MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

 

December 11, 2006

 

 

The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in special/workshop session on December 11, 2006, at 1:30 p.m. in the Government Center Florida Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida.  Present were:  Chairperson Jackie Colon, Commissioners Truman Scarborough, Chuck Nelson, Helen Voltz, and Mary Bolin, County Manager Peggy Busacca, and County Attorney Scott Knox. 

 

 

The Invocation was given by Rob Medina, Commissioner’s Aide to Commissioner Colon.

 

Chairperson Colon led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

County Attorney Scott Knox requested scheduling an executive session for the Eller Brothers Investments case on December 12, 2006 at 11:30 a.m.

 

Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to approve scheduling an executive session on December 12, 2006 at 11:30 a.m. regarding the Brevard County vs. Eller Brothers Investments case.  Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

 

 

Chairperson Colon welcomed everyone and introduced Senator Mike Haridopolos; and requested he introduce the Delegation. 

 

Senator Haridopolos noted his thanks to the voters for allowing the Delegation to return for another session; introduced Representative Thad Altman, Representative Mitch Needelman, and Representative Ralph Poppell; noted Representative Bob Allen will be arriving later; and stated Senator Bill Posey is in a Delegation Meeting in Seminole County and will not be attending.  He advised there is a lot of good news to report with lower taxes, the lowest crime rate in history, and outstanding test scores in Brevard; the two major issues to deal with are property insurance and property taxes; the property insurance issue is being taken very seriously; and it is a long-term issue that needs to be focused on.  He stated the Governor and the Governor Elect are very engaged and confident that a solution will be found; many people are in jeopardy of losing their homes because of it; property taxes is a long-term plan as well; and the Board and the Delegation will be open and honest on how to address the portability issue and how to look at long-term spending.  He noted it is not about politics, it is about quality of life; the Senate and the House put together a committee last year to look at the entire property tax structure; thanked the Board for hosting the meeting; and noted he looks forward to working together.   He  advised  they  will  be  facing  a  great  dilemma  in 2010; but that means

opportunity; and so on behalf of the Delegation, they look forward to working with the Board.

 

Representative Poppell advised the Delegation has several things happening; he and Chairperson Colon have been working on an issue that is good for Brevard and Indian River Counties; it is a joint issue for a Sculling Trailing and Competition Site on the C-54 canal; and people will be hearing more about that great opportunity.  He noted the issues are exactly what Senator Haridopolos pointed out; taxes and insurance are absolutely something they must get a handle on; everyone does not agree on exactly how to do it, but they all agree that something certainly has to be done; and the House of Representatives spent three very intense days going over nothing but insurance.  He further noted the State of Louisiana has been following this very closely; a lot of eyes are on what is happening in the insurance arena right now; and it is a nationwide issue and a lot of people are hurting.

 

Representative Needelman noted his agreement with the comments of Senator Haridopolos and Representative Poppell; advised the State has recognized the importance of the issues dealing with property insurance; taxes are another issue on the table; and he will continue the battle on CAPIT which started in Brevard County.  He advised as the Delegation addresses these two major issues, they also have to know Counties individual needs; he appreciates having these kinds of meetings to address issues here in Brevard County and discuss how to deal with them; and he welcomes the new Commissioners and is looking forward to working with the Board.

 

Representative Altman advised it is important to keep this part of the State competitive within the commercial space ventures that are emerging; there is a very unique set of assets here in Brevard County that need to be marketed because it is becoming more and more competitive both nationally and internationally; the County cannot take its preeminence in space for granted anymore; and the unparalleled partnership between the State and Brevard County needs to continue.  He noted the CEV program (Crew Exploration Vehicle) was a great success; it is just the beginning in the new commercial era of space; he appreciates the Commission for appropriating dollars to support its competitive endeavor in space initiatives; and in 2010, the County will need to find aerospace jobs.  He stated a meaningful fix to insurance and property tax issues will require a cooperation between counties, cities and State government; and he looks forward to working with the County and bringing those issues in for a landing as well.

 

Chairperson Colon introduced the County Lobbyist John Thrasher.  Mr. Thrasher noted the Board is well served by the Delegation; each and every member of the Delegation worked hard for Brevard County; and he looks forward to working with them in the coming year.

 

*Representative Stan Mayfield’s presence was noted at this time.

