July 15, 2003

The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in special session on July 15, 2003 at 9:00 a.m. in the Government Center Florida Room, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida. Present were: Chairperson Colon, Commissioners Truman Scarborough, Ron Pritchard, Nancy Higgs, and Susan Carlson, County Manager Tom Jenkins, and County Attorney Scott Knox.

REPORT, RE: PLAQUE FROM BREVARD VETERANS COUNCIL

Commissioner Pritchard stated he was presented a plaque from the Brevard Veterans Council and Veterans Memorial Center; it is in recognition of outstanding support and dedication; and publicly thanked the Council and Center for the plaque.

REPORT, RE: ONE-CENT SALES TAX SURVEY

Commissioner Pritchard stated his office is conducting a one-cent sales tax survey; and presented summaries to the Board, which gives the total of yes/no responses and comments that were added to the survey. He noted it is a preliminary survey as another 35 responses came in last night; so between now and the next couple of weeks, his office will be bringing in another 100 plus responses; and the numbers will be added to the summary page. He stated it is running about 50-50 for support and non-support; there are more surveys being received on line than there are that were mailed in; he appreciates all of the responses; and encouraged those individuals who have not responded to go to his website and respond.

REPORT, RE: LETTER TO NEW DIRECTOR AND NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

Commissioner Scarborough stated yesterday the new Deputy Director of Kennedy Space Center was announced; Jim Kennedy is taking over as the new Director; and it would be appropriate for Chairperson Colon to address a letter to both individuals welcoming them to Brevard County.

Chairperson Colon stated she sent a letter personally to both individuals and would be happy to send a letter as Chairperson on behalf of the Board.

DISCUSSION, RE: REQUESTED SALES SURTAX PROJECTS

County Manager Tom Jenkins stated today’s workshop is to discuss the list of requested projects that the County has received from a wide range of individuals and community groupsfor the infrastructure sales tax, as well as items that are included in the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP); such Plan includes both funded and unfunded projects; the total requests that have been submitted to the Board are $594,073,673; and the projected bond proceeds are $178,366,000. He noted additional cash revenue over 20 years is $275,049,000 for a total of $453,415,000; the requests exceed available revenue by $140,808,673; that number has increased slightly from what staff issued previously due to adding repairs to senior centers; and the amount increased $1.85 million. He stated as the Board requested, staff divided the projects into two different means; the first was to do the 25% categories for public safety and law enforcement, 25% for community services, 25% for environmental open space, and 25% for transportation; under the format, each category gets $113,350,000, which can be a combination of bond proceeds and cash revenues over a 20-year period; and the public safety and law enforcement requests under that scenario exceed the revenues by almost $15 million. Mr. Jenkins stated the community services requests exceed revenues by approximately $32 million; the environmental open space would have a reserve of $15.6 million for future projects to be identified; the transportation requests would exceed revenues by $109 million; and it is assuming each category got $113,350,000. He noted the second method of distribution that the Board requested staff review was 60% of the funding for projects already in the CIP, whether they are funded or unfunded, and 40% for projects that are new that were not necessarily part of the CIP; the reason they would not be otherwise part of the CIP is that these are things that the County would not have any realistic way of funding and, therefore, would not be considered as part of the CIP; as staff was calculating those, it made one significant miscalculation and included $25 million worth of stormwater projects as new projects when, in fact, they are in the CIP; and putting it in the CIP should put the number at $336 million for CIP projects. He stated 60% of the anticipated revenue over 20 years would be $271,800,000, which means the County would have to pare the list down by $64 million; in the trails amount of $31 million, $2.5 million is grants; and it goes into the new project list. He noted the new projects total $256 million; 40% of the surtax receipts is $181 million; and if the County uses the 40% allocation, it would have to eliminate approximately $75 million from the project list.

Commissioner Carlson stated the Sharpes Community Center has already been funded. Mr. Jenkins stated the County received a number of requests for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) type projects; if the Board is interested, it could free up the CDBG money that was going to be used for the Center and make some money available to do community improvements using CDBG monies for the communities; so it is one option staff presented to the Board to pay a portion of the Center out of the sales tax, which will then leave CDBG monies available for other projects in the communities that may or may not be sales tax projects.

Commissioner Higgs inquired what is the process once the Board has taken public comment; and noted Commissioner Carlson has information for it to deal with. Commissioner Carlson stated her layout is to go to the 60/40 as it is what she suggested the last time; Commissioner Higgs suggested the 25% split; her office did a lot of research on the transportation piece to try to pare it down; and it reduced the CIP projects and new projects, and justified all of it. She noted her office’s layout was done based on the previous workshop, input it received at that time, and the lists that have come through her office up to this date. Commissioner Higgs inquired is the Board’s goal today is to come out of this meeting with a list it is ready to go with. Commissioner Carlson responded at least a list that has been pared down to the $453 million mark since it has $594 million; what she has in reductions is approximately $139 million; and the input from everybody else is going to make a difference. Mr. Jenkins noted if the Board can accomplish that today, it would be admirable; if it has difficulty getting there, the other option is for the Board to determine those projects it does not believe are appropriate at this time for the referendum; and staff could try to do something similar and bring back another revised list to the Board that has it pared down. Commissioner Carlson stated she knows how important a lot of the projects are to the people who have come to the meeting today and others; she has a short list of things she would strike completely because they are new and there is not much justification for them; other projects she has listed for partial funding because they are good projects for the community; and it is seed dollar type of thing.

Thomas Kreuzinger, Chairman of Mims/Scottsmoor Library Board, stated he reviewed the entire package of the potential projects to possibly be funded by the sales tax referendum if it is passed; he finds many excellent projects in the package, including the construction of a permanent library building for the library, replacing the old modulars; the significant growth in the Mims/Scottsmoor area has already started; and that, coupled with the opening of the golf course and its planned 1,400-plus homes magnifies the need for the facility, and will offset any increase in operating expenses of a new facility through the expanded tax base that everybody pays in annual taxes. He noted there are many other credible projects in the package that would raise the quality of life for the citizens of Brevard County, such as the East Mims swimming pool, the Merritt Island Botanical Gardens, the trails systems, and other projects; as a taxpayer he is proud that the County is trying to stay par with other counties that have gone this direction, and funded and provided a greater level of usable facilities for its citizens and guests; however, he believes the package will not pass as the Sheriff’s input, which he considers normal operation and maintenance expenses, should be planned and funded through his annual budget and not out of a special CIP tax. Mr. Kreuzinger stated the Sheriff submitted inputs of over $17 million for automobiles, boats, radar, radios, ATV’s, etc., including the input of $13 million-plus for automobiles on page 4 of the package, which states, “In accordance with the Sheriff’s replacement plan, replace vehicles in excess of 100,000 miles and/or five years old”; and it appears the Sheriff cannot manage his budget and stick to his plan for normal replacement of these items through his annual budget. He noted the citizens of Mims/Scottsmoor area encourages the construction of the new library for its growing area; and suggested the Board carefully review and include only the CIP projects for which citizens would be willing to pay an extra cent, especially if the voters believe a significant portion will be funded through a 20-year bond issue. He stated the Sheriff’s operation and maintenance of equipment is not something that should be on the list.

Nancy Abbott, Cocoa Beach Library Board Member, stated Cocoa Beach Library Director Ray Dickenson did some research into the future roles of libraries and how they are changing; it is important to have space for programs for the community; it is one of the ways the libraries are now functioning and serving their communities; and last year, there were 17,000 people who came to the library for different programs. She noted Mr. Dickenson has to turn away at least one or two groups a day who want to have meetings in the building; the library is desperate for some expansion; and the citizens would appreciate the library project being kept on the infrastructure surtax.

Phillip Swatek stated the Suntree/Viera Library was built too small due to budget constraints; the citizens want to seize the opportunity of the referendum to help get it passed and get some part of it back to have the library be the size it is supposed to be; it is now the busiest library in the County system, except for Central, Melbourne, and North Brevard Libraries; and the Suntree/Viera Library is busy, with 30,000 books issued each month. He noted the rate of growth concerns the citizens; there is no indication that the rate of growth is diminishing; there is nothing ahead that the people can see in the library service area, including the possibility of a library in Rockledge, that is going to change that as it is too small; and the Board needs to consider the Suntree/Viera Library a great success in terms of quality of life in Brevard County. Mr. Swatek stated the citizens understand there are far more demands on the money that might come from the referendum and it is going to be difficult for the Board; and reiterated the Suntree/Viera Library needs to be expanded so it can function effectively in the next decade. He requested the Board permit the citizens to vote on the proposed sales tax, and if it is approved, it look favorably on the project to bring the Suntree/Viera Library to its intended and proper size.

Mel Broom stated he currently serves as a member of the Library Advisory Board for the City of Palm Bay; and requested the Board give serious consideration to the replacement of the City’s original first library. He noted the facility is a 20-year old Butler building; there are major maintenance problems with it; the roof leaks; and several months ago approximately $5,000 was spent on repairs to the building. He stated the facility is 8,500 square feet; it is doing the same amount of business as libraries twice its size; the meeting room has the capacity of 39 people; and they average 80 children at summer programs. He noted the current facility does not meet ADA requirements; every inch of floor space is totally utilized; the complexion of the surrounding community has changed dramatically; and younger families have moved in and new construction has taken over much of the open space. Mr. Broom stated they are not asking for an additional facility, but asking the County to replace an existing facility with one that meets today’s need and is in compliance with the standards for patrons with disabilities; another plus for this facility is that the City already owns the land and will not have to purchase it at today’s inflated prices; and requested the Board give the City’s project favorable consideration.

Deborah Guelzow, Cocoa Beach Public Library Board, stated the Library’s programs are very popular; they have been so successful that they had to turn people away; the Library Board recently contracted with an architect to study how the meeting room could be expanded to allow more capacity; and he presented three expansion plans to the Board. She noted it was demonstrated to be feasible on the site; there is ample parking to accommodate additional users; they hope the infrastructure surtax will be approved by voters; and they will do their part to try to politic for it. She stated they can work with the County to provide an enhanced facility for the community; and requested the Board put the referendum before the voters and consider the Library positions.

Safarik Fernanda stated the Library Board has two requests for existing libraries to improve their present situation, the Mims/Scottsmoor Library, which is located in a non-permanent building, and the Palm Bay/Malabar Library, which is more than 20 years old and requires serious upgrading; there is no possibility of funding the two projects without the sales surtax; the citizens of Rockledge are requesting a library be placed on the project list; and the sales surtax could permit the Library Board to have such library in the future. She noted Brevard County needs to satisfy the growing needs of the cities; and requested the Board’s support.

June Blum, Chair of Cocoa Beach Library, stated the Library has beautiful architecture; the building was built with a people-oriented need, including book displays, children’s programs, art displays, and a meeting room to present wonderful programs, which include theatre, music, and lectures; they are all free; the building’s height was adjusted with the need to display art over the tops of desks and books; and the meeting room is in need of expansion at this time. She noted the room accommodates 150 seated people, many seniors, who are often turned away when the seating is past the Fire Code limits; the lobby needs enlarging to accommodate attendees; the Library is a nice, cool, and quiet place to seek shelter from the heat and noise, with educational programs in the meeting room; and it is largely attended and in serious need of additional space. Ms. Blum stated the Library has a monthly attendance of approximately 20,000 people; and the sales surtax would help enlarge the space needed to accommodate the citizens at the Library.

Sara Ann Conkling, representing North Brevard Friends of the Library, stated the Library has opened up space for performing arts groups; it has made arrangements with Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra to bring its chamber musicians to the Library this year; it has lacked a venue in North Brevard; and the Library is thrilled to host them. She noted because the Library has a unique position of offering free programming and because it is open to everyone, it has become the great cultural equalizer in town; the opera film series this summer has begun and is free; the Library volunteers are completely staffing the events; and it has a grand piano that was bequeathed to it. She stated the Library would like a stage; if the Board needs to prorate everything, it needs to do so; it could give the Library part of what it needs so it can get a stage; and the Library can raise the rest of the money. Ms. Conkling noted offering a stage to young musicians and people in the community trying to start artist careers is a great service to the citizens and young artists community; and requested the Board’s consideration and support.

Mark Ryan, City Manager for City of West Melbourne, stated the West Melbourne City Council has adopted the Interlocal Agreement concerning the local option infrastructure surtax; the Council met on July 1, 2003 and the vote was 3:3 to earmark 100% of the sales tax revenues that would come to West Melbourne to partner with Brevard County to widen Hollywood Boulevard; he suspects at tonight’s meeting that the issue will have a potential of passage; and the City would like to partner with the County. He noted the sales tax as proposed would be shared with the School Board; West Melbourne is the fastest growing community in the County; the School Board has indicated that the proceeds from the sales tax would assist in providing an additional elementary school in West Melbourne; and the referendum needs to be placed before the voters for them to decide.

Paul Rumbley, representing Brevard Chiefs of Police, requested the Board consider a central receiving facility; stated this is the first opportunity he has seen in 33 years of the community coming together, including law enforcement, hospitals, health care providers, the Board, and constituents, and saying they need to fix the system to provide appropriate health care for the mentally ill and those afflicted by substance abuse; law enforcement sees a central receiving facility as a tremendous opportunity to deliver back to the community officers on the street doing crime prevention details and the type of job they need to do, which is to deal with serious crimes as opposed to picking up Marchman Act and Baker Act clients. He noted law enforcement is into a revolving door trying to find a facility that can receive such clients and handle them medically; it is a tremendous impact on time; the facility would be a one-stop place; and requested the Board’s support.

