BCC Minutes 08/08/1995 R REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 8, 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 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION in Building "F" of the
Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with the following members
present:
CHAIRPERSON:
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
Bettye J. Hatthews
John C. Norris
Timothy J. Constantine
Pamela S. Hac'Kie
Timothy L. Hancock
ALSO PRESENT: W. Neil Dorrill, County Hanager
Kenneth B. Cuyler, County Attorney
Item #3A
AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA - APPROVED WITH CHANGES
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Call to order the Board of County
Commission meeting for Tuesday, August 8, 1995.
Mr. Dotrill, would you lead us in an invocation and
pledge?
MR. DORRILL: Heavenly Father, we give thanks. We
praise your name this morning as always for the wonder and glory that
you bring to Collier County. Father, this morning we have several
special requests to ask that you lift up and support the families of
Skip Camp whose mother Rosemary is gravely ill in Orlando and,
likewise, the family of Steve Brinkman and his wife Hargie and also
the city clerk Harilyn HcCord and her family. We lift these people
before you this morning and ask special prayer and needs in their
individual cases.
Father, we give thanks and delight this morning in the
birth of Elizabeth Drury, the child of John Drury, and the happiness
that brings their particular family, and we praise your name for that.
We also would ask that you bless our time here together this morning,
and we pray these things in your son's holy name. Amen.
(The pledge of allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Dorrill, do we have changes
to the agenda?
MR. DORRILL: This morning only one. From our
perspective there is a request to continue item 12(B)(2) until your
second meeting in September which will be the 12th. That is petition
PUD-80-20-5 which was the amendment to the Hideaway Beach PUD.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: To what date? September --
MR. DORRILL: September the 12th. And we received
correspondence from both parties that are subject to that issue, and
they are in agreement with that request.
I do have a number of items that I need to mention to
you at the conclusion under communications.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yeah. I was going to ask that we
continue it to August 22nd, but I think communications has a
discussion item on that.
changes?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
Commissioner Norris, do you have any further
Nothing additional.
Commissioner Hancock.
No, ma'am.
Commissioner Mac'Kie.
No, ma'am.
Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No changes.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I neither. Is there a motion?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll make a motion that we approve
the agenda and consent agenda with the changes as noted.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second the motion.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
approve the agenda and the consent agenda as amended. Is there
discussion?
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion passes 5 to 0.
Item #5A1
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF AUGUST 13 - 19, 1995 AS FLORIDA
WATER, WASTEWATER AND SYSTEMS OPERATORS WEEK - ADOPTED
There are no minutes to approve this week. Next are
proclamations. Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you, Madam Chairman. Do we
have Tim Clemons? If you could come forward and face the camera, I'll
read this proclamation for you.
Whereas, the health and welfare of our residents are of
vital county, state, and national concern; and
Whereas, the Florida Water and Pollution Control
Operators Association is a statewide organization dedicated to
maintaining water quality in Florida; and
Whereas, the operators association conducts operating
training throughout the state at the twelve regional levels and acts a
liaison between the Department of Environmental Protection and
operators in the field; and
Whereas, the association reviews and assists in
supervising state certification examinations and coordinates the
statewide plant operations awards program with DEP; and
Whereas, the water, wastewater, and systems operators of
Collier County are dedicated to maintaining the quality of water
provided in Collier County; and
Whereas, the governor of Florida, Lawton Chiles, has
recognized the dedication of the water, wastewater and system
operators by proclaiming August 13 to 19, 1995, as Florida Water,
Wastewater, and Systems Operators Week.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that the week of August 13
to 19, 1995, be designated as Florida Water, Wastewater, and Systems
Operators Week. Done and ordered this 9th day of August, 1995, by the
Board of County Commissioners of Collier County, Florida.
Ms. Chairman, I'll make a motion that we accept this
proclamation.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
accept the proclamation.
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, it passes 5 to 0.
Thank you. (Applause)
MR. CLEHONS: I just want to say on behalf of the staff
in the field of water and wastewater, we would like to thank you for
the proclamation and for recognizing next week as Florida Water and
Wastewater and Systems Operators Week. Thank you very much.
Item #5B
EHPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS - PRESENTED
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you. Next item on the
agenda is service awards. Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is Nancy Frye here from traffic
operations? We would like to recognize Nancy today for ten years of
continuous service to Collier County. (Applause)
Next for 15 years of service from the Collier County
Museum, Ron Jamro. (Applause)
And finally with 20 years of service in Collier County,
Edward Tottoni from parks and recreation. (Applause) You started when you were 127
MR. TORRONI: I did. I appreciate that.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
MR. TORRONI: Good shot.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I obviously missed a great
basketball game last night.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: You missed a great shot.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: There was only shot?
MR. TORRONI: One shot.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Well, I got to talk about the Key
Marco cat. Now you all get to talk about Key Marco today.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Will you be playing
basketball while we are doing that?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'd like to, but I can't do it
alone.
Item #SH1
STAFF TO COORDINATE WITH CLERK TO UPDATE INVESTHENT POLICY; PURCHASING
DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE RFQ'S WITH REVIEW AND COHMENT OF SAME BY CLERK
Next item on the agenda, all the way to 8(H)(1),
consideration of modifications to the county's investment policy and
ordinance and management of that portfolio.
MR. DORRILL: I can just introduce this by saying I
think this was previously discussed at your last meeting in July. It
came about as a result of a request and some conversation that has
been spearheaded by Commissioner Norris. The revisions and the draft
that are there had been previously shared and had been prepared last
December. And either I or Mr. Cuyler on legal issues are here. I
know the clerk certainly is going to have some difference of opinion
over these but will be happy to answer any questions that you may
have.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any questions? Commissioner
Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just that the fundamental issue,
Mr. Dotrill -- as I understand it, this is at the request of
Commissioner Norris. Well, certainly all of the contentions are that
our investment policy hasn't been looked at in awhile, and we should
be reviewing it. But I fail to understand why we would even have any
possible disagreement with the clerk when we aren't trying to take any
authority away from the clerk. Am I correct about that, or are we, in
fact, trying to take some authority away from the clerk or some
responsibilities away from the clerk?
MR. DORRILL: Oh, I think I would be the first one in
the room to say that it is my interpretation, belief, and observation
throughout the state and always has been that the clerk in his
capacity is the ex officio clerk to the board. He is the sole
custodian of county funds and as part of that the disbursement of
those funds. It is, however, my impression that the Board of County
Commissioners, as is the case in the county jail, you are ultimately
responsible for the jail. And it is also my opinion that you are
ultimately responsible for the policy that spells out how your excess
cash is available to be invested. The administration of that is under
your discretion, it is my opinion, but the other issues with respect
to the clerk's stand -- and no one, and I in particular would question
his authority to be the custodian or the disburser of those funds.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The reason I brought this forward
is there are a couple of reasons. As Commissioner Hac'Kie has stated,
the policy has not been updated in some time, and that needs to be
done periodically. In fact, that would be part of our discussion. At
some point we should perhaps set a time schedule such as an annual
review or whatever we think is necessary on our investment policy.
And the other factor that has -- that I want to bring
forward here is that we have typically around a $200 million cash
portfolio, and in today's modern securities market, as fast as things
move, it is my feeling that we need professional management on that.
And I would like to see if the board wants to put our portfolio out to
bid to some of the professional firms. Certainly I don't suggest that
we do that on an annual fee basis rather than a commission basis and,
therefore, there is no incentive for anyone to make trades to generate
commissions. And the other aspect of that, if we do it, we certainly
want to have a third party oversight on our money manager to make sure
that the money manager is adhering to our county investment policies.
That way I think we have covered all the bases, and we know that we're
getting the best possible advice in professional hands.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I've sat on the clerk's
investment committee, and we have diligently worked that out, the new
investment policy, which at our last meeting we decided to bring to
the commission, I believe, the first week in September and at -- even
at that late date, which was mid-July, I guess it was the last meeting
that we had, I was unaware of this item coming before the commission
quite this soon. And I was also unaware that there had been virtually
no communication between the county manager's agency and the clerk's
agency in developing the proposal that was given to us under
memorandum dated June 8th. So also I believe Mr. -- Dwight, don't you
have the portfolio under the management of a professional right now?
MR. BROCK: Commissioner, I consider him a professional.
He's got 30 years in excess of experience in managing portfolios, and
what is it -- the second and third largest bank in the world. He has
a tremendous amount of experience in portfolio management, and he is
giving his total time and devotion to the management of the Collier
County portfolio from the standpoint not only of cost deficits --
because we are in the process every day when someone submits a
proposal to us or an outside management program to evaluate it, and
from a cost standpoint, they can't touch what this individual is
doing. And the experience of this individual is, I think, unsurpassed
by any of the firms in which we are dealing.
Let me introduce someone to you. The individual who is
sitting over here --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Brock, if I may quickly. I
think we're getting into one issue, and we may have two on the table
today. We have, in essence, the one that says the review of our
existing investment policy. Do we want to revise our investment
policy to improve it, to make it better, more clear, and so forth?
That is one issue. The second issue is do we want to begin the
process to look at an outside investment or portfolio manager. I
don't want to confuse the two. And we have in our package today a
revision of the investment policy. So I think we need to look at this
first as to whether or not we want to proceed on this. I'm offering
this as an opinion for the rest of the board.
Let me ask and see if we want to proceed on this,
whether we want to subject it for further review or approve it as is.
And I certainly appreciate the clerk's comments on that. And then if
we want to discuss the second item regarding an outside investment
manager, that really isn't a big part of what we are seeing here. But
I think the request was do we want to go down that path and take a
look at it. Is that a fair assessment, Commissioner Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The reason for hearing this today
is simply to find out if there's sentiment to go forward with either
of these proposals. We certainly can't make any kind of hard decision
today on that. It is just a point in the discussion where we just say
are we going to go forward or not go forward.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: If the question for today is do
we want to look at our investment policy, then my vote is going to be
absolutely yes. And I want to look at it both with this proposal from
Mr. Dorrill's office -- but I understand that this is a couple of
years old maybe or a year and a half old at that point. If the clerk
has something also to recommend, I would like to look at the
investment policy with both of those choices and maybe others -- I
don't know on the table.
MR. BROCK: Hay I speak?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I asked Mr. Brock to take this
board through what the investment committee went through earlier this
summer in developing a new policy and the input that you've had from
the community at large.
MR. BROCK: Okay. As I think is common to most people
here in the community, there has been some activity in the county's
portfolio that has been reviewed and evaluated. And as a consequence
of that, what the clerk has done is he has created not one, but two
oversight committees. One is a policy board which is comprised of
Commissioner Matthews; Dan Croft, the tax collector; Mr. Ed Hahoney
who has 30 years of experience in the brokerage business; and Mr.
Keith Glisch who has over 30 years experience in the investment
business; and also as an advisor to that is my portfolio manager, John
Kannengeiser who has over 30 years in the business. And what we set
out to do was to comply with the law as it presently stands here in
Collier County, which is an ordinance passed upon the Board of County
Commissioners here in Collier County directing that the clerk of the
circuit court shall provide to this board for its review and action an
investment policy.
In the legislature this year, the legislature mandated
that there must be an investment policy which complies with certain
criteria set out in the statute, or this county would revert back to a
policy prescribed by that statute which is mandated upon the county.
And that has to take place by October the 1st. So through my
investment advisory board, which is a policy advisory board, I have
set up not only to make recommendations to you but to -- on an annual
basis or as needed, we meet monthly to make a review of that policy
before any changes or recommendations that need to be made to the
Board of County Commissioners with regard to that policy. We have, in
fact, formulated the policy. It has been reviewed by competent legal
counsel that is specializing in the securities field who feels that it
is a very good policy, and that at the request of Commissioner
Matthews will be brought back to you for your review pursuant to an
ordinance that is on the books on the first meeting in September for
you then to review and do whatever you want to in terms of formulating
a policy, which is the responsibility of the Board of County
Commissioners.
Then I have an oversight investment committee which
reviews the activity that takes place in the account to insure that is
in compliance with the policy, and it meets on a monthly basis. That
comprises of my finance director, Kathy Hankins, comprised of finance
director from the sheriff's office, Crystal. It is comprised of the
finance director, Guy Carlton, Bob Patton. And it's comprised of the
portfolio manager, John Pennigan (phonetic). And they review what
takes place on a monthly basis in a committee forum and to insure that
we are in compliance with the policy as set out by the Board of County
Commissioners. And they report on a monthly basis. I think you have
begun to see reports coming in to you on what is taking place in the
portfolio. It is my intent for this process to insure that never
again will anything happen to this portfolio that everyone in the
world doesn't know about it. That is the whole purpose of me setting
up the process that I have set up, to insure that we comply with the
policy to the letter and that you as the Board of County
Commissioners -- and that's an oversight function of the clerk's
activities -- is in informed of what is taking place. Does that
answer your question?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It sounds to me as though
we're dancing to the same song, but you might just be a couple of
steps ahead of us. You and your finance committee have reviewed the
policy and have made some suggestions. Counsel has reviewed those,
trimmed the edges, and you're prepared to bring that to the board at
which time we can accept or reject any of those changes and even to
suggest other changes. It sounds like we're all going to do the same
thing or scheduled to do that.
MR. BROCK: I don't disagree with you, Commissioner.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: You took the words right out of
my mouth. I'd like to ask that. As you mentioned, Mr. Dotrill had
something that the clerk advisory board has not seen, and the clerk's
advisory board has something that Mr. Dotrill hasn't seen. So let's
trade notebooks before this comes back to the board so that everyone
knows what's going on, and the differences can be discussed then. We
can maybe meld them or choose one or the other, but let's make a
choice and put together the best investment policy we can using the
resources that we have available. I think it's a great idea.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Brock.
MR. BROCK: I mean I rely on a large part on the board
in which your chairman sits. So I certainly have no problems with
that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COHHISSIONER MAC'KIE: It seems to me that that settles
the question on policy in that we still need to examine the
possibility of outside professional management. I have no idea. I
have no prejudgments whatsoever in that regard. But I do think it s
our responsibility to look at whether or not that's financially
prudent so that maybe we should look at both of those two things
together, or you might prefer to look at them together when the policy
comes back. I would like to examine the question.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, yes. I think you're right.
The bottom line is that it is the Board of County Commissioners'
money. And, therefore, we are ultimately responsible for it, and we
need to as a board decide whether we want to seek professional outside
management for this portfolio or whether to continue with the clerk's
operation as we set it up. That's the decision that we need to make
here today.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I am going to interject
something, because I don't want people to get the wrong idea. This
money belongs to the taxpayers, and we are the custodians of it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's a small point in this
matter.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I know.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The Board of County Commissioners
obviously -- it's the money that comes to the Board of County
Commissioners, rather than the money that would go to the school or
something like that. We all understand that --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I understand that. It's just
that I want to clarify the statements that it is not a sound bite
further down the road today.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I don't know about you, but I
wasn't planning any trips to Tahiti with that money. So it's not my
money. But I believe that is understood. What we want to avoid
here -- and I want to say this for the benefit of your staff, Mr.
Brock -- is just looking at the concept of having an outside portfolio
manager is not to make any comment about your professionalism or
capabilities of your staff. It is simply to look at how many ways can
we skin this cat, what is the best way and the advantageous way for
this board, because I do think you have a good team assembled. But
Commissioner Norris has made some good points regarding how to stay up
with the technology, what is going on in the market right now, who is
best suited to do that. And really that is as simple as the
discussion needs to be.
MR. BROCK: Hay I address that?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Please.
MR. BROCK: It's real simple. This is not an issue that
has been broached for the first time today. Back in 1974 the
investment functions of Alachua County rested in the hands of the
Board of County Commissioners. It was a call that the Board of County
Commissioners made in Alachua County, and as a consequence of that a
grand jury convened in Alachua County, at which point in time they
critically addressed the clerk of the circuit court for allowing that
to take place. As a consequence of that, the clerk of the circuit
court in Alachua County in the case of Alachua County versus Powers in
a declaratory action went to court at which point in time the trial
court ruled clearly and unmistakably that the investment function of
the county rested solely in the hands of the clerk with the oversight
of the Board of County Commissioners. As a consequence of that trial
court ruling, that went to the District Court of Appeals. From the
District Court of Appeals it went to the Florida Supreme Court. The
Florida Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the trial court, and at
that point in time that function shifted from the board of county
commissioners in Alachua County to that of the clerk.
Recently in Escambia County, according to Jim Moy
(phonetic) who is the comptroller for Escambia County until recently,
they decided they would pass an ordinance which attempted to try to
take the function away from the clerk, away from the hands of the
board of county commissioners, at which time the clerk of the circuit
court, the comptroller in Alachua County brought suit. The resolution
of that suit took place a couple of months ago by repeal of that
particular ordinance. It is clear, I think -- it is clear to my
counsel, that is, that the function rests in the hands of the clerk of
the circuit court. And there won't be any grand jury in Collier
County ever criticizing me for not defending my constitutional
statutory responsibilities.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me ask the clerk a question.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Go ahead. If you would wait.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We may be asking the same
question. My question is --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
you tell me to go?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
Sorry.
-- what goes wrong here -- didn't
No. I asked you to wait.
I'm sorry. I misunderstood.
That wasn't clear.
No matter whose ultimate
responsibility it turns out to be to handle these funds -- and I think
our legal staff may not agree with your legal assessment of it, and we
do rely on him for our legal advice -- nonetheless, a couple of months
ago you and I had a conversation where I asked you if you would agree
with me or had any objection to seeking outside money management. At
that time you did not. Your response -- have you since changed your
mind?
