BCC Minutes 02/06/2006 S (AUIR)
February 6, 2006
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Naples, Florida, February 6, 2006
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 has been created according to law and having
conducted business herein, met on this date at 1 :30 p.m. in SPECIAL
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples,
Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
Frank Halas
Fred W. Coyle
Jim Coletta
Donna Fiala
Tom Henning
ALSO PRESENT:
Jim Mudd, County Manager
Marjorie Student-Stirling, Assistant County Attorney
Page 1
COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
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Annual Update and Inventory Report (AUIR)
AGENDA
February 6, 2006
1 :30 PM
Frank Halas, Chairman, District 2
Jim Coletta, Vice-Chairman, District 5
Tom Henning, Commissioner, District 3
Donna Fiala, Commissioner, District 1
Fred W. Coyle, Commissioner, District 4
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA ITEM
MUST REGISTER PRIOR TO SPEAKING. SPEAKERS MUST REGISTER
WITH THE COUNTY MANAGER PRIOR TO THE PRESENT A TION OF
THE AGENDA ITEM TO BE ADDRESSED.
COLLIER COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 2004-05, AS AMENDED REQUIRES
THAT ALL LOBBYISTS SHALL, BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY LOBBYING
ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ADDRESSING THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS), REGISTER WITH THE CLERK
TO THE BOARD AT THE BOARD MINUTES AND RECORDS
DEPARTMENT.
REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON SUBJECTS WHICH ARE NOT
ON THIS AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING WITH
EXPLANATION TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AT LEAST 13 DAYS PRIOR
TO THE DATE OF THE MEETING AND WILL BE HEARD UNDER "PUBLIC
PETITIONS."
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION OF THIS BOARD
WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO,
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February 6, 2006
AND THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A VERBATIM RECORD
OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES THE
TESTIMONY AND EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE BASED.
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE UP TO FIVE (5)
MINUTES UNLESS THE TIME IS ADJUSTED BY THE CHAIRMAN.
IF YOU ARE A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO NEEDS ANY
ACCOMMODATION IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCEEDING,
YOU ARE ENTITLED, AT NO COST TO YOU, TO THE PROVISION OF
CERTAIN ASSISTANCE. PLEASE CONTACT THE COLLIER COUNTY
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT LOCATED AT 3301 EAST
TAMIAMI TRAIL, NAPLES, FLORIDA, 34112, (239) 774-8380; ASSISTED
LISTENING DEVICES FOR THE HEARING IMP AIRED ARE AVAILABLE IN
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE.
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Presentation to the Collier County Board of County Commission (BCe) of the
2005 Annual Update and Inventory Report (AUIR) on Public Facilities as provided
for in Chapter 6.02.02 ofthe Collier County Land Development Code.
_ Continued from the January 25,2006 AUlR meeting
3. Comments
4. Adjourn
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February 6, 2006
February 6, 2006
MR. MUDD: Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. Mr.
Chairman, you have a hot mic.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thank you very much, County Manager.
This is a continuation of the Annual Update of Inventory Report
that we started on January 25th and we did not get it completed. If
everyone seated in the audience would rise for the pledge of
allegiance.
(The pledge of allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thank you very much. Before I turn it
over because of the fact that I believe this room is going to be
occupied later on this afternoon, I hope that we can hopefully finish up
business on this report around five o'clock, if possible. So with that --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: How about three o'clock?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Hey, if we can get done by three o'clock,
so be it. I wish we can. Though starting off with Category B and I see
that the chief is here, so I believe we're going to start off with the --
I've got it here, the jail.
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir. The county jail. Then we go to --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: The county jail system.
MR. MUDD: --law enforcement and then library emergency
medical services and government buildings in that order.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Makes sense.
MR. SCHMITT: Chairman Halas, just -- just for the record and I
just want to -- looking at the county attorney -- for the record, Joe
Schmitt, Administrator, Community Development Environmental
Services Division -- the county attorney just to make sure that this is a
continuation of the January 25th meeting.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And that it was well advertised.
MR. SCHMITT: And it was well advertised.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: Yes, correct.
MR. SCHMITT: And the issues under Category A have been
covered and certainly from a perspective in regards to your guidance
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February 6, 2006
we received, we're going into Category B.
And how do you choose to take speakers? Do you want to
continue with any registered speakers after each category, reference
that category? I know we have members of the audience that want to
talk about another issue that related to Category A. And I would ask
for your indulgence that we would defer that till the end of the
meeting because I would like to get through these Category B
facilities.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: That -- that's what I'd like to do and then
we'll take one category at a time.
MR. SCHMITT: All right. Randy, any -- any comments or
county attorney?
MS. STUDENT -STIRLING: No comments from the county
attorneys.
MR. SCHMITT: All right. Chief, we'll give you the microphone
there so you can --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Great story on you and your son
today.
CHIEF SMITH: Thank you, Commissioner. Very fortunate with
regard to the outcome of that so...
For the record, Chief Greg Smith. Okay. I think that's better.
For the record, Chief Greg Smith, Administrative Chief for the
Sheriffs Office. And what we're going to present to you today or
assist the county with presenting to you today is the AUIR report for
the county jail system and with the issues pertaining to the law
enforcement impact fee.
The -- the county jail system -- the -- the one thing of note or the
biggest thing of note with regard to that is a change in the
level-of-service standard to be -- to be used in calculation of the need
for jail beds. Historically we have not played a part in the AUIR
report. The -- the county manager rightfully so solicited our input and
our participation this year. And we found it necessary to do two
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February 6, 2006
things right away and that's to clarify and to clean up some issues from
previous reports.
First of all, being that previous to this year we had operated at a
level-of-service standard at 2.4 beds per thousand, the historical
utilization rate has always far surpassed that figure. 3.2 we believe is
to be a more accurate reflection of that which we experience on a
daily basis in managing the jail population. And it has been as high as
4.0. But had we gone on or if we choose to go with a 2.4 bed per
thousand utilization, then basically what we're doing is we're making a
statement that one in every three inmates will sleep on the floor. That,
of course, gives concern with regard to -- with regard to managing
populations. You'd find yourself always in a -- in a situation where
you're trying to crisis manage and overflow the jail population.
The good news is we've currently brought additional beds on
line; however, as this report will show you, we -- we have some
capacity. We have some surplus capacity. But when originally--
when originally approached with the -- with the 2.4 LOS, it showed
that we were going to have capacity for several years, when in
actuality, we're going to run out of capacity at FY'08. So that's one of
the reasons why we felt it necessary to update that as the standard.
And then, secondly, we had to go in and amend some -- some of
the numbers with regard to the jail bed inventory which is found on
page 62. And that's because some of the counts were just plain wrong.
Some of them were -- were misinterpreted. So we worked diligently
with county staff to go back in and identify and recognize those beds
that are actually in the current inventory. That also had a -- a negative
impact as far as what our future jail capacity was going to be. So
those are the numbers that we went back and adjusted. And as a result
you can see on the -- the graph that's provided what that's done for us
in terms of current capacity and any future surplus.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I've got a question. Oh, do you have a
question?
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Go ahead. Go ahead. You go first.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, okay. Thank you. So I'm
having a problem understanding the level of service. You built for a
level of service 2.4, but then you found out that you really had a 3.2.
Is that what you're saying? And how did you not know that you had
that so that you could have built up more in the first place?
CHIEF SMITH: We recognized all along that it was greater than
that. We encouraged the board in 1997 to adopt a higher level of
service. They choose to go with a 2.4.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. So -- so -- 2.4. I said 4.2.
I'm sorry. 2.4, but it's actually a 3.2. And you say -- and you've come
to that decision because of --
CHIEF SMITH: Just because it accurately reflects the current
situation.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. And -- and so did you know
that before you started building, so I note that this is, you know --
CHIEF SMITH: Yes, ma'am. We've known that for at least ten
years.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So -- but we built it for a 2.4
anyway; right?
CHIEF SMITH: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So can you build on top of what you
already have built there?
CHIEF SMITH: No, we cannot.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So you have to build a new facility?
CHIEF SMITH: Yes, that's correct.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
MR. MUDD: I have a question. Commissioner, and Chief
Smith, help me here if I'm wrong, but I believe when they did the
impact fee studies for jails that the -- the formula's functionality that
basically they used equates to 3.2 beds per -- per thousand population
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February 6, 2006
more than the 2.4 did.
CHIEF SMITH: That's -- that's -- that's correct and an important
point to make for the record. That when we were instituting the jail
impact fee, the data that was supplied to the consultant showed that
what we really needed to -- to aim at as a level of service was the --
the 3.2 beds per thousand. And that that's what the impact-fee
calculation, I believe, was based on.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: My question is what is the -- what did
you or the sheriffs department trying or doing to try to alleviate the
over crowdedness of the jail? Are you working on any particular or
working with anybody in the legal-service area so that some of these
people can be released if they're not harmful to the community?
CHIEF SMITH: We currently go and assess just exactly the
nature of the offender that we are keeping in jail. We do have
currently some alternative sentencing programs that are available and
that we do utilize very heavily. One of the -- probably predominantly
being the working weekender program. We've got about 200
participants in that program that would otherwise be in the jail
population and -- and reflected in those numbers.
With that said, we've also taken off some other initiatives so that
we have revitalized, if you would, the Public Safety Coordinating
Council. That's a -- a committee that is required by statute to address
just those types of issues. Commissioner Coyle currently sits as chair
of that group and those discussions are ongoing at this time.
Weare looking at ways to speed up the judicial process because
it's very easy to determine that your -- your jail population is going to
have a direct relationship to how fast offenders move through the
criminal justice process. So we're taking on some -- some initiatives
in that regard to try to speed that component of the system up.
Because I think that that's probably the single most thing that we could
do to -- to have a real impact on our jail population because I -- I don't
think you'd ever achieve capacity by just a brick-and-mortar solution.
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February 6, 2006
I think you've also got to look at some internal equities as well.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yeah. From what I can see on the graph,
it looks like we're going to be continually building jails or building
onto jails. And I think we've got to find another means here of
addressing the system, the issue.
CHIEF SMITH: I -- I agree. It's -- it's -- it's no different than
stormwater, roads or any other utility. With growth in the area, you're
going to have to have larger facilities as well.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Obviously we're not going to be able to
build anything I don't believe on -- on this campus. We'll probably
have to build it someplace else.
CHIEF SMITH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Do you have land purchased?
MR. MUDD: The County supplies the jail. So you can look at
the sheriff you have land purchased. It's the county, you, as the Board
of County Commissioners have to supply those jails. Yes, you do.
Out in Immokalee where the jail is kind of an annex jail that's out
there, there is property there. I've directed staff to start taking a look
at that and to design and potentially build a jail out there that will
serve Collier County at its buildout. And we'll do it by floors, adding
onto each other. And that's -- and that -- that seems to be a pretty
good location with the available land that we already own.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So just to clarify, so when you say
at buildout, what you mean is you can build for, like, in ten years, but
then there's accommodations to build onto or additional so that you
can use that piece of property to continue to expand?
MR. MUDD: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Now, with the growth that we're looking
at presently in the county, do we anticipate that any new structures are
going to be paid for fully by impact fees or are we going to have to
continue to bond additional monies to address this situation as it -- as
we go out to a number of years here?
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February 6, 2006
CHIEF SMITH: You'd have to look to your staff for that answer,
Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. SCHMITT: I'm not on mic here, but go ahead, Amy. We'll
tell you what we're doing with our impact fees.
MS. PATTERSON: Do we have a court reporter? No. For the
record, I'm Amy Patterson. The answer to the question on your
current impact fees is they have paid for your -- your jail 1 00 percent.
It is one of few impact fees that actually pay for the expansion in
full. And, therefore, it carries no existing credit for additional
revenues. Whether or not those fees continue into the future, it is our
plan to maximize the impact fees and to maintain our update cycle
being sure that we can utilize the impact fees in full. So we would do
that before we turn to another funding source.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Thank you. Commissioner
Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Hi, Ms. Patterson.
MS. PATTERSON: Hello.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I apologize to everybody I was
late. My meeting ran over. The -- the original impact fee study was
based upon permanent populations that are weighted.
MS. PATTERSON: The original jail studies?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah, impact fee study.
MS. PATTERSON: I -- I don't believe so. I wasn't expecting to
look, but I believe it was based on weighted population.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Weighted population?
MS. PATTERSON: It was.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. If you could verify.
MS. PATTERSON: I'll verify it for you.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. Chief Smith, the -- we're
-- we're to get two new judges in the court system. Have you based
your needs or asking based upon those judges coming on, therefore
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February 6, 2006
moving some of these people through the system faster?
CHIEF SMITH: We've taken that into consideration when
making the recommendation to adopt 3.2. We think that it's going to
be a collective number of solutions to maintain this as a
level-of-service standard. If you take those judges out ofthe mix, then
you're probably going to be looking at something closer to a 4.0.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. The -- have you -- do
you have a master plan for the needs, the future needs?
CHIEF SMITH: We have a -- we have ajail master plan that's
dated 1997.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
CHIEF SMITH: We advocate strongly that the plan be updated.
We have spoken with county facilities department. They are currently
looking at allocating funding for a fresh look, a new jail master plan to
establish needs.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Do you think it's a -- a good
idea to wait until that's established before we make any changes?
CHIEF SMITH: I think that you -- you could. You could -- you
could wait to see what the result of that's going to be. I think if you do
that then there needs to be a -- a commitment that we are going to go
ahead and fund and participate in that update.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. Let me ask that question
just a little differently. Do -- in order to be able to raise the impact
fees on the jail to cover the cost that's going to be, do you first have to
update your master plan?
CHIEF SMITH: I'm not sure. You might want to ask Ms.
Patterson that.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm sorry. The master plans you
have for jails, in order for us to be able to raise the impact fee, does it
require your master plan to be updated first?
CHIEF SMITH: Again, sir, you may want to ask Ms. Patterson
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February 6, 2006
that question.
MS. PATTERSON: Hello. Amy Patterson for the record again.
As far as the master plan goes, the master plan always needs to be
updated in order to show the need for the impact fee. So as other
facilities come on line, it continues to show the need that -- that
equates to your impact fee. So you want to keep that master plan
current with what -- what we want the plan to do.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: In order to pick up funds as
soon as possible on this, how soon would it be before a master plan
can be revised and an impact fee that's more in line to what the actual
cost today is could be put into place?
MS. PATTERSON: This impact fee was just adopted in
September. This was implemented in September. So it's relatively
current. There are other factors that can be looked at easily other than
the master plan. That's just one part. And that's more to show need
and less to show -- to be able to increase the fee. The components that
really go to increasing your fee are not only the things that you built
and paid for, but also increases in population, increases in land costs,
and increases in construction costs.
So while we have an indexing escalator that addresses those on a
year-to-year basis, any time when we see anomalies like we're seeing
now with huge increases in land or construction, we can immediately
go back and address those in the impact fee.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So what it does, it's not
predicated on the master plan?
MS. PATTERSON: Master plan. Only if you were having a
problem where you built more than you needed, that's where in your
master plan would be something that -- that you would really have to
look carefully at. But right now we need more than we built so we're
in -- we're okay as far as the master plan aspects go.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: The only suggestion I would
have here is it would be most helpful if this graph went back into time
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February 6, 2006
a little bit farther than '05 so we could see where the anomaly was
when you passed the bill and be able to draw our conclusions on the
future.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Do I entertain a motion approval of this?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I -- what -- what about the -- can
we talk about some of the other information that was provided in here
beyond jails? The -- let me see. Oh, that's law enforcement. You're
up on that one next?
CHIEF SMITH: Correct.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'll hold the questions there.
Commissioner, I -- I would like to wait before we do a master plan
update before any changes to the jail facility and I'll make a motion to
that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Do I hear a second?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'll-- I'll second that for discussion,
but didn't I just hear that we didn't need a master plan in order to do
this? I think --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, here's -- here's -- here's
my point is how -- how do you know what you really need unless you
have a master plan?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, I think we got a master plan --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It's '97 was just stated.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So, Greg, why don't you answer
that?
CHIEF SMITH: Okay. We have a current master plan. It gives
a ten-year-running forecast for need. I -- I think that the point is well
made that we need a fresh master plan study done. I -- just knowing
what I know in the daily operation of the jail system, it's -- it's going to
come back at least 3.2. It may come back more than that.
And -- and typically those master plans come back with some --
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February 6, 2006
some qualifying statements or caveats that, you know, if you do this,
then it may have this impact. Or if you -- if you don't do this, then this
is a consideration to be looked at. But jails being a Category B
facility, you can set the LOS at whatever level you'd like. Although
we would just issue the cautionary statement that given what we are
now experiencing to adopt that as a level of service, you're basically
saying that one in three inmates will sleep on the floor.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: My question is, with the plan that you're
presently using, how close is it following the real trend in the jail
system?
CHIEF SMITH: It's -- it's not that far off, really.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: It's not that far off?
CHIEF SMITH: It's -- it's pretty much called it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Now, when you say not that far
off, do you have a percentage rating?
CHIEF SMITH: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Within 5 percent or 2 percent?
CHIEF SMITH: No, sir. I have not calculated percentage rating.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you. I can understand
the concerns over when we implement an impact fee as legally
defensible and justified. In this case they're going to have to bring it
back to us for another consideration. So I, for one, would have a
difficult time supporting the motion as it's presently worded.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And I -- I'll -- I -- I agree. I put my
second in there just for the sake of --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No, I understand. That's a good
thing to do. I think I would have done the same thing.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Just vote it down.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any other discussion?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yes.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: How many state and federal
inmates do you have in the jail?
CHIEF SMITH: None. They're all in on county charges.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: They're all what?
CHIEF SMITH: They're all awaiting the judicial system on
county charges.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: On county charges. Okay. So
we're not housing state --
CHIEF SMITH: No, we're not.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: If not, the motion's been made and
seconded that we wait until an updated report from the -- the jail
facility. All those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. That's the motion.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, wait a minute. She--
Commissioner Fiala removed her motion.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: No, she didn't.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh, you didn't.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No. I just voted against it. Same
thing I guess.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yup.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: But, no, I didn't remove my motion.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well -- this will be accepted as it is and
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February 6, 2006
we hope that in the near future you'll come up with a --
MR. SCHMITT: Can you make a separate motion?
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: We need a -- we need a motion to
accept it.
MR. SCHMITT: A separate motion to accept.
MS. STUDENT-STIRLING: Approve and accept it as
satisfactory .
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Do I have a motion to accept this
plan?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I will move.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Now, I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Then a motion and a second in
regards to accepting the 2005 AUIR County Jail System Report. All
those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Motion carries 4/1.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, that brings us to our next item
which is law enforcement. I believe Chief Smith is still up.
CHIEF SMITH: Again, for the record, Chief Greg Smith,
Administrative Chief for the Collier County Sheriffs Office. What
you have before you is the -- the AUIR related to law enforcement
officers and attendant capital cost needs of that staff.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Do you have anything more to give on
your report?
CHIEF SMITH: This report was -- was authored primarily by
the county planning department. We've looked through it. There are a
couple of just statements we'd like to make for the record.
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February 6, 2006
First of all, it encourages the adoption or recognition, if you
would, of a level-of-service standard for the population. Sheriff
Hunter very strongly opposes as his methodology regarding
budgeting. It fails to take in a lot of other considerations like calls for
service and time spent in proactive patrol trying to take on measures
that decrease the likelihood of a crime that are not calculated in as part
of that or to the degree that he would like to see. So just as a
cautionary 1.96 or as -- as just a black-and-white snapshot of what's
needed relative to county population may not be the best definer of
need.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. I have a question. Are you
saying that the -- it costs the county $140,258 for each person on the
sheriffs department or is that just road patrol?
