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Home My WebLink About2006 CONCERNED CITIZENS AND OFFIC LS \f September 7,2006 "Jf\ l\) lliL;\; ;~lflln C<'" A[H' --- CORE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT: The monthly figures for community service hours worked provided by CORE are listed below. 9/06 8/06 7/06 6/06 5/06 4/06 2/06 1/06 -------- Ft Pierce Public Works 20 110 30 42 30 0 50 0 Ft. Pierce Police Dept. 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 63 Treasure Coast Food Bank 210 118 150 199 334 459 334 238 St. Lucie County Leisure Dept. 509 180 162 293 150 272 177 50 PSL Parks Dept. 50 52 190 101 161 126 487 370 PSL Public Works 106 4 0 56 0 50 50 0 PSL Police Dept. 6 0 0 24 50 0 0 0 St. Lucie County Schools 40 163 277 50 0 0 0 0 Salvation Army 26 266 0 0 28 50 0 20 Mustard Seed Thrift Shop 445 240 0 355 221 279 95 40 Goodwill Industries 74 400 150 360 220 405 605 391 Miscellaneous Agencies 2.447 4.024 3.180 2.588 3.300 2.926 2.628 1.894 3,933 5,557 4,139 4,068 4,494 4,426 4,547 3,116 Miscellaneous Agencies include ARC, Boys & Girls Club, and religious affiliations. The workers are given the option of where they want to work their community service hours. A full time Coordinator for the Circuit is working with the community service sites. COMMUNITY SERVICE TO FINES (PAID OUT): Sept. 2006 $4,000.00 $ 500.00 $ 700.00 $1.500.00 $6,700.00 St. Lucie Sheriff's Office Port St. Lucie Police Dept. Florida Highway Patrol Fort Pierce Police Dept. Total CORE will be participating in Misdemeanor Drug Court on October 9. REFERENDUM #9: Doug Anderson, SLC Administrator, introduced Larry Pelton of the Economic Development Council to discuss St. Lucie County Referendum #9 which will appear on the November 7 ballot as follows: "Shall the St. Lucie County Research and Education Authority be authorized and created by special act of the Legislature with authority to collect a research and educational facilities benefit assessment on real property transfers in St Lucie County to finance research and education facilities?" This real estate transfer fee would generate approximately $5 Million per year. An independent Board would be set up to administer the funds. This fee would be collected only when a real estate sale occurs. The Board of Realtors, Treasure Coast Builders Association, and Chamber of Commerce all support this referendum. The county and city worked together on this important project. An effective team was formed and worked very hard to make this happen. This referendum will allow us to attract and keep companies and other institutes and speed up our efforts to grow the cluster. It is anticipated that the St. Lucie County Referendum #9 will: · Provide job opportunities for graduating students · Increase St. Lucie county's median salary · Support clean industry · Expand existing research programs · Diversify the economic base for St. Lucie County · Attract high tech business · Enhance education opportunities for everyone ST. LUCIE COUNTY: While construction continues downtown, parking continues to be a problem. Every Monday between 130-150 people are called for jury duty and 60-100 people on Tuesday and all need parking. Bids were too high for adding two more floors onto the existing parking garage. Are working with the Episcopal Church and have rented Willie Gary's property to help with the parking problem. The Renaissance building will provide parking for their businesses and property owners but no public parking will be available. The City's parking garage will be built by the City Hall. COURT ISSUES: The new Clerk of the Courts building is underway and should be completed October 2007. 65-70 people are now going through Mental Health Court. Misdemeanor Drug Court is starting. Collection Court has started. About $30,000 has been collected so far. Approximately $50,000- $60,000 per month is anticipated. A part time judge will start in January to work in Felony to help alleviate jail overcrowding issues. With Judge Bauer in Okeechobee working here part of the month for Felony cases, there will be 3.5 judges working Felony. Judge Connor will handle the major crimes docket. This should help move people through the court system. A new judgeship was created by the Florida legislature and will be filled by either Bob Pegg or Laurie Ehlers depending on the election results. We have 19 circuit judges now and could use 2 more. The position description is being written for the Case Manager position working with Circuit Felony judges. The position will be advertised and interviews scheduled. FORT PIERCE POLICE DEPT.: A Memo of Intent has been signed between Port St. Lucie Police Dept., SLC Sherifl's Office, and Fort Pierce Police Dept. to share gangs intelligence information. (, '. ·t)CC:C Wvco.