MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

 

July 23, 2009

 

 

 

The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in special session on July 23, 2009 at 9:07 a.m. in the Government Center Florida Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida.  Present were:  Chairman Chuck Nelson, Commissioners Robin Fisher, Trudie Infantini, Mary Bolin, and Andy Anderson, and Interim County Manager Stockton Whitten and Deputy County Attorney Shannon Wilson. 

 

 

 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she would like to make a clarification regarding the meeting on July 21, 2009; she has worked with County staff regarding the budgets for the community centers; and it looks like if the Board does some restructuring of current staffing, it does not look like a problem operationally. 

 

 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated there are people present to discuss the First Responder Program; he has a Resolution each Commissioner has received from the City of Melbourne; and he does not know if the Board wants to discuss it now, or when the item comes up.  Chairman Nelson stated the Board can follow the Agenda and discuss it under Other Agencies.

 

 

 

Stockton Whitten, Interim County Manager, stated the July 31, 2009 Special meeting for the purpose of interviewing the County Manager candidates will be held in the Florida Room at 1:00 p.m. 

 

Motion by Commissioner Anderson, seconded by Commissioner Fisher, to approve scheduling of a Special Meeting on July 31, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in the Brevard County Government Center, Building “C”, Florida Room, to interview candidates for the position of County Manager.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

 

Brevard County Sheriff, Jack Parker, advised in the past five years the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has maximized the use of its dollars; management and command staff has been cut by 20 positions, which saved approximately $1 million; and that $1 million was used to hire eight 9-1-1 dispatchers and for 15 brand new deputies. 

He noted at the time, the BCSO was approximately 100 deputies under where it should have been as a County, and so he knew he had to come to the Board to ask for more deputies; but he was doing his best to fund needs internally without having to come to the Board to fix the problem; and he was able to use that savings from cutting management staff for new deputy positions and new dispatcher positions.  He stated he also found 15 deputies that were assigned to administrative tasks; they were doing good things for the Sheriff’s Office, but not necessarily the kinds of items that required a gun and a high risk officer to do; and those deputies were moved back onto the road, effectively putting 30 new deputies back on the road and eight dispatchers in dispatch without a single dollar from the Commission.  He stated he also staffed jail tents 2 and 3; he knew he had to do everything he could internally; the Board was doing everything it could to try to raise the funds needed to build the capital plan for the jail expansion; he wanted to look at every position in the agency to see if he could possibly staff tents 2 and 3; and he came up with about 20 positions and converted them into corrections officers positions, which was in addition to the other 30 positions out on the road and the eight dispatchers.  He stated the Board has a budget request from him of $105 million, but had he come to the Board with those positions, the number have been about $107.5 million; and he would have been dealing with a higher baseline, which would have been more difficult to balance.  He stated that can be added to the other $1.3 million of the other 15 administrative deputies and put them back on the road.  He stated there have been needs in the Sheriff’s Office that he would have had to ask the Board to fund; and he has always tried to do what he can do using his internal resources.  He stated the Sheriff’s Office started the SORT Unit (Sexual Offender and Predator Unit) three and a half years ago using existing deputies to make it happen; and now BCSO is one of the agencies leading the State in the initiative and serving as an example.  He stated violent crime is a target focus of the Sheriff’s Office; a lot of time people feel despair because all they see is violent crime; but the reality of it is that it is a very small percentage of the population that is creating problems repetitively.  He advised the Sheriff’s Office also created the GAME OVER Task Force; but now he is starting to run out of road deputies; he has to be careful not to continually take deputies from their primary responsibilities in protecting the citizens in their zone; and one way to continue addressing violent crime without taking another nine or 10 deputies from the road is to partner with the cities and create a task force and swear in their police officers and give them the power of a deputy sheriff to form a Countywide GAMEOVER task force.  He stated GAMEOVER is a group that is assigned to watching those who are the most violent and arresting them before there are more victims; in its first year of existence, there have been over 200 arrests of violent people; and the best part about that is that it is an example of a partnership without coming to the Board to ask for money.  He advised there were more meth lab busts in Brevard County than any other county from 2005 to 2007; Brevard County is seen as the State leader in fighting the meth epidemic; he is seeing the meth use and meth labs starting to decline; Brevard County Fire Rescue has been incredible partners; and that partnership, along with the deputies being willing to cross-train, stopped him from having to come to the Board to ask for money. 

 

He stated his office tries to forecast projects that are very important to the Board and to the Sheriff’s Office; if he does not need to spend the money, he wants to make sure it goes to something that is appropriate; and for law enforcement, that is tangible and he can see a real benefit from it.  He stated with the money his office created the female jail, rewrote the bullet system, and redesigned the evidence storage area to increase capacity; in 2004 the jail was very overcrowded and had a high suicide rate; there were a lot of battery’s on corrections officers and inmates; and  his biggest  concern was  the  early release of criminals back into the community, which was creating more crime.  He stated a consultant was hired and came back with a two-phase immediate plan and a three to four-year plan of spending $43 million initially, and then an additional $100 million to meet the needs of the jail overcrowding; and by the time the project was done, it was approximately $175 million.  He stated his office proposed a plan that included the use of tents and the use of inmates to help build their own jail space; it has allowed the BCSO to build 700 new beds for a fraction of the price; the original consultant plan would have been about $143 million; and if there would have been a typical debt payment for 20 years, it would have been another $8 million to $10 million per year on top of this budget.  He stated the project included two main objectives: building four tents that hold 100 people each for a total of 400 beds; and the building of a new 346-bed mental health medical cell block where people who have suicidal tendencies or medical problems can be watched.  He noted inmates were used to build their own tents; all of the tents are completed; one tent was built for the future and is ready for occupancy; however, inmate population does not demand that it be opened; and all of a sudden, the Department of Corrections for the State of Florida is actually starting to look at this as a model for expanding some of their prison space.  He advised inmates were used to build the new medical and mental health building, saving a lot of money there as well; a typical female jail for 300 female inmates with some capacity for growth would cost approximately $15 million; the old jail annex was used for that facility; and he knows it is not maximum security, but it can be fortified with interior walls.  He stated by working with the County his office came up with the use of inmates to be a big part of building that facility, and the cost went all the way down to $1.6 million or $1.7 million; and it was actually paid for with savings from the budget at the end of the year. 

 

He commented on putting inmates to work by cleaning up graffiti, and river and roadside cleanup; and stated when the inmates have to clean up trash they begin to get frustrated with people who litter and start caring about their community.

 

He stated Commander Jeeter and her staff came up with the idea of making inmate uniforms to save money; there was a $60,000 savings last year in buying uniforms; fabric is now bought in bulk; there is a sewing room next to the female tent that people can access and sew uniforms; and it may be a revenue producer in the future, as there are other sheriff’s offices interested in providing them uniforms.  He stated the inmates cook their own food, allowing the meal contract to be negotiated more efficiently; the food vendor has a program where they teach the inmates; and the spinoff of that is when they get out, they can get jobs at restaurants because they have basic certifications in food handling and food prep; and he has actually heard of people getting jobs when they are released.

 

He stated inmates are charged for their own meals; there are a lot of frivolous medical services at a county jail; people want to get out of their jail cells so they feign an illness so they can go to the clinic; not only does that create problems from an operational standpoint, but it is a lot of wasted energies by the medical staff; it creates a higher medical contract; and many times there are medications given which add up; now they are charged co-pays for medical services if they have the money; and if they do not, an account is created of debt they owe because when they come in future, they may have money on them that we can collect for past medical services, and it stops a lot of the unnecessary medical requests.  He stated Animal Services and Enforcement asked if he could lend some inmates to help clean the shelters; that program started a couple of weeks ago, and it is working  out beautifully;  a lot of times the inmates fall in love with the animals and they start feeling like life is worth living and that they can do some good things and not end up with a life of crime.   

 

He stated he would like to do a comparison of a law enforcement officer’s salaries, which will give the Board a snapshot of what he deals with inside and outside of the County; the starting salaries are at $36,004.  He stated when looking at how the BCSO solves crimes and all of the main factors, it is at the top of the list, and someone might expect it to be one of the highest priced sheriff’s offices around, but the truth is it is not; and the BCSO is one of the lowest cost sheriffs offices around.  He advised the BCSO pays approximately $120 per person per capita per year for law enforcement; there is a Comprehensive Plan in Brevard County approved by the Board of County Commissioners, which is very standard in the industry of deputy sheriffs, which says there should be two deputies per 1,000 citizens; the current ratio right now is 1.65; his office has been under by about 76 officers for several years; and he knows he has to start working on this, but he also knows now is not a good time. 

 

He stated the cost of jail operations per capita this year is $75.42 per year, per person, which is the second lowest of surrounding counties; Orange County is $157.20, and although they pay slightly more, a lot of that cost is pushed towards rehabilitation programs; and stated he is not saying there is anything wrong with what they are doing, but rehab programs get very expensive and they have to work.  He stated the BCSO  General Fund Transfer is relatively flat; he is trying not to go up in the General Fund; this year he is asking for approximately $105 million; it is down from last year’s $105.8 million; but he wanted to show the Board the actual budget for the Sheriff’s Office has been very flat.  He noted in regards to the $105 million request, he put in a request to the Board to have a little less funding than he took last year; he knew there were several priorities in the Sheriff’s Office that were very important; he would like to fund the deputy STEP plan, which is a fiscal impact of approximately one percent, and it gives the actual deputies approximately two percent on their anniversary date, and then when times are good, he would like to do a COLA to that plan as well.  He stated he knew it would be very difficult to ask the Board for another $700,000 to fund the STEP; he tried to cut the budget another $700,000 so he can fund the STEP plan without passing that burden onto the Board; his staff worked very hard to get the budget request less than what it was last year and fund inside of it any increases to the health insurance so that it was not passed that onto the deputies and that two percent STEP increase.  He stated he would like to ask that the Board approve the budget based on what he has put in for; there was a lot of very strong discussion in his office about the STEP plan for deputy sheriffs; he knows the time is not good.  He stated there has not been a deputy ask him for a pay increase this year because they understand the situation; but prices have gone up four percent; the deputies are not able to afford their quality of life; some deputies have to take second jobs; and he would like to keep the integrity of the STEP plan for the deputies.  He stated he realizes every single employee is important and critical to the mission of the Sheriff’s Office; being a deputy is unlike a lot of positions; deputies are never off the clock; they are always ready to address any situation; and it is a non-stop 24/7 stress for the deputies.  He stated he knows times are tough and will probably not get any better next year; if the STEP plans for the deputies are abandoned, it would create a level of service the deputies do not deserve; stated the deputies will not complain if that happens to them, but he thinks the Board should give them that little bit of money that helps them live half way decently in Brevard County. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated after Tropical Storm Fay there was an issue in his District with sandbags; the process of issuing sandbags was stopped because there had been problems in years prior; Sheriff Parker was able to get the prisoners to fill sandbags to finally give to the community; and he appreciated that, as there were portions of the community that were underwater. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he appreciates everything the Sheriff’s Office does; most of his District is a municipality, and the Sheriff’s deputies are there to backup the Palm Bay Police Officers; and he supports fire, police, and roads. 

