BCC Minutes 04/13/2006 W (Immokalee Housing)
April 13, 2006
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS WORKSHOP FOR IMMOKALEE HOUSING
Immokalee, Florida, April 13, 2006
LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Board of County
Commissioners Workshop, in and for the County of Collier having conducted business
herein, met on this date at 5:30 PM at The Immokalee Sports Complex in the Gymnasium
in Immokalee, Florida, with the following members present:
VICE-CHAIRMAN: Commissioner James Coletta
Commissioner Donna Fiala
Commissioner Tom Henning
ALSO PRESENT:
Jim Mudd - County Manager
Leo Ochs, Jr. - Deputy County Manager
David Weigel- County Attorney
H. Denton Baker - Financial Admin & Housing Director
Michelle Arnold - Code Enforcement Director
Cormac Giblin - Housing and Grants Manager
Bill Hammond - Building Review & Permitting Director
Joseph K. Schmitt - CDES Administrator
Dr. Joan Colfer - Collier County Health Dept. Director
Steve Kirk - State Level Housing Expert
Jay Taylor - State Level Housing Expert
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April 13, 2006
INTRODUCTIONS WERE GIVEN AND MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT
5:30 PM BY COMMISSSION VICE-CHAIRMAN, JAMES COLETTA
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS RECITED
Vice-Chairman, Commissioner James Coletta, stated that Commissioner Chairman Frank
Halas was unable to stay for the meeting after the bus ride.
The following is a synopsis of a Slide Presentation of all the agenda topics:
Michelle Arnold - Director of Code Enforcement - Review of past housing
conditions. (Slide presentation)
· 1999 to 2003 study focuses on mobile home conditions, owners notice to
improve and fewer regulations for landscaping, only 16 out of 54 mobile home
communities were participating.
· 2003 - 2004 external study categorizing housing grades to each structure
· After the hurricanes last year, there was severe damage to homes and conditions were
getting worse (slides of housing were shown)
· The bus tour was to show all developments needing to be improved with 100%
occupancy
· Existing housing stock is limited - with no where to move people to better conditions
· Need agencies to evaluate homes, housing inspectors, requirements for health and
safety, and increase the County's awareness of health safety codes.
Dr. Joan M. Colfer - Department of Health (slide presentation)
· Stated how they have staff in Immokalee to regulate migrant housing and assessed
damage to Immokalee after Hurricane Wilma
Nancy Freeze - Migrant Code Enforcement (slide presentation)
· Migrant housing by the State of Florida is considered by 4 or more individuals who
pick by hand vegetables and then leave the area to follow the crops.
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April 13, 2006
· There are 210 facilities of migrant housing by the Fl. Dept. of Health and Sanitation
· Rules apply to mobile homes etc. in Immokalee renting to farm workers.
· Slides were shown of violations to homes that were being rented to migrant workers.
· Permitting season for migrant workers runs from October I to September 30 of the
next year
· All pictures were taken by staff since the first of the year
· Codes require that the occupants are protected by the elements of nature
Commissioner Donna Fiala asked the question how many beds are licensed for migrant
workers.
Nancy Freeze responded they have 1400 beds with about 1500 workers in Collier
County.
Cormac Giblin - Housing and Grants Manager (slide presentation)
· 5 million in Federal and State grant to Immokalee for housing repairs and down
payment assistance and deference of impact fees
· 50 homes a year to date in rehab program to bring them up to code
(mobile home replacement to remove & demolish /replace with new homes)
· New construction is Arrowhead Subdivision
· Habitat for Humanity has 26 new units in South Immokalee
Steve Kirk - Solutions/Alternatives (slide presentation)
Three programs are needed:
· Housing Tax credit for workforce apartments.
· Sale programs 1-3% loans to start
· Hurricane recovery programs
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April 13, 2006
Solutions for Immokalee (economist need to correct market economics):
· Rental housing - buying and replacing mobile home parks
· Effective Code Enforcement- bring homes up to code
· Supply in quick fashion to compete in the market place
· Local gov't non-profit or profit assemblies to change dilapidated homes to new
communities
· Find resources to acquire homes and assemble larger project for child care
centers
· Be able to change migrant housing in the future into Elderly homes or farm
worker housing
· Low income tax credits
Jay Taylor - Agricultural Input Board of FL. Housing (slide presentation)
· Across the state is 155 million farm worker housing
· It is hard to find land in Immokalee as in Key West
(6:35 PM - Commissioner Henning and Commissioner Fiala left)
Commissioner Jim Coletta asked what Collier County can do to help with these
problems.
Jay Taylor responded with the following remarks:
· Sites are needed, if the county can set aside some of the land for building
· Workers are needed to help crack down on slum lords
· Agricultural communications needed
· Permitting help needed to expedite permits
· Collier County needs to look to the farmers input
SPEAKERS
Fred N. Thomas - Immokalee Visioning Committee/ Density by right for the entire
community. Separate set of housing standards for Immokalee.
Tim Nance - Director of Operations/Gargiulo Inc. - upgrading their housing stock
south of Immokalee and take care of our employees. Want explicated permitting process.
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April13,2006
Michael Sullivan - CFO/Gargiulo Inc. - There are 1,000 migrant beds right now and
wants to code another 1,500 beds. Expedite permitting process. Impact fee credits and
deferrals needed.
Greg Kouloheras- Habitat for Humanity - Wants the permitting process expedited.
700 more housing units are on their way. Approve the project needed.
Barb Cacchione- Points: I of 4 homes needs to be torn down; Land is hard to find; Tax
certificates sales need to be addresses to Guy Carlton; and CDBG funds collaborated
towards the Immokalee area.
Rick Heers - Reiterate our support for the needs of Immokalee. He is the Chairman of 1-
Hope and needs the County's help.
Lucy V. Ortiz - We need affordable housing in Immokalee and stop the slum lords.
Carrie Williams - Reinstate the fees for condemned trailers.
Barbara Mainster - Let's get this city fixed. Code Enforcement needs to crack down
and start in June. Down payment assistance needed.
Armando Fana - Field Office Director/ Dept. of HUD from Miami offering their
support to these problems. HUD initiatives to help reduce the amount for affordable
housing.
Bill Klohn - Arrowhead Development has 1250 units; Carlisle 208 apartments/rentals;
Lenmar Homes 100+ townhomes - all for the better of the community of Immokalee.
Tari Harris - Economic Development is needed in Immokalee.
Please make sure they do not go too fast. Density by Right across the whole county.
Paul Midney - CCPC Member - Density by Right needs to be county-wide.
Denise Blanket - We need to put more information of the web and press releases.
Auxillary housing, rental programs, escrow, for the future of home ownership.
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April 13, 2006
Jim Mudd - County Manager
Summary
. More inspectors are needed to crack down on the slum lords
. Clean up the hurricane problems before more arise
. More announcements on the web and press
. Code Enforcement needs to get to Immokalee
. Permitting expedited
*****
There being no further business for the good of the County, the Workshop concluded at
7:40 PM.
BCC COMMISSIONERS / IMMOKALEE
HOUSING WO~P
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Commissioner Frank Halas, Chairman
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