BCC Minutes 06/19/1997 B (Budget Workshop)BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETING OF JUNE 19, 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 9:00 a.m. in BUDGET WORKSHOP SESSION in Building "F" of
the Government Complex, East Naples, Florida, with the following
CHAIRMAN:
VICE-CHAIRMAN:
members present:
ALSO PRESENT:
Timothy L. Hancock
Barbara B. Berry
Pamela S. Hac'Kie
John C. Norris
Timothy J. Constantine
Robert Fernandez, County Administrator
Hike HcNees, Asst. County Administrator
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We'll recite the Pledge of Allegiance, please.
(The Pledge of Allegiance was recited in unison.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Good morning, Mr. Smykowski.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Good morning.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez, do we have anything to add
before we turn it over to Mr. Smykowski this morning?
MR. FERNANDEZ: No, we don't.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Quickly, I would just review the batting order
for this morning. The Supervisor of Elections, followed by the Clerk,
then we'll get into the general funds support of capital projects,
then we'll move into our regularly scheduled agenda, which is our
special revenue funds beginning with the unincorporated area, general
funds.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let me interrupt you and make sure we have
people here that were not with us yesterday. The manner in which we
are going to do this is go through what we have scheduled for the day,
and there's a change from last year. Instead of waiting until the end
of the three sessions, we are taking public comment at the conclusion
of each day's session. So we ask that if you have something you wish
to speak on to please submit a speaker slip to Mr. HcNees here, to our
right, to your left, and we will entertain those comments at the
conclusion of each day's session.
Is there anything else? Mr. Norris?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: One more thing, Mr. Chairman. I think we
have all looked over the Supervisor of Elections budget and tell them
just to go on back.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm all for that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: You're excused, Mr. Carvin.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thanks, that's great.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Have a nice day.
MR. CARVIN: Thanks.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Say hi to Mary for us.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: To help out the court reporter, for the benefit
of everyone who was not here yesterday, if you would, please take a
seat in the center at the microphone. Those microphones aren't very
sensitive, you have to speak directly into them. And if you would,
state your name for the court reporter, that would help out
tremendously. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Should we, just in fairness to Ms. Morgan,
should we mention the reduction in her budget?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Absolutely.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Let's do.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Was it three and a half percent reduction in
requested funds from the Supervisor of Elections, something to that
effect?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Go, Mary.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: --kind of impressed.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Either way, but I just wanted to make sure the
words Mary Morgan and reduction were out there. She did a fantastic
job this year.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: As always.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As always. Okay. Mr. Smykowski, next up.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes. We were going to discuss the Clerk of
Courts budget. Shelia Leith is the budget analyst and Mr. Brock is
here as well.
MS. LEITH: We're on page A-12 of your summary book.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And again, I know he introduced you, but name,
please?
MS. LEITH: Oh, sorry. Shelia Leith, budget office.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MS. LEITH: And we're on page A-12 of the summary book and pages
A-22 to 33, I think it is, of the big book.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Starting on A-22, I'm sorry?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. LEITH: The Clerk of Courts budget, we're looking at expanded
position requests of five additional positions. Four of those are
court clerk positions; one is an accountant in the finance department.
This would be in addition to six additional positions that have been
added this year in the Clerk's agency, bringing 11 additional
positions, which is really driving the increase, most of the increase
in cost to that budget for next year.
The total increase in the transfer is 326,000 between FY '97 and
FY '98 budgets.
If you have any specific questions on any particular area of the
budget, we can flip to those areas.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: I have sort of an overall question. We
heard yesterday in the courts and -- well, I guess it was all under
courts -- about the expansion of the caseloads and courts and
bailiffs, et cetera, associated with that. Is there a portion of the
Clerk's budget that's likewise associated with the expansion of court
services?
MR. BROCK: We're -- well, virtually all of the increase in the
Clerk's budget is courts driven. The one position that we are adding
that is not court-related is the financial additional position which
has essentially been mandated to us by the Florida legislature in its
new uniform chart of accounts, in which we have to match by court each
expenditure. So in order to be able to deal with that and make the
conversion that exists, that is necessitated.
There have been a lot of additional burdens that have been placed
on the Clerk of the Circuit Court through legislative enactment. One
of the additional burdens that is going to be monumental is the change
that takes place this year in the way that jurors are picked. In the
past what has transpired was the Supervisor of Elections information,
in which she filtered out all of the people who did not qualify
essentially, is now being shifted over to the Clerk of the Circuit
Court to accomplish. Thanks to the infinite wisdom of our
legislature, they are basically duplicating a service that is already
being provided by the Supervisor of Elections, and being mandated down
to us.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Duplication in government?
MR. BROCK: I know that's hard to believe, Commissioner.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Hard to believe.
MR. BROCK: But it certainly appears that way.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Could you identify yourself, please?
MR. BROCK: I'm sorry. My name is Dwight Brock. I'm the Clerk
of the Circuit Court.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: The reason I ask that question is we sort
of zipped through the bailiff, we zipped through the court-related
costs, you know, that had to do with the expansion of the court.
it seems to me we could do the same thing in the Clerk's budget, at
which point, we're pretty -- I mean, I'm ready to send him out on his
way, too.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do you -- I do have -- is there anything in
your budget that deals with the domestic violence unit, Mr. Brock? MR. BROCK: No, there is not.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We heard from Mr. Middlebrook yesterday that
we were to ask you about that.
MR. BROCK: There is something that we do in the domestic
violence unit and that is we provide the supplies for the operation of
that unit. Those are, in fact, sworn deputy clerks. They handle the
personnel services and we handle everything else that transpires.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Could I ask you, just to you what does that
cost, plus or minus? And the reason I ask is, we had some questions
arise yesterday about it and I guess, instead of getting the questions
answered, I have a note from Judge Wilson that she's resigning from
the domestic violence unit. So I need to know what amount of your
budget is allocated to that, because she's already given me a note
saying she's resigning from doing domestic violence, so I need know
what areas to flag.
MR. BROCK: I cannot break that out in that particular manner,
because that's the pool of the operations; the paper, the xerox
machines, things of that nature, the file folders that we do not keep
track of by individual item.
I can give you a history of the case load in the domestic
violence unit, and in 1994, in which we did it all, and the way we did
it in 1994 was, it was just part of our Circuit Court operations. So
the staff that was there handled all of the domestic violence unit at
the same -- or the domestic violence functions -- at the same time we
handled all of the other Circuit Court activities.
In 1994, there were 849 cases. In 1995, the latter part of 1995,
that was when that responsibility was transferred to court
administration, there were 952. In 1996 there were 984, and in 1997
annualized at its current rate of filings there will be 898. So on an
annualized basis it appears to be going down.
In conversing with my staff yesterday when this issue came up, I
went to try to find out approximately how many full-time equivalents
it was that were allocated to that function at that point in time.
And the best information that we could get at that point in time was
there were less than two full-time equivalents that were doing that.
As I understand it, today there are four full-time equivalent
employees that handle that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: May I ask a question?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sure.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You have a note from Judge Wilson that
she's not participating anymore? CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I haven't seen that. Could you share a
copy?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sure. I thought I brought it out here. But
she -- there should be a phone message for everyone. She called
everyone, left a message saying that she, since she was not given an
opportunity to respond to questions, was resigning from domestic
violence court.
Now the questions were raised yesterday, as we raise questions
during all budget proceedings. But I guess, whether it's gamesmanship
or knee jerk reaction, she has indicated to me, anyway, and the
message was to all of us that she's resigning from domestic violence.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What I thought was particularly
unusual was Commissioner Hac'Kie suggested yesterday, gee, we ought to
hear from Judge Wilson, and we all kind of nodded --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Nodded and said yeah, we'd like to get a
report and then you're telling me -- what's the effect of her quitting
the domestic violence unit? We're not going to be charged for it any
more?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, to me the effect is we remove the
funding for it. I supported the domestic violence unit when it
started and this isn't a game. This is a budget and it deals with
people's tax dollars, and I'm not going to play games with it.
that's why I asked the question of Mr. Brock. If she's resigning,
then we need to pull all the funding and shift that money elsewhere.
If she's not, she needs to get over here and correct that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: A judge can't resign from a case load.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, I only know the messages I get.
MR. BROCK: Well, I can tell you how judges are assigned, and
they are assigned pursuant to Florida Rules of Judicial Administration
which is a rule promulgated by the Florida Supreme Court by the Chief
Judge of the Circuit, who presently is Judge Starnes. Who sits in the
position of the judge in that particular unit, I'm not sure it is
germane to whether or not that unit exists.
Let me make sure that I'm not conveying the wrong message here --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No, I think I understand what you're saying.
MR. BROCK: -- because I do not know what the domestic violence
unit does today. I'm not suggesting in any way that we were handling
what they're doing today with two full-time equivalent employees
because I just do not know what they do.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So that will have to come back to courts. Mr.
Smykowski, we're going to have to flag Courts and notify Mr.
Middlebrook we'll want to review that in light of Judge Wilson's, at
least, phone message that she's resigning.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That's fine. We can plan, actually plan a little
wrap-up session for unresolved issues and we'll just ask them to be in
attendance on Monday at the end.
MR. BROCK: I will also just point out to you that through the
Florida Legislature effective this year, whereas the filing fee was
$70 per case last year, that has been reduced by $20 and is now $50.
But when you look at the reality of that, because of the indigency
requirement the overwhelming majority of those cases never paid the
filing fee anyway. They were waived statutorily. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Smykowski, can you help me a little bit
here on our summary page, A-12, I'm looking at the figures and
comparing them with the budget packet from the Clerk, and the figures
don't exactly match. They are close but they don't match, and I just
wondered what is the difference.
MS. LEITH: The difference is the board paid -- if you look at
the last line, expenses paid by BCC 001.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That does not show in the Clerk's '-
MS. LEITH: That doesn't show in the Clerk's budget. Also, we
adjusted, after that budget was submitted to health insurance, numbers
that were not reflected in the budget. That was submitted by the
Clerk when we reduced the health insurance.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. That explains it.
MR. BROCK: Let me explain why that was done. The original
budget instructions, when they came out said one figure. And after we
had prepared our budget, I understand that those figures changed, and
I sat down with Mr. Smykowski after that fact and told him to reduce
it out, and we've had some further conversation.
One of the things that the Clerk's office is trying to do with
the budget department this year, we're trying to work with the budget
department to give a more realistic figure for it, as real as we can
possibly figure, in the Clerk's turnback, so that that can be figured
into the revenue for the general fund of the Board of County
Commissioners next year, and hopefully reduce some of the burden on
the ad valorem taxpayer.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: There is one thing I'd like to add to the
discussion is that the Clerk did not budget attrition, the 4 percent
attrition and that impact is $261,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You effectively show a 5.3 increase to the
general fund, the overall budget is 6.4 means that you are using fees
to subsidize the balance of that; is that correct? Is that a fair --
MR. BROCK: I think the fee portion is about 2 percent increase
and the ad valorem portion is about 5 percent. So we're talking
somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 and a half percent. And you are
absolutely correct, the other portion is through statutorily imposed
fees.
And let me explain to you some of the reasons why the increase
has been in the ad valorem portion this year. The Board of County
Commissioners has passed one ordinance dealing with the false alarm
based upon the figures that the Sheriff's Department has given us with
regard to what kind of impact that is going to have on us. The number
of cases that are going to flow through our system as a consequence of
that are going to be substantial and significant on the impact of our
work load.
In addition, we are essentially, because it is an infraction in
the way that we deal with it, we're going to have to build a system to
handle the mechanisms that were put in place by that ordinance.
I am presently in discussions with your County Attorney's office
with reference to a code violation ordinance. That particular
ordinance, as we understand it, will have the same or greater impacts
on us as we have with the false alarm ordinance. Those types of
things are going to have to be dealt with up front and it's going to
require an increase in manpower to do it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, Mr. Brock, quite frankly, since your
manpower increase to handle those growth issues or those increase
issues are less than the budget growth rate of the county, that tells
me you've at least made some tough decisions within your department
and I appreciate that.
Are there any questions of Mr. Brock on the budget at this time?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can you tell me a little bit about the
S.A.V.E. program?
MR. BROCK: I sure can. The S.A.V.E. program is a program that
was established by Administrative Order, I think it's Administrative
Order 1.3, in which the Chief Judge of the Circuit, 20th Judicial
Circuit at the time I think was Tom Reese, appointed the Clerk of the
Circuit Court as the S.A.V.E. coordinator, which is Support, Alimony
and Visitation Enforcement.
When I took office that particular Administrative Order was not
being complied with. There is a provision in the Florida Rules of
Judicial Administration for the courts to administer the courts system
through Administrative Orders.
There is also a provision of the Florida Rules of Judicial
Administration which provides that failure of the Clerk, Judges, State
Attorneys or anyone else to fail to follow those particular
administrative orders constitutes neglect of duty and is to be
reported to the Florida Supreme Court, who is to report it to the
Governor for proper action.
Whenever we started we discovered this, we started it, we came to
you and asked you for startup costs. At that point in time, the Board
of County Commissioners approved startup costs, I think somewhere in
the neighborhood of $43,000. To date, in this budget period, all of
the monies that will go to support the S.A.V.E. program will go
through the statutory fees and there will be no ad valorem monies
which will fund that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Did you have a follow-up?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Go ahead.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: From that comment and also from the
information you've provided me, I know it's a very well-intentioned
program. However, it is running less than efficiently right now.
I have one friend, one person that just called a constituent who
had reason to use the service who had found it woefully deficient.
One of the issues -- you talk about support and visitation and those
issues. One of the issues had to do with visitation.
There was a dispute that should have been fairly easy to deal
with. A call to the S.A.V.E. program wasn't returned for two weeks.
It's not a single case incident, either. But in this particular
instance that I'm using, a call wasn't returned for two weeks and
there was no -- when that was questioned, I said gee, is this how it
always operates? They said well, we're very busy and not even a call
back to say gosh, we're busy, what's the problem, it may take a couple
of weeks to get to it.
But no response whatsoever for two weeks. By that time,
attorneys had been involved and, I mean, the S.A.V.E. program was
effectively rendered useless because of a two week even a courtesy
return call. When the call finally came it just said well, you know,
to this gentleman, you have a business, you know how things get very
busy. And he said yeah, but if I didn't return calls for two weeks, I
wouldn't be in business very long.
I know we -- it's a very well-intentioned program. I know
there's some requirement that we provide some of these services. But
I just wanted to ask, and I know that it's fee funded, but regardless,
if money's coming from somewhere, and I just want to see if there's a
way that we can streamline that and make sure the money that's being
expended is more efficient.
And if the administration of that, anyway, is falling under you
at this time, maybe you can crack the whip and make sure they are a
little more customer friendly, because it's rendering the entire
program useless right now.
MR. BROCK: Your comments to me are appreciated and I will
explore that. I will get with you and try to find out more of the
facts and deal with that immediately. That, not only to you but to
me, is an unacceptable professional practice and needs to be dealt
with.
With regard to the S.A.V.E. program, whenever we started the
S.A.V.E. program, you know, my concept of the S.A.V.E. program seemed
to be somewhat different from the concept of the judiciary and
fortunately or unfortunately, much of what I do -- well, all of what I
do is either dictated by statute, you or the judiciary. And the
direction that it was taking was contrary to I think what was designed
in the Administrative Order and to what I thought it was to be
designed for when I set it up.
We are slowly but surely I think taking it back to the process.
That does not explain or in any way try to justify the comment that
you just made. And again, I will assure you that that particular
comment concerns me greatly and I will deal with it appropriately.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: One quick question. I just got two or three
phone calls on it throughout the last year, but I've been hearing a
lot more advertising, a lot more radio spots about the different
programs in the Clerk's office. So on the first, on the outset I'm
thinking well, that's great, it's a public service.
But then I got a couple of phone calls about how much is he
spending versus last year and so forth. And as I look through your
budget, that's not the little tiny thing that kind of comes out in a
budget.
So can you help me with what are you using as a benchmark to say
this is the amount of advertising we should have to be a public
service without spending too much money on it. I don't know how you
determine that. Maybe you do.
But marketing is not my specialty. So I feel compelled to at
least ask that question, since it's been asked of me on two or three
occasions.
MR. BROCK: I have a problem with that question. We're spending
I think about $4,800 on the advertising that we have out there. One
of the things that we're trying to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All that advertising I'm hearing is $4,800?
I'm hiring you guys.
MR. BROCK: One of the things that we are trying to do is I had
conversations with your County Attorney's office the other day, is
with reference to, for example, the code enforcement ordinance that is
in the works now, to try to enlighten the public of the consequences
of failing to pay those citations when they are in fact issued, so
that we don't have to go through the expense of going through the
enforcement process.
I'm trying to design basically the marketing program to
accommodate not only the Clerk's office, but to accommodate the entire
governmental process in conjunction with your staff.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Quite frankly, your answer $4,800 is all I
needed to hear, because I thought it had gone up dramatically because
I've just been hearing them all over the place.
MR. BROCK: I think they are three times a day, three days week.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's wonderful and if you can do
something about that code enforcement, letting people know we're
serious, you have to pay the fines, that would be a big help to
everybody.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I was concerned about from a cost standpoint.
But no, I don't have a problem with that.
Any other questions for the Clerk? Seeing none, thank you, Mr.
Brock.
MR. BROCK: I thank you very much, Commissioners.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As I read it, that gets us through the
constitutional officer budgets, and we are to the review of general
fund supported capital projects; is that correct, Mr. Smykowski?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes, that's absolutely correct. Mr. Tindall from
the budget office is the analyst for capital. I'd also invite Mr.
Gonzalez and probably Mr. Camp up near the microphone to discuss the
individual projects in detail that are proposed in the upcoming year's
budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm sorry. We're doing the general fund
supported projects first; right?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That's all we're doing.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's all we're doing today?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No. Then we have to actually get --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- today's agenda.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Which was not that lengthy, so we should be in
good shape.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Be out of here by 6:30, easy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: 6:30, 7, piece of cake.
MR. TINDALL: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners. For the
record, my name is Phil Tindall from the budget office.
A couple things just for orientation purposes. We'll be working
primarily from the detail book today for the capital and we'll be
starting on page A-136.
The only thing I'd like to point out in the summary book is A-2
which is a reiteration from yesterday of the total amount of funds for
capital being requested as transfers from the general fund, which is
7.3 million.
I'd like to point out that one item includes the 800 megahertz
debt service, which of course is not optional. So if you subtract
that out, what we're really talking about in terms of requests from
the general fund is just over $5.8 million for requests to support
capital projects.
One other thing I'd like to point out for you, I've placed in
front of each of you this document right here, which is a book which
lists all the project requests that were turned in to us from the
various departments, and it has an index which lists projects
alphabetically by category, and it has a corresponding page number for
each one. And that's just for your casual perusal during the course
of the budget process this summer. It's not really intended to be
used today, but it does have some useful information to include the
project title information, as to whether it's a CIE project, funding
source, a brief description, and in summary form the amount of funding
requested. And if there is an operating and maintenance impact that
would affect someone's operating budget, that information is included
in here also.
So that's just a handy reference during the course of the budget
process.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And I will ask you that if we get to a
specific project we're discussing or have questions on, if you will
help us to a cross reference on that?
MR. TINDALL: Sure thing. Of course, we do have people here
during today's discussion that will tell in great detail about each
project, so that would probably be how we --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We're up to three notebooks and limited space.
MR. TINDALL: I know; exactly.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Not in too great detail, I hope.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right. Let's go ahead and proceed.
MR. TINDALL: Okay. The order of presentation is going to be,
just so that we'll know, so everyone in the audience who's going to be
answering questions will know, we'll be starting out with the 301
capital, which includes the countywide facilities and the Sheriff's
requests, and then Fund 306, which is parks capital, followed by
stormwater, the museum, the library and the Airport Authority.
So we'll start out with Fund 301. As you can see from page
A-136, there is a total of $33.4 million in projects requested, but
that includes the new jail project and also the Immokalee jail, which
amounts to $27.8 million there. So if you subtract that out, we're
really talking about $5.6 million in project requests that would be ad
valorem supported. The total ad valorem requested is 4 million 554.
So what we would like to do today is just go down on page A-137,
the far right column, and by exception discuss any of the projects for
which ad valorem is being requested for funding.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The jail which is included also has a revenue
assumed of bond in loan proceeds, so it's really a zero net in the
budget?
MR. TINDALL: That's correct, sir.
MR. McNEES: And the main thing --
MR. FERNANDEZ: I was just going to say that's net, zero net to
the general fund, because it presumes that there will be an
alternative funding source.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As do we.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Go figure that out for us, Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: There is no debt service budgeted in this
particular budget for that bond issue. There is no identified revenue
source. We just need to make that exceedingly clear.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No debt service budget is.
MR. McNEES: So the budget, although the general project is shown
in here as a project, this budget doesn't really pay for the jail
project.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right. And until we get the study undergoing
by the B Group right now, we probably aren't going to have firm enough
footing to make any solid decisions on that, anyway, so it makes you
wonder why it's even in there.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Like we might forget it if it weren't
there.
MR. TINDALL: This first item in which there is funding requested
from the general fund includes the Government Center DRI project.
Most of the funding was recently approved for this year, and for FY
'98 would be funded by carry forward. The only amount would be just
the difference between the total project requests and what's been
approved this year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Help me with -- is there a further itemized
breakdown of the DRI project or a -- or is it just a flat number?
MR. TINDALL: Mr. Gonzalez is here. He can explain that.
MR. GONZALEZ: Adolfo Gonzalez, Capital Projects Director.
Morning, Commissioners. I'm going to start out on a positive note.
We won't need that additional $15,000. Since we submitted our
preliminary to management and budget, we went back and talked to the
Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, and they thought that we
could have a reduced permit fee, if we had estimated it was going to
cost us $50,000 for the permit fee for that project, they told us that
it will probably be around $35,000. Hence, the $15,000 additional we
wonwt need.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Wait. Say that again. You said -- we
thought it was going to be 15,000, they said it was going to be 35
thousand?
MR. GONZALEZ: In our initial budget estimate for the DRI project
we had $270,000, which included a $50,000 permit fee.
MR. FERNANDEZ: 50. Five zero.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: 50, not 15.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thank you. Now I got it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Question. The 270,000 for that, are we doing
that project completely in-house?
MR. GONZALEZ: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do we have anyone in-house that's ever filed a
DRI before?
MR. GONZALEZ: No, we do not. We have a planner that, a
landscape architect that will act as the project manager, Joe Delate.
He has been involved with reviewing aspects of DRIs when he was with
Development Services. The other elements are engineering type issues
that we have done in office.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I daresay on a DRI when you start putting
yourself at the mercy of the Department of Community Affairs in
Tallahassee, we may need some help on that. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Absolutely.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So unfortunately, when government applies for
these things, we tend to go in with an open book and say whatever you
guys, you know, you tell us what you need. But the private sector
doesn't work that way. You go in with closed fists saying we're going
to fight for what we want and I want to make sure that we -- I have
experience with DRIs from the private sector so I've not walked
through the entire process but walked through certain segments of it
and I want to be careful that we don't let that cost get away from us
on that, because that's a sticky area.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman, Florida Association of Counties may
have some consulting capability to help us out there. I know Tony
Arant is with them now and offering assistance to counties on issues
like this, and a DRI may be one that they can help us with.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Good resource. Let's make that at least a
part of a team request, because I wouldn't hire a consultant that's
never done a DRI to do the first one for me. So we need to recognize
our limitations there and operate within them.
Hopefully, the experience will mean we can do it better in the
future if we have to, but I don't want that experience to cost us a
ton of money.
MR. GONZALEZ: Understood.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions on the DRI? So we just took
$15,000 out of capital projects without even trying. I like that.
MR. FERNANDEZ: We may have just spent it on a consultant.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We may have just spent it on a consultant,
that's true. No, I'm certainly not advocating we go out and hire a
consultant for DRI.
I just wanted to caution, give that limiting caution, because
I've dealt with them and if my involvement can be of assistance, I'd
be glad to offer it to the DRI process.
See, you get another planner on staff and you're only paying for
a commissioner. What a bargain.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioners, the next project would be the
Medical Examiner facility. As you may recall, we budgeted for FY '97
to be fully funded this year, half from ad valorem and half from loan
proceeds. What has been determined is that to avoid the debt service
we could cash flow the project, which is now why we show a forecast
expenditures of about 9.9 million and then new requests for funding of
849,000 for FY '98 and that's just so that we can cash flow the
project out to pay it off, as opposed to using ad valorem to pay for
debt service.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are those realistic numbers for one year or
are we expecting a carryover?
MR. GONZALEZ: There is a carry forward that's already been
planned and part of the construction budget. We have started
construction, it's on schedule, although we just started just a few
weeks ago. We don't foresee any major changes right now. Everything
is on schedule to be finished by spring of next year.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Page 215 of that green book shows you a
little bit about -- I mean, I just found it -- but shows a little bit
about the FY '98 planned.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm still searching a little bit as we go item
to item. I keep searching for the applicable page somewhere that
gives me a little bit of detail.
MR. TINDALL: I didn't mean to provide this to you to cause a
distraction.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No, it's nice to have, frankly. But it's
page 215 for this particular one.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. TINDALL: Actually, this shows the original request for the
project and subsequently, as occurs regularly during the budget
process, especially in capital, there will be a lot of revisions to
the funding requested and this actually doesn't reflect the way the
request has evolved during the course of the budget cycle. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So we've got it but it's useless.
MR. TINDALL: On this particular page that's a pretty good
assessment.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Any questions on the Medical Examiner
facility?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: No, got to do it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's a bullet we had to bite.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: So we were looking at 849,0007
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes, ma'am. Dare you to take a tour and
then look at --
COMMISSIONER BERRY: I just wanted to make sure I was --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's gotta happen.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions on that item? The Coburn factor
kicks in. We'll go to the next one.
MR. TINDALL: The next request is $150,000 for reroofing
projects. Mr. Camp is here to discuss that.
MR. CAMP: For the record, Skip Camp, your Facilities Management
Director. It's to reroof Buildings C-1 and C-2. That building was
built in three different decades, three different roofs, if you will;
leaks like a sieve. It's for the Tax Collector and Property
Appraiser. It needs to be reroofed.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: When was the most recent reroofing?
MR. CAMP: We haven't reroofed in about six or seven years. We
did just put one addition on a 2000 square foot addition to the Tax
Collector's on the north side and that's the one that was done in this
decade. But they start in 1960, two in 1985, and then the one most
recently.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's leaking?
MR. CAMP: It leaks like a sieve.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The new one?
MR. CAMP: No. Well, actually, the new one leaks where the seam
is, and no one wants to take responsibility for that. But the rest of
the roof leaks also.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Leaks like a sieve.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are we basically talking about patch work here
or we talking about an overall?
MR. CAMP: A new roof for the whole four buildings. There are
actually four buildings built in three different decades. It will be
for the whole thing.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No, no, let's talk guarantees. When the guy
did my house I got it in writing. When this roof is done for $15,000,
how long can we expect not to spend another penny on patching?
MR. CAMP: The typical roof, flat roofs, which we're trying to
get away from, any time you build a swimming pool on top of a building
it leaks. But typical guarantees are for ten years for everything and
20 years for materials. But typically, it's not the material that we
have a problem with, it's the labor.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Questions? Next item.
MR. TINDALL: Next request shown is project 80172, Building J
renovations, for $25,100.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Tell me what's Building J?
MR. CAMP: That's the jail.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh.
MR. CAMP: And there are two of them. One is to seal the windows
in the jail that are all rusting, and the other one it is to take care
of the balance of the door frames. And when they told me that they
were rusting, I was a little concerned. They said you need to come
look at it. So I went and took some pictures of it, and I think they
really tell the story.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is there any relevance in the fact that
we're talking about a new jail and you want to spend money on the old
jail?
MR. CAMP: No. These doors need to be replaced. When you see
them -- these are maximum security areas -- when you see the extent of
the rust, and I think that's probably my fault for not really
emphasizing how important like painting is. I need to show a little
more passion when it comes to painting our facilities, because this
is, this is the rust and this is really neglect when it comes to
taking care of just basic maintenance.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: How old are they, Skip?
MR. CAMP: These doors were part of the original project. I
think it's about 10 years old now.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Let me ask a question. Have we been cited by the
State Department of Corrections on their inspections of this?
MR. CAMP: Typically, in fact, we are currently under a citation
now but it's from the Health Department because -- and that's as we
speak, I have a painter right now in the jail because of the Health
Department, and it's because the paint is coming off of the shower
light fixture and they will not allow any prisoners in that pod until
we paint the light fixture.
MR. FERNANDEZ: We haven't been cited for these doors, these
rusty doors?
MR. CAMP: Not yet.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Right.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: So far it's hard to cut these, but okay.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes. Unfortunately, I think that's kind of a
recurring theme throughout many of these project requests. It's just
basic --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Past dues.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- repair and renovation, overdue type things,
that --
MR. CAMP: And commissioners, I should probably state that
sometimes we keep thinking that the jail's going to get built so we
think all these things could be addressed at that point. But when it
comes to this condition, we have to make a stand and we have to let
you know exactly what's going on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions on that?
Moving right along.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioners, the next project is requested by the
IT Department, which is a continuation of the PC Modernization
project, and Hr. Coakley is here if you have any questions.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What do we get for 373, 375?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As I read it, that's last year we budgeted
441,200 and this year we're going at 375,000, so it's a reduction? MR. TINDALL: At least.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Your name?
MR. COAKLEY: For the record, I'm Bill Coakley, the Information
Technology Director for the county.
The 375 is going to buy the third year of the PC Modernization
program that y'all approved on, I think it was Hay 30th two years ago
at the presentation that Leo Ochs and I gave you.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who doesn't have PCs who is going to get
them as a result of this --
MR. COAKLEY: Yes, I can tell you.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- Sort of departments, divisions or --
MR. COAKLEY: I'll rank them in the big ones. The first big one
is 41 PCs for the State Attorney's Office. There is 12 PCs for the
Public Defender. The rest of them are a scattering: there's 2 for
the museum; 3 for Animal Control; 5 for Services for Seniors; 5 for
Social Services; 7 for Natural Resources and 6 to the Ag Department.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Basically 80, 90 percent for the courts?
MR. COAKLEY: 84 is the actual number of PCs.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Wow. Have they made a -- but for our
modernization program have they been begging for computers or --
MR. COAKLEY: The State Attorney and Public Defender honestly did
not show too much interest in this until this year. This year they
are very interested because they are counting on these PCs to fit in
with the, I think it's their new CJIS program, and I think there are
several others, programs that they are going to use them for.
As you may recall, what we're doing is building what we call
universal work stations. It's PC based but there's a lot more
software in there and it can be used for many, many purposes and many
of them at the same time. And the State Attorney and the Public
Defender are counting on using them for those. So I didn't hear too
much from them in past years, which is frankly why we took care of our
own first.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who is left to get on after these? Who's
going to get next year?
MR. COAKLEY: This is it. This is the third year of the program.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Maybe we have to postpone this for a year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Constantine.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You say you think it's CJIS. Do they
somehow control their own computer network? I mean, you don't oversee
that?
MR. COAKLEY: That's correct. The State Attorney and Public
Defender have systems that are being done out of the district out of
Fort Myers, and this is to tie in with that. That's all funded
elsewhere, as far as I know.
But they have met with us on two occasions saying that they're
counting on having these new work stations for their projects.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm just curious what our requirement
is there, if the State is providing all the other, providing the
software, providing what their hookup is.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'd like to at least flag this until we
hear from somebody in the courts about just how critical is it for
them to have this this year. I mean we're looking for capital cuts.
MR. COAKLEY: The only offset, Commissioners, is that at the end
of this year we will be -- end of the calendar year, I should say,
which includes these changes, we'll be taking our old fashioned VAX
computer off of our budget for maintenance. So we would have to
increase our budget by I think it's 34 or 38, one of those two numbers
our operating would have to go up to cover keeping the VAX on line
because it supports the State Attorney and Public Defender.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So you get 10 years' use out of it for
the price we're paying for these computers for the State Attorney.
MR. COAKLEY: Well, it's near the end of its life, but it's still
functioning.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My point is that I don't assume that
they would keep these forever, I'm just wondering if it's our
responsibility to provide them or not.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who provides the -- you know, in Lee
County who provides the computers?
MR. COAKLEY: As far as I know, the county does. I'd have to
defer to the legal experts. But it's my understanding from my
Sarasota experience, as well, that the Board here is required to fund
the equipment for the State Attorney and Public Defender offices.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We can inquire of Mr. Weigel and find
out for sure.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Do you have any questions?
MR. FERNANDEZ: Yes. Mr. Chairman, I don't claim to be the legal
expert that Mr. Coakley referred to, but we have been through this one
in Alachua County when we went through the modernization program for
the State Attorney and Public Defender, and did some research on the
issue and came to the conclusion that it was, in fact, the Board of
County Commissioners' responsibility.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't mind flagging it. The question is
maybe, you know, a two-year phase as opposed to all at one time, if we
are looking to make, you know, we still need to make some capital
reductions this year. So I don't have a problem flagging it.
But the upside is that by doing it this year, we get it over with
and next year we're $375,000 to the good out of the chute. So I guess
I'd like to flag it and wait and see what we can do with the rest of
the budget and then come back to that.
MR. COAKLEY: If I may, Commissioner, of the 84 PCs, 53 of them
represent the State Attorney and Public Defender. The balance are for
the county departments I mentioned earlier.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't question those. Because we need
to get those.
MR. COAKLEY: We do, yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Even if we were to knock a hundred thousand
dollars off of that, it's a step in the right direction. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'll take it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And then roll that hundred thousand to the
next year, you say that you'd have to increase your operating budget
by 34?
MR. COAKLEY: Either 34 or 38. I don't have the exact number
here. It's one of those numbers.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: To keep the VAX system limping along?
MR. COAKLEY: Exactly. And there is also some ancillary support
effort that goes into supporting it. It drains our staff even more.
But I don't know how to quantify that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So that's a net $65,000 gain.
What's the Board's pleasure on this?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'd like to stretch it out and I
understand your point that maybe next year we have that behind us.
But, frankly, with government there is always some expenditure they
would like to make and if it isn't this next year it will be replaced
with something else. So if we can hold off -- COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Good point.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- if we can hold off on it for a
year, I'd just as soon do that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. In order to make it substantial, why
don't we reduce that by 150 thousand. That way the increase of 34, so
it still has a net result of at least 110, 115 thousand dollar
reduction. That way, we're taking care of the bulk of it this year
and the balance next year.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Does that get all of the County Manager
agency computers in?
MR. COAKLEY: We can do it for that number.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We're first on the pecking order, right,
Mr. Coakley?
MR. COAKLEY: That's a priority, yes. You tell me what
priorities to do and you can deal with the State Attorney and Public
Defender if they come make an issue of it, I guess.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The other thing is that they are dictating
what software is used and that software may drive the demand for
computers, too.
MR. COAKLEY: Actually, we've reviewed that with them and it's
very interesting, and maybe I'm a little bit proud of this. But the
program we put together for you, we have chosen what we call universal
computer workstations and it fits, it dovetails in exactly with where
the District Court is going up in Fort Myers and tying in with us.
We've run into that multiple times, we've chosen right, and actually,
I'm kind of proud of that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Good.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Good. I'm persuaded by Mr. Coakley's
testimony that they weren't too interested in it until here recently,
anyway, so I'm not all that hesitant about having them wait until next
year to pick it up. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be adverse at all
to figuring out the number to supply our County Manager agencies'
requests and deleting until next year, or delaying until next year the
court systems' requests, in toto.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I would agree with that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I agree with that, yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just doing the math in my head, it's
roughly 35 percent.
MR. COAKLEY: It doesn't work out proportionately, Commissioners,
but I can certainly work out that matter for you. And the reason is
that in the third year, we're reaching out to the remote County
Manager agencies that are not on campus and there is an extra higher
cost of networking to link them up.
So it isn't a pro rata of just the number of PCs. Because the
State Attorney and Public Defender people are all in this building,
the networking costs are pretty nil for that. It's just mostly the PC
costs. So it isn't directly one on one.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Why don't you figure that out for us and
then bring it back to us by wrap-up day? MR. COAKLEY: I'll do that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm plugging in initially $150,000, but we'll
see what the real number is.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Just for purposes of tabulation that will work,
and then --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think that's conservative. It may be a
little higher but --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: And we'll give you a number at wrap-up of what
the actual number is on Monday. Is that --
MR. COAKLEY: Yeah, I can do that. I could even do it -- I need
about 10 minutes to do it. Honday's fine.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That would be super, Bill.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We'll find out at wrap-up, but it's going to
be at least 150 grand. That much we know.
MR. COAKLEY: Yes, I think so.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any other questions of Mr. Coakley?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Not on this topic.
MR. TINDALL: The next item is an environmental improvements
project for $112,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that under campus improvements in our
budget?
MR. CAMP: No, it's environmental. There are two of them. One
is -- they are both dehumidification systems; one is to finish the
rest of this building, the top four floors of this building, and the
other is for the Immokalee Courthouse.
And one of the problems we're having with this high humidity is
not just because it's harmful to the employees and the public that
visit the building. It's because of things like this, and I believe
you can probably see it from here.
