The Board of County Commissioners asks that all cell phones are turned off or placed on silent (vibrate) mode. Any handouts (information) for distribution to the Commission must be submitted to the Board Secretary (Clerk’s Office) or to the County Coordinator on or before the Thursday prior to that Tuesday’s meeting. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the agenda or a delay of any action relating to your request until a future meeting.
Call to Order
Prayer and Pledge
Approval of Minutes
Payment of County Bills
Public Comments
This is an opportunity for the public to comment on agenda or non-agenda items. When you are recognized to be heard by the Chairman, please sign the speaker’s log and adhere to the time limit. An individual will be allowed to speak for three minutes whereas a designated representative of a group or faction will be allowed to speak for five minutes.
Department Directors Report
Superintendent of Public Works – Howard Nabors
No Action Items
Detail of Work Performed and Material Hauled by District Report Attached (Agenda Packet)
Solid Waste Director – Fonda Davis
No Action Items
Right of Way Debris Pickup/Recycle Material Hauled Report Attached (Agenda Packet)
Emergency Management Director – Pam Brownell
Action Items:
None
Information Item:
EOC Staff worked on updating the LMS (local mitigation strategy).
EOC will be hosting a HMGP Training along with the State on 01/22/20 from 1:00-4:00 PM
EOC staff will be attending EM Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee on 01/29/20
FCEM Staff will be attending FEPA Conference and Training in Daytona on February 3-7 where Tress Dameron will be pinned with her FPEM Certification.
FCEM Staff continues to work on FEMA reimbursement claims from Hurricane Michael. This includes working with FEMA staff regarding mitigation of damaged parks, roads, etc. Mitigation takes some time but EOC Staff continue to work diligently with FEMA Staff on the most beneficial repairs for Franklin County.
01/14/20 EOC Staff met with representative from FEMA and FDEM regarding a new PDMG and the status of our projects. Attached (Agenda Packet) is an update of projects that are at the State Level and in the process of being reimbursed
Extension Office Director – Erik Lovestrand
Airport Manager - Jason Puckett
TDC Administrator – John Solomon – Report
To: Board of County Commissioners
From: Franklin County TDC
Date: January 21st, 2020
Subject: TDC Report
Action Items:
TDC Board Member Renewal: On January 8th the TDC board motioned and approved the request of the approval of the four annual position seats from the Cities of Carrabelle & Apalachicola and the two Chamber of Commerce’s.
The TDC Board approved motion to recommend extending Mr. Rex Pennycuff's membership on the TDC Board as the at large seat through December 31, 2024.
Approval of Videos: The TDC Board made a Motion to make recommendation that the Director, John Solomon and / or the Marketing Chair, Mayor LaPaz be authorized to approve video projects done by our Videography Vendor (Currently FCTV.) Current language in video contract states the entire board must view and vote to approve videos before they can be paid for or released.
Information Items:
Collections Report: The October (2019) collections were $89,660.28. This is a $51,243.39 (133%) increase over October (2018). This is second highest collections for the month of October in the Franklin County TDC History
Web Site Activity: We had 21,044 web hits in the month of December (2019) a decrease of 30% over last December. The 2019 web hits were 372,327 this is the highest number of web hits in our website’s history.
Visitor Center Numbers: The Visitor Centers welcomed 2,262 visitors in the month of December. The total for 2019 is 38,908 Visitors that have visited our centers. The total for 2018 was 31,398.
Visit Florida Adventure Tourism Conference: Visit Florida called and informed us that Franklin County was selected to hold the conference on April 7th & 8th 2020 in the Fort Coombs Armory.
Meetings:
The next scheduled board meeting is February 12th, 2020 @ 2:00pm at the Eastpoint Visitor Center
Board of Adjustment – Amy Ham-Kelly – Report
Planning and Zoning – Amy Ham-Kelly – Report
Critical Shoreline Application
P&Z Action: Unanimous Vote in favor- contingent upon receiving the DEP Permit.
Request: Approve, Table or Deny- contingent upon DEP Permit.
