MINUTES OF THE GLADES COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013 AT 6:00 P.M. IN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING ROOM, GLADES COUNTY COURTHOUSE, MOORE HAVEN, FLORIDA The Glades County Board of County Commissioners met on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. with the following Commissioners present: Donna Storter Long, Chairman Dennis Griffin, Vice Chairman Paul Beck Tim Stanley Russell Echols Others present: Julie Mann Braddock, Administrative Secretary Sandra H. Brown, Clerk of Court Brenda Choban, Finance Director Bob Jones, Acting County Manager/Public Safety Director Traci Thomas, Center Manager Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. Avant Brown, Acting County Manager/Glades County Road Superintendent Missie Barletto, AIM Engineering John Ahern, Moore Haven City Council Hugo Geistman, President Ortona Community Association/TDC Chick Ghitter, Tourism Development Council 12 citizens Chairman Storter Long called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. PRAYER Vice Chairman Griffin gave the invocation. PLEDGE Commissioner Stanley led the Pledge of Allegiance. AGENDA AMENDMENTS Chairman Storter Long requested that Item 3 - Weigh Station By-Pass in Glades County be deleted. She also requested that Item 12 Moore Haven Canal Permitting and Item #13 Edward Byrne Memorial Grant for the Sheriff s Department be added to the agenda. ON MOTION of Commissioner Beck seconded by Commissioner Stanley the Board amended the agenda.
PRESENTATIONS / AWARDS There were none. PUBLIC INPUT ON AGENDA ITEMS There were none. PUBLIC HEARINGS There were none. CONSENT AGENDA 1. A. Approved payment of County Warrants. (See Exhibit A) General Fund: 72390 72464 SHIP: 1565-1566 B. Approved minutes of the September 5, 2013 Public Hearing and Special Meeting. ON MOTION of Commissioner Echols seconded by Commissioner Stanley the Board approved the Consent Agenda items. BUSINESS AGENDA 2. Resolution Proclaiming 2014 as Healthier Me! Year (Chairman Storter Long) Traci Thomas, on behalf of the Hendry Glades Public Health Service Task Force, asked for the Board s support in proclaiming 2014 as Healthier Me Year. She stated the task force was advocating better health for residents of Glades County by encouraging participation in Healthier Me. She stated through education and team work they planned to lose 2014 pounds in Glades County during 2014 and continue on the road to healthier lives. She stated they hoped to develop some teams in the community at churches, businesses, and community agencies and have them do some activities and weigh-ins over the next year. ON MOTION of Commissioner Echols seconded by Commissioner Beck the Board approved Resolution 2013 28, Proclaiming 2014 as Healthier Me! 2014 Year in Glades County. 3. Weigh Station By-Pass in Glades County This item was deleted by amendment to the agenda. 2
4. FDOT 5-Year Tentative Work Program Carmen Monroy, Director of the Southwest Area Office in District 1 for the Florida Department of Transportation, stated she appreciated the opportunity to present FDOT s draft, tentative, 5 year work program for fiscal year 2015 2019. She stated the draft work program included an update of the common 4 years of the adopted work program plus the scheduling of a new fifth year 2019. She introduced Russ Muller, Community Liaison, and Karen Maricola, Grants Administrator, who were present with her today. She stated FDOT staff was here to present the Glades County component of the work program and to receive comments. She requested Board endorsement of the program at the conclusion of the presentation. Russ Muller, Community Liaison, stated SR 29 Bridge #050035 had been deleted and moved to a different call center and would be advanced by one year (2015) - $250,141,00. Chairman Storter Long questioned where this bridge was located on the maps. Mr. Muller stated these were bridge repair projects on three different bridges. Ms. Maricola stated this project was on the map as #3. She stated three bridges would be done in 2014/2015 instead of only one. Mr. Muller explained that the rest of the projects were new. He stated the Lost Trail project which was construction of a pedestrian bridge over Harney Pond Canal was scheduled for the design phase in 2019 in the amount of $258,000.00. He stated this project was #5 on the map. He stated SR 25/US Hwy 27 would be resurfaced. He stated the design phase would commence in 2015 in the amount of $100,000.00 and the construction phase would begin in 2017 in the amount $1,200,000.00. He stated lanes would be added and reconstructed on SR29 from Bermont Road to US Hwy 27. He stated the engineering phase would begin in 2019 in the amount of $5,275,000.00. He stated lanes would also be added from Whidden Road to Bermont Road. He stated the design phase