MR. BROCK: No, Commissioner Norris. I have not changed
my mind. As I told you early on, on every proposal that is submitted
to me, my staff and I will review. The problem that we have
encountered with outside money managers is that what you're dealing
with are people who do not have the experience of the money manager
that I have in my employ. In addition to that, everybody is wanting
in excess of $100,000, not that that is the lowest, and it goes up to
$200,000 a year to pay for a money manager. It costs me about $78,000
to have the money manager here in Collier County.
So I am constantly, constantly looking at the proposals
that are being presented to me and evaluating them through my
investment committee to determine the feasibility of changing the
process that we have in place. But we have not seen anything that
will compete with what we are presently getting.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I think you -- that may be
true on a strictly monetary basis, but I will point out that $200,000
is only 10 basis points of the total average portfolio. You can get a
professional money management firm with more resources and more -- I
mean it's just going to be hard to make a case that one individual has
more experience than an entire firm's cumulative experience and
background in the business. If that firm can garner us at least 10
basis points over what we are now getting, we've more than broken
even.
MR. BROCK: Commissioner Norris, I don't agree with you
at all. The problem with that logic, just blindly going out and
hiring money management, is that -- you know, we're reviewing what
they present to us as how they're doing with their money management
and comparing it to what we are doing with our money management. And
we're not convinced that anyone is touching us yet.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, the Board of County
Commissioners has not seen anybody's proposal, and we have not asked
to see anyone's proposal. We're just at the stage right now trying to
make a decision of whether we want to ask for someone's proposal. But
I think going back to the legal question that you raised a moment ago,
if the Board of County Commissioners decides that's what we want to
do, the inference of your discussion there a moment ago was that
you're going to try to block it.
MR. BROCK: Commissioner, I'm going to enforce the
statutory and constitutional responsibilities of the clerk to the
extent necessary to fulfill my job.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Brock, that doesn't have
anything to do with the clerk. MR. BROCK: Sure it does.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: No, it does not. Whether the
Board of County Commissioners takes the ultimate responsibility and
goes out to get an outside money manager or we express our desire to
do so -- and you just through your office -- the end result is the
same. Now that doesn't address the question whether you can block it
or not.
MR. BROCK: Commissioner, that assumes that it is your
responsibility to make that decision. My staff and my legal counsel
are of the opinion that that is a very clear area of the law, and that
isn't the Board of County Commissioners' responsibility.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Our legal staff, once again, is
not convinced, as you are, that this a clear area of the law.
MR. BROCK: You and the Board of County Commissioners
make decisions that you will have spent thousands and thousands of
dollars litigating that particular issue. I can't stop you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Regardless of who makes the
decision, what I would like at this point, Mr. Brock, is to be brought
up to speed with the information -- the analysis that you have
undertaken. Not presently, not necessarily at this moment.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Definitely not at this moment.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But to have that advantage to
make the same policy decision that you have made without questioning
the appropriateness of yours, without getting into any kind of a
debate about authority, that to have the opportunity to do the
analysis to determine for myself whether or not I agree with the
conclusions you've come to that the management in house is best for
Collier County. At that point then we may agree, and then we don't
have to have this debate. At that point if we disagree, then we could
have the debate whether or not we could persuade each other to come to
the same conclusion instead of -- I have no interest in getting into
some sort of a fight between the county commission and the clerk. And
I absolutely respect that it was your constitutional right and, in
fact, your mandate to defend the position that you believe to be
legally correct. I am not going to argue with you about that. I
think we can come through a mutual education here. If you could
provide us with information, and if we could get some outside
information, we may all come to the same conclusion and not have to
have this debate, or we may find that we can agree to go down a
different path.
MR. BROCK: Commissioner, let me make this real clear.
I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with the Board of County
Commissioners reviewing the alternatives of a money manager and
pointing out to me what you feel to be the best route for the county
to take. At that point in time we will either agree or agree to
disagree. And, you know, that is a fact of life. But I do not care
for the Board of County Commissioners reviewing everything that we
have reviewed. We have reviewed one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten private money managers that have submitted
proposals to us and looked at them and decided that they couldn't
provide for us what it is that we are getting from in house today.
But if you have something that you can look at and make a
determination that we have missed something and point that out to us,
I'm more than happy -- more than happy to listen to the Board of
County Commissioners' recommendations on that particular issue. You
know, I welcome -- you know, I solicit your input into the process.
You know where I have the problem is that Board of County
Commissioners, as they did in Alachua County, for which the clerk got
severely criticized by a grand jury and a grand jury report from not
taking positive action to stop it. It independently takes on a course
of conduct which circumvents the checks and balances that have been
placed in the system by the constitution.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: First of all, I'm going to be
a little bit critical. For two and half years something that
continuously comes up is the lack of communication between the
manager's office and the clerk's office. I don't know if that's an
error along the way, if that's egos interfering occasionally along the
way, or what is happening. But we have had this discussion as a board
instructing our manager to try to communicate as clearly as possible
with the clerk, and it appears we may have failed in that regard
again.
What I would like us do is seek from Mr. Cuyler a
written opinion as to the BCC's authority on making this type of
policy decision. Following that I'd like to see, or I would like to
take the opportunity to review a written layout of what you and your
staff and your folks have in way of background and resources and all,
because I haven't seen that up until now. I don't know. It may very
well be impressive. But I do think -- and you've just said you've
compared that to ten outside sources which I was not aware of, but I
would like to do exactly that, compare and contrast that with what's
available outside, and we may very well find particularly if you have
already been through the exercise, that the inside -- your inside
staff can do and is doing an adequate job and better than the others.
We may find certain areas that we think, gee, maybe you ought to try
this, maybe you ought to try that. But it seems like it would be a
healthy exercise to go through to see what we have, compare and
contrast that with the outside. MR. BROCK: I agree.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
MR. BROCK: I agree with you totally. I mean it is a
healthy process. This whole process that I have been through in the
last year has been a very healthy process. And I think the county
policy that was in place -- I think it had been in place since 1987
and had never been reviewed until it came to light in early 1993 at
which point in time we began scrutinizing the investment process here
in this county very carefully.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Just, again, I agree with
Commissioner Constantine. Let's bring this to a closure and move on.
I do want to say quickly that the territorial argument makes for good
reading, but it really does no one any good. So we're all in the same
game here -- who knows how to do for the taxpayers the best we can.
And I think everyone is trying to do that. So let's try and get over
the territorial argument and just put our heads together and come up
with the best idea possible for now. That is my request. It's not
just of you. It's of everyone.
Beyond that, does this mean that we are going to request
for qualifications, or are we just going to review what the -- I mean,
we need some direction here. Are we going to review simply the ten
that the clerk has received, or should we put out a request for
qualifications so we see what's current as of now and who responds?
I'm not sure which way to go there. I'm leaning towards the request
for qualification.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Cuyler, how quickly can
you give us an opinion on our authority on a policy matter like this?
MR. CUYLER: I'd like over a week.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: By October 2nd?
MR. CUYLER: Easily. I would like over a week. You
don't have a meeting on the 22nd -- or, yes, you do have. We will
discuss it.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We're going to discuss it later
today, but that's --
MR. CUYLER: Within this month -- I mean within August.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: In answer to your question,
Mr. Hancock, what I guess what I saw in my mind was get the opinion
and that at that point, I think, what you're suggesting look for RFQs.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. CUYLER: We can provide it by the 22nd.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. At that point we will
discuss the RFQ.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hac'Kie.
MR. BROCK: Question. I hear we're asking legal counsel
for an opinion on whether or not you have the authority to do this.
And then out of the other side I hear that this is not a territorial
thing. You know, if in fact you're going to make this a territorial
thing, we'll make it a territorial thing.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Brock, there is no need for
threats here, sir.
MR. BROCK: I mean --
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Brock, there is no need to
talk about that at this point. All we're asking for is a process,
okay? And now I think we need to know from our county attorney one
thing. And I don't care what he says. I still think an RFQ is a good
idea.
MR. BROCK: Oh, I'm not suggesting that -- we're not
talking about an RFQ anymore --
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Well, then, sir --
MR. BROCK: -- we're talking about --
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: -- and I don't think --
MR. BROCK: -- legal opinion about who has the
authority. You know, if we're going to get into a controversy over
who it is that has the authority, we'll get into a controversy over
who it is.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Fine. We'll cross that bridge
when we get to it.
MR. BROCK: I don't want that. But, you know, when I
hear we're requesting a legal opinion with regard to that, I mean,
that gives me some concern as to whether what is intended is what is
being said.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Dwight, it's one you've already
obtained for yourself. We're only doing the same thing you've already
done. So please allow us to move on.
MR. BROCK: It's your meeting, Commissioner. Hove on.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We need to be clear about what
is -- I need to understand what is the question we've asked you to
answer.
MR. CUYLER: I guess the question is -- and I don't
think anyone is disputing the clerk's role as custodian -- you have
the ability to and have in the past adopted an investment policy, and
you're talking about whether you're going to change that investment
policy. I guess the issue that we're talking about is who on a
day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month basis has the ability to make
the money management decisions and to control the investment decisions
within the policy that you have established. That seems to be the
issue.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I guess for me the question that
I want answered is if the Board of County Commissioners and the clerk
of the courts disagreed about the prudence of an outside professional
money manager, could we overrule the clerk? MR. CUYLER: That's the issue.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And I guess we have to know the
answer to that. But I question do we have to know the answer to that
before we go through the analysis of whether or not it is prudent.
Why don't we do the RFQs or whatever is the process, and then see if
we agree or disagree?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, let me just try to sequence
it a little better. The first thing to do, we all agree that the
policy needs to be updated, and the clerk's office has already made
progress on that, and we'll have that shared with us as soon as we can
so that we can review it from outside and take a look at it. I
certainly haven't seen it, so I doubt if any of the board members
have, and I have not. So we need to do that, and everybody agrees on
that. The next thing to be done -- particularly agree on -- it
appears here today is whether we should seek outside management or
not. In order to decide on that we need to know, as was suggested
earlier, what is the current status, how are we performing, and what
can someone else do for us. That would be an RFP or RFQ. But there's
no point in going through that exercise if we have no control over it.
We need that question answered.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Unless, of course, we and the
clerk agreed on that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, that appears not to be
forthcoming.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But, actually --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let's go along those lines,
because the clerk did say he didn't mind. But, finally, my suggestion
earlier was that we go through a compare and contrast exercise.
MR. BROCK: Absolutely not, Commissioner. I'm looking
for what is best for the county, pure and simple. That is my goal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't want to get to --
MR. BROCK: I think that is what your goal is.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I would rather --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: One at a time, please, because
we've got a court reporter there.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I would rather -- to help to give
the clerk the benefit of the information that we are able to gather
through an RFQ or an RFP process, to give us the benefit of the
information already gathered by the clerk. Perhaps we jointly can
conclude on inside or outside management. Then if we disagree, we get
our lawyers working. What is wrong with that?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Is that a motion?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah. That's a motion.
MR. BROCK: If I get a vote, I vote for that one.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I was going to make a motion.
I don't understand what that is. Could you clarify it?
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: My motion is that we go forward
with the RFQ or RFP process which is appropriate to get bids from
outside professional money managers so that we have data to compare
with our present circumstance, that we do that now, and then if we
find that we disagree with the clerk on what is the appropriate
policy, then we seek legal advice. But let's not jump the gun on that
question.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can I suggest that we change
two parts of that? One, that we make it qualifications, not bids and,
two, that we seek legal advise concurrently. It's not going to do any
harm to have an opinion from Mr. Cuyler at the same time.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: He may agree with the clerk.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: In that case I will second
the motion.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Let me see if I can restate the motion so that we're clear on what we
are doing. We are going to issue RFQs for outside management, and we
are going to review the investment policy. Is there more to the
motion than simply that?
MR. BROCK: Who is it that is issuing the RFQ?
MR. DORRILL: If the board issues it, then it will have
to be done in accordance with their purchasing ordinance, and they
would need to be coordinated through the purchasing department and
advertised properly as we do for all requests for proposals for
qualifications for everything from the engineers to privatization.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: That's following the CCNA.
MR. DORRILL: And that was my question under discussion.
Do you want your purchasing department to do RFQs in accordance with
your purchasing policy, or do you want the clerk to do his own RFQs
through whatever procedure that he may have?
MR. BROCK: Hay I make the suggestion? Let me prepare
the RFQ, and I will run it by county staff, and I'll issue the RFQ.
Then they can look at it and suggest any changes that they might feel
are appropriate. We'll deal with that. We'll go out, and we'll
present it to you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: One of my questions in this
process would be that we go into a county-issued RFQ. We're probably
talking several months before we get anything back. No? They have to
write it to issue it to give time for responses and review the
responses and have -- how much time are we talking about?
MR. DORRILL: It can be as little or as much as you
think is appropriate. I would think we could have them here within 30
to 45 days at a minimum or 60 or 90 days. Your purchasing department
probably does 50 to 60 RFQs or RFPs a year.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Norris, this
item is on the agenda at your suggestion. I would just like to see
where you are coming from on that suggestion.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I think our purchasing
department should do the RFQ. If the board can't give direction to
some other constitutional officer for them to do it through their
agencies, I think if it's our discussion, we should do it through our
purchasing department.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think I would like that RFQ,
though, to agree with the needs of the clerk as well. And the clerk
has offered to issue the RFQ with the help of the purchasing
department to make sure that we all are in agreement. And I'm not
sure I can disagree with that.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: How about a novel concept?
Our staff issues it, and we work in concert with the clerk in putting
together the verbiage therein. I know it's a neat concept with us
working together with the clerk, but I bet it could work. CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
MR. BROCK: My legal counsel has a problem with you
issuing the RFQ.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I lost another bet, I guess.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie. Do you
have further comments?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm perfectly satisfied for the
clerk to issue the RFQ, and I'm perfectly comfortable that if Mr.
Dorrill's staff feels that the Board of County Commissioners is not
being well served in that process or if there is something we should
be worried about, that we'll hear about it. And let's ask them to
work together, Commissioner Constantine, but just with the flip side,
that we will be the cooperative parties. They will be the leaders,
and we will cooperate with them instead of we will lead and ask them
to cooperate.
And, yes, Commissioner Norris, we cannot direct the
clerk to issue an RFQ, but we can request that he do so, and he has
agreed to. So I'm comfortable with that process.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think I am going to
withdraw my second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Okay. We have a motion on the
floor. The motion is merely to issue an RFQ. I was going to ask
Commissioner Mac'Kie if she would amend that motion for the board to
request the clerk to issue that RFQ in cooperation with our purchasing
department, but we just lost our second.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, I would like to amend my
motion in that fashion at this point.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion. Is there a
second?
I'll second it to get it on the floor so that we can
vote.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I was going to make a substitute
motion.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, let's vote on this one.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Well, we'll vote on this one, and
then you can substitute it. I'll call the question.
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion fails 2 to 3 with Commissioners Constantine,
Hancock, and Norris being in the opposition. Commissioner Norris, you
have a substitute you say?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I'd like to make a motion that we
cooperate with the clerk's office in reviewing our investment policy,
number one, and that assuming that our legal counsel for the board
does not have a problem with it, that our purchasing department issue
an RFQ with a target date of 60 days on return an RFQ for outside
money managers. And that is the motion.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second that if we can
make one amendment, and that is when we get those qualifications back
from potential people, that we again work with the clerk's office in
the review of those qualifications.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Fine. I'm sorry I omitted that
part of the amendment -- I mean the motion as well as that after
our -- after our purchasing department develops the RFQ and before it
goes out, that the clerk is furnished with copies for his review and
comment.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I'm assuming that also
includes this item. I had stated earlier the same type of response
from the clerk and his current staff and resources, so we have apples
to apples.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: The clerk has offered to provide
us with that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second the motion.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Would you mind restating the
motion for the record, because it's gotten a little unclear?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. First of all, to cooperate
and coordinate with the clerk's office to update the investment
policy.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Right.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Second, to have our purchasing
department develop an RFQ for outside money management of the
portfolio, the RFQ to be distributed to the clerk for review and
comment before issuance, and there was another portion of it --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think there was something when
the qualifications came back, Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We've taken care of that, but
also -- just also have the clerk -- COMMISSIONER NORRIS: To have clerk's office share,
review, and comment on the return of the RFQs.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: So the clerk's office will review
it and comment on the RFQ prior to issuing? COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Prior to issuance.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: And the clerk will participate in
the review of the qualifications when they come back. COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Absolutely.
MR. DORRILL: I can take that one step further which is
so that you tell me specifically who you want on the review or
selection committee, because your purchasing ordinance requires me to
name a committee by name. And so I would prefer today as opposed to
there being any problems, if you want Mr. Brock, Ms. Hankins, or this
gentlemen previously introduced, if you want any of these people on
the review committee, I would prefer that you tell me that today so
that anyone either you or Mr. Brock want to have on the review
committee will be on the review committee.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't know how large of a
review committee you want, but if we had five or six, you might want
to --
MR. DORRILL: We'll typically do five to seven so that
there is an odd --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You may just want to leave
three slots open or how many slots open from the clerk's office and
let him assign those himself to whomever is most qualified from his
office.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: That is a good idea.
MR. DORRILL: I wanted to be clear that if Mr. Brock
wants anybody on the review committee, he can have them.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Why don't we have a committee set
up with three slots from the clerk's office of his choosing and three
from your agency that you feel might be most appropriate. One
suggestion that I might make right now is that we probably want our
outside financial advisor involved in this.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
direction.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
not part of the motion?