Land Use and Re-Zoning Applications
P&Z Action: 4/1 Vote in favor of a Public Hearing
Request: Approve, Table or Deny Request for Public Hearing
P&Z Action: Unanimous Vote in favor of the request for Public Hearing
Request: Approve, Table or Deny the request for Public Hearing
Plat Abandonment Application
P&Z Action: Unanimous Vote in favor of abandoning the plat
Request: Approve, Table or Deny request to abandon the plat
Sketch Plat Application
P&Z Action: Unanimous vote in favor of Sketch Plat approval
Request: Approve, Table or Deny the request for Sketch Plat approval
Texas A & M University - Presentation
"Ward" Reef Project - Grayson Shepard - Update
Public Hearings 11:00 AM
Community Action Agency - Angela Webster - Request
According to contractor the cost would be $5500 to include plumbing connection. The request includes allowing the trailer donated by the Sheriff to be moved to 714 Buck Street. We currently have a survivor residing at this address in a camper trailer. The survivor currently residing in the camper has been approved to receive a CDBG home, pending land is secured which meets all stipulations of the grant.
According to the contractor (3) loads of dirt would be required to build the surface pad. Jason White Construction quoted me $200 - $240 per load.
There is also the need to have an electrician once the trailer is set. I spoke with Cates Electric and they are unable to provide a quote without an exact location of the trailer to determine distance to the power pole, but he estimates the cost would not exceed $1000.
Will the Board please approve use of fire relief funds in the amount of $7300 to pay for the cost to breakdown, move and setup trailer donated from one fire survivor to another, to include dirt required for surface pad and cost for power to be connected?
CDBG Administrator – Deborah Belcher - Report
HOUSING CDBG GRANT for EASTPOINT FIRE VICTIMS
January 15, 2020
Current activities:
Continuing to take and process applications for CDBG housing assistance; taking calls from individuals who are not eligible for assistance; working on site-specific environmental reviews to submit to DEO for clearance; assisting Shelby and Colby Nowling with their new modular home at 275 Smith Street which is now ordered; assisting individuals who do not currently have title to property but might become eligible for CDBG assistance; ongoing administrative and fair housing tasks; and confirming bids for mobile homes.
Annie R. and William Banks, 638 Ridge Road, have signed the purchase contract for their new mobile home, as well as the CDBG mortgage. Ironwood Homes of Perry has ordered the home, which is expected to arrive in February, 2020. Colby and Shelby Nowling are awaiting the delivery of their new modular home, which will be located at 275 Smith Street.
Bid Approval:
Kathy Hill’s replacement mobile home was included in the second CDBG mobile home bid package. Ms. Hill’s home was specified to be a 2-bedroom model, but she has decided she wants a 3-bedroom model because she frequently has one or more grandchildren staying with her. The 3-bedroom homes are typically around $6,000 more than a 2-bedroom model, and the CDBG grant is sufficient to fund a 3-bedroom home. We can request proposals from the 3 responding bidders, for a 3-bedroom model based on the original specifications and instructions for the site. Ms. Hill’s property at 773 Buck Street is in a floodplain and will also require demolition of the existing home, so prices for her contract are higher than previous contracts that did not have those factors.
Requested Action: Authorize the County Coordinator and Deborah Belcher to obtain and review proposal updates for a 3-bedroom mobile home for Kathy Hill, and to approve Ms. Hill’s selected proposal not to exceed $80,000. Approve CDBG funding for the contract and CDBG mortgage recording.
Homeowner Application Approval:
Paul J. Sanders was residing in a mobile home at 582 Ridge Road at the time of the Eastpoint fire. He was purchasing the property under an unrecorded agreement for deed. Sanders received one of the Sheriff’s donated mobile homes. Mr. Sanders has obtained a deed to the property, and has applied for a CDBG replacement mobile home. He wishes to donate his current mobile home to his son, Paul Z. (Pete) Sanders, who has made arrangements to locate it at 714 Buck Street. The Capital Area Community Action Agency is separately requesting authority to use recovery funds to pay for the setup of the mobile home at the Buck Street location.
Mr. Paul J. Sanders is now eligible for the CDBG mobile home replacement program. Anticipating his eligibility, I included his property in the last mobile home replacement bid package. We do no yet have environmental clearance for this home replacement. I also need to confirm the completeness of one of the dealer’s proposals before making a recommendation for funding award for the purchase. I will come back to the Board for approval of the CDBG funding.
Requested Action: Approve the application for mobile home replacement for Paul J. Sanders, subject to environmental clearance and final arrangements for the relocation of the donated mobile home for his son, Paul Z. Sanders.
