BCC Minutes 09/04/2008 B (Budget)
September 4, 2008
TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Naples, Florida, September 4,2008
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 district as has been created according to law and having
conducted business herein, met on this date at 5:05 p.m., in BUDGET
SESSION in Building "F" of the Government Complex, East Naples,
Florida, with the following members present:
CHAIRMAN: Tom Henning
Donna Fiala
Jim Coletta
Frank Halas
Fred Coyle (absent)
ALSO PRESENT:
Jim Mudd, County Manager
Jeffrey A. Klatzkow, County Attorney
John Y onkosky, Budget Director
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COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
PELICAN BAY BUDGET AGENDA
Thursday, September 4, 2008
5:05 p.m.
Tom Henning, Chairman, District 3
Donna Fiala, Vice-Chairman, District 1
Jim Coletta, Commissioner, District 5
Fred W. Coyle, Commissioner, District 4 (Absent)
Frank Halas, Commissioner, District 2
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA
ITEM MUST REGISTER PRIOR TO SPEAKING.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION
OF THIS BOARD WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE
PROCEEDINGS PERTAINING HERETO, AND
THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A
VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS
MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES TESTIMONY AND
EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE
BASED.
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL BE
LIMITED TO FIVE (5) MINUTES UNLESS PERMISSION
FOR ADDITIONAL TIME IS GRANTED BY THE
CHAIRMAN.
1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
2. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING - Pelican Bay Services Division
Budget Hearing
A. Executive Summary - Fiscal Year 2009 Pelican Bay Services
Division Budget
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September 4, 2008
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B. Public Comment
C. Resolution Approving the Special Assessment Roll and Levying
the Special Assessment against the Benefited Properties Within the
Pelican Bay Municipal Service Taxing and Benefit Unit
3. ADJOURN
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September 4, 2008
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COLLIER COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BUDGET AGENDA
Thursday, September 4, 2008
5:05 p.m.
Tom Henning, Chairman, District 3
Donna Fiala, Vice-Chairman, District 1
Jim Coletta, Commissioner, District 5
Fred W. Coyle, Commissioner, District 4 (Absent)
Frank Halas, Commissioner, District 2
NOTICE: ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY AGENDA
ITEM MUST REGISTER PRIOR TO SPEAKING.
ANY PERSON WHO DECIDES TO APPEAL A DECISION
OF THIS BOARD WILL NEED A RECORD OF THE
PROCEDINGS PERTAINING THERETO, AND
THEREFORE MAY NEED TO ENSURE THAT A
VERBATIM RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS IS
MADE, WHICH RECORD INCLUDES TESTIMONY AND
EVIDENCE UPON WHICH THE APPEAL IS TO BE
BASED.
ALL REGISTERED PUBLIC SPEAKERS WILL BE
LIMITED TO FIVE (5) MINUTES UNLESS PERMISSION
FOR ADDITIONAL TIME IS GRANTED BY THE
CHAIRMAN.
1. ADVERTISED PUBLIC HEARING - BCC - Fiscal Year 2009
Tentative Budget.
A. Discussion of Tentative Millage Rates and Increases Over the Rolled
Back Millage Rates
B. Review and Discussion of Changes to the Tentative Budget
C. Public Comments and Questions:
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September 4, 2008
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C. Public Comments and Questions:
D. Resolution to Adopt the Tentative Millage Rates
E. Resolution to Adopt the Amended Tentative Budget
F. Announcement of Tentative Millage Rates and Percentage Changes in
Property Tax Rates
G. Announcement of Final Public Hearing as Follows:
Final Public Hearing on the FY 2008-09 Collier County Budget
Thursday, September 18,2008
5:05 p.m.
Collier County Government Center
W. Harmon Turner Building (F)
Third Floor, Boardroom
Naples, Florida
2. ADJOURN
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September 4, 2008
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September 4, 2008
MR. MUDD: Ladies and gentlemen, if you'd please take your
seats.
Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, you have a hot mike.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you. Welcome to the Board of
Commissioners' 2009 budget public hearings.
Would you all rise for the Pledge of Allegiance, please.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: County Manager?
Item #2C (Of the Pelican Bay Budget Agenda)
RESOLUTION 2008-236: APPROVING THE SPECIAL
ASSESSMENT ROLL AND LEVYING THE SPECIAL
ASSESSMENT AGAINST BENEFITED PROPERTIES WITHIN
THE PELICAN BAY MUNICIPAL SERVICE TAXING AND
BENEFIT UNIT - ADOPTED
MR. MUDD: Mr. Chairman, we have -- we have two
orders of business that we have to do, and the first is to
basically work the Pelican Bay Services Division budget, and
it's a separate item, and you do it one time, and this is
normally the first budget meeting of the two that we have.
The board basically does this order of business.
Mr. John Petty from Pelican Bay Services Division, their
executive director, is here in order to do this. You have an executive
-- oh, I'm behind -- this is Pelican Bay budget hearing tab. It's the
second tab in your packet. And the executive summary is a
recommendation that the Board of County Commissioners adopt a
resolution approving the special assessment roll and levying the
special assessment against the benefited properties within the Pelican
Bay Municipal Services Taxing and Benefit Unit, and it basically runs
through the fiscal impact and the total assessment identified.
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September 4, 2008
And then I'd just like to ask Mr. Petty to come forward and talk
about those particular issues before the board takes any action to
approve the resolution that's attached to the executive summary.
Mr. Petty?
MR. PETTY: Thank you. Good evening.
The budget is in pretty good order. We're happy with it. We
have nothing special to bring to your attention. We have no changes
to ask for.
I can tell you that the budget has been vetted through the budget
subcommittee. It has gone through our standard board and has been
approved for some time without changes.
We just spoke at it at our meeting last night about this issue, and
there are no further requests. The budget stands as is. Our
recommendation is that you approve it.
This is the second year we were able to reduce our assessments,
and Pelican Bay is real happy with those kind of results.
If there is any questions, I'll be glad to answer them.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Halas?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yes. There was one constituent
that was concerned about special assessment. Did any information get
disseminated down to you from John Y onkowsky in regards to the
issue that that one individual had, or maybe this person got in touch
with you in regards to a special assessment for Pelican Bay?
MR. PETTY: Commissioner, the only one that I recall was
earlier in the year where there was a new resident coming into Pelican
Bay who needed to understand what the special benefit assessment did
and why it was imposed and what its basis was, but I haven't heard of
anything lately.
MR. MUDD: John, just to help Commissioner Halas in this
particular regard, the person that made the query basically got your
special assessment letter, okay, where you notified everyone that there
was going to be a special assessment, and the question they had was,
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September 4, 2008
well, is this better than where we were last year? How does it -- how
does it equate to the prior year?
And I'll -- if John hasn't provided that to you, I'll get you that
person's email so that you could basically answer that question. All he
was looking for was last year's detail so he could compare it to the
notification this year.
MR. PETTY: Commissioner, we look forward to those. We like
telling them that the assessments have gone down from last year.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: That's great.
