happy to work with them on
that.
06:14:09 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilwoman Montelione.
06:14:11 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Don't Goff away.
One of the speakers mentioned we need to look at different
ways of funding and moving capital around.
Is it possible to use capital improvement money for
scholarships or reduction in fees, something like that?
06:14:39 >> Not that I am aware of.
Capital fund is where the dollars come from, but --
06:14:48 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
You have to come to the mike.
You are shaking your head.
06:14:50 >> Dennis Ferrara.
06:14:56 >> You look different.
06:14:58 >> Capital improvements are for big ticket items,
construction.
We wouldn't be able to use that type of funding, for
instance, for scholarships.
06:15:06 >> And the capital improvements, we all have our budget
books in front of us.
But those at home watching or maybe those in the audience
don't have the benefit of having the information right here
in front of us.
But can you tell, I think I counted six different capital
improvement programs that were in effect for this budget,
this next year's budget for parks and recreation?
06:15:33 >> I know it sound about right.
You are referencing, for example, aquatic facilities,
neighborhood improvements, neighborhood projects, in this
particular park.
Yes, ma'am.
06:15:41 >> There's the aquatics facility, neighborhood projects.
There is something, athletic courts, field, repairs,
something like that.
And I just want -- do you know how much money that totals
and what we are investing in capital improvements in parks
and recreation?
06:16:00 >> Yes.
Yes, ma'am, roughly.
With an five-year period included in your budget book, and
which you will be voting on tonight, is approximately $50
million.
06:16:09 >> 50 million?
Okay.
And I just wanted to go through that exercise to reiterate
that we do have a commitment to a community to provide safe
places to play, and places for our seniors to spend time,
and that there isn't -- I know it seems like it's a logical
thing to sometimes take money from one side of, you know,
the pot and put it in the other pot, which is what we do at
home, maybe we move some money around.
But when it comes to these budgets, it's not easily done,
and in some cases it's not possible at all because of
federal regulation or state regulation or general practices.
In the accounting field we can't move money around that
easily sometimes.
Even though it might seem like it makes sense, but it's just
not possible.
And one of the other things going back to something
that's -- Mr. El-Amin has said before, is it doesn't help us
if the people aren't using them.
And there are -- I mean, Councilman Cohen put it, I can tell
you, I'm not in the financial condition today that I was in
five years ago, and I'm sure that many others are of the
same ILK, and it's true.
I mean, every dollar counts.
And when you are looking at fees for parks and recreation
and someplace for the kids to play, you know, sometimes the
dentist still comes first or the doctor will come first,
then that parks and recreation card.
So whatever we can do to help people fill out those forms
to, you know, get relief from those payments that would
certainly help.
But getting back to the facilities, as far as I understand
it, we are not doing a lot of prettying up of that $50
million.
A lot of that $50 million that capital improvements is
looking at doing over the next five years as outlined in
this budget is repairs, maintenance.
I mean, we had during one of our council meetings, we had
people coming in and saying how the paint was peeling, and
the restrooms weren't functioning, and all kind of issues
that we have in some of the parks.
So I just wanted to say that.
Thank you very much for indulge me the time, Madam Chair.
06:18:30 >> And if I could quickly clarify.
It 43.8 million over the next five years for parks and
recreation, capital improvements.
43.8 million.
06:18:41 >> We were rounding to 50.
Thank you.
06:18:46 >>MARY MULHERN:
Councilwoman Capin.
06:18:53 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
Just reiterating, we can work on -- I'm
very -- I'm convinced that the chief of staff and the
director of parks are willing to work with these programs,
and to try to -- you know, when a child comes in to a
facility and they are told they need a $15 card, sometimes
they'll turn around and walk away.
So we have to be sure that they are aware that this is
available.
And just making that extra effort.
I think your idea of a PR program to get the word out, that
this is available, it's here, is going to be very helpful.
I really believe that.
Thank you for all your efforts.
06:19:42 >>MARY MULHERN:
I'm going to ask if there is anyone else
from the public who wishes to speak.
I have afternoon few questions, Mrs. Palus.
I just have a few questions.
Now I can't find it.
Oh, okay.
It's about the scholarships availability from the
scholarship fund or the friends of recreation.
It's been several years that I have been recommending this
and people from the community have been recommending and you
may have adopted.
This we have talked about it in the continue text of
after-school programs, and summer programs that the
determination of the need for -- I mean, application for
assistance, that determination could very easily be made for
children by the free and reduced lunch program.
