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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/24/1979MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1979 THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, MET IN SPECIAL SESSION AT THE COURTHOUSE, VERO BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1979, AT 5:00 O'CLOCK P.M. PRESENT WERE WILLIAM C. WODTKE, JR., CHAIRMAN; ALMA LEE Loy, VICE CHAIRMAN; WILLARD W. SIEBERT, JR.; R. DON DEESON; AND PATRICK B. LYONS. ALSO -PRESENT WERE NEIL NELSON, ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR; GEORGE G. COLLINS, JR., ATTORNEY TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS; JEFFREY K. BARTON, FINANCE OFFICER; AND VIRGINIA HARGREAVES, DEPUTY CLERK. THE CHAIRMAN CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS BEING HELD TO CONSIDER THE BUDGET OF THE FIRE PROTECTION MUNICI- PAL SERVICE TAXING UNIT. THE HOUR OF 5:01 O'CLOCK P.M. HAVING PASSED, THE DEPUTY CLERK READ THE FOLLOWING NOTICE WITH PROOF OF PUBLICATION ATTACHED, TO -WIT: VERO BEACH PRESS -JOURNAL Published Weokly Vero BRach, Indian RN., Ceunty, Florida COUNTY OF INDIAN RIVER: STAT. OF FLORIDA Bcbre rhe uMa•ruaM'd aedsxiV perfonally appeared J. 1. SChwIv Jr. wfn on oath says that in if B�vrnas fvlwesY of the Vero fJeuh P'I.— .Jovmal, a 1_1 rnrsWpe. pubbafavl as Vero Bexh m IMw Rrror CawtY. FIwWa; that M ertachN ccpv of advert�semCnr, beurx In fin —1- of In dr o / y Court, was Ilshed in yid —w., m 1). Issues of AM— further y that the said Vero Boxh P—,J--1 is a na.spapm published Vara Bexh, - d 1— As—C—" arW IMr in id paper has horerofwC been continua MY -Wad In yid IMran R�wr Cmmh, Fbrida, wyakly ar�d Fys been rnro sorsaand class mail _11a, al ft poet ollice �n Vrro BexF, M aid Iridian River Cuvrh. Flori penpl of orn veer next pectM�na do brat puUxaUon of rhv a =d Capt of adver r: arW allwr lurther yvr rrnr iw hat mid�r paid rot pmmised any person• Is. cmpxation anY d—, of secu g this after riuncenr (m publuArnn N Mo said newipapvr. $-orn ro med wbtenA`�C(M�dbe�"l/.j�roy�m• '�� ��'�,a1a`.Ary of�//g�� A.D. // �,C�n�� hfanaReC7 (SEAL,V �1� ICbh of the C-`—, k1a,s Is— County, Flwlda) The Board of County Commissioners, Indian River County, Florida, on behalf of The Indian River County Fire Protection . Municipal Service Taxing Unit proposes to increase your property,.. taxes from zero to .67425 mills. • District Defined by Ordinance Number 78-43 The Boundaries of said Taxing Unit to Include The Unincorporated Portions of Indian River County. A public hearing will be held on Mon- day, September 24, 1979 at 5:01 P.M. in the ; County., Commissioners Meeting Room in the Indian River County Courthouse. Sept. 16, 1979 , 1 SEP .241979 . �oo� 1 FrAGUE585 SEP 2 41979 my 41 FAcF 586 CHAIRMAN WODTKE EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS A FUND THAT HAS NOT BEEN IN EXISTENCE IN PAST YEARS, BUT IS A RESULT OF THE RECOMMENDATION IN THE SOUTHERN-KELTON DUAL TAXATION STUDY THAT THE COUNTY RAISE IN A SEPARATE FUND THE DOLLARS WE ARE USING IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES. THE CHAIRMAN ASKED IF ANYONE PRESENT WISHED TO BE HEARD. ED WARD OF THE ROSELAND PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION NOTED THAT THIS DISTRICT APPARENTLY WAS CREATED BY ORDINANCE 78-43, WHICH WAS ADOPTED DECEMBER 20, 1978, AND MADE EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 26, 1978. HE STATED THAT HIS ASSOCIATION HAD NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ORDINANCE AND ASKED IF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAS THE AUTHORITY TO INITIATE SUCH AN ORDINANCE WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE TAXPAYERS AFFECTED. ATTORNEY COLLINS INFORMED MR, WARD THAT AT THE TIME THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, IT WAS PROPERLY ADVERTISED; FIFTEEN DAYS NOTICE WAS GIVEN; A PUBLIC HEARING WAS HELD; AND THE ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED. THE REASON FOR TODAY'S HEARING IS TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT TO THE MILLAGE PROPOSED, TO SUGGEST ALTERNA- TIVES, OR TO PRAISE. THERE WILL BE A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS SAME MATTER ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH. COMMISSIONER LYONS STATED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THIS SHOULD COME AS A SURPRISE BECAUSE THE BUDGET SESSIONS WENT ON FOR SOME TIME, AND THEY WERE PUBLICLY NOTED, HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WORD DOESN'T GET OUT AND STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE A DISTINCT INTEREST. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT POINTED OUT TO MR. WARD THAT A MEMBER OF THEIR ASSOCIATION IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE FIRE STUDY COMMITTEE AT WHICH THIS WAS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL, ALTHOUGH POSSIBLY AT A MEETING HE MISSED. MR. WARD REPLIED THAT THE MEMBER MR. SIEBERT IS REFERRING TO STATED HE DID NOT KNOW OF THIS ORDINANCE. ATTORNEY COLLINS INFORMED MR. WARD THAT HE PERSONALLY HAS DISCUSSED THIS ORDINANCE WITH GROVER FLETCHER, THE MEMBER IN QUESTION, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. 2 i CHAIRMAN WODTKE FELT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND EXPLAINED THAT WE ARE NOT TAXING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, THESE DOLLARS HAVE SIMPLY BEEN MOVED OUT OF THE AD VALOREM TAX AND ARE NOW BEING RAISED ONLY IN THE UNIN- CORPORATED AREA. HOPEFULLY, NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE A NORTH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT AND A SOUTH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT. MR. WARD INFORMED THE BOARD THAT THE ROSELAND AREA IS SERVICED BY THE ROSELAND VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH MICCO, THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, AND THE CITY OF FELLSMERE, AND THEY HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS MEETING THEIR NEEDS THROUGH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. HE CONTINUED THAT THE PEOPLE OF ROSELAND HAVE RAISED OVER $10,000, AND WITH VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AND MATERIALS CONTRIBU- TED, HAVE ALMOST COMPLETED A FIREHOUSE ON DONATED LAND, WHICH FIRE- HOUSE WILL HOUSE THEIR NEEDS, AS FAR AS EQUIPMENT IS CONCERNED; FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO COME. HE FURTHER NOTED THAT APPLYING THE PROPOSED TAX RATE TO ROSELAND'S TAX BASE (OR APPROXIMATELY $18,500,000) WILL RAISE ABOUT TWICE WHAT IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT DEPARTMENT. MR, WARD STATED THAT WHILE HIS FIGURES MAY NOT BE ENTIRELY ACCURATE, HE BE- LIEVED THEY WERE CONSERVATIVE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE NEW ROSELAND SHOPPING CENTER WAS NOT INCLUDED AT ALL. HE POINTED OUT THAT THE AREA HE IS TALKING ABOUT IS THE AREA FROM THE NORTH LINE OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN TO THE NORTH COUNTY LINE, NOT THE SAME AREA AS PRECINCT #1, HE FELT THAT EVEN THOUGH MORE FUNDS WILL BE RAISED THAN ARE NEEDED BY THE AREA, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE TOTAL FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT IN THAT AREA; PRESUMABLY SOME OF IT WOULD BE USED TO TAKE CARE OF THE SOUTH COUNTY UNINCORPORATED AREA, MR, WARD FELT IT IS IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH ROSELAND AS AN ENTITY, BUT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW IT CAN BE DONE SINCE THEY ARE WITHIN TWO MILES OF SEBASTIAN AND UNDER STATE LAW CANNOT INCORPORATE. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT FELT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE ASKING THEM TO DO NEXT MARCH - FORM A TAXING DISTRICT FROM WABASSO ON THE MAINLAND ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTH COUNTY LINE JUST TO SUPPORT THE FELLSMERE, SEBASTIAN, ROSELAND AREA. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE MUNICI- PALITIES AS WELL. 3 E00� 41 PAGE 587 A SEP 2 41979 BOOK 41 PAGE 588 MR. WARD FELT THE PROBLEM IS THE REPRESENTATION BE- CAUSE ANY MANAGEMENT GROUP OF THE FIRE DISTRICT WOULD INVOLVE ONE INDIVIDUAL AT MOST FROM THE ROSELAND AREA AND SEVERAL FROM SEBASTIAN . AND FELLSMERE; ROSELAND, THEREFORE, WOULD AGAIN HAVE THE PROBLEM OF BEING OVERRULED ON EVERYTHING THEY TRY TO DO TO PROTECT THEIR OWN INTERESTS. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT EXPLAINED THAT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE STUDY GROUP IS TO HAVE TWO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN AND ONE FROM FELLSMERE, THE THEORY IS THAT IF THEY HAVE TAXING AUTHORITY, THEY SHOULD BE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THERE WOULD BE ADVISORY MEMBERS FROM ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANI- ZATIONS, -AND ONE COMMISSIONER WOULD BE THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT K. MR. WARD REITERATED THAT ROSELAND HAS NO CONTROL OF ITS OWN DESTINY, AND THEY WISH TO HAVE A TAXING DISTRICT WHICH INCLUDES JUST ROSELAND. ATTORNEY COLLINS INFORMED HIM THAT THE CONCEPT OF THE TWO DISTRICTS IS TO TRY AND GET UNIFORMITY OF EQUIPMENT, AND IF MANY SEPARATE DISTRICTS ARE SET UP WITHIN EACH CONCLAVE WITHIN THE COUNTY, YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF DUPLICATION WHICH WILL COMPOUND EXPENSES, THE BOARD IS TRYING TO SET THIS UP IN A WAY THAT WILL BE FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE WHOLE COUNTY. MR. WARD STATED THAT THE NORTH COUNTY EQUIPMENT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT IS OFF-ROAD EQUIPMENT, AND HE DID NOT BELIEVE THERE IS ANY DUPLICATION. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT EXPLAINED THAT ONE REASON FOR SPLITTING INTO NORTH COUNTY AND SOUTH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICTS IS BECAUSE THE NORTH COUNTY IS ALL VOLUNTEER, HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE NORTH COUNTY IS COST OF FIRE PROTECTION BY HAVING A NORTH COUNTY DISTRICT WHICH WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE SOUTH COUNTY, MR. WARD NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED RATE 'IS AN OVERALL RATE. CHAIRMAN WODTKE COMMENTED THAT AN 18 MILLION DOLLAR TAX BASE WILL RAISE ABOUT $12,000, AND ROSELAND'S SHARE IN THIS BUDGET YEAR IS $44,000. $7,000, MR. WARD STATED THAT THEY ARE ONLY REQUESTING 4= -1 CHAIRMAN WODTKE FELT THAT ROSELAND IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR NEEDS WITH ONE TRUCK, AND MR. WARD NOTED THEY HAVE RECIPROCAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE CHAIRMAN REMINDED HIM THAT THOSE HAVE TO BE FUNDED ALSO. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT POINTED OUT THE ROSELAND'S BUDGET REQUESTS JUST LOOKS AT ONE YEAR, AND -THERE IS VERY LITTLE CAPITAL OUTLAY OR MAINTENANCE INCLUDED IN IT SINCE'THEIR TRUCK IS RELATIVELY NEW. MORE THAN THAT WILL BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE. MR. WARD FELT THAT -WHEN THE SHOPPING CENTER IS INCLUDED IN THEIR TAX BASE, AND WITH THE RATE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA, THE BASE WILL INCREASE TO TAKE CARE OF WHAT THEY NEED. HE STATED THAT HE MAINLY CAME TO THIS -MEETING TO GET INFORMATION AND ASKED IF' THERE IS ANY WAY THEY CAN ESTABLISH ROSELAND AS A TAXING DISTRICT SINCE THEY CANNOT INCORPORATE UNDER STATE LAW, ATTORNEY COLLINS DID NOT FEEL THAT IT IS FEASIBLE WITHIN THIS YEAR TO SET UP SUCH A DISTRICT, BUT STATED THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO SET ONE UP. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT INFORMED MR. WARD THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO PETITION THE COMMISSION TO SET UP SUCH A DISTRICT, AND THE COM- MISSIONERS MUST DECIDE IF THEY FEEL IT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY. IN ADDITION, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WOULD HAVE TO BE THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE DISTRICT. MR. WARD WAS OF THE OPINION THAT AS A SEPARATE DISTRICT, THEY WOULD HAVE MORE IMPORTANCE AND MORE CLOUT. ATTORNEY COLLINS FELT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL IF MR, WARD WOULD ATTEND THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ON THE FIRE DISTRICTS, AND COMMISSIONER SIEBERT SUGGESTED THAT HE STUDY THE MINUTES OF THE NORTH COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT MEETINGS. CHAIRMAN WODTKE STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO MISLEAD MR. WARD. HE NOTED THERE IS A VOTE COMING UP ON THE NORTH COUNTY DISTRICT IN MARCH, AND HE WOULD CERTAINLY FEEL THAT THERE WILL BE A POSITIVE VOTE. IF THAT IS SO, THEN THERE WILL BE ONE TAXING DISTRICT IN THAT ENTIRE NORTH COUNTY AREA, AND HE FELT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DELETE ONE AREA. SEP 2 41979 E poow 41 PAGE to I I SEP 2 4 1979 eoaK 4i Pa.UF 90 COMMISSIONER SIEBERT AGAIN ENCOURAGED MR. WARD TO COME TO THE STUDY GROUP MEETINGS AND HEAR WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THE FIRE DISTRICTS. HE DID NOT FEEL ROSELAND WOULD LOSE ITS REPRESENTATION. MR. WARD STATED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN OUTVOTED MOST TIMES, AND THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND A WAY IN WHICH ROSELAND CAN DEVELOP A MORE EQUITABLE SITUATION AND ONE WHICH WILL CONSIDER THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. C. E. YODER OF ROSELAND STATED THAT THE MORE HE SEES, THE LESS HE FEELS THAT THE GRASS ROOTS ARE GETTING MUCH ATTENTION, AND THEY ARE WHAT MADE THIS COUNTRY. HE FELT THE PEOPLE IN THE ROSELAND AREA ARE DUE A LITTLE CONSIDERATION; THEY TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEY DON T NEED HIGH RISE EQUIPMENT. MR. YODER STATED THAT IT HAS BEEN A BATTLE TO GET ANYTHING MUCH IN THAT END OF THE COUNTY. COMMISSIONER SIEBERT INFORMED HIM THAT IF WE HAD A BUDGET ESTABLISHED FOR THE NORTH COUNTY AND THE SOUTH COUNTY, THE NORTH COUNTY BUDGET WOULD BE $66,000 AND THE SOUTH COUNTY WOULD BE OVER ONE MILLION. NO ONE FURTHER WISHED TO SPEAK, AND ON MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SIEBERT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LYONS, THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. CHAIRMAN WODTKE ANNOUNCED THAT A SECOND PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS SAME MATTER WILL BE HELD SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 5:01 O'CLOCK P.M. THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, ON MOTION MADE, SECONDED AND CARRIED, THE BOARD ADJOURNED AT 6:00 O'CLOCK P.M. ATTEST: CLERK CHAIRMAN A