Broward County, Florida County Commission Meetings, 30 Aug 2022

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: Budget Workshop - August 30, 2022

Description

04:20

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

B

B

B

Okay, it is tuesday august 30th, it's 1005., I think yeah, I'm sure it's tuesday august 30th. I think we have commissioner bogan participating by phone. um It's a workshop, so we don't need to have the full compliment here. Just yet, I believe we're starting off and everyone's going to be happy with our first presentation.

B

I've always already seen it as a member of the tdt board um presenting live coming off the set of the sawgrass, the sea grass south part of the county, sawgrass mills butterfly world president of the cvb stacy ritter, is here for the monica. You have the floor. You can introduce this.

C

So it's like madonna right, the one that's been she's been filming all over.

B

Yeah and then I just.

D

Heard they're in the beach.

E

Oh okay, there you go nice nice! Is it true that you braved the everglades the wall with those giant mosquitoes and survived.

F

It is, but they don't dare bite me. She.

C

Bites back all right, so in all seriousness right, as norman, has cued moving right along so good morning. Commissioners, um I just wanted to uh tell you that today I know, given the budget wonky nerd, that I am. This is one of my favorite days. I get to talk about budget. It is. I really love this so uh my favorite time of the year, so you will. You have.

E

Were you in budget.

C

I did for uh the last four years in his office I had six and a half billion dollars and all of 20 000 employees with the environmental side of the discipline.

C

So um so today you have in front of you um we're going to go through five presentations, we're going to start off with the overview of the tdt tourist development tax program, as you have already heard, a little bit from the mayor he's gotten a sneak preview of this and it's it's an exciting um conversation, because we are in a little bit of a better situation than I think we originally had anticipated so without further ado um stacy. If you would like to go over the the overview.

F

Thank you very much. um First of all, let me apologize for being dressed down. um I would not normally disrespect the commissioners or the institution, which I love very much, but we are, as you all know, shooting a new campaign since saturday um and we are doing so through thursday night, so I'm headed to pompano beach after this um started there at 8 30 this morning we have so far um shot in the everglades on saturday, um saturday, all day and then sunday morning we were at sawgrass mills.

F

With the colonnade sunday afternoon we went to butterfly world yesterday we were on fort lauderdale beach all day. Today we are on pompano beach. All day later in the week we will be at shooters and at the rooftop and other various locations. So- and I can promise you shooting at the end of august is is- is a chore, it's a chore, but someone has to do it. So many employees.

F

Employees well, the production company is a broward county sbe and there are about a hundred people on the shoot, most of which are local, broward county residents. So it's been really it's a wonderful experience and the mayor was out yesterday for on the beach for a little while- um and um I know that the the crew and the brown county team members who were there were most appreciative that you did, that you did that thanks. So thank you.

F

Well, we don't know that yet we haven't started post-production has not happened yet. um So, let's start with um the hotel metrics.

F

So just as a general overview, um a general state of the agency, the convention center is open for business with an on time for 2025 opening for the east wing, the plaza the omni hotel and the cdb offices. I already mentioned the marketing campaign launch, which will be on october 13th at our annual marketing luncheon. We haven't had it since february 20, so it hasn't been annual for a while, but we will be launching the campaign. Officially, then international has started.

F

The international leisure market has started to return with cova testing restrictions lift lifted, but the latest struggle is the visa wait times for inbound inbound travelers. The domestic drive market continues to be strong.

F

Sports has really carried us through the pandemic and if I can just briefly let you know that as it relates to sports in the next fiscal year's budget, 25 sporting events will be at the convention center. One in cooper city 27 in coral springs nine in davey, four in deerfield beach, 28 in fort lauderdale, five in lauderhill 10 in miramar, one in parkland, nine implantation, five in pompano beach, five in sunrise and four in weston.

F

So we absolutely do spread these events throughout the county, because some of the really amazing facilities are the coral springs aquatic center and some park in miramar and the like. So um as the the hotel metric slide, this is for fiscal year to date, through august 20th occupancy is seven percent higher than the same time. Last year, the average daily rate is the strongest on record. It is 33 above the same time.

F

Last year, the demand, which is the number of rooms sold, is 18 higher that than last year, and since the start of the pandemic visit lauderdale has welcomed 20 new properties, accounting for more than 2500 rooms.

F

Next slide tell occupancy we're seeing a return to our seasonality. Trends with may and june, slowing down a bit july, has traditionally been our strongest summer month for the quote low season of august september and a little bit of october forecasted occupancy for fiscal year. 2023 is 77 the hotel average daily rate.

F

The average daily rate is the strongest we have ever experienced starting a year ago in may, with record-setting rates and hitting a peak in march 2022 with an adr of 228 dollars. Even though rates are healthy, we continue to be the more affordable south florida destination, forecasted adr for fiscal year. 2023 is 177, which is two dollars more than our current fiscal year. Adr.

E

Okay question is the adr increase because of general inflation, or is it because you are with multiple options? What I'm wondering is in the same hotel?

E

Has the adr been going up, or is it that we're opening up some new, very high priced hotels, which are raising the entire average? You have any same hotel, comps.

F

Unfortunately, we are not allowed to collect information that way, uh but it's mostly driven by demand and market rate.

E

So it's not just that.

F

G

A

E

Or you know no four seasons. Thank you.

F

Now I need to caution everyone. This is not sustainable, it is not going to last forever, um but while it does last, we will enjoy and reap the benefits of that, because when people come here, broward county residents are employed and they can feed their families and pay their bills and that's critically, important and and the the new transit service which will allow those hotel workers who work on the beach with odd hours late into the night and early morning will certainly help keep those people employed and.

G

F

To continue to feed their families.

H

I have a question uh yeah. Thank you.

G

H

So have you done anything to survey hotel workers to see what the situation is with affordable housing.

F

We don't think that we could use the tourist development tax dollars to survey local residents. The statute is very specific on how we can use the money. Now hotels have done heat map heat mapping to see where their resident, where their workers live, but we do not believe that it would be an appropriate use of tdt for us to survey local residents with respect to their housing options.

F

Tdt only allows us to use money, the primary purpose of which is to market and promote the destination.

H

Yeah, well, I think there needs to be a way, because I'm hearing a lot of that that people who work in the hotel industry um have significant issues as everyone else, but you know we keep building and we keep hiring more people which is great, but eventually there's no place. You know for them to live.

F

And sadly, the florida restaurant lodging association does not support an increase of the minimum wage.

H

Even the minimum wage wouldn't do it, so I mean that's, you know we still need to be looking at what we could do as a county to help this situation, but uh there's something to put on the plate to see. If there's any way that you could that we could. You know kind of document this, um because it would be helpful, for you know, for economic development. The business community is very interested in you know doing more with affordable housing, so economic development is a certainly a big factor in it.

C

Before we go into other speakers, um I've got uh commissioner bogan on the line and he's saying he can hear only less than eighty percent. He can't even hear because we're not using the mics, I think, um speak clearly and I'm having the av folks turn up the volume, but I just want to make sure everyone's speaking into the mics. Thank you. I'm.

B

Gonna recognize senator.

E

Okay, um stacy uh quick question just follow up on what senator rich was saying in your answer. I know that the legislature, I think it was two years ago, maybe severely restricted what we could do with our cvb dollars. Do you um I don't want to put you on the spot. If you don't know what, then that's that's fine, but do you know what the new cvb restrictions are with our first development dollars.

F

As it relates to us, because much of what the legislature did in the past six years with the expansion of tdt.

B

F

Apply to us, but there's nothing in any new legislation that changes how we do business.

E

So, there's no no change in what how what we can spend the money on.

F

No, but I I would tell you that we are much um stricter with how we spend those dollars than some of our peers are.

E

All right, thank you. Man.

C

And mr mayor, we still have another portion of this presentation. I'm going to ask elijah anderson from our budget office, our program manager there to handle the rest of this one.

I

Thank you monica good morning, commissioners, we'll be doing an overview of the tourist development tax program and we'll start with the tourist development tax revenue, which is the primary revenue source. As you will recall, we levy all six pennies that the county is eligible to do so under state law. We levied the first two pennies back in 1980 and we levied the sixth and final penny that we are eligible to do so in 2018..

I

This next slide provides some history of our actual revenue that we collected going back to fiscal year. 2008. You can see that in fiscal year 2008 we collected 42.8 million dollars due to the great recession, we experienced a 17 decline and it took us three years to get back to a pre-recession level. After that we grew incrementally up until fiscal year 18. When we levied that sixth penny, we jumped up to 84 million and we also began to levy the tax against airbnb, vrbo and homeaway properties.

I

Due to the great up due to the pandemic, we experienced a 27 decline from fiscal year, 19 to fiscal year, 20., and but we recovered greatly in late 2021.

I

Through fy22 and we've seen record revenues as stacey indicated earlier in the presentation and as a result, our forecast for fiscal year 22 is we're going to bring in approximately 117 million dollars. Keeping some factors in mind such as economic uncertainty, changes the long-term travel preferences. We are setting our forecast for fy 23 at 100 million dollars.

I

So what does these this revenue support? You can see that the primary revenue source for this program is that those six pennies, but we do have additional revenues in the program as well, such as revenues coming from convention center operations, including parking. We have some revenue associated with the arena and the the rent that is paid to us through the operations out there, and we also receive a sales tax rebate from the state for hosting a professional sports team in our county.

I

On the one-time revenue side, we are programming, 87.5 million dollars of fund balance, which supports various one-time efforts that we will go into detail on a later slide.

I

The next slide provides an overview of the recurring expenditures of the program, uh the first two lines that you'll see that's stacy's budget, the cvb's budget um and you you can see that in fy 22 adopted fy23, it looks like the marketing and advertising is jumping from 12.9 to 22.9.

I

It's important to keep in mind that in fy 22 we use approximately 6.7 million dollars of one-time funds uh to to support this budget, but in fy 23 we're fully supporting the marketing budget with recurring tdt dollars.

I

Other big items in this program include the operations at the convention center, which in fy 23 include the uh parking operations that we'll be getting going and then the another large element of the program is our debt service. uh So our first debt service in the program is for the arena: that's 12.7 million and 23 and we'll decline to 10.7 million and fy 27.

I

That debt will be finished in fiscal year, 2029. in fy 23, a big number there, 29.1 million- that is the debt service related to the bonds that we sold in december of 2021.. That 29.1 million dollars will be due annually, starting this year until 2051.

I

us further down we're recurring revenues: that of recurring expenditures. We are programming, seven million dollars annually for our beach projects and then in the out years you can see we're programming funds for maintenance at the convention center uh recurring money for the challenge, grant some capital improvements at our arena and then a reserve for our emergencies at the convention center promised this slide details how we are planning to utilize, the 87.5 million dollars of fund balance uh and fy23. We are programming, 7.9 million for one time, improvements at the convention center.

