Okaloosa County BOCC — September 16, 2014 — Minutes

July 29, 2014 Budget Workshop A Fiscal Year 2014-15 Budget Workshop of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners was called to order at 8:30 a.m. at the Water & Sewer Administration Building in Fort Walton Beach. Members present were Charles K. Windes, Jr., Chairman; Nathan Boyles, Vice Chairman; Wayne Harris; Dave Parisot (arrived at 8:35 a.m.); and Don Amunds. Also present were Gary J. Stanford, Finance Director, and Dave Skarzynski, Budget Analyst, Clerk's Office; Ernie Padgett, County Administrator; and representatives of the media. UPDATE FROM PREVIOUS WORKSHOP Mr. Windes said because the agenda is heavy today, Mr. Padgett could report on a portion of the items from the last workshop and speak to the remainder at the conclusion of the workshop. Mr. Padgett said there are four items to report back on. He said one of the issues the commissioners requested additional information on was the Sheriff's Compensated Absences Fund. The current balance in that fund is $1,369,000. Mr. Padgett stated he has spoken with the auditor (Angela Balent) several times on this issue. He said it was her conclusion and she felt comfortable recommending a 20% to 30% reserve in the Sheriff's Compensated Absences Fund. Mr. Padgett stated 70% of $1,369,000 is $958,300. It is his recommendation to round that down to $900,000 for transfer to the General Fund. He further recommended that $500,000 of those transferred funds be added to the Sheriff's FY 2015 budget and the remaining $400,000 would go into the General Fund. Mr. Padgett said $250,000 of the $400,000 could be used to cover the costs for the public transportation fixed routes. The remaining $150,000 could be placed in General Fund Reserves. (Mr. Parisot arrived at this time—8:35 a.m.) Continuing, Mr. Padgett stated other dollars can be added to General Fund Reserves as they are isolated from revenue sources. Mr. Windes stated that he did speak with Ms. Balent and she indicated she would provide a written statement. Mr. Padgett responded that he did receive that statement yesterday. July 29, 2014 -1- Minute Book 71, Page 170 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr, Parisot referred to the Pro Share balance of $1.6 Million and stated that is unobligated reserves which could be used in the event of a storm event if additional funds are needed. Mr. Padgett agreed that money is in reserves and can be used at the discretion of the Board. He said the $1.6 Million is the amount after increases are given to employees. Upon inquiry by Mr. Windes, Mr. Stanford stated the reserve balance is calculated and placed into the self-insurance fund. The Pro Share monies automatically go into this fund, advising there are other monies which also go into that particular reserve fund. He clarified that at this time 90% or more of the reserve fund balance is Pro Share revenue. Mr. Stanford explained the reserve balance is what is left after receipt of revenues and proposed budget expenditures are accounted for, He said there is $1.6 Million in the account. Mr. Boyles asked if there is any hope of getting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Sheriff that the $500,000 proposed to be returned to him from the unencumbered portion of the Compensated Absences Fund will be applied to something in particular, such as vehicles. Mr. Padgett replied that he thinks the Sheriff would be willing to designate that in written form, adding that he will talk with him today. Relative to the Unincorporated County Parks MSTU, Mr. Padgett stated he recommended in his budget cover letter to pull $500,000 from the MSTU Reserves for a one-time contribution to stormwater, He said that recommendation did not receive support. Mr. Padgett stated a permanent revenue source is needed to do something significant with stormwater issues. Options include a sales tax dedicated to stormwater, a stormwater utility or a combination of revenue sources. He advised the current millage vate for this MSTU is 0.1800 mils. Mr. Padgett said he has two proposals for consideration: 1. Increase this millage rate to 0.2718 mils which will require a simple majority vote of the Board. It would net $602,646 in new revenue for stormwater. 2. Increase this millage rate to 0.2990 mils which will xequire a 2/3 majority vote of the Board. It would net $781,207 in new revenue for stormwater. He provided bar graphs to show the monthly and annual impacts this increase would have on property owners at varying increments of $50,0C0 of taxable property values. Mr. Padgett July 29, 2014 -2- Minute Book 71, Page 171 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners also noted this revenue stream could be bonded and if a sales tax were implemented down the road, the millage rate could be cut. Mr. Parisot said he does not see the cities weighing in on the sales tax issue and the allccations for stormwater are only going for operational costs. He stated that he is supportive of raising to 