 

Commissioner Fisher inquired from a reserve standpoint, does Sheriff Parker have any dollars sitting in reserves that could help offset the STEP plan.  Greg Pelham, Sheriff’s Office Manager, advised the Sheriff’s Office’s budget request does not include any reserve dollars.  Commissioner Fisher inquired if there are any reserves sitting in any accounts; with Mr. Pelham responding no, all dollars are allocated for salary and benefits and operations.  Sheriff Parker stated any unspent General Fund dollars come back to the Board at the end of the year; in the past, the Board has allowed him to spend those dollars on some type of law enforcement purpose, as it is a priority everyone agrees with; and on the MSTU side, if there are any unspent dollars, it goes into budget similar to how Mr. Whitten balances the big budget. 

 

Commissioner Bolin inquired if the ratio between deputies and residents is based on real-time population figures; with Sheriff Parker responding affirmatively.  Commissioner Bolin inquired if there is a decrease in the population in Brevard County.  Sheriff Parker stated it is basically the unincorporated population; the road deputies are assigned to protecting the citizens in the unincorporated area; and that is the ratio that he looks at. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she represents a large portion of unincorporated Brevard County, and she would like to thank the Sheriff’s Office; she has always had a great response time from the Sheriff’s Office; and she will support Sheriff Parker’s budget.

 

Chairman Nelson stated the Board has a tough task ahead of it, and he does not know if Sheriff Parker will get an answer today.  Sheriff Parker stated he understands that; the Board has always been very supportive of public safety issues.  Chairman Nelson stated he appreciates what Sheriff Parker has done; and the fact that he has kept his budget at the same funding level each year has been a godsend for the Board because it has done nothing but cut since coming into office.

 

 

 

Dale Young stated he is the Chairman of the Citizens Budget Review Committee; before the Board is the unanimous proposal of all the members of the Committee; the first proposal is rolling back the budget to the year 04-05; and that is because the revenues reflect the 04–05 year, so if the revenues are at that level, it would seem logical that the expenditures would be at that level.  He noted proposal two was on new park projects; the Committee said if a project has not been started, and if there has not been any money spent on it, it should be deferred until a better economy; it would be money still in the bank that can be used to reduce the debt obligation,  debt service,  and for future  maintenance of the projects that the Board has; and the Committee felt the County could not afford the extravagant park program that has been launched. 

 

He advised the Board started out with a beginning year budget of $1,095 billion; it wound up at $1,184 billion; the beginning budget encompasses all of the expected revenues and expenditures; and it raises the question, what did the Board do with $88 million.  He stated the third proposal suggests that in the coming year those supplements be used to either go to reserves or debt service; in the current budget message there is a statement made that is slightly misleading, which says the 2009 budget represents a decrease of approximately $100 million, and it does save from the current budget year; however, the Board is not talking about the $1,184 billion, it is talking about the $1,095 billion, as the beginning budget.  He stated the Board’s budget this year is $1,084 billion, so instead of $100 million, it is an $11 million decrease in the budget; however, that is not entirely true because the Parks budget is reduced by $38 million because of completed projects; and so the Board has a $27 million increase this year.  He stated the fourth proposal concerns the adherence to the land buying procedures; there is a very comprehensive acquisition manual that has been deviated from seriously in the past couple of years to the detriment of Brevard taxpayers; and the Committee suggests the Board stick to the manual.  He advised the fifth proposal is adherence to the Brevard County Pay Performance Manual standards, which advised the Board how to do its performance ratings, pay raises, and promotions; the County went through the CODY Study, which has had serious consequences, and will continue to have serious consequences because this year probably is not the Board’s worst year; and the Committee advises the go back to the Pay Performance Manual.  He stated the next proposal has to do with Advisory Boards, but more specifically, with the Parks Advisory Boards; when it comes to the final product it is the Board’s responsibility as far as finances, revenues and expenditures; when there are 50 or 60 advisory boards, twisting the Board’s arms for additions to parks, the Board is leaving its responsibility; and it is up to the Board to look after the money, not people who are not elected. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she appreciated the Citizen Budget Review Committee for working hard on the proposals; and she knows the Committee did a lot of research.

 

Chairman Nelson stated the first proposal from the Committee is for the Board go back to the 04-05 budget year; over the last couple of years, the Board has made cuts in a variety of areas, but it has also funded 60 additional Correctional Officers; for the Board to get back to those levels, it would have to reduce those 60 Correctional Officers; and inquired if that is what the Committee is recommending. 

 

Mr. Young replied no, the Committee is saying that if the money is not there, how is the Board going to spend it; the only place where he knows the money can come from is taxes; and he does not believe government is going to be able to maintain the same level of expenditure if the economy is going in reverse.  He stated building permits have dropped 65 percent; and inquired if the Board plans to keep the same number of people in Planning and Zoning.  Chairman Nelson advised the Board has not kept the same number of people in Planning and Zoning, and inquired if the Committee looked at that; and stated those areas have been reduced significantly.  Mr. Young advised the Committee has looked at it at length; if those people are transferred to some other County department, it does not help the Board; the Board let go of 150 people, but half of them were vacant positions; and that is not a  significant  cut.   Chairman Nelson stated a vacancy is a position that someone left; it is not that it is not needed, it just means it was not filled; the County has a hiring freeze right now; and if someone leaves or retires, that just means the positions have not been filled, not that they are not needed.   He noted the County also had a voluntary layoff program, in which employees have left, which contributed to the number of 150; there have been a variety of ways in which that number was created; and the inference that there are 150 unnecessary positions is inaccurate.

 

Commissioner Infantini stated what Mr. Young is trying to say if the Board needs the 60 positions, there are other areas, and the Board should prioritize its spending; if the 04-05 revenue is where the Board should be, then the Board needs to prioritize where those dollars go; the Sheriff’s Office is a priority, as is the Fire Department; and the Board has to answer to its taxpayers if it is going to continue to raise taxes.  Mr. Young stated the Committee did not try to tell the Board where to make the cuts; the fact is the Board lost $5 million in assessed revenue; it cannot be made up; and there is not the need for services that there was in 04-05, especially in new construction.  He stated the Board’s major growth in revenue is new construction; and it seems logical to him that some of the rest of the things need to go backwards, just like in the private industry. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated right now, the Board has a balanced budget, and it does that; and inquired if Mr. Young is talking about going beyond where the current budget proposal is.  Mr. Young stated the $1,084 billion is actually going forward.  Chairman Nelson inquired if Mr. Young has done an analysis of the $88 million.  Mr. Young advised the Board has a supplemental report that breaks down where the $88 million went.  Chairman Nelson stated he recalls a meeting in which it was stated that $10 million was for Pineda Interchange; and inquired if Mr. Young is saying the Board should not reflect that it received $10 million from FDOT to build the Interchange.  He stated the Board goes through a process where unexpended project dollars have to be re-budgeted because they were going to be spent six months in advance of the budget, so if a project does not get finished, they have to reestablish the budget and it gets carried forward; and that is part of the $88 million.  Mr. Young stated he thinks a lot of it is unbudgeted sales tax, gas tax, document stamps, income, bonds, and grants. 

 

Chairman Nelson inquired if the Board receives unbudgeted dollars that Mr. Young just reflected.  Stockton Whitten, Interim County Manager, advised staff is projecting the receipt of all revenues, including fund balances; staff made a best guess at the fund balances; and that is made by the Budget Office with confirmation by County Finance.  He stated budgeting is a projection of what the Board expects to receive based on using a methodology; and so there is nothing expected to be received that has not been budgeted within the proposal.

 

Mr. Young stated what the Committee is saying is if the supplemental funding is not committed for one of those projects, then it needs to go to debt service or reserves.  Chairman Nelson stated as the Sheriff indicated, if he has leftover dollars in his MSTU it can only stay in that MSTU, it cannot be sent somewhere else.  Mr. Young stated that is taken care of in the Board’s budget, it is not taken out of the Sheriff’s budget.  Chairman Nelson stated actually, it is only as good as the Sheriff’s estimate of how much he thought he would expend, so when he does have leftover dollars, the Board has no choice but to reflect those in a supplement; and it cannot be sent to debt service or anywhere else. 