The school district uses.
That it's a federal program.
Because if you qualify for that, you should be able to
qualify for this.
So have we moved to using that in the parks program?
06:21:14 >> Madam Chairman, that is what we were using previously
when we had the sliding scale before.
That's what we had.
We had that information and we had that program set up
exactly like this.
The school board has previously.
What we don't have is the shared information.
In other words, they filled it out with the school board and
there's no ability for us -- they can't share that
information.
06:21:37 >> Why is that?
Why can't we get that database?
Because it's just a database, and -- okay, we have been
asking the question for three years.
So Wan is --
06:21:49 >> I'm not sure -- it's very similar like background
screenings.
They won't share that either.
That's not something that's shareable at this point.
They collect, and they also have the particular stipulation
on qualification of that, because the federal programming,
and the state part of that programming.
That's not our purview for them to share that with us.
06:22:13 >> I'm not sure -- okay.
I need to hear that probably from the school.
06:22:23 >> I could have them put that in writing.
But dialogue back and forth within background checks for
years now trying to share that information.
So we have been working with that --
06:22:38 >>MARY MULHERN:
Okay, so I think this is reminding me,
because than the people in the audience knows and as staff
knows, this is a discussion we have been having for years.
So I don't remember exactly where we are.
But I think what the answer to that to me was, it's
difficult for people to say I can't afford this, I can't
afford to pay this for my child to go here.
So perhaps we can think about just asking that when they
fill out that application.
Do you qualify for this?
And if they volunteer that information, they don't have to
answer it, then that could be the determination.
But we would trust them, because, you know, I know I get
that form in the mail every year, and I look at it, and I
know that I am not going to qualify, that I can afford to
provide lunch for my children.
But there have been times in my life where I have wondered
if maybe I could use that help.
And it's a difficult thing for someone to do.
So I really think it might be worth just making that one
little step easier for people, and trusting them.
If they tell you they qualify --
06:23:56 >> I just want to share that we don't use that anymore
because the fees went back to zero for after-school so we
don't have a sliding scale anymore.
There's no need for one.
The price is zero for after-school in that program.
So when we were doing the sliding scale before for summer
and for that is when the rate was higher, and then you pay
based on your income availability to be able to participate.
Now it's all the low rate.
So there wasn't any for sliding scale anymore.
The scholarship was the solution for that.
If they still need assistance they would use that program.
06:24:29 >> We just had this discussion where we talked about
sometimes people can't afford it.
06:24:34 >> That's the scholarship program with friends we have.
The sliding scale program went away because we don't have --
06:24:42 >>MARY MULHERN:
Okay, I'm talking about the scholarship
program.
What would qualify for you for the scholarship.
If you attest when you sign that form that your children are
in that program during the school year that they could get a
scholarship.
06:24:57 >> Let me share with you real quick.
One of the things that they haven't said that have been they
sponsor, because there's a lot of folks that have
extenuating circumstances.
And we found out when we went through that, we had over 2300
folks that went through that, not this past summer, the
summer before last, and there was a lot of folks that kind
of fell in the gaps.
So they made a decision as a board to evaluate them each in
their own circumstances.
So it's not whether you are on --
06:25:27 >> But the question, do you have any other, you know,
circumstances that --
06:25:33 >> And that's what they have done.
And we were very successful with that this sum we are the
folks.
06:25:38 >>MARY MULHERN:
Okay, okay.
And then the other thing I wanted to ask, I think -- and
Councilman, Chairman Miranda was really, really was the
champion for finding out about the seniors programs, and
since he hasn't been able to be here the last couple months,
I feel like we need to follow up on that and find out.
You did answer it so all the seniors fees got rolled over?
06:26:24 >> Yes, the seniors fees when we did the roll back on the
nonresident and the disabled, those got rolled back so if
you were out of county, if you were a non-resident you had
resident rates as a senior.
06:26:35 >> Okay, so it whats a non-resident question.
06:26:39 >> Right.
And the programs, typically, the majority of the senior
programs are like Barksdale and such are zero.
It just depends on whether they participate in other
programs or the instructors that are there.
But I would be happy to send that you information.
06:26:54 >>MARY MULHERN:
Okay.
Thank you.
I just wanted to, I guess, give council background, because
I guess it was for the 2009 budget, so that was the two
budgets ago, and it was in that year that Mrs. Palus told
us, and you probably heard this before, our fees were not in
line with what other people were doing.