0.2990 mils. Mr. Harris said this is not a panacea but it is better than nothing. Mr, Boyles stated the County Administrator was asked to provide possible solutions which he has done and he appreciates that. However, he stated he doesn’t know if these are the best options. Mr. Boyles said there could be a bond issue without raising taxes and would like to see comparisons. Mr. Boyles continued, saying a number of storwmater retention ponds were damaged during the spring storm event. He spoke specifically about retention ponds constructed by developers off the right-of-way which were accepted by the county. Mr. Boyles said he would like to explore the possibility of requiring future developments with off-street retention ponds to have a homeowners association be responsible for the maintenance of those areas. Mr. Padgett referred to the charts and said if the Board approved an increase to 0.2718 mills, the annual tax increase on a $250,000 property would be $22.95. Mr. Stanford stated today is the day we set aside for adoption of the tentative millage rate. He explained that rate must be reported to the Property Appraiser 35 days after certified values are received (July 1) which means August 4 is the deadline. Mr. Stanford pointed out this is the last workshop or meeting before the deadline. He said the Property Appraiser will use the tentative millage rates in preparation of the Truth In Millage (TRIMs} mailed to property owners. Mr, Stanford continued, saying the millage rate will again be addressed at the two budget hearings held in September (Tentative Budget Hearing on September 4 at 6 p.m. in Crestview; Final Budget Hearing on September 15 at 6 p.m. in Fort Walton Beach). He advised the advertised rate can go down in the first budget hearing but not up. If the Board, however, decides to July 29, 2014 -3- Minute Book 71, Page 172 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners increase the tentative millage rate at that hearing, the notification of the new rate must be sent to all property owners at the Board’s expense. Mr. Stanford stated what is set today is not set in stone. Mr. Parisot reiterated Mr. Stanford’s explanation of setting the rate and what happens if it is changed. He estimated the cost for the notification at $50,000. Mr. Parisot stated the Board does not have to set the tentative rate today because there is a budget workshop on August 4 and felt approval of the rate could be delayed until August 5 at the regular Board meeting. Mr. Stanford stated he transmits the tentative millage rate information electronically. He noted when the budget workshops were set, the next workshop was to be August 7 but it was rescheduled at the last week. Mr. Parisot said another reason to delay setting the rate is to hear the Public Works Department budget presentation and the stormwater discussion at the August 4 workshop. Mr. Padgett concurred, saying that is reasonable. Mr. Windes agreed and asked Mr. Padgett if he has anything else at this time. Mr. Padgett replied those are the big items and he will have a couple more to review with the Board at the end of this workshop. Mr. Parisot said he asked for a break out of the General Fund allocations with regard to the Public Safety, Essential Services, and Quality of Life categories. He acknowledged receipt of the information and said 31% of the $3 Million increase in the General Fund from last year is for Quality of Life items. Mr. Parisot suggested the $941,000 proposed for Quality of Life be reallocated to Essential Services or Public Safety. He said it was difficult to find where that $941,000 increase was and asked for more clarification at the next workshop. MEDICAL EXAMINER Mr. Jeff Martin, Director of the Medical Examiner (ME) Office, stated he was unable to be at the last workshop. Upon inquiry by Mr. Amunds, Mr. Martin stated the proposed budget for FY 2015 represents a 7% decrease. He explained they use historical data on death rates, tourism, and population to project services. July 29, 2014 -4- Minute Book 71, Page 173 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr. Amunds asked for the status on Walton County sharing in the costs for the ME's facilities in Okaloosa County. Mr. Martin stated he spoke with Walton County’s County Administrator and staff on this issue. He said he proposed a lease agreement for use of the building and to give Okaloosa County a credit for its portion. Mr. Martin stated a lease was forwarded to Walton County, that he had conversation with Walton representatives and remarked they were surprised to get a lease from him. Mr. Harris asked what Walton County’s share should be. Mr. Amunds pointed out this issue came up one year ago and they should not have been surprised. He too asked about Walton County’s share of the facility costs. Mr. Martin replied about $12,000. He added the Walton County Administrator has changed many times over the past years and many of the people he discussed this with no longer work for Walton County. Mr. Martin