would begin in 2019 in the amount of $2,050,000.00. He stated the South Central Florida Express Railroad crossing on US Hwy 27 would begin in 2016 in the amount of $100,000.00; 2017 in the amount of $100,000.00 and construction would begin in 2018 in the amount of $1,000,000.00. He stated traffic signal maintenance would be done in Moore Haven in the amount of $6,500.00. He stated Glades Hendry Good Wheels would begin in 2019 in the amount of $100,000.00. Ms. Maricola stated one project Kirby Thompson Road had been partially deferred. She stated this project was a SCOP project and had to be split funded. She stated part of the project was funded in the current year in the amount of $528,112.00 and the remaining balance of $1,261,940.00 funded in 2014/2015. Commissioner Stanley questioned the location of the bike path numbered 5 on the map. 3
Ms. Maricola stated this was the pedestrian bridge that would be constructed over Harney Pond Canal. Commissioner Stanley stated the project was not located correctly on the map. Commissioner Echols noted that Vance Whidden Park - project #12 was also incorrectly shown on the map. He stated this park was not located at Boar Hammock. Ms. Maricola apologized for the errors and stated she would get the Commissioners revised maps. Commissioner Stanley questioned why we would construct a pedestrian bridge at Harney Pond Canal in the middle of nowhere when kids walking down Hwy 27 in Buckhead Ridge. He asked that the sidewalk projects in Buckhead Ridge be moved up. Ms. Maricola stated design was underway for the resurfacing project at Buckhead Ridge and construction was programmed for 2015/2016. She stated she would do the best she could to incorporate sidewalks into the resurfacing project. She stated she could not guarantee it but she would work diligently to include the sidewalks. There was a brief discussion regarding where the sidewalks would be located. Vice Chairman Griffin asked if there were any foreseen projects for street lighting at the intersection of Hwy 78 and Hwy 27. He stated this intersection would be very active in the future. Mr. Muller stated street lighting was usually done with safety money and certain conditions had to be met. He stated he would put in an application for the County. Ms. Maricola stated a lighting justification report, which usually came from the local agency, would have to be submitted. Mr. Muller stated the report would be submitted through the project information sheet and it would then be given to the Department s Traffic Operations staff to evaluate. Ms. Maricola stated she would encourage staff to identify all their priorities. She stated she would work with staff to identify the appropriate funding source for the projects and guide staff on how to get the projects in the pipeline. Mr. Brown stated the lighting at the Hwy 27 and Hwy 78 intersection would be addressed when the intersection was redesigned. 4
Vice Chairman Griffin commented on the signage at the over pass on Hwy 27 in Hendry County. He stated the old sign used to point to Clewiston and Moore Haven. He stated the new sign pointed to Clewiston and Sebring. He questioned why this had been done. Ms. Maricola stated she would get some answers for Vice Chairman Griffin. ON MOTION of Commissioner Beck seconded by Commissioner Echols the Board endorsed the Florida Department of Transportation s 5-Year Tentative Work Program as presented. 5. Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Susan Block, Executive Director - Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida, thanked the Board for the opportunity to present her request for matched funding. She stated the Coalition served Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Collier counties and was one of 30 Early Learning Coalitions in the State of Florida that administered the School Readiness funding. She explained that School Readiness was a child subsidy program that allowed families to get back to work by helping them with their child care. She stated the Coalition was currently serving 8 children from 7 different families in Glades County. She stated 4 employers were benefiting from these services. She requested matched funding. She stated that for every dollar raised at the local level the Coalition brought in $16.67 to the local economy for payment of child care to support families. Chairman Storter Long asked where the employers were located. Ms. Block explained that 2 of the employers were located in South Bay and 2 were located in LaBelle. Commissioner Echols stated these kinds of items needed to be addressed during budget hearings. Ms. Block stated she understood. She asked when the appropriate time would be. Commissioner Echols stated the County usually began their budget process in June. Bob Jones, Interim County Manager, stated this was an unbudgeted item. He stated the Commission could send a letter to the Coalition explaining the situation and requesting that the County not be required to match funding. Chairman Storter Long asked if the program would continue if the matched funding was waived. 5