This is an air blower at the jail and this is the kind of
problems we're having when we don't dehumidify buildings. It's real
easy to demonstrate for you mold and mildew inside the HVAC system,
but this is a $500 motor that we had to replace last month inside the
jail. And you can see the condition of this particular motor. It's
only 10 years old.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That's what I was going to ask. I know
when we moved into our offices back here, we had to have cabinets
built to store our letterhead in because the humidity was getting to
it so bad it was jamming all the printers. So there is an operational
side to this also, that it was costing us money elsewhere.
MR. CAMP: The printers, the copiers, they all work now. And we
actually can change the temperature because if you're drier, you feel
more comfortable even though it may be warm in the envelope.
So this is probably the most passionate thing I ask you to
consider is dehumidification. If you remember, Polk County built a
$33 million courthouse and five years later, it cost them $40 million
to fix it because of air quality.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So you're passionate about humidity.
MR. CAMP: Yes. It has to do with the health of our visitors and
our public and I ask --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It pays to sweat.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Camp, would it be fair to say that in
your assessment it's not the heat it's the humidity?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's two days, two bad puns.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Hey, that's enough. I'm ready to move on
on that item.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Did you pay him to do that, Skip? Okay. It
sounds like it's got to be done.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Government building paint plan.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Again, this is not recurring, this is to wrap
it up?
MR. CAMP: That's correct. The paint plan, so you know, the
interiors of the buildings are scheduled to be painted once every 10
years and the exterior once every 7 years. This is the first year
that the County Manager's office has recommended fully to fund this
phase.
Typically, this is one of the things that gets cut often, at
least at the County Manager's level. But there's a price to pay when
we don't paint our buildings. Again, it's the infiltration of
moisture and those kinds of things, and it's -- we have a lot of metal
in our buildings; they rust.
So I think painting our buildings, at least on the outside, which
is to me more important, at least every 7 years. Right now we're at
about every 10 years because we haven't been doing it in the past; and
in the interior every 10 years.
When you have a community center and you don't paint it every 3
or 4 years, you can imagine what it looks like. And I've been taking
that sometimes out of my operating budget, because if you take Golden
Gate Community Center, for instance, you can't paint that building
every 10 years. It's atrocious. So we send Latex Louie, our painter,
down there to -- sometimes with some inmates or something -- to do
some painting.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And he's also a great jazz player, as I
understand.
MR. CAMP: He's very good.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is that some sort of -- are these campus
buildings scheduled to be painted or are these mostly off campus?
MR. CAMP: Well, there's a cycle so everything gets done --
everything is supposed to get done externally every 7 years.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is that an industry standard or --
MR. CAMP: -- the fact is it's about every 10.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- I mean who made up 7 years?
MR. CAMP: We did. Actually, in south Florida we should be
painting some of our buildings -- and it depends; when you go low bid,
you get what you pay for -- but really we should be painting our
buildings every 5 to 7 years depending on the texture of, the finish
of the building and those kinds of things. Some buildings can be
painted maybe every 10 years and some more often.
This building, for instance, these walls, these panels on the
outside are not supporting this building. They are just bolted to the
side of it. So each one of these panels is actually caulked between
them. That caulk dries out and then the moisture just -- in fact, in
Hurricane Andrew, the County Manager and I stood at the back of this
building and the rain actually just came right in; you could see it
come through between the metal and the panels.
So it really depends on the building. We have a lot of buildings
like this one where the outside of the building is just bolted to the
side.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Mr. Chairman, I'm in favor of this
particular item. You have an asset here and you better take care of
it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Absolutely.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay. Leave it on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Painting stays in. Not as passionate as
humidity, but very close.
Electric repairs and replacement, this is a new item, something
we didn't see last year.
MR. CAMP: There's -- first there's some small projects that add
up to the capital amount and that is, the first one is the Immokalee
Animal Control building. There's been too many repairs to the
service, the electric service out there. It needs to be redone.
It's $2,000. That's a safety requirement. I suggest we do that.
The other one is a security issue at IJC. It's the jail out in
Immokalee and we have Band-Aided that electrical gate out there for
years. We need to replace it. It's the electrical gate in Immokalee.
It's $4,000.
The next one is to re-lamp the jail, the Tax Collector's
building, Property Appraiser's building and Development Services;
telamp everything in there, and that's $12,150.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that bulbs and fixtures or just the bulbs?
MR. CAMP: Just the bulbs. We have participated with FP&L to
replace everything with T-Ss and electronic ballasts in the past.
That was three and a half years ago, and those bulbs are good for
about three years and now we send somebody out there just to fix one
at a time.
The last one is the one I showed you before. This is to replace
all these motors. There are six of them in this building and Building
J, the jail. And it's $35,000 --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What do those motors do?
MR. CAMP: These are what pushes the air through the building.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Oh, yes.
MR. CAMP: -- and these -- the problem is not only, for instance
-- yes, please.
It's not only the fact that these need to be replaced, but when
we don't replace them proactively like this, this one was replaced
last month, it took three weeks to get the motor. The motor we just
replaced was for the kitchen in the jail and that meant our employees,
not just inmates, but our employees were without air in an internal
room for three weeks.
So it's proactively we need to fix --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sold.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So there goes that line.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Now for the one that we may have a little
discussion on.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Building C renovations?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: New county maintenance facility.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's out.
MR. HcNEES: Nothing is recommended in that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes, it didn't even get recommended.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: In that case, we're not going to talk about
it.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Don't have to talk about that. Thank you,
Mike.
MR. McNEES: We had that conversation. Thank Mr. Gonzalez. He
has found a way.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next?
MR. TINDALL: Next item would be --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Building C?
MR. TINDALL: -- Building C renovations.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Which one's C?
MR. CAMP: I would like you just to con --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Guy and Abe.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What's in C?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Guy and Abe.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Oh. Guy and Abe.
MR. CAMP: There is $6,000 in that package to reseal, regasket
the windows. I think that needs to be done. The rest of it is
something you need to decide on.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What else is requested?
MR. CAMP: The rest of it is for carpet. I think it's 10 years
old, maybe 11 years old. But it's carpet and it's old --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's pretty bad. I was over in Abe's office.
Is any of that for -- I remember talking to Mr. Carlton. They ordered
a certain type of carpet and when it was installed the wear pattern
just destroyed it. Are we replacing carpet in that new section?
MR. CAMP: We replaced in Guy Carlton's office some public
intensive areas like the hallway and stuff like that, with roll goods
like this instead of carpet tile. But honestly, your carpet tile
lasted you 10 or 11 solid years. And we paid a little more for it,
but it serviced us really well.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It seems to me -- sorry, guys -- but
they're getting a new roof this year; maybe their carpet has to wait.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Wait a year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Wait a year on the carpet?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Isn't that that 12 year carpet they bought
originally anyway?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It is now.
Mr. CAMP: Well, it was carpet tile and it served you well. It's
11 years old. Could you get by another year? Absolutely.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioners, that would represent a savings of
$86,000 from that project.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Gotta do it.
MR. TINDALL: Yes, ma'am.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: In lieu of the roofing costs, I think let's
phase that, let's not take both in the same year. But let's at least
commit now that we will do what we can to make sure that gets replaced
next year.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes. The carpet might hold up a little bit
better if the rain stops falling on it anyway.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That might help.
MR. CAMP: Would you consider the $6,000 to regasket all the
windows then?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes, absolutely.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sure.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Just out of curiosity, what was the other
$85,000 they asked for that didn't get recommended?
MR. CAMP: That was for storm shutters for that building.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I've learned not to ask those questions.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay. Just curious.
Courthouse repair, 25-five. What do they need?
MR. CAMP: The first part is $10,000 to investigate the
serpentine glass block. The back of that building is all glass block.
It's supported by steel that's failing. We would like to go after
either the architect or the contractor, and we need to hire an
organization to help us with that. We don't think the county should
be fixing it, if you will.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Maybe we ought to send that to the County
Attorney's office for some kind of legal action instead of --
MR. CAMP: Well, no, we would look at probably Carlton Fields or
a specialty organization to help us investigate this.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have to hire an independent engineer and
have an architect come in?
MR. CAMP: Absolutely. The $10,000 is just to do that. But it's
a significant structural defect, potentially.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It's going to fall? I mean what --
MR. CAMP: The glass block could actually fall.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's what I mean.
MR. CAMP: It's supported by these steel beams that are all
rusting out, and we don't feel we should be recommending to you to
repair it, but to investigate who's responsible on it. COHMISSIONER BERRY: What's the age on it?
MR. CAMP: In 1990, we built the courthouse. I think we COed it
then.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is a case of aesthetics ruling good
design because --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who made that decision?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Who would -- I mean no one in their right
mind, in my opinion, would make a curvy wall out of small glass
blocks. You know, this is just --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who was the architect?
MR. CAMP: The architect was Winsor/Faricy, which we spent more
money telling them to do things functionally. There are no expensive
finishes in that building -- I don't know if you noticed it -- there's
no marble --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Very pretty.
MR. CAMP: -- no expensive woods or anything like that. We put
more of our money into function by making sure that the Harshal's
office in Orlando approved it. So it's functionally very good, but --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Except that it won't stand up in 10 years.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: There's one aesthetic feature is the one
that --
MR. CAMP: Well, there's two, and you haven't seen the other one.
But we used fake marble on the front of it. And to try to save money
was not a good deal. We should have used granite like every other
courthouse does, but we didn't, we tried to save some bucks.
It wasn't a good idea and I was part of that decision-making. It
was not a good decision.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No --
MR. CAMP: We used terrazzo, if you will, on the outside of the
building and it didn't hold up. We have a few more years before we
have to make a decision, but it's going to eventually have to be done.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What's the other 15-five? That's 10 grand.
What's the other 15-five that's being recommended?
MR. CAMP: 5,000 is to replace all the courthouse hinges. Those
gates, when you go through, are too heavy for those hinges. And we
have a contractor that will do it throughout the entire courthouse.
He wants 5,500. I think it's a good thing. It's a safety deal.
For some reason those gates have to remain up, because I'd just
as soon take them down, to be honest -- COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
MR. CAMP: -- but they want them up there. So that's 5,500. And
I hope Judge Ellis is listening to this -- we have, on the east side
of the building we have some windows that are leaking and it's $10,000
to redo that entire side, to reseal that entire side. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: East side of the courthouse?
MR. CAMP: Yes. So I recommend we do that. We did just finish a
new indoor air quality investigation in Judge Ellis's office. Because
of the water leaking through there, some mold started to grow. It
turned out to be benign, but --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's get back to the doors and hinges. Other
than bruising people's thighs, what purpose do those stupid things
serve? I mean --
MR. CAMP: They just -- and I'm taking a chance here -- they just
let everybody know that from there on is out of bounds, and of course
the Bailiff helps that, too.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, I figure the guy with the gun at the
front of the room is a little persuasive, too.
MR. CAMP: But I don't really know. I just know that it's
important to them.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE:
COHHISSIONER BERRY:
those windows.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE:
Tim?
I'd rather lose the hinges.
I'd like to weigh in and make sure you fix
Fix the windows, what was the first one,
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: The glass there.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: The glass and windows.
MR. CAMP: The glass and windows and leave the hinges out?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's my recommendation.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And if it's really a problem, we'll see it
again next year.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Skip the 5500 for the hinges.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So we're cutting 55.
MR. TINDALL: The next project requested by facilities management
is for general building improvements, $120,000.
MR. CAMP: The first part is to waterproof all the windows and
expansion joints in this building. That's what I was telling you
about before. The caulking between each panel needs to be recaulked
in all the windows. The windows, particularly in this building, I
mean in this room, it's a good example. When it rains, it just
actually rains right into the building.
But to recaulk all the expansion joints and all the windows in
this building is 60,000, and the other one was for 35,000. That's to
seal the windows in Building H, the vinyl caulking. If you remember,
we just painted that building --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Who's in H?
MR. CAMP: I'm sorry. The health building. It's a three-story
building; 25,000 square foot per floor. And all the windows need to
be caulked. We painted it but the birds have picked at the caulking
and it's easier to recaulk than get rid of the birds. But they are
actually eating the caulking.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: We could get some unflavorful caulking and
put it in there?
(Laughter)
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can't you use a popcorn flavored
caulking?
MR. CAMP: We can look at a different flavor of caulking.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Isn't it cheaper to just issue BB guns?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Can we just put a sign up that says no birds,
stay away?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That will do it. How bad is the leaking
problem? I'm not questioning the health building because -- how long
since that kind of maintenance work has been done in this building?
MR. CAMP: Actually, we recaulked this I think in 1985 or 1986,
we actually came before the Board and recaulked the building. So it's
been about 10 years. And in this part of the state, it's probably
good for exterior caulking.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sounds like another maintenance. We
better protect the assets.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What's the other 25,000 there? You had 60 and
you had 35, but the total amount is 120. Am I reading that right,
general building improvements?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes?
MR. CAMP: There is 25 left and that's for, to recarpet the State
Attorney and Public Defender, the balance of that floor. That's the
only carpet in this building that has not been replaced since it was
originally the three stories put on this building and --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How does it compare to building C?
MR. CAMP: -- 1984 or something like that, we put the three
floors in this building. They have the original brown carpet, it's
kind of matted, and the $25,000 is to do the balance.
The State Attorney took out of his operating budget last year to
do some of the areas, because we have delayed it and delayed it and
delayed it. It's one of the things that gets chopped real easy.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let's get it done this year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. What about the birds eating the caulk
question? If this is going to happen every three years, there's got
to be a better solution out there.
MR. CAMP: We'll find a solution. I recommend that --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Caulking?
MR. CAMP: I recommend you do it because we just painted it and
that way the building is then finished, and let me figure out a way to
get non --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Tasty?
MR. CAMP: -- tasty caulking or something. I'll find a way.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Put a little hot pepper in it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If anyone was worried about the hierarchy of
man and animals, this answers it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: This is the kind of thing that the innovation
group has done some research on, and I know we haven't been a member
of that group recently, but we were in the distant past. You may want
to consider using them as a resource on this. They have researched
what works and what doesn't and --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
MR. FERNANDEZ: -- birds and buildings have been an issue for
them for a long time.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Great. That's funny.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: That's, the 120 stays, right?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What about the fourth floor of the
courthouse renovations?
MR. HcNEES: Mr. Chairman, before Mr. Camp gets away, I know I
patted him on the back yesterday and I don't want to make too much of
a habit out of it, but when we lined up to look at capital budgets and
he had a pretty pressing and pretty long needs list, and you
understand the nature and the vast number of facilities we have here
that he's responsible for, he stepped up willingly and said these are
my absolute highest priorities, and offered up an awful lot of things
that he thought were important but he could live without for another
year and really, as much as anybody in your staff, stepped forward and
said I can live without some things, because he knew we just didn't
have the money this year.
So I want y'all to recognize him for that and kind of publicly
thank him for that, too.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'll say too, that Skip, you know, I have
so much confidence in your work that when you say this really, really
needs doing, then I know it really does. It's just nice to have
somebody you know you can trust their --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Never admit that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- professional opinions. I'm telling you
right now, I do and I appreciate it.
MR. CAMP: Thanks for your compliments.
MR. HcNEES: I still think that one picture was something he dug
up from the Gulf of Mexico, that it didn't actually come from the
jail.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: He caught his anchor on it last weekend and
brought it in.
(Laughter)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thanks, Skip.
The next item I see is 285,000 for Courthouse fourth floor
renovations.
MR. GONZALEZ: Adolfo Gonzalez, Capital Projects Director. This
is in anticipation of the comment your previous County Manager made to
you earlier this year where he had already gotten some indication that
the legislature would add a fourth Circuit Court Judgeship to this
area.
The design is for four courtrooms and the attendant features for
four full courtrooms and court staff. It's possible to further reduce
the budget by, let's say, doing a third or a half of the building.
And I think that could work because Mr. Camp is just starting the
space plan study for this campus, which will, among other things, tell
us how much space and who needs to be next to whom in this campus.
My idea was to start this design project around spring of next
year after we finish the space study. By that time, we would know the
size, the adjacencies, who needs to be next to whom, do we still need
four courtrooms, is it less, is it more.
And then proceed with design and there may be even less there.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's an -- I think Mr. Constantine has the
article that I'm recalling. I have, through several different
organizations, had occasion to be in the courtroom, and mostly it was
Leadership Collier, and I find on any given day an empty courtroom --
at least one, generally two, maybe three -- over there.
And I get the sense that the courts are asking for one courtroom
per judge regardless of scheduling needs, because, you know, all these
courtroom pressure problems, I have yet to walk over there and not
have a meeting in a courtroom because it wasn't being used that day.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Your comments are supported by the
article. It says, "We have nine judges and eight courtrooms,
Middlebrook said. So if every judge was to use a courtroom, we don't
have enough."
Then he says, "If we're fortunate enough to be assigned another
full-time judge, where will we put them and their assistant?"
Although about three paragraphs later, he says that there is nothing
to indicate the county will be assigned another judge.
He contradicts himself throughout the article. I don't know if
Hark's here. It's yesterday's.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. I personally feel that when the State
says you're going to have another judge, we'll look at doing the space
planning necessary to perform that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's three.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I like Mr. Gonzalez's suggestion of how to
run this.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Would you then want to leave in a small amount
for beginning planning after, or do you want to take the whole 35 out?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: How much would it take to do what you
suggested?
MR. GONZALEZ: Through the remainder of the next fiscal year, if
we start sometime in the spring, six months' worth of design is really
preliminary planning, a design report and possibly finish the
construction drawings at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
The courtroom is about the only thing we could add to this campus
without tripping the DRI threshold, simply because the square footage
is there; we are just adding walls now into the shell of a building.
Any other campus related office improvements, we need to wait
until we get the DRI to get through that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But to take that track --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The process that you suggested, what will
that cost us?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What dollars would be assigned to that?
MR. GONZALEZ: I was just looking at our conceptual floor plan
for that, and it's configured so that about a third of the area is for
one -- there is one courtroom and Judge's chambers and administrative
offices in a third of the building, and the other two-thirds is for
the other three courtrooms and chambers.
So I'm going to estimate a third of that cost, a third to a half
of that cost could be spent in designing that one section.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's not what I thought you were
suggesting. I thought you were suggesting to go ahead and make your
analyses this next fiscal year, but not to do the actual construction.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't think it's necessary to do
anything until we get ready to construct.
MR. GONZALEZ: I understand. These dollars --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Let's just do it that way.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. HcNEES: Mr. Chairman, let me tell you what my thinking was.
You have every agency with any remote connection to the court system
telling you that we need more space.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That quote's in there, too.
MR. HcNEES: And my thinking was, given that we have that fourth
floor already constructed, not in use, that to go another full year
without any plan to put it to some use would probably not be the best
move we could make.
That given what Adolfo says is true, the space plan will be
completed by spring, that the smart thing to do is to put some money
in budget so that once we know what we need on that floor, we can at
least get it designed. It's not that much money, and we can begin to
make use of space we already have.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's kind of where I was going. 285 seems
to me to be the full blown deal. I say we cut it 200,000, leave
85,000 in there to do the space planning throughout the balance of the
fiscal year.
That would at least give us a head start into next fiscal year if
the need is there. If it isn't, then we don't need to use the money
and it goes unused. But I'd hate to do a budget amendment for that.
I don't know. I think we're going to end up dealing with it
throughout the year.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Maybe, I don't know if 85 is
necessary. If you want to do some sort of space planning, I don't
think it takes that much money, but --
MR. McNEES: The space planning will already be done.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What I'm talking about is any initial
designing that needs to get started to accomplish it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I don't know if it will take 85; I
just don't know. I mean, it seems to me if we say okay, let's see
what's needed there, as you just said, everybody is going to come up
with a need if we say okay, what's the need.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What started this discussion is what my
problem is. Neil, in his exit and all good intentions, started this
discussion, instead of it coming from the court system. Let's wait
until they come.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It's the old rule; if you ask them,
they'll find a need.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm not going to argue being overruled to
eliminate stuff.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: What are you going to eliminate, the 285?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: All of it, yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All of it, $285,000. Your advice is well
taken Mr. McNees, but we'll take this course of action.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: The space study is going to be done in any
case, for other reasons, not just this.
MR. McNEES: Yes, sir. That is already started.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Next item, animal control facility.
MR. TINDALL: Public Services has initially requested a million
six for a new animal control facility. During the course of the
County Manager's review, that was reduced to 700,000.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We talked about this a little bit in a
hearing once before about how much per square foot versus how much Mr.
Constantine's house plans were.
(Laughter)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, I joked yesterday that we could --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My wife and I are just going to live
in cages now.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We could buy a fixer-upper in Port Royal and
put cages in it for $700,000, and that way we'd be bringing more
services to the city.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I need to say I listed this on my cut
list, but I want to say, particularly to Jody, I know, I come out
there to the shelter and I know we need to do some work. I'm just,
the number here is what scares me.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think what happens is on these kind of
things, when you say I want to build an animal control facility, who
does that, one or two people say, I design them, one or two people say
I build them, and because it's such a selective group, such a
selective design group, that the cost goes up dramatically. It's kind
of like getting an architect for a very singular purpose.
What I would like to see is, I know that the County
Administrator's agency has already brought this down to what they felt
was a reasonable level. I figure we could probably build one for
something a little less than that if we didn't go to that select
group.
If we looked at what our needs were, it seems to me that an
architect doesn't have to be specific to animal control. Jody can
tell us what the cage sizes need to be, where they need to be.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Why don't we sub it out?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I just, I think we can get our hands in this
and maybe work it a little bit more. Mr. Fernandez?
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman, I do think there are some unique
features of animal control shelters that require special expertise.
If you don't design them well, you end up paying a whole lot more to
operate them over time, having to do with the way the kennels are
designed, whether they can be cleaned efficiently, or whether it takes
a very labor intensive effort to clean them, the sloping of the
floors, all of that stuff.
If you don't really know what you're doing, you're ending up with
a more expensive facility to operate and an expensive, the kind of
things you heard Skip talk about earlier, you're going to be dealing
with, you know; oh, we didn't anticipate the moisture was going to get
in here, and that sort of thing.
There is something to be said for a very well-qualified designer
for your facility.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One item I want to make sure we don't
shortcut is one of the reasons the majority of the Board voted to move
the facility is the noise it makes for other homes that have since
been built around it and now we're putting it in an area with homes,
that will soon have homes built around it. So we need to address the
noise issue.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sound attenuation.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes, that, too.
(Laughter)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: The noise and the sound of noise.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: When any government says, okay, we've got a
budget of $700,000 to build an animal control facility, somehow you
end up with a $698,000 animal control facility. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How about 500?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me ask this. Is there an opportunity
to build this over two fiscal years?
MR. McNEES: I was going to clarify. We're not saying we can
build you a $700,000 animal control facility. We're saying we'll try
to phase it so that you only have to spend $700,000 in the first year.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What's its total cost?
MR. OLLIFF: The project calls for a million five-eight-five and
that's what's shown as your total -- I'm Tom Olliff. We've done some
cost comparisons of other animal control facilities all over the state
and they all come in at 20 thousand square foot at a million three to
a million five, and the ones that are a million three, which is the
ones like Alachua County built 10 years ago, that's what they cost.
And our square footage. cost is $79 a square foot, which is not out of
range.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: $79?
MR. OLLIFF: $79 a square foot is what our estimate is based on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's a level of unfamiliarity here because
I'm just sitting here thinking what you can build for that and line
the walls with cages. And it just, it drives me crazy to think that
it's that kind of money.
I don't question your judgment, Mr. Olliff, it's just, it's such
a sticker shock.
MR. OLLIFF: I have never built one before either. And what I
will tell you what drives a lot of the cost is the need to contain the
noise inside the whole structure, as well. If you want to build one
that's open air, you can do it significantly less expensive than that.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: I can add another perspective on that. In the
facility that we were building, we faced the same budget crisis in
mid-construction, and one of the challenges for me was whether to
scale back design of the facility or to go ahead forward with our more
expensive first plan.
We went with the latter. I was convinced by the budget director
to avoid being penny wise and pound foolish. Never regretted it. I
really think that we reaped the benefits during the 10 years that we
operated that facility that I was there, because we didn't compromise
on the design and we didn't try to save those dollars up front and we
ended up benefitting from that during the life of the facility.
I already told you the story how we didn't do that with the jail
and ended up paying the price on the operating side. So I think it's
an important lesson.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Is this -- is it too controversial to
suggest that we joint venture something with the Humane Society or
somehow do something to privately like fund raise for half of it? You
know, there's so many animal lovers in this town, could we fund raise
half of this?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: For my two cents, all the nightmares that have
occurred in Lee County, I don't want to touch that with a 10-foot
pole.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't know anything about what's
happened in Lee County.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, it's -- they tried a similar situation
and what happens is the Humane Society's leadership and boards change
over time, and what may have sounded like a good idea and a good
relationship at that time, half of that relationship can change and
you have no control over it.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And let's face it, this is one of the few
things we as government have a responsibility to provide to the
community --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes. We have to do it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- and I really think we need to maintain
control.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What if, however, we maintained
control but still do some private fund-raising, you still tap your
animal lovers.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: In the meantime, that doesn't solve our
immediate problem, our instant problem, which is we've got to decide
on the budget today.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- or radio.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Whichever's quicker.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sound attenuation.
MR. OLLIFF: The Board needs to recall that this is a project
that's being built on a piece of property that was donated and it's
valued at over $600,000. So there are --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We already got that gift.
MR. OLLIFF: -- some major donations going on with this project
and we'll do the best that we can to elevate it publicly so that we
can try and generate some additional donations.
What we did do for this particular budget is we realistically
looked at what it would take us in terms of time to close on the
property, actually do a site development plan, hire a designer, design
the building, and we frankly don't think that we could have spent the
entire 1.5 in the first year anyway.
So what we've tried to do is show you a cash flow budget that we
think is what we would realistically spend in the next fiscal year,
and then put the balance of the project in the following fiscal year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Are we going to have construction started
in this fiscal year for 700?
MR. OLLIFF: Yes, ma'am.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We'll see '-
MR. OLLIFF: It would be a construction project very similar to
what we did with the Medical Examiner's facility, that you phased the
construction over two years.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I say we go ahead with it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sold.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. Excellent presentation, Miss Morelock.
Thank you.
MS. MORELOCK: I feel really special. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We can deal with the specifics later,
but is there general agreement that we fund 700,000 now, but as we
look at the out years where we're going to do the other that we try to
form some private sector cooperation?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I don't think anyone has any objection to
that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Matching funds, you know, the county
putting half, how about getting the other half privately.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sell bricks for the courtyard area out front.
I mean, there are ideas you can do with people, you know.
MR. OLLIFF: One of the things that we've seen other counties do
successfully is actually come up with a wish list that they circulate
throughout the community and people who want to make donations can buy
certain portions of the facility, whether it might be a patio in the
back, or a dog run.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: In honor of their deceased pet?
MR. OLLIFF: Exactly. And we would put name tags and plaques on
all those donated materials and things. But that's something we
intend to do on this project.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If people are as passionate about their pets
as much as Skip is about humidity, we should raise tons of money.
(Laughter)
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: There you go.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No, that, I think it's a good idea. Let's try
and be creative there as best we can.
Next item, the Project 2000, let's go find the two other digits
program.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Did you ever get a chance, Mr. Smykowski, to
tell us total county dollars to fix the 2000 problem?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: What is in the budget, there's 390,000 in the
Sheriff's operating budget. We'll get to it shortly.
In the 301 budget, the Sheriff has 210,000. So the Sheriff has
$600,000.
In addition, the project we're about to talk about is 500,000,
total of 1.1 million.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's what I was going to ask Mr.
Coakley, if he could help us understand what the difference is between
our system and their system and why we're buying different software
and is there any duplication.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: If they are going to spend $2 million to
solve the problem, can we combine our efforts and spend less?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You can buy software to do so much more than
changing these two stupid digits, but it just -- the systems --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: They won't do it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Unbelievable.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: In addition, you're looking at replacing an
approximately 10 year old integrated financial system. Mr. Hitchell's
here from the Clerk's office.
MR. HITCHELL: For the record, Jim Hitchell, Director of Finance
of the county. Hike is correct. What we're looking to do is replace
our current financial package. It's known as GHSI.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Jim, you need to get closer to the
mike. That one doesn't work well.
MR. HITCHELL: The original package was written in 1982 and it
was installed in this county in 1987. So we're dealing with a package
that's 15 years old.
There's two issues that we have to deal with. Number one is the
current system is antiquated, it does not promote efficiency; we're
just putting Band-Aids on it, trying to keep it running.
And, of course, the second issue is the 2000 year compliant.
We've taken the position that it's in the best interests of the
taxpayers of this community to go ahead and replace it. It is
anticipated that the total project cost will be somewhere about $2
million. That's what we brought to the table here, and I think that
we were looking at approximately $500,000 in this next fiscal cycle.
I've spoken with Mr. HcNees regarding this issue, and what we're
trying to do is find alternative financing sources to make this thing
happen. What we want to look at is lease-purchase arrangements, try
to find something that's not going to impact the general fund, the ad
valorem dollar in such a heavy manner in one year.
What we have to do is wait until we know what the total bid
package is before we can come up with those numbers. But the $500,000
we're looking at this year is going to take care of things such as the
training issues, the conversion issues. There's certain costs that no
matter if we do lease-purchase, we're still going to have those costs.
Any questions that I can answer for you?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No. Back to my first question of Mr.
Coakley. What can we do as far as what's the difference between what
we're doing with the Project 2000 thing and what the Sheriff's
Department's doing? Is there any duplication between all that or is
there some way for us to be more efficient rather than spending a
couple million dollars?
MR. COAKLEY: For the record, Bill Coakley. I'm Information
Technology Director.
I have no knowledge of what the Sheriff's Department is doing. I
do have knowledge of this, because we've been participating with the
Clerk's office in this project. So I can't answer between those two
agencies, but --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What concerns me is yesterday the
Sheriff's Department said no, we know for a fact that it's not
duplicative. And if there hasn't been communication with you, we
don't know that or not.
MR. COAKLEY: No, not on that point. We've looked at our own
needs inside the Board relative to Year 2000, and we're okay on
everything, so it is a specific --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We don't have to do anything?
MR. COAKLEY: Not the systems that I have any direct
responsibility for. We've checked them out and --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's wonderful.
MR. COAKLEY: -- they all seem to be okay. Well, a lot of them
are newer systems --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Right.
MR. COAKLEY: -- and PC systems, of course, just generally don't
have this problem. It's the older -- COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Right.
MR. COAKLEY: -- software. And I like what Mr. Hitchell said,
that software was archaic years ago, and it would have been good to
replace it a long time ago. It needs replacement and the year 2000 is
perhaps the precipitating cause to bring it about, but it's got to be
done, and we provided our input into it.
The only concern we have -- I shouldn't say concern -- but the
only issue that we're very interested in is whether it's
technologically, a package that's chosen is technologically up-to-date
and modern, namely Client Server, and we've made that point known to
the Clerk's office.
MR. HcNEES: We may have done somewhat of a disservice or perhaps
Jim did it to himself naming this Project 2000, because the year 2000
issue is kind of the tail wagging the dog here. The dog here is the
financial system which is long since antiquated and would have needed
replacement. And I think Bill's exactly right, the 2000 issue is
minor.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Jim, in the systems that the county, in
the stuff Mr. Coakley's been doing, there isn't already a financial
package that we can buy more users or something that translates for
you?
MR. HITCHELL: It's two totally different areas, Commissioner.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It is?
MR. HITCHELL: The package that he has has no relationship to the
financial package that we're looking to replace.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Because you have functions that he doesn't
have? I mean, because the software needs that you have are so
completely different because it needs to function in an entirely
different way?
MR. HITCHELL: It's not so much the software needs as it is the
business needs. What we're looking -- with this project, what we're
looking to replace, and I'll just go through them real quick: The
general ledger, the purchasing, the accounts payable, the investments,
the payroll. Payroll and HR we're addressing currently. But these
are what's considered the backbone of the financial package.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: We don't have something similar to that,
Mr. Coakley?
MR. COAKLEY: No, ma'am, we don't. We do, of course, have the
Human Resources --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Of course.
MR. COAKLEY: -- which you previously approved and we're working
out an arrangement with the Clerk on the payroll module of that which
is an option. But they will be interfaced with whatever new package
they come up with.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That was my next question. Are we going
to be able to communicate with each other? Somehow are these going to
-- is your financial software package going to be something that works
with Mr. Coakley's equipment?
MR. MITCHELL: Absolutely.
MR. COAKLEY: Absolutely. There should be no -- there's no
technical obstacle to that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And then what about the Sheriff also
working together?
MS. KINZEL: Hi. For the record, Crystal Kinzel, the Sheriff's
Finance Director. We have been participating as well with the Clerk's
office. Just so you don't get the impression that the Sheriff's out
there on his own, that's absolutely not correct.
We've gone to every presentation, every meeting, to work on that
joint package and joint financial communicating back and forth with
those.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't think anyone said that, Crystal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No, no, that was my question.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You were looking over here and -- okay.
MS. KINZEL: No, I'm just responding, okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right.
MS. KINZEL: That we have worked -- I wanted to give you a
picture of what we have done so far, so that you're aware of the
communications that we have had with the Clerk's office.
We're working with them on all of the modules, however, the
modules that you saw yesterday and are also included in our capital
further along today, include different components. The Sheriff's
Office also has intelligence reporting, civil process, warrants, and
some booking functions that are a conglomerate, in addition to
connecting the Clerk's finance package. So we have our own internal
needs that aren't a duplication of anything that's done at the Board
side or is done at the finance at the Clerk's office.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What about the 2000 issue?
MS. KINZEL: That's a problem for all of us. But more
importantly, as Jim said, we're using also the Moore financial package
which was installed at the Sheriff's Office back in 89-90 when we came
in, and it runs off of old hardware that's no longer able to
substantiate those systems.
I don't really have a functional problem with my financial
package. Functionally, it does everything I need it to do in finance.
But the hardware and the new data and the new technology will no
longer support that software. So we're converting.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It's not a new song, is it? I mean how
many times have you heard that?
MS. KINZEL: No. So it isn't just 2000, it's all those other
issues about technology advancements. MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Is there the opportunity to be included in the
integrated package that the Clerk's pursuing?
MS. KINZEL: For the financial portion, that's our anticipation
that we'll do that. But we also wanted to assure that there is
funding in there significant to cover the booking, the civil process,
those other issues that really aren't a part of the financial package.
MR. FERNANDEZ: But isn't that part of the CJIS system? Is that
independent from the CJIS system?
MS. KINZEL: It's independent. The Sheriff's Office has
independent functions for all of those. We run our own data
processing.
MR. FERNANDEZ: And it's not part of CJIS?
MS. KINZEL: I don't believe so. Do you know? I'm not the
technical person. I can get Damian to answer those questions.
But I do know that the Sheriff's Office runs independent in our
data processing.
MR. FERNANDEZ: My thought, Mr. Chairman, is that if we're all
going through this, this process, there should be every effort made to
integrate as much as we possibly can and do it together, rather than
everyone doing it.
MS. KINZEL: We feel we are doing it together. That's why we're
participating in the RFP committee. We are working with them.
MR. HITCHELL: Commissioners, if I could, when we created the
Project 2000 task force, we included invitations to all constitutional
officers. And we've had an overwhelming response to that and in
creating the specifications that will become the RFP, it's been full
participation. We've addressed every constitutional officer out there
that did participate.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And there's not a need for the County
Hanager's agency, because our new program doesn't have the problem.
MR. COAKLEY: The services for the financial management system
are provided by the Clerk's agency for the Board. They still are.
There was never any intent to move them over to our new environment
except that the workstations would be compatible with their system.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Hitchell, do you agree with the
assessment of Hiss Kinzel that the Sheriff's Office and your office
are cooperating and will absolutely be able to interface properly? MR. HITCHELL: Absolutely.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. Good. So we do have agreement.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, once again we have a $710,000 RFP, we're
going to have a $710,000 study, $710,000 worth of equipment.
I -- there's got to be a little more economy in there than has
already been projected. That's just -- I don't know. Haybe it's an
unknown again. But it just seems a little high.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I see 500,000 down here.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, you have to throw in the Sheriff's
$210,000 for the year. I'm putting the two together, because what Mr.
Fernandez, you know, was getting to is, you know, yes, we may be at
the same table talking about the same thing, but we have two separate
line items and two separate budgets to accomplish the same end goal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But it's slightly different. Here's the
way I understand it and you guys tell me if I'm getting it.
The big picture is to accomplish the 2000 and to upgrade your
antiquated systems. There may be three or four parts to that; maybe
four of them are ledger and financial and that stuff. There are about
three parts that have to do with warrants, and whatever that other
stuff Crystal said.
So the Clerk's asking for four pieces to get to the 2000 project,
the Sheriff's asking for three pieces. They're separate but they are
all part of the same project. I mean, it sounds like they're doing
exactly what we asked them to do.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Hitchell?
MR. HITCHELL: They are not part of the same project. It's the
same problem.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, you're looking at as a project the
big software, what Mr. Fernandez just said, that everybody's got the
same problem. So they're fixing some pieces that don't apply to you,
you're fixing some pieces that apply to them. It sounds like it all goes together.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I just know that when you bid two sizeable
projects at the same time, there's an economy of scale if you get one
bidder. And what I'm afraid of is we're arriving at cost and
projections based on the individual, you know -- COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Are we?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- working the two separately.
