Board of County Commissioners, Gadsden County, Florida

Agenda for October 18 2011 – 9:00 a.m. Regular Meeting

I nvocation, Pledge of Allegiance , Roll Call Present Sherrie Taylor Gene Morgan Eugene Lamb Doug Croley
Amendments and Approval of the Agenda Pull Item 3 Morgan amend agenda to add agreement with National Solar as an action item 3. Attorney advised only for discussion, not for action. Holt/Lamb approve the agenda 4 – 1 (Morgan opposed)
Awards, Presentations and Appearances
1.	United States Special Operations Command Military Training Jeff Mason addressed the board. Training for armed forces headed for Afganistan and Iraq. Wallwood Boy Scout Camp. Public Affairs will put out announcement prior to exercise. They will also go door to door to warn area residents. No live ammo will be used. It will be all pyrotechnics. Sheriff will be in attendance. Croley/Holt approve Letter of Invitation to be signed by chair allowing the training to go forward. 5 – 0. Plaque of appreciation present to the chair.
2.	National Solar Power’s Plans for Gadsden County Eric Williams, Vice President of National Solar Power, made a presentation . Economic incentives requested: 83% property tax rebates for 20 years. Refund or rebate of permitting fees. John Fisher – Henzel Phelps will do the construction. Green Contractor. Chair Taylor expressed the county’s excitement about the project coming to Gadsden County. Commissioner Morgan asked for a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation. He requested that they go to each municipality and make the presentation. CEO Scriverner was also present. How will you be a good corporate neighbor? Will set up office in Gadsden and join the Chamber of Commerce. Will engage with Tallahassee Community College to train employees. Expect to engage the community. Each farm will have learning sites to educate the public. The School Board tax will not be affected by the economic incentives requested. Commissioner Croley welcomed National Solar. Question – Will you be offering another public meeting to local citizens? James Scrivener, CEO – pending development agreement, they will come back and have an event to engage the community. Special purpose entities – How will you use them in the solar project? Raise capital for the project finance. What kind of lighting will you be using? Lighting the main entrance and at the inverter locations. The security cameras can see at night. Have safety issues and will try to keep people out. Referenced the need to move forward which implies a fast track. Is the fast track going to deny the public to ask questions. Commissioner Lamb welcomed them to Gadsden County. Michael Dorian, 145 Alligator Run, Quincy – Will this go before Planning and Zoning? “I am very much for this project, but I do have questions.” Thanked the commissioners in being so cooperative in bringing it to the county. Thanked all involved. Marion Laslie - wants to speak at Citizens Requesting to be Heard.
3.	Bike/Pedestrian Plan Update Jon Sewell and Artic White, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. Economic Development Agreement Attorney Minnis made a broad review of what the board will have to do in order to get to the point . There is a referendum process. Ordinance process. Application to Property Appraiser and the BOCC. Then Agreement process. Investigations are being done now to see how other counties have done this. Many areas are yet to be vetted. Michael Dorian – Is the public going to have a chance to ask questions of National Solar? This is going to be a good thing for Gadsden County. Appreciates the citizens who have the hard questions. Marion Laslie – reserve comments til later in the meeting. Reginald James, School Superintendent, addressed. Welcomed the Solar Farm members on behalf of the School Board and the students. This will be just the boost that the schools need to put them over the top. Thanked the BOCC for their innovation in bringing them here. The Department of Education has contacted them about putting a Solar Energy program in the high schools. School Board Member Eric Hinson addressed the board. Discussion of board members. Commissioner Croley – do not interpret any questions as being unsupportive of the project. Questions that come to mind – Called for the county to make changes to the Comprehensive Plan. Some of them may not be appropriate to all portions of the county. Don’t want to circumvent any processes. Scrivener – this is our wish list. Doesn’t mean they will get everything they ask for. They want to be completely transparent. Not asking for a free pass or a blank check. Don’t want their application to land on someone’s desk for 60 days. Croley – want the public to know that any inquiry he makes of National Solar, they have been totally responsive and citizens should take comfort in that. Work with the staff to come back with a good and fair agreement. Commissioner Morgan – have had very thoughtful questions asked and National Solar has been quick to provide those answers. Important thing to stress to public – importance of following Florida Statutes and the due process. Read the agreement and he is asking to expedite the process and prioritize the project ahead of anything