MINUTES
OF MEETING
SUNSHINE
WATER CONTROL DISTRICT
The regular meeting of the
Board of Supervisors of the Sunshine Water Control District was held on
Present and constituting a quorum
were:
Mary Macomber President
Dave Hulett Vice President
Also present were:
Bob Nanni
Ed Goscicki
Bruce Cranmer Attorney
Cedo DaSilva CH2M-Hill
Peter Colussy CH2M-Hill
Pamela Rower
Cory Selchan Field Superintendent
John McKune In-House Engineer
Rich
Michaud City of Coral Springs
Director of Public Works
Several Residents
Ms.
Macomber called the meeting to order and Mr. Nanni called the roll.
SECOND ORDER OF BUSINESS Approval of the Minutes of
the June 13, 2007 Meeting
Ms. Macomber stated each Board
member received a copy of the minutes of the
Ms. Macomber stated on page 12, in
the fifth paragraph, “
Mr. Cranmer stated on page seven,
the statute cited for the maintenance tax is Chapter 298.54. On page eight, in the second paragraph, the
word “indemnification” should be “identification”. On page 14, the assessments are not $118,000
but $118. On page 18, in the third
paragraph, 1982 was when the fee was set but I did not take over until 1984.
On MOTION by Ms. Macomber seconded by Mr.
Hulett with all in favor the minutes of the
THIRD ORDER OF BUSINESS Public Hearing to
Consider the Adoption of the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 (Resolution 2007-8)
and Levy of Non Ad Valorem Assessments (Resolution 2007-9)
Mr.
Goscicki stated this is the public hearing for the Fiscal Year 2008
budget. At this time, I request the
President recognize this as a public hearing and open it for public
comments. A copy of the budget was
provided to you under separate cover. It
is the same as the version provided to the Board last month. There has been substantial discussion on the
budget. The budget reflects an increase
in the assessments from the current assessment of $109.07 to $118.67. For the audience’s benefit, the notification
sent to the residents reflected a maximum assessment of $124. Because of discussions with the Board, there
were reductions in the budget and we are now down to $118.67. This means an $8 increase in assessments from
the previous year.
For
those of you who received the notification, there is a requirement of state
statute to send out letters by first class mail to all affected property owners
when there is an increase in assessments notifying them of the proposed change
and the date, time and location of the public hearing. The purpose of the public hearing is to
review the budget resulting in this change and giving the public opportunity to
provide input. This was not a bill; only
a notification. The tax will be part of
your county tax bill when you receive your TRIM notice from the county, which
is the bright yellow document you will receive in the second week of
August. You will see a line item on the
bill for the Sunshine WCD reflecting the assessment of $118.67 or whatever
number the Board approves. The Board did
not approve anything over $124.
The
reason for the increase is the District sustained significant damage due to the
hurricanes of the last two years and spent $4 million removing fallen trees
from canals, re-dredging the canals and removing nuisance species. To accomplish this, we borrowed some money
and spent down the District reserves.
The slight increase in the budget helps recover the District to a good
cash flow position and build back the reserve for anticipation of the next
hurricane. The budget reflects a
reduction in operating expenses from the current year. The Board has been aggressive reducing operating
expenses from the previous year. The
budget also reflects some significant capital improvements to the main pump
stations to prevent flooding and continue canal maintenance with some
significant dollars to re-dredge some canals and improve drainage. This is a significant undertaking in terms of
the nominal increase in the overall amount of the budget.
Ms.
Macomber stated at this time, it is appropriate to take input from the public.
A
resident stated the statute quoted in this letter is from 2004 but was revised
in 2006. Why was the 2006 statute not
quoted in the letter?
Mr.
Cranmer responded statutes are revised all the time. Do you know what portion was revised?
The
resident responded Section 197.3632.
Mr.
Cranmer asked to what extent?
The
resident responded the statute lays down clearly the intent to increase non ad
valorem taxes. A notice should have been
published in the newspaper but I have not seen any such notice in the last four
weeks. It is a surprise. Although the residents are paying their
taxes, the amount should have decreased instead of increasing.
Mr.
Goscicki stated this meeting was advertised in the local newspaper. We can provide you with a copy of the advertisement,
which was published in the legal advertising section of the newspaper.
The
resident stated the notice of the increase should have been approved by the
Property Appraiser but it was not. It
was done ex post factor.
Mr.
Goscicki stated the Property Appraiser does not approve taxes.
The
resident stated the statute reflects they do.
I have the statute in front of me.
Mr.
Cranmer stated they do not approve it. Upon
approval by the Board, it is sent to the county to be added to the tax roll.