I

This includes lighting upgrades for the floridian and grand ballrooms, as well as some restroom upgrades too, but most of that one-time fund is used to support various reserves in the program. Those include reserves for the cvb and convention center in arena. If there's any unexpected revenue fluctuations, we also have a maintenance reserve and some other one-time reserves for tdt.

I

Now we'll go into a little bit more detail regarding the beach capital program. As you can see, there is that seven million dollars of recurring tdt. We are programming on the revenue side and this next slide details how that seven million dollars is allocated across to five years. You can see a majority of that. Seven million dollars is going to support port everglades inlet management plan.

I

On the next slide, we provide additional details regarding the reserves. Importantly I'll point out that the the cbb reserve and the convention center reserve those are based on approximately a third of the recommended operating expenses for each of those budgets. Just in case there is a revenue fluctuation that recurring tdt as we projected is not able to support the programs. We do have reserves that we can fall back on. In addition, we have that maintenance reserve for unforeseen emergencies at the convention center and then a big one.

I

That's new in fy23 is that 29.1 million dollar debt reserve for the tdt bonds, that's supported by the bonds that we sold in december and that's required for bond covenants. So that's not requiring tdt it's just. It was supported by those the bonds that we sold.

I

Finally, we're going to touch on some challenges and needs that are competing for our recurring tdt funding, mainly so, we've already talked about the the impact of the pandemic on our tourism sector.

I

We've been, we've had a great recovery, but we are interested in watching what potential long-term impacts there may be good or bad, and we are looking forward to as stacy referred to the return of international travelers and cruise operations as well.

I

Then, of course, this summer there's been a lot of talk about economic uncertainty, so we are factoring that into our program and then the the big item that we're in the budget office are constantly talking about and uh discussing, is that 29.1 million annual debt service that will be due until 2051., uh we'll detail some cost increases and beach renourishment later on. But those prices continue the rise to ensure that our beaches remain beautiful for our guests and residents alike, and then we're also starting to think about future maintenance and capital needs at our arena.

I

So one big element of the project of the program is the convention center expansion. That construction is well underway. You all will recall that the west expansion was completed in october 2021, that portion of the project costed approximately 329 million dollars, and then we have the east expansion, which began construction in december when we were able to sell those uh those bonds. The total estimated cost of that project is 369 million dollars and the east expansion, as well as the hotel which we'll discuss briefly in a moment.

I

Those are estimated completion in summer of 2025., and in case you forgot, we do bring up that 29.1 million dollars annual debt service starting this year and lasting until 2051..

I

So this is what the whole site will look like: a rendering of the completed east and west expansion, as well as the hotel and cvb's new home, and this is what the construction site looked like. As of august 19th of this year, you'd see dirt is being moved. You can start to see some of the elements of the project come together, such as the plaza area, and this is the other view of where the hotel and the future home of cvb will go.

I

But the project is well underway, and this is what the hotel, a rendering of what it will likely look like when the construction of the hotel is completed in summer of 2025.

I

As we stated earlier, that construction began in february of 2022 when we sold the hotel revenue bonds. It's important to note that this project is not supported by tourist development taxes supported and the bonds are supported and backed by future hotel revenues. The total estimated cost of this project is approximately 730 million dollars.

I

Lastly, on the project, we provide an overview of the substantial completion dates. You can see that we've made our way through gmp-3, which was the hotel piles and the estimated completion dates for the construction of the east expansion. The plaza and the hotels is summer 2025.

I

Finally, a big part of our recurring tdt program is, of course, our marketing and advertising promotion budget. uh So we do like to provide some historical context for you all. You can see going back to fiscal year 13 we spent approximately 13 million in marketing and promotions.

I

We reached our pre pandemic high of marketing and fiscal year, 18 at 18.9 million, and then do the cost saving measures we implemented in stacey, implemented in fiscal year 20 and 21 our spending dropped down, but starting fy22 and continuing in fy23s recommended budget. Our recommended marketing budget does exceed our pre-pandemic level of spending and, finally, we'll leave you with a slide that just shows the rising cost of beach renourishment projects. You can see back in 1970 when we renourished pompano beach segment.

I

Two, it was around two million dollars, but in but today those projects are ranging in the 70 million dollar area, and that concludes the presentation. So we will open it up to questions.

B

Thank you so um just for the public, that's watching that that sees this we've this. This was already brought to us at the tdt board. We, which is members of the industry and different appointments from the commission. It was discussed. They went through this. This was unanimously supported the budget by the tdt. They went through in detail the new marketing budget, which was unanimously supported by the tddt as stacy mentioned before when she talked about the sports, there were different breakdowns.

B

I mean events in every part of the county in everyone's county commission district and in every area of the county, north south east west, and it was very well received by the industry and by the tdt board. I'm just mentioning that as a member of the board that was there last week, because I mean you get any minutes already. Yeah I'll start with commissioner bogan who's on the phone.

J

Yeah, I have nothing to add it's hard for me to hear uh you go in and out, but I have nothing to add at this time.

B

Thank you uh is there. Anybody is commissioner ryan on the phone.

C

B

Aware that he is no okay, commissioner, vice mayor fischer, I'm just going to go right down.

D

Yeah, mary, I don't have any questions or comments other than just thank you, stacy for all your hard work and your team, because you have put together an incredible team for really uh when you took over this task and I like the vetting, as you said mayor, the tdt really helps us analyze it as well. So again, no no comment or.

I

Thinking you know.

D

Great budget, great opportunities, senator gallery.

E

First, uh one question the: um is: it only the hotel revenues that are pledged for the bonds? I thought that we had uh put in some additional, not that we hope not to use them, but whether it was county, full faith and credit or tdt, or something to get a lower interest rate and.

I

E

I thought you were saying here that it was only hotel revenues.

C

So george is going to chime in here.

K

So, commissioner, think of the projects as two separate, the tourist development tax revenues are pledged for the eastward and what we already completed the westward expansion right. That's the 29 million annually re paying that debt service on the hotel has a backstop pledge called a covenant to budget appropriation.

K

So that's everything but ad valorem taxes of the general fund that are pledged as a backstop should the net operating income underperform from what was forecast.

E

Yeah, that's what I thought my understanding is based on our projections. We're not expecting that we'll have to do that, but I thought that we did do something to get a lower interest rate.

K

And the structure has two sets of reserve funds, so literally you would have to go through two horrible operating cycles before that cbna pledge became irrelevant.

E

We went over this earlier. I was highly approving of this to get the lower interest rate with the highly unlikely uh event that we would have to do the covenant to pledge. I was just confused because there was any reference in that it was saying, was only the the.

K

Initially, we had planned not to do the tourist development tax bonds until the day after we sold the hotel bonds, but interest.

G

Rates with rising interest.

K

Rates, uh I didn't exactly endear myself to our lawyers and underwriters by pushing eminok or in december, but we obviously benefited significantly from pushing that transaction earlier into the market.

E

You know I just you know uh ms sparrow, I just want to say. I think that the way we've done this was with a good job. I think that we did this appropriately moved when we needed to and stacy again, as I always tell you great job, senator.

B

H

Thank you uh well I'll, add to that just a lot of progress and kind of an amazing recovery. uh So congratulations on that. I just had one question about the beach renourishment and the increase in the project costs, and I don't know I'm trying to figure out. I mean exactly. Why is it is it does it have to do with greater erosion with climate change issues? What is it more difficult uh now than it was in? You know, 1970 71. When we did erosion we did the projects. What is the the reason for this tremendous?

H

I mean this cannot be just inflation. I mean it's not other things.

C

So so I can chime in a little bit on this one as well. So it's a combination of of factors, so, first of all, it costs more the cost of sand and and the uh the moving of it to the right, the right gradation of the sand.

C

It's also a lot of additional environmental impacts and environmental analysis and monitoring that's required, and just all of that is has just exponentially exploded. Quite frankly, so it's it's really. A combination of a multitude of factors.

H

C

E

A lot of that also used to be, we used to get our sand directly offshore and we're out of that stand. So that's why.

C

You have to truck it in right. You got to match the yeah.

B

Thank you seeing nobody else from the commission unless we want to do a round two, I think we're good. Thank you. Thank you uh stacy and team at the cvb and keep up the good work.

C

And so I int just in um senator rich. You know uh dr harada's texting me as you're asking the question too and she said good job. Thank you jennifer, but she says mitigation and truck haul and monitoring is really the largest so yeah. Just what I hit on.

B

Maybe the solid waste working group is going to talk about recycling glass into sand that we could possibly use on the beach. I know that that's so price goes up to 70 billion I'll turn. Look better all right! What's up next monica.

C

All right, so we've got transportation capital program. I don't know if you have had the the pleasure yet to meet uh sanjin zanker, our another program manager in omb, uh so sanjin is going to walk us through uh the transportation capital program.

L

All right, good morning, mayor uh commissioners, um as monica said we're going through transportation, capital uh fiscal year, 23-27 program.

L

On this slide, we like to show the trend in gas taxes that we're seeing so for fiscal year. 23 82.7 million in gas taxes is estimated to be brought in, and that is an increase of about 3.7 percent over what we budgeted for fiscal year 22..

L

As you can see fiscal year 2021, we are trending up compared to pandemic lows. However, we are not to pre-pandemic level such as in fiscal year, 19 83.9 million and for reference our all-time high, 2005 84.1.

L

um So we're we're getting up there. As you know, there are about 14 cents of gas taxes that we collect. uh Two cents of those are constitutional gas taxes generating about 15.9 million. That's primarily has to be spent on road maintenance, the other 12 cents are called local option, gas taxes and those are spent on traffic engineering programs.

L

Some highway bridge maintenance programs and a large portion does get transferred to transit for their operations.

L

Next slide, this is an overview of the total revenue we collect in the program of the five years so that gas tax it equals about 400 million that we collect over the five years, and in this program we have a one-time fund balance of about 66 million that we're spending down over the five years.

L

So this is what it looks like on the expense side. There are 13 bridge, rehab and repair projects that highway bridge maintenance is working on over the next five years, totaling about 56 million.

L

There are other programs total about 66 million, that's resurfacing: sidewalks uh storm water, drainage, those kinds of programs, traffic engineering maintenance has 35 million, budgeted for street lighting uh signs, signalization maintenance, all the great things we see out on the road and there's uh 44 million, set aside for uh operating costs to make those programs work and implement all of that the last line transit operations. This is the total that gets transferred to transit operations um of note the fiscal year.

L

23 amount is still a little lower because they are still projected to spend down some federal funding um in fiscal year. 23 and I'll go over more details on that in a bit.

