Workshop/ Special Meeting

Board of County Commissioners

Thursday, October 22, 2020

4:00 p.m.

 

These meetings are being held virtually in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order No. 20-69 as extended by Executive Order No. 20-179.

 

Present:         Dr. Anthony O. Viegbesie, Chair, District 2

                        Brenda Holt, Vice Chair, District 4

                        Eric Hinson, District 1- appeared remotely

                        Gene Morgan, District 3- absent

                        Sherrie Taylor, District 5

                        Dr. Henry G. Grant, Interim County Administrator

                        Nicholas Thomas, Clerk

                        Clayton Knowles, County Attorney

                        Beth Bruner, Deputy Clerk

 

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

  At 4:04 Chair Welcomed – prayer- pledge.  

 

Citizens Requesting to be Heard on Non- Agenda Items (3-minute limit)

Anyone wishing to speak on agenda items or non-agenda items should schedule or notify the County Administrator’s Office before attending the meeting and will be asked to follow the Gadsden County Public Meetings Citizens Access Guidelines. Also, Public comment for Commission meeting can be submitted via email to Citizenstobeheard@gadsdencountyfl.gov until 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Comments submitted after the deadline, but prior to the meeting, will be added to the official record, but the County cannot guarantee that Commissioners and staff will have adequate time to review comments prior to the meeting. 

 

None were had.

General Business  

 

1.    Status of Gadsden County CARES Grants Program

(Frederika Hamilton, The Integrity Group)

 

Ms. Hamilton, Integrity, appeared before the Board- as of 12:45 p.m. today, Small Business had 197 applications received- 82 reviewed- 39 under review- 13 needed additional documentation- 61 qualified or paid- 2 not qualified. Total for Small Business $439,500. Resident Assistance had 389 applications received- 116 to be reviewed – 31 under review -195 need additional documentation -32 qualified or paid -11 not qualified. Total for Resident Assistance $60,416. Grand total of $ 499,916.   

Daily activity data for CARES Act- meet with 8-12 applicants per day. 30-50 phone calls per day ranging from 2-3 minutes and some 7-10 minutes.

 

Chair asked if there were questions

 

Taylor- Business, 61 applicants approved, 197 submitted, still a process to get to the others.

 

Hamilton- 82 to be reviewed, 39 are under review and 39 missing documentation.

 

Taylor- Have 39 missing documents been contacted? Hamilton- Yes. Taylor- Deadline?

Hamilton- they just get it to us in a day or two.

Taylor- Time sensitive. When will the next round be ready to go out? Still 130 applicants waiting to hear.   

Hamilton- Will meet deadline- added reviewers to help and follow up on missing documentation.

Taylor- will we spend $1.2million.

   Hamilton- Business will - not sure about residents, thinks there will be an uptick.

Taylor- Wanted a current list with business and residents

Hamilton- will be provided

 

Holt- Is there a reason if a resident or business applied on line can they check back online what they had done in case they made a mistake and wanted to change it.

Hamilton- She thought there was a step where item ID could be typed in and would get an email back, the system is always having changes based on feedback.

Holt- Can they go back in and check

Hamilton- yes, they can.

Holt- If they applied the end of sept should they know if they qualified by now.  

Hamilton- would receive notice application was received and she tells them unless called or emailed, no missing documents and let the application go through the process. Request from the County a W9 was a new addition with Residents.

Holt- People were waiting and said they were not hearing anything back.

Hamilton- Unless the got a call saying something was wrong, it just needed to go through the process. Reviewed in order received. Checks went out Oct 16 and Oct 19 and next week.

Holt- Rural mailboxes, not home all the time

Hamilton what ever address was given is where it would go. Applicants can call and leave a message. Will get back in 24hrs.

Holt- Tallahassee redid process to simplify the process, know what they did? Can we do anything to make process go faster?

Hamilton- Not aware of Tallahassee or any adjustments made.

Holt- When is the deadline

Hamilton taking applications through Nov 28- Program goes until Dec 30 to spend.

Holt- What is the deadline for spending money?

Grant- Nov 16 for phase 1&2

 

   Chair- Is your office handling small business program and do you have enough staff.

Hamilton- yes

Chair was going to offer help.

 

Holt- you send applications to Clerk he said some item were missing, is there a problem?  

Hamilton- The most recent W-9 required for businesses not residents. Would not send something over if it was not complete.

 

Taylor- what is in coffers for the funding?

Hamilton $1.9 Million (the first 25%) Spend plan approved, now waiting on the governor’s office to approve attestation to FDEM from Dr. Grant.