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
would be staff direction.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
Are you broadening the motion?
I think it is more staff
It is staff direction, and it is
Yes. The makeup of the committee
And does the direction to the
county attorney continue to research the statute and the court cases
in question and get us a --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. He has been given that
direction.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Fine. Commissioner Hac'Kie,
discussion?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Before I vote I need to
understand why it is important to the three of you. What am I
missing? Why is it critical that our purchasing department issue the
RFQ, because that is the difference in the two motions? Why is that
necessary?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think if nothing else,
perception is that we are comparing the outside sources to the clerk's
group. I don't have any trouble that the clerk would put together an
RFQ that's appropriate. However, public perception that he is putting
together an RFQ to compare to his own setup might be inappropriate.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm afraid that the perception
here -- and I don't believe that it is your goal to throw down the
gauntlet, but I believe that the perception in this critical question
of who prepares the RFQ will be that the county commission is throwing
down the gauntlet with the clerk on who has the authority. And I wish
that we would not do that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, let's clarify for the
record that, that certainly is not my intention. I don't know about
the --
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: That wasn't my intention.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Then I still don't understand the
answer.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Commissioner Mac'Kie, would you
hire a consultant and ask them to do an RFP in their field of work
instead of our county staff doing it?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: The clerk is our financial staff.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Exactly. If you hire a
consultant, would you then ask that consultant to prepare an RFP for a
county program?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I don't understand the question.
I can't see the clerk in that capacity.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: I'm not calling the clerk a
consultant --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'm going to call the question.
I think we have restated the motion well enough for us to understand
it, so I'm not going to repeat the motion.
All those in favor please say aye.
All those opposed?
Motion passes 3 to 2, Commissioners Mac'Kie and Matthews
being in the opposition.
Next item. Thank you, Mr. Brock.
MR. BROCK: You're welcome.
Item #8H2
REVISED FILM OFFICE PLAN - APPROVED
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: And maybe we can get going now.
Next item on the agenda is the revised film office plan.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: As you know, we've been
pursuing a joint effort with Lee County on their film commission, and
RFPDC has been talking about having one here. We organized a meeting
between our PDC film office reps; three folks from here; and with
representatives from the Lee County Film Commission, Beverly Fox and
Tom Kucharski from the EDC up there, both of whom are here today. We
had what I think was a very productive meeting, and what began as
discussions of sharing certain resources grew into quite a bit of
excitement about having one joint office and having virtually
everything together. And I think it will put us in a better position
to compete with some of the bigger communities that have film offices.
It will have one production guide, one promotional video, one
location, one 800 number -- a single 800 number and so on.
What I want to do just briefly is have some comments
from both Mr. Kucharski and from Beverly Fox from Lee County to share
some of what they have been doing and also some of the ideas of where
we would like to head together on this. And I think John Ayres -- I
hope John Ayres has some comments from Collier EDC as well.
MR. KUCHARSKI: Good morning, Commissioners. For the
record my name is Tom Kucharski. I'm the executive director of the
Lee County Economic Development. Commissioner Constantine pretty much
covered a majority of what I was going to say. I would kind of like
to present the real picture real quick and then have Beverly comment
on why this makes a great deal of sense for the film industry in
particular.
All over the country economic development efforts are
going regional. As you may have read, with a heavy heart I am leaving
Lee County to become the first president of a regional organization in
Pennsylvania. They are about two to three years ahead of where this
area is as far as realizing the potential of cooperating on various
aspects of economic development and what that means to them as far as
clout in both their state capital and Washington. This is an exciting
opportunity, the Horizon Council, the Board of County Commissioners,
and the county administration strongly behind the suggestion as well
as I think over time you will realize that areas of economic
development activity -- I would see the next one to consider is
probably international trade with the activity going on and especially
a very productive discussion between all the EDCs in the region on
foreign trade zone and the way we're represented in international
trade. But this is a trend that the whole nation is going to go with,
Washington and state governments cutting back their assistance to
local areas. The local areas are kind of banding together in strength
and numbers.
As I mentioned, our county is strongly behind any
discussions as far as regional cooperation. We have -- I have spent
some time with your EDC reps and their strategic planning that they
have been going through. We will be moderating the Charlotte County's
planning sessions that they are going to be having for economic
development later in the year. It is starting to form, and we already
are working on projects together.
It makes a lot of sense for film in particular. I'll
let Beverly discuss those aspects with you. I would be happy to
answer any further questions. Thank you.
MS. FOX: Hi. For the record, Beverly Fox, Lee County
Film Commissioner. I'm glad to be here today. I just wanted to tell
you a little bit about the film industry and why this could be part of
the advantage for southwest Florida. When the producers of motion
pictures and television shows and music videos, et cetera, and New
York and L.A. think of Florida, to them it's one big blob called
Miami. And some folks know of another community in Florida called
Orlando, but the rest of the 40-some-odd film offices in the state of
Florida are just a bunch of clutter on a map, that they really don't
understand the geography of the state. They don't understand where
the other 40 film offices are in relation to Miami or Orlando. It is
just like I said, a bunch of clutter out there.
What we get -- really take advantage, as I see it, if we
do go forward and form a joint film office is, number one, we've got
twice the locations to promote to producers when we show them both Lee
and Collier County locations. We've got twice the resources, twice
the marketing dollars, and we've got it all with one-stop shopping
which is very convenient. And one of the really big advantages, that
we'll be able to promote this area as the Southwest Florida Film
Commission. Now that, of course, has -- and that creates an image
with the customers. Southwest Florida is an area that they can
identify with. That is a region of the state, and it has a really
great advantage in being able to promote us in our marketing that way.
So there are no other film commissions in the state that even ventures
into the territory affording a joint film commission. We are the
first in the state to join forces in order to increase our strength
together.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Well, Ms. Fox, we love being the
cutting edge here. And I want to point out that all the work that's
gone into this with you and Commissioner Constantine and particularly
Mr. Ayres, I think we're getting more bang for the buck than we
anticipated initially. I for one am very comfortable with this. So
there is -- if you would wish to make a motion, I would be happy to
entertain it.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: John, we may have a --
MR. AYRES: This is a wonderful opportunity to address
this robust group. For the record, John Ayres. I'm the chairman of
the EDC film commission. We did have our meeting some two weeks ago,
and I'm not sure when we arrived at our meeting site that we knew
exactly how we were going to leave. And to let you know, there were
some defensive positions which had to come up in terms of protecting
the integrity of our business environment in this county and for Lee
County as well. In the beginning of the meeting it appeared that we
were going to agree that unless we did everything together, it really
didn't make much sense to do anything together. And then one thing
led to another, and we came up with a plan that made so much sense
that -- Commissioner Constantine, I appreciate the fact that you
brought us together because as often happens, you come up with a
better plan. And that is exactly what happened.
I would recommend and ask that, as we discussed,
Commissioners, that for the Collier County side of this wonderful new
idea, that the funds perhaps be channeled through the Collier County
EDC and that our EDC be the liaison between you, the county
commissioners, and the new film commission so that we've got some
responsibility, and we've got some ability to judge how things are
going and to be in a position to add whatever we can to make sure this
effort works the way we all know it can.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Real quickly. If that is the
case, will we receive an annual or semiannual reporting information
from the EDC? In other words -- MR. AYRES: Yes, sir.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: -- so we see how the money is
spent? I just want to make that a part of the --
MR. AYRES: Yeah. We would plan on being responsible to
you. And as a preamble to that, I took this meeting and the results
of the meeting to the board of the EDC, and with unanimous approval
they felt very positive about it.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: A couple of things that we
didn't mention. When we talk about one central location or one single
location, we're talking about a central place, perhaps in Bonita, so
it would make sense for both Lee and Collier. Also I didn't mention,
Ms. Fox is -- is it president or chairman?
MS. FOX: I'm executive vice president.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- executive vice president
of the statewide organization with all the film commissions. So she
knows of what she speaks.
With that I'll make a motion that we approve this
revised film office plan as a joint effort with the Lee County Film
Commission in forming the Southwest Florida Commission. COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
I just had one question. Hs. Gansel, is there $57,000
left in category B?
MS. GANSEL: Yes, we do. As we kind of talked about
last night, we allocate after we have the money, so we've got a year
in there.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I mean I've got to ask the
question. We were busy giving it away last night.
We have a motion and second. Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'd just like to say publicly,
Commissioner Constantine, you and I have butted heads on this at the
beginning, and I very much appreciate your foresight and vision and
leadership on this. Thanks for taking the bull by the horn.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Is this an election year or
something?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I don't think so.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, we disagreed, and he was
right, and I wanted to thank him for that. COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Is there further discussion? There being none, I'll
call the question.
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes 5 to 0. Thank you.
Item #10A
EXTRA GAIN TIME FOR INMATE NO. 64104 - APPROVED
Next item on the agenda is under the Board of County
Commissioners.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
suspended or revoked.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
What does that mean?
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
Motion to approve. Second.
I have one question before --
Driving while license was
Is that what that means?
Yes.
But that's what my question was.
And he said he'll have them not
do that anymore. We actually made that request about six months ago,
because he kept giving me abbreviations. But it's driving while
license is suspended or revoked.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: So we have a motion. Is there a
second?
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I seconded it.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'm not going to support the
motion, because I'm not in favor of giving people extra gain time who
are already quote, unquote, I guess we could say, thumbing their nose
at our laws. So I'm not going to support the motion. Commissioner
Hac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: My question related to the
driving while license is suspended or revoked. Is that as a result of
a DUI? Do we know why the license was suspended or revoked?
MR. CUYLER: You're not going to have that information.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Could we have that information in
the future?
DEPUTY CANADY: I can ask that they do that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Because that would be relevant to
me. I'd like to know in the future.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I just feel that we've already
been through a court case, and he was told what he needed to do, and
he didn't do it.
Any further discussion?
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion passed 3 to 2, Commissioners Matthews and
Constantine in the opposition.
Item #10B
RESOLUTION 95-456 REGARDING FUNDING FOR THE KEY MARCO CAT ARTIFACT -
ADOPTED
Next item on the agenda is 10(B) a discussion regarding
funding of the Key Marco cat artifact. Are we going to the board with
the exact words of the motion last night? COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We hope so.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: This is the budget item that we
looked at last night.
MR. DORRILL: You have some speakers as well.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you.
MS. GANSEL: Would you like me to introduce it or just
have the Key Marco people make their presentation? How would you --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think, Ms. Gansel, it would be
good if you gave this board a brief overview of what transpired last
evening and the difficulty that the TDC was having with moving ahead
with this. And since I have already piqued the interest of the board,
I believe the motion was that we resolved to ask the BCC to find a way
to fund this.
MS. GANSEL: Exactly. The Tourist Development Council
was very much in favor of supporting this project. However, there
were some items that they proposed in their budget which were not
consistent with the guidelines, primarily capital improvements to the
museum. Also the Marco Island Historical Society is caught in a catch
22. They have some funds that they have raised, but until they can
get a commitment of funds available and are assured that they would be
able to bring the artifact to Collier County, they have not wanted to
do too much in the way of soliciting contributions. So that was
another obstacle that we ran into where there wasn't matching funds to
be here.
One of the suggestions was that we lend the historical
society the money to do the capital improvements and that as their
contributions come in, that money would be paid back to the county,
and it would obviously be prudent to a county assay and possibly would
draw other artifacts that could be for tourism in the future also.
That was where we left it. Commissioner Matthews is correct in saying
the motion just -- we would like to support this project and however
the board can come up with this. The attorney's office has looked
into the capital aspect of the tourist funds.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just to make sure I
understand, the TDC then did not approve any specific funds for this.
It said that the board go get it.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: The motion was -- well, yes, the
motion was that we -- that the BCC find a way to fund this with TDC
money.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No suggestions what that way
would be?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: No. Part of our dilemma and, Ms.
Ashton, perhaps you can help -- was whether we can lend to the
historical society the thirty-two or thirty-three thousand dollars for
the capital improvements. She was not certain last night that we
could do that. And that was where it kind of said, well, Heidi,
you've got 24 hours to see if we can lend it and talk to us tomorrow.
MS. ASHTON: I stayed up all night to figure it out.
Under the guidelines there is a mechanism if you distribute funds, and
this project ends up being profitable, that they reimburse the county
a certain percentage of funds. So that would probably be the
preferable way to proceed rather than calling it a loan. You can
disburse the funds, and then as they collect the admission, you get a
percentage back from that.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: This is out of category C.
MS. ASHTON: C.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Are there further questions? Why
don't we hear something from Mr. Danray from the Collier County
Historical Society and --
MR. DORRILL: We have three people who are registered.
I don't know the order that -- CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Okay. Let's take the order they
came in then.
MR. DORRILL: Mr. Lee. This, I believe, would be Ms.
Perdichizzi.
MS. PERDICHIZZI: For the record, Betsy Perdichizzi,
Marco Island Historical Society.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Would you spell your last name
for the court reporter?
MS. PERDICHIZZI: P-e-r-d-i-c-h-i-z-z-i. Just like it
sounds. Just like it sounds in Sicilian. I want to thank the county
commissioners for this long drawn-out process, for hearing us on June
20th, for sending us to the TDC council last night. We are overjoyed
with their favorable opinion, and then you put us on the agenda today,
because you understood the urgency of the request that Mr. Jamro has
to get started, and we have to get started raising money and that
we're all looking forward to seeing this in November and having a
great time. And the film people were talking about regional issues.
This is one of them. I think we have reached a cultural landmark --
the county commissioners, the TDC, the residents, that tourism and
culture can go hand in hand. Now I think that Art Lee wants to say
something about the archeology week, and Mr. Danray wants to speak.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock has
something.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mrs. Perdichizzi --
MS. PERDICHIZZI: And if you have questions of me --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. I'm going to ask a
question, whoever the more appropriate person to answer, please do,
and that is --
MS. PERDICHIZZI: The fund raising -- we're all here so
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. The question is, I just
want a level of comfort to know that the money can be paid back and to
know something of the plans and the process by which that's to be
done. That is my question.
MS. PERDICHIZZI: All right. I would ask Norm
Tengstrom, the fund raising chairman, to answer that.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Please go through the
presentation. I just want you to know that's a question of something
I would like to hear a little more about. MS. PERDICHIZZI: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Next speaker, Mr. Dorrill. Mr.
Lee.
MR. DORRILL: Mr. Lee, and then Mr. Danray is the final
speaker.
MR. LEE: For the record, Arthur Lee, chairman of the
Historic Preservation Board of the county. To the bona fides of this
organization, the Marco historical group, they are in the process of
winding up a major archeological effort there which has given them a
chance to demonstrate their organizational abilities. They have
succeeded in doing a major piece of work on a completely volunteer
basis, volunteer hours. Materials and supplies contributed amount to
over a quarter of a million dollars on this. They have carried it off
with complete aplomb, very, very efficiently.
As a member of the board of the Florida Anthropological
Society, I'd like to note that this event will be noted, certainly
statewide on a professional basis, that you can expect delegations
here from a half dozen affiliated chapters that I know of. Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Lee.
MR. DORRILL: Mr. Danray.
MR. DAURAY: My names is Charles Danray. I'm president
of the Collier County Historical Society. Twenty years ago the
society realized that it needed a repository for the historic
treasures of Collier County to raise a hundred thousand dollars to
build a museum. Over the years in cash to that museum has gone an
additional $175,000. Additionally, the historical society has allowed
the museum to go from a loan position of the artifacts, which were the
property of the historical society, to a gift position to the people
of Collier County. Those artifacts, which are on display at the
museum, what are they worth? I don't know. It could be a million
dollars. It could be two million dollars. Here we're talking about
one small artifact which stands approximately six and a quarter inches
high. And it's valued at two and a half million dollars -- to come
here to Collier County.
Now when you want to talk about territorial
custodianship, believe me, dealing with the Smithsonian Institution is
not an easy situation. To extract from the Smithsonian Institution
any artifact is unusual. But to extract from the Smithsonian
Institution on loan to the people of Florida, to the people of Collier
County specifically an artifact which represents the apex of ne of the
most sophisticated native American cultures, the Calusa Indians, which
is 600 years old, to be on display here is a great compliment to the
15 years of stewardship of Mr. Jamro for the museum, the Collier
County Commissioners that have preceded you, to the State of Florida,
and to all the people of Collier County. So we're talking about
something very important here.
If you're talking about getting a return of your dollars
in item 3 of the TDC, you're going to get a great return. We're
talking about the celebration of the 150th year of statehood for the
State of Florida. The apex of that year -- that sesquicentennial year
very well may be the returning of what is known as the Key Marco Cat
to the State of Florida, to southwest Florida, to Collier County, to
your museum. Let's not obfuscate, therefore, and snip hairs in terms
of these dollars that you have sitting, gathering dust and/or interest
at this time. We're talking a mere $68,500.
If a formula has to be reached, it can be reached. The
Collier County Historical Society, which I am speaking for, its board
of directors, would presently not want to go into debt for
approximately half that amount, because they're raising $292,000 right
now for the renovation of Palm Cottage, which is our only nationally
recognized residential historic site in all of Collier County. And in
terms of perspective, Collier County is larger in land area than the
State of Rhode Island. We can only do so much. We ask your
cooperation. We ask your recognition of the archeological treasure
that is Collier County in general, specifically Marco Island. Thank
you very much.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Danray, I have a couple
of questions. You mentioned raising funds for the Palm Cottage. How
much money does the Collier County Historical Society have on hand
right now?
