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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBudget Workshop Minutes 07-07-2006BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA BUDGET WORKSESSION Date: July 7, 2006 Convened: 9:00 a.m. Tape: 1-4 Adjourned: 4:50 p.m. Commissioners Present: Chairman, Doug Coward, Chris Craft, Paula A. Lewis, Frannie Hutchinson, Joseph Smith Others Present: Doug Anderson, County Administrator, Marie Gouin, Director of Management and Budget, Millie Delgado-Feliciano, Deputy Clerk Tape 1 The County Administrator reviewed the adjustments made to the budget and outstanding issues to be reviewed on Monday, July 10, 2006. PORT This budget reflects a 9.4% decrease. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. PORT CAPITAL The County Administrator advised the Board the County had received $900,000 FSTED Grant for Taylor Creek Improvements. UTILITIES This budget reflects a 4% increase. Employees remain the same. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. 211 HELP LINE This agency is requesting $17,500 in funding. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. ARC OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY This budget reflects a 16% increase. This agency was requesting $97,426.00 Staff is recommending $62,838.00 be allocated. The representatives stated they wished the increase to provide more services for the children with disabilities and transportation. The revised request was $98,926. The Community Services Director suggested a $10,000 increase. It was the consensus of the Board to provide an additional $10,000 bringing the allocation to $72,838. HEALTHY START This agency is requesting $57,600.00 this is the same amount as last year. Staff recommends this request be approved. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. NEW HORIZONS This budget reflects a 10% increase. This agency is requesting $748,452.00 this fiscal year. Staff is recommending $680,411.00. Com. Craft stated he was attempting to balance the scale the previous day when he requested the reduction in the Sheriff s budget . He is supportive of the increase but he is not sure once they review the pending issues on Monday if they will have any money left. Com. Coward stated they are supporting various programs, they have recently allocated $500,000 for the beds to assist in the jail overcrowding issue, also implemented the mental health court staff. He is having a difficult time increasing the amount beyond what it already has which he believes is about 75%. Com. Lewis stated she too is looking at fact that the figures being shown are not the only money going to this particular agency. She too feel there is more there than is shown. Com. Hutchinson stated she concurs with Com. Lewis and felt there are programs which may overlap. Com. Smith stated he believes in making sure we have adequate funding for the mental health system we need to know the trains are all running on time. He sees a 10% increase in addition to what they have done as a step in the right direction. It was the consensus of the majority of the Board 3/2 to bring this issue back for discussion on Monday. The Community Services Director asked the New Horizons representative to provide a breakdown of what the 10% would mean in loss of service before Monday. Com. Hutchinson requested information on grants available. Com. Smith requested information showing the benefit versus the cost. COUNCIL ON AGING This budget reflects a 12.5% increase or $195,976. Staff is recommending this increase. ** It was the consensus of the Board to approve this requested budget. COUNSELING & RECOVERY CENTER- New Program This agency is requesting $156,120. which is a local county match. Staff is recommending not funding this agency due to the Board's new policy. Com. Smith requested reviewing the policy the Board initiated in the past not to fund outside agencies. 2 Com. Coward stated he was very comfortable in the position they are in at this time and does not wish to change it. The County Administrator requested the County Attorney provide an opinion of the statute. Tape 2 HEALTH DEPARTMENT This budget reflects a 9.7% increase. They have proposed hiring another school nurse and hope to meet the state average of 1 nurse per 3,000 students within the next 6 years. Dr. Judi Miller stated she would speak with the Superintendent of Schools to see about assisting in the funding of the school nurses. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this funding with the understanding they would hire 2 school nurses. SHARED SERVICES NETWORK/EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE Staff is recommending this agency be allocated $48,000. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve the allocation. TREASURE COAST HOMELESS SERVICES COUNCIL This agency requested a funding of $27,500. Staff recommended funding this agency at $25,000. The additional funding is to expand services. ** It was the consensus of the Board to approve the agency's request at $27,500. WEED AND SEED This agency requested $95,000 in funding. Staff is recommending $85,000. The representatives for Weed and Seed advised the Board they are request the funding remain at $85,000. as last year. ** It was the consensus of the Board to approve the $85,000. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Staff is recommending funding this agency at $100,000. Com. Coward stated he would propose an additional $100,000 challenge grant on a matching basis with developers. Staff was directed to send a letter to the cities to advise them of the challenge grant. The Council requested the Board consider a 2 year commitment for services next year if they are able to match the $100,000. this year and the $200,000 be available next year. ice. ..~~ .