--------- County Board of County Commission meeting. It's approximately 9:30. I want to take a moment and recognize uh at least one elected official that's joined us today, Mr. Mark Caruso from the city of Winter Springs City Council. Thank you for being here today, sir. There's
any other elected officials that I've overlooked. My eyesight's usually pretty good, but uh we appreciate you being here. Commissioner Lockhart also has someone she would like to recognize. I would. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Um this morning we have Tyler Winnick here. He is um here uh I want to
recognize him for two things. One is he is going to be my appointee to the historical commission on this afternoon's agenda and so I wanted you all to get a chance to meet him. Wave. Um he is also an employee of Oyola County and we love um Yes. Right. So
resident of Seol employee of Oyola. Lots of goodwill. Welcome. So glad to have you here and um glad to have you join the team. Fantastic. I would ask that each and every one of you take a moment, silence your cell phones, any other electronic devices you may have. We are going to uh
have the invocation which will be presented by Miss Jocelyn Williamson. Then Miss Kate Ltor, the county attorney will lead us in the pledge. Please stand. Good morning, Chairman Zimbau. Commissioners, staff, and neighbors. As summer wraps us in its warmth and long
days, we gather with purpose and hope for what is possible. Summer invites us to take stock, to nurture what's working, tend to what needs care, and keep reaching towards the future we want to build together. Let us take a moment to reflect on the heart of public
service. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The care of human life and happiness is the only and first object of good government." May those words ground us as we consider the needs of our neighbors, not just today, but in the
seasons to come. May we bring empathy to our debates, clarity to our decisions, and humility to our leadership. Let us speak well, speak thoughtfully, and work towards solutions that reflect our shared commitment to Seminal County's well-being. With gratitude with for this
responsibility and for the opportunity to lead together, let us begin today's work with clear eyes, steady hands, and an open mind. Thank you. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Miss Williamson. We appreciate it very much. Thank you very much, Miss Lator.
We're getting ready to go to our proclamations. Before we do that, if there's anyone here that wishes to speak on any of the consent agenda items, please grab a form in the lobby, fill it out for the item that you desire to speak upon. Make sure you number it and
hand it to Melanie right up front here with her hand up. That way we know that you want to speak on one of the consent agenda items. Right now we are going to go to resolution number one. This is recognizing Richard Sweat for his exceptional service on the Career Source Center Florida Board. This will be read
by Commissioner Constantine. Commissioner. Thank you very much, uh, Commissioner Timbau, and, um, it is, uh, my pleasure and honor to move this resolution of the Seminal County Board of County Commissioners in recognizing Richard Sweat for his exceptional service on the
Career Source Central Florida Board. Whereas Richard Sweat has served with distinction on the Career Source Central Florida Board of Directors for more than 14 years, demonstrating unwavering dedication to advancing workforce opportunities and economic prosperity in
Semino County in our region. And whereas Richard Swed was called upon in 2011 to serve on the board dur of directors during a time of tremendous transition for Workforce Central Florida, now known as Career Source Central Florida. And
whereas Richard Swed contributed to the transformation of the organization by serving in progressive leadership roles including Career Sources committees, the governance committee, executive committee chair, and as board chair in 2023. And whereas Richard Sweat as board
chair for the last two years has brought invaluable leadership and strategic insight, helping to guide programs and policies that connect job seekers to meaningful employment and meet the involve evolving needs of our local businesses and employees.
Whereas Richard Sweat has consistently championed workforce initiatives that ensure that all individuals, regardless of background, have access to training, education, and career pathways. And whereas Richard Swede has been collaborative force on the board,
fostering partnerships across industry sectors, education institutions, educational institutions, and community organizations to build stronger, more resilient workforce. And whereas Richard Swed has shown exceptional commitment often beyond of going beyond and above
the role to support the board's mission through mentorship, advocacy, service, including being the champion of Semino County residents and businesses. Now therefore, be it resolved that we, the Semino County Board of County Commissioners, do hereby recognize and commend Richard Sweat for his
outstanding contributions, enduring impact, and steadfast dedication to Career Source Central Florida and workforce development efforts in Semino County and throughout our region. Second. Motion to second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I carry unanimous.
Congratulations, Mr. Swit. Thank you for your service. We will invite you down for a photo opportunity here as soon as we get through number three. Next is number two, resolution recognizing three seminal county softball teams who participated in the Florida High School
state softball championship. This will be read by Commissioner Delari. Commissioner, thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's truly an honor to read this resolution into the record and to recognize these fine young ladies. I would like to ask each one of the ladies here that were part of the
team, would you stand while I read this, please? Thank you, ladies. SE County Board of County Commissioners recognizing local Florida high school state athletic association softball teams. Whereas SE County in partnership with the Greater
Orlando Sports Commission proudly host the Florida High School Athletic Association state softball championship for the first time on May 20th to 24, 2025 at Boomer Boom Soldiers Creek. And
whereas the FHSAA state softball championship brought together 32 of the top girls fast pitch softball teams across Florida. Each competing in their representative classification in a prestigious state
title. And whereas Sl County was represented by three outstanding local teams in the 2025 FHSAA state championship softball. Geneva High School, Winter Springs High School, Hagerty High School. And whereas Geneva
High School softball team finished the season with an impressive 22-4 overall record, division champions, regional champions, and finished as a state runnerup in class 1A state championship. And whereas Haggedy High
School softball team finished the season with an impressive 24-7 overall record division champions, regional champions, and finished the state as runner up in the class 7A state championship.
And whereas Winter Springs High School softball team finished with an impressive 24-8 overall record division champions, regional champions, and finished as a state champions in the class 5A state championship. And whereas
the student athletes and coaches of the Geneva High School, Hagerty High School, and Winter Springs High School demonstrated exceptional skills, unwavering dedication, teamwork throughout the season, earning the admiration of their peers and the entire Seminal County community. Now therefore,
it be resolved that the board of county commissioners do hereby recognize and congratulate the athletes and the coaches of the Geneva High School, Hagerty High School, Winter Springs High School for their outstanding performance in the 2025 Florida High School Athletic
Association State Softball Championship and commend them for bringing the pride and honor to Semino County adopted this 22nd day of July of 2025. Second. Motion second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I I oppose like science. Cena carries
unanimous. Congratulations. Mr. Chairman, be before we move on, I would like to commend and congratulate uh Jason at Go Sports. Uh Jason, your team has done a phenomenal job. I know you're here somewhere. Jason Seagull's here. Thank you, Jason.
And Jordan with your team, some of you may not realize, was out there on the field at literally 10:00 at night prepping the fields. And I'm sure that he was recognized internally for that as well. And I also want to thank Mike
Baker uh and his team. Uh these people may not realize the amount of rain we had that day or that weekend. And they had to do an extraordinary amount of work to get those fields ready for the final game. And I could tell you many people standing around like there's no
way that's going to happen. And Mike and his team truly pulled it through. And uh Rick, would you please congratulate them? Did a phenomenal job. But more importantly, the ladies, wow, what games, what sportsmanship. Phenomenal.
Congratulations. Good stuff. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. And we'll get you all for a photo op here in just a few more moments. Number three is our presentation library of the year award, Mr. Rick Durr. Mr. Durr. Good morning, commissioners. For the record, Rick Durr, parks, recreation.
Um, whatever I am, director whatever hat I'm wearing this morning. Uh, I wanted to be able to congratulate both of our staff as well as board of county commissioners on two major awards that our library has won this year at the Florida Library Association state
conference. The first one being um that we were recognized for Florida's innovative programmer or service award with our great seminal county adventure, a partnership with local museums that sent participants of all ages around the county on an amazing race style scavenger hunt and successfully peaked
their interest in local history. This program prompted hundreds of library visits to local museums and of course sent all participants back to the library for their completion badges. This program is a great example of our wonderful community partnerships that we have throughout the the community and throughout Simo County to promote
lifelong learning. But secondly, every year the Florida Library Association honors one library with the outstanding library of the year award. Over the years, the recipients have been large showcase library systems like Miami Dade, Broward, and Orange County Public Library to name a few. This year, we are
pleased to announce for the first time that the Sino County Library was chosen for this prestigious award for 2025 by the Florida Library Association and our library peers, beating out a field of more than 800 public, academic, and school libraries to win the award.
Recipients of this award are recognized for excellence at overall library service, for library use by the public, library card registrations, direct customer service, and for the staff's hard work and creativity. We thank the Florida Library Association for this
prestigious recognition, the Board of County Commissioners for the continued leadership in this area, and finally, congratulations to our library staff for their unwavering contributions to our community. Good work. All right, we'll uh take a few moments and get some photos. I also want to u
recognize Jason Seagull for the Greater Orlando Sports uh commission for being here. Thank you, sir, for being here and supporting our women's uh group that are here today. Also, Mr. Frank Mars from the city of Alamont Springs County City Manager is in the back of the room.
Welcome, sir. If I've missed anybody else, my apologies. Let's start with Mr. Sweat. If you want to come on down and we'll get some photos going. Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. Heat.
Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. As we're waiting for the chambers to clear, as you can see with the resolutions and presentations we just had, we've got a lot to be happy about
in Semino County. A lot to be happy with. not only our children and sports, uh, but our library systems and also those people in our community who are willing to give their unselfish time to help support the cause of the citizens of the county. Great work by Rick Dur
Library System. Um, you know, unsung heroes often, you know, the library system. So, we sincerely appreciate that. Next up, we're going to go to our county investment advisor, Mr. Scott McIntyre, who's with us today. Mr. McIntyre, welcome.
Good morning. Morning. One. It's always a challenge with my eyesight as to whether I try to see that or It's called an age. Yeah. Tell me about it. I have three pairs. If you need a pair, it's got them scattered throughout my house in my car.
What? 200s, 250s, and 300s. Okay. Well, events driving the market. This is this is similar to what it's been. Um, new tariffs will probably go into effect on August the 1st. I'm not entirely confident about that because history has taught us not to be. Uh,
inflation is trending higher, not nearly as much as what people thought that it would be whenever Liberation Day was announced. Job growth has slowed, uh, but not to the extent expected. There are still jobs that are being created enough certainly to uh to to absorb the
number of new entrance into the labor market and GDP appeared to bounce back in the second quarter. So uh third quarter is to be determined. I think that slowdown that everyone is expected it keeps getting pushed out. It doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It's just getting pushed out. The Fed is on hold
for now. Um there's been a lot of pressure to fire the Fed chairman and uh in my opinion that's a really bad idea because he's been a very calming presence for the financial markets. But um my guess is that he he is either as
he's investigated which probably is inevitable. I think that he may wind up resigning and certainly the person who will come in to to um stand where where Pal has been as chairman will probably be more inclined to cut rates going forward. That's been a theme for a while, but I do know that that drum beat
continues to uh intensify the outlook. Thus is is far from clear. Looking at the Bloomberg survey on the next page, I like to share this with you guys. I don't expect that the audience is going to be able to see this. There's a lot of numbers here. The thing that I want to point out is that these 83 economists
yet again expect that there's slowdown ahead. So, so less than 1% GDP growth expected for the third quarter. Uh again, that remains to be seen. Consumers continue to spend. I'm not sure where that spending capacity is coming from. For at least half of America, it doesn't seem to be there.
Debt is very high, but nevertheless, spending continues. These economists expect the Fed will cut twice this year. That's the same thing as the Fed is telling us. They'll cut twice this year. First is likely to be in September. There is some thought now um very very
divided and economists. Some believe that the Fed will be on hold till December. There are some who feel like the Fed's already behind the curve. it needs to cut as much as 50 this September. Last September, they felt like they were behind. They wound up cutting 50 basis points. So, there certainly is a precedent for that. Uh
the expectation is that yields are going to generally trend lower. Um the next a little bit easier to see. This is the two-year Treasury note yield. It's been all over the place. Um it was it was briefly very briefly at a level that I
thought was very conducive to if cash flowed allowed to be able to purchase a little bit more out into 2028. Um 2 days after the meeting yields had fallen by about 18 basis points very very quickly and you know we we've talked about the
idea of of if there is that big a market movement we do a bit of a pivot. The pivot was to actually instead of making that purchase out to 2028, we pulled that purchase in and and made it at a much higher yield into May of 2026.
Um, current investment choices, you know, the drill here as well. We we try to uh scratch through the previous meeting so you can kind of see the trend of where things are going. The uh the the two-year right now, last time I looked was at 385. The three-year is at
about 380. kind of keep those in mind when you think about where your portfolio is now. So, uh, upcoming maturities just have one remaining for, uh, this month and there are actually some in
August that I should have put here. A fair amount coming up. But the recent transactions, this is not me copying down, they just happen to be 11.1 in both cases. But term pools, we went out 12 months, went out nine months, roughly
430 in that case. And I'm going to I'm going to skip ahead here before we come back to asking to basically not do anything this time. Um, and if we look over at the portfolio statistics to the right, so average maturity 401 days. So
still a very long portfolio in terms of duration relative to where the county has been. That was intentional. Most of that was done in December and January when your monies were coming in. pushed it out as far as we could to asssure that you would have earnings for 2027 and 2028. Overall portfolio yield is
just under 440. Again, compare that to two year and the threeear. So, so doing well. Um I think it's important to look at the breakdown between fixed and floating. So, so your floating rate which is overnight which is liquidity is at 12%.
Um, you had some payments during the month and that briefly got down to to about 11%. That's about as tight as we want it to get. We're going to wait for maturities before we make further decisions. I I talk quite a bit with uh the the folks at the clerk's office. We talk about the cash flows. We talk about
having ample liquidity. So, there's a lot of things that that go on uh beyond this this presentation. Um, and I'm going to leave it at that. Okay. Um, and chairman, if you could sort of help me out. Any questions for Mr. McIntyre on the
investment strategy? No. Chairman, Commissioner Her, I'd be happy to make a motion to implement the recommendations of our financial adviser based on the report submitted today and recommend that the clerk implement said recommendations. A motion and a second. Any further
discussion? I just want to say uh before we call the vote that um thank you. We we obviously the board made uh with your advice very diligent decision making a couple months ago on on going that longer term at the interest rates that
we now have it locked in as compared to what we would do today. So thank you for your efforts and in your focus on making sure we're doing the right things and giving us that information to make those decisions. So with that said all those in favor I
oppose like sign carries unanimous. Thank you very much Mr. McIntyre. All right, we are going to move to our consent agenda and uh I will ask the county attorney, Miss Kate Lour, to read the rules of engagement for the public
on the consent agenda. Again, if you are going to speak on any consent agenda item, please grab a form in the lobby. Fill it out right away. Get it down here to Miss Melanie. If you'll raise your hand Melanie to her so she can call you when the time
is right. Miss Lour. Thank you Mr. Chairman and good morning. Florida law provides that members of the public shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard on propositions before the board of county commissioners except when the board is acting on emergency or ministerial matters or
conducting a meeting exempt from the requirements of the sunshine law. Individuals shall be permitted three minutes each for public comment or six minutes when the individual is an official representative of a formal association or group. The chairman may modify the maximum time for public
comment at his sole discretion when appropriate. Public comments on quasi judicial or other public hearing items will occur during the board's consideration of those items this afternoon. Public comments on pending procurement matters or on non-aggenda items shall not be permitted at this
time. Members of the public desiring to make public comment must fill out a speaker form and present the form to staff. Forms are available in the lobby. Mr. Chairman, thank you, M. Lour. We'll go to the county manager. Uh we've got the constitutional officer consent agendum
item number five and managers agenda 6 through 41s. Are there any revisions, deletions, or additions? Thank you, Mr. Chairman and commissioners. Good morning. Yes, just one uh item that I'd like to pull is item number 35. Um, we're just updating that agreement and I'll bring that back
at the next meeting. Okay. So, you're pulling item 35, correct? Anything else? No, sir. Okay. Do we have any commissioner that desires to pull any consent items? Commissioner Lockhart. Then we'll go to Commissioner Delari.
Like to pull 13 for discussion. 13 for Lockheart. Commissioner Delari. Ite number six, please. Number six for Commissioner Delari. Anyone else? Seeing none.
Okay. Is there anyone here from the public that wishes to speak on all on any of the consent agenda items? Yes, sir. We have um both written and verbal with Cat Moore. And I'll pass the written to you and she which item
request to speak on item number 29. Item 29, Miss Moore, if you'd like to come down and speak on item 29, and you say you have written comment on item 29. If I would ask Commissioner Lockhart to read that, uh, soon as Miss Moore is
completed, welcome. Good morning, um, commissioners and county manager. Um, I came here. We'll need your full name and address just for the record if you Okay. I knew I had written it down. Yeah. My name is Kathy Moore. My address is 927 East
First Longwood. And as I say, I'm here to speak on item 29, which is regarding the rate resolution. Proceed. Okay. Thank you. I came here to speak in opposition of approving the resolution
because the information that is provided in the agenda item is insufficient for the board and the public to be able to determine if the rates were actually calculated according to the resolution statements and ordinances.
And because the background information regarding the 41.6% 6% increase in street lighting assessment revenue, which equates to $1 million, does not does not address the true reason and the
extent of the increases that now burden the property owners. The true reason is the county's failure to properly manage the funds and to appropriately set rates every year that are sufficient to cover expenses. And
these are factors that are part of the statements in the resolution as well as the ordinances. I have also ped provided highlights today in writing. In preparing for this time this morning, I thought about my prior attempts to
bring light to the poor management to the county's attention, but it seemed to fail fall on death ears. Then I thought about some advice I heard long ago. If you ignore someone long enough, they'll go away.
It is still my hope that the board and the clerk of the court will do right by the property owners and that the property owners have paid these assessments and thereby mandate an audit of the resource management department
activities and decisions associated with assessment funded services particularly the street lighting funds. As the board is aware, I am a former county employee.
I served for 18 years as plus as the manager of the MSBU program. Uh never during the history of my tenure did such rate increases occur. I have provided clear information. I have gone above and
beyond to provide suggestions and insights that would improve the management of funds and I hope still that that information will be taken in consideration as it comes from an intelligent, knowledgeable, experienced
source. Um, I do regret that the board has not listened and responded to what I've submitted in the past, but like I say, I'm still hopeful for a better outcome. Thank you, Miss Moore. Miss Lockheart, if I'm understanding,
there's just some additional things that are written. The written comments from Miss Moore outline what she said, and then there are also some handwritten notes that you may want to review, but it would be duplicative. Okay. Very good. And Mr. Chairman, if if I could address
that. Um, and the staff has been in communication with Miss Moore on on this and I can actually have Miss Bailey Brown come up and brief the board if you would like or we can do it individually. We go ahead and do that at this point because quite frankly,
and do the motion. I have seen um every email that has come across. I've reviewed and read every email that's come across. I've spoke to staff. I've investigated the statements that have been made in those emails. Um, and I had no problem making a decision
today based on the information I received from staff. So, Miss Moore, I mean, Miss Brown, thank you. Resource management director, I thank you and I thank Miss Moore for her comments. We've been in communication with her and
unfortunately, we are increasing the rates across the board. We took this very seriously. staff looked long and diligently at the minimum amounts to uh increase in light of LED conversions and and a moving target, if you will. We've
also had uh these rate increases reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget um to concur and we we take her advice and we have responded with all of her information requests. Um and it is
time for an increase in 2023. We we had the largest increase in our utility bills that we've seen yet in over 18 years at 11 and a half% and this is to an answer to that. Uh we've worked with the communities and understanding
the increases and many of them are expecting them or were happy that their rates had stayed so low for so long. It wasn't a big surprise. That's all I have to say. So, is it fair to say that this is being driven by the
cost of the new LED fixtures provided by the power company and the power bills associated with those lamps? Is that correct? In some cases, it's the LED conversions and some cases it's not. It is aged equipment and we are working feverishly
with communities to look at options for converting old equipment to to newer um lowerc cost equipment. in MSBU if for the benefit of the public if you'll explain how that occurs and what MSBU really is. Sure. When a community would like a
service provided uh they approach the MSBU program. They uh request the cost and and there's a vote that occurs within the district uh asking um for us to help them tax themselves to provide
the services. So in essence, the citizens come to the county, ask for the county to help sponsor that project for their benefit, and they're asking us to do that. So we're just basically handling the
cost of that from the power company on the on the uh street light scenario and passing that on prop share to the residents who ask us to do that. Correct. Correct. Yes, sir. I just wanted to make sure. Commissioner Lockhart, you had something. I just wanted to clarify what a street
lighting MSP was. Thank you. Great. Anyone? Commissioner Her, I think for the record, it's important to get out that as I look at the supporting documentation that Miss Moore brought to the table that the information that is in her supporting
document was brought to us in our briefings at a extreme level of detail. So those spreadsheets actually I can I recognize some of the numbers on here from memory which is unusual for me. Um but that the level of detail that went
into the briefings to get us to this point where it's in the board book in a condensed fashion it was shared. So, and I would also say that there was full acknowledgement that uh we should be doing this every year and not doing it
in catchup in catchup. That's I I was trying to find a better word. But so the humility with which it was presented was just displayed right there that this is not this should not be happening this way. there there is accuracy in that statement and that we are engaged at a
level of detail and there's acknowledgement and changes happening. Commissioner Costine, I also wanted to add that they also scrubbed the numbers because the original numbers were higher than they are now. So they went back really worked
the numbers very closely and there's even some that have been reduced if I'm not mistaken. So I think that that needs to be put on the record also. Thank you, Miss Brown. We appreciate it very much,
Miss Coun. Any further? No, sir. No other comments. I will close public comment on those items and I will go to Commissioner Lockheart. Um well, I I'll go for a motion. We'll bring the other two up.
Mr. Chairman, I will move that the we we um approve constitutional officers consent agenda number five and the county manager's consent agendas 6 through 41 with the exception of 6, 13,
and 35. Second. Um okay, we're we've already pulled six. He just he just diterated. That's okay. That's fine. All right. Those are the three the people wanted. Okay. All those in favor I
opposed like sign seeing none carries unanimous. We'll go to for an order item number six. Commissioner Delari. Thank you Mr. Chairman. First of all I want to commend uh not just the board but the staff uh for doing something
that I believe as we all discussed uh is taking fiscal responsibility of our transit system. So I think the board's been very active and progressive in doing that. The reason why I asked this pulled because when I had my briefings with staff a couple times, I've asked for data and analysis of how we come up
with the name and what does that do for the marketing and they said that we'll have a work session on it. I've not seen a work session and then I asked for the uh marketing analysis of it and they said they have it and I still haven't seen it and I'm hoping that we'll see it
with a work session before we approve a name so that we can understand why we're calling it scout because I've not heard from anybody. I've just heard from county manager uh Christian as well as uh Chris Patton and they said we'll have a work session and that we've done the
analysis and I'm waiting to see it. I would just say I would like to thank Commissioner Lockhart for her leadership um in the microtransit and helping shepherded this through um as you have. Um bravo because this was something I
was very adamant about when I arrived. I couldn't move the needle. So you you definitely got the needle moved for us. So Mr. Chairman, no misunderstanding. I I'm okay with the microtransit aspect of it. I'm just concerned about the name and the marketing of it. and I've been told we're going to have a work session about
it and there's data and every time I ask it's coming and now we're approving it and I haven't seen the data yet. Chairman Commissioner her I I don't I personally have no interest in
doing a work session on a marketing plan. Marketing plans made by committee typically come out worse than those that would be done by experts and I think we have in-house experts. we spend good taxpayer money on hiring them. I think we're under a time crunch to get this
thing out and launched. They can't wrap the vehicles until we we move forward on this. And quite honestly, I'm quite happy with the first iteration. So perhaps it's related to you knowing that there wasn't five votes to have a
work session. Not that you need votes for a work session, but maybe that's it. I I don't know what's happening here, but I I just thought I would own my part in this was my comment was it looks fabulous and we need to move forward. I don't disagree with Commissioner Hur's
version. Um I think this in light of what our agreement is on the microtransit with the ability to adjust and the flexible terms. uh if something does not function or work or we find a better mousetrap uh we're able to engage
them and and and change that uh in a reasonable time. So if there's any data I guess that Commissioner Delari would find valuable I would just ask staff try to get that to him. Um I'm happy and satisfied with what I've been given thus
far. Um I think we all have to understand this is a new new venture. Uh, I think we've all said there's going to be some hiccups, there's going to be some speed bumps, and we'll deal with those when they happen, and we'll roll it out as seamlessly as we possibly can, but we'll deal with it accordingly.
