BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
SEMINOLE
COUNTY, FLORIDA
The
following is a non-verbatim transcript of the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MEETING OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
September 11, 2002, in the SEMINOLE COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING at SANFORD,
FLORIDA, the usual place of meeting of said Board.
Present:
Chairman Daryl McLain (District 5)
Vice Chairman Grant Maloy (District 1)
Commissioner Randy Morris (District
2)(Late)
Commissioner Dick Van Der Weide (District
3)
Commissioner Carlton Henley (District 4)
County Manager Kevin Grace
County Attorney Robert McMillan
Deputy Clerk Carylon Cohen
The
Invocation was given by Pastor Paul Wright, Calvary Temple of Praise, Sanford.
Commissioner
Maloy led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioner
Morris entered the meeting at this time.
Motion
by Commissioner Van Der Weide, seconded by Commissioner Maloy, to authorize
filing the proofs of publication for this meeting’s scheduled public hearings.
Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
TENTATIVE FY 2002/2003 SEMINOLE COUNTY BUDGET
Chairman McLain convened the public hearing to consider adoption
of the tentative FY 2002/2003 millage rates and amended
tentative budget for all funds.
The First Public Hearing booklet was received and
filed.
Chairman McLain advised this first public hearing is on the tentative budget and tentatively approved millage rates. The millage rates tentatively adopted at the first public hearing cannot be increased above the proposed rates certified to the Property Appraiser without a second tax notice being sent by first class mail to each taxpayer. He stated the second public hearing on the budget will be held on Tuesday, September 24, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. At the second public hearing, the Board may adjust the tentative budget prior to the final adoption, but in no event may millage rates adopted at the second public hearing exceed millage rates tentatively adopted at tonight’s hearing.
Cindy Hall, Fiscal Services Director,
addressed the Board to state the certified tentative millages for FY 2002/03
are as follows: Countywide General
Fund, 4.7179; Countywide Transportation, .2810, for a total Countywide millage
of 4.9989; Countywide Debt Service for Environmentally Sensitive Lands, .0986;
Trails Development, .1100, for a total of .2086. The Countywide total is 5.2075 mills. The Unincorporated Special Districts Fire/Rescue millage is
2.6334; for Unincorporated Roads, .1228; Total Unincorporated millage is
2.7562. The total millage including
Debt Service is 7.9637, and excluding Debt is 7.7551. The tentative aggregate millage rate, exclusive of voted debt
millage, is 6.3675, that represents an increase of 4.55% over the aggregate
rolled back millage of 6.0904.
County Manager Kevin Grace addressed the
Board to state this budget is the second year of the initial two-year budget
process. He believes this process has
served the County well by improved financial planning and staff productivity,
and he believes it will continue to serve the County well in the future. He advised the County’s finances have
weathered the slow economy of the past year better than most local
governments. He believes the financial
stability is a testament to the economic diversity of the community and the
conservative budget philosophies they use.
He stated the merger of the Altamonte Springs Fire Department will take
effect on October 1, 2002, which is a notable achievement. It will result in millions of dollars of
savings to the citizens. He expects
that other merger opportunities will present themselves in the coming
years.
Mr. Grace stated the budget represents the
priorities of the Board. The top two
priorities continue to be public safety and transportation. He reported that the total budget as
tentatively approved by the Board for FY 2002/03 is $549,081,461.
Ms. Hall stated staff is requesting
adjustments (copy received and filed) to the budget that total
$10,320,274. These reflect the merger
of the Altamonte Springs Fire Department - $6,459,117, combined additions to
Fire/Rescue Fund and to the Impact Fee Fund from Altamonte Springs. Another $3,000,000 accounting adjustment
reflects design improvements for Highway 17-92 that will be funded by FDOT
instead of the County. The balance is a
combination of minor adjustments for grant changes, preliminary tax roll, Board
approved items since the Budget Work Sessions, and minor account line
adjustments. In addition, there are two
other proposals--one for $90,000 for the Supervisor of Elections to mail voter
registration cards and $11,335 for assistance to the Florida Association of
Counties for Article V issues. Ms. Hall
said, if approved, these adjustments could be funded from the General Fund
Reserves.
No one spoke in support or in opposition.
Commissioner Maloy said he would be
supportive of the $90,000 to the Supervisor of Elections as it seems that
probably should have been included in the budget earlier. He said he was not in support of the $11,335
for FAC. He believes they already paid
$42,000 upfront for dues and that seems like a huge amount of money.