 

Mr. Young stated that is what the Committee is saying; and if it is not committed to some project or some expenditure, then it needs to go to debt service.  Chairman Nelson inquired what that number would be if it is not $80 million.  Mr. Whitten stated it would be zero.  Mr. Young stated if that is the case, then zero would be devoted to reserves and debt service.  Mr. Whitten noted Mr. Young stated not dedicated or not going to a specific project; the nature of fund balances is staff is excluding the General Government Fund balances, which were budgeted at $17 million; the nature of how staff does fund balances is that it is dedicated to something within the Board’s approved budget; it is either bond reserves if it is a specific project, or it is the reserves as a result of coverage requirements; and the history of how the budget has been built is that those General Fund balances within other revenue accounts are for projects, or for projects that have not been completed, or for bond requirements, or for coverage requirements. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he knows there is approximately $20 million for the St. Johns Heritage Parkway; and inquired if that is reflected here, or is it reflected on the balance forward.  Mr. Whitten stated it is a disposition of all funds, and so yes, it is reflected in the budget proposal.  Commissioner Anderson inquired if it is separate than what Mr. Young is explaining.  Mr. Whitten replied no, it will be included; staff makes a guess if a project is occurring this fiscal year and it is a $10 million project; the Board will spend $5 million; and the $5 million that is not spent is rolled over as a fund balance. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated in 2007 the Board of County Commissioners collected all of the LOGT it was funding for maintenance purposes and other purposes throughout the budget, into a single source so it could bond those dollars to build the parkway; to offset the loss of those dollars, it used General Fund to fund maintenance and other things; and to do what Mr. Young is saying, either the Board has to go back and get the LOGT, or provide even lesser service in those areas.  He stated it is a very complicated process that cannot go back to 2004; the Board has to look at the budget dollars available today, decide the priorities, and move forward; and he thinks it is naïve to think the Board can go back and do what it was doing in 2004 because things have changed. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated he takes exception with the Committee’s second proposal regarding extravagant park projects because those were voter approved; the Board just had a discussion on whether or not to build community centers; and now the Board is in conflict with that because Commissioner Infantini is in favor of the construction of those projects, but now the Committee is suggesting the Board does not construct those projects. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he had people in his office yesterday talking about John Rodes Boulevard and whether the Board is going to do a ditch or a culvert in regards to savings; stated it is apparent the Board is coming in under budget on that project; he is assuming the Board does not have to spend that money, as the referendum just says it can move forward with the projects; and inquired if that can be used to pay down the debt service.  Mr. Whitten advised the only clarification he would make would be to the term, ‘pay down the debt service’; the Board has paid down some of the debt service in this fiscal year budget, but it can make unscheduled payments or take the saved dollars and make this year’s payments, but it will still have the remainder of the debt service schedule; and it would just end earlier, but the Board would still have the ability to collect dollars to make next year’s debt payment.  Chairman Nelson stated the Board would be using borrowed money to pay down debt; and financially, he does not know how that works.  Commissioner Anderson stated his point is the Board may be able to pay it off in 2022 instead of 2024.  Chairman Nelson stated he understands what Commissioner Anderson is saying, but it is using borrowed money to make payments; and that means the debt is still owed. 

 

Steve Burdett, County Finance Director, stated what he clarified with the County’s Bond Counsel is if the Board elected to not continue a project, it decided it was not appropriate to continue spending that money, and it just wanted to pay the debt down, the Board could actually take money from that project and use it towards the debt service on that bond.  He stated the money will only last a certain period of time, and at some point the Board will have to come back and continue to tax to pay those debts off.  Chairman Nelson stated the Board has not saved money.  Commissioner Anderson stated no, the Board has not saved money, but it is ending the term sooner.  Chairman Nelson stated no, it is not ending the term sooner.  Mr. Burdett advised with the issue of the bonds there is a 10-year call period, so they have to stay out 10 years, and that is how the County’s bonds are marketed; after 10 years of the 20-year bond, the Board can call the bond; but the recent issues on the park projects were done before 2001; and so the Board is not at the 10-year mark to be able to call upon those bonds.  He stated if the Board were to cancel a $30 million project, it could use that $30 million to pay four or five years on that bond’s debt service, if that is what the Board chose to do.  Commissioner Fisher stated the Board would have to go back to the voters who approved that project. 

 

Don Lusk, Parks and Recreation Director, stated all of the projects have money to complete them; Merritt Island is completely done; everything is finished in the north end of the County; and as Commissioner Anderson mentioned, the south is coming in under the 2006 budget allocations that were done; and so there is money to finish all of the projects.  Commissioner Anderson inquired if there is only enough money for two and a half years of operations for the community centers.  Mr. Lusk replied that is staff’s estimate based on last years dollars; staff is trying to stretch that out for as long as possible when it comes to community centers; there are a lot of options as to how those can be run to earn revenues; and the current subsidy model is not the direction the Board has to go in, in the future, as there are ways to earn more revenues in those locations.  Commissioner Fisher inquired if there was a $750,000 savings and the project was built, that $750,000 could be used for operations.  Mr. Burdett replied no, the Board cannot use it for $750,000.  Commissioner Fisher inquired what could the Board do with the $750,000.  Mr. Whitten stated the south County annual debt payment is $4.5 million; if the Board has $4.5 million in the bank that it is not using; the schedule goes out to 2024; the Board does not have to tax in 2023 or 2024 to make that last payment; the Board will not be shortening the debt schedule, it will shorten the amount of time in which the Board will be taxing the citizens; and so those dollars sit in the bank to be applied towards some future debt payment on the debt side.  Chairman Nelson stated it also puts the Board in the position of paying interest on the payment that it made because it is borrowed money; and so the Board is actually paying interest on its payment itself. 

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired if the Board can reduce the debt service millage rate; last year, in order to meet the 10 percent mandatory operating budget decrease, the Board just shifted out of operating how much money was collected and moved it to debt service and increased the debt service millage and decreased the operating millage.  Mr. Whitten advised the Board is doing  that  again  this  year  because it has to make the debt  service payment.   Commissioner Infantini inquired if the Board has extra money from a project that is going to come in under budget on, could the Board reduce the millage; stated instead of needing $4.5 million, the Board would only need to collect $2 million; and inquired if the Board only needs to collect $2 million, can that millage rate be reduced.  Mr. Whitten stated the Board can do that with the understanding that it will have to go back up in the next fiscal year; that has been done with the EEL Program debt; staff has taken some of the saved proceeds and reduced the debt rate on the EEL side; and that can be done for Parks, but the Board has to understand that it will have to go back up in the next fiscal year to make up the debt payment. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated the second part of the equation is that the projects were needed in those communities.  Commissioner Anderson stated everyone’s view of what is needed and what is wanted has changed dramatically.  He stated he looks at the aggregate millage rate, and if a millage rate can be lowered for a year to take some pain off somewhere else, he does not have an issue doing that; and he does not know if it is something the Board wants to explore.  Chairman Nelson stated as a reminder, a south issue is a south issue, it does not impact Merritt Island at all because those are being paid for by those citizens; in the north end, if the Board goes in a certain direction to stop projects, then Commissioner Fisher’s life will become a lot more difficult.  Commissioner Fisher stated he has Marina Park in his District; renovations to that park are beginning; and the business side of him asks how a park can begin renovations when funds are restricted.  He stated there are some citizens in his District that only voted for the referendum because the marina was important to them, although they did not care about some other things on the referendum.  Chairman Nelson stated the citizens are going to continue to pay that debt and never get the facility. 

 

Commissioner Fisher stated because of Mr. Young’s recommendations he looked at each department; when looking at each department’s General Fund transfer, the numbers are way down from where they were in 04-05; the only department that really has any significant increase in numbers from 2006 is the Sheriff’s Office; the Sheriff’s General Fund transfer in 2006 was $75 million; the General Fund transfer request for this year is $82 million; on the employee side, the Sheriff’s Office has 85 additional employees; and most of the other departments are down 20 percent to 40 percent.  Commissioner Anderson stated another important point is that previous Boards have strapped the current Board into a lot of debt since that timeframe; there is a certain bucket for General Fund transfers; and the debt service has increased since 2004 dramatically.  Mr. Whitten stated there is the LOGT and additional debt for voter-approved; the only general government debt he can recall was what was done at the County’s jail; if the Board looks back between 04-05 and today, on the general government side, the only debt the Board has incurred has been for the jail; and the others are LOGT for road projects, and then whatever the increases were for the additional bonding for EEL’s and Parks and Recreation Department voter approved.  Commissioner Anderson stated those were championed by the previous Board.  Chairman Nelson stated he does not know how a previous Board can be blamed for a citizen’s vote.  Commissioner Anderson stated the previous Board can be blamed because they were championing it and making a lot of promises; for instance, with the horse stalls, the previous Board stated there were going to be horses at Wickham Park; but now it is empty; and either the past Commissioners lied, or they were very naïve.  Commissioner Infantini stated the previous Boards did not listen to the audit report that was issued in 2006 before the bond referendum was presented to the public to let them know the prices  were  going  down,  that  the  Board  should  not  be  increasing  its budget, it  should  be decreasing it; and had the previous Board done that, it would not have made a lot of promises to the taxpayers which now this Board is trying to answer to and now has to live up to.  She stated the citizens were told their property taxes would not increase by voting for the millage; but it was not explained that taxes would increase if property taxes went down and all of the money is spent financing debt service and there is no money in the operating budget; and had that been presented to the citizens, they would have made a more intelligent decision. 

 

Mr. Young stated Commissioner Fisher is correct in saying there is not whole lot of change, so where is the extra $200 million; and that is what the Board needs to look for.  Commissioner Fisher stated in defense of the Sheriff’s Office, part of the need for the additional employees was the fourth tent at the jail. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated inquired what is the Citizen Budget Review Committee’s issue with the CODY Study.  Mr. Young replied after looking it over, he thinks it threw the pay scales completely out of kilter; and it did not follow the Board’s approved performance manual.  Chairman Nelson stated he does not think that is accurate.  Frank Abbate, Interim Assistant County Manager, advised the CODY Study was 100 percent in accordance with the County’s merit system policies; he is proud to say that in a recent audit by the internal auditors, the County received glowing reviews relative to its compliance with the pay and classification plan, which is part of the Board’s merit system.  Chairman Nelson inquired if the biggest component of the CODY Study was the Sheriff’s Deputies.  Mr. Abbate replied yes, there were two components; on one, the CODY Study, which was a Board authorized effort to address pay disparities; there was approximately $3 million on the employees across the board who were not Fire Rescue, or Sheriff’s Deputies; Fire Rescue never participated in the CODY Study, although there was an analysis done and the Board approved things for Fire Rescue through the collective bargaining negotiations; and on the Sheriff’s side, the answer for the deputies was in the area of approximately $5 million.  Chairman Nelson stated that is approximately half of the entire implementation cost.  Mr. Abbate stated that is more than half of the cost.  Chairman Nelson stated the Board just saw a presentation by the Sheriff that shows the deputies in Brevard County were in the bottom tier of the surrounding counties; and that includes the STEP increase that was provided last year.  He stated he does not understand how the conclusion can be drawn that that was some kind of exorbitant application of a job study and pay study.  Mr. Young stated the Committee found in some cases there were 15 percent and 25 percent increases in pay; and some of the department directors had significant increases in pay.  Chairman Nelson stated that was based on a study of jobs within the market.  Mr. Young stated it did not follow the Board’s guidelines.  Chairman Nelson stated the CODY Study did follow the guidelines; the Board commissioned a study of salaries, and that is what it got; and the Board has the ability within its career of service to do that.  Mr. Young stated that is correct, but the Board has to pay the consequences from now on. 