 

Chairperson Colon welcomed all of the aides, and Representative Mayfield; with Representative Mayfield apologizing for his late arrival. 

 

Commissioner Nelson advised after working for County staff for 32 years, he understands how the system works and he will provide a different perspective; he has worked with each Representative in various issues over the years; and he looks forward to this year.

 

Commissioner Scarborough advised he would like to touch on the significance of the Space Program; tomorrow the Board is acting on extending the EDC Contract, increasing it by 60%, by

$600,000; that may sound like a lot of money to people in the community, but the fiscal impact of wages and loss of jobs, could exceed a half  billion  dollars  annually;  and  the  impact would be far beyond that if affordable housing is added in.  He noted when Apollo ended, there was not a question of affordability because people were giving away their homes; the home building industry has played a lot in driving the County’s economy; and with the loss of 5,000 - 8,000 jobs, it will have ripple effects into many other industries.

 

Commissioner Bolin stated she has a very long history with many of the Delegation; and she appreciates all of them being here and looks forward to working with them very closely.  Chairperson Colon advised Commissioner Bolin was an aide for Senator Howard Futch. 

 

Chairperson Colon noted the person responsible for making sure everything ran smoothly is Legislative Delegation Coordinator Leigh Holt; and expressed thanks to her for all her hard work.  She advised the County has prioritized its issues; there are speakers from different agencies to give some feedback and answer questions; and she is very excited to work with the Delegation.

  

 

 

Mental Health and Community Solutions Chairman Wayne Holmes, advised for the last 25 years, there has been no additional State-funded Baker Act beds; Brevard County is at the same level as it was in 1980; the population, jail size, court calendars, and judges have doubled; and one component that is impacting all of those is the fact that there is not adequate resources for those with mental health illnesses.  He stated this is the fourth year that the issue has been brought to the Delegation by the Board; it is the recommendation that came out of the Mental Health and Community Solutions report in 2003; the issue is not going to go away; and the resources are clearly inadequate.  He noted every person with a mental health issue does not need to be hospitalized, but there are a certain number of individuals who must be hospitalized; it is creating a danger in our community; the other part of this relates to the substance abuse; and a lot of the mental health issues are also substance abuse issues.  He stated it is a dual diagnosis; and there needs to be adequate resources to address both issues.

 

Chairperson Colon inquired which member of the Delegation is the champion of the cause; with Representative Needelman replying he sits on the Criminal Justice and Criminal Justice Appropriations and they have provided some funding for it; it has been a mechanism that has been very difficult across the State; the Delegation has always been aware of the problem; and they have found some funding, but not nearly enough.  He stated last year the funding was about $100,000; that covered two beds for a year; there are a lot of costs involved with it; and the Delegation will continue its support and he hopes to move forward with it.  He advised there is going to be a new structure in the House; the Committee Chairs will be responsible for the policy side and also the funding side; for the first time, the people making the decisions know both the policies and the costs associated with them; and he hopes it will help move issues forward. 

 

Representative Mayfield noted the problem is everywhere; there are mentally ill people going to jail and they drag on the criminal justice system; the problem has not been solved yet; and there are a couple of counties working on pilot projects to try to beef up their primary caregiver.  He encouraged the Board to be specific in its requests; noted money flows a lot faster to plans; and a hard plan and a specific proposal will get a much better response.  Mr. Holmes advised the request  has  been  specific for the last several years;  this  year,  it  is  specifically  for  16  adult crisis/Baker Act beds and 12 adult detoxification beds; there is support for mental health issues, however it is going to DCF as just a dollar amount for them to distribute; and what has been happening for the last several years is the communities are not getting their fair share.  Representative Mayfield advised looking at that approach coming through the Public Defender’s Office.  Mr. Holmes noted anything is helpful; the Baker Act beds have nothing to do with the Criminal Justice system, it has to do with mental health needs and a place where someone who is in crisis can go to be stabilized; the Fact Team in Brevard County was set up three years ago to supervise people in the community who should be in a State mental hospital; and the Fact Team is now at full capacity.  He advised the need is here and it is not going away; and with the Baker Act, there has to be a certain number of hospital beds or the system will not work. 

 

Commissioner Voltz noted the State does not pay for bricks and mortar; and inquired where will the new beds go.  Mr. Holmes replied there is a facility that is available if the funding for the beds is found; the bricks and mortar are the least expensive part of a commitment like this; that is one of the reasons why it is difficult to get additional funding; and it is a very expensive proposition. 

