Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 05-15-2007 special agenda - budget policy — reading text

aTYOFFORTWALTONBEACH City Council Special Meeting Agenda - May 15, 2007 - 5: 30P.M. City Council Chambers 107 Miracle Strip Parkway, SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 CALL TO ORDER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 1. Consideration of Ordinance (1730) of the City of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, amending Section 4. 04. 02, entitlement, of the Code of Ordinances to establish an additional homestead exemption of $50, 000 for certain persons who have attained the age of sixty-five and whose household income does not exceed $24,214; providing for authority; and providing an effective date. ( City Manager) ( First Reading) ( See Backup). 2. Consideration of participating in an interlocal agreement with Okaloosa County for a hydrological study of the Gap Creek Basin area. If approved sufficient funds are available. Utilities Director) ( See Backup). 3. Consideration of major budget policy issues to guide the development of the Fiscal Year 2007- 08 Operational Budget and Capital Improvements Program. Report and presentation. Slide presentation will be available at the meeting) (City Manager) ( See Backup). ADJOURN Any person who decides to appeal any decision made with respect to any matter at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. (FS286. 0105). The City of Fort Walton Beach adheres to the American with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to this meeting upon request. Please call City Clerk Helen Spencer at 850-833- 9509 to make a request. For Hearing Impaired dial the City Hall TOO # 850-833- 9925 or 1- 800-955- 8771 ( TOO) or 1- 800-955-8770 ( Voice). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting in order to allow the City time to provide requested service.  CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 15, 2007 Special Meeting Agenda Consideration of Ordinance 1730 increasing homestead exemption from $ 25, 000 to $ 50, 000 for persons over the age of 65, whose household income does not exceed $ 20, 000 First Reading) City Manager) Agenda Item Number: SP- 1  CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers FROM: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager SUBJECT: Increasing the Senior Homestead Exemption from $ 25, 000 to $ 50, 000 DATE: May 10, 2007 Backaround: In December 1999, the City enacted the first senior homestead exemption for citizens over age 65 with an income of less than $ 20, 000. At the November, 2006 General Election Florida residents voted to amend the constitution to increase the senior homestead exemption from $ 25,000 to $ 50, 000. In summary, this new law increases the senior homestead exemption for low income seniors that cities and counties may grant from a maximum of $25, 000 to a maximum of 50, 000. For the 2007 tax roll only, a county or municipality that has adopted the exemption for the 2007 tax year may increase the exemption by delivering a copy of the adopted ordinance to the property appraiser by June 1, 2007 for it to be effective for the 2007 evaluation, for bills dated November 1, 2007. Discussion: The City currently has 276 homes receiving the senior homestead exemption, with property value totaling $ 6, 636,457, which equals $ 30, 832 in lost tax revenue. By doubling the exemption we could expect a decrease of approximately $ 32, 000, totaling almost 63,000. As you know, the Legislature has been addressing the property tax issue and has indicated its intent to further discuss the matter during a special session scheduled for June 12- 22. Staff contacted the Department of Revenue to confirm that an additional exemption could take effect on January 2008 evaluation, by delivery of an amended ordinance to the Property Appraiser by December 1, 2007. At this time, Okaloosa County and City of Destin have expressed their intent to adopt the additional senior exemption. Conclusion: Based upon the discussion at the Council Workshop on May 8, 2007, staff recommends adoption of Ordinance 1730 increasing the senior homestead exemption from $ 25, 000 to 50,000 for the 2007 evaluation.  ORDINANCE No. 1730 2 3 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, 4 FLORIDA; AMENDING SECTION 4. 04. 02, ENTITLEMENT, OF 5 THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO EST ABLISH AN 6 ADDITIONAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION OF $ 50, 000 FOR 7 CERTAIN PERSONS WHO HAVE ATTAINED THE AGE OF 8 SIXTY-FIVE AND WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES DO NOT 9 EXCEED $ 24, 214; PROVIDING FOR AUTHORITY; AND 10 PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 11 12 WHEREAS, the citizens of the State of Florida, including the residents of the City of 13 Fort Walton Beach, voted overwhelmingly to amend the Constitution of the State of Florida to 14 allow certain senior citizens an additional homestead tax exemption; and 15 16 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Fort Walton Beach does hereby find it is in 17 the best interest of the public health, safety and welfare of the Fort Walton Beach' s senior 18 citizens that such a homestead tax exemption be adopted for the City' s permanent residents 19 sixty- five years of age and older, and 20 21 WHEREAS, pursuant to the authority conferred by Section 6( f)Article VII of the 22 Florida Constitution and Section 196. 