Okaloosa County BOCC — April 15, 2014 — Minutes — reading text

March 4, 2014 Regular Meeting The regular Tuesday meeting of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners was called to order at 6: 00 p.m. at the Okaloosa County Courthouse in Crestview. Members present were Charles K. Windes, Jr., Chairman; Nathan Boyles, Vice Chairman; Wayne Harris; Dave Parisot; and Don Amunds. Also present were Gary J. Stanford, Finance Director, Clerk's Office; Ernie Padgett, County Administrator; John Dowd, County Attorney; and representatives of the media. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER UPDATES Mrs. Kathy Newby, Public Information Officer, opened her comments with a video promo for the Okaloosa Today program which airs on Cox Channel 6. Other highlights were: • Okaloosa County received a Recognition of Excellence in Worksi te Wellness Award from the State's Surgeon General and Secretary of Health John Armstrong. Special congratulations were extended to the Wellness Committee for this award. • Lifeguards will be on duty beginning this weekend (March 8) . • The county's website- details on winter storm stats, social media, new features (including bear sightings), and various ways to "connect" with Okaloosa County COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S UPDATE Mr. Padgett provided an update on the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) issue. He pointed out that Okaloosa County overpaid DJJ more than $3 Million, adding that thirty counties in the state were also overcharged by DJJ. Mr. Padgett said he is hoping the Legislature will do the right thing about correcting this problem but we will have to wait until the end of the 60 - day session to see . He advised the latest information he has through the Florida Association of Counties ( FAC) is there are negotiations for the counties and DJJ to work out a 50/50 split on the cost of housing juvenile offenders but there is no discussion about refunding the money owed to the counties by the state. Mr. Padgett said he would like direction from the Board to connect with FAC and to communicate a message that Okaloosa March 4, 2014 -1- Minute Book 70, Page 263 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners County feels strongly the cost allocation should be discussed and that the money owed the county should be part of the discussion and negotiations. Mr . Parisot provided commentary on a history of the DJJ issue, saying he believes it is headed in the same direction as the Medicare matter. He said they want to put the county's share in a trust fund but not the state's share. Mr. Parisot opined the Legislature has a history of robbing trust funds. Mr. Amunds suggested Mr. Padgett draft a strong letter, provide each commissioner with a copy, and bring the letter back for consideration at the next meeting. Mr. Parisot recommended copies of the letter be sent to the county's legislative delegation. Mr. Windes stated the Legislative Session has already begun and asked if action should be taken before the next meeting. He also asked Mr. Padgett if he needs a motion. Mr. Padgett did not feel a motion was necessary and advised he will draft a letter for the commissioners' review. COMMISSIONER'S MINUTE Mr. Parisot said last fall there was discussion about issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for auditing services. He said he would like to see that topic placed on a future agenda for discussion. Mr. Boyles stated he has nothing this evening. Mr. Amunds said it is his understanding a discussion on the West Destin Beach Restoration MSBU will be on the next Board agenda. Mr. Padgett confirmed it will be on the March 18 agenda. Mr. Harris referred to the $3 - Million overpayment to the DJJ and said he feels the Board should take a stand. Upon inquiry by Mr . Harris, Mr. Stanford confirmed the county's total in unfunded mandates is $38 Million. Mr. Windes also stated he has nothing this evening. PUBLIC COMMENTS RELATING TO THE AGENDA Undersheriff Don Adams stated for the last six weeks the Sheriff's Office has been staffing the event permit by Relev ent on behalf of V S Pink for use of James Lee Park near the Crab Trap (Public Works Department item #1) He explained this is a March 4, 2014 - 2- Minute Book 70, Page 264 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners marketing event by a New York agency in conjunction with Pink and Victoria Secret. Undersheriff Adams reported the Sheriff's Office does not necessarily object to the permit request but expressed concern the event will be held during Spring Break which is a taxing time for responding to calls. He pointed out the month of March has historically been the busiest time of the year, exceeding the month of July by 20% to 25%. Undersheriff Adams asked the Board to consider approval of the permit contingent upon the requestors hiring off -duty deputies for additional security. The event is scheduled to run from noon until 5: 00 p.m. on March 13. He advised the cost for 14 man hours would be $348. Upon inquiry by Mr. Pari sot, Mr. Amunds stated it will be the vendor's responsibility to pay for the off-duty officers. Undersheriff Adams stated many Chamber of Commerce members take advantage of the off - duty services for their clientele. Mr. Amunds suggested for future events the Sheriff's Office make recommendations on additional security and projected costs for same. Undersheriff Adams pointed out this is the first event of this magnitude (projected attendance is 1,000 people). Mr. Clint Rogers, representing the Crab Trap, stated he will contact the Sheriff's Office for arrangements to hire off -duty officers for the event, adding that either the Crab Trap or Pink will pay for these services. VISITOR LINDA SUMBLIN, CAREERSOURCE OKALOOSA WALTON, REBRANDING OF WORKFORCE