Taylor- Can we contact anyone to find out if it still on Governors desk. Will we have to stop because we have no more money.

Grant- not been told to stop. Updated weekly.

Chair- Working on getting the next 20% released.

Hamilton- Yesterday called the Gadsden County Liaison about the 20% and he was checking and would let her know.

 

2.     Revisit/Retarget CARES Act Funding Spending Plan

(Daryl Cox, The Integrity Group)

 

Daryl Cox- Previous meetings the Board decided to forgo the pursuit of the Hospital engineering and want to look at reallocating that 41 Million. Don’t need to submit the new plan to the State yet. Based on recent happening $1Million set aside for Broadband may need to be reallocated. Good news- US Treasury said the use of CARES and the eligibility of public safety payroll and related fringe benefits were an eligible expense to draw down funding. $209,000 the board was leaving alone and $267,000 was allocated to other COVID expenses, those two and hospital funds were opened up for reallocating. Put towards public safety, FDEM would allow the County to draw down the funds and put it in the County Bank Account and could be used as county saw fit. Got clarity from FDEM and they confirmed it was an eligible use. Revise allocation sent. Could allocate more to public safety payroll and use it to draw down the 20% as well as the remaining 55%. Open to questions.

 

Holt- Draw down how much? What is available? Where is it coming from? How does it affect what was already voted for?  

Cox- before any changes were made, $267,000 row 53, of the $7.9 Million total allocation, left 2 areas unallocated, one was $267,000 and was one and $209,000 was another. Not taking away from anything.

Chair- asked to slow down

Holt- lines 124-128 explain again.  

Cox- this document was approved in August, 99% is that with no changes. out of 2 grand programs and County COVID expenses and passthrough, total is line 124 $7,757,000. Board said leave the $209,000 alone.

Holt- Where did the $209,00 come from?

Cox- Grand total was row 124, $7,757,000 and $209,000 was what was left from the $7,967,000.  

   Taylor- Why take money from Hospital? was put there to build out for a shelter for people with COVID. Why not do the buildout. Getting wishful money from HUD. Money to Sheriff, don’t want to see it happen that way, excess money or need of more funding, rename line item for the County Amin to use. Wanted to see the Admin control the money. Public Works had to deal with essential workers too.  

Cox- reallocating hospital funds now for a temporary buildout completion would be hard to do before the December 30 deadline. Suggested reallocating funding to public safety payroll to draw down funds and would be in the County coffers. Goal is to use all funding.

Taylor- Public safety payroll- restrict to use for payroll only?

Cox- U.S. Treasury said when you draw down funds for payroll, you have a budget for that and it came to the County, you still have to use funds for payroll but all that was budgeted for payroll was now open for use.

Chair- Understood the Public Safety Payroll was what the County would pay March 1 to Dec 30. This lets the County claim the money and it would go to general fund. 

Cox- right, qualifications changed, public safety was not budgeted to respond to a pandemic and that was a large portion of their job.  

Chair- also asked if the drawdown came back to the County, did it mean there was no time limit to spending.

Cox- once allocated to the Public Safety payroll and draw down the funds, it’s gone and reallocation of those funds become available for use after Dec 30.

Taylor- Confused because the Board would have no control once sheriff gets his money. don’t understand how to take the Million and spend before December 30. Concerned putting the money there.

  Chair asked administrator to explain

Dr Grant- allowed to draw down, put in coffers, and eliminate the time frame of December 30. Have to draw down by Dec 30. Money was already obligated.

Taylor- Understood

 

Holt- How much is the drawdown.

Grant- the remaining amount not spent. 

Holt- Where would the Sheriff money come from

Grant- programs can remain.

Holt- Clerk said $11,000 was to residents, need more, wants hospital done. Do not cut programs. Get people hurting where they need to be. Asked if everything voted on was covered and won’t be eaten up by public safety.

Chair- no, unless more asked.

Holt- Need assurance we are going to do what we say. How do we keep our word? If requested do we have to give it.

Chair -will request 3 more EMS ambulance. one on loan from Calhoun county. Uncommitted amount will cover the Sheriff. Use payroll. Amount on spreadsheet may not be the amount they get. Don’t want to give any back.

Grant- Not changing any requests, trying to draw money and use it with no time limit.

 

Taylor- $500,000 Sheriff needed should not come from CARES it was for salary. Find another way. He said he was not able to be competitive. When its over you cannot support his budget the next years. 

Chair- There was a plan and it was thrown out. He told the Sheriff it was a one-time money. Need workshop with Sheriff. Need to separate Sheriff Budget from other Constitutionals.