 

Circles of Care President Jim Whitaker stated if the money was granted from the State, Circles of Care has a building to add at least 16-18 Baker Act beds and another 20 substance abuse beds with no cost to the County; the organization would remodel to bring the facility to standards and get licensed; that is the easy part because it is a one time cost; and the recurring costs are always a problem with the community budget issues.  He advised it would cost approximately $1.7 to $1.8 million to operate 16 Baker Act beds; several five-year plans have been proposed to look at filling in the gaps; if people knew that the beds would be here over a five-year plan, it might make it easier to band-aid things; but it is getting to the part that it is very difficult to do that.  He noted there was a great report that came from one of the Senate Committees in early November regarding the Baker Act and mental health piece; the recommendation was excellent because it said until certain gaps are filled, there will never be a complete system; and that is what works.

 

Commissioner Voltz noted District 7 gets the bulk of money and it is unfair to the other counties; and inquired what can be done about it.  Representative Needelman replied one of the things the State did for the first time this year, is move it into the Criminal Justice arena; there is money flow directly to the local Public Defender’s Office; this is a new vehicle that the State is experimenting with and it appears to be working; and he is willing to continue to move forward with the Criminal Justice appropriations. 

 

Representative Altman inquired if there has been any scientific or a balanced approach to look at the fairness of the way the dollars are distributed.  Mr. Holmes replied he does not know of a specific study that looks at how the money is divided up.  Commissioner Voltz noted both the Board and Housing and Human Services through the Florida Association of Counties placed the issue as a top priority.

 

Representative Mayfield inquired what is the breakdown of Circles of Care’s State, County and donated monies.  Mr. Whitaker replied they are a private, not-for-profit corporation; there are 28 public Baker Act beds;  22  of  the  28  beds  are  funded  through  County  match  and the State dollars; and on any given day, there are 38 to 42 people in there.  He stated they try to never turn anyone away, but many times the emergency room and hospitals are backed up, which is really precipitating a crisis because the mentally ill are waiting one to three days to get to Circles of Care for a bed; additional money comes in through Contracts with Well Care, Stay Well, Healthease, Florida Health Partnership, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc.; the organization’s number one goal was to take care of the indigent person who has no where else to go; but if there was not the extra dollars coming into the budget through the Contracts, he would not be able to keep the 28 Baker Act beds open.  He advised there is a total of 72 beds because they do Children’s Crisis Unit, adult detox, teenage detox, and teenage treatment.  He stated Circles of Care’s budget is $40 million; and the State General Revenue dollars that come from the Department of Children and Families is roughly $6.5 to $7 million, Medicaid is $3-$4 million, 30% to 40% is State monies, and the rest comes from the Contracts.  He noted the organization was able to save a lot of money by opening its own pharmacy; and the pharmacy is about $12 million of the budget and it breaks even. 

 

* Representative Bob Allen’s presence was noted at this time.

 

Representative Mayfield stated one of the things being discussed is the concept of creating a new element in mental health services with respect to funding; and inquired if anyone is familiar with the Challenge Grant Program.  He advised it operates inside of the Community College system where the State does a 50/50 match with what the colleges raise; it is all about driving the charitable contribution element; there is a lot of people and organizations out there willing to donate money but there does not seem to be a vehicle in place where people can contribute; and the State is trying to create a program similar to the Challenge Grant Program where the State would put up several million dollars for mental health services, to be matched by private fundraising.  He noted it is a complete departure to how the Department of Children and Families operate. 

 

Mr. Whitaker stated Circles of Care works with a lot of foundations who are very cooperative.  Representative Mayfield inquired if there are problems with the Department of Children and Families and the Contract relationships regarding mixing of those private monies.  Mr. Whitaker replied only when the Department wants to tell them how to spend it.  Chairperson Colon advised the Delegation has given two options; and one is going through the Public Defender’s Office and the other is the Challenge Grant.

 

Commissioner Voltz stated the employees at Circles of Care do not get paid very much money and the work they do is incredible; expressed her appreciation to Mr. Whitaker for all that he and his organization do; and noted if there is any way to fund an increase to the employees’ salaries, it would be appreciated.  

 

Chairperson Colon advised the lack of beds create a domino effect and contributes to the overcrowding of jails, which is very critical.

