Opa-locka commission ponders ways to lower costs, including reducing employee workweek
Opa-locka Mayor Myra Taylor has put fixing the city’s financial crisis in the hands of a task force. The three-person team was expected to bring recommendations to Wednesday’s commission meeting after the city manager held a special meeting on June 1.
The main item
Vice Mayor Timothy Holmes sponsored a resolution to enact an alternative work schedule decreasing all Opa-locka employees’ workweeks to either 30, with five six-hour days, or 32 hours, with a four eight-hour days.
“I did this and I hope with the support of my colleagues we can stop 29 people from being laid off,” Holmes said. “I don’t want to wait for the task force’s response.”
City Manager Kelvin Baker indicated that savings from Holmes’ item would not cover the city’s financial gap, but that reduction “would clearly be a step in the right direction.”
Commissioner Terence Pinder said he wanted to support the item, but could not because he didn’t feel comfortable implementing something he did not have ample time to review. In lieu of deferring the resolution, the commission voted to amend it to study the cost effectiveness of the reduction of employee hours. The motion was approved 5-0.
Other business
▪ Mayor’s Financial Task Force: The mayor’s task force lead by Opa-locka resident Steven Barrett did not present any recommendations to the commission as requested. Instead the team asked to postpone their presentation until Monday while they finish reviewing the city’s finances.
▪ Administrative policy: The commission considered the second reading of an ordinance to adopt and update administrative regulations. After hearing residents’ comments on the item that the new policy might potentially violate union contracts, among other issues, Baker deferred the vote on the reading until next month.
▪ Voluntary Early Retirement Program: Baker again proposed implementing a nonbudgeted early retirement program for qualifying employees to be funded by approximately $200,000 of the city’s water and sewer reserves. The commission approved the item unanimously.
▪ Annexation: After a public presentation by the North Central Dade Municipal Advisory Committee, the commission approved conducting a study to look into the committee’s request for expansion of the boundaries that Opa-locka wants to acquire.
You said it
“The only way North Central Dade can become a part of a municipality that offers the best hope for economic advancement if is we become a part of Opa-locka.” — E. Louis Burnside, resident and chair of the annexation steering committee for North Central Dade about Opa-locka’s consideration of the annexation.
The next meeting
▪ When: 7 p.m. June 24
▪ Where: Sherbondy Village Auditorium, 215 Perviz Ave.
This story was originally published June 11, 2015 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Opa-locka commission ponders ways to lower costs, including reducing employee workweek."