 

Chief Dan Rocque, Fire Rescue, Satellite Beach stated he is also the Space Coast Fire Chief Association (SCFCA) President, and represents, through the SCFCA, all of the First Responder partners in both law enforcement and Fire Rescue.  He stated no one can deny first responders, whether law enforcement or ALS Fire Rescue personnel, they are a critical component within the Brevard County EMS system; they are the first to arrive, the first to have patient contact, the first to treat; and they are the backbone of a two-tier system, which is effective, efficient, and demonstrates a phenomenal cost-to-benefit ratio.  He advised eliminating First Responder funding may actually cost Brevard County in the long run; he understands the financial dilemma the Board is struggling with; Fire Rescue is dealing with potential layoffs, a brown-out of services, and affording expensive medication for the patients; and inquired how does a critical component of the EMS system all of a sudden lose support and funding.   He stated the First Responder Program is not funding municipal services; it helps to fund a critical component to the overall Brevard County EMS system; and it benefits all who live and visit Brevard County. 

 

Commissioner Anderson inquired if funding is eliminated, what options do the municipalities have; and inquired if the municipalities can put the County in a situation where it would actually cost it more money, correct.  Chief Rocque replied municipalities provide a third person in the back of an ambulance for critical care patients; some municipalities provide housing for transport crews within their city at no cost to Brevard County; and there are a lot of things the municipalities have done on their side to support the First Responder Program.  He noted the First Responder monies is a fractional part and does not even come close to covering personnel costs; but it doe provide a partnership; and right now, under the First Responder Contract, all the County has to do is call Satellite Beach and they will respond anywhere in Brevard County where needed.  He stated Satellite Beach does that by contract; when that contract goes away, so does those services; it is a win/win situation not only for the personnel who are providing the services, but most importantly, the person who is receiving those services are the one’s that receive the greatest benefit in the timely and effective, efficient response of emergency medical services; and he is asking that the Board not eliminate the Program, but work together to come up with some funding solutions. 

 

Dennis Neterer, Interim Fire Chief, stated last year’s budget was submitted without funding First Responder; the decision was made later in the summer to go ahead and fund the program; and there was Board discussion concerning the potential of being the last year of doing it.  He noted the Program was funded in this year’s budget, but it was funded out of EMS balance forward, non-reoccurring funding for the Program.  He stated Fire Rescue was tasked to meet the 20 percent reduction costs; the Department included the Program as unfunded in its budget proposal, but it was under the assumption that the Board would make a decision as to whether or not to continue on that Program.

 

Commissioner Fisher inquired if Mr. Neterer has the funding built in his deduction.  Mr. Neterer responded no, it is in the budget, but it is an unfunded program.   Mr. Whitten advised it is not built into the budget based on the prior year’s discussion at Board level.  Commissioner Bolin stated if the Board wants to fund it, is has to reduce $1.6 million somewhere else in the budget.  Mr. Neterer advised it is $1.3 million to $1.4 million.  Commissioner Bolin stated the Board will have to cut another service in order to be able to fund First Responder.  Commissioner Fisher noted the Board can go into the reserves again to fund it.

 

Mr. Whitten stated the Board asked staff to go back and look at the health insurance; there is an exchange  of  dollars,  and   reductions  and   eliminations  in  other  services;  it  equates  to  28 additional positions that would be reduced if those  were paid $50,000 per year; and so it can be those, it can be a combination of those, but in essence, the bottom line is the Board would have to get those dollars from other programs or services, or increase the general countywide millage rate. 

 

Commissioner Bolin stated Chief Rocque informed the Board that Cocoa Beach has some County staff in its facilities co-habitating; and inquired if they are there during business hours, or are they sleeping at the facilities. 

 

Chief Rocque advised Cocoa Beach has made available a building facility for one of the Brevard County Fire Rescue transport units to station themselves in and work out of; and they do eat, sleep, and respond to calls from there.  He stated EMS is a true partnership; there is give and take on both sides; and for this funding to be eliminated, is very difficult to swallow.  He stated he would be open to a 30 percent reduction just to keep the program alive because it provides a level of service that is enjoyed throughout Brevard County. 

 

Commissioner Fisher stated the Board is responsible for all the citizens of Brevard County whether they live in the city or the unincorporated area; and inquired how the County actually benefits from First Responder.  Mr. Neterer replied the First Responder Program helps fund the municipalities’ ability to provide advance life support fore engine service as opposed to basic life support EMT level, and the costs associated with it.  He stated if the Board is telling him to find $1.4 million internally, it would cause him a reduction of service on the EMS side; and that would be a reduction of people and ambulances.

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he has always felt the municipal residents pay into the General Fund also, but they get very little in return from the County, except for roads; and the unincorporated residents to not get any kind of subsidy to support that.  Chairman Nelson stated the amount could be reduced, but the unincorporated areas continues to be treated, in effect, unfairly.  Commissioner Anderson stated he is looking for a compromise because he knows health and safety is important; and the municipal fire departments make up the majority of the services for Fire Rescue in the County.  Chairman Nelson advised Brevard County Fire Rescue is the largest agency. 

 

Commissioner Fisher inquired if there is a way to consolidate and partner up a little bit differently with fire departments in the cities and municipalities; stated it seems like there are some duplicate services; and inquired if there is a way to create a $1.5 million savings by doing some partnerships with different municipalities.  Mr. Neterer advised from a fire protection perspective, what Commissioner Fisher is talking about is automatic aid; Brevard County has an automatic aid agreement with the City of Satellite Beach and some other municipal partners that basically says, regardless of geographical boundaries, those fire trucks need to be on scene first; in terms of providing ALS service and the costs associated, it is really a discussion about a level of service; and he does not think there is any way to affect a savings.  Commissioner Fisher inquired what would happen if there was not a Brevard County fire station in the City of Titusville.  Mr. Neterer replied there is always a savings in reducing assets, equipment, and personnel.  Commissioner Fisher inquired if something like that could be done, along with some partnerships, to get the $1.5 million.  Mr. Neterer replied he does not believe so because one thing to remember is EMS funding  and the EMS system is  separate from the fire side of things; the MSTU  and  the fire  assessment are  separate; and if Commissioner Fisher is asking him if money can be saved by removing fire trucks here and there, the answer is no, in terms of EMS because those 28 ambulances still need to be run. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated if the Board discusses consolidation there might be some edges where some things can be worked out, but the savings then is on the fire side for the Board; the EMS side is still going to persist because it is already countywide; and the savings is not on the EMS side, but it is actually on the fire side.

 

Chairman Nelson expressed appreciation to Chief Rocque for doing a great job over the years of representing the fire departments on the issue; he knows the unincorporated County is the loser in the process, but if it makes it work to continue that service, and the County does not participate, but the cities continue to get some resources, that is certainly a direction he would be supportive of because he believes that is important.  Chief Rocque stated there is room for negotiation.

 

The Board recessed at 11:00 a.m. and reconvened at 11:21 a.m.

 

 

Bill Cunningham, EDC Chairman Elect, stated with him today is Dan Evans, EDC Chairman of the Board, George Mikitarian, Immediate Past Chairman, Lynda Weatherman, President and CEO, Marshall Heard, Space Consultant, and Lee Solid, Space Consultant.  He stated more than 150 high-level, local business leaders contribute time, knowledge, and energy, which is an effort, if measured in dollars, that would be enormous; it should not be understated, as it is powerful, meaningful, and effective; and the County receives huge benefits from their contributions of time and money.  He stated the EDC recognizes how tough it is for the Board this year to make cutbacks that impact the lives of its citizens; and the EDC appreciates the difficulty of the Board’s task and hopes to continue to support the Board.  He stated unemployment continues to escalate; Brevard County has now lost almost 10,000 jobs in the last year alone, reaching a level of 10.7 percent unemployment, or almost 29,000 people, which has not been seen since 1977; in some parts of the County, such as Palm Bay, unemployment has spiked even higher; and the corresponding countywide rate 12 months ago was just 6.2 percent.  He stated Brevard County’s Index of Retail Activity continues to remain around the 200 mark, which is a diminished level of spending not seen since 2003; looming job cuts at Kennedy Space Center move closer each passing month; with approximately six percent of Brevard’s workforce slated to lose jobs or face dramatic career changes, the potential impacts are staggering; and in short, Brevard County faces continuing challenges in the months and years ahead.  He stated the EDC and its coalition members work to build and protect the economy to help keep and grow new and existing companies and the military that provide the jobs, the taxes, and the community support for Brevard County; the EDC also projects potentially negative impacts to the community and work to mitigate or eliminate those threats; the EDC fights to keep government programs and commercial endeavors, and the jobs and tax base that comes along with them; and the EDC also targets new programs and company expansion that can offer the high value jobs and investment the citizens deserve.  He stated the EDC’s new three-year  strategic  plan,  officially   adopted  earlier  this  year,  has   been   shared   with   the Commissioners, municipal leaders, business leaders, and the community as a whole; and everyone the EDC has talked with is committed to the plan.  He stated the EDC’s strategic actions will do the following:  create 2,250 jobs, change 12 business-related policies, and become a Community of Distinction; for the business development goal, it is estimated that a Brevard economy with 2,250 new jobs in place would gain $1.25 billion in annual sales, $339.3 million in labor income, and approximately 5,698 jobs; and the impact would permeate virtually all sectors.  He advised for the marketing goal, Community of Distinction creates reversal in declining population growth, new demand for housing, renewal of property base, and keeping the community in the minds of Corporate America; and for the competitive business environment goal, the 12 Changed Business Policies create better business climate, turnaround in anemic commercial construction, and renewal of tax base. 

