[0:02] . Morning, everyone.
[0:05] let me welcome all of you to
[0:06] the orange county board of county
[0:07] commissioner meeting of december 2nd,
[0:09] 2025. As we begin this morning, we're
[0:11] going to call
[0:13] on commissioner nicole wilson to introduce
[0:14] her
[0:16] guest who will be bringing the invocation
[0:20] for today. Following
[0:22] the invocation we'll ask commissioner wilson
[0:23] if she'll lead
[0:26] us in the pledge of
[0:28] allegiance, after we will then move
[0:29] forward on
[0:31] our agenda thisthis morning. With
[0:32] that, commissioner
[0:33] wilson you are recognized.
[0:34] >> thank
[0:35] you so much,
[0:37] mayor. Good morning, everybody. Today we
[0:41] are especially honored to have
[0:42] pastor scott blue with us to offer
[0:44] this
[0:47] morning's invocation. A
[0:48] homeless outreach nonprofit he launched
[0:50] in west orange county in
[0:53] 2010. Matthew's hope is dedicated
[0:56] to
[0:57] meeting basic needs and offering a hand up to
[0:59] men, women and
[1:00] children experiencing homelessness.
[1:02] individuals
[1:04] can access clothing medical mental
[1:07] health care, eye exams, case management,
[1:08] showers,
[1:10] hair and nail salon, and even day
[1:12] care and early learning institution.
[1:14] pastor scott has found
[1:17] success in helping people by
[1:18] prioritizing self-sufficiency and
[1:20] stability for a
[1:22] better quality of life. Under his
[1:23] leadership with a small
[1:25] but extraordinarily dedicated team
[1:26] matthew's hope has become
[1:28] known for its approaches for serving
[1:29] our winter
[1:31] garden and west orange community and
[1:32] as of
[1:34] june 2022 they are serving in brevard
[1:35] county.
[1:37] the organization currently operates
[1:38] a mobile
[1:39] emergency shelter busses providing
[1:41] safe overnight accommodations for
[1:44] unsheltered individuals if
[1:47] you haven't had the opportunity
[1:49] to see these I would invite you to
[1:50] do that.
[1:52] in september I had the privilege of
[1:53] visiting the
[1:54] brevard campus where the shelters
[1:56] are changing
[1:57] lives. Today is especially meaningful
[1:59] to have pastor scott here because we
[2:00] have
[2:01] the opportunity to approve the mobile
[2:02] shelter
[2:04] project here on our consent agenda.
[2:05] it will
[2:08] serve residents all over west orange
[2:10] county in an effort many have worked
[2:11] tirelessly to bring
[2:14] today. I am so thrilled to
[2:17] support him
[2:20] and the homeless
[2:22] outreach efforts. I want to say this
[2:23] is
[2:26] off the script editorial,
[2:27] pastor scott blue is somebody who
[2:29] also speaks truth to power in
[2:31] a time that power seems to have lost
[2:32] compassion and I think it's
[2:34] a critical voice that needs to be
[2:35] heard, and I am really,
[2:37] really grateful to have him in my
[2:38] community and as a friend. Without further adieu.
[2:47] [ applause ]
[2:53] why are
[2:56] you all standing up?
[2:59] I heard I can stay five or ten minutes so
[3:02] I want to make sure
[3:05] you're comfortable because I'm not on
[3:08] the pulpit any more and so this
[3:10] is my opportunity to speak a little
[3:13] jesus into your life. I have a few
[3:14] things I want to share with
[3:17] you because I'm able, and I'm watching
[3:19] things happening right now that, quite
[3:20] honestly in 63
[3:23] years, I never thought I would see
[3:25] happen again. The lack of empathy
[3:26] and compassion
[3:28] for others is at an all-time low.
[3:31] when it comes to homelessness we seem
[3:32] to have figured out
[3:35] the best way to handle things is
[3:38] simply lock them up. Don't kid
[3:40] yourself for a minute this isn't happening.
[3:41] I track it.
[3:44] we can show it happening every day.
[3:45] recently
[3:47] was you're going to love this,
[3:50] camping paraphernalia. As
[3:53] a drug addict I
[3:56] know what drug paraphernalia is. It's
[3:59] something to think about. But I want
[4:00] to
[4:02] share with you that matthew mobile
[4:03] teams
[4:05] are throughout from basically
[4:08] I-4 up into claremont. Out well
[4:10] before the sun rises caring for the
[4:11] homeless men, women and children living on
[4:14] the streets of our community. As the
[4:15] cold
[4:17] weather approaches and will soon arrive
[4:18] imagine having no
[4:19] shelter, going with no or very little
[4:21] rest, with
[4:23] no relief in sight. Not even being
[4:24] able to sit
[4:26] down without being told to move along
[4:30] or risk arrest. Don't buy into
[4:31] the false narrative that homelessness --
[4:32] what homelessness looks like. The
[4:36] truth is, the truth is is
[4:38] that many are elderly, some very ill,
[4:39] while
[4:41] others are physically or mentally disabled
[4:42] and then the
[4:43] young families with children with no
[4:45] understanding how they are
[4:48] supposed to survive on our streets.
[4:50] due to the increased law enforcement
[4:51] of new laws coming out
[4:53] of tallahassee, basically making it
[4:56] illegal to sleep outside, illegal to
[4:57] be
[4:59] homeless, the anxiety and tension
[5:00] we see on
[5:01] the streets right now is at an all-
[5:03] time high. And when people
[5:06] feel that anxiety and that kind
[5:08] of tension, they do desperate things.
[5:09] good people
[5:12] do desperate things. Simply I
[5:14] ask from each of you today and our
[5:15] commission and
[5:17] mayor, pray for them. If you can't
[5:18] do
[5:19] anything else, if you want do anything
[5:23] else, pray for them. We go where we
[5:24] need to go.
[5:27] we do what needs to be done. If not
[5:30] us, then who? Emily
[5:32] dickinson said, I dwell in possibilities.
[5:33] mr. Mayor
[5:35] and commissioners, I choose to dwell in
[5:36] the possibilities and
[5:39] god does the rest, and I am --
[5:42] invite you to also, I choose to live
[5:43] in possibilities, dwell in the possibilities.
[5:45] let us pray.
[5:48] this morning, lord,
[5:51] god, father, I lift up our
[5:53] elected leaders to you and pray that
[5:54] they may have
[5:56] open hearts and open minds and choose
[5:58] to dwell on the possibilities. As
[6:00] they gather here this
[6:02] morning, may they acknowledge with
[6:03] courage that all
[6:05] people desire to realize all the potential
[6:06] that
[6:09] life offers. May each be led with
[6:11] conviction, enthusiasm and passionate
[6:12] resolve.
[6:15] may the needs, hopes and
[6:18] dreams of all peoples be given consideration,
[6:19] those
[6:21] with homes and
[6:23] those finding themselves without.
[6:24] living on our streets.
[6:27] may each one here place politics aside and
[6:29] look to you for guidance and strength,
[6:30] if you are with us who could
[6:33] be against? Us the many task and
[6:35] challenges ahead are not easy but
[6:36] nothing worth fighting for has
[6:38] ever been easy and greatness isn't
[6:39] achieved
[6:42] by the faint of heart. Creator
[6:43] god, often making the proper decision
[6:45] is not always the
[6:47] popular decision. So may you provide a
[6:48] fortress
[6:51] of protection of those will to do
[6:52] what is
[6:54] right rather than simply
[6:56] doing what is easy. Lord god, our
[6:57] country is hurting,
[7:00] if we ever needed you, we need
[7:02] you now. May your presence be known
[7:03] in this place today and
[7:06] every day,
[7:07] in your precious son christ jesus, amen.
[7:15] >>> I pledge allegiance to the flag
[7:16] of the united states of america and to the
[7:18] republic for which it
[7:21] stands
[7:33] one nation under
[7:35] god indivisible with liberty and justice for
[7:36] all.
[8:27] >>> we
[8:30] have no proclamations or resolutions
[8:31] or anything like that
[8:33] today. Let me acknowledge that I
[8:35] hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving
[8:36] holiday period of
[8:40] time. Now that we're in the
[8:41] season, this is my favorite time of
[8:43] the year,
[8:45] as it is all about how wewe treat
[8:48] others and how we recognize and give
[8:49] to the
[8:52] least of those in our community,
[8:54] and so we have one more board county
[8:57] commission meeting in this calendar
[9:00] year. We have a board meeting in a
[9:01] couple weeks and that
[9:03] will be the final one for this year
[9:07] and we move into 2026.
[9:10] so today we do
[9:12] have a full agenda and we're going
[9:13] to
[9:16] move forward and open it up
[9:17] for any public comment this is a period
[9:19] of time in which we
[9:20] ask members of the public to come
[9:22] forward regarding matters or
[9:25] issues of concern, matters that
[9:26] are appropriate discussion during
[9:28] this period of
[9:31] time, these matters would
[9:32] include procurement of land issues
[9:34] or property
[9:35] concerns, rather than this board, this
[9:36] afternoon we will be taking up the
[9:40] various land use related
[9:43] issues and we will be soliciting public
[9:49] input during each of the public hearings
[9:50] this afternoon. The public comment
[9:52] period is this morning.
[9:54] do we have members of the public present
[9:55] who wish to be heard?
[9:57] >> we do. We have seven registered
[9:58] speakers this morning.
[9:59] >> all
[10:00] right. We're going to give each of
[10:01] our speakers a couple minutes
[10:04] by which to make their case, and
[10:06] we'll generally call them in the order
[10:09] in which you signed up. You can go
[10:10] ahead and
[10:12] proceed with calling those who wish to
[10:13] be heard.
[10:15] >> thank you, mayor. Folks, I'm going
[10:16] to call your names in
[10:19] batches. Line up along the back wall in
[10:20] the
[10:21] order called when you approach the
[10:22] podium, begin with your
[10:25] name and address for the record.
[10:28] first speaker is gavin
[10:31] kian, zachary
[10:34] moldof, and joe silvistrus.
[10:43] >> thank you, mr.
[10:46] kian up first, is he here
[10:48] at this time?
[10:49] >> does not appear.
[10:50] >> does
[10:52] not appear he's here. Mr.
[11:01] moldof.
[11:02] >> good morning,
[11:04] commissioners, mayor, staff. Thank
[11:06] you for the opportunity to be here.
[11:07] before I say anything I came
[11:09] here to say, I would like to say thank you
[11:10] for displaying
[11:13] the menorah here. As a jewish
[11:16] person, we
[11:17] don't always find representation or
[11:19] even acceptance in
[11:21] all spaces and it's felt good to know
[11:22] that I'm accepted
[11:25] here and to see that represented
[11:26] so explicitly. I would just like to say thanks.
[11:31] my name is zach moldof
[11:34] I reside at --in district
[11:37] 5, 32792 my zip code.
[11:39] my full address in the written record.
[11:40] today
[11:43] I did come down here with a whole
[11:44] written and
[11:45] prepared things, but there's just
[11:46] other things happening in the community
[11:48] that call for attention as well, so
[11:49] I'm going to do my best
[11:52] to split my time here. I think
[11:55] when it comes to visit orlando
[11:57] and everything that we've heard lately
[11:58] about investigating the
[12:00] spending and revealing what's been
[12:01] spent and
[12:03] what it's been spent on, it shows
[12:04] there's a
[12:05] tremendous opportunity for orange
[12:07] county to
[12:10] innovate and to create opportunities
[12:11] where
[12:12] this marketing money can be spent
[12:13] differently to
[12:16] achieve the same results. And
[12:19] there's all kinds of ways to
[12:22] structure these
[12:25] programs so that
[12:27] the revenue expended circulates in
[12:28] the community much more
[12:31] so than being paid out in marketing
[12:32] firms we would
[12:34] like to emulate here. We can
[12:36] cultivate the talent here and make this
[12:37] a place where people who
[12:38] are leaving from new york and los
[12:40] angeles want to move to and we can
[12:43] pay less to get that talent here and help
[12:45] that talent shape our community into
[12:46] what it should be so they want to
[12:47] be here and all those great outcomes can be made
[12:49] possible.
[12:55] separate from that, I am --I am
[12:58] really proud to see that the
[13:00] commissioners and the mayor are taking
[13:01] up
[13:04] with such
[13:07] urgency the issue of basically motorized
[13:08] vehicles on
[13:10] our sidewalks,
[13:13] simply because they have electric
[13:16] motors. We've slipped into this space
[13:17] where
[13:19] we've forgotten that the distinction
[13:20] is
[13:22] about the motor not what powers
[13:24] the motor. Serving on the transmac this
[13:25] is a citizen who came
[13:27] down and pointed out the urgency to
[13:29] this --to us and
[13:31] I just wanted to echo that, you know, it
[13:32] is really
[13:33] important, and I'm glad to see that action is being
[13:34] taken. So thank you for the time.
[13:38] >> all right.
[13:41] thank you mmoldof.
[13:44] we'll move to our
[13:47] next
[13:49] speaker, please.
[13:50] >> good morning,
[13:51] mayor
[13:52] demings, my name is joe. I serve as
[13:53] the
[13:54] senior director of safety and emergency
[13:55] management at orange county public
[13:57] schools. I'm here today representing
[13:59] the school district to
[14:02] share some thoughts on micro
[14:03] mobility devices which will be discussed
[14:05] later on
[14:07] the agenda. Last month our district
[14:08] held a school board work
[14:10] session focused on these devices prompted
[14:11] by concerns
[14:12] from parents and the community about
[14:14] how students are
[14:16] using them. Over the past few years,
[14:17] we've noticed these
[14:19] devices becoming more and more popular
[14:21] with students as a way to commute
[14:23] to and from
[14:25] school, however with the increase of
[14:27] the use of these devices we've seen
[14:29] an increase
[14:31] in incidents resulting in jers and
[14:34] some cases serious injuries to the
[14:35] rider
[14:36] or bystanders. We are working with nonprofits
[14:38] and other
[14:39] stakeholders to address the challenges
[14:41] posed by thee
[14:42] devices and determine best way to
[14:44] curb unsafe behaviors
[14:47] to ensure safety of students and the
[14:49] community members at large. We request
[14:50] the opportunity
[14:53] to partner with the county and future
[14:54] discussions regarding micro mobility
[14:56] devices given many of
[14:58] our students rely on them daily to
[14:59] get
[15:00] to school. We want to thank you for
[15:02] your
[15:03] leadership, attention to this issue
[15:04] in consideration of a partnership
[15:06] to keep our students an community
[15:08] safe when
[15:09] using these alternative methods to
[15:11] commute to school. Thank you.
[15:14] >> all right. Thank you mr.
[15:15] silverest. We look forward to working
[15:17] with the school district as
[15:18] we better understand how these devices
[15:20] are being
[15:22] used and what we can perhaps do from
[15:25] a regulatory perspective on making
[15:26] the
[15:28] safer for our youth and others who
[15:29] seem to be
[15:32] drawn to using these devices.
[15:34] more to follow. Thank you. We'll move to
[15:35] the next speaker.
[15:37] >> our next batch of speakers is going
[15:38] to
[15:41] start with
[15:43] val mobilely, followed by david segal,
[15:47] jake patroski, dr. Jim moyer.
[15:53] >> good
[15:55] morning, county commission.
[15:56] >> good
[15:57] morning.
[15:59] >> val mobley,
[16:02] 226 west king street. In the spirit of
[16:03] the
[16:05] season I am here today
[16:08] to give thanks for your leadership,
[16:11] for what you've done with the budget
[16:12] of
[16:14] this county, and the ways
[16:17] that you give back through the
[16:20] budget to the people who live in orange
[16:21] county. I think it's --y'all have
[16:23] done a tremendous job. I
[16:25] don't agree with every expenditure
[16:26] but that's beside the point.
[16:29] the point being, a lot
[16:32] of good is being
[16:35] done. Let me highlight the
[16:37] housing initiative trust fund that
[16:38] y'all
[16:44] created. That was and
[16:47] is a landmark legislation. And I hope
[16:50] that every other county in
[16:53] the state will follow suit.
[16:55] I can see where the smaller counties
[16:56] think they
[16:58] can't afford it, but I think that
[16:59] anything you do county wide to
[17:01] help people have a roof over their
[17:05] heads, is worth it.
[17:08] so thank you for that.
[17:11] I just wanted to point out
[17:14] that I'm here
[17:17] supporting the unhoused and I will
[17:18] be
[17:20] here, y'all are going to see me.
[17:23] I just don't want you to
[17:26] forget the unhoused. These are
[17:29] our friends, our neighbors, maybe
[17:30] we
[17:32] don't know their names, but we know
[17:33] that they don't
[17:35] have a safe place to rest their
[17:38] head at night. And so just don't forget
[17:39] them.
[17:44] one other thing off
[17:47] that
[17:50] topic is, [ inaudible ] it's on
[17:53] the agenda, red light cameras.
[17:56] if you're not breaking the law, why
[17:57] are you afraid of
[17:58] the cameras? They're a good thing.
[17:59] thank you.
[18:00] >> all
[18:02] right. Thank
[18:05] you, ms. Mobilebly.
[18:08] it's very
[18:09] difficult for those of us who serve at
[18:11] the local level to forget about
[18:13] the homelessness in our community,
[18:14] we see them, we're around them.
[18:17] yes, this board is
[18:20] very compassionate board and every
[18:21] board
[18:24] meeting we have, we
[18:27] are passing new, contractual
[18:29] relationships to address those issues
[18:30] in
[18:32] our community. Perhaps more than most
[18:35] communities within the state of florida.
[18:36] and
[18:39] sometimes without a lot of help
[18:42] from tallahassee. So thank you
[18:45] for being thankful this morning.
[18:48] we'll move to the
[18:51] next
[18:52] speaker.
[18:53] >> good morning, everyone.
[18:54] I'm david
[18:55] segal. Can't tell my joke anymore.
[18:57] I live
[19:00] at 1868 corner
[19:03] view lane in orlando. First of
[19:06] all, I would like to thank the
[19:09] commission for their
[19:12] legal activity against
[19:18] whatever the
[19:20] draconian 180 bill is. I was going
[19:21] to suggest if you look
[19:23] at the florida constitution you may
[19:24] find
[19:27] a greater ally than the approach
[19:28] you're using. Just two things. There's
[19:30] three levels of things going on
[19:33] here. There's the state
[19:34] masters, there's the county commission
[19:36] and oftentimes you do the same thing.
[19:39] you want to increase your own power.
[19:40] home
[19:42] rule is really not in
[19:45] our constitution. It's
[19:46] an interesting, like I said I know
[19:48] the points being argued
[19:51] are kind of --well, one, they haven't
[19:52] been
[19:53] challenged before, so you've got problems
[19:54] there.
[19:56] so I would say that first thing, if
[19:57] that's your
[20:00] argument, maybe you should look to
[20:02] ways to being sure there is home rule
[20:03] in things that you
[20:05] do. When you appoint people to the
[20:09] tdt or crc they
[20:11] are a political situation, reflections
[20:12] of your own will and that's just the way
[20:13] it is.
[20:15] and if
[20:17] you, again, if you look in the constitution,
[20:18] the ultimate power
[20:21] is the people. The
[20:23] first big section in there says all
[20:24] the power of the state government
[20:27] are invested in the people. Doesn't
[20:28] say
[20:29] that about the county or anything
[20:30] else. If you kind of hook
[20:32] the county, other than saying we're
[20:33] elected, by
[20:36] the way you select commissions or
[20:37] things
[20:39] like that, you can make the
[20:42] argument to the court that you are dealing with
[20:43] home rule.
[20:45] last thing I
[20:48] will
[20:51] say someone mentioned the tdt
[20:52] money, last time someone tried to touch
[20:54] that, even republicans, they
[20:57] kind of got burned, so I would
[21:00] thank commissioner scott, your comments
[21:03] years ago, on kind of
[21:06] sticking with this the
[21:11] statute as very wise. Thank you.
[21:12] >> thank
[21:13] you. Move
[21:15] to our next speaker,
[21:18] please.
[21:19] >> good morning. My name is
[21:20] jake
[21:24] petrosi. I you in
[21:27] windmere. Thank you, mr. Mayor
[21:29] and commissioners for your service
[21:30] and
[21:32] commitment to the community. It is
[21:33] commendable and we
[21:36] really appreciate
[21:39] it. I have a
[21:42] rather urgent comment about public
[21:43] safety
[21:45] issues. On november 7th a high schooler
[21:48] at olympia was struck by a vehicle
[21:49] in
[21:51] a crosswalk.
[21:54] it is my understanding from research
[21:57] 74% of pedestrian incidents happen
[21:59] outside of the crosswalk while 26%
[22:03] happen inside crosswalks.
[22:05] that's kind of scary, but it gives
[22:06] us a
[22:08] good opportunity. The smaller the
[22:09] area the better it can
[22:12] be controlled, the
[22:15] safer we can
[22:18] make it. There are no school
[22:20] signs in that area. It is 45 miles
[22:21] an hour. It
[22:24] takes the average car about 229
[22:27] feet with human reaction
[22:30] time factored in to stop, to come
[22:31] to
[22:33] a complete stop at
[22:36] 45 miles
[22:39] an hour. There are no
[22:41] flashing pedestrian signs. Tease the
[22:42] only public entrance
[22:45] to olympia high school, I believe.
[22:46] I
[22:47] just wanted to bring this to your
[22:48] attention because it's a matter
[22:51] of time before
[22:53] tragedy strikes there again. I understand
[22:55] there's a process to
[22:57] government to get things done with
[22:58] analysis and
[23:01] procedures for reductions of
[23:02] speed, but there's a school there
[23:06] and I believe there should be a school
[23:07] zone
[23:09] sign that shouldn't take very long to figure
[23:12] out or throw up a possible flashing
[23:13] light pedestrian sign at that crosswalk where students walk
[23:16] every morning.
[23:19] I am not on a crusade
[23:21] for pedestrian safety, but I am passionate
[23:22] about
[23:23] student safety and getting our kids
[23:25] to school every day, and I
[23:26] think we can all agree on the. Thank
[23:28] you very much for your
[23:31] time.
[23:32] >> thank you, mr.
[23:33] petrosky and we have several members
[23:34] of
[23:36] our transportation and engineering
[23:37] department here listening
[23:39] carefully to what you said. We'll
[23:40] investigate and
[23:41] take appropriate action. All right.
[23:43] dr. Moyer.
[23:45] >> good morning. My name is dr. Jim
[23:46] moyer.
[23:49] I'm an
[23:50] elected water conservation district
[23:52] 2
[23:55] supervisor. I live in north
[23:58] ocowey. I have a list
[24:01] of thank yous this
[24:03] morning, post-thanksgiving or november.
[24:06] it seems like --there it is. I always
[24:10] want to thank orange
[24:11] county and their partnership with
[24:13] the orange soil and
[24:16] water
[24:17] conservation district administration.
[24:18] especially mr. Miles back here who
[24:19] does
[24:22] an
[24:25] outstanding job, I also want to thank ms.
[24:28] almeda in the audience for all
[24:31] she does for the veterans here.
[24:34] I personally choose to
[24:36] recognize my fellow veterans daily,
[24:37] but orange county
[24:40] does
[24:43] an outsanding job
[24:45] recognizing veterans. I want to thank
[24:46] the people of
[24:49] lockhart who allowed me to do a
[24:50] presentation, not just because it was for
[24:52] 25
[24:55] minutes. I want to thank winter
[24:57] garden. He did an article in orange
[25:01] soil and water conservation district.
[25:03] I want to thank commissioner moyer
[25:04] for
[25:07] allowing me to join her
[25:10] at her fourth quarter district 2 meeting.
[25:13] I want to thank the
[25:16] breakfast club
[25:18] for hosting it orange county water
[25:19] soil and
[25:22] water conservation district
[25:25] fundraiser. Thank you
[25:27] for representing lopez for sending
[25:28] her staff. The
[25:31] picture here she
[25:34] encouraged us to take.
[25:37] I
[25:40] thank orlando district
[25:44] 3, miguel from representative lopez's
[25:49] office, commissioner nesta,
[25:52] ogburn, pastor
[25:55] heart, and several other people, farm
[25:57] bureau executive director mike, et cetera.
[25:58] thank you and god bless you all.
[26:07] >> thank you.
[26:10] onto the next speaker.
[26:11] >> that was
[26:12] our last registered speaker.
[26:13] >> thank
[26:14] you so all of our
[26:15] speakers this morning. We will move
[26:16] forward on our agenda at this time
[26:19] and move to the consent agenda and ask
[26:20] the
[26:22] administrator to present the concept
[26:25] agenda.
[26:27] >> thank you, mayor. >> we do not
[26:28] have any changes so
[26:31] staff presents it
[26:34] as submitted.
[26:37] >> so move. >> second. >> all right.
[26:40] commissioner gomez says she was first.
[26:42] all right.
[26:43] >> second. >> who is the
[26:44] second.
[26:45] >> commissioner uribe is the second on
[26:46] the motion. All in
[26:49] favor let it be known by saying yea.
[26:52] >> opposed no.
[26:54] motion passes and it is uman muss.
[26:55] I would like
[26:56] to highlight some of the items that
[26:58] we just passed on the
[27:00] consent agenda, especially given some of
[27:04] the commentary this morning. Our mental
[27:05] health
[27:06] and homeless division continues to
[27:07] innovate with new
[27:10] and exciting ways to
[27:13] serve some of orange county's
[27:15] most vulnerable citizens. Working
[27:16] with matthew's hope,
[27:19] we recognized minister scott,
[27:21] the division will convert a transit
[27:22] bus into overnight mobile
[27:24] emergency shelter providing sleeping
[27:25] accommodation for
[27:28] unsheltered individuals county wide.
