$200,000.00 from Drainage Storm Water to Pine Ridge Drainage Improvement Infrastructure accounts. Funding Source: 305-6040-563000
Reginald Kantor, Budget Manager, addressed the Board regarding the end-of-year budget adjustments. Ms. Kantor said this item request is for three transfers for expenses that came up recently.
1. Transfer from 2020 Bond Construction Fund (320) Reserve for Capital Improvement to Bond Construction Administration Division's Professional Services budget in the amount of $3,500.00 necessary for banking and investment services.
2. Transfer from General Fund (001) Reserve for Contingencies to OMB Division's Accounting and Auditing budget in the amount of $54,000.00 for auditing services before the fiscal year-end.
3. Transfer between cost centers in the CIP Fund (305) for emergency work needed before the fiscal year-end. Request is to transfer $200,000.00 from Drainage StormWater to Pine Ridge Drainage Improvement Infrastructure accounts.
Mr. Kantor stated that the request for the Pine Ridge drainage improvement is an emergency situation. Chairman Mike Cella asked if the money for Pine Ridge is being taken from the generic stormwater line item. Mr. Kantor said they need Board approval to move it from one project to the other. The other two requests are from reserves.
Howard Wanamaker, County Manager, said that looking at Pine Ridge a year ago, there was $1.5 - $1.6 million put in CIP. This project has become an absolute emergency.
What is happening at the intersection affects private property, traffic, pedestrians, and school busses. Originally, there was an attempt to stabilize the issue with foam. There has been 35 inches of water in three months. The foam did help for some time; however, the structure is still sinking. The structure is at least 12 to 17 feet under the ground. In between that structure and the surface, there are a lot of pipes. One is a 6 inch, if not bigger, main pipe for CCUA . At the same time, CCUA was trying to get a system to bypass that issue so that 400 residents did not lose water. Staff met with Superior because this area would not be stabilized for a long time. They did an emergency investigation Phase 1 for $25,000.00. For that money, they continued to pump out water and dug down to camera the structure to see if the structure was usable or not. Under phase 2, they will build an estimate of the cost and develop a fix. County Manager Wanamaker asked Teresa Gardner to address the Board with an update as of today.
Teresa Gardner, Director of Public Works, stated that the hope was with the stabilization, it would buy some time to get the road re-opened. However, when they could get the camera in the area, they realized how serious the separation was. Due to rainfall, there was an accelerated settlement over Labor Day weekend. There is not only a large line that serves 400 residents; there is also an 18-inch line, cable, electric, and sanitary sewer. There is the the concern that residents may lose water if the sanitary sewer line breaks; there could be an SSO, which is not good for the environment. They anticipate a cost estimate to be completed tomorrow. Due to how deep it is, they will have to drive
sheeting to do the repair. Originally, Superior was looking at reusing the catch basin.
Through the investigating phase, they have found that not only does that have to be replaced, but at least one to two runs of pipe in both directions have to be replaced. As the hole gets opened up, they will see if more needs to be fixed. The construction to fix the issue will take 1 to 3 days, if there are no more issues. Then they will continue in the normal process to fix the rest of the community.
Vice-Chairman Wayne Bolla asked the age of this. Ms. Gardner said it has been since 2008. The pipe is RCP, and usually, you do not see that type of failure. As County Manager mentioned, when putting the camera in the pipe, that's when they found they cut the hole in the catch basin to be 36-inch pipe, and the pipe that is there is only 30-inches.
Vice-Chairman Bolla asked how it was missed when it was built. It shows you as different projects are built, how critical the inspection process is, and the warranty periods.
Chairman Bolla asked if we had the name of the inspector. Richard Smith, Engineering Director, said that he may have been laid-off. Ms. Gardner said there are lessons learned. Vice-Chairman Bolla asked if our code was adequate. If we do everything we are supposed to do, is this going to happen again, or is this something we can not ever fix. Mr. Smith said while it was correct, it was not an acceptable design. Typically when building these, the sanitary sewer is the lowest, then the storm drain is above that, and the water is above that. Because water is not gravity-dependent, this designer chose to put the storm drainage at the deepest point. County reviewers can not tell a designer who is going to stamp it and take liability, not to design it that way. We can strongly encourage them that we will not accept it that way. Since it will be the county's road, we have made it an unwritten policy to do it the proper way. Reinforced concrete pipe is a very reliable product if it is installed properly. Vice-Chairman Bolla asked if there are safeguards in place to make sure it does not happen again and is the same construction anywhere else in the county. Mr. Smith said there are safeguards, and yes, there is the same construction in other locations within the county. Vice-chairman Bolla asked if this design was in a lot of locations. Mr. Smith said he could not address the quantity. This was a local engineer, and that was one of the techniques they were using. Chairman Bolla asked if we had identified where those places are. Mr. Smith said that they could and will address it at a later time. Ms. Gardner said that this issue is on the public works radar.