Commissioner Lockhart, um, I'll just say I while it I have helped to shepherd this, this is a team effort. This is a team sport. I appreciate so much the recognition. Um, it's been it's been fun
quite honestly to to talk about doing something so drastically different. Um, I I personally do not have a stake in the game when it comes to the name or the marketing. I'm more concerned about how it rolls out to the community and
the service that it actually provides. Um, when staff came to me, as I'm sure they did all of you, they shared the time crunch that they were under and that if we want this to start rolling in October, they needed to start ordering vehicles and in order to order and wrap vehicles, they needed to start with a
name. And said, do you have a problem with this name? This is what we think is best. And I said, I I think that's great. I'm not like I'm I'm not going to get in the weeds of of the from my perspective, the five of us trying to come up with something creative. I'm not
a creative person. My only request was let's use our county colors, blue and green, and and they did an excellent job of that. So, um, so from my perspective, I think a work session would be will be appropriate when we get to the place where we're educating ourselves and the public at the same time of how this is
going to operate, but I have no interest in in changing or voting on a name. Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Constantine, for the sake of not making this as long as a work session would have, I'll just I will just simply say that uh I think
the real discussion and this is maybe where the mis misunderstanding came from. The real discussion was the rates and the cost of the rates. And that was what I thought we were going to have a more thorough explanation of as we got to
what we had to do with the federal government, state government, the grants, the loans, the debt d whatever it was. And that we were going to discuss, you know, children's rates and how we would allow them seniors rates and all that. So I
think that's where it might have been the mixup. I never thought we were going to. They gave me a thorough explanation of the blue and green and the scout and this and that and you know I'm I'm I'm satisfied with that. I will tell you in my uh travels with the national
association counties a lot of cities and counties are doing this now. we can learn a lot from their experiments and I've talked to Christian about that so that we can avoid the pitfalls and just
close to us u you know in the keys Monroe County is changing theirs after a year tremendously to to um to avoid the pitfalls and so I'm I'm not sitting here saying oh we've got to go through that
I'm sitting there saying the staff needs to look at that so we might be able to learn some more And so then I will can I say one one thing? Um as you know when the board approved to go with the microtransit and we chose the vendor to do that uh we put out a
timeline of what needed to happen. You have two work sessions coming to this board next month. The first meeting of August freebie is coming to give a presentation. Uh we'll have a work session with that. The second meeting in August is where you will discuss, as Commissioner Constantine referred to,
the fairs that we'll be charging. And all this is for the implementation to start October one. And so simply what the scout was was the name of the of a microtransit again, we we needed to and we've worked with our marketing company with freebie and so we needed to get the ball rolling. If we want this
implemented by October one, that is the reason. So it's just is was just the name. And again, Mr. Chairman, I understand the timeline and I understand not getting into the weeds. That's not wasn't my issue. Uh my issue was I didn't understand the word scout
and because every time I've looked at microtransit across the country, there was always some relationship to a transit. So people going to be confused about what scout is unless there is a large uh uh marketing campaign, right? And I was told that they've done the
analysis. Not trying to second guess people. I just I was told it data was there. I was just trying to see it. I have not seen it and I guess we'll see it after we approve it. Well, for what it's worth, I came up with Semino County's outstanding
unobstructed transit. I like the other one. Throw the word affordable in there. So So mine mine was Seol County. We're out. Take it one step further. You can say seminal count is out of cash.
Honestly, um uh what is Lakeland has squeeze. That's their microtransit. So, you know, we could be squirt chairman at the at the risk of this devolving. This is why commissioners shouldn't need this. Help me. I need a motion.
The person with the marketing degree moves to approve item number six. Second motion and second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I oppose like sign. I four to one. Delari is the loan out. And
I would just ask if there's anything you can help Commissioner Delari with any information you may need. Absolutely. Uh just share with all of us. We appreciate it very much. Uh Commissioner Lockhart, item 13. Yeah. Um I don't know if staff wants to explain what this item is prior to my
asking my questions. That might make more sense to vote. Sure. We can have staff come up. Mr. Alan Harris. Hello. For the record, uh Alan Harris, director of emergency management. Not sure how I can follow squirt, but um
this is an interlocal agreement uh between the city of Altoont Springs and Semino County. We are currently doing uh private property and residential mitigation projects for the city of Altoont Springs. Uh there are nine properties that were in an interlocal
agreement in 2023 uh that we agreed to help them on and this is an interlocal that will uh instead of doing it by mitigation grant uh application or process. Uh this will open it up to all FEMA grant
applications. So any grant uh that a private property or residential um elevation uh demolition buyout um erosion control things like that uh we would do the management of those uh
of the grant for those individuals. The way the Federal Emergency Management Agency uh it does not allow private property and residential folks to apply directly to FEMA uh for mitigation programs. uh you have to apply through
the local jurisdiction the what they call the agency having jurisdiction and of course that would be the city of Altoont Springs it's their permitting is uh they had requested that we assist uh with that uh so that's why we did the interlocal in 2023 and that's why we bring the interlocal here today
so a couple of my questions that I had and and Miss Borurt was incredibly helpful as well um from the attorney's office in helping to to answer some of these questions so I just Um, apparently two of our cities contract with private companies to do this work
for them. The remaining cities have this they do this in house. Um, I completely supported having done this for those nine at that time. Um, I see this a little bit like we looked at our lake
management program and offering the services to the city of Lake Mary when they came forward and said, "We want to be able to utilize your lake management team. You all are excellent at this. This is something that you are familiar with. We'd rather contract with you than
um stand up our own uh lake management program. Makes complete sense. Saves taxpayer money. You know, why why reinvent the wheel?" My concern about this is will we be be giving one city a special
treatment if you will over the other cities? If if I am if I am one of the two other cities that is currently contracting with an outside vendor and paying for this service, I'm going to probably say seminal county, why aren't you doing this for me? Fine.
But now we're doing three cities. And so with there not being a cap in this agreement, I would prefer if we looked at this more as a pilot in an interlocal like we addressed our lake management program so that we could be um
consistent and equitable across all seven cities and make sure that we are um prepared for for what we might have to deal with in terms of workload. um I don't I don't see in this agreement how
we can um manage that very well. So So I'm just I'm throwing it not saying that we don't want to partner, not saying that we don't want to offer our services, but I'm a little concerned that this is um not allowing equitable treatment across all seven
cities. I I inquired to the county manager, you have reached out to the other cities, is my understanding, and they had no interest. Well, no, I have not asked them about that. I we reached out to the other cities to see how they're doing it, and they're all handling it
either in-house or by a contractor. Okay. And the contract terms, madam attorney, are for out clauses. Sure. So, the term of the agreement is three years with one year uh automatic
renewals. There's a 60-day written termination for um no cause for anything. um that means we could terminate the agreement. However, any grants that are in process that were either processing or actually that have
been um given funding um would have to be closed out. We would continue to handle those, but we wouldn't take on any more new grant processing requests. Great. And there's also, if I just may add, um the it's a first come, first- serve
basis. So any grants coming any requests for processing of grants that come in between unincorporated residents and municipal residents would be just be taken in a first come first- serve basis. There is no cap. Um there is language that states that the county in
its sole discretion will determine how many grant administration requests it can process per year based on staffing limitations, budgetary concerns, and any other um issues that may come up. Thank you, Commissioner Lockart.
And I think, correct me if I'm wrong, but we had to hire or dedicate one full FTE to to what we're currently doing for Alultimont. Is that correct? We Yes, we used one existing resource that we have. We didn't hire a separate, you know, a new position, but we utilized a position. We transferred a
position internally uh to handle this to do this. So, so if the So, I guess the question to to to the county manager and to the board from a policy perspective is how many FTEEs do we want to allocate to this? If there is we say
that there is Yeah. If we say that we can determine what our load is, what are we determining our load is? Are we willing to add an additional FTE? Um what what is there's just no
cap? Well, in fairness so that I fully understand because several of these properties in my district, one of which was just handled. Um so is that same FTE working on the county stuff as well as
the city's items or are you telling me we have so many in the county and so many in the city? We have the one that's solely working on city and one solely working on county with nine grant applications. You would
need almost one FTE. That's what we did in 2023. Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, we've done this in 2023. Correct. Yeah. Currently, we have a grant uh we have a interlocal with the city of Altoont Springs for those projects. Does
he do other things? Of course, he does other things. I mean, when there's a disaster, he's our in our logistics office. Uh he does preparedness events. He was just the pause in the park or not pause in the park. Um parks are popping. Uh so, yes, we all we all do things. Sorry. Yes.
Yeah. And I and I don't suspect notwithstanding crazy disasters that this is going to be an annual occurrence. Can I I pray I pray we don't get hit by a hurricane this year. Well, hurricane that rises to the level of
right probably bring more applications right and Mr. Chairman and and as speaking with all of you and Mr. Harris and Miss Johnson we've all discussed this at length as well is that we just don't know what the impact will will be and so what my thought was and I talked to M
Mr. Harris about this is that um you know I we could bring something back in 6 months or or on an annual basis to see what the impact is or if the resources that we have are allocated and we cannot do anything else before we take that next step I could come back to the board
and and share that with the board and um and get your approval or how you would like the county to move forward on this. I mean, I think that's beautiful because both sides have a 60-day out regardless. Correct. Um, Commissioner, do the grants bring with them an
administrative component? Yes. Yes, there is an M&A and U management administration, and it's a it's a percentage of uh it's not enough to cover it, but it certainly helps. certainly helps and we would retain that of course for as I see the agreement there's no
opportunity to recover expenses associated with a specific city at this point correct correct and so we do sit up here very often and talk about the fact that the cities need to pay their own fair share don't panic
back there don't panic Frank don't panic um so I think it's a legitimate question in terms of where we go with this for the future because I think that was the question of what does the future hold if all seven jump in and what are we doing? So I I think the plan that you brought
forward of we need to figure this out. We've been doing this. We should keep doing this but we need to figure out where this goes and how we do it. And then we probably need to know what the gap is which I would imagine is driven by the value of the grant and each one is going
to be different etc. Some of the property values are lower than others. Um, that's number one. Number two is I think we need to make sure that we are not doing a disservice to county residents because they come in, they're in the
order of operation. So, if we can only handle I'm going to make numbers up, 10 grants in a year and 10 Altoont Springs residents apply first, then that out the districts outside of that area are are potentially disadvantaged. So, there's a
lot of work that does need to be done on this. um wouldn't prevent me from moving forward on this item, but a really worthy discussion and and and I would say on that discussion uh that it would probably be a pretty robust discussion understand
exactly what you're saying, but the residents of the cities are paying county taxes. Understood. I understand. So to argue to Mrs. Smith who lives in Alamont Springs that she should be behind Mrs. Brown who lives in district 2 of unincorporated seminal county uh is
a pretty tough argument to have. For the record, that is absolutely not what I was suggesting. What I was suggesting is that mitigation needs to happen before the next storm hits these people regardless of whether they live where they live and that we need to be
resourcing it to the degree that that can happen in a timely manner. And working through these grants is is difficult. It's extremely difficult. And it doesn't stop because we didn't have a hurricane. They're still working through grants probably from 2, three, four, five years ago. That's correct.
So, the tale on these is pretty long as well. It it requires attention. But never did I suggest that an Altoont Springs resident didn't deserve as much attention from us as anybody else. No, that was not my suggestion was that was the argument that you would ultimately end up with. Um, if that was
our decision to go there, Mr. Constine. Well, that was my point exactly. As a Seino County resident and an Altoont Springs resident, I'm paying
both county taxes and city taxes. I've heard very clearly from our attorney that, you know, we are controlling our the workload and I've heard from the county manager that we are controlling the workload. So if there if this becomes a problem, which I don't think
it will, but if it does become a problem that he can bring it back to us with other recommendations in working with the the city or cities or however this works out. But yeah, I I you know I Commissioner Zimbau, you've already said it, so I'm not going to repeat it. But
the point is is that you know as I'm paying the same taxes in the county as anybody else whether they're a non-resident or if they're a resident of the city or not a resident of the city. So I think I deserve the same treatment and vice versa. The county folks deserve
the same treat. That was the point. Commissioner Lockard and then Commissioner Delari. Well, I was ready to make a motion with a caveat. Okay, Mr. Chairman, go ahead, Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm not going to repeat all that was said, but they're all good points and they are the same.
uh there are citizens as well as altoont citizens but I also look at it this way where if you're looking at what's cost effective it'd be better to have one person centralized doing the work so that they understand how the grant works and that
it's consistent instead of having multiple individuals across the county doing individual work where there's a redundancy or duplication of work. uh by having one centralized location which is the county it can be done effectively and efficiently and it should be done
within that cost that's prohibited that that is acceptable not prohibited acceptable so that we can actually do this cost effectively and I have no problem moving forward with you Mr. Chairman Mr. Wart.
So, I would like to make a motion that the um board approve and authorize the chairman to execute the interlocal agreement between Semino County and the city of Altoont Springs for oversight of federal emergency management agency private property mitigation programs and that the county manager bring back to us
annually the costs associated and the number of um grants that are being monitored outside of the county. Second. Motion second. I can keep talking any further. I'll add more words.
Mr. Harris, are you okay with that language? Absolutely. It doesn't bother your wheelhouse. This is what we do. We're good. Darren, you're good. Good. Yes. Okay. Any further comments? All those in favor? I oppose like sign. Seeing none, carries
unanimous. Thank you all very much. All right. That ends our consent agenda. We're going to take a quick 10m minute before we work into the uh budget work session. And for those that are here to speak on anything with the budget work session,
we are going to go through all of our departments and uh let them give presentations. We'll take public comment at the end of all the presentations today when we get to the trim notice information. So we'll be in recess for
10 minutes. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. All right, welcome back everyone. If you would make your ways back to your seats
and again I would remind you if you have a cell phone or other electronic device pre please make sure it's in the silent mode so we don't uh interrupt the presenters today. And again, just a reminder, if you're here from the public or wanting
to speak on any of the budget items, please make notes during the budget presentation. As each department gives us their presentation, you have specific questions. We're going to open up for public comment at the end of the budget session, work session today. So, jot all
those down that you may have a question and we'll make sure that uh staff is prepared to answer that. So, with that, we're going to go to public works, Mr. John Slott, but we're going to go to Mr. Darren Gray first to uh open up the budget work session. Mr. Gray, thank you uh Mr. Chairman and
commissioners, and good morning. Uh so, today is the final scheduled budget workshop for our proposed budget for fiscal year 2526. I want to thank you again for your continued focus and the tough conversations that has brought us to this point. Today's presentations
continue to provide a countywide view of our proposed fiscal year 26 budget and how we are managing significant challenges including inflation and unfunded mandates while staying focused on our solutions. Again, I want to thank you for your leadership uh for helping us move through this process with a
shared commitment to serving our residents and our business owners of Simol County. So, now I'll just turn it over to our budget director, Mr. Tim J. Thank you, county manager. My name is director of the office of management and budget. So, if you could pull that mic closer, Tim, it's hard to hear you.
Sure, I'll speak directly into the mic. Up first is the public works department, which is led by director John Slaugh. The total department budget is $49.1 million. The department has 173 FTEES and proposing to reduce three FTEEs for
a total of 170 in the FY26 budget. 51% of their funding comes from our transportation trust fund, which supports road maintenance, traffic control, and engineering divisions. 48% is from our sales tax fund, which is dedicated to infrastructure projects on the county's road, bridge, and drainage
systems. None of the county's advorum or gas tax revenues is used for this infrastructure. The total uh budget is reducing 19.9% or 12.1 million from FY25 to FY26. This is primarily due to planned fluctuations in
the capital program where the department will focus on completing current third gen sales tax projects and maintain our capital maintenance programs. In the FY26 proposed CIP budget of 23 million, we have money for road resurfacing, mass arm replacements, drainage, pipe
repairs, and other capital maintenance. The $1.3 million in FY25 shown under the grants category was a FEMA grant to help mitigate future disasters, and we anticipate a potential reduction in this type of federal funding moving forward.
This slide shows the department's base operating budget. you can see a reduction of $627,000 or 9%. I wanted to present an alternate slide uh because as you recall um the county has a seminal moment uh where we are
looking to improve energy efficiency through centralizing electricity management and budgeting. So in FY26 we're moving $56,000 of utility budgets from public works to facilities. And this slide shows that excluding that transfer of budget, the public works
operating budget has been reduced by $121,000. This slide shows the department's third gen referendum sales tax projects. We have a total of $179 million in FY25 and approved projects.
As of July 17th of this month, uh the total actual expenditures are $36 million and they have an additional $52 million encumbered in work orders issued to vendors. This is where the engineering division will be focusing their attention in fiscal 26. And you
can see that approximately half of the funds have been fully expended or are encumbered. And with that, I'll turn it over to John Slott. Thank you, Tim. For the record, John Slot, director of public works. So, uh, thank you, um, Darren and, uh, board of
county commissioners. I'd like to, uh, inform you of the organizational structure of the public works team and then walk through several, uh, updates for you from the budget. Uh, so, first off, as you know, we, uh, manage the capital projects delivery within public
works. We also have the engineering support team, the uh, roads and stormwater team, and the traffic engineering team. I'm surrounded by those leaders in those different teams. So, uh, Mr. Tony Nelson, our, uh, county engineer, uh, heads up the engineering
team. Uh, Mr. Owen Reagan, uh, our county storm water engineer, heads up the roads and storm water. And Mr. Charlie Wetzel, uh, our county transportation or traffic engineer is
our, uh, division manager for traffic engineering as well. We are also supported by Marie Lackey and uh we have a slide dedicated to Marie's exploits here in a little bit and I think it needs no other description other than Marie gets things
done. So um as to uh Darren's point about seminal moments, this team has uh answered the call. I know uh this budget was my first budget here at the county. Um, so I thought it was a little peculiar when I went into Tim's office
and the heat was a little bit higher than the rest of the building and there were these flood lights that also he had poured on it. Um, so after a very diligent group of conversations, uh, we've come up with several seminal moments. So the first one was really, uh, an optimization. So going with
contracted services for sidewalk repair, uh we were able to and Owen and uh Matt Phillips in in the uh roads and stormwater team were able to reduce the amount of uh cost that we spend on things like sand and rock and and
Portland cement. So therefore $150,000 worth annual savings on the um mowing contract. As as this board knows, we have our uh rural mowing uh program. Uh that's uh eight mowings a year with five
edgings is usually what we're hitting those different areas with. And um Owen and his team has been able to realign that service without impacting the mission of the county and save another $170,000 per year. And then finally, um,
Charlie and and his director, Steve, uh, Douglas, have been able to look at how we actually put together our cabinets. If we bought, um, fully configured cabinets from the market, um, it would cost us $63,000 more a year. um within
uh Charlie and Steve's teams, we have some really dedicated, very technically savvy people and they're able to do those configurations themselves and and thereby save us quite a bit of money. So, we buy the components and we build it and configure it. So, and then of course um Chad Wilski and the fleet and
uh utilities team has been working diligently with us to uh do things that reduce our overall fleet costs. As we step into the uh budget highlights, we wanted to focus on the plans first. Right. So, we've come to the board several times uh and uh we've
talked about the 2050 Semino County mobility and transportation plan uh that will be on the docket to uh be completed by December 25 with uh hopefully your review and authorization in early 26. Uh
so that will develop the list of projects for transportation for the county uh and have that updated on on an every 5-year notice. It also synchronizes our plan here in Semino County with the regional metrop plan uh
planning cycles. So we'll now be in step with the region as well and of course the associated funding of said projects. Um the next one is basically the basin studies. Uh as this board knows we took an approach on the basin studies that
was sort of a big bang approach. There are 16 basins. The team took on 13 basins all at one time and diligently been working through those. So over the course of the fall and into the winter, we will be bringing back those basins to the board for your review and comment on
all of those mitigated projects uh and finalize this big bang approach going forward. We've learned a lot from that approach and we really don't want to do it again. Um so we intend to build a uh an approach and we're working with um
some of our consulting partners to annualize that and just keep the basins and all their models and updates done throughout the year. So they we were always on from a standpoint of our basin analysis. um and therefore support our
community uh development review um of course the developers that are interested in Semol County as well as our residents on the budget highlights. So this is affectionately the Marie Lackey slide. Um so uh really this is all the hard work that Marie drives for the county
and uh we thank her very much for it. So if you look at this there's three uh significant grant programs that um Marie with her leadership drives. We have the what what you all know as the HMGP grants. Uh that's usually a 7525 split,
but if Marie and the team does a good job, we can get up to 90%. So a 9010% kind of juggle there. You see a few projects that we've listed as well, Hillview being one of them and so on. The resiliency grants, um that's a state program, um that Marie also supports and
uh moves that forward. And um we also have then finally the uh what we call the NRCS grants, the national resource um conservation uh grant program that's actually by USDA. Um so it's a it's a
historic program and really helps us with waterway debris removal. Uh and a few examples of that are here. Uh there are actually um eight locations uh in this study plus two more in in uh in development. Finally, we wanted to
highlight something that uh at this board's direction and um of course at the at the direction of our county manager uh Darren Gray. Uh the the team on the storm and uh roads and storm water team jumped in right after the hurricane. So, I think one of the things
as we've heard from our public safety leaders, um both the sheriff and uh the fire chief, uh public safety requires a road to get to those people. So, our storms and storm and uh roads and stormwater team is the first push. They
get the debris out. They're there in the storms. They're there after the storms. They're there after the after storm. Um, so during the tornado at your direction, uh, this team jumped at it and moved, as you can see, um, 488 dump truck loads of
debris out of that community immediately as we got the contracts ready to have an external vendor finish that off. So with this team, we we have a flexibility and a capability to be able to really act quickly and and and therefore meet the
emergency uh management requirement and like to thank everybody for driving that. So as we step here, we we um at the retreat in the uh spring, uh we we gave uh the board a quick video of a
dashboard. um and with with a little bit of grace that said, "Please give us a little time to get the data right and work with the teams and make sure that we're getting this right the first time." So, we're getting closer today. We want to show you the actual live
dashboard. Um and uh Jeremiah is going to do his IT magic and move us through this thing, but the intent here is really to show you the dashboard is real. It's not just a video. Uh we will be sending it out to your offices for you all to to um play with and give us
some feedback, understand with the goal of later this year rolling this out to the public through our website uh of course as well to to this office. And the commitment from the public works team is that we'll keep the data updated so that this can be a first place to go
look and find the information on the different projects we're working on. So these are in progress projects. You can see there's 67 listed. Um, we'll step over to a uh the first one we're going to look at is a construction project. As you're all aware, the Nebraska Avenue
project was a drainage project. You can see in the middle there's a map um that shows the actual location where we're working. On the right hand panel, it has the description of the project. It also says what phase it's in. It'll also tell you um the phase construction. In this
case, it's about 22% when that phase is intended to be completed. So that's our best estimate at this time. So by the end of the year, we should have Nebraska Avenue done. And then how was it funded? So in this case, it was the one penny sales tax and grants that that funded
this project. Uh and then finally at the bottom for our own internal teams, we're carrying the um uh JD Edwards numbers so that if anybody ever askked us which projects are associated, our finance teams can go um find that information.
Um finally, uh let's go over to the design project. So uh we have major design projects going on throughout the county. So this is our Slavia road project. Um, as the board is is aware, uh, we are currently in design. Uh,
we're getting really, really close. Uh, a couple meetings ago, we came uh to you and thank you for your approval for the wetland uh, mitigation credits that are associated with this project. Um, and the intent here, of course, is the public and yourselves and your staff
will be able to look at this dashboard and find out what's going on in all the projects. So we want to step through some of the pulld downs as well here real quickly. So under project types, so if you're looking for different types of projects, say drainage projects, you can
see, okay, here's a list of the 19 drainage projects that are currently operating um 59 million and uh your staff could click through and and find out what was going on each of those. Um let's step over to the project phase
and then projects in construction. So you can see here are all the projects that we're currently operating and working on um and where they stand and what types of projects. So you can see there's five drainage um six uh transportation and five safety projects
as well. Um okay, let's step over. And by the way, this didn't go as well as this in the when we did the work through the walkthrough with Jeremiah. So thank you Jeremiah. It looks like Murphy has stayed out of this particular presentation. Thank God. All right. Um,
so we're going to look at Judius's work. So if you are uh for our team, of course, um, Tony and his leadership, uh, Dino, Ted Holmes, uh, they can look at each of their project managers. What are you working on? What is your status? So on. And then of course, um, sometimes
our community knows our team. So, hey, let me see what Judius is up to, and they call Judius. Um and then finally uh from a district perspective each district commissioner you can now see those projects associated to your
districts as well as any projects of of uh countywide. So um those count we have several projects of course that cross the boundaries of each district um some two some three some more. So, uh, the intent is it's either
uniquely in your district or it is in countywide. So, so that's how we've have done that that separation. Um, so that's the whisbang of the presentation. Um, so back to our, uh, thank you Jeremiah for
that. Um, uh, project challenges or budget challenges and priorities. I think we uh heard from uh the board's um economic and and investment advisor about inflation. We are seeing inflationary pressures within the
construction costs um that have been associated with some of the new projects that have kicked off. Uh most notably early was the uh Oxford Road sidewalk project. Um so we had a very early um adjustment to material list on that one.
