Commission discusses stormwater, pond maintenance and financial reporting; city schedules dedicated stormwater workshop

Commissioners spent a major portion of Monday’s meeting on stormwater and pond maintenance, the city’s ongoing stormwater study, potential outside funding, and how the commission should receive regular financial information ahead of the budget cycle.

Commissioner Victoria Bruce raised the issue of privately owned neighborhood ponds and the city’s long-term role. She asked staff for a consolidated list that would show which ponds are private or city-maintained and what maintenance responsibilities exist for each. City Manager Kevin Sweet and staff said there is no single “master list” available to point to, and explained that the city has contracted Kimley-Horn to provide a stormwater study that includes an operations and maintenance (O&M) plan and a rate analysis (the rate work subcontracted to Raptellus).

Sweet said the Kimley-Horn scope of work will include: an O&M plan for the city stormwater system, a rate analysis, and parallel scenarios that show potential costs if the city were to assume maintenance responsibilities citywide rather than limiting its maintenance obligations. He told commissioners that the final presentation is anticipated in late summer or early fall, and staff is planning a dedicated stormwater workshop in July so the commission can review findings before the formal deliverable is presented.

Sweet also reported that the city has awarded contracts for creek debris removal and sediment work; he said Zulu Marine has been awarded sediment removal work for seven crossings and that the city is pursuing an additional roughly $900,000 in NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) funds to address projects tied to Hurricane Ian remediation. He said the city initially budgeted roughly $1.6 million for certain creek work and that NRCS funding would expand what can be addressed.

Separately, Commissioner Paul Diaz pressed for better and more frequent financial reporting for the commission, asking for monthly and near-real-time access to core financial reports. Diaz asked the body to receive three specific reports on a regular cadence: a monthly trial balance, periodic budget-to-actual reports (more frequent as the budget process approaches), and quarterly fund-balance reports. City Attorney Anthony Garmanise said elected officials may have access to financial information but noted safeguards are required to protect confidential data. City Manager Sweet and several commissioners agreed to review feasibility; staff will provide a proposal for what can be produced efficiently and securely.

The commission also agreed to schedule staff meetings with each commissioner in early July to review department budgets in advance of a public budget workshop. City staff proposed one-on-one sessions for commissioners on July 9 and a public budget workshop on July 14; the tentative schedule includes a tentative public hearing on September 9 and a final budget hearing on September 22.

Commissioners requested that staff continue consolidating advisory-board minutes, circulate unapproved minutes when appropriate, and develop a regular brief for commissioners summarizing advisory-board activity. City Manager Sweet said staff will work on biweekly communications that could include committee summaries, but cautioned that staff resources and personnel turnover affect timing and capacity.