MR. DAURAY: We have restricted funds of $44,500 which
we've raised in the last couple of months for the renovation of Palm
Cottage. We have a pledge for matching funds, a category C-type grant
from the state for $25,000 from a private foundation.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's matching for --
MR. DAURAY: That's matching at the challenge to the
State of Florida. In other words, what we have is a letter from a
foundation stating to the State of Florida, we will put up $25,000
cash if you will match it. We have applied to the State of Florida
for a $292,000 grant under what is called a special category which has
to be approved by the legislature. Your state representative,
Mr. Saunders, voted for the appropriations from the State of Florida
for that. How much of that we're going to get, I don't know. We're
going for broke. We're going for the whole thing. We've never done
it before as a society. Other organizations in the county have been
successful in that endeavor, specifically the small wood store in
Chokoloskee. Cash on hand with the society right now is approximately
$9,000. Various restricted CDs for interior account, exterior
structure accounts, and so on amount to about $20,000. We're not a
rich society, but we offer stewardship and continuity. We've given
away to the people of Collier County what we've raised.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The twenty-five thousand in
matching funds and the two hundred ninety-two you have applied for, I
assume those are both restricted to the use of Palm Cottage, or are
those just generic?
MR. DAURAY: Absolutely restricted strictly into a
structure fund.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I suppose the CDs are locked
up for some period of time?
MR. DAURAY: They certainly are.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do you know what that time
frame is?
MR. DAURAY: We just renewed them for a two-year period
three months ago, so it would be twenty-one months. COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thanks.
MR. DAURAY: Are there any other questions?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any other questions? Do you
still want an answer to your question, Commissioner Hancock, on the
fund raising? Mr. Tengstrom would be able to do that.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Only because I received
correspondence talking about certain things that you were going to be
doing to attempt to raise whatever funds are available and so forth.
So I would just like to know what is in the works for fund raising,
because I've received letters asking for the board to take a position
of loaning money, and I just want to know some of the particulars of
that.
MR. DAURAY: To simplify this there are three entities.
There is the Collier County Museum. There is a Marco Island Chapter
of the Collier County Historical Society, and there is the Collier
County Historical Society individually and collectively. The fund
raising prospects for the cat are centered by those individuals
involved with the Marco Island Chapter of the Collier County
Historical Society in agreement with -- in concert with possible fund
raising at the museum. The Collier County Historical Society as a
whole is working diligently to raise money for the renovation needed
for Palm Cottage.
So with your permission, I'd like to defer to Mr. Norm
Tengstrom who is the head of the fund raising for the Marco Island
Chapter of the Collier County Historical Society which I think,
incidentally, and you will agree, deserves great credit for the credit
that they have brought into Collier County in its existence of only
one year with already 189 members.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: No question, Charles. I'm just
looking for kind of summary, Mr. Tengstrom.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Excuse me, Mr. Dauray, I think we
have one final question for you.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I apologize. One more
question for you, Charles. You mentioned in your eloquent words that
bringing the cat to the State of Florida and, indeed, Collier County
could be the apex of the entire sesquicentennial celebration in the
State of Florida. And I am wondering if that's the case, why it is a
lower priority for expenditure of historical society funds than the
Palm Cottage?
MR. DAURAY: It really is not. It's just a matter of
dollars and timing. Timing is of the essence here. It is not a lower
priority. The society, as I saw as whole, primarily is concerned with
getting the cat back and to continue the ongoing efforts to bring
monies to Palm Cottage. The society, in the particular, especially
the Marco Island chapter which incidentally has its own bylaws, its
own officers, its own agenda, but is a chapter under the legal entity
of the federal tax exempt I.D. number for Palm Cottage, is in
particular interested in bringing the cat back.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I assume in a regional effort
and in the best interest of the historical society as a whole. While
they may be a separate entity, the bigger group is working together on
that project.
MR. DAURAY: Well, absolutely. We are working in
concert. We are great believers in synergy where the whole is greater
than the sum of the parts. And that process and that attitude is
evident in the success that we've had this year with the society and
with the Marco Island chapter.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm not sure that I want to
do this, but I'm just kind of throwing out -- on one hand the society
has $44,000. And they're saying we don't want to spend that on this
particular project, but we will repay the other project. And I'm
wondering why rather than repaying the county you wouldn't repay your
own coffers, put the money you have up front?
MR. DAURAY: We can't use those -- we can't use those
funds. Those funds are directed specifically in a fund raising effort
for the structure of Palm Cottage. Second --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That answers my question.
MR. DAURAY: -- secondly, I think if we can find a
formula, a solution to not necessarily repay, but to reimburse both in
dollars and culturally to the people of Collier County for the use of
these funds, a formula can be reached. We're talking approximately
50/50, in other words, 50 percent cash for the physical necessities,
and then another 50 percent of that money might come in during the
next year. I can't guarantee it. The Marco Island chapter can't
guarantee it. But certainly a small admission charge might be
acceptable, a fund raiser by the chapter on Marco Island where those
funds would go directly back for the display of the cat and any loss
involved therein.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Charles, are these
Mr. Tengstrom's points?
MR. DAURAY: I hope so. Am I off the hook?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yes. Let's hear what Marco
Island has planned for these funds.
MR. TENGSTROM: Charles has done a very fine job in
explaining the situation. The fund raising that we have been going --
the fund raising has been going on since really -- effectively for
about two or two and a half weeks with a flyer that went out in the
Marco Island Eagle and in the Naples news, and results are coming in
from that slowly. But we are receiving daily, three, four or five
contributions, $10, $2,500. We're pushing $5,000 at this time. We
have not made an extensive hard-hitting attempt at fund raising,
because we wanted to be sure we had the cat. Otherwise, we're faced
with a refund problem, and we didn't want to get into that.
It would be extremely difficult for us to say if you
advance or allocate sixty-six, seventy thousand dollars to this
project, that we will be able to repay that entire amount. We don't
know that. We would certainly do all we can to comply with it and to
fulfill that obligation -- return certainly all the funds we are able
to raise. I have very serious doubts that we're going to raise
substantial money for admissions. I do not think it's appropriate for
us to be charging more than a modest amount in the museum -- probably
a dollar -- approximately $2. The logistics alone of raising $50,000
through the museum through the doors of the museum aren't there. I
don't think we could get that many people through it.
I've been involved with another organization of the same
type up on Long Island, the Friends for Long Island's Heritage where,
you know, we have over a budget of $2 million a year just in the
friends organization. I know it can be done. In the Marco chapter
we're in our infancy, and we're feeling our way in many ways. We have
tremendous competition for charitable dollars on Marco. It's the
greatest fund raising place I have ever seen. There are more benefits
going on. There are more fund drives. There are more demands for the
dollar than I've certainly experienced on Long Island. I think those
of you who are familiar with Marco will appreciate what I am saying.
We will do, however, all we can to repay the funds. I
certainly don't think we're in the position to sign a loan. I don't
think that is the way to do it. But I think that the -- what the
benefits that will reflect through Collier County from the exhibition
of the cat are great, and they should be supported. Are there any
other questions?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm determined to find a way to
do this, but I'm feeling as perplexed as apparently the TDC did last
night about exactly how. And I'm wondering -- I heard something about
that archeological societies will be advertising this. Has anybody
projected if, in fact, this will sell hotel beds in Collier County at
all? Was that any of the discussion last night at the TDC?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: No. It wasn't part of the
discussion last night.
MR. TENGSTROH: As towards businesses, it's a historical
site. So one of the major factors in tourism in Florida -- and this
is borne out by a study that was done by the state in 1988, and I have
no reason to think it is not still valid -- but historical sites are a
major reason for tourism. How you can convert the cat to those
statistics concerning individual hotel room sales, I don't know. But
to each of us speaking -- what friends -- for when friends come down,
where do they want to go? Over to Everglades City? To the smaller
store? To the park to see the big dredge? These are common desires.
Frankly, I have to say that I've been here for eight years now. It
wasn't until two years ago that I even knew that the Collier County
Museum existed. I'm very impressed with what has been done over
there. And I think this is certainly going to bring the museum to the
forefront -- the attention, certainly, to Collier County residents and
the entire state. I think it is an excellent application of TDC
funds.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I see that Mr. Danray has some
comments on that question as well. Did I --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me make a comment for you that
-- my opinion on this is that while I can't imagine someone flying in
from Oregon to see the cat, I can certainly see people making side
trips to Collier County, people that have some archeological and
historical interest once they know it is available for viewing. I can
certainly visualize someone that is vacationing in Orlando or Hiami or
some place coming over for a night here to get an opportunity to view
our cat. I can certainly see it that way. I can't imagine a great
rush of tourists from Germany or some place to come over to see it,
but certainly I think Collier County stands to gain a significant
number of hotel nights just by virtue of having the cat on display.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I see that too, Commissioner
Norris. I share that, and it's not people coming from the east coast
or from the middle part of the state and spending the night here.
Certainly people changing their itinerary for an hour or two's drive,
and if nothing else, our restaurant industry picks up some additional
meals. While that doesn't generate TDC money, it certainly feeds the
economy. So I share that viewpoint.
Are there other discussions? Commissioner Constantine,
you had something you wanted to say.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Like all of us -- like others
on the board, I want to find a way to make this happen. But it is not
a simple matter of what I would like. We as members of the board do
have some responsibility here to follow local laws and local
ordinances. Mr. Cuyler, I have some concern. The TDC ordinance
specifies particularly what money it can be spent for. It also
mentions in there -- and I know it is not concrete, but it mentions in
there the purpose of funds is for the off season, and this runs from
November through Hay; is that right?
MR. DAURAY: I'd like to address that if I may.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll give you an opportunity
to in a minute, but I have a couple of concerns along the way here,
and I'm looking for help from the rest of the board, but we have a
responsibility if we're going to give TDC dollars to make sure that
what we're giving it to meets the letter of the law. I need from the
board members and from Mr. Cuyler doing that -- because right now in
my mind I'm not sure we are, but I want to find a way that we are.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Let me ask Mr. Cuyler to comment
on that. I believe the law ordinance -- Florida statute says that
this is okay. It's the resolution and the guidelines that are the
problem.
MR. CUYLER: You are dealing -- you usually go through
this discussion -- you're dealing with the three strata. One is the
state statute that authorizes everything. The second is the
ordinance. Under the ordinance the 40 percent is broken down into 25
percent and 15 percent for activities and projects basically. Then
below that is your guidelines that are adopted by resolution. And
there are a number of things that this would not be with regard to in
the resolution. The 50 percent match some capital expenditures and
perhaps based on what Charles can tell you, the off-season criteria.
You have -- we've taken the position -- I don't know how
many times you've done this, if at all, but we have taken the position
that it is within your ability, since the guidelines are by
resolution, to pass another resolution saying we understand X, Y, and
Z are not met, but we think it is important, and we're going to pass
another resolution to say that we are going to do it anyway. You
would still be in conformance as long as you make a finding that it
promotes tourism and that it is a project or activity. You're then in
compliance with the ordinance and, of course, under the statute it
would be appropriate.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Because we are by your
description, we are clearly not looking at a black and white question,
yes, we're going to fund this. It does not meet some of the points of
that resolution, and we need -- if we're going to do this, we need to
go through some of the steps along the way to make this legal and
appropriate.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We need to pass a resolution
waiving them -- giving them a waiver from certain parts. Commissioner
Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: What is the actual request as of
this moment? What are -- Ms. Gansel, can you answer that question?
What is the request?
MS. GANSEL: The budget that I put before you, the
budget would be $66,516. At the time that they had submitted the
application they had raised $3,484. So really the balance is what
they are looking for.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. Now, who does this money go
to?
MS. GANSEL: This would go to the historical society
which would be the contracting agency from my understanding.
MR. DAURAY: That is not my understanding. I don't
believe that the Collier County Historical Society is prepared to
receive nor prepared to borrow these funds. The society would find it
preferable if under the accountancy of Collier County it went to the
museum to be used directly.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: It would be my preference as well.
So --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can I ask one question,
Commissioner Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Sure.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We don't have an application
on it, and when we give away TDC funds there is an application process
you go through. You would fill out a form. You have to -- apparently
we don't have one of those -- if no one in particular is requesting
these funds.
MS. GANSEL: The application was made through the
historical society. There was an application that was reviewed last
night by the Tourist Development Council. Since it was the next day,
it didn't have an opportunity to --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But the historical society is
not requesting the funds for themselves, Mr. Danray?
MR. DAURAY: That is absolutely correct. The
application did not come from the Collier County Historical Society
per se but, rather, the Marco Island Chapter of the Collier County
Historical Society.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Again, you are asking that
the money go to the museum.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's a critical point, I think
MR. DAURAY: The museum --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: -- much more appropriate for the
money to go to -- CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Excuse me. One person at a time.
Commissioner Norris, you had a comment.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes, I did. I would like to make
a motion that we approve this request, that the money be turned to the
museum's authority for expenditures based on the findings that
although the request doesn't strictly meet our guidelines that, we,
the board, find that it is beneficial to tourism in our area and,
additionally, that we get our county attorney to draft us a resolution
authorizing this deviation from standard policy.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Cuyler, does that meet the
letter of what you need?
MR. CUYLER: Yes. We will put in specifically that the
50 percent match and the capital expenditure items would be waived,
and it does promote tourism. And a contract would come back on the
consent agenda, although I am not sure who to contract with, but we'll
figure that out.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We'll work on that part of it.
MR. CUYLER: We will consider this is passing of the
resolution -- the only thing -- and we'll draft that up after the
fact.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: So we're going to ask the legal
staff to reserve a resolution number now.
MR. CUYLER: Correct. The clerk's office will do that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion. Is there a
second?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second
that the board of county commission adopt a resolution granting
certain waivers to the Marco Island Historical Society to bring the
Key Marco Cat to Collier County.
Any further discussions? Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm not going to support the
motion, but I want to tell everyone why very clearly. And it is not
because I oppose bringing the cat here. I don't have in my head right
now clearly an alternative. I would like to work on an alternative
way of funding this. But my concern here is we are getting a little
loosey-goosey, getting a little sloppy with the process. We have an
application from one party asking to give funds, not to them, but to
our own museum. We're going against many of the guidelines, and I
have a concern that we are opening the floodgates. I don't have any
problem with the project and what we are trying to accomplish here.
This particular way of doing it I have a problem with. And I worry
that we're -- we're not setting a legal precedent, but we are setting
some sort of precedent that is going to open the floodgates for people
with very good ideas and very good intentions to come in and in a
loose manner apply for funds and expect to get funds. And I think it
is incumbent upon us to stay fairly tight on the process. So it is
not a vote against the project, and -- my wheels are turning right now
looking for an alternative, but it may not be necessary, because I
think you are going to have three votes anyway. But I just have a
problem with us being this loose with the process.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Further comments? Commissioner
Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I have the same exact problem. I
think -- I'm beginning to understand, Commissioner Norris, while you
continue to say we've got to readdress these criteria. We've got to
look at this because, you know, that level has apparently reached
saturation here too. I think I'm going to vote for it because the
county attorney says that we technically can. But, for heaven's sake,
let's readdress this to try to shut down the floodgates that I agree
we are probably opening if we don't.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Let me comment. In
communications this afternoon I was going to fill you in on the
subcommittee formed last night to begin looking at all this. So,
Commissioner Hancock, you had --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Just the only other element that
gives me a level of comfort outside of what you two have just
discussed, and I think you're on the mark, is that the next time
someone comes in here, and they have something else that they have
secured from the Smithsonian, we'll probably look favorably upon it
too. So I separate this by sheer magnitude, and I think that's why
this board sits in the manner it does. I don't disagree with you, but
that is my sole reason for supporting this. The sheer magnitude of
work that has gone into this is so commendable that I can't say no.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Good point.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any other discussion?
We have a motion and a second. I will call the
question.
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Reluctantly, aye.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Motion passes 4 to 1 with
Commissioner Constantine being in the opposition.
Before we take a break --
MR. TENGSTROH: Thank you very much.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: You're quite welcome. Thank you.
Before we take a break we're at the public comment portion for general
topics. Mr. Dotrill, do we have anybody registered? MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I have one comment before you hit
the gavel here. Are we still under a state of emergency? Do we need
to --
MR. CUYLER: I was going to tell you that we had planned
on bringing a resolution back, but the state statute provides that
your local state of emergency expires automatically within seven days
unless you continue it.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: It expired.
MR. CUYLER: We are going to put -- I still haven't
finalized the original resolution, so I'm going to put in there that
it expires pursuant to state law. COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Why don't we adjourn until 10
minutes after the hour which will be about 20 minutes. Adjourn -- I
don't mean that.
(A short break was held.)
Item #12B1
ORDINANCE 95-45 RE PETITION PUD-90-10(1), LARRY H. RAY REPRESENTING
NAPLES COHMUNITY HOSPITAL, INC., REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE NORTH
NAPLES MEDICAL PARK HAVING THE EFFECT OF ADDING HOSPITALS AS A
PERMITTED USE, AND ADJUSTING THE CURRENT PUD DOCUMENT FOR THE PURPOSE
OF UPDATING REFERENCES AND INSTITUTING POLICIES IN EFFECT BY THE
CURRENT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE NORTH
NAPLES MEDICAL PARK PUD DISTRICT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF IHMOKALEE ROAD
EAST AND CONTIGUOUS TO THE NORTH COLLIER HOSPITAL PROPERTY - ADOPTED
WITH CHANGES
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Reconvene the Board of County
Commissioners for August the 8th of 1995. Next item on the agenda is
under public -- advertised public hearings, item 12(B)(1), petition
PUD-90-10(1). Hr. Nino.