L

All right so, lastly, uh we like to uh show you some major projects that are currently budgeted um and underway. Wiles road university to riverside uh construction on that project is 50, complete, loxahatchee road. This is an fdot project that we're participating in design is complete and they are planning to start construction next year, flamingo hiatus, greenway project. The design for this is complete and construction scheduled to begin in fiscal year 23..

L

Lastly, convention center bypass road, 38 million dollars currently budgeted designed for this project is 60 complete and that wraps up transportation capital. So we open up for questions.

B

All right, I'm going to start with commissioner bogan on the phone.

B

All right, I'm gonna, come back to commissioner bogan on the phone senator rich. I'm gonna go this way this time.

H

One question on the uh convention bypass road, so the design is 60 complete. So what is the the projection as far as the completion of that and how it dubs fails with the convention center and hotel.

C

I'm going to ask mr tornice to come. Thank you. Thank you.

M

Good morning, everyone thank you for the question. Bye.

H

Pass what was the question the bypass yeah, the bypass road, just it was 60 design complete. I just wanted to know the rejection for completion and conjunction. So that's perfect. Okay,.

M

Okay yeah. Thank you for the question. I appreciate it too, um so the design is 60 complete and by june of 2023 or before the design will be finalized and ready to go out for a bid. So we expect the bypass road to be under construction in early 2024 and complete by late 2025.

M

Which corresponds with.

G

C

Right you're, correct: yes,.

H

Hey, thank you. You're.

C

Welcome I design.

H

Right to sign anything.

C

Else senator richard.

H

Nope, that's it! Thank you. Senator.

B

E

I didn't want to be the only one not to ask about the bypass road. So if you want to repeat what I just said.

H

B

Okay, so that's your question and answered.

J

Mayor mayor, were you addressing me because I didn't hear you.

B

I just wanted to give you the opportunity to speak first, but I'll recognize you now. If you can hear so. Commissioner bogan, you have.

J

No, I I I I have no, I have no, I'm I'm good. I have nothing to add.

B

I have one before I get to vice mayor fisher, so on the lox road project, um because I keep getting emails from parkland leadership on this. They keep asking about their unallocated funds that they have for the next year. So what do we need to do to make sure that we comply, because this is a joint project that we're doing with multiple agencies? We need to make sure that we're putting our portion in and our.

B

How do we do this to make sure that that construction stays on track.

C

Yeah, so we're fully budgeted on that project. So richard you can give an update on where we are on the on your side.

M

Okay uh mayor, I'm sure you're, aware too that the costs have gone up significantly and there's a shortfall so right. That's.

B

What they keep emailing yeah, oh yeah,.

M

And it's significant so uh we're what dlt is looking at, because we asked them to do this and we said hey how much of the roadway improvements can you build starting from the east going to the west? We need to make with the budget we currently have and then from there we can make a decision.

M

You know with county and city of parkland to see if, if it makes sense to build that first, because this project is going to take around two and a half years to construct, so there could be funding that could be found later on for a small western portion of the you know that goes out to the levy, so we're we're trying to work with them. We're waiting for their their cost estimate, um also update and plus, how far west can it go with the improvements.

B

Okay, so, as I understand this, and I'm no expert on it- because it's all very confusing but parkland in their surtax dollars in in the next year, has a pot of dollars that they would be able to use in an upcoming year. Can those dollars be moved forward and fronted so that they can all I want to it's? Okay, if you're doing it the way you're doing it.

B

I just want to make sure that this project stays on track because the public it covers two commission districts, the public's, been waiting for it for a long time and it's a very dangerous road.

M

Absolutely actually we um we, we asked the dot to not uh push. The schedule too far into 2023 it looks like in march, is when they were gonna, let the project, uh but as far as the funding from- and this is really more of a map administration issue with the um with the funding coming from the surtax.

M

um That would be a gretchen cassini question there, but I do think that the amount of monies that would be needed to complete the project could be asked for in the surtax program at a following year. Since the construction is going to be going up for two and a half years, there's a great opportunity to do that, and and if they're public it will look like the project is continually being constructed at one time which it would be as one and a significant portion of it.

M

Really, we think is important, is from from the east going to the west.

B

So I see ms cassini here is that correct what their, what as that's being presented.

C

You can commit, and, and so what I was going to suggest and when I, when I mentioned that we were fully funded the county side of that project.

F

I

C

Just to clarify- and so it's something that we're going to need to look at but gretchen, please chime in on that particular project.

N

Sure, with respect to the city's portion of funding you all um so they had design and construction for the project, they didn't need the design they converted the design to construction and then they were fully funded and they were able to access the funding for so that we could enter into the um the local funding agreement.

N

So this city brought their funding to that local funding agreement, which you all acted upon. I believe in april right, so they have access to the funding or we would not have been able to execute that agreement.

B

So as you're as you're aware, they're able to start this project now they're able to work on the schedule that mr torney says and nothing's slowing down.

N

Absolutely and there's no additional funding for the project in a future year that I uh that I'm aware of I mean with.

B

All they're saying that the costs have gone up so much that they want to take their next year's, what they would take from the sur tax dollars and front load it possibly to get these.

N

There is no additional funding in a future year, for the project is what I'm saying they. It is fully funded. Okay, that's how we got to the local local funding agreement. Now the original amount that they were awarded for this project from the surtax, just the city's portion for their portion of the project.

N

When the agreement was when the when fdot provided cost estimates for delivering the project, the amount that the city had to contribute was a little bit less than what their total award was, and that may be what they're referencing.

N

So, yes, they would be able to request cost escalation, as it is a construction phase project. So they would be eligible to request that, under certain circumstances, which I believe have been met here, okay,.

B

Great so then, based on what you and what mr tornice is saying, people should start seeing construction there, maybe in march or april of the upcoming year.

B

Okay thanks, and can you copy me on that, so I can send it to parkland or just copy them direct, so they have it. Thank you. That's my only question. Vice mayor, mr bypass, um any other comments from the city from the county commission.

B

C

Right along so thank you and and um thank you, uh miss cassini, so.

B

Gretchen yep.

C

So moving on the next presentation, you've got is in fact surtax. So it's a great segue um and we've got sanjin uh again and uh gretchen that are gonna to take on this portion of the presentation.

L

Thank you monica uh so we'll go over 23-27 recommended surtax program, so we just spent some time talking about gas taxes, that's programmed for the maintenance of our roadway network, surtax programmed for enhancing and expanding our roadway network and, of course, going towards mobility options, including transit overall based on current economic activity.

L

We are seeing a increase in revenue in 23, so I'll go over more detail on that in a couple slides, but first I'll turn it over to gretchen cassini. To talk about the oversight board, which met august 17th and the 19th.

N

Thank you so much sanjin and nice to see you mayor vice mayor and commissioners. The.

G

N

Board for the transportation surtax reviews, the county's surtax funded projects proposed projects and proposed expenditures annually. In august they had their workshop on the 17th, and then they took action on several required items on the 19th.

N

With respect to the fiscal year 2023 budget they overs they approved as eligible a little under 378 million in the following categories, and as you can see there, we break it up into transit, capital, transit ways, capital transit infrastructure, regional transportation, capital out of which commuter rail requests come 49.1 million in a transfer, and I think you're going to be speaking to this in a few minutes senjin. This is for the transit operating and that's significantly less than had been projected as a result of federal stimulus funding that is still available in 2023.

N

We also have a breakdown of each type of municipal appropriation, so the municipal community shuttle existing program, 16 million dollars 31 for municipal projects, that's both capital and rehabilitation and maintenance projects, 5.7 million in support of services, which I think we detail on the next slide and then 71.7 in public works capital.

N

So, a little bit more of a breakdown there, what transit way, how transit ways is defined is that that high capacity premium transit? Mr garland, can speak to. If you have any questions in that area, that's where the primo study would reside. We have the 126 million for a downtown transit intermodal facility and there are a little more than 199 million being requested in 2023 for transit vehicle purchases, including the paratransit program's, propane conversions.

N

We have 472.7 in transit infrastructure, that's both the public facing customer facilities, shelters, stops land acquisitions, etc. Then 486. Oh I'm! Sorry! This is the five-year plan. I apologize 486.5 million over the five-year plan in transit operating. You can see that that's going up again as a result of the stimulus funding being reduced.

N

We have 337.9 million for public works in roadways, bridges, congestion management, types of projects, 27.3 million in that supportive services category, and that consists of the surtax legal team and county auditor program management map, administration and oespd surtax, and one public works staff person, 84.1 million for the community shuttle program and 152.9 million for municipal projects.

L

Thank you, gretchen all right, so, uh sir tax revenue, um as you know, it's based on the one percent sales tax that was passed uh in 2018 and and what you see here. We base our estimates on the state of florida's local government financial handbook um that they prepare and we apply 2.7 revenue inflator uh so for fiscal years, 23 through 27.

L

What we're seeing is that we're recovering from pandemic lows and actually catching up and exceeding pre-pandemic forecasts. uh However, this being sales tax, there is a level of uncertainty moving forward with the economy. So uh just keep that in mind.

L

uh Gretchen went over some details of you know the program, so this is a high level. Look at what the total five year looks like so in terms of surtax sales revenue that we receive, we budget it at 95 per state statute. It's about 2.19 billion. Over the five years there is 723.5 million budgeted for non-local funding. That's uh federal state grants that are, you know, budgeted to support major transit way projects in the five-year program.

L

There's a one-time fund balance of approximately 580 million, and that's mostly made up of previous reserves.

L

So that's what the revenue side looks like on the expense side, it's supporting a total of 1.76 billion in transit capital uh that that number includes the non-local portion.

L

So it's about 1 billion in surtax revenue supporting that three-quarters of a billion non-local public works, 338 million. You know this is going towards road capacity. Expansion, fiber optics.

L

The municipal program is a total of 237.1 million uh I'll go over a little bit more of a breakdown in the next slide. On that one we do have the downtown transit intermodal still budgeted, for whatever plans may come up for a government center replacement facility. So we still have that ready.

L

The operating line, gretchen kind of went through the details of that, but I have a bit more of a breakdown on the next slide: transits operating transfer. This includes the new micro transit and late shift, connect program that came up earlier, so those are funded regional transportation.

L

This is budgeted for any initiatives that may come up, such as the pat salerno sawgrass interchange. This could also fund other major projects, including the port to port connector.

L

Right right, so, together with the next next line uh reserves, you know major projects that can come up: port to port connector. Intermodal center commuter rail as you've already approved airport, otherwise transit other transaway initiatives.

L

Last slide we break down the recurring costs. The surtax program supports, so this isn't one-time capital. This is you know, recurring basis. um As you can see, the first line map admin other operating. This is the supportive services we referenced they're budgeted to incrementally increase over the five years. uh The transit transfer is budgeted at 49.2 million in fiscal year 23..

L

It is budgeted to jump up to 95.9 million in fiscal year 24. That's because we're still spending down federal funding in fiscal year 23.