said he was told Walton County had already prepared its budget for the coming year but could amend it. At Mr. Amunds’ request, Mr. Martin provided additional detail on the percentage or split for Okaloosa County with regard to ME services and investigator services. Upon inquiry by Mr. Boyles, Mr. Martin explained that MES are appointed by the Governor and provided the statutory obligation for the county to pay for Medical Examiner services. Mr. Boyles said he would like to investigate an interlocal agreement and defer consent until a line item budget for the Medical Examiner is presented. Mr. Padgett stated one year ago he discussed this item with the Assistant/Interim County Administrator for Walton County. He said a commitment was made to allow for those costs in the budget. Mr. Padgett stated Walton County has gotten a free ride at Okaloosa County’s expense. He said there has been another administrator since that time. Mr. Parisot said he would like to see the Administrators for the four counties in the circuit (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton) get together to discuss an interlocal agreement for ME services for the FY 2016 budget. REQUEST FROM MR. PARISOT Mr. Windes asked Mr. Parisot to refresh the commissioners with his earlier comments on General Fund contributions for the three categories. Mr. Parisot complied with an explanation. Mr. July 29, 2014 -5- Minute Book 71, Page 174 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Padgett stated he will bring the response to the August 4 workshop . PURCHASING Mrs. Zan Fedorak, Purchasing Manager, highlighted surplus sales for this fiscal year and explained approval was obtained from the County Administrator for use of those funds to hire temporary staff for Purchasing and to purchase a copier for veterans Services. She said if there are enterprise department itema involved in the auction, her department works with the Clerk’s Office to return those monies to the proper enterprise departments. Mrs. Fedorak listed the responsibilities of the Purchasing Department and provided statistics on the number of contracts processed, management of P Cards, and inventory assets. she reviewed staffing levels for this department and spoke on the re-establishment of the Contracts and Leased Coordinator position, Key objectives were also provided. Mrs. Fedorak noted they have received input from the Internal Auditor about better ways to do P Card Program, Mr. Steve Czonstka, Niceville, referred to the Tourist Development scandal involving TD Director Mark Bellinger. He asked whether some of the items purchased by Mr. Bellinger were run through the Purchasing Department, if Purchasing policies were changed and what happened to the money when the custom motorcycles were auctioned. Mrs. Fedorak replied many of the items illegally purchased by Mr. Bellinger were auctioned in an effort to recover funds. She said extensive changes were made to policy and the procurement document adds another layer of scrutiny. Mrs. Fedorak stated there is review by the Purchasing Department, the Clerk’s Office and any purchase over $25,000 requires legal review. Mr. Harris said the new process has become an almost onerous oversight. He stated this Board has taken measures to ensure everything that can be done is done. Mr. Harris added that no matter what restrictions you have, a thief will still figure out a way to steal. Mr. Czonstka referred to his position on the Environmental Council and said he was forced to close the bank account and could no longer write checks for Environmental Council events. July 29, 2014 -6- Minute Book 71, Page 175 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners He expressed concern about the beach cleaning event set for September. He commented that micromanagement has been taken to excess. Upon inquiry by Mr. Parisot, Mr. Czonstka answered he closed the account because he was told he could not write checks. Mr. Parisot suggested Mr. Czonstka contact Mrs. Fedorak or Mr. Stanford. HUMAN RESOURCES Mrs. Kay Godwin, Human Resources (HR) Director, stated she would like to take this opportunity to address BCC employee salaries. She said the employees’ last performance increase was in FY 2008 and took effect in FY 2009. Mrs. Godwin stated a market adjustment of $1,400 was approved for FY 2014. She expressed concern about the growing wage gap and noted HR is seeing an increase in the job turnover rate. Mrs. Godwin stressed the importance of attracting and retaining qualified employees and asked the Board to consider reinstating the merit increase program. Mrs. Godwin provided bar graphs showing full-time staffing history from 2007 through 2014, as well as the turnover rate from 2009 through 2014. She gave HR Activity facts on number of training hours, number of new hires, number of candidates which failed to pass background checks in the last year, number of employee relation actions, and the number of employees placed on FMLA. Mrs. Godwin remarked the talent