May 15, 2003

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

PERMISSION TO SIGN LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN DAVE WELDON, RE: MID-REACH
BEACH PROJECT

County Manager Tom Jenkins stated the Board received a letter from Congressman Dave Weldon regarding the Mid-Reach Beach Project; Congressman Weldon’s Office requested a response to the letter; he provided a draft response to the Board that Virginia Barker and Natural Resources Management Office prepared; and requested approval for the Chairperson to sign the letter.

Motion by Commissioner Pritchard, seconded by Commissioner Carlson, to authorize the Chairperson to sign a letter to Congressman Dave Weldon expressing its appreciation for his past support and leadership in securing beach renourishment authorizations and appropriations for Brevard County, and requesting his continued support of its efforts to restore and maintain healthy beaches, including the Mid-Reach Beach Project. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.

REPORT, RE: ADDITIONAL MEETINGS IN JULY 2003

Commissioner Scarborough stated this time of year the Board takes one month off for vacation; it impacts the amount of things on its agenda; he is comfortable if the Chairperson and County Manager want to have additional meetings in July 2003 so that people do not have sit for nine or ten hours; and it denies the public the opportunity to participate. Commissioner Pritchard stated he agrees with Commissioner Scarborough.

REPORT, RE: JASMINE COLON AND C. J. COLON

Commissioner Pritchard stated it is his understanding that a seventh grader at Southwest Middle School, Jasmine Colon, has received the Presidential Award and Assistant Principal Award for a 4.0 grade point average; C. J. Colon has received the Character Award from Jupiter Elementary School; and their mother Jackie Colon should be proud.

REPORT, RE: 2003 ECONOMIC SUMMIT

Chairperson Colon stated the 2003 Economic Summit was held yesterday; a lot of good information was provided; it was sponsored by the Economic Development Commission (EDC), Florida TODAY, and Merrill Lynch; Commissioner Higgs was also present for the discussion; and the prediction is that 2004 will be a good year for the tourists industry, specifically the hotel and cruise industries. She noted the numbers are in for Orlando, Miami, and Tampa; and it affects Brevard County tremendously.

DISCUSSION, RE: SALES SURTAX PROJECTS

County Manager Tom Jenkins stated the purpose of the meeting this morning is to begin the process of creating a catalog of projects to be considered as part of the sales surtax referendum; the Board has agreed in the past that it is important to be specific to the public as to what projects the money is going to be spent on; the County would like to begin the selection process; and the dollars can only be spent for capital items with a life of five years or more; and they cannot be used for operating expenses. He noted the dollar amount of the project requests received exceed what staff projects the available revenues to be as a result of the sales tax referendum; therefore, it would be necessary for the Board to do some short listing or scrutinizing of some of the projects. He stated it can eliminate certain projects, reduce the size and scope of certain projects, or ask staff to come back with a schedule of projects and expenditures; but in order for staff to come back with some recommendations, it needs further direction from the Board as to what it would like to see in the referendum. He stated the School Board is also doing the same process; and the Superintendent believes it will complete the process by August 2003. Mr. Jenkins noted the Superintendent indicated the School Board wants to finish as soon as possible, but wants to be thorough; it wants to make certain it is proposing the highest priorities, etc.; the cities are also working on it and are in the process of creating their catalog of projects; and when completed, the Board, School Board, and municipalities will have prepared a summary of what their proposed expenditures will be. He reiterated staff would like direction from the Board on which projects to include or exclude; the Board could reduce the scope of some of the project requests and may have to do that based on available dollars; at some point it will be necessary to create a schedule; and the County is dealing potentially with both bond proceeds and available cash on hand above and beyond what the bond payments would be each year. He noted some projects could be a mixture of bond proceeds and cash on hand over an extended period of time; eventually it will be necessary to develop the schedule; it would be advisable to use the assistance of the County’s outside financial advisor to participate in helping develop such schedule; and it will be a fairly complex process.

Commissioner Carlson stated page 2 of the package, Sales Surtax Revenues, describes what the County can expect from 20-year bond proceeds for the County, lowest annual available excess cash, and highest annual available excess cash; and inquired what the $178 million represents percentage wise and how much is the County going to be accumulating over 20 years on the annual numbers. Mr. Jenkins responded the County’s financial advisors estimated approximately $178 million in bond proceeds; the Finance Department, at Commissioner Scarborough’s request, also reviewed it and came in at $186 million; the financial advisors have been conservative in their numbers; so it is going to be in the range of $178 million to $186 million in bond proceeds, depending on market conditions and so forth. He stated over a period of 20 years, it would accumulate approximately $275 million in excess revenue above and beyond what the County pays for the bond payments; the excess revenues over the bond payments over 20 years exceeds significantly what the County will receive in bond proceeds; but the benefit of using the bond proceeds now are that the County gets reduced construction costs and it is able to have a quicker impact in terms of delivering some of the facilities to the public so they can benefit from them today as opposed to ten years from now. Mr. Jenkins noted the first year, the excess cash would be approximately $5 million; by the end of the bond issue, the excess cash would be approximately $25 million; so over a period of 20 years it escalates based on projected growth in the revenues. Commissioner Carlson inquired what is the percentage of the bondable dollars; with Mr. Jenkins responding approximately 65%.

June Blum stated she has been a board member of the Friends of the Cocoa Beach Library for more than a decade; she is also a former curator of Contemporary Art for the Museum in Stoneybrook, New York; and she is present to speak about the infrastructure surtax in reference to the Cocoa Beach Library, which would fund a cooperative venture between the library system and Brevard Cultural Alliance. She noted the Cocoa Beach Library is one of those selected to benefit the venture; such Library, built almost five years ago, was designed to provide ample display space for area artists; rotating monthly exhibits are displayed in both the main Library and in the meeting room; and several display cases provide monthly exhibits of pottery, glasswork, and other arts and crafts. She stated she has been instrumental in supporting the arts at the Library and making sure the arts are an integral part of the Cocoa Beach Library since the new building was built; in addition to numerous individual artists, organizations such as the Strawbridge Art League, Brevard Watercolors Society, Brevard Art Association, the Wednesday Group, and Women for Art have held exhibits at the Library; the Library holds regular art classes in its meeting room; and the Library is a perfect place for this venture. Ms. Blum noted the venture will increase the meeting room and performance areas in the Library and will enable the public to enjoy more of the arts; the Library has 20,000 patrons per month; the Library has run out of meeting room space; and the performances, particularly on the weekends, are so crowded because the meeting room only allows about 150 people. She stated the Library has a small lobby; people stand in the lobby as there are only about five chairs to sit on; most of the people are senior citizens; and some individuals have to be turned away when the Library reaches 150 people. She noted the Library is out of room and needs more space; and the Library is applying for a grant of approximately $800,000 for an addition to the Library.

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 and first Library. He noted the facility is a 20-year old butler building; it is experiencing major maintenance problems; the roof constantly leaks; and last month, the City spent $5,000 on maintenance repairs. He stated the Library 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 it averages 80 children at summer programs. He noted the current facility does not meet ADA requirements; every inch of floor space is being utilized; the needs are basic ones that the City must comply with for regulations; and complexion of the surrounding community has changed drastically. Mr. Broom stated younger families have moved in and new construction has taken over much of the open space; the City is not asking for an additional facility, but for the County to replace an existing facility with one that meets today’s needs and is in compliance with standards for patrons with disabilities; and the City owns the land, so the County would not have to purchase any property at today’s inflated prices. He requested the Board give the project its favorable consideration.

Sara Conkling, representing North Brevard Friends of the Library, stated the Library has requested an upgrade to the existing infrastructure; it will expand the existing community room, which is beautiful, but has no stage at the moment; the Library is hoping to add considerably to the performing arts space in the community; and the Emma Parrish Theatre in Titusville is beautiful and wonderful, but full. She noted a lot of community work is done at the Theatre, which occupies the hall for long periods of time; the Library is hoping to expand to have a viable second arts space; the project would have a low operating cost impact of approximately $5,000; and requested when the Board prioritizes the projects that it think about the Library. She stated the land is already there; and the Library could use the extra performing arts space.

Thomas Kreuzinger, Chairman of Mims/Scottsmoor Library Board, requested the Board approve two projects needed in the area in order to meet the needs of the growing community; stated permanent facility structures are necessary to replace the modular structures of the Library and the mobile home structure for the Scottsmoor Fire Department; the Library presently uses the old modular facilities left over from the Brevard County Government Center North when it had to evacuate due to asbestos; and it is time to move on to a permanent structure. He noted maintenance costs continue to grow; it cost $10,000 recently to repair the roof; the stucco is starting to come off; and the facility is 9,100 square feet, which is shared with Project Headstart. He stated soon part of the facility will be shared with Parrish Medical Clinic; after the fire storm in 1998, the voters in North Brevard requested an increase in the millage of the their taxes in order to add fire protection; they received a fire truck, supporting firemen, a mobile home, and a structure to house the fire truck in; however, the truck is bigger than the structure and sticks out on both ends. Mr. Kreuzinger noted one might question whether the mobile home meets the Fire Safety Code for government employees sleeping there over night; he does not know if it does or not; and reiterated it is time to move on to permanent structures in the community.

