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DSAC Minutes 12/03/2008 R December 3, 2008 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COLLIER COUNTY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE Naples, Florida, December 3, 2008 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Development Services Advisory Committee in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 3:30 P,M. in REGULAR SESSION in Conference Room #610 in the Collier County Community Development and Environmental Services Center, 2800 N. Horseshoe Drive, Naples, Florida, with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: William Varian Charles Abbott James Boughton (Absent) Clay Brooker Laura Spurgeon Dejohn Dalas Disney David Dunnavant Marco Espinar (Excused) Blair Foley George Hermanson Reed Jarvi Thomas Masters (Absent) Robert Mulhere Reid Schermer Mario Valle ALSO PRESENT: Joe Schmitt, Administrator, CDES Judy Puig, Operations Analyst, CDES Phil Gramatges, Director, Public Utilities Bob Dunn, Director, Bldg. Review & Pennitting Gary Mullee, CDES, Operations Support Manager Bill Lorenz, Director, Engineering & Environmental Svcs. Nick Casalanguida, Director, Transportation/Planning Ed Riley, Fire Code Official Tom Wi des, Operations Director, Public Utilities 1 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA December 3, 2008 3:30 p.m. Conference Room 610 I. Call to order II. Approval of Agenda III. Approval of Minutes from November 6,2008 meeting IV. Staff Announcements/Updates A. CDES Update - Joe Schmitt B. Transportation Division Update - Nick Casalanguida C. Public Utilities Division Update - Phil Gramatges D. Fire Review Update - Ed Riley V. Old Business A. Meter size forms - Phil Gramatges B. Water surcharge charts for discussion - Phil Gramatges VI. New Business A. Fund 131 Reserves - Gary Mullee B. "New" Building Blocks - "Revision Plan Submittal Requirements"- Bob Dunn/Ed Riley C. Transportation Impact fee update - Nick C. D. LDC cleanup for the 2009 cycle VII. Committee Member Comments A. Discuss bylaws - Bill V. VIII. Adjournment Next Meetinq Dates January 7,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm February 4,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm March 4, 2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm April 1 ,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm May 6,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm June 3, 2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm July 1,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm August 6, 2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm September 2,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm October 7,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm November 4,2009 CDES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm December 2,2009 COES Conference Room 610 - 3:30 pm December 3, 2008 I. Call to Order The meeting was called to order at 3:40 PM by Chairman William Varian and a quorum was established. II. Approval of Agenda Reid Schermer moved to approve the Agenda. Second by Dalas Disney. Carried unanimously, 9-0. III. Approval of Minutes The following corrections were suggested: . On Page 6, the motions concerning nominations for re-appointment were changed to "Motion carried, "II-Yes" with one abstention." Dalas Disney moved to approve the Minutes of the November 5, 2008 Meeting as amended. Second by Reid Schermer. Carried unanimously, 9-0. IV. Staff Announcements/Updates A. CDES Update - Joe Schmitt, Administrator . Funding is still an issue; there is a shortfall in Fund 131 - Permitting and Land Use - revenue is not sufficient . Building Oepartment is sustaining . Either fees or the number of employees must be adjusted . Fiscal Year 20 I 0 ~ core organization may be skeletal . Level of service will be impacted In response to a question by the Committee, Mr. Schmitt stated the Intake Team Manager's position was frozen. The "team" consists of one person who reports to Glenda Smith. The former manager was assigned to Code Enforcement. (Charles Abbott arrived at 3:47 PM) . Budget allocations will be re-adjusted and reduced . BCC approval is not necessary since the budget is being down-sized VI. New Business A. Fund 131 Reserves - Gary Mullee, CDES Financial Manager . The structure of Fund 131 reserves is being reviewed . Reserve fund was created in 10/2003 - initial reserve was $1.66 Million . The Board of County Commissioners approved the fee resolution . Previously Fund 113 (Building & Plan Review) was the only fund, and building permit fees subsidized land use . Zoning fees have not been raised since 2003 . 200 projects started before 10/13 and the funds were deposited to Fund 113 . The Clerk of Courts declared the "reserves" to be a "loan" . $700,000 has been paid back to Fund 131 at a rate of $1 00,000 per year . Work done under Fund 131 is paid for by the next applicant . Business has stopped, reserves in Fund 131 will run out in 2 - 3 months 2 December 3, 2008 (Mario Valle arrived at 3:55 PM) . Fund 113 collects fees for prepaid commitments (i.e., inspections) Joe Schmitt outlined a brief history of CDES and the funding process/fee schedule created prior to 2002. . Not enough money was set aside in Fund 131; will approach Board of County Commissioners to request rebalancing the reserves in Funds 131 There was a discussion concerning the CBIA lawsuit. Under Florida Statutes, building fees can only pay for the services provided under the building permit. The