[0:02] You're good. You're good. Just grab some pins from my office. I have an extra one here.

[0:21] It's a little

[0:37] A little after six, we'll get this question and answer form underway.

[0:43] I know everyone's time is very valuable, and I don't want to waste any of it.

[0:50] So before we get started, go over a few housekeeping rules.

[1:00] Bathrooms are right here, that's a men's room right there, right behind you's a woman's room.

[1:05] For those that have not been here, we also have a water cooler right over behind

[1:10] the screen for anyone that would like some fresh water.

[1:16] If you need to use the phone,

[1:18] please step outside to allow this meeting to continue.

[1:25] It's important that we all stay respectful

[1:27] of each other. So if someone is asking a question, let's allow that question to be asked,

[1:33] and then allow staff time to answer that question.

[1:39] I will, yes, sir. No, I appreciate the question.

[1:42] This meeting is being broadcast on YouTube.

[1:47] It is also being recorded and minutes are being recorded as well.

[1:53] We'll now go through some introductions.

[1:55] I'll start with myself.

[1:56] My name is William Watts.

[1:57] I am the city manager for the city of Longwood.

[2:00] To my left is, I'm Dustin Walbright.

[2:03] I'm the finance director for the city.

[2:05] Terry Bovery with Reptiles.

[2:08] Consultant for the study.

[2:12] Matt Oury with Reptiles.

[2:14] Yes,

[2:17] I'm Benjamin Schilders, a utility building manager for the City of London.

[2:23] Now the city clerk, Land Court.

[2:27] And then behind everyone is Jackie Aubrey.

[2:29] She'll be walking around with Mike, she is our communications manager.

[2:35] Okay, we're going to start now with a presentation that will be given by our consultant from Rafft Ellis.

[2:42] Good evening, everyone.

[2:44] Rafft Ellis is just a little bit of background about us and our firm.

[2:48] We specialize in providing services to local governments all across the US.

[2:53] We have offices all over, we're about a 200 person firm.

[2:57] We have an office in Orlando, actually, Madeleine, not about 20 minute drive from Longwood,

[3:02] actually grew up in the area.

[3:05] So this is kind of close to home for me, I live over in Lake Mary, I don't actually live in Longwood proper.

[3:10] But we were pretty excited for the opportunity to provide services for

[3:15] the city and it's really an honor to be here.

[3:17] this evening to speak to you all.

[3:20] 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.

[3:34] And I frequently speak at national conferences on the matter, we design rates all across the US.

[3:41] I'm currently doing a project in Anchorage, Alaska, and we work as far south as Key West, Florida.

[3:46] Been in California, I've done projects in about 22 different states.

[3:50] So that's just a little bit of background myself personally, so you all could get to know me a little bit.

[3:55] Since this is more like a town hall style format, normally I wouldn't go through that if I was at the

[4:00] 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.

[4:07] Similarly, we have an agenda for you this evening.

[4:11] It's about a 40 slide presentation.

[4:13] We have a few separator slides.

[4:15] Usually I kind of about two minutes of slides, so that would give us around 40 minutes for

[4:19] the presentation.

[4:20] But I believe in talking with the city manager, if you have a particular question, we can take

[4:27] a pause and try to answer it.

[4:28] Because some of the things I'm going to go through are very technical.

[4:32] But ultimately, I think what the framing or the messaging about why we're here today is because you've got solid waste services.

[4:43] And we're talking about a change in the billing methodology.

[4:47] So this isn't really about raising rates or anything like that.

[4:50] It's about currently the community received service and it's charged on a monthly bill.

[4:56] And what we're proposing is to move that to the tax bill.

[4:59] 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.

[5:06] And one of the reasons why we believe that is because it should result in lower cost.

[5:11] And I'm going to run everybody through why that is.

[5:15] You're welcome to your own opinion and I think that what you should also know is that we're an independent consultant.

[5:23] And the reason why we get hired is because we don't really have,

[5:27] there's nothing to benefit us whether you're elected officials choose to move forward with this proposal or not.

[5:35] And our objective typically when we're hired, we're really hired by the people ultimately.

[5:40] I mean, you're elected representative certainly, but like we're here serving you all at the end of the day.

[5:46] And so we apply our professional opinion and judgment with our technical expertise to make a recommendation to you all.

[5:52] that we hope that you also perceive is in everyone's kind of best interest.

[5:57] 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.

[6:09] 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.

[6:22] So just to kind of level set a little bit before I get into the details of the presentation.

[6:27] So here's a brief overview of what we'll be talking about.

[6:30] We have a little bit of background information we think is pretty relevant.

[6:33] Terry, if I could just jump in for a second.

[6:35] As Terry mentioned, if during the presentation someone has a question that they would like

[6:39] to ask or clarification to a slide or some material that's on the slide, please raise your

[6:45] hand.

[6:46] Jackie is going to walk around with a microphone because we want to make sure that everyone

[6:50] one here in the audience and those listening can hear your question and

[6:54] receive the same feedback that you'll be receiving.

[6:57] So, you have a question?

[7:00] Okay.

[7:00] When

[7:08] you received the like, please state your name.

[7:10] I'm Julie.

[7:12] I live at 850 Lens Drive in Longwood.

[7:16] And I wonder how much we're paying you for your service.

[7:20] I believe it was, I can't give you an exact number, but

[7:25] But between 20 to $30,000 for the study.

[7:28] Okay, thank you.

[7:30] You're welcome.

[7:32] 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?

[7:45] 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.

[7:54] 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.

[8:05] 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.

[8:16] So, I mean, yeah.

[8:20] Okay, we'll proceed with the presentation.

[8:22] I think she had a question.

[8:23] I apologize.

[8:25] Yeah, and again, some of your questions might be answered through the presentation, so

[8:29] it may be worthwhile for me to like run through it a little bit, and then we can talk more

[8:33] about that.

[8:34] Diane Timmins, I'm at 526 Pinion Court in Hidden Ocas States.

[8:39] Yes, ma'am.

[8:40] My question is, when were you contact, when were these bits going out, how long ago has

[8:47] this been?

[8:48] It's been a pretty quick turn study.

[8:50] I would say, like within at least the last six months at most, it's been less than that.

[8:55] Six months ago?

[8:56] Yeah, yeah, less than that, I believe.

[8:58] I don't have the exact date of the contract, but we could find that out if it was important or relevant.

[9:04] 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.

[9:12] And no time to ponder or any of that information, you know?

[9:19] And why was it bit it out?

[9:22] Is it something they couldn't handle on their own?

[9:24] Well, no, I mean, I think that's a great question and we'll touch on that a little bit with the background.

[9:28] But what I would say is that there's sort of a time limit or a window of opportunity to do this.

[9:35] I think that the city had an idea about this at the end of last calendar year.

[9:40] The process to be able to levy an assessment on the tax bill.

[9:45] So you have to do a resolution of intent in the prior calendar year.

[9:52] So it would have been a resolution of intent to council that would have adopted it back in December, I guess, 2025.

[9:59] So it came through here in the council, that resolution of intent was adopted.

[10:04] And then the city contracted with us subsequent to that.

[10:08] Then we performed the study and then we're here this evening to present kind of the findings and

[10:12] 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?

[10:27] I'm sorry if you want to repeat it, I can take a better stab at it.

[10:33] I'm wondering when WazePro brought this to the city, this increase or this program.

[10:42] 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.

[11:09] years. And so that just want to make a correction. We have a five year contract within possible

[11:16] extension of two years. Sorry. Thank you. So it could be up to seven years, but it's

[11:23] a five year contract right now. And it was just entered into 2025. October of 2025. So that

[11:33] That would have had to have come through the elected officials also last year.

[11:39] That agreement, every agreement that I work with municipalities who contract out collection service,

[11:47] have a provision that allows them to increase the rates annually for inflation.

[11:53] Because in order for them to continue to provide the service, they have to cover their costs.

[11:59] And their costs include fuel and things like that.

[12:02] And who here hasn't seen what fuel prices have done over the last 12 months?

[12:07] 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.

[12:15] 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.

[12:25] 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.

[12:52] So in other words, what will happen is, if this moves forward, you pay monthly right now for service,

[12:59] that monthly bill goes away and is replaced by this.

[13:04] Right, so what you're basically saying is it's not about the raise in the billing of the bill.

[13:11] I mean, it does relate, it's a little technical.

[13:14] We do go into, you know, they go through all of that, yeah, it's not basically a doubling

[13:21] our garbage bill.

[13:22] No, ma'am.

[13:23] Okay.

[13:23] So it just goes up accordingly.

[13:25] It's just shifts from your monthly bill to the tax bill.

[13:29] It's just a shift.

[13:30] It's not a double.

[13:32] It's not any, you're not paying any more in fact, you're paying less.

[13:36] Yeah.

[13:37] Well, that is to be seen.

[13:38] I don't know because that is a, that is the big reason I'm here.

[13:43] Yeah.

[13:43] Is the shift in the payment?

[13:46] You know, I don't like that, to be honest with you,

[13:48] because it's less of a burden to pay on a monthly

[13:53] for people on fixed incomes.

[13:56] Then it would be one huge lump thing

[13:59] with the threat of your house being taken

[14:01] if you don't pay that.

[14:03] Well, and that's the letter we were given.

[14:05] Well, yeah, I can appreciate that.

[14:08] What I wanna say to that,

[14:10] because there's a few things in there

[14:11] I think we should pick a part.

[14:13] One is that you would be paying your property tax, well, most people in America, including

[14:20] myself, have a mortgage on our homes.

[14:23] If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgage company escroses the payments for the property

[14:30] taxes, including any nonadvalorem assessment, and you're paying for it effectively on a monthly

[14:37] basis through your mortgage payment effectively.

[14:40] 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.

[14:50] 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.

[14:58] And so you would have to

[15:00] 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.

[15:29] 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.

[15:39] 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.

[15:50] Okay. Yeah, because I kind of heard, you know, well, it was Ways Pro who basically gave the city of

[15:59] 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

[16:08] 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

[16:16] there will October of 2025.

[16:18] Yeah, and there's a real good reason for that.

[16:21] And I'll talk about it again, but I appreciate the conversation.

[16:26] So we'll just, I think that's what you all want to get at.

[16:28] So we'll just try to get at those things.

[16:30] Thank you.

[16:32] The, some of the issues that we have when we pay on the monthly bill is that

[16:36] people aren't always timely in their payment.

[16:39] And so imagine if you're running a business operation and you can't collect these payments.

[16:43] and some people default on the payments, they don't pay it.

[16:47] And so there's not a strong enforcement of collection.

[16:50] So what happens in most municipalities is when that happens, the burden of that cost falls back on the local government.

[16:57] 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.

[17:05] But I would say that the contractor has done something very favorable to the community to say that, like basically,

[17:11] the city just remits whatever they collect on, which means that the contractor's taking the risk if there's a non-payment.

[17:19] And that's not a viable thing for them to necessarily be able to do.

[17:23] And ultimately, if that happens, they're going to imply that in their rate that they're going to bill you.

[17:28] So the rate that's being charged to the city that's included in the rate that you pay on a monthly basis,

[17:34] 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.

[17:48] Yeah, but what's the percentage?

[17:50] It's about five to seven percent.

[17:53] That's pretty high, actually.

[17:55] Yeah.

[17:55] I mean, that's pretty high, actually.

[17:58] And so the idea is that if you make this change the contractor put in the agreement,

[18:02] they wanted to give a benefit back to folks saying, like, listen, we can lower the rates.

[18:07] 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.

[18:14] So you're saying effectively our rates are going to be lowered by five to seven percent?

[18:20] Yeah, I'd eat two dollars per month yet.

[18:23] And I think it's important that he's going to go through some slides that are going to illustrate this very point.

[18:27] 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.

[18:35] Just curious.

[18:38] Well, there can be some very specific situations that are unique to individuals that don't apply to the majority.

[18:48] 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

[19:18] All of the notices that we did, I think 99.9% are correct, but you know, you never know.

[19:25] And so if you think that it's incorrect, like nobody should be seeing a $500 increase.

[19:33] That's not an increase.

[19:35] That's more than $30 a month.

[19:38] Yes.

[19:39] Correct.

[19:40] And we're paying only $30 and 91 cents a month right now.

[19:43] Well, yeah, but you're comparing next year's rate to this year's rate, it's not the same thing.

[19:48] And the only other problem I have with this is timing.

[19:51] These are the 26 tax bills that go from January to December of 26.

[19:55] I've already paid nine months worth of this fee, and you're collecting a whole year in advance.

[20:00] No, no, no, you haven't paid that fee yet.

[20:02] No, but it's been assessed on my 26 tax bill.

[20:05] Right, but it's for service rendered during the fiscal year which is October 1st through September 30th.

[20:14] My name is Christy Caldwell, I live at 1790 Torrenton Circle in Danbury, Mill.

[20:19] 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.

[20:28] So, it's for next year's services, takers.

[20:35] Yes.

[20:36] So, we're paying in advance.

[20:38] Yes.

[20:39] But only, but if you have a mortgage, you pay for it over the ensuing 12 months.

[20:46] 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

[20:53] They get the they should get the notice they should get the notice and it should be factored in yeah

[20:58] But it wasn't factored in for this year's escrow

[21:00] But you don't have any it's not it's not for this year though

[21:04] It's for next year so it goes on to the tax bill for services for next year

[21:09] So it's for the escrow that happens like subsequent I called the city on this okay the county on this

[21:16] This bill is for December through January through December 2026, and my bill has the $400 and some dollars added to it.

[21:25] December through January through December 26, this is what this tax bill is for.