Ms. Block stated the program would continue. She stated in kind services with staff could be done in lieu of payment. She suggested use of a county space quarterly for their meetings. Chairman Storter Long suggested contacting the Moore Haven Library for these meetings. Ms. Block stated the CFO would establish what the going rate would be for the rental of the space and the County would be credited for the in kind match. She suggested that the letter include a statement regarding the County s intention to identify some in kind contributions to support the activities of the Early Learning Coalition. 6. Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida Board Nominee Chairman Storter Long requested that the Board nominate someone to serve as a Board Member on the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida. Ms. Block stated the Coalition was required to have certain statutory positions. She stated these positions would rotate. She stated the Board could identify an individual to serve. She stated the Coalition met 6 times per year and the individual was asked to also serve on a committee of their choice. Chairman Storter Long stated she would attempt to find someone to serve on this Board. 7. Glades County Storage Facility for the Clerk of Courts Mr. Jones stated a footprint of the building and the interior design had been provided to each Commissioner. He stated the project was ready to go out for bids. He stated the plan was to do this project as owner/builder. He stated Tom Fischer had drawn up the site plan for submission to the City. He stated a mandatory pre-construction bid meeting would be held next month and the project would go out for bid. He stated the bids would come before the Board for consideration at the January 14, 2014 meeting. Commissioner Stanley asked if the property was owned by the County. Mr. Jones stated the property was owned by Glades County. Mr. Brown explained that the building would be located behind the fire station and would face towards the back of the fire department. He stated the old fire department plans had been revised and the outside of the building would look almost identical to the fire department. Commissioner Stanley questioned the costs of construction. 6
Mr. Jones stated the available grant funds for construction totaled $550,000.00. He stated he was estimating that this building could be constructed for approximately $180,000.00 - $200,000.00. Commissioner Stanley suggested that all shelving and anything else the Clerk would need in the building be included in the bid package. Chairman Storter Long asked if the rooms would be individually climate controlled. Mr. Brown stated this was correct. ON MOTION of Commissioner Echols seconded by Commissioner Beck the Board approved the seeking of bids for the Clerk of Court Storage Facility to be located behind the Moore Haven Fire Department. The bids are to be received no later than 3:00 p.m. on January 3, 2014 in the County Manager s Office and will be opened at the January 14, 2014 Board meeting for consideration. 8. Resolution for Uniform Chart of Accounts Sandra Brown, Clerk of Court, stated she had given each Commissioner a proposed Resolution prepared by the Florida Government Finance Officers Association opposing the legislation that would mandate the use of a uniform chart of accounts for all governmental entities to report financial information. She stated Senator Alexander introduced this Bill in the 2011 legislative session proposing a uniform chart of accounts. She stated the recommendations for the chart of accounts and the estimated cost of adopting and implementing are due to the Governor and the Legislature by January 15, 2014. She stated this law would affect all state agencies, local governments, including cities, counties, special districts, and all education entities. She stated the County would be required to submit monthly revenue and expenditure reports to the State. She stated the County currently reported on an annual basis. She stated the Florida Government Finance Officers Association and various Clerks throughout the State are asking County Commissioners to oppose this legislation that would mandate the use of a uniform chart of accounts and monthly reporting to the State. She explained that this would place an undue burden on the County s Chief Financial Officers and there would be an unknown expense for conversion. She stated she also did not know if the County would be responsible for submitting all of the Constitutional Officers reports or not; however, they would have to convert regardless. She asked that the Board consider adopting the proposed Resolution. Commissioner Echols asked how many Counties had approved this Resolution so far. Ms. Brown stated she did not have that information available. 7
