2026-06-15 - Finance Committee

0:03Good evening. I will call to order the

0:04Finance Committee meeting on June 15th,

0:072026 at 6:30 p.m.

0:10Uh we have two items on the agenda this

0:12evening. Uh we have created a creation

0:15of the Lizotte Drive Stabilization

0:17Account and transfer request. Uh we also

0:20have a proposed non-union salary

0:22ordinance for four positions.

0:25Um I'll begin with um

0:27order number 26-19765.

0:32Uh creation of the Lizotte Drive

0:34Stabilization Account and a transfer

0:36request in the amount of $200,000.

0:39Um I'll begin by reading the letter

0:41submitted by the mayor.

0:43Uh dear Council President Ossing and

0:45councilors, enclosed for your review and

0:47approval uh three transfer requests and

0:50an order establishing the creation of

0:52Lizotte Drive Stabilization Account. Uh

0:55the first transfer request is in the

0:57amount of $50,000 from free cash to be

1:00moved into the fire station

1:01stabilization fund.

1:03Uh the second and third transfer

1:05requests are in the amount of $50,000

1:08and $100,000 from free cash to be moved

1:11into an established uh Lizotte Drive

1:14Stabilization Account. Uh these requests

1:16are in response to the monies which were

1:18given to the city as part of the

1:20conditions relating to special permit

1:22number 25-19483E. Please do not hesitate

1:25to contact me or my office

1:29with any questions. Sincerely, J.

1:31Christian Dumas, Mayor.

1:34And um

1:35Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for sending that

1:36down. I also want to thank Urban. I know

1:38Council Picillo, Council Ossing was part

1:41of that getting that mitigation uh as

1:43well. So, that was really nice to have

1:44that into the uh in front of the council

1:47to make that decision. Um I'll open that

1:50up to the finance team for any questions

1:52or comments.

1:55>> Mr. Chair.

1:56>> Councilor Picillo.

1:57>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um no questions.

2:00Uh appreciated the conversation we had

2:02in Urban Affairs to secure this funding.

2:04Um and so I'm going to take these up in

2:05a a handful of votes here.

2:07>> Yes. Yes, Councilor.

2:07>> Okay. So, I'll start to move to approve

2:10the $50,000 transfer from free cash to

2:12the fire station stabilization fund.

2:14>> Very good. Motion's been made and second

2:16it to approve the $50,000 transfer

2:19request into the fire station

2:21stabilization account. Any further

2:23questions?

2:25Seeing none, all in favor? 1 2 3 4 5.

2:28That carries.

2:31Next, I'll be looking to entertain a

2:33motion to for the creation of the

2:34Lizotte Councilor Ficillo.

2:36>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um move to approve

2:38the creation of the Lizotte Drive

2:40stabilization account.

2:42>> Motion's been made and I will second

2:43that to approve the creation of the

2:45Lizotte Drive stabilization account.

2:49Any further questions? Seeing none, all

2:51in favor? 1 2 3 4 5. That carries.

2:55And then we have one more uh um to

2:58entertain a motion for the other

2:59$150,000.

3:00>> Mr. Chair.

3:01>> Councilor Ficillo.

3:01>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Move to approve

3:03the $50,000 and $100,000 transfer from

3:06free cash uh to the newly established

3:09Lizotte Drive stabilization account.

3:10>> Motion's been made and I will second

3:12that to approve the transfer request in

3:13the amount of $150,000

3:16and $50,000

3:18uh into the new newly created Lizotte

3:20Drive stabilization account. Any further

3:22discussion?

3:24Seeing none, all in favor? 1 2 3 4 5.

3:27That carries. Thank you, Councilor.

3:32Moving on to the next item on the agenda

3:35uh is order number 26-109765.

3:40Um I'm sorry. What 109697D.

3:44Uh is attached salary ordinance for the

3:46following positions.

3:48City Collector, Assistant Finance

3:50Director, City Collector, Recreation

3:52Director starting at step four, and

3:55assistant recreation director. And I'll

3:58just briefly read the uh the brief uh

4:01letter from the mayor. Uh Dan Council

4:03President Osing and Council per your

4:05request at the Finance Committee meeting

4:07on Monday, June 1st, attached please

4:09find an updated annualized seven-step

4:12salary ordinance for non-union

4:14employees. Sincerely, J. Christian

4:16Dumas, Mayor. Um and again, thank you,

4:18Mr. Mayor, for sending that down to us

4:20in a quick manner. That was very nice.

