Cutler Bay manager previews major capital projects, ARPA spending and proposed budgeting guardrails

Town Manager Ralph Casals used a June 18 council workshop to lay out the Town of Cutler Bay’s budget priorities for the coming fiscal year, highlighting American Rescue Plan Act allocations, a series of capital projects and several near-term grant and interlocal funding requests.

Casals said the town will maintain its current millage rate and continue to focus on “short and long-term financial stability,” and he described the top-line items staff expects to carry into the budget process: an enterprise resource planning replacement, water-quality and drainage projects, park remediation and site remediation at Legacy Park.

The memo Cavals presented to the council — summarized in the meeting’s PowerPoint — shows $21,000,000 in ARPA funds divided into two main buckets: $10,000,000 for a standard allowance and $11,000,000 for water-quality improvement projects. Casals described the Tyler Technologies ERP replacement (finance, permitting, asset management, parks and recreation) as ARPA-funded and on a multi-phase schedule to deploy through 2026. “This new system allows residents to submit permits, pay bills, request services, and view their account information entirely online,” he said during the workshop.

Why it matters: the town will move high-cost remediation and multi-agency construction projects into the next fiscal plan, and Casals asked council members to consider policy guardrails for employee compensation tied to the town’s audited fund balance and future budget stresses.

Key projects and funding described - Legacy Park remediation and municipal complex: Casals said the town has committed “over $6.4 million” toward solar remediation and related site work. Stantec’s monthly update later in the regular meeting (see separate article) gave a progress report on the soil export/import work for the site. Casals and staff said the project will continue to affect near-term reserve planning as the town awaits a GMP (guaranteed maximum price) estimate for construction. - Blue Heron Park solar remediation: staff described the remediation as a major project that could exceed $2,000,000 in removal costs; Casals said the town is evaluating a brownfield designation that could allow recovery of up to about $900,000 and that demand letters to prior property owners have been sent. - Parks joint-use agreements: Casals said the town is continuing negotiations with Miami‑Dade County Public Schools for joint-use fencing and access at Cutler Bay High School and Cutler Bay Middle School. He said the town expects an initial fencing package of about $41,000 to secure athletic fields and courts and that the item will return to council for formal approval. - Coastal Ridge Preserve and other park work: an agenda item later the same evening would select a contractor to complete restoration on an 8.5-acre preserve; other park projects named include Baylor Park concession-area work and perimeter fencing at Saugah Lake Park. - Drainage and water‑quality capital improvements: Casals highlighted a $5,400,000 grant (state funding referenced as FTP in the presentation) for sub-basin work in the Saga Bay community and ARPA-funded water-quality sub-basin investments described as roughly $7.4 million for Bel Air neighborhood sub-basins and other sub-basin areas; the town also reported federal and FDOT grant components for several road and drainage projects. - Marlin Road complete-streets: staff described a proposed joint participation agreement with Miami‑Dade County for approximately $9,900,000 to complete Marlin Road, with prior design grants and direct appropriations already secured (listed in the presentation as a $545,000 FDOT design grant, a $520,000 direct state appropriation, a $4.4 million congressional appropriation and a $1,000,000 FDOT LAMP grant). - EEL (county) property negotiations: Casals said the town is pursuing purchase/transfer terms with Miami‑Dade County for 8.5 acres of county-owned property and that staff are asking the county to “carve out” roughly two acres; the town hopes to move the parcel from the county’s B list (50% of value) to the A list (100% of value) pending appraisal and negotiations.

Staffing, reserves and next steps Casals said the town’s reserve fund has grown substantially over recent years and described proposed guardrails to ensure COLA and merit actions do not force unplanned reserve draws. In the evening meeting the council heard a separate resolution to amend the town’s COLA/merit rules; the council voted to defer that resolution so staff can return with a more detailed fiscal analysis and a proposed merit/ longevity policy to implement if the council chooses.

Casals also listed several scheduled budget workshops and hearings: the second budget workshop for general fund figures on July 30 and an all‑funds workshop on Aug. 28; the two statutorily required public hearings are scheduled in September and will be posted on the town website.

Ending: Casals closed the workshop portion by opening the floor for council questions and said staff will return with line‑item figures and follow-up items in July and August as the town prepares its proposed FY budget.