P. M. Swatek, representing Suntree/Viera Library, stated the Library was built at 15,000 square feet, where the County’s own criteria for building libraries suggested 20,000 square feet; since the Library moved from the old rental space near the firehouse, its core business of checking out books has increased 30%; in March 2003, it checked out 27,760 books; and the visitors who come in to read the magazines have increased about 30% or more. He noted the number of children who come to the Library is astounding; how much is needed depends on what the Board does about the auditorium and Brevard Cultural Alliance; and if it comes about, the Library could use its meeting room for the children. He stated the need is there and has been demonstrated; he understands the formula for deciding how big a library should be is in flux; it used to be that two square feet were allotted for every potential customer; and now it is .6 square foot. Mr. Swatek stated Suntree is built out at 10,000 people; Viera has 12,000 people and on its way to 40,000; Suntree/Viera needs a bigger Library and hopes the Board will approve the referendum; and if the referendum passes, hopefully a bigger library will be considered for the project.

Steve Janicki, Executive Director of the King Center, stated with major cutbacks in the State, the King Center is looking at cutbacks from the Division of Cultural Affairs for grant funding and from the university and community college in supporting the King Center facility; the facility that the County has invested in is falling apart; it is 15 years old; and the Center brings about 175,000 to 200,000 people a year through the facility. He noted about three years ago, the Center peaked out at a little more than 250,000 people; it brings in approximately 40,000 kids a year; in the mid 1980’s, the Board gave the King Center $600,000 for its endowment; and since then it has kept a low profile within the community. He stated he has tried to do the best he can to book the shows that the community would like to see; the Center must remain competitive; otherwise, this valuable resource that is good for corporate recruiting, and enhancing and contributing to Brevard County’s quality of life will eventually disappear; and the Center faces a competitive market with Orlando. Mr. Janicki noted most of the Center’s shows are kept as a Central Florida exclusive; a lot of times people from Orlando come to Brevard County to see shows at the Center; and requested the Board provide $350,000 a year to make necessary repairs and upgrades to the facility to keep the Center competitive. He stated as artists fees continue to increase, ticket prices have to increase also; it is almost impossible to continue to lean on the patrons and ask them to help repair the facility; break even for the King Center is a goal; but often it has a deficit of about $200,000 a year, in which the endowment helps. He noted during a change in the college leadership a few years ago, the King Center had to assume over $500,000 in annual expenses; the annual budget is about $4.5 million a year to entertain, provide culture, and educate the citizens of Brevard County; and requested the Board’s assistance as the Center looks into its capital expenditure plan, and expansion and repairs of the Center. Mr. Janicki stated $350,000 a year is not much compared to what it cost to build a brand new performing arts center of $50 million to $75 million; the new Miami performing arts center is about $375 million; and requested the Board’s consideration.

Marie Searle, President of the Friends of the Central Brevard Library, stated the Library is the largest one in Brevard County and has over 250 members; having the cultural arts in libraries is convenient and open to the public; it is free and can provide opportunities; and the Library has been fortunate to be able to provide display space for local artists on a rotating basis through a partnership with the Brevard Art Association. She noted the Library has two large meeting rooms where free programs are provided for the children and adults; a priority of the Friends group is to sponsor paid performances for children, many of whom would not have had the opportunity otherwise; there are about 200 children in day care and Headstart; and many attend the summer reading programs. She stated the meeting rooms where programs are held are in demand by everyone else in the County; it would be great to improve or add to the existing space to accommodate those who need a place to meet; and programming could be expanded to include music, dance, and small theatre. Ms. Searle stated the demand for free quality programs is there from the community; every time the Library has a program, the response is great; and requested the Board consider the request.

Paul Pruiett, representing Cocoa Beach Library, stated the Library has programs for children and story hours four times per week; there are special programs, such as puppet shows, science fair workshops, etc. for children; there are also adult programs, such as art classes, book discussion groups, travel films, author talks and noted authors from around the country, medical and health, AARP, safe driving courses, music, computer classes, etc.; so the Library is active and tries to stay ahead of the curve. He noted the Library had over 17,000 people attend the programs last year; it is the largest number of attendees at library programs of any library in Brevard County; the Library has to turn people away as it does not have the capacity to put them in the room; and the walls are lined up with people as the programs are in demand and beneficial to the public. He stated the Library is not able to serve the entire public; it hired an architect, who brought forward three plans; he assured the Library with all of the plans that there would be adequate parking; however, a larger building is needed. Mr. Pruiett requested the Board’s favorable consideration on the Library’s request.

Diane Macentee, Director of Children’s Advocacy Center of Brevard, stated the organization is made up of a public/private partnership of child protection specialists throughout Brevard County who intervene and investigate the most severe cases of child abuse; the current facility that the Center works in is 7,200 square feet; it is 17 years old; last year it spent $8,600 on air conditioning repair; and the Center is not ADA approved currently, although it has a ramp for the children to get into the interview and exam rooms. She noted there are children waiting up to three and four hours for interviews and exams as there are only two interview rooms and one small medical exam room; the Center’s investigative department has grown to where two of the staff are in the halls; when fully staffed, the Center has over 30 protection specialists under the roof, including Sheriff detectives, mental health professionals, the full child protection team of Brevard, registered nurses, and people from the State Attorney’s Office, and Child Welfare Legal. Ms. Macentee stated child abuse is not going to go away in Brevard County or any other county; it is growing; one positive statistic is that in the three and one-half years that she has been the Director, the Center has averaged between 1,100 and 1,200 of the most serious cases of child abuse a year; and it includes investigation, interviewing, and consultation. She noted she does not see it lessening; however, the County is growing and it has not seen a tremendous increase in abuse, but 1,200 children a year is a lot. She stated it only represents the sexual abuse cases and the most serious physical abuse cases; and while child abuse is something fairly specific, compared to some of the other general public requests, and may not affect County citizens as directly, if the children who are victimized and traumatized are not helped, it will indirectly affect everyone. She noted part of the job in the community is to make sure that the next generation and future generations are productive, involved, and caring about Brevard County; the Center tries to send the children back into the community in better stead than they came to the Center; and requested support for a 12,000 square-foot building at a cost of approximately $1.6 million, which would include architectural and engineering fees and furnishings. Ms. Macentee stated the building should service the Center for at least 20 to 25 years.

Brenda Fettrow, representing Brevard Community College (BCC), stated the request is for $500,000, a one-time request, to assist with the renovations of existing facilities on the Cocoa Campus of BCC; there is an existing partnership with several partners, including the Central Florida YMCA, the School District of Brevard County, and City of Cocoa; it would complete the partnership circle if the Board chose to support the request; and the goal is to renovate existing facilities on the campus, the gymnasium, fitness center, and Olympic size swimming pool, to enable BCC to have the Central Florida YMCA operate a full family and aquatic center on campus. She noted it would bring valuable services and programs to the youth and families of not only Central Brevard County, but other parts of the County as well; some of the programs offered will be before and after school care, a youth center, teens center, midnight basketball, swimming lessons, various swimming programs, aerobics, fitness activities, spinning classes, etc.; so there will be a wide array of services for youth and families. Ms. Fettrow stated with the Central Florida YMCA, no one is turned away for their inability to pay; so scholarships will be provided to those in need; the project is an important one, not only to get youth and families involved in fitness and wellness, but the children who do not have role models or family members who have been to college, it will help them overcome the fear of being on a college campus; and hopefully, they will go to college in later years. She requested the Board’s support, which will enable BCC to begin its renovations and complete the circle of the partnership.

John Vasbinder, District Executive Director for YMCA of Brevard, stated there are presently three branches in Brevard County; the YMCA is excited to be able to add the fourth branch, which is Cocoa; the YMCA’s are making an impact in the County; and it has formed an incredible partnership with BCC, the City, and School District, and would like to have the County be part of the partnership as well.

John Titkanich, representing City of Cocoa, stated establishing priorities is a rough decision and difficult; the City supports the Cocoa YMCA; the City’s partnership with the YMCA, BCC, and Brevard County School Board is a continuation of the City’s commitment to improve the quality of life for the residents of Cocoa and all Central Brevard; the YMCA will provide the necessary services and facilities that, to this point, do not exist within the Central Brevard area, specifically along the S.R. 524/Clearlake Road area; and a number of residents could benefit from the YMCA. He noted in the past three years, the City has made great strides in seeking to improve its quality of life and raise its standard of living for its residents; it sees this exemplified by Cocoa Riverfront Park, Cocoa conservation area, renovating Cocoa Village Playhouse with BCC, establishing new community parks in the Diamond Square redevelopment area, and the U.S. 1 corridor redevelopment area; it is a continuation of trying to improve the community; and the City sees it as an investment. He stated as it attracts more people and increases property values, it will subsequently mean more tax revenues to the City and County, enabling them to provide better services to the citizens. Mr. Titkanich stated the City hopes it will have favor with the County’s partnership in the project; and expressed appreciation to the Board for its consideration.