} 1\. ~nM. Saini .::iucie Count'! eoncern.~J CiJizeru Co,.,."mi!te(l March 16, 2006 Dear Member of the Clergy, For the past three years, the Conœmed CItizens committee of St. Lucie County has been attempting to address the c:onctmS of Fort Pierce Utilities AuthorIty custDmers, who are adveriely effected by "Q t. I j /)/J" inexplicably high, and Wildly nuctuatlng, utility bills. We have received r.Ju J r.ce fO" fit l hundreds of reports and documentation of these bIDs, which reflect: charges that sometimes exceed monthly mcrtgage or rental payments. 'QuJing ,;nr,,¡£.r~ I. J¿u!u.J .Alf/~(I."JfÞ", Comm. Cit, 01 :J."rl Pll'w, 2. J.ll"1 0..11 3. ß/,."ct, [,.¿.! 4. møx¡", ç;.,," 5. leI/v. JIlh.'IIIZrI .)Jill" 6. JU/1I6 .J.I1I,wilz 7. R"". Wzll." j(¡u 8. JIIfI PloWQh¡ 9. tIft/if ¡¿II, to'd FPUA customers are largety unable to dispute or protest their bills in an organized manner. This Is due In pelrt tx) the struc::ture and charter of FPUA, which defines the relationship of the UtlIIly SOard to the Citv Commission. As a municipally own«l and managed entity, the FPAU is unregulated by the Public Service Commission. The Cooœmed CitizenS committee has, on many occasions, attempted to appeal to our elected officials, and the utility board Itself, for expIanatla1 and Investigation Inm this matter. Some of the clervv have been there WIth us at: these meetings. The Concerned CItIzens COmmittee realizes that our local ministerS are well aware of the hardships experienced by their parishÎC)I'Ø'S. We all know d situations where even elderly and disabled individuals have received devastatingty high bills followed by dl$CX)Onectlon of service when InstJtutlons such as churches or Mustard Seed are unable to help. The eoncerned Otizens CómmJttee of St. Lucie County is writing to request that you, as a Minister whOSe parishioners are tust:cmers of Ft. Pierce UtIlitIeS Authority I be at the forefront In addressing this Issue. We are calling on all our ministers to join 1.1& In numbers on Wednesday, Aptl112, 2006 et 1:00 PM in the Ft PIerce aty Hall engineering c:onr.enœ Rccm. The purpose of this meeting 15 to engage the /eeder$hip of our d1urthes in the eITort to represent the OJsÞner! or FPUA. ~-~ r::~--~ ínì f2 11\ \V~ IS Q ,r,:\. ' ".n Ie, .\ \'1 ;:' \ D \", ii", \ \ D) I ,j ~" --'·-1: \1 \ \ù..·' '; riM'''' 6 ,. ./\ ~, \~ \ !I ',~ I ,...,.." \ I,· " -Ì \, L-------- -- \ \, rC, .',':" '....--- ned atize~ Committee ~,¡,"..,;1n.ti... y...... ~.'r07 ç,,,1t ;b..l,"" Sirul :1..., P,....., '111.'1./. 3"951 7~-46Ó.7425v..i" &"'-' to".,/J/ç@BrIlS.../~. .,ø' ~~t-L 991> ZLL N33~~ 3NIX~W Wd 6~:Z0 900Z-90-~d~ -'If. CONCERNED CITIZENS AND OFFICIAL~ )., ) February 2, 2006 , V V CORE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT: 1; J(, The monthly figures for community service hours worked provided by CORE are listed below. 1/06 12/05 11/05 10/05 9/05 8/05 7/05 6/05 5/05 Ft Pierce Public Works 0 166 0 0 50 0 0 0 50 Ft. Pierce Police Dept. 63 0 0 50 43 0 0 0 165 Treasure Coast Food Bank 238 690 439 410 165 290 607 302 364 St. Lucie County Leisure Dept. 50 0 0 204 530 341 50 398 230 PSL Parks Dept. 370 332 608 231 522 516 462 609 972 PSL Public Works 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 100 PSL Police Dept. 0 0 25 0 24 111 40 0 50 St. Lucie County Schools 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 Salvation Army 20 49 50 70 0 40 4 50 121 Mustard Seed Thrift Shop 40 100 232 1,194 70 20 61 103 0 Goodwill Industries 391 525 281 249 339 646 533 614 749 Miscellaneous Agencies 1.894 2.949 2.033 1.509 1.883 2.778 1.849 2.074 3.058 3,116 4,811 3,668 3,917 3,626 4,742 3,656 4,205 4,925 COMMUNITY SERVICE TO FINES (PAID OUT): St. Lucie Sheriff's Office Port St. Lucie Police Dept, Florida Highway Patrol Fort Pierce Police Dept. St. Lucie County Incarceration Fee Jan. 2006 $1,500.00 $4,750.00 $-0- $1,400.00 $ -0- Miscellaneous Agencies include ARC, Boys & Girls Club, and religious affiliations. The workers are given the option of where they want to work their community service hours. The Goodwill agency is now requiring that CORE works through their West Palm Beach office and fill out lengthy paperwork about the probationers. They are trying to work it out but might have to pull them as a provider for community service. St. Lucie county is working on a mowing contract to utilize convicts. There has been a decrease in monies for community services money converted to fines. Some judges prefer that the community service hours be performed. PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL: Mark Godwin, Criminal Justice Coordinator, reported that the Juvenil fully operational on Bell Avenue located next to the detention center. Ins previously took per juvenile arrest at the jail, the law enforcement 0 paperwork in 15 minutes. This enables the law enforcement officers to with an estimated cost savings of $1 Million per year, The Assessme is..