City Annual Retreat Discusses Cutbacks

Annually, the Lauderhill City Commission meets to discuss upcoming issues that they expect to face within the next year. Finances being the hot topic in government these days, the concerns about city finances dominated the discussion.

Even though the city has already voted to reduce their overall budget to meet projected revenues, the property appraiser has notified Lauderhill that they can expect even lower revenues in the future. To combat this problem, and address where we have short falls in budgeted items, the City Manager proposed several ways to reduce spending.

While the city has sent out the first of this years newsletter, the funding for future newsletters has been cut. To reduce costs it was proposed that after the next newsletter, to eliminate future distributions. A few copies will still be printed, but no longer mailed. Those will be left in key places around the city.

Instead, the newsletter will be electronically sent to e-mail addresses the city possesses, and will be available on its website. The cost savings will be about $120,000/year. It was suggested that maybe a very simple one page newsletter may be created and included in the water bill. That will be explored.

Then the City Manager discussed a pilot program to reduce the city work week to 4 days. However, in the 4 day weeks, employees will have extended 10 hour days. That creates an advantage in that City Hall will be open later in the evening for those that work during the day.

It is planned that Friday, being the slowest day of the week, would have City Hall closed. This does not mean the city will be closed. All shift personnel will still continue as present. This includes fire/EMS, police, utilities, recreational programs and parks. What will be closed is administrative offices, commission offices, planning and business offices.

Due to advances in electronics and computers, many alternatives ways to conduct business with the city will occur, creating more e-business to reduce costs. While the Business Center will be closed, permitting and inspections could still be ordered if planned web site improvements are instituted. If water bills need to be paid, they can already be paid through the city web site. The Mayor and Commissioners will still be available, as they always have, through whatever normal methods that have been used in the past. These changes may be instituted as soon as March 1.

A thorough review of city special events was made. At this point, unless the event is funded through sponsorship, it is expected to be cut. Unite-a-Fest, Flavor-a-Fest, BlazzFest, HispanicFest are all gone. Veterans Day will continue to be paid by the city, and the city has already funded the 50th Anniversary Celebration. The following events are expected to funded by sponsors to allow them to continue: MLK Day, July 4, Jazz Picnic In The Park (with a possible expansion to include Jazz Picnic Under The Stars), Community Health Fair, and the Saturday Night Cricket/Soccer/Netball Winter Games (which also is funded partially through the recreation department and not as a special event).

Special projects, such as the Florida Caribbean Games, and the Lauderhill Cultural Arts/Library facility, are being developed with strong fund raising components as part of their core requirements. Several fund raising ideas were discussed. One was to solicit a tax deductible $1000/person donation, and in return a permanent recognition plaque will be placed in the Cultural Arts Facility. Naming rights were also discussed for larger contributions.

A lengthy discussion was also on the progress of the City Master Plan, which is working to create a roadmap of the future of Lauderhill. By creating this plan, it would expect to help reduce costs by giving better directions to avoid wasting funds on projects not within the plan.

Part of this planning process will include green initiatives which serve as a cost cutting measure in operational costs. As an example of how green initiatives reduce operational costs, the new city hall under construction, which will be certified LEED Silver, is expected to cost at least $50,000/year less than it otherwise would have. Once the building is complete, the operational costs will be measured to verify the savings. Another is by use of hybrid cars. Already the first hybrid has been delivered and it is being noted that gas consumption for this driver has gone from about 10-12 miles/gallon to 25. Several other hybrids should be delivered soon. The green initiatives are being evaluated through an independent study.

What is important what the city is working through is to see how it can reduce expenditures, not only in the short term, but long term as well. Yet, doing everything it can to maintain a quality of life that we are seeking, at a cost we can afford.