Homeowner application approval:
In November 2019, the Board discussed the application for home replacement for Mary Louise Thomas, 633/645 Ridge Road. She is living in a camper with her husband and baby grandson. She is eligible for CDBG mobile home replacement, although her ex-husband (Kelley A. Shiver) still owns the land with her. During that discussion, I recommended that the County have a mortgage against the mobile home only. Based on some inaccurate information, I said the County would own the title until the CDBG mortgage was satisfied. The County Attorney advised that the County would be liable for problems that might occur while the County owned title. Since that time, I have confirmed with the County Attorney that Ms. Thomas would be the owner(title holder) of the home, and that County would only be a lien holder against the title. Mr. Shuler is apparently satisfied that this does not pose a risk to the County.
I recommend that the Board waive the local CDBG policy and approve funding a replacement mobile home for Mary Louise Thomas, with a modified CDBG mortgage against the replacement mobile home only. The mortgage would be between Thomas and the County, which Shiver (ex-husband) would not be party to. Ms. Thomas is already co-owner of the property, so she could grant the County right of entry to the property. She is under extreme hardship, and meets all eligibility requirements other than having the co-ownership, and cannot obtain disposition of the property from her ex-husband. DEO has issued environmental clearance for this property.
We obtained proposals for this mobile home replacement in the last bid package, but need to confirm the proposed prices and owner selection before requesting contract approval from the Board.
Requested Action: Approve the application for a new mobile home for Mary Louise Thomas, 663/645 Ridge Road, subject to final verifications, and allowing for a CDBG mortgage to be issued against the mobile home and not the land.
Homeowner Application Approval:
James Alvin and Mary C. Banks, 754 Ridge Road (Property Appraiser address), have applied for replacement of their mobile home. The home only sustained minor damage, but is in such poor condition that it should be replaced. The Banks are an elderly couple, and Mr. Banks is totally disabled. This is not a request for contract award.
Requested Action: Approve the application for a new mobile home for James A. and Mary C. Banks, subject to final verifications and environmental clearance.
Clerk of Courts – Marcia M. Johnson – Report
RESTORE Coordinator – Alan Pierce – Report
Action Item(s)
Board action to sign the contract, and to sign the Notice to Proceed.
Information Item(s)
As I understand it, the FEMA contractor did not modify the design so the project should be what the county has submitted. (The Board may recall that I reported at the Dec. 17 BCC meeting that the contractor had initially found some $1M of construction costs in the county design that they thought were not FEMA eligible. That issue was resolved, and the county’s design has been kept intact.) The project still does not have a PW assigned to it, so anyone seeking information on the status of the project through federal elected officials will have to describe it as “Hurricane Michael Alligator Drive Repairs.”
Mr. Dombrowski consulted with his FDEP contacts and was told that it was too late to change the county’s request because FDEP had already turned in its budget request to the Governor’s Office. I have advised Rep. Shoaf’s office of this. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, Rep. Shoaf’s Office contacted me for additional information, so I know he is attempting to find a way to get funding.
County Coordinator – Michael Morón – Report
Action Item(s)
Request: Board action to inform the City of Carrabelle of the project’s budget issue, discuss the option of reducing the scope of work, the associated cost, and negotiating the reduction with the low bidder CDM Contracting.
Request: Board action to authorize the Chairman’s signature on the contract with EMO and the contract with the State Fire Marshal’s office.
Request: Board action to have the Planning and Zoning Commission review all amendments to Development of Regional Impact prior to being sent to the Board of County Commissioners.
Request: Board action to postpone the deadline for the Road Department new administrative building to Monday, March 2nd at 4:00 pm (ET).
Request: Board action to authorize a Special Meeting on Wednesday, February 5th at 10:00 am for the opportunity to have Mr. Mark O’Bryant and Mr. Jim Coleman address the Board regarding healthcare in Franklin County.
Request: Board action to authorize Mrs. Whitney Roundtree new temporary role and salary as the library assistant supervisor effective January 16, 2020 and travel and expenses to allow her attendance at Library Day on January 22nd in Tallahassee.
Information Item(s)
County Attorney – Michael Shuler – Report
Commissioners’ Comments
Adjournment
The Board of County Commissioners asks that all cell phones are turned off or placed on silent (vibrate) mode. Any handouts (information) for distribution to the Commission must be submitted to the Board Secretary (Clerk’s Office) or to the County Coordinator on or before the Thursday prior to that Tuesday’s meeting. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the agenda or a delay of any action relating to your request until a future meeting.