- t~ 2~ Golfs Ii fñì :fŸ ;;.~; l.U.J nter will provIde CO. ADMIN. OFFICE security, booking, screening, and case management services, etc" right at the Juvenile Assessment Center with services provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. In January the number of juveniles brought to the Assessment Center by SLC Sheriffs Office was 102, Fort Pierce Police Dept. 52, and PSL Police Dept. 51. A listing of inmates who have been in jail the longest indicates inmate booking dates of two in 2002, sixteen in 2003, and 5 in 2004. The write up for the 19th Circuit Mental Health Court was also discussed. The concept paper will be sent to the Bureau of Justice Administration to apply for a grant to bring a Mental Health Court to our community. The Mental Health Court will help with jail population mental health problems. This will provide an opportunity for a judge to be over that individual to be sure they comply with management of their situations. Jason Berger of the State Attorneys office, Public Defenders Office, and New Horizons were instrumental in the project. Sandy Stecko, who owns the company that runs the GPS tracking program, was introduced to the group. She reported that the GPS tracking program has been in place for 2 weeks and there are currently 6 defendants in the program. There have been no violations so far. The people in the program have only been charged, They have not yet been convicted. Pre-trial programs will eventually be rolled out. The interlocal agreement for information sharing with agencies was discussed. School principals are notified within 24 hours if a juvenile is arrested, Information is shared with the School Resource Officers and other entities that impact the child. The value of sharing information should help identify trends, etc. Information sharing is also in place for gang activity. An IT Analyst will be hired for data integration in April. SLC SCHOOL BOARD: The number of cases for expulsion hearings is staying steady. The number of violence cases is small. School property seems to be mostly neutral territory, The makeup of the schools will be different next year with the new zones. Resources need to be in the proper places. ST, LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: A graph was distributed showing average daily jail inmate population by year. In 2000 the average daily population was 815, There has been a steady upward trend with average January 2006 population at 1,304. This month it is up to 1,324 and today's count is 1,334. There are 1,055 beds. Adam Fetterman was introduced to the group. Adam is the new attorney for the Sheriff's Department. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TREASURE COAST: Many careers that are in demand on the Treasure Coast only require a certificate, degree, or diploma from a vocational or technical school that will train you for a specific career, trade, or profession, Students take career-focused, hands-on classes where they immediately apply the .- CONCERNED CrnzENSAND OFmCßLS January 5, 2006 CORE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT: The monthly figures for community service hours worked provided by CORE are listed below. 12/05 11/05 10/05 9/05 8/05 7/05 6/05 5/05 4/05 Ft Pierce Public Works 166 0 0 50 0 0 0 50 0 Ft. Pierce Police Dept. 0 0 50 43 0 0 0 165 72 Treasure Coast Food Bank 690 439 410 165 290 607 302 364 426 St. Lucie County Leisure Dept. 0 0 204 530 341 50 398 230 50 PSL Parks Dept. 332 608 231 522 516 462 609 972 658 PSL Public Works 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 100 143 PSL Police Dept. 0 25 0 24 111 40 0 50 0 St. Lucie County Schools 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 327 Salvation Army 49 50 70 0 40 4 50 121 84 Mustard Seed Thrift Shop 100 232 1,194 70 20 61 103 0 0 Gøodwill Industries 525 281 249 339 646 533 614 749 489 Miscellaneous Agencies 2.949 2.033 1.509 1.883 2.778 1.849 2.074 3.058 2.922 4,811 3,668 3,917 3,626 