MR. NINO: Ron Nino, development service staff.
Petition PUD-90-10(1) is a petition submitted by the Naples Community
Hospital, Inc. Naples Community Hospital, Inc. has purchased the
former Naples -- the former North Naples medical park -- office park,
which at that time -- which currently permits medical offices.
However, it does not permit a general hospital-type facility. It is
the position of the Naples Community Hospital, Inc., that they would
like the opportunity in expanding their facility on the property
immediately contiguous to the north Naples medical clinic -- the
opportunity to expand their hospital facilities onto the property to
the east. I realize that perhaps it would be of interest to the board
to know what the uses are permitted under the house services category,
and I apologize for not having submitted those to you in the executive
summary. I did take the opportunity to --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Nino, you have to use the
microphone.
MR. NINO: I took the opportunity to photocopy the
health services group. The position of staff was that rather than
attempt to enumerate all of the uses that are normally associated with
health services, we concluded that it was far easier to simply cite,
as is the technique in the Land Development Code, the health services
SIC classification, and by doing that we automatically cover the
entire span of those types of uses that are included in the medical
profession and in the profession of medical services and hospital
services. The -- we did -- so that the -- for all practical purposes,
the only change to this PUD is the change that adds hospitals to the
current list of uses. However, to simplify that process, we
eliminated -- we suggested the elimination of the use list that had to
do with medical offices and nursing homes and pharmacies, because it
is all inclusive in the health service SIC code.
We had one concern which the petitioner accepted, and
that was that in the process of introducing hospitals to the North
Naples Medical Center, we did not want those hospitals if developed to
be in close proximity to the residential area which lies immediately
to the east of the Cocohatchee River so that the PUD amendment that is
before you would limit the location of hospitals to parcels 5, 6, 7,
8, and 9, none of which lie contiguous to the Cocohatchee River and,
therefore, in close proximity to residential areas. So the effect of
the amendment is to allow general practice medical facilities over all
of the parcels but limits hospitals to parcels 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Nino, how far is it from
the Cocohatchee River to parcels -- it appears 5 may be the closest --
but 5, 6, 7, 8, or 97
MR. NINO: I'd say parcel 5 is the closest parcel, and
that would be about 300 feet. Parcels 8 and 9 would be somewhere in
the neighborhood of 600 feet from the Cocohatchee River. Parcels 6
and 7 likewise would be eight to nine hundred feet. Parcel 5 would be
the closest, and that would be about 300 feet.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Parcel 5 would be roughly the
length of a football field.
MR. NINO: In addition to that, as is the practice of
staff, we ask that the PUD be updated to the appropriate references
that would align it with the references used in the Land Development
Code. There was, however, one inadvertent omission in this PUD that
came to my attention while preparing for this meeting, and that was a
paragraph that limited the heights of buildings on said parcels 5, 6,
7, 8, and 9 to 50 feet. As is with this paragraph height is silent,
so it is important that this paragraph be reintroduced.
MR. CUYLER: Could we make sure that eventually the
clerk gets copies of these documents too, please?
MR. NINO: So that the strategy -- the strategy that the
medical offices closest to the Cocohatchee would have a low profile
and that on the inner parcels the height could be a little greater is
maintained by this amendment. Certainly the aim is consistent --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Excuse me.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Quickly on that point, because
under-building parking is in the PUD, I want to address on parcels 1,
2, 3, and 4, closest the residence in Palm River we have a 30-foot
height except to 10 feet under building parking may be allowed. And
then there is -- you know, setbacks should be increased 1 foot for
every over 30. Are we actually saying that 40 feet is allowed there
in a nutshell?
MR. NINO: For all practical purposes we're saying that,
yes.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. So --
MR. NINO: If they choose to take that option, however.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: If they choose to take that
option. But it is available, so we could conceivably within 60 feet
of a residential property line, if am reading my scale correctly, or
within 75 feet of the residential property line, have a 40-foot
structure?
MR. NINO: However, that -- I would remind you,
Commissioner, that in the single-family area or the estates area,
which is the zoning along the Cocohatchee River, that the minimum
height for residential structures is 35 feet.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: That's true, but typically they
aren't 35 feet. I'm just making sure I understand how the PUD is
written.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Hancock, I share
your concern. This reminds me of the health park PUD that was put out
in the Golden Gate area directly across from the Golden Gate canal
from a single-family residence. And we did -- the buildings that were
nearest to that canal, I believe, we did limit to 30 feet, and then
the others further away and blocked by those buildings were 50 feet.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I commend staff for putting the
50 feet in for the buildings furthest away, because that wasn't
addressed. It certainly could have been increased. My personal
feeling is that parcels 1 through 4, 30-foot maximum. I don't care
about under-building parking or not. If you want to lose a floor,
that's their business. But I'm more comfortable at 30 than I am at a
potential of 40 feet in that close of proximity to existing
residential structures.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do you want to do the same
with parcel 107
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Yes. Parcel 10 would be the
same. And I have a little problem with parcel 5 as a hospital parcel
because of the proximity. Six, seven, eight and nine, you know, we
already have North Collier Hospital very close to this PUD anyway. I
don't see this as becoming an emergency room type of hospital but more
of an inpatient care-type facility, so I'm not worried about the
ambulatory situation and so forth, because North Collier has its
emergency room and that will be going on there. I don't think anyone
is going to build a competing hospital next to an emergency room.
That doesn't make sense.
MR. NINO: Same owner.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Exactly. So although there may
be an expansion, I'm not worried. But I am a little concerned because
of the possibility for intense use under hospital about parcel 5. I
guess when we hear from the applicant, I would like to know the
amendability of making parcel 5 an office parcel. That would make
more sense to me personally.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I also have a question under
category 8063 from the SIC code. I'm not sure, considering the
proximity to the residential area, that is going to be embraced by the
community.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Psychiatric hospitals.
MR. NINO: 8063, of course, is limited to the inner
parcels.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Five?
MR. NINO: Five, six, seven, eight, and nine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Five is only a hundred yards
away?
MR. NINO: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Nine looks like it is
probably not a whole lot more than a hundred yards away, so I --
frankly, even so -- even with six, seven, and eight I have a little
bit of concern. I'm sure those residents would have a little bit of
concern.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: And I think what causes that is a
lot of what we hear in relation to some of the isolated incidents of
the David Lawrence Center. The question is in-patient treatment for
the mentally ill, you know, how that is treated, what restrictions are
applied to it. The David Lawrence Center has drawn very specific
restrictions. In other words, do we know exactly what's going on
there, because they had to get a conditional use. In this case if a
detox center as an inpatient were to occur there or something that
could potentially or possibly be, I would say, violent patients, you
know --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Under this SIC code it is detox
centers.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: It's not that I'm opposed to
them, it's just that we don't know how they're going to be handled
here and how it is going to impact the adjacent neighborhood because,
yes, there is a river between them, and I don't think you can get much
better security, but I think it's a cause for question and something
the applicant I would like for them to address also.
MR. NINO: I would remind you that the original -- the
current PUD allows substance abuse treatment centers.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: So really that particular element
of it is no different than what is currently allowed? MR. NINO: Right.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I think that --
MR. NINO: Let me continue. I would remind you that
there is nothing in this application that increases the authorized
amount of floor area. It's 150,000 square foot and will remain that.
That is about it.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I have one other question
under -- MR. NINO: The development standards will all remain the
same.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I have one other question
under 8093, especially outpatient facilities, birth control clinics.
I'm wondering does that mean -- couldn't that potentially mean
abortion clinics, and that's on all trends. MR. NINO: Yes, correct.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Aren't those --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I don't know that I want to get
into a discussion of limiting the use because of the bomb in
Pensacola.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That is not my reason why. I
don't know if they are appropriate there. I'm sorry, that's an
inappropriate aside.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: We could probably have a good
discussion on that after the meeting.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: There is also the question,
Commissioner Hancock, you were talking about the detoxification
centers, and that is under that same code also, and that would be
allowed on all tracts.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Well, as Mr. Nino said, that is
not different than what was or currently is permitted on the site. In
other words -- how long has this PUD been in place, Mr. Nino?
MR. NINO: About four years, I believe. Let me remind
you the current document also permits post hospitalization, extended
patient care, and therapy facilities. And what does that mean?
There's a lot in the current document that would call for
administrative discretion making. We suggest at least -- going to the
SIC code get's much more specific. I'm not sure in my mind that the
way the current PUD document reads is that we are in fact talking
about all of these uses with the exception of hospitals, the three
categories of hospitals.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: So, in your opinion, really the
only thing we are doing here is adding hospitals to set tracts as
proposed in the PUD? MR. NINO: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: There really isn't any other
significant changes to the PUD?
MR. NINO: Well, that depends on the discretion
exercised by the person making the administrative discretionary
decision.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: In other words, in your opinion
__
MR. NINO: In my opinion.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. NINO: It depends who that person is. If they are
liberal, they want to construe what this -- more generic-type
language.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I've listed a couple of things
that I am concerned about, as has some of my colleagues, so maybe we
want to hear from --
MR. NINO: Certainly, staff would have -- would not have
a problem with taking 5 out because of its proximity for hospital
facilities, but I don't know what -- Mr. Ray, who represents the
hospital, is here and will speak to this issue or Mr. Anderson. I'm
sorry, Mr. Ray.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Bruce, you're on the clock.
MR. RAY: Let me see what 5 is.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: The one just north of the lake,
sir.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think he represents the
petitioner; is that correct?
MR. RAY: Yeah. I'm Larry Ray, director of facilities
to the construction at Naples Community Hospital. What our intention
was was to add hospitals to the usage of the property adjacent to
North Collier, which is where we are located, for possible expansion.
We asked the staff of the county -- first of all, we asked the staff
of the county could we expand the hospital onto that property under
the wording that was permitted uses at that time, and the answer was
no. So I worked with Ron and his people -- great people to work
with -- to get that done. That is all we want to do is have the
capability to expand should we -- the flexibility to expand simply if
we want to do it. The psychiatric thing was already there, I believe.
A lot of this stuff was there. The 30 foot -- what we asked for --
not height differences, that was already in the PUD. So that is sort
of where we are. We don't have any plans to do it. We want the
flexibility to be able to do it.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I appreciate that. I guess what
I want to ask specifically of you, sir, do you have any problem with
amending what is proposed to exclude parcel 5 as a hospital parcel and
for the 30-foot maximum height of parcels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 107
MR. RAY: Parcel 5 I don't have a problem with. The
30-foot max I need to think about a minute.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: We're just trying to be
consistent with what has been done elsewhere in the county in a very
similar situation at Golden Gate Health Park which is across, I
believe in that case, a 100-foot canal, which is a little wider than
the Cocohatchee, is in this area. And I think that was a wise move
then by a previous board, and I would like to mimic it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: While he is conferring, Mr.
Cuyler, this whole PUD is up for discussion. I would like to amend
the PUD so that we just get something that has been in past doesn't
necessarily protect it at this point. It is up for discussion; is
that correct?
MR. CUYLER: Correct.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'm sorry, I missed that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just because something was in
before doesn't mean it's guaranteed. Everything is up for discussion.
That's part of the PUD amendment.
MR. RAY: We would like to work with you on that, so 30
feet on those outlying parcels would be fine.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Those are the two things that
stood out in my mind. With that I am fairly content.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I've got a couple -- I'd feel
much more comfortable approving the PUD if we could eliminate 8063
which is the psychiatric hospital. If we could eliminate 8093, which
includes alcohol treatment, drug treatment, detox, mental health
clinics, potentially abortion clinics, treatment for alcohol and drug
addition -- I would like to see that one removed. And I'd also like
to see under 8069 -- it says specialty hospitals. I don't have any
trouble with any of those except one, and that would be the alcohol
rehab hospital. Everything else listed under there, cancer,
children's hospital -- oops, I'm sorry, there was one more, drug
addiction rehab hospital.
MR. RAY: Well, yeah. We'd like to -- you know, we
didn't come into the thing to restrict the use. What we're trying to
do is expand the use of the hospital. I appreciate your thoughts. I
can't -- you know, I'd like to see the hospital added to --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So if you can't do that, you
need to know I can't vote in favor of this.
MR. RAY: I understand.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And you also need to know
probably what your options are, because you may have to withdraw your
amendment if you can't get four votes. But I want to tell you my vote
is going to be to grant the request which was to add hospitals. I
don't think it's necessary and maybe not even appropriate, but it is
certainly not necessary on this particular parcel to go in and be
taking out uses that were previously approved. So with the concession
that Commissioner Hancock was able to get them on the height and on
the change of parcel 5, I think we should support the request.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me just ask Mr. Cuyler
one more time. Is it appropriate for us to review everything in this
PUD when it's being asked to be amended?
MR. CUYLER: We have traditionally taken the position
that when the PUD comes in front of you, it is open for discussion.
If an applicant wants to withdraw it, they can withdraw it. But as
long as it is in front of you, you can take a look at whatever you
feel is appropriate.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But everything included in
the PUD is fair game when it's up for an amendment.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And I didn't mean it wasn't
legal, and I don't -- I don't mean to imply that it is not a legal
thing to do. It's just my personal vote will be that I don't think
that's how we should treat petitioners. I don't want to support that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I understand your concern, but I
when I see alcohol detox, there are two ways to look at it. You are
very familiar with the Willow, which is a very well-run operation,
self-contained, no problems. I believe it even backs up to a
condominium, Winter Park or something, I mean, right behind it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And a canal too.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: And a canal. So I think there
are cases in which it can be done properly and appropriately. So
let's look at the record of that hospital and what they have done
there. And what we've seen in the past there is -- I haven't received
complaints from residents in the immediate area on ongoing operations
or operational problems. So the question is can we -- it is an open
book? Yes, you're right. We can pick and choose. No question about
it. But I'm not comfortable picking and choosing and eliminating
those things that were already approved, that are in an existing PUD,
because I think they can be done correctly and properly. And if we
look at the current trend in centers that handle detoxification and so
forth, it is a higher end. It is not a kind of a seedy use, and it's
not really dangerous. It is usually well controlled and secure. I
guess I'm a little bit at odds on that element.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: When you say you haven't
received any calls from constituents in the area, I suspect if in a
year or two from now that a drug addiction rehab facility is proposed
and starts to go up there, you might get a phone call or two.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: I would guess so. But is there a
way in which we can identify some uses in this PUD that would merit an
additional layer of review or allow for public input at some time? I
know it's something in tradition we haven't been able to do is to
approve a PUD with, quote, unquote, conditional uses in them that
merit a layer of review at some time.
MR. CUYLER: You can condition the uses. But if you are
talking about having a condition -- the equivalent of a conditional
use hearing for these items, I think you probably you could do that.
I think you probably could list them and set them for a subsequent
hearing. I'm not sure that in the grand scheme of making things
easier or harder that makes anything any easier.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Hancock, if
you're comfortable doing that, then I can support the petition.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Yes. Mr. Cuyler, can you help me
with how that would be worded? I've got two elements of a motion put
together barring -- discussion notwithstanding after this, but can you
help me as to how that would have to be orchestrated and maybe, Mr.
Nino, have we done anything similar. I'm just looking for a way in
which that motion needs to be.
MR. NINO: No, we haven't. And, of course, that is one
of the problems with the application of the SIC code. When you
adopted the SIC code, you come up with a whole list of uses that are
authorized under that four-digit category, some of which you may not
like. I don't think you can pick and choose within a four-digit
category. On the other hand, if we went back to the generic days, you
also had no guarantee that an administrator wasn't going to interpret
the word hospital by itself to allow every and all kinds of hospitals.
As a matter of fact, I suggest that would be the outcome.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Let me run this by Mr. Cuyler and
see how we go. Just taking 8063 as a for instance, that the PUD could
list as permitted uses X, and then under 8063 uses within this
category require some form of board approval, require a review by the
Board of County Commissioners prior to approval of a site development
plan. I'm looking for a way in which that can be worked in.
MR. CUYLER: Margorie says we have in the past. I don't
recall, but I believe that you can specifically list them as, for
example, a conditional use and have a separate hearing on them. You
need to set out some basis for that, why they would not be permitted,
why they would be conditional. I mean, if your findings would be if
that --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Criteria?
MR. CUYLER: -- if it needs heightened scrutiny as a
result of problems that we've had in the past or as a result of
concerns that you may have with regard to security or traffic or
whatever it might be, then you can articulate those and have Mr. Nino
put them in the PUD.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: The questions really are
site-design related, how can it impact the adjacent neighborhoods.
And if it is designed properly, then it doesn't, that's that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think the answer to Mr.
Cuyler's final comment there is simply the potential impact on
neighboring residential areas.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Commissioner Hancock, you just
made the point. However, if they are designed appropriately, then the
criteria for whether or not they're appropriate for this location will
have been met. And if our Land Development Code requires them to be
designed appropriately, which I trust that it does, or we should look
at it, we don't need to have this extra level of review. And all of
us up here, good Republicans, don't want to be looked at -- we're
layering -- layering reviewing government here where it is
unnecessary. The code already exists to review the criteria for
whether or not the design is appropriate to protect the neighborhood.