Holt- Taylor correct it would be needed next year too. People vote and change their minds, and that is a problem because the Board had made promises.   

 

3.    Discussion/Agreement on HUD CDBG-DR Projects

(Daryl Cox, The Integrity Group)

 Mr. Cox- Reminder- this was related to hurricane Michael. They separate competitive grants into three different sectors, housing, infrastructure and economic recovery – Will make grant programs in each sector.  Home buyout program. A lot of requirements have to be met. Could put together a grant package application- Nov 30 is deadline. $250,000 minimum on each project. Would use area approved by HUD, Low to Moderate Income (LMI) requirements should be met first. EMS Headquarters could be a good project for the program. Limit of 5 projects. Roads and bridges. Disaster tieback to make them qualify, direct damage from Michael or an indirect effect from. Radio towers should submit to HUD. Ability to respond may not have been what it should have been but with the towers the response will be better next time. Facility upgrade and repair – collect more specifics Technical assistance grant- help in projected budget- if apply for, someone at the State will be next to reviewers. Paid by DEO Time to decide the 5 priorities. Application deadline November 30.

 

   Taylor- a lot to digest as far as the different projects. 5 projects- Need to move forward with the application but the language, she thought Board should have latitude. Move ahead but don’t have it so specific. New Board coming together.

 

Hinson- wanted to listen today- Midway disaster waiting to happen- one way in and one way out. Sewer there was needed. Septic was a hazard.

 

Chair- giving the limit was there enough time to put program pack together. 5 projects- applications are separate. Cox said yes. Chair asked where did the hospital fit.

Cox- Hospital was first priority. Understood Taylor. CDBG-DR was very specific. Only Shovel ready projects. Radio towers were already put out to bid and selection was made, drawings made. This would score better than a community center. Look for a good score. Sewer for Midway, City was eligible to apply outside of the County’s 5 grants. Evacuation in Midway could be discussed. Could get creative. Co-applicants get together for evacuation route.

 

   Chair- does the project have to have a design to get high points

Cox not a specific requirement but will increase the points

Holt- What about the Hospital where are we applying

Cox- number one.

Holt- have previous plans done by Rutherford. Can School Board apply for training?

Cox- on infrastructure projects, the eligible applicants are County, State agencies and municipalities, schools need to be sponsored by the County.

Chair- said there were road projects this could be used on.  

Hinson- Thought midway was one storm away from major problem. Need to put as a priority.

Holt- Property resale on government property possible? Don not want to own a lot of property because it came out of the tax roll.  

Chair- Thought if property was in a flood area it was used as a holding pond.  

Knowles- No, it was a prohibition -Deed restriction to stop any development.

 

Grant- Cox needs direction on 5 projects to move forward with the application.

Chair- Asked if we can do road and sewer as joint with midway

Cox can’t say something was stopping you. could be hard to get approved. Could combine a road project with a storm water project. Other options have a better chance to get approved.

Hinson- give stormwater somewhere to run. -Sits in one spot. Sewer system, roads

Holt- asked Cox if it was possible to give Midway support.

Cox- Sure if the Board wanted to sponsor the project.  

Holt- Towers- won’t have to spend money on the towers.

Hinson- Asked chair what 5 projects he wanted

Chair- 5 items were listed and nothing was being replaced. Hospital, Multi-Purpose Complex, Radio Tower, Roads, Bridges and Sewage and Facility’s Upgrades and Repairs. If there was a way, the County would work with Midway on sewer drainage and roads and bridges. -Put another road on the other side of the complex where they is a one way in with a rail road crossing blocking the way. -Holt suggested Midway apply themselves and the County would send a letter of strong support to impact the points system.

Cox- project outside city limit would be a County project but you can have joint projects.

Chair suggested municipalities apply themselves. Sewage and stormwater could be submitted by Midway. Roads and bridges currently funded through SCOP SCRAP. 

Holt- How did joint application help?

Cox- listed the 5 again. Upgrade to County facilities would fit better when the opened the economic revitalization program. He listed the 5 being Hospital, EMS, Multipurpose Center, Radio Towers and Public Works Project. 

Holt- What is the multipurpose complex.

Chair- it is in Ten haven????

Holt- Did not vote on that and won’t agree to it. It was not voted on.

            Grant- It was in the list of projects.

            Chair it was on the HUD items.

Holt-Should be more related to infrastructure not a park.  

Hinson- Don’t want Midway left behind. Public health situation should be top 2

 

Motion to Adjourn

6:14 p.m.