Louis Macri - Committee Chairman
Local and County Watchdogs
Contact him at macri38@comcast.net
______________________________________________________________________
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
Public Hearing Agenda:
Citizens Input:
Commissioners Comments:
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
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Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: January 10, 2012
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting on January 10, 2012.
Consent Agenda:
Writer’s comment. I
reminded the Commissioners that they just experienced a similar
experience with the Placida Road Widening project, which cost the County
over $7.5 million. The Placid Road project was approved
by the Commissioners over three years ago, only to have the project
stopped based on comments of approximately fifty citizens objecting to
the project. As a result the Commissioners canceled the project, even though they spent approximately $7.5 million. I wanted to know what their plans were to make sure that the Gasparilla Road project would be completed as planned.
Regular Agenda:
Commissioners Comments:
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Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: November 22, 2011
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: November 22, 2011
From: Louis Macri
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting on November 8, 2011.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.3, G.1 and G.3 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.1, Z.2 and Z.3 were added.
F.3 deals with the acquisition of a lot for the Charlotte County Utilities’ waste water lift station #812. After some discussion the item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
G.1 deals with the painting of the traffic light poles at the intersection of US 41 and Harbor Blvd. The extra cost to have the pole painting was estimated to be $17,600. After a lot of discussion the item was pushed to the November 15th meeting.
G.3 deals with zoning for property for the Peace River Island, L.L.C. They wanted the property certified for 86 unit density. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Deals with ranking of firms for the State lobbyist. The value of the contract was estimated to be approximately $40,000 to $80,000. There was a lot of discussion regarding the use of lobbyists. After much discussion the item voted down with a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Deutsch, Constance and Starr voted against the item.
2. Deals with the annual performance review of Janette Knowlton, County Attorney. The rating was Excellent.
3. Deals with a resolution in support of Senate Bill 818 relating to shelters and animal control agencies. After some discussion the item was approved with a vote of 4-1, with Commissioner Duffy voting against the item.
Public Hearing Agenda:
This was the final public hearing to authorize the revisions to the Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park Enhancement Zone to include one county-owned parcel. The item was approved 5-0.
Citizens Input:
Once again I presented the Commissioners with facts regarding the purchase of right-of-way land for the Placida Road project. The Commissioners voted to stop the project, but purchase the property at a value of approximately $5.0 million. I pointed out to the Commissioners that there will be no road construction for at least fifteen years. That means that the County will spend the $5.0 million now, plus go through all the effort to acquire the land, which could result in additional legal fees. In addition, I pointed out that the County will have to spend additional money to maintain the land, and that the current permits are only good for five years. In my opinion this is a waste of money. I reminded Commissioners Constance and Deutsch that the Tea Party supported them last year, with the understanding that they would be fiscally responsible. Their action on this project was not fiscally responsible. Once again I requested them to re-consider their votes.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock, County Administrator: None.
Janette Knowlton, County Attorney: None.
Tom Patton: Economic Development Director.
Discussed the possibility of getting a buyer for land at the airport. The financial impact for the County will be approximately $5.8 million. This company will employ approximately 600 people. The County will provide tax abatement for ten years of approximately $1.5 million. The school taxes are not part of the tax abatement.
Tricia Duffy: 1. Believed that the Placida Road Project would re-start in five years. She was not correct.
2. Discussed funding for the Parkside area improvements. She was concerned that the residences of the area would not be able to fund the project.
Chris Constance: Disagreed with my position regarding the acquisition of land for the Placida Road Project.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Agreed with my position regarding the Placida Road Project, but did not request Board action to re-visit the item.
Bob Starr: Agreed with my position regarding the Placida Road Project, but he could not request the Board to re-visit the item.
Robert Skidmore: None.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
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Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: October 25, 2011
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com.
My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.4, F.9 and P.1 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.5 was added.
F.4 deals with the approved ranking of firms for the Burnt Store Road, Phase 3. Commissioner Duffy thought that it would be beneficial to have the two top bidders give presentations because the bids were so close. After discussion the Commissioners voted to select the top bidder, 5-0.
F.9 deals with the purchase of land for the Placida Road project. There were several individuals that spoke to the issue. Most of them wanted to stop the project. After a lengthy discussion of the Commissioners they voted to purchase the land, but stop the remainder of the project. Commissioner Skidmore recused himself from the vote. The final vote was 3-1, with Bob Starr voting against it.
Writer’s comments. The bottom-line of this decision is to stop the Placida Road project. Which means that the County has invested approximately $7.0 million on a project that will be stopped ($2.0 million for engineering and $5.0 for the land acquisition). Permits from Swift Mud are only good for five years, and the County admits that they will not work on Placida Road within the next ten years.
