BCC Minutes 01/10/1995 RREGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 10, 1995,
OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COHMISSIONERS
LET IT BE REHEHBERED, that the Board of County Commissioners in
and for the County of Collier, and also acting as the Board of Zoning
Appeals and as the governing board(s) of such special districts as have
been created according to law and having conducted business herein, met
on this date at 9:05 a.m. In REGULAR SESSION in Building "F" of the
Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with the following members
present:
CHAIRWOMAN:
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Bettye J. Hatthews
John C. Norris
Timothy Constantine
Pam Hac'Kie
Timothy Hancock
ALSO PRESENT: Neil Dorrill, County Hanager
Ken Cuyler, County Attorney
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Call to order the Tuesday, January
10 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. Mr. Dotrill, if you
would lead us in an invocation and a pledge.
MR. DORRILL: Heavenly Father, we give thanks this
morning for the beautiful weather that we have enjoyed over the last
several days. Father, we give thanks for the wonder and beauty of our
community, Collier County. As always, Father, our prayer this morning
is that your hand would guide the deliberations and important business
decisions that are made by this county commission.
Father, we'd ask that you watch over our commander in
chief and our various federal and state officials. We give thanks for
the many people of Collier County who choose to participate in the
government here, and we'd ask that you bless our time together. And
we pray these things in Your Son's holy name. Amen.
(The pledge of allegiance was said.)
Item #2
APPROVAL OF AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA - APPROVED WITH CHANGES
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Do we have any changes to
our agenda? Mr. Dotrill, we have a short list.
MR. DORRILL: Yes, ma'am. Good morning, Madam Chairman,
Commissioners. I have just two changes this morning, actually three.
The first is I'd like to move item 16-E-1 to 8-E-1 under the regular
agenda. That's a recommendation to award this year's annual bid for
auctioneer services. 16-E-1 will become 8-E-1.
I have a request to continue a public hearing which is 12-C-1
-- it's petition AB-94-19 -- for one week until the meeting of the
17th.
The last item for purposes of the record this morning is the
presentation concerning the Gordon River bridge and the contract
modification for CH2H Hill who's the design engineer. It's shown on
our agenda after item 15. But that item has been specifically
advertised by the city to be an actual joint meeting with the county
commission.
My suggestion is that for purposes of the record that we
show that as item 10-H-l, that being a presentation concerning
eliminating corridor alignments in conjunction with the city. There
had been a special request that that be at or as close to 11 a.m. this
morning as possible.
I have a staff communications item that I'll bring up at
the conclusion of today, Madam Chairman. And that's all that I have.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Cuyler?
MR. CUYLER: Just a couple items, Madam Chairman.
MR. DORRILL: Mr. Cuyler has just indicated that 16-A-3
is a companion item to 12-C-1. That will also need to be continued
for one week. 16-A-3.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. That's all?
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chairman, I have a couple items.
Under county attorney's report, section 9, an addition of 9-B. I'd
like to add a brief discussion of PSC jurisdiction as it relates to
multiple county facilities and perhaps get some direction from the
board one way or another regarding intervention in a case that is
going to be pending.
And I have two items that I'll just note for your
information. I know that I don't need to add staff communications at
this point. But there's an item that's come up on the Lely guard
house, a courtesy copy of a complaint that's supposed to be filed
today. And I want to discuss that under staff communications and also
mention the First Assembly case under staff communications.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm sorry. What's the last one?
MR. CUYLER: The First Assembly case I'll mention under
staff communications.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay.
MR. CUYLER: And that's all I have.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you.
Commissioner Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Nothing further.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: No additions.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: None.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm going to have to spoil it. I
have one.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: You always do.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Actually I have two. I'd like to
add to the agenda under board of county commission which would be 10-I
I guess --
MR. DORRILL: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I had conversation yesterday with
the Greater Naples Civic Association on their visioning program. And
while I offered to participate in that a number of months ago, they
have indicated they would like to have an alternate because there are
some -- some meetings that I may not be able to attend. So amongst
ourselves, I wanted to have a volunteer alternate.
And then item 16-H-2 on the consent agenda, I would like
to move it to the regular agenda.
MR. DORRILL: 16-H-2 will become 8-H-3.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. This is the purchase of the
Pitney Bowes Spectrum equipment for the department of -- of revenue.
8-H-107 Is that what it is?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Three.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: H-3.
MR. DORRILL: It will be H-3.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: And that's all I have.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Commissioner Matthews, is -- the
visioning alternate member, is that any different from item 10-G?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes, it is. It's different from
the Marco Island visioning --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: This is -- I don't believe that is
the Marco Island visioning on 10-G.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Oh. Let me -- it was my
understanding it was not on the agenda, and I didn't go back to check
again.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: 10-G we have discussion regarding
appointment of board member to the Community Vision Steering
Committee?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Yes, that's exactly it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's the same thing?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah, and they're looking for an
alternate also.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER NORRIS:
Okay.
Okay.
So we don't need --
We don't need 10-I.
-- 10-I then?
You're absolutely right.
Okay. In that case I'll make a
motion that we approve the agenda and consent agenda with changes as
noted.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Any discussion?
I'll call the question. All those in favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes four to zero,
Commissioner Constantine being absent.
Item #3
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, AND NOVEMBER 22, 1994 AND
STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 1994 - APPROVED AS PRESENTED
Approval of the minutes?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll make a motion that we approve
the minutes of the regular meeting of November 15, 1994; November 22,
1994; and the strategic planning meeting of November 29, 1994.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second that.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there discussion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being no opposition, motion passes four to zero,
Commissioner Constantine absent.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Kind of like saying that, don't
we?
Item #4A1
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING JANUARY 15, 1995, - JANUARY 21, 1995 AS PURPLE
MARTIN WEEK - ADOPTED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Proclamations. Purple Martin
Week. Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you, Madam Chairman. Is
George Moore here? There you are, okay. Would you come forward and
stand here where the audience could see you, please, and I'll read
this proclamation?
Whereas, in a very short time thousands of our very
beautiful feathered friends, the purple martins, will return from
their winter home in Brazil; and
whereas, these birds will be searching for suitable
housing to enable them to nest and rear their young; and
whereas, the Florida legislature has designated Collier
County the purple martin capital of Florida -- CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Woops.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: -- and whereas, the Conservancy
Purple Martin Society is desirous of urging the public to erect proper
housing for these very valuable winged creatures by placing said
houses on their property; and
whereas, during the period of January 15 to the 21st,
1995, the Conservancy Purple Martin Society will endeavor to alert the
public to how valuable these birds are in helping to diminish the
insect and mosquito population.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that the week of January 15
through the 21st, 1995, be designated as Purple Martin Week.
Done and ordered this 10th day of January, 1995, by the
Board of County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida. George, congratulations.
MR. MOORE: Thank you very much.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: If you have a couple of words to
say, you're certainly welcome to -- to step over and use our podium.
MR. MOORE: Thank you very much.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Oh, you're quite welcome.
Thank you, Commissioner Norris.
Service awards, Commissioner -- oh, I'm sorry.
MR. MOORE: In the name of the Conservancy Purple Martin
Society, we'd like very much to thank you for the proclamation. And I
think it very appropriate that on Saturday two of our members in
different positions, one in Bonita Springs and one in Moorehead Manor,
have spotted the scouts from Brazil, and that will certainly be if not
the first in the nation within the first five.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Good. Thank you, George.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
Item #4B
EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS - PRESENTED
Commissioner Hancock, service awards.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Certainly. It gives me pleasure
this morning to hand out five service awards to county staff members.
The first is a certificate and pin for 15 years service in the road
and bridge department to Mr. Larry Brown. Larry, are you here? He
worked so hard he couldn't even make it here today. So we -- we thank
Mr. Brown for his service.
I have a ten-year service award for ten years in capital
projects, Thomas Donegan. Thank you, Mr. Donegan.
MR. DONEGAN: Thank you. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
MALE VOICE: Tom works hard too.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Tom's just better at scheduling.
That's all.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: His work is in-house.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: That's true. He has a shorter
trip to make.
I have two others. One is a five-year service award for
five years' service in emergency services, Miss Denise Clarke. Thank
you so much.
MS. CLARKE: Thanks.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Congratulations, Denise.
MS. CLARKE: Thanks.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Congratulations.
MS. CLARKE: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: And our last service award for
five years also in transportation services -- I'm sorry, development
compliance is Mr. Robert Stringer. Thank you, Mr. Stringer.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thanks.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I guess he's not here, is he, Mr.
Fabiano?
MS. FILSON: Yeah. He called, and he couldn't make it.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Also unable to make it today is
Steven Fabiano, five years in transportation services. We'd like to
thank him also.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you, Commissioner Hancock.
Item #4C1
JODI MORELOCK, PUBLIC SERVICES DIVISION, RECOGNIZED AS EMPLOYEE OF THE
YEAR FOR 1994
Now we move on to presentations, and it's -- it's my
honor and distinct privilege to present to an employee of Collier
County our employee of the year award. And it's quite an honor that
employees of Collier County bestow upon one of their own, and we
merely present it. But it's still an honor for me to be able to do
that.
That person this year has been chosen, and it is Jodi
Morelock. If she'll come forward, I'd appreciate it. We're going to
make you stand here for a little while.
Jodi began her employment with Collier County in 1978,
and she came to us as a CETA employee and moved on to social services
and eventually moved on to animal control.
She has been nominated the good neighbor on the Gulf in
the past. Great -- great thing to be. She joined animal control in
1982 as a kennel worker. And she has since moved from there to animal
control director, and that occurred in August of '94. She's
consistently achieved excellent or superior performance appraisals.
Very good.
She's been involved in many animal control department
programs such as promotion of animal care and control and the
responsible pet ownership program. She's also made monthly
appearances promoting animal care on WINK TV. She's helped develop
the rabies vaccination and animal licensing program with local
veterinarians to service outlying areas. She works very closely with
animals providing care, promoting adoptions, and locating the owners
of our lost loved pets.
In her off-duty time -- do you have any? -- Jodi -- Jodi
organizes and works with volunteer services and additional animal
organization work. She's dedicated to the goals of the animal control
department and willingly takes on new assignments to achieve these
goals. She's received letters from grateful members of the public
attesting to her dedication and devotion.
Jodi, we want to thank you. To do that, we have a
plaque that says Collier County Employee of the Year, 1994, Jodi
Morelock, in recognition of your outstanding ability and superior
performance. We also have for you a letter suitable for framing and a
check suitable for cashing in the amount of $250. Hay you enjoy it
and use it wisely. Thank you, Jodi.
Item #4C2
HARK NOBLES, UTILITY SERVICES DIVISION, RECOGNIZED AS EMPLOYEE OF THE
MONTH FOR JANUARY, 1995
Next we have another presentation, the employee of the
month for January '95. Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thank you. Is Mark Nobles here?
If you'd come up, please. I would say face the music but face the
cameras. Congratulations. This is a -- a wonderful, wonderful story
of -- of some recent achievements and some long-term dedication to
Collier County.
Mark began his employment with the county as a
maintenance mechanic in utilities, then the water department. He's
twice been promoted since 1987. He's currently a senior utility
technician.
And there is a very interesting and exciting, in my
mind, story that occurred just last month when Mark indicated and
proved again his dedication to his job. The county's north water
treatment plant was threatened by sand intrusion, and Mark volunteered
to head an effort to locate the sand which had threatened the two and
a half million dollar membranes. Mark worked several 24-hour straight
shifts as several segments of the cleaning operation required
continuous attention. He and other department crew members worked
over 700 hours to track, identify, and eventually eliminate this
problem.
In addition to -- to being willing to serve for several
24-hour shifts, this did prevent the county from having to hire
outside consultants and was a significant contribution in addition to
his regular contribution to the county.
Mark is well respected for his outstanding work
performance and work ethics by his supervisors, colleagues, and by
staff and other departments. I'm pleased to present the Collier
County employee of the month. Official recognition and appreciation
is tendered to Mark Nobles for exceptional performance January 1995.
And fortunately there is also a check suitable for cashing.
Congratulations.
Item #5
BUDGET AMENDMENT 95-126 - ADOPTED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Smykowski. I did it right
this week.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: In one week she got it.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Let's hear it for Commissioner
Matthews getting Mr. Smykowski's name right.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: For the record, Michael Smykowski,
acting budget director.
There is only one budget amendment that requires your
approval this morning on the budget amendment report.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Are there any questions?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion for approval.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Motion and a second to approve.
Any discussion?
There being none, call the question. All those in favor
say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
Item #SD1
CURRENT CONTRACT FOR THE PURHCASE OF SODIUH HYPOCHLORITE AT THE COUNTY
WATER TREATMENT PLANT (BID #94-2250) TERMINATED AND AWARDED TO ALLIED
UNIVERSAL CORP IN THE AMOUNT OF $.49 PER GALLON FOR BALANCE OF CONTRACT
Next on the agenda, we move on to our regular agenda,
further into it. What happened to page 27 Here it is. Item 8-D-1
under utilities, recommendation to terminate the current contract
award for the purchase of sodium hypochlorite.
MR. CARNELL: Good morning, Madam Chairman. For the
record, Steve Camell, purchasing director.
The recommendation before you is to terminate the
county's existing contract at the present time with Jones Chemical for
the provision of sodium hypochlorite that is used as our water
treatment process and to replace Jones with Allied Universal under
that contract.
Just a very brief history on this, Allied -- we went out
to bid during the summer. And on September 20 the board awarded this
contract to Jones Chemical who was the only bidder who submitted for
that particular line item. Jones submitted a price of 52 cents a
gallon.
They have -- in the contract, because of the volatile
nature of our chemical pricing, we do allow our contractors to seek
price adjustments when they have incurred increases from their
suppliers. Jones has requested an increase to take the contract from
52 to 62 cents a gallon.
As a perfunctory thing, what we do in the purchasing
department when we receive such requests is we go back to the market
and just check and see if we can do better. And we found a source
that will not only give us a price that's better than the increase but
actually better than the current price which is Allied Universal. And
Allied Universal is also offering to waive their right for price
escalation for the balance of the contract period. So they're locked
in at 49 cents.
We're paying 52, looking at going to 62, so we would
recommend -- and we've given Jones the opportunity to -- they've been
advised of Allied's offer and -- and are not able to come off their
request. They say they need it. So we've advised them that we were
going to recommend termination to the board and switching of
contractors to Allied Universal for the balance of the contract
period. And we're here for --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I just -- I just have one question
on it. Is there a clause in the contract for cancellation on
convenience?
MR. CARNELL: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There is, okay.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairwoman, I'd, first of
all, like to commend staff on their work. Mr. Camell, your
department has resulted in savings potentially of eleven or twelve
thousand dollars for the county. On behalf of county taxpayers, I'd
like to thank you. And I'd also like to make a motion that we approve
the recommendation to terminate the current contract and re-award per
staff's recommendations.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion on the motion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Thank you.
Item #BE1
BID #94-2298 FOR A FULL-SERVICE AUCTIONEER AGREEMENT - AWARDED TO FIRST
COAST AUCTION
The next two items on our agenda affect the airport I
believe.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: 16-E-1.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. Oh, oh, okay. The
auctioneer. Item 6 -- 8-E-1 used to be 16-E-1. Staff has moved this
from the consent agenda.
MR. CARNELL: Again, a double dose of me, Madam
Chairman, hopefully just as brief on this one.
This is an item, recommendation to award bid 94-2298 for
a full service auctioneer agreement. We have received two bids for
this contract. And as you -- you can see from your executive summary,
the bid offers were a virtual tie between the two bidders. We have
done a reference check and background investigation on both of the
firms and based on the information that we uncovered found some
questionable information regarding Golden Gavel Auctioneer out of
Tampa. I'm prepared to discuss that with the board if you so care to
this morning.
But what we've done in the process here, we had made a
recommendation in December to award to First Coast Auctioneer out of
Jacksonville. The Golden Gavel had submitted a protest to my office.
We considered their protest and reviewed it. A copy of the protest
from Golden Gavel and our response to the protest is in your back-up.
This item was moved to the regular agenda because we
were not clear as to whether Golden Gavel was going to appear today.
It'd be my suggestion to you, Madam Chairman, that if a representative
from Golden Gavel is here that we give them an opportunity to address
the board at this point. Otherwise we're prepared to make our
recommendation as it stands or answer questions of the board.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is there someone -- one here today
representing Golden Gavel Auctioneer of Tampa? Apparently not.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
approve staff's recommendation to a -- award the bid to First Coast
Auction. Is there any discussion on the item?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Thank you.
Item #8H3
COHPETITIVE BID PROCESS FOR THE DEPARTHENT OF REVENUE BILLING MACHINE
WAIVED AND PURCHASE OF THE PITNEY BOWES SPECTRUM FOLDING/INSERTING
SYSTEM AUTHORIZED WITH CONDITION
Next item on the agenda is 8-H-l, and I've been notified
that Mr. Drury's going to be a few minutes late. If it's all right
with the board, we can proceed to 8-H-3 which was on the consent
agenda.
MR. DORRILL: 16-H-2.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: 16-H-2.
MR. YONKOSKY: Madam Chairman, Commissioners, good
morning. For the record, my name is --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: If you -- if you don't mind, let
me -- let me say why I moved this from the agenda. And then you can
-- you can try to answer my concerns because I'd like to get this
done quickly. My -- my reason for moving this from the consent agenda
was that we had authorized the creation of the department of revenue,
and the -- there were two steps that we next required. And that was
to hire a -- a director for the department and put together an
implementation plan. We don't have that implementation plan, but
we're being asked to spend $20,000, and I -- I need to know why.
MR. YONKOSKY: Commissioner, you are being asked to
spend $20,000 -- my name -- for the record, my name is John Yonkosky.
You are being asked to authorize the expenditure of
$20,000. The reason for that is that on January 1 Pitney Bowes is
going to or has already initiated a price increase of approximately
25,000 -- $2,500 for this piece of equipment.
We -- Mr. Camell contacted them, and they agreed to
hold their current price until two things happened: Until the board
has approved the -- which is coming next week to them the job
descriptions for the department of revenue and the -- that the board
would allow this competitive bidding process to be waived in its
normal activity.
Two things have to take place. And the budget will not
be there for the department of revenue until -- later on this month is
when it's anticipated to come into existence. The board has already
approved the budget amendments, but the formal -- the adoption of the
resolution next week by the board will make the third step of the
process for the department of revenue come into play.
So the money will not be spent until the board has
actually taken additional action in the future. But this locks in the
price, the $2,500 savings, on this particular piece of equipment.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: You mean they're -- Pitney Bowes
has agreed to sell us this equipment at their 1994 price even though
we're not going to pay them for it until some future date?
MR. YONKOSKY: Well, they won't hold it forever.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, we -- you know,
implementation plan I imagine would be 90, 120 days. MR. DORRILL: Less than that.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Less than that you -- you think?
MR. DORRILL: Perhaps. The only other question that I
would have is the initiating department that made the request here was
actually the utilities finance department. And I know currently the
majority of utility billing accounts are handled on postcards. Are
they trying to anticipate a change to -- to acquire a machine that can
do a variety of type billings? But I saw that as -- as opposed to you
or some other member of the staff, it's the utilities finance
department that's making that request and --
MR. YONKOSKY: In order to install the lock boxes which
is part of the department of revenue concept, we're going to have to
have a machine that will take and stuff bills, eight and a half by
eleven bills, fold them, stuff them into the lock box -- or into an
envelope, and then put a return address envelope in order to maximize
the savings.
Utilities use -- utilizes somewhere between 75 to 80
percent or will use of this particular machine. They also need a new
printer which is scheduled to come to you within two weeks, a request
for competitive bidding on that. A special assessments portion of the
use of the lock box in the department of revenue will be coming to you
probably within three weeks. They will use the -- this machine also.
So whether or not you have a department of revenue, you
still need the machine to take advantage of the savings from the --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: But -- but does the current
software for the utility department have the capability to produce the
bills that are to be folded and stuffed by this machine? I mean, I --
I -- I'm just wondering if we don't have the cart before the horse. I
know it's not a lot of money. We're -- we're -- we're -- and -- and
that we're going down a path that's going to take us to where we
eventually want to go. I'm just a little bit concerned that we don't
have everything in the basket at one time that we -- that we might
need to really look at the total package.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can -- is it -- is it possible to
-- to authorize this expenditure contingent on our approval of this
-- this plan that's coming back?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Uh-huh. I would think so.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Would that be --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'd be willing to make a motion
that we do approve it based upon that contingency.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Would that be suitable to lock in
the Pitney Bowes?
MR. DORRILL: If it's not, then we'll bring that back to
you. This -- this cart is partially before the horse, but I think
your staff's doing good staff work in advising you of an opportunity
that presents itself to acquire a machine that even hypothetically
without a department of revenue your utility finance department still
needs to be able to generate and stuff those bills.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I understand that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Yonkosky, you --
MR. YONKOSKY: Yes, sir.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: If I understood you correctly, you
said that whether we go forward with the department of revenue or
whether we do not that we will use this and need this piece of
equipment in any case, either case.
MR. YONKOSKY: That's correct. We will need the
equipment.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
approve --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
Okay. Second.
Okay. So the motion is to
Is to approve --
-- upon the condition of the
approval of the implementation plan, okay. That's the motion. That's
the second, Mr. Norris?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Wait a minute. Hold it. Hold
it. Hold it.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It's contingent.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That was my -- that was my
motion. My motion was a contingent approval based on our approval.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: When will that approval come?
MR. DORRILL: Well, I would like to think that -- that
you'll see it in two -- probably three ways. You're going to see it
in a proposed staffing chart and some changes in job descriptions that
should be here within a week or two. MR. YONKOSKY: Next week.
MR. DORRILL: Final budget will come shortly after
that. The actual operational plan I would think would be back here
within 30 or 60 days in -- in terms of what the intent of the program
is.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: I'll withdraw my second because I
believe I've asked the question directly that we need the piece of
equipment whether we go forward with the department of revenue or
not.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: I tend to agree with Commissioner
Norris. If -- if we're going to have to have it and we're going to
need it anyway and we can save -- although you said twenty-five
hundred based on the second lowest bid, we're talking eight or nine
hundred dollars here. If we can save it, heck, let's save it.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, I -- I'm not having any --
any real problem with the motion because Mr. Camell said that Pitney
Bowes has agreed to hold the price at least for a period of time. I
would assume that period of time is 90 to 120 days.
MR. YONKOSKY: No, ma'am. The letter that's addressed
to it, Pitney Bowes will hold it for a reasonable amount of time, and
you might want to ask Mr. Camell. And he had some discussions with
them.
MR. CARNELL: They haven't been definitive about it.
When -- prior to getting the letter from me, they were saying, we need
a commitment prior to January 1 that you're going to buy this at some
point in time. And we qualified the commitment in the letter. It was
dependent on actions of the board. And then they came back and said,
we'll work with you. And they haven't really given us a definitive
time.
I suspect 90 days will work and will not be a problem
for them at all. I think where we got caught in it in part was an
end-of-a-year promotion and end-of-a year salesman trying to get a --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Uh-huh. That's what it sounds
like to me also. With -- with that in mind and Mr. Dorrill's
assurance that we're going to see this plan in 30 days or 45 days
maximum, I -- I will second the motion.
Okay. We have a motion and a second. I'll call the
question. Those in favor say aye.
