BCC Minutes 09/07/2017 B (Budget)September 7, 2017
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TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Naples, Florida, September 7, 2017
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Board of County
Commissioners, in and for the County of Collier, and also acting as the
Board of Zoning Appeals and as the governing board(s) of such special
districts as have been created according to law and having
conducted business herein, met on this date at 5:05 p.m., in BUDGET
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples,
Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN: Penny Taylor
Andrew Solis
Donna Fiala (telephonically)
William L. McDaniel, Jr.
Burt L. Saunders
ALSO PRESENT:
Leo Ochs, County Manager
Nick Casalanguida, Deputy County Manager
Jeffrey A. Klatzkow, County Attorney
Mark Isackson, Office of Management & Budget
September 7, 2017
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CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Good afternoon.
County Manager?
MR. OCHS: Good evening, Commissioners, and welcome to the
first of two statutorily-required public hearings to adopt the proposed
Fiscal Year 2018 budget.
Commissioner, if you'd like, we can start with the Pledge, and
then we'll get Commissioner Fiala in. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner Saunders, would you
lead us in the Pledge, please.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
COMMISSIONER FIALA TO PARTICIPATE TELEPHONICALLY
DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES – APPROVED
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And so, Commissioner Fiala, for
obvious reasons, could not be with us tonight. She's in Ohio and could
not get back to us all this week. So at this point we are going to see if
we have a motion to allow her to participate in this meeting due to
unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: So moved.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Second.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: There's a motion on the floor and a
second.
All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: (No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Those opposed, like sign.
(No response.)
September 7, 2017
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CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: It carries unanimously.
Welcome, Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Can you hear me?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: We sure can.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Good; that's great.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Welcome. Thank you. All right.
MR. OCHS: Madam Chair, if you don't mind, I'll turn this right
to Mr. Isackson to begin this evening's presentation.
FY-18 PELICAN BAY SERVICES DIVISION BUDGET HEARING
Item #2A (PELICAN BAY SERVICES BUDGET AGENDA)
MR. ISACKSON: Thank you, County Manager Ochs, and good
evening, Commissioners.
The first item of business up on the visualizer is our discussion of
the Pelican Bay Services Division budget, their budget hearing, which
includes the preview executive summary, any public comment then,
ultimately, the adoption item, C, which is a resolution approving the
special assessment roll and levying the special assessment against the
benefited properties within the MSTBU.
I'll call up Mr. Dorrill, who will provide a briefing for the Board.
MR. DORRILL: Good evening, Commissioners, and thank you.
Within the executive summary, the purpose of this item is to have
the Board review and to approve a resolution establishing a special
assessment roll and a special assessment over those benefiting
properties within the Pelican Bay Services Division in the community
of Pelican Bay.
Florida Statute, Chapter 197, is very specific and it refers to the
Uniform Method of Assessment. Our budget includes both ad valorem
and non-ad valorem taxes, and in this particular case, the amount of the
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non-ad valorem assessment for next year, $4,067,300 or $534.09 per
residential unit, and then there is an associated capital assessment of
$118.76 per unit which results in $904,400 for a total of 7,615 units or
equivalents within the community.
The total combined assessment for next year is $652.86. It does
represent a modest increase. The increase is primarily attributable on
the maintenance side to a healthy expansion of contracted tree
trimming with outside vendors and also some capital purchases that
includes vehicles, utility vehicles, some associated mowers.
And with that, I'd be happy to stop for just a second as an
executive summary and see if there's any particular questions or
questions of the public.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I see none.
Commissioner Fiala, any questions?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No, none whatsoever.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much.
Item #2C (PELICAN BAY SERVICES BUDGET AGENDA)
RESOLUTION 2017-150: APPROVING THE SPECIAL
ASSESSMENT ROLL AND LEVYING THE SPECIAL
ASSESSMENT AGAINST THE BENEFITED PROPERTIES
WITHIN THE PELICAN BAY MUNICIPAL SERVICE TAXING
AND BENEFIT UNIT – ADOPTED
MR. DORRILL: And then, in turn, the recommendation is that
the Board adopt both the resolution establishing the assessment roll in
the number of units that I attributed and also levying a special
assessment against those benefiting properties within the community
for 2018.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much. Do we have
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any speakers?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Not on that one, ma'am.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Madam Chair?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: We did receive some
correspondence in terms of -- I believe there's only one hearing on this;
is that correct? So --
MR. DORRILL: There -- historically, for 20-some-odd years,
there's one hearing on the non-ad valorem side. I think the ad valorem
millage gets wrapped up into your second hearing because, as I said,
we do levy a millage rate to pay for our street-lighting program there.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: I don't have any problem
going forward with all of it, whatever portion only requires the one
hearing, but there was a request to delay that portion of it because of
the situation with the hurricane; that some people couldn't be here. I
don't know if you heard that or --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I did.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I have not.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Mr. Dorrill, there's a portion of
this that -- where there is only one hearing.
MR. DORRILL: And that would be this one, which has to do
with both the maintenance and the capital programs. The separate
millage is part of the overall and would be aggregate millage of the
county that is an ad valorem assessment and millage rate.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And I think the request -- because I
think that the doctor came before us before. Whether there's a
hurricane or not, I have a sense that the idea was to do it close to when
folks are coming back. I think that was --
MR. DORRILL: You know, I don't disagree with that, but I will
tell you since Westinghouse created the successor to the services
division in the 1970s, the assessment portion of the budget for almost
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40 years has been adopted as part of a single hearing in conformance
with Florida law. There is no requirement for the portion that utilizes
special assessments to have two hearings. There's not a provision
within the statute to have a second hearing.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Understood. If we do delay
that portion until the next hearing, would that create a problem for
you?
MR. DORRILL: No.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Okay. And you have to be
here for that as well anyway?
MR. DORRILL: Historically, no. But I get paid one way or the
other. I will tell you, in fairness -- and I recognize Dr. Doyle. But in
fairness to the appointed members of our advisory board who work
very, very hard in support of the services division and specifically the
budget process, they find it a source of aggregation and insult to
somehow be treated separately.
But on balance, I'm not opposed to having to come back. But I
will tell you that the advisory board, who work hard to recommend a
budget to you -- this is a multi-year, you know, approach and
complaint or concern on the part of Dr. Doyle, and we acknowledge
that, but the Board has developed the budget that is here.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: What was the Board's, the advisory
board's, vote on the assessment?
MR. DORRILL: They recommended, I believe it was, 9-1 in
support of the -- it was either 8-1 or 9-1 in support of the budget as
submitted.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I would also like to say,
Commissioner, that I received more comments and more information
from folks that were in support of the levied non-ad valorem than I did
from Dr. Doyle. Dr. Doyle is the only one that had voiced an objection
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and suggested a delay.
And I think we could, you know, duly note that he has expressed
his objection but move the process forward as we usually do.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: That's fine. I just wanted to
raise that issue because we did have that correspondence.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: And I did -- now that I think about it,
I did have that conversation with Dr. Doyle as well and had urged him,
you know, to obviously bring as many people as he could that would
be opposed. But I haven't heard anything other than him, either.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Certainly, it's a separate subject
matter, but it bodes the discussion that we had yesterday about even
having this meeting, so if --
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I think --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I'll make a motion to accept the
resolution as presented.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: And I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. There's a motion on the floor
and a second. Any more discussion?
Commissioner Fiala, any discussion?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Nope, none.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Those opposed, like sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: It carries unanimously.
MR. DORRILL: Thank you very much.
September 7, 2017
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CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you. Stay safe.
MR. DORRILL: If I could, 30 seconds.
As an old county manager, I was privileged to attend a briefing
earlier in the week that was run by your manager and also your
emergency management people. And as somebody who spent a
lifetime in public administration, it was one of the most impressive
things I had ever seen. And I think the public can be justifiably proud
of the hands that they're in and under your leadership in particular.
Thank you, again.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Hear, hear.
MR. OCHS: Oh, that's very kind. Neil was the one who actually
hired me here in 1986, so he gave me a chance to come to town. So it
was nice to hear that from somebody that I respect.
Thank you, Neil.
All right. Mark?
FY-18 COLLIER COUNTY PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, that brings you to your
Collier County public budget hearing, your first hearing.
As I mentioned in the overview memo, there's some pretty strict
protocols that have to be followed with regard to the truth-in-millage
statutes. And if you'll indulge me, I'd like to begin reading some
remarks into the record. I will stop at every particular section so that
the Commissioners can, at their discretion, engage their staff in any
questions or have dialogue amongst themselves.
So let me first begin by welcoming everybody to the first of two
public hearings on the Collier County Government Fiscal Year 2018
budget which begins October 1, 2017, and runs through September
30th, 2018.
The public budget hearings in September must follow a specific
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format pursuant to truth in millage TRIM guidelines. Your agenda
contains the specific sequence of agenda items to be covered. Pursuant
to statute, this hearing was advertised as part of the TRIM notice
mailed to all Collier County property owners.
The final budget hearing is two weeks from tonight or September
21st, 2017, and this hearing will be noticed as part of the statutory
advertising requirement contained in the truth-in-millage statutes.
The notice of proposed tax increase ad will appear in the Naples
Daily News on Monday, September 18, 2017. This type of ad is
necessary since the county's tentatively adopted aggregate millage rate
is greater than the current year aggregate rolled-back rate. Final tax
rate and budget decisions will be made at this final hearing on
September 21st, 2017.