~~ Com. Craft stated he would like to see how the County is financially next year before agreeing to a 2 year contract for the additional $100,000. The Economic Development Council stated they would come back next year to agree on the number in the second year and must sustain the private sector also for the second year. They will be challenging the private sector to step up. It has to be sustained funding. SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION This budget reflects a 2.9% decrease. However, they are recommending an increase over what they requested. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. PUBLIC SAFETY Animal Control This budget reflects a 6.9% increase due to salaries. 911 This budget reflects an 18.4% increase. They are requesting 3 new positions. Emergency Management This budget reflects an 11.8% decrease. This is due to receiving state grants. Marine Safety This budget reflects a 13.6% increase. This department requested one additional lifeguard to cover the South Beach Jetty area at a cost of $55,170. Staff is not recommending this position be approved. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve the additional lifeguard position requested. Radiological Planning This area is funded by Florida Power and Light and has increased 3.0%. Capital $2.5 million for the special needs shelter provided by the state and $1.8 will be provided by the County. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve these budgets. COMMUNITY SERVICES This budget reflects a 3.1 % decrease. This department requested the re-instatement of the Transit Managers position and this position is grant funded. It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. Capital - all roll over funds. 4 VETERANS SERVICES This budget reflects an 11 % increase. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. LIBRARY This budget reflects a 6.3% increase * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. COUNTY EXTENSION This budget reflects a 16.6% decrease. Staff advised the Board they are sharing the funding with other counties for a landscape agent. The mileage allotment has increased by 50% or $18,000.00. They just received a quote for design and permit of the parking lot. They need an additional $15,000 for the parking lot construction. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. GROWTH MANAGEMENT Administration This budget reflects a 38.2% decrease. This area of Growth Management is requesting one position of a Planning Manager with certain expertise to assist the Growth Management Director. The funding will be from revenues not related to the TVC. Planning This budget reflects a 5.3% decrease. This area is requesting 4 positions, 3 of which will be contingent on TVC revenues from the developers. Planning Manager for TVC Senior Planner for TVC Planning Technician for the TVC Senior Planner for current planning $200,000 for outside professional services for the TVC implementation (this is being phased in). The County Administrator advised the Board he added $50,000 to the Greenways and Trails Master Plan. Com. Craft recommended adding more to the Urban Design Studio. The County Administrator stated he would add $50,000 to neighborhood planning as a draw down making it $110,000 (funds from reserves). Com. Smith suggested keeping the $50,000 in reserves. The Board concurred. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. Economic Development/Tourism This budget reflects a 4.1 % decrease. They will not be funding the Economic Development Coordinator's position. They are holding staff at the existing level. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. MPO This has been set up as a separate division. The total cost of this division is $ 765,912.00 currently with a staffing of 5. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. STRATEGY & SPECIAL PROJECTS This budget reflects a decrease of 4.3%. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. CULTURAL AFFAIRS This budget reflects a decrease of 6.2%. The County Administrator stated he had added $2,490.00 for an artist to create a sculpture. Also $1,570 was added for communications through I.T. $25,000 was added in the budget for a cultural strategic plan and survey for the county. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. MUSEUM This budget reflects an increase of 2.6%. The County Administrator advised the Board he had cut the canopy and 3 mannequins. Com. Craft supported placing the canopy back in the budget for a cost of $10,000. The Board concurred on allocating $10,000 for the canopy. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve the budget. UDT Seal Museum The County continues to pay the utilities and contribute. Post Office Museum- Com. Coward stated this may be a tourist development project and the new bed tax monies should be utilized possibly what is left over. The figures will be brought back on Monday by the Management and Budget Diirector. 6 Marine Center This budget reflects a 12% increase. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. Capital - no new money, an innovative recycling grant is being carried forward. MOSQUITO CONTROL This budget reflects a 2.3% decrease with the millage rate decreasing 26%. * * It was the consensus of the Board to approve this budget. PUBLIC COMMENTS Mr. McIntosh, area resident, addressed the Board on behalf of Nettles Island requested the Board consider lowering the millage by 1 mil what the Board is proposing he felt was not sufficient. Com. Coward advised Mr. McIntosh they will have some very difficult decisions to make on Monday and there still is an opportunity to reduce the millage further, however he does not see it being lowered by 1 mil. Com. Craft stated the county is in a better position this year to be able to get caught up from the previous years. It is the responsibility of the Board not to lower the millage to a point where next year they will find themselves in some difficulty due to lower values. The meeting was adjourned. 7