Those opposed?
Okay. The motion passes four to one.
And let's hope we make the time frame. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Let's make the time frame.
Item #SH1
CHANGE ORDER NOS. 1-94-4 THRU 1-94-8; E-94-1 THRU E-94-4 AND E-94-6
WITH DUFRESNE-HENRY, INC. FOR THE DESIGN ENGINEERING AND PROJECT
MANAGEMENT OF TEN STATE AIRPORT GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS AT IMMOKALEE
REGIONAL AIRPORT AND EVERGLADES AIRPARK IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $391,368
- APPROVED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes. Okay. We'll skip back to
item 8-H-1. This is a recommendation by the Board of County
Commissioners to execute ten work orders. Mr. Drury?
MR. DRURY: Apologize for being late. I was down at the
Marco Island --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is -- is this any different than
anything we've heard before with the airport grants?
MR. DRURY: That's -- not -- this is actually following
through on what you've previously approved.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. In the effort to save time,
we've all heard this story before. I'd like to -- like to entertain a
motion.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, I'll make a
motion we approve the item.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: I'll second the motion.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE:
Mr. Drury on his presentation.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
in favor please say aye.
Those opposed?
I'd just like to compliment
Another great job.
I'll call the question.
Excellent. Efficiently done.
I'll call the question. All those
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Item #8H2
RESOLUTION 95-38 ACCEPTING A 50e HATCHING AIRPORT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT
OF $50,000 FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AVIATION
DIVISION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE AT
EVERGLADES AIRPARK AND INCREASING THE BUDGET FOR THIS ITEM TO $100,000
Thank you, Hr. Drury. Do you want to try another
presentation on 8-H-27
MR. DRURY: Yes. I'll --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Does this follow the same
guidelines?
MR. DRURY: This follows the similar guidelines. There
is a change --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay.
MR. DRURY: -- in this one in that the water -- the
airport authority went forward and got a $50,000 grant from the
Florida Department of Transportation for water and sewer at Everglades
Air Park.
When we had originally set the budget, we had
anticipated activating a well and a septic system that was at the
airport. Apparently that septic system and well do not meet the
health standards for a public use building today. So we found
ourselves short of dollars. We had budgeted $21,000.
We went to the Florida Department of Transportation and
asked them if they would help us with this problem. We came up with
cost estimates of $100,000 to bring in potable water and sewer system
to the airport to accommodate the new terminal building.
We then asked them if they would help participate in
that effort. They agreed to. Before you you have a $50,000 airport
grant which is a 50 percent match which means we would need to
increase our budget from 21,500 to $50,000 to leverage the $50,000
grant.
What we are asking that be done today is that the board
accept the $50,000 grant for the development of water and sewer
infrastructure at Everglades Air Park and increase the budget for this
project to $100,000 to reflect that $50,000 grant and an increase in
the budget from 21 -- by $28,500 added to the 21,500 already budgeted
for this project. We're asking that a transfer from reserves be
authorized for that additional $28,500.
In addition to accepting the grant, a resolution would
need to be executed and approved by the board accepting that $50,000
grant for water and sewer. And I -- I can answer any questions
regarding this request.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have one question. Mr. Dorrill,
on -- on the reserves, it's my understanding that we originally
committed to this couple of million dollars on the board's behalf of
funding through our line of credit or commercial paper program? Is --
are there adequate funds in the reserves without rating them, so to
speak, to -- to cover this amendment?
MR. DORRILL: I think so in terms of the -- we sort of
went through that analysis during the budget preparation phase, and I
think it is. In several weeks I'm going to come to the board and show
you -- because of the Save Our Homes legislation that went into effect
on January the 1st, I have become concerned that this board might have
to raise the millage rates in 1995 and 1996 --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think that was the idea behind
Save Our Homes.
MR. DORRILL: -- and '96, '97. And so I've got the
staff -- the budget staff has prepared a three-year expected cash flow
analysis based on budget assumptions. And we got some help with the
constitutional officers, and that's a little different question.
But the answer to your question specifically for his
projects for this year is yes, they're covered.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine, you had
a question?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: How much would it cost to
rebuild a septic system there?
MR. DRURY: We -- we were looking at about $70,000 for
the water and septic system as a project. We would have to do a
mounded system down there because the soil is all muck. And we'd have
to put in two pumping stations or grinder pumps, one for the security
facility, the sheriff's dwelling, and one for the terminal building
and two septic tanks and then pump to this mounded system. And it
would be, I guess, a temporary system that -- that would -- would
work. And the thought was go and get a grant and -- and put in a full
line that would tie into the Everglades sewer plant that they're
refurbishing at this time.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So for a small amount of
money more, half of which is going to be covered by the FAA -- MR. DRURY: State aviation.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I knew that wasn't right --
then we'll end up with a permanent system.
MR. DRURY: You'll have a permanent system that will
take the ultimate capacity of that airport.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Do you have a permit yet to tie
into the Everglades City -- MR. DRURY: No.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: -- water -- waste water system?
MR. DRURY: One of the things that we are going to do --
we've -- we've worked with Chuck Holke (phonetic) who's their
consultant down there on these issues. And he has encouraged us to go
this route as opposed to the septic system.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Uh-huh.
MR. DRURY: And we don't see a -- a problem in that
area. But until we get these dollars lined up and get the engineer on
board and go out and start designing and engineering and -- and
permitting, we have not got to that point.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: One last question. Is this grant
time sensitive because they've had a historically bad time getting the
funding for their waste water treatment plant?
MR. DRURY: This grant is not tied to their --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is this grant time sensitive? Do
we need to expend the money by a certain deadline?
MR. DRURY: We would have about two years to get this
project done or we lose the grant.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I would hope that we can
accomplish it in two years.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Hove the item.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have a motion. Do I have a
second?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. We have a motion and a
second to approve the recommendation of staff. Is there any
discussion on it?
I'll call the question. All those in favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Thank you, Mr. Drury.
MR. DRURY: And -- and for the record, I should say Tom
Palmet, county attorney, has recommended -- I think we said it
earlier -- that a resolution be exercised as part of this for the
acceptance of that grant. Thank you.
MR. CUYLER: There's a --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have one here.
MR. CUYLER: -- resolution in your agenda package that
was approved as part of that motion.
Item #9A
RESOLUTION 95-39 DENYING AN ENDORSEMENT OF A PROPOSED AMENDMENT BY A
MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TO COLLIER COUNTY SPECIAL ACT, CHATPER 67-1246,
LAWS OF FLORIDA, RELATING TO PLANNING AND ZONING - ADOPTED. COUNTY
ATTORNEY DIRECTED TO DEVELOP MAJORITY PLUS ONE VERBIAGE FOR A
RECOHMENDATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. So we move on. Next item
on the agenda is the county attorney's report and a proposed amendment
to the special act.
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chairman, this --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: 67-1246.
MR. CUYLER: Excuse me. This is an amendment that, in
fact, is being proposed by Mr. Anderson who's a local attorney and in
this case is indicating that he's acting on his own behalf. It's
something he has seen over the course of years, and he is going to
make a recommendation to the legislative delegation.
I've gotten a couple questions as to why this was on the
county attorney's report if the county's attorney's not proposing this
and that it didn't come forward based on our office's proposal.
And the reason it's on there is we explained to Mr.
Anderson that the legislative delegation was going to want to know
what the board's position is with regard to changing legislation that
affects the Board of County Commissioners.
It was too late at that point to get a public petition.
I indicated to him that I would put it on because I didn't really want
to get called down in front of the legislative delegation and have
them asking me questions about what the board's position on it was if
I didn't know.
So with that, I'll let Mr. Anderson actually make the
presentation and discuss with you what his considerations are.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Good morning, Mr. Anderson.
MR. ANDERSON: Good morning, Madam Chairman,
Commissioners. I do come before you as a private citizen, as a member
of the public sincerely interested in good government and as a former
member of the county attorney's office who does have an appreciation
for Collier County's unique four-fifths vote zoning change
requirement. And I also come as a present member of your development
services advisory committee which, incidently, has recommended
approval of this proposed amendment to the special act. I do not come
before you as an attorney representing any client.
The amendment to Collier County special zoning and
planning act is to address a glitch or a gap in the law that exists
between the county's 28-year-old special act and modern day conflict
of interest statutes which require or permit public officials in
Florida under limited circumstances to abstain from voting on matters
that come before them.
The special act was adopted in 1967. And in 1974 the
state constitution was amended to grant non-charter counties such as
Collier home rule powers which permit the county to adopt ordinances
that are not inconsistent with general or special law.
Prior to that constitutional amendment, Collier County's
authority to exercise zoning and planning powers depended on this
special act.
Today the special act is a source of supplemental
authority to exercise those powers which are now also granted by the
constitution and statutes that apply to all counties.
Modern day conflict of interest statutes through various
changes in the language over the years date from around 1972. At
present, section 112.3143 of Florida Statutes generally requires a
public official in Florida to abstain from voting whenever that
official or a member of that officialws family or someone that that
official has a business interest with would be financially affected by
a matter pending before that official.
In turn, section 286.012, Florida Statutes, requires
public officials to vote and prohibits them from abstaining unless
there is or appears to be the possibility of a statutory conflict of
interest, the latter being more in the nature of a discretionary call
to be made by the public official.
In the future, new legislation or court decisions may
require or encourage abstaining from voting under other specified
circumstances. So the amendment I have drafted is not tied to a
specific statute addressing abstentions but to any abstention required
or permitted by law.
The 27-word amendment to the special act would only
apply to those zoning changes where one or more commissioners
abstained from voting and would under those circumstances require a
majority vote of approval rather than a unanimous vote as is presently
required under those unusual circumstances.
I believe the amendment is fair, reasonable, limited in
applicability, and needed to square the requirements of an old special
law with the requirements of current general law.
Finally, I would ask you, is it fair, is it reasonable,
is it logical to require a four-fifths vote when the fourth or fifth
person is prohibited by law from casting a vote? Iwd be happy to try
to answer any questions that you may have.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Anderson.
Commissioner Norris.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Cuyler, the special act
references four-fifths vote? Is that what it does? MR. CUYLER: Correct.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Does that -- does that mean 80
percent of the county commission at any one given day, those that are
voting? Or does that mean you have to have four positive votes?
MR. CUYLER: My opinion is you have to have four
positive votes. Thatws the way wewve always read it.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. It doesnlt specifically
address that, though. Someone could make the argument that 80 percent
of the sitting commission is -- is four-fifths.
MR. CUYLER: They could, but I wouldnlt agree with them.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: But you wouldnlt give them much
hope --
MR. CUYLER: I wouldnlt agree with them.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: -- for their successful outcome of
that argument. Thatls my only question.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Three out of four is only
seventy-five percent, so Iim not sure what that argument would get
them.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: It becomes unanimous but still--
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: 3.2 out of the 4.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I mean, you couldnlt vote on it
with three members.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have to sort of half agree then,
huh?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just a couple of comments.
The date, the time frame, in which these changes took place and the
state act was put into place, if we stop and put into perspective
where was Collier County in 1967 and 1974 and what was the activity
level, it was certainly considerably smaller and considerably less
than where we are today. The numbers are astounding when you look at
them. The population and development rate in Collier County has
changed dramatically in that time period.
Mr. Anderson has said today and he said to me yesterday
he's not representing any particular client. And I'm sure for this
particular item that he's not. I've known Bruce a long time and known
him to be nothing but credible.
However, I'm sure it has occurred to Mr. Anderson that
there is a particular company that his firm has represented that this
would impact, a change would impact. And that's APAC. I refer to
this suggestion as the APAC assistance amendment because this summer
we had to -- we had four people participate. Commissioner Matthews
had to opt out. And the argument at that time was whether it needed
three votes or four votes.
This seems to me to be an attempt to change it, and I'm
sure there will be other instances. But it seems like a fairly
transparent attempt to do an end run on APAC and be able to bring that
back and perhaps get it through with four votes when they couldn't get
it through with -- with -- I'm sorry, get it through with three votes
when they couldn't get it through with four.
One of the things we hear most consistently any time you
talk about development is we don't want Collier County to end up
looking like Fort Lauderdale. We don't want Collier County to look
like Fort Myers. We don't want Collier County to look like Miami.
Zoning amendments aren't supposed to be easy here. Collier County
holds a different standard than other areas. That's true. But that's
by design. We are trying to maintain that quality of life that has
been lost in other metropolitan areas as they have grown.
So to make it easier for developers, to make it easier
for attorneys, to make it easier for those who would and will build is
not something I'm interested in. Mr. Cuyler and I have spoken. And
if there is some -- by some strange happening only three people can
participate, Mr. Cuyler's indicated he has a question as to what the
situation would be if you could only have three voters, whether you
would need three people or what have you. But -- and maybe we need
you to look at that and come back to us and tell us. And if that's
going to cause a problem, maybe this board needs to address that. I'm
not sure that something needs to be addressed by a private citizen,
but I think that's certainly a point worth looking at.
But as far as making it a simple majority of how many
ever are voting as suggested by Mr. Anderson, three-fourths is bad
enough, but a two-thirds is terrible. To think that you could change
zoning in this county simply by having the approval of two of the
commissioners is outrageous in my opinion. It's inappropriate.
So I for one don't have a whole lot of interest in this
other than to direct our staff to look at the unlikely possibility
that two have to opt out, two commissioners have to opt out.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: First of all -- several
comments. One is we're not talking about today the two-thirds
situation, and I -- I do absolutely agree with Commissioner
Constantine that that's something our staff should evaluate so that we
don't find ourselves in a position of having a temporary taking
argued. If -- if it's impossible for somebody to have a piece of
property rezoned, the property owner might argue that there is some
sort of temporary taking. So I agree with you completely that we
should look into the two-thirds.
I think that we should, however, not confuse that --
wait. And let me say, a way to look into that, I would propose, is
through the use of a hearing officer in that particular situation.
But again, that's something that should come before the board.
But what we're talking about today is the occasion where
four -- there are only four commissioners available to vote and four
is the required number for approval. I agree 100 percent that -- that
we don't want to make it easy in Collier County to get a fezone
approved. I would submit that in 1967 it was easy to get a fezone
approved. We didn't have comprehensive plans. The record shows that
fezones were approved willy-nilly in the sixties.
The situation has changed significantly now. We have
comprehensive plan that severely restricts our ability to make
changes, to make zoning changes, and -- and the result is that a
property owner -- and we'd like to call them all developers, but they
are property owners, and sometimes they're developers in the business
and sometimes they're people who this is their retirement, their piece
of property they've bought to invest in -- can find it overwhelming.
And -- and frankly, I find it unfair to have to get 100
percent, to get a unanimous vote of the county commission, that the
restriction -- the special legislation was put in place at a time when
that was the mechanism necessary to protect us from willy-nilly
rezonings. But now we have other mechanisms in place that protect our
county from becoming Fort Lauderdale and Hiami and -- and -- and Fort
Myers, et cetera.
I think that it would be possible for this proposal to
be supported by this board with a specific caveat that it not -- that
it only be applied to petitions filed subsequent to its effective date
because I share your -- your concern about the end run for APAC. I
wasn't on the board at that time, but that's an action the board took,
and it shouldn't be -- there shouldn't be a way to do an end run.
But I'm confident that we could adopt -- we could
propose that the legislature specifically state that the -- the
amendment would only be prospectively applicable and -- and not
applicable to anything that hasn't been submitted prior to the
effective date of the -- of the statute.
And I don't know -- Mr. Anderson, you know, frankly
don't think it's particularly relevant whether or not you think that's
a good idea. I think you're in that odd position of -- of supporting
something as an individual and having a client that one could argue
might benefit. But there's a way to avoid that potential benefit to
APAC or to anybody else who might want to raise this argument to say
that it's prospectively enforceable only.
I think that it's unfair to property owners and that we
have an opportunity here, and I appreciate Mr. Anderson doing the
research to find out what's the mechanism for solving what has been a
problem for some time in Collier County.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Agreed. We have two questions
here, and I actually have an answer to the first, I think. In a
situation where two commissioners abstain or have to recuse themselves
from a vote, if this board adopted a policy instead of four-fifths to
say a majority plus one, when there are five commissioners, that
requires four. When there's four commissioners, that requires four.
When there's three, that requires three. When there's two, that
requires two.
So as far as getting around when we have three how do we
interpret four-fifths, if we stated that -- restated it as majority
plus one, that goes away. You can then -- if -- if three recuse
themselves, you can then operate on a board with only two members.
Majority plus one would be those two members.
Now, that puts us again in a situation of any time
there's at least one person that -- that abstains that we're dealing
actually with 100 percent. You have to get 100 percent of the
remaining.
I'm one of the few people on this board that has sat on
both sides of this issue. I've sat on the side as a consultant. I
sit on the side now as someone who has no remaining interest in
anything but -- but this board.
It becomes an argument of whether or not the parochial
interests of a single commissioner should dictate what this board
does. And I'm not pointing any fingers in that, but we all know
through five years of dealing with this board, sometimes there --
there's a vote made up here, and you just can't figure out why. And
-- and -- and you have no idea why that particular commissioner voted
the way they did.
The protection for that is the -- the requirement that
this board has to have findings on any issue. If a rezoning is
refused, this board must adopt findings to substantiate the refusal of
that fezone. Those findings are, therefore, contestable in a court of
law.
What we're doing here is we are saying that if we do
have a commissioner at any given point that -- that exhibits a
parochial interest and doesn't adopt substan -- substantial findings
that we're going to court. That is typically what is happening. I
think there was a -- a fezone on a snake farm up in -- up in North
Naples that this board said this is a terrible idea. The residents
hate it. We're voting against it. The findings were not
substantial. I believe that was overturned, wasn't it, Mr. Cuyler?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: No, we passed that.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: You passed it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Because we did not have
substantial findings, we couldn't vote against it.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. And I think APAC is in
court right now if I'm not mistaken. So there is a recourse -- MR. CUYLER: Mr. Anderson represented the snake farm
too.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
Eaton Place.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK:
Were you the snake farm guy?
I just received papers today on
Eaton Place.
Eaton Place.
Okay. The question here is
whether or not we adopt a policy that removes the parochial element of
one commissioner in the case of - of someone abstaining having, quote,
unquote, control over a fezone or whether or not we continue the
practice of allowing the courts to decide whether or not -- when our
findings are or are not substantial and competent.
So I would offer, first, if -- if -- and I have heard
the comment on this board, I can count to three. And I believe on
this issue I'm counting to three. But -- but I would suggest that --
that in the interest of fairness that we look at revising the language
to at a minimum a majority plus one so that should there be two
abstentions this board can operate with three voting members without
having to have a legal interpretation of that and so forth. That
would be my recommendation on that.
The other -- I think Commissioner Mac'Kie is open at
looking at this. I certainly understand the complexities of both
sides. And it's -- it's a question to me as to whether or not this
board wants to -- to assume that there will never be a parochial
interest of any commissioner in the case of an -- an abstention or
whether or not we want to let our county attorney spend a lot of time
in court on those issues. And I'll leave that question open for the
discussion of the board.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. If we -- before we start
round two, if I can make my comments since you've all had one shot at
it, I -- I don't really look at our four-fifths requirement as having
to secure a positive four-fifths vote but in avoiding a negative
two-fifths vote. And it seems to me on zoning issues that if you have
40 percent of the people eligible to cast that vote opposed to it,
that's a significant number, and that -- that bothers me.
What -- what I would like to throw on the table for this
board to entertain and -- and I believe each of you, if you haven't
already gotten it, will soon be getting the list of workshops that we
talked about last Thursday. One of the items on there is -- is our
land development code and its criteria. And it -- it seems to me that
it would be a whole lot easier for this board in the future if we were
to thoroughly examine the land development code and make sure that we
are satisfied that that code and its criteria is going to take us
where we want to go. We will have no difficulty developing findings
for turning down any zoning issue that we for one don't want to see go
forward.
The other -- the other option that's available if we
were to do this is to then look at the opportunity of a hearing
officer. Once we have the land development code taking us in a
direction that the citizens want to go, the hearing officer with an
appeal process to this board would -- would be another method by which
the hearing officer can only make their findings based on the criteria
established in the code. And I -- I for one feel it's our job to
establish the criteria so that we get what we want and we don't have
this am -- ambiguity going on. But that's my comment.
Mr. Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The -- we won't get into the
hearing officer debate today.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: No.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Couple of thoughts. I
disagree with Commissioner Hancock that we need to try to control what
goes to court and what doesn't. Frankly, we can't.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I -- I want to clarify. I don't
believe I said we need to control that. I said it's a discussion of
whether or not we choose one avenue or the second.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The -- just by way of a
couple examples, Osprey Landing prior to when anyone currently on this
board was on this board lost by two or maybe three people voted
against that. It went to court -- I think Mr. Anderson was in on that
one, too -- and was overturned. And that was not at the whim of one
commissioner.
There was an affordable housing project on Radio Road.
Dave Rynders was the attorney. That was a three-two vote it lost on,
and that was overturned; again, not the whim of one commissioner.
So I think we're going to end up -- unfortunately, in
today's world of attorneys, we're going to end up going to court
regardless. But I think that court system is the check and balance
that exists right now if there is a whim and -- and not substantial
findings.
Commissioner Mac'Kie, you're saying it's unfair to
property owners, and I disagree. I think the vast majority of the
requests for zoning changes come from developers and builders, not
from individual single homeowners. They come in, but that's not the
majority clearly. And it is very potentially unfair to the
surrounding property owners if they only require three here.
You are correct that there are other mechanisms used in
concert with this to assure that we don't end up to be a Hiami or a
Fort Lauderdale. But I don't think now's the time to begin
dismantling those things. And that's what I see. This is a step
toward dismantling and making it easier.
The burden should be on the person who wants to change
the zoning. Property rights is one thing, but property rights go with
existing zoning. If you want to change that, the burden should be on
you, the person who wants to change that.
So zoning amendments, as Commissioner Hancock pointed
out, cannot be denied just on -- on parochial interest. There has to
be some substantial findings. And if they aren't there, then it's
going to be, as has been proven -- are going to be overturned in
court.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think my -- my suggestion,
though, is that we go through our land development code very carefully
so that we have readily available what those findings are. And if a
developer should choose to go into court, he's not going to get a lot
of relief.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I would -- and I agree with
that. I'm gonna -- I realize there may be more discussion. I'm going
to make a motion that we --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, we -- we did have more
discussion, and I'm sure there's public comment on it. Are you
finished with your comments?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I have a parting shot too.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just -- just a final thought
I guess. I agree with Commissioner Hancock that one way to address
the question very simply is to make it a majority plus one so that you
know if some commissioners have to opt out, then you need the four if
there are only four and you need the three if there are only three and
in the highly unlikely event there's less than that, circus will
erupt. But I think that's an excellent way of addressing this
specific concern of Mr. Anderson's without dismantling the process we
rightfully have in place now.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. I think it might be useful
to go back in history and find out what the -- remember what the
impetus for the '67 special act was. This was shortly after the
rezoning and the approval for Golden Gate Estates which was at the
time and still remains the largest subdivision in the world was -- was
placed over our valuable and very sensitive wetlands in the eastern
part of our county, drained, dredged, and filled and drained all the
-- the swamp land out there which we consider very -- very
ecologically sensitive and valuable today and would like to reverse
that. Unfortunately it's a little late for that.