CHIEF SMITH: That's just road patrol. And some of the larger
expenses related to that are the vehicle, radio, laptop computers and all
the equipment that goes in that vehicle as well.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And what's the breakdown for
administrative people?
CHIEF SMITH: I am not sure but you would -- you would take
out some of those costs.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Commissioner Fiala, I believe
you're up to bat.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. In the recommended action
on -- on page 66, the very last sentence says, Further, the board is
requested to provide policy direction relative to future additional law
enforcement officers as a possible modification to the absolute number
of officers that might be needed or might be required.
Could you -- could you explain that for me, please.
CHIEF SMITH: I wish I could. I don't understand it myself.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, okay. Okay.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I love it.
CHIEF SMITH: You may want to direct that to your countya
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February 6, 2006
staff.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Randy.
MR. COHEN: Randy Cohen, Comprehensive Planning
Department Director, for the record. I believe that that language was
added because Chief Smith had a concern about the 1.96 police
officers per thousand population. And the language was added with
respect to potential additional need that may exist in -- in forthcoming
budget cycles for your consideration that you're aware of the fact that
that possible additional need may exist and that's why it's there.
CHIEF SMITH: Okay. So basically it's saying we might need
more?
MR. COHEN: And you might need less. We're not sure.
CHIEF SMITH: Okay. Right. Okay. I understand.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Mr. Cohen, on page 70, Table
10, the weighted population, is that taking -- taking out the
municipalities?
MR. COHEN: That information, Commissioner Henning's from
the impact fee study. So I'll defer to Ms. Patterson on that.
MS. PATTERSON: Hi. Amy Patterson, again, for the record.
The municipalities with the City of Naples and the City the Marco
Island are excluded, but the City of Everglades is included as the
sheriffs office provides them services. The other two have their own
police forces and, therefore, couldn't be included.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: While you're there, Table 14,
page 74, let -- let's say boats. It said units, ten. Is that a need?
MS. PATTERSON: No. This is actually -- this is what they
have. This is -- this is the historical units and the cost of replacement.
This is establishing their inventory --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
MS. PATTERSON: -- that they actually have and that would set
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February 6, 2006
forth a need if they needed to purchase additional based on population.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The -- how do you figure out
the needs for future needs on those capital items?
MS. PATTERSON: As far as boats and other--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah.
MS. PATTERSON: All of these things are set up by the
impact-fee consultant. And so what they've done is they've gone
through a detailed inventory and -- and used formulas to determine
how many there are and how that equates to population and number of
officers. And -- and it doesn't tell you how many you're going to need
in the future, but basically the value of what you have today. So this
is what we have now and if we needed to -- if our -- if our population
doubled, then this is the cost of what it would be to replace those for
the new population.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
MS. PATTERSON: This just breaks it down in a per-person cost
or something that simple. It's more of a theoretical doubling of
population equals doubling of inventory.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The Table 15, page 76--
MS. PATTERSON: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- the buildings are included in
the law enforcement impact fee?
MS. PATTERSON: The buildings are included.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So did we remove that from the
general government building?
MS. PATTERSON: Right. Nothing that appears in law
enforcement appears in general government. And anytime there may
be a shift of a building -- and occasionally and probably in the future,
we're going to see some things come off of law enforcement and move
to government buildings -- at that time, they'll go off of one inventory
and out onto the other or vice versa. They will never exist at the same
time in two impact-fee inventories.
Page 17
February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER HENNING: And what was the Planning
Commission's recommendations on this?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Approve the element as presented.
MS. PATTERSON: The Planning Commission did have a
concern on the -- on the -- on the inventory issue. There was one
building they had a question. We cleared that up for them if that's the
question. There was one building that's going to be moving from law
enforcement to general government building at some point in the
future and we did address that.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Thank you.
MR. SCHMITT: Commissioner, the Planning Commission
recommendation is listed on page 66.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I see it. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: With respect to the last sentence
under the Recommended Actions of the -- ofthe summary, it appears
to me that we have to make sure that the impact-fee calculation and
any figures approved by the board today concerning absolute number
of officers must be an agreement.
If we, for some reason, decide that -- that there should be 20 to
30 percent more officers authorized than the current level-of-service
standard, we would have to go back and calculate the impact fee based
upon that. And since we have not done so, it would be my
recommendation that we leave the level-of-service standard as it is
contained here.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'll second that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Two -- two other questions.
On page 4, this is Table 1, land and building inventory, just two fast
questions. Drill Academy office and it says "portable." Does that
mean we own this portable or is it gone now that we don't have a Drill
Academy or --
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February 6, 2006
CHIEF SMITH: I saw that on there and just judging from the
square footage on that table it must be the entire Drill Academy
including a portable that's located there, but we -- we did not own the
physical plant. That belongs to the Department of Juvenile Justice so
that would need to be removed from the inventory.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. Then underneath it, the
sheriff CID building on Horseshoe, don't you just rent that?
CHIEF SMITH: I -- I think we purchased that. I think the
county purchased that on behalf of the sheriff.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, okay. Fine. Okay. So the one
needs to be removed, but the other one is -- is -- okay. Thank you.
CHIEF SMITH: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Just a question for the county attorney.
We didn't need a court reporter for this, did we? Or did we?
MS. STUDENT -STIRLING: I'd be happy to answer that. There
are no court reporters available from our contract pool; however,
there's a verbatim transcript and video and audio being made and the
court reporter is going to take that video and make a verbatim
transcript from it so we are fine.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. I just happened to notice that we
had a vacant chair there so I wanted to clarify that. Commissioner
Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I think my -- well, no. It hasn't
been answered completely. With respect to the population estimates
and the recent release of the -- I guess what some people would term is
surprising buildout in Golden Gate Estates and the population
estimates there, how do -- does that compare with the population
estimates that were used in development of these figures?
MS. PATTERSON: The population -- Amy Patterson, again, for
the record. The population estimates contemplated in this study are
about a year old. So what we're doing now, actually we're working
on, is going out for an update to this particular study to not only look
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February 6,2006
at population, but also look at the construction and land costs.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So -- so if your population goes up
dramatically, as I presume it will based upon this most recent buildout
study, then the requirements for facilities for the jail and for police
officers will go up rather dramatically also?
MS. PATTERSON: The requirements in the future.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yes, for the future. And that really
affects almost everything in this AUIR, not just Category B.
MS. PATTERSON: True, that's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So the -- the concern I have is
we're dealing with data a year old that is apparently dramatically
different than what our most recent estimates would indicate would be
correct. How are we going to deal with this when we know it's
wrong?
MR. COHEN: Commissioner, for the record, Randy Cohen
again. The population figures that were used in the AUIR were--
were supplied by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research in
April. They're -- they're provided every April. And what -- what our
department does is we take a look at the trends in all the various areas
and the traffic, the TAZs basically, and we interpolate that data and--
and modify it accordingly.
So right now the data that you're seeing is approximately nine
months old. We will be repeating this cycle again in April with the
data that comes on in with the additional population figures. We'll be
updating that accordingly. And you'll be seeing an AUIR again
relatively quick. There's going to be a lag every time when we have
these type of numbers that come on in, but we're going to try and
reduce the lag as much as possible. And we'll work in concert with
Ms. Patterson and the impact fee study as well too.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So we'll do this again in April?
MR. COHEN: We will get the population figures in April. We
will do the population projections based off of that. I think our target
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February 6, 2006
date if I -- correct me if I'm wrong, County Manager, about our target
date for the AUIR is probably going to be around July or August if we
can.
MR. SCHMITT: I would guess, Commissioner, from what I
mentioned this morning, you will probably see this in August or
September in your binder version for a -- to meet the requirement for
the December CIE that we have to have the first fiscally feasible
completion which now I know is deferred into '07. But we're
projecting -- that will be the 2006 fiscal year AUIR. We are actually
still working on the 2005. Now, that's a long story, but the short of it
is we've had three meetings with the Planning Commission. Your
meeting was delayed twice because of the amount of work the
Planning Commission put into this. And, of course, this is a follow-on
meeting that really was supposed to have been over back in January
so...
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But I presume that everything
we're doing here as of -- has absolutely no consequence whatsoever.
MR. SCHMITT: That's a lot of consequence because it's going
to serve as a foundation for where we go forward. These -- this AUIR
is probably much more -- much more detail has been put into this
AUIR -- AUIR than the past AUIRs. And we -- we have gotten some
significant guidance from you especially in using the population data
and the weighted averages and the other type of issues that have been
raised by you and the issues provided to the staff so...
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So -- so you're saying to me that
the updated figures that we will get in September will not be as
important as what the figure -- as the figures we have right today on
this particular AUIR?
MR. SCHMITT: They will be important.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: More important.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That was exactly my point when I
said this was of little consequence.
Page 21
February 6, 2006
MR. SCHMITT: Oh, okay. Now I understand, yes.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Because if you're -- you're AIR--
AUIR that you're going to provide us in September has substantially
increased population estimates, then -- then our requirements for
facilities is likely to escalate dramatically, thereby the necessary
funding we require is likely to be significantly higher. And our -- our
problems with respect to forecasting revenues which will provide us
that funding is going to be even more difficult. So I guess my -- my
feeling and reaction is that we can approve anything we want to here
today and it won't have much bearing on anything at all, but we'll get
it right in September and we'll have new updated --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Or August.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: -- figures or something.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, every -- every year the population
estimates change. Okay. That's why you do it on an annual basis. So
you're right. We could have some startling growth data that comes in
from BEBR and we might not. I can't tell you that for sure. I can tell
you the growth rate in the Estates is a little bit more than what we had
thought, but maybe the growth rates in the other places in the county
where BEBR thought we were going to have some growth didn't
materialize; i.e., the Ave Maria area, the Big Cypress special district
which we haven't seen any plans on. So I can't tell you that. And we
won't know that until April until we take a look at those particular
Issues.
I think this is important, though, that you basically set how you're
-- how -- how you want us to look at population, what kind do you
want to use: Permanent population, weighted population, and what
those level-of-service numbers are per population that you want us to
use in those specific categories. I believe that is important. And I -- if
the population increases to a point in time where you can't fund --
physically fund any of that stuff at level of service, then you as a
board have to have the wherewithal to -- to reduce that level of service
Page 22
February 6, 2006
so that it becomes financially feasible because that's what the state's
asking you for as far as level of service is concerned. And I believe
they will have conversations with this board if they drop the level of
service so that it puts the county in some kind of a -- a straight that
they object to. They've done that to us once before based on some
changes that we wanted to make to our concurrency particular system.
But I believe it's important to take a look at that. We have spent
a lot of time as a staff and -- and through the Planning Commission
going through this with excruciating detail. And in the Planning
Commission's case, they have looked at every one of these level of
services against the impact fee that's been used in -- in that impact fee
and -- and made sure that those things are tied in. I believe the next
update that you will do will be a lot easier than this one because you
will have seen this. The -- the population data, if it's changed
dramatically, we'll be able to point that out so you'll know and then
we'll be able to bring that forward to you in the August/September
version. But the reason we wanted to spend so much time on this is
because the growth management plan legislature puts a lot more
emphasis on this particular product.
Second, is we knew we had to do it this time and we knew we'd
have to come in with a shorter period oftime for the next AUIR
because there is a December reporting suspense that we have in the
growth management bill. And so those things have to be done by
December. And I can't remember what day it was. It was the last day
of December or the first one, Randy.
MR. COHEN: I want to correct that for the record. What ended
up happening, DCA adopted a schedule just recently. And I -- and I
provided the information to the Planning Commission. And our
suspense date actually now is March 1 st. So we got pushed back two
months in the -- in the cycle. So we have a little bit more lead time on
that.
MR. MUDD: But what is it going to be years after that?
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February 6, 2006
MR. COHEN: We'll be on a March 1st cycle.
MR. MUDD: Okay. Thank you. Well, that helps us a little bit.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta, and then maybe
we can come -- bring this to a close and move on.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's basically where I'm
coming from. First, I understand where we are with this population.
You're always going to be an estimate. You're never going to get
anybody to stand still long enough to count all the noses. And if
anything, if the number's a little bit on the low side, that's a little bit
better for the budget and we keep adjusting as we go forward. I'd
rather have just enough services or slightly below it based upon maybe
a number that's a couple of months old than to try to procrastinate and
have numbers that's way in excess of what we need.
First, I need the motion reinstated -- stated so I can have a better
understanding. And I've a question on it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I believe the motion was made by
Commissioner Coyle, and he can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think
he said to approve the budget as recommended.
MR. MUDD: The motion was to leave it at 1.96 officers per
thousand.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: In other words, we're not
changing that. That -- that moves up and down.
MR. MUDD: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's basically what was
recommended here?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's right.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you. I understand that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And I believe that was seconded by
Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Yes. Approval of this element
as presented.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yes.
Page 24
February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No. I -- I seconded --
MR. MUDD: I believe it was seconded by Commissioner
Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: -- Commissioner Coyle's
motion.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I looked --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thank you for the correction. That was
seconded by Commissioner Henning. Any further discussion on this?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Ifnone -- no further discussion we'll
bring the motion to a vote. All those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. The motion passes unanimously.
Thank you very much.
CHIEF SMITH: Thank you, Commissioners.
MR. MUDD: Commissioners, the next item on our AUIR is
county libraries and Ms. Marilyn Matthes, your Director of Libraries
will present.
MS. MATTHES: Good afternoon, Marilyn Matthes, library
director.
Library impact fees pay for new books and new library facilities
needed due -- due to population growth. The current rate is about
$180 per thousand square feet of construction and it's based on the
cost per square foot of construction of about $200 and the cost of a
book of about $25. The five-year estimate in this AUIR is based on
the current impact-fee rate and current ad valorem book rate, book
Page 25
February 6, 2006
budget.
Ad valorem funds are intended to purchase replacement books,
not new books. The nationwide average of books needing
replacement annually is between 4 and 5 percent of the collection.
We've used the more conservative 4 percent to figure the amount of ad
valorem funds needed to -- for replacement books.
The construction expenses, however, in this report are based on
the current estimated construction cost of over $316 per square foot.
The cost per book remains at $25 per square foot. The library is
expecting an updated impact-fee study shortly from the consultant that
will be presented to the board for approval. We anticipate an
increased rate that will cover the shortfalls noted in this report. The
additional revenue noted at the bottom of the library book stock
summary on page 83 is the difference between the projected ad
valorem funds for books and what is needed for replacement books.
We anticipate, however, that an impact fee again will pay for the
shortfalls in -- in this report.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The -- the impact fee was based
upon books of 1.6?
MS. MATTHES: We had been directed some years ago to
increase the books per capita by 0.075 annually until we reached the
state average which at that time was slightly over 2.0 books per capita.
The rate last year appeared to stabilize in Florida at about 1.8
books per capita. So we at that time decided to shoot for and -- and
that 1.8, not the 2.05.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It states in the impact-fee study
that it is 1.6; correct, yes or no?
MS. MATTHES: Not sure.
MS. PATTERSON: Hi. Amy Patterson for the record again. In
the current impact-fee study it does state that the current level of
service is 1.6, but they may be trying to achieve the level-of-service
Page 26
February 6, 2006
standard of 1.8 and that's -- that's fine. But the impact-fee study will
only reflect what they've actually done, not what they're hoping to do.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Right. Well, the fact is, I mean,
it's actually a double dip. We're changing population from permanent
to weighted increase in the population and now the level of service has
changed. So if it's good enough for collecting impact fees at 1.6, why
isn't it good enough for overall services of 1.6?
MS. RAMSEY: Well, Commissioner, I do believe that the
libraries have always been at a weighted population, not a permanent
population in the AUIR. And we are currently doing update on the
impact fees which will take into consideration the 1.8 books per capita
along with the additional costs for square footage for library buildings.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. I -- I have a very basic
question. If it's 1.6 or 1.8, what does it come out to be and what is the
difference between the two?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: One million dollars.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: One million dollars --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- in books. So at 1.8 it costs us a
million dollars more than at 1.6. Is that what you're saying?
MS. MATTHES: Approximately.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: My question is: How much additional
staff? When I look at this curve and look at the -- the rapid rise in
library facilities, what are we talking about as far as staff here?
MS. MATTHES: For the South Regional we would hope to add
about 20 full-time equivalent people as that building comes on line.
The Golden Gate branch is an addition and perhaps only two or three
additional people at that time. The Marco project funded by donated
funds is -- adds no new staff.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. And the reason that we got 20 for
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February 6, 2006
the South Regional is because of the fact that it's a brand new facility
from the ground up?
MS. MATTHES: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: What is the size of that library?
MS. MATTHES: Thirty thousand square feet.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thirty thousand square feet. And why
did we come up with 30,000 square feet?
MS. MATTHES: Population projections at 0.33.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: For that particular area?
MS. MATTHES: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Then I believe we had a library
where we expanded the service in Golden Gate, correct me if I'm
wrong, was around 15,000 and now we're going to 25,000. Is that
because we expanded it because of the population projection?
MS. MATTHES: Population, yes, that used that location.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. So that's projected population in
that particular area, then?
MS. MATTHES: Yes. But also people that use that location that
aren't directly in that planning district. People actually use the library
from the area east of951 from other areas of the county too.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Would that -- would that also be the
same for the South Regional Library?
MS. MATTHES: Definitely.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MS. MATTHES: We drew a circle around the South Regional
location. And at the time we proposed the building, it was about
90,000 people in that area in the area around that building --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MS. MATTHES: -- for about eight miles around the building.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. And so you're using the same
criteria in other areas of the county, then?
MS. MATTHES: As much as we can. Some of the other
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February 6, 2006
libraries are in -- are -- are much closer to each other and their service
areas do overlap.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Marla, can you explain to me
why the reporting of the weighted population from an '04 chart is
different than '05?
MS. RAMSEY: I don't have a copy of the '04 in front of me. If
someone has a copy of it, I'll take a look at it for you.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Here's one here. It actually
shows that in 2004,2005 somehow we added --let's see.
MS. RAMSEY: Are you talking about square footage?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No. I'm talking about if you got
the -- if you have 2004, go to page 52, 2004. And then if you look in
today's AUIR, it looks like we -- the projections for '04/'05 has
increased almost 30,000 residents.
MS. RAMSEY: Sir, I can't explain to you why the numbers are
different other than the fact that that's the projection that I've been
given by the Planning Commission. But as you can see on the -- on
the sheet itself, it talks about population and a countywide weighted in
both of those columns.
MR. COHEN: And the population -- for the record Randy
Cohen. The population figures on an annual basis as Commissioner
Coyle indicated, when we -- when we get our -- when we get our
statistics from the Bureau of Economic and Business Research every
-- every year and we take a look at what's actually transpired, they are
going to be modified on an annual basis.
So what you see in terms of your projections from all the way
from this year forward, they're going to differ next year forward as
well too and be adjusted accordingly to reflect the actual population.
So you may see some tremendous amount of changes in population
based on actual construction, actual changes in residential population,
and also actual changes possibly when we talk about weighted in
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February 6,2006
terms of our peak population as that actually goes on up which affects
the weighted as well. So there can be some drastic changes in
population figures that you've got before you on an annual basis.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, what it's showing is we
had a 10 percent increase above and beyond historical growth. And,
in fact, our permits have gone down. I went to BEBR last night.
Okay. And -- and what's available to the public, the information that's
provided on the permanent population is actually lower than what was
reported in our strategic planning and what's also on the web site. I
don't --
MR. COHEN: It depends whether you used low BEBR, medium
BEBR or high BEBR as well. There are three different figures that
are provided.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: In the permanent population?
MR. COHEN: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It's just what was reported on
their web site.
MR. COHEN: And we receive -- we receive information from
BEBR that's low, medium and high. And we -- you know, those
figures that you saw on the web site could have reflected the low or
the medium where we used the high.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. Well, what we have on
'04 and '05, the 10 percent difference above and beyond what already
was, you know, anticipated and knowing that the permits came down,
it's just hard for me to understand. And that's why I'm just questioning
it. That's all.