[21:31] So you're charging me $432 in $26 for $25.

[21:37] Yeah, I think what you need to understand is that I'm not talking about the tax bill.

[21:43] I'm talking about a non-advaled law assessment.

[21:45] But it's collected at the time our taxes are paid out of our escrow account.

[21:49] Right, but it's for next year's service.

[21:53] So we're paying in advance?

[21:55] Yeah, yes.

[21:57] So what happens if you sell your house sometime in early 27?

[22:03] They pay the year in advance, I'm not giving it back.

[22:06] I'm not a real estate professional, but they typically pro-rate it.

[22:11] You know, when I purchased a home in my experience, they pro-rate the taxes at the escrow

[22:15] So at the time, the title company will do that.

[22:17] But I already paid for 27 when I paid by 26 taxes.

[22:21] This assessment is for services for next year, and I need to double check the taxes.

[22:30] The revenues that you collect on the tax bill for this year, for next year's, for services, for next year's my understanding.

[22:39] I

[22:45] think Terry can we can we move through into the agenda yeah, I'll just ask this real quickly.

[22:54] I'm Dane McGovernum at 731 San Piper Circle here in Longwood.

[22:58] If the bad actors that you refer to don't pay their bills on a monthly basis, those same

[23:05] bad actors are going to be paying the big lump sum ahead.

[23:09] No, we don't seem like we'd do anything at all when they don't pay their monthly bills.

[23:14] Are we going to likewise just overlook it when they don't pay the big lump sum?

[23:19] Well, Terry, Dustin, what is our collection for property taxes here in the city?

[23:25] Property taxes is roughly around 97, 98%.

[23:31] The store, please.

[23:32] It's a better collection method.

[23:44] I had a question regarding, oh, Nicole at 866, it kind of goes with what she was saying

[23:56] though, or like we're talking about bad actors, what about local people that have our

[24:01] landlords to renters who may, that house may stay vacant for six months, you never pick

[24:08] up trash for six months, but yet I'm paying in advance the whole year.

[24:15] Can you repeat that one more time for me?

[24:18] Like for people that may be landlords, to rental or you know, have a property.

[24:23] Yeah, yeah, rent out the property.

[24:25] My property is vacant for three to five months and they're not paying a water bill, they're

[24:32] not paying garbage pickups, but I have to pay that on my taxes.

[24:37] Yes, you do you yeah it would and that increases then their rent yes it does because right now I'm not

[24:44] liable for their water but keep them but keep in mind that the the business operation itself

[24:50] It's not like the trucks don't exist anymore if they're in the home or not. It's with you know

[24:54] It you still have to pay the people whether they like, you know, you put garbage at the curb or not

[25:01] You see I'm saying so but that's not necessarily true right now because if the water shut off

[25:07] if the house is vacant.

[25:08] Well, I mean, if you eliminate, if you stop service altogether, and you're no longer receiving any service,

[25:17] then I would imagine that you can get a probation for the period of time that you're not receiving, or you're like,

[25:27] you know.

[25:28] 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.

[25:35] 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.

[26:01] I'll run through the presentation.

[26:03] So

[26:07] the service area, the Longwood provides garbage and collection to all residential properties within the city limits.

[26:17] They don't provide commercial, commercials handled by contractors and they enter into their own agreements with them.

[26:24] 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.

[26:34] There are some other provisions in there related to the termination of the agreement, and we'll touch on that.

[26:41] 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.

[26:51] So very few customers receive it, but the rates are $42.05 a month.

[26:56] And the way that this is billed is through a monthly charge on your utility bill.

[27:04] The key issues are related to the, it's called, it's referred to as a bad debt expense, but

[27:09] when we can't collect on the service, we have shortfalls.

[27:14] And so it represents about 5% of revenues, that's what we were talking about earlier.

[27:18] I was talking with city staff earlier before tonight's presentation.

[27:23] And I think that that estimate could be low.

[27:25] It could be as high as 7% is what they're thinking.

[27:30] I don't have an exact.

[27:32] 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.

[27:43] 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.

[27:55] 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.

[28:06] 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.

[28:21] Okay. The objectives for the study that I was engaged to do included developing a 10-year

[28:31] projection of the rates. Really, we only focused in the near-term five-year period that was

[28:36] all we needed to really focus in on, but we had developed, and basically all that means

[28:41] is we developed a series of Excel spreadsheets that calculates that accounts for all of the

[28:47] billing data and then the tax roll data and then evaluates the costs and then calculates

[28:53] what that assessment should be and I'm going to run through the methodology on how we

[28:57] did that basically.

[28:59] We prepared a report that summarized the findings and then we also prepared a presentation

[29:03] which I'm presenting this evening to speak to the details and the assumptions of how we

[29:07] arrived at the results.

[29:13] So in design of the fee, we did it to ensure compliance with a two-part standard.

[29:21] One, we need to make sure that when you, when you have levy things on the tax bill,

[29:26] there needs to be a special benefit to the property.

[29:29] So that means that the costs have to be applicable to the property and

[29:33] that the costs are proportional to the property.

[29:35] Meaning that like if you're one residential unit, we can only charge you for

[29:38] one residential unit not two or more, and that it's basically fairly apportioned among everyone within the community.

[29:48] So that's sort of the design standards to allow the fee to be defensible to go on to the tax bill.

[29:55] In this case, the service as being provided is a service offered to the property.

[30:00] 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.

[30:28] of some folks have multiple properties or multiple residential units, and they should

[30:34] be paying the monthly fee and proportion to the number of residential units they have

[30:39] now.

[30:42] Yes, ma'am?

[30:43] Yes. Did you determine, my name is Cynthia Ryan, I live at 877 Bucksall Place.

[30:55] Did you determine

[30:56] How many individual units there are in the city of Longwood?

[31:03] Yes.

[31:04] How many are there?

[31:09] I don't know.

[31:10] I want to put the correct value.

[31:12] So I'm going to pull the report.

[31:17] We actually have it on one of the slides I can forward.

[31:25] Yes, ma'am.

[31:27] Yes, ma'am.

[31:29] So we.

[31:30] Yes, ma'am.

[31:32] Is this better?

[31:33] here. We have identified 5243.

[31:44] I would love to give you a copy of the presentation that

[31:47] has the numbers on it if you'd like.

[31:51] And I have some more if anybody needs a copy.

[31:59] I don't have enough for everyone in the room. I have about 10 copies if you wouldn't mind

[32:03] sharing. I have an additional question on top of the question.

[32:07] So you're talking about 5243 residential units, or does that include, for example, apartment buildings?

[32:22] No.

[32:24] Residential, single-family houses, is it houses?

[32:28] Yes, predominantly houses.

[32:30] I mean, you have some attached living units, I believe, like a town home.

[32:33] You're talking 5,343 individual units, which are getting garbage collection.

[32:42] Yes, ma'am.

[32:43] And so the way to think about it is that if you've got a garbage can that you put at

[32:51] the curb, and we assume like on average one garbage can per household, then there'd be

[32:56] like 5,000 equivalent garbage cans out.

[32:59] 5,243.

[33:02] That's one way to think about it.

[33:03] Property owners here in Longwood.

[33:06] Well, I don't want to say property owners, that's not my thing.

[33:09] I'm saying units of living that are going to have garbage collection is very close.

[33:14] The number of parcels that were identified is in the number right next to it on the PowerPoint 5,230.

[33:25] So we have three numbers.

[33:28] One is the number of monthly accounts that get bills.

[33:30] Some of those bills have more than one residential unit.

[33:34] There's roughly 5,243 of those.

[33:38] There are 5,230 parcels.

[33:41] And we estimate dwelling units of roughly 5,484 dwelling units like residential units.

[33:52] I have an additional question back here.

[33:54] Yep, sorry if I can't see you.

[33:56] I know, hi, Joanne Rebello, Thrill, One Lock Lomond, Avenue.

[34:04] After a lot of things that you said, I have several questions.

[34:08] As far as I can, they can probably hear me without the mic.

[34:13] It's for the people online that are in for the recording.

[34:16] They can probably hear me.

[34:19] You speak of this cost savings of $2, and then possibly another $2.50, which would be $4.50.

[34:29] Is that cost savings for the city, or is it cost that $4.50 is going to the residents?

[34:39] Yeah, because this is basically just a pass through of whatever.

[34:43] 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.

[34:53] And so they've contracted out that service, which is provided by Wastepro, but it's through the city that agreement, right?

[35:03] 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.

[35:12] And so that those savings are through the bill to you as a rate payer.

[35:20] And if we make the change, then you would see that reduction.

[35:23] Of course, it would mean a difference in the billing method.

[35:27] And there are considerations if you're a landlord, like having to pay that.

[35:33] And I think that there are other policy considerations that can be made that

[35:38] 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.

[35:49] 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.

[35:59] 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.

[36:07] 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.

[36:18] So, I don't know if they really allow that.

[36:20] 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.

[36:27] Okay, if that is true, if it's getting passed on to the ratepayers, then why is that assessment so high?

[36:36] Yeah, there is no cost savings because that 4.34, 22.

[36:40] Yeah, I've calculated it for you and I'm going to show you.

[36:42] But that 4.34, there is a difference because of consulting fees and the city pays.

[36:52] You are correct.

[36:54] But it doesn't show any cost savings of 4.50.

[36:58] Yeah, and I should and I'm remiss that I did not tell you earlier in the presentation that we had worked out.

[37:06] with city staff an alternative option as well, that I'll be presenting tonight.

[37:10] And so, I think that's going to be the staff recommended option, and it's less than what was noticed.

[37:16] And one of the reasons why we had to notice the higher rate is that we wouldn't be able,

[37:22] so if we want to give the choice to the elected officials on the different options that they want,

[37:28] we can't notice a lower rate and implement something higher.

[37:32] We can only notice the highest rate and implement something lower.

[37:36] 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.

[37:44] There are other options to this trash assessment, correct?

[37:48] Rather than having the trash assessment, are there not other options?

[37:53] Sure, you get to, yes, the short answer is yes.

[37:58] There's two options. The trash assessment which is being presented tonight or we can continue

[38:05] to pay monthly on the utility bills. However, there's a clause in the contract that Ways Pro

[38:10] may terminate this contract if the city chooses not to choose the assessment. And so staff prepared,

[38:18] staff prepared towards going towards this assessment thus is the reason why we're here.

[38:24] But I just want to address everyone here in the room.

[38:28] So glad everyone is here.

[38:29] We want to address every single question.

[38:32] But I'm 80% sure that as we move our way through this PowerPoint, a lot of questions

[38:37] will be answered.

[38:39] This PowerPoint is full of very good information.

[38:42] So if we could just start moving through the PowerPoint and see the information come before

[38:48] us, and like he said, staff has worked diligently over the past 72 hours to work on an alternative

[38:54] plan that we are eager to present to you.

[38:58] I just have one more comment and I'll leave my other questions for later.

[39:04] Because this moved relatively fast and the citizens, the ratepayers did not have an

[39:12] opportunity to really digest the impact it was going to have on them personally.

[39:19] Shouldn't we put this to the side until next year, and possibly have the citizens vote on it?

[39:28] Once they, like we have this meeting, have other meetings so that everybody can digest and

[39:35] find out more about it and fully understand it.

[39:39] I think we're just moving too fast and it's really going to be a hardship for many, myself included.

[39:44] I don't have $434 and 22 cents extra.

[39:48] I think to better answer your question, one, as your manager for the city, I completely hear everyone.

[39:57] I have read every objection letter.

[39:59] I have been on the phone with countless residents.

[40:03] I have spoken to every elected official and I hear you.

[40:08] And that is why over the past 72 hours, we have heard you.

[40:12] 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.

[40:23] I'm committed to you guys. We're here for this.

[40:27] This question and answer session was not required, right?

[40:32] 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

[40:41] that the assessment could have.

[40:43] So if I may, can we please move forward with the assessment PowerPoint?

[40:50] Hold on one second.

[40:55] Sorry, because you said you're coming up with something else, but we have another

[41:00] meeting on 9.10 to vote for this.

[41:02] Yes, absolutely, and that was going to be discussed in the PowerPoint.

[41:06] Okay.

[41:07] Sorry.

[41:08] That's okay.

[41:09] Again, we've worked very hard with this presentation, and I want to allow you to

[41:14] allow the presentation to work its way through tonight.

[41:19] I have Richard Langenbach, 161 Columbus Circle.

[41:23] So right now, this is on our Valarium, correct?

[41:26] The Anon Valarium?

[41:27] This is not currently on your non-advalorem assessment.

[41:32] The city is proposing this.

[41:33] Right now, it's on a regular Valarium assessment.

[41:36] Right now, it is on your monthly utility bill.

[41:39] Right, which is the regular Valarium, whatever that is.

[41:42] No, sir.

[41:42] 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.

[41:54] 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.

[42:10] So some of us are on our, on our, it's on our tax assessment under the Valerium.

[42:17] It is no.

[42:21] Right, proposed, now they're proposing to put it on a non-Valerium.

[42:29] Okay, yes.

[42:30] Yes, there's a proposal.

[42:32] I understand the tax proposed statement that everyone got is the your proposed tax bill for

[42:39] next tax season.

[42:41] Yeah, because if we left it on where it would set now, we wouldn't pay paying the $4.34.

[42:46] Correct, you would pay it monthly like we're currently paying on your utility bill.

[42:55] Okay, if we could move through the PowerPoint presentation, I promise you a lot of these concerns will be addressed.

[43:02] And I'm committed, if they're not addressed, I'm committed to staying as long as I need to to answer your questions.