Mr.
Goscicki stated the Property Appraiser will approve the tax roll and certify to
us which properties are within the District and the amount of units on each
parcel. The dollar amount is approved by
this Board and then we send this information to the Property Appraiser for the
tax bill.
The
resident stated the boundaries of the District should be defined.
Mr.
Nanni stated this is part of the advertisement.
At this point, you are confusing ad valorem taxes with an assessment
fee. This is an assessment.
Mr.
Cranmer stated the boundaries were established in 1963.
Mr.
Nanni stated they were part of the advertisement. There was a map showing the boundaries of the
District.
Ms.
Macomber stated thank you for your comments.
Mr.
Cranmer stated I am happy to see someone reading these letters.
Mr.
McKenzie stated I live at 4103 NW 75rh Avenue and have lived here since
1981. Every year I have been maintaining
my canal on my own. Three years ago, I
attended a neighborhood meeting and was told we could no longer maintain our
canals. Since then no one has done
anything to our canal. To make matters
worse, I requested someone cut down the trees but was told no one was cutting
them down. There is a huge tree hanging
over the canal, encroaching some Florida Holly.
I was told it will cost $300 dollars to cut down this tree. I do not feel comfortable with this
assessment.
Mr.
Goscicki stated I understand.
Mr.
Hulett stated Mr. Goscicki and Mr. Nanni are representatives of our management
company, Severn Trent Services. They
assist the Board in the operation of the District. Ms. Macomber, Mr. Sobers and I are on the
Board of Supervisors, which is like a City Commission.
Ms.
Macomber stated Mr. Cranmer is our attorney and Mr. DaSilva is our engineer.
Mr.
Hulett stated we are happy to have all of the residents here tonight. This is a wonderful turnout. I am glad to see interested citizens. When we get through some of the explanations,
you will see a responsible job has been done on this year’s budget.
Ms.
Macomber stated it is nice to hear the residents are reading what we are
sending to you. It is greatly
appreciated. We are here to help you
take care of the water drainage issues in Sunshine. It is good to have all of you here.
Mr.
Goscicki stated Mr. Cory Selchan is our Field Superintendent. Is this one of our canals?
Mr.
Selchan responded yes.
Mr.
Goscicki asked can you please check out this canal?
Mr.
Selchan responded I will meet with him on Friday.
Ms.
Macomber stated thank you.
Mr.
Goscicki stated in addition to maintaining the canal, cleaning the canal banks
and removing debris blocking the waterway; our main function is to make sure
those canals flow to the main pump station so we can move the water during a
rain or hurricane event to prevent flooding.
It is not just the maintenance of the canal so it looks pretty but
controlling the water flow during a hurricane.
We will definitely keep you informed about this issue.
Ms.
Agnes Pollis stated I live around a lake, which is well maintained. However, there used to be a beautiful
wildlife area for many birds and now we do not have any more trees left. I was the only one on my street who actually
read this letter and I do not understand what this is all about. My concern is everyone saying you are not
maintaining their area. We never had any
blockages, even in the worst hurricane season so there is not a flooding
issue. We have a beautiful area and
everyone visiting us comments about our lake.
I do not agree with what you are doing.
The tree removal company already cut across two of our streets. We do not want any more trees cut down. We already lost two shade trees by the
city. I would rather sign a waiver saying
I will take care of my tree if it falls into the lake.
Ms.
Macomber asked Mr. Selchan, do you know whether or not this area has been cut?
Mr.
Selchan responded I do not know where she lives.
Ms.
Macomber stated she lives in
Mr.
Selchan stated
Ms.
Macomber stated the way we resolved the issue of trying to take care of the
area for future disasters like we had with Wilma, was to remove the nuisance
trees in order to protect the banks. We
did this throughout the District.
Ms.
Pollis stated two trees were removed. A
small tree remains but the lower branches were cut off. They ruined the tree but it is still
standing. I do not know what the purpose
of doing this was.
Mr.
Selchan stated I imagine this was done when the other trees were removed
because they were interfering with the removal of the other trees.
Ms.
Pollis stated these were the same type of trees. Two of them were removed but the other left
alone.
Mr.
Selchan stated these were all Australian Pines.
Two of them were on District property the other was not.
Ms.
Macomber stated we can only remove the trees on our property.
Mr.
Selchan stated the homeowner was satisfied with the way we did the job.
Mr.
Cranmer stated you mentioned there had not been flooding there in the
past. Wilma was a severe storm but a dry
storm. It knocked a lot of trees into
the canal. Had it been a wet storm,
there would have been massive flooding.
