Below is a summary of some of the approvals and decisions made by the City Commission at a meeting on Monday, September 21, 2020. To watch meetings live or to watch recorded meetings on-demand, please visit: https://www.wpb.org/government/communications/wpb-tv18/watch-wpb-tv18-live or https://www.wpb.org/government/communications/wpb-tv18/watch-the-latest-city-commission-meeting.

• Approved ratifying the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the City and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Florida Public Service Union (FPSU), CTW, CLC Certified Unit No. 401. The parties have reached a successor three (3) year agreement for the period of October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2023, with a yearly re-opening of only Compensation Article 24. Article 24, Compensation: Provides for a three percent (3%) across the board (ATB) pay increase for FY21 for SEIU union employees effective on the full pay period on or after October 1, 2020. Employees which have not attained regular status as of October 1, 2020 are not eligible for the across the board pay increase. Provides for re-opening Compensation Article 24 terms for negotiation on a yearly basis in FY22 and FY23, respectively. Costs associated with providing the 3% ATB pay increase to SEIU employees is accounted for in the proposed balanced FY21 budget.
• Approved ratifying a successor Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the City and the Professional Managers and Supervisors Association Certified Unit 1073 (PMSA). The parties have reached a three (3) year agreement for the period of October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2023.
• Approved authorizing execution of agreements between the City of West Palm Beach and 15 local artists for temporary art and creative projects as part of “The Commons: 15 Artists in 15 Spaces”, a COVID-19 Relief Initiative. The project allows for the local art community to create unique temporary responsive works during these challenging times and launches a new wave of public art in West Palm Beach. This project provides an opportunity for our local artists community to ask what we seek from our public spaces and how to safely rebuild our community in solidarity after isolation while receiving economic relief. The Art in Public Places Committee facilitated a Call to Palm Beach County Artists and reviewed video submissions. Each artist developed a unique concept that highlights the artist's practice in their chosen medium. Further, each project responds differently to their selected sites with physical objects or as art happenings.
• Approved authorizing the City's participation in the Medicaid Managed Care Organization Supplemental Payment Program and approved an agreement with the Agency for Health Care Administration for Public Emergency Medical Transport for FY 2021. Medicaid payment rates do not recognize the actual costs incurred by EMS providers for the provision of EMS services and as a result, municipalities and counties have been required to use alternative funding sources to supplant the costs incurred through other funding mechanisms, such as the allocation of taxes and fees. Despite the establishment of the Public Emergency Medical Transport Medicaid Fee for Service Program in 2016, the medical managed care reimbursement levels remained at inadequate levels. The new Medicaid Managed Care Payment Program increases Medicaid federal funding available to government owned Fire and EMS communities. The Federal government requires a cost share which the State of Florida is requiring Palm Beach County and city governments interested in participating in the program to pay in advance. When the Medicaid insurance providers pay the approximate $190 per transport, they will also pay an additional estimated $182 transport as a result of this program as well as reimburse the City's cost share per transport. The Agency for Health Care Administration implemented and monitors this program by determining the City's cost share and reconciling payments made by the Medicaid insurance providers.
• Approved waiving the procurement requirements and authorizing the City to enter into an Agreement with Rossmeyer Daytona Motorcycles, Inc. for a two (2) year lease of eight (8) police motorcycles. The City currently leases eight (8) Harley Davidson police motorcycles from Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson, Inc. The City's lease agreement expires November 30, 2020. The current vendor, Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson, has supplied pricing for an additional two (2) year lease term. The price proposal offers to exchange the police emergency equipment from the 2019 model year motorcycles to the 2020 model year motorcycles for $1,250.00 per motorcycle and lease the 2020 motorcycles at a price of $575.00 per month, per vehicle, which includes customary maintenance as per the manufacturer's recommendation, as well as tire and brake replacement. The Procurement Division performed market research and found the prices offered to the City by Bruce Rossmeyer Harley Davidson to be lower than other recently awarded competitive bids. Rossmeyer has been supplying the motorcycles to the Police Department for twenty years, which has enabled the City keep costs down by re-using much of the equipment upon lease renewals.

For a complete list of the approvals and decisions made at the September 21, 2020 City Commission Meeting, please click here to view the pass/fail agenda.