4,742 3,656 4,205 4,925 3,389 COMMUNITY SERVICE TO FINES (PAID OUT): St. Lucie Sheriff's Office Port St. Lucie Police Dept. Florida Highway Patrol Fort Pierce Police Dept. St. Lucie County Incarceration Fee Dee. 2005 $2,157.50 $3,180.00 $-0- $2,200.00 $ -0- Miscellaneous Agencies include ARC, Boys & Girls Club, and religious affiliations. The workers are given the option of where they want to work their community service hours. PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL: Mark Godwin, Criminal Justice Coordinator, reported that the GPS tracking of inmate process is being finalized and should begin Monday. The communication lines should be in by the end of this month for data exchange for the point to point network from the jail to the State Attorney's office to the Clerk of the Court's office. Information will be sent electronically in digital format. A mental health court meeting is scheduled to be held on January 23 to discuss the development of a program for those that would qualify to keep them from being recycled through the jails. As of 2 weeks ago 82 cases came through the Rocket Docket program to process VOP (violation of probation) cases faster. The case management project is being worked on and will be tracked through the entire system for felonies and misdemeanors as the cases progress through the system. JAN 214 .- In 25 years the area population is anticipated to be approximately 532,000. At 5.66% the number of incarcerations would be over 3,000. A pre-trail program is being developed which would take approximately 20°,/0 out of the jails. Individuals would be monitored and referrals made to appropriate drug and alcohol programs. Statistical models would be used. The models indicate there is a savings in having them out of jail (medical issues, the mental health component, etc.). Prordes to determine who is safe to release would be developed and risks would be identified. It was noted that it will always be the judge's decision at First Appearance. Funds for the pre-trial program have been set aside and the program should start this summer. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Jail population today is at 1,304. Average population in December was 1,299. There are 1,055 beds. The new building with 320 beds is not yet funded to operate or to hire staff (requires 26 stafl). The number ofVOP's is up with 428 now in custody. The cost ofVOP's last year was $30 Million. To transport VOP's last month, it cost the St. Lucie county transportation unit $6,000. Jail overcrowding has an impact on both the inmates and the staff and has a rippled effect on the conditions in the facility. In 2005 82 lawsuits from inmates were filed on conditions of confinement. An attorney has to be retained for each lawsuit. There has been no movement on the part of the county to open pod two. Trends usually go down through the Christmas holidays and then go back up afterwards. There were 1,398 inmates during the holidays. The new programs will help with the stabilization but not the increase in population. Currently none of the new programs are in full swing yet. Population continues to grow in the interim. An entirely new facility with kitchen, medical, etc., will be needed in the next few years to accommodate the growth numbers. Port St. Lucie Police Department is looking ahead at growth issues and has been approved to hire 25 recruits. St. Lucie County Sheriff's office asked for 25 deputies, were given none, but were then given 10 grant positions. When building permits are being approved, decisions should be made on that growth for the necessary infrastructure. Services to the public must be accounted for. It was noted that the Committee on Sustainable Growth has been meeting to discuss this issue and is making recommendations. COURT ISSUES: Statewide legislation is needed re the current zero tolerance policy on VOP's. In Circuit Court it is a huge problem. The rocket docket which expires this month was experimental. Some statutory changes are needed to alter the course of zero tolerance violations. Another important issue is the space needs for the court system. Weare out of holding cell capacity. We don't have the capacity to move cases through the system. It may be time to have a Criminal Justice CompleL The property between 911 and the jail that is owned by the county may be a convenient site. Family and Civil could remain at the current location. Once communication lines are in place, the data exchange program will be up and running. This should make a significant difference in how long people stay in jail for minor offenses. Instead of the current 5-7 days, it would take one day. Safeguards will be put in place when releasing individuals. · . .