MR. HITCHELL: Could we have the question again, please?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Is there one bid or more than one?
MR. HITCHELL: It's going to be more than one bid, because you're
not -- to our knowledge, I don't think we're going to be able to find
a vendor that's going to be able to provide what we need from a
financial standpoint and what they need from a legal or from a --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Law enforcement.
MR. HITCHELL: -- a law enforcement standpoint.
See, the Clerk's office also has the same problem that the
Sheriff has, and that is that we have our court systems that are 2000
compliant problems there also. That's totally segregated from what
we're looking at here.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So there's more to come on 2000?
MR. HITCHELL: I think that the Clerk has already anticipated
that in this year's budget.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Good.
MR. MITCHELL: It's already being addressed.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I think the bottom line is it's
something that we have to do, we don't have a choice. And our
respective staffs are telling us that they feel they are on track on
an economy scale, that's the best they can do. That's it. If that's
where we are, that's where we are.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah, I think so, too.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Tried to pry the lid and couldn't get
anywhere, so.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Take 5 minutes?
(A 5-minute recess was taken.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We are still planning on taking a lunch break
right at noon, assuming we don't zip through everything else in the
next hour. So plan on a lunch recess from 12 to 1, just as we did
yesterday.
Mr. Smykowski, I believe we are to the point of our general fund
capital project that is the Sheriff's capital budget request.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's correct. Ms. Myers is here from the
Sheriff's Office to discuss their capital project requests.
Mr. Tindall, if you want to introduce the --
MR. TINDALL: Sure thing. In the Sheriff's capital, we have the
spreadsheet divided between existing projects for which new funding is
being requested, and the brand new projects that are being requested
for '98.
The first one would be the Building J improvements, $100,000
requested for '98.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And the purpose for those are -- because we
have already seen some other Building J improvements that have found a
way into other parts of the budget. What is that particular $100,000
item for?
MS. MYERS: Jean Myers, budget analyst for the Sheriff's Office.
This is our continuing ongoing project, as Phil had said at the top
part here, our continuing projects.
Interior renovations of Buildings A and J, modular furniture,
just trying to fit more people in the same amount of space. I know
you've all -- I think the majority of you have been to Buildings A and
J and seen our space constraint problem.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. My concern is that we're doing a space
plan study now and I would hate to do renovations there when there may
be other areas that, you know, spend the dollars to renovate those
buildings when, at the end of the space plan study in the spring, we
may find that there are other areas the Sheriff's Office can occupy.
That's my only concern.
MS. MYERS: There is no space, though, that we are currently
occupying and like I say, adding more people. So I can see your
relationship with the space study, which that's going to bring up more
things here later on. This is our current space.
We also have the mold and mildew humidity story that Skip stole
the show on in Building A. We are continually replacing carpets and
having the problem with the storage and the paper absorbing the
moisture.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right. But we budgeted elsewhere to correct
that throughout the year, in our facilities capital.
MS. MYERS: I don't believe anything was for Building A.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Building A is?
MS. MYERS: Building A. Right behind the old Courthouse.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Right across.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Oh, okay.
MS. MYERS: That was due to be torn down five years ago, or
something like that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm going back to -- I guess it's just the
$100,000 figure, and I'm not sure what makes that up. Can you give me
a breakdown of what is planned for that $100,000 --
MS. MYERS: Sure, we can get that to you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- which is what we've done for everything
else.
MS. MYERS: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do you have that?
MS. MYERS: No, I don't, as far as the specifics.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. MYERS: It's been an ongoing project. We might say it's for
A bureau and it turns out to be C, but.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Just that on the other things we've all looked
at, if it were $100,000, we got well, 60,000 for this and 25 for that
and 15 for that. We knew what the content of that 100,000 was and
some things were pulled out and some were left in, and that kind of
thing. So that would be helpful.
MS. MYERS: We'll get that back to you, no problem.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The computer-aided dispatch system we kind of
made a commitment to last year to start, so I think that stays in. MS. MYERS: Yes.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: It stays.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That hundred thousand we'll just flag for more
information. The rest are all new requests.
MR. TINDALL: That's correct, sir. The next one of the new
requests would be the phone and data line upgrades for 255-eight being
requested.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What about jail video imaging security?
Am I just on the wrong one?
COMMISSIONER BERRY: There's nothing needed there.
MR. TINDALL: That was reduced to zero during the course of the
County Administrator's review of the budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So what's left in is phone and data line
upgrade of 255,000; records imaging at 200,000; year 2000 software
210, which we just discussed; communications equipment at 306,000.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Hold it. Communications equipment.
The phone call Mr. Smykowski and I made the other day, we were told
that was for 98 new 800 megahertz radios; is that accurate?
MS. MYERS: Which number? That's the 306-six?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Right.
MS. MYERS: That's correct, with some chargers.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We had the discussion when we
purchased the 800 megahertz system, and if you recall, if the Board
recalls, there was a big argument or a big discussion, shall we say,
over what was the appropriate number of radios to buy. And there was
a big differential in numbers and we went through a long process
before we came to an agreement on what was the appropriate number.
So I don't know that it's fair a year later that we're looking to
buy another hundred radios when we just settled that issue a year ago.
Certainly, we don't need to replace them if they're only a year old.
MS. MYERS: This is not a replacement. What has happened is kind
of a series of steps.
When you went into the 800 megahertz contract, some promises were
made by the manufacturer that the plan, where a patrol car normally
used to -- it had two radios, the in-car radio that stayed there and
then a portable radio that the deputy actually has on his uniform, on
his belt. They had told us they were going to have in-car chargers
and you were only going to need one radio. It would be in the car.
When you needed to get out, you snatched it and got out of the car.
They have yet to produce that, they are still not producing that,
cannot tell us when they will. Their charger that they do have, or
the batteries, are not lasting a whole shift; they are only lasting
three or four hours. We're having to purchase more batteries.
So now, the situation we're in is, and as we're bringing more
deputies on the road, we need two radios for the one that they used to
say we have. So we're playing catch-up.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, it just seems to me --
MS. MYERS: It's a safety issue. They are not going to have
radios.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's also a contract failure issue.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Exactly. It seems to me --
MS. MYERS: Exactly.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- it's a contract issue with the
vendor, and if they are not fulfilling, then we need to take that up
with them. We don't need to spend an extra $300,000 of taxpayer
money.
MS. MYERS: But we have deputies that don't have radios, so what
do we tell them, sorry, we can't hire you? They don't have a radio
that will do both. We have to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: How long have you known of this problem?
MS. MYERS: A year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay, and what efforts have been made to force
the vendor to either one, correct the problem, or two, give the money
back?
MS. MYERS: The contract, I believe, is with the county. All of
our uniformed captains that --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: This is the Collier County Sheriff's
Department, isn't it?
MS. MYERS: Pardon me?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I guess, you know, I know that some things
have been done, because I get occasional letters or memos or things
from people that say we're having this problem, you need to fix it,
you haven't fixed it. But to sit here a year later and wait until we
are in a near crisis position to make a budgetary request, as opposed
to already doing one of two things, which is rectifying the situation
-- because I thought the Sheriff wanted control of the 800 megahertz
system, that that was important to him.
But to then say it's a county problem, as far as I know, we
haven't been asked to go to the vendor and resolve this issue for you.
MS. MYERS: I can't answer that. I know they have had
correspondence through your representative.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Has anyone filed a suit against them for
failure to perform?
MS. KINZEL: Commissioners, for the record, Crystal Kinzel,
Finance Director. No, we have been working through correspondence
with your office under county management justice contract
administrators.
You're absolutely correct, we want to control the 800 for law
enforcement. But we have been, and you have received copies, I think,
of all the letters where we have indicated to them we had water
problems going into antennas, causing the radios to malfunction; we
have panic button problems where the panic button won't respond with
the deputy pushing the button because of an alignment problem.
We have had case problems where the cases won't fit with the
radios with the right antennas. We've had earphone and mike problems
where that earphone doesn't fit with the mike.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We get copied on a lot of those letters.
MS. KINZEL: But most of the problem has to do with this
in-vehicle charger, and they are not guaranteeing or saying that they
can produce that now for any specified period of time.
To remedy it, they did offer us a hundred batteries extra which
we did accept, as a stopgap measure, to get us through this budget
year. We got those batteries.
I'm not the expert in this, our Captain of Uniform is. I just
know as Finance and during the budget conversations, this is the input
that I've had.
We'd be glad to have him come over and do a presentation for the
Board, and maybe give you a total recap. But this is really a safety
issue, we've got to have some radios so the deputies don't have
failing batteries and they're able to communicate back to dispatch.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. HcNees, has the County Hanager's
office, while you were acting in that capacity, been asked to pursue a
legal remedy with the vendor?
MR. McNEES: We have not in the manager's office. I just sent
for John Daly, who is our communications manager, and I won't speak
for him. If it's happening it hasn't bubbled up into our office, and
that's why I asked for John to come in.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Plain and simple -- I understand we
need to make sure our deputies are safe -- but plain and simple, if we
have a system that isn't working we shouldn't reward that vendor by
spending another $300,000 with them.
MS. KINZEL: We don't disagree with you, Commissioner, honestly.
We have tried to work with them. Obviously, legal recourse is always
an option. We've tried to do everything short of that, and I think
we've worked very closely with John Daly and their office trying to
force the vendor into some of these performance issues.
But the reality of it is we don't have enough radios to give
these deputies to make it safe out there, with the battery life and
the things that we have experienced. So we are asking for additional
radios.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: See, this almost sounds to me like the
kind of issue that should come out of reserves, you know, pending the
lawsuit against the --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Because this is a pending lawsuit. And
you need to be suing them. I appreciate your writing letters and
stuff, but you need to be suing them.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't remember in those correspondence --
and I'm sure someone will point it out if I'm incorrect -- someone
mentioning that we have officers whose lives are being placed in
danger due to the nonperformance of this equipment. That would have
alerted me; that would have concerned me. I wouldn't have waited for
a budget session to ask for involvement.
So, you know, I understand the problem, but if the problem has
persisted for this long, yet I've never been informed of the safety
issue, the safety aspect, then it's just a level of inconsistency,
quite frankly.
I agree. I can't budget for that. Can you shed any light on
this for us? What has our role been? Apparently, we have a
non-performance area, the contractor indicated that the in-car
chargers for the Sheriff's Office would allow use of the radios in a
certain manner, they have not met that performance standard. Have we
paid them for it just the same? Help me understand. Are you aware of
this problem?
I'm sorry. Your name?
MR. DALY: Yes, John Daly, Radio Communications Manager.
The problem with the in-vehicle chargers was that on the portable
radio models that were selected for our system, Erickson has opted to
redesign those in-vehicle chargers, and the in-vehicle chargers have
not been available as of yet.
In an effort to mediate that situation approximately 18 months
ago, Erickson did offer to sell mobile radios for the same price as
the in-vehicle charger to the users that needed them, and that offer
was accepted by some users and rejected by others.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I love that. We have a vendor that when they
won't perform, offer to sell us additional equipment. I just --
that's precious.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sue them, guys. Sue them.
MR. DALY: No, no, no, no. The in-vehicle chargers were an
additional option, okay, that the users were going to pay for. And
the in-vehicle chargers were $548, the mobile radio was like 2500.
They said since we can't provide the in-vehicle charger to you, we'll
provide the mobile radio at the same price as the vehicle charger.
So instead of paying $2500 for a mobile radio, they would have
paid $548.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay, so that's good. But now, what about
the --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do you know one of the groups that
exercised that option?
MR. DALY: Animal Control exercised that option because they were
going to use the in-vehicle chargers. Building Review exercised that
option and East Naples Fire Department exercised that option.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Sheriff's Department did not exercise
that option?
MR. DALY: That's correct.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Do we want to reconsider that decision?
Maybe that's what would be the solution.
MR. McNEES: Is that what you're proposing?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No.
MS. KINZEL: This is for portable radios.
MR. FERNANDEZ: But at that reduced rate?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You've just told us the portable
radios don't work effectively --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So why don't we --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and now we want to buy more of
them.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No, wait. Here -- this is my question.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I asked a question, I'd like to get a
response from them.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's follow this line first and then we'll go
to you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You're right. I'm sorry.
MS. KINZEL: It has come to our attention that some of the --
that the panic button problem, that, yes, that they are not working
correctly.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, if the units aren't working
correctly, and the manufacturer is acknowledging they are not working
correctly, why do we want to buy more of those units?
MS. KINZEL: Not that type, is my understanding. We've got a
mobile and a portable.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can you get your guy here who can --
because my question is why don't you do what the Building Department
did or Animal Control did?
MR. McNULTY: Good morning. For the record, I'm Bill McNulty,
the Communications Equipment Manager for the Sheriff's Office.
The decision was made by the Sheriff's Office not to mix. Mobile
radios we were going to keep all Orions, and all portable radios would
be Prisms. We would not have to stock two different parts of radio
for repairs. We just elected we would stick with the Orions and the
Prism portable radios.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What if they don't work?
MR. McNULTY: Well, the way it was originally intended, it would
have worked, Commissioner. But what we did was we provide every
officer a portable radio. We provide every marked unit a mobile
radio, every unmarked unit for detectives and so forth, would have a
vehicular charger and a portable radio, not a mobile radio.
They have not been able to provide a vehicular charger.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay, here's my point. We paid for the
charger and the radio in those unmarked and detective units, am I
right? Did we pay for a charger?
MR. DALY: Okay. They had identified or we had identified an
inventory of vehicular chargers that were needed in the contract, and
there were dollars assigned to that. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. DALY: The vehicular chargers, due to the fact that they had
created some operational problems with the portable radios, Erickson
opted to redesign them, and that's when they made the offer for the
mobile radios at $548.
The money that was allocated in the contract for those vehicular
chargers was utilized to buy the mobile radios for Animal Control and
Building Review and East Naples Fire Department. And those
departments that were enterprised paid back. The funds that were
identified for those radios in the Sheriff's Office allocation of
equipment, some of that money was utilized for other communications
equipment for the Sheriff's Office, that they've used --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That wasn't an option. You know, when we went
through the 800 megahertz, and one of the line items was so many
chargers and so many radios --
MR. DALY: Right. We did not have a specific number in the
contract of vehicular chargers. The contract was worded that there
would be a request for some vehicular chargers from the users. When
Erickson was unable to provide that piece of equipment they made a -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: A more expensive decision that results in a
$300,000 request today.
MR. DALY: Well, I don't think this request today is related to
the charger issue.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, they say it is.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's what I was just told.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We were just told that's the reason
why.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: What do you think it relates to?
MR. DALY: Well, I know that the Sheriff's Office has had an
increase in personnel since the inventory numbers were established in
the contract. We established an inventory number of say, x-number of
radios. If Building Review went out and hired 6 more building
inspectors between the time the contract was signed and the time they
bought their radios, they would have needed to increase their
inventory by six radios or --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, two things. I'm pretty sure
they haven't hired 98 new deputies, and we anticipated that. When we
had the discussions on the radio system, we took into account what we
anticipated for growth in the number of personnel you had. We didn't
just do it on a static number from 1995.
MS. KINZEL: That's correct, Commissioner. Every year since that
contract was established we budgeted a radio for every expanded
position that you have approved for us. So we took that into account.
Another point, if you remember back a few years ago before the
800 megahertz contract, we used to have a line item in the 301 budget
for radio replacement, and when we went to -- and if we -- for
replacement, that were damaged or they don't work or they wore out or
whatever, because there we were at the end of that old system, old
radios. And that has also gone away. So we'd like to also start that
up again, because that may be a problem now. Even if these radios do
start to work and are great. We are still going to have some that are
damaged or donwt work, so that we are going to need some replacement
money.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Let's do one issue at a time. That's a
different issue, isn't it? Isn't that a different issue from the one
we're stuck on right this second?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Jeanne, you've told us it is a
charger-related issue; they don't work?
MS. MYERS: Right. They aren't even producing it.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Daly, you tell us it's not a
charger-related issue.
MR. DALY: Well, what I'm saying is --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm assuming that you guys know what
the issue is in your own department, but I'm just a little frustrated
that the two of you don't have any idea what the other is saying.
MR. DALY: But the issue is that the chargers were unavailable
and the option was made that they could purchase portable -- or mobile
radios for $548 for those vehicles that were identified for vehicular
chargers.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And they did not exercise that option.
MR. DALY: And they did not exercise that option.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is that option still available?
MR. DALY: I don't know if it would be or not. I mean, that was
accepted and rejected 18 months ago.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: And the follow-up to that point is you indicated,
Mr. Daly, that the funding capacity from that contract attributable to
the Sheriff's portion, when they elected not to buy the portable
radios, was spent on other communication needs. Is that accurate?
MR. DALY: Other mobile and portable radios, yes. I would have
to go through and find it, you know.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Do we know -- can the Sheriff's Office tell us
specifically what needs those funds were spent towards --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: What did you buy with that money?
MR. FERNANDEZ: -- and why are they not available now for this
purchase that you're asking?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: To help solve this problem.
MR. FERNANDEZ: I think that's really the issue.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Exactly. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's exactly where I was heading.
MR. McNULTY: We purchased some more portable radios. We
purchased some additional mobile radios, but not of the ones that were
offered in lieu of the vehicular chargers. And then we had some funds
sitting there for the vehicular chargers still, but it's still not
available from the vendor. They are saying now it would be mid-July
of '97 and this goes back to --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Four weeks?
MR. McNULTY: -- 1994, '95 when we started all of this.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There is no question that the vendor has not
fulfilled their responsibilities here. I mean, that that's -- so I'm
not putting the vendor blame on anyone in this room.
However, when a budget amount is set aside for a charging unit
and a radio, and the charging unit is not functioning, an offer was
made to purchase a radio that would fulfill that same purpose for less
money.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Or come close to filling the purpose.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay? But I'm talking to these two people.
I'm talking to Crystal's head shaking back there, I'm talking to these
two people. So they will respond hopefully to my question if I'm
wrong.
A radio was offered at less money than the charging unit and
radio that was budgeted. So if the issue was one of officer safety,
it would be my thought that those radios would have been purchased for
that purpose, instead of the money being used in some other form in
the communications arena and resulting in an additional $300,000
request on the capital side.
If you can't tell me where the money that was budgeted for these
radios and not used for that purpose went, I'm sure as heck not going
to approve an additional $306,000 for more communication equipment.
You've got to give me a clear path here and I don't have one,
so --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Is any of that money still available or is
it all spent?
MR. HcNULTY: No. Some of it's still available, Commissioner.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How much?
MR. DALY: About 6800.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: 6800?
MR. McNULTY: No, no, no.
MR. DALY: We're comparing apples and oranges here. The
vehicular chargers that were identified in the contract for the
Sheriff's Office had a value of $73,000. COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
MR. DALY: That was approximately 110 vehicular chargers. In our
meetings with the Sheriff's Office, they did in fact buy additional
mobile radios and some portable radios utilizing that $73,000.
Basically, we kind of viewed that as we had, you know, a line item for
their communications equipment needs in the 800 and that some of that
would be, you know, up to their discretion as to what they got or what
they needed.
But the amount for those vehicular chargers was $73,000. I'm not
sure where the 300,000 comes from.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So how does it cost $300,000 to solve a
problem that we had hoped was going to be addressed with 73,000?
MR. McNULTY: The 300,000 is for additional radios also.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: How many?
MS. MYERS: A hundred, 98 and some chargers. 98 radios and 15
charger banks. Not chargers.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I understand the charger banks. They are the
ones that sit stationary and you put four radios in them or whatever.
MS. MYERS: Six or whatever.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Six or eight.
MS. MYERS: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I still am at a loss how we can spend all of
the budgeted funds but $6,800 on communication equipment and be 98
radios short. I'm sorry, it just doesn't add up.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Chairman, I agree with you. I
think if they opted to spend it on other equipment, that was certainly
their choice. It's apparently not one that has resulted in the most
efficient use of the funds, if they think they're short. But I'm not
comfortable budgeting another $306,000 because they chose to spend the
money elsewhere.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And I agree with you on cutting that. But you
know, I'm more --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Particularly to a vendor who is not
providing adequate service.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I looked at the entire capital request the
same way I looked at the Sheriff's budget yesterday, and that is that
we can take 306,000 out of it. How he uses the balance of it is up to
him; I don't know what his priorities are.
But I would, I don't know if you want to make it a specific line
item cut or just a dollar cut.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think it should be specific there,
considering we need to probably do some litigation on this issue if
it's not solved. And I would hate to have anything that appears we're
A, purchasing more and have further litigation; but B, rewarding a
vendor that's not fulfilling their contract.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And should we get the answers we're looking
for and we'd be in some type of crisis situation, we can do it out of
reserves pending the result of litigation against Erickson to do what
they said the contract would do.
If, however, it has just been simply discretionary purchasing
power in the Sheriff's Office, I mean, he's going to have to find it
from somewhere else.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes.
MR. DALY: Can I just ask for a little clarification of how we've
gotten to the vendor's not performing? I don't quite understand this
and I think maybe you've been given some misinformation.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Your point seems to me that they spent the
money in another fashion, willingly --
MR. McNULTY: Still in the communications line, Commissioner.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Of course.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The whole idea was to get radios to every
officer.
MR. DALY: The point on the vehicular chargers was, that in our
contract it was not a specified item. It was a, you need some mobile
chargers because some people might want them but we didn't have a
definitive line item for that number. It was basically considered as
an option in the contract.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Daly, if I can interrupt.
MR. DALY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Where we got to the point where we
thought the vendor wasn't performing is from Ms. Kinzel about 10
minutes ago just before you came in the room
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Because they cannot provide those mobile
chargers.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: They're only getting three hours out of it, is
I think what we heard.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Frankly, that's not necessarily the
issue right now. I think we've addressed the spending issue and if we
need to get into that, that's appropriate for a Tuesday meeting.
But I'd suggest whomever is the appropriate person from the
Sheriff's Department and you get together and talk this over, because
what you've said and what they have said hasn't been consistent.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's right.
MR. DALY: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So at this point, we have a removal of
$306,600 under communication equipment.
I hear Commissioner Constantine and myself. Who else is with --
Commissioner Berry.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Yes.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's more than three. Okay.
We have Relocation of Bureaus $277,600 and $100,000 in PC
Replacement. Relocation of Bureaus, which one or ones are we talking
about?
MS. MYERS: This is part of Building A. It is our step to vacate
the second floor, bureaus that are located there, and then some
bureaus that are in A and J would also go to this off-site location.
And then some bureaus from A or J that we are very cramped would go to
first floor of A.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The off-site location that is proposed
is an additional 30,000 square feet?
MS. MYERS: Thirty thousand square feet at approximately $10 a
square foot.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Where is this space?
MS. MYERS: Right now, we're currently looking, there is some
space over in Gulfgate Plaza, and maybe at the newly purchased Naples
Community Hospital I believe it was, at Grand Central Station area.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I've been in both Building A and J,
and there is no question that it's a tad bit crowded in both those.
However, I'm not sure -- I mean, 30,000 square feet is a lot of room.
I'm not sure that it requires -- I mean, that's the kind of thing
where every time government has space they grow into it rather rapidly
and I just think 30,000 is excessive.
You certainly need to have a little more elbow room between
people, but I don't think you need 30 thousand square feet.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me ask you a question. What is the
square footage of the current administration section only of Building
J?
MS. MYERS: I can't answer that question. I can answer that both
floors in A are 28,500 square feet.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Total?
MS. MYERS: Right. That building. We would totally vacate the
second floor and still occupy part of the first floor and free up some
space then from Building J.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Primarily then, it's almost like the
entire two-thirds, three quarters of the existing administration is
going somewhere else.
MS. MYERS: Correct, of A, which is 28,500. So we're only asking
for 30,000. That amount of people that are there would be moved to
this new off-site location in the 30,000 square feet.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And you would no longer be in A?
MS. MYERS: No. We would still be in the first floor of A.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: In all of it?
MS. MYERS: No, first floor only.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What's going to happen to the second
floor?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Didn't you say people from Building J would
then move to the second floor?
MS. MYERS: No, first floor.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Who's going to be on the second floor of
A?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Ms. Kinzel, would you please come to
the microphone, because otherwise '-
MS. KINZEL: For the record, Crystal Kinzel. Here is kind of
what we are envisioning and quite frankly, Commissioners, we haven't
had an opportunity to find the exact space that will accommodate which
and what units.
But theoretically, our idea is to move the investigative portions
off of the second floor which includes our vice and narcotics, our
persons and property investigations units, and move those off-site --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So that would vacate 15,000 --
MS. MYERS: -- and also our YRD.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So that would vacate 15,000 square
feet, roughly, and you wouldn't put anything else in there.
MS. KINZEL: No, we would, we would. I'm getting to that.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay.
MS. KINZEL: Okay. Then part of the downstairs is occupied by
your youth relations area. Most of them are out in the schools so we
only have a small portion in the bottom section.
What we would do then is take our intelligence and show cap
elements that are on the first floor; those would go to the second
floor. And then we're contemplating moving either a records section
or some other section that's compatible out of J into A. That gives
some growth room in J for other components, personnel, PRU
investigators -- who else do we have up there -- property and
evidence, that are compacted in the second floor of J.
We also have a concern and it ties back into the court process
and whether there's a renovation on that fourth floor. We currently
have our civil division, as well as our judicial divisions, operating
out of Building L. They did tell us when we moved in there that that
was a temporary, quote, unquote, until they need the space. If, in
fact, they don't get their expansion they'll probably be taking us out
of there.
So there's a lot up in the air as to exactly which units, but
that's our plan right now, to shift.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do you know the answer to Commissioner
Norris's question? Do you know how many square feet of administrative
space are used in Building J?
MS. KINZEL: I have it written down in my office, but I don't
remember off the top of my head.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: 12,0007 15,0007
MS. KINZEL: I thought it was about 21,000, but I hate to say
that. I don't know. I don't remember. I can get it back to you.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Why I ask is, if that's 21 and over
here is 28, that's a total of 49, and then we're asking for an
additional 30 over and above that. MS. KINZEL: Right.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I mean, that is nearly doubling or
that's 75 percent of --
MS. KINZEL: Okay, let me remind you a little bit.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- 60 percent of, more than what you
have currently.
MS. KINZEL: Well, let me explain. In 1989, I believe you had a
consultant study that already indicated we were at about a 12,000
square foot deficit at that time period. You also, when we want to go
to rental space, we don't see that as a permanent situation; we hope
that eventually the jail will be done, but we're looking at that at
least at three to five years. Because even if we start on the jail
next year, after the design phase, the construction phase, you're
looking at a 3 to 5-year lease term.
We have to then look at the growth elements over those 3 to 5
years. And we're not really talking about administrative. Mostly
what we are looking to move are things that need to be expanded, like
the investigative units, persons and property crimes, our intelligence
unit -- what else is there -- crime scene is in the second floor of A.
So we're looking at that already existing deficit where they are
compacted in different areas, as well as a growth for three to five
years.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't want to suggest you are not
crowded, because you are. I know the people over there are very, very
uncomfortable and it's not conducive to good working conditions.
My concern is the size of what you're looking for.
MS. KINZEL: And actually --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And being in 49,000 now, being in
roughly 50,000 square feet now, an additional 30 is just a big leap
and I'm wondering if perhaps an additional --
MS. KINZEL: Well, I think it does sound like a lot on the
surface because it did to us, too. But actually, what we're ending up
with because of the limited space that's available throughout Collier
County, we've actually found multiples of maybe 12,000 square feet
here, 15,000 square feet here, and another 10 there. After you take
out the common hallways, the bathrooms, what they refer to as
circulation factors, that doesn't leave you 30,000 square feet of
office or facilities type space.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's true in your existing office now, too.
MS. KINZEL: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: When we look at that square footage, that
includes, I hope, bathrooms, hallways and common areas. MS. KINZEL: Very small, very small.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I know. I think two things are happening that
have a material affect on this request and one is the campus space
plan that we're working on. In the spring of next year, we're going
to hopefully have a better picture of where we need to go long term.
In the meantime, I also have the V-Group doing its jail needs study,
which also will give us a better picture.
Rather than adding a budget item that goes to a full 30,000
square feet, I'd like to see maybe two-thirds of that as a starting
point, and wait until these studies come through and then if the need
to expand is there, it will shape more clearly then.
MS. KINZEL: We'll be fine with that, Commissioner, because
obviously, we are working with you on all of those studies and space,
and we don't want to spend any more money for rental space than is
absolutely necessary. We don't enjoy the remote locations, we would
rather keep our operations together.
We do have a couple critical, one including the Immokalee
location, that we do need to do. So we'll compromise that. We can
get there.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If we do that and go with an
additional 20,000 square feet, how does that impact -- there's a
number here, 278,000 for new setup, moving some of the existing things
around. I assume it shrinks that number some, as well.
MS. KINZEL: Well, it shrinks it some, but we would probably
still move around different elements. But if we don't use it, you
know, we certainly -- if we don't need it, we certainly won't use it
just to spend it. So you'll see that in your capital element for
subsequent year's use in wherever we end up with in the space study
for the campus.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So we kind of --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: How about the budget of this year?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You know, budget collective, but
frankly --
MS. KINZEL: If you want to compromise and say two-thirds of,
that's considered two-thirds the space, I think that's fair and
reasonable and we'll work with you on the space study.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Instead of 277,600, 180,0007 That's
two-thirds.
MS. KINZEL: Well, we'll work there.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MS. KINZEL: We'll do what we can do there.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So that's 98,000, plus or minus.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: 97,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, 97,600 less than requested, resulting in
$180,000 for that.
Any other questions on the Sheriff's capital requests?
Seeing none, thank you.
MS. KINZEL: Thank you and I'll try not to nod from the rear. I
apologize. I should probably sit up here at the front.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I was looking for your hand up her back.
(Laughter)
MS. MYERS: She wasn't doing rabbit ears, though, was she?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I promised I wouldn't tell.
MS. MYERS: You wouldn't tell.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No.
MS. KINZEL: I was just thankful she made it through this bout
with the budget workshops not delivering. She is nine months; she's
due in two weeks.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I was afraid yesterday we were going to
deliver a baby if things got too '-
MS. KINZEL: Two years ago she did that to me and left me here.
So we're just thankful we made it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Are we done with general fund capital?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: No, we've only just begun.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We've only just begun, my dear.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Oh, I'm sorry. I was looking at this one
page, thinking well, we got through that pretty good.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: I didn't mean to break out in song there.
(Laughter)
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: The brain drain continues.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Commissioners, the next area we'll be going into
is on page A-138, which is the Parks Construction Fund, Fund 306.
There are $355,000 in requests from the city. What's being
requested from the general fund is $85,000 to balance the fund, which
means if the Board were to opt to make cuts, we could first reduce the
transfer from the general fund and then increase capital reserves in
order to fund future projects.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me make a suggestion here on the
city items. We've had this little thing going back and forth for a
few months on beach parking and so on and so forth. What would
probably make the most sense is obviously, your end taxpayer doesn't
care which government entity paid for it, they just want to know that
something's available to them and that they can go use it.
What would probably be in our best interest is to, if on those
items we choose to fund, is to have an interlocal agreement with the
city for some period of time, that it's available to county residents,
and beach parking, whatever those issues happen to be, for X-number of
time, whatever the life of the capital project is.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: The only hesitation I'd have about that is
I think, based on the communication we got from the Mayor like I think
yesterday or the day before about the resolution of the beach parking
issue, it would be a shame, I think, if we let county policies be
driven by the unfortunate positions of at least a minority and
probably a single City Council member.
I don't think that we're at risk. I don't think those issues are
at risk. I think the majority of the Council is telling us we're
going to work together, we're going to have this joint committee on,
you know, beach needs and --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Fund 80 percent of the lost revenues. That's
the one that concerned me. I was real happy on that memo until I got
to that third paragraph. It said since 81 percent of the stickers are
county residents and 20 percent are the city, that we should refund
them lost, potential lost revenues, 80 percent of what they'd lose out
of the meters.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, you can see where that started, but
I think that we can discuss that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My point is this, Commissioner
Hac'Kie. I think the majority of the City Council is going to be
reasonable with us with this.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Right.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But in five years on the Board, there
have been at least three or four times where the city and the county
have had disagreements of some proportion of different suggestions of
you won't be able to use our facilities, or we won't pay for them,
have gone back and forth, and that will happen again in the future.
And the one way to just take that issue from ever happening again
is to say okay, we'll pay for X park, we'll have an interlocal
agreement saying county people can use that park. It doesn't penalize
the city at all.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Of course not.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: They can use that for fill in the
year, 15 years, 20 years, whatever the expected life of the capital
improvement is.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So instead of the two bodies standing across
the river sniping at each other, you actually get together, talk about
it and decide something.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, it's a good idea. I mean, I can go
with it. I just want -- I have some hesitation in this, sorry, but
it's my lawyer hat coming out. That if you have a contract --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Put it away.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- that says you're allowed to use Naples
Landing and you don't have a contract that says you're allowed to use
Lowdermilk Park, are you, I mean, therefore have you excluded yourself
or weakened your ability to use a different facility?
You know, do we have to prove that we've helped pay for something
to have strong county rights to use it, and that --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Not at all, and I appreciate that
concern. I just want to make sure we don't put money up for something
and have county residents four years from now be told you can't use
it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: As has been suggested.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Both Naples Landing and beach parking were put
on the table at one point by at least one councilman.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Keep in mind just one.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: More than one.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah, maybe two.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I agree with that. The problem I have in
looking at this, and help me understand on the budget request here,
which is a total amount of 442,000.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Well, actually, 87-five is reserves. Actual
project requests are 355,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And those project expenses come out of?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: General ad valorem.
MR. TINDALL: Well, only $85,000, as I said, would be needed to
balance the fund. We also have $140,000 in carry forward; we have
interest revenues and we have boat fees also anticipated for next
year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Where is a breakdown of those project expenses
totaling $355,000?
MR. TINDALL: If you were to look in your reference book on page
186, we have a narrative description of the beach project. I can't
say that we can necessarily break it down by specific dollar amounts
per component, but perhaps Mr. Middleton from the county --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Mr. Chairman, we do have a representative from
the City of Naples here, Mrs. Middleton.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The reason I ask is, I got a letter -- and
this is on Tuesday's agenda also -- about the county contributing at
Naples Landing for certain types of improvements. And it's been at
least alleged by at least one resident of the city that our funds are
being diverted to things we did not originally approve.
So whether that's valid or not is why I put it on the agenda for
Tuesday, because we need to make a formal request of the city for an
accounting to make sure that's not the case.
But tying in with that, on this request I see some things here
that this Board has never had the opportunity to discuss, and for a
perfect example is the Pulling property. When the city accepted that
property from John Pulling, there wasn't a letter, there wasn't a
phone call, there wasn't a contact from the city to the county saying
here are the plans, you know, what do you think of this.
What happens is the city accepted the property and now is asking
for funds, and we have not even been asked to sit at the table and
discuss what the plans for that property are.
So it's blind funding from our standpoint, and that's not the way
we've done things in the past.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: You're totally correct. It reminds me of
children spending their parents' money without asking them.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You don't want that quote, John. You
didn't mean that about children and parents.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes, I do.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Trying to help you out.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We are the superior level.
MR. WORTH: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, may I comment on that,
please?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: No, you may not. I'm talking.
MR. WORTH: Excuse me, sir.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: You just wait until I'm done --
MR. WORTH: Excuse me, sir.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: -- and then you'll have your opportunity.
MR. WORTH: Excuse me.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay?
MR. WORTH: Excuse me.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Let's keep a little decorum in here.
MR. WORTH: Apologize.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: All right. If the City of Naples wants us
to fund all their projects, why did they become a city in the first
place? I mean, it's not -- one of the requests on here is to beautify
a median at Central Avenue. I mean, come on, what are they talking
about?
If they are not -- they should disincorporate if they want the
county to be funding everything for them. Let's have them do that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Apparently I was wrong; you did mean it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I did.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I think you're right in that there are
certain things that naturally lend themselves to both governmental
bodies contributing, be it the beach parking or Naples Landing or
those things.
But when we get into median beautification on Central Ave. within
the city, it's probably not appropriate. And just like anything that
isn't a main thoroughfare, we expect the area to pay for. If you go
over on Bayshore, that area pays for their own beautification, and the
city probably should as well for Central Ave.
And the Pulling property, I had the same question. I appreciate
you raising that. There are some that are appropriate and there are
some that clearly aren't.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Berry?
COMHISSIONER BERRY: I'm just looking at one, I see Fleischmann
Park is on here. I have a question in that regard, because it talks
about renovations to the community center, playgrounds, parking area,
ball fields and landscaping.
There was some time in the past that they talked about charging
children who live in the county to play baseball, that were going to
play in a league, that was going to use Fleischmann.
And I have a concern if the county is paying dollars down there,
then why are they turning around and charging these kids, if they are.
Now maybe they're not. But there was some discussion about that
sometime back. Is that true or is it not true?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Before we get an answer on that, it gets
better because they dissolved the adult softball league because there
weren't enough city residents participating.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: And there is a different fee level for
city versus county participation at all the city parks.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right, but not at county parks, just the city
parks. So it kind of -- again, I read this on Fleischmann Park -- and
I'm sorry if I'm intruding on your comments, Commissioner Berry --
COMHISSIONER BERRY: That's all right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But asking for $450,000, 50-50 funding, and it
says in 1997 the master planning process will begin.
This goes to my first statement, which is, we're going to fund a
level of 50-50 for something that the master planning is just
beginning. What is our input in master planning? Why do we see the
dollar figure before we're asked if we want to come to the table and
discuss the project? So if you could help me with that, because this
seems a backward process.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioner, could I interject one thing real
quickly just for clarification?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. I've been trying to ask him this
question but, please.
MR. TINDALL: Okay. Fleischmann Park is not part of the funding
that's requested for FY '98. I just want to make sure everyone
understands that. We included in here all the requests for '98 and
the future years' requests also. They are not requesting those
dollars until the year 2000.
So it is part of the package they provided to us, but I wanted to
make sure I included everything in here.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right. But the point -- I don't think it
invalidates my point.
MR. TINDALL: No, not at all. I just wanted to make sure
everyone understood that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you. We're not spending it next year, I
understand that; it's in the out years. But I'm just, again -- I'm
curious about this process because it just seems backwards to me. Go ahead, please.
MR. WORTH: Pardon me. Don Worth, Community Services Director.
First of all, Mr. Norris, I apologize, sir, I should not have
interrupted. I apologize for that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Quite all right.
MR. WORTH: In reference to the question, the planning process,
we agree that certainly we need a plan, we need to come to you and I
think it's totally the City Manager and City Council's intent to do
that. The property that was being purchased, or in this case, this
property was donated by Mr. Pulling, and so we did not have the
opportunity to develop a plan. We didn't have the property.
The full intent is to develop the plan, and I can assure you it
will be with your input.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm going to suggest a process that may
resolve some of the budget questions here. When we have a county
park, it goes through our Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, because
they look at the totality dollars available in the out years, make
priority rankings and then make recommendations to this Board, and we
count on that process, very much like you have an advisory board that
does the same thing.
Before we see something in a budget or approve something in a
budget, I believe it needs to run the course from someone from the
city, if it's a city initiated project, making a presentation to the
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board before this Board gets a funding
request for it.
So those items that have not taken that course, I'm not
comfortable stepping forward on a funding level at this point, simply
because I don't know what the overall scheme of our dollars available
in the capital funds are, not to mention general funds.
So that's our process, and I just think that the two processes
can dovetail and then we've got the joint project, a true joint
project, as opposed to a dollar request for something we really don't
have any knowledge of.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'd like to hear a description, though, of
the requested -- of the projects that they are requesting for the
$85,000 of general revenue for this year; a description of which of
those are this year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's fine. The dollars that would show up
in this fiscal year --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm sorry?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are you looking in the pages?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm looking on 186, but they're not all --
some of those are 2000, some of them are -- so I was just asking if
you guys would mind describing what are the current year requested
projects.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioner MacwKie, therews really not a specific
connection between a specific project and the ad valorem requested.
There is a total of $355,000 in project requests.
COMMISSIONER MACwKIE: Well, tell me what those are.
MR. TINDALL: If you were to cut $85,000 from the total request,
then the entire fund could be funded from carry forward, interest, et
cetera, and we would not need to transfer from the general fund.
Thatws really what that amounts to.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So what I'd really like to know is what is
the $355,000 to be spent on?
MR. WORTH: Okay. We could break that down by individual
projects.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: If the Board's interested in knowing that,
I'd like to.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It's all right here, I'm sure.
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay. Mr. Worth?
MR. WORTH: With your permission, sir.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Tim.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm sorry, go ahead.
MR. WORTH: Actually, there are four different items. The first
item shown is the Naples Landing Park. This would be our next phase
from among the activities --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Mr. Tindall, I'm sorry to interrupt, but
can you refer us to a page? We've got a different book than you, and
then we'll be able to go along. COHMISSIONER BERRY: 192.
MR. TINDALL: 192 for Naples Landing Park.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Please continue, Mr. Worth.
MR. WORTH: On the plan that the City Council, our City Council
has before it, it would include from among the following activities:
Some rip rap work, some hardscape pathways, some gazebos, a small
playground, some landscaping, some additional parking. I believe that
represents the total items, and also some viewing areas.
In addition -- and I'm extending on out with the total project.
In addition, we had tentatively envisioned in our plan the
installation of a real small boathouse and some extension of the piers
to facilitate the launching and sailing program that is operated out
of that particular facility.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: How are the improvements for the commercial
launching, the commercial staging of materials, being funded?
MR. WORTH: They are being funded from a combination of three
sources: The county funds, a grant and city funds, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Does anyone remember approving an expenditure
for the commercial launching and staging of materials at Naples
Landing?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is one of the I have a problem with. I
remember approving for the park, for Naples Landing Park, because city
and county residents use the boat launching facilities and the boat
ramp, and so forth.
But the commercial side? There was never an approval from this
Board that I'm aware of that authorized any funds to go there.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But not only was it not authorized
from our funds, the city's matching funds -- we had done a split here
-- and the city's matching funds, when we discussed it, the commercial
side was never discussed.
What the city was putting in was discussed in a park setting, and
what we would match was a park setting. And it appears that a chunk
of the city's matching portion went or is going toward commercial, and
now we've just heard some of the county's money is being used for
that. And that discussion never happened.
MS. MIDDLETON: Hay I comment?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Please.
MS. MIDDLETON: My name's Ann Middleton, and I'm the budget
manager for the city. The interlocal agreement that was signed I
believe in '94, $100,000 was for the park, 60,000 was for boat ramps
and the city is matching that.
In that interlocal agreement there was nothing in there that said
that the city could not use their portion for the boat ramps, I mean,
for the commercial -- I'm sorry -- and, you know, so it just kind of
depends.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, as a courtesy at the very least,
there was nothing either in writing or verbally said that the city
would do anything with commercial. And I would think if you're asking
someone to help invest in a project the legal paperwork is one thing,
but we're trying to develop or maintain a relationship between the two
governmental bodies here, and knowing what it is that's going to
happen there is just a basic courtesy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Understanding Mrs. Middleton doesn't set
policy, she receives directives. So it does rest, I think, with the
Council --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Oh, I agree.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- to honor the original agreement '-
MS. MIDDLETON: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- which is to build the docks and boat ramps,
a total of 320,000. Any commercial or other uses of that park they
wish to fund, and which, by the way, will result in an increase in
revenue for the city in the out years, is a stand-alone item.
So, I'm going to flag the Phase I -- I personally am flagging the
Phase I dollars until I get from the city a commitment that our
dollars originally intended for the boat ramp specifically and the
pier, the docking facilities specifically, are matched by the city and
will go only to that.
Otherwise, that agreement will have to be modified and will have
an impact on this development.
MS. MIDDLETON: Okay. That's fair.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I agree.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: There's one other thing, too, is that we
could ask the city to forward to us our proportionate share of the
income from the commercial dock.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Great idea.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think, agreed, if that's what the city wants
to do, if they want to go that route instead.
But we did have an original agreement of $160,000 for a specific
purpose and I want to know that our dollars and their dollars are
going there. Then I'll honor that original agreement. Then we can
look at this phase.
MS. MIDDLETON: Okay. Sir --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, ma'am.
MS. MIDDLETON: What we are going to do, this is on a
reimbursement basis, so the city will pay the bills first, and then we
will apply to you for the reimbursement. We can provide you with the
detail of all the bills that we are paying so you can be assured that
it will not be spent on the commercial docking.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Again, I want to be very clear. It's
not just the section that came from us, but those matching funds, as
well.
MS. MIDDLETON: Sure. Okay.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That you likewise spend 160,000 on
noncommercial.
MS. MIDDLETON: Right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Or that, at least, we don't spend more
than you spend on noncommercial; we're matching.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's it exactly.
MS. MIDDLETON: Right.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay?
MS. MIDDLETON: Fair.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So I just need a commitment to that before I
move on with any additional elements in the Naples Landing. MS. MIDDLETON: Okay.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Personally, I don't mean to speak for
the Board. Is that okay?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I agree.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And at a later time, I think we should
explore Commissioner Norris's suggestion.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: What else is on this year's request?
MR. WORTH: Also in this year's request, the second item is the
beach ends.
As the commission, I think, realizes, we have some approximately
40 beach ends that are in various states of disrepair, the walkover
bridges, landscaping, benches, curb lines and other amenities that
relate to those beach ends.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If we develop a long-term interlocal
agreement, so that we don't every year revisit the issue as to whether
or not county permit parking will be allowed, then I think that's one
of those where the county clearly should participate.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Worth, how often is this magnitude of
repair required of the beach ends?
MR. WORTH: My time line here in the community is just a year
now, but I think we've done it on a long, on an ongoing basis, and Ms.
Middleton can correct me here. I think we've done it on an ongoing
basis, but we really have not had a comprehensive program apparently
for a number of years.
So quite frankly, this is not even a drop in the bucket relative
to the total need. We're going to do an assessment in the very near
future to identify the total cost, but it's going to be a considerable
cost to upgrade and do the maintenance-type activities that are
necessary.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But on each individual site, once the
improvement is done, what's the anticipated life of that improvement?
MR. WORTH: Well, similar to a discussion with your staff a
little bit ago, it would range anywhere from perhaps five to 15 years,
depending on the materials used and the conditions.
I'm not trying to avoid the answer, sir, but I think in very
general terms I think we can say five to 15 years. Because we're
talking about wood; we're talking about things that need painting;
we're talking about plant material.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think we do come back to Mr. Constantine's
point, which is, we already have the City Manager saying that there is
a desire in county residents using beach parking in the year 2002,
which is five years away.
So if we're looking at improvements that extend beyond that,
can't do it without an interlocal agreement, quite frankly.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, and just to put a slightly different
spin on exactly the same set of facts, it just seems to me to be a
perfect solution, or a perfect mechanism for a solution to the bigger
problem.
If the county is having this significant impact, and I think we
are, on city beach ends, then we should be helping to pay for the
maintenance on the city beach ends. Likewise, once we've paid it, we
should be guaranteed access.
So that may be the methodology for the solution to the bigger
problem that's going to be studied for the next couple years.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's what we just said.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I'm just having a hard time with these
arguments, because when a city incorporates they must understand that
they not only retain their obligations to fund things within the
county, but that they are shouldering additional responsibilities for
those things that are contained within the city.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It's a conscious choice.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: It's a conscious choice, you're exactly
right. And I don't see why the county should be required to step
forward and start funding items that the city has declared that they
are assuming the responsibility for. I'm having a hard time
philosophically with a lot of this stuff.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let me ask, on a philosophical point, if
county residents were not allowed to use Naples Landing, then see, I
draw a use relationship there, because they do have the right or
ability, before county dollars were expended, to exclude the use by
county residents. So as long as county residents are welcome at the
facility, then I think we look at a joint project.
I think beach ends are the same way. As long as county residents
have, you know, at least, you know, equal footing to park there as
city residents, then we have a joint project and that's the only
reason I consider any of these things.
But the Fleischmann Park is a perfect example of where a program
was deleted because there were too many county residents and not
enough city residents. And when a hierarchy exists like that, then we
no longer have equal footing and should not share in the costs.
So I think it's a project by project relationship, depending on
whether or not county residents are welcome to use the facilities.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And guys, we also, as much as I don't want
to have the discussion about power struggles, we also have to
recognize that because the city has incorporated those streets are
theirs under their control.
And if we want to tell them go maintain your beach ends, we're
not going to help pay for them, I think they likewise can say that's
fine, but, you know, you're not parking county cars there.
So because they in --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: For free.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: For free. Because they have incorporated,
they have that power, in addition. So let's not get into a power
struggle.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't think anyone's suggesting
anything different.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We're dealing with a fiscal struggle --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Good.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- as far as I know. Let's, again, I think we
need to hold beach ends to wrap-up to determine whether or not there's
interest on an interlocal agreement. Again, if we're going to spend
county dollars in improvements, we want to ensure that county
residents have the full enjoyment and use of those for the time the
improvements are applicable.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We'll kind of set that aside and we'll
deal with that as we have a better answer.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. I wouldn't flag it as cut at this point,
but I would say that until we have more information we're not going to
commit to that funding level.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Are we concerned at all that what we may
hear is keep your 50 thousand bucks and don't park at our beach ends
anymore, you know?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No, because they've always got that right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Be careful.
MS. MIDDLETON: Hay I respond to that, Commissioner Hac'Kie?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Please.
MS. MIDDLETON: We have signed an interlocal agreement and we
have forwarded that out here to the county and we have not gotten that
signed copy back.
And it is my understanding that the sticker program that we have
right now is in place until at least 2002. The county residents are
guaranteed, you know, access to the beach ends until at least 2002,
until we can resolve the usage factors that I believe the Mayor or the
City Manager forwarded a letter to you yesterday suggesting that we
form that joint committee.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And that we give you 38 thousand bucks
additional.
MS. MIDDLETON: That I wasn't aware of until you mentioned it
this morning, so I apologize.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Paragraph three.
MS. MIDDLETON: But now back to the beach ends, this is only for
the improvement part of the beach ends. This does not count the
general maintenance of the beach ends such as mowing, trimming,
painting, all that will come out of our Community Services, Parks and
Parkways operating budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Except that we pay into that $170,000 a year.
MS. MIDDLETON: That goes into the beach fund.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Separate from parks.
MS. MIDDLETON: That's separate.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I understand and appreciate the
fact that there may be an agreement for another four years. But what
we've just heard is these improvements may go as long as 15 years?
And I would hate to pay for an improvement for 15 and then not have
the residents use it after four.
So I know we have different interlocal agreements now, but if
we're going to enter into some sort of new expenditure, we'll need to
also enter into a new agreement.
MS. MIDDLETON: Okay. You know, as long as we can get that
committee formed to find out what the needs are out there for the
county and the city residents, I really don't see a problem. And this
came from Dr. Woodruff, our City Manager himself. There should never
been a problem with the county residents using the city beaches at
all.
As a matter of fact, we call them city beaches, but they are
really Collier County's beaches; they're for everybody.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: State beaches to the greatest degree.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And we hope that works out. But of
course, the City Manager works for the council, and hopefully we'll
hear that same statement from them, as well.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Again, I'm trying to remove this decision from
the rhetoric into the fiscal side, because the rhetoric is just
absolute garbage and unnecessary.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and degrading.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The fiscal side is rather simple. If we're
going to pay for 10 years of improvements, we want 10 years of use. I
mean, it's pretty simple stuff.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No-brainer.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So I agree. I don't know if we need
necessarily the committee to arrive at that, because it's common
sense. I think the two, both the Commission and the Council can agree
to that, and hopefully maybe get something in place that will qualify
for the majority of these improvements.
What else do we have making up the impacts to 3017
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: There's --
MR. WORTH: Oh, excuse me. Sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Go ahead, Mr. Worth.
MR. WORTH: Thank you. The second Phase II item in Landing Park,
quite frankly, that should have been rolled into the one request.
MR. TINDALL: Page 193.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
MR. WORTH: Those are the items I mentioned to you a few minutes
ago in terms of the activity.
The final item, the Pulling property, what was envisioned there
would be a marine --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Page?
MR. TINDALL: Page 189.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: 189.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: 189, okay.
MR. WORTH: What would be envisioned subject to the planning,
which of course would involve the county, include the county, would be
a marine park. And at this point, since the planning's not done, we
can only surmise what might be. But there would be such types of
items as either a power boat launching facility to complement the
other facilities in the city and county, most likely a rowing
facility, could be rowing storage, appropriate parking, and other
ancillary services. It's likely there would be a small play area that
would complement the marine facility.
But there would be marine type activities, and in fact, that was
part of the condition of deeding the property to the city by Mr.
Pulling, but we'd work through that planning process with you or your
staff.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Sounds like a great idea, but not
having had any communication to this point on it, I'm not really
comfortable putting a commitment on it, and particularly as we look at
the long-term. It says a total project cost of $900,000 is to be
split 50-50 with the city and the county.
So while this year's number is smaller, once the project gets
started, it's hard to backtrack. And if we're looking at nearly half
a million dollars long-term on this, I think the board probably needs
so see more details before we commit any --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I think it should go through the Parks &
Rec Advisory Board process --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- which would be a perfect way for us to
begin this communication.
MR. WORTH: That sounds fair and we appreciate that opportunity.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Those things that show no dollars in fiscal
year '97 forecast are not providing an immediate fiscal impact, but
you're asking for out year commitments; is that correct?
MR. WORTH: Yes, sir, that was correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm pretty solid of a no on Central
Avenue. I mean, that's just contrary to what we're doing with the
beautification all over the county.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Are we being asked to look at those this
year or are those just informational?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I just hate to have an account on it
if it's something we're not going to do.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I understand.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I agree. I've removed Central Avenue. At
this point, I would like to leave beach ends in with a flag, pending
an interlocal agreement.
Cambier Park Phase II, that needs to go through the Parks and Rec
Advisory Board. And since it's not in '97, I want to pull that out
entirely, until it goes through our Parks and Rec Advisory Board.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Agreed.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I am trying to actually summarize what we had
talked about.
Pulling property, same thing, pull it out entirely until it has a
chance to go through Parks and Rec Advisory Board. COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Fleischmann.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Fleischmann's out in the year 2000, so again,
I think it's the same thing. You want to go through Parks and Rec
Advisory, so that should be pulled out. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: The pier.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The pier has, this year, has $50,000 requested
for this year. I haven't heard anyone talking about restricting the
pier, so we can probably move ahead with that one.
MS. MIDDLETON: Chairman Hancock, may I respond to that?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, please.
MS. MIDDLETON: We have found out that TDC will cover the
expenditures at the pier, so we are not requesting funding for the
Naples Pier.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Delete that one.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We'll just delete that. Was that shown in our
-- can we count that as a save, Mr. Smykowski?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That was not part of the 355,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Well, we tried. Naples Landing Park
Phase I, again, that's next year. That's in next year's dollars, so
I'm saying Parks and Rec Advisory Board on that also.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm sorry, which is that?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Naples Landing Park Phase I. We have two
questions. We have one that says what about the previous agreement
and this affects next fiscal year; am I correct in that, Ms.
Middleton?
MS. MIDDLETON: Can I ask you a question?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Please.
MS. MIDDLETON: Are you also talking about us going to the Parks
and Rec Board on the 160,000 interlocal? CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No.
MS. MIDDLETON: Just the additional?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No. We've already made that commitment. We
just want to make sure the commitment's the same today as it was when
we made it.
MS. MIDDLETON: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But we're talking about the, what you have
listed as Phase I is $220,000 in fiscal year 1998. That needs to go
through Parks and Rec Advisory Board, I think.
MS. MIDDLETON: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that agreed upon? Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So the only thing we are leaving in
out of the general are the beach ends. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Correct.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The rest will run through the parks
process, Central Ave. we wouldn't do, and so on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Correct. That's what I have. Beach ends
stays in, everything else needs to go through the course of Parks and
Rec Advisory Board to look at it holistically for what dollars are
available.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I thought the Naples Landing stayed in
with the assurance that it wasn't being spent on commercial and they
were matching the 160.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We're going to see it next year because they
are talking about fiscal year '98 plan; is that correct?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That's the budget year we're working on.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's the budget year we're in.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm a little confused. We have fiscal year
'97 and we have fiscal year 1998 --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Those are --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- and they are one and the same.
MS. MIDDLETON: I think what they were trying to do is show the
total cost for the project there.
The 160 is money you all have already committed --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right.
MS. MIDDLETON: -- we have matched, and as a matter of fact,
we've already started the construction on that. But the 220 was in
addition to.
Now I have a question, and this might be for Mike or Phil, if we
pump this and then take it to your Parks and Rec Advisory Board, is it
going to be pulled out of the '98 fiscal year request or --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, my question '-
MS. MIDDLETON: -- can we keep it in as a request until
September?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The way this is set up is a little different
than we do it, because you have fiscal year '97 forecast and fiscal
year '98.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That is our stuff.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, we did this? Well, it's a little
confusing, because everything else has been '97-'98 fiscal year. Why
do we have '97 and '98 listed in separate columns?
MR. TINDALL: Well, when we refer to the term '97-'98, what we
really mean is '98. FY '97 is FY '96-'97.
COHHISSIONER NORRIS: 1997.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. So you're talking about the end of the
year --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- when it says fiscal year '97? Okay.
MR. TINDALL: $160,000 for Naples Landing Park refers to the
current fiscal year that we're in right now.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So this 220 was included in the 335?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Right.
MR. TINDALL: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I don't mind keeping it in, but I'm
going to flag it until it goes through Parks and --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It needs to stay in, guys, so that it's
budgeted and it can go through Parks and Rec and then we'll approve
the actual expenditure at some point. But we need to not cut it.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We can leave it in and if it's not
verified as far as the city-county even expenditures we've already
discussed, we could remove it. Or if Parks and Rec didn't approve it,
we could remove it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We'll leave it in for budget purposes, then.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That and the beach ends are staying in for
this year.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Everything else goes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Correct. Naples Landing Park Phase II is the
same thing funding-wise, if I'm reading it correctly. And that you're
seeking $60,000 in this coming fiscal year. So I think in fairness
it, too --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just cut that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No, it just stays in under the same deal.
And, you guys, I hope Hike can give us a calculation. Obviously, our
priority here is going to be the least amount of ad valorem as
possible. So we may be, with the changes we made, if there was only
an 85,000 ad valorem hit, we may be eliminating that altogether, if
what we end up with is Naples Landing Phase I and II and the beach
ends.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm thinking the city has decided to do Phase
II in the same fiscal year. I think if we were doing it, we'd push it
to the next fiscal year. So I'd like to remove it.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: With the understanding we're probably
going to see it next year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I can live with that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So let's remove Phase II, the $60,000 with
expectations of having that reviewed through Parks and Rec Advisory
Board during our next fiscal year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Reasonable.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: How can you have Phase I and II in the same
year?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, Mr. Worth was saying that it probably
should have been together.
Let's try and wrap this up, since we're getting past the noon
hour. Is there anything else in that section?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Overall, there was $85,0000 in ad valorem
requested. We're going to show a reduction of 60. That would fund
the balance of those projects pending resolution with PARAB, et
cetera, for purposes of ongoing tally here.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's good. So we got to cut 60 and left
everything you needed in there.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, and our Parks and Rec Advisory Board are
going to be getting a lot of information in the future.
MR. WORTH: Thank you for your attention. We appreciate it very
much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you for your time. Let's take a recess.
We started a little late. Let's go to 10 after one.
(A luncheon recess was taken.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Good afternoon. We are going to reconvene the
board's budget workshop.
Mr. Smy -- Smykowski.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And I didn't have a single thing to drink for
lunch.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Oh, sure. Iced tea, I saw you.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: We have a few more capital funds that are
supported by general fund to discuss, and that will conclude the
general fund discussion. We're going to start with storm water
management, I believe, followed by the -- MR. TINDALL: Museum.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- museum, library and Airport Authority, and
that will conclude again.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Page numbers.
MR. TINDALL: Okay, sir. We are going to be on Page A-140.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have a new court reporter, so name, please.
MR. TINDALL: Sorry. Phil Tindall for the record from the budget
office.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You said "A ....
MR. TINDALL: One four zero.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. TINDALL: And the storm water management capital fund, as you
can see, there are over six million dollars in project requests, most
of which is contributable to the Lely project which Mr. Smykowski
discussed yesterday during the overview.
The ad valorem requested to -- as the part to fund the capital
projects included the $729,000 from the HSTD general fund that Mr.
Smykowski talked about for the Lely project, and also, 791,700 that
would be transferred from the general fund to support the balance of
the projects which, if you go to the spread sheet on the next page,
that's -- in the bottom right-hand corner, that's the bottom line in
terms of the ad valorem support, and once again, if we go down the far
right-hand column --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Which is ironically down. I expected it to be
actually up this year with the size of the project. Is that simply
revenues due to other projects are coming in or contributions from
other projects?
MR. BOLDT: We have a small amount of carry forward.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Name.
MR. BOLDT: For the record, John Boldt, storm water management
director. We do have a carry forward, a nominal amount, a slightly
less than a half a million dollars which took a little bit out of it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are there any questions on storm water
management from the board?
(No response).
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Seeing none, we'll move on.
MR. NEWMAN: Thank you, commissioners.
MR. TINDALL: The next area we'll be going into is the museum
capital improvement fund, Fund 314. There are a total of eighty-one
thousand five in project requests from Mr. Jamro, and he's here to
answer any questions you might have, and we do have it broken down at
the bottom of Page 142 as far as the individual project dollars that
are being requested under the FY 97/98 proposed column there.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What I don't see, Mr. Jamro, is the check
received from Mr. Dudley, Senator Dudley under revenues. Is that
because it falls under this current fiscal year as opposed to next
year?
MR. JAMRO: Good afternoon, commissioners. Ron Jamro, your
museum director. That is a separate project entirely. That's under
the grant funding for that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What's it going to be spent on?
MR. JAMRO: Excuse me.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What will that grant money be spent on?
MR. JAMRO: The rehabilitation and tense of the Everglades City
laundry as a regional history museum.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And that had no requested funds in this
year's budget?
MR. JAMRO: No. Well, I take that back. We have a small
operating fund in there and also an employee for you to consider.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I understand. I meant in the capital, so
we are clear.
MR. JAMRO: Absolutely.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The -- unfortunately, Commissioner Constantine
is not here. I know he had some questions, because on his list, he
had the lecture hall improvements as something he wanted to discuss.
Can you kind of give us an overview of the lecture hall improvements?
MR. JAMRO: Would be happy to. It's really not -- well, it's an
improvement. It's more of a completion to tell you the truth. We've
been using a building for two and a half years that we never really
finished the interior of. I think all of you have had meetings over
there and can attest to the fact that the lighting, the acoustics are
very bad. The air conditioning goes on, you can't hear the lecture.
It is the departure point for many of our tours and public
programs, and we really do need to address those issues if we can.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I -- we have actually put that off in
the past, and particularly, last year -- was last year the first time
it was requested or the second time?
MR. JAMRO: I don't recall, commissioner. I think we may have
skipped a year there and just sort of muddled through.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We put that off, and the events we've
had in there, yeah, the sound is pretty lousy.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yeah, I think this is way past due, and
they've been patient, and they've done enough private work that this
is an appropriate expense.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Are there any questions on the museum
budget as being presented?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Uh-uh.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you, Mr. Jamro.
MR. JAMRO: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Anything new at the museum?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah.
MR. JAMRO: What's new that's old.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Another really good pun from Commissioner
Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes.
MR. TINDALL: Commissioners, next we'll be going into the library
capital improvement fund, Fund 307. Mr. Jones has requested $250,000
primarily for funding publications, periodicals, et cetera, and he's
here to discuss any questions you might have.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: My opinion is next.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Next.
Thank you. Keep up the good work.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That was worth sitting here all morning,
wasn't it, John?
MR. JONES: Oh, yes.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Jones gives such persuasive
presentations.
MR. JONES: Sometimes being quiet really works throughout the
day.
MR. TINDALL: On Page A-145, as you can see from the people
coming up to the table, will be going into the Airport Authority
request for general funds supported capital.
Total dollars requested in terms of the general fund match for
projects was requested at 959,000, and none of which are being
forwarded to you as being recommended from the county administrator.
All that we are showing here in terms of funding from the general fund
is 94,600 which would serve to meet the current debt service
requirements.
MR. DRURY: For the record, John Drury, executive director for
the Collier County Airport Authority.
I am looking at Page A-145, and I'll go through each project and
describe them to you for your consideration. I've also handed out a
little chart that kind of breaks out our projects.
Before you is a request to accept $1,173,000 in grant money to
construct revenue producing facilities, take care of the safety
violations, environmental issues and storm drainage issues at the
airports. The total capital cost is 1,947,000, and the grant match
request is 773,000.
The bolt -- bulk of the overall program is twofold. One is to
create revenue producing -- revenue producers to become
self-sufficient consistent with our business plan, and the other is to
help diversify the economy of Immokalee.
With that, I'm going to go ahead and identify each of the
projects and list them for you, and I'm going to put them in our sort
of list of priorities, and I'm going to start with the Immokalee
Regional Airport which is the first block on that page.
The first one is a manufacturing incubator facility. The total
amount for that is 500,000. We have secured a 251,000 USDA grant for
that project. We are also in the process of negotiating a tenant to
occupy it and four or five businesses to move in there and start
manufacturing operations. This is a 50/50 grant.
Our second one is aircraft T-Hangars. We have a waiting list in
excess of what we can accommodate. We are proposing ten T-Hangars.
Again, this would be a revenue producer, and the grant for that one
that we've secured is 145,000. The grant match is one hundred
sixty-five, and that's a 47 percent grant.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: On that one, Mr. Drury, are we regulated as to
what we can charge for space at those T-Hangars? MR. DRURY: Yes, we can.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: See, that's the problem, because we can charge
a lot more than what we are getting right now based on the waiting
list, but we canwt do it because of the grant; is that correct?
MR. DRURY: Oh, Iwm sorry. No, we are not regulated on what we
can charge. We started out at one fee. We just increased it again,
and we were going to keep increasing it every year.
One of the problems wewve had with Immokalee is location,
location, location. A lot of the folks that are moving out to
Immokalee are coming from the Fort Myers area, and -- where itws high
rent district and coming out to Immokalee because wewve lowered the
prices to get activity there, not just for the revenues of the
T-Hangars but for the fuel sales.
As all of these aircraft come to our airport, they buy fuel, and
then we see two revenues increase. We had an attractive price our
first year. We raised it our second year, and we will continue to
raise it. We canwt charge the same price as the Gulf Coast can
because these folks make a decision, do I want to drive out to
Immokalee to get in my airplane, whatws the price differential, or do
I want to just keep my airplane at Naples or at -- at -- at Page Field
and not have to worry about driving, and itws one of those things, the
elasticity of demand. I mean, we continually try to look at how high
can we get before they say Iwm not driving out there, but the answer
to your question, it is not regulated. The authority sets the prices.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman, I must apologize. Iwm a little
confused. Iwve -- Iwve heard grants referred to, and when I look
here, wewve got them listed as loans so -- MR. DRURY: Let me explain that.
MR. FERNANDEZ: -- letws find out whatws the most appropriate
term there. Are they grants or are they loans?
MR. DRURY: They are grants, but what we do is -- they are
reimbursable grants from various -- EDA, USDA and federal depart --
DOT.
What we do is we utilize the pooled commercial loan program, and
we borrow that money to build a project, and as the grantws dollars
come in, we pay back the pooled commercial loan program.
So, here itws titled as loan proceeds. I donwt know if thatws a
good way of explaining it.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's fair.
MR. DRURY: Does that make sense?
MR. FERNANDEZ: Okay.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: The reimbursement grants, we would borrow up
front. When the project is in the ground, we get the reimbursement
grant, and that pays the --
MR. FERNANDEZ: So, they are grants.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- principal on the commercial paper.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thanks. That was confusing.
MR. HcNEES: But some of what is identified as loan is loan,
right? Not everything that's in this loan proceeds column is grant
money?
MR. DRURY: It's all grants. We've spent a year securing these
grants.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, you have $652,000 of grant money for
Immokalee if we will spend $497,000 in Immokalee?
MR. DRURY: That is correct. We've secured a total of 1.1
million dollars in grants.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If we expend 865,000?
MR. DRURY: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let me go to what has been recommended by the
county administrator's office, and that is in the amount of 94,600.
Mr. McNees, can you give us the rationale for arriving at that amount?
MR. DRURY: That's the interest due. In other words, no projects
have been recommended.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right. That was his interest. He's just
recommending debt service but no new projects.
MR. McNEES: Overall, my thinking was, when we are not funding
ambulances that we need, some of these other items seen from our point
of view to be lower priority, actually, my thinking is, this is a call
you all have to make. That's why we are showing you all of the items
on the page.
In particular, in a couple of items, the T-Hangars, for example,
looking at the revenue that they generate -- and I didn't quite
understand it. If there's a waiting list, that the elasticity
argument made any sense because if one -- if a little bit of increase
in the rate causes the demand to go away, there wouldn't be a waiting
list. It would be at even, but the point with the T-Hangars with the
revenues they were willing to budget from, it was a 25 year payback,
ignoring the interest factor.
So, just from a business standpoint, it was hard for me to
recommend that you all spend money to build T-Hangars that, when you
calculate the interest factor, it was going to be a 30, 35 year
payback on your money.
MR. DRURY: That is not correct.
MR. McNEES: Those -- that analysis was based on the numbers Mr.
Drury gave me in our budget discussion when I asked what the rent
would be on them.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The reason I pulled out --
MR. McNEES: So, if that has changed, that's good.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah, the reason I pulled out T-Hangars
specifically is this should be a no brainer. If there's a need for
T-Hangars and there's a cost the market will absorb and will take, we
can look at what revenues can be produced -- I mean, this isn't --
this isn't like the, you know, economic development incentives where
you have to trust a little bit that what you are doing is going to
produce in the out years. This is very real dollars. This is
construction time and payback amount.
So, that's why I wanted to look at those individually, and that's
why I asked about, are we charging as much as we could charge and
still bring revenue in. So --
MR. DRURY: I think we can charge more, and -- and we will charge
more, and every year, we do charge more.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let -- let me ask this question. If we were
to build the T-Hangars at Marco Island and Immokalee based on the
first year revenues projected from both increased fuel sales and
rents, what money are you looking for in the form of a loan from this
board, because that's -- in essence, all the transfers from general
fund are, in fact, loans to you?
MR. DRURY: That's correct, they are loans plus interest that
would be paid back.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: One sixty-five for Immokalee and one
sixty-eight --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I can read what's on the sheet.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What I'm asking --
MR. DRURY: Is our revenue?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- is I want to know, if fuel sales are going
to go up --
MR. DRURY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- and you can charge a little more for the
T-Hangar rental, on those two items alone, what would this board have
to loan you in order to construct those? Is -- is that the number you
have given me on this sheet?
MR. DRURY: That is correct. In order to construct these
hangars, the Immokalee one, it's going to cost us 310,000, and we have
secured a 145,000 grant. The board would have to throw -- kick in
165,000.
We -- the return on -- the day that those hangars are completed
and filled, we make $13,200 per year at the current rate, and that
takes about 12.5 years to amortize that portion of that investment
off.
MR. McNEES: That is your portion, but --
MR. DRURY: Correct.
MR. McNEES: -- we are also spending 170,000 of somebody's grant
money, and that is the total investment.
MR. DRURY: The grant doesn't have to be paid back. The county,
we do have to pay back the county money, and that does not include all
of the fuel sales that will go along with that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's my question. I just did the math Mr.
McNees did when -- when it went through -- and when you say 13,200 a
year, I look at the amount the board would put out for those two
T-Hangars, and it takes 25 years for that amount to total -- MR. DRURY: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- the board's initial investment.
MR. DRURY: I just did the Immokalee Airport.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. DRURY: The Marco Airport is 13,680 per year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. So, we're down to twelve, twelve and a
half years on rents alone.
MR. DRURY: Right, 12 years to amortize that cost if we kept the
rate currently where it's at and we did not include the fuel revenue
that will be generated as well.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Best case scenario, ten years on those alone.
Now, fuel sales, we've already looked at. They were in
yesterday's budget; not a big -- not a big increase. Were they
anticipating these hangars or not?
MR. DRURY: We have shown an increase in the number of gallons
we'll be selling at all the airports, and in that calculation of
increase, we basically took the assumption that we would have more
aircraft coming to our airport, and I don't know that we got
specifically into how many were going to be based there and what they
would purchase. We mainly did a trend of what we've seen over the
last three years, and we are continuing that trend.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: John, is that a yes or a no to his
question?
MR. DRURY: Excuse me.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Was that a yes or a no.
MR. DRURY: That would be a no.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, let's bump the revenues.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What I'm looking at then is really -- when we
look at these individually, I don't have a complete financial picture.
MR. DRURY: If I could just go through each project, tell you
what they're about and then would that help?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, that's why I took T-Hangars first
because I know what a T-Hangar is. I know what they do, and I'm
trying to --
MR. DRURY: It's a revenue producer, and it's mainly geared to
break even -- you know, our plan is we build revenue producers so that
we can break even in that year ten, and that's what the whole plan is
based on, and then what we do is we get millions of dollars of grants.
I think we are up to eight million -- seven or eight million dollars
in the three years we've been in business that we don't have to pay
back, and what we ask for is either a 20 percent share or a 50 percent
share from the board to set us up so that in year ten, hopefully year
seven or five, which is what we're trying to push it down, we will be
self-sufficient. That is based on constructing revenue producers, and
that's why the chart shows you that 80 percent of what we construct
out there are revenue producers, not -- and the other ones are safety
related and things of that nature.
MR. HcNEES: Commissioner, here was our thinking a little bit,
and let's take the T-Hangar in a vacuum. Let's say there's no other
money that you're contributing to the Airport Authority. They are
saying that if you'll spend 150,000 on a T-Hangar, and if we could
take the revenue directly and give it back to you, which is not what's
being proposed, but let's say that we could, in ten years, you'll have
your money back. We haven't increased the fuel revenue budget for
those ten new planes, and then they have, frankly, resisted raising
the revenue budget in that way.
