REGULAR MEETING
LEVY COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AUGUST 3, 2010
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Levy County Commissioners was held on August 3, 2010, at 9:00 AM in the Levy County Board ofCountyCommissionersmeeting room, with the following Commissioners present:
Chairperson Nancy Bell
Vice Chairperson Danny Stevens
Comm. Marsha Drew
Comm. Lilly Rooks
Comm.ChadJohnson
Also present were:
Danny J. Shipp – Clerk of Court
CountyAttorney– Anne Bast Brown
CountyCoordinator– Fred Moody
Assistant to theCountyCoordinator– Dick Tummond
Chairperson Bell called the meeting to order at 9:03 AM. Comm. Bell gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
EXPENDITURES
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve the following expenditures presented for payment. Second was made by Comm. Drew and the MOTION CARRIES.
| CHECK NUMBER |
101957-102097 |
| FUND |
AMOUNT |
| GENERAL REVENUE |
1,267,826.61 |
| ROAD |
69,499.52 |
| LIBRARY |
1,029.07 |
| PERMANENT MOSQUITO |
134.74 |
| COURT TECH/CRIM PREV |
4,429.74 |
| TRANSPORTATION |
18,785.25 |
| 911 |
16,583.33 |
| COURT FACILITIES |
11,068.22 |
| PROGRESS ENERGY |
160.25 |
| EMS |
25,779.10 |
| FIRE |
78,905.32 |
| TOURIST DEVELOPMENT |
246.04 |
| UTILITIES |
706.68 |
| ADD COURT COSTS |
439.90 |
| LANDFILL |
6,051.93 |
| TOTAL | $ 1,501,645.70 |
MINUTES
Approval of Minutes for the Budget Hearing held July 12, 2010.
Comm. Drew made a motion to approve the minutes as presented with correction as stated by Mr. Shipp. Second was made by Comm. Stevens and the MOTION CARRIES.
Comm. Drew made a motion to approve the minutes for the Regular Meeting held July 20, 2010 as presented. Second was made by Comm. Johnson and the MOTION CARRIES.
US CENSUS BUREAU
LeonArmstrong,U.S.Census Bureau,AtlantaRegion
A. Presentation of Plaque to the Board ofCountyCommissioners.
Mr. Armstrong indicated as of May,LevyCountywas at 68% for the Census numbers, an increase from the Census taken in 2000 of 54%. These numbers did not get unnoticed. On behalf of the Census Bureau, Mr. Armstrong presented a plaque of appreciation to the Board and a letter of accommodation to Chairperson Bell from the Regional Office inAtlanta.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Constance Greenlee spoke to the Board as the representative of a new organization BCAC (BronsonCommunityAccessCenter). Ms. Greenlee spoke about a community cleanup for the Town ofBronson. She asked the Board if fees could be waived for dumping once the trash has been collected.
Claude Blackburn spoke to the Board regarding having 120th Terrace paved. Mr. Blackburn stated he has been told this road will be paved and it has not been done. Mr. Blackburn called Bruce Greenlee to the podium to speak. Mr. Greenlee explained what roads were ahead of 120th Terrace for paving and why there has been a delay in road construction.
Aggie Mease stated she received a list from the road department and indicated she was told by someone at the Road Department their road would not be addressed until 2012-2013. Mr. Greenlee informed Ms. Mease this was not correct information.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS
CountyCoordinator, Fred Moody
A. Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronsonfor Collection and Disbursement ofEMSImpact Fees.
Mr. Moody stated he had received the Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronsonfor Collection and Disbursement of EMS Impact fees back from the Town ofBronsonand requested approval of the Agreement by the Board.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve the Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronsonas presented. Second was made by Comm. Johnson and the MOTION CARRIES.
B. Request from theFirstBaptistChurchto consider placing speed bumps along Court Street.
Mr. Moody read a letter to the Board from the Bronson First Baptist Church Pastor, Troy Turner requesting speed bumps along Court Street.
After discussion, the Board requested Mr. Greenlee to research information regarding the different types of speed bumps which would be appropriate and the construction cost for the Board to review at the next meeting.
Comm. Rooks requested Captain Sache, who was present in the audience, to address the ATV situation on 120th Terrace as mentioned by Mr. Blackburn.
CORRESPONDENCE
Heather Lombardo
A. Recapitulation Report.
Mrs. Lombardo requested approval of the Recapitulation Report as submitted by the Levy County Tax Collector.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve the Recapitulation Report as presented. Second was made by Comm. Rooks and the MOTION CARRIES.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
Trish Seibold, Director
A. Donation of spare ambulance to Central Florida Community College Training Department.
Ms. Seibold requested permission to donate a 2001 spare ambulance not in use to the Central Florida Community College Training Department.
Comm. Rooks made a motion giving permission for the EMS Department to donate a 2001 spare ambulance to the Central Florida College Training Department. Second was made by Comm. Drew and the MOTION CARRIES.
LIBRARY
Jeanine Turner
A. Request the Board delegate authority to Fred Moody (or his designee) to authorize the SIRSI annual renewals.
Mrs. Turner requests the Board to delegate authority to Fred Moody (or his designee) to authorize the SIRSI annual renewals.