MR. PETTY: This is a good year to ask that question.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any other questions from the board?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Is there any public speakers that wish
to speak on Pelican Bay's MSTBU?
MS. FILSON: I have none registered for Pelican Bay, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Entertain a motion.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Motion to approve.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion to approve the resolution --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Pelican Bay's --
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- approving the Pelican Bay Service
Division's --
MR. MUDD: Special assessment -- roll at levying the special
assessment against the benefited properties within the Pelican Bay
Municipal Services Taxing Benefit Unit.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion by Commissioner Halas,
second by Commissioner Fiala.
Discussion on the motion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Seeing none, all in favor of the
motion, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Aye.
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September 4, 2008
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
MR. PETTY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you, Mr. Petty.
Item #lA
TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATES AND INCREASES OVER THE
ROLLED BACK MILLAGE RATES - DISCUSSED
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, that would bring us to now your
third tab in your book, which is the Collier County budget hearing.
And sir, at this time we will start the advertised public hearing for
the Board of County Commissioners' fiscal year 2009 tentative
budget. And you'll see the topics A through G on the particular slide,
and at this particular time I'm going to have Mr. Y onkosky start
addressing those particular items one by one.
MR. YONKOSKY: Good afternoon, Commissioners. John
Y onkosky, your budget director.
Prior to starting those, I'd like to make a couple of introductory
remarks that -- one is that this is a welcome to the citizens for the first
two public hearings on the Collier County Government's fiscal year
2009 budget, the budget which begins on October 1, 2008, and goes
through October 30,2009.
The final hearing will be two weeks from tonight on September
18th here in the board chambers at 5:05. The final tax rates and the
budget decisions will be made in two weeks.
There are agenda speaker slips in the hall and there are agenda
packages in the hall that's available for you. Speakers must register
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September 4, 2008
with Ms. Filson. Sue, if you'd hold your hand up to show them.
You've got to fill out a speaker slip and register with Ms. Filson before
the time for the public speakers starts.
Following some introductory remarks regarding the tax changes
and changes to the tentative budget that was initially released in mid
July, there will be an opportunity under item 1C for speakers to talk to
their commissioners. So you need to please sign those slips and fill
them out if you want to talk before the commission and give them to
Ms. Filson.
And I'd like to do a brief public services announcement because
there may be some questions about property valuation issues, and this
PSA basically tells you that the Value Adjustment Board must get --
their deadline is Friday, September 12th, close of business. The filing
fee is $15 per property. Property owners must present facts,
comparable sales, et cetera, to prove the Property Appraiser's
valuation is too high. The Value Adjustment Board application forms
are available in the Property Appraiser's Office.
And now the -- I'd like to go to item lA, which is a discussion of
the tentative millage rates and increases over the rollback millage rate.
This is a Florida Statute or a requirement. The Florida Statutes
requires that the first substantive discussion item deal with any
increases over the rolled back millage rates.
And due to the board's action on 7/22 wherein you adopted
millage neutral rates for the general and the MSTU general fund, there
are actually only two rates to discuss.
If you will turn to page 1 A in your book, 1 A 1.
MR. MUDD: That's, again, on the third tab, which is the Collier
County budget hearing.
MR. YONKOSKY: That particular page provides a listing of all
the millage rates that you adopted on July 22nd.
What we need to do is to discuss briefly the Haldeman Creek
dredging MSTU rate and the Pelican Bay MSTBU rates.
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The budget office has discussed with the Florida Department of
Revenue if these two rates can be adopted with a simple majority rate,
and the reason that that was a concern for us is that Haldeman rate --
the Haldeman Creek dredging rate on -- at your budget hearing, your
final budget workshop hearing, a representative from the Haldeman
Creek Board asked you if you would set their millage rate at .5 mills,
and you agreed to do that. That shows up as a 341.70 percent increase
over the millage rate from last year.
And then Pelican Bay MSTU did not have a millage rate for
several years, and this year you've approved a millage rate for Pelican
Bay, and that millage rate is .0532. And that's a -- there is no rolled
back rate for them, so there is an increase.
Our discussions with DOR -- because there's a series of different
motions that can be made or actually votes that can be made by the
board, and a simple majority, as you know is three. In some cases for
adopting increases, there has to be a supermajority, or -- in other cases
there has to be an absolute vote.
DOR has told us that because of the millage rates that you
proposed -- that you adopted for the proposed budget on July 22, the
millage neutral rates, that the aggregate rate -- as a result of that, the
aggregate rate that sits on the bottom of this slide, the 3.8997, is below
the aggregate rollback millage rate; therefore, a simple majority vote
when we get to the resolution later on in the agenda will need to be
taken.
Item #lB
REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF CHANGES TO THE
TENT A TIVE BUDGET - DISCUSSED
Item 1 B 1 is a review and discussion of changes to the tentative
budget. If you'll go to 1 B 1, and that's three pages back. Your package
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September 4, 2008
contains a summary sheet that's several pages that discussed the
changes since 7/22 to the budget that you reviewed and adopted on
7/22, and I would like to go through those changes real quick. On the
summary, behind the summary is an individual page for each budget.
With the summary, I'd like to discuss briefly what the changes were in
each fund.
And in the general fund, the net change to the fund total is
$17,000. The FY-'09 reserve for contingency was reduced by
$417,000 to recognize expenditures that the board has approved since
7/22. That's 46,000 for engineering services for the airport, 121,000
for Hurricane Wilma closeout work, 250,000 to fund the emergency
costs for Tropical Storm Fay, and the $400,000 appropriation for the
Pulling Park -- Pulling Boat Park has been moved to the park's capital
fund. The net impact to the general fund of $17,000.
On the sheriffs fund, fund 040, the net change to the fund is zero,
but because of the board's action -- and during the workshop you
funded part of their UFRs, and as a result of that, they had to realign
some of the budget -- line items in their budget. They have done that.
The net effect is zero, but I'm telling you what the -- that there was a
change there.
And the Property Appraiser's budget, fund 060, it has a net
increase from what was presented to you on July 22nd of $800, and
that's an increase that was approved by the Department of Revenue.
The Tax Collector's fund, 070, we did not have the taxes
collector's proposed budget approved by the DOR at the time of the
July 22nd meeting. It showed zero. The Tax Collector's budget has
been presented to the Department of Revenue. It's now included. And
that is an increase of$21,619,800.
That budget includes an estimated $9,229,000 of excess fees
anticipated to be turned back at the end of fiscal '09, and that would be
turned back to all of the districts that levied taxes.
The MSTD general fund, the unincorporated area has a net
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decrease $450,000. That's made up of two budgetary actions. The
first one increased the transfer to the landscaping fund, 112, in order to
provide a local match for the Florida Department of Transportation,
the local area, or LAP program agreement, covering the Jolly Bridge
landscaping product in FY-09, and the second one actually reduced
carry-forward by $450,000, resulting in the board's action on August
26 for Tropical Storm Fay debris removal and other emergency
expenses.