I think that we're going much farther then we need to go.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: My concern is I'm not sure the
code does.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Let's take a look at the code
then. Let's not -- I really hate to see this board taking a step that
we haven't taken before where you get a PUD and you have conditional
uses in the PUD. We've done this before. Where have we done this
before?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Mac'Kie, are you
suggesting that we table this matter until we've had an opportunity to
review the code then?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I would suggest that we should.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Norris.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: As I understood your comments
there, you were saying that if the code allows a certain design and
safeguards for the design, that we should go ahead and allow it within
the PUD. But I don't think it is the design that we're concerned
with. It is the usage and the usage in the interaction and impact on
a residential neighborhood potentially. That's really totally
separated to me from the design. I feel fairly comfortable. I know
we've done similar things in the past when a potential form problem
would necessitate or really bring forward the need to have another
public hearing before the usage is allowed. I know we have done that
in the past. So I feel fairly comfortable with that. And if it never
arises, it never arises, but if it does, at least the residents will
have an opportunity to come here and give their input and give their
opinions on that usage. If you'll close the public hearing, we'll --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, I'd just like to have some
comment from the petitioner. Maybe I'm concerned and don't need to
be. If this is not a problem for the petitioner, they know better
than I.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'm going to close the public
hearing, and we can further discuss this and ask specific questions.
But first before I do that, Mr. Dotrill, are there speakers on this
issue?
MR. DORRILL: No.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: The public hearing is closed.
COMHISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chairman, I would like to
make a motion to approve -- let's get this right so we don't have to
repeat it -- approve petition PUD-90-10(1) with staff recommendations
of the following additions: Number one, building heights in parcels
1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 shall be limited to a maximum of 30 feet.
Secondly, parcel 5 shall be designated -- shall not allow hospital
uses. And lastly, that the petition call out SIC codes categories
8063, 8069, and 8093 as conditional uses within the PUD, and they will
have to comply with the Land Development Code standard and procedures
for conditional use at such time as those uses are chosen by the
petitioner.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second that.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me just ask for one
clarification in the motion. The motion was that parcel 5 would not
allow hospital usage, but the motion did not specify which parcels
would allow, which I think is more important.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. Let me clarify that
element of the motion. Parcels 6, 7, 8, and 9 will be the only
parcels allowing hospital uses.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. Cuyler, should we adopt
criteria for review in the conditional use process that we're going to
subject these particular uses to?
MR. CUYLER: As the motion set out, you would go through
the normal conditional usage procedure, and it has criteria. And
those are not as extensive as -- there is other criteria, and there
are factors that you look at as part of it, but it does have a public
hearing process.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Then I would like to hear a
response from the petitioner.
MR. RAY: In what respect?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are you okay with the motion?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Do you understand what is
happening was my first question.
MR. RAY: That would be a good question. As I look down
at 8069, as I understand it now, I came before you wanting to be able
to expand on some parcels of the hospital. And now I'm saying that if
I want to build a children's hospital on that parcel, I would have to
come back before you on a conditional use situation.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And your option would be to say
never mind; I'll go away and keep it the way it was.
MR. RAY: I'll go away and -- don't get me wrong. If I
go away the way I read it -- if I go away, I can put a psychiatric
hospital up there tomorrow.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: You can't put a hospital.
MR. RAY: No, I understand, which is what I would like
to have done --
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: What we're saying, and
Commissioner Mac'Kie is trying to clarify it for you, and I appreciate
it, is that, yes, right now you can build that alcohol rehab hospital.
MR. RAY: Right.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: You cannot build a hospital per
se.
MR. RAY: That's why I put the petition there.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. So what we are saying is,
yes, we don't have a problem with the hospital in certain parcels.
However, when we look at things like alcohol rehab -- you know, if you
come up here and ask for a children's hospital on conditional use, do
you really think we're --
MR. RAY: I don't. I think I would get it.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: So we're just asking for an
additional level of review on those particular items. MR. RAY: I understand.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Is it only because there are a
couple --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Because of the way they are mixed
in.
MR. RAY: I understand. Fine.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any other comments? I'll call
the question.
All those in favor of the motion please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes 5 to 0.
Thank you, Mr. Nino.
Item #12C1
DEVELOPHENT ORDER 95-4/RESOLUTION 95-457 RE PETITION DOA-95-1, ALAN D.
REYNOLDS, AICP OF WILSON, MILLER, BARTON & PEEK, INC., REPRESENTING
TRAVILLA REALTY ASSOCIATES FOR AN AMENDMENT TO DEVELOPMENT ORDER 90-1,
AS AMENDED, FOR THE REGENCY VILLAGE OF NAPLES DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL
IMPACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF TEXTENDING THE DATE BY WHICH DEVELOPMENT WAS
TO BE INITIATED, EXEMPTION FROM DOWN ZONING, AND REQUIREMENT TO BEGIN
DEVELOPMENT TWO YEARS OF RECEIPT OF APPROVAL OF A FINAL SITE
DEVELOPMENT PLAN OR PRELIMINARY SUBDIVISION PLAT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED
ON THE NORTH SIDE OF IHMOKALEE ROAD CONTIGUOUS TO THE WEST SIDE OF
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 75 - ADOPTED
Next item on the agenda is 12(C)(1), petition DOA-95-1.
MR. NINO: Ron Nino for the record of your development
services staff. The Regency Village DRI is requesting that their
development order be extended by five years less a day. Regency
Village is located on the northwest quadrant of 1-75 and Immokalee
Road. The state statute provides for the extension of development
orders by five years less a day and usually presumes those to be an
insubstantial change. This petition, if approved, would extend the
date of initial construction -- substantial initial construction from
October 23, 1995, to October 22 of the year 2000. It would delete the
requirements in the development order which requires the owner of this
property within two years of approval to final to commence
construction within two years of a final approval of a final site
development plan or preliminary subdivision plat; and, three, it
advances the date from which the project is exempt from down-zoning
from October 23, 1997, to October 22 in the year 2005.
This petition, if it were to come to you before -- come
to you today as a new petition, would be deemed consistent of the
future language element of the growth management plan. It is a mere
image of the activity center, and the density on the residential part
is less -- substantially less than the density that is otherwise
authorized by the density rating system. The RPC and DCA have both
reviewed this petition and have indicated that they have no interest
in attending a public hearing which is tantamount to a statement on
their part because it's of an insubstantial nature. Staff recommends
approval of the modification.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: As I understand it, the
commercial portion of this property as proposed is consistent with the
activity center boundaries? MR. NINO: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: The balance or the total -- or
the density for the property at four units an acre is below because of
proximity to the activity center what could be requested which would
be seven or eight?
MR. NINO: Correct.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My understanding is that
during the Clark administration there were some discussions with the
petitioner -- not on this particular item or particular amendment --
but, Mr. Reynolds, you may need to help me here too. In reference to
the name, the residents of Regent Park are petrified at the confusion
that may ensue if Regency Village appears essentially across the
street. I had been told at the time that our staff had some
discussions going on with your client in regards to name. I don't
know what transpired with that.
MR. NINO: No, I believe, Commissioner, that that
scenario arose over the naming of the theaters in Pine Air Lakes
(Phonetic) that was going to be Regency -- Regent Village or
something. And we received calls from residents --
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: That would get confusing.
MR. NINO: -- that said that would be a problem. I
believe it was the theater complex, but Mr. Reynolds might -- could
correct me. I don't know if it also applied to Regency Village --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I didn't anticipate this one
coming up -- MR. NINO: -- with respect to the theater complex in the
Pine Air Lakes development.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's just of a general
concern. They're afraid people will get confused, and UPS won't
deliver. I don't know. But there is some concern. There is quite a
bit actually -- quite a bit of concern from those homeowners.
MR. REYNOLDS: Alan Reynolds, Wilson, Miller, Barton,
and Peek representing the petitioner. This is the first that I've
ever heard that conversation. I wasn't aware that there was a concern
that had been expressed.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Would your client be open to
sitting down for discussions on that is all I'll ask? I won't require
anything but sitting down in discussions on that with those homeowners
to try to clear up any concerns they have.
MR. REYNOLDS: Sure. I'd be happy to do that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any other questions of the
petitioner or staff? Are there any assigned to speak? MR. DORRILL: There are no speakers.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and second to
approve petition DOA-95-1.
If there is no further discussion, all those in favor
please say aye. Opposed?
There being none, motion passes 5 to 0.
MR. REYNOLDS: Thank you very much.
Item #12C2
RESOLUTION 95-458 RE PETITION AV 95-009 VACATING A 25 FOOT RIGHT-OF-WAY
KNOWN AS EARL STREET AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT OF NAPLES GROVES AND TRUCK
CO.'S LITTLE FARM NO. 2 - ADOPTED
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you. Thank you, Hr. Nino.
Next item on the agenda is -- if we stay diligent at this, we can
finish by one o'clock -- petition AV 95-009. Mr. Archibald.
MR. ARCHIBALD: Board members, this is a public hearing
to consider vacating petition 95-009 to vacate the westerly 25 feet of
lots 21 and 22 in the plat of Naples Grove and Truck Company Little
Farm Number 2. This particular roadway known as Earl Street in an
adjoining plat is really the extension of Shadowlawn Drive north of
Rock Creek. The corresponding 25 feet of the east side of the
existing roadway was previously vacated, and now the Rock Creek
campground owners are requesting vacation of the remaining 25 feet.
The appropriate letters of no objection have been received. The one
condition of note is that in regards to giving up county right-of-way,
the owners of the campground have gone ahead and made a dedication of
30 feet along a portion of North Road. So the staff recommends
approval of the resolution that's a part of the agenda's
recommendation.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you. Are there questions
for staff? Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: No. Oh, I think we have
speakers, don't we?
MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I thought I saw someone give you
a slip. If there are no questions, I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll make a motion that, as
much as I hate to lose a street named after my dad, that we go ahead
and follow staff's recommendation and vacate Earl Street.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: I'll second. But I believe that
if it had been named after your dad, it would have been Steady Earl
Street.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: There you go.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: He hits the golf ball straight
every time; that's why.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Now I know who I should get to
teach me golf.
We have a motion and a second. Is there further
discussion on the motion?
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes 5 to 0.
Thank you, Mr. Archibald.
Item #12C3
RESOLUTION 95-459 RETURNING ALL HONIES THROUGH TAX CREDIT IF POSSIBLE
FOR THE SURPLUS MONIES COLLECTED WITHIN SEWER AREA "B" SOUTH HALF
MUNICIPAL SERVICE TAXING DISTRICT WITH EFFECTIVE DATE OF OF 8/8/95 -
ADOPTED
Next item on the agenda is a resolution to determine the
disposition of surplus monies in sewer area B.
MR. CUYLER: Madam Chair, before Mr. Weigel starts, in
addition to that there is something we do probably once every 15
years. It is that unusual that we would run into this situation. The
executive summary is self-explanatory, but I would like Mr. Weigel to
just hit some high points before we get to the public comment.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Weigel.
MR. WEIGEL: David Weigel, assistant county attorney.
We're concerned today with a board discussion in determination for the
disposition of surplus monies that exist for a particular HSTD
identified as sewer area B south half. Historically this came into
being in 1979 by ordinance in the early 1980s. A tax levy was
assessed within the district -- the taxing district, and monies were
collected. Monies were expended. Ultimately more monies were
collected than expended in part because of the east and south sewer
projects which came on line and took over some of the functions and
needs of this particular district. The money has accumulated interest
throughout the years after its collection. Again, we're dealing with
approximately four or five collection years. As part of the
background there is potential that the property owners that paid taxes
during the initial years of assessment are different then the property
owners that paid taxes during the latter years of the assessment as
well as the intervening years where property may have changed hands.
The executive summary itself provides five potential
alternatives or directions that the board may wish to take or require
upon for the disposition of the funds as well as in any other mix or
determination that the board may make. If the board should determine
today to take a specific action, the staff recommendation is that
we -- that the staff would prepare a resolution, saving a resolution
number with this agenda item to place in resolution form the direction
of the staff. And, of course, the staff would be working with the tax
collector or any other constitutional officer or department to
effectuate the determination of the board. You may have some
questions. I think there are some public speakers too.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Mr. Weigel and some of my
colleagues may have received some calls on this, and one person
suggested something that makes sense to me, and it is not particularly
on the list. I want to ask you about it from a standpoint of if it's
legal. Most people that paid this assessment, when they sold their
home, if they sold it, that cost went basically with the home on a lot
of these. It was built into the sale price I would hope. So the
suggestion I received, more than one form, was to refund it to the
current homeowners, but to do it through methods of tax roll credits
instead of having to cut checks, because in some cases the amount of
the refund may be rather minute. Would that be a legal option if this
board desires to do that?
MR. WEIGEL: The answer is yes. That is an option that
the board can entertain. County staff has spoken with the tax
collector's office in regard to that, and it appears that it could be
done. One question was raised is there a potential that the credit --
and that's perhaps a misnomer -- but the correction that would be made
to a future tax bill to reduce that tax bill by the amount that would
otherwise be refunded, there is the potential that certain parcels --
and there have been splits that have occurred in subdivisions since
that time -- might be subject to actually having a tax bill of less
than what the "credit" or amount to be accounted for in a refund may
be.
I do not know the answer right now as to whether that
can be carried over to a future year. We are dealing with
approximately 8,300 parcels present day. Of course, each one has an
individual owner of record, although actually there are many owners
that own many parcels within the area. But that is a very viable
option and could be done.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We have discussed this both
in this forum and with -- as you said you've had phone calls. I have
discussed it with a number of people for awhile. Quickly, going
through a process of elimination to transfer the monies to a county
general fund I think would be completely inappropriate, and I assume
the rest of the board thinks that. COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Agreed.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'd like to see us pay all
the surplus monies to the current property owner of record. I think
that makes sense in that as Commissioner Hancock said, when you sell
or buy a property, you take the liabilities or benefits that go with
that property when you take possession. So I would like to see us not
try to track down the original person but go with the current owner.
And I think if we can do it in the credit format as you have outlined
or correction format that you've outlined, that would be the best and
most viable way to go.
MR. WEIGEL: I would suggest if we run into a procedural
difficulty in doing that -- and, incidentally, the amounts we're
talking about are approximately $65 per parcel if you just divide the
parcels into the principal and interest that we have, leaving just a
small amount from that for some administrative costs of whomever may
do this. You might consider as an alternative the printing and the
distribution of checks to the property owners of record. If it cannot
-- ultimately cannot be done within the present -- at the future tax
roll that will be coming out for these parcels with Mr. Carlton --
MR. CUYLER: I think what we will try to do -- what you
want us to do in terms of not cutting checks. As a matter of fact, I
think maybe even we'll come back to you if we can't do that, but that
is the way we will try to shoot for.
MR. WEIGEL: And we would be doing -- dealing with the
property owners as of a date certain. So we would appreciate
ultimately that you could tell us a date certain so that we can work
with the property appraiser and the tax collector for the owners of
record of that particular date certain.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: It would seem to me that if we go
with this -- I don't know credit, deduction, refund, whatever it is
that our legal staff determines what to call it, that rather than
issuing -- what is it, 8,000 checks?
MR. WEIGEL: That's right.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We would even if we can't carry
it over, that reduction would be down to maybe several hundred. MR. WEIGEL: Absolutely.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: So the cost of issuing checks
alone is going to deplete the usefulness of whatever money is
refunded.
MR. CUYLER: And then there may be some parcels for
which you cannot do it this way. If they have a homestead exemption
that exceeds what their taxes are, there may be some checks necessary
but at least we'll cut that down to a small percentage.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: To a very small percentage. I
don't think I've heard too much discussion on this board about
refunding the accumulated interest. Is that part of our discussion or
are we only going to refund the amounts paid?
MR. CUYLER: You may want to hear from your public
speaker at this point and let them give you -- or let Mr. Hall give
his input.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think we might eliminate public
speakers or create more if we make a statement as to whether we are
going to include the accumulated interest in the rebated money.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The interest is in the
account?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
account.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
returning the interest.
Yes, the interest is in the
I can't imagine why we would not.
On the surface I'm in favor of
I see no reason for us to keep it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The only question I would
have is -- and I agree -- but the only question that I would have is I
assume we're going to notify these folks that they are getting some
sort of -- from what source will we be funding that notification?
MR. CUYLER: I'm not sure if we are going to give them
notice unless we can work it out somehow as part of the credit that we
are talking about. Just so you'll know, the amount of the interest is
about half.
MR. WEIGEL: It's approximately a half. There's about
$320,000 in principal. But over the years with compounding we've got
over $270,000 in interest.
MR. CUYLER: We will try to let them know some way what
is happening just as we'll know the issue has gone away, and they'll
know it's gone away.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Preferably a line item on the tax
bill explaining the credit.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yeah, if we're not going to have
to tell them how much of it is interest for income tax purposes and
that may be another thing that we have to investigate, because
1099-INTs are due for anything over $10. MR. WEIGEL: Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I complicated it. I'm sorry.
Mr. Dorrill, you have a speaker?
MR. DORRILL: Yes, ma'am. One speaker, Mr. Harold Hall.
MR. HALL: For the record, Harold Hall, a property owner
in East Naples and in the subject MSTD. First, let me express
appreciation to this commission. This is -- actually I'm not trying
to be critical. This is the first commission that has taken some very
positive steps to address this and spent considerable time trying to
resolve it. Thank you. And also the staff. I've been deeply
involved in this for 12 years, and I'd like to say that especially in
the last couple of -- well, since 1987 I've received excellent help
from all of the staff, utilities, attorneys' office, clerk's office.