[27:31] the total cost of the bus conversion as well
[27:34] as the delivery of social services
[27:35] to
[27:37] these individuals who suffer from
[27:38] homelessless
[27:40] while they are in our care
[27:43] is
[27:46] $787,000 in one year. We anticipate that
[27:49] the mobile emergency shelter will
[27:52] serve approximately 2,000
[27:55] individuals annually. Orange county
[27:58] head start will be working with big
[27:59] smiles
[28:01] florida to offer mobile on-site
[28:04] dental services for all students all of
[28:07] the students, services will include
[28:08] dental
[28:11] exams,
[28:13] cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants
[28:16] and follow-up care. All services are
[28:18] provided at no cost to the program
[28:20] families. These are
[28:21] families within our orange county
[28:23] head
[28:24] start program. The county identified
[28:26] the affordable
[28:28] housing trust fund as a funding source for
[28:32] the rebuilding together central florida
[28:35] safe at home program.
[28:38] and reserved $460,000 for minor repairs
[28:41] of single-family homes.
[28:44] the program anticipates
[28:46] completing repairs to at least 15
[28:49] owner/occupied single-family homes,
[28:51] with very, very or moderate income
[28:53] households where at least
[28:56] one household member is either
[28:59] a senior citizen or
[29:02] disabled. Repairs are focused
[29:03] on increasing safety so these seniors
[29:05] can age in place
[29:07] and allow those who are disabled to
[29:08] have
[29:11] full accessibility of
[29:14] their homes. We approved
[29:17] the sand lake road safety
[29:20] improvements project. These
[29:22] operational improvements will add
[29:23] east and
[29:26] westbound right turn lanes between
[29:29] rialto drive reducing the
[29:32] potential of side-swipe cashes.
[29:35] the upgrades along with
[29:37] other access management will eliminate
[29:39] several existing conflict points.
[29:41] the construction
[29:44] of
[29:45] a 10-foot wide shared use path on
[29:47] the south side of
[29:50] the road they will provide a safety facility
[29:51] for
[29:53] pedestrians and recreational
[29:56] cyclists.
[29:57] also, as part of the orange county
[29:59] vision zero initiative,
[30:02] the public works is applying
[30:04] a comprehensive strategy to provide
[30:05] safe facilities for
[30:07] all roadway uses and eliminate conflict
[30:08] points
[30:11] that can lead to more severe
[30:14] crashes.
[30:17] this project is another step to help
[30:18] our
[30:20] county eliminating all
[30:23] roadway fatalities
[30:25] and serious injuries. So that's good
[30:26] news for
[30:29] our community.
[30:32] so sometimes when you hear criticism
[30:33] by
[30:34] the state of florida about how we
[30:35] might
[30:38] be spending your dollars, general
[30:41] tax dollars, without those dollars, we
[30:42] could
[30:44] not do these types of things within
[30:45] our
[30:46] community. So this is as a direct
[30:47] result of what we
[30:50] hear from you, the citizens who
[30:51] come before us sometimes during public
[30:53] comment you bring
[30:55] different issues that you want to
[30:56] address, almost all of those
[30:59] issues that you bring to us,
[31:01] require some type of financial solution.
[31:02] and this is
[31:05] where within our budget where we
[31:06] have flexibility to address these
[31:08] myriad of issues. This is
[31:11] how we do it. So keep that in mind
[31:12] as
[31:14] you hear some other
[31:17] narratives that sometimes come
[31:19] out for other reasons. So with that,
[31:20] we're going to move to
[31:23] our discussion
[31:26] agenda. Carey mathis, award-
[31:29] winning manager from the
[31:34] procurement division be will be -- our
[31:35] items.
[31:36] >> I want
[31:38] to recognize matthew's hope. Thursday
[31:39] night in district
[31:41] two we are hosting a homeless
[31:44] services town hall thursday night
[31:45] 6:00 p.m. At the center
[31:47] and we will have the bus there
[31:48] if people want to come and tour one of
[31:50] these sleeper busses.
[31:52] thank you for the opportunity for
[31:53] a little
[31:56] plug for lisa gram and
[31:58] matthew's hope we will have that thursday
[31:59] night
[32:02] at 6:00 p.m. Thank you. Way to go
[32:05] as you're leaving. See you soon.
[32:06] >> all
[32:07] right.
[32:08] ms. Matthews, you're recognized.
[32:10] >> thank you. Good morning, mayor
[32:11] commissioners. The
[32:13] procurement committee has evaluated
[32:14] proposals for security
[32:17] guard services for
[32:20] utilities. Requesting one firm and
[32:23] two ranked
[32:26] alternates. Commissioner uribe was
[32:27] assigned.
[32:29] >> commission are uribe do you have
[32:30] a
[32:32] potential motion.
[32:33] >> I move fort selection
[32:34] of
[32:36] aps american protection services and
[32:39] investigations with 386. 74
[32:41] points with security alliance llc
[32:42] with
[32:45] 315. 66
[32:48] points, and fidelity
[32:50] security agency llc with 297 points
[32:51] as
[32:53] a ranked alternate as well as a requested
[32:54] action
[32:55] on this.
[32:56] >> second, scott. >> we have a
[32:57] motion and a second.
[33:00] all in favor let it be known
[33:02] saying yea.
[33:03] >> yea. >> opposed no.
[33:04] motion
[33:06] passes. It is unanimous.
[33:09] we'll move forward move to the
[33:12] next discussion item,
[33:15] each year during this time
[33:18] of year the board takes under
[33:20] consideration nomination for vice
[33:24] mayor and this would be the vice
[33:26] mayor position for 2026 calendar year.
[33:27] to
[33:30] give the
[33:31] board perspective for the last six
[33:36] years beginning in
[33:39] 2020, we had district 5 commissioner
[33:42] serve as the vice mayor,
[33:45] 2021,
[33:47] 2022, district 3, 20 --correction,
[33:51] 2022, district 3,
[33:54] 2023, district
[33:57] 4, 2024,
[34:00] district 1, and 2025, is
[34:03] district 6. So
[34:05] commissioner michael scott is currently
[34:06] serving as the year
[34:09] comes to an end and we'll
[34:12] take
[34:15] up nominations for 2026.
[34:16] >> commissioner
[34:17] scott
[34:18] has nominated commissioner semrad.
[34:19] >> I
[34:20] second that.
[34:21] >> okay. >> we have a
[34:22] second
[34:24] on that. There are no further
[34:27] nominations. Are you ready
[34:30] for the vote all
[34:33] in favor for
[34:34] commissioner semrad from district
[34:36] 5 serving, say
[34:39] yea. Opposed no. The vote passes it
[34:42] is unanimous.
[34:43] congratulations commissioner semrad.
[34:45] with that comes
[34:48] other duties that
[34:51] you will be
[34:54] required to during the year and
[34:57] 2026, what I'm doing, I
[35:00] would
[35:03] be on the road quite a bit
[35:05] throughout florida and it's important for
[35:06] the voice mayor
[35:09] to help cover me on the road doing part
[35:10] of
[35:11] the people's work. Thank you very much.
[35:12] >> thank you, mayor.
[35:14] with that let's all give commissioner
[35:15] scott a round of applause for the wonderful year.
[35:16] [ applause ]
[35:21] thank
[35:24] you, commissioner scott.
[35:25] >>
[35:27] and now we'll move forward
[35:30] on our agenda
[35:33] to
[35:36] the next item, ms.
[35:39] mark will be coming forward to present
[35:40] the red
[35:42] light camera program
[35:45] summary report for fiscal year
[35:48] 2024/2025, no specific action required, this
[35:49] is
[35:50] something that is mandated legislatively
[35:51] that each year we have
[35:54] to come forward, and
[35:57] he has to actually read
[36:00] the summary of what occurred with
[36:01] the
[36:03] automated red light enforcement program in
[36:04] the last
[36:06] year. So with that, mr. Marks,
[36:09] you're recognized.
[36:10] >> thank you, mayor.
[36:12] good morning, mayor and commissioners.
[36:13] my
[36:15] name is jer rald marks. I'm a project
[36:16] manager in
[36:18] the traffic engineering division of
[36:19] public
[36:20] works and traffic engineering oversees
[36:21] the red light camera
[36:24] program. As of july 1st
[36:27] , 2024, the state of florida has implemented
[36:30] changes to florida statute
[36:33] 316. 0083, also known as the
[36:36] mark 1 bill act. These changes require any
[36:37] local
[36:39] government or entity operating
[36:42] a red light camera program to
[36:45] publicly summarize and read
[36:47] aloud its annual report. This report
[36:48] is submitted each
[36:50] year. It's in a questionnaire format
[36:51] we send to the state, but this
[36:54] is the first year it's required to
[36:55] be put into a
[36:58] report and read to the public
[37:01] and allowed for public comment.
[37:02] the presentation provides a summary
[37:04] that
[37:05] allows the public to comment as well.
[37:09] so the purpose is to provide a written
[37:10] summary
[37:13] that must be read
[37:19] aloud that complies with the
[37:21] new legislation, florida stat today
[37:25] 316.0083.
[37:27] the overview has the statistics of the
[37:28] number of
[37:31] notice of violations
[37:34] which you'll hear me refer to as
[37:35] novs, captured when a vehicle has
[37:37] entered into
[37:38] the intersection and the light has
[37:40] turned red.
[37:41] uniformed traffic citations hear me
[37:43] refer to those
[37:46] as utcs and the
[37:48] utcs when goes unanswered for a period
[37:49] of
[37:51] time, that notice of violation is
[37:53] converted into a uniformed traffic
[37:55] citation or utc and the
[37:57] fines are increased with that and
[37:58] then if
[38:00] that still goes unanswered, the owner,
[38:03] the registered owner, is the driver's less
[38:06] is suspended and the registration
[38:07] put
[38:08] on hold. And then we'll talk about
[38:10] the
[38:11] revenue dispersement and thatthat
[38:13] moneys that come from
[38:16] the citation goes to a
[38:18] different variety of pots and some
[38:19] of those are required
[38:21] to send to the state and some of those
[38:24] we use for the program itself and
[38:25] improvements within our safety system.
[38:34] okay. So orange county revenues
[38:35] fund the --some of the projects we
[38:37] have, so the money
[38:39] that we received from things we used
[38:40] for
[38:41] intersection improvements in district
[38:43] one a turn lane addition
[38:46] at seidel
[38:48] and bowery creating issues with some
[38:49] of the
[38:52] residents. A traffic circle, the
[38:54] first picket at the stop, at sherrington
[38:55] and
[38:58] shorecrest. We were having cut-
[39:01] through traffic
[39:04] on lee road and in that area so
[39:06] this traffic circle slows down the
[39:07] traffic as
[39:10] this approach
[39:13] the intersection. The bottom is
[39:16] a raised intersection on
[39:19] powers drive in district 6 at the
[39:22] park and issues with people exceeding
[39:25] the speed limit and so we constructed
[39:28] a raised crosswalk
[39:31] with the rapid rectangular
[39:34] beacons at the park and
[39:36] made a huge difference in vehicles
[39:37] traveling on powers
[39:40] drive through that area. A corrected
[39:41] report
[39:42] is being read into the record today
[39:43] and these statistics match
[39:46] the numbers I have mentioned earlier reported
[39:47] to
[39:49] the state every year and the questionnaire report.
[39:50] so
[39:51] this presentation is for informational
[39:52] purpose only. No
[39:54] action is required and public comment
[39:55] is allowed after
[39:58] the
[40:01] reading of this
[40:07] report. Okay.
[40:09] the orange county red light program
[40:10] supports the vision
[40:13] zero initiative by enhancing safety
[40:14] intersection
[40:15] safety, reducing red light violations
[40:17] and advancing the goal of eliminating
[40:19] traffic fatalities
[40:22] and serious injury on county roadways.
[40:25] the orange county currently
[40:27] operates 57 red light cameras at 35
[40:30] intersections located within unincorporated
[40:31] areas of the county.
[40:34] effective july 1st, 2024,
[40:37] florida statute 316. 0083 was
[40:39] amended to require municipalities
[40:40] and jurisdictions
[40:42] to operate red light camera programs
[40:43] to provide a report of
[40:46] program results to the local
[40:48] governing body. This report must be
[40:49] presented both
[40:52] as written presented
[40:54] and written summary read aloud at
[40:55] a
[40:58] public meeting. The table below contains
[40:59] the
[41:00] required information for the july
[41:01] 21st --july
[41:05] 1st, 2024 through june 30th,
[41:08] 2025,
[41:10] reporting period. The number of notice
[41:11] violations
[41:14] issued, 79,471 and that's a
[41:17] dated number from the
[41:20] 79,569 that was published.
[41:22] including 542 right turn on reds.
[41:26] the rtor stands for r turn on
[41:28] red. The number of violations paid
[41:29] for this
[41:32] reporting period 44,470 and
[41:35] we've added the included 357
[41:38] for right turn on reds.
[41:39] the number of notice of violations
[41:41] contested during this period
[41:44] was 111. The number of notice
[41:47] of violations that were upheld
[41:49] contested but upheld were 71, including
[41:52] three right turn on reds. The number
[41:53] of notice
[41:54] of violations dismissed from the ones
[41:59] that were contested were 9. And the
[42:00] number
[42:02] of notices of violations issued
[42:05] as uniformed traffic
[42:08] vietations is 21,750
[42:11] corrected from the 31,019.
[42:14] we've corrected the including
[42:17] 177 right turn on red from
[42:20] 117. And the number of pending
[42:23] issuance violations that were
[42:26] issued as or
[42:29] pending for uniformed traffic citations
[42:30] are
[42:32] 1,935. Below it has
[42:35] a couple notes, rtr, right turn
[42:38] on red, new statistic required for
[42:40] reporting. Orange county has two intersections
[42:41] we monitor the right
[42:43] turn on red. The fines for the notice
[42:44] of
[42:46] violations are $158. And then the
[42:47] increased fine when it turns
[42:50] to a utc or uniformed
[42:53] traffic citation is $262. Due to
[42:55] the overlap of within the reporting
[42:56] period and when
[42:57] the violations are collected versus
[42:59] when paid and versus
[43:02] when the violations are issued,
[43:04] the data won't match exactly. A violation
[43:08] could have occurred back in 2019 and
[43:11] is not paid until the period
[43:14] and if it's only recorded during the
[43:15] reporting period
[43:16] it won't show up. The numbers won't
[43:17] match. The table shows
[43:20] how the funds
[43:23] collected
[43:24] $9,444,436 were distributed and their
[43:26] amounts. The
[43:29] general revenue fund received
[43:32] $3,453,700. Department of health
[43:34] emergency mel services trust fund
[43:35] received
[43:38] $493,610, the
[43:41] brain and spinal cord injury trust
[43:42] fund
[43:44] received
[43:47] $147,993 and the orange county
[43:50] revenue was
[43:52] 5,339,673. Orange county's revenue
[43:56] was allocated as follows,
[43:59] 2,364,560 was paid for vendor
[44:00] services, 150,000 of that covered
[44:02] costs
[44:05] and salaries for contract
[44:07] administration, $1. 2 million was
[44:08] used for
[44:11] contract enforcement, the orange county sheriff's
[44:12] office
[44:14] and $50,000 spend on
[44:15] miscellaneous equipment and items for
[44:17] the program costs.
[44:19] the remaining orange county revenue
[44:20] and the amount of
[44:23] 1,575,113
[44:25] was placed in public works budget
[44:26] and used
[44:29] for multiple traffic related safety
[44:32] prompts to achieve zero vision goal,
[44:35] performing studies, pedestrian
[44:38] crosswalk improvements and new
[44:40] signal installation at intersections
[44:41] and
[44:44] saw some of those on the slide that
[44:45] was
[44:47] the traffic de vices there. Data shown
[44:50] and --data shows a reduction of approximately
[44:53] 36% in total crashes at
[44:55] intersections monitored by red light
[44:56] cameras since
[44:58] the program's inception since 2013.
[44:59] with that,
[45:00] that concludes the report mandated by the state.
[45:05] >> any questions? >> stand by. I'm
[45:07] going to open it up for public comment
[45:08] before we go
[45:11] to the board of county
[45:12] commissioners for any questions or comments.
[45:14] do we have members of the public
[45:17] present who wish to be heard on this
[45:18] item?
[45:20] it appears there are none. With that
[45:21] we
[45:23] go to commissioner wilson
[45:27] followed by commissioner uribe.
[45:28] >> thank you. I thank you. This is
[45:29] interesting for me because this is
[45:30] a
[45:31] requirement under state law. I think
[45:33] it's important for
[45:35] us to share this interestingly enough,
[45:36] the
[45:38] investment that were made because, you
[45:40] know, what I would believe is something we
[45:42] would like to
[45:44] see a shrinking amount of people to
[45:45] continue
[45:46] to obey the traffic laws. Hopefully
[45:48] after
[45:50] being cited. To see the intersections
[45:51] invested in
[45:53] in both of those to me look like the
[45:54] ideal
[45:55] intersection the raised crosswalk,
[45:57] the things the investments
[45:59] we struggle to finance, and so having
[46:00] that
[46:01] is something that we can discuss with
[46:03] the public if they have concerns.
[46:05] I appreciate the information and I
[46:06] know it's
[46:08] a strange mandate from the state,
[46:09] but, you
[46:11] know, I think silver lining here I
[46:12] think it's a really
[46:13] good thing for us to take back to
[46:15] the public and appreciate the efforts
[46:17] by you and your team.
[46:18] >> thank you,
[46:20] commissioner.
[46:21] >> commissioner uribe.
[46:22] >>
[46:23] I appreciate the update and I know
[46:24] we've spoken
[46:25] on this before and what I'm going
[46:27] to share is not new to
[46:29] you. Have there been any new installations
[46:30] of
[46:32] red light camera locations around
[46:33] the county?
[46:35] >> not that we have since 2019 was
[46:38] the last one at university and sundry
[46:39] was the last
[46:42] one.
[46:43] >> all right. And if
[46:45] possible, I would like to
[46:46] see a map because one of the things you and
[46:48] I discussed it tends to
[46:51] be in working class areas a lot.
[46:53] and district 3 we have them in taft
[46:54] and pine
[46:57] castle, we have them all
[46:59] very dense in areas very specific
[47:00] and I would think
[47:02] that now with the different traffic
[47:03] patterns and the
[47:06] growth, there would have been an an
[47:08] laization to really explore at other
[47:09] locations
[47:12] instead of isolating them all in certain
[47:13] communities which I think needs to
[47:15] be looked at. If you
[47:16] could, I would love to see when is
[47:18] the last time we've
[47:20] done a study of these and --
[47:21] >> okay.
[47:22] >>
[47:23] of locations and traffic. When I was
[47:24] told --I got this
[47:26] information when I was first elected.
[47:27] it was 2018.
[47:29] that when I asked why are there so
[47:30] many in
[47:32] district 3 and district 6, I was told well,
[47:33] that's
[47:35] where all the traffic patterns are.
[47:38] well, we've known in seven and a half
[47:39] years there's been
[47:41] tremendous amount of growth, but when I look
[47:42] at
[47:44] taft, mine castle I've got so many
[47:45] red cameras around
[47:47] my home, I love off boston trail,
[47:48] my cartels
[47:50] me, warns me, red light camera approaching,
[47:51] red light
[47:53] camera approaching, that's how dense
[47:54] they are in certain
[47:56] areas. I don't think that's fair and
[47:57] you look
[48:00] at the county as a whole if we're
[48:09] and see what and it's
[48:11] been 2016 you said or 2017?
[48:12] >> when
[48:13] we did the
[48:14] last study 2018, correct.
[48:15] >> okay.
[48:17] then where are we now? Because it's --
[48:18] >> right
[48:21] now the red light camera the rfp about
[48:22] to
[48:23] go up for advertisement and part of
[48:24] that is that
[48:27] the vendor we work with the vendor
[48:29] to look at areas of traffic concerns
[48:30] and so we work
[48:32] with the sheriff's office, we work
[48:33] with signal 4
[48:35] and look at the areas where the commuters
[48:36] are coming in and going
[48:38] to and look at where the accidents
[48:39] are happening and so
[48:42] we take that into account and use
[48:43] that
[48:44] for our data for our red light camera
[48:45] analysis when we look
[48:48] for new locations for
[48:51] red light cameras. With this new contract
[48:54] advertised and new vendor or
[48:56] existing whomever wins the contract
[48:57] is an opportunity to
[49:00] look at new areas and apply
[49:02] these counter measures for running
[49:03] red lights.
[49:04] >>
[49:06] how many cameras are there
[49:08] in whole across orange county.
[49:09] >>
[49:10] 57 cameras.
[49:11] >> yeah. If I could.
[49:12] I remember when I saw this when I was
[49:13] first
[49:15] elected there was a dense
[49:18] in my area. You know
[49:21] and also district 6 and 3
[49:22] butt against each other, there was
[49:24] a bunch in that area right
[49:27] there. I would love to see this broken
[49:28] down further.
[49:29] thank you. Thanks for your data and
[49:30] updates.
[49:31] >> thank
[49:36] you,
[49:39] commissioner.
[49:42] >> commissioner
[49:44] maribel gomez cordero.
[49:45] >> thank you.
[49:46] >> I have simple question.
[49:48] the first one
[49:52] is, does the county has any
[49:53] new intercession plan for new red
[49:55] light cameras?
[49:56] >> so with
[49:57] the new contract we plan on we can
[50:01] get expanding the program.
[50:02] currently right now there is over
[50:04] about
[50:06] 650 intersections signalized, only
[50:07] 35
[50:10] have cameras with the 650
[50:13] plus
[50:16] intersections, more than 1200
[50:19] approaches and we will
[50:22] look at those within the next
[50:25] rfp intersections to apply
[50:28] these counter measures to.
[50:30] that's based off the data I was talking
[50:31] about, the
[50:32] crash data, the growth in the area
[50:33] and things of that nature as well.
[50:36] >> I'm going to the data. Nynex question
[50:37] is, is
[50:39] there any data on how many violators
[50:40] are
[50:43] cars from out of
[50:45] state versus cars here locally?
[50:46] >>
[50:47] we
[50:48] don't have that data. We can definitely look
[50:49] at it.
[50:50] like the camera doesn't track whether
[50:52] it's out of state
[50:55] or in state. It just tracks
[50:56] the violations. I believe there's
[50:58] a way within the system we can
[50:59] tell how many are florida addresses
[51:00] and where the addresses are coming
[51:01] from.
[51:02] a lot of times when people move to
[51:04] florida they don't change
[51:05] their addresses so it's still registered
[51:07] to an out-of-
[51:09] state place. That's something that we can
[51:10] look at as well
[51:12] how many are local versus how many are
[51:16] out of the area.
[51:17] >> thank you. Thank
[51:19] you so much.
[51:22] >> commissioner moore. >> good morning.
[51:25] the revenue that has come in,
[51:26] $5 million, we can track that right
[51:28] back to improvements made in
[51:29] that area or near there for safety?
[51:31] >> yes. >> okay.
[51:34] all right. That was my question. Thank
[51:35] you.
[51:37] >> all right. With that, mr.
[51:40] marks,
[51:43] the general direction is if you can
[51:45] provide the board with information about
[51:46] the specific
[51:49] locations where the cameras are located
[51:52] and we look forward to
[51:55] the rfp learning more about
[51:58] the incidents and the
[51:59] data. Perhaps to include whether they
[52:01] are out of state or
[52:03] locals, et cetera to the extent you
[52:04] can. We
[52:06] look forward to that in the next update.
[52:07] with that
[52:09] I thank you very much for your time.
[52:10] we're going to move forward
[52:13] on our
[52:16] agenda. The next item mr.
[52:19] glenn kramer, manager
[52:21] of our utilities support dives will
[52:22] be coming forward to present
[52:25] the water and waste water
[52:28] rate study and this will apply
[52:29] an actionable item. You are recognized.
[52:33] >> thank you, mayor. Good morning.
[52:34] good morning
[52:36] commissioners. Comptroller diamond, mr.
[52:37] brooks. I will
[52:39] be presenting our water and waste water study for you.
[52:46] we'll talk
[52:49] about background on our utilities
[52:50] finances
[52:51] and look at fiscal initiatives we
[52:52] have implemented to
[52:55] address improving the finances, and
[52:56] then I'll
[52:58] turn the presentation over to andy
[53:01] burnham with our rate consultant to
[53:02] present
[53:04] the results of our water and
[53:06] waste water study and the customer
[53:07] impacts.