Dr. Laurence Spraggs, President of Titusville Campus of BCC, invited the Board to invest in a partnership that will help build the cultural and economic viability of Brevard County, particularly the north end of the County, which is growing rapidly and becoming a suburb of Orlando in many ways; stated that part of the County, through partnership with the Board, the Hospital, BCC, Parks and Recreation Department, and St. Johns River Water Management District, is in the process of creating the Chain of Lakes Project in North Brevard; such Project is one of the most amazing projects he has ever seen when considering the concentration of athletic, wellness, hospital, a college and educational institution; BCC has a tri-party campus as a result of the County and voters allowing it to occur; and requested the Board consider continuing the partnership and take it up another notch. He noted BCC’s proposal is to continue the partnership between the Hospital and BCC; and he has provided the Board with a letter of support from BCC and the Hospital regarding the project, and to allow BCC to use the infrastructure tax to create a conference center for North Brevard. Dr. Spraggs stated the gymnasium at the North Brevard campus is the conference center for the North Brevard area; and it is used for high school graduations also; BCC has become the community center in many ways; it provides all kinds of resources in that respect, such as fund raisers for Emma Parrish Playhouse; BCC would like to capitalize on its location; and the Chain of Lakes Project runs along and around BCC campus. He noted BCC is proposing to site a conference center on the Chain of Lakes, looking out over the Lake; the wetlands will be a preserved natural area; the center could take in wellness, environmental, and Space issues, as the Hospital, Indian River, and Kennedy Space Center are located nearby; it could be an economic promoter for the area; and there is no conference center in North Brevard. He requested the Board’s continued support to allow BCC to produce something that could enhance the economic development of North Brevard and Brevard County as a whole; stated the conference center could enhance its reputation for culture, environmental, and science; and it could capitalize on what the County already has.

Bill McCord, representing City of Melbourne, stated on April 8, 2003 the City Council considered a listing of projects that could be funded by the proposed sales tax; the City has had a list of unfunded capital needs it would like to address; many of the projects would be of benefit to Brevard County citizens; the City has identified several capital projects that would be of mutual benefit, including the long-term goal of acquiring and developing the Melbourne Riverfront as a community activity center with a walkway and parking area, which would be part of the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway; and the City is hoping to increase its efforts in street maintenance, as well as intersection improvements, and increase its bikeways and sidewalks construction program. He noted the City would like to include a new fire station in the southwest portion, and approximately $1 million for cultural enhancements, including historic preservation, the arts, grants, and loans; another project would be dredging Elbow Creek; and many of the projects could be done and matched with County funds. He stated in the second ten years of the program, the City would be focusing at least 50% of its funds on transportation and stormwater improvements; 25% would go to recreation, conservation, and open space improvements; and another 25% would go to general government improvements, such as fire, police, and building needs. Mr. McCord stated the City Council endorsed the program; it supports the County’s programs for transportation improvements; there were 19 projects; and they have been discussed many times in similar workshops to improve the transportation system throughout Brevard County and South Brevard. He requested the Board’s support of the projects; and stated the City looks forward to working cooperatively with the County.

Bob Gross, Chairman of Brevard County Historical Commission, stated the Commission is charted to advise the Board on matters of historic preservation; it has submitted some requests to take advantage of the surtax, namely the Pritchard House, which has been discussed for acquisition, and the Sams House, which the Commission would like to change to the J.J. Pritchard House; the Sams House is covered currently under the Environmentally-Endangered Lands (EELS) Program; and the J.J. Pritchard House is in Titusville, which has been proposed to move to the BCC Chain of Lakes Park as a folk-like center. He noted the Home Canning Center was a hidden treasure that was recently rediscovered on Merritt Island; it is almost one of the oldest buildings the County built during the Depression to help people home can, which became more important during World War II with the Victory Gardens; City Point Community Church, which the County also owns, is also in need of restoration; and needs exist for the Historic Marker Program. He stated there are many historical sites around Brevard County, which people are unaware of, as they are not properly marked; the County has an urgent need for a historical repository and archive to care for and curate the historic records, photographs, and relics owned by the people of Brevard County; this past year, the Commission has graduated from a closet to 2,600 square feet at Byrd Plaza; it is going to curate the South Brevard Historical Society’s collection, as it has lost its museum; the collection has been in storage for 15 years doing nobody any good; and hopefully, rotating displays can be set up. Mr. Gross stated the College Mountain Station has come up on an Indian mound near Titusville, which hopefully, will be covered by the EELS Program, but may need some funding to restore the mound back to its original condition.

Mariel Sisson stated she supports the Pritchard House, which is 112 years old; the house has been in the same family for four generations; the fifth generation does not live in the house; and it is a piece of history that can be purchased and renovated for everybody’s pleasure, including tourists. She noted she was privileged to know Lovey Pritchard; and she is acquainted with her daughter and granddaughter. She stated the Brevard County Manatees is in first place in the Florida State League; the Manager, Doug Sisson, is a Titusville native, born, raised, and educated in Titusville schools; and invited the Board to attend the ballgames.

Wae Nelson, representing Brevard Botanical Garden, owner and publisher of Florida Gardening Magazine and Chairman of Brevard Botanical Garden Steering Committee, stated he would like to make a case for establishment of a botanical garden in Brevard County; several people have worked for more than two years in getting a garden in the County; they received a tremendous amount of support; and there is a strong interest in horticulture in Brevard County, with many clubs such as the bromeliad, palm, bamboo, hibiscus, native plants, and rare fruit, along with dozens of general gardening clubs. He noted some of the clubs have memberships totaling in the hundreds; the Committee has located a property of choice; it provides a unique opportunity to build a garden that would rival any other garden in the State of Florida; and the property is on Merritt Island, about four miles north of the Pineda Causeway and runs from the Banana River to the Indian River. He stated because the property is surrounded on both sides by the rivers, it has a tropical climate; mangos and avocados are raised in the area; one would have to travel south to Miami before finding such fruit raised again; and the size of the property is about 35 acres and large enough to build a garden with plenty of room for comprehensive displays of flora from all over the world. Mr. Nelson noted there are several reasons that a botanical garden is an essential element in the future planning of Brevard County; the interest in gardening is strongly held by a significant amount of the population; research has shown that about 78 million people garden, which is a significant percentage of the population; and as the second most popular leisure activity, only walking ranks higher. He stated as people mature, the interest in gardening increases; the gardeners in America are concerted in the 40 and 65-year age group; as the baby boomers mature, the amount of gardeners will significantly increase as well; there are not many recreational activities and facilities for the mature residents of Brevard County; and lots of ball diamonds and soccer fields have been built, but with the exception to some boat ramps, there does not seem to be much for the mature residents. He noted a botanical garden would fit perfectly with this element of the population; the botanical garden is much more than just a garden; it becomes one of the major cultural centers of the community; a garden of this type offers many activities directly related to gardening, such as classes and tours, and it also becomes a site for cultural events, ranging from weddings to memorial services to galas and fund-raising events for charities and other cultural activities, such as the symphony and theatre. Mr. Nelson stated Brevard County has the potential of becoming one of the leading counties in the State; it already has many elements that can lead it there, such as Kennedy Space Center; the Brevard Zoo is well respected throughout the country; and the County has some of the best beaches in the nation. He noted the County’s industrial base is composed of high-tech, high-skilled, and clean companies; but to reach such a leadership position, it will need vision; nearly all the counties, from Central Florida south, with the exception of the agricultural counties in the middle part of the State, already have botanical gardens; and some of them are small, but some have national recognition. He stated a botanical garden is one of the items Brevard County must have if it wants to become one of the leading counties in the State; as the publisher of Florida Gardening Magazine, he attends many plant shows and sales around the State; it is not uncommon for enthusiasts to travel over 100 miles to attend a plant sale; and a beautiful botanical garden would be a major tourism draw. Mr. Nelson noted the types of tourists it would attract are well educated and affluent; it would dovetail nicely with the existing reasons tourists come to Brevard County; a national study demonstrated that the tourist base has a higher than average interest in gardening; people that enjoy arts and crafts and cultural events are 50% more likely than the average person to garden; people interested in science and technology are 25% more likely; and people interested wildlife and environment are 50% more likely. He stated the location of the proposed garden would be convenient to access, especially after Pineda is extended to I-95. He stated the Board is aware of the economic summit that was held in the last few days; one of the points presented was that there is a need for additional tourists venues; what he is proposing would fit; and not only would it bring tourists here, but since it relates to many of the County’s other tourists destinations, it would give them reasons to stay longer. Mr. Nelson noted there are sound reasons for establishment of a botanical garden in the County; and encouraged the Board to give it strong consideration in its deliberation concerning the sales tax.

Dee Katehakis, representing South Animal Care and Adoption Center, stated she is the volunteer Coordinator at the Center; and requested the Board support the renovation and expansion of the Center. She noted each year, the Center houses 10,000 animals; there are currently 72 kennels for dogs only; every day, the Center averages 150 dogs and 150 cats, not to mention the other critters that come into the Center, including goats, guinea pigs, rats, and birds; and expressed concern with the overcrowding issue. She stated when there are that many animals in a facility, it can lead to disease; as the community grows, the expansion is inevitable; and invited the Board to tour the Center to see there is a phenomenal caring staff and how badly the expansion is needed.