L

So, as you can see, the you know level moving forward, 24 25 and beyond the last four lines there make up the total of municipal projects and community shuttle to note the first three years for municipal projects, 23-25 those amounts exceed the 10 calculation, um and this was done to get through the big first list of projects that was submitted, uh make sure we can get through that in the program fiscal year 26 and through 27, as budgeted at the 10 level, and uh community shuttle budgeted to incrementally increase over the five-year program.

L

And that concludes the presentation open up for questions.

B

Thank you, commissioner. Bogan.

B

I'll come back to him vice mayor fischer, I don't have any questions. Senator geller.

E

I had a uh lunch with where I invited all my city, commissioners, managers and attorneys, and one of the big questions was surtax and gretchen cassini was there and was able to answer all of them. I just wanted to thank gretchen for you've gone to a lot of outreach functions, and I appreciate that.

H

Senator rich, it's an understatement, outreach function, she's gone to. Thank you. um I just want to one thing: is I'd like to clarify with the municipal community shuttles. So where are we in terms of you know how many cities are actually uh connected to this uh with with our funding? And you know what is the the future.

N

Certainly, you know I'll have tim come up as well, there are 18 existing um community shuttle uh communities and then there were, there are two in the expansion program in 2023 and one is for plantation um tim go.

C

Ahead yep, I was just gonna ask tim to come join us. Thank you.

O

Yeah good morning yeah, so so gretchen summarized that so we've actually started to get some system expansion. Now we were kind of delayed a little bit with the pandemic, but now we've got a couple of municipalities coming back into the program.

H

Okay and how do you see in terms of reaching all cities who would like to have this.

O

Well at this point, um uh it is uh cities under the surtax income and apply for new services. So, as cities apply, then we assess what their service requests are and see if the systems kind of make sense, and then we bring it to the surtax board to include so you know the the monies are available. The projects have to make sense. They have to be. You know, good projects. I do think as we as we look to the long term.

O

um You know there are opportunities with a micro, transit, etc for some of the lower density areas, maybe to create some more connectivity. So so I look forward to that in the future that there may be more opportunities.

H

Okay, thank you and then I just had a question about the uh interchange at I-75 uh and the arena sunrise area there. Where are we on that?.

C

So we are, um I think, coming soon to an agenda. um I have an um I'm waiting on sunrise to um have that the item on their agenda for um transfer of pat salerno drive. That's part of the conversation with f dot, so everything's aligned we're ready to go. I think we're just waiting on a couple of eyes being dotted and t's crossed, so we're very close on that and.

H

And and where what's the funding where's the funding coming from multiple sources? What what you just explained, yep.

L

Yes, so the uh regional transportation line um that that's where the funding is coming from. So we we have some allocated and some was spent already. But uh you know once once the items come through. It's ready to go.

B

Thank you. My comments are. Thank you good job keep extra reserves because I'm not positive about the revenue estimations in the future, and I see that you have large reserves here, but I think that we may see just like stacy had said with the tourism dollars. I think sales tax may be a little bumpy over the next few years, but good job. Thank you. Thank you.

C

Thank you. Thank you all right, so at this point we were prepared to go into shade, but we're not, I think, since we're moving well on time, I'd like to go ahead and tackle the general capital um discussion, we're.

B

Moving well ahead of time, we're not.

C

Moving well on.

B

Time if we were on time, we'd be going into shade we're doing ahead of time.

C

Okay, ahead and under budget is that over.

B

Promised and under delivery there you go thank.

C

You all right, jennifer, you want to switch. Are you good? Okay? We.

B

Are moving into general capital.

D

All right, yes,.

C

All right so now I'm going to have you look over to my right, jennifer steelman, our assistant budget director, is going to take this next portion.

P

All right good morning, mayor vice mayor and commissioners, I'm going to do an overview of the fiscal year 23 to 27 general capital program.

P

A general capital program includes funding for maintenance and construction of facilities that are generally supported. Those are facilities such as libraries parks, public safety facilities and judicial facilities.

P

We have some underlying premises on how we made our recommendations for the five-year program, so we currently have a capital asset, valued at over 2.8 billion for all of our generally funded facilities. We are proposing to have facility maintenance and repairs of about 22 million annually over the five-year program to keep up with these facilities.

P

We need to continue our efforts to incrementally increase this amount due to our aging facilities and replacement facilities coming online. Some of our major renovation projects are listed below that we have programmed in the five-year plan.

P

We have recurring revenues that fund the general capital program. Our primary source of revenue, as you know, is property taxes. Our estimate is starting in fiscal year, 23 at around 59 million and incrementally growing up to 75 million in fiscal year 27 we are using the state of florida, edr property tax forecast estimate, and this is something we look at annually and will adjust. Accordingly.

P

We also have interest income and sale of surplus equipment. The sale of surplus equipment supports new fleet purchases for our general government agencies on this chart. Here we have our general capital, millage rate and tax levy history from fiscal year 06 out to fiscal year, 27 proposed.

P

We also have one-time revenue that supports the general capital program. We have future revenue sources to be determined or three major government replacements. They are the government center, the emergency operations center campus and the south regional courthouse.

P

We also have fund balance of 65 million dollars, which is one time that we have allocated to projects in fiscal year 23.. We have transfers from other funds of 25 million dollars from the general fund. This is our estimate at this point in time on the one-time dollars that will be remaining in the general fund at the close of this fiscal year that will put towards one-time capital projects next year on this chart. Here we have our major county replacement facility financing needs, so we have paygo when available.

P

That is the heart of the general capital program. Historically, where we'll save up one-time dollars to allocate for one-time major capital replacements, we're anticipating issuing some bonds for a capital project, as well as some future revenue sources to be determined.

P

Our most significant fiscal year, 23 proposed projects are 32 million of additional funding for the soe facility, 8.5 million in additional funding for the property appraiser vab facility.

P

We have 2.8 million in additional dollars of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, 30 million in additional funding for the east wing renovation project and 14.2 million for the maine jail exterior glazing project.

P

This slide. Here we have our recommendation on the fiscal year 23 budget for public art for the following agencies: aviation, water and wastewater port, everglades, the broward municipal services district and the general capital program.

P

And lastly, we have our summary of the four-year program fiscal year. 24-27 some highlights of significant projects on this chart, and that concludes the presentation.

B

Thank you vice mayor fisher.

D

Just one quick question mayor um on the sale of surplus equipment: how what methodology are we using to sell that is that through auction.

B

Fisher auctioneer is.

D

That, okay, are you available all done through the auction process? Correct, correct.

P

Fleet fleet auctions be able to.

D

Purchase back taxpayers thanks. Thank you just for the record. Thank you. You're welcome.

B

Senator geller.

E

If I can ask you to turn to page seven of your presentation- and this is not the first time- I've asked this question, but um I do have you know a concern which I've had for some time about the difference between the 905 million dollars, 906 in estimated need and the 271 million uh available by pago, even assuming that we do another 211 million dollars and um on the 211 million or the forensic science center.

E

um How would that be? I mean? Is there any revenue that would come from the forensic science center from state or other sources that would go to pay down that debt, or is that 211 million dollars just an additional uh thing that the taxpayers of broward will be paying for.

C

So so the lion's share would be from our side of the equation. However, um we are and have continued to have that as a legislative priority for appropriation requests in the state uh for the crime. Yes,.

E

We're from the wrong county with the wrong governor to get that um all right, so that's 211, would actually also be coming from our uh our sources. I'm obviously highly concerned about the 423.7 million of well. We don't know where we'll get it from, but we'll try and find it somewhere.

E

That's normally something that alarms people writing budgets. Did you have any comment on that before I move on.

P

I just wanted to comment on the 211 million in the general fund. We have been saving up for a future debt service for major major capital replacement facilities, so we'll be looking to use those appropriation dollars to pay for the debt service for that facility and moving forward on the south regional courthouse, the eoc and the government center replacement. We would come forth with a financing proposal plan to the commission on how we would fund these projects and the the time frame of those.

C

And that- and let me um add, on to what jennifer's uh explaining so that is, as you know, this is you know a big puzzle right. So it's going to be the the domino effect of of when we're going to lay out some of these projects, so we're looking at that and the timing of such so that we will bring forward a financing proposal at the appropriate time when we're ready to move forward on each of these projects.

E

I'm so concerned, particularly when we look at the estimated cost of the government center replacement at 50 million I under 60.. I understand that just the placeholder, it's very clear.

C

This is design money.

E

I I understand, but we've been led to believe that it will probably be about 500 million more than the 60 give or take. You know, as they say close enough for government work. um Okay, just you're shaking your head, but so I'm looking at a total estimated cap capital facilities, replacement, needs of give or take a milli, a billion four hundred million, and that we think we can pay for roughly 270 million of it. So we're a billion one and a half billion too short.

C

Well, you know what you, what you've um very clearly identified is the pay go. That's the cash financing portion of the capital program of these major replacement facilities. So um you know just again to reiterate that is: we have historically used a lot of cash and that is a more efficient and economical way to to move forward on our capital program. But we will have these proposals coming forward in the order that we're planning to to roll them out and have those discussions underwater.

E

And those will have to be bonded and and which is also the same taxpayer dollars I mean pay, go with at least avoids some of the debt.

C

E

Right um the I just want to comment what I have said before uh my philosophy, which we had discussed on spending, which is you know, we sometimes have temporary periods of surplus and then we have temporary periods of deficit depend. You know, I can't tell you what's going to happen in next year or five years, but I can guarantee that we will have good times and bad times, and that's why I have repeatedly said during the good times I want reserves, but the other thing I want done with those or I'm ambivalent.

E

On these, when we have the good times they should be going towards either building reserves or towards our capital, replacement or capital dollars. That's what we do when we have temporary good times norm. I have one last question which is really for you. You know the chart you do for me every year. Have you finished it for this year?

E

Oh, I haven't seen it.

Q

We it last week but I'll get you.

E

Okay um and the reason I'm saying that is again, as I pointed out, because I was in government in the legislature during the great recession um that we have never government revenue has never recovered from the great recession. If you look at cities or county spending, you do that as a percentage.

E

No, thank you. Okay, okay,.

G

E

Thank you, you can have this back all.

I

E

Thank you, uh and this is important thing yeah. You know the um bso uh we've tried to hold. You know: law enforcement as harmless as we can they've only taken a 9.8 percent hit when you add in pop inflation and population increase and which does alarm because and their bso continues each and every year to take a higher percentage of our total budget.

E

um If we keep this up, eventually they'll be at 105 percent of our budget. uh No, not really, but I know, but but you get the idea if the numbers continue.