[53:09] after that come back and briefly talk
[53:10] about a few
[53:12] other rate changes we would like to
[53:13] make to
[53:16] our
[53:18] wastewater rate schedule while we're
[53:19] considering
[53:22] and changing it and talk about the
[53:23] next
[53:25] steps and requested
[53:28] actions. In our background
[53:31] we wanted to go over the current utilities
[53:33] finances and basically we are on a
[53:34] five-year
[53:36] rate plan that was developed back
[53:37] in
[53:40] 2022. This was developed to
[53:43] achieve a parody between our residential
[53:45] and commercial effective rate. They
[53:46] were out of
[53:49] balance and a subsidy from the residential
[53:50] side to
[53:52] the commercial side. After implementing
[53:54] this rate plan it was designed to
[53:55] go
[53:58] for five years from fiscal year '24
[53:59] through fiscal
[54:01] year '28. We're in the third year
[54:02] of
[54:03] this plan. At the time it was projected
[54:04] to provide
[54:07] sufficient revenue to cover our
[54:10] future expenses
[54:13] and, in fact, it was designed to be
[54:15] revenue positive taking more revenue
[54:16] from
[54:19] the commercial side. While looking
[54:21] at our rates and that plan and in the current
[54:22] plan we'll
[54:25] be proposing today, we
[54:28] always strive to consider
[54:31] our
[54:34] customers and our residents that have
[54:37] to pay these rates. We're
[54:41] proud to keep them low even with
[54:43] our proposed rate plans we're not
[54:46] proposing to go high compared to our
[54:47] neighbors in the area or compared
[54:50] to
[54:52] counties around the state. That will
[54:53] be
[54:54] more explained in detail after we talk
[54:56] about
[54:59] the customer
[55:02] impacts. What has happened
[55:03] since we established this 2022 rate
[55:07] plan which began in fiscal year '24
[55:08] is we had some
[55:10] unprecedented inflationary pressures on
[55:11] the
[55:13] system that came as part of the post-pandemic
[55:14] economic
[55:17] conditions.
[55:20] they turned out to be at first
[55:22] tried to absorb them but unsustainable.
[55:25] demonstrating the rate plan is no
[55:26] longer sufficient
[55:29] to meet
[55:32] our financial needs. I had briefings
[55:33] with you about a year ago to discuss
[55:35] the utility
[55:36] finances and some of the things we
[55:38] wanted to
[55:41] do to addresses the
[55:42] new environment we're operating in.
[55:44] some of these cost increases I
[55:47] have several metrics from the operations
[55:50] side and our capital
[55:51] improvement side. The table shows
[55:53] four metrics or categories
[55:55] on our operating side that feed directly
[55:58] into producing water, treating waste
[55:59] water,
[56:02] reclaimed water,
[56:03] and they are just integral to the
[56:05] costs of our system. Those
[56:08] are electric, maintenance, chemicals,
[56:11] and biosold
[56:13] lids disposal. In fiscal year 2020 on the chart
[56:14] we have
[56:16] our expenditures from that area, from
[56:17] that time.
[56:20] we also have our actual
[56:21] expenditures from fiscal year 2025
[56:23] to compare to
[56:25] them. So it shows that electricity
[56:26] has had
[56:29] an annual average growth rate of
[56:32] 8. 6% across this five-year period.
[56:35] maintenance has
[56:37] gone up by 9%9% then chemicals and
[56:41] biosolids up double-digits as
[56:43] an annual average increase. This is
[56:44] despite the fact
[56:46] that we have competitively bid contracts,
[56:47] purchased
[56:49] chemicals and disposed of the biosolids.
[56:52] with trying to get the best prices
[56:53] available these are going
[56:56] up dramatically. Our capital improvement
[56:59] program is likewise seeing these
[57:01] increases. We're installing one of
[57:04] the metrics we use to cost and estimate
[57:05] the cost of
[57:08] it is how many dollars per
[57:11] inch diameter per linear foot of the
[57:12] pipe is
[57:14] being installed, and so the cost metric
[57:17] in 2020
[57:20] were usually ranging from
[57:23] 10 to $20 that would --was being
[57:26] determined in that range based on
[57:28] the actual condition in the field.
[57:29] in
[57:32] 2025, this cost has gone up close
[57:35] to $40 per
[57:38] inch diameter
[57:41] which ranges annual
[57:44] average --average increase. We
[57:47] had actually been able to
[57:50] identify a couple
[57:56] replacement
[57:59] projects --that was cost of it
[58:02] $19 per inch diameter
[58:04] installed and the one we did in 2025
[58:05] was
[58:08] $78 per inch
[58:10] diameter per foot installed, 32, almost
[58:11] 33%
[58:13] annually for each of those five years.
[58:17] we also looked at a couple of pump
[58:18] stations
[58:20] for master pumppump stations, large and
[58:23] expensive, back in 2020 we could install
[58:26] one for $5. 8 million, for
[58:29] 2025, we are looking at a cost
[58:32] the $13.3 million. Likewise with our
[58:33] duplex
[58:35] stations these are smaller, able to
[58:38] identify a couple rehab
[58:41] projects in
[58:44] 2025, pump
[58:47] station costs --and to
[58:49] further illustrate the point we have
[58:50] two
[58:53] data points in this area
[58:56] for building a new waste water facility
[58:57] back in
[58:59] 2026, we built
[59:02] the reclamation facility that was a five facility and
[59:03] cost
[59:05] $111 million to build at that time.
[59:06] we're now
[59:08] planning to expand on that into
[59:11] double the size of it to
[59:15] 10 mgd
[59:18] where the first five cost
[59:20] $111 million, second five years later
[59:21] is going to
[59:24] cost
[59:27] $184 million.
[59:30] our current rate structure.
[59:32] this is an output of one of our financial
[59:34] models and demonstrates this point
[59:36] and goes back to fiscal year
[59:37] 2011 up through the current fiscal
[59:39] year and
[59:40] then projects our results for fiscal year '26.
[59:45] the blue line is the operating revenue that
[59:48] is generated from operating our
[59:50] water and waste quarter system, the red line
[59:51] represents
[59:54] the expenses incurred to operate
[59:55] that system. As you can see they've
[59:57] gone up
[59:58] over time and had increase in customers
[1:00:00] over time and
[1:00:03] with rate increases and customer
[1:00:06] increases expected to go up
[1:00:08] however the increase in waste water --
[1:00:11] excuse me in the expenses has been
[1:00:14] particularly higher especially in
[1:00:15] years
[1:00:18] after covid. It's
[1:00:21] very noticeably going up from
[1:00:23] 2022 to 2023 to years not captured
[1:00:24] in our
[1:00:27] rate study. So the --
[1:00:30] that operating revenue is represented on
[1:00:32] the green line and that is just the
[1:00:33] operating
[1:00:34] revenue subtracting out the operating expenses.
[1:00:39] net operating
[1:00:41] revenue basically is what is left
[1:00:42] over after we
[1:00:44] paid the bills to operate the system.
[1:00:45] and
[1:00:47] that revenue is generally applied
[1:00:48] in three
[1:00:50] areas. First and foremost it goes
[1:00:51] to paying debt service.
[1:00:53] second used for nets operating revenue
[1:00:54] is to
[1:00:55] pay for the annual transfer to the
[1:00:57] general
[1:01:00] fund based on a payment of
[1:01:02] taxes calculations. Then the third
[1:01:03] use would
[1:01:05] be to help fund our capital improvement
[1:01:08] program. So that purple line represents
[1:01:09] our net operating
[1:01:12] revenue that is available for capital
[1:01:15] improvements. Back in
[1:01:18] 2011 to 2015 the line was $40 million or
[1:01:19] so
[1:01:21] and back then that was a substantial
[1:01:24] contribution to our improvements because
[1:01:25] we
[1:01:26] only spent about $80 million at that time.
[1:01:30] since then
[1:01:33] it's gone down and our capital improvements
[1:01:34] as
[1:01:35] a program has gone up as far as how much
[1:01:36] we're having to spend on
[1:01:39] it. We're implementing more and
[1:01:41] larger projects, there are several
[1:01:42] large
[1:01:44] projects that began at the beginning
[1:01:45] or
[1:01:47] were supposed to begin sometime during
[1:01:48] earlier in the
[1:01:49] pandemic that had to be delayed until
[1:01:51] now and we are
[1:01:53] simultaneously executing those and
[1:01:54] delivering on
[1:01:56] these projects while delivering on
[1:01:57] the projects that
[1:01:59] needed to be started about now. As a
[1:02:00] result,
[1:02:03] in 2025, our
[1:02:05] overall expenditures for the capital
[1:02:06] improvement
[1:02:09] program were $180 million. In fact,
[1:02:12] we're expecting 2026 to surpass that
[1:02:15] and be over $200 million.
[1:02:18] so when we talk about having
[1:02:21] an extra 25 to $30 million of
[1:02:22] net operate revenue available to help
[1:02:24] with the
[1:02:26] cip funding, that not near as significant
[1:02:27] now as
[1:02:30] it used to be. This
[1:02:32] is why we're getting into what we
[1:02:33] have begun
[1:02:36] calling a debt cycle to where
[1:02:37] we don't have the net operating revenue
[1:02:39] to pay for a cip, and
[1:02:42] then have to borrow more
[1:02:45] money to find the cip for all the
[1:02:46] necessary projects
[1:02:47] that raises our debt service and means we
[1:02:48] have more debt service
[1:02:51] to pay out of our net
[1:02:53] operating revenue which leaves less
[1:02:54] money for the
[1:02:57] next round of expenditures. It goes
[1:02:58] in this cycle
[1:02:59] and we are trying to break that cycle
[1:03:03] and get out
[1:03:06] of it.
[1:03:09] that brings me to our
[1:03:15] fiscal initiatives. We wanted to get
[1:03:18] out of this debt cycle where we
[1:03:20] are borrowing increasing amounts of
[1:03:21] money. We're approaching
[1:03:24] it several
[1:03:26] ways. Some were from the revenue side.
[1:03:27] before I get
[1:03:30] into the slide on the expense side
[1:03:31] one thing that
[1:03:33] I wanted to mention is that our
[1:03:37] budget process is helpful in
[1:03:39] obtaining our costs. It wasn't listed
[1:03:40] as
[1:03:41] a fiscal initiative we came up with
[1:03:43] new to address this
[1:03:44] problem because we've had this budget
[1:03:46] process in place
[1:03:49] for many years. Basically
[1:03:50] every division in the utility is expected
[1:03:52] to start at
[1:03:55] a 0% increase with our budget.
[1:03:57] sometimes we --we are in costs that are
[1:03:59] nondiscretionary and they have to
[1:04:01] go up
[1:04:04] and we can't
[1:04:07] control
[1:04:10] that. And prioritizing what
[1:04:11] needs to be spent. Sometimes that
[1:04:13] works. Other times
[1:04:16] we
[1:04:17] just have to raise the budget some.
[1:04:19] when it
[1:04:22] comes to expanding on
[1:04:23] a program or when we have to do things
[1:04:25] that
[1:04:27] don't happen every year like purchasing
[1:04:28] equipment through a capital
[1:04:31] outlay section of the budget
[1:04:32] or making major repairs on some of
[1:04:34] our
[1:04:37] infrastructure, these things get
[1:04:39] reviewed individually and sometimes
[1:04:40] they're approved if super important
[1:04:42] and they have to be done, other times
[1:04:43] they're
[1:04:44] delayed, sometimes downside and other
[1:04:46] times the answer is
[1:04:49] just no. We aren't going to
[1:04:51] do that at this time. This budget
[1:04:52] process before
[1:04:55] it comes to the board for review
[1:04:57] and budget work sections we're working on
[1:04:58] cost
[1:05:01] constainment. Back to
[1:05:04] the fiscal initiatives last year,
[1:05:07] we find our cfp approval process.
[1:05:09] in prior years our engineers would
[1:05:10] analyze the
[1:05:11] projects that need to be done and
[1:05:13] analyze the system,
[1:05:16] what refurbishments and rehabilitations
[1:05:17] to
[1:05:18] infrastructure needs to be made and
[1:05:19] also look at what projects
[1:05:21] need to be in place to meet growing
[1:05:22] areas of the
[1:05:24] county and make sure that we are able
[1:05:25] to
[1:05:26] serve those areas as the growth happens.
[1:05:28] they would come up
[1:05:31] with a list of projects,work
[1:05:33] with consultants on estimating how
[1:05:34] much
[1:05:37] those projects would cost and
[1:05:39] put all of these vetted and legitimate
[1:05:40] projects into
[1:05:42] our budget. Since that time, that's
[1:05:43] what we
[1:05:44] used to do. In recent years we've
[1:05:46] been refining this process
[1:05:49] going through a second level
[1:05:51] prioritization. We realize now we
[1:05:52] can't afford every
[1:05:55] project
[1:05:57] that needs to be done. We have had
[1:05:59] the second level of prioritization
[1:06:01] review added to
[1:06:03] the process so we're pushing out projects
[1:06:04] and
[1:06:07] delaying projects and sometimes just
[1:06:08] saying that's a good project to do, but
[1:06:09] we don't have the funding so it's
[1:06:10] on hold indefinitely.
[1:06:15] the other thing we did to work on
[1:06:16] our costs we
[1:06:19] arranged with the comp
[1:06:20] trollers office to supplement our
[1:06:21] debt service payment with capital
[1:06:22] charge
[1:06:24] revenue. Now as you probably recall
[1:06:25] chapt charges
[1:06:28] can only be spent on expansion projects
[1:06:29] but
[1:06:31] if those projects are debt
[1:06:34] funded, then they --
[1:06:36] debt service portion that goes to
[1:06:37] the
[1:06:39] expansion projects can then be paid
[1:06:40] through
[1:06:42] capital charge revenue. Making this
[1:06:43] change was
[1:06:45] helpful it saved our reserve revenue to
[1:06:46] be used
[1:06:49] for other needs, delayed our bonds
[1:06:51] issue by several months and it created
[1:06:52] a savings of
[1:06:54] not having to pay that extra interest
[1:06:55] on
[1:06:57] bonds by delaying their issue. The
[1:06:58] third thing
[1:07:00] that we did was limited credit card
[1:07:04] payments to $2500. We
[1:07:06] have several large customers that
[1:07:07] have utility bills in the tens
[1:07:10] of thousands of
[1:07:13] dollars each month. They
[1:07:16] are in the habit of using corporate credit cards
[1:07:17] to
[1:07:18] pay for these utility bills. They
[1:07:19] get the benefits and
[1:07:22] perks and points and cash back dollars
[1:07:23] that come
[1:07:25] with those cards they use and that
[1:07:27] benefit gets paid for through bank
[1:07:28] charges that
[1:07:31] come to the utility to
[1:07:34] pay. We were able to limit how much
[1:07:35] we would
[1:07:37] allow them to
[1:07:40] pay on credit card to
[1:07:43] $2500
[1:07:46] so it doesn't affect our residential
[1:07:49] or commercial customers. It's
[1:07:52] an annual savings of over $6,000.
[1:07:55] we did a few things to
[1:07:58] work on the revenue side. Last year we came to
[1:08:01] the board --early this year
[1:08:04] in january came to the board with
[1:08:05] meter charges that
[1:08:07] became effective on february 1st.
[1:08:09] we adjusted the charges to recover
[1:08:11] the current cost that we have
[1:08:13] of purchasing a meter and the cost
[1:08:14] of the
[1:08:15] labor and other materials to install
[1:08:17] the meter. This
[1:08:18] is going to be providing an estimated
[1:08:21] $900,000 annually now that we're fully
[1:08:23] covering the cost of
[1:08:25] our meter installations. We came to
[1:08:26] the
[1:08:28] board in february with updated reclaimed
[1:08:29] water
[1:08:31] rates. These were effective on october
[1:08:35] 1st of this year. We
[1:08:36] established conservation tiers for
[1:08:38] rates for the first
[1:08:41] time on our reclaimed water
[1:08:43] side but for the purposes of this
[1:08:44] presentation, the important thing
[1:08:47] that we did was that we based
[1:08:49] the rates on full cost recovery. Up
[1:08:50] to that
[1:08:52] point reclaimed water was recovering
[1:08:53] about 72 to
[1:08:56] 73% of the rates or excuse me of
[1:08:59] their expenses of producing and
[1:09:01] distributing the reclaimed water,
[1:09:02] so we wanted
[1:09:05] our rates to cover that full cost so
[1:09:07] it wouldn't be subsidized by waste
[1:09:10] water rates achieved with our new
[1:09:11] rates
[1:09:12] and projected increase in revenues
[1:09:14] is $5.
[1:09:16] 3 million annually. Last thing we
[1:09:19] did on the revenue side was to update
[1:09:20] our
[1:09:22] capital charges directed by the board
[1:09:23] to update them every
[1:09:26] four to five years to make
[1:09:27] sure they are capturing our current
[1:09:29] and future costs in the five-year
[1:09:32] cip and wanted to make sure that
[1:09:33] we're capturing all the cost increases
[1:09:35] in the new projects so
[1:09:37] that we can try to make sure growth
[1:09:38] is paying its
[1:09:41] own way. The capital
[1:09:42] charge revenues could increase as
[1:09:44] much
[1:09:47] as 17 to $18
[1:09:50] million if the
[1:09:53] development activity fiscal year
[1:09:55] 2025 continues into fiscal year 2026
[1:09:56] and they became effective
[1:09:59] on april 1st of the year. Last thing
[1:10:02] I wanted to mention is that we
[1:10:04] issued bonds $450 million that was done
[1:10:08] in may of this year and that
[1:10:09] is an additional $150 million that is
[1:10:11] available for cip funding now.
[1:10:17] this chart has been updated
[1:10:20] to show what effects
[1:10:22] of these cost saving initiatives and
[1:10:23] revenue
[1:10:25] initiatives will be on our finances.
[1:10:26] we
[1:10:29] restate the timeline at the
[1:10:32] bottom to cover fiscal years 2016
[1:10:35] through 2031. The green line
[1:10:37] represents our net operate revenue
[1:10:38] and with the
[1:10:39] revenue initiatives that we've already
[1:10:41] put in place it goes
[1:10:44] up more, which is a good thing.
[1:10:47] we need
[1:10:49] the additional revenue. But the interesting
[1:10:50] part the
[1:10:53] revenue for the cip doesn't go up
[1:10:55] along with the debt operating revenue
[1:10:56] it continues
[1:10:59] to go down
[1:11:02] from fiscal years '27, '28,
[1:11:05] '29, '30 because still issue
[1:11:07] more debt. We haven't produced enough
[1:11:08] net operating revenue
[1:11:11] to make a
[1:11:14] significant impact on, so
[1:11:16] more debt service represented by the
[1:11:17] purple line continues to
[1:11:18] go up dramatically and because that
[1:11:20] continues to go
[1:11:22] up we don't have any additional revenue to
[1:11:23] contribute to the cip.
[1:11:35] sorry. Forgot one
[1:11:37] thing I wanted to mention on this
[1:11:38] current plan
[1:11:41] because we are issuing a lot of debt we
[1:11:42] are
[1:11:44] falling below our target minimum metric
[1:11:45] for
[1:11:47] debt service coverage. The target
[1:11:48] is
[1:11:50] two times to have make sure that the net
[1:11:51] operating revenue we
[1:11:53] produce is twice the amount of our
[1:11:54] debt
[1:11:56] service. On this plan it falls below
[1:11:57] that which
[1:11:58] would make issuing debt more expensive
[1:11:59] and the
[1:12:01] market might not support it because it
[1:12:02] would mean that our
[1:12:05] utility is getting less and
[1:12:08] less
[1:12:11] financially
[1:12:14] sound. A
[1:12:17] few examples of projects that are
[1:12:20] currently delayed or not
[1:12:23] fully budgeted in our five-year
[1:12:25] cip because of the cost constraints.
[1:12:26] the first one
[1:12:29] the hamlin water reclamation
[1:12:32] and master pump station. That prompt
[1:12:35] is the one I referred to costing
[1:12:37] $184 million. It's currently should
[1:12:38] have started
[1:12:41] now and should be in our
[1:12:44] five-year budget, but we can't afford
[1:12:45] the
[1:12:47] $97. 4 million that
[1:12:49] would incur in this first five years
[1:12:50] in our five-year cip and that's been pushed out.
[1:12:57] our southern
[1:12:59] water reclamation facility phase 6
[1:13:01] a, another project we should be starting
[1:13:03] soon and we can't afford
[1:13:05] it so that $72 million has to be pushed
[1:13:08] out into the future. Same situation
[1:13:09] with the
[1:13:11] eastern regional water supply facility
[1:13:14] lab improvements, needed for many
[1:13:15] year, but we
[1:13:17] need to push that out. We also have
[1:13:18] several new
[1:13:20] projects that have come up that we
[1:13:21] can't add to the
[1:13:24] five-year cip at this
[1:13:25] time, improvements to our water supply
[1:13:27] facility, $23 million is
[1:13:30] unaffordable so we pushed it
[1:13:33] out, we like to start planning
[1:13:35] for future pump station renewal and
[1:13:36] replacement
[1:13:37] projects and can't afford that so we're pushing it out.
[1:13:43] improvements to ground storage tanks
[1:13:45] and facilities we need
[1:13:48] to push out as well as the new
[1:13:51] structure at our southern water reclamation
[1:13:53] facility. So this gets us to the water
[1:13:54] and
[1:13:56] wastewater rate study and turn this
[1:13:57] over
[1:13:58] to andy to walk you through the study.
[1:14:06] . For the record,
[1:14:08] andy burnham. I've had the opportunity
[1:14:09] to support the
[1:14:11] utilities on occasion over the past
[1:14:12] 20 years now
[1:14:15] in financial planning and rate
[1:14:17] related endeavors. I would like to
[1:14:21] go through the
[1:14:22] fundamentals we conducted with orange county staff,
[1:14:24] and put context to it
[1:14:26] in terms of understanding how that
[1:14:27] translates to customer
[1:14:29] impacts but also give you information
[1:14:30] about other
[1:14:32] utility rates to compare that again
[1:14:33] their
[1:14:35] increases and how your cost of service
[1:14:36] compare to
[1:14:38] theirs for residential and commercial
[1:14:39] customers.
[1:14:41] when we embark on rate studies for
[1:14:42] communities throughout
[1:14:44] florida and the country we start with understanding our
[1:14:45] goals
[1:14:48] and objectives. It's pretty
[1:14:50] simple, build upon the financial foundation
[1:14:51] the utilities have
[1:14:54] and recognize our
[1:14:55] paradigm costs to make sure we're
[1:14:57] operating sufficiently, revenues
[1:14:59] covering expenses to maintain a high
[1:15:00] level of service
[1:15:01] at the lowest possible prices that we
[1:15:03] can for
[1:15:05] that high level of service and we're
[1:15:06] doing
[1:15:08] so equitably and building on the plan that
[1:15:09] glen
[1:15:10] mentioned previously that sought to
[1:15:12] establish equity between the
[1:15:15] effective rates per thousand gallons
[1:15:18] for residential and commercial customers.
[1:15:21] we evaluated existing data of the
[1:15:22] system,
[1:15:24] current fund
[1:15:26] balances, revenues and expenses and
[1:15:27] key assumptions
[1:15:29] that would drive rates and revenues
[1:15:30] needed over the next
[1:15:32] few years and key assumptions that
[1:15:33] affected that.
[1:15:35] those being the capital spending that
[1:15:36] was included and the
[1:15:38] timing of that spending. We've spent
[1:15:39] a lot
[1:15:41] of time looking at historical trends
[1:15:42] and how you execute
[1:15:44] your capital plans to factor in the
[1:15:45] cash
[1:15:48] flows of those capital needs adequately in
[1:15:49] the study
[1:15:51] and reviewing the historical
[1:15:54] information on trends and operating expenses
[1:15:56] to make sure we're comfortable with near
[1:15:57] term and longer
[1:15:58] term projections of those amounts.
[1:16:00] and we also identified
[1:16:02] and established the financial pillars
[1:16:03] as glen mentioned
[1:16:05] from a debt perspective making sure we
[1:16:06] have
[1:16:09] adequate ratios of our net revenue
[1:16:10] to
[1:16:12] our principle and
[1:16:14] interest payments are important as
[1:16:15] how we leverage debt and what
[1:16:17] are the terms of that debt. The higher
[1:16:18] those
[1:16:20] ratios the less debt we issue and the
[1:16:22] debt that we issue is going to be at
[1:16:24] the
[1:16:26] most favorable rate in terms, and
[1:16:27] we want
[1:16:30] to make sure we have adequate liquidity
[1:16:31] reserves
[1:16:32] for unplanned events or emergency
[1:16:33] conditions that may occur,
[1:16:35] especially in our environment in florida,
[1:16:36] to mitigate our
[1:16:38] risks and manage our cash flow during
[1:16:39] the challenges that
[1:16:42] could emerge and make sure we manage
[1:16:44] that. And one of the first things
[1:16:45] we do is a
[1:16:46] diagnostic assessment when we put in
[1:16:48] the data these assumptions
[1:16:50] and key financial pillars what do
[1:16:51] we see. These
[1:16:54] two charts depict a couple key metrics.
[1:16:57] the one on the left our debt service
[1:16:58] ratios
[1:17:00] of net operating revenue to our
[1:17:03] annual principle and expenses on our
[1:17:04] debt. The
[1:17:06] black line represents that
[1:17:09] target we would like to
[1:17:12] achieve. The information we have for
[1:17:15] the utility we fall below that. You
[1:17:16] can
[1:17:18] see the numbers for
[1:17:21] 28' through 31
[1:17:24] 'about 1.5. Let alone trying
[1:17:27] to get to that 3. 0
[1:17:30] target that's consistent
[1:17:32] with many of our past coverage ratios
[1:17:33] investors
[1:17:36] are used to seeing. We have
[1:17:38] challenges there. Because of the challenges
[1:17:39] we see on coverage it's in
[1:17:41] part because we don't have revenue
[1:17:43] generation to fund
[1:17:44] enough of our capital, which means
[1:17:46] we're having to increase our reliance
[1:17:48] on debt. If we kept with the status
[1:17:49] quo
[1:17:51] rate plan chart on the right shows how
[1:17:52] much of our
[1:17:54] five-year capital plan by year we
[1:17:55] would need to support debt
[1:17:58] so by the time we get to
[1:17:59] 2031 talking about issuing almost
[1:18:01] $600 million of debt
[1:18:03] over just that five-year time period which
[1:18:04] is
[1:18:05] double what we have on the system
[1:18:07] today in terms of
[1:18:10] outstanding bonds. So it's a
[1:18:13] significant shift and change
[1:18:16] in
[1:18:18] highly veraged system. What we did
[1:18:19] is
[1:18:20] developed a plan of increases consistent
[1:18:22] with those objectives
[1:18:25] to make sure we had adequate coverage
[1:18:27] on our rates, revenue to support our
[1:18:28] capital needs but
[1:18:29] also did so with equity in mind between
[1:18:31] the effective
[1:18:34] rates per
[1:18:36] thousand gallons of residential and
[1:18:37] commercial customers.