P.1 deals with adjustment to the Mosquito Control Budget. These were on minor changes to the budget. After some discussion the item was approved with a vote 5-0.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Public Hearing Agenda:
1. Deals with conduction a Public Hearing to approve and ordinance regarding licenses for taxi cabs and limo drivers among other things. The discussion focused on violations of the existing ordinance. For example licensed drivers, background checks, etc. Currently there is no enforcement defined. The vote was 5-0 to table the item.
2. Deals with the first Public Hearing to authorize revisions to the boundary of the Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park Enhancement Zone to include a county-owned parcel. No motion was required. During the second Public Hearing the Commissioner must vote.
Board Workshop Agenda:
None
Regular Agenda:
Z.1 deals with re-naming the Melbourne Street Bridget to Dick Loftus Bridge. The motion passed 5-0.
Z.2 deals spending $30,000 to preserve the Bunk House, which is a historical building. The Historical Advisory Committee is currently having fund raisers to fund this project. The Commissioners modified the request to state that the $30,000 will be returned to the County if the fund raising activities are successful. The item was approved by a 5-0 vote.
Z.3 deals the agreement with the Peace Lutheran Church to operate the Stillwater Home property. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to extend the agreement for six months.
Z.4 deals with Ray Sandrock’s one-year performance review. Ray got a vote of 5-0 for approval.
Z.5 deals with the personnel search for the Health Director/Administration. Since they only got two qualified applicants, the Commissioners decided to expand the search.
Citizens Input:
Mr. Douglas Tucker commented on the decision to purchase property for the Placida Road project. His comments where the same as mine. The County should not spend another $5.0 million on a project and cancel the project. The County decided not to finish the project.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: None
Tricia Duffy: The Sheriff will be returning $709,000 that was not needed in the FY 2011 Budget year.
Chris Constance: Recommended that the County re-plat the remaining land in Murdock Village. He stated that the County plans to use Murdock Village for more commercial use than originally planned.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None
Bob Starr: Proposed that the County get out of regulating farm industries. He stated that the State currently regulates these industries.
Robert Skidmore: Proposed to eliminate the pre-agenda meetings, which are held on Monday prior to each Board Meeting. Also, he suggested that the County bring in business personnel whenever the County reviews ordinances.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
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Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: October 11, 2011
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of the Subject date.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com.
My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.1, F.2, F.3 and F.5 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.1 and Z.2 were added.
F.1 deals with the acceptance of the Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant. This Grant covers costs for the first two years, and expects the County to fund the activities after that. Bob Starr believes that this will lock the County into funding in two years. The vote was 4-1 to accept the Grant, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.2 deals with funding the Charlotte County Health Department. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.3 deals with funding the Charlotte Behavioral Health Care unit, with an annual amount of $1,435,140. Once again the vote was 4-1 to approve the funding, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.5 deals with funding for non-for-profits. The total funding is $675,155. This is the same item approved last year. The Commissioners had agreed to reduce the expenditure. There was no significant change. The vote was 4-1 to approve the funding, with Bob Starr voting against it.
Comments: I asked the Commissioners to pull F.5 for discussion. I stated that the County is giving away the tax payers money, and that they have no authority to do so. I also reminded them of their commitment to reduce the amount. I reminded them of my memo to all five Commissioners, dated November 17, 2010, on this subject. See my comments below in the Citizen’s Input Section.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Z.1 deals with the County maintaining responsibility for the regulatory jurisdiction of the privately-owned for-profit water and waste water utilities rather than transferring the responsibility to the State’s Public Service Commission. The vote was 2-3 to approve the item, with Commissioners Constance, Starr and Deutsch voting against the item.
2. Z.2 deals with approving a resolution stating that the “no-build” option is preferred for the Zemel Road intersection. It appears that this is a financial decision. The County will deal with the intersect itself. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
Public Hearing Agenda:
None
Board Workshop Agenda:
None
Citizens Input:
Once again I spoke to the issue of funding non-for-profits. The Commissioners stated in their discussion that it was important to fund essential services. I reminded them that the United Way, the Arts & Humanities Council, the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, the Military Heritage Museum and the Civil Air Patrol were not essential services. I further reminded them that the United Way is a very large organization, and that some of the money the County gives to the United Way may go to other counties. I again recommended that they stop funding these organizations.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: Once again Ray talked about Active Ownership with the other counties. The Water Authority agenda will be discussed by the BOCC before the actual discussions with the Water Authority.
Tricia Duffy: Talked about changing some of requirements regarding retention pond to reduce costs.
Chris Constance: No significant items.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Briefed the Commissioners on the Green Futures Expo.
Bob Starr: No significant items.
Robert Skidmore: Recommended the County look at the ordinance relating to removing trees from private property. He believes that there should be some changes to the ordinance.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
Local and County Watchdogs
Contact him at macri38@comcast.net
______________________________________________________________________
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: January 24, 2012
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of the above date.Date: January 24, 2012
From: Louis Macri
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
- Items D.1, F.3, G.1, and G.4 were pulled for discussion.