4:23Um I also want to reiterate that these

4:26are this discussion will only be for

4:28these four positions, um which I know in

4:31the last meeting that we had, we we

4:33obviously all supported um the

4:35recreation director and assistant

4:37director, and we wanted to get that

4:38through. Uh with that said, I will open

4:41it up for any comments.

4:44>> Motion to approve for discussion.

4:47>> Okay. The In the motion, what does that

4:49mean?

4:49>> Two.

4:51To approve these four, if I may, Mr.

4:53Chair, through you to the

4:55Councilor Osing.

4:57Cuz I knew

4:59that's why I made the motion for

5:00discussion.

5:02And I will be glad to discuss it.

5:04>> Okay.

5:04So, so what we we what we would be

5:07looking for

5:08>> Point of order.

5:08>> You go ahead, Mr. President.

5:09>> So, this is before us for discussion

5:11right now. You either make a motion to

5:12do something. You don't make a motion to

5:14discuss. The item is before the the

5:16Finance Committee to discuss. Once

5:19you're done discussing, then you make a

5:20motion to do something.

5:22>> You can do it either way, Mr.

5:24Councilor. I've seen it done both ways.

5:27I don't see where the big problem is

5:28there. I've seen motions for discussion.

5:31I've seen motions after discussion.

5:34It doesn't matter. If you want to prove

5:36to me it's different in Robert's Rules,

5:38feel free to do it, but I've been around

5:39a long time, and I've seen it done both

5:41ways. So, back to you, Mr. Chair.

5:43>> Is that your motion for discussion?

5:45>> Yes.

5:45>> Do I have a second?

5:51>> Second.

5:52>> Motion is made and seconded to approve

5:54for discussion. Any further Any further

5:57discussion? Council for Joe.

5:59>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I just want to be

6:00clear. We're So So there's a motion

6:03There's a motion to have discussion on

6:05this item. It is not a motion to approve

6:07what's in front of us, correct?

6:09>> That That That is That is

6:10>> Mr. Chair, my motion was to approve and

6:13for discussion. If I didn't say to

6:14approve, I apologize.

6:16>> Okay. All right. I I I apologize.

6:17>> And And And again, it's a motion. It's

6:19not saying

6:20It's just giving indication I would like

6:22to have discussion.

6:23>> [clears throat]

6:23>> just give you just a little bit of where

6:24I'm coming from, too, cuz we did have a

6:26lengthy discussion on these positions.

6:29What we would first have to do if we

6:31decided on this is we'd have to refer it

6:34to the city solicitor, put in legal

6:36form.

6:36>> Put in legal form.

6:37>> Then down the road, we'd have to vote on

6:38it as a council, and then we still would

6:40have to advertise it. So, I don't know

6:43if we

6:45if we want to

6:46take that time of doing that when we can

6:48have a an open discussion with it

6:50quickly, and we can just have an open

6:52dialogue on this, and then can make a

6:54motion to at that point uh send it to

6:57legal if that's what we approve on.

6:59>> And advertise.

7:00>> And Oh, and then when we advertise, it

7:02would be at a later time.

7:02>> Yep.

7:06>> Mr. President.

7:06>> Point of information. So, again,

7:10you need to discuss the item before you

7:11can make Well, you don't have to, but to

7:13make a motion to approve something, you

7:15don't know what you just said you're

7:16approving. So, I disagree with the

7:18concept. Discuss what's in front of the

7:21city council of the finance committee

7:22right now. The four salary Do you agree

7:24with the starting rate? Do you agree

7:25with the seven-step process? Do you

7:27agree with the start time or the

7:29effective date of the ordinance? Go look

7:31at it. If everybody's good with it, then

7:33your motion would be appropriate. But no

7:35one's looked at anything yet. So, how

7:37can you make a motion to say we're good

7:39to go? I just

7:41I It doesn't compute from what what I've

7:43learned on my years on the council.

7:47>> Councilor Joe.

7:49>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. I I do

7:52echo the sentiment here from President

7:54Osing. I I I would much prefer that we

7:56have a conversation about this and then

7:58eventually move to send these to the

7:59solicitor to have them put in proper

8:01legal form so they can come back to the

8:02council so we can take a look. I mean,

8:04I'm

8:05um

8:06you know, I know we have a hearty

8:07discussion ahead of us about these four

8:08positions and so um you know, I'd be

8:11happy to kind of

8:12get into that. But I I don't think I'd

8:13be in favor of moving to to approve

8:15anything yet um

8:17before we have that conversation.