Chairman Storter Long stated she liked the idea of uniform accounting numbers; however, she opposed having to pay for the changes and did not know what benefit the change would bring to the County. Ms. Brown stated Mr. Atwater, Florida s Chief Financial Officer, had indicated that nothing would be done with the information because the State did not have the resources to do anything with the information at this time. He stated the information would not be reconciled to the County s Annual Financial Reports, it would strictly be reported for transparency of government. Chairman Storter Long stated she did not see an advantage in converting to a uniform chart of accounts. Brenda Choban, Finance Director, stated there was already a State chart of accounts that the County abided by. She stated maybe some counties or cities were not using this chart of accounts and the state was trying to make the reporting more restrictive. ON MOTION of Commissioner Echols seconded by Commissioner Beck the Board approved Resolution 2013-26, urging members of the Florida Legislature to oppose legislation that would mandate the use of a uniform chart of accounts for all governmental entities to report financial information. 9. Resolution Amending the Glades County Sheriff s Budget Ms. Brown stated this Resolution would amend the Sheriff s budget at year end September 30, 2013. She stated this was part of the close out for the fiscal year. Commissioner Stanley questioned amending the budget by $7,000,000.00. He asked if this budget was short by this amount or over by this amount. Mrs. Choban stated this was the $7,000,000.00 additional funding on top of the $4,000,000.00 funded by the County. ON MOTION of Commissioner Echols seconded by Commissioner Stanley the Board adopted Resolution 2013-24, amending the Glades County Sheriff s Budget. 10. Resolution Amending Revenues, Expenditures and Approving Budget Transfers to Amend the 2012-2013 County Budget Ms. Brown stated this Resolution would amend the revenues and expenditures as of September 30, 2013. She stated this was also part of the year end process. She stated she had provided each Commissioner a revised Transportation Trust budget that 8
was more in line with the actual expenditures. She stated this was not the final revenues and expenditures because the books had not been closed yet. She stated there were still a few bills outstanding. She stated she had also provided a Cash Carried Forward worksheet, which was also not final because the books were not closed. She stated going into this budget the Board had budgeted Cash Carried Forward in the General Fund the amount of $6,519,000.00 and after further amendments to the budget this amount had been reduced to $6,116,317.00. She stated this was a shortfall in the amount of $403,000.00. She stated the Constitutional Officers had refunded $98,000.00 which brought the shortfall to $304,000.00. She explained that the Transportation Trust had been projected to carry forward $2,637,000.00; however, the County was actually carrying forward $1,843,000.00 which was a shortfall of $793,000.00. She stated Mrs. Choban was still working on this budget because these figures looked very high. (See Exhibit B) Chairman Storter Long stated when these amounts were budgeted for 2013-14 the figures had been given to the Board by the Finance Clerk at the time. She questioned how she arrived at these figures. Ms. Brown stated she had been told that she (the previous Finance Director) had looked at the money in the bank. She stated she had contacted the auditors about the discrepancies and they had indicated that they could not give a true picture until they closed out the audit. ON MOTION of Commissioner Beck seconded by Commissioner Stanley the Board adopted Resolution 2013-2, amending revenues, expenditures, and approving budget transfers to amend the 2012-2013 County budgets. 11. Acting County Manager Pay Chairman Storter Long stated this issue was something that she had discussed with Attorney Pringle. She stated the County had budgeted $96,000.00 for the County Manager s salary for the year 2012-2013. She stated during this time the Board had an acting County Manager for the first part of the year and a County Manager for approximately 6 weeks and then acting County Managers since. She stated the only funds that had been dispersed were from October 1 until November and then the makeup amount paid to Mr. Hilton. She stated this left a balance of $76,438.00. She stated this amount included salary and benefits. Mrs. Choban stated this figure had been adjusted to $72,000.00. Mr. Brown stated he was not interested in one penny of extra pay for the job he had done to help the County. He stated if any funds were awarded he would like to see it 9
