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DSAC Minutes 12/04/2002 RDecember 4, 2002 TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE COLLIER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE Naples, Florida, December 4, 2002 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the, Collier County Development Services Advisory Committee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 3:30 PM in REGULAR SESSION in Conference Room "E", 2800 Horseshoe Drive, Naples, Florida, with the following members present: ALSO PRESENT: CHAIRMAN: Ann Marie Saylor, Public Utilities, Patrick White, Assistant Attorney Ed Perico Garrett Mullee Margaret Wuerstle, Planning Services Joseph Schmitt, Adm. Environmental Dino Longo Charles Abbott Dalas Disney Marco Espinar Brian Jones Robert Mulhere Justin Martin Thomas Masters Anthony Pires, Jr. Herbert Savage Peter Van Arsdale Blair Foley (Excused) Brian Milk (Excused) Thomas Peek (Excused) DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA December 4, 2002 3:30 p.m. Approval of Agenda- Minutes- November 6, 2002 Meeting Staff Announcements A. Transportation Division Update B. Public Utilities Division Update III. Old Business V. Subcommittee Reports A. Land Development Regulation (Bob Duane) B. Construction Code (Dino Longo) C. Utility Code (Tom Masters) D. Ad Hoc Committee on Fees VI. New Business A. Reschedule meeting for January 1st to Tuesday, January 7th at 3:30 p.m. B. Discussion of increases to Permitting, Planning and Engineering Fees Dino and Denny VII. Committee Member Comments December 4, 2002 Chairman Dino Longo called the meeting to order at 3:35 P.M. There was not a quorum. III. OLD BUSINESS: Herb Savage asked about Transfer Fees. A quorum was established at 3:45 P.M. Approval of Agenda - Minutes - November 6, 2002. Marco Espinar moved to approve the Minutes of November 6, 2003. Seconded Dalas Disney. Carried Unanimously. Herb again asked about the Transfer Fees. He wondered if there had been any action taken. Dino said not a lot on the State level. The Board Home Builders Association is talking with the Association of Counties and the League of Cities. Their lobbyist will be in town next week and Dino is meeting with them for an update. They are trying to get the counties and cities a new revenue source to choose from instead of impact fees. They would like to write into law a choice to implement Transfer fees or Impact fees. Collier County should take a look at Referral or Transfer fees. Dino talked about the fees. Many of the groups are getting together. In March they are hoping to get it on the Legislative Agenda, despite Collier County Commissioners not getting it on their agenda. He discussed it going to a referendum or not and the support from the County Manager. The Transfer fees will impact New Growth. It will change everything they do as far as getting to the impact fee numbers. The County will have to identify the deficit. He states impact fees cannot be used to make up for a deficit. It is against the law. They also passed an Index Ordinance last Tuesday that did not come before the Committee. Herb stated he thought it was a good idea when the Mayor suggested having their own FEMA. Dino wasn't sure that would work here. They are not in litigation with them at this time. IV. Subcommittee Reports C. Utility Code - Justin Martin is in charge of Utility Code now. Justin reported they had a meeting this past month and have been going over the Utility Technical Standards Manual for the past two months. It's a Document referenced into the Utility Ordinance. It can be revised without going to the Board. They are looking at the language and making changes. They looked at the section of potable water. The County staff has the changes and is preparing Documents, which will be presented at the next DSAC meeting. II. Staff Announcements B. Public Utilities Division Update - Dino stated Ann Marie Saylor will give an update on the impact fees for water & sewer. Information will be coming back to the full committee mid December. Then it will go back to Utilities and back to the full Committee January 7th, 3:30. Ann Marie stated it is a fixed study on the impact fees and 2 December 4, 2002 III. Vt rates & if copies are wanted they will receive one. A Workshop will be held in mid February with the target date of February 25th to go before the BCC. The Committee will be receiving a large packet of the mechanics of all the impact fee increases. A. Transportation Division Update- None Joe Schmitt - informed the Committee that the Hearing Examiner issue was defeated at the BCC. Dino asked Joe about the Ordinance passed Tuesday at the Board meeting that did not come before the DSAC. He was wondering why. Joe stated it was an Ordinance that involved transportation impact fees concerning the indexing based on CPI. From staff's perspective, it was included in the first and second report on the fees part of the implementation guidance and also discussed as part of the process of implementing the increase of impact fees. It surprised him when he received word that the DSAC did not see it. They should have reviewed it as a separate Ordinance. Joe was directed by the Board to prepare the Ordinance but did not negate their responsibility. He thought this committee had already understood what staffs intent was with regards to the impact fees. He had no idea that it should have come back through DSAC. Joe accepted full responsibility. Old Business Dino brought up the fact that a summary for the year end actions of the Development Services Advisory Committee needs to be done. Joe asked when they wanted to schedule a briefing on IT and the GIS system. He will set up at the next meeting. Dino would like to see elections take place today so the new officers can take over in January. Bob Mulhere nominated Dalas Disney for Chairman - he declined. Tom Masters was nominated - he declined. Herb Savage nominated Peter VanArsdale for Chairman. Seconded Marco Espinar. Carried unanimously 11-0. Bob Mulhere nominated Justin Martin for Vice Chairman. Seconded Anthony Pires. Carried unanimously 11-0. Dino said the full DSAC meeting has been changed from January 1 to January 7th. The Ad Hoc Committee will be held on December 11 at 3:00PM. New Business B. Ad Hoc Committee-discussion of increases to Permitting, Planning and Engineering Fees (Dino & Denny) December 4, 2002 Dino stated the Ad Hoc Committee met with Gary and Denny last month. They looked at substantial increases on the Planning side, asked them to go back and rearrange them. They looked at phasing them in. This will all go back to the Ad Hoc on Dec. 11th. They did a decrease in permit fees, but increased the valuations. He mentioned the Southeastern building code valuation tables which generated additional revenues based on 2002's projections and historical data of what was permitted this year. It's on a sliding scale to increase the fee schedules over the next couple years -2005. 