Agenda and speaker slips are available in the hallway. Anyone
interested in addressing the Board of County Commissioners regarding
the county budget must complete a speaker slip.
Following some introductory remarks regarding tax rates and
changes to the tentative budget released in mid July, there will be an
opportunity under Agenda Item 1C for public comment unless, Madam
Chair, you decide you want to call them earlier. That's your
prerogative.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you, sir.
MR. ISACKSON: The TRIM notice mailed to all property
owners indicated that by close of business September 11th, 2017, was
the deadline for property owners to contact the Property Appraiser and
file a petition for market-value adjustment with the Value Adjustment
Board.
Your Agenda Item 1A is a discussion of the tentative millage
rates and increases over the rolled-back millage rates. Rolled-back
discussion is required by state law and is the first substantive issue to
be discussed. They are the percentage increase in millage over the
September 7, 2017
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rolled-back rate needed to fund the budget and, two, reasons ad
valorem tax revenues above the rolled-back rate as calculated by the
State DR 420 forms are being increased.
Now, let me just make some introductory remarks here, and then
we'll open it up for discussion.
Rolled-back rate is defined as that tax rate necessary to generate
prior year tax revenues, and this tax rate is calculated not including
taxable values associated with new construction, additions, deletions,
and rehabilitative improvements.
The board-adopted budget guidance for FY2018 included a
millage-neutral operating levy position, the same tax rate as last year
and, for that matter, since 2010 for the General Fund.
The added levy earmarked for Conservation Collier was
eliminated when the maximum millage rate was set by the Board on
July 11th.
For the Unincorporated Area General Fund, the millage rate was,
once again, set at the Fiscal Year 2007 rate of .8069 pursuant to Board
guidance, with the additional marginal ad valorem dollars above the
millage neutral operating levy devoted to continuing the median capital
landscape program at maximum funding levels.
Levies from the General Fund and Unincorporated Area General
Fund together represent 96 percent of the total aggregate taxes levied
across all Collier County taxing authorities for 2018.
The Fiscal Year 2018 tentative General Fund and Unincorporated
Area General Fund operating and capital budgets as presented are
based upon board-adopted budget policy. Again, the additional levy
for Conservation Collier has been eliminated based upon Board action
on July 11th.
Both General Fund and the Unincorporated Area General Fund
tax rates are higher than the rolled-back rate. Collier County taxable
value has increased over the past six fiscal years, and the increase for
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2018 is 8.41 percent and 9.02 percent within the General Fund and
Unincorporated Area General Fund respectively.
Within an increasing taxable value environment under millage
neutral operating capital policy guidance, the rolled-back rate will be
lower than millage neutral. This event occurs in Fiscal Year 2018.
Between 2009 and 2013, during the economic recession, General
Fund budget reductions year over year and midyear totaled $122.9
million.
During this period, a millage-neutral budget policy existed, and
taxable value dropped $24 billion. Cuts in operations as well as capital
transfers occurred.
Starting in FY2014, taxable value began to increase and has
increased steadily to its current value of 83.6 billion. During this
period of increasing taxable values, the county has maintained a
millage-neutral tax rate policy, and through this policy, additional ad
valorem revenue collected has totaled 81.5 million.
This additional General Fund ad valorem tax revenue has allowed
the county to restore and fund up many capital projects, programs, and
operations cut during the recession.
The General Fund budget model places a premium on preserving
and protecting sufficient cash balances, maintaining adequate reserves
for a coastal location, ensuring that the county's excellent investment
quality credit rating is maintained, and allocating sufficient available
resources to maintain our substantial public safety infrastructure and
operational investment.
Mindful of this model, the Board each year decides on a tax rate
policy, and budget decisions are crafted around board-enacted budget
policy.
Referring to Exhibit 1A, Page 1, millage rates for each Collier
County taxing authority have been established pursuant to Board
guidance. The roster of tax rates adopted by the Board on July 11th,
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2017, represent the maximum property tax rates that can be levied in
FY2018.
The Pelican Bay MSTBU millage rate is .857 per $1,000 of
taxable value, and based upon the respected dependent district
MSTBU DR 420 maximum millage forms, all dependent millage rates
are not approved unanimously. It is recommended that this rate alone
be voted on separately because it will require a two-thirds vote.
The cumulative aggregate rolled-back rate for all Collier County
taxing authorities, exclusive of debt service, totals 4.0016 per $1,000
of taxable value. The proposed aggregate tax rate for all Collier
County taxing authorities exclusive of debt service totals 4.1790 per
$1,000 of taxable value. This represents an increase of 4.43 percent
over the aggregate rolled-back rate and necessitates a notice of
proposed tax increase ad for TRIM purposes and not simply a budget
summary ad.
Final millage rates will be adopted by the Board on September
21, 2017.
Commissioners, I'll stop there, and allow -- open it up for
discussions.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner Fiala, do you have any
questions or any comments?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Commissioner Taylor, you are so
nice. You always count me in. I really appreciate that. And I have no
questions.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much.
Commissioner McDaniel?
MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS BUDGET MEETING UNTIL
9/14/2017 DUE TO EVACUATION ORDERS REGARDING
HURRICANE IRMA – FAILED
September 7, 2017
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COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Yes, I have a question for the
County Attorney.
Good afternoon, sir. Is there any way that we get in trouble by
delaying this hearing legally? I'm having a very difficult time having
these discussions with the latest hurricane update that just came out on
-- at 5:00, and having this -- and you heard me yesterday speak about
it, and I still have a concern. And I didn't ask the question with regard
to legality.
MR. KLATZKOW: If the Board wishes to continue this to
another day, it may do so.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Under the state of emergency,
we can do that, still adhere to the advertising requisites and things?
MR. KLATZKOW: It's not the easiest thing in the world for us
to schedule this but, yes, you can do so if you wish.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Well, I'd like to make a motion
that we do, in fact, do that to the earliest convenient period of time
after the storm.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Hearing no second, the motion fails.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Well, can we have a discussion?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Of course.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: What would be the impact of doing
that? I just want to make sure that I understand what the impact of that
would be on, you know, the budgetary process and anything else that
relies on that. Because I said the other day that I shared the same
concern. I mean, we've urged people to --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Evacuate.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: -- evacuate. And so, I mean, I have
the same concern; that if we want to be consistent, to have a hearing, a
public hearing on the budget on the eve of the storm when we've told
people to leave town just, it concerns me.
So my question is, is there some logistical impediment to doing
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that other than it being obviously --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Arduous.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: -- arduous, right, and just creating a
lot more work in terms of trying to re-notice everything?
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, there's a provision in the
TRIM statute --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Don't we going to have a second
hearing?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Pardon me, ma'am?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Don't we have a second hearing on
the 21st of September?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes, ma'am.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And it is the last hearing.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Pardon me?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: It is the last hearing. It is the
last -- it is the last hearing. You know, oftentimes, Commissioner
Fiala, things need a little bit of time to gel through the process. And
there are a lot of people -- again, it's -- I felt this way yesterday, but
there are a lot of people who aren't here who would have liked to have
been here.
And it's -- the 21st, as we spoke about yesterday, is the last date
that it has to be done. And I feel strongly that we're doing a disservice
to our community by forcing this meeting in right now on the eve of
the storm.
MR. KLATZKOW: Commissioners, there was an executive --
emergency executive order that was passed a couple of days ago
specifically on this matter, and it suspends the normal TRIM notice
requirements. If you wish to continue this to another date, you may do
so after the storm's event. It's your prerogative.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And the motion specified to the
earliest convenient date after the storm passes.
September 7, 2017
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MR. KLATZKOW: Well, no. We've got to give notice, and we
don't --
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Let me ask you a question
because -- as opposed to -- I would ask you to change the motion,
potentially. We are in the public hearing right now.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: And we can continue this
public hearing. It's already been noticed.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: We can continue to it a date
and time certain.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: You don't have to go through
all of that process in terms of dealing with that TRIM -- that statutory
-- or that order from the Governor in terms of the time periods because
we're in the hearing right now.
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, you're in the hearing right now, but
there are certain time periods -- there's certain time periods between
the two hearings that you have to make, but you don't necessarily have
to make it anymore because of this executive order.
What I'm saying is if you wish to continue this to another time,
you may do so. If you want to continue it to a date certain, you may do
so. If you want to continue it without a date, you may do so. It's
entirely your discretion.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: All right.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: It gets to this --
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: What you're saying, though, is --
what's the time period that there has to be between the two hearings?
MR. KLATZKOW: Normally I believe it's 15 days, but we've
suspended that.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Suspended the 15-day --
September 7, 2017
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COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: TRIM notice requirement, yes.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: -- between the two hearings?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: That's the problem. The other one's
set for the 21st?
MR. KLATZKOW: Like I said, there would be some logistical
issues that Mr. Isackson would have to take care of, but it will be done.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Okay.
MR. KLATZKOW: What I'm saying, it's entirely your discretion
how you wish to handle this at this point in time.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: And I think Mr. Isackson was going
to say something.
MR. ISACKSON: I'll ask Mr. Ochs to -- as County Attorney
Klatzkow said, there was an executive order. We didn't have that
executive order when we met with the Board under their emergency
provisions. That was distributed to us after that particular -- that
particular meeting.
This is a notice of continuation. It's contained in the TRIM
statutes. I'll suggest strongly that you continue this meeting to a date
specific, and I --
MR. OCHS: If they want to continue.
MR. ISACKSON: If they want to continue the meeting.