 

 

Brevard Commission on Aging Chairman Dr. John Potomski advised two years ago there was reduced funding for Medicaid non-emergency transportation; Brevard County had to switch from using Coastal, who had medical vehicles and medical trained personnel, to another company called TMS (Transportation Management Services), who is not a human services provider; Brevard County Housing and Human Services has made this one of their top priorities; and he submitted a packet to the Delegation from Brevard County Housing and Human Services Advisory Boards.  He noted enclosed in the packet are letters from clients documenting system fragmentation, inefficiency, increased cost of rescheduling, and life-threatening situations; TMS uses taxi cab drivers, they have not scheduled medical transportation for over two months claiming a backlog, and will only provide two stretcher transports for the entire County per day; and some of what has been happening for the last two years, since the provider has been changed, is patients being dropped off at the wrong location, dropped off late for appointments, dropped off early before offices are open and having to spend an hour in the rain, drivers never showing up in the two-hour waiting window, drivers being insensitive to the special needs of patients, mothers not being allowed to accompany young handicapped children, drivers smelling of alcohol, handicapped persons not being properly contained within the vehicle, etc.  He advised some patients have written letters refusing to use the transportation service saying they would rather face the health consequences; some recommendations from the boards affiliated with Healthcare were to document the appropriate driver training and certification, use of proper equipment to conduct the transportation such as internal restraints for wheelchair patients, procurement of resources to provide proper coverage for Brevard County, and establishing a standby vehicle for stranded patients; the situation is atrocious to say the least; and requested a policy change to have the service contract return to the oversight of the Agency for the Healthcare Administration.  

 

 

Conrad Nagel advised he is speaking on behalf of Dr. Steve Kohler, President of Space Florida; Dr. Kohler is very attuned to the economic needs of the community and the State, and is taking action to make sure the company moves forward with a great program in the next four years; the shuttle program is going down in 2010; and there are about 15 more flights to go.  He stated it is very important to build the infrastructure now to take care of what is going to happen in four years; Dr. Kohler is working on a strategic plan focusing on business development and finance, education, research and workforce development, and spaceport operations; the goal is to bring new industry to Brevard County and the State; and one of the biggest changes is from the government sponsored effort to commercial space.  He noted NASA put forth $500 million to keep off something called COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation System); the organization has downsized from about 20 contractors to two contractors; in about three years, it will downsize again from the two contractors to one contractor to service the space station; and right now the space station is serviced with the shuttle.  He advised NASA is building a program which is part of the constellation program, called CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle); the program will replace the shuttle, which is also called the Orion; the Orion Spacecraft, which is about four times the size of an Apollo Spacecraft, will be servicing the space station from the government point of view until the commercial contractor can step up and provide that servicing for NASA; and the two contractors who have been selected by NASA are SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler.  He stated those two contractors right now are planning on running their commercial programs outside of the U.S., but they both want to come to the Cape; the challenge is how that can be done; Space Florida is working with the 45^th Space Wing, Kennedy Space Center, and the contractors to accomplish bringing both of the contractors to the Cape; and whoever is the downsized selected contractor would be the one to service the station and it would be done right here in Brevard.  He noted the number of jobs is going to change dramatically; NASA is trying to take more money and move it towards the Moon Program to go commercial with space station servicing; the goal is to be proactive and bring the new opportunities here to fill the 4,000 jobs lost in the down phasing of the shuttle program; and Lockheed Martin will do the non-traditional work because they promised to fill at least 300 manufacturing jobs.  He stated Space Florida’s goal is to bring more manufacturing infrastructure into Brevard County; they will need to be aggressive because other States are competing to be the leaders of the Space Program; and right now, SpaceX is launching out of Kwajalein Island, but they have been working with the Range and Space Florida to try to gain access to launch from here.  He advised Rocketplane Kistler is going to be launching out of Australia initially; they have three demonstration flights in the next three years and following those demonstration flights, Space Florida wants them to come here to serve the space station; Space Florida will need to accommodate them with a launch pad and with services throughout the County as an incentive; and requested support from the Board and the Delegation in helping offer more incentives.

 

Chairperson Colon noted the Board is very supportive.

