Call to Order, Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

Chair called workshop to order at 4 p.m. Chair led into invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

The Gadsden County Board of County Commissioners welcomes and encourages public participation at all meetings of the Board. Citizens are free to speak for up to three (3) minutes on non-agenda items. Public comments and participation are also encouraged for items on the agenda. Additionally, if you are unable to attend a meeting in person, comments from the Public can also be submitted via email to CitizensToBeHeard@gadsdencountyfl.gov until noon on the date of the meeting. 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. Citizens are further encouraged to participate on the County’s website at www.gadsdencountyfl.gov.

Chair read aloud the above statement.

General Business

1. Department Presentations

• County Administration / Commissioners (Edward J. Dixon)

  Board has held 16 BOCC Meetings and 20 workshops/special meetings

  FY 24 – focusing on community engagement, strategic development, and service improvement.

• Animal Control (Allan Meeks)

  Allan Meeks appeared. Provided presentation on Animal Control.

  Animal control led by 3 officers

  Meeks went thru goals/ achievements

Investigated 14 bite reports for FY 24

  Need to look at updating ordinances   

  Animal control has 3 requests for enhancements

Staffing, need kennel techs. Asked for $100k to update the kennels

Requested 10k for humane society assistance

  Looking to add enterprise truck 

  Burgess stated once receives estimates then can go into the requests by depts.

  Hinson stated it should show everything, can’t spend what they don’t have. 

  Chair stated all they could do right now is listen to the presentations

  Simpkins asked about … if would assist with kennel

  Meeks stated that group was looking to get a stipend to enhance animal control

  Hinson asked what they needed infrastructure wise    

 Meeks stated they need to be accessible to the public.

 Meeks stated should consider raising fees

  Simpkins asked about the request … 100k earmarked to improve

  Hinson asked about adoption

  Meeks stated they do not have adoption policy in place.    

• Extension (Robbie Jones)

  Jones appeared and gave presentation

  Joint funded

  Jones went through extension services

  FY24 recap- relaunched GC Greenhouse     

  Extended the 4-H youth program

  extension team has secured $34,500 in grant funding 

  In 2023, reached 6,285 residents 

  Jones went through FY 25 outlook 

  goal to reach 8,500 residents 

  Budget request 

  Chair stated a lot of people not aware of programs offered

  Holt asked about programs of buildings behind them

• Information Technology (Kembrew Jackson)

  Kembrew Jackson appeared to provide presentation on I.T.

  He read through their mission and strategic priorities.  

  Mentioned cyber security training

  Mentioned data encryption 

  requests deal with licensing 

  Chair asked rough idea on what they were requesting 

  Simpkins stated it was on page 59 

  Simpkins asked about 

• Library (Lakysha Perkins)

  Ms. Perkins appeared.

  Read aloud their mission statement  

  Went through FY 24 recap

-cyber training

-sunshine state library leadership institute

  Library goals/ achievements   

  Perkins went through their budget 

  FY Outlook goals 

  Asking for increases due to enterprise vehicles and … audio books to 6k

NeSmith stated he was online.

• Parks & Recreation (Shawanna Moye)

  Moye appeared to provide presentation on Parks & recreation

  went through overview of dept.

  Mentioned FY 24 recap

Extreme makeover- park edition

Park permits/reservations

Park Ambassadors

Parks and rec month

Community center

Playground equipment    

  created a calendar of events

  collaborated to begin with community center 

  parks and rec FY 25 outlook

Programs, activities, partnerships

  Parks and rec dept. goals

-hire additional staff   

-complete extreme makeover for all county parks – security cameras and wi-fi

  Simpkins mentioned parks and rec advisory board

  Moye stated received email from advisory board today  

   asked for plan on makeover of parks

Chair returned at 5:15 p.m.

• Planning & Zoning (Ellen Andrews)

  Ms. Andrews appeared. Went through overview

  responsible for administration and implementation of county’s comprehensive plan, land development code, stormwater policies and procedures 

  FY 24 Recap of planning dept. 