The MSTD, landscaping projects fund 112, has a net change of
$480,000. That's the $450,000 that we talked about, plus 32,000 in
local matches, and the entire grant was 448,000; the total ofthose two
is the $480,000.
Conservation Collier, the '09 budget increases by $35 million.
This was -- we took this action and recommend it to you based on the
fact that the land could not be purchased in the FY -'08 budget, and so
we moved it to FY-'09, and you will have presentations made to you
in the future on that.
The next one is the TDC beach park facilities fund, fund 183, has
a net decrease of $8,300. This actually affects several funds. But at
the July 22nd BCC meeting, you authorized an additional one-half
FTE as part of a tourism advertising marketing emergency stimulus
package. Fund 194 had no reserves pursuant to the enabling
legislation, ordinance 2005-43. So the transfer of funds to fund 183
and 195 are reduced by one-half FTE cost in accordance with enabling
legislation.
The BayshorelGateway Triangle fund, fund 187, the net change
to the general fund is zero, but because of the board action, their
advisory committee action, they're recommending that $200,000 that
was budgeted operating expense to fund the referendum be moved
into a capital project, and we have done that.
The TDC fund 195, the 16,700, that goes back to the discussion
because they had about one-half FTE.
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The museum fund, zero change to the fund, but we're
reclassifying $300,000 in capital expenses to the Naples Depot.
Parks and Rec ad valorem capital projects, fund 306, has got
$500,000 increase in it, the $400,000 in the Pulling Park allocation,
and there was a 200 -- we forecasted $200,000 in grants revenue.
They will be received and re-budgeted in 2009, and the reserves are
increasing by $100,000 due to voter improvement collections
exceeding our forecast.
The gas tax route (sic) construction fund has $474,000 -- 474,500
increase. At your July 22nd meeting, you approved the dynamic
message sign grant for $750,000, and it states in a letter to
transportation division stating that $1,800,000 reimbursement will be
sent in FY-2008 instead of FY-2009.
And in mid August the state recommended that we decrease gas
tax revenues by 4 percent in their -- as a result of their economic
reVIew.
The museum capital project fund, fund 314, that increases by
$300,000. That's reclassifying the $300,000 for the exhibits display
for the Naples Depot from the fund 198 that we just talked about.
The library impact fee fund is increasing by $30,000 because the
impact fee collections are exceeding forecasts by $30,000.
The Isle of Capri Fire District impact fee fund is an increase of
$17,100 because this is -- again, we're truing up the forecast, and now
we think it's going to be an additional $17,100.
The county water and sewer district fund, fund 408, the net
change to the fund is $27,460 -- four hundred and -- $27,460,200.
The 2006 bond debt service payment allocation was changed
based on several budget amendments that the board approved on
7/22/2008. And then transferred money was forecasted to the user fee
funds during the FY-'08 budget. That's been deferred to the FY-'09.
County water and sewer district, debt service 410, has a decrease
of a $1,096,600. That was an amendment for the number two, the
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state revolving fund loan that you approved on 7/22. It reduced loan
proceeds by approximately $1,009,079, and decreased the debt service
payment.
The water impact fee capital projects fund, fund 411, is
increasing by $6,833,000. Here again on 7/22, the board approved
several budget amendments that are moving bond proceeds into
various funds for the -- and the reason for that is to spend down those
bond proceeds.
Water user capital fees capital projects fund, 412, there's no net
change, but there was a transfer of money was forecast from the water
and sewer operating fund. It's going to be deferred into FY-2009.
The sewer impact fee, capital projects fund, fund 413. That has a
net increase of $2,050,300. On 7/22 the board approved several budget
amendments, moving the bond proceeds. This is one of the funds that
was impacted by that.
The sewer user fee capital projects fund, fund 414, has a net
increase of $2,500,000. On 7/22 -- this is one of the budget
amendments that you made on 7/22.
Fund 415, which is the water and sewer bond proceeds capital
fund, there's a net decrease of $12,100,400. This, again, relates to the
budget amendments that you approved on 722.
The court administration fund, fund 681, has a net change of
$30,000. Court administration increased their position to support a
magistrate position eliminated by the State of Florida.
The grand total of all the changes is $82,657,700; 21 million of
that is from the Tax Collector's budget coming in, and the rest of it is
basically in the capital projects.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Questions?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes, I have a few.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Please.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Thank you. One of them back at the
Haldeman Creek dredging. How long is this increase in effect?
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MR. YONKOSKY: It would be in effect for one year. It may be
changed the following year, Commissioner Fiala. I do not know how
long they're going to need it for the project that they're asking for--
the dredging project that they're asking for, and I do not remember the
total dollar amount of that project. They'll fund it as they go.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: They already dredged though, so
this is a new dredging project, right?
MR. ISACKSON: Commissioners, for the record, Mark
Isackson with the budget office.
The Haldeman Creek MSTU is stockpiling monies for a future
dredging project.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Right, right.
MR. ISACKSON: And that half mill they've asked -- because
there was a reduction in their taxable value last year due to an error by
the Property Appraiser's Office, they asked for an increase in their
levy. And as a result of that, they're hoping to raise -- with that half
mill, they're hoping to raise money over the course of the next 10 or
15 years, however amount of time will be required prior to the next
dredging effort.
So, you know, they can reevaluate that rate every year -- that
would be their prerogative -- and then make a recommendation to the
Board of County Commissioners each year. But I suspect that you'll
see something along the lines of a half mill over the course of the next
few years.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Can you tell me on a hundred
thousand dollar piece of property, what is the monetary change?
MR. ISACKSON: I don't have that off the top of my head. I
couldn't -- I don't know whether John might have that or not.
MR. YONKOSKY: One mill on a hundred thousand dollars is a
hundred dollars.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So $50 -- $50 on a hundred, so they
should be raising money pretty quickly if they keep it at that.
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Actually -- okay.
The next thing is on gas tax. The state recommended that we
reduce our full tax estimates by 4 percent. Why?
MR. YONKOSKY: The state, when they originally forecast,
they forecast several -- actually 18 months ago they asked us, or they
made adjustments to their forecast just like we have. We came to you
in June and asked you to amend the budget down, and this is one of
these instances.
Their current forecast, which we received last month, is
suggesting that we be realistic and reduce our estimated income or gas
tax receipts by 4 percent, because they had overestimated by 4
percent.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. There you go. They had
overestimated, okay.
And the second -- or third question, and I believe it's the last one,
is, I was wondering what was happening with the exhibit displays at
the Naples Depot.
MR. YONKOSKY: And I'm going to have to refer that to Ms.
Usher.
MS. USHER: Hi, I'm Susan Usher.
Part of their budget was budgeted in their operating fund and part
of their budget was budgeted inside their capital fund, and all we're
trying to do is just move 200- -- or 300,000 over from their operating
fund into their capital fund so when they open up purchase orders and
start making purchases, they just take -- make those purchases out of
one place instead of two.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Oh, okay, fine. They're still going
to have the display cases, it's just -- this is just a bookkeeping thing?
