Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

  Chair Viegbesie welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 1:07 P.M. He asked everyone to bow their heads in silent prayer and then led in the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag.

Consent

1.     Approval to Submit Letter to Governor DeSantis Regarding the CARES Act (Henry G. Grant, PhD., Interim County Administrator)

COMMISSIONER HOLT MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER VIEGBESIE.      

THE BOARD VOTED 3-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER HINSON- YES

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT- YES

CHAIR VIEGBESIE-YES

PASSED 3-0

Citizens Requesting to be Heard on Non-Agenda Items (3-Minute Limit)

Due to COVID-19 and the efforts of the Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners to continue the practice of social distancing, Commissioners want to continue to hear from citizens under the Citizens Requesting to be Heard section of the agenda.

If citizens have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email CitizensToBeHeard@gadsdencountyfl.gov and anticipate receiving a response within 48 hours.

The Board of County Commissioners would like to thank everyone for their patience and flexibility during this time.

No comments were had.  

   General Business

2.    COVID-19 Resolution 2020-037 Update (Henry G. Grant, PhD., Interim County Administrator)

Mr. Knowles stated the resolution had remained almost exactly the same. Mask mandate still in place, curfew still in place. Will go into effect July 3, 2020. The official order for bars not being able to serve alcohol on the premise was included.  Major Wood wanted to get into the enforcement mechanism in place.

Chair Viegbesie stated the Board would hear from Major Wood but first Chair Viegbesie stated he wanted to personally and publicly issue an apology to Chief Smith in Havana because the info given to him was incorrect. For inconvenience or anxiety caused to Chief Smith. They confronted the person who gave the incorrect information.

COVID awareness and use of masks – look into campaign signs to put the order of the mask and post throughout the County and let citizens know it was mandatory and also flyers posted at businesses about the mask mandate. Was a suggestion to the County Administrator.

Major Wood- 7 died in Gadsden- 402 positive- yesterday largest growth. Supports the Commissioners. Close to an epidemic in GC. Social distance and wear mask over the 4^th. Most people and stores in Gadsden County adhere to mask mandate. Lawsuits have been brought wait to see what the judge says. Looking at getting school back up and running. He was online for questions.

Holt- she had asked manager to invite law enforcement to meetings to talk through things.  Want to know what problems law enforcement was having. Reevaluate laws.

Wood- Administrator put together a Zoom meeting this morning. Thought there was something put together from that meeting.

Holt- Wants face to face time with people. An event was run out of Havana and it ended up on the South side of Quincy. When citizen call her, she calls the law. Meeting with law enforcement was overdue. Need to workshop this. Save as many lives as possible

V- thanked Dr. Grant for scheduling meeting with law enforcement.

Prepare a brief summary of what was talked about with the chief and sheriff and send to commissioners. Then they can all get together.

Holt- Need a face to face. Neighborhoods can be talked to. Ask law enforcement questions.

Grant- He asked the chiefs this morning what they needed and they said they did not want to punish citizens criminally, want a civil citation. When they come across people not following guidelines, special officers would bring care package with literature explaining why the mandate was in place. Care package would be masks, sanitizer, and gloves especially for elders.  

Holt- Won’t read it if its to much verbiage.

Grant- Small flyer

Holt- Not more than 4-5 words pet bullet. Officers outnumbered so they backed away. More intimidating with 100 people and not enough officers. Find out exactly they need.

Hinson- No comment

V- GC health council putting together PSA for the county about the need for mask wearing and the need to adhere to it.  Suggest purchasing more masks. People say they did not have a mask. Since the Commission was mandating that people wear mask, he strongly suggested the purchase of masks for citizens, cloth mask so it can be washed, bleached and worn again.

   HINSON- MADE A MOTION TO HAVE MORE MASKS PURCHASED AND THE PURCHASE SHOULD BE THE SAME NUMBER OF MASKS AS LAST TIME, AND USE THE SAME NUMBER AS LAST TIME WITH A SECOND FROM VIEGBESIE. THE BOARD VOTED 3-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER HINSON-YES

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT- YES

CHAIR VIEGBESIE- YES

PASSED 3-0

Holt- asked about evictions.  Knowles- extended to August 1.