- Items P.1 was deleted.
- Item Z.3 was added.
- D.1 deals with the approved 2012 Federal Legislative Agenda and Briefing Book. Several changes were considered. After some discussion, it was agreed that the approved document be reconsidered. The vote was 5-0 to reconsider.
- F.3 deals the purchase of a boat for Emergency Management. The boat will cost $163,000, but does not consider the maintenance cost or operating cost. After some discussion the item was approved with a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Starr voted against the item.
- G.1 deals with a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. See my comments below. The Commissioners approved the item with a 5-0 vote. There is a 50% matching funds from the County. There was no estimated cost defined.
- G.4 deals with a grant from the Urban and Community Forestry. See my comments below. The Commissioners approved the item with a 5-0 vote. There is a 50% matching funds from the County. The County’s portion is estimated to be $9,500.00.
Writer’s comments on G.1 and G.4. I requested the Commissioners pull these two items. Although the County’s portion of the grants were not significant, I pointed out that the amount of work the County has go through to document and report on such grants is more costly than the grant. I also pointed out that there is no clear benefit defined for the County. I suggested that they look at the contract for each of these grants to determine the reporting requirements. I did. Finally, one of the Commissioners stated that if we don’t take the money, someone else will. The Commissioners need to recognize that grants are taking money out of the economy. Let’s learn to live within our means.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
- Z.1 deals with the approval of standard Lease Agreements for rental properties under the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program. It was approve with a 5-0 vote.
- Z.2 deals with the agreement to review the PR/MRWSA Board Agenda and Workshop items. This item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
- Z.3 deals with setting a time and place to review the Jill v. Charlotte County Case. It was agreed that the Board would meeting at 1:00pm on January 24, 2012.
Public Hearing Agenda:
1. Deals with changing the ordinance governing vehicles parked on personal property. This ordinance does not impact any restricted areas. Its purpose is to eliminate vehicles that are used for storage, i.e. Box Trucks. Another change was made to allow large boat trailers to be stored on the property. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
2. Deals with setting a time for the Board to hold a Public Hearing for Changes in the Capital Improvements Program. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
3. Deals with a Public Hearing to declare certain real property in Charlotte County are reserved for affordable housing. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
2. Deals with setting a time for the Board to hold a Public Hearing for Changes in the Capital Improvements Program. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
3. Deals with a Public Hearing to declare certain real property in Charlotte County are reserved for affordable housing. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
Citizens Input:
One citizen questioned the value of early voting. She wanted to know the costs associated with early voting.
Doug Tucker talked about the current agreement with Waste Management. He stated that W/M is currently operating as a Franchise Agent. He recommended that the waste management serves should go out for bid.
Doug Tucker talked about the current agreement with Waste Management. He stated that W/M is currently operating as a Franchise Agent. He recommended that the waste management serves should go out for bid.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: Nothing significant.
County Admin.
Janette Knowlton: Nothing significant.
County Attorney
Tricia Duffy: She appreciated the funding for the Parkside Area.
Chris Constance: Nothing significant.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Nothing significant.
Bob Starr: He discussed the issue of local farmers digging ponds for irrigation.
He also stated that the County should refund impact fees where no action has been taken on the property, and the impact fees have been eliminated.
Robert Skidmore: Briefed the Commissioners regarding his trip to Tallahassee. The big achievement was that the State recognized that they must have the same long-term periods for permits and bonds.
County Admin.
Janette Knowlton: Nothing significant.
County Attorney
Tricia Duffy: She appreciated the funding for the Parkside Area.
Chris Constance: Nothing significant.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Nothing significant.
Bob Starr: He discussed the issue of local farmers digging ponds for irrigation.
He also stated that the County should refund impact fees where no action has been taken on the property, and the impact fees have been eliminated.
Robert Skidmore: Briefed the Commissioners regarding his trip to Tallahassee. The big achievement was that the State recognized that they must have the same long-term periods for permits and bonds.
He reported that the County’s “Bed Taxes” were up this year.
He also reported that the Airport’s revenue is up this year.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
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Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: January 10, 2012
From: Louis Macri
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting on January 10, 2012.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
- Items F.3, F.4, F.5 and G.2 were pulled for discussion.
- Items M.2 was deleted.
- F.3 deals with ranking of firms for the Drainage Study – Rotonda West Project. The estimated value for this study is $425,000. Based on the input from the County’s Engineer there was little to gain from the project. After some discussion, the vote was 4-1 to approve the ranking. Commissioner Starr voted against the item, stating that he sees very little benefit from the study.
- F.4 deals with the ranking of firms for the Stump Pass Ten-Year Management Plan. After a brief discussion the ranking was approved with a 5-0 vote.