8:18>> Thank you, Councilor Joe. So, the motion

8:20has been seconded. I will take a vote.

8:22Uh motion is made

8:24uh seconded by Councilor Vidal. All in

8:25favor to to have a discussion.

8:28>> No problem. We can vote on that, but I

8:29don't think

8:30>> One, two, that does that

8:32to have a discussion

8:33>> That that that

8:34That that that

8:36>> We're not approved. It's just for

8:37discussion. Motion to approve and

8:39discuss. And then at the end, I would

8:41ask that

8:42the final vote be taken, you know. I

8:45don't disagree. I don't want to jump to

8:47the approval, but I want to see

8:49discussion.

8:50>> was the motion and I'll take the vote

8:51again. All in favor to have the motion

8:54to

8:55for discussion and to approve.

8:57All in favor?

8:59One. That does not count.

9:02>> Well, I guess we'll start another step.

9:03Thank you, Mr. Chair.

9:04>> That's that's fine.

9:05Um so so so yes, so for the finance team

9:09um as President Osing has mentioned that

9:12in our notes here, there is all the

9:14individual steps for each one of the

9:16city collector city collector,

9:19recreation director, assistant

9:20recreation director.

9:22I also want to point out if you read it,

9:25if we do approve this, this would be for

9:2740 hours per week and the effective date

9:29of the salary ordinance shall be August

9:311st, 2026.

9:33This ordinance shall supersede and

9:36replace any existing rate for said

9:38positions

9:39if applicable and in their current

9:42salary schedule.

9:44So at

9:45President Osing.

9:46>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So

9:48Councils, what I did was the mayor sent

9:50down in his June 4th, he did what the

9:52finance committee asked, which is seven

9:54step for all 30 positions. All right. In

9:57his March letter, the priority is for

9:59four positions, the collector, collector

10:02assistant finance director,

10:05assistant recreation director, and the

10:08recreation director. Those were the four

10:10priorities. So what what I did was I

10:13extracted what was on here

10:15to the last page of the agenda finance

10:17agenda, just a one-page draft salary

10:19ones. This is Mike Osing salary ones.

10:21It's not solicitor approved, not

10:24anything.

10:25But this is what I would recommend if

10:27the council agrees with the steps

10:29and the four positions, if this gets

10:32referred to the city solicitor, and I'm

10:34sure he can turn it around to have on

10:36our

10:38Monday agenda if the mayor thinks is of

10:40high enough priority

10:42because it has to come back to us in

10:44order to advertise.

10:46And then if we advertise, then we can

10:48vote. So we'd be able to vote

10:50on a July 22nd-ish meeting.

10:54All right. So if the council agrees that

10:57they like the four positions, they like

10:59the four steps, 40 hours per week

11:02effective date 8-1, this is what you'd

11:04be voting on. Which then you can make

11:06that motion, Council Orman, I'd be

11:07tickled pink with that one.

11:09To approve this, to send it to the

11:12solicitor to put in proper format

11:15for us to advertise and then vote

11:17because we can't approve anything right

11:19now. Nothing's been advertised.

11:21All right. But you got to figure out

11:22what is it that you want to do. And the

11:24mayor has asked for four positions.

11:26These are the four. I did the homework.

11:29Otherwise, you're going to try to find

11:30them on the

11:31seven-step of

11:33June 4th memo or letter on the council

11:35and you'll be trying to extract them and

11:37you'll

11:39struggle like I did, which is why I came

11:40up with a one-page easy one that says

11:42these are the four spots.

11:43>> Yep.

11:45Thank you, Mr. President.

11:46>> You're welcome.

11:48>> Any further discussion?

11:49>> Mr. Chair,

11:51um so

11:54we have attached to the Finance

11:56Committee meeting I believe what Council

11:58Ossing just mentioned that first page.

12:00>> That That's correct, Ossing.

12:01>> That is Okay, I didn't know that was

12:03authored by Council Ossing, so um

12:06with that noted, we also have we

12:09received

12:10um

12:11the deltas on a 15-step versus

12:14seven-step. I don't know if everyone

12:16received that from the mayor, but

12:17>> Yes. Yes.