 

Representative Allen noted last session, Speaker Bense created the Space Port and Technology Standing Committee because of the reorganization that was going to end the shuttle flights and transfer to a new vehicle; Speaker Rubio sees the space program as a vital part of economic development infrastructure and has given a strong pledge to move forward; Governor Elect Crist took this issue by the reigns last year and personally met with Mike Griffin, head of NASA and was able to bring the heads of NASA in front of the Florida Cabinet; gave a strong commitment if he was successful to be Governor he would be a strong proponent; and the Board and the Legislative Delegation are very space aware.  He stated the timeframe and time schedule has started; and he would like to know Mr. Nagel’s definition of aggressive because last year’s attempt was not aggressive enough.  Mr. Nagel replied his definition is to be pro-active, and instead of reacting to something, being out in front of it; he feels Space Florida was proactive last year and again with the new opportunities this year; there are the two commercial transportation contractors vying to service the space station which is about 8 flights a year; and this County certainly wants those flights to launch from here, along with all of the things that go with that.  He stated Florida needs to be proactive in providing incentives for the contractors to come here; it might mean money, facilities, or working closely with the 45^th Space Wing which is a critical part to anybody coming to Florida to launch; Dr. Kohler is being very proactive in building a partnership with General Helms from the 45^th Space Wing by meeting with him every week for the last six weeks; and he encourages the Board and the Delegation to try to make things happen. 

 

Chairperson Colon noted everyone is in support but they will need to know exactly what the incentives are; and suggested inviting Governor Elect Crist and the Speaker of the House to a meeting to show the partnership between local and State.

 

Commissioner Scarborough advised the State’s budget is $8 million; but the direct loss of wages could approach a half billion dollars; $8 million sounds like a lot; Orange County’s Economic Development Commission gets $16 million; and with this type of impact to a particular County, the size of other budgets for economic development, and the fierce competition from the other States, he wants to ask the State if they feel they have done all they can.  He noted if the Board is going to be increasing the EDC budget by 60%, he feels it is well worth going even more  if  it  will  stop an economic collapse of the County; an economic collapse of the County is well worth another million and it is still minute in comparison to what Orange County is doing; and questions has the State really funded this entity to the full measure, if it is really concerned about having space in the State. 

 

Economic Development Commission (EDC) representative Lynda Weatherman noted EDC is meeting with the Legislators this week; one of the things that they are going to look at is some specific funding for workforce issues; EDC will identify the transferred skills and what it will take to do the transfer, and identify any gaps in the skill mix; but it will require a study and programs for the training.  She advised the traditional incentives will probably not apply; some other ideas for incentives may be doing siding and grating of an industrial park or providing money or a matching grant contingent that the company moves the headquarters here; and a lot of it is contingent upon the nature of the company and the nature of what they need.

 

Senator Haridopolos noted his appreciation to Ms. Weatherman for all the vital partnerships she has set up and the long term approach she has taken as well; it is impressive to see everyone thinking about this now and not 2010; and the Delegation is ready to react to Space Florida’s strategic plan coming out in the end of March.  He inquired has the Delegation provided Space Florida with enough tools to put the strategic plan forward.  Mr. Nagel replied this is a very dynamic time with the changing of the State government and all the new commercial opportunities; and suggested the Board and the Delegation think about having some money set aside for a quick-reaction fund.  He advised it is hard to be specific right now because of all of the government requirements that are levied on the contractors; but there will be opportunities in the next year to close some deals with the contractors and they must be prepared to do that.  Senator Haridopolos stated he cannot believe more firmly in the future of the State; everyone knows about the problems after the Apollo program and do not want to see it happen again; there is a strong commitment from the new Governor, the Delegation, and the Board to do whatever it takes because they know that this is a multi-billion dollar deal; and this is what built the Space Coast.  He advised letting the Delegation know as soon as possible what is needed because March 31, 2007 leaves only about 5 weeks in the Legislative Session to continue the ball.

 

Chairperson Colon noted in regard to regulations and the difficulties, safety is and always will be the number one priority; and there will be no compromise on that.