E

The single uh government entity that has taken the biggest hit is the county commission and our county agencies, which are down 21.2 percent since 2007, which was the last year before the great recession. uh Again, when uh factoring in inflation and population growth. So you know, we've taken a huge hit and which we have never recovered from, and I just wanted to say this, because most people don't understand this, but we have, and that has severely impacted our ability to deal with the issues we're supposed to be dealing with social services, affordable housing.

E

All of the issues that the county should be spending money on, we have never recovered from the great recession. That's all. Thank you.

B

Thank you. Senator senator rich.

H

G

H

Won't reiterate what my colleague has said, except to say that it is, the impact is most heavily felt on human services, and we have got to continue to. You, know, try and bring that number down and fund more and we'll see that as we go through the general fund. There'll be a lot of issues here. um I I just have a question about the forensic science center. What is happening with that?

H

C

The last uh time we gathered to discuss that the board- um you guys had directed me to look at some alternatives. I've had a couple of options that I thought might be viable. Everything has has turned out not to be a viable option, so I still have got feelers out. I've got a couple other things that might be possible, so I've got our teams looking into a couple of parcels around the county, but it's not. I still don't have anything, and so I haven't brought that back to the board. Yet.

H

Well, I I just feel like we need to try and move ahead with this. We talked about how urgent it was, how much the need was, and you know, just kind of not finding an answer at this point. I guess, but I think we need to you, know, try and ramp that up as quickly as we can.

B

Any shot with that partnering with neighboring counties palm beach or miami-dade and doing something I get it. There could be a little more travel time for the state attorney's office. But you know when you're looking at a 270, something million dollar building.

C

Well right so we're looking what we've got is about 211, but I think it's up to about 234 now, um but but the the challenge here is that it's not just the the state attorney and that the crime lab portion, but it's our medical examiner component as well. So um I think you know partnering with our neighboring counties on that initiative is, is not something that I think is very feasible from their perspectives as well.

C

It certainly probably would work for us because we're in the middle, but I don't know that they would choose to you- know, transfer their operations or that type of function to to us.

H

My understanding was also that we needed it to be close somewhat close to the courthouse that.

C

Is one of the other factors as well um and the location challenge that I've got um because right now I think it's about seven miles um from the where, where they have to travel from the medical um office to the courthouse, but the the bso crime lab portion is in the courthouse so but they're outgrowing. That and so that's the challenge of trying to find the synergies to to co-locate and have that forensic science center component, all in one location and still accommodate and accomplish the travel component.

C

That's that's uh necessary and important to um the judges in the state attorney's office. I.

B

Understand the challenges, but if we don't have the money we don't have the money. So just something to think about.

C

It's it's more of an issue of the property at the moment.

B

Got it? Thank you other comments. Moving right along.

C

So with that, I would um like to um suggest we move to the shade portion. I just need a few minutes to kind of are.

B

We okay with doing that a little bit early. Yes, you can.

R

Yes, you can do the shade earlier.

B

So we're going to do the shade meeting at 11 25 that gives you 10 minutes. 12 minutes.

C

Clear the off the.

B

C

Tape, the windows and all of that stuff, we'll.

B

Go into lockdown mode and be back at 11 25., so it's just yep extremely special people only well yeah.

R

And mayor just for the the public just for the the last piece of the workshop is there a projected time to restart maybe.

C

Maybe I don't know.

R

C

Minutes after we begin maybe.

B

Depending so why don't we say why don't we say we're going to do this one at a at 11 25 and then we're going to come back at 12, 15, 12, 15.

C

Yeah, that's a good projection.

R

Yeah, it's okay, but we don't want to store it okay, so we won't.

C

Start the general fund conversation until 12 15.

B

Perfect. Okay, thank you. Thank you.

E

By the way, there's an article that's been sent out.

H

Today, about yeah.

E

Two goodbye.

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

G

G

G

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

G

G

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

A

B

B

B

We're gonna get uh commissioner bogan back on the line, but while we get commissioner bogan back on the line monica, we did such an excellent job this year with our budget, and I know that it's mostly our budget staff that does all the work, and I see that we have them here today. So I want I wanted to give you a minute to recognize our team in the budget department who is here today to let us run through this, so you have at it. Thank.

C

You, you must have read my mind mayor, so I'd like to ask our budget team to stand up.

C

So so these are the masterminds behind all the numbers that you get to hear and you hear us up here smooth talking, but these are the people that do all the work. So I just wanted to recognize that.

B

C

In addition, I hope norm and jennifer stood up because yeah, I think I monopolized their time more than their own families. So.

B

They're so good we're not giving their names out because we don't want palm beach in miami-dade.

C

But but thank you thank you mayor, because um yeah this is um like you guys hear me. uh I I love this time of year. um I think you know those of us that are our budgeteers at heart. This is the this is the meat and potatoes that we look forward to because it's a puzzle- and we get like to you- know, figure this out and propose responsible budgets to you all.

C

So, thank you all for your assistance and with that we're going to now bring forward the general fund portion of this discussion um and you've got none other than our norman foster budget director to lead us through this portion.

B

This is the big one, so we have normal.

Q

Here, oh you think that's it does that make a difference.

G

Q

You there we go as in all things. I will do some talking, but all the answers will come from either jennifer or the county administrator.

Q

uh I apologize the the most important thing, of course, is always on the first slide. Is the two public hearings will be on september, 8th and september 20th 501 pm, and they will be expertly led by the mayor reading, through a very long series of state required items general fund. We just want to give you an update on this is mostly patterned on what we talked to about in june.

Q

The updates. Since then the property appraiser did update the tax roll on july 1st. It was a little bit better than we expected and I'll talk later about. What's in the budget, with those extra dollars for non-property tax revenues, we've talked quite a bit about this retail sales and and tdt are doing well for now, but there's some uncertainty about whether or not people are still spending some of the federal aid and there's a bit of a bubble going on. But you guys read all the newspapers as well.

Q

The enterprise agencies are doing particularly well, which is very encouraging, and again it's just you know: will they settle down to a sustainable level um at the states level, their their collections have been doing very well. um We all continue to try to read this.

K

You have not entered any numbers, please.

Q

Oh, that must be a budget message.

Q

We all continue to try to read the tea leaves regarding inflation supply chain. The stock market changes on a weekly basis, um interest rates, it looks like the federal reserve chair seemed to indicate there could be some more interest rate action in the next few months.

Q

So it's a little hard to know exactly where we're going on that and, of course, there's a major war. That's affecting food across the world.

Q

In terms of the actual numbers, um the july first numbers, uh the certified role came in about 10.74.

Q

Last time we gave you the update for june was about a percent less than that, so we kind of planned for um some vab activity that will happen. They'll probably will have an impact of one percent, but it's around 10 percent increase of the certified role and, as you all know, we have we can budget 95 percent of that per state law.

Q

The distribution of the millage rate um we're proposing the same total millage rate, which has been, I think, true of several years now, which is the 5.6690, and it's made up of the components shown above shown below the amount that we are projecting to come in with the july. 1St roll is about 1.392 billion to the general fund, and it's made up of the general funds, slash capital outlay and the voted debt service.

Q

I know there's always interest each year on the cra payments, so we've updated the 2023 column. This is based on the july 1st property appraiser and we make those payments in december.

Q

The actual payments in december will be slightly different than this because they're based on the october 1st property appraiser numbers, but they total at this point about 57.384 million dollars from the general fund.

Q

um There's not much update on this chart.

Q

This is the split between what we used to get or what we used to pay for cra and what we've had a debate about each year since between affordable housing and broward redevelopment or on economic development, and so the amount is about 9 million and two thousand dollars, and it's really based on the difference between what we were paying for pompano and fort lauderdale beach back in 20 versus what the agreements show and as we look out over the next decade, or so, we don't have a increased forecast for each of the cras.

Q

But this is kind of what the numbers look like as the cras roll off for the next couple years. It's about that nine million dollar level based on the settlements and then there'll be a few that will terminate in 2627 and a few more after 28.

Q

But that's how much would be kind of left from the expired crash.

Q

Turning now to the fy 23 county, administrator's recommended budget we're going to go through the same order we did in june, which is just give you an update on the board items, an update on the other priority items that were discussed back then and then a summary of the constitutional officers. Most of what we presented in june was in the budget. There's a few small changes.

Q

So there's no real big surprises here: regional communications. As you remember, you made a decision to change some salary levels and funding, so the annualized amount for that is in the recommended budget for bso for next year. Legal aid for immigration that amount the 150 000 is in for that living wage. I think the county administrator will give you some an update on that: affordable housing, the nine million dollars I just spoke about about eight millions recommended of that for affordable housing, one for economic development and then an additional six million from general funds.

Q

So the total for affordable housing is 14..

Q

The homeless, north hack issue, we're working with the affected parties and there's some land. That's going to be exchanged and some preparation of that land will be involved, but it'll use other funds so that project's moving forward.

Q

The paint program that was discussed, solid waste will be doing some distribution activities in.

R

Q

In cooperation with parks and doesn't need any extra money, cultural grants, I think there's still discussions going on regarding paca and the three affected parties: the partners to that funding. Discussion.

Q

Film incentives, I think, has a sufficient money for 23 at this point, with the roll forward that we're anticipating and then we talked about some commissioners brought up um adjusting the millage rate or establishing reserves, and so the county administrator's recommended budget has that reserve amount. We talked about 11.77 million added a specific reserve, and then I mentioned the the property. Appraiser gave us about 10 million more with the july 1st, and so that has been added to a reserve for future debt service for county buildings per that discussion. We had this morning.

Q

We did, we did it. We did already have 10 million dollars for debt service for county buildings, which is why we were able to say the 200 million bonding that we talked about this morning does have a funding stream, the county administrators added another 10 million. So we will have 20 million dollars in this budget for future debt service. For some of those buildings we talked about.

Q

Well, this would be to support financing this would this would be to allow us to borrow against.

C

Them, but if I can clarify also so it is to support the financing. However, in absence of that financing being issued or needing to be issued, yet then that is money that is available for pago.

G

B

So, instead of really the 11.77 in reserves based on this particular tax and budget year, it's really 21 million 77 in reserves.

C

Of new reserves.

B

New reserves that have come from rather than reducing the millage rate taking those dollars and just putting it there for the rainy day, that's going to come next year or the year after, when these property values don't keep coming up. So so we don't have to then raise the millage rate into a downturn, because we put these dollars away during the good times, because.

R

B

Didn't do that then I was going to be calling for, like I'd said in my thing, a millage rate reduction, but I know the votes aren't there for that. So I'm I'm happy to at least see that that's how county administration is handling it.

Q

The other priority items we've got a couple of sheets of these. I think they're, mostly the same of what you saw and so they're they're, mostly they were in june. We were talking about, they would be in. It was a matter of getting the amount discussed and so they're, mostly in the homeless service, homeless, service consolidation. There's a new division proposed in human services.

Q

There's some funds added to the elderly housing first initiative.