MR. COHEN: Yeah. The difference is actually in the '04/'05.
It's in the weighted difference and it's 8,000 people. It's 356,976 in
last year's AUIR. And 364 --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: How about one line up? But --
but permits went down.
MR. COHEN: Well, you -- you have an increase of population
Page 30
February 6, 2006
of 8,000 people for that particular fiscal year. And it's just an
adjustment based probably on the weighted average of the peak and
the permanent that was provided subsequently by BEBR. So this is
the adjustment that was made. So it just reflects actually what was
transpired in the new numbers that they provided.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner, the permits could have
been down, but might have been permits from the year before that
might have been higher and it takes about a year to build a residence.
There's a --
MR. SCHMITT: I'm probably 23 to 25 percent higher in permits
than I was last year at this time and revenue almost 40 percent in -- in
planning fees so...
COMMISSIONER HENNING: In '06.
MR. SCHMITT: Right now over last year at this time.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. Well, I was talking about
'04 and '05 and I remember that the permits were way down. That's
all.
MR. MUDD: Let's -- let's -- let's just make sure -- let's just make
sure that we -- we're talking about permits, strictly volume or you're
talking about new residences being construction.
MR. SCHMITT: New residents.
MR. MUDD: Okay. And I think there's a difference because
you're talking -- I think that's what you're talking about, new
residences versus permits. Okay. Permits we're way up. Okay. A
permit could be an addition to a house. It could be a screen enclosure
to the backyard. They're all that number. New residence, though,
would be a number that's down a little bit as far as that's concerned.
And I think you're seeing that in the Naples News when they're--
when they're talking about the difference between Lee. And I would
say the number of new residences are down, but I don't know if they're
down drastically is what I'm trying to get at. Joe.
MR. SCHMITT: I can pull up the numbers right now. Give me
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February 6, 2006
a couple minutes, I'll find them.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: On new construction?
MR. SCHMITT: On -- basically I keep track of --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You know, in can get that
information later, maybe that will answer my question.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I think it would be great if you could and
move on. Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. With the $1 million in the
books and the -- and the difference in 1.6, 1.8, I remember when you
opened the Orange Tree branch --
MS. PATTERSON: Orange Blossom.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: -- actually, they were shy of books.
Actually there were a lot of empty shelves. Is -- is -- is that what this
million dollars goes for and is that why you changed the calculation?
MS. MATTHES: That's -- that's not really why we changed the
calculation. We had been changing that calculation annually since
impact fees -- we started to collect impact fees. That number kept
going up annually. And it was a difficult calculation to make because
the population went up each year as well as the books per capita went
up. So it was really even more difficult to administrate. And to figure
out which pot of money paid for new books and which pot of money
paid for replacement books.
And the intent of the original impact-fee study was to get to the
average per capita for Florida books throughout the state of Florida.
And we're approaching that. And -- and, as I said, last year the
average seemed to stabilize for the state of Florida at point -- 1.8, not
the point -- 2.05 which it had been originally.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So, then, by using this new
calculation, do you think that -- because we have ravenous readers
here in Collier County -- do you think that will better equip our
libraries to supply books?
MS. MATTHES: It certainly will definitely.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
MS. RAMSEY: And, Commissioners, that is a recommendation
by staff is that we take it from 1.6 to 1.8 and you get to make that
choice today.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I say if it's -- if it's good
enough for the impact fees, it's good enough for the taxpayers. And if
-- I mean, you're increasing the level of service. And the county
manager is talking not only of continuing raising taxes by assessed
values, but actually raising the millage rate. So if it works for impact
fees, it should work for the rest of us. Let's leave it alone.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. I'll need -- need Amy to --
to get this -- this question answered I think. If -- if we approve the
AUIR with a level of service for book replacement at 1.8, when are
you going to recalculate impact fees?
MS. PATTERSON: We're in the process ofrecalculating the
impact fees now.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: On what basis?
MS. PATTERSON: We're revisiting all of the components of the
calculation. But the thing about the books and the 1.6 versus the 1.8,
all the impact fee does is tell you what you have now. There's nothing
to prohibit you from saying that we want better. You just have to have
the funding in place to be able to get there. And your impact fee can't
get you there. Your other funding source is what gets you there.
Now when we calculate this impact fee, it may be 1.8 or 1.7. But
if you still want to achieve 1.8, it's okay for your AUIR to say 1.8. It
has -- it has no effect on your impact fee. Your impact fee only tells
you what you have now.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. But if you develop an
impact fee on the basis of 1.6 and you actually sell -- spend at a level
of 1.8, where does that additional money come?
MS. RAMSEY: It's been coming from ad valorem.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MS. RAMSEY: We've been spending about $750,000 a year to
purchase books. Some of it new, some of it replacement.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And that's -- that's the point. It -- it
-- it seems to me that the impact-fee calculation is a more scientific
method of arriving at what an acceptable level of service really is. I
mean, you're -- you're going to take a look at what other people are
charging, I presume, across the state or are you just taking the figure?
MS. PATTERSON: Right. Your level of service only tells you
what -- what you have now as far as -- as your books for your
population and that establishes your level of service. Just like we
talked about with the officers-per-thousand population, if the board
decided that they wanted more officers, that's okay. Your impact fee
only tells you what you have now. And if you want more than that,
you have to find some other way to pay for it. You can't charge
somebody an impact fee and then come back and charge them to
increase the level of service. That's -- that's what's unacceptable. This
difference between your 1.8 and 1.6 is okay. If that's what you're -- if
you're trying to achieve that for this community, that's fine. It's just
that you have to have -- you have to pay for that gap in the funding.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So the level of service will
continue to be based on 1.6?
MS. PATTERSON: It will continuing to base -- be based on
whatever it is we have. But as they add money, as they've added
money over the years, that's how they've been able to increase the
level of service from whatever it was when we started back in 1990,
1991 to now. That -- that movement has not been impact fees that's
done that. It's been other funding.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. Amy, the 1.6 is what is
recognized by -- the impact fee is the amount of -- the 1.8 that we're
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February 6, 2006
talking about is the needed resource we need to make this function? Is
that why we're going to 1.8?
MS. PATTERSON: That's what -- what Marilyn was explaining
as what's been the standard in the state and I'm -- I'm not going to get
into library matters.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Oh, with the standard in the
state.
MS. PATTERSON: But that's the standard they're trying to
achieve because they're looking around saying this is what other
communities -- I don't want to step in on Marilyn. Maybe she can
explain.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No. That's fine. That pretty
much answers it. Now, let's go back to the 1.8. Ifwe adopt this at 1.8,
will you be able to adjust the impact fee in the near future to reflect
that?
MS. PATTERSON: We're going to be adjusting the impact fee
coming forward.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Reflects the 1.6 or the 1.8?
MS. PATTERSON: I don't know what the actual number is. I
could -- you know, as soon as the consultant gives us -- it's going to be
based on whatever it is we have. Now, ifthere's been -- if there's been
money since the last update that's helped improve that level of service,
then it's going to reflect a little better than 1.6. It might not be this
time. It may be in our next update. I -- I -- I don't know. If I had the
study in front of me, I'd be able to answer your question. But this --
remember that this impact-fee study was updated last year so you're
running at least a year behind.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Now, let me ask a question of
you, Marla.
MS. RAMSEY: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: The 1.6 that we presently have,
are we deficient books in the library? Is there a waiting line for
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February 6, 2006
people? Is the library under --
MS. RAMSEY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: -- understocked with the
inventory?
MS. RAMSEY: I would say yes. Staffs recommendation is that
1.6 is not an adequate level of service for the -- Collier County based
upon the number of readers and retirees and the people going out the
door. And Commissioner Fiala is exactly right. When we opened up
the Orange Blossom Library that first week, there wasn't a single
children's book left on the shelf after we opened that building.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So this is -- there's an actual
need for this 1.8? That's -- that's what's established? Actually, this
ties in a little bit and we might want to consider this is the education
that's out there. We're trying to offer the very best we can for the
youth of this county as they're growing up. And if we can't keep our
libraries stocked at what's the state standard, then possibly we're
failing.
MS. PATTERSON: In may? There's an upside to this as well.
There's an increased level of service then equates to a higher impact
fee. So in the end when you get there, the return on your impact fee is
going to -- is going to balance it out. So it's not that you're using this
additional revenue to get nothing in the end. In the end when you're
trying to maintain a higher level of service, it requires a higher impact
fee. So it's just -- it's just that it's filling in that gap.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I understand. So the question
comes down, is 1.6 an adequate number and we heard no. 1.8 would
get us closer to where we need to be and eventually the impact fees
will come into play to be able to cover some of the cost. Let's be
honest about it. It's not going to ever cover all the cost. It'll bring
down what the ad valorem would be.
MS. PATTERSON: Correct.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And with that I'm going to make
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February 6, 2006
a motion for approval.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: There's been a motion by Commissioner
Coletta and a second by Commissioner Fiala for approval on this
library building in Category B. Any further discussion?
Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Ms. Patterson, during your
impact-fee calculations don't you have to take into consideration the
historical other funds as a part of it?
MS. PATTERSON: That is correct.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So--
MS. PATTERSON: And the ad valorem that is directed would
also serve as a credit that you -- when you're -- when you're using that
money, that credit doesn't nearly come to offset your increase
traditionally unless it's something really large which we experienced
for the first time in law enforcement. And because of it being a brand
new fee, you saw an extremely large credit in that fee. In libraries you
have a relatively low credit even with the infusion of ad valorem
money in. It doesn't -- it -- it in no way negates the increases that
come forward.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So it would be fair to say that
our existing residents will be paying more than our future residents
once they come on line because you're -- you're always having --
having a general fund infusion. And you're not -- you can't
compensate for that 1.6 to 1.8 because always general fund monies are
used?
MS. PATTERSON: That's why the credit's given, though--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah.
MS. PATTERSON: -- is to promote the fairness. Now, I
wouldn't say they were being -- they're not being charged more one
way or the other other than that the increased costs are present where
they're paying more.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: If not, we'll call the question. All those
in favor of the motion that was presented signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye. I think it still passes 3/2.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: It fails.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I think it fails.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Was there three?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: There's three against.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Oh, super majority. Oh, I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No. No. It was three. You,
Commissioner Henning and Commissioner Coyle voted against.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Sorry.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So they need a new motion that of
something else.
I'll make the motion that it be approved at the level of 1.6.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: So the motion -- new motion on the floor
is that we approve the level of service at 1.6.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, in could -- in could say one
thing. I want to make sure that we -- we understand what's going on.
And I don't think that's the motion. This has everything to do with the
number of volumes that you're going to produce with impact fees and
the amount of building you're going to build. I'm going to tell you
what, you're going to come out with two brand new buildings ande
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February 6, 2006
you're going to have a tough time putting books in those. They're not
going to be there to put in.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: That's what I'm worried about.
MR. MUDD: You're going to have buildings that are going to be
empty for quite a while with shelves or annexes throughout there. I
just want to -- if you take a look at the buildings on page 80.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I guess that's what we're going to do.
Build a building and no books.
MR. MUDD: If you look at page 82 with the buildings and then
you take a look at 85 which has the volumes that you're going to buy,
even at 1.8 you're going to have some issues. But at 1.6 they're even
going to be more discernible and that's why.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So in order to get the books, then
you have to dip into ad valorem taxes?
MR. MUDD: Yes, ma'am. If you're going to go above and -- if
you're going to go above and beyond what you're getting for impact
fees for volumes in order to build those shelves up, you'll have to use
ad valorem dollars in order to make that up.
MR. SCHMITT: Or -- or you fill it at 1.6 and it's going to take a
number of years before you actually can fill those shelves. So that's --
because if you look at the chart that's now displayed, you have two
libraries coming on line and that was your direction. And for all intent
and purposes what that shows is certainly a -- an excess of square
footage, but now the books will not be at the same pace of
development as the library. And -- and you're going to end up as Jim
said with library space with few books.
MS. RAMSEY: Commissioners, if I -- if I could clarify one
more thing because I'm not sure how clear this is. But on page 83
underneath Replacement Books where it talks about the million
dollars we're going to need from ad valorem. Whether it's 1.6 or 1.8,
we still need the million dollars because we are short in our number of
books that should be on the shelves because we have not been
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February 6, 2006
purchasing aggressively enough to replace at a 4 percent the loss that
we've had on our shelves. So in order to get even, we're going to have
to spend over the next five years about $900,000 additional ad
valorem in order to get us back to where we should be.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: What about staff -- expenses on staff?
MS. RAMSEY: It's not included in this at all.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: But that's -- that's another part of the
scenario also.
MR. SCHMITT: You get -- this is as Jim says two knobs again.
If you want to turn down the knob on one and not the other, you end
up with more space than books. If you want to turn down the space
knob and not -- and the book knob, again, you may have -- you may
start filling the books. You're going to be able to acquire more books
and -- and certainly not have the space. You won't have to deal with
the increase in space to fill.
So you have two motions. You have -- you have two pieces of
this AUIR. One is square footage at 0.33 square feet per capita. And
then you have another AUIR level of service, the 1 point 18 -- 1.8
books per capita. So it's two separate entities.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Mr. Chairman, I would like to --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Let's take a look at this chart before
us very, very carefully for just a moment before we get led too far
astray. We've -- we are approving -- apparently have already
approved the construction of library space to serve 550,000 people by
the middle of, what, is that FY'08? No.
MS. RAMSEY: That's correct, sir.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MS. RAMSEY: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Now, we've only got 400,000
people required. Four hundred thousand people serviced at that point
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February 6, 2006
in time. So we have the space to service an additional 150,000 people
who do not exist, by the way. Now, are you telling me that we're
going to -- to fill those libraries with books to serve 550,000 people
and a staff? You're going to fully staff those libraries or are you going
to partly staff those libraries?
Now, if you do not staff -- if you do not have books to serve
550,000 people in those libraries because we only have 450,000
people then, of course, you're going to have a lot of empty shelves.
And you're going to have a lot of empty shelves for the next seven
years because you don't get up to the population level to justify that
level of -- of service.
MR. SCHMITT: That next chart -- would you hit the next and
go to the next chart? It shows the purchase of books.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. I understand that one.
MR. SCHMITT: And that -- that one shows regardless --
Commissioner, your point is -- is well taken. Regardless, even on this
track you're going to have empty space in these libraries.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Absolutely.
MR. SCHMITT: It just -- it just won't be -- if this is at 1.8 per
capita, if we were at 1.6, that figure certainly would be lower. But--
but, yes, regardless, you're going to have empty space in the libraries.
It just won't be filled as fast at 1.6 as it would be at 1.8.
The -- the time line is to have as shown here when you purchase
the books to meet that -- that projected, let's say, 500,000 figure you
use at -- at approximately fiscal year 2013, I think that pretty much--
Marla, you can correct me -- but that's what -- what we -- what we
have here is, again, kind of a straight-line projection of purchasing
books at a -- at a metered rate to meet that demand at 2013. But, yes,
we are going to have excess capacity because we're -- we're putting
two -- two expansions on almost simultaneous.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And this assumes no escalation in
the cost of purchasing a book.
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February 6, 2006
MR. SCHMITT: Again, this is only a snapshot in time of -- of --
of actually at the end of the fiscal or actually at the end of this -- this
2005 fiscal year. It's a snapshot in time just to project the capital
investments. That's all this is. The need for -- it's not -- not the rest of
the budget. It's just the -- the capital -- investment in capital assets to
support this -- this level of service under the -- the -- well, library
services that you're asking us for.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, I just wanted to -- I just
wanted to address the statement that we're going to have lots of empty
space in these libraries if we don't give you 1.8 level of service for
book replacement. Of course, you're going to have lots of empty
space.
MR. SCHMITT: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: One way or the other you're going
to have lots of empty space. So I just don't want you to -- to get -- to
go down that path because it is irrelevant.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. One of the things that I've
noticed and I -- I can only tell you the library I've researched and that's
the East Naples Library. Yes, it's just a postage-sized library. I
understand that. It's a 6,600 square feet library that's serving 90,000
people. But even though that's the case, we're still short of books. I
get comments all the time from people saying, How come we never
have any books in the East Naples Library? And if it needs -- if we
need to increase this level of service in order to have books for people
to read and programs for children, then I'm all for it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All for 1.8 or --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: 1.8 is what we need.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We just voted that down.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, maybe we'll have to go back
and revisit it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner -- Commissioner Coletta.
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February 6,2006
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah, Mr. Schmitt --
MR. SCHMITT: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: -- a few minutes ago you were
talking about if we don't have -- we don't have -- if we free up the
libraries, we don't have the books, we got empty space. You were
mentioning the fact that if we're going to turn one of these dials down,
we should be turning the other dial down.
MR. SCHMITT: No. No should. If you wanted more books and
not to spend more money, if you wanted more shelf -- more books on
the shelf, so to speak, then you would reduce the square footage. I
mean, that's what I was trying to point out.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: But then we're right back to
where we were before. We'll just try -- be building another library
that much sooner.
MR. SCHMITT: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And it's a lot more expensive to
build it in the future and increase the -- and then try to -- try to add the
addition on. So it's one of these Catch 22 situations. We either get
ahead on the books for a little while or we -- we have facilities that are
underutilized. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any other questions?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. We have a motion on the floor.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: To do what?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: That is to change it from 1.8 to -- the
motion is 1.6. To approve 1.6 in regards to people per -- per books.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And -- and accept the space and
book standard of 0.33.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. And accept the space level of
0.33 square foot per -- per individual. And I believe I have a second
on that motion. Am I correct?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Commissioner Henning.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Any other discussion before we
call the question?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. All those in favor signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: So now we're back to where we failed
agam.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Suggestion?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So maybe we can restate a motion
differently to make it all legal, huh?
MS. RAMSEY: Maybe you want to split it and go 1.7.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: 1.75 I was going to make a
motion for.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'll second that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. We have a motion on the floor
for 1.75 on books and still retaining 0.33 square foot. Okay. Any
other discussion?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. The only thing with that
is make sure you don't send all your kids to the library at the same
time. That's the only catch to it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Won't have any -- won't have any books.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Still be a little short.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. I'm going to call the question.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I think we got 3/2 in favor of and that is
1.75.
MS. RAMSEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. At this rate we'll be here till
midnight. I don't know if there's a couple commissioners that are
missing. And we're trying to -- hopefully we can get this moving
along.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, we can't be here till midnight
because the Republican Executive Committee is coming in.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Roll into their meeting.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And I think we want to stop for lunch
too or dinner so...
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, you want to take a break or take a
break now or do you want to keep on?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Drive on.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: What's the wishes of the panel here?
Let's take a break for ten minutes. Be back at --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Three o'clock. How about --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Three -- three bells.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yeah, three bells.
(Short recess was taken.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Take your seat. We're back from recess
and we'll continue on. I believe the next one is county emergency
medical services.
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir. Mr. Jeff Page, your Director of EMS will
present.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please take your seats.
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February 6, 2006
MR. PAGE: Good afternoon, Commissioners. In fiscal year '02
we went from a weighted population back to a permanent population.
And the thought was then was that we would put up seasonal units to
address that seasonal crowd of 100,000 or so to compensate for that.
It also immediately gave us a surplus of three units at that time period
when we converted.
The first year it worked pretty well. The second year we lost
about a percent and our response times increased about a percent. The
third year the same thing. So what we're asking is we -- we're
requesting that we revert back to a weighted population. That would
be consistent with what our impact-fee study says is based on a
weighted population. And also it would improve the response times.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Anything else you have to offer?
MR. PAGE: Sure. Here's our current level-of-service standard.