Um we are seeing of course increased competition for these limited grant opportunities. So we'll keep an eye on those but uh Marie and the team are looking at that as well as um George Woodring and our grants team. So uh we
we are working still on that build grant uh that the board gave us authorization to go apply for. So we may have some uh news on that coming soon. Um the as uh Tim has uh has articulated, our first
focus of course is on the capital maintenance. So as you saw in the budget, we're uh holding just under $24 million for those capital maintenance activities to keep all the things that we have invested in as Semino County um
up to the standards you wish. Uh the second is really focusing on that master plan to get the list of projects from a transportation perspective for 2050. And then finally being prepared for a future work session on um the fourth generation
sales tax and your priorities as a board uh on how you would like us to move forward on that. Um with that, I'd like to um thank again our public works team. As you can see behind me, it takes a village. I'd like to also thank our
finance team working with of course um Tim and uh Sarah Carrick. Uh so um we have uh Lori Morgan, uh Nuri Gibbs, and um we have someone who's retiring very
soon. Um so Lori Hayes Coleman is is is leaving us to go figure out what you do when you retire. Um, but uh we have appreciated uh all three of our finance executives and and and leaders and how they've been able to pull this budget together for us. So much appreciated.
And with that, we would close the public works. Great. Thank you, Mr. Slott. Any questions for Mr. Slott? Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Del. Thank you. Uh thank you, Mr. Slott. Can you talk to us a little bit about uh some of the major road projects that we
have because I know that you and I and your staff been with Metro Plan and there's an improportional share of uh Commissioner I don't know that we want to get into that. This is more of a budget. I understand but it's going to affect the budget. Okay. Go ahead. I'm not going to be asking project specific, but I just want
to make sure that we are going and trying to alleviate the inroportional share of those projects because I don't really see major projects happening over the next couple years through the metrop plan and I know that there needs to be more focus on that. The other piece
about it is I know you're talking about the dashboard which is great. Mention plan has a dashboard too with the scenarios and we need to be looking at how the projects actually work through the different scenarios and the scenario
categories that we have at Metro Plan. I know you know about this as well and because in order to get ranked on projects you need to be high on that scenario list and uh we did talk about uh the 2014 sales tax.
There's still money in the 20 I'm sorry in the 1991 sales tax about 15 million and in 2001 there's another 8 million. Can you tell us how you plan on spending that down or is there any project specifics for that? I know you talked about the 2014 but we haven't talked
about that or some of the impact fees that have sunseted that we still have about another $2 million in that and I know that's all budget related. Yes sir. So starting with the first part the the proportional share um for where
the commissioner is going. So uh we have taken a new focus on how metrop plan allocates um their lap funding state and federal funding through to the counties. So um we did an analysis of the last 12
years with the metrop plan team and saw that we were we seminal county were receiving roughly half of what the other counties were receiving from the lap program. So uh as this board knows the lap program does require certain steps
to be create uh to be done. So, it's not necessarily a fast way to do things, but it is a way to leverage other funds and to be able to extend the use of uh the one penny sales tax as well as any other uh county funds. So, um at the direction
of the county manager, we are moving forward to take an approach on how to increase our share. So we will be coming back to you and as um Commissioner Delari is the current chair of Metrop Plan and thank you Commissioner Delari
um he has agreed and I think Commissioner Constantine also sits on that board uh have both supported us to say how can we help improve the county's um ability to garner those funds. Um full disclosure as the as the um
Commissioner Delari just mentioned those funds are going down a little bit. So we're trying to figure out how do we manage it down uh and how do we make sure it's also fair share. So uh look for us to come back to you with more details on this approach and way forward
as well. That's part of the 2050 MTP initiative is how do we use what we quote unquote call leverage funds. Um so those are the those funds from other areas. The second point is of course as the commissioner stated the metrop plan um
approach uses scenarios and the scenarios have categories and uh the categories are things like safety and and other items. Um those categories are weighted. So um you know consider it basically a you put your project in they
turn the magic wheel and a priority list comes out and so you put your project in again you turn the magic wheel and so on. um the waitings and the criteria are defined by the metrop plan board and um we are attempting to be better at that.
So we need to learn number one learn the approach understand the criteria and then actually set up our projects for success. So what are the projects and uh what we've talked about internally within public works is what projects do we want to quote unquote federalize.
So, as this board knows, we we do enjoy with the one penny the ability to move projects quickly. We can move very fast because we have the funds to support quite a bit of those projects. Using this, we have to sort of strategically pick those projects that we're okay with
it going a little slower to get the benefit of the additional funds from other sources. So, this how do we do the federalization? and we do have regional partners that have figured that out and we're talking to them. So, um and and I think we know who figured it out. So,
we'll go from there. Um the last point is the uh the use of prior tax referendum monies. So, as as uh as this board is is aware, um there are several projects that are multi-deade projects
to be candid. Um, one of those projects, as we know, uh, Oxford Road is using one penny money still. Um, and there's been one that just finished. Wyomore Road was also a one penny project. Um, so these
projects represent almost generational projects long uh, or length um, that have utilized those funds. So, as we work with the board and at the direction of the county manager, we'll highlight
how we're utilizing those funds. And I think uh this board referred to them prior as leveraged funds. So, as you see us talk about leverage funds, we will endeavor to make sure that you know which part of the leverage we're using um that's non-county related. So, and
there's a little bit of making sure we know the the the history and I can tell you that Joanie wakes up in the morning every morning and can recite the history um from the beginning and she's still 28. So, uh I
don't know how she does it, but she does. And I'll just add one thing on that real quick is those projects for the commission for those past generation projects. Those are lit what we call litigation projects. That's why a lot of those cannot be be spent whilst we go
through litigation on those. Well, thank you. You know, I want to make the point because I've asked this question I don't know at least five dozen times since I've gotten here. And then it's one of those ask but verify. So to be clear and some clarity to the
public, is $15 million sitting in the 1991 sales tax fund that you can take it and go spend it on something that's not already allocated for? No. Okay. It's an accounting of the money's there. Correct. Yes. It's encumbered. Yes. It's dedicated to an existing project. Correct.
Yes, sir. Okay. So, I want to make sure the public is clear. There is not $15 million of extra excess money just sitting there not being utilized. And I think you summed it up. Some of these projects are
multi-deade projects. So if in 1994 we encumbered on the 1 cent sales tax from 1991, a project that was going to cost, let's say, $150 million. You did 25 million of it maybe in the
'9s, maybe 25 million of it in the 2000s. Maybe you had to wait for environmental studies and all that kind of stuff. Here we are. And so I want to be clear. I want to make sure I get the right answer for the public's benefit. There's not excess money laying in the
infrastructure sales tax fund, whether it's the first generation or second generation that's not already encumbered for a project. Is that correct? That is correct. Okay. Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Constantine. John, I just want to thank you and your
staff because I have seen a, you know, just an uptick in uh solid communications over the last uh year or two and I I greatly appreciate it. I know I get
answers and um clear and you know and responses as to what we can and can't do and that's to all of your staff. Second thing is I want to say is what I heard in this budget request is reduction.
I heard reduction ladies and gentlemen. Three people, three employees. That's what an FT F uh uh FFT is. and a reduction in in the in the cost which I might add
in the 33% that we control not the constitutionals we control um you will see that as a pattern of reduction or slight slight slight
increase that it doesn't even match the cost of living. Thank you, Commissioner Lockheart. Um, thank you and your team so much. I'm going to give Commissioner Her all the credit for the dashboard. The word dashboard has become an inside joke
around this organization for a number of years and and we're seeing them happening and I think it's going to open up a whole new world of transparency for our citizens, not because the information wasn't available to them, but because it was harder to find. And this is going to put it at everyone's
fingertips in the blink of an eye. And I think that's one of the things that I'm continuing to hear repeatedly is, you know, well, where where is the project? How long is it going to be? What phase is it in? I mean, we hear we all hear that all the time. So, thank you so much for for doing that and and seeing that
to to completion. Um, I think that one of the things that you hit on that really touched, aside from all of the, you know, the traffic stuff that you all do, traffic stuff, you know,
no one no one likes to to invest in asphalt, right? Like that is just not No one loves to see more asphalt being poured. However, I do. Um, you do. Delari does. Delari loves asphalt. Send your asphalt emails to
Delari. Um, the thing that I learned as an employee here many, many years ago is that public public works is emergency management. you are you have a different title, but
as you said, and I'm just restating it in case no one heard it, fire trucks can't go down streets that are flooded or that trees are are laying across. Sheriff's deputies can't get through and get to people who need assistance in the middle of a storm if they can't get down
the road. So, um you are a significant part of that team. you are the first people in in that team. um when waters are are rising and they're not going down the storm drain and I'm getting calls from constituents in the middle of a hurricane, literally in the middle of
a hurricane that they see the water rising and they're panicking. I can call that lady sitting on that front row right there and know that anybody from that team will will respond accurately,
quickly um as soon as possible in order to get the relief for that citizen and that's just unheard of I think in in any other community. So thank you for for being the type of organization that I feel very um I can put my trust in and
that's huge. So, thank you, Commissioner Her. So, you're you're our version of first responders and and I can speak to that uh not only during the hurricane when a resident in my district had water coming
in through the out pipes. Um, and your team responded to that amazingly and saw it through months later. But during the tornado, it the work that you did was amazing. That was a horrifying event in my district and it
was you were there. You saw it through to the end. I was informed. You all know I do this, but I was doing drivebys to make sure that the information matched the actual reality. Um, I'm a trust but verify girl. And so
it it was amazing work. With regard to the budget, congratulations. It is a good budget. I would like to get it on the record that we're not reducing the budget by delaying projects. Is that an accurate statement? That is an accurate statement.
Okay. And then the I can't I can't avoid a conversation about a dashboard. They do warm my heart. I truly do believe that those things that are measured will improve. And to that end, I didn't see it. Now, I
in full disclosure, I don't necessarily confess that I can see either of these screens clearly. Um, but we need metrics in there. Is it on budget? And is it on time? Because that's what we all care about as well. And then when we start to
manage that, and if it's not, let's tell why it's not on time because we couldn't acquire right away or whatever. There's a thousand reasons why something can't be on time or on budget. But let's be transparent about all of that as well. and great job. Thank you. What
else? I would just say that uh thank you very much. Great budget. Um you know, you you are the folks that respond when nobody else in the county can or or can't. Um but this past year, I had an opportunity to work with some of your people out in
the field doing sidewalk work. I actually got to pour some concrete and do some of those kinds of things. And um I think some of your people were actually surprised I can work a shovel. Um but regardless of all that um you
know if you have an opportunity to watch some of our people work and what they do and they truly care and I witnessed some of our employees on a sidewalk project say to me, "Well, Commissioner, we're going to be over here in this customer's front yard." I said, "Why are we in the
customer's front yard?" Well, when we were doing the sidewalk, we noticed that one of their sprinkler heads were broken. Um, and and we don't want to be blamed for it, so we keep extra sprinkler heads. We're going to go ahead and take care of it just in case. It took 5 minutes. They had, you know,
pieces on the on the truck to do it. Um, that's what customer service is about. Um, and being respectful of the of the customers uh right away and their easements and ingress and not blocking that. So, um, thank you for letting me
come intrude with, uh, some of your employees this year. Although, I will be honest, I I enjoyed working the heavy equipment out at the landfill, maybe a little better. But thank you all. Good work. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Okay, we have Mr. uh, our public or utilities, Mr. Johnny Edwards is up next. Is that correct? Yes, sir. You know, I think after after the utilities, we'll try to take our break from to the mid afternoon. Mr. Chairman, I I just have to say that,
you know, they have these different seminars for that where, you know, um big boys can go and play with toys and you just went ahead and played with these. That's right. Well, they got some instead of going to one of those seminars. They got some nice equipment. You can
Mr. Lockhart. Sorry. Is there a specific time that you want to break by? Uh, if we can get out of here by 12. Okay. So, we're So, we'll 40 minutes. So, the more we can get through the better, but 12:00's the time you want to break. If we try to get out of here, Mr. Edwards, at 4.
Let's get through at noon. We might be that good with y'all. Yeah. Up next is the utilities department. It's led by Director Johnny Edwards. Their total budget is $94.4 $4 million 100% funded through the water and sewer fund which supports utility operations
and water sewer capital programs. They have 154.5 FTEES and we're proposing to eliminate one position moving into next year. You can see uh from FY25 to FY26 the total budget is being reduced by $3.3
million. Their base budget is a 0.8% increase that includes personnel and operating. If we focus just on the base operating budget excluding personnel, you can see that this budget absorbs inflationary increases and makes small reductions to chemical and maintenance budgets while
maintaining fundamental services. And with that, I'll turn it over to Johnny. All right. Thank you, Tim. Uh, good morning, Mr. Chairman and commissioners. I am Johnny Edwards, the utilities department director. Uh, with me your leadership uh, team and utilities is
Carrie Grind. She is our utilities business office division manager. Um, behind her we have Wanda Wilson who's our financial manager. Uh, David Orberg is our utilities engineering division manager and Dallas Smith is our
utilities operations division manager. Um, when the county departments got together to talk about seminal moments, uh, geared at efficiency and cost effectiveness, uh, one of the items that I talked about was our walk-in, uh, customer service center, uh, which
serves both utilities and solid waste and is shown there. Looks kind of like a bank. Um but um this uh you know trying to look at uh modernizing uh and making more cost-effective and and possibly improving the customer service that we
get out of this unit. Um I've never seen a a power company have a walk-in customer service center and I I know at least one large Central Florida water utility that does not. Um what we have is 10 customer service representatives that spend the majority of their day on
the phone talking to customers. Um but that is the the primary way in which they provide customer service is through the phone. Uh in response to COVID several years ago, we learned very well how to do this uh from remote locations. Um provide customer service via the phone. And we have a a service uh that
provides management with metrics. You know, how many calls do we get? How long does it take to answer a call? Uh how long do we spend on the phone? Uh what are the customers issues? Um these are things that um if if we were to consider allowing uh on a rotation basis some of
our customer service representatives to work from home uh and having a couple in the office uh we could reduce the space demands uh in our customer service uh area. Um on the on the walk-in side, we actually average about 14 walk-ins a
day. Uh that's how many people come in. 12 of those are there to pay their water bill in cash. Um, you know, I'm confident that uh working with other county departments and possibly constitutional officers uh offices,
there are other opportunities to allow customers to walk in and pay um at points of sale their water bill with cash um credit to their water account. It doesn't have to be at a centralized uh utilities customer service center. Um, so that would give customers
actually more choices on where they can pay their water bill for the dwindling uh pool of folks that actually need to pay in cash. Uh, for us, I would look at, you know, that freeing up poorly needed office space um for for us that we could utilize and not have to u
provide somewhere else to build or lease additional space. Um and and as we talk to other county departments um uh organizationalwide, you know, there are opportunities to maybe centralized customer service across all the county
departments to have one centralized one-stop shop u for customer service. Uh another thing that we talked about, um there's always a balance between uh work that we do um with our staff versus work that we contract out among
contractors and consultants. Um, a couple years ago, uh, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, uh, promulgated new Florida Administrative Code, which among the requirements, uh, mandated that, uh, sewer systems evaluate 25% minimum, uh,
of their sewer system every 5 years. Uh, we're looking at a target of closer to 10% just as a best management practice so we know what we have. Um, and we currently contract um CCTV um service uh through a contractor. Uh
we do have a county crew with equipment uh that is more uh response uh troubleshooting oriented. Um but if we were to, you know, bring that inhouse, hire our own crew, equip them. Um we could do that for roughly half the cost that we're paying the contractor with an
annual savings of about $200,000. uh on to major projects. Uh as the board knows, we've brought a few work sessions talking about our utilities master plan, which we will finish this year. We have a few more work sessions to go. The next one is scheduled for August 12th. So, um believe the next time the board meets,
uh we'll have an update um focus on a very couple a couple very specific topics. Um relocations and improvements with roadway and storm water projects. Um we're working with public works um on on the Oxford road improvements. are the utility stake in that project is on the
order of $10 million. Uh a couple other projects, the improvements in the rolling hills area. Uh we're working with public works and and parks on improvements in that area and and the widening of State Road 417. Um this is a project that the widening of the bridge
over Redbug Lake Road is going to necessitate our having to move a water man. Um so that's that's a project that we have coming up in the very near future. uh pump stations. These are sanitary sewer pump stations. Uh the beating heart, if you will, of the sanitary uh sewer system. Our staff uh
maintains does preventive maintenance on about 350 pump stations throughout the system. Uh when we have uh more extensive uh efforts, we'll group together um p uh pump stations and contract that out for a contractor to do
more extensive rehabs on pump stations. Uh right now with current and near-term projects, we have about $7 million allocated for that. Uh when we have a large master pump station like Hampton Parkmaster, uh we'll break that out into an individual project. And Hampton Park
is uh a project necessary, an upgrade for a pump station necessary to accommodate the uh the Reagan Center and nearby development um for increases in sewer flows in the area. Um we have a few other master pump stations that are slated for u upgrades in the near term
totaling about $9 million. Um program management uh the the board uh understands proactive investment in the utility to maintain the services the critical services that we provide and uh last year approved uh program management. Um this is a team of experts
helping our staff uh with a variety of of different things. One of those is uh to develop key performance indicators. Uh how to def defin defining and measuring key performance indicators uh not only for operations uh so that we can you know show our successes and
possibly hold ourselves accountable when improvement is needed uh but also for our projects as commissioner her uh indicated earlier. Are we on time? Are we on budget with our projects? Um you know we want we want to demonstrate um those numbers. um project execution. Um
you know, they're helping us uh clear out a a backlog, if you will, of of projects uh and and in some cases mentoring our younger, more inexperienced project managers um with with their projects.
Uh emergency power generators don't really need, I think, to explain what those are. Um, you know, when we have uh wide uh widespread power outages, um, usually resulting from the hword, which I'd prefer not to use, but I've heard it a few times today, uh, hurricanes. Um,
you know, we have emergency backup power at our plants to help us to continue to provide water. Um, we have them at our wastewater plants to continue to treat the wastewater at our pump stations, both stationary, um, and portable um,
emergency backup power. Uh so we invest um quite a bit of of funds in maintaining and replacing as those generators age out. Our treatment plants uh Greenwood Lakes, we'll talk about uh more specifically in in the upcoming work session that I mentioned earlier.
Uh but the board did approve uh are applying for state revolving funds um through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and response to Hurricane Milton. Um so we're um that we've applied for that uh those funds and are waiting D's response to that,
but considerable investment is needed uh at that plant. Um we'll also be talking about our our surface water um plant, the Yankee Lake water reclamation facility. Um and just for the record, a water reclamation facility facility. A
lot of people don't understand that is where we make reclaimed water out of wastewater. So that is a wastewater plant. Um that is what we mean by water reclamation facility. Uh and we have several uh advanced water treatment plants as well that also need uh renewal
and replacement um to continue to provide services outside the plants. Uh the distribution and collection system we have several projects um Reinhardt force uh Reinhardt road force main valves and meter. This is a project that we have uh ongoing to
um enable us to redirect wastewater flow uh that is currently going to Greenwood Lakes uh up to Yankee Lake where we have more capacity particularly uh during a storm event. Um Highland Pines, we just are finishing up um pipelining of
gravity sewer u and are going to implement soon uh the water uh distribution system portion of the project. um Carolon water and sewer mains. Uh these are pipelines that service mainly the Carolon area. Uh and
through a power easement um we need to redrill a couple mains um that uh have have been exposed to you uh or to minimize risk to those pipes. Uh couple budget highlights um and
challenges. I mentioned previously the uh utilities master plan where we will update um the CIP present that to the board um the projects that we need going forward for the utility. Um our billing software our antiquated billing software is actually out on the street right now.
Um, you know, we hope to get uh well, we will get improved software to both improve the customer experience, the the abilities um I guess you know that they have for payment options uh for their water bills, but also give our staff uh better tools to analyze data uh related
to water usage and billing. Um everything uh as you've heard before, everything is getting more expensive. So the construction on our projects the equipment um on the operation side you know we have pressure from inflation um
we buy power bills go up we have to pay it we buy services from other water and wastewater utilities uh their rates go up we have to pay it. Sodium hypocchlorite that is chlorine that is a chemical that we use at all of our water and wastewater plants. Um the price the
unit price for that has gone up over the last four years 217%. Uh anybody own a swimming pool probably feels that. Uh but that is we spend about a million dollars a year on chlorine alone. Um meter boxes have gone up over the same time frame over four
years about 191% and water meters themselves almost 60%. Um so we look for efficiencies. We always look for efficiencies uh that we can control within the department and implement them. Um Dallas in his short time with
us has identified um trying to uh look at the the materials and supplies that we uh warehouse, what we put on the vehicles for the field staff, uh the tools that we provide them. Um looking for ways to make that more efficient,
reduce waste um and and improve response time for our staff. Um we also have a new asset management system um that we got in part in response to the aforementioned uh D rule change. Um but it's putting in our assets into the
system so that management has better data uh can make more informed decisions and we know that cost efficiencies will result from that. Um, I'd also like to take a look at the monitoring frequency for emergency for emerging contaminants. Uh, to use actual data that we have now
to make more scientific uh, based decisions about how frequently we monitor for some of these compounds. Um, and with that, that concludes the utilities presentation. Thank you very much. Questions from the board.
I have a couple questions if I may, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Delari, thank you. Uh Johnny, I know we talked in the past about some of the uh lines that we've had in the field that has been broken by other agencies. We talked about recouping that. Uh I have not seen
anything in the line item of the budget that actually addresses that. Would we be seeing that at a future date? Um so I I don't know that that would be a line item in the budget necessarily. when we get when we have a strike on one of our mains uh and we know it's a contractor's fault, we can identify the
responsible party. Uh we work with risk management to file a claim and I know we had a a pretty large mean break on 426 a few months ago. Um we have um submitted the claim and I believe we're covered um at at this time we've recovered the expenses um for our labor our material.
Are we recovering 100% of it or just a a small percentage of it? That's it's 100% of the claim account. All right. Yes, sir. The other conversation you and I have had uh and I know it's this deals with on andm operation and maintenance with the INI ratings for both the system and
the plant which is the uh inflow and infiltration. Uh I know this could probably addressed in the master plan but presently how are we dealing with that and are we dealing with it in the budget because that's how you judge your operation and maintenance of your system. That's one of the ways you do it.
Yeah. So we we have uh implemented last summer we had a consultant come in and measure uh a substantial a little over a quarter of our system um with flow meters to to measure INI. We got a report, a 900page report uh just last
week that we're sifting through uh to help us quantify and understand the scope of inflow and infiltration and uh you know we know so we have programs in place uh such as the CCTV that I mentioned before but also smoke testing to find and fix the problems. Um but it
also helps to understand you know how much how much additional flow is going to the wastewater plants. Um so so as you as you indicated we will be looking at that in the master plan. We will um that's I've got several slides actually dedicated to that in our next work
session uh with the board. So we will be talking about INI in more depth. Absolutely. Thank you Johnny. You're welcome. Thank you very much. I don't see any further questions. We appreciate your diligence and making the efficiencies that you have. I think everybody's aware
that it's important that all departments are looking at those efficiencies and everything I've seen thus far shows that we are doing truly taking a hard look at that. I know it's it's sometimes tough to to do more with less, but that's the place we find ourselves with at this
point. So, thank you very much for your due diligence and trying to find that you and your staff. Thank you very much. Uh what's the pleasure of the board? Uh Miss Orberg, let's go. Can you can you be done by noon or do you need Let's go can be done by
She says that's up to us. Well, yeah. I can read her mind from back there. That's entirely up to us. We'll be quick. Up next is the environmental services department led by director Kim Orinberg.