 

He noted retirement of the Space Shuttle will occur in just over one year, with a potential $2.7 billion economic impact, including 13,000 Brevard jobs lost; the County portion of economic development funding is being used to aggressively meet this monumental challenge; and the EDC has been faithfully dedicated on a daily basis to developing and working every lead necessary to uncover opportunities that match the Space Coast’s unique attributes.  He stated the following are some key initiatives the EDC has played a major role in bringing to fruition:  1.) In addition to the 200 jobs associated with the CEV win, Lockheed Martin has announced it will create another 70 assembly and checkout jobs beyond those originally envisioned; 2.) Space X has brought approximately 40 jobs to Brevard in support of the Falcon 9 launch due in the Fall, and could bring hundreds more depending on their future commercial opportunities; 3.) the EDC has been successful in encouraging Kennedy Space Center to create plans for several emerging tasks, which could have a positive impact on the jobs forecast; 4.) Legislators have recognized the workforce impacts associated with a post-Shuttle-era, and have addressed the use of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory; and 5.) the Augustine Commission, which is a group appointed by President Obama, is reviewing four areas of the human space flight program.

 

He stated a recent independent third party study by National Community Development Services showed that during the period FY 2003 – 2008 the EDC’s efforts accounted for 7,944 new or retained jobs, $398 million in new or retained employee earnings, and  total impact of $1.7 billion; further, the EDC provides a real and substantial impact on the County’s bottom line; and rather than viewing the County portion of economic development funding as an expense for a service, it needs to be viewed for what it is, which is a proactive, strategic marketing investment.  He stated he would urge the Board to stay the course without any cuts to this important, high-yield investment organization; the County’s portion of funding economic development should be held available to sustain the necessary tax base in the next few years; the EDC assessed the 10 percent reduction called for in the preliminary budget provided last week and have developed tentative plans to implement it; but now is not the time to shorten the effort, but to attack it at full force.  He stated economic development is critical, now more than ever, to every citizen in Brevard County, especially the 10 percent or more who are now on unemployment, and the thousands of aerospace workers who will need new jobs after 2010.

 

Melissa Stains, Chairman of Brevard County Council of Chambers, stated the Council of Chambers includes Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce, Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of  Commerce.   She advised  she  would like to present  the Board  with a  Resolution signed  by  all  Chambers  that  proclaims  their  partnership  to  build a better Brevard and their commitment to support the EDC’s economic strategies; and she would appeal to the Board to not reduce EDC’s funding.  She stated the Chambers realize it is an extremely tight budget year, however, reducing the EDC’s budget by 10 percent, or $157,900, will not demonstrate to the citizens that economic development is the Board’s No. 1 priority; additionally, a reduction of 10 percent would impact the property tax revenue by $750,000; and during these tight budget periods, the County must push forward to continue to encourage, promote, and generate economic development. 

 

Christine Michaels, Melbourne-Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce, stated she met with Kim Agee of the EDC, who outlined for her the aggressive plan of work in front of the EDC; and Ms. Agee then met with Chamber leadership and decided to adopt a Resolution supporting the EDC’s efforts.  She advised the EDC’s goals for job creation will help ease the transition of the Shuttle Program; striving to be a designated Community of Distinction will further elevate Brevard County as a desirable place to work and live; the Competitive Business Environment Task Force will help ensure that the County and municipalities will continue to foster new and existing businesses; and the EDC’s lobbying efforts for aerospace and the military are crucial to getting Federal and State dollars, support, and attention for those core industries. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he has been on trips with the EDC and he thinks its dedication to Brevard County is tremendous and is appreciated; however, he has constituents that he needs to answer to; and although the EDC has had successes in the past, it has not been without controversy.  He stated there is not a Commissioner on the Board who is not pro-economic development; the Board believes Brevard County has the people to sell the case that Brevard is where people need to be to do any kind of high end technical business; however, $1.5 million residents in his District, that has a high unemployment rate, equals 25 public workshops, 25 deputies, or 25 firefighters; and he has to sell the EDC’s funding to those people.  He stated his District has roads that are falling apart; money to the Sheriff’s Office and First Responder is $3 million that the Board does not have; and it is not that he is anti-EDC, but he needs the ammunition to support what it is requesting.

 

Mr. Cunningham stated the fundamental goal of the EDC is to create jobs; right now, Palm Bay is suffering, as it has been hit more by the construction activity than the rest of the County; and the way out of that is to create jobs so the construction business turns again.  He stated the EDC cannot create jobs if it does not try to do it; and it needs a full effort to raise the probability of being highly successful.  He noted right now, if the EDC had not done what it has done over the last five years, the Board would have a $7.2 million additional problem; and he can assure the Board there is even more benefit that shows on the tax rolls. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated out of all the governments, Brevard County pays the lion’s share; however, the City of Melbourne reaps the benefits of getting businesses such as Embraer and Lockheed Martin more than the County does in many aspects; and inquired if the municipalities have been approached and asked to step up to the plate to equal value as the County. 

 

Lynda Weatherman advised the EDC’s work with the cities has been getting them to become a member of the EDC first; as the roles of the cities and municipalities and their funding increases, the EDC can go back and look at the budget and address the issues with the County; the EDC’s funding per capita is approximately $2.8 million; and the average of public funding might be a little less than that. 

 

Commissioner Bolin stated Brevard County is unique in its situation; other counties do not have the problems Brevard County is facing because of the Space Center; stated Brevard County is fighting for its life right now; she considers the EDC the frontline in the fight; and she is not in favor of cutting off the supply line.  She stated Mr. Cunningham just explained very carefully that the business leaders in Brevard County have stripped down the EDC and rebuilt it under a new strategic plan; and she feels comfortable that every dime is being used efficiently and with the best return on investment. 

 

Commissioner Fisher stated he believes the EDC is proactive and does a great job; the Board is either going to have to raise taxes or generate more revenue; and the EDC plays an important part in helping to generate that revenue with additional businesses.  He stated the north end of the County is going to be hit hard with the retirement of the Space Shuttle; bringing in jobs is going to be important in his District; and he is counting on the EDC to help to do that.

 

Commissioner Anderson stated the County Commission is not the only entity that funds the EDC; and inquired what percentage does Brevard County pay of the EDC’s overall budget.  Mr. Cunningham replied overall, adding together all the private investments, and grants that it actively pursues, Brevard County pays a little under 50 percent.

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired if the EDC’s revenue is $3.2 million.  Mr. Cunningham responded yes, it is approximately $3 million when including all of the grants. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated in the County’s SAP Program there is a section in it for requests; and inquired if that is what each department individually submitted to the County as the request for what they needed.  She stated when going through the SAP process, she saw that the EDC had submitted a budget request less than last year’s budget.  Chairman Nelson stated it is similar to what happened today with Sheriff Parker; stated Sheriff Parker noted his request was actually greater than what was submitted in the budget.  Stockton Whitten, Interim County Manager, stated EDC’s initial request was status quo, so staff scenario played with all of the outside funding for a 20 percent reduction, which is what Commissioner Infantini is probably seeing in the SAP Program.  Commissioner Infantini stated she thought that was what each department had requested as opposed to what the Board wanted them to request. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated one of her concerns is that the Board is doing huge budget cuts regarding health insurance, and increased cost sharing; and just as the County has the Florida Retirement System and the health insurance it helps subsidize, one of the things that could be cut back on could be the retirement plan funding, which is at approximately 20 percent, or on the medical reimbursement, if there was a lower contribution for that, it could be one way to decrease some of the expenses of the EDC.  Chairman Nelson advised the EDC is on the County’s health plan, so whatever the Board does, the EDC is going to do.  Ms. Weatherman stated those are some things that the EDC has discussed; and it is going to be discussed with the Finance Committee.

 

Chairman Nelson stated the EDC is a very conservative fiscal group; the EDC is made up of people who take their jobs very seriously; they are not looking for a handout, they are looking for the resources to be able to work and benefit the community; and the EDC has also put up its money at the same time it is asking the Board to do the same.  He stated his experience has been that the EDC has been of great assistance; the EDC has helped with the cost cutting efforts on a department-by-department basis; and the EDC is not a group that is not prepared to do all of the right things.  He stated many of the space workers live in Districts 1 and 2; Merritt Island has already lost Sea Ray; and the EDC is now working to find other tenants for those facilities.  He stated he appreciates the effort and hard work of the EDC. 

 

Commissioner Anderson stated he feels that the Board needs to talk to the municipalities; he is not going to vote to raise any millage rate; he does not think Sheriff Parker or Chief Neterer are going to give up anything; but he would be willing to sit down with the EDC and the municipalities to ask for help.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated when the Board released the contract for the space lobbyist in Washington, D.C., it put $180,000 into the contingency fund; there is a possibility that the Board could use that to shore up the EDC, because that is the area the EDC has been working on diligently; and it would just be a transfer of money from one line item to another and the Board would not have to raise taxes because it is already budgeted.  Commissioner Anderson stated the EDC would still be under.  Commissioner Bolin stated the Board would not have to give the EDC the whole $180,000.

 

Chairman Nelson stated he agrees with Commissioner Anderson on having the cities participating as long as there are no strings attached; one of the difficulties would be if cities feel they have a special interest beyond the general of the community; jobs need to be kept in the County; and he would hate to think it would give the cities any additional leverage on location of facilities.  Commissioner Anderson stated he understands that concern; but the Board has listed public safety as the Number 1 priority, and economic development as Number 2.

 

Thomas Hargrave, representing the Brevard Achievement Center and the Interagency Council of Brevard’s Legislative Task Force, stated he would like to thank the Board for the opportunity to deliver a statement of support for the Space Coast Area Transit (SCAT).  He stated over the course of the past 15 consecutive months, SCAT has exceeded 100,000 fixed route passenger boardings; for the month of June 2009, SCAT set an all time fixed route ridership record of 125,894 passenger boardings; overall, ridership has increased 15.51 percent; and for the second time in history, SCAT has surpassed 1 million passenger boardings.  He noted in 2000, SCAT provided 300,000 passenger trips for the entire year; currently, fixed route passenger trips are at 1,029,493, which shows the community’s need for this service; transportation is a critical issue for individuals with disabilities and the community as a whole, often affecting the opportunity to lead independent lives; and with the continued support of the Board, the citizens’ quality of life will continue to improve, including individuals with disabilities.  He stated on behalf of the Interagency Council of Brevard, he recommends SCAT services remain in place for the upcoming fiscal year, as it will continue to build on the positive impact the public transportation system has had on thousands of Brevard County residents.