And the council -- was that in 2009 or 2008 when we adopted?
The fiscal year 2008?
06:27:49 >> It would be rolled back, and July.
06:27:52 >>MARY MULHERN:
Okay, so two years ago after much
discussion and much testimony from the Parks Department, the
council voted to increase fees.
And we had -- we didn't have a lot of questions at the point
where we raised the fee.
As the school year started, as the fees started being
adopted, these chambers were full of people who couldn't,
you know, who had all kind of questions.
Some of the things we are hearing tonight, but some other
things.
The questions and the problems that people were having with
this, even though we were not charging enough, what the
market would bear, you know, or what other markets were
charging at that point, it was a shock to people because we
went from charging almost nothing to way out.
And there wasn't -- there was no sliding scale or
scholarship, or not enough scholarships available.
So over discussions and hearing from the public for months
and months and months, really for probably a whole year,
because the school year, and then we ran into the summer
programs which also had fees raised.
So finally what happened was, it was decided by the last
administration that we were just going to roll everything
back.
So all the work that Karen had done on all this study, we
went back to -- it didn't happen gradually.
It was just too much of a shock to people, they couldn't
afford it.
Some people could afford it.
Some couldn't.
So she has worked very hard to solve a lot of those
problems.
That being said, and I think it's a testimony to the fact
that she has done that, that there were only a few people
here tonight, because there were a lot more people before.
So I think the Parks Department has been working with
people.
I don't think that we can never look at our fees again, and
might not need to raise them in certain circumstances, but,
you know, there were so many problems with the way that the
new fees were adopted, but I was convinced and council was
convinced and eventually the mayor was convinced that we had
to just roll them back.
So that's how we got to be this structure here.
And I think as far as the public's complaints, most of them
were addressed.
There are some still some questions I have.
And I am going to just save this for a future council
meeting so that I can hear from people what problems they
are still having and get a report on the parks and
recreation chair, take what the suggestions -- the questions
I heard from council and from the public, and ask for a
report.
Because the unintended consequence, or whether it was
intended or not, there were programs, because the fees had
gone up so much for virtually -- for an entire year.
A lot of the attendance dropped incredibly.
So a lot of programs got cut.
And aren't any in existence anymore.
The other thing that we didn't really address as council was
I think this is the one thing that I am not sure about, too,
Karen, but I'm not asking to answer it now.
But the question about whether people can come and play in
the parks.
They can play in the park, but they can't go inside if
there's a gym and play basketball.
Right?
If you are going to go inside a center, you have to have the
rec card, right?
So I think that may be something, I don't know finance
that's still a problem or not, but I think we should look
into that.
06:32:16 >> If I may make one point of clarification regarding --
regarding -- we did not cut any programs when the
rollback --
06:32:30 >>MARY MULHERN:
Well, you didn't cut any after-school
programs?
06:32:37 >>KAREN PALUS:
No.
They were all operating after the constraints of those
facilities and such.
We were still running our programs at all of our locations.
06:32:47 >>CHAIRMAN:
Right, but you consolidated some facilities?
06:32:49 >> Yes, back in '06-07 with that budget reduction, we did.
We did not run playground, parks of summer programs but our
building facilities are still running programs.
06:33:00 >>MARY MULHERN:
All of the same programs that were in place
back then?
06:33:04 >> Yes.
We had a couple of it facilities that didn't have the busing
any longer.
The school board cut back on their busing so folks couldn't
get to our location.
There was a lot of different things occurring in some of
those facilities where are we don't run them.
But because of the fees were unrelated to that, in those
particular locations.
I would be happy to go back over the information with you.
06:33:24 >>MARY MULHERN:
And I'll figure out what questions I have
and have you come and either do a workshop or staff report.
That was my concern.
And I was hearing that from citizens.
So hopefully, that didn't happen.
I did hear differently from some people.
So I guess that's it.
I think it's really, really good news that we had some
questions here tonight.
They may not all have been answered, but we did have a room
full of people, like we did the last few years.
06:34:02 >>FRANK REDDICK:
They are come.
06:34:07 >> They are coming?
Well, we will be scheduling the meeting.
Thank you.
Any other questions from council, for staff?
06:34:17 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Move to close the public hearing.
06:34:19 >> Second.
06:34:20 >>MARY MULHERN:
All in favor?
Anyone opposed?