 

Representative Altman expressed his appreciation to Mr. Nagel for the work he has done with Florida Space and Brevard County; and offered a little background on the topic.  He stated last year, the Legislature created a new space entity for Space Florida, formerly the Florida Space Authority; all of the space economic development groups were consolidated into one organization; the feeling was by creating one organization and one point of contact, it would be more competitive, more easily accessible, and more understandable by the private sector; and that would rise the organization up in terms of its ability to respond to the new commercial space market.  He noted $43 million was appropriated towards that initiative; $35 million was to go toward capturing the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV, the actual vehicle that would be mounted on top of that Orion rocket) and the assembly of the vehicle here in Brevard County in the hopes of capturing a lot of jobs; but that is just the beginning; and there are a lot of challenges ahead in terms of the action propulsion systems and the other systems that will make the exploration space vision a reality.  He advised the State built the Life Sciences Center which is a research facility at the Cape that will eventually pay big dividends especially with the Mars mission; the State  helped  NASA  to  build  the  facility  in  an  effort  to  capture  a  lot  of  the  research  and development work here in the County; as a result of that facility, there is a land based research park facility that is right in Kennedy Space Center; and it will enable the organization to be competitive in bringing in companies to support NASA’s mission.  He noted the State also helped NASA build a hangar right off the shuttle landing facility; so there has been a substantial commitment on behalf of the State of Florida to support NASA’s mission; they are now entering into a new era with the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services Program (COTS); and there will be commercial aircraft companies servicing the space station.  He stated the two companies that have been selected are looking at areas outside of the country, Kwajalein Island and Australia; NASA needs to be competitive to keep those facilities not only in the State of Florida, but in this country; one of the things that is being worked on is the issue of a company launching from the Space Center; and the issue is not about money but about range safety.  He advised the Air Force has a very serious responsibility because there are heavily populated areas around the Space Center, such as Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach and they have never had a human fatality as a result of a rocket going astray.  He noted there is a disagreement of opinion between the commercial guys and the range safety folks of what would be a safe launch vehicle in this environment; Space Florida is retaining a contractor to do an assessment and a study to try to streamline the process and make it workable for the new companies; and it is not just a matter of dollars, but it is a matter of safety as well.  He noted a lot of the private launch companies really do not like to use or believe in flight termination destruct systems; range safety requires if it goes off range, blow it up; there needs to be a partnership with range safety and the private sector to help bridge that gap; and these are very complex problems and they indeed are rocket science.  He stated when the State appropriates more dollars, it wants to be sure that they are appropriated in the right place; they are at a very delicate point as Mr. Nagel said; there is another $100 million plus in the Quick-Action Closing fund for Economic Development; but there is a lot of competition for that in some other fields.  He noted there are also folks in Tallahassee that feel it would be better to move the launches elsewhere outside of the Space Center; he believes that is a mistake since the Space Center already has the greatest launch facility in the world; suggested focusing the resources and continuing that message; and requested the Board continue to put up resources and support the efforts because other communities are putting up substantial resources to steal away some of these launch opportunities.

 

Chairperson Colon noted her appreciation to Representative Altman; and stated it is always important to be very candid to be able to see the pros and cons of what they are dealing with.

 

Commissioner Scarborough stated he would like to make sure that the State is a full-team player because the County plans to go the full measure because it understands the economic disaster that could happen; when it talks about additional monies it is not just throwing monies because he believes the way to go is smart and lean; and commented on key decision makers meeting with CEO’s, thinking outside the box, and people bringing new ideas or opportunities to the Board.

 

Chairperson Colon advised Brevard County and the Delegation have proven their support and stepped up to the plate; she believes the key players such as Governor Elect Crist have to be involved; suggested inviting them here to ensure the top person is also echoing the same thing; and noted the issue is very complex but if all of the players are there with the commitment and the dollars to fund it, they will be able to overcome this.

 

Representative Altman noted the Board has been a major contributor to the Space Center; this is one of the few communities that does not receive any payment in lieu of taxes for the Air Force facility and the NASA facility out there; the County supports all of the infrastructure that is necessary such as the law enforcement, the courts, the roadways, and the things that are required to support the Space Center; and it does not receive any federal dollars from that and does not complain about that.  He advised the Community needs to market itself; everyone needs to know Brevard is a great neighbor and a great partner and how much they have invested in the greatest launch facility in the world; this is an incredibly critical moment in Brevard County’s history and he is excited; and expressed his appreciation to the Board for the phenomenal job it is doing, and stated to keep it up. 

 

 

The meeting recessed at 3:16 p.m. and reconvened at 3:23 p.m.