- The new building should start construction next month. This construction will create some parking issues as Indian River Drive is currently closed from Citrus to Orange Avenue and Atlantic Avenue will be closed for the new building construction. A trolley service will be coordinated with the city. Discussions are underway for renovation of the old courthouse. It is hoped that circuit civil and family court will be located in that building which would keep inmates out of that facility for security issues. Two floors are being added to the parking garage. On February 3, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at the County Commission Chambers there will be a joint meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, PSL City Council, and Fort Pierce City Council to discuss the need of additional court space. PORT ST. LUCIE POLICE DEPT.: All 3 law enforcement agencies (pSL, Fort Pierce, and SLCSO) are meeting to discuss the gang problem. It is important to have all agencies communicating to work together. To deal with the growth issues, additional staffing is necessary to do the job adequately. An additional 25 positions have been approved to provide the coverage. NEXT MEETING: The next Concerned Citizens meeting will be held on Thursdav. Februarv. 2. 2006, at 12:00 Noon at the St. Lucie County Courthouse in Fort Pierce. Lunch will be provided. /Is ~~p / :Þ ~~_JJf ~ ~. þ.~ /;h.Þ ,# /.--A /J/~ ~--/~. L:I<\Gfu k*ö u)~~ ~ 0~ (1cì b:¿t d "...-,.~".,....-~..-""". ,'. - ,."". BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS '·''''''f.'Il!l~lrei¡~''····'··<'J cou NTY ì' FLORIDA' Date: January 26, 2006 To: Board of County Commissioners Doug Anderson, County Administrator Mark Godwin, Criminal Justice Coordinator if From: Re: 81. Lucie County Concerned Citizens Meeting CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR Mark J. Godwin ~ \ ,V 1YIJ\ I have attached the January minutes of the "Concerned Citizens and Officials Committee" which reflect some interesting topics that are discussed on a monthly basis. I will continue to forward you each month's minutes for your review. The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 2, 2006, in Courtroom D, ofthe Fort Pierce Courthouse. Cc: Dan McIntyre, County Attorney JOSEPH E. SMITH, District No 1 . DOUG COWARD. District No.2' PAULA A. LEWIS, District No.3' FRANNIE HUTCHINSON. District No.4' CHRIS CRAFT, District No.5 County Administrator - Douglas M. Anderson 2300 Virginia Avenue . 3rd Flaor Admin. Annex · Fort Pierce, FL 34982-5652 · Phone (772) 462-1441 FAX (772) 462-1440 · TDD (772) 462-1428 r-· -~- ,. --."'':::: -, ''" . . , . I' CONCERNED CITIZENS AND OFFICIALS 'JAN. 2 4 IOor January 5, 2006 .._- CORE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT: The monthly figures for community service hours worked provided by CORE are listed below. 12/05 11/05 10/05 9/05 8/05 7/05 6/05 5/05 4/05 Ft Pierce Public Works 166 0 0 50 0 0 0 50 0 Ft. Pierce Police Dept. 0 0 50 43 0 0 0 165 72 Treasure Coast Food Bank 690 439 410 165 290 607 302 364 426 St. Lucie County Leisure Dept. 0 0 204 530 341 50 398 230 50 PSL Parks Dept. 332 608 231 522 516 462 609 972 658 PSL Public Works 0 0 0 0 0 0 55 100 143 PSL Police Dept. 0 25 0 24 111 40 0 50 0 St. Lucie County Schools 0 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 327 Salvation Army 49 50 70 0 40 4 50 121 84 Mustard Seed Thrift Shop 100 232 1,194 70 20 61 103 0 0 Goodwill Industries 525 281 249 339 646 533 614 749 489 Miscellaneous Agencies 2.949 2.033 1.509 1.883 2.778 1.849 2.074 3.058 2.922 4,811 3,668 3,917 3,626 4,742 3,656 4,205 4,925 3,389 COMMUNITY SERVICE TO FINES (pAID OUT): Dec. 2005 St. Lucie Sheriff's Office $2,157.50 Port St. Lucie Police Dept. $3,180.00 Florida Highway Patrol $-0- Fort Pierce Police Dept. $2,200.00 St. Lucie County Incarceration Fee $ -0- Miscellaneous Agencies include ARC, Boys & Girls Club, and religious affiliations, The workers are given the option of where they want to work their community service hours. PUBLIC SAFETY COUNCIL: Mark Godwin, Criminal Justice Coordinator, reported that the GPS tracking of inmate process is being finalized and should begin Monday. The communication lines should be in by the end of this month for data exchange for the point to point network from the jail to the State Attorney's office to the Clerk of the Court's