So, what you've done is you've built ten T-Hangars, and in ten
years you've got your money back, but you need that 150,000 today for
other things.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: You see, he's making a really valid point
that even -- the concept of what you're saying about -- that we have
to let you build these revenue generators or you're not going to make
your ten year break even, I don't want to get in the way of that
concept. However, neither do I want to like run on a treadmill, and
this one, for example, doesn't sound like it gets you anywhere to the
good. It sounds like you spend money and you get it back even dollars
in ten years, and if that's not the case, then show more revenues
because the math looks like you're even in ten years on this
expenditure.
MR. DRURY: Well, I think it's not -- to me, it's all of a
sudden, the day those hangars are constructed, I've got $30,000 of
income I didn't have last year. So, when I come in here next year,
and I ask for the break even need, you're going to see $30,000 down.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But your debt is higher, your debt to the
county is higher.
MR. DRURY: Our debt is higher, that's true.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, how have we made any progress in our
goal of getting you out of the county -- out of county budget in ten
years?
MR. DRURY: As those revenues increase -- like our manufacturing
incubator facility will show a twenty-five to $30,000 income. As we
-- as we get into year six or seven when we break even, because we
also have these revenues, we have this large debt that we must
continue to pay for plus interest.
So, yeah, the debt will grow, and we owe -- we owe that, but we
are -- if we don't build the revenue producers, I can't shrink the
amount that we need from this board every year.
I don't know if that makes sense.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I see that. I understand that.
MR. DRURY: But you're correct. In the long term, there will be
this debt that needs to be paid.
The idea is, as we build manufacturing facilities, other large
manufacturing companies will come in. One of our things is an all
weather station to be able to accommodate Federal Express, UPS and
cargo aircraft. If we build this basic infrastructure, it generates
-- these are like economic engines. They bring others to us, and then
we are in a better position to pay back the long-term loans.
It's like the Fort Myers Airport when it was first thought up.
Three counties were supposed to go into it for a million dollars or
so. A lot of -- the two -- the -- Charlotte and Collier County and
Lee, and they all agreed to go in on it, and at the very end, after
supporting the project, it came to budget times and things of this
nature, looking at it annually, and Charlotte and Collier pulled out.
The director up there told me that had we stuck with the project, they
would have been paying you all back.
Well, a lot of people said, well, that project was too -- too --
too much of a white elephant. You'll never be able to build a big
airport like that. Well, today, it's an international airport, and
it's a cash cow, and it did very, very well.
Here, we've had a program for three years where we've tried to
invest in helping the economy of Immokalee, create an infrastructure
that would bring in new industry and diversify that all agricultural
economy, and it's going to take some building of these things to get
it done, and I'm getting the feeling that we were heading this way,
and on year three, we are doing one of these again, and you have set
this up differently than, say, Naples did with their community where
when this all works and we do get these companies out there and we
have got all these revenue producers, that you are going to get paid
back with interest. That's been the plan from day one. That's what
was in the business plan, and we are really just following through on
that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: John, I know what you're trying to do
is generate activity, and that will build on itself, particularly at
the Immokalee facility, but I think the concern is we are not showing
any further revenue sources from that activity. We are not showing
extra fuel sales. We are not showing -- as a result of building the
T-Hangars or generating more activity, and I think that's what we are
asking for.
If it's strictly, build the T-Hangars, get a ten year life out of
them, at which time we'll probably need to do some maintenance and put
more money in, I don't know that that's a strong sell. If it's gee,
we can expect an extra 50,000 a year or 80,000 a year in fuel sales,
then it becomes something that maybe makes some sense, and -- and I
think that's what we are struggling with. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Exactly.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I have to admit, the last two years, as we've
gone through the Airport Authority's budget, I've more or less been a
part of a blind approval. You know, there's an element of trust, that
we made a commitment; we are moving in the right direction and so
forth.
There's nothing you have done that has eroded my faith in your
ability to pay it off in ten years, but it's like anything else, as
you become more familiar with it, you also become more familiar with
the potential pitfalls.
MR. DRURY: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And as I look at a, quote/unquote, business
plan, I expect to see the things that we've discussed up here, and I
know Ms. Leamet hasn't been on staff very long, but when we're going
to -- when you're going to come to us, the bank, and ask for
additional loan amounts, we need an additional commitment that is
commensurate on your side to see that -- that target move, to see that
target come closer or see that target grow larger as far as revenues
go. That's not being presented to us. It's still a little bit of a
blind faith approach, and one year, maybe; two years, sketchy; third
year doing the same thing, I start to feel like I'm not doing my job
for the citizens of this community because I can't tell them when they
are going to get this back, why they're going to -- I don't have all
the answers, Mr. Drury, and that's where you're a little different
than EMS or other things.
MR. DRURY: I think there's two things here. One is, if we build
the revenue producing facilities, you're going to see the break even
need by this board go down, down, down, down. I mean, it's real
dollars. Those hangars get built -- the day those hangars are built,
they are filled, our budget request should drop down by thirty-five,
$40,000 per year. When the --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: One second, I want to be sure I understand
the point. The payback for the capital costs associated with building
the hangars still has that ten year life, but what you're saying is
that if you make thirty grand or fifty grand off of new T-Hangars,
next year, that $500,000 spread that's so scary --
MR. DRURY: Just went down by thirty, and it's because it's not
costing us anything to manage those. The manufacturing incubator
facility is going to bring twenty-five to 30,000 a year. All of a
sudden, that 500,000 request goes down --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Shrinking again.
MR. DRURY: -- another 30,000.
Every revenue producer that we build, shrink, shrink, shrink,
shrink, shrink until one day we come in here and we say, we don't need
any money. We now owe you money. Now, the amount we owe you is
larger and longer --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right.
MR. DRURY: -- and that's -- you know, that's --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's the bad news.
MR. DRURY: -- that's -- well, it's good for you, I mean, in that
you're going to be getting a check from the authority. You don't get
one from Fort Myers, and the City of Naples doesn't get one from
Naples --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: It's better than how most airports work,
but it's not really better from the perspective of I'll gladly pay you
Tuesday --
MR. DRURY: You're putting --
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- for a hamburger today.
MR. DRURY: You're putting your money in an interest bearing
account. If you had taken that money and put it in your normal CD
account, you're still getting 5 percent. Instead of putting it into
an interest bearing account in Tallahassee, which is what you could do
with it and get 5 percent, you're putting it into your own county,
your own airports as sort of a long-term CD, if you will, and you're
going to get additional benefits, which is the economic impact of what
it's going to do to create jobs and help --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Except I've got to collect it before I can put
it into that account.
MR. DRURY: Yes.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me -- let me see if this will help the
board any. Tell us whether you are on track with what you told us the
first day you came in to talk about this, this business, and --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Three years ago.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: -- you told us three years ago, two, three
years ago, whenever it was, that you were going to -- COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: 1978.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: -- do all these things over time and start
bringing in the money. That connotates two things. You -- you've
told us what you were going to build and how much money you were going
to need to do it and how much grants you were going to do. You did a
good job telling us all that.
Now, the other side of that is the revenues. Are the revenues
tracking where you thought they would track. If -- if -- if everybody
is on track on this thing and you're saying that this is simply a
continuation of what you told us the very first day, then that's one
thing. If -- if this is something new that was not contemplated on
that very first day, then that's a different situation.
MR. DRURY: The answer to your question is yes, we are on track.
I think the graph I gave you yesterday shows you our plan and then it
shows you the actuals of where we actually are. There's another
different colored line that shows what's occurring on revenues and
what's occurring on expenses, and we're -- we're a little bit either
left or right of the track, but we are on track.
If you look at our revenue percent increases this year, we are
showing 35 percent revenue increases, 40 percent revenue increases,
100 percent revenue increase at Everglades. In other words, our
revenues are going up. Our expenses are going up. They are following
that track, and we are now putting in -- we are continuing to build
the infrastructure that will keep us at that track, and as Mr. Hancock
said, squeeze that break-even need.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me ask --
MR. DRURY: If we can't put revenue producers up --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: One more -- one more follow up on this.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Out loud, please.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I was just trying to see how to say
it, but -- if everything is on track then, what happens to the
original plan and the money we put in so far if we don't continue?
Where do you go from there?
MR. DRURY: Well, it stretches out our payback time. I mean,
instead of being able to -- if we don't have revenue producers --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. Suppose you don't get your funding
this year, you're going to have to wait until next year, what happens
to your grants that you've got spoken for now?
MR. DRURY: They will go to probably Orlando Airport or Fort
Myers or -- I mean, we are competing with these other airports.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Will they be forever lost to you though or
could you --
MR. DRURY: Oh, yeah, they'd be gone.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: You cannot get them back next year?
MR. DRURY: I would have to go through the process again, and
depending on what -- what -- how they were going to fund airports that
year and set the -- reset the priorities.
Right now, these are committed for Collier County for this coming
year. If I go back up to Tallahassee and say, thank you, but we are
not ready to come up with our match, they will take those funds and
give them to other airports that are interested in building them up.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I understand that -- the objection to
putting good money after bad, but I also understand that on a
long-term start up business like this, that once you commit, you're
committed, and you need to continue. So, that's what I have to offer
the board to consider.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It's a good point, and I think along
that line, what -- what would we -- what should we expect for capital
requests next year and the year after or is there a point here where
that tapers off? When you used your explanation to Commissioner
Mac'Kie --
MR. DRURY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- we'll have 30,000 less in operating
expenses for next year, will we see less --
MR. DRURY: You should expect --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- in capital requests?
MR. DRURY: You should expect reductions -- you should expect
reductions every year. I've told you that we were planning year five
to see the curve come down, all the way to your ten. I have brought
in financial people to try to squeeze that for you, and it is my goal
to come in here with reductions next year. I can't --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: His question was -- directed not at
operating but at capital requests.
MR. DRURY: Yes. The answer is yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What -- what projects do you expect to
see on the docket for next year or the year after? I'm looking for
kind of a specific answer.
MR. DRURY: You'll see more hangars. You'll -- you'll see -- you
won't see a manufacturing incubator facility -- I mean, the reason
we're building that is to get, right now, the confidence level in the
manufacturing community world -- nationwide is not strong for
Immokalee because when I bring them out there, they say, show me the
first -- are we the first ones.
By putting the incubator facility in there and it --
manufacturing actually occurring, I can bring clients in there and
say, we've already got them available.
So, you won't see a manufacturing incubator facility. You will
see -- you will see T-Hangars. Anything that's a revenue producer
that we can get a grant for of 50 percent or larger, I would ask you
to consider building it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The other question I have, and I said
this before, and perhaps it was a statement rather than a question
then, but I mentioned -- I understand what you're doing and where
you're trying to go and that you expect to generate other revenue by
having these T-Hangars, not simply have a T-Hangar to pay for a
T-Hangar. What revenues specifically do you anticipate creating by
building and filling the T-Hangars? MR. DRURY: Fuel.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Dollar amount?
MR. DRURY: We don't have a specific dollar amount.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Ten dollars, $100, $10,0007
MR. DRURY: I would say -- I would say -- I mean, it's hard to
put a number because --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Give it a shot, though.
MR. DRURY: -- it depends on -- we'll say 5,000.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Annually?
MR. DRURY: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Per hangar?
MR. DRURY: No.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Total.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Per airport?
MR. DRURY: Uh-huh, and that's conservative because I have to
look at each individual tenant. Some people are weekend warriors.
They just fly on the weekend.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sure.
MR. DRURY: Some people run it for a business. I have to look at
each tenant and say, is this a business operator. He flies it every
day. He goes to Tallahassee. He's a -- he's a -- he's an
agricultural guy, and he's negotiating and lobbying for whatever.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, you're giving him priority on space
because he's going to buy a lot of fuel?
MR. DRURY: If he's got a twin engine aircraft, we'll look at how
many gallons that is, and then we'll -- right, we would -- the answer
is yes. If he's a weekend warrior, it's going to be little, and I
don't know who's in, you know --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do we expect to raise any revenue in
any other manner as a direct result of this?
MR. DRURY: Small ones; merchandise sale, vending machines, oil,
Prist, which is a jet fuel additive and things of that nature.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Total non-rental revenue you would
expect to bring in for the airport annually would equal what?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Associated with the new T-Hangars?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah.
MR. DRURY: Six or seven per air -- per T-Hangar.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Per airport?
MR. DRURY: Per airport.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Questions?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm done. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Drury, if we were to -- and this is a
hypothetical. Don't try to read into it. Just try and give me an
answer.
MR. DRURY: Uh-huh.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If we were to stop --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If a train leaves Cleveland at three
o'clock.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If an African swallow is flying south at three
miles an hour, what color is it? If we were to cease commitments to
future capital construction, in other words, you have what you have
now and nothing more, would you write us a check next year?
In other words, are you operating cost right now of what has been
constructed versus fuel sales and other revenues? Are you operating?
MR. DRURY: The answer is no.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. What is the deficit amount; the
revenues you're bringing in versus --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What's the rent?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- what you're paying back on the books?
MR. DRURY: This year, four hundred eighty -- $485,000.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yesterday's budget amount?
MR. DRURY: That's correct, and next year, it should be thirty,
$60,000 less than that because --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If --
MR. DRURY: And then the year after --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If we approve $700,000 worth of capital?
MR. DRURY: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I have a question about some particular
items under the 700,000 when you're ready.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, maybe you know where I'm going. I
don't, because --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, how does that change if we don't
have control over it?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- if -- if we are getting 30,000 per year
additional based on this but we are throwing 700,000 at it, that's 21
years to get that, just that one year out, because next year, there's
more investment, and so it comes down another 30,000 a year the
following year. Well, that investment has 21 years attached to it.
I'm not seeing the gap closing. I'm seeing a constant gap.
MR. DRURY: And you're going to see the gap -- all of these are
revenue producers. You're going to see our request for funding every
year go down. What you will see is the loan -- you're -- you're --
you're -- that the loan you're giving the authority get larger, and
that's what you're looking at, that that loan is getting larger, and
it means that the authority will be writing you checks for a longer
period of time instead of writing you --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I think the important factor is, is
sometimes, in my mind anyway, I get confused. I get fantasizing that
the debt will be repaid in ten years. The fact is, the debt will
begin to be repaid in ten years, and that's real -- instead of it will
be paid in ten years, they will promise to start repaying it.
MR. DRURY: Start repaying in 10 years, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15,
and as we put more into it, it means we owe you more money, longer
periods of time and higher interest rate. I mean, it goes longer.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That was always the deal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That was the deal --
MR. DRURY: That was the deal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- and everybody knew that, and I don't
want us backing out of another airport deal. We messed up once, and
now this one is just ours --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We didn't mess up anything.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No.
MR. DRURY: No. You all had the vision really to set it up so
you'd get paid back. Naples never did that. Fort Myers never did
that. Charlotte County never did that, and they're all back there
now, you can see it at Naples, saying we want some of that money.
Can't do it. Federal law doesn't allow you.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: At least we get our money and interest
back.
MR. DRURY: Yes, you do, and you get the largest county in the
United States east of the Mississippi with -- when I first came here,
virtually no airports. You all now have airports, and you're building
them up. That's a long time investment for Collier County. It's
long-term planning and vision for bringing in new industry.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm personally sold on revenue producing,
on those items, all of those. I don't know what the safety issues are
as far as obstruction removal versus mangrove cutting. What's the
difference?
MR. DRURY: The obstruction removal in Immokalee is because the
airport was neglected for 50 years, we had -- scrub oak was allowed to
grow in between two intersecting runways, and as those scrub oaks
grew, scrub jays, which is an endangered species, moved in. Well, FAA
says that two aircraft must be able to see each other midpoint to
midpoint or you can end up with a mid air collision.
So, what we have to do is cut these trees that are obstructing
line of sight vision for two aircraft on two separate runways. Before
I can cut a tree, I have to relocate the little tweety bird from one
place of the airport to another.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Isn't that precious.
MR. DRURY: But it's a safety issue that could result in a
serious problem, and from a funding standpoint, the agencies use that
-- their priority is safety. Revenues is sort of second for them,
so --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We cut the tree down when they are not at
home, do you think they'll find another place to live? You know, is
this something the agencies have a tough time with? I know it's not
you. It's the agencies.
I know where you guys are going. You're going to some level of
funding. If it gets around $700,000, I'm going to kick and scream and
make a big scene, so let's shoot for something less than that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What's the storm water management items?
What are they?
MR. DRURY: The -- there's a federal law that says we must create
a storm water -- a storm water management prevention pollution plan.
They want you to measure the inflow of the water. They want you to
measure the outflow to determine if there's any contamination
occurring from the airport and have a plan to deal with that.
There's also recommendations that would come out -- I guess
Immokalee drainage ditches and things tend to back up. A lot of those
come through the airport. We would be looking at that and see where
some of the drainage ditches are that need to be improved.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Hac'Kie, can I ask a favor. As
much as I'd love to hear every single item on this list --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm done. That's it. That's all there
is.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- I would rather -- let's -- let Mr. Drury
and the Airport Authority find the priorities within -- what is an
acceptable budget amount. My guess is it will be a disparity between
what I think and what some other members of the board may think is
acceptable, but let's at least work -- start working on that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I've got -- there's only one more.
I just want to know what the contaminated soil removal at Marco is?
MR. DRURY: When we built our last set of T-Hangars, we inherited
an airport that had, apparently, a fuel farm that had leaked. We had
to -- we didn't have enough money to remove it all, so what we had to
do is we had to take the contaminated soil and put it in a pile, and
it sits there in that pile and needs to be taken away.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: They burn it, I think. Okay.
MR. DRURY: Yes, they do.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Make sure the scrub jays don't fly into it.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't want to back away from anything on
the revenue producing line myself. I'll say that right up front.
That's the $615,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That's one for and one against.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Anybody else?
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Which one are you going for, Pam?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm supporting the revenue producing
items. That's the manufacturing incubator which is just critical in
Immokalee. That's $250,000. There's two sets of T-Hangars, one in
Immokalee and one in Marco. That's $220,000. This auto weather
station sounds like -- I mean, that sounds like a viable market of
users in Immokalee, the FedEx and -- MR. DRURY: A wide range.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That sounds like a real likely to pay off
expenditure there.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: But what are the chances of having that
particular thing attracting UPS, FedEx, what have you?
MR. DRURY: It's -- right now, you can't even talk to them. Do
you have weather capabilities; no. Let us know when you do. That's
about as far as I can get with them.
Most airports will get air traffic control towers. Naples paid
for an air traffic control tower for ten years and all the staffing
for it.
In lieu of that, of building a tower and staffing it and all
that, you can put an automated weather observation station for $29,000
and never have to worry about staffing it, you know, all of the
maintenance of it and get the same economic potential, which is what
you're asking. I couldn't tell you, we put this in, FedEx is going to
come. I can tell you, if we don't put it in, they are never going to
come.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Can I -- can I ask for a reality check
here. What's the incentive -- I mean, Immokalee isn't exactly the hub
of activity. What's the incentive for FedEx or for UPS to choose that
over another site?
MR. DRURY: Cost.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: What do they pay to go into Fort Myers?
MR. DRURY: A lot, an awful lot.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Am I correct in the manufacturing incubator,
in essence, is a way to build a place that someone can just have?
MR. DRURY: No. They come in. They pay rent. We are charging,
I think, up to $2.50 a square foot.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You own it.
MR. DRURY@: We own it. We charge them rent, and they incubate
their widget, their dial, their -- we've got one that does aircraft
tools, specialized tools. They --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: They build stuff.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Build stuff.
MR. DRURY: They build stuff, and they co-share docking space,
co-share tool rooms, co-share computer labs, co-share marketing
capabilities and financial. They don't have the money to set all
those up individually, so they pool all of that, and they just
concentrate on what they know best, and that's building the widget.
They build the widget. They co-share all of this. We get seven of
them to co-share this one area.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Do you have them lined up, prospects lined
up?
MR. DRURY: Yes, we do.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: So, you can fill it as soon as it's built?
MR. DRURY: Yes, we can.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We've got to build that.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Yeah, well, then let's do the incubator for
sure --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Got to build that, guys.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: -- if you can do that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Whatever you guys want to do, you know, we're
going to arrive at today, but there's one thing missing in this whole
thing, and that is a long-term business plan that someone can set in
front of me and show me the ten year projection, show me what you
expect this board to give in the way of general fund subsidies and
rents and --
MR. DRURY: You will have that for the next board -- the next
budget year, you will have that revised. There is one now. You will
have one revised.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I want it before this, quite frankly, because
I just -- I just have way too many questions. It's just such a blind
faith again, and I -- not that you're not doing a good job, John, it's
just too much for me to say okay to.
MR. McNEES: Mr. Chairman, for context, the business plan that
Mr. Drury refers to, I happen to have a copy of it here, essentially
tells you what the operating expenses and capital expenses were to be
for the first years of the Airport Authority and really doesn't make
any projection or estimate of anything beyond that first year which
was '94/'95, so --
MR. DRURY: I think it's set up -- set up the organization and
where we were heading and things of that nature and was our first
draft of it, and it needs to be revised, and it needs to include what
has gone on out there or what didn't get approved over the years, and
we were planning on doing that this year, but if -- you know, my
biggest point is if the revenue producers can be funded this year, I
feel good that we are on track of meeting our goal that we set out to
do. The less revenue producers that are put out there, the harder it
is for us to squeeze that number.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I just want to be clear on the
incubator facility. You said we have -- we can fill that as soon as
it's built?
MR. DRURY: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Do we have commitments from people?
Do we have formal commitments or just some people have expressed
interest, because there's a huge difference?
MR. DRURY: Yeah. They're more expressed interest, meaning we
have -- we are negotiating a contract with Global Technologies, Inc.
who is going to manage the facility for us. They have identified five
businesses that are going to sublease from them. We will have a
relationship with Global Technologies to lease the whole facility.
They will have subtenants and -- that they have listed to us in
writing. The lease is going back and forth between our attorneys and
theirs, but the lease is not signed. One of the reasons is,
obviously, we are trying to figure out whether we are going to have a
facility or not, but it's not signed, sealed and delivered in answer
to your question.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: How many square feet will this facility be?
MR. DRURY: Ten thousand.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What will the length of the agreement
MR. DRURY: I think we are negotiating a 20 year lease.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Escalating rents or stagnant rents, CPI?
MR. DRURY: Escalating -- CPI plus every fifth year, we have an
appraisal, and we apply the appraised value every fifth year, and we
are looking at a percentage of revenues as well.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We have one suggestion already that we fund
$615,000 of the seven seventy-three. Are there any other suggestions
or support for that?
MR. McNEES: Mr. Chairman, if I can make one suggestion, not
regarding the funding, but if, for budget purposes, we are going to
identify certain of these as revenue generators, could we also perhaps
quantify those revenues and budget them as well?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I was going to suggest if there were funds
allocated in any of the generators, that within 90 days, we see that
information in the form of a revenue projection and that that be
folded into an overall business plan within six months, because I --
MR. DRURY: We can do that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You know, I'm still not comfortable because I
want that in front of me before I make any decisions, not after.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, the 90 days gives us an
opportunity if for some reason it came out to be zero, it came out to
be unacceptable, we could cut that in September. COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Somebody make a suggestion because it's not
going to be me.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I suggest all the revenue generators.
Anybody going to agree with that?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You're suggesting the $615,0007
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes, it is.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, no mangrove cutting.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Here's two.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Tim, you're not going to support the six
fifteen, Constantine?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes, Mac'Kie, I am.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Good.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: That's three then.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's three.
MR. DRURY: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I was going to get through this budget without
losing one. Damn.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Without what?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Why don't we have a quick break in the
action here. I see Mr. Jamro is here. I was just going to ask your
indulgence. I -- I missed the discussion on that. Can we discuss
that during wrap-up. I have a couple of specific questions, and I
don't want to drag it back up now, but when we have wrap-up tomorrow
-- next week, can we deal with that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Jamro, would you plan on being back for
wrap-up. I think -- it's the lecture hall you wanted to discuss?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Where are we now?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, I'm seeking guidance from someone from O
and B. Where are we going?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: We are going into the unincorporated area of
general fund.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That would be Page B-2.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, that's it. We are done with general fund?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes, sir.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Done with general fund. Imagine that.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Let me give you an idea of where we are at in the
general fund. To reach a millage neutral budget, we had to cut, and
I'll speak in round numbers, one point six million dollars. If we
eliminated the interim government services fee, that was approximately
one point four million dollars, so we needed to cut three million
dollars, and we cut about two point eight.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Which may explain my position on the last
item. So, we are looking at a tax increase in the general fund.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: So far.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: So far. Again, you've --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I might point out that we have a
number of items in wrap-up that are still up for question -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: True.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and there are a few of those that
certainly will tally more than 200,000.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: In addition, down the road, before we formally
adopt a budget, we should have better, again, turn back numbers from
the constitutionals. Your trim notice at this point would go out with
a '-
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I look real close --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- moderate increase, but we would have the
advantage in September of making final changes again.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'd feel much more comfortable if we
get there now instead of trying to deal with that in September.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Yes.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: A trim notice is what people get.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We need to find how much more for break
even.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: About 200,000.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: A couple hundred thousand.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let me ask a question. The Greater Naples
Civic made a suggestion yesterday that the -- excuse me, the Greater
Naples Citizens Association made a suggestion yesterday that if we
went to the CPI increase on personal services anniversary date rather
than at October 1, that we would save one point three million dollars.
Is that anywhere near correct?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's close. That's across all county funds,
however, many of which are supported by fees, building permits, et
cetera.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: But correspondingly then, out of the
general fund itself, what would that be approximately if the one point
three was correct? It would probably be more than two hundred grand,
wouldn't it?
COMMISSIONER BERRY: If we're close, then that gives you your
number.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right. There's still hope, Commissioner
Hancock.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I've given up hope.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Don't give up hope.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- don't give up hope.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: No, you can't give up hope.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Nope, I dug my heels in, made my decision.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Hope is --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Hope is gone.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm done.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: General fund alone would be about $170,000.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: How much?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Out of one point six?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Out of one point three million?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Plus the sheriff's half -- if we reduced his COLA
in half.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Forget the sheriff. We've already --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We found it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- just give a flat figure COLA. Can't factor
that in.
MR. FERNANDEZ: You need to take that part out.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's also a question of ability to do that.
When I discussed this in the previous year, I don't remember if I
talked to human resources or talked to the clerk or whatever, but
there was a software expense associated with making that, so it's not
cost free.
MR. McNEES: There's a couple of issues here. Let me -- if you
were to determine one of the ways you wanted to save money was by
phasing in the COLA, instead of doing it October 1st, what we would
probably suggest to you is that you do what you did this year, which
is make them effective April 1st instead of October 1st because it's a
paperwork and logistic nightmare to do them all individually on
anniversary day.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But it still gives us close to the same
plan.
MR. McNEES: You get the same result. You just -- it's just
incredibly simpler to administer, and in addition to the fact, you
have people who came to work late in the year ten years ago, who, in
effect, get nothing for that fiscal year as opposed to people who
happen to come to work October 1st ten years ago, and they're going to
get 3 percent more for that pay -- for that year, and that's not
really --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: A much simpler method to get 200,000, Mr. Brock
did not budget attrition. If you took 4 percent attrition in the
clerk's budget, it's 260,000. We could increase his turn back by
260,000 by virtue of the fact that he did not budget turn back.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I want to do that, but I also want to not
lose sight of this COLA issue.
MR. McNEES: The other thing I wanted to say about -- by
definition, a cost of living adjustment is putting money in the
pockets of your employees in recognition of the fact that their cost
of living has gone up.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Yeah, but didn't we do that on April 1st of
this year?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Just gave them --
MR. FERNANDEZ: Yes.
MR. McNEES: We did.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So, we do it again in December doesn't
make a lot of sense.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: October.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sorry, October.
MR. McNEES: Well -- and that was a deferral of it, not a --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah. They went 18 months without a cost of
living increase.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: But that's -- that's history now.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah, but it's important to point out
-- I mean, you can take that out of context. We did all of the pay
plan adjustments, and the reason we delayed it six months last year is
they had a 6 to 8 percent, I think the number was, pay plan
adjustment.
MR. McNEES: Seventy percent of them had, yes.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Those -- those that needed one got one.
MR. McNEES: Well, but that was a market driven pay plan
adjustment which is -- I understand it's more money for 70 percent of
the people.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I understand, but if we're talking
about putting money in their pockets, we did -- and that's actually
two raises in six months' time --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I understand your point.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- as opposed to not an 18 month.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: It only makes sense if you're talking CVI,
that is an annual figure, so if you gave it to them last on April 1st,
you give it to them next April 1st.
MR. HcNEES: All I'm suggesting is if we're going to phase it,
it's much better to do it all at once after six months.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm happy with April 1st, but I want to
know what that's going to save us.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Four percent attrition, the clerk and six
month delay in application of that, and then we still have work to do.
How's that?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We still have a lot of work to do, and I
support both of those, but I want to know what the dollar number is
for the COLA change.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Half. Half, right?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's half.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Half?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's exactly half of the cost of living of
personal services.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Oh, I'm sorry, it's one point three.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: One point three, so we get 600,000 in the
general fund?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: No, you're working the wrong fee.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Your general fund total is only 342,000 right
now. You would get half of that, $170,000.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay. So, I'll take it.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Plus the clerk's item.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Plus the clerk's two sixty or whatever it
was. What did you say, two sixty, Hike? MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We need to notify the clerk for the
purposes of wrap-up that we changed that after discussing it with
them. So, we'll just adopt the policy that we budget for 4 percent of
attrition in his budget and increase the turn back amount, and if he
wants to address us on that during wrap-up, he can do so.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Since we are struggling --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Somebody will -- I'm sorry, but somebody
will please be sure and directly inform him of that. Whose
responsibility will that be?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: County manager.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Thank you.
MR. FERNANDEZ: I will take care of it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: One variable out there is that the sheriff's
turn back may be a little less than we expected now.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I know you don't mean that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, no.
Can I just suggest -- I know I just got done saying we can do it
in wrap-up. Mr. Jamro is here, and we're dealing with the general
fund issue right now. Can we maybe hit that topic quickly and --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's go ahead and do it, that way we don't
have to bother him for coming back for wrap-up unless we --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But I apologize for missing your
discussion before. I had a constituent on the phone.
The problem I have with the 50,000 improvement to the lecture
hall -- I understand the sound in there isn't ideal. We've had a
couple meetings there ourselves where it's shown that, but the lecture
hall is only a couple years old, and I'm just concerned about, again,
putting 50,000 in. I wonder if it's not more of a Friends of the
Museum type project than it is -- as we try to prioritize, and we cut
an ambulance out, and we cut these other things out, it seems like
that is a lower priority, particularly considering the relative youth
of the facility.
MR. JAMRO: Again, for the record, Ron Jamro, museum director.
The Friends did contribute to this project, you know, over a number of
years, as they have for almost every facility on-site at the museum.
It is, principally, to finish construction of that facility, which we
sort of left hanging. The Friends got it as far as they could with
county support, and then, as you've mentioned the lighting and the
sound system, air conditioning system virtually, you know, masks any
sort of lecture program you're going to have in there. You simply
can't hear the presenter.
So, that was -- the money was to essentially finish that
facility.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My recollection is different, I guess.
I didn't think we designed it with a drop roof and with all those
things. I think we designed it the way it is and then realized we had
a problem after the fact, and maybe I'm wrong, but my recollection
isn't that we designed all those things into it and just didn't
finish.
MR. JAMRO: It was -- it was built at $50 a square foot, which is
-- which is pretty incredible in today's market, and that was because
the plans had been donated. A lot of construction, maintenance,
supervision had been donated. So, there was some corners cut in all
those areas, and it was just to establish the space. It provided and
still continues to provide a spot for school groups to orient
themselves and most of our evening programs and ongoing educational
programs.
There's another aspect to this too. We've since partitioned, you
know, about a third of that off. That would serve as our seasonal
exhibit area which is going to be about two and a half times the size
of the room we currently use, and that would need to be finished for
us to continue with that program as well.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I appreciate that, but my point was
that I don't think it was originally designed differently than right
now. We may have gotten a number of contributions, and I appreciate
that, but what we are asking as far as drop ceiling and improved audio
and all those things, for the most part, and to the best of my
knowledge, were discovered to be problems after we completed it. We
had set a particular budget and built it to that budget, and at no
point did the board say, okay, but in a future year, we will build
additional ceiling or fix the audio. That was discovered after the
fact.
MR. JAMRO: You're quite right.
MR. OLLIFF: You are correct, and the design of the building was
done by a volunteer, and the volunteer who designed it is, frankly, an
architect, but does a whole lot more construction than he does
architecture work, and his indication to us was, what we've designed
is -- will be enough lighting, will be acoustically fit for you to
have group meetings in. He was wrong, and then the building that
we've got simply doesn't work very well.
I'm Tom Olliff, public services administrator.
COHHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And I -- I understand that, but it's
just -- as we look at the big picture and the priority of everything
and have cut an ambulance and other things, I wonder if dropping a
ceiling and fixing audio in a museum lecture hall is a higher priority
than those.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I look at it as a room that is nowhere near
its usefulness as a county facility. It's kind of like having a
basketball court without a hoop.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Blasphemy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. I thought I would get you with that one.
MR. JAMRO: I think that is very relevant. I think that is an
excellent point.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, we've put this off for a couple of years.
I want to put the hoop up on the court.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't know that we put it off
though. I mean, was this requested formally in past years? I don't
recall it coming to the board.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: With all due respect, I think they got
three.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We brought it back --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't hear you
say that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It had three, and we actually discussed it,
but in deference to you, we brought it back up.
Does anyone -- I would like to leave it in.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Me, too.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: He.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, no more belly aching about the
level of --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Hey, that's only 50 grand versus, you know --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Before we leave the general fund
discussion, just to go back to the Greater Naples Civic Association
list, there's one other --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Citizens Association.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It's actually civic. It used to be
citizens, and now it's civic, just the opposite, but that's okay.
The other one that I'm particularly interested in is the phasing
in the new hires which looked like, you know -- even if you took out
the sheriff's office, that was 225,00. Just the BCC part was
$375,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I wrote next to that one, 4 percent attrition
is -- is the amount we budget, and that's supposed to account for
vacant positions.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think it's --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: In addition -- then you have that built in
automatic budget increase next year by virtue of the fact that you
only funded an operation for six months. Automatically, before you
step out of the box, you have an immediate six months of operation.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And I see Janet, and I saw Eric earlier. What
I would encourage, if there's a difference between the 4 percent
attrition which is supposed to be a catchall for that exact -- that
very thing, if we're finding that that number is off, because I know
you had an increase of that to 5 percent in your recommendations.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Took that out.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Took that out, okay.
I think the 4 percent attrition is supposed to catch the unfilled
or vacant positions. I think the -- the idea was though if we put
them in the budget to be hired the next year, that we -- those are new
positions created, and we don't budget for the first few months that
will not be realized of those new positions.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay. I understand that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't know if we're talking about the same
thing or not.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: So, I would like to hear more about that
if -- you know, have her answer that question when we get there, but
the other one that I wanted to mention before we left general fund is
-- does this one make sense, Mr. Smykowski, that we presently include
turn back in the amount that we used to calculate reserves.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: We -- no. We calculate the reserves purely on
the expense side of the equation, and I think we are at a point -- we
adjusted how we calculated the reserves because the reserves -- even
though the general fund is increasing twelve million dollars, the
reserves did not increase at all, and I think it's a dangerous
practice to decrease the reserves, obviously, for unforeseen issues.
In addition, there will be that much money carrying forward a year
from now as a result of not budgeting additional reserve money. So, I
think that's a dangerous practice.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay. Those are the ones I wanted to ask
about. So, I'm done.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right. Now we are done with the general
fund. Let's get that -- let's get our new number, shall we?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What's our new --
COMHISSIONER BERRY: This is like the telethon.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Ringing up behind --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: We need one of those boards up there.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: We need a board up here.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Just before we leave general fund, I want to
know the amount of cuts to date that we have made which will be
something closer to the higher amount we finally arrive at.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: He's going to be a little -- a little
approximate here because -- MR. SMYKOWSKI: Right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I understand.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Essentially, if we're changing the COLA, we will
be forced to redo all the salary budgets. So, we are ballparking at
this point based on a gross number.
Total general funds savings including flagged items, adding in
the turn back, additional clerk turn back is about 3,225,000, which is
in excess of what we needed to get -- we needed 2,955. So, we're
above and beyond where we need to be.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: To get the --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Millage neutral.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: To get to the millage neutral.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay. We are getting there. Let's keep
going.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not a bad start.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Ah, now his heels are undug.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I called it a start.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: A start.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Now we are moving to the agenda that was planned
for today.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, let us move to the third day.
I'll tell you what, it's 2:30. Give the court reporter a break.
Let's take five minutes.
(Small break was held).
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. We'll reconvene. We got better. That
five minute break was only ten minutes this time, so we're getting
closer, guys.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: And I was at my post.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: One eleven.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: One eleven, sir.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I have a question for someone, maybe Mr.
Fernandez. I don't think we have our legal staff in today.
Is there any legal reason why we fund a significant portion of
the sheriff's budget through 1117 Do we have to do that or is that
just a courtesy that we have been extending?