Commissioner Betsy Condon said that she does not want 400 people to lose water or sewer, but her concern is that this project can use up a lot of budget money and not have a fix. We thought the foam would work, understanding that we did not expect to get 35 inches of water in three months. County Manager said the reason this became an emergency so quickly was the breakage of the 6-inch main. This has to be fixed before the next storm hits the area. It is a definite emergency. He would like to move forward and will keep the Board informed.
Following the discussion, Vice-Chairman Wayne Bolla made a motion for approval of all three requests, seconded by Commissioner Kristen Burke, which carried 5-0.
29. Discussion and Ranking of Legislative Priorities for 2022 Session (C.
Latham)
Charlie Latham, Director of Environmental Services, addressed the Board regarding the ranking of the Legislative Priorities of the 2022 session. Mr. Latham said a discussion about what happened in the last session was held in the first week of August, and they also discussed generic goals for this coming session. There was a list sent to each Commissioner a win/lose summary and requested some additional information. A list of appropriations and policy goals was put together and sent out on the 6th of September.
Each Commissioner was asked to rank 1 through 5 your top priorities. Mr. Latham said that the list could be used as a template during the legislative meeting tomorrow night.
The suggested appropriations on the list are:
Explore Potential Adjustments to the VAB Filing Fees Protect Home Rule
Brownfield Legislation PFAS Legislation
Mr. Latham reminded the Board that PFAS is the forever chemical that came out with non-stick surfaces on pans. It is infesting land fields, water treatment plants, and fire stations.
Commissioner Betsy Condon said that her only issue with this item is back in February or March she requested a workshop to talk about the items on the list given to the Commission by Karen Smith. Commissioner Condon said that some of the items on the list are understandable. However, items like county roads, what would she be asking for if she chose that as a priority one item. Making suggestions after a six-hour meeting the night before the Legislative Delegation is poor planning. Mr. Latham said that the objective was to provide the Chair with two things: (1) A spreadsheet with each Commissioner's ranking and (2) a combined cumulative sheet that would list where things were relative to individuals and the group, meaning a group average. This is early in the season, and there will be a lot more work put into the request to be ready for the session.
Commissioner Kristen Burke left the meeting at 9:34 pm.
Vice-Chairman Wayne Bolla suggested that Chairman Cella take the list from each Commissioner and aggregate them, and the items that are ranked the highest go first
and so on. Chairman Mike Cella noted that the legislators do not look at what is given to them most of the time. They make their determination. In the past, the Commission has given ideas of what they would like to accomplish and let the legislators be free to decide, and they meet with the lobbyist to figure out where the money is. Every session, there seems to be something different that is a hot item. Chairman Cella envisioned that the Board would tell the legislators that broadband, jail expansion, greenways and trails, and Highway 16 expansion in county roads are suggestions on the appropriation side.
On the policy side, it would be; protect home rule, which is always a concern, brownfield legislation, the VAB filing fees, and then possibly one or two more items will be all that is needed for the delegation meeting. We have to keep it simple and hope that their priorities match our priorities.
Commissioner Kristen Buke returned to the meeting at 9:36 pm.
Commissioner Condon commented that what the Chairman just said is more of the conversation she had hoped all five Commissioners would have had before this meeting.
She would have liked to simplify the list and take off items that are not a need right now, i.e., the fairgrounds. There was money given to the fairgrounds last year, and we can not take more right now; we do not need any more parks. Chairman Cella stated that, especially if it is a matching fund. We have to watch what we apply for as far as grants because it's a 50% match. So at this point and time, fairgrounds would be low on the list.
However, the SWEAT program by all a count seems to work, so we need to ask for that at the full rate that they did not give us this past time. Next, the jail expansion; even if we do not get the full amount, if we get anything from them at all, it would help. Then broadband expansion is something that we are interested in pursuing. After that, the only other item they may help with is moving up Highway 16. Chairman Cella clarified that his request would be broadband, Jail, SWEAT, Highway 16, and Greenways and Trails.
Commissioner James Renninger commented that he believes there needs to be a more formal process to identify priorities for the county. The issues should go to FAC too.
Commissioner Betsy Condon stated that is what she asked for in the last legislative session. If we are going to go to the legislators and say, these are our priorities for you to go and fight , on our behalf, then we should have made it a priority to come up with the list. Jail expansion is something that they have not been open to in the past; however, that is before the closing of four detention facilities, three of which are in North Florida.
Commissioner James Renninger said that the department of corrections is a hot topic in Tallahassee.
Howard Wanamaker, County Manager, said that tomorrow is the delegation meeting. Joe Mobley was here a couple of weeks ago on August 6 and met with some of the Commissioners. Then he and Mr. Latham met and looked at the league of cities, FAC, and other priorities. There has to be a start somewhere, and staff is starting a lot earlier than before when coming up with a priorities list. County Manager Wanamaker stated that they could schedule a workshop in October if the Board desires. The list was the emphasis from the last session and the discussion with Mr. Mobley. He suggested that the Commission could write in their request if they are not on the list.
Following the discussion, Chairman Cella stated that there needs to be a list for the meeting tomorrow. He asked each Commissioner to identify five issues and give the request to Mr. Latham to let him rank the priorities for the meeting that will be held
Wednesday, September 15, 2021.