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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet 08.27.2024SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT AGENDA ST. LUCIE COUNTY Regular Meeting Tuesday, August 27, 2024 1:00 PM St. Lucie County 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. 3, Vice-Chair LINDA BARTZ District No. 1 CHRIS DZADOVSKY District No. 2 LARRY LEET District No. 5 CATHY TOWNSEND Mission Statement St. Lucie Works to deliver superior service that enhances our quality of life *Final on 8/21 Page 1 of 13 Regular Meeting Tuesday, August 27, 2024 1:00 PM 2 | P a g e WELCOME All meetings are televised. All meetings provided with wireless internet access for public convenience. Please turn off all cell phones and pagers prior to entering the commission chambers. Please mute the volume on all laptops and PDAs while in use in the commission chambers. GENERAL RULES AND PROCEDURES – Attached is the agenda, which will determine the order of business conducted at today’s Board meeting. INVOCATION-PLEDGE – To bring order and decorum to its meeting, the Board begins its meetings with an invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Participation is voluntary. CONSENT AGENDA – These items are considered routine and are enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Commissioner so requests. REGULAR AGENDA – Proclamations, Presentations, Public Hearings, and Department requests are items, which the Commission will discuss individually, usually in the order listed on the agenda. PUBLIC HEARINGS – These items are usually heard on the first Tuesdays at 6 p.m. or as soon thereafter as possible. However, if a public hearing is scheduled for a meeting on the third Tuesday, which begins at 9 a.m., then public hearings will be heard at 9 a.m. or as soon thereafter as possible. These time designations are intended to indicate that an item will not be addressed prior to the listed time. The Chair will open each public hearing and asks anyone wishing to speak to come forward, one at a time. Comments will be limited to five minutes, and must be pertinent to the agenda item being considered by the Board. As a general rule, when issues are scheduled before the Commission under department request or public hearing, the order of presentation is: (1) County staff presents the details of the Board item (2) Commissioners comment (3) if a public hearing, the Chair will ask for public comment, (4) further discussion and action by the Board. ADDRESSING THE COMMISSION – Please state your name and address, speaking clearly into the microphone. If you have backup material, please have eight copies ready for distribution. NON-AGENDA ITEMS – These items are presented by an individual Commissioner or staff as necessary at the conclusion of the printed agenda. PUBLIC COMMENT – Time is allotted at the beginning of each meeting for general public comment. Please limit comments to three minutes. Comments may pertain to any matter related to the Board’s duties as the County’s governing body. Comments in support or opposition to candidates for public office are not pertinent to the Board’s duties. This includes any speaker identifying himself or herself as a candidate for public office. DECORUM – Please be respectful of others’ opinions. MEETINGS – All Board meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Tuesdays of each month at 6 p.m. and on the third Tuesdays at 9 a.m., unless otherwise advertised. Meetings are held in the County Commission Chambers in the Roger Poitras Administration Annex at 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, Fla. 34982. The Board schedules additional workshops throughout the year necessary to accomplish their goals and commitments. Notice is provided of these workshops. Anyone with a disability requiring accommodation to attend this meeting should contact the St. Lucie County Human Resources Department at 772-462-1456, HumanResources@stlucieco.org or TDD 772-462-1428 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 13 Regular Meeting Tuesday, August 27, 2024 1:00 PM 3 | P a g e 1.CALL TO ORDER 2.GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT 3.APPROVAL OF MINUTES A.Board of County Commissioners minutes for the Sustainability District Meeting of May 21, 2024. 4.CONSENT AGENDA A.PUBLIC WORKS 1.Energy Special Assessment District (SAD) Annual Assessment Resolution Staff recommends Board adoption of the attached resolution and authorization for the Chair to sign documents as approved by the County Attorney. 2.Special Assessment Notice of Intent - Permission to Advertise Public Hearing Staff recommends Board's permission to advertise a public hearing to consider use of the uniform method of collecting special assessments to be held at the Board’s regular day meeting on October 15, 2024. 5.REGULAR AGENDA There are no items scheduled. 6.MOTION TO ADJOURN Page 3 of 13 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA Sustainability District Meeting May 21, 2024 Convened: 9:04 AM Adjourned: 9:04 AM 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 9:04 AM by Chair Jamie Fowler, District No. 4. Present Commissioner Cathy Townsend District 5, Commissioner Linda Bartz District 3, Commissioner Chris Dzadovsky District 1, Commissioner Larry Leet District 2, Commissioner Jamie Fowler District 4 Also Present Dan McIntyre, County Attorney George Landry, County Administrator Mayte Santamaria, Deputy County Administrator Jason Davis, Deputy County Administrator Barbara Guettler, MSBU Coordinator Benjamin Balcer, Planning & Development Services Director Joyania Hawthorne, Parks, Recreation & Facilities Deputy Director Charlotte Bireley, Tourism & Marketing Director Matt Baum, Parks, Recreation & Facilities Director Katrina Slay, Agenda Coordinator Vera Smith, Deputy Clerk Recording Secretary 2. GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT Chair Fowler opened the meeting for public comment at this time. With no one wishing to address the Board, Chair Fowler closed public comment. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made to approve all minute sets, and it passed unanimously. RESULT: APPROVE MOVER: Commissioner District 1 Chris Dzadovsky SECONDER: Commissioner District 3 Linda Bartz AYES: Cathy Townsend, Linda Bartz, Chris Dzadovsky, Larry Leet, Jamie Fowler NAYS: None EXCUSED: None A. Board of County Commissioners minutes for the Sustainability District Meeting of February 20, Page 4 of 13 Sustainability District Meeting Tuesday, May 21, 2024 9:01 AM 2 | Page 2024. 4. CONSENT AGENDA There were no items scheduled. 5. REGULAR AGENDA There were no items scheduled. 6. MOTION TO ADJOURN With no other information to be brought for consideration before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 9:04 AM. Please note: Final minutes are recorded in the official minute books filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and available for inspection upon request. Page 5 of 13 4.A.1. 2024-2491 DATE: 8/27/2024 AGENDA REQUEST TO: Sustainability District PRESENTED BY: Barbara Guettler, MSBU Coordinator SUBMITTED BY: Public Works SUBJECT: Energy Special Assessment District (SAD) Annual Assessment Resolution BACKGROUND: In 2010, the St. Lucie County Board of Commissioners created the Sustainability District (“the District”) for purposes of accomplishing energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through a Special Assessment District (“SAD”). Property owner participation in the Energy SAD is completely voluntary. In 2012, the District designated the Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County, Inc. (“SELF”) as the program administrator for the District’s Energy Financing Program. The attached 2024 Energy SAD Annual Assessment Resolution includes 76 parcels. The proposed assessment amount per parcel ranges from $4,712.38 to $57,438.89 and will be financed for five (5) to twenty (20) years at an interest rate ranging from 5.61% to 9.25%. The proposed annual assessment amount per parcel ranges from $627.41 to $8,244.89 . PREVIOUS ACTION: October 17, 2023 - The Sustainability District Board approved Resolution No. 2023-193, Notice of Intent to levy, and collect non-ad valorem special assessments in 2023 for the Energy SAD. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The revenue generated by the collection of special assessments for the Energy SAD will be utilized to repay the loan obtained to fund the improvements. Funds will be deposited into the Energy SAD Fund (191-4115- 325100-4920). RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends Board adoption of the attached resolution and authorization for the Chair to sign documents as approved by the County Attorney. COMMISSION ACTION: RESULT: MOVER: None Page 6 of 13 SECONDER: None AYES: None NAYS: None EXCUSED: None Coordination/Signatures Date: August 09, 2024 Patrick Dayan, Public Works Director Date: August 09, 2024 Daniel McIntyre, County Attorney Date: August 12, 2024 Mayte Santamaria, Deputy County Administrator Page 7 of 13 1 RESOLUTION NO. 24-151 A RESOLUTION OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT APPROVING THE DISTRICT'S FISCAL YEAR 2024-25 NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT ROLL; DIRECTING CERTIFICATION OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLL TO THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. AUTHORITY. This Resolution of the St. Lucie County Sustainability District (the "District") is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Article VI of Chapter 40 of the Code of Ordinances (the "Ordinance") of St. Lucie County, Florida (the "County"), Chapter 189, Florida Statutes, Sections 163.08 and 197.3632, Florida Statutes, and other applicable provisions of law (collectively, the "Act"). SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS.Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Ordinance or the Act. SECTION 3. FINDINGS.It is hereby ascertained, determined and declared as follows: (A) The County enacted the Ordinance in order to create the District and establish the Energy Financing Program which offers qualified owners of real property an opportunity to acquire and finance certain facilities and improvements, including energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability improvements, as authorized by the Act (the "Qualifying Improvements"). (B) The District is authorized by the Act and the Ordinance to impose special assessments, sometimes referred to as non-ad valorem assessments, upon real property within the District to provide for the funding of Qualifying Improvements. (C) The special assessments are imposed by the District pursuant to financing agreements entered into with the owners of real property who voluntarily apply for, and who are approved for, the financing of Qualifying Improvements (the "Financing Agreements"). (D) Such Financing Agreements provide for, among other things, repayment of the costs associated with Qualifying Improvements through special assessments imposed Page 8 of 13 2 by the District upon the real property benefitted by the improvements, and collection of the assessments in annual installments pursuant to the uniform method of collecting non- ad valorem assessments set forth in Section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. (E) The District's execution of Financing Agreements, imposition of special assessments and collection of same pursuant to the uniform method are expressly