The department's total budget is 21.8 million. They have 105.7 FTEEs with no changes going into FY26. 84% of the funding supports our landfill and transportation in the solid waste fund. General fund includes wershed
management and mosquito control. And the water and sewer fund supports our water policy division. The base budget uh you can see we have an increase of 1.2%. Uh the non-base we have an overall
reduction of 3.5 uh 3.4 million or 13.3%. U most of the capital and fleet um in the non-base section below are allocated towards our solid waste um functions. If we focused on just the base operating
budget, the largest reductions are in the solid waste fund, but this budget does include reductions in the general fund as well. This slide shows the current FY25 approved project budgets totaling $23.4 million.
This excludes uh a an open emergency PO that's related to Hurricane Milton. This shows that approximately 75 or 70% of the FY25 approved capital program has either been expended or encumbered as of July 2025. And with that, I'll turn it over to Kim.
Good morning. Kim Orinberg, uh the director of environmental services. And with me, I have Carrie Grin who serves dual duty as the uh finance person for both uh utilities and um so and environmental services. And on my left I
have Oliver Bond who's our solid waste division manager and I'm sure you've all heard he's a short timer with us unfortunately. So no I had not heard that really. He's moving back to England.
So he's got some big shoes to fill. But um we've got him for a few more months. So four years. I told him 2027. Right. Right. I think Christian said 2027 was his last. But also with me, um, Shannon Wetzel's not here. She's on
vacation. So, like John Slutzet, it takes a village. I have Thomas Calhoun, who's our, uh, lake management program manager. Teresa Jones, who's our mosquito control program manager, Joe Parish, who is over water quality uh,
program manager, and Key Carlton who is over our holistic water policy. Um, so with that environmental services, I'm sorry. Um, we um, that's fine. We'll go. We're good. You
guys know um, so our seinal moments, the things that we've been working on and developing um, as a result of that. Some of this has been going on for for some time. Um, you know, recycling fees. We're looking at right sizing the revenue. Um we are historically you all
know that this had been a money-m a gener revenue generating um source of funding for solid waste but over the past few years it has become a cost. So we're looking at reviewing our current
fees and revenues to um be set up operational sufficiency for this. uh our current uh recycling tipping fee per our admin code is set to zero because of the historic um revenue. It was really never
thought of that that would be a cost. So, we're looking at that. Our current uh normal solid waste uh tipping fee right now is $4163 a ton. So, we're looking at how we can rightsize that. And um as you as I said,
you know, processing costs have increased and commodity revenues have decreased. Although we did see a little bit of a spike this year earlier with our commodity u revenue, but that has since gone back to what it has been. So we'll be bringing this back um in a few
months to the board to to talk through this during budget work uh during a work session. Um, one of the other items we've found savings on is the solid waste trailers. We had a pilot project last year. The trailers uh reached the
end of their useful life and instead of replacing it with a new one, we found a company that would refurbish it at half the cost and basically extend its life, you know, twice as long for half of that. So, it was very successful. uh fleet and facility fleet um staff and
our staff both um thought it was a worthwhile investment and so we're expanding it this year. We expect to see about $200,000 in savings and we're expanding it more next year to hopefully see over $300,000 in savings.
We're also looking at modernizing all of our interlocal agreements um kind of globally. We have them in solid waste. We have the interlocal agreements for um which includes the recycling with the cities as well as ones in watershed management that are dealing with water
quality that we've had in place but we're updating and them and all making them more consistent and more easy to um revise as we see cost increase so we can we can appropriately cost share with with our partners on these. We're also
including in the water quality and lake manage or watershed management um interlocal agreement. We're expanding it to include also the holistic water policy and all of those components including our um our conservation um
program. And um so with with that we should see savings across the county and a global message and and have a better response through all of those. Um, additionally, as I'd mentioned, we continue to share our customer service and financial staff, which is Car's
group, with the utilities department, which has saved us additional FTEEs, and they continue to do a great job for us. Um, our highlights. So, we completed the expansion of our citizens dropoff area
out at the landfill this year, which doubled the size. The chairman was out there. It was it was it's a great it's a great project. Um it not only uh makes it easier and more appealing, but it's a safer uh environment for our residents to use out there at the landfill. Um we
also replaced one of the flares at the landfill. And I don't if you recall um that was agreed to as part of the uh renegotiated uh public private partnership we have with Nexterra that manages our gas to energy plant out at the landfill. And so
actually this $800,000 project didn't cost us anything. So, that was a win. Uh, and finally, our Little Wakiva restoration project that you all are aware that removed the sediments and vegetation along almost a mile of the Little Waka River and replanted it with
over 30,000 native plants and um trees on that section of river. And as a followup too, we um just recently found out uh thanks to Trisha, we got a uh $ 1.5 million legislative appropriation to
help with the funding of a um the design and construction of a sedimentation basin upstream of the project to hopefully avoid having this again. And we have the uh preliminary design and feasibility study underway right now.
And finally, one I did not include that I should have was our tipping floor refurbishment was which was long overdue and a great success this year. So, also as far as with our water policy and water conservation, you all I know are aware of the toilet rebate program
which we uh had 79 participants which uh saved 30 gallons per day per toilet which calculated out to over 865,000 gallons of water saved per year which is little tiny bits but they add up. And
also um with the water policy and and our enhanced water conservation under holistic water policy, we uh really expanded the use of H2O save, which I know many of you are very aware of, but this is a fantastic application
that was developed by the University of Florida that we partner with, which actually shows um you know, high well water use throughout our service areas and throughout the county. And so we can target our high water users. And at the time when we were putting these slides
together, we had uh we had targeted 392, which I'm sure it's significantly more by now. It's more by now, but but we can monitor um this this uh graph is an example um from the the application, but
we can monitor their use and we can see and track the reductions. And we're seeing an average of 250 gallons per day per household just by um targeting them to educate them to help with their setting their irrigation systems. And
then we can monitor after the fact and see that we are still seeing these reductions. So based on those numbers alone, the 392, we have over 35 million gallons of water that we're saving every year
and almost a $500,000 savings that our our customers are seeing. So this is a win-win for everyone. And this is an example of uh one of the things that we are working we have already started talking to the cities about to expand this program and and and help them to
utilize it and expand our our collaboration with them. And finally our um two master plans we're working on the solid waste master plan. This has been going on for a little while, couple of years, but we
expanded the um the capital improvement pro projects and the fleet replacement as well as staffing to to make it a more comprehensive document which is wrapping up now and we'll be bringing it back um to present to you this fall. And
finally, the uh water quality master plan which was just initiated and it will be a companion to the public works basin studies where this focus is more on structural and non-structural water water quality projects and and programs
that we will be um we could potentially implement to protect and enhance our our natural systems. And that is expected to be finished up next fall. And then lastly, our budget challenges. We just wanted to point out that the solid waste
fund reserves do not uh include countywide hurricane contingency. So it's a our our target isund 80 days of operating cost which is about $8 million. So um and finally our mosquito
control. Um it's a mighty program of about 10 people that do an amazing job across the entire county. And um but that is you know we've seen an increase in chemical costs of at least 9% this past year and I know it's significant over the last several years
but that's the reason that was the only base budget that we did not see flat or a reduction on. Um service requests have increased 36% this year and we've added we as we went back and calculated we've added 21,000 new addresses since 2018
with no additional staff. So, it's a small and mighty team, but they're up for the challenge and they do an amazing job. So, with that, finished questions. Seeing none, thank just one quick question. Mr. Delari,
Kim, with the transportation, I know a budget session back we talked about updating and replacing the fire suppression system uh in the transfer station. Has that happened yet? And if not, have we adjusted the budget to accommodate any new shortfalls or cost
to the budget for that? You said the fire system, sir. The the fire suppression system. Yes, sir. That's something that we're working uh with facilities on and that is in process and it's there's funding from previous year for that. So, so is there any because there's going to be an increase. Is that in this budget?
I think she just said it was previously funded. True, but there is no additional funding in this budget. over over time the cost goes up. So I just want to make sure we're going to be addressing that somehow. Yes. I mean that's just a fact. Mhm. And that project should be starting this
year. We're in the final phases. We're working with facilities for office relocation for some of the work things like that. So it's been a a long process, but I'm not I'm not criticizing the process. I just want to make sure that we have enough money or if there's anything
allocated because over the each year the cost of construction goes up and I just want to make sure that we're addressing it. That's all. Yeah, that's all. Okay. Thank you all very much. I just want to say dashboards.
Lots of stuff in both of your areas that are dashboard ready. They're just ripe for dashboards. On that note, we did we did work on a uh customer service dashboard for solid waste, identifying hot spots of where we uh see issues. Um we've been using that internally and I
think down the road that may be something that would become available for the public. Thank you. Holistic water policy and I want everybody to remember another word that was said again by the 33% that we control in administration county reduction.
Reduction. Commissioner Hawkart, I think you have so many different parts of your department that are critical to different folks at different times. Last night, I heard the mosquito spray truck go down my street and I could not have
been happier. It was music to my ears. So, kudos. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I, on the other hand, in my district, have come to understand mosquitoes are just part of living in the rural area. That's a choice we make. Guys, just get
bats like I have at my house. Just get bats. They're waiting in. All right, Mrs. Brown. Lori Bailey Brown. Six minutes till You got six minutes, Lori. That's a song that goes with that. These last two will be really quick.
Six minutes. Six minutes. Six minutes. No. No other children of the 80s in the room. 850s. Up next is the administrative services department which is led by director Lorie Bailey Brown.
The total uh department budget is $44.1 million. They uh the department manages a wide range of services. The MSBU programs include lake management, solid waste pickup, and street lighting. Internal service funds include workers
compensation and property liability where the county is self-insured. Uh the 10% of the general fund supports purchasing in our countywide print and mail services. There are 50.5 FTEES in the department and we're proposing to reduce two FTEEs for 48.5 moving into
FY26. The overall budget does show an increase of 1.4% or $623,000. Um we do anticipate that there will be a first public hearing adjustment to add grant funding before the uh budget is finally adopted.
This slide shows the department's base operating budget, excluding the countywide self- insurance funds and MSBUs. All of these programs have a general fund impact. And you see we have a budget reduction of 2.5% or $38,000. And with that, I'll turn it over to Lori.
Thank you, Tim. Hi, I'm Lori Bailey Brown, CFO and administrative services director for Simol County. I have with me my deputy director of administrative services, Steven Counz. And I'll recognize our managers. We have some new ones. Robert Bradley, our purchasing
manager, is here with us. Brian Schweitzer is a financial business administrator for fire services. We have George Woodring with our grants management program. And Ralph Caravello, our risk manager. Shane couldn't be with us with he's our new real estate
division manager. Um so with our org chart, we'll just go over uh administrative services. We've got a new name uh more clearly defining what we do uh which is really supporting all of the departments of the county as well as the constitutionals and any any other
assistance we can provide. The business office has those administrative uh business managers who assist in departments. We have our grants management program um which coordinates grants across countywide departments ensuring that
they are consistent and um up todate with the latest processes. Our mail center and print shop of course delivers all of the inter office mail throughout the county as well as incoming and outgoing. That's a team of four dieards who um deliver their service every day.
Our MSBU program of course assists the residents with their services they'd like to provide in their community. Um the biggest MSBU of course is our residential solid waste. So that assist environmental services, purchasing and contracts of course is
making sure that our process of procuring goods and services are is transparent and consistent. uh our new real estate division. I'm going to let Steve give you some highlights uh budget highlights on our new division there. And of course, risk management uh
handles our workers comp and property liability self-insured programs. Good. I'll speak on our seinal moments. Um included in our retreat discussions was uh the idea of urban wealth funds.
It's a hot buzzword with the government finance officers association with their putting assets to work program. They've had a few cohorts come through with local governments uh coming together with experts in the industry to identify
assets that could be used uh to generate revenue. Uh it's a great program and I wanted to bring that to the board's attention during the budget work session. If you're interested in finding out more about those uh governments that are participating now and what they've
been able to do or finding out more about how we'd like to get involved, um it's it's just an opportunity to work with what we've got and thinking about it in new ways, our assets. Uh we also
discussed AI uh for call center um uh receiving calls, understanding residents uh queries and organizing those queries that could be answered with information that might already be available on the website or understanding a group of
questions that are coming through that could be um answered with information that's pushed out. Um, this is something that many counties are looking at doing to organize more the collection of information that comes through a call
center. Um, now I will turn it over to Steve for some budget highlights. All right, first thing we'll talk a little bit about uh real estate. So, again, we uh we're setting up the new real estate division. We've got four positions plus a a new real estate manager and and Shane has actually been
appointed to the rightway committee for um the expressway authority. So, he's at training today for that. Um but we uh have set that up and and Shane and I both being new to the to the real estate. We are getting up to speed with what the priorities are currently including uh the Midway project and
trying to uh new set of eyes looking at that and trying to get some of those uh issues wrapped up and and and out of the way so we can keep that project moving including um as well as we're looking at some of the other uh other priorities uh such as Orange Boulevard um and and
keeping those moving forward. uh our next step will be uh meeting with Darren and looking at the the long-range goals for the division and and really understanding what the what the vision is for it and and starting to move those those things forward. Um going to talk a little bit about we've uh we have
reduced a few positions um within the division. Again, we we did have a decrease in our general fund budget. So, we reduced a part-time position in uh purchasing and contracts and one in the MSBU program. And then I also want to highlight a few other things that that
have happened over over the course of the last year. Um first of all, uh purchasing and contracts. We've had a little bit of change. I was in I was in the manager position and then Robert has moved into that position. Uh but we've had a lot going on. Uh we uh had the purchasing policy and ordinances uh
updated last fall. Uh we've done some very uh specialized and complicated solicitations over the last year, including microransit, which we talked about earlier. Um uh that was very unique and uh and it was a it was actually a challenge but it
was uh very interesting uh from a procurement standpoint. Um and then we've done uh five construction manager at risk solicitations including Rosenwald, CJC, fire stations on call and rolling hills. Uh so we've moved those into the next phase where
facilities, parks and public works are working through those as far as uh working with those contractors and and putting those GMPs together. So those will be things that you'll be seeing seeing in the future. Um uh we also u the grant management program has also
revised their grant management policy which introduced a grant manual with countywide procedures uh for application and execution uh management and closure of county grants. Uh and this program the program has been training on the countywide procedures uh with the
departments. Um and with that um that concludes our presentation. Thank you very much. Questions? I do want to tell you that I'm surprised you didn't bring up the $3.3 million that uh you saved our taxpayers by
identifying that one of the bonds needed to be refinanced early that saved the taxpayers $3.3 million. So, thank you and Tim very much for working that through. Good stuff. Thank you. And the fact you've cut your budget. Good work. Thank you very much.
Awesome. Good stuff. All right. Um, let's go ahead and break until 1:30. We'll come back. Mr. Jex will be up. Enjoy your lunch. We'll be in recess till 1:30. Part: 2
Duh. All right, folks. We're back on at 1:30 again. The dates July 22nd, 2025, Semino County Board of County Commission meeting. We're going to pick up where we left off this morning. Mr. J, you're up, sir.
Thank you, commissioners. Up next is our administration department. This is led by Darren Gray, our county manager, and Kate Lour, our county attorney. County attorney's office reports directly to the board. And then we have our county manager's office which is above the office of management budget,
human resources, communications office, and economic development and tourism. Total budget for the department is $51.8 million. You can see that 70% of that is related to our countywide health insurance fund, which is an internal service fund to pay for our medical
claims. The general fund includes the board, county attorney, county manager, human resources, and OM. And approximately 10% of the funding is related to tourism and the economic development offices. There's 74.5 FTEEs in the department and we're county manager is proposing to eliminate two of
those positions for 72.5. The total increase for the department is 6.4 million. But of that 6.2 million is related to our health insurance fund. If you focus on the base operating budget excluding the health insurance fund, the overall department budgets
being reduced by 86,000 or 1.9%. And this does not include savings from the additional two FTEEs being eliminated. Moving on to seminal moments for the department. Uh we provided a cost analysis in your supplemental package behind your uh PowerPoint presentation
to talk about the savings generated from the transition of fixed route buses to ondemand public transit. As you know, the county is transitioning a majority of its fixed routes to an ondemand service. We believe that will provide better service to our residents. This slide, however, focuses on the financial
side of the transition. The general fund support to links bus system has grown from $7 million annually to $17 million since 2020. And we were looking at 15% increases in 2026 and another 15% increase in 2027.
We have saved 82,000 service hours by transitioning from links uh in the analysis. And if you multiply those hours by the funding partner rates charged by links, you'll see we're looking at a savings of about $10.6 million uh on the links side of the equation. And that number would grow
each year as the funding partner rate grows. The fiscal year 26 budget includes a true net savings of $2.2 million. That includes the overlapping service of uh keeping the link service the same for three and a half months and then also
implementing the estimated cost of the ondemand service. And moving forward, we expect an ongoing net annual savings of over $3 million per year. Another se seinal moment includes the implementation of AI tools within the county. We're working with a graduate
student policy analyst to review our budget and identify savings opportunities. We're currently considering recommendations related to medical claims, workforce optimization, and leveraging new technologies. We're also working with a vendor to review existing county information for internal
barriers to AI implementation. They're helping us uh they're setting up meetings with key stakeholders to prioritize opportunities. They're going to draft AI guidelines and processes and they will eventually deliver a roadmap for us to take advantage of those opportunities. That concludes the presentation for
administration department. Any questions? Mr. J. Seeing none, move on. Me. County budget overview. Yes. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Baron Gray. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman and
commissioners, and good afternoon. It is my desire that today's departmental presentations provided you with a countywide view of our proposed fiscal year 26 budget. As you know, this just didn't start today. We started back in January. We also had a retreat with the
board in March. The county leadership met in April. We met with our constitutionals, most of our constitutionals in May at a a work a budget work session. In June, we had the general fund departments present. And today, finally, we had all of our non-
general fund departments present to the board. We are here today because of the challenges we're facing are not new. Rising transit costs, state mandates without funding, inflation, and
increasing costs in public safety personnel have led and compounded an ongoing structural imbalance to our general fund, which you all know is our main operating fund. As we've discussed throughout these workshops and going back to our strategic planning retreat
in March, county revenues have been flat or declining over the last several fiscal years. Even as our population continues to grow, that disconnect forces difficult choices. We must either reduce our services or identify new
revenues that allow us to keep up with demand. That's why we started this process early. Again, back in January, I met with each of you to preview the forecast. And then in April, we brought together the leadership team from across
the organization for a full-day workshop focused on cost-saving ideas and efficiencies. For the first time, we also included our constitutional offices. And in the early budget discussions, that coordination helped align the
entire organization around the fiscal realities ahead and ensured we approached this process with transparency, clarity, and a shared purpose. The slide in front of you right to today
shows you the county uh budget overview. The proposed fiscal year 26 budget totals approximately 1.23 23 billion which is up from just under 1 billion last year. This increase is not about expanding government. It's about
maintaining essential services in the face of rising costs. That includes personnel, transit, insurance, and basic infrastructure materials like road, asphalt, and fleet equipment. We're keeping pace with the population growth
while maintaining while excuse me while remaining responsible stewards of our taxpayer dollars. The use of our county funds. This is countywide. This slide breaks down how unrestricted
countywide funds are used. Public safety, infrastructure, and general government continue to make up the bulk of these expenditures, and they remain areas of rising cost pressures. As the board knows, we operate over 100 or
actually at 134 active funds across 14 departments with 72 programs. Behind every line item is a service residents rely on. The next slide focuses on our advalorum. Our advalorum property taxes are our
primary support in our general fund, which again is our main operating fund. This fund is where we pay for emergency medical services, the sheriff's office, courts, and the general government operations. As demands increase, these dollars are being stretched further
every year. We're working hard to balance service needs with long-term sustainability. our challenges. These are the core issues we've been addressing all year. An inflationary environment, growing personnel costs, especially in public
safety, significant unfunded mandates uh from the state, our mass transit costs, and the long-standing structural imbalance in the general fund. These pressures are not new, but they're they have grown more acute and they require
action. This slide shows some of the most impactful cost drivers in this in this year's budget. Our energy costs are up 17%. Our mass transit costs are up 13%. Road materials 13%.
insurance claims, fleet equipment, public safety compensation are all rising at doubledigit rates. None of these increases are optional. They are the price of continuing the same level of service. Just wanted to talk to you about some of
the state unfunded mandates. Our general fund will absorb an estimated 150 million in unfunded state mandates in our next year's budget, fiscal year 26. These include everything from Medicaid and indigent care to emergency
communication, juvenile detention, and emergency 911. We are required by the state or to fund these services, but we are doing so with limited tools. We also have obligations
uh in our budget. In addition to the mandated services, we're also managing long-term obligations like debt service, CRA contributions, again, our mass transit and public safety communication infrastructure. These are commitments we've made and they must be factored
into every budget decision. So, addressing our challenges, one of the most important parts of addressing our budget challenges this year has been early and ongoing coordination. not only with our departments but with our constitutional officers. From the
beginning of this process, we've shared our financial outlook and emphasized the need for realistic and sustainable budget planning across the organization. These conversations started months ago, not just during the budget season, so that everyone had time to review
priorities, ask questions, and work toward a common goal. This level of engagement is a shift from previous years and reflects a countywide commitment to be part of the solution. This board knows what we have been
working on this year is our efficiency improvements that we call seinal moments. In April, we hosted a full-day efficiency workshop with our county leadership. We called it seminal moments. Together, we generated 42 actionable, cost-saving strategies.
Ideas that came from the people who know our operations the best. Many of these ideas are already in motion. They're not just about cutting. They're about improving how we serve our residents and business community.
Some of the changes already that are in uh that are underway include energy efficiency improvements, right sizing our fleet, as you heard even today, consolidating customer service and accounting functions, converting some of
our public safety radios to cellular, and transitioning our fixed route buses to the scout ondemand service. These are just not across the board cuts. They are a smarter way of doing business. Have you seen over the last couple
workshops, all 12 of our what I call board of county commissioner departments, the departments that report to me and to the board submitted a flat or reduced base operating budget for fiscal year 26. These were targeted
reductions, not blanket cost cuts developed in response to early guidance and aligned with long-term sustainability. We appreciate the discipline shown in every department during this process. And I just want to pause right here. You all have seen this. You've made a couple
comments. I am so proud of our department directors that dug in deep this year and they knew the challenges that we were having, especially, you know, working with the board early on in this year. overall. Now, there are some non-EP department non uh general fund departments in here, but overall our
general fund um departments and including our other departments, we've only increased our budget by 1.3%. So, I just want to make that note uh to the board. On the personnel side, we're also proposing to eliminate 10 positions in
fiscal year 26, primarily through attrition. These decisions were made in collaboration with department leaders with an emphasis on preserving essential services and managing costs strategically. So how does this break down what we've
been doing this over year? And again just want to emphasize what we have been doing all this year. This just did not come up over the summer. Again we again as you all know we started months ago back in January. So here's the bottom line. what we've done this year. 5.4 million
in fiscal year 26 efficiency savings that you saw in our similar moments, 3.8 million in personnel budget reductions, 2.8 million in base operating budget reductions, 25 million in capital project deferrals,
39 million is forecasted savings over the next five years. This is what responsible budgeting looks like. It's just not about balancing the numbers. It's about improving how we serve. And before I turn it over to Mr. JS, I also want uh you all had asked me to work
with the constitutionals um from last month to have them take a second look at their budgets. We've received um information from all of them. The one that came back that is looking to reduce the sheriff did come back and said that he would reduce by another $900,000 um
dollar. So, I'll have Mr. JS present that in in his uh updated numbers. So, Mr. Chair, if there's any questions for me or I can turn it over to Mr. J. Any questions for Mr. Gray at this point? Seeing none, Mr. J. I just have one quick question for the
county manager if I may. In development services, uh I may have missed it, but I didn't see the projections of the 104 fund that you're talking about the building fund, correct? Yes. Yes. Just for the public purposes that they know what that is. So, we are monitoring that. It is.
Can we can we see the projections of it? Sure, I can get that to you. Absolutely. Thank you. And uh anything else? That was it, Mr. County Manager. In the supplemental information we provided today, we did include a uh projection of revenues and expenditures for the building fund.