Some cities such as
Ms.
Macomber stated thank you for your comments.
Mr.
Hulett stated the point Mr. Cranmer makes is important because when this issue
was first discussed in December and January, there was a move to take every tree
and bush off of the canal bank. However,
due to the input of the taxpayers in the District, it was decided this was not
the way to go. In deference to the
hurricane considerations and the balance of nature, the nuisance species were
removed, particularly the Florida Holly, which have been growing for over 30
years. It is important for all of us who
live in the District to realize it is now incumbent to us as residents, as Mr.
McKenzie has been doing on his own, to clean our own banks and keep them clear
of nuisance species. Therefore, this is
a working partnership between the citizens and taxpayers of the District in
order to maintain the canal bank because this is the responsibility of the
property owner. In a sense, we caught a
good break by the District coming forward and saying, “These trees have been
growing here for 25 to 30 years and it would have been a huge expense for the
average citizen to remove the giant Florida Holly trees”. This has been done, the banks are saved and
the good trees have been saved. I think
a reasonable compromise was reached in this regard. However, I caution everyone to remember it is
now our responsibility to make sure the Florida Holly trees do not re-grow by
keeping them trimmed and the banks in good order. This is something to keep in mind.
Ms.
Macomber stated we are also a happy partner with the City of
Ms.
Marquita Epps stated I live at
Ms.
Macomber stated your sentiments are wonderful and we appreciate it. I pick up bicycles and trash from my
canal. I do not understand why people
think they can dump their trash into the canals. They are so beautiful. The turtles are gorgeous.
Ms.
Epps stated the turtles do not know where to go now because of the trash in the
canal. My neighbor’s house abuts the
canal and after all of the trees were removed, the noise level and amount of
trash increased. We have never seen this
before. We understand some of the trees
have to be removed.
Ms.
Macomber stated thank you for your comments.
Mr.
Selchan stated we can take care of the trash problem. Please call our office at 954-796-6619.
Mr.
Hulett stated Mr. Selchan and his crew are responsible for keeping the canals
clean. If you have a problem area, give
him a call. The crews will be happy to
assist you. From what Mr. Selchan told
me, he pulls more garbage out of the canals in the Sunshine WCD than the other
districts combined. It is a serious
problem, which they are constantly working on.
His crews do a great job to try to stay on top of it.
Ms.
Macomber stated we can only resolve this together. If we do not know about a problem, we cannot
fix it.
Mr.
Selchan stated we have a full-time crew who is dedicated to removing mountains
of trash. They spend eight hours a
day/five days a week removing garbage from these canals. If they have not been in your canal in the
next few weeks, they will be there as soon as they get an opportunity to. Because of the drought, we have not been able
to put the boat into many of these canals as access has been a problem. However, since the water levels are now up,
we can respond within 24 hours. We may
not be able to clean or spray the canal that day but we will see what the
problem is and put together a schedule to get it cleaned.
Ms.
Epps asked who do we report the dumping to?
There are mattresses in the canal.
Mr.
Selchan responded the City of Coral Springs Code Enforcement. If you actually witness the dumping, call the
police department.
Mr.
Ken Haley stated I live at 10133 NW 30th Court in Country Club
West. I am a native Floridian, born in
Broward County. I am also in the
hurricane shutter business. One of the
reasons I moved to Coral Springs was because of the beauty of the city. By chopping down these trees, thinking the
water will flow better, is not going to help.
I think we are going about this the wrong way. I would rather pay an assessment to have
these canals cleaned up instead of watching all the debris flow downstream. I am disgusted to see us chopping down our
city. I have many good friends in Coral
Springs and it tears me up to see what is happening. It is a sad situation. I heard Mr. Selchan say they were going to
clean the canals but this has been going on for at least three years. It is disgusting.
Ms.
Macomber stated please call the office.
Mr.
Haley stated you could have a cleaning schedule for each canal.
Ms.
Macomber stated they have a schedule.
Mr.
Haley stated it is sad to see what is going on with the city.
Ms.
Macomber stated it is sad the way people use these canals. It is pathetic. People throw bottles into the canals as a
game to see if they can hit the water. I
do not know what they are thinking. We
appreciate the value of the water and the birds and beautiful fish who live
there. I was watching someone feed the
fish the other day and they were all jumping up. People who throw things into the canals are
ruining them for all of us. The
community as a whole should address this issue; not just Sunshine.
Mr.
Haley stated it is hard to look at this every day.
Ms.
Macomber stated we understand and will try to be more prudent. We appreciate your comments.
