BCC Minutes 02/11/1997 RREGULAR HEETING OF February 11, 1997
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 9:06 a.m. in REGULAR SESSION in Building
"F" of the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with the
following members present:
CHAIRMAN:
VICE-CHAIRPERSON:
ALSO PRESENT:
Timothy L. Hancock
Barbara B. Berry
John C. Norris
Timothy J. Constantine
Pamela S. Hac'Kie
Hike HcNees, Acting County Hanager
David C. Weigel, County Attorney
(The following proceedings commenced with Commissioner
Hancock absent.)
Item #3
AGENDA AND CONSENT AGENDA - APPROVED AND/OR ADOPTED WITH CHANGES
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Good morning. Chairman
Hancock has been detained for a few minutes this morning; so we'll go
ahead and start the February llth meeting of the Board of County
Commissioners. If you'd stand, please, for the invocation by the
Reverend Harold Brown of the Lely Presbyterian Church and remain
standing for the pledge of allegiance.
REVEREND BROWN: Let us pray. Our Father, sometimes we
think you're so remote to our own personal condition, and we give
thanks today that you're not remote at all. You're right close to
us. And we understand sometimes that the majesty and awesomeness of
your presence is hard to feel. Creep into our consciousness and help
us to remember that you have birthed us. You have awakened us to the
opportunities of a new day, and you challenge us to high ethical
standards in relationship to others; promote your love, which such a
gift in life, not only for ourselves, but also in joy for others. And
help us to remember the needs of all our citizens as we give thanks
for these able leaders who guide us. Let all things go according to
your will, and we give thanks for this day in your close proximity to
all of our highest aspirations. Amen.
(The pledge of allegiance was recited in unison.)
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Mr. HcNees, do we have any
changes to the agenda?
MR. HcNEES: Yes, ma'am. Good morning, Commissioners.
We have one item that's to be withdrawn at the petitioner's request,
and that's Item 13(A)(2). That would be the only change we have.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: The only change. Do I hear a
motion?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Hove approval of the agenda as
noted, consent agenda.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE:
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY:
you have any changes?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: No.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY:
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: No.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY:
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE:
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: All right.
I don't have any changes.
I'm sorry. Mr. Norris, do
Commissioner Mac'Kie?
Mr. Constantine.
I have no changes.
All in favor?
Item #4
MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 21, 1997 - APPROVED AS PRESENTED
Approval of the minutes of January 21st, do I hear a
motion?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: I'll move approval of minutes of
January 21st.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: All in favor?
Motion carries unanimously.
Item #5A1
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9-15, 1997 AS VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION WEEK - ADOPTED
Proclamations. We'll skip on down to -- I was hoping
maybe Mr. Hancock would be here to read his particular one, but we can
do whatever. I'll read it.
This is a proclamation -- these -- the first two are
very near and dear to me because they involve education, and I -- this
first one has to do with Vocational Education Week. Mr. Baldaia, if
you would just stand up here, please, we would appreciate this.
This proclamation states that on -- whereas, February
9th through the 15th, 1997, has been designated Vocational Education
Week by the American Vocational Association; and
Whereas, profound economic and technological changes in
our society are being rapidly reflected in the structure and nature of
work causing a gradual shift in the job market toward more
technical-trained employees who are equipped with good reading,
writing, and math skills; and
Whereas, many of the fastest growing occupations in
Florida for the year 2005 will be in fields requiring vocational or
occupational training leading to a certificate; and
Whereas, Collier County is making efforts to diversify
its economic base beyond agriculture and tourism and to help the
establishment of technology-related companies that offer high-paid
employment; and
Whereas, Collier County Public Schools provide
vocational technical programs at high schools and the James Lorenzo
Walker Vocational Technical Center that train students in basic and
technical skills that prepare them to meet new demands of business and
industry; and
Whereas, the ever increasing cooperative efforts of
vocational educators, business, and industry to stimulate the growth
and vitality of our local economy and that of the entire nation by
preparing workers for the occupations forecasted to experience the
largest and fastest growth in the next decade.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that the week of February
9th through the 15th, 1997, be designated as Vocational Education
Week.
During this week we urge all citizens to relect --
reflect on the outstanding programs and services provided by
vocational educators in the county and the vital role that vocational
education plays in educating the local work force. We further urge
business and industry to continue supporting these excellent
vocational technical programs in order to enhance individual work
skills and business productivity.
Done and ordered this llth day of February 1997.
I move acceptance of this proclamation.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll second that.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: All those in favor?
The motion carries unanimously.
(Applause)
DR. BALDAIA: County Commissioners, good morning. I
consider it a distinct privilege for me to be here this morning to
accept this proclamation on behalf of the Collier County School Board,
Superintendent Hunz, and our esteemed cadre of vocational educators
and students and support staff. I'd like to also express my personal
thanks for your continuing support in our endeavors, and if I could
take a moment just to highlight two initiatives which are very much on
the front burner.
One is the new construction at the James Lorenzo Walker
Institute of Technology, which will offer a distinguished culinary
arts program as well as enhanced medical-related services programs.
We're very excited about that opportunity.
This month you'll be hearing about the beginning of our
Collier County school to career systems initiative, which has the
staunch support of business and industry locally, as well as Florida
Gulf Coast University and Edison Community College. And our purpose
and focus with the school to career systems initiative is simply to
improve student performance and work force preparedness.
So again, heartfelt thanks and sincere appreciation to
each of you for your continuing support.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Thank you, Dr. Baldaia.
(Applause)
Item #5A2
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 17, 1997, AS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE PTA - ADOPTED
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: The second proclamation that
we have today has to do with the Collier County Council of PTAs.
Whereas, the PTA was founded February 17th, 1897, by
Alice Birney and Phoebe Hearst; and
Whereas, over the years the PTA has been instrumental in
securing child labor laws, supporting compulsory public education,
creating a national public health service, promoting education for
children with special needs, establishing a juvenile justice system,
making parent involvement a national goal in Goals 2000; and
Whereas, the mission of the PTA is threefold: To
support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in
the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations
that make decisions affecting children and to assist parents in
developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children;
to encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of
this nation; and
Whereas, the PTA membership is nearly 7 million in over
26,000 local units in all 50 states; and
Whereas, Collier County has over 2,500 members in 15
local PTA units and received an award for the largest percent increase
in membership in the State of Florida; and
Whereas, the volunteer time programs and projects of the
PTA greatly benefit the children and youth of Collier County.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that February 17, 1997, be
designated as the hundredth anniversary of the PTA.
Done and ordered this llth day of February 1997.
We have Mr. Russ Mullet from the -- I believe he is the
president of the Collier County PTA organization. Anyway,
congratulations and thank you, Russ. Would you like to say
something?
MR. HULLER: Yeah. Sure.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Okay.
MR. HULLER: Do you want to pass the proclamation?
(Applause)
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: I'd like to move acceptance
of this proclamation.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: All those in favor?
Motion carries unanimously. Mr. Mullet.
MR. MULLER: Thank you. I'm passing out some of the
milestones of the PTO over the last hundred years, and you can see
that we do a little more than sell wrapping paper. The PTA has been
around about as long as my hair, and that's going to change. This
weekend for one of our Founder Day events, I'm going to get a haircut
so --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: The crowd goes wild.
MR. MULLER: That's coming up with your next
proclamation. On behalf of the 15 PTA schools -- and I think we're
going to have, actually, over 3,000 members this year -- I -- I'd like
to thank you for this proclamation.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thanks, Russ.
Item #5A3
PROCLAMATION DESIGNATING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1997, AS BAYSHORE
FAMILY STROLL AND EAST NAPLES COMHUNITY PARK CELEBRATION DAY - ADOPTED
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: Miss Mac'Kie, I believe you
have a proclamation this morning.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I do, and I'd like to ask Brenda
Knauber to come forward while I read it. She's the president of the
Avalon PTA, and she's here representing a great many people from the
East Naples and Bayshore area of the community. And I just -- before
I read it -- want to tell everybody heads up, because there are some
really exciting things happening in this part of our community, some
serious changes, and this proclamation is in celebration of some of
those.
Whereas, the Avalon Elementary School PTA identified a
neighborhood crime problem which affected the safety of the children
walking along the Bayshore Drive corridor; and
Whereas, the Collier County Sheriff's Office implemented
the community-oriented policing effort; and
Whereas, the neighborhood organized several neighborhood
watch groups; and
Whereas, the PTA, Collier County code enforcement, the
Collier County attorney, and the Collier County Sheriff's Office
worked cooperatively to create a nuisance abatement ordinance; and
Whereas, in passing the ordinance, the Board of County
Commissioners sent a message of responsibility to absentee owners; and
Whereas, the Friends of the East Naples Community Park,
Avalon Elementary School PTA, and the Collier County Sheriff's Office
community-oriented policing team, recognizing positive results from
the aforementioned efforts, with help from the East Naples Civic
Association, Kiwanis Club of Naples East, and the Collier County Parks
and Recreation Department, organized a day of community celebration.
Now, therefore, be it proclaimed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Collier County, Florida, that Saturday, February 15,
1997, be designated as Bayshore Family Stroll and East Naples
Community Park Celebration Day.
Done and ordered this llth day of February 1997, Board
of County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida. And I would like to
move approval of this proclamation.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: All those in favor?
The motion carries unanimously.
(Applause)
Mr. Norris, I believe you have a service award this
morning.
MS. KNAUBER: May I?
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: I'm sorry. Excuse me. I'm
just rushing right on through here.
MS. KNAUBER: I won't be long.
ACTING CHAIRPERSON BERRY: That's all right. Take your
time.
(Commissioner Hancock entered the boardroom.)
MS. KNAUBER: Good morning. On behalf of the Avalon
PTA, I would like to thank the board for this proclamation. As a
mother of a ten-year-old in Avalon Elementary and a property owner in
East Naples, I have become deeply involved in the massive cleanup of
Bayshore Drive and surrounding areas. I would like to thank this
board, the Collier County Sheriff's Department, code compliance, East
Naples community -- East Naples Civic Association, Friends of the
Park, residents, and business owners involved for their efforts to
make our streets safer.
This Saturday we will be selling -- celebrating our
achievements with a family stroll starting at East Naples Community
Park, proceeding along Bayshore Drive, and back to the far -- park for
many activities including games, food, and fun for all. All proceeds
raised in this effort will be donated to purchase -- purchase a
lighted sign to be used to announce upcoming events for both the park
and Avalon school. We would like to invite you all to attend and
rediscover our neighborhood. At this time I'd like to request that
the board waive any fees -- permit fees involved.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Actually, that's not something we can
do under proclamations and service awards. It'll have to come back as
a public petition, and I'll have to ask you to work with Mr. McNees on
that.
MS. KNAUBER: Okay. I know you will have fun, and I
hope you all attend. Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
(Applause)
Item #5B
EHPLOYEE SERVICE AWARDS - PRESENTED
We now have service awards. Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. We have one today from our
library outreach service, Ronny Cox with five years.
(Applause)
Item #5Cl
ADELAIDE DUFFY, SOLID WASTE DEPARTHENT, PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION,
RECOGNIZED AS EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY, 1997
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you. We have, Commissioner
Constantine, the employee of the month for February.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If Miss Adelaide Duffy would
come to the front of the room. Good morning.
MS. DUFFY: Good morning.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Miss Duffy has worked with us
for ten years, works in the public service division in our solid waste
department -- and if you'd turn around and let everybody in TV-land
see you -- and is complimented by her fellow staff members for working
tirelessly and very efficiently and, perhaps, most important, dealing
with customers no matter how rude or demanding they may get. And I
suspect in our utilities division from time to time they can get a
little -- she's mastered the new computer program and is always
willing to put in extra time whenever necessary. And we certainly
appreciate that. And with all of that in mind, you are without
reservation nominated and selected as employee of the month for
February of 1997.
Mr. Chairman, if we need a motion, I'll make a motion we
go ahead and recognize her as employee of the month for 1997.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Miss Duffy, we have here for
you a nice letter from our chairman. We have a plaque which reads:
Board of County Commissioners, Collier County, Florida, employee of
the month, official recognition and appreciation is tendered to --
tended -- tendered to Adelaide Duffy for exceptional performance,
February 1997. And we also have for you a $50 check. Thank you.
(Applause)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Congratulations, Miss Duffy, and
thank you for all your hard work.
Item #SA1
STAFF DIRECTED TO WORK WITH FLORIDA GAME AND FRESH WASTER FISH
COHMISSION REGARDING ROPING OFF A PORTION OF THE OUTER SANDBAR AT BIG
MARCO PASS CRITICAL WILDLIFE AREA (SAND DOLLAR ISLAND)
Item 8(A)(1) under county manager's report, board
support of proposal by Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission.
Good morning, Mr. Lorenz.
MR. LORENZ: Good morning, Bill Lorenz, natural
resources director. The Game and Freshwater Fish Commission,
according to the attached letter that you have in your executive
summary, is seeking the board's concurrence to roping off portions of
Sand Dollar Island to protect a nesting habitat for a variety of wild
-- wild foul. The two areas that you have in front of you are being
requested.
One area, Area A that's in your executive summary, is
roughly 6.9 acres. And this area has been roped off by the game
commission for the past several years. This is no change to what's
currently there in terms of being roped off.
Area B is a new area that's roughly 20.6 acres, and it's
the northern section of Sand Dollar Island that the game commission is
recommending to be roped off as well.
Both areas are state-submerged lands. These are not --
these are not county lands. And staff -- we inspected the area about
a couple -- a couple of weeks ago, and it looks as though that there
is op -- ample opportunity for pedestrian traffic to be able to walk
around the area to get to the active beach. The northern area is
separated, to a large degree, by the lagoon that has formed. There's
still a -- the ability to get out there through boats or sail craft or
either swimming and then get across to the active beachfront.
Given that those conditions exist and that this will not
be any disruption to pedestrian traffic, staff is recommending that
the board concur with the -- with the fish commission's
recommendation.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Norris?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Just as a little bit of history
and bit of a correction to our -- our material here, we established a
couple of years back that the critical wildlife area there was
actually granted for only one bird nesting season back in 1988; so
technically it does not exist. However, because the county commission
understands the importance of the environmental area and its
importance to certain bird species, we have entered into cooperative
efforts over the years with the game and fish in order to allow them
to continue to rope off some areas even though their critical wildlife
area, as I stated, is technically not in existence.
So the agreement that we've reached generally says that
we will cooperate with them on the offshore sandbars, which this is
one of, this current proposal, and -- however, if at some future point
that sandbar goes ahead and washes ashore, then we have a different
situation, and we'll deal with that at the time. But we have
repeatedly in the past said that as long it's solely an offshore
sandbar, that we have no objection.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I do have concern because it's such a
dynamic area. I don't think you can from one month to the next take
an aerial photo, and the two are very different. What flexibility do
we have, and under the scenario that Commissioner Norris has
indicated, should this materially change that a portion of the sandbar
in some section reconnects to the mainland, that this -- this original
roped off area used to be on? Do we have the flexibility to then
withdraw our support of the game and fish designated area and, in
essence, start all over again with -- with what should or shouldn't be
roped off?
MR. LORENZ: I would think that you do. At this
particular point my understanding is the game commission as a courtesy
to local governments comes to local governments to seek concurrence
for their posted areas. If those posted areas were to change,
certainly I think that you can -- can go back to the game commission
and say the conditions are different. We don't want you to change to
the different conditions. So I see that as -- as -- as being within
your -- your ability to -- to get back to the game commission.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are there any other questions for
Mr. Lorenz?
Seeing none, do we have a motion?
MR. McNEES: You have one speaker registered.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I apologize. Thank you.
MR. McNEES: Frank Blanchard.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Good morning, Mr. Blanchard.
MR. BLANCHARD: Good morning, Commissioners. Thank you
very much for letting me come talk to you. For the record my name is
Frank Blanchard from Marco Island. And I'm very disappointed that
this request comes before you this morning.
As Commissioner Norris has pointed out, the Florida Game
Commission has been present on the Tigertail Beach scene for quite
some years. They received a permit, critical wildlife area permit,
for one year, 1988. Yet they persist in calling this a
CWA. I think I resent government operations of this kind. If they
want a critical wildlife area, I strongly recommend that they prepare
themselves, go present themselves to the governor and the cabinet and
request a permit.
The particular area you're talking about, the northern
part, is a remnant of a rim around the lagoon in front of Tigertail
Park. I am told that at low tide you can walk across there with dry
feet. This is not an island as separated from everything else. And
so, therefore, Commissioner Norris, I think this falls outside of the
agreement that you reached with Virginia Weatherall.
I don't think that the public is being well served by
having this kind of impediment thrown in on what I see a large number
of people using. That is an area that you don't swim out to; you walk
across to. And, therefore, I'd recommend that you do not impose this
kind of restriction upon the general tourist and beach public. Again,
if they want a critical wildlife area, then I strongly recommend that
they use the proper procedures and go to the governor and the cabinet
and ask for it and stop using CWA as a title on this thing.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Mr. Blanchard.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Lorenz, is this area
vegetated?
MR. LORENZ: There's sparse vegetation on it that --
that's -- COMMISSIONER NORRIS: It overwashes then apparently I
would suspect; right?
MR. LORENZ: Yes.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
MR. LORENZ: It is very ephemeral. It shifts, as you
mentioned before, on a day-to-day basis.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Of what particular use would it be
for bird nesting action if it -- if it regularly overwashes with tidal
action?