office. Information will be sent electronically in digital format. A mental health court meeting is scheduled to be held on January 23 to discuss the development of a program for those that would qualify to keep them from being recycled through the jails. As of 2 weeks ago 82 cases came through the Rocket Docket program to process VOP (violation of probation) cases faster. The case management project is being worked on and will be tracked through the entire system for felonies and misdemeanors as the cases progress through the system. In 25 years the area population is anticipated to be approximately 532,000. At 5.66% the number of incarcerations would be over 3,000. A pre-trail program is being developed which would take approximately 20% out of the jails. Individuals would be monitored and referrals made to appropriate drug and alcohol programs. Statistical models would be used. The models indicate there is a savings in having them out of jail (medical issues, the mental health component, etc.). Profiles to determine who is safe to release would be developed and risks would be identified. It was noted that it will always be the judge's decision at First Appearance. Funds for the pre-trial program have been set aside and the program should start this summer. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Jail population today is at 1,304. Average population in December was 1,299. There are 1,055 beds. The new building with 320 beds is not yet funded to operate or to hire staff (requires 26 staff). The number ofVOP's is up with 428 now in custody. The cost ofVOP's last year was $30 Million. To transport VOP's last month, it cost the St. Lucie county transportation unit $6,000. Jail overcrowding has an impact on both the inmates and the staff and has a rippled effect on the conditions in the facility. In 2005 82 lawsuits from inmates were filed on conditions of confinement. An attorney has to be retained for each lawsuit. There has been no movement on the part of the county to open pod two. Trends usually go down through the Christmas holidays and then go back up afterwards. There were 1,398 inmates during the holidays. The new programs will help with the stabilization but not the increase in population. Currently none of the new programs are in full swing yet. Population continues to grow in the interim. An entirely new facility with kitchen, medical, etc., will be needed in the next few years to accommodate the growth numbers. Port St. Lucie Police Department is looking ahead at growth issues and has been approved to hire 25 recruits. St. Lucie County Sheriff's office asked for 25 deputies, were given none, but were then given 10 grant positions. When building permits are being approved, decisions should be made on that growth for the necessary infrastructure. Services to the public must be accounted for. It was noted that the Committee on Sustainable Growth has been meeting to discuss this issue and is making recommendations. COURT ISSUES: Statewide legislation is needed re the current zero tolerance policy on VOP's. In Circuit Court it is a huge problem. The rocket docket which expires this month was experimental. Some statutory changes are needed to àlter the course of zero tolerance violations. Another important issue is the space needs for the court system, Weare out of holding ceO capacity. We don't have the capacity to move cases through the system. It may be time to have a Criminal Justice Complex. - The property between 911 and the jail that is owned by the county may be a convenient site. Family and Civil could remain at the current location. Once communication lines are in place, the data exchange program will be up and running. This should make a significant difference in how long people stay in jail for minor offenses. Instead of the current 5-7 days, it would take one day. Safeguards will be put in place when releasing individuals. The new building should start construction next month. This construction will create some parking issues as Indian River Drive is currently closed from Citrus to Orange Avenue and Atlantic Avenue will be closed for the new building construction. A trolley service will be coordinated with the city. Discussions are underway for renovation of the old courthouse. It is hoped that circuit civil and family court will be located in that building which would keep inmates out of that facility for security issues. Two floors are being added to the parking garage. On February 3, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at the County Commission Chambers there will be a joint meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, PSL City Council, and Fort Pierce City Council to discuss the need of additional court space. PORT ST. LUCIE POLICE DEPT.: All 3 law enforcement agencies (PSL, Fort Pierce, and SLCSO) are meeting to discuss the gang problem. It is important to have all agencies communicating to work together. To deal with the growth issues, additional staffing is necessary to do the job adequately. An additional 25 positions have been approved to provide the coverage. NEXT MEETING: The next Concerned Citizens meeting will be held on Thursdav. February. 