Q

There's some exp there's some positions added to expand service at nancy, j, cotterman to a more 24 7 operation and there's some particular positions added at specific park sites to improve service to the to the public.

Q

On the second sheet, there's some funding um for the big uh 14th annual southeast florida, regional climate leadership summit, which I think lenny and dr jennifer would say, wants to just remind everyone to go to it'll, be a great it'll, be a great event coming up and there's some gi. There's some funding for some additional gis staff to help a whole bunch of agencies, since mapping is sort of integral to everything that people do at the bottom.

Q

We're adding some money and we'll add some additional money even to this in the third supplemental, we're doing some more money for ets to keep working on the endless task of keeping our computers secure, because it is a threat that is 24 7 every day of the year constitutional officers.

Q

Just to summarize the requests and what's in the recommended budget, as you'll recall, the sheriff asked for about 41 million dollars of just a normal budget increase and also additional positions, and in the discussions you had, there was also the the next line: the bso dispatch, which was for the compensation adjustment for dispatch which took up 11., 11.5 million dollars and then bso communicated with us that, even though you had indicated you wanted to add 11 and a half to dispatch, they still were requesting. Another 5 million. On top of that.

Q

So, what's in the recommended budget is the the underlying increase, but not the new positions in bso generally and the dispatch increase that you um decided earlier in may, but not the additional amount supervisor and property appraiser are in at the request that they made.

Q

Trying to summarize the whole chart, this is a little bit more complicated than the one we showed you in june, but it's similar the property tax on the revenue side on the left year over year, property tax is about 126 million higher than last year. It was about 116 when we talked to in june, so that's that extra 10 million that the property appraiser did in july and then all other revenues is about 14 million, so it adds about 140.

Q

Last time we talked about 130., uh we also have some. Oh, I apologize. Let's try again, click the wrong button.

Q

We also have some one-time funding that you appropriated in 22 that we're carrying forward to pay some interest on one of the borrowings we talked about earlier, so it's just a technical thing that we're bringing forward some money to pay the first year debt service. So it's not really recurring revenue. So on the spending side, um the constitutional officers year over year.

Q

The change is about 56.5 million, and then this includes the sheriff and the the amount for the dispatch contract, as well as the um property, appraiser and um and supervisor of elections on county agencies. It's about a 38 million dollar increase and then some things that are not one of the other, such as cra payments. They total about 23 million, and then we added to reserve as the mayor so expertly calculated earlier, is the 21.8 million. So he knew that he knew rounded.

Q

He would make a good budget analyst doesn't believe in rounding and then the 22.5 of one-time money that we're carrying forward is paying for the first year debt interest. So that's kind of how it shakes out a few adjustments. We do have a few adjustments since the recommended budget and there will be one or two small ones within funds that will come in the materials you'll see for the public hearings, but these are the major ones.

Q

If you remember last year, the clerk of courts came and asked you for some stabilization funding for their operation mainly focused on I.t, and you gave them appropriation of 3.4 million dollars, so they have asked that they anticipate they will not spend 1.3 of it in this fiscal year and they would like the 1.3 million reappropriated in the 23 budget, and this is separate than the the agreement we have with them to share the recording revenue.

Q

This is the one-time money, human services there's some additional dollars in for a grant match, and this the community health center's got some more state money, and so we need some more match to that. Public communications is making a small change, some of their call, taking positions they just like to convert them from part-time. What we call part-time 19 positions to part-time 20s, which has benefits, and so it just makes it a little bit more attractive.

Q

Their workload kind of goes up and down during the day, so they like having part-time positions but they're having a tough time in this job market keeping call takers.

Q

I think some of you may be aware resilient environment managers for the county, the annual dues for the south florida regional planning, council, and so I think, there's a proposed change of 45 000 a year in our dues, subject to all the parties agreeing to it and we're assuming that that will happen. So that's just a small change and then we are adding a new manager to serve the whole county, a diversity, equity inclusion manager in fasd and then there's a small thing.

Q

We just had some discussions with bso and there was some confusion going on we're, not quite sure yet exactly, but um someone had been paying for the subpoena postage for the state's attorney's office in a different budget than the state's attorney, and so we're just putting that right by giving the budget to the state's attorneys um the broader economic environment. I think none of this is news to any of you.

Q

How housing is still sort of strange to try to figure out where it's going? Prices are strong, but there clearly is weakening mortgage demand in some ways because of the already interest rates increases and potentially some more inflation continues to be high. At this point, gas seems to be coming down a little bit, but even that's hard to tell rents the the new rents for people over the last year have been going up.

Q

What we might see in the next six to 12 months is sort of average rents being dragged up and those are kind of what's in the the price index. So we'll have to watch carefully how the cpi changes.

Q

I already mentioned state of florida they're doing pretty well in their sales tax. But again the question is: is it sustainable uh federal reserve looks like there may be some more interest rates or not coming an unemployment. The thing that's weird about the job market by some measures. It's it's very, very strong. There's a there's right now: there's two openings for every person, that's unemployed, which is way above what it was even in the strong economies of the 90s or before the pandemic.

Q

But still there seems to be people not in the right place or in the right occupation to to make their their personal finances work.

Q

And then, as the mayor said, and we added at the bottom just for the mayor, we did add reserves um to combat against uncertainty. um We heard that message loud and clear, so I guess the next two steps are again the the two public hearings which will be on 501 on the 8th and the 20th and the county administrator and uh the assistant budget director will stand for questions.

C

You're not off the hook that easily okay.

B

I'm going to start with commissioner ryan and just work the way around and then we'll go into round two or three or four or whatever.

S

um Norm, you've been around long enough to know that I generally will, when we go over.

S

The uh general fund overview speak a little bit about capital budget, and um you know in years past, especially going back to when I first started around 2012 I mean we were putting such a small amount of money into our our capital program annually and we've begun to try to put in a little bit more, which I guess is like capital reserve, and I've always felt that this is a um a good pattern to have in our in our surplus years, because inevitably I mean we do have a recession um that I you know.

S

I think a lot of the uh um folks in um at the fed and and other you know, kind of learned persons are are speaking about this inevitable recession.

S

So um since we can't deficit, spend you know, and um in the past I think what we've done is: we've moved money out of capital and kind of moved it into operating in the very lean years and um yeah.

Q

Commissioner, what.

S

Is our capital reserve? You know what are we looking at now? As far as um you know, what uh what we have um you know available in in these kind of circumstances, I mean you place it in certain accounts, but you know it's moved around as necessary. Right.

Q

Right, commissioner, tell us the status right. I think this is the history you're thinking about this is how much we're putting directly into cash funded capital. So back in fiscal six, the far right column was about 40 million a year, but as we went into the recession, we could only afford about 8 million at the low point and so every year since then we have been rebuilding it. So in this budget we're proposing the green line to be about 59 million, and so it is for that very reason that you do bring up that.

Q

We need to make sure we maintain the buildings we have as much as we look to adding to them to serve.

S

The public so, and so you really are expecting it to be uh going up in the next three or four years.

Q

Those next three or four years come from the state forecast of what they expect: our property tax levels to increase it's about five or six percent a year, uh and so we're just anticipating that the board will continue this path. We've been on for a decade, um so this is sort of making sure we set aside current dollars to maintain buildings as well as we're thinking about how to finance new ones, but we're very focused on this.

S

Yeah so then it seems that I mean, as you have moved, uh for less and less. You know millage on the debt service that you've just kind of converted that corresponding uh decrease in the debt service over into capital. That that's that's the pattern.

Q

While keeping the mil the total millage that the board levies flat- yes, okay,.

S

B

Thank you, sir. Vice mayor fisher.

D

Thank you mayor. I want to go back to page 11.

D

G

D

It was briefly mentioned norm in the cultural grants for paca. I know ponca had come forward and asked for capital improvements to to the center, and I know there's a tri-party agreement with the city of florida and so forth, and it was about a million dollars a year, so I'm I'm just. I know that we don't have anything this year. I know that bill worked hard for them.

D

This year, unfortunately, couldn't put it in the in the uh the budget, but I just want to make it known for next year that I want the staff to look really hard and fill up to work working hard to get those capital improvement dollars to them, because I think it's a huge economic engine for us uh in broward county. So I just want to want to make that point and if you want to comment on that.

C

Certainly certainly vice mayor, um if I may so, um I have been speaking with the city of fort lauderdale about this very issue and um we are waiting to hear from paca for their official request on how that could be structured between the three of us. um And so that's where we stand.

D

C

So it's on the radar screen perfect.

D

Thank you. um I also know that uh 211 had two one one had require asked for 365 000 over annual three years. Did you ever look at that? Monica.

C

So there is, there is two on one dollars um in the budget, but I don't know if, if it's you're talking about strictly two on one or.

D

Yeah, they requested it through a letter and threw a recommendation for the 365 over a three-year period.

C

Right, but that was different, so so there's there's a certain amount: 107 107 7.

P

000 in the.

H

G

C

I understand that they have requested an increase in recurring funding, but that was an expanded use for additional services.

C

We have requested additional information to sustain and support that request and to date we have not gotten sufficient information to support the amount of the request.

D

Okay, all right, so my staff here is that so make sure we get that information to demonic. If we can all right. Thank you and last but not least, I know that junior achievement we had talked about their 500 000 non-recurring. Is that in this budget, as we.

C

Speak what is in this budget is 200 000 in the base budget of recurring dollars. Okay, sorry, 300 300! I apologize 300.

D

So we did not uh put in the the additional requests at this time right. That's correct! Okay, no mayor! We talked about that during one of our meetings.

D

um I don't know if there was consensus or not, but um right we were looking to put some dollars in there for that.

B

So ju I'll follow up on that, because I know that there is the apprenticeship program that they have there and that's we've spoken. You know for days on days about job skills, future employment and getting this community ready for employment. We had career source, broward came and gave their um presentation, and theirs was more geared towards. You know hard to fill type of employees hard to you know. Different type of you know younger employees, but career, but ja services, all the students in broward county.

B

So I'm supportive of the one on top of the 300, the one time 200 to get them to the 500.. Okay,.

D

So the additional 200. yeah I would I would as well. I don't know how the other board members uh feel about that, but I would definitely support that. That's all I have mayor.

B

Senator geller.

E

uh Thank you, mr mayor. A couple items.

I

E

Mostly on page 11. we'll go back uh first, the cultural grants that you were talking about. So ms sparrow, if I understand correctly, the money for paca is still under discussion in this year's budget that you know again. Yes, you pointed out it's a three-way agreement and we can't make a unilateral decision- and I understand you're still in talks with the city of fort lauderdale and which is the third group is at the bottom.

C

Of the border right right, yeah, the apocalypse.

E

So I may have misunderstood that. I know we're still in talks is that stolen talks for this year or for next year.