MR. LORENZ: Well, portions of it do, but I don't think
-- I wouldn't say that all portions of it, that larger area --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Therein lies the problem. I look at
this and -- you know, I haven't been to that part in about a year and
a half, but I used to sail up there regularly from the south end of
Harco, and we'd anchor just off the beach and walk across. And some
areas had vegetation on it, others didn't. And it seemed like you
could selectively mark spots that would be appropriate or a little bit
higher, maybe as much as a foot or 14 or 15 inches above the -- the
high water mark, and others could have been used as traverses to get
through it for what Mr. Blanchard was talking about, although I -- the
sediment in that tidal lagoon, I'm not sure you can walk across it
without getting your knees dirty. You sink down in it pretty bad.
But it just seems like a blanketed area that maybe not
all of it is appropriate. Would it be possible to ask the Game and
Fish Commission to reevaluate priorities within this area for the
purposes that Commissioner Norris has stated and at least my
observation that not all of it is suitable for bird nesting habitat?
And maybe -- maybe this is just a little -- little overkill for what
they're trying to accomplish. I don't have any problem with setting
aside areas on this island that are viable bird-nesting areas, but I
don't think all of it is, at least not in my exposure, unless someone
can show me a picture and prove to me otherwise.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Can we maybe get somebody from
the parks department who monitors -- don't we have a sweeping process
that goes on rather regularly out there where we clean the beach?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not on this.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, at Tigertail where these
people would have had the opportunity to observe the area and could
tell us -- give us a little bit more information unless, Mr. Lorenz,
you can because --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Norris, I've got
to assume you have pretty good familiarity with the area too.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Maybe you can describe for
those of us who haven't been there in a little while.
MR. LORENZ: It's perhaps difficult to see on the copy
of your aerial. There is a section of that northern --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Could you pass that along for us
to look at, Bill? Excuse me for interrupting. MR. LORENZ: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You mean the more black than white
copy we have?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Is there a color copier in --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's being passed down.
MR. LORENZ: There is a -- in that northern area, you'll
see on the color photograph in the middle of that section is some
darker area that looks akin to the lagoon. That's where I would
suspect that you'd have some overwash. And in that sense it could
possibly break down. We'd be talking about three different areas: a
-- the lower southern portion, which is, of course, the old area;
then the two -- two areas in the north that would be separated by
where that overwash is. You may -- can pick up off of that
photograph. That could be something I can go back to the game
commission and have them evaluate.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The handful of times I've been there
people do have this thing about swimming across or walking across,
depending on the tide, that lagoon. I mean, when I first moved here,
there were boats moving up and down that thing; that doesn't happen
much anymore. But people do like to go across it to the island, and
there were ropes at one time up there, because I remember going across
and you had to go all the way down to the south end to get around it.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And I just think, you know, if they
can break it into valuable areas and leave traverse paths that people
can still use the island, everything gets accomplished that everybody
wants. I don't see why it's a problem.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: This bar used to be quite a bit
farther offshore. It's migrated in some, and they have periodically
been placing some roped areas out there, even though there was not any
vegetation. Sometimes the only thing you could see would be the
little poles holding up the ropes but --
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Mr. Chairman, when they roped this
off or when you -- when you do this, whatever it is you do, how long
does this last? I mean, is this forever, or is this just for a
certain period of time?
MR. LORENZ: Well, the game commission's looking at it
-- they're trying to rope off the areas that they consider have the
critical habitat. So if that critical habitat were -- were to exist,
that's as long as the period of time that they will request to be
roped off. If at some particular point the area isn't good habitat,
then -- then I think that -- that good judgment would say that they
should -- should -- should take that out from being roped off. But --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Gee, that's always the
error. Assuming government will use good judgment is scary.
MR. LORENZ: I think that's -- that's -- I think that's
the other thing, too, is the game commission has -- staff has told me
that they want to come back to the local government and get
concurrence. And so every year to do that, if things change and you
see some situations become -- become different, this is our
opportunity to -- to go back to them and request some -- some change
in -- in the proposal or some change in -- in what currently is roped
off.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't know what the balance of the
board is -- is looking for here. I would like to see some criteria as
to why an area would be roped off versus another because that -- what
that color photograph shows is an area that during moderate to high
tide is -- is basically a waterway. COMHISSIONER BERRY: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's cutting the area into at least
two separate --
MR. LORENZ: Right, it bisects that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Why we would want to rope that off is
kind of silly. So I think we're taking what the game and fish is
asking for without really questioning it, and I think we need to, on
behalf of the people that use that park -- and let's face it. You
know, that island on the gulf side is actually what a lot of people go
there to do. And they'll carry their stuff out there and do that. So
I would rather see some criteria that is more specific than just
blanketing two-thirds of this sandbar, because it just doesn't seem
appropriate.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me see if I can make a motion
that will work for us here. How about if we direct our staff to work
-- go back to work with game and fish and to try to identify those
areas which would be strictly suitable for bird nesting and exclude
those areas that overwash, which certainly are not going to be any
good for bird nesting, and to bring that back requesting commission
concurrence with -- with the new proposal for this year's bird nesting
season which runs through August?
MR. LORENZ: Through the -- through the summer.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And then reevaluate prior to next --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- year's bird nesting season.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I like that.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: I'll second that motion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's a motion and a second. Is
there any --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: One question. Mr. Lorenz, I'm '-
I'm disappointed if we don't have your professional recommendation on
that already today. Do we not have that today? I mean, do you not
have a recommendation for us based on science or -- or did we just
sort of take what game and fish gave us?
MR. LORENZ: Well, that area shifts so much that that --
that, you know, whatever you rope off at this particular point now may
look different in -- in a couple months from now. That particular
area, in my opinion, would be -- would be fine to be roped off.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But not critical, because the
word is critical in the -- you know. Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We have a motion and a
second. Is there any further discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Chairman, just a quick
comment. I'll have more on this in communications. But a comment for
Mr. Cautero and Mr. Lorenz and our acting county manager, Mr. HcNees.
This is the second week in a row we haven't had all the accurate
information. Commissioner Norris pointed out this isn't a critical
wildlife area that was passed for one year nine years ago. And this
board has a tough enough time trying to make good decisions without
having accurate information. We had the same problem with the lake
situation and the pond situation out in Immokalee. And I'm not sure
if it's just coincidence that we've had this a couple weeks in a row,
but we need to be very, very careful to make sure -- if we're going to
make well-informed decisions, we have to have accurate information.
And I'll say more under BCC communications, but it just concerns me
when we get an executive summary that's not using information that's
factual.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Point well taken.
Item #8A2
RESOLUTION 97-72 REGARDING AMENDING THE IHPERIAL LAKES PUD AND
EXTENDING THE ZONING - ADOPTED WITH STIPULATIONS
Next item, Item 8(A)(2), staff review and
recommendations relative to Ordinance 82-81, the Imperial Lakes PUD.
Good morning, Mr. Reischl.
MR. REISCHL: Good morning, Commissioners, Fred Reischl,
planning services. This is a request for direction on the Imperial
Lakes PUD with regards to the sunsetting provisions of the Land
Development Code. This is a little bit different from some of the
other PUD sunsetting items that you see in the fact that the PUD was
approved in 1982 with a density of 5.5 units per acre. In that
particular region, the Growth Management Plan today would allow 3
units per acre. It's a total of 430 units on 78 acres and 12 1/2
acres of preserve open space. And along with the approval of the 5.5
dwelling units per acre, there was also a dedication of the northern
50 feet of the property to the county, which since that time has been
deeded to the county.
In 1990 there was a site development plan for Imperial
Lakes approved, and a final SDP was approved with the stipulation that
the applicant could not commence construction until the completion of
the east-west segment of Livingston Road in that area.
Then in 1991 during zoning teevaluation the PUD was
granted an exemption from ZRO due to the fact that they had deeded 50
feet of the right-of-way to the county, of -- of their property to the
county as right-of-way. In the ZRO ordinance there was language that
an exempted use would be permitted to the extent that it remains
effective. And county attorney has said that that language, to the
extent it remains effective, could mean that it could still be subject
to sunsetting.
I checked with our transportation department. The
east-west segment of Livingston Road is not on the current work plan,
and staff is asking for a policy decision from the board on whether or
not the -- this PUD and other PUDs similar to it would be vested as to
density.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You're not likely to find a
commissioner who gets more excited at the prospect of lowering
densities than I. But I do have a concern on this particular one in
that from your comments and from our summary and from talking to the
folks this affects, there's not much they can do until that segment of
Livingston Road goes in. And while I love to see us retract some of
that density and some of that zoning, there's a fairness issue here.
And I'm not sure it's completely appropriate for the board to pull
back numbers or pull back what they had approved simply because we
haven't put the road into place. And perhaps another commissioner
will disagree and argue with me on that, but I -- I'm just not
comfortable taking it away when it's not necessarily their fault that
it hasn't been built to this point.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: That's a good point. The other
side of that particular coin is they understood that the road was not
in when they originally made their PUD. Although they had some
expectation that would be coming in, there was no guarantee, however.
And I think our legal determination has been that it's really
immaterial whether the road is in or out, in or not in, for our
determinations.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: One of our big concerns in these is
that we just have zoning sitting out there waiting for something to
happen.
Mr. Reischl, you said that the roadway, the east-west
section, is not in our capital element which is a five-year element.
MR. REISCHL: Five-year plan is what transportation
department told me, yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But it is within our ten-year
planning window; is that correct? In other words, we -- it shows up
on a ten-year planning window?
MR. REISCHL: From what the transportation department
told me, that there was no plan right now for east-west Livingston at
all.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm seeing this -- maybe I hope it
wasn't just on the 2020. I thought it was more -- I thought it was
sooner than that. Is someone from transportation here? Actually, is
there anyone left in transportation?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's the question.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Is there anyone out there?
MR. MILLER: Ray Miller, public works administrator,
interim. I would just -- I'm not absolutely sure about that east-west
area, to be honest you, but -- but I do believe that it's provided for
but has -- is not in the planning --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not -- not funded.
MR. MILLER: Not funded in the planning at this point.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that -- yeah, I see Mr. Arnold
that -- seems to -- he seems to concur with that, okay.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can I ask a question perhaps from
Mr. Arnold. I -- I had -- I was told by Mr. Anderson, who represents
the petitioner in -- in this matter that -- that SDP for this property
specifically says thou shalt not commence construction until the
road's in. So it seems to me, as Commissioner Constantine was saying,
fundamentally unfair to say gotcha. So is that a correct -- you're
shaking your head; so I'm kind of going on past.
MR. ARNOLD: That is correct, yes, they do have an
approved site development plan subject to a road being in place; so
they really cannot commence construction until there is a road.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It seems fundamentally unfair
then to say you can't start, oh, and since you didn't start, we're
going to take away your rights. You know, I'd like to reduce the
density, too, but --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Sounds like what the state is
doing to people in the southern estates.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right. We don't want to do that.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Berry.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: I think this is typically a case of
you can't just blanket statement for all these PUDs that are
sunsetting, that you have to look at them on an individual basis, and
I think that this is certainly one that falls in that particular
category because of this road that's not been completed. So that's --
I -- I suggest we leave it alone.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What -- what is the -- leave it
alone, actually, is a part where I have a problem, because there are
some things in the PUD that can be changed, that should be changed,
that should be brought up to speed --
MR. REISCHL: That's correct. We did receive staff
comments from other departments that there are changes that should be
made to bring the PUD up to current code.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'd like to hear from the petitioner
on what elements of the PUD -- I mean, if we're -- if we're -- you
know, if we are deciding about density alone, that's one thing. But
there are other elements of the PUD that need to be brought up to
speed, and I'd like to hear about -- about those, because if we can't
really be comfortable in affecting the density at this point, I think
there are other elements we can affect positively. Mr. Anderson, are
you representing the -- the petitioner?
MR. ANDERSON: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Could you -- based on staff's report
here, could you let me know if you would be willing to bring the PUD
up to current LDC standards in all areas? In some areas? Would you
help me with that, please.
MR. ANDERSON: Yes, sir. For the record my name is
Bruce Anderson from Young, van Assenderp, and Varnadoe on behalf of
the property owner. First of all, I'd like to point out that there
are two prongs to this sunset review test. One is that we have a
development order approval for 15 percent of the infrastructure. We
have a development order approval for 100 percent of the
infrastructure; so we have satisfied prong one. It's only prong two
that requires 15 percent of your dwelling units have building permits
that we have not met.
We do have a final approved SDP. It remains in effect
today. And we would certainly be willing to agree to install
landscaping and buffering in accordance with current Land Development
Code requirements. As far as bringing the PUD up to other undefined
standards, we are somewhat constrained. We have permits from the
South Florida Water Management District which we have acted on and con
-- made substantial water management improvements on the property.
This property owner has spent in excess of $300,000 in
permitting and construction costs for the final site development
plan. And subject to not violating the site development plan that we
have, there is a willingness to -- to come up to current code
requirements so long as they do not cause us to have to make changes
to the site development plan.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So you're saying there's areas in
which you have not received permits or -- or substantially completed
the permitting process are all areas that you will bring up to current
LDC standards? Do I understand that correctly?
MR. ANDERSON: To the extent that they don't violate
what we have approved today in our final site development plan from
the county. There are some instances where your site development plan
says, you know, we've given you this approval. You shall now go to X
agency and get a permit --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. ANDERSON: -- consistent with the site development
plan. And we would still want the ability to do that within the
parameters of our existing site development plan.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I understand.
Any further comments from the board?
MR. McNEES: Mr. Chairman, for your information I
confirmed with the transportation department the east-west leg of
Livingston Road is not in the five-year plan. It's shown future
construction beyond 2001 --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. McNEES: -- to be evaluated at a later date.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's -- good. That's my
recollection because I -- again, this thing wasn't even showing until
2020, I'd have more concerns, but -- okay. If there is no staff
comment, I will -- and no registered speakers? MR. McNEES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Close the public hearing. Is there a
motion?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm going to make a motion
that we go ahead and extend the PUD subject to bringing those items
not impacted by preapproved permits and site development plan up to
current code.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: In the extension -- just tell me
what -- what's the standard extension?
MR. REISCHL: Two years.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Two years.
MR. REISCHL: The code required -- calls for a two-year
extension.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But we know Livingston Road isn't
funded for five years.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It makes sense then not to do
this again every two years if the -- if the hitch here is when is the
Livingston Road going to get built. Should it -- should it be tied to
Livingston Road being built or -- just searching for an idea. Maybe
staff --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Two years from now our public
hearing will be really short. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, okay.
MR. REISCHL: Could I ask a point of clarification?
Would you be extending that with this stipulation; is that the PUD as
it is, or were you looking at the SDP to be changed if it was built?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I -- based on what Mr. Anderson said,
my understanding is that those areas that the SDP does not lock in
such as environmental permits, water management permits, the
landscaping buffering, the physical elements that the LDC addresses
that can be changed that are not locked into the SDP will be. Am I
stating that correctly, Mr. Anderson?
MR. ANDERSON: Yes. That -- that we will address those
items in the SDP. I must point out, though, that we do have
environmental stipulations in place through the SDP process and
through our permits from other agencies. I -- I just do want to make
you aware of that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you. There are two things here
that I think this decision is based on. One is the final SDP in '90;
the other is a zoning teevaluation exemption that involves a
dedication of land. And to be quite frank, to have this same
discussion in two years I have no interest in. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah, me either.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If this is -- if this is tied to a --
to the construction of the east-west Livingston Road corridor, then
let's put a time frame attached to that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If Mr. Weigel tells us that's
appropriate, I'll be happy to alter my motion.
MR. WEIGEL: I think you can do that if you wish.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll alter the motion to re
-- it's not in the five-year plan. Perhaps five years is an
appropriate time, though, because within five years perhaps it will be
in the five-year plan, and we'll have some indication of where we're
headed at that point. So rather than the standard two year, I'll
suggest five years.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: I'll second that motion then.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We have a motion and a
second. Is there any further discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The motion carries 4-1.
MR. ANDERSON: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Mr. Anderson.
Item #BE1
UPDATE ON THE DISASTER RECOVERY ADVERTISING PROGRAM, INCLUDING
PROCEDURES FOR ACTIVATING COHMUNICATION LINES, ANNUAL DESIGN WORK
REQUIRED AND PROCEDURES FOR AUTHORIZING LEVEL OF ADVERTISING AND
PAYMENT FOR ADVERTISING - CONTINUED TO 2/25/97
What item are we up to; 8(E)(1), update to the disaster
recovery advertising program. This is procedures for activating
communication lines, annual design work required; procedures for
authorizing level of advertising and payment for advertising. Good
morning, Miss Gansel.
MS. GANSEL: Good morning, Commissioners, Jean Gansel
from the budget office. The purpose of this item is to update the
board regarding the economic disaster plan, and I'd like to say it's a
pleasure to be here in the hurricane offseason as opposed to when we
brought this before you before and we kind of rushed. The economic
disaster plan was recommended by the Tourist Development Council and
approved by the board in 1995. The concept was to have sufficient
funds in reserve from TDC revenues to be able to advertise -- advise
tourists of the conditions in Collier County following a real or
perceived disaster. The funding was to -- to establish this reserve
was 5 percent from Category B and Category C revenues.
In 1995 there was the development of doughnut ads which
could be used for different scenarios. There was an ad for no damage,
one for minimal damage, and evacuation or heavy damage. All of the
plans consisted of both print and television advertising with a
message tailored to fit the state of development -- stage of
development there. And that state of development, but -- what type of
disaster it is would be determined by the emergency manager director.