  FY25 – anticipate slight increase in number of residential development order apps. 

Hinson stepped out at 5:18 p.m.

  Holt mentioned changes in zoning 

Hinson returned at 5:24 p.m.

• SHIP/Housing (Sonya Burns)

  Burns read aloud mission statement for her dept. 

Simpkins stepped out at 5:29 p.m.

FY 24 Recap

Mentioned emergency repairs – 18 @ $20k each with SHIP assistance

Simpkins returned at 5:32 p.m.  

  Housing/CDBG Program

  Housing FY25 Outlook

CDBG Grant award $750k and leverage with $50k SHIP

SHIP projected funding for FY 25/26 approx. $441k

   Holt mentioned rehab- grant only covering certain things

• Probation (Temeka Rollins)

  Ms. Rollins appeared and provided overview of Probation.

  Went through their mission and the benefits   

  mentioned probation revenue

FY24 - $20,788

  Mentioned achievements for Probation and FY25 Outlook

Ms. Rollins appointed as board member for FL Board of Comm. Corrections

  Rollins went through probation goals

  Chair stated happy to hear about decrease in cases

  Holt asked about referrals for drug program

Rollins stated not as many

  Holt asked about local rehab drug programs in region

  Holt asked about stats for repeat offenders        

• Public Information Office (Leslie Steele)

  Steele went through overview of PIO.

• Veterans (Michael Jackson)

 Jackson appeared.

 provided quick overview on veteran’s services

 GC FY23 – 3,100 Veterans

  Went through veterans’ services

Filing claims for disabilities due to military services

VA Pensions

Burial Benefits

Home Loan Certificates

Educational Benefits

Discharge Docs (DD 214)

Hospitalization

Compensation 

  Went through goals/achievements 

  FY24 Recap –

Recertification by FDVA

Events: 1^st annual women veterans day celebration

  FY25 Outlook

Veterans Emergency Funding

Purchase Wheelchair accessible van

Veterans outreach programs/ events

Chair stepped out at 6:43 p.m.

  Hinson asked to put on next agenda item to purchase wheelchair accessible van

2. Enterprise Vehicle Leases Analysis (Charles Hayes)

  Mr. Hayes appeared to provide update on fleet analysis

Chair returned at 7:01 p.m.

 Last year county purchased 4 new vehicles totaling 160k

 Simpkins stated wrote blank check and not knowing what exactly they were spending. 

June spent 21,748   

 Simpkins stated vehicles have cause increase in everyone’s budget

The numbers were not making sense to her. Needs additional breakdown

Not seeing where this is saving them money

 Hinson asked how it affects county employees in fleet dept.

 Holt stated looking at upkeep of vehicles

  Hinson mentioned Havana Senior Services van and asked when they were getting that van

  Hayes stated need to order vehicle, could be 4-6 weeks for vans

  Simpkins asked about list of total amount of vehicles on lease and the costs

  Dixon stated will get that info to them.

Spending 300k a year repairing raggedy vehicles

  Hinson asked about Havana Fire – Dixon stated will be in August where they discuss this

Chair stepped out at 7:27 p.m.

  Holt stated would like to request copy of investments and interest paid on moneys deposited in banking institutions. Can look at investments and see what interests you do have.

  Holt stated would like for attorney to look into possibility of them looking at some investments for the county  

  Holt stated did not address economic development in this workshop. Depts. need to look at how what they are doing affects their ability to recruit businesses

  Holt stated to include fencing in the budget. Need to look at no parking signs bc running into problems

  Hinson stated he did not think they need to be advertising for attorney position

 Need to worry about how they can balance budget first

  Simpkins stated she did not know it was being advertised

Holt stepped out at 7:33 p.m.

  Simpkins mentioned FACTS website showing grant of 50k

Motion to Adjourn

Chair adjourned workshop at 7:35 p.m.