After discussion Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve the SIRSI annual renewal and to allow Mr. Moody or his designee to sign.
The motion dies for lack of a second.
Comm. Drew made a motion to approve the renewal. Second was made by Comm. Johnson and the MOTION CARRIES.
Comm. Drew made a motion to bring this back each year for Board approval.
The motion dies for lack of a second.
The Board decided by consensus to renew this each year.
B. LevyCountyPublic LibrarySystem Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronson.
Mrs. Turner requested approval of the Levy County Public Library System Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronson.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve the Interlocal Agreement as presented. Second was made by Comm. Rooks and the MOTION CARRIES.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Anne Bast Brown,CountyAttorney
A. Discussion and decision regarding Agreement between County and Town of Otter Creek for fire protection services and discussion of related agreements between Town of Otter Creek and City ofChieflandfor fire protection.
Atty. Brown presented a revised County/Otter Creek Fire Agreement and discussed the related agreements between the Town of Otter Creek and City ofChieflandfor fire protection.
Comm. Drew made a motion to approve the Agreement betweenLevyCountyand the Town of Otter Creek as presented. Second was made by Comm. Rooks and the MOTION CARRIES.
COMMISSIONERS’ REPORTS
NON-AGENDA ITEM
Comm. Stevens made a motion to hear a non-agenda item from Comm. Johnson. Second was made by Comm. Johnson and the MOTION CARRIES.
Comm. Johnson spoke regarding renting a building located on the property behind the courthouse (the oldBronsonHigh School) or one of the portables located at the Hilltop site for the Guardian ad litem office space.
Comm. Johnson asked if the commissioners if they would like to pursue one of these for office space or go ahead with renting the office space in Chiefland withGilchristCountyas discussed at a previous meeting.
The space available at Hilltop is a 24 x 48 portable unit available for $750, plus utilities. The building behind the courthouse is available for $1,500, which includes utilities. This space was once used as two classrooms and includes a central located kitchenette, with separate restrooms for each.
Comm. Johnson asked if the Commissioners would like to make a decision at the next Board meeting. The Commissioners agreed to have this on the agenda to make a decision at the next meeting.
Comm. Johnson stated he and the Clerk will research the buildings mentioned and come back with information at the next meeting.
Comm. Drew reported on the Community Outreach gathering in Inglis on Saturday to give away food from the Children’s Pantry and to do basic medical evaluations was successful as 25 families came in for assistance within the first 30 minutes.
Comm. Rooks stated there will be a Back to School Jamboree Saturday, August 14th at theWillistonMiddle School auditorium from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M.
Comm. Stevens stated he has been in contact with Berlon Weeks regarding Town ofBronson to be put on next Board meeting agenda to enter into an Interlocal Agreement with the Town ofBronson.
The meeting recessed at 10:22 A.M.
The meeting reconvened at 10:37 A.M.
LIBRARY WORKSHOP
Lisa Brasher
A. Putnam, Alachua Levy Public Library Cooperative Interlocal Agreement.
Librarians, library volunteers and friends of the library from theLevyCountylibraries introduced themselves
Ms. Brasher gave a presentation
Ms. Brasher explained what PAL is and the benefits it could provide for the Library system inLevyCounty. PAL stands for the Putnam-Alachua-Levy Library Cooperative and is a free-standing special district funded by multicounty state aid. The State PAL funding amount could be $350,000. In order forLevyCountyto be a part of this Cooperative, Ms. Brasher stated an Interlocal Agreement would be necessary.
Comm. Drew made a motion to move forward with the Interlocal Agreement. Second was made by Comm. Johnson and the MOTION CARRIES.
The meeting recessed at 12:12 P.M.
The meeting reconvened at 1:31 P.M.
BUDGET WORKSHOP
Mrs. Rees pointed out to the Board members an updated budget for the General Fund which reflected the adjustment for Retirement and Insurance as well as Library, leaving $138,909 in Reserve. She stated the budget is still out the amount for the Fire Departments request of $130,517.
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS
CLERK OF COURT
Mr. Shipp stated his request is the same as from the last presentation.
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Major Sullivan stated the Sheriff’s Department had cut $100,000 from their previous budget, making the new budget total $11,252.642.
Major Sullivan stated the Sheriff’s Department plans to hire on four new dispatchers with approval of the budget as presented. The cost for this would be about $150,000 and the Sheriff would absorb the amount over $100,000.
Comm. Bell stated she didn’t know how the Board would be able to fund this budget and asked if he would work with the Board.
Major Sullivan stated if they are not able to hire the four new dispatchers as presented, the dispatch service will not be done for free with municipalities as of October of next year.
Comm. Drew stated she would like for the Sheriff’s Office to not give a 3% pay raise and still cut more from the budget.
Sullivan made a comparison of the insurance rates paid by the Board for its employees and stated the Sheriff’s Office does not have the same insurance and does not have to budget as much.
Comm. Bell stated she would like to see a significant cut to the Sheriff’s budget. She did not specify a percentage.
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Connie Asbell stated she had made no changes to her budget.