The original plan did not anticipate any annual
updating. We -- we did have money for the development of the ads, but
it has become apparent that they -- we -- the agency that has these
ads needs to negotiate on an annual basis with the television stations
for cost. We have to assure that the ads are ready to go.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm sorry. I'm drawing the line
there. That's bunk. The idea that we're going to pay someone $7,000
a year to get on a phone and say send us a new contract and they plug
in the new number in the contract, I'm going to have a -- and
Ms. Gansel, it's no reflection on you. I understand you're just the
messenger here, but I'm sorry. That's robbery.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I got to agree with you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You done that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Get on the phone lines and
place all that stuff's great. But, yeah, this is a great way for
somebody to make a couple of bucks, that extra part.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As a matter of fact, if they want to
pay me 4,000, I'll do it.
MS. GANSEL: But we do have some work that was done last
year, and that was $3600, and this hasn't been -- been paid. One of
our recommendations -- we did bring this to the Tourist Development
Council. They did approve -- or recommend that the board approve that
payment. They also did recommend that it be included in the '97
contract. I don't know if you want to separate those two items or if
you would like to have someone that would be better versed in
explaining the -- you know, what exact work has been done.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't have a problem, actually,
with the 3600, because the initial work at the outset is to get things
set up, and that's a little more time intensive. But to have an
hourly amount almost double that to annually update what $3600 got you
in the first place, someone's going to have to give me a far deeper
explanation than I've heard to date, because I think somebody is
getting some money for very little work in that respect.
MS. GANSEL: Well, the $3600 is the updating costs.
That wasn't the original development cost. I didn't want to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. GANSEL: And they had requested that up to $7,000,
and it would be based on an hourly rate and that that would be
provided by --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Does anyone -- does anyone remember
when this was presented to us that there was an annual cost that was
even discussed? I remember put it aside, and if we need it, it's
there, and we can mobilize everything immediately. I don't remember
anyone talking about paying someone annually --
MS. GANSEL: It wasn't.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- that so we have money sitting
there for disaster recovery.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You can have a plan in place
of where we will likely do our advertising and -- and if there are
certain areas that we want to make sure we get the message out to --
and obviously those prices may change over a period of time, but I
don't think it requires $7,000 worth of work. And, frankly, I suspect
that the agency that puts those ads on the air is going to get their
15 percent anyway when they put the ads on. So they're going to earn
their money at the time that they go ahead and air them. We don't
need to be paying them to continually update a price list for us.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The work done for 1996, Hiss Gansel,
was done without this board approving it prior? MS. GANSEL: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: How -- okay. I guess they -- I have
a problem with someone ordering work that hasn't gone through the
channels.
MS. GANSEL: I -- I concur with that. This --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Who ordered the work specifically?
Is there a name?
MS. GANSEL: Our contract is with the -- they keep
changing their name -- the Naples Accommodations Association, I
believe it was at that time, and they have been working through an
economic development disaster committee of which this is a portion,
and unfortunately, because of the division of work and clear reporting
responsibilities, this occurred. And -- and I received the invoice
and had brought it to the Tourist Development Council and explained it
to them and am doing the same for you today.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Just without the benefit of -- and
when did this come to the TDC?
MS. GANSEL: It came in November. I -- I didn't bring
it to the board. John Ayres had made a presentation to the TDC. As I
said, I wanted to bring the whole plan together, and that's why I've
kind of put this off for a little bit.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. And do we have anyone here
from --
MS. GANSEL: I don't believe so.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: I have a question, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, Commissioner Berry.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Since this is new to me, I'd like
to know what kind of telephones and how many you're purchasing for
$4500.
MS. GANSEL: There's --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's only eight lines?
COMHISSIONER BERRY: Yeah. I'm just -- I don't know. I
haven't seen -- I don't know what kind of a telephone this is. Maybe
somebody's got a better clue, but, boy, this must be some phone.
MS. GANSEL: It's the lines and the telephones. I think
we say here just to purchase the most -- COMMISSIONER BERRY: We're supposed to purchase a
telephone for $4500 -- MS. GANSEL: Right.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: -- and to activate one main line, a
onetime charge of $83. And when I looked that, maybe I read it wrong.
I just -- it says telephones -- MS. GANSEL: It's the telephone and the lines, and that
was the cost we --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Might I suggest that we -- I know in
the overall scheme of $900,000 maybe this is seen as unimportant, I
think it's -- it's -- first of all, we should have been informed of a
desire to expend $3600 for updating information before someone ordered
or requested the work be done. I have a real problem with that
procedure.
The second thing is that I need something more than what
they provided you in this executive summary to understand why we're
paying this kind of money on an annual basis. So I think this item
needs to be tabled until we can get someone who can explain it fully
so we understand where -- where this is going and what the intent is.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: A few more comments. I agree
with you, and I don't feel obligated to pay something the board never
approved that someone just went ahead and did. And if we can get that
explained, great. And if someone can't meet my satisfaction level,
I'm not going to feel like I have to vote for it because they've
already done the work we didn't approve.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll make a motion to continue for
two weeks.
MS. GANSEL: That's fine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The second item I was going
to -- I'll second the motion. The second item I was going to say is
in the last four or five weeks we have had more items come to us that
are incomplete and we've had to continue. Maybe the board's going to
want to entertain -- just start turning these things down as a sign
either come prepared or don't come, because it's a waste of our time.
It's a waste of the staff time. It's a waste of the public's time to
hear something two and three times.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: A comment on that, because I
couldn't agree with you more that we don't have adequate information
when we have TDC proposals in front of us, and -- and maybe what needs
to happen is that the TDC needs to elect from its membership a
spokesperson, because the chairman of the TDC is the chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners and, therefore, can't, you know, be
jumping back and forth running the meeting and saying what the TDC
position is. But we need a representative from TDC and not to just
leave this for Miss Gansel, who is the staff liaison.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I've had those discussions with
individual members of the TDC in subcommittee and was under the
impression that it was being established and that someone was
appointed and I -- not formally by the TDC, but more or less
informally. And -- regardless, I -- I agree with you, and you know,
let's -- let's hold everything up to the same light, not just this
item.
But we have a motion to continue, and, Commissioner
Mac'Kie, I'm not glossing over that. I'm just saying that that has
been discussed, and if nothing has come of it from that discussion, I
don't know what else we can ask for.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, here's -- I've discussed it
with individual members, too, and what I would like to ask for -- and
I'm going to support the motion, too, but if you'd like a motion on
the issue or if we could just by consensus ask you to take this back
as a formal request to TDC rather than just our separate
conversations. I've had some; you've had some. As our representative
on the TDC, I wish that you would formally request that they have a
liaison from the committee designated to come and make these
presentations.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Does anyone have an objection to
that?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't. In this case it's
an item that the county's directly involved in, but we've had a number
of TDC items that are requests from private groups, and that's,
frankly, not one of the TDC's members' responsibility. If the private
group isn't here to explain their case, it's a missed opportunity. It
should be.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But I'd like to have a
representative from TDC here to tell us what is the -- what is their
perspective on the request.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Why don't -- Miss Gansel,
let's put that on the next agenda if there's no objection from board
members.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Good idea.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We have a motion to table and
a second. Is there discussion on that motion?
Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
MR. McNEES: Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: None opposed.
MR. McNEES: I'd ask you to put a little mental note on
this day when we come around to budget time. I've already have had
some conversation with Mr. Smykowski about -- and also with Miss
Gansel -- how we might handle the staff end of the TDC. It has gotten
considerably larger than it was ever, I think, envisioned when we
started this process in terms of what the staff role is and the amount
of information they have to keep up with. So when budget time rolls
around we may have some recommendations for you how we can beef that
up a little bit; so this is a good thing to remember when we get to
that point.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. McNees, can a portion of those
TDC funds be used to pay for a staff member to handle TDC issues and
requests?
MR. McNEES: I can't give you a definitive answer. I
believe, yes, but we'll sure have that for you.
MS. GANSEL: According to the statute, 3 percent of the
tourist tax can be used for administration. Up until -- when it was a
2 percent tax, the tax collector took all of the 3 percent for
administration of collection and recording of the tax. When you upped
it to 3 percent, he reduced his fee to 2 percent. We now currently
have -- it's about $60,000 in the general fund to offset some of the
administrative general fund costs for that. I have advised all the
people that are involved with the tourist tax in the general fund to
keep an accounting of their time so we can determine what our costs
are. But I just want to assure you that $60,000 probably does not
cover it and that ad valorem taxes is probably support --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Chairman, do we have a
time frame that's coming back in? COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Two weeks.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Two weeks was in the motion, I
thought.
MS. GANSEL: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Miss Gansel.
Item #8E2
CONTRACT WITH MARCO ISLAND YHCA FOR $120,000 TOURIST DEVELOPMENT
CATEGORY C FUNDS FOR THE MARCO ISLAND SPORTS FESTIVAL - APPROVED WITH
CHANGES
Item 8(E)(2), approve contract with Marco Island YMCA
for $120,000 in tourist development Category C funds for the Marco
Island Sports Festival.
MS. GANSEL: This was approved as far as the allocation
of the funds by the board in December, and what we have here is the
contract to reflect the --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Weigel, I'm going to put you on
the spot a little bit here. We obviously have come under fire because
of contract difficulties with Category C funds in the past. I would
like the assurance from your office that this contract has been
reviewed in its entirety, that it is correct for the application of
funds for this event, and that we're not going to be changing the
contract a year and a half from now because it was not done correctly
the first time.
MR. WEIGEL: Okay. I think we can give that assurance,
and Heidi has reviewed the contract. It's not signed merely in -- at
this point because it's not been executed by the other party. And we
generally reserve our execution for legal sufficiency until we can
show that it's been executed by the other -- other party. Heidi, do
you have any additional comment for the commission?
MS. ASHTON: This is our standard Category C contract
that's been slightly modified to clarify some issues. I think that
the contract will work, but we're currently modifying all our TDC
contracts, but that's currently in process. So I didn't want to
modify it too much from our standard form until everybody's input on
the new form is provided.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are you saying, then, that this
particular contract may require further amendment before it's signed?
MS. ASHTON: No, I don't believe so. It should work
with the revisions that we've made to the form.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Have discussions occurred between
either your office or Miss Gansel and the applicants to insure that
the -- all elements of the contract from their end are met?
MS. ASHTON: We've incorporated the changes that were
requested by the applicant -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. ASHTON: -- to the contract. I can point those out
if you like.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not important particularly because I
just -- I am seeking some level of assurance that we now have some
experience with these Category C contracts and that we're not going to
be sitting here with egg on our face a year and a half from now
because the contract wasn't done to -- to meet the event's needs in
the first place.
MS. ASHTON: Well, this contract reflects that it's a
payment contract. It also requires an accounting which can be
verified as opposed to a formal audit --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I have on that point.
MS. ASHTON: -- some issues in the past that have --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Commissioner Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But my question for Hiss Ashton
on that point is that -- I want to be very clear about the date by
which the financial reporting is due. And -- and I understand it's an
accounting that can be verified by the county and that when we get our
ordinance changing the -- the Category C guidelines into an ordinance,
we're going to define what is an accounting which can be verified by
the county. That will be a defined term in the Category C ordinance?
MS. ASHTON: Actually, the finance department is going
to be issuing something shortly indicating what they need in order to
process the documentation, and I think that that will be helpful once
the grantees have an opportunity to review that. So I think that
within the next of couple months most of those issues will be
resolved.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Can we -- do we need to put
anything in this contract to -- to make the future ordinance binding,
or will it be binding on this contract even though it -- it will be
adopted after the fact?
MS. ASHTON: That's a good question. We can put
something into the ordinance if you'd like.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'd like to be perfectly clear
that those definitions and the information that's still in development
after your Category C new guidelines were proposed are incorporated
here.
MS. ASHTON: Okay.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And then my second question is --
has to do with the timing of when this accounting has to come in.
MS. ASHTON: It's 60 days -- excuse me. Sixty days
after the expiration of the agreement.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Which means that the accounting
for this will be due sometime in April of 1998 because it's a one-year
term. The term of the agreement is one year? MS. ASHTON: Right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I just wonder if that's the best
timing, if it might be 60 days after the termination of the event or
if we might put a date certain in so that that's more enforceable.
Just a suggestion.
MS. ASHTON: If you'd like a shorter time frame, you
know, we can do that at the board's pleasure.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I just don't know -- if I
were running this event -- and it's going to be over when? Do we
know? John, do you know when it's going to be done?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: The dates are on there.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah. When will it be over
about?
MS. GANSEL: Middle of June.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Middle of June of '97?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And then they don't have to turn
in their accounting until April of '98.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't think anybody is going to
have a problem with 90 days after completion of event, something to
that effect.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I was hoping we'd make some
change like that.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: I think a year after the event -- I
think that's far too long.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Way too long.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let me back up to your first point.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is a little unique. The board
issued an approval on this prior to the new Category C guidelines
coming in. We can't retroactively take the advertising and promotion
element of that and apply it to this. So the accounting on this is
going to -- is going back to the -- the tournament question that you
and I debated about who cares how many hot dogs were sold, you know,
that -- to what finite detail do we -- is the accounting performed on
the overall event versus the expenditures that were -- that were paid
through for TDC funds? So if you want to make that clear, that's
fine. I just -- I don't want to get into the business of having our
people audit the entire event rather than auditing the expenditures
that qualified or were paid through TDC funds.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, in this case we are
actually funding more than advertising.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right. Those things we fund, I
think, are fine for subject of the audit. Those things that were
identified to be paid and that are paid are fine for the audit. I
just don't want to get into those areas that our funds did not go
toward.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What I do is defer to the -- to
the county auditing department to define what is necessary to audit
this contract and just put language in this contract that -- that
whatever is required by the finance director is what will be provided
and that, you know, they agree to comport -- comply with that, even
though it's -- you know, they'll be notified after the fact.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If we're going to do that, I'd like
to see the contract back for review rather than just asking for that
language to be inserted without us seeing it.
MS. GANSEL: Commissioners, the applicants are here,
Mr. Rice and Mr. Clark. They have executed the -- they have signed
the agreement as it was presented. I don't know if you would like to
ask them if they would come -- you know, if those changes would
present a problem.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I hear Commissioner Mac'Kie saying
she wants this element changed. Is there anyone else on the board
that would like to affect Section 9, General Accounting, in the manner
that she's describing? I mean, I didn't have a problem with it the
way I read it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No, I don't either.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Do you know what they have to
give you?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm not an accountant, so no.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: See, I don't either. And if I
were running this event, I would want to know exactly what the county
wants from me on what date. I think we should make that clear. And I
-- I don't say it has to be -- I'm not telling you what it -- what I
think it has to be. I'm just suggesting it's not clear.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Complete and accurate accounting and
event records and keep grant funds in a separate checking account.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No, no, that's -- I'm referring
to an accounting which can be verified by the county as due to the
county manager within 60 days of the expiration of this agreement.
First, I think it should be 90 days from the expiration -- from the
completion of the event.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: The event, uh-huh.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And second, just that somebody
tell them what is an accounting that can be verified by the county.
We're the county. We should tell them what that is.
MS. GANSEL: In -- in our discussions with -- with the
finance department, what they would be doing is paying the Marco
Island Y based on un -- on invoices that they received that haven't
been paid. They would go in at the conclusion of the event and
request verification that those invoices that the county paid had, in
fact, been paid by the Marco Island Y. Is that sufficient? Do --
does the board feel as though that -- that was our discussions with
the finance department, too, and that would be the county funds that
we would be checking.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think we're getting into trying to
tell Mr. Mitchell what he's supposed to tell them. I mean, he's going
to do that. If what they supply is insufficient, he is in charge of
the --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: He won't write them a check.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Pardon me?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: He won't write them a check.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah, he won't write them a check.
He will require sufficient information from them. And if they don't
know what that is, he will tell them. That's his job.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: This is after all the checks have
been written, after the event --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Make a motion and we'll see
if we get three support for it. I mean, let's set some direction here
instead of just rambling on.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Then I'd like to move approval of
the contract with a change to paragraph 9 that says that the general
accounting, which can be verified by the county, is due within 90 days
of the completion of the event and that this general accounting which
can be verified by the county is subject to the approval of the
finance director.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Before going to a second, let me say,
we do have public speakers? Mr. HcNees, let's get to those.
MR. HcNEES: Yes, sir, two, David Rice followed by Gil
Erlichman.
MR. RICE: Good morning, David Rice. I'm the volunteer
director of the Marco Island Sports Festival. I'm actually appearing
this morning simply as a resource person in case any particular
questions wanted to be directed regarding how we're proceeding. So I
really have nothing to say other than I wanted to support and thank
Miss Gansel for addressing our concerns. In review of the original
contract, we felt that it was an unsignable document because of
various -- I don't want to say loopholes -- but questions that we had
as far as being able to adhere to a definite policy. Those policies,
I believe, have been basically directed, and we are in concurrence
with everything that Miss Gansel has done. And, yes, we would
appreciate knowing exactly what the county demands to avoid questions,
and in particular, a definite date of required backup.
Nothing can be paid by the Y or the sports festival
without receipts being given to the TDC dollars. So we feel very
comfortable at this moment the way it is written, but we would
appreciate the 90 days or 60 days. We can live with whatever date
post the event that a -- that an auditing by the county should be
done.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Norris.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Answered your question?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are there any further questions for
Mr. Rice?
Thank you, Mr. Rice.
MR. McNEES: And Mr. Erlichman.