[43:07] So,

[43:13] what we have here identifies a simplistic way we come up with a rate and a rate is simply

[43:20] a cost divided by the units.

[43:24] And so, we refer to this, you know, in my profession as a rate consultant, as a net revenue

[43:32] requirement.

[43:33] And all that really means it's a term of art that means the cost that we need to recover.

[43:39] 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.

[43:49] 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.

[44:01] Okay, sorry about that. I don't know why it's like, has animation.

[44:09] 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.

[44:19] 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.

[44:33] Now, in fiscal years, 28 and 29, we've had to make some assumptions because the contract allows for an index.

[44:42] 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.

[44:56] And historically, it's average between 4% to 5% per year.

[45:00] 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%.

[45:28] In addition, in those costs are some other assumptions whereby we have a reduction in the

[45:38] cost from WastePro beginning in fiscal year 2027 because this projection right here assumes

[45:44] that we've made the switch to the assessment.

[45:47] If we hadn't made that switch, we'd be paying, you know, we'd be paying $2 more on top

[45:53] of the index. So it would be 5% plus whatever that translates to into an increase to your bill

[46:00] for next year plus two dollars on top of that. Okay. So this doesn't reflect the two dollars,

[46:09] it reflects the savings effectively that we're anticipating. And then there are some overhead costs.

[46:17] So there's still a cost for city staff to work through the contract, provide information to the contractor.

[46:25] So there's some minor costs in there for that.

[46:29] We then include a markup for what's referred to as an early prepayment discount.

[46:35] And that's tied to go into the tax bill because what happens on the tax bill is that if you pay in November,

[46:42] you receive a 4% discount on the face value of the bill.

[46:47] 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.

[47:06] 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.

[47:28] It says non-AVLORM assessments collected pursuant to this section shall be subject to all collection provisions of this chapter

[47:36] underscore including provisions relating to the discount for early propayment and

[47:41] I do

[47:42] Solowace assessment work for many municipalities across the state of Florida and

[47:48] And everyone that I've ever done

[47:51] It's been discounted as well. So if it weren't to be discounted here

[47:55] This would be the first time. I'm not saying it's not

[47:58] 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.

[48:25] 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.

[48:37] And in that case, like 75% or more of the households are paying in November.

[48:43] So all of them are getting the 4% discount.

[48:46] So the vast majority of households typically realize that 4% discount everybody generally pays in November.

[48:52] not everybody does but most people do and that's just based you know and I'm

[48:59] trying to get information from the county about what that payment is here in

[49:03] this community and in Seminole County we're trying to find that out so we

[49:06] know specifically but everybody has an opportunity. I did just to speak on the

[49:10] non-evil or assessments when this question was posed to me I did ask our finance

[49:15] director Dustin to reach out to the county multiple times and we were unable to

[49:20] You may contact with someone in the tax collectors office.

[49:23] However, on their website, as Seminole County, Florida.gov, under the tax collector's portion,

[49:29] it does say payment of assessment via property tax bill, assessments are eligible for standard early payment discounts.

[49:37] And that's right there on their website.

[49:39] So I find it hard to believe that if it's printed on their website, that they would not do it.

[49:44] And additionally, what we found on state statute.

[49:48] Yeah, and to be fair to the county, I mean we, I put in this request earlier this morning.

[49:53] So, want to be fair to them as well, you know, they need some time before the holidays, folks are out, et cetera.

[49:59] So, the next line is a cost that is included and not included in the option.

[50:08] 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.

[50:13] 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.

[50:25] 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.

[50:44] And it's harder to account for the revenues and the costs when it's in the general fund.

[50:49] So if we set up a separate fund to account for all the services, then that would give everybody

[50:54] more transparency about the revenue coming in from the assessment, and then the cost going

[50:59] out.

[51:00] And if there's like any additional revenues more than what we were anticipated, then those

[51:05] revenues stay in that fund and only get used for those services, meaning that the city

[51:10] We wouldn't utilize it for the general fund for anything else.

[51:14] So that was the recommendation.

[51:16] Now, the thing about that is that, and we talked about this the timing, if the fiscal year

[51:22] starts October 1st, but the revenue that we're going to get from the county isn't going

[51:27] to come to us until November, December, at the earliest, we've got to cover those costs for

[51:33] the first two months or so of the fiscal year.

[51:36] So, we recommended establishing a 60-day reserve, two months reserve in that special revenue fund.

[51:44] And the reason why we thought that that was a good idea is because when we have hurricanes periodically,

[51:51] you know, and I remember Charlie too, back in the day, we had four come through and hit us pretty hard.

[51:58] You know, we have a lot of debris. We have a lot of oak trees here, right?

[52:01] and these oak trees create a ton of debris for everybody.

[52:05] And so then the cleanup has to come through, okay?

[52:08] And we put everything at the curb,

[52:10] and then there's a massive cleanup.

[52:12] That incurs an additional cost to do that.

[52:16] And so we don't, you know,

[52:18] so to ensure that we have additional funds for that,

[52:21] this reserve, the idea was that this reserve could potentially

[52:23] help to do that if we have another hurricane

[52:25] to deal with the cleanup

[52:26] in lieu of the general fund having to do it.

[52:31] And just as a backdrop tall of this, we've got the property tax reform on the ballot

[52:36] in November.

[52:37] If that happens, the general funds likely going to get less money.

[52:42] And if that happens, and that means that the general fund may not have enough money to

[52:46] cover some of these things, so we figured if you're going to make this switch, you set up

[52:50] a special revenue fund, you put some extra money in there, and then that could help you

[52:54] a little bit if you had a storm one year.

[52:55] there. Now, that raises the rate in this first year when we set it up. Could we do something

[53:03] different? Could we come up with another option? Could we phase it? Could we eliminate it?

[53:07] Because we don't currently have reserve like that today. So it's a policy choices to whether

[53:12] you want to do this line item or not. And that was one of the things that we worked with staff

[53:17] over the last, you know, two days or so to work up an alternative. And if we do that, it's

[53:23] more like the service and the operations that we do today.

[53:32] The fee from that, yeah, I don't know the percentage off to the top of my head.

[53:37] We can calculate, but I have a slide that shows all the, it's going to show the existing bill.

[53:42] If you were to keep doing the monthly, it's going to show the assessment with this cost in it.

[53:47] And then the assessment without this cost in it.

[53:53] And so then if you, but for right now, the starting position was to include it, and

[53:58] and that's what was mailed out. That was the basis of the rate that was kind of mailed out.

[54:04] Yeah. And I have to admit that our, yeah, it's, and we recalculated that rate because there

[54:12] was like a handful of counts that weren't properly accounted for and the tax role data that we had.

[54:18] I mean, we're talking like five out of the five thousand or so and that had a minor effect on the

[54:23] calculation, and so we had a slight calculation, we had done a correction to our calculation

[54:28] and it lowered the rate of, you know, maybe 10 or 20 cents off of that even.

[54:32] So there was a minor correction in our calculations, it's not material, but the point is that, you

[54:37] know, we updated our calculation subsequent to when the tax roll went out for those conditions,

[54:44] those new known conditions.

[54:46] So if we take all of these things that adds up to about, you know, $2.4 million per year

[54:51] is what we would recover.

[54:52] Now, the reality is, with this line item, just to remind everybody, the reality is if

[54:58] everybody were to pay in November, then you wouldn't realize this cost, because the

[55:07] rate that you would be getting would be 4% less than what was advertised.

[55:11] And so this is just to reflect the fact that we're changing the billing method and that we're

[55:16] going to the tax bill.

[55:21] Thank you.

[55:22] Okay,

[55:26] 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.

[55:31] I'm coming around.

[55:32] What happens to the residents that can't afford that lump sum?

[55:37] I mean, they get a lien on their house, that's where I'm said, I can't afford a lump sum.

[55:42] Well, I can appreciate that question.

[55:45] I guess I would ask, if you're paying the monthly bill now,

[55:50] then you should be able to afford it on the taxes.

[55:54] No,

[55:59] if you gave me a year, yeah, I could put $30, so I get you raised it.

[56:04] Yes, yeah.

[56:05] Now, I understand WazePro is having problems because expenses have gone up.

[56:10] Gas has gone up.

[56:11] I'm having the same issues.

[56:13] Food has gone up.

[56:14] Medical bills have gone up.

[56:15] Gas has gone up.

[56:16] Right.

[56:17] My income is fixed.

[56:19] You suddenly give me a $430 bill to pay.

[56:22] I can't pay it.

[56:23] Yeah.

[56:24] So then you threaten the letter's threatening with the leaning on my house.

[56:29] Yeah, so that's frightening.

[56:31] I think that there are ways to help people out to have affordability concerns.

[56:37] And there are things that maybe we can consider related to that.

[56:41] If there's a legitimate affordability concern, there are communities out there that offer discounts for folks that have issues like that.

[56:50] We've not, you know, necessarily proposed that as part of this, but maybe that's something we could consider.

[56:57] 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.

[57:11] 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.

[57:19] It's like your water bill and things like that.

[57:22] 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.

[57:35] You could have gave us notice so I could be put in the side $30 a month, but you gave no notice.

[57:42] Well, the city, the city started this process late last year after the contract was established.

[57:49] And the city staff did not know what we were going to calculate and

[57:54] they engaged with us and they didn't know the whole process.

[57:57] And so we've done that and now we're here communicating that.

[58:01] You could have communicated that these are things you're thinking of.

[58:04] Given me some, instead of one month, two months to come up with a bulk of money, I don't add.

[58:10] 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?

[58:21] If you can't afford to make a payment.

[58:24] Well, I know a lot of people along with that can't afford this.

[58:29] They're very frightened.

[58:29] Well, what I would, again, I would say that the majority of people have mortgages in the community.

[58:34] 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.

[58:46] 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.

[58:56] I mean, you come up with any solutions like payment plans for some people that can't come up with that bulk sum.

[59:04] 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.

[59:14] I have never seen that. I have asked. I have looked.

[59:17] I've designed it for other communities in other parts of state of Florida.

[59:20] I'm just saying it for us.

[59:21] No, I haven't.

[59:23] And that's why I'm saying we could consider that

[59:24] if it's a real hardship for folks, if they don't.

[59:26] What you have thought of us, this is going to be hard

[59:30] and some people to come up with that money.

[59:32] And yet, you came up with no options for them.

[59:35] Because the idea is that it's a switch in the payment.

[59:38] So in other words, it's a cost that you've already been paying

[59:41] that's switching.

[59:42] Now, I do understand your point about the fact

[59:44] that it comes up front if you don't have a mortgage

[59:47] and you've got to find a way to pay for that.

[59:49] 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

[1:00:00] 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.

[1:00:30] That will, I'll speak on behalf of the city, that's not true.

[1:00:34] I will see.

[1:00:35] I will work my hardest to help every resident.

[1:00:39] And for the residents in this room, that have any kind of interaction with me,

[1:00:44] can attest that I will work my hardest for you.

[1:00:48] 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.

[1:00:56] 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.

[1:01:04] 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.

[1:01:31] I just want to say, is there a choice?

[1:01:36] In other words, many people here, in fact I look around, seniors are on limited incomes.

[1:01:45] Now they may have a house that is paid up and now can they say to the city, I'd rather

[1:01:53] pay monthly, which I can afford, or are you adjudicating, rather are you telling people

[1:02:01] that they must pay that $400 and so dollars altogether?

[1:02:07] Yeah, so right now the proposal would be to go all one way or all the other way.

[1:02:13] There's not like a middle ground between the two options.

[1:02:20] So in other words, all those five percent of people that don't pay, they're going to

[1:02:26] get it on their property taxes they've not paid now so how are they going to do

[1:02:31] that and then you've got all those homes that have leans on them and now we're

[1:02:36] in a big mess of that with people losing their homes possibly I don't know

[1:02:43] you know I'm just projecting a little bit into that portion that hasn't been

[1:02:48] thought about so we're just going to put all these seniors out of their homes

[1:02:53] And they're just going to be where on the street?

[1:02:56] I don't know.

[1:02:57] So I think it was mentioned earlier that the majority of the tax bill is a high 99 plus percent collection rate.

[1:03:11] By proposing this, you're setting a precedent for everybody else around other cities like Mary, whoever has a ways pro.

[1:03:19] This is going to set a precedence for their bills because now we're like the, you know,

[1:03:28] scapegoats or whatever you call it to come up with, you know, this transfer over to the

[1:03:36] ed, you know, the taxes. And I've talked to other people who have ways pro, never got any

[1:03:44] letters, never got an increase, but are we the ones that in the

[1:03:49] presidents for them to have to go through all of this as well?

[1:03:54] Paying for a solid way service in Florida through the tax bill is very common.

[1:03:59] I live in Seminole County and that's how I pay my tax bill.

[1:04:02] I don't live in the city of Longwood, I'm an unincorporated Seminole County and

[1:04:07] I pay unannually through my tax bill for a solid way service and I do this.

[1:04:12] This is my profession and I do this for many of the other counties in the state of Florida.

[1:04:18] And so it is a very common method for recovering the costs.

[1:04:22] And it kind of makes sense a little bit too because it goes to the property.

[1:04:26] There's the benefit to the property, there's what's called a nexus between the service and the benefit to the property.

[1:04:33] And the hardship that you were speaking of, there's two components to a one is a recurring hardship.

[1:04:41] like you have your costs are higher than what your income is.

[1:04:45] And that is something I don't know who can really solve that.

[1:04:50] But let me just finish and then there's another hardship which is the transition.