And the '67 act, of course, was -- was a response to
that. We -- we are, Mr. Cuyler, I guess, the only county that does
this or one of the very few at least that has this type of super
majority for rezoning issues.
But -- but I think it's appropriate for our county
because we are different. We are very sensitive. We have a lot of --
of environmentally sensitive areas left in this -- this county. And
we want to make sure that we protect them to the fullest extent
possible.
And I think at the same time that Commissioner Hancock's
suggestion that if any amendment should be made to this act that the
-- that just the substitution for the words majority plus one
accomplishes the same thing that -- that we're doing now. But in the
almost totally unforeseeable circumstance that two commissioners would
-- would abstain on the same particular issue, then the county
commission could continue to fulfill its responsibility and look at
the issue and vote on it by having a majority -- with three
commissioners that would be a majority. Two of them would be a
majority plus one would be three. So the county commission could
still function with two members abstaining. So that to me sounds like
a reasonable solution, to just simply insert that language in place of
the four-fifths majority.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'll make this quick. In all --
in all fairness, the one thing that I'd hoped to bring to this board
was maybe both sides of the coin at times. I can't disagree with --
with Commissioner Constantine in that we need to be a little more
strict on our rezoning approaches in this county. We need to be a
little more, I guess, comprehensive. When we do have one member
abstain, I know that makes it extremely difficult on the petitioner if
there's any public conflict whatsoever on getting -- getting it
passed.
We currently have two items that are -- Eaton Place and
I think APAC that are in a court system where both would have received
or did receive a majority of the sitting commission both where we had
one abstain and one where we had none. We had five sitting members
for Eaton Place and four for APAC. Both of those are, I guess, in
court now.
If at some time we can show that there is a track record
of this board where there's been either someone who's abstained or
where no one has but a majority vote was held and did not succeed in
the fezone, yet we go to court and keep getting overturned, then we
may have the basis for looking at this request again.
But I need to see that information. I need to see where
this board has erred in not having sufficient findings in a pattern
before I'm comfortable changing the way we currently do business.
That -- that's the only impetus I see for making the -- that level of
change.
However, like I said, the point you brought out about if
we're down to three members, how do we function, I think we can
resolve that quickly. So I'll -- I'll put that out there as -- as my
feeling, and -- and we'll go to public comment if there's no one
else.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I can count to three.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. We have public comment, Mr.
Dorrill.
MR. ANDERSON: Could I offer a few comments and -- based
on what I've heard this morning?
Number one, let me emphasize that I am not interested in
making zoning changes or rezoning easier. I'm interested in making
them fair. If we make them too easy, then people won't need a
lawyer. And God knows I don't want to do that.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes, Mr. Anderson. We
understand.
MR. ANDERSON: Number two, some of the instances that
you have cited where the county has been reversed on -- on -- on your
zoning decisions, some of which I've been involved with, did have all
five commissioners voting.
Third point, we fully expect the courts to decide the
APAC issue and don't expect that it will come back before you. But in
the event that you're concerned about your -- the merits of my
proposal are colored in any way by concerns about what happened with
APAC and if it came back before you, I'm perfectly prepared to offer
an amendment to the special act that would preclude the possibility of
this amendment applying to the APAC situation and any other matters
that you've previously denied under these kinds of circumstances.
Finally, I would -- based on, you know, the wide-ranging
discussion I've heard this morning and a lot of good ideas that you
might want to give some thought to outright repealing the special act
because it's -- it's my view -- and I don't know whether Mr. Cuyler
would agree or not -- but you -- you have the authority under your
home rule powers to require a four-fifths vote approval independent of
this special act. And if you were later to want to tinker with that
or change the language in any way or provide for a hearing officer
under certain circumstances, you may find -- will probably find that
the special act ties your hands in that regard unnecessarily so.
So you might want to consider instead of this -- this
narrow amendment I proposed just an outright appeal of the special act
because your land development code today already has in place a
four-fifths vote requirement independent of this special act.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I -- I don't think I would support
that. I believe the special act would make -- would require this
board to be very deliberative in making such a change. I -- I -- I
would think a change like that would be a drastic change in the way we
do business. And, frankly, the special act can only be repealed in a
certain time frame annually. And we would have to apply a great deal
of thought to -- to what we're doing. So I'm -- I'm -- I myself am
not in favor of -- of that.
MR. CUYLER: Just for my part, that may be something
some day we do. I've never talked to Mr. Anderson about repeal a
special act. But that may be something some day we do come to you
with.
But we -- as you said, we need to give that a lot of
thought and look at it very carefully over the course of months or a
year to the next legislative session.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Dorrill, how many public
speakers do we have?
MR. DORRILL: Only one in Mr. Keller.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Mr. Keller.
MR. KELLER: Okay. George Keller. I've been coming
before this board for 14 years representing as many as 21 civic
organizations. I do it free. I'm now before this board as a
concerned citizen and also as a board of director of the Golden Gate
Estates Civic Association and as their elected speaker to come before
this board on any matters that might affect the people in the
estates.
As I see it right now, I -- I don't think I have to
worry about it because I think I've got three commissioners that agree
with me that don't fix something that isn't broken.
You know, going back to the history of this -- this --
this stuff on provisional use, there was a -- there was a state
statute put in many years ago that said if you wanted to put
provisional use into an area, it had -- it had to be for the benefit
and health and -- and -- and benefit for the citizens. In other
words, you couldn't put a church next to a house or you couldn't put a
fire station next to a -- in a -- in a community like Pine Ridge which
we turned down. And you couldn't put even an asphalt plant in a
commercial area which we turned down some time be -- right down in the
commercial area right downtown which is downtown now or either out in
-- in the commercial area out where 1-75 and 951 come together.
So it has -- it doesn't affect all the time private
people, private houses. It affects also the degrading property and
commercial areas too. And we purposely put in the provisions for four
-- four votes to prevent us getting into a proposition where we were
messing up Collier County's zoning, period. So let's not dilute that,
number one.
Unfortunately I'm -- I'm -- it's sad to say that we have
over the period of time had commissioners that in order to go and earn
a living have represented people who have come before this board for a
petition. And -- and according to our state statutes, you -- you
can't do it. You can't vote on something where you've got an interest
involved.
But over the period of 14 years, it's been very, very
rare, very, very rare where we had a circumstance like APAC where we
had a problem and as -- as was stated. These -- these -- these
solutions can be handled in court. They can sue you every time you
make a -- make a zoning change. Somebody can sue you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Keller, it's - it's obvious
this board is not going to move forward with this.
MR. KELLER: I -- I -- I agree with you, but what I
would -- the only reason why I'm talking at all is to give you some
background so that when it comes up again, please don't even consider
it. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, if I could
make a motion --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- that we deny the
endorsement as requested by Mr. Anderson and/or Mr. Cuyler and -- but
that we ask Mr. Cuyler to put together the, quote, majority plus one
verbiage that Commissioner Hancock so eloquently outlined earlier.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second on
the floor. Is there discussion on the motion?
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chairman, if Mr. Anderson wants to
change his language to that, that may be the only way to get it in
front of the legislative delegation because I think the time for
submittal of bills is probably past.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me amend my motion that
this board will decide after you return with the verbiage whether or
not we want to change the special act, not -- not leave that
responsibility up to a private citizen.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Motion and a second. Is there
discussion on the motion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
All those opposed?
Motion passes four to one, Commissioner Mac'Kie being
opposed.
Item #9B
PSC JURISDICTION - COUNTY ATTORNEY DIRECTED TO INTERVENE IN DISCUSSIONS
Next item on the agenda is item 9-B, a discussion of the
PSC jurisdictional --
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chairman, I -- I think the board has
some information on this. I'm going to ask Mr. Palmet to give you,
since this is an add-on, a very brief update as to where we are and
then look to the board as to whether you want to give us some
direction regarding intervention.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have one question. Has the
attorney from -- which county is it, Mr. Hancock? Fernando County?
Has he contacted --
MR. CUYLER: We've -- we've spoken --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: -- us?
MR. CUYLER: -- both to a Sarasota assistant county --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: He didn't me.
MR. CUYLER: -- a Sarasota assistant county attorney
that is in the forefront of this as well as -- MR. PALMER: Wayne Schneider and Mr. Michael Tomy up in
Tallahassee.
MR. CUYLER: Mr. Tomy's the gentleman, I believe, that
gave a presentation.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. He's the person that spoke
with us, yes.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Schneider's the one that I
gave your name and -- and phone number to to contact you. MR. CUYLER: Correct.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: And I wanted you to be the point
of contact since it seemed to be a legal matter instead of coming to
us, then to you. That didn't make sense to me.
MR. CUYLER: Right. I spoke to and Mr. Palmet spoke to
him as well.
MR. PALHER: Commissioners, in 1989 the Florida
legislature amended a portion of the Florida Statutes as applicable to
water and waste water utilities. That section is 367.171,
subparagraph 7. And in that amendment they inserted language that
stated that the Public Service Commission would have exclusive
jurisdiction over all utilities that service traverses county
boundaries.
Mr. Tomy worked for State Attorney Butterworth at the
time and drafted that particular language. And it was his intent and
he thought the intent of the Florida legislature that that language
meant actually the traversing of one county boundary into another
county boundary of a physical utility facility.
Over the years rulings are the Public Service Commission
have expanded the scope of that language. And there is presently at
this time and scheduled for three days of fact-finding hearings on the
23rd, 24th, and 25th of this month a case that has one of its major
issues whether or not Southern States Utilities will be under the
exclusive jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission for every one
of its facilities in the state of Florida which would include the
facilities in Marco Island.
Now, depending on the outcome of that case, the result
could be that if Collier County should ever opt out and, therefore,
want to acquire rate-making jurisdiction over Southern States
Utilities or Marco Island or any other utility in Collier County that
has service in any other county in Florida without a physical
interconnection, then that would preclude this board from ever having
rate regulation jurisdiction over any such utilities.
We have been invited -- the county has been invited to
intervene in the case on the side of the proponents. There are four
counties presently involved in the matter fighting the notion that the
language would allow the Public Service Commission to have exclusive
jurisdiction over these facilities including in this instance the
Southern States Utilities facility and Marco Island which obviously
has no physical interconnection with any other county.
And the issue before us today is whether or not the
board would want the county attorney's office to formally intervene in
the proceedings.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Let me make a comment on -- on --
on the practicality of -- of what is being offered by -- by the PSC
and SSU. SSU operates any number of water and waste water treatment
plants around the state. And they are regulated by the PSC for rate
changes and so forth.
Currently under the old rules, the PSC would hear
roughly 500 -- is that what they said? -- 500 rate cases in -- in any
given period of time. And SSU might represent 20 percent of that
500. They would have to prepare for 500 individual rate cases.
What -- what has been offered -- and I believe it was
offered by the PSC; SSU didn't particularly ask for it -- but what
they have offered is to give them a -- a standard rate that applies
across the entire state which means some areas of the state will
subsidize other areas. There -- there are some benefits to SSU for
this obviously. They'll have to prepare only nine -- only one rate
case instead of ninety-nine.
The other benefit is for the PSC itself. It will only
have to hear one rate case instead of one hundred. In addition to
that, the PSC gets a four -- I think a four or four and a half percent
franchise royalty.
MR. PALMER: Yes.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So it obviously will have to do a
whole lot less work for the money that it earns.
Now, there is -- in a practical sense there -- there is
a question that Marco Island, if this were to occur, will benefit from
it happening because right now Marco Island's rates are higher than
the standard rate that's being asked for at this time.
But remembering that, the utility companies are
guaranteed a twelve or twelve and a half percent profit on their
investment plus the four and a half percent franchise royalty going to
the PSC. It seems to me that all a utility would have to do is to
visit some areas within the state, make some investments in some
rather poorly operated utilities, and Marco Island would very quickly
find itself on the other side or being a contributor to the rate
structure.
And the other thing that's at hand, if this passes and
SSU is successful, Florida Cities will most certainly jump on. And I
believe that the rate structure affecting Golden Gate is the reverse
of the Marco Island rate structure. Their rates will go up. So -- we
-- we have a situation that I think we need to -- to talk about.
Commissioner Constantine.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The -- I'm very well familiar
with this and the PSC and the issues because we've -- I've been on the
front of fighting them against Florida Cities on -- a couple of times,
fighting Florida Cities in front of the PSC a couple of times.
You're right that this may be better for the company and
may be easier for the PSC, but I think the loser here is the customer
and the public at large from a couple of points.
The companies have some specific criteria by which they
can apply for rate increases which the most obvious is their capital
expenditures. Right now in any given area, in any given location,
you're going to have a limit on how frequently and how much capital
needs there are. And as a result, be it here or be it any community,
the need then to increase their rates related to that is limited
somewhat; whereas, if you have a statewide pool, you have a
never-ending pool of capital expenditures and increases.
Also right now the way the law is written because you
have to review each locale separately, you have to have public
hearings at each locale separately. And I think the voice of the
customer will be lost if they go statewide because you won't need to
have a public hearing in Marco Island, Florida, or Golden Gate,
Florida, when those companies push for an increase statewide. They'll
do their business in Tallahassee, and people who are being affected by
it will in effect never have a voice in the process.
So I'd like to see us get on board. I'd like to see --
I don't know how much -- maybe you can tell me how much participation
the Florida Association of Counties is going to have, but we should
certainly encourage that. But I know there are other counties
pursuing this, and I think we should jump on board.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, it's my understanding that
the Florida Association of Counties intends to get involved in this.
I'll -- I'll have a better feel for that after Thursday and Friday
with the -- with the intergovernment summit that's taking place
Thursday and Friday.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We'll have close to 50,000
residents affected by it so --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Oh, yeah. We certainly will. I
believe Mr. Cuyler has a comment.
MR. CUYLER: Just one other point. I think at this
point the other counties have asked us to join. Obviously at this
stage of the proceeding things are pretty well set as far as issues.
They -- they mainly want the PSC to understand and the hearing officer
to understand that there are more than just a couple counties that are
interested in this.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. It's my understanding that
they're -- they're looking for us to file as an intervenor, not
necessarily for us to participate or even to participate in it at this
point financially but just to add the weight of another county joining
in and being opposed to this.
MR. CUYLER: Correct. We'll adopt their pleadings and
the -- the issues that are set. Obviously if there's a ruling against
the counties, it goes to court. Then under those circumstances there
may be a different level of participation. But at this point they
mainly just want us involved, and they are --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Madam Chairman --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Excuse me. I -- I think Mr.
Hancock --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sorry.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Just quickly, the -- the -- so
the FAC is interested in taking the solo lead with us in a tag-along
position is my understanding.
Secondly, there's an element of this that I think the
public has a -- a reason to be very concerned about and that is if SSU
basically becomes a blanket or any other entity becomes a blanket
statewide, state set utility operator, what then happens is it begins
to acquire what you may call less than acceptable sites that are very
costly to operate knowing full well that the balance of sites within
the state will compensate them or will adjust for the operation of
that site. In other words, it becomes attractive to take the dogs and
not just the well-run and well-operated sites, and we all end up
paying for it.
The bottom line is if we're successful in this, then we
will maintain some level of county accountability and control and rate
setting for our residents. If we don't, we've given control to the
PSC completely and fully, and I don't think that's the interest or in
the interest of anyone in Collier County.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I just wanted to move that we
direct the county attorney to intervene in this action in accordance
with these discussions.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion on the motion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor please signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
This -- this is something that I think for the
protection of the citizens of Collier County, both SSU rate payors and
Florida City rate payors, that we need to -- to watch it very
carefully. Finished with that one. Good.
Item #10A
RESOLUTION 95-40 APPOINTING BRADLEY CORNELL TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD - ADOPTED
Moving forward, we are into the Board of County
Commissioners portion of the agenda. Is that 10:307 Oh, we'll
probably finish this up before the city gets here. Item 10-A,
appointment of a member to the Environmental Policy Technical Advisory
Board. We have one opening and two applicants, and it's my
understanding that one applicant is out of the area a majority of the
year.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairman, I would like to
move that we appoint Mr. Brad Cornell --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: -- to attend.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Any discussion on the motion?
There being none, I'll call the questions. All those in
favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Item #10B
RESOLUTION 95-41 APPOINTING VIVIAN ST. LOUIS, DOUGLAS WILSON & ROBERT
BENNETT TO THE BLACK AFFAIRS ADVISORY BOARD - ADOPTED
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Hadam Chairman, on 10-B
there's three openings and three people.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Makes it simple, doesn't it? Is
that a motion?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'd like to make a motion we
appoint those three folks.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Motion and a second. Is there any
discussion?
There being none '-
MS. FILSON: Can I -- can I make one comment?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes.
MS. FILSON: On two of these because the terms expire in
'95 we're requesting that they be appointed for the short term plus
the total of another four-year term.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I think he moved staff
recommendation.
MS. FILSON: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: You're moving the recommended
appointment, Mr. Constantine?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes, I am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: And the second, is that the
intention?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There being a motion and a second,
is there any discussion?
Being none, I'll call the question. All those in favor
please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Does that work for you, Gil?
I see you look bewildered.
MR. ERLICHHAN: Who are these people?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Vivian St. Louis until 1999, and
for the short terms, Douglas Wilson and Robert Bennett.
Item #10C
RESOLUTION 95-42 APPOINTING ROBERT BENNETT, JR. AND VIVIAN LAGER TO THE
CITIZENS ADVISORY TASK FORCE - ADOPTED
Next item, appointment of members to the Citizen
Advisory Task Force. We have three applicants and two members to be
appointed to serve two-year terms. Do we have any recommendations?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairman, it's my
understanding that the Citizens Advisory Task Force has recommended
Ms. Lager and Mr. Bennett. I don't have any problem with that
recommendation whatsoever, but just for the -- the rest of the
commissioners, I would like to point out, I met with Mr. Timothy
Lynch. He was recently elected to the soil and water conservation
district. He's eclipsed me. He now calls himself the youngest
elected official in Collier County.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: They're just dropping like
flies.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: But he has applied for another
board which I think he'd be better suited for. But I do want to point
him out as a strong applicant. And I'll make a motion that we approve
Ms. Lager and Mr. Bennett --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: -- per the staff recommendations
or per committee recommendations, excuse me.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
appoint Vivian Lager and Robert Bennett to the Citizens Advisory Task
Force. Are there -- is there any discussion on the motion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Next item -- you have a question on the next one?
Item #10D
RESOLUTION 95-43 CONFIRMING THE APPOINTMENT OF MARY SCHULTHESS AND THE
REAPPOINTMENT OF DOROTHY DEMICHELE TO THE ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE AND
MENTAL HEALTH PLANNING COUNCIL - ADOPTED
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The next one.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Next item is appointment of
members to the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Planning
Council. We have a recommendation from the council to appoint Mary
Schulthess.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Move approval.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We -- we have a motion and a
second. Is there discussion on the item?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah, I have a question.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't have any problem with
Miss Schulthess. However, do we know if there were any other
applicants and -- it just seems odd to me that there's a
recommendation put forth and we don't know if anyone else applied or
who they were or --
MS. FILSON: This is the way they have always done it,
historically sent me a letter for confirmation of their
recommendation. And also they're also requesting a reappointment of
Dorothy DeMichele also. No, they have not submitted other
applications.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I guess if it's coming to the
board for -- if it's required to come to the board for approval, we
probably ought to know who else applied and what the process is and so
on, and that's never been outlined when we hear it. You're right.
We've always heard it this way. This case doesn't matter. I'm
uncomfortable with that. In this case it doesn't matter. She's a
great person and will do a wonderful job I'm sure. But in the big
picture we ought to know when they advertised, how many -- how many
applicants they got, and so on. MS. FILSON: Okay.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have a question then. Is this
an appointment or confirmation?
MS. FILSON: It's the -- it's a confirmation of their
recommendation.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. A confirmation of their
recommendation or a confirmation of their appointment? Are they
appointing --
MS. FILSON: Of their recommendation. You make the
final decision.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think we do need to know more.
Mr. Constantine -- oh, I'm sorry. I believe the motion only includes
Mary Schulthess. Do you want to expand that?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
Dorothy DeMichele?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK:
accordingly.
Yes, to incorporate --
-- to include the reappointment of
Yes, ma'am.
Second?
I'll amend the second
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. We have a motion and a
second.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Does she have our direction
as well?
MS. FILSON: Yes, I'll contact --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think -- yes, she has our
direction. I'll call the question. All those in favor of the motion
please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five to zero.
Item #10E
RESOLUTION 95-44 APPOINTING PEDRO VAZQUEZ TO THE HISPANIC AFFAIRS
ADVISORY BOARD - ADOPTED
COHHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, the next
item, we need to fulfill one vacancy, and there is one applicant.
I'll move staff recommendation.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: We have a winner. Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Motion and a second. Discussion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being no opposition, motion passes five-zero.
Item #10F
EXTRA GAIN TIME FOR INMATE NOS. 87660 AND 86094 - APPROVED
We are now to item -- it's gain time -- 10-F. We have a
motion -- we have a need motion authorizing extra gain time on two
inmates in the jail.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Question?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairman, I'd like to --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Just a second. Commissioner
Constantine?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm just curious. On the
second item, it's retail theft/resisting a merchant. Now, is that
turning down a salesman? What exactly is resisting a merchant?
THE BAILIFF: Resisting a merchant would be when they
try to detain them, they don't want to be detained.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I would think that's human
behavior.
THE BAILIFF: I suspect so.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Do we have any other questions on
the --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I was just going to -- we made a
request of the sheriff's department to give us the additional
information with these, and I'd like to thank them for doing so. It
was a lot easier to read this time and -- and understand what we were
doing.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It was. It was. The -- let me
ask a question. We have one person here who's being recommended for
five additional days of extra gain time who's driving on a suspended
driver's license, and I -- I know in the past we have -- we have
frowned on extra gain time for -- as applied to a person who -- who is
serving time because they already violated one law. Why should -- why
should we reward them for having violated the laws that do exist a
second time?
But any -- anyway, with that in mind, I would be glad to
entertain a motion.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'll make a motion that we
approve -- do we need three separate motions or one motion?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: One motion or two?
MR. CUYLER: We generally do these by one motion.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'll make a motion that we
approve all three inmates for gain time as recommended by the
sheriff's office.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: There's only two inmates
here.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There's only two.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'm sorry. In that case I'll --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are you looking to get out
early, Tim?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Well, I'm trying to buy time for
myself. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion. Do I have a
second?
There not being a second --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion on the motion?
I'll call the question. All those in favor please say
aye.
All those opposed?
That motion passes three to two with Constantine and
Matthews in the opposition.
Item #10G
RESOLUTION 95-45 REAPPOINTING COMMISSIONER MATTHEWS AND APPOINTING
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK TO SERVE AS AN ALTERNATE ON THE COMHUNITY VISION
STEERING COMMITTEE - ADOPTED
Next item, we are going to have a discussion regarding
the appointment of a board member to the Community Vision Steering
Committee. This is for the golden -- I'm sorry, the Greater Naples
Civic Association visioning process that is currently going on.