075, Florida Statutes, as amended, the City Council of the City of Fort Walton Beach does hereby grant an additional homestead tax exemption of L4 $ 50, 000 to any person who has legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the 25 permanent residence of such owner, who has attained age 65, and whose household income 26 does not exceed $ 20, 000; and 27 28 WHEREAS, purSuant to the authority conferred by Florida Statute Section 196. 075 ( 3) 29 beginning January 1, 2001 the $ 20, 000 income limitation shall be adjusted annually, on or 30 before January 1, by the percentage change in the average cost- ofliving index in the period of 31 January 1, through December 31 of the immediate prior year compared with the same period 32 for the year prior to that. The index is the average of the monthly consumer- price- index figures 33 for the stated 12- month period, relative to the United States as a whole, issued by the United 34 States Department of Labor; and 35 36 WHEREAS, the Okaloosa County property appraiser, pursuant to Florida Statute, has 37 modified the $20, 000 income limitation by the consumer-price- index adjustment to $ 24, 214 for 38 the 2007 year; and 39 40 WHEREAS, the Department of Revenue has advised that the City has until June 1, 41 2007 as the statutory deadline for filing this ordinance with the Property Appraiser' s Office. 42 43 44 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF FORT W ALTON BEACH, J FLORIDA: 47 48 SECTION 1. AMENDMENT OF SECTION 4. 04. 02, ENTITLEMENT, OF THE 49 CODE OF ORDINANCES. Page 1 of2  CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING May 15, 2007 Special Meeting Agenda Consideration of participating in an interlocal agreement with Okaloosa County for a hydrological study of the Gap Creek Basin area Utilities Director) Agenda Item Number: SP- 2  CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH MEMORANDUM To: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager From: Sam WIlson, Environmental Specialist Through: John Hofstad, Utilities Director Date: May 10, 2007 Subject: Gap Oeek Hydrological Survey and Computer Model Background: Gap Oeek is a perennial stream that flows through the southern portion of Okaloosa County and the City of Fort Walton Beach. Its headwaters lie within the eastern boundary of Hurlburt Field. From Hurlburt Field it heads east for approximately 2.5 miles where it passes through a culvert under S. R 189 ( Beal Pkwy)then into Cinco Bayou, which is an arm of the greater Choctawhatchee Bay ( see attached map). Gap Creek has a drainage basin of approximately 2. 9 square miles and its upper basin ( Upper Basin) encompasses a mixture of private and government property. The lower basin ( Lower Basin) is bounded by Hill Avenue on the west and Cinco Bayou on the east and is developed ahnost to saturation. The Lower Basin is a degraded urban creek area that does not have the flow and storage capacity to adequately transport the extra volume of water created during rain events. As a result, residents of the Lower Basin experience frequent, significant flooding and structural damages. The Citis W.E. Combs neighborhood, located on the west side of the Lower Basin, contains mostly older homes situated on off-grade foundations. These homes are especially vulnerable to soil erosion and foundation undermining from frequent flood events. In an effort to provide relief for these citizens, the City has sought to collaborate with other entities concerned with the frequent flooding of the Lower Basin. In the past year, the City of Fort Walton Beach and its partner, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance ( CBA), have met and worked with the Northwest Florida Water Management District ( NWFWMD), Okaloosa County, the Sylvania Heights Front Porch Florida Community (SHFPFq, the W.E. Combs Neighborhood Group, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ( FDEP), the Three Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the Okaloosa County School Board. All parties agree that a solution to Gap Oeek's flooding issues will be a vital step in improving residents' quality of life, and after several discussions all parties agree that the first step in solving the problem is to perform a hydrological survey for the area and build a computer model. Once these steps have been a better understanding of the problems will be obtained and solutions can be outlined performed, based on sound engineering and scientific principal. Discussion: In order to have the hydrological survey performed and the computer model built, funding is needed. Through several discussions with the NWFWMD, Okaloosa County has been able to secure grant funding. This grant has a 50% match requirement which is $ 58,357.00. Since the City of Fort Walton Beach occupies a part of the Gap Creek Drainage basin, Okaloosa County is requesting the Otis participation in this program with a corresponding cost share of the grant match amount. The County initially asked the Oty to participate at the 50% level; however, staff believes the Otis commitment to this project should not exceed 30% of the total cost due to our proportionate share of the total drainage area. As such, the Otis share of the match amount will be $ 17,507. 00, or approximately 30% of the total project