The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About3-10-26 Packet BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ST. LUCIE COUNTY BOCC Informal Meeting Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:00 AM Commission Chambers 2300 Virginia Avenue 3rd Floor of Roger Poitras Building Fort Pierce, FL 34982 BOARD MEMBERS District No. 4, Chair JAMIE FOWLER District No. 2, Vice-Chair LARRY LEET District No. 1 JAMES CLASBY District No. 3 ERIN LOWRY District No. 5 CATHY TOWNSEND Mission Statement Committed To Service, Focused On Our Future, Grounded By Tradition *Revised Final on 3/10 Page 1 of 41 BOCC Informal Meeting Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:00 AM 2 | P a g e 1. CALL TO ORDER - JAMIE FOWLER, CHAIR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Update Presentation B. Code Enforcement Discussion C. 2025 Economic Incentive Reporting Discussion - ADD ON 4. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS 5. ADJOURNMENT NOTICE: All Proceedings before this Board are electronically recorded. Any person who decides to appeal any action taken by the Board at these meetings will need a record of the proceedings and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made. Upon the request of any party to the proceedings, individuals testifying during a hearing will be sworn in. Any party to the proceedings will be granted the opportunity to cross-examine any individual testifying during a hearing upon request. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation to attend this meeting should contact the St. Lucie County Human Resources Department at (772) 462-1546, humanresources@stlucieco.org or TDD (772) 462-1428 at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 41 INFORMAL ITEM REQUEST DATE: 3/10/2026 TO: Board of County Commissioners PRESENTED BY: James Lappert, Water Quality Division Director SUBJECT: Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Update Presentation BACKGROUND: The Florida Basin Management Action Plan or BMAP Program is a state-run initiative that looks to improve Florida's water quality by reducing the amount of nutrient that enters into impaired water bodies. In St. Lucie County, two BMAPs come into play, the Central Indian River Lagoon BMAP and the St. Lucie River and Estuary BMAP. This presentation will address St. Lucie County's efforts to meet State-mandated BMAP goals and point to future efforts to improve water quality in the County. PREVIOUS ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A BOARD DIRECTION: No Board direction is necessary. Page 3 of 41 Date & Meeting LocationAgenda Location – (Consent, Public Hearing or Regular) Agenda numberDepartment or DivisionPresenter Department of Public Works Water Quality Division March 10, 2025 Jim Lappert-Water Quality Director St. Lucie County Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) Update Page 4 of 41 Basin Management Action Plans are restoration plans, adopted by FDEP to reduce nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) in impaired water bodies. Projects are based on meeting Florida’s TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) goals for nutrients. 2 What is a BMAP? Page 5 of 41 •1999- Florida Statute 403.067(7)- FDEP authorized to develop BMAPs to restore impaired waters and implement Total Maximum Daily Loads •2014- Lake Okeechobee becomes first major BMAP to address phosphorus loading in Florida. •2016- Florida Springs and Aquifer Protection Act- creation of Springs BMAPs to address nutrient pollution. •2020- (SB 712, 2020) Clean Waterways Act- scope of BMAPs expanded by legislature to include enforcement on all impaired Florida waters. •2023- House Bill 1379- required the addition of 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year milestones to all BMAPs and associated nutrient reduction goals (credits). 3 BMAP History Page 6 of 41 St. Lucie BMAP *first adopted in June 2013 4 Page 7 of 41 Central Indian River Lagoon BMAP *First adopted in January 2013 *Final adoption with nutrient allocations in February 2021 5 Page 8 of 41 •2025: 5-year Milestone with 30%-60% nutrient reduction towards TMDL goals met (varies by basin) •2030: 10-year Milestone with 60%-80% nutrient reduction towards TMDL goals met •2035:15-year Milestone with 100% nutrient reduction towards TMDL goals met *Some 2025 BMAP Milestones were shifted to 2028 as State re-evaluates land usage data and associated nutrient data (includes St. Lucie BMAP) 6 BMAP Milestones Page 9 of 41 BMAP Projects that DO Provide Credits (reduce nutrient loading) •Stormwater Management Projects (wet and dry ponds, STAs, wetland restoration, muck removal) •Green Infrastructure (grass swales, rain gardens, urban tree canopies, permeable pavement) •Septic to Sewer Projects •Community Retrofits (limited credits) •Operational Programs (street sweeping, baffle boxes, ALUM systems at pump stations) •Educational Programs (one time credit) 7 BMAP