06:34:27 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
I would like to move, to bring forth and
pass the recommended budget -- oh, I'm sorry.
06:34:36 >>MARY MULHERN:
Yes.
Our finance chair needs to read it.
06:34:41 >>HARRY COHEN:
I am going to read this resolution.
And then I am going make a motion after that to adopt the
millage rate.
And after that everyone can have at it on the budget and the
CIP budget.
Madam Chair, I move a resolution levying an ad valorem tax
at the rate of 5.7326 mills upon all real and personal tax
property in the City of Tampa for the fiscal year 2012
authorizing the mayor and city clerk to certify such
millage, providing an effective date.
Be it resolved by the City Council that the city of Tampa,
Florida, section 1, that an ad valorem tax at the rate of
5.7326 mills affixed in the recommended operating and
capital budget of the City of Tampa to the fiscal year
commencing October 1st, 2011, and ending September
30th, 2012, for the general fund for the maintenance and
operation of the City of Tampa, is hereby levied as provided
by law on all real and personal property, taxable for that
purpose in the City of Tampa.
Section 2.
That the mayor and city clerk as the proper authorities of
the City of Tampa are duly authorized, empowered and
directed to certify to the property appraiser of
Hillsborough County, Florida, the millage to be levied for
all purposes for the fiscal year 2012 in the City of Tampa,
to wit: 5.7326 mills, which is less than the rolled back
rate as defined in section 206.5 subsection one of the
Florida statutes, by 4.171% and to request a levy of the
millage set forth upon all real and personal property in the
City of Tampa as above set forth in accordance with the
provisions of the Constitution and laws of the State of
Florida.
Section 3.
That other proper officers of the City of Tampa are
authorized to do all things necessary and proper in order to
carry out and make effective the terms and conditions of
this resolution which shall become effective immediately
upon its adoption passed and adopted by the City Council of
the City of Tampa on September 21st, 2011.
06:37:02 >>MIKE SUAREZ:
Second.
06:37:05 >>MARY MULHERN:
Motion made by Councilman Cohen, seconded
by Councilman Suarez.
And we will have roll call vote?
No.
All in favor.
Anyone opposed?
06:37:15 >>HARRY COHEN:
I further move the following ordinance on
second reading, an ordinance adopting the budget for the
fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2011 and ending
September 30th, 2012, as presented by the mayor,
providing for the levy as provided by law as a tax on all
taxable property in the City of Tampa and fixing the millage
within said city making appropriations in accordance with
the provisions of said budget, authorizing and directing the
mayor and city clerk as the proper authorities of the City
of Tampa to certify to the property appraiser of
Hillsborough County, Florida, the millage to be levied for
all purposes for the fiscal year 2012 in the City of Tampa,
providing an effective date.
06:38:00 >>MIKE SUAREZ:
Second.
06:38:04 >> Second.
06:38:05 >>MARY MULHERN:
Do we need a roll call vote for this one?
No.
Motion made by Councilman Cohen, seconded by Councilman
Suarez.
Roll call.
06:38:15 >>MIKE SUAREZ:
Yes.
06:38:18 >>YVONNE CAPIN:
Yes.
06:38:19 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Yes.
06:38:20 >>MARY MULHERN:
Yes.
06:38:22 >>HARRY COHEN:
Yes.
06:38:23 >>LISA MONTELIONE:
Yes.
06:38:26 >> Motion carried with Miranda being absent.
06:38:28 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Move the resolution forward?
06:38:39 >>HARRY COHEN:
I think next we need a motion to adopt the
annual budget and then another one --
06:38:43 >> I move to adopt.
06:38:44 >> Move the resolution 4.
06:38:49 >>HARRY COHEN:
Go ahead.
06:38:51 >>FRANK REDDICK:
Just move resolution 4.
06:38:53 >> Second.
06:38:55 >>MARY MULHERN:
Motion to adopt the capital improvement
budget?
Motion made by Councilman Reddick, seconded by Councilwoman
Capin.
Roll call?
No.
All in favor?
Anyone opposed?
Motion passes.
That concludes our budget hearing.
We are adjourned.
06:39:20 >> New business?
06:39:30 >>MARY MULHERN:
Really?
06:39:32 >> Motion to receive and file. Is there a second?
Motion made by Councilwoman Montelione, seconded by
Councilman Suarez.
All in favor?
Anyone opposed?
We will be having council meeting tomorrow.
So we'll do new business tomorrow.
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