law has been in effect since 2004. In the past, building permit fees partially supported Engineering and Zoning. The building permit fees were artificially raised but when the Funds were split, the building permit fees were reduced. A suggestion was made by the Committee to "tag" fees received for pre-paid services and to not deposit the fees into Reserves. Another suggestion was to examine the efficiency of the current process and to compare it to other Counties. (Robert Mulhere arrived at 4:05 PM.) There was further discussion concerning reconciling the Reserves. Options presented included further reduction of staff, reduced operating hours, and renting space within the CDES building. Also mentioned was the new software system. Electronic submittal is not yet an option due to cost. It was noted that Collier County's building permit fees are among the lowest in comparison to twelve other Counties. Gary Mullee stated Fund 113 will have reserves through the current Fiscal Year but Fund 131 reserves will run out in February, 2009. Chairman Varian confirmed specific recommendations would be presented to the Committee in the next two months. IV. Staff Announcements/Updates C. Public Utilities/Engineering Division Update - Phil Gramatges . Finances for next year are being examined . Public Utilities is funded by rates paid by consumers and Impact Fees . The 2009 Budget has been analyzed and reduced by $25 Million . Revenues for the month are lower than last month V. Old Business A. Meter Size Forms - Phil Gramatges Blair Foley stated there is another process at the Building Permit level utilizing a similar form with different data which he will provide to Mr. Gramatges before the next Committee meeting. He suggested adding an "effective date" to the bottom of the current form to make it easier to distinguish future revisions. Mr. Gramatges agreed. 3 December 3, 2008 B. Water Surcharge Charts - Discussion Copies of the charts were distributed to the Committee. Tom Wides, Operations Director - Public Utilities, provided a brief history of the rate structure which was expanded to 6 blocks in 2003. The purpose of the inverted structure is to reinforce conservation. The meter size is not as important as the flow going through the meter. The average customer used approximately 8,000 gallons per month. He stated the new Water/Wastewater rates are available on the website. There was a discussion concerning water used for irrigation, rates, "LQ." (irrigation quality) water and dedicated irrigation meters. The Public Utilities contact to obtain more information regarding irrigation meters is Gilbert Moncivaiz (252-4215). IV. Staff Announcements/Updates D. Fire Review Update - Ed Riley, Fire Code Official . A written report was submitted to Committee members . Monthly average ofreviews remains between 850 - 950 plans . There is more time to speak to design professionals to correct problems Chairman Varian mentioned a problem concerning the remodeling of older club houses which require the addition of fire alarms. He stated the necessity of a full mechanical plan is a problem when the structure is 15+ years old and no initial plans are available. Mr. Riley stated the mechanical plan is required to determine the proper fire alarm components for the system. One suggestion was involving a mechanical contractor. He also stated the Building Department will be involved for all renovations over $5,000.00 and will conduct a 61-G Review. He suggested a one-on-one conference with staff to review options. Dalas Disney stated he had recently received calls from Mr. Riley's department staff asking for clarification of an issue which avoided rejection of a client's project saving him time and additional expense which he appreciated. In response to a question, Mr. Riley replied his department's staff is right-sized and the department is currently financially stable. VI. New Business B. New Building Blocks - "Revisions to Plan Submittal Requirements" - Bob Dunn and Ed Riley A copy of the Building Block was distributed to the Committee. · A round-table meeting with contractors has been scheduled to preview the new software which is expected to be implemented in March/April, 2009 A question was asked about "one revision per permit type." Mr. Riley stated any item covered by a building permit (i.e., electrical, mechanical, architectural) could be included as part of the "one revision." Sprinkler systems and fire alarm systems are separate from building permits and would require separate revisions. The trades would have to coordinate the revisions for submission at one time. 4 December 3, 2008 In response to a question, it was confirmed the General Contractor would serve as the "applicant of record" and coordinate the trades. IV. Staff Announcements/Updates B. Transportation Division Update - Nick Casalanguida . The 5-year CIE is in process and revenues are projected to be down but the capital program will remain generally intact . The Santa Barbara project section of roadway from Copperleafto Green will be pushed back . Collier Boulevard is still scheduled for completion on 11/2012 but Golden Gate might be pushed back a year . Collier Boulevard (between Davis and 1-75) will start in Fiscal Year 2009 (October or November) . Vanderbilt is near completion . Immokalee Road is near completion There was a question concerning landscaping for Immokalee Road (up to 951), Vanderbilt, and Rattlesnake. Mr. Casalanguida stated the current landscaping budget is $2.9 