[1:04:55] Because your point is that if we had had it on a monthly basis, or

[1:04:59] if I could have saved for it, then that could have avoided.

[1:05:02] So maybe there's something that we can kind of conceive to help folks out with that.

[1:05:07] You know, on the fee to the bill or something, we need to think it through.

[1:05:13] But my point is that that goes away the subsequent year.

[1:05:18] 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.

[1:05:28] No, there's a question.

[1:05:32] Yes, yes, there is.

[1:05:34] My name is Maria Brenness.

[1:05:36] I live at 741 Longdale Avenue.

[1:05:38] And I oppose this because you're attacking my taxes.

[1:05:42] So if I don't pay my water bill, who puts a lien on my home?

[1:05:45] Is it Longwood or is it the management disposable company?

[1:05:50] So you're saying, yeah, and I understand you oppose it,

[1:05:53] and you're opposing it because it's doing what now?

[1:05:56] It's you're incorporating it into my taxes to your taxes right you don't want it on your tax correct you

[1:06:03] 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

[1:06:11] Because if I don't pay my water bill you'll turn my water off but I'll still have my home

[1:06:16] 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

[1:06:26] I believe if you don't pay your water bill, you could still get leaned on the property.

[1:06:31] But you're going straight forward.

[1:06:33] Yes, but I mean I'm being transparent with you.

[1:06:37] And that creates an incentive for people to want to prioritize to pay the bill.

[1:06:42] But there are people that are on a fixed budget.

[1:06:46] You're incorporating this into their budget and it's attacking their home.

[1:06:50] I think I just want to make a quick point about that.

[1:06:52] Okay, so I have to go around to municipalities and speak to having to raise rates for

[1:07:00] essential services that municipalities provide.

[1:07:04] And the challenge that we have is that oftentimes we think we have some control over costs

[1:07:10] because we say I don't want to adopt a rate increase, you know what I'm saying, I don't

[1:07:15] want to,

[1:07:20] but no, the comment, but the giving somebody the keys to my home.

[1:07:24] I understand what you're saying, but the point is that this is an essential service and you have to pay for it.

[1:07:30] And so we're putting it on the tax bill, which is a common method, we haven't done it.

[1:07:36] We've proposed it as an option, which is a common method for cost recovery to ensure the collection to pay for the service.

[1:07:44] And if we don't have the money to pay for the service, we can't provide the service.

[1:07:51] Yes.

[1:07:51] The way you can't just raise the water bill.

[1:07:54] I mean, you could.

[1:07:55] You could have higher monthly bills if you want.

[1:07:58] I also want to know who will be putting a lien on my home.

[1:08:02] So real quick, I'm going to read directly from a question and answer sheet that we posted

[1:08:09] on our website.

[1:08:10] It's question number 22 for those that have the information on their phone.

[1:08:17] If the solid waste assessment is approved, could I lose my home?

[1:08:20] I believe that's the concern that you're raising here.

[1:08:23] Potentially, and I'm not going to sit up here in line, because this is a tax bill, right?

[1:08:31] But it's not simply because the assessment is adopted, or because the payment is missed.

[1:08:37] If approved the solid waste assessment could be placed on the annual tax bill and

[1:08:40] become part of the total amount due.

[1:08:42] The tax collector does not accept partial payment of the tax bill unless you go through the payment.

[1:08:50] approval process.

[1:08:52] If the property tax bill is paid, the government does not- if it's not paid, the government simply does not take your property.

[1:08:58] Instead, unpaid amount becomes delinquent and a tax certificate may be sold to an investor creating a tax lien on the property.

[1:09:08] That's why the city's assessment notice mentioned it.

[1:09:11] Because we wanted to put the residents on notice, we're not trying to hide anything.

[1:09:14] The tax certificate investor does not immediately become the owner of your house.

[1:09:19] After applicable statutory waiting period, generally after two plus years, the certificate

[1:09:25] owner may initiate a process that can ultimately lead to a tax deed sale through the clerk

[1:09:31] of Circuit Court if the delinquent amount remains unpaid.

[1:09:35] Throughout this entire process, there are notices and opportunities for the property owner to

[1:09:40] resolve the delinquency by paying the amounts required, including applicable interest fees

[1:09:44] these in cost.

[1:09:45] If the delinquency has never resolved, the property can ultimately proceed to a tax deed sale.

[1:09:51] The owner could lose property and ownership of the house, and this can occur when unpaid non-evilorm

[1:09:57] assessments, including solid waste, are not collected on a property tax bill.

[1:10:01] But I want to state, a key point.

[1:10:03] 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.

[1:10:11] That's not what it's intended to do.

[1:10:13] Once the assessment is placed on the property tax bill, it must be paid as part of the bill.

[1:10:18] If the tax bill remains unpaid, then the process can proceed.

[1:10:23] And in my research and preparation for this entire item, I have found that this process can take up to five years.

[1:10:34] This isn't a process that happens in six months.

[1:10:37] This isn't something that takes place in a short amount of period of time.

[1:10:41] which is unlike your water bill.

[1:10:44] 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.

[1:10:57] All right? Because of a core service that we are required to provide to our residents.

[1:11:02] So, will Ways Pro be the ones putting the lien on the homes?

[1:11:09] No, it's the Summoner County Tax Collector.

[1:11:15] Pay this $430 and I get, you know, late fees, interest.

[1:11:23] It piles up so high that it's no way you can end up paying off the lien.

[1:11:30] And you end up losing your home.

[1:11:31] It's happening to many, many people.

[1:11:33] And yet, it's never even discussed here about people that are on a fixed income.

[1:11:39] You'd think of us any time to save up that $30 a month.

[1:11:44] You give us what a month to come up with it, which you can't do.

[1:11:48] I won't be able to pay it.

[1:11:49] Suddenly I've got fees and interest and penalties.

[1:11:54] And it's like a losing cause.

[1:11:56] You've just, you know, took my home.

[1:11:58] I'm sorry. What's your name again?

[1:12:00] Julie.

[1:12:00] Actually, you've had a lot of questions.

[1:12:03] I want to make sure I addressed you by name.

[1:12:06] My explanation of the lean process was not to dismiss your concerns.

[1:12:12] I want to make that clear.

[1:12:13] I'm not dismissing the concerns of the hardship that someone on a fixed income could have because

[1:12:20] of this, which is the biggest reason why we explored an alternative method towards this

[1:12:28] assessment.

[1:12:28] And I want to eventually get to that in the presentation.

[1:12:33] 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.

[1:12:42] It's ultimately, that could happen, and I understand the concern, right?

[1:12:52] Again, it's not to dismiss the hardship that's on anyone here in the room.

[1:12:56] I just think this all could have been prevented if you had given us more time.

[1:13:02] And I don't understand why you couldn't have done that back in 25 said,

[1:13:06] hey, this is what's going on.

[1:13:08] Waste Pro has a lot of expenses lately and they need more money.

[1:13:13] So we're looking into maybe doing this down the road.

[1:13:17] That would have made a big difference for us.

[1:13:19] But you didn't.

[1:13:20] You suddenly threw it at us, a threatening letter.

[1:13:23] And then you're like, next week, revoting.

[1:13:26] It's like, why the rush?

[1:13:27] Why didn't you explain this to your residents,

[1:13:30] the people that are paying your salaries?

[1:13:33] And I take your concern to heart.

[1:13:37] I will say the city, and Terry mentioned it.

[1:13:40] The city took steps immediately upon the approval of this contract

[1:13:46] to start the process towards this.

[1:13:48] Through ordinances, it was mentioned in many budget workshops.

[1:13:52] It was discussed on the dias at many commission meetings.

[1:13:56] Now, I'll be the first one to look at myself in the mirror.

[1:13:59] You have that commitment.

[1:14:00] Could we have done something differently?

[1:14:05] Certainly, I think all of us in the room could say that about anything, right?

[1:14:10] You're 100% correct, you're 100% correct.

[1:14:13] There could have been many things done, but the city went through the legal process,

[1:14:17] moving through had meetings about it on the dius, put agenda items out there.

[1:14:24] We went through the legal process, and it takes time.

[1:14:27] It takes time for us to send out the official letter that you talk about,

[1:14:33] that threatens to take your home.

[1:14:35] That's a statutory requirement that we have to do that.

[1:14:38] The language in there is required.

[1:14:40] It wasn't meant as a threat.

[1:14:44] 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.

[1:15:00] 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.

[1:15:29] And there are residents that would potentially like to see reduction in the bill.

[1:15:35] There are residents that potentially would like to prefer to see it on the bill.

[1:15:39] And that's why we have this opportunity for folks to voice their opinion.

[1:15:44] 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.

[1:15:54] I think based on tonight though, we're going to better explore this concern that you have

[1:16:02] to try to find a solution to it, okay.

[1:16:05] So that's something that we're going to be looking at to see, you know, what we can

[1:16:09] do.

[1:16:10] And if it's not, I imagine that your elected officials are going to weigh that heavily

[1:16:13] in their decision for what they're going to be doing.

[1:16:16] We have a couple questions for you.

[1:16:18] Yes.

[1:16:21] Excuse me, my name is Clyde Keith, 351, Ferdinand Drive.

[1:16:25] My question is, are any of our neighboring cities implementing this?

[1:16:30] Is this just longwood?

[1:16:32] Well, Seminole County, I live in unincorporated Seminole County, charges on the tax bill.

[1:16:38] So if that's-

[1:16:39] Does that-

[1:16:39] My question is, are any Lake Mary, Altamont, anybody around us doing this?

[1:16:45] 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.

[1:16:53] It's not a guinea pig, you know, because it's a very common method of charging for service.

[1:16:59] I live in the lake, I'm an unincorporated Somal County around Lake Mary.

[1:17:06] I know I said I was an unincorporated Somal County.

[1:17:12] Sorry, Nicole here, I have a question.

[1:17:14] I guess it's similar to that with Ways Pro in general,

[1:17:18] like how many municipalities do currently bill on the tax?

[1:17:22] Do we know the numbers of how many municipalities, Ways Pro, services,

[1:17:28] and they collect monthly from versus have it on the tax assessment?

[1:17:32] I don't know the answer to that.

[1:17:34] We weren't scope to do a benchmarking survey of that nature, but

[1:17:37] But I can tell you that from the work that I do, I do a lot of work for

[1:17:41] county governments and almost every county government does it through the tax bill.

[1:17:47] So like every county government along the Gulf Coast of Florida charges it on the tax bill for unincorporated.

[1:18:00] 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

[1:18:11] don't have the data and didn't do the actual work to calculate the fee.

[1:18:16] Okay, we got one over here.

[1:18:17] Okay, just a reminder that you're here

[1:18:21] to justify putting it on the tax bill.

[1:18:25] That's what your purpose is.

[1:18:27] Yeah, but we have another alternative

[1:18:31] that we could vote for.

[1:18:33] No, we don't want it on our tax bill.

[1:18:35] Correct.

[1:18:36] We want to keep paying on our utility bill.

[1:18:41] Yeah, that's okay. So all he's trying to do is say, okay, these are the figures. This is what the money is

[1:18:48] Do you want it on your tax bill? Right, so that's the decision you guys have to make is

[1:18:55] No, I don't want it on my tax bill. The city has to come up with an alternative plan

[1:19:02] To we keep paying and figure out how to make these deadweights not pay their taxes

[1:19:08] is not pay their garbage bill because I'm not hearing you're making an effort to collect

[1:19:16] from them.

[1:19:18] Okay?

[1:19:18] Yes, we are.

[1:19:19] Okay.

[1:19:19] All right.

[1:19:20] But I just want to correct you really quick, although the assessment is a better financial

[1:19:27] model for the city, because the collection is a much higher rate, and the city, my job

[1:19:34] 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.

[1:19:44] 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.

[1:19:53] Now, we are going to provide garbage collection regardless.

[1:19:59] We either provide it through collecting through your utility bill, or we will adopt an assessment.

[1:20:05] But garbage service will be collected.

[1:20:08] The amount that you pay per month will change depending upon what service or

[1:20:16] the collection method that we establish, all right, that's absolute.

[1:20:20] But he isn't here to sell this product.

[1:20:26] He's here to deliver the material from the study that the city contracted him to collect.

[1:20:32] To provide you with all of the facts and not hide it so you can make an informed decision.

[1:20:37] And staff is here and staff is here to listen to your concerns.

[1:20:42] For instance, the concern that she raised of hardship and all their alternative

[1:20:48] of approaches and absolutely, and to answer any questions that we can, that we have answers to today.

[1:21:02] Yes, sir.

[1:21:02] On our utility bill, as opposed to putting it on our taxes, percentage-wise, how much do we

[1:21:09] save?

[1:21:09] Right, and what are you looking at, 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 10 percent?

[1:21:14] And again, really quick, I'm sorry, I keep on saying this.

[1:21:17] I promise that as we advance through this slide show that a lot of our questions, a lot

[1:21:23] a lot of our concerns and uncertainties are going to be addressed.

[1:21:28] Well, it should, there's a lot of plan on here.

[1:21:32] We do not have one plan, I promise you.

[1:21:35] We're going to show the other plan without it.

[1:21:37] Yes, ma'am.

[1:21:38] Okay.

[1:21:39] Yeah, and I actually mentioned that a little bit earlier, but we've been good.

[1:21:42] That's okay, I, again, I'm committed to addressing all of your concerns.

[1:21:46] We worked very hard on the slide presentation to give you the facts.