[1:18:38] modifying the rate plan in place today
[1:18:40] to adjust the
[1:18:43] fixed and variable
[1:18:44] charges for commercial and residential
[1:18:45] customers for water and sewer service
[1:18:46] and this
[1:18:48] table presents the detailed plan of
[1:18:49] increases for
[1:18:52] 27 to 2031 in the first column,
[1:18:54] middle column shows and compares that to
[1:18:55] the current level
[1:18:57] of increases identified in the existing rate
[1:18:58] plan approved
[1:18:59] today and the column on the right
[1:19:01] shows the variance
[1:19:03] or incremental amount of the recommended increases
[1:19:04] what
[1:19:07] that represents above what's
[1:19:09] been approved if the five years rate
[1:19:10] plan. For some there's
[1:19:13] not a change. For residential
[1:19:14] water metric rates no change recommended
[1:19:16] for that rate.
[1:19:18] or for commercial volume metric charges
[1:19:19] for
[1:19:22] waste water a 1% increase above what's
[1:19:25] been improved. The net impact of these
[1:19:28] adjustments we'll get into a moment
[1:19:29] but for the average residential customer
[1:19:31] it means
[1:19:34] over
[1:19:36] 5% a year for the next few years.
[1:19:37] for the entire
[1:19:39] system on average this represents
[1:19:40] about a
[1:19:43] 7. 7% increase
[1:19:45] in revenues each year. We're not alone
[1:19:48] in terms of that level of increase
[1:19:49] in rates
[1:19:51] being needed to cover our current
[1:19:52] costs in today's environment.
[1:19:55] as I mentioned we do this work
[1:19:56] throughout florida as well as across
[1:19:58] the country and grab some recent
[1:20:00] examples of agencies, you know, either
[1:20:01] locally
[1:20:04] or other join systems in florida that
[1:20:06] have done rate adjustments to give
[1:20:07] you a sense
[1:20:10] other agencies are looking at similar levels to
[1:20:13] address fundamentally challenges in terms
[1:20:14] of
[1:20:15] increased costs of operations and
[1:20:16] capital and addressing those needs over
[1:20:18] the next few years. Again, you can see
[1:20:19] many of
[1:20:21] these increases are comparable to
[1:20:22] or if not higher
[1:20:25] than the 7. 7% increase that I was talking
[1:20:34] it was
[1:20:37] done based on your needs. To make
[1:20:39] sure we had adequate revenue to immediate
[1:20:40] the
[1:20:42] capital needs, fund in sustainable
[1:20:43] way, the
[1:20:45] recommended rate plan would avoid
[1:20:46] about $250 million
[1:20:48] of additional borrowing versus the
[1:20:49] status quo.
[1:20:51] think about the interest expenses you
[1:20:52] would pay
[1:20:55] on that $250 million that's
[1:20:57] a phenomenal amount of savings associated
[1:20:58] with this plan. You can see
[1:21:01] the orange bar that debt service levels
[1:21:02] off.
[1:21:04] it doesn't
[1:21:06] continue to increase. It levels off
[1:21:07] at 2031
[1:21:10] and we create capacity for that
[1:21:12] blue line at the bottom to cash more
[1:21:13] of our capital
[1:21:16] in a sustainable manner going forward
[1:21:17] to
[1:21:19] help us ensure long-
[1:21:22] term affordability. The plan was developed
[1:21:25] to ensure or try
[1:21:27] to achieve the equity in terms of
[1:21:28] effective rates
[1:21:31] per thousand gallons comparable
[1:21:33] for residential and commercial customers
[1:21:34] over time.
[1:21:36] this chart depicts where we are today
[1:21:37] when you
[1:21:40] take the bill and --for
[1:21:43] waste water and divide it by the
[1:21:46] volumes, the effective rates and the
[1:21:47] black
[1:21:49] lines the system average and we get on
[1:21:50] the
[1:21:52] target in 2030, and 2031 and for water
[1:21:55] close to having that equity achieved
[1:21:56] by
[1:21:58] 2031 and this plan builds on
[1:22:00] that goal or objective established in the existing rate
[1:22:01] plan we have today.
[1:22:07] . This
[1:22:10] plan would meet the needs of the utility
[1:22:11] system and
[1:22:12] understand what impacts would be to
[1:22:13] customers and how it
[1:22:16] is this compare relative to other
[1:22:17] utilities
[1:22:19] not that it drives your decision, but
[1:22:22] it's important to understand the context.
[1:22:25] built out a table that shows for low
[1:22:26] volume
[1:22:29] user a typical high
[1:22:30] volume user what would be the impacts
[1:22:32] on their water bill
[1:22:34] by the recommended adjustments. For
[1:22:35] that
[1:22:36] lower volume user at 4,000 gallons
[1:22:38] of water use you can
[1:22:39] see that increase would be less than
[1:22:41] $3 and by
[1:22:44] 2031 less than $4. About a
[1:22:47] 3 to $4 increase for the lower
[1:22:49] volume user. The typical would see
[1:22:50] less than
[1:22:53] $4, by 2031 that increase $4. 65
[1:22:55] on their bill. For the typical user
[1:22:56] about a 4
[1:22:59] to $5 increase. For higher
[1:23:01] volume users it would be 5 to $6 increase
[1:23:05] on their bill over
[1:23:07] time. And while the percentages may
[1:23:08] seem larger we
[1:23:11] have to appreciate that we
[1:23:13] have the lowest rates in the area
[1:23:14] and even when
[1:23:15] you consider county systems across
[1:23:17] the state. We did a lot
[1:23:19] of benchmarking to show that, so we
[1:23:22] did aa comparison of neighboring or
[1:23:25] regional cities to say what's the
[1:23:26] water bill at
[1:23:28] 7,000 gallons for a typical residential
[1:23:29] customer
[1:23:31] the blue bar, corresponding sewer
[1:23:32] bill
[1:23:35] and identified the average
[1:23:38] with the orange line running
[1:23:41] across. Where we would be in
[1:23:43] '27 with the proposed increase. For
[1:23:44] all these agencies this
[1:23:46] is a snap shot of their 26' rates.
[1:23:49] for winter garden, recall from the
[1:23:50] table
[1:23:52] I flashed they have a 20% increase next
[1:23:53] year.
[1:23:55] we're likely not going to change our
[1:23:56] position on the survey because that
[1:23:57] bill
[1:23:59] for winter garden will increase
[1:24:01] in '27. We're trying to give you a
[1:24:02] snapshot of where you
[1:24:03] stand today and how you might move
[1:24:05] but there's a lot
[1:24:07] of movement in utility rates in subsequent
[1:24:08] years that would
[1:24:10] affect that. We're comparable locally.
[1:24:11] when we
[1:24:13] look to other county systems throughout
[1:24:14] the
[1:24:16] state, we see that we have some of
[1:24:17] the lowest, if
[1:24:20] not the lowest bills for
[1:24:23] residential customers at 7,000 gallons
[1:24:24] amongst other county
[1:24:25] systems throughout florida. I think
[1:24:26] there's an update to this.
[1:24:29] we are the lowest. Broward
[1:24:31] county is higher than shown here.
[1:24:32] we
[1:24:34] looked at commercial customers and
[1:24:35] found similar results
[1:24:38] for a 2
[1:24:41] inch
[1:24:44] commercial customer, versus
[1:24:46] where we stand for local cities. This
[1:24:47] doesn't
[1:24:49] factor in anticipated increases for others
[1:24:50] next year. We're among the lowest
[1:24:51] in
[1:24:53] the area. Locally for
[1:24:56] commercial customers and if we take that again
[1:24:57] a
[1:24:59] broader cross section of similar sized
[1:25:02] agencies generally speaking we have
[1:25:03] amongst
[1:25:04] the lowest rates amongst those types
[1:25:05] of systems in
[1:25:07] florida as well. And if it's of interest
[1:25:08] we did,
[1:25:10] there's not many of these, kind of
[1:25:11] a large bill
[1:25:12] comparison for an 8 inch customer
[1:25:14] with a significant water
[1:25:17] use and, again, very similar findings
[1:25:18] locally we have some of
[1:25:19] the lowest bills in the area and then
[1:25:20] as we look
[1:25:23] at the county systems again we are
[1:25:24] among
[1:25:26] the lowest across florida
[1:25:28] for the county utility systems. A lot
[1:25:29] of information at you and I
[1:25:31] will be happy to come back to this
[1:25:32] but glen wanted to
[1:25:34] touch on other related items before we
[1:25:35] get to the question and answer portion.
[1:25:47] >> just
[1:25:50] to conclude the
[1:25:52] presentation and get to the very end
[1:25:53] of it
[1:25:54] we wanted to talk about three rate
[1:25:56] changes that we would like
[1:25:59] to make on our waste water
[1:26:02] scale. The first one is to update
[1:26:03] our
[1:26:05] wastewater environmental sur charges.
[1:26:08] these are sur
[1:26:10] charges paid by customers that have
[1:26:11] specific
[1:26:14] nutrients listed here in
[1:26:17] abbreviated
[1:26:19] form that are, can be accepted up to
[1:26:20] a certain level but after
[1:26:22] that level we need to charge them for
[1:26:23] the treatment they require.
[1:26:26] the charge is expressed
[1:26:29] in dollars per 100
[1:26:32] pounds of the nutrient sent to our
[1:26:35] waste water for treatment.
[1:26:38] these charges were being updated at
[1:26:39] the
[1:26:41] instigation of an internal audit from
[1:26:44] the comptroller's office looking at
[1:26:45] our environmental compliance program
[1:26:47] and one of the things they pointed
[1:26:48] out was
[1:26:50] that the revenue generated by these
[1:26:51] charges
[1:26:53] do not pay the entire cost for the
[1:26:55] environmental compliance program.
[1:26:57] therefore, the suggestion
[1:26:59] was either reduce the activity to
[1:27:00] lower costs
[1:27:02] which was not the way we wanted to
[1:27:03] go
[1:27:05] with environmental compliance or reallocate
[1:27:06] and look
[1:27:08] at the cost structure and recalculate
[1:27:09] the
[1:27:12] rates. We engaged our
[1:27:15] engineering consultant to
[1:27:18] reanalyze and recalculate these
[1:27:20] nutrient levels and how much they
[1:27:21] are costing from the
[1:27:22] treatment. You can see from the chart
[1:27:24] the fire, chemical
[1:27:27] oxygen demand is going up about
[1:27:29] 20% with new updated charge total
[1:27:33] suspended solids up 9%,
[1:27:35] total nitrogen didn't need much adjustment,
[1:27:36] only going
[1:27:39] up 1. 5%, and total phosphorous
[1:27:40] charge needed the greatest adjustment at 45%.
[1:27:46] the second change we would like to
[1:27:48] do is include a new fee
[1:27:50] for a lateral installation or repair,
[1:27:51] this
[1:27:53] fee listed at cost. What happens occasionally
[1:27:54] is
[1:27:56] that a developer might ask our field
[1:27:57] services division
[1:28:00] to install a lateral from our waste
[1:28:02] water force main to their plumbing
[1:28:03] for their
[1:28:04] development. That's not part of our
[1:28:06] responsibility, but
[1:28:09] we wanted to be cooperative
[1:28:10] and helpful and make sure we can recover
[1:28:12] our costs for that.
[1:28:13] our business practice is to build
[1:28:15] back for that cost when
[1:28:18] this happens, but we wanted to insert
[1:28:19] a
[1:28:20] fee into our rate schedule so it can
[1:28:21] be a
[1:28:24] board approved fee
[1:28:26] we're charging to them. Because the
[1:28:27] conditions in the
[1:28:29] field vary job to job not a way to establish a specific fee for
[1:28:30] costs.
[1:28:38] third create a new environmental program
[1:28:41] reinspection fee. We have technicians
[1:28:42] that go
[1:28:45] to restaurants and other customers
[1:28:47] that have grease traps and inspect
[1:28:48] them to
[1:28:50] make sure they're cleaned out. If
[1:28:51] it's not cleaned out they would
[1:28:53] go back a second time to inspect it
[1:28:54] and if it's not
[1:28:57] cleaned out they would
[1:29:00] go back a third time
[1:29:03] and if not cleaned out at that point they would
[1:29:06] be issued a fine of $500.
[1:29:08] we're incurring costs to have that
[1:29:09] inspector go out
[1:29:12] a third and second time so in
[1:29:13] order recover that cost and perhaps
[1:29:15] provide a little bit of
[1:29:17] financial incentive to our customers
[1:29:18] to get the
[1:29:19] grease trap cleaned the first time, we
[1:29:21] would like to have
[1:29:24] a reinspection fee
[1:29:27] so that when we have to go
[1:29:30] out, we would charge them $48 based
[1:29:33] on our 2025 costs
[1:29:36] and charged at one hour minimum.
[1:29:42] for our next
[1:29:51] step --part of the
[1:29:54] state of florida process
[1:29:56] for us to increase our rates. The
[1:29:57] first step
[1:30:00] is going to be
[1:30:02] just to be approving preliminary rate
[1:30:03] schedule. With
[1:30:05] your vote today if everything is passed
[1:30:06] nothing will
[1:30:09] change.
[1:30:12] it's only going to be
[1:30:14] after a public hearing that the rates
[1:30:15] would
[1:30:17] change. Therefore, we have scheduled
[1:30:18] a public hearing or will be
[1:30:21] on january 27th of next year.
[1:30:24] and that would be for the
[1:30:27] final adoption if the board
[1:30:30] chooses to do so. We would conduct
[1:30:32] customer outreach. We found that this
[1:30:33] is very
[1:30:36] effective in prior rate
[1:30:39] changes, especially ones where
[1:30:42] they go up more than the 3% indexes
[1:30:44] we might do and do several things
[1:30:45] to reach out to the
[1:30:48] customers and one we can include is
[1:30:50] communicating what mr. Burnham has
[1:30:51] shown you we
[1:30:53] have some of the lowest rates for
[1:30:54] water and waste water in
[1:30:57] the area and even though no customer
[1:30:58] wants to receive
[1:30:59] a rate increase and we don't want
[1:31:00] to give them
[1:31:02] a rate increase to help them understand
[1:31:03] it is
[1:31:05] necessary and they're getting one of
[1:31:06] the best deals
[1:31:09] in central florida. Finally the if
[1:31:10] everything
[1:31:12] is passed the rates would become effective
[1:31:15] october 1st of next year. We found
[1:31:17] many commercial customers especially
[1:31:18] appreciate the long
[1:31:21] runway leading up to the rate increases
[1:31:22] to plan their
[1:31:24] budgets and get ready for the adjustments
[1:31:27] that they need to make. That
[1:31:30] brings us to
[1:31:32] the requested action. We have two
[1:31:33] resolutions for your
[1:31:36] consideration. One is a resolution
[1:31:37] with
[1:31:38] a preliminary water charge schedule
[1:31:40] and the second
[1:31:42] is a resolution with a preliminary
[1:31:45] waste water charge schedule. So this
[1:31:46] concludes
[1:31:47] our presentation. Mr. Burnham and
[1:31:49] I are available for
[1:31:52] any questions you may have.
[1:31:55] thank you.
[1:31:56] >> all right.
[1:31:58] I'm going to start
[1:32:01] off, if I --I think slide
[1:32:04] 12st and maybe
[1:32:07] 22 showed different
[1:32:10] costs between the municipalities
[1:32:11] within the areas compared to orange county
[1:32:13] and the way I
[1:32:16] read it,
[1:32:19] the average residential customer
[1:32:21] uses 7,000 gallons during the billing
[1:32:22] cycle, is
[1:32:25] that correct?
[1:32:26] >> that's
[1:32:28] correct. Per month.
[1:32:29] >> and if
[1:32:31] I look at this chart, orange
[1:32:34] county average cost
[1:32:37] is somewhere around 0
[1:32:39] bucks for that person?
[1:32:40] >> that's correct.
[1:32:41] >> I live
[1:32:43] in unincorporated orange county
[1:32:44] but I don't have orange county water I
[1:32:46] have orlando utilities
[1:32:49] and for me, the chart says
[1:32:52] because I have orlando
[1:32:55] utilities, I pay more. It
[1:32:58] looks like slightly 80 bucks.
[1:33:00] >> correct. >> so I pay basically
[1:33:04] if I
[1:33:06] was using the average gallons per
[1:33:10] month paying about
[1:33:13] $10 more a
[1:33:16] month or 10% more. Thereabouts
[1:33:18] for what I'm use in unincorporated orange
[1:33:19] county.
[1:33:22] so even
[1:33:24] with the rate increases that orange
[1:33:25] county
[1:33:28] is proposing
[1:33:30] today, it still will be below I'm
[1:33:31] going to
[1:33:32] say orlando utilities commission,
[1:33:34] right?
[1:33:35] >> that's correct. >> I feel like I'm paying too
[1:33:36] much.
[1:33:43] I'm going to
[1:33:46] open it up for questions.
[1:33:47] commissioner wilson and moore and
[1:33:49] uribe
[1:33:52] and commissioner semrad, commissioner maribel
[1:33:53] gomez
[1:33:54] cordero cordero.
[1:33:55] >> thank you. Thank
[1:33:56] you so much for
[1:33:57] this comprehensive amount of information.
[1:33:58] I am so sorry I didn't
[1:34:00] make it to the briefing but did get
[1:34:01] this wealth of
[1:34:03] information because that's what you
[1:34:04] all always
[1:34:06] do and I'm grateful for the work.
[1:34:07] I think my first meeting
[1:34:09] with utilities may have said are we
[1:34:11] short changing ourselves? I said I
[1:34:12] think we're short changing ourselves.
[1:34:16] I'm concerned about this.
[1:34:18] and there was a look amongst like
[1:34:19] we've been talking about
[1:34:22] it. I
[1:34:24] understand this is an uncomfortable
[1:34:25] conversation but seeing
[1:34:27] the costs impose on the utility that
[1:34:28] is not something that we
[1:34:31] have control of. Right. What do we
[1:34:34] do then? Do we
[1:34:35] take a shortcut shortcutsomewhere?
[1:34:36] those of us who studied what happened
[1:34:37] in flint, michigan,
[1:34:39] know you don't take shortcuts when
[1:34:40] it comes to
[1:34:42] water. I think, you know, I support,
[1:34:45] obviously, this incremental resolution
[1:34:46] in moving forward
[1:34:49] with this. I do always also have that
[1:34:52] glint on it about conservation and
[1:34:53] see opportunity
[1:34:54] there for greater conservation and
[1:34:55] would like to say
[1:34:57] that as we continue to move this conversation
[1:34:58] forward with the
[1:35:01] public, let's really lean on
[1:35:02] that because, you know, talking about
[1:35:04] native plantings and how we
[1:35:07] can decrease our reused water, talking
[1:35:09] about what we can do, you know, even
[1:35:10] with adapting our
[1:35:13] shower head, those are the things we
[1:35:14] can
[1:35:15] provide as an education professionally
[1:35:16] as an easy
[1:35:18] investment in going out to the public that
[1:35:19] will then say, you
[1:35:22] know, this will help. This will help
[1:35:23] your
[1:35:25] bill, us overall as a
[1:35:28] community, and I do think
[1:35:31] that --I
[1:35:32] think it's important also because of
[1:35:34] the crazy doge stuff
[1:35:37] was there any inspection into these
[1:35:38] costs
[1:35:40] we're incurring from chemicals
[1:35:43] and potentially equipment things that we
[1:35:44] have no ability
[1:35:46] to try to shortcut on? Was
[1:35:48] there any inspection of that during
[1:35:49] the doge?
[1:35:51] >> none to my knowledge. The only
[1:35:52] thing is when they
[1:35:55] were asking for contracts and
[1:35:57] purchasing information that we provided.
[1:35:58] >>
[1:36:00] just wanted to make sure you weren't
[1:36:01] doing minority and women
[1:36:04] owned businesses with that. The
[1:36:06] part that is important to understand we
[1:36:07] are trying much like any business in
[1:36:09] the utilities division is a business,
[1:36:10] in that it's covering
[1:36:13] its expenses in the west way it can t
[1:36:17] and that the reinis vestment
[1:36:20] into its those cips, that
[1:36:21] is why orange county utilities has
[1:36:23] been the best and
[1:36:26] I do have my --I get my orange
[1:36:28] county water. It's in this cup right
[1:36:29] here.
[1:36:31] I just want to tell you that I support
[1:36:32] the
[1:36:33] way that you're approaching this and I
[1:36:35] believe that it's a reasonable
[1:36:38] ask and I support it.
[1:36:39] >> thank
[1:36:40] you, commissioner.
[1:36:41] >> commissioner
[1:36:42] moore.
[1:36:43] >> yes. It seemed
[1:36:44] like a lot of your expenses
[1:36:46] were adding towards 50% more, if I
[1:36:47] was doing a
[1:36:49] quick rounding, but if you can go
[1:36:50] back to
[1:36:53] the rate, the
[1:36:55] customer impacts which I believe is
[1:36:56] on
[1:36:59] page 20. I'm
[1:37:00] trying to understand then exactly
[1:37:02] how you got to
[1:37:03] that amount. Those amounts look --
[1:37:05] listen, I'm not happy about
[1:37:07] this for our people at all, but --
[1:37:08] so
[1:37:11] I don't want this comment
[1:37:14] misconstrued but seems those
[1:37:17] increases maybe don't cover the
[1:37:19] increasing costs.
[1:37:20] >> this is on a
[1:37:21] monthly
[1:37:22] bill and so it depending on how much
[1:37:26] water is used, to commissioner wilson's
[1:37:29] point, if we have effective
[1:37:31] outreach for the environmental conservation
[1:37:34] water conservation, then the bills
[1:37:35] can be
[1:37:37] lower closer to that 4,000 level that's
[1:37:38] listed at
[1:37:41] the top versus the 7,000
[1:37:42] gallon listed in the middle or the
[1:37:44] 12,000 for a
[1:37:47] high user.
[1:37:48] >> I understand. Is
[1:37:49] it because your operational costs
[1:37:53] have not gone up as much as when you're
[1:37:54] having to hire companies on the capital
[1:37:56] side? The operational hasn't gone
[1:37:57] up
[1:37:58] as much as the capital?
[1:37:59] >> they've
[1:38:00] both gone up
[1:38:01] tremendously. The fact that this looks
[1:38:02] like in one respect
[1:38:05] a small
[1:38:06] increase, compared to the huge increases
[1:38:08] we're having on operations, just
[1:38:11] the fact that we have so many
[1:38:13] customers. 150 to 200,000 customers
[1:38:17] so a little bit from
[1:38:18] everybody contributes to the capturing
[1:38:20] of those costs and being
[1:38:22] able to pay for them.
[1:38:23] >> there's nothing
[1:38:24] more important than
[1:38:25] water. After a hurricane, you know,
[1:38:26] we
[1:38:27] survive barely without power. But
[1:38:29] you can't go
[1:38:31] very long without water. So that day
[1:38:32] that
[1:38:34] water is being a cheap commodity seems
[1:38:35] like it's going
[1:38:38] away. There is an
[1:38:40] easier way to explain to the public
[1:38:41] you took a
[1:38:43] deep dive, which we need because we're
[1:38:45] responsible to look at that level,
[1:38:47] but is there an easier, quicker way
[1:38:50] to explain to them why the increase
[1:38:53] in these costs?
[1:38:54] >> I
[1:38:56] think the costs have increased mainly after
[1:38:58] the pandemic because there were a
[1:38:59] lot
[1:39:01] of supply chain issues and so it was hard
[1:39:02] to get
[1:39:05] materials. It
[1:39:07] was hard the shipping with the increasing of
[1:39:08] the
[1:39:11] gas prices since the pandemic
[1:39:12] distributed to the shipping costs
[1:39:14] getting
[1:39:16] materials to the site. The fact is
[1:39:17] that in
[1:39:19] our industry the cost we are facing
[1:39:20] is not the same
[1:39:23] costs that a consumer faces.
[1:39:26] we did look at
[1:39:29] the cpi, one year of
[1:39:31] inflation, and coming back down since
[1:39:32] then, now it's
[1:39:35] around
[1:39:38] 3% or so, so
[1:39:41] what their experiencing for
[1:39:43] purchasing food and services for their
[1:39:44] household is a separate
[1:39:46] set of costs we have to purchase for
[1:39:47] the production
[1:39:49] of water, the treatment of waste water,
[1:39:50] given
[1:39:53] the chemicals, the regulatory requirements we
[1:39:56] have to follow to dispose
[1:39:59] of biosolids, all of the distribution
[1:40:01] system that is buried under the ground
[1:40:02] an nobody
[1:40:05] sees, but needs to be maintained and
[1:40:06] then just to
[1:40:08] be building the expense of
[1:40:10] water and waste water facilities needed
[1:40:11] to serve our
[1:40:13] current customers to make sure it
[1:40:14] stays good working order but
[1:40:17] then also to serve the new customers
[1:40:20] coming out and --
[1:40:21] >> aren't there labor
[1:40:22] costs as
[1:40:23] well? When you look at the cost for
[1:40:24] your
[1:40:26] 5 million gallon a day plan from
[1:40:29] 110 going from memory 168, that
[1:40:32] is a tremendous increase. You're saying some
[1:40:35] of that is parts but there is a labor
[1:40:36] component to this
[1:40:38] as well?