Update BMAP Projects that DO NOT Provide Credits (do not reduce nutrient loading) •Routine Operation and Maintenance of stormwater infrastructure •Land Acquisition/Conservation •Road/drainage pipe updates and maintenance •Required compliance activities (already permitted) •Natural Systems (already in existence before BMAP) Page 10 of 41 BMAP Update 8 Current Milestones Achieved for St. Lucie BMAP (2024) Page 11 of 41 BMAP Update Current Milestones Achieved for Central Indian River Lagoon BMAP (2023) 9 Page 12 of 41 American Rescue Plan Projects: Ancient Oaks Wet Pond Melville Rd Phase 1 Melville Rd Phase 2 Indrio Savannahs Wet Pond River Park Baffle Boxes Sheraton Plaza STA Community Retrofits -Harmony Heights -Paradise Park -San Lucie Plaza -Sunland Gardens 10 BMAP Current Events in St. Lucie County Page 13 of 41 Future plans to meet SLC BMAP goals •New innovative STA/Wet Pond projects •Continue to add baffle boxes to SLC drainage •Septic to Sewer Projects •Muck Removal Projects (Ten Mile Creek) 11 Page 14 of 41 BMAP Update 12 Questions? Page 15 of 41 INFORMAL ITEM REQUEST DATE: 3/10/2026 TO: Board of County Commissioners PRESENTED BY: Benjamin Balcer, Planning & Development Services Director SUBJECT: Code Enforcement Discussion BACKGROUND: The intent of this presentation is to provide background on the Code Compliance Division within the Planning & Development Services Department. Staff will discuss current standard operating procedures, common code violations, current statute language and its impact on the County and its residents, and the difference between reactive enforcement vs. proactive enforcement. The staff is providing this update to the Board and is seeking direction on operational changes that may be desired. PREVIOUS ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A BOARD DIRECTION: Staff requests direction and input on current and recommended operational procedures of the County's Code Enforcement Division. Page 16 of 41 Code Enforcement Division Planning & Development Services Board of County Commissioners Informal Meeting March 10, 2026 Building & Code Regulation Division Ben Balcer, PDS Director Michael Jerrahian, Building Official Melissa Brubaker, Permitting and Code Admin. Manager Page 17 of 41 2 Code Enforcement Goal is compliance and to promote, protect, and improve the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and the environment of the County. Every few years, the staff seeks direction from the BOCC on the type of program to implement: Do we remain a response-based program? OR Do we become a proactive program? Page 18 of 41 3 Division Staff Field Staff  4 Full-Time Code Enforcement Officers 2 Full-Time Contractor Licensing Investigators Office Staff  2 Administrative Assistants  1 Code Enforcement Supervisor Page 19 of 41 4 Typical Violations Main Violation Types in 2025 # of Cases Building Without a Permit 364 Junk/Trash/Unserviceable Vehicles 283 Overgrowth 181 Property Maintenance 163 Page 20 of 41 5 Division operates under a response-based approach, meaning: ➢Staff responds to citizen concerns on a wide range of issues that affect the environment, health, safety, property values, and the general well-being of our community. ➢Complaints may be received by email, phone call, or through the county webpage. Code Enforcement Process Page 21 of 41 6 ➢State law (2021) does not allow an anonymous complaint. ➢A person who reports a potential violation of a code or an ordinance must provide his or her name and address to the respective local government before an enforcement proceeding may occur. This paragraph does not apply if the code inspector has reason to believe that the violation presents an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare or imminent destruction of habitat or sensitive resources. ➢Staff can take an anonymous complaint for violations that threaten public health, safety, welfare, or destruction of habitat or sensitive resources. Complaint Submission Page 22 of 41 7 Code Compliance Activity for 2020 - 2025 14% Activity 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total Cases Generated 4,001 2,291 2,308 2,898 2,253 2,152 # of Violation Letters sent 2,421 1,347 1,680 1,901 1,494 1,455 Abated 2,030 989 1,113 1,548 1,213 1,199 Carried over 391 186 567 353 281 256 Cases scheduled for CEB 261 712 742 770 584 397 Cases heard by CEB 174 289 287 253 294 320 Page 23 of 41 8 ➢Officers perform a windshield inspection from the right of way within 24 hours of complaint. ➢The officer is not allowed to enter a property. A violation must be seen from the public right of way or have permission to enter a neighboring property. ➢The inspection includes sweeping the entire street for similar violations to avoid accusations and the appearance of selective enforcement. ➢ The sweep approach eliminates neighbors' complaints about other neighbors (turning each other in for the same type of violation). Inspection Process Page 24 of 41 