else. Need to decide today how to best move the project forward. Hope the board will give the attorney the ability to use discretion in presenting to the board via email or whatever. Asked the attorney – are there any existing agreement Section 4.6 - Would like to see a timeline. Commissioner Lamb – glanced through the agreement, but attorney needs more time. Willing to accommodate her request for more time to review it. Commissioner Holt – talked about solar power for years. Who generated the contract? National Solar’s attorney – 20 years of tax abatement is excessive. S chool Board and the water management should be willing to give abatement as well. Let the attorney look at that. If we give the abatement and the entity goes bankrupt, when does the land begin producing ad valorem taxes again? Commissioner Taylor – Have staff and the Property Appraiser to take a close look at this. Perhaps there should be a round table discussion. Thanked everyone for their enthusiasm. At next meeting, staff will have a timeline. May need a special meeting and allow citizens come in. This agreement will be the roadmap to get us where we need to go. Commissioner Croley asked for a workshop/special meeting to work through the issues of the agreement. There was a consensus to have the workshop within the law.
4.	CLERK OF COURTS – County Finance and County Clerk Issues There was no report
CONSENT AGENDA Lamb/Holt 5 – 0
5.	Approval of Minutes August 2, 2011 – Regular Meeting August 16, 2011 – Regular Meeting
6.	Ratification of Approval to Pay County Bills
7.	Approval of WORKFORCE Plus Interlocal Agreement
8.	Approval of Signatures for Special Assessment Liens and Rehabilitation Contracts - State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) and Florida Home Opportunity (FHOP) Program
CONSENT ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION
CITIZENS REQUESTING TO BE HEARD ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Marion Laslie – wondered what the role of P & Z will be in the process. Would like the same presentation made to the P & Z and have it opened to the public. Find out what the citizens concerns are. Any changes to the Comp Plan would have to go through the P & Z first. Want to make sure those things happen. What is the life of the plants? Imminent domain issue. Video – County Administrator can direct her to where to obtain a video. Have discussion with the administrator and the director regarding have the presentation to the P & Z. GENRAL BUSINESS
9.	Approval of the Distribution of the 2% FRS Offset for the BOCC Employees Holt/Lamb approve Option 1 5 – 0 for all employees.
10.	Approval of Agreement for Economic Development Services Fiscal Year 2011-2012 Morgan/Croley approve 5 – 0
11.	Discussion and Consideration for Approval Additional Economic Development Funding Commissioner Morgan asked for an addition $9,240for the Chamber. Also, the small business development program through the chamber- requested an additional $25,000 – total $34,240. This will be the same as the prior year to the Chamber. It will have a fiscal impact. Ms. Minnis – would require a budget amendment and public hearing. Commissioner Holt – Gadsden Express is full when it leaves Winn Dixie. It is crowded after the hospital. Staff is awaiting info about cost associated with adding another bus and other routes. All for economic development – but wants some accountability and wants to see it in writing. If Small Business Development Croley – move the question procedurally. Commissioner Lamb regarding bus and Small Business Development – it has been very successful. Demand is tremendous. Will give quarterly updates along Commissioner Croley moved the question again. Chair Taylor declined to call the question. Commissioner Taylor – need to adhere to the budget. Will consider it after three to six months. Called for question. Morgan/Lamb – agenda the item to amend the budget for $9,240 for additional money for the Chamber and by separate amendment $25,000 for Small Business Development. Bring back at the appropriate public hearing meeting. 4 – 1 (Taylor)
12.	Approval of Revised William A. “Bill” McGill Library Operating Hours Emily Rowan – please honor the request made by the president of the Library Commission. These are hours that you can cut and save money. Lamb/Morgan – approve proposal A to be reduced 12 hours. 5 – 0
13.	Discussion of RFP Number 11-11 Roadside Mowing Public Works Director Charles Chapman recommended to reject the bids. Commissioner Croley – equipment is wearing out and we don’t have the capital outlay to buy new equipment. This is a way to avoid having to buy new equipment. It will not affect any employees. Commissioner Taylor – suggested that you find more than one person to do it. Lamb motion to follow Mr. Chapman’s recommendation to reject bids and redo the bid specs and re-advertise in near future. Commissioner Holt would like to change the procurement process that would allow for special consideration to be given to local vendors and contractors. Commissioner Croley – on the statewide level, most of the contractors are local people. Croley/Morgan move to reject the bids as recommended and re-advertise the bid after reworking the bid specs. 5 – 0