This is from fiscal year 2000 was the last time it was adjusted. This is
the -- the goal of our county responses with an eight-minute travel
time. What we call travel time is what the National Fire Protection
Association adopted as the national benchmark for ALS arrival and
response. EMSAC also approved that, our EMS advisory board.
Currently right now we're hitting that goal 78 percent of the time.
Where normally we'd shoot for 90. What we do -- originally
when the level-of-service standard was conducted, it was based on a
mean average of six minutes or less in the urban area. What that
basically means is 50 percent of the time you arrive in six minutes or
less and 50 percent of the time you don't. What's now the national
standard are using fractal (phonetic) analysis.
And if you'll look at the chart here in front of you, you can see in
the -- the light blue areas there's four areas that we are able to meet
that standard of -- the first one, Zone 1, what's labeled as Zone 1 is one
of the city fire stations that we operate out of in the south. Zone 15 is
the North City Fire Station we operate out of. Zone 4 is Marco Island.
And then Zone 22 is relatively a new station. That's the Grey
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February 6,2006
Oaks Station that came up.
You can see if you look all the way to the right the number of
calls in those zones. There's only 527 listed for that Zone 22 so far
because it came up mid year. This -- this is a kind of interesting map
here. What we've done is through GPS coordinates, if you look in the
area that's the red area that's circled up at the top left, all of these dots,
the brown dots, represent calls that exceed ten minutes in response and
we track that. And that specific area in the north is where we seem to
be hurting the most. So, obviously, one of our main goals next year is
to put a station up in that area to address that. It's not just the number
of units that you have, but you have to correctly put them in those
areas.
This is an actual breakdown showing the rural versus urban, the
goal and the actual of what we're currently doing. And then this -- this
actually shows the cost of how that's calculated and broken out.
Obviously, what we're proposing in the AUIR is -- is probably not the
best way to say it, but this is the worst-case scenario. In other words,
in the next five years what we're looking at is to have six owned
stations and three co-located. Of course, co-located is what we
usually try to do either with the sheriff or the fire districts. But in
some cases there is districts that do not participate in that kind of a
co-location. So we're hoping that everyone will and if it does, of
course, the cost of this would go down. The availability of land
through different trusts, that would be another thing that would reduce
this overall cost.
I have had some discussion with school board officials about
possibly locating. They're not necessarily saying they would sell the
land but a long-term lease, maybe 99 years of where we could
co-locate on their properties, that would be the ideal situation. Any
questions?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Questions? Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. I had -- I had heard that one of
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February 6, 2006
the charges is $9,000 to transport by helicopter a patient plus $100 per
nautical mile. Is that true?
MR. PAGE: I believe the base for your helicopter transport that
was approved by the board for the user fees is a $6,000 base and the
mileage maybe 100. I believe that -- that may be correct. Now, there
are -- if you're talking about when I met with the Planning
Commission, there are med flight 135 providers in the state that are
private that do charge that much. There's a $9,000 base and some of
their mileage is $185 a mile to transport. We -- we do benchmark
with those each year when we bring that to you, but currently in
Collier County it's 6,000.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What -- what other calls that
you go on to besides medical calls that dispatch asks for an
ambulance?
MR. PAGE: Well, typically the breakdown is 49 percent are
trauma related. Now, these are -- a great majority of those are car
accidents where even before we confirm that someone's injured, that's
an automatic dispatch. You take an incident on the alley, that's
something we would respond to even before there's law enforcement
on scene or fire. The same way within the City of Naples. If it's a car
accident, it's an automatic dispatch just due to the probability that
there will be a transport involved in that. Sixteen percent of our calls
are cardiac related. I would say about 2 percent on an average month
are cardiac arrest, whether in full arrest, but 12 percent are respiratory
in nature.
If you'll remember back when we had gone back to a permanent
population, we came to the board and one of the things we were going
to do was reduce the number of calls that were what we felt not
necessary. In other words, it was typical back then that if there was a
structure fire, it was an automatic response for EMS to go and to
provide support to the fire fighters, rehab, things of that nature. We've
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February 6, 2006
discontinued that. I met with the fire chiefs and basically told them if
they're en route to a fire that they think they're going to need support,
they can call us. Or if they arrive on the scene and find that they
actually have a working structure fire, that they need support, to just
request us and we'll come at that time to stand by.
So we have tried to reduce the -- the number of calls. If the
board remembers, we allowed Naples Community Hospital had their
own COPCN, that eliminated those routine transports between the--
the other facilities of theirs. We've discontinued doing routine
interfacility transports out of county. We still continue to do trauma
alerts. And if the helicopters available and the hospital guarantees that
they'll be the provider should that go -- go unpaid after 90 days, we
will transport to another facility out of county. But typically there's a
lot of private providers that provide that service and there's not a great
need for us to do that.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: When we made that decision, I
believe it was last year, to stop the transports between interfacilities, I
don't see a credit on the -- on the graph of -- on page 94. The one you
had out previous.
MR. PAGE: Okay. Are you -- this one here?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No.
MR. PAGE: This one?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: That's correct. We're on page
94 of our --
MR. PAGE: Okay.
MR. MUDD: Jeff, it's the graph.
MR. PAGE: Oh, I'm sorry.
MR. MUDD: Right before -- just before this one. There you go.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You put that -- you had a
dedicated unit for intertransport. You're not doing that anymore.
Where's the credit for that?
MR. PAGE: Those three positions were reassigned to the
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February 6,2006
bureau, actually.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, so they're not on the street
anymore?
MR. PAGE: No.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh, okay. Page 92. You want
to -- you want five fire trucks staffed by five licensed fire apparatus or
staffed by -- oh, they're already staffed by Collier County?
MR. PAGE: Right. We -- we exchanged personnel through the
ALS engine program where they give us a fire fighter, EMT or
paramedic to drive our rig. We put one of our fire fighter, paramedics
on theirs.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I misread it. I'm sorry. Thank
you.
MR. PAGE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. It was my understanding
that -- that when we worked out the transport agreement that it would
free up one that would be used to actually improve our response time.
But now you're telling us it's been removed from service?
MR. PAGE: What we anticipated the way that it would work is
because of the reduction of the number of transports we provided in
Naples Community Hospital, that that would alleviate a growth unit
for the future.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yes. But you're showing here that
you -- you need a unit at least in the years 5/05, '06 and '07 and I
presume '04. What happened? It didn't result in the approved level of
servIce or --
MR. PAGE: Well, we -- we did try to address it through a couple
of different ways. One was to have seasonal units to -- to take care of
that seasonal growth. It worked for one year, but the season has just
seemed to expand a lot longer than those three months that we first
anticipated. Additionally, the ALS engine program, we now have 19
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February 6, 2006
engines throughout the county and -- and we do track their response
times. However, it's not uncommon for some districts not to have all
their engines up that day. In other words, they're not mandated.
Oftentimes this same unit is responding with us to the same call. So
there's really no benefit realized there. I don't really control their units
as far as -- as putting them to the best place where we need to have
them. And the other part of it is ifthere's a fire, forget it. They're not
available. They're going to work the fire.
They are -- they have helped us but, again, the goal and the
national standard is that 90 percent were not able to meet that urban --
I wouldn't expect us to meet it in the rural setting but, you know, we
continue to benchmark against other agencies and we do -- do need
additional units. There have been a few occasions where I've only had
one unit available in the county.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, my -- my -- my concern isn't
that you need additional units. I think that's fairly clear. My concern
is that -- is that you're going to wait until FY'09 or FY' 1 0 before you --
you meet the number of units required. So -- so that -- that bothers me
a little bit.
MR. PAGE: Commissioner, I can understand that. One of the --
the productivity -- or the planning commissioner, excuse me, had the
same question. But to be quite honest, I'm not sure I could staff that
many that quickly. There's a huge paramedic shortage in the state.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I understand, but our -- our
performance at least meeting the 90th percentile is -- is not good.
Only, what, four out of all of the -- the districts that -- that we're
dealing with. And since at least, what did you say, 43 percent of the
responses are for some sort of trauma?
MR. PAGE: Yes, 49.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Forty-nine percent. Then -- then it
would appear to me that it would be very important that we get up to
the appropriate level of service as quickly as possible. Some of the
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February 6, 2006
areas that were not experiencing good response times were, I believe,
in Golden Gate City and in the northern part of the county. And -- and
those -- neither of those areas is considered a rural area. They're--
they're pretty densely populated.
And I -- I would suggest that we -- we adopt a level of service
that is realistic to get us to the minimum performance level as quickly
as possible rather than trying to do it by sometime in the next four
years. And -- and I might suggest that you either recalculate the level
of service based upon peak or weighted average population rather than
-- than permanent. Clearly we have a big increase during the summer
-- during the winter season. And -- and that puts a big workload on
you. Or as you -- you indicated, seasonal units would be brought in to
service during peak season to accommodate greater workloads and
staff to work overtime personnel.
Apparently, you haven't been able to do that, have you?
MR. PAGE: I'm sorry, Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
MR. PAGE: Just the last -- the last sentence, the question itself.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You -- you've made the
observation here that seasonal units would be brought into service
during peak season to accommodate greater call loads and they would
be staffed by overtime personnel. There's no indication that you have
done that. What is the outcome of that particular proposal?
MR. PAGE: Well, traditionally each year we have done that.
And -- and it's still-- the first year it did work, but the last few years it
has not. It has not taken care of it. It -- it puts a Band-Aid on a
deep-gaping wound is what it does.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, I guess my position is that
we ought to develop a level of service that gets us to the performance
level that we think is appropriate which I would presume would be
that 90th percentile. And -- and it looks like we've got a long way to
go before we're going to get there.
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February 6, 2006
MR. PAGE: Understood.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: How many units per day are deadlined
or out -- out of service because of mechanical problems or whatever
else or scheduled maintenance?
MR. PAGE: At -- I probably have ten in reserve, Commissioner.
And at anyone time I wouldn't say more than two are down.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. PAGE: So--
CHAIRMAN HALAS: So does that reflect your level of service
here then?
MR. PAGE: No.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: With those units being out of service?
MR. PAGE: No. No. They're -- I've never had -- I always have
the full amount out. And -- and most of the time more when needed.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Well, as Commissioner Coyle
stated, what do we need to bring up the level of service so we're in a
90th percentile?
MR. PAGE: Well, staff believes that if the units are properly
placed, if we can go back to a weighted, we believe we can do it based
on everything staying just as it is. The level-of-service standard
staying at the figure that it is now, but based on a weighted population
we think we can do it if we can get the units in the right place.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Now, your weighted population, is that
based only on three months or is it based on six months? Because it
seems that people are staying here for longer periods of time.
MR. PAGE: We would prefer to have a weighted population for
the entire year -- to use a weighted population.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Have you -- have you seen a
significant difference in the last few years in regards to how long the
season seems to last or is that just not a reflection of what I think it is?
MR. PAGE: Well, I think most of us would agree what used to
be three months about a year or two years ago was six months and
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February 6, 2006
now it's, like, nine months of the year. It's almost as if they're not
leaving. And -- and if we're using -- basically the way it worked is for
15,000 people we would have one unit. And that's based on that --
that number of people generating a little less than 1,700 calls. Now,
when we go over 100,000 people during that peak season, that's way
more than just three units.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. Going back to this again.
Weighted BNA an average across the whole year?
MR. PAGE: Right.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And the other being--
MR. MUDD: Well, Commissioner -- Randy, go over it one more
time. You have to do it four months and then eight months.
MR. COHEN: Yeah. The -- the calculation for weighted
population is is we take the peak population which is four months out
of the year and we calculate that, basically it accounts for a third of
the population and the weighted population. And then we multiply
two-thirds times the permanent population. So the calculation is
basically assuming, you know, that we only have that peak population
here for four months out of the year.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Isn't this the same scenario that
got us in trouble with the sewer treatment plant?
MR. COHEN: Potentially. And it's a concern that we have in--
in -- in our department that I think the last time we actually looked at
figures pertaining to peak population was probably maybe five or six
years ago. And we need to take a look at it again and look at the
figures that actually determine when the people are here and how long
they're here. And if it's the direction of the board to do that, we'll do
that this year.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: But we're looking to deal with
the situation by going with the population estimate that will give us
the least number of units that we need? That's what we wanted to do
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February 6, 2006
to be able to bring it in line with what we have? Is that what we're
trying to do or is it the other way around?
MR. COHEN: I'm sorry.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We're doing it by level of service, I
believe.
MR. MUDD: In 2002 it was changed from weighted population
to permanent population. There was -- there was great hope that the
ALS program and -- and some other things that -- that Jeff could do,
like, bringing on a unit during the high season or two units during the
high season for a two-to-three-month period of time could alleviate the
issue and we could get -- and we could provide the level of service
and -- and basically use those resources as efficiently as we possibly
could.
As -- as the time has gone on the population is staying here
longer. High season is stretched out. It's not so pronounced in the
middle anymore. It's out on the ends of that curve. They've gotten a
lot higher. So there isn't so much of a peak that you can see till about
June time frame. And then they start coming back in October again.
So -- and the ALS program is -- is a wonderful program. But I will --
I will tell you Jeff -- Jeff can't count on them like he can count on one
of his own that's being dispatched in order to handle an EMS call. He
mentioned in his conversation that if one is out fighting a fire, they're
fighting a fire and they're unavailable. He could get a call where that
ALS engine responds the same time that his paramedic unit goes.
And Commissioner Henning mentioned that this morning. In
some cases you could get three people showing up. You could get a
sheriffs deputy, a fire engine and a paramedic all at the same place.
And maybe it wasn't even a place where you had a medical call. It
could be a family disturbance. And we're trying to work through that
particular issue with the 911 and some other things to try to find some
efficiencies there.
But this is a change from permanent trying to just get by to
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February 6,2006
weighted to try to -- to see that peak period and -- and the units that
he's got. So I believe that's an increase in level of service to
Commissioner Coyle's question. Jeff might want to bring on a unit
sooner to -- to try to catch up with that backlog through 2010. You
might want to front load that a little bit when those replacement or
when those new paramedic units come on board. And we'll take a
look at that. But I believe your level of service has been increased
because of going from permanent to weighted population.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: The only other question I got is
you've taken into account the fact that when probably the response
time is the slowest would be when we have more residents here and
the demand's more. But is the road -- condition of the roads and the
crowding of the highways have a lot to do with it and --
MR. PAGE: Certainly it does.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: -- but by adding staff will we
actually be able to alleviate it or is nothing going to change?
MR. PAGE: Well, it will reduce the amount of travel time they
would have especially in the urban area if the stations were -- ideally
when we do a co-located station, I've got fire and EMS responding out
of the same station. As we move out further east, I -- I'm not
anticipating that a lot of those stations would be co-located just from--
from history. But as that happens, as you have a station that maybe
now is eight miles apart as opposed to eleven, that may make a
difference.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: One other -- one last question
and forgive me for dragging this out. But in order to have an
ambulance station some place, why does it have to be in an official
EMS station? We have a lot of facilities within the county. Why
couldn't it be at even on the water treatment plant? If it was a strategic
location, would it really matter?
MR. PAGE: Not to me. I'm -- I'd be the first one --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So you already have surplus
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February 6, 2006
ambulance. You said you had ten in reserve at all times and two of
them may be down. So you're still running with eight over and above
what you need allowing for that two to be down at any point in time.
If those units were just put out there to those locations, maybe just
during the high season, you know, when we have the crowded roads,
wouldn't that take care of it and maybe keep the cost down? Too
many questions?
MR. PAGE: Well, no. I think -- yes, it would take care of it but,
obviously, I mean, these people need a place to rest. I mean, it's not
just -- they're not in their trucks all day.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Put cots -- put cots in the water
treatment plant, whatever. There's got to be ways around this.
MR. PAGE: Oh, I agree. There are.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: A lot of the facilities have
showers and break rooms that have -- must be a full kitchen. Let's--
I'd love to see what we could do in the short run to be able to utilize
the materials that we have in hand to be able to get the maximum
effect out of it in the shortest time possible.
So right now if you're running a deficit and running over that
ten-minute window that you're trying to respond and you got eight
extra ambulances, you got personnel to be able to put into it, I guess
they're coming on line now?
MR. PAGE: Well, I mean that's the other part. Yesterday I had
ten mandated for overtime. This is not offering. They were
mandated. Today I have nine.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, the contracts with them
allows for overtime every single week, if I'm not mistaken.
MR. PAGE: Oh, yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Which is another issue I'm not
going to get into.
MR. PAGE: No. But this is above and beyond their 56-hour
week. They were forced to work doubles because of vacancies.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: My God. I'm telling you, I
know you're having a hard time filling these positions, but at some
point in time I hope we reach the point where 56-hour weeks go by the
wayside and we get down to something more realistic. If they're
really going 56 hours, and hopefully they're not, how -- I'd hate to be
that person they respond to on the 56th hour. They've got to be
exhausted.
MR. PAGE: Commissioner, sometimes I have people that work
over 200 hours in two weeks.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I don't know, but it scares the
daylights out of you, though.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's us.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah, I know.
MR. PAGE: They're prepping themselves.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Is there any other discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I entertain a motion.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I make a motion that we approve
the level-of-service standard that will get us up to the minimum
performance criteria of 90 percent as quickly as possible and
hopefully before the end of this year.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Do I have a second?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'll second that if you'll add that
they'll look into the possibility of utilizing the resources available as
suggested.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Any further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: If not, I'll call the question and the
motion is by Commissioner Coyle, seconded by Commissioner
Coletta that we approve this, but we need to get the level of service up
to 90 percent as soon as possible and to look at other avenues of where
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February 6, 2006
we can establish a criteria for EMS to basically be there on a -- on a
temporary basis like, say, during the season. Is that --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's basically, you know, just
to look at it and traffic.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. COHEN: Commissioner, can I -- can I interject for a
second?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yes.
MR. COHEN: I think it may be more appropriate to -- to adopt
the AUIR as presented with the proviso that the Commissioner just
added with that condition as well too. Because the AUIR as provided
does reflect the level of service that will bring you up to that particular
90 percent goal, but what you want to do is expedite it. So I think that
would be a proper way of stating the motion.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: All right. By about three or four
years.
MR. COHEN: Correct, Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, the motion was made to expedite it
as soon as possible, ASAP, within this -- within this year's time frame,
if possible. Is that the way the motion is stated?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. I think the difference
between what I said and what Randy is suggesting is that we adopt
this level of stand -- this level-of-service standard. Because it is
designed to get us up to the necessary performance level in 2009,
2010, but we want it to be done earlier than that. So it should be
expedited hopefully no later than the end of this year. Okay? Is that
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Is that clear?
MR. PAGE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay with the second?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. Along with the other --
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February 6, 2006
the other points that was brought up.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Is there any other further
discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: If not, I'll call the question. All those in
favor of adopting the level of service and the motion that was made
signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All those opposed by like sign.
(No response.)
MR. PAGE: Thank you very much.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, the next item is government--
county government building. And Mr. Ron Hovell and Mr. Skip
Camp will present.
MR. HOVELL: Good afternoon, Commissioners. I guess there
isn't necessarily a record today, but in case there is I'm Ron Hovell,
Principal Project Manager in the Facilities Management Department.
First, let me start with some background on this one. This is only
the second year in which an AUIR is being reported in this category.
Last year it was reported that the level of service which reflects --
which was based on the impact-fee study was 1.9 square feet per
capita weighted. And what you have in your book today is based on
1.7 square feet per capita weighted and we're going to get into some
discussions about what should be the right one.
But the other main area I wanted to point out is that probably
unlike any of the other categories that you've probably heard where
there's a main operational proponent before you discussing the support
facilities needed to do their jobs, in this case it's sort of the other way
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February 6, 2006
around. Our department provides facilities for a wide range of users,
many of which for various reasons can't own or maintain their own
facilities.
