Submitted By: Tye Chighizola
presenter
Presentation By: Tye Chighizola
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Department: Growth Management
STAFF RECOMMENDATION (Motion Ready):
title
Adopt Budget Resolution 2022-144 to appropriate funding from the Building Division’s Reserve for Building Fund account for Building related expenses in the amount of $50,795
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OCALA’S RELEVANT STRATEGIC GOALS:
Operational Excellence, .
PROOF OF PUBLICATION:
N/A
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BACKGROUND:
The City has a five-year agreement with GovSense and Oracle/NetSuite for its land management software system. An upgrade to the Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce Cloud Service is necessary for the Public Portal to access all modules and will cost $7,500. The Building Division wishes to purchase Oracle Learning Cloud Support Services that benefit our Information Technology (IT) staff implementing and managing the GovSense software and the Oracle platform that costs $15,960. A total of $1,695 is also being requested to send one of the IT staff working on Building’s ProjectDox software to an annual user conference to learn more about it.
The iPads that the Building Inspectors are using will no longer receive software updates from Apple due to their age. The new iPad 2021s have a higher storage capacity, an upgraded camera with 12 MPs and ultra-wide lens for sharper pictures, an increased battery life up to 10 hours, an Apple M1 processor and they will last longer than their current iPads. The cost for 10 new iPads will be $11,919. When in the office reviewing plans, the inspectors dock their laptops and have one monitor, which makes it difficult to see plan details. Six additional 27” monitors will allow each inspector to have 2 monitors providing a larger viewing area to review plans. The monitors will cost $2,100. The Building Inspectors have a variety of older cell phones. Staff proposes upgrading inspector phones to the Apple iPhone 12 at a total cost of $2,500. Spaces are being reconfigured in the Building Division to provide more offices for new staff and new furniture that costs $9,121 needs to be purchased.
FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:
The City’s Building Fund is designed to support operating expenses of the building division. The items being requested will aid building staff to perform their jobs more efficiently.
In July 2019, the Florida Legislature passed a bill (HB 447) that states that a local government cannot carry forward an amount exceeding the average of its operating budget for enforcing the Florida Building Code for the previous 4 fiscal years. The 4-year average (fiscal years 2018 - 2021) for expenses is $1,953,602. Building’s Reserve for Fund Balance is approximately $2,890,030. According to the bill, funding needs to be used to pay for Building expenses or fees should be reduced, which was done in FY21 and is being proposed again at this Council meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The proposed expenses will reduce the Reserve for Fund Balance (001-099-999-513-81-99170) which will assist in meeting legislative mandates.
PROCUREMENT REVIEW:
N/A
LEGAL REVIEW:
The budget resolution does not require legal review.
ALTERNATIVE:
• Approve
• Deny
• Table
BUDGET RESOLUTION 2022-144
A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 BUDGET TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FROM THE RESERVE FOR BUILDING FUND FOR BUILDING RELATED EXPENSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $50,795
WHEREAS, the City has a five-year agreement with GovSense and Oracle/NetSuite for its land management software system; and
WHEREAS, an upgrade to the Oracle NetSuite SuiteCommerce Cloud Service is necessary for the Public Portal to access all modules and will cost $7,500; and
WHEREAS, the Building Division wishes to purchase Oracle Learning Cloud Support Services that benefit our Information Technology staff implementing and managing the GovSense software and the Oracle platform that costs $15,960; and
WHEREAS, one of the IT staff working on Building’s ProjectDox software needs to attend a ProjectDox User Conference that will cost $1,695; and
WHEREAS, the Building Inspectors’ cell phones need to be upgraded to the Apple iPhone 12 Pro at a cost of $2,500; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to replace the iPads that the Building Inspectors are currently using because Apple is no longer offering software upgrades and they do not have the capabilities that the Inspectors need; and
WHEREAS, spaces are being reconfigured in the Building Division to provide more offices for staff and new furniture that costs $9,121 needs to be purchased; and
WHEREAS, the cost to replace the Inspector’s iPads with iPad 2021s will be $11,919; and
WHEREAS, staff wishes to purchase six (6) 27” monitors at a cost of $2,100 so that the building inspectors can more easily review building plans with a second monitor and larger viewing area; and
WHEREAS, due to the robust construction taking place in Ocala, the Reserve for Building Fund has been steadily increasing despite lowering fees; and
WHEREAS, according to Florida House Bill 447 passed in 2019, local governments should not carry forward a reserve that exceeds a four-year average of the annual cost of performing the building function; and
WHEREAS, the City’s Building Fund currently has a reserve balance of approximately $2,890,030, which exceeds the four-year average of its annual operating budget of $1,838,479.25; and
WHEREAS, since the expenses are necessary for the Building operation and their cost will help reduce the reserve, it is an appropriate use of funding.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLBED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OCALA, FLORIDA, duly assembled in regular session, that the FY22 Budget be amended as outlined below to appropriate funding as follows:
Source:
001-099-999-513-81-99170 Building’s Reserve for Fund Balance $50,795
Use:
001-016-061-524-52-40010 GRM Bldg. - Training $17,655
001-016-061-524-52-52010 GRM Bldg. - Operating Expenses $ 4,600
001-016-061-524-52-52060 GRM Bldg. - Equipment ($1,000-$4,999) $21,040
001-016-061-524-68-68010 GRM Bldg. - Intangible Assets $ 7,500
Total $50,795
This resolution adopted this ______ day of ______________________, 2022.
ATTEST: CITY OF OCALA
By: By:
Angel B. Jacobs Ire Bethea Sr.
City Clerk President, Ocala City Council
Approved as to form and legality:
By: _________________________________
Robert W. Batsel, Jr.
City Attorney
Reviewed for accounting accuracy & completeness:
By: _________________________________
Sandra Wilson
City Manager