9 Neighborhood Sweeps Harmony Heights N US1 Page 25 of 41 10 ➢The initial notice gives the property owner/tenant 14 days to fix the violation. ➢A property owner can request an extension of up to 30 days. There are exceptions. ➢No later than 90 days from the complaint’s filing date, the case is set for a hearing before the Special Magistrate. ➢The Special Magistrate hears the case and makes a ruling. ➢Failure to abate the violation will result in a Fine Hearing, typically held several months after the Violation Hearing. Violation Process Page 26 of 41 11 Code Enforcement Board ➢The Code Enforcement Board (CEB) is governed by Chapter 162, Florida Statutes and Chapter 1, Article II, Code Enforcement, of the St. Lucie County Code of Ordinances. ➢The BOCC directed the transition to a Special Magistrate in 2025. ➢Meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 9:00 am. ➢Special Magistrate has authority to determine if a violation exists; and can levy fines and reduce fines. Page 27 of 41 12 ➢Failure to abate a violation in the timeframe specified by the Special Magistrate, will result in a daily fine. •The Special Magistrate sets the daily fine amount at a second (fine) hearing. Typical fine imposed is $250 per day. ($500 per day for repeat violation) ➢The typical fine is 10% of the market value of the property. It may be higher for severe violations. •Failure to correct the violation results in a lien on the property for 20 years. •If the violation is abated, the applicant may request the fine be reduced by up to 100% from the Magistrate. Fines / Liens Page 28 of 41 13 ➢A property owner can apply for a 90% reduction of the lien if they abate the violation through the Annual Lien Amnesty Program. •The program has been offered annually from April 1st through July •No fee to process an application •Staff sends a notice to every property owner with an outstanding lien, notifying them of the upcoming program •Property must be in compliance •Satisfaction of Lien (§162.09., F.S.) – Shall be executed by the local governing body. Future Resolution delegating authority to the County Administrator or designee. Annual Lien Amnesty Program Page 29 of 41 14 Lien Amnesty Program Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary 2017 2018 2019 56 participants 24 participants 28 participants Funds Collected $34,013 Funds Collected $13,959 Funds Collected $20,047 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $340,013 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $139,595 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $200,475 Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary 2020 2021 2022 38 participants 35 participants 35 participants Funds Collected $24,205 Funds Collected $20,435 Funds Collected $25,427 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $242,050 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $204,375 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $254,278 Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary Amnesty Lien Program Summary 2023 2024 2025 27 participants 27 participants 29 participants Funds Collected $28,884 Funds Collected $18,500 Funds Collected $19,495 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $288,843 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $185,000 Total outstanding liens reduced by 10% in the amount of $194,495 The Program was launched in 2017; 299 cases have been closed, reducing the outstandng collectible debt by $2,308,909 Page 30 of 41 15 Items for Consideration Convert the program from a reactive to a proactive approach. ➢A pro-active program would require additional personnel, office space, equipment and vehicles. Page 31 of 41 Code Enforcement Division Planning & Development Services Board of County Commissioners Informal Meeting March 10, 2026 Building & Code Regulation Division Ben Balcer, PDS Director Michael Jerrahian, Building Official Melissa Brubaker, Permitting and Code Admin. Manager Page 32 of 41 INFORMAL ITEM REQUEST DATE: 3/10/2026 TO: Board of County Commissioners PRESENTED BY: Benjamin Balcer, Planning & Development Services Director SUBJECT: 2025 Economic Incentive Reporting Discussion - ADD ON BACKGROUND: Planning & Development Services is providing an update on the companies that have approved Economic Incentive Agreements with the County that submitted their 2025 Annual Reports but did not meet the job creation requirements specified in their agreements. As part of the County’s economic incentive programs, participating companies are required to submit annual reports documenting compliance with the terms of their agreements, including job creation targets, wage thresholds, and other performance measures. These reports allow the County to verify eligibility for incentive payments and ensure accountability for public investments intended to support economic development. Staff’s review of the 2025 Annual Reports identified several companies that did not