 

 

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired how is the certification of the roll coming along. 

 

Scott Ellis, Clerk of Courts, advised it is finished, but what needs to be represented is that the Value Adjustment Board (VAB) is its own Board; his office is the Clerk to the Board, not the VAB; therefore, if someone has a request of the VAB there is a Chairman that they should approach; and it is the same thing as Commissioner Nelson being the Chairman of the Brevard County Commission.  He stated there is some misunderstanding over what the VAB is about and who is truly in charge of the VAB, and the difference between the Chairman and being the Clerk to the Board.  He noted there has been some suggestions made, such as the deadline for the Special Magistrates, and issues like that; those are issues that need to be taken up by the VAB, which is the body that is made up of two Commissioners, a School Board member and two private entities; and there seems to have been some confusion over who is actually in charge of the VAB.  He advised the roll is completed; but had there been deadlines, it would have been important to give those deadlines to the VAB, which is not just the Clerk, it is also those who are on the VAB. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she will be on the Value Adjustment Board next year and she promises to call well in advance and let Mr. Ellis know of deadlines.

 

Mr. Ellis stated if any entity has a deadline that is necessary, they need to let the Board know so then the County Attorney, who draws up the contracts for the Special Magistrates, will set those up as a suggestion that there is 20 or 30 days to finish the returns; and if there is a drop dead date for when the want the final meeting to be, they need to let the Board know what that drop dead date is when the VAB meets.  He stated there was a political orchestration at the VAB meeting last week; he wishes he had known about it ahead of time, as he would have been there himself to present, but he was not told until after the fact, what had happened.

 

Chairman Nelson stated the two years he served on it, there were never the two citizens, and the Legislature changed that; and it was kind of strange to appear for the final certification meeting and find out there are now two citizens on the VAB; but the law must have changed.  Mr. Ellis advised the law changed effective July 1, 2009.  He advised there are still other counties that are holding hearings.

 

Commissioner Bolin noted at the VAB meeting last week, the item Mr. Ellis is referring to was brought up under a Board member’s report; no one on the VAB knew it would be discussed; and as the Chair, she was not aware the item would be discussed.  Mr. Ellis advised the VAB attorney knew it was going to be discussed; what happened was pre-arranged before the meeting, although the Board was not privy to it because it would have bumped into the Sunshine issue; it was pre-arranged by another member; and the VAB attorney was aware the issue was being brought forward.

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired if the VAB selects the Attorney, or does it have to keep the same Attorney.  Scott Knox, County Attorney, stated he does not advise it, but the answer is yes. 

 

Mr. Ellis stated the VAB functions like the County Commission; and the Board selects the Attorney,  as  well  as  the  Special  Magistrates.   Chairman  Nelson  stated  the  overlapping  is

confusing   because  of  multiple  tax   years.   Mr. Ellis  stated that is  right  because the  appeal process starts when the TRIM notice is received at the end of the summer and the hearings move into the next year; and there are a lot of homesteads that are going to be heard this time around.  He noted he does not see any slow down at the VAB; the tax roll is going backwards, but Brevard County is not going backwards nearly as quickly as other counties that the property appraisers are being more aggressive in trying to catch the bubble on the back side; and a continuing falling tax roll will probably be seen, and people are still coming into the VAB because they are over-assessed.  He stated if anything helps the Board make its decisions in this year’s budget it should be the knowledge that next year will probably not be any better. 

 

Commissioner Infantini inquired when the VAB software will come before the Board again.  Mr. Ellis advised it will go to the School Board; and they will review it and send something back to the Board.  Commissioner Bolin stated it was her understanding that the software item would not come back to the Board until August because the School Board has to do their review.  Mr. Ellis advised there are a lot of new things with the VAB; the portability is going to be a nightmare; he does not know why the State did it, as they do not understand what they have done; but portability was based on the tax shield, but now there is a rapidly declining market, so people argue their house was worth more, even though it was assessed less. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated Mr. Ellis provides a service to the Board, which are the Clerk to the Board services; but Mr. Ellis also has court services, which the Board has no responsibility for.  Mr. Ellis advised County Finance and Clerk to the Board now fall under the Board  of County Commissioners as it always did; the Courts are now under the State; and Recording is a quasi in-between with the County.  He stated the Clerk’s Office just got through trying to close its Courts fiscal year early; the State has now got the Clerks Office into a double fiscal year; he tried to close one on June 30^th and the other on September 30^th; but it has been a real mess.  He stated the Clerk’s Office is caught in the middle of being a State appendage and a County appendage; it is a very frustrating situation; and it is hard to close books nine months into a fiscal year when it was planned to be closed at 12 months.

 

 

The Board recessed at 12:27 p.m. and reconvened at 1:41 p.m.

 

 

 

Doug Baker, Citizen Budget Review Committee, stated he has a CPA firm in Titusville; stated he was tasked by Commissioner Fisher to look at the budget; he sought counsel from Finance Director Steve Burdett, whom he has known for 20 years; and as a business person he hopes the Board will understand that his time is limited from the standpoint of doing a lot of detailed work.  He stated the Interim County Manager gave the Citizen Budget Review Committee an overview of its challenges; the Committee anticipated there was going to be a budget shortfall at that point in time; and Commissioner Fisher advised him the Board’s general feeling was that it did not want to increase taxes.  He stated he looked at the budget from a standpoint of where the Board could save dollars; he believes the County had an unprecedented historical reference to a sliding scale, built up in expenditures from 2000 – 2008; in the statistical section of the CAFR is where  his attention got focused;  and he believes Mr. Young tried to discuss it with the Board this morning, and that was essentially the proposal that he came up with.  He stated his point was  that the  changes in  net assets is a great  place  to start  because  it actually tells the Board what its cash expenditures are for the County; the Board has heard numbers in the $1 billion range and then its budget domain is $200 million; and so the Board is all over the page in terms of what it actually controls.  He stated the County is in a completely different environment right now and the Board recognizes it by the budget constraints that are placed upon it; the country has gone into a recession of some sort; and people are not spending and sales tax dollars are not there.  He stated Brevard County has a very large amount of money if looking at the balance sheet; and inquired why the Board just does not take that money and use it; but as a CPA he sees unrestricted net assets and he sees cash that is in excess of unrestricted net assets.   He stated during each year of unprecedented growth, the Board diligently set a priority schedule for expenditures within those periods; there is no question that the Board and the Budget Office set priorities and set a budget; the budget established would be a good model because the priorities were already established; things have not changed much; gas has gotten more expensive; and food is more expensive; but people still seem to be earning about the same.  He stated this year the Board is looking at $183 million projected at some millage rate; there are two things that occurred during the last three years that point to the Board’s job being easier because it has information in front of it that says if it was good enough in 2005, why would it  not be good enough in 2009; he needed to look at those numbers closer to find out what happened; and again, he was startled by my findings.  He stated he has seen more commitment than he ever expected from governmental employees, or even private sector employees, to assess the situation and to do what was necessary to reduce staffing when they could; there is a proprietary sense with every budget director that the budget is his or her baby; and he commends and admires that.  What he has seen from department directors is a knowledge and awareness that they can trim the budget; the only observation that he can tell the Board as a CPA is that these guys are delivering the same, or more, level of service with less employees than they had in 2000; in an unprecedented period of growth, where there has been an increase of roughly 165 percent; and yet there has been a reduction in effective full-time employees.  He stated the Board is faced with two choices; one is to adjust the millage to get what it was getting in 2005 because obviously, it has a lot more taxable base to do it with; and that would involve raising revenues, but not a tax increase.  There is $28 million unrestricted in Solid Waste; there was restricted funds for rolling stock, and for landfill closure; and Solid Waste plans on doing some capital expansion.   He stated the Board is going to be in a more desperate mode next year; and he thinks the Board should prepare for that, but also hope for a turnaround.  He advised in summary, his recommendation is that the Board has to be innovative and creative; if the Board reduces its expenditures, it will have a perfect example of how it spent the monies from a priority standpoint in 2005 and 2006. 

 

Don Lusk, Parks and Recreation Director, stated he hopes for the day when the referendum projects are completed, which will be approximately late 2010 if nothing goes wrong; and hopefully after that there will not be any controversy.  He stated he would like to give the Board a sense of what the department is doing with this year’s budget, so it will know what kind of cuts are having to be made to get to the bottom line that it has been asked to get to; this is the third year that Parks and Recreation has been going through this scenario; the first two years, the department’s total position count was 93; and this year it will be losing 48 positions, 31 of which are filled and 17 are vacant.  He stated in the previous years, most lost positions were vacant positions; now the department is losing filled positions across-the-board such as maintenance, landscaping, and administrative  employees;  the  department’s  ad  valorem and  General Fund reduction is approximately $5.1 million; and the department is having to use balance forward funds and reserves.   He stated he  would like to mention  each area that is being cut and how it impacts that particular area; Parks and Recreation is like five different departments within one department in terms of how it does business with varied geographics; the managers make a lot the decision on how it impacts their areas; and so not everything is uniform like it might be in Libraries. 