MR. FERNANDEZ: I have already asked that question. The answer
I've been given is that there may be a long standing legal reason
having to do with an ancient dual tax settlement that you -- a court
-- a case you had a long time ago, and before I give you a final
answer, I need to read that to see how long that commitment lasts.
My understanding, and I've been involved over the years in that
debate, is that the courts have come down on the side of counties on
the question of sheriff's road patrol, and that is that you do have
the capability of funding that in the general fund. It is a
countywide function, and the test is real and substantial benefit on a
countywide basis, and the courts have decided after hearing the cases
and the evidence that that, in fact, is the case.
Counties like Alachua where there isn't a lot of ad valorem
capacity have opted to set that up in an MSTU with the understanding
that any incorporated areas that receive the service do so through a
contract where there is compensation received and -- and in theory,
the services are only provided to the unincorporated area and,
therefore, only charged to the residents of the unincorporated area
through the MSTU, but it's kind of a long answer to a short question.
I think the answer lies in whatever that double tax suit settlement
says is probably going to guide --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: When can we get an answer on that?
MR. FERNANDEZ: I can probably have an answer for you tomorrow.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Before we wrap up?
MR. FERNANDEZ: Yeah, before wrap-up, we can have an answer. I
can check with the county attorney's office and get the details on it.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Proceed then.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: We are on Page B-2 and B-3 in your summary book
and the tab marked MSTD general.
Again, this is -- provides for the municipal services to
unincorporated area residents. It excludes Everglades City and the
City of Naples. The principal funding source is ad valorem taxes.
The proposed tax rate would be an increase of a dollar nine per
$100,000 of taxable value.
As I alluded to in my presentation yesterday, there is $729,600
for the board's share of Phase I, cost of the Lely storm water
project.
The other -- the other thing of note is when we get to the cable
franchise budget, in the expanded side, in reserves, there's $950,000.
Again, that's associated as a reserve, specifically for the million
dollars of telecommunication fee revenue for use of public
right-of-ways at this point. Again, there is no definitive board
stance on that. They've sent staff back to the drawing board to
revise the draft ordinance at this point.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Smykowski, you have a question.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Smykowski, you just mentioned the
cable television folks. The proposed expansion of services as far as
-- I think it's 167,000 roughly for those you and I talked about
Friday. When will we hear about that here?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Very shortly. We'll get to -- public services is
first and then management offices.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: In this section?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes, definitely.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: In the next half hour.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is that it?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That concludes my opening remarks of our expanded
services of $73,900 in public services in the parks and recreation
department. Mr. Olliff and Ms. Ramsay are here. Mr. Vincent is the
budget analyst. Page B-7 is the description of the expanded services
totaling $73,900.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Before you get started, let me ask, similar to
Commissioner Norris' question on the MSTD, if we are going to enter
the new territory of being a co-payer on city park projects in the
future, its inclusion in the MSTD is, in fact, a double standard to
county residents because to date, city parks were paid by city folks,
and county parks were paid by county dollars, and that's the reason
that parks and recreation was in the MSTD. If, in fact, we are going
to be requested or asked to look at joint funding on all city park
projects in the future, as I would tend to believe from what we
received this year, then its inclusion in the MSTD is no longer
necessary.
So, we are not going to make that decision today, but I think,
unlike law enforcement, what's changing is we are increasing funding
for -- we are looking at increasing funding for park and rec. projects
inside city limits which argues against inclusion in the MSTD.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: The one thing I just want to caution about
is if we start funding park and rec. budgets in general based on users
rather than the location of the parks, the county is going to be
spending more money than we are spending now, so -- because the users
in the city programs -- I mean, you guys -- if I'm wrong about this,
let me know, but this is what I hear from city people. The users in
city parks is so much -- the preponderance are county residents. If
we get asked to pay for usage at parks based on who uses them based on
where they're physically located --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, that's Paragraph 3 of Bill Barnett's
letter which I disagree with.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, you don't -- I'm just saying you
don't want to go there, so let's not -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm not.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- start that discussion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm not going there. I didn't start that
discussion.
The discussion I started is the reason the MSTD has a parks and
rec. element is because the county traditionally was not using general
countywide dollars for improvements within the city limits to their
park system. Naples Landing was kind of breaking the mold if I'm not
-- am I mistaken there?
MR. OLLIFF: Yeah, the HSTD fund is actually funding parks in
Immokalee and eastern Collier County where it was difficult to make an
argument that the city residents would actually ever use a community
park in Immokalee and would ever receive a benefit from those. So,
those are the parks that we've dedicated strictly in the 111 fund.
CHAI~ HANCOCK: And just those parks?
MR. OLLIFF: Yes.
CHAI~ HANCOCK: I'm sorry. Go ahead, Mr. Olliff.
MR. OLLIFF: Okay. For the parks HSTD fund, what I'd like to
start by telling you is that the total increase within the parks and
recreation cost center here is within your roll back rate for your
HSTD levy, but if we could, we'd like to walk you through the expanded
service requests that are there.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I think we've all seen these items. I have
no objection to it.
CHAI~ HANCOCK: No, I don't either.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: None.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. OLLIFF: Thank you.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: I believe we are to management offices,
Commissioner Constantine, Page B-11. Ms. Gansel is the budget
analyst, and Mrs. -- Ms. Jean Merritt is the cable franchise
administrator.
MS. GANSEL: Good afternoon, commissioners. Jean Gansel.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Thin book.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Thin book.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yeah. The expanded service request.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Sorry about that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Say the number again. I'm sorry, Mike.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: B as in boy, 11, are the expanded for franchise
administration.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's B-15 in the detail book.
MS. GANSEL: Detail.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And we -- don't we just about have to have
lawyers on this one, because isn't this a big legal issue about
whether or not we have the authority to do this at all?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do what? I'm not following you.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: To do what?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is this the franchise fee?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No, just --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think that's next -- I think it's Tuesday.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
MR. FERNANDEZ: This is franchise administration.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is the office that --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh, right.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Regulating franchise fees.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Regulating cable. Sorry. Moving on.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me express a couple of concerns,
and the small ones first. First of all, $9,000 for two super VHS high
power recorder decks, if we're going to pick up something to play and
record, let's get Beta or let's get three-quarter because I want --
actually, and I'm serious about this, each of you tune into channel 54
tonight and switch between 55 and 54, and there's an amazing quality
difference. Fifty-four is horrible because we're on VHS, and it's
just not the same quality, and if we are going to try to look at a
long-term picture here for having some quality, I would rather buy up,
a Beta deck than to VHS because the VHS just -- it's blurry. It's
lousy -- it's a lousy picture.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What about -- what about the VHS Beta
conversion, and we didn't have to have something -- because a lot of
the stuff we get, like our camera records VHS, not Beta.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Again, if we're going to broadcast,
then we ought to broadcast with some quality that isn't -- I mean,
when you flip through channels, it's like the old channel nine that
was broadcasting the stuff out of Fort Myers. You didn't even stop.
You couldn't see it, and you couldn't hear it. We are better than
that, but you couldn't see it and you couldn't hear it right, and so
you don't even stop. You keep moving on to the next channel, and if
we're going to try to provide a service and try to make people aware
of what we are doing in our parks and what we're doing in different
places, there has to be a certain level of -- and I realize there are
some things -- I know that channel ten, there's some things they shoot
on VHS and transfer over, but almost everything is on Beta. You can
get --
MS. MERRITT: You're absolutely right, Commissioner. The VHS is
not good broadcast quality. We have asked for this particular item
and these are SVHS which is -- I'm sorry, Jean Merritt for the record.
SVHS is slightly better than VHS. Beta we know is much better.
It's also much more expensive.
I'll let Jim Fitzek, who is our fiscal person, talk to this.
MR. FITZEK: For the record, James Fitzek, office of franchise
administration.
Unfortunately, we would love to be able to go to Beta except you
have a whole conversion process with edit systems. It's not just
decks you buy that are a couple thousand more. You get into cameras,
all that -- we eventually would like to get to that on our production.
However, most of the stuff we are using now is free material that we
are acquiring free at no cost to the county, and all that is in VHS.
To take that and convert that to Beta only brings it down one level
lower, so we have to have the ability to be able to show some material
in VHS.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Now, is it called SVHS because it's
slightly better than VHS?
MS. MERRITT: Super VHS is what it is.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: It just seems to me, we are in our
infancy. I don't think this should grow into a full grown adult
anyway, but if we're in our infancy of doing this, we don't want to be
spending money doing -- I know it is -- but slight is the right word.
It's not a whole lot of an upgrade there. I mean, you can get a Sony
digital Beta cam for 4,200 bucks now, and that's more than a VHS cam,
but, I mean, it will last forever. The camera is this big. I mean,
the lens is as big as the camera is. It's easy to take. It fits our
needs. You can use it inside out. It's very, very easy to edit on.
It just seems like a lot wiser expenditure if we're looking at a long
time use.
MR. FITZEK: Unfortunately, on some of those, you've got to take
a look at -- the whole basis is what your resolution is. SVHS is 400
lines per inch. Beta is around 600, but then when you purchase
cameras, your camera might not -- might be a Beta camera, but it might
not be 600 inches of resolution. So, you've got to weigh all those.
The biggest thing facing us right now is our whole library stock
is in VHS and SVHS. We have not come across anything that we can
acquire for free that's in Beta. The whole reason for these purchases
are that our original broadcast station, our decks were not intended
to be used commercially to cut down on costs. We used what we use for
our dubbing chain. The number of hours getting on those decks are
reaching its max. We've got to get some commercial quality stuff in
there.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: How long have we been operating this?
MS. HERRITT: We started operating eight hours a day of -- the
first week of January.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And that's my point is that when you
say our whole library consists of, well, our library is only five
months old, and so rather than go on and continue to build a library
that way, it makes sense to me, if we are going to choose to do this,
we ought to do it at some level of quality that is going to make
someone stop and watch Channel 54.
MR. HcNEES: Mr. Chairman, if I may jump in here a minute and --
the staff -- and I thank them for it -- is being very conservative
here. One of the reasons that they're somewhat conservative in their
request is because it got beat down so much by the county manager's
office when they -- some of the things that they wanted --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You mean the county administrator's office?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: At the time, the county manager's office.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's another conversion we are working on.
MR. HcNEES: If what you're saying is you believe if we are going
to do this, it's worth it to stop and take a little bit harder look,
let's look at the quality issue and then if you're willing to take a
little bit more of what is the cable franchise fee revenue and devote
it to the quality issue, I suspect they will tell you that they would
be happy to go back and sharpen their pencils and retool this request
a little bit if you give them a couple of days and come up with
another number.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I support looking at that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't want to get to a point where
we're spending -- there's some areas I think we need to cut over on
the other page here, but it's just if we are going to pursue having a
broadcast station available for the benefit of the public, I would
rather broadcast a quality picture that people will actually stop and
watch.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And my opinion is, if we are going to
spend money on that, let's spend money on something that's got a lot
better long-term value than what is clearly a short-term value on
this.
MS. HERRITT: And-- and we -- we definitely agree, but we also
were faced with trying to fill 45 hours of programming a week, and
that is not an easy task, and we had very limited resources to do
that, and we have scrounged all over this country looking for products
that would be of some interest to Collier County citizens, and we have
found some things. Unfortunately, when they are free, they are also
VHS, and we have not been able to find anything of real quality.
The things that we have done ourselves, and they are very
limited, are somewhat better quality even though they are VHS because
we have not had to take them down many generations as you do when you
get a film from someplace else.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I think we just ought to replay these
budget hearings about eight hours a day, five days a week.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Good entertainment.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Solve all the sleep problems in town.
MR. McNEES: What I'm hearing Commissioner Constantine say, if I
can put it in my own words is, if we're going to build this thing from
the ground up, he'd prefer three hours of high quality programming and
21 hours of test pattern, and as we can fill the additional hours,
let's fill them as opposed to let's fill 24 hours of whatever we can
get our hands on, and I think you all are for that --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I have to agree with that.
MR. HcNEES: -- and I think we need to say, thanks for your
support, and we'll retool this request and come back to you with some
other numbers.
MS. HERRITT: Actually, that has to do with one of the positions
that I'm asking for, and that is that we need an expert in television
production. Even the equipment that we presently have, when something
happens or goes down, we simply have no expertise to be able to figure
out what is wrong, and when you're trying to fill time and you -- and
the signal is switched to the county at 4:00 p.m. every -- five
afternoons a week and we have a glitch in the system, we are in
trouble, and we need desperately a person who can help us do the
production, and presently, we are producing a lot of meetings. There
are 21 work days in June, and we have 17 meetings scheduled. I
realize that's a little different, because as you know, we are
producing these budget hearings live, and we will be -- we are also
taping them for replay so we can play them in the evening when people
who could not see them during the day might be able to see them, and
we simply do not have the time to do some of the other things that
need to be done to produce quality work.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You mentioned -- I have to remind everyone,
this is not in the overall scheme of things. This is not a need.
Now, this is an extra that we'd like to provide, but when -- you know,
I moved here, Continental, at that time, broadcast these meetings and
did so with a high resolution camera, including -- I mean, if somebody
was speaking at that microphone, it was a close up of them. It was a
pan. It was all this kind of stuff, and as much as we have -- you
know, I'm glad to see us doing more and more on Channel 54. We've
lost some quality and that kind of stuff because of equipment, and I
just -- in the overall scheme of things, the word need, I think, is a
little misplaced in this. We would like to do all of those things.
MS. HERRITT: Well, I appreciate that. I must say, Mr. Chairman,
that in the past year and a half, then Continental, now Media One did
produce -- or did give us the camera in the back, and it is an old
camera. We are very, very pleased to have it, believe me, but they
were also locking down the camera, and we are doing a much better job
because we have a person on the camera who has gotten very proficient,
I might add --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Hi, Katie.
MS. HERRITT: -- and has had a lot of experience and puts in
many, many hours.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's not my point.
MS. HERRITT: Well, what I'm trying to say is that we are
attempting to bring the citizens of Collier County into their
government, and we want them to participate in their government, and
we think that people that know more about government are going to be
much more supportive of that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I appreciate your comment, but you're way off
my point. My point is one of looking at this as a need. This is
something that we would like to provide.
MS. HERRITT: I understand.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, there's a difference in that, and the
reason I say that is I look under revenues and I see a million dollars
in telecommunication fees as a revenue under -- I assume to go to HSTD
general fund 111.
Am I reading that correctly?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: You are.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do we have a ordinance in place that
guarantees a million dollars in fees yet?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: No. That is the policy issue that I alluded to
in my opening remarks yesterday. Again, there is an offsetting
reserve -- there's a million dollars budgeted less the 5 percent
statutory revenue reserve. That nets to $950,000. There's an
offsetting reserve at this point pending the outcome -- ultimately,
what the board decides on this.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's the legal issue.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: So, if you decided six months down the road that
we are not going to go that way, all we do is reduce the reserve and
reduce the revenue line item; no harm, no foul, so to speak.
MR. HcNEES: The money for this office, the franchise
administration office, the operation of Channel 54 and all of the
related expenses come from the million and a half dollars that you see
listed as cable franchise fees which is real live money that comes in
every month.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's what I have a question about.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But if we didn't expend it here, that
money would be available for general fund expenditures? MR. HcNEES: Yes.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's -- that's --
MR. HcNEES: For Fund 111 expenditures.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: For Fund 111 expenditures. That -- that's
a big question to me because back to the need issue, you know, I'm not
sure we need Channel 54 at all. It's a nice thing to have, but if we
could have an ambulance with part of this money instead, it's a
priority question.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I wasn't -- I wasn't saying that, but --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I am.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I understand your point, and I think
that's the difference between a true need -- I mean, health, safety
and welfare are the needs, and -- and I guess -- I want to go through
some of the dollar items for expanded service over here because I do
question the word need, and I do appreciate -- before I go on, I want
to say, Katie and the work we do -- I mean, we cover all our meetings.
When we have our little LDC meetings, all that stuff is covered now
when it used to be Tuesdays were it, so I appreciate that.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Right.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: On the -- I mean, I'll work my way up
from the bottom. Help me with these. It says tower lease, monitoring
leases for personal communication towers, $56,000 a year. That, by
itself, got my attention.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: He too.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I thought, my heavens, what am I going
to do for 40 hours a week, but then when I looked over on the revenue
side, does this indicate we are going to generate $70,000 a year from
tower leases --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and if so, why does it cost $56,000
to monitor a $70,000 revenue?
MR. FITZEK: That item, 56,000, is a transfer. What that means
is we are going to be -- our office is going to be collecting 70,000
from what we budget as five tower site lease areas. That 56,000 is a
pass-through to parks and rec. or whatever other department where
those towers are located. We are taking 20 percent as an admin. cost,
keeping 20 percent of the revenue. Eighty percent of the revenue,
which is 56,000, goes to other county departments, wherever the tower
is located.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So, you're collecting 14,000.
MR. FITZEK: Exactly, yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Tell me what it means by monitoring
leases. It's just so we don't make an error like we did in the sewer
department a couple years ago and lose a lease or --
MR. FITZEK: I don't know about that. There are some issues that
we have some sites located on them where IT can use some spaces.
There's some telecommunication issues.
There is no real cost associated with this. The only cost you
see here is a pass-through, and that's just money coming into our
budget and then going back out, apportioned to the tower companies.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: A portion of that revenue is going to the general
fund by virtue of the fact that some of the towers, I believe, are in
the parks, and the balance is going to the utility funds because some
of these towers are located on utility's property.
So, it's just money coming in from tower lease space, and it's
passed off to the, quote, owner of the property.
MR. McNEES: Commissioner, I think, to answer your question
directly, these towers, in the leases, there will be provisions that,
for example, Bill Coakley will have some space on the tower. There
may be a provision of the lease that another department gets space on
the tower. I think what they're telling you is they would make sure
those things are adhered to, that Bill Coakley actually gets the
space, and that all -- it's just monitoring and keeping up with all
that. Somebody has to do that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The next item, expanded regulatory
activity, develop a telecommunications ordinance to monitor and -- to
reasonable access to the public base, $30,000.
MR. FITZEK: That is for consultant professional fees. Without
knowing which direction the board is going and what we are going to do
with that issue, we are getting close after the franchise negotiations
conclude and franchise agreements conclude that the -- our amount
budgeted for the consultant will be done, and this is looking into the
next year if that issue is still going.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I seriously want to flag that because I --
I don't see that it makes a lot of sense to spend $30,000 to collect a
million dollars to hold it in reserves, and that's what we are talking
about.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let's flag that.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'd like to flag that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The next one up, secretary support,
assist in clerical needs of the department. How have those clerical
needs changed and--
MS. MERRITT: We have never had any clerical support. We now
have a temporary person.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: How many people are in your office?
MS. MERRITT: Three.
COHHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And what would this secretary support
do on a day-to-day basis?
MR. FITZEK: The biggest reason for it, originally, we were
located in the same office with utility regulation where we shared a
secretary position. Our office has since moved to the first floor.
We have -- had no secretary support at that time, so we had to get a
temporary. Prime example is this meeting right here. We have nobody
in the office right now except for that secretary.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez, I think that type of spacial
situation, the results in a personnel savings is something we can
accomplish. It doesn't make sense why we would spend $30,000 for a
position for three individuals. I mean, that just doesn't make sense
to me. That's a ratio that's unheard of.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And -- and --
MR. HcNEES: I'm not sure it's just -- maybe -- take another shot
at the question. The commissioner's question was, what does she do
all day.
MR. FITZEK: We -- we receive a lot of calls, cable complaints.
As you know, our number is listed on the bills. At the end of the
month or whenever the bills come out, we receive up to 20 a day. At
price hikes, which we are seeing a bunch of, we are flooded with
calls.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It sounds like a recording, though. It
sounds like you need to have a recording that --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But even if --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- the number at Media One to call.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Even if not --
MR. FITZEK: Well, no, actually, because there's a lot of
problems that we have to actually -- you know, we are in charge of
customer service on the cable companies, monitoring that. There's --
we are the only place the customer has if there's a legitimate problem
with their bill to turn to. We solve quite a few of these.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't necessarily object to that.
However, they don't necessarily -- if the primary purpose is to take
the incoming calls, it doesn't matter if they are sitting right next
to the edit suite or if they're still sitting in utility regulation.
MR. FITZEK: That's one point of it. The other point is with
just two of us in the office to do the office work -- Katie is busy
all the time with the camera and stuff -- the secretary has to take on
a lot of responsibilities in scheduling, scheduling our weekly
programming for the television station, coordination with the school
system and the city and who gets what during special meetings. Just
like today, we are live when this is officially school board time --
cataloging of our films. There's a whole host of things. Believe me,
she is very, very busy.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No offense, folks, but I think you're
exceeding the growth rate, you know. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: He too.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: When we look at -- when we started the
franchise administration department, I don't think we anticipated
adding at that rate.
So, I'm not -- I think we can -- we need to cover that internally
in a better fashion. We have -- our phone system has a cover
capability that when you're not in the office, you can send your phone
calls to another department where that receptionist can be trained to
handle those calls and log complaints. I just -- I think it's 30,000
that hasn't been proven necessary just yet.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I agree.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I agree.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's three.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The increased technical support, is
that the position you're talking about '- MS. HERRITT: Yes, sir.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and will you explain that to me
again, please?
MS. HERRITT: Yes, sir.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That's just to -- if there happens to
be a problem or a glitch or --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: A production assistant, what else would
they -- what would they do?
MS. HERRITT: This -- we need a person who can do some light
maintenance on the -- on the system who understands television
production, who's had some experience at that side of television. For
every hour that we produce of television programming, it takes one
hour of post production. We simply don't have the time. It takes
three hours of set-up time, and it takes us six hours a week to
program the system, so that -- because we have to program in two hour
increments, and we have to -- it's a very sophisticated program on the
computer system in the broadcasting room across the hall that has to
be programmed everyday, and it -- we just simply do not have the
technical expertise that we need.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Mr. Fernandez, do you have somebody in --
I don't know, as far as the repair and that kind of stuff with all the
staff we have for -- you know, the guys that come in and fix the
microphones don't know how to fix the cameras?
MR. FERNANDEZ: I don't know how specialized that work is. I
don't know if they're capable of doing it.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Oh, is that a private company who does
this stuff?
MR. HcNEES: The microphone guy doesn't work for us.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: They're always here.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: They do the school system, too. They do the
school system, too, Pam.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: If -- if --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Go ahead.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: How many -- you just said there was an
hour of post production, obviously, the exception being when we tape
something like this, there's not post production. MR. FITZEK: Actually, there is.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Minimal -- there's not hour for hour
post production?
MR. FITZEK: Actually, it is, unfortunately. With our antiquated
system, to get the replays where we have each of your names identified
on the bottom of the screen and to roll -- that this is a replay from
such and such a date at such and such a time for -- with our analog
system, you have to roll that tape in real time and edit it in real
time. So, when we have a seven hour meeting, Katie is going to be
starting as soon as she finishes here and starts all that right back,
and it's one-to-one. It's real time to real time.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I would suggest we might be able to
find, particularly if we look at what we started out the conversation
with, some better equipment, we would be able to considerably
economize that. I mean, just hour to hour just --
MR. FITZEK: There's -- there is no doubt that we could, but
comparably, we've got an $11,000 editing system right now, one where
you won't have to do that, where you can go to digital, go to Beta,
seventy, fifty, $60,000 for that system.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, coincidentally, you're asking
for $50,000 for a person to assist right now because we are doing so
much time.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I would rather spend it on a piece of
equipment.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And have a one time cost.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: One time hit and a piece of equipment with
a -- live.
MR. FITZEK: Still, a full week of our one production specialist,
she spends about 12 hours of the week covering meetings. We have 12
hours on top of that, post production, throw in a couple of hours
for --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Sixteen left.
MR. FITZEK: -- set up time, six hours for -- she does the
programming of the broadcast station, and then she spends about five
hours a week in laying out the schedule, trying to push that out so we
can get that to a paper or something --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, that's -- so, there's five hours left
in a 40 hour week.
MR. FITZEK: Actually, about two hours, but -- about two hours,
but --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's okay. A full work week is good.
MR. FITZEK: That leaves no time whatsoever for any type of -- if
we want to do anything special on the side, it's real tough to fit
those in. If we want to highlight EHS or have a meeting with the
county manager televised or who knows, it's very tough.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I appreciate that, but I don't know
that if we want to do something special on the side warrants $51,000 a
year expenditure and --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: At least not in this form, not for --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, and I think -- I mean, if we can
get some other equipment and ease the editing burden -- I feel for
you, Katie. If you're sitting there doing that real time, that is a
drag -- and economize that which should free up some of the time for
that purpose and put out a better product and make it easier on you
all to put it together, and then -- I mean, I did the math here, and
-- I mean, if you had to hire somebody out to post produce at 175
bucks an hour, you get 300 hours a year. You know, if you're spending
an hour a day on this stuff on average, you're still going to -- at
five days a week, you're still going to have time left over if you
contracted all of that out, and that would be -- I mean, I'm sure you
can beat that rate if you were buying --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, you're saying flag it and bring it back?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm not even saying that. I'm saying
cut that one.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: How about this --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And we can explore equipment.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yes, that's it exactly. The 56,000 that's
pass-through, we don't want to cut that because that's money going
into Fund 111, I assume is where it's going.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: General fund --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: General fund.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- and utilities fund, but --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: But then -- I would -- I would be
interested in spending $50,000 on some really good equipment that
would help cut down on some of the efficiency of editing.
MR. FITZEK: I misspoke myself. That's just the edit system. If
you record it on this camera, which is a non-digital -- which is an
analog camera and record it on an analog deck, you don't get that
benefit. Now you're looking -- you've got to upgrade the whole
system. You're either on a low level commercial or you're on a high
level commercial, and there's great differences.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You know, one of the things they do in
real life is produce videos, and -- I mean, you can get a Sony digital
Beta cam high quality, high resolution for 4,200 bucks nowadays and
then get some of your pieces that go with that. I mean -- so, it's
still less expensive to buy the camera and replace this camera and
have the upgrade and efficiency and spend considerably less hours
editing.
MS. MERRITT: That's true, Commissioner. The problem is, the
camera is just the beginning.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I know that.
MS. HERRITT: We do not have the editing system.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm using the camera as an example.
MS. HERRITT: We don't have the editing system.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: There's $5,000 for the camera. There's
$45,000 for other stuff.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: $50,000 a year is just the beginning, too,
because that's $50,000 a year for the next five years. So, it's not
just one year we are looking at. What we are looking at is -- and
again, let's bring this back to some sense of reality here. These are
additional services. These are not things that -- that are going to
make or break county government if --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: These would fall under the old
discretionary label.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Discretionary label.
One more point about this that -- what I was thinking about, what
would -- what would be my priorities for how to spend, you know, TV
money, which is what this is, I don't know how to describe them, but
the A1 Perkins request that we get once a week about -- COHMISSIONER BERRY: Public access.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No, no, no, not public access TV, I mean
about when people come in so that they are able to see these screens
that they -- you know, when they show us -- at home, they can't see
anything that they show us on audio-visuals. It was something that
was in the budget maybe two years ago, we cut it out.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: That was the Michael Jackson-Star Wars
system they wanted to put in here.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't want that, but if there is
something that would actually make people at home to be able to see
the placards that people bring in as part of their demonstrations,
that, to me, would be more important than some of the others.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't think that one even made it
back as a request this year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I know it didn't, but, you know --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's always next year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Or we can think it up as, you know, a
better idea.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let me make a suggestion here. What
if we cut the thirty, cut the twenty-nine six, and I fully appreciate
what you're saying, that you don't want this to be a recurring thing
every year, and I don't either. What if we explore, okay, what would
be available out there for fifty or less, but not necessarily have to
commit that we are going to buy it, but at least see what the
possibility is for production value --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I can go there.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- and can you offset that by
efficiency. If you can't, maybe we don't want to do it, but at least
take a look at that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Commissioner Norris.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I've got a question. What are you doing
with the 30,000 you're talking about to develop a telecommunication
ordinance?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Cutting it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Why are we cutting it?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's sitting in my office.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: It's done?
MR. FITZEK: That's up to you guys. If we go forward with it,
there's going to be a lot of legal expertise and a lot of expertise
out there that we are going to have to have to fight that battle.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You mean -- you mean used in defending it?
MR. FITZEK: Or winning it, yes.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, I mean, we are talking about a
million dollar revenue source. Do we need to spend $30,000 to protect
that million dollars? If so, it's certainly worth it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But we haven't made the decision whether to
collect the million dollar revenue yet. We are still considering that
ordinance.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, let's at least flag that. You know,
I'm for cutting it, but at least flag it.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: You mean you're -- are you saying that you
don't support going forward with that and having a million dollar
revenue?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'm saying -- I'm saying that I think we
are at risk on whether or not it's legal to collect that million
dollar revenue.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: And that's what the $30,000 is supposed to
answer.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, until we know the answer -- I'm just
saying let's flag it because we haven't had the discussion yet about
the ordinance, and I've done -- I mean, I have done a lot of research
about it, had a lot of stuff put in front of me, and it's very
questionable.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Commissioner Norris, I -- I agree with
you that it's worth the investment to see that. However, as a part of
the county attorney's budget every year, we set aside a certain amount
for outside consultation. I'm suggesting that's an appropriate place
for it rather than have different departments budget their own legal
budget.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, go back to what you were saying about
the 50,000 -- up to fifty for equipment.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Let's leave that, and we can
investigate it between now and September, and if we don't need it, we
can cut it out of there, but at least let's see what it is, and if
there's some efficiency to that, frees up some of their time to do
other more productive things, then perhaps it pays for itself.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And if it helps communicate information to
the public.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah, and if we find that it doesn't,
then maybe we just don't do that at all.
MS. MERRITT: Mr. Chairman, could I say one more thing, please,
and that is that I want to call your attention to -- that the bottom
line of this budget is only thirty -- I shouldn't say only, but it is
$34,000 more than our last year's budget.
However, we would be happy if we could please have the
opportunity to go back and to come back even as early as next Monday
with another proposal looking at production equipment.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, that's what's being asked, but it's
being asked to be done within a $50,000 expanded service request. MS. MERRITT: I understand that.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And if you can have that information
for us Monday, that's great. We can look at it Monday. COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Super.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just quickly, up on the top on the
base level, I know we have our two employees, and they take up
probably the majority of that $170,000, but what else is in there?
What, physically, day-to-day -- explain to me what happens there. MR. FITZEK: As in what we do or --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: What do you spend that money on?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah, other -- you have two people
that take up a big chunk, and I know they do those things day-to-day,
but I don't -- I don't think you each get paid 75,000, 80,000 a year,
so --
MR. FITZEK: Not even close.
That -- that is our computers, our work stations, our phone,
power for the office, everything associated with operating costs.
Also -- also in that is some consultant money also. There's about, I
believe, 30,000 in consultant fees in that.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And what do they do?
MR. FITZEK: They are helping us with our expertise in cable
negotiations and renewals.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are we going to complete our renewal
before the beginning of fiscal year '98?
MS. MERRITT: Yes, sir.
MR. FITZEK: Hopefully so.
MS. MERRITT: This board -- this board --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: We can take that thirty out.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Yeah.
MS. MERRITT: This board extended the life of the franchises for
60 days for both Time Warner and Media One, and the 60 days is
concluded in early August, and we expect to have those renewals to
present to you before that time, and in addition, we are presenting to
you Tuesday a franchise -- a possible franchise for Marco Island
television.
I must tell you that all of these things take a great deal of
clerical assistance. We also have another gentleman coming in next
week to talk about a franchise for a portion of the county. We expect
more and more of these to occur.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: My only -- if there's 30,000 in there, I
would like to know exactly how much it is, but if there's 30,000 in
consulting for the franchise fee renewal, that could come out because
we're going to be done with that before the beginning of the fiscal
year.
MR. McNEES: There will be other people coming forward, I'm sure,
seeking some sort of franchise. I mean, the industry is changing, and
more and more people are trying to get into the game, so maybe you'll
be able to cut some but --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And maybe I'm mistaken, but is it more
complicated to deal with the large areas covered by Time Warner and
Media One than the four streets that Bill Gaston wants to cover?
MS. MERRITT: No, it is not. In fact, it is --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. McNees was nodding and you said
no.
MS. MERRITT: In many ways, it is more difficult to deal with the
smaller operator because of the questions that come as a result from
the other operators. Competition is not something that has been going
on in the field, and it is very difficult with the new legislation
which requires a level playing field, and it is very difficult to get
a level playing field when you're talking about a corporate versus
somebody else.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right. I'm going to ask that we come back
-- either come back to discussion on the dollar amounts in front of us
or move to the next subject, because I'm not going to hear the pitch
on the telecommunications ordinance today.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And that's where I am with the
169,200. If thirty of that is to handle a consultant to handle cable
administration --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Make it one thirty-nine.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- make it one thirty-nine. In the
event that --
MR. FITZEK: Can we take a look at that --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You don't mind if I finish my thought,
do you?
MR. FITZEK: Sorry.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: In the event that Joe Cable Guy comes
in next January and wants to do that, I assume there's an expense we
charge Joe Cable Guy for doing that. That will generate the revenue
to offset any expense we need to hire a consultant at that time.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And if that assumption is wrong, we need
to change that, because the fee should cover the cost of talking to
Joe.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Are we done with this?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So, we cut another thirty from the top
there, right?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: So, what's the bottom line?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thirty out of the first one, took the
twenty-nine six out, took the thirty out, and we will flag the
fifty-seven pending their bring back on Monday.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Smykowski, are you --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: The other three are out, is that --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Out, oust.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Clear direction is good direction. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Thank you.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: What's next?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's hope it's not another short brief
summary.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I've got to go now.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You've got to go. I've got to go.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: We are moving to community development. They
have proposed expandeds of $79,400 on Page B, as in boy, 15.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I have to tell you, it's the only page
I've got on expanded service where right in the margin, it says yes,
yes, good, yes on the four items for my vote. So --
MR. KUKULSKI: For the record, my name is Tom Kukulski, budget
analyst for community development --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yes, yes, yes, good, yes on expanded
service in their budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, is good better than yes?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Don't ask me.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: B-15.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Which book?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The summary book.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: B-15, little book.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's actually B-19 -- baby of Bingo -- B-19.
MR. KUKULSKI: The list of expandeds --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Let the record reflect --
MR. KUKULSKI: -- are on Page B-15.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- Commissioner Norris is calling Bingo
numbers up here; B-18, 1-27.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Anyone have any problems, questions, concerns?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I like them all.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I did -- I did raise the question, the
outside consultant is on the comp. planning?
MR. CAUTERO: Yes. Commissioner, Vince Cautero, for the record.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I just think with people with amazing
capabilities like Len, we wouldn't need to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You're not an expert unless you get on a jet
aircraft. You know that.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, we can clone him. If we cloned him,
it would cost more, you know.
MR. CAUTERO: Reinhold -- or Barbara Cacchione, our comprehensive
planning manager, who is also here today, can --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Another genius.
MR. CAUTERO: Absolutely.
We estimate that we will probably use that money for some design
consultant work in our East Naples redevelopment project that
Commissioner Mac'Kie is spearheading. We have a number of committees
that have been started, and there's also a spin off group in Bayshore
that are working in that area. The 15,000 -- $15,000 was primarily
targeted for that project.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Our people don't have the ability to
do that?
MR. CAUTERO: They do. It really depends on what direction we go
into, if we're going to be talking about design guidelines and --
there's also some talk about a commercial appearance maintenance code
which we haven't even delved into yet that the City of Naples has, and
I believe we can write something like that, but we are really talking
about someone to come in and facilitate the process for the people in
that district. It's not necessarily --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Commissioner Hancock, you should love
this.
MR. CAUTERO: -- someone to provide assistance for us.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That -- that code is with the
architectural standards that they have to have when they construct a
building. I'm suggesting a code to require them to keep those
standards. In other words, if your building needs painting, paint it.
If your awning is torn, replace it, repair it, do whatever it takes to
keep those architectural standards in effect.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And the way we generate revenues to enforce
that is --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I'll get back to you on that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Cautero, I have a question for you on
this outside consultant. I need to know if we're contemplating hiring
Andres Duany.
MR. CAUTERO: We are not.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Good.
There would be at least one more zero if we were talking about
Andres Duany.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Shouldn't --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Can we stipulate that no cappuccino machines
should be allowed with any consultant?
MR. CAUTERO: We can.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Shouldn't that area --
COMMISSIONER BERRY: That's discrimination.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: -- pay for its -- I mean, we went
through this a little bit with Marco last year when they were doing
their master planning and all that, but if there's going to be
additional costs, shouldn't that area be paying for it themselves as
opposed to the MSTD?
MR. CAUTERO: Well put. I mean, we discussed that issue, as you
said, earlier, Commissioner. One of the things we are going to be
looking at may be outside sources through grants, perhaps through the
community redevelopment effort in that area which we haven't gotten
into very deeply yet. We can find that. We don't know that now.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are we going to be looking at that
after we go ahead and budget this amount or --
MR. CAUTERO: I would say, unfortunately, yes.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Absolutely.