Yes. So, now we're going to move on to the general fund overview. We're going to start with revenues, then we'll touch on expenditures, the structural balances, and revenue opportunities. These numbers uh match exactly with the general fund forecast provided on page 16 of your
work session document with the exception of the additional $900,000 reduction from the sheriff. So the looking at the revenues, the first five revenues are all of our major revenues. Then we have miscellaneous revenues and one-time revenues. So for fiscal 25, we have $335 million. Fiscal
26, we're projecting that to grow to 345.6 million, an increase of 10.6 6 million. This is a snapshot of all of the expenditures and where they're being used. It shows uh the public safety makes up $221 million, which is
approximately 64 65% of the revenues. Transportation costs include mass transit as well as a transfer to the transportation trust fund to support roads, traffic, and bridge maintenance. General includes 11 million for BCC administration. There's $30 million for the constitutional officers including
the cur clerk, tax collector, property appraiser and supervisor of elections and the rate remaining 17 million is for development services and fleet and facilities. I'm going to retouch on the unfunded mandates within the general fund. There's 12 unfunded mandates that were
identified by the Florida Association of County that are imposed on seminal county by state and federal governments. The total amount um is 154 million. of that 147 million is paid to the general fund. Uh the spike in fiscal year 25 is
related to construction costs for the new court annex building and you can see we've seen an increase of about $70 million uh since 2019. Additional to the unfunded mandates the county has obligations uh debt service obligations CRA um we have agreements
related to mass transit public safety radio support for our firefighters and sheriff's office. Uh the total general fund cost of these services is estimated at about $23 million. So this focus on general fund reduction,
we had $1 million in FTE reductions and $5 million in seminal moment efficiencies. Those numbers came from the $63 million and $15 million in green below. We also had an additional $1 million in base budget reductions and
the sheriff's $900,000 reduction comes out of the $229 million for constitutional officers. This $7.9 million in reduction does not include any other reductions that might have been made before the budgets were submitted to the board.
So the next few slides will be around our structural balance. The first slide is a simple snapshot that shows the revenues going from 335 up to 345 million uh and the expenditures going from 354 to 379. The 25 budget did have
a structural deficit of 20 million. So the new FY26 structural balance is negative $34 million. This slide shows a 2-year snapshot of our adopted budget from fiscal 24 to fiscal 26. The first row shows revenues
over that time. The next section shows our constitutional officer budgets and the final uh that the line below there, the non-constitutional transfers includes all other budgets under the BCC. So if we focus on FY26,
you can see the clerk's transfer going to 6.1 million. That's a 6% increase. The sheriff's transfer going from 179 to 195.1. That includes their $900,000 reduction. that that's an 8.5% increase. The tax collector's budget is based on a
formula per state statutes tied to advorum taxes, but their increase is approximately 6%. The property appraisers increase is 4.6% and the SOE's budget is affected by election cycles, but their FY25 to FY26 adopt
budget is growing by 14%. If you go to the next line, all other non-constitutional transfers, this includes BCC personnel, operating budgets, projects, and unfunded mandates are growing from 152 to 154 million.
That's a $2 million increase or 1.3%. This slide shows uh the growth in revenues and expenditures since fiscal year 21. That year was uh the last normal year before we had the large increase in inflation. You can see over that time total general fund revenues
grew by 37.1% from 252 to 346 million. Constitutional officer transfers and the support of the jail grew by 70 million or 44%. BOCC operating budgets, projects and mandates grew by 37.4%.
And then at the bottom you can see other agencies that have come online since 2021. And you see the structural deficit of 34 million. As far as revenue opportunities to fill the deficit, the current general fund advalorum
millillage is 4.8751 mills. One mill would generate $54.4 million at 95% collection. We're going to be presenting the trim agenda item to uh move that uh millillage along here shortly. And the FY26 proposed budget includes an
increase of 27.2 million based on that.5 mil increase. This slide is an attempt to compare the millages of our surrounding counties. Semino County has a simple millage structure with the BCC le levying a
general countywide millillage, a fire millage, and a small roads millillage. You can see that other agencies have a library mill, a law enforcement mill, and mosquito control millillage, etc. All of those are paid through the county's general fund here at Semino County. So, at the bottom, we attempted
to add up all of the millage rates that that uh and and compare them to each other. You can see county has the second lowest millage in the area. However, Lake County assesses a fire fee of $415 per property, which equates to approximately 1.1 mills based on their
current countywide valuation. So, if we exclude the fire fund and just look at the general fund and the small roads millillage, Semino County has the lowest millage in the area. And with the 0.5 mil increase, we would still be below all the other counties.
This slide shows a millage history going back to 1991. You can see that throughout the 90s, the county's general fund millillage went from 5.4 down to 4.9989, where it remained until 2007. In fiscal year '08, the state of Florida enacted
property tax reform and the county's millage was reduced to 4.35. Fiscal year09, property values fell and there was a small roll forward in the rate to 4.5. Fiscal year 10, the county increased to 4.9 mills. That was at the same time we
had eliminated 190 FTEES and then in fiscal year 11 we reduced it to 4.8751 which was below the level that it was at prior to the property tax reform. Now I'm going to move on to our truth
and millage presentation. This is part of our annual trim process as defined by chapter 200 of the Florida statutes. Per statute, the board is required to inform the property appraiser of the current year millage, the roll back rate, the proposed millage rates, and
the date, time, and place of the public hearing where these rates will be approved. These rates are not being finally approved today. They will be included in the notice of proposed property taxes sent out by the property appraisers office in August. These will be the maximum amounts that can be presented for final approval at the
public hearing. The millage rates shown on the screen represent the figures that were used in the proposed work session budget. The countywide millillage is 5.3751 mills, an increase of 0.5 ms over the current millillage. The proposed fire
MSTU is 2.7649 mills and the proposed road MSTU is 0.1107 mills. Both the same as the current millillage. That concludes my presentation on the millage rates.
Great. Any questions of Mr. JS? If I could add one one thing, Mr. Chairman, thank you. Um, and so the requested action in front of you is to set our millage rate so that it would be sent out to all the property owners in Simino
County. So what you're doing today is just setting the millage rate and then we are required by state statute to have two budget public hearings which um all municipalities and counties in the state of Florida have to do and that will be in September. Those those dates and
times are already published. Uh you can see when ours are um in September. on September the 10th is our first budget public hearing at 5:30m and then our final budget public hearing and adoption is on September the 23rd, 2025. Once you
set the millage rate and it's sent on the trim notices to the property owners, when you come back in September to vote on the budget, you can always reduce the millage rate at that time, but you cannot increase the millage rate at that time after it's been advertised. And that's all I have.
Great. Any questions for Mr. JS or Mr. Gray? I do ask Go ahead, Commissioner Lockhart. I just want some clarification. I know we're talking just about um the advalorum in in today's conversation with this trim vote, but there's also as
a part of the structural balance of the budget a proposal to increase um utility tax and gas tax. Um could could we just for the sake of the public and because a lot of these conversations were had in
prior meetings and there may be people tuning in now that hadn't had the benefit of that prior conversation. Can we touch on those two items as well? Sure. And I'll let Mr. Jex uh explain those and those will be coming at the first meeting in August to the board
through ordinances. But with that, Mr. J, can you you could just explain what the utility tax is, who pays it, and because there is some confusion on the utility tax that it's not on water and sewer. Yep. I'll start with the gas tax because that's the slide that I have in front of me. Um, so the county currently levies
10 cents per gallon of gas tax that generates about $15.3 million. It's utilized to uh pay for operating maintenance on our roads and bridges. We have an option to levy an additional 5 cents per gallon that would generate approximately $1.1 million per penny
that could be used towards capital or towards mass transit. The um the when when that levy was first allowed by the state of Florida in 1988, I believe um it gas was around 80 cents
a gallon. It represented around a 6.7% um tax on a gallon of gas. Now at $314, it's below 2% um tax and that the county currently um transfers from our general fund to support mass transit. So this
tax would directly impact uh the structural balance shown on the screen. Could I ask a followup? It's not shown on this. Go ahead. Um who what other cities in Semino County currently levy the 5 cents? Because this is not just a county tax, it's a city
tax as well. Correct. This would be a countywide tax. Um, so the the 5 cents per gallon is not currently levied anywhere in Semino County. The I'm sorry, the county the surrounding counties that levy the 5 cents.
Um, Valuchia County levies it. Okay. Um, and Hillsboro County levies it. Orange County does not. Um, Lake County does not. Okay. Can I have a followup with that question as well? Certainly, Commissioner Glory. Thank you. So that tax is going to be
countywide. Correct. That's correct. So that would also be distributed by state statute to the seven cities. Correct. That's correct. Okay. What has the city's been involved in? Because we can do an interlocal agreement with them. There is no inlocal agreement for that money at this time
because that has to be done by June. So if it's not done by June, then it goes back to the state formula and then it gets distributed to the seven cities. Correct. What input have we had from the seven cities and what would they be using the funds for? The uh the revenues, it's a countywide
revenue. It would be distributed based on recent history of transportation expenditures. If there is not an interlocal agreement, if we have an interlocal agreement, the county can decide with the cities what the percentage split would be. Uh and the revenues must be used on either capital or on mass transit. Okay.
But what I guess the question that I have is it may be to the county manager. what cities have talked to us about that and what would they plan on using it for? And as you all know, you all gave me direction back in March at your retreat to go talk to the cities. In fact, the chairman and I um you know, we meet
monthly with all the mayors and the city managers of all the cities and the school board superintendent, we um through the the we we had the idea out there to help us with our transportation costs and expenditures. They were all um on board unless chairman if they no one
uh said anything against it. Now what we were wanting to do is enter and into enter a lo local that would actually help with all of our mass transit throughout the whole county. They weren't ready for that yet. However, they wanted to see what if the county moved forward on the 5-cent uh gas tax
then we our commitment back to them was to come back to them and come up with uh the the plan and working with the cities. But if they don't agree, then they still get the money. Correct. They they get their piece. Okay. Based on the state formula and depending upon their size in the form, it could be anywhere between 7
800,000. Correct. Depending. Right. Right. Follow up. Commission. What is the projected um revenue from the 5 cents? So the countywide projection is 8.8 million. um based on the current 6 cents
that we currently levy, if we got a similar percentage to that, the county would receive 5.5 million for all 5 cents. Okay. And then the cities would get approximately the rest, which was 3.3 million. 3.3 million.
Okay. All right. That's helpful. And then the utility. Utility. Yes. So, uh the county also has an opportunity. Uh we currently levy 4% utility tax. Um it's also known as a public service tax. It's a levy on
electric bills, water bills, propane, natural gas. It has nothing to do with the county's water utility system. Uh we currently levy 4% and we have the option to go up to 10%. So the proposed budget does include that increase to 10%. Uh it
would generate approximately $2 million per percent, so about $12 million, just a little over that. Um and that is including the proposed budget and uh commissioners um and chairman um all the cities seven cities in Lake County are at the 10% except for Alimont
they're at 8%. Um so one of the options the ideas that the staff and I looked at when we brought to you at the retreat I did we did not want to present something and know you all didn't want this either is to put the burden on the property tax or the property owner. So we had a
discussion of what what we could do to bring in additional revenue into the county because as you know we have so many restrictive revenue sources that come into this county. As I said we have 134 funds. I call it as 134 checkbooks that you could only spend it on a
particular item that the state has has put in statute. So we looked at non-restricted revenues and that's what we went through at our retreat in March. And these are the three that are that were available for us to use. Now the gas tax as you is restricted. It can
only be used for you know transportation costs or mass transit. We know we spend a a lot of dollars in our general fund on mass transit. So this would be would help um diversify our revenue sources in the general fund. So if I so if I'm a resident and I live
in a city right now, I am in a city limits. Am I currently paying the maximum utility tax? All cities aside from Alimont, Alultimont pays 8%. All of the other cities are at 10%. So the only people who are not paying the full 10% in the county right now are
I'm sorry, the full 10 cents are those who live in the unincorporated areas. Correct. That's correct. Okay. I I think there is a a there's a I think people who live in the cities think that they will have an additional
tax on top of what? Right. Um, one of the things that we talked about regarding the gas tax earlier was um, you know, how is that going to impact your price at the pump? And what I think we all learned through talking to people
in the private sector and and through our own driving around town is gas price is not um, set based on the tax that's levied. It's based on who's on the other corner. it it's a it's a corner competition of
of how that seems to be set and that um there doesn't seem to be any correlation of the tax that's levied and and the price of the pump. So that was one of the reasons I think we all said that we were interested in in looking at that. Just just Mr. Con just to be clear our
most uh you know our immediate neighbor Orange County and and you said it was up on the screen but this has been up on the screen not not not not anything on the thing and I think I would love to see that on the screen but right now just so everybody understands Orange
County is is is levying 10% 10 cents correct commissioner um if we look at Valuchia County they are levying the 5 and as of uh about 3 weeks ago their average price per gallon was $38. Semino County does not levy the 5 and
our average price per gallon is $3.14. Um, when we did the review of the different counties and who levied and who did not, there did not seem to be a lot of correlation between the tax and the price. The price was set by the market. I understand that and that's what I was saying. What does Orange County do? They
do the 5 cents. Orange County does not. Okay. Thank you. So Tim, if you could go to um there's not a page now where it's a structural balance where it shows the adopted revenues and expenditures.
Make sure we've got the right one. I think the slide actually has an 84 is the number at the bottom right. Is this the slide, Commissioner? Well, yours is not identical to mine. You got an extra on yours. Little box to
the right. I added that. But other than that, other than that, yeah, it's it's right because I've got multiple slides per page the way that mine is on the computer. So, real quick, I want to make sure that I
understand this right. And I want to preface this by making sure that our our friends, the constitutional officers, understand this is not an attack on any of them. It's just the facts. Each constitutional and the BCC we have our
own set of circumstances uh that market pressures come to bear upon different things we have to provide different statutory requirements etc etc. So, if I'm doing the math right, it looks
like the BCC's portion is about 33 34% of the entire budget. That is the board of county commission. Correct. About a third. Yes. And the proposed increase is 1.3%.
Yes. Yes. Correct. Which is lower than the current cost of living. inflation. Yes. And the adorumies and inflation. Tell me what the constitutional
officers percentages are again. I know you you covered it very quickly. Um let's start with the clerk. The clerk's increase from FY25 to FY26 is about 6%. Okay. Um and the sheriff's amount is
8.5%. and the tax collector approximately 6%. And the property appraiser 4.6%. And the supervisor of elections 14%. Okay. So, we have to fund those. I mean, we're we're mandated to fund those.
Um, and again, there are different market pressures for each of those. I know by example uh on the sheriff's side, I mean, public safety cannot hire police officers and the the market pressures that have come to bear on law
enforcement. Uh we just had uh we found out earlier today, city of Ovido, I think, has now gone to $68,000, right? Uh per police officer u minimum. Yeah. And you know, we've had several of the other cities that are well into the
60s now. We've got the surrounding counties. So, so I don't begrudge the fact that we we have to be competitive on the sheriff's side to do what needs to be done for public safety. Of course, we've got firefighters, which we're in negotiation with right now, and so
forth. But I but I think it's important we point out it's 1.3% that BCC is less than a third of the overall budget. Um and of course the sheriff has come back and cut almost a million dollars out uh
of the budget. And so in full transparency again and and this has been the flavor since I pretty much arrived here and I always put it akin as the parents are the last one to get new
shoes. Uh once again we are at the BCC level uh doing less funding than we are on the mandatory funding we have to do for our constitutionals and and other unman mandates that don't come with any money.
So I want to make sure that there's clarity on that and does that sound like that's pretty much correct Mr. J? Yes. And Mr. Mr. Chairman, if I could just point out one thing on the supervisor of elections transfer, it is a 14% increase as you know that's on cycles cycles, right?
And it's an election year. So there's always higher in the election and then they will it will go back down. Like I said, I'm I'm not begrudging or pointing in full transparency the facts and they all need to have the right employees. They all need to provide the services. I
get that. Um, but at the end of the day, regardless of all that, this group's budget is increasing by 1.3%. Correct. Correct. Okay. And I go back and I look at multiple years. If I look
at multiple years, there's been some pretty good increases outside of our BCC budget, which have not tracked with our budget. Um, and again, those are market pressures, and again, I get it. uh you know, when it comes to public safety, um you know, I I I can support
that 100% all day long as to why people people don't want to be police officers for starting pay of $57,000 a year. Um so that's just a matter of fact. So the the next question I've got is
we haven't talked about alternatives, cuts, so I want to go to page uh 85. when we see expenditures. Um, the only one that I would say before before Commissioner Constantine loses
his mind over here, uh, seminal forever, $4 million. That's not something we're mandated and have to fund if the funds are not there. Is that correct? Correct. parks and recreation, libraries,
we do not have to we mandated to fund any of those? No. But we have to keep the roads open. You got to provide public safety. You got to have firefighters. You got to have police. Um so it comes down to
what are the alternatives? What what can you cut? And my argument is when it comes to libraries and some of the fars and the seminal forever, you don't have enough in the budget to begin with, right? To to provide the high level of service
that our citizens quite honestly deserve and most of them demand, right? Um, so unless I'm missing something here, is there anything else that can be cut? Not without affecting services. Okay.
All right. All right. I have no other questions on that. Anybody else have any questions? Commissioner her, just some general comments. I'll pick up where you left off, Chairman Zimbau. The the fact of the matter is is that we can't cut our way out of this. Uh no
matter how I look at it, we literally could sell three golf courses. Don't Nobody panicked. Sell three golf courses. Not fund seinal forever. get rid of the libraries. And that's one-time revenue. When you sell an
asset, it doesn't get you out of a recurring expense. And the recurring expenses are absolutely funding the community's way of life. It is our safety. It is our ability to to transfer from one location
to another, to get to work, to get to play, to get to live. Um it is our clean water. It is all of the things that we were put here to do. So, at this point, I mean, just simple look going through this entire budget and I have a binder here
with 7,000 sticky notes on it that they've been gracious enough to go through. We can't cut our way out of this. What I would tell you though is that the time to cut was when we decided to do things.
And so we need to fix where we are now from a structural balance perspective and then we need to be effective in our decision making going forward so that we're not here again 5 years from now and that applies to us and that applies
to the constitutional officers as well. And so my perspective is that we have a difficult decision to make here without a doubt. Um, but the reality is the reality. I would also say that we've also witnessed two different
methodologies of budget building and the county's team was and it's a timing difference. It's really probably not a methodology difference. I think everybody built the budgets the same way, but the county's team started early and was tasked with
giving an initial submission and then getting it turned back to them before we ever saw the first round of it. Yes. And that doesn't happen with the constitutionals. The constitutionals come forward and then it goes back. So you see cuts coming back. the sheriff
was gracious and came back with us a cut where the our county staff did that in advance which was appreciated because that allowed us the time to spend on the other budgets as they came in. So that was I I that's the first time we've ever
done it that way as aggressively as it was done and I appreciate that. I would also tell you that seinal moments is a continuous quality improvement methodology. you've nicknamed it something different. Um, and I appreciate the the the play on
words there, but it is not one and done. And so you're nodding and you're saying correct. For the record, this is an ongoing project that continues to look at efficiency opportunities and the ability to improve quality and reduce cost,
which seems like it might be counterintuitive, but it's not. That is a reality. And so that work has has been I think amazing and amazingly transparent. So I would also thank you for that. Um as I looked at it I think
the county's budget came forward with purchasing language a baffo best and final offer at the beginning and the others we worked through. So I think the process has been um has been commendable regardless of the fact that we've ended up at a difficult position. I would also
say that we cannot forget that we are dealing with market pressures that are still coming out of that damn pandemic and the reality of all of the federal money that came falling from the skies
and the impact that that had on the act the the on finances everywhere and inflation and every single thing we do is impacted by that. So to some degree we're right sizing. We're having to rightsize because of of factors that
were out of our control. Some of the factors though were in our control and that's where we have to pay attention going forward. And I'll leave it at that. Uh well well put you know that this should not be a novel idea to us. I
think it was in 2020. Yes. 22 23 budget year when our people told us we were going to have to make some changes and it was going to come quicker than we ever wanted it to happen. We were able because of the ARPA money to
work our way through. Um the cost of goods uh cost of labor has continued to escalate. uh we've seen now where we're uncertain what FEMA dollar dollars will even come our way, which is a whole another issue that we'll have to deal with. If the feds decide they're going
to leave it on the state or leave it to us here locally, uh that could be a significant impact when it comes to recovering after a hurricane, where that funding is going to come from. And and I've had a lot of folks send emails about, well, spend down spend down the
reserves. Well, we've been spending down the reserves now for about five, six years. Um, and so, you know, you get to the point where there is no reserves and then you then you've got a problem. Uh, I've been an advocate of spending spending down
the reserves as many of you know, and I've I've agreed that we get to the the three or four month threshold to keep keep the doors open and and I'm I'm satisfied at that point. But the reality is, you know, when when I look at it from a business perspective,
this business, this government has been incurring the rising costs of everything for the last four to five years and have not passed that along. Well, those chickens come home to roost and that chicken is now home. Um, and we've got
some tough decisions to make whether we have increases or we cut services. And I'm sure we're going to hear from the public. There's some that, you know, could care less about parks and recreation, could care less about libraries. We'll hear just as much people that want libraries and parks and recreation, but the reality is the
quality of life in Semino County remains one of the best, not only in the state, but in the country. And there's a reason why. And and why we're here is because this government has run a very conservative budget for many, many
decades. Um, and we did not turn quick enough to anticipate and do what needed to be done. So, we wouldn't be here today. So, we also I would note that if you look and I brought it up a couple meetings ago, our development services
development in this county has pretty much come to a screeching halt compared to what it was four years ago, 5 years ago, and 10 years ago. that is less revenue on the tax ro that's coming in and and we all find these communities that get to this point where they're all
over the country where there's no room to grow but you still got to provide the services to these individuals. So that's where Commissioner Constine Thank you. Um I can't wait to hear from the citizens but um I'm just going to I'm just going
to say this. We're going there next. I know that and I'm but I'm just going to say they're you know a lot of them will come up here and say you know cost of living can't afford it cuts cuts cuts. I want you to just look again when you're doing this
that these five folks and the staff that you see here today controls 33% of the budget. And that 33% of the
budget has increased by this budget request, this this potential budget request 1.3%. Less than the cost of living, less than inflation. Somebody's going to come up here and said, well, you know,
Sunreil or this or that. All that is included in that 1.3%. We're being nice, but the obvious is the 66% of the budget is now is is controlled by
somebody else, others. And all due respect, and we all love public safety, all due respect, but you know, and we said the the the sheriff has come in and cut nearly a million
dollars. He has of 16 million that he's asked for. So, he hasn't really cut a million. He's only increased he's only asked for 15 million, not 16 million increase. We're only having 10 million more dollars. Now, I'm not blaming the
sheriff for that. We have a great sheriff and we appreciate that. But the fact of the matter is we have no control over that budget. You say, "We'll tell him to cut the budget." Okay, we tell him to cut the budget. He has every right to go to the
governor and not cut the bud and and he could give the money back again. So the fact of the matter is we are sitting in a situation today that not only do we have to control what we have in front of us, but we have
to control the future. We can handle today with some real serious hard decisions, but we could put be putting ourselves in the same situation next year. The fact of the matter is we have to find a way for the
future to control these extended costs that are being done by the 66% which by the way has been growing from 62 to when I was here I think it first started 61 now it's up to 66%. Ours has continued
to cut. So the fact of and and we have not increased advorum since the time that I've been here and even before that. Um and if you look at there's u there might be other commissioners out there few former commissioners that might want to come up and and quite
frankly if you look at when they were here the advorum was higher than we have now or we're offering. So the the point is that you know we have to find a way to do that and the only way to do that in my opinion is to
find a MSBU for public safety and put that in a different situation where they will have a percent of the budget that they control themselves without coming to us and asking for more money. I've said
that for years and I'm going to continue to say it and because that's the only way that we can control it. We cannot continue to stay up here and as the chairman said cut or or vice chairman has said cut ourselves out of this budget. We are doing that. We are doing
that. You cannot say that 1.3% increase in our budget is irresponsible. Can't say that. You know, I mean, there's no way to put that. I'm not saying that anybody else is irresponsible. You know, um, our clerk is here. He's
asking for a 6% increase. You know, others are asking for 8.5, I mean, for four, 6%, 4.6%, 14. Fact of the matter is is everybody else other than us asked for 4% increase across the board. We'd balance the budget.
We balance the budget. We get 1.3% interest. They all did 4%. we would balance the budget but we have no control over that and we can't do that because that they have their separate budgets. So please understand that when you come in don't come up here I
appreciate the difficulty of this but don't come up here and say oh just cut the budget that's that's that's that's irresponsible. That's not something that we we have done that this staff has done that well and that was the benefit. You're
you're right. We that was the benefit of several years ago charging our staff to start the budget process months ahead of the statutory requirement. We were looking at that for for multiple years leading up to this and that gave us the ability to understand early in the in
the fiscal year what the coming years were going to be and giving the the direction to our staff go back and find efficiencies and cuts and this year we really locked down on that. I think the whole commission at the retreat made it very clear to our staff, go back and cut it.