Scott Ellis, Clerk of Courts, stated it is his understanding that the County picks up one-third of the sales tax, which is today approximately $18 million or $19 million a year; there are concerns that when the money has been estimated and there has not been a proper discounted cash flow analysis that the County may be appropriating more money than it will have available; if it does a $178 million bond, it is approximately a $13 million a year bond repayment over 20 years, which leaves approximately $5 million per year; and over 20 years, it would be approximately $100 million. He noted the number in the documentation has $275 million, which is to allocate for growth in the sales tax; however, if the County is going to allocate for growth in such tax, it must also discount backwards for inflation; and over the 20-year period, the County is more likely to have at least one recession. He stated if the County has a $450 million wish list, the reality is probably that $150 million or more will never be funded over the course of the sales tax; if it decides to fund a botanical garden for Merritt Island at $9 million, it is an applicable price if it is in the initial $178 million bond; if the County tries to buy the property in 15 years, it will not be $9 million; if the County builds a Palm Bay courthouse, it is listed at today’s cost; but if it is built in 15 years, the cost will not be applicable. Mr. Ellis expressed concern that the County may promise a lot more projects than it can do over a period of time as there has not been a discount on the excess sales tax cash flow for 20 years; stated the citizens need to understand that the real goal is to get into the first bond issue as it is the sure thing; and $275 million excess, which is allowing no discount for inflation and no allowance for a recession, is not a good analysis.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he looked at the two numbers; the first is the bondable amount; most of the projects are not in construction immediately as the architectural and engineering firms have to be hired; and he was adding another $20,000 on top of the amount. He noted it is incumbent upon the Board to designate those projects that are front-in projects and will be funded with the bondable amount in the first four or five years; people will have some reasonable understanding of where the projects lie; the front group is assured of the project; and the Board needs to be careful on the acquisition of properties that may be appreciating in value and the cost sensitivity. Mr. Ellis stated there may be the impression that there is another $275 million to be spent beyond the bond, but it is not the case. Commissioner Scarborough noted the $275 million was off of the sheet that Steve Burdett prepared. Mr. Ellis stated at one point the Board discussed a $370 million bond and then the amount was reduced. Commissioner Scarborough noted the $275 million is the amount he was advised that the Board could legally bond as it can only bond out so much of its proceeds. Mr. Ellis noted there is no discount for inflation with the $275 million. Commissioner Scarborough stated he appreciates that. Mr. Ellis stated if a project is 15 or 16 years out, there may not be any funds there.

Commissioner Higgs stated the County’s Financial Advisor is present and can speak to the issues.

Mr. Jenkins stated County Finance and the Financial Advisor ran the revenue projections individually of each other; they were fairly close with a few million dollars difference; and what Mr. Ellis is referring to is the construction on the expenditure side. Mr. Ellis noted one dollar 19 years from now cannot be allocated as a dollar today; the $275 million would be taking all the money today with no discount for inflation; and if the County tries to allocate $450 million worth of projects on the sales tax, the reality is it will not be able to do all of those projects over the course of 20 years. Commissioner Scarborough stated what would be prudent under Mr. Ellis’ analysis is to look at the first group; within five years or so there could be some inflation; those projects that are further out could come back to the Board to review additional costs due to inflation; the second segment and those projects that would be impacted could have the analysis; and there is no capacity out beyond five years. Mr. Ellis stated he agrees with the County setting up a tier of projects. Commissioner Scarborough noted it is important to do so.

Ann Coburn stated the figures she has are from May 2003; the sales tax issue may not pass with a lot of entertainment; public safety, roads, and water quality are needed; land conservation is mandated; and there is entertainment of approximately $100 million that is for libraries and multipurpose centers. She noted $66 million is for recreation; there are requests for three off-road vehicle parks of approximately $3 million each; such parks have not been used in the past; she has spoken to users of ATV’s and motorcross bikes; and they will not use the parks if they are a long distance away. She stated a number of the users prefer to ride on the canal banks and rights-of-way; they do not want the regulations and do not want to wear helmets; she explained the project to the users; and they indicated they would not vote for the referendum. Ms. Coburn noted $21 million is listed for human services, which is needed; and if the Board wants the sales tax passed, it needs to pare the list down considerably.

Jasper Trigg, representing South Brevard Senior Center, requested individuals from the Center stand; stated the Board received documents identifying the specifics relating to the request that the County fund $800,000 for replacement of the Center through the surtax referendum; the request for funding will impact the lives of seniors residing in the City of Melbourne and neighboring municipalities; and many seniors upon retirement are relegated to living on a fixed income that might minimize their participation in activities that could negatively impact their quality of life. He noted for seniors with limited activities due to fixed incomes, the Center provides social, physical, mental and emotional nurturing that enhances their quality of life; last year approximately 45,520 seniors participated in bingo, bridge, travel, health and wellness activities, shuffleboard, legal assistance, dances, art, and many table games; the current Center is over 50 years old and a recent engineering inspection revealed it would cost $1,221,295 for renovations; and an onsite 12,500-square foot building replacement is $1,531,088. Mr. Trigg stated the cost of $1,221,295 for renovations to the old building is attributable to the outdated and low functionality of major mechanical systems, specifically plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning, roofing system, and other major problem areas; Parks and Recreation Department has committed $800,000 toward the project; and the Center is requesting the Board fund $800,000 through the surtax referendum, which is the balance necessary to construct a new building.

Wae Nelson, representing Brevard Botanical Garden, Inc., stated if the sales tax is approved, the resulting funds will be divided in many ways among the cities, School Board, and County; in the County, a major portion of the sales tax will go toward the CIP; it would be a foolish economy not to maintain existing capital stock; there will be discretionary funds as well; and a botanical garden should be one of the items on the list for discretionary funding. He noted there are lots of reasons a botanical garden is needed in Brevard County; it would be a recreation facility for the mature residents; there has not been a lot of attention paid to the mature residents as far as recreation facilities; and it would be a major cultural center and a draw for tourists, which dovetails nicely with the current tourists’ venues encouraging longer stays. Mr. Nelson stated quality of life is important; the County’s economy consists of three elements-- tourism, industry, and commerce; when a new industry is solicited to relocate they ask three questions: (1) Do you have a qualified workforce; (2) What’s the condition of your schools; and (3) What’s the quality of life; and everyone is proud of the Brevard Zoo. He noted many people do not visit the Zoo, but it does not mean it is not important to everyone; it makes them feel good about where they live and improves the quality of life; the same holds true with a botanical garden; and he envisions the botanical garden to be a partnership between the County and residents of the horticulture community. He stated a non-profit corporation has been formed; the initial development would be the County’s portion; the corporation would pick up the follow-up developments and operations; the botanical garden is important; and requested the Board include it on the list.

Regina Friedman, President of the South Brevard Chapter of National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), stated NAMI is an organization made up of dedicated parents, siblings, and those persons suffering from mental illness; and requested members of NAMI stand. She noted in Florida and across the country, NAMI seeks to advocate for positive changes in the way the mentally ill are treated, change the stereotyping of the mentally ill, and ensure protection for those with mental illness; through the sales surtax, the Board has a unique opportunity to help support the three goals; there are many proposed projects before it today; but only two have the potential to change the entire system of care for those suffering from mental illness--the proposed jail expansion and central receiving center. She stated mental illness is a disease that affects all aspects of a person’s life; it could be lifelong and is treatable in most cases; diabetes, heart disease, and schizophrenia are medical illnesses that can be hereditary and can be visualized on CAT scans and MRI’s; and mental illnesses, while being accepted medical disorders, are not treated as true illnesses in many people’s minds. Ms. Friedman noted there are any number of individuals suffering from mental illness every day; there are people with anxiety, depression, excessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia; many people do not realize it because the individuals are being treated and dealing with their illnesses; by being vigilant, they are taking one day at a time as their illnesses will be with them throughout their lives; and anybody can be afflicted by mental illnesses. She stated an estimated 7,000 to 14,000 Brevard citizens over the age of 19 suffer from serious and persistant mental illness, the most prominent diagnosis being depression; Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital entered 1,409 Baker Act assessments during the 2001-2002 fiscal year; during the 12-month period in 2001, Circle of Care assessed 3,072 Baker Act patients; and it is almost four times the number of DUI arrests. Ms. Friedman requested the Board and citizens vote for the sales surtax referendum.

Freda Schildroth, President of the NAMI Space Coast Affiliate, stated the numbers of people with no fault brain diseases are increasing; with increased research, a mental illness can now be diagnosed in infancy, and a great number of the elderly population have mental illnesses as well; a great number of these people come into contact with the justice system; and it is confirmed by the large numbers of individuals in the jail that have a documented severe mental illness. She noted the numbers are also deceptive in that there are numerous other individuals in the jail with a less severe mental illness who are not able to access the limited forensic services available; the length of incarceration is longer for forensic inmates; physical health issues are exacerbated; and an inmate with a mental illness is six times more expensive to care for than other inmates. Ms. Schildroth stated the jail and justice system are not designed to handle the sheer numbers of individuals with a serious mental illness who end up in jail; the original design of the jail in 1987 was adequate for a single purpose facility; that purpose was to deal with those who are just incarcerated; however, in 2003 there are multi-dimensional inmates who require a multipurpose facility; and the inmates require more supervision, more safeguards, and more protection. She noted as the population of the people with a mental illness has increased at the jail, so has the risk to the correctional officers; not all of the injuries are from people who are mentally ill; but a significant portion of them are; many of the risks are exacerbated by the design of the jail and the burden it places on the correctional officers due to the mix of forensic and regular inmates; and the cost of the job injuries and overtime at the jail are staggering and likely to increase as the forensics population increases. Ms. Schildroth stated the jail population is increasing at an unprecedented level with disastrous consequences for vulnerable inmates who have a mental illness; the number of attempted and successful suicides has increased; often these individuals are at the mercy of other hardened criminals; and health care costs are also at risk due to numerous factors, such as the rising cost of malpractice insurance, the increased number of forensic inmates requiring isolation from other inmates, and the increased number of mental ill inmates presenting alcohol and drug abuse to self medicate themselves. She noted Brevard County and its citizens pay the increased costs; in 2002, there were 78 officer/inmate fights and 41 officers were injured; there were 213 inmate fights and 260 inmates were injured; and there were 20 attempted suicides and four successful suicides. She stated the population of the jail when it was assessed in April 2003 had 992 persons being held for trial, presumed to be innocent; 23 persons were convicted, but not sentenced; 222 persons were sentenced, serving time, or awaiting transfer elsewhere; and 178 people were identified as mentally ill. She noted the mentally ill cannot assist in their own defense, so they remain in jail; the jail was built for 384 inmates; there is one officer in the control room who must observe inmates in six different blocks, while operating the controls for all of the doors and answering intercoms from the inmate floor; and this one officer must observe and protect three roving officers operating in the six different blocks.

Trish Wimmer, representing NAMI Space Coast, stated her son, Robert Ferris, died two years ago in the Sharpes jail, one month after he was taken by a SWAT team from his apartment in Melbourne; he did not use illegal drugs or abuse alcohol; he was a graduate of Cornell University and a former Army intelligence officer; and he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in his early 20’s. She noted he managed his illness well, worked at a variety of menial jobs when he could, and took his prescribed medication faithfully; he decompensated in October 2000 after his medication was changed because of a potential deadly side effect; he was taken by Melbourne Police to Circles of Care; and he seemed to be doing okay until late May 2000, when he again decompensated and she could not get him to a doctor. She stated neighbors called police five times to check on her son; she took out an ex parte order on June 14, 2000 but could not persuade her son to open his door; seven days later his apartment was breached by a SWAT team from Melbourne police; and he was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center’s emergency room for treatment and then to the medical unit at the jail. Ms. Wimmer stated a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation noted that her son was in an acutely paranoid state; psychotic medications were recommended; over the next 10 days, her son continued to refuse all medications; and on July 9, 2000 her son’s public defender contacted the jail to find out the status. She noted the nurse documented that she spoke with a doctor regarding the need to transfer her son to an appropriate facility; throughout the detention, he was unable to communicate with jail personnel or to make appropriate verbal responses to questions during his psychotic state; on July 21, 2000 at 19:15, her son was found in his usual position in the cell; and he appeared to be relaxed, as if he quietly and peacefully died. She stated the jail’s internal investigation found no foul play or evidence that anyone else was the cause of her son’s death; these issues were addressed with the jail; her son was kept in a hog- tied position even after a nurse requested a change of position; and it appears that he was kept in full appendage restraint in the prone position for approximately 120 hours. Ms. Wimmer stated one nurse documented that the restraints were too tight and repeatedly requested larger restraints, while a different nurse noted that the restraints slid on his arm and she could put two fingers under them; another NAMI Space Coast member, Eleanor Dillo, has a son who has schizophrenia and has attempted suicide several times; he was placed in jail in another county for minor theft; and violent criminals were allowed access to his cell to beat him into a coma. She noted Ms. Dillos son was airlifted in critical condition to Shands Hospital; he had brain surgery with 84 sutures in his head and now has brain damage; keeping the mentally ill separate from the general population will not only save lives, it will save counties large sums of money by precluding the jails from being sued; and it is the action Ms. Dillo is now pursuing against the jail that put her son in harms way. She stated in spite of the lack of resources and poor original design of the facility, the jail has had to try and adapt to the increasing number of mentally ill inmates; the solution implemented over the years at the jail is the bubble and consists of clear walls that are placed in front of a block of cells to increase visibility of forensic inmates; the cell doors are locked and the inmate has no ready access to the back cells without a correctional officer entering the bubble area; and it is extremely labor intensive and adds to the risks associated with moving an inmate. Ms. Wimmer stated the bubbles work quick, but serve to increase costs and risks because of the facility design; Brevard County and its citizens pay for such costs; the expansion of the jail would create a better designed area for those with mental illness; and the design will utilize the current best practices in correctional facilities, such as those in Broward County or Portland, Oregon. She noted officer injuries will decrease because the new design will permit increased visibility and eliminate the need for correctional staff to enter these holding areas on a frequent basis; almost every detainee in the jail is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law; and what happened to her son could happen to anyone. She stated two years ago, the Board created the Commission on Mental Health and Community Solutions; those Commission members work hard to come up with recommendations for change; they did a marvelous job; and implored the Board to act upon the recommendations by wholeheartedly supporting the implementation of a sales surtax in order to raise the funds to improve and expand the jail and create the desperately needed central receiving center. Ms. Wimmer stated the many families with a member with a severe brain disease must see an end to man’s inhumanity to man in a jail, and the afflicted should expect and receive enlightened treatment in this 21st century.