[1:40:39] >>
[1:40:41] yes. It all works
[1:40:43] together to increase costs and these are
[1:40:44] the estimates and
[1:40:47] bids we're getting from our contractors,
[1:40:48] so they're
[1:40:49] trying to cover their costs and of
[1:40:50] course this is
[1:40:52] a capitalistic society so they're
[1:40:53] going to try to make money
[1:40:56] doing it. At the end of the day since
[1:40:57] competitively
[1:40:59] bid they're going to try to put one
[1:41:02] of their best cost forward to get
[1:41:03] the job
[1:41:05] versus trying to make money and not
[1:41:07] get the job if their cost estimate
[1:41:09] too
[1:41:10] high.
[1:41:11] >> we competitively bid these
[1:41:12] projects.
[1:41:13] a lot of this coming from the private
[1:41:15] sector
[1:41:18] side, perhaps labor short
[1:41:21] ams,
[1:41:24] inflation, supply chain. I heard yesterday
[1:41:25] a comment there was so much more money
[1:41:27] coming from
[1:41:29] the federal government in terms of
[1:41:30] infrastructure
[1:41:32] that you think that any kind of impact
[1:41:33] in
[1:41:36] driving these costs up?
[1:41:37] >>. >> when the money was coming in
[1:41:39] in the form
[1:41:42] of grants, like arpa,
[1:41:43] that did help to fray some of the
[1:41:45] costs over time. Now most of
[1:41:47] that money has dried up and it's harder
[1:41:49] to find grant money to do some of
[1:41:51] the projects we would like to
[1:41:54] do. We look hard, but
[1:41:55] we have challenges in that area.
[1:41:56] >>
[1:41:57] well, to go back to
[1:41:59] the conservation side, you briefed
[1:42:00] me yesterday and I
[1:42:02] was in complete shock and so you modified
[1:42:04] my behavior already when I turned the
[1:42:06] water onto make
[1:42:07] the coffee this morning, I said I
[1:42:09] am
[1:42:10] not wasting water until this gets
[1:42:12] hot so I
[1:42:14] had my jug to water my plants outside.
[1:42:15] I didn't
[1:42:17] want to waste one drop after I heard
[1:42:20] this situation and made me start thinking
[1:42:21] about all the ways I
[1:42:23] could personally save. I don't think
[1:42:24] there's
[1:42:26] a family out there this is going to
[1:42:27] be easy
[1:42:30] on. I was curious if there'sthere's
[1:42:32] any, you know, body of work that could
[1:42:36] help us understand the whole family
[1:42:37] took five minute showers, you know,
[1:42:39] how many in your
[1:42:41] household, how many gallons you would
[1:42:42] save. I think we
[1:42:45] owe it to the public to help
[1:42:48] them quantify how to save money and
[1:42:50] usage and, of course, water is not
[1:42:54] an unlimited commodity. We
[1:42:55] know you're looking at brackish water
[1:42:57] conversions. Is there any --
[1:42:59] you've got a consultant. Anything
[1:43:00] out
[1:43:01] here when you tell people look, if
[1:43:03] you, you know, do this, that
[1:43:06] and the other we can get the use
[1:43:08] down to then accommodate for this
[1:43:09] increase?
[1:43:10] >>
[1:43:12] commissioner, I'm sure there is and I
[1:43:14] know we have a water conservation
[1:43:15] group better
[1:43:17] in touch with that body of work than I
[1:43:19] am and that is something we can look
[1:43:21] into with the messaging
[1:43:23] we're doing as we're doing customer
[1:43:24] outreach to
[1:43:27] provide more of those ways to conserve
[1:43:30] water and lower bills and the impact of the
[1:43:31] rate
[1:43:32] increases.
[1:43:33] >> I can think of several
[1:43:34] that
[1:43:36] I do at home with --I was telling
[1:43:39] commissioner wilson no more saint
[1:43:40] augustine grass and I don't have an
[1:43:41] irrigation system. Everybody is like
[1:43:45] are you going to do it? No. I am
[1:43:47] happy to not have that bill. Simple
[1:43:48] thing when watering
[1:43:50] my plants I have no irrigation system I
[1:43:54] have a nozzle on it and so I don't
[1:43:55] waste
[1:43:56] the water in between the plant. I
[1:43:57] think
[1:44:00] we need to help people because they're
[1:44:02] going to suffer and the bills that
[1:44:03] are going up at the grocery
[1:44:04] store and everywhere else is tough
[1:44:06] on our people. I think we
[1:44:09] owe it to them if we're
[1:44:11] going to have to do this, then we
[1:44:12] owe it to
[1:44:15] them to figure out how to
[1:44:18] conserve. Thank you.
[1:44:21] >> thank you. >> all
[1:44:23] right. Commissioner uribe.
[1:44:24] >> so I
[1:44:25] wanted to expand
[1:44:27] on that education part. What we do
[1:44:30] always see is --I'm
[1:44:32] also a victim of ouc, I said that
[1:44:33] out
[1:44:36] loud, when we talk about electricity,
[1:44:38] saving electricity all the time, insulating,
[1:44:39] doing all
[1:44:41] these things and we need to be more
[1:44:42] proactive.
[1:44:44] this is a hard wake-up call and I
[1:44:45] think we've all sat here
[1:44:48] and realized we had a great deal for
[1:44:49] a
[1:44:50] long time, and I kind of want press
[1:44:51] a little bit more
[1:44:54] on that because I
[1:44:56] think a lot of times educating I bet
[1:44:57] most people don't
[1:44:59] realize, I've heard people who have
[1:45:00] ouc like I
[1:45:03] do, how is it our tax and fees are higher
[1:45:06] than what we spend on water. We're
[1:45:09] always saying that. It is much more
[1:45:12] inflated. Do people realize what --
[1:45:13] have
[1:45:15] you analyzed your family and looked
[1:45:17] at educating this is your trend of
[1:45:18] what your family does.
[1:45:21] these are good times, hard times,
[1:45:23] to help? It seems like if you're going to
[1:45:24] be a high
[1:45:26] user you're going pay more.
[1:45:27] >> correct.
[1:45:28] >> I
[1:45:30] think a lot of times, that message
[1:45:31] is great
[1:45:33] way for you guys to do some of your
[1:45:36] outreaches to kids, education. Because I
[1:45:38] always guilt my son as he leaves the
[1:45:39] water on when
[1:45:42] he brushes his teeth. So --but I tell
[1:45:44] him differently, he's taking the food for
[1:45:45] the fish away by leaving
[1:45:48] the water on so
[1:45:51] long. But when we talk about --when
[1:45:54] you've talked about getting bids
[1:45:57] and I understand traditionally that
[1:45:59] people always say, you know, whenever
[1:46:01] you look at a government bid
[1:46:03] it's higher than what the private
[1:46:04] market
[1:46:06] is, has your team or a consultant
[1:46:10] looked at what the trend is
[1:46:12] on a private sector as far as public
[1:46:15] contracts and private sector contracts?
[1:46:16] are
[1:46:19] we really in there. Granted I do
[1:46:20] understand that there is a much more
[1:46:22] bond requirement and
[1:46:24] liability and all that, but is there
[1:46:25] a --
[1:46:28] is there a point that people or
[1:46:29] bids are taking advantage of the private
[1:46:31] sector versus the public
[1:46:32] sector when it comes to funding? I
[1:46:34] would love for us
[1:46:36] to look at that because it seems that
[1:46:37] we just end up --
[1:46:38] this is coming from a contractor's
[1:46:40] wife,
[1:46:41] that you end up paying more when you
[1:46:42] look at it one way and look at it another.
[1:46:52] we weren't charging for inspections before?
[1:46:53] >> that's correct. >> we never were
[1:46:55] charging?
[1:46:56] >> for that
[1:46:57] program there was not a fee for the
[1:46:58] inspection however there was
[1:46:59] a fee to be part of the program that
[1:47:01] was part of their monthly
[1:47:03] bill.
[1:47:04] >> okay. Now I think that's
[1:47:05] good because
[1:47:06] if a lot of time if they're not in
[1:47:07] compliance and we have
[1:47:09] to go back out, certainly I mean there's
[1:47:10] a
[1:47:12] cost to us. We're paying the worker.
[1:47:13] he's not
[1:47:15] going out for free. We're paying the
[1:47:16] workers or should
[1:47:19] be. My last thing is, and you
[1:47:22] all know this, pump stations.
[1:47:24] when doing development, we realize there
[1:47:25] was a
[1:47:26] particular project in my district
[1:47:28] where they
[1:47:30] were going to connect to the big sewage
[1:47:31] and so
[1:47:32] forth and it was going to be more
[1:47:34] cost efficient for them
[1:47:36] and us, but ultimately they weren't
[1:47:37] able to connect to
[1:47:39] obt. What happens is it ended up putting a lot
[1:47:40] of
[1:47:43] pressure on a pump station outdated
[1:47:45] from the '70s or '80s which is being
[1:47:46] done
[1:47:48] because our roads are blocked off,
[1:47:49] but my
[1:47:51] whole point is, financially we end
[1:47:55] up incurring a lot of
[1:47:57] that and how is that analyzed? Is
[1:47:58] there a
[1:48:01] way to analyze in the predevelopmental stage to have
[1:48:04] some accuracy on that? Because
[1:48:07] it ended up being a cost, a burden cost on
[1:48:09] the county, much sooner than expected, it
[1:48:10] was on
[1:48:13] the five-year, ten-year
[1:48:15] plan, but because of the amount of
[1:48:16] putting
[1:48:19] in 112 more units to a pump
[1:48:22] station over 30 years old, where did
[1:48:23] that
[1:48:25] cost get absorbed?
[1:48:27] financially, are there times we are
[1:48:28] incurring costs that should
[1:48:31] not be our costs or some of
[1:48:34] that costs should be deviated
[1:48:37] to the development being put onto
[1:48:40] us and causing us a lot more cost
[1:48:41] and
[1:48:42] water pump stations and utilities?
[1:48:46] if I could get
[1:48:49] a response?
[1:48:52] >> commissioner, I know
[1:48:55] that that may be a misconception, but
[1:48:58] I think in
[1:49:00] that particular case, in your district there was
[1:49:01] a
[1:49:04] development that connected into an
[1:49:06] existing system, there was a system
[1:49:07] of
[1:49:08] initial capacity in that case and they
[1:49:10] were
[1:49:12] allowed to connect and the rest of
[1:49:13] the infrastructure
[1:49:16] was built out. That
[1:49:19] was not an issue. Pretty
[1:49:22] much development wise
[1:49:24] speaking orange county utilities development
[1:49:28] pays its own way for all of it. They
[1:49:30] pay capital charges with those capital
[1:49:31] charges which are similar
[1:49:34] to impact
[1:49:36] fees, build a water treatment expansion
[1:49:37] and we
[1:49:38] build the infrastructure that they're connecting
[1:49:40] to. For instance,
[1:49:43] a new
[1:49:46] subdivision has to build all of
[1:49:47] the pipelines within the subdivision
[1:49:49] like they build the roads and
[1:49:52] build into our standards and we inspect
[1:49:53] those
[1:49:54] pipelines and donate those to us with
[1:49:55] a one-year
[1:49:57] warranty for any repairs or anything
[1:49:58] that has to happen
[1:50:00] during that year after we receive
[1:50:01] them. So then we
[1:50:04] operate those pipelines
[1:50:07] and they also if they have to connect
[1:50:08] to our system
[1:50:10] we evaluate the
[1:50:13] capacity at the connection point
[1:50:15] and unless we have capacity that is
[1:50:16] success capacity at a
[1:50:19] connection point, we do not tell them you
[1:50:20] have to
[1:50:22] extend the pipeline further down sometimes
[1:50:23] beyond one
[1:50:25] mile or up to one mile in
[1:50:28] those subdivisions. Places like
[1:50:31] horizon, master
[1:50:34] plan, big
[1:50:37] village, the developer
[1:50:38] build subdivision they would have
[1:50:43] to build not only the pipeline, they
[1:50:44] would
[1:50:46] have to build the pipeline to the
[1:50:48] size of the village size so sometimes
[1:50:49] it's like chicken
[1:50:52] or the egg. One developer wants to
[1:50:53] go
[1:50:54] first, and he doesn't want to build
[1:50:55] a mile pipe because
[1:50:58] he has to
[1:50:59] build that full size development so he's
[1:51:01] going to have
[1:51:04] to collaborate
[1:51:07] with the neighbors, among
[1:51:09] themselves three or four or five build
[1:51:10] a larger pipeline or
[1:51:12] the first one because of tunes builds
[1:51:13] a pipeline at
[1:51:15] a higher costs and then the others
[1:51:19] connect to the pipeline. But we don't
[1:51:20] pay for that.
[1:51:22] some cases beyond that when the developer
[1:51:23] is
[1:51:24] building the pipeline at their own
[1:51:25] cost we
[1:51:28] actually come here with development over
[1:51:29] sizing
[1:51:31] agreements and in a way it is us who
[1:51:32] take advantage of
[1:51:34] the developers. They're building a
[1:51:35] 12
[1:51:37] inch pipe and we know that down the
[1:51:38] road
[1:51:40] 10, 15 years, we need --there's going to
[1:51:41] be
[1:51:42] more development down the road and
[1:51:44] instead of a 12 inch pipe
[1:51:46] put a 16 inch pipe. Doesn't seem like
[1:51:47] much
[1:51:49] but the difference in cost is from
[1:51:50] 12
[1:51:52] to 16 the difference in cost is 33%
[1:51:53] because
[1:51:55] it's based on the diameter. The difference
[1:51:59] in capacity is double. So we pay an
[1:52:02] incremental cost of 33%
[1:52:05] and we get double capacity
[1:52:07] in four additional subdivisions or
[1:52:08] things to come down
[1:52:11] the road. Bottom line from
[1:52:14] our
[1:52:15] utility, I can tell you in our case
[1:52:17] development pays
[1:52:20] its own way. It is not this increase
[1:52:21] in my opinion are not due to development.
[1:52:23] we
[1:52:25] just increased our capital charges
[1:52:26] last
[1:52:29] april effective last
[1:52:31] april and I believe the increase is
[1:52:35] almost 50%.
[1:52:38] like 40% it went up for development
[1:52:39] to
[1:52:41] pay their own way. Mostly the
[1:52:42] operations that we have because operating
[1:52:44] costs
[1:52:47] went up a
[1:52:50] lot, certain amount of
[1:52:52] money for projects we needed, existing
[1:52:53] customers we serve
[1:52:56] a million people so we need
[1:52:57] additional electriciticle pumps that
[1:52:59] go bad,
[1:53:02] old, we have to repaint the
[1:53:03] tanks, refurbish tanks, refurbish
[1:53:08] all kinds of things. We used to have
[1:53:09] say
[1:53:11] $80 million for projects or $60
[1:53:12] million but as operation costs go
[1:53:14] up, then instead
[1:53:17] of 80 we have 60, then we have 50,
[1:53:18] 40.
[1:53:20] we keep going down in the amount
[1:53:22] of money we have left for projects.
[1:53:23] we sill have to let's say
[1:53:26] our
[1:53:29] projects were $80 million. Instead
[1:53:32] of going down
[1:53:35] going 80 to 100 last year,
[1:53:37] $200 million worth of projects, they
[1:53:38] have
[1:53:39] been going on in construction but
[1:53:43] the amount left from the operation
[1:53:44] cost,
[1:53:47] the operation revenues is less and
[1:53:50] less and it's every year
[1:53:53] going diminishing that amount whereas
[1:53:56] the projects are
[1:53:57] increasing. Because of that we borrow money
[1:53:59] and we figure okay, we'll pay down
[1:54:00] the
[1:54:02] road when
[1:54:03] we increase the rates. For a while
[1:54:05] not only have to do
[1:54:06] that, we do a little bit of catch-up.
[1:54:08] we
[1:54:11] had the lowest rates
[1:54:14] among counties in florida, the bottom
[1:54:17] 3% of counties.
[1:54:18] >> okay.
[1:54:19] I had another follow-up question.
[1:54:20] so you
[1:54:23] put this chart out that gets
[1:54:26] us through 2031. Do you feel that it
[1:54:29] will sustain where we're going? Do we see
[1:54:30] supplies
[1:54:31] and materials have leveled off? When
[1:54:32] you look at the other part
[1:54:34] of construction, things have leveled
[1:54:35] off pretty
[1:54:37] much. There was a time it was growing
[1:54:38] and it seems like it's
[1:54:41] still high, but it doesn't seem like
[1:54:44] it's continuing to increase.
[1:54:46] do you guys feel that we're going
[1:54:47] to --the
[1:54:50] last thing you want to do
[1:54:52] is get to a point where we're back
[1:54:53] in this
[1:54:55] place five years from now.
[1:54:56] >> I think
[1:54:57] construction
[1:54:59] costs like you saw the
[1:55:02] cpi he was
[1:55:04] staying there was a significant inflation in
[1:55:05] the cpi.
[1:55:08] some of that had to do with housing, some
[1:55:11] of that had to do with components of
[1:55:14] the price index, but
[1:55:16] the construction cost was much higher
[1:55:17] than normal inflation.
[1:55:20] >> right. >> if
[1:55:23] you saw 9%
[1:55:25] on the cpi on the construction it
[1:55:26] was a higher
[1:55:28] price. Commissioner moore hit it on
[1:55:29] the nail. There was a lot
[1:55:32] of incentives from the federal government
[1:55:33] a
[1:55:35] lot of those things because of maybe
[1:55:36] post
[1:55:37] pandemic, because there was so many
[1:55:38] projects
[1:55:40] nationwide, here we have housing,
[1:55:41] house prices went
[1:55:44] up a lot, there was all kinds of housing
[1:55:47] construction, there was all
[1:55:50] kinds, and the labor and the materials
[1:55:51] for
[1:55:53] construction went up a lot. That is
[1:55:54] not the
[1:55:57] case anymore, so those increases
[1:55:59] year to year, were much higher in
[1:56:00] the
[1:56:03] last five years than they
[1:56:04] have been in the 20-some years I've
[1:56:06] been here at the county.
[1:56:09] we've seen them
[1:56:12] stabilizing now, so I think we
[1:56:15] need to catch up. Those prices
[1:56:18] haven't come down.
[1:56:19] >> my
[1:56:20] question goes back to you're doing
[1:56:21] a
[1:56:22] prediction, asking for reoccurring
[1:56:24] increases over the next
[1:56:26] five years, my biggest question to
[1:56:27] you, by
[1:56:28] making this commitment now, and I
[1:56:30] believe we have to get ahead of
[1:56:33] this, we have 11
[1:56:35] months, yeah, okay. We really have I
[1:56:36] believe this is
[1:56:39] a perfect time to really take and
[1:56:40] educate because if you continue your
[1:56:41] trends of using water the way you
[1:56:42] do
[1:56:45] now, one, it's running short, two,
[1:56:47] you're going to see this increase
[1:56:50] hit you in october of 2026. I'm going
[1:56:51] to sign up
[1:56:52] to come out to my community so we
[1:56:54] can start educating and
[1:56:56] learning how to read their bill and
[1:56:57] how they
[1:56:59] can do this. The question goes back
[1:57:00] to five years down the
[1:57:02] road are we back here saying oh, we
[1:57:03] just didn't
[1:57:05] have enough come in so this commitment
[1:57:06] we make
[1:57:08] as a board, will be able to sustain
[1:57:09] and
[1:57:11] help us continue with those costs
[1:57:12] and project
[1:57:13] improvements over the next five or
[1:57:15] ten
[1:57:18] years?
[1:57:19] >>
[1:57:21] that's
[1:57:24] correct. We
[1:57:26] have inflation factors built into the
[1:57:27] model.
[1:57:29] we aren't expecting the costs to remain
[1:57:30] flat. They should
[1:57:31] be sufficient to fund everything for the next
[1:57:33] five years.
[1:57:34] >> okay.
[1:57:36] >> caveat that is your best estimate.
[1:57:38] >> yes. >> I won't be here but you'll
[1:57:42] be here.
[1:57:43] >> yeah. We can never
[1:57:44] say what the world will happen.
[1:57:45] >>
[1:57:46] correct.
[1:57:47] >> if it stands
[1:57:48] as we look today, you feel comfortable
[1:57:49] with this?
[1:57:50] >> yes.
[1:57:51] if we get back to a normal
[1:57:52] economy, normal inflation for the
[1:57:54] next five years, this plan
[1:57:56] should be sufficient.
[1:57:57] >> understood.
[1:57:58] thank you. Thanks
[1:57:59] for all the data. I would love to
[1:58:00] see that market rate information just
[1:58:03] to have some knowledge on it would
[1:58:05] be great. Thank you.
[1:58:06] >> commissioner
[1:58:09] semrad.
[1:58:10] >> thank you, mayor.
[1:58:12] I am a little hoarse, so one, I just
[1:58:13] thank you
[1:58:14] to your team. You guys, I always ask
[1:58:15] a bunch of questions
[1:58:17] and you have the answers and I appreciate
[1:58:18] that. Just
[1:58:20] a reminder to the board like how great it
[1:58:21] is to
[1:58:24] have a public asset in
[1:58:26] water, waste water, because [ inaudible ]
[1:58:27] and they pay four
[1:58:29] times the rate of others and their
[1:58:30] sewer system
[1:58:32] is a mess. Those people are begging to
[1:58:33] be in orange
[1:58:35] county utilities. So thank you for
[1:58:36] all that
[1:58:38] you do. I talked to you briefly yesterday
[1:58:39] I'm a little perplexed
[1:58:42] by the model the forecasting
[1:58:45] model of the five-year plan. I understand
[1:58:47] that there was an external factor
[1:58:48] with the
[1:58:50] pandemic, but I --in terms of looking
[1:58:51] forward, because
[1:58:53] we know external factors are always
[1:58:54] going to shock a
[1:58:59] model, you know, is there hoy can
[1:59:00] we improve that model?
[1:59:02] do we need to forecast different indexes?
[1:59:03] do
[1:59:04] we need to do different supplies?
[1:59:06] we
[1:59:09] can have a base scenario
[1:59:10] forecast, stress case and the black
[1:59:12] swan the
[1:59:14] pandemic, do we have multiple versions
[1:59:15] of models
[1:59:18] to deflect to so that
[1:59:21] we can try to stabilize, you know,
[1:59:24] it's just do we have -- I'm --I just
[1:59:27] don't understand the model.
[1:59:28] >> I will
[1:59:29] defer
[1:59:30] that part of the question to mr.
[1:59:32] burnham to discuss his company's model that
[1:59:33] was
[1:59:35] used for the rates development, but
[1:59:36] before he answers
[1:59:39] that I did want to say
[1:59:42] that we did run several
[1:59:45] scenarios for what it would take to
[1:59:46] meet the
[1:59:48] needs of the utility, looking at
[1:59:50] what those rate increases might be
[1:59:51] and we tried
[1:59:54] not to take the highest, best
[1:59:56] scenario for the utilities, meaning we
[1:59:57] would be flush with cash
[1:59:59] and spend it on whatever we wanted.
[2:00:00] we want to
[2:00:02] be sensitive to the community and
[2:00:06] the rates that they have to pay, so
[2:00:07] leading into
[2:00:08] that one of the models we ended up
[2:00:09] going with did not
[2:00:12] have the highest rate increases
[2:00:14] on it, and it does make sure we are
[2:00:15] not
[2:00:18] overcorrecting here by raising the
[2:00:20] rates too much to where we are just
[2:00:21] flush
[2:00:24] with cash. This will be a bit tight
[2:00:27] going through it, as I said so commissioner
[2:00:28] uribe,
[2:00:30] we do have confidence that outside
[2:00:31] of
[2:00:33] another black swan event, that the
[2:00:35] inflation factors built in should
[2:00:36] be sufficient to cover
[2:00:38] the rate requirements for the next
[2:00:39] five years.
[2:00:42] but at the same time, we still want to
[2:00:45] be sensitive to our end customers
[2:00:46] and
[2:00:48] not raise the rates too much to the
[2:00:49] effect
[2:00:51] of as mr. Burnham was pointing out
[2:00:52] in his part
[2:00:55] of the presentation, that
[2:00:56] our ultimate goal would be to get
[2:00:58] back over 3. 0
[2:00:59] as a debt service coverage. This rate
[2:01:01] plan
[2:01:02] does not get us there in the five
[2:01:04] years. We have to go
[2:01:07] out one more year to the sixth
[2:01:10] year before we can achieve that.
[2:01:12] we stay above our minimum requirement
[2:01:13] of
[2:01:15] 2. 0, which is very good, but it comes
[2:01:18] back to we didn't want to present
[2:01:19] a
[2:01:20] rate plan to the board that would
[2:01:21] be too generous to the utility and
[2:01:22] not
[2:01:25] be sufficiently considering the
[2:01:28] outcomes to
[2:01:30] our community.