14.	Adoption of 2012 Legislative Program Croley – this is at odds with the Governor and Legislature - it will not fly.
15.	Approval to Pay Preble Rish Engineering for Services Rendered in the Design of Attapulgus Creek Bridge and Swamp Creek Bridge Croley/Morgan approve paying these invoices. 4 – 1 (Taylor)
16.	Approval of Local Agency Program (LAP) Agreement for the Town of Havana Landscaping and Scenich Beautification Project Morgan/Lamb approve 5 – 0
17.	Approval of Proposed Distribution of Indigent Tax Funds from 2008/2009 Howard McKinnon, Gadsden County Health Council Chairman, addressed the board. They asked for additional time to develop a new plan. The previous proposal is no longer feasible in light of the budget cuts from the state to the Health Department. Craig McMillan, GHI Chairman, Direction was for GHI and the Health Council have collaboration and come back with a plan by the first of next year.
18.	Renewal of Contract for State Lobbying Services with Chris Doolin and Associates Holt/Morgan approval to renew the contract 3 – 2 in favor of it.
19.	Approval to Renew the Contract with Southerland Enterprises, Inc. for Video Recording Services of the County Commission Meetings $11,500 for Holt/Lamb approval - Question by Commissioner Morgan – Commissioner Croley – not shown county wide – will not support it. 3 – 2 to approve. (Croley/Morgan opposed.)
20.	Request Board Approval to Use the Commodity Building as a Cold Weather Shelter Morgan/Lamb approve 5 – 0 Look into selling this building.
21.	COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR -
22.	COUNTY ATTORNEY - Update on Various Legal Issues
23.	DISCUSSION ITEMS BY COMMISSIONERS
a. Commissioner Lamb, District 1 – no items b. Commissioner Croley, District 2 - confirmed commitment that the Quincy By-Pass will be funded will let in July of next year; work plans for next five years projected out – the cities and the counties c .Commissioner Holt, District 4 Local Preferences Motion by Holt/Lamb – bring back to agenda for discussion regarding procurement policy to give local preference on all rfps. 5 – 0 ; Have internal investigation as to how the Preble Rish issue - insure Mr. Lawson the board will support staff recommendation. - Holt/Lamb 5 – 0; Holt wants the director removed until the investigation is complete – no action. d. Commissioner Morgan, Vice-Chair, District 3 – request item be agendaed on the next meeting to add $15,000 back to the Lobbying Services Budget. Motion to discuss this on the next agenda. Motion died for lack of a second. e. Commissioner Taylor, Chair, District 5 THERE BEING NO OTHER BUSINESS BEFORE THE BOARD, THE CHAIR DECLARED THE MEETING ADJOURNED AT 12:05.
RECEIPT AND FILE
24A	Letter from the Florida Department of Health Regarding Emergency Medical Services Grant Award
24b.	Letter from Senator Montford Congratulating Gadsden County Board of County Commissioner’s Leadership Regarding Solar Farm
24c.	Letter from the Department of Community Affairs Regarding Florida Disaster Recovery CDBG Grant – On-Site Monitoring/August 9, 2011