- F.5 deals with the ranking of firms for engineering services for the Gasparilla Road Widening project. After some discussion the item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
- G.2 deals with setting up a meeting to discuss an ordinance change of the Future Land Use Map for County-owned property. The item was approved with a vote of 3-1. Commissioner Starr voted against the item. Commissioner Skidmore was not in attendance for the vote.
Regular Agenda:
- Z.1 deals with the approval of a contract to lease land to Synagro-WWT, Inc. for land at the Zemel Road Landfill. The item was approved by a vote of 5-0.
- Deals with a Public Hearing to consider the application of the City of Punta Gorda for a Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity to provide non-transport Advanced Life Support within the city limits. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
- Several citizens discussed their concerns regarding the Parkside area.
Commissioners Comments:
- Ray Sandrock, County Admin. Nothing significant.
- Janette Knowlton, County Attorney She reviewed the Sunshine Law for the State of Florida. She stated that she needs seven day notice when two Commissioners plan to attend the same meeting.
- Tricia Duffy She talked about improving the permitting process to help the local businesses.
- Chris Constance Suggested that the County must develop some procedures regarding the Buy Gold & Diamond companies.
- Stephen R. Deutsch Stated that the Ripken Project is only in its beginning stages. There will be a lot more discussion before any proposals is ready.
- Bob Starr Discussed the activity of the Parks and Rec Committee. He also discussed the issue of local farmers digging ponds for irrigation. Finally, he stated that the County should refund impact fees where no action has been taken on the property, and the impact fees have been eliminated.
- Robert Skidmore Took issue with my comments regarding Commissioner’s activities on various Boards. His statements were incorrect. I had e-mails backing up my points.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party ReporterBoard of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: November 22, 2011
From: Louis Macri
Regular Agenda:
Project held recently.
Janette Knowlton (County Attorney): She reviewed the Sunshine Law for the State of Florida. Most Commissioners believe that the Law is too restrictive.
Tricia Duffy: She gave some good examples of how the Sunshine Law cost
the County money.
Chris Constance: None.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None.
BobStarr: None.
Robert Skidmore: Was not present.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of the Subject date November 22, 2011.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:- Items F.1, F.5, F.7, F.8, F.15, J.2, J.3, J.4, J.5, and R.1 were pulled for discussion.
- Items F.10 was deleted.
- Item Z.5 and Z.6 were added.
- F.1 deals with the award of a bid for the Englewood Beach Boardwalk Rehabilitation, in the amount of $231,858. Commissioner Skidmore recommended the second lowest bidder. After some discussion the Commissioners voted 4-1 to accept the lowest bidder. Commissioner Skidmore was the only negative vote.
- F.5 deals with the award of a bid for affluent pumps. The Commissioners voted to approve the contract with a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Starr voted against the item because he felt that there was such a high failure rate. The Administration agreed to study other alternatives.
- F.7 deals with the award of a contract to SMG of West Conshohocken, PA for food services for the Events Center. The vote was 4-1 with Commissioner Skidmore voting against the item.
- F.8 deals with ranking of firms for parking meters. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Starr voting against the item.
- F.15 deals the County releasing interest in certain drainage, utility and canal maintenance easements. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Constance voting against the item.
- J.2, J.3, J.4, and J.5 all deal with the use of the Economic Development Incentive Funds for four projects. 1) $175,000, 2) $200,000, 3) $76,000 and 4) $60,000 respectively. After some discussion the Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve.
- R.1 deals with the approval of the County’s 20-year projected water demands with the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
Regular Agenda:
- Z.1 deals with the selection of Jane Sturges for the Punta Gorda Community Redevelopment Agency. Approved with a vote of 5-0
- Z.2 deals with the Guaranteed Energy Performance Savings contract. After much discussion, the Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the item.
- Z.3 deals with an update by the West Coast Inland Navigation District’s evaluation of the Charlotte County Gasparilla Pass Train Trestle. They proposal was to make some improvements to the trestle and take out some of the bridge sections. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to accept their recommendations.
- Z.4 deals with the assignment of Commissioners to various boards. It was a long discussion. No vote was necessary
- Z.5 deals with setting a meeting to resolve issues regarding the Rotunda Case.
- Z.6 deals with setting a meeting date and time for a workshop for the Commissioners at the Cultural Center on January 17, 2012.
Public Hearing Agenda:
- Deals with changes to the Code of Law for the Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park. The changes were approved by a 5-0 vote.
- Deals with the Public Hearing regarding amending the Master Development Order for the Babcock Ranch Community Master Development of Regional Impact to increase office entitlements and reduce retail entitlements. The Commissioners approved the plan with a 5-0 vote.
- Deals with the Public Hearing for collecting non-ad valorem assessments for the North Shore Drive and the US 41 Utility Expansion MSBU. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
Citizens Input:
The meeting was so long that they had to re-convene the meeting in the afternoon. There were only two citizens who spoke. Most citizens did not come back for the afternoon session, including the writer.Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock (County Administrator): Briefed the Commissioners on the Burnt Store Road SummitProject held recently.