I mean, when I see cuts with some of our people have cut 5.2%, 6.8%, 3.1%, they've made some cuts. I mean, that's that's not typical market pressure. You will be hardressed to find a corporation
unless they've leveraged AI to the full extent that has made any significant cuts or only going up 1.3%. I mean, that's that's just the reality of it. Although all of our power bills have gone up, our our cost of uh
insurance has gone up, and it's like I said a couple meetings ago, there's going to come a time where myself when I retire, we're going to have some tough decisions to make whether as as a retiree, I'm I can afford to live in this community. Um we we understand it.
We get it. Um, but those are market pressures that we don't have a lot of control over. So anyway, let's we're going to go to public input. I would ask each of you to check your cell phones and electronic devices. Please silence those. Each individual will be given
three minutes to come up and and address the commission. In the interest of of respect of not only the the uh public uh but the process, if you can refrain from repeating the same things somebody else has already
said, that would be very helpful. Uh we want to hear from as many people as we can. Uh we will try to get through this within one hour. We will not tolerate any shouting out or screaming or name calling. If you like what somebody's
saying, give a thumbs up. If you don't like what they're saying, give a thumbs down. We we we'll all see you. So, uh, please respect the process and we'll get through this as quick as we can. If we could call the first three and have them stage right behind you, it'd be great.
Okay, we have Win Adams, Tessa Bird, and George Celery. What was the second one, please? Tessa Bird. Okay. Mr. Adams and Mrs. Bird and Mr. Celry. Oh, wait. Oh, yeah. Go ahead.
Name and address for the record when you come up to speak, please. Win Adams, 646 Fellowship Drive, Fern Park, Florida. I got basically four questions. Is there an economic plan
to grow the commercial tax base? Okay. Question. What's your next question? Well, this is not a question and answer session. This is tell us something to think about because I remember in 1994 when we looked at the difference between
the commercial and residential tax base it was very low and we grew the I4 corridor. Yeah. Your commercial tax base last time we got a report from David Johnson was somewhere in the 31 to 33%. though that hasn't changed in in a while.
And then what impact will the tax rate increase have on your commercial tax base? Number three, what is the plan to reduce the sun rail cost? And number four,
with the cancellation of the link service, what impact is that going to have on Sun Rail? Because there was an agreement way back when that sun rail and links were tied
together so that from the tracks or from the stations you could get to the different malls, commercial malls. Yeah. And our current proposal and I'll let Commissioner Lockhart weigh in, but our current proposal is the scouts supposed to try to get people to Sunreil.
Yeah. Um so the Sunrail um feeder fixed route feeders are being eliminated because they are going to be replaced with a ondemand scout. So you'll actually have more people riding Sunrail because they won't have to stand at a bus stop in order to get the bus to get to the train. The the car will pick them
up at their location. It it will improve Sun Rail ridership. Okay. Then the next question I have as a add-on. What happens or is Sunreil eventually going to go out to the airport?
Well, there there's all kinds of plans for it to go to the airport, but I mean it's not going to happen tomorrow, but yeah, that is what I've been hearing that for 20 years. There's there's so as the chairman of of Sunreil right now, I'll tell you that there is a current PD&E study being
undertaken by the Florida Department of Transportation, this county and all of the other funding partners, including the private sector contributed to that. And when that comes back, we will have a much better idea of the cost to um continue that. But that is the intention right now. Okay. You might want to add also going
out to the university into the beaches. That's like for my grandchildren to figure out because the biggest problem with Sunreil, you don't have the wrership. Yeah, Mr. And you don't have the writership because they don't know where to go. Thank you, Mr. Adams. Just now that
we've got that out of the way, this is not a question and answer session. Please come up and tell us about your impacts from uh your concerns with the taxation. All other questions, please address it to our staff and they'll be happy to get you the answers. Miss Bird.
Welcome. Pull it right down there. My name is Tissa Bird. I live at 544 East Warren Avenue in Longwood and I am here. I understand the points about what is needed. I know we all do budgets for our homes. I would hope and
right Miss Hair and chairman I thank you for answering the question that I was going to talk about about cutting certain things. And I understand you can't cut you can only cut so much. just like with all of us in our homes. But I was
wondering if there's a way that things could be realloc reallocated from one, you know, to another to help fund it, you know, maybe not as much um percentage and a rate hike, maybe a little bit less. I volunteer at three
different pantries six days a week. I literally take the food to those that for whatever reason are unable to get to the pantry. It's a big deal. It is. And I heard you say that you understand and you're sensitive to the fact that people are living paycheck to paycheck. And I'm
just wondering how is it going to affect them even more? I mean, people on the verge of being thrown out of their homes. I see it every day. So, I was just wondering is there a way you can reallocate some things? Just take a look at it.
Thank you. Thank you. I would say that we we do look at that, but we're constrained by statutory requirements on what revenue can be spent on what. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Lockart. Mr. Chairman, if I could ask the county
manager, um, after public input, could we ask staff to maybe do a sample, um, of a taxable value and what the 0.5 will do? I've been doing a lot of math lately and I I think seeing it We've been checking it.
Yeah, I know. I've been asking you to check my math. I think that'll be really helpful. Mr. Celery, please. Yeah, George Celery, 5231 Shoreline Circle in Sanford. Just really quick for most of you know this, but some don't. My background, Valuchia County senior
management and budget analyst for 5 years, revenue analysis, 5-year forecasting, CIP development. and I wrote the city of Deerry incorporation study budget and did all the financials and legislated for that when they became a city. Then I worked for the Valuchia
County Sheriff's Office as their budget and financial manager and did the layers on between the sheriff and the county manager and budget staff. Then for 17 years, I did the same thing for Sheriff Esinger. Um, budget, finance, fleet, facilities, payroll, including budget
development, and interfacing almost all the time with the county staff and and county manager's office back in those days. I was also the instructor for 15 years for the Valuchia County Sheriff's Florida Sheriff's Association on budget
finance issues and dealing with county government. I retired in mid 2015 and did consulting for a number of governmental agencies until 2020. Coming out of retirement to help. Um I am a fiscal conservative. Always have been.
It's not a um it's not a catchphrase. I actually prove it and back it up. I really never seen a budget work session that happens 10 minutes before you're setting trend essentially. Um and I've never seen one where you start with public works and all that. Usually
everybody everywhere you go, it starts with the general fund, MSTU funds, tax funds because that's the emphasis of the board. So this is all kind of new this year to me. I can tell you this, I'll tell everybody. I don't believe in the roll back rate except for using it as a
starting point and then building up with all the tough decisions that you as board members have to make. Bottom line is about your one the 1.3% and all that is that public safety and that is fire, law enforcement, corrections, judicial
services, emergency management that is that is basically the core quality of life. Bottom line, everybody wants that before they want everything else. All the others are nice cities to have. Um, and with Sheriff Esinger when we did the
budget and we used to interface with a lot of the folks up here, Commissioner Delari, Commissioner Constantine at the time, we really spent a lot of time building from the bottom up and making tough decisions and their decisions with payroll. If you look at what's going on in Bvard County, Orange County, Orange
County is $40 million and another 20 for the jail, 60 million, not 16 like here. Um, all your employees should be getting a 5%. Orange County, democratically controlled Orange County is giving their employees a 5% from what I was told the
other day. Okay. Um there you've got the lowest ratio of employees to population of anywhere. County county comparisons, there's a lot there. Um there's a lot, you know, Valuchia doesn't have a local option sales tax, so they have gas
taxes. Um I want to work on putting something together for you all. I really am. something simple like Commissioner Lockhart said so that a person knows out there what they're getting in a half a mill increase which has never happened in Semino County before and what that
cost of the gas tax and utility tax are because I believe you guys are fiscal conservatives and I think if we can find a way to bring this down and I already know a couple ways but I'm going to save those to go over with anyone who wants to listen I'll meet with anyone and I'll show you exactly how to do it using the
same stuff we've done in Seal county for decades. Thank you. Next three, please. Julie Reckner, Cindy Holler, and Michael Johnson. While they're coming up, for the record, today was not the first budget work session.
Yes, this is not the first budget work session. This is number three. This is number three. Number three. Um I'm Julianne Reer, 1796 Pine Bay Drive, Lake Mary. Excuse me. Good afternoon, esteemed board of
commissioners. I recently received some information emails notifications from fellow Semino County citizens and taxpayers that the board of county commissioners will be voting on the first of three major tax increases which we've been talking about that will directly impact our families, our fuel
costs, and our monthly bills. That being, of course, the 16.4% hike in property tax millage rates, a 5 cent per gallon gas tax increase, and of course the um utility tax increase. These new taxes, as you know, would make life
considerably more expensive for every resident and small business owner in Semino County. We spent the last few years, we've spent the last few years struggling with our federal government's bad policies, but feeling we were somewhat shielded by our county
leadership. And now that we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel in our federal government policies in the way of tax cuts and economic recovery, we now hear about new tax high proposals for seminal county. I don't and I don't believe this is a Democrat, Republican, liberal,
conservative issue. I believe this is more of a 9010 issue and realistically I'm guessing 99.9% of taxpayers in Semino County would request a firm no vote from our commissioners on all three of these tax increases. And I I realize
the reality of budgeting and cuts, but there has to be a better way to enact phys fiscal responsibility than putting it on the backs of the citizens of our great county. I want to repeat that. There has to be a better way to enact fiscal responsibility than putting it on
the backs of the citizens of our great county. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration. Thank you, Miss Holler. And then Mr. Johnson, if you'd come up and get stage, Mr. Johnson,
we can do it. You can do it. Start talking. Oh, okay. Good. Thank you so much. Okay. All right. Good afternoon, board, county manager. Um Cindy Holler,
1731 Beacon Drive and um I uh appreciate the board discussion that was just came kind of updated me with what happened this morning. So I was thank you for going through that. Um I was I wasn't able to make the budget presentation
this morning. Um the sheet that I put up on the screen is an article from the Sentinel um dated April 15, 2025. and also has our DRC fee. And um like Julie said before me, you know, the cost
to residents is looking to be, you know, increased. And I'm wondering if um developers will have to pay more also. Uh gas taxes and utility taxes go toward infrastructure. So maybe the developer should pay more. Even with the rate changes two years ago, after 30 years of
no increase, we're behind and $52.50 for a DRC pre-application fee to get hundreds of hours of staff time written comments in a DRC meeting is a great deal. So um you know it just shows
basically when you look at this um paper that Seol County um the cost for developing in Seminal um is very low. So anyway hopefully the paper can be shared with the board. Okay that's great. All
right and that's all I have. Thank you for your time. Thank you Mr. Johnson. Hello, Mike Johnson, 312 Tangerine Street, Altimont Springs, unincorporated area. Good to see everyone here.
You as well. Um, I'm a fiscal conservative like the other gentleman said earlier and been all my life and I worked for federal government and I was part of a leadership in the Pentagon OSD that went in and we analyzed big
multi-billion dollar programs. I led teams over at NASA. We had to look into the space shuttle program, the international international space station and another program that was supposed to revamp the entire Kennedy
Space Complex over there. And guess what, folks? Our teams found billions of waste, dollars of waste. Things can be cut. Sorry to say that. I went to months and months of school in
the Pentagon out of the out of Fort Belvar to learn how programs and money and costs are put together to fund lots of programs around the country. So I should propose and I remember when I
first met you Graham Malloy that there are supposed to be teams and there's a controller job that should be looking into actually scrutinizing and find little cuts. One of the first things I learned in the controller classes I took with the federal government. You know what we
were taught to do when we put in our program request is to pad the budget. pad the budget and guess what it we padded the budget 10 to 15%. Because we knew that Congress would be, you know,
back in those days, they would pull the budgets down. And then we also were taught that put in stuff that, you know, don't put in stuff that, you know, Congress is going to fund and put in stuff and don't leave out stuff, you know, to play the game. And I'm not
saying it's playing a game because I do respect, you know, the the workmanship and and the cost estimating because I've done a lot of my career with the with the federal government. But there are ways to cut, Andrea. They are. And a lot of things that I seen on the board here was that a lot of this stuff can be
privatized. And you know, I'm also a big advocate of roundabouts, by the way. You know, I was out in Las Vegas last week and lots of roundabouts are being built up there in that busy city. And uh and because we're spending too much money on electricity to run our lights around
this county here. I mean, I'm sitting in behind lights that just yesterday I spent more time behind the red lights chairman than I did private in this county, you know. But anyway, um I I do I would rather if we had a trade-off of taxes, I'd rather pay the gas tax
instead of and lower it because we knocked on a lot of doors when I ran for Congress and there's a lot of struggling people out there and they're senior citizens and a lot of poor families. are moved in in this in this county that are struggling big time folks. So anyway, I just want to give my thoughts on that
and thank you for the job you're doing. Appreciate it. Bye-bye. Thank you, Mr. Johnson. All right, the next three, Miss Coun, Linda Barker. Barker. Yes. Joe Humphre. Joe and Nancy Harmon. And Nancy Harmon.
Who's first? Barker. Miss Barker. Um I have some handouts. Can they come around? They can do it. They'll pass. These are the handouts. This is for Commissioner Her
along with handout. Okay, Miss Barker, go ahead and pull the mic down and give us your name and address for the record. Linda Barker, 3405 South Melanville Avenue, Sanford, Florida. Uh my point in speaking is that our tax liability is not providing enhancement or even providing an
improvement in the county amenities. On the contrary, we the residents have spoken up in the past, but our free and sound advice was not applied. With our onem long road, which is Melanville between East Lake Mary Boulevard and Airport, we have 51 homes and two
commercial properties. We contribute $356,000 per year in taxes on a mile. Um, we have been on the list for a sidewalk for four years. The dire need for it is verified by the most recent traffic study. Um, as there is no road
apron for those of us who are enjoying walking and currently uh, Commissioner Her has been out and she's witnessed this personally, the speeding is unbelievable. We would like to get some chicanees, something, anything. Um, we would be grateful for at least a
widening of the asphalt to incorporate a bike lane at the very least. Now, my whole point is is that we're looking at a tax hike. We pay a ton of taxes. And so, you have to ask yourself why. The acceleration of expenses is due to the result of the failure to control
subdivision growth on Celery Avenue and East Lake Mary Boulevard without proper road instruct infrastructure planning. Even though the local residents in this area spoke out against the proposed higher density of a thousand homes across from the airport that would create um issues with traffic, which is
already an issue at Lake Mary Boulevard, 417 Ronald Reagan intersection. Um it increases all this density, increases county services. I mean, I would much rather have 10 $1 million homes that would contribute wonderful revenue as
opposed to dicing it up in little pieces. But increases fire services, 911, and law enforcement. There was an extensive expensive study called Seminal White Corridor, which was to limit the growth on Lake Mary to commercial industrial to provide much neededed employment and revenue. Instead, the
county had a memory lance and approved starter home subdivisions which were in congruent with the rule states. The fra failure to P&Z plan properly result in the city of Sanford unwillingly inheriting a burden when there was an annexation. An example of lack of foresight is the county had to buy two
1acre parcels south of Pine to provide flood remediation caused by the subdivisions. Now, the protected rural area south of Pineway is being evaded by a 417 flyover because action was not taken to plan ahead of time before the current growth in mind. Even though the residents, namely me, warned about this
issue with the airport connection. Another primary example of residents forecasting being ignored. Um, anyhow, that basically sums it up. I'm not seeing value. I have a I I don't
have sewer. I have septic. I have city water and we can't even get a safe place on our road to walk. Thank you, Mr. Parker. Mr. Humphre, can I say one last thing real quick? I forgot just to Sure. Um, since we've owned our property,
we've paid $155,330. I'm retired. So is my husband. That's a lot of money. Sure, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Joe Humphre. I live at 883 Cardinal Point Cove, Sanford, Florida, in a gated community like many of us in this county
do. Um, you all know Rex Scott. I know Rex Scott. You may not know that his favorite book of all times was The Land Remembered. If you've ever read that book, you'll know that there's a common theme
that's haunted Florida pretty much since the beginning, and that's a belief that growth, any growth, is inherently good. Since the days of Henry Flaggler,
Empire Building, our state and local governments have adopted a growth at all costs mindset, Joe, let's try to keep it on the budget. This is about the budget, sir. Let's let's try to connect the dots there. Projects, but again, projects are rubber
stamped if they promise jobs or bigger tax base. That's why we're here today, folks. I'm not surprised that we're here today having this conversation. I've known this has been coming for years. I've been playing around with real estate in this in this state since 1976.
So, I'm concerned about when I hear revenues are flat to declining. What happened to all the massive income from all the new development? Where did it go? This is an example of proving that urban
sprawl does not pay. Period. in the conversation. This is indeed reality imitating art trying to balance the budget. Okay, I had my HOA meeting last night. We have road issues, storm sewer issues.
We're going to pay all these taxes, but gee, do we get a lot of this revenue? No. So, we get to pay twice. We get to pay for all of those people who don't live in gated communities, and then we get to pay for our own as well.
Where's the equity in that? Lastly, when we talk about declining revenues, these are some documents from Dave Johnson's website. Uh Alan Harris was dealing with a piece of property recently. It had cows on it over on International.
It's valued at $7 million. It's owned by a for-profit hospital corporation. their tax bill 2024 $50.24. I can show you other properties in my
neighborhood on the river on the Wakiva River anywhere from 5 to seven acres. Their tax bills $27 tax bill $12. I'm more than happy to pay my fair share. We do. But the question is, is
everybody in this county paying their fair share? I think not. when I can show you crop land on Reinhardt Road. The only thing that was growing on it in the last year was what? Campaign signs. Thank you, Miss Harmon.
And and I'm going to I'm going to say this. This is not about development. This is to talk about the proposed increase in the adorum. So, I'm I'm going to give you as much latitude as I can, but if we don't stick to the topic, we'll cut you short.
Nancy Harmon, 752 Pioneer Way in Geneva, Florida. I'm sorry you're in your seats right now having to deal with all this. One thing I'd like to ask though, were we duped?
We were told if we voted for the penny sales tax, chances are we wouldn't have to be here having this conversation. I don't think we were duped. But I do think that the information that you all are expressing today is information
that's either been stuck somewhere in a cabinet. It's been presented but not presented in a means that particularly uh expressed the urgency that you're having to deal with today.
I'm really not sure. I'm really not sure what happened, but I know that we have county management that's been today he spoke it that when he has seen that we've been kind of
putting this off. I think that's what you said, Mr. Greg, in your own way. I think Commissioner Zimbau said the same thing. Um, I kind of think you all have said the same thing and I know Commissioner Lockheart and many times and I'll never forget her saying this
when we were talking about five points. She said, "We're building a building but we don't have a maintenance tale and the money to support it." Oh yeah, you did. I'll go back. I'm going to ask you. But anyway, keep proper. Please don't yell out or speak out. Be respectful to the speaker.
I know that within this group of people there's the knowledge and the ability to move forward. I do believe that. But what I can't deal with right now is the fact that we're being levied this
expense at the degree that we're being levied. I don't know if it can be gradually applied over the next years. I'm not sure because the information that we're being presented really doesn't tell the story. I mean, it doesn't tell us what's included in the BCC expenses. We know that the sheriff's
department's making bills, and we know that um our county clerk, and I love his web page, by the way, um because I can find anything I want. But I guess what I'm asking and saying is is how did we get here when we were told last November
if we vote for this penny sales tax we probably won't have to do this. That's all I'm going to say. Thank you. Next three, please. Waffa Espazito and David McKinley.
Mcenley. McKinley. McKinley. Okay, Miss Esposito and Mr. McKinley. Waffa Esposito 5040 Hawk Hammock Way Sanford.
So, we do understand we need the green space. We do understand the repairs. Mr. Chairman, can you bring a madam, can you bring the microphone down? Okay. Thank you. We do understand we need the green space. We do understand the repairs to
the roads. We do understand the mitigation and we do understand the increase in services. So this all bring us to who is causing or impacted us to have all these
having paid the least to develop in this county. Can we get back to them into the rental properties and see if the proportion of their uh um property tax
can be measured in a way so they can be paying in proportion to all these services. And regarding the pro the I was wondering just I I tried online
but I wasn't able to figure it out. Um do you feel like we have enough is is the text to the Airbnb is one that can be reevaluated or something. Is it worth looking at? Is it one of those you could maybe investigate?
Um all I can say that this property tax hike and all the others that were just new and expected after we spoke about the penny sale tax that was going to help and way too quick.
So I am sure something has to be done and will be done but would it make any fiscal sense to uh gradually do the increases in the property tax and evaluate in a couple of years so people are not hit by 16%.
Thank you so much. Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, Mr. McKenzie just has a general comment on another topic that can be handed after your district reports. Okay. All right. So, we've heard from all the public on this matter, correct?
We'll close this public hearing portion of it. Uh I I just want to take a couple moments. I'm sure my fellow commissioners Yeah. have a list of things and and that want to speak about some of the things that were said. Um
let me address the penny sales tax. The penny sales tax has a limited use. It cannot be used for a lot of things that abalorum tax can be used for. Uh when I was in the public talking about the 1 cent sales tax, my statement was based on the money needed to be raised, it' be
a 1.4 mil increase to match the same dollars that a one penny would supply. So I'm not sure where the one penny versus an advalorum uh came in. As it pertains to apartments and Airbnbs, those are not homesteaded
properties. If it weren't for some of the apartments in this county, our tax burden would be a lot higher. They do not have homestead exemption. They are taxed at huge rates as compared to what most of us have, which save our
homes, homestead exemption, and the maximum increase on taxation. I, as a corporate business owner, commercial property owner will take a bigger hit than probably most anybody in here, uh, other than a corporate land owner and a corporate operator. uh we we
do our lion share of supplying um you know the revenue for the county as far as those that are that are owned by hospitals and so forth. There there is a provision for agricultural exemptions regardless of who owns the property. uh if a hospital or uh Bill
Gates or anybody for that matter passes the the proper guidelines for agricultural property, they're entitled to that exclusion under Florida law. As far as how we we've gotten here,
it's unfunded mandates both at state and federal levels. It's great to be in in DC and Tallahassee and say we're cutting taxes, we're cutting this, we're cutting that. Yeah, we cut our tax and then it comes down to the local
folks who have to provide those services. That's us. We we don't we can't send it off to somebody else. I mean, we just can't. Um, we have the inability. There's nobody else. This is where the rubber meets the road is at
the local level. And and I will tell you I am no fan of having to pay more taxes. But I live in Semino County for a reason, the quality of life. And if I want to continue the quality of life for myself, my family, and my grandchildren as they
grow up in this community, then I I have to have the ability to fund that reasonably. Now, how did we we get here? When I arrived six years ago, my first budget session, I don't know if Commissioner Lockheart recalls or remembers, I made a statement as a businessman when I went
through thousands of pages of previous budgets and I said, "You know what? I think I told Commissioner Kerry this in the hearing. Y'all are conservative to your own demise. You've been so conservative. You haven't
funded an infrastructure. You go up on the second floor of this building and watch and look and see what our employees are working in. Carpet that doesn't exist or it's torn, it's tattered. Air conditioning doesn't work properly. It freezes you to death.
Yeah. Um it's really a shame and we've been understaffed when the downturn happened and that commission cut all those jobs. One of my statements at that first budget hearing was which was in 2018 when I was told by some of my fellow commissioners, well, the downturn in the
economy. I said, well, that happened in 2008, 10 years ago. When are you all going to write the ship and start getting things back in place that need to be put back in place? We're paying for that now, and we're catching up. That's a businessman's perspective of why and how we got to where we're at.
things were I mean you can make an old truck last for 200,000 miles but when it gets to 400,000 miles you don't have a choice and that's what we are we are catching up from all those years back from 2008 getting back and that's what
the county manager has indicated you know what he has seen and what our staff quite frankly was telling us 3 four years ago look by 2027 you're you're in a big problem We also have to keep our bond and credit
ratings appropriate. That requires a certain amount of revenue or this county will never be able to borrow or have the ability to borrow to build infrastructure and make better places for our employees to work and have those services that our
citizens again quite honestly deserve and and usually demand. There's all kinds of excuses of why things can happen, but the real reality is if the county is going to continue to run at a service level so that when you pick up the phone and call 911, a police
officer or a firefighter or other services show up to your door, it's got to be funded. Mr. Chairman, and we can't keep kicking that can down the road. Mr. sharing commissioning. I I I I have to, you know, I want to I want to say a few things about some of the requests that have been made, but I've got, you
know, I just want to, you know, different voice because I mean, you've been saying this and and you're doing it well and but I think, you know, it's it's it, you know, when all of us are trying to, you know, come up with these solutions and suggestions, it's I I want
you just to remember, you've seen our budget, the budget that the that the the county controls. You've seen that we've only increased 1.3% this year. We're not going to increase
it more if we get this money. This money is to balance the budget for the entire, you know, 100% of the budget again. Um, somebody mentioned impact fees. We're talking about looking at impact
fees again. It's coming back up, but those impact fees cannot be used for general revenue. But we will be you we will be looking at impact fees even though development right now is flat. That doesn't mean that we it the development shouldn't pay for itself.