So we represent a number of elected officials and other user
departments, not necessarily limited to just the Board of County
Commissioners. So, for instance, the courthouse with the -- the
judges, the Clerk of Courts, Supervisor of Elections, Tax -- Tax
Collector, Property Appraiser, et cetera, all fall into this category of
government buildings.
So with all that said, what -- what's on the screen before you is
also in your package is the list of specific projects that are felt to be
needed based on all the various user inputs and various pieces of
master plans over the years. And what we've tried to do is tailor that
to meet the most urgent needs. We actually -- if you go back to -- to
the master plan that was approved by the board in 1998 and that has
been brought back to the board on other occasions just in support of
various projects, we're actually well behind the curve in trying to
provide the spaces needed for various entities. And we've got a fair
list of leased space to accommodate the difference between what
we've actually built and what the needs are out there.
As a matter of fact, a couple years ago I think the annual lease --
dollar amount for leases had exceeded a million dollars a year. And I
believe it's within the -- the last couple years that between the county
manager and perhaps this board the direction was given that we really
need to work our way out of leased space.
So as we looked into this category, I think what we have found is
not dissimilar from a number of the discussions you've had this
afternoon about other Category B facilities. And that is that at the
snapshot in time when the impact-fee study was -- was done, the -- the
assets that the board owned, not leased, because those can't count into
impact-fee studies, as compared to the population, at the time equated
to a 1.7 square foot per capita level of service. But when the master
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plan was done and -- and not necessarily funded, had we had the
foresight to do an impact-fee study back then, the population was a lot
less, but the -- but the assets at the time were probably a lot more
similar. So the level of service at the time might have been
significantly higher than the 1.7.
As I mentioned before, last year when -- which was the first year
that this category was reported upon, I think somehow it came to pass
that the 1.9 square foot per capita was adopted. And it's -- I think the
confusion factor was in the impact-fee study, both 1.9 and 1.7 are --
are referenced in there. And it gets into a discussion about, are you
talking -- which type of population are you talking about?
The way the impact-fee study was written, the 1.9 actually
referred to 1.9 square foot per functional resident, but then when you
flip the page, the next page went on to say, but since the county
doesn't tend to be able to do all the detailed calculations to come up
with a functional population, they recommended that 1.7 square foot
per weighted population was actually the appropriate level of service
that could be supported by the impact fee.
So I think the main questions that we would have for you today
would relate to, do we want to reconsider what the appropriate level of
service is? I think if we were to look at things such as leased space and
the history and -- and try to support the master plan, it would appear
that the 1.9 would be the more appropriate level of service. But the
other area would be to specifically look at this list of proposed
projects, some of which bring their own funding with them. So it's
really not a funding issue. It's just whether or not they're going to -- to
get done or not to see do we want to start working on the design of
some of these projects so that, you know, in another year or so as we
go through this process again, we will not have stopped any progress
on -- on being able to execute these as they become needed.
As you've noted on page 103, the first page of the government
building's AUIR in your booklet there, when it got to the Planning
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February 6, 2006
Commission and we tried to go through these issues, their bottom line
seemed to be that we should (A) be consistent with the impact-fee
study calculations and -- and, therefore, if -- if there -- if a need was
driven for more ad valorem taxes, that should be minimized.
So their recommendation was to take the roughly 100,000 square
feet that's proposed as the FY'06 through 2010 capital improvement
element and basically defer all those out past the five-year reporting
windows so that there would be no costs planned for the next five
years.
I think that summarizes where we are so far and perhaps you
want to focus me in on which areas you want to start discussing in
more detail.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I've got a question.
MR. HOVELL: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Where the property appraiser's presently
located across the street, is that also in this -- this isn't -- he's not in --
listed in here, is he?
MR. HOVELL: It's leased space, sir, so it's not included as -- it's
not included in the inventory, but it is, obviously, a space that we're
having to provide through another means.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. So is it better for us to lease or is
it better for us to own? If it's better for us to own, shouldn't that be
part of the -- part of the needs in the county?
MR. HOVELL: There's a lot of subjectivity there about what --
what do you mean by "better"? There's economic analysis, et cetera.
So I'm not sure which part you want to talk about.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: What's the most cost-effective, leasing or
building?
MR. CAMP: It's more cost-effective to own the property with
one caveat. And that is there's an interim period of time between
projects that then it's -- it's -- it's appropriate to lease between one
project and the other. Hopefully, that amount of time, though, is short.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. So what you're telling us here,
the courthouse annex stays No.3. That's what it's going to take to
accompany the two additional judges along with their staff?
MR. HOVELL: Well, just to make sure we're clear on what that
means. Courthouse Annex Phase 3, the board has already approved
the construction of all seven floors, but not all the floors would be
finished out for occupancy. So the Annex Phase 3 means that we
would finish the last three floors of the courthouse annex. If -- if your
question is, who wouldn't get to move into the courthouse if we -- or
the courthouse annex if we don't finish out those three floors, maybe
Skip could better answer. But is that the gist of your question?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, the gist of my question is, as we--
as we put more judges on staff here, I believe it's our responsibility to
make sure that they're adequately housed.
MR. HOVELL: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And, therefore, is there a formula that
the judges need for square foot to accommodate probably not only
their staff but I'm sure they've got some type of a library or whatever
else?
MR. HOVELL: The -- the space was -- was anticipated in the
courthouse as part of the overall master plan. The courthouse annex in
the master plan should have already been built a couple years ago. So
as we now bring on new judges, the courthouse would already have
the judicial spaces available for them to move into.
As it turns out, because we haven't already built the annex, in
order to accommodate the judges that you read about in the paper as
coming here imminently, we're actually having to move people out of
both, I think, the courthouse and maybe even this building into leased
space to make room so that we can modify some of the space that's
currently in the courthouse into courtrooms and judicial spaces so that
they can -- they can operate.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. And when I take the square
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February 6, 2006
footage that you present here and I round off the figures it comes out
to about 103,000 square feet.
MR. HOVELL: Yes, sir, 100,000.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Is this the -- is this the 104,000 square
feet that the Planning Commission took away?
MR. HOVELL: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. All right.
Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, you're -- you're showing a
surplus of 100,000 square feet in the five-year -- in this five-year plan.
MR. HOVELL: Well, that goes back to the discussion about
what's the appropriate level of service. Ifwe use only the impact-fee
study as the basis for what's the appropriate level of service then, yes,
the math works out that it appears that there's a surplus. As I say,
though, at the time that the impact-fee study was done which was
already, let's say, three to five years after it started to become apparent
that we had no other real funding source to -- to execute the master
plan. When they took that snapshot in time and you do the math of
what we owned, it turned out that we owned 1.7 square foot per
capita.
But what did we need? We needed more than that. We -- at the
time we probably accommodated about 10 percent of our space needs
by having people in leased space. That 10 percent isn't included in
that 1.7. If you were to take 10 percent of 1.7 and add it to -- you
know, increase it, you roughly come out to 1.9. So I think from a
what-do-we-need point of view, I would argue that we probably need
closer to 1.9 square foot per capita.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I'm all in favor of slowing
the growth of government down. I'm okay with 1.7 personally.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Is the 1.9, is that based on -- you're
telling me that the courthouse annexation or annex that we're putting
on there, not annexation, but annex, is here to accommodate the
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February 6, 2006
judges that we're going to be taking on line as the population increases
and this is something that should have been addressed two years ago;
is that correct?
MR. HOVELL: The original courthouse --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We're behind -- we're behind the eight
ball?
MR. HOVELL: The master plan that was approved in 1998
showed the courthouse annex being completed in 2005 or 4 -- 4. I'll
be more specific too. The -- at the end of 2007 per the master plan,
we should have 900 -- almost 935,000 square feet. If you look at what
do we have right now today, we have 604,000 square feet. If you look
at between what's already approved and what's being proposed in the
capital improvement element, by the time you get to the end of '07, I
think we're looking at about 725,000 square feet.
I mean, no matter which way we've looked at it, we -- we wind
up with over -- over the last two or three years we've been bringing
down from a million dollars a year down to -- I think we got down to
just under $400,000 a year in leased space. And it kind of bottomed
out sort of between last year, this year time frame. And now as we go
forward because we don't already have space to move some people
into, we find that our lease costs for the current year are now
approaching $600,000. And as we move into next year they're going
to continue starting -- in that upward trend because we don't have
space to put these people into.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, it's hard for me to believe
that you can build a building, payoff the debt of whatever you are
spending for rent which includes CAM and now you're adding a
building and then you have to maintain it on top of that. Six hundred
thousand is not going to get you very far in the square footage as you
were growing government. I mean, I don't -- I don't think leased space
is all that bad in some cases.
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February 6, 2006
MR. MUDD: Well, Commissioner, if you take a look at the
leased space and what you get, all the maintenance of the leased
space, all the configuration of the leased space, it's all at your cost. So
you're leasing a facility. They take no maintenance on.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, that's -- I'm -- I'm sure the
statement of 600,000 or 400,000 is a part of the CAM price. And
when you build the building and pay the debt off, you have to include
the cost of the maintenance in there except for the taxes. I mean,
you're not paying property tax. And leased space, you're paying CAM
and property taxes. We're not exempt from that; correct?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: No, we still pay those.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah. So, you know, you got --
you got to include all those figures when reporting to the board.
Again, I'm okay with 1.7.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No, go ahead.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I didn't mean to interrupt.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No. No.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Oh, I'm sorry. You want to go ahead?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah, no problem. A little bit
of help on this. The Planning Commission recommended 1.7. Staffis
looking for 1.9?
MR. CAMP: We feel the 1.9 better represents the direction to
get out of leased space.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. Let's --let's ask the
honest question. This is the question that's begging to be answered
right now. Give me a comparison of where we stand as far as other
counties go as far as the amount of square footage per capita. Can you
give me something like that to give me a comparison? I imagine there
are some numbers someplace.
MR. CAMP: I don't have that number. The number I remember
was that our square foot per employee was much smaller than the
average when we did the master plan. And that our standards -- for
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February 6, 2006
instance, a -- a clerical person or a technical person has much less
square foot than the -- than the average. They're very, very
conservative, but I don't have per population.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. And I remember it too.
And I -- I -- I don't remember the exact numbers which would have
been a little helpful now. Also, too, the number of employees per
capita, that would -- that's an interesting statistic also. And someone
has that here I assume.
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir. I've -- we've got that. And we're -- and
we're low as far as the number of employees.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Where are we as low goes? I
mean, there's 67 counties -- counties out there.
MR. MUDD: Well, I provided -- I have to go get that
information, but I don't have it right here at my -- my fingertips.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. You don't recall it? But
I remember the chart myself. Per capita we have one of the lowest
rates going within the state. Forgive sometimes the questions. I'mjust
trying to lead up to something more substantial in my memory. Did I
say that right, Donna?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I don't know.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I don't know either. But we've
been doing a good job of maintaining that. And now we're at the
question, do we want to -- do we want to grow the government square
footage to be able to put it under our own domain rather than renting
it? I can always tell you, you're always better off if you own the land
and the building that's on it, better than you can rent it.
Now, sure in the short-term, I mean, if you've got a business and
you're not too sure if it's going to be here in five years, you're going to
go in and you're going to lease and you might take a three-year lease
out with a two-year option for renewal for that -- with the idea you
might be there. And after five years you might know if you're going
to be able to swing it and then you might look for your own building.
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February 6, 2006
I don't think Collier County Government's going to go out of
business in three years or five years. I think we're going to be here. I,
for one, would like to hold with the 1.9 unless somebody can show me
the science that we're not going to come out ahead by doing that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: No, 1.7.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No. 1.7 was recommended by
the Planning Commission. I'd like to stay with 1.9.
MR. CAMP: Could I just get one thing on the record also? Our
space is somewhat compartmentalized. I would -- would ask you to --
to look at the State Attorneys Office that you -- you by Florida law
have to provide them space. Look at their space. Look at the
attorneys that are in closets. Look at some of the -- the clerks' space,
some of these Constitutional officers. Some have adequate space
because in the last year or two we've -- we've increased their space or
we've improved the space. Other ones have not had that. And -- and
two that come to mind are the state attorneys that are literally, they've
taken break rooms and closets and those kind of places and put
employees.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: We can take a break right now
and go up there and take a look. I don't know if anybody wants to go
there.
MR. CAMP: That's -- that's one and, of course, the clerks' area.
But there are a number of these areas that -- that it's very, very tight.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'll make a motion for 1.9 as
staff originally recommended.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Do I hear a second?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I guess the motion fails for a second.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'll make the motion to approve
the Government Building Category B at 1.7.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. I have a motion on the floor by
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February 6, 2006
Commissioner Henning for building -- or the factor to be 1.7 square
foot per capita. And it's seconded by Commissioner Coyle. Any
discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye. I guess the motion passes 3 to 2.
Commissioner Halas and Coletta rescinded.
MR. CAMP: In could, sir, the level of service is something that
we, in essence, grade ourselves against. And part of the drill with --
with doing this AUIR is to get direction of what you'll-- what you
would expect to see in the upcoming budget cycle.
The list of projects that was proposed in the five-year plan, the
Cap-Ops facility, as an example, comes with its own funding and it's a
relatively small project. I guess I would propose that we continue
moving forward on that one even though it's going to increase our
square footage and make it look like we're -- we're further overbuilt.
Some of the others, you know, perhaps we'll bring forward on an
unfunded basis and to get your specific direction on as the time comes
to see if you specifically do not want to pursue those. Would that be
the general direction that you would expect us --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, why are we going through
this exercise? If -- if we already adopted a level of service, why don't
you just carry it out?
MR. CAMP: Well, no level of service can be matched exactly
when you're building buildings in the neighborhood of 30 to 50,000
square feet. I mean, it's -- it's very difficult. You're always either
going to be over or under. And as you can see in the charts, by
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February 6, 2006
adopting 1.7, we're -- we're going to be -- even with the projects that
are already approved, we're going to be over out through about fiscal
year 2013.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, why don't we just keep
that?
MR. CAMP: That's why I wanted to clarify. So you're
suggesting that we cancel the Cap project even though it's coming
with its own grant money? That's why I'm asking the question.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I think that makes sense if
-- if it's going to fund itself. You know, that's something that you
should bring to the board. That -- that wasn't just stated.
MR. MUDD: You want -- you want us to -- I want to know if
the commission wants us to cancel these projects there in front. And
what happened on the master plan is I already moved 112,000 to
Building F that was scheduled for 2007 out to 2014. If -- if that's what
the board wants to do, you are going to be tight with space. And I can
no longer try to get people out of leased space and get them into
government owned based on board direction.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What -- which one are -- are
self- funding besides the county?
MR. CAMP: That's the only one.
MR. MUDD: That's the only one, sir.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. I'm okay with that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala, do you have a
question?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yeah. That's -- that's exactly what I
was going to ask. Number 1 is which came with their own funding
and as long as it came with their own funding, then I -- I don't believe
that's a drain on -- on the taxpayers. So I think we should move
forward with that. That's just one recommendation.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What's the matter?
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, that's we're into public category --
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public comment. We've got our answers on the particular issues. I
need to get some -- some clarification on the board as we go through
the particular AUIRs, but you want to go to public comment? They
have everything to do with roads, I believe.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And I don't know how many speakers
we've got signed up.
MR. MUDD: Five, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Five? And if we can limit to three
minutes a piece, that would be wonderful.
MR. MUDD: The first particular -- or, excuse me, the first
speaker is Tom Comercode and he'll be followed by Bruce Anderson.
Okay. The first speaker is Bruce Anderson followed by Reed
Jarvi.
MR. ANDERSON: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Thank you
for the opportunity to speak to you. My name is Bruce Anderson from
the Roetzel & Andress Law Firm and I'm here on behalf of the Bonita
Bay Group.
I want to address myself to some action that -- that you-all took a
week or so ago that -- that we're all still trying to figure out what you
did for sure with regard to the Annual Update and Inventory Report.
The -- the way I read the comprehensive plan, the AUIR is supposed
to identify problems with our capital facilities, public facilities. And
separately, the amendment of the capital improvement element is
supposed -- is supposed to fix the problems that have been identified
in the AUIR. And any delay or removal or speeding up of road
projects is supposed to occur as part of the Capital Improvement
Element Amendment. And that it's premature to delay, remove, or
speed up a specific project in the AUIR.
I think that by -- if that is, in fact, what you did, I think that
unintentionally you -- you may have short-circuited the public hearing
process that's supposed to occur when the capital improvement
element is required to be amended to reflect what happens in the
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February 6, 2006
AUIR as far as identifying future needs.
The Capital Improvement Element Policy 1.4.3 states in pertinent
part that projects for which appropriations have been made in the
annual budget will not be removed once they have been relied upon
for the issuance of a final site development plan, final plat, or building
permit.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Who's running the time -- is anybody
watching the time over there? I don't see a -- no. No. No. There's
supposed to be a little counter or something over there. I'll give you
one more minute, sir.
MR. ANDERSON: To summarize that policy, once the county
has issued a development order based in reliance on a road project
listed in the capital improvement element and funding for that project
is in the annual budget appropriation, it would appear to be a violation
or inconsistent with the comprehensive plan to remove that specific
road project.
There are six implementation programs for the CIE that are set
forth in that CIE, one of which is your concurrency management
system. And the capital improvement element states that the AUI--
AUIR summarizes actual capacity of existing roads and forecasts the
capacity of existing and planned public facilities for each of the
following five years. This same paragraph states that AUIR forecasts
are based on the most recently updated schedule of capital
improvements. In other words, it looks backwards. So before a road
project and its projected capacity can be removed from the AUIR
forecast --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Bruce, can you wrap it up?
MR. ANDERSON: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. ANDERSON: You first need to amend the capital
improvement element. There are some contradictions it appears to me
in your comprehensive plan. And bottom line, your action may have
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February 6, 2006
been premature. And because delay of a project has the same effect as
removal, you need to -- you have some -- you have some
impediments.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thank you.
MR. ANDERSON: And I hope you'll reconsider. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Thank you very much.
MR. MUDD: The next speaker is Reed Jarvi, followed by
Daniel Delisi.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Before we go, the county attorney, did
you want to respond to any of these comments?
MR. WEIGEL: Why doesn't -- why doesn't the county attorney
respond at the conclusion of the public speakers? Then we can
serially take care of any of the questions or issues that they've raised
or that you have for us.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Thank you very much. Go
ahead, Reed.
MR. JARVI: Thank you, sir.
Afternoon, Commissioners. My name is Reed Jarvi. I'm a
professional engineer practicing in Southwest Florida and I'm actually
representing my firm who represents several developers on this issue.
I was at the AUIR -- AUIR hearing about a week and a half ago.
And as I understand the rash -- what went on is the commissioners
have voted to take out of the two-year concurrency window all
projects that are not -- do not have a signed construction contract. I
want to talk about a couple of issues there where I think that you have
an unintended consequence primarily doing -- to deal with contractors
working on the projects.
I know one of the issues that led to this was we can't get the
projects done on time. There aren't enough contractors in the area.
They don't do enough work, et cetera. I think you have an issue by
doing this that's going to make it worse, not better. I know, I see why
you did it, but I think the consequences are going to make it worse.
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February 6,2006
One is that if you take it out ofthe two-year window basically,
now at year three and it moves to year two, now all of a sudden the
project -- construction project doesn't have a construction date. It goes
to zero or stays at year three for however long until such time as you
put out a construction contract.
So either you are putting out a construction contract premature
before you get all your permits, before you get all your right-of-way
takings, before -- excuse me, right-of-way acquisitions, before you do
all your design or you basically have elongated your process because
now instead of having that done at time zero, you have it done at time
two -- two years. So you've added or would add potentially up to two
years to your whole work process. I know one thing we want to do is
move the roads faster, not slower. We've just added time to it possibly.