Janette Knowlton (County Attorney): She reviewed the Sunshine Law for the State of Florida. Most Commissioners believe that the Law is too restrictive.
Tricia Duffy: She gave some good examples of how the Sunshine Law cost
the County money.
Chris Constance: None.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None.
BobStarr: None.
Robert Skidmore: Was not present.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: November 22, 2011
From: Louis Macri
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of November 22, 2011.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
The Commissioners selected Commissioner Constance as Chairman, and Commissioner Deutsch and Vice-Chair.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.1, F.2, F.7, H.2 and J.1 were pulled for discussion.
Items F.5 and G.3 were deleted.
Item Z.1 was added.
F.1 deals with year-end budget adjustments. After some discussion, the Commissioners voted to vote on each item separately. The major item discussed was the budget adjustment for the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff wanted to keep the money in his budget for future use, and the Commissioners wanted that money to go to the General Fund. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to keep that money, in excess of $1.2 million, in the General Fund. The balance of the budget transfers were approved as requested by Administration.
F.2 deals with the utility rates submitted by Determine Utilities, Inc. of Sandalhaven. The bottom-line is that the rates will be determined by the State’s PSC. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
F.7 deals with a budget adjustment to build-out the new HR Building to include housing the Clinic. The build-out will cost approximately $561,153. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against the item.
H.2 deals with renovation to the Charlotte Park Sports Park. The renovations will cost $200,000. Since the anticipated revenue for the Sports Park was lower than anticipated, additional funding is needed. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against the item.
J.1 deals with a grant from Novus Livability Solutions. This appears to be another UN Agenda 21 activity. The vote was 4-1 to process the application. Bob Starr voted against the item.
Writer’s Comments. Both Diana Chaney, Englewood Tea Party, and the writer spoke to this item. We both stated that this item will force the County into an unnecessary structure. Other comments included: 1) The grant is not free, 2) The County will have to spend money to run workshops, and 3) The County will be stuck with the costs to implement any recommendations. I am in total disagreement with the use of grants. After the meeting I spoke with Commissioner Constance, and told him why I disagreed with this item and many other similar items.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Deals with the purchase and sale of County Owned property to the Chaney Brothers, Inc., for a purchase price of $2.5 million. Chaney Brothers plans to build a warehouse and business operation on the property. They anticipate hiring between 250 and 500 employees. The County is giving Chaney Brothers tax abatement for ten years. Please note that the School taxes are not part of the tax abatement agreement. The vote was 5-0 to approve the item.
Public Hearing Agenda:
Once again the Commissioners took up the Charlotte County Code regulating fortunetellers, clairvoyants, palmists, taxicab vehicles and drivers. After much discussion, the vote was 3-2 to accept the changes, with Skidmore and Deutsch voting against the item.
Citizens Input:
One person talked about the need to adopt the taxicab ordinance. There were some other comments, but they were note significant.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock (County Admin.): None.
Janette Knowlton (County Attorney): None.
Tricia Duffy: Discussed funding for the Parkside area improvements. She was concerned that the residences of the area would not be able to fund the project. She talked about setting up a Parkside Re-development Group.
Chris Constance: Thanked Chaney Brothers and County employees who worked on the Chaney Brothers project.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None.
Bob Starr: Thanked Chaney Brothers and County employees who worked on the Chaney Brothers project.
Robert Skidmore: Called for a workshop to address the Parkside issue.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
_______________________________________________________________________
Board of County Commissioners MeetingRather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
The Commissioners selected Commissioner Constance as Chairman, and Commissioner Deutsch and Vice-Chair.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.1, F.2, F.7, H.2 and J.1 were pulled for discussion.
Items F.5 and G.3 were deleted.
Item Z.1 was added.
F.1 deals with year-end budget adjustments. After some discussion, the Commissioners voted to vote on each item separately. The major item discussed was the budget adjustment for the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff wanted to keep the money in his budget for future use, and the Commissioners wanted that money to go to the General Fund. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to keep that money, in excess of $1.2 million, in the General Fund. The balance of the budget transfers were approved as requested by Administration.
F.2 deals with the utility rates submitted by Determine Utilities, Inc. of Sandalhaven. The bottom-line is that the rates will be determined by the State’s PSC. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
F.7 deals with a budget adjustment to build-out the new HR Building to include housing the Clinic. The build-out will cost approximately $561,153. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against the item.
H.2 deals with renovation to the Charlotte Park Sports Park. The renovations will cost $200,000. Since the anticipated revenue for the Sports Park was lower than anticipated, additional funding is needed. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against the item.
J.1 deals with a grant from Novus Livability Solutions. This appears to be another UN Agenda 21 activity. The vote was 4-1 to process the application. Bob Starr voted against the item.
Writer’s Comments. Both Diana Chaney, Englewood Tea Party, and the writer spoke to this item. We both stated that this item will force the County into an unnecessary structure. Other comments included: 1) The grant is not free, 2) The County will have to spend money to run workshops, and 3) The County will be stuck with the costs to implement any recommendations. I am in total disagreement with the use of grants. After the meeting I spoke with Commissioner Constance, and told him why I disagreed with this item and many other similar items.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Deals with the purchase and sale of County Owned property to the Chaney Brothers, Inc., for a purchase price of $2.5 million. Chaney Brothers plans to build a warehouse and business operation on the property. They anticipate hiring between 250 and 500 employees. The County is giving Chaney Brothers tax abatement for ten years. Please note that the School taxes are not part of the tax abatement agreement. The vote was 5-0 to approve the item.
Public Hearing Agenda:
Once again the Commissioners took up the Charlotte County Code regulating fortunetellers, clairvoyants, palmists, taxicab vehicles and drivers. After much discussion, the vote was 3-2 to accept the changes, with Skidmore and Deutsch voting against the item.
Citizens Input:
One person talked about the need to adopt the taxicab ordinance. There were some other comments, but they were note significant.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock (County Admin.): None.
Janette Knowlton (County Attorney): None.
Tricia Duffy: Discussed funding for the Parkside area improvements. She was concerned that the residences of the area would not be able to fund the project. She talked about setting up a Parkside Re-development Group.
Chris Constance: Thanked Chaney Brothers and County employees who worked on the Chaney Brothers project.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None.
Bob Starr: Thanked Chaney Brothers and County employees who worked on the Chaney Brothers project.
Robert Skidmore: Called for a workshop to address the Parkside issue.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
_______________________________________________________________________
Date: November 8, 2011
From: Louis Macri
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting on November 8, 2011.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com. My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.3, G.1 and G.3 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.1, Z.2 and Z.3 were added.
F.3 deals with the acquisition of a lot for the Charlotte County Utilities’ waste water lift station #812. After some discussion the item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
G.1 deals with the painting of the traffic light poles at the intersection of US 41 and Harbor Blvd. The extra cost to have the pole painting was estimated to be $17,600. After a lot of discussion the item was pushed to the November 15th meeting.
G.3 deals with zoning for property for the Peace River Island, L.L.C. They wanted the property certified for 86 unit density. The item was approved with a 5-0 vote.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Deals with ranking of firms for the State lobbyist. The value of the contract was estimated to be approximately $40,000 to $80,000. There was a lot of discussion regarding the use of lobbyists. After much discussion the item voted down with a 3-2 vote. Commissioners Deutsch, Constance and Starr voted against the item.
2. Deals with the annual performance review of Janette Knowlton, County Attorney. The rating was Excellent.
3. Deals with a resolution in support of Senate Bill 818 relating to shelters and animal control agencies. After some discussion the item was approved with a vote of 4-1, with Commissioner Duffy voting against the item.
Public Hearing Agenda:
This was the final public hearing to authorize the revisions to the Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park Enhancement Zone to include one county-owned parcel. The item was approved 5-0.
Citizens Input:
Once again I presented the Commissioners with facts regarding the purchase of right-of-way land for the Placida Road project. The Commissioners voted to stop the project, but purchase the property at a value of approximately $5.0 million. I pointed out to the Commissioners that there will be no road construction for at least fifteen years. That means that the County will spend the $5.0 million now, plus go through all the effort to acquire the land, which could result in additional legal fees. In addition, I pointed out that the County will have to spend additional money to maintain the land, and that the current permits are only good for five years. In my opinion this is a waste of money. I reminded Commissioners Constance and Deutsch that the Tea Party supported them last year, with the understanding that they would be fiscally responsible. Their action on this project was not fiscally responsible. Once again I requested them to re-consider their votes.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock, County Administrator: None.
Janette Knowlton, County Attorney: None.
Tom Patton: Economic Development Director.
Discussed the possibility of getting a buyer for land at the airport. The financial impact for the County will be approximately $5.8 million. This company will employ approximately 600 people. The County will provide tax abatement for ten years of approximately $1.5 million. The school taxes are not part of the tax abatement.
Tricia Duffy: 1. Believed that the Placida Road Project would re-start in five years. She was not correct.
2. Discussed funding for the Parkside area improvements. She was concerned that the residences of the area would not be able to fund the project.
Chris Constance: Disagreed with my position regarding the acquisition of land for the Placida Road Project.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Agreed with my position regarding the Placida Road Project, but did not request Board action to re-visit the item.
Bob Starr: Agreed with my position regarding the Placida Road Project, but he could not request the Board to re-visit the item.