pool is changing. VETERANS SERVICES Mrs. Beatrice Love-Moore, Veterans Services Director, reported a slight decrease in the proposed budget for FY 2015. She said a copier is requested for the Fort Walton Beach office, noting they have had the current copier since 2003 and repair parts are no longer available. Mrs. Love-Moore stated Veterans Services is a three-person department and explained the services they provide. She fielded questions from the commissioners regarding assistance to the Tax Collector's and Property Appraiser’s Offices on veterans’ disabilities, assistance from the DAV, and seeking assistance from Congressman Jeff Miller. Mr. Windes polled the commissioners and noted it is the consensus of the Board for Mrs. Love-Moore to get the copier she is requesting. July 29, 2014 -7- Minute Book 71, Page 176 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners RECESS - The workshop was recessed at 10:16 a.m. and reconvened at 10:27 a.m. RISK MANAGEMENT Mrs. Godwin reviewed the following slides: e Health Insurance Plan changes from FY 2008 to present e Health premium costs from FY 2008 to present for individual base plan and family base plan e Health premium savings - Pro Share Mr. Parisot referred to Obamacare and said he spoke with Mr. Barnes and the county’s health insurance plan can be classified as a “high bronze” or a “low silver” plan. Mrs. Godwin said she anticipates presenting the Board with the new dental, life, and long-term disability plans for consideration at the next meeting. She said there will be savings for both the county and the employees. Mrs. Godwin said she believes they have over-budgeted this item by about $150,000. Continuing, she said Mr. Parisot asked HR to brief the Board on the Smoke Free Policy, advising that presentation will be set for a September meeting. Mrs. Godwin stated this budget includes a small appropriation of $5,000 for the Wellness Committee. She also remarked the Self- Insurance Reserves are dwindling because they have only budgeted for premiums and not for claims. In an effort to rebuild the reserve fund, Mrs. Godwin stated she has added a $400,000 line item for claims. FACILITIES MAINTENANCE Mr. Don Turner, Facilities Maintenance Director, provided information on the four units within this department: Administrative Services, Custodial Services, Groundskeeper Unit, and Building Maintenance. Mr. Turner’s summary slide provided the following details: e Total FY 2015 department budget is $3,230,683 which reflects a 8.4% increase over the current year’s budget July 29, 2014 -8- Minute Book 71, Page 177 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners * The reasons for the budget increase are: addition of three staff positions {one custodian and two new structural staff), substantial list of major projects, market increases in goods and services, and one replacement vehicle Mr. Turner stated he has received a request from the Health Department to provide janitorial services for its facilities. Mr, Parisot asked if the vequest for three additional staff includes staff for the Health Department to which Mr. Turner replied, “Not entirely." He then continued his presentation, saying that he will request two more custodians when the new administrative facility in Shalimar is completed in FY 2016, Mr. Turner stated the Pest Control Specialist position was eliminated a few years ago because of budget cuts. However, the individual who performed that task continued te work as a carpenter. Now that individual will be retiring and there is a need to add that position back. He said the cost to perform pest control internally is less than $40,000 per year and estimated outsourcing of the service at $90,000 or more per year. Mr. Turner once again referred to the appeal from the Health Department for janitorial services for 66,000 square feet and stated that request came after the Facilities Maintenance budget had been prepared. He said the Heaith Department has requested two custodians but he believes the addition of one more custodian will be sufficient. He said the costs, including supplies and equipment, will total $74,000 for the Health Department . Mr. Amunds said he was told the State pays a portion of the Health Department's janitorial service and asked for confirmation the State will continue to allocate funds for service to the county-owned building. Secondly, he asked if Doctor Chapman will be allowed to transfer funds to the Facilities Maintenance Department for these services. Mr. Amunds stated he does not want this to become another unfunded mandate. Mr. Turner replied he will get a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the Health Department. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS Mr. Turner stated there are 27 project requests for FY 2015. He identified six items for the Corrections Department, two for the duly 29, 2014 -9- Minute Book 71, Page 178 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Crestview Courthouse, three for the Courthouse Annex Extension, two for the State Attorney’s Office, and six at various locations. Mr. Turner also included the following items in his list of 27 project requests: three major project (Shalimar Annex, Sheriff's Shalimar Compound, Crestview Courthouse) ; $400,000 payment to Meigs Trust, and four park projects. One of the items listed for the Crestview Courthouse was replacement of the duress system at a cost of $10,000. Mr. Boyles asked how replacement of the system would interface with the planned new construction at the Courthouse. Mr. Turner replied it will not be a problem, saying they will make sure the system is scaleable for the addition. He explained the judges will have “walk around” devices. Mr. Boyles referred to the items listed for the judicial facilities and asked if they are critical. Mr. Turner replied that he is neutral but the judges felt those items were critical. Mr. Padgett asked if there are other items on here which fall into that category, saying he understood they were priorities Mr. Turner had signed off on. Mr. Turner said he does not weigh the merit of the requests made to him. He added that he supports a safe, secure environment for the judges. Mr. Harris told Mr. Turner he gets paid to make such decisions and the Board expects him to make the call. Mr. Amunds questioned how essential some of the requests were, specifically addressing a request for a $60,000 Public Address system for the Courthouse Annex Extension in Fort Walton Beach. He said “This is the first time we are seeing this and I think it is wrong.” Upon inquiry by Mr. Amunds, Mr. Turner stated the Fire Marshall signed off on the building permits for the building, as well as all other regulatory agencies. He said the new judicial facility was built according to the requirements but this is a re-evaluation of equipment in the facility. Mr. Turner stated they can set off a fire alarm but cannot notify people in the building if there is a shooter and notify them to lock their doors. Mr. Amunds asked if such a system would be put in all county buildings and in the schools. Mr. Turner said it is a highly desired item by court security. Mr. Amunds stated he is not in support of some of these items and regrets they are only now coming to light. He said we must protect every citizen in every building and unless the Board is prepared July 29, 2014 -10- Minute Book 71, Page 179 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners to fund it in every building, he believes we are going down the wrong road. Mr. Parisot questioned the proposed $65,000 allocation for a transfer switch and switchgear to provide emergency power to the chiller. He asked why an employee cannot turn the switch. Mr. Parisot felt there should be further discussion on some of these items. Mr. Boyles recommended the commissioners get with Mr, Padgett and Mr. Turner to discuss these requests and return with the list. He questioned the allocation for the transfer switch but did recommend consideration for a notification system in both the new Shalimar building and the Crestview Courthouse. Mr. Turner stated the generator for the Fort Walton Beach facility is not large enough to run everything and will require re-wiring for emergency security. He said the Airports Department has offered Facilities Maintenance a generator for that facility for use with the transfer switch. Mr. Boyles was of the opinion only one of the high price tag items (transfer switch or notification system) should be done this year. Mr. Parisot asked why Airports is replacing its generator if it is serviceable. Mr. Turner said it is being replaced to include another building which was constructed. Extended discussion took place regarding a proposal to replace the roof on the old Crestview Hospital at a cost of $432,000. The discussion included comments on problems with flat roofs and a suggestion tc take a different approach on replacing these types of roofs. Mr. Amunds said one of the purposes of these workshops is to gather information on the types of items people want, such as PA systems and elevators, but it is staff's and the Board's responsibility to determine if there is a need. He urged his fellow commissioners to be cautious about. the items listed, saying they are not necessarily the recommendations of staff. Mr. Amunds asked why a $26,000 allocation for a replacement generator for the EMS station on Essex Road is in this budget and not the EMS enterprise fund. Mr. Turner said that is a good question and he does not have an answer. July 29, 2014 -11- Minute Book 71, Page 180 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr. Turner gave estimates on the three major capital improvement projects: e Shalimar Annex - $10 Million e Sheriff's compound addition - $1.5 Million e® Crestview Courthouse addition/renovations - $8.5 Million He said this would be a total of $20 Million in long-term debt. Mr. Parisot and Mr. Amunds both stated they think these numbers are low. Mr. Turner replied the design phase