divided amongst all of the County employees. He stated Mr. Jones was in agreement with this. Chairman Storter Long stated that by the end of the year the County would see a savings of $107,777.00. She stated an adjusting entry would need to be made for the prior year if the funds were used for anything. Mrs. Choban stated if the Board wanted to do a lump sum pay or bonus to the employees the funds would have to come from the next year s budget. She stated these funds had rolled forward into the County s cash carried forward. She further explained that if the funds were used to pay Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones they had earned the money in the prior year and the adjustment would be made to that year s budget. Chairman Storter Long stated the Board had not given a raise since 2009 and the last time a lump sum was given was in 2007. She stated this was not a whole lot of money to spread around. Ms. Brown stated the County did save this amount of money by not having a County Manager but if the Board decided to spend these funds it would reduce the cash carried forward amount for this year. Chairman Storter Long asked if the Board was interested in making a lump sum payment to the employees at the end of the year. Commissioner Echols stated these 2 men took the work load on and had gone above and beyond to accommodate the job. He stated if they were not interested in being compensated he did not feel the money should be spent. He stated he appreciated the work both Mr. Brown and Mr. Jones had done for the County. He stated he knew the job was not easy. He stated the demands from the Board and the public were tremendous. Chairman Storter Long stated both Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown had indicated to her that they had staff that had filled in for them when they could not be there. She stated they both indicated that they had the support of other people and did not want to take the extra money themselves. She stated she appreciated this outlook. Mr. Jones stated he agreed that if the money was going to be spent it should be shared among everyone. Vice Chairman Griffin stated he did not foresee next year being any better as far as the budget was concerned. He stated if the money was going to be spent he would like to see it divided among the employees. He stated he did not know that the County would be able to afford a cost of living raise in the next year. He stated everyone had pitched in and he appreciated Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown stepping in. He stated he believed they 10
had built morale. He stated the County had a very low job turn-over and felt the Board should show their appreciation. Commissioner Stanley stated he agreed with Commissioner Echols. He stated he did not believe that the money should be spent. Commissioner Beck stated whenever Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown were charged with the position he had spoke with them on several occasions about an increase in pay. He stated both had declined the offer on numerous occasions. He stated he appreciated their dedication to the County. He stated they had saved the County manpower and time throughout the year. He stated if they did not wish to accept the money the Board should save the money. He stated the County had no guaranteed of funds coming into the County in the near future. He stated over the next few years the County would have to watch their spending. He stated he did not believe it would be wise to spend the money at this time. Chairman Storter Long agreed. She stated neither Mr. Jones nor Mr. Brown had asked for any money. She stated she believed their noble attitude was what had inspired her to want to share it with everyone. 12. Moore Haven Canal permitting Chairman Storter Long stated the Moore Haven Canal permitting process was moving right along. She stated she had been approached by Missie Barletto tonight about the final permits. She explained that this had been a dream project for Commissioner Echols. She stated when she had been asked to sign the permits she felt that Commissioner Echols should have the honor of signing them. She asked Ms. Brown, Clerk of Court, if the Board could move to have Commissioner Echols designated to sign all of the permitting for this project. Ms. Brown stated she saw no reason this could not be done. Missie Barletto, AIM Engineering, stated she currently had the draft permit from the Corps of Engineers. She stated after the draft permit was signed the Corps would send the Board a letter along with a copy of the draft permit giving the Board some time to review the special conditions that were included. She stated once approved by the Board the Corps would immediately issue the permit. ON MOTION of Chairman Storter Long seconded by Commissioner Beck the Board appointed Commissioner Echols as their designee to finalize the permitting process on the Moore Haven Canal and authorized him to sign all necessary documents. Commissioner Echols stated he appreciated the Board s thoughts on this issue. He stated this project had taken 8 long years to unfold. He stated a lot of organizations have helped along the way. 11