[1:21:53] Communications Manager, all that I ask is I understand everyone has a lot of questions

[1:21:57] this evening. If you could just please raise your hand to help me out to make sure that I can hand

[1:22:01] you the microphone so you're properly heard from the people watching at home that couldn't make

[1:22:05] it to the meeting tonight. Thank you, Jackie. Thank you.

[1:22:10] I'm sorry. I know a lot of people have

[1:22:12] individual situations and everything else that are all worth listening to that can be addressed

[1:22:17] at a later point. I'd like to hear what you've got to say if you could sort of move it alone.

[1:22:22] Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

[1:22:25] So if I go back here just to kind of refresh a little bit, we arrive at

[1:22:31] with the total costs that were identified

[1:22:33] in order to provide the service

[1:22:35] for all the customers in the system.

[1:22:38] And then here are all the statistical data,

[1:22:41] so we went through and went through

[1:22:43] all the property tax record data and summarized that

[1:22:47] and then broke it down by the different types of services.

[1:22:52] By far and large,

[1:22:54] everyone's a single family customer.

[1:22:57] And as I mentioned kind of before,

[1:22:59] where there's the monthly accounts, so that would be the estimate of the monthly bills

[1:23:04] that are getting rendered, and then you have the number of parcels and a tax record,

[1:23:09] and then these are the associated equivalent residential dwelling units that are tied

[1:23:13] to the parcels.

[1:23:15] So there's some, you know, you can see because this number is higher, almost 5,500, there

[1:23:22] are some of these parcels that have multiple dwelling units on them, and so when we calculate

[1:23:26] the cost we divide by this number for the assessment, the higher number, and then that gets a cost per equivalent residential unit.

[1:23:37] Okay,

[1:23:42] 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.

[1:23:51] 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.

[1:24:00] 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.

[1:24:12] 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.

[1:24:20] 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.

[1:24:28] From there, we can factor up the rate by the number of residential units.

[1:24:34] So these are just factors, two times this, three times this, four times this.

[1:24:39] And then we also show what that looks like over the next near term,

[1:24:43] two years based on our assumptions about inflation and all that kind of thing.

[1:24:47] And then we also show it for the side yard pickup as it's applicable.

[1:24:52] 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.

[1:25:00] We do need to increase the reserves every year because the cost to do the service increases.

[1:25:07] So, if we're trying to hold on to two months of our operating costs.

[1:25:10] If the operating costs are going up, then we need to plan for higher or slightly increasing reserves every year.

[1:25:16] 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

[1:25:26] I'm going to have to ask my team not to do animation anymore

[1:25:30] But if you if you come back here you'll notice that the reserve a first year gets the

[1:25:36] 60 days there is the cost for my services and for an attorney to establish

[1:25:42] I believe it's established the assessment in here, I believe it's around 45,000 with the attorney's fees

[1:25:48] to establish an assessment the first time.

[1:25:51] And then after that, this increases purely for cash reserves within the fund.

[1:25:58] Okay.

[1:25:59] And the report breaks out the costs and the details of these numbers in more detail as well.

[1:26:06] That will be public record.

[1:26:08] So

[1:26:19] 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.

[1:26:33] And so for the vast majority of people that received the early

[1:26:38] propayment discount, even with the 60-day cash reserve,

[1:26:43] it equates to roughly the same amount that we'd be paying on the monthly basis.

[1:26:49] But then, by fiscal year 2028,

[1:26:54] you're $35.56, you're lower than what you would have otherwise paid.

[1:27:00] 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.

[1:27:13] Now, if we go to, sorry, if we look at this alternative and I'll just present it here.

[1:27:26] here, it shows you if we don't do the 60-day reserve, the monthly bill would be $34.56

[1:27:35] projected for next year.

[1:27:37] And then under this, with no reserve, then the rate would be $31 if you paid and later

[1:27:45] on, you'd pay 4% higher, you could pay in January, February, or March.

[1:27:51] 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.

[1:28:01] And then you can kind of see how that bill would be lower over time.

[1:28:08] And so that was the idea that by doing this, it does two things.

[1:28:13] 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.

[1:28:33] 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.

[1:28:51] Solid waste service is a core service that the city has to provide to our residents.

[1:28:56] One of the questions I've got to ask is could the city explore a subscription service that some municipalities have around the state?

[1:29:05] 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.

[1:29:14] Well, what happens when you don't pay that service?

[1:29:17] Garbage starts piling up in your neighbor's yard.

[1:29:20] Well, we don't want that, right?

[1:29:21] So that option isn't even available to us, it's not even a possibility, but I wanted to address that concern.

[1:29:27] So we're here for the assessment.

[1:29:29] Now the original amount of money that everyone received was this right here.

[1:29:36] We heard you, we got with the consultant.

[1:29:39] We identified through the finance director and his team, could we lower that down and

[1:29:46] still achieve what we're looking to do, which was provide you solid way services?

[1:29:51] as the answer is yes.

[1:29:52] Would we be establishing that fund

[1:29:55] that could help us in the event of a hurricane?

[1:29:58] No, but that's not your problem.

[1:29:59] you

[1:30:00] 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,

[1:30:29] 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.

[1:30:41] Will, can you state the amount since it's not clear?

[1:30:44] Yeah, sure, okay, so for fiscal year 27, starting in October, the amount is $34.56 versus $29.79, or

[1:30:56] Or the assessment on your property tax bill would be $372.34.

[1:31:02] All right, moving up to $432, it is a quite a big jump.

[1:31:07] 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.

[1:31:14] Now to the monthly bill, that has to be added in.

[1:31:19] Now the reason why there's not such a big jump between this year and this year is because that $2 drops off.

[1:31:25] that rate stabilization is no longer needed.

[1:31:28] Now I don't work for waste, but I work for you, I'm your city manager.

[1:31:31] I'm telling you what is detailed in the contract.

[1:31:35] We have to adhere to the contract that was adopted.

[1:31:38] So moving forward, 2028, your water bill is going to have a charge of $37.67 for

[1:31:46] solid waste services or $432, but if you do early payment, it's $34.57.

[1:31:54] in sense. And we see it continues to go up. It's 450, 470, 490 all the way up to 2031.

[1:32:04] So this is the alternative plan that staff is going to be presenting to the commission

[1:32:11] next Thursday. And this is going to be my recommendation as a city manager. Should the

[1:32:16] commission choose to adopt it, I am recommending the adoption of this, not this one that was

[1:32:22] It was presented at the previous commission meeting during the first reading.

[1:32:33] Here, ma'am.

[1:32:34] Here, ma'am, I have the money.

[1:32:35] I just want clarification.

[1:32:37] Sure.

[1:32:37] So, 34.56 is if it's on your utility tax bill starting October.

[1:32:46] Starting October.

[1:32:47] Yes, ma'am.

[1:32:48] It would remain like another line item, water and garbage.

[1:32:52] Correct.

[1:32:52] 34.56.

[1:32:54] And then the year after 37.67.

[1:32:56] Okay, and that on the top there is not including any funds going into that reserve fund.

[1:33:04] Correct.

[1:33:05] Okay, so the bottom, which you said, okay, you go with the alternative 60 day thing, would be.

[1:33:14] Hold on, let me just correct you.

[1:33:16] This is just the alternative plan.

[1:33:17] This is the difference between this one.

[1:33:19] This one holds a 60 day reserve and indirect overhead.

[1:33:24] 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

[1:33:38] 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.

[1:33:50] or having the reserve of 372.34.

[1:33:54] And just to be clear, these amounts, I realize now I probably should have shown it, but this is without the discount.

[1:34:03] So this is the gross amount.

[1:34:05] So if you pay in November, it'd be 4% less than what's shown here.

[1:34:09] So if you take these two numbers, this number is that number divided by 12.

[1:34:15] That's this number.

[1:34:16] And yeah, and so then if you if you pay early and you get the 4% discount, then that would be this number.

[1:34:22] So if you take this number times 12, that would be what you would pay on the tax bill receiving the 4% discount.

[1:34:29] Okay, so the that's if you can pay her if you're correct.

[1:34:34] 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.

[1:34:45] Is or do I want to continue with the top?

[1:34:49] Correct.

[1:34:50] And that is going to be presented at the public hearing next Thursday at the regular commission meeting.

[1:34:56] Can we get one more over there?

[1:34:58] Well,

[1:35:07] Maria Brennan, 741 Longbale Avenue.

[1:35:10] So my curbside service shows me $30 and 68 cents.

[1:35:14] That's this year.

[1:35:16] Right.

[1:35:16] This is next year.

[1:35:17] This is starting in October.

[1:35:20] Yes.

[1:35:21] So my bill is going up $4.

[1:35:23] Yes, ma'am.

[1:35:24] If it stays on your water bill, yes, ma'am.

[1:35:25] So if it stays on my water bill, it'll go up $4.

[1:35:28] Yes, ma'am.

[1:35:29] If you put it on my taxes, I can get a lien on my house.

[1:35:32] I guess that's how I'm seeing this.

[1:35:33] No, and I, and, give it to me on my bill, let me pay my bill, don't touch my house.

[1:35:38] For, to, to, to, to, to, to answer that question, yes, you are 100% correct.

[1:35:46] You don't pay your property taxes with this assessment or

[1:35:49] Without this assessment, a lien could be placed on your house.

[1:35:55] Yes, ma'am.

[1:35:57] But I feel like you're putting more pressure on my home by adding this to my taxes.

[1:36:03] Perhaps, and leave my home alone and let me pay my taxes.

[1:36:07] I pay my yearly taxes, my W2 comes in, I pay that every year.

[1:36:11] That doesn't affect my home, I pay my water bill, that doesn't affect my home.

[1:36:15] I think that's my my no to this because you're attacking my home you're coming from my home

[1:36:22] Well, that's not the intent. I just want to I understand I understand how you are you telling me it's $37

[1:36:28] Yeah, I should it'll be $47 it'll go up to $57 and you're touching my home

[1:36:34] Because now I can't pay that okay, so there are other non-advalorem assessments that we all pay on our tax bill

[1:36:40] I do not think that the intent of a non-advalorem assessment is to

[1:36:45] take people's homes.

[1:36:46] That's not the purpose.

[1:36:47] The purpose is to ensure that people pay for the service.

[1:36:50] Long would have how many single family homes?

[1:36:52] And over 5,000 family homes?

[1:36:54] And I understand.

[1:36:55] 5,000 units.

[1:36:56] I just want to say this, I do understand.

[1:36:59] And I think that you do not, like your elected officials,

[1:37:03] do not have to vote for that option.

[1:37:05] 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.

[1:37:11] The intent is to provide ultimately for a cost savings on the bill.

[1:37:16] That's put it on my water bill.

[1:37:20] I'm sorry.

[1:37:21] Correct, yes.

[1:37:23] Yes, I see that.

[1:37:25] I mean, this year's 30.

[1:37:31] No, it's not my choice.

[1:37:33] What is she's talking to me?

[1:37:35] Here's the, again, my job is financial stability for the city, right?

[1:37:40] I understand that, and I'm here listening to you, and I've answered and I've heard every one of your concerns, right?

[1:37:51] Well, I can't go back in time.

[1:37:56] 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.

[1:38:04] So my job is financial stability for the city, right?

[1:38:07] Right? Then we heard your objections, like I said, I read every single objection.

[1:38:13] 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.

[1:38:30] And we have to bear that debt.

[1:38:32] Will the water bill go on our property tax soon, then?

[1:38:36] 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.

[1:38:46] 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.

[1:38:56] But you do understand how scary this is for people on a fixed income.

[1:39:01] And you're putting it on our property tax.

[1:39:04] And if we have trouble paying that, we lose our home.

[1:39:07] That's very frightening.

[1:39:09] But I really don't understand why you would approve something like that.

[1:39:14] First of all, I want to make this very clear, I'm not approving anything.

[1:39:18] This is going to go before the commission.

[1:39:20] The commission is going to vote on this on Thursday.

[1:39:24] This is a workshop for residents to ask questions to the consultant and the manager and any staff member that's here.

[1:39:32] That's the purpose of this workshop.

[1:39:34] There are two questions with Jacqueline here.

[1:39:36] Yes.

[1:39:37] I am Christy Caldwell again.

[1:39:39] I only have one question coming from a nature way.

[1:39:42] If we don't set up that reserve, will our billed rates increase to cover any kind of deficit we might have?

[1:39:49] No. Millage doesn't get affected by this.

[1:39:54] Millage rate is the tax rate.

[1:39:55] But how often does the milled rates change?

[1:39:58] Because some of the counties just say that this has nothing to do with the milled rates?

[1:40:00] I know, but I'm just saying these people are concerned about their tax bill, paying their tax bill.

[1:40:05] I don't have a problem with paying the reserve versus not, okay?

[1:40:09] 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.

[1:40:16] So, Terry, let me answer this question.

[1:40:20] Okay, Advilorum taxes is what pays for the general fund.

[1:40:25] Hold on, I'm getting to the answer your question, all right?

[1:40:28] This is an important discussion because especially what's coming before us in November, right?

[1:40:34] Advilorum taxes pay the general fund, the general fund is what pays for city services, right?

[1:40:42] So that is your tax dollars, that's your property tax dollars coming into city's coffers, all right?

[1:40:47] in order for us to pay for services.

[1:40:49] The services that you're talking about is if we have a disaster and we have to provide

[1:40:55] service like bulk pickup, we have multiple trees down throughout the city, that money is

[1:41:02] going to have to come out of the general fund, right?

[1:41:05] Now, if the general fund is at a deficit,

[1:41:11] it is college football season, so I understand

[1:41:15] the ringtone.

[1:41:16] 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.

[1:41:36] 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.

[1:41:55] I just wanted to make sure everybody understood what the difference was between the reserve and no reserve.

[1:41:59] 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.

[1:42:14] You've got 552 homes.

[1:42:18] Not including the hotels and the apartments or whatever, you know, the bulk of it, sitting on us.

[1:42:22] 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.

[1:42:46] 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.

[1:42:55] I am going to, it's important that you hear from me on this.

[1:43:00] I don't believe that's a burden for our residents.

[1:43:02] That is a burden for me to figure out.

[1:43:04] I have to have good governance in this city and manage a budget appropriately so that I can prepare for a disaster to come.

[1:43:12] 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.

[1:43:27] And we also want our garbage to be picked up.

[1:43:30] 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?

[1:43:37] So we did explore those options last year when we did the contract.

[1:43:42] 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.

[1:43:49] Now could that be something the city explores in the future? 100%.

[1:43:54] I think a lot of things, if I could just put on my citizen hat, because I'm a citizen like you guys,

[1:44:02] I don't live in the city, but don't take that away from me.

[1:44:05] I do live in Seminole County.

[1:44:07] I think a lot of things are going to be re-evaluated in our future as community members.

[1:44:14] And one of those re-evaluations could be the rate at which collections are made,

[1:44:19] whether it's weekly or the structure of anything.

[1:44:23] But I don't want to speculate because right now we're under a current contract.

[1:44:27] No, that's okay.

[1:44:27] 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.

[1:44:36] 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.

[1:44:43] I can tell you that like, for my experience, there have been other communities in Florida that have explored this.

[1:44:49] and very few that have actually gone through to go to one day.

[1:44:54] There's usually a lot more people that are upset by the change.

[1:44:57] And the cost differential is usually...

[1:45:00] 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

[1:45:29] 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.

[1:45:41] 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.

[1:45:59] 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.

[1:46:09] 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.

[1:46:15] So, but really quick, the answer to your question is we did not, because the contract doesn't allow us to do that.

[1:46:19] The contract is set in the collection cycle that we all currently have.

[1:46:25] That's a five-year, seven-year contract.

[1:46:26] It's a currently five year. We are almost done with year one.

[1:46:34] Janice Depplin 444 Longwood Circle. I would like to know let's start at the beginning last year 25 when the contract

[1:46:44] renewed

[1:46:45] Is that contract under bid if so how many different companies placed a bid with the city?

[1:46:52] We did not bid it. We negotiated it

[1:46:56] Can we not put it up for bid?

[1:46:59] Is there no other companies that can do this?

[1:47:02] Well, certainly we can do a lot of things.

[1:47:04] The commission would have to exercise a termination for the contract and because the contract

[1:47:11] is now a binding document.

[1:47:13] And so we can't in the middle of a contract just arbitrarily go out to bid.

[1:47:19] Understand that.

[1:47:19] But at the end of the five years, that could be a direction the commission gives to me the

[1:47:24] manager. But we did not do that a year ago. Correct. And I'm asking why? Because the

[1:47:31] direction was given to negotiate the contract and thus I negotiated the contract with our

[1:47:35] city attorney and staff and we negotiated the terms of the contract that you have before

[1:47:40] you. Also, you pretty much explained that in this that what we're going to be paying in

[1:47:50] the future.

[1:47:52] How much influence does Vice-Pro have on the city to use them?

[1:48:00] Zero.

[1:48:09] Well, they didn't threaten this. It's just a provision in the contract that allows

[1:48:12] them to escape it because if they can't collect enough revenue, then it's not a viable business

[1:48:19] model for them. So they have the option if it becomes unprofitable for them to exit from

[1:48:25] that agreement, and that's why they have that provision in there.

[1:48:29] Okay, there's a question.

[1:48:30] Yeah, yeah, go ahead, I'm sorry.

[1:48:33] Thank you.

[1:48:33] My name is Joe.

[1:48:34] Nice song.

[1:48:34] I live on 891, Norman Circle.

[1:48:36] Kind of you mentioned earlier, and she just touched on it, the clause in the contract that

[1:48:40] they could see services if we don't make this a thing.

[1:48:44] So assuming that it does not pass when the Commission votes next week, what is the alternative

[1:48:49] for us if waste road does execute that clause?

[1:48:53] Well, the clause, I believe it is a six-month termination clause, so within that six-month

[1:48:59] window we would go out to bid, we would find a solid way service because we are required

[1:49:03] to do so for our residents.

[1:49:08] Hi.

[1:49:08] Oh, sorry.

[1:49:09] Victoria Schwartz, 1506 Medalwork.

[1:49:12] Mine's kind of just piggybacking off of that question.

[1:49:15] If in that hypothetical situation, if we did have to then find someone not waste pro if they

[1:49:23] We just like got all mad because they didn't like that we didn't pick what they wanted.

[1:49:28] Are these kind of estimates for if we did the monthly billing still pretty accurate?

[1:49:34] If we went with a different company, or could these potentially be higher if we just had to take who we could get?

[1:49:41] 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.

[1:49:51] I mean, they're part of a garbage collection industry.

[1:49:55] And so they're certainly going to put themselves out on an island by themselves if their rates are too dramatically high.

[1:50:03] And they're going to go out of business if they're too dramatically low.

[1:50:06] But to speculate and say that they would be the same if we went to another provider or lower or greater.

[1:50:13] I'm not committed to say that to you because I don't want to give you false assurances one way or another.

[1:50:18] Okay. One more question. You're asking us if this passes first pay lump sum. Yes, ma'am.

[1:50:29] How are you? How is the city paying waste pro? Well, the waste pro, when the city receives

[1:50:35] the tax money from the property tax office, then the city submits a payment monthly to waste

[1:50:45] You're going to get to pay it monthly, but we're not.

[1:50:49] We have to pay it regardless.

[1:50:55] We have one over here.

[1:50:56] I understand you get to pay it, but I don't understand the difference between me paying my monthly in the city.

[1:51:04] I understand the question, but I'm answering the question how we pay the bill and

[1:51:11] That's how we pay the waste probe bill.

[1:51:13] Then has a question.

[1:51:14] Yes.

[1:51:16] I have a question, Maria Brennan, 741 Longwood.

[1:51:19] So if you go with this, sorry, if you go with this proposal,

[1:51:24] then that means that this garbage company will be our garbage company for life.

[1:51:30] No, ma'am, we still are the, in the terms of the contract.

[1:51:36] So it'll be a five, so then in five years let's say you could terminate it too.

[1:51:42] I mean, you could, there is that possibility, there's a contract, there's a termination provision, but

[1:51:48] there are other considerations that you'd have to make, such as how quickly you could get someone else to come in.

[1:51:57] What the market would charge for that?

[1:51:59] I can tell you when Port St. Lucie, they had an issue with their provider, and

[1:52:07] And they switched up to another provider and they needed that service very quickly.

[1:52:12] 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.

[1:52:19] 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.

[1:52:29] The vehicles can have up to a 12-month lead time to get them.

[1:52:34] Now you can pay more to get them in sooner.

[1:52:38] But then that raises the cost in order to provide the service on a faster basis.

[1:52:45] This to me just sounds like a whole lot of stuff for you just to raise my bill.

[1:52:49] $30 more.

[1:52:51] I'm like at $1.

[1:52:52] I'm like at $1.

[1:52:53] I'm under $1.

[1:52:54] Something here, like $1.15.

[1:52:56] So I'll be saving $1.15 for all of this.

[1:53:03] So I'm not raising your rate.

[1:53:06] No, I'm not saying you the contract.

[1:53:09] The contract is going to bring my bill up to $1.10 more.

[1:53:14] Yes.

[1:53:14] But yes, I go back to saying I oppose this because you're putting,

[1:53:18] that can put a lien on my home.

[1:53:19] I understand.

[1:53:20] That's fair.

[1:53:20] That's fair with my home.

[1:53:22] That's totally fair.

[1:53:23] I understand.

[1:53:23] 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.

[1:53:38] Thank you.

[1:53:39] We have a question with Jackie.

[1:53:44] We just want to see the rest of the presentation.

[1:53:47] We're coming to the end.

[1:53:49] I think that's pretty much it.

[1:53:50] I mean, I think we were just going to recap, you know, the recommendation, which is, you know, basically this right here.

[1:53:58] So we're basically completed with the presentation, but I appreciate it.

[1:54:06] First of all, I want to say thank you for having there this lovely session.

[1:54:12] I know we all have so many things we want to know, but I do want to say thank you because I was taken

[1:54:20] in a back by the really difficult letter I got on August 20th. And I think all of us

[1:54:30] here were terrified by the wording of the legal shmigol which made us think, oh my God

[1:54:39] if I can't pay my taxes, I'm out of a home. And I think it could have been done with more

[1:54:47] gentleness or courtesy, as well as I am saying that to bring it to all of us who

[1:54:58] are all intelligent men and women with such a short time should have been

[1:55:06] adjudicated or should have been changed and done let's say last May, giving us

[1:55:13] much time to talk, to have small sessions, to come to meetings, to talk to our elected

[1:55:21] representatives about this difficulty. I personally don't care either way. Taxes have

[1:55:31] to be paid, but all of my people that live in my community have, and I'm also a citizen

[1:55:41] and on patrol, and in my job, my partner, Lieutenant Tom Denegani, go to 22 homeowner meetings

[1:55:50] a month. And we have been getting calls. I've had people come to my home crying. I'm

[1:56:00] going to lose my house. I think that that is not an issue. And I think even though it may

[1:56:08] may be less costly to put it on income tax.

[1:56:14] That for most of us in the city,

[1:56:17] paying a monthly bill is going to have to be the way we are happy.

[1:56:23] So that is what I want to say.

[1:56:25] I'm Cynthia Ryan, I live at eight, seven, seven, bucks, all plays.

[1:56:32] And please come to your homeowner meetings.

[1:56:35] things. So my lieutenant Tom and I can work with your issues but again I think the commissioners

[1:56:45] owe a thanks for getting the commission that has looked into this but also an apology

[1:56:54] should be made to the people for the threatening letter they got which terrified them. Thank

[1:57:01] you.

[1:57:01] We have a question with Ben.

[1:57:05] Just a quick question on this Valarium.

[1:57:07] 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?

[1:57:13] 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?

[1:57:26] 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.

[1:57:41] Right, so in other words, we're taking it off the valorem and moving it to a non-

[1:57:44] 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.

[1:57:51] Yeah, just to be clear, ad valorum just means like based on the value of the property.

[1:58:00] So fees that are ad valorum are like your millage for your property taxes.

[1:58:04] So it's based on the value of your home.

[1:58:07] When we say non ad valorum, what we mean is that it doesn't adjust based on the value of

[1:58:13] your property and everybody pays the fee based on, in this case, the number of residential

[1:58:18] units that are associated with the property.

[1:58:23] And so what I'm saying is then, because like you said in a few statements earlier

[1:58:27] that our taxes are very welcome because of MMM at three in my past, cities can

[1:58:32] lose a lot of money here.

[1:58:34] And so now they're moving it to a non-volume.

[1:58:36] That way they can now get money to pay for all this.

[1:58:39] Well, hold on one second.

[1:58:40] A little indirect.

[1:58:41] Okay, so that's, I appreciate the question because it gives me an opportunity

[1:58:47] to explain something. A nonadvalorem assessment is for specific use. This specific use is directly

[1:58:56] to pay for the fees associated with solid waste assessment. This assessment and especially this

[1:59:08] This proposal right here goes strictly to the solid waste bill, right?

[1:59:14] This was initiated well before the amendment three language was even put on the ballot.

[1:59:24] So this is totally independent.

[1:59:28] It's not even a comparison.

[1:59:30] And I would just add that the general fund is not paying for the service.

[1:59:35] the monthly revenue that it collects from the bill is what's paying for it.

[1:59:40] And so by transitioning it off of the monthly bill to the tax bill as a non-advalorem assessment,

[1:59:49] it doesn't directly impact your property taxes.

[1:59:52] Now, it indirectly, your comments very valid because I said earlier when I was presenting the financial plan that one of the options.

[2:00:00] 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

[2:00:29] your property taxes, and that's the connection, I think, if that makes sense.

[2:00:35] Yeah, but it also opens the door too for the non-level ram that you can also start

[2:00:38] charging us for police and fire department as well in the future if you wanted to.

[2:00:43] So real quick, this is a great conversation that we're having.

[2:00:47] One, statutorily, we can't do an assessment for police.

[2:00:51] We can, cities can do an assessment for fire, so you are correct in your assertion or

[2:00:57] or your assumption that the city could do that, 100%, but not for police.

[2:01:02] And also, I just mentioned for those municipalities that are considering fire assessments,

[2:01:08] you cannot recover all the costs of fire service.

[2:01:11] You can only recover the costs that would be attributable to the property.

[2:01:16] So typically, like emergency management services, like the ambulances, things like that,

[2:01:21] it would not be allowed to be on a fire assessment.

[2:01:24] So, it's not, if the amendment is adopted, it's not going to be a one-for-one trade-off for most municipalities.

[2:01:33] 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.

[2:01:42] Hold on one second, sir.

[2:01:48] 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.

[2:01:55] And this is adding a burn on of these veterans as well, but I've noticed.

[2:02:02] We have a question, Jackie, and then two or three with Ben back there.

[2:02:10] I just wanted to say thank you for all of what you've done, your presentation was very

[2:02:16] and your willingness to ask or answer our questions and concerns to all of you.

[2:02:23] My other question would be, we don't mix it with the property taxes.

[2:02:31] 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.

[2:02:50] well hold on one second so real quick the only reason why we're showing the

[2:02:56] monthly breakdown is to show the savings that you could see from moving away

[2:03:02] from the local overtime to to the to this if we adopt the assessment that the

[2:03:10] monthly charge is not equitable okay but you can't let's say we do the

[2:03:17] the existing monthly billing rate.

[2:03:19] I understand your question.

[2:03:20] Yeah.

[2:03:20] I'm wondering what it would cost to add in the reserve to that.

[2:03:27] And we could calculate that actually pretty easily

[2:03:30] because we could take that cost that I had identified earlier

[2:03:33] for the reserves and we could divide that

[2:03:36] by the number of bills on that prior slide.

[2:03:39] And then that would give you the cost or the monthly rate

[2:03:44] that would be needed to put on top of the $34.56 to build that reserve up.

[2:03:50] 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

[2:03:57] I'm happy to calculate for it.

[2:03:58] Just estimate.

[2:04:00] Well, he calculates that, Ben, you know, has a question.

[2:04:02] Yes, just think about it.

[2:04:05] My name is Peter Katowskas.

[2:04:07] I live at 1401, South Grant Street.

[2:04:12] So the first statement I'm going to make is I am in favor of this change in process.

[2:04:19] I'm in favor of adding it to the property tax.

[2:04:22] I'm in furthermore, I'm in favor of the preliminary plan wherein we build a reserve.

[2:04:27] So several of you have spoken multiple times and filed your complaints multiple times.

[2:04:34] You only need to tell them once they are listening to you.

[2:04:38] And you only need to express your concern one time.

[2:04:41] Going back over them over and over again, it's not productive and we don't need to talk

[2:04:46] about the past either because what's done is done and maybe they could have done it better.

[2:04:52] We can all agree with that.

[2:04:54] That's true of all of us in all of life.

[2:04:56] We could all have done things better.

[2:04:59] So I'm also upset with that part of it, but what's done is done.

[2:05:03] So what we have to look at, really, is what is the ultimate result.

[2:05:08] So I'm in favor of the preliminary plan because we need to reserve.

[2:05:13] The lady over here has several times mentioned that if we have a catastrophe,

[2:05:16] or more than one catastrophe, and we don't have the money to pay for it,

[2:05:21] what we get charged could be a lot worse than what we're looking at right here.

[2:05:26] Also, if we don't adopt this plan, and waste code decides to cancel the contract,

[2:05:32] In fact, what we get instead of them could be a lot worse and we would not be a happy bunch.

[2:05:42] The other thing is that we have to look at this in a more of a long term basis.

[2:05:47] It is going to save us all money.

[2:05:50] Everybody's cost of living is going up.

[2:05:53] We all know that.

[2:05:54] Here's an opportunity to save a little bit of money and pay less in the long term future.

[2:06:01] So sometimes in life, we have to overcome a hurdle, a difficult moment, in order to get to a better place.

[2:06:10] So those are the reasons that I'm in favor of doing this.

[2:06:12] Long term, it's going to benefit all of us if we do this.

[2:06:16] So right now, it's a little bit tough.

[2:06:18] This November is a little bit tough.

[2:06:21] You're not going to lose your home.

[2:06:23] No, you're not.

[2:06:25] You're not going to lose your home.

[2:06:27] So, I'm coming out, I'm only going to speak once.

[2:06:31] 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.

[2:06:39] You have a question with Jackie?

[2:06:43] 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.

[2:06:57] I just,

[2:07:01] to soften the blow of my property taxes, I pay through the installment plan.

[2:07:06] Correct.

[2:07:07] Will this appear, will it just be rolled into my taxes and divided, you know, and I'll

[2:07:15] just pay these, an additional amount every quarter?

[2:07:21] I don't know if you know the answer to that or not.

[2:07:23] Yes.

[2:07:24] I don't know the answer, but that's one of the things I'm going to explore because I think

[2:07:30] that there's a very valid point here that, and I did look at, too, there was a comment

[2:07:35] earlier from the MAM about the taxes and the property taxes are paying in arrears, but the

[2:07:43] non-advalorem assessments are typically not.

[2:07:45] 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.

[2:07:54] 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.

[2:08:01] 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.

[2:08:06] So we have that information in advance of the public meeting.

[2:08:10] 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

[2:08:38] But we calculate on the monthly basis because that's the total cost of the non-advlorum assessment.

[2:08:44] Annually, it would be around, for the recommended option from staff, not the one with the reserve.

[2:08:50] It would be $372 before the 4% discount.

[2:08:54] And then it'd be $433 if you built up the reserve before the 4% discount.

[2:09:01] But to answer your question, in theory if the county has an option for you to pay an installment

[2:09:07] 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.

[2:09:15] The $34 and $36 per month, which is comparable to what you're paying today.

[2:09:20] It's quarterly basis.

[2:09:23] 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.

[2:09:32] So, if you're part of a payment plan, you're breaking up that full dollar amount over a quarter basis.

[2:09:40] So, although we are doing our research right now, we can't find specific language.

[2:09:45] 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.

[2:10:00] There was a question earlier about if we wanted to build up the reserves, what would that

[2:10:07] cost be to the monthly bill?

[2:10:08] And it would be in range of roughly $5 per month to establish it within a one year period

[2:10:15] of time.

[2:10:17] Well, I guess maybe I'm not being clear, but will this be broken up in quarterly payments

[2:10:24] along with my property?

[2:10:25] So that is our belief, however, you know, we can't find concrete information to support a yes or a no answer for you.

[2:10:36] 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.

[2:10:46] 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.

[2:10:54] So, one more question quickly, what happens to the reserve if it's not used?

[2:10:59] It rolls over.

[2:11:00] Can you use the grow for the rainy day because we all know living in Florida, there will be a rainy day, okay?

[2:11:19] I mean, it is true.

[2:11:22] I mean, the gentleman's right, I mean, you, you know, if you build up this reserve for that purpose,

[2:11:27] 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,

[2:11:36] It's tied to the property for the service.

[2:11:39] If they used it for another purpose, there could be a lawsuit.

[2:11:43] So that should stop the misappropriation of the funds.

[2:11:47] And that's also why we talked about the establishment of the special revenue fund.

[2:11:53] But you could have things that are done that may not be all appropriate and what not.

[2:12:02] 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

[2:12:32] the record transparent, how that money is getting accounted for.

[2:12:36] And so there'd be a separate line item or call out for the special revenue accounting.

[2:12:41] For transparency for the public, so go over and then I'll come over to you.

[2:12:51] All right, Joanne Rebello, 301 Locke Lohmann.

[2:12:55] I would like to find out if I'm correct on some of the things that I'm thinking and that I've heard.

[2:13:01] This nonadvalorum assessment for the trash is not deductible on anybody's income taxes, correct?

[2:13:15] It's only advalorum that's deductible.

[2:13:21] You mean from federal income taxes?

[2:13:24] I don't know the answer to that question.

[2:13:28] I'm not a tax accountant, but we can certainly-

[2:13:31] I believe it is not deductible, it's only the ad valora, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

[2:13:40] So for those people to think that this is going to lower the income taxes, it's not.

[2:13:45] I mean, most people get a standard deduction on their income taxes.

[2:13:50] And it's nice peded that you have the money to come up with that $434.

[2:13:56] I do not.

[2:13:57] There are a lot of us that do not.

[2:13:58] 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.

[2:14:10] I don't have a mortgage, otherwise I'd be out on the street.

[2:14:15] But anyway, people's escrow, the escrow company is going to want to pay this bill to get the discount in November.

[2:14:24] 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.

[2:14:38] It's not going to be broken down over the month. They have to come up with it immediately.

[2:14:45] So that is going to be a big strain on even people with escrow accounts.

[2:14:50] 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.

[2:15:00] 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.

[2:15:29] to really get it out there because we got one week, one week before decision is made and that

[2:15:37] is my concern there wasn't enough time to digest it and I would really like everybody to consider

[2:15:46] that that maybe we look at it this for next year. And you also mentioned that the city pays

[2:15:56] Ways Pro monthly, whether it is an assessment or whether it is on the monthly bill,

[2:16:01] is that correct?

[2:16:02] Correct.

[2:16:03] OK.

[2:16:05] We are being asked not to pay monthly but pay a one lump sum.

[2:16:11] The city gets funds from the taxes and the tax, man, Semmel County whatever.

[2:16:18] and yet is that all that money coming to the city or who's holding that money

[2:16:26] because there's interest involved. Who's gaining that interest on that amount

[2:16:33] of money? Is the city gaining it? Is the tax, the Seminole County tax office

[2:16:37] gaining it? We're not getting any benefit from it by paying an lump sum and also

[2:16:44] So paying in advance, if something should happen to the company waste pro or if we have complaints

[2:16:53] are really unhappy, we've already paid that money in advance, we have no avenue.

[2:16:59] So there's a lot of things that I don't think have been fully answered and I would really

[2:17:04] like to see this post-poned and I know we're at a crunch because October 1st is the beginning

[2:17:12] of the year, that we really need to look at this maybe next year, maybe putting it to

[2:17:20] a vote to the people, because there are some people that can be in favor of it, and

[2:17:25] there are a lot of people that are not.

[2:17:28] Thank you.

[2:17:28] Well, there's a few questions that you ask.

[2:17:32] More than a few, a lot of questions that you asked there, and I want to try to get them.

[2:17:36] First of all, this does not go to a vote for the people.

[2:17:39] This is something that goes before the commission.

[2:17:43] Thus the commission hears from the people, and I can tell you, thanks to our clerk,

[2:17:49] every opposition letter, every opposition email, every phone call, every message has been heard by your elected officials.

[2:17:59] I can guarantee you that.

[2:18:01] I have had multiple conversations independently with each one of them about this topic.

[2:18:07] I can assure you that your voices are heard.

[2:18:12] So indirectly, although there isn't a vote, your voices are being heard.

[2:18:17] I can guarantee you, thus the reason why the alternative approach was even entertained because we listen to you.

[2:18:25] All right, now as far as the city paying the waste pro their monthly bill,

[2:18:28] I believe that pay-in-a-company annually would be unreasonable for that company to maintain operations.

[2:18:39] Okay, so the company has set up for us to pay them in every month, right?

[2:18:45] 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,

[2:18:55] or property tax payment right away, Dustin, if you could weigh in how frequently do we receive property tax payments?

[2:19:04] The vast majority of our property tax payments will be in December, January, and then after that it's a trickle.

[2:19:11] Okay, so October, October money for solid waste comes from September payments.

[2:19:18] So we are floating the entire city, November, December and January until we start receiving

[2:19:25] property tax payments, right? So even though we are paying monthly, we're not receiving the vast

[2:19:33] majority of our property tax payments until January or February and then it continues to trick

[2:19:38] along until the deadline is achieved.

[2:19:44] Okay, so the money that is received by the city from the tax

[2:19:51] This collector will be sitting in general, the general fund, and collecting interest.

[2:20:00] Somebody's collecting interest on all that money.

[2:20:02] And if you're only paying ways per once a month and you've collected the money, where is that money?

[2:20:09] It stays with the special revenue fund and it can be utilized to lower the monthly bill.

[2:20:15] But you receive the city receives interest on it.

[2:20:19] And yeah, also the interest would get recognized and like, let me show you.

[2:20:26] It would actually help out in theory, so you see this cost here.

[2:20:38] 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.

[2:20:47] 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.

[2:21:14] and then that could be retained within the fund to then be used for the services that the funder established for.

[2:21:23] Yes, we will have, if this passes and it has a dedicated fund, which is what I advocate for of this passes for sure.

[2:21:34] That dedicated fund will receive the revenue and any interest earned on that revenue to stay within that fund.

[2:21:43] And solely to be utilized for the solid way services.

[2:21:59] It'd be about a $5 increase.

[2:22:05] You could still do that.

[2:22:07] Yeah, you could do that whether you do the billing method or not, but I don't think

[2:22:11] the city currently has plans to do that, but it could consider it.

[2:22:15] It could consider it.

[2:22:20] I have one more comment on this trash assessment.

[2:22:25] Of course, I think we all know I'm opposed to it, because it's going to hurt me and

[2:22:30] And I know it's going to hurt a lot of people, it's going from monthly if I lost my

[2:22:37] being free and I thought it'll come back it'll come back to me oh the thing was getting

[2:22:44] payment for the trash and you're saying five to seven percent I'm not paying on time.

[2:22:53] Okay. And the purpose of doing the trash assessment is because that's more lucrative because

[2:23:03] it's only a 2% difference between 100%. It's like 97, 98% I believe you said. Okay.

[2:23:11] Why can we not explore instead of doing the assessment having something in place that if the

[2:23:20] that people who are living in the house are renters or even they own the house, maybe

[2:23:28] they're going into foreclosure because of illness or something,

[2:23:34] a mechanism, especially

[2:23:35] for renters, where it gets put on the taxpayers if they're making income from the renter,

[2:23:44] then you switch it over to that particular one where they are now responsible for the renters.

[2:23:52] 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.

[2:24:05] 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.

[2:24:14] 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.

[2:24:29] So they would then have to bear the cost of the administrative cost.

[2:24:33] 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.

[2:24:44] If you did that, I believe it would have the same outcome of what you're

[2:24:47] desiring to achieve.

[2:24:50] And that could be something that you could look at potentially.

[2:24:53] You're punishing the people for just a 5% or even 7%.

[2:25:00] You're punishing everybody, whereas only those that are not paying it

[2:25:07] or have rents that do not pay for their trash pickup.

[2:25:11] up. You're punishing us all. You're making it difficult for the seniors, for the veterans.