is about $27 Million to $28 Million. Mr. Parisot referred to the settlement costs to the Meigs Trust for the Shalimar Annex site and the expenses to demolish the facility and now to rebuild it. Mr. Windes remarked that it is all water under the bridge at this point. Mr. John Hofstad, Public Works Director, came forward to explain the four parks projects. INFORMATION SYSTEMS Mr. Don Vanderhoek, Information Systems Director, stated the mission of the Information Systems Department is to create and maintain an information infrastructure that emphasizes data sharing among departments and integrates county computing and network resources as a Single enterprise. The three divisions in this department are: Systems and Networks, Applications, and Geographic Information Systems. Mr. Vanderhoek used slides and graphs to show the county network, department budgets from FY 2008 to proposed FY 2015, and allocation funds among the three divisions for FY 2015. The total IS proposed budget for the coming year is $2,522,284 and includes the addition of one person. He also said there is no recommendation to replace any PCs this year but will offer that recommendation next fiscal year. Mr. Vanderhoek reported the servers still need replacing, noting that 42 servers are 2008 models or older. Another subject of discussion was the VOIP telephone system. FLEET OPERATIONS Mr. John Vaughn, Fleet Operations Manager, stated a big step has been taken in beginning to replace vehicles. He supported the continuation of buying vehicles and equipment to make the fleet July 29, 2014 -12- Minute Book 71, Page 18] Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners more efficient. Mr. Vaughn reported 213 vehicles have more than 100,000 miles on them. Charts showing fleet repair/maintenance costs from 2008 to 2014 and the age of the fleet (2007 to project 2015) were displayed. Mr. Vaughn said in November 2013 they experimented with a temporary transfer of an employee from the Road Department to Fleet who does driver training and testing for CDLs. He stated this transfer is working well and would like to make it permanent. He detailed the major accomplishments, key objectives, and performance measures for the department. RECESS - The workshop was recessed at 12:16 p.m. and reconvened at 12:27 p.m. LIBRARY COOPERATIVE Ms. Vicki Stever, Library Cooperative Coordinator, told the Board of the passing of long-time library advocate Flo Lembeck. She then began her presentation, telling the Board there is a $10 return on every dollar invested in the Library Cooperative. Ms. Stever stated there are 555 public libraries in the State of Florida and six of them are in Okaloosa County. She said these centers give a community the ability to transform itself. This past year 46,000 individuals went to the libraries and the librarians answered more than 234,000 questions. Mr. Harris commended Ms. Stever on her presentation. He said there is not a day the parking lot at the Crestview Library is not full. Mr. Parisot stated he fully supports libraries but said he requested a line item budget for the Cooperative but has yet to receive it. He said the burden of support for operation of the libraries could be taken off the taxpayers by requiring library users to pay for library cards. Mr. Parisot expressed concern about a belief that everything in this county should be free. He reiterated he thinks a user fee would be appropriate for the libraries. Mr. Parisot felt a line item budget should be provided to the Board before the Library Cooperative’s budget is approved. Mr. Boyles pointed out there is a local agreement in place. He said libraries provide equal access to everyone. Mr. Boyles stated he supports the Library Cooperative system and called it tremendously valuable. He felt Mr. Parisot should be provided July 29, 2014 -13- Minute Book 71, Page 182 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners the information he has requested but did not see a need to place the Library Cooperative budget back on the next workshop agenda. Mr. Amunds agreed the Library Cooperative provides a great service, He suggested Ms. Stever provide Mr. Parisot with a detailed budget and sit down with him to discuss it. Mr. Amunds said if there are any issues, they could be brought to Mr. Padgett'’s attention. He did not feel this item should be returned for discussion on a future agenda. Ms. Steever remarked that she received Mr. Parisot's request at eight o‘clock this morning and did not have time to get the information to him. Mr, Parisot posed questions about the use of the State Aid to Libraries Grant and funding an administrative position. Mr. Windes stated he knows the importance of libraries and believes it is the consensus of the Board not to revisit this item at the next meeting. Ms. Sandra Dreading came forward and told Mr. Parisot he is compaxing apples to oranges when he compares the Shalimar Library with 450 paying patrons and the Crestview Library with it thousands of library users and