Robert Skidmore: None.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: October 25, 2011
From: Louis Macri
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, on October 25, 2011.
My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.4, F.9 and P.1 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.5 was added.
F.4 deals with the approved ranking of firms for the Burnt Store Road, Phase 3. Commissioner Duffy thought that it would be beneficial to have the two top bidders give presentations because the bids were so close. After discussion the Commissioners voted to select the top bidder, 5-0.
F.9 deals with the purchase of land for the Placida Road project. There were several individuals that spoke to the issue. Most of them wanted to stop the project. After a lengthy discussion of the Commissioners they voted to purchase the land, but stop the remainder of the project. Commissioner Skidmore recused himself from the vote. The final vote was 3-1, with Bob Starr voting against it.
Writer’s comments. The bottom-line of this decision is to stop the Placida Road project. Which means that the County has invested approximately $7.0 million on a project that will be stopped ($2.0 million for engineering and $5.0 for the land acquisition). Permits from Swift Mud are only good for five years, and the County admits that they will not work on Placida Road within the next ten years.
P.1 deals with adjustment to the Mosquito Control Budget. These were on minor changes to the budget. After some discussion the item was approved with a vote 5-0.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Public Hearing Agenda:
1. Deals with conduction a Public Hearing to approve and ordinance regarding licenses for taxi cabs and limo drivers among other things. The discussion focused on violations of the existing ordinance. For example licensed drivers, background checks, etc. Currently there is no enforcement defined. The vote was 5-0 to table the item.
2. Deals with the first Public Hearing to authorize revisions to the boundary of the Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park Enhancement Zone to include a county-owned parcel. No motion was required. During the second Public Hearing the Commissioner must vote.
Board Workshop Agenda:
None
Regular Agenda:
Z.1 deals with re-naming the Melbourne Street Bridget to Dick Loftus Bridge. The motion passed 5-0.
Z.2 deals spending $30,000 to preserve the Bunk House, which is a historical building. The Historical Advisory Committee is currently having fund raisers to fund this project. The Commissioners modified the request to state that the $30,000 will be returned to the County if the fund raising activities are successful. The item was approved by a 5-0 vote.
Z.3 deals the agreement with the Peace Lutheran Church to operate the Stillwater Home property. The Commissioners voted 5-0 to extend the agreement for six months.
Z.4 deals with Ray Sandrock’s one-year performance review. Ray got a vote of 5-0 for approval.
Z.5 deals with the personnel search for the Health Director/Administration. Since they only got two qualified applicants, the Commissioners decided to expand the search.
Citizens Input:
Mr. Douglas Tucker commented on the decision to purchase property for the Placida Road project. His comments where the same as mine. The County should not spend another $5.0 million on a project and cancel the project. The County decided not to finish the project.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: None
Tricia Duffy: The Sheriff will be returning $709,000 that was not needed in the FY 2011 Budget year.
Chris Constance: Recommended that the County re-plat the remaining land in Murdock Village. He stated that the County plans to use Murdock Village for more commercial use than originally planned.
Stephen R. Deutsch: None
Bob Starr: Proposed that the County get out of regulating farm industries. He stated that the State currently regulates these industries.
Robert Skidmore: Proposed to eliminate the pre-agenda meetings, which are held on Monday prior to each Board Meeting. Also, he suggested that the County bring in business personnel whenever the County reviews ordinances.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Date: October 11, 2011
From: Louis Macri
Subject: October 11, 2011 BOCC Summary
Subject: October 11, 2011 BOCC Summary
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of the Subject date.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com.
My comments will deal with the items discussed by the Commissioners and the action they took on those items.
Consent Agenda:
Items F.1, F.2, F.3 and F.5 were pulled for discussion.
Items Z.1 and Z.2 were added.
F.1 deals with the acceptance of the Adult Drug Court Discretionary Grant. This Grant covers costs for the first two years, and expects the County to fund the activities after that. Bob Starr believes that this will lock the County into funding in two years. The vote was 4-1 to accept the Grant, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.2 deals with funding the Charlotte County Health Department. The vote was 4-1, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.3 deals with funding the Charlotte Behavioral Health Care unit, with an annual amount of $1,435,140. Once again the vote was 4-1 to approve the funding, with Bob Starr voting against it.
F.5 deals with funding for non-for-profits. The total funding is $675,155. This is the same item approved last year. The Commissioners had agreed to reduce the expenditure. There was no significant change. The vote was 4-1 to approve the funding, with Bob Starr voting against it.
Comments: I asked the Commissioners to pull F.5 for discussion. I stated that the County is giving away the tax payers money, and that they have no authority to do so. I also reminded them of their commitment to reduce the amount. I reminded them of my memo to all five Commissioners, dated November 17, 2010, on this subject. See my comments below in the Citizen’s Input Section.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Z.1 deals with the County maintaining responsibility for the regulatory jurisdiction of the privately-owned for-profit water and waste water utilities rather than transferring the responsibility to the State’s Public Service Commission. The vote was 2-3 to approve the item, with Commissioners Constance, Starr and Deutsch voting against the item.