Chairman Storter Long stated Commissioner Echols was promoting this project and it would not have happened without him. Commissioner Echols stated Mayor Brett Whidden had been an ally throughout this process. He stated it had been a tough battle but the County was now in a position to move forward. He stated the County had been granted $1 million from the South Florida Water Management District so when the permits were signed this would become a shovel ready project. He stated moving forward with this project would put the US Army Corps of Engineers park in a better position for completion. Commissioner Echols signed the permit. 13. Edward Byrne Memorial Grant for the Sheriff s Office Ms. Brown stated this grant totaled $45,490.00 and was given each year. ON MOTION of Commissioner Beck seconded by Commissioner Echols the Board approved the Edward Byrne Memorial Grant for the Glades County Sheriff s Office. CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS There was no discussion. COUNTY ATTORNEY There was no discussion. COUNTY MANAGER & DEPARTMENT HEADS Mr. Jones stated the elevator would be out of service December 26, 2013 through January 6, 2014. He stated an agreement for repair had been signed with ORCA. He stated 2 bids had been received and ORCA had been awarded the bid in the amount of $37,000.00. He stated there were 2 additional responders that had indicated that they would not travel this far. He stated the elevator would be out of service for 10 days but work look and work like new upon repair. He stated funds from the Courthouse Renovation grant would be used for these repairs. He stated he had received a request from GSG for some MSBU data. He stated this project was moving along. He stated he was still looking at carpet and wood for the flooring in the County Manager s Office. He stated he was leaning more towards carpet. He stated the final decision would be up to the Board. He stated the air conditioning upgrade had been a long process. He stated 3 contractors had come down to look at the project. He stated the project had been broken down into 8 projects. He stated only 2 of the contractors had responded. He stated one of the contractors had gotten 7 out of the 8 projects; however, the other 12
contractor had backed out so the agreement had been signed with one contractor for all 8 projects. He stated the contractor had begun work on the upgrade today. Chairman Storter Long reminded the Board that the new Purchasing Policy prohibited the County from doing projects in phases to avoid the $50,000.00 bid limit. She asked if these were projects that could have been done individually without doing the entire project. Mr. Jones stated they were. He stated he had tried to make the process fair to the contractors who spent 3 or 4 days here bidding the project. He stated 2 of the County s copiers were leased. He stated the County was paying $155.00/monthly for the lease of the copier in the County Manager s Office. He stated the other leased copier was located at the 4-H Extension Office. He stated a representative came in and had provided 2 copiers at a much cheaper rate which included all maintenance, ink, etc. He stated the cost was now $118.00/month versus $155.00/month which was a savings of $909.00/year. He stated there would be a pre-bid meeting on December 2, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. with AJAX on the construction of the EOC Building. He stated this project would come before the Board for consideration at the December 10, 2013 meeting. He stated he had been told that the prices had come in a little better than expected. He stated Jason Queen, who had been helping in Code Enforcement, was also attending Paramedic School and had asked to be removed from the Code Enforcement position. He stated Rick Brown had been doing a lot of the Code Enforcement work. He stated Mr. Brown was very personable and did a very good job. He stated until the new County Manager, Paul Carlisle, started work he would like to continue using Mr. Brown for Code Enforcement. He stated if Mr. Carlisle decided to keep Mr. Brown he would need to be sent to school for proper training. He stated the painting of the courthouse that had been paid for with County funds would be reimbursed. He stated $31,000.00 would be reimbursed from the Courthouse Renovation grant funds. He stated