2. 2006, at 12:00 Noon at the St. Lucie County Courthouse in Fort Pierce. Lunch will be provided. /Is CONCERNED CITIZENS AND OFFICIALS ~~I~V . May 4, 2006 CORE COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT: The monthly figures for community service hours worked provided by CORE are listed below. 4/06 2/06 1/06 12/05 11/05 10/05 9/05 8/05 7/05 Ft Pierce Public Works 0 50 0 166 0 0 50 0 0 Ft. Pierce Police Dept. 30 0 63 0 0 50 43 0 0 Treasure Coast Food Bank 459 334 238 690 439 410 165 290 607 St. Lucie County Leisure Dept. 272 177 50 0 0 204 530 341 50 PSL Parks Dept. 126 487 370 332 608 231 522 516 462 Public Works 0 50 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 PSL Police Dept. 0 0 0 0 25 0 24 111 40 St. Lucie County Schools 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 Salvation Army 50 0 20 49 50 70 0 40 4 Mustard Seed Thrift Shop 279 95 40 100 232 1,194 70 20 61 Goodwill Industries 405 605 391 525 281 249 339 646 533 Miscellaneous Agencies 2,926 2,628 1,894 2,049 2,033 1,509 1,883 2,778 1,849 4,426 4,547 3,116 3,911 3,668 3,917 3,626 4,742 3,656 COMMUNITY SERVICE TO FINES (PAID OUT): St. Lucie Sheriff's Office Port St. Lucie Police Dept. Florida Highway Patrol Fort Pierce Police Dept. St. Lucie County Incarceration Fee Feb. 2006 $1,500.00 $2,400.00 $-0- $ 500.00 $ -0- April 2006 $3,154.50 $3,481.50 $-0- $1,488.64 $-0- Miscellaneous Agencies include ARC, Boys & Girls Club, and religious affiliations. The workers are given the option of where they want to work their community service hours. There has been a decrease in monies for community services money converted to fines. Some judges prefer that the community service hours be performed. ST. LUCIE COUNTY: Doug Anderson, SLC Administrator, reported that our legislative delegation has risen to the occasion for St. Lucie county. They have been in contact almost daily. Should know by Monday if there are any changes to the budget. Currently $6 Million has been funded for a new SLC Emergency Operation Center. The county has $1.7 Million set aside through various funding to outfit the building. FPL will aÌso contribute to the building. 911 and the county key computer operations will be moved there. A Special Needs Shelter will be built at the Lawnwood Complex to hou.se~ºº.~p.edaLneeds people and their caretakers. It will also be a NAA gymnasium and av~~a~e rfprico,mmunity events such as graduations, etc., with seating for 2,000. The second floorWilIõc·Tor-the Parks Dept. offices. $1.8 Million is in the upcoming budget for this. ¡ ~I At a meeting held with FEMA this morning, a final inspection of the Civic Center was made and the green light was given to remove the building. This needs to be done before the rainy season. An artificial reef will be made from large sections of the Civic Center building. The Clerk of the Court building should be done late next summer. This is a $12 Million project. The county continues to prepare for the hurricane season. The fuel capacity has been doubled. Emergency supplies are stored at the Walmart Distribution Center and School Bus Depot. The county will receive $59,000 per month from FEMA to be the staging area for several thousand FEMA trailers. Some of the trees planted on Indian River Drive have died and will be replaced. A meeting was held with law enforcement and the health department to discuss our potential to deal with a serious bird flu outbreak. The Fairgrounds would be used if the hospital was overwhelmed. Extra cots are being ordered. Quarantine areas would be set up. Expert opinion is that it is not a matter of "if" but "when" it will come. Ed Massey, President of IRCC, is heading up a team and Doug Anderson and others have met at UF to attract a national AgrilBio Center vaccine testing facility which would located in a 500,000 sq. ft. building at the Research Park on about 30 acres north of Pecos near the USDA. About 40 other communities