Phil Stokes, representing NAMI, stated he has a stepdaughter who developed bipolar disorder at the age of 36; she later spent 408 days in jail on a misdemeanor charge in another county, including approximately three months at the forensic unit of the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee; the Board has heard about the Brevard jail, its problems, and possible solutions from previous speakers; there will always be persons in jail with mental illness; and not all of them will be able to be diverted into treatment due to criminal charges against them. He noted humane treatment must come to the mentally ill; people need to be aware that there are those individuals in jail who do not belong there; they have been apprehended by law enforcement and have displayed bizarre behavior; and due to the inadequate system of care, they have been taken to jail with a minor charge since there is no other place available. He stated jails have become the de facto mental institutions of the 21st century; there is a shortage of available treatment interventions for Baker Act patients; the same is true for Marchman Act patients; these individuals are similar to Baker Act patients, but the underlying cause for their behavior is drugs and alcohol, not a psychiatric disorder; and both types of patients tie up the system and often require a trip to the emergency room to rule out medical health issues or get medical clearance. Mr. Stokes noted it increases the wait time for other emergency room patients, increases hospital costs, and increases the cost for transportation; Brevard County citizens pay the costs; there is a solution that has been embraced by numerous other counties in Florida and around the country; and it is a central receiving center, which serves to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and decrease the number of unnecessary arrests.

Thomas Porcella, Sr., representing NAMI, stated a central receiving center would allow for examination by professional staff as to the need for mental health evaluation, detoxification, and admission to the medical psychiatric unit or outpatient treatment; Coastal Health Systems would serve as a transport mechanism for the central receiving center to the appropriate facility; such a facility would reduce time spent by law enforcement for non-criminal activities; and it would significantly reduce the number of Baker Act and Marchman Act patients seen in a hospital. He noted those individuals presenting obvious medical trauma would still be taken to a hospital for clearance; the center would serve as a medical, mental health, and central distribution facility for those in need of assessment and treatment; the center would aid in providing treatment with resolution, while decreasing unnecessary admittance to emergency rooms; and patients with psychiatric behaviors could be diverted to appropriate treatment instead of jail. Mr. Porcella stated patients needing to be medically cleared could be diverted to the central receiving center and avoid hospital emergency rooms; patients with Marchman behaviors could be diverted to the center instead of the jail or hospital; and the taxpayers will save money. He requested the Board join with NAMI to advocate for a positive change in the way the mentally ill are treated and ensure protection for those with a mental illness; and stated together everyone can take a positive step toward improving the entire system of care for those suffering from mental illness. He noted his son has a mental illness, and at one time served eight years incarcerated with no mental treatment; and he is here to help those with a mental illness.

Dr. Laurence Spraggs, President of Brevard Community College, Titusville Campus, encouraged the Board to vote positively in terms of levying the sales tax; and provided handouts to the Board. He noted the proposed project is a partnership between Parrish Medical Center and Brevard Community College; he would like to include the County in the partnership; the first map he provided shows where the conference center would be located; the Hospital, College, and Chain of Lakes recreation facility all come together in a nexus of environmental, health, sports, recreation, and education; and it is a unique opportunity for the County to partner with the Hospital, College, and people of the community to produce a unique visionary project to show the rest of the country what Brevard County has to offer. He requested the Board’s support for the project.

Steve Janiki, Executive Director of King Center, expressed appreciation to the Board for its past support of the Center; stated 250,000 people that pass through the Center doors would appreciate the Board’s support; he wants his son to move back to Brevard County after he graduates from Florida State University to raise a family here and enjoy the quality of life; and he is committed to helping the County positively in promoting and educating the constituents and patrons about the surtax.

Martha Franco stated any person in the room could be affected mentally and no one is immune; family members, including children and grandchildren are also not immune to mental illness; the County is long overdue in addressing the needs of people; and requested the Board address NAMI’s needs. She noted the Board and other elected officials should think of themselves as a family as they are the parents; the Board should manage Brevard County as it does its family and their needs; the most pressing issue is the needs of people; and the County has regressed when it comes to people and progressed with technology and material things. She stated when one segment of the County is neglected it affects the whole County and its progress; the City of Cocoa has been grossly neglected by the County; such City gives more and does more; but it has more low income subsidized housing because the County has put it on the City, and it is a problem. Ms. Franco noted Dixon Boulevard is deplorable; it is inexcusable how the County has neglected to pave such Boulevard; once it is paved, the intention is to give it to the City to maintain; and it will be less costly for the County in the long run. She reiterated that the City has been neglected; and stated Dixon Boulevard needs to be addressed.

Brenda Fettrow, President of Brevard Community College, Cocoa Campus, stated if the sales surtax referendum passes, the College would request assistance to renovate the pool and gymnasium at the Cocoa Campus for a YMCA family center; through a partnership with the School District, the YMCA, City of Cocoa, Brevard Community College, and hopefully the County, they can leverage the dollars to bring a full-service Cocoa YMCA family center and programs to Brevard County; through a survey recently completed, there is extensive community support; there were over 1,000 respondents via the website and direct mail; and 89.5% of those respondents were in favor of bringing a YMCA to Cocoa. She noted the YMCA plans to host aquatic competitions for the first time in Brevard County; this activity will generate additional revenue in the County through the usage of hotels, restaurants, gasoline, and other expenditures; through these valuable partnerships, YMCA programs, such as before and after- school care, swimming lessons, midnight basketball, athletic leagues, and a teen center will provide valuable programs and services for the citizens of Brevard County; and it is in concert with the vision of Brevard County, to create cooperative partnerships between government, business, community organizations, and the residents. Ms. Fettrow requested $500,000 toward the project in capital alone; stated there would be no operating expenses to Brevard County; the Capital Campaign Committee has raised slightly over $1 million for the project; and if the Board chooses to support the project, the $500,000 would meet the capital campaign goal for the project. She requested the Board’s favorable consideration for the project to help improve the quality of life for citizens, particularly in Central Brevard County.

The meeting recessed at 10:30 a.m. and reconvened at 10:50 a.m.

Floyd Trogdon, representing Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, expressed appreciation to the Board for its support in the past; stated the Board has a line item in the referendum tax proposed projects--the North Brevard Dementia Center; the Foundation is a not-for-profit organization; and it raises money through charitable giving, pledges, etc. He noted the Foundation has a matching fund of approximately $300,000 toward a $700,000 project; the Board has a line item for approximately $400,000, which would complete the capital requirements for the project; the Foundation is a center that helps people; and it provides adult daycare for dementia and Alzheimer’s clients, training for caregivers, support groups and counseling, and in-home respite care. He stated the Foundation seldom turns anyone away regardless of their financial situation; the project will be one that replaces two small centers in Titusville, which are becoming inadequate for the needs of North Brevard; the Foundation is almost at capacity of 40 daycare patients; and it is looking for a larger state-of-the-art facility to serve the people.

Connie Armstrong, representing Alzheimer’s Support Group, stated her husband had Alzheimer’s for 20 years; the first 14 years she took care of him; she was lucky enough to be able to put her husband in daycare; and he was one of the first patients. She noted it was a lifesaver for her; her husband loved it and it made life possible for both of them; she appreciates the support and has tried to help any way she can; and the Alzheimer’s Support Group is important to the people. She requested the Board’s support for the project.

Carl Smith, representing Alzheimer’s Foundation, stated in 1987, his wife began to drop out of her activities gradually; it became obvious that she had a problem; through the years he took care of her at home; and the Foundation provided assistance to him through the daycare center in Titusville. He noted he was able to utilize the facility; it was a tremendous help; the two facilities in Titusville are reaching capacity; and requested the Board’s support for the project.

Beverly Barboza, representing Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, stated in the early 80’s there were no Alzheimer services in Brevard County; it was barely recognized and was senile dementia at that time; doctors were not yet giving a full diagnosis; and to this day it still has to be probable. She noted the Foundation has seen the growth in Brevard County; with the advent of additional services being asked for in Titusville, there is an effect from stem to stern in the County of services that also include the AmeriCorp project, Project Relief, and the Space Coast Interfaith Coalition; the support groups are Countywide; and the training and community outreach are superb. She stated there are help lines available; people can receive counseling on whatever level they need; individuals who come to the Foundation for the first time cannot believe what services are provided; and such Foundation has been careful with the dollars that have been given to it. Ms. Barboza stated the Foundation is proud of its efforts; and requested the Board’s consideration.

Kim Roberts, Executive Director for Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, stated the capital project request is $400,000; Brevard County is currently the seventh oldest county in the State in numbers of those individuals 65 years of age and older; the senior population is quickly approaching 100,000 individuals; and over 16,000 of those seniors reside in North Brevard. She noted the project creates a North Brevard dementia center, which will do many things; it is not only going to provide expertise and critical services pertaining to frail elders and those with dementia and Alzheimer-related illnesses, but it will also help strengthen the community and senior resources already in existence; the opportunity is available to position the project adjacent to the already existing senior center in North Brevard; and the infrastructure and funding will create an opportunity to draw down new dollars that the Foundation has not had the opportunity to take advantage of in the North Brevard area. Ms. Roberts stated the purpose and mission of the Foundation is to create a seamless comprehensive network of services Countywide; it has state-of-the-art and one of the first rural facilities in Micco; there is a phenomenal facility in the Suntree area; and the Foundation provides services in North Brevard, but the need and the waiting list in that area exceeds what can be provided. She requested the Board’s support of the project; stated the Foundation goes to great lengths to be sure that the dollars are utilized in a way that is not duplicating services; Alzheimer’s will strike one in ten individuals; and no one is immune to that. She noted the adult daycare facilities are great; the Foundation is sensational at what it does; and requested the Board go to the facilities. She stated the Foundation provides for the caregiver; it builds on the success of creating the maximum opportunity, from the support groups to community education and training caregivers on how to better work with the family member; there are 24-hour crisis counselors that will go into the home or see family members in the office; and the Foundation has an AmeriCorp elder-served project, pre-respite in the home, funded through other avenues. Ms. Roberts stated there is an Interfaith Coalition project as well; expressed appreciation to the Board for its past support; and requested its consideration of the project.

Joe Steckler, representing Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, stated a lot of people have discussed quality of life, the need for tax for certain projects, and the effect of failure to act now; playing catch-up ball is difficult; the mention of the word “tax” strikes fear into the heart of any politician and most people; but it is something that needs to be faced. He noted the fear he has, which is greater than the fear of a tax, is the fact that of every 10,000 elders that migrate state to state every year, 5,000 of them come to Florida; one in every seven people in California is over the age of 60; in Florida, one in every 4.5 people is over the age of 60; and Brevard County is the seventh oldest County in terms of people over the age of 65. He stated in the last two years, the County moved from 12th to seventh; every statistic, analysis, and study conducted shows that Brevard County is an aging population; it cannot and will not change; and the money to operate the programs is available, but infrastructure is needed to operate programs. Mr. Steckler noted the Veterans Administration has a law on the books that allows counties to apply veterans funds for adult daycare; there are over 85,000 veterans in Brevard County that are eligible for funding; programs are needed like the dementia center if the County wants to make maximum use of dollars available; and if Brevard County is to continue to grow and wants the cities to attract businesses and serve the population, have children receive the best educational possible, and have an infrastructure capability to meet new challenges and be a community attractive to young middle aged and older people, then the Board needs to put the sales surtax on the referendum to let people make up their minds whether or not they want it. He stated it is the citizens’ right to decide; he hopes all the Commissioners will support it as it is important; the County needs the financial wherewithal to be able to be flexible enough to meet changing needs; and a lot of things are needed, including additional mental health care and improvement of the jail. He noted the people need to be educated as to why the tax is important; the Foundation is asking for help for the Titusville dementia center; it would be a partnering effort where the Foundation would help raise the funding; and it is not asking for a straight handout. Mr. Steckler expressed appreciation to the Board for its support; and stated it has made a difference in the lives of people.