volunteers. Mr. Steve Czonstka said he applauds Mr. Parisot’s view on economy and understands the hierarchy of Public Safety and Essential Services. He stated he supports and contributes to the libraries and is supportive of user fees, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Mr. Rick Owen, Administrative Manager, referred to the daunting issues during the ice storm and rain events experienced earlier this year. He said the Board had administrative staff available to answer telephone calls and solve problems. Mr. Owen commended staff on their efforts during those emergency events. In addition to the three administrative staff members, this department has a courier who logs 42 stops per day and about 3,000 miles per month. He advised there are no staff or expenditures increases in the proposed budget and the increase for FY 2015 reflects state mandates. July 29, 2014 o14- Minute Book 71, Page 183 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Mr. Owen stated Roland Sims, in addition to manning the phones, is responsible for the electronic agenda. He stated Kathy Newby is the Public Information Officer and does a good job. Mr. Owen stated one year ago the Board added the position of RESTORE Act Coordinator. Subsequently, he said Mr. Padgett discussed the position further with the commissioners and that task has been rolled into what staff does in the office. Costs have been reduced by eliminating that position. Mr. Owen stated the Administrator also sought and received approval for a Compliance Officer but has now determined it was an “over reach.” He said they have much confidence in the Internal Auditor and the Clerk’s Office. Mr. Owen stated they are back down to four positions and the budget will be reduced by $50,000. Mr. Padgett recommended that $50,000 be moved into Reserves. Mr. Windes extended thanks to Mr. Sims and Mrs. Newby. Mr. Parisot thanked Cathy Cardreon, Sandy Mack, and Mary Carson who work in the County Commissioners’ offices. TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE DISCUSSION Mr. Padgett stated this discussion and decision can be held at the next workshop and still make the deadline. UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS WORKSHOP Mr. Padgett stated there was conversation regarding FEMA reimbursements. He stated Mr. Hofstad will make a report next week. Mr. Amunds stated he wants to make certain that all support documents are available prior to the meeting, noting the confusion from a speaker coming to the podium with a thumb drive which no one has had prior access to. Mr. Padgett replied there is a policy in place but noted that policy makes no reference to elected officials. Mr. Windes stated elected officials should have some latitude. Mr. Amunds called it a transparency issue. He said if it is an item on the agenda, we need to show the public the information is available. He added it also gives the commissioners time to review and ask questions. Mr. Boyles felt it is a matter of flexibility and the Chairman should make the decision on whether to receive or not receive the information via thumb drive but encouraged speakers to at least have handouts. Mr. Harris stated the rule is to provide the July 29, 2014 -15- Minute Book 71, Page 184 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners information two weeks prior to the meeting/workshop. He said it is a matter of protecting the system from viruses. Mr. Harris also agreed the Chairman should have the prerogative on accepting information in this manner. Upon inquiry by Mr. Parisot, Mr. Owen stated the IS Department checks thumb drives on a standalone computer. Mr. Harris stated it is difficult to read the PowerPoint slides on the televisions in the Crestview Chambers. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mr. Steve Czonstka stated there are not many citizens present for these workshops. He referred to the Sheriff's presentation at the last workshop and said the public feels left out when the commissioners are looking at the items on their IPads and there is nothing on the screen for them to see. Mr. Parisot responded all Constitutional Officers’ budgets have been on the website for the last two months. Other issues addressed by Mr. Czonstka were possible increase of the Unincorporated County Parks MSTU millage rate, possible use of gas taxes for stormwater issues and his inability to understand the Sheriff's compensated absence fund and called it a bookkeeping gimmick. Mr. Harris stated no decisions have been made. Mr. Czonstka also noted the centennial of Okaloosa County is next year. He said the Board should think about establishing a museum cooperative. ADJOURNMENT There being nothing further to be discussed, the workshop was adjourned at 1:35 p.m. DON W. HOWARD CHARLES K. WINDES, JR., CHAIRMAN CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS (These minutes were transcribed by Teresa Ward.) July 29, 2014 -16- Minute Book 71, Page 185 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners