1
00:00:02,420 --> 00:00:06,980
You're good. You're good. Just grab some pins from my office. I have an extra one here.

2
00:00:21,710 --> 00:00:36,370
It's a little

3
00:00:37,970 --> 00:00:43,430
A little after six, we'll get this question and answer form underway.

4
00:00:43,950 --> 00:00:49,380
I know everyone's time is very valuable, and I don't want to waste any of it.

5
00:00:50,660 --> 00:00:56,390
So before we get started, go over a few housekeeping rules.

6
00:01:00,070 --> 00:01:05,350
Bathrooms are right here, that's a men's room right there, right behind you's a woman's room.

7
00:01:05,830 --> 00:01:10,410
For those that have not been here, we also have a water cooler right over behind

8
00:01:10,410 --> 00:01:13,510
the screen for anyone that would like some fresh water.

9
00:01:16,430 --> 00:01:17,710
If you need to use the phone,

10
00:01:18,110 --> 00:01:22,130
please step outside to allow this meeting to continue.

11
00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:27,040
It's important that we all stay respectful

12
00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:32,940
of each other. So if someone is asking a question, let's allow that question to be asked,

13
00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:36,000
and then allow staff time to answer that question.

14
00:01:39,430 --> 00:01:42,010
I will, yes, sir. No, I appreciate the question.

15
00:01:42,010 --> 00:01:46,740
This meeting is being broadcast on YouTube.

16
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:51,820
It is also being recorded and minutes are being recorded as well.

17
00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,840
We'll now go through some introductions.

18
00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:56,200
I'll start with myself.

19
00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:57,300
My name is William Watts.

20
00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,840
I am the city manager for the city of Longwood.

21
00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:02,900
To my left is, I'm Dustin Walbright.

22
00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,440
I'm the finance director for the city.

23
00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,180
Terry Bovery with Reptiles.

24
00:02:08,020 --> 00:02:09,400
Consultant for the study.

25
00:02:12,890 --> 00:02:14,030
Matt Oury with Reptiles.

26
00:02:14,030 --> 00:02:14,190
Yes,

27
00:02:17,410 --> 00:02:21,170
I'm Benjamin Schilders, a utility building manager for the City of London.

28
00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:24,600
Now the city clerk, Land Court.

29
00:02:27,070 --> 00:02:29,650
And then behind everyone is Jackie Aubrey.

30
00:02:29,850 --> 00:02:33,530
She'll be walking around with Mike, she is our communications manager.

31
00:02:35,330 --> 00:02:41,030
Okay, we're going to start now with a presentation that will be given by our consultant from Rafft Ellis.

32
00:02:42,430 --> 00:02:43,590
Good evening, everyone.

33
00:02:44,810 --> 00:02:48,310
Rafft Ellis is just a little bit of background about us and our firm.

34
00:02:48,310 --> 00:02:53,090
We specialize in providing services to local governments all across the US.

35
00:02:53,410 --> 00:02:57,270
We have offices all over, we're about a 200 person firm.

36
00:02:57,990 --> 00:03:02,710
We have an office in Orlando, actually, Madeleine, not about 20 minute drive from Longwood,

37
00:03:02,970 --> 00:03:04,450
actually grew up in the area.

38
00:03:05,110 --> 00:03:10,210
So this is kind of close to home for me, I live over in Lake Mary, I don't actually live in Longwood proper.

39
00:03:10,970 --> 00:03:15,330
But we were pretty excited for the opportunity to provide services for

40
00:03:15,330 --> 00:03:17,170
the city and it's really an honor to be here.

41
00:03:17,170 --> 00:03:19,330
this evening to speak to you all.

42
00:03:20,850 --> 00:03:33,290
What we specialize in is, my background is as an economist and we specialize in financial planning and for local governments in particular and one of the area of specialties that I personally have is related to solid waste operations.

43
00:03:34,110 --> 00:03:40,470
And I frequently speak at national conferences on the matter, we design rates all across the US.

44
00:03:41,050 --> 00:03:45,990
I'm currently doing a project in Anchorage, Alaska, and we work as far south as Key West, Florida.

45
00:03:46,490 --> 00:03:49,590
Been in California, I've done projects in about 22 different states.

46
00:03:50,630 --> 00:03:54,430
So that's just a little bit of background myself personally, so you all could get to know me a little bit.

47
00:03:55,550 --> 00:04:00,170
Since this is more like a town hall style format, normally I wouldn't go through that if I was at the

48
00:04:00,170 --> 00:04:07,610
Dias presenting to the council members, but just want to give you a little bit of background about our company, who we are, our background and who I am personally.

49
00:04:07,610 --> 00:04:11,850
Similarly, we have an agenda for you this evening.

50
00:04:11,950 --> 00:04:13,130
It's about a 40 slide presentation.

51
00:04:13,130 --> 00:04:14,890
We have a few separator slides.

52
00:04:15,230 --> 00:04:19,830
Usually I kind of about two minutes of slides, so that would give us around 40 minutes for

53
00:04:19,830 --> 00:04:20,610
the presentation.

54
00:04:20,970 --> 00:04:27,050
But I believe in talking with the city manager, if you have a particular question, we can take

55
00:04:27,050 --> 00:04:28,590
a pause and try to answer it.

56
00:04:28,610 --> 00:04:32,030
Because some of the things I'm going to go through are very technical.

57
00:04:32,030 --> 00:04:42,930
But ultimately, I think what the framing or the messaging about why we're here today is because you've got solid waste services.

58
00:04:43,330 --> 00:04:46,450
And we're talking about a change in the billing methodology.

59
00:04:47,250 --> 00:04:50,830
So this isn't really about raising rates or anything like that.

60
00:04:50,930 --> 00:04:56,550
It's about currently the community received service and it's charged on a monthly bill.

61
00:04:56,710 --> 00:04:59,910
And what we're proposing is to move that to the tax bill.

62
00:04:59,910 --> 00:05:05,470
And there are some really good reasons why we think that that should be done, that would be in the best interest of the residents.

63
00:05:06,270 --> 00:05:11,490
And one of the reasons why we believe that is because it should result in lower cost.

64
00:05:11,850 --> 00:05:14,130
And I'm going to run everybody through why that is.

65
00:05:15,950 --> 00:05:23,690
You're welcome to your own opinion and I think that what you should also know is that we're an independent consultant.

66
00:05:23,690 --> 00:05:27,210
And the reason why we get hired is because we don't really have,

67
00:05:27,630 --> 00:05:34,330
there's nothing to benefit us whether you're elected officials choose to move forward with this proposal or not.

68
00:05:35,130 --> 00:05:40,390
And our objective typically when we're hired, we're really hired by the people ultimately.

69
00:05:40,890 --> 00:05:45,850
I mean, you're elected representative certainly, but like we're here serving you all at the end of the day.

70
00:05:46,050 --> 00:05:52,590
And so we apply our professional opinion and judgment with our technical expertise to make a recommendation to you all.

71
00:05:52,590 --> 00:05:57,090
that we hope that you also perceive is in everyone's kind of best interest.

72
00:05:57,510 --> 00:06:08,830
Now obviously we all have our own internal biases about certain things, and so we may have our own opinions about things, and I respect that, I respect everybody in their own opinions on things.

73
00:06:09,350 --> 00:06:21,530
So we're here to try to answer questions as best as we can, give you the logic and reason for why we're arriving at what we're recommending, and give you all the details, and if there are things that we haven't covered that you have questions about, we're going to try to answer those.

74
00:06:22,430 --> 00:06:26,430
So just to kind of level set a little bit before I get into the details of the presentation.

75
00:06:27,130 --> 00:06:29,890
So here's a brief overview of what we'll be talking about.

76
00:06:30,050 --> 00:06:32,770
We have a little bit of background information we think is pretty relevant.

77
00:06:33,230 --> 00:06:34,870
Terry, if I could just jump in for a second.

78
00:06:35,070 --> 00:06:39,270
As Terry mentioned, if during the presentation someone has a question that they would like

79
00:06:39,270 --> 00:06:45,530
to ask or clarification to a slide or some material that's on the slide, please raise your

80
00:06:45,530 --> 00:06:45,890
hand.

81
00:06:46,370 --> 00:06:50,750
Jackie is going to walk around with a microphone because we want to make sure that everyone

82
00:06:50,750 --> 00:06:54,590
one here in the audience and those listening can hear your question and

83
00:06:54,590 --> 00:06:57,250
receive the same feedback that you'll be receiving.

84
00:06:57,570 --> 00:06:59,630
So, you have a question?

85
00:07:00,390 --> 00:07:00,570
Okay.

86
00:07:00,990 --> 00:07:01,250
When

87
00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,700
you received the like, please state your name.

88
00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:11,360
I'm Julie.

89
00:07:12,020 --> 00:07:16,060
I live at 850 Lens Drive in Longwood.

90
00:07:16,780 --> 00:07:19,620
And I wonder how much we're paying you for your service.

91
00:07:20,740 --> 00:07:25,140
I believe it was, I can't give you an exact number, but

92
00:07:25,140 --> 00:07:27,520
But between 20 to $30,000 for the study.

93
00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:29,820
Okay, thank you.

94
00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:30,540
You're welcome.

95
00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:45,040
And if you're interested in like the cost of the study what I would say, you know, because we sometimes get that question when folks get upset about things and they want to argue like why are we paying you, what is the value that you offer?

96
00:07:45,740 --> 00:07:54,500
And the value is that we've prepared a report in a study that certifies and validates that we've gone through the due diligence necessary.

97
00:07:54,500 --> 00:08:05,040
So we went through all of, you know, and we have this in the presentation, and so I think once we run through it, you'll get a good idea about what it is that we actually did for the services.

98
00:08:05,700 --> 00:08:15,860
But I do want you to know that it was bid and we competed with other consultants for the job and we were the successful bidders for the engagement.

99
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:18,060
So, I mean, yeah.

100
00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,280
Okay, we'll proceed with the presentation.

101
00:08:22,580 --> 00:08:23,460
I think she had a question.

102
00:08:23,460 --> 00:08:24,060
I apologize.

103
00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,480
Yeah, and again, some of your questions might be answered through the presentation, so

104
00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,180
it may be worthwhile for me to like run through it a little bit, and then we can talk more

105
00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:33,740
about that.

106
00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,460
Diane Timmins, I'm at 526 Pinion Court in Hidden Ocas States.

107
00:08:39,020 --> 00:08:39,420
Yes, ma'am.

108
00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:47,080
My question is, when were you contact, when were these bits going out, how long ago has

109
00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:47,540
this been?

110
00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,320
It's been a pretty quick turn study.

111
00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,920
I would say, like within at least the last six months at most, it's been less than that.

112
00:08:55,180 --> 00:08:56,300
Six months ago?

113
00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,160
Yeah, yeah, less than that, I believe.

114
00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:03,820
I don't have the exact date of the contract, but we could find that out if it was important or relevant.

115
00:09:04,100 --> 00:09:12,180
Well, yeah, I know some people have that question, how long and how come it's just now at the last minute being brought to us for like votes.

116
00:09:12,420 --> 00:09:17,880
And no time to ponder or any of that information, you know?

117
00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:21,100
And why was it bit it out?

118
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,380
Is it something they couldn't handle on their own?

119
00:09:24,580 --> 00:09:28,660
Well, no, I mean, I think that's a great question and we'll touch on that a little bit with the background.

120
00:09:28,660 --> 00:09:34,440
But what I would say is that there's sort of a time limit or a window of opportunity to do this.

121
00:09:35,340 --> 00:09:39,740
I think that the city had an idea about this at the end of last calendar year.

122
00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:45,820
The process to be able to levy an assessment on the tax bill.

123
00:09:45,820 --> 00:09:51,540
So you have to do a resolution of intent in the prior calendar year.

124
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:58,440
So it would have been a resolution of intent to council that would have adopted it back in December, I guess, 2025.

125
00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:03,600
So it came through here in the council, that resolution of intent was adopted.

126
00:10:04,260 --> 00:10:07,980
And then the city contracted with us subsequent to that.

127
00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,880
Then we performed the study and then we're here this evening to present kind of the findings and

128
00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:23,100
questions to try to answer everybody's questions because I know that this is something that's you know important to folks in the community did that answer your question?

129
00:10:27,060 --> 00:10:31,380
I'm sorry if you want to repeat it, I can take a better stab at it.

130
00:10:33,940 --> 00:10:42,640
I'm wondering when WazePro brought this to the city, this increase or this program.

131
00:10:42,640 --> 00:11:09,900
Let me give you some understanding, and again, I'll be going through the PowerPoint that talks through some of these things, but basically, waste pro is a contractor that provides trash collection service within your community, the city doesn't provide it directly so they bid out, originally a contract, they renewed that agreement back in 2025 for another seven years.

132
00:11:09,900 --> 00:11:16,440
years. And so that just want to make a correction. We have a five year contract within possible

133
00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:23,040
extension of two years. Sorry. Thank you. So it could be up to seven years, but it's

134
00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:33,520
a five year contract right now. And it was just entered into 2025. October of 2025. So that

135
00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:39,420
That would have had to have come through the elected officials also last year.

136
00:11:39,980 --> 00:11:47,200
That agreement, every agreement that I work with municipalities who contract out collection service,

137
00:11:47,680 --> 00:11:52,940
have a provision that allows them to increase the rates annually for inflation.

138
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:58,700
Because in order for them to continue to provide the service, they have to cover their costs.

139
00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,780
And their costs include fuel and things like that.

140
00:12:02,780 --> 00:12:07,340
And who here hasn't seen what fuel prices have done over the last 12 months?

141
00:12:07,740 --> 00:12:14,720
So if they aren't able to pass on those costs, then they're not going to be motivated to want to come and collect the garbage at your curb.

142
00:12:15,380 --> 00:12:25,980
And so as a result, these contracts have these provisions to keep them viable for the contractor to have the interest in the private market to provide the service to us as residents.

143
00:12:25,980 --> 00:12:52,420
And so those increases to the rates that I think you're probably more concerned about maybe, I don't know, I don't want to assume anything, but if you're more concerned about that, that has to do with the contract, and that's not really having anything to do with this per se, like this is more about, I mean, it does relate to the contract, and I'll explain that, but the main thing here is that we're talking about a change in the method of billing.

144
00:12:52,420 --> 00:12:59,200
So in other words, what will happen is, if this moves forward, you pay monthly right now for service,

145
00:12:59,580 --> 00:13:03,500
that monthly bill goes away and is replaced by this.

146
00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:11,940
Right, so what you're basically saying is it's not about the raise in the billing of the bill.

147
00:13:11,940 --> 00:13:14,660
I mean, it does relate, it's a little technical.

148
00:13:14,660 --> 00:13:21,320
We do go into, you know, they go through all of that, yeah, it's not basically a doubling

149
00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:22,540
our garbage bill.

150
00:13:22,860 --> 00:13:23,480
No, ma'am.

151
00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:23,820
Okay.

152
00:13:23,980 --> 00:13:25,500
So it just goes up accordingly.

153
00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,660
It's just shifts from your monthly bill to the tax bill.

154
00:13:29,780 --> 00:13:30,640
It's just a shift.

155
00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:31,960
It's not a double.

156
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,920
It's not any, you're not paying any more in fact, you're paying less.

157
00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:37,120
Yeah.

158
00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,800
Well, that is to be seen.

159
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,700
I don't know because that is a, that is the big reason I'm here.

160
00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:43,280
Yeah.

161
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,460
Is the shift in the payment?

162
00:13:46,020 --> 00:13:48,780
You know, I don't like that, to be honest with you,

163
00:13:48,820 --> 00:13:52,380
because it's less of a burden to pay on a monthly

164
00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:55,680
for people on fixed incomes.

165
00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,040
Then it would be one huge lump thing

166
00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,360
with the threat of your house being taken

167
00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:02,480
if you don't pay that.

168
00:14:03,180 --> 00:14:05,420
Well, and that's the letter we were given.

169
00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,020
Well, yeah, I can appreciate that.

170
00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,120
What I wanna say to that,

171
00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:11,540
because there's a few things in there

172
00:14:11,540 --> 00:14:12,500
I think we should pick a part.

173
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:20,740
One is that you would be paying your property tax, well, most people in America, including

174
00:14:20,740 --> 00:14:22,760
myself, have a mortgage on our homes.

175
00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:30,820
If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgage company escroses the payments for the property

176
00:14:30,820 --> 00:14:37,360
taxes, including any nonadvalorem assessment, and you're paying for it effectively on a monthly

177
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,360
basis through your mortgage payment effectively.

178
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:49,900
So for anybody having a mortgage, then it shifts to that in essence, so you'd still pay it on a monthly basis if you have a mortgage.

179
00:14:50,020 --> 00:14:58,400
If you don't have a mortgage in your home is, you know, paid off, then you'd be paying it just as if you would have to pay your property taxes, whatever that would be.

180
00:14:58,400 --> 00:14:59,980
And so you would have to

181
00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:29,980
So whatever accounting you do for the property taxes, you would want to do in the same way for this. But the idea is that it allows us to realize some cost savings. I'm going to talk about what those are. And then you all in the elected officials can make it. I'm not the decider. The elected officials are your representative, which is what I love about local government. It's some of the most responsive to our local needs. So you have the ability to come here and you have a public comment.

182
00:15:29,980 --> 00:15:39,560
the ability to communicate and even this, I would commend the city of Longwood for having an event like this because not every municipality always does that.

183
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:50,000
I mean, I wish that they did it more, but I think that that's better for local government for our society, honestly, but that's not relevant to our discussion necessarily, my opinions on that.

184
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:59,220
Okay. Yeah, because I kind of heard, you know, well, it was Ways Pro who basically gave the city of

185
00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:08,260
Long with the idea of putting it on the taxes. Yeah, well, um, there's a there's a really good that came from you guys

186
00:16:08,260 --> 00:16:16,780
Which one was it? No, I did not come from us. It's currently in the Ways Pro contract. I was adopted this time last year

187
00:16:16,780 --> 00:16:18,240
there will October of 2025.

188
00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:20,900
Yeah, and there's a real good reason for that.

189
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:26,120
And I'll talk about it again, but I appreciate the conversation.

190
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,320
So we'll just, I think that's what you all want to get at.

191
00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:29,700
So we'll just try to get at those things.

192
00:16:30,460 --> 00:16:30,660
Thank you.

193
00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:36,900
The, some of the issues that we have when we pay on the monthly bill is that

194
00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:38,960
people aren't always timely in their payment.

195
00:16:39,860 --> 00:16:43,860
And so imagine if you're running a business operation and you can't collect these payments.

196
00:16:43,860 --> 00:16:47,100
and some people default on the payments, they don't pay it.

197
00:16:47,660 --> 00:16:49,780
And so there's not a strong enforcement of collection.

198
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:56,960
So what happens in most municipalities is when that happens, the burden of that cost falls back on the local government.

199
00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:05,320
In this unique case, your contractor WastePro, and I've never seen a contract like this, doesn't say that it doesn't exist out there.

200
00:17:05,660 --> 00:17:11,280
But I would say that the contractor has done something very favorable to the community to say that, like basically,

201
00:17:11,940 --> 00:17:18,480
the city just remits whatever they collect on, which means that the contractor's taking the risk if there's a non-payment.

202
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,580
And that's not a viable thing for them to necessarily be able to do.

203
00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,940
And ultimately, if that happens, they're going to imply that in their rate that they're going to bill you.

204
00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:34,820
So the rate that's being charged to the city that's included in the rate that you pay on a monthly basis,

205
00:17:34,820 --> 00:17:47,700
is effectively marked up for the fact that not everybody's paying, which means, in my opinion, for those that are of good actors and are paying, they're effectively subsidizing those that are the bad actors and aren't paying.

206
00:17:48,340 --> 00:17:49,980
Yeah, but what's the percentage?

207
00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,200
It's about five to seven percent.

208
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:54,940
That's pretty high, actually.

209
00:17:55,620 --> 00:17:55,820
Yeah.

210
00:17:55,820 --> 00:17:57,560
I mean, that's pretty high, actually.

211
00:17:58,060 --> 00:18:02,380
And so the idea is that if you make this change the contractor put in the agreement,

212
00:18:02,660 --> 00:18:06,720
they wanted to give a benefit back to folks saying, like, listen, we can lower the rates.

213
00:18:07,060 --> 00:18:14,220
If you switch this to this other billing method, which keeps everybody more honest in the ability to make the payment, and lowers the rates for everybody.

214
00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:20,060
So you're saying effectively our rates are going to be lowered by five to seven percent?

215
00:18:20,060 --> 00:18:22,580
Yeah, I'd eat two dollars per month yet.

216
00:18:23,060 --> 00:18:27,500
And I think it's important that he's going to go through some slides that are going to illustrate this very point.

217
00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:33,600
And that's what I was saying earlier about why it's lowering the bill and if you don't do it, then you don't realize that reduction.

218
00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:36,180
Just curious.

219
00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:48,120
Well, there can be some very specific situations that are unique to individuals that don't apply to the majority.

220
00:18:48,120 --> 00:19:18,100
Like, and we're going to talk about that, if you have like one resident, you know, the charge we're talking about is one residential unit, and so if you've got a particular issue where you're getting charged more than one residential unit for a fee, I would say that we can look into that specifically for your particular issue, and confirm like whether it's the notice was correct to you, okay, because this is a very first time that it's being done and I believe that out of the

221
00:19:18,100 --> 00:19:25,400
All of the notices that we did, I think 99.9% are correct, but you know, you never know.

222
00:19:25,620 --> 00:19:30,480
And so if you think that it's incorrect, like nobody should be seeing a $500 increase.

223
00:19:33,390 --> 00:19:35,130
That's not an increase.

224
00:19:35,850 --> 00:19:38,010
That's more than $30 a month.

225
00:19:38,370 --> 00:19:38,610
Yes.

226
00:19:39,410 --> 00:19:39,890
Correct.

227
00:19:40,270 --> 00:19:43,210
And we're paying only $30 and 91 cents a month right now.

228
00:19:43,690 --> 00:19:48,450
Well, yeah, but you're comparing next year's rate to this year's rate, it's not the same thing.

229
00:19:48,450 --> 00:19:50,690
And the only other problem I have with this is timing.

230
00:19:51,150 --> 00:19:55,150
These are the 26 tax bills that go from January to December of 26.

231
00:19:55,530 --> 00:20:00,370
I've already paid nine months worth of this fee, and you're collecting a whole year in advance.

232
00:20:00,770 --> 00:20:02,670
No, no, no, you haven't paid that fee yet.

233
00:20:02,910 --> 00:20:05,210
No, but it's been assessed on my 26 tax bill.

234
00:20:05,590 --> 00:20:12,510
Right, but it's for service rendered during the fiscal year which is October 1st through September 30th.

235
00:20:14,300 --> 00:20:19,080
My name is Christy Caldwell, I live at 1790 Torrenton Circle in Danbury, Mill.

236
00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:28,220
My question is, it's still, this is a 26-tax bill for the year of 26, and you're assessing me in 26 for a whole year.

237
00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:35,100
So, it's for next year's services, takers.

238
00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:35,780
Yes.

239
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:37,400
So, we're paying in advance.

240
00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:38,440
Yes.

241
00:20:39,860 --> 00:20:46,760
But only, but if you have a mortgage, you pay for it over the ensuing 12 months.

242
00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:53,200
With the mortgage now what's going to happen is I'm going to be $430 short on my escrow so now I'm going to get double charge

243
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:58,380
They get the they should get the notice they should get the notice and it should be factored in yeah

244
00:20:58,380 --> 00:21:00,520
But it wasn't factored in for this year's escrow

245
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:04,680
But you don't have any it's not it's not for this year though

246
00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,080
It's for next year so it goes on to the tax bill for services for next year

247
00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:16,940
So it's for the escrow that happens like subsequent I called the city on this okay the county on this

248
00:21:16,940 --> 00:21:25,040
This bill is for December through January through December 2026, and my bill has the $400 and some dollars added to it.

249
00:21:25,220 --> 00:21:30,300
December through January through December 26, this is what this tax bill is for.

250
00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:36,400
So you're charging me $432 in $26 for $25.

251
00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:43,180
Yeah, I think what you need to understand is that I'm not talking about the tax bill.

252
00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:45,680
I'm talking about a non-advaled law assessment.

253
00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,860
But it's collected at the time our taxes are paid out of our escrow account.

254
00:21:49,620 --> 00:21:52,900
Right, but it's for next year's service.

255
00:21:53,380 --> 00:21:54,280
So we're paying in advance?

256
00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:56,900
Yeah, yes.

257
00:21:57,860 --> 00:22:00,920
So what happens if you sell your house sometime in early 27?

258
00:22:03,660 --> 00:22:05,900
They pay the year in advance, I'm not giving it back.

259
00:22:06,980 --> 00:22:10,200
I'm not a real estate professional, but they typically pro-rate it.

260
00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:15,220
You know, when I purchased a home in my experience, they pro-rate the taxes at the escrow

261
00:22:15,220 --> 00:22:17,600
So at the time, the title company will do that.

262
00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:20,800
But I already paid for 27 when I paid by 26 taxes.

263
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:29,560
This assessment is for services for next year, and I need to double check the taxes.

264
00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:39,540
The revenues that you collect on the tax bill for this year, for next year's, for services, for next year's my understanding.

265
00:22:39,540 --> 00:22:40,400
I

266
00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:54,660
think Terry can we can we move through into the agenda yeah, I'll just ask this real quickly.

267
00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,200
I'm Dane McGovernum at 731 San Piper Circle here in Longwood.

268
00:22:58,820 --> 00:23:05,080
If the bad actors that you refer to don't pay their bills on a monthly basis, those same

269
00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,820
bad actors are going to be paying the big lump sum ahead.

270
00:23:09,820 --> 00:23:14,140
No, we don't seem like we'd do anything at all when they don't pay their monthly bills.

271
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,880
Are we going to likewise just overlook it when they don't pay the big lump sum?

272
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:23,520
Well, Terry, Dustin, what is our collection for property taxes here in the city?

273
00:23:25,180 --> 00:23:29,480
Property taxes is roughly around 97, 98%.

274
00:23:31,120 --> 00:23:32,180
The store, please.

275
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,000
It's a better collection method.

276
00:23:44,450 --> 00:23:56,010
I had a question regarding, oh, Nicole at 866, it kind of goes with what she was saying

277
00:23:56,010 --> 00:24:01,670
though, or like we're talking about bad actors, what about local people that have our

278
00:24:01,670 --> 00:24:08,970
landlords to renters who may, that house may stay vacant for six months, you never pick

279
00:24:08,970 --> 00:24:14,710
up trash for six months, but yet I'm paying in advance the whole year.

280
00:24:15,790 --> 00:24:17,690
Can you repeat that one more time for me?

281
00:24:18,290 --> 00:24:23,890
Like for people that may be landlords, to rental or you know, have a property.

282
00:24:23,890 --> 00:24:25,630
Yeah, yeah, rent out the property.

283
00:24:25,710 --> 00:24:32,450
My property is vacant for three to five months and they're not paying a water bill, they're

284
00:24:32,450 --> 00:24:37,190
not paying garbage pickups, but I have to pay that on my taxes.

285
00:24:37,190 --> 00:24:44,250
Yes, you do you yeah it would and that increases then their rent yes it does because right now I'm not

286
00:24:44,850 --> 00:24:50,110
liable for their water but keep them but keep in mind that the the business operation itself

287
00:24:50,110 --> 00:24:54,790
It's not like the trucks don't exist anymore if they're in the home or not. It's with you know

288
00:24:54,790 --> 00:25:01,090
It you still have to pay the people whether they like, you know, you put garbage at the curb or not

289
00:25:01,090 --> 00:25:07,090
You see I'm saying so but that's not necessarily true right now because if the water shut off

290
00:25:07,190 --> 00:25:08,410
if the house is vacant.

291
00:25:08,910 --> 00:25:17,230
Well, I mean, if you eliminate, if you stop service altogether, and you're no longer receiving any service,

292
00:25:17,530 --> 00:25:26,970
then I would imagine that you can get a probation for the period of time that you're not receiving, or you're like,

293
00:25:27,370 --> 00:25:27,530
you know.

294
00:25:28,330 --> 00:25:35,470
But then it's on my tax bill, so then I got to go through the county and the tax office instead of a company that's providing the service.

295
00:25:35,470 --> 00:25:50,370
Yes, for that benefit of being able to ensure like everybody else is able to get a reduced rate, yes, that is the trade-off.

296
00:26:01,580 --> 00:26:03,780
I'll run through the presentation.

297
00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:04,820
So

298
00:26:07,860 --> 00:26:17,240
the service area, the Longwood provides garbage and collection to all residential properties within the city limits.

299
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:24,260
They don't provide commercial, commercials handled by contractors and they enter into their own agreements with them.

300
00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:33,920
The service provider to the city is WastePro and we already talked about how that contract was entered into last year for a five year period, up to two year rules.

301
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:40,300
There are some other provisions in there related to the termination of the agreement, and we'll touch on that.

302
00:26:41,100 --> 00:26:51,360
The service rates currently for curbside $30.68 a month, and there's I think roughly 11 folks that get like a side yard type service.

303
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:56,100
So very few customers receive it, but the rates are $42.05 a month.

304
00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:02,160
And the way that this is billed is through a monthly charge on your utility bill.

305
00:27:04,340 --> 00:27:09,960
The key issues are related to the, it's called, it's referred to as a bad debt expense, but

306
00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:13,920
when we can't collect on the service, we have shortfalls.

307
00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:18,360
And so it represents about 5% of revenues, that's what we were talking about earlier.

308
00:27:18,780 --> 00:27:22,980
I was talking with city staff earlier before tonight's presentation.

309
00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,740
And I think that that estimate could be low.

310
00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:29,600
It could be as high as 7% is what they're thinking.

311
00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:31,260
I don't have an exact.

312
00:27:32,260 --> 00:27:42,120
I haven't studied that personally, but I think that that's something we can find out, but likely it could be more than the 5% I presented, so that's just I want to make that disclosure.

313
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:55,040
The agreement allows for a $2 reduction to the monthly charge, the equivalent of the monthly charge if you make the switch to the assessment.

314
00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:06,060
The other thing is there are administrative costs for the city to do the billing on a monthly basis, and they currently charge about $2.50 per month for that.

315
00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:21,180
So that additionally would go away, so not only the $2, but then the $2.50, so about $4.50 per month, would go away if you make this transition to the assessment.

316
00:28:21,180 --> 00:28:31,200
Okay. The objectives for the study that I was engaged to do included developing a 10-year

317
00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:36,960
projection of the rates. Really, we only focused in the near-term five-year period that was

318
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:41,880
all we needed to really focus in on, but we had developed, and basically all that means

319
00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:47,880
is we developed a series of Excel spreadsheets that calculates that accounts for all of the

320
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:53,180
billing data and then the tax roll data and then evaluates the costs and then calculates

321
00:28:53,180 --> 00:28:57,160
what that assessment should be and I'm going to run through the methodology on how we

322
00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:58,040
did that basically.

323
00:28:59,180 --> 00:29:03,500
We prepared a report that summarized the findings and then we also prepared a presentation

324
00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:07,720
which I'm presenting this evening to speak to the details and the assumptions of how we

325
00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:08,880
arrived at the results.

326
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:19,820
So in design of the fee, we did it to ensure compliance with a two-part standard.

327
00:29:21,020 --> 00:29:26,080
One, we need to make sure that when you, when you have levy things on the tax bill,

328
00:29:26,220 --> 00:29:29,360
there needs to be a special benefit to the property.

329
00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:33,060
So that means that the costs have to be applicable to the property and

330
00:29:33,060 --> 00:29:35,420
that the costs are proportional to the property.

331
00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:38,460
Meaning that like if you're one residential unit, we can only charge you for

332
00:29:38,460 --> 00:29:47,720
one residential unit not two or more, and that it's basically fairly apportioned among everyone within the community.

333
00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:55,360
So that's sort of the design standards to allow the fee to be defensible to go on to the tax bill.

334
00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,860
In this case, the service as being provided is a service offered to the property.

335
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:28,000
It's a curbside collection service, and the cost is contracted, so it makes it very easy to identify with the direct cost, and that the benefit is a portion based upon the number of residential units. With exception of the side yard service, which is a different service level than just normal curbside collection, everybody generally receives the same service style, just based on the number of units that your property would have.

336
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:34,920
of some folks have multiple properties or multiple residential units, and they should

337
00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,360
be paying the monthly fee and proportion to the number of residential units they have

338
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:39,640
now.

339
00:30:42,100 --> 00:30:42,500
Yes, ma'am?

340
00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:52,640
Yes. Did you determine, my name is Cynthia Ryan, I live at 877 Bucksall Place.

341
00:30:55,370 --> 00:30:56,710
Did you determine

342
00:30:56,710 --> 00:31:02,630
How many individual units there are in the city of Longwood?

343
00:31:03,390 --> 00:31:03,930
Yes.

344
00:31:04,410 --> 00:31:05,430
How many are there?

345
00:31:09,740 --> 00:31:10,320
I don't know.

346
00:31:10,420 --> 00:31:12,040
I want to put the correct value.

347
00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:13,720
So I'm going to pull the report.

348
00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,200
We actually have it on one of the slides I can forward.

349
00:31:25,590 --> 00:31:26,650
Yes, ma'am.

350
00:31:27,290 --> 00:31:28,370
Yes, ma'am.

351
00:31:29,590 --> 00:31:30,010
So we.

352
00:31:30,950 --> 00:31:32,070
Yes, ma'am.

353
00:31:32,650 --> 00:31:33,290
Is this better?

354
00:31:33,290 --> 00:31:38,810
here. We have identified 5243.

355
00:31:44,750 --> 00:31:47,770
I would love to give you a copy of the presentation that

356
00:31:47,770 --> 00:31:49,190
has the numbers on it if you'd like.

357
00:31:51,620 --> 00:31:53,580
And I have some more if anybody needs a copy.

358
00:31:59,700 --> 00:32:03,680
I don't have enough for everyone in the room. I have about 10 copies if you wouldn't mind

359
00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,880
sharing. I have an additional question on top of the question.

360
00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:20,460
So you're talking about 5243 residential units, or does that include, for example, apartment buildings?

361
00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:23,020
No.

362
00:32:24,060 --> 00:32:27,800
Residential, single-family houses, is it houses?

363
00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:29,880
Yes, predominantly houses.

364
00:32:30,140 --> 00:32:33,980
I mean, you have some attached living units, I believe, like a town home.

365
00:32:33,980 --> 00:32:42,080
You're talking 5,343 individual units, which are getting garbage collection.

366
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:42,920
Yes, ma'am.

367
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:51,500
And so the way to think about it is that if you've got a garbage can that you put at

368
00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:56,540
the curb, and we assume like on average one garbage can per household, then there'd be

369
00:32:56,540 --> 00:32:59,480
like 5,000 equivalent garbage cans out.

370
00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:01,800
5,243.

371
00:33:02,700 --> 00:33:03,920
That's one way to think about it.

372
00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,660
Property owners here in Longwood.

373
00:33:06,780 --> 00:33:09,180
Well, I don't want to say property owners, that's not my thing.

374
00:33:09,660 --> 00:33:14,820
I'm saying units of living that are going to have garbage collection is very close.

375
00:33:14,980 --> 00:33:20,800
The number of parcels that were identified is in the number right next to it on the PowerPoint 5,230.

376
00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:27,520
So we have three numbers.

377
00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:30,720
One is the number of monthly accounts that get bills.

378
00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:33,820
Some of those bills have more than one residential unit.

379
00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,340
There's roughly 5,243 of those.

380
00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:41,420
There are 5,230 parcels.

381
00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:49,440
And we estimate dwelling units of roughly 5,484 dwelling units like residential units.

382
00:33:52,060 --> 00:33:53,760
I have an additional question back here.

383
00:33:54,180 --> 00:33:56,920
Yep, sorry if I can't see you.

384
00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:02,360
I know, hi, Joanne Rebello, Thrill, One Lock Lomond, Avenue.

385
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,920
After a lot of things that you said, I have several questions.

386
00:34:08,260 --> 00:34:12,560
As far as I can, they can probably hear me without the mic.

387
00:34:13,500 --> 00:34:16,100
It's for the people online that are in for the recording.

388
00:34:16,780 --> 00:34:17,800
They can probably hear me.

389
00:34:19,580 --> 00:34:28,760
You speak of this cost savings of $2, and then possibly another $2.50, which would be $4.50.

390
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:38,620
Is that cost savings for the city, or is it cost that $4.50 is going to the residents?

391
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:43,800
Yeah, because this is basically just a pass through of whatever.

392
00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:53,180
However, the city is trying to ensure that residents within the community get garbage service because of the public health safety and welfare benefits associated with that.

393
00:34:53,940 --> 00:35:03,200
And so they've contracted out that service, which is provided by Wastepro, but it's through the city that agreement, right?

394
00:35:03,820 --> 00:35:12,320
And so those costs are just being passed on to, well, I'm going to refer to everyone as a rate payer for the service.

395
00:35:12,900 --> 00:35:20,080
And so that those savings are through the bill to you as a rate payer.

396
00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:23,560
And if we make the change, then you would see that reduction.

397
00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:26,600
Of course, it would mean a difference in the billing method.

398
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:33,180
And there are considerations if you're a landlord, like having to pay that.

399
00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:38,480
And I think that there are other policy considerations that can be made that

400
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:48,780
That should be determined about whether you've completely shut off service and turn on service and how the city wants to handle those types of situations.

401
00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:58,860
I will say though to that point that the costs don't necessarily just all the time go away with some of these types of business operations and you need to be mindful about that.

402
00:35:59,180 --> 00:36:07,860
But this is a contracted service and so the agreement says you've got to pay this amount per month on the solid waste bill.

403
00:36:07,860 --> 00:36:17,680
So, I do not know for the record whether or not they allow the shut off, like, that you don't have to, you can stop paying necessarily.

404
00:36:18,100 --> 00:36:20,020
So, I don't know if they really allow that.

405
00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:26,780
I would need to educate myself better, and I'm sorry that I don't know they answer for you at this time, but I will look into it.

406
00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:36,100
Okay, if that is true, if it's getting passed on to the ratepayers, then why is that assessment so high?

407
00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:40,120
Yeah, there is no cost savings because that 4.34, 22.

408
00:36:40,420 --> 00:36:42,720
Yeah, I've calculated it for you and I'm going to show you.

409
00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:51,720
But that 4.34, there is a difference because of consulting fees and the city pays.

410
00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:53,720
You are correct.

411
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:57,740
But it doesn't show any cost savings of 4.50.

412
00:36:58,040 --> 00:37:06,080
Yeah, and I should and I'm remiss that I did not tell you earlier in the presentation that we had worked out.

413
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:10,340
with city staff an alternative option as well, that I'll be presenting tonight.

414
00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:16,080
And so, I think that's going to be the staff recommended option, and it's less than what was noticed.

415
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:22,360
And one of the reasons why we had to notice the higher rate is that we wouldn't be able,

416
00:37:22,540 --> 00:37:27,080
so if we want to give the choice to the elected officials on the different options that they want,

417
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,500
we can't notice a lower rate and implement something higher.

418
00:37:32,500 --> 00:37:35,540
We can only notice the highest rate and implement something lower.

419
00:37:36,220 --> 00:37:44,420
So there's going to be two options, and I'm going to show you, and the staff recommended one is actually lower than what's been slightly lower than what's been noticed to everyone.

420
00:37:44,820 --> 00:37:48,100
There are other options to this trash assessment, correct?

421
00:37:48,900 --> 00:37:52,440
Rather than having the trash assessment, are there not other options?

422
00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:58,340
Sure, you get to, yes, the short answer is yes.

423
00:37:58,340 --> 00:38:05,200
There's two options. The trash assessment which is being presented tonight or we can continue

424
00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:10,600
to pay monthly on the utility bills. However, there's a clause in the contract that Ways Pro

425
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:18,680
may terminate this contract if the city chooses not to choose the assessment. And so staff prepared,

426
00:38:18,820 --> 00:38:24,660
staff prepared towards going towards this assessment thus is the reason why we're here.

427
00:38:24,660 --> 00:38:27,620
But I just want to address everyone here in the room.

428
00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:29,480
So glad everyone is here.

429
00:38:29,860 --> 00:38:31,840
We want to address every single question.

430
00:38:32,620 --> 00:38:37,760
But I'm 80% sure that as we move our way through this PowerPoint, a lot of questions

431
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:38,600
will be answered.

432
00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:42,080
This PowerPoint is full of very good information.

433
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:48,400
So if we could just start moving through the PowerPoint and see the information come before

434
00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:54,320
us, and like he said, staff has worked diligently over the past 72 hours to work on an alternative

435
00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:57,200
plan that we are eager to present to you.

436
00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:03,800
I just have one more comment and I'll leave my other questions for later.

437
00:39:04,700 --> 00:39:12,640
Because this moved relatively fast and the citizens, the ratepayers did not have an

438
00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:18,620
opportunity to really digest the impact it was going to have on them personally.

439
00:39:19,780 --> 00:39:28,320
Shouldn't we put this to the side until next year, and possibly have the citizens vote on it?

440
00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:35,520
Once they, like we have this meeting, have other meetings so that everybody can digest and

441
00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:39,440
find out more about it and fully understand it.

442
00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:44,840
I think we're just moving too fast and it's really going to be a hardship for many, myself included.

443
00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:48,160
I don't have $434 and 22 cents extra.

444
00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:57,240
I think to better answer your question, one, as your manager for the city, I completely hear everyone.

445
00:39:57,380 --> 00:39:59,200
I have read every objection letter.

446
00:39:59,620 --> 00:40:02,840
I have been on the phone with countless residents.

447
00:40:03,260 --> 00:40:08,120
I have spoken to every elected official and I hear you.

448
00:40:08,740 --> 00:40:12,520
And that is why over the past 72 hours, we have heard you.

449
00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:23,220
Staff has worked very hard with the consultant, and I want to present an alternative option to you and answer any questions as we move through this PowerPoint.

450
00:40:23,860 --> 00:40:26,300
I'm committed to you guys. We're here for this.

451
00:40:27,140 --> 00:40:31,260
This question and answer session was not required, right?

452
00:40:32,300 --> 00:40:41,640
This is not required by law. This is our commitment towards making sure the facts are presented to you and to try to minimize the negative impact

453
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:43,300
that the assessment could have.

454
00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:49,240
So if I may, can we please move forward with the assessment PowerPoint?

455
00:40:50,980 --> 00:40:52,100
Hold on one second.

456
00:40:55,760 --> 00:41:00,360
Sorry, because you said you're coming up with something else, but we have another

457
00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,620
meeting on 9.10 to vote for this.

458
00:41:02,820 --> 00:41:05,260
Yes, absolutely, and that was going to be discussed in the PowerPoint.

459
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:06,720
Okay.

460
00:41:07,260 --> 00:41:07,780
Sorry.

461
00:41:08,260 --> 00:41:08,720
That's okay.

462
00:41:09,700 --> 00:41:14,220
Again, we've worked very hard with this presentation, and I want to allow you to

463
00:41:14,220 --> 00:41:16,600
allow the presentation to work its way through tonight.

464
00:41:19,340 --> 00:41:22,440
I have Richard Langenbach, 161 Columbus Circle.

465
00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:25,700
So right now, this is on our Valarium, correct?

466
00:41:26,140 --> 00:41:27,540
The Anon Valarium?

467
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:31,840
This is not currently on your non-advalorem assessment.

468
00:41:32,100 --> 00:41:33,740
The city is proposing this.

469
00:41:33,860 --> 00:41:36,160
Right now, it's on a regular Valarium assessment.

470
00:41:36,680 --> 00:41:39,000
Right now, it is on your monthly utility bill.

471
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:42,380
Right, which is the regular Valarium, whatever that is.

472
00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:42,860
No, sir.

473
00:41:42,860 --> 00:41:54,160
When you pay your water, some people pay water bills, some people pay a sewer bill, some people pay their water and sewer through sunshine, there's a big mixture in our city.

474
00:41:54,680 --> 00:42:10,760
Right now, you are paying for garbage waste or otherwise known as solid waste through your utility bill, or for those that do not have water and sewer from the city, or water or sewer from the city, then you are paying directly to the city for your solid waste.

475
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:17,540
So some of us are on our, on our, it's on our tax assessment under the Valerium.

476
00:42:17,820 --> 00:42:18,700
It is no.

477
00:42:21,020 --> 00:42:28,820
Right, proposed, now they're proposing to put it on a non-Valerium.

478
00:42:29,180 --> 00:42:30,200
Okay, yes.

479
00:42:30,520 --> 00:42:31,980
Yes, there's a proposal.

480
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:39,820
I understand the tax proposed statement that everyone got is the your proposed tax bill for

481
00:42:39,820 --> 00:42:41,000
next tax season.

482
00:42:41,580 --> 00:42:45,440
Yeah, because if we left it on where it would set now, we wouldn't pay paying the $4.34.

483
00:42:46,300 --> 00:42:49,580
Correct, you would pay it monthly like we're currently paying on your utility bill.

484
00:42:55,870 --> 00:43:01,510
Okay, if we could move through the PowerPoint presentation, I promise you a lot of these concerns will be addressed.

485
00:43:02,250 --> 00:43:07,170
And I'm committed, if they're not addressed, I'm committed to staying as long as I need to to answer your questions.

486
00:43:07,170 --> 00:43:08,250
So,

487
00:43:13,740 --> 00:43:20,680
what we have here identifies a simplistic way we come up with a rate and a rate is simply

488
00:43:20,680 --> 00:43:23,820
a cost divided by the units.

489
00:43:24,720 --> 00:43:32,040
And so, we refer to this, you know, in my profession as a rate consultant, as a net revenue

490
00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:32,600
requirement.

491
00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:38,640
And all that really means it's a term of art that means the cost that we need to recover.

492
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:49,060
And then we divide that by the total number of dwelling units or residential units, and then we come up with the rate that we need to assess in effect.

493
00:43:49,540 --> 00:43:58,800
That's the basic methodology. It's a little bit more than that, but it's also simple, but not simplistic is one way to think about it.

494
00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:07,860
Okay, sorry about that. I don't know why it's like, has animation.

495
00:44:09,320 --> 00:44:18,440
So the first step is to identify the costs and what we've shown here is you know just a near term forecast over the next three years.

496
00:44:19,300 --> 00:44:33,580
So we're showing next fiscal year which starts October 1st of this calendar year and runs through September 30th and it represents what it's going to cost to receive service waste pro.

497
00:44:33,580 --> 00:44:42,260
Now, in fiscal years, 28 and 29, we've had to make some assumptions because the contract allows for an index.

498
00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:55,380
An index just means that like if there's a published inflation measure that is reported that the contract says that they can raise the rates to the city and the residents by.

499
00:44:56,320 --> 00:44:59,580
And historically, it's average between 4% to 5% per year.

500
00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:28,380
Is what that inflation rate is. And it's an indices that's tied to the underlying cost nationally for what it costs to provide trash collection service. And so, we've made an assumption about what we're anticipating those costs to be. It's a forecast. But, you know, there's no way for us to know really the future of what the actual index is going to be. So, we've assumed the maximum limit of that index, which is 5%.

501
00:45:28,380 --> 00:45:38,340
In addition, in those costs are some other assumptions whereby we have a reduction in the

502
00:45:38,340 --> 00:45:44,080
cost from WastePro beginning in fiscal year 2027 because this projection right here assumes

503
00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:46,940
that we've made the switch to the assessment.

504
00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:53,920
If we hadn't made that switch, we'd be paying, you know, we'd be paying $2 more on top

505
00:45:53,920 --> 00:46:00,340
of the index. So it would be 5% plus whatever that translates to into an increase to your bill

506
00:46:00,340 --> 00:46:09,180
for next year plus two dollars on top of that. Okay. So this doesn't reflect the two dollars,

507
00:46:09,940 --> 00:46:17,740
it reflects the savings effectively that we're anticipating. And then there are some overhead costs.

508
00:46:17,740 --> 00:46:25,060
So there's still a cost for city staff to work through the contract, provide information to the contractor.

509
00:46:25,620 --> 00:46:27,780
So there's some minor costs in there for that.

510
00:46:29,580 --> 00:46:34,380
We then include a markup for what's referred to as an early prepayment discount.

511
00:46:35,220 --> 00:46:41,560
And that's tied to go into the tax bill because what happens on the tax bill is that if you pay in November,

512
00:46:42,420 --> 00:46:46,280
you receive a 4% discount on the face value of the bill.

513
00:46:47,740 --> 00:47:05,440
And Florida, you know, one of the things, one of the comments came up, I think in the city manager will provide me this information that, you know, thought that perhaps someone old county doesn't gross up or doesn't provide a discount for non out of law and assessments.

514
00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:28,800
We before this evening, we've reached out to the county, we're trying to get clarification on that, but I brought a copy of the Florida Statutes, and I just want to mention that in the Florida Statutes, it specifies in its Florida Statutes 197.3632ADA, and I'll just read it for everyone.

515
00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:35,520
It says non-AVLORM assessments collected pursuant to this section shall be subject to all collection provisions of this chapter

516
00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:40,040
underscore including provisions relating to the discount for early propayment and

517
00:47:41,180 --> 00:47:41,980
I do

518
00:47:42,520 --> 00:47:47,440
Solowace assessment work for many municipalities across the state of Florida and

519
00:47:48,680 --> 00:47:50,720
And everyone that I've ever done

520
00:47:51,580 --> 00:47:55,760
It's been discounted as well. So if it weren't to be discounted here

521
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:58,500
This would be the first time. I'm not saying it's not

522
00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:25,180
You know, I'm not saying that it's incorrect, but I, based on the statutes and the reading of it and my past professional experience, it would surprise me if they didn't do that, but we're trying to get confirmation, if that's the case, and they don't offer a discount, then the face value would be less, we wouldn't need to impose that additional markup, the cost associated with that additional markup.

523
00:48:25,180 --> 00:48:37,260
Now, the other thing in my experience is that in some large counties where there's over 320,000 households that I do this type of work for.

524
00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:43,380
And in that case, like 75% or more of the households are paying in November.

525
00:48:43,680 --> 00:48:45,600
So all of them are getting the 4% discount.

526
00:48:46,120 --> 00:48:52,820
So the vast majority of households typically realize that 4% discount everybody generally pays in November.

527
00:48:52,820 --> 00:48:59,360
not everybody does but most people do and that's just based you know and I'm

528
00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:03,220
trying to get information from the county about what that payment is here in

529
00:49:03,220 --> 00:49:06,400
this community and in Seminole County we're trying to find that out so we

530
00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:10,940
know specifically but everybody has an opportunity. I did just to speak on the

531
00:49:10,940 --> 00:49:15,500
non-evil or assessments when this question was posed to me I did ask our finance

532
00:49:15,500 --> 00:49:20,920
director Dustin to reach out to the county multiple times and we were unable to

533
00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:23,160
You may contact with someone in the tax collectors office.

534
00:49:23,340 --> 00:49:29,660
However, on their website, as Seminole County, Florida.gov, under the tax collector's portion,

535
00:49:29,860 --> 00:49:36,580
it does say payment of assessment via property tax bill, assessments are eligible for standard early payment discounts.

536
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:39,060
And that's right there on their website.

537
00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:44,460
So I find it hard to believe that if it's printed on their website, that they would not do it.

538
00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:47,120
And additionally, what we found on state statute.

539
00:49:48,320 --> 00:49:53,160
Yeah, and to be fair to the county, I mean we, I put in this request earlier this morning.

540
00:49:53,500 --> 00:49:59,540
So, want to be fair to them as well, you know, they need some time before the holidays, folks are out, et cetera.

541
00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:08,560
So, the next line is a cost that is included and not included in the option.

542
00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:13,860
And I'm just going to go up here so y'all, and I don't know if anybody can, I don't know if we're recording so folks can see.

543
00:50:13,860 --> 00:50:24,540
But this particular line item right here, I want to talk about that, there's an option where we include this line item, and there's an option where we exclude this line item.

544
00:50:25,860 --> 00:50:43,140
And so, when we move to the Solid Waste Assessment, I've recommended to city staff that we establish the service under a special revenue fund, so I'm getting into some accounting now, but right now the services are funded and provided through the general fund.

545
00:50:44,100 --> 00:50:49,520
And it's harder to account for the revenues and the costs when it's in the general fund.

546
00:50:49,880 --> 00:50:54,760
So if we set up a separate fund to account for all the services, then that would give everybody

547
00:50:54,760 --> 00:50:59,600
more transparency about the revenue coming in from the assessment, and then the cost going

548
00:50:59,600 --> 00:51:00,000
out.

549
00:51:00,260 --> 00:51:05,080
And if there's like any additional revenues more than what we were anticipated, then those

550
00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:10,060
revenues stay in that fund and only get used for those services, meaning that the city

551
00:51:10,060 --> 00:51:12,900
We wouldn't utilize it for the general fund for anything else.

552
00:51:14,260 --> 00:51:16,120
So that was the recommendation.

553
00:51:16,720 --> 00:51:22,620
Now, the thing about that is that, and we talked about this the timing, if the fiscal year

554
00:51:22,620 --> 00:51:27,520
starts October 1st, but the revenue that we're going to get from the county isn't going

555
00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:33,560
to come to us until November, December, at the earliest, we've got to cover those costs for

556
00:51:33,560 --> 00:51:35,760
the first two months or so of the fiscal year.

557
00:51:36,260 --> 00:51:44,180
So, we recommended establishing a 60-day reserve, two months reserve in that special revenue fund.

558
00:51:44,920 --> 00:51:50,620
And the reason why we thought that that was a good idea is because when we have hurricanes periodically,

559
00:51:51,500 --> 00:51:57,400
you know, and I remember Charlie too, back in the day, we had four come through and hit us pretty hard.

560
00:51:58,640 --> 00:52:01,920
You know, we have a lot of debris. We have a lot of oak trees here, right?

561
00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:04,860
and these oak trees create a ton of debris for everybody.

562
00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,400
And so then the cleanup has to come through, okay?

563
00:52:08,800 --> 00:52:10,440
And we put everything at the curb,

564
00:52:10,440 --> 00:52:11,880
and then there's a massive cleanup.

565
00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:15,800
That incurs an additional cost to do that.

566
00:52:16,340 --> 00:52:18,140
And so we don't, you know,

567
00:52:18,240 --> 00:52:20,680
so to ensure that we have additional funds for that,

568
00:52:21,100 --> 00:52:23,960
this reserve, the idea was that this reserve could potentially

569
00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:25,800
help to do that if we have another hurricane

570
00:52:25,800 --> 00:52:26,720
to deal with the cleanup

571
00:52:26,720 --> 00:52:29,220
in lieu of the general fund having to do it.

572
00:52:31,020 --> 00:52:36,780
And just as a backdrop tall of this, we've got the property tax reform on the ballot

573
00:52:36,780 --> 00:52:37,400
in November.

574
00:52:37,860 --> 00:52:41,700
If that happens, the general funds likely going to get less money.

575
00:52:42,620 --> 00:52:46,700
And if that happens, and that means that the general fund may not have enough money to

576
00:52:46,700 --> 00:52:50,620
cover some of these things, so we figured if you're going to make this switch, you set up

577
00:52:50,620 --> 00:52:54,000
a special revenue fund, you put some extra money in there, and then that could help you

578
00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:55,720
a little bit if you had a storm one year.

579
00:52:55,720 --> 00:53:03,220
there. Now, that raises the rate in this first year when we set it up. Could we do something

580
00:53:03,220 --> 00:53:07,680
different? Could we come up with another option? Could we phase it? Could we eliminate it?

581
00:53:07,820 --> 00:53:12,660
Because we don't currently have reserve like that today. So it's a policy choices to whether

582
00:53:12,660 --> 00:53:17,160
you want to do this line item or not. And that was one of the things that we worked with staff

583
00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:23,440
over the last, you know, two days or so to work up an alternative. And if we do that, it's

584
00:53:23,440 --> 00:53:26,840
more like the service and the operations that we do today.

585
00:53:32,050 --> 00:53:37,070
The fee from that, yeah, I don't know the percentage off to the top of my head.

586
00:53:37,230 --> 00:53:42,490
We can calculate, but I have a slide that shows all the, it's going to show the existing bill.

587
00:53:42,670 --> 00:53:47,690
If you were to keep doing the monthly, it's going to show the assessment with this cost in it.

588
00:53:47,830 --> 00:53:50,170
And then the assessment without this cost in it.

589
00:53:53,390 --> 00:53:58,730
And so then if you, but for right now, the starting position was to include it, and

590
00:53:58,730 --> 00:54:02,610
and that's what was mailed out. That was the basis of the rate that was kind of mailed out.

591
00:54:04,290 --> 00:54:12,290
Yeah. And I have to admit that our, yeah, it's, and we recalculated that rate because there

592
00:54:12,290 --> 00:54:18,350
was like a handful of counts that weren't properly accounted for and the tax role data that we had.

593
00:54:18,570 --> 00:54:23,170
I mean, we're talking like five out of the five thousand or so and that had a minor effect on the

594
00:54:23,170 --> 00:54:28,670
calculation, and so we had a slight calculation, we had done a correction to our calculation

595
00:54:28,670 --> 00:54:32,710
and it lowered the rate of, you know, maybe 10 or 20 cents off of that even.

596
00:54:32,970 --> 00:54:37,670
So there was a minor correction in our calculations, it's not material, but the point is that, you

597
00:54:37,670 --> 00:54:44,130
know, we updated our calculation subsequent to when the tax roll went out for those conditions,

598
00:54:44,390 --> 00:54:45,370
those new known conditions.

599
00:54:46,810 --> 00:54:51,810
So if we take all of these things that adds up to about, you know, $2.4 million per year

600
00:54:51,810 --> 00:54:52,790
is what we would recover.

601
00:54:52,950 --> 00:54:58,550
Now, the reality is, with this line item, just to remind everybody, the reality is if

602
00:54:58,550 --> 00:55:07,390
everybody were to pay in November, then you wouldn't realize this cost, because the

603
00:55:07,390 --> 00:55:10,750
rate that you would be getting would be 4% less than what was advertised.

604
00:55:11,870 --> 00:55:16,830
And so this is just to reflect the fact that we're changing the billing method and that we're

605
00:55:16,830 --> 00:55:17,910
going to the tax bill.

606
00:55:21,450 --> 00:55:22,090
Thank you.

607
00:55:22,090 --> 00:55:22,990
Okay,

608
00:55:26,810 --> 00:55:31,730
hold on, I'm going over, let's get you the microphone, or maybe we'll just, I don't know where the microphone is.

609
00:55:31,730 --> 00:55:32,190
I'm coming around.

610
00:55:32,970 --> 00:55:36,830
What happens to the residents that can't afford that lump sum?

611
00:55:37,890 --> 00:55:42,490
I mean, they get a lien on their house, that's where I'm said, I can't afford a lump sum.

612
00:55:42,990 --> 00:55:45,770
Well, I can appreciate that question.

613
00:55:45,970 --> 00:55:48,890
I guess I would ask, if you're paying the monthly bill now,

614
00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:54,020
then you should be able to afford it on the taxes.

615
00:55:54,020 --> 00:55:54,920
No,

616
00:55:59,670 --> 00:56:03,870
if you gave me a year, yeah, I could put $30, so I get you raised it.

617
00:56:04,310 --> 00:56:05,090
Yes, yeah.

618
00:56:05,110 --> 00:56:09,890
Now, I understand WazePro is having problems because expenses have gone up.

619
00:56:10,070 --> 00:56:11,030
Gas has gone up.

620
00:56:11,370 --> 00:56:12,870
I'm having the same issues.

621
00:56:13,230 --> 00:56:14,110
Food has gone up.

622
00:56:14,250 --> 00:56:15,430
Medical bills have gone up.

623
00:56:15,530 --> 00:56:16,390
Gas has gone up.

624
00:56:16,510 --> 00:56:16,630
Right.

625
00:56:17,030 --> 00:56:18,790
My income is fixed.

626
00:56:19,470 --> 00:56:22,450
You suddenly give me a $430 bill to pay.

627
00:56:22,530 --> 00:56:23,470
I can't pay it.

628
00:56:23,850 --> 00:56:24,250
Yeah.

629
00:56:24,250 --> 00:56:29,150
So then you threaten the letter's threatening with the leaning on my house.

630
00:56:29,910 --> 00:56:31,010
Yeah, so that's frightening.

631
00:56:31,650 --> 00:56:36,710
I think that there are ways to help people out to have affordability concerns.

632
00:56:37,610 --> 00:56:40,670
And there are things that maybe we can consider related to that.

633
00:56:41,210 --> 00:56:48,570
If there's a legitimate affordability concern, there are communities out there that offer discounts for folks that have issues like that.

634
00:56:50,270 --> 00:56:56,650
We've not, you know, necessarily proposed that as part of this, but maybe that's something we could consider.

635
00:56:57,390 --> 00:57:09,390
What I would say though, is that, you know, I really feel for you. I do understand what you're trying to say, but I want to point something out.

636
00:57:11,500 --> 00:57:19,500
If we want the service, if we need that service, we have to find a way to pay for it, and it's an essential service.

637
00:57:19,500 --> 00:57:22,260
It's like your water bill and things like that.

638
00:57:22,580 --> 00:57:35,260
And so, we have to prioritize those expenses to the best that we're able to, but I mean, you knew all this was happening last year, you said in 2025.

639
00:57:35,260 --> 00:57:41,960
You could have gave us notice so I could be put in the side $30 a month, but you gave no notice.

640
00:57:42,160 --> 00:57:49,240
Well, the city, the city started this process late last year after the contract was established.

641
00:57:49,740 --> 00:57:54,980
And the city staff did not know what we were going to calculate and

642
00:57:54,980 --> 00:57:57,420
they engaged with us and they didn't know the whole process.

643
00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:01,060
And so we've done that and now we're here communicating that.

644
00:58:01,060 --> 00:58:04,640
You could have communicated that these are things you're thinking of.

645
00:58:04,820 --> 00:58:10,400
Given me some, instead of one month, two months to come up with a bulk of money, I don't add.

646
00:58:10,920 --> 00:58:21,520
Yeah, I mean, I think what you're referring to, we need to think hard about other policy solutions there to possibly help out the community, right?

647
00:58:21,960 --> 00:58:24,580
If you can't afford to make a payment.

648
00:58:24,760 --> 00:58:28,880
Well, I know a lot of people along with that can't afford this.

649
00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:29,680
They're very frightened.

650
00:58:29,680 --> 00:58:34,160
Well, what I would, again, I would say that the majority of people have mortgages in the community.

651
00:58:34,760 --> 00:58:45,540
I'm talking about people that don't have a mortgage, that are on social security, a fixed income, and suddenly they get a $430 bill, that they don't have the money for.

652
00:58:46,280 --> 00:58:56,100
And you want to pay it in November, you think I can pay that in November and get that discount? No, you know, I don't know how I'm going to pay for that.

653
00:58:56,100 --> 00:59:03,540
I mean, you come up with any solutions like payment plans for some people that can't come up with that bulk sum.

654
00:59:04,000 --> 00:59:14,460
I think that, you know, there are some communities that offer qualified discounts for folks that can demonstrate that they have a true income affordability issue.

655
00:59:14,500 --> 00:59:16,880
I have never seen that. I have asked. I have looked.

656
00:59:17,360 --> 00:59:20,460
I've designed it for other communities in other parts of state of Florida.

657
00:59:20,460 --> 00:59:21,800
I'm just saying it for us.

658
00:59:21,980 --> 00:59:22,720
No, I haven't.

659
00:59:23,020 --> 00:59:24,880
And that's why I'm saying we could consider that

660
00:59:24,880 --> 00:59:26,980
if it's a real hardship for folks, if they don't.

661
00:59:26,980 --> 00:59:30,280
What you have thought of us, this is going to be hard

662
00:59:30,280 --> 00:59:32,520
and some people to come up with that money.

663
00:59:32,660 --> 00:59:35,360
And yet, you came up with no options for them.

664
00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:38,320
Because the idea is that it's a switch in the payment.

665
00:59:38,720 --> 00:59:41,600
So in other words, it's a cost that you've already been paying

666
00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:42,300
that's switching.

667
00:59:42,440 --> 00:59:44,260
Now, I do understand your point about the fact

668
00:59:44,260 --> 00:59:47,220
that it comes up front if you don't have a mortgage

669
00:59:47,740 --> 00:59:49,660
and you've got to find a way to pay for that.

670
00:59:49,660 --> 00:59:59,820
That's right, you know, I understand that much more notice is the problem. I understand your concern. Now the threat is a lien on my house. Yes. That's pretty

671
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:29,980
Yes. And I didn't get any notice. This was going to happen to me, or my neighbor, who's in the same situation. I understand. And I think that, you know, we can think of a policy solution to maybe help out for folks that are in your position. We're having thought of one. Well, well, that's that's because, you know, we need to go through this public comment process listed, but we're here in listening to you. That's why we're doing this right now. And then in a week, if it gets approved, you don't have to bother trying to come up with this.

672
01:00:30,580 --> 01:00:33,460
That will, I'll speak on behalf of the city, that's not true.

673
01:00:34,440 --> 01:00:35,380
I will see.

674
01:00:35,660 --> 01:00:39,400
I will work my hardest to help every resident.

675
01:00:39,540 --> 01:00:43,940
And for the residents in this room, that have any kind of interaction with me,

676
01:00:44,160 --> 01:00:47,120
can attest that I will work my hardest for you.

677
01:00:48,140 --> 01:00:56,040
And there are a lot of communities in Florida because there are limitations on what the government can do with the money that it collects.

678
01:00:56,740 --> 01:01:04,120
Like for example, if you have a utility bill and you collect revenues they're not allowed to use that to pay for other people's bills.

679
01:01:04,920 --> 01:01:24,720
But there are programs like Roundup programs that you can implement on the billing system that allows to collect additional funds to help people that have short term financial hardships or have qualifying disadvantages, but these are policy choices that you're elected officials would have to consider to go along with it.

680
01:01:31,510 --> 01:01:35,010
I just want to say, is there a choice?

681
01:01:36,170 --> 01:01:44,530
In other words, many people here, in fact I look around, seniors are on limited incomes.

682
01:01:45,350 --> 01:01:53,930
Now they may have a house that is paid up and now can they say to the city, I'd rather

683
01:01:53,930 --> 01:02:00,670
pay monthly, which I can afford, or are you adjudicating, rather are you telling people

684
01:02:01,130 --> 01:02:06,570
that they must pay that $400 and so dollars altogether?

685
01:02:07,790 --> 01:02:13,350
Yeah, so right now the proposal would be to go all one way or all the other way.

686
01:02:13,490 --> 01:02:16,430
There's not like a middle ground between the two options.

687
01:02:20,110 --> 01:02:26,410
So in other words, all those five percent of people that don't pay, they're going to

688
01:02:26,410 --> 01:02:31,870
get it on their property taxes they've not paid now so how are they going to do

689
01:02:31,870 --> 01:02:36,030
that and then you've got all those homes that have leans on them and now we're

690
01:02:36,030 --> 01:02:43,110
in a big mess of that with people losing their homes possibly I don't know

691
01:02:43,110 --> 01:02:48,270
you know I'm just projecting a little bit into that portion that hasn't been

692
01:02:48,270 --> 01:02:53,770
thought about so we're just going to put all these seniors out of their homes

693
01:02:53,770 --> 01:02:55,870
And they're just going to be where on the street?

694
01:02:56,150 --> 01:02:56,490
I don't know.

695
01:02:57,090 --> 01:03:07,810
So I think it was mentioned earlier that the majority of the tax bill is a high 99 plus percent collection rate.

696
01:03:11,170 --> 01:03:19,590
By proposing this, you're setting a precedent for everybody else around other cities like Mary, whoever has a ways pro.

697
01:03:19,590 --> 01:03:27,190
This is going to set a precedence for their bills because now we're like the, you know,

698
01:03:28,310 --> 01:03:36,910
scapegoats or whatever you call it to come up with, you know, this transfer over to the

699
01:03:36,910 --> 01:03:44,430
ed, you know, the taxes. And I've talked to other people who have ways pro, never got any

700
01:03:44,430 --> 01:03:49,450
letters, never got an increase, but are we the ones that in the

701
01:03:49,450 --> 01:03:52,630
presidents for them to have to go through all of this as well?

702
01:03:54,170 --> 01:03:59,010
Paying for a solid way service in Florida through the tax bill is very common.

703
01:03:59,770 --> 01:04:02,730
I live in Seminole County and that's how I pay my tax bill.

704
01:04:02,970 --> 01:04:07,110
I don't live in the city of Longwood, I'm an unincorporated Seminole County and

705
01:04:07,110 --> 01:04:12,670
I pay unannually through my tax bill for a solid way service and I do this.

706
01:04:12,670 --> 01:04:17,290
This is my profession and I do this for many of the other counties in the state of Florida.

707
01:04:18,210 --> 01:04:21,810
And so it is a very common method for recovering the costs.

708
01:04:22,310 --> 01:04:26,290
And it kind of makes sense a little bit too because it goes to the property.

709
01:04:26,470 --> 01:04:32,530
There's the benefit to the property, there's what's called a nexus between the service and the benefit to the property.

710
01:04:33,250 --> 01:04:41,010
And the hardship that you were speaking of, there's two components to a one is a recurring hardship.

711
01:04:41,010 --> 01:04:45,070
like you have your costs are higher than what your income is.

712
01:04:45,910 --> 01:04:49,390
And that is something I don't know who can really solve that.

713
01:04:50,670 --> 01:04:55,570
But let me just finish and then there's another hardship which is the transition.

714
01:04:55,830 --> 01:04:59,910
Because your point is that if we had had it on a monthly basis, or

715
01:04:59,910 --> 01:05:01,930
if I could have saved for it, then that could have avoided.

716
01:05:02,670 --> 01:05:07,030
So maybe there's something that we can kind of conceive to help folks out with that.

717
01:05:07,030 --> 01:05:12,870
You know, on the fee to the bill or something, we need to think it through.

718
01:05:13,550 --> 01:05:18,170
But my point is that that goes away the subsequent year.

719
01:05:18,710 --> 01:05:28,970
It's a one time event to transition, and the tradeoff benefit is that you get to reduce your bill in theory by $4.50 per month or whatnot.

720
01:05:28,970 --> 01:05:30,890
No, there's a question.

721
01:05:32,430 --> 01:05:33,850
Yes, yes, there is.

722
01:05:34,650 --> 01:05:36,030
My name is Maria Brenness.

723
01:05:36,170 --> 01:05:38,170
I live at 741 Longdale Avenue.

724
01:05:38,850 --> 01:05:42,290
And I oppose this because you're attacking my taxes.

725
01:05:42,550 --> 01:05:45,290
So if I don't pay my water bill, who puts a lien on my home?

726
01:05:45,570 --> 01:05:48,810
Is it Longwood or is it the management disposable company?

727
01:05:50,930 --> 01:05:53,910
So you're saying, yeah, and I understand you oppose it,

728
01:05:53,990 --> 01:05:56,230
and you're opposing it because it's doing what now?

729
01:05:56,230 --> 01:06:03,830
It's you're incorporating it into my taxes to your taxes right you don't want it on your tax correct you

730
01:06:03,830 --> 01:06:11,530
Want you'd be willing to pay it on your utility correct every month correct and why is it that you're opposed to go into the tax bill

731
01:06:11,530 --> 01:06:16,570
Because if I don't pay my water bill you'll turn my water off but I'll still have my home

732
01:06:16,570 --> 01:06:24,130
If you attach this to my taxes and for whatever reason I can't pay my water bill who's getting who's putting a lien on my home

733
01:06:26,010 --> 01:06:30,590
I believe if you don't pay your water bill, you could still get leaned on the property.

734
01:06:31,910 --> 01:06:33,630
But you're going straight forward.

735
01:06:33,630 --> 01:06:36,450
Yes, but I mean I'm being transparent with you.

736
01:06:37,050 --> 01:06:41,270
And that creates an incentive for people to want to prioritize to pay the bill.

737
01:06:42,270 --> 01:06:45,270
But there are people that are on a fixed budget.

738
01:06:46,110 --> 01:06:50,170
You're incorporating this into their budget and it's attacking their home.

739
01:06:50,310 --> 01:06:52,630
I think I just want to make a quick point about that.

740
01:06:52,630 --> 01:07:00,290
Okay, so I have to go around to municipalities and speak to having to raise rates for

741
01:07:00,290 --> 01:07:03,430
essential services that municipalities provide.

742
01:07:04,130 --> 01:07:10,490
And the challenge that we have is that oftentimes we think we have some control over costs

743
01:07:10,490 --> 01:07:15,950
because we say I don't want to adopt a rate increase, you know what I'm saying, I don't

744
01:07:15,950 --> 01:07:16,370
want to,

745
01:07:20,810 --> 01:07:24,030
but no, the comment, but the giving somebody the keys to my home.

746
01:07:24,030 --> 01:07:29,950
I understand what you're saying, but the point is that this is an essential service and you have to pay for it.

747
01:07:30,690 --> 01:07:36,110
And so we're putting it on the tax bill, which is a common method, we haven't done it.

748
01:07:36,450 --> 01:07:44,010
We've proposed it as an option, which is a common method for cost recovery to ensure the collection to pay for the service.

749
01:07:44,650 --> 01:07:51,330
And if we don't have the money to pay for the service, we can't provide the service.

750
01:07:51,330 --> 01:07:51,530
Yes.

751
01:07:51,910 --> 01:07:53,750
The way you can't just raise the water bill.

752
01:07:54,950 --> 01:07:55,810
I mean, you could.

753
01:07:55,990 --> 01:07:58,230
You could have higher monthly bills if you want.

754
01:07:58,510 --> 01:08:01,230
I also want to know who will be putting a lien on my home.

755
01:08:02,910 --> 01:08:09,330
So real quick, I'm going to read directly from a question and answer sheet that we posted

756
01:08:09,330 --> 01:08:10,130
on our website.

757
01:08:10,290 --> 01:08:16,370
It's question number 22 for those that have the information on their phone.

758
01:08:17,130 --> 01:08:20,250
If the solid waste assessment is approved, could I lose my home?

759
01:08:20,250 --> 01:08:22,890
I believe that's the concern that you're raising here.

760
01:08:23,030 --> 01:08:31,070
Potentially, and I'm not going to sit up here in line, because this is a tax bill, right?

761
01:08:31,990 --> 01:08:36,970
But it's not simply because the assessment is adopted, or because the payment is missed.

762
01:08:37,170 --> 01:08:40,510
If approved the solid waste assessment could be placed on the annual tax bill and

763
01:08:40,510 --> 01:08:42,310
become part of the total amount due.

764
01:08:42,910 --> 01:08:49,070
The tax collector does not accept partial payment of the tax bill unless you go through the payment.

765
01:08:50,370 --> 01:08:51,490
approval process.

766
01:08:52,130 --> 01:08:58,270
If the property tax bill is paid, the government does not- if it's not paid, the government simply does not take your property.

767
01:08:58,770 --> 01:09:07,490
Instead, unpaid amount becomes delinquent and a tax certificate may be sold to an investor creating a tax lien on the property.

768
01:09:08,070 --> 01:09:10,630
That's why the city's assessment notice mentioned it.

769
01:09:11,070 --> 01:09:14,770
Because we wanted to put the residents on notice, we're not trying to hide anything.

770
01:09:14,970 --> 01:09:18,510
The tax certificate investor does not immediately become the owner of your house.

771
01:09:19,310 --> 01:09:25,570
After applicable statutory waiting period, generally after two plus years, the certificate

772
01:09:25,570 --> 01:09:31,590
owner may initiate a process that can ultimately lead to a tax deed sale through the clerk

773
01:09:31,590 --> 01:09:34,630
of Circuit Court if the delinquent amount remains unpaid.

774
01:09:35,370 --> 01:09:40,190
Throughout this entire process, there are notices and opportunities for the property owner to

775
01:09:40,190 --> 01:09:44,710
resolve the delinquency by paying the amounts required, including applicable interest fees

776
01:09:44,710 --> 01:09:45,170
these in cost.

777
01:09:45,910 --> 01:09:51,250
If the delinquency has never resolved, the property can ultimately proceed to a tax deed sale.

778
01:09:51,730 --> 01:09:57,470
The owner could lose property and ownership of the house, and this can occur when unpaid non-evilorm

779
01:09:57,470 --> 01:10:01,230
assessments, including solid waste, are not collected on a property tax bill.

780
01:10:01,350 --> 01:10:02,870
But I want to state, a key point.

781
01:10:03,510 --> 01:10:11,590
A approval of this waste assessment does not cause a city to place any kind of lien on anyone's resident or take someone's property.

782
01:10:11,710 --> 01:10:13,190
That's not what it's intended to do.

783
01:10:13,190 --> 01:10:18,110
Once the assessment is placed on the property tax bill, it must be paid as part of the bill.

784
01:10:18,890 --> 01:10:22,950
If the tax bill remains unpaid, then the process can proceed.

785
01:10:23,730 --> 01:10:33,670
And in my research and preparation for this entire item, I have found that this process can take up to five years.

786
01:10:34,030 --> 01:10:37,310
This isn't a process that happens in six months.

787
01:10:37,510 --> 01:10:41,210
This isn't something that takes place in a short amount of period of time.

788
01:10:41,210 --> 01:10:43,670
which is unlike your water bill.

789
01:10:44,090 --> 01:10:56,570
If you don't pay your water bill, you are getting your water turned off, and that is happening, and that is a big, big problem for you when you wake up in the morning or you can't flush your toilet or brush your teeth.

790
01:10:57,510 --> 01:11:02,870
All right? Because of a core service that we are required to provide to our residents.

791
01:11:02,870 --> 01:11:09,150
So, will Ways Pro be the ones putting the lien on the homes?

792
01:11:09,690 --> 01:11:11,930
No, it's the Summoner County Tax Collector.

793
01:11:15,210 --> 01:11:23,010
Pay this $430 and I get, you know, late fees, interest.

794
01:11:23,530 --> 01:11:29,610
It piles up so high that it's no way you can end up paying off the lien.

795
01:11:30,030 --> 01:11:31,270
And you end up losing your home.

796
01:11:31,550 --> 01:11:33,970
It's happening to many, many people.

797
01:11:33,970 --> 01:11:39,510
And yet, it's never even discussed here about people that are on a fixed income.

798
01:11:39,830 --> 01:11:43,930
You'd think of us any time to save up that $30 a month.

799
01:11:44,510 --> 01:11:47,910
You give us what a month to come up with it, which you can't do.

800
01:11:48,210 --> 01:11:49,570
I won't be able to pay it.

801
01:11:49,830 --> 01:11:53,790
Suddenly I've got fees and interest and penalties.

802
01:11:54,790 --> 01:11:56,250
And it's like a losing cause.

803
01:11:56,590 --> 01:11:58,550
You've just, you know, took my home.

804
01:11:58,850 --> 01:11:59,970
I'm sorry. What's your name again?

805
01:12:00,750 --> 01:12:00,970
Julie.

806
01:12:00,970 --> 01:12:03,890
Actually, you've had a lot of questions.

807
01:12:03,910 --> 01:12:05,710
I want to make sure I addressed you by name.

808
01:12:06,870 --> 01:12:11,690
My explanation of the lean process was not to dismiss your concerns.

809
01:12:12,550 --> 01:12:13,610
I want to make that clear.

810
01:12:13,970 --> 01:12:20,050
I'm not dismissing the concerns of the hardship that someone on a fixed income could have because

811
01:12:20,050 --> 01:12:27,950
of this, which is the biggest reason why we explored an alternative method towards this

812
01:12:28,530 --> 01:12:28,970
assessment.

813
01:12:28,970 --> 01:12:32,350
And I want to eventually get to that in the presentation.

814
01:12:33,130 --> 01:12:41,850
My purpose of explaining the lien process was merely just to address the concern that someone is just going to come and take your house.

815
01:12:42,450 --> 01:12:50,910
It's ultimately, that could happen, and I understand the concern, right?

816
01:12:52,230 --> 01:12:56,870
Again, it's not to dismiss the hardship that's on anyone here in the room.

817
01:12:56,870 --> 01:13:01,990
I just think this all could have been prevented if you had given us more time.

818
01:13:02,850 --> 01:13:06,470
And I don't understand why you couldn't have done that back in 25 said,

819
01:13:06,470 --> 01:13:08,510
hey, this is what's going on.

820
01:13:08,730 --> 01:13:12,950
Waste Pro has a lot of expenses lately and they need more money.

821
01:13:13,170 --> 01:13:16,530
So we're looking into maybe doing this down the road.

822
01:13:17,050 --> 01:13:19,550
That would have made a big difference for us.

823
01:13:19,730 --> 01:13:20,390
But you didn't.

824
01:13:20,510 --> 01:13:23,730
You suddenly threw it at us, a threatening letter.

825
01:13:23,730 --> 01:13:25,930
And then you're like, next week, revoting.

826
01:13:26,430 --> 01:13:27,790
It's like, why the rush?

827
01:13:27,970 --> 01:13:30,490
Why didn't you explain this to your residents,

828
01:13:30,490 --> 01:13:32,250
the people that are paying your salaries?

829
01:13:33,450 --> 01:13:36,530
And I take your concern to heart.

830
01:13:37,230 --> 01:13:40,870
I will say the city, and Terry mentioned it.

831
01:13:40,990 --> 01:13:46,110
The city took steps immediately upon the approval of this contract

832
01:13:46,110 --> 01:13:48,150
to start the process towards this.

833
01:13:48,430 --> 01:13:51,990
Through ordinances, it was mentioned in many budget workshops.

834
01:13:52,510 --> 01:13:56,110
It was discussed on the dias at many commission meetings.

835
01:13:56,670 --> 01:13:59,310
Now, I'll be the first one to look at myself in the mirror.

836
01:13:59,470 --> 01:14:00,250
You have that commitment.

837
01:14:00,970 --> 01:14:05,030
Could we have done something differently?

838
01:14:05,970 --> 01:14:10,070
Certainly, I think all of us in the room could say that about anything, right?

839
01:14:10,990 --> 01:14:13,410
You're 100% correct, you're 100% correct.

840
01:14:13,530 --> 01:14:17,850
There could have been many things done, but the city went through the legal process,

841
01:14:17,850 --> 01:14:23,930
moving through had meetings about it on the dius, put agenda items out there.

842
01:14:24,430 --> 01:14:27,310
We went through the legal process, and it takes time.

843
01:14:27,590 --> 01:14:32,950
It takes time for us to send out the official letter that you talk about,

844
01:14:33,230 --> 01:14:34,950
that threatens to take your home.

845
01:14:35,170 --> 01:14:37,810
That's a statutory requirement that we have to do that.

846
01:14:38,530 --> 01:14:40,230
The language in there is required.

847
01:14:40,890 --> 01:14:44,290
It wasn't meant as a threat.

848
01:14:44,290 --> 01:14:59,970
But I think that they want to move quickly because the idea was that this could save money and that the idea is fairly simple that like if we're paying the cost today and we're switching the collection method, that it provides a saving.

849
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:29,980
It's over time. I understand your point about the initial period the transition could be an issue for some people who do not have a mortgage. Yeah, and I understand that. But the cost of the service is something that's already being born and it would be at a higher rate than the alternative. No, I do not. I'm an independent. This isn't I'm trying to advocate for what I believe to be the resident.

850
01:15:29,980 --> 01:15:35,220
And there are residents that would potentially like to see reduction in the bill.

851
01:15:35,400 --> 01:15:39,040
There are residents that potentially would like to prefer to see it on the bill.

852
01:15:39,340 --> 01:15:43,880
And that's why we have this opportunity for folks to voice their opinion.

853
01:15:44,420 --> 01:15:54,300
And for your elected officials to make a decision about it, there isn't an option to do half one way and half the other.

854
01:15:54,300 --> 01:16:02,240
I think based on tonight though, we're going to better explore this concern that you have

855
01:16:02,240 --> 01:16:04,880
to try to find a solution to it, okay.

856
01:16:05,860 --> 01:16:09,720
So that's something that we're going to be looking at to see, you know, what we can

857
01:16:09,720 --> 01:16:09,880
do.

858
01:16:10,020 --> 01:16:13,740
And if it's not, I imagine that your elected officials are going to weigh that heavily

859
01:16:13,740 --> 01:16:16,280
in their decision for what they're going to be doing.

860
01:16:16,280 --> 01:16:18,800
We have a couple questions for you.

861
01:16:18,940 --> 01:16:19,080
Yes.

862
01:16:21,260 --> 01:16:24,560
Excuse me, my name is Clyde Keith, 351, Ferdinand Drive.

863
01:16:25,140 --> 01:16:30,220
My question is, are any of our neighboring cities implementing this?

864
01:16:30,460 --> 01:16:31,560
Is this just longwood?

865
01:16:32,440 --> 01:16:37,740
Well, Seminole County, I live in unincorporated Seminole County, charges on the tax bill.

866
01:16:38,380 --> 01:16:39,160
So if that's-

867
01:16:39,160 --> 01:16:39,460
Does that-

868
01:16:39,460 --> 01:16:45,060
My question is, are any Lake Mary, Altamont, anybody around us doing this?

869
01:16:45,060 --> 01:16:52,880
I don't know 100% I believe they believe they charged on the long, long way we're going to be the guinea pig to start this.

870
01:16:53,140 --> 01:16:57,700
It's not a guinea pig, you know, because it's a very common method of charging for service.

871
01:16:59,360 --> 01:17:02,840
I live in the lake, I'm an unincorporated Somal County around Lake Mary.

872
01:17:06,810 --> 01:17:10,070
I know I said I was an unincorporated Somal County.

873
01:17:12,000 --> 01:17:14,160
Sorry, Nicole here, I have a question.

874
01:17:14,400 --> 01:17:17,900
I guess it's similar to that with Ways Pro in general,

875
01:17:18,140 --> 01:17:22,800
like how many municipalities do currently bill on the tax?

876
01:17:22,960 --> 01:17:27,500
Do we know the numbers of how many municipalities, Ways Pro, services,

877
01:17:28,300 --> 01:17:32,260
and they collect monthly from versus have it on the tax assessment?

878
01:17:32,780 --> 01:17:33,980
I don't know the answer to that.

879
01:17:34,080 --> 01:17:37,960
We weren't scope to do a benchmarking survey of that nature, but

880
01:17:37,960 --> 01:17:41,740
But I can tell you that from the work that I do, I do a lot of work for

881
01:17:41,740 --> 01:17:45,440
county governments and almost every county government does it through the tax bill.

882
01:17:47,180 --> 01:17:53,920
So like every county government along the Gulf Coast of Florida charges it on the tax bill for unincorporated.

883
01:18:00,730 --> 01:18:11,750
Yeah, because I'm trying to present a presentation that's technical that I was hired to do that the mayor and some of these other folks don't have the

884
01:18:11,750 --> 01:18:15,610
don't have the data and didn't do the actual work to calculate the fee.

885
01:18:16,430 --> 01:18:17,230
Okay, we got one over here.

886
01:18:17,810 --> 01:18:21,550
Okay, just a reminder that you're here

887
01:18:21,550 --> 01:18:25,570
to justify putting it on the tax bill.

888
01:18:25,950 --> 01:18:27,670
That's what your purpose is.

889
01:18:27,690 --> 01:18:30,770
Yeah, but we have another alternative

890
01:18:31,430 --> 01:18:33,310
that we could vote for.

891
01:18:33,690 --> 01:18:35,730
No, we don't want it on our tax bill.

892
01:18:35,730 --> 01:18:36,090
Correct.

893
01:18:36,350 --> 01:18:41,250
We want to keep paying on our utility bill.

894
01:18:41,250 --> 01:18:48,930
Yeah, that's okay. So all he's trying to do is say, okay, these are the figures. This is what the money is

895
01:18:48,930 --> 01:18:54,590
Do you want it on your tax bill? Right, so that's the decision you guys have to make is

896
01:18:55,510 --> 01:19:01,590
No, I don't want it on my tax bill. The city has to come up with an alternative plan

897
01:19:02,330 --> 01:19:08,810
To we keep paying and figure out how to make these deadweights not pay their taxes

898
01:19:08,810 --> 01:19:16,850
is not pay their garbage bill because I'm not hearing you're making an effort to collect

899
01:19:16,850 --> 01:19:17,410
from them.

900
01:19:18,010 --> 01:19:18,230
Okay?

901
01:19:18,550 --> 01:19:19,050
Yes, we are.

902
01:19:19,290 --> 01:19:19,550
Okay.

903
01:19:19,970 --> 01:19:20,450
All right.

904
01:19:20,830 --> 01:19:27,510
But I just want to correct you really quick, although the assessment is a better financial

905
01:19:27,510 --> 01:19:34,650
model for the city, because the collection is a much higher rate, and the city, my job

906
01:19:34,650 --> 01:19:44,050
is to make sure the city is financially sound every day and for many years to come because residents do not want a city that's not financially sound.

907
01:19:44,470 --> 01:19:53,650
So I am in support of a financially sound collection method for any service that we provide to our residents, that's a true statement.

908
01:19:53,650 --> 01:19:58,830
Now, we are going to provide garbage collection regardless.

909
01:19:59,210 --> 01:20:05,150
We either provide it through collecting through your utility bill, or we will adopt an assessment.

910
01:20:05,470 --> 01:20:07,930
But garbage service will be collected.

911
01:20:08,670 --> 01:20:16,090
The amount that you pay per month will change depending upon what service or

912
01:20:16,090 --> 01:20:20,330
the collection method that we establish, all right, that's absolute.

913
01:20:20,330 --> 01:20:25,990
But he isn't here to sell this product.

914
01:20:26,250 --> 01:20:31,990
He's here to deliver the material from the study that the city contracted him to collect.

915
01:20:32,290 --> 01:20:37,050
To provide you with all of the facts and not hide it so you can make an informed decision.

916
01:20:37,370 --> 01:20:41,810
And staff is here and staff is here to listen to your concerns.

917
01:20:42,450 --> 01:20:48,750
For instance, the concern that she raised of hardship and all their alternative

918
01:20:48,750 --> 01:20:55,690
of approaches and absolutely, and to answer any questions that we can, that we have answers to today.

919
01:21:02,260 --> 01:21:02,660
Yes, sir.

920
01:21:02,660 --> 01:21:02,760
Yes, sir.

921
01:21:02,920 --> 01:21:09,240
On our utility bill, as opposed to putting it on our taxes, percentage-wise, how much do we

922
01:21:09,240 --> 01:21:09,560
save?

923
01:21:09,900 --> 01:21:14,140
Right, and what are you looking at, 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 10 percent?

924
01:21:14,140 --> 01:21:17,680
And again, really quick, I'm sorry, I keep on saying this.

925
01:21:17,920 --> 01:21:23,540
I promise that as we advance through this slide show that a lot of our questions, a lot

926
01:21:23,540 --> 01:21:26,060
a lot of our concerns and uncertainties are going to be addressed.

927
01:21:28,220 --> 01:21:32,600
Well, it should, there's a lot of plan on here.

928
01:21:32,760 --> 01:21:35,180
We do not have one plan, I promise you.

929
01:21:35,400 --> 01:21:37,280
We're going to show the other plan without it.

930
01:21:37,480 --> 01:21:38,060
Yes, ma'am.

931
01:21:38,200 --> 01:21:38,440
Okay.

932
01:21:39,000 --> 01:21:41,920
Yeah, and I actually mentioned that a little bit earlier, but we've been good.

933
01:21:42,000 --> 01:21:46,180
That's okay, I, again, I'm committed to addressing all of your concerns.

934
01:21:46,680 --> 01:21:50,040
We worked very hard on the slide presentation to give you the facts.

935
01:21:53,680 --> 01:21:57,400
Communications Manager, all that I ask is I understand everyone has a lot of questions

936
01:21:57,400 --> 01:22:01,120
this evening. If you could just please raise your hand to help me out to make sure that I can hand

937
01:22:01,120 --> 01:22:05,100
you the microphone so you're properly heard from the people watching at home that couldn't make

938
01:22:05,100 --> 01:22:07,060
it to the meeting tonight. Thank you, Jackie. Thank you.

939
01:22:10,540 --> 01:22:12,920
I'm sorry. I know a lot of people have

940
01:22:12,920 --> 01:22:17,760
individual situations and everything else that are all worth listening to that can be addressed

941
01:22:17,760 --> 01:22:22,280
at a later point. I'd like to hear what you've got to say if you could sort of move it alone.

942
01:22:22,640 --> 01:22:23,580
Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

943
01:22:25,780 --> 01:22:31,120
So if I go back here just to kind of refresh a little bit, we arrive at

944
01:22:31,120 --> 01:22:33,980
with the total costs that were identified

945
01:22:33,980 --> 01:22:35,320
in order to provide the service

946
01:22:35,320 --> 01:22:37,000
for all the customers in the system.

947
01:22:38,340 --> 01:22:40,900
And then here are all the statistical data,

948
01:22:41,400 --> 01:22:43,880
so we went through and went through

949
01:22:43,880 --> 01:22:47,300
all the property tax record data and summarized that

950
01:22:47,780 --> 01:22:52,340
and then broke it down by the different types of services.

951
01:22:52,800 --> 01:22:54,040
By far and large,

952
01:22:54,040 --> 01:22:55,900
everyone's a single family customer.

953
01:22:57,240 --> 01:22:59,220
And as I mentioned kind of before,

954
01:22:59,220 --> 01:23:04,700
where there's the monthly accounts, so that would be the estimate of the monthly bills

955
01:23:04,700 --> 01:23:09,180
that are getting rendered, and then you have the number of parcels and a tax record,

956
01:23:09,540 --> 01:23:13,980
and then these are the associated equivalent residential dwelling units that are tied

957
01:23:13,980 --> 01:23:15,200
to the parcels.

958
01:23:15,960 --> 01:23:22,340
So there's some, you know, you can see because this number is higher, almost 5,500, there

959
01:23:22,340 --> 01:23:26,980
are some of these parcels that have multiple dwelling units on them, and so when we calculate

960
01:23:26,980 --> 01:23:34,640
the cost we divide by this number for the assessment, the higher number, and then that gets a cost per equivalent residential unit.

961
01:23:37,350 --> 01:23:37,350
Okay,

962
01:23:42,360 --> 01:23:51,240
so this is how we, I'm sorry, I'm sorry about that, so we take the cost from the, so this is just for fiscal year 2027.

963
01:23:51,820 --> 01:23:59,720
We take the cost and remember I mentioned that that 2.4 million included the additional cost to build up a 60 day cash reserve.

964
01:24:00,360 --> 01:24:10,760
which is going to be an option, then we take that higher number I mentioned earlier on the dwelling units and we divide that cost by that number dwelling units to come to the rate.

965
01:24:12,020 --> 01:24:20,560
And then for the side yard, they have a higher level of service and we gross that up to get, you know, their associated rate.

966
01:24:20,700 --> 01:24:26,760
But there's probably hardly, I don't know if anybody in this room is getting that service because it's hardly anybody that receives it.

967
01:24:28,580 --> 01:24:34,560
From there, we can factor up the rate by the number of residential units.

968
01:24:34,780 --> 01:24:39,480
So these are just factors, two times this, three times this, four times this.

969
01:24:39,660 --> 01:24:43,280
And then we also show what that looks like over the next near term,

970
01:24:43,440 --> 01:24:47,180
two years based on our assumptions about inflation and all that kind of thing.

971
01:24:47,720 --> 01:24:51,060
And then we also show it for the side yard pickup as it's applicable.

972
01:24:52,640 --> 01:25:00,260
So, if we do this, and we do build up the reserves, then this is the amount of money that we're projected to build up over time.

973
01:25:00,680 --> 01:25:06,880
We do need to increase the reserves every year because the cost to do the service increases.

974
01:25:07,300 --> 01:25:10,740
So, if we're trying to hold on to two months of our operating costs.

975
01:25:10,960 --> 01:25:16,900
If the operating costs are going up, then we need to plan for higher or slightly increasing reserves every year.

976
01:25:16,900 --> 01:25:25,160
And so that's why you see that and I just want to make a point if I go back to the to the cost here so you can see it and

977
01:25:26,260 --> 01:25:29,280
I'm going to have to ask my team not to do animation anymore

978
01:25:30,300 --> 01:25:36,420
But if you if you come back here you'll notice that the reserve a first year gets the

979
01:25:36,940 --> 01:25:42,300
60 days there is the cost for my services and for an attorney to establish

980
01:25:42,300 --> 01:25:47,200
I believe it's established the assessment in here, I believe it's around 45,000 with the attorney's fees

981
01:25:48,040 --> 01:25:50,660
to establish an assessment the first time.

982
01:25:51,560 --> 01:25:57,840
And then after that, this increases purely for cash reserves within the fund.

983
01:25:58,900 --> 01:25:59,180
Okay.

984
01:25:59,840 --> 01:26:05,780
And the report breaks out the costs and the details of these numbers in more detail as well.

985
01:26:06,640 --> 01:26:08,240
That will be public record.

986
01:26:08,240 --> 01:26:09,220
So

987
01:26:19,560 --> 01:26:33,380
this is the comparison of the charges under the proposed method, and then I'm going to have another comparison that's going to show you with the alternative.

988
01:26:33,380 --> 01:26:38,560
And so for the vast majority of people that received the early

989
01:26:38,560 --> 01:26:43,200
propayment discount, even with the 60-day cash reserve,

990
01:26:43,600 --> 01:26:49,020
it equates to roughly the same amount that we'd be paying on the monthly basis.

991
01:26:49,640 --> 01:26:53,320
But then, by fiscal year 2028,

992
01:26:54,840 --> 01:27:00,060
you're $35.56, you're lower than what you would have otherwise paid.

993
01:27:00,060 --> 01:27:12,720
And then you can kind of see out through 2031 and then what we did is we told it up the five years to give you a rough estimate about what the total savings would be under these options effectively.

994
01:27:13,780 --> 01:27:26,320
Now, if we go to, sorry, if we look at this alternative and I'll just present it here.

995
01:27:26,320 --> 01:27:34,780
here, it shows you if we don't do the 60-day reserve, the monthly bill would be $34.56

996
01:27:35,240 --> 01:27:36,540
projected for next year.

997
01:27:37,740 --> 01:27:45,520
And then under this, with no reserve, then the rate would be $31 if you paid and later

998
01:27:45,520 --> 01:27:51,980
on, you'd pay 4% higher, you could pay in January, February, or March.

999
01:27:51,980 --> 01:28:01,640
And then if you paid it in November, then it'd be $29.79, which would be fairly substantially lower than what the current monthly bill would be.

1000
01:28:01,740 --> 01:28:06,880
And then you can kind of see how that bill would be lower over time.

1001
01:28:08,900 --> 01:28:13,920
And so that was the idea that by doing this, it does two things.

1002
01:28:13,920 --> 01:28:33,460
One is, it addresses the city manager's comment about the contract, ensuring that it wouldn't be eligible for termination by the contractor, and then the other thing is, is that it realizes some savings to the charges for the customers within the system.

1003
01:28:33,460 --> 01:28:51,080
Yeah. Can you hear me? Okay. So why are we here? We're here because the contract says that we needed to explore and possibly adopt an assessment or else we were at risk of getting the contract terminated. Okay. So that's why we're here.

1004
01:28:51,720 --> 01:28:56,380
Solid waste service is a core service that the city has to provide to our residents.

1005
01:28:56,380 --> 01:29:04,800
One of the questions I've got to ask is could the city explore a subscription service that some municipalities have around the state?

1006
01:29:05,120 --> 01:29:14,200
The closest one to our knowledge is Marion County, where you sign up for solid waste services and you pay the garbage collection company to come to your house.

1007
01:29:14,580 --> 01:29:16,460
Well, what happens when you don't pay that service?

1008
01:29:17,700 --> 01:29:20,140
Garbage starts piling up in your neighbor's yard.

1009
01:29:20,940 --> 01:29:21,840
Well, we don't want that, right?

1010
01:29:21,840 --> 01:29:27,500
So that option isn't even available to us, it's not even a possibility, but I wanted to address that concern.

1011
01:29:27,940 --> 01:29:29,360
So we're here for the assessment.

1012
01:29:29,520 --> 01:29:34,900
Now the original amount of money that everyone received was this right here.

1013
01:29:36,000 --> 01:29:39,120
We heard you, we got with the consultant.

1014
01:29:39,860 --> 01:29:46,000
We identified through the finance director and his team, could we lower that down and

1015
01:29:46,000 --> 01:29:51,260
still achieve what we're looking to do, which was provide you solid way services?

1016
01:29:51,260 --> 01:29:52,180
as the answer is yes.

1017
01:29:52,760 --> 01:29:55,480
Would we be establishing that fund

1018
01:29:55,480 --> 01:29:57,880
that could help us in the event of a hurricane?

1019
01:29:58,100 --> 01:29:59,880
No, but that's not your problem.

1020
01:29:59,880 --> 01:29:59,960
you

1021
01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:29,700
And that's my problem as a city manager. I have to figure out how to clean up the city after Hurricane, or worse yet, what forecasters are saying this coming winter time with El Nino is the possibility of heavy, strong storms coming through our area that can produce possible tornadoes. That's my problem. I'll figure that out, right? So this would be your new assessment starting in October, if this assessment is approved. And with early payment,

1022
01:30:29,700 --> 01:30:41,460
That's what it would be per month, that's what it is currently on your, on your water bill, that's what it would be next year, that's the early payment, $34 if you were to do per month.

1023
01:30:41,600 --> 01:30:44,380
Will, can you state the amount since it's not clear?

1024
01:30:44,440 --> 01:30:56,160
Yeah, sure, okay, so for fiscal year 27, starting in October, the amount is $34.56 versus $29.79, or

1025
01:30:56,160 --> 01:31:01,160
Or the assessment on your property tax bill would be $372.34.

1026
01:31:02,300 --> 01:31:06,960
All right, moving up to $432, it is a quite a big jump.

1027
01:31:07,220 --> 01:31:14,120
One of the reasons for that is a rate stabilization that is in the waste broke contract that requires waste pro to add an additional $2.

1028
01:31:14,240 --> 01:31:18,900
Now to the monthly bill, that has to be added in.

1029
01:31:19,260 --> 01:31:25,700
Now the reason why there's not such a big jump between this year and this year is because that $2 drops off.

1030
01:31:25,700 --> 01:31:27,920
that rate stabilization is no longer needed.

1031
01:31:28,700 --> 01:31:31,440
Now I don't work for waste, but I work for you, I'm your city manager.

1032
01:31:31,940 --> 01:31:35,140
I'm telling you what is detailed in the contract.

1033
01:31:35,460 --> 01:31:37,580
We have to adhere to the contract that was adopted.

1034
01:31:38,260 --> 01:31:46,460
So moving forward, 2028, your water bill is going to have a charge of $37.67 for

1035
01:31:46,460 --> 01:31:54,240
solid waste services or $432, but if you do early payment, it's $34.57.

1036
01:31:54,240 --> 01:32:03,620
in sense. And we see it continues to go up. It's 450, 470, 490 all the way up to 2031.

1037
01:32:04,840 --> 01:32:11,000
So this is the alternative plan that staff is going to be presenting to the commission

1038
01:32:11,400 --> 01:32:16,760
next Thursday. And this is going to be my recommendation as a city manager. Should the

1039
01:32:16,760 --> 01:32:22,740
commission choose to adopt it, I am recommending the adoption of this, not this one that was

1040
01:32:22,740 --> 01:32:25,640
It was presented at the previous commission meeting during the first reading.

1041
01:32:33,370 --> 01:32:33,890
Here, ma'am.

1042
01:32:34,070 --> 01:32:34,770
Here, ma'am, I have the money.

1043
01:32:35,670 --> 01:32:37,030
I just want clarification.

1044
01:32:37,510 --> 01:32:37,630
Sure.

1045
01:32:37,930 --> 01:32:46,470
So, 34.56 is if it's on your utility tax bill starting October.

1046
01:32:46,810 --> 01:32:47,450
Starting October.

1047
01:32:47,930 --> 01:32:48,270
Yes, ma'am.

1048
01:32:48,350 --> 01:32:52,050
It would remain like another line item, water and garbage.

1049
01:32:52,350 --> 01:32:52,590
Correct.

1050
01:32:52,810 --> 01:32:53,990
34.56.

1051
01:32:54,370 --> 01:32:56,690
And then the year after 37.67.

1052
01:32:56,690 --> 01:33:04,830
Okay, and that on the top there is not including any funds going into that reserve fund.

1053
01:33:04,870 --> 01:33:05,270
Correct.

1054
01:33:05,570 --> 01:33:14,070
Okay, so the bottom, which you said, okay, you go with the alternative 60 day thing, would be.

1055
01:33:14,170 --> 01:33:15,790
Hold on, let me just correct you.

1056
01:33:16,130 --> 01:33:17,550
This is just the alternative plan.

1057
01:33:17,690 --> 01:33:19,390
This is the difference between this one.

1058
01:33:19,470 --> 01:33:24,090
This one holds a 60 day reserve and indirect overhead.

1059
01:33:24,090 --> 01:33:36,930
Okay. Okay. This one has no 60-day reserve and no indirect cost. Right. Okay. So, okay. So, what we're basically looking at is

1060
01:33:38,490 --> 01:33:50,130
well, a tax bill of 433-86. For the previous plan. Right. For the previous plan. And the one that was on the notice that everyone is referring to.

1061
01:33:50,130 --> 01:33:53,910
or having the reserve of 372.34.

1062
01:33:54,230 --> 01:34:02,830
And just to be clear, these amounts, I realize now I probably should have shown it, but this is without the discount.

1063
01:34:03,470 --> 01:34:04,770
So this is the gross amount.

1064
01:34:05,350 --> 01:34:08,950
So if you pay in November, it'd be 4% less than what's shown here.

1065
01:34:09,190 --> 01:34:14,590
So if you take these two numbers, this number is that number divided by 12.

1066
01:34:15,270 --> 01:34:16,310
That's this number.

1067
01:34:16,310 --> 01:34:22,770
And yeah, and so then if you if you pay early and you get the 4% discount, then that would be this number.

1068
01:34:22,890 --> 01:34:28,950
So if you take this number times 12, that would be what you would pay on the tax bill receiving the 4% discount.

1069
01:34:29,330 --> 01:34:34,210
Okay, so the that's if you can pay her if you're correct.

1070
01:34:34,390 --> 01:34:45,830
So the difference is right there and you have still the decision for everybody is to decide do I want to pay it on my taxes.

1071
01:34:45,830 --> 01:34:49,170
Is or do I want to continue with the top?

1072
01:34:49,790 --> 01:34:50,210
Correct.

1073
01:34:50,790 --> 01:34:55,150
And that is going to be presented at the public hearing next Thursday at the regular commission meeting.

1074
01:34:56,210 --> 01:34:57,570
Can we get one more over there?

1075
01:34:58,070 --> 01:34:58,150
Well,

1076
01:35:07,220 --> 01:35:10,060
Maria Brennan, 741 Longbale Avenue.

1077
01:35:10,740 --> 01:35:14,840
So my curbside service shows me $30 and 68 cents.

1078
01:35:14,980 --> 01:35:15,580
That's this year.

1079
01:35:16,060 --> 01:35:16,500
Right.

1080
01:35:16,860 --> 01:35:17,740
This is next year.

1081
01:35:17,960 --> 01:35:19,140
This is starting in October.

1082
01:35:20,900 --> 01:35:21,380
Yes.

1083
01:35:21,640 --> 01:35:23,340
So my bill is going up $4.

1084
01:35:23,340 --> 01:35:23,960
Yes, ma'am.

1085
01:35:24,060 --> 01:35:25,760
If it stays on your water bill, yes, ma'am.

1086
01:35:25,980 --> 01:35:28,240
So if it stays on my water bill, it'll go up $4.

1087
01:35:28,440 --> 01:35:29,120
Yes, ma'am.

1088
01:35:29,540 --> 01:35:32,360
If you put it on my taxes, I can get a lien on my house.

1089
01:35:32,480 --> 01:35:33,700
I guess that's how I'm seeing this.

1090
01:35:33,900 --> 01:35:38,500
No, and I, and, give it to me on my bill, let me pay my bill, don't touch my house.

1091
01:35:38,760 --> 01:35:45,960
For, to, to, to, to, to, to answer that question, yes, you are 100% correct.

1092
01:35:46,120 --> 01:35:49,860
You don't pay your property taxes with this assessment or

1093
01:35:49,860 --> 01:35:54,620
Without this assessment, a lien could be placed on your house.

1094
01:35:55,540 --> 01:35:56,300
Yes, ma'am.

1095
01:35:57,260 --> 01:36:02,980
But I feel like you're putting more pressure on my home by adding this to my taxes.

1096
01:36:03,800 --> 01:36:07,740
Perhaps, and leave my home alone and let me pay my taxes.

1097
01:36:07,940 --> 01:36:11,360
I pay my yearly taxes, my W2 comes in, I pay that every year.

1098
01:36:11,740 --> 01:36:15,580
That doesn't affect my home, I pay my water bill, that doesn't affect my home.

1099
01:36:15,580 --> 01:36:21,620
I think that's my my no to this because you're attacking my home you're coming from my home

1100
01:36:22,480 --> 01:36:28,820
Well, that's not the intent. I just want to I understand I understand how you are you telling me it's $37

1101
01:36:28,820 --> 01:36:34,740
Yeah, I should it'll be $47 it'll go up to $57 and you're touching my home

1102
01:36:34,740 --> 01:36:40,800
Because now I can't pay that okay, so there are other non-advalorem assessments that we all pay on our tax bill

1103
01:36:40,800 --> 01:36:45,380
I do not think that the intent of a non-advalorem assessment is to

1104
01:36:45,580 --> 01:36:46,480
take people's homes.

1105
01:36:46,660 --> 01:36:47,400
That's not the purpose.

1106
01:36:47,540 --> 01:36:50,260
The purpose is to ensure that people pay for the service.

1107
01:36:50,420 --> 01:36:52,800
Long would have how many single family homes?

1108
01:36:52,860 --> 01:36:54,500
And over 5,000 family homes?

1109
01:36:54,500 --> 01:36:55,760
And I understand.

1110
01:36:55,760 --> 01:36:56,600
5,000 units.

1111
01:36:56,700 --> 01:36:59,140
I just want to say this, I do understand.

1112
01:36:59,720 --> 01:37:03,060
And I think that you do not, like your elected officials,

1113
01:37:03,060 --> 01:37:05,020
do not have to vote for that option.

1114
01:37:05,520 --> 01:37:11,220
But I just want to kind of be clear that the intent is not to put this on the tax bill to take people's homes.

1115
01:37:11,220 --> 01:37:15,580
The intent is to provide ultimately for a cost savings on the bill.

1116
01:37:16,400 --> 01:37:19,220
That's put it on my water bill.

1117
01:37:20,040 --> 01:37:20,380
I'm sorry.

1118
01:37:21,980 --> 01:37:23,080
Correct, yes.

1119
01:37:23,880 --> 01:37:24,760
Yes, I see that.

1120
01:37:25,480 --> 01:37:29,060
I mean, this year's 30.

1121
01:37:31,480 --> 01:37:33,260
No, it's not my choice.

1122
01:37:33,560 --> 01:37:34,520
What is she's talking to me?

1123
01:37:35,520 --> 01:37:40,600
Here's the, again, my job is financial stability for the city, right?

1124
01:37:40,600 --> 01:37:48,300
I understand that, and I'm here listening to you, and I've answered and I've heard every one of your concerns, right?

1125
01:37:51,390 --> 01:37:55,650
Well, I can't go back in time.

1126
01:37:56,010 --> 01:38:02,790
Well, you could have thought of your citizens, you know, in the city giving them a month or what, we got a week, you know.

1127
01:38:04,090 --> 01:38:07,710
So my job is financial stability for the city, right?

1128
01:38:07,710 --> 01:38:12,810
Right? Then we heard your objections, like I said, I read every single objection.

1129
01:38:13,310 --> 01:38:30,050
We went back to the table and we looked at an alternative plan to maintain the financial stability to the city because we collect about 98% of our property taxes versus we have about 7% of our residents that don't pay their water bills, thus they don't pay their trash bills.

1130
01:38:30,530 --> 01:38:32,610
And we have to bear that debt.

1131
01:38:32,610 --> 01:38:35,610
Will the water bill go on our property tax soon, then?

1132
01:38:36,670 --> 01:38:46,010
No, no, because the reason why you do not see water and sewer bills on tax bills is because it varies based on the demand that you have from a month-to-month basis.

1133
01:38:46,430 --> 01:38:56,450
The level of service for garbage is consistent, and so the fee is the same every single month, so it lends itself well to apply to a tax bill.

1134
01:38:56,450 --> 01:39:00,610
But you do understand how scary this is for people on a fixed income.

1135
01:39:01,270 --> 01:39:03,510
And you're putting it on our property tax.

1136
01:39:04,090 --> 01:39:07,030
And if we have trouble paying that, we lose our home.

1137
01:39:07,350 --> 01:39:08,510
That's very frightening.

1138
01:39:09,270 --> 01:39:13,850
But I really don't understand why you would approve something like that.

1139
01:39:14,010 --> 01:39:18,330
First of all, I want to make this very clear, I'm not approving anything.

1140
01:39:18,550 --> 01:39:20,190
This is going to go before the commission.

1141
01:39:20,390 --> 01:39:24,290
The commission is going to vote on this on Thursday.

1142
01:39:24,290 --> 01:39:32,230
This is a workshop for residents to ask questions to the consultant and the manager and any staff member that's here.

1143
01:39:32,830 --> 01:39:34,210
That's the purpose of this workshop.

1144
01:39:34,410 --> 01:39:36,030
There are two questions with Jacqueline here.

1145
01:39:36,590 --> 01:39:36,690
Yes.

1146
01:39:37,550 --> 01:39:39,250
I am Christy Caldwell again.

1147
01:39:39,350 --> 01:39:42,330
I only have one question coming from a nature way.

1148
01:39:42,810 --> 01:39:49,810
If we don't set up that reserve, will our billed rates increase to cover any kind of deficit we might have?

1149
01:39:49,810 --> 01:39:52,410
No. Millage doesn't get affected by this.

1150
01:39:54,170 --> 01:39:55,750
Millage rate is the tax rate.

1151
01:39:55,910 --> 01:39:57,910
But how often does the milled rates change?

1152
01:39:58,130 --> 01:40:00,410
Because some of the counties just say that this has nothing to do with the milled rates?

1153
01:40:00,410 --> 01:40:05,270
I know, but I'm just saying these people are concerned about their tax bill, paying their tax bill.

1154
01:40:05,530 --> 01:40:09,010
I don't have a problem with paying the reserve versus not, okay?

1155
01:40:09,450 --> 01:40:16,650
My concern is if we choose the not reserve, if we have a shortfall anywhere, we're going to have to increase their milled rate.

1156
01:40:16,890 --> 01:40:19,110
So, Terry, let me answer this question.

1157
01:40:20,910 --> 01:40:25,290
Okay, Advilorum taxes is what pays for the general fund.

1158
01:40:25,990 --> 01:40:28,610
Hold on, I'm getting to the answer your question, all right?

1159
01:40:28,830 --> 01:40:34,590
This is an important discussion because especially what's coming before us in November, right?

1160
01:40:34,970 --> 01:40:41,650
Advilorum taxes pay the general fund, the general fund is what pays for city services, right?

1161
01:40:42,170 --> 01:40:47,370
So that is your tax dollars, that's your property tax dollars coming into city's coffers, all right?

1162
01:40:47,370 --> 01:40:49,270
in order for us to pay for services.

1163
01:40:49,630 --> 01:40:55,950
The services that you're talking about is if we have a disaster and we have to provide

1164
01:40:55,950 --> 01:41:02,370
service like bulk pickup, we have multiple trees down throughout the city, that money is

1165
01:41:02,370 --> 01:41:05,250
going to have to come out of the general fund, right?

1166
01:41:05,690 --> 01:41:08,430
Now, if the general fund is at a deficit,

1167
01:41:11,510 --> 01:41:15,210
it is college football season, so I understand

1168
01:41:15,210 --> 01:41:15,830
the ringtone.

1169
01:41:16,910 --> 01:41:36,710
So if the general fund is at a deficit because we have multiple events, or we find that we're needing to tap into reserves, then the commission could make a decision that we need to increase the revenue coming in from property taxes, and thus a millage increase could.

1170
01:41:36,710 --> 01:41:54,610
Good. Now, I'm not proposing a millage increase, but to answer your question, if any services that we have to provide, that we can't continue to pay for, well, that's where millage increases happen in any community and anywhere in the state.

1171
01:41:55,010 --> 01:41:59,590
I just wanted to make sure everybody understood what the difference was between the reserve and no reserve.

1172
01:41:59,590 --> 01:42:14,530
So, it could affect your millage rate in the future, if we don't have enough money, if we have another year of blaster out, we have 4 store arms coming through in less than 8 weeks that, you know, we're a small community to begin with.

1173
01:42:14,650 --> 01:42:17,030
You've got 552 homes.

1174
01:42:18,270 --> 01:42:22,470
Not including the hotels and the apartments or whatever, you know, the bulk of it, sitting on us.

1175
01:42:22,470 --> 01:42:46,670
Well, the assessment could be used to increase at the next year to make up for any deficit from the prior year if you need to, and you could take some short term financing to address that and there are other options in just increasing the millage, but I agree with the city manager, but I just I was a little bit concerned about the comment because I just want to be very clear that what we're proposing is separate and distinct from the general fund.

1176
01:42:46,670 --> 01:42:54,790
And in fact, we even mentioned the creation of a special revenue fund to account for all the financial activities tied to the Saltway services.

1177
01:42:55,330 --> 01:42:59,630
I am going to, it's important that you hear from me on this.

1178
01:43:00,350 --> 01:43:02,770
I don't believe that's a burden for our residents.

1179
01:43:02,930 --> 01:43:04,370
That is a burden for me to figure out.

1180
01:43:04,670 --> 01:43:12,170
I have to have good governance in this city and manage a budget appropriately so that I can prepare for a disaster to come.

1181
01:43:12,170 --> 01:43:26,950
And that's something that Dustin and I, finance director and I continuously talk about is what is going to happen if because at the end of the day, everyone wants to flush their toilet, brush their teeth, if you call 911, you want police and fire.

1182
01:43:27,810 --> 01:43:30,030
And we also want our garbage to be picked up.

1183
01:43:30,030 --> 01:43:37,070
Okay. So now I'm just going to throw another thought out here when they did the study. Did anybody look at maybe once a week pick up versus two?

1184
01:43:37,670 --> 01:43:41,990
So we did explore those options last year when we did the contract.

1185
01:43:42,590 --> 01:43:49,290
We did explore those options. The direction that was given was to maintain the same level of service that the residents have come to expect.

1186
01:43:49,550 --> 01:43:54,070
Now could that be something the city explores in the future? 100%.

1187
01:43:54,070 --> 01:44:02,210
I think a lot of things, if I could just put on my citizen hat, because I'm a citizen like you guys,

1188
01:44:02,510 --> 01:44:05,330
I don't live in the city, but don't take that away from me.

1189
01:44:05,450 --> 01:44:06,810
I do live in Seminole County.

1190
01:44:07,610 --> 01:44:13,890
I think a lot of things are going to be re-evaluated in our future as community members.

1191
01:44:14,750 --> 01:44:19,730
And one of those re-evaluations could be the rate at which collections are made,

1192
01:44:19,910 --> 01:44:23,190
whether it's weekly or the structure of anything.

1193
01:44:23,190 --> 01:44:26,930
But I don't want to speculate because right now we're under a current contract.

1194
01:44:27,090 --> 01:44:27,830
No, that's okay.

1195
01:44:27,950 --> 01:44:36,610
I was just thought, you know, when you did your study, if that was another option, because I know I live in an A-2A-driven community to begin with.

1196
01:44:36,730 --> 01:44:43,050
But I know watch how many cans, Mondays are a big, a big, a pick up day, and a half a community doesn't have anything out on Thursday.

1197
01:44:43,650 --> 01:44:49,130
I can tell you that like, for my experience, there have been other communities in Florida that have explored this.

1198
01:44:49,130 --> 01:44:53,970
and very few that have actually gone through to go to one day.

1199
01:44:54,150 --> 01:44:56,710
There's usually a lot more people that are upset by the change.

1200
01:44:57,390 --> 01:44:59,970
And the cost differential is usually...

1201
01:45:00,000 --> 01:45:29,980
A lot smaller than what you think. A lot of people might think that if I go from two days to one day, I'm going to see a very substantial decrease. But you still have to have the garbage truck in the people. And the set outs on the second day is not nearly as much. You're still picking up the same amount of trash. It's just an added convenience to have the second day. So the cost savings when you go from two day to one day is not going to be a linear cost savings like what you're thinking. It's going to be a marginal reduction in the rate. And therefore, that's why most communities tend to

1202
01:45:29,980 --> 01:45:41,280
If they have the two days, they stick with it because the trade off of the reduction in the bill relative to the reduction level service is a community wide decision, but typically most communities don't appreciate it.

1203
01:45:41,340 --> 01:45:59,580
For example, Port St. Lucie went to one day and they're fighting to want to get it back now, for example, and Hillsborough County looked at this back in 2020 when they redid their contract in the Tampa area, and they had the option to go to one day, and I think it was maybe a five or a 10% savings to the bill.

1204
01:45:59,580 --> 01:46:08,780
So, you know, and they decided not to do that, you know, they put it out to the people in the overwhelming majority of the people preferred to have the two days.

1205
01:46:09,360 --> 01:46:15,380
In Port St. Lucia, I think they're going to have a vote on it to see what people want, you know, before the elected officials vote on it.

1206
01:46:15,500 --> 01:46:19,740
So, but really quick, the answer to your question is we did not, because the contract doesn't allow us to do that.

1207
01:46:19,980 --> 01:46:25,100
The contract is set in the collection cycle that we all currently have.

1208
01:46:25,120 --> 01:46:26,760
That's a five-year, seven-year contract.

1209
01:46:26,760 --> 01:46:29,940
It's a currently five year. We are almost done with year one.

1210
01:46:34,720 --> 01:46:43,960
Janice Depplin 444 Longwood Circle. I would like to know let's start at the beginning last year 25 when the contract

1211
01:46:44,780 --> 01:46:45,240
renewed

1212
01:46:45,980 --> 01:46:52,480
Is that contract under bid if so how many different companies placed a bid with the city?

1213
01:46:52,820 --> 01:46:55,500
We did not bid it. We negotiated it

1214
01:46:56,800 --> 01:46:58,740
Can we not put it up for bid?

1215
01:46:59,100 --> 01:47:01,220
Is there no other companies that can do this?

1216
01:47:02,040 --> 01:47:04,060
Well, certainly we can do a lot of things.

1217
01:47:04,200 --> 01:47:11,380
The commission would have to exercise a termination for the contract and because the contract

1218
01:47:11,380 --> 01:47:12,740
is now a binding document.

1219
01:47:13,340 --> 01:47:18,080
And so we can't in the middle of a contract just arbitrarily go out to bid.

1220
01:47:19,120 --> 01:47:19,600
Understand that.

1221
01:47:19,600 --> 01:47:24,500
But at the end of the five years, that could be a direction the commission gives to me the

1222
01:47:24,500 --> 01:47:31,680
manager. But we did not do that a year ago. Correct. And I'm asking why? Because the

1223
01:47:31,680 --> 01:47:35,740
direction was given to negotiate the contract and thus I negotiated the contract with our

1224
01:47:35,740 --> 01:47:40,040
city attorney and staff and we negotiated the terms of the contract that you have before

1225
01:47:40,040 --> 01:47:50,060
you. Also, you pretty much explained that in this that what we're going to be paying in

1226
01:47:50,060 --> 01:47:50,540
the future.

1227
01:47:52,740 --> 01:47:59,920
How much influence does Vice-Pro have on the city to use them?

1228
01:48:00,840 --> 01:48:01,500
Zero.

1229
01:48:09,020 --> 01:48:12,700
Well, they didn't threaten this. It's just a provision in the contract that allows

1230
01:48:12,700 --> 01:48:19,200
them to escape it because if they can't collect enough revenue, then it's not a viable business

1231
01:48:19,200 --> 01:48:25,000
model for them. So they have the option if it becomes unprofitable for them to exit from

1232
01:48:25,000 --> 01:48:28,360
that agreement, and that's why they have that provision in there.

1233
01:48:29,100 --> 01:48:30,580
Okay, there's a question.

1234
01:48:30,660 --> 01:48:32,320
Yeah, yeah, go ahead, I'm sorry.

1235
01:48:33,160 --> 01:48:33,640
Thank you.

1236
01:48:33,740 --> 01:48:34,320
My name is Joe.

1237
01:48:34,540 --> 01:48:34,840
Nice song.

1238
01:48:34,840 --> 01:48:36,100
I live on 891, Norman Circle.

1239
01:48:36,400 --> 01:48:40,020
Kind of you mentioned earlier, and she just touched on it, the clause in the contract that

1240
01:48:40,020 --> 01:48:43,940
they could see services if we don't make this a thing.

1241
01:48:44,540 --> 01:48:49,320
So assuming that it does not pass when the Commission votes next week, what is the alternative

1242
01:48:49,320 --> 01:48:52,160
for us if waste road does execute that clause?

1243
01:48:53,200 --> 01:48:59,120
Well, the clause, I believe it is a six-month termination clause, so within that six-month

1244
01:48:59,120 --> 01:49:03,060
window we would go out to bid, we would find a solid way service because we are required

1245
01:49:03,060 --> 01:49:04,200
to do so for our residents.

1246
01:49:08,110 --> 01:49:08,310
Hi.

1247
01:49:08,830 --> 01:49:09,290
Oh, sorry.

1248
01:49:09,470 --> 01:49:11,630
Victoria Schwartz, 1506 Medalwork.

1249
01:49:12,250 --> 01:49:14,950
Mine's kind of just piggybacking off of that question.

1250
01:49:15,290 --> 01:49:23,290
If in that hypothetical situation, if we did have to then find someone not waste pro if they

1251
01:49:23,290 --> 01:49:27,990
We just like got all mad because they didn't like that we didn't pick what they wanted.

1252
01:49:28,670 --> 01:49:34,610
Are these kind of estimates for if we did the monthly billing still pretty accurate?

1253
01:49:34,610 --> 01:49:40,950
If we went with a different company, or could these potentially be higher if we just had to take who we could get?

1254
01:49:41,370 --> 01:49:51,390
So I think in Terry can kind of touch on this, but I think WastePro comes up with their monthly rates based on a market study that the company does.

1255
01:49:51,390 --> 01:49:54,710
I mean, they're part of a garbage collection industry.

1256
01:49:55,310 --> 01:50:03,370
And so they're certainly going to put themselves out on an island by themselves if their rates are too dramatically high.

1257
01:50:03,690 --> 01:50:05,990
And they're going to go out of business if they're too dramatically low.

1258
01:50:06,370 --> 01:50:12,470
But to speculate and say that they would be the same if we went to another provider or lower or greater.

1259
01:50:13,150 --> 01:50:17,470
I'm not committed to say that to you because I don't want to give you false assurances one way or another.

1260
01:50:18,570 --> 01:50:28,270
Okay. One more question. You're asking us if this passes first pay lump sum. Yes, ma'am.

1261
01:50:29,070 --> 01:50:35,810
How are you? How is the city paying waste pro? Well, the waste pro, when the city receives

1262
01:50:35,810 --> 01:50:43,490
the tax money from the property tax office, then the city submits a payment monthly to waste

1263
01:50:45,050 --> 01:50:48,590
You're going to get to pay it monthly, but we're not.

1264
01:50:49,070 --> 01:50:53,070
We have to pay it regardless.

1265
01:50:55,430 --> 01:50:56,390
We have one over here.

1266
01:50:56,610 --> 01:51:04,430
I understand you get to pay it, but I don't understand the difference between me paying my monthly in the city.

1267
01:51:04,910 --> 01:51:11,050
I understand the question, but I'm answering the question how we pay the bill and

1268
01:51:11,050 --> 01:51:12,830
That's how we pay the waste probe bill.

1269
01:51:13,390 --> 01:51:14,230
Then has a question.

1270
01:51:14,290 --> 01:51:14,430
Yes.

1271
01:51:16,130 --> 01:51:18,710
I have a question, Maria Brennan, 741 Longwood.

1272
01:51:19,750 --> 01:51:24,170
So if you go with this, sorry, if you go with this proposal,

1273
01:51:24,710 --> 01:51:29,650
then that means that this garbage company will be our garbage company for life.

1274
01:51:30,190 --> 01:51:34,330
No, ma'am, we still are the, in the terms of the contract.

1275
01:51:36,940 --> 01:51:42,160
So it'll be a five, so then in five years let's say you could terminate it too.

1276
01:51:42,160 --> 01:51:48,300
I mean, you could, there is that possibility, there's a contract, there's a termination provision, but

1277
01:51:48,300 --> 01:51:56,840
there are other considerations that you'd have to make, such as how quickly you could get someone else to come in.

1278
01:51:57,280 --> 01:51:59,380
What the market would charge for that?

1279
01:51:59,540 --> 01:52:07,360
I can tell you when Port St. Lucie, they had an issue with their provider, and

1280
01:52:07,360 --> 01:52:11,840
And they switched up to another provider and they needed that service very quickly.

1281
01:52:12,160 --> 01:52:18,720
Their rate was substantially higher than what they would have been able to get if I'm not suggesting that would be the case here.

1282
01:52:19,380 --> 01:52:29,200
But generally you want to be planning at least a year in advance because usually the person or company I should say coming in needs to purchase the vehicles.

1283
01:52:29,760 --> 01:52:34,460
The vehicles can have up to a 12-month lead time to get them.

1284
01:52:34,580 --> 01:52:37,320
Now you can pay more to get them in sooner.

1285
01:52:38,160 --> 01:52:44,060
But then that raises the cost in order to provide the service on a faster basis.

1286
01:52:45,280 --> 01:52:48,940
This to me just sounds like a whole lot of stuff for you just to raise my bill.

1287
01:52:49,260 --> 01:52:50,220
$30 more.

1288
01:52:51,360 --> 01:52:52,200
I'm like at $1.

1289
01:52:52,480 --> 01:52:53,380
I'm like at $1.

1290
01:52:53,480 --> 01:52:54,420
I'm under $1.

1291
01:52:54,660 --> 01:52:56,120
Something here, like $1.15.

1292
01:52:56,620 --> 01:52:59,840
So I'll be saving $1.15 for all of this.

1293
01:53:03,700 --> 01:53:05,960
So I'm not raising your rate.

1294
01:53:06,120 --> 01:53:08,500
No, I'm not saying you the contract.

1295
01:53:09,100 --> 01:53:13,880
The contract is going to bring my bill up to $1.10 more.

1296
01:53:14,300 --> 01:53:14,540
Yes.

1297
01:53:14,620 --> 01:53:18,000
But yes, I go back to saying I oppose this because you're putting,

1298
01:53:18,200 --> 01:53:19,520
that can put a lien on my home.

1299
01:53:19,600 --> 01:53:20,060
I understand.

1300
01:53:20,340 --> 01:53:20,740
That's fair.

1301
01:53:20,980 --> 01:53:22,320
That's fair with my home.

1302
01:53:22,400 --> 01:53:23,160
That's totally fair.

1303
01:53:23,500 --> 01:53:23,980
I understand.

1304
01:53:23,980 --> 01:53:37,440
And I think it's the community's choices to whether they would want to pay slightly higher on a monthly basis and not have to have that worry versus going to the assessment.

1305
01:53:38,360 --> 01:53:39,060
Thank you.

1306
01:53:39,220 --> 01:53:40,060
We have a question with Jackie.

1307
01:53:44,300 --> 01:53:46,540
We just want to see the rest of the presentation.

1308
01:53:47,720 --> 01:53:49,100
We're coming to the end.

1309
01:53:49,400 --> 01:53:50,960
I think that's pretty much it.

1310
01:53:50,960 --> 01:53:58,660
I mean, I think we were just going to recap, you know, the recommendation, which is, you know, basically this right here.

1311
01:53:58,880 --> 01:54:03,840
So we're basically completed with the presentation, but I appreciate it.

1312
01:54:06,980 --> 01:54:12,460
First of all, I want to say thank you for having there this lovely session.

1313
01:54:12,720 --> 01:54:20,420
I know we all have so many things we want to know, but I do want to say thank you because I was taken

1314
01:54:20,420 --> 01:54:30,040
in a back by the really difficult letter I got on August 20th. And I think all of us

1315
01:54:30,040 --> 01:54:39,340
here were terrified by the wording of the legal shmigol which made us think, oh my God

1316
01:54:39,340 --> 01:54:46,760
if I can't pay my taxes, I'm out of a home. And I think it could have been done with more

1317
01:54:47,960 --> 01:54:58,840
gentleness or courtesy, as well as I am saying that to bring it to all of us who

1318
01:54:58,840 --> 01:55:06,640
are all intelligent men and women with such a short time should have been

1319
01:55:06,640 --> 01:55:13,280
adjudicated or should have been changed and done let's say last May, giving us

1320
01:55:13,280 --> 01:55:21,340
much time to talk, to have small sessions, to come to meetings, to talk to our elected

1321
01:55:21,340 --> 01:55:31,840
representatives about this difficulty. I personally don't care either way. Taxes have

1322
01:55:31,840 --> 01:55:41,960
to be paid, but all of my people that live in my community have, and I'm also a citizen

1323
01:55:41,960 --> 01:55:50,900
and on patrol, and in my job, my partner, Lieutenant Tom Denegani, go to 22 homeowner meetings

1324
01:55:50,900 --> 01:56:00,240
a month. And we have been getting calls. I've had people come to my home crying. I'm

1325
01:56:00,240 --> 01:56:08,780
going to lose my house. I think that that is not an issue. And I think even though it may

1326
01:56:08,780 --> 01:56:13,540
may be less costly to put it on income tax.

1327
01:56:14,140 --> 01:56:16,640
That for most of us in the city,

1328
01:56:17,200 --> 01:56:22,300
paying a monthly bill is going to have to be the way we are happy.

1329
01:56:23,140 --> 01:56:25,180
So that is what I want to say.

1330
01:56:25,960 --> 01:56:30,120
I'm Cynthia Ryan, I live at eight, seven, seven, bucks, all plays.

1331
01:56:32,560 --> 01:56:35,160
And please come to your homeowner meetings.

1332
01:56:35,160 --> 01:56:45,320
things. So my lieutenant Tom and I can work with your issues but again I think the commissioners

1333
01:56:45,320 --> 01:56:54,240
owe a thanks for getting the commission that has looked into this but also an apology

1334
01:56:54,240 --> 01:57:01,560
should be made to the people for the threatening letter they got which terrified them. Thank

1335
01:57:01,560 --> 01:57:01,880
you.

1336
01:57:01,880 --> 01:57:03,020
We have a question with Ben.

1337
01:57:05,120 --> 01:57:07,200
Just a quick question on this Valarium.

1338
01:57:07,500 --> 01:57:13,340
The Valarium, we're going to move this Thursday, are we voting to move it from Valarium to Non-Valarium on this Thursday's meeting?

1339
01:57:13,740 --> 01:57:26,240
Okay, so this coming Thursday is the public hearing and the adoption or what could be the adoption or the not adoption of this assessment?

1340
01:57:26,240 --> 01:57:40,520
Okay? The assessment would change the way you pay for your solid waste, and that would go from monthly bill to your property taxes, and that is a non-advalorem assessment.

1341
01:57:41,180 --> 01:57:44,500
Right, so in other words, we're taking it off the valorem and moving it to a non-

1342
01:57:44,500 --> 01:57:51,500
You're taking it off of your monthly utility bill, and you're putting it on a non-advalorem assessment that goes on your property tax bill.

1343
01:57:51,500 --> 01:58:00,040
Yeah, just to be clear, ad valorum just means like based on the value of the property.

1344
01:58:00,420 --> 01:58:04,960
So fees that are ad valorum are like your millage for your property taxes.

1345
01:58:04,960 --> 01:58:06,980
So it's based on the value of your home.

1346
01:58:07,660 --> 01:58:13,080
When we say non ad valorum, what we mean is that it doesn't adjust based on the value of

1347
01:58:13,080 --> 01:58:18,460
your property and everybody pays the fee based on, in this case, the number of residential

1348
01:58:18,460 --> 01:58:21,940
units that are associated with the property.

1349
01:58:23,220 --> 01:58:27,560
And so what I'm saying is then, because like you said in a few statements earlier

1350
01:58:27,560 --> 01:58:32,680
that our taxes are very welcome because of MMM at three in my past, cities can

1351
01:58:32,680 --> 01:58:33,800
lose a lot of money here.

1352
01:58:34,340 --> 01:58:36,340
And so now they're moving it to a non-volume.

1353
01:58:36,680 --> 01:58:39,380
That way they can now get money to pay for all this.

1354
01:58:39,700 --> 01:58:40,660
Well, hold on one second.

1355
01:58:40,720 --> 01:58:41,420
A little indirect.

1356
01:58:41,540 --> 01:58:47,980
Okay, so that's, I appreciate the question because it gives me an opportunity

1357
01:58:47,980 --> 01:58:56,460
to explain something. A nonadvalorem assessment is for specific use. This specific use is directly

1358
01:58:56,460 --> 01:59:08,720
to pay for the fees associated with solid waste assessment. This assessment and especially this

1359
01:59:08,720 --> 01:59:13,760
This proposal right here goes strictly to the solid waste bill, right?

1360
01:59:14,360 --> 01:59:23,280
This was initiated well before the amendment three language was even put on the ballot.

1361
01:59:24,100 --> 01:59:26,320
So this is totally independent.

1362
01:59:28,260 --> 01:59:30,480
It's not even a comparison.

1363
01:59:30,700 --> 01:59:35,040
And I would just add that the general fund is not paying for the service.

1364
01:59:35,040 --> 01:59:39,920
the monthly revenue that it collects from the bill is what's paying for it.

1365
01:59:40,680 --> 01:59:48,020
And so by transitioning it off of the monthly bill to the tax bill as a non-advalorem assessment,

1366
01:59:49,020 --> 01:59:52,180
it doesn't directly impact your property taxes.

1367
01:59:52,400 --> 01:59:59,800
Now, it indirectly, your comments very valid because I said earlier when I was presenting the financial plan that one of the options.

1368
02:00:00,000 --> 02:00:29,440
Which is not the staff recommended option was higher. It's this middle of this middle option here is higher because it considers the development of a reserve fund. And the idea there is that if we have a special revenue fund for the Saltway services, if we built up some money in there. So then if there is a hurricane, it doesn't become the burden of the general fund, which would affect, you know, your, your

1369
02:00:29,440 --> 02:00:35,000
your property taxes, and that's the connection, I think, if that makes sense.

1370
02:00:35,380 --> 02:00:38,880
Yeah, but it also opens the door too for the non-level ram that you can also start

1371
02:00:38,880 --> 02:00:42,700
charging us for police and fire department as well in the future if you wanted to.

1372
02:00:43,080 --> 02:00:47,620
So real quick, this is a great conversation that we're having.

1373
02:00:47,800 --> 02:00:50,700
One, statutorily, we can't do an assessment for police.

1374
02:00:51,860 --> 02:00:57,720
We can, cities can do an assessment for fire, so you are correct in your assertion or

1375
02:00:57,720 --> 02:01:01,760
or your assumption that the city could do that, 100%, but not for police.

1376
02:01:02,860 --> 02:01:07,720
And also, I just mentioned for those municipalities that are considering fire assessments,

1377
02:01:08,420 --> 02:01:11,260
you cannot recover all the costs of fire service.

1378
02:01:11,620 --> 02:01:15,860
You can only recover the costs that would be attributable to the property.

1379
02:01:16,340 --> 02:01:21,040
So typically, like emergency management services, like the ambulances, things like that,

1380
02:01:21,100 --> 02:01:24,020
it would not be allowed to be on a fire assessment.

1381
02:01:24,020 --> 02:01:33,300
So, it's not, if the amendment is adopted, it's not going to be a one-for-one trade-off for most municipalities.

1382
02:01:33,520 --> 02:01:40,220
They're still going to have financial hardships, and then there's going to be decisions about what municipalities are going to have to fund within the community.

1383
02:01:42,870 --> 02:01:43,790
Hold on one second, sir.

1384
02:01:48,650 --> 02:01:55,290
There are also, like the ladies that are concerned about their fixed income, also we've got veterans who are the same way who have a fixed income.

1385
02:01:55,290 --> 02:01:59,590
And this is adding a burn on of these veterans as well, but I've noticed.

1386
02:02:02,350 --> 02:02:06,710
We have a question, Jackie, and then two or three with Ben back there.

1387
02:02:10,010 --> 02:02:16,370
I just wanted to say thank you for all of what you've done, your presentation was very

1388
02:02:16,370 --> 02:02:22,610
and your willingness to ask or answer our questions and concerns to all of you.

1389
02:02:23,650 --> 02:02:30,410
My other question would be, we don't mix it with the property taxes.

1390
02:02:31,230 --> 02:02:50,150
The bill is 3456, but the line item on the second is if we do the reserve, that bill might be 3471 and we could still have the reserve on the monthly billing.

1391
02:02:50,150 --> 02:02:56,150
well hold on one second so real quick the only reason why we're showing the

1392
02:02:56,150 --> 02:03:02,350
monthly breakdown is to show the savings that you could see from moving away

1393
02:03:02,350 --> 02:03:10,150
from the local overtime to to the to this if we adopt the assessment that the

1394
02:03:10,150 --> 02:03:17,030
monthly charge is not equitable okay but you can't let's say we do the

1395
02:03:17,030 --> 02:03:18,730
the existing monthly billing rate.

1396
02:03:19,010 --> 02:03:20,090
I understand your question.

1397
02:03:20,250 --> 02:03:20,430
Yeah.

1398
02:03:20,770 --> 02:03:27,410
I'm wondering what it would cost to add in the reserve to that.

1399
02:03:27,610 --> 02:03:30,310
And we could calculate that actually pretty easily

1400
02:03:30,310 --> 02:03:33,790
because we could take that cost that I had identified earlier

1401
02:03:33,790 --> 02:03:36,330
for the reserves and we could divide that

1402
02:03:36,330 --> 02:03:39,030
by the number of bills on that prior slide.

1403
02:03:39,330 --> 02:03:43,550
And then that would give you the cost or the monthly rate

1404
02:03:44,430 --> 02:03:49,950
that would be needed to put on top of the $34.56 to build that reserve up.

1405
02:03:50,230 --> 02:03:57,150
What is your estimate that that might be, I mean, I'm kind of putting you on the spot and we'll hold you to the figure, but

1406
02:03:57,150 --> 02:03:58,350
I'm happy to calculate for it.

1407
02:03:58,370 --> 02:03:59,830
Just estimate.

1408
02:04:00,250 --> 02:04:02,530
Well, he calculates that, Ben, you know, has a question.

1409
02:04:02,630 --> 02:04:03,410
Yes, just think about it.

1410
02:04:05,360 --> 02:04:06,860
My name is Peter Katowskas.

1411
02:04:07,240 --> 02:04:09,380
I live at 1401, South Grant Street.

1412
02:04:12,040 --> 02:04:19,140
So the first statement I'm going to make is I am in favor of this change in process.

1413
02:04:19,360 --> 02:04:21,340
I'm in favor of adding it to the property tax.

1414
02:04:22,540 --> 02:04:26,860
I'm in furthermore, I'm in favor of the preliminary plan wherein we build a reserve.

1415
02:04:27,720 --> 02:04:34,040
So several of you have spoken multiple times and filed your complaints multiple times.

1416
02:04:34,040 --> 02:04:37,820
You only need to tell them once they are listening to you.

1417
02:04:38,280 --> 02:04:40,900
And you only need to express your concern one time.

1418
02:04:41,120 --> 02:04:46,240
Going back over them over and over again, it's not productive and we don't need to talk

1419
02:04:46,240 --> 02:04:52,520
about the past either because what's done is done and maybe they could have done it better.

1420
02:04:52,940 --> 02:04:54,160
We can all agree with that.

1421
02:04:54,380 --> 02:04:56,360
That's true of all of us in all of life.

1422
02:04:56,380 --> 02:04:58,740
We could all have done things better.

1423
02:04:59,320 --> 02:05:03,640
So I'm also upset with that part of it, but what's done is done.

1424
02:05:03,640 --> 02:05:08,060
So what we have to look at, really, is what is the ultimate result.

1425
02:05:08,680 --> 02:05:12,280
So I'm in favor of the preliminary plan because we need to reserve.

1426
02:05:13,100 --> 02:05:16,400
The lady over here has several times mentioned that if we have a catastrophe,

1427
02:05:16,940 --> 02:05:20,640
or more than one catastrophe, and we don't have the money to pay for it,

1428
02:05:21,020 --> 02:05:25,360
what we get charged could be a lot worse than what we're looking at right here.

1429
02:05:26,560 --> 02:05:32,000
Also, if we don't adopt this plan, and waste code decides to cancel the contract,

1430
02:05:32,000 --> 02:05:38,200
In fact, what we get instead of them could be a lot worse and we would not be a happy bunch.

1431
02:05:42,010 --> 02:05:47,390
The other thing is that we have to look at this in a more of a long term basis.

1432
02:05:47,770 --> 02:05:49,790
It is going to save us all money.

1433
02:05:50,270 --> 02:05:52,970
Everybody's cost of living is going up.

1434
02:05:53,070 --> 02:05:53,810
We all know that.

1435
02:05:54,390 --> 02:06:01,170
Here's an opportunity to save a little bit of money and pay less in the long term future.

1436
02:06:01,170 --> 02:06:09,430
So sometimes in life, we have to overcome a hurdle, a difficult moment, in order to get to a better place.

1437
02:06:10,370 --> 02:06:12,850
So those are the reasons that I'm in favor of doing this.

1438
02:06:12,850 --> 02:06:16,570
Long term, it's going to benefit all of us if we do this.

1439
02:06:16,970 --> 02:06:18,390
So right now, it's a little bit tough.

1440
02:06:18,870 --> 02:06:20,330
This November is a little bit tough.

1441
02:06:21,050 --> 02:06:22,370
You're not going to lose your home.

1442
02:06:23,310 --> 02:06:23,810
No, you're not.

1443
02:06:25,450 --> 02:06:27,210
You're not going to lose your home.

1444
02:06:27,210 --> 02:06:31,530
So, I'm coming out, I'm only going to speak once.

1445
02:06:31,950 --> 02:06:39,310
I've said my piece, this is what I think we should be doing, and I think the long-term benefit is obvious and clear.

1446
02:06:39,670 --> 02:06:41,030
You have a question with Jackie?

1447
02:06:43,480 --> 02:06:53,420
Hi, my name's Sean Flavin, I'm at 431 East Church Avenue, I'm a senior on fixed income, my house is paid for thank goodness.

1448
02:06:57,580 --> 02:06:58,940
I just,

1449
02:07:01,380 --> 02:07:06,640
to soften the blow of my property taxes, I pay through the installment plan.

1450
02:07:06,940 --> 02:07:07,060
Correct.

1451
02:07:07,700 --> 02:07:15,360
Will this appear, will it just be rolled into my taxes and divided, you know, and I'll

1452
02:07:15,360 --> 02:07:19,720
just pay these, an additional amount every quarter?

1453
02:07:21,040 --> 02:07:23,400
I don't know if you know the answer to that or not.

1454
02:07:23,620 --> 02:07:23,900
Yes.

1455
02:07:24,260 --> 02:07:30,160
I don't know the answer, but that's one of the things I'm going to explore because I think

1456
02:07:30,160 --> 02:07:35,920
that there's a very valid point here that, and I did look at, too, there was a comment

1457
02:07:35,920 --> 02:07:43,080
earlier from the MAM about the taxes and the property taxes are paying in arrears, but the

1458
02:07:43,080 --> 02:07:45,120
non-advalorem assessments are typically not.

1459
02:07:45,600 --> 02:07:54,020
So the so the non-advalors at the law and assessment is paid for the services to be rendered in the fiscal year in which they're kind of levied.

1460
02:07:54,840 --> 02:08:00,880
As far as you know does the county offer a payment plan that applies to the non-advalor and assessment as well with the property taxes.

1461
02:08:01,280 --> 02:08:05,960
I don't have the answer right now but we're going to we're going to try to find out from the county as soon as we can.

1462
02:08:06,260 --> 02:08:10,460
So we have that information in advance of the public meeting.

1463
02:08:10,460 --> 02:08:38,740
Yeah, I just want to know where they're just going to be to me and I do have the figure too, but yes, yeah on the installment plan would it just be, you know, an extra 100 every quarter or I don't know the specifics about the installment plan, but in theory, if the installment is paid monthly and they don't market up for any reason and it was just a pure pass through, then it would be equivalent to what

1464
02:08:38,740 --> 02:08:43,740
But we calculate on the monthly basis because that's the total cost of the non-advlorum assessment.

1465
02:08:44,260 --> 02:08:49,520
Annually, it would be around, for the recommended option from staff, not the one with the reserve.

1466
02:08:50,200 --> 02:08:53,780
It would be $372 before the 4% discount.

1467
02:08:54,520 --> 02:09:01,200
And then it'd be $433 if you built up the reserve before the 4% discount.

1468
02:09:01,760 --> 02:09:07,280
But to answer your question, in theory if the county has an option for you to pay an installment

1469
02:09:07,280 --> 02:09:14,560
methods, and they didn't mark it up, that in theory it should be something like that if it's paid on a monthly basis.

1470
02:09:15,040 --> 02:09:19,960
The $34 and $36 per month, which is comparable to what you're paying today.

1471
02:09:20,240 --> 02:09:21,520
It's quarterly basis.

1472
02:09:23,180 --> 02:09:32,320
Okay, real quick, if we can think of it like this, you have to pay your property taxes as they come, the full dollar amount.

1473
02:09:32,320 --> 02:09:39,500
So, if you're part of a payment plan, you're breaking up that full dollar amount over a quarter basis.

1474
02:09:40,060 --> 02:09:44,480
So, although we are doing our research right now, we can't find specific language.

1475
02:09:45,080 --> 02:09:57,860
I would go on record to say it would make me hard to believe that the assessment would not be allowed to be applied to that because the entire property tax bill is part of one figure.

1476
02:10:00,500 --> 02:10:07,040
There was a question earlier about if we wanted to build up the reserves, what would that

1477
02:10:07,040 --> 02:10:08,500
cost be to the monthly bill?

1478
02:10:08,820 --> 02:10:15,620
And it would be in range of roughly $5 per month to establish it within a one year period

1479
02:10:15,620 --> 02:10:16,040
of time.

1480
02:10:17,400 --> 02:10:24,700
Well, I guess maybe I'm not being clear, but will this be broken up in quarterly payments

1481
02:10:24,700 --> 02:10:25,780
along with my property?

1482
02:10:25,780 --> 02:10:36,000
So that is our belief, however, you know, we can't find concrete information to support a yes or a no answer for you.

1483
02:10:36,240 --> 02:10:45,760
However, Dustin is going to determine that answer, and it will be part of our frequently asked question section related to this topic on our website.

1484
02:10:46,360 --> 02:10:54,060
It's a payment plan of sorts, so if this was divided up to, it would make it easier for people to pay that amount, you know.

1485
02:10:54,060 --> 02:10:58,820
So, one more question quickly, what happens to the reserve if it's not used?

1486
02:10:59,780 --> 02:11:00,660
It rolls over.

1487
02:11:00,660 --> 02:11:06,800
Can you use the grow for the rainy day because we all know living in Florida, there will be a rainy day, okay?

1488
02:11:19,900 --> 02:11:21,760
I mean, it is true.

1489
02:11:22,000 --> 02:11:26,920
I mean, the gentleman's right, I mean, you, you know, if you build up this reserve for that purpose,

1490
02:11:27,060 --> 02:11:35,140
but what I would say is that there would be, but you are right in the sense that because this is a non-advalorem assessment,

1491
02:11:36,720 --> 02:11:38,900
It's tied to the property for the service.

1492
02:11:39,080 --> 02:11:42,020
If they used it for another purpose, there could be a lawsuit.

1493
02:11:43,420 --> 02:11:47,760
So that should stop the misappropriation of the funds.

1494
02:11:47,980 --> 02:11:52,340
And that's also why we talked about the establishment of the special revenue fund.

1495
02:11:53,340 --> 02:12:02,200
But you could have things that are done that may not be all appropriate and what not.

1496
02:12:02,200 --> 02:12:32,180
So, you know, I mean, I mean, both sides have a point, yeah, but I think I'd lead more on the side of the, of the madam here that, you know, basically, you know, it, you know, I think the intent of the city is to set it up as a special revenue fund, and when they report every year, they have to do an audit, an audited financial statement, when that audit comes out, it would be public record

1497
02:12:32,180 --> 02:12:35,720
the record transparent, how that money is getting accounted for.

1498
02:12:36,160 --> 02:12:41,020
And so there'd be a separate line item or call out for the special revenue accounting.

1499
02:12:41,820 --> 02:12:50,270
For transparency for the public, so go over and then I'll come over to you.

1500
02:12:51,210 --> 02:12:53,770
All right, Joanne Rebello, 301 Locke Lohmann.

1501
02:12:55,230 --> 02:13:01,910
I would like to find out if I'm correct on some of the things that I'm thinking and that I've heard.

1502
02:13:01,910 --> 02:13:14,730
This nonadvalorum assessment for the trash is not deductible on anybody's income taxes, correct?

1503
02:13:15,630 --> 02:13:18,150
It's only advalorum that's deductible.

1504
02:13:21,110 --> 02:13:23,090
You mean from federal income taxes?

1505
02:13:24,130 --> 02:13:28,390
I don't know the answer to that question.

1506
02:13:28,550 --> 02:13:31,550
I'm not a tax accountant, but we can certainly-

1507
02:13:31,550 --> 02:13:39,950
I believe it is not deductible, it's only the ad valora, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

1508
02:13:40,550 --> 02:13:44,830
So for those people to think that this is going to lower the income taxes, it's not.

1509
02:13:45,710 --> 02:13:50,130
I mean, most people get a standard deduction on their income taxes.

1510
02:13:50,610 --> 02:13:55,330
And it's nice peded that you have the money to come up with that $434.

1511
02:13:56,010 --> 02:13:56,790
I do not.

1512
02:13:57,090 --> 02:13:58,890
There are a lot of us that do not.

1513
02:13:58,890 --> 02:14:10,270
And I know it's going to hurt a lot of people, and those people that do have an escrow account because they have a mortgages, thankfully I'm like this gentleman.

1514
02:14:10,550 --> 02:14:14,150
I don't have a mortgage, otherwise I'd be out on the street.

1515
02:14:15,170 --> 02:14:24,690
But anyway, people's escrow, the escrow company is going to want to pay this bill to get the discount in November.

1516
02:14:24,690 --> 02:14:38,130
which means if I'm correct because I don't have an escrow account, they're going to expect the person that's paying into the escrow account to come up with the $434.

1517
02:14:38,390 --> 02:14:43,430
It's not going to be broken down over the month. They have to come up with it immediately.

1518
02:14:45,210 --> 02:14:50,610
So that is going to be a big strain on even people with escrow accounts.

1519
02:14:50,610 --> 02:14:59,930
It's going to be a big strain on renters because now it's going to be on the taxpayer bill, so now they're going to raise the rents, which are outreach.

1520
02:15:00,000 --> 02:15:29,980
Just as it is. The other thing that I'm really concerned about is the effect it's going to have on everybody, and the fact that we were not given enough notice. I know legally there were notices. But a lot of us do not look at all illegal leads and understand what's happening. I know that's why you're doing the Q&A. But there's not enough time.

1521
02:15:29,980 --> 02:15:37,780
to really get it out there because we got one week, one week before decision is made and that

1522
02:15:37,780 --> 02:15:46,640
is my concern there wasn't enough time to digest it and I would really like everybody to consider

1523
02:15:46,640 --> 02:15:54,820
that that maybe we look at it this for next year. And you also mentioned that the city pays

1524
02:15:56,100 --> 02:16:01,500
Ways Pro monthly, whether it is an assessment or whether it is on the monthly bill,

1525
02:16:01,640 --> 02:16:02,180
is that correct?

1526
02:16:02,660 --> 02:16:03,060
Correct.

1527
02:16:03,560 --> 02:16:03,760
OK.

1528
02:16:05,020 --> 02:16:10,060
We are being asked not to pay monthly but pay a one lump sum.

1529
02:16:11,440 --> 02:16:18,480
The city gets funds from the taxes and the tax, man, Semmel County whatever.

1530
02:16:18,480 --> 02:16:26,400
and yet is that all that money coming to the city or who's holding that money

1531
02:16:26,400 --> 02:16:33,240
because there's interest involved. Who's gaining that interest on that amount

1532
02:16:33,240 --> 02:16:37,700
of money? Is the city gaining it? Is the tax, the Seminole County tax office

1533
02:16:37,700 --> 02:16:44,140
gaining it? We're not getting any benefit from it by paying an lump sum and also

1534
02:16:44,140 --> 02:16:53,780
So paying in advance, if something should happen to the company waste pro or if we have complaints

1535
02:16:53,780 --> 02:16:58,560
are really unhappy, we've already paid that money in advance, we have no avenue.

1536
02:16:59,420 --> 02:17:04,720
So there's a lot of things that I don't think have been fully answered and I would really

1537
02:17:04,720 --> 02:17:12,320
like to see this post-poned and I know we're at a crunch because October 1st is the beginning

1538
02:17:12,320 --> 02:17:20,180
of the year, that we really need to look at this maybe next year, maybe putting it to

1539
02:17:20,180 --> 02:17:25,960
a vote to the people, because there are some people that can be in favor of it, and

1540
02:17:25,960 --> 02:17:27,260
there are a lot of people that are not.

1541
02:17:28,360 --> 02:17:28,700
Thank you.

1542
02:17:28,820 --> 02:17:31,340
Well, there's a few questions that you ask.

1543
02:17:32,180 --> 02:17:35,920
More than a few, a lot of questions that you asked there, and I want to try to get them.

1544
02:17:36,080 --> 02:17:39,480
First of all, this does not go to a vote for the people.

1545
02:17:39,480 --> 02:17:43,040
This is something that goes before the commission.

1546
02:17:43,620 --> 02:17:48,540
Thus the commission hears from the people, and I can tell you, thanks to our clerk,

1547
02:17:49,340 --> 02:17:58,200
every opposition letter, every opposition email, every phone call, every message has been heard by your elected officials.

1548
02:17:59,000 --> 02:18:00,660
I can guarantee you that.

1549
02:18:01,400 --> 02:18:07,780
I have had multiple conversations independently with each one of them about this topic.

1550
02:18:07,780 --> 02:18:11,940
I can assure you that your voices are heard.

1551
02:18:12,540 --> 02:18:17,360
So indirectly, although there isn't a vote, your voices are being heard.

1552
02:18:17,600 --> 02:18:24,740
I can guarantee you, thus the reason why the alternative approach was even entertained because we listen to you.

1553
02:18:25,260 --> 02:18:28,580
All right, now as far as the city paying the waste pro their monthly bill,

1554
02:18:28,580 --> 02:18:38,600
I believe that pay-in-a-company annually would be unreasonable for that company to maintain operations.

1555
02:18:39,560 --> 02:18:45,000
Okay, so the company has set up for us to pay them in every month, right?

1556
02:18:45,380 --> 02:18:55,860
That is why the city is going to have to pay the solid waste every month, even though we are not receiving everyone's property tax bill,

1557
02:18:55,860 --> 02:19:03,680
or property tax payment right away, Dustin, if you could weigh in how frequently do we receive property tax payments?

1558
02:19:04,260 --> 02:19:10,780
The vast majority of our property tax payments will be in December, January, and then after that it's a trickle.

1559
02:19:11,200 --> 02:19:17,660
Okay, so October, October money for solid waste comes from September payments.

1560
02:19:18,240 --> 02:19:25,320
So we are floating the entire city, November, December and January until we start receiving

1561
02:19:25,320 --> 02:19:33,160
property tax payments, right? So even though we are paying monthly, we're not receiving the vast

1562
02:19:33,160 --> 02:19:38,940
majority of our property tax payments until January or February and then it continues to trick

1563
02:19:38,940 --> 02:19:41,600
along until the deadline is achieved.

1564
02:19:44,630 --> 02:19:51,650
Okay, so the money that is received by the city from the tax

1565
02:19:51,650 --> 02:19:59,170
This collector will be sitting in general, the general fund, and collecting interest.

1566
02:20:00,270 --> 02:20:02,670
Somebody's collecting interest on all that money.

1567
02:20:02,970 --> 02:20:09,690
And if you're only paying ways per once a month and you've collected the money, where is that money?

1568
02:20:09,930 --> 02:20:14,470
It stays with the special revenue fund and it can be utilized to lower the monthly bill.

1569
02:20:15,350 --> 02:20:19,910
But you receive the city receives interest on it.

1570
02:20:19,910 --> 02:20:24,130
And yeah, also the interest would get recognized and like, let me show you.

1571
02:20:26,780 --> 02:20:36,740
It would actually help out in theory, so you see this cost here.

1572
02:20:38,160 --> 02:20:47,480
There would be investment income that could offset this cost and then you'd take that net revenue requirement divided by the bills to come up with the rate.

1573
02:20:47,480 --> 02:21:14,640
And so that could act as a benefit, it's not going to be as substantial as you might think because it'd be a few hundred thousand dollars to be like four hundred thousand dollars times, you know, a two and a half percent rate of return or what not because they want to invest in a riskless investment so that it would be available typically investment policies for local governments prioritize the security and safety of the investments over return.

1574
02:21:14,640 --> 02:21:22,920
and then that could be retained within the fund to then be used for the services that the funder established for.

1575
02:21:23,580 --> 02:21:33,040
Yes, we will have, if this passes and it has a dedicated fund, which is what I advocate for of this passes for sure.

1576
02:21:34,220 --> 02:21:43,960
That dedicated fund will receive the revenue and any interest earned on that revenue to stay within that fund.

1577
02:21:43,960 --> 02:21:48,320
And solely to be utilized for the solid way services.

1578
02:21:59,420 --> 02:22:01,340
It'd be about a $5 increase.

1579
02:22:05,930 --> 02:22:07,230
You could still do that.

1580
02:22:07,350 --> 02:22:11,730
Yeah, you could do that whether you do the billing method or not, but I don't think

1581
02:22:11,730 --> 02:22:14,450
the city currently has plans to do that, but it could consider it.

1582
02:22:15,030 --> 02:22:16,310
It could consider it.

1583
02:22:20,440 --> 02:22:25,280
I have one more comment on this trash assessment.

1584
02:22:25,580 --> 02:22:30,460
Of course, I think we all know I'm opposed to it, because it's going to hurt me and

1585
02:22:30,460 --> 02:22:37,120
And I know it's going to hurt a lot of people, it's going from monthly if I lost my

1586
02:22:37,120 --> 02:22:44,180
being free and I thought it'll come back it'll come back to me oh the thing was getting

1587
02:22:44,180 --> 02:22:53,880
payment for the trash and you're saying five to seven percent I'm not paying on time.

1588
02:22:53,880 --> 02:23:03,300
Okay. And the purpose of doing the trash assessment is because that's more lucrative because

1589
02:23:03,300 --> 02:23:10,560
it's only a 2% difference between 100%. It's like 97, 98% I believe you said. Okay.

1590
02:23:11,860 --> 02:23:20,760
Why can we not explore instead of doing the assessment having something in place that if the

1591
02:23:20,760 --> 02:23:28,770
that people who are living in the house are renters or even they own the house, maybe

1592
02:23:28,770 --> 02:23:31,810
they're going into foreclosure because of illness or something,

1593
02:23:34,120 --> 02:23:35,840
a mechanism, especially

1594
02:23:35,840 --> 02:23:43,640
for renters, where it gets put on the taxpayers if they're making income from the renter,

1595
02:23:44,680 --> 02:23:52,580
then you switch it over to that particular one where they are now responsible for the renters.

1596
02:23:52,580 --> 02:24:05,740
It would be very administratively difficult to have a two system approach like a monthly bill and a non-advalorant assessment, because you'd have to have good record keeping to know who would be switched over.

1597
02:24:05,840 --> 02:24:14,840
You'd also have to have an administrative cost to be able to have that whole program set up, so we haven't explored what that cost is.

1598
02:24:14,840 --> 02:24:28,960
It's not a bad idea of saying that cost can be passed on to the taxpayer because not the whole city because their renter did not pay.

1599
02:24:29,440 --> 02:24:33,040
So they would then have to bear the cost of the administrative cost.

1600
02:24:33,400 --> 02:24:44,160
I think maybe if I could help you out what maybe another way to put your proposal forward might be to say that in lieu of charging renters you switched the monthly bill to the property owner.

1601
02:24:44,160 --> 02:24:47,700
If you did that, I believe it would have the same outcome of what you're

1602
02:24:47,700 --> 02:24:49,320
desiring to achieve.

1603
02:24:50,380 --> 02:24:53,780
And that could be something that you could look at potentially.

1604
02:24:53,880 --> 02:25:00,480
You're punishing the people for just a 5% or even 7%.

1605
02:25:00,480 --> 02:25:07,760
You're punishing everybody, whereas only those that are not paying it

1606
02:25:07,760 --> 02:25:11,280
or have rents that do not pay for their trash pickup.

1607
02:25:11,280 --> 02:25:18,560
up. You're punishing us all. You're making it difficult for the seniors, for the veterans.

1608
02:25:19,300 --> 02:25:23,480
You're punishing everybody for those few people that don't pay.

1609
02:25:24,500 --> 02:25:27,220
I think that everybody's paying the fee now.

1610
02:25:28,640 --> 02:25:35,460
Not $434. It's a lot easier for me to come up with $30 a month than $434.

1611
02:25:35,860 --> 02:25:40,980
I hear you. I understand your point. I'm just saying that the cost that you play,

1612
02:25:40,980 --> 02:25:46,200
that you pay over a 12-month period is going to be roughly the same.

1613
02:25:47,040 --> 02:25:54,760
Now, initially when you set up the assessment, the lady made an excellent point that if

1614
02:25:54,760 --> 02:26:01,640
you don't have that money built up, that it creates an initial hardship when you're establishing the assessment.

1615
02:26:02,300 --> 02:26:07,900
And I think I want to personally look into other options to try to possibly alleviate that issue.

1616
02:26:07,900 --> 02:26:07,960
you.

1617
02:26:12,780 --> 02:26:23,340
Okay, well, I, I, I, yeah, I, so, so, if I could weigh in for a second, we, we

1618
02:26:23,340 --> 02:26:28,980
understand the hardship that an assessment places. We understand that. We've heard you,

1619
02:26:29,160 --> 02:26:36,180
and I'll repeat myself again, I've read every letter. That is why we designed an alternative

1620
02:26:36,180 --> 02:26:41,960
of approach to try to lower the cost as best we can and still achieve the outcome that

1621
02:26:41,960 --> 02:26:45,760
we were looking for to maintain compliance with the contract.

1622
02:26:46,500 --> 02:26:48,520
That is why we are here.

1623
02:26:49,200 --> 02:26:53,780
This is not intended to create a hardship.

1624
02:26:54,020 --> 02:27:01,760
This is intended to create a payment method so that you could receive the services that

1625
02:27:01,760 --> 02:27:03,160
we're required to give you.

1626
02:27:03,160 --> 02:27:06,820
Right? The services are going to happen no matter what.

1627
02:27:06,980 --> 02:27:11,240
Whether you pay it on the monthly bill and the monthly bill is going to keep rising.

1628
02:27:13,240 --> 02:27:20,980
And or do we adopt an assessment that is going to ultimately lower your bill month by month?

1629
02:27:21,380 --> 02:27:26,140
And that's the issue at hand.

1630
02:27:26,720 --> 02:27:28,020
We understand the hardship.

1631
02:27:28,660 --> 02:27:32,200
I've heard you, I've heard you, and I trust me.

1632
02:27:32,200 --> 02:27:33,880
the commission has also heard you.

1633
02:27:34,260 --> 02:27:35,400
We have a question with Ben.

1634
02:27:37,690 --> 02:27:45,910
So I think this is just a good advocate for amendment three to pass because just around a number saying $2,000 to come on it off of our bill.

1635
02:27:47,230 --> 02:27:53,710
When the amendment three passes, then you're only going about $400 instead of $2,000 just rounding figures here.

1636
02:28:01,110 --> 02:28:02,270
Any other questions?

1637
02:28:02,650 --> 02:28:03,410
Oh, I'm sorry.

1638
02:28:03,730 --> 02:28:04,230
Here you go.

1639
02:28:04,690 --> 02:28:05,290
You can have mine.

1640
02:28:06,770 --> 02:28:08,950
Okay. Hold on one second. He's coming to you.

1641
02:28:09,130 --> 02:28:18,590
Okay. My last question for the night. I know, like, maybe three weeks a month ago, the commissioners all voted to bring this up.

1642
02:28:19,670 --> 02:28:23,310
I would like to know the names of the ones that voted for it.

1643
02:28:23,630 --> 02:28:33,130
Okay. So let me just explain, let me explain what happened the other, the meeting that you're referring to on any of these type agenda items.

1644
02:28:33,130 --> 02:28:36,050
and there's a slew of these kind of type of agenda items.

1645
02:28:36,210 --> 02:28:38,870
There is a first reading that takes place.

1646
02:28:39,410 --> 02:28:48,390
The first reading is there so that the commission could implore the staff to move this forward

1647
02:28:48,390 --> 02:28:52,370
and further to evaluate it, right?

1648
02:28:52,790 --> 02:28:55,950
And also to receive input from the residents.

1649
02:28:56,450 --> 02:28:59,870
That's the reason why the first meeting happens.

1650
02:28:59,870 --> 02:29:05,550
That's, that's, that's totally, once that happens, then notices are sent out.

1651
02:29:05,650 --> 02:29:10,810
Those are the notices that you received, and the window to voice an opposition opens up.

1652
02:29:11,210 --> 02:29:19,370
So all of that happen, the, the commission voted three, two in support of moving it forward,

1653
02:29:19,830 --> 02:29:24,030
because that opened up an opportunity to hear the residents.

1654
02:29:24,030 --> 02:29:31,270
Now, I'm only expressing what happens when the vote moves forward.

1655
02:29:31,610 --> 02:29:37,930
If it didn't move forward and the commission voted against it, then the letters would

1656
02:29:37,930 --> 02:29:42,670
not have gone out and thus this conversation might not happen.

1657
02:29:42,750 --> 02:29:44,730
I'm not saying it wouldn't happen, but it might not happen.

1658
02:29:45,070 --> 02:29:50,850
So the vote to move it forward was not to move this towards an adoption.

1659
02:29:50,850 --> 02:29:59,010
It was to move it towards the public hearing, which allows the commission, which allows the residents a chance to speak on the issue.

1660
02:29:59,010 --> 02:29:59,970
That's

1661
02:30:00,000 --> 02:30:09,960
That's the purpose of, of the two meeting format that is required for this particular agenda item. As far as the, what's that? It was, that was the right.

1662
02:30:14,440 --> 02:30:15,840
Mayor Tony Bonny,

1663
02:30:21,250 --> 02:30:22,150
Commissioner McMillan,

1664
02:30:24,520 --> 02:30:32,320
and Commissioner Schumaker, and Commissioner Schumaker, both Commissioner Sackit and Commissioner Morgan, more than once who opposed.

1665
02:30:40,410 --> 02:30:47,670
They can change their vote. A hundred percent. The opposition, they've received from all of us tax

1666
02:30:47,670 --> 02:30:56,850
here 100% they can change their vote on 910 and I think the consensus that I'm

1667
02:30:56,850 --> 02:31:02,150
gathering and I want to say something thank you to all the women in here with

1668
02:31:02,150 --> 02:31:08,350
their compassionate hearts who have spoke up thank you to the very few men

1669
02:31:08,350 --> 02:31:14,370
that have not spoken up maybe they're you know agreeing with their wives I don't

1670
02:31:14,370 --> 02:31:20,030
know, or they feel like the other guy in the back. Okay.

1671
02:31:22,130 --> 02:31:24,030
But I do want to thank you because

1672
02:31:24,030 --> 02:31:31,470
I noticed, you know, that we've got a lot of women here that really care about, you

1673
02:31:31,470 --> 02:31:37,450
know, and they're in positions. I mean, I don't think men, and I love all you men, okay?

1674
02:31:37,450 --> 02:31:45,510
this is not a bash on men but the fact is that men make more money usually. I'm 74

1675
02:31:45,510 --> 02:31:52,710
years old. I started out making two dollars an hour and had to work until I was

1676
02:31:52,710 --> 02:32:00,570
70, you know, to get my tax or my social security and pay off my house and all

1677
02:32:00,570 --> 02:32:06,170
that. So I had to work hard and I know maybe a lot of women in here in the same

1678
02:32:06,170 --> 02:32:13,550
issues. You guys are younger, some of you, and men make more money, and I just don't think

1679
02:32:13,550 --> 02:32:21,870
that they understand the hardship of some of the women that are by themselves in their

1680
02:32:21,870 --> 02:32:28,090
homes. So I always have that in my heart as a compassionate thing because I'm one of

1681
02:32:28,090 --> 02:32:38,270
them too. So I do really appreciate your ear of listening. And I highly hope that,

1682
02:32:39,390 --> 02:32:45,010
and you know, adding $5 to the bill monthly to do the reserve. I don't think that would

1683
02:32:45,010 --> 02:32:50,550
be a hardship on most people. Maybe they do without a coffee in the morning or something

1684
02:32:50,550 --> 02:32:59,130
and at Starbucks, but I think that, well, I just want to say I appreciate it and I really

1685
02:32:59,130 --> 02:33:05,570
hope that they've listened and I'm not for, sorry, adopting it.

1686
02:33:05,970 --> 02:33:10,490
I want to stay the monthly, not for adding it onto the taxes.

1687
02:33:10,950 --> 02:33:11,370
That's just not-

1688
02:33:11,370 --> 02:33:13,530
Don't need to apologize for your preference.

1689
02:33:16,850 --> 02:33:21,790
What about the 7% that doesn't pay monthly?

1690
02:33:22,610 --> 02:33:23,730
How does that work?

1691
02:33:24,850 --> 02:33:32,410
So currently right now they either give their water turned off or it's bad debt towards

1692
02:33:33,050 --> 02:33:33,670
waste pro.

1693
02:33:34,650 --> 02:33:41,150
And I say the bad debt towards waste pro is that we have residents in our city that pay

1694
02:33:41,150 --> 02:33:45,890
a direct to the city for solid waste services.

1695
02:33:46,550 --> 02:33:51,790
When those payments are not received, those individuals still keep getting trash pickup.

1696
02:33:52,330 --> 02:33:59,330
And the reason for that is because there isn't a mechanism either on the city side or waste

1697
02:33:59,330 --> 02:34:06,110
pro side for us to identify that house don't pick up their trash and then relay that information

1698
02:34:06,110 --> 02:34:19,150
question over to a trash collection crew on a truck that has to drive down, I'm just, I'm getting the weeds with you, but I'm trying to explain that it's not as simple as just don't pick up that person's trash.

1699
02:34:19,690 --> 02:34:33,810
And I think that the dollar amount, if you if you wanted to put a dollar amount to your seven percent, I think the contractor said that if you make the switch, they put it in their agreement that they would lower the monthly charges by two dollars.

1700
02:34:33,810 --> 02:34:46,970
So I think if you needed, if you wanted to try to assign like what is the effect of the monthly bill from the 7% the contract states that it'd be $2 less expensive to everybody basically.

1701
02:34:47,530 --> 02:34:59,370
So that's a way to think about, so the folks that the cost of the folks not paying timely is the implication is that it's roughly $2 per month to the bill.

1702
02:34:59,370 --> 02:35:13,190
But you know, that's a choice, you know, if you want to continue with the monthly bill, if it's higher, if that's your preference because of the hardship that it may, you know, put on some of the residents, and that's, that's a choice.

1703
02:35:13,190 --> 02:35:17,370
So hold on one second, I'm sorry, I don't mean interrupt,

1704
02:35:17,950 --> 02:35:21,450
but we understand the feelings.

1705
02:35:22,170 --> 02:35:23,250
We understand the opinions.

1706
02:35:24,090 --> 02:35:25,750
We want to address questions.

1707
02:35:26,430 --> 02:35:29,110
If someone has a question that hasn't already been addressed,

1708
02:35:30,490 --> 02:35:31,850
please raise your hand.

1709
02:35:32,030 --> 02:35:38,710
If you don't have a question and you want to just speak,

1710
02:35:39,170 --> 02:35:41,110
my phone number is on the website.

1711
02:35:41,110 --> 02:35:52,590
Many people here in this room know me, know that I'll return your call immediately, and I'm happy to discuss this at any time, as long as my wife is okay after hours with me talking on the phone about work.

1712
02:35:53,330 --> 02:36:00,430
Other than that, I am here manager and I'm here to discuss anything, but I want to address questions and questions only.

1713
02:36:00,430 --> 02:36:01,350
My

1714
02:36:03,780 --> 02:36:11,420
name is Kurt Leining-Kugel. My address is 630 landings place and what I understand

1715
02:36:11,420 --> 02:36:19,600
is that we do still have, there's three options up there. The first option is, it's not

1716
02:36:19,600 --> 02:36:24,960
up there right now, that we stick with the monthly billing even though WastePro is

1717
02:36:24,960 --> 02:36:33,520
against this they will still honor the contract at the higher rate that's going up in October

1718
02:36:33,520 --> 02:36:47,400
$34 and something. So but the city is proposing this assessment of the two levels and that's

1719
02:36:47,400 --> 02:36:58,540
So, depending on which way the vote goes next Thursday, we could still have what we currently have which is monthly billing on our utility bill.

1720
02:36:59,040 --> 02:37:01,160
Yes, with one caveat.

1721
02:37:01,540 --> 02:37:08,440
In the contract, it does says that WastePro could terminate the contract if the city chooses not to adopt an assessment.

1722
02:37:09,000 --> 02:37:11,120
Okay? That does say that.

1723
02:37:11,240 --> 02:37:15,460
Now, I don't know if that wouldn't happen if they did go with the assessment though.

1724
02:37:15,460 --> 02:37:18,560
It would not happen because the contract would not allow it now.

1725
02:37:19,020 --> 02:37:33,920
Now, so you are correct, if the assessment isn't adopted, then we could assume that we would continue through the monthly payment on your utility bill and those payments are identified up there.

1726
02:37:33,920 --> 02:37:45,900
Yeah, but I would just say that like if in and I'm I'm not I'm trying not to advocate for one way or another right now, but what I would say is that waste

1727
02:37:45,900 --> 02:37:51,340
pro will make more money if you do not approve the change to the assessment.

1728
02:37:55,640 --> 02:37:59,240
Right, because it because they have they don't have a way to collect from people.

1729
02:37:59,280 --> 02:38:06,620
So if that five or seven percent gets to be a lot larger for whatever reason, let's say, let's say we go through like another great

1730
02:38:06,620 --> 02:38:12,600
recession and there are more people that have like a problem and there's no way to ensure

1731
02:38:12,600 --> 02:38:19,520
capture so they can pay their drivers and cover their costs. I'm just saying if there's an

1732
02:38:19,520 --> 02:38:24,980
economic downturn and you have more people that aren't paying timely, you know, I'm just

1733
02:38:32,830 --> 02:38:38,590
money to make this big fuss about. I mean that's a small amount of people. I mean that's that's your

1734
02:38:38,590 --> 02:38:40,870
your opinion and, you know, that I respected.

1735
02:38:41,010 --> 02:38:44,630
Well, you haven't given me a number, a cost of that.

1736
02:38:45,070 --> 02:38:46,450
What is the waste process?

1737
02:38:46,690 --> 02:38:49,530
I said earlier that it's $2,000, ma'am.

1738
02:38:49,530 --> 02:38:50,730
$2 per person?

1739
02:38:50,790 --> 02:38:52,230
Per month, per person.

1740
02:38:52,530 --> 02:38:53,310
I said it earlier.

1741
02:38:54,290 --> 02:38:55,010
I said that.

1742
02:38:55,070 --> 02:38:57,210
How does it work out to $2 a person?

1743
02:38:57,230 --> 02:39:03,510
Because in the contract, it says that they will provide a reduction to the monthly charges of $2 per month.

1744
02:39:03,590 --> 02:39:04,590
No, I mean, I was talking about that.

1745
02:39:04,590 --> 02:39:08,390
But that's tied to the payment issue that you're asking about.

1746
02:39:08,670 --> 02:39:14,590
I'm saying that if we go to what it currently is like right now, pain monthly.

1747
02:39:15,070 --> 02:39:17,850
Ways Pro can say no, I'm not doing the job.

1748
02:39:18,330 --> 02:39:20,970
That's the threat they have on our commissioners.

1749
02:39:21,370 --> 02:39:23,270
They can pull out, be in that garbage pickup.

1750
02:39:23,650 --> 02:39:31,010
It is a contractual option available to them that they may not exercise.

1751
02:39:31,010 --> 02:39:32,170
6 months notice?

1752
02:39:32,510 --> 02:39:34,830
Yes, that they may not exercise.

1753
02:39:34,950 --> 02:39:39,110
So they, right, which they probably will is why our commissioners are all for this?

1754
02:39:41,440 --> 02:39:43,280
There's no question in the back with that.

1755
02:39:43,660 --> 02:39:47,340
I think that question should really be answered by a waste pro, the contractor.

1756
02:39:47,800 --> 02:39:49,000
I can't speak on their behalf.

1757
02:39:49,320 --> 02:39:55,440
I don't know what their feelings are, but I don't know whether they would necessarily

1758
02:39:56,160 --> 02:40:00,680
want one option or the other because they've baked it into their contract with you.

1759
02:40:00,680 --> 02:40:08,340
However, they have an opportunity to, if they're in a situation where they're not recovering enough money for their operations to exit the contract.

1760
02:40:08,840 --> 02:40:09,860
That's the way I see it.

1761
02:40:12,880 --> 02:40:16,980
Yeah, but the contract doesn't allow them to raise it by any amount.

1762
02:40:17,140 --> 02:40:20,580
It only allows it to raise it by a limited amount, 5% per year.

1763
02:40:20,840 --> 02:40:22,180
We do have a question in the back.

1764
02:40:22,600 --> 02:40:25,080
Please, if you have any commentary, you need to wait until you have a microphone.

1765
02:40:25,580 --> 02:40:25,880
Thank you.

1766
02:40:25,880 --> 02:40:49,860
Hi, Tammy Swedersky. I live at 902 Ryan Court. It is a duplex. I would prefer monthly and allowing my renter to pay monthly, but the thing is you're saying because I have a duplex, I will be charged 800 because it's a duplex.

1767
02:40:49,860 --> 02:41:03,460
Yes, correct, because 800 I would not be able to have put on my taxes, but if it was you're paying two times

1768
02:41:03,460 --> 02:41:11,140
At $34 currently or the renters are like each renter is paying 34 dollars. I live on one side renter lives on the other

1769
02:41:11,140 --> 02:41:17,340
Okay, so you're you're paying $34 right now and then they're paying there. Yes

1770
02:41:17,340 --> 02:41:17,540
Yes.

1771
02:41:18,020 --> 02:41:26,380
But now I'm going to assume it all with this proposal and I'm saying, making me pay is

1772
02:41:26,380 --> 02:41:27,380
a hardship to you.

1773
02:41:27,600 --> 02:41:30,220
I cannot make the 800.

1774
02:41:30,480 --> 02:41:30,840
Understood.

1775
02:41:30,940 --> 02:41:41,680
I may be able to make 400 and say, like, okay, can we just have one trash can or instead

1776
02:41:41,680 --> 02:41:42,420
of...

1777
02:41:42,900 --> 02:41:44,420
That's not an option to go down.

1778
02:41:44,560 --> 02:41:44,680
Yeah.

1779
02:41:44,680 --> 02:41:51,020
And there's like, you know, that is why I'm opposed because I cannot pick it up.

1780
02:41:51,020 --> 02:41:51,440
I understand.

1781
02:41:52,360 --> 02:41:53,020
Thank you.

1782
02:41:53,160 --> 02:41:53,820
Thank you.

1783
02:41:53,820 --> 02:41:54,060
Yeah.

1784
02:41:54,200 --> 02:41:54,380
Good.

1785
02:41:54,560 --> 02:41:54,800
Jackie.

1786
02:41:55,700 --> 02:41:56,100
Yes, ma'am.

1787
02:41:57,000 --> 02:42:01,780
My question from the beginning, Penny Langebach, 161 Columbus Circle.

1788
02:42:02,320 --> 02:42:05,400
My question from the beginning is, where are all the commissioners?

1789
02:42:05,720 --> 02:42:06,460
They should be here.

1790
02:42:06,800 --> 02:42:06,920
Yep.

1791
02:42:07,180 --> 02:42:10,240
So this is a question and answer session for the residents.

1792
02:42:10,460 --> 02:42:10,960
They should be here.

1793
02:42:11,260 --> 02:42:11,340
Yep.

1794
02:42:12,580 --> 02:42:15,160
And so for future, I would recommend they should be here.

1795
02:42:16,000 --> 02:42:19,580
We are strong, strongwood, you claim, and we are in this together.

1796
02:42:19,880 --> 02:42:22,160
And as far as my vote, it's a no.

1797
02:42:22,520 --> 02:42:25,920
And as far as I can read the room, I would say majority is no.

1798
02:42:28,260 --> 02:42:30,120
Are there any more questions in the room?

1799
02:42:30,260 --> 02:42:30,900
Thank you so much.

1800
02:42:30,980 --> 02:42:31,640
I appreciate that.

1801
02:42:31,900 --> 02:42:32,920
And noted.

1802
02:42:32,920 --> 02:42:33,060
it.

1803
02:42:38,600 --> 02:42:45,960
Why did you not send on a notice for this meeting? I know a lot of people didn't

1804
02:42:45,960 --> 02:42:52,720
know anything about it. And you did put out the notice, the letter for the tent, but

1805
02:42:52,720 --> 02:42:58,320
everybody did not get that letter. So I feel like there should have been more people here,

1806
02:42:58,640 --> 02:43:00,580
but most of them didn't know about it.

1807
02:43:00,580 --> 02:43:11,940
Yes, so I'll address the, anytime we do a mailer, it costs the city money and our budget is very lean and to send out

1808
02:43:13,200 --> 02:43:24,780
5,000 letters for this Q&A, although it would have been important and I'm not dismissing the question, it came down to a budgetary position.

1809
02:43:24,780 --> 02:43:30,500
So our communication manager sent out multiple notices on social media.

1810
02:43:31,120 --> 02:43:32,520
It was posted on our website.

1811
02:43:33,520 --> 02:43:40,940
There's several opportunities for our residents to see that.

1812
02:43:41,720 --> 02:43:45,680
I apologize for those that didn't, because at the end of the day,

1813
02:43:45,680 --> 02:43:49,180
it's my job to maintain communication in the community.

1814
02:43:49,760 --> 02:43:54,300
But we felt that we did everything we could in preparation for this meeting

1815
02:43:54,300 --> 02:44:00,100
that we could and we did it in a timing. This meeting in a timing that was in respect

1816
02:44:00,100 --> 02:44:02,780
to next week's public hearing.

1817
02:44:03,540 --> 02:44:05,520
We have a question with Jackie.

1818
02:44:12,220 --> 02:44:13,120
Okay, any more questions?

1819
02:44:22,600 --> 02:44:25,920
And we do post, do we post on next door? Yes.

1820
02:44:26,560 --> 02:44:27,620
We have a question with Ben.

1821
02:44:29,040 --> 02:44:35,380
My just question for next week when the commissioners are here during their vote, that's still open

1822
02:44:35,380 --> 02:44:36,080
to the public.

1823
02:44:36,080 --> 02:44:59,420
100% and that's why that that's why that meeting is so important because that meeting is called a public hearing for a reason and it gives the public an opportunity to come to the podium and speak about this particular item to people have to sign up ahead if they're going to speak or they just like walk you can just show up. The clerk is going to ask that you fill out a form in the back and then you return that form back to the clerk just for record.

1824
02:45:00,000 --> 02:45:11,500
Thank you. You're welcome. Great question. And again, I speak on behalf of the commissioners, the commissioners want to hear from you. The commissioners want an audience. They want involved citizens.

1825
02:45:14,200 --> 02:45:15,120
Any more questions?

1826
02:45:17,980 --> 02:45:32,160
Okay, well, we're going to go ahead and end this Q&A. I just want to thank you for sharing all of your concerns about this for allowing us to provide answers to your questions.

1827
02:45:32,160 --> 02:45:34,160
and keep the questions coming.

1828
02:45:34,740 --> 02:45:44,160
My business card is on that desk and those that know me know that I'm very reachable and

1829
02:45:44,160 --> 02:45:45,780
I'm willing to discuss any topic.

1830
02:45:46,160 --> 02:45:49,480
Any business here in the city about solid waste or not solid waste?

1831
02:45:50,300 --> 02:45:51,300
Yes, ma'am.

1832
02:45:55,540 --> 02:45:56,460
Yes, ma'am?

1833
02:45:56,520 --> 02:45:57,480
I'm not sure.

1834
02:45:57,480 --> 02:46:06,020
So the commissioners can review this before they have the 910 meeting, right?

1835
02:46:06,380 --> 02:46:06,700
Yes, ma'am.

1836
02:46:06,800 --> 02:46:12,160
So hopefully they'll be, they're not here, but hopefully they will do that and hear our voices.

1837
02:46:12,500 --> 02:46:12,800
Yes, ma'am.