And I'd like to say this for the county attorneys' office -- I know
that Mr. Cuyler says he wants to get this out of his office. I know
he does. It is sort of unfair. It is sort of unfair to the county
attorney's office that you let something drag on this long, and it
gets more and more complicated, and then expect them to straighten it
out. So I can understand his frustration.
Now there are reasons that it has drug out this long; I
realize that. I'm not going to take exception to the executive
summary or what was presented here. I have some questions on it, but
we are where we are today, and it seems to me that now is the time to
try to put this to rest. And my recommendation is, one, you return
the full amount of money -- the interest was earned by the fund not by
the individual I hope. Therefore, whatever that money is, I think it
could easily be explained away that that's not interest income to the
individual -- return the full amount of money. There is no completely
fair way of doing this.
I think that the most desirable of all the unfair ways
is to take the total amount of the money and just divide it evenly
among the eighty-two, eighty-three hundred parcels, try to -- as has
been discussed and Mr. Hancock mentioned -- try to work out a way
where this can be a credit to that folio number, and that credit will
stay with it this year, next year, and the next year. If the taxes
are -- if it would cover taxes for three years, fine. It takes three
years to use up that credit. If that can't be done, write a check.
Now we're talking about doing this electronically. We've got the
name. We've got the address. This is on this. The dollar amount
would be easily calculated, and it would not be the expensive process
of check writing such as we have for vendor checks where you have to
match up a purchase order and a receipt and a report. That's
expensive. This could be handled almost entirely electronically.
I think that is a way to go to go ahead and resolve it
once and for all and, hopefully -- hopefully you folks will have
straightened out something that was created 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 years
ago. I don't even want to get into that. My recommendation -- by the
way if John Norris had been a commissioner for us back then, this
wouldn't have happened.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Is this an election year?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It is an election year.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: My, gosh, it must be.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Thanks, Uncle Harold.
MR. HALL: In summary, I would recommend that you go
with what has been discussed from the attorneys' office and what
Mr. Hancock discussed. Direct and prepare a resolution to this effect
to direct the staff to find a way -- I mean to work with the tax
collector, property appraiser to work towards a credit against each of
those 80-some-hundred folio numbers. If that can't be done, write a
check. Get it done. Get it over with. Thank you very much.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you, Mr. Hall.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The big day is finally here,
Harold.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Dorrill, is that the only
speaker we had on this item?
MR. HALL: By the way, there are some other speakers
that wanted to be here but was thinking it was going to be in the
afternoon.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yeah.
MR. HALL: We do have some -- at least a few other
people here, but I don't think they registered to speak.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'm going to close the public
hearing. Is there a motion?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll make a motion.
Madam Chairman, I'd make a motion that we direct staff to return all
funds in this account to the existing property owners through a tax
credit arrangement if possible, writing checks only to the ones where
it is impractical to give them a tax credit. COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
Mr. Cuyler.
MR. CUYLER: We will use today's date as the date of
property ownership with regard to who the refunds go to.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: This is like an ex-dividend date
-- item of record?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One question.
MR. CUYLER: I guess. Now wait a second. I'm not even
sure that is correct. We will use -- let's first of all save a
resolution number. I think why don't you leave us the flexibility to
figure out how best to do that since we're dealing with taxes. It's
going to be based wholly on numbers on the properties so --
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: You need to coordinate it with --
so when the tax rolls go out, we're not giving credit to someone prior
to the tax roll being received by the current property owner of
record. I would like to leave that flexible.
MR. CUYLER: Yeah, we'll make sure that works.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Okay. So we have a motion.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: And a second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: There was a second. Further
discussion?
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion passes 5 to 0.
Hr. Cuyler, you will take care of all of the details on
MR. CUYLER: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you.
Item #13A1
RESOLUTION 95-460 RE PETITION PR-95-1, DONALD A PICKWORTH REPRESENTING
THE GOLDEN GATE INN AND COUNTRY CLUB FOR A PETITION PLACING A CERTAIN
NUMBER OF REQUIRED OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES IN RESERVE - ADOPTED
Next item on the agenda is 13 A(1) petition PR95-1, the
Golden Gate Inn and County Club and their parking. We've heard this
before, I believe.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let's find out how much of a
presentation Mr. Nino or Mr. Pickworth have, but we went through this
once before, and we had raised some particular questions, and I've
worked with Mr. Pickworth some and seemed to work out the answers to
those questions in my mind. So I don't know if the others -- I was
the one that had asked that we slow it down and work those out in the
first place.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I would just like to see what
resolution we have come to.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: What the resolution is.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: In other words, summary
presentation.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: We remember the overall picture of
it. I'd just like to see what has changed in the interim. CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Nino.
MR. NINO: The bottom line is that the petitioner is 80
spaces short of the agreement that they entered into -- the county
board of commissioners in 1988, relative to the physical availability
of parking spaces. They have asked that these be placed into a
reserve status which is authorized by the land development provisions
of the Land Development Code. You need to satisfy yourself that, in
fact, the way this property operates, the current amount of parking
meets the market demands that are made of the subject property and
that no harm is done to the public health, welfare, and safety by
allowing them to set aside lands that would accommodate 80 spaces in
the future if you so decided at any point in time that you want that
reserve parking space physically developed.
I hope the executive summary answered some of the
questions. Our research showed that, in fact, there was no additional
building space created. We have no reason to challenge the 294 spaces
as the requirement of the Land Development Code at that point in time.
That's basically the situation that is before you, whether or not this
property has sufficient parking spaces, that the otherwise required 80
spaces by code are apparently not necessary.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Commissioner Hancock.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: A couple of quick questions. One
thing I'd asked for is a comparison of -- if it were under today's
standards -- of existing code standards, how deficient are they? Do
we have that number?
MR. NINO: Yes. It is in the executive summary.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. Understandably there were
several numbers in here.
MR. NINO: Three hundred nine spaces versus two hundred
ninety-four. So if you decide to go with the current requirement,
their deficiency would be 95 instead of 80.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Okay. That was my first
question. Second question is the parking standards that were in place
at the time of development. In your opinion, were they less stringent
than what is currently in the LDC?
MR. NINO: There are 294 versus 309.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: So you're saying the 294 you feel
was correct at the time of development? MR. NINO: Yes.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Third question. The tennis
courts that cover parking spaces, are credits being issued for those
spaces as current or available parking spaces?
MR. NINO: No. We've -- we're saying there's 215 spaces
available exclusive of the tennis courts, the dumpster.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: So if you walk out there today,
there's 215 spaces right now.
MR. NINO: Right.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: They need 80 more to meet what
was the requirement then.
MR. NINO: Correct.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: What's the difference then than
the last time we saw this and declined to go along with it?
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think the thing that I remember
at the end of the discussion last time was whether a recent permit had
been issued to add onto either the hotel or the dining facility or
something and by the issuance of that permit to add additional square
footage did not then not come under the current LDC. I thought that
was where we were the last time.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: In addition --
MR. NINO: You wanted more information.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Yeah. We were being asked to
accept a number of 294 that I don't think staff had actually had the
time or thought -- went back and verified that was the requirement at
that time. So it was just a shoring up of information that we were
given is my recollection.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's my recollection as
well. Just a comment in the for-what-it's-worth category. I go to
the Quality Inn for various reasons probably four times a month either
for Chamber of Commerce meetings, which are held there, or any number
of things. I am there anytime a day, sometimes during the day,
sometimes at night after you would assume most people who are checking
into a hotel have checked in. In eight years I have never had a
problem finding a parking space. I think if we're looking for
substance over form here, the simple question is, is there enough
parking or isn't there. And there is more than adequate parking here.
They have a whole pile of vacant places in their lot even when the
hotel is full, and, God bless Kevin Durkin (phonetic), he keeps that
hotel full pretty frequently. So I think in a -- if we're looking at
what is realistic here, do they need more space or don't they. The
simple answer is no.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Dotrill, are there public
speakers?
MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am.
MR. PICKWORTH: If I could make one other observation.
You know, if push came to shove, that tennis court has large doorways
to it. In fact, part of that tennis court could be used if push came
to shove.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That would be the valet
parking only.
MR. PICKWORTH: The court was actually -- the posts for
the fences were actually put in like insets. It can actually be
lifted up and taken right down.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I used to play tennis on four
tennis courts that were parking facilities for a banquet hall, and it
had the parking stripes on it even.
MR. PICKWORTH: This isn't Wimbledon that's for sure.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: There are no public speakers, Mr.
Dotrill? I'll close the public hearing.
Is there a motion or additional comments?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve the item.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Second.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: There is a motion and a second to
approve the item. Is there further discussion?
All those in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
Motion passes 5 to 0.
Thank you, Mr. Pickworth and Mr. Nino.
Item #13A2
RESOLUTION 95-461 RE PETITION V-95-8, WILLIAM COE REPRESENTING REFEK
PEKSEN REQUESTING A 14 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIRED FRONT YARD OF 30
FEET TO 16 FEET FOR GAS PUMP ISLANDS AND A 12 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE
REQUIRED CANOPY SETBACK OF 20 FEET TO 8 FEET AS ESTABLISHED FOR
AUTOMOBILE SERVICE STATIONS FOR AN EXISTING GAS STATION ON U.S. HIGHWAY
41, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES ESAT OF C.R. 951 AT THE CORNER OF U.S. 41
AND C.R.92 - ADOPTED
Petition V-95-8, Refek Peksen requesting a 14-foot
variance.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Good afternoon, Chahram Badamtchian
from the planning staff. This variance is for a gas station built in
the '20s. In the '50s they changed the use in the gas station to a
weigh station. Over the years the state acquired a right-of-way
causing the nonconformance. Right now one of the gas pumps is located
8 inches from the right-of-way -- 8 inches from the right-of-way. The
petitioner is requesting this variance in order to remove that island
and build it 16 feet from the right-of-way. Today's setbacks are 30
feet.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: So they're asking permission to
take it 8 inches from the right-of-way and move it 16 feet further
from the right-of-way?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct. Unfortunately, we don't have
any other mechanisms in what the variance in question can do that.
The planning commission heard this petition and recommended approval.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Any questions? Public speakers,
Mr. Dotrill?
MR. DORRILL: No, ma'am. I have no more public speakers
today.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Constantine -- Commissioner
Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What was the vote of the
planning commission? Do you know what the vote was at the planning
commission?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: 7 to 0, I believe it was.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay. Thank you very much.
I'll second the motion.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second to
approve petition V-95-8.
If there's no further discussion, all those in favor
please say aye. Opposed?
Motion passes 5 to 0.
Item #13A3
RESOLUTION 95-462 RE PETITION V-95-10, Q. GRADY HINOR 7 ASSOCIATES,
P.A., REPRESENTING VICTORIA PARK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, REQUESTING A
23.28 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIRED 30 FOOT FRONT YARD SETBACK TO
6.72 AND A 5.81 FOOT VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIRES 30 FOOT FRONT YARD
SETBACK TO 24.19 FEET FOR CARPORTS FOR PROPERTY LOCATED ON AIRPORT ROAD
APPROXIMATELY .75 MILES SOUTH OF IHMOKALEE ROAD - ADOPTED
Thank you. Next item is petition V-95-10, another
variance.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: In the nature of variances and so
forth of a public judicial nature, I just wanted the record to state
that I have had one discussion with the petitioner on this item in my
district that wanted to talk to me about it, showed me an exhibit of
what it was. But I will make my decision based on the information
presented today.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Thank you. Is there anyone else
who has had communication? I presume not. We'll continue.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: V-95-10. This variance is for
carports for a new development under construction. They are trying to
provide 72 carports for 72 units which are under construction; 36 of
those require a variance. They are requesting a 5.81 foot variance
from the required 30 feet. The carports are going to be 5.8 feet from
the right-of-way, however, they are going to be around 30 feet from
the edge of the pavement. This is a minor local street that -- length
street and --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are there any letters of
objection?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: I received one letter of objection
from someone saying that they are opposed to any variance, any
deviation from what the code is.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do they live in the building
or in the neighborhood?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: In the subdivision, behind it. The
planning commission reviewed this variance and by a vote of 7 to 0
recommended approval.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Questions of staff?
There are no public speakers. I'll close the public
hearing. Discussion?
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: Madam Chair, in light -- I have
actually lived in developments where we had carports all over the
place, and they were closer than 30 feet to the road. But with the
landscaping that is shown here -- Mr. Anderson, can we assume that the
landscaping shown in this exhibit will become part of the record and
that will be adhered to so that we're going to have it exactly like
that? (Indicating)
MR. ANDERSON: Yes. It is one of the stipulations that
we agreed to at the planning commission was to double the amount of
landscaping required around the carports.
COHMISSIONER HANCOCK: With that being the case, I'm
going to move approval of petition V-95-10.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: We have a motion and a second.
All in favor please say aye.
Opposed?
There being none, motion passes 5 to 0.
Item #14A
TDC UPDATE - PRESENTED
Next item. That's it. The next one is continued.
That concludes our agenda for today. We are at
communications -- Board of County Commission communications.
Commissioner Norris?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE:
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS:
Nothing today.
Commissioner Hancock.
Nothing.
Commissioner MAc'Kie.
No, mawam.
Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, nothing.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: You hesitated. I just wanted to
let the board know that the TDC did meet last night as we already
know. We did form a subcommittee of the five members, and they will
be addressing the list of concerns that the county commission
discussed at the last workshop and whatever concerns they also may
have regarding category C funding. And we're also going to look at
the frequency of the TDC meetings whether quarterly is ample, because
our meetings are getting quite long and whether quarterly is
sufficient or whether we should look at bimonthly or even monthly. I
believe that's all I have.
Item #14B
GOLDEN GATE COMMUNITY CENTER OPENING DISCUSSED
Mr. Dotrill, we have to discuss August 22nd.
MR. DORRILL: A couple of quick things. For those of
you who were not there last night, we did have an outstanding opening
of the Golden Gate Community Center. The shot was unbelievable.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It was three points.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: A three-pointer. How long did
you practice?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: 30 years.
MR. DORRILL: It will go down similar to the catch
between Dallas and -- (Laughter) I did want to thank Commissioner
Constantine in particular. He had some very kind words to say about
Tom Donegan, who is one of those special, unique people that work for
you, and who at the age of 74 still loves to come to work more than
any employee that you have. And, Mr. Constantine, I wanted to thank
you for that.
Item #14C
PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE - PRESENTED
A couple of other quick things. The progress report on
public works administrator. I'm down to two finalists and I wanted to
report that to you first as opposed to Carl Loveday who bugs me about
that every Friday. We have one internal candidate in Tom Conrecode
who has expressed interest and whose qualifications are equal to the
task. It is always good to have talented in-house people who have
opportunities that present themselves like this.
We have another external candidate from the private
sector who is a managing principal of a division of one of the largest
private civil engineering firms in the state, but who happens to also
be a former county public works director. And he has asked that his
name for the moment be confidential. We have asked that individual
for some supplemental information. And I would like to be able to
report and nominate someone very quickly one way or the other here.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy to talk to you privately about
those and let you know. But we're coming down the home stretch on
that.
We're having some minor, but typically seasonal flooding
problems in northeast Golden Gate Estates. We've been working some
overtime hours out there on Friday and Saturday. Nothing serious, but
in particular, the area from Golden Gate Boulevard and its
intersection with Desoto north up to about 12th Street Northeast.
I've discussed that with the chairman. It's in her district, but I
just thought I'd let you know about that before, you know, you see it
in the paper. You'll also see evidence of that in our operations
report.
Item #14D
BCC WORKSHOP MEETING - REGULAR MEETING TO BE HELD ON AUGUST 22, 1995,
IN THE BOARDROOM WITH ONE PUBLIC HEARING RE NAPLES PARK DRAINAGE AND
THEN A WORKSHOP WILL FOLLOW SAID MEETING
On August 22nd, the board had never voted not to have a
meeting on that particular day. It was going to be a workshop in lieu
of your normal fifth Tuesday workshop, which would have occurred on
the 29th, but you've already said you weren't working on that date. I
think we still need to accommodate that. We have advertised that
previously to be the public hearing on the Victoria Park -- Naples
Park drainage assessment districts. And if you don't mind, I'd like
to keep that one regular item, because first-class notifications went
to about 3,000 residents, and we hate to reschedule that and notify
them. And then the balance of your morning session could be for
whatever workshop topic that you would prefer.
You did not identify a topic at your last meeting and so
I'd -- if you are prepared to give me some suggestions here today,
fine. If not, I'd like for you just to contact me before the end of
the week and see if we can get some consensus on what you would like
to discuss on the 22nd. A final point on that is since it will be a
combined meeting and workshop, we do have some other routine business
that we would like to get your approval on on that date. And I'd like
to be able to have a consent agenda in accordance with your policy for
other items, because we won't meet again until September the 5th. I
would just as soon disclose those to you as opposed to me trying to
approve them, administrate and then get after-the-fact approval.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Sounds fine to me. As to the
content of the workshop following our hopefully short meeting on the
22nd, the commission did rank groupings of categories, and I believe I
shared them with you two or three months ago. I haven't looked at it
recently but in mind I believe it was growth management and LDC was
next on the priority list of what we're meeting.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: A couple of things. We might
not want to necessarily spend the entire session on but kick around is
a direction we want to head -- some of the specifics we want to do as
far as our Tallahassee efforts so that we're prepared when we next sit
down with the other counties with four or five particular ideas on
what we want to do. And also -- this may be for another workshop but
for economic development with some of the others. I think probably we
need to start the ball rolling on our Tallahassee one.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: That's very good. In fact, we
were hearing last week that those of us that attended the meeting up
in Lee County that the group of us should only concentrate on two, at
most three, items that we really want to work at. Commissioner
MAc'Kie.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I was going to say it might tie
in with the growth management -- more than growth management as a
general topic. I wish we could use that as an opportunity to talk
about priorities for this board as a body if we want to identify what
are some focus areas that we want to prioritize as maybe something
that is similar to what -- and not anywhere near the detail that
Commissioner Constantine does for himself on an annual basis -- but as
a board I wish that we would adopt some priorities and goals and maybe
that would tie into the workshop.