Commissioner Morris said he agrees with
Commissioner Maloy. He recalled that a
couple years ago when FAC asked for money, he and Commissioner McLain recommended
the Board not put in money for the campaign on Article V. They thought it was inappropriate. Now this article has been approved, which
insists the State take over responsibilities for the courts. This would be a potential savings to local
governments and puts this back where it belongs to the State government. However, the Legislature has not yet
implemented Article V. He said the
issue is to attempt to get Article V implemented within a timely fashion.
Motion by Commissioner Maloy, seconded by Commissioner Van Der Weide,
to direct the Budget Manager to include in the next budget presentation the
$90,000 to the Supervisor of Elections.
Under discussion, Commissioner Henley stated
he supports any effort to avoid any confusion on the part of the elector for
the November election. He discussed how
much money the Supervisor of Elections has in her contingency budget.
Chairman McLain noted that the Supervisor of
Elections was required to keep the polls open an extra two hours on Election
Day September 10. Whereupon,
Commissioner Henley questioned if the Supervisor had enough money in the budget
to cover those expenses. Chairman
McLain said the Board will probably see a request for additional funding for
that in the near future.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
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Commissioner Henley stated he agrees with
Commissioner Maloy on the $11,335 to FAC being distasteful, but that is a small
amount of money compared to what failing to lobby successfully is going to cost
the County. He said there are a number
of legislators who feel, as a result of the Counties supporting this effort and
getting it passed, they are going to take the money from the counties to pay
the bill. That is why it is necessary
for the County to have a presence at any meeting and to continue working
throughout the entire time.
Commissioner Van Der Weide stated he has been
around Tallahassee long enough and understands that if the Board wants to make
this work, they will have to go with it.
Motion by Commissioner Morris, seconded by Commissioner Van Der Weide,
to include the special appropriation of $11,335 to the Florida Association of
Counties in the FY 2002/2003 budget.
Districts 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
Commissioner Maloy voted NAY.
Ms. Hall read again into the record the certified
tentative millages and the tentative aggregate millage rate.
Motion by Commissioner Van Der Weide, seconded by Commissioner Morris,
to adopt the tentative millage rates for FY 2002/2003.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
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Motion by Commissioner Van Der Weide, seconded by Commissioner Henley,
to adopt the tentative budget as amended for all funds including proposed
adjustments and recommended positions and pay bands as initially presented to
the Board of County Commissioners by the County Manager in his official
capacity as Budget Officer (per Florida Statute 129.025) and subsequently
amended by the Board of County Commissioners.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
Chairman McLain announced again that the
second public hearing to take final action on the millage rates and budget for
FY 2002/2003 is scheduled for September 24, 2002, at 7:00 p.m., or as soon
thereafter as possible.
Proof of publication, as shown on page _______, calling for a public hearing to consider adoption of the Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll, received and filed.
Gail
Bigelow, Senior Analyst, and Kathryn Moore, MSBU Program Manager, addressed the
Board to present the request for adoption.
Ed
Couey, 4248 Iron Gate Court, addressed the Board to state he is opposing the
non-ad valorem tax assessment because he is of the philosophy that he doesn’t
pay for something he does not receive.
He said he does not receive the service he is supposed to get. He explained that he is not receiving the
yard pick-up he is supposed to. He said
the service is from terrible to non-existent.
Chairman
McLain explained the County’s contract with the garbage haulers provides for
severe penalties for complaints. He
asked Mr. Couey to contact his office tomorrow and he would take care of
this. He advised after so many
complaints there is a financial penalty placed against the garbage
company. He also asked Mr. Couey to
give his phone number and address to the Solid Waste Director, Dave Gregory,
who was in attendance. He advised Mr.
Couey to call Mr. Gregory when the yard trash is not picked up so he can follow
up.
No
one else spoke in support or in opposition.
Chairman
McLain read the Written Comment Form from Atholene Bennett, 108 Brown Drive, in
opposition to the high prices for the elderly.
The
Speaker Request and Written Comment Forms were received and filed.
Commissioner
Morris advised that the street lighting rates are set by Florida Power &
Light, and the Board of County Commissioners just administers the program.
Commissioner Van Der Weide stated there are probably some agencies that could help assist the elderly.
Chairman McLain asked Ms. Bennett to contact DCM Sally Sherman after the meeting and hopefully she can help her with some of the concerns about the lighting district.
Motion by Commissioner Morris, seconded by Commissioner Van Der Weide, to approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Resolution #2002-R-147, as shown on page _______, and Certificate, as shown on page _______, adopting the non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
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There being no further business to come before the Board, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m., this same date.
ATTEST ________________________Clerk____________________Chairman
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