Title
Wild Spaces & Public Places Department Request to Add Staff (B)
A request to approve a change to the FY19 budget for the Wild Spaces & Public Places Department to add personnel.
Explanation
The Wild Spaces & Public Places Department (WSPP) is funded through a ½ cent sales tax. The fund can be used to improve environmentally sensitive lands to protect drinking water sources, water quality, and wildlife habitat, and to create, improve and maintain parks and recreational facilities. Florida Statute 212.0555 allows the sales tax to be used for engineering costs, and all other professional and related costs required to bring the public facilities into service.
Currently there are 5 authorized positions in the Wild Spaces & Public Places Department: a Director, a 20hr/week Assistant Director, a Construction Inspector, a Marketing and Communications Specialist, and a Logistics Coordinator. 50% of the City Architect’s time is funded by the WSPP ½ cent sales tax. The 20hr/week Assistant Director position will end at the end of FY19, bringing the FTE count down to 4.5.
The Wild Spaces & Public Places Department has been successful in initiating many projects over the last year and shepherding some projects through construction, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the workload as more projects begin construction.
The Wild Spaces & Public Places Department is seeking authorization to add one Project Manager position. The amount of time required to manage projects increases substantially during construction and this position is being requested in order to help manage projects. Many Wild Spaces & Public Places projects will begin construction in 2019 and 2020. The City Commission received a presentation on this request during the January 10, 2019 General Policy Committee Meeting.
Fiscal Note
The WSPP Fund has a current fund balance of $10,839,764. The proposed Project Manager position would allocate $89,874 of the fund’s b...
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