[2:01:31] >> and relative to
[2:01:32] your point
[2:01:33] about the modeling and stress tests
[2:01:34] and scenarios and I think
[2:01:37] it also goes back to
[2:01:39] commissioner uribe's point. We have
[2:01:40] macro economists that
[2:01:42] do inflation forecasting for operations
[2:01:43] and
[2:01:45] maintenance expenses and construction
[2:01:46] expenses an
[2:01:47] within an 18 month forecast period
[2:01:48] they've got a high accuracy rate.
[2:01:49] the
[2:01:51] inflation assumptions that staff has
[2:01:52] used are based
[2:01:53] on comprehensive growth rates from
[2:01:55] your recent history
[2:01:57] adjusted for known and measurable
[2:01:58] changes and we
[2:01:59] compare that against our forecast
[2:02:01] for inflation that over the near
[2:02:03] term, we feel very confident about
[2:02:04] our ability
[2:02:06] to work within this plan. As you go
[2:02:07] further out in time
[2:02:09] that cone of variability starts to
[2:02:10] widen and so
[2:02:12] that's where we start to look at stress
[2:02:13] tests
[2:02:14] and assumptions but where part of
[2:02:15] this comes back to your utility staff
[2:02:16] to
[2:02:17] stay on top of changing conditions
[2:02:19] and monitor
[2:02:22] events no one could have
[2:02:25] predicted the pandemic and
[2:02:28] outcomes. We had to respond to it.
[2:02:30] we qualified data and feel as confident
[2:02:31] as we can for
[2:02:32] our projections for the near term
[2:02:34] used averages for longer
[2:02:37] term assumptions but made sure
[2:02:39] we identified the mechanisms to make
[2:02:40] changes if things
[2:02:42] don't occur as projected. Potentially
[2:02:43] coming back
[2:02:46] and the rate plan or
[2:02:47] potentially adjusting your capital spending plan
[2:02:49] or how
[2:02:50] you fund capital or looking at other
[2:02:52] financing or funding mechanisms.
[2:02:55] you have a number of different
[2:02:58] levers you can pull to help
[2:03:01] make sure this financial plan
[2:03:02] meets your bottom line financial requirements.
[2:03:04] the rating agencies
[2:03:07] an investment community loves to see certainty and the
[2:03:10] indications of adopting a five-year
[2:03:13] plan signifies strong
[2:03:15] proactive financial management but
[2:03:16] doesn't mean if things go different
[2:03:18] than projected that you don't have
[2:03:19] the ability to come
[2:03:21] back and amend things. I think the
[2:03:22] commitment here is
[2:03:25] trying to adhere to the plan as much
[2:03:27] as reasonably possible, but again
[2:03:28] not precluding
[2:03:30] a conversation to come back if it's
[2:03:31] appropriate to have
[2:03:33] a conversation about adjusting rates
[2:03:34] if things
[2:03:35] occur materially different. In the
[2:03:37] past years where the
[2:03:38] 3% indexing we haven't exercised that
[2:03:40] as a utility because we didn't need
[2:03:43] it. This could go both ways. I think
[2:03:44] it's part
[2:03:45] of your financial management practices
[2:03:46] are going
[2:03:47] to mitigate that risk.
[2:03:48] >> I heard
[2:03:49] you say that
[2:03:51] you use averages, but I teach statistics,
[2:03:52] so when
[2:03:54] we use an average we can say a swimming
[2:03:55] pool has an
[2:03:58] average depth of 3. 5, but I might
[2:03:59] jump in the
[2:04:00] part of the pool where I can't swim
[2:04:01] and it's 20 feet
[2:04:04] but the average is this.
[2:04:06] do you do modeling using your terms
[2:04:07] because the year
[2:04:10] of '21, '22 presented much
[2:04:13] different inflationary data, so do
[2:04:15] you take into consideration the terms
[2:04:16] to make the model
[2:04:18] more accurate? I don't know how we
[2:04:19] got so
[2:04:22] far off?
[2:04:23] >>
[2:04:25] the conditions and the outcomes in
[2:04:26] the
[2:04:27] data measure after the pandemic that
[2:04:28] reflect the supply
[2:04:29] and demand changes as a result of the
[2:04:31] pandemic we took that data with
[2:04:33] grain of salt and looked at what caused
[2:04:34] those variances and
[2:04:36] made sure to normalize those parameters
[2:04:37] when we do
[2:04:39] our regress model. This is getting
[2:04:40] technical, but we
[2:04:43] looked to normalize what are the causes
[2:04:45] and trends that drive those costs
[2:04:46] and predict those drivers
[2:04:48] going forward as a measure of estimating
[2:04:49] those inflation
[2:04:52] factors. We tend to normalize the
[2:04:54] periods with looks even in cash flow
[2:04:55] model
[2:04:57] a normalization period that takes
[2:04:58] out outliers of
[2:05:01] periods that reflect nonstandard or
[2:05:04] atypical conditions to normalize
[2:05:07] those used for forecasting and done
[2:05:09] at a specific level. By category,
[2:05:10] by department,
[2:05:12] and in some cases look at specific
[2:05:13] type
[2:05:15] of expenses like chemicals different
[2:05:16] than labor and other
[2:05:18] components. There's a fair degree
[2:05:19] of analysis done. It's not
[2:05:22] just a simple overall average. It's
[2:05:24] categorical and targeted to line items
[2:05:25] when we look at those trends.
[2:05:28] >> I hear normalizing so smoothing
[2:05:29] the data.
[2:05:30] smooth the behavior --
[2:05:31] >> smooth the
[2:05:32] data,
[2:05:33] adjust for known and measurable changes.
[2:05:35] >> when we smooth the data we
[2:05:37] get more errors in the forecast. That's
[2:05:39] what my point is. I think we need
[2:05:41] to --my team and
[2:05:44] I will dig more into that. I had
[2:05:47] another
[2:05:50] question pertaining to
[2:05:52] impact fee. So I hear development
[2:05:53] pays
[2:05:56] for itself today, but there's
[2:05:58] operational costs on those pipes put into
[2:05:59] the ground. And
[2:06:00] so over the course of time, we see
[2:06:02] that those need repair.
[2:06:04] today it pays for the pipes but eventually
[2:06:05] there
[2:06:06] needs to be improvement. Do we have
[2:06:08] any such model in the industry
[2:06:11] of utilities where we take
[2:06:14] into consideration long-
[2:06:16] term operational costs through the
[2:06:17] developer?
[2:06:20] >> in the practice of
[2:06:22] utilizing capital charges for those
[2:06:23] investments
[2:06:25] they're limited to the capital facilities
[2:06:26] themselves
[2:06:28] whether existing assets previously
[2:06:29] built
[2:06:30] or new assets being constructed and
[2:06:32] the replacement
[2:06:34] of those assets and maintenance of
[2:06:38] no those assets are done through
[2:06:40] rate related mechanisms. There have
[2:06:41] been
[2:06:43] some communities that have availed
[2:06:44] themselves of service availability
[2:06:46] charles that try to capture some of
[2:06:47] the
[2:06:48] maintenance costs of keeping capacity
[2:06:50] in a state of readiness
[2:06:52] for development when it occurs but
[2:06:53] those aren't as
[2:06:55] common in industry practice as are
[2:06:56] the defaults
[2:06:59] of leveraging capacity charges for
[2:07:01] cost of infrastructure and rates for
[2:07:02] recovering costs
[2:07:05] and operating costs.
[2:07:06] >> okay.
[2:07:07] >> predominant industry model. >> I
[2:07:08] will ask my team to
[2:07:09] follow up with you on the information
[2:07:11] of
[2:07:14] those communities.
[2:07:16] and then the other thing I just wanted
[2:07:17] to kind
[2:07:20] of emphasize is,
[2:07:21] when you talk about affordability
[2:07:23] I hear we're the
[2:07:25] lowest but when we talk about cost
[2:07:26] of living that's
[2:07:28] a construct that includes many aspects
[2:07:29] of a
[2:07:31] person's life and what they spend
[2:07:32] their money on.
[2:07:35] I know the utilities is low, but there's
[2:07:38] a lot of other things that are high.
[2:07:41] so it's not in reference to your
[2:07:44] study or this
[2:07:46] rate, at some point of the county we
[2:07:47] should do an
[2:07:49] affordability analysis to look at
[2:07:50] what small little we've
[2:07:52] had trash go up, storm water, we've
[2:07:53] had now
[2:07:55] wastewater, reclaimed water and little
[2:07:56] by little,
[2:07:59] things start ticking up
[2:08:01] and orange county becomes less affordable
[2:08:05] for people to
[2:08:08] live
[2:08:11] in. One
[2:08:13] last question. These are in reference to
[2:08:14] the other
[2:08:17] two action items on the
[2:08:20] screen. The
[2:08:21] environmental program reinspection
[2:08:23] fee, I
[2:08:25] worked a lot of years in restaurants.
[2:08:26] grease trap
[2:08:29] does heavy duty damage on sewer lines
[2:08:30] when
[2:08:32] not maintained. I don't think
[2:08:35] that we should be giving grace to, you
[2:08:36] know,
[2:08:38] you go out and get maybe one warning,
[2:08:39] right.
[2:08:41] shouldn't be like one warning a
[2:08:44] year. You get one warning of business
[2:08:46] existence. That's just passing the
[2:08:47] burden
[2:08:49] onto the taxpayer the rate user as
[2:08:50] well. I think that
[2:08:52] we need to be more strict than just
[2:08:53] charging for the
[2:08:55] inspection. Yeah, charge for the inspection
[2:08:56] county
[2:08:58] is sending somebody out there to do
[2:08:59] a
[2:09:01] job, but I don't support giving waivers
[2:09:04] to violations particularly when passing
[2:09:08] the buck onto taxpayers.
[2:09:09] >> thank
[2:09:10] you. We discussed this yesterday in
[2:09:11] the briefing and
[2:09:14] we're compiling information for you
[2:09:17] on that. It looks like it is common
[2:09:20] to offer a charge for a
[2:09:23] reinspection and not do
[2:09:26] a fine of a magnitude of
[2:09:29] $500 up front. We'll
[2:09:30] finish getting that information for you.
[2:09:32] >> I get it. It's
[2:09:33] not common but in this condition right
[2:09:35] now, it's
[2:09:38] also not common to raise trash, storm
[2:09:39] water,
[2:09:41] reclaimed water,
[2:09:44] wastewater, you know, it's --there's --
[2:09:45] you
[2:09:47] know, I mean situations change. External
[2:09:48] shocks
[2:09:49] happen and I think that we need to
[2:09:50] be diligent in making
[2:09:52] sure businesses are responsible for
[2:09:53] maintaining their
[2:09:54] pipes, but it's not people picking
[2:09:56] up
[2:09:59] that bill.
[2:10:01] thank you.
[2:10:02] >> commissioner gomez corridor.
[2:10:08] --cordero.
[2:10:09] >> thank you.
[2:10:11] for you, your team and all
[2:10:14] the things that you all do, services
[2:10:18] and always available
[2:10:21] to us, you know.
[2:10:23] getting the services to the resident.
[2:10:25] I have three questions, these are
[2:10:27] like straight to the point.
[2:10:29] you know, answer it and then the residents
[2:10:30] will
[2:10:32] know that's what you mean. I just
[2:10:33] wanted to
[2:10:36] know, what is the
[2:10:37] overall impact for the average resident of orange
[2:10:39] county. How
[2:10:40] many extra money will they have to
[2:10:42] pay? Is
[2:10:44] that what we have here in slide number
[2:10:45] 20?
[2:10:46] >> that's correct. >> okay. >> depending
[2:10:48] on their usage.
[2:10:51] if they use more water and
[2:10:52] wastewater services they will have higher impact.
[2:10:54] overall it's an average of
[2:10:57] 5. 2%
[2:11:00] increase per year on the water
[2:11:03] and
[2:11:06] wastewater bill.
[2:11:07] >>
[2:11:09] and then if this is approved, it
[2:11:12] will start in october of 2026? Right?
[2:11:14] >> basically yes. In answer to your
[2:11:15] question.
[2:11:17] one point is that what is being asked to
[2:11:18] be
[2:11:19] approved today is just the preliminary
[2:11:21] rates. Nothing will
[2:11:22] happen with today's approval. It's
[2:11:24] only after we
[2:11:25] have the public hearing and we have
[2:11:27] a final approval the rates will
[2:11:30] change. Yes, they will be effective
[2:11:32] october 1st, correct. That's what
[2:11:33] public
[2:11:35] wants to know. Saying that I wanted
[2:11:38] to also ask you, what is the plan
[2:11:39] to explain
[2:11:42] and inform the residents about what's
[2:11:43] going to happen? Because they have --
[2:11:45] I mean there is
[2:11:48] enough time. But, you know, they
[2:11:51] have been a skin here and conscious of
[2:11:53] the wastewater, you know, how the
[2:11:57] misuse of it. How d what is
[2:12:00] the plan?
[2:12:03] what will you do in order to
[2:12:06] continue educating
[2:12:09] our residents to save water and
[2:12:12] be in a better --
[2:12:13] >> we have several
[2:12:15] things we commonly do for
[2:12:18] rate increases. When they're not the
[2:12:19] normal
[2:12:21] just 3% indexing. We sent
[2:12:22] out postcards to customers to let
[2:12:24] them know what's going on. There can
[2:12:27] be additional letters and e-
[2:12:29] mails, customer contact for our top
[2:12:30] customers. They
[2:12:33] will be getting the highest increases
[2:12:34] because they
[2:12:36] are our
[2:12:39] highest
[2:12:42] users. We
[2:12:45] have notification
[2:12:47] of rates going up and what we've done in
[2:12:48] the past is have
[2:12:50] a dedicated phone number that customers
[2:12:51] can
[2:12:53] call specifically asking questions about
[2:12:54] the rate increase
[2:12:57] and we've also set up a
[2:12:58] bill calculator on the website so
[2:13:00] that a customer can go in and
[2:13:03] type in their usage and see what the
[2:13:05] change in their bill would be. On
[2:13:06] top of that we can
[2:13:09] look into things we've discussed here this
[2:13:12] morning like customer
[2:13:14] outreach for the environmental concerns
[2:13:15] as far as water
[2:13:17] conservation and do more of an educational
[2:13:18] job
[2:13:20] there to help our customers learn
[2:13:21] ways to cut their
[2:13:24] water bill and
[2:13:27] wastewater bill.
[2:13:28] >> I was just thinking
[2:13:29] like, you know, I know you all send
[2:13:30] postcards and e-mails
[2:13:32] and letters and people do boom and
[2:13:33] that costs a lot of money.
[2:13:36] we know that,
[2:13:39] right. I was thinking I think said
[2:13:41] it as well, things that you can come
[2:13:42] and talk to the people,
[2:13:45] people have questions, you can answer
[2:13:48] right there, and how to read a
[2:13:51] bill, which is one that
[2:13:54] commissioner wilson said. Sometimes -- I
[2:13:55] know we
[2:13:56] can go one on one and call and they
[2:13:57] will explain or
[2:14:00] whatever but I'm saying just to, you
[2:14:01] know,
[2:14:03] develop that good relationship with
[2:14:04] the residents in
[2:14:05] the community better because you all
[2:14:06] have a good relationship, I
[2:14:09] just think that we should
[2:14:12] be a little bit more, you know, one-on-one.
[2:14:15] I'm just thinking
[2:14:17] postcardpostcard letters --I'm just
[2:14:18] saying.
[2:14:19] >> thank you for
[2:14:20] the suggestions. That's something we
[2:14:21] can workshop and
[2:14:24] look into.
[2:14:25] >>
[2:14:26] my last question is, how will other
[2:14:27] counties and cities react
[2:14:30] to price pressure? Are all
[2:14:31] counties expected to increase prices
[2:14:33] soon as well?
[2:14:37] >> as we displayed the
[2:14:38] chart on the screen there are actual
[2:14:40] several that have
[2:14:41] published rates with multiple rate
[2:14:43] increases, multiple years
[2:14:46] of rate increases
[2:14:49] and they are higher than 6%. We
[2:14:50] didn't try to put all of the ones increasing
[2:14:52] on there,
[2:14:55] just the ones hitting 6%
[2:14:58] or higher.
[2:15:01] the rate increase
[2:15:03] is fairly common right now.
[2:15:04] >> as
[2:15:05] I mentioned
[2:15:06] a lot of conversations are about similar
[2:15:09] challenging circumstances about increased
[2:15:13] costs significantly greater
[2:15:15] than what was in the past. Many communities are looking
[2:15:19] at similar levels of rate adjustments.
[2:15:21] I will run back to that slide quickly
[2:15:22] here to give
[2:15:24] you a sense. Hillsborough county they
[2:15:27] have a multiyear ordinance approved
[2:15:28] that
[2:15:31] has a 5% increase plus an inflation
[2:15:32] adjustment and pass through increase
[2:15:34] in purchase water costs.
[2:15:37] so that was a
[2:15:40] proved a few years ago. Toho
[2:15:43] approve 7. 5% for the nexty years
[2:15:45] and 4% thereafter and so as you kind
[2:15:46] of
[2:15:48] look around at other utility systems
[2:15:49] especially ones in high
[2:15:52] growth areas, jea for duval has had
[2:15:55] a rate adjustment approached for
[2:15:57] the last two years they're having
[2:15:58] similar
[2:15:59] conversations about similar levels
[2:16:01] of increases because it's not that
[2:16:02] a
[2:16:04] utility is uniquely necessarily incurred
[2:16:06] different levels of cost increases.
[2:16:07] we're all
[2:16:08] grappling with the same levels of
[2:16:10] increases in costs and the numbers
[2:16:12] are comparable but not altogether
[2:16:13] different.
[2:16:15] indian river county another example
[2:16:16] last year had to
[2:16:19] do a 20% increase. This year 12% and
[2:16:20] then
[2:16:22] their outlook for 5 to 7.
[2:16:24] 5% increases thereafter. These increases
[2:16:28] are very common right now and really
[2:16:31] necessary to maintain utility
[2:16:32] service provision. In today's cost
[2:16:34] environment we're not necessarily
[2:16:35] assuming it's going to continue to
[2:16:37] increase significantly like it
[2:16:38] has in the past, but it's not coming
[2:16:40] down. We have
[2:16:41] to reflect the cost of doing business
[2:16:46] in our paradigm.
[2:16:47] >>
[2:16:49] my last
[2:16:52] question, this is --I think --
[2:16:55] you know that
[2:16:57] also things as commissioner uribe
[2:16:58] said, things sometimes --
[2:17:01] no, it was wilson, that we don't think
[2:17:03] about like when you have a break in
[2:17:04] equipment or you have
[2:17:07] to replace and
[2:17:10] so do you have like those funds, you
[2:17:12] know, separated just for that? If you have
[2:17:13] to replace
[2:17:14] something, are you going to buy it
[2:17:16] new? Replation it?
[2:17:19] how do you manage
[2:17:22] with that
[2:17:28] when --
[2:17:29] >> so as far as breaks in the
[2:17:31] equipment or things that need to be
[2:17:32] replaced or
[2:17:34] prepared, when it comes to forecasting
[2:17:35] plan
[2:17:37] maintenance, we have budgets
[2:17:40] planned for that and include contingencies.
[2:17:41] we
[2:17:42] never know what's going break and
[2:17:43] need to be
[2:17:46] repaired. We handle most of that in
[2:17:47] our operating
[2:17:49] budget for repairs that come up
[2:17:51] and then for long-term planning that's
[2:17:52] when we look at
[2:17:55] doing things in the cip when a
[2:17:58] portion of the plan, maybe the entire
[2:18:01] plan, needs an overall refurbishment
[2:18:02] where we
[2:18:04] can be proactive about planning those projects
[2:18:07] in advance. Yes,
[2:18:08] carry contingency money in the budget
[2:18:10] and when that
[2:18:12] is not enough for handling some of
[2:18:13] the repairs we
[2:18:15] cut back to make sure we can keep
[2:18:16] the system repaired and
[2:18:19] running and
[2:18:22] in good condition.
[2:18:25] >> thank you.
[2:18:28] >> commissioner scott.
[2:18:31] >> thank you. Going back
[2:18:34] to commissioner
[2:18:35] cordero's question when you talk about
[2:18:37] you forecast, you know, your operational
[2:18:39] repair, are you guys forecasting with
[2:18:40] a specific number of years,
[2:18:43] five years, ten years, or forecasting to
[2:18:44] the equipment life
[2:18:46] cycle?
[2:18:47] >> it's many of it is
[2:18:48] done to the equipment life cycle.
[2:18:49] for
[2:18:52] example, with large pieces of equipment this
[2:18:53] is more on the
[2:18:55] solid waste site but
[2:18:58] not in the water waste water system
[2:19:01] as much, but they have a plan to where they
[2:19:02] will
[2:19:03] purchase a piece of equipment, very
[2:19:04] large or expensive,
[2:19:07] hundreds of thousands of dollars for
[2:19:10] the equipment, after a certain amount
[2:19:11] of
[2:19:12] time when it ends the life cycle they
[2:19:14] will plan
[2:19:16] for refurbishment of that equipment to
[2:19:18] be recapitalized and work for another
[2:19:20] five years or so and after
[2:19:23] a certain number of
[2:19:24] refurbishments it would be considered
[2:19:26] not worth the repair
[2:19:28] and refurbishment anymore and disposed
[2:19:29] of
[2:19:31] and replaced with new equipment that would
[2:19:32] be
[2:19:35] similar is.
[2:19:36] >> on slide
[2:19:37] 28, you were talking about the installation
[2:19:38] at cost. I
[2:19:40] want to make sure I understand what
[2:19:41] you're saying.
[2:19:43] you didn't quantify a dollar amount
[2:19:44] because it
[2:19:45] changes on the scope of work and scale of
[2:19:47] the project, right?
[2:19:50] >> that's correct. And the conditions in the field.
[2:19:52] >> so it's also logistically from
[2:19:53] a time
[2:19:55] management standpoint allows you guys
[2:19:58] greater flexibility not having to
[2:19:59] schedule a rate hearing with
[2:20:01] us and go back and forth, right?
[2:20:02] >> that's
[2:20:03] correct. We wouldn't also want to
[2:20:05] put forth
[2:20:07] a generic rate to do the service that would
[2:20:08] be an
[2:20:10] average because in some cases it would
[2:20:11] not cover its cost
[2:20:13] and other cases it would be more over
[2:20:14] recovering
[2:20:17] the costs. So
[2:20:18] the most fair thing to do for the
[2:20:20] developer who is asking us to do this
[2:20:22] work is build them for the cost of
[2:20:23] that
[2:20:26] specific project.
[2:20:27] >> so what is
[2:20:28] the contingency if I'm a developer
[2:20:29] of, you
[2:20:32] know, let's just say maybe a two
[2:20:35] or three apartment units, right, and
[2:20:38] then I do not agree with the
[2:20:40] costs that you have provided me and
[2:20:41] maybe I
[2:20:42] might have a reference for what I
[2:20:44] believe is a similar project
[2:20:46] with another developer? How do you
[2:20:47] mitigate that? Come
[2:20:49] back to us or try to negotiate?
[2:20:50] >> we
[2:20:51] would work
[2:20:52] it out with the developer. That wouldn't
[2:20:53] be something we
[2:20:56] need to bring back to the
[2:20:58] board. Basically just to reiterate
[2:20:59] these are not
[2:21:01] common occurrences. It's something
[2:21:02] that occasionally happens. It's
[2:21:03] a responsibility of the developer
[2:21:05] to put
[2:21:08] the lateral in any, so
[2:21:10] it's unusual circumstances they might
[2:21:11] ask our
[2:21:14] field services staff to do it.
[2:21:15] >> okay.
[2:21:17] I'm good.
[2:21:20] >> all right. With that just
[2:21:23] as a
[2:21:25] reminder, we'll be having the public
[2:21:26] hearing
[2:21:29] in january 2026. That
[2:21:32] is when we'll take the final action.
[2:21:35] but today, there is a
[2:21:37] requested action on the screen. We
[2:21:38] have a motion
[2:21:40] by mr. Scott.
[2:21:41] >> second. >> second
[2:21:42] by commissioner gomez
[2:21:44] cordero. All in favor let
[2:21:47] it be known saying yea. Yea. Opposed
[2:21:49] no.
[2:21:50] >> if I may real quick should
[2:21:51] be
[2:21:52] approval and execution as opposed
[2:21:53] to what's says
[2:21:56] just approval.
[2:21:57] >> no. I said
[2:21:58] move requested action should cover everything you
[2:21:59] have up there.
[2:22:00] >> that doesn't
[2:22:01] say approval and execution. It just
[2:22:02] says approval.
[2:22:03] >> all right.
[2:22:05] approval and execution.
[2:22:06] >> that was on
[2:22:07] our
[2:22:08] end.
[2:22:09] >> approval and? >> execution.
[2:22:10] >>
[2:22:11] it's noted.
[2:22:12] >> move revised requested
[2:22:14] action.
[2:22:15] >> yeah. Go ahead. >> technical
[2:22:17] error. All right. We have the correction.
[2:22:18] all
[2:22:20] in favor let it be known saying yea.
[2:22:23] opposed no. Motion passes and it is
[2:22:24] unanimous.
[2:22:26] all right. Thank you all. We're
[2:22:29] going to move to
[2:22:30] the final item this morning. I'm going
[2:22:32] to
[2:22:34] get this one done and be done before
[2:22:35] noon.
[2:22:37] commissioner wilson.
[2:22:38] >> we got this.