Holt How do landlords get their money if they could not evict. Is it in the CARES Act? Bring new things to the meetings. Need to give answers to the public.

1:34 Taylor arrived.

Hinson- Talked with Attorney about bars and nightclubs, asked if they be open and not sell alcohol.

Knowles- Executive order is bars and restaurants, nightclubs to his knowledge would remain closed. Thy are all licensed differently. Bars or establishments that derive more than 50% of sales from alcohol can serve alcohol in unopened containers on the premises, but cannot be consumed on the premises. Restaurants can still serve alcohol on premises to be consumed on premises.

Hinson- Asked why reduction in testing days to Wednesday.

V- resources and access to testing kits. Kits not abundant. DOH can still do drive thru testing. Anyone can go the Health dept and get tested anytime. If the County can get more tests, Dr. Cooksey would be willing to do the tests.

Hinson- Testing at the Health Department is Wednesdays 1-6 pm. Call M-W for an appointment from 9am-12pm @ 850-329-0685. free at FDOH. What can the Board do to help and increase the resources.

   Taylor- she did not get a memo about a group called CARES Act.

V- the meeting was yesterday and the CARES Act letter had been approved already in this meeting.

Taylor- Used to get phone calls because not all in front of computer – would like a call to let her know. Last meeting Dr. Grant was between 1 and 2 in regard of Phases, since then numbers had doubled. Staying where we are or pulling back? Still at 50% at businesses or regressing a little?

V- Going to stay with Phase 1 for the County. Putting a break on reopening the County.

Taylor- business capacity still at 50%??

Knowles- Yes, same place. Only addition was about the bars. Everything else is proposed to remain the same.

Taylor- Look at bringing back a little with death number at 7. If numbers continued going up the BOCC should look at 50% going down.

Hinson-wanted to know in Duvall, Broward, and Dade what are they doing?

V- Dr, Grant will look into that.

Hinson- Will discuss Tuesday at the regular meeting.

Grant- reopening set up to where it can be brought back if the numbers go up. County will open according to the numbers.

Taylor- Necessary to regress according to the numbers.

Grant- the board just had to say to go back. No new plan was needed.

V- asked attorney to look at the preemptive impact of the governor’s authority If we go back to less than 50% which was what the governors executive order stated.

Knowles stated he would.

Hinson- Was not aware of the CARES Act Meeting either.

V- It was a ZOOM staff meeting with Integrity to discuss the CARES Act.

Taylor- Did something need to be approved or was the meeting a discussion only?

Grant- Trying to figure out how and why to use the CARES Act.

Taylor- people called and asked her for ideas for her district in regards of spending the CARES Act money.

Grant- Everything is open, if you have projects you want to present give it to Staff.

V- Items the County Administrator asked to give like COVID income relief. Yesterday those items were pulled and given to Integrity group. If you need something done, give it to the Administrator because time is running out. 

Holt- Move to vote

   COMMISSIONER HOLT MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2020-037 WITH A SECOND BY CHAIR VIEGBESIE. THE BOARD VOTED 4-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE.      

COMMISSIONER HINSON-Y

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- Y

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT- Y

CHAIR VIEGBESIE-Y

PASSED 4-0

3.    Approval of Agreement with the Integrity Group to Provide Professional Emergency Management Contractual Services on a Continuing Services Basis (Henry G. Grant, PhD., Interim County Administrator)

Holt- They were at the meeting yesterday and gave an extensive interpretation to everyone about the CARES Act. How they money could be used, writing proposals, we   need someone to help with this, there is a lot of paperwork that was time sensitive. December 31 is the deadline; you cannot go back. Invoices and contracts had to be done by the deadline. Small business need help. We have to provide, all money not used had to be sent back.  Suggestions: how much staff needed to do this, - Marketing- What else is happening in the Country with ideas that may fit this County. Need to find out.

V- saw this go across the desk of the Administrators Small Business COVID-19 hardship relief, personal COVID-19 furlough/layoff hardship income relief, residential rent/mortgage assistance for individuals and businesses whose hardship came as a result of COVID-19. As ideas come up send them to the County Administrator. 

Integrity, back in Feb/ March they were approved along with Wheeler. In this agenda item, it should not only be CARES Act, it should be a revisiting because the contract was not processed to be recorded. Want to Retain them for the County’s professional emergency management contractual service provider on the continuing services basis.  