C

At this point, it would be for next year because we do with the balance the budget has been as recommended is balanced. So um unless you tell me where to take money from, um we can do that as well. Okay,.

E

um My again long range, I would like to see that if it can't be done this year, I understand um secondly uh under additional cultural grants. My understanding is that there was a tiny increase of. I think it was two hundred thousand dollars. Am I correct yeah.

C

That's in there good, okay.

E

Because I you know, I think, that's very important. You know you can tell a lot about the the soul of the county by how it funds its cultural programs um and reference the film incentives I just want to make sure I I'm almost certain I heard norm, say this- that the um uh we have rolled the money that was already in the budget we have rolled that forward, which is sufficient to cover this year's grants right.

C

It will be for the first supplemental, which will be in december time period um and so that that is in the fy 22. yeah.

E

It's not new money. It's just rolling your own money forward. um The I see there's money um for a uh dei manager somewhere. um I think that's on page uh whatever page.

C

E

16., okay, I would just ask that you confer with the county attorney to make sure that whenever we come up with what it does that it's not violative of state law and make sure that we're not all removed for looking or thinking the wrong thing which you know is happening these days. So please confer with the county attorney on that.

C

Very much so, sir.

E

Okay um on j.a, I know that there are some people who think that they should be competing in the general pot with all of the children services, but I think they're fundamentally different in terms of it. Almost they should really be more in the county, economic understanding, michael mcdonald, almost because it's not really a children's social service, it's more of a future economic development.

E

So I would join in with uh my two commissioners to the right that have spoken on that issue. uh Then the last thing- and this is completely out of left field- and you know- and.

B

Oh alert the media yeah.

E

E

County attorney in terms of bs well first norm. Can you I think I've asked for this before. I think. If not I meant to, though I can't swear I did. Can I see in addition to the chart that I've asked you to perform, which you did so ably again, showing that we've never recovered from the great recession?

E

Can you prepare a chart showing over the last 10 or 15 years? What percentage? Let's? Let's do it at the same time frame, starting in 07 same as with this work? What percentage of our total budget bso is taking up sure and the reason I'm saying that, where maybe you should start when they first took in um what year did they take in fire?

E

We remember what your bso also, it included fire the fire.

S

Like the 1980s, I believe.

E

Okay, if it was that long ago, then go back to 2007, because I am concerned and I'm a huge supporter of of law enforcement and think first responsibility of government is to protect its citizens, but I believe that they have been creeping up as a total percentage of our budget every year. On average, we.

Q

Can prepare that, for you.

E

Okay, if so- and this is county attorney completely out of left field- is there a way that we could say we're already electing the county sheriff county sheriff can already go to tallahassee.

E

If there's anything that we do on budget that he doesn't like, I have little doubt that they would um that the governor and cabinet would give the sheriff what he wants. um Is there a way constitutionally that we could separate the sheriff, give him 51 of our budget and say here. This is what you got in the future.

E

You want more money, you go to the voters, you sell it, you do it for you, because I am just concerned that each year it take consumes a larger portion of our overall budget, and we really, I think, there's something fundamentally unfair, with our being the ones responsible for having to fund it, but having no control over how the money is spent and I'd prefer to just say to the sheriff here, your money, you want, spend it the way you want raise it.

E

The way you want you want to cut taxes, cut taxes, you want more money, increase your millage, but the county really shouldn't be part of this. I know that's completely at left field. Would that be constitutional.

R

I don't think that there's provision for that in the statutes right now and the way that the budget mechanics work. But I have not looked at that particular questions and uh I'm not sure if you have a contrary answer anika. But we can't.

T

Analyze it so with what drew said you know, we have to follow this there's a statutory process for establishing their sheriff's budget, and so um I think it would be. We would not be able to take that simple measure of just doing that allocation each year we have to um you know, follow the process.

T

We get the shares budget in june and determine what we need in order to cover the recommended budget, but it is ultimately a decision of this board at each budget year to make a determination of how much you would allocate towards the share. Ultimately,.

R

Subject ultimately,.

E

Subject to that right, which has happened before and if we don't give a certain amount of money, then they will go to the governor and cabinet and I have little doubt there's not a lot of love for broward county government. I have little doubt that we would lose and you know again I'll be in a better position to follow this up if I once they get the chart from norm. But I just think it's unfortunate that we're in the position of having to raise the money with as a result of recent statute, statutory changes.

E

We have no control over how it's spent and I'm not aware that uh in a lot of other government entities that have to spend the money with no control raise the money with no control over how it's spent. So I have a fundamental problem with that, but maybe there's nothing we can do about.

R

That we'll take a fresh look at that senator thank.

C

You and, as a point of clarification, senator I wanted to make sure to clarify that when you say whatever percent of the budget, you mean general fund budget. I just want to.

E

Put it, I want to make sure no I'd want to give a number comparable to what they're getting now so that they can say you're cutting it, but that could eliminate the steady increase in the percentage of our budget, which I think is what norm's chart will show. But I don't know that.

B

The whole team's there they'll do pie, charts they'll, do graphs, they'll.

B

Senator rich you're on the clock: okay,.

H

Thank you, mr mayor. um Okay. Well, most of my items are going to fall within the category that senator geller's been talking about our county commission agencies and human services won't surprise. Anybody which have gone down as we see by the chart has still not come back down still 21 from where they were in uh 08 was 708..

H

So um first I want to uh just say that I'm really pleased that the um the 150 000 has been put in for legal aid for the community id and so forth. That really is needed. We've got uh we're doing one at sheridan library, uh just in a few weeks and there's there's like waiting lists for people to get these community ids. It's really so important, so glad we're doing that. um I'm going to leave living wage alone for now we've had kind of a yeah. I wanted.

C

To clarify just I'm.

H

C

um You said 150 000 is for legal aid for immigration, yeah.

G

C

And the community id is an additional 100 000., so.

H

Okay, it's not going to be in here, though. Yes in this yeah, okay, it was all a part of this item. That's correct! Okay, so.

C

I just wanted to clarify that we just.

H

Did like we did originally when we did it, but now it'll be a part of the legal aid budget right.

C

Well, it's there's still one time resources, so you would have to direct me to change that uh prospectively for the for the community id okay, okay, very.

H

Good okay, um so um let me let me do this, the the lighter ones first and I'll get to affordable housing last, um so I don't see anything here about with foods in security, so we have people all over this county that are struggling and we've been very good as a as a county supporting uh our organizations and agencies that provide uh and help with food insecurity.

H

So I don't see anything here and I'm hoping that there is something that is going to be able to be used to fund some of these organizations still who um are still, you know, working hard to provide food.

C

So um I have um some one-time resources about a million dollars that I had set aside for senior food instability, but that would also be the same one-time resources available for any small adjustments that you all would direct me to do, such as a junior achievement or any additional resources for 2-1-1 food insecurity. No, I'm just saying the million dollars that I had as um set aside.

C

So I'm looking for direction from you all as a board for that additional million dollars that I had to reallocate to be available to reallocate for some of these issues. I originally had contemplated about 500 to 750 000 for food and security for seniors to continue that initiative that we had seen during the pandemic.

H

I I would like to suggest that we continue that, but there is also food insecurity in other populations, and I don't think 500 000 is going to do it well.

C

These are new resources, so from general fund, because we do already have um you know, initiatives and money in the budget for that through our human services department, and I can get that breakout.

H

For you yeah, would you please absolutely yeah I'd like to see that okay, um the next thing is.

H

You asked about 2-1-1, uh commissioner fisher, so um I I would like to ask about 988. We need to help on 988 in my opinion, and a budget was delivered so I know the budget is here for that. The state came up with less than what it was supposed to come up with it's just under a million dollars which is being run through our behavioral health coalition and then united way will actually be the person to use it because uh they focus on suicide prevention, and this money is mental health.

H

You know suicide prevention, so that leaves um about a 500 000 gap.

H

So if someone was going to ask me if I wanted to spend it on gha or on 988, I would say 988 and um because that's really important for this whole community, as we saw the first week or so that they opened this, it was supposed to be a soft opening. It wasn't, they had like a 40 increase in calls, and then they rolled back to about 15 or so percent, but it's definitely going to require hiring people, training people, and so I want us to take a serious look at that.

C

G

C

Do want to. I would like to respond, if possible, senator, so um we did receive some information. um So my my answer to uh vice mayor fisher, when you asked about 2-1-1, I thought that perhaps you were really talking about the greater expansion of that to include 988.

C

But I didn't know if that's exactly what you were thinking, but but so we have received some information, but it was insufficient to support the request for recurring resources, because what we received was, you know very minimal background and data to support what um maybe some anticipated or contemplated increases in service levels.

H

So this this budget went to the to you all I mean to the county um and it shows the dcf funding. It shows uh the um the description of all the services and the people that need to be hired and then the broward county request.

C

And I've personally seen that senator I have looked at that. So I know exactly what you're referring to and I have had my team reach out and ask her some additional background to support that request. So I still have not received that and that's what I'm referring to.

C

H

um You know, as I said it's it's, we need to really take a look at this quickly because I mean.

I

H

The need is out there and they don't have the money to they've already hired some people with the money, with the million dollars that they're uh that they've gotten through state, but there's still a you, know a hole, and I mean I I just don't you know.

H

As I said, I think this is unfortunate the way the whole thing was rolled out from the federal government from the state and everything, but you know it's helping us if it's affecting people in our community, so the other thing I want to mention is: um uh I just want to say: I really support this new division of homeless services. I think this is going to be excellent. We have increased homelessness. We have so many issues going on with it, and um this this will, I think, be a really step in the right direction.

H

um I had a question on the animal care uh positions intake so forth. I mean a lot of issues out there, but there's nothing mentioned here about spay neuter, so I wanted to make sure that we were focusing and making sure that we definitely don't have enough money for spay neuter. I know some of us, I I do some others put some money in from our leftover budget at the county budget at the end of the year, but I'd like to you know take a look at that.

H

Please ensure that we uh can take care of that that great need, um okay, so that they, then I want to move to um affordable housing, so you have 14 million um in general fund and- um and I appreciate that um I I just heard that only this- it was- we thought it was going to be 18, and you have indicated that there is another 4 million. We have some in reserves. I wasn't counting that because originally I thought it was going to be 18 million.

H

You know I just have to say we did 47 million this year. We were building nine developments, it's unbelievable! When I spoke to ralph. uh He asked him to say something about this, but uh that the whole south florida area palm beach and date is like envious of us of what we did this past year. So um they put the 200 million dollars a bond on the ballot. You know we're not obviously doing that at this point.

H

uh Ralph has a has talked with, I know, norm and and uh uh and monica about another kind of a pay-as-you-go type of way of doing this, so that we can expand what we're able to build in a year. So I just think you know this.