the CD had come up for renewal this month. He stated only $300,000.00 had been put back into the CD. He stated $500,000.00 had been put into a Courthouse Renovation Fund account. He stated Ms. Dawn Oliver, Court Administration, had requested that the funds be spent as soon as possible. He stated 3 or 4 projects were actively being pursued and several more had been identified. He stated the next big project would be the electrical upgrades. Chairman Storter Long asked that Mr. Jones provide a copy of the email received from Ms. Oliver regarding possible projects. Mr. Jones stated he would do so. He stated Ms. Oliver had inquired about a new big screen television and DVD player in the courtroom, along with the carpeting in the courtroom. Mr. Brown stated the Road Department had entered back into a contract with Port LaBelle for road side mowing in the Port LaBelle area. He stated after some discussion 13
with them, they had gotten the costs down lower than his. He stated the road sides would all be mowed at the same time which would cut down on some of the complaints. He stated future complaints, if any, could be directed to Port LaBelle Utilities. He stated the bathrooms at the Harney Pond Canal Park were almost complete. Chairman Storter Long asked if the restrooms were ADA compliant. Mr. Brown stated this was correct. He stated the Commission would need to decide if they wanted to leave the restrooms open to the public at all times or if they wished to lock them and only open them when the park was being used. He stated these restrooms were subject to be vandalized because of their remote location. Chairman Storter Long suggested a security light at the pavilion. She stated she liked the idea of locking the restrooms when the pavilion was not being used. Commissioner Beck stated a light was needed along with a security camera. He suggested that the restrooms be left unlocked for use by the boaters and fishermen that used the boat ramp on a daily basis. Commissioner Echols suggested leaving the restrooms up front open and locking the others unless that pavilion was being used. PUBLIC INPUT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS There was none. COMMISSIONERS ITEMS AND COMMENTS Commissioner Stanley thanked Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown for the job they had done as Acting County Managers. Commissioner Echols asked if anything further had been heard about the property near the Road Department that was to be leased for the storage of equipment. Mr. Brown stated he had not heard anymore from the gentleman. He stated he would keep the Board informed of the situation. Commissioner Echols commended Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown on getting the elevator repaired over the holidays. Chairman Storter Long asked if the night meeting in December had been advertised. Ms. Brown stated she did not believe a night meeting had been advertised. Chairman Storter Long asked that this item be placed on the agenda for the December 10 th meeting. She stated the Continuing Services contracts for engineering services 14
had all been prepared. She stated the contracts had been forwarded to Attorney Pringle for review and Mary Ann Whitney had forwarded them to World Risk Management for review. She stated the Certificate of Occupancy had been issued for the Ortona Community Association Building. She stated she had been contacted from Glades County residents that lived in the Port LaBelle area concerning a special exception that St. Matthews House had applied for to take the Port LaBelle Inn and convert it into a half-way house or drug rehabilitation facility. She stated that although this facility was not located in Glades County some of the surrounding property owners were. She suggested that the Board consider reinstating the County Impact Fees. Ms. Brown stated this issue would need to be advertised in January if the Commission wished to continue the suspension. She stated the issue would be placed on the December 10 th meeting for consideration. Vice Chairman Griffin had no comment. Commissioner Beck stated he did not feel that the Board needed to reinstate the Impact Fees too quickly. He suggested in kind contributions to compensate for the impact to the County. He commended Mr. Brown s employees for the great job that they had done at the Harney Pond Canal Park. ADJOURN ON MOTION of Commissioner Beck seconded by Commissioner Echols the Board moved to adjourn the meeting. There being no further discussion, Chairman Storter Long adjourned the meeting at 7:20 p.m. ATTEST: Donna Storter Long, Chairman Sandra H. Brown, Clerk of the Circuit Court Approved: January 14, 2014 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT A VERBATIM RECORD. TAPES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN LISTENING TO THE ENTIRE MEETING. 15