What they are looking for are two -- actually two
volunteers. They're looking for a regular member which I -- I
volunteered to Brad Estes back in I guess it was October when they had
their -- their first visioning meeting to participate in this. And if
the board wishes, I -- I would be pleased to continue with that. But
because there will be meetings, i.e., the first meeting, that I will
not be able to attend, they're -- they're looking for an alternate to
handle the board's input on -- on it when I'm not able to attend.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairman, I happen to know
a little bit about this planning thing. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Just a bit.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Just a little bit. If no one
else has a strong feeling, I'll be more than happy to step in as an
alternate.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve
Commissioner Matthews with Commissioner Hancock as the alternate.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Not that you were waiting for
that, were you?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
approve Commissioner Matthews and Commissioner Hancock as the member
and the alternate respectively. Is there any discussion on the
motion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor please say aye.
All those opposed?
There being none, motion passes four to zero with
Commissioner Norris absent.
Mr. Estes, what do you have to tell us?
MR. ESTES: One -- one additional point. My name is
Brad Estes, Greater Naples Civic Association. We'd also like to
encourage the -- the staff to be involved and continue their
involvement. Neil has been involved to some extent, and -- and that
involvement will need to increase as we supposedly appoint our
subcommittees or our task forces. So I'd like to mention that if I
may and thank you very much and look forward to working with you.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Brad, thanks for taking the
bull by the horns on this one.
Item #12C2
RESOLUTION 95-46 RE PETITION AV 94-022, LOUIS H. HOEGSTED, VICE
PRESIDENT, WCN COHMUNITIES, INC., REQUESTING VACATION OF A PORTION OF A
DRAINAGE, ACCESS AND MAINTENANCE EASEMENT LOCATED ON TRACT GC4, PELICAN
MARCH GOLF COURSE, PHASE ONE - ADOPTED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Why don't -- that almost
concludes the morning agenda. We have yet the Gordon River bridge
discussion that was scheduled for 11 a.m. with the city council. Why
don't we take a recess until -- yeah. Does the board want to move it,
or do -- or are they looking for a morning break at all?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let's just take a brief break
when the city gets here.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Why don't we go ahead and
take that brief five-minute break, and we'll let the court reporter
change her paper and get ready for the rest of it.
(A short break was held.)
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Let's reconvene the board of
county commission meeting. We're going to try to cover a couple of
the afternoon agenda items until the --
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is it on? It is now.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm going to reconvene the board
of county commission meeting. We're going to try to cover a couple of
the afternoon issues until the -- the city council and mayor are
totally present. Item -- are they all here now?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, I just like the way
that's worded.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Totally present.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Totally present -- well,
physically present. All of them are.
Item 12 -- 12 -- 12 --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: 12-C-2.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Where are we? 12-C-2, petition
AB-94-022. Mr. Hoegsted and -- Mr. Archibald, you're going to give
the staff presentation?
MR. ARCHIBALD: Board members, for the record, my name
is George Archibald. I represent the transportation division. Agenda
item 2-C-3 -- 2-C-2 was continued. Agenda item 2-C-3 is a public
hearing to consider vacation of petition AB94-022.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: 12 -- 12-C-2 was continued?
MR. ARCHIBALD: According --
MS. FILSON: 12-C-1 was continued.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: We have 12-C-1 as continued.
MR. ARCHIBALD: I stand corrected. 12-C-2.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay.
MR. ARCHIBALD: Again, petition AB94-022 is to vacate a
drainage easement in the Pelican Marsh project. Specifically it
involves vacating easements that are part of lots 37 through 41 in the
Wood Duck trail plat, plat book 23, page 6,768. The vacation
establishes just one criteria. It meets a requirement to make those
lots a little more usable.
Accordingly, the staff has prepared a resolution for the
board to consider. We received letters of no objection. There's one
letter remaining, CDD letter of acceptance.
Accordingly, the staff is recommending that the board
approve the resolution with the recording being subject to receipt of
the letter of no objection from the development district itself. Any
questions?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Archibald, this is totally
enclosed within the -- the PUD itself?
MR. ARCHIBALD: Yes, it is.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: It doesn't affect anything
externally at all?
MR. ARCHIBALD: No, it does not.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Excuse me. Miss Filson, could you
see if you could find the county manager? Okay. Any other -- other
questions from the board regarding this?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'd like to move approval if it's
appropriate.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, wait. This is a public
hearing. I don't know whether we have any speakers on the matter or
not.
MR. ARCHIBALD: The applicant is here, but no, I'm not
aware of anyone -- CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Hoegsted, do you have anything
to offer?
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chairman, there are no public
speakers.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There are no public speakers? I
guess Mr. Hoegsted is here only to answer questions should there be
any.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: His representive's here.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: His representative?
MS. ALEXANDER: Hi. I'm Karen Alexander. I'm here on
behalf of Lou Hoegsted with WC Communities.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: And you're just here to answer
questions should there be any? MS. ALEXANDER: Exactly.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We don't have any public comment?
MR. CUYLER: No, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'll close the public hearing.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Move approval.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion on the matter?
There being none, call the question. All those in favor
say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five to zero.
MS. ALEXANDER: Thank you.
Item #12C3
ORDINANCE 95-1 CREATING THE MARCO ISLAND VISION PLANNING ADVISORY
COHMITTEE AS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO THE BCC TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THE MARCO ISLAND MASTER PLAN - ADOPTED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Next item, item 12-C-3, an
ordinance creating the Marco Island Vision Planning Advisory
committee.
MS. CACCHIONE: For the record --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Ms. Cacchione.
MS. CACCHIONE: -- my name is Barbara Cacchione with the
long range planning staff. The item before you is to create a -- a
committee of members from the community of Marco to represent them in
the development of the Marco Island master plan. This ordinance here
sets forth the procedures, the terms of office and how they would
operate under that.
Basically we've used subcommittees such as this in the
development of the Golden Gate and Immokalee master plan. And we'd
like to also set up one for Marco Island, and that's what this
ordinance would do.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: This is not any different than
what we've discussed in the past?
MS. CACCHIONE: This is very similar and, in fact, is
the same type of citizens committee that we used in Golden Gate and
Immokalee for the development of their master plans.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Are there questions from the
board? Commissioner Hancock?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Quickly, the other committees
that have worked on those master plans, once the master plan was
complete and submitted, was the committee by resolution either
dissolved or put on hold? Or is it still out there where Miss Filson
has to track it and --
MS. CACCHIONE: We set the committees up for a time
certain time period which reflected what we thought it would take to
complete the master plan. In this case it's set up for a two-year
period from the date of the resolution appointing the members which
should be probably on February 14th agenda.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. And that committee is then
dissolved at such time that the master plan is either adopted or goes
away or whatever happens?
MS. CACCHIONE: It will run two years from that date --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I don't want to make any
presumptions here.
MS. CACCHIONE: It will run two years from that date
that we appoint the members -- that you appoint the members, and it
will automatically go away if --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: If they need more time, they have
to come to us to ask for it.
MS. CACCHIONE: We have to officially do a resolution to
extend it beyond that date. COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. CACCHIONE: If they were still needed.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Good enough. That answers my
concern.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Are there other questions from the
board?
Mr. Cuyler, are there public speakers?
MR. CUYLER: No public speakers.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Close the public hearing. I'd
like to entertain a motion.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve the item.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Ah, a motion and a couple of
seconds.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Fourth.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Any discussion?
There being none, I'll call the question.
favor say aye.
All those opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
All those in
Item #12C4
RESOLUTION 95-47 EVIDENCING APPROVAL OF THE STIPULATED SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF COMHUNITY AFFAIRS TO RESOLVE
CASE NO. 3494 GM - ADOPTED
Next item, 12-C-4, resolution evidencing approval of the
stipulated settlement agreement.
MS. CACCHIONE: As part of the 1993 cycle of comp --
comprehensive plan amendments, DCA had an objection to one of the
items. We felt that we resolved those issues as part of the
objections report, but apparently we didn't resolve it to their
satisfaction.
They issued a notice of intent to find us not in
compliance in June. We followed up by doing an exhibit to the
stipulated settlement agreement in July. They forwarded it back to us
in November. And we are now prepared to enter into this stipulated
settlement agreement with the Department of Community Affairs if the
board so chooses.
This will resolve the outstanding issues on that one
amendment to the density rating system regarding the transfer of
development rights. We've both reviewed the language in terms of the
Department of Community Affairs and our attorney's staff. And they
feel comfortable with this language.
And we're asking the board to approve a resolution to
forward it to DCA to approve the stipulated settlement agreement. It
will then be followed up by remedial amendments in February.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just for my information, the
concept of prohibiting transfer into coastal management zones, the
concept has previously been approved by the board and now we're just
looking at the language? Or are we talking about the concept today?
MS. CACCHIONE: The -- DCA's -- one of their objections
was that they didn't want to increase density in the coastal
management zone which is west of 41. We felt that we had prepared
language which addressed that issue. It did not address it completely
for DCA. So we're rewording some of that language. But the intent
was discussed and sent to DCA previously. And yes, that was discussed
by the board.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Any other questions from the
board?
MR. CUYLER: The resolution's on page 8 of your agenda
package.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Cuyler, are there any public
speakers?
MR. CUYLER: No, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, I'll move the
item.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Any discussion on the motion?
I'll call the question. All those in favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Item #12C5
PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 94-26 WHICH CREATED THE COLLIER
COUNTY COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS BY INCREASING THE MEMBERSHIP -
CONTINUED FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES
Next item, 12-C-5, recommendation Board of County
Commissioners approve an ordinance.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, we've had a
discussion on this two or three times. We're just changing the
membership from 9 to 12.
MR. CUYLER: Commissioner Constantine, there's been a
glitch in this. I got a call from the clerk's office, and they said
that the advertisement was not put in the paper by the Naples Daily
News. If you want to go forward today and Mr. Yonkosky can lay a
basis for you to do this as an emergency, you know, it's up to you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It's not an emergency.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I think the committee can operate
as if it were 12 full members until officially it has done so.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to continue the
item --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Until properly advertised. Is
that what your motion is?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You are clairvoyant.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm getting better at that. We
have a motion and a second. I guess we don't really have a public
hearing since it wasn't advertised; is that correct?
MR. CUYLER: Yeah, you don't have a public hearing. We
will automatically readvertise it. I think John's run into some
problems, but I will leave that to John and the board. He's been
having some problems.
MR. YONKOSKY: Just in a matter of providing some
information to the --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Speak up.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Speak into the microphone,
please.
MR. YONKOSKY: Just to provide as a matter of
information to the commissioners, some of the members of the council
feel awkward in that they cannot make any decisions, whereas all of
the members of the council can -- can vote on it as it currently
stands. That's the reason that they requested you amend the ordinance
and allow them all to be voting members of the -- of the council.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We've previously discussed
it. Nobody's had any objection. I guess we just need to get it
advertised.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah, I think the problem is that
it wasn't properly advertised. I don't think that we can really call
this an emergency, and we're -- we're kind of caught. So I think we
need to get the advertising done and get it back on the agenda.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Are we assured a two-week
turnaround?
MR. CUYLER: No.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: No.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Oh, okay.
MR. CUYLER: It will --
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Could we encourage the council
perhaps to go ahead and take actions that they would later ratify once
they're all voting members?
MR. YONKOSKY: I will ask them to do that,
Commissioner.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It's certainly legally effective,
so I hate for them to be stalled because of the advertising problem.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That -- that sounds like a good
way to handle it. Ask them to act as if they're a 12 -- 12-member
board with full voting and then when they get that, ratify what
they've done; okay?
We have a motion and a second to continue this item.
Any discussion?
I'll call the question. All those in favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's the last one.
Item #13B1
RESOLUTION 95-48 RE PETITION CU-93-17 CULLEN Z. WALKER OF BILBLE CHURCH
OF NAPLES REQUESTING EXTENSION OF CONDITIONAL USE "1" OF THE ESTATES
ZONING DISTRICT FOR CHURCHES AND OTHER RELATED FACILITIES FOR THE
PROPERTY LOCATED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF IHMOKALEE ROAD WEST OF OAKS
BOULEVARD - ADOPTED
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Well, yeah, let's -- wait a
minute. Let's move on and do the last item. Is Mayor Huenzer here
yet? Oh, okay. We're going to do the last item because it should be
a real -- a real fast one also. Item 13-B-l, petition CU-93-17.
MR. ARNOLD: Good morning. For the record, Wayne Arnold
of your planning services staff. This is a petition for CU-93-17 for
extension of their conditional use. Staff has recommended approval of
that conditional use extension.
And in summary, the group has been approved for final
site development plan which does allow them to -- construction.
They've not technically received their building permit which is the
one-year period of time in which we stipulate the approval. They're
requesting the first of a potential three one-year extensions.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Commissioner?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Quick question. Have we had any
letters or phone calls from adjoining property owners for or against
this petition?
MR. ARNOLD: No, we have not.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Any other questions from the
board?
Registered speakers, Mr. Dotrill?
MR. DORRILL: There are none.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, move -- move
the item.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
move the item. I'll call -- is there any discussion?
There being none, I'll call the question. All those in
favor say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes five-zero.
Item #10H
PRESENTATION RE GORDON RIVER BRIDGE - SELECTION CRITERIA ACCEPTED BY
THE COUNTY AND THE CITY. SCHEDULE FOR REFERENDUM ON THE SALES TAX FOR
A SPECIAL ELECTION - APPROVED. BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE ESTIMATED
AMOUNT OF $130,000 - APPROVED
And all the city council is here now. Why don't we take
a -- a five-minute recess, and we'll reconvene in a city-county
meeting.
(A short break was held.)
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We reconvene the county commission
meeting of January 10, 1995. We are now joined -- sound. Are we on
now? We reconvene the county commission meeting of January 10, 1995.
We are now joined by the city council, and we will be having a
city-county meeting.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'd like to welcome the city
council up to our chambers for what has to be at least the fifteen
thousandth meeting on the Gordon River bridge.
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: So nice to be here.
MAYOR HUENZER: In the past year you mean. You're not
counting the previous --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's just for this past year.
MAYOR HUENZER: Not the previous year.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah, we do seem to go over this
time and time again. It's my understanding our purpose today is to
remove from the CH2H Hill contract two of the alignments and that's
our only purpose; is that true?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So moved.
MR. PERRY: No, there are additional actions we will be
asking both the county commission -- I'm sorry. For the record, my
name is Jeff Perry, coordinator for the Metropolitan Planning
Organization. Madam Chairman and -- and Mr. Mayor and --
MAYOR HUENZER: Excuse me. Since he indicated there
could be some possible actions to be taken, under our charter I need
to have a roll call so I can use it later and use it for a vote so for
the record --
MR. WOODRUFF: I'll make that roll call now if that's
acceptable to you, Miss Matthews.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's quite -- quite fine.
MR WOODRUFF: Mayor Huenzer?
MAYOR HUENZER: Yes.
MR WOODRUFF: Mr. Sullivan?
COUNCILMAN SULLIVAN: Here.
MR WOODRUFF: Mr. Van Arsdale?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Here.
MR WOODRUFF: Mr. Tarrant?
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Here.
MR WOODRUFF: Mr. Pennington?
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Here.
MR WOODRUFF: Ms. Prolman?
COUNCILWOMAN PROLHAN: Here.
MR WOODRUFF: The record should reflect Mr. Korest is
not present.
MAYOR HUENZER: Thank you. Sorry for the interruption
but it saves later.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's quite all right. You just
help me run this meeting, and we'll get through this just fine. Mr. Perry.
MR. PERRY: Again, thank you. Your purpose today in --
in meeting together in joint session in one -- in which you will be
asked to take a few votes, I'd very quickly like to go over the list
of things that we're going to be asking you to do today. Following me
will be Mr. Ryan Fortestel who is the project manager from CH2H Hill.
He will give you a very brief update on their work in the project
including the remaining -- schedule of the remaining work to be done
which factors into the later decision on the special election.
Following Mr. Fortestel there will be a discussion by --
a presentation by Mr. Dick Gatti, the city's engineering manager, in
which he will be asking you to consider the dropping of two of the
five alternatives which CH2H Hill has been reviewing thus far. And
he'll go through the reasons and purpose for dropping those two
alternatives.
Following that he will discuss with you the objectives
and the criteria that have been put together to evaluate the remaining
three alternatives. And both city council and county commission will
be asked to -- to confirm those criteria.
Following that I'll come back, and I'll talk with you,
display and -- and present to you the official schedule for your
special election based on the guidance that you provided to us on --
on December 6.
And finally we'll be asking you to approve the budget
amendments that will be necessary to finance the special election.
And with that I'll -- I'll ask Mr. Fortestel to give a
very brief update of the project and the work that he'll be doing from
here on out.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Let me interrupt here. Mayor
Huenzer, we -- I presume we will be taking separate motions from the
city and the county and separate voting? MAYOR HUENZER: Yeah.
MR. PERRY: In front of you, Madam Chairman, there is an
executive summary package. We will be asking both the county
commission and the city council to take actions on the first two items
that Mr. Gatti will be talking about on dropping the alternatives and
the criteria. We will then be asking the county commission to take
action on the schedule since they are the -- the body that has to
approve that schedule and authorize the ordinance at some later date
and then to confirm the budget amendment process as well. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you.
MR. FORRESTEL: Good morning. For the record, my name
is Ryan Fortestel. I'm the project manager with CH2H Hill. And I
want to give you just a very, very brief overview as to -- as to what
we've done on the project to date and also look at the schedule as to
when are we going to be completed with the project. I'm putting up
boards that are the same for each side to look at.
We started out with our project in July of 1994 and
began with data collection phase of the project, and I want to quickly
review some of the highlights of that data collection phase. First,
relative to the bridge clearance, we found out from the Coast Guard
that we need to maintain 11 feet of clearance which is the same that
is being provided by FDOT on the U.S. 41 bridges that are currently
being -- or will be reconstructed.
Also with the airport runway obstruction data, that
refers to the process that the Naples Airport is undergoing now in
trying to update their master plan. The -- the update to the master
plan can have an impact and very well may have an impact on the design
of -- of the alternatives. And we are coordinating with the airport
to make sure that they know what we're doing and vice versa.
Relative to the environmental data, a couple of things
of interest. First we did a -- a detailed search for threatened and
endangered specious, and there are none. That was confirmed by a
field meeting last month with a representative from the Florida Game
and Fresh Water Fish Commission. And she confirmed there are no T and
E species.
Also we looked at potential contaminated sites, and we
found one. It's at the Evans Oil site on the northwest corner of
Airport-Pulling Road and Seventh Avenue. We do not know nor does
anyone else know at this point as to the extent of the contamination.
We also looked at socioeconomic data. A complete
archeological study was completed, and there are no archeological
sites within the corridor boundaries.
We also -- a historical site review was also conducted,
and there were two buildings that were found that may be of sig -- of
historical significance. The first is a bungalow along North Avenue,
and evidently that is -- may have only -- may only be of local
significance. And the second is a barn on the Renfroe Landscaping
site at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Goodlette-Frank Road. But as
we understand it, that barn is scheduled for demolition in the near
term.
Subsequent to the data collection phase, we -- we had a
public meeting, information meeting, on October 26. And at that
meeting -- or the purpose of that meeting was to simply present the
data that we had collected and to solicit input.
The majority of the comments that we received were in
favor of the project. There were some comments made relative to
commercial -- impacts to commercial businesses, impacts to residents,
and also comments along the lines of how the airport fits into this
and potential impacts to -- to the airport.
We've had quite a bit of agency coordination to date.
We have met with South Florida Water Management District. They have
no initial negative reaction to the project and, in fact, thought that
alignment number 3 looked pretty good given the -- the minimal amount
-- or the least amount of environmental impact that was being done.
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, as I
indicated, indicated there are no T and E species along the corridor
which -- which eliminates a large hurdle.
We have -- we have talked with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. They have not provided any comment as of yet. And we have
talked with the Coast Guard, and -- and I've already referenced the
ll-foot clearance.
After -- or -- after the public meeting, we went through
a corridor analysis phase that Mr. Gatti will be commenting on here
shortly. We also have developed a -- a detailed selection process to
come up with a preferred alternative. And Mr. Gatti will also be
discussing that in a few minutes.
Lastly that I want to discuss is the schedule. We
currently are in the alternative analysis phase which will be
concluded in -- in March. In April we will develop a draft
preliminary report with a value engineering session being conducted.
And then the final report will be issued in May of 1995. And with
that, I'll turn it over to Mr. Gatti.
MR. GATTI: Thank you, Ryan. As Ryan indicated -- is
this on? Good. As Ryan indicated, the project is going along well.
And your technical review committee which is made up of myself, George
Archibald, and Jeff Perry -- and as we receive this ongoing
information from the consultant, several issues became apparent.
One was that we were -- we had enough information in
hand to start making some decisions. One of those decisions, which
we'll talk a little bit about, is the elimination of several of the
corridors, and I'll talk a little bit further on that.
The other thing that became apparent is that the
remaining three corridors weren't going to be anywhere near as easy to
design on -- to decide on because it was obviously a lot of -- not
conflicting but different objectives, and it sort of depends on -- on
what we wanted to accomplish.
I'll go back to recommending removal of alternate one.
Alternate one, as you -- as you may know, is the alignment that's the
southernmost from the airport. And it follows North Road, and it
enters in at First Avenue.
In looking at that, the good news is that it is a little
bit cheaper than the -- than the other routes just looking at the
alignment within the airport boundaries. The major negative factor is
-- is this intersection. If you can picture westbound traffic, we
either have to totally reimprove First Avenue between Goodlette and --
and 41, or there has to be a jog created going up to Central Street.
That would involve two very complicated intersections. And picture
yourself here having to make that transition from -- westbound from
here going across this very short length and then making a westbound
at Central.
It would create a very difficult traffic maneuver, two
very difficult intersections. And when you take everything into
account, it far offsets the costs that are involved. So on the basis
of that, we're recommending that that alternative be eliminated.
The second alternative is alternative five. And as we
discussed this, this was kind of a no brainer also. Alternative five
is the one that's the most northern of the routes. It involves a -- a
-- the major amount of -- of displacement of residents in the
Goodlette Arms, so it has the largest amount of property cost.
It also has the largest amount of environmental
remediation which -- which means it has the lowest probability of --
of permitting, and it's also by far the most expensive. It's in the
range of between 24 to 27 or 28 million. So we're recommending that
that be eliminated.
I guess it would be appropriate to discuss that at this
point and take action if --
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Madam Chairman --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes.
MR. WOODRUFF: If I could, let me make one explanatory
mark. Richard Woodruff, city manager. One of the reasons why we are
coming to you to eliminate those two is because the contract with CH2H
Hill which the city entered into specifically lays out a work program
that both the city and the county commission concurred in. The staffs
felt that it was beyond our authority to eliminate these two routes
even though we believe that you will concur in them. But that needs
to be your decision as the elected officials.
As is pointed out in the back-up material, if you
eliminate them now, you will save roughly $8,500 per route you
eliminate in monies that would otherwise have been expended if the
contract went forward as previously directed. So that's the reason
why it's before you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Councilman Pennington was asking
first.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: If I may on behalf of city
council, I -- I certainly am in accord with deleting one and five.
Additionally I would like us to consider eliminating option three. In
my view option three provides a totally unacceptable situation as it
comes into Seventh Avenue North and would result in significant
traffic impact on a -- a residential community. So I would like us at
this time while we're talking about these to consider elimination of
that one.
I have discussed this briefly with city manager. He
felt there was more technical concerns on the one and five, that
perhaps three was a political concern. I -- I would suggest that
there is certainly an environmental impact, the environmental impact
being upon the people that reside on Seventh Avenue and within the
Lake Park area. I think we must be very sensitive to the human
element of our environment too.