authorized by Section 163.08, Florida Statutes. (F) The District adopted Resolution No. 2023-193 on October 17, 2023, expressing the District's intent to use the uniform method for collecting the non-ad valorem assessments levied within the District, commencing in November, 2024. (G) The Governing Board of the District wishes to hereby approve and certify the District's non-ad valorem assessment roll for fiscal year 2024-25 and to direct certification of such roll to the Tax Collector for collection of the special assessments in November, 2024. (H) The Assessments are imposed by the District, not the Property Appraiser or Tax Collector. Any activity of the Property Appraiser or Tax Collector under the provisions of this Resolution shall be construed solely as ministerial. SECTION 4. APPROVAL AND CERTIFICATION OF ASSESSMENT ROLL. (A) The District's non-ad valorem assessment roll for fiscal year 2024-25 lists all of the properties subject to special assessments imposed by the District pursuant to Financing Agreements, and the amount of the annual installment to be collected from each for such fiscal year. Such non-ad valorem assessment roll, a copy of which is on file with the County Engineering Department and incorporated herein by reference, is hereby confirmed and approved. (B) The County's MSBU Coordinator is hereby authorized and directed to certify the foregoing assessment roll to the Tax Collector by September 15, 2024. The assessment roll as delivered to the Tax Collector shall be accompanied by a Certificate to Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll in substantially the form attached hereto as Appendix A. SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY.If any clause, section, or other part of this resolution shall be held by any court of competent jurisdiction unconstitutional or invalid, such unconstitutional or invalid part shall be considered as eliminated and in no way affects the validity of the other provisions in this resolution. Page 9 of 13 3 SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its passage and adoption. Passed and adopted by the St. Lucie County Sustainability District at a regular meeting duly called this 27th day of August, 2024. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT By: Chair ATTEST: Approved as to Form: Deputy Clerk County Attorney Page 10 of 13 APPENDIX A FORM OF CERTIFICATE TO NON-AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT ROLL I HEREBY CERTIFY that I am the St. Lucie County MSBU Coordinator and authorized agent of the St. Lucie County Sustainability District (the "District") located in St. Lucie County, Florida; as such I have satisfied myself that all property included or includable on the non-ad valorem assessment roll for the District (the "Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll") is properly assessed so far as I have been able to ascertain; and that all required extensions on the above described roll to show the non-ad valorem assessments attributable to the property listed therein have been made pursuant to law. I FURTHER CERTIFY that, in accordance with the Uniform Assessment Collection Act, this certificate and the herein described Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll will be delivered to the St. Lucie County Tax Collector by September 15, 2024. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have subscribed this certificate and directed the same to be delivered to the St. Lucie County Tax Collector and made part of the above described Non-Ad Valorem Assessment Roll this 27th day of August 2024. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SUSTAINABILITY DISTRICT By: ________________________________ Barbara Guettler, MSBU Coordinator Page 11 of 13 4.A.2. 2024-2506 CONSENT AGENDA - PUBLIC WORKS AGENDA REQUEST DATE: 8/27/2024 *ACTION ITEM - PERMISSION TO ADVERTISE QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEM? No TO: Board of County Commissioners PRESENTED BY: Barbara Guettler, MSBU Coordinator SUBMITTED BY: Public Works SUBJECT: Special Assessment Notice of Intent - Permission to Advertise Public Hearing BACKGROUND: One of the funding methods available for energy conservation and renewable energy improvements is through non-ad valorem special assessments levied on specially-benefited properties within the proposed special assessment district and collected using the uniform method pursuant to Section 197.3632, Florida Statutes. In order to preserve this collection option, it is necessary for the Board to adopt a resolution expressing its intent to use the uniform method commencing in November, 2025. The resolution must be considered at a duly advertised public hearing held prior to January 1, 2025. The resolution, which will be provided before the public hearing, does not in any way obligate the County to levy the special assessments; rather, it simply preserves the County’s option to use the uniform method of collection if special assessments are levied. PREVIOUS ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: Sufficient funding is available from the advertising account within the Transportation Trust Interlocals Fund (101001-4115-549000-410000). RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends Board's permission to advertise a public hearing to consider use of the uniform method of collecting special assessments to be held at the Board’s regular day meeting on October 15, 2024. COMMISSION ACTION: RESULT: MOVER: None Page 12 of 13 SECONDER: None AYES: None NAYS: None EXCUSED: None Coordination/Signatures Date: August 09, 2024 Patrick Dayan, Public Works Director Date: August 09, 2024 Daniel McIntyre, County Attorney Date: August 12, 2024 Mayte Santamaria, Deputy County Administrator Page 13 of 13