MS. USHER: Bookkeeping thing.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay, thank you.
MR. MUDD: Yes, ma'am. And they're -- and this is about the
third year of about six where we've given them extra money so that
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they -- remember, they had about a $3 million backlog between
Robert's Ranch and the Depot and the regular museum, and we've
been steadily getting things fixed up and the displays done so that that
backlog is gone, so we're moving forward on this.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: That's wonderful. That's one of
those wonderful things that our whole community can benefit by.
Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Other questions? Commissioner
Coletta?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you.
Mr. Mudd, does this budget in any way hamper our ability to
provide for the safety and welfare to the citizens of Collier County?
MR. MUDD: No. I think you basically -- the sheriff came
forward with a budget, and you gave the sheriff more than he asked
for to the tune of about a million dollars. You made special
allocations to the emergency services fund and their particular
operation not only for this year, '08, you also did it for '09, and that
was to the tune of about $4.5 million. I may be off by about a couple
hundred thousand.
But -- and you laid those things -- and you remember the day
where you had all the paramedics with their different colored shirts? I
think they were yellow that day. And they were -- the union was
basically asking for those particular dollars so that no one would have
to be laid off.
And the board basically did that. That is still in the budget.
They're there. So in those particular regards, you have those down.
Your emergency management section is funded. So from the health,
safety, welfare side of the house, we're okay.
You did do some cuts to transportation, and when we get back to
the turnback and the dollars that are there, we'll readdress with the
board those $7 million worth of cuts that you made at the end of June.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And the other question, in may,
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has to do with the MSTUs. The Sabal Palm MSTU, the amount there
has been consistent from one year to the other. I thought we had a big
buy-in from the Picayune Forest to be able to cover some of the costs
of the MSTU, or am I misunderstanding that? Possibly Mr. Feder
might be able to enlighten us.
MR. MUDD: Yeah. I don't know anything about the particulars
on an agreement with the Picayune Forest.
But Norm?
MR. FEDER: For the record, Norman Feder, Transportation
Administrator.
Commissioner, my understanding is the level of millage in that
MSTU has been for general maintenance, minor level of maintenance
throughout the years. There has been a lot of discussions with
Picayune. I've been in some of those with you and with residents in
the area and Picayune. I haven't seen where they've come through.
They've made some changes in the area, but not a lot.
This continues the -- what I will call the maintenance level of
work on Sabal Bay (sic) that's been established.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Sabal Palm.
MR. FEDER: Sabal Palm, excuse me, yes.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yes. But Mr. Feder, the use of
that road, is a lot of the people that are using that road connected with
the Picayune Forest, or is this still mainly just a residential road?
MR. FEDER: I can't speak with authority on that, but my
understanding what I've seen out there -- we recently went out on
some other issues -- you have a couple of nursery operations over
towards 951, some residents off of a couple roads in that area, and
then some more residents further out, a little lower density further out.
I don't know that I can tell you with any authority what level of
involvement those road use is just done by Picayune.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: But the -- this MSTU, before
you came up with the amount that needed to be put in place for this
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September 4, 2008
and also Rock Road, you had a meeting with the residents out there?
MR. FEDER: Yes, in every case.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: And you arrived at an agreeable
amount?
MR. FEDER: That's correct. In every case, where there is not a
board, we meet with the residents out, in the case like for Rock Road,
and get an agreement as to the level based on what they can
reasonable get from their assessed values.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you, Mr. Feder.
MR. FEDER: Thank you.
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, on your chart in front, you'll see
Sabal Bay MSTU (sic), and it's 151.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Sabal Palm.
MR. MUDD: It sits right -- I'm sorry. Did I say Sabal Bay
again? Norman's got me going on this one.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: It's contagious.
MR. MUDD: Your prior year was $45,767, and your proposed
tax dollars this year are 45,625, so that's about 100- -- $130,000 less
than it was last year, and Rock Road is a little bit more. That's 165-.
Prior year -- this year they had $35,458, and next year they're looking
for 35,844. So that's gone up about $400.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Thank you, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I have a question. The changes that
we're talking about, are they from the tentative budget or the
workshop that we had in June?
MR. YONKOSKY: The changes -- you had the workshop in
June. You adopted the tentative millage rates and the tentative budget
on July 22nd. The changes from -- and at that -- we had included
changes at the July 22nd meeting, some of the changes that had been
made, but all these changes were made by board action, grants, or
some miscellaneous changes. But the majority of them by board
action except for things like the Tax Collector's budget. That came in.
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September 4, 2008
That happens every year.
There are no significant changes on here that haven't been
through a board action.
MR. MUDD: John, this list that you read on 1 bravo, those
changes have been since the 22nd of July at that board meeting; is that
correct?
MR. YONKOSKY: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: And he explained that very well.
There was really no discussion on the tentative millage rate. It was
always my understanding what we do in July is set the millage rate,
and -- but we actually approved some changes to the -- to the budget
per discussion, per guidance that we did in June.
MR. YONKOSKY: Yes, sir. But none of those affected what
you did on setting the millage rates. The millage rates have been
changed. They're exactly what you adopted.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right. The shifting of the monies and
the allocations of monies changed.
MR. YONKOSKY: That's correct, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right. And one thing -- I guess what
we did there is we have some more employees for the East Naples --
East Naples library, correct?
MR. YONKOSKY: You funded the --
MR. MUDD: Are you -- when you say East Naples, are you
talking about South Regional Library, sir?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yes.
MR. MUDD: South Regional Library, what the board did during
the workshop, and it's in the budget now, is you basically set aside
reoccurring dollars of $941,100. And what that basically did was fund
the employees for the South Regional Library for seven months.
That's -- it opens up later in the year, so it will be open for seven
months, and that part of the 400 -- or the $941,000 was 500 -- put it up
here just so we can see it. A little wider. And I'm on that item right
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September 4, 2008
there. Increase expenditure for the South Regional Library annual
operating cost.
Total was $941,100, and that's broken down as $555,400 for
seven months for the new employees that will be put into that library,
and the remainder would be used for -- $385,700 for books.
Now, the total bill for the books to build the shelves up is some
$750,000, and we'll address the remainder, which is $355,000, at the
turnback time. But that's in there, sir, in the budget, based on the
workshop and what the board decided.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Can we get a copy of this?
MR. MUDD: Oh, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So that's -- those things happened in
between the June workshop and the tentative budget?
MR. MUDD: It happened between the workshop in June and
what you had on the 22nd of July, yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right. Just a summary.
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Yeah, I think that would be
worthy information to have.
Commissioner Halas, do you have any questions before we go to
public speakers?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: No, I don't, not at this time.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any further questions?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I have one more, yeah.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: What is the disposition on our
interest?
MR. MUDD: Ma'am, we're going to talking about that on
Tuesday, okay, during your board meeting. You have an agenda item
that we'll discuss that particular issue.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So that isn't figured into this budget
at all?