A
resident stated my home is not surrounded by canals. How does this affect me?
Ms.
Macomber responded it should not affect you.
The
resident stated I received your letter.
Ms.
Macomber stated because you live within the District.
Mr.
Goscicki stated your assessment will be based on the size of your
property. The benefit you get is your
building will not flood.
The
resident stated I do not own the building; only a unit. The building is owned by the HOA to which I
pay a fee. They do the maintenance and
the cutting of the trees. I do not know
how I benefit from the cleaning of the canals and cutting of the trees. I have insurance if water gets into my unit.
Ms.
Macomber stated we are interconnected.
If the system gets blocked in one area, it can flood throughout the
region.
The
resident asked did everyone in my building receive a letter?
Ms.
Macomber responded yes, if they are an owner within Sunshine.
Mr.
Goscicki stated every property owner received one.
Mr.
Hulett stated our District runs from Wiles Road south to Royal Palm Boulevard
and from Rock Island Road to the Sawgrass Expressway. All property owners share in the cost of the
operation of the District, regardless of whether or not they live on a
canal. The operating and capital budgets
are divided among each of the properties.
This is how this works from a governmental standpoint.
Ms.
Macomber stated just like if you do not have a child in school, you have to pay
the school tax.
Mr.
Lloyd Heidesburg stated I live at 3781 NW 79th Avenue. My wife and I have been living here for six
years. We love it. We lived in Brooklyn for 38 years and are
originally from Belize. When we moved
here, it was our intention to one day own our home. We paid off our own home after 25 years and
moved to Florida. We are pleased, happy
and humble to say the house is ours as we paid for it in cash, which we are
thankful for. This is the first
communication I received from the District.
I was at a loss in regards to the assessment. We were never informed about the
assessment. It is our right as a
homeowner to satisfy ourselves in regards to what we should do in order to
maintain the status of homeowner. I was
pleased to attend this meeting because for the first time I am meeting the
people with whom we can communicate with and sit back and learn something we
did not know before. I want to thank you
for putting me on your mailing list.
Ms.
Macomber stated six to ten months ago, we recognized the District needed to
reach out more to our clients and started a campaign. We hired someone to help us put a campaign
together, work on our website so we have more information available and work on
press releases to inform you. We are now
analyzing the value of this service but are dedicated to working with you to do
more informing so you will not be a stranger to us. You can go on your computer and pull up the
website for the Sunshine WCD to see what we are doing. There is a list of all minutes of the past
meetings online at FloridaDistricts.com.
We are trying to improve our communication with the residents so you
have a better idea of what we are doing together. Congratulations on your home and for coming
here! It is wonderful hearing from
you. We appreciate everyone who came
today to talk to us. Watch for more
information coming from us because we know you need to be informed. We realized this when Hurricane Wilma hit.
Mr.
Heidesburg stated there are many people like myself who have things to offer
the District in terms of services. Why
are you not offering to accept these services as they are for the common good? In my country, I was a Probation
Officer. It would be fair to say I am a
people person. My wife retired from the
Internal Revenue Service. Now we are
both sitting at home doing nothing.
Ms.
Macomber stated I have an opportunity for you.
I am on a Senior Advisory Board and we need people like you. If you write down your name, address and
phone number, I will get back to you. We
will put you to work.
Mr.
Heidesburg stated I would be happy to.
We offer our services in good faith.
If more people can come forward and do things for the common good,
things can be so much better. I will do
whatever I can.
Mr.
Hulett stated I appreciate you coming here tonight. Based on 28 years of experience in Coral
Springs and having attended many commission meetings and other meetings like
this one, this is an outstanding turnout.
When this room is filled, it means there is a great deal of
interest. I am very happy. We have a cross section of the
community. The turnout for a public
hearing like this, whether the Sunshine WCD or the City of Coral Springs is
excellent. We are pleased!
As
Ms. Macomber said, there have been some efforts in terms of trying to
communicate. I do not think this has
particularly been effective and we need to do a more effective job of working
more with the city and using their facilities to communicate. In my experience, many people see the canals
and assume the city is responsible for its operation. Very few people realize this is an
independent District completely separate from the City of Coral Springs, who is
ultimately responsible for operation of the canals. It is important to have this knowledge. If each one of you talk to ten of your
neighbors, more people will have a better understanding of how this District
works and the operation of the canals.
Ms.
Macomber stated it is very heartwarming to see all of you because usually we
are talking in here all by ourselves.
You took the time to come here rather than spending time with your
families and we appreciate it.