That would be my only request. And I think we get around any
notice requirements if, in fact, you do that. That's my suggestion.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: If you want me to be specific, I
would name, you know, Thursday a week from today, if you have to --
if you feel better having a specific date; if it's the pleasure of the
Board. Again, I'm -- I'm uncomfortable in having these discussions at
this state -- at this date and time.
MR. ISACKSON: If, in fact, they want to do it.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: We have a lot of people here who made
September 7, 2017
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the effort. We're kind of negating who's here in order to find people
who aren't here. I'm a little concerned about that.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: And I would certainly agree
with you completely if we didn't have a second public hearing where
we're not -- we're not going to make any decisions tonight.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: No.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: And so it's not going to be a
situation where the public's not going to have an opportunity to weigh
in on anything that's in this budget. And so I would prefer going
forward with it just because we've moved in that direction. I don't
have any problem continuing it, but I would prefer going forward in
light of the fact that we do have a second hearing that will address
anything that anybody wants to address in terms of the budget. This is
really closer to a workshop than it is, you know, a hearing because
we're not going to make any decisions tonight.
MR. KLATZKOW: Well, you're adopting a tentative budget. As
long as you don't go above that in your second meeting, you're fine. If
the majority of you are comfortable with the budget as it is now, or
less, one of the two, you're fine doing it that way, sir.
MR. OCHS: In terms of the tax rates?
MR. KLATZKOW: Yes.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: But when you say we're adopting a
tentative budget, we adopt it on the --
MR. KLATZKOW: You're adopting a tentative millage rate and
a tentative budget. If you wanted to, for whatever reason, increase that
millage rate, okay, at that point in time we'd have to get out all sorts of
notices and everything else. It can be done; that's why we're here. But
if your intent is not to do that, then Commissioner Saunders is right,
you're having two meetings, and --
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Right.
MR. KLATZKOW: -- this is more of a workshop than that
September 7, 2017
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environment.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I don't know if we need to put the cart
before the horse, but I can tell you I have no interest in increasing the
millage rate. So I think we're safe in that area.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I don't think any of us do.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: My main concern, just as a
point of discussion, is that the people's hearts are not in having any
kind of a rational discussion right now with regard to what we're doing.
They're -- there are a lot of people who cannot be here, who are not
here who have voluntarily evacuated who could and would participate
who are not.
And with deference to those that are here, thank you all very
much. Personally, I'm sorry that we are here. I would rather we
delayed this yesterday and been putting up plywood today. But be that
as it may, I'm still very uncomfortable.
And it's no disrespect to you, County Manager. I just -- I feel it's a
disservice to the -- to the population of our community to continue on
with this right now.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: So the motion was to --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Continue.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: -- continue it till next Thursday?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: That was my -- if it made staff
more comfortable with a date-certain, if you would rather leave it up to
the discretion of the manager for the first available convenient time, I'd
be happy with that. That's the motion to -- the motion was to continue
it until the most convenient time after the storm has passed.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Could I ask a question?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Of course.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Of course. How's everything
in Ohio?
September 7, 2017
Page 19
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Being that we're going to have a
second meeting at which time the public could definitely be there and
there's no hurricane or anything involved, and they could weigh in on
things, and the decisions aren't being made tonight anyway, I'm not
quite sure -- because, as Commissioner McDaniel said, he wants to
make sure the public can weigh in, but they would be able to weigh in
at that meeting if they're -- you know, if they want to.
And no decisions are made here. What we're doing is just -- this
is one of these preliminary things that gets us to the second meeting. I
would think that this would be something that we could -- we could
finish the meeting today, look forward to the 21st, make sure that
everybody knows that the meeting will be open to everybody, and
that's when the final decisions will be made. And I think that, to me,
that makes perfect sense.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Is that a motion, ma'am?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes, I'll make that motion.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I'll second that motion.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: We didn't vote on the first one.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: No. There was not a second on the first
motion.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I think he was going to change his
motion to a date-certain.
Didn't you?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Well --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And I thought he seconded it
for purposes of discussion.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: No; no, he didn't.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: No, you didn't?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: No. He said wait a minute; I want to
discuss it. I said there's no second on the motion. He said wait a
minute, and he started discussing. That's why --
September 7, 2017
Page 20
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: You all pick what you want to
do.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: There was a -- you made a second
motion to move it to a date-certain.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I did.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Right.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And I didn't realize that I
needed to do that on the first motion. My apologies.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I'll withdraw my second, and then we'll
make sure Commissioner Fiala --
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Just as a matter of --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: By still having the second meeting
and not having two meetings -- I mean, we're having one now where
there are still people there, but what --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: This room will be packed.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Do you think that having two
meetings with the public there -- wow. I mean, the public can speak
out at this one or they can speak out at the next one. I just -- I don't
think we're slighting them, actually, and that's, I think, what the whole
crux of this is is that we don't want to slight the public but that we're
going to have another meeting. No decisions are going to be made
tonight. I don't quite understand why we can't move forward.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Madam Chairman, you do
have a motion. It hasn't been seconded yet.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. So, Commissioner Fiala, just for
Robert's Rules, would you kind -- I withdraw my second to your
motion, and if you would withdraw your motion until we can vote on
Commissioner McDaniel's --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: -- motion. Thank you very much.
September 7, 2017
Page 21
All right. So we have a motion on the floor and a second to move
this meeting until Thursday.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: And on the motion, I'm going
to vote against the motion. I certainly understand the rationale for it.
But we are going to have a second hearing. It's just from a matter of
procedure and having public input. I think we're going to have plenty
of that. So I'm going to oppose the motion so we can go forward this
evening with the public hearing.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. So there's a motion on the floor
and a second to move the meeting until Thursday of next week. All
those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Those opposed?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Motion fails. So we'll continue with
our meeting. Thank you.
MR. ISACKSON: Thank you, Commissioners. We're still on
Item 1A, if there are any comments or discussion from the dais.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I think we had a lot of
discussion.
Item #1A
DISCUSSION OF TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATES AND
INCREASES OVER THE ROLLED BACK MILLAGE RATES –
PRESENTED
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: With 1A -- so we're -- okay.
September 7, 2017
Page 22
The tentative millage rate, that's what we're discussing, okay.
We're not discussing specifically the Unincorporated General Fund and
the MSTUs within that fund; fine.
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, I just put on the record items
related to millage rates and increases over the rolled-back rate and why
certain things are happening.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay.
MR. ISACKSON: That's what my remarks were intended to do.
That's what's contained within Item 1A on the agenda.
Item #1B
REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF CHANGES TO THE
TENTATIVE BUDGET
The next item is a review and discussion of changes to the budget.
We have roughly 35 pages of resos and things of that nature that reflect
changes to the document that have occurred since July 11th and since
the board workshop in June. That's Item 1B.
The primary change is the Tax Collector's budget, which is
submitted in August of every year. And there are other routine changes
that we normally make at this time, given our looking at the SAP
accounting system, looking at our revenue streams, and we make some
routine adjustments to the budget. You see that very transparently in
the documents that you received.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I have no questions.
Any questions?
MR. ISACKSON: Are there any questions on Item 1B?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner Fiala, do you have any
questions?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No, I don't. Thank you.
September 7, 2017
Page 23
Item #1C
PUBLIC COMMENT
MR. ISACKSON: Madam Chairman, then you would turn to the
public for any comments.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Madam Chair, you've got six public
speakers with your first speaker being ceded time from three other
speakers. Would you like me to call them up?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes, please.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Mr. Ken Oehler, and if -- Mr. Oehler,
if you could have the other folks that ceded time just raise their hand.
Louise Hoy?
MS. HOY: (Raises hand.)
Francis Hoy?
MR. HOY: (Raises hand.)
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Good to see you, sir.
And, Colonel Sandy?
COL. HARTER: (Raises hand.)
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Thank you.
Mr. Oehler, you can start there.
Your second speaker will be Mr. Chris Hudson.
MR. OEHLER: But he's not with me.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And you would have 12 minutes; is
that correct?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: That's correct, ma'am.
MR. OEHLER: I hope to not take 12.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Oh, thank you very much for making
the effort of being here.
MR. OEHLER: I sent these to all of you via email.
September 7, 2017
Page 24
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much.
MR. OEHLER: But in case you didn't read them or have time to.
You've seen that. I've got one for Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: You can probably leave it with
the county -- Deputy County Manager --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: I'll make sure she has it. Good to see
you.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: -- or the court reporter.
MR. OEHLER: Okay. Thank you for continuing the meeting
tonight. I've got the same concerns at my house, and we have a lot to
do to get ready, and hopefully it won't hit us that hard anyway.
But I asked for the time to speak to you for a significant
countywide budget increase for sidewalks and a request to continue the
installation of sidewalks in the Palm River community.
My name's Ken Oehler. I'm the president of the Palm River
HOA. And we're essentially a voluntary organization, so not
everybody is in it and not everyone has to be. But the area of our
village where we wish to have sidewalks installed is the older part of
the community built in the early '70s. I guess sidewalks weren't very
important back then.
We were really pleased when the county put in a sidewalk along
Cypress Way East, mostly along the area where the condos are. And
I'll show a picture of that in a minute.
Here's -- who has control of the photos?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Troy.
MR. OEHLER: Here is a truly scary picture, and it is common in
our village. You've got two cars passing each other, a car coming up
behind it, a family -- looks like a family of four, a small child on there
-- all trying to pass at the same time. This wouldn't happen if we had
sidewalks.