MR. CAUTERO: I didn't want to present it to you that way, but --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't mind 15,000 for a kick start, but I
think we need to be fair to the rest of the community, and that a CRA
does have its limits, and Davis Boulevard does have its limits, and so
if we want to kick start it with 15 grand to the MSTD, I don't have a
big problem with that, but let's put a big caution as we move forward
on that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I'm going to give me CRAs out in
Golden Gate.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I want my home to become a CRA.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: You still pay the full tax level, you just
don't know whether to begin to file.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I know, you don't get it. It comes back to me
so I can redevelop my home again.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: So, are we moving on?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'll have the only single family CRA in
Collier County.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Are you through then, Mr. Cautero?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any questions on code enforcement?
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Spin more.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Done with that.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That concludes our discussion on the
unincorporated area of general fund. We are moving to our special
revenue funds now.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Special revenues.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Which begin on Page C-2 and 3 which is the
community development fund. Again, just for orientation's sake, this
is the fund regulating the building industry and the issuance of
building permits and all costs associated thereof. No ad valorem
taxes; funded by building permit fees, principally, as well as
development and planning related fees, just for your orientation, and
Mr. Kukulski is the analyst. I'll turn it over to him.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We on C-2 in the summary.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. KUKULSKI: Summary pages are on C-2 and C-3, and the list of
the expended service requests are on Page C-5 for the community
development fee.
The community development fund overall showed an increase in
carry forward balance, and the carry forward balance is basically
funding the expanded service requests, and as I mentioned, they're
listed on Page C-5.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: As I look at Page C-2 in our summary under
community development and the transfers from general fund and HSTD at
20.1 percent and 10.6 percent increase, explain to me where that's
mitigated or offset elsewhere because --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Those are expense transfers out. Essentially,
those are transfers to the general fund for the annex related to -- CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I understand, but that's -- they would be
under the transfer heading. Okay. Thank you.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes. That's a revenue to your general fund.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: My wife wanted to drive --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: In that case, I like those numbers.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It should be higher. Okay, never mind.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I went through that one last year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I just wanted to see if you're awake.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Deja vu.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You know, credit where credit is due,
Mr. Cautero. When Commissioner Norris and I first got on the board,
one of our primary complaints in the board as a whole then was the
level of service being provided, and actually, to all your staff, the
level of service being provided in the amount of time it took to get
things done, and just looking here in our big book, the performance
measures in how well we are doing. A lot of credit is due you and the
whole staff because we have dramatically improved in five years, and
we have pretty impressive numbers here. MR. CAUTERO: Thank you, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Not to mention quality.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Moving on.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. No questions?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Expanded services, C-5.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Mr. Fernandez, we aren't normally that easy on
that department. We just raked them over the coals last year.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Oh, is that what happened?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Look at the transcript from last year, and
it will be a lot clearer.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We got blood out of that turnip last year,
so '-
MR. FERNANDEZ: Sounds like you heard the message loud and clear
there.
MR. McNEES: He just called you a turnip, Vince.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm sorry. Mr. Kukulski, where are we now?
MR. KUKULSKI: That was the -- that was the completion of the
community development fund, 113. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. KUKULSKI: Then there are other special revenue funds under
community development.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: We have a question.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Page.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Hang on. Hang on. I think Commissioner
Constantine has a question.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: On C-5, expanded services.
MR. KUKULSKI: Yes.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thirty thousand dollars to produce an
educational brochure to identify exotic plant species. How are we
going to distribute those, to whom and what impact do we expect them
to have?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: And do they include the carrot wood?
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Ah, they do not.
MR. CAUTERO: Vince Cautero, again, for the record. This came
out of the recommendation that EPTAB brought to you earlier this year,
I believe in February, and you asked for a cost estimate on what it
would take. Part of that is with the code enforcement expanded
request, and the other part of -- that we recommended to the county
administrator's office was the $30,000.
The goal is to submit it to as many single -- submit that
brochure or mail it to as many single family home owners as possible
or make it available to them through other means if we don't mail it.
We are estimating twenty-five to 30,000 copies, and the cost would be
$30,000. It's purely discretionary. We present it to you because you
asked for the cost from EPTAB's recommendation.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And the reason -- I mean, it may be a
very good idea, but if we don't know how we are going to distribute
it, and it sounds like we're not sure yet, then that kind of raises a
flag. It may be the best piece in the world, but if nobody ever sees
it, it doesn't do us a whole lot of good.
MR. CAUTERO: We will probably mail a large majority of them. I
would think if we produce 30,000, I would like to mail out between
twenty and 25,000 bulk rate. We're looking at approximately 12 to 15
cents per mail out on that.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: It sounds like junk mail.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: That's my question. I mean, how many
people, when they get this, are going to read it? COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Junk mail.
MR. CAUTERO: I couldn't predict that. Again, it's purely
discretionary. I can tell you that the staff did not make a hard
recommendation to support it. We presented it to you because EPTAB
brought it to you.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Perhaps this is one --
MR. CAUTERO: I don't have a strong feeling for it, quite
honestly.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: We are going back on what we decided on a
previous hearing. I guess my suggestion before deleting it might be
to print a number of them and put them in fertilizer and garden shops
where people who give a whatever about their lawn may be appropriate
to --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Well, what we decided in a previous
hearing was to look at --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Almost slipped, didn't you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's a sign of getting --
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: What we decided at a previous hearing
was to look at it and explore it as an option, and that's all we are
doing here. We didn't say we were definitely going to go forward.
My concern is -- I mean, if I already own a single family house
and this comes in the mail and my house was built before '89, it
doesn't impact me anyway, and I don't know how we have anything -- you
know, I don't know how you differentiate that. I just don't see a
very effective distribution.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And Mr. Cautero is not going to argue with us
on that.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And if we were -- you know, if we were
going to spend $30,000 for some sort of environmental education that
we're going to try to give to the public, I'm not sure that this would
be it; A) the issue or B) how we would do it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sounds like a cut to me.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's a cut.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We've got the cuts.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Okay. That moves us on to Page C-7, community
development, the pollution control fund.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Right. That's what we --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: They begin on C-15 in the detail book. I can
probably just brief you, though, from the summary book.
The pollution clean up fund, 108, is essentially -- we receive
contracts through funding from the state to clean up sites that are
contaminated with petroleum products.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can I ask a real dumb question?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes, me'am.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Why can't this department go burn that
dirt at the airport?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: George, were you here for that discussion about
the Marco Island Airport? They have some contaminated soil. MR. YILMAZ: I'm sorry, I was not.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: They have, basically, a pile of contaminated dirt
that they need to have cleaned up, and the question is, can either
your department do it or would it be eligible for perhaps funding
under the pollution clean up and -- you need to state your name for
the record, too, just to start off. Thank you.
MR. YILMAZ: For the record, pollution control, George Yilmaz.
Yes, me'am.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, just that there's -- please talk to
the Airport Authority about some contaminated dirt that they have at
the Marco Island Airport and that they were seeking budget funds to
have it removed and see if that isn't something that these two -- that
this fund could accomplish for them.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Just as part of that discussion, too,
when we do the transfer -- and Nail was involved. It wasn't Mr.
McNees at the time, but when we do the transfer with the state of Jane
Scenic Highway and that, one of the things they specifically
requested, knowing that PBA used to be down there and was a little
careless with some of their fuel, was that if there was some
environmental concern there, the state be responsible for that clean
up. They were transferring it to us, and if they should have
liability for any pre-existing condition, and that was a sticking
point, but to the best of my recollection, that stayed in. The state
had balked, and that's why we didn't have the agreement the first time
around.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You're right.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: But it did ultimately stay in. So,
I'm not sure why we would be spending money on that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are you sure it wasn't removed by Commissioner
Matthews?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm really pretty sure -- I'd be real
surprised if -- so that would be something else real important to look
at.
MR. YILMAZ: Yes, ma'am. I'll talk to John Drury and look into
it.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay. Well, about both issues.
MR. YILMAZ: Yes, ma'am.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay, and ship program, also same thing, we
get funds and disburse funds, so it's --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's correct, and the fund -- the pollution
control fund is a countywide ad valorem tax. There's a slight tax
decrease proposed of note. Mr. Yilmaz, based on need and use,
transferred one of his employees to the community development fund
which is supported by fees. So, we are attempting to work within the
constraints of the existing budgets and re-allocate the resources to
where they are most needed, and again, that's taking an employee who
was funded by taxes now to being funded by building permits.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's a good idea.
This is a -- I'm sorry, but just one time, because I think you'll
care about this. This was a -- this was a referendum --
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Is that indicating that perhaps he
didn't care about other things?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: He wants to turn the page.
This -- this was the tax, the special tax passed by referendum
that's up to half a mill.
MR. YILMAZ: One tenth of a mill.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Up to a tenth of a mill., and it's in
perpetuity. It's forever. Is there ever going to be a point in time
where we're going to -- when the public would reasonably assume that
thank you for taxing us that tenth of a mill., but we don't need this
tax anymore?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Oh, eliminate it?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Eliminate this tax, that was my question.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No, because theoretically -- because
it's only up to, that theoretically, we can make that a zero every
year.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: So, I just wonder -- you know, we look at
this in special funds every year as if it were a fee or -- it's really
just a plain old tax. People did vote on it and assess it against
themselves, but we can make it stop.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Again, one of the principal activities, though,
is water quality monitoring within the community. It's certainly an
important issue.
MR. YILMAZ: As a follow up to your discussion, Commissioner, we
currently use -- and since this special tax has been imposed upon, we
have not used more than 50 percent of one tenth of a mill. So, we add
on everything we could to make sure that we make best use out of every
dollar, and our primary focus has been drinking water resources and
groundwater resources more than -- and others.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: You may remember two years ago the extensive
water quality questions we asked because the testing program was
widespread and not really yielding any usable -- so we've restrained
that to those things that are --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: My only reason for bringing it up is I
want you to notice it for future reference, that it's in a special
revenue section, but it's a plain old property tax, and we could look
at it in future years. I'm done.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: You might give that direction to the
county administrator.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mr. County Administrator, so noted.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Under your list of things to do for next
year.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That moves us to Pages C-10 and C-11 in your
summary book. This gets us into the MSTD -- principally, the MSTD use
for things such as road maintenance, street lighting, the
beautification districts.
As I alluded to in my opening remarks, the board has a little
more of a limited policy making role here. There are citizen advisory
groups within each of these districts working through staff to
communicate their needs and bring forth a budget that represents the
needs and direction from those advisory boards.
There are expanded services on Page C-11 in the road
construction, road maintenance districts. You're seeing the impact of
median beautification efforts and the ongoing cost of maintenance in
those regards.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Mr. Bobanick, on -- it seems to me
last year we added a mowing crew, not for the beautified areas but for
the general areas, where we tried to trim and maintain something below
18 inches of grass in the median or along the side the road. Is that
right, we added the one crew last year?
MR. BOBANICK: For the record, my name is Dave Bobanick, interim
director of transportation.
That was additional work taken on by our existing landscape
crews.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: We didn't add a crew or we did add a
crew last year?
MR. BOBANICK: We did not add a crew, no.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Did we contract more out to -- did we
do something? I remember getting a memo four or five months ago that
said people could -- I had some complaints on how often the medians,
and I don't mean the beautified medians, but the regular medians were
being mowed, and from -- someone in your department had sent something
back and said, we can probably expect that every two to three weeks
instead of every five to six weeks because we are now either
contracting or had a crew or --
MR. BOBANICK: Perhaps you're referring to the fact that we have
a mowing crew for general roadside mowing by contract. It's
production mowing on some of the more rural roads in the county.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Are we adding -- are we asking to add
anything more with that this year or are we happy -- we're satisfied
with the level of mowing?
MR. BOBANICK: We are satisfied with that.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I have a question just -- I don't know
which fund number one, but it's one of the MSTDs, and it has to do
with the widening of the East Trail in the fact that the program by
FDOT currently shows street lights on one side of the street instead
of on both sides, and what I'm told by transportation people is that
if we wanted to -- if we ever want to get lighting on both sides of 41
on the East Trail, we have to, this year before they start
construction, put it in a budget to show that we have the extra one
hundred and thirty some odd thousand dollars that it would take to put
in the street lights on the other side.
There's that, and there's a whole lot of -- you're going to be
shocked. There's eight foot wide concrete strips down the middle of
that that I would dearly love to see us do something, colored concrete
or some pavers or a little bit of landscaping or something, and we
have to do that in -- as I understand it, we have to have that in this
budget so that we can show FDOT why they should add that to their
contract.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I don't disagree with you, but I think these
MSTUs all have advisory committees.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: This is the MSTDs is what I'm talking
about, the road district.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But even these MSTDs -- oh, you're talking
about just the road district MSTD.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's right. I'm not talking about the
MSTUs.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I was down below that.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah.
MR. BOBANICK: On January 7th, I believe, and I can't remember
the person's name from East Naples who made a presentation to the
Board of Commissioners requesting consideration for landscaping
improvements on the East Trail as a future project, and board
direction at that time was to develop a -- to work with FDOT and -- in
the development of the medians on the East Trail to make sure that
provisions were put in place for landscaping efforts and so forth.
Our arterial consultant is currently working on that. I know of
-- I've not had any indication that we have to have anything funded in
Fund 102 in order to accomplish this.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, I've gotten as far as to get
estimates on -- that the FDOT budget for lighting on the East Trail is
one hundred and seventy-five some odd thousand dollars. If we wanted
to -- if we wanted to get lights on both sides of the East Trail, we
would have to budget $135,000 to buy those lights to put them in
because we would have to do that as an add on to the FDOT contract.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Two questions: One, that's a state
project, and two, why would we want to have them on both sides?
Aren't the lights out there pretty extensive, pretty bright?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Actually, the lights that they have on the
plans right now, I think are going to violate county ordinance because
of spill over into neighborhoods within the Davis triangle.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Why would we want to add more?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: No, we want a whole different kind of
light, and I mean, that's the next thing. We want this cobra head
light instead of the lights that they have on the plan, and I wish you
would say you want to have decorative lights, and that would be
another $102,000.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah, but those taxes are paid by the people
in that --
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: In that district.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- HSTD district and -- I mean, if you want --
if you -- if you're asking to jump that budget by those amounts --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I am.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Is that road district number one?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I don't even know what district it is in.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Is that road district number one, is it?
MR. BOBANICK: I believe --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: The East Trail. It's not the one that you
would think it is.
MR. BOBANICK: If you'll excuse me for a second.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Wouldn't it be less expensive to put
some shields if they are going to flood into neighborings than it
would to put in a whole new light system in for another 135,0007
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: There's -- that's certainly an issue. I
mean, there's a lot of ways of looking at it, but I want you guys to
know that I was very surprised with the plans that we saw from FDOT;
eight foot wide solid concrete medians. I wish that we would put some
money in to do something about those -- to have some alternatives to
those, and unless we put it in now, we don't have anything to go to
FDOT and say, we don't like that. Right now, if we go to them and say
we don't like it, they say, tough, because you waited too long, you
don't have any money.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Why are we doing the concrete medians?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Eight foot wide concrete medians and
lights on just one side -- a lot of six foot wide concrete medians.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: There's no maintenance to a concrete median.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's why.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: I understand.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's their standard.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, what I hear Commissioner Hac'Kie saying
is, ask them to do curbs instead of the concrete median which means
you're then going to have to accept in that district the maintenance
of those medians until they can follow -- fall into some type of a
planting plan that is in concert with what we've adopted countywide.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Which is what I'm talking about; not any
kind of sodding, but just some ground cover, you know, that doesn't
require mowing or -- you know, something like what we're doing --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: I don't know.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, I think that's a planting plan that
needs to be in concert with what we are doing countywide.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And that's why, frankly, I didn't bring up
the planting part. That's why I didn't bring up the landscaping part.
I'm just bringing up lighting and, you know, some general improvement
budget in that fund.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But unless you agree to take over the
maintenance of those medians, they are going to build concrete.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I understand that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If you want them to do curbing instead, you're
going to have to get a -- just a mowing maintenance cost of those
medians for minimal maintenance and agree to take that over.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I understand that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Do you want to flag the MSTD road district
one, put together these costs?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Is it one or three?
MR. BOBANICK: If I may, that might be more appropriate as a
capital expenditure rather than a maintenance expenditure.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, I hate to get it into capital
expenditure because you know how much more complicated it gets then.
For one thing, it goes to general fund. For another thing, it goes to
OCPM. So, you've got all those fees on top. I'd like to just spend
real money on dirt.
MR. FINN: Mr. Chairman, if I may, Edward Finn, operations
director.
When Dave refers to capital, he means the transportation capital
plan which is funded by impact fees and gas taxes, and I think maybe
we can come up with a little more coherent approach to this discussion
if we wait for that to come up.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'll be happy if -- if -- the majority of
the board would agree to flag this, ask staff to come up with some
kind of a plan before wrap-up.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well, I'm not comfortable committing to a
specific project out of gas taxes and impact fees without looking at a
whole big picture. I mean, I'm sure there are places all over the
county that have things we would like to do, and I'm not ready to say
the East Trail is the one.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well -- and frankly, that's why I was
asking for it out of this fund because, you know, I'm willing to live
with that.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: The -- Mr. Fernandez, does -- I assume
when the state does a project, they are required to adhere to standard
ordinances, standard -- I mean, usually FDOT is pretty good to work
with. They are not going to set up lighting that floods into areas.
I mean, we don't allow ourselves to do that. We'll set up shielding
and so on. I assume they would be required to do the same or would
certainly work with us.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Well, it depends on the requirement. I think
sometimes they argue that the state regulations and requirements take
precedent over county, and it has to do with the whole home rule issue
that we fight with our association all the time.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: And they were wonderful when they were
here whatever night, Monday night, in saying how much they want to
work with us on this, but they were also saying, guys, we've left the
contract. The contract is left. If you want us to do anything
different, if it costs a nickel more, it's yours, and so I would like
for us to have a few nickels available to do something about those
eight foot concrete medians --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Can I suggest --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: -- something about the lighting.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is the maintenance of medians subject to the
MSTD road district fund?
MR. BOBANICK: Pardon?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Is the maintenance of medians subject to the
MSTD road district fund? MR. BOBANICK: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That's one issue. So, if by wrap-up,
you want to propose an increase in the MSTD road district fund to
cover the maintenance of grass medians --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Because we are sleeving them for
irrigation. We are getting that far.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- then you've covered the maintenance cost
and the request for curbing instead of solid medians, I think could
follow. The other --
MR. BOBANICK: If I may, there won't be anything to maintain in
the upcoming fiscal year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right.
MR. BOBANICK: We just won't have anything --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Probably two years.
MR. BOBANICK: -- constructive.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Probably two years.
MR. BOBANICK: Pardon?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Probably two fiscal years.
MR. BOBANICK: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So I need it --
MR. BOBANICK: And we can address that on a future budget,
obviously.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, it doesn't have to happen this -- the
other thing you're talking about, the capital, the problem is, if we
start putting capital into these, we have altered the copy of what the
HSTDs are for. They are really for roadway maintenance in those
districts. If we start putting capital expenditures in here, then we
need to modify our policy for all districts.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's why I'm willing to say I defer how
to do this, and I would ask you guys to challenge our staff to come up
with what if -- where should it go, but let's not ignore the issue of
eight foot wide concrete medians.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Be so challenged.
MR. BOBANICK: Okay.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Before wrap-up.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And Commissioner Hac'Kie, I just
encourage you on those lights, look at -- I think you can probably
achieve what you described for a lot less with some shielding and
creative use out there.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'll tell you, you guys are going to want
to do something about this because I know that we are not going to
spend too many dollars like the City of Naples is doing to make the
upgrades of theirs, but neither do we want to see the line from the
City of Naples to be all these gorgeous palms and then the concrete
starts. That's not what East Naples deserves.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think -- I think we just addressed that with
the medians. The lights are what sounds like is left.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, and the jack and bore of the -- I
don't want to have to jack and bore those eight foot wide concrete
medians. I would like for them to be curbed.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Didn't we -- I thought we just addressed that.
We said that we would put the --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We did. We did.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, the median issue is done. We are going to
take care of that.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Was she here?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, we don't need to go back -- so, all we are
talking about is lighting, right? Those are the two issues, median
and lighting.
So, go forth on lighting.
MR. BOBANICK: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any other questions on the street lighting
districts, beautification MSTUs, drainage and roadway or revenues?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sorry. I'm thick. Where is the money
that I'm going to show to FDOT that says instead of the concrete
medians, give me curb and gutter?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The next year's budget. We can't budget for
it in this fiscal year because the cost won't be realized.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: But they won't do it if I don't show it to
them this year. They're going to build concrete eight foot wide if we
don't show it to them. Help me, Adolfo.
MR. GONZALEZ: Adolfo Gonzalez, capital projects director.
It's the Florida DOT standard operating procedure that prior to
letting the construction phase, a participating -- another
municipality has to put 110 percent of the expected construction
amount into an escrow account that they will manage, and then if there
are excess funds, they'll give it back to you at the end of the
project, but their requirement, it's common, is to have all the money
in escrow prior to them letting a construction contract.
COMHISSIONER CONSTANTINE: And Commissioner Mac'Kie has told us
they've already letted.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: But they told us Monday night that they
would do this if we would come up with the money.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, all we need to do is figure out how much
it would cost to mow the medians you're talking about --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Construct them as curb and gutter instead
of -- construct them as curb and gutter instead of as eight foot solid
concrete.
MR. BOBANICK: As I indicated, we do -- our staff is working on a
plan and working in cooperation with FDOT to make the necessary
changes to make those medians ready for landscaping. When the
project --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: They're showing you some -- they've shown
on their plans what is currently scheduled to be landscaped, and
nevertheless, there's a lot --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Let him finish because he's going to tell
you that he has it under control.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: I don't think he does.
MR. BOBANICK: I -- I -- again, as I indicated, FDOT is willing
to work with us to make some changes even after the project is let in
order to have the landscaped median. At which time, if there is
additional monies required, we'll still have plenty of time before the
project is over to consider what it's going to take and how much the
cost is going to be.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: What about what Adolfo just said about
having the money up front? That's what they told me. Can I make a suggestion?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. There is a construction element of this
that I have experience with, and that is that when you pour an eight
foot wide concrete curb, there's a cost. COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: When you run a linear foot of curbing, it's a
lesser cost. So, FDOT would be happy to do curbing instead of an
eight foot wide concrete median because it's going to cost them less
money. All we need to do is to provide a commitment of maintenance to
them, and they would be willing to do that.
That's what Mr. Bobanick is telling you, he's working on that,
but the bottom line is, it costs less to run that linear foot of
curbing than it does to pour an eight foot wide span of concrete
median.
MR. BOBSICK: If I may, can we come back to you with our plan
and --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Please, at wrap-up.
MR. BOBSICK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Moving right along.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It's only four o'clock.
yet.
It's not even 6:00
COHHISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, I wanted to talk about Bayshore, but
I guess I'll stop.
MR. FINN: Mr. Chairman, if I may. There's one issue regarding
Fund 102 which is one of the road districts. The board is going to
see an agenda item Tuesday on that. Their proposal deals with funding
a major engineering review of the Marco Island area associated with
the master plan. The funding source for that engineering effort is
going to be Fund 102 or the proposal is. I believe you're going to
see that agenda item proposes a millage increase or a tax increase
above what you're seeing on Page C-23. The scope of that is about
$4.25 per thousand increase to fund the Marco Island effort, and I
just want to give you a heads up on that. Mr. Smykowski asked me --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That's the total increase.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And the boundaries of 102, it's much more
than just Marco Island. What else is it? I mean, how big are the --
who all is going to pay the tax for Marco Island zone?
MR. FINN: The way that will be set up, it will be earmarked
coming from the portion set aside for the Marco Island area. The
district itself includes Marco Island and a substantial portion of
East Naples.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, will East Naples be paying for the
Marco improvement or will that -- MR. FINN: No.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: -- only be paid for by Marco?
MR. FINN: It will be paid for by Marco.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
MR. McNEES: Mr. Finn, did you perhaps misspeak? Did you mean
$4.25 per 100,0007
MR. FINN: I believe you're correct, Mr. McNees. Thank you.
MR. McNEES: Thank you.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yes, it's going from approximately thirteen
dollars and change per 100,000 to seventeen.
MR. McNEES: Dr. Biles was having a stroke, and I thought I'd
better save her from herself.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Don't worry, Fay, that only comes to about
$400 a house.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Fifty cents a day; sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Anything else on this?
Okay. Moving right along at such a rapid pace.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Tourist development funds?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Tell you what, we are at four o'clock. When
was our last break; 1:30, 2:30?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: 2:30. Let's keep going.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are you okay for another hour at least?
(Reporter nods head.)
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes. Next item.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Tourist development funds on Page C-15. Ms.
Gansel is the budget analyst. I think she can walk you through.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: C-15 of our summary?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes, sir.
MS. GANSEL: Yes, commissioners. Jean Gansel.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Is there a page in the big book?
MS. GANSEL: In the big book is C-87.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Thank you.
MS. GANSEL: Essentially, what we do with the tourist development
tax is that we put it in a reserve, and then as the TDC and the board
reviews it, those funds are allocated. We do project upcoming
revenues, and we have our projecting -- sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Anyone have any questions on this one?
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: No.
MS. GANSEL: I do have two things I want to say.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Oh, okay.
MS. GANSEL: I'm sorry.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's get the half things in there.
MS. GANSEL: There are two things. The turtle monitoring is in
there. Also, I just want to say that we have -- in category A, we've
budgeted a little over two million dollars that will repay the Marco
Island beach renourishment or pay off that loan, and that is something
that we have talked about for a while, and it is included in this
budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right. I like to hear that.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: The previous board direction in that regard was
talk -- had talked about borrowing on commercial paper and repaying
that debt, but our philosophy was, if we have adequate cash, why incur
the cost of borrowing.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: But -- but on one of the -- we just saw an
item just a little bit ago that had the Marco Island beach
renourishment appropriated this year. We just saw it.
MS. GANSEL: That's not the debt service fund. This is -- we are
paying off in the debt service fund, the two million dollars.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yeah. There is no proposed tax levy on that
beach front property. There's about two years left on that bond
issue. There is not a proposed tax levy. That's in fund.
MS. GANSEL: I believe the fund you're speaking of is the capital
fund. It was just on that past page that we looked at. COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Uh-huh.
MS. GANSEL: That's not the debt service fund.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. What is that; 15.
MS. GANSEL: Yes, that's right, 159.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: What is Fund 1597
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: He's coming.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: It says the Marco Island renourishment.
MS. GANSEL: Right.
MR. TINDALL: For the record, Phil Tindall from the budget
office.
Just give me two seconds, and I'll get to the page.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: It's C-62 and 63 in the detail book.
MR. TINDALL: I'm sorry. What was the question?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: What is that fund?
MR. TINDALL: The purpose of the fund, it's for the purpose of
minimum operating expenditures associated with -- there are many
portions of previously generated funds that are being held in reserves
for future uses. Let me just read you the goals of the district and
all that, and I'll give you an idea what it is for.
The Marco Island beach renourishment and public access, municipal
service taxing unit was created and established for the purpose of
providing for beach renourishment, improved storm protection of
beaches and public access to beaches and to do all things necessary in
connection therewith with the boundaries of the unit.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Well, why is that not the same thing?
MR. TINDALL: This is --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's an ancient MSTD. We haven't actually
levied taxes since FY '89, so this is just residual cash from previous
tax levies, and Adolfo, if you could --
MR. GONZALEZ: Adolfo Gonzalez, yes, that's correct.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Can value add to that?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Where did I see that before? We are
levying something this year.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: No.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: No.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: What we are doing is expanding built up
reserves on an annual basis until that's depleted; is that correct?
MR. GONZALEZ: For some beach maintenance operations, monitoring
mostly.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Does that just reflect what's left in the
account?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Correct. That's the break water. I think we
paid from that.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Okay.
MS. GANSEL: The other one is the debt service when money was
borrowed to renourish the beach.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Question answered.
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Moving right along.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Moving right along. Thank you, Ms. Gansel.
Another fine, fine presentation.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Where were we? That moves us to Page C-19 with
the fire control districts and two kinds of small operating funds, the
800 megahertz for operations, the 800 megahertz radio system and that
small fund for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance funded by
handicapped parking fines, a portion thereof is utilized to fund
improvements for handicapped access.
I'll turn it over to Ms. Leith at this point.
MS. LEITH: For the record, Shelia Leith, office of management
and budget.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Ms. Leith, is there anything you really have
to get on the record here because this looks fairly straightforward to
me?
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Ditto.
COMHISSIONER BERRY: Me, too.
MS. LEITH: The only thing I would like to mention is the
expanded service request in Fund 188 is actually moved ahead and will
be on your agenda next week. Rather than being an expanded service
request for next year, Mr. Daly is looking to move forward with that
in this budget year.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, it's coming out of this budget and coming
out of reserves on Tuesday if we approve it?
MS. LEITH: Yes.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Okay.
MS. LEITH: Oh, yes. There's one more -- one other thing I need
to mention here is that the Collier County Fire Control which is the
unincorporated area of the county that's outside of any of the fire
districts, there's a reshuffle of monies going on within the various
fire districts that are paid from that fund, and from what I
understand from Ms. Flagg, two days ago, there was an agreement
reached on that where the Isle of Capri will now receive instead of --
I believe they were receiving $6,000 previously annually, that that's
going to be increased to $33,000 annually, and then the rest of that
-- of the monies will be split between East Naples, Golden Gate and
Ochopee. North Naples has dropped out of the mix where they have been
receiving $10,000 per year up to now, and that's --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: There's a two mill. tax levy in that area for the
outlined regions that's split, apportioned among these four districts.
Basically, we are recutting the pie based on the number of responses
and the associated work --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Which makes perfect sense.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: -- involved, and Ms. Flagg indicates that an
agreement has been reached. That is good news.
MS. LEITH: Yes, there will be some sort of executive summary
coming forward and a contract agreement -- COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Great.
MS. LEITH: -- arrived at on that.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: But our budget prior to that was predicated on
this assumption, and we wanted you to be clear that it was. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any concerns? None. Next.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Page C-22 and 23, our -- the balance of the
special revenue funds, the Golden Gate Community Center operating
fund. We'll talk about the museum fund. There's a courts fund, clerk
records monitorization and the Sheriff's E-911 phone system fund.
There are some expanded services proposed on Page C-23.
MR. OLLIFF: Fund 130 is the taxing district portion of that
fund, the confusing split of funding sources that we described when we
were looking at ad valorem taxes. This is the actual taxing district
portion, and it's gone up one-half of 1 percent, primarily just to
cover some increased operating expenses, but you will also see the
same list of capital projects down below and the fair share of the
MSTU -- excuse me -- the MSTU is bearing for those.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And on 198 museum, help me with that one.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Isn't that the one that Ms. Goodnight
asked us to hold for wrap-up?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: That's absolutely correct, and she was,
specifically, interested in the last item on the page, C-23 is the
requested but not recommended caretaker position that she was hoping
would be added to the budget.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Did I understand her correctly that if we
had that caretaker position, that would eliminate, like, the need for
a ground maintenance person --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's what she said.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: -- that this person -- this person would
take over that duty?
MR. OLLIFF: Ron and I have calculated -- we've figured there's
about $8,000 in operating expenses that you can back out of your
budget, your operating budget for Roberts Ranch with the position.
Instead of having a contractor go out to Immokalee and cut the grass,
the person who would be hired would actually cut the grass, and her
expense estimate was a little higher than ours. We had estimated a
little lower salary range for this position, primarily because you're
providing housing and the utility cost for that. So, we were talking
about a salary of $17,000 for that position and -- with an
understanding that they would also maintain the property, show the
property for school groups. So, our total cost was twenty-three
thousand seven, and you back out the $8,000, we are down to around
15,700 for that --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: To get a house and 17 grand, I'll take it.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Currently, isn't the property closed
off?
MR. OLLIFF: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sold.
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: So, I mean, we're -- it's not saving
too much in the way of caretaking if it's not open now anyway, and
it's an added expense.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Would there be any potential revenues from
groups, visitors, anything like that?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: They said they were going to present us
with a whole business plan, remember, at wrap-up. I think we told her
we would --
COHMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: Then why are we discussing it now?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yeah, I think we should --
COHMISSIONER BERRY: I think what she's looking at is if it's put
in the budget now, that they would come to us, but it's still my
understanding, Pam, even if she does that or if they, the Friends of
Roberts Ranch does that, we'll still have -- we'll still be incurring
this cost. I believe that was the way I understood it anyway --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But they want --
COHMISSIONER BERRY: -- but there would be a plan associated with
it just to how they are going to go ahead -- and perhaps it sounded
like they're -- at some point in time, there may be some revenue
generating things coming forth. I'm not --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'd just like to discuss it then.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: From a funding issue standpoint, the museum
operation is now a TDC -- is now TDC funded with the 7 percent that is
available from category B.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Is there anything available from TDC for
this particular project?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: There's a reserve of $21,700, but there are some
other expanded services.
MR. OLLIFF: We have some other expanded service requests coming
out of this fund that are within the allotment that the board set
aside for the museum, and frankly, in our own world, our expanded
requests that we have in front of you are higher priorities for us
than is the Roberts Ranch position.
If you were to approve the budget the way it's currently
structured, it would actually require an additional transfer from
general fund into this fund for the difference between the two
positions. So, if we said it was 15,700 was the difference, that's
what would be required from general fund in order to make this cost
inter balance.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I have no objection with any of those
things. That's fine.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Including the inclusion of the Roberts Ranch?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, yes, but the -- but Ms. Goodnight
wants to come give us a preparation, so let's flag it for wrap-up.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Include for now the requested but not
recommended item to the tune of $15,700 to be discussed further at
wrap-up.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: And at this point, you could always, at a future
date, without affecting -- if you decide to fund that from the general
fund, you could take it out of reserves. So, you know, in setting the
millage rate, you can make that decision at any point down the road
pending commitment of funds on their part, et cetera. So, you have a
number of options in that regard.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Next.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That moves us to debt service; not a whole lot
to discuss there. That's Page G-3. Essentially, all we do here is
budget, obviously, for outstanding principal and interest payments on
existing county debt which is limited. The most significant issue was
the one identified by Ms. Gansel, the retirement of those Marco Island
bonds with no proposed tax levy for the beach front property on Marco
Island, thereby substituting TDC revenue as the repayment source, but
aside from that, there's really no policy decisions to be made in this
area.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well then, that pretty much means we don't
have anything to do. Next.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That gets us to, essentially, our general fund --
or non-general fund capital which would include like your parks impact
fees and library impact fees.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Page numbers.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: I'll turn it over to Mr. Tindall.
MR. TINDALL: For the record, Phil Tindall from the budget
office. We need to go to Page H-3 near the back of the large book.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, our summary book is --
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Done.
MR. TINDALL: Not going to be used for this discussion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Because what we are looking at here essentially
is the individual projects proposed for funding.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And these are all impact fees and -- is that
impact fee alone or impact fee and sales tax revenue and gas tax
revenue and other things?
MR. TINDALL: Primarily impact fee and gas tax revenue.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And gas tax, okay.
MR. TINDALL: We covered the property tax type revenue.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: As we cover each fund, we'll identify the type of
funding that is utilized.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. TINDALL: We'll start off with a discussion of the regional
and community park impact fee funds and the projects requested. As
you can see, we have a summary on Page H-3 which shows the entire
parks capital program. We -- we finished a discussion of Fund 306
today, and the remainder, if you look on the columns under FY '98
requested, that shows for Fund 345, the regional park impact fee fund,
what's being requested which is one project really, 428,900 to
complete the second park project, and then the Naples and urban
Collier County park impact -- community park impact fee fund showing a
million six for the South Naples community park project and $10,000
for Golden Gate Estates and some new project requests for parking
lots, shade structures and a water play area as well as a fitness
center. That's all in Fund 368 which, as I said, is a Naples and
urban Collier County community park impact fee fund.
The remainder of the expenditures requested is the Immokalee
Community Park impact fee fund which is -- there's being $9,000
requested for the Immokalee sports complex, and we can go into the
individual fund summaries which start on Page H-4. We got it broken
together in a little bit more readable fashion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah, because there's a couple of those I have
questions on. The first is the fitness center at $725,000. It's not
ringing any bells. I'm trying to -- I know we have a fitness center
in Golden Gate, but I'm at a little bit of a loss there. MS. RAMSEY: Paula Ramsey, parks and recreation.
This particular fitness center is an expansion of that one that's
existing there now. I have some data if you would like to see that,
but what we're looking to try and do is hook that up to the aquatic
center and make it one facility. Right now, it's currently behind the
admin. building, and it's about 2,200 acres, and we're looking to --
acres, I'm sorry -- square feet, and we are trying to expand that to
about 5,000 square foot, add aerobic facilities to it as well as
baby-sitting which we don't have currently, which would entice younger
families to participate.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sounds like a little mini YHCA going there.
MS. RAMSEY: Yeah.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: How did that happen?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Help me understand again, the priorities
established in this were a combination of parks and rec. advisory
board recommendations and in some cases, board direction such as the
South Naples Community Park that we specifically said go this way
instead of that way; is that correct? MS. RAMSEY: That's correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It might -- has this board -- other than
budget time, has this board been given the opportunity to set a
priority schedule among the projects or is that pretty much what we
are doing here today?
MS. RAMSEY: That's some of what you're doing today.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm just -- I know the fitness center is
overly utilized there. It's extremely popular.