Other things are talking to contractors about this. If you have this
two-year window at times zero or, excuse me, the contracts come out
at two years, one of two things have to happen. Either the contractor
has to now hold his prices for an extra two years, so instead of a
two-year construction schedule from his perspective, he's got a
four-year construction schedule, that can only drive prices up. It's not
going to drive -- it's not going to help the prices. So it's going to make
it more expensive and cause more problems from that aspect.
And the -- and the third thing is that if you want to attract more
contractors to the area, which has been a stated goal several times
over, we need to have more contractors, having this period of two
years when we're going to have a construction project coming in but
we don't know when they're going to come in, the contractors aren't
going to worry about Collier County. They're going to work in Lee
County, Dade County, Broward, FDOT, wherever, who have, you
know, in three months, we're going to have a construction contract,
not sometime in the next two years. So I think you're doing some of
the consequences that certainly weren't intended that are happening
that will lengthen the construction time.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Wrap it up, please.
MR. JARVI: Yes, sir. Will-- will actually be against what
you're trying to do.
And the last thing I'll just bring up is if you do this, now there are
projects that would go in the pipeline -- that won't go in the pipeline,
excuse me, development projects. And instead of paying their road
impact fees early which we have in our system currently to pay it at
the time of plat or SDP, half of them, they won't get there. So you
won't get the revenue stream. And I don't believe this -- excuse me. I
think this also negatively will impact your revenue stream and
possibly your road program.
Thank you very much.
MR. MUDD: Next speaker is Daniel Delisi and he'll be followed
by the last speaker who's Tammie Nemechek.
MR. DELISI: Good afternoon. Dan Delisi for the record. I'm
the Director of Planning with the Bonita Bay Group.
Recently I've had the experience of working with a number of
you through my service on the state's impact-fee task force. And I can
just relate to you my personal frustration with that process is that we
took an issue out of context from the broader scheme of how do we
pay for our infrastructure. How do we get things built. And really the
issue here is very similar to that. We're -- we're taking one thing out
of context from the larger issue of how do we fund our infrastructure
and how do we get it built in a -- in a timely fashion?
What we're talking about here -- because as Reed just mentioned,
we're not talking about new growth and the impacts that will have.
Because if you cut things off at the -- at the SDP or plat stage, you're
not going to ever be able to collect impact fees for that. So you're
really talking about paying for new deficits -- paying for existing
deficits, excuse me.
And so how -- how are we going to be able to do this? Well, this
also has spin-off effects. Let's take our project on Immokalee Road.
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February 6, 2006
It has a very serious impact to that. We've been working with the
county for the last two years. We've been working with the
environmental groups, with staff to work on the TDR program, make
that program work. And all to do with what would be the county's
first rural village and now that that's potentially in jeopardy.
Well, if you don't have a receiving area, and remember,
Immokalee Road is the major receiving area for the county or one of
them, you're not going to be able to send the units to that area. You're
not going to be able to achieve the environmental goals the county's
laid out. You're not going to be able to achieve -- achieve some of
your infrastructure goals.
And I say "infrastructure goals" because that project in Twin
Eagles we project will generate around $20 million worth of impact
fees. So as far as Reed's comment about disruption of impact fees or
revenue streams go, that -- that's -- that's pretty valid.
Now, what I'd ask you to do is let -- let's take a look at this. Let's
figure out how we can collaboratively work together to address the
infrastructure needs. There are things that we do need to work
together on. We need to work together to make sure that the state
legislature doesn't do anything in this next session to -- to diminish the
county's ability to -- to collect a fair impact fee.
We -- we need to work together to make sure that we get more
funding for roads. We need to work together on the glitch bill so -- for
SP 360. But if you -- if you proceed down this road, really you close
the door on a lot of that. All I'm asking for is -- is to hold off on doing
something with the AUIR that will stop the ability for us to -- to
collaboratively work together and address some of the -- our collective
needs with road infrastructure. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I have a question.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: May I, if you don't mind?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yes.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. The -- right now you're
permitted to do what, about half your project?
MR. JARVI: You know, I don't have the answer for -- are you
talking about Twin Eagles Phase 2?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's correct, yes.
MR. JARVI: Right now we have -- and I think Bruce can better
answer that, but we haven't submitted the SDP for the units. We've
only submitted that and got approval for the golf course.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So -- yeah. So this is something
that went through the whole process. You received your approval.
MR. JARVI: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So if -- if this went forward, this
would technically, it would be almost like a moratorium that would
identify you rather than Ave Maria and Heritage Bay. It would be
specifically aimed at -- at you.
MR. JARVI: That's exactly correct.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And if it takes place and you
aren't able to pull your permits, that's when we get our impact fees; is
that correct?
MR. JARVI: That's when you get--
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Half of them up front?
MR. JARVI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: When was that supposed to
come on line?
MR. JARVI: We were going to submit within the next month or
two.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And that would be about $29
million, you said, or is that the total --
MR. JARVI: No. For -- for Twin Eagles Phase 2 it would be
about 6 million for the project on the south side of the road. It would
be about 14 million. Excuse me.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Total 20 million.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: We've been through all this 100
times. You went through the whole process and here you are today.
Thank you.
MR. JARVI: Thank you.
MR. MUDD: Your last speaker is Tammie Nemechek.
MS. NEMECEK: Good afternoon, Commissioners. Thank you
for allowing me to speak here today. Tammie Nemechek with the
Economic Development Council.
Speaking on this analysis of roads and transportation and how we
pay for it and we went through a strategic planning session this
morning and identifying economic development as one of the top
priorities, talking about development out in Eastern Collier County,
lack of strategically located business and industrial parks out in
eastern Collier County. Looking at the lack of infrastructure out in
Eastern Collier County it's the top priority for -- one of the top
priorities for the Economic Development Council. How can we start
putting jobs out in Eastern Collier County? With develop --
development of new industrial parks being able to bring these on line
as quickly as possible is one of our top priorities over the next five
years.
In the short-term we're doing an analysis right now in the
population growth of Collier County and -- and how much industrial
and business park land we're going to need and how quickly we're
going to need to put that on line. I don't have -- I don't come to you
today with the answers to all of this as far as -- as what implications
there might be as a result of some of the decisions related to the
AUIR.
What I do come to you is to say give us a chance and some time
to be able to analyze what those implications might be. And whether
or not we might have an opportunity to put in an industrial park on
line, get a business sited there but not be able to move forward on it
because of some of the transportation issues. How can we probably
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February 6, 2006
fund that to make sure that we're doing both concurrently in order to
allow us to have the best chance for success for economic
diversification.
So, again, I don't come to you today to say that, you know, I have
the answer that this is the right way or the wrong way. All I'm saying
is just give us a chance to be able to analyze it a little bit -- a little bit
more in depth to be able to make sure that we're heading down the
right path with regards to ability to develop these parks in Eastern
Collier County. Thank you.
MR. MUDD: That's all the public speakers, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Any comment or dialogue from
the commissioners? Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, in order to -- we're still
working on the 2004 capital improvement plan. And the action that we
did we still -- we still need to adopt it in the growth management plan;
correct?
MR. COHEN: The -- the AUIR from last year was adopted in
the comprehensive -- was adopted in the comprehensive plan as a
capital improvements element update. And this particular AUIR was
subsequently adopted as a capital improvements element amendment
as well too.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: It hasn't gone into the growth
management plan?
MR. COHEN: No, sir. This particular AUIR will be
forthcoming as part of your evaluation and appraisal amendments and
which you'll see in the beginning of April.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Oh.
MR. SCHMITT: Transmittal in April and adoption in
November.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'm sorry. I assumed it would
be next year that we would adopt that based upon private sector
submitted last year and paid gobs of money. It took them more than a
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February 6, 2006
year before to get -- get through.
MR. COHEN: The recommendation from DCA is that the
capital improvements element be incorporated in with the evaluation
and appraisal report amendment as well. And that's the tact that we're
going to take. And the Planning Commission will see it in March and
you'll see it in April.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I have a concern if we're
not going to collect impact fees. I think we all know that these -- these
roads scheduled for 2006 are going to happen. But we're -- I have a
concern that we're not collecting impact fees are going to hurt other
projects down the road. If we're -- if we're going to get out of the
collecting impact fees at a 50 percent level at SDP or plat, then -- well,
that's my concern. I know it will. I think it will hurt the other roads.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, I think where we -- with the
dialogue that took place on the Board of Commissioners here when we
were going through this segment was -- the discussion that came up
was the challenge that was thrown out to Norm Feder was, can you get
these roads built this year or next year and he said basically probably
not. And I think that's where we started to go on that dialogue, if I
remember correctly, about letting contracts out because we couldn't
make that. And I stand to be corrected. I thought it was that -- there
was no way that we were going to make that boggie of the roads that
were laid out in front of us for 2006 and 2007.
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. I think there are a couple of
issues that -- that need to be refreshed in our memories.
Number 1, the -- the Board of County Commissioners merely
provided guidance to staff about how we should deal with the capital
improvement element. The -- the -- the idea that the AUIR and the
capital improvement element should somehow be inconsistent is a
little strange to me. That they should be consistent. So that if you -- if
you want to establish a policy that assures uniformity in handling
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those, then we did that. And we did not avoid the public hearing
process. The AUIR process was very clearly advertised and as will be
the capital improvement element review and approval and the growth
management plan update will all be properly advertised and it will be
debated at that point in time. We haven't created a capital
improvement element at this point.
The other thing is that we are obligated to provide financially
feasible projects in the capital improvement element. Yet we don't
have anybody who can tell us whether or not the projects are
financially feasible. We just had to turn down a bid to construct the
road. If we have bidders who are giving us prices that are 70 percent
over what we estimated, how does it suddenly become financially
feasible? It doesn't. The state has removed $30 million, the Davis
Boulevard/Collier Boulevard intersection improvement. Is that still
financially feasible? I don't think so.
So we have a situation where the staff cannot tell us whether or
not they can afford to pay for some of the projects. The only way you
find out is to get far enough along in the planning process to determine
roughly how much it's going to cost. And so that's essentially what we
-- the guidance we gave to staff. Don't put it in the capital
improvement element unless you are sure that you can do it in the time
allocated. Why? Because the new Growth Management Bill permits a
developer to proceed with construction even if road capacity does not
exist if we have the road improvement program, not completed
program in the first three years of the capital improvement element.
Now, I don't want to go there. And -- and I am personally not
going to go there. And I don't believe the people of Collier County
will go there. And if that's where people want to force us to go to get
the real answer, we can do that. So I think there's ample opportunity
for us all to cooperate on getting a glitch bill to solve this problem.
We've got 60 days or so to do that. And if we take advantage of that
and we work together, maybe we can have a solution that -- that
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works.
But right now, in my opinion, we're in a position where
everything has been taken out of our control. Our concurrency process
no longer will work. Developers can proceed with construction even if
road capacity doesn't -- doesn't exist. We cannot get projects done
within budget because contractors are charging us exorbitant sums of
money. We can't get the contractors to deliver on schedule because
they can't get enough labor.
So the government, in my opinion, does not have control of this
situation. And until such time as we get control of the situation, I'm
not going to put the people of Collier County in a position of suffering
more traffic gridlock just because some developer wants to proceed
early with their -- their development and construction. I'm not going
there. The rest of this commission might go there. I -- I already see a
substantial amount of backsliding here. So I -- I suspect not only with
the commission, but with the staff. So -- so it would not surprise me if
the staff and/or the commission didn't -- didn't -- didn't proceed down
the path of backing off on some of the guidance that we previously
had established, but you're not going to get it with me.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I -- I can assure you I'm not
backsliding. I'm right where I was when this whole thing started and I
haven't changed yet. I represent a large portion of the county that's
going to be looking for these roads in the very near future. And I can
tell you it is the responsibility of this commission not to say we'll wait
to see if we can do it one way or another. It's the responsibility of this
commission to find a way to make it work.
You can't say we're going to take a look at the option down the
road that we're not going to be held hostage. We're going to wait to
see what develops as far as the state goes and then we'll proceed for
everything is just fine and dandy. Well, the people I represent don't
think it's fine and dandy. They've got an hour and a half drive to get
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to work and it should only be about 30 minutes. The roads have got to
be finished. And we have the responsibility to make sure we bring
everything into line.
The question is, is the system broken? And I say it isn't broken,
not yet. It could be down the road a little ways. But remember, what's
before the state legislative body can easily be changed. That glitch
bill is alive and well going forward. Mike David's sponsoring it from
the house. Burt Saunders is sponsoring it from the Senate. We've got
to give a little bit of support to these people.
Now, suppose something goes terribly wrong and all of a sudden
they roll over the top of us and they decide that their -- their will's
going to be done and that the building industry will have their way
and the glitch bill isn't going to go. We always have time to react at
that point and go forward. What we're doing now is pure -- it's
dangerous. It's dangerous as anything else.
Also, too, you got to remember, who's this going to effect?
Think about it for a minute. It's going to effect -- not going to affect
Ave Maria. That -- that was a development of regional impact. It's
not going to impact Heritage Bay. Two of the biggest ones going are
completely off the hook. Nothing to worry about. God forbid, the
biggest -- what we got the problem with, what you see as far as those
graphs goes about a week or so ago showing Golden Gate Estates,
forget that. That's all platted. That's protected by Florida State
Statute. You cannot go in there and start carving that apart and say
you can't build now. We're going to hold back on it. That's individual
houses. That's going to go forward.
It's going to catch a couple of developers out there. And I don't
know what purpose that's going to serve except shorten our ability to
bring in the funds that we need. And we went to a very lengthy
process to get to this point to be able to prove. And we made them
jump through the hops -- hoops. We made them come across with all
sorts of, what do you want to call it, gifts to the public to make sure
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things would come out right. And now -- we're at the point where,
now where we want to redraw the lines on something that mayor may
not happen. I'm really concerned about it. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I guess I'll throw my two cents worth in.
I don't think it's so much our legislators that are -- lived here and
have been elected by the citizens of Collier County. My concern is
about the other legislators up in Tallahassee that we don't have any
real control over. And I'm -- I'm concerned in regards to what -- what
issues we're going to have in front of us. And I think this is something
that we need to come back and readdress again as we find out how the
legislation shakes out up there.
I know there's a couple of people up there whose names will
remain anonymous that are -- are deaf against impact fees. I think
there's -- I -- I don't think the issue of GAPs is dead yet. I think there's
some people in the legislative session that think that that might be an
avenue to pursue. I also think that they're looking for -- for the
commissioners to impose additional taxes to -- to address the growth
issues in the county.
So I think what we're trying to do here and the message we're
trying to send out is that we're very concerned about what's
happening. And we don't -- want to make sure that we don't burden
the citizens here in Collier County. And I hope that we can, one way
or another, work together. And I think that's the best plan is to try to
work together as we -- as this legislation goes through the -- the House
of Representatives and in -- into the Senate. But I think we -- we have
to make sure that we are astute to what's going on and make sure that
it's in the best interest of all here in -- in Southwest Florida or in
Collier County.
So with that I turn it over to Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Mr. Feder, the answer to
Commissioner Halas's question, because I understood it differently,
you said that you can meet these time -- time lines to get the road
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under contract.
MR. FEDER: What we pointed out in the AUIR is that we had
some projects, actually, four of them. One that's under construction
that moved from 2005 to 2006. Other than one project that we
brought to you for some cost savings and right-of-way Immokalee
between 4l and 75, we had had and experienced no delay over the last
five years. And also showed you a slide of what lanes had been added
since 2000. But we did have those four projects.
We reviewed with you on those four projects. One of them was
Santa Barbara. I think we all know why we had some delay on that
project working through some of the community concerns. We had
County Barn on that list. And that's going towards construction this
year. And that one was waiting on the LASIP permit issues and we
have that and we feel comfortable and moving forward there. We had
Rattlesnake Hammock, which as I relayed to you, went from '05 to
'06. It's now under construction. But that delay for many months was
resolving the issue on panthers which was resolved by us putting up
some signs on 951 and Rattlesnake Hammock.
The largest one of issue was 951 from Immokalee to Golden Gate
Boulevard. There we had had some delay for various reasons. We've
got all of the right-of-way in hand. We didn't -- we didn't and do not
at this time have all the permits in hand, but what we had pursued was
going out to a bid based on doing Tree Farm Road first while we're in
season, getting that construction going. And then resolving our permit
issues which we pretty much resolved with water management permit.
They've told us that they're going to their board with issuance.
We're working with the Corps and they've already started the
notifications, not wetland issues. We'll find out if we have fish and
wildlife, which hopefully we don't.
So we're working through the last of that. The issue is to get
Tree Farm moving during season and then go to the construction on
951. As you know that bid came in some 70 percent high. Major
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components of that bid that were very high were PVC pipe, as well as
fill, as well as excavation and other issues. We went through,
negotiated with that single bidder that we had on that project, weren't
able to bring it down appreciably. And, therefore, brought to you a
recommendation to reject that. We and staff are making some
modifications and will put it back out to bid.
That's a lengthy way of presenting to you that we had some
issues. And we recognize that we are facing some risk factors right
now both in the level of work that we have going, what the state
experienced in escalating costs, what we're experiencing with
petroleum prices. And so that's why we recommended to you two
things.
One which was if a project was out of that two-year window that
it wait until it goes under construction because it can't be a moving
two-year window. And the other was a workshop which I think in
strategic planning today we agreed we'd do to talk about how we
moved some of the risk factors of where we get fill, where we get
rock, utilities, our long-range plan and our commitment to it and other
Issues.
In answer to your question, we did not say that we cannot deliver.
What we told you was we could not guarantee time and we
definitely could not guarantee in this climate price. And that was the
concern that was raised by the board. Weare neither supporting nor
backtracking on that position. We're here to carry out the wishes of
the board.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay. I'm not sure if you
answered -- answered the question.
MR. FEDER: I hope I did.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You can't -- we can't depend on
time and cost?
MR. FEDER: You hopefully can depend on time because we're
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February 6,2006
going to continue production. Although it was said by Reed, I think
the direction from this board is even if we took the action, we're to
continue our production cycle and to try and deliver as we intended to
deliver, but only then to bring to your construction contract hopefully
on time and then at that time the impact-fee issues would start to flow.
If we could not bring that construction in, we wouldn't be taking that
money from the impact fees and we wouldn't have been in a position
to deliver.
The issue at hand is probably the most outstanding is one of
money, with the unknowns out there with the contractors for various
reasons. The issue of production, we had some delays. I explained
why permitting being a big part of that. And we feel comfortable that
we're going to continue to do our effort to deliver on time. And other
than the few that I've mentioned, I think our track records been very
good, but we do have a time of greater risk and greater vulnerability
right now.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: The other thing is we've got everybody
-- all the road building companies are busily working the issues in Lee
and Collier County. And that's why we only ended up getting one bid
on a particular project.
MR. FEDER: Well, for the state and private sector and they're
stretched fairly thin. That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Thank you. I haven't changed
my vote. Responsible growth is -- is where we should be at. That's
what we're here for and so I have to stay with how I voted before.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Mr. Feder, thought you were
going to get away for a moment, huh?
MR. FEDER: Tried.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Okay. Sir, let's --let's talk
turkey on this.
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February 6,2006
MR. FEDER: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: We're having a hard time right
now dealing with the contractors that are out there on roads. And the
simple reason is what you already stated. They're overextended.
They got their choice of where they want to work and when they want
to work. They can't get enough employees. They probably get
enough machinery, but not enough people to put on it. There's a
limited amount of rock out there that they can send anyplace they
want.
So would this be weakening our position? If you were a road
contractor and you had a choice of anybody you wanted to deal with,
would you want to deal with somebody that was uncertain about when
things were going to come or that we're leaving it open because their
AUIR is now open the way we're talking about doing it or the way
we've already voted to do? Would this leave you with some
uncertainty .