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September 4, 2008
MR. MUDD: No, sir -- no, ma'am. What's in this budget is what
John and I and whatever the clerk told us that he would return as an
estimate of the budget would be. That's what we have in the particular
-- in the particular.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay.
MR. MUDD: What you'll deal with -- turnback will be the
difference in the '08 projection by the constitutional officers and what
they finally had that they're turning back to you. So if the interest
turned out to be more than what their estimate was, John Yonkowsky
and the clerk -- and I think we had it at $17,200,000 was our estimate,
and the clerk was estimating it would be like 15,800,000. So we
brought it up a little bit more than what that estimate was, and we
believe there'll be additional dollars above that.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Okay. Thank you very much.
Item #lC
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Sue, would you call up the public
speakers, please.
MS. FILSON: Yes, Mr. Chairman. We have two public
speakers. Marlene Sherman. She'll be followed by Dana McGregor.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right there.
MS. SHERMAN: Right here? Good afternoon. My name is
Marlene Sherman, and I live at 422 Countryside Drive and reside in
the Countryside Golf and Country Club, which lies between Radio
and Davis Road and alongside of Santa Barbara.
Okay. I'm here to request your consideration for county funding
in the amount of 222,500 when the turnback funds are reallocated.
These funds would be for median improvement on Davis Boulevard
between County Barn Road eastward to the entrance lanes between
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September 4, 2008
Countryside Drive and Falling Water.
The 222,500 is a ballpark cost estimate provided by the Collier
County's department of alternative transportation modes. This amount
includes design costs, curbing, irrigation, construction costs, which
include connection to non-potable water, in which we have a
connection at Countryside, Floratam sod, permitting, and 15,000 is
their estimate for annual maintenance on that area.
I am not asking for consideration of funding for trees, shrubbery,
or streetlighting. The intent of my request is to bring together Davis
Boulevard as a complete unit from Santa Barbara to Airport-Pulling.
Presently the Santa Barbara widening project includes Davis
Boulevard improvements west to the entrance lanes to Countryside
and Falling Water.
The Santa Barbara project improvements on Davis will be
streetlighting -- we'll have it on both sides, which is wonderful --
curbing, non-potable water irrigation, and grass in the median from
Santa Barbara westward to the entrance lanes between Countryside
and Falling Water.
What I am requesting is for some improvements from the end of
the Santa Barbara project west to County Barn Road, with the
exception of -- we're not requesting streetlights. The county's ballpark
figure estimate for this median improvement was 222,500.
The county policy has been that the median improvements
generally are coordinated with road widening projects. Davis
Boulevard, which is also a state road, was widened in the late 1990s
from two lanes to four lanes and a divided road from Airport-Pulling
to Santa Barbara; however, the landscaping project was only
completed eastward to County Barn, leaving the small portion of
Davis Boulevard between County Barn and Santa Barbara without
streetlights, curbing, water irrigation, trees, or shrubbery.
The county has no landscaping plan for the subject section of this
roadway until 2030 when Davis will be -- Davis Boulevard will be
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September 4, 2008
considered for widening to six lanes.
Please consider my request in the amount of 222,500 for median
improvement on the Davis Boulevard section of roadway that the
county neglected to complete in the 1990s when the road was widened
to four lanes.
Are there any questions?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Questions?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I have a quick question for Norm.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Thank you. Thank you.
MS. SHERMAN: Okay.
MR. FEDER: Yes, Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Can you tell me if that is in
your plan to finish that? You're not going to just leave an empty strip
there, are you?
MR. FEDER: First of all, I need to put a little bit of background
on this. As you know, all of our capital program in landscaping within
the current budget has been removed.
Policy was correctly noted as once we get to the ultimate lane
configuration, then to come back after the construction and then
landscape. And we've had to pull back on that last year some and
then, of course, this year we don't have that in the program at this
time.
The section that you're identifying -- that was identified on
Davis, the first section of landscaping that was done from Airport only
to the first section up to County Barn was done under the old
Naplescape well before this board established the landscaping policy
following on ultimate construction lanes.
So the answer is, the way we were structured, we would not be
doing that section.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So--
MR. FEDER: And now, with the way we are budgeted, I can't
give any time frame when we'd be coming back on major landscaping.
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September 4, 2008
Now, ifthe question, if we've got a small section in there and the
other section of Santa Barbara and Davis got landscaped, we'd come
back to the board and try to find some way if it was appropriate to try
and make the two blend together, but we would have to come back to
the board with that direction because it's not part of the landscaping
policy which, of course, right now is not funded.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: The--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Are you --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Go ahead.
MR. FEDER: Have I answered that question for you,
Commissioner?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: The problem is that there's a
number of roadways in Collier County that were built with four lanes
and they never got landscaped, okay.
Now, I've had some constituents contact me in regards to this.
What they can do, until at such time as the road is widened to six
lanes, is they can establish an MSTU to take care of that particular
issue until at such time as the road is widened to six lanes.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I understand that, but what she's
saying -- what he's saying is, they were going to landscape that,
they're just going to leave that piece empty. That's what the plan was.
So now he's saying, well, they're going to come back to us and
ask us if they can finish that whole section.
MR. FEDER: Commissioner, let me make sure that I'm clear on
it. As Commissioner Halas pointed out, you've got sections of
roadway that we are not widening, and even though they may be four
lanes today and it may be some period of time before they go to six
lanes, if ever, since that four lane was done before the policy was
established and there was no construction project.
Examples -- I'm just throwing a couple that probably
Commissioner Halas notes that we hear all the time, at Vanderbilt
Beach Road from Airport over to 41, Airport Road from where we
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finished the six-laning at Vanderbilt Beach Road up to Immokalee
Road, as examples. Those we have not landscaped, and wherever you
end the construction is where there would be supposedly that gap.
I assure you, our median is not just left as wild turf is what I'm
saying to you, but it is not part of a landscaping project. They weren't
asking for trees or shrubbery. We would try to make sure that it was
not a situation where it looked like a sandbox in between two
landscaping jobs if and when the other landscaping job goes.
If the landscaping projects don't go, we still, where we have a
median, whether I have a curb or not, provide for about Bahaya or
other sod, and typically Bahaya. They're asking for the Floratam and
other issues that we probably wouldn't do in a median if it's not part of
a landscaping project.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Then why wasn't the streetlighting
added?
MR. FEDER: Because -- because the streetlighting that she's
identified is in a small section at the intersection as part of Santa
Barbara project. Weare not adding streetlighting on Davis outside of
that except for the later Davis projects that would come up. So they
said they didn't want that streetlighting in that section, which would be
further to the west.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Who said that?
MR. FEDER: The lady that presented here. I think--
COMMISSIONER FIALA: No. I was just wondering why we
didn't do it in the first place because this is not the first --
MR. FEDER: Commissioner, we're not constructing that section,
so we're not adding lanes, we're not adding streetlighting or any other
features at this time.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Go ahead, Commissioner Halas, and
then I want to say something.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yeah. I believe there's some areas
where there's an MSTU established. Can you enlighten us in regards
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September 4, 2008
to roadways that already have an MSTU established that are four
lanes? Maybe that will help.