Charlie Mars, representing U.S. Spacewalk of Fame Foundation and Space Museum, stated the Space Museum has been housed in Miracle City Mall until this past week; it received a final eviction notice from the new owners; it is dealing with Sears in Titusville; and hopefully, it will sign a lease with it. He noted there are approximately 10,000 square feet that the Museum can move into; it will be cramped; the Mall is going to work with the Museum; and such Museum will be putting on some events for the Mall. He stated the lease is temporary; there are thousands of items that have been loaned or given to the Museum by workers at Kennedy Space Center; it is part of the educational outreach with the County’s schools and any other schools that come in from across the country for launches; and the items are well worth saving and a place is needed for display. Mr. Mars noted such items were instrumental in going to the moon and coming back; and requested the Board keep the Museum in mind for a permanent space to house the artifacts, memorabilia, and ongoing outreach to the County and schools. He stated the space art contest last year included over 300 school participants; the Foundation gave out $1,000 in bonds to the three different grade level schools; this year a contest will be held again; and the Foundation hopes to increase the bonds to $2,000. He noted a woman in Titusville started a petition online to keep the Museum in Miracle City Mall; in approximately 10 days, there were 570 comments, including three astronauts, two writers, and many people in town; and approximately 80% of the responses were from Brevard County and the rest were from United Kingdom, Hawaii, and Australia.

T. J. Whittle, representing Brevard Museum of Art and Science, stated the Brevard Museum does not have a new director in place, but it is making significant changes to ensure it is there for future use by residents and tourists to the area; the Museum is moving forward and for the past 25 years, it has strived to create a quality Museum and educational experience for over 70,000 residents, visitors, and tourists to the area per year; the Museum is a destination for tourists, residents, and students alike; and the programs can be greatly enhanced by the improvement and expansion to the buildings. She noted the Museum’s 25 years of dedicated service to the community has taken its toll; it needs new roofs, new air conditioning units, new electrical systems, and other major improvements that are required by any museum to protect special exhibitions and preserve the permanent collection of over 3,000 items; the educational facilities are too small to effectively serve all of those who would like to utilize them, including the free programs for the community; and the Brevard Museum needs to expand in order to accommodate and educate. She requested the Board consider the Museum for funding; and stated it appreciates the opportunity to expand the education of art and science, and will work together with the community in a renewed spirit of cooperation to insure that the arts and sciences, education, and exhibitions are there for all the residents of Brevard County and tourists.

JaNeen Smith, Executive Director of Brevard Museum of History and Science, stated the Museum has three proposals for the Board; the proposal she would like to address today is enhancement of the Museum; and requested funding for the current exhibits and future ones. She noted the Museum brought in approximately $2 million to Brevard County last year; it has recently partnered with a bed and breakfast in Cocoa to help with the membership level; it partnered last week with a hotel on Merritt Island to help with the marketing; and it recently formed the Circle of Science, which is with Brevard Community College Planetarium, the Florida Solar Energy Center, and Travis Park. She stated the Brevard Museum has booked 125 students from Atlantis Elementary School for September 23, 2003 for a Circle of Science program; it has booked 50 math teachers from across the State of Florida in October 2003; it booked the first tour bus that will be coming from out of state; so the Museum is working hard in bringing and involving the entire community. Ms. Smith expressed appreciation to the Board for considering the sales surtax.

Jennifer Tucciarone, representing Brevard Museum of History and Science, stated the Museum is going through lots of changes and growth; she supports the proposal of the new exhibit and renovations; it will help the Museum to better educate the students and visitors about Florida’s history and its cultural heritage; and it will continue to bring in people from out of state and out of County, which will add additional revenue. She requested the Board support the Museum’s request.

Carole Pope, representing Preservation Education Trust, requested the Board establish a type of enterprise fund that would accomplish historical and preservation purposes similar to the fund that has been set up for the EELS Program; stated the fund could be administered by a specially appointed board, with members having specific qualifications in preservation history, architecture, construction, and related fields; one objective would be to establish a heritage trail throughout Brevard that would be marketed through the Scenic Highway Program; and furnished the Board with the current brochure from the Program. She noted it will be a benefit for the tourism industry; heritage tourism is currently producing $3.7 billion annually throughout the State of Florida; but Brevard County has not been fully realizing the potential of this resource in the Space Coast area; it has a wonderful Space Center, beautiful beaches and ecological systems, and a lot of history; however, it is not marketing same to their full potential. Ms. Pope stated another objective of historic preservation is community redevelopment and revitalization; many other cities have established these programs in other states; many times properties are purchased and remarketed; and they do not have to stay off of the tax rolls and are not a current burden as a museum, etc. She noted they are remarketed with preservation restrictions; they go back on the tax rolls; Brevard County has the resource of the historic structures remaining in the community; and certain properties that are considered essential in the history of the County and State could be purchased, restored, and opened as part of the heritage trail, with strong preference given to those with certain support groups if they are ready to take over the management and additional funding. Ms. Pope stated the County has lost many historic properties in recent years; two properties within the past year have been Mount Moriah AME Church in Cocoa, which has been demolished, and Miguels in Melbourne; there have been requests of museums and historical groups today; and if the Board could set aside a certain portion of the tax, perhaps a fund in the range of $10 million to $15 million, it would be available for all the different groups requesting assistance for their various programs. She noted special emphasis could be given toward the programs as a certain type of redevelopment and enterprise fund; the County could purchase certain properties for revitalization; Tampa and Orlando did it successfully; and the funds could be seed money. She stated the County could establish certain significant properties from the north through the south end of Brevard County for the heritage trail; it could make sure it had a good marketable heritage tourism; and it would use the fund as a community revitalization. Ms. Pope requested the Board review a certain dollar amount for all the historic and preservation activities that are being requested; and suggested it look at quality of life issues in addition to the significant human needs as an incentive for the taxpayer. She noted historically in the County, the voters have turned down sales tax requests for good issues that need to be funded, but sometimes they are looking at something extra when they pay a sales tax; and they want to see something that is going to add to their quality of life.

Bob Gross, representing Brevard County Historical Commission, concurred with Ms. Pope’s comments; stated there are many programs the County is not taking advantage of that would enhance the quality of life; a lot of it has to do with the financial resource and competent staff to administer the programs; and it is something that needs to be reviewed. He noted now that the proposed tax is completely over-applied for, there is a new request that has come up since the last presentation to the Board; the Historical Commission is proposing a $4 million set aside for emergency historic preservation projects; the State has recently recognized the same thing and has budgeted $3 million for the coming year; and these are for the unforeseen things that come up. He stated the Historical Commission recently sent the Board a letter outlining some of the projects that the money could qualify for; it would be over the life of the tax program, but there are things that come up all of the time; through construction, unforeseen archeological sites are disturbed and need to be addressed; and the Historical Commission was recently given the Bovine Schoolhouse and got the School Board to agree to have it transported to its property and revitalized for a meeting room and display of historic schools in the County. Mr. Gross noted the Historical Commission was unable to conclude that deal because it lacked $28,000; and a set aside fund could be established for unforeseen issues that occasionally come up.

Laura Ward stated she is interested in seeing that some of the historic homes, buildings, and structures do not disappear; and submitted a picture to the Board of the Pritchard House. She noted it is a project that has been identified for preservation if funding is available; the idea of having a pot of money to acquire these structures when they become available is a good one; and citizens can engage in local fundraising to assist, but the funds need to be available to acquire the structures when they become available. She requested the Board consider including the historic preservation projects in the sales tax considerations; stated she agrees with Ms. Pope’s comments; and quality of life-type projects need to be on the referendum to encourage voters to identify personally with the projects and vote for the sales tax.

Brenda Seip stated she is a member of the Brevard County Historical Commission; it has been working hard to preserve the historic sites in the County and to record and document a lot of the history out there; it is expensive to continue doing it; and it is the Historical Commission’s duty to do it as stewardships of its heritage. She noted heritage tourism is a big commodity in Brevard County; it is behind some of the other counties that have taken it into consideration in their tourism; Orange, Volusia, and Seminole Counties have been successful; and as the Historical Commission collects and records historic data for the County, it would like to have a repository and archival place to put the data so it can be used as a historic research center for the citizens. She stated the Historical Commission provides educational materials for schools and colleges; for the heritage tourism trail, there is a wonderful selection of properties that could be preserved; the County has lost a lot of properties through development in the past; and it needs to save what is left. Ms. Seip requested the County consider making the purchase of the historic Pritchard House for a living house museum; stated it is important to Brevard County’s history; it would be a continuance of the heritage trail, which would go from North Brevard to South Brevard; and the J.J. Parrish House will be moved to Brevard Community College North Campus for a folk life center. She noted the restoration of City Point Community Church, which was built in 1888, is on the historic master site list; an important save would be the Indian Mound Station; the County needs to save for future generations; there are approximately 1,800 historic sites, which qualify for the Florida Historic Marker Program; and the Historical Commission would like to put Florida State historic markers on the sites so that people would be aware of them. She stated the cost is approximately $1,500 per marker; matching funds could be available; there are a lot of local historic sites that could be marked along the trails and byways in the County; an ideal situation would be to have a fund set up; and requested the Board’s support.

Mariel Sisson stated it is generous of Mary Pritchard Schuster to be willing to sell the Pritchard House and let it become a historical monument; the house has been in the same family for four generations; the wallpaper in the living room is original and most of the furniture is original; and the house needs some tender loving care, which costs money. She noted it would be a benefit to everyone in Brevard County and the tourist industry; and requested the Board’s support of the project.

Dr. David Paterno, representing Brevard County Historical Commission, stated the need exists to preserve the history of Brevard County; by law, the Historical Commission is charged with collecting, arranging, and preserving historical materials relating to the County; everyone contributes to the history of Brevard County in some way; and everybody would like to leave the contributions as their heritage. He noted archives are needed to allow the County to honor those who have made the contributions, as well as those individuals who have gone; and requested the Board consider the proposal for archives so that the County can pass on the lessons of history for generations to come.

Melvin Mueller, representing Veterans Memorial Center, stated the Center supports the tax incentive proposal and would like to see some of the approved generated tax funds used to provide for the expansion of the Center’s building, enlargement of the Museum, and purchase of some of the property adjacent to Veterans Park; the Center and Museum do not only support the veterans of Brevard County, and serve as an asset to all citizens, residents, and visitors alike; he has seen and helped pay for many improvements to Brevard County, some of which have benefited and improved the quality of life for his family and himself; and he has paid for school taxes while his children were in school, and is still paying such taxes although his children have moved to other communities. He noted because he was in the military while his children were in school, the military was required to provide impact fee for Brevard County, amounting to $600 per child per semester, in addition to him having to pay school taxes because he is a homeowner; since living on Merritt Island, he frequently utilized and helped pay for the cost of S.R. 528, the Beeline; during this time he watched the traffic double and triple; and some County Commissioners at that time were swayed by the will of the people to eliminate the tolls on both S.R. 528 and the Pineda Causeway, monies which could have been used to improve the roads and bridges in the County. Mr. Mueller stated he is still paying for tolls on S.R. 528, only the money is used to improve the roads in Orange County, while its citizens heavily use Brevard County’s roads, but provide little support for their upkeep; with the tax proposal the Board faces a dilemma; he believes it is a lose-lose situation; if the Board supports the tax provision, people will loudly complain; and if it does not support the tax, individuals supporting the quality of life initiatives will probably complain also. He noted the Board should disregard the complainers; and encouraged it to support the tax proposal and quality of life provisions.

Andrea Alford, representing Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard, stated if the Board has ever been a victim of or known a child who was victimized by sexual or physical abuse, then it understands the importance of the Center; it is a group of agencies in Brevard County that work under one roof collaboratively to support the families and victims of physical and sexual abuse; included in the group are Department of Children and Families, Child Protection Team of Brevard, Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, mental health providers, State Attorney’s Office, and Brevard public schools; and the program has strict federal and State guidelines. She noted the Center is currently in a building that is 17 years old; when victims come in, they are waiting in a foyer that is small; there is one central entrance that requires personnel to enter and exit through the same location; and a different facility is needed. She requested the Board visit the Center to see the services it provides; stated there is case management, medical assistance to children who have been victimized, and counseling for families; when she first became a law enforcement officer in 1985, there were not collaborative efforts for victims such as the children who are physically and sexually abused; and a lot of them fell through the cracks and had to repeat the same story over again. Ms. Alford noted the children did not receive the counseling and medical attention they needed and deserved; those individuals most vulnerable and hurt the most need to be taken care of first and foremost; she supports the surtax; and urged the Board to look at providing a new facility for the Center.