MR. ERLICHMAN: Gil Erlichman, East Naples, taxpayer and
registered voter in Collier County. I neither support nor I'm against
this YMCA funding by the TDC, but I have some remarks to make about
our notable attorneys that the county have. It seems as though the --
we -- the -- our legal department cannot write good contracts, and
it's been proven in the past, and it's proven right now. And I
believe that the first year in first-year law school one of the big
subjects is contracts. Now, if a -- an LLB or an attorney with a
degree cannot write a contract, I don't think they're worth their
weight in -- I don't think they're worth anything. And it seems as
though the big problem with the TDC is the way the contracts have been
written. This goes back to the -- the $500,000 contract with the
Intellinet.
Now, there's got to be a resolution of this sometime.
And I think that commissioners should take the bull by the horns and
instruct the county attorney to make sure that his staff do not write
boilerplate and then just throw them out as contracts and that they
consider each contract a separate viable thing that people can
understand and there is no question about.
You know, attorneys have their own language, but I think
we speak English here between us. And, you know, an attorney will
never say something is definitely red or definitely black; there can
be shades and so forth. So what I'm driving at here is that I don't
have any competence (sic) in our attorney -- our county attorneys to
write good contracts. And it's been proven time and time again. I go
all the way back to April Circle, it's the same thing. So with that
I'll sign
off, and I wish the commissioners good luck in what is going to happen
with this contract.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Mr. Erlichman.
Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Weigel, in the last
couple of years, how many contracts, agreements, and ordinances has
the county attorney's office written, balipark figure?
MR. WEIGEL: It's in the hundreds, if not thousands.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And we've had trouble with
one? Two?
MR. WEIGEL: Very few, very few.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think, Gil, we have had
trouble with a couple, and one in particular was a high profile one.
But we have a very good and very competent staff. And to suggest that
they don't have the ability to write contracts is a disservice to
them. They do a very good job and work very hard. I think we have --
an attorney is the one who is raising the question about the contract,
which is great. She -- she writes these things herself and may see
certain things along the way. That's the benefit of having an
attorney on the board. But to suggest that our staff is incompetent
in some way I think is wrong and doing a disservice to the public.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And I just have to echo that and
say that I have been practicing law for ten-plus years, but I'm --
guarantee you that I -- if I pass anything I've ever done by another
attorney, they're going to find some way to improve it. I mean,
there's -- I meant no disrespect to the drafting of this contract and
to the county attorney's office by raising these questions and don't
want to imply that at all. Anything can be improved on, and I'm
making a couple suggestions.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can we repeat the motion?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. Commissioner Mac'Kie, there's a
motion on the floor. I'm going to close the public hearing.
Commissioner Hac'Kie, you had a motion.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: My motion was that we approve the
contract as written with a change in paragraph 9 in general accounting
section to require that the report is due within 90 days of the
expiration of the event and that the accounting which be verified by
-- I'm sorry, that the language that reads, an accounting which can
be verified by the county has inserted there in a form and substance
approved by the county finance department is due to the county manager
within 90 days of the expiration of the event.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So we'll still leave that up
to Mr. Hitchell or --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I can second that. That's
fine.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The motion is seconded. Is there any
further discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Aye.
Motion carries 3-2. There were two opposed,
Commissioners Norris and Hancock.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I just -- for my own
clarification, what was the opposition there? I thought what we had
said earlier was we wanted to leave it up to Mr. Mitchell. I thought
that's what the motion embodied.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: My reading of the contract does
that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I think that portion of the motion
is redundant, and I simply -- you know, if it was simply a matter of
asking for the accounting within thirty -- 90 days at the end of the
event, that's fine.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: My opposition was that I don't want
to approve a contract with an unknown, and since we don't know what
Mr. Mitchell is going to say, I don't want to approve the contract
today with that unknown language out on the horizon.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you.
Item #10A
RESOLUTION 97-73 CONFIRMING NINE MEMBERS TO THE DISASTER RECOVERY TASK
FORCE - ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Item 10(A), confirmation --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Chairman, I'll make a
motion that we approve or confirm the appointment or reappointment of
the nine names that are listed on page 1 of Item 10(A) to the agenda.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. McNees, are there any speakers on
this item?
MR. McNEES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Close the public hearing.
All those in favor of the motion signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
PUBLIC COMMENT - DISCUSSION BY TY AGOSTON RE $3.00 ASSESSMENT BY THE
CLERK'S OFFICE
Seeing none, we are to public comment. Mr. McNees.
MR. McNEES: You have one, Ty Agoston.
MR. AGOSTON: Good morning, Commissioners, ladies and
gentlemen. My name is Ty Agoston. I live in Golden Gate Estates, and
I'm speaking for myself. It might be that I'm genetically disposed
against taxes, and I have noticed in the executive summary that you
are going to review this huge assessment center and that you are going
to add a $3 fee to all the -- well, the newspaper called it criminals,
but, you know, misdemeanors don't really qualify that kind of a
condemnation. But be as it may, it just somehow bothered me that we
now are using -- I could almost call it a devious method to finance a
utility that's supposed to be for the public's good. If we need a
youth assessment center, shouldn't we be just up front about it and
just similar to the jail tax or the -- the green space tax, put it up
to the voter?
From what you are saying in the summary, you are
projecting a $50,000 revenue out of these fees. Today from what
little I know about psychiatric care, I tend to believe that a single
course of psychiatric treatment will probably run you $50,000. So I
have to believe that --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that from personal experience, Ty
or '-
MR. AGOSTON: Probably. But, you know, when I really
think about it, I feel that this is somehow creating accounting. I
believe that the advocates just want to be bored with this collection
of fees so down the road they could increase it, add to it, or
whatever, not to mention a fact that the clerk's office is looking at
a 5 percent cut out of this. I got to believe that just for handling
of this is ridiculous when it comes to $2500 to the clerk's office.
So I'm really not -- not sure where we are heading other
than it's not straightforward. And we are in a public arena. We
shouldn't be hiding. You know, this sounds in New York like creative
accounting. And if that's what you are doing, maybe we ought to tell
the public, hey, look, we are playing games with you. We are hiding
your bills and to the utilities, the telephone bills, and whatever.
But, I mean, this is not right. Thanks very much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thanks, Ty. Why don't we take a
five-minute break, give the court reporter a chance. We'll be back at
10:30 to reconvene the afternoon session at 10:30.
(A short break was held.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I call to order the afternoon session
at 10:30 morning.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I love that.
Item #12C1
RESOLUTION 97-74 DETERMINING THAT REVISIONS TO THE TOLL GATE COMMERCIAL
CENTER DEVELOPMENT ORDER DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATION
REQUIRING FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL IMPACT REVIEW - ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: On to Item 12(C)(1), resolution of
the BCC regarding revisions to the tollgate. Good morning, Mr. Nino.
MR. NINO: Good morning. Ron Nino for the record,
planning services. The petition that is before you is a petition that
asks that you extend the effective date, the date -- the date the
development order for Toll Gate remains in effect from December 31,
1997, to December 30, 2002, which is five years less one day, which
authorization is provided by state statute. Both the DCA and the
Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council have both reviewed this
petition and have agreed that -- have indicated that it is of an
insubstantial nature. The Planning Commission reviewed this petition
and unanimously recommended that you approve the amendment to the Toll
Gate development order to extend the date that the order remains in
effect to the year 2002.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Are there any questions of
staff?
(No response)
Are there any questions of the petitioner?
Mr. -- or Dr. Spagna, is there anything you want to talk
us out of?
DR. SPAGNA: No, not really, just only answer your
questions.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Mr. McNees, are there other
registered speakers on this item?
MR. HcNEES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'll close the public hearing. Do we
have a motion?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a motion and a second. ANy
discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, motion carries unanimously.
DR. SPAGNA: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Fine presentation, Dr. Spagna. Have
a good day.
DR. SPAGNA: Thank you.
Item #12C2
DEVELOPMENT ORDER 97-2/RESOLUTION 97-75 REGARDING AMENDING THE TOLLGATE
COHMERCIAL CENTER DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL IMPACT AND DEVELOPMENT ORDER
FOR THE PURPOSE OF EXTENDING THE TIME THAT THE DEVELOPMENT ORDER
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE TOLL GATE COHMERCIAL CENTER DRI - ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Item 12(C)(2), Petition DOA-96-5.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Is the other half.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is the other half. Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve Petition
DOA-96-5.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any public speakers, Mr. McNees?
MR. McNEES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Seeing none, I'll call the question.
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, 96-5 approved unanimously.
Item #12C3
ORDINANCE 97-10 AMENDING ORDINANCE 96-16 REGARDING VESSEL SPEED CONTROL
AND WATER SAFETY AND ADDING A DEFINITION FOR HURRICANE PASS - ADOPTED
Item 12(C)(3), BCC request amending Ordinance 96-16,
vessel speed control and water safety. Good morning, Mr. Dugan. MR. DUGAN: Good morning, Commissioner --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Dugan, this is a formalization
of the action we've directed you to do in the past; is that correct?
MR. DUGAN: Yes, sir, it is. I had a request for a new
speed zone up in Little Hickory Bay. And while I was doing the
research, I found out there were several other areas in the county
that had never been mentioned in past speed zones. And because of
confusion and difficulty with the sheriff's department trying to
enforce some of the older speed zones, we wrapped the four new ones
plus all the old ones into one ordinance, and that's the ordinance we
have before you today.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have concurrence from the
sheriff's office on all areas of not -- signage, location, and
enforceability?
MR. DUGAN: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you. Are there any questions
of staff?
Mr. HcNees, do we have public speakers?
MR. HcNEES: Nothing.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We do not. I'll close the public
hearing.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Motion to approve.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Motion and a second. Any discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, Mr. Dugan, thank you.
MR. DUGAN: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thus, ends that long battle, Mr.
Law. Thank you.
Item #12C4
ORDINANCE 97-11 PROVIDING FOR THE JUVENILE ASSESSHENT CENTER AND
SUSPENSION PROGRAM COUNTY DELINQUENCY PREVENTION FINES - ADOPTED WITH
CHANGE. RESOLUTION 97-76 SUPPORTING THE JUVENILE ASSESSMENT CENTER -
ADOPTED
Item 12(C)(4), an ordinance providing for funding of the
juvenile assessment center and suspension program. This was continued
at the board's request. Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Sure. Let me cut to the
chase here, and maybe we can get some information out. What I was
looking for specifically is what the annual budget will be, not an
estimate, but what the annual budget will be; what definite and
dedicated sources of revenue we have, not just what hopefully we might
get, but what definitely dedicated sources of revenue we have; and
then what the balance to be raised is. Because I don't want to be
pledging $50,000 and not have any idea where the rest of the revenue
is coming or how much it's going to cost. That was my primary
objection a couple weeks back.
MR. SCHIMMEL: Dave Schimmel, volunteer who has worked
on this project with about 20 other volunteers for the last year.
I'll try to answer those questions, Commissioner. We've submitted a
total budget for the first-year operations of $884,800. Let me put
that into perspective a -- a little bit, Commissioners. Lee County
has done the same thing. They're in the -- they're going through the
same process we're going through right now. Their initial first-year
budget is a little over 1.8 million dollars. Of that 884,800, 138,000
of that is first-year capital expense. For comparison purposes let me
also say that in Lee County their first-year estimated capital expense
is between 1.5 and 3 million dollars, primarily because they need to
go out and purchase a facility, whereas this assessment center has
already been promised space in the new detention center.
The revenue sources, 86 percent, Commissioner, of the
salary expense for this -- this assessment center are funds that
already exist in the community that are going to be transferred to the
assessment center, the David Lawrence Center, Collier County School
Board, Collier County Sheriff's Department, and Department of Juvenile
Justice. You can see those items detailed on your sheets. These are
funds that we are going to transfer to this assessment center; so 86
percent of the operational funding does not represent new dollars at
all.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You mentioned the sheriff's
department. Where is he getting his quarter of a million dollars,
because each time they come to us they point out how woefully short
they are on dollars?
MR. SCHIHMEL: Well, I can't -- from my understanding,
the sheriff's department is going to transfer those resources that he
is currently using to process juveniles into this specific facility.
So almost all of the funding we're talking about is fund shifting
coming from agencies to this one entity. This is why assessment
centers are collaborative community projects.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Which is great if we can do
that. I just want to be sure the five full-timers don't become a
request for five more bodies in some other place in the sheriff's
department in the upcoming budget year which I know isn't -- MR. SCHIHMEL: I can't make any -- any guarantees for
the sheriff, but my understanding -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Oh, come on, Mr. Schimmel, go out on
a limb here.
MR. SCHIHMEL: Well, I didn't run for the office. My
understanding is they're using a lot of resources to process people
who are arrested now, and what we've asked the sheriff to do is to
isolate those resources to juveniles and move them to the new juvenile
assessment center. I'm sure as this population grows, Commissioner,
the sheriff will be back for many deputies in the future.
Let's talk about sources of revenue, if we can, what we
know we have and what we're hoping to -- to get. The school board --
you see the figure that the school board has committed. Again, that's
a transfer. The same thing for the sheriff's office. The same thing
for the David Lawrence Center. Department of Juvenile Justice in
Naples will be transferring employees -- current employees over to
this center.
The unknowns are the legislative budget request. The
Juvenile Justice Council has submitted a request for a quarter of a
million dollars. That is very consistent with what the other juvenile
assessment centers have been getting. We will be advocating for that
and lobbying for that with Representative Saunders to try to get him
to bring those funds from Tallahassee.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Excuse me, Mr. Schimmel, just on that
item, has the full local legislative delegation signed on to
supporting that request, or are you just working through
Representative Saunders' office?
MR. SCHIHMEL: We're working primarily directly with
Representative Saunders.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What happens in the event
that we don't get that or don't get all of that? Where is the revenue
made up?
MR. SCHIHMEL: A couple of possibilities. One is we go
back and relook at the budget, and we -- we try to carve it down if
the revenue is not there. One of the -- one of the components that
has already been offered to us is some donations. And there have been
several entities in the community that are maybe willing to come
forward with equipment, for example, computer equipment. Somebody has
-- there are some private discussions going on now about some
property that may be donated. And it was fully our intention to go
out in the community and try to raise some resources for first year --
for the first year to get this thing going. So that is -- that is one
possibility if all of the state revenue doesn't come through.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do you have any idea how much
is donated when you talk about computers and so on, if -- can we put a
worth on that that has been offered?
MR. SCHIHMEL: My guess is we would probably go after --
and, Kathleen, correct me if I'm wrong, but we would probably go after
about a hundred thousand dollars' worth of services, equipment, and/or
dollars to help us with first year -- first year startup.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And that's not reflected in
this -- MR. SCHIHMEL: That's not reflected in this because our
first attempt is to -- is to get the $250,000 from the legislature.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I guess -- and that's my
worry here, is both from the legislature and from local funds,
regardless of the source, they're tax dollars; they're public
dollars. And when you say we're going to go after that first and then
try for donations, I just immediately recoil a little and think, gee,
we should try to get donations first and as a last resort go after
public dollars.
MR. SCHIHMEL: Well, we -- the assessment center is not
a legal entity at this point. I mean, you -- you have to remember
this is a concept that we're building at this point in time, and what
we have done with people who have come forward and offered assistance,
we also don't want to take their dollars when we don't have a legal
entity at this point. So the -- when we've talked to successful
assessment center operators throughout the state, they have
essentially all advised the same thing, and that is the first step, is
to go to the legislature, because the legislature is funding these
assessment centers all throughout the state.
The second step is to get your county government to look
at this local ordinance, because it is an ideal way to collect revenue
for these centers as opposed to billing ad valorem taxpayers. And --
and then you look for other ways to supplement that funding.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay. I guess you just
repeated what I -- what you've already said, but it does concern me
that going after private donations is second to accepting public
money.
MR. SCHIMMEL: I wouldn't necessarily consider it
second, Commissioner. I'm just trying to explain that since we're not
a legal entity, we can't accept those dollars at this point.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, how are you going to
accept the county's money?
MR. SCHIMMEL: Well, we are -- the Juvenile Justice
Council is a legal entity. It's a 501(c)(3) corporation --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think my point,
Mr. Schimmel, is if you can accept money from the county, you can
accept money from private entities. Either you can accept money or
you can't, regardless of the source.
MR. SCHIMMEL: We will be able to, and we will do it
under the umbrella of the Juvenile Assessment Center, which is a
501(c)(3) corporation. But my point to you is we're in the early
developmental stages of deciding what kind of structure this
assessment center needs to have. Your request for a budget pushed us
to go ahead and develop that first-year budget.
It -- probably -- these assessment centers operate in a
variety of different mechanisms. In some areas of the State of
Florida, providers contract with counties to operate these assessment
centers. And so that's one of the reasons why we're using some
expertise to Tampa -- from Tampa to guide us in what's the best way to
set this up so it has the least burden on taxpayers.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just one final comment, then
I'll yield the floor. But that is I guess I see $885,000 budget, and
I appreciate you putting that together so I can look at it. But that
is not inclusive of what you anticipate in donations, and you've told
me you anticipate getting roughly a hundred thousand dollars in
donations. If that's the case, and it's not included here, perhaps
that can substitute for the 56,000 in creating a new revenue source
from the public.
MR. SCHIMMEL: If that were the case, then we really
wouldn't have a collaborative partnership in this assessment center.
And that would be the first example, probably, in the State of Florida
where the county kind of opted out of this process.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't know if that's true;
it's on a county campus. But, secondly, if the first example is how
to do it with private money instead of public money, that's not a bad
example to set.
MR. SCHIMMEL: I guess I would -- I would agree with you
if we had commitments for a hundred thousand dollars in donations. We
don't have commitments in a hundred thousand dollars for donations.