So, therefore, I would move on the part of the city that
we eliminate options one, three, and five.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Gatti, when you were in your
discussion on alignment number one, you didn't mention something that
-- that has come up in the past. And that's whether the FAA is going
to allow any usage of that southern alignment at all. MR. GATTI: Yes, sir.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's number one. Excuse me.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Number one or number two.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: One or two.
MR. GATTI: Let me point to the -- so that it's -- that
it's -- we're talking the most southerly route. The question of what
happens with the airport, the potential extension of this runway, we
can work with that in either alignment, either two or one. The -- the
-- there's not a lot of difference in the two except where they --
they come into contact with Goodlette Road. So either two or one
serves that purpose.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: But you're saying that -- that the
FAA or the -- any of the air -- air -- aviation official organizations
would not object to us using that scenario. Is that what you're
saying?
MR. GATTI: Let me put it a little differently. Based
on the information that we have at hand -- and we do not have the
comprehensive plan for the airport, and I think you were at the
meeting when they made the presentation in the city council. One of
their thoughts -- and nothing's in -- nothing's fixed -- is that there
is a potential of the extension of this runway.
There's two questions here. This property is owned by
the city and leased to the airport. This property here, my
understanding is, was purchased by the airport with FAA money. So
there is definitely a question on -- on how we can use that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. All right. That's the
other thing. Now, from my perspective on the southern alignment,
either one or two, there's also two -- two additional problems. The
northern-most alignment down Transfer Road would allow us to go
substantially east in the future down Enterprise Avenue and eventually
hook up with the future Livingston Road which then this becomes a very
important artery.
The southern alignment has nowhere to go because you're
-- you're going directly into a residential area on the east. And it
just doesn't hook up to anything, and -- and it's just a very short
segment with a bridge. So to me it seems like for that reason alone
we could eliminate one and two.
But there's an additional problem on top of that with
both southern alignments, and that is that -- that you are impacting a
residential neighborhood to the south of the airport which is not the
case on the north side. That's commercial up there. So there's
various problems associated with both of the southern alignments.
Now, number five I think we all agree to the north that
that should be eliminated strictly from the cost and the impact to the
citizens on that one. Number three, as Councilman Pennington has
brought out, is not one that I could support personally because that's
funneling traffic directly into Seventh Avenue North and, once again,
severely impacting a residential neighborhood.
So from my perspective, I have taken to heart what the
EDC has proposed all along, and that is to just focus on number four
and see if we can't get number four. So when -- when it comes time to
make a motion, I intend for the county commission -- my motion to be
to eliminate routes or options one, two, three, and five.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock?
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: I --
HR. GATTI: It may be -- excuse me.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Go ahead, Hr. Gatti, if you had
something to add to Mr. Norris.
HR. GATTI: It may be appropriate for me to get into the
next phase of my discussion with you.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Let me go ahead -- and I think
there's one pertinent element that I -- I would like to add. I concur
fully on one and two. If we can't go eastward, I have no interest in
this project. I have no interest unless it presents a -- a
down-the-road east-west alternative that goes beyond Airport Road. If
it doesn't, all we're doing is just getting across the river. And 16
to 20 million dollars to get across the river without it going
anywhere else I personally have a problem with. So options one and
two have -- offer no attractiveness to me.
I would like Councilman Pennington to consider that
option three is a possibility if you use a full traffic diverter. If
you use a full traffic diverter that does not allow traffic from the
road to continue on to Seventh Avenue North, it accomplishes the same
thing as four. And there may be some benefit construction-wise,
dollar-wise, environmentally to that option. I have no interest in --
in letting traffic go from this road on to Seventh Avenue North as in
crossing 41. But that can be accomplished with a traffic diverter
without eliminating the option all together.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: If I may --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We've tried traffic diverters on
Pine Ridge.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: If I may, we have a similar
situation where we've diverted coming out of the Coastland Hall into
Tenth Street which affects that same particular area. And there's a
lot of dissatisfaction with that from many sides. So I think it would
be much clearer.
We also have had concerns from the -- the business
community that is in The Commons of that coming through there. I see
another problem. We have the Collier Athletic Club. And I haven't
seen this addressed, but there would have to be some means of them
getting access to and from this road that would come across there. I
think that would be a significant cost to provide some kind of an
interchange.
It appears to me the whole thing would be much cleaner
to go directly through as is proposed with option four. And in view
of Commissioner Norris's comments, it appears I see other support for
that on the commission side.
I would be happy to change my initial motion for the
part of the city to also concentrate solely on option four and to
eliminate the others. I think that for most of us up here and
certainly for the community at large we've had from the Bridge Club so
named a total desire to -- for us to focus on option four. I think
that we can conserve time and money by doing that and recognizing
there are some mitigation costs for option four that may be a little
bit higher than a couple of the others. But I think from the
community standpoint, this is the one that's most acceptable by the
community, and I think that is paramount. So, therefore, that is my
motion when we get around to acting on that then.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I had a speech, but Mr.
Pennington just made it, so I endorse everything he just said and want
to support his proposal when it comes forward.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Councilman Van Arsdale?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: I guess the only thing that I
think that we're failing to address is kind of the functionality of
these crossings and -- and -- I think the driving force between -- for
this extra bridge is to ease congestion on the existing Gordon River
bridges.
And during this entire discussion nobody really has
explained to me how this north crossing is going to have a significant
impact on easing traffic to east -- to the eastern part of Collier
County, whereas I think that it's -- certainly from a layperson's
standpoint, it's much more evident that the southern crossing does
much more to alleviate Gordon River bridge traffic than -- than a
northern crossing. I mean, the northern crossing is only I think less
than a mile south of Golden Gate Parkway which right now is a very,
you know, easy-to-use road. It doesn't seem to have -- I mean, it has
some traffic problems but not much. So there is a difference between
these two crossings, and I think we need to factor that in there.
And, Dick, one of the things that I had, I think I said
-- a year ago I said, why don't we pick our favorite bridge? And the
response was that if we, you know, don't send five alternatives up to
Tallahassee that they'll come back and make us choose some
alternatives. What's -- what's changed in that regard?
MR. GATTI: Well, the idea is to justify the
alternatives that you select and do it through a process, if you
will. I would -- I would suggest that in contacting the Corps of
Engineers as an example, we had to prove to them that this was a real
project before they would even consider it. The point is, they're
looking at -- at -- at -- at the big picture, and they're asking us
justification for whatever actions we take, particularly as -- as it
relates to the environmental factors.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mr. Van Arsdale, let me -- let me also
address that. I think if you go back, we did not say that you have to
submit five options. What we intended to say is you must submit
multiple options.
Now, I can certainly concur with comments that both
commissioners and council members have said about some of the other
options. And I will tell you that if you were to ask me today what is
my recommended route, I would be prepared to tell you.
The concern that we as a staff have, though, is if you
narrow it down to only one route today, you are running the risk of
the DEP saying, sorry, you didn't show us an analysis. You simply
submitted one. That's the risk that we run. And if we run that risk
and are successful, that's fine. If we run that risk and they come
back and say, sorry, we reject your report because you didn't look at
at least a second option, that's the reason why we feel very
comfortable in telling you one and five, they should come on out.
We feel uncomfortable recommending to you that anything
in the way of two, three, or four be further modified. We recognize
that there -- everything that you all said -- no need to beat around
the bush. Number four has the most logic in most people's mind. The
one negative about number four is it does not relieve as much traffic
congestion on U.S. 41. But obviously it has the ability to create the
long-term east-west connection that the overall community and
circulation is going to need.
But we as a staff would have to tell you today be very
cautious about cutting it down below three. Definitely be cautious
about cutting it down to only one because we don't think you can get
it permitted by only submitting one thing to the state.
I apologize for interrupting you, but I think it's
important.
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Let me just follow up from the
standpoint of should we then prioritize our choices? Would that be
beneficial to the state? And maybe you can, Dick, address my concerns
on -- in other words, I agree with long-term -- and I agree with
probably a greater long-term use for route number four. But I'm
concerned that we aren't addressing the issues of the Gordon River
bridge. We're once again just kind of putting it in the back burner
for another 30 or 40 years. And how are we going to address the --
right now -- it's a mess now. It's been a mess for the last 20
years. It will be a mess for the next 20 years if we don't address
it. And this northern crossing doesn't do it, at least as I see it,
so I'd like you to explain.
MR. GATTI: Let me suggest something. Our purpose here
today in -- in -- the next phase of the conversation is to direct the
consultant where we want them to go with this. And it's kind of
interesting to listen to this discussion because as Jeff Perry and I
and the consultant and George Archibald sat through, we went through
this same -- through this same cycle for about a day. And as a result
of that, we suggested that we need a criteria that's going to be used
to evaluate the remaining alternatives because it is a difficult
decision.
And what we're suggesting -- and if I may, we set up a
series of objectives that we wanted to accomplish. And we started out
with 12, and we boiled it down to 9, and then we further boiled it
down to 4. And our main concern is traffic circulation in the area.
And under that is the connection to Goodlette-Frank, the -- let me put
this up so you can see it. That doesn't read so well -- but the
connection to U.S. 41, the connection to Livingston, the long-term
benefit to the -- reducing traffic on U.S. 41 and the short-term
benefit of during the construction period.
The same thing with the engineering costs and
construction costs. We went through a whole series of criteria under
each of those which includes the environmental mitigation, the
right-of-way costs, the cost-benefit ratio, the amount of dollars per
car served, and the cost to provide the connection to U.S. 41 and the
connection to Livingston because that's all part of this project.
We then looked at the permeability factors, the impacts
to the waste land, the threatened and endangered species, storm water
treatment, which is going to be a major factor in this bridge, and
contamination and schedule delays caused by potential permitting.
And that goes to Dr. Woodruff's point. If we just go up
there with one alternative, we're liable to be playing around with
this thing for a year or two trying to get it passed.
And the last thing that again we looked at was the land
use impacts, the existing residences to be displaced, residents
directly impacted, the number of households that are fronting on the
-- on the roadway, residents directly -- indirectly impacted, the
effects on the commercial businesses, both downtown and in the
outlying area, and the effects at the airport and the land
development.
This sort of sets a road map for the -- for the
consultant. If we've got everything in here that we want, it sets a
road map for the consultant to give us the pros and cons of all three
of these remaining alignments. Yes, sir.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: As I look at the schedule and as
-- as I understand the process -- and I may be in error, so please
correct me if I am -- but that after we go through from here down to
-- down to about March '95 per the schedule and it has select
preferred alignment, I'm assuming that that is our selection at that
time; is that correct?
MR. GATTI: Yes, sir.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: And that is prior to
permitting.
MR. GATTI: Except that we are working with the
permitting agencies as we evolve this project. But that -- that --
that preempts final permitting, yes, sir.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: So it would appear to me that we
could still make this choice at this time and you could still provide
whatever data to the agencies. Now we're just in the midst of the
process with the Corps as far as the university is concerned at this
time, and the Corps has expressed some concerns, maybe they should
have been involved earlier and such.
However, they certainly have been impressed by the
public input and that is what's the public's desire as to where this
goes. It's my view that we say this is where we want it to those
agencies. It's up to them to tell us that we can't do it if, in fact,
we can't.
And I can't see that they can come back to us and tell
us we cannot do so unless there is some extraordinary kind of thing.
And we've already been told as far as the kind of wildlife that is
found in these areas, there's nothing there that's going to preclude
us from any of these crossings.
It appears to me there's sufficient data in hand at this
time that we can make an educated determination as to where we want
this to go even though all the finite details may not have been
presented to us at this time but that we could provide direction at
this time as to where we want the consultant to proceed which would
not preclude him from getting perhaps some peripheral data on the
others but that the concentration should be this is where the
community wants it, and we should proceed in -- in that regard. And
that should be the emphasis as we go forward to the permitting
agencies.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Perry, do you share the
concerns of trying to permit one single choice?
MR. PERRY: Absolutely. The -- the -- the difficulty we
have -- that we face at this point is sending them a preconceived
decision that this is -- this is the -- and this is, I believe, one of
the councilmen -- perhaps Mr. Van Arsdale was commenting on a comment
I made at city council one day that we -- we -- we can't send the
message that this is where we want the bridge. Now our consultant is
going to go out and justify that particular location. We have to --
we have to show the permitting agencies that we have evaluated all of
the reasonable alternatives.
And our opinion is that one and five are no longer
reasonable for very good reasons but that two, three, and four are, in
fact, reasonable. And I can -- if given the time, I think we can draw
some very compelling arguments that the Central Avenue connection,
while it doesn't go east, it does go west. And it goes west with an
excellent facility all the way to U.S. 41 right through the downtown
redevelopment area which I understand comments were -- were -- were
put out the other evening that that may, in fact, be a positive to the
redevelopment area.
So I think it might be premature until you have gone
through this evaluation criteria and seen all of the alternatives with
all of these different factors considered and then consider your
public input because I hear a lot of public from East Naples and the
northwest side of this particular project area that do not support a
particular northern alternative. They said it doesn't benefit them or
it, in fact, impacts them, that they would, in fact, support a
southern alignment.
So I'm not sure that you have heard all of the testimony
that you are likely to hear when you hold a public workshop or a
public hearing with the two bodies sitting together making the final
decision. Our opinion is that the reasonable list of alternatives is
two, three, and four.
And, in fact, as -- as Mr. -- Commissioner Hancock has
pointed out, if you want to control traffic on -- on Seventh Avenue,
the best place to put the connection is at Seventh Avenue because once
you offset the intersection, you have lost control of the traffic that
will divert south on Goodlette Road and then enter on to and from
Seventh Avenue.
The best place to put it is to intersect Seventh Avenue
and with traffic diverters prohibit the through movements. So -- and
while it may be more costly, the permitting agencies have indicated
that it's the least environmentally sensitive and they like that
alternative.
Now, all of this has to be boiled down together and
presented to you. And, quite frankly, we're not in a position --
having not gone through the selection process, we're not prepared to
give you all of those pros and cons.
But I think with a little bit of time we can draw some
fairly compelling arguments that all of these routes are reasonable
and have good and bad points about them and that once you get all of
that information and hear from the public, give all of the public an
opportunity, then you'll be in a position to make whatever decisions
you choose to make.
And I think that's where we want to head you so that you
can do that in a timely fashion so that we can meet our schedule for
-- for a special election should the decision be made collectively
and everybody -- we're -- at this point, quite frankly, we might be
ending up with a project that -- that we cannot permit within the
timeline that we need to permit because we may have to do a tremendous
amount of justification to the permitting agencies if we don't show
that we have gone through a -- a bona fide selection process.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Perry, I agree fully. As
someone who not only worked on DOT projects, I also attended a number
of DOT seminars and learned how they review their projects. Many
times the only way to get a project approved is to show state and
federal agencies that the other options are not viable. If you don't
show that, your project is -- is destined to fail. And typically
that's the review process. Show us how it won't work in other ways.
And then we'll see what we can do about getting you permitted the way
you like to do it.
So I agree fully that if we natrowed it to one option
and pursue that, we're -- we're going to put ourselves in a position
that is not compatible with the way in which state agencies and
federal agencies review traffic and transportation-related projects.
So it may be in our best interest, as Commissioner
Mac'Kie has stated, to -- to state or vote a -- a priority. But I
think we need to pursue the three alternatives. This particular
discussion should be related solely to that. And in the interest of
time, I would hope that we can move on with whatever necessary public
input we have to take at this point regarding these -- these
alignments and take a vote on this so we can move on to whatever other
issues may be involved today.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Madam Chairman, could I make an
observation, please?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Certainly, Councilman Tarrant.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: With all due respect to the
collective wisdom of this group, what I hear taking place here
basically is that the city of Naples -- it's being debated whether the
city of Naples is going to get a double or a triple heart bypass
operation at the expense of all the taxpayers of Collier County.
And I think what should be under debate is not the
operation but whether the operation is necessary in the first place.
This project is being loaded on the gurney and rolled into the
operating room in a very premature manner.
The traffic studies do not support this project at this
time. And our own staff at the city and county will verify that
fact.
So what we're doing in essence is taking ahold of a
state project and taking it under our wing and going to the taxpayers
and saying, we only have 350 million dollars a year in our budget at
the county. We only have 40 some million dollars in our budget at
city. That's not enough. We're tapped out. Our credit card is
trash. We're coming to you with hat in hand to the voters in a
begging -- with a begging bowl going around to raise money to build
this bridge which has already been paid for by the taxpayers once.
This is double taxation. This is unnecessary. This is totally
unnecessary. It's premature, and it's unnecessary, and it's unfair.
And I would like to add one thing which is to me quite
irrelevant in a sense. But if you're going to pull out two
prospective routes, let's remember that when this contract was given
to this consultant for three hundred and sixty some thousand dollars,
it was assumed that the consulting engineers would spend the necessary
time to do the research and the indepth study of each one of these
routes.
So in my book, when my mother sent me to the store to
get groceries, she expected me to come back with the right change.
And I think each one of these routes is worth at least $70,000. So if
you're going to pull out two routes, that would come out to around
$140,000. I mean, you can't just simply remove these projects and
then marginalize, min -- minimize, and basically erase the -- the
arithmetic. That's just for starters. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Tarrant. I -- I'm
not quite sure how we want to proceed. Do we want to address each
question and take a separate vote and separate public input on it? Or
what do we want to do? How do we want to do this?
MAYOR HUENZER: I think we're to the point that I think
we've heard enough to -- I think we're ready to accept a motion. At
least I thought I heard that to go ahead --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We need the public input, though,
before we do that.
MAYOR HUENZER: Yeah, but I think we can have a motion
on the floor before or after the public.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Why -- why don't we take the
public input. And we're going to confine the public input right now
specifically to the alignment.
Mr. Dotrill, is there anyone wishing to talk to the
alignment?
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Madam Chairman, excuse me, but as
one city council representative representing the taxpayers in the city
of Naples, I very much object to limiting the public speakers to that
specific issue. I think that is very unfair.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We are only taking information and
a possible motion at this point on the alignment. There will be other
public comment on the other three issues as we move along. We've
thoroughly discussed the alignment. I'd like to take public input on
the discussion of the alignment. We'll -- we'll address a motion
after that point in time. And we'll move to the next item. There --
we have four items here that we need to address this afternoon.
Mr. Dotrill, is there public input on the alignment?
MR. DORRILL: I have only one public speaker, and we'll
need to ascertain as to what the desire is. Mr. Lee?
MR. LEE: For the record, my name is Arthur Lee. And
I'm here at the request of the board of directors of the Park Shore
Neighborhood Association.
They met in an emergency meeting last night after
reading in the paper that there would be this meeting. And they were
very, very much distressed at the elimination of two of the five
alternatives because the remaining ones are the ones that impact most
directly the -- their association. The neighborhood starts at Sixth
Avenue North, goes up to Fleischmann, goes from Tenth Street over to
Goodlette.
So these three routes slam right into that, and they
feel that there has not been -- I'll go back one step. This was --
this meeting today was not officially advertised. It was not in the
agenda, the published agenda, for today's meeting. And that got some
of their hair up a little bit because they felt on anything of this
import that there should be a chance for a full public discussion.
That's the reason I believe that I'm the only one who put a chit in to
talk to you.
Their concern is because although this is an older
neighborhood, it's one that -- that is very, very viable. You have an
active neighborhood association that is seeing to it that people are
keeping up their lawns. There is a tremendous lot of improvement,
house improvement, and so on going on. It is a well-balanced
neighborhood socially. You have a few old crocks like myself, but you
have a whale of a lot of people in there with youngsters attracted to
one of the better schools in the -- in the city. So -- and like a
good part of Naples, sidewalks are sort of here and there.
As a result, the streets are pretty well cluttered with
skateboards, roller skates, and just children on bicycles and
playing. So there's a good deal of concern with at this point
squeezing your alternatives down to the three that slam right into
them.
I'll add one other thing, and I'll leave. And that is,
this is not one of the neighborhood -- one of the city's or
community's most wealthy neighborhoods. These are for the most part
modest dwellings. And the equity in those homes for the most part
represents every single dollar that these people have saved up, and
there is bound to be a great financial impact on this district. Their
values are going down. They're afraid of it. They're very worried.
And they at least would like to have the maximum amount of spread in
this discussion. I'll answer any questions.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Are there any questions?
MAYOR HUENZER: Comment. I believe that the meeting
were advertised. I know the city had published the advertisement of
our joint meeting, and I looked in the newspaper, and the Collier
County commission agenda had it advertised. So it was in the
newspaper as formal advertising from both city and county.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can I respond to that?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's -- that's my understanding
too.
MAYOR HUENZER: I read it with my own eyes, so I know it
was in there.
MR. LEE: I have it here, sir.
MR. WOODRUFF: I think the confusion may be the fact
that because this is a joint meeting it required a separate
advertisement for this portion of the meeting rather than the regular
county commission agenda. I may be in error on that.
MAYOR HUENZER: The regular county commission agenda
also had it set up there.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: But on -- on the same page as
the county agenda -- on the same page in Sunday's newspaper was the
notice of this meeting.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll tell you what. I tend
to agree with Mr. Lee that it wasn't properly noticed. And even if it
meets the legal requirements, it would end over the weekend.
Back in December the county manager mentioned to the
county commission that the city was interested in having this
meeting. At that time we didn't know what the purpose of it was. And
we said unless we know what that is, we'd just as soon not schedule
anything until we know what we're scheduling. And we never heard --
until last Thursday or whenever we got our agenda, none of us, to the
best of my knowledge, were told that there would be this meeting or
what it was in reference to.
So Mr. Lee is absolutely right. I mean, the first I
knew of it was Thursday when I was given the executive summary.
MAYOR MUENZER: Well, it was also later put in the
paper, though. It wasn't in this one, but it was also later
published.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Well, Mrs. -- Miss Chairman, if the
meeting is not legally advertised, the meeting should not be held, and
I would move that the meeting be adjourned.
MAYOR HUENZER: They were published.
MR. LEE: Seconded.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I heard a second?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: No, you heard a second from --
from the audience, sir. We do not have a second from either the
council or the board at this point on that motion.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We may have met the legal
criteria, but I think we -- if neighborhoods have only three or four
days to respond, that probably doesn't meet the spirit of what we try
to do when we have permanent impacts.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'd like to get it clarified from
Mr. Cuyler whether we have a legally advertised meeting.
MR. CUYLER: In my opinion you do. This is a -- an item
on your regular agenda. As a matter of fact, we took a look at the
agenda before it went in the newspaper, and I called the manager's
office, and I believe there's a parentheses that was added at the end
of the item because it said discussion, and I wanted to make it clear
that the board might be voting on these.
If I'm not mistaken, the manager's office contacted the
paper, and they added a little squib to that that said the Board of
County Commissioners may be asked by staff to actually take action on
these items.
You can take all of the action that's being proposed by
staff without the city council being here. I mean, the fact that it's
a joint meeting is just for the convenience of everyone. And the city
council has advertised it separately. But there's not even a need
that the city councilmen be here for you to take the action that's
proposed by staff. It's part of your regular agenda. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's what I would think.
Mr. Mayor, you have a motion on the floor. Do you want
to do anything with that?
MAYOR HUENZER: If we have anyone from council that
wishes to second.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: It's too bad the public doesn't
have an attorney here to give an opinion to protect their interest.