Jay Rudy, representing Brevard County Health Department, stated the Department’s vision is to make available access to primary health care and other health care services in one designated facility located in Central Brevard; some of those services to access all County residents include tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, evening adult health care clinic and education classes, West Nile virus testing and education to the public, and smallpox inoculation for the first responders in case of bio-terrorism; the Department also provides health care workers in 78 out of 80 public health schools; and it has a cruise ship epidemiology response team. He noted a one-stop facility is needed; the Department has five separate locations in Central Brevard--Merritt Island, Rockledge, a facility next to the Emergency Operations Center, Byrd Plaza, and a facility next to the Historical Commission; by consolidating them and having one central facility, a lot of vacant office space could be utilized for some projects that have come before the Board today; and Dr. Heshmati’s recommendation is to consolidate all five of the central locations in one central facility for all citizens of Brevard County to utilize. Mr. Rudy stated it would eliminate multiple stops, reduce a lot of frustration, and allocate to other County agencies vacated office space that the Department will alleviate; and if the one percent sales surtax is approved, he recommends the Board consider a Central Brevard County facility.

Gail Gonzalez, representing Brevard Botanical Garden, stated a botanical garden would be a significant asset to nourish the quality of life in the County; an additional quality of life issue is the euthanasia rate that is prevailing in local animal control shelters; in the North Animal Control Shelter, dogs are euthanized at a rate of 57% of those that are brought in; and cats were euthanized at a rate of 87.7% of those brought in for the period October 1, 2001 to September 30, 2002. She noted she supports the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in the proposal for a new North Animal Control Care and Adoption Center; the current one is located behind the Airport, where people have a difficult time finding it; the South Animal Care Center’s euthanasia rates for the past year were 39.7% for dogs and 69.6% for cats; and requested the Board do what is necessary to increase the hours of operation at the South Animal Care Center to allow it to be open on Sundays and in the evenings during the week to facilitate families to adopt animals. Ms. Gonzalez stated currently the Center is only open during hours when most people are working; signage at the nearby flea market indicating that the Center is one-quarter mile down the road would assist in getting people to go there; there is a proposal for a mobile adoption unit; and there are volunteers who will take animals from the shelters if they are in an adoptable condition. She noted there is a greater need to have a mobile spay/neuter unit to get to people with limited transportation needs to allow them to have access for their animals.

Mackenzie Quirarte, representing SPCA of North Brevard, stated the SPCA agrees with a new North Animal Care Center; the request for a mobile adoption unit needs to be reevaluated; the number of animals in the shelters are not there because of the lack of visibility for adoptions, but due to pet overpopulation; and the only way to control pet overpopulation is by spaying and neutering. She noted the issue needs to be addressed; there should be a proposal for a mobile spay/neuter unit; there are plenty of outlets for satellite adoptions; volunteers are willing to set up and stay with the animals all day; and a lot of organizations are also willing to assist. She stated the SPCA goes out every Saturday to do adoptions; Lowe’s, Kmart, Wal-Mart, and Publix support the SPCA and allow it to use the entrances to their facilities for adoptions; and the focus needs to be on sterilizing domestic animals in the County in order to reduce pet overpopulation.

Elaine McClung, representing Melbourne Pet Rescue, stated a new animal care facility is needed in North Brevard; she disagrees with the mobile adoption unit as it is a luxury that is not needed at this time; there are satellite adoptions, such as at PetsMart in Melbourne and Pet Supermarket; and if Chameleon network was up and running where the animals were on the Internet, the extra 10% could be reached. She noted it makes sense to go with the spay and neuter program; the County has had three task forces in the past 10 years, which have recommended spay and neuter to decrease the pet overpopulation; and the $60,000 for the adoption unit could be better utilized to start a low-cost, no-cost spay and neuter program.

Tom Bundy, representing Astronaut High School, stated in April 2003, the School undertook the project of trying to update or modernize its track surface; currently, the students that participate in track and field events are running on the asphalt track, which is basically the equivalent of running on a rock; there are several fund-raising projects going to help offset the cost, which is $151,048. He noted there is a proposed bid from SRI Industries, which surfaces tracks in Florida; the reason the School is wanting a rubber surface and asking the Board to consider it as a project for funding is due to the track being bio-mechanically better for the athletes and participants who use the track from the standpoint of injuries to feet, ankles, shins, and knees; a synthetic rubber/plastic-type surface generally is constructed of polyurethane; medically it is shown to be better; and for the last 11 years that he has been the head coach at the School, many events have been hosted there. He stated in order for the School to continue to get district regional meets and large invitational meets to host, it needs to modernize the facility; Volusia, Indian River, and Orange Counties have updated their facilities to the synthetic surfaces; the advantage besides being injury-free is the attractiveness; and Astronaut High School is in competition with surrounding counties to bring in district and regional meets. Mr. Bundy noted usually the State awards the meets to the schools that have the facilities with synthetic surfaces; his School has a long history of putting on quality meets that run on time; people compliment the School when it goes to the State track meet about the great job it does, but also indicate its facility is lacking; and Palm Bay High School has the only synthetic surface in the County. He stated such School lacks a complete facility and cannot host an entire track meet, including all the events; it hosted the Cape Coast Conference Championship this year, which is all Brevard County high schools; and it could host the running events there, but the field events had to be hosted on a separate day at Satellite Beach High School. He noted currently his School has the only track in the County and within Central Florida that has nine lanes, which are lighted; it has the complete venue of all the events hosted at one site; there are a number of organizations besides the high schools that use Astronaut’s facility; and he has talked to Titusville High School and its track coach about sharing the facility and hosting its district and regional meets.

Chairperson Colon inquired if Mr. Bundy has addressed the issue with the School Board; with Mr. Bundy responding affirmatively. Mr. Bundy stated it is the one group he is approaching at this time; he believes the funding should come from the School Board; the School has requested this project for years, but the funding has not come forward; and it is doing everything on its part to raise the money. He noted in the history of Brevard County schools, the School Board has funded one track over 10 years for Palm Bay High School; there are 11 and soon to be 12 high schools in the County, which the School Board has a tendency to neglect; and comparing Brevard County facilities versus Orange, Seminole, and Volusia Counties, the County is 10 or 15 years behind.

Commissioner Higgs stated the Tourist Development Commission (TDC) has opened up the Capital Facilities Grants Program; and inquired if Mr. Bundy has applied through the TDC. Mr. Bundy responded the grant is being worked on at the present time; and he is pursuing every avenue he can for funding the project.

Mr. Jenkins stated the School Board is going to get one-third of the money; therefore, the money it may not have had in the past to do the project, it is possible it could consider it at that time; and the School Board would be receiving $18 million a year.

Chairperson Colon inquired if Mr. Bundy has contacted his School Board representative from his District. Mr. Bundy responded Mr. Jordan is aware of the project; Dr. Michael Kruppa, Principal of Astronaut High School, had a meeting with Mr. Jordan in June 2003; and he is looking for funds wherever possible.

Helen Dezendorf, representing Port St. John Pool Committee, requested the Board not take Port St. John's swimming pool off of the list; stated there are health and educational benefits as far as teaching children to swim so there are not drownings; the pool would be available to seniors who have health problems; and it would allow students to have a place to use for competitive swimming. She noted the two high schools in Titusville are sharing a swimming pool; the burden of adding a third high school to the pool at Titusville High School is impossible; a pool is one place that everyone can come and use for different activities; and a swimming pool is open to anyone who can walk up to its gates. She stated the cost of the pool is $2 million; tourists are going to pay for 25% of it; there is $1 million in District 1 to pave three dirt roads; and about 10% of it may be coming to Port St. John. Ms. Dezendorf noted the people who live on such roads would be glad not to have their roads paved; the $50,000 could go toward the pool; the life of the bond for 20 years would be $200,000; and there is landscaping planned for Port St. John, which is not needed at $350,000 over the course of 20 years. She stated $500,000 is for an addition to Port St. John Community Center for arts and cultural; with the School Board’s $250,000 and reducing the Sheriff’s Substation by 10%, only $20,000 is needed from the sales surtax, which is less than $1.00 per resident in Port St. John. Ms. Dezendorf noted in addition to being a good project, she has shown how it can be funded for the Board with the exception of $20,000.

Juanita Barton, representing East Mims Community Development, expressed appreciation for its support in developing a community development plan for revitalization of the community; stated the plan was announced in churches, meetings were held, and the plan was also announced on television to make sure everybody in the community was aware that the planning was taking place; flyers were handed out; and social events were held. She noted today there is a finalized plan that is put together by the people in the East Mims community; at the top of the list is economic development; one of the problems in the community is individuals walking the streets who do not have any skills; and they do not have the possibility of getting such skills as they do not have access to places, such as Brevard Community College. She stated if there was a building within walking distance of the community, it could house a number of things, including an incubator for people wanting to start their own business; such building could be used to teach individuals certain skills or get their GED; the community center is stretched out trying to do a little bit of everything; and it has done the best it can. Ms. Barton noted the program needs to be expanded to accommodate other things; if the facility was available, there could be a reading room for the children; a music room would also be nice; and it has been statistically proven that children who are exposed to the arts tend to do better in their academics. She stated there is no way of bringing any of the arts to the community at this time; she has a list of things that this one facility could be used for; she lives in a strategic area and everyone has been working hard on getting some things changed in the neighborhood; and a lot has been accomplished over the last four years, but more things need to be done. She noted the community would also like a swimming pool; and education and jobs are important.

Dean Pettit, representing Titusville Environmental Commission, stated one of the initiatives in the Titusville area is the Greater Titusville Heritage Trail; it is a bikeways/greenways system linking together historical, environmentally-sensitive, and cultural heritage sites into one cohesive unit for better marketing to the eco-tourism community and the community at large; and requested the Board’s support for the Master Planning Organization’s Bicycle Trails Master Plan for greenways and trailways and Titusville’s Greenways and Trailways Program. He noted he is also asking for support for the Brevard County EELS Program as the sites are a vital part of the Heritage Trail Program; historical preservation funding is needed; there is not a historical preservation fund to buy certain properties that come under danger of development or other types of degradation; and in North Brevard, there is an Indian mound dating back to 1,000 years B.C., which is Malabar Culture Mound and subject to looting. He stated he has seen the scars on the mound himself; there are some recent excavations and human remains on the mound; such remains are subject to being sold on the black market; and he has seen jeeps and ATV’s on the mound for recreational riding. Mr. Pettit requested funding be put toward the purchase of the mound for historical preservation; stated the cost would be about $450,000; it is a 123-acre site; and there is a village site on the property. He requested a historic preservation fund be established for Brevard County in the amount of $10 million; and stated it would help provide protection for sites and historic homes.

Kim Zarillo, representing EEL Selection and Management Committee, stated the EEL Committee has been successful in finding matching funds to leverage existing dollars that are raised through the referendum; in order to successfully complete the acquisition of existing and future projects, funding would need to be extended up to a level of $54 million; the Committee does not come asking for something it is not willing to work for; and it has leveraged by nearly 50% State, federal, and matching funds. She noted the Committee proposes to do that; the total project is $108 million, less than 1% of the property on the tax rolls; and it is willing to seek funding for $54 million.

Robert Pickett, representing HOPE Properties, stated HOPE is in support of the line item in the Board’s packet for the homeless assessment center proposed for Central and South Brevard; it will be a one-stop facility for homeless or potentially homeless persons to receive help in determining the causes of their homeless status and to access services for self change; and Brevard County’s point in time count identified over 2,000 individuals in the area who meet the definition of homelessness, that is a person who lacks adequate nighttime residence or who lives in a place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings. He requested the Board place the referendum on the ballot; and stated HOPE Properties

Ginger Ferguson, representing Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless, stated for the first time ever the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment has exceeded monthly supplemental social security income benefits, documenting a worsening housing crisis for SSI beneficiaries, especially those with severe and persistent mental illness; fair market rent in Brevard County for a one-bedroom unit is $489.00, $611 for two bedrooms, and $818 for three bedrooms per month; the new report entitled, Priced Out in 2002, reveals that the combination of extreme poverty and record-setting rent levels has continued to fuel the housing crisis, especially confronting people with severe disabilities in every housing market across the country; and the new report is published by Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc. and Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force, which is a coalition of the National Disability Advocacy Organization, including NAMI. She noted even if a person with disabilities receiving SSI benefits, which is equivalent to an hourly rate of $3.43 an hour, can move on to full-time employment at the minimum wage, he or she could not afford rental housing; the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s housing wage for 2002 was $12.08 per hour, about twice the minimum wage and more than three times higher than SSI monthly income; at the end of January 2003, County staff, community partners, and members of the Continuum of Care Coalition did a point in time count; and they updated a survey of what is available in the community to assist those who have no safe place to go. Ms. Ferguson stated there are 124 emergency spaces in the community, with a documentation of 1,715 men, women, and children counted in a 24-hour period who are homeless; it is less than 10%; homeless assessment centers and emergency shelters are desperately needed to stabilize individuals; many partner agencies are doing outreach prevention; and they are utilizing every dollar they can to help those in crisis, but it does no good to reach out to them if there is no place for them to go to be stabilized. She noted many individuals who are not homeless are at risk of becoming homeless; even a slight change in a family situation can result in homelessness; Congress is voting to decide on proposed cuts to the Section 8 Voucher Program; and it will mean many more homeless families. She stated the homeless assessment center and 80 spaces proposed will not only prevent suffering of Brevard County’s neediest, but it will also pay for itself many times over in terms of saving costs to the child welfare system and the correctional and community mental health systems; more tax dollars will not be needed in the future if there are more taxpayers; there is a window of opportunity to help those that are in crisis; and the County can turn a life of despair into a life of hope and abundance if it improves the local system of services. Ms. Ferguson noted the local economy will be improved if the County helps those in crisis; and it will improve the quality of life for everyone.