Maureen Parent requested the Board include a project that would purchase and protect an ancient Indian burial mound of historical importance located in the midst of over 300 acres of a variety of habitat, which is home to scrub jays, endangered gopher tortoises, eagles, and other wildlife; stated the land is adjacent to a park, which is already owned by Brevard County; and there are two schools nearby that could benefit from the educational value.

Melvin Mueller, representing Curator of Veterans Memorial Center Museum, stated he is present to answer any questions the Board may have; he provided the Board with a booklet on feasibility of the expansion program; the feasibility study was conducted by an SRI Company from Orlando; and it was commissioned and funded by the County. He noted the Company came up with a figure of $829,000 as a cost of the project in March 2000; the Company also included a figure of about $89,000 per year in escalation costs; so if projecting to the year 2004, the figure is over $1.1 million. He stated building costs and materials have escalated tremendously; so in addition to the Center’s project, all the other projects in the County that may have had figures projected in earlier years are going to increase tremendously in costs due to the escalation that has been ongoing; the Center has pursued funding through the County and State; and it also went to the State workshop on a bricks and mortar grant to see if it could fund the project through that source. Mr. Mueller noted the Center went there armed with about $30,000 in the bank and the land it projected would be used to build the expansion; the first thing the Center discovered was that the land does not count; the State wants 50% of the monies it is going to grant in the bank or in services; and it far exceeds the Center’s capability.

Richard LeAndro, representing North Brevard Concerned Citizens, stated a lot of people are coming to the trough; in 1999, his high school had its 100th anniversary; no one showed up, but he is going to the 55th this year; and it bothers him that people talk about a 14-year old building that needs replacement, when his high school is 104 years old and looks as good now as it did then. He noted the community likes to let things self-destruct, like the Titusville Pier, because there is no glory in maintenance; it is only glory when there are grand openings; and all the bureaucrats can go there and say, “Look at what we built with taxpayers money”. He stated he supports the sales tax 100%; he would also support a 5% increase in gas tax and other taxes; but he does not like people coming up here begging at the trough because an air conditioner has to be replaced for $8,400 when his house is 12 years old and he had to pay $5,000 to replace his; and someone is not doing good maintenance. Mr. LeAndro noted the County does not take good maintenance of its equipment, buildings, etc.; Space Walk of Fame promised 10 or 11 years ago that it would not go to the public for money; and it is a not-for-profit organization, but in the parks referendum, it received $100,000. He stated the organization receives grants from Florida Inland Navigation District (FIND), which is gas tax money; and he is getting sick and tired of people coming to the trough begging when there are serious needs in the community, like overcrowded schools, and bridges that need replaced.

Lil Banks stated she is 100% against the sales surtax; before the Board puts the one-cent sales tax on the ballot, someone has to explain to the citizens how the bonding works; they do not realize they will be in hock for 20 years; and she has heard some Commissioners cry that the people did not understand the petitions, which were voted on a few years back, and therefore should be thrown out. She noted the Board is trying to declare the CAPIT unconstitutional right now; it is time for it to hold the town meetings and do some explaining on what it wants and how it works; she has talked to a lot of people that do not have a clue; and they think the County is going to get $55 million a year, but they do not know that it is going to put them in hock for maybe 20 years. She stated it is time for the Board to spell it out and let the people decide if they want the tax; reiterated she is against the sales surtax; it is time for an accounting on how the County spends taxpayers dollars; and the Board has no problem obtaining outside studies, so it needs to have a performance based study done by an outside group to see where the tax dollars are going, and where the County can save or eliminate some expenses. Ms. Banks noted she watches the Board meetings; when the Board is not denying a citizen the right to his property, it is creating a new permit, a new more intrusive ordinance, a new bureaucracy, or a slot for another employee; and the County has convinced people about raising their taxes, as it has happened with the EELS Program and Parks and Recreation Referendum. She stated she is not saying that there is not a lot of deserving things being spoke about today, but there is a lot of junk; the County does not need to spend $6 million for land; Port St. John wants to build a pool; and it could charge every house in Port St. John $5.00 to build a pool. She noted she should not have to pay to build the pool; the library on Merritt Island has two taxes; she is paying double for her library; and the King Center is not in her budget, so giving it more money is not going to help her. She reiterated the County needs to educate the people, as it is not doing it.

Bob Wille stated he is present to discuss the process to avoid a free-for-all for limited funds for many desirable projects; and suggested the Board establish a percentage for each category in the County’s identified unfunded Capital Improvements Program (CIP). He noted the list includes Animal Services and Enforcement Department, Central Services Office, Emergency Management Office, Facilities Department, Information/Communications Systems Department, Library Services Department, Mosquito Control Department, Parks and Recreation Department, Permitting and Enforcement Department, Public Safety Department, Public Works Department, Regional Stormwater Utility Services Department, Sheriff’s Department, Space Coast Government Television, and Transportation Planning Office; and if the Board identifies those as its list of categories and establishes a percentage for funding, it is a first step to a process of narrowing down the valid projects. He stated once that is done, the Board can move toward the prioritization of projects to put on the catalog of adopted projects; and emphasized consideration of the cost benefits of those projects, and how the County will pay for the operation and maintenance of the projects if they are adopted. Mr. Wille requested the Board focus the percentages and prioritization of projects on core governmental responsibilities; stated a primary responsibility of government to create a quality community is a long-term budgetary commitment to provide an efficient multi-model transportation program; and further requested the Board to use its identified CIP as the basis for determining the catalog of adopted projects for the citizens to consider when voting on a one-cent, 20-year infrastructure sales tax.

The Board recessed at 10:20 a.m. and reconvened at 10:30 a.m.

Francis Reilly, Vice President of Space Walk of Fame Museum, stated the Museum in Titusville is beautiful; it is 18,000 square feet; it is dedicated to the employees that work at Kennedy Space Center and all over the world; those who work for Rockwell, Grumman, etc. are the only people who are allowed to get their names on the Museum’s monuments; and the Museum was started about two years ago in 2,500 square feet of space. He noted the Museum is out of room again; the big problem it is presently facing is that Miracle City Mall has changed ownership; the owner does not feel the Museum is doing enough for him, and has asked that half of the space for the Museum be vacated; so the Museum has an immediate problem of needing a place to live. He stated a few locations have been picked out in Titusville; the location that is high on his list ties into Sand Point Park; and expressed appreciation to the Board for the last referendum to give the people the parks in Brevard County. Mr. Reilly noted the County has now turned out to be one of the best counties in the State for parks; the Museum lost the Poe property in Titusville; it was using it at Sand Point Park for overflow parking; but condominiums will be built there. He stated the piece of property that he would like to see the Museum go on is at Sand Point Plaza, which is right across the street from the Park; and it would provide enough room for expansion of the Museum and have enough space to park vehicles for major events there.

Charlie Mars, representing Space Walk of Fame, stated at the Board meeting on April 22, 2003, Space Walk recapped what Brevard County has done over the past 40 years, being one of the major players in one of the ten most important events in history, which was placing man on the moon; the Museum desperately needs a place to go and is going to grow; it should be a major County attraction; and it would house a lot of the artifacts and memorabilia that the people at Kennedy Space Center have brought to the Museum over the past year. He noted the Museum also houses over 100 oral histories done under a grant from the State of Florida; it will get another 100 oral histories this year; so between what the Museum has now and what it anticipates bringing in, there is going to be a wealth of historical activity, as well as historical documentation that goes over the past 40 years and shows what was done in the County by Brevard County people, as well as the other 400,000 people around the United States. Mr. Mars stated Space Walk of Fame started an educational outreach to the County’s schools; it had a space art contest this past year; it gave over $1,000 in bonds to some 300 students who put art work in the Museum; and it is one of the things that will continue. He noted there have been about one dozen different tours come through the Museum; at least one-half dozen of those were school children; and two more tours are scheduled. He stated the Space Walk has an outreach program that also includes space medicine; it is being provided by one of the past astronauts, Dr. Grantline, and one of the early NASA doctors; Space Walk is looking for not just the history, but a way that the history can be brought to the people here, especially the school children in the County; and requested the Board’s consideration.

Laura Ward requested the Board remember to include some funding for the historic preservation projects that have been targeted by the Brevard Historical Commission, such as the Pritchard House; and stated it has brought appeal all across the County.

Coleman Goatley stated he supports the tax referendum; having lived in Brevard County for 44 years, he has been through the cycles of watching things develop and diminish; the time is now to take the necessary steps to strengthen the County’s infrastructure, capital improvements, and improve the quality of life; and it is important. He encouraged the Board to seriously consider early construction of the courthouse it planned to build in Palm Bay; stated in reviewing information on the budget, land costs are not included; the County purchased 20 acres of land in Palm Bay, specifically in Bayside Lakes, with anticipation of building a courthouse there; and in the past few weeks, he has filed plats for four new subdivisions, which will provide 400 new homes in Bayside Lakes. He noted similar development and activity is occurring around it, so there is intense growth; the County will continue to see such growth in Palm Bay and South Brevard; the facilities are needed; the County government center will be underway, so now is a good time to get a start on the courthouse; and requested the Board approve funding for it.