We've had several people who said we like this concept. We think it
will reduce juvenile crime. And when you're a legal entity and ready
to operate, come and talk to us, and we may be able to contribute
equipment or dollars.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And, frankly, with the school
board and with the sheriff's department and everyone else, regardless
of whether the commission contributes or not, those are all county
taxpayer dollars, and so to suggest that's not a collaborative effort,
I think, is probably not appropriate.
MR. SCHIMMEL: But it's -- but they're not new county
dollars. They're existing county dollars that are being transferred.
The $56,000 is not public money.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Rather than get into a debate on --
debate on what is -- what is tax money and what isn't, the item before
us today is whether or not to approve a $3 assessment fee and that
fifty -- estimated $56,000 go toward the creation of a Juvenile
Justice Center. I'm not curtailing your comments, just trying to get
back on track.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And agreed. And that's my
whole point, is if we don't need to create a new source of public
revenue, it is public money. It's being collected by the government,
and it is the public's use, then, for whatever we decide. If we -- if
it wasn't public money, you wouldn't be in this public forum asking
for it so --
MR. SCHIHMEL: But this 56,000 can only be used for
juvenile assessment center.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Berry.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Let's go back and restate the
fifty-some-thousand dollars. You're going to use it for what?
MR. SCHIHMEL: It's going to be used for the operation
of a juvenile assessment center. It will be part of the funding that
goes into the total budget of the juvenile assessment center.
Juvenile assessment center is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week operation where
when law enforcement arrests a juvenile, instead of taking them to the
jail, they will now bring them to a juvenile assessment center. The
immediate advantage, Commissioner Berry, is that law enforcement is
back out on the street in about 20 to 30 minutes. Currently law
enforcement now is tied up with a juvenile for up to four hours, and
that's what the juvenile assist -- assessment center does for the
community. It's a very cost effective way of processing and receiving
juveniles.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: An example of where that's a problem
is like in Naples Park we had some vandalism. The officer had a
backlog of calls, and to take that kid to the juvenile system the way
it is, they have to make field decisions. I'm sorry to interrupt, but
it just occurred to me; it was recently --
COHMISSIONER BERRY: That's not the problem, okay. I
don't think anybody objects to that in terms of being able to bring a
child to a central depository and put them there and have someone go
ahead and -- and take care of them. Part of the concern does come in,
whether it's lack of understanding or just flat out not knowing what's
going to happen once they get to that assessment center. MR. SCHIHMEL: Okay.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: And there is some problem -- and
this actually -- this is not what we're debating today, Mr. Chairman,
so I fully understand that. But since I'm being asked to vote on
whether I want this $3 imposed or not, I also have to know what's
going to happen once this assessment center is put in place. MR. SCHIHMEL: Uh-huh.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: And questions that have been
brought to me, and as a representative I've got to have these
questions answered, okay?
MR. SCHIHMEL: Certainly, certainly.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: The problem comes in here in some
of this is once a child comes in there, the questioning that takes
place and -- and how does this relate, again, to the judiciary. And
I'm not really sure, Mr. Chairman, if this is the place to debate
this. I really don't know. But these are questions about the
assessment center.
MR. SCHIHMEL: Yeah. I'll be happy to address those. I
don't see it as a debate. I see it as providing information to you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Within the limits of the operation of
the center, I think that's an acceptable question so -- COHMISSIONER BERRY: Okay.
MR. SCHIHMEL: The reason these -- these centers are so
effective is all the players in juvenile crime are located here.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: All right. Let's -- tell me about
the players. Who are the players?
MR. SCHIHMEL: The sheriff's department.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Okay.
MR. SCHIHMEL: Department of Juvenile Justice.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: That is?
MR. SCHIHMEL: Well, we have a local office, juvenile
justice caseworkers who screen kids. Every time they get arrested
they have to do a screening on them, determine where they are in the
system, and make recommendations for whether these kids need to go to
D.R.I.L.L. Academy or go to some kind of outpatient program, so forth
and so on. The Department of Juvenile Justice is responsible for all
juveniles when they're arrested.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Okay. Does this juvenile
assessment center make recommendations to judges in terms of the
disposition of -- of a child?
MR. SCHIHMEL: Oh, absolutely. And what they really try
to do, Commissioner Berry, is coordinate all the information from law
enforcement, juvenile justice, the judiciary, service providers who
may be involved with these kids, the school system -- who else am I
leaving out? Basically the school system, the major players that deal
with juveniles. They coordinate services around this child when they
are arrested and -- and really try to throw a lot of things at this
kid on the front end. And the obvious advantage of that is you have a
much better chance of keeping this kid from coming through the
assessment center a second time.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Okay. What is done in terms of
parents?
MR. SCHIHMEL: Parents are immediately contacted.
Children cannot be released from the center until their parents come
and pick them up. Many of these assessment centers throughout the
state have a truancy component to them, and the school system is using
them to pick kids up who are truant and bring them to one central
place where they can be assessed and evaluated. It's a terrific
tracking mechanism for kids who are falling through the cracks in some
areas.
And in Tampa, which has a 3 or 4 million dollar
assessment center, they have a large truancy component. One of the
things that law enforcement is willing to do when you have an
assessment center is they're more willing to get involved and pick
kids up, because they know they're not going to be tied up. They're
not going to lose half their day because they've got a juvenile in
their car. The savings for law enforcement alone makes assessment
centers worthwhile and very cost effective.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: I certainly don't disagree with
that, and -- and I -- on what you're saying, I can't disagree with --
with what you have told me. I guess the concern comes in is what --
what is the accountability to the Board of County Commissioners?
MR. SCHIMHEL: Uh-huh.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: What -- what do we have -- what do
we see at the end? How do we know f this is working? How do we know
if it's successful, because there's a lot of things out there, David,
as you well know --
MR. SCHIMHEL: Yeah.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: -- and this is no reflection on any
particular group, but there are a lot of programs and what have you
out there. What assurance are we going to have a year from now if
this is underway that what we have done -- that this is a good thing
to have in place?
MR. SCHIMHEL: Well, you'll -- the entities that are
involved are all credible community entities that are concerned about
outcome. We're concerned about outcome and results at the David
Lawrence Center. You know the sheriff's department is certainly
concerned with maximizing their resources so they don't have to come
back here every year and ask for huge increases. The school system --
the school system in many of the assessment centers around the state
has provided the evaluation component for the assessment centers. And
many of the assessment centers, for example, are now in a position to
write grants to universities because this is a -- basically, a
research center for juvenile crime. I mean, every juvenile that gets
arrested or picked up is coming through this processing center. So it
offers people a lot of opportunity to come to the table and offer you
a different -- additional services to help you understand how
effective you can be.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: Will we know at some point in time
how effective -- I'm worried about the kids. You guys' agencies are
going to be okay.
MR. SCHIMHEL: Absolutely.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: I'm not worried about you. I'm
worried about the kids that come in there. I want to know at some
date certain what has happened to them, are we being effective in what
we're doing.
MR. SCHIMHEL: Yes.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: Is this a good idea? Will somebody
step up to the plate in a few years and say, oops, maybe this wasn't a
good idea? If it's not a good idea, how will we know?
MR. SCHIMHEL: It doesn't take a few years because the
Department of Juvenile Justice will mandate that we not only have a
quality assurance system in place, but do we have outcomes. And we'll
have to measure those outcomes. The most immediate benefit will
probably come from law enforcement, because they're going to
automatically be out on the streets policing the streets. They're
going to be able to maximize their time and -- and their energy doing
that; so that has typically been the most immediate benefit of an
assessment center.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Berry --
MR. SCHIMMEL: These kids are followed, Commissioner. I
mean, they are followed, and recommendations are made for them to
participate in programs, or they go back home, and they are case
managed and followed through that process, because we don't want them
to be rearrested. That's really --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: One way to get that review that
you're talking about is to make this an annual review.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Well, I'd really like to see that,
Mr. Chairman. All due respect, I -- I support the idea of the
assessment center. My concern goes deeper. And, again, I'm not sure
that this is the place to do it, but it comes to when children are
brought into an area like this and -- and the questioning that takes
place, you may have an offender who comes in who has committed some
stupid act, okay. He is not -- he doesn't have a deviant sexual
orientation. He doesn't have parents who don't care. He's just done
a really dumb thing, okay. We do have those.
MR. SCHIMMEL: Oh, we certainly do.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: On the other hand, we've got
children out there who have previous arrest records and time after
time -- and it's -- I -- I guess I want to know that -- that when kids
come in there, that -- that there is appropriate questioning for the
act and not so much -- I don't know how to get into this, because I
could really lay out something here. I've got to be real careful
about what I say.
MR. SCHIMMEL: I understand your question, and some of
us may even have some of those kids that do stupid things. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not I.
MR. SCHIMMEL: But, again, the assessment center does
this much more effectively than your current system. When you have a
child who comes in who does something stupid, that gets picked up
immediately in the assessment. The parents are called in
immediately. And it may be that that child has not committed a felony
or whatever and can be released. But we're still going to follow that
child because -- because sometimes a series of small stupid things
turn into very important serious things. COMMISSIONER BERRY: I understand.
MR. SCHIMMEL: And the other real advantage is when we
get that habitual child in there, we can make sure he doesn't slip
through the cracks and surround that kid with all kinds of resources.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: David, I don't want this assessment
center to become a self-fulfilling prophecy that we're going to --
every kid that comes through there is a deviant behavior child and,
you know, that there's a bogeyman around every corner. MR. SCHIMMEL: Uh-huh.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: That's my only concern. Sometimes
when we get into certain professions, we get very much wrapped up into
what we're doing, and we don't see -- MR. SCHIMMEL: Yes.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: -- common sense kind of things at
times. That's my only concern.
From a law enforcement standpoint, I do support this
where they can bring a child in and be back out on the road, because I
know the time consumption, and I appreciate that. So I think you've
answered most of my questions. However, I do want to write into this
in some form that we do have an annual review to know how we're
doing. I think that's -- I think you would want that --
MR. SCHIMMEL: Oh, absolutely. That will be part of our
operational plan.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: -- if we are going to go forward
with it.
MR. SCHIMMEL: Again, the target population is high
at-risk kids; so you want to use most of your resources on those kids
who -- who tend to stand the greatest risk of getting further involve
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. McNees, how many registered
speakers do we have on this item?
MR. McNEES: Two.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Two. Okay, Mr. Schimmel, if no one
objects, can we hear from the registered speakers -- MR. SCHIHMEL: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- and we'll be on to final board
discussion on this matter?
MR. HcNEES: Your speakers are Dorothy Fitch and Sheriff
Hunter.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That second guy is limited to two
minutes.
MS. FITCH: Good morning, Commissioners. I'm back
again. I hope you've all received the letter that the League of Women
Voters of Collier County has sent you on behalf of approving this
proposal. We have been watching the development of this assessment
center for several years. We're very much committed to it. We have
had sessions where we've learned how other communities have been
successful. It does take the backing of the commission. The Board of
County Commissioners must back this to give it the credibility that we
need. So we are again urging you to pass this first step, which is
the -- really the crux of the whole thing, because if we don't have
the backing of the commissioners, then we don't become a public
asset. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Hiss Fitch.
MR. HcNEES: And Sheriff Hunter.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Good morning, Sheriff.
SHERIFF HUNTER: Good morning. Don Hunter, sheriff of
Collier County. Thanks for the opportunity to speak. I was watching
over on the monitor, just finished a meeting on SHOCAP, which is
serious habitual offenders, as Hike Buff has as well. He's our
district manager for the Department of Juvenile Justice. He's in the
audience today.
And it occurred to me that maybe we're -- we're not as
well informed on what the actual system is today and how this will
benefit the system as we should be. And perhaps I can shed some light
on that, maybe give a little bit of a different orientation towards
the assessment center. Today if you were a juvenile arrested in
Collier County -- first of all, Commissioner Berry, the deputy sheriff
is not going to be stripped of their discretion to make an arrest. If
it's a minor offense and we've never had contact with this child
before, most likely what's going to happen is either the guardian or
parents are going to be called to the scene, and we'll relinquish
control of that child to the guardian or parent at that time, at that
moment, or we will ask them to come down, meet us at the assessment
center, the guardian or parent, and we will turn the child over
there. There won't be extensive questioning unless there is a serious
offense committed.
What -- the benefit of the assessment center is,
frankly, today the juvenile arrested in Collier County goes to the
Collier County Jail if they're taken into custody. The parent comes
down into a -- basically a sterile environment. They're standing on
the outside of the jail window talking to a jailer across bulletproof
glass, and the -- all they're trying to do is gain control of the
child again. The child comes out, walks through the lobby, and
they're reunited. The problem is, with that system, of course, the
parent knows nothing about what happened, why is the child here, what
can I do different. We have no opportunity to talk to the parent and
the child in the same venue, let the child express themself to the
person who is asking the questions, in this case probably a social
worker, caseworker, let the parent respond, let the parent ask some
questions. There's an opportunity right then when the offense is
fresh, when the information is fresh with all the key players in the
room, to get information.
Instead what the system is today is the parent goes
home, finally learns some of what happened -- what went on but colored
by just the juvenile's version of the story. They don't know whether
to be concerned or not yet. You and I know that they're never going
to get the full story. The parent or guardian is not going to be
fully informed about what happened. And ultimately if the parent or
guardian begins to experience additional problems in the future, we're
going to get a call at the youth relations deputy office and the
parents' going to say, Can you help me? Can -- what can I do with my
child?
Well, with an assessment center help is right there;
it's immediate. It is right at the moment of the offense. It is
absolute. Everything that the county can apply -- everything that
this county can apply towards the situation to gain resources,
treatment authority, opportunities to discover together what exactly
happened in the incident, it's all going to happen right there
immediately. That's the benefit of the assessment center. And we
know that it's going to be mental health professionals, social
workers, DJJ workers, jail for cust -- for custodianship, because
we're going to have some very bad actors, sexual batteries, homicides,
robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft, a lot of motor vehicle theft,
a lot of burglaries. They are going to have to be detained. The
detention facility is going to be right there as well; so they can go
into a hard cell until their attitude changes to the point where they
want to talk to us. But the parent or guardian has an opportunity to
visit right there, the same room, with every actor in the system at
the -- at that moment. That's the benefit of the assessment center.
And we can then apply the resources at that moment. We
can begin the process of treatment at that moment. We don't let them
go home first, make up a story, well, here's what really happened. I
don't care what the cops told you. We can -- we can discover it
altogether at the same time.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't think my parents ever would
have believed me over a police officer.
Commissioner Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm not debating the benefit
of the assessment center. I don't think anybody -- I don't think most
people would. I never will use an absolute. The center is a great
idea. The idea of being able to turn officers around in 20 to 30
minutes is a great idea. Helping kids is a great idea. My only
concern is, is an additional $56,000 revenue source necessary? We
have in front of us an $885,000 budget. It does include 56,000 from
the county. It doesn't include what we're told is anticipated to be a
hundred thousand in donations. And I look at the order in which
Mr. Schimmel told us he's going to do things. And that is, number
one, get the county to create a new public revenue source; number two,
get state tax dollars from -- it's an existing source. It will be new
to us, but from an existing state system; number three, get county tax
resources through the sheriff's office and through the school board
and so on; and, number four, get donations. And it -- it just seems
to me we ought to do that in exactly the reverse order, and that is
get private participation first and see how much we have there and
have a fair idea; second, use the existing resources such as the
sheriff's department and the school board as they've promised to on
the David Lawrence Center; third, go to the state and -- and try to
get our piece of the pie in that existing pie; and, third -- or fourth
and final, as a last resort, try to create some new revenue source. I
would think that would be our last logical step rather than the first
step.
And I'm not debating the benefits of the juvenile
center. I think it's a great idea. But let's get down to the issue,
and that is do we create a new revenue source. I -- I just think that
should be the last resort.
MS. PASSIDOMO: Can I -- Kathleen Passidomo. I'm
sorry. I have a sore throat. I'm the chairman of the Assessment
Center Advisory Committee. The contributions from the public -- and
I'm going to stand right here and tell you, I have put in $40,000 of
time on the assessment center in the last two years.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You know, I think this is the
first time -- MS. PASSIDOMO: Dave Schimmel -- and I want to tell you
that because David Schimmel has put in time, and we have a committed
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay. Don't hang on. Get it
later.
MS. PASSIDOMO: I just want you-all to know that there
is -- there is a lot of contribution from the public now, and I'm
going to go out and raise more money, and the assessment center is
going to do more than just take kids off the street that are
arrested. We are going to handle some of the problems. And, you
know, I've gotten people that want to contribute, but as -- as
Mr. Schimmel said, you know, we don't have an entity. The $56,000
that we're asking, the $3 filing fee, the legislature put that into --
into a statute because they recognized that the people that are
convicted of -- of criminal traffic offenses should be paying for that
because they're part of the problem. And -- and that's what we're
asking for. We're asking for the county commission to authorize the
imposition of that fine in addition to so many other things. And it's
a very simple request, and we really hope that you'll get on board
with us in that regard.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you. I appreciate
that. And I fully understand what the request is, but as I said, it
seems to me that what Mr. Schimmel said was very clear and that is he
anticipates getting a hundred thousand dollars that's not included in
the budget. And I would think we'd want to take donations prior to
creating a new revenue source. That's all.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What I'd like to do -- we have no
more public speakers; is that correct? MR. McNEES: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you. Are there any questions
of Sheriff Hunter?