MR. DORRILL: We could certainly give you some suggested
areas.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: The one element that I wanted to
ask on the growth management side of things -- as Ms. Filson shakes
her head -- her newly permad head -- as we talk about growth
management, I think we all sit up here and at times find the chinks in
the armor of our growth management plan or possibly our LDC. We
probably have a short list ourselves. We may want to prepare that
list for that meeting to discuss those with staff, although we're
going to count very heavily on the EAR through citizen input. I think
we're going to have some input, and we may want to make that known
ahead of time so that staff is aware of it. MAybe some background and
research can be done. I personally have commercial siting criteria on
my mind and other elements such as activity centers and so forth that
I would like to flag as areas of discussion as we look to amending the
growth management plan on its cycles. So I would like to have a
condensed version of that discussion to target areas, and then we can
do the work necessary in the remaining weeks.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What I've done in that regard is
something that I want to see in the comp. plan revisions, is some
redevelopment criteria for parts of East Naples or all of East Naples,
but begin to look at some redevelopment concepts for portions of the
county that need that kind of attention whether it's through a
redevelopment district or some other mechanism, court or management
systems. So I have met with Mr. Cautero and people in that department
to ask them to be sure that our subcommittees are working on that,
because we all know how -- as you're saying once the committees and
subcommittees get going, we need to have our input early on.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think we're all saying it is a
complicated issue and perhaps a growth management with the LDC will
develop those ideas on the 22nd, and we may very well be handling this
over the next several workshops.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: At least prepare a board laundry
list.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yeah.
Item #14E
OPTIONS RE COUNTY ATTORNEY VACANCY DISCUSSED
MR. DORRILL: Two more quick items. I discussed with
the chairman yesterday, and she asked me to explain to you briefly
today some direction in terms of how you would like your human
resource department to proceed in the executive search process for the
county attorney. Ms. Edwards has given me three options for the
board, and we don't need a final position if you can begin to at least
point me in one direction, we'll be prepared to have them assist you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Didn't last week Commissioner
Hancock suggest that next week we have a discussion on that item?
MR. DORRILL: You are, and I'm trying to anticipate that
preliminarily -- and I've discussed that with the chairman. I can
tell you just real quickly what the three options would be. First,
we're not recommending would be to recruit a headhunting executive
placement firm. We're not recommending that to you. Second one would
be for you to attempt to impanel some type of blue ribbon committee to
prequalify or provide to you a short list that you would interview,
and the last one would be to do it strictly in-house for the first
phase which would be to let your personnel department solicit resumes
or letters of interest either locally or regionally or nationally as
you determine, and then go through the pre-review of those and submit
qualifying candidates to you for final consideration. So those are
your three macro approaches, and we will follow and be prepared to
discuss anyone that you see fit.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I assume you're not asking us
to discuss those now. CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: No.
MR. DORRILL: No, other than if you think we have left
out something. Otherwise we will be prepared to do as the board sees
fit with or without the assistance of your human resources department.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Yeah, I think it would be good
for the members of this board to contemplate and ponder the three
options that Mr. Dotrill has just laid out, keeping in mind what we're
trying to accomplish, and we'll be ready to discuss those next week,
and I think we can probably come to a fairly quick decision.
MR. DORRILL: I'll have an item then under the BCC for
discussion and have you give us direction as to how you wish to
proceed.
Item #14F
CITY OF NAPLES WORKSHOP FOR AUGUST 14, 1995 - BCC TO ADVERTISE THEIR
PARTICIPATION
HR. DORRILL: The final area that is one that just came up
yesterday, also discussed with the chairman. The city, as some of you
know, are going to reconsider and have a workshop on the Gordon River
Bridge this coming Monday the 14th. There had been some discussion as
to whether that should be a joint workshop and advertised as such so
that you could participate in the discussion or deliberations. It is
currently not advertised to be a joint workshop, but there has been an
expression from I believe Councilman Korest that each one of you be
invited to participate in their workshop. But then I was told the
workshop will not otherwise be a public workshop and that they do not
take public comment. And so I'm bringing that to your attention to
see whether three or more of you have a preference one way or the
other, because I had promised to call Dr. Woodruff back and express
your interest to him concerning advertising and your participation.
Iwm sorry -- and I think they will have a time certain. CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Nine olclock.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One suggestion would be that
rather than formally going and sitting down as a board and doing
that -- I think that because ultimately the Board of County
Commissioners has to make decisions on what happens on this whole
process -- then we are not simply members of the public for the
purposes of speaking and providing input on Monday. Just as we close
a public hearing here, we will have the opportunity to ask the
petitioner. He is not a member of the public at that point. He is
still the petitioner and an active participant, so we still have an
opportunity. So my suggestion would be if any members of the
commission that are so inclined would go but rather than have the
board go as a whole and advertise that as such.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Well, I had intended to go to the
workshop for no other reason than to hear the comments for the various
arguments on whichever side people intend to go. Iim a little bit
confused that if the city doesnlt take comment from the public during
their workshops, and I am not a member of their counsel, that other
than my sitting there and listening, I would not be allowed to
participate without it being a -- being at least advertised as a joint
city-county workshop. So I mean --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think that was my point.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Whatever their druthers are and
the way they are going to do it -- but I mean if itls not a joint
meeting then I fully anticipate not speaking, just simply listening.
COMMISSIONER MACIKIE: My thought on this is what is the
harm in advertising it as a joint workshop so that we have full, free
reign to participate in the discussion? It is obviously not
mandatory. If you donlt want to go, you donlt go. But I would like
for it to be advertised, frankly, if for no other reason -- if this --
if itls only necessary to have the discussion once -- if, in fact, we
could review this issue and find out that there is a fatal flaw in the
reconsideration, letls just talk about it once and try to shut down
the discussion. And if itls an advertised hearing with both bodies,
then maybe we can accomplish that goal. If not weill -- it will keep
dragging. People will keep wondering what does the county commission
think about it.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Itls the cityls meeting. They
can make it a joint meeting or not.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: Iim not going to pretend to make
a decision for the city but from what I have seen, you know, itls a
line on a map. Itls not a substantive element for discussion. And,
you know, for us to join in a joint workshop that would imply that we
believe that there is information out there that is at a level that
its consideration would be equal with what we have seen before. My
opinion that hasnlt been prepared. We have a very preliminary --
something -- somebody working on something very preliminarily out
there. So, sure, Iim interested in listening to it, but itls not from
what I have seen at a point that Iim ready to reconsider. So I donlt
feel comfortable entering a joint workshop when -- you know, if the
city wants to reconsider something, thatls completely up to them. But
as far as this board taking a step and saying, yes, I think there is
information out there that fully warrants a complete and new look at
this item, I am not comfortable with that. So by calling it a joint
workshop, I think we would, in essence, be doing that, and I'm not
terribly comfortable with that.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Well, I guess that the point that
I am hearing Commissioner MAc'Kie make is merely that if being
advertised as a joint workshop would allow whatever county
commissioners who did attempt to participate -- if it's only a city
workshop under their own rules, because we don't live in the city
other than Commissioner MAc'Kie. Well, you're not on the council so
she --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I can't talk.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: -- is not allowed to participate.
I think that is the only point that we are making is that do we go,
sit, and listen. And at what point would we be allowed to stand up
and say this is full of hogwash, we're not going to do it.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, you can say that now. I
don't think that members of the county commission would be strictly
considered in this context members of the public. I think we would be
considered more almost in the vein of staff or something. People that
they are soliciting input from such as their staff members or
engineering firms or anybody else that they may solicit input from
during this workshop, I think that's the category we would be
considered in and not just strictly members of the public.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I think we may also be into
another area of problems possibly with the Sunshine Law. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Mr. Cuyler, if this is not a
publicly advertised meeting where two or more county commissioners may
be there voicing opinions --
MR. CUYLER: It depends on whether you are going to
participate or not. If you are going to participate, you could put
out a general advertisement. You could either advertise it as a joint
workshop, or you could say two or more commissioners -- county
commissioners may appear and may speak and just leave it at that so
that it is not a, quote, meeting but, you know, falls in that category
where two or more people who are present give an opinion.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: If I could just offer that as the
liaison to the board -- from the board to the city council, I have met
with them at their workshops and have been permitted to speak in that
capacity as the liasion, but they are really strict on that speaking
rule.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: The city got this ball rolling by
themselves not with the intent of having a joint workshop. In other
words, it was an internal consideration that the city wanted to make.
I didn't read the motion as we would like to have joint workshop with
the county. I read the motion that they as the city council would
like to discuss this item. So I say let them do what they intended to
do and if we want to participate, and we want to sit and listen to it,
then that is all we're going to glean anyway. So rather than trying
to change the animal half-way through, just let them have their
workshop. If they want us to speak, they can request it from us. If
there is a problem with that, Mr. Cuyler will say we can't do it.
Rather than change the animal half-way through, I think we can
participate in some form. But I just don't think that a joint
workshop -- changing it to that at this point is going to work.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Then I think this board then
needs to advertise that at a minimal that two or more county
commissioners may be present and may voice their opinion.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm going. Commissioner Matthews
says she is going, and I want to be able to talk.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me ask you a question,
Mr. Cuyler, because you have issued a memorandum or someone on your
staff has issued a memorandum in the past in regards to this, that it
is acceptable in a public forum, for example, more than one
commissioner has appeared at a civic meeting, for example, and
expressed general opinions on topics of interest or answering
questions on topics to the civic meetings. There is no decision
making going on. There is no -- so I'm wondering how this differs.
MR. CUYLER: In those cases it's true there is no
decision making going on. This stuff is not black and white, and I
tend to always try to be on the conservative side of these Sunshine
issues. In the case you are talking about, your input -- one
commissioner may stand up and say something, and somebody else may say
something and that may go into the decision process of the city, and
I'd be a little concerned about that. You know, it is not clear, but
I'd probably do it just to be safe.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: So I think to be safe, we
probably ought to do it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Should do what? I just want
to be clear.
MR. CUYLER: We'll just give a real general
advertisement. It is not going to call it a meeting. It will just
say two on the Sunshine law -- or two or more commissioners who are
present may be discussing something, you're hereby on notice.
Something along those lines.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So we are not participating.
That is simply a safety --
MR. CUYLER: You're not as a board meeting
representative.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's what I meant.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: It's just a safety for the ones
who do it.
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK: That's fine.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I have a further item from the
Audubon Society, but I'll pass it by memo. It's not that critical.
Are we finished? Mr. Cuyler, do you have anything?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think Ms. Filson does.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Ms. Filson, I can tell you have
something.
MS. FILSON: I have two quick things. I wasn't real
clear on where the workshop will be held on the 22nd.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: I would imagine it would be right
here.
MS. FILSON: Right here. Okay. And the second thing is
the LDC amendments are -- will be advertised, and they are currently
on all your calendars for Wednesday, October 4th and Wednesday,
October 18th.
CHAIRPERSON MATTHEWS: Everybody has made note of that I
presume?
We're adjourned.
***** Commissioner Norris moved, seconded by Commissioner Constantine,
and carried unanimously, that the following items under the Consent
Agenda be approved and/or adopted *****
Item #16A1
WATER FACILITIES ACCEPTANCE FOR STONEBRIDGE CLUBHOUSE/TRACT C - WITH
STIPULATIONS
O. R. Book Pages
Item #16A2
CARRY FORWARD FOR THE ARTIFICIAL REEF PROGRAM GRANT TO ENABLE
MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
Item #16A3
REPLACEMENT MAINTENANCE LETTER OF CREDIT FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN
"VILLAGE WALK PHASE ONE"
See Pages
Item #16A4
WATER FACILITIES ACEPTANCE FOR DOVER PARC, PHASE II - WITH STIPULATIONS
O. R. Book Pages
Item #16A5a
RESOLUTION 95-442 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO. 41117-096; OWNER OF
RECORD - PETERR CONCANNON, A. T. DELAGNY, DERECK HOLMAN, KENNETH
EBBRELL, GRAHAM GIBSON ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED TO
EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5b
RESOLUTION 95-443 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO. 50106-076; OWNER OF
RECORD - ROSA DE CORES, TERESITA HENDEZ ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER
FUNDS EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5c
RESOLUTION 95-444 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO. 50118-007; OWNER OF
RECORD - DONNA DICKSON ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED TO
EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5d
RESOLUTION 95-445 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO. 50324-038; OWNER OF
RECORD - VAL SCIONTI, PAUL G. SCIONTI ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS
EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5e
RESOLUTION 95-446 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50403-014; OWNER OF
RECORD - MARION KOZIOL AND BARBARA F. KOZIOL ASSESSING A LIEN TO
RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5f
RESOLUTION 95-447 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50420-017; OWNER OF
RECORD - WILLIAM H. BERNER ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED
TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5g
RESOLUTION 95-448 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50426-025; OWNER OF
RECORD - MICHAEL F. SMITH AND MARGARET M. SMITH ASSESSING A LIEN TO
RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANE
See Pages
Item #16A5h
RESOLUTION 95-449 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50510-037; OWNER OF
RECORD - NOEL M. WILLIAMS ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED TO
EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5i
RESOLUTION 95-450 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50502-035; OWNER OF
RECORD - SUSAN DOWNS, MARION TUZZOLO ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS
EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5j
RESOLUTION 95-451 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50501-084; OWNER OF
RECORD - GERALDINE DOESLAERE ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS EXPENDED
TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A5k
RESOLUTION 95-452 RE COMPLIANCE SERVICES CASE NO 50501-087; OWNER OF
RECORD - EDWAR PELC AND LAVERDA PELC ASSESSING A LIEN TO RECOVER FUNDS
EXPENDED TO EFFECT THE ABATEMENT OF A PUBLIC NUISANCE
See Pages
Item #16A6
RESOLUTION 95-453 RE FINAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE ROADWAY, DRAINAGE, WATER
AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE FINAL PLAT OF "TIGER ISLAND ESTATES"
See Pages
Item #16B1
PETITION AV-95-010, JACK NOLD AS AGENT FOR OWNER, EAGLE CREEK
PROPERTIES, INC., REQUESTING VACATION OF A UTILITY EASEMENT LOCATED ON
TRACT B, OF THE PLAT OF EAGLE CREEK COUNTRY CLUB AS RECORDED IN PLAT
BOOK 14, PAGES 1-5, AND AS RECORDED IN OFFICIAL RECORD BOOK 1346, PAGE
1683, OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
See Pages
Item #1682 - This item has been deleted
Item #1683
AMEND THE EMERGENCY MEDIAN LANDSCAPE CONTRACTS FOR THE MARCO ISLAND
HSTD AND THE GOLDEN GATE HSTD TO INCREASE SERVICES
Item #1684
RESOLUTION 95-454 RE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE'S POLICY FOR ROAD
MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING PRIVATE DRIVEWAY DRAINAGE FACILITIES
See Pages
Item #16El
BUDGET AMENDMENT TO APPROPRIATE THE MAINTENANCE SERVICES REVENUES THAT
ARE IN EXCESS OF THEIR BUDGET
Item #16E2
RESOLUTION 95-455 RE UTILITY EASEMENT AND A TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION
EASEMENT TO SOUTHERN STATE UTILITIES, INC. FOR THE PLACEMENT OF WATER
FACILITIES IN FRANK E. HACKLE PARK, MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA
See Pages
Item #16E3
TRANSFER OF FUNDS FOR STARTUP OF THE INFORMATION TECHOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Item #16E4
BUDGET AMENDMENT TO MEET THE FUNDING NEEDS OF THE HUMAN RESOURCES
DEPARTMENT
Item #16H1
AGREEMENT WITH JOHNSON BAY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO INSTALL AN
AIRCRAFT INSTRUHENT NAVIGATIONAL LANDING AID (LOC/DHE) AT THE MARCO
ISLAND EXECUTIVE AIRPORT
See Pages
Item #16H2 - This item has been deleted
Item #16H3
BUDGET AMENDMENT 95-413 AND BUDGET AMENDMENT 95-418
Item #16J
MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE - FILED AND/OR REFERRED
The following Miscellaneous Correspondence presented to the BCC has
been filed and or referred to the various departments as indicated on
the miscellaneous correspondence:
Item #16J1
CERTIFICATES OF CORRECTION TO THE TAX ROLLS AS PRESENTED BY THE
PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE
1994 REAL PROPERTY TAX ROLL
NO. DATE
174 07/12/95
Item #16J2
SATISFACTIONS OF LIEN FOR SERVICES OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER
See Pages
There being no further business for the Good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 12:51 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 J. MATTHEWS, CHAIRPERSON
These minutes approved by the Board on
presented or as corrected
as
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF DONOVAN COURT REPORTING
BY: CATHERINE H. HOFFHAN