People were talking about apartments. Listen, you all know that I have voted against a lot of apartment conflicts. I've voted against a lot of home housing developments. Apartments pay for themselves. Just so you know that. Homes do not.
single family homes and the services they are needed do not pay for from the taxes that they are providing and in fact when you have save our homes at 3% and inflation is more you know it continues to decline on that when you're
talking about it so appreciate that that it's not that homes do not pay for themselves and and development should be paying for itself and I I appreciate that but but I want you to understand that that apartments do because they are
not restricted on the save our homes. They pay for a lot more in the taxes percentage-wise than single family homes. I want to reiterate what the chairman said about agricultural, you know, um um zoning. We have no control
over this. Joe, you made a great point, but you know, you know, we have no control over who gets the agricultural exemption. That's a state requirement. And if somebody does that, that's not our fault. Okay? That is the fault of
the law that we have in place. And and what what others have said is true. In all the years that I was being in the legislature, although I voted against sometimes, every tax cut the legislature ever gave was on the backs of local
government. It was not them. They have never cut their budget. In fact, when I left, the budget was $50 billion. You know what the budget of the state is today? $120 billion. They have never cut their taxes. They cut our taxes and say they cut your
taxes. All they've done is tax shifted back down at the local level. That's all they've done because they put the mandates on us and transportation. Pull out the pull out the public service budget that we public works budget that we just talked about today. When you're
talking about the TR the penny sales tax, 48.7% of the entire department of public works is paid for by the penny sales tax. That's where your money is going for
that. And if we didn't have that, that all which is 170 million, that would be transferred back into the budget also. That's where the the chairman was talking about the 1.5 mills uh 1.4 mills whatever it is. So please
understand we have looked at all of this. We are looking at all of this. Nothing that we do today is going to be permanent. We're going to continue to look at that. I'm still and you've heard me say it and I know the others have said it. We're still begging our our
constitutionals to go back and look at their budgets. we can't cut their budgets. We could say you can't have that much money, but then and then they sue us and then they sue us or they go to the governor or they go to the do department of revenue.
We're asking them to look at their budget and understand the circumstances that we're in and saying, "Please, please, please, you know, let's all be in this team together." So, you can look at us and you can say, "Oh, you guys are, you know, just fat and bloated and
all this." And then think about this. 1.3% of everything that we've talked about today. Everything. That's our increase that we've made. Anyone else? Commissioner Lockhart. Um, first and foremost, I'd like to get
on the record. I don't recall having the conversation that the citizen said that I had, and I don't ever refer to anything as having a tail. So although I did earlier use the word squirt in a conversation which probably will come back to bite me. Feel charged. Squirt.
I I that um that entire rendition is um not something I recall. So I want to get that on the record. Um I I got the same email emails that a lot of you received and our offices have been getting a lot of phone calls about
um the circ the um the lady who read from the email that said you that taxes were going up 16 some odd percent or whatever that was. Could we please get on the record what is actually being proposed? And I I think
we are not talking about increasing all of your property taxes. What we are talking about and what we say grace over is your county millage. So when you look at your total property tax bill, that is not what we are talking about. That is not what is increasing and it certainly
isn't increasing 16%. So, I don't know if Tim, if you would be able to go ahead and and pull up the You're welcome to use my house if you'd like to as an example for the assessed value. It's pretty moderate. Um, and
show what the 0.5 mil increase would be to a the average Seminal County home with with Savior Homes and all the exemptions, portability, or you know, with whatever. Pick a pick a homestead. Yeah.
Yeah. Pick pick an assessed value. A taxical value, excuse me. Not an assessed. Mr. Chair, while they're doing that, can we take a fiveminute recess? So, it gives I think didn't have he has an example that's not your house. Okay. Well, I mean, I was just I was like, pick like I'm I'm offering like
pick because I did my own. I So, I sent out responses to all of those emails. Um um some of them some folk I was a solicitating feedback asking there you go if we don't do this do you want us to do this and what I learned from a lot of
that feedback that I received is that um there there was clearly some misinformation and some miscommunication intentional or unintentional um on the part of the people circulating that um that information. So, I I wound up
talking to and emailing back and forth with quite quite a number of folks who believed that their taxes were going to be going up to an astronomical place that was going to kick them out of their homes, I think is what we heard somebody else say. People are going to lose their homes. So, I just want to make sure that
we are clear on what it is we're talking about. Tim, can you explain this for the public, please? Sure. So this example is a house with a market value of $550,000. Per the property appraiser, the average save our homes cap, which is at 3% or
CPI maximum increase on taxable value, is about $200,000. So this example would have a $350,000 assessed value. Then we are allowed to have an additional $50,000 in homestead exemptions, which would bring the taxable value to $300,000.
Our current millillage is 4.8751. So, when you take the 300,000 divided by a,000 times 4.8751 and each resident gets a 96% discount if they pay by a certain date, um, then
their tax bill will be $1,44, the 0.5 mil adjustment would equate to $144 annually based on that same formula, which is about $12 a month. So the taxable value the the tax increase that we're discussing is about $48 per
100,000 of taxable value per year. Per year. Per year. Yeah. So I I ask for that to be put out on the record and walked through not because I'm saying it's insignificant because every dollar is significant. I asked for
it to be put out on the record so that the panic and the misinformation could be addressed because I have an elderly mother who's on social security and a fixed income. And she asked me, "What are you doing?"
And I walked her through like I walked through several other retired folks on fixed incomes last night via email just to take the temperature down and to take away the panic because right wrong or
good or bad whether we do it or not I just want to make sure that no one is spending the the extra anxiety over this type of now most of the folks who I talked to last night, their increases were in the
three to $6 per per month exch because they are lower income seniors and they they've lived here for many many years. So they several of them were very relieved to hear that it might only be$3 or $6. Now I'm not saying again I'm not saying that that means it's nothing. It
is every dollar counts. But I really want to make sure that people are not getting misinformed and hyped into believing that this is um going to kick people out of their homes.
And I'm sure that's going to not be received well by some people. But otherwise, your mother would move in with you. No, I would pay her $12 a month. I love my mother. She lives next door. Next door is close enough.
No, that's right. Chairman. Yes, Commissioner. So, so I think the question if you go back a page, Tim, is that if you live in a home that's got a just value of $550,000, which in our marketplace typically the
just value is well under what you would sell the home for. Well, even with the interest rates today, which by the way are not as awful as They could be for those of us that lived through interest rates that were double digits and didn't think twice about it.
You still made money on real estate when you invested and didn't rent. So this home is probably would market for somewhere around $750,000. Is that person now flip to the next page
willing to pay an additional $12 a month for the safety of the community? because that's the overwhelming majority of the request here is for the safety and security of our community. And so that's the discussion that I think we have to
really be cognizant of. I think I think it is incumbent upon upon us to spend responsibly etc. There's no doubt about that. I would also say that simple math is that our millage rate county's
millage rate is 4.875. Give me a nod Tibjax if that's correct. Yes, that is correct. That's the current the maximum we could increase it based on today's vote would be a 0.5. And if I do very simple math based on Sister Rose's education that she gave
me, it's a 10.2% increase, not a 16 whatever increase. And that is only of the county's portion. I'm not minimizing it, but let's at least get our math right so that we're not screaming at each other for nothing. So, we've already brought it down from the email that was sent out to you from 16 to
10.2. Let's take credit for that even though we don't deserve it. Um, impact fees cannot be used for operating expenses. And I know we've said it, but to be really clear, impact fees have to be looked at. They cannot be used for operating expenses, which means you cannot pay a sheriff's deputy with op
with impact fees. Doesn't happen. For the record, I'll do my for the record. I did not say that we cannot cut. I did not say that. In fact, you proved that we can cut because we've done that. What I did say is that we cannot cut our way out of this. And you
all have actually said the same thing by virtue of the fact that you said, "Where's this message been? This is too long that we've announced." Mr. Gray has been saying this since the day he arrived. And I will say that your predecessor also warned us of this. But
because we were very judicious with ARPA funds, we bought as much time as we could before we did this. So we did not spend the federal government gift. And I really am saying that sarcastically in case that didn't come through because that is what drove a lot of this
inflation. Uh we did not spend that recklessly. We put that to the expenses. So we delayed this. Our revenue is not flat. I don't know where that came from, but Tim, what is the ad valorum increase to revenue based on expansion?
6.75%. 6.75%. So, I don't know who said they were concerned about revenue is flat. Oh my god, what's happening? The roof ceiling is falling. That is not accurate. It's 6.75%. We just aren't living within the 6.75%. Although the county is I'll say this so
Commissioner Constantine doesn't have to correct me. The county is not all and not everyone can. Penny sales tax pays for infrastructure. It cannot pay for operating expenses. So, I don't know how those got conflated. Renters pay approximately 50%
more in taxes per square foot than homeowners. 50-0. They're paying their fair share. To a large degree, I know I'm going to get blistered for this with emails, but to a large degree, the number of apartments
that we put in over time has actually smoothed this increase out because we're asking for increases to pay operating expenses and that's what they're funding. Um, there were some good ideas out there that we heard and we took down. So, not everything is a no. I noticed people
were writing things down and we do need to look at those. We can need to continue to look under every rock. We need to continue to make sure that folks are paying their appropriate share to live in this beautiful community. And that doesn't matter whether you work
here, just come in and use infrastructure. Whether you rent here, whether you own here, or whether you're building here, we all need to pay our fair share so that we can continue to live in the community that we've become accustomed to. I do appreciate every one
of you for being here and caring enough about the community to voice your opinion though. That is really important and I am truly grateful and I am wildly grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Hyde in the back of the room who have had an a significant impact on this budget
whether they know it or not. And and to Commissioner Her's point, you know, on the apartments that plays into that is se almost 72% of the apartments are in the cities, but they're paying taxes for you and I in the unincorporated area
to have that ability to do the things that their city has to pick up a lot of those expenses, their firefighters, their police, their other services, um, and that are beneficial. So, uh, you know, there's all that, but I also think
I need to address, um, and it wasn't brought up here, but it was many of the emails I think we all received. Um, this whole idea of transparency. All the budget documents for this county have been online for years. Um,
it it's right there to be seen. Uh we're mandated to have an audit every year by a third-party auditor. So if there was something going on that that was not transparent or on the up and up, you'd be hearing about it. These folks
with these lovely cameras back here would be interviewing each and every one of us wanting to know why the auditor found some misappropriation of dollars. Um that has not happened. And in addition to that, we're spending
additional taxpayers dollars cuz not only do we have an audit which comes with a certified caffer that you can read, our clerk at taxpayers's expense prints another caffer. So you have two caffers, a citizens
caffer that they can go look at. Um, and you've got the one from our third party independent source that were mandated. So these emails that come out that say transparency, heck, if we were any more transparency, nobody'd be wearing clothes in this
room. I mean, u, no, that's not a good can't get that out of my head now. No, but but but sincerely, thank you, Commissioner, for making that statement right. You know, I will tell you that that there has been
circumstances. Um, you know, there was the second year of my budget a as an elected. I saw this money that was being held back by some of the departments
and I'd go in and ask, "Why has this been sitting here encumbered for six or seven years?" And I would go to Mr. Jackson, I go, "If they've had it for six or seven years encumbered and they haven't spent it, that needs to roll back into the general fund. If it was important enough
six or seven years ago, it'll be just as important a year or two from now. I think we've been able to get all that rolled back forward. We've done that. So, I would say a combination of of of the carryovers along with the ARPA
money. And I will tell you this board when the ARPA money came here, our first response was, can we send it back? and and we gave direction to our staff to to get with the federals and say, "Can we send it back?" And the answer
was, "Sure, we'll spend it somewhere else, maybe in California, Colorado, wherever." And we're like, "Well, if we're going to do that, we might as well help our own people." So, again, if it had not been for the ARPA funds, this would have been a lot quicker coming.
And I will tell you as a as a businessman and and someone who prides myself on tracking numbers and finance is this is a pretty lean government. Pretty darn lean. So for what it's worth, Commissioner Lockheart.
Um I have one request and one comment to see if we can maybe address uh moving forward as Commissioner Constantine started to to get us down the path earlier. Um you have J. Yeah. the unfunded mandates um slide point uh PowerPoint. Could
could you provide this to us in a spreadsheet with the year-over-year increase for each um so that we can make that available as a part of one of the things online so that people can see not just what the unfunded mandates are but
how much they are and how much they've increased year-over-year because I think that you know when the question is asked how did we get here or what is happening that's a huge piece of the answer to that question the other piece of the answer to that question is
and I know others have already said it. We have a great sheriff. We have a great relationship with the sheriff. But that is absolutely by far and away the biggest expense that um we are seeing and it happened to us last year. There was a significant increase that was
needed uh for salaries. Um and then at the 11th hour there was another increase that was needed for salaries. We took that out of reserves in order to accommodate that. I mean, it was literally at the 11th hour last year. Um, this year coming in with the 9% or
the 16 million um now 15 million, we we didn't think last year because of how big last year's increase was from from his needs that we would have a similar increase this year. I think it shocked all of us when it came in at that number. So, again, if you're asking
how did how did you let this get here? um it's we didn't let it get here um for for those for those items for sure and they are by far and away the largest um issues that we're that we're dealing with. I don't know how in our current
environment and in our current structure we can prevent next year from being the same story, which is what where I know Commissioner Constantine was going with trying to figure out how do we restructure
our tax our revenue relationship with with the sheriff. Um it I have suggested before that we we dedicate a millillage out of the our current
millillage that would be a whatever the proportionate amount is that he has now this is what I said last year now it's an even bigger number we should have done it last year because it would have been a smaller number um and and start over with allotting him his own
millillage and then that way while while he would need to come to us to ask to increase his millage, but it is clearly just for the sheriff and sheriff's operations. If we did it in the form of I think Commissioner Constantine called it an MSBU, I've also heard it referred to as an MSTU. There
would be an opportunity to have it be just for those in the unincorporated areas. So, if you are a a property owner in a city that has law enforcement agencies, whether it be Altoont or Sanford or Ovido, Longwood, who are all
the others? I guess all of them. um that MSTU for the sheriff would not be levied against your property. You're paying for your Ovito police department and your Ovito property taxes. You're paying for your Altoont Springs um police department and your Altoont
Springs property taxes. That is one way that we could think about levying differently for law enforcement for for the sheriff. I will be I will I will never say never
that um I I I will never be able to predict or say that that won't happen again because it's now it's now it's happened twice two years in a row where the request came at an ex yes he needs it he says he needs it we've gone through his budget
line item by line item we've we've poked we've prodded we've asked um come almost close to begging. I believe Commissioner Constantine, you know, help me, help you, shared sacrifice. There was a whole big speech. It was fabulous. Um, but at the end of the day, we still can't
control it. And so, if we don't commit to doing something different moving forward, we're going to be in having the same conversation next year. So, I just I I want us with our team to look at how we're because it is. So, we have
Commissioner Cruso here from Winter Springs, and and they there's this there's this competition, and I normally love competition. Competition is healthy. But when one city raises their starting salary to 65, the other rages
to 66, and the other needs to be 67, and now we just heard of veto 68. So, I asked the sheriff today at lunch, "What are we doing?" He said, "Well, I I can't be the lowest." So where does it stop?
So if if past performance is an indicator of future, we're we're we're competing against ourselves. And if there's no talk of consolidation, we're going to continue to have this
type of competition back and forth until when? Until when? What's the cap? We talked about caps. I I don't know. So, it's not an easy discussion, but we have
to have it. Bob, are you I'm ready. Commissioner, are you going to talk about that? Because I'd like to respond to that. Just Just Go ahead. Talk about that. So, I'm happy to have the conversation. Um,
I'm not a fan of it. And I'll tell you why I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan of it because under that kind of guise or or or or funding model,
you have cities operating police, all good, all good first responders and police. They do not have the equipment or the depth of of technology that our sheriff off our sheriff's office has
that supplements the city law enforcement which would then have to fall on the cities and all you're doing is shifting the burden. Number one. Number two, all professions are cyclical.
You may go two, three, four, five years, it's law enforcement. Then you may go two, three, four, five years it's, you know, uh, firefighters. Two or three, five years, it's architects. Couple years ago, a couple years ago was nursing, right? And we have to remember
we're coming out of of COVID and the times where law enforcement was disrespected. People didn't appreciate law enforcement. So, who wants to be a police officer to to go leave your
family, go out into the public to protect the public and have to worry about either being sued or prosecuted or killed, right? Yes. For doing your job to protect us and our community for $55,000 or less a year.
Nobody wants to do that. So, because of that, we're in this cycle. And I trust this is not going to be a ongoing 5 10 year deal, but I think there's going to be a plateau because of the history of what's happened to the
profession to get it settled in to a spot. And quite frankly, you know, as I've said, I think during one of the budget sessions is if the county and the cities continue to raise
the the the starting pay, somebody's going to flinch sooner or later. We all can't afford to do that crazy. You do 55, I'm doing 57, I'm going to do 60, you do 62. Um, but you're doing it with the counties
and you're doing with counties in this state that are offering 20 and $30,000 sign on bonuses just to get people to show up. Even in this county, there was a city had sign on bonuses. So, you know, I think it's a market
pressure and market pressure is going to sway and switch and move. Um, I'm happy to have the discussion, but that's just just my thoughts on that. Well, Mr. chairman, if if I could uh just so you know, and I I I concur with what Commissioner um Lockhart has said
because you know, I mean, you're say we are in a sick cycle. It's a sick cycle right now because we can't change it. No one can change it and it it just seems to continue to get worse. And quite frankly, the percentage has gone up and up and up. And I'm not talking about the last two
years. I'm talking about the last six, seven, eight years. It's gone up. and in and just you go to the Florida Association counties, you go other places. This is not our problem, right? This is everybody's problem. And almost
every county is looking at some form of MSTU, MS, whatever you want to call it, but you know, a thing where the the you have some sort of the uh control over
what's going to occur next time because as I've said, as Commissioner Lockhart has said, we're going to be in the same situation next year. And if we don't find a way to control these costs, all we're doing is just, you know, increasing this year and then we're
going to be in, as I said, the same situation next year. I think more than just look at it. I think we need to direct the staff to really do some research because I do believe I do believe that there is a way to also uh
mitigate your concern about the cities because the sheriff does work with the cities. It is first response. There is part of it that can be put in with the cities, you know, I mean, so there is percentages that can be done and I think that that is the way to control
long-term the costs that we're looking at right now that if we don't do something, we we are not addressing the long-term problem. We're addressing the shortterm problem. Um, and we need to
address the long-term problem. Hey, Commissioner Glory, you've been patient. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, just to discuss this one topic, then I'll go on to what I was going to say was when you talk about the seven cities, and all of them are great. They all have their uh their assets, and it's an asset to the
entire county. Uh, law enforcement at the city level is the uh police chief. He's appointed. The sheriff is elected. That is a chief law enforcement officer for the entire county. There are certain services that the sheriff provides for the seven cities like you just hinted
about. I mean, there's also probation that we provide. There's also the jail that we provide. I mean, there's also homicide that they he provides. There's a lot of different aspects of it that he'd be better to discuss with us than I would because that's not my area of expertise. But what I like about having
the sheriff in our general fund is it's a partnership. Sometimes partnerships can be kind of rough, but it's a partnership and I think uh it works well as well as with the seven cities. You know, one of the things that I'm going to commend this the residents here today
is that when they did speak to us today, they could be in disagreement with us, but they're doing it civil, very civil. And I'll also tell you about the seven five of us as well as our county staff. We're also very civil with each other. Even though we don't always agree, which we don't, but we're very civil about it.
There's no it's not over yet. Bob Cold for there's still there's still there's still hope, right? But I mean, Commissioner Har, you you make an excellent comment. We can joke with each other to a point, but we're still serious. I mean, we all do it to a
certain degree. Commissioner Lockheart talked about who right wants paving. I said, I love paving. Remember that asphalt? Asphalt. But I mean, the point I'm getting at is that we do take our job very serious, but we have a lot of respect not just for ourselves, but we have a lot of respect for the community. And so I want
to thank you all for talking to us and everyone that I spoke to on the phone uh over the past couple days were very respectful and there's a couple of people that you know they're very upset on any increase even though it could be $12 a month. You know what do you tell
that individual because $12 a month for someone and then someone else could mean something totally different. You just don't know. You don't know what their circumstances are. That's right. uh you know we had our work session the commissioner uh had a work session with staff and uh Mr. Gray, we had that in
March. Correct. The retreat. The retreat. Yes. Yes. And what I'm going to say kind of earmarks what I said in March. So from the board's perspective and certain staff members wasn't on camera, but from what I'm going to say now, it's it's no different than what I said at that
retreat. So there's no why do they wait till now? Because I've been saying this for the past couple of months. You know, taxpayers often believe uh the funds are misused. They're not misused. Uh we're also ineffectively allocating them. We
are trying to allocate them as best we can. Uh raising taxes at any time can be damaging to the public trust and they can also look at you know are we truly being transparent. We are being transparent. Uh there is so much
information out there it's almost impossible for an individual to see what that budget looks like because our budget book and we have a couple of them volumes. One of them one of them is at least 6 in thick. And so for you to go through that
you can. and probably Joe Humphrey and uh Bill Hyde, they probably go through it in great detail, but we constantly going through it and we constantly go through it almost monthtomonth even after we pass it. So, because there's numbers that could be forgotten or not
maybe forgotten but maybe not remembered correctly and you know Tim J just talked about unfunded mandates of over $und00 million. I didn't think it was that high. A couple of years ago it was around the $30 million mark. So, I'm curious to see what that's going to be to actually break it down because I'd
love to understand that and we should ask our state representatives, you know, how and why do we have to pay this? You know, we all talk about it, but there is that, you know, there's another opportunity that is going to be happening in the next couple years,
maybe by 2026. You know, tax reform, but probably on the ballot. You know, the governor is talking about doing away with property taxes. I don't know how that's going to work, but we're all going to have something to say about it at the polls, at the ballot. So,
that's going to be interesting. You know, raising taxes can be impacting to the working family as well as small businesses and especially our people that are on fixed incomes, the seniors. Uh I really feel for them. My concerns in this budget, I believe, and I've
spoke about this that uh we need additional time uh regarding uh this trim notice. You know, to have this work session today and actually approve the trim notice. I've expressed to staff a couple times how that's kind of difficult and I know that Mr. Gray has heard me say that in my office for the
past couple of months. uh we should be focused on how to reshape our government because I think that we have to live within our existing rate uh that we presently have. Raising taxes as we some of us just talked about
it is only a temporary solution to the budget shortfalls. So we have to restructure ourselves. I truly believe that we should be focused on reshaping our organization to operate more effectively and efficiently without further burdening our taxpayers. our county, like so many other counties, I
mean, our county is a microcosm that you can see nationally, uh, so many communities around our nation, uh, everyone's looking for tax relief, and I can't tell you who wouldn't be looking for tax relief. You know, it's we have to have a smart plan to move
forward. We have to reshape and reorganize, reorganize our our government to meet the current needs. We have to evaluate and revise our department structure and our staffing levels. And again, I'm not trying to say I'm not going to def I'm not going to
defund anyone, but we have to restructure it so we can properly fund them. Uh we have to eliminate duplicated services and streamline the process not just in the county level, but include the seven cities. I will tell you back in 200
six, I believe it was, we had a meeting with all seven cities and the county and everyone did everything the best and everybody did everything the cheapest. I remember sitting in those meetings and the only thing we came up with was that
the county would take over mosquito control if we didn't charge the seven cities. Remember that, Commissioner Lockard? Vividly. Oh, yeah. And I said, "That's the only thing we could come up with." And it was only supposed to be a pilot program for two two or three years at the most. But we never went back to the cities because
the cities should be doing their own mosquito control, but now no one wants to give it back to the seven cities because we've been doing it so well. Well, of course, we've been doing it well because it doesn't cost the seven cities. And it's also that way with dispatch. I remember in 2002 when I was
with the city of Alvidito, they used to do their own dispatch, but then the county took it over because they could do it better and cheaper and it wouldn't cost the seven cities. The wouldn't cost that city. So, of course, they would say take it over. I believe we our main focus should be on our core services.