MAYOR HUENZER: We have two attorneys. I think we have
our city and the county attorney.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mr. Mayor, for the record, I believe the
motion you're referring to is Mr. Pennington's motion?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: No, Mr. Tarrant's motion that we
adjourn on the basis that the meeting is not -- not properly
advertised.
You do not have a second, so we -- we will move
forward?
Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I -- I just want to reiterate. I
think the community needs some -- something more concrete about what
it is we're proposing for a bridge than these five nebulous
alternatives, and there will be more public hearings than we all want
to sit through. There will be ample opportunity for public comment.
And nobody here is suggesting that there should be any limitation on
public comment.
All we're talking about today is the possibility of
eliminating some routes to save some tax money on -- on consulting
fees. And -- and -- and the final decision, unfortunately as
impatient as I am, can't be made today.
So I -- I think the community needs some direction from
these two bodies about what we're talking about with the Gordon River
bridge instead of just the possible alternatives. I'm going to -- I'm
going to hope that we will not only eliminate two routes but that we
will rank the remaining three.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is there any other comment? I'd
like to entertain a motion.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. I'll make a motion. I'm
convinced by the argument of Mr. Perry that we need to bring in more
than one alternative in the permitting process. Reluctantly I'll do
that. And my motion will be to select options four, three, and two in
that order of importance and to forward those -- to have the
consultant continue to work on those and -- and to engage in the
permitting process.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK:
COUNCILMAN TARRANT:
please, Miss Chairman?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COUNCILMAN TARRANT:
I'll second that motion.
Could I -- could I ask a question,
Yes.
Has the county commission formally
voted to send this to the voters in the form of a mail-out referendum
for a sales tax for a specific amount of money over a specific period
of time? Has that been voted on by the county commission?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Tarrant, we -- we have
addressed the issue of whether to have a referendum regarding the
collection of a sales tax over a period of time to fund this project.
That has at this point in my mind very little to do with alignments
four, three, or two being -- being moved forward on.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: The reason I ask, Madam Chairman,
is because if as a result of this meeting you're planning to at some
point forward to the state for their approval these selected routes,
then in essence what you're doing is carrying the project forward very
decisively and very firmly without perhaps having formally voted for
exactly how you're going to finance this project. And I -- I never
heard of -- of such a thing preceding the determination of the
financing formula.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, Mr. Tarrant, if we don't
pick an alignment, we don't know what the financing is. And so,
therefore, we couldn't make those final decisions on the referendum.
We have to do these things in the logical order that they have to be
done.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: This is a chicken and the egg
process. We do need to move forward. Excuse me. Mr. Constantine had
something to say.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm just gonna --
MAYOR HUENZER: You have a motion. Do you have a
second?
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Uh-huh.
COHHISSIONER HANCOCK: Yes, there was a second on the
motion.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Councilman Tarrant, I was
just going to say we have approved a ballot. However, the form of the
question on that ballot will depend on the answers we get back from
the studies on these alignments.
So we have to know what the potential alignment is and
what the potential cost of that is before we can ask the public to
vote on it. So I think we're doing this in the proper order. I
understand your concern.
CHAIRWONLAN MATTHEWS:
something to say?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
question.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
But I think the order is being adhered to.
Commissioner Hac'Kie, you had
No. I just wanted to call the
I -- I have a motion and a second
on the floor. Is there further discussion?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One question. Commissioner
Norris, you put a particular order on those. I assume those are
subject to change if we get a report back that for some reason --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's simply a preference for
today's discussion.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Preferential treatment only.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Would you restate that -- the
order, please?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Four, three, two.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Alignment four, alignment three,
and alignment two in descending order.
MR. PERRY: I just wondered who the second was.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. We have a motion and a
second. There being no further discussion, I'll call the question.
All those in favor please say aye. All those opposed?
There being none, motion --
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I am opposed.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: -- passes for the --
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Oh, it's not our turn. I beg your
pardon.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Motion passes for the county on a
vote of five-zero. Thank you.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Madam Chairman, if I may make a
motion -- MAYOR HUENZER: Ready to accept a motion from the city
now on this. Mr. Pennington?
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: I would revise my original
motion that was made some time ago to echo that of Commissioner Norris
that -- for the elimination of options one and five and to rank in
order of preference four, three, and two.
MAYOR HUENZER: Motion of Mr. Pennington. Do I have a
second from council?
COUNCILMAN SULLIVAN: Second.
MAYOR HUENZER: Second from Mr. Sullivan. We take a
roll call, so all those in favor indicate -- I'll just go through --
MR. WOODRUFF: I'll give the roll -- I'll give the roll
call for you, sir. Mr. Sullivan?
COUNCILMAN SULLIVAN: Yes.
HR. WOODRUFF: Hr. Van Arsdale?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Just with a quick qualification
that I hope to look at the prioritization of the route selection. I
don't support the order that was stated. But in general on the issue
I'll vote yes.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mr. Tarrant?
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I would like to preface my -- my
vote by just making the comment which will come as no surprise that I
object very strenuously to the -- to the manner in which these
proceedings are being conducted and going forward.
And just to take a look back -- and it never hurts to
look back into history a little bit -- it's interesting to note that
Marco Polo -- and that's going back a little ways -- that opened up
the Silk Road to Hangchou, China -- that's some time ago -- he thought
he had realized his life's dream when he accomplished that remarkable
feat.
Some years later writing in his journal he made the
observation that he was -- he was terribly, terribly distressed and
sorry that he had ever made that effort and had ever opened up that
road because as it worked out, it ended up to be, in his words, a
thoroughfare for speculators, brigands, and cut throats.
Now we list ourselves in Collier County as the number
one crime center on the FBI list. I think this bridge is going to
have a lot to do with introducing criminal elements into the city of
Naples at a new location. Thank you. I'll vote no. MR. WOODRUFF: Mrs. Prolman?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't mean to interrupt the
vote, but coincidently, Marco Polo was in on the first discussions on
the Gordon River bridge.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Right. That's a first.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mrs. Prolman?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: I forgot about that.
COUNCILWOMAN PROLHAN: I -- I -- I don't agree with the
priorities. I agree with the essence of the vote, but I don't agree
with the prioritizing, but I'll vote yes for eliminating the first --
for eliminating the routes one and five.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mr. Pennington?
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Yes.
MR. WOODRUFF: Mayor Huenzer?
HAYOR HUENZER: Yes. And I want to comment. I don't
know of any ranking or rating or anything that's been released that
puts us number one on the crime list. I'm not aware of that, Mr.
Tarrant.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I'll dig it out for you, Mayor.
HAYOR HUENZER: Thank you. I'm not aware of it.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you. You have the results
of your motion. Let's move onto the next item. HAYOR HUENZER: Five-one.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. The question now is that
the county commission and city council confirm the project objectives
and selection criteria that will be used for evaluating the three
remaining alignments.
MR. PERRY: Madam Chairman, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Gatti went
through the list of the different criteria that we'll be using to
present this information and to compare the different alternatives and
the --
COHHISSIONER NORRIS: That's what you're asking, for us
to approve that list?
MR. PERRY: We're asking for you to confirm these. If
there's anything that we've missed that you think we would like to add
to this list, we'd be more than happy to do that. We tried to cover
as much as we possibly could.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Hiss Chairman, I'll make a motion
to approve this list.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have public comment. Do we
have public comment on the -- on the criteria?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Can I ask a question, technical
question, of Jeff? Are these to be prioritized? Are these -- how are
you going to weight the criteria? You're not, are you?
MR. PERRY: There will be a weighting of these
particular criteria so that you can evaluate one alternative against
the other.
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Does that come out late? In
other words, I think that's very important that you don't -- you know,
you treat some of them more importantly than others.
MR. PERRY: That's not part of your -- your action
today. If you would like to see that weighting when it's developed
and -- and give some approval to it, we can certainly provide it to
you at a later date.
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: I would like to see it.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think we'd like to see it too,
yeah.
MR. WOODRUFF: One thing we have found among the staff
is that we believe that there will be -- as the elected officials, you
will probably look at the weighting of the criteria differently than
we would. And let me explain that comment. Whereas we as a staff may
look at permitability as the most important thing, you may believe
that cost is the most important thing or you may believe that the
overall land use impact is the most important thing while we think the
overall circulation is the most important thing.
So the reason why this is brought to you today without
any weighting is that the staff members could agree on what the
critical elements were, but we could not agree on what the weighting
was, nor could we predict what we thought your feeling on the
weighting was.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think the public comment as we
go along and -- and this issue comes to the forefront that we will be
having to convince each other as to what the weighting is -- is going
to be.
MR. WOODRUFF: We agree.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There's public comment, Mr.
Dotrill?
MR. DORRILL: Ms. Barsh.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Ms. Barsh.
MS. BARSH: Good morning. My name is Frances Barsh.
I'm a resident of Collier County, a voter, and also a member of TAG.
I believe that City Councilman Tarrant brought up a very
valid point. If at this time -- and I believe that as interpreted by
Commissioner Hac'Kie, the point is made that there are some routes
that are being eliminated, alternatives eliminated, two, in fact.
This, we believe, should be reflected in the cost of the
consultant. Therefore, the consultant's work now with the elimination
of two alternatives is -- is significantly diminished. And,
therefore, the cost should be adjusted, and there should be an
additional vote taken to adjust the cost.
As commission -- City Councilman Tarrant indicated that
this would be approximately $140,000 when one figures out the -- the
contract cost for the five alternatives.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: But, Miss Barsh, significant
effort has already gone into alignments one and five, and we are now
eliminating any further effort on those. So there has been
expenditure on those alignments.
MS. BARSH: Then what is the percentage of expenditure
on it?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, we -- we are told that
approximately $8,500 per alignment will be saved, $17,000.
MR. WOODRUFF: We're in the final phases of working with
the consultant on bringing you back the report. And the chairman is
correct when she says that there has been significant effort by the
consultant on each of the five options. And that's why as we got
further down the road and looked at the work that they had -- that had
occurred on each option, we said that it was a waste of taxpayers'
money to continue with one and five.
Part of that -- let me give you one example. Part of
the work on item number five had to do with calculating all of the
physical properties that would need to be purchased, finding their
values and so forth. That's the type of information that was gathered
on number five that helped us realize as a staff that we did not want
to expend any more money there.
MS. BARSH: However, if there is a significant -- as you
-- as is indicated, a significant amount of work is -- has been done,
then I believe that that should be evaluated and the percentage of
that work and time should be paid but the balance no. It seems to me
that at this point that there only be $2,000 that has not been
expended on these two alternatives is -- is unbelievable.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: 8,500, $17,000 total for the --
for the two of them.
MS. BARSH: Or 17,000 from 140,000.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: A lot -- a lot of effort has gone
into it.
MS. BARSH: So most of the work has been already done --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I presume.
MS. BARSH: -- for all the alternatives?
MR. WOODRUFF: First of all, let me guarantee you --
MS. BARSH: So, therefore, there's no more work to be
done or very little work to be done?
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: About $17,000 worth --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: 17,000.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: -- for those two alternatives.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: About $8,500 per alignment.
MS. BARSH: As compared to $140,000 for the two routes.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: To finalize those two
alternatives -- to finalize those two alternatives, the work remaining
is at a total cost of $17,000. We have two choices: We can allow
them to continue with those two unnecessary alternatives and waste
$17,000, or we can stop them where they are and save the $17,000.
Now, if you're asking have I seen the exact dollar
breakdown and man hour breakdown of that, the answer is no. And I
would assume in order to arrive at those numbers -- in order to pay it
out, we're going to take a look at those.
MR. WOODRUFF: Correct.
MS. BARSH: Yes. Well, then this is a request to take a
look at -- firmly at those numbers -- COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Certainly.
MS. BARSH: -- because it seems that the difference
between 140,000 and 17,000 being a balance that would be a credit to
the county for not pursuing these -- these studies is really
inadequate, and I believe that there isn't that much money that has
been or time has been expended. $140,000 --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Ms. Barsh, your $140,000 is
somewhat contrived. The process by which you do an environmental
study is that you do an entire environmental study of an area. You
then determine impact of specific alternatives in that area. Whether
you study eight impacts, two impacts, or thirty impacts, the base
environmental study is one of the most consuming elements of any due
diligence where environmental impacts are going to occur. I
understand that because I've done it.
So, you know, taking $140,000 out of the air and
assuming that every day is an equal percentage of that dollar amount
simply is not the way things work.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Mr. Hancock, the area that you
referred to included all five locations.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I -- I guess, Hiss Barsh, the
bottom line is that '-
MS. BARSH: So there is a percentage at all five
locations of which now there will be 40 percent eliminated because if
it's 5 locations, you're eliminating 2. It's 40 percent.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Hay I just ask what's the
process? Somebody's going to sign a check before the consultant is
paid. I assume that it is the responsibility of the managers or -- or
Mr. Dotrill, I assume, or is it -- is it you, Mr. Woodruff, who will
-- will analyze the appropriateness of the bill before we pay it?
MS. BARSH: Before you pay it. This is our request.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And I would -- and I would trust
that Dr. Woodruff could do that adequately and charge him to do that.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Well, plus if I may, this is, I
believe, a time and materials type of contract, is it not? We pay for
what we get. It's not a fixed price contract; is that correct?
MR. WOODRUFF: I won't answer that because I don't have
that personal knowledge. Dick, do you or Jeff -- can you answer
that?
MR. GATTI: Yes, I can. It's a lump sum contract, and
we reviewed the -- it's a lump sum contract.
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Okay. So it is -- it's a fixed
price contract.
MR. GATTI: Yes, sir.
MR. DORRILL: And in answer to Commissioner Hac'Kie's
question, the actual contract administration is being done by the
city. We are a party to that. There is a cost-sharing mechanism
where we're using impact fees thus far, but the city is contract
administrator in terms of the day-to-day coordination with the
consultant.
MR. WOODRUFF: And I can assure you we will review this
further to ensure that any reduction, whether $17,000 or some higher
figure, that would be reported back to you. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
MS. BARSH: Well, that is our request, that this be
carefully looked at and that the total deduction be taken. Thank you.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I believe we would -- we would
more than likely accomplish that. That's -- that's our -- that is our
duty with the public dollar.
MR. DORRILL: I believe the final speaker is Mr.
Erlichman. Mr. Erlichman?
MR. ERLICHMAN: Good afternoon. My name is Gilbert
Erlichman. I reside in East Naples, and I'm a member of TAG.
Continuing is this discussion of consultants. The
commissioners know my feelings about consultants from my past
appearances here. I was looking at this chart that was on the floor
concerning the pro -- the project which started in July of '94. And
this is the beginning of January, end of December, which is five
months. And the contract or the project has five more months to go
because according to the headings on the -- on the project, May is
supposed to be the final report. And in the interim between now and
May there's supposed to be some -- just a minute. Oh, it's down
here. Excuse me. If you can see this --
MR. WOODRUFF: I'll hold it for you, sir.
MR. ERLICHMAN: -- we're right over here at alignment
analysis, right, say, at the start of alignment analysis. The
corridor selection was supposed to be done back between October and
November. We're deciding -- you're deciding now on the corridor
selection.
So, in other words, according to this chart, the
consultants and the commission and the councilmen are at least three
months behind -- two months behind the projected schedule.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Fran, that -- if you look at
before November '94, it says select corridors --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: This is Gil, not Fran.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'm sorry. Gil, it says select
corridors for alignment analysis. In other words, select the five
corridors for analysis. That was done. We are now doing the analysis
of those five, so we are not behind three months. We did exactly what
that board dictates -- or the consultant did. Excuse me.
MR. ERLICHMAN: Well, my definition of corridor
selection means to select one corridor. Your -- your definition is
according to the -- the --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We had two corridors selected.
MR. ERLICHMAN: -- the statements below that. Okay.
Let's say we're at the point then that the corridor selection has been
done, but we're still five months behind the final report which is
supposed to be at -- submitted in May. Thank you.
How can -- how can -- how can you -- how can we stand
here or sit here and say that only seven -- what is it? -- $8,700 per
-- per corridor has been -- is due back to the taxpayers? I don't
understand that. I mean, if we're talking about proportioning seventy
thousand dollars per corridor, of three hundred fifty or three hundred
sixty thousand dollars, mathematically it seems unfair and unjust to
only return eighty-seven hundred dollars or eight thousand dollars for
the two corridors that are not going to be considered back to the
taxpayers. I cannot understand how almost 80 -- 80 or 85 percent of
the money has been expended when 5 months remains to the end of the --
the project report. Please explain that to me.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Because the early part of the
project is labor intensive as compared to the latter part.
MR. ERLICHMAN: What's labor intensive mean? This is a
lump sum that we paid to the consultants. It's not time and labor.
MR. WOODRUFF: Let me also address the fact that when
you look at what is still ahead, it doesn't matter whether you're
dealing with one route or five routes or twenty routes. It's the same
effort to finalize the report. The conduct of a public hearing -- and
we're paying Mr. Fortestel for being here today. We'll be paying Mr.
Fortestel to hold the public meetings that were approved by the city
council and the county commission when they first set up the
schedule. Those expenditures stay exactly the same whether you're
dealing with three routes left or five routes.
When you look at the legal advertisements, when you look
at the actual preparation of the document, for all practical purposes,
you cannot -- as Mr. Hancock said earlier, you cannot divide this into
fifths when you make the statement that you can take one-fifth of the
cost out. I can tell you that if this project began six months ago
with only three routes, you would have been at almost the identical
consultant contract as you would have with five routes. Why is that?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's exactly right.
MR. WOODRUFF: One of the reasons that is is because
when you do the environmental work and you do all the geotechnical
work, those -- these routes are so close together. Now, certainly if
one of the routes had been down at Gordon's Pass and another route had
been up at Doctor's Pass, yes, you could assign some very different
numbers for every route. But as we all know, routes one and two are
one block apart. Routes three, four, and five are for all practical
purposes one block apart each. So by eliminating something, have you
really reduced the work load? The answer there is no. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Huh-uh.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Dr. Woodruff, I totally respect
your comments, and you're -- you're right to a degree I think. But in
essence, you come back to the same thing that when the consultant
originally made their estimate and the contract was set at roughly
$360,000, it was based on a geographical footprint that included these
five potential locations for the bridge.
If it had included a footprint twice that size with 10
potential locations, I am sure that the consultant would not be doing
the job for $360,000. So there is a proportionate entity in this --
in this thing. And I'm not saying that it follows exactly that it
would be precisely one-fifth. But certainly the figure mentioned is a
ferryland figure. Thank you.
MAYOR HUENZER: Richard, you also mentioned things to be
done, yet the proportionate -- we still have engineers that are going
to have to go and deal with Tallahassee and the other permitting
agencies which is going to cost the same whether they're there and
going to Tallahassee and representing us, whether we're in three
routes or five. So those costs are still fixed as much as some of the
other.
MR. WOODRUFF: Let me just say that I want to assure the
council, the commission, and the public that we will go back -- I'll
encourage Mr. Dotrill and his staff to do this with us -- to look at
every penny to determine if we can increase that beyond the number
which the consultant originally gave us. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
MR. ERLICHHAN: Oh, that can -- in other words, the
consultant gave us that number. To me it's -- it's actually a
pittance, and it's an insult to -- to anyone who -- who realizes the
-- the work and effort that you're talking about in the five
corridors versus the work and effort that's remaining for the three
corridors. And that's all I have to say. Thank you. CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Thank you.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I'm going to -- I'm going to ask
also in this -- in this matter that any figures that are generated to
substantiate these arithma -- this arithmetic or payback is certified
as being actual work that was done.
In other words, I don't want to find out that a bunch of
engineers and consultants are sitting around generating figures to fit
the occasion. I mean, they've got to be figures, time -- time sheets
and figures and actual work that has been performed and certified.
Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Madam Chairman, we have a
motion on the floor.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yes, we do.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm comfortable -- Mr.
Woodruff and Mr. Dotrill are both very intelligent people and can do
the job and find out, and maybe we'll get more than 17,000 back. But
I'm relatively sure that they'll do their best effort to make sure
that happens. And in the mean time, we have a particular question in
front of us, and I'd love to call the question.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'll call the question. I guess
there being no further discussion, all those in -- all those in favor
of the motion which is to accept the selection criteria please say
aye.
All those opposed?
There being no --
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Aye.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There being no opposition in the
county -- COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I'm not used to this set-up here
obviously.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: -- motion will pass five-zero.
MAYOR HUENZER: Do I have a motion from the city on the
same identical motion?
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: So moved.
MAYOR HUENZER: Pennington. Do I have a second?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Second.
MAYOR HUENZER: Mr. Van Arsdale. Please poll the
council.
MR. WOODRUFF: Poll the council. Is Mr. Sullivan
sitting behind you? Okay. Mr. Van Arsdale?
COUNCILMAN VAN ARSDALE: Yes.
HR WOODRUFF: Hr. Tarrant?
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: No.
MR WOODRUFF: Mr. Pennington?
COUNCILMAN PENNINGTON: Yes.
MR WOODRUFF: Mrs. Prolman?
COUNCILWOMAN PROLHAN: Yes.
HR WOODRUFF:
MAYOR HUENZER:
HR WOODRUFF:
MAYOR HUENZER:
MR WOODRUFF:
vote on this?
COUNCILMAN SULLIVAN: My vote is yes.
MR. WOODRUFF: So the vote is five to one.
Hayor Huenzer?
Yes.
The motion passes --
Hr. Sullivan's here.
Mr. Sullivan, would you care to cast a
Motion
passes.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Next item.
MR. PERRY: Madam Chairman, Mr. Mayor, the next decision
we're asking the county commission to make today is to confirm the
schedule for the special election for the referendum on the local
government infrastructure surtax, also called the -- commonly called
the sales -- one cent local option sales tax.
At the December 6 meeting the Board of County
Commissioners directed staff to prepare a schedule for a September
election which would allow for -- if approved by the voters would
allow for the collection to occur in December, December 1 to be
specific. The schedule has been provided to you in addition to the
legal memorandum from staff concerning the pre-election requirements.
I'll very quickly for the audience -- purposes of the
audience go over the dates. We're talking about the decision to
advertise an ordinance by the Board of County Commissioners would have
to be made on Hay 9. That would be following, of course, the
conclusion of the CH2H Hill work. The public hearing on that surtax
ordinance would be June 27. The county staff would be going through
the pre-election requirements with the justice department preclearing
the election concluding on or about September 1. The election of the
mail-out ballot would be September 26.
If approved by the voters, the earliest that it would be
collected would be December 1. And as an example, if it were a
seven-month period, December 1 through June 30, that would be the
seven-month period. And depending on the ballot question, it could be
less than that or more than that as long as it ends on a calendar
quarter. So the schedule -- this is the schedule that you had
requested for a September election.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I have one question, Mr. Perry.
There -- there is some discussion that Commissioner Hancock brought up
the last time that we addressed this, and that was that the -- the
prices or the costs that were shown to us did not include the -- the
approach roads and mechanisms and so forth to access the bridge; is
that correct?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Commissioner Matthews, that was
the -- I was referring to an extension -- say if we're assuming
alignment four, the eastward extension to Livingston Road, that was
the element that I was -- that I asked Mr. Perry. And he confirmed
that it was not included. It did not apply to the actual approaches
as a physical part of the bridge.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. So we're -- we're talking
about a totally usable bridge then for these dollars. MR. PERRY: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I just wanted to make sure.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Included with approach ramp,
signage, and everything.