MR. FEDER: Talking to the industry I get a feeling that if we
resolve some of the risk factors, some of which you've noted, but
there's others as well, whether or not they're going to get held up by
utilities. I have one contractor working two jobs now that just paved
right down the middle with the telephone pole still sitting in the
middle. Because they pointed out to me, which I thought was
refreshing, that when they bid a two-year project, they lose money
when it goes to three. And if we can't get the utilities out of their way,
then they lose money. So I think we've got a lot of things that we
have to resolve.
In answer to your question, Commissioner, I'm not trying to --
this policy will get our direction. But what I will tell you is that if we
are continuing our production, if we're putting it out to bid, if we
resolve some of the issues of how we deal with the industry and there's
things we need to talk about in workshop, issues of risk that they're
talking on that we place on them about their time and their ability to
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February 6, 2006
deliver because of other issues that aren't in their control, then I think
we're in better shape on the bidding process, but it's still true that they
have an awful lot of work out there. There's a lot of competition for it.
The state has seen great increases in their cost. Lee County has.
Lee County just bid out another one and came back at about 15
percent over and they were happy with that which I would have been
on 951 as well, I guess.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So what you're saying is that
this would have no effect at all on the process as far as it goes to
choosing us over some other --
MR. FEDER: It depends on the message the board gives. Ifwe
produce it, are we going to then move on it if we bring you a
construction contract? If that's the message that we're committed, as
soon as we're ready to produce it and we produced it with all permits,
all right-of-way and everything ready to go and we have worked
through some of the risk factors, I think the industry is concerned
about, while we still recognize, we're still arms' length, we still have to
manage them, then I think we're fine, sir.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. So I understand that we're
going to be looking at this AUIR again, what, in April did you say,
Joe?
MR. SCHMITT: We will start the process in April with basically
the population figures. You -- you will not see it until late fall
probably.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. So if we find in Tallahassee
we have -- we have the legislators working with us on this glitch bill
so that then we find that it won't be an impediment to us, we can
always modify what we do right now; is that correct?
MR. SCHMITT: You asked a couple of things here. One -- first
of all, let me explain with this. We're going to produce the CIE which
is our -- actually becomes an element in our growth management plan.
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That's CIE, the capital --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Right.
MR. SCHMITT: -- improvement element will be -- you'll see
that as part of year-based amendments in April and then for final
adoption in November. About the same time you'll be seeing an
updated AUIR for the following year CIE. So it's a kind of a
repetitive process. But so to answer your question, so you laid it out,
yes, you're going to -- this is a moment in time, but as the program --
Norm experiences changes over the year and -- and when you see the
next AUIR, it'll -- it'll reflect that.
But the issue here today is applying the rules as directed which
we're ready to do exactly that. In fact, we've got our guidance and
we're applying the rules.
The county attorney can clarify when those rules will be --
actually be in effect. And -- and -- and from the county attorney's
opinion, they will not be in effect until we actually adopt the CIE and
-- but that's -- that's the issue at hand. Once we adopt your guidance,
we basically have new numbers and Norman's checkbook that we now
use to approve or disapprove development orders.
MR. FEDER: Mr. Chairman, in could point out another thing
relative to your question. We have a project coming up very shortly
for -- we've already let. We're looking at the technical side of a design
build and then shortly reopening the actual bids after we've done the
first part of the equation and then bringing that to you. Maybe that
will give us a better feel for our bid situations and where we're going
to be.
And the other was, again, as Joe pointed out, ours is to follow the
staffs -- the policy guidance from the board and that's the staffs role.
What I told you before was I don't mind being held accountable, but I
cannot guarantee. And for the public the guarantee is what the board
is seeking, then I understood what the direction we're being given.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah, Commissioner Fiala, if I
could, let me try to answer the question you asked that was never
answered. Yes. We will see it again. This is merely planning
guidance. You will see the capital improvement element process. It
will be fully debated. Everybody will be here. We'll hear their
comments. We can -- we can make those decisions at that point in
time. We hopefully will have additional information about whether
these projects are moving along or not.
Now, No.2, does it make things easier for people, for
contractors? You bet it does. When they know that we've got
permits, when we properly plan the project, we've got the
right-of-way, everything is set up, you bet that's easier for them.
Because it's more predictable for them to get the job done. So -- so
there's a lot of scare tactics going on here that -- that simply don't
reflect reality.
Now, with respect to our predictability, I will tell you no matter
how -- how strongly Norman feels about his ability to get these things
done, there is no way to predict that because it's out of our hands.
Somebody else makes a determination about how much it costs and
how long it's going to take. It's not us. And if we are wrong -- if we
are wrong, the people of Collier County suffered as a result of that.
What Commissioner Coletta is trying to prohibit will, in fact, occur as
a result of the action to move forward as he has suggested.
So -- so it is a serious situation that desire -- that deserves careful
consideration. And, yes, there -- there is time for us to take a look at
how the glitch bill goes through the legislature. There is absolutely no
need for us to change any planning guidance at this point at all unless
it is to establish a planning moratorium.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Commissioner Coyle, I don't
want to disagree, but I have to. What Commissioner Coletta said
about Golden Gate Estates will continue to grow, the quarry will
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continue to grow and the Ave Maria is under construction. Those
affect the Collier -- the Immokalee Road and the Collier Boulevard.
And that's not going to change.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And -- and neither will anything
else that we've got where we have the money to do it. The only thing
we're talking about are those things that are unpredictable so...
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: The -- but -- but let me --let me
point out to you, if it's in the plan and it isn't completed, that traffic's
going to be there anyway. So you're not -- you're actually -- by taking
the position of going ahead and putting these -- these projects in the
first three years of your capital improvement element, you're saying
that that impact can occur whether or not you've completed the roads
or not. You're actually committing to putting more traffic into the
Golden Gate Estates area. So -- so what I'm trying to do is to get some
degree of control over just how much traffic can be loaded into roads
that are already failing.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, how about government
accountability and predictability and -- and -- and the process of
getting the right-of-way on time and getting the permits on time to see
that we get good estimates on the projects coming in? I mean, we--
we -- we have taken issue with the State of Florida about funding.
And the funding issue is not an issue from what I'm told. I mean, we
can anticipate it's going to be higher. We don't know that; right?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I know it. We're not going to get
the money.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So in order to have
accountability, shouldn't we be getting involved in the process and
making sure the right-of-way and -- and the -- and the permits are
obtained on time?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I -- I would -- I thought we were
doing that. The problem is that we're always dependent upon other
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people. You can't -- you -- you've got to sit down and negotiate the
purchase or the gift of right-of-way. Sometimes it goes to court. It
takes time. We don't control that. It -- it takes time for other agencies
to issue permits. We don't control that either.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: But we can help and assist on
that -- on those issues.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, we can but I'm not sure we
really helped and assisted too much on the one in effect for
Immokalee Airport and -- and the concern about the panther study out
here, you know --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, you know, I'm told that a
representative and myself helped to get the permit on Vanderbilt. I
would hope that's true. So why aren't we doing more of that? Why
don't we see that these projects are staying in time and on line?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We ran into a problem, I believe, with
the Corps on Immokalee Road. That held us up over a year. And
every time you deal with either the Corps or you deal with the --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: That's what our Congress --
Congressmen or Senators --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: But it all takes time. It all ends up taking
time. You don't get it overnight.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And if I could just -- you asked me
the bit about the funding. Let -- let me tell you, there is no way the
legislature can or will deliver the funding they promised. The reason
for that is they didn't anticipate the huge increase in -- in construction
costs across the state of Florida. That's the reason that the Department
of Transportation is hurting for money right now and the reason that
the Davis Boulevard project was shorted $30 million. That money
will not come here. We might get some of it, but not nearly the
amount of money to do the job. So the only thing we can do is to slow
down a little bit until we plan these things properly and find a source
of funding.
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CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coletta. Can we get this
wrapped up soon?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. I'm fine. I'm going to be
very brief. Everything was going quite well for a moment there until
we used the expression "slow down" until we find the proper,
appropriate source of funding.
We're talking about slowing down the roads? Is that what we're
talking about, the construction of the roads? I need clarification of
what you're suggesting and where you're coming from. I'm talking
about the roads that we're going to be planning out for the next five
years in Collier County.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, let me ask you this question:
Do you want -- do you want the traffic added to the roads before the
roads are completed?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No. I -- of course I don't want
that, but I want the roads built because they're desperately needed
now, but the idea we're slowing the roads down, that's an unacceptable
statement. That's the first time you've said that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You've got some pool of money
that we can use to do this?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No, but that's our responsibility
to find the money. And I -- I'm not going to let anybody off on the
hook on that.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Then I'll -- I'll be looking forward
to your proposal on funding.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So we're finally down to what
the truth is here. The truth is to slow down the roads that we're
building, to drop back a bit and see what happens in the future.
Ladies and gentlemen, that's not what I heard earlier when we
had this discussion started.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, that was pretty much what I heard
the first time we discussed this on the dias. That's exactly what I heard
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when they said we're going to push it back -- some of these roads back
two years. That's exactly what -- what we were talking about.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Push them back two years just
in name only and run two sets of books is what was explained to me.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, somebody said we couldn't run
two sets of books. So I think -- I think what the direction we need
right now -- I don't think we're going to get anything accomplished
this way. I think what we need to do is when the next AUIR comes
before us in April, hopefully we'll have a better understanding of
what's going on up in Tallahassee, and I think that'll -- it's going to be
our guiding principle in regards to how we're going to address this.
So I really don't think it's a real issue other than the fact that we
give staff direction right now to -- to look at what we have on the
books. And then I think what we can do is readdress this when the
next AUIR comes before us. I think we'll have a better handle on it.
And I don't think two months is going to make that big of a difference;
is that correct?
MR. SCHMITT: You'll see the CIE in April, not the AUIR. The
CIE is going to implement the guidance you gave us.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: But you said there's another AUIR that's
going to be coming out.
MR. MUDD: We start -- we start it in April.
MR. SCHMITT: You won't see that until fall. But the CIE to
implement this guidance you will see in transmittal as part of
year-based amendments, you'll see in transmittal in April.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. So that still gives us the
flexibility at that point in time when we see what's going on up -- up in
Tallahassee; is that correct?
MR. SCHMITT: Absolutely. As Commissioner Coyle said, it'll
be -- if that is transmittal, that is -- will be debated. It'll go through the
Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. And
then it comes back for adoption in October/November from the
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Planning Commission, then to the board. So the key here is in --
probably this is where David needs to define the guidance you gave
we cannot implement until we have an adopted CIE. So for all intent
and purposes we -- we -- we will adjust the plan. Norman's program
has been adjusted. But legally the -- as far as the -- any
implementation of, quote, checkbook concurrency will still be
deferred until the CIE is actually adopted.
Now, we talked about other measures that you may want to
discuss putting in place in an interim until that CIE is adopted.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. So what we'll do is -- at this point
in time we have the flexibility before us. And what we basically did is
basically sent a message out there that we mean business in regards to
concurrency for roads. So hopefully that with whatever -- whatever
the process up in Tallahassee is, hopefully we -- the message will be
sent there that we mean business as far as concurrency. And -- and
we'll go from there. And when the CIE comes before us, I think that'll
be the guidance.
David.
MR. WEIGEL: Hi. Yeah. I'd like to have a few comments here.
I think I'd like to, by your leave, respond to the public speakers as
well. I think it might assist here.
The vote that the board took at its January 25th meeting relative
to this transportation element, it does have an affect, notwithstanding
that the affect will come into place ostensibly several months from
now. As Joe Schmitt indicated and Norman as well, there is a process
where the AUIR becomes a basis or an evidence of capacity taken into
account with the CIE. This CIE is yet to be implemented. And the
implementation process is one which will occur some months from
now. Ultimately the adoption of the CIE becomes an amendment to
your growth management plan. And, as we've indicated, the CIE
having its basis in this AUIR will have to be reviewed and approved
through the Department of Community Affairs, the DCA, and that is
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months away.
Now, Mr. Coletta mentioned -- mentioned that vested and we
have indicated that those developments that are already vested will not
be affected by the vote already taken on the AUIR transportation
element even when it is implemented through the cm Growth
Management Plan Amendment process months from now. Vested
development will not be affected. Neither will out in the Estates, as an
example, the residential development in platted subdivisions. That has
what's called the diminimus standard that applies and so those can go
forward.
Mr. Anderson -- Bruce Anderson speaking had read from a
Section 1.4.1 and was concerned about the projects being removed.
However, in reading that section I would reply that, no. In fact, by the
vote that you took with the AUIR and the timing element that your
vote effectively indicated did not remove projects from the capital
improvement element. It changed the timing in regard to letting of
contracts having -- moving out two years, but they were not removed.
So I wanted to assure Bruce in that regard.
Mr. Jarvi had talked about a disruption of the revenue stream
such as impact fees. Well, again, that would not occur even if the
AUIR -- AUIR transportation element is adopted and continues
through its path of eventual implementation through the cm and
amendment of our growth management plan through the DCA months
from now. In the meantime, things will continue as they are right
now.
And so if we, in effect, are telling everyone who listens or cares
to learn that there is nothing happening immediately from the vote that
was taken by this board on the AUIR transportation element a week or
so ago, it would be many months from now that it would start to have
an affect. But the vote is more than merely a statement. It will have
an implementation affect through the cm and the growth management
plan several months from now.
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February 6, 2006
Now, in that process there's a possibility of contest of -- in -- in
the review by the Department of Community Affairs which
conceivably could delay to some extent the eventual timing of
adoption of our CIE as amended in -- within the growth -- as an
amendment into the growth management plan. What does that do? It
would drive the date further away that there would be a potential for
the nonissuance of development permits from our CDES offices
through this implementation of the board's direction the other day on
the AUIR -- AUIR transportation element.
Yes, in regard to the, quote, disruption of the revenue stream.
Impact fees at that point in time would be lessened to the extent that
there were projects in the pipeline ready to be submitted, but for -- but
for -- were related to that roadway area. That has been backed up in
construction on our -- ultimately on our CIE.
The other gentleman, his name may be Mr. Delisi, I'm not sure,
had talked about let's work together collaboratively, talking about
working with us at the local level and also working with legislators
and others at Tallahassee and the legislative process. This is consistent
with what a couple of you commissioners have -- have mentioned both
today and before in the sense that we are looking for a process still to
evolve with the legislature in the next 60 days, whereupon, sure, I
think it's not news that Collier County has issues and grave concerns
vis-a-vis its intense interest in having a local policy of construction
that works for all of its citizens, entrepreneurs and citizens alike. So,
yes, that's going to occur regardless. There will be opportunities no
matter what the board should do today relative to its previous vote just
taken on the AUIR transportation element. There will be
opportunities for collaboration.
Ultimately, Ms. Nemecek talked about development of industrial
and business parks way out east. Yes. Ultimately with the
implementation of our AUIR -- AUIR through the CIE with the
amendment of the growth management plan many months from now
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February 6, 2006
that would be affected until the opportunity occurred that we could let
-- let the contracts for the road -- for the roads that fall within the, call
it that sphere of influence that affects the potential for development
way out east. And, yet, Norman has told you that he is going to
continue to come forward to let you know when contracts and projects
can come together to be let. There is an opportunity for what I call a
truing up of the process rather than waiting from one calendar year to
the next.
Additionally, Joe and -- and -- and Randy Cohen have talked
about the fact that the new AUIR process is just about to get
underway. If it's expedited, and as you know this is a -- this AUIR
process is coming in late. This is really last year's being finished up
today or soon. So if the 2006 AUIR process gets going early and
processes through, I can't say that it'll actually dovetail with the
process that we'll be marshaling through the DCA later on, but there
may be a fairly close timing of the two and so that no one is hurt too
far out into the future as far as their respective interests are concerned,
but the message to the board is still felt.
Now, if this board wishes to implement its prior vote on the
transportation element of the AUIR -- AUIR sooner rather than later, it
would be through the form of adoption of a temporary or interim
planning moratorium. This has not been formally discussed. It was
mentioned in passing here today. And, as you know, that requires
creating of an ordinance, the advertisement that would make it
necessary to go to the Planning Commission once, Board of County
Commissioners twice. It probably could not be accomplished in less
than four weeks and probably more towards six or eight.
So that's -- pretty much responds to the speakers and I think some
of the questions and -- and issues that you had there. If there is
anything further, Ms. Student, or I will try to respond.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Questions from the commissioners.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I think that was an excellent
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summary .
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: So--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: We don't have to take any--
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I think the action --
MR. SCHMITT: No action required. I need to have Randy --
we'll turn to page 5. It was part of the executive summary. And
between Randy and Marjorie, we need to just close out this meeting
with a vote on the Category A and Category B. And I know Mr.
Mudd has some questions for guidance for future actions in the AUIR.
So in regards to recommendations, we're on page 4 and 5 of your
executive summary.
MR. COHEN: With respect to the first recommendation on page
4, I believe because it includes the analysis and review of action taken
and direction that you've already given, you can provide a motion as --
as -- as written to approve that. That will accomplish what you've
already undertaken.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: On category -- for both Category A and
Category B?
MR. COHEN: That particular one deals with Category A,
Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. COHEN: And what I would ask is that you just make a
motion to approve No.1 as -- as written.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: As amended.
MR. COHEN: As amended, yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: As the board approved each
element.
MR. COHEN: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Do I hear a motion from --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm -- I'm not even sure I
understand where we're -- what we're doing.
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February 6, 2006
MR. MUDD: Over on page 4 in the recommendation that the
Board of County Commissioners take the following action: No.1,
find about analysis, review, actions taken and directions given based
on the 2005 AUIR that adequate roads, drainage canals and structures,
potable, water/sewer treatment and collection, solid waste and parks
and recreation facilities will be available as defined by the Collier
County concurrency management system as implemented by Chapter
6.02.02 of the Land Development Code to support development order
issuance until presentation of the 2006 AUIR.
And the board needs to have a motion to accept that particular
recommendation.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And that includes all the changes that we
made in the AUIR --
MR. MUDD: And direction given, yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. I so move with the caveat
that it be in accordance with the directions provided to each of the
elements of the AUIR.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. A motion's on the floor from
Commissioner Coyle, seconded by Commissioner Fiala. Is there any
further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: If not we'll call the question. Okay. All
those in favor signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by the same like sign.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. We have one opposed with it.
Okay.
MR. MUDD: The next -- the next recommendation is that the
Collier County Board of County Commissioners take the following
action: Find upon analysis review, action taken and directions given
that there is sufficient road network capacity in the transportation
concurrency management database for continued operation of the
real-time declining balance ledger to support development order
issuance until the FY'06 end of third quarter status report.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: So moved.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Seconded.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: There's discussions on this one. I
haven't received any evidence that that's the case. What I have heard,
Don Scott has told us that some of the roads are -- have probably
already failed. So how -- how do we certify that -- that there is
adequate road capacity until the FY'06 and the third quarter status
report? That's -- that's the end of June.
MR. SCOTT: You probably don't. It's more from an aspect of
keep using the concurrency system that it says -- what it says when we
review it. Will there be some on some roadways that can't go forward,
yes, like 41 South, for instance.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And -- and if -- if we -- we have a
motion that finds there is adequate capacity, what does that -- that do
to us with respect to our concurrency management system whenever a
road fails, say, between now and end of June?
MR. SCOTT: That's probably an old statement versus what, you
know, versus one we enacted the concurrency system.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: But is it necessary that we actually
take a vote on this particular statement since it apparently is not
necessarily true?
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February 6, 2006
MR. COHEN: Well, myself and Ms. Student have concurred, we
don't think there's any action necessary on No.2.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No action required.
MR. SCHMITT: We already have your guidance on that,
Commissioner, so no action required.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Is there any other business?
MR. MUDD: Randy, you need to do Category B.
MR. COHEN: On No.3 that says, Accept and adopt the attached
document as the 2005 Annual Update and Inventory Update Report on
public facilities.