Taylor- asked the fiscal impact the Integrity Group would have and how would they be paid for performing the services.

Grant- CARES Act money to start with. There would be different sources of money.

Taylor- How much to perform the services?

Grant- Found in item 4, which was the Task Order for The Integrity Group.

Taylor- saw a list of fees but was not clear.

Knowles- every time they want to do a new service, they must submit to the BOCC, a task order for approval which would detail what it was, and that is item 4. For this particular one, we will be reimbursed or they will be paid out of the CARES Act. Nothing would come out of the County’s pocket, if you approved the task orders at the rates in Item 4 on the Agenda. They will submit a bill log with the invoice that would explain what they had done and submit for payment.

Taylor- Do not put task order in the Consent agenda. Anything that impacts the budget should go on the General Business not Consent.   

COMMISSIONER HOLT MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH A SECOND BY CHAIR VIEGBESIE. THE BOARD VOTED 4-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE.

COMMISSIONER HINSON-Y

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- Y

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT-Y

CHAIR VIEGBESIE-Y

Passed 4-0

4.    Approval of Task Order No. 2020-01 with The Integrity Group to Provide Disaster Recovery Consulting Services in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Hurricane Michael (Henry G. Grant, PhD., Interim County Administrator)

Taylor- Is this what would come out of the CARES ACT Money or the Disaster Recovery Funds?

Knowles- On the Agenda Item, there are a number of positions allocated and rate posted and the maximum possible hours with different goals set. All consulting costs related to the CARES Act Funding and HUD CDBG-DR will be eligible for 100% federal funding. FEMA reimbursements will be made via standard 12.5% match local match process, but local match can be reduced or eliminated. It will vary depending on what is done.

Taylor- Get some proceeds up front. 25% Do we have to spend that 25% before we get the additional.

Knowles- will get back to this answer on Tuesday.

Taylor- Is there somewhere that said they could not exceed an amount?

Knowles- Yes Last page shows max number of hours.

Holt- $88,000 max- billing agent for this must help and make sure the County had everything together to turn into CARES to get the money back. Make sure we get a refund is their job too.  Donations could be used as payback.

Grant- Match. Can count volunteer hour which are calculated at $23 per hours and used towards match.

Taylor- What kind of volunteer service qualify and where.

Holt- Handing out masks or anything related to the Virus. Some flexibility from FEMA. Going to have to show work done. They are willing to sit with the County and find things to write off.

Grant- Use volunteer hours towards any match needed.

Holt- Pictures or documentation they would go back and get funding for. Did not know about reimbursement of salaries. There is a lot in the agreement and the BOCC needed someone to look at it. There were so many departments in the meeting, but it was going to take someone that could go in and knows how to do that. The County did not have the staff for that.

COMMISSIONER HOLT MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TASK ORDER WITH A SECOND BY CHAIR V. THE BOARD VOTED 3-1 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE. TAYLOR OPPOSED.

COMMISSIONER HINSON-Y

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- N

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT- Y

CHAIR VIEGBESIE-Y

PASSED 3-1 TAYLOR OPPOSED

5.    Approval of Emergency Mosquito Services-Gadsden County (Henry G. Grant, PhD., Interim County Administrator/Lisa Robinson, Public Works Director)

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HOLT. THE BOARD VOTED 4-0 BY ROLL CALL VOTE TO APPROVE

Chair V asked what happened to the salary from this position. Was the Director of Mosquito control (vacant) money what was being used to this expenditure or Public Works 126 that would exceed $40,000.

Grant- 126

COMMISSIONER HINSON-Y

COMMISSIONER TAYLOR- Y

COMMISSIONER MORGAN- ABSENT

COMMISSIONER HOLT- Y

CHAIR VIEGBESIE-Y

PASSSED 4-0

Holt- had a flyer- notice for projects. More difficult this time. Get projects in now.

Grant- August 14 deadline.  

Hinson- Aggressive on culverts getting cleaned so water can run through, may be why mosquito population was up.

Chair V- available ICU Beds-0; available hospital beds- available defibrillators in Gadsden County- 0; be safe and wear your mask in public and in groups and maintain social distancing.   

Motion to Adjourn

2:22 P.M.