MR. PERRY: This includes the bridge and its approaches
from -- to connect Airport Road with Goodlette Road but, depending on
the alignment, does not include any further westward or eastward
improvements other than the intersection.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is there -- is there further
discussion from the board?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just a clarification. What
you're asking for us to do is just to approve the -- the schedule --
to confirm the schedule that you put in front of us on -- on bringing
the matter up?
MR. PERRY: That's correct.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We're not -- we're not adopting
the ordinance. We're not deciding on the referendum. I just want to
make it clear. We're just adopting the schedule.
MR. PERRY: We're just showing you the schedule that you
asked us to put together and to tell you that if CH2H Hill completes
their work on schedule, the decision on the preferred alternative will
be made. The costs associated with that alternative will be nailed
down because all of the decisions will be made. And at that point the
board on Hay 9 would be in a position to structure the ballot question
in the way that it sees fit.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: And this is all contingent upon
CH2H Hill.
MR. PERRY: Or not to go along with it if it decided not
to go along with it.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Madam Chairman, I'd like to have
the transcript of this meeting reflect the fact that -- that I've had
a conversation with the superintendent of elections. And she told me
clearly and emphatically that she is not comfortable with the timing
of this matter, feels that it's inappropriate.
But, of course, almost no one probably would -- would
have the audacity to go and ask the superintendent of elections her
opinion, but that's her opinion.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: She was here and spoke with us
when we addressed this issue the last time. And at that point she was
having no difficulty with the timing whatsoever.
MR. PERRY: Madam Chairman --
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: Very good.
MR. PERRY: -- this memo that the county attorney's
office prepared was submitted to Mary Morgan. I talked with her on
Wednesday or Thursday of last week, and she says she has no problem
with this schedule. She was concerned originally and I think what the
councilman is talking about is her original concerns about a summer
election because of vacations and things like that.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah.
MR. PERRY: But she has agreed that this schedule is one
that she can --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. It was she who convinced us
that we needed to look more toward the end of August and September.
MR. PERRY: That's correct.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'd like to move approval of the
item.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Wait a minute. Do we have
speakers?
MR. DORRILL: You have two.
Mr. Goodlette?
While he's coming forward, Mr. Perry, your executive
summary indicates, though, there's an immediate need for some cost and
the associated budget amendment. So my understanding is that Ms.
Morgan will need to have some costs before you would actually adopt an
ordinance.
MR. PERRY: That's correct. I was going to hit that one
after we got beyond the schedule, but that's exactly correct. There's
a decision on money that needs to be made.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's -- number four is the
decision on money.
MR. DORRILL: Mr. Goodlette, and then we'll have Mr.
Corkran if you'd stand by, please.
MR. GOODLETTE: Madam Chairman, Mr. Mayor, members of
the commission, the council, I'm pleased to have an opportunity just
to merely urge you to confirm and to approve the schedule for the
special election of the referendum.
First of all, I'd be remiss -- since you've had a couple
of comments to the contrary, I would like to applaud members of this
commission and members of the city council for taking the action that
they've previously taken and hopefully approving this and confirming
the schedule for the referendum.
I think it's vitally important for those of us who've
had a vital, a keen interest in the subject of the second Gordon River
bridge for some period of time. I think this is a -- these are
important steps that you're taking.
I also would like to compliment your staff for bringing
this to you in the form in which it's being brought to you today.
First of all, it shows that they are -- they are indeed exhausting
their effort in the vein in which you directed them on December the
6th when we last were here discussing this subject.
And more importantly, it keeps all of those in the
public aware of what's going on. And I think it's important that we
underscore when these occasions arise when your staff comes back,
you're not trying to hide the ball from anyone. No formal action, as
Commissioner Hac'Kie has pointed out, is taken. But this is merely an
effort to keep the people who are interested in this subject, whether
they're in favor of it or against it, informed as to what you're
doing. And I compliment you for that.
I think you -- all too often we -- we -- we criticize
you for not keeping us informed. And in this instance, it's quite the
contrary. And whether you agree or disagree with the action that has
been taken, I think it's important that we underscore the fact that we
-- we -- we are made aware.
I think the elimination of the two routes is a prudent
decision. I think the prioritization is a prudent decision. Whether
those three priorities are the ones that everybody favors or not is
really -- is less important in my -- in our judgment than the issues
you're about today.
Again, I'm here, Dudley Goodlette, on behalf of the
Bridge Club. I urge you to confirm and approve the schedule for the
special election. It will -- by the time that Hay the 9th arrives,
you will have received the consultant's final report. You will have
the numbers. You will have the alignment, and we can move forward.
And again, I compliment you on the action that you've taken.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you. Mr. Corkran?
MR. CORKRAN: For the record, I'm Sewell Corkran. I
live in Olde Naples. I'm a resident and a taxpayer.
I have no problem that an alternate bridge is going to
be needed. And I'm not an engineer, and I would go along with any
site that's selected, and I think you're going about it in the proper
manner with these consultants.
The issue that I want to raise is the timing, and I'm
assuming that if you go ahead with the referendum that you're prepared
to go immediately forward with the timing for the alternate bridge.
And those two things are connected.
The point I want to make is -- is this: I have a study
made by, I assume, the county staff. I got it from the county. I
spent yesterday going over what you call the road trip counts that are
recorded by Mr. Archibald's office. And I examined every single
segment to see what the capacity was, what the volume on the road was,
and what the situation is.
Their figures will tell you that if you go ahead with
the bridge on U.S. 41, which I consider the number one priority, it
will have a capacity of 90,000 trips. And your county staff has
figures that will show you that without any bridge anyplace anywhere
that that 90,000 capacity will last until the year 2006. And if you
wanted to, you could change your level of service standard from D to
E, and it would last until 2008.
The point I want to make is that it's imperative to go
ahead with the regular bridges on U.S. 41 and after 2000 later on --
and circumstances can change -- you can go ahead and build the
alternate bridge. I mean, that bridge has gotta come. The question
is the timing.
Now, people don't go and check the statistics. Airport
Road from the intersection of Radio Road up to Golden Gate Parkway is
about as deficient as you can get. And the statistics for the third
quarter which I examined yesterday were well above the deficiency.
And the -- when the first quarter comes -- that was the fourth quarter
I looked at. When the first quarter of '95 comes, it's going to be a
hell of a lot worse. And if you're going to build something off of
Airport Road in two-way traffic, you're going head on into Airport
Road.
There are things to be done before this alternate bridge
is made. You cannot relieve Airport Road in that area without
Livingston. You absolutely can't do it. And you're jeopardizing
Golden Gate Parkway.
In my opinion your priority is -- number one is the
bridges on U.S. 41. Number two is to -- is Livingston Road. And
number three is the interchange at Golden Gate Parkway. You can't
pluck a bridge out of the air and set it down in a vacuum. You have
to fix the circumstances, the surroundings. And you can't talk about
it unless you get down and you examine what the capacity of the roads
is, what the volume is on the roads, what the volume trends are on the
roads. I mean, you gotta look ahead.
The bridges on U.S. 41 at 90,000 without any alternate
bridge will carry you up to 2006. I'm all for a bridge. If I live
that long, I see three bridges in the area we're talking about.
They're gonna come. But fix Airport. Do some of these things first.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Thank you.
I have a question for Mr. Archibald. We've been through
the bridge story quite a bit, but in -- in -- in attempting to answer
some -- some of Mr. Corkran's comments that he brought up, building
this bridge, particularly on the north route, extending it through to
Livingston Road with the completion of Livingston Road from Enterprise
I guess up to and beyond Golden Gate Boulevard, is -- is that going to
improve the traffic network around that area?
MR. ARCHIBALD: Yes, most definitely. To ride on that
idea, Livingston has been recognized already as an important link.
And not only is it under design right now, but construction dollars
have been set aside in 1998 for that link between Radio Road and
Golden Gate Parkway. So there is already the interconnection of
roadways planned.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So you're -- you're envisioning
the -- with the time schedule that we're on the completion of this
bridge and the extending of the road from Airport Road to the
completion of Livingston Road and then by providing another
north-south link.
MR. ARCHIBALD: Yes.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: All in roughly the same time
frame.
MR. ARCHIBALD: No. I think what we'll see -- and
again, we're concentrating on the corridor between Airport Road and
Goodlette-Frank. That's the link that we're trying to undertake in
this discussion here. As another matter, the county is also
undertaking the link of Livingston between Radio and Golden Gate
Parkway.
Beyond that time frame, beyond our five-year time frame,
most likely in the year 2005 to 2010, we're going to be going back and
looking at improving the link between Airport and Livingston. We've
gone ahead and already done things to preserve that alignment. So the
alignment's there. We will during that time frame be able to make
improvements. Those improvements may end up being three laning, but
we don't perceive four laning at this point in time.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So --
MR. ARCHIBALD: But ultimately that will be a connected
corridor if, in fact, we determine through this process and follow
through with the northern alignment number four or number three.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Help me then. We're talking about
or at least I'm -- in my mind I'm envisioning the new bridges if
they're built to handle thirty to thirty-five thousand vehicles a
day. And what you're telling me then, at least for a two-year period,
we're going to simply dump that traffic on Airport Road, and that's
it?
MR. ARCHIBALD: When that traffic gets to Airport Road,
it will have three directions to travel: north, south, and it can
continue to the east.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: To the east to where?
MR. ARCHIBALD: To serve the industrial park until such
time as Livingston comes on board in the late nineteen hundreds,
again, 1998, '99.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So -- so we are for all intent and
purpose dumping this traffic on Airport Road with a minor relief in --
in -- into the industrial park for a period of about two years.
MR. ARCHIBALD: Yes. And again, keep in mind that we
have many roadways. A good example of one that somewhat terminates is
Davis Boulevard at Airport Road. The reason we have so many turning
movements there is, in fact, the turning movements north and
southbound exceed the through movements. So although we may have a
four-way intersection like we could have at Airport and Enterprise,
the turning movements are occurring because that's where people need
to go for one reason or another.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: If I may, Commissioner Matthews,
I -- I disagree with the concept of dumping on to Airport Road for the
simple reason that those trips are either right now currently using
Golden Gate Parkway or Tamiami Trail to access Airport Road for -- for
north-south use.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So you're saying the trips are
there anyway.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'm saying the trips are there.
By a third avenue, what you're doing, you are going to increase some
trips immediately around the -- the intersection point. But my
understanding is that you're also going to be pulling some off Golden
Gate Parkway and some off of U.S. 41, so it's not like we're taking a
whole brand new number that came from nowhere and dropping it at an
intersection. Some of that will occur, but I think for the most part
there's going to be more of an averaging in that area.
So your -- your point's well taken, but I -- I
definitely wouldn't look at it as a whole brand new number.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, I've been -- I've been
moving or thinking of this project in moving forward with the -- with
the extension, with the east-west extension, to Livingston Road and
Livingston Road providing a major -- another major north-south
corridor for traffic. And I -- I guess I'm -- I'm feeling that
perhaps we need to be looking at moving that project forward from '98
and '99 because I -- I -- I think I tend to agree that we're going to
be looking at a lot more traffic and a lot more congested area because
that's what? It's six lanes now, and it's not likely to get more
lanes on it, so I'm -- I'm -- I'm seeing a problem.
COUNCILMAN TARRANT: I think, Madam Chairman, as I heard
what -- what Mr. Corkran was saying, one of the things that he was
saying very clearly -- and I haven't heard anyone challenge his
information -- is that based on the studies that have been made that
are right here in the county records, the traffic counts do not
support the construction of this bridge at this time. So in -- no
matter how you feel about it, I don't think anyone can disagree that
it's premature.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Miss Chairman, I -- I think the
issue in front of us here is the scheduling for the special election.
I think we've sort of gotten far afield here.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's true. That is the issue
and do -- frankly, unless there's additional public comment -- is
there?
MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
to entertain a motion.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS:
motion --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COHMISSIONER NORRIS:
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
There is none? I would be willing
I think I already did make a
We have a motion?
-- to approve the schedule.
Second.
And we have a second. Assuming
there's no further discussion, I'll call the question. All those in
favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion carries four to zero, Commissioner Constantine
being absent.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: And since we have now confirmed
the schedule we do need to --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, excuse me. The city needs
to address that issue.
MR. WOODRUFF: There is no action.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Oh, I'm sorry.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: This is county only. But now that
we've approved the referendum to go forward with the schedule, we do
need to approve the budget amendments, so I'll make that motion that
we approve that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. We have a motion on the
floor. Do we have any further public comment? MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. I will call the question if
there's no further discussion. All those in favor please say aye.
All those opposed?
There being none, motion carries four-zero. Mr.
Constantine is absent.
I believe that concludes the portion of this meeting
that is joint with the city; is that true?
MAYOR HUENZER: Yeah, we have nothing left.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have nothing left either. The
Board of County Commissioners will move on now to staff communications
if we want to take a few minutes to rearrange the office. We should
be finished in ten minutes.
Item #15C
800 HHZ WORKSHOP WITH FIRE DISTRICTS - HEETING TO BE HELD
(A short break was held.)
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay. Let's move forward with
staff communications. First item was a plan on the 800 megahertz
workshop with the fire districts.
MR. DORRILL: I have -- I have two items. They'll take
30 seconds apiece, I assure you.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's the kind we like.
MR. DORRILL: Staff -- staff has met with each
independent fire district and the other affected entities on 800
megahertz. We will have a final joint what I'll call staff workshop
on January the 17th to develop sort of three alternatives for the
county commission.
The fire districts have expressed a desire to meet sort
of jointly or as part of one of your meetings sometime after the 17th
in order for you to make a decision. And then we will bring the final
legal instruments back to determine the permanent financing at the
board meeting of February the 7th which is consistent with your
original direct -- whatever actual contracts or resolutions that would
need to be entered into will be done at your first meeting in
February.
We -- I'll pick a date and share that with the chairman
after we've had this consolidated workshop with all the -- that may be
a poor choice of words -- the joint workshops with all the independent
fire districts.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Poor choice of words.
Item #15D
STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING TO BE REGULAR WORKSHOP AND HELD AT THE
MUSEUM ON JANUARY 31, 1995
HR. DORRILL: I also wanted to inquire, with the fifth
Tuesday in January being what would have been a strategic planning and
now a workshop if the board is still desirous of having those off site
at the downtown library? And if so, do you want me to coordinate some
topic areas with the chairman as to what the workshop session would be
for the 31st?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah. I think what we said
is you had some ideas in particular and then just run them so we know
ahead of time what we're doing.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. I gave Mr. Dotrill the --
the listing yesterday of -- I don't know -- 20 or 25 different
workshop topics that we might want to look at with a priority bar on
the other side to gather from each of you what you consider priority
items. And, of course, those that get the lowest scores, so to speak,
we'll do that.
MR. DORRILL: We can make some suggestions then and
share those with you. I think we'll take one or two areas and not try
and encumber you beyond that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Maybe next Tuesday as a group
we can agree to whatever it is you propose.
MR. DORRILL: Okay. And I presume that the library
setting is fine for the purposes, or would you prefer to meet here?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: This is easy.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: I liked the museum personally.
It's on county grounds, and it's a nice new facility, and it will
maybe expose more people to -- to the museum area and what's over
there. I'd like to see us use the museum.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It's a good size room, yeah.
Acoustics in that room, though, are not real good right now.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: True.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Are we going to make some
adjustments there?
MR. DORRILL: I don't know that there's much that we --
we can do for the time being over there. The budget amendment --
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: If that's a concern, the library
is fine. I would just like to see us use that facility more and get
more people over there to take a look at it.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm -- I'm not opposed to -- to,
you know, trying to use it. And we'll decide what the acoustics are,
if they work or they don't.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: I'll tell you from my
perspective. Just make sure that I'm informed in enough time to get
wherever I'm going.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Tell me where it is and leave me
alone.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I thought I was well informed. I
mean, you were told 9 and I was told 9:30. I mean --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I don't care where it is.
Anything's good with me.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Why don't -- why don't we stay
with that, with the museum then for the first couple and see how it
goes.
MR. DORRILL: Very well. I'm finished.
Item #15B
FIRST ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH - MEMO FORTHCOMING FROM COUNTY ATTORNEY
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Cuyler, we were going to talk
about -- a little bit about the Lely guard house?
MR. CUYLER: Correct. First of all, just as a note,
I'll send you a memo on the First Assembly case just to tell you how
that turned out and update you a little bit. And I think initially it
predated all the commissioners, so maybe I'll give you a little
background on that too.
Item #15A
LELY GUARDHOUSE - HOMEOWNERS/MASTERS ASSOCIATION FILED SUIT AND COUNTY
ATTORNEY TO KEEP BOARD UP TO DATE
The Lely guard house, I just wanted to mention the board
asked me to tell you this week whether we could proceed with a court
case as well as the Code Enforcement Board proceeding. And as things
usually go, we've got a lawsuit this week. It's either being filed --
I believe it's being filed today. We got a courtesy copy yesterday.
The homeowners' association, slash, masters' association has filed a
suit for injunction, and there's a count in there to enjoin us from
any administrative hearing which would be the Code Enforcement Board
hearing.
The answer to the question you asked me is that we don't
see anything that precludes us from going forward with the Code
Enforcement Board. That will obviously become a judicial
determination as a result of this lawsuit. But we need some time to
evaluate that, look at the counts, and see where we're going to go.
But I wanted to let you know that we've gotten a copy of the
complaint, and I assume it's going to get filed today.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I -- I -- I have to say that
subsequent to our discussion last Tuesday regarding this I had
occasion to read a memo from our public services administrator that I
-- I must say outraged me, and I'm -- I'm sure you have a copy of
that now as well as the letter he was referring to in his letter.
And after having read that letter -- and I don't want to
expound on it too much because we're -- we're in a court case, it
would -- it would not bother me if we proceeded with an injunction
against them to get that guard house gone.
MR. CUYLER: I'm -- I'm -- we're going to have to figure
out what we're going to do, whether we're going to proceed on their
case which I don't think we're going to do, whether we're going to go
forward with code enforcement, whether we're going to file our own
case, how we're going to approach it. But I did want to let you know
that that's out there.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Mr. Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If they are successful in
getting an injunction to prohibit us from having administrative remedy
while their case is ongoing, is it possible for us then to get an
injunction to keep that gate open while their case is ongoing?
MR. CUYLER: That is something that we would put into
the proceedings, yes.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: As is currently the position, we
can proceed with code enforcement in February determining if there is
a violation or not. But once this case is filed, code enforcement
then cannot occur? Is that my understanding?
MR. CUYLER: They're going to try -- I'm sure as part of
their strategy, they're going to try to keep the Code Enforcement
Board administrative county proceeding from happening at all. We
still have to sit down with staff and make sure that staff has the
case to go forward on this and exactly how they want to approach it,
what we want them to do. But that side, as far as the plaintiffs in
this lawsuit, are going to try to keep you from doing anything on the
county Code Enforcement Board.
COHHISSIONER HANCOCK: But we're scheduled to move
ahead, and we're doing so; is that what I understand?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We're moving ahead, but they're
seeking -- they are seeking an injunction to prohibit us from moving
ahead. Should they be successful in that, may -- can he seek an
injunction to keep that armature up while the proceedings continue?
MR. CUYLER: We would have to -- we would have to either
include that as part of our argument or file a separate lawsuit. And
again, how we do all that we haven't decided yet.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I know you need to study
that. But that was my question exactly, and my preference would be
not to simply make that part of the argument. Why I use the word
injunction is if we're going to have an ongoing thing in the court of
law, that, I suspect, will go on for several months on end. And I
would just as soon as a separate action, if we get to that point,
request an injunction to keep those gates open while that's going on,
just -- just the same as they're saying we can't have an
administrative hearing because that case is going on. And I would
think that we should ask that they be required to keep that gate open
while that is going on as well rather than make that simply part of
the hearing itself.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: You'll get back to us with --
MR. CUYLER: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay.
MR. DORRILL: We'll unchain Dave Bryant and take the
muzzle off of him.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Scary thought.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I didn't know -- I didn't know --
I didn't know he was muzzled. MR. CUYLER: No, he's not.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I didn't think he was.
MR. CUYLER: He's eternally unmuzzled.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Another -- I -- I guess that
concludes the issues from the county manager and the county attorney.
Is there anything from the board? Communications? COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Not for me.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine? Going
in a different order this time.
Item #14
BCC COMMUNICATIONS - UPDATE ON MARCO ISLAND AIRPORT
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Hixing it up just to confuse
everybody. Question, I wonder if you could just update us where we
stand on the Marco Island Airport.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Yeah. We're -- we're standing in
pretty good stead I think. We have pretty much agreed on all of the
components of the trade regarding the Fakahatchee Strand and the Jane
Scenic Drive and the -- the 99-year lease and the permitting and so
forth like that. We're down to the last agreement which is the
airport itself.
And the last time we talked, I believe I informed you
that the mangroves surrounding the airport were not a part of the deed
that the DEP is transferring to us. And I have since been in contact
with the DEP asking for easements and so forth to give us -- us the
permission to go upon the land that I presume that they own so that we
-- we can trim the mangroves if we need to.
I've also asked them to allow us to remove the mangroves
and replace with the salt water marsh which will make the maintenance
in the future considerably less onerous.
I discovered in the process of doing that they were --
they're interested in giving us a management agreement for that land
which is -- is equally fine. But we discovered in the process that
we're not sure who owns the land. So that's where we are right now.
I'm supposed to talk with Mr. Kirby Green this
afternoon, and we will be discussing who owns the land and what we
need to do based on who does own it. So that's where that sits.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Great.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Any other comments?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: (Commissioner Norris shook head.)
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: None.
Item #14
BCC COMMUNICATIONS - ITEM FOR DISCUSSION REGARDING LANDFILL
PRIVATIZATION TO BE HELD JANUARY 17, 1995
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I -- I had one I wanted to bring
up. And this was dealing with the memo that Commissioner Constantine
gave us at the workshop last year on -- last week, I'm sorry.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Seems like a year.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: -- on the landfill privatization
schedule, and I've -- and I've read the memo, and I've also looked at
the alternative methodologies that have been brought forward to us.
And I think we have three, is that correct, three bids?
MR. DORRILL: You have two compost and one clean mrf.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It seems to me that regardless of
what we do and regardless of whether we select any one of those three
or whether we refuse them all and go off in another direction, we're
not going to do anything with that particular notion of alternative
methods and bring it on line for at least two, maybe three years
because we've got a lot of investigation and a lot of expenditure.
And -- and we're going to have to thoroughly look at all of them and
with -- with no problems I hope.
I -- I would like to bring the landfill privatization
issue forward next week so that we can -- can finalize that and get it
moving in whatever direction it's going to go.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, again, if -- if I can
reiterate the purpose of the memo, I don't think it's fair to the two
new commissioners nor to the public, for that matter, to have their
very first public hearing on this be a review, this is where we are,
now make a decision. And I don't think that's appropriate.
I also asked on that memo for a Wednesday night hearing
which was embraced a week ago, five days ago. And so I don't think
that to change that back again now is benefiting us or benefiting the
public. And the question wasn't solely for the alternative uses.
