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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Council 012579CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS JANUARY 25, 1979 The Workshop Meeting of the City Council of Palm Beach Gardens was called to order by Mayor John Kiedis at 8:08 P.M. in the Assembly Room, 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. ROLL CALL: The roll was called by the City Clerk and present were: Mayor Kiedis, Vice Mayor Laurie, Councilman Aldred, Councilman Feeney, and Councilman Martino. Attorney William Brant and City Manager John Orr were also in attendance. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mayor Kiedis announced that a meeting of the City's 701 Citizens Advisory Committee would take place on Tuesday, January 30, 1979, at 7:30 P.M.. TOPIC OF DIS— At their Workshop Meeting of January 11, 1979, the City Council scheduled CUSSION: a Public Hearin to take lace this date for the Hearing p purpose of receiving further public input regarding the proposed Law Enforcement Agreement between the City of Palm Beach Gardens and the Palm Beach County Commission for the contracted services of the Sheriff's Department. Copies of the Agreement, together with a package that contained material addressing Manpower Projections, Services Provided, and other important facts compiled by the City Administration regarding the Agreement, were made available to the members of the audience at the meeting. The Council received comments and answered items of concern regarding the proposed Agreement from members of the general public that were in attendance, including Mr. Wallace Daley, 10131 Seagrape Way; Mr. Dan Gainey, 4280 Honeysuckle Drive; Ms. Kathy Potts, 444 Riverside Drive: Mr. Ted Solmes, 4415 Althea Way; Ms. Loren Furtado, 4318 Crestdale Drive; Mr. Bill Quinn, 4370 Fushia Circle S.; Mr. Doug Dalton, 678 Crocus Ct; Mr. Charles Simpson, 4240 Dogwood St.; Mr. Bob Langsfield, 9646 Althea Way; Mr. Jerry Burhans, Garden Lakes; Mr. T. K. Romoser, 2555 PGA Boulevard; Mr. Ed Clark, 4401 Bellewood St.; Mr. Evan Fetterman, 4658 Holly Drive; Mr. Joe Reddington, 10747 N. Military Trail; Mr. Paul LaChance, 10190 Dasheen Ave.; Mr. Richard Saks, 3230 Meridian S.; Ms. Linda Monroe, 4431 ' Althea Way; Mr. Ron Cardoza, 9787 Gardenia Dr.; Mr. Gordon Hunter, 4388 Elm Avenue; Mr. Alex Ware, 1520 Meridian Way; Mr. Bill Markham, 10330 N. Military Trail; Mr. Joe Hancock, 4361 Dawnridge St.; Ms. Sherry Sudder, City Council Workshop Meeting, 1/25/79 Page 2 4387 Fir St.; Mr. Roy Watson, 4192 Hickory Dr.; Mrs. Rocco Latino, 4284 Gardenia Dr.; Mr. Patrick Smith, 4300 Bellewood St.; Ms. Margaret Willis, 10162 Meridian Way; Ms. Marjorie Laslie, 4300 Bellewood St.; and Mr. Herb Averbach, 4335 Elm Avenue. Ms. Linda Monroe presented a petition with 1,617 signatures (some dup- licated and misrepresented), with and without addresses, of residents/ non - residents and registered /unregistered voters of Palm Beach Gardens stating "I am in favor of the City of Palm Beach Gardens keeping its own "Police Department" rather than contracting with the Sheriff's Department for police protection. ". Many of the concerns expressed at the meeting re: the transfer from the services of the PBG Police Dept. to the contracted services of the Sheriff's Department were the same as those expressed at the January 11, 1979 hearing/ meeting. The Council made a concentrated effort to educate those members of the audience re: those concerns as follows: 1. The response time would not be any greater with the Sheriff's Dept. personnel responding to calls than with the existing City's Police Dept. personnel, as the same quantity of zones would be maintained. Additionally, the agreement guarantees the manpower contracted; and the manpower of the City disregards sick days, vacation days, and compensatory time taken. 2. The method of dispatching will remain the same (i.e., the public will dial the City's existing Police Department phone number; and dis- patchers of the Sheriff's Dept. assigned to strictly PBG calls will dispatch patrol officers assigned to PBG zones.). 3. The elimination of duplications of equipment and supervisory positions are the primary reasons why the Agreement affords an approx.$200,000.00 cost savings to the City's taxpayers. 4. The Sheriff bas assured the Council that with the exception of the Chief, all qualified personnel of the City's Police Dept. will be offered a transfer to his dept., many with an increase in salary and none with a decrease. 5. The existing personalized service shouldn't change, as those qualified would primarily be transferred to the Sheriff's Dept. for assignment to the City's zones. City Council Workshop Meeting, 1/25/79 Page 3 6. At the time of renewal of the contract, the maximum the cost of the same services can increase is 7% of the total payroll. 7. The City's existing school crossing guards would be retained by the Sheriff. B. In the event of the termination of the Agreement, the City will have the option to purchase from the Sheriff's Dept. the same /similar equipment as that sold to the department at the time of the transfer. 9. The City would have the right to require the Sheriff to transfer per- sonnel from assignment to the City that fail to perform in a manner acceptable to the City. Members of the audience, including Mr. Joe Reddington, Mr. Bill Markham, and Mr. Roy Watson, addressed the Council endorsing the proposed Agreement and commending the Council for their efforts in exploring the savings of tax dollars. Mr. Dan Gainey pointed out that the City of Lauderdale Lakes has indicated via the media that it is very pleased with the contracted services of the Broward County Sheriff's Department. v Per the request of members of the audience, the members of the Council were polled; and Mayor Kiedis, Vice Mayor Laurie, Councilman Feeney, and Councilman Martino were not in favor of the City holding a Special Refer- endum Election on the Agreement, as: (1) the City's Charter, which was adopted by the City's electors, affords the Council they elect to act on their behalf in discontinuing a department of the City; and (2) a majority of the City's electors have not taken the opportunity to become well - informed on the facts re: the issue. Councilman Aldred was in favor of the City holding a Special Referendum Election on the Agreement. Per the concern of Mr. Jerry Burhans, President of the Oakbrook Square Merchants Assoc., Mayor Kiedis offered to inquire as to whether or not the Sheriff's Dept. would, like Palm Beach Gardens, have an alarm system service available to businesses. Per a poll of the Council, an Ordinance providing for the elimination of the City's Police Department, with the exception of the Office of Public Safety Officer, and in its stead police services of the Sheriff's Dept. on a contract basis, will be read on first reading at the Regular Meeting v of February 1, 1979; workshopped at the February 8, 1979 meeting; and a Public Rearing and consideration of Second Reading will take place at the City Council Workshop Meeting, 1/25;79 Page 4 Regular Meeting of February 15, 1979. Mayor Kiedis, Vice Mayor Laurie, Councilman Feeney and Councilman Martino were in favor of this schedule. Councilman Aldred was not in favor of the preparation of the Ordinance, but rather placing the issue before the City's electors at a Special Referendum Election. The following items re: the Agreement were brought to the attention of the Council during the Public Hearing and will be clarified by the City: (1) the length of the initial contract outlined in Article XV; the ,fob description of the Liaison Officer; and details on the extension of the contract outlined in Article XVI. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business, the meeting adjourned at 11:30 P.M.. MAYOR KIEDIS P ` AAYOR VICELAURIE CITY CLERK COUNCILMAN ALDRED I;OUNCILMAN FEENEY COUNCILMAN MARTINO