What are the offsetting revenues for memberships on that, and
that's probably what you have, so --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Just happen to have a hand out on that
point.
MR. OLLIFF: This is one of those facilities that we did not know
how popular it was going to be when we first went into the business,
and I think we're sort of victims of our own success here. The
popularity of it, it actually far out stripped the facility that we
had available, and I think that the projections that she shows
indicates that the project is actually a very good revenue generator
for us, and with aerobics, we'll even be better.
I'm sorry. Tom Olliff, public services administrator.
MS. RAMSEY: The numbers you have in front of you are very
conservative. It takes into account a ten percent -- or $10 fee
increase when we expand, and the numbers are generated using the
discounts that are current. A number of county employees are
utilizing this facility as well.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: What's the current fee amount?
MS. RAMSEY: Well, the current fee is $160, but when you look at
the discounts, and when I divide it all up, I come up with about a
$99 per adult annual fee at moment -- at this moment.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Just so I get an overview picture, I
understand that request. The water play area, is that in addition to
the Golden Gate pool?
MS. RAMSEY: No, actually, that is in addition to the Vineyards,
and I have -- I don't know where my stuff went. I have a photo of it.
It's a zero depth play area similar to what you see at the activity
pool at Golden Gate accept there's no water standing. It's a
sprinkler system activated by the children. That particular part,
especially, is very hot, and I thought that this would be a very nice
diversion. It's one of the things that instead of putting up a pool,
it would be much more cost effective, and it still does the same kind
of purpose. It cools the kids down.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: No lifeguards needed when there's no water.
MS. RAMSEY: That's exactly right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Or no depth. Okay. While -- I'd like to see
the picture of that also.
Shade structures, 200,000.
MS. RAMSEY: There's two different parks we're looking at. There
again, next to this water play and the playground at the Vineyards,
will be to put up a shade structure for the moms and their families so
they will be out of the sun, and also, again, at Veterans.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: And the dads in case they want to take the
kids down there.
MR. RAMSEY: Well, I would hope so, yes. I'm sorry. I
apologize.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's all right. We refer to all secretarial
positions today as she, so -- okay.
Parking lots.
MS. RAMSEY: Because of the growth in Veterans, roller hockey
rinks and all the other equipment that we put in there as well as East
Naples, we are looking to try and put in a few more parking spaces in
to accommodate the low drains peak times.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: The only thing that I look at this and I would
like to see some money being applied to, if not this year, next year,
would be beach parking. It's something we don't -- we don't have a
plan for it, per se, but it's something that I think is increasingly
-- needs to become a priority. We are looking at grants and so forth
on the Bluebill side if we ever -- you know, if we can get to a
development stage there, but it's just noticeably absent as I look at
the whole range of things here.
COMMISSIONER CONSTANTINE: One of the things we talked about is
trying to put together some comprehensive plan for beach parking and
all other.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes, but we haven't -- I don't know that the
board has given direction to staff to specifically do that. We've
talked --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Yes, we did.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Well --
MR. OLLIFF: Actually, if you turn your page, and you'll go to
Page -- to the regional park impact fee funds. That's 345. That is
the funding source that we have traditionally used for beach and beach
parking.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I'm sorry. H-5, is there a line on there?
MR. OLLIFF: No, that is -- that is the funding source, though,
and one of the issues we've got, and, in fact, on Tuesday's agenda --
you keep hearing that. I can't wait to see Tuesday's agenda, but on
that agenda, you actually have an item that talks about a parks master
plan. The difficulty that we have always had is historically when you
established regional park impact fees, they never took into account a
need for beach parking, additional beach parks, beach access points,
and why that was left out, I cannot tell you. Regional parks were a
large two or 300 acre passive park, but no one ever considered beach
parking.
So, you don't really have a funding source that's dedicated for
that, and so what we're going to ask you to do is actually to relook
at your regional park impact fee and actually go back and develop a
level of service that incorporates beach parking spaces so then when
population comes in, there's going to be a standard that the county
has to have for additional, either beach parking or accesses, and
dedicate a funding source for that.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That -- that's the -- that's the
commitment level I was looking for, Commissioner Norris. I know that
we had talked about it and asked for it, but --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We gave specific direction a couple of
weeks ago to start work on the plan. That was shortly after
Commissioner Mac'Kie suggested that we build a parking garage down
on '-
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I did not. Don't repeat it. It will just
cause more trouble. Don't repeat it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It was only three stories.
MR. OLLIFF: But what you see in the --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: It's parking.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Oh, you're determined to say it again,
John. Don't.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Tract K on Marco Island.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That isn't what I said.
MR. OLLIFF: The reason I pointed you to Fund 345 was just to
show you that you have a fairly limited funding source, and all of
those regional funds are generally being devoted next year to your
regional park construction.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm trying to listen to him.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: That's all right. We're going to have a
fistfight over here. You go right ahead and listen. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Do you guys want to go inside and duke it
out?
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Take it outside. He's a karate guy,
though.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I asked this when we discussed the South Naples
Community Park, but the anticipated regional park site that is going
to be in the North Naples area when it's decided upon for location and
so forth, what -- what time frame are we looking at for that if --
knowing we have a limited funding source, what are we looking at
because I just --
MR. OLLIFF: We are looking at Tuesday for some direction. We
are actually coming back to the board as part of that master plan with
a couple of sites that we are looking at and some funding source
options for the board to consider to be able to do that, but again,
it's a change in the whole way that we are doing park development
hopefully in the future.
What we're -- in essence, what we are telling you on Tuesday is
that we have a good system of community parks, and it doesn't make
much sense for us to continue investing in that same type of park
because from a park system standpoint, there are parks that you don't
have, and it makes more sense to invest in other types of parks, and
we are going to try and steer the board and our parks capital plan
toward regional type parks, the first one being in North Naples.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That will -- that will keep me from
crying over the fact that there's nothing in North Naples in this
entire year's capital plan.
MR. OLLIFF: Water play system, shade structures.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Well, the one shade structure at Veterans, but
I'm just -- Vineyards Park is on the other side of 1-75, so I don't
consider that North Naples, but -- okay.
Just trying to -- trying to be parochial as best I can. Not
doing a very good job, might I add.
Okay. Any questions on those items now that I've wasted a lot of
time on them?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Parochial.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Parochial. While you guys are doing your
jobs, I'm just not doing mine.
Okay. Next.
MR. TINDALL: Mr. Chairman, next we will be going to Fund 350
which is the EHS impact fee fund which is on Page H-10. What you'll
see here is total of project or capital expenditures of 210,000, which
includes one medium duty ambulance and associated medical equipment
and radios which is one hundred and ten and $40,000 respectfully, and
aviation repair and maintenance expenditures of $60,000. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Again, that ambulance and equipment is associated
with that new Bonita Shores.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Bonita Shores, yeah. Since we approved the
personnel, we ought to give them something to ride in and carry people
around in.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Indeed.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Next.
MR. TINDALL: Okay. The library impact fee fund shows a total of
project expenses of 930,500. The non-project expense of 17,500 is for
a vehicle, and we are showing 740,000 projected and impact fees, and
you can see a breakdown of the project expenses as far as the Harco
Island library improvements and the north regional library for 205,000
for FY '98.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Mr. Jones, this 17,500 for a vehicle, is
that your personal Hercedes we are putting on the ticket here?
MR. JONES: John Jones, public library director.
No, sir.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: I didn't think you could get one for that
price. Even you couldn't do it.
MR. JONES: No, I own a Cherokee. I'm going to hold out for a
Cherokee, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Any particular color?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: What kind of tag?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Did I read this correctly in that the
end of fiscal year 1998, all reserves will be depleted? MR. JONES: No, sir.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Of the 39,400.
MR. JONES: We have -- this particular report doesn't show the
unbudgeted impact fees.
MR. OLLIFF: If you look up under the appropriation section, the
reserves are 392,400.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Commissioner Hancock, that thirty-nine four is
the statutory 5 percent revenue reserve on the estimated impact fee
revenue collection. State law says we can only appropriate
ninety-five cents on the dollar.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I just missed it then because I looked
at -- at appropriation revenues with no leftover reserves. Show me
where the leftover reserve is on this.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Last line before the total appropriations. It
says --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: 392,400.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: 392,400.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Are we on Page 107
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Page 11, library.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I pretty much figured we were on library.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Well, that's on Page 11.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. I'm not seeing it, but I'll take your
word for it. Right here, okay.
Okay. I've got you. Thank you.
Kind of like a business plan, I want to see it before I improve
it.
HR. TINDALL: Any additional questions on library impact fees?
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: No. Thank you, Mr. Jones.
MR. TINDALL: What we would like to do is cover the utilities
capital when we discuss the utilities operating budgets in that
context when we do enterprise funds on Monday. So, what we would like
to do at this point is skip to the roads capital, which starts on Page
H-16, and to help with the discussion, we have prepared a page on Page
H-19 which shows the entire '98 budget request as far as total
projected expenditures as compared to the latest version of the
adopted road plan to show the variances from the adopted road plan for
particular projects, if you look on Page H-19.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: This is one of those things that just mirrors
our previous direction on priorities with one exception. If -- and
this is a huge if. If the paper was correct, the new section of
Livingston Road is included in this funding plan that is north of
Immokalee; is that correct?
MR. GONZALEZ: Adolfo Gonzalez, capital projects director.
We have put monies into the Livingston Road project to cover all
of the additional right-of-way we need for that project. So, the
money you see in there, the million and some odd dollars is for
right-of-way acquisition to buy all the right-of-way we need for that
corridor. There is no construction funds.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. So, the construction funds that have
been talked about by the developer out there and any impact fee
credits that they have been hinting at and so forth, none of that has
-- has been really discussed or decided on, so it has no impact on
this budget? It's just purchasing the right-of-way?
MR. GONZALEZ: Just purchasing the right-of-way.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. And there's no impact fee deal there;
we are just buying it outright?
MR. GONZALEZ: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. That's what I like to see, advance
right-of-way acquisition.
Any questions?
MR. HcNEES: You will see an impact fee agreement on your --
either on your agenda, probably for your first meeting back, or if
it's a consent agenda item, perhaps approved in the meantime for the
other -- the east/west segment of Livingston Road, a different
developer. While you're asking the question, but it's a different
issue.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right, and those will be reviewed individually
and decided upon and --
MR. McNEES: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- the timing of those roadways' need to the
balance of the county is going to be the key in that discussion, I
think, for me anyway, so --
Okay. Any other questions on transportation projects?
COMHISSIONER NORRIS: Nope.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Seeing none, next.
MR. TINDALL: If there are no additional questions related to the
road plan, all that's remaining is just some miscellaneous capital
funds which we can discuss to the extent that you'd like. They begin
on Page 30.
The Wiggins Pass dredging fund is, basically, inactive. It has
carried forward -- and reserves budgeted for -- and indirect cost
charges budgeted for FY '98. Same with the --
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: This $93,000 of carry forward that we are
continuing to carry; is that what I'm getting?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Being used this year. We are doing the
dredging this fiscal year, aren't we?
MR. GONZALEZ: Yes, this fall.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next.
MR. TINDALL: The Marco beach renourishment fund, there were some
expenses --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Next.
MR. TINDALL -- in the amended --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next.
MR. TINDALL: -- budget in the current fiscal year. Thank you.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Next.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Next means continue.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Naples Park, next.
MR. TINDALL: Naples Park drainage.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's a done deal.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Next.
MR. TINDALL: That's pretty much a done deal, that's correct, and
of course, the road assessment fund is basically a use funding source
for other areas.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. No questions there.
MR. TINDALL: And that's it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: With the exception of a brief wrap-up, we then
have public speakers, and then we are done.
So, Mr. Smykowski, do you want to give us any -- anything you
deem happy news at this point?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: No, no happy news at this point other than we are
done for the day. Perhaps that -- but for public speakers.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: And the total.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: On Monday, we will be looking at the enterprise
funds, the internal service funds and the trust funds which delayed
the board. There's no policy decisions to be made there, and wrap-up
at that point.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Those first three items shouldn't take very
long. So, the bulk of the day, if any, will be spent at wrap-up. MR. SMYKOWSKI: Correct.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, I ask everyone to bring their notes and
concerns and things.
We do have public speakers registered. We have one.
Let's go to the public speaker then.
MR. McNEES: That would be Janet Vasey.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I know you folks have done a lot of work, and
we didn't have the timer in place yesterday, but we -- there's only
two of you today, but let's be as concise as we can. Thank you.
MS. VASEY: Okay, great. Thank you. Janet Vasey, for the
record.
What we wanted to do was go over a little bit the rationale of
how we came up with the numbers in case you find fault with any of
that and don't want to use them, and also, I've just broken out the
general fund part of that so you will be able to tell, at least my
version, and then we can have the real version later from Hike.
Before I get started, though, I would like to negotiate the
finder's fee for this money that can be deposited with the Greater
Naples Civic Association.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'll tell you what, you'll get the same share
I do.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yeah.
MS. VASEY: Rats.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: In fact, you can have my share.
MS. VASEY: Oh, boy, now we're talking big bucks.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: They call us commissioners, but we don't
work on commission, unfortunately.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Another pun.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That was actually -- that's joke status; out
of the pun category.
MS. VASEY: Okay. Basically, the COLA we wanted to describe a
little bit since that one is sort of a big number, and we weren't
really sure what was happening in the budget, but we were aware that
there was the pay plan adjustment in April of '96, and it was our
understanding that at that time, everyone got the proper pay alignment
for everyone. Some people got pay raises, and some people didn't, and
you tell me whether there's -- where there's any problem.
So, we thought that when the pay raise was given in April of '97,
that that was the one year cost of living, that that's where we were.
So, when we saw the pay raise on October of '97, that's where we
weren't sure why that was being given and why it wouldn't be in April,
and there may be valid reasons, but that was our thinking, and that's
how we came up with the number.
When we talk about that number --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Let's focus on the number, because the board
kind of gave direction today to do that, to move it to April. MS. VASEY: Oh, okay. Okay.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yeah, we gave direction to move it to April.
MS. VASEY: I'm sorry. I thought you still had some questions on
those.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We just need to know how much.
MS. VASEY: Okay. I came up with -- you said one seventy, Hike?
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Uh-uh.
MS. VASEY: I thought that turned out to be a pretty good number,
too, and I beg your pardon for even doubting you. I think one seventy
looks like a good number.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think his head just got bigger.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: I breathed a sigh of relief because she agreed
with me, actually.
MS. VASEY: Hey.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. So, we are in agreement. We've
actually done that, and 170,000 is --
MS. VASEY: Yeah, that -- that would be the share, and we already
identified 500 for the sheriff, so that part is already gone, and the
rest would be the constitutional officers.
Eric, do you want to do the next one on revenue?
MR. WATLER: Yeah.
Eric Watler, GNCA. My apologies, I thought I would have time to
finish this sweet in my mouth, but --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sure, you eat; we aren't, but that's okay,
Eric, we won't hold it against you.
MR. WATLER: I'd like to address revenue. My background is a
commercial background, and so I remember well that life begins with
revenue, so I think it's pretty important.
When I raised this a little bit yesterday, I kind of thought I
got kind of a glazed feeling that expenses are kind of firm when you
can cut those, but revenue is kind of a bit, you know, cloud pushing
and admonition from the county manager that, for goodness sake, don't
forecast revenue you're not going to make, and that's a pretty good
admonition, too.
However, if you don't give people who are managing operations
challenges to perform such as increasing revenue, then they won't rise
to the increased number. So, I think there's a balance there.
So, based on that kind of premise, our suggestion is, by looking
in the books, and I have the page numbers if they'll help, in
facilities management, we thought there was room for a $100,000
increase in revenue based on history and kind of performance; the
library, $40,000; parks and rec., $120,000; storm water, $40,000.
That comes to a nice round number of $300,000.
We felt in looking at the numbers, that in going -- and they
probably would need to be refined a bit, Mike, I'm sure in your office
and then give the challenge to the people managing those operations to
produce that revenue. It did not look unreasonable to us. It wasn't
pie in the sky stuff at all, and I think 300,000 added to revenue is
every bit as good as 300,000 reduced expense.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: How -- do you have ideas about, for
example, the park and rec. number? I mean, how might they -- from
what did you extrapolate the conclusion that they could generate that?
MR. WATLER: If you could look at Page 89 in the big book, if I
got the page number right.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Can I suggest something, because I -- I think
I would have the same question on several of the categories you've
identified.
MR. WATLER: Yes.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If you have each of those kind of enumerated
in a backup piece on how you arrived at it, do you have that by
chance?
MR. WATLER: No, I just looked at the numbers and compared the
numbers of previous years and what was written down for this year, and
thought, why would that drop or why did it stay static when there's
been a history of improvement. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: So, you really don't have any logical basis
to make your conclusions on other than you just said, last year's
number was bigger than this year's number, therefore we should add
more?
MR. WATLER: Or it's gone down. Why has it gone down?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Without knowing what the circumstances are?
MR. WATLER: Without knowing what the circumstances are. That's
why I'd like for you to refer it back to the managers to see if these
conclusions are valid. They look valid relative to the numbers.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I'd like to do that. I'd like to ask
those -- those department heads or division managers to look at those
numbers and either tell us yes or no and why not.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Again, if you would give the departments to
Mr. Smykowski that you reviewed. I think the trend analysis that you
looked at to arrive at what you thought was a reasonable expected
number is what's being questioned. So, if we have a solid trend
analysis on that, then great. Let's determine that. COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Please.
MS. VASEY: Also, something on that. When -- when we were
looking at the departmental revenues, which is all of your county --
county manager offices, we noticed that between the forecast period,
which is where we are right now, and the end of the year last year,
that the revenues went up $500,000 just in this three month period,
and so that's where we were getting a lot of it.
Right now, the program between forecast and current next year is
pretty much the same. It's four million eight versus four million
eight, and so there's --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: And last year --
MS. VASEY: -- no increase programmed at all, and so that went
into the discussion.
It's not -- it's not strictly a trend within that office. That's
where we thought it was more appropriate, but when you look at the
totals too, we found that there was major understatement of revenues
at this time frame compared to what showed up at the end of the year.
So, that went into it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: If I'm not mistaken, in the past two years,
what has happened is if that occurred, we then lowered the rate
further after the trim notices were sent out.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I think that -- I'll be verbal, I think
Neil talked us out of that. I think we started wanting -- we talked
about doing that, and then we got our conservative speech about being
careful with revenues and that kind of stuff.
MS. SHYKOWSKI: The last two years at the final public hearings,
we have decreased ad valorem taxes based on actual knowledge by virtue
of the fact we have 11 months of sales tax in the bank at that point,
and your forecast is very good. Your revenue sharing number is known
because once the state gets through, once we get our June
distribution, that's the end of the state fiscal year, and if there's
any excess distributions to be received by the county, it's now -- we
receive it at that point, and our remaining three months is a known
figure based on the state's budget for the upcoming year.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: You can tell us that the revenue issues
are better addressed at the final hearing.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes, and I'd like some opportunity as well to
digest what they are proposing and have an opportunity.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: You're saying as well, though, that it's
been our history that we become confident in those numbers at the
September hearing and have been able to reduce the number.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Correct. Taxpayers have received the benefit of
that additional known amount, and taxes have been reduced accordingly
based on additional revenues that you've received.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: It sounds like a question of timing, whether
we do it now or do it then, and I'm more comfortable in September
making that final adjustment.
MS. VASEY: Yes, we did say in our remarks yesterday, and of
course, that holds true, take another look at everything in August and
see if any of this makes sense, but we thought it did, and we were
working really from last year's budget forecast, you know, at this
time frame versus the actual. So, it would not have captured anything
that happened at the end of the year. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: That will also give us an opportunity to --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sit down with them.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- ask to see their work papers or how they
arrived at their figures, and we'll work it out. CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay.
MR. WATLER: I think you will remember too that yesterday we did
say we were able to get a much better handle on the sheriff's budget,
for example, because they provided us with eight months actual, and
when we looked at it, it is pretty good, and if we could do the same
here, that will be even more helpful.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can we do that, Mike?
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Yeah, they've come in in the past and utilized
their work, and any information we have is public record, and they are
free to come, and they have taken us up on that.
MR. McNEES: And for the board's information, on the departmental
revenues, for example, parks and rec., we give as much scrutiny at
staff level and manager's office to their revenue budgets as we do to
their expenditure budgets. So, the fact is that we didn't just
scrutinize the expenditures and sort of take the revenues for granted.
They justify those numbers to us just as much as they do their --
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: But we tend to look at the expense side
and not the revenue side.
MR. McNEES: I just want you to understand, those don't go
without a lot of scrutiny, and we try to get them as accurate as we
can.
MS. VASEY: And I would like to second that. We were there while
this was going on, and there were a lot of things, and we would have
brought it up earlier at the time of the reviews, but it wasn't until
we did the overview analysis that we came up with how different it was
between forecast and end of year, and that's when we came up with it,
but we did raise some issues, and we saw Mike increase the revenues on
several occasions, so we appreciate that.
MR. WATLER: We would like personal responsibility for one item
of revenue increase, which I think Mike will remember. Do you want to
tell them what that was, Mike?
MR. McNEES: Now you're really putting me on the spot. You had
so many good ideas, I'm not sure I can remember all of them. MS. VASEY: We'll take that. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That was called -- that was called the cross
stroke. Knock you off footing.
MR. SMYKOWSKI: Animal control licenses are going up as a result
of their recommendation.
MR. McNEES: And it was a good one.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Mike gets the --
MR. SMYKOWSKI: So pet owners, direct your calls to --
MR. McNEES: I believe my comment was, I wish I thought of that
because they were right on top of it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Okay. Anything else on that list?
MS. VASEY: No. Oh, not on that one.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: On the list, yes.
MS. VASEY: I was going to finish the last two items on -- or the
last couple of items on the list.
The phase-in of new hires, here you may very well want to change
how we did things, but this was our thinking. We looked at all the
expanded programs, and we took the total personnel costs on an
expanded program, and then we tried to identify any of the operating
costs that went with those personnel costs, because there was a lot of
operating costs that were contracts that, obviously, didn't go, and we
did not take any of the capital costs because it might be later in the
year, but it would still be next year.
So, we took all that, added it up, and our logic in using a four
month hire leg was -- I've often seen things like that spread over a
year, you know, just assuming you would get it over a period of a
year. So, that would have given you six months of money. I've seen
where it physically has happened as early as a couple of months by the
time you do position descriptions and do the hiring -- or do the
advertising, and get the people to interview, and then you make a
selection and two weeks' notice and all of that.
So, our margin there was between two and six months, and we took
four months.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: How does the attrition factor -- when I
brought that up, the balance of the board said, yeah, but we've
already factored that in the four percent attrition.
MS. VASEY: Well, the 4 percent attrition, I normally think of
that as your current on board strength level. That's your normal
people leaving and positions being filled, and that's based on people
on the level you've already got.
New hires I've always considered a little differently, and I'm
not sure what your rationale is or --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: What's the difference between a new hire
and a completely new, newly created position? MS. VASEY: Right. Oh, what is?
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: The new hire could be someone that's being
hired to fill an empty existing position.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I think what she's saying is that --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: That then is handled under the 4 percent
attrition. That's where we budget for that -- COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: But new positions.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: -- but if you create an entirely new
position, then what you're saying has some validity, is you could
phase those in, but that ignores then the needs of the department who
requested the position in the first place.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Like, for example, if parks, one of their
ranger positions, they aren't going to hire that person until October
or until --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: December.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- December, then don't budget --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Then what she is talking about is fine, but
you don't know that without knowing the operational constraints of the
particular department.
MR. HcNEES: Let me '-
MS. VASEY: That's really -- oh, go ahead.
MR. HcNEES: Maybe I can explain our logic, and maybe when I'm
finished, Ms. Vasey will agree and maybe not.
I think we can legitimately save money by not hiring newly
created positions until later in the fiscal year, and sometimes we'll
do that. Where that money comes back to you then is in the next
fiscal year as carry forward. You saved that money. You have the
benefit of that in the next fiscal year.
The reason we stopped phasing in positions is because it's
essentially a game. You say, I'd like to have ten new park rangers
but they're only going to cost you, you know, half because we are not
going to hire them for six months. Then you have that other half
that's a guaranteed can't avoid budget increase in the following
fiscal year. You've given yourself a false economy that you pay for
later.
The way we do it now, sure, you bite the bullet now, but if
there's a savings to be gained, you can still save that money, but you
don't build in for yourself an automatic uncontrolled budget increase
that you're facing before you even do anything new next year, and we
used to do that. We used to sell the board, sure, we'll phase this
one in, and we won't hire him until August, and it looks great, but in
the long haul, you pay for it later.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: We had some -- correct -- and in some cases too,
there's budgeted revenue that's associated with the new position
directly offsetting the cost. Obviously, if the position is not on
board, sure, we are not expending the money, but we also are not
taking in the revenue that is associated with that position.
A number of cases in recreation where Hike pushed the departments
along Mr. Watler's logic that you have to push them, and yes, you can
have this position, but you have to budget associated recreational
programming fees or other revenues to support that position. We are
not going to fund it out of ad valorem, and obviously, if that
position is not on board, that position is not generating the fees, so
the fee revenue is not being generated.
MR. HcNEES: Phasing in a position makes it easier for us to sell
to you because we can sit here and say, it's not going to cost you
very much, and we don't want to use it because it's false economy. MR. SHYKOWSKI: It becomes a crutch.
MR. HcNEES: If you want us to look at more aggressively leaving
positions open for a time to generate additional carry forward for the
following fiscal year, fine, we'll be happy to look at that. It's a
good money saving tool, but we just don't think phase-in is a good
budget tool because it only is a false, short-term budget economy.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Enough said.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Next.
MS. VASEY: Okay. The next item on the list was reducing the
contingency reserves in 1998, and that referred to the fact that
contingency reserves are calculated against the total dollars that are
given to the constitutional officers, and we have a pretty clear
feeling of what that turn back is, clear enough that it's already in
the revenue side.
So, our suggestion was, instead of calculating the 5 percent
revenue reserve -- or I'm sorry, the 5 percent contingency reserve
against the total amount of money that's transferred to the
constitutional officers, just do it against the net amount by
subtracting the expected turn back, and the rationale there is -- you
really pretty much don't expect that -- there could be some
differences in actual versus budget, but you do have a revenue -- I
mean, you have a contingency reserve of over five million dollars, and
this is only $150,000, and that's not a big deal.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I like that idea a lot, but Mr. Smykowski
told me that that was not -- that we had a made a mistake about the
way that was calculated.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: Yes. In fact, the general fund budget increased
almost twelve million dollars. Five percent of twelve million dollars
is another $600,000, but actually, our budget reserves decreased
two-tenths of a percent because we did not calculate them this year on
the transfers made to other funds because those funds, obviously, have
their own reserves. So, we've already -- I feel we've taken a step in
the right direction already, but we want to -- don't want to go too
far in that direction. Again, that just reduces the carry forward you
will have in the subsequent budget year that would be unspent reserves
and --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We don't want too much carry forward
because that taxes this year for next year.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: I understand, but you also had --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Then we don't have a mixture.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I guess from a practical side, if -- let's
take the sheriff's budget. If something happens, we get a natural
disaster and the sheriff has to use his budget plus his reserves, if
we are looking at just one department at a time, then the reserves are
adequate because they are collected across many departments, but in a
natural disaster situation, I remember this discussion we had with Mr.
Doyle, where various departments all have to tap those reserves, then
we really have less than 5 percent of the total available that was
budgeted to each department, and that may put us below what is an
acceptable standard by -- that the state looks at, because that 5
percent was not a magic number out of the air. If I remember
correctly --
MR. HcNEES: That's a minimum.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- it's a required amount or -- am I incorrect
in that.
MR. FERNANDEZ: I think there's 5 percent required for under
collection. That's not a reserve -- well, it's a reserve, but it's
not a -- it's really a negative revenue is what it turns out to be.
You have to budget only 95 percent of your revenues. That's by state
law.
Also, by state law, you're limited to 10 percent of your funds,
of each fund. Your reserve for contingency can't be larger than 10
percent of each fund.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: So, there's not a minimum; there's a
maximum.
MR. FERNANDEZ: There's a maximum.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: So, we've set 5 percent, and really what
you're requesting has the same equivalent of saying, instead of 5
percent, four and a half.
MS. VASEY: I must have said something wrong because I'm not
talking about the revenue side of the equation. I'm talking about the
appropriation side of the equation.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: We understand.
MS. VASEY: And that -- and Hike told me how he calculated it.
The calculation is taking the total -- the subtotal for divisions,
subtracting out the subtotal for transfers to other funds, which is
not where you have the sheriff and the other constitutional officers,
then you add in -- you add in the subtotal for the transfers to the
constitutional officers, and then you subtract out the supervisor of
elections. So, that number does have the total amount that's
transferred to the constitutional officers in it, and that was the
part that I was trying to get out.
MR. HcNEES: And that's appropriate. I don't believe the sheriff
does maintain his own reserves. When he needs more money, he comes to
you to tap your -- to tap this general fund reserve. He doesn't have
a separate reserve.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That's what I thought.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: And in the case of Hurricane Andrew, I realize --
tell you there's imminent threat of a hurricane on any given day, but
in that year, we did use a significant component of that reserve, and
that's exactly what it's there for.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: But the heart of your question is, is there
duplication -- are you dealing -- talking about a duplication of
reserves between the constitutional officers and the general -- no?
MS. VASEY: No, sir, it's not a duplication. It's just the idea
of netting out the money that you don't think --
MR. SHYKOWSKI: She's saying use the net --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Then net.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- the net constitutional '-
MS. VASEY: Yeah, use the net.
MR. SHYKOWSKI: -- less turn back -- gross budget, less turn back
and calculate the reserve on that component as opposed to using the
gross budget.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: If you're going to calculate reserves as
some percentage of the total amount, do we want to use the big number
or the big number less what they are going to give us back? I say B.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: What she's essentially saying is stop
saving 5 percent of reserves on what you expect them to turn back.
That's what she's saying.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Exactly.
MS. VASEY: Yeah. That's a much better way to say it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I like it.
MR. FERNANDEZ: The issue here is really, have your reserves been
sufficient, has your method of calculating your reserves been
sufficient, have they given you more than you needed or less than you
needed. If they've been more sufficient notwithstanding Hurricane
Andrew year, then you can afford to reduce the base upon which that
calculation is made as they suggest, and you don't run into trouble.
Really, keep in mind, the reserve is there for unanticipated
expenses that you're confronted with. Either you missed your estimate
on what expenses would be for one reason or another or you had
expenses that you didn't anticipate. That's why you have reserves.
The budget is a plan. It's not an exact process.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Our reserves have been adequate, so I don't
have -- I'm just trying to understand the concept.
MS. VASEY: And I blew something on it.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Yeah, okay.
I think you might be hearing a majority support for that.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I don't think so.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: You don't. You guys don't like that idea?
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: I think we're close enough to -- close on
our reserves.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: I don't think so.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm not sold on it 100 percent on the concept.
MS. VASEY: It was offered as a suggestion.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Sure, no.
MS. VASEY: If you're not comfortable with it, that's fine with
us.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I appreciate it, and we can change our mind on
Monday, and we can change our mind in September if we like it better
then.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: September is the time to change our mind on
that subject.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Can we flag that then for further
consideration?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I'm keeping this sheet, so --
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: We will normally talk about reserves in
September anyway. That's -- every year we talk about it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I have a feeling these two might be back in
September.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: You reckon. Okay. Remind us, guys.
COMMISSIONER NORRIS: Okay. We are done for the day, though,
right?
MS. VASEY: Thank you very much.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
Any other speakers?
MR. McNEES: One.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Yes, one more. Fay Biles.
MS. BILES: Yes, Fay Biles, president of Marco Island Taxpayers
Association. I have a question. Last year and the year before and
every year we keep hearing about how the case court -- the court cases
keep -- you know, every year, it's more and more and more, we need
more courtroom space. We need more judges and all this type of thing.
I'm just wondering, and I know nobody likes to hear where I came from
or this type of thing, you know, up north where we lived and so forth,
but our judges work from 9:00 to 3:00.
Where I come from, they work from 8:00 -- the courts were open
from 8:00 in the morning until at night. In fact, I got a speeding
ticket one time at two o'clock in the afternoon, and I had to report
to traffic court that night, but the judges didn't do traffic court.
It was -- what are those other people called? COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: Magistrates.
MS. BILES: Yes, whatever they were, and they handled the traffic
court, but why, before -- we have new space and more courtrooms, why
can't we suggest that our judges work from 8:00 in the morning until
five o'clock in the day. I too have gone to meetings over in the
courthouse where the courtrooms were vacant.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Some of them do.
MS. BILES: They do?
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Some of them do.
MS. BILES: Well, I know usually it's from 9:00 to 3:00 is what
we have said.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Since they -- we don't really have power over
the judges as elected officials, that's something I think the state,
either constitution or state statutes would govern or the Twentieth
Judicial Circuit would adopt as a policy, one of those two bodies.
COMHISSIONER MAC'KIE: The third choice would be your most, you
know, your most likely, and that -- talk to your administrative judge.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Judge Starnes in the Twentieth Judicial.
MS. BILES: Okay. I mean, I think Mike would be very happy to go
that route because I get tired of hearing more courtrooms, more judges
and all this.
COMMISSIONER BERRY: Have you talked to the county judges or
circuit judges?
MS. BILES: No, I'm talking about what we can control here in the
county. I don't know anything about the state.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: County and circuit is what we have
locally.
MS. BILES: County and circuit, I guess, yeah.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Can I suggest a two step approach?
MS. BILES: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: One, talk to Frank Baker about the actual
work '-
MS. BILES: All right.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: That's where you should go.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- schedule of the judges --
MS. BILES: Sure.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: -- and based on that information, go to Hugh
Starnes, the chief judge of the Twentieth Judicial, and that would --
you would hit both fronts that way, but you would hit it on an
informed basis to Judge Starnes from Judge Baker, and he's a super
guy.
MS. BILES: Well, I'll talk to Judge Baker first because I know
him, but doesn't that make more sense to you than add all this new
space and everything else?
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: I think someone said earlier, a 40 hour work
week sounds like a good idea.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: I was going to say, Fay, you need to talk to
somebody over there and get --
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: I know they have night court. I know they
have Saturday court.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: And I know that there are some -- I know
some of the circuit judges, they've got like -- on a weekend, they are
on call, and they work 24 hours -- I mean, they are on call, and they
may be down here at seven o'clock in the morning on Saturday morning
or they may be down here at two o'clock in the morning or they may be
down '-
MS. BILES: Additional duties.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: That's right.
MS. BILES: Well, I'll do a little study and find out what it is.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: Right. That's the reason I would agree with
the chairman, that I think you need to check with some of the rest of
them.
MS. BILES: Just trying to save money.
COMMISSIONER MAC'KIE: Thank you.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Thank you.
To wrap up today's meeting, we have a memorandum from Mark
Middlebrook. He has asked about domestic violence court and so forth,
and I encourage everyone to, at least, take a look at it because I
believe our questions were informational, and the report from Mr.
Middlebrook is that regardless of Judge Wilson's, whether it be threat
or promise to resign from domestic violence court, that those cases
would be teassigned to another judge, so the domestic violence unit
would continue.
COHMISSIONER BERRY: It's required.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Right. So, I think we can just -- you can
just ball that message up and throw it away because we still have to
deal with the domestic violence unit itself barring the, like I said,
the threat or the promise, whatever it is.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: It's irrelevant to the existence of the
unit.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: Yes.
MR. FERNANDEZ: Mr. Chairman, I have more information on the
question that was asked earlier about the HSTU for the sheriff if you
would like to hear it today or hear it in a memo or however you'd like
to --
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: How long will it take?
MR. FERNANDEZ: Two seconds.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: Oh, we can wait that long.
MR. FERNANDEZ: The county was sued in 1979 by Naples. In the
resolution of that suit, you adopted -- the board adopted Resolution
80-152 in August of 1980. That set forth the structure of those HSTUs
in that resolution. That resolution was incorporated into a final
judgment which was rendered by the court in September of 1980, and the
court retained jurisdiction. I think that means you can't change it.
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: That deals with law enforcement specifically
or all elements of them?
MR. FERNANDEZ: All of them.
It was based upon -- which was also incorporated into the final
judgment, it was based upon a study done by Frank Spence & Associates,
and that study set forth those expenditures that were countywide in
nature and were not countywide in nature, and the fund structure was
set up as basically -- based on that.
COHMISSIONER NORRIS: Well, the circumstances have changed in the
interim. Maybe we can revisit that at some point.
COHMISSIONER HAC'KIE: We have to revisit in the court but --
CHAIRMAN HANCOCK: All right.
Is there anything further? Seeing none, we are adjourned.
There being no further business for the good of the County, the
meeting was adjourned by order of the Chair at 5:00 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COHMISSIONERS
BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS/EX
OFFICIO GOVERNING BOARD(S) OF
SPECIAL DISTRICTS UNDER ITS CONTROL
TIHOTHY L. HANCOCK, CHAIRPERSON
ATTEST:
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK
These minutes approved by the Board on
presented or as corrected
TRANSCRIPT PREPARED ON BEHALF OF GREGORY COURT REPORTING
BY: Kaye Gray
Dawn Breehne
as