achieve the required job creation levels during the reporting period. In a number of these cases, the companies have also fallen short of their job creation thresholds in prior reporting years and have previously been granted extensions or adjustments to their performance timelines by the Board. Given the instances of noncompliance and flexibility already provided, Planning & Development Services is seeking direction from the Board of County Commissioners regarding how the Board would like staff to proceed with these agreements moving forward. Potential actions may include enforcing the existing provisions of the agreements, which may include termination of the agreements or providing additional time for companies to meet their obligations. Alternatively, the Board may choose to evaluate the circumstances of each company on a case-by-case basis and provide specific recommendations. Staff will proceed consistent with the Board’s direction and the provisions contained within the approved Economic Incentive Agreements. PREVIOUS ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: Page 33 of 41 The County's Economic Incentive Program is performance-based. If a company does not meet the criteria, including job creation, identified in the award agreement, the County does not provide the economic incentive. BOARD DIRECTION: Staff recommends the Board provide direction on how they would like staff to proceed with these agreements moving forward. Page 34 of 41 1 Economic Incentive Reporting Board of County Commissioners Informal Meeting March 10, 2026 Planning & Development Services Ben Balcer, AICP, PDS Director Page 35 of 41 2 2025 Economic Incentive Reporting Compliance Reporting •Eligible projects must submit annual reports by mid-March •The following companies indicated they have not met their commitments. o Arcosa (AKA Meyer Utilities) o Pursuit (AKA Malibu Boats, Inc.) o ACCEL o A-1 Industries of Florida Page 36 of 41 3 ARCOSA AKA Meyer Utilities 2023 – Incentive Resolution approving JGIG eligibility 2023 – Approved Job Growth Investment Grant for 101 New Jobs over 3-Years (Year 1 = 50, Year 2 = 42, Year 3 = 9) 2024 – Approved 1st Amendment - 1-Year push on the job creation date due to construction delays 2025 – Approved 2nd Amendment - 1-Year push on the job creation schedule due to unforeseen delays 2026 – Request to modify JGIG Agreement revise job creation #’s - Nothing Paid by County to Date - Options: •Amend existing JGIG to alter total job number, timing and wages •Terminate JGIG Agreement Page 37 of 41 4 Pursuit/Malibu Boats Inc. Tooling Expansion 2023 – Incentive Resolution approving eligibility for JGIG 2023 – Approved Job Growth Investment Grant for 100 New Jobs over 2- Years (Year 1 = 50, Year 2 = 50) 2024 – Approved 1st Amendment – 1-Year push on the job creation date to January 2026 and amend schedule (Year 1 = 20 jobs, Year 2 = 80 jobs) 2026 – Request to modify JGIG Agreement to extend job creation for a year and revert to schedule of 50 jobs in Year 1 and another 50 in Year 2. Request includes commitment to 115% of the current avg. SLC wage. - Nothing Paid by County to Date - Options: •Amend existing JGIG to alter job creation timing and wages •Terminate JGIG Agreement Page 38 of 41 5 ACCEL 2018 – Incentive Resolution approving eligibility for JGIG and Ad Valorem Exemption 2021 – Approved Job Growth Investment Grant for 125 New Jobs over 4-Years (Year 1 = 60, Year 2 = 40, Year 3 = 0, Year = 25) 2022 – Approved 1st & 2nd Amendment – 1-Year push on the job creation date to January 2024 2023 – Approved 3rd Amendment - 1-Year push on the job creation schedule due to January 2025 2024 – Approved 4th Amendment – Changed job creation schedule to 3-Years (18, 44, 63) 2024 – Approved Ad Valorem Tax Exemption – 10 Years – 100% 1st 5 years, then 90%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% 2025 – Met Year 1 job creation (18 jobs) – received JGIG ($9,375) and 100% tax exemption 2026 – Request for 2-Year pause on job creation schedule to January 2028 Options: •Amend existing JGIG for 2-Year pause and pause Ad Valorem Exemption •Terminate JGIG Agreement and Ad Valorem Exemption Page 39 of 41 6 A-1 Industries of Florida Inc. 2020 – Incentive Resolution approving eligibility for JGIG, Impact Fee Mitigation and Ad Valorem Exemption 2021 – Approved Job Growth Investment Grant for 28 New Jobs over 1-Year 2021 – Met Job Commitment (JGIG Award $23,100) 2022 – Met Job Commitment (JGIG Award $23,100) 2024 – Approved Ad Valorem Tax Exemption – 6 Years – 100%, 90%, 80%, 60%, 40%, 20% 2025 – Maintained jobs - Received tax exemption (Year 1 = 100%) 2026 – Annual Report shows 22 of the required 28 jobs Options: •Pause Ad Valorem Exemption until they reach 28 jobs •Terminate Ad Valorem Exemption Page 40 of 41 7 Economic Incentive Reporting Board of County Commissioners Informal Meeting March 10, 2026 Planning & Development Services Ben Balcer, AICP, PDS Director Page 41 of 41