Libby Donoghue, Executive Director of 211 Brevard, Inc., stated 211 Brevard is pleased and is fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with County staff and the Board over the past two years to create a new community information utility for Brevard County; when it launched the program two years ago this month, it was only the seventh 211 center in the country and the first in Florida; there are nearly 30 counties in Florida that can access 211, and over 56 million Americans in the United States; and the program needs to benefit the whole community. She noted 211 Brevard has worked with numerous entities, such as Together in Partnership (TIP), the Continuum of Care process, the Commission on Mental Health and Community Solutions, and the Commission on Aging, to provide them with information that they can use during their planning, and to assist in getting information out to the community about what activities are taking place; 211 Brevard wants to continue to do that; and it is continuing to work with the Emergency Management Office, Health Department, and 911 System in playing a role in community information during times of disaster. Ms. Donoghue stated a new facility would help 211 Brevard improve its ability to do those things; and it appreciates the Board’s consideration.

Chairperson Colon inquired when will the 211 directory be ready; with Ms. Donoghue responding it is ready, she has boxes of them in her office, and the Commissioners should be getting them soon.

Regina Friedman, President of National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) South Brevard Chapter and member of the Commission on Mental Health and Community Solutions, stated she is also speaking for Freda Schildroth, who is not able to be present today due to previous commitments; she supports several unfunded CIP projects that need to be completed in Brevard County; and two critical needs are the central receiving center and the jail expansion. She stated the creation of a central receiving center would greatly improve the current processing procedures for people with mental illness or a substance abuse problem; an individual would be taken to the central receiving center by members of law enforcement for a medical clearance and mental health assessment; then he or she would be transferred to an appropriate treatment facility. She stated the center would allow the law enforcement officer to return to his or her duties quicker, eliminate the backup in hospital emergency rooms, and offer a broader range of assessment by trained, medical personnel for people in crisis; and a central receiving center could also eliminate placement in the jail of persons under the Marchman Act with substance abuse problems. Ms. Friedman stated Commander Terry Altman of the Detention Center considers a central receiving center vital to the appropriate placement and proper treatment for persons with mental health and substance abuse problems; the jail is not equipped to take care of these people that end up there because there is a lack of a proper place for them; what happened to Robert Ferris and his subsequent death must never happen again; and the jail is overcrowded. She noted despite efforts to insure the safety of staff and inmates, it is literally an accident waiting to happen; the jail was designed to hold 384 inmates; there are currently beds for 1,041 inmates; and the infrastructure of the jail does not support the current population. She stated the sewer system is unable to take care of the number of people who are there; the numbers are not getting smaller, but getting increasingly larger; the majority of inmates of the jail are being held there awaiting trial; and they are innocent until proven guilty. Ms. Friedman noted their welfare, as well as the safety of the staff, is in jeopardy due to overcrowding; expansion of the jail would improve the overcrowding problem; and provided a report to the Board from Housing and Human Services staff that explains the issues. She expressed appreciation to the Board and staff for their hard work and decisions they make, which shows they care about every person in Brevard County.

Laurilee Thompson, representing Dixie Crossroads Restaurant, stated she supports all the projects as they are all worthy; expressed concern about the article in the Florida TODAY newspaper yesterday, which eluded to the tax being used mostly for infrastructure projects; and noted none of the worthy projects were mentioned in the article. She cautioned the County in its publicity efforts; stated unless the voters understand the benefits of the tax, it could go down in flames; and if they get the impression that the additional tax is going to be spent on infrastructure projects across the County, the battle could be lost and it could be many years before bringing the issue up again.

Carl Larrabee, representing the City of Cocoa, advised of the Dixon Boulevard reconstruction project, from U.S. 1 to Clearlake Road; noted the project has been planned, designed, and engineered under Henry Minneboo’s direction; the City had a meeting with people along that stretch of road a few years ago; and it built up expectations in people’s minds. He stated resurfacing of the road, which is a County one located in the City of Cocoa, has been delayed pending a major reconstruction project; the City has to tell the residents that Dixon Boulevard is not its road to maintain; it refers the questions to the County; and the City has proposed a partnership with the County. He noted the City has stormwater treatment facilities that could handle the runoff from improvements to the road; the City would take over ownership of the road once it is completed; the area is aged; and the road needs to be brought up to current standards, both for road safety and stormwater treatment purposes.

Kim Zarillo, representing EELS Selection and Management Committee, stated the EELS Program has preserved approximately 17,000 acres through various partnerships with federal, state, and another county; at this point, the Program may not be able to complete the goals of the referendum with the amount of funding that is left; there is a critical need for a wildlife sanctuary, which would provide recreation and education; and in some areas across the nation, these types of lands are used, not only for education bringing school children on property, but also working with justice systems for preventative measures. She noted it is also therapy in association with handicapped programs; the $55 million that was allowed in the original referendum was never bonded up to that point; there are about 22,000 acres remaining in the original project areas; and the Committee is working with other counties on a multi-county project modeling for connectivity and buffering to preserve the mega fauna and large landscapes, and to complete the mission of the referendum to insure protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. Ms. Zarillo stated to accomplish that, an additional 52,000 acres, bringing the total to 74,000 acres, remains to be purchased; the County is nowhere near that funding level; and the Committee recommends a minimum of 20% of the funding for the EEL Program, which is less than one percent of the property that would be taken off of the tax rolls.

Carol Waters, representing Brevard Commission on Aging, stated she supports the sales surtax and the senior centers project; the project for the three centers came out of a coalition that was started by the Commission on Aging to address several problems; the increasing population of senior citizens is no secret; and the community centers that are being discussed and talked about would help prevent the fractionalization seen in the different services in Brevard County. She noted it would also help to greatly improve access to all of those services; and by bringing things together where they can easily be accessed, it would help address some of the transportation problems.

Bob Brewster stated he is opposed to the sales surtax; a few people have been misled; they are following along on the coat tails of the school system and trying to say such system needs a lot of money, so vote for the tax; and he disagrees with it because the school system does not need any more money, and is not spending wisely what it has right now. He noted the school system will tell people it has decreased their taxes for the last few years, but it is not true; the system has received millions and millions of dollars every year due to appreciation of properties and new building in the County; and the school system has some problems, such as over capacity, portables, teacher shortage, big classes, and bus driver shortage. He stated it needs new schools and teacher pay increases; and there is no summer school as there is no funding for it. He stated the school system is $300 million in debt already and is maxed out; it cannot issue any more Certificates of Participation (COP) without voter referendum, etc.; it is only utilizing the schools a few months out of the year and there are times when schools are sitting empty; and he proposes a four track year around school, thereby 17,000 children would be on vacation year around, which would free up everything and would solve the over capacity issue. Mr. Brewster noted no school would need new buses; there would not be a teacher shortage as there would be 300 to 900 fewer teachers; so all the teachers that want to retire can retire. He stated the school system is coming up with an administration shortage; his proposal would also solve that; the four tracks would be winter, summer, fall, and spring; and each family would be on the same track, so there would be no problem there. He noted it is an economical way to go; if Brevard County would have gone that way last year, it would have saved up to $90 million; it would have given it enough money to pay down the $300 million debt, or put it in reserve so that in a few years it could build new schools wherever it wants; and the proposal should be brought before the people. He stated Governor Jeb Bush was in favor of it, but said the people have to be convinced; the County needs to convince the people; it wants to have impact fees and do other things that the builders do not want to do; it wants to limit building here and there; but it would not have to worry about any of it with year-round schools.

Kay Burk, President and CEO of Brevard Cultural Alliance and the Arts Heritage Cultural Affairs Council for Brevard County, stated building and improving the infrastructure necessary to support smart growth for the County means improving the quality of life in the community, which in turn builds the economy; in order to do that, projects beyond basic roads and bridges and basic infrastructure need to be considered; the Cultural Alliance has worked with the County to provide recommendations for consideration and partnerships with the County libraries, Parks and Recreation Department, and Transportation Planning Office; and it encourages the Board to consider those as it makes its decisions. She requested the Board recognize the various presentations made today by a variety of arts, heritage, cultural, and nature-based organizations about their special projects as they would help improve the quality of life in the community; and those particular projects help build the economic base and encourage and promote tourism into the area, which helps the community have a better and higher quality of life. Ms. Burk noted sometimes in making decisions, people consider arts, heritage, historic preservation projects, and nature based projects to be on the side of fluff, rather than the business issues that they are; these industries are a serious part of the County’s economy and the community; and building the quality of life helps everyone overall. She stated as the Board looks at tax base issues, building the infrastructure, and strengthening such infrastructure in the community, it needs to consider those aspects. She cautioned the Board that it needs to look at how it markets the referendum and insert projects that will help market it to voters in a way that will make it palatable; she is not sure that if the County only talks about basic infrastructure that it is something that voters will flock to the polls to vote for; and requested the Board’s consideration.