I would like you to -- to make the motion on that with as
amended by the action that you've taken with respect to the Category
A and Category B facilities with the direction that you've given as
well.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: So moved.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. There's a motion on the floor by
Commissioner Coyle, seconded by Commissioner Henning that we're
going to accept the -- the portion of B and A and with the caveat that's
been discussed this afternoon. So is there any further discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Ifnot, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: All those opposed by like sign.
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: We just did four?
MR. COHEN: Yeah, we need to move to No.4.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We're going to move to No.4 now.
MR. COHEN: And No.4 is a little bit -- but before we get into
that particular recommendation, I want you to recall that we provided
you with a -- a letter from the impact-fee consultant with respect to
Category A and Category B facilities. More specifically, that if we
adopted the -- the AUIR and approved that as part of a formal action,
that it did not need to be included in the CIE. And this particular
Recommendation No.4 asked you, one, to adopt Category A facilities
and the revenue source is identified in the AUIR and also to
incorporate them into the annual CIE. So I would like a formal
recommendation just with respect to the Category A facilities.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I thought we did this?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: We did this individually as we
went through the process.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yeah. We already did this.
Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. That -- that's exactly what I
was going to say. We've already done this.
MS. STUDENT -STIRLING: I -- I think probably to make it
clear because we've done this before on -- when we've taken votes
element by element on the comp plan as sort of a wrap-up. We've just
done it again, again wrapping everything we've done together and say
as amended by our --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That -- that's -- that's tricky. First
of all, you told us that we don't need to do it for B facilities. We don't
have to have --
MR. COHEN: Well, the -- the recommendation for Category B
is not to -- not to include it in the CIE.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. And -- and for A facilities,
we've had a lot of discussion. We didn't accept the revenue
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February 6, 2006
projections and -- and recommendations on the projects on a number
of them and we cited our objections to that as we went through them
individually. It's going to be very cumbersome to try to wrap all that
together.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We've already addressed, yeah. We've
already voted -- addressed it and voted on it and I think we had
direction -- gave direction.
MS. STUDENT -STIRLING: Yeah. I think we need the formal
action, though, to include that in the CIE. I think what the motions
were, and I'm trying to remember back more than a week's hence, was
to accept the AUIR. But I think we need to go one full step further
and include -- just include those actions in the CIE. You don't have to
repeat everything. You can just --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm not making a motion.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I'm confused seriously.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Make a motion that --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm -- I'm not making a motion.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: How about a motion that would
just say that according to the records of the last part of this meeting --
it was all the same meeting. This has just been continued.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Continued.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That we -- we incorporated all
the particulars that we agreed on earlier.
MS. STUDENT -STIRLING: Yeah. And it's to be reflected in
the capital improvement element.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's the motion. What, that
doesn't look good?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I tell you what, I'm not buying it
because --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, then you make the
motion.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: No. I'm not going to make a
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February 6, 2006
motion. I don't think this is necessary. And I'm -- I'm not buying it.
But -- but here's the problem. We're making a motion to do something
about all of these items that we have spent probably ten hours
discussing over the past several weeks. None of us can recall exactly
what we told the staff as we voted on these individually. We don't
know what you have recorded.
Now, if you presented to us a list from the official record of this
meeting, here's what you said on each one of these items and we could
read it and review it and then we could say, okay, we will agree with
that, that's one thing. But -- but telling us to give you a blanket
approval on something that we don't even have a written -- written
record of is -- is -- I simply will not vote for.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, we already took the
action.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yes, we did.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: The board -- the board --
MR. SCHMITT: Just have a motion that staff bring back all the
Category A facilities as -- as individually voted upon and bring that
action back as part of the CIE. I think that solves the problem.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, that -- that's just guidance.
That doesn't have to be a formal motion because it's not --
MR. SCHMITT: What do you want to do? We have to bring it
back in the CIE that is -- that comes before you through the public
hearing process. All we need is guidance to tell staff as -- as -- as
previously approved in the last -- this meeting and the last meeting to
bring that guidance back in the CIE.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That sounds good.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. Three nods?
(Indicating. )
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay.
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February 6, 2006
MR. MUDD: Now, I need to ask the question. Do you want--
now, according to -- according to what I've been told, you don't have
to do Category B to the CIE. And the question that -- that I initially
talked about with the board during the first session and said we'd get
back to it at the end is: Do you want to include the Category B in the
CIE document for the future?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You want to include it in the
AUIR.
MR. MUDD: AUIR, absolutely. You'll get it in AUIR. You
have to have a document for the AUIR if you're going to do --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: CIE that's going to go to the state.
MR. MUDD: That's right.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I don't want to see it in the CIE.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Because I think then we're going to be--
we'll be held to it.
MR. SCHMITT: You have a letter from a consultant that says
right now that what is in the impact or what are in the impact-fee
studies is sufficient to support the -- the need for the impact fees. It
does not have to be in the CIE. And our recommendation is that it not
be included in the CIE.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And I would agree with you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Me too.
MR. SCHMITT: If we could have a motion to not include our
Category B.
MR. MUDD: At least get direction. If I could get three nods,
then I --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: You get a nod from me, yeah.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner--
MR. SCHMITT: That -- that concludes our presentation here.
MR. MUDD: I got to ask a couple of questions real quick.
Commissioner Henning, we adjusted the gas tax revenue fee so
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February 6, 2006
we'll make sure that gets included. Do you want schools to be in your
AUIR? I don't want an answer. That's a rhetorical question on my
part to you that you need to ask the school board when you have your
joint meeting with them in April--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I'm not going through this again.
Put it on the agenda and that should be direction. Put it on the
direction for the workshop.
MR. MUDD: I'm not -- I'm not controlling this agenda. The--
the school board is.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Okay.
MR. MUDD: I'm -- I'm -- I'm -- I'm asking you a question and
they're going to talk about AUIR and what the requirements are. This
is -- this is a question for you. Because if you don't get it on your
AUIR and they don't do what they say they're supposed to do, you're
going to lose your -- you're going to lose your revenue-sharing issues
from the state. And that's who's going to get held responsible. It's you
for their inaction.
So there is no more of this, it's the school board's issue. No, it's
got to be -- it's got to be our issue together as a group because you're
the one that gets -- you're the one that gets penalized or punished for
inaction on their part. And I don't know how you're going to be able
to keep track of what they're supposed to do unless you at least see it
someplace as you did the law enforcement and the jail side from the
sheriffs side on your AUIR and have them come brief it to you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We're going to be held accountable as
commissioners. Who was first?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Commissioner Henning.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah. Why don't -- why don't
we ask the chairman to write a letter to the chair of the school board
asking to put this issue in a workshop?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay.
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February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Sounds good.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Yup.
MR. MUDD: Do you want the -- the Planning Commission to be
involved next year in the review of the AUIR?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Hold on. I've got one more question
from Commissioner Coyle before we go on.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yeah. That -- that was exactly
what -- what I was going to suggest. But could I broaden it a little bit
and suggest that any other item we want to have on the agenda, that
the chairman should include that request -- request in his letter?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Have you got it this item to just say et
cetera.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: No. Do you have any others? Is
there anything else we should be talking --
MR. SCHMITT: Then we need to address the -- the issues with
roads, sidewalks, other issues --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That's right.
MR. SCHMITT: -- associated with the school construction?
COMMISSIONER COYLE: And impact fee.
MR. SCHMITT: And impact fees we -- we would expect are
going to be resolved by then, but who knows. It may not.
MR. MUDD: This is a joint -- I just want to make sure you
understand what this joint meeting context is. This joint meeting is
with all municipalities, the Board of County Commissioners and the
school board. I'm trying to -- you know, I've asked them. If you're
going to have that kind ofa group -- you know, if -- if you have an
issue that you're directly relating with the school board and all of a
sudden in that joint forum you now have 15 or 22 other folks trying to
help you that have -- that have nothing to do with that particular issue,
it gets a little -- it gets a little cumbersome.
MR. SCHMITT: On the --
MR. MUDD: Hang on, Joe, let me finish. And -- and so that--
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February 6, 2006
that's my concern with this joint workshop. Yeah. There's lots of
issues that get in with sidewalks and all of those other particular items.
I'm not too sure that's the right forum to do it in. I believe in
talking about AUIR because I believe that impacts the municipalities
if you get cut off on revenue sharing and what goes to them. It's an
item and issue that basically hits everyone that's in that group.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, it's going to impact the CIE.
Are we going to have a joint workshop with them at that point in time
too?
MR. SCHMITT: This workshop is really to address all the issues
associated with the House Bill 360, the Growth Management Bill,
school concurrency. And -- and some of that may be part of
concurrency.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: That -- that's exactly right because
MR. SCHMITT: The funding source. Yeah. We -- we -- we
will -- we will have -- because we're going to have an -- an amended
interlocal agreement by 2008. And, frankly, it's going to probably take
us that long.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Start working on it now, then.
MR. SCHMITT: Yes. That has to go to DCA. But -- but it
defines this whole school concurrency issue. And -- and, yes, I think
somehow there will be at least in that interlocal agreement -- I can't
tell you today, but there'll be some process where between the school
board and the Board of County Commissioners and the municipalities,
all to understand the burden and requirement for school concurrency
and the funding source for school concurrency.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, should I -- we should address the
letter just to say the responsibilities of the school board in regards to
the AUIR requirements and the CIE requirements for 2008?
MR. MUDD: How -- how that's going -- how's that going to be
addressed with this Board of County Commissioners.
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February 6, 2006
CHAIRMAN HALAS: And just leave it at -- as an open item
that way. Because I'm sure that roads, sidewalks and impact fees are
going to be entered into it, but that should basically be the -- the
consensus of what we're going to be discussing, is the AUIR
requirements for the school board and how it affects the community.
Okay.
MR. MUDD: The other issue is continued involvement in the
Planning Commission in the -- in the AUIR for next year. I need
board direction on that.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Just -- just one point I want to
bring up. I do think the planning -- the Planning Commission did
offer something to us and gave us some reason for thought. But I'll be
honest with you, the Productivity Committee works not only on the
budget, which the AUIR sort oflends itself towards, but they also
work on the impact fees which was a good part of our discussion.
And I -- I want to just see what the opinion of this group is that maybe
we'd be better served if we had the Productivity Committee working
on it.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Why not both?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, that would be the quickest
way. Make the motion to have the Productivity Committee--
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Added.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: -- added and be the person that
reviews the AUIR next year.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, I said, why not both?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Why not both.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Why not both the Planning
Commission and the Productivity Committee.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's an interesting thought.
Because I really would like to hear the Productivity Committee on it
because they -- they're right there all the time dealing with all these
different issues.
February 6, 2006
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'd go for both.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, I think you better look at also is
the time frame that you're going to have to start initiating this so that it
gets to us at a -- at a reasonable time so that we can address
everything.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I didn't bring up the topic twice.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Pardon?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I didn't bring up the topic twice.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: I -- you know, I think we're an
inclusive government in Collier County with something like 52
advisory boards. So, you know, the more the merrier. I mean, that's
what they're there for is to give us guidance on it.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, you know, here -- here's
an idea, Commissioner Henning. I think you're on the right track to a
point, but why not for staff time and everything else have them do it
over a course of a couple meetings together, then they can bring their
expertise in at the same time?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, we had the Planning Commission
that worked on this thing for I don't know how many hours.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Free. Free.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: What was done with the --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No charge.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: The Productivity Committee
will do it for half the price. Just a suggestion. You know, that I -- I
think we would be really served if we had some expertise from that.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: You're taking up staffs time to sit here
and -- and go through all this stuff. And when you tie up about 10 or
15 people out of staff, I'm wondering if it's really cost-effective.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, how much time do we
spend, Commissioner?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, then we've got staff back in here
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February 6, 2006
too. So we spent ten hours on this whole program where it should
have been probably -- in at least four or five hours we should have had
this wrapped up. That -- that's just my --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: One -- one way or another, let's
just see which -- which way that goes. Are you interested in just the
Productivity Committee? If you're not, then go to the other direction.
Vote?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Vote.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: You've got -- if you do it separately, then
you got -- you're going to tie up staff all that time. Everybody's
complaining about the meetings.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: What about two groups?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Hey, whatever the -- whatever the board
wants to do here.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I wouldn't mind doing it both of
them together at the same time rather --
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I think it would be more cost-effective.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I know dam right it would be,
plus you'd have the extra fees so strong on both ends all come into
play.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Fiala.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I'm -- I'm thinking about the two at
one meeting and I'm thinking how cumbersome that could be. So I'm
still thinking -- thinking that one through. I -- I like the idea of both of
them looking at it. The more input we can get, the better.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm just -- just leery about -- I'll
tell you why. I'm liking Commissioner Henning's motion.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What's that?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What?
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Commissioner Henning?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: At the same time.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: What, status quo? Let the
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February 6, 2006
Planning Commission review it.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Planning Commission and the
Productivity Committee meeting on the AUIR at the same time
reviewing it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I don't think that's what his -- what his
thought was.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: No.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, then, I'll make that motion
just to try to move it forward. If I get a second, then we'll be able to
vote on it. If I don't, it makes no --
COMMISSIONER HENNING: You had the direction last time
by the county manager by three of us. You're bringing it up again. So
we already have that direction; correct?
MR. MUDD: I -- I asked the question at the end of this particular
issue and I wrote it down as a question that needed to be answered.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Well, you asked the same
question at -- at the first time we met and you -- you got an answer.
MR. MUDD: I don't believe I got an answer. I believe Joseph's
got the same thing written in his book and that's why I'm asking --
that's why I'm asking the question.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: It didn't get a second. So I make the
motion, then, that we -- he didn't -- his motion died for lack of a
second; right? Okay. So--
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I dont' know if I got a second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Do I have a second on Commissioner
Coletta's motion that he made prior before we move? I mean a
second.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'll second.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Okay. We got a second on
Commissioner Coletta's motion that he made.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And your motion is?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: The motion is that we have both
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February 6, 2006
the Productivity Committee and the Planning Commission look at the
AUIR and advise us as a single group so the staff time is minimized.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Any discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Ifnot, I'll call the question. All those in
favor of having the Productivity Committee and the Planning
Commission work simultaneously on this --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes, jointly.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: -- jointly on this. All in favor of this
motion signify by saying aye.
Commissioner COLETTA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Aye.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Those opposed by like sign.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: What happened?
CHAIRMAN HALAS: What have we got two or three?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Well, I voted against it.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: I voted against it.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm for it.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm for it.
COMMISSIONER HENNING: Yeah, I think it's for --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Three, two.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: We got -- when we sing together it's
amazmg.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Let's go.
MR. MUDD: Okay. The other issue that's there and there was
one that we talked about the last time had to do with interest on impact
fees. And there was some discussion about that that we talk about in
the process. I believe this board through actions by the clerk have
taken the interest where -- off of impact fees where he could and those
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February 6, 2006
particular interest funds if put into the general fund and come back to
you as -- as carry forward or -- or a return monies at the end of the
year. There was some discussion by the Planning Commission that
those interest monies go to each fund, Commissioner, and I will tell
you if you do that, you've got a hole where you're going to need to
find some new monies because those monies have been used in road
programs and other things in past budgets. So it -- just wholesale say
this is what you want to do, you're going to be looking for anywhere
from ten to twelve million dollars and I don't believe that's a good idea
at this time.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Commissioner Coyle.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: The question I didn't get a chance
to ask the last time this was brought up and I'll probably need Amy to
help me with this. You know, as I go through the logic of this process
it seems to me that we're shooting ourselves in the foot. And tell me if
I'm wrong, Amy. You -- you take impact-fee money, let's just use
transportation as an example. Take impact-fee money for roads and
you invest it. It earns interest. You take that money and put it in the
general fund and then we spend it on something else maybe.
MR. MUDD: That's what this board has decided to do and there
was an executive summary that --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Yes. I understand that. Then that
was the clerk's recommendation that we do that. Now, when you do
that, you have to grant a credit against the impact fees and the
impact-fee calculation because you used general fund money to do
something that impact fees normally would pay for. Am I right so
far?
MS. PATTERSON: Any -- partially. Anytime you use a
revenue source other than impact fees to fund an impact-fee project,
meaning general fund or a grant, then, yes, it serves as a component of
an impact-fee credit.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. Now, is it better if you just
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February 6, 2006
gave them the interest that they earned off their money which is the
right thing to do, I think, and put it right back into the -- into the
impact-fee fund for transportation and use it there? Where do we --
how do we wound up -- wind up better?
MS. PATTERSON: I don't know that there's an answer that's
better. There was a policy decision by the board to do it this way and
there's obviously financial reasons why.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Well, but there really weren't. The
-- the only -- only reasons that this -- this was done was because it
gave us greater flexibility over how it would -- could be expended.
But, quite frankly, since we pay for 41, 43 percent of all of the capital
improvements in transportation out of ad valorem property taxes, there
is no real advantage to doing this, at least for transportation. Maybe
it's true for something else. But I -- I believe if I were to work the
numbers through, we would find out that we're shooting ourselves in
the foot by doing that, but I'm not sure.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, I'm following everything that you
had to say except when you got to the point that said you have to give
credit. If you're using those dollars and because it's a general fund and
you've got greater flexibility, you could use those on a project that's
not impact-fee eligible; i.e., past sins where the impact fees weren't
high enough at the time to get over that $267 million worth of issues.
That's how we got to where we are.
When the referendum for sales tax failed, we were in -- we were
in -- well, we were in a little bit of a -- of a panic to try to figure out
how we are going to fund those particular issues, those past road
projects and be able to do that all on the taxpayers' dollars. One of the
ways that -- that came up to do that was the -- the interest on non --
nonstatuted impact fees. Some things you can't take the interest out
of, you have to leave it in that impact fee and some you don't.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: This is getting way too
complicated for me at this time of the day. So forget it. I just thought
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February 6, 2006
I would raise it to see if there was an obvious problem. There
apparently is not an obvious problem. Although I still feel that
somebody pays an impact fee and their impact-fee monies are invested
and they earn an interest on it, they ought to get it. This -- you know,
this is really --
MR. MUDD: And, Commissioner, if that -- no, now hang on. If
that's what the board wants to do, I would -- I would ask you --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: No. I'm not going to go there.
MR. MUDD: Well--
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm not going to do that.
MR. MUDD: Okay. But if you do it, wean yourself over a series
of years. Don't do it in one year or you're going to be looking for $12
million worth of revenue that's new in order to makeup for that
shortfall. That's all I'm -- that's all I'm saying to you right now.
You've got it and you've counted that revenue in your budget as -- as a
new revenue source and it --
COMMISSIONER COYLE: Okay. That's all right. I don't need
to go down that path anymore. Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: A lot -- okay. Commissioner Henning, I
guess he's left.
COMMISSIONER COYLE: I'm leaving too, by the way.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Well, hold on just a second here. I think
a lot of that interest was used -- as used to glorify the roads out there
too. Well, when we -- when we end up putting all the stuff in the
medians and I think that's from the impact fees, the interest on the
impact fees are helping to offset the cost of that.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I don't think so. You want to
ask Norm on that. No, we don't.
MR. MUDD: Okay. Commissioner, we have no direction in
order to move the -- the interest back into there out of the other. Is
that -- is that correct? That's all I've got, sir. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN HALAS: Leave it where it is right now.
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February 6, 2006
Okay. Any -- there's no other discussion, no other items to be
brought up, we're adjourned. Thank you.
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
Special meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 5:35 p.m.
.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS CONTROL
FI<MI~~N
ATTEST: .
"';,
DWIGHT.RBRO<<K, CLERK
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BY~B '()19'~,bC-kU-oW, [JC
These minutes approved by the Board on (;l -dZ -<:io , as
presented ~ or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING SERVICE, INe., BY CAROLYN J. FORD, RPR
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