MR. FEDER: You saw that in your budget issues before.
You've got quite a few of them throughout the county, obviously.
You've got it in Lely, but you have it along Radio Road; you've got
Golden Gate City; you've got Immokalee; you've got Bayshore
MSTU; you've got others around the county.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, maybe this is not a question,
just a statement. There are several gaps in Collier County with
landscaping. Airport Road is one. You got the whole segment of
Airport Road done, but once you get to Vanderbilt Beach Road to
Immokalee Road, it's only two lanes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Four lanes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, I'm sorry, four lanes.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: And it's not landscaped.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: There's no landscaping, but now we're
landscaping Immokalee Road in between U.S. 41 and I-75. So you
have that perception of a gap, and people can't understand why we're
leaving those there.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Yep.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Vanderbilt Beach Road is another
issue. There's a segment that is four lanes. Don't see when it's
scheduled to be six lanes. Those are the type of issues, and I think that
we need to address them.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: I think you're right.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I think we need to address them by
plugging them in somewhere into the landscaping projects. And it
might not be a few years out, but at least they're on some type of
schedule.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Well, I think what -- I've had a
number of constituents contact me on both these particular areas, and I
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September 4, 2008
made it very clear to them that they may have to set up a landscaping
MSTU and that they need to contact their neighbors along that
roadway, and I don't think it would be that difficult to set up an MSTU
nor that expensive for them in the long run.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: In fact, we have a landscape
MSTU up in the Vanderbilt Beach area which is to take care of Gulf
Shore Drive and Vanderbilt Beach Road and Bluebill and Vanderbilt
Drive and all the way up to the bridge, so --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, those are -- those are collector
roads. I think we're pretty much talking about arterial roads.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Arterial.
MR. FEDER: We have them on collector and arterials, but--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: You have MSTUs on arterial
roadways?
MR. FEDER: Yeah. You have sections of951 with landscape
by Golden Gate City MSTU.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, but they're not maintained.
MR. FEDER: Radio Road, the Radio Road MSTU, 29 on a state
road by the Immokalee MSTD.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: The -- but the problem is, how do you
-- how do you do one area out of general funds and then tell somebody
else you tax them?
MR. FEDER: Most of it's coming--
CHAIRMAN HENNING: How do you tell -- how do you tell
Pelican Marsh that you have to tax yourself but yet Stonebridge,
which is on the corner there -- and that's probably not the best
example, or Audubon -- no, what is that Collier --
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Stonebridge. Stonebridge is --
once they've completed the six-laning ofImmokalee Road, that -- then
they're in line for landscaping. Now, Stonebridge has also asked me
about -- they wanted to have landscaping down on Airport going
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September 4, 2008
south, and I told them the same story I just related to everyone here,
that --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well--
COMMISSIONER HALAS: -- we can't -- we can't justify that
because we just don't have enough money in the budget to landscape
every road in Collier County, and so we're only doing it on roads that
are widened to the fullest length, which is six lanes. And I believe
we've already cut back on landscaping on those segments too, so --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner, I appreciate what you
said, and to the con -- and to your constituents. I just don't think it's an
equity fairness issue, so we differ on that.
MR. FEDER: Commissioner?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Fiala?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: And I agree. Yes. And one of the
roads you mentioned was between Vanderbilt and Immokalee Road?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Airport Road.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Yes. Isn't there another one on
Goodlette where there aren't even any homes there, so there's nobody
to MSTU anyway, and -- but you would want to have -- and that's
going to happen in some cases. I think that in order to be equitable,
we should put a plan together.
And weren't we going to do a countywide MSTU to do all of this
at one point in time?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: We do have a countywide MSTD.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Then it's there, so then what are we
talking about?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: The funding is not there. We've
just rolled back the taxes, and now we're talking about trying to spend
more money, and we don't have a way of manufacturing that.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Ifwe have a countywide MSTU in
place to do the landscaping, then what are we talking about?
MR. MUDD: No, ma'am. You don't have a countywide MSTU
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September 4, 2008
to do landscaping. You have a countywide unincorporated MSTU,
your fund 111, and that, I believe, is where everybody's involved in
this.
If people were going to do an MSTU either to do maintenance of
landscaping, i.e., the folks that are along Golden Gate Parkway and
Golden Gate City -- I live on the Radio Road MSTU, and they just put
trees and everything else and got that done on the back side of
Countryside and it really looks nice. And so those are separate and
distinct, and that's where we get into the piece.
If the board wants to put landscaping in the 111 account, the
unincorporated Collier County fund, the board can so direct that to
happen. But right now there are no dollars in that fund right now
based on the millage rate in order to do that.
MR. FEDER: There are no dollars for the capital based on the
current budget, but the prior budget did utilize 111 funds and totally
utilized 111 funds for the maintenance, which is about 5 million in
your budget.
I'm fine if the board -- what I'm sensing from the board is the
desire for us to bring back the landscaping master plan and the policy
that we're following, be more than happy to do that, but I must note
that right now, as we stand here, at least at this point in the budget the
direction from the board when we presented the budget was a
reduction in the landscaping capital program to the point of removing
any new projects for capital. So I want to make sure that I'm clear on
that. But having said that, we'd be happy to go at the pleasure of the
board.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Why don't we deal with this
another day at the adoption of the public hearing. If you just put it in
the agenda.
MR. MUDD: Sure, sir. I'll get it on the UFR list. You can tell
us what to do.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, just a discussion. I think,
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September 4, 2008
Norm, maybe we can give some direction at that time.
MR. MUDD: Okay.
MS. FILSON: I have two additional speakers.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
MS. FILSON: Dana McGregor. She'll be followed by Stacy
Daley.
MS. McGREGOR: Hi. Thank you for hearing me today. My
name's Dana McGregor. I live out in Golden Gate Estates. Thank
you.
One of my concerns is -- sorry. It's my first time doing it.
My daughter -- I live out in Golden Gate, and we have berry
pickers out there. Child safety is one of my biggest concerns out
there, and we've dealt with it for eight years.
Collier County Sheriffs Department knows me very well.
There's nothing they can do because they said there is no Collier
County ordinance to keep berry pickers off our land.
The problem is is we live out in the Estates out there, and it's on
acreage, so semis come out and dump illegal immigrants off on our
property. Whether this is news to you guys or not, it happens out in
Golden Gate Estates often.
And last week my daughter went outside to let her dog go potty,
and she heard a rustle in the thing, in the woods, and she screamed. I
live on five acres. In between that five acres my house sits back, and
there were berry pickers out my bathroom window.
I have no trespassing signs. This goes on for years and years.
They go out there and they pull the trespassing signs down, okay.
Bus stop. Truckloads of illegal immigrants. To me, that spells
disaster for a child disappearing. What do we do?
Just a public concern, and it's a big concern of mine because it
was my child.
Sir?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Can I ask you what kind of berries
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September 4, 2008
they're picking?