Ginger Ferguson, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless of Brevard, member of Brevard Continuum of Care Coalition, and member of the Task Force on Homelessness, expressed appreciation to the Board for its efforts to help identify the issues and critical needs of the homeless in the community; stated County staff has been wonderful to work with and works hard; and the Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless appreciates the appointment of the Coordinator for homeless issues, Rose Areg, who is an excellent grant writer and is assisting Continuum of Care, which brings many different groups together and has brought over $4 million to Brevard County to address the issue of housing for the homeless community. She noted she supports the referendum; and requested the Board consider the need for two assessment centers, one in the north area and one in the south area of Brevard County. Ms. Ferguson stated in the nation, the typical homeless person in America is a nine-year old child, which surprises many people; there are many vulnerable people with severe and persistent mental illness on the County’s streets that have no shelter and have a lack of affordable housing; the needs should be assessed; and it is not just for those people that are vulnerable, but it is also for the quality of life for the entire community. She noted there are people with severe mental illness that are self medicating with drugs and alcohol; they are not receiving the medical assistance they need; there is no place for them to go to get treatment; and there are no beds in the County for the severe and persistent mentally ill. She stated many of those individuals are in the jail system and are not receiving the assistance they need; if the County can do an assessment through the agencies that are working hard to provide emergency shelter and transitional housing, and can increase those opportunities, it can help place those people where they need to be to get the assistance they need; and it protects everyone in the community. She noted there are persons trying to commit suicide; policemen are at risk; the community is at risk when people are acting out and not getting the help they need; and requested the Board consider the critical need of the most vulnerable in the community, the assessment centers, and help to protect the needs of the entire community and improve the quality of life.

Joe Steckler, representing Alzheimer’s Foundation, stated proposing a referendum for an infrastructure tax is probably one of the best things that has happened in Brevard County in the 15 years he has lived here; it is time to start out with a directed funding plan to take care of some of the problems; he did a radio show this morning; and after the show, a financial planner came to him and advised that six months ago, a 90-year old gentleman had $125,000 in the bank, and today he has $50,000, as the professional caregiver took $75,000 in $8,000 increments. He stated there was an article in the Florida TODAY that talked about “Mix up Cuts Caregiver Aid”; those are all facts; but with the infrastructure in place in Titusville, the Foundation was able to take care of two families with an in-home respite program that provided daily free service to the families where State aid had been cut. He stated the Foundation cannot predict how much State aid will be cut, but it can predict how much local citizens can do in partnering with organizations to put infrastructure in place to help take care of people; Ms. Waters talked about senior centers; the Foundation is proposing a different type of senior center in Titusville; and the Foundation has assistance in the Central and South Brevard areas, but it does not have that assistance in North Brevard. Mr. Steckler stated by partnering with the Brevard Alzheimer’s Foundation, the County can help put an infrastructure in place that will provide programs to take care of people in times of good funding and lean funding; the County is going to see more lean funding; and the Foundation would appreciate the Board’s assistance in putting the center in Titusville as it is needed to help people.

Courtney Carlson, President of The Brevard Museum, Inc., stated the project the Brevard Museum has before the Board on the sales tax referendum is a partnership project that the Museum is proposing to go into with the Historical Commission; the Brevard Museum of History has been around for more than 30 years and runs a facility off Michigan Avenue in Cocoa; it is a 13,000 square-foot facility on 26 acres; and it is unusual in terms of a cultural institution as it is financially sound and has no debt. He noted from year to year the Museum has managed to break even on its operating budget, so it is in good shape; last year, the Museum decided it was time to take the next step and get back on track with the strategic plan; it decided that a principle way to do that was to seek accreditation; and it is a way to establish the soundness and quality of a museum. He stated certification is provided by the American Association of Museums; the Museum looked at all the things it had to do and the role it would play in the County; it is one of about 15 to 20 historical organizations in Brevard County; and it is close to the largest pure historical group and is a private 501(C)(3) not-for-profit corporation. Mr. Carlson stated the Museum found out it was not doing a good job at partnering with other historical organizations, so it began an outreach program, which has included meeting with the Board; it has also started meeting with the Historical Commission, which is the County’s arm for advising on historical issues; those conversations have led to a number of ideas about partnerships, one of which is in the sales tax proposal that the Museum supports; and the funding is needed to help get some of the infrastructure in place around the County for cultural organizations. He noted the Museum wants the Board to consider approving the proposal in front of it that would be a partnership between the Historical Museum and the Historical Commission as a good sound and responsible way to spend some money that would be raised by the sales tax.

Mr. Jenkins stated the next step is to determine how the Board would like to proceed; staff has provided a summary of most of the projects that were mentioned today; one project was inadvertently omitted from the package, which is the Central Brevard Health Department facility; and the County is required to provide the facilities for the State Public Health Department. He noted the Board could go through the catalog and give staff direction as to those items it would like to see included or removed; it may have to do some sizing of some of the projects in terms of the requests presented; and staff could do it or the Board could handle it.

Commissioner Higgs inquired does staff have a forecast on where the County’s budget will be with dollars from the State for next year; with Mr. Jenkins responding negatively. Mr. Jenkins stated the last information staff received was that the State was going to operate off of the House proposed budget; however, it was back in session in less than one day and at odds between the Senate and the House; so it is highly speculative. He noted there appears to be two or three areas where the County could be impacted significantly in its operating budget; and one area is the cost of retirement contributions for employees.

Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten stated he is not sure if Medicaid is one area; but pretrial detention of juveniles is one. Commissioner Higgs inquired is the County looking at the $8 million number; with Mr. Jenkins responding right now it is not that bad, but it could be several million. Commissioner Higgs stated knowing the County’s full financial outlook for the next budget cycle is important; in proceeding to figure out how to go into the projects, she would rather see the Board talk about broad categories rather than specific projects first and how it would want to allocate into the larger categories as opposed to picking the individual projects; and it may be the most fruitful way to discuss it.

Commissioner Scarborough noted one woman asked him how many workshops the Board has held on the sales surtax issue, and he said today is the first one; there is a presumption that a lot of work has been done; there are projects that he is well acquainted with and others that he is casually acquainted with; so he does not have a capacity to go through it today; and somebody may have additional comments on the projects, refining them, and making them better. He stated he agrees with Commissioner Higgs on the broad concept idea; the Superintendent is not going to have his list together until August 2003; it is not going to be what the Board says or does, it is the projects themselves that is going to make this happen or not; and the County has to get the citizens support for projects that they understand and appreciate.

Commissioner Carlson requested an actual number of what one-third of the tax would mean to the County, and inquired what is the total amount it can use as pay-as-you-go or buy. Mr. Jenkins responded there is $180 million on bonding proceeds and $275 million in excess cash over 20 years that would be above and beyond the bond payment. Commissioner Carlson noted so it is $460 million; with Mr. Jenkins responding affirmatively. Commissioner Higgs inquired is it $460 million total for the County’s one-third; with Mr. Jenkins responding affirmatively. Commissioner Carlson inquired what of the unfunded CIP projects that are listed in the back are actually represented in the list divided into water quality and other issues, such as mosquito control and public safety. Mr. Jenkins responded a number of the projects that have been proposed are in the CIP; the majority of them are the ones that County staff has submitted, such as the jail, roads, drainage, courthouse, etc.; however, there are a number of additional projects that have been submitted that were not included in the CIP as there were no funding mechanisms for them. He noted the sales tax presents a new opportunity. Commissioner Carlson inquired is there any duplication in the list of projects in the book with the one-page project list; with Mr. Jenkins responding affirmatively. Commissioner Carlson noted she would like to reconcile that. Mr. Jenkins stated the sheets at the end of the book are for the Board to have as its reference point what is specifically in the CIP; and a number of those projects on the list are included. Commissioner Carlson requested staff provide the Board with information on what projects are included or not included; noted it would help understand what is being covered under the unfunded category of the CIP; and requested information on whether or not there are any new projects that were not included in the list. She inquired how is the County going to look at the potential of shared dollars with the municipalities. Mr. Jenkins responded there have been some discussions on some road projects; the City of Cocoa has talked about doing some joint ventures on Dixon Boulevard; there has been prior negotiations with the County and Cities of Rockledge and Melbourne; and the County did not include the Melbourne riverfront in the project list, but it has a number of other types of projects that are in the City of Melbourne. He stated a number of the projects have potential partners and the County has identified who those potential partners are; but the list was not predicated on what the City of Melbourne was doing. Commissioner Carlson noted if there are other cities interested and willing to partner, the dollars could be leveraged and more projects could be brought on the list; and she agrees with Mr. Wille in terms of trying to create a percentage of where the County is going to put the dollars.

Commissioner Higgs stated leveraging dollars is important; and if the County can leverage with any other entities that are bringing to the table significant commitments, it makes a difference on what is able to be funded, particularly on the road projects, which are going to be huge in cost. She stated if the cities are willing to be partners in things, such as Wickham Road, which is a big cost, the County could find ways to work some of the projects and make those priorities.

Chairperson Colon stated some of the questions that have been asked by constituents is if the sales surtax would be similar to the parks and recreation referendum and would a municipality receive funds if it did not support the surtax. Mr. Jenkins responded the tax would be collected Countywide; if a city opts not to sign the interlocal agreement, the residents of the city would still pay the tax; the current proposal is that all of the cities would share their portion of it, based on population; and every indication he has received is that almost every city is going to sign the interlocal agreement. He stated he is not aware of any cities that do not anticipate signing the agreement.