12:18>> I do have that. I had it open a minute

12:20ago, but I was looking for something.

12:22And um

12:24I think as we progress, I know we're

12:26only discussing four positions and I

12:28don't want to in any way

12:32hinder

12:34the opportunity to have an attractive

12:37salary schedule.

12:39As noted before, my main concern is that

12:42we

12:43look at our employees and treat them the

12:45way you would expect to treat an

12:47employee working for a city this size.

12:49>> Couldn't agree.

12:50>> said, I know we don't need to debate

12:52that and but we debated it enough at the

12:55last meeting. Uh I do still prefer the

12:5815-step. I think that gives an employee

13:01some future

13:03view of where they're going and it holds

13:05employees in my view, but I will

13:08again

13:09agree to the seven-step at this time and

13:12hopefully we'll have further discussion

13:14down the road as it relates to the

13:16budget and the 15-step and how that

13:18relates to

13:19the retention of employees.

13:22>> And and and and and again, um as Council

13:24Vecchio had mentioned at the Finance

13:26Committee uh

13:27a couple weeks ago, uh

13:29we supported these positions and

13:32who knows if it came to the full council

13:35with the other 15 steps, it may have not

13:38carried.

13:39>> Or could have carried. You don't know.

13:41>> So, so, this is a good way to at least

13:43get these four positions. Council Vital.

13:45>> Mr. Chair, I'd like to make the motion

13:48to send this last page along with the

13:52the notes at the bottom of the four the

13:5440 hours per week and starting on August

13:561st, send this to the

13:58send this to the solicitor for proper

14:00proper format and to advertise.

14:02>> I don't think we want to do we want to

14:04advertise just yet? Probably not.

14:07Yeah.

14:08>> Mr. Chair, so you can't advertise yet

14:09cuz it's got to come back in proper

14:11format.

14:12Make the motion to send it to the

14:14solicitor to put it in proper format.

14:15>> Thank you. Thank you. Motion Motion's

14:17been made and I will second that for

14:19order number 26-19697D

14:23to refer to the city solicitor to put in

14:26legal form.

14:28Any further discussion? Okay, Council

14:30Ruby.

14:31>> Thank you. Sorry, I got here late. I had

14:32my times mixed up. Um, on the agenda for

14:37the order, it has that the recreation

14:39director starts at step four. There's

14:41nothing on the order that indicates

14:43that. Should that be there?

14:46>> I think the others are just not

14:48>> So

14:49>> I thought it was Council

14:51>> Mr. President.

14:52>> So so we can put it on there if you

14:53want, Council Ruby. Otherwise, I thought

14:56when it came back, we would just add

14:57that and say we want the rec recreation

15:00director to start at step four. But if

15:01you want that doesn't have to be a a

15:03salary ordinance. That's just like any

15:06time the mayor wants to come down and

15:08adjust the starting step, we just agree

15:09to say we approve this and we're going

15:11to start it cuz

15:13the comptroller may come back and say,

15:15"Hey, the new finance dude, we need him

15:18to start at step something greater than

15:20one." And that's not a salary ordinance

15:22change, that's just a

15:24acknowledgement by the council that we

15:26say, "Okay, we're going to pay

15:27additional funds to start

15:29whatever the individual is at."

15:31>> All right. Cuz on the order that has all

15:33of the positions listed in it, it does

15:35have a chart listing where people start.

15:38>> Yep.

15:39>> And it's part of the order. So, and I've

15:42seen past orders where it's specified if

15:45we're listing

15:46existing people, but we're bumping them

15:48up. So, I just don't don't I

15:51If the plan is to really have the

15:53recreation director start at step four,

15:57um

15:59I suppose it it'll have to be a budget

16:02adjustment anyway, so I don't know if

16:05that would impact it, but

16:07>> That's a good point, Councilwoman.

16:09>> So, motion's been made and seconded to

16:11refer this to the city solicitor. Any

16:13further discussion? All in favor? 1 2 3

16:174 5. That carries.

16:19I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

16:23>> Mr. Chair.

16:24>> Councilor Picillo.

16:25>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Move to adjourn.

16:27>> Motion's been made and seconded to

16:29adjourn.

16:31All in favor? 1 2 3 4 5. We adjourned at

16:336:46 p.m.

16:36Thank you, Council.