A
resident stated I live at 11544 Royal Palm Boulevard in a condo. Is it the Condo Associations responsibility
to pay this bill? I have lived here for a
year and one month.
Ms.
Macomber asked do you own your property?
The
resident responded yes.
Mr.
Goscicki stated even if you live in a condo, you are considered to be a
property owner within the District.
However, you will only be paying a portion of the assessment or a lower
amount than a single family home. I
believe the tax bill has a breakdown.
For example, a family having a half acre or more will be paying one rate
while a half acre or less will be paying a lower rate. It is proportional to the size of the
property.
The
resident stated my mortgage is the price of a single-family home. The HOA recently raised the fee from $195 to
$210. Only two times, I saw the
maintenance guys maintain the canal.
Ms.
Macomber stated we do not work with the HOA.
Mr.
Goscicki stated the increase in the assessment is only $9 from the current
property tax to what is being proposed for next year.
The
resident stated the reason why I moved to Coral Springs was because there was
no violence or crime.
Ms.
Macomber stated thank you for your comments and for coming tonight.
Mr.
Jeff Boulier stated I live at 8935 NW 38th Drive in a townhouse. I keep hearing about rates and square
footage. What is the rate on a
townhouse?
Mr.
Goscicki responded the current rate per unit is $118.57. The rate quoted in the letter is $124.59
because it was based on a higher budget.
This is the rate for a one acre lot.
Anything less than an acre gets rounded out to the nearest half acre. For example, if you own a half acre or acre
of property, you are considered one unit.
If you own less than a half an acre, you are considered to be half a
unit. If you own one acre to one and a
half acres, you are considered to be two units.
Mr.
Boulier asked do you have a breakdown for this particular address?
Mr.
Goscicki responded we are required by first class mail to send this
notification to every property owner.
For us to pull the information off of the Assessment Roll, requires us
to do a custom letter to every property owner.
Living in a townhouse, your assessment should be half of the $118.57 per
unit.
Mr.
Boulier asked do you have a rating for a townhouse?
Mr.
Cranmer responded look at your tax bill from last year to see what you paid
last year.
Ms.
Heather Loeb stated I live at 4318 NW 76th Avenue. How did you pay
for this before?
Mr.
Goscicki responded it has been on the tax roll.
Ms.
Loeb stated since we are getting a tax cut; you are hitting us with $124.
Mr.
Goscicki stated this is not an additional $124.
Your tax rate today in this current fiscal year is $109.
Ms.
Loeb stated I am getting a tax cut and you are asking for $9 from me. I would rather keep the $109.
Mr.
Goscicki stated the biggest impact on the budget was spending almost $4 million
last year and this year from the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma.
A
resident asked did we flood in some places in Coral Springs?
Mr.
Goscicki responded you had trees blocking canals.
Ms.
Macomber stated we reduced the water so we did not flood. Wilma was not a rain maker.
The
resident asked when was the last time Coral Springs flooded?
Mr.
Goscicki responded the last major flooding was in 1979. This is a reflection of the water control we
have here. It does not flood because you
have a working drainage system.
The
resident stated I understand. It has
been working and continues to work.
Mr.
Goscicki stated it worked well until all of a sudden Hurricane Wilma came in
and knocked all of the trees down into the middle of the canal. We had to get all of the trees out of the
canal banks so the system keeps working.
We have been lucky.
Ms.
Loeb stated I had beautiful trees on my property and now they are all
gone. What I am hearing from other
people is the trees are all gone. You
annihilated all of the trees.
Ms.
Macomber stated they were on District property.
Ms.
Loeb stated you removed the trees and now you are coming back and collecting
all the money.
Mr.
Cranmer stated in 1979 we had 18” of rain in one day. There were no houses here at the time. What is now Cypress Run was once an
ocean. It could happen again.
Mr.
Hulett stated I share all of your concerns in regards to this budget. The Board recognizes the seriousness of the
property tax situation and Florida has done a responsible job this year. The administrative side of the budget has
been cut 37% over last year. The budget
amount last year for fiscal year 2007 was $394,000 versus $193,700 for
administrative costs this fiscal year.
However, there is another aspect to be aware of, which is the
infrastructure of this District. Two integral
parts of this District are our pump stations.
One is located at the corner of Royal Palm Boulevard and Riverside Drive
behind the Presbyterian Church and the other is located in the southwest corner
of the District. Both of these pump
stations are in need of repair with new security fences and engines to run the
pump and pump the water. Should we have
a critical rain event, it is very important for all of this equipment to be up
to date and working properly. Currently,
both of these pump stations are in need of some updating and repair. The $9 increase is going to support the
capital budget to do necessary repair to not only these pump stations but to
clean out culverts under streets and canals and make sure the canals are
properly dredged out so if we have a 20” rain event, we know we are going to
have good control over the water.