Lillian Banks inquired if the Board decides to put the sales surtax on the ballot, will it spend taxpayers’ money to market it.

Commissioner Scarborough responded it is inappropriate to expend taxpayers money to market it; and as long as the County does not advocate but states what is on there for the public to know, that is acceptable. Ms. Banks inquired is the Board going to tell the people what it is going to spend the money on. Commissioner Scarborough responded the public needs to know what projects are included or not included. Ms. Banks stated there is a big wish list, but there is no guarantee that any one thing will be done first, last, or second; if the County bonds immediately, it is going to generate approximately $179 million for 20 years; and there are no parameters of how the funds can be spent.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he agrees with Ms. Banks; people need to know what is in the first segment, the known projects upfront, and those projects that are trailing; and the County needs to define such projects.

Ms. Banks advised she is opposed to the sales surtax; the County is not a good steward of taxpayers' money; the gas tax was put in effect of six cents; the people were told that since the roads were in bad shape the money would go toward fixing them; and a great share of the funds were spent on cleaning out ditches and putting in bicycle paths. She stated bicycle paths will not help roads; the bicyclists ride down Tropical Trail; there is a bicycle path all the way down Courtenay Parkway that parallels Tropical Trail; and it is not used. She noted growth helps a lot with taxes; the County is spending too much money on court costs; it is defying a lot of things that the citizens want; and the CAPIT is getting near the Supreme Court. She stated she does not hold out a lot of hope for the people because there are many liberal judges; the Board fought the petitions before; and reiterated it is not a good steward of her money.

Assistant County Manager Don Lusk read a letter from Tracey Higginbotham, representing Country Acres Children’s Home, as follows: “Good morning, I’m Tracey Higginbotham, President of the Country Acres Auxiliary, and I’m here to express our support for the approval on the sales surtax annex renovation request for Country Acres Children’s Home. It is my understanding that each of you, or just about each one of you, have taken a tour of the home. The home is where we have provided a safe environment for children who are removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. You should be aware that this facility has two wings, one for the boys and one for the girls, a small kitchen and living room area, a small activity area, and the computer center. This is a small facility considering the number of children in the house, which is approximately 18 at this time. This request to renovate the annex that is currently used for auxiliary meetings is part of the facility that has great potential. It has a large open area that could be utilized as a hurricane shelter, community use for meetings, or provide children activities. This is a part of the facility that has been ignored and should be made available for the use of the children and the community. The main kitchen for meal preparation is housed in the annex and is functional. This complements the great potential that this annex could provide in the safety of the children and utilization by the community. We presently provide over $18,000 assistance to the home, and the auxiliary is reviewing where we will be able to assist in providing chairs, tables, game tables, and whatever else is takes to make this a functional area for the children and the community to have available to use. It seems sad that we have a County facility that is not being completely equipped to provide increased safety, community involvement, and use as a hurricane shelter. We request that you approve the project request. Thank you.”

The meeting recessed at 12:30 p.m. and reconvened at 1:50 p.m.

Chairperson Colon congratulated Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten, who now has a baby girl.

Mr. Jenkins stated the Board has discussed two options for the distribution; one option was 25% into four categories and the second option was a separation by the CIP and new projects; the referendum may only be successful if the projects are popular with the residents and constituents in the County; and while it is extremely important to meet basic infrastructure needs, it is important to be mindful of which projects are going to have popular support and which ones are the voters going to believe are important to the betterment of the community.

Commissioner Carlson inquired is the Board going to address the finance issue; with Chairperson Colon responding affirmatively.

David Moore, Public Financial Management, stated his firm and the Clerk’s Office ran numbers and came up with essentially the same financing, which is $178 million; a good issue that needs to be in the forefront of everybody’s mind is that what was built into the estimates for growth of the sales tax is 4% for every year; while the projects are based on today’s dollars, the 4% is conservative; most of his firm’s clients around the State that have the sales tax have seen growth of 6% to 8% over the last eight or nine years; and Brevard County’s growth has not been that strong, but as it continues to grow, the sales tax would grow at a greater rate than the numbers projected. He noted one of the ways for the County to protect itself against inflation and project cost is by projecting the growth rate to be less than expected; the projects need to be prioritized; some of them are going to get done right away and some of them are going to get done later; and the way the County protects itself against inflation is to finance some of the projects immediately. Mr. Moore stated oftentimes it takes money for projects that may not happen for eight or 10 years; it might buy land now to avoid a significant portion of the project cost inflating over time; Leon County developed three separate lists; and the “A” list was going to get financed with bond financing right away, the “B” list was projects to be done in a five to eight-year time frame, and the “C” list was smaller projects that could be worked into the later years of the program. He noted another thing the County could do is another financing in three or four years as sales tax revenues grow; it could pick up another $20 million or $25 million; and it could pull more of the later projects into the four or five-year time frame.

Mr. Jenkins stated the estimates were based on preliminary information; the County has not had engineers cost the projects or do any kind of design; the square footage is multiplied using construction rates; and such rates are fairly high. He noted he is not in a position to tell the Board that staff has factored in what the inflation is going to be 15 years from now; the rates were done with some cushion, so some of the inflation over a period of time could well be absorbed; as the years go by, the County could continue to seek out opportunities for joint participation; and it could offset the results of the inflationary impact. He stated some of the allocations are not going to be one-time allocations; the King Center has asked for a recurring allotment each year for 20 years; the road resurfacing would be something that would be done over the 20-year life of the referendum; and it is impractical to do $20 million or $30 million worth of road resurfacing in a couple of years time. He noted some of the projects could receive bond proceeds immediately; there could be additional allocations in subsequent years that would come from cash proceeds; and there could be a blending of both bond proceeds and annual cash, depending on the nature of the expenditure.

Commissioner Scarborough stated the Pritchard House was inspected and is sound; the County has been fairly successful in getting funds once it has acquired properties; it opens itself to grants for restoring historical projects; and it would open up money for the historical fund if the County wants to set aside a few extra million dollars. He noted when the County does not have properties acquired, it does not get State participation; Congressman Micah represented Volusia County and indicated the trails system will receive $6.3 million; if Brevard County is not willing to step up to the plate, then it will not receive the monies; and it did a tremendous job with EELS as it received State funding. Commissioner Carlson stated having the availability of dollars is key. Commissioner Scarborough noted he could go through a number of different projects where the County has positive plays, but it cannot be tentative; and everybody wants to have winning projects. Commissioner Carlson stated Clerk of Courts Scott Ellis brought up the issue of recessions and the standard cyclical business things that occur, which might be affected by sales tax; and inquired what did staff put into the calculation where it came up with $178 million in bonding ability and the remainder in cash. She noted staff indicated it was conservative on the inflationary side, and inquired what about a declining sales tax collection.

Mr. Moore responded his firm assumed there would be an average of 4% growth, which would take into account the years where it is 6%, 7%, or 8% and years where the growth is flat, such as 1%; and around the State in different growing counties, the numbers historically have averaged 7% or 8% for the last 15 years. Commissioner Carlson stated Mr. Ellis mentioned the County identifying projects and the potential of not getting funding for certain projects down the road; and inquired is it going to need validity. Mr. Moore responded the County is at the front end of the planning process; counties, cities, and school boards that are working on a sales tax program end up with some prioritization; in the end, there is never going to be enough to fund everything; there is no way to develop a rational plan to deal with those numbers, other than to make sure there are placeholders; and the County can begin to prioritize the different projects.

Commissioner Higgs noted the resolution or ordinance authorizing the referendum for the one-cent sales surtax will have a yes or no question; and inquired will there be a second question about bonding.

County Attorney Scott Knox responded there are not two separate questions as they are joined together; and the questions could be split, but it could cause difficulty. Commissioner Higgs noted the language does not include bonding a specific amount and says “issue bonds.” Mr. Jenkins stated the market dictates how much. Mr. Moore noted if the question references financing, it would be silent as to the amount; and the financial markets are not going to let the County borrow more than a certain amount. Commissioner Higgs noted the County has the ability to bond sales tax, and inquired does it have to ask that question in the referendum; with Attorney Knox responding yes, and anything over a certain figure the County has to get referendum approval.

Mr. Moore stated the County Charter is a certain dollar amount of specific projects; and $10 million or $15 million is the most that the County could bond without a referendum. Commissioner Higgs inquired if the County did not have that provision in its Charter, would it still ask the question about bonding; with Attorney Knox responding negatively. Attorney Knox noted ad valorem taxes would require referendum approval. Commissioner Higgs stated the County can do sales tax and it does not matter whether it is the first six cents or additional; the Charter limits the County; and inquired is it contrary to general law. Attorney Knox responded for the infrastructure sales tax, the County needs a referendum for bonds; he needs to review Florida Statutes to see whether it covers the bonds or approval of the one-cent; and it is usually only the ad valorem taxes that are covered by it.

Mr. Moore noted all of his firm’s other clients have not had to build that into the referendum question; and they have been able to issue bonds by just asking for the half-cent or full cent. Commissioner Scarborough noted the Board does not have to vote on the issue until Tuesday; with Commissioner Carlson responding that is correct. Commissioner Higgs stated she is curious how the County’s Charter affects this.

Commissioner Pritchard stated the public is under the impression that the majority of projects would be done in the first five years, with the exception of the historical money set aside of $10 million mentioned earlier for future acquisitions; and inquired what projects would be done in 15, 18, and 20 years. He noted he does not want to mislead anyone into thinking a certain project is going to be done in 2004, and it is not done until 2014; the Board does not have a grasp as to when something might occur; it was mentioned earlier that the proceeds are coming from tourism and sales taxes; tourism is a way to pay the sales tax; and inquired what happens if there is a serious problem, such as another September 11th incident, and the bond markets take a lower dive than they are now. Mr. Moore responded current interest rates are approximately 4%; now is a great time for borrowing funds; some coverage is built in when doing financing for a sales tax; and if the County received $20 million per year in revenue, the financial markets would not let it issue bonds that would require it to spend all $20 million on debt service. He noted that number would probably be $15 million or $16 million; if something happened locally or nationally that caused sales taxes to decline, the bond holders would be protected; the County could finance approximately $178 million right now and then get $275 million over the 20 years; and the $275 million is the extra that the bond market requires to be set aside. Commissioner Pritchard stated there is a built-in cushion to the process; a lot of projects are being discussed; some of them are partially funded in CIP; but there is going to be operation and maintenance. He inquired how is the County going to pay for the operation and maintenance of additional projects, considering the amount of revenue and expenses it currently has, and where is the extra money for operation and maintenance going to come from. Mr. Jenkins responded as staff has constructed the list, it has primarily looked for projects where the County would have minimal operating budget impact; there is only one general place it can come from and that would be typically the General Fund; and some of the projects are going to have an operating impact, such as expansion of the jail. He noted the County does not have a choice, but to expand the jail; there will be an operating impact; the basic core infrastructure needs will have an operating impact on the budget; however, on many other types of projects and amenities, staff would be looking for opportunities to defer the operating expenses to other entities and agencies, such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, Mental Health Receiving Center, and those types of projects. Commissioner Pritchard stated some of the other existing entities receive funding from the County as part of their revenue stream. Mr. Jenkins noted Circles of Care would be one entity that could be operating, such as the mental health receiving facility; and the County does not typically fund Circles of Care, but specifically purchases services for the jail.

Commissioner Pritchard stated Mr. Jenkins mentioned that projects are based on today’s dollars, but without any real engineering; and inquired what effect is it going to have when the real dollars come in and the County finds out it cannot afford to do a project that was promised to the public and they bought off on it by their vote. Mr. Jenkins responded the first step is identifying the list of projects; coming back with a schedule as to how they are going to be funded and in what order they are going to be funded is the second step; staff needs to examine the numbers in terms of what they are estimated at and then do further consideration in terms of what inflationary impact might do to some of them; and a number of the projects are annual allocations that are more quantified by the dollar amount and could be considered in the scheduling process. He noted the projects would not require immediate funding and could be funded over a 20-year period; Mr. Moore indicated if the sales tax proceeds come in higher than projected, the Board could have the ability to do a subsequent financing or bond issue; and he is not saying it has to do that, but it would be looking at a culmination of options to come up with a schedule. Mr. Jenkins stated all of the projects beyond the bond issue and bond issue debt service are contingent on receiving the revenue; if the County does not get the money, it cannot do the projects; everybody needs to understand that the County has professional financial people giving it their best estimates as to what they perceive the revenues to be; and it needs to plan accordingly. Commissioner Pritchard expressed concern that the County is bonding the public’s future for the next 20 years; stated some of the responses he has received from a sales tax survey has been that individuals do not support 20 years, but would support 10 years or five years; the money is cut drastically from 20 years to five years; and he is talking about a return on investment. He noted the assumption today is $175 million and that cyclically it would be an 8% return. Mr. Moore noted his firm assumed 4% growth; and what he referenced was that most of the counties around the State have averaged closer to 7% or 8% for the last 10 or 15 years. Commissioner Pritchard stated the amount of revenue that would be generated would be enough to fund something; the reason he says “something” is because the County does not have any hard costs; and he will leave it at that.