 

 

Transportation Planning Office Director Bob Kamm advised there is one overarching issue related to transportation in this State and that is the tremendous increase in construction costs; this is a national problem effecting State and local government; in the State of Florida, the cost of highway construction materials such as concrete, steel, and aggregate has gone up 300% in two years whereas revenues have remained constant; and the challenge that FDOT and local governments are facing is how to get projects implemented with a relatively fixed amount of income and yet this kind of pressure on costs.  He noted this week, FDOT is unveiling its Tentative Work Program which is the list of projects they would like to implement over the next five years; three projects in Brevard will be moved out if the tentative program is approved; one is the widening of U.S. 1 in Cocoa, roughly from S.R. 520 to S.R. 528; and that would move out to 2012.  He stated the second is Apollo Boulevard Extension and Bridge over the Eau Gallie River; the project has been talked about for the last 20 years and it is proposed to move out past 2012; the last project and the most controversial is the widening of Palm Bay Road from Minton Road to R.J. Conlan Boulevard; and the DOT proposal was to move it to 2012, which is still within the five-year work program.  He advised the moving out of the Palm Bay Road widening creates three distinct problems; first of all, the cost will go up another $15 million; secondly, there may be some concurrency problems because it was anticipated that that roadway widening would commence January 2008 and now it is going out to 2012; and the municipal and county governments have been authorizing construction and allowing trips to be factored onto Palm Bay Road because it was going to occur within the next three years.  He noted the third issue is that the pavement surface of Palm Bay Road particularly between Babcock Road and I-95 is in very poor shape; the County has been putting off resurfacing, anticipating construction beginning early next year; legislature adopted two years ago in Senate Bill 360 and the revisions to the Growth Management Act,  local governments are required to have cost feasible capital improvement plans by December 1 of 2007; but yet these projects are moving around and there are decisions to make such as to resurface or not a county road  because of a change in federal funding.  He advised the County’s legislative proposal is consistent with the Florida Association of Counties which states if there is available general revenue that the legislature consider supplementing the DOT budget to keep at least some of these key projects on schedule by supplementing the budget with general revenue.  He commented on other projects staying on schedule and the Brewer Bridge which went up $10 million  and  DOT  was  still  able  to  keep  it  on  track  for  fiscal  year 2010.   He advised in the package under the Brevard County Legislative Section on Transportation, there are several very specific actions listed relative to the St. Johns Heritage Parkway that are appropriate or suitable for the Delegation at a Tallahassee level; it is certainly not all the things that need to be done to implement the Parkway, but staff did identify three in particular; and this identical language will be coming from the City of Palm Bay, the Melbourne Airport, and hopefully the City of Melbourne so the Delegation will be hearing one message from the major partners in the Parkway project.  He requested Mr. Thrasher summarize a meeting he had last week concerning the issue with the Florida East Coast Railroad. 

 

Mr. Thrasher advised he and Ms. Holt met with the Deputy Secretary of Transportation Kevin Thibault; Mr. Thibault has a tremendous understanding of the local area and the needs; they specifically zeroed in on the issue of the Florida East Coast Railroad (FECR); and he is in negotiations  and  discussions  with  FECR  on  behalf  of  the  County  to  resolve the issue.  He advised FECR has a lot of issues along the State of Florida; Mr. Thibault is prepared to use some of that leverage with some of the other issues to unlock this particular issue; it was a very positive conversation; and Mr. Thibault strongly supports Brevard County.  Representative Bob Allen noted somehow they need to work it out to go forward with the Pineda Extension.

 

Chairperson Colon noted the Palm Bay Widening Project has been in discussions for over a decade; now the issue is going to be safety because the road is already backed up on I-95 before the exit; it is so backed up now she can only imagine how bad it will be by 2012; and Palm Bay is one of the fastest growing cities in the County.  She requested the Delegation’s support and for Mr. Thibault to include it as a top priority.  Mr. Kamm noted at last month’s MPO meeting they talked the County, West Melbourne, Melbourne, and Palm Bay into putting in $15 million of local money, which was the shortfall, to try and keep that project on track. 