Seeing none, Sheriff, thank you. I'm going to close the
public hearing.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I move approval of the request.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a motion. Is there a
second?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a motion and a second. May I
ask the motion maker to include that if it's approved that an annual
review including expenditure and income before budget presentation be
made to the board, that this is -- is, in essence, a -- a -- an action
that is -- is for a 12-month period and shall be reviewed annually in
order to continue?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Absolutely.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Is there anything in regard to them
-- accountability of them coming back to us, not only financially,
but how they're doing in terms of --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, that -- I'm sorry. I
assume that's what Commissioner Hancock meant, was that we'll get a
financial report and --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Operational.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- and operational review on an
annual basis.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Second amends.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Second amends. Is there any further
questions or discussion?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You had suggested earlier, I
thought, having the actual assessment, $3 assessment, reviewed as part
of that every year. Is that part of the motion? COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah. That's part of the motion.
Actually, the fee is not to continue ad infinitum. We want to see
performance information on an annual basis to make sure that the
assessment center is doing what it's intended to do.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. Weigel has something.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Weigel.
MR. WEIGEL: Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, just for
clarification, before you today is the proposed ordinance, and what
you are suggesting in regard to annual review, financial report, $3
assessment fee, etc., could be -- could be made a part of the
ordinance. It would appear that it could be included under the
element of responsibilities of the sheriff, Section 3 of the ordinance
as drafted. And I expect that's what you're looking toward because
otherwise your recommendation is a promise outside of the ordinance
there, as far as that goes.
And I would also -- I was doing a little drafting here
myself. If you're looking for a particular time that might be
meaningful for you in regard to an annual review and also perhaps
meaningful time for the sheriff to have time to prepare something, you
might may want to look for something -- here's a for instance, that
this review and report be provided to the board in the last calendar
quarter of fiscal year '97-'98 and in the last calendar quarter of
every year thereafter.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think that -- that's acceptable to
the intent of my request to change on the motion.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Included in my motion.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Second amends.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Second amends. Is there any further
discussion?
Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor
signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Aye.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm sorry. Motion carries 4-1.
SHERIFF HUNTER: May I ask one question of the board,
Mr. Chairman? And that is -- and I should have asked this last time
when this came before you two weeks, three weeks ago, whenever it
was. In order to secure public support and funding, should we go
forward with this program, it would be very beneficial to have the
board's resolution that they do support the concept of the assessment
center and that you do recognize the need of the assessment center for
the purposes stated, which was those kids predisposed to delinquency,
plus those who are already caught -- involved in a delinquent act --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'll make a motion to approve
a resolution in that regard. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Weigel, not being on the agenda,
is that an appropriate, I guess, adjunct item, if I may? MR. WEIGEL: I would say yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Any discussion on the motion?
Seeing none, I'll call the question. All those in favor
signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Quick procedural question.
We've been told this morning they can't accept money; so what's going
to happen with this $56,000 as it's collected?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. Weigel, can you answer that?
MR. WEIGEL: What's going to happen --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: The 56,000 -- these $3 of fine as
they're collected will go to the sheriff's office until the juvenile
assessment center is an entity; is that how it happens?
MR. WEIGEL: I believe it goes to the clerk's office;
then the sheriff will make an appropriate draw request as it goes
forward; is that correct?
SHERIFF HUNTER: Correct.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thanks.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
We'll move on to the next item. Thank you, Sheriff,
Mr. Schimmel.
Item #12C5
ORDINANCE 97-12 AMENDING ORDINANCE 89-11 THE BEACH AND WATER SAFETY AND
VESSEL CONTROL ORDINANCE - ADOPTED WITH CHANGES
Item 12(C)(5), recommendation that the BCC adopt an
ordinance amending 88-11, the beach and water safety and vessel
control ordinance. Good morning, Mr. Olliff.
MR. OLLIFF: Good morning. For the record, Tom Olliff,
public services administrator. 12(C)(5) is a recommendation that has
actually made its way to you as -- as a result of a subcommittee of
the Marco Island Beach Renourishment Committee. It is a committee
whose sole function on Marco Island is to -- to look after and address
and permit requirements in regards to vendors on the beach and issues
of structures on the beach as it relates to the beach renourishment
project on Marco Island. As part of the beach vendor ordinance, as
this is generally called, Ordinance 89-11, the majority of beach
vendors in Collier County's area lie on Marco Island. There are some
in the Vanderbilt Beach area, but primarily they're on Marco Island.
And some of the issues that you see before you in the way of these
ordinance amendments are the result of not only some citizen issues
that have been raised as a result of jet skis and beach concession
vendors on Marco Island, but they've also, just so you know, have been
worked through most of the vendors, not only on Marco, but in
Vanderbilt Beach and, I believe, have the support of those vendors.
But I know that there are a large number of speakers for this item; so
I'll try and make this presentation as brief as I can.
We presented to you yesterday -- and hopefully you all
received a copy of an ordinance that is a little easier to read,
frankly, than what was in your agenda package; that was simply just a
copying issue. If you don't have it, I do have some extra copies of
the actual reprinted ordinance for you. But to keep things simple, I
think there are six changes to the old ordinance from 1989 that are
being recommended to you. And, generally, they are all in the way of
additional restrictions on the operations of jet skis in and around
the beaches of Collier County.
The first and probably most important issue is that the
distance the jet skis are allowed to operate at a -- a full throttle
or open operation is -- is move -- moving from 500 feet to 700 feet,
750 feet. That area is -- is currently marked by buoy system, and the
buoys would simply be moved out to 750 feet from the shoreline so that
those renting jet skis or operating jet skis would be aware of that.
In addition, we're recommending that the ordinance be
amended to require stock or better mufflers on all jet skis. That's
easy to regulate from the rental operations, but Marco Island, as well
as some other areas of the county, have a lot of people who bring jet
skis and use public boat ramps in the area, and that is an issue with
those particular jet skis.
We're also indicating that we would like to -- to
require some large letter identification on the jet skis that are
coming from the rental companies so that you can tell which rental
company is -- is -- owns the jet ski, and this is probably more,
again, in regards to those jet skis that use the public boat ramps so
that we know when violations do occur, either we can talk to the
vendor, or if they are not marked, then we know that that is somebody
that privately owns one, and we need to talk to them privately about
that.
Fourthly, wewre -- wewre asking that anyone who is
renting a jet ski be required to initial a document that says that
they have reviewed and understand the ordinance requirements and --
and the statute language that regulate jet ski operations.
Fifthly, wewre suggesting that the ordinance be amended
simply to reflect some statutes that were passed in this last
legislative session that regulate the age of the persons who are
allowed to operate jet skis. This is already a law in Florida
Statute, but we simply want to make the county ordinance reflect
exactly the language of the statute so the public doesnwt have to look
in there two or three places to find that same regulation.
And lastly, an additional change recommended from the
subcommittee would authorize licensed vendors in addition to law
enforcement and emergency personnel to drive a motorized water vessel
to engage in a rescue attempt. The way the ordinance currently is
worded, only law enforcement or emergency personnel who generally
arenwt on site when an issue occurs out 750 or 500 feet off the
shoreline, the vendors are required to have chase boats. They are
generally the people who can respond quickest to an emergency. So
wewre amending the ordinance to allow them to actually go out and
attempt the rescue as well.
Those -- those are primarily the changes. As youwll
see, most of them are in way of trying to place some additional
restrictions on jet ski operations. The only other one thatws not
listed there -- if you will look at the ordinance, first page on line
22, that sentence actually reads, Whereas, Collier County Ordinance
89-11, as amended, prohibits the operation of jet skis within a
distance of 500 feet. Thatws not correct. It regulates as opposed to
prohibits, and we would like to change that one word "prohibits" to
"regulates," because it does require idle-speed operations until you
get out to the 750-foot mark.
With that, Iwm available to answer any questions, and I
think there are some public speakers.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I have one question. On page 7 of
what you handed to us today on paragraph 9, the last element that
constitutes reckless operation, it says or swerving at the last moment
to avoid collision constitute reckless operation. I understand what
youwre trying to say there, which is the chicken game which you run at
each other. However, the way thatws worded, you have to run into them
to avoid reckless operation. I think we can smooth that one a little
bit better than itws presented.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Perhaps the adverb
"intentionally."
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Intentionally.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Somehow just -- I want that clarified
because the way it reads -- the way it reads, you know -- well, you
ran in to him, so I canwt cite you. Thatws the only thing I had
operationally. Have any questions for staff on this?
Mr. McNees, how many speakers do we have on the item?
MR. McNEES: You have seven.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have seven. For those people that
are here, the standard rule on this is a maximum of five minutes
allowed. Therews a little box here. When it turns yellow, you have
30 seconds left. When it turns red, Iwm going to ask you to complete
your comment and have a seat. Would you go ahead and start calling
the speakers, Mr. McNees.
MR. McNEES: Yes, sir. First would be Lisa Garmon
followed by Scott Shook.
MS. GARHON: (Inaudible - didn't speak into microphone
at podium.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No, ma'am, you cannot. Please
proceed to a microphone.
MS. GARHON: I need to go to the bathroom.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Ms. Garmon -- no, ma'am. Either
speak now or waive your right.
MS. GARHON: Gee whiz, other hearings you've allowed
people to postpone the speaker, but that's fine.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You can hand that to Mr. Weigel to
your left there. He'll hand those out to the board. Thank you.
MS. GARHON: Thank you. My name is Lisa Garmon. I'm a
resident of Marco Island. I've been vacationing on the beach for 12
years. I want you to know that I have taken the pulse of the people
on Marco Island, beach lovers and beach dwellers. I've personally
spoken to hundreds of them. And residents and beach lovers, beach
dwellers, do not want the county to continue concessions of jet ski
rentals on our beach. We do not want tons of regulations to -- to
regulate them. What we want is tranquility returned to our beach.
Government put the ordinance in. It can easily take it out.
We believe there's been a huge mistake made, a mistake
that needs correcting. In 1989 the DEP compromise was to put small
one-seater 35 mil -- mile-per-hour water scooters on the beach. There
were about three of them, I remember, at that time at the Marriott,
and that's all. Since then the Yamaha Corporation has escalated the
power and subsequent noise of the WaveRunners.
Today we have 43 -- that was my last count -- huge
600-pound machines being rented on our beachfront. They're noisy.
They're powerful water screamers. And when the jet pump hits a wave,
you hear the (speaker made verbal sound effects) of the jet propeller
that we talked about before.
It's -- it's terrible noise, and there are people who
suffer from the noise. I spoke with a man whose wife has Alzheimers
who suffers from the noise. A woman with Lupus suffers from the
noise. Several diabetics with sensitive nervous systems suffer from
the noise. A woman -- I spoke to a woman's husband who told me that
her -- his wife is extremely noise sensitive who lives in my
building. Recent research is proving that environmental stress can
cause the hypothalamus of the brain to misfire neurons affecting the
whole central nervous system. This -- it's no wonder that this noise
in a place that has traditionally been tranquil is not wanted.
The county only makes $250 a year from annual permits
from each vendor and about $10 for the occupational license. That's
per -- peanuts. The county isn't making any money off of these
machines. The general manager at the Radisson told me that last year
the Radisson alone grossed $500,000 from jet ski gross revenue.
My understanding is -- when I looked into what it takes
to become a vendor, is that the locations skim about 20 percent off
the top. That may be wrong. It's according to individual contract.
I spoke to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Excuse me, Miss Garmon. I'm going to
ask you to keep your comments pertinent to the ordinance in front of
us today which has nothing to do with the operation of the businesses
on the beach that have vendors in front of them, please. This is
about the -- the ordinance itself and the operation of the vendors,
not of the person that allows them to operate in front. Thank you.
MS. GARMON: What we want to see happen is that the
occupational licenses are scratched and that you return the beachfront
to launching quiet wind- or muscle-powered vessels on our beachfront.
That's what we want. We are not asking for anything unusual or
selfish. We are acting in the best interest of the community. We are
not the ones who want anything special. Jet skis are the ones that
want something special. They are an elitist group. We only want
something that as an American -- in America we have always had. It's
called being a good neighbor.
It's only rights, not responsibilities, that jet ski
vendors care about. They care about themselves and making revenue.
I'm more important than my environment, than the birds and the sea and
the animals and the land, and this offends us right down to the guts
of our existence. We want our tranquil beachfront back with the
launching of quiet wind- or muscle-powered vessels. At the very
least, at the very least, return to the DEP recognized
35-mile-per-hour one-seaters and a day of tranquility every other
day. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Miss Garmon.
MS. GARMON: Thank you very much.
MR. McNEES: Scott Shook followed by Frank Blanchard.
MR. SHOOK: Okay. I'm Scott Shook. I'm the recreation
director at the Charter Club, and I operate our sailing program
there. I, for the most part, support the WaveRunner people, but I
have a few problems with the Ordinance 89-11. Number one deals with
enforcement. I've had three sailboats hit by WaveRunners in the last
two years. The most recent one was December 26th. It took an hour
and a half and three phone calls from me to get anybody out there to
investigate the accident. I felt the accident was investigated
shoddily. And as a result, I wrote Sheriff Hunter a two-page typed
letter requesting that he contact me so I could discuss it with him
and --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm going to have to interrupt you.
We, the Board of County Commissioners, doesn't do water enforcement.
That's either the sheriff's office, Florida Marine Patrol, or the U.S.
Coast Guard. So we really can't have an effect on what -- an agency's
performing enforcement, inspection, and so forth. So although I --
I'm not --
MR. SHOOK: I'm just trying to demonstrate why I think
this ordinance needs --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But we can't address that in this
ordinance because we don't control that; the sheriff or Florida Marine
Patrol or U.S. Coast Guard does.
MR. SHOOK: Okay. So I think the -- in the ordinance I
think the enforcement section needs to be strengthened.
Number two, I think the speed and numbers of the
watercraft in the small area that they have to operate in needs to be
regulated. I think there needs to be a speed limit sign posted or
maybe more than one out there, because the people who are out there
don't know what the speed limit is. And I think the craft are capable
of going very fast. I think there needs to be some speed limit out
there. I know there is a speed limit, but people don't know what it
is.
The third thing is safety. I'm concerned because a lot
of times I see small children riding in front of adults on the
WaveRunners. The problem I have with that is that I think it makes it
hard for the operator of the machine to control the machine and steer
the machine, and they spend a lot of time looking at the child instead
of watching where they're going and watching out for other craft.
As far as the numbers of machines, what we have out
there is basically a corridor, and there's a lot of people going back
and forth at a high speed. And I think if you don't limit the number
-- if the number continues to grow, it becomes more dangerous. And
the third thing is -- well, I guess that was the third thing.
So that's -- the three things that I think is we need to
strengthen the enforcement. We need to put a speed limit sign and a
-- as far as safety, I think we need to make sure that there's
adequate rescue craft. We lost a beach worker in November because --
in my opinion, if there would have been adequate rescue craft, he
could have been saved. He went out on a WaveRunner, to save another
WaveRunner, and I think with notification to the different beach
vendors, somebody could have saved him. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: He died?
MR. SHOOK: Uh-huh. And I think if he would have been
-- if somebody would have went out with a rescue boat instead of
another Waverunner, that he would have been -- he would have been able
to stay with the rescue boat. And that's all I have to say. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. HcNEES: Mr. Blanchard to be followed by Charles
Huttinger.
MR. BLANCHARD: Good morning, Commissioners. My name is
Frank Blanchard. I'm the chairman of the Marco Island Beach
Renourishment Committee. Back in late 1988, '89, we worked with you,
the county commission, to get an ordinance that had provisions of
maintaining idle speed of craft close to the shore and to keep the
noise down. That was county commission, 89-11.
In late 1995 a group of people expressed strong concern
about the noise and safety in the coastal water because of personal
watercraft. We have held two public hearings on Marco Island, one of
which Commissioner Norris attended all day; two meetings with the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. We've met with the marine
patrol, Officer Grady Johnson, and the sheriff deputy on Marco. I've
reviewed these changes with people in Vanderbilt Beach to be sure that
those two beach vendors on Vanderbilt Beach concur in the proposals
that are being made, and they do. The outcome of these changes that
we have suggested will be to further tighten these regulations and --
and fill in those missing gaps.
To refresh your memory, the problem really starts in
that the enforcement of this ordinance is difficult. And we were
asked by previous commissions to have a way of negotiating harmony or
peace on the beach, and I think that we have done so. Charlie
Huttinger has been the chairman of our subbeach (sic) committee
subcommittee, and I think that most everyone will congratulate Charlie
for having harmony and cooperation with all parties concerned on the
beach, and so I'd like to have Charlie Huttinger tell you what his
activities have been.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Blanchard, does that wrap up your
individual comments?
MR. BLANCHARD: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Just wanted to make sure.
Thank you.
MR. BLANCHARD: Oh, I'm done.
MR. HUTTINGER: Hi. Good morning. My name is Charlie
Huttinger. I'm chairman of the Beach Vendor Monitoring Committee.
And I think the last time I was here trying to modify the same
ordinance, Commissioner Norris said there are already too many laws on
the books. I didn't agree with him at the time, but I do agree with
him now. And Commissioner Constantine, who was then the chairman,
said go be a good neighbor and negotiate. And that's what we did.
And we've come to about 25 agreements with the vendors about keeping
the beach clean and walkways and those sorts of things.
And then we started having public meetings discussing
WaveRunners. And I will tell you all these WaveRunners have mufflers
on them now. They all have decals explaining the rules of operation.
I find the vendors very cooperative. We're talking about 40 people,
and there are 40,000 WaveRunners in Florida.