I wish I'd had my cell phone with me when I saw on another one
September 7, 2017
Page 25
of our streets the landscaper truck, a woman, a young mother pushing a
stroller with a baby in it, and a car trying to pass her. Again, no
sidewalks and very narrow streets.
So the residents of Palm River are asking you to greatly increase
the annual budget of $250,000 for sidewalks to $3 million. Now, I
know $250,000 sounds like a lot of money, but I'll give you an
example of how little that covers.
And I'll show you a photo of what we want to do. But in the
meantime, there's another one -- okay. Here is all of Palm River. The
streets that are marked in yellow are the only ones that we want
sidewalks put in. The ones in blue or green either have them already
or have recently been done. It's a little over two miles worth of
sidewalks. And that -- that's what we would like you to do.
Recently one of our residents circulated a petition. She got over
200 responses to it asking for sidewalks to be built. So we went to the
Pathways Committee. We were advised -- at the Pathways Advisory
Committee. We were advised at that meeting that the sidewalk
installation last year, the one little strip on Cypress Way East,
exceeded the county's entire budget for the entire county for sidewalks.
We were told that -- well, I went to the website for the budget
area. I couldn't get through all 860 pages of budget information there.
I gave up. I was looking for where it said $250,000 was all that the
county dedicates to sidewalks for the entire county. But we got that
money -- that number from you, Commissioner Solis, from Dan
Schumacher, and from the Pathways Committee.
Now, what they told us in our meeting with them was that, again,
we exceeded the entire annual budget, that we couldn't expect to get
another sidewalk put into Palm River for the next eight to 10 years, if
then, and if we wanted them, we'd have to form or have a petition for
an MSTU and tax ourselves for sidewalks to be built in our
community.
September 7, 2017
Page 26
When we looked at the amount that you budget every year, we
figured out, for the county itself, it would probably take you 50 years
to put sidewalks in the areas that have narrow streets and no sidewalks.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Was the -- and I'm trying to recall.
Was -- the sidewalk that was put in, that was tied to a grant, wasn't it?
That -- I think there was -- weren't there grant funds that that's -- that
were tied for -- specifically for the installation of the sidewalk?
I think one of the issues is that a lot of these improvements, I
think, are tied to specific grants that go through the MPO.
MR. OEHLER: I don't know.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Okay.
MR. OEHLER: It wasn't brought up when we went to the
Pathways Advisory Committee. What they did tell us was that
sidewalks get preferential treatment where there's the speed limit of 45
miles per hour or more and people have been killed. I hope we don't
get to that point.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Yeah. One of the issues -- because
I've looked into this. One of the issues is that we have numerous areas
in the county where that's already the case, and that's one of the
problems.
MR. OEHLER: Well, I realize it's a problem, and $250,000
sounds like a lot of money. It's 25 thousandths of a percent of your
budget. It's a rounding error.
I'll help you. I'll help you move money around. I'll find it. And I
know you won't let me do that.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I think Ms. Scott -- Ms. Scott, can you
give us some information? I think we'll keep this pretty open and fluid
right now.
We're not going to take this away from your time, sir.
MR. OEHLER: Okay.
MS. SCOTT: For the record, Trinity Scott, Transportation
September 7, 2017
Page 27
Planning Manager.
I was not in this position when that previous project was built, but
my recollection is, is that it was a public/private partnership, if you
will, with the community coming together with the sidewalk along
Cypress Way East, and --
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Not Cypress Way East. It was Piper
Boulevard --
MS. SCOTT: Piper Boulevard.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: -- where the developer donated
right-of-way. The district chipped in, and the county chipped in. But I
believe the one on Cypress Way East might have been a LAP project
or -- then it was just county funds. But there was no public/private
there.
MS. SCOTT: It was a county-funded project. I do know that it
was not a LAP project. It was not funded through the Department of
Transportation, the Florida Department of Transportation.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: It was not?
MS. SCOTT: It was not.
MR. OCHS: Trinity, why don't you explain the process that's
been established for sidewalks.
MS. SCOTT: Certainly.
The Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organization adopts a
Comprehensive Pathway Plan which we utilize as our basis for how
we proceed forward with projects. That plan also incorporates
multiple walkability studies which look at individual areas. And
currently there is a Bayshore/Gateway walkability study that's been
completed in Naples Manor as well as in Immokalee, and we're getting
ready to start a Golden Gate City walkability study which really gets
into those finite details of those particular communities; more detailed
than the Comprehensive Pathway Plan, which is very detailed in and of
itself. So these are additional walkability studies. So we fund from
September 7, 2017
Page 28
those priority lists.
And, currently, the sidewalks that are identified on this map are
not in the MPO's Comprehensive Pathway Plan.
So our recommendation has been, since the MPO was currently in
the process of updating this plan, to work through the MPO process to
get their projects into this plan.
Now, I understand that members of the community went to the
Pathway Advisory Committee in April. And I pulled the minutes from
that meeting, and there was a considerable discussion about it. And I
think that the Pathway Advisory Committee was reflecting that -- they
have limited dollars as well.
So we have $250,000 that we put each year from the county
budget, which I utilize to supplement grant funds. And so currently we
have in excess of $4 million of FDOT money that's coming back to us,
that I'm using that $250,000 a year to supplement that, so trying to
make our money go further.
But what they were talking about is that they only have
approximately $1.5 million each year that they're putting towards
sidewalks. And we all know that there's a lot of sidewalk needs, and
they certainly will look at areas that already have identified safety
issues where there's a high crash rate or high speeds, and those projects
typically will filter up to the top based on their prioritization criteria.
So I think that that was probably what was being reflected back to the
community.
But it's important to get on the plan. So the MPO process is really
the place to start and get on the MPO's Comprehensive Pathway Plan.
MR. OEHLER: My turn?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes, sir.
MR. OEHLER: Okay. I started to tell you about the petition that
was sent out. About 200 people responded positively to it saying, yes,
we want -- in fact, I walk every morning, and I walk in the section of
September 7, 2017
Page 29
the new sidewalks. People ask me all the time, well, when's the county
going to finish this loop so that we can do the whole loop. I said, well,
I don't know. We're working on it.
The petition that was sent out didn't mention an MSTU, but in
talking to the residents, there isn't anyone who says, oh, yeah, increase
my taxes so we can have sidewalks. Really.
And what they say is, listen, some of us have been paying taxes,
or at least this house has been paying taxes, for 40 years. We ought to
have sidewalks.
Now, we're a community of 1,900 doors, about 900
single-resident homes, and then the rest are condominiums. If we were
to go to everyone in the community and get a positive vote for an
MSTU, that would be fine, but we won't. And if we go to only the
streets where there will be sidewalks installed, then the cost per home
is going to be astronomical, and it will certainly get voted down, which
is why we don't think an MSTU is the way to go, which is why we're
asking you to increase the budget; move some money around. I had to
do that all my working career. I figured out ways. And I'm hoping
that you can, too.
Now, there's -- there's an old adage about if you build it they will
come. That strip on Cypress Way East was never -- nobody would
walk on that because they had to walk in the street, and it was really
unsafe. Any time of the day you will find people walking that -- that
section.
It would increase security. I mean, you get more people walking
the streets, and you've got, you know, eyes that are open, the bad guys
don't want to be seen doing what they do, and there will be people out
there all of the time.
So summarize quickly. Move some money around, increase the
sidewalk budget to $3 million a year and, of course, start with Palm
River.
September 7, 2017
Page 30
Now, another side issue. I know, you know, there was several
articles in the paper about all the flooding. I know you've all gotten
calls about, you know, floods on their streets and everything else and
that there was a consideration for a separate infrastructure tax. I'd
encourage you to pass that especially if it would include sidewalks,
because in many cases to alleviate the flooding and the storm drains
and everything else, you may even have to put in sidewalks. So I
would encourage you to do that.
And, with that, I would entertain any questions you may have.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much for your
comments. And I think -- I hope you understand that because you're
one of many neighborhoods throughout the wonderful county we live
in and there are many neighborhoods that have challenges in terms of
safety as you do, we've got to follow a process, unfortunately.
MR. OCHS: Oh, I understand that. I understand.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And so, if you could -- I mean, you just
gave me reasons that would convince me, if I didn't live on a street
with a sidewalk, why it's important to have sidewalks, and that's the
safety of the neighborhood itself.
If you would consider going back and polling your residents
about an MSTU, you know, it would help -- it would move things
along. But other than that, I would encourage you to go through the
process, the MPO process.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Can --
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes, of course. It's your district.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: And it's really important that you do
that, because even if we increase the budget, if you're not on the plan it
won't get to you anyway. I mean, are you clear about that?
MR. OEHLER: Yeah. I think I would need some guidance there
to get on the plan. And let me just as an aside --
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: You certainly could get help with
September 7, 2017
Page 31
that. It's just -- but it's just very important that -- I mean, just
increasing the budget isn't -- it doesn't necessarily help you is what I'm
trying to say.
It has to be on the plan. And so that -- I've been urging everyone
to get involved with the MPO because that's the process we have.
That's the process we have to deal with. And in order for any work to
be done, you know, it has to be on the plan.
So -- and I'd be glad to help with that as well. I think the -- I don't
want to speak out of school, but I guess I will. I mean, I think the
Pathways Committee is changing, and I think that would be where to
start.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: That's an understatement.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I think -- so in any event, that's
where it needs to start, and we have to follow both sides of this, both
the budget and the plan.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Ms. Scott would be very, very helpful
in guiding you through this maze of procedure that's necessary so that
you will be recognized, your community.