2M will be taken out to the Reserves to subsidize Planning. With 50% increase in Planning next year and 51% increase for the following year. (Subject to change) This gives them a year to track it and see what it cost to do business. They are trying to get a meeting scheduled with Industry and a Public Workshop. That workshop is scheduled in January. It will be held in the Library. Joe stated they hope to address the conflict that exists with permitting fees as a subsidy for the other departments. Will change the way they do business. Joe said two and three years ago his division was not encumbered with the cost that he now has to provide to other departments or divisions. One example he used was "legal". Another paralegal will be paid for by Development services fees. It's a growing community and the services that need to be provided are beginning to cost the division and he has to raise revenues or cut staff. More things are being demanded from the Planning Commission and all the costs are being transferred to Development Services. Justified or not - will be put out to the public, debated and decide whether some of the functions should be picked up in Fund 111 or General Fund. Implementation of the Rural Fringe and Rural Lands Amendments, and LDR's are going to be costly. There will probably be some arguments on who is going to pay for these and how they are to be funded. He's been told how it is going to be spent but is looking for the committees guidance. He stated he's spending more than he's making right now for the past 6 months, and is dipping into the Reserves. Brian Jones asked how much the Index will be going up. Gary handed out a report of historical data. On a 2,500 square foot house the average fee being charged today is $555.00. The table update would raise it to $694.00; with the rate being changed it would be $580.00. That would be approx, a $20.00 increase. It would be a slight increase in actual building fees for residential and a slight decrease for commercial. The meeting at the Library was discussed as to whom will be invited or attend. They will get the word out for architects and engineers etc. It will be advertised and individual letters will be mailed. Joe stated 6 workshops were held and many man hours devoted for the BCC and the Development Services fees paid for those salaries. Discussion was held on preparation of meetings, and the government being inefficient because of the democratic process, the public and review process, and going through the cycles and sunshine. Everything is time consuming - copies of deeds etc. Something is wrong with the process used today. 4 December 4, 2002 VI. Bob Mulhere commented on the review process. They will also be looking at Lee County's process. Are Pre-Apps needed was discussed and taking up staffs time. They need to get a workshop scheduled to address all these issues. Proposed fees on a graduated scale were discussed. It was felt staff should be able to make some decisions and be reasonable. Gary gave a brief summary. At the beginning of the next fiscal year (October) they will discuss getting all the fees for accounts in line with their costs. They will do some time tracking and come back to the Committee with detailed information before large increases. Dino said the significant changes they will see are the revenues coming down and trying to get this down to a business and readjust numbers if need be. A lengthy discussion followed concerning permits, issuing building CD plus, floating bonds, general fund etc. The interest from different funds going back into the Clerks office was also discussed. Dalas talked about the CD plus replacement and getting information on the Fire Department and the possibility of being more efficient and cost effective as having a Fire Plan Review back as part of the building Dept. He proposed that perhaps it is time to take a look at these costs. Discussion followed. This will be discussed at the Dec. 11th meeting and invite Ed Riley to address the concerns. Peter VanArsdale stated this is an ongoing topic and whether it is fire, or building department issues, they don't seem to grasp it very well. Part of the problem is government and part problem solving. Hopefully a solution will come out of the workshop in January to define the issues. Bob Mulhere asked about Sub-Committee assignments. In January everyone will update their contact list and if anyone wants to change their subcommittee assignment, they can. Dino commented it was a pleasure and honor to Chair the Committee this past year and learned something new at every meeting he attended, and thanked the incoming officers. Committee Comments Brian - he felt the timing is appropriate at this time on the Fire Dept. issue because of the problems in North Naples. If change is needed, this is the appropriate time. Herb - he commended Dino on behalf of the Committee on the job he did. He also feels fortunate to have Joe Schmitt heading the Department. December 4, 2002 Justin - He asked about the Committee terms and whether there are any vacancies and if so are there any applications. If no one has received a notice, they are still on the Committee. Charlie - he felt when calling into the Development Services building during business hours, employees should be around rather than get an answering machine and a call back a day or two later. Tom - need to find a way to empower staff again. They seem to be afraid to make decisions that use to be made on a staff level. Joe reminded everyone there is an Inclusionary Workshop scheduled for January 22nd. Tom - felt bad they lost the Hearing Examiner concept, wished it would have gone through to take some of the work load away and streamlined other parts of the process. Marco - he had read an article on a project called NGLA. Saw it on the website, and said it was a great concept - a restaurant with an African motif with wild animals etc., and no permits were pulled. He thought county tax dollars may have been spent at functions at a place that isn't permitted. Joe stated no permits were pulled because it was built on the auspices on the person that operates it. Food is catered from the Registry Hotel, a high end business. The public information meeting for the variance request initial use is the 16th of December. They are going through the process. There are 4 NOV's and code violations have been issued. They have 5 authorized permits under Farm Use. It had a fire inspection and FPL has authorized a hook-up. The septic system is also permitted. Their was a Meeting Planners event held through Tourism of which they paid $10,000 for advertising and one of the days event (over three days) was at NGLA. It was spent on the immediate planning meeting and not specifically at NGLA. Marco just wanted everyone to know things should be done the legal and right way. Joe asks anyone to attend the public meeting and express their opinions. Being no further business to come before the Committee the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 PM. DEVELOPMENT SERVICE ADVISORY BOARD Dino Longo, Chairman 6