Now, in the public meetings we had, there were 120
people at the one meeting where Commissioner Norris was, and we all
agreed that it was the private individuals. We have no control over
those people. At one time there was a hot spot in front of the Apollo
-- well, it's been there before, but in front of the Apollo and the
Sea Winds, and these are condominiums that rent by the week or by the
weekend. And they attract a lot of east coast boats that are hopped
up and go 70 miles an hour. I can't control them.
I got Grady Johnson to come down one Saturday afternoon,
and he wrote ten tickets. But I would caution you to be very careful
about being too restrictive or coming up with too many regulations
because neither the sheriff's department nor the marine patrol has the
manpower nor the equipment to enforce all these rules. It just can't
be done. The enforcement we've got is self enforcement, and it's
working pretty good. We can control those 40 boats, but we can't do
anything about the other boats.
Now, we need to put the buoys back in at 750 feet.
They've been moved around. We need to put signs at every boat ramp,
and that's about the best we can do. And I'll be glad to answer any
questions.
Oh, two things that were brought up, you can't put a
speed limit out there. Who's going to stand with the radar gun and
decide whether they're going 20 miles an hour or 25? That doesn't
work.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Besides, someone would just run into
it.
MR. HUTTINGER: Yeah. And, in fact, that -- the portion
about initialing the -- that's Florida Statute. They set it that way,
Commissioner. But they're doing all those things now. They're
initialing that they've read those items. They're -- they're doing
most of the things already. And I'll be glad to answer your
questions, but I don't think we can make it much more restrictive.
Now, we do intend to have meetings about every two
months with all the vendors and ask for public comment. As far as the
boy who drowned, they now have a policy on the beach that won't one
boat go, all the vendors will go. So thank you very much. I'll
answer questions.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Charlie. Seeing none,
we'll go to our next public speaker.
MR. McNEES: Next is Gavriel Mairone followed by A1
Price.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Just while he's coming up, I'd
like the record to reflect that Mr. Huttinger, a noted Democrat, is
now advocating less government regulations.
(Laughter)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I will ask, because of the number of
speakers, if you are speaking and representing a view that's already
been presented, please ask you not to be redundant.
MR. MAIRONE: Okay. Thank you, Commissioners. My name
is Gavriel Mairone. I'm a resident of Marco Island, Collier County,
since 1986. I'm one of the owners of the concession in back of the
Radisson Hotel on the Radisson beach. I'm also a rescue diver and a
-- a -- on behalf of our concession, of course, we are supporting the
changes to the ordinance. And I just wanted to make a couple of
comments in response to some of the things you've heard. I also have
some pictures of our operation that were taken about six months ago
which I thought may be interesting, because it gives you a little bit
more of a view of what is happening on the beach.
One of the good things about the beaches on Marco
Island, I think in Florida in general, is that the beaches are public
beaches and for all the -- the enjoyment of all the residents and
visitors. Depending on the season, 20 to 50 percent of the people who
rent WaveRunners on our beach are -- are residents of Collier County.
Many of them are -- or they're guests of residents of Collier County.
And especially during the summer a substantial number are residents of
Florida, and they come over from the east coast. If we didn't have
our own rental facilities available here locally, then I think that
you would see a tremendous increase in the number of WaveRunners
coming from other counties, which are almost impossible to regulate, I
think, as you've seen, whereas one of the advantages of having the
concessions, that we are accountable and we're local. And -- and it's
easy to -- to monitor us.
It's not readily known how many rescue efforts actually
originate from the vendors on the beach, but it's -- it's numbered in
the hundreds. And typically a rescue may be on a windcraft where it's
inexperienced sailors going out there, and they capsize, and they're
having problems righting it. And the fact that we have WaveRunners on
it and we're monitoring out there constantly, we're also in
communication on the emergency bands. It's very typical that either
our personnel or personnel around us are able to go out there and
assist people in the water that are having troubles. And I would say
that every -- a week doesn't go by that one of our staff isn't out
there assisting someone. In the majority of the cases, they're not
someone that we're renting to, but it's someone who just happens to be
out on the water and maybe less experienced. So one of the great
advantages of the concessions is having a tremendous number of assets
on the beach.
The one unfortunate incident that's been mentioned today
of someone losing a life was a kind of heroic act, and that person's
act was attempting to rescue some other people. And I think that
perhaps the procedures -- he himself may not have been clear about a
typical rescue procedure. In our company we're very clear and spend a
lot of time training in terms of rescue. In addition, there was not
communication to the other vendors at that time, and the sole
communication went to the authorities. By the time the authorities
were able to come, it was hours later, and we got into a darkness
situation, and the person was left in the water, and we were unable to
find him. Now we've -- we're tightening that up to make more
communication, which again brings the full amount of assets into a
situation like that. I think with that kind of cooperation, I doubt
that we'll see such a -- such a horrendous result again.
Another service that the vendors provide is -- is
cleaning and maintenance services. Every day all of the vendors in
front of all their beaches literally sweep the beach, and there's --
there's a -- there's a lot of activity at night on the beaches, and --
and also the --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sir, again, I'm going to interrupt
you. I'm sure that's a valuable service, but it has nothing to do
with the ordinance in front of us today. Can we please stay on that
item? Thank you.
MR. HAIRONE: Okay. All right. Well, fine. The last
-- let me just wrap up then with two quick comments that again relate
to prior comments that were made by others. We do provide over 60
jobs on the beach. Our -- our vendors have been on the beach since
1985.
And the comments about that there were not -- there were
only three WaveRunners at the Marriott in 1989 is -- is inaccurate.
At that time there was about six concessions, all of them renting
vehicles. This is not a new condition of having WaveRunners on the
beach.
And that's it. I want to thank -- thank you for the
opportunity to speak today. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. HcNEES: Two more speakers, A1 Price followed by
Mark Bahr.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And Mr. Bahr, again, is the final
speaker?
MR. HcNEES: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. PRICE: A1 Price, regional chief engineer at the
Marco Island Hilton Beach Resort. I just would like to address three
issues. And I agree with the proposed changes, and I would like to
comment that we do police our own very well. I'm a -- I'm a pilot,
and I'm a marine operator, a diver. I actually own a WaveRunner.
Excuse me, but I do.
We have implemented safety procedures that are, I think,
best that's done. We have aviation-style checklists for each machine
every morning that's gone through. There's preoperational checklists
that is gone through. All of our machines have flare kits with
whistles, dye markers, and mirrors. We've taken extreme detail since
the incident with Scott to prevent anything like that again. Any of
our excursions, there's a cell phone on board. They file float
plans. We really strickened (sic) up the restrictions. We monitor
strict operations, and they -- none of ours do operate hazardously.
We have Hs, red Hs already in place on the front of our machines.
And I'd like to say when we went to Fort Myers for the
upcoming training session, that Yamaha represent -- was there and
represented themselves, and they -- they said that only 2 percent of
their total sales go to rental operations. So 98 percent of their
sales are to individuals. And, again, we have a problem with the
individuals on the beach that you can -- you know, it's hard to
maintain.
We are a beach resort. The majority of the guests at
our hotel come to enjoy water facilities, watercraft, water
activities. And that's -- the majority of the people on Marco Island
participate in some type of water activity, and that's generally why
they're there. The -- those -- you know, the WaveRunners aren't the
only thing that make exhaust noises and things like that. We have a
lot of commercial operations. The Key Wester is going back and forth,
and there's a lot of things in there.
I would -- I would -- I would caution the commission to
make regulations that single out WaveRunners from any other type of
marine operation. And you -- you put a WaveRunner past -- out in an
area that it's only allowed to go 20 miles an hour, but everything
else around it is allowed to go whatever speed, it needs to safely
navigate the waterways. If you've ever been -- the majority of the
WaveRunners don't have speedometers to begin with. Only the bigger
ones do; so it's kind of hard to tell them only go 20 miles an hour
when they have no means to tell that and -- and when the other craft
around it do not have to operate that. And if you've ever operated a
WaveRunner, you know that sea conditions require you go faster or
slower depending on what the wake breaking across the nose of the
craft is. So -- and we -- we strongly suggest safe operational speed
in that area.
The noise -- the noise issue is -- is always a concern
with us. But, again, if you get much further than 750 feet off the
beach, you can't observe safely what is going on out there, and your
rescue efforts are going to be delayed. You're renting a watercraft
for 30 minutes, and 33 percent of that time is spent in idle out to
and back from the safe zones. So, you know, you're already -- we've
already restricted 33 percent of their activity to quiet activity.
I just would -- would implore the commission to leave a
lot of the regulation up to the -- to the vendors, that we do act
responsibly. There are occasions where certain individuals act beyond
the rules and their training and don't act responsibly. Again, the
incident with Scott was unfortunate. Had he not been -- had to rescue
so far off the beach, he may have been a little different outcome.
Had the notification system been better, there would have been a
different outcome. However, the cause of death there, I believe, was
hypothermia, drowning due to hypothermia, which is the largest killer
two to one over any accident, including alcohol-related incidents of
watercraft.
So I just -- education and close monitoring by the
vendors, I believe, is the best bet. And I apologize for the few
people that don't like the noise of the watercraft or the activity,
and we do try to restrict that, because a lot of our British guests
and European guests don't like noise either. So we try to keep that
noise down and keep guest satisfaction to the highest possible, and I
think all the hotels do the same. But I don't think you can cite any
of us for acting irresponsibly or without care to the environment or
the people. I thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. McNEES: Your last speaker is Mark Bahr.
MR. BAHR: Good morning. My name is Mark Bahr. I'm the
owner of the concession at the Marriott on Marco Island, Marco
Island's Ski and Water Sports. We've been in business, open
year-round, since 1981. And I'm here just to support the amendments
to the ordinance. I think the ordinance is somewhat of a model
ordinance. All the other vendors are in favor of it.
We have comprehensive checklists. I won't -- there's
not much left to be said other than what everyone else has already
said. I have a sample WaveRunner operating rules checklist I would
like to share with you if you're interested in seeing that.
We're constantly improving that and updating it.
There's new laws, and this one will be updated due to the new Florida
law, and I'm just saying that we're -- all the vendors are in favor of
it. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Close the public hearing. Are there
any questions or comments by board members?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'll make a motion to approve the
ordinance with the changes noted earlier by Mr. Olliff.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Those changes which are, in fact,
increased restrictions on operation and notice to users of -- of jet
skis?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. I -- I was referring to the
typographical changes in my motion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Is there a second?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'll second it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Second by Commissioner Hac'Kie. Any
discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, motion carries unanimously.
Item #12C6
RESOLUTION 97-77 RE PETITION AV-96-25, BURT L. SAUNDERS, REPRESENTING
HARK WOODWARD, TRUSTEE, REQUESTING VACATION OF A PORTION OF ROAD
RIGHT-OF-WAY AS SHOWN ON STATE ROAD 45 RIGHT-OF-WAY HAP - ADOPTED
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Item 12(C)(6), Petition AV-96-25.
Let me see if you can save Mr. Mullet some time. This is outdated
right-of-way, never to be used again as right-of-way. Nothing sits
there; no problems that we know of?
MR. HULLER: For the record, Russ Mullet. We're not
going to use it as right-of-way, but as a drainage and utility
easement.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And we have that worked out with the
petitioner?
MR. HULLER: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions of Mr. Mullet?
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Are there any rights that are
connected with this that we give up when we do this? COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes.
MR. HULLER: Yes. We do give up rights of public use of
the land with the exceptions of drainage and so forth, the key being
that we don't anticipate or foresee this being needed for that purpose
-- for any other purpose.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is there any speakers, Mr. HcNees?
MR. HcNEES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I assume -- I'll close the public
hearing.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Move approval.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Motion and a second. Any
discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, motion carries unanimously.
Item #13A1
RESOLUTION 97-78 RE PETITION V-96-29, CRAIG R. WOODWARD, ESQUIRE,
REPRESENTING JAMES AND RUTH ANN WALCOTT REQUESTING AN AFTER-THE-FACT
1.95 FOOT VARIANCE TO THE REQUIRED 7.5 FOOT SIDE SETBACK TO 5.55 FEET
FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1582 BISCAYNE WAY, LOT 8, BLOCK 284, MARCO
BEACH UNIT 8 - ADOPTED
Item -- I misplaced it, Item 13(A)(1), under advertised
public hearings, Petition V-96-25, variance on Marco Island.
MR. REISCHL: Fred Reischl, planning services. This is
a request for a variance for an existing pool cage, 1.95 feet of the
side-yard setback. And this has been existing for 20 years. There
have been no complaints in those 20 years. I have received no
correspondence since the advertisement, and staff recommends approval.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: By approving this variance, in
essence, what we're saying, if they wish to reconstruct the cage, then
they do so at the existing setback? That wouldn't have to conform to
the -- the side yard? They would be allowed to do it at its existing
location?
MR. REISCHL: Yes. It will run -- run with the land.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Is there -- are there any
questions for staff?
Any questions for the petitioner on this?
Do we have any public speakers, Mr. HcNees?
MR. HcNEES: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to approve the item.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any discussion?
Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, two fine presentations, Mr. Woodward.
MR. WOODWARD: Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Worth the wait, huh?
MR. WOODWARD: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Item 13(A)(2) has been withdrawn.
Item #13A3
RESOLUTION 97-79 RE PETITION CU-95-23, WILLIAM L. HOOVER REPRESENTING
FERRIL A. BOUTILIER REQUESTING CONDITIONAL USE "2" OF THE RHF-6 ZONING
DISTRICT FOR A CHURCH AND CHURCH RELATED FACILITIES FOR PROPERTY
LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF GUILFORD ROAD 900 FEET WEST OF EAST
TAMIAMI TRAIL - ADOPTED
13(A)(3), Petition 96-23, Mr. Hoover requesting
conditional use 2 of RHF-6 zoning for a church on Guilford Road.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Good afternoon.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Badamtchian.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Good morning, Commissioners, Charam
Badamtchian from planning services staff. This is a conditional use
for a church to be located on Guilford Road in East Naples. And the
property is zoned RHF-12, contains 2 acres. The petitioner is
proposing to build a church for 185 seats. There are two other
churches on this road.
However, neighbors, they don't have any objection to
this request except that they were a little bit concerned about the
traffic, traffic light on -- at the intersection of Guilford Road and
U.S. 41. And we contacted the Florida Department of Transportation,
and they are planning to provide a traffic light once the East Trail
is six-laned. The Planning Commission heard this petition and
recommended approval.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions of staff?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One of the options would be
for 12 apartments on this same property?
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: The other options would be -- it's a
2-acre lot zoned RHF-12 -- RHF-6, I'm sorry. That means 12-unit
apartment.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And we had no objections from the
residents in the neighborhood at the Planning Commission regarding the
use, just the traffic concern of the --
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: I have received two letters in favor
of this petition from property owners on either side of the site.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Are there any questions of the
petitioner on this matter?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Hove approval.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Second.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a motion and a second. Is
there any discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, fine presentation, Mr. Hoover.
Item #13A4
PETITION SV-96-5, TRACY L. LEBLANC REPRESENTING TOYS "R" US, INC.,
REQUESTING A VARIANCE FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF TWO WALL SIGNS FOR
SHOPPING CENTER OUTPARCELS TO THREE WALL SIGNS - DENIED
Item 13(A)(4), Petition SV-96-5, Tracy LeBlanc
representing Toys R Us requesting a variance from requirements of two
wall signs for shopping center outparcel to three wall signs. Mr.
Badamtchian.
MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Commissioner, this is a variance that
-- it's a sign variance for Toys R Us. They already have two signs,
but code says they have -- they are entitled to have two signs, one
facing the shopping center, other one facing the road. They chose to
install the one of those sides facing the shopping center and the
other one facing the parking lot they have on the side. Now they are
coming and asking for a third sign, and they are also entitled to a
pole sign that they have not installed. And staff believes there is
no reason for this variance to be granted, therefore, recommends
denial. Planning Commission heard this variance and unanimously
recommended denial.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Under current Land Development Code
they could construct a pole sign. MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But they cannot construct a wall sign
without a variance, a third wall sign. MR. BADAMTCHIAN: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is similar to the Barnes and
Noble that came before us two years ago?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Except for it's a much uglier
building than the Barnes and Noble that came before us a couple years
ago.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And although that can't be a part of
our decision, we certainly appreciate that comment.
Is the petitioner here? If the petitioner's not here,
I'll close the public hearing.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Motion to deny.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Second it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any discussion?
Seeing none, all those in favor of the denial state
aye.
Opposed?
(No response)
Seeing none, Petition SV-96-5 is denied unanimously.
Item #14A
COMMISSIONER NORRIS RE CITY COUNCIL/COUNTY COMMISSION RELATIONS
We are now down to BCC communications. Commissioner
Hac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I have one, to wish my mother a
happy birthday.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is being tape-recorded and will
be sent to other members of the family.
Commissioner Norris.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Just a disturbing thing that has
-- has transpired here over the last week or so with the city, some
members of the city council perhaps proposing some exclusionary
movements on city-owned property and -- which -- which really would
perhaps start the process of vulcanization of Collier County. I
certainly would hate to -- to see any of that sort of thing get
started. I think we've worked pretty hard over the last several years
to -- to advance relations between city and county. I don't know if
the board has any interest in perhaps writing a letter of some sort to
the city council expressing our desire to continue on a positive
relationship and really that we would prefer not to get into this sort
of exclusionary discussions that -- that we seem to be hearing from
time to time now.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I will be writing a letter to the
mayor, because obviously any one commission member can write a letter
to the city council saying anything they want. It's not necessarily
representative of the board. And I think the veiled threat of
excluding county residents from city facilities was not the intent of
the full council nor the mayor's office, and I'll be asking the mayor
to -- to confirm that, and then we'll just treat it as it was, which
was a singular response to an action that someone apparently didn't
like.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I like Commissioner Norris's
suggestion that you send that on behalf of the whole board.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that agreed?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Agreed.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I will do that. Hiss Filson,
if you will draft that for me, please, for my signature today or
tomorrow. Thank you.