SYSTEM Mrs. Linda Sumblin, Executive Director of CareerSource Okaloosa Walton (formerly Workforce Development Board), thanked the Board for its support and provided updated information on their services. She explained there are 24 Workforce Boards throughout the state and each one has a different name. It has been difficult for citizens to know how to locate the service with this diversity. Mrs. Sumblin stated the Chairman of the CareerSource Board is Martha Miller with Coastal Bank and the program year is from July 1 through June 30. She announced that last year the program provided service to 32,955 walk-ins. Mrs. Sumblin noted they have also worked with 2, 789 employers in the county. She provided a short video at this time to explain why the Workforce Development Boards are being renamed to CareerSource. March 4, 2014 -3- Minute Book 70, Page 265 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Mr. Harris stated he has worked with this organization for fifteen years and cannot think of a better way to use taxpayer dollars than providing jobs. He spoke highly of the leadership for the Workforce Development Board/CareerSource. Mr. Parisot encouraged individuals to donate work attire to the Career Closet. Mrs. Sumblin stated they do provide professional clothing at no charge for both women and men going on interviews . She said the Career Closet began as a partnership with the United Way. VISITOR - NATHAN SPARKS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, PHASE III OF GULF POWER INDUSTRIAL PARK CERTIFICATION PROGRAM Mr. Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of the Economic Development Council (EDC) , stated they have been working the last few months on the Gulf Power initiative for site certification which was introduced to the county last spring. (Please see Minutes of May 21, 2013 for Board discussion on participation in the Gulf Power Site Certification Program.) Mr. Sparks stated the site selected for the program was in and around the Bob Sikes Airport and Airpark. He said EDC has been working with not only the Airports Department but the Water & Sewer, Growth Management, and Public Works Departments. Mr. Sparks stated the information before the Board is the result of Phases I and II of the program. He provided a map of the chosen site which consists of 205 acres. Mr. Sparks advised there is a minimum requirement of 100 acres for a site to be considered for the program . He said the county has been invited to participate in Phase III. Mr. Sparks stated there are some significant costs associated with the 205 - acre site and said if the Board wants to continue, it may want to consider a smaller parcel. He stated they have identified 119 acres east of the airfield which includes property along Adora Teal Way . The following items were identified by Mr. Sparks for consideration: • The fastest growing trend in economic development is the demand for project - ready industrial site locations . • Companies are not willing to wait for a community to identify appropriate sites and determine suitability for development. March 4, 2014 - 4- Minute Book 70, Page 266 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners  • Participation in the program does not guarantee success but does guarantee you will receive priority consideration and be more competitive. • In the real world, the majority of projects/ clients are driven by speed - to-market pressure. • After the certification process is completed, the site will be added to a national registry of properties identified as ready for development. • Gulf Power anticipates launching a specific marketing campaign for newly certified site. • Northwest Florida is ahead of the curve as South and Central Florida are in the beginning stages of developing a similar program through Duke Energy. Mr. Sparks told the Board that Jackson, Bay, Walton, Santa Rosa, and Escambia Counties have also been invited to participate in Phase III. He further reported Bay and Escambia Counties are going forward. Mr. Amunds stated the projected costs for Phase III are "all over the board" and asked if the county will have time to advertise for a Request for Proposals (RFP) to get a more refined cost. Mr . Sparks replied the range of costs have been from $80, 000 to $228, 000 and the only way to truly determine a final cost is to go forward with a competitive proposal process. He said at that point the Board could have additional discussion on the value of pursuing participation in Phase III. Mr. Sparks stated there is a compressed timeline with a deadline line of September 9, 2 014 for completion of the application to participate in Phase III. Mr. Harris remarked there is opportunity for a substantial return on investment. He asked Mr. Sparks what is the worst case scenario for not participating. Mr. Sparks responding the county would not have an opportunity to compete and would not get attention from Gulf Power on the First Sites Program. He added that he is leery of the message it will send to Enterprise Florida and to Gulf Power. Mr. Parisot made motion, seconded by Mr. Harris, for Mr. Sparks to work with county staff to prepare and issue a RFP for engineering related to Phase III of the Gulf Power site certification program and to task the County Administrator with identifying the potential funding source for those services. Mr. Boyles asked if this is the right direction-should EDC have March 4, 2014 -5- Minute Book 70, Page 267 Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners a more active role or should the county handle the RFP. Mr. Sparks answered that it is county property and the county should be in charge of this process. He said the EDC will play a partnership role, adding the county knows the Purchasing policies better than he does. Mr. Parisot amended his motion to provide