MR. OEHLER: She'll be my next stop.
As an aside, I will say that everyone that I have dealt with before
coming here has been immensely helpful.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Oh, that's nice to hear.
MR. OEHLER: And I haven't had an unfriendly conversation or,
"no, you can't do that." It's just amazing how helpful you all are.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you.
Commissioner Saunders?
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: No, I didn't have anything to
add. We do have an MPO coordinator, and that would be probably the
right person for him to talk to in terms of getting information about the
MPO, and our staff can give you that contact information.
MR. OEHLER: Okay. Thank you very much for your time.
September 7, 2017
Page 32
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I'm -- I have one more thing,
and I just would like to say, again, staying with the system that is
currently in place is a path to travel. We have a budget initiative
process for the upcoming budget fiscal year that starts in January,
February.
We've had -- I know I have had several discussions with staff
about rearranging the available funds that we, in fact, have for a
different prioritization on how we're doing what we're doing, and that's
a process within the guise of the MPO as well, that we can -- that we
can also explore as well, so --
MR. OEHLER: Thank you. I'll help you.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Thank you.
MR. OEHLER: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Madam Chair, your next speaker is
Chris Hudson followed by Representative Bob Rommel.
MR. HUDSON: Madam Chair, Commissioners, Chris Hudson,
resident of District 5, State Director for Americans for Prosperity,
Florida.
Tonight's budget discussion, I just want to put in our bit from
Americans for Prosperity, and that is no new taxes, take a look at your
spending, cut the waste that exists; it most certainly does.
And if you need any assistance finding that waste, there's a
number of philanthropic think tanks that have been happily point it out.
I also talked to leadership -- and I know Bob Rommel is about to step
up, who -- we're excited in Tallahassee. They're going to start taking a
look under the hood at CRAs and take a look under the hood at a
number of the government entities and budgets that exist in our county.
And then on a personal note, talking to my neighbors putting up
shutters -- and I know that that opportunity to postpone to date certain
didn't happen, but I'll say thank you, Commissioner Solis and
September 7, 2017
Page 33
Commissioner McDaniel for making the motion. Two meetings is
what's statutorily required. There's a hurricane. You are putting on
social media and Twitter for individuals to evacuate, to board up their
homes. You can't have them do both. It's wrong. It's a disservice. I
hope that in the future you don't do that again. It's sad.
Thank you.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Representative Bob Rommel followed
by Patty Toulet.
REPRESENTATIVE ROMMEL: Thank you. Thank you,
Madam Chairman and the rest of the county commissioners.
I do appreciate -- hello. Do we have a budget to get a new
microphone here? I'd appreciate --
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: A new mic; that's going to raise your
taxes. You don't want that.
REPRESENTATIVE ROMMEL: Well, I'll pay for it.
I do appreciate no new taxes in Collier County, but I'd like to let
you know that I got a lot of phone calls and emails today from
constituents in the area that didn't know that the budget hearing was
going to go on, and they asked me if I was going to attend.
And I was helping residents in the area board up their homes, tie
down their boats, and I do think it's a disservice. This is a public
hearing.
The Governor's urging people to leave the area, and you're
requesting they come here for a budget hearing?
I do appreciate Bill McDaniel and Andy Solis for bringing up it --
to postpone it, because the second hearing, there is really no
discussion. It's over. It doesn't give the public time to have input into
the budget. It's done.
But I do appreciate not raising the taxes. And maybe in the future,
when we see there's a state of emergency and we're requesting
residents to leave, we postpone budget meetings like we did most of
September 7, 2017
Page 34
the other county meetings today. So thank you.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Patty Toulet will be followed by
Barbara Troy.
MS. TOULET: Hello, Commissioners. My name is Patty Toulet.
My husband and I have been volunteers at DAS for many years.
Recently the front page of the Naples Daily News covered the
issue of the importance of cooling the dog and cat kennels at the
shelter. The efforts to get this done began two years ago.
First let me begin by stating that the staff at Domestic Animal
Services are the most dedicated and hard-working employees I have
ever encountered. Darcy Andrade has the utmost respect and support
because DAS is now more efficient, productive, organized, and well
promoted.
The most important achievement for the shelter under her helm is
the live release of rates -- rate of animals from 38 percent years ago to
currently over 90 percent. In the meantime, dogs, cats, staff, and
volunteers have been enduring temperatures over 95-degrees in these
antiquated and rusted kennels.
Three of the buildings house, on average, 90 dogs a day. There is
an adoption building, a building for strays, and an isolation building
for medical and quarantine cases. When the intake of dogs increases,
they have to double them up by making kennels even smaller. The
fourth building is stacked with an estimated 200 cats and kittens. They
are referred to by some as being kept in small ovens.
Because of the low tolerance of cats and kittens, they can and do
completely shut down or develop upper respiratory infections due to
the heat and humidity.
I believe these buildings were built 17 years ago to accommodate
very few animals because they euthanized the animals if they were not
claimed after five days. Now no animals are euthanized for space. So
the current buildings are not adequate to kennel all these animals as in
September 7, 2017
Page 35
the past.
Additionally, there are many available cats and dogs for adoption
in the back buildings but cannot be brought up to adoption due to the
lack of space.
Also with the influx of people moving to Naples and the fact that
DAS does not, thankfully, euthanize for space, these buildings, in my
opinion, have outgrown their purpose and are failing.
In that Collier County has a few new commissioners on their
board, I invite you all to come to the shelter to experience for
yourselves the sweltering heat -- finish it up?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: You've got a little more time.
MS. TOULET: -- heat and view the poor condition of these
shelters, you will definitely see the many necessities at the shelter,
which cannot be all covered today. We hope these concerns impress
upon you the need for buildings that can handle the day-to-day
challenges. It is essential for the welfare and health of these sheltered
animals.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Do you have a question?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: For staff.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Oh, for staff. Okay. So you're going to
speak about the DAS issue?
MS. TROY: Yes, I was.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. Go ahead.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Is this Barbara Troy?
MS. TROY: Yes.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: She'll followed by Todd Truax.
MS. TROY: Hi. Good afternoon, and thank you for allowing me
to speak.
I and my fellow yellow shirters are volunteers at DAS, and we
urge you all to vote for the much-needed and very-necessary change
September 7, 2017
Page 36
due at DAS.
We volunteers are the voices for the animals, and we're fighting
for their living conditions, improvements, and they're our homeless
residents. There's over 90 dogs and cats at the shelter living in kennels
without air-conditioning.
And, Commissioners, it is past time for the kennels to be
renovated and making sure that our cats and dogs are kept safe,
healthy, comfortable while they wait for a forever home, and they are
there through no fault of their own.
We live in South Florida, as we all know, and the winters are
warm and the summers are unbearable. And the summers in the
buildings are distressing and stressful and overwhelming for the
animals, the dogs and the cats, and also the employees and volunteers.
With only the adoption building having air-conditioning, that is a
temporary fix, and it's in for a few summer months and then pulled,
and we still have hot times in October and April, and it's rough. It is
awful.
The overflow buildings that house the strays and the sick bay
don't have any climate control, and they're horrendous to be in during
the summer. It's not safe, healthy, or humane in any other building
that's considered a home for animals or a workplace for people.
We're failing in our responsibility to take care of these pets. We
lock them in kennels in high humidity and temperature, and it's cruel to
them and to the people.
We urge you to do what's right and vote for the change at DAS.
Vote yes on it. Vote for quick improvement on it.
And I thank you for listening. And in the name of all the dogs
and cats who need to be rescued, thank you.
Do you have any questions?
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Any questions? Commissioner Fiala,
do you have any questions?
September 7, 2017
Page 37
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No, I don't. I'm listening careful,
though.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you very much. Thank you.
MR. CASALANGUIDA: Madam Chair, I have one slip, final
slip, for the audience. It's Todd Truax. If there's anybody else who
hasn't provided a slip --
MR. TRUAX: My name's Todd Truax. I am a resident of Bonita
Springs, but I ran a nursing home or two here in Collier County. And I
think our kids went together, Commissioner Saunders, so...
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Could be, yes.
MR. TRUAX: Good to see you, again. I think our kids were in
the band or something.
So I'm here to second what these two ladies said over here from
DAS. I'm a dog owner, I'm a bird owner, I think I've got a little fish --
beta fish at home, too.
So if you remember from the last Hurricane Charley, I had seven
days without power, and I had to go live with in-laws, and I didn't get
along with my father-in-law, but I still suffered through at his house
because he had air-conditioning. So I can't imagine those animals
suffering. You know, they don't have my father-in-law, but the heat is
unbearable. And I couldn't imagine them suffering as long as they do
every day, day in and day out until either they're adopted or they're --
whatever they do. I don't know.
So I brought my leash. If you have a dog that needs a home, I'll
take it today. It's that important. I don't want any of these animals
suffering. I have another collar with me, too. I have a Weimaraner,
100-pound Weimaraner. He's a pushover, but I'll be glad to have
company. And my wife would hoard dogs if she could.
So I just want to second whatever they're saying about saving the
animals and making it comfortable and humane for them in this heat,
because it's going to be a hot one, and it has been for 17 years,
September 7, 2017
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apparently.
So that's all I have to say. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Thank you. Thank you very much.
(Applause.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: All right. And that's -- no more
speakers?
MR. CASALANGUIDA: No more speakers, ma'am.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner Saunders?
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Commissioner McDaniel was
first.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I had a question of staff.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: And so do I, when you're
finished.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And it has to do -- Steve, if
you're ready.
You and I have had several discussions since I began this journey
serving as county commissioner with regard to DAS in Immokalee and
the facilities that we have in town.
Where are we with our discussions about budgetary processes,
capital reinvestments, air-conditioning, remodeling, so forth and so on?
I mean, we have a very, very difficult situation in Immokalee with the
location of that facility, its access due to our facilities gating off the
folks that do want to bring in strays and have them there. How are we
coming with the budget process with this proposal?
MR. CARNELL: Well, thank you, sir. For the record, Steve
Carnell, Public Services Department Head.
And, first of all, thank you, ladies, all of you, for being here
tonight, and Patty and Barbara, all of you for what you do every day.
These folks are troopers. They really do add and extend our able to
care for animals. Their role is invaluable.
Let's answer that, Commissioner McDaniel, in two sequences;
September 7, 2017
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Naples and Immokalee.
The Naples shelter, as the women have communicated, and Mr.
Truax as well, we are right now in a present situation where the -- we
are using primary air-conditioning during the summers in our primary
dog adoption building, which is where we have our largest population
of dogs, and we are limited to that. That's as good as we can do right
now because of -- we will limit -- we have a lack of electrical service
to the complex in terms of being able to carry a higher level of capacity
in those buildings right now.
As it is, the air conditioner that has been in place -- and this is the
second summer we've done that -- we've been having trouble with
popping breakers and not being able to really sustain the service
consistently all summer. It's been there, you know, pretty much every
day, but we have had -- we've had brownouts throughout the summer
at times with the one air conditioner in the one main building.
Now, in going forward, we do have in this budget a half million
dollars budgeted for design of improvements to the Naples shelter.
And we're going -- we're working very aggressively with our facilities
management staff. We've already drafted an RFP for it to get on the
street as soon as the budget is adopted to begin that process of hiring
an engineer who can help us come in and design, at the very least, a
prototype type building that would meet all of the modern standards
for our lighting, climate control, sound and so forth to really modernize
our level of service.
As Patty mentioned to you, one of the good-news stories in all of
this is the fact that our live release rate is so high right now and, as a
result, I'm glad that -- I'm happy to report that our overall animal
population on site is lower than it's been in previous years.
So we are exposing fewer animals to the heat of the summer. But
they're right. We do have extremely hot conditions this time of year,
and it's further exacerbated right now because of the hurricane. We've
September 7, 2017
Page 40
had to withdraw the air-conditioning in advance of the storm. So the
air-conditioning will be back in place as soon we can get it back in
place.
But that's the -- that's where we are with Naples right now. We're
going to be going forward here shortly to hire a design professional to
look at the full-blown design solution; that could include at least a
prototype building addition to add inventory and capacity to the site
and potentially look as well at renovating the other buildings to bring
them up to some kind of standard and what would be involved with
that to be able to provide more air-conditioning capacity to the other
buildings on campus.
Immokalee at the moment is where it was when we talked earlier
this summer. It's not in the budget for FY'18 in terms of addressing it,
but there is plan right now to see if we can procure a mobile clinic.
And we're looking to make arrangements with a funding partner, and
we're waiting on the funding partner to see if they can step up. We'll
know more about that in the coming months.
But the idea would to be use a mobile clinic that we could deploy
primarily in Immokalee, but it really would be available to be moved
around the county from time to time for events, but the primary
location would be Immokalee. That clinic would include enough
sufficient space to house animals that are turned in to us in Immokalee
-- they'd be transported to Naples on a daily basis -- and also to provide
adoption services and other basic animal care at that facility.
And as Commissioner McDaniel has mentioned, one of the
problems we have in Immokalee is a lack of visibility. That shelter
was built to what I'd say the old paradigm. And I'm talking about a
building that's 40 years old. And it was built back in the day when the
view of animal care was out of sight, out of mind. It was the dog
pound.
And now we're trying to adapt to a more modern approach, to a
September 7, 2017
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more humane approach. And, really, we feel like the way we need to
get there is to increase visibility.
And as the commissioners pointed out, you really have no
visibility with that building. It's not anywhere near town in
Immokalee. It's out off the beaten track, if you will, and it's not readily
accessible right now with added security to that larger compound.
So we hear that and we see that problem. And our plan right now
is if we can find a funding partner -- and the intent would be to come
back to the Board, hopefully before the end of the calendar year, with
some kind of plan for procuring that clinic and implementing it.
In the meantime, we'll leave the Immokalee building open out
there. It still serves a useful purpose in terms of being able to
temporarily house animals during the day. But eventually we'll phase
that building out if we can get this mobile clinic in place and get it
functioning and working at the level that we want it to work at.
So further questions?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: If I could paraphrase what you
just said. There's a half million in this budget for design for --
MR. CARNELL: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: -- for a new facility.
MR. CARNELL: Naples.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: In Naples. We're waiting on a
partner for a different facility in Immokalee, when -- and the passage
of this budget will get to a plan stage, planning and design. Then we
have next year's budget for funding availability after we go through
planning and design, then we put it out for bid for construction. We're
still looking at two years before we can even start construction. If I
heard you --
MR. CARNELL: That would be largely correct.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Largely correct.
MR. CARNELL: There may be a possibility, sir, that we can take
September 7, 2017
Page 42
a portion of the half million dollars and do some renovations to the
site. But I'm talking about Naples. But it's not -- you're still having to
deal with the issue of electrical capacity to the site.
And so I can't promise you that we can move any faster than what
you just said at the moment in terms of where we are right now.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And I'm not -- I don't mean to
be -- I'm not complaining. I'm just talking about the process. And it's
important that, especially the yellow shirts, our volunteers, the animal
lovers and folks of our community that love our pets understand the
processes that are, in fact, put in place.
We're dealing with an issue that's been going on for an eternity,
and it doesn't happen quickly. So it's frustrating. It's frustrating to me,
similar to the folks in Palm River with sidewalks and it -- as a process,
it's a matter of prioritization and how we're doing what we're doing as
a community.
But I wanted to ask that question specifically so there's a timeline
in everybody's mind as to the, in fact, processes that we must go
through in order to do what we're doing.
I understand Mr. Carnell's thought processes. If, you know,
potentially -- if we designate those funds for planning and design,
we're not using them for maintenance. We're not using them for
upgrades. That money's got to go off through the statutory process, the
CCNA, and how we're relegated to, in fact, conduct business when
we're doing construction on government facilities.
Am I correct? I didn't mean to look at you.
MR. OCHS: Yes.
MR. CARNELL: Oh, go ahead.
MR. OCHS: Yes, you are. If it's going for, you know, design and
engineering, it's not going for maintenance and repair.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Right. Maybe if you could --
before the bell rings on the 21st, we could have a discussion and an
September 7, 2017
Page 43
estimate of what it would take to upgrade the electric facilities to allow
for some -- without putting good money after bad, some renovations to
the facilities in Naples.
MR. OCHS: Yes. And that's largely the concern -- you hit it on
the head, sir -- good money after bad.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Right.
MR. OCHS: And those buildings were not designed to be air
conditioned.
I'm told that it would be fairly difficult and expensive to retrofit
them in a way that would allow them to be air conditioned efficiently.
So the alternative is, you know, are we better off designing a new
facility, and would it be more cost effective in the long term to build
new to the current standard than begin to throw good money after bad
to upgrade an electrical system to run a very inefficient
air-conditioning.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Let me throw a point or a
thought at you in lieu of that. And I'm certainly an advocate of not
putting good money after bad. But I'm working with a gentleman right
now that's a breeder of national security terrorist dogs, and they -- short
money, 25-, $30,000 portable kennels on wheels, all new, upgraded
that could certainly be retrofitted -- that might be able to be utilized as
an interim process to this four-year reconstruction plan that we're on
for rehabilitation of these facilities.
And that would be for, where I'm thinking, a process where we
could take care of what we have going on and assist with what
deficiencies are in Immokalee. Just -- and something for us to talk
about. We've got a couple of weeks before the bell rings on the 21st.
But just peace said.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Yes, sir. Commissioner Saunders?
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: A couple questions.
Obviously, to design and build a new building, I think you said four
September 7, 2017
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years. Is that kind of what you're thinking? It shouldn't take that long.
But is that what you're thinking? Maybe two?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: It's two years for -- excuse me.
I didn't mean to interrupt.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Okay. Then in terms of just
the current condition, I understand that it would cost some money to
improve the electrical system there so you could have air-conditioning
a little but more consistently. I'd like to kind of see us do both. I hate
to see these folks as well as the animals suffer for two more years
while you're building a new building, and I understand the desire not to
throw good money after bad money, as everybody was saying.
But I think we need to find a way to get the electrical system
fixed to some extent so you could have some air-conditioning there,
even through it would be inefficient, during the two years that we're
looking to building a new building.
I personally wouldn't want to live in a facility like that, I wouldn't
want to work in a facility like that, and I certainly wouldn't want to
send animals to a facility like that.
So I would suggest that between now and the 21st, give some
thought to doing both of these, proceeding with the design work on a
new facility but give us some information on what it would cost us to
at least improve the electrical system to the extent that you could put
some temporary air-conditioning in.
MR. OCHS: Will do.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Thank you, Mr. Carnell.