2. Z.2 deals with approving a resolution stating that the “no-build” option is preferred for the Zemel Road intersection. It appears that this is a financial decision. The County will deal with the intersect itself. The vote was 5-0 to approve.
Public Hearing Agenda:
None
Board Workshop Agenda:
None
Citizens Input:
Once again I spoke to the issue of funding non-for-profits. The Commissioners stated in their discussion that it was important to fund essential services. I reminded them that the United Way, the Arts & Humanities Council, the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, the Military Heritage Museum and the Civil Air Patrol were not essential services. I further reminded them that the United Way is a very large organization, and that some of the money the County gives to the United Way may go to other counties. I again recommended that they stop funding these organizations.
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: Once again Ray talked about Active Ownership with the other counties. The Water Authority agenda will be discussed by the BOCC before the actual discussions with the Water Authority.
Tricia Duffy: Talked about changing some of requirements regarding retention pond to reduce costs.
Chris Constance: No significant items.
Stephen R. Deutsch: Briefed the Commissioners on the Green Futures Expo.
Bob Starr: No significant items.
Robert Skidmore: Recommended the County look at the ordinance relating to removing trees from private property. He believes that there should be some changes to the ordinance.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
From: Louis Macri
Subject: September 27, 2011 BOCC Summary
This is a summary of the Board of County Commissioners Meeting, as of the Subject date.
Rather than repeating the Agenda in this memo, please see the official agenda on the BOCC web site, www.charlottecountyfl.com
Consent Agenda:
Item E.2 was deleted.Item F.7 was pulled for discussion.
Item Z.2 was added.
F.7 deals with the ranking of firms for the Land Lease-Composting Bio-Solids Facility. There was no question regarding the ranking. Commissioner Constance wanted to make sure that the Board will have the opportunity to vote on the negotiated contract with the Number 1 ranked firm. The vote was 5-0.
All other items on the Consent Agenda were approved by the BOCC.
Regular Agenda:
1. Z.1 deals with the funding of $6,000 to the Civil Air Patrol, Cadet Program. The item was approved with a vote of 4-1. Commissioner Duffy voted against the item.
2. Z.2 deals with setting up an Executive Session to discuss settlement negotiations or strategy relating to litigation expenditures concerning the lawsuit with Rotonda Project, LLC.
Public Hearing Agenda:
Item #1 deals with firearms ordinances. The Board approved the changes to the ordinance to follow the State ordinances. The vote was 5-0 for approval.
Item #2 deals with pain management clinics. The Board approved the ordinance restricting pain management clinics. The vote was 5-0 for approval.
Presentation Agenda:
The Board was given a presentation from several doctors regarding Hepatitis C Health Concern and Potential Health Issues. It was a very informative presentation.
Board Workshop Agenda:
None
Citizens Input:
None
Commissioners Comments:
Ray Sandrock: Discussed the role of the BOCC with the Water Authority. Ray talked about Active Ownership with the other counties invalid with the Water Authority. The Water Authority agenda will be discussed by the BOCC before the actual discussions with the Water Authority.
Tricia Duffy: Informed the Board that the Civil Air Patrol’s initial request was $14,000.
Chris Constance: Informed the BOCC that there have been some problems acquiring right-of-way land for the Burnt Store Road project. There is a funding issue.
Suggested that each Commissioner take at least one item on the Legislative Agenda to follow up and report on. This was accepted by all BOCC Commissioners.
Stephen R. Deutsch: No significant items.
Bob Starr: No significant items.
Robert Skidmore: No significant items.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Tea Party Reporter
Final Budget Hearing - BOCC
To All:
The Budget Hearing was very routine. The Budget Director presented the Budget, and the Commissioners voted on each segment of the Budget.
In summary, the FY 2012 budget amount was reduced to $531,493,449 from $749,000,000 last year. The reduction from last year is misleading. The County had to use reserves and other requirements to get the budget down. Unless something changes next year with regards to property taxes the County's millage rate will go up significantly.
The FY 2012 millage rate is now set at 8.4980, which is a reduction from the rate that was in the preliminary budget. The rate in the preliminary budget was 8.9060 mills. Bob Starr voted against the Ad Valorem - Countywide Budget. He also voted against the Ad Valorem - MSBU Budget and the Non-Ad Valorem MSBU Budget. The other four Commissioners voted to approve all three Budgets. All five Commissioners voted to approve the Debt Service Fund Budget.
Most of the discussion involved the current MSBU structure. The consensus is that the County has too many MSBUs, and plan to work on eliminating some of them.
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Date: August 9, 2011 Commissioners Comments: |