Million but the Board of County Commissioners authorized only $1.8 Million and suggested the Transportation Department accept bids for the project. He further stated the issue is on-going maintenance and in perpetuity maintenance costs will be included in each bid. Impact Fees cannot be used for the costs. VI. New Business C. Transportation Impact Fee Update - Nick Casalanguida A copy of the draft report of the Transportation Impact Fee Update Study was distributed to the Committee. . Impact Fees are the only revenue stream that funds capital improvement programs . "Olde Cypress" (going south), the Estates and "Arrowhead" were part of the Trip Length Study which was conducted to see how far people drive . The consultant, Tyndale-Oliver, was asked to blend the local numbers with the State's numbers because Collier's numbers were too high . Collier County is one of the only Counties that includes Utilities in its Impact Fees There was a discussion about why the retail rates increased, lower "pass by and capture" numbers, and the percentages used for recommended new trips, and Assisted Living Facilities. Other questions concerned uses and why certain categories did not contain subcategories, such as "Specialty Medical." Mr. Casalanguida stated a physician (i.e., psychiatrist) could apply for an administrative "special use" based on the number of patients seen per day. It was suggested that a sub-class should be created. Comments mentioned that "restrictions were very tight" and "physicians are choosing to open new offices elsewhere rather than in Collier County due to costs." It was pointed out full trip generation back-up was not included in the retail study. 5 December 3, 2008 Mr. Casalanguida stated new roads are funded by Impact fees, but other municipalities have additional revenue streams (i.e., tolls, sales tax). The General Fund allocation pays back loans and pays for operations and maintenance. There was further discussion concerning why Impact Fees have not been reduced when costs per lane mile and other costs are lower. Additional information from the Consultant will be presented to the Committee via email. Figures from some of the other Counties are being reviewed and updated. The Report will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners on January 13, and January 27,2009. D. LDC Cleanup for the 2009 Cycle Chairman Varian stated at the last Committee meeting it was suggested that the Members submit recommendations for the next cycle based on their individual expertise. It was decided Judy Puig will contact Catherine Fabacher concerning the Cycle and deadlines. The information will be distributed to the Committee via email. VII. Committee Member Comments A. Discussion of By-Laws - Chairman Varian Chairman Varian asked the Members to review the thirteen items that comprised the "functions, powers and duties" of the Municipal Code and if they thought the 2009 Agenda should be adjusted to include the items. He asked the Members to review Items #6, 7 and 8 specifically. VI. New Business D. Transportation Impact Fee Update - Nick Casalanguida Mr. Casalauguida returned and requested specific action from the Committee concerning the Report. George Hermanson moved to accept the Report for purposes of discussion. Second by Robert Mulhere. Robert Mulhere stated the Report may be accepted, but there is no support for raising Impact Fees and decreases are encouraged. Reed Jarvi stated he did not have enough time to study the Report and would not support it. George Hermanson amended his motion to accept the information provided in the Report but to oppose any increases in Impact Fees. Second by Robert Mulhere. Motion carried unanimously, I2-0. VII. Committee Member Comments B. Discussion of By-Laws - Chairman Varian Discussion resumed focusing on Items 6, 7 and 8. It was suggested to amend the Agenda to include the items. 6 December 3, 2008 Chairman Varian stated he would consult with Judy Puig to revise the Agenda format. Public Comment: Chris Straton, President, League of Women Voters of Collier County, introduced several members of the League in attendance and outlined their functions. She stated the League's focus for its meetings during the past year has been on Advisory Boards to the Board of County Commissioners. DSAC was one of four Advisory Boards picked for study and the basis for asking Chairman Varian to speak at a League meeting. She stated Collier County has a tradition of soliciting more public comments and suggested adding the topic of "Public Comments" to the DSAC Agenda. There was discussion concerning the influence and effectiveness ofDSAC, the reluctance of the BCC to attach any weight to DSAC's recommendations, as well as the composition of the Committee. It was mentioned that DSAC Minutes are available online. Clay Brooker stated it would be a good idea to add "Public Comments" to the Agenda. Chairman Varian stated the topic should also be included in all advertising. VII. Committee Member Comments Robert Mulhere stated he attended the BCC meeting on December 2, 2008 and reported the BCC unanimously approved motions for re-appointment submitted by DSAC. DSAC Meeting Dates: January 7, 2009 at 3:30 PM February 4, 2009 at 3:30 PM March 4, 2009 at 3:30 PM ***** There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the Chairman at 5:41 PM. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE William Varian, Chairman These Minutes were approved by the Board/Committee on as presented , or as amended 7