MS. McGREGOR: Saw palmetto berries. And my question at
first years ago was, are they not stealing off our land? I didn't have to
worry about my child because I didn't let her play outside by herself
then.
But they're saw palmetto berries which, number one, they're
selling to someone else, so they're trespassing on our land, stealing
vegetation, which is not my concern, and now scaring my child. My
child can't even play in her own front yard.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Halas -- or
Commissioner Coletta wanted --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: I'm very familiar with the
subject. This has been something that's been ongoing for many, many
years. At one point we thought we had it under control.
Yes, we do have ordinances within the county, and there's state
statutes that have to deal with trespassing. Our County Attorney will
explain it to you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: I thought we -- the board in the '90s
addressed this issue.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: We addressed it again in 2000,
2002, 2004. It's been continuous. They keep coming back because
there's a value to it. Most people are, it's -- most of it's wildlands
they're on where the people aren't inhabiting, but they do go into
people's back yards and they end up in people's back yards and they
upset them very much, like this lady here's been upset by it.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: So you're saying we don't have
ordinances?
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: No, we do. We have -- there's
trespassing ordinances that exist. This is what I heard before.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: How about a berry picking
ordinance?
MS. McGREGOR: That -- I'm sorry. That was my point is it's
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September 4, 2008
not -- because they told me they can have somebody trespassed after
they do it more than twice. So you drop off 200 people in somebody's
street or even lOin somebody's street, and only one comes out of the
woods.
May I continue?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We need to try to get some
assemblance here to give some -- probably some direction. This has
nothing to do with the budget hearing, but I hear your frustration.
MS. McGREGOR: And I've gone to many different people to
get this. And I called today and this is the only way that I could
finally get it heard. Big concern.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Right. Could we task the County
Attorney's Office to take a look at this?
MR. KLATZKOW: I'll take a look at this. It sounds more like
an enforcement issue to me, but I'll be happy to get with the Sheriffs
Office and we'll track this down, and I'll give you my card.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Would you give your name and
telephone number with --
MS. McGREGOR: Most definitely.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- Commissioner Coletta's office
tomorrow? And get --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Yeah. In the future --
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- back with you.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: You did not contact me, and if
you did --
MS. McGREGOR: In the past.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: -- I would have got back to you.
I'm very good at responding. I don't want you calling anybody in the
county when you've got a problem except my office. I'll take personal
charge of it making sure that it goes from one end to the other, and if
necessary, I'd bring you back before this commission under public
petition. But I don't think it's necessary.
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September 4, 2008
But we will start it going forward now and finding out -- I know
there's laws in place because we've been there before. If they need
something that specifically mentions berry pickers, pickers by illegal
immigrants, I'm sure we can add that into our ordinances.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Commissioner Coletta, isn't there a
state law that says people cannot come on anyone's property to pick
oranges or any type of --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: That's trespassing, right. You
can't hunt on people's property, you can't fish on people's property,
you can't trespass on it unless you've got written permission.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: So I don't understand why this lady
can't get resolution to this problem.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Well, we're going to look into it.
We might have to move it up a notch or two to be able to see what we
can get the Sheriffs Department to respond to, but there's laws in
place already. And if we need to, we'll come up with something a
little more directive.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay.
MS. FILSON: Okay. Your next speaker is Stacy Daley.
MR. DALEY: Hello. My name is Stacy Daley. I'm --live out
off of 10th Southeast, out in Golden Gate Estates.
I was just wondering if they're doing anything along the lines of
-- I live right down the street from Palmetto Ridge Elementary, and
my sister's daughter goes to Sabal Palm. And I was just wondering if
they're planning any kind of pathways along Everglades, if there's
money budgeted, because I saw some children today that were
basically riding their bikes right along Everglades with semis and
dump trucks, and just wondering if that was in the future or if it had
even been mentioned or --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: It's been mentioned many times.
Mr. Feder will give you some explanation.
MR. DALEY: Asphalt pathways, even clearings.
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September 4, 2008
MR. FEDER: I'm waiting for someone to come up on one I can
yes.
On Everglades we don't have anything specifically in the way of
a pathway or sidewalk out there right now. We do have a pathways
program. We do have a pathways advisory committee, and I'll get
your number and address to them. And they set priorities for the
funds that we do have available.
MR. DALEY: Yeah, because it's --
MR. FEDER: We also are working with the school board and
trying to work with the developed schools for them to assist us in
providing those pathways which are, in many respects, an issue or
need based on the location of the school.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: There's been cases -- excuse me.
May I?
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Yeah, please.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: There's been cases in the distant
past, I'm going back about five years ago where the -- I think it was
special grants the school system might have come up with where they
put in asphalt pathways along like -- I'm trying to remember, Weber,
possibly it was. It was a couple places where they did put them in.
Now, I know you can't do it on the smaller streets, the interconnecting
streets because of the lack of right-of-way. We tried that before. That
doesn't work. But the main thoroughfares, there should be some
long-range program in place.
Everglades Boulevard, right at this point in time, is only partially
inhabited, but there should be some long-range plan to be able to start
thinking about it.
MR. FEDER: And we do. We have a pathways plan. We have
a pathways advisory committee that helps in working through the
MPO which, of course, this board is members of, set priorities for the
available funding, and that's really the key issue again, and that's why
we've been also trying to work with the school board around the
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September 4, 2008
schools on some of that issue of funding.
But as I said, let me get the number, let me get you into that
system, but I don't want to mislead you either. There's nothing
currently scheduled, and -- but be happy to get you into the system
and see what we can do to respond to you.
MR. DALEY: I'm hoping in the future -- because Palmetto just
opened up this year and Sabal Palm's been open two or three years,
and I know there's still a lot of homes out there, even though it's rural
area and acreage. I mean, I know from Wilson Boulevard to
951/Collier Boulevard they have a paved concrete path, but it stops
right at Wilson. And past there, there's nothing, so --
MR. FEDER: Then, again, I'll get you involved into our system
process, and you might also want to address the school board as well.
MR. DALEY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Mr. Feder, I have one more --
I have a question.
MR. FEDER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Did you have a nice vacation?
MR. FEDER: Yes, I did, thank you. See, that was a yes, yes.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any other speakers?
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Good one.
MS. FILSON: That's your final speaker, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. Now we get to do the
laborious -
Item #lD
RESOLUTION 2008-237: RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE
TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATES - ADOPTED
MR. YONKOSKY: Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, the next
item on your agenda is a resolution to adopt the tentative millage rates.
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September 4, 2008
If you go to the tab that says millage resolution, the resolution is
in there. And before you adopt the resolution, I'm required to read the
aggregate millage rates into the record.
And the aggregate millage rate for the -- aggregate rolled back
millage rate is 4.1821 mills. The aggregate proposed millage rate is
3.8997.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Was that it?
MR. YONKOSKY: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Entertain a motion to adopt the
tentative millage rate --
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: So moved.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- for '08/'09 -- fiscal year '08/'09.
MR. YONKOSKY: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion by Commissioner Coletta,
second by Commissioner Halas. Did I get that right?