Commissioner Pritchard stated there is a co-mingling of the projects on the current CIP list; there are five pages of CIP proposed projects all unfunded; he would like each sheet listed so that the Board knows if the projects are proposed, etc.; and he agrees with the partnerships and leveraging dollars. He noted he supports the broad categories, which is the purpose of the meeting today; there is no way the Board can start deciding which projects will or will not make the cut; it needs to look at the overall package and go from there; and expressed concern with operation and maintenance costs and how the County is going to pay for it. He stated it is nice to build a building, but there is a cost associated with the building; the infrastructure sales tax is going to pay for the building, not operation of the building; the County needs to address it and make sure the community is aware of it; and the idea of having multi-purpose use appeals to him and whether or not it is going to be a revenue generating project. Commissioner Pritchard noted conference centers at BCC north campus could be used for a variety of uses and could be a revenue generation that would help pay for the cost of the annual maintenance; if money can be brought in as a form of revenue for the botanical garden to help offset the cost of operating the unit, it becomes more palatable to the community; and expressed concern about the project affecting traffic and transportation. He stated Mr. Jenkins came up with an explanation of what the tax would cost each person based on income and generally a percent of income that is paid for things that are taxed; the community needs to know how much it is going to cost; 20% of the cost would be paid by tourism; it is a more palatable way to address what the cost is going to be; and there are a lot of people in the community that have little, if any, idea as to what the tax is going to cost and many do not know it is under consideration. He noted the point is proper education so that people know what the cost is going to be; and inquired if the Board bonds the projects for 20 years, what affect does the bond burden have on the County for that amount of time, what will it be able to do or not do since it will have the encumbered amount of money and a program to pay back the bond, how is it going to affect the bonding structure that the County has, and how is it going to affect the opportunity it may have for a project five or ten years from now. Commissioner Pritchard stated the County has not touched on the citizen review committee, which was discussed as part of the overall program; it may have five to nine members and their role would be to make sure that the projects accepted, should the bond referendum pass, are on schedule, what was promised, and are being handled properly; and inquired should County projects be more universal and for Countywide usage. He noted it is something the Board needs to look at when it is ranking projects, more specifically, transportation. He inquired how is the State budget going to affect the County budget, and if it is going to be taking money out of the County pot, how is it going to provide operation and maintenance for the various projects.

Commissioner Scarborough stated the County needs to be careful with the road projects; Orlando Chamber of Commerce did a study and came to Brevard County; and it found that 30% of the people in Brevard County think the roads have improved in the last decade. He noted in Orange County, only 40% of the people drive to work; only a portion of that were in congested traffic; and the Board needs to understand the dynamics of all the projects as they touch different people in different ways. Commissioner Pritchard stated he has had several people tell him they would vote for the surtax because of one issue; and reiterated people need to know what they are voting for.

Commissioner Higgs noted the question put before the voters will not be the question of bonding, but the question of the one-cent surtax. Attorney Knox stated the question would include bonding. Commissioner Higgs inquired does it have to include bonding; with Attorney Knox responding it does if the Board wants to issue bonds. Attorney Knox stated he checked with bond counsel and its recommendation was to insert some language addressing the bond issue. Commissioner Higgs inquired are there two separate questions or one question; with Attorney Knox responding one question. Commissioner Higgs inquired does it have to be one question; with Attorney Knox responding no, but if the Board wants to issue the bonds and it becomes an alternative, it may face the prospect of going back out to referendum again. Commissioner Higgs inquired could there be two separate questions on the same ballot; with Attorney Knox responding yes, but it would be awkward. Commissioner Carlson inquired what would be the purpose. Commissioner Higgs responded as Commissioner Carlson points out by her questions about actual cash generated and amount committed to bonds, assumptions are made about bonding; in many cases it makes sense; but funding a number of the projects with the accumulation of excess cash also makes sense; and the capacity to build a large number of projects at one time is difficult as the County does not have the staff in place to build $400 million worth of projects immediately. She noted they are going to be built over several years; she wants to know how the question is going to be phrased for the voters; the County does not have to assume all of the bonding, but it may or may not; and it is a question that needs to be resolved. She stated the County needs to separate the question of bonding from the question of the surtax.

Chairperson Colon stated page 3 of the proposed ordinance reads, “Shall the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners levy an additional one cent sales surtax for twenty years to finance, plan, and construct local government infrastructure projects including school improvements, public safety improvements, environmental improvements, public facilities, land acquisition, transportation improvements, and technological enhancements, and to pay debt service on bonds issued for such purposes, with the proceeds to be divided between the County, cities, and School Board in the manner prescribed by law”? She noted citizens would check for the one-cent sales tax or against the one-cent sales tax; and that is the wording. Commissioner Higgs noted it is the wording that has been given; she is not sure it is the only wording the Board can consider; and that is why she raised the question.

Mr. Jenkins stated the County has two partners in the process, the school system and the municipalities on a collective basis; it is his understanding that the municipalities want to have the capacity to do a bond issue; as the Board makes the decisions and has deliberations, it is important to be mindful of what the interests are of the municipalities and school system in that they want to have that capacity; and they have communicated that to him in the past. He noted it is one of the reasons it has been presented to the Board in the format that it has; from the beginning, the County has ventured into this endeavor in a partnership world with the cities and school system; and it has received input from both. Attorney Knox stated the wording as it currently stands allows the Board to issue bonds, but does not require it to do so; it may be able to separate the two without creating a problem; but he would want to check with bond counsel. Commissioner Higgs noted she wants to proceed with assumptions that may not be absolutely what the County has to do. Commissioner Scarborough stated the issue is a complex one; there are certain known factors; the County can borrow at historically low rates; and some parcels of property could be lost, such as for the botanical garden. He noted the property is the only parcel of that magnitude on south Merritt Island; if the County does not acquire the property, it will be gone; it will never have a botanical garden; and Mr. Jenkins could come back to the Board with information on where the County could acquire property and where it needs to acquire it. He stated land acquisition is beating the County up with the cost of road projects; if it is going to do a road project, it needs to get into bonding enough to lock in costs; the bonding company is almost giving the money away with the interest rates; and it is such that in a few years inflation will be exceeding the interest rates the County pays and then the cost of land acquisition in Brevard County is going to skyrocket. Commissioner Scarborough noted the County needs to act smartly with acquisition and tying in the cost initially; whether or not it gets into the construction phase may be a totally different issue; it may want to acquire the property for the botanical garden, but then walk into building of the garden over a period of time; so it is constructed with the help of the bromeliad and bamboo societies; and everybody gets their own committees and figures out what species go in where and how. He stated Mr. Jenkins could come back to the Board with the issues it needs to move forward with; and those things may prudently proceed with a lot of community input over time.

Commissioner Carlson noted the language of the referendum could be re-looked at to show that the County is also potentially going to have to bond dollars, but also pay-as-you-go; right now it looks like the County is going to bond everything, based on the way the language is written; and the word “cultural” does not play into the language, unless it is included in “public facilities”, which does not cover the whole gamut of cultural things. She noted she is not sure what “environmental improvements” means; she understands “land acquisition”; she does not know what the cities have input in terms of the language; so it needs to be clarified. Commissioner Higgs stated the language needs to have some refinements and other alternatives considered; it will be as a result of Attorney Knox working on it more thoroughly; the Board does not need to talk about it any further today as it is scheduled on the agenda for Tuesday; but it needs to be careful about the language it puts on the referendum and make sure everything is covered. She noted it is going to be dissected in the community; and the Board should not assume that the language that is there is absolutely what it wants.

Commissioner Pritchard stated he would like to know more about the bonding process, which way gives the County more bang for the buck, and which way would have the least affect on its ability to seek other projects, whether they are bonded or not down the road; it may be better to leave the wording as it is for starters as there are other partners involved; and inquired what would be the advantage and disadvantage of splitting the language into two questions. Attorney Knox stated one advantage is that the County has a 75-word limit; and the proposed language is 75 words. Mr. Jenkins noted staff deliberately chose somewhat broad language to cover what the County, School Board, and cities would be doing; the reason the County is talking about creating a catalog of projects is to allow the voters to see more specifically where the money is going to go; and it is a joint venture of three entities. Commissioner Scarborough stated when he met with Mr. Jenkins, he indicated the Board would want to have the land acquisition as an initial bond issue so it could lock in and acquire; it could have a projected logical sequence of build-out; the County cannot do it all at once; but the Board does not know until Mr. Jenkins come back to it on how much money it needs up front. He noted when the schedule is done, everything could be defined in the project list; he is looking at an additional $100 million in the free-flowing cash after the bond issue; so there is an enormous amount of capacity after the bond money to carry through the projects over a period of time; and there is always some degree of flexibility. He stated the Board does not want the list to cover the entire $500 billion; if it did, it would be reaching into the ability of future commissions to adjust; and it should have some degree of openness where if a problem comes up it could be handled. Commissioner Pritchard stated he agrees that the bond money is inexpensive at this point; it is cheap money; the whole idea with doing something is to do it at the right time; and the right time is generally now as things will be more expensive later. He noted for the most part, land increases in value; there can be other factors that figure into it; costs of things can increase; and the opportunity is now more so than five years from now.