 

He stated the community tells Parks and Recreation how they want the community centers to be run, and 10 hours are being cut at each of those facilities; every area will make the hourly cuts differently; some areas are doing midday closures of facilities to get to the 10 hour reduction; and in some cases there are centers opening later in the morning or closing earlier in the evening; and that is based on community preference and services at the community center.  He stated there will be nature centers impacted this year more than last year; Rotary Park in Merritt Island, Riverview in Rockledge, and Erma Nixon will lose a day of service at each of those locations, which stops the drop in traffic on those days and impacts the educational programs.  He stated the next area is aquatic programs, which is different from area to area; this year’s cuts goes along with the School Board’s pools; aquatics include swimming lessons, swim teams, and open swim hours for the public; Madison/Jackson will no longer be used in Titusville; and a lot of people will be referred to the YMCA.  He stated the pool at Satellite Beach High School will no longer be able to be used; people will be directed to the Palm Bay Aquatic Center; and the hours will be able to be kept at the Palm Bay Aquatic Center by using the seasonal staffing.  He noted in there are three pools the County owns in the central area of the County; while Merritt Island High School and Rockledge High School pools will be able to be used, there will be some service reduction hours at those locations.  He advised this year the public is going to see some of the things that are being cut; the biggest area he is concerned about is maintenance and repair; the reductions are being done at a time when there has been more facilities brought on and more land to manage; one thing that will not change is safety repairs; but what will change is response times when citizens have problems; every park is adjacent to a residential neighborhood; staff is not going to be able to get to the tree cuttings or ditch cleaning as quickly as in the past; and there will be a delay in routine maintenance such as parking lot repairs, resurfacing, striping and roof repair.  He stated the response times to leagues will also lengthen, such as refurbishing tennis courts and basketball courts; athletic field maintenance is also a big concern; the fields have very nice turf which is what the public asked for; it is great to play on, but it requires a lot of maintenance; and in the summer it needs to be mowed two or three times per week.  He stated as the department loses staff, it will be difficult to keep up with the maintenance schedule in terms of getting the fields ready for leagues; Saturday’s are Soccer days and all the fields are in use; one thing that could happen this year is that all the fields may not be ready for the Saturday games; and that does not mean the fields will not be maintained, but staff will not be able to have them ready at the time when the leagues want to play, which may cause the leagues to call the Commissioners.  He stated one concern is the playability of a field; and if the grass is not cut to a right height, it is not a safe field for kids to play on.  He stated there are 199 different facilities in the County that have restrooms that need to be cleaned; that is 600 toilets everyday that need cleaned; at some parks they are cleaned twice per day; and that is where the Board is going to see some complaints in terms of low-use parks in outlying areas.  He stated it is a level of service the public appreciates, but there is not going to be the staff available to get to every location.  He noted maintenance is not only driven by staff, as it is also the replacement of equipment; over the last couple of years he had cut pretty deeply in the replacement equipment; and some concerns staff has is the age of the equipment and the ability to replace it.  He stated he has had a discussion with the Golf Advisory Board last week; there will not be a reduction of golf pros or Golf Course Managers; the Golf Advisory Board has said that is not a cut it would like to see; some cuts will be focused on Assistant Golf Manager positions; the biggest concern with golf is the delay of green improvements; there is a direct relationship between the revenue and the play of golf and what a course looks like; and he does have a concern about some of the changes being made.  He stated some Pro Shop Attendants will be moved from full-time to part-time; General Repair Technicians are being shared between courses; volunteers will start paying $5.00 per round this year; there will be no changes to AGF cards this year with the exception of no discount for family members; and the GAB also approved the mandatory carts at Spessard Holland during the Winter season.  He stated he is sure that will be controversial, but it is a good business decision to do that, and it is something staff has been wanting to do for a while; and it appears staff has the support to do it.   He stated in EEL Program, the Support Services Manager, is being reduced; the construction projects have been reduced to the point we do not need someone to oversee their construction, as they will get that service from the rest of the Parks construction unit.  He stated the environmental centers will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; and because the department is using the environmental centers’ reserves, an additional three employees will have to be laid off.  He advised the administrative area that he directly supervises, two construction coordinators will be eliminated; there are some retirements this year; there is not the Assistant Director position that there once was; there is a reduction in senior fitness; administration also includes the BCA (Brevard Cultural Alliance), which has had a reduction of approximately $58,000.  He stated this is the third year in a row in which the department has tweaked its Fee Resolution; it has never been a popular thing to do, but staff carefully selects what it does; staff looks at the market and prepares the public on what the fee increases will include; and this year, the department will increase light card fees, which the leagues pay for to have lights on at the field during night games.  He stated there is the ability to raise fees at the Palm Bay Aquatic Center to raise fees; there is also an opportunity to increasing fees for large events and pavilions; and this is the year he would propose some kind of commercial fee to the Board, as there is an opportunity to make some money with commercial activities that are recreation related.  He stated two Commissioners have contacted him about beach parking fees, as well as boat ramp parking fees; he met with Mr. Brown a couple of weeks ago; staff’s concern is the cost of collection and enforcement versus the monies it would generate; and that needs to be studied so staff can come back and tell the Board whether that is going to work or not. 

 

Commissioner Bolin stated in regards to the lights at the ball fields, it is her understanding Florida Power & Light has charged the County more for the electricity, and the County has been absorbing that difference.  Mr. Lusk stated the County has always subsidized it in some way; but there has been dialogue with the leagues to let them know they may have to help share more of that burden.  Commissioner Bolin inquired if there is any type of maintenance that can be done by volunteers who would be made up of the families of the ball field players.  Mr. Lusk replied stated the nice thing about leagues is that they do some of those things in terms of helping the County; but the citizens cannot be on a mower.  Chairman Nelson stated leagues do not use the field all year round, but the grass continues to grow; and whether or not a league is in season, the grass still needs to be mowed. 

 

Commissioner Fisher stated Parks and Recreation is part of the quality of life in Brevard County; the residents have historically shown, by voting for all of the referendums, that parks and community centers are very important to them;  but the  residents  need to understand the parks and community centers have to be maintained; it is great to partner with the YMCA, but it has a membership that some people in the community cannot afford; and that means no swimming for

some kids.  He stated those are some core services that need to be provided in the community to keep up the quality of life in north Brevard County; and that is as important to him as public safety.

 

Commissioner Anderson inquired whose idea it was to put in grass at the ball fields that has to be mowed three times per week.  Mr. Lusk stated the leagues would go to other fields and see nice turf.  Commissioner Anderson stated that is nice for Pompano, but he does not know if it is appropriate for Brevard County.  Chairman Nelson stated Brevard’s citizens deserve something just as good.  Commissioner Anderson stated as long as there is a park, kids will play at it; and parks do not need to have fancy amenities.  Commissioner Fisher stated the voters decided what the parks look like.  Commissioner Anderson stated if the Board would do a straw poll now, there would be a different outcome.  Commissioner Infantini advised it was not a well-informed decision by the voters; and she does not think the fields need to have special grass that requires more maintenance than staff can deliver.  Chairman Nelson stated two nights ago at Viera Regional Park, there were approximately 500 kids playing football and soccer; the County gets a lot of tournament play from groups outside the community that helps fill hotels; and that will not be done in the future.  He stated Disney has shut down its tournament play, and Brevard County is getting the turnover; but that will not happen anymore; and it is not special grass.  Commissioner Anderson stated his and Commissioner Infantini’s argument is that the children and families will use it no matter what kind of grass it is.  Mr. Lusk stated staff is going to maintain what is there; but what he was referring to was the peak activity when everyone wants to play on Saturday, and staff will not be able to meet the needs of everyone’s schedules; and he always tries to give the Board a heads-up when it might get some negative feedback.  Chairman Nelson stated athletic turf needs to be maintained just as Bahia does; the problem is that the industry has changed and parents sue; and at Flutie Field in Commissioner Infantini’s District, the Board was sued because there was an depression in the field; not a hole, but a depression that injured a young woman’s knee; and the Board was sued.  Commissioner Anderson stated that leads to another argument of whether government should be involved in this activity, for litigation purposes; there are a lot of states that do not use municipal facilities; little leagues own and run their own facilities; a lot of that happens up north; and there are a couple of counties in Florida that do the same thing. 

 

Chairman Nelson stated the State Comprehensive Plan requirement includes open space, which is parks and playgrounds; and the Board has that responsibility under any circumstance.  Commissioner Fisher stated earlier in the year when the School Board discussed cutting sports programs, the parents were very upset.  Chairman Nelson stated there has been an increase in the utilization of parks and libraries as the economy has gotten worse. 

 

Commissioner Anderson inquired if there is a breakdown of how much money is generated from the fees versus how much is subsidized.  Mr. Lusk advised staff can get that information.  Chairman Nelson stated generally, fees pay for the operational costs.  Mr. Lusk noted most of the tax dollars are going into the debt as opposed to operations. 

 

Commissioner Bolin inquired if there has ever been discussion about only maintaining the parks located in the unincorporated County, and turning parks in cities over to those cities.  Mr. Lusk stated the County runs parks for Rockledge, Cocoa, and Titusville; that is the best deal for cities not duplicating what the County is doing; conversations have begun with Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach; and there are opportunities to work with cities in various different ways. 

 

Chairman Nelson  stated he does not want to end up in a circumstance where athletic fields fall into poor maintenance; they have to continue to service the community; and if there is anything less than that, there will not be the TDC utilization and citizens will be calling the Commissioners.  Commissioner Anderson inquired if staff knows what parks are not frequently used.  Commissioner Fisher stated he does not want any parks closed in his District.  Commissioner Anderson stated he does not want to see any parks closed, but he knows of parks in other counties that charge $2 to get in.  Mr. Lusk stated it is easier to keep usage data on parks that have a community center and that are used all the time; but there is not data on outlying parks that does not have a lot of staff on site all the time. 

 

Commissioner Bolin inquired if the TDC can bring in commercial events that would generate revenue.  Mr. Lusk responded there is already a good relationship with tournaments; Parks and Recreation has tried to stay strictly recreational; and staff can do a study on commercial events in other counties and bring a report back to the Board. 

 

Commissioner Infantini stated she would like to look into the concept of using solar power because the cost of using electricity at each community center, based on the estimate, is $50,000 per year; the operating budget is $100,000 per year for regular expenses, and approximately $400,000 per year, for salaries; the Board can cut down on staff and work with volunteers; but the electricity is 50 percent of that operating budget; and solar panels save a lot of money. 

 

Chairman Nelson inquired if the athletic fields will be able to be maintained in the County at the current level they are being maintained with the budget that has been presented to the Board.  Mr. Lusk replied it is hard to give the Board an exact answer; he is worried that staff is getting stressed too far; stated he feels safe in meeting the peak schedule activities; at this point he is concerned about how the budget cuts stretches out the cost of fertilizer and those kinds of things.  Chairman Nelson stated the maintenance needs to be done at a level that is acceptable; and he needs to know what the impact will be of the budget. 