 

Representative Mayfield inquired what the total cost is of the project; with Mr. Kamm replying $55 million; and everything is ready to go.  Representative Mayfield stated he knows that part of the DOT strategy to mitigate some of the costs has been to spread out some of the bidding process; DOT has experienced huge savings just by staggering these bids; it seems to have a tremendous impact; and inquired has there been any serious discussions about entering into an advanced funding agreement with DOT.  Mr. Kamm replied there have been discussions locally about the possibility of doing it; but on Thursday, DOT is proposing to move the project out regardless of whether or not local funds can be obtained.  Representative Mayfield noted some of the problems with the DOT advanced funding agreement is that they have been bumping up against their ceiling on how much they can advance fund; and suggested looking into the Statutory cap.  County Manager Peggy Busacca suggested putting into Statutes something about the cost of it mirroring the additional costs because then all it would have done is maintained a level playing field.  Representative Poppell noted his agreement and support of Representative Mayfield’s suggestion.

 

 

 

Nancy Smith, from the Emergency Operations Center, advised the Center has been on temporary air conditioning for the last year; there are restrooms that have no air or vents; there is no dining or bunker areas; and some of the dollars are for these much needed repairs.  She noted the request is for $2 million to expand the EOC; the building is desperately in need of expansion  and  some  renovations;  the  exact  dollar  amount  is  very  difficult  to come up with because the cost of construction continues to rise so rapidly; and many people do not realize all that emergency management does such as all the space launches whether they be manned or unmanned. 

 

Senator Haridopolos noted there is an opportunity in January to receive potentially another $109,000 for renovations and labor; he looks forward to working on that with the EOC; and noted his appreciation for all they do.

 

 

 

Commissioner Scarborough advised the State agreed to take back the Max Brewer Bridge and also to pay for the construction of a new bridge; the Brewer Bridge is dangerous because it is falling apart; the County still has the maintenance cost on the Bridge; and the last maintenance bill was $900,000 which the County paid from out of the Road funds.  He stated outside of all that the County has the ability to put in a catwalk; the State wants the County to put up a million and a half dollars; they can probably get FIND money and the State is willing to participate some; but any additional money for the catwalk will not be Road and Bridge money, it will come out of District 1’s Park and Recreation money.  He noted the bridge issue needs to be separated from the catwalk issue; the sooner the bridge gets built the less money the County will have to spend; he hopes it can all come together because it is going to be a nice amenity; and he believes right now the Board needs to act on just having the State build the bridge.  Representative Allen inquired if the catwalk will be incorporated and built at the same time the bridge is being built; and stated he heard that DOT does not want to include it in the design.  Commissioner Scarborough stated DOT is less than enthusiastic about building fishing catwalks; however, it is going to be a part of the design build; the County is going to have to commit to put in some money; but it will not be Transportation money, it will be Park and Recreation monies from North Brevard.  Representative Allen inquired if the design is satisfactory to the citizens; with Commissioner Scarborough replying it is impossible to have the catwalk perfectly located so it will always be in the shade of the bridge because of the angle of the sun and the height of the bridge. Representative Poppell advised it can not come up with a design of the catwalk until they know what the bridge is going to look like; that has been part of the holdup; there will be some State dollars put into it; and even though it is a simultaneous bid, it is going to be a separate bid so they will know exactly what the catwalk costs versus the bridge.  Commissioner Scarborough noted the State is paying for the full measure of the bridge; and thanked the Delegation for the support.  Representative Mayfield inquired when is it scheduled to go to construction; with Representative Poppell replying they are hoping to have it started by 2010.  Commissioner Scarborough noted it has been talked about to advance the project so it may be before 2010. 

 

 

 

Chairperson Colon noted the Board is looking at a resolution tomorrow for support for funding for expanded Warbird Museum at the Space Coast Executive Airport from the State of Florida; and she wanted the Delegation to be aware of it and keep it on their radar. 

 

 

Chairperson Colon requested Representative Poppell expand on the National Sculling Training and Competition site which is something very exciting that Brevard County and Indian River County is working together on.  Representative Poppell replied it is a great opportunity for both Brevard and Indian River Counties; it is being headed up by FIT; a lot of people from around the world will travel here for training because the C-54 canal is great and it is a good location; and he expects this to move along very quickly.  Chairperson Colon advised people are coming from all over the East Coast and soon people will be coming from all over the country; it is a resolution that will be in front of the Board tomorrow; and she wants to make the Delegation aware because the counties will be looking to the State for support with the economic development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Upon motion and vote, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                  JACKIE COLON, CHAIRPERSON

                                                                                  BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

ATTEST:                                                                   BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA

 

 

 

 

SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK                             

 

 

 

             ( S E A L )