It's important to set the right priorities. We need to protect the services of our public safety, obviously, law enforcement as well as fire, all the first responders and infrastructure. Uh it's important that we we prioritize uh the funding in these
areas to have the greatest impact and need. I also believe that we should lead with innovation now that we have AI. We talked about a little bit today responsible and respectful to the taxpayers in reshaping organizations so we can be more effective and efficient
without burdening our taxpayers. I said some of this back in March, but I expanded on it today. That's how I feel. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Fer, thank you. Commissioner her, I'm going to see if you can bring this in for a landing. We we we're going to need some we need this
board needs to take action and we've got still quite a bit to cover. I just want to Commissioner Delari made some very bold statements of what we should do and so I just wanted to make sure that I understood. Do you have specific examples of how you want us to
do that? I've talked to the county staff. I've had meetings with uh Yeah, but you haven't told us. I've been waiting for work sessions to do this and we've had these conversations and uh you know I I did talk about one of our work sessions to talk about
dispatch you know having you can pull dispatch aside first. So let me let me just say this. I don't disagree with Commissioner Lockheart. How does that further the narrative why we're here today? I agree. We need to have understanding of what commission
restructuring the county like that. Like those are bold statements of things that should be that he is saying should be done. And so I just want to have an idea of what that looks like because this is the first I'm hearing that one of us has those those grant good I mean it's a great idea. I just want to have a finer point on it. So
one of our one of our works one of our work sessions I can't remember which one. I think staff could rem uh remind me which one it was. I talked about uh emergency management to include emergency management, dispatch of police and fire. I talked about that at one of our workshop shops already. Uh
we haven't really discussed that at all, but I did discuss it at one of our workshops. I'm confused. So, we're going to reorganize the sheriff's department. I didn't say that. Well, dispatches under the sheriff. I said I did not say reorganize the
sheriff. I said have a separate uh fund to look at uh dispatch for law enforcement, fire as well as emergency management. I did talk about that. So you're talking about a separate fund similar to what Commissioner Constantine and Commissioner Law Carter say. That is correct.
So this is a funding mechanism, not a reorganization for efficiency mechanism. But there's also with that, there's also efficiency as well with it. They're two entirely different conversations. I'm fine if Commissioner Delari wants to get with staff and put
something together to bring to us and have a work session. Mr. Chairman, for this commissioner, you know, I mean, the the good thing about this is we've got five really creative individuals and you are creative. Don't say you're not creative. Five really. Why would you point her
out? She is very creative. Because she said that earlier, she said that earlier squirt. I said that's why Commissioner not creative. But and and and I want to make I want to make one other point that I want to make it very clear. We're talk when when I mention
about this this thing with the MSTU MSB, I'm not talking about our sheriff. I'm talking about the long-term future implications of making sure that we have, you know, control of our budget. You know, Sheriff Leman and everything
is great, but I I want to just say one other thing about all good deeds are punished. Do you know do you know that in 1994 the the the general millillage was 5.2714. If we never had changed it and cut it we
wouldn't be having this question or discussion at all. And since u since 2010 since 2010 the advorum I mean Tim went over this but let's let's be realistic. Since
2010, this ad balorum has not changed. How many people can say that about their salary since 2010 2011? I'm a small businessman. I might be able to say that. Well, that's because you own the
business. Talking about owner's earnings, we're talking about salaries. Splitting the hair over. Yeah, he's big splitting the hair there. Okay. So, Commissioner her, I think you had some additional things to add and then I'm going to be looking to the
board for direction. Yeah. I mean, if Commissioner Delari has those specifics that he would like to not necessarily share them all here, but wants to share them with us through the county manager, I think I think that'd be great. Sure. Well, I do want to get on the record
that we have had three work sessions on the budget and lots of opportunities, including every constitutional officer that came here took their time, brought their staff, walked through their detail, and if we had an opportunity to push back, there was an opportunity that was proposed. So,
I I do believe that everything that we asked you to do in that workshop was done. Um, and I think we are just faced with a hard decision. And the reality of that is, and I did say this in the workshop, is that when you are faced with a hard
decision, you are elected to lead. And leadership sometimes is painful. And so with that, I actually am prepared to make a motion. So, are you prepared? I'm ready. I move to approve the fiscal year 202526 proposed millage rates and set the date,
time, and place for the first public hearing to tenatively adopt the fiscal year 202526 county budget. First public hearing 910 2025 at 5:30 right here in the BCC chambers. And the second public hearing
9:23 2025 at 5:30 p.m. here in the BCC chambers. Second. Got a motion and a second. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I opposed like sign. Nay. Four to one. All right.
And for the record, Tim, if you pull that millage slide up, the proposed that's what correct. Correct. Okay. Yes, that is the proposed what staff was asking for for dates and so forth. So, we're good there. So our our first public hearing will be 10 of
budget adoption Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. on 9:10 and 9:23 second public hearing final bud budget adoption which is a Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Correct. Correct. Correct. Okay. All right. Let's take a uh quick
10-minute break. Um we'll be in recess for 10 minutes. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Come on. We need our creative commissioner. All right. Next up is our county attorney's report.
Miss Lour. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, the chairman and I were discussing Senate Bill 180 yesterday, and I have talked to probably all of you about Senate Bill 180 for at least a minute or two in the last week or so. Um, so I'm just going to give you a
really high level review of the effect of Senate Bill 180 and um where what my office is doing, what staff is doing to look at this. Um, this was proposed as an emergency management bill. Um, and while there is definitely an emergency
management component to it, it's the elements related to land development that have caused some concern and these provisions were added in at the very last minute right before the bill was adopted. This bill has been signed into law and it is currently effective. Um,
just to quickly touch on the emergency management provisions of the bill. It imposes several new requirements on the county having to do with you posting certain notices on the county website, developing a posttorm permitting plan,
publish publishing on the county's website, um hurricane and tropical storm recovering permitting guide, you know, just keeping citizens informed of what steps the countyy's taking to make recovery and rebuilding after a storm
easier. Um, and you know, the county already does a lot of these things from what I understand. Um, it would be my recommendation that we formalize these into some sort of policy or procedure or regulation if we don't already have that just to ensure that these things are continued to um be carried through the
years, you know, in the future, not just because um because we already do them. Um, so right now the county attorney's office is finalizing a very detailed memo that we are going to share with emergency management and the county manager's office with a checklist of the things we need to make sure we have in
place. So that's that's a really high level summary of the emergency management component. Um the land development piece that it that came in at the last minute um provides that counties that are impacted by a federal disaster declaration, which are counties
located within a 100 miles of the track of a hurricane are prohibited for a period of one year from the date of landfall to adopt what the statute says or calls more restrictive or burdensome amendments to it. comp plan or
amendments to its land development regulations or more burdensome and restrictive procedures related to the approval of site plans, development permits, and development orders. Now, this one-year time clock during which
these restrictions will be in force restarts every time another storm makes landfall with in within 100 miles of any portion of Seminal County. That's concerning from a planning perspective. You know, I don't know how
long I'm sure maybe Allan could help us figure this out. how long it's been since we haven't had a storm within 100 miles of the county. Um what's you know been a year and so every time we have another storm that comes that close to us, it's another year where we can't make these
changes to our comp plan or our land development code or or change procedures related to to other land development approvals. Mr. Chairman, if I may. Yes. So, uh, when you present this to us, there'll be a list of things with emergency management that we, even
though we do them, we should put them in a motion, I would imagine, to make sure that it's part of our policy and or program. Correct. You mean we when we come back to you? Correct. Um, I think it would depend how we present
them. I mean, if they're put in an administrative regulation, you'll be approving them at that time. If they're in an ordinance, of course, you'd be approving that. Um, however you decide to do it, which is most proficient, please let us know how that is ahead of time so we can make sure that we identify those.
Absolutely. And I we're actually meeting tomorrow. Darren is having his senior leadership team meet tomorrow to discuss this um in greater detail. So, we don't really have super detailed plan right now as I'll touch on in a second. But one of the reasons I asked the county
attorney to brief us on this is it's my opinion this is yet another home rule assault. I mean there's no question about it and the fact that it's retroactive back to when 2024. I'm about to touch on that provision
because the the section I just summarized is perspective. that went into effect on June 26th. And there's another the way the statute is drafted is there's a another section specifically applicable to counties listed in the emergency declarations for
Debbie, Helen, and Milton. I think we're in two out of three of those. Um it's the same restrictions on making amendments to site to um comp plan land development codes or procedures related to the land development permits and orders. However, for those counties
affected by those storms and and named in the um emergency declaration, the restriction is retroactive to October 1st, I mean, excuse me, August 1st, 2024. Uh, and this includes our charter amendments that were approved by the
electorate uh in November. And so, I've received the question from more than one of you, what is the effect of this on the charter, the charter amendments? you know, you put a supermajority vote requirement in place for a property owner to seek approval from the board to
remove their property from the rural area. And there was a question, you know, does this affect that charter charter amendment? And you know, we're still evaluating a lot of aspects of this bill, but the county attorney's
office at this point um has taken the position that the Senate Bill 180 does not affect that charter amendment. That charter amendment simply is a is a vote requirement for property be property to be removed from the rural boundary. It
doesn't automatic if you get your property removed from the rural area, you don't you don't automatically have a development approval. You still have to go back to the county with a site plan or if you need a resoning, you still would have to ask for a reasonzoning. That's just the first step in a in a
development project. If you don't want to develop consistent with the rural the the regulations applicable within the rural boundary or the rural area. So, if the county were to adopt regulations in violation of this bill or they have anything on the books right now
retroactive to August 1st that violates this bill, the the new law, um the bill renders these amendments and procedures void from their onset like they never existed. Um, so the county is in the process of going back and and looking at what we've adopted since August 1st as
far as land development regulations and comp plan amendments. And we don't think anything we've adopted since August 1st in those two documents is affected by this. We do have, as you know, a series of land development regulation amendments coming up. We've been working
with consultant and staff. So, these are being examined um one at a time, you know, to see if they violate the provisions of this law. And the county attorney's office is working with staff um just bit by bit to to get through to
get through these amendments. Um we haven't we don't have any information to provide to you at this time on that. Um I think I think that's that concludes the information I have for you. And if you have a question, so can you brief us on that soon as you
Absolutely. has reviewed that? Absolutely. Um I I don't know what the thought of my fellow commissioners are, but you know, the continue assault on home rule is is problematic at it seems to be coming
more and more the norm or pushing the envelope than it was, you know, even 5 years ago. Um so I you know I think we have to look at these assault on home rule very closely and whether we want to
possibly join with others and taking action um legally. Uh other counties are obviously in a bad spot more than we are is what it sounds like. Um but I I look forward to that briefing so
we can perhaps discuss that further. I mean, the point to me is why why are we even here if if the legislature is going to continue to do some of the things that they want to do? Um, they want to come trash collection. They want
Yeah. They don't want that. They want us to come to them and ask for permission. Correct. Which is not why we were elected or or placed here. So, I don't know what everybody else's thoughts are. If you have any comments, fine. If not, we can move on. I think I think it's going to
be on an on an as issue basis comes forward. I agree with you that it's it's gotten worse. I I also don't see it getting better. Um so we'll we'll just need to stay in close tabs and decide which things are the most egregious and what affects us
the most and affects the citizens. I think that's really ultimately what it is. I mean, if if it's less about ego and more about about actual service to citizens and quality of life, I could be convinced. If it's just because I don't want them telling me what to do, I don't know that I have the stomach for that. Um, I might I might not want them to
tell me what to do, but I'm not sure. I'm not going to go to the mattresses over that one. Um, but if it's really going to negatively impact our citizens, I could. Going to the mats. Thought it was the mattresses, isn't it? We need to look that up. No, it's Matt. It's not mattresses. It's
Matt when Harry on when what movie was that from? Your creativ your creativity is really over the top. Commissioner, you're you're referring to a movie now, which I do understand. I watched that movie, too. It's the Commissioner Herk, did you have We I'll get us back on track since I got
us off track. Take responsibility for it. Google it. Um I I would say that in I agree with everything Commissioner Lockhart just said and you said as well, Chairman. I would add to it though that if other counties are taking action or if there is a ground swell, I would like
to be informed about that. So maybe we can stay in the know about that. Um I know fact keeps us informed. Um but that may not be the only place where we find out that information. So I think that would be helpful. The only two that I'm aware of right now
is maybe Valuchia and Orange. Yeah, Mr. Chairman, it's all on a on a casebyase basis at this point. There's no broad-based um concern. Yeah, that's helpful. Okay. Anything else? No.
Okay. County manager, do you have anything else for us today? You've given us plenty. Yes, I'm going to give you a couple good news things real quick though, but I think M. Johnson, when do we have that coming back to the board about Senate Bill 180? We we have a land development code update on September 9th at which time because some
of the things being proposed may uh be kind of wrapped up with 180, we were going to also talk about 180. So that that'll be coming back too. Okay. Um two things uh real quick. Great news that and chairman, you mentioned it earlier with our utilities and our admin staff here about our water and sewer
revenue refunding bonds um that we had done and that we had actually it resulted in the final sale of $5.7 million worth of savings. Oh, nice. And it will actually our our cash flow savings is going to be about 2 million through 2036. So, um so I appreciate
that that the team our financial team is very strong uh on that. So, I just wanted to mention that you did. And then I have Mr. Gekuna, our economic development and tourism director. If he could come up, um, you all already know this about Bumba, our Bumba Park, but he has the actual plaque that I wanted him
to present. I have it here, but you can I'll be Vanna White and I'll give it to you all. But go ahead. Thank you for the record. Gee Kuna, director economic development and tourism. So, uh, it's our pleasure to
announce that, uh, Newsweek this month announced the Bumba Sports Complex as the number one voters's choice for, uh, sports complex for youth sports. Nice. So, very excited about that. Uh, they're
they're the campaign. So you guys, this this was this was amazing because uh it required both uh the votes from the travelers and residents. So uh having them come together and vote this complex ahead of uh other very
prestigious complexes that are older than uh I mean Bumba's not even 10 years old yet. So, uh, as it is, uh, Bumba has hosted over 450 events and is in line and forecasted to be the first, uh,
tourism asset in Semino County history to eclipse 1 billion in the future. Currently, we're over at 250. So, it will take some time, but uh, it is far and ahead the, uh, the the best tourist tourism asset that we have. And one of
the major talking points of uh putting the tourism improvement district for the petition and approval by the hotelers in order to to present it to the commissioners was the success of the Bumba Sports Complex. So definitely want to thank Parks and Recreation, Greater
Orlando Sports Commission, all the leadership. Uh less than 10 years ago, the county made a decision and uh it's recognized nationally. Thank you. Great. Thank you. That's all I have. That's awesome. Fantastic. All right. District
Commissioner reports. Uh, Commissioner Delari. No report, please. Okay. Commissioner Constantine. Well, then I'm going to be real quick. I did wanted to say that the Central Florida Zoo had a board retreat up in Jacksonville. I attended uh by Zoom. Um,
but um they uh they went and checked out Jacksonville Zoo. Um, as you all know, I have been to um both the National Association of Regional Councils conference and the um um National Association of Counties conference
recently. In both cases, I brought back a lot of material and in both cases a lot of the discussion was about microtransit and so I a lot of that stuff is coming back to us and I did that. Um uh I don't have to tell you that we had a wonderful
even though the rain a number of different u celebrations during the July 4th holidays and um also want to congratulate commissioner Delorei on the greenways and trails. I believe that he was the speaker at the opening of that here in in Semino County. Um that uh
young man that we all have uh you know we're very proud of Mr. William Watts did have his eagle ceremony this past weekend. Um, yep. And, uh, the city of Castleberry will have a ribbon cutting on their Castleberry Wheel Park West. I, uh, I, I hope there are no injuries, uh,
onto that thing, but, uh, that's that's quite the, uh, quite the project they've got there. And I know that our own uh, Semino County Fire Department's Boys and Girls back to school bash is going to be July 31st uh, in Altoont Springs, East
Altoont Springs. I did want to tell you that that the Council of Local Governments is going to have a meeting on August 6th. We're hosting it and we are going to have both um uh Christian and Allan speak Allan speaking on the uh upcoming hurricane season, Christian
speaking on microtransit to all the other cities. I had here to congratulate Bumba uh congratulate the library, but we've done both of those. Uh but the solid waste division earned a recognition for the most outstanding public recycling program in Florida. So
they received that emergency management Katherine Valentine mitigation and resiliency manager was selected as the recipient of the Miles Anderson Heart of Mitigation award by the Florida Disaster Foundation. Congratulations. And the
Central and the Semino County Financial Health and we probably should have said this while some people were here. um has been affirmed by two of the nation's leading credit agencies. Moody's has upgraded the county's water and sewer revenue bonds and S&P global ratings,
has reaffirmed the county's AA plus bond rating and raised its outlook from stable to positive, noting the county's strong long-term planning and capital management. And last thing, Commissioner Zimbau is catching up to me
in age. Happy birthday last week. Not quite that far yet. And that's mine. Well, Commissioner, I you know, I want to take a moment and just recognize your lifetime achievement award from Florida Association of Counties, the uh Marlene
Young Lifetime Achievement Award for your more than 40 years of service uh to to the people of the state of Florida and here in Semino County. The third time it's ever been awarded. So, congratulations. Good work. He made me carry the award.
It was too heavy. He carried actually he was getting all the congratulations when he was carrying it to uh Commissioner Lockhart and I think you have two appointments. I do. Um, I have a motion to approve Tyler Winnick, who you all were introduced to this morning, to the
historical commission for a term beginning um, well, he's completing an unexpired term. So, the term will be ending July um, she's December 31st, 2026. Second. Motion second. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I like
sign carries unanimous. My second appointment is for Mr. Nick Balovich to join the parks and preservation committee. um all serve uh in an an unexpired term ending December 31st, 2026. Motion second. Any further discussion?
Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed like sign. Carries unanimous. And I know that you're wanting to do the um uh board appointment for Mr. Berg for the CAC committee. But I do want to bring up a a topic about appointing uh
citizen advisory committee members to Sunrail that we're you all need to decide what you want to do. Um there according to our interlocal agreement with the other partners, the CAC board members have term limits that they are three one-year
terms and then you are supposed to be done. So these are people who are supposed to be riding Sunreil regularly that serve on this committee. Okay. Um there's a definition of what's working. So has Mr. Oldberg already served three? He has not. Okay. But Miss O'Brien has Okay. And so her term is up. She has completed
three year single year terms and is now according to our interlocal agreement term limited out. Um she is willing to serve again but we would have to ask for an exception to our interlocal agreement to do that. What's your recommendation? My
recommendation is that we thank her for her many years of service and we find another citizen who rides so that we are not if we're going to ask for an exception to the interlocal agreement. I'd like it to be for something more uh substantial. And we don't have O'Brien on this agenda. Correct. That's why she's not on this
agenda because I wanted to wait to get the direction from you on whether you all wanted to go through that process of getting an exception. M chairman. So you want to take nominations for citizen advisory person? If you all know someone who rides Sunrail regularly who
would be a good person to serve on this advisory committee, uh we will need someone to replace Miss O'Brien um to serve with Mr. Elberg. That might be tough. You can't probably can't count that in one hand. Actually, there are a lot of people who ride it and there are a lot of people who ride it
from this county. Yes, including Come on. Commissioner Patrick Austin who rides it at city of Sanford commissioner rides it every day to and from his job in the courthouse downtown. I know a lot of people does being elected preclude them from being on the board.
It may. I'd have to double check that. Can we just keep her on the board until we find a an alternative? Is that reasonable? I'm not sure what the rules are. I would be happy to do that if that's the case. But do that. But I agree. Let's let's save our
chip for a bigger prize. Okay. All right. Thank you. That that answers my question for for that. And if if any I mean seriously, I think we all will know someone if we ask around um who rides. You may not realize how many people actually ride. I really do.
Um that's going to be the end of my report. Everything else has either been talked about talked about or it's been just a long enough day. Commissioner Her, I want to thank the folks at the Cherris Bible School for inviting me out to the open house. I did attend. It was a
packed crowd. They host their meetings at the uh Seminal State College. Uh the regular meetings are in the other room. This was in the Barbara Miller room and it was busting at the seams. It was was lovely. They were lovely. Um, I also
thank them for bringing me a dozen roses which was very sweet for just showing up at something which is my job. That was that was wonderful. And I think we may all be attending but state of our schools is on 72825 and that is always a a really
informative session. So I hope to see you all there. And that ends my report. Fantastic. I do have one appointment. Uh approve uh or nominate Allison Crew to the parks and preservation advisory committee for a term to expire on 123126.
Second. Motion to second. Any further discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor? I opposed. Like sign. Carries unanimous. Okay. Today in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln presented to his cabinet a preliminary draft of the Emancipation
Proclamation. Yay. Today is also Mango Day, National Fudge Day, and National Hammock Day. There you go. We could have used a few hammocks this afternoon.
Um uh on June 18th, I spoke to the uh Orlando Realtor Association Government Affairs Committee on a possible tax increase uh that was coming before us, which we took action on today.
um they were concerned. Uh I spent good amount of time with them and and after speaking to them, they they clearly understood and encouraged them to take a look at our budget and I helped them find their way that and and so they were very appreciative.
um all the amazing Independence Day events in Simol County. I'm sure you all attended um whether it was Alamont or Ovido or Winter Springs or or what have you. I happened to be at the Altoont one. Um I didn't make it to Winter
Springs, but the big Altoont thing. I saw Commissioner Constantine there. Um well attended. Uh, also reminding this the public if you haven't signed up for the Simol County newsletter, please do so. Good way to
stay informed and I sincerely appreciate uh the PIO's staff putting that together. Uh we've had a few comments especially from some of our elderly population that find it informative and have have commented
on on how they appreciate the ability to be able to communicate and also gives them a way to find certain services. I also want to take a moment and thank um our IT people. I've had several comments from people in the community
about, oh my gosh, the the websites seem to be so much better than what they were before we can actually find something. Um although I went looking for something and that's a whole other topic, but it's it was way off in the woods somewhere.
Um outside of that, um I have nothing else in my report. We do have a couple board appointments for the board. Uh, I'm looking for a motion to approve an atlarge board appointment of Maria Torantino Sofrrent to the hospice end of
life representative. Second. Uh, commission on aging. The term would expire 1231 2025. That's your motion. No. I'll make the motion. Second. Okay. Motion second. All those in favor? I opposed. Like sign. Seeing none carries
unanimously. Um, move approval at large board appointment of Eric Olberg to the Sunreil customer advis customer advisory committee for a one-year term. Second. Motion second. Any further discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor? I
opposed. Like sign. Okay, that's all I have on my report. We will now go to public comments for items not on the agenda. Do I have any David McKenzie? Mr. McKenzie, come on down. Sir, thank you.
When you come up, just give us your name and address and uh give us a brief real quick what you want to talk about and then have at it. It will be brief. Okay. For the record, David McKenzie, 5161, Kingwell Circle, Oto.
Um I just wanted to um it's kind of like um an announcement. I am a volunteer at a church, a community church in Sanford there, and we're putting on a um a back to school
um event for some children on Saturday, August the 2nd, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Okay. Okay. The pastor is is trying to see if he can um get some uh donations, book backpacks, or anything of such. And just
by sitting here today, I was wondering if if there's anything that I can bring back to those folks or if I can get someone from your committee to come out and meet with these folks. That's the brief I have. And before I go, I just wanted to
express my profound gratitude to you guys for the work that you're doing. Yes. Thank you. Being a resident for what's some 30 plus years, Bob. Um, I have five children that go to school here. It's a great place to live. So, right.
Thank you for the job that you do. Thank you. And before you take off, if you'll if you'll send that to our offices. Yes. Um, so we have it. You know, I'm happy to to come if I can make it. Yes, sir. Um, thank you very much. Thank you very much, sir. Anyone else? No, sir.
Seeing none. Anything else for the good of the order? Just one thing, Mr. Chairman. I probably there just a clarification for the boards that had a few questions. There is no meeting next Tuesday, July 29th. It was on our calendar just in case we needed an extra because this is the only meeting we have in July, but we do not
uh have a meeting next Tuesday. I was beginning to wonder whether we about two hours ago, I'm like there goes the 29 for that. It was reserved for that. So there is no meeting. Anything else for the good of the order? Seeing none, we shall be ajourned.