[2:25:19] You're punishing everybody for those few people that don't pay.

[2:25:24] I think that everybody's paying the fee now.

[2:25:28] Not $434. It's a lot easier for me to come up with $30 a month than $434.

[2:25:35] I hear you. I understand your point. I'm just saying that the cost that you play,

[2:25:40] that you pay over a 12-month period is going to be roughly the same.

[2:25:47] Now, initially when you set up the assessment, the lady made an excellent point that if

[2:25:54] you don't have that money built up, that it creates an initial hardship when you're establishing the assessment.

[2:26:02] And I think I want to personally look into other options to try to possibly alleviate that issue.

[2:26:07] you.

[2:26:12] Okay, well, I, I, I, yeah, I, so, so, if I could weigh in for a second, we, we

[2:26:23] understand the hardship that an assessment places. We understand that. We've heard you,

[2:26:29] and I'll repeat myself again, I've read every letter. That is why we designed an alternative

[2:26:36] of approach to try to lower the cost as best we can and still achieve the outcome that

[2:26:41] we were looking for to maintain compliance with the contract.

[2:26:46] That is why we are here.

[2:26:49] This is not intended to create a hardship.

[2:26:54] This is intended to create a payment method so that you could receive the services that

[2:27:01] we're required to give you.

[2:27:03] Right? The services are going to happen no matter what.

[2:27:06] Whether you pay it on the monthly bill and the monthly bill is going to keep rising.

[2:27:13] And or do we adopt an assessment that is going to ultimately lower your bill month by month?

[2:27:21] And that's the issue at hand.

[2:27:26] We understand the hardship.

[2:27:28] I've heard you, I've heard you, and I trust me.

[2:27:32] the commission has also heard you.

[2:27:34] We have a question with Ben.

[2:27:37] 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.

[2:27:47] When the amendment three passes, then you're only going about $400 instead of $2,000 just rounding figures here.

[2:28:01] Any other questions?

[2:28:02] Oh, I'm sorry.

[2:28:03] Here you go.

[2:28:04] You can have mine.

[2:28:06] Okay. Hold on one second. He's coming to you.

[2:28:09] Okay. My last question for the night. I know, like, maybe three weeks a month ago, the commissioners all voted to bring this up.

[2:28:19] I would like to know the names of the ones that voted for it.

[2:28:23] 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.

[2:28:33] and there's a slew of these kind of type of agenda items.

[2:28:36] There is a first reading that takes place.

[2:28:39] The first reading is there so that the commission could implore the staff to move this forward

[2:28:48] and further to evaluate it, right?

[2:28:52] And also to receive input from the residents.

[2:28:56] That's the reason why the first meeting happens.

[2:28:59] That's, that's, that's totally, once that happens, then notices are sent out.

[2:29:05] Those are the notices that you received, and the window to voice an opposition opens up.

[2:29:11] So all of that happen, the, the commission voted three, two in support of moving it forward,

[2:29:19] because that opened up an opportunity to hear the residents.

[2:29:24] Now, I'm only expressing what happens when the vote moves forward.

[2:29:31] If it didn't move forward and the commission voted against it, then the letters would

[2:29:37] not have gone out and thus this conversation might not happen.

[2:29:42] I'm not saying it wouldn't happen, but it might not happen.

[2:29:45] So the vote to move it forward was not to move this towards an adoption.

[2:29:50] It was to move it towards the public hearing, which allows the commission, which allows the residents a chance to speak on the issue.

[2:29:59] That's

[2:30:00] 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.

[2:30:14] Mayor Tony Bonny,

[2:30:21] Commissioner McMillan,

[2:30:24] and Commissioner Schumaker, and Commissioner Schumaker, both Commissioner Sackit and Commissioner Morgan, more than once who opposed.

[2:30:40] They can change their vote. A hundred percent. The opposition, they've received from all of us tax

[2:30:47] here 100% they can change their vote on 910 and I think the consensus that I'm

[2:30:56] gathering and I want to say something thank you to all the women in here with

[2:31:02] their compassionate hearts who have spoke up thank you to the very few men

[2:31:08] that have not spoken up maybe they're you know agreeing with their wives I don't

[2:31:14] know, or they feel like the other guy in the back. Okay.

[2:31:22] But I do want to thank you because

[2:31:24] I noticed, you know, that we've got a lot of women here that really care about, you

[2:31:31] know, and they're in positions. I mean, I don't think men, and I love all you men, okay?

[2:31:37] this is not a bash on men but the fact is that men make more money usually. I'm 74

[2:31:45] years old. I started out making two dollars an hour and had to work until I was

[2:31:52] 70, you know, to get my tax or my social security and pay off my house and all

[2:32:00] that. So I had to work hard and I know maybe a lot of women in here in the same

[2:32:06] issues. You guys are younger, some of you, and men make more money, and I just don't think

[2:32:13] that they understand the hardship of some of the women that are by themselves in their

[2:32:21] homes. So I always have that in my heart as a compassionate thing because I'm one of

[2:32:28] them too. So I do really appreciate your ear of listening. And I highly hope that,

[2:32:39] and you know, adding $5 to the bill monthly to do the reserve. I don't think that would

[2:32:45] be a hardship on most people. Maybe they do without a coffee in the morning or something

[2:32:50] and at Starbucks, but I think that, well, I just want to say I appreciate it and I really

[2:32:59] hope that they've listened and I'm not for, sorry, adopting it.

[2:33:05] I want to stay the monthly, not for adding it onto the taxes.

[2:33:10] That's just not-

[2:33:11] Don't need to apologize for your preference.

[2:33:16] What about the 7% that doesn't pay monthly?

[2:33:22] How does that work?

[2:33:24] So currently right now they either give their water turned off or it's bad debt towards

[2:33:33] waste pro.

[2:33:34] And I say the bad debt towards waste pro is that we have residents in our city that pay

[2:33:41] a direct to the city for solid waste services.

[2:33:46] When those payments are not received, those individuals still keep getting trash pickup.

[2:33:52] And the reason for that is because there isn't a mechanism either on the city side or waste

[2:33:59] pro side for us to identify that house don't pick up their trash and then relay that information

[2:34:06] 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.

[2:34:19] 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.

[2:34:33] 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.

[2:34:47] 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.

[2:34:59] 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.

[2:35:13] So hold on one second, I'm sorry, I don't mean interrupt,

[2:35:17] but we understand the feelings.

[2:35:22] We understand the opinions.

[2:35:24] We want to address questions.

[2:35:26] If someone has a question that hasn't already been addressed,

[2:35:30] please raise your hand.

[2:35:32] If you don't have a question and you want to just speak,

[2:35:39] my phone number is on the website.

[2:35:41] 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.

[2:35:53] Other than that, I am here manager and I'm here to discuss anything, but I want to address questions and questions only.

[2:36:00] My

[2:36:03] name is Kurt Leining-Kugel. My address is 630 landings place and what I understand

[2:36:11] is that we do still have, there's three options up there. The first option is, it's not

[2:36:19] up there right now, that we stick with the monthly billing even though WastePro is

[2:36:24] against this they will still honor the contract at the higher rate that's going up in October

[2:36:33] $34 and something. So but the city is proposing this assessment of the two levels and that's

[2:36:47] 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.

[2:36:59] Yes, with one caveat.

[2:37:01] In the contract, it does says that WastePro could terminate the contract if the city chooses not to adopt an assessment.

[2:37:09] Okay? That does say that.

[2:37:11] Now, I don't know if that wouldn't happen if they did go with the assessment though.

[2:37:15] It would not happen because the contract would not allow it now.

[2:37:19] 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.

[2:37:33] 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

[2:37:45] pro will make more money if you do not approve the change to the assessment.

[2:37:55] Right, because it because they have they don't have a way to collect from people.

[2:37:59] 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

[2:38:06] recession and there are more people that have like a problem and there's no way to ensure

[2:38:12] capture so they can pay their drivers and cover their costs. I'm just saying if there's an

[2:38:19] economic downturn and you have more people that aren't paying timely, you know, I'm just

[2:38:32] money to make this big fuss about. I mean that's a small amount of people. I mean that's that's your

[2:38:38] your opinion and, you know, that I respected.

[2:38:41] Well, you haven't given me a number, a cost of that.

[2:38:45] What is the waste process?

[2:38:46] I said earlier that it's $2,000, ma'am.

[2:38:49] $2 per person?

[2:38:50] Per month, per person.

[2:38:52] I said it earlier.

[2:38:54] I said that.

[2:38:55] How does it work out to $2 a person?

[2:38:57] Because in the contract, it says that they will provide a reduction to the monthly charges of $2 per month.

[2:39:03] No, I mean, I was talking about that.

[2:39:04] But that's tied to the payment issue that you're asking about.

[2:39:08] I'm saying that if we go to what it currently is like right now, pain monthly.

[2:39:15] Ways Pro can say no, I'm not doing the job.

[2:39:18] That's the threat they have on our commissioners.

[2:39:21] They can pull out, be in that garbage pickup.

[2:39:23] It is a contractual option available to them that they may not exercise.

[2:39:31] 6 months notice?

[2:39:32] Yes, that they may not exercise.

[2:39:34] So they, right, which they probably will is why our commissioners are all for this?

[2:39:41] There's no question in the back with that.

[2:39:43] I think that question should really be answered by a waste pro, the contractor.

[2:39:47] I can't speak on their behalf.

[2:39:49] I don't know what their feelings are, but I don't know whether they would necessarily

[2:39:56] want one option or the other because they've baked it into their contract with you.

[2:40:00] 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.

[2:40:08] That's the way I see it.

[2:40:12] Yeah, but the contract doesn't allow them to raise it by any amount.

[2:40:17] It only allows it to raise it by a limited amount, 5% per year.

[2:40:20] We do have a question in the back.

[2:40:22] Please, if you have any commentary, you need to wait until you have a microphone.

[2:40:25] Thank you.

[2:40:25] 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.

[2:40:49] Yes, correct, because 800 I would not be able to have put on my taxes, but if it was you're paying two times

[2:41:03] At $34 currently or the renters are like each renter is paying 34 dollars. I live on one side renter lives on the other

[2:41:11] Okay, so you're you're paying $34 right now and then they're paying there. Yes

[2:41:17] Yes.

[2:41:18] But now I'm going to assume it all with this proposal and I'm saying, making me pay is

[2:41:26] a hardship to you.

[2:41:27] I cannot make the 800.

[2:41:30] Understood.

[2:41:30] I may be able to make 400 and say, like, okay, can we just have one trash can or instead

[2:41:41] of...

[2:41:42] That's not an option to go down.

[2:41:44] Yeah.

[2:41:44] And there's like, you know, that is why I'm opposed because I cannot pick it up.

[2:41:51] I understand.

[2:41:52] Thank you.

[2:41:53] Thank you.

[2:41:53] Yeah.

[2:41:54] Good.

[2:41:54] Jackie.

[2:41:55] Yes, ma'am.

[2:41:57] My question from the beginning, Penny Langebach, 161 Columbus Circle.

[2:42:02] My question from the beginning is, where are all the commissioners?

[2:42:05] They should be here.

[2:42:06] Yep.

[2:42:07] So this is a question and answer session for the residents.

[2:42:10] They should be here.

[2:42:11] Yep.

[2:42:12] And so for future, I would recommend they should be here.

[2:42:16] We are strong, strongwood, you claim, and we are in this together.

[2:42:19] And as far as my vote, it's a no.

[2:42:22] And as far as I can read the room, I would say majority is no.

[2:42:28] Are there any more questions in the room?

[2:42:30] Thank you so much.

[2:42:30] I appreciate that.

[2:42:31] And noted.

[2:42:32] it.

[2:42:38] Why did you not send on a notice for this meeting? I know a lot of people didn't

[2:42:45] know anything about it. And you did put out the notice, the letter for the tent, but

[2:42:52] everybody did not get that letter. So I feel like there should have been more people here,

[2:42:58] but most of them didn't know about it.

[2:43:00] 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

[2:43:13] 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.

[2:43:24] So our communication manager sent out multiple notices on social media.

[2:43:31] It was posted on our website.

[2:43:33] There's several opportunities for our residents to see that.

[2:43:41] I apologize for those that didn't, because at the end of the day,

[2:43:45] it's my job to maintain communication in the community.

[2:43:49] But we felt that we did everything we could in preparation for this meeting

[2:43:54] that we could and we did it in a timing. This meeting in a timing that was in respect

[2:44:00] to next week's public hearing.

[2:44:03] We have a question with Jackie.

[2:44:12] Okay, any more questions?

[2:44:22] And we do post, do we post on next door? Yes.

[2:44:26] We have a question with Ben.

[2:44:29] My just question for next week when the commissioners are here during their vote, that's still open

[2:44:35] to the public.

[2:44:36] 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.

[2:45:00] 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.

[2:45:14] Any more questions?

[2:45:17] 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.

[2:45:32] and keep the questions coming.

[2:45:34] My business card is on that desk and those that know me know that I'm very reachable and

[2:45:44] I'm willing to discuss any topic.

[2:45:46] Any business here in the city about solid waste or not solid waste?

[2:45:50] Yes, ma'am.

[2:45:55] Yes, ma'am?

[2:45:56] I'm not sure.

[2:45:57] So the commissioners can review this before they have the 910 meeting, right?

[2:46:06] Yes, ma'am.

[2:46:06] So hopefully they'll be, they're not here, but hopefully they will do that and hear our voices.

[2:46:12] Yes, ma'am.

Proposed Solid Waste Assessment: Information Sharing Q & A Meeting

Transcript