Comm. Drew stated she would like to see her budget cut as well as everyone else.
OTHER AGENCIES
NATURE COAST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/EZDA
Pat O’Neal stated their budget request is for $44,940.
Mr. Moody stated the following agencies were placed on the agenda for the Board to determine if they would keep the budgeted amounts the same as these agencies will need to plan their coming year’s budget according to what they will be receiving from the Board.
Agency Current Funding
Central Florida Community Action Agency $ 5,000
Meridian Health Care $ 71,368
LARC $ 40,392
Health Department $346,398
There was discussion among the Commissioners as to which, if any of the Agency amounts would change.
FIRE ADVISORY BOARD
After discussion, Comm. Bell suggested the amount to be distributed throughout the 14 Fire Departments in the county should be $1,188,955 and not give a 3% increase to the employees.
Rick Bloom stated he would go back to the Fire Advisory Board to see if any changes could be made.
ADMINISTRATION
Mr. Moody spoke to the Board regarding a Catastrophic Inmate Medical Program and stated the current budgeted amount for Inmate Medical is $200,000. He stated this type of insurance might be something the Board might want to consider in the future.
Discussion of Employee Health Insurance Premiums
Mr. Moody stated there is an increase of 11.8% for the health insurance premiums for Board employees. The Board is absorbing this increase for the employees.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS
Construction/Maintenance
Mr. Moody stated the portion of roof over the Sheriff’s Civil office down to Courtroom A and the Felony/Misdemeanor division of the Clerk’s office has had extensive roof leakage and re-roofing is necessary. Chuck Cook stated Perry Roofing can replace the roof for $60,676. The total square footage area is 4,600.
The area of the Clerk’s office located near Courtroom A, Traffic/Felony/Misdemeanor, has recently lost the function of the air conditioning unit for this area of the courthouse. Mr. Cook stated the existing unit has been temporarily repaired and a new unit is being built by Brooks Air Systems at a cost of $261,800.
Water Systems
Mr. Tummond gave an update on the water system at University Oaks and stated a new pump-house building is being constructed. A new tank and backup generator have already been purchased in order to get the plant in order. Mr. Tummond also gave information on upcoming plans for this water system.
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT RESOLUTIONS
Atty. Brown presented the following Preliminary Rate Resolutions for Board approval:
A. Resolution 2010-38, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Fire Protection Services.
Atty. Brown stated Resolution 2010-38, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Fire Protection Services sets the rate at the same charge as last year of $31 for residential.
Comm. Drew made motion to raise the assessment to the maximum amount of $40.
Comm. Drew rescinded her motion.
Comm. Drew made a motion to approve the Resolution with the proposed maximum preliminary rate of $40. Second was made by Comm. Johnson.
The votes were as follows:
YES NO
Comm. Drew Comm. Stevens
Comm. Johnson Comm. Rooks
Comm. Bell
The MOTION FAILS.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to set the preliminary rate at $31 and adopt the Resolution. Second was made by Comm. Rooks.
The votes were as follows:
YES NO
Comm. Stevens Comm. Drew
Comm. Rooks Comm. Johnson
Comm. Bell
The MOTION CARRIES.
B. Resolution 2010-39, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Solid Waste Assessments.
Atty. Brown stated Resolution 2010-39, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Solid Waste Assessments sets a flat rate at $25 per parcel.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve Resolution 2010-39 and set the preliminary rate at $25 per parcel. Second was made by Comm. Drew and the MOTION CARRIES.
C. Resolution 2010-40, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Roadway Maintenance Service Assessments.
Atty. Brown stated Resolution 2010-40, Preliminary Rate Resolution for Roadway Maintenance Service Assessments will set the rate the same as last year.
Comm. Johnson made a motion to approve Resolution 2010-40 as presented. Second was made by Comm. Drew and the MOTION CARRIES.
D. Resolution 2010-41, PreliminaryEMSTax Assessment Rate Resolution.
Atty. Brown stated Resolution 2010-41, Preliminary EMS Tax Assessment Rate Resolution sets the rate at $38, residential.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to approve Resolution 2010-41 and set the preliminary rate at $38 for residential. Second was made by Comm. Rooks and the MOTION CARRIES. Comm. Johnson votes NO.
Atty. Brown stated the final hearings for these Resolutions are set for September 7th at 6:30 P.M.
TENTATIVE MILLAGE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010-2011
Mrs. Rees stated the proposed budget millage rate is set at 7.4212. The rollback rate is set at 7.8436. The maximum millage rate which could be set at a majority vote is 9.5379. The maximum millage rate which could be set at a 2/3 vote is 10.4917.
Comm. Stevens made a motion to set the tentative millage rate at 7.8436. The motion dies for lack of a second.
Comm. Johnson made a motion to set the tentative millage rate at 7.4212. Second was made by Comm. Drew and the MOTION CARRIES. Comm. Stevens votes NO.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION, THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 5:03 P.M.
ATTEST: BOARD OFCOUNTYCOMMISSIONERS
LEVY COUNTY,FL
____________________________________ ____________________________________
Clerk of Court, Danny J. Shipp Chairperson, Nancy Bell