have applied to put in this facility but we are the only Florida location that has applied. Miami Herald will have a large article coming out on this. This would be a huge addition to our community. Governor Bush took the Expression of Interest to Washington, D.C. COURT ISSUES: Judge Connor reported that the court system is still struggling with large case loads. The problem with turnover in the state attorney and public defenders offices is a big issue as it slows down the operation. In the Felony division there has been an increase in the number of demands for speedy trial which puts huge demands on the system due to space restrictions. One week coming up the end of May where the two domestic relations judges have to close their courtrooms to handle the speedy trial cases. Looking forward to the new Clerks office to be completed next August. SL W is becoming a full time courthouse. Problem is it will be impractical to do criminal cases. Only 4 courtrooms are attached to the holding cell in Fort Pierce. Per Doug the old courthouse will be renovated and more holding cells will be added. Mark Godwin, Criminal Justice Coordinator, recommended bringing in 3 case managers to better deal with the system, track progress of the cases, and move them along to help the court more. If a case has a large number of continuances there is probably several public defenders that handled the case because of the heavy turnover. It is incredible SLC does the workload with the staffing they have. The number of cases processed and completed weekly is amazing. The starting salary for a prosecutor is approximately $40,000 and slightly higher at the Public Defenders office. With student loans usually $100,000+ they can't afford to work there. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Major Tighe reported the jail population today is 1,348 with 1,055 beds. It is becoming increasingly unsafe to work at the jail. The day shift is 27 to 1 and the night shift is 50 to 1. Garry Wilson noted the ratios speak for themselves. Court security is also a concern. The Mental Health Court will begin soon with Jason Berger and Judge Cox. There are 240 in custody now that have broken the law and have mental health problems. SLC is working with New Horizons to open up 41 beds there. The hospital in Arcadia has closed and there are only 150 beds at Chatahoochee Hospital. It is estimated that there are 815 homeless people in SLC and 50% have mental health problems. CITY OF PORT ST. LUCIE: Mayor Minsky reported the Burnham Institute is on hold until the budget is approved. A letter of intent will not be issued until there is an answer about the budget. It is felt we have a 90% chance of landing them here. Developers are lined up. If it weren't for permitting, they could start in 3 months. SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Jason Berger noted the law enforcement run for Special Olympics was held. Next year they are hoping for a better turn out. Is a great thing for the kids, the county and law enforcement. FEDERAL COURTHOUSE: Dr. Dannahower reported that the Federal Courthouse design plans are complete and ready to go to bid if Congress appropriates $50 Million. Construction would start in 2007 if the funding is approved. PSL POLICE DEPT.: Capt. Scott Bartles reported that PSLPD is on line with the GangNet data base which is a central location to send gang related data. This will give a lot of ammunition to identify and disrupt gang activities. The information will be shared with other law enforcement agencies. Super Play opened in St. Lucie West and got with SLC Sheriff's Dept., PSLPD, and MC Sheriffs Dept. to prevent any gang activity on premises. Super Play gave a list of rules to enforce for conduct, dress, etc. The gangs got frustrated and went to Vero. Super Play has bowling, miniature golf, batting cages, etc. The Boys & Girls club has had success working with gangs. PAL is being used to funnel some of the people. One group in Fort Pierce provides escort service for the people that are trying to get out of the gangs. ST. LUCIE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD: Kathryn Hensley of the SLC School Board reported that after school programs will be held in elementary schools to prevent gangs. Gangs are recruiting 4th and 5th graders. FCAT scores were received and indicated they went up this year. · , NEXT MEETING: The next Concerned Citizens meeting will be held on Thursdav. June 1.2006, at 12:00 Noon at the St. Lucie County Courthouse in Fort Pierce. Lunch will be provided. /Is