H

We have about eight million dollars left over seven, eight million from last year that was left over, which is going out the door almost immediately because some of those projects, the construction costs, are higher and we have to come up with more gap financing to to make sure that we can uh make them viable.

H

So um I would like to- um and I I heard that a million out of this was being used for for economic development.

H

um We we had this discussion, I think a little while ago and and people did, the last meeting believe that this money is a for is economic development, because it's needed all across the community, in so many occupations and people where people can't afford housing. So it's it's um and the the business community. I have to say the workshop. The alliance are all very supportive of us spending uh more money and being able to build build build more.

H

So I I think, if you could take that whole amount of the of the um of the cra, the nine million, which I think is what you anticipated at first to putting into affordable housing. So that would increase it slightly.

C

So so, if I can address that so um you're correct um initially, I was hoping to to utilize the full nine. I got some direction as the from the body, the entire commission to reserve a portion of that for economic development, um but um so, instead of just nine, we actually put an additional six. So the eight plus the six is why we got to the 14 million in the recommended budget. As you very accurately stated, there's four million dollars that is going to be moved forward.

C

So then that gets us to 18, and then we have another eight that is unallocated. So we have um 20 one of my six, I'm not adding quickly enough in my head, so you have 26 million for affordable housing. That is is going to be ready to go so the eight is available to go out now, the other, the the balance would be in the fiscal 23 budget that is available on october 1.

H

And um I'm wondering if maybe uh if we could have ralph uh talk a little bit about the idea that uh is out there about how to look at a dedicated, a source of revenue other than going to a uh a general obligation bond.

C

um Certainly, I I had anticipated wanting to to do that in a more formal setting, but um if you want him to just talk in a very high level, general term, I'm happy to have him do that. I don't know if he's prepared to talk.

B

About it, so since not all of us have gotten that, can we set that first, I know we were going to bring. We talked about a workshop. I just don't want to fling it on everybody now without everyone having the chance to review it.

H

Okay, all right, certainly we can do that.

B

But it's a good idea and it's a good point.

H

Yeah, okay um and uh I think that's safe else-.

H

Also, I just want to mention the funding for elderly housing, first initiative and so forth. um Anything that we're doing in here- and there are some new things added here or housing for seniors- is so important, because the helpline at the area agency on aging is getting so many more calls from seniors who can't afford to stay in their apartments and imagine seniors, you know 80 whatever 90 years old and have to and become homeless and don't have any place to to move.

H

I mean it's just you know frightening, so I was glad to see this um because uh andrea basada, head of our elder in veterans affairs division, was on a panel uh that I moderated the other day um and uh she and charlotte mather taylor also from adrc, talked about the increase of the numbers of seniors that are needing affordable housing.

H

Okay, that's it.

B

Thank you. Thank you. The gentleman from parkland is now recognized.

U

Thank you mayor a couple of items. I saw the human rights council.

U

um I saw that hud had some recommendations when it came to intake staff, and I was wondering uh what the thought process was and if we were going to be adding more positions to do more intake, unfortunately, there's more stuff going on, obviously with the lgbtq community, with all the increase in hate. So I just wanted to hear what the increase was. Yes,.

C

Thank you yeah, so I I was trying to remember exactly what we have there, but it's two additional positions that is included in this recommended budget for that very um purpose.

U

Do we know, does that satisfy what hud was recommending.

C

Below that well, hud is hud is actually recommending just additional turnaround on the cases. It's not necessarily you know identified as additional staff, because different workload levels can impact that um I do have some thoughts um that I'm not quite yet prepared um to discuss with the commission on on on a slightly different approach, perhaps on handling those cases.

U

C

But in the meantime there are two positions to start. um You know hitting that a little bit harder on.

U

Okay and and then you know, because.

C

U

To make sure that we're we're doing the correct intake and and education as well, obviously bso on bso dispatch, I saw that the 5.39 million is not recommended.

C

Yeah, that's correct because that you guys had taken action, that annualized would be 11 and a half or 11.4 million dollars, so that additional increase was on top of those editions that you guys had already made. Okay.

U

So do we have we gotten a any update on how the hiring process is going at bso.

C

Yes, I have that and I don't have it exactly with me. I don't know.

B

It's on the agenda, it's on the agenda, it is, it was on the last meeting, but we didn't make it so.

C

I have all of that michael you're, good, we'll get it.

B

C

Get that to you, because I do have that um update, I just didn't bring it with me in this conversation.

U

And then, following up on what senator geller talked about as far as seeing the percentage of increase for uh for bso uh and compared to our budget, I'd also when we look at that I'd like to not look at it in a vacuum. I'd like to see what la county new york city I mean. Bso is one of the largest sheriff departments in the country, so give me the top 10 sheriff departments, and let me know what percent it is of that local budget. I just want to see.

U

Are we paying more, we paying less, we paying the same. uh I would I'd like to see, and you know find something comparable is that that does that make.

C

Sense, we'll put something together.

U

uh And then, when it comes to all these constitutional offices and the county itself, you know we're constantly, obviously adding new money new money, but have we done any efficiency studies? uh You know within the county as far as you know how we can become more efficient, save dollars, whether there's money that we've uh appropriated or been allocated in the past, whether there's how that money's been spent. I I every time I get into a budget. I always think to myself. Okay, it's always more and more and more.

U

But what about trying to find money in different departments? um I mean I'm not going to take this room for an example but like if you were to do an efficiency study with all the county buildings. The first thing they would tell you is stop using fluorescent light bulbs, switch them all out to led light bulbs right.

U

Major corporations are doing this they're hiring companies that come in and do huge efficiency studies that try to recoup you dollars, budget after budget and so yeah is the has the county done that I know we had something with siemens in the past.

C

Yeah, so we have a contract with um both siemens and I want to say it's up, terra and maybe yeah the name. I think one there was a merger of one of them, but we do have two contracts that are pretty significant contracts for all of our facilities. So that is a multi-year initiative and- and we constantly are evaluating what they're bringing to us and putting that into motion, can.

U

Can we see what the savings have been from those efficiency studies.

C

Yes, we can bring and it's not.

U

They find us money, they also show you how to save money in future years.

C

U

Can we see what they've come up with and then I know, as senator geller saying we don't have a lot of power when it comes to these constitutional offices, but we do fund them, do have do we know if any of these other constitutional officers and their buildings are doing efficiency studies.

C

Well, if it is a county facility that follows.

U

C

Right for general facilities.

C

Okay, so so jennifer's telling me that some of the bso facilities might be tied up with their user agreement, where they're they are responsible for operating their own facilities, but yeah we own them, but we're going to double check on on that other portion, then yeah.

U

Because I I I would also like.

C

To only be from bso, though right, it's bss, so the other um courthouse other are. The facilities are under.

U

But we should so so that's good to know so we can find out on the efficiency standpoint, but I think we should also be talking to them. In addition to ourselves, that's trying to find dollars within the departments uh and listen. We can't make them do anything, but you also don't have to give them increases year after year until they show us some sort of savings. I really do.

E

U

And get what he wants out of the legislature. I I just think that uh we, you know we should ask them to to submit to us what savings they have on a yearly basis. I mean, I just think that the public deserves to for us to have that conversation, because every year, it's more money, more money and there isn't a conversation of what money was saved last year. What money was recouped? What money was found?

U

It's never going to be the same dollar to dollar, of course, but I just think it's something that we should do ourselves and it's something all these constitutional offices. They.

B

Should want to do this, they should want to do, should want to do this, for the public.

U

Yeah they should want to do that, um so those are the balance of my comments. Thank you. Thank you.

B

Man, so last but not least because most everything's been said, but I'm going to follow on what uh commissioner moscow had said and- and I brought this up or before and like we did it with the supervisor of elections office when the new supervisor came in, he now uses county attorneys instead of having their own attorneys, and it's worked out very well. There's been some savings there, but there's more within these departments. Bso has a maintenance fleet where they maintain vehicles.

B

We have a maintenance fleet where we maintain vehicles there, and I know, there's been turf wars in the past with a lot of this, but there's efficiencies and I'm just using that as an example. Maybe that's not the right one, but there's efficiencies that can be had out there when we look not only to what we can say but where, where the ultimate purchaser of these services, the taxpayers can save some dollars. So I think that's important to do following on what commissioner and senator rich said.

B

um Another thing that's happening too, in addition to the dollars that we put in there and a lot of the things that we're doing with the gap financing the new things.

B

I think we need to figure out a way like I've said before in the past to expedite on these multi-family developments, whether they're, affordable or not within those affordable ranges, expedite them to get them through, because from what I'm seeing a lot of the affordable housing issue is going to be solved by private developers over building like they always do when market rents go higher, so as they, I can think of six major apartment complexes that are in the process of coming online.

B

Those are going to bring prices down the more supply you have of these apartments. I don't care what their performance say that they need to get in rents. This more supply we'll bring that down. So I think that's an inexpensive way if there's way that ways that we can push this through.

B

You know the permitting and regulatory approvals to get these things um done quicker, and um you had mentioned two new um employees recommended by hud for um discrimination type work. Would you just expand on that, so I'm clearer.

C

So it's not necessarily, though those two positions were recommended by hud, but um to commissioner moskowitz's point: um there were a series of recommendations, or at least some requests to incl increase the number of cases that are handled that we're handling or hud and as a as a result, we have identified that we needed to at least add two positions and see how that can help with bringing down that caseload and turning around those cases.

C

Also, what I mentioned was, I am in the process of, as you can imagine, um coming on as uh the county administrator we're looking at. You know the whole body of everything we do with a fresh set of eyes from a different lens. I should just say, because I've been here for 14 years, but um over the years we have seen some efficiencies that that we can probably realize in some areas and we're starting to work on some of that right now and that's that area is also one of the ones I'm looking at excellent.

C

B

So we've all had a round through anybody have any additional questions on this segment of the workshop.

B

I think he might have fallen off the phone. I don't know if he came back on, but.

C

He had texted me that.

B

He was okay, the last text that we made so I'm sure we all in our combined wisdom, hit all of his comments.

C

So with that, mr mayor, um I want to just remind everyone that a very, very important um two dates. The most important dates of september, 8th and september 20th at 501 pm is where you guys have your two budget public hearings and where those the budget would be final. Adoption on the 20th recognizing.

D

The question is now monica discussions we had today. Obviously we can't make motions, it's a workshop or vote. You heard the comments. Will those comments be incorporated in the recommended budget for september the 8th or how do you? How do you want to handle those? That's what I'm saying.

C

So there was a few areas that I I heard some additions. I just needed to make sure that there's the consensus of the body or for those recommendations that you guys have shared and if so then you know I've got a balanced budget, so I've got to cut from somewhere to make those things happen.

D

Okay, anything else.

C

Thank you for your time and and for your support of our team. Thank you. Excellent.

B

B