[2:22:39] we can do
[2:22:41] it. I believe in
[2:22:43] us. So very briefly, because that's
[2:22:44] something I have
[2:22:47] to say to myself in order to stay
[2:22:49] brief, this request you all got the
[2:22:50] memo
[2:22:53] it lays out sort of
[2:22:56] a starting point.
[2:22:58] understanding that we have committed
[2:23:02] sewer, we are fulfilling that in ways
[2:23:03] big and
[2:23:05] small. I believe we are looking at
[2:23:08] potentially updated added new
[2:23:11] or opportunities to address micro
[2:23:13] mobility devices and micro mobility
[2:23:14] usage in the
[2:23:17] county, that the timing is
[2:23:20] now. So I believe that
[2:23:23] ebikes, e-scooters, I think anything
[2:23:26] motorized
[2:23:29] you can use on a trail hasn't been contemplated
[2:23:32] in our ordinances. We did do the pilot
[2:23:33] program for
[2:23:35] the vendors several years ago, but
[2:23:36] it
[2:23:38] didn't address the everyday usage
[2:23:39] we're seeing
[2:23:40] from scenarios sort of across the
[2:23:41] county. Basically
[2:23:44] what my ask is, is to get
[2:23:47] your feedback on this and understanding
[2:23:48] and then direction
[2:23:50] for staff understanding this is
[2:23:53] a very complex issue and that we need
[2:23:54] to
[2:23:55] get data. We have to start every ordinance
[2:23:57] a good amount
[2:23:59] of data. Having an understanding of
[2:24:00] what's going
[2:24:02] on out there with crashes, hospital
[2:24:04] responses, law enforcement reports.
[2:24:06] I know law enforcement hasn't
[2:24:07] been required to distinguish whether
[2:24:09] a bicycle accident
[2:24:11] was an ebike, but, you know, if there's
[2:24:12] another
[2:24:15] source of data we can
[2:24:17] draw from I believe that it would
[2:24:18] be
[2:24:21] the best for any safety
[2:24:24] measure
[2:24:27] . The where who and what.
[2:24:29] the areas we're hearing the difficulty.
[2:24:30] orange county
[2:24:31] public schools had a discussion about
[2:24:33] the
[2:24:34] usage coming to and from school. I
[2:24:36] will tell you I
[2:24:38] think that there are tremendous mobility
[2:24:39] benefits
[2:24:42] in the usage of
[2:24:43] micromobility devices. Anywhere you
[2:24:45] see kids using micromobility devices
[2:24:46] to get to school they're not sitting
[2:24:48] in a car
[2:24:49] by themselves or with one other person
[2:24:51] that gets them
[2:24:52] out of the car line. I don't want
[2:24:54] to inhibit that
[2:24:55] usage. But I think we have to figure
[2:24:57] out how to make
[2:24:59] sure everyone that's out there on
[2:25:00] our
[2:25:03] trails, sidewalks and
[2:25:06] other spaces feels safe.
[2:25:09] so the other
[2:25:12] piece I wanted to
[2:25:15] make sure we
[2:25:18] were looking at
[2:25:20] is the state, several proposals, having an
[2:25:21] understanding
[2:25:24] of where state law
[2:25:27] is, going, and
[2:25:29] hopefully to be able to work in conjunction.
[2:25:30] I know there
[2:25:32] had been discussion about a bill that
[2:25:33] required
[2:25:35] a minimum age and minimum speed limit.
[2:25:39] if the state takes that up as
[2:25:42] a preemption I will cheer them
[2:25:44] on. This is a place where preemption
[2:25:45] makes sense,
[2:25:47] minimum age, minimum speed and we
[2:25:48] can, you know,
[2:25:51] help potentially build upon that for whatever other
[2:25:52] safety
[2:25:54] measures might
[2:25:57] be necessary.
[2:26:00] I've heard from people who --
[2:26:02] educational opportunities, something
[2:26:03] ops would
[2:26:06] work through with them. Helmets are, obviously,
[2:26:09] an issue for I believe anybody that
[2:26:11] is on a device and think about the
[2:26:12] speed of
[2:26:15] these devices it makes the most sense that would
[2:26:16] be a
[2:26:17] requirement. I have mixed feelings
[2:26:18] about the
[2:26:20] minimum age thing and I would be curious
[2:26:21] to hear
[2:26:23] your thoughts on it because someone
[2:26:24] with a
[2:26:27] learner's permit to me should be able to
[2:26:30] use a scooter. Should it go 30 miles
[2:26:33] an hour. No. The idea of making sure that
[2:26:34] that
[2:26:36] those modifications that take the
[2:26:39] scooters, e-scooters and bikes up
[2:26:40] above
[2:26:42] a certain speed is part of the research
[2:26:45] and consideration.
[2:26:48] but it's really very --as far
[2:26:51] as what types of modifications
[2:26:54] or what kinds of measures we
[2:26:57] could or should take first.
[2:26:59] I understand some research required
[2:27:00] will take a lot of
[2:27:03] time. I'm glad to see
[2:27:06] ops representative still in the
[2:27:08] room. I think if you have the ability
[2:27:09] to tap into the
[2:27:12] brilliant people in
[2:27:15] our public works right
[2:27:18] now working on zero emission initiatives
[2:27:20] get them engaged in this we may be
[2:27:21] able to get to some of
[2:27:24] these things soon enough. Whether that
[2:27:27] is educational or
[2:27:30] outreach, whether that is additional
[2:27:33] signage in places we need to have
[2:27:35] some information from staff about
[2:27:38] what, where that would be the most
[2:27:39] beneficial.
[2:27:41] obviously, we would look towards our
[2:27:42] school
[2:27:43] districts, school areas. I know one of
[2:27:45] the frustrations we
[2:27:48] heard this morning from
[2:27:51] somebody who wanted a school zone
[2:27:53] near a high school. There are no high
[2:27:54] schools with school
[2:27:57] zones. They don't get the same designations.
[2:27:58] that
[2:28:00] doesn't mean we can't
[2:28:02] exanother opportunities to provide
[2:28:03] shire visibility better
[2:28:05] crossings and if you're adding something
[2:28:09] that's motorized whatever level that
[2:28:12] motorization is, possibility for that to
[2:28:13] be
[2:28:15] safer in and out from a school.
[2:28:17] I want to get feedback from you all
[2:28:21] and potentially
[2:28:23] give direction to staff about what
[2:28:24] we want to see
[2:28:26] come back in research in the next
[2:28:27] steps. Looking
[2:28:30] for opportunities
[2:28:33] in things such as the data behind
[2:28:34] where
[2:28:36] the collisions are happening and what
[2:28:37] we think would help and benefit prevent
[2:28:38] that in the future.
[2:28:45] >> all right. There are
[2:28:47] questions or comments by members of
[2:28:49] the board.
[2:28:51] we'll start with commissioner uribe
[2:28:52] followed
[2:28:55] by commissioner
[2:28:57] scott, gomez cordero, moore and semrad.
[2:29:01] >> commissioner wilson
[2:29:02] you wrote this. I've been talk about
[2:29:04] this for a long time when
[2:29:06] we did the ucf overlay. I've done
[2:29:10] a little research
[2:29:12] on this. I would guess, yes, we need
[2:29:13] to
[2:29:15] move forward. Number one, I'm worried
[2:29:16] there
[2:29:18] may not be a lot of data. I recently
[2:29:19] saw someone
[2:29:22] get hit by a car, but they
[2:29:23] exchanged insurance, the guy gave
[2:29:25] him --and no
[2:29:27] policeman ever came. So I would be
[2:29:28] curious to
[2:29:31] see how that data will come up.
[2:29:34] but ultimately, we --
[2:29:36] enforcement, how do we get --I remember
[2:29:37] when we did
[2:29:39] the golf carts which was was that
[2:29:40] like
[2:29:43] six years ago when we did the
[2:29:45] golf carts, and it's been some time
[2:29:46] and we
[2:29:49] had difficulty getting
[2:29:50] enforcement and law enforcement to
[2:29:52] take on something else
[2:29:55] like golf carts that are very
[2:29:57] predominant now in our neighborhoods.
[2:30:00] I believe that if we don't get enforcement
[2:30:01] these
[2:30:02] great intentions go nowhere. Of course
[2:30:04] that starts
[2:30:06] with parents and children and so forth.
[2:30:07] when you talk about
[2:30:10] speed, obviously, a maximum speed
[2:30:13] and I would love for us to look at
[2:30:15] other cities and states around the
[2:30:16] country doing something
[2:30:19] like this. I was recently in
[2:30:22] miami for a florence and
[2:30:24] was stunned that the scooters are
[2:30:25] on
[2:30:27] roads with cars and they act like
[2:30:28] they're in a vehicle
[2:30:30] the way they ride their scooter. I
[2:30:31] was terrified. With
[2:30:34] no helmets. In business clothes, I mean this
[2:30:35] is
[2:30:37] how people get aroundaround
[2:30:40] miami because of the amount of
[2:30:41] traffic but I was almost terrified for
[2:30:43] the people I
[2:30:45] had to go around who are just driving
[2:30:48] these scooters like they're a car.
[2:30:49] there's a lot
[2:30:52] of mindset about
[2:30:55] that. I do
[2:30:58] worry that younger people,
[2:31:00] right, so they don't think it can
[2:31:01] happen to them and it
[2:31:04] would be nice to see some sort
[2:31:06] of structure but ultimately if we
[2:31:07] can't
[2:31:10] enforce it or cause machines to have
[2:31:13] a maximum speed, we're kind of like
[2:31:14] great
[2:31:15] intended leaders but not able to do
[2:31:16] anything. I would love to
[2:31:18] see something like that happen. Again, I
[2:31:19] would love
[2:31:21] the legislature to take the lead on
[2:31:22] this so it could be
[2:31:23] statewide as opposed to you can do
[2:31:25] it
[2:31:28] in oceola but can't do it in
[2:31:31] orange. Lastly I have a big issue
[2:31:32] with
[2:31:33] the school zones and high schools and
[2:31:34] not to put a lot of pressure on
[2:31:37] ocps who is here, I had
[2:31:40] a student die at 16 at roque
[2:31:42] ridge and we learned the hard way there
[2:31:43] was
[2:31:45] none. I will give credit to orange
[2:31:46] county putting up
[2:31:48] the beacon with the speed and got
[2:31:49] hit by a car and
[2:31:52] we had to get it
[2:31:55] replaced. But they are the ones
[2:31:58] that walk a lot because busses are
[2:32:00] harder to maneuver kids in high school
[2:32:01] than
[2:32:04] in elementary school, much more
[2:32:07] compact and kids are going to magnet
[2:32:08] programs and going to
[2:32:09] schools not necessarily in their jurisdiction.
[2:32:10] I
[2:32:13] didn't realize how much that's changed and commissioner
[2:32:16] moore you'll realize this, I was
[2:32:18] watching peanuts the movie and the
[2:32:19] kids would go outside and play
[2:32:22] with the kids from school
[2:32:25] and my son said man I
[2:32:28] wished I lived near kids who went
[2:32:29] to my school.
[2:32:31] that's no longer. We see
[2:32:34] kids walking bikes and more. We should
[2:32:37] really look at high schools
[2:32:39] becoming the high schools being a
[2:32:40] zone because you
[2:32:43] have a major school olympia, I have
[2:32:46] a major score school oak ridge, and we
[2:32:47] have a
[2:32:48] ton that are growing and we don't
[2:32:49] want to see
[2:32:52] a fatality or injury.
[2:32:55] >> really the latest information,
[2:32:57] this sort of bubbled up in my district
[2:32:58] at horizon
[2:33:00] which interestingly the design there
[2:33:01] was to allow
[2:33:04] more people to be able to bike and
[2:33:05] walk to
[2:33:07] school because every village has its
[2:33:08] own school
[2:33:10] structure, but we know how this works.
[2:33:11] particularly
[2:33:12] in a rush and high school students
[2:33:13] so they try to get
[2:33:16] there as fast as they can. It's dark
[2:33:17] often in
[2:33:19] the morning. The safety thing is paramount.
[2:33:22] I think interestingly so that you're
[2:33:23] like went
[2:33:25] down my checklist of the same sort of
[2:33:26] things
[2:33:27] I felt like were important which included
[2:33:29] that rules on
[2:33:31] riding them on sidewalks versus streets
[2:33:32] for
[2:33:34] these motorized devices, education
[2:33:37] and signage are things we can tackle.
[2:33:39] >> my last thing maybe we can roll
[2:33:41] in
[2:33:43] dot because they tend to have pedestrian
[2:33:44] with the vision zero
[2:33:46] and instead of waiting for someone
[2:33:47] to do home rule maybe we
[2:33:48] could advocate and I would be happy
[2:33:50] to gets somebody to put
[2:33:51] in legislation that would help us
[2:33:53] make this a
[2:33:54] state issue and no more fatalities
[2:33:56] because of this. I
[2:33:58] think it's great. Thank you. Good
[2:33:59] job.
[2:34:02] >> commissioner scott. >> thank
[2:34:05] you, mayor. Thank you, commissioner
[2:34:08] wilson for this topic. I
[2:34:09] agree with what you say as it relates
[2:34:11] to safeguards
[2:34:13] around other high school students,
[2:34:14] more
[2:34:15] so because we have crossing guards
[2:34:17] and school
[2:34:20] busses for our younger people,
[2:34:21] but when you talk about the high school
[2:34:23] students no one is
[2:34:24] looking out for them even when they
[2:34:26] should be looking out for
[2:34:28] themselves. Kids have the headphones
[2:34:29] on or on their phones
[2:34:32] or do both and then boom you get
[2:34:34] in a car accident. Just one thing
[2:34:35] I wanted to share with
[2:34:37] you, I don't know how we're able to
[2:34:38] do
[2:34:41] this here locally, but I
[2:34:44] think figuring out ways that
[2:34:45] we partner with the school district
[2:34:47] to provide education on the short
[2:34:49] term and looking more long term what would
[2:34:50] we
[2:34:53] do from an
[2:34:54] advocacy level, perhaps something
[2:34:56] with --for
[2:34:58] children in terms of the speed these
[2:34:59] kids
[2:35:00] can jail break the scooters. I don't know
[2:35:02] how they do
[2:35:04] it. It takes like five minutes. They
[2:35:05] take off any
[2:35:07] speed safe guards and get them toes
[2:35:08] go a fast
[2:35:10] as 40 miles per hour. These are kids
[2:35:11] right here.
[2:35:13] how does it go so fast. That's easy.
[2:35:17] dah-dah-dah. Boom, took off. Okay.
[2:35:20] I thought they were set at 10 or 15
[2:35:21] but they're able to do technology
[2:35:23] and make them go
[2:35:25] way faster than they should be. Thank
[2:35:26] you for
[2:35:29] bringing up the topic and look forward
[2:35:30] to
[2:35:31] whatever solution staff comes up with.
[2:35:32] when I say short
[2:35:35] term, maybe six months to a year, we
[2:35:36] can figure out how we through our
[2:35:38] children and family
[2:35:39] services departments, citizens commission
[2:35:41] for children with our
[2:35:44] partners, develop some type of educational
[2:35:45] program
[2:35:46] either directly with our staff through
[2:35:47] partners or
[2:35:49] in conjunction and talk wit the kids.
[2:35:50] they
[2:35:52] ignore the signage. Have one ear out.
[2:35:53] what we can
[2:35:56] do to actively engage these kids when they
[2:35:57] are
[2:35:58] going to school in the scooters in
[2:35:59] the wee hours of the morning they
[2:36:02] know to slow down and look and cross
[2:36:04] the street. Things that we remember.
[2:36:05] look
[2:36:07] twice and cross. Walk your bike across
[2:36:08] the street.
[2:36:09] all those things we remember growing
[2:36:11] up.
[2:36:14] thank you for the topic.
[2:36:15] >> commissioner
[2:36:17] gomez cordero.
[2:36:18] >> thank you. I wanted
[2:36:20] to say commissioner that one of my
[2:36:23] initiatives, because it happens in
[2:36:24] my
[2:36:26] district a lot,
[2:36:29] boulevard, is the kids, you
[2:36:32] know, riding the scooter to school
[2:36:34] and so on, sometimes they are distracted,
[2:36:35] they hit the car
[2:36:38] or the car hits them. It happens a
[2:36:39] lot.
[2:36:40] what I did I didn't wait for anything.
[2:36:41] I called
[2:36:43] public works. I called metro plan.
[2:36:44] I
[2:36:47] called ebike.
[2:36:50] I call the school member and so --
[2:36:52] residents very concerned about it
[2:36:53] and
[2:36:56] now we coordinating the campaign,
[2:36:57] but in
[2:36:59] that area. To see how we can alleviate
[2:37:02] but also educate especially the parents
[2:37:03] because
[2:37:05] the parents buy a scooter like commissioner
[2:37:06] said,
[2:37:08] here you go. Go to school. No instruction,
[2:37:11] no direction, no nothing. And then
[2:37:12] they
[2:37:13] just, you know.
[2:37:14] >> one of the things
[2:37:15] I wanted to
[2:37:17] ask, did you all ever discuss a registration.
[2:37:18] that was one of
[2:37:20] the things that came up in some of
[2:37:21] the
[2:37:23] conversations with residents
[2:37:25] should there be a registration where
[2:37:26] you fill out
[2:37:29] who thor on
[2:37:32] is, the person operating it and your
[2:37:33] device gets a
[2:37:34] sticker to indicate registration.
[2:37:36] did you talk
[2:37:37] about that?
[2:37:38] >> no, we haven't talked
[2:37:39] about that. I think that would
[2:37:41] be through the school right?
[2:37:42] >> no.
[2:37:43] I don't know. I don't know this is --
[2:37:45] this is why we need help.
[2:37:47] I was going to say why we would need
[2:37:49] help getting that information what things
[2:37:51] fall into
[2:37:52] which jurisdiction. The other with
[2:37:54] an educational campaign we would
[2:37:56] have to work with our partners at
[2:37:58] ocps. Understanding better what you're
[2:38:00] hearing in your community is
[2:38:03] really
[2:38:06] helpful.
[2:38:07] >>
[2:38:09] yeah.
[2:38:10] >> commissioner moore.
[2:38:11] to add to some of the things you've
[2:38:12] already brought up
[2:38:14] it's massive conversation. I went
[2:38:15] to a
[2:38:16] bike walk conference in winter garden
[2:38:18] couldn't go this year
[2:38:20] and what I was stunned about was that some of
[2:38:21] the state
[2:38:24] laws are not even there to
[2:38:25] protect cyclists when they're hit.
[2:38:27] so
[2:38:30] they can't put a claim on
[2:38:31] the insurance, the car insurance,
[2:38:34] the auto insurance, for any offer
[2:38:36] that medical bills. It has to
[2:38:38] go back on their own personal insurance.
[2:38:39] that
[2:38:41] is something that really has to be
[2:38:42] addressed
[2:38:44] as well and it's a state issue. This
[2:38:45] is not
[2:38:47] at our jurisdiction. I remember back it
[2:38:51] was probably around 2012 I
[2:38:53] was on the school board that it was
[2:38:56] haled as the best advent ever that
[2:38:57] driver's education was
[2:38:59] taken away from the schools and given to
[2:39:00] the safety
[2:39:03] council.
[2:39:05] well, I don't think it was. Because
[2:39:06] now when you
[2:39:08] see the students are accessing more
[2:39:09] driver's ed and
[2:39:12] training,
[2:39:14] it's the ones whose parents have the
[2:39:15] greatest needs and
[2:39:17] we can't get to don't get the driver's
[2:39:18] ed
[2:39:21] training. I had five fatalities in
[2:39:23] district 2 with teen drivers just
[2:39:26] in november and it's just absolutely, you
[2:39:29] know, heartbreaking. And then another
[2:39:30] piece that I think we
[2:39:33] have to bring up here is, you
[2:39:35] know, humberto, sitting back here,
[2:39:36] your staff,
[2:39:38] is struggling to keep up with what
[2:39:39] we need to do
[2:39:41] to make our roads safer and I know
[2:39:42] there's probably
[2:39:45] a whole body of work that must be
[2:39:47] done to what the sidewalks potentially
[2:39:48] would be
[2:39:50] changed, pavement markings dealing
[2:39:51] with
[2:39:54] scooters, what have you. If
[2:39:57] we're going to givego this route we
[2:39:59] have to give him adequate support
[2:40:00] and staffing and
[2:40:01] financing because he's already got
[2:40:03] a job that's incredibly
[2:40:05] difficult. I'm assuming that a lot
[2:40:06] of the standards
[2:40:09] are going to have to be derived and
[2:40:10] developed from the federal government
[2:40:12] and
[2:40:13] so I don't know if it's in the uniform
[2:40:15] code or any of the green books
[2:40:17] or any of those things those documents
[2:40:18] you
[2:40:20] use, so there's just so many pieces
[2:40:21] to this.
[2:40:24] you've got school board to public
[2:40:27] works and what have you. I wish
[2:40:29] the legislature maybe we can go up
[2:40:30] and lobby.
[2:40:32] we used to do that as a school board.
[2:40:33] it would be
[2:40:36] fun to go up with you all. Could
[2:40:38] we at least have helmets, at least
[2:40:39] that
[2:40:42] insurance side fixed.
[2:40:44] and then the school board, you know,
[2:40:45] we're going to
[2:40:47] need some education coming from the
[2:40:48] schools. I know
[2:40:50] they don't want to take responsibility
[2:40:51] for anything
[2:40:54] outside that school property. They're -- the school
[2:40:55] board
[2:40:57] is going to consider it ourour
[2:40:58] responsibility the minute that scooter
[2:41:00] is off their property. We have to
[2:41:01] work
[2:41:02] together. We have to have more of
[2:41:03] a collaborative
[2:41:06] approach because they're all of our
[2:41:07] children.
[2:41:09] they don't just belong the school board on their
[2:41:11] property or a county or city road.
[2:41:12] I
[2:41:14] hope you're considering this being
[2:41:15] county wide.
[2:41:18] if we have to do some ordinance changes
[2:41:21] let's have a comprehensive orange
[2:41:23] county structure not have it different
[2:41:24] in every
[2:41:26] one of these municipalities because that
[2:41:27] is not a good --
[2:41:29] >> that would make it difficult for the school
[2:41:30] board and
[2:41:32] everyone else it has to be county wide.
[2:41:33] I hope when we get to
[2:41:36] that. I'm not sure that's a question
[2:41:39] for
[2:41:45] buy ram.
[2:41:46] >> county wide was the goal.
[2:41:47] I think it's
[2:41:48] something what does that look like
[2:41:49] and, you
[2:41:51] know, we would need to rely on of
[2:41:52] not just
[2:41:54] our departments but start there. But
[2:41:55] then
[2:41:57] also law enforcement and our school
[2:41:58] partners.
[2:41:59] >> clearly
[2:42:00] what I'm seeing in my
[2:42:03] district is I'm particularly
[2:42:06] the boys 8th through juniors
[2:42:09] in high school have this newfound
[2:42:10] freedom and you're
[2:42:11] seeing them going out in packs trying
[2:42:12] to get to the
[2:42:15] state parks and I see them riding down
[2:42:16] the
[2:42:18] roads. I'm excited for them because
[2:42:19] now
[2:42:21] you're not waiting on mom to
[2:42:24] drive you. It's exciting but at the
[2:42:25] same time
[2:42:27] I'm not seeing any helmets and not
[2:42:29] seeing any of them paying particular
[2:42:31] attention to rules and
[2:42:34] those sorts of things.
[2:42:37] so that's where --and
[2:42:40] you're a former school
[2:42:42] board member but hope that first week we
[2:42:43] can develop
[2:42:45] a module about safe walk and biking
[2:42:46] to school and the more
[2:42:48] of them that do this, this is good,
[2:42:49] right,
[2:42:51] not so many parents in the pick-up
[2:42:52] line. It's
[2:42:55] better for us with road capacity
[2:42:56] and congestion and mornings and afternoons.
[2:42:58] it's a good
[2:43:00] thing. This is a good thing if we
[2:43:03] can impress on these young people
[2:43:04] the importance of
[2:43:06] being safe. You know that's tough.
[2:43:07] again my
[2:43:10] two that died, it was
[2:43:13] a 17-year-old driver, three fatalities
[2:43:16] on welch road and 18-year-old
[2:43:17] driver who killed two people, one
[2:43:19] in their
[2:43:21] 80s and one in the 90s. They were
[2:43:22] both young
[2:43:25] male drivers in that range. I
[2:43:27] hope we can go back and talk about
[2:43:29] driver's ed coming back to the high
[2:43:31] schools and this is
[2:43:33] a comprehensive conversation. Byrum,
[2:43:34] I hope there will
[2:43:35] be a champion here because there's
[2:43:37] so many
[2:43:39] tentacles and aspects it's something you
[2:43:42] can handle staff can handle with all
[2:43:43] of our other responsibilities and I
[2:43:45] will be curious to hear the response.
[2:43:46] this is
[2:43:48] a massive undertaking.
[2:43:49] >> I want to
[2:43:50] be clear this is
[2:43:52] a two-step process. This is very
[2:43:55] broad. The thought was
[2:43:58] today interest and support.
[2:43:59] we would now begin to actually go
[2:44:03] through it and identify who is responsible
[2:44:04] for what
[2:44:06] and begin to gather a clear sense
[2:44:07] of
[2:44:10] what might fall under state, what
[2:44:12] might fall under the sheriff's office,
[2:44:13] ocps and
[2:44:15] orange county and then come back in the
[2:44:16] spring and have
[2:44:18] a conversation with the board about
[2:44:19] those
[2:44:22] efforts, what specifically areas that would
[2:44:23] be under
[2:44:25] the purview of the board, other areas
[2:44:28] you may
[2:44:30] explore, and then begin to develop
[2:44:31] and work
[2:44:34] on those specific issues that may
[2:44:37] be
[2:44:40] policy related.