Chairperson Colon inquired what other direction does staff need today from the Board and what will be discussed on Tuesday. Mr. Jenkins responding today and Tuesday are almost two separate distinct steps in the process; today was to begin the process of discussing projects in terms of the County’s share of the sales tax proceeds; there is a public hearing to consider the ordinance on Tuesday, which deals with scheduling the referendum; a number of questions and issues have been raised by the Board today, which suggests to him that a more involved process is going to be required; and whatever direction staff can get today will be beneficial to assist it in progressing in the process. He stated the Board has indicated some of its particular interests as it deals with certain types of information; staff can make sure the information is highlighted or emphasized in the presentation; if the Board wants to talk about categories of funding today, it would be beneficial and a first step; and staff could proceed with trying to go forward with the scheduling concept, which is a complex process. He noted one of the things the Board may want to consider is ranking the projects; there are a lot of requests, which exceed the amount of money the County has; it also needs to work on the scope; somebody may request $100 million, but get $20 million or $30 million; and there may be some down sizing in the scope, and staff may have to make some recommendations to the Board as to what some levels could be. Mr. Jenkins stated discussing categories would be helpful to staff; if the Board would like staff to proceed with trying to do some scheduling of expenditures, it can do that; and if it knew which projects the Board wants to consider or not consider, it would be a critical part of that process.

Chairperson Colon noted because the School Board and municipalities are giving the County their information by the end of August 2003, it does not mean that it should not have a workshop in July 2003 or perhaps two workshops in August 2003; it is running out of time after that; the County is accountable to the citizens; and by September 1, 2003 it needs to share with them what they are voting on. Mr. Jenkins stated an information program has been discussed by several speakers, and such program has been anticipated; but time is needed to do that; and urged the Board to try and coincide with the School Board’s schedule of August 2003. He noted staff needs to know in August 2003 where the Board wants to invest the money so that it can begin the information program to let the public know. Commissioner Carlson stated what the County is trying to do is strategic in nature; the effort it went through last year with the departments strategic planning should not be under-emphasized in the whole process; there are a lot of groups here today that have gone through their own strategic planning, so they understand timing, cost benefit, oversight of the performances, outcomes, etc.; and they need to be heavily considered when the County is reviewing all the projects. She noted Brevard Tomorrow has also looked at strategically what the community as a whole wants; it is on its way to looking at those things, none of which are infrastructure-oriented at this point; but some day down the road they may be. She stated Brevard Tomorrow looked at all the strategic plans, including cultural, the School Board, Brevard County, etc.; and it brought them all together and tried to get the community’s input. Commissioner Carlson stated the County pays a large disservice if it does not look at this strategically; if she has to look at all the projects that have been proposed, there are a lot of unfunded CIP projects, public safety, roads, land acquisition, trails, and cultural things; public safety and roads could be 60% of the dollars, some bonded and some pay-as-you-go; and 40% could be land acquisition and cultural items. Mr. Jenkins noted 60% could be for CIP projects and up to 40% could be for items not in the CIP; there are some leisure services; for example, making the causeways recreational areas is not in the CIP as the County did not have a way to pay for it; and taking a couple of causeways and using them for recreational purposes would be valuable. He stated he does not know that the new Freedom 7 community/senior center or the Suntree/Viera senior center is in the CIP; and it is not necessarily culture, but leisure services. Commissioner Carlson noted rating different projects or doing it by some other means is for a later meeting.

Commissioner Higgs stated her four categories would include public health and safety, transportation, open space and trails, and quality of life projects; under public health and safety, her priorities include the jail, the central receiving facility, mosquito control, animal care, the Sheriff’s radios, and fire stations; open space and trails would include the parks along the causeway; and quality of life projects would include the senior centers, Alzheimer’s facilities, cultural facilities, and human service facilities.

Commissioner Scarborough noted he is not able to endorse anything until he gets into the actual projects; he would prefer to get into a detailed analysis of how each of the projects will progress; and he does not want to jump to the conclusion and wants to do the analysis first. Commissioner Carlson stated the analysis Commissioner Scarborough is referring to is going to have to come at a later time and she is not sure it is ever going to be self-evident until the County tries to do something. Commissioner Scarborough noted if the Board does not have the analysis by the time it goes to referendum in November 2003, such referendum will fail. Mr. Jenkins stated staff could work with the percentages as a non-binding target; Commissioner Scarborough’s concern is that he does not know what the impact will be; staff can see what it means in terms of whether or not it will work; and it could report back to the Board. Commissioner Carlson stated she agrees with Commissioner Scarborough in terms of when it is the best time to do bonding, etc.; ten different road projects have gone through planning, design, and engineering and are sitting on the shelf collecting dust; and inquired how much is it going to cost the County to bring them off the shelf and re-address them if they are of high concern in the community. She noted those kinds of projects should take precedent, like the strategic ones that have been thought out and researched.

Mr. Jenkins stated there are two issues, distribution and timing; there should be some basic parameters to look at in terms of distribution to see if it works; the County could then look at the scheduling, which is a mix of bond proceeds and cash on hand; and there may be certain things to do early with bond proceeds. Commissioner Higgs stated the County found that with some of the recreation referendum projects, as they got into them more thoroughly, there were some that were objectionable; she is worried about what it does in regard to a specific list; it needs to be careful; and it wants to be clear as to what it wants to do, but it does not want to get gouged in the long run. She noted it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the County may want 25 acres for the botanical garden; but it may find that the price doubles between the time that it was originally submitted and the time that it began to think about it; the public does not want the County to get into that; and it needs to be careful that it allows some leeway so that it is protected.

Commissioner Pritchard stated the Home Canning Center on Merritt Island is a building currently used by Crosswinds Youth Services; it is on the tax roll at $78,000, but is included on the list as a renovation of $250,000; it is a wooden structure and listed on the historical preservation plaque; and $250,000 to renovate a building on the tax roll at $78,000 seems high. He noted there are probably other items that are listed that would also fall into the same category; it could be another factor in helping to determine what may or may not make the cut; and expressed concern that if only partial funding is given to a project, it may never happen and it may be better to cut an entire project to give the money to a project that seems more viable.

He noted he agrees with Commissioner Scarborough’s idea and is concerned about more analysis; he also supports Mr. Jenkins’ idea of coming up with a more defined list; once the Board receives the information, it may be at the point where it either divides the items into fourths, 60% and 40%, or some other approach; and that should be the first steps the Board should take.

Commissioner Scarborough stated the County went under contract with the Chain of Lakes project, contingent on passage of the referendum with the Chain of Lakes; and suggested as the Board identifies the projects, that it immediately move into appraisal and contracts where it would purchase properties. He noted Commissioner Higgs is correct that if the County says it is going to buy a piece of property, but it is a ridiculous price, it makes a mess; if it can have something under contract, it can come back later and say the project is not going to work there; so the person will not be able to come in and play that game; and it can happen. Commissioner Higgs stated it can happen with road projects as well. Commissioner Carlson noted the reality check is a good idea in terms of trying to make sure that the numbers the County is getting are truly what reflects what it might be able to achieve; the letter from Mr. Fountain from The Nature Conservancy talks about assessed value of approximately $100 million to purchase a property; assessed versus appraised are two different things; and the County has been bitten by that. She stated it has tried to acquire some property in the central portion of the County for a long time, but has been unsuccessful due to the actual market value and what the owners want for the property; it is not in line with what the County can afford to pay for it; it is a big reality check; and if it can find the funds to see if the potential of getting the property is there, it will get rid of a lot of projects.

Chairperson Colon stated the Board will be taking a break in June 2003 and come back in July 2003; Mr. Jenkins will be scheduling a meeting with each Commissioner prior to the workshop so that a lot of discussions and suggestions can be taken care of on a one-on-one basis; and the Board has accomplished what it set out to do today.

Commissioner Higgs suggested Mr. Jenkins do some sorting, simultaneous with what Chairperson Colon is asking, so there is some place to start; stated it is not a cast in stone thing; and it would be tentative and for information purposes. Commissioner Carlson inquired about the timeline and the next meeting to discuss what the Board has asked Mr. Jenkins to do. Mr. Jenkins stated the Board could authorize him to schedule a workshop in July 2003. Commissioner Carlson noted Mr. Jenkins can bring back information regarding the cities; and the School Board will not have its information until August 2003.

Commissioner Pritchard stated the Board will be voting on Tuesday’s agenda about whether or not to put the referendum on the ballot in November 2003; and inquired what is the final deadline to have the discussion and vote, and does it have to be done at the next meeting. Mr. Jenkins responded the Board does not have to vote on the issue at its next meeting; and the Supervisor of Elections would like 90 days prior to the November 2003 referendum. Commissioner Carlson inquired where does the 90 days put the County; with Mr. Jenkins responding late July 2003. Commissioner Pritchard noted the Board may want to wait until late July 2003 until it has the next meeting as he wants to make sure everything is in order before voting. Commissioner Higgs stated she agrees with Commissioner Pritchard; she wants to be sure that the Board has the right phraseology on the question or questions on the ballot; and she also wants to see the bigger economic and financial picture for the County as well.

Chairperson Colon noted the end of July 2003 is when Supervisor of Elections Fred Galey needs the information for the ballot; so the Board has some time to get things in order.

Upon motion and vote, the meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m.

ATTEST: __________________________________
JACKIE COLON, CHAIRPERSON
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
______________________
SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK

(S E A L)