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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-199RESOLUTION NO. 02-199 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZ~N& THE ISSUANCE OF LIMITED AD VALOREM TAX BONDS OR NOTE5 OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, IN ONE OR MORE SERIES, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000,000 BEARING INTEREST AT NOT EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM LEGAL RATE, MATURING IN NOT MORE THAN 20 YEARS, PAYABLE FROM Ab VALOREM TAXES UP TO { MILL PER ANNUM TO FINANCE THE COST OF ACC~UIRING ADDITIONAL PARK LAND AND OPEN SPACE; TO ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND TRAILS; TO IMPROVE AND CONSTRUCT PARKS; USING MATCHING FUND5 AND SUB3ECT TO CITIZENS' COMMITTEE REVIEW AND ANNUAL AUD~I' CALI_T. NG FOR AND PROVIDING FOR A BOND REFERENDUM OF THE C~UAI.ZFIED ELECTORS RESIDING IN THE COUNTY TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 5, 200Z ON THE C~UEST~ON OF THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH L~MZTED Ab VALOREM TAX BONDS OR NOTES; PROVIDING FOR CERTAIN MATTER5 WITH RESPECT THERETO; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, has made the following determinations: 1. In 2001, the Board requested that a determinotion be made as to whether the County's community parks system is adequate for the current needs of the citizens of St. Lucie County. 2. As a result of the Board's request, a "Steering Committee" was created in October 7001 to assist the County in the needs determination. The Committee included members of the County's Recreation Advisory Board as well as a representative from the City of Fort Pierce, the City of Port St. Lucie and the St. Lucie County School Board. 3. The Board also approved the development of a Community Parks System Master Plnn and Lawnwood Recreation Complex Master Plan. 4. A number of public workshops were held in December 2001 and January 2002 to solicit public input as part of the master plan process. Surveys of the public were conducted in an attemp, to fur,her solicit public inpu,. 5. Based on the results of the master plan, the Board has determined to au,horize a referendum on November 5, 2002 to determine whether or not to issue limited ad valorem tax bonds in an amoun, not to exceed $25 million payable from ad valorem taxes a, a ra,e not ,o exceed ¼ mill per annum for a term no longer than 20 years. NOW, THEREFORE, BE ZT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucia County, Florida: A. This resolution is adopted pursuant to Section 12§.O1, Florida Statutes, Chapter lO0, Florida Statutes, and other applicable provisions of law. B. Subject and pursuant to the provisions hereof, limited ad valorem tax bonds or notes (herein "bonds") of ,he County of St. Lucia, Florida (herein "County") are authorized to be issued in one or more series in ,he aggrega,e principal amount not to exceed $2[5 million to acquire addi,ional park land and open space; to enhance environmentally sensitive land ,rails; to improve and construct parks; ,age,her with other purposes necessary, appur,enant, or accidental thereto, including all costs of the issuance of the bonds. Such bonds shall be payable from ad valorem taxes levied at a rate no, to exceed ¼ mill per annum on all taxable property in the county. Such bonds shall bear interest at the rate or rates not exceeding the maximum rate permitted by applicable law at the time of the sale of the bonds, ,o be determined upon sale of ,he bonds. None of the bonds shall be issued for a term longer than 20 years from their date of issuance. ¢. Under this parks improvement program, the County shall establish a citizens commi,,ee to review and oversee the implemen,a,ion of ,he Coun,y°s par,ion of ,he program. All expenditures from bond proceeds shall be reviewed by an independent auditor as part of the financial audit required in Section 218.39, Florida 5,o,utes. D. A bond referendum of the qualified electors residing in the County is hereby called ,o be held on Tuesday, November §, 2002, ,o determine whether or not ,he issuance of such bonds in one or more series in an aggregate principal amount not-to-exceed $2§ million shall be approved by such qualified electors to acquire additional park and open space, ,o enhance environmentally sensitive land trails and to improve and construct parks; toga,her with other purposes necessary, appurtenant, or incidental thereto, including all costs of ,he issuance of the bonds. All qualified electors residing in the county shall be entitled and permitted ,o vote in such bond referendum. The places of voting and the inspectors and clerks for the bond referendum shall be the same as those places designated and those persons appointed by the Supervisor of Elections for the primary election to be held in the County on the same date. The polls will be open at the voting places from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on said day. E. County election equipment shall be used at such bond referendum and the ballot to be used shall be in substantially the following form: OFFICIAL BALLOT ST. LUCIE COUNTY Bond Referendum Community Parks November 5, 2002 TO AC(~UIRE ADDLT~ONAL PARK LAND AND OPEN SPACE, ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LAND TRAILS, IMPROVE AND CONSTRUCT PARKS, 5UB3ECT TO REVIEW BY AN APPOINTED CZ"T~ZENS COMNL~TTEE AND ANNUAL AUDIT, SHALL ST. LUCIE COUNTY ISSUE NOT EXCEEDING 25 NL~LL~ON DOLLAR5 IN BONDS, BEARING INTEREST AT NOT EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM LEGAL RATE, MATURING NOT MORE THAN Z0 YEARS, PAYABLE FROM Ab VALOREM TAXES UP TO { MILL PER ANNUM? For the Bonds Against the Bonds F. Absentee voting shall be permitted in such bond referendum. 6. The Supervisor of Elections of the County is authorized and directed to make all arrangements for the conducting of such bond referendum. H. The bond referendum shall be held and conducted in the manner prescribed by general Iow for holding bond referenda. T. If a majority of the votes cast at such bond referendum shall be for the issuance of such bonds, the issuance of such bonds shall be approved and then such bonds may be issued as hereafter provided by the County. ~T. This resolution shall be published in full by the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners as part of the notice of such bond referendum, together with a caption in such form as she shall determine, in a newspaper published in and of general circulation in the county, at least twice, once in the fifth week and once in the third week prior to the week in which the bond referendum is to be held, the first publication to be not less than 30 days prior to the date of such bond referendum. K. In the event that any word, phrase, clause, sentence, or paragraph hereof shall be held invalid by any court of any competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect any other word, clause, phrase, sentence, or paragraph hereof. L. All resolutions in conflict or inconsistent therewith hereby are repealed, insofar as there is a conflict or inconsistency. M. This resolution shall take effect immediately. After motion and second, the vote on this resolution was as follows: Chairman Doug Coward Vice Chairman Cliff Barnes Commissioner Paula A. Lewis Commissioner ~Tohn D. Bruhn Commissioner Frannie Hutchinson AYE AYE AYE AYE AYE PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 20th day of August, 2002. BOARD OF COUNTY C. OM/~,TSSIONERS ST. LUCIE COUNTY --,~airman APPROVI_-'D~A~S TO FORM AND 5° BY:~