MR. CARNELL: Just so you'll be clear, I was -- when I
mentioned the half-million-dollar budget, that could very well be the
price tag for the design, and we may not have a penny to spare just in
that particular budget.
But, Commissioner Saunders, to your point, I'm having an
ongoing dynamic discussion with our facilities staff, and they're
September 7, 2017
Page 45
thinking very creatively. And they're saying things like this to me
about we may be able to renovate portions or come along possibly with
companion upgrades to the electrical service. We haven't costed it out,
but we'll see if we can come up with an estimate and give the Board an
idea.
And we don't want to, you know, put that service in, as everyone
said, and rip it out two years later. But if we can put that in place and
make it be part of the new improvement, then we're money ahead,
potentially.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Well, I'm not sure that -- I
mean, I understand if we spend some money to upgrade a system and
then we tear that building down, we've spent that money. I understand
that, but at the same time we've got two years of folks working in those
-- under those circumstances.
So I'd like to see the -- and we don't have to have exact figures,
you know, for budgeting purposes in terms of an upgrade of the
system. We just need to kind of have a ballpark so we can appropriate
for it.
MR. OCHS: We'll do it. We'll bring it back on the 21st.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I have a question, and it's not about the
DAS, although I heartily support the conversation here.
I have a question about the sailboats at Sugden. I mentioned that
before. There is a request that perhaps we could get two or three more
for the handicap children that are being taught to sail. They have a
need. Is that possible -- is that doable, or is that even factored in?
MR. CARNELL: It's not presently appropriate in the
coming-year budget. And I need to really close the loop on where we
are with the staff with that analysis right now, Commissioner. And I
don't really know where we are right at the moment with that.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: With, you mean, the need for the --
MR. CARNELL: Yeah, the possibility of having money
September 7, 2017
Page 46
available to buy more sailboats. I don't know if I've got money for that
right now identified.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Well, I'm assuming you don't; that's
why I'm bringing it up right now to see if we can possibly get it, and
maybe you can come back with an answer.
MR. CARNELL: I can give you an statement, sure.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I've got one last question that Steve
may have the answer to. In going through the budget changes -- and I
apologize if I was supposed to ask these questions before.
And I see Scott Burgess here from the David Lawrence Center,
and I see that in the General Fund there's some references to funding
for the coordinators for the treatment courts. And I just want to
understand where things stand as far as the -- I know there was a
request for additional funding from David Lawrence, and -- this being
my first go-round in the budgeting process, I want to make sure that I
understand that that would be a General Fund item, is it not?
MR. ISACKSON: The David Lawrence Center is -- there's
contributions from a General Fund through Health and Human
Services to the center.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Okay. And I'm -- are we -- that's in
there somewhere in here?
MR. ISACKSON: We have a base level of funding, sir. The
additional request that the Lawrence Center has asked for is not
presently in the document.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: It's not.
MR. ISACKSON: No. I think it was -- Steve, help me out. Was
it additional --
MR. CARNELL: Yeah. Actually, it's somewhere in the middle.
David Lawrence Center made a request for about a $784,000 increase.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: I understand.
MR. CARNELL: The staff budget and the Board tentative
September 7, 2017
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budget includes a $300,000 increase. So we still have a delta,
Commissioner, of about 480-something-thousand dollars.
And where we are at the moment is we're looking for alternative
revenue sources to help with that, and the most logical candidate is the
reinstatement by the State of Florida of the Low-Income Pool Funding
Program. And, of course, we're trying to work through that with
Tallahassee in terms of the available money and dollars and how the
program will work, and at the moment we don't have a clear resolution.
And what our -- to cut to the chase for you, our advice and our
recommendation is that you adopt the budget as proposed -- and I've
talked to Scott about this -- $300,000 increase over the FY'16 -- FY'17,
I'm sorry, and then we revisit this when we have the numbers, which
we could have this as soon as the next BCC meeting, possibly -- I
mean, it's moving that quickly and dynamically right now with the
State -- to find out if we can make more dollars beyond that $300,000
increase available in the new year or, if we can't do it in September, we
could have a discussion in an October board meeting about it as well.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: My concern is that since the budget
request was made, the State cut the funding again. So where we
thought we were at least making some minor headway in addressing
this, we are, essentially, back to square one where we started at. And, I
mean -- and I know that it's -- obviously, the legislature has decided to
do this even though it's clearly something that everyone in the state
appears to be very concerned with. But, again, if -- it just seems to me
that if we're going to try to be proactive, we haven't gotten anywhere.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I've got a comment.
MR. OCHS: Well, from our funding perspective, and the Board's
funding perspective, your FY'18 budget contribution to David
Lawrence is about 18 percent higher than it is in the current FY;
300,000.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Right. No, I understand that, and
September 7, 2017
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that -- right. And the hope was is that that would be a significant
increase and things would move forward and we'd start being able to at
least address, you know, some of the issues that we're having with
using the jail as our mental-health facility. And it's just -- it's
frustrating to me that we've spent a lot of time and energy on this.
And, obviously, County Manager, it's not -- this was not your
doing or what anybody here's doing. It was the legislature's doing --
that they cut the funding almost exactly to the penny the increase that
we were going to give David Lawrence. I just can't express how
frustrated that makes me.
Well, I'd like to have some more discussion with Steve about that.
And, again, I think this is one of the biggest issues that we're going to
face. And we're just going to have to make some tough decisions, so
thank you.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner McDaniel?
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I would like to second
everything that Commissioner Solis just got done saying, and I'd like
to make a suggestion to staff that we minimally fence off the requested
increase from David Lawrence. If we don't necessarily specify it to be
designated as an increase to them, fence it off for -- as a priority or --
out of the revenue stream that we have available, fence it off and
designate it for mental illness and drug addiction treatment facilities
somewhere along -- and I don't know the proper wording, but just to
acknowledge the fact that, as Commissioner Solis said, that, you know,
we as a community are recognizing the necessity for the administration
and the treatment of folks that are suffering from mental illness and
drug addiction, and we fenced that requested amount off. They didn't
ask for that amount for fun. There's a reason behind it. And then make
the final decision on the 21st but know that that's something that we
would like to see.
If it goes to David Lawrence, great. If it goes to -- I know there
September 7, 2017
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are a lot of other activities and facilities in our community that could
use extra funding in that regard. So we would at least have that money
fenced off and available to put towards the pandemic that we have
going on around us. We all know that it's going on. So I think from a
prioritization that would be prudent.
MR. ISACKSON: I suppose, Commissioners, this may be the
appropriate time for me to give my normal speil on how dynamic the
budget is. We do some 650 budget amendments a year. If there is
policy direction to fund up the Lawrence Center for a specific amount
of money or if there is a desire for the Board, as Mr. Carnell was
saying, to wait for -- to see what the LIP funding is and then come
back with a separate executive summary after adoption of the budget
and there's direction to provide another tranche of money to support
the Lawrence Center, then we'll listen to that direction, and we'll go
find the money.
The gentleman at the podium says, well, you can just gone find it.
That's my job, in conjunction with the County Manager.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: That's policy.
MR. ISACKSON: If that's policy direction of the Board, then
that's what we'll do.
So I just want the Board to be aware of that. The budget's a
dynamic document. It isn't just filled with line items and object codes
and things of that nature -- well, it is. It can also easily be amended,
adopted, massaged based on planning, based on changing dynamics
throughout the course of a year.
So I'll just leave you with that.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Well, thank you. That's actually very
helpful.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Yes. That was a good --
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: It's not necessarily set in stone, so
thank you for clarifying that.
September 7, 2017
Page 50
MR. OCHS: Just don't make a habit of putting your hand in that
cookie jar too often.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: He's good, but he's tough.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: There's only one -- there's only one
cookie jar right now that I'm concerned with.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Commissioner Fiala, do you have any
questions or any comments, ma'am?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: The only one I was wondering
about, you were talking about the sailboats for the kids that are
developmentally challenged, the kids that are handicapped, and so
forth. I was wondering if we would be allowed to accept a donation of
boats as long as they comply with whatever we need for our Parks
Department to have, and if you need three -- I had somebody over in
the boating industry saying there's some people that would donate if
there's something that's really needed.
So I was wondering if we would be allowed to accept those things
as a donation to that sailing group --
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Mr. Klatzkow?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- at Sugden Park.
MR. KLATZKOW: If the donation is something that the county
wants, then absolutely.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Good.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. Now, do we have to describe
what exactly we need? Because I don't know what you need for the
handicapped kids. There might be certain things that, you know, put
them into positions on the boat so that they're safe or whatever. But if
we could get those specifications, I could give it over to them and see
if they would donate them.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Oh, that would be wonderful. I think
you could work with County Manager Oaks on that, Commissioner
Fiala.
September 7, 2017
Page 51
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Great.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And we'll get some --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I feel so great that you brought that
up. I mean, you know, that's something that can help those kids. I
appreciate that. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: And it's such a great program over
there. It's such a perfect place to learn to sail. It really is. It's a lovely
little lake. Thank you.
All right. I think we can go –
Item #1D
ANNOUNCEMENT OF TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATES AND
PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN PROPERTY TAX RATES – READ
INTO RECORD BY MARK ISACSON THE MAXIMUM
MILLAGE RATES FOR THE 2018 PROPOSED BUBGET
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, if there are no items under
1C, let's turn to 1D, which is affectionately my favorite time on the
agenda where I have to sit here and laboriously read the millage rates,
the rolled-back rate, and percentage change from the rolled-back rate.