I
looked at my canal over the last few days, with the amount of rain we have had,
I am amazed to see how much higher the water has risen. I am sure Mr. Selchan is maintaining the
water inside of the city without letting any water out to get the canals back
up to their normal size. This also has
an impact on the City of Coral Springs in regards to our water and maintaining
water tables. There are two aspects to
this assessment; the administrative costs to operate the District and the
capital budget to make sure everything will function in the long run. The time will come when it is necessary to do
repairs and upgrades on the critical infrastructure. I think a less than 10% increase based on
what we have been through in the last year and based on the projected needs of
the District to do some of these repairs, is a reasonable increase. I feel good about the Board taking a
responsive position of looking out for the best interest of the taxpayers in
this particular budget situation.
Ms.
Macomber stated I agree. We have to
maintain these pumps as they are necessary for the flood control. We know you have angst about the taxes. We are taxpayers who live in the District,
have the same issues you do and know how aggravated you are. We thought we were going to have help from
Tallahassee and now this is questionable.
We are not sure what is going to happen, to be quite honest with
you. However, we have a responsibility
to all the residents to maintain what we have in order to maintain to keep you
safe.
A
resident asked where is the budget?
Mr.
Goscicki responded I can provide you with a copy.
A
resident stated I have a petition from over 100 residents to hire landscapers
to mow around our lake. The District had
the money to pay for the ignorant tree cutters without our approval. This came out of our tax money and I am not
going to pay for it because we did not hire them.
Ms.
Macomber asked are there any other comments?
We will hear from one more resident and then close the public hearing.
Mr.
Chris Cavilleri stated I live at 3002 Coral Ridge Drive. I run a business in this area and have seen
some of the work needing to be done to the pump stations. I feel a lot of unnecessary money has been
spent. In regards to where the
assessments are coming and going, are we paying an assessment of $129 plus an
additional $9 every year?
Ms.
Macomber responded no. You paid an
assessment of $109 last year and will only be paying an additional $9. We appreciate you coming and thank you for
your comments. At this time we will
close the public hearing.
Ms.
Macomber moved to adopt Resolution 2007-8 Adopting the Final Budget for Fiscal Year
2008 and Mr. Hulett seconded the motion.
Mr. Hulett asked in terms of our
capital improvement situation, at what point do we want to discuss the
specifics?
Ms. Macomber responded later on this
evening.
Mr. Goscicki stated your budget
includes two major capital items; an $850,000 line item for canal dredging and
repair and another $800,000 for pump station improvements. Later on, you will have a presentation by
CH2M-Hill on the pump station repairs.
Mr. Hulett stated I want to thank
Ms. Rower for providing me with a breakdown on the shared personnel expenses we
share with CSID. They do some human
resource administration for our employees as well as field administration
customer service.
Ms. Macomber stated I also want to
thank you for calling each of us to see whether we had any issues. This was very prudent and thoughtful.
On VOICE VOTE with all in favor, the
prior motion adopting
Resolution 2007-8 Adopting the Final Budget for Fiscal Year 2008 was approved.
Mr. Nanni stated the next resolution
is Resolution 2007-9 for the levy of non ad valorem assessments. This establishes the assessment amount going
along with the budget you just adopted.
Mr. Hulett stated this is for
approval of the $118.67 assessment.
On MOTION by Ms. Macomber seconded by Mr.
Hulett with all in favor
Resolution 2007-9 Levying Assessments for the Payment of Maintenance Assessment
for the Period October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008 was adopted.
FOURTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Discussion on Management
Services
Mr. Cranmer stated we advertised for
proposals for management services and received proposals from New Communities
Strategies, Severn Trent Services, District Offices LLC and District Management
Services. All of these firms have a
great deal of experience. It is the
Board’s decision on which firm to hire.
You had adequate opportunity to review the proposals.
Mr. Hulett stated I have not changed
my position from last month. I
personally want to have each of these responders give presentations to the
Board lasting 15 minutes in duration to have an opportunity to meet the
individuals who will serve as manager. I
also want to have an opportunity to ask detailed questions and select a firm
after the presentations. Obviously we
should do this when Mr. Sobers is available.
I suggest we hold a separate meeting before the August Board meeting for
this purpose. This seems to be a
reasonable way to proceed.
Ms. Macomber stated I feel this is a
prudent way to proceed. We need to
direct staff to schedule this meeting.