Commissioner Scarborough stated there are some things that the County has typically paid for with operating expenses; there are other things that would relieve operating demands, therefore, not everything will work to the County’s detriment; the Sheriff’s vehicles and equipment of $23,800,000 would come out of the operating budget if the County did not do it this way; and it would be monies that it could not have available over the next 20 years. He noted John Denninghoff told him that the County is resurfacing approximately one-half of the roads that it needs to currently; when road sub-bases deteriorate, there can be a seven-fold increase in the cost of reconstructing as opposed to resurfacing; and he would disagree in saying there are no operating benefits and only operating detriments.

Commissioner Carlson stated there are so many positives with the sales surtax that it outweighs the negatives; it is the overriding issue that she has seen; although the survey is a great tool, it seems limited as far as the numbers that Commissioner Pritchard’s office has received; and she supports doing something like that, but the survey could be for 20, 10, or two years. She noted the County has support from the School Board and cities to do 20 years; the Board may more or less commit to it on July 22, 2003; she made it clear to the Board that it was important for her to look at all the strategic planning that has been done in the County; and last year, it did departmental strategies and strategic planning for the Board.

She stated there are a lot of strategies that were enveloped into Brevard Tomorrow; the County needs to look at partnerships, which is a key to getting the money as it cannot afford all of the different projects submitted; since she recommended the 60% allocation, she needs to explain some of the issues; and Exhibit B is the 60/40. Commissioner Carlson noted the same projects are in both exhibits and are categorized differently in the 25% versus the 60/40; the request column for the CIP projects in Exhibit B shows over $310 million; the $25 million in water quality did not belong where it was, so it was moved to the CIP projects, giving a number of $336 million; 60% of the anticipated receipts over 20 years is $271,800,000; and if the County uses the 60% allocation to already approved, but unfunded CIP projects, it needs to pare the list down by $64 million, which is where the $278 million amount comes from. She stated in the new projects list, with adjustment for the water quality and drainage entry, and a $2.5 million correction to the trails system, the County ends up with requests totaling $256 million; 40% of that is going to be $181,200,000; if the County uses the 40% allocation for projects not previously approved by the Board, it needs to eliminate $75 million from the list; and she has proposed reductions from the CIP list. She stated the spreadsheet is strictly transportation CIP projects; she laid out criteria as there are many transportation projects and the County is under-funded in that area; the criteria include preliminary engineering that has been accomplished; and there are approximately 10 projects sitting on the shelf that have Preliminary Design and Engineering (PD&E) studies already accomplished; and whether or not the road project improves capacity, improves efficiency, has prior Board approval, and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) long-range plan approval was also included. Commissioner Carlson noted the list gives the Board information on those projects that meet all the criteria; initially when the Board went through the process it managed to cut $49 million in transportation projects as it looked at the criteria; the package includes a South Brevard transportation group and a Central Brevard transportation group, with a clustering of various projects to help in the capacity and efficiency of the road projects; and such projects are numbered on the fourth sheet. She stated the Pineda project includes one-third of the cost of the interchange and the match from Department of Transportation (DOT); if the Board decides it wants to go with group 1 road projects to fund, then the John Rodes Boulevard improvement at $4 million can be deleted; Sharpes Community Center is funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); and although she puts high regard on the training of firefighters, the County may be able to do other creative financing or saving of dollars for the $7 million training facility. She noted the Sheriff has a $13.5 million request; and suggested he identify those needs that could be requested in future regular budget submissions. Commissioner Carlson stated she proposed partial reductions from the new projects list; staff indicated the County needs extra dollars each year to do road resurfacing; if it is only doing half the road maintenance projects needed, it can add a couple of million dollars each year to bring it up to a better level of service; and there are resurfacing funds available from the Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) and Local Option Gas Tax (LOGT). She noted she included $32 million instead of the requested $62 million, 50% funding for the Space Museum, 50% funding for the conference center, and 50% for historical preservation; there are a lot of people focused on historical preservation; the County does not want to lose that momentum; and there were no numbers in terms of the property that Botanical Gardens wanted to purchase, so she included $2 million for potential funding. She stated Wae Nelson brought in the assessed value from the Property Appraiser, which is $2.3 million for the whole area; the cultural arts and multipurpose centers are in the Brevard Cultural Alliance (BCA) plan; there are 14 centers among the libraries and parks, so there seems to be some redundancy; therefore, she reduced the amount by $3 million, which still leaves $4.25 million for the two areas. Commissioner Carlson noted she took out $4.6 million under the Sheriff’s vehicles and land conservation items; the last page includes the full reductions; she tried to see what the more critical needs in the community were; and she agrees with a tiering technique of trying to come up with projects that can be done in one to three years, four to six years, and six years and over. She stated she recommends getting the partnerships going; the Board is willing to help with the projects, but it cannot pay the entire ticket; and such partnerships would be with the School Board and municipalities.

Commissioner Scarborough noted the economy is not good; existing charities are not faring too well today; he can remember Clarence Rowe trying to raise money for the Harry T. Moore facility; and it was extremely difficult. He stated the Board can discuss the issues in the CIP; it has had certain people come in with certain projects; a critical moment is whether a product is funded or not; and it is all right to say that the County would like to have a partnership if there are guarantees of maintenance, free land, etc. He inquired does the County have people coming to its meetings talking about items on the CIP list. Commissioner Carlson responded the CIP list has received the most lip service from the Board; and every year it supports the list, but it never seems to get into the budget. Commissioner Scarborough stated the County needs to respond to the people who present their items to the Board; they have been coming to the meetings for several months; the external things and those items listed on the last two pages need to be critically examined; and he supports the partnerships. He noted there is no need in buying Mrs. Guiten’s property, and $2 million is apparently not going to buy it; and there need to be interlocal agreements with various entities. Commissioner Carlson stated Commissioner Scarborough wants to be able to work forward with absolutes. Commissioner Scarborough noted the conversation is on the last two pages and whether or not the projects are viable; and if they are not viable, the County has a profound problem as the people speaking in favor have not been part of the CIP project discussions. Commissioner Carlson stated a lot of discussion has happened prior to this meeting concerning the CIP. Commissioner Scarborough inquired should the Board discuss the CIP first and certain road projects, or should it tell the community their project is funded or not. Commissioner Carlson responded she understands Commissioner Scarborough’s perspective; perhaps the Board could tell Mr. Jenkins which items should not be included on the list; and he could report back to the Board with a 20-year timeline.

Frances Riley stated the Brevard Commission on Aging met last week and voted 100% to support the tax referendum; and that is every senior group in the area. Commissioner Scarborough noted it is unique that the seniors are interested; they do not drive in congested traffic and do not have children in school; they are interested because of some of the little projects that they work so hard on to bring to the County; and inquired is the County being responsive.

Commissioner Carlson stated although Commissioner Scarborough may not agree with the partial funding list she brought up, it does show an interest to some degree; the items she included that should be cut do not deal with the seniors; community centers and quality of life-type issues were left in; and all the documentation has been studied and discussed. Commissioner Scarborough stated by moving a few million dollars around he can support all of the projects on an affirmative basis; as structured here, the County is putting a big question mark and some of the projects are never going to happen; and the Botanical Garden is never going to raise $7.5 million. Commissioner Carlson noted that is fine if the Board decides that is the case; and Commissioner Scarborough is suggesting the Board start with the new projects and whatever is remaining could be put in the CIP. Commissioner Scarborough stated he is talking about minimal dollars, which have been discussed the most; less than 10% of the budget has been discussed 99% of the time; and reiterated he is talking about the last two pages as they are basically looking at the new project list.

Commissioner Pritchard advised he concurs with Commissioner Scarborough; expressed concern that the sales surtax is not going to be run the same way as the parks and recreation referendum; noted the two proposals are the 60/40 allocation and the 25% allocation; and neither one of them is the way to go. He noted he would support listing each project for the people, such as a botanical garden, conference center at Brevard Community College’s north campus, new roads or re-paving certain roads, a new facility for Alzheimer’s patients, etc.; and each project has to be more specific than just generalities. He stated Ms. Banks’ argument is correct that many of the items should be handled within the current budget process and not bonded out; the County may be able to reduce the amount of money necessary to do the items selected or reduce the amount of time it would bond; instead of bonding for 20 years, it may be able to bond for 10 years; and people would see a faster return on their investment instead of having to wait 15 years, 18 years, or maybe never to getting a botanical garden. Commissioner Pritchard noted he would support having something structured like the parks and recreation referendum with a project and dollar value attached.

Commissioner Higgs stated nobody disagrees that the Board wants to be fairly specific; all of the projects cannot be listed on the ballot; and inquired how would Commissioner Pritchard structure it. Commissioner Pritchard responded first the Board needs to go through Exhibits A and B, which include CIP projects, as well as new projects; it could then make a decision on which projects are included or not included; and it could go line item by line item to get a consensus on the projects.

Mr. Jenkins stated the referendum is a joint one between the Board, School Board, and municipalities; the language has to be broad to qualify for expenditures of all three entities; staff has used some broad terms in the referendum, such as public safety, community projects, environmental improvements, etc.; and staff would create a catalog of projects that would be a public information piece in which the Board, School Board, and municipalities would tell the voters in advance where their money would be spent. He noted an oversight committee could monitor the expenditures to insure that all the different governmental entities involved in the process do what they said they were going to do; the Board could go through the list today and tell staff what it wants to include or not include; staff can go back and make the numbers work based on what it knows to be available; and it is going to take a combined effort of staff and Mr. Moore to come back with a schedule.

Commissioner Higgs expressed concern about some of the numbers with some of the projects; stated of critical importance to the safety of the community is the jail and its expansion, as well as the receiving center; staff estimated the cost of $37 million for two additional pods, which could include 250 inmates per pod; and there are more than 1,400 inmates in the average census. She noted if the County is going to build two pods at $37 million, she is afraid such pods are not going to be adequate to meet the needs 10 years from now; she is happy to select the projects that should be included; however, before her selections, the Board needs to review the jail issue as $37 million may not be an adequate number.

Mr. Jenkins stated the $37 million also includes expanding the medical facility and booking area in the existing jail, as well as some infrastructure rehabilitation. Commissioner Higgs inquired what is the cost to add an additional pod; with Mr. Jenkins responding he does not know, but if the Board tells him what it wants by going down the list, he will cost the items out. Commissioner Pritchard stated one of the problems the jail has with overcrowding is that there are certain inmates who require isolation and being held separate from the general population; and they may occupy a pod by themselves. Mr. Jenkins noted those inmates may occupy a cellblock. Commissioner Pritchard stated if mental health facilities were considered as part of the referendum, where certain individuals should be, it would free up more space in the jail. He noted there are a lot of people with mental illness and non-violent drug problems that could be deferred out of jail instead of being thrown in jail as they currently are; there are other programs and places they could go, which means they do not ever have to go to the jail; if the County expands the jail based on cash flow, it would not build two pods tomorrow; and such pods could be staggered.

Commissioner Carlson stated the CIP projects listed on both exhibits are all unfunded and nothing unfunded has been left out. Mr. Jenkins noted that is not correct; there are some things in the CIP that staff did not believe would be worthy of being on the sales tax; and for example, staff did not include replacing the carpet in the Government Center on the list. Commissioner Carlson stated the items listed are the ones most palatable; with Mr. Jenkins responding they are more appropriate for the sales tax.

Commissioner Higgs noted one of her concerns with the way Commissioner Carlson did the road projects is that a number of them are critical in South Brevard; South Babcock Street and Micco Road are not on the MPO list; they are County roads and in serious need of reconstruction due to the foundation of the roads; and they are not necessarily capacity projects, but are seriously in need of the kind of work that could be done by the referendum. She stated there are only five County Commissioners representing the unincorporated areas at the MPO; the incorporated cities do not look to projects outside of their jurisdictions too often; the focus of discussion is not on some of the County roads that are deteriorating; and Babcock Street is an arterial corridor that is critical to South Brevard. She noted Micco Road, particularly west of Dottie Street and west of the Barefoot Bay area, needs improvement; there are two serious curves for safety; and the condition of the roadway is seriously deteriorating.

Commissioner Carlson stated it was nice to have the criteria; she is looking at the sacrifices and trying to figure out what the greater community would want versus one portion of the community; and there might be a way to attack a problem like that in pieces versus doing it all at once to preserve some of that dollar. Commissioner Higgs noted the phasing issue may be there, but it is the same discussion that took place at the MPO the other day; North Courtenay Parkway is not going to be a huge capacity project, but is in need of repairs; a section of South Patrick Drive has real needs; and some serious projects are not on the MPO list. She stated when she tries to put such projects in Commissioner Carlson’s criteria, she has a problem; and the referendum has to have a large component in transportation.