That was part of it. And I think it may be two or three years before
it's on line, but I think we'll know a direction we're headed with
alternatives. And those will have an impact on the amount of volume
which has an impact on the contract if we choose to privatize so --
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, just to the extent -- first
of all, to the extent that -- that the memo was based in giving new
commissioners opportunity to get caught up, I appreciate that. And I
have actually afforded myself of that opportunity on my own in an
interest of -- in the interest of trying to avoid making all of you
sit through it again. And I -- I have done enough research and -- and
review on it that I -- I feel like that I personally don't need that
particular review.
More importantly perhaps on the interest of -- I mean on
the issue of -- of the alternative technologies and how that might or
might not affect the need -- the decision on privatization and
optimization, seems to me there are two issues: One is
privatization. The other is how long are we going to be at that
landfill.
Talking about privatizing the landfill doesn't decide
the question of how long we're going to be there, of optimization,
especially as the contract is proposed which I got a copy of yesterday
and looked at it. It has this very clear ten-year out that allows us
not to have to make the decision on how long we're going to be here.
So I -- my perception is that Commissioner Constantine's
primary concern is how long are we going to be at that landfill, not
who's going to operate it. And as to the issue of who's going to
operate it, I'm ready to go forward and make some decisions.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, I'll correct your
perception because I'm concerned about both of those as are members of
the public. Again, I guess I'm very disappointed to hear a turnaround
five days after this was so enthusiastically endorsed. And you in
particular, Commissioner Mac'Kie, complained twice during our little
workshop last week prior to me ever bringing this up about having
issues come to us that we've never -- that we are expected to make a
final decision on that we never have had a public word on with the two
new members of the board. And when I mentioned this, you were very
enthusiastic, great, I'd like that opportunity.
So I know I saw Mr. Goodlette and Mr. Varnadoe in here
the last couple of days in the offices, and I'm sure they've had an
opportunity to talk with some of the board. And maybe that's why
there's a change of heart.
But we're making a decision that's going to have an
impact for 25 years. It's going to have an impact for millions of
dollars. It's going to have all the things that I listed last week.
And to suddenly turn around now and say, again, particularly under
staff or under BCC communications, no, we don't want to do that after
all, it's a disservice to the public.
And the Wednesday night hearing was a key part of that.
We had 400 people turn out, so it's obviously of great interest to the
community. And to have it on a Tuesday afternoon in a -- on what's
going to impact a working class neighborhood, they're not going to be
able to be here. So you are effectively cutting the public out of the
process. If that's what your preference is, then -- and the majority
of the board's is, there's nothing I can do about that.
But it seems to me it would make more sense to have the
two new members of the board be able to have an update, be able to ask
questions, be able to bring some things forward. And as is often the
case, we need to go back somewhere and answer those. And there's --
I'm not sure what the rush is. If we wait an extra couple of weeks to
get the answers to all those things, after two years, I don't
understand the absolute necessity to have it the 17th.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, I don't see the
privatization of the landfill issue as making a decision to stay at
the landfill for 25 years. It's my understanding Commissioner Mac'Kie
talked of a ten-year out. It's my understanding that that out could
be as few as five years.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: And it would be my -- it would be
my concern to at the same time that we address the privatization
issue, whatever direction we go in -- and I don't particularly care at
this point whether we continue to operate it ourselves or whether we
-- we privatize it. I'm -- I'm interested in -- in -- in operating
it efficiently and operating it at the lowest possible dollar for the
rate payors.
But the other thing I'm interested in is giving our
environmental services department its marching orders to go and
secure, find us another site. Let's get it bought. Let's get it
permitted. Let's get cells lined, and let's get moving. Even -- even
two more weeks keeps the public in a turmoil as to where we're going.
Commissioner Mac'Kie, you have some more.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just -- well, just a lot of
remarks came to mind, Commissioner Constantine, based on what you were
saying. But fundamentally I need for you to know that my objection
has been to moving forward without adequate information. I have taken
it upon myself with regard to privatization to get adequate
information. I -- my -- my goal is efficiency. And I don't want us
to delay where we can be efficient. And I -- and I have the goal of
separating privatization from optimization. I hope that we can --
privatization is a -- is a goal of mine. It's something I want to see
us doing a whole lot more of.
To the extent that we mix the two issues together,
privatization with how long are we going to be there, I think it
muddies the waters on the privatization issue. I'm suggesting we go
forward on privatization, and later we'll discuss the optimization.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, I'm hearing both sides
of the argument now because Commissioner Matthews is saying we want to
move fast as quickly as we can with giving them direction on finding
another site and setting a schedule. And at the same time, you're
saying the two aren't interlinked and we can do that later.
COHHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, we're different people. We
have different opinions.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, but Commissioner Matthews
actually argued both sides of that coin too. The -- I hear
inconsistent arguments here. Yes, we want to move forward but with
the water issues. You were so insistent on having all the information
on all the water issues at one time. And now it is inconsistent to me
to suggest that suddenly we don't need all the issues at one time for
this issue. Again, why it needs to move forward absolutely the 17th
is beyond me.
The -- two, you can say they're not -- the two are
linked. The contract as to who will be operating that landfill and
whether it's volume based or whether it's a calendar base or whatever
the terms of that contract are are directly linked to how long we're
going to be there.
If -- if we as a board decide two weeks after the fact
that we only want to be there seven years -- I don't think that's
going to happen. But if that's what we decide, we don't have that
option anymore because we will have signed a contract that says a
certain volume or ten years or how ever it's worded. I haven't seen
the latest draft. But as of a couple of days ago, it was based on a
volume solely.
If that volume happens to come up at five years and we
don't have another site, we don't have another opportunity, the way
that contract was written, to come back and say, no, we want to move
now. So we're stuck there for the length. If that volume doesn't
come up until 15 years, then we're stuck there for 15 years. The way
that contract written right now most certainly is linked to the length
of that site.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That's not going to change between
now and three weeks from now.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: My goal -- my --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Unless we -- we give Mr. Dorrill
direction to have another termination point put in there.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Let me clarify that --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: But we can't -- we need to do that
in a meeting concept. If we're not happy with a volume situation, we
need -- yes, ma'am. Hold on a second.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I know. I'm talking to Tim.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We -- we -- we need to direct our
staff -- if we're not happy with what that volume is, we need to get
it in the public forum so we can say we're not happy with whatever
that is.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And wouldn't it make sense
then to follow, as proposed in last Thursday's calendar that was
unanimously acclaimed at the time, to have that contract brought
forward and reviewed and then sent away to staff to make those nuts
and bolts corrections before we make a final vote? To me that makes
such simple sense that you would do that and put it in its form and
ask staff to put it in the final form instead of trying to cram that
all into one meeting.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: You're on.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: The honeymoon's over. This
commission is arguing.
Commissioner Constantine, the reason that -- that what
you brought up last Thursday was so attractive to me at our workshop
was that I was unaware there was an RFP for alternative methods out
there. I was unaware that we had received information on it. And
that's because I had not looked at that level.
What I have done in the mean time is take a look at that
information, and I have a tough time comparing or saying that a $17 a
ton or $19 a ton privatization issue is remotely related to a 40 or
$50 a ton alternative resource type -- you know, type of an approach.
If I'd looked at any of those three and felt that they
had enough merit that was worth looking into and -- and worth delaying
any decision on privatization, I would surely be backing it today.
The truth is of the three RFPs we've received, there
isn't anything in them that I find attractive to the taxpayer of this
county for the simple reason that the benefit and the cost is an -- is
an extreme ratio beyond what we've looked at.
So I'm back to the question of what is our
responsibility at the current landfill, how do we best complete the
operation there, and how do we get moving with finding a new site?
That's my personal agenda. And I'm not sure -- you know, I have met
with residents of Golden Gate. I'm not in a vacuum. People come see
the rest of us, too, even though we don't -- they understand we vote
on these issues.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Did I suggest otherwise,
Commissioner Hancock?
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Pardon me?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Did I suggest otherwise?
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: You suggested a lot of things and
-- and a couple of them -- one, in fact, that someone had been swayed
and wasn't speaking their mind but someone else's I found offensive.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Agreed.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: And -- and, you know, I don't
appreciate that. But that's aside. The real question I'm dealing
with is how best to operate the existing landfill, what the term life
should be in all fairness to the residents out there. And that's --
that's the issue I want to get at.
The best way to do that is to move ahead either in that
decision process, and the one recommendation you've made is another
Wednesday evening meeting where we get a lot of public input. I can
never say that public input is bad. I would never do that. But the
results of the last one were so overwhelmingly obvious to anyone who
picked up the paper the next day. Is that necessary, or would it
change my approach? I think my approach is to protect those residents
equally as yours is.
So, you know, whether we do it next week or two weeks,
you're right. It's not going to kill me one way or the other. But I
need sufficient reason to move something off the agenda or to delay
it, and the RFPs that were submitted does not -- do not give me
sufficient reason for alternative resource. And if there's another
reason out there, I'd be more than happy to listen to it. But -- but
right now I just -- I don't see -- see the sufficient reason there.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The -- again, I'll ask the
board for a Wednesday night hearing for it. I think the maximum
public input on a decision that is going to affect a community for --
one way or another for 25 years or more to come is to our benefit and
is to the public's benefit.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Have we traditionally had two
public hearings, two evening public hearings, on issues?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It would be the third one.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: It would be the third even public
hearing?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, I'll correct that.
First of all, the second one was a workshop because we -- CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: The first one was a workshop
also.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Because we had wanted to try
to get this put to bed before the new commissioners come on. But this
-- I don't know what we've traditionally done, but I don't think
traditionally we've had an issue that dragged out for two years and
had two new faces on the board making a decision.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I don't think you're going to be
surprised --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Can I put in my two cents'
worth --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Sure you can.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: -- in at some point in time, or is
this just going to be --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Sure you can.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: A little battle?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We've been through two workshops
already?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: (Chairwoman Matthews nodded head.)
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Do you envision this next one
being limited to only new information, or is this going to be
recapitulation of what we've done in the past?
My position on this is -- should be by now very well
known as -- to the public as the public's position is very well known
to me. For me to sit through another five- or six-hour hearing on
this, I don't know that I'm real enthused about that. I mean, if
that's what we're going to do, that's fine. Let's go do it. But it's
not -- in my opinion to me it's not going to serve any useful purpose
unless we're going to limit it to new information or something like
that. But I don't really know what you have in --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I have no objection to that.
I just -- I recall when we had our nighttime hearing in September of
'93 that we had -- I don't know -- 28, 29 speakers. But the vast
majority of those were very -- it wasn't the mere emotional
not-in-my-backyard argument.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: It was well organized.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: They had very well organized,
very well reasoned out, laid out thoughts and statements, and I would
think -- I'd have no objection to your suggestion of having that
limited to new information or what have you because I think they have
the ability -- certainly have the ability to do that. That was done
in the past.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, the other thing is that we
have a sometimes policy of not having public input during a workshop.
Is this one of those type workshops? Is that what you envision? Or
is this specifically for public input? I -- I really don't know what
you have in mind, Tim.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't see the Wednesday
night as a workshop. I see it as a Wednesday night public hearing to
make the final decision. But I just think if we're going to make that
final decision regardless of whether it's the 17th or 18th or February
5, then we should have the maximum public input.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: That may set a -- that may set a
precedent that this board may not want -- want to do. Traditionally
our evening meetings in which we take votes have dealt with
ordinances.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Cuyler, will this set any
legal precedent?
MR. CUYLER: Not legally. And I'll tell you what I
always tell you, that usually precedent is what you agree for it to be
except in some limited circumstances that I tell you about. It won't
set a legal precedent, no.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I'm not -- you know, I don't think
it would set a legal precedent -- precedent. But I'm certainly
thinking about issues dealing with, oh, my gosh, any number of -- of
issues where when it comes time to decide what to do with the Lely
waste water treatment plant the citizens who live around there are
going to press for an evening meeting as well. And they're going to
say, well, you did it for Golden Gate. And then, you know, we'll say,
gosh, we did. I guess we need to do it for you. And we're going to
wind up finding ourselves in a multitude of evening meetings as the
needs and wishes of the citizens of this county become more
complicated and more complex and more expensive.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And is that a bad thing to
meet the needs and wishes of the citizens of Collier County?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Definitely not.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I have a suggestion. Rather than
-- rather than continue this discussion, why doesn't somebody make a
motion on whether we're going to do this or not and let's go to
lunch.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll make a motion that we
hold a Wednesday night public hearing to make the final decision on
the landfill item calendar date that's at the convenience of the rest
of the commission.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Can you be more specific about
landfill item?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The privatization issue in
particular. I'd like to bring the time frame forward with that. It
makes sense to me to have the two together. But I don't know any
reason why we can't do the two together.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Would we be confining that evening
meeting to only discussion of the privatization contract itself and
not the merits of should we be there or shouldn't we be there? I
think we've -- we've been through that. We've assured the public that
we're -- number one, we're not going to expand. We've tried to assure
the public that we don't want to be there any longer than necessary.
I -- I would like to try to confine that meeting to the merits of this
contract.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And perhaps set, as you've
suggested, some sort of calendar for our staff to move forward with
land purchase and those sort of things.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just that -- I'm troubled by this
because I had thought that the motivation of this undertaking was to
help me and maybe Commissioner Hancock catch up with actions that you
guys had taken over the past. I'm telling you that I have caught
myself up.
Another motivation was to look at alternative
technologies and the effect it would have on the privatization issue.
Since our last meeting, I have looked into the responses to those
RFPs. And that in my mind is not -- doesn't cause us to need to
postpone this item any further.
If the motivation, in fact, is to have an evening
meeting, I watched it on TV. I saw it. I am adequately informed of
what the public opinion is. I feel adequately informed. I think that
we're setting ourselves up to make a lot of people mad who spend a lot
of time, come down here, want to get to have their say. And we're
going to send them away, no, huh-uh, you're not talking about one of
the contract terms.
So let's not fool ourselves. If we're going to repeat
the previous Wednesday evening hearing, then let's go into it knowing
that's what we're going to do. But it troubles to me to learn or I am
-- I'm getting the feeling that the motivation behind this was to
have a Wednesday evening hearing instead of to help inform the new
commissioners because I'm saying that informing the new commissioners,
as to me, that's unnecessary. And looking at alternative
technologies, I'm satisfied that that doesn't affect the issue.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, I don't have a copy of
my written proposal I gave you last Thursday in front of me. However,
there were three parts to it clearly written out and a suggested
calendar clearly written out.
The first part was to assist the two new commissioners
in coming up to date. The second part was the alternative, and the
third part was a Wednesday night hearing for the purpose of best
providing the public an opportunity for input. And all three of those
were clearly written on that. And no one had any objection last
Thursday, so I'm not suggesting anything new.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion on the floor. Is
there a second?
First off, we're in communications, and I guess we can't
have motions but anyway --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Cuyler, can we have
motions in communications if we would like to? We certainly have in
the last two years.
MR. CUYLER: You've -- you've done it before. It's one
of your policies. As Commissioner Hac'Kie brought up at the Thursday
meeting, it's one of your policies. You can do what you want.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Well, we have a motion on the
floor then. Is there a second?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll second it just to keep it
alive.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: There being a motion on the floor,
any further discussion?
All those in favor of the motion please vote aye.
All those opposed?
Motion fails three to two.
Is it my understanding then we are going to be looking
at this issue next Tuesday?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Commissioner Matthews, would it
be possible -- and it's past board policy that makes me ask this -- to
put this at a time certain so that we can try and achieve as much
public input as possible without wasting people's entire days if they
choose to come down and talk about this?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think it's an excellent idea.
In fact, I'd like to carry it one step further so that we -- we
address the needs of -- of the citizens in Golden Gate Estates. How
big is the agenda next Tuesday? Is it rather short?
MR. DORRILL: It's a non-public or land use type
hearing. I haven't seen the index. I don't -- I'm not aware of that
many items that we have. I could take a look at what's already been
received.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Because in the -- in the -- for
the sake of not only giving the citizens in Golden Gate a time certain
but to give them a time certain in such a manner that they can get in
a fair day's work, I'd either want to hold this first thing in the
morning so that we can address it --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll make a motion we set the
time certain at 6 p.m.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We have a motion on the floor. Is
there a second?
It seems to have failed for lack of a second.
I'd like to entertain a motion that we hear this item at
9:30 Tuesday morning.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Would that motion include making
it the first item of business?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: First item of business after the
presentations and service awards.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second that motion.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: You are looking like that's not
good.
MR. DORRILL: Just because of the nature of the -- the
community, it might be better for those people who are interested and
genuinely want to be here to get up and go to work in the morning and
then take the afternoon off. And if they knew you were going to do
this at one o'clock -- because otherwise if you start at 9:30 and then
you drag past their lunch hour --
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: They've lost the whole day then.
MR. DORRILL: Or they're going to have to get up and
leave.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COHMISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK:
COHMISSIONER NORRIS:
just set these times?
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS:
I gotcha. All right.
I'll withdraw my second.
I'll withdraw the motion.
Okay. Better.
Can't the -- can't the chairman
We can set time certains, and
let's -- let's look at 1 p.m.? Is that okay?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's good for me.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: One p.m. would satisfy me.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: So if we finish the morning agenda
early, we -- we will recess and reconvene.
MR. DORRILL: Just one point of public disclosure.
Given the length of the contract and the fact that some of the final
language has not been complete, what you will see in your agenda that
goes to the printer is about a three-page summary or memorandum and an
executive summary that will be on that.
If we can get a little assistance from Mr. Cuyler's
office, the complete verbatim contract will be available I would think
for anyone who would be interested in having it by Friday. So it --
it won't be reproduced as part of the full agenda, but it would be
available for anyone who's interested by Friday.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Can we -- based on the -- on some
of the comments that came today, if there is only a single five-year
out or reasonable five-year out in that contract that we begin to look
at some alternatives now because I think we've heard enough that we
don't want to be there for 25 years or we may not want to be there
that long. We may not even want to be there ten years. I -- I -- I'm
hearing and assuming that we don't want to be there any longer than
it's going to take -- take Mr. -- Mr. Lorenz to find property, buy it,
permit it, and get a cell line going.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: That -- although that -- that may
be a correct assumption, I think that that is part of the discussion
that would be required next week.
MR. DORRILL: I was going to say there are probably five
items just like that where you may not be happy after you hear the
public testimony as to the contract term that is agreed upon. And
there are about five major issues that are just like that. And you
may change and send us in a totally different direction as a result of
the public hearing and presentation.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: I think what's what -- what I'd
like to see. I'd like to see this thing finally get public comment on
it instead of, I hear this, I hear that. I'm hearing a lot of
rumors. And -- and I really want to get it on the table so we can
look at it.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: We may not make a decision next
week.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: We may not.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: We may get public input and
decide that -- that what we want can't be achieved.
MR. DORRILL: My understanding is that you're going to
try, and we need to come prepared to hammer out language if necessary
during the public meeting.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Okay.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Miss Filson, can we be --
MR. DORRILL: I understand.
CHAIRWOMAN MATTHEWS: Is there anything else that we
need to discuss today? I think we're finished. We're adjourned.
Commissioner Norris moved, seconded by Commissioner Mac'Kie and
carried 4/0 (Commissioner Constantine absent) that the following items
under the Consent Agenda be approved and/or adopted:
Item #16A1
ACCEPTANCE OF REPLACEMENT MAINTENANCE SECURITY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE
WITHIN "HORR'S ISLAND A/K/A KEY MARCO
See Pages
Item #16A2
ACCEPTANCE OF WATER FACILITIES FOR AMSOUTH A/K/A CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK
Item #16A3 - Continued to 1/17/95
Item #16A4
ACCEPTANCE OF WATER FACILITIES FOR SAPPHIRE LAKES, UNIT 2, PHASE I
Item #16C1
RESOLUTION 95-32, CREATING THE COLLIER COUNTY SESQUICENTENNIAL
COMHITTEE AND AUTHORIZING A $1,000 BUDGET AMENDMENT PROVIDING FUNDING
TO ALLOW FOR POSTAGE AND PRINTING COSTS
See Pages
Item #16C2
RECOGNITION OF PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE CORNERSTONE SETTING AT
GOLDEN GATE COHMUNITY CENTER AND THE GRAND OPENING OF PELICAN BAY
COHMUNITY PARK
Item #16C3
AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE VARIOUS PARKS MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT UTILIZING
ANNUAL STATE CONTRACTS, BIDS/COMPETITIVE QUOTATIONS
Item #16El - Moved to Item #BE1
Item #16E2
RESOLUTION 95-33, AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COHMISSIONERS TO EXECUTE DEEDS AND AGREEMENTS FOR DEED TO RIGHT OF
INTERMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF BURIAL LOTS AT LAKE TRAFFORD MEMORIAL
GARDENS CEMETERY, FOR THE CURRENT CHAIRHAN'S TENURE ONLY
See Pages
Item #16E3
RESOLUTION 95-34, AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COHMISSIONERS TO EXECUTE LIMITED USE LICENSE AGREEMENTS, FOR THE
CURRENT CHAIRHAN'S TENURE ONLY
See Pages
Item #16E4
RESOLUTION 95-35, AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF PURCHASE AGREEMENTS FOR
THE G.A.C. LAND SALES TRUST CONVEYED TO COLLIER COUNTY BY AVATAR
PROPERTIES INC. (AGREEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 15, 1983), BY THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE BOARD, FOR THE CURRENT CHAIRHAN'S TENURE ONLY
See Pages
Item #16H1
THREE YEAR AIRCRAFT HANGAR LEASE WITH RONALD F. COOK, MEMBER OF
SUNSTATE ROTOR CLUB AT IHMOKALEE REGIONAL AIRPORT - ANNUAL RENT OF
$1,051 PLUS CPI INCREASES
See Pages
Item #16H2 - Moved to #8H3
Item #16H3
AUTHORIZING THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE WORK ORDER LAW-1 - FINAL PAYMENT
TO LAW ENGINEERING IN THE AMOUNT OF $16,686
Item #16H4
CHANGE IN FUNDING SOURCE APPROVED FOR OWNERSHIP AND EASEMENT SEARCH
REPORTS FOR THE LIVINGSTON ROAD CORRIDOR
Item #16J
MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE - FILED AND/OR REFERRED
The following miscellaneous correspondence as presented by the
Board of County Commissioners has been directed to the various
departments as indicated:
Item #16L1
RESOLUTION 95-36 APPROVING THE SATISFACTION OF LIENS FOR CERTAIN
RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS WHEREIN THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT AND SAID
LIENS ARE SATISFIED IN FULL FOR THE 1991 SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND
DISPOSAL SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS - ADOPTED
See Pages
Item #16L2
CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF NAPLES FOR TOURIST DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FOR
DOCTOR'S PASS DREDGING PROJECT - IN THE AMOUNT OF $115,000
See Pages
Item #16L3
RESOLUTION 95-37 APPROVING THE SATISFACTION OF LIENS FOR CERTAIN
RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS WHEREIN THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED PAYMENT AND SAID
LIENS ARE SATISFIED IN FULL FOR THE 1992 SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND
DISPOSAL SERVICES SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS - ADOPTED
See Pages
There being no further business for the Good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by Order of the Chair at 1:40 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COHMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS
CONTROL
ATTEST:
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK
BETTYE MATTHEWS, CHAIRWOMAN
These minutes approved by the Board on
as presented or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF DONOVAN COURT REPORTING
BY: Shelly Semmler