Mr. Nanni stated we will poll the
Board members and schedule the meeting.
FIFTH ORDER OF BUSINESS Consideration of Drainage Permit Request
from Broward Housing Solutions for Construction of Woodside Gardens, 4121
Woodside Drive
Mr. DaSilva stated this request is
from Broward Housing Solutions. We
recommend approval of this permit based on our approval letter with our
standard conditions.
Mr. Hulett stated the location of
this property is the vacant lot at 4121 Woodside Drive. They are going to build a nice two unit townhouse,
which will be an enhancement to the neighborhood.
Ms. Macomber stated it looks very
attractive.
On
MOTION by Ms. Macomber seconded by Mr. Hulett with all in favor the request
from Broward Housing Solutions for Construction of
Woodside Gardens at 4121 Woodside Drive was approved.
SIXTH ORDER OF
BUSINESS Staff
Reports
A. Attorney
Mr. Cranmer stated Mr. Hulett asked
me to inquire about the warrant process for other districts. What I have determined is actually close to
what has been done. Bills come in during
our meetings as companies submit bills on varying billing cycles. If it is something we previously committed
to, the custom has been to pay them and then you ratify after paying them. Anything involving a policy decision like
whether to hire a lobbyist in Tallahassee, management cannot write a check when
you have not approved it. However, we
had years where we did not have meetings for several months and we do not want
the lights to be shut off or incur a late charge on a pump loan. By speaking with attorneys representing other
districts if it is a policy issue, obviously you make the policy decision. We hire management to perform the
administerial duties and they carry out your intentions. Obviously an electric bill is something we
expect. The pump payments with Riverside
Bank are for the loan, which we have to pay on a reoccurring basis. We hire managers to take care of issues like
this. What we do not want management
doing is making policy decisions. This
is why when we approve these warrants, in every respect, we are ratifying bills,
which have already been sent out because we either have contracts for them or
they are reoccurring.
Mr. Goscicki stated we discussed
this matter at the last Board meeting and clearly understand we do not have
contract authority. We bring contracts
back to the Board for approval. The only
exception is in emergency situations where we have a pump failing and have to
get it up and running. In this instance,
we will submit an emergency purchase requisition to get a contractor out there
to repair the pump and bring back to the Board for ratification.
Mr. Hulett stated I appreciate you
looking into this. I have no problem
with you paying electric and garbage bills in advance without prior
ratification or approval but the bill we were presented with from Mr. Book’s
company for $60,000 was not a detailed statement of the services provided. Not having a Service Agreement or contract in
place was of great concern to me. I
preferred the management company bringing this to us prior to the time they
wrote the check but paying the routine bills was perfectly satisfactory. Any further expenditure of this type and
nature should be well detailed by the person who did the work as to the number
of hours.
Mr. Cranmer stated at the last
meeting there was discussion about what Mr. Book did in the last session. I was remiss to mention last year we had an
annexation issue. The City of Margate attempted
to annex the east bank of our major east outfall canal because of the fallen
trees. Annexation proceedings started in
the legislature and then they had to vote on it. This was the one issue I was aware of Mr.
Book working on but I did not mention it at the last meeting. We were not particularly concerned about this
because we had the City of Coral Springs in our corner. Mr. Book is a well accomplished attorney and
lobbyist. He did a good job on the
independent districts.
Mr. Hulett stated he has done a lot
for us. For the benefit of the audience,
the $60,000 expenditure for the lobbyist was eliminated from this year’s
budget, which I am extremely happy about.
Mr. Cranmer stated the next issue
relates to Phase II of the canal bank restoration, which as of the last meeting
was 75% complete. It was inevitable
there will be errors. Our contractor took
responsibility for the error in Broken Woods.
Apparently a homeowner had seven large trees, which were clearly marked
under our program with a red “x”.
Notices were sent out and everyone thought they were nuisance trees,
however, they were mis-identified through the sub-contractor’s arborist. There was some confusion on the species of
tree. There was a minor error in the
actual line of our right-of-way. This
gentleman did not know there was a problem until I found out later on. Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Colussy, we
received a survey showing some of these trees were actually in our right-of-way
and we had a right to remove them.
Several were slightly inside of this homeowner’s property line and two
were on the line. These are large trees
with big trunks. The homeowner filed a
lawsuit against the District and the sub-contractor, Stiles.