I will tell you that what I will be reading into the record are the
millage rates, the maximum millage rates that were adopted by the
Board in July. And after my reading of these, the Board will be asked,
under Item 1E, to adopt a resolution adopting these tentative millage
rates as we go forward into the final hearing on September 21st.
So I will begin.
The General Fund, the proposed millage rate is 3.5645; the
rolled-back millage rate is 3.3951. That's a percent change from the
rolled-back rate of 4.99 percent.
Water Pollution Control, the proposed millage rate, .0293; the
September 7, 2017
Page 52
rolled-back millage rate, .0279. That's a percent change from the
rolled-back rate of 5.02 percent.
The Unincorporated Area General Fund, the proposed millage
rate, .8069; the rolled-back millage rate, .7690. That's a percent
change from the rolled-back rate of 4.93 percent.
The Golden Gate Community Center, proposed millage rate,
.1862; the rolled-back millage rate, .1752. That's a percent change
from the rolled-back rate of 6.28 percent.
The Victoria Park Drainage MSTU, proposed millage rate, .0346;
the rolled-back millage rate, .0346. That's no change from the
rolled-back rate.
Naples Park Drainage MSTU, proposed millage rate, .0061;
rolled-back millage rate, .0061. That is no change from the
rolled-back rate.
The Vanderbilt Beach MSTU, proposed millage rate, .5000; the
rolled-back millage rate, .4686. That is a percent change from the
rolled-back rate of 6.7 percent.
There is no rate levied for Isles of Capri MSTU, and there is no
rate levied for the Fiddler's Creek MSTU.
Going to the Ochopee Fire Control MSTU, the proposed millage
rate, 4.5000; the rolled-back millage rate, 4.6201. That is a negative
2.60 percent change from the rolled-back rate.
There's no levy for Collier Fire MSTU.
The Goodland Horr's Island Fire MSTU, proposed millage rate,
1.2760; the rolled-back millage rate, 1.2294. That is a 3.79 percent
increase from the rolled-back rate.
The Sabal Palm Road MSTU, there no proposed millage rate.
The rolled-back rate is .0883. That is a negative 100 percent change
from the rolled-back rate.
Golden Gate Parkway Beautification MSTU, the proposed
millage rate, .5000; the rolled-back millage rate, .3359. That is a 48.85
September 7, 2017
Page 53
percent change from the rolled-back rate.
The Lely Golf Estates Beautification MSTU, the proposed
millage rate is 2.0000; the rolled-back millage rate, 1.8538. That is a
7.89 percent increase from the rolled-back rate.
The Hawk's Ridge Stormwater Pumping MSTU, proposed
millage rate, .0409; the rolled-back millage rate, .0409. That is no
change from the rolled-back rate.
The Radio Road Beautification MSTU, proposed millage rate,
.1000; the rolled-back millage rate, .0936. That's a 6.84 percent
increase over the rolled-back rate.
The Forest Lakes Roadway and Drainage MSTU, the proposed
millage rate, 1.3431; the rolled-back millage rate, 1.0083. That is a
33.2 percent increase over the rolled-back rate.
The Immokalee Beautification MSTU, the proposed millage rate
is 1.0000, the rolled-back millage rate, 1.0267. That is a minus 2.60
percent decrease from the rolled-back rate.
The Bayshore/Avalon Beautification MSTU, the proposed
millage rate, 2.3604; the rolled-back millage rate, 2.2302; that's a 5.84
percent increase over the rolled-back rate.
The Haldeman Creek Dredging MSTU, the proposed millage rate,
.7348; the rolled-back millage rate, .6885. That is a 6.72 percent
increase over the rolled-back rate.
The Rock Road MSTU, proposed millage rate is 3.0000; the
rolled-back millage rate, 2.7775. That is an 8.01 percent increase over
the rolled-back rate.
Forest Lakes Debt Service, proposed millage rate, 2.6569 the
rolled-back millage rate, 2.5179. That is a 5.52 percent increase over
the rolled-back rate.
Collier County Lighting, proposed millage rate, .1640; the
rolled-back millage rate, .1650. This is a negative .61 percent decrease
over the rolled-back rate.
September 7, 2017
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Pelican Bay MSTBU, the proposed millage rate, .0857; the
rolled-back millage rate, .0816. That is a 5.02 percent increase over
the rolled-back rate.
And, finally, Commissioners, the aggregate millage rate, the
proposed millage rate is 4.1790; the rolled-back millage rate, 4.0016.
That is a 4.43 percent increase over the rolled-back rate.
Commissioners, Item 1E is a resolution to adopt the tentative
millage rates which I have just read into the record.
Item #1E
RESOLUTION 2017-148: ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE
MILLAGE RATES – ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Do I hear a motion?
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: So moved.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I'll second that motion for continuance.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: I'd let you second that, Commissioner
Fiala. Thank you very much.
Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Those opposed, like sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: It carries unanimously.
September 7, 2017
Page 55
Item #1F
RESOLUTION 2017-149: ADOPTING THE AMENDED
TENTATIVE BUDGET – ADOPTED
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, under Item 1F is a resolution
to adopt the amended tentative budget which includes the funding
change resolutions which were included under Item 1B on your
agenda.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: I'll move for adoption.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Do I hear a second?
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: And I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Okay. We have a motion to adopt the
changes as discussed, and we have a second. Any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Those opposed, like sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: It carries unanimously.
Item #1G
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL PUBLIC HEARING AS FOLLOWS
MR. ISACKSON: Finally, Commissioners, your final public
September 7, 2017
Page 56
hearing on the Fiscal Year 2017/18 Collier County budget will be
Thursday, September 21st, 2017, in these chambers at 5:05 p.m.
That's all I have, Madam Chairman.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Madam Chair, could I ask the
County Attorney a question?
I think the motion that was made by Commissioner McDaniel and
seconded by Commissioner Solis earlier on dealing with this hearing, I
think there was a lot of merit to that. Now, we've obviously conducted
the first hearing. We have our second hearing on the 21st.
If we get into the second hearing, and there's a significant turnout
and there are some issues that need further debate, my assumption is
that we have to approve all of this before the first of October to keep
on schedule there. Would we be able to schedule a third hearing, just
continue -- have a continuation of that second hearing for a week so
other people could participate? It would still be the same hearing. We
would just continue it for a week. It's just a question of whether we
could provide some additional public input, time, if necessary.
MR. KLATZKOW: I think so. We're in unchartered territory
here because of the hurricane. I mean, we have a process that is very
well understood, and then we have this new process. I think you can,
and I'll know with certainty when we get there.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Okay. I think it was important
to finish the first hearing, but I also agree that it's important to have as
much public comment as possible. And so when we get into that
second hearing, maybe you should be prepared to answer that question.
MR. KLATZKOW: Commissioner, you can continue this one
right now and then just hold another one or -- I mean, it's --
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: I don't think it would be wise
to continue this first hearing. We had to have the first hearing. We're
going to have a second hearing. We want to make sure there's plenty
of public support.
September 7, 2017
Page 57
MR. KLATZKOW: So you're saying you want to do the second
meeting over two days, in essence?
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: Potentially or, you know, on
the 21st and on the 28th just so if we need additional time -- you know,
if we have 300 people show up and we need some additional
discussion. Just the question is whether or not we would be able to
delay that final vote for a few days to have a second hearing.
MR. KLATZKOW: Yeah, I think you can do that.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: All right. So I would offer that
as a potential to get the input that you're looking for. But, I think --
again, I think it was important that we got through this first hearing to
stay on the schedule. I just throw that --
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I mean, the process is what it
is. We're through it. We have adopted a tentative budget. And I
appreciate your thought process.
I think, if I'm not mistaken in what I was reading, that the 21st
was the drop-dead date for us to set the millage rate to allow the Tax
Collector to put out the --
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: That could be.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: -- to put out -- to put out the
actual tax bills such as they, in fact, need to. So --
COMMISSIONER SOLIS: Maybe it depends on whether or not
the emergency proclamation is still in effect or something. I don't
know.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And that's a -- there again,
that's -- we could do it if the emergency proclamation is still in effect.
And, you know, it's something we should probably talk about next
week at our -- assuming we have our county commission meeting next
Tuesday.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: That's another decision.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: But some process discussions
September 7, 2017
Page 58
with regard to our budget so we're not, at the last second, right before
the Tax Collector has to put out the tax bills and things, to be able to
afford the community some communication with regard to this. It's --
and we can talk about it next week. I'd be happy to. I actually have a
couple of resolutions that I'm trying to get whipped up.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: I think the County Attorney
understands what we're --
MR. KLATZKOW: No, I think you're good; I truly do. You can
hold your meetings over several nights if you'd like to get to more
public input.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: I just want to make sure there's
adequate public opportunity.
MR. KLATZKOW: We just need a -- the last day is the only day
of concern.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: And what is that last date?
MR. KLATZKOW: At this point I'm not entirely sure.
COMMISSIONER McDANIEL: I think it's the 21st.
COMMISSIONER SAUNDERS: It could be.
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: All right. Any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN TAYLOR: Hearing none, meeting's adjourned.
September 7, 2017
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 6:41 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS CONTROL
73s
PENNY T OR, AIRMAN
ATTEST:._.: ..
DWCK, CLERK
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Attst as to Cb8404a%;
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These minute approved by the Board on /°//0/1/-7 , as presented
or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF U.S. LEGAL
SUPPORT, INC., BY TERRI LEWIS, COURT REPORTER AND
NOTARY PUBLIC.
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