Item #14B
COHMISSIONER BERRY RE STATION 12 EMS FACILITY
Commissioner Berry.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Yes. On last Friday I attended the
dedication of Station No. 12 of the EHS facility out -- you're not
going to be able to see this. However, anyway, this is a new facility
out on Immokalee Road by the fairgrounds, and this is Station No. 12,
as I said. And this is going to be a great thing for the response
time for the EHS system. They indicated this would cut response time
in that area from 20 minutes to 6. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Wow.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: So this is certainly beneficial.
And it's a beautiful facility, and if you haven't seen it, you need to
go take a look. And I wanted them -- I told them I could bring the
plaque down, you could all take a look at it, and then it will go back
out to that facility where it will be placed.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is your first building to get
your name on that's not a school. COHMISSIONER BERRY: Yes, it is.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Congratulations. Thank you,
Commissioner Berry.
Item #14C
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE RE THE POSSIBLE INCORPORATION OF THE UTILITY
ORDINANCE INTO THE LDC - TO BE DISCUSSED AT A FUTURE DATE
Commissioner Constantine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I have a few short items.
First, I want to wish Pam's mother a happy birthday. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Hi, Mom.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You two are so close.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm going to bring up for
discussion in the coming weeks, but I just wanted to pass it on to
you, the possibility of rolling the utility ordinance into our Land
Development Code, and there's a number of reasons for that, not
necessarily any substantive -- substantive change to the ordinance --
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Substantive?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you. -- change to the
ordinance itself, but I think it may streamline a number of our
procedures if that is all under one code. And I'll let --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We'll see that at a later date then.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Fantastic.
Item #14D
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE RE REVISITATION OF AGENDA ITEMS
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Second item, I just want to
have a brief discussion and see if the other board members are as
irritated as I that we seem to have a habit now of revisiting issues
two and three times in the last couple of months. And it's just -- as
I said earlier, it's not an efficient use of our time or the public's
time or the staff's time. And if we could ask that not only -- our
question earlier was on accuracy of information, but also we've had a
number of items where we had incomplete information come to us, and --
and I don't know how we respond to that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, the TDC had the same problem on
a -- a greater scale that applications that weren't complete or
whatever were still finding their way forward. As far as I'm
concerned, if it's not complete and ready for hearing, reject it out
of hand and let it go through the advertising process all over again
rather than continuing it for long enough for them to get their ducks
in a row more -- I agree with you.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, what if it's our staff that
hasn't done the work?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, then we need to reject it out
of hand, and whoever's in charge of that staff member that didn't do
their job needs to take note of that and take the appropriate action,
period. You know, you can hold people accountable. And, you know, I
know from a consultant's side, if I ever came before this body without
my ducks in a row, you get your head handed to you. You need to have
your act together. And our staff needs to approach it with the same
perspective. The majority do.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I was hoping someone else
would share that opinion, because it just is very frustrating to have
those things come back over and over.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The majority do. But what we need --
and, Mr. HcNees, this is something you and I can talk about further,
but we may need a more increased level of supervisor review of
executive summaries and information before they get -- it finds its
way to the agenda. That may be where the problem lies in that the
staff member's allowed to place on the agenda without supervisor
review, because I know many of the supervisors, if they had seen some
of these items, they -- in more detail, they probably would not have
allowed them to get here; so that may be a procedural issue.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And just to dovetail with that,
it seems -- it may be semantics, but when you have to review something
that someone else has written, if all you have to sign is something
that says reviewed by, that's one level of review. If you have to say
approved by or recommended by, I -- I think that that's a change that
needs to be on our executive summaries, that as it comes up, we know
that it's recommended by those who reviewed it.
Item #14E
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE RE RELOCATION OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Final comment, and I picked
this up through the grapevine. And I don't know how accurate it is;
but, Mr. McNees, we may want to do some homework and find out, Ford
Motor Company, once again, talking about leaving and, again, merely a
rumor item or a grapevine item, but I don't think it's one we want to
let take on any life if it's not true. And if it is true, we probably
want to jump on it right away.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think we've expressed an interest
in dialogue with them and have had it in the past with a coalition of
individuals. So, Mr. McNees, if you could somewhat reactivate that
and see if the grapevine is true.
Commissioner Mac'Kie, on the last item you just
mentioned, I am all for our staff being a position advocate, but I
think it's incumbent upon this board that if our staff advocates a
position and we disagree with it, not to -- not to verbally abuse
people on this dais because there has in the past been commissioners
that will -- that enjoyed that for some strange reason. And I think
if we're going to ask our staff to advocate positions, then we need to
be responsible and mature in how we -- if we disagree, we disagree and
go on. But I think there is some fear about advocating positions on
the staff level for that reason.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But why do we have -- I mean,
certainly, and I don't think you're suggesting that I have been --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not you, no.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm referring to past boards.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Good. But -- but we have
professional staff because they are professional staff, and I want
their recommendations, and then I'll choose to accept or reject it for
my vote, but I want recommendations from professional staff. And
that's what I was disappointed with in the environmental issue that
was here today, is I wanted to hear from -- from our staff what their
professional recommendation is. And I think that's why they get paid.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Great. Commissioner Norris, I'm
sorry. I think I kicked in -- I activated something in you there.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I think your -- we may be
getting into the point of sending conflicting signals to the staff,
because I think a few years ago -- Commissioner Constantine will
verify this -- we sort of directed staff to not give us
recommendations on land use items in particular and some others like
that. Now, if we're going to reverse that, we need to make that a
formal decision because we're sending conflicting --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I can explain why we
suggested that at the time, was what we had was --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If I clarify my comment, you may not
need to. I was referring to exactly what Commissioner Hac'Kie said,
that the professional opinions, you know, as a -- as a biologist, as a
-- a whatever, you can render an opinion. But I'm not saying that
they should become an advocate for the petition, no, sir.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And that was the problem. If
they were advocating a particular angle, they weren't prepared to
discuss the facts on other angles. And I think what we've looked at
and say if there are various alternatives, we want to have factual
information on all the alternatives.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't want to undo that, agreed.
Item #14F
COMMISSIONER HANCOCK RE SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES
The only item I have is from Hation County; I have a
request to support something from them that is to provide a lic --
specialty license plate to promote adoption of children in lieu of
women terminating unwanted pregnancies. Whether you agree or disagree
with the idea, I think the bottom idea is we've got enough license
plates, and I don't think we need to start making issue license
plates, whether you agree or disagree with the subject matter. I have
no intent of responding to this, but I felt it only appropriate to
bring it to the board. If you wish me to do so as the chairman, I
will.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I agree. I think we have 38
State of Florida license plates now, and that's plenty. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah. I think --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: If we keep making more specialty
license plates, we're going to have to expand Guy Carlton's building
one more time.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Everyone can have their own plate.
Okay. In that case there will be no response to that letter. Staff
communications, Mr. Weigel.
Item #15A
ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY STUDENT RE APPEAL OF CIRCUIT COURT DECISION
RE NAPLES BATH AND TENNIS CLUB - BCC DIRECTION TO PROCEED WITH APPEAL
HR. WEIGEL: Yes, thank you. Three brief things. I'm
going to ask Hargie Student to address the board briefly in regard to
a recent court decision. Hargie.
MS. STUDENT: For the record, Harjorie Student,
assistant county attorney. This is a little bit of deja vu, but you
recall the Naples Bath and Tennis Club PUD required the Planning
Commission to give site plan approval for an accessory use identified
in that PUD for a hotel facility accessory to the tennis academy. The
Planning Commission heard that in June and approved it, and it was
appealed by -- to circuit court by the property owners. Last week we
received an order from the circuit court overturning the Planning
Commission's decision.
We feel that it is in a very good posture to take an
appeal, and we would like board authorization to do that because the
court based its decision upon items that were totally outside of the
record and never presented to the Planning Commission, and even if
they had been, we had staff testimony that there was nothing in the
PUD that stood as an impediment to that. That was also the opinion of
our office, and we feel the court, even though it was improper,
misconstrued the provisions of the PUD that it's based its decision
on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Since you're requesting board action
-- we're under communications. Mr. Weigel, I don't believe that's
appropriate.
MR. WEIGEL: Well, we wanted to inform you. It's
actually -- even a consensus. It's just that we would -- we would
normally proceed to preserve this as an issue to the next level, and
we're not looking for a formal vote. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. WEIGEL: But if there's a consensus, we'll just go
forward, and we wanted to inform you --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, of what Miss Student has said.
Then we're operating on a premise that won't hold up in court, and I
would want to appeal that.
MR. WEIGEL: The county is not a stake holder as such.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right.
MR. WEIGEL: But at the same time we think that the
method of analysis is err -- erroneous here.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I think since we base a lot of
our decisions on the fact that the record alone enters the court
system after it's being heard, if something other than that is
occurring, we need to clarify it one way or the other. And if the
only way to do that is through appeal, I would be supportive. I see
two heads shaking, three, four, okay, that's five.
Item #15B
COUNTY ATTORNEY WEIGEL RE CONTRACT REVIEWS
MR. WEIGEL: Thank you. The other item is in regard to
contract review or contract invention, if you will. So much of the
time the county attorney office reviews contracts for legal
sufficiency. They may be sufficient. They may not necessarily be
operationally the tightest or necessarily have a point of view. And
to a certain extent maybe that comes from attorney experience as to
how much we want as attorneys to involve ourselves in the business
process of the contract. I think we're going to involve ourselves a
little more so in that regard. We understand those things quite
well.
Item #15C
COUNTY ATTORNEY WEIGEL RE REQUEST FROM FORMER COHMISSIONER MATTHEWS FOR
REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES
Lastly, I bring up the fact that the chairman had
received a letter from an attorney on behalf of former Commissioner
Matthews in regard to the reimbursement request the board had made
officially November 19th at the board meeting. And the response
letter was, in fact, a request for reimbursement for some expenses of
approximately $281 incurred in November and December for Miss Matthews
and, well, a categorical rejection of her previous offer to refund 60
percent of the Leadership Florida costs and a rejection of the board's
request and -- and -- and follow-up correspondence of an 80 percent
payment of the Leadership Florida costs. The request of the attorney
on behalf of former Commissioner Matthews is that this reimbursement
of the $281-plus dollars be made promptly. I am prepared, based on
the previous board action, to file a response that there is an
outstanding determined obligation of the board, an obligation upon
Miss Matthews to make the payment.
We have the opportunity at whatever point that the board
may direct to file in small claims court if we wish to. I'm not
necessarily recommending that at this point. It may be that Miss
Matthews through her attorney may or may not decide to file in small
claims court for reimbursement of these -- of these -- of her
reimbursement request, upon which time the county would assert its
appropriate responsive request for significant more reimbursement and,
of course, than the nothing that it's received so far. I just wanted
to inform the board that as nothing more than an attorney professional
protocol, I would be responding to this attorney in the negative to
his request for reimbursement inviting them to resolve the issue based
upon the previous determination of the board.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I would think, at most, if --
if they're appropriate reimbursement expenses, you could credit that
against what she owes the taxpayers of Collier County, but I wouldn't
be willing to do any more than that.
MR. WEIGEL: Well, based on the fact that they're
November, December expenses, it would appear that they are beyond your
original determination of what would be reimbursable.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And all those, again, I think, is
consistent with the previous board action, is that all those
expenditures that are consistent with board policies through the term
of her office are eligible for reimbursement but not until the
taxpayer is repaid for those dollars that we originally requested.
Commissioner Mac'Kie.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Just one comment. I think that
as unpleasant as all of this is, that we need to be as consistent with
this as we're trying to be with other county issues and -- and develop
a board policy because just for example, I mean, with -- with the
county attorney leaving, Mr. Cuyler, I would imagine -- and correct
me, please, if I'm wrong -- that we had -- the county had paid, for
example, his Collier County Bar dues for the year. When he left, does
he owe the county back a pro rata two months if there were two months
left in that calendar year of bar dues? So let's -- let's develop a
standard policy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If you want to add that for -- for an
item on a future agenda, I don't have a problem with it, because the
difference there is he has to be a member of the bar to be our county
attorney. This was an elective opportunity for someone. The two are
very, very different.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And it may well be --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- that a policy would
distinguish between them --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And, frankly, the fact that
Commissioner Matthews is going to go to a very expensive hotel in
March and again in Hay and spend the weekend with Leadership Florida
people is of clearly no benefit to the public anymore, and so I think
that's -- you're right. We need to have a policy. There's a clear
distinction in those cases.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm not suggesting there's not a
distinction. I'm asking that we develop an across-the-board policy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I have no problem with you wanting to
put that together and put it on a future agenda.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Anyone else?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Miss Filson.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Miss Filson.
MS. FILSON: Nothing.
MR. HcNEES: I have --
Item #15D
ACTING COUNTY MANAGER RE STAFF PREPARATION OF AGENDA ITEHS
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Forgot about the county manager.
MR. HcNEES: -- just two brief items by way of response
to a couple of your communication issues. I want to make it clear
that your concerns today regarding accuracy and completeness of
executive summaries have been duly noted. Some of you may recall from
your productivity committee days a number of years ago that we went
through an exhaustive process of redefining how we write fiscal impact
statements and how we deal with the financial part of executive
summaries. It may be time for us to take a little bit harder look at
the other information. What I would ask you is -- what staff wants is
to give you what you need to make your decisions, and so as we go
through this, if you'll continue to communicate with me and with even
the other staff members, we want to bring you what you want, and we'll
make a concerted effort to do that.
The other thing regarding the Ford Motor Company, I have
a meeting already scheduled with a gentleman representing Ford who
wants to talk about the things that they need to be able to continue
to do business here, and I'll keep you all informed on what those
things are and what the process will be so that we don't let that one
slip away.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Great.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Mr. McNees. Is there
anything further?
Seeing none, the meeting is adjourned.
Commissioner Mac'Kie moved, seconded by Commissioner Norris and
carried 4/0 (Commissioner Hancock out), that the following items
under the consent agenda be approved and/or adopted:
Item #16A1
ACCEPTANCE OF WATER AND SEWER FACILITIES FOR CAMELOT PARK AT THE
VINEYARDS - SUBJECT TO STIPULATIONS
O.R. Book Pages
Item #16B1
PROPOSAL FROM HASKINS, INC. TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF PURCHASE ORDER
NO. 702227, TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPAIR OF AN EXISTING RECLAIMED WATER
MAIN PRIOR TO CONNECTION OF A NEW MAIN WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY OF DAVIS
BOULEVARD - IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,550
Item #1682
AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE A REPLACEHENT 580L BACKHOE THROUGH STATE BID
#38-760-001 FROM FALCON POWER IN THE A_MOUNT OF $50,862.00
Item #1683
BUDGET A_MENDHENT TO FUND NECESSARY HODIFICATIONS TO THE NAPLES LANDFILL
LEACHATE PUMP STATION
Item #16C1
BUDGET A_MENDHENT RECOGNIZING AN ADDITIONAL $29,989 IN STATE AID TO
LIBRARIES IN FY 97
Item #16C2
AUTHORIZATION FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION/SOLID WASTE DEPARTHENTS TO
PURCHASE RECYCLED PLAYGROUND SPORTS TURF FROM CONTRACT CONNECTIONS,
INC. FOR THE THE GOLDEN GATE COHMUNITY CENTER PLAYGROUND PROJECT
UTILIZING THE FLORIDA STATE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT PRICING SCHEDULE
CONTRACT - IN THE A_MOUNT OF $40,000.00
Item #16C3
ACCEPTANCE OF $30,000 FLORINET ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY ASSISTANCE GRANT
(LEVEL II) FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, DIVISION OF
LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES, AND THAT THE FUNDS BE PLACED IN
EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS
Item #16D1
ACCEPTANCE OF DRAINAGE EASEHENT FROH VINCENT W. HALERBA AND KATHLEEN H.
HALERBA WHO OWN LOTS 11 AND 12, BLOCK 37, MARCO BEACH UNIT TWO, MARCO
ISLAND, FLORIDA, TO ALLOW THE RELOCATION OF AN EXISTING STORM DRAIN
Item #16D2
RECOHMENDATION TO DECLARE CERTAIN COUNTY-OWNED PROPERTY AS SURPLUS AND
AUTHORIZE A SALE OF THE SURPLUS PROPERTY
Item #16D3
BUDGET AMENDMENT RECOGNIZING CARRY FORWARD IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
FUND 505
Item #16D4
ASSIGNMENT OF THE LAWSUIT TITLED, GREGORY VS. COLLIER COUNTY, CASE
#97-0122-CA-01-TB TO DAVID E. BRYANT, ESQUIRE; STAFF AUTHORIZED TO
PREPARE AN AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT CONTRACT BETWEEN DAVID E. BRYANT,
ESQUIRE AND THE COLLIER COUNTY BOARD OF COHMISSIONERS
Item #16El - Deleted
Item #16E2
BUDGET AMENDMENTS 97-142 AND 97-147
Item #16G
MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE - FILED AND/OR REFERRED
The following miscellaneous correspondence as presented by the
Board of County Commissioners has been directed to the various
departments as indicated:
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 12:09 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS
CONTROL
ATTEST:
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK
TIMOTHY L. HANCOCK, CHAIRMAN
These minutes approved by the Board on
as presented or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF DONOVAN COURT REPORTING
BY: Barbara A. Donovan