Stiles instantly offered the amount
of money the homeowner sued for and then he changed his mind. However, the homeowner is now talking to the
city. I should have an answer tomorrow
on what he wants to do. On Monday, there
is a pre-trial conference, which our insurance carrier and I will attend. If no decision is made at the pre-trial
conference, it will go before Small Claims Court. There is a sovereign immunity statute
limiting our liability but also states he has to give six months notice to a
state agency and to us prior to instigating a lawsuit. However, this is only a technicality and does
not mean he is not going to get the results he is seeking. I am hopeful the District will not end up
paying for this problem. There is retainage
in our contract with AEM as they hired the sub-contractor, Stiles. Stiles already offered to resolve this matter
but the number has not been settled on. The
homeowner is aware the District wants to make him happy and this is what we
intend to do within the limits of our liability and responsibility. I am happy to report our contractor and
sub-contractor behaved in a responsible and forthright manner. It is amazing this is the only problem.
Ms. Macomber stated it is
interesting to see how close his trees were to our boundary line.
Mr. Cranmer stated I have a copy of
the survey and can provide copies. In
one case, we are only talking about a four inch difference. The trees at the northern end are the ones
slightly inside of his property line.
The ones in the center are in our right-of-way. TOB stands for top of bank and the edge of
water. We could have removed them but
allowed them to remain. We had a right
to take them. The southern ones are a
couple of inches off center but the trees are so wide, they straddle the line.
Ms. Macomber asked is the homeowner
aware?
Mr. Cranmer responded he called me
last week.
Ms. Macomber stated it sounds like this
was a close call.
Mr. Cranmer stated it was.
B. Engineer
– Evaluation of Stormwater Pump Stations 1 & 2
Ms. Macomber asked is this item in
regards to the report we received?
Mr. DaSilva responded yes.
Mr. Colussy stated to expand on the
tree issue; we are over 90% complete with the tree removal program. Almost all of the large trees were removed,
although there may be one or two remaining.
The contractors and sub-contractors are in the process of going back to
all the individual areas and doing a cleaning and re-sodding if needed. After this is completed, we will contact Mr.
Selchan and have him do an inspection of each area. If he is satisfied, he will sign off on the
area as acceptable. We hope to have all
of this completed by the end of July. If
we had a storm event tomorrow, we will be in good shape.
Ms. Macomber stated sounds great. It is hard to believe we are finally at the
end. This is good news.
Mr. Colussy stated in regards to the
pump stations, we took the proposal we provided to you at last month’s meeting
and are in the process of revising it.
We are finalizing the technical material. I hoped to have a version available for this
meeting but after meeting with Mr. Selchan, there are some items we wish to
clarify. We have been able to get in
touch with Tamarac’s Engineering Department.
Within the last few years, they constructed three new pump stations
along the C-14 canal. These are the
types of pump stations we envision for the District. They will take us through a tour of the
stations. We are going to meet with the
Engineer and Project Manager.
Ms. Macomber asked are these
electrical?
Mr. Colussy responded they have gas
engines but electric motors.
Ms. Macomber asked are those the
ones we talked about converting over?
Mr. Colussy responded yes. The summary sheet I provided to you is a
summary of the actual report. We listed
all of the items needing to be updated and gave you two options. The first option is to do the repair and
upgrades but continue using the existing LP gas engines. The second option is to remove the LP gas
engines and replace with electric engines.
If we go with option one, the cost is $500,000 in upgrades. The hours on the existing engines are not
high. If we do these upgrades, those
stations will perform well over the next five to ten years. Option two is much more expensive but it is
the preferred option. Electric engines
are the way to go as they are more reliable due to the fact both stations have
power directly to those sites rather than through the FP&L facilities for a
small expense. In addition, we will have
a diesel generator backup so if a storm event knocked FP&L out, we will
still have the ability to run the engine.
Electric engines are more readily available and require less
maintenance. Less control is
required. It is a better way of
operating your facilities. Option two is
the better choice but we realize there is a higher cost involved.
Mr. Goscicki stated Mr. Colussy met
with staff. Obviously this is a $1.5
million cost and you only have $800,000 in your budget. In discussions with Mr. Colussy and the
engineers, you have four to five years useful life on the existing facility in
terms of the existing LP gas system. Mr.
Colussy stated his opinion to move to the electric engines. However, this is not a tomorrow issue. The other issue is the maintenance. There are things needing to be done and having
to be done, which total $500,000 and is clearly within your budget. I wanted Mr. Colussy here to go over the
options so the Board could see what we are looking at. We clearly need to proceed with the first
phase and complete the repair work. As
we move forward, we can look at the financial position of the District and make
this a long term decision in terms of changing out the engines.
Ms. Macomber asked can we do this
project in phases?