 

Commissioner Anderson inquired if the Board can find out what revenues are being generated at the horse stables at Wickham Park.  Commissioner Infantini stated Mr. Lusk gave her the revenue numbers a month ago; and the revenue thus far has been $900.  Mr. Lusk noted the horse stables did not begin to come together until after the County Fair, which was at Wickham Park; nothing was able to begin with the stables until April; and the Board will see more of an impact in 2010. 

 

Euri Rodriguez, Solid Waste Director, advised the department consists of two main entities which are collection and disposal; collection does not get a lot of discussion unless there are problems with garbage or recycling collection; and most of the discussion will be on disposal.  He stated in disposal, the department had a reduction in revenues for the first time since 1993, without having a reduction in rates; the construction and demolition industry came down; the usage of the landfills came down approximately $2 million; and the operational budget has been adjusted for next year by approximately 11.5 percent.  He stated the budget has been reduced by six  positions;  the bids for the mulching came  out to  approximately 250,000 less,  so money was able to be saved; the department moved its trucks from regular diesel to biodiesel, which save pennies on each gallon; and the revenue from landfill gas to electrical has begun.  He stated the landfill in Cocoa is nearing the end of its life, which is in six years; the engineering has begun on the expansion area of the landfill, which is be approximately $20 million; a permit has been put in for the S.R. 192 site; and he is estimating it will be two years before construction can begin on that facility at a cost of approximately $22 million.  He stated throughout the years the department has been told to go pure cash, and then to not go pure cash; there was a rate reduction, then a rate increase; the department has been hoarding money, but it will probably need to go out for bonds some time in the future; and hopefully there will be the bonding capacity for it because the department just paid off one set of bonds.

 

Mr. Rodriguez approximately one year ago the department had negotiations for collection with Waste Management; the Board wanted to exercise a five-year option in the contract; it is a sliding rate that started at ‘x’ amount of dollars up to 8.25 percent CIP, with up to a three percent cap each year; it was averaged out to $125.70; and that is what was brought to the Board, and he does not expect it to change.  He stated as the department accumulated money at the beginning, at the end of the contract period, it will be spending more money than it collects.  He stated this year he will not be bringing the Board the collection resolution because the approval the Board gave him was for five years.  Commissioner Infantini inquired if there was an increase because of fuel for Waste Management.  Mr. Rodriguez advised Waste Management had made a special request for a fuel increase last year, but it was never granted.  Commissioner Fisher inquired what is building up Solid Waste’s capital reserves.  Mr. Rodriguez replied it is the disposal and collection; the dollar amount on the tax bill is charged to every person in Brevard County; the collection is a larger amount, but it is only charged to the unincorporated residential area; and that is why it does not generate as much money.  Attorney Knox advised the surplus for Solid Waste is devoted strictly to Solid Waste operations and facilities; and if the Board amends the Special Act, it might be able to do something about that, but that is not where the Board is today.  Commissioner Anderson inquired what is the balance on the bond that will come off next year.  Mr. Burdett advised it is between $1 million and $2 million.  Commissioner Anderson inquired what process would the Board have to take to initiate the Special Act.  Attorney Knox replied the Board would have to initiate a proposed change and get a Senator or Representative to file a bill; and Brevard County is a Charter County, so it may require a referendum; and it may have to be tailored specifically to one purpose.

 

 

 

Bobby Bowen, Interim Animal Services and Enforcement Director, advised Brevard Animal Services and Enforcement (BASE) is reducing its budget by 3.44 percent over last year; the shelters are old, understaffed, and over populated; the Florida Animal Control Association (FACA) recommends one Animal Enforcement Officer for every 15,000 to 18,000 people in the areas served; and BASE should be at 32 Field Officers, but there are currently only 22 Officers.  He noted the FACA also recommends one Kennel Worker for every 1,000 animals; BASE handles approximately 18,000 animals annually; one Kennel Worker for every 1,000 animals does not include the other services provided by BASE, such as adoptions and spays and neuters; and BASE is understaffed in that area.  He state BASE’s medical costs have gone up because of the distemper outbreak; the no-kill philosophy has also increased the number of animals;  and  with  the  downturn  in   the  economy,  there  is  a  substantial  number  of  owner

surrenders.  He stated today, the cost to operate two shelters is $1.8 million; in comparison, the Central Brevard Humane Society (CBHS) runs on $1 million; and he thinks BASE does a good job in running two shelters twice the size of CBHS, without a crematorium.  He stated on the reduction side, BASE has already reclassified a couple of positions from Assistant Director to Supervisor, from Sergeant to Animal Enforcement Officer; two Animal Enforcement Officers will be reduced as well, for $96,000; and on the unfunded side, BASE is asking to increase the fee for the daily boarding of animals $6 to $10.  He stated one proposal is to open an off-site storefront adoption center; it would be revenue generator for adoptions and also to increase license fees and other things that can be sold, such as heartworm medicine; and an off-site adoption center would allow staff to take all the adoptable animals out of both shelters and put them at a location where they can be kept, which would free up more space in the shelters.  He commented on the possibility of a crematorium and the ways it would generate dollars.  He stated BASE has a number of vehicles that should be replaced, but they are still on the road; he is afraid that next year BASE will have to ask the Board for vehicles. 

 

Stockton Whitten, Interim County Manager, advised he would like to make the Board aware of where it is with the aggregate operating millage; in FY 09-10, the millage rates are slightly different; it represents a .06 percent increase; with the exception of the BCSO, all of the rates are either current millage rate scenario, or a reduced millage scenario; and the direction from the Board was to maintain the current aggregate through keeping the current millage rates for the 21 individual millage district that make up the aggregate.  He stated a lot of the voted operating millages are reduced because some of the millage flexibility is being used on the debt side.

 

Commissioner Fisher stated in order to find $2.95 million, the Board needs to make some additional cuts.  Mr. Whitten stated the Board can either make additional cuts, or it can raise the millage rates.  Commissioner Fisher inquired where the Board can find $2.95 million; and inquired how much is being saved with the shift in insurance plans.  Frank Abbate, Interim Assistant County Manager, advised based on how the budget has been put together, it is a total of $8.9 million; the number includes the $2.2 million that was the 4.5 percent that was the employer increase that was taken out of the budget based on knowing that money was not going to be there; there was then another $2.9 million because another $1.8 million of general revenues was shifted; and that is how the current employer rate was reduced 6 percent; and the rest of the $3.5 million is what it would take to equate the salary reductions, or furloughs.  Mr. Whitten stated right now, he cannot tell the Board what that looks like in terms of additional cost to the employees.  Mr. Abbate stated he would guess it would equate to approximately another $60 to $90 per month in premium for every plan participant.  Commissioner Fisher inquired if there will be more out of pocket expense.  Mr. Abbate stated that is on the premium side; if it happens through a high deductible, consumer driven, health plan, it will shift differently; but if it was done across the board to all the plan participants, that is what the average would be. 

 

Mr. Whitten stated on Tuesday, as many taxing districts go into their tentative millage, they go up with the ability to go back down; and if the Board goes in on Tuesday at its bottom line, there is no ability to go up.  Commissioner Fisher stated people want services, but they do not want to pay more than they have been paying.   Chairman Nelson  stated the  Board is making cuts, but the citizens are going to be paying the same amount; the long time residents are going to see their services cut, but they are going to be paying the same; if the millage is established as it was last year, then people are going to be paying more, but will have less services; and he does not know how to get around that. 

 

Mr. Whitten stated the Board will take options on Tuesday depending on where it sets the aggregate operating; he know the majority of the Board wants it set the same as last year; when the Board sets the aggregate on Tuesday at the 5.4720, or 5.4752, then it is not going beyond the $83 million it will get the Board; and the Board is going to be forced to fund First Responder, or restore funding to other programs.  Commissioner Bolin stated if the Board goes with the 5.4720, there will still be a deficit with $117,000.  Mr. Whitten stated he would not call it a deficit, but the Board has a decision to make.  Commissioner Infantini stated she is fine living within her budget; it may not be as comfortable as some people like, but she has to answer to her taxpayers; and she cannot raise the millage.  Mr. Whitten stated the Law Enforcement MSTU is the individual millage being raised 10.68 percent, which is still $116,000 less next year than the Sheriff is getting this year.  Chairman Nelson stated the wildcard is going to be the folks who, over the last two years have seen reductions in service, but they have also seen a reduction in their tax bill; and now they are going to see a reduction in service, but they are not going to save any money.  He stated the other difficulty is going to be that the Road and Bridge MSTU is being reduced; potholes will still occur, but there will be less ability to fill the potholes; and the taxpayers will be paying the same.  He stated there is a terrible tax system in the State of Florida; it has been broken to the point where there are winners and losers; and he would like to know what to tell his citizens when they cannot go to libraries, or when potholes are not filled.

 

 

 

Motion by Commissioner Fisher, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to approve and authorize the Chairman to sign a Grant Agreement between the Board of County Commissioners and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, upon approval of the County Attorney and Risk Management.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously. 

 

 

 

Mel Scott, Assistant County Manager, stated he would like the Board to ratify an action it made related to a mapping issues; on Tuesday, the Board approved the East Merritt Island Small Area Study; staff did its last quality assurance on the maps before sending them to the DCA, and it was discovered that a parcel, that was shown in the text as going from 15 units per acre, to six units per acre, and it had gone through the process being represented as going from 15 to six, but it was actually mapped in the Board’s package at four units per acre; and before it is sent to DCA, staff would like to change that one parcel back from four units per acre, and up to six units per acre, as was represented in the text of the amendment through the public hearing process.  He stated it is called out in the SAS as Parcel Group B.

 

Motion by Commissioner Fisher, seconded by Commissioner Infantini, to amend the adopted Future Land Use Map as it relates to Parcel Group B to reflect Residential 6.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 4:32 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

ATTEST:                                                                     ___________________________________

                                                                                    CHUCK NELSON, CHAIRMAN

                                                                                    BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

                                                                                    BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

_____________________

SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK

      

          (S E A L)