MS. FILSON: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: All in favor of the motion, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Carries unanimously.
Item #lE
RESOLUTION 2008-238: RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE
AMENDED TENTATIVE BUDGET - ADOPTED WICHANGES
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September 4, 2008
MR. YONKOSKY: Commissioners, the next item on your
agenda is a resolution to adopt the amended tentative budget. That
would be under your next tab. And the motion must include the
changes that we discussed under section 1 C.
MR. MUDD: 1B.
MR. YONKOSKY: Oh, 1B, yes. I'm sorry, 1B, excuse me.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Entertain a motion to approve a
resolution to adopt the amended budget -- tentative budget for fiscal
year 2008/2009 including what the changes were that were read on tab
--
MR. MUDD: 1B, sir.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: -- 1B.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: So moved.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Discussion?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: All in favor of the motion, signify by
saymg aye.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion carries unanimously.
Item #IF
ANNOUNCEMENT OF TENT A TIVE MILLAGE RATES
AND PERCENTAGE CHANGES IN PROPERTY TAX
RATES - DISCUSSED
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September 4, 2008
MR. YONKOSKY: The next item on your agenda is IF, and
that is the announcement of the tentative millage rates and the
percentage changes in property tax rates. This does not require a
motion. I just need to read into the record the tentative millage rates
for the general fund and the aggregate rates and the percentage of
change from the rolled back rate, and I will do that now.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: That will take about 10 minutes or
so?
MR. YONKOSKY: No, sir. It won't take much at all.
MR. MUDD: He's going to do the abbreviated one.
MR. YONKOSKY: The general fund rolled back millage rate is
3.3849 mills. The proposed millage rate is 3.1469 mills. The
percentage change is minus 7.03 percent.
On the aggregate millage rates, the rolled back aggregate millage
rate is 4.1821 mills. The proposed aggregate millage rate is 3.8997.
The percentage decrease is 6.75 percent.
Item #1 G
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FINAL PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING -
WILL BE HELD SEPTEMBER 18,2008 @ 5:05 P.M.
The next item is, announcement of the final public hearing is as
follows: The final public hearing of the fiscal year 2008/2009 Collier
County budget will be held Thursday, September 18,2008, 5:05 p.m.
at the Collier County Government Center, W. Harmon Turner building
F, third floor boardroom, Naples, Florida.
And that's all that I have, Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. County Manager -- County
Attorney has something.
MR. KLA TZKOW: Yes. We have a settlement proposal that I
need to bring to your attention. I'd like to do that in private. That
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September 4, 2008
requires me to announce a shade meeting to the general public so that,
therefore, giving the public notice that I will be asking advice from the
Board of County Commissioners in a closed attorney-client session on
Tuesday, September 9, 2008, at a time certain 12 o'clock noon in the
commission conference room, third floor, West Harmon Turner
Building, Collier County Government Center located at 3301 East
Tamiami Trail, Naples, Florida.
In addition to the board members, County Manager James Mudd,
myself, Litigation Section Chief Jacqueline Hubbard-Williams (sic)
will be in attendance.
The board, in executive session, will discuss settlement
negotiations and strategy related to litigation expenditures in pending
litigation case of Bonita Media Enterprises, LLC, versus Collier
County. That is case number 2:07-CV-411-FtM-29DNF which is now
pending in the U.S. Middle District Court of Florida, Fort Myers
division, as well as the related case, Bonita Media Enterprises, LLC,
Brennan, Manna & Diamond, registered agent, versus Board of
County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida, appeal case number
07-2035-CA, lower tribunal case CEB number 2007-35, which is now
pending in administrative appeal division of the Circuit Court.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Okay. County Manager, do you have
anything?
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir. Just one other piece for the board.
Hanna -- I'm talking about tropical storm/hurricane, is going in the
other direction. You know, finally go where Dan Summers came from,
okay, instead of coming where Dan Summers lives now.
I'm really worried about Hurricane Ike. We don't know a lot
about it, and I've seen a lot of different tracks. If it does come -- right
now it's a hurricane category four, and it has sustained winds of about
145, going on 150 miles an hour. Looks like it's going to be a real
beast.
Ifit was to come to Collier County, that would happen on
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September 4, 2008
Tuesday of next week. What I'm trying to -- and I'm just working on
possibilities. I'm not predicting anything. I'm hoping it goes
someplace else in the middle of the Atlantic. But we will probably --
if it looks like it's coming our way in any stretch of the imagination,
we will probably have to have some kind of emergency meeting of the
Board of County Commissioners on Sunday afternoon.
And I'm just wondering if -- I just want to make you aware of
that and that process. And we'll watch it and we'll continue to watch
it. And if it looks like it's coming our way, then we'll give you
heads-up as fast as we can. We'll be watching it tomorrow and on
Saturday.
But if it looks like it's coming our way, if it's going to hit us at
two p.m. on Tuesday, we're going to have to really get moving Sunday
evening, Monday in order to make that happen to be ready for it.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Commissioner Halas?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: So would there be anything in
regards to maybe moving the meeting up to Saturday afternoon?
MR. MUDD: Commissioner, if it looks like it's coming our way
-- right now, based on what I've got right now, it's going at 17 miles an
hour. I don't know if it's going to go -- its forward movement speed. I
can't tell you if it's going to pick up or slow down. Right now I'm just
telling you it looks like Sunday. If! can -- Saturday -- ifit looks like
it's coming our way, we'll give as much advance notice as we can on
this one. Category four is nothing to balk at. I mean, it's one degree
higher than Wilma, and you saw what Wilma did to us.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Well, we hope that Ike takes a hike.
MR. MUDD: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: You don't like Ike?
COMMISSIONER HALAS: I don't like Ike.
MR. MUDD: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Probably all be --
MS. FILSON: I was just wondering, two o'clock, is that--
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September 4, 2008
MR. MUDD: I'm not going to set a time right now. I said in the
afternoon. It would be early afternoon; this way if anybody needed to
go to church, they could.
MS. FILSON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Any further business?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We just have one more item since this
is a public hearing. I need a motion to adjourn.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Motion to approve the
adjournment.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Second.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Motion by Commissioner Halas,
second by Commissioner Fiala.
All those in favor, signify by saying aye.
COMMISSIONER HALAS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Aye.
COMMISSIONER FIALA: Aye.
COMMISSIONER COLETTA: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HENNING: Opposed?
(No response.)
CHAIRMAN HENNING: We're adjourned.
*******
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 6:13 p.m.
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._-~-~-_..- .-. -..---.--.,.....- _._--_._-~
September 4, 2008
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS
CONTRO
TOM HENNING, Chai n
ATTEST:
DW ~~..1'.E~i~R,9CK, CLt_
..' /"
" ~
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.' ~. '
'~.' 1M1aft'\
Atttst.~ to c~
'1qnaturi- ~l., .
These 7Pproved by the Board on ~ t[cf? , as presented
or as corrected .
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT
REPORTING SERVICES, INC., BY TERRI LEWIS.
Page 40