Local Option Sales Tax Minority Report M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Ron McLemore, Assistant County Manager
FROM: James P. Reardon, ; nt4'l,1 Oncy Services Administrator
II
DATE: January 26, 1990
SUBJECT: Local Option Sales Tax Minority Report
I offer the following comments and explanations regarding comments
made by Mr. Keller, Ad Hoc Committee Member who authored the
issues minority report. Although I have not yet reviewed the
actual minority report, I offer a public safety professional's
opinion about Mr. Keller's comments at the Board of County
Commissioners Meeting on January 16, 1990. I also feel compelled
to clarify the public safety projects that Mr. Keller selected to
comment on at that meeting.
Mr. Keller's comments certainly were representative of his
position on the local option sales tax. It is always important to
have a dissenting element in any project group. I offer my
recognition to Mr. Keller for assuming the very difficult minority
position. Unfortunately, Mr. Keller's presentation to the Board
of County Commissioners lacked objectivity and research associated
with the public safety projects. . Mr. Keller's arbitrary
statements and opinions misinformed many of those who may have
listened to his presentation. Therefore, I feel professionally
compelled to clarify the need, scope and application of the public
safety projects that Mr. Keller referred to. Hopefully, the
following will credibly educate those who may have become confused
as a result of Mr. Keller's presentation.
The local option sales tax contributions to public safety will
encumber a mere 5% of the revenues total proceeds. In sum,
$26, 500, 000 of $641, 670, 000 will be directed toward public safety
needs.
The most formidable of the public safety projects is a $19, 000, 000
jail expansion. Also identified is an Emergency Operations Center
and EMS facilities, totaling $7, 500, 000 from local option sales
tax revenues.
Additional comments made by Mr. Keller at the Board of County
Commissioners meeting were reference microwave communications,
heavy rescue, and hazardous materials mitigation capabilities. I
will limit my explanations to the topics listed, with the
exception of the jail expansion project, which falls within the
Sheriff's administration.
a ,
Emergency Operations Center
The center is used for the inter-governmental coordination of
resources in the public warning, mitigation and recovery from any
form of disaster. The center is the focal point for political and
professional decision makers during times of crisis.
Collier County is ill-prepared in meeting the comprehensive
command and control needs of a disaster. Although the evacuation
phase of a hurricane is planned out, major shortcomings exist and
will significantly deteriorate any form of recovery capability.
The genuine and perceived community needs will be criticized and
ridiculed due to existing capabilities.
The factual need for a replacement Emergency Operations Center
with allied services has been documented from the lessons learned
by Charleston after Hurricane Hugo. To ignore the message is to
invite a disaster after the disaster.
The program concept to facilitate the need would require the
design and construction of a hardened, self-sustaining multi-story
structure. The structure would require approximately three floors
of 12, 000 to 14, 000 square feet each, built upon reinforced and
raised concrete pilasters. The structure would be designed to
survive the strongest of hurricane landfalls.
The structure is proposed to be located on Naples Airport
property, most probably in the north quadrant. The Airport
Authority has reviewed the project and seems very supportive. The
facility could be designed to avoid duplication and allow City of
Naples elected and appointed officials to work from the facility
during events of large scale significance.
On a daily basis, the facility would be used to house many
emergency service offices and avoid approximately $75, 000 in
annual rents currently being paid by the county. Included for
daily occupancy are; Division Headquarters, EMS Headquarters,
Sheriff and Medivac Hangar, Paramedic and Fire Station Response
Facility, Medical Examiner's Facilities, Division Supply
Warehouse, Training Areas, Emergency Management Offices, Emergency
Operating Center, and Recovery Center.
Financial capital commitments involve construction associated
costs. Land purchase would be exempt, and most probably retained
by long term lease.
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Emergency Medical Services Facilities
A more appropriate label for the project might be Emergency
Services Complex. Such a complex would house multiple services
including Fire, Emergency Medical Services and Sheriff's
Substation. The concept eliminates redundant efforts and
associated costs. Prototypes of the concept are currently being
applied in Golden Gate and North Naples. All involved parties
have found the concept a highly acceptable and beneficial
alternative to building separate facilities.
Local option sales tax funds are proposed for similar applications
of facilities on Marco Island, Immokalee, and in the Everglades
City/Ochopee area.
Microwave Communications
The current county communications system, including daily
telephones and mobile radios, is expensive, vulnerable, and
dependent upon telephone company hardwires. Last year's telephone
cost to the county exceeded $700, 000. The current system is
vulnerable to weather and will become inoperative during the early
stages of a hurricane. This includes the dispatch and unit to
unit communications between public safety units and agencies.
The microwave concept is designed to reduce cost, enhance
survivability and facilitate expandability. Planned over a five
year implementation period, the concept will pay itself off from
telephone bill savings while providing a dutiful system during
natural disasters.
Heavy Rescue
Currently the county's fire service agencies are equipped to
handle the majority of extrications that occur on a routine basis.
None of the fire service agencies are equipped to provide a heavy
rescue service, such as that from a structural collapse.
Equipment, including a vehicle, designed to intervene in such an
event will be expensive and certainly beyond the fiscal resources
of any single service agency.
A cooperative approach is the most logical . The county's
purchase and management of the hardware of specialized equipment
makes sense. The fire service agencies would provide the human
resources and command expertise to effect heavy rescue utilizing
the hardware. The proposal is not unique and has been utilized by
many political entities throughout the nation.
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Hazardous Materials Mitigation
Hazardous materials travel through Collier County daily.
Chemicals of toxic nature are used throughout the county by the
industrial and agricultural community. As Interstate 75 nears its
completion the potential burden will grow at a greater rate.
The federal government has mandated by law that communities assess
their hazardous materials risk, and plan for an accidental release
of a hazardous product. As required by federal law, the
identification and planning processes are near their completion.
The plan is simply to evacuate and let the chemical do what it
will. Currently, no comprehensive hazardous material mitigation
capability exists in Collier County. Hazardous materials will
hold us hostage for days should they be released. The
environmental impact will be devastating.
As the case with heavy rescue, none of the county's fire service
agencies have, nor can they singly fund a comprehensive hazardous
materials mitigation and control service. The county best serves
as the single equipment purchaser and manager for fire service
providers to use. The application of concept is not unique, and
has been applied throughout the county.
Hazardous materials do pose a threat to every community, however,
every community in some way benefits from the hazardous materials.
The federal and state governments have stood silent on the
mitigation aspect of the problem, only saying that every community
must have a mitigation plan. We are lacking in this area.
I hope the report has clarified the projects of previous note. As
you can see, public safety projects in the local option sales tax
do not constitute a "wish list" in Mr. Keller's words, but a
necessity.
We can pro-act and plan as we should, or we can react and regret,
as too often is the case. I would strongly propose that we get to
the matters of business at hand and respond to the community's
trust by doing what we must.
Please feel free to contact me should you have questions or
require additional information.
JPR/jm
cc: Max A Hasse, Jr. , Chairman
W. Neil Dorrill , County Manager
George Barton, EMS Director
Peter Bolton, Chief Helicopter Pilot
Chief Vince Doerr, Ochopee Fire
Ken Pineau, Emergency Management Director
Dr. David Engstrand, Medical Examiner
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