Commissioner Scarborough stated he had a meeting with Mr. Jenkins and staff regarding the jail; taxpayers pick up the tab with the increased medical costs; a high number of deputies and guards have been injured; and inquired who is liable. He noted he could run through a whole litany of things that puts the County at risk and increases costs; just to talk about building structures is the wrong vocabulary; there needs to be a paradigm shift and then talk about the smart jail; and perhaps staff could go to Portland to see its facility. He stated the Board needs to talk more about the jail; he does not know if it is pod numbers or the structuring; and the County does not need the cost escalation, but a better-structured facility. Commissioner Higgs noted she wants to be sure as the Board talks numbers and works towards the $178 million that it is adequately funding critical issues; and the jail is not the happiest item that voters are going to look at. Commissioner Scarborough stated if the Board talks the way NAMI did this morning, people may say yes, that is smart. Commissioner Higgs noted she agrees that the Board needs to talk about the jail; and the $37 million may need some refinement before such number is finalized. Mr. Jenkins noted the $37 million does not have to come from the $178 million as the County can stagger it over subsequent years. Commissioner Higgs stated 1,400 inmates fill up the jail today; and if it builds one or two pods, they could be filled up tomorrow.

Commissioner Pritchard noted perhaps the Board should look at the list of projects to see how much money is involved with them, and then it could look at maybe $18 million per year. Commissioner Higgs stated $18 million is a bad number to use on an annual basis as it assumes a certain amount of bonding and would not figure in the cash flow. Mr. Jenkins noted the $18 million is without paying the debt service; the first year, the debt service would be approximately $13 million; it would leave $5 million cash; and the cash amount increases every year thereafter. Commissioner Higgs stated another number could be used instead of $18 million.

Commissioner Scarborough noted the County needs to be sensitive that people vote against taxes as they do not like them; the only reason they vote for taxes is because somehow it touches them; the County needs to do the critical projects; and the County needs to somehow make those projects that have had community comment and community involvement work to the greatest extent possible, and then go to the CIP. He stated when it comes time for the CIP, he is going to have Mr. Denninghoff brief him; Mr. Denninghoff has been in his office and briefed him a couple of times as he is not out there seeing every road; he has asked Billy Osborne which roads need to be resurfaced; and he has to do a full study of all the roads. Chairperson Colon stated the County is trying to prioritize the projects; such projects are not being taken lightly; and different formulas have been presented. Commissioner Carlson stated she appreciates Commissioner Scarborough’s comments concerning the CIP as it is supposed to be used as a budgetary document; the CIP is not integrated into the County’s budget on a common basis; if the County can say it will approach the CIP and put it into the budget now for the next 20 years, “x” number of dollars could go into the CIP; and some projects may not be needed right now. She noted the County has its standard budgetary process; it is going to have more money for infrastructure coming in that can be applied to the CIP; and the funds could be put toward the new projects. Commissioner Scarborough stated the County has done the reverse over a period of time; it has taken gas tax revenues out of new road construction and applied it to operation and maintenance; and it has funded less and less capital. Commissioner Carlson noted from what the County’s study has shown, it is not a consistent process.

Mr. Jenkins stated as the County began the process, he knew it was going to be difficult for a five-member Board to add up $475 million worth of projects; if the Board would take the list and tell him what it does not want to fund, he will come back with a list that addresses everybody’s interests; he has to go back and adjust the numbers; and he has already started that process. Commissioner Carlson inquired what is easier to do, list what the Board does not want or absolutely what it wants; with Mr. Jenkins responding it may be quicker to tell him what projects are not wanted.

Commissioner Higgs stated the principle of what has been identified in the past in the CIP is important; while the County has to balance it with some of the projects that have come forward in the discussion over time, she wants to identify those projects that have been in there for a number of years; and she is not dispelling Commissioner Carlson’s 60/40 concept or going all the way with Commissioner Scarborough’s angle. Mr. Jenkins suggested the Board go down the list of projects. Commissioner Pritchard stated he spent time reading each sheet and rating the projects. Mr. Jenkins stated the Board could rate the projects using 1, 2, and 3; if a project is rated 3, it does not mean it cannot get funded; he does not know that the County needs to put $62 million into resurfacing roads, as it is not realistic; and that is what it would take to do every road in Brevard County. He noted the County is not able to do that from a realistic standpoint, so the number will be much lower; and it can still fund resurfacing roads. He stated Commissioner Pritchard is addressing Commissioner Scarborough’s concern and agrees there are many projects that the public wants that are high priorities; there may be some things in the CIP that are of equal importance as the County has to have a jail; it is a combination of what the public wants and some of the most fundamental needs within the County; and the Board can do the rankings if it chooses. Commissioner Pritchard stated the Commissioners could do the rankings individually and send their lists to Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins noted if the Board tells him what it wants, he will come back with a balanced plan. Commissioner Carlson stated number 1 would be very important and number 3 would be the lowest of importance. Commissioner Scarborough noted there are two things that impact a Commissioner’s decision; one is staff’s comments and the other is the Commissioner’s familiarity with the project; there may be disparity because of knowledge; and the County runs the risk of de-funding a whole area due to lack of knowledge there. He stated it would work if everybody knew equally of all the problems throughout the County, but those are not the dynamics of the Board and it is fundamentally flawed. Commissioner Pritchard noted the Board is looking to achieve some type of consensus on what it believes should make the cut based on observations and input; and as an example, he picked out the Mims Library. Commissioner Scarborough inquired how many Commissioners have been to the Mims Library. Commissioner Pritchard responded he does not know a thing about it, but he read the paperwork, including the outcomes and benefits; and he rated the project as a number 1. Commissioner Scarborough inquired what is more important, to help an overcrowded need at Suntree Library or have a permanent structure for Mims/Scottsmoor Library.

Mr. Jenkins noted both projects could be ranked as number 1. Commissioner Pritchard stated he has a mix of projects ranked as 1, 2, and 3 from both lists. Commissioner Scarborough noted Mr. Osborne has not rated the roads for construction. Commissioner Pritchard noted somebody with knowledge filled out the sheet on the Dixon Boulevard Reconstruction Project; it is the same as an agenda item; the project consists of restructuring the badly deteriorated substandard Dixon Boulevard from the tracks; and the City of Cocoa has agreed to partner with the County. He stated he is looking at the sheet as a project period and is not separating it into CIP or new projects; it is a wish list; and the Board should not argue whether it is a CIP project or a new project. Commissioner Scarborough noted Commissioner Carlson made the point that the CIP has been discussed extensively and projects have been on the list the whole time; and it has a degree of staff analysis that is to be relied on. Commissioner Pritchard inquired where did the Dixon Boulevard Reconstruction Project come from; with Mr. Jenkins responding Mr. Denninghoff and Mr. Kamm.

Chairperson Colon stated the Commissioners are going to tend to score the projects in their Districts higher; with Commissioners Pritchard and Carlson responding that is not true. Chairperson Colon noted it is human nature; a Commissioner knows the need of their community; and Mr. Jenkins wants the Board to look at the bigger picture. Commissioner Higgs stated even if she were to concede that she might like her projects better than Commissioner Scarborough’s projects due to her knowledge of projects in District 3, she is only one Commissioner; the rest of the Commissioners balance it out so the process works; and even if she is more familiar with projects in her District, that does not mean the process is flawed.

Mr. Jenkins stated the Board needs to look at what is on the list and the cost; the County cannot affect the amount of the money to the point where it is going to jeopardize the project; it has to fully fund the project, whatever it may be; and it was his intention at the beginning of the meeting that if the Board told him what it did not want on the list, he would meet with Mr. Denninghoff and review the road projects to see which ones could be deferred, switched from a full enhancement to intersections, etc. He noted staff would review the road resurfacing projects and staging of land acquisitions over a period of years; it would look at options to do it; staff can come up with a schedule of what it believes the County can afford; and the Board would then review the schedule. He stated it would be helpful if the Commissioners ranked the projects; if the Board does not believe the Sheriff’s replacement equipment should be included, staff will remove it from the list; and the amount may be $3 million instead of $12 million.

Motion by Commissioner Pritchard, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to instruct each Commissioner to rank proposed projects to be funded by the Surtax 1, 2, and 3, with 1 being the highest priority, and to submit the recommendations to the County Manager as soon as possible. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Scarborough voted nay.

Commissioner Carlson stated the County has invested millions and millions of dollars in many transportation items with PD&E’s; and such items are sitting on the shelf. Commissioner Scarborough stated some Commissioners may not know where the County is with certain projects; there are some dynamics that lie within staff’s suggestions and dynamics that only the

Board can get its hands around; and the County has not distinguished between those two classifications.

Mr. Jenkins noted he would propose to blend the two classifications; and he is going to take Mr. Denninghoff’s, Mr. Lusk’s, etc. inputs and blend them with what he receives from the Commissioners’ rankings to come up with a plan. Commissioner Pritchard stated the whole point is to cull the list. Chairperson Colon inquired when does Mr. Jenkins need the list; with Mr. Jenkins responding as soon as possible. Chairperson Colon stated the Board needs to know where it stands by Tuesday. Mr. Jenkins noted it is a huge challenge by Tuesday. Commissioner Pritchard stated it took quite a while for him to go through all of the projects. Chairperson Colon inquired does Mr. Jenkins feel comfortable with what has been accomplished today or does he feel the Board needs to go a step further. Mr. Jenkins responded if the Board gives him its feedback, he will blend it with staff’s input and come back with a plan that hopefully will work. Commissioner Pritchard inquired what is the deadline; with Mr. Jenkins responding the sooner the Commissioners provide their lists he can start working on them. Commissioner Higgs inquired if the Commissioners are to come back with specific road projects; with Mr. Jenkins responding if they choose to, and he will get staff’s input as well. Commissioner Higgs noted Mr. Jenkins will come back with an average of the numbers. Chairperson Colon stated the best thing she can do is to make sure there is a meeting that is fair; the Board has come to some kind of consensus; she is going to be as fair to the process as she can; and she has told people who have come to her office that one cannot have the cake and eat it too. She noted she cannot vote against a project and then say she wants something included; and she is sensitive to that. Commissioner Carlson inquired does that mean Chairperson Colon is not going to rank the projects and is staying out of the process since she will be voting no anyway at the end; with Chairperson Colon responding it is up to the Board. Commissioner Scarborough stated Chairperson Colon is voting against the tax, but the people in District 5 will be voting on the tax totally. Chairperson Colon noted the City of Palm Bay is supporting the tax. Commissioner Scarborough stated when the Board rates the projects, it needs to rate them with the highest probability that it is successful; and the only way it is going to be successful is for the County to touch as many people in the fairest way possible. Chairperson Colon noted there are projects that have to do with the cities; the city councils have submitted resolutions in support of certain projects; and they are 100% behind the surtax. Commissioner Pritchard stated even though Chairperson Colon is on the record as opposing the referendum, her input is necessary; and at the end of the process, she may say she is going to give the people the opportunity to say yes or no. Commissioner Higgs noted Commissioner Scarborough does not like the process of rating the projects 1, 2, 3; and inquired does Chairperson Colon see a better process. Chairperson Colon responded the Board is fine. Commissioner Scarborough stated he would have no problem rating 1, 2 and 3 on community-oriented projects; he prefers to have staff rate the CIP internal projects, with input from individual Commissioners from those Districts; the knowledge is extremely important; and he is doing the Commission and County a disservice by rating the District projects, especially with certain roads. He noted he would defer it all to Messrs. Denninghoff, Osborne, and Jenkins as to those types of projects; and sometimes staff is wrong, so that is where the individual Commissioner comes in. Chairperson Colon stated the process is good.

RESOLUTION, RE: SUPPORTING GRANT APPLICATION BY MARINE RESOURCES
COUNCIL TO FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST

Commissioner Carlson stated the Board wanted additional information on the issue; and Jim Egan is here to answer any questions.

Commissioner Pritchard stated he appreciates the response from Mr. Egan; and inquired about the highest and best use of the property. He noted there are three and one-half acres currently assessed for $146,000; it is his assumption it is $1,100 or $1,200 worth of taxable property; it is in the floodplain hazard zone; and inquired what could be built with those parameters. He stated perhaps a high-rise could not be built, but maybe something else; it may be worth $500,000; and realistically, there might be $5,000 per year coming off of the tax roll as it would become public property.

Jim Egan, representing Marine Resources Council, stated the entire parcel was purchased a number of years ago by a partnership of several doctors; they had divided parcels along the Indian River Lagoon; each parcel was going to have a house on it; so they imagined four homes along the Lagoon and they would sell the remaining property. He noted the majority of the parcel in the middle, which is wetlands, would be left alone; what would be targeted for acquisition is one of the home sites; it is too expensive to try to purchase Lagoon-front property; and the single acre would be targeted along the Lagoon. He stated the down-side of doing construction right on the Lagoon is that the property is in the floodplain; it is high enough to build on, but it is going to run into trouble as time goes on; but it is true of many areas.

Commissioner Pritchard stated the public has the right to know what the potential loss is of doing something like this; the location is great; but he is going to vote against the resolution.

Motion by Commissioner Carlson, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution supporting a grant application by the Marine Resources Council (MRC) to the Florida Communities Trust for the purpose of acquiring property along the Indian River Lagoon adjacent to Riverwalk Park. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioners Pritchard and Colon voted nay. (See page for Resolution No. 03-174.)

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 3:30 p.m.

ATTEST: __________________________________
JACKIE COLON, CHAIRPERSON
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

______________________
SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK

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