[2:44:42] this is, obviously, of great interest,
[2:44:44] significant interest, important, but it
[2:44:46] is --
[2:44:48] I mean this is very comprehensive
[2:44:49] in its reach.
[2:44:52] that's the first
[2:44:54] step and a conversation we've asked
[2:44:55] commissioner wilson after this
[2:44:58] step we go to the next step
[2:45:01] which is to begin to organize this
[2:45:04] in a fashion what falls
[2:45:05] under which area. That would be done
[2:45:07] in
[2:45:10] conjunction with
[2:45:12] conversations working with orange
[2:45:13] county
[2:45:14] sheriff's office. We would all take
[2:45:16] notes. I heard a few others you mentioned
[2:45:19] as well. But that would
[2:45:22] be done in
[2:45:24] conjunction in discussions to help
[2:45:25] this out so
[2:45:27] when we come back to the board it's
[2:45:28] a
[2:45:31] comprehensive approach not just one
[2:45:34] perspective but others who need to
[2:45:35] be at the table.
[2:45:37] >>. >> commissioner semrad. >> thank
[2:45:39] you, mayor. Thank you, commissioner
[2:45:40] wilson. This is
[2:45:43] an important topic and our --
[2:45:45] we've got two school board members
[2:45:46] and district five member gallo
[2:45:49] and vanos both have come to
[2:45:52] district 5 and expressed a lot of
[2:45:53] concern
[2:45:55] regarding the school zones and the
[2:45:58] kids' usage and safety features as
[2:46:00] well. I'm grateful the school board
[2:46:01] was here and I
[2:46:04] have the two e-mails
[2:46:07] from
[2:46:10] stephanie and
[2:46:12] angie making sure orange county has
[2:46:13] a seat at the table. One
[2:46:16] thing we haven't talked
[2:46:19] about so far is
[2:46:22] that I've
[2:46:25] almost been hit by my kid riding
[2:46:27] an ebike on the sidewalk going more
[2:46:28] than
[2:46:31] 20 miles per hour. It's --and we have
[2:46:32] to talk about
[2:46:34] our shadow population which is about
[2:46:37] 210,000 tourists a day and that they're
[2:46:38] coming
[2:46:40] in from all these different locations
[2:46:41] from around the
[2:46:43] state and outside the state and country,
[2:46:45] so being able to create some type
[2:46:47] of a safety framework
[2:46:49] where we can communicate to those
[2:46:50] tourists, and
[2:46:52] I see the tourists on international
[2:46:53] drive and
[2:46:54] other areas by the convention center
[2:46:56] where some of them don't know how
[2:46:58] to safely operate them and they don't
[2:47:01] know how to brake, not break the machine,
[2:47:02] but
[2:47:03] to stop the machine so they kind of
[2:47:05] hop off and
[2:47:07] it goes into the grass. So we have
[2:47:10] to, you know, like it is a comprehensive
[2:47:11] approach but we have
[2:47:13] to also consider we have a very large
[2:47:15] shadow population that doesn't live
[2:47:17] amongst us
[2:47:18] to receive those mainstream lessons
[2:47:19] that we could do in the schools or
[2:47:20] do
[2:47:21] through the sheriff. Somehow we have
[2:47:23] to communicate with
[2:47:25] our tourism stakeholders as well these
[2:47:26] are
[2:47:27] presenting issues that are dangerous
[2:47:28] for them and dangerous for the people
[2:47:29] who live
[2:47:30] here as well. Thank you.
[2:47:31] >> thank
[2:47:32] you so much
[2:47:34] commissioner for bringing that up I
[2:47:35] think you may
[2:47:38] have been copied on it some
[2:47:39] communication from the idrive chamber
[2:47:41] that
[2:47:43] articulated what you're saying and
[2:47:44] supportive
[2:47:47] of any movement
[2:47:48] towards, you know, some more guidelines.
[2:47:50] they're
[2:47:52] different because those are vendors
[2:47:53] and we have
[2:47:56] an ordinance we adopted in '22 to
[2:47:59] regulate the vendors for
[2:48:01] those residential micromobility devices.
[2:48:05] and so I will kind of
[2:48:07] defer to byrum on whether we can get
[2:48:08] separate information.
[2:48:10] that was a pilot program. You should
[2:48:11] have
[2:48:13] some information become from that.
[2:48:14] >> actually a
[2:48:17] meeting tomorrow I believe or this
[2:48:20] week later this week thursday
[2:48:22] with the idrive areas to those areas
[2:48:26] where we are
[2:48:28] tracking those experiences. That is
[2:48:32] a very I would
[2:48:35] say very specific stage of discussing.
[2:48:36] there's overlap with some of those
[2:48:38] concerns and that could be
[2:48:39] very informative to this effort as
[2:48:41] well. I want you
[2:48:43] to know we are specifically working
[2:48:44] with tracking
[2:48:46] on those matters concerning the program
[2:48:47] down in idrive area.
[2:48:49] >> that's great to know. I will say
[2:48:50] you're right. It does
[2:48:53] have the overlap and if I had a dry
[2:48:54] erase
[2:48:56] doing a diagram here the descriptions
[2:48:58] of the things that concern those businesses
[2:48:59] have
[2:49:00] been similar to the concerns that
[2:49:02] we hear from
[2:49:05] residents about drives that are
[2:49:07] exceeding speed strollers or wheelchairs
[2:49:08] or weaving in and out
[2:49:11] of pedestrians. Stopping and leaving
[2:49:14] a device, specific to
[2:49:16] the rentals just wherever it can be
[2:49:17] an
[2:49:20] impediment for somebody
[2:49:21] who needs access. Leaving it on a
[2:49:23] ramp for a crosswalk can keep
[2:49:26] somebody else from using that crosswalk.
[2:49:29] it will be interesting to see the
[2:49:32] outcome and help
[2:49:35] inform.
[2:49:36] >> byrum, I think there's quite
[2:49:37] a bit of
[2:49:38] work to be done here and sometimes
[2:49:40] when we've had difficult issues or
[2:49:41] complex
[2:49:44] issues as a community, we've created
[2:49:45] these
[2:49:47] task forces, but whenever we
[2:49:50] do that, because of sunshine
[2:49:52] laws et cetera, sometimes it inhibits
[2:49:53] the free flow
[2:49:56] of information. I
[2:49:59] do believe that this is
[2:50:00] something that law enforcement really
[2:50:02] needs to
[2:50:05] be significant part of and
[2:50:08] perhaps thethe orange chiefs' group can
[2:50:11] be part of those
[2:50:13] conversations, especially if we're talking
[2:50:14] about doing something that
[2:50:17] is as county
[2:50:20] wide implications.
[2:50:22] also, we have wonderful asset in our
[2:50:23] chance the
[2:50:26] okay children's safety
[2:50:29] village, that does a lot
[2:50:32] of training and awareness
[2:50:34] of bicycle safety and pedestrian safety
[2:50:35] and a number
[2:50:38] of things on the campus that they
[2:50:41] have so I believe that it's probably
[2:50:44] most appropriate at this point to
[2:50:45] keep
[2:50:47] the conversations
[2:50:50] at a staff level
[2:50:53] and look
[2:50:56] within, you know, public works perhaps
[2:50:59] even with public safety
[2:51:02] where deputy county
[2:51:05] administrator danny banks
[2:51:08] to maybe help pull this together
[2:51:12] and reach across different
[2:51:15] disciplines that may have
[2:51:18] some to hear and let
[2:51:20] the work group, we heard a representative
[2:51:21] from
[2:51:24] the school district here earlier
[2:51:27] today, that clearly they wanted to be
[2:51:30] a part of the conversation so it's
[2:51:32] multiple disciplines involved in this
[2:51:35] conversation, but I think we'll continue
[2:51:39] to have some conversation at the
[2:51:40] county administration level about
[2:51:42] how to engage
[2:51:45] the groups, take the wisdom
[2:51:48] of the board
[2:51:51] here today, and let's try
[2:51:53] to move the needle. This isn't something I
[2:51:54] think can
[2:51:57] be done in the short term, but it
[2:52:00] will take
[2:52:03] some time. There are,
[2:52:06] obviously,
[2:52:08] legislative considerations, we do
[2:52:10] here, other jurisdictions around the
[2:52:12] state is experiencing
[2:52:14] the same thing and thethe is going
[2:52:15] to
[2:52:17] believe they have some regulatory
[2:52:18] authority in
[2:52:20] this to make sure that there's standard,
[2:52:21] a
[2:52:24] standard across the
[2:52:27] state, on how this could be
[2:52:29] addressed proactively. We know there
[2:52:30] may be
[2:52:33] an
[2:52:36] enforcement component to driving
[2:52:39] compliance to
[2:52:41] reducing injuries and improving safety at
[2:52:42] the same
[2:52:45] time but I would hate to
[2:52:48] see it so punitive
[2:52:51] to where youth children
[2:52:53] are getting citations and those types
[2:52:54] of things. We
[2:52:57] have to think through that.
[2:53:00] there are as I see
[2:53:03] as many
[2:53:06] adults who are out around
[2:53:09] here in downtown I
[2:53:12] see them drive these micromobility
[2:53:15] devices with a lot of risk
[2:53:18] and a --it's like a thrill ride
[2:53:21] for them.
[2:53:24] I've seen on several occasions on
[2:53:27] I drive where it
[2:53:28] appears it's a parent riding, you
[2:53:30] know, standing up on a
[2:53:32] micromobility device an they have
[2:53:33] a one
[2:53:36] or two, sometimes
[2:53:38] three, riding these micromobility
[2:53:39] devices it's like
[2:53:42] a thrill ride and no one has on a
[2:53:45] helmet
[2:53:48] any kind of safety, associated.
[2:53:51] I look at the parent and say
[2:53:54] wow, a
[2:53:57] parent is really taking quite a
[2:54:00] risk with a child.
[2:54:03] I think there's a lot of work
[2:54:06] here
[2:54:09] as we move forward.
[2:54:11] we'll roundtable it and look to danny
[2:54:12] and others
[2:54:15] to take the lead on this and get
[2:54:18] it to a point where --with
[2:54:20] some recommendations about how we
[2:54:21] move
[2:54:23] forward. Great conversation today.
[2:54:27] 11:59. We
[2:54:30] beat the noon deadline. We're going to
[2:54:31] go
[2:54:33] into recess and we will reconvene
[2:54:34] at
[2:54:35] 2:00 p.m. For the afternoon portion
[2:54:36] of
[2:54:37] our meeting. I thank you all.
[2:54:38] >> thank you all very much.
[2:55:37] >>> good afternoon, everyone. Let me
[2:55:38] welcome you back to
[2:55:40] the meeting of december 2nd, 2025.
[2:55:43] as we begin this afternoon, we will
[2:55:44] start with
[2:55:47] our landland
[2:55:50] issues. We're up to item regarding
[2:55:53] planning
[2:55:56] ask zoning.
[2:55:59] and ms. O'hara is
[2:56:02] going to
[2:56:05] lead us off.
[2:56:06] >> good afternoon, mayor and commissioners.
[2:56:08] on november 6th, 2025, the board
[2:56:11] of zoning adjustment heard 12 cases.
[2:56:14] ted were recommended
[2:56:21] for approval. One was recommended for denial.
[2:56:22] and one case was continued to the december 4th public hearing.
[2:56:23] the appeal deadline was november 21st, and
[2:56:26] no
[2:56:27] appeals were received. It's my understanding that
[2:56:29] commissioners would like to pull the
[2:56:30] case
[2:56:32] 2511 for
[2:56:34] a board called hearing. This zoning division is working
[2:56:35] on scheduling that for a separate public hearing.
[2:56:41] so with
[2:56:44] the exception of case ba 25
[2:56:47] pulled,
[2:56:49] 2508033 which was continued, we request that they
[2:56:50] accept the recommended action and findings.
[2:56:53] >> we have
[2:56:56] a motion for approval. Do
[2:56:59] I hear a second? Second.
[2:57:02] all in favor let it be known by
[2:57:05] saying aye? Motion passes.
[2:57:06] it is unanimous. Thank you. We're
[2:57:08] going to move to the next
[2:57:11] item on ourour
[2:57:13] agenda. This is a-1 for this afternoon.
[2:57:17] this is the
[2:57:20] public hearing. This is a petition
[2:57:23] to vacate. Deputy director of public
[2:57:25] works to frame this item. You're recognized.
[2:57:26] >> thank you, mayor. This
[2:57:29] is a petition to vacate
[2:57:35] ptv
[2:57:38] 25-08022 from jonathan on
[2:57:41] behalf of
[2:57:44] 88 magnolia and charles
[2:57:50] wolsonovich. That request they vacate a
[2:57:51] portion of the unopened and
[2:57:52] unapproved broadway known as palm
[2:57:53] avenue that lies between
[2:57:56] three residential lots
[2:57:59] located within the subdivision
[2:58:01] containing approximately 0.258 acres.
[2:58:02] the property
[2:58:05] lies south of west
[2:58:08] colonial drive. The real estate
[2:58:09] management, environmental protection,
[2:58:11] jerg, transportation planning and
[2:58:12] roads
[2:58:14] and drainage divisions
[2:58:17] have no objections to the request.
[2:58:18] all utility providers have
[2:58:20] provided
[2:58:22] letters of no objection. Approval will have no adverse
[2:58:23] affect on orange
[2:58:26] county and staff has no objection to the
[2:58:27] request. The requested action is approval
[2:58:29] of
[2:58:31] ptv-25-08-022. The parcel is located in
[2:58:32] district 1 and I'm here to answer any questions.
[2:58:38] >> thank you. Is
[2:58:41] the
[2:58:42] applicant present? Would you like to come forward
[2:58:44] and make any comments? Okay, no
[2:58:47] comments. Do we have members of the
[2:58:48] public present
[2:58:50] that
[2:58:51] wish to be heard on this item?
[2:58:52] >> we have no speakers on this
[2:58:53] item.
[2:58:54] >> we'll close
[2:58:55] the public and going to potential
[2:58:56] motion.
[2:58:57] >> I'd like to make
[2:58:58] a motion to approve.
[2:58:59] >> second. >> we
[2:59:00] have a motion and
[2:59:02] a second. All in favor
[2:59:04] let be known by saying aye? Motion passes.
[2:59:05] it is unanimous.
[2:59:08] with that, we'll
[2:59:11] move to the next item on our agenda
[2:59:14] b-2, shoreline alteration.
[2:59:16] item will open the public hearing
[2:59:17] on this item and
[2:59:20] call on our environmental programs
[2:59:23] administrator
[2:59:25] to frame this item.
[2:59:26] >> good afternoon,
[2:59:27] mayor and commissioners.
[2:59:29] today I'm presenting after the
[2:59:32] fact
[2:59:36] shoreline alteration application
[2:59:39] sadf-25-02-006. S had this is
[2:59:42] for replacement vinyl sea wall.
[2:59:44] here is a location map of the property.
[2:59:45] it's shown in red for you.
[2:59:48] the property is at 3513
[2:59:50] tcu boulevard on the western shoreline
[2:59:51] of
[2:59:54] lake
[2:59:55] irma. Here's anner y'all photo outlined in yellow.
[3:00:04] june 14th of 2024, epd received a
[3:00:06] complaint that a
[3:00:08] new sea wall was being constructed
[3:00:09] at the property
[3:00:12] without a
[3:00:15] permit.
[3:00:16] staff determined that the property owner had constructed a
[3:00:17] replacement seawall directory waterward
[3:00:18] of
[3:00:21] an existing
[3:00:22] seawall, which requires a permit.
[3:00:23] the existing concrete seawall was
[3:00:24] constructed
[3:00:27] under 2006 and
[3:00:29] 2007, however, we did not find a permit for that existing wall.
[3:00:30] accordingly on
[3:00:33] june 21st,
[3:00:34] 2024, epd issued a notice of violation
[3:00:36] for the
[3:00:39] unorzed
[3:00:42] seawall. It required the property owner
[3:00:43] reert remove the seawall or submit an application
[3:00:45] for
[3:00:47] the shoreline dredge and fill permit
[3:00:48] to I attempt the permit after the fact.
[3:00:50] december 9 theth of 2024, the case
[3:00:54] was
[3:00:55] presented to the special magistrate due to lack
[3:00:56] of response from the property owner.
[3:00:57] the special
[3:00:59] magistrate issued an order that the unauthorized
[3:01:00] seawall either be removed or a permit be
[3:01:03] I applied for after the
[3:01:06] fact. There was a penalty of
[3:01:09] $4,871.
[3:01:10] 75 assessed. However, the special
[3:01:15] magistrate ruled not to apply the penalty
[3:01:16] in their order. On february 20th of this
[3:01:18] year, epd received the
[3:01:21] application for shoreline
[3:01:24] alter
[3:01:26] ration and dredge film permit. Here are the existing conditions
[3:01:27] with the vinyl seawall.
[3:01:30] as you can see being
[3:01:32] installed on the photo on the left,
[3:01:33] there's a concrete seawall.
[3:01:36] that's the old wall. And you
[3:01:38] can see they have also put in some
[3:01:39] new
[3:01:42] plantings that
[3:01:43] installed on the right. Here is the site
[3:01:51] plan.
[3:01:52] the applicant is requesting authorization for after the fact
[3:01:53] of approximately 34 feet of replacement vinyl
[3:01:58] seawall, which is shown in red. The southern end of the seawall
[3:02:02] abuts an adjacent wall to the south.
[3:02:03] the northern end of the wall ends
[3:02:05] approximately 11 feet from the property
[3:02:06] line at an existing boat ramp that they have.
[3:02:12] here
[3:02:13] is a cross section of the seawall.
[3:02:24] some considerations for
[3:02:27] you. Chapter 15, article
[3:02:29] vi, notification of the public hearing
[3:02:30] was sent to property
[3:02:33] owners within
[3:02:34] 500 feet and we received no objections.
[3:02:36] our finding is
[3:02:41] pursuant to code, epd has evaluated the permit
[3:02:42] application and required documents and has made
[3:02:45] a
[3:02:46] finding that the request is consistent
[3:02:47] with section 15-218. And finally, our
[3:02:49] action requested is acceptance of the
[3:02:52] findings and recommendation of the epd staff and approval
[3:02:54] of after
[3:02:57] the fact shoreline alteration
[3:03:00] sadf-25-02-
[3:03:02] 006, subject to the conditions listed
[3:03:03] in the staff report. That concludes my presentation.
[3:03:04] >> thank you.
[3:03:12] >> with that, is the aptly kabt present?
[3:03:15] would you like to
[3:03:18] nak
[3:03:21] make any comments? So because we
[3:03:24] had to take that as no comments unless you
[3:03:27] want to make them, you'll have to
[3:03:30] come to the podium.
[3:03:32] so that do we have members of the
[3:03:33] public present that pish to
[3:03:35] be heard?
[3:03:36] >> we have no speakers for
[3:03:37] this item.
[3:03:39] >> then
[3:03:41] we'll close the public hearing at
[3:03:44] this time. We'll go to the district
[3:03:45] commissioner. Commissioner?
[3:03:46] >> thank you,
[3:03:47] mayor.
[3:03:48] I move for the requested action.
[3:03:49] >> we
[3:03:50] have
[3:03:51] a motion and a second. All in favor
[3:03:52] let it be known by
[3:03:54] saying aye? Opposed, no.
[3:03:57] motion
[3:03:59] passes. It is unanimous. All right.
[3:04:00] we'll move
[3:04:03] to the next item. We'll
[3:04:06] open the public hearing on item
[3:04:10] c-3. Our planning administrator will
[3:04:11] be framing this item. You are recognized.
[3:04:12] >> thank
[3:04:15] you, mayor. This item is case
[3:04:21] dp-25-03-057. Property is in
[3:04:24] the quadrangle planned
[3:04:26] development track 16w student housing
[3:04:27] development plan.
[3:04:30] request here is to develop a roughly
[3:04:33] 2.
[3:04:36] 38 acre site located to construct
[3:04:37] a
[3:04:39] student housing development with
[3:04:42] approximately 447 bedrooms. Here we
[3:04:45] have
[3:04:47] the property and the map. It's a high density
[3:04:48] residential, which allows student
[3:04:51] housing
[3:04:53] the property is zoned pd district.
[3:04:54] the planned development
[3:04:57] land use plan for this
[3:05:00] property
[3:05:01] specifically allows and recently approved I by this board for a
[3:05:02] student housing development of this
[3:05:03] size and scale. Here we
[3:05:06] have aerial map showing the property
[3:05:07] or subject
[3:05:09] parcel is currently undeveloped surrounded
[3:05:12] by a mixture of commercial,
[3:05:15] office, and other student
[3:05:19] housing uses
[3:05:20] in the area. University of central florida
[3:05:22] just off site to
[3:05:24] the east there. Here we have the general site
[3:05:25] plan. Again, request is for approval
[3:05:26] of this
[3:05:28] site
[3:05:29] plan. This is coming to the board due
[3:05:31] to the code requirement that all
[3:05:32] student housing development plans
[3:05:34] receive
[3:05:37] final consideration
[3:05:38] of approval by the board of county commissioners.
[3:05:39] however, again, this board has previously
[3:05:40] proved the land use and zoning changes to allow for
[3:05:41] this specific development.
[3:05:46] so with that,
[3:05:48] recommendation is to make a consistency with the
[3:05:49] comprehensive plan
[3:05:52] and approve the tract 16ben
[3:05:53] student housing development plan subject
[3:05:55] to the
[3:05:58] conditions listed under the recommendations
[3:06:00] of staff. They are available for questions.
[3:06:01] >> all
[3:06:04] right.
[3:06:06] thank you, sir. Is the applicant on this
[3:06:07] item
[3:06:08] present? All right. She's coming forward.
[3:06:10] >>
[3:06:11] rebecca wilson, here on behalf of
[3:06:13] the applicant. Happy
[3:06:15] to answer any questions you all may
[3:06:16] have.
[3:06:18] nick is right. We have to bring each
[3:06:20] one of these student housing projects
[3:06:22] three times. That's why you keep
[3:06:24] seeing me up here. I appreciate it.
[3:06:25] >> all right.
[3:06:28] if you'll standby for a moment.
[3:06:31] do we have
[3:06:32] members of the public present that wish to be hear on
[3:06:33] this item?
[3:06:34] >> we have no speakers.
[3:06:35] >> we'll close the public hearing.
[3:06:37] we'll go to the district
[3:06:40] commissioner, commissioner
[3:06:41] wilson for a potential motion.
[3:06:42] >>
[3:06:43] I would be happy to
[3:06:46] second.
[3:06:47] >> thank
[3:06:49] you, mayor.
[3:06:52] thank you.
[3:06:53] I just need to say on the record for
[3:06:55] our quad rang until that
[3:06:58] area. We
[3:07:01] have businesses that
[3:07:02] are there. If you speak to research park,
[3:07:04] they are not
[3:07:06] digging all the student housing. I know there's a lot of
[3:07:07] variables that play
[3:07:10] into a company
[3:07:12] choosing to relocate, but it was an area that's for
[3:07:13] mixed use. I know I said
[3:07:16] this last
[3:07:18] time. I want to say it again. We have to move away from the
[3:07:19] concrete block of student housing and use
[3:07:20] the
[3:07:22] land in the most economically impactful
[3:07:24] way. Losing businesses because of
[3:07:28] student
[3:07:31] housing moving in is --
[3:07:34] they are moving.
[3:07:36] so it's concerning. I'm looking forward to
[3:07:37] seeing mixed
[3:07:40] use coming in in the future. I
[3:07:43] have communicated that with nick and team and everybody.
[3:07:45] I move for requested action. Thank you.
[3:07:46] >> all right.
[3:07:49] we have a motion I
[3:07:52] by
[3:07:53] commissioner. Seconded by scott. All in favor let it be
[3:07:55] known by saying aye.
[3:07:57] motion passes. It is unanimous. All
[3:08:02] right. We'll move to the next sum.
[3:08:03] this is d-4. We'll open the public
[3:08:04] hearing on this item.
[3:08:07] we're going to call on
[3:08:09] the assistant project manager from
[3:08:10] our zoning division.
[3:08:12] he'll come forward to frame this item.
[3:08:16] you're
[3:08:19] recognized.
[3:08:20] >> thank you, mayor.
[3:08:21] I'm james gray, assistant project
[3:08:22] manager
[3:08:25] with
[3:08:28] the zoning division.
[3:08:33] here today with the zoning manager.
[3:08:34] ift of
[3:08:36] representatives from the florida association
[3:08:37] of ror ri here
[3:08:39] as well. And representatives from
[3:08:40] code compliance. I don't
[3:08:43] know if we have a representative
[3:08:45] from orange county sheriffs office here, but
[3:08:46] all
[3:08:48] of us are available to answer questions later on.
[3:08:54] looking today to propose some chapter
[3:08:55] 38
[3:08:58] zoning code
[3:09:00] amendments to bring the county into
[3:09:01] compliance
[3:09:04] with the senate bill 564,
[3:09:06] which requires the county and all
[3:09:07] counties and
[3:09:10] jurisdictions within florida
[3:09:12] to adopt a standard process for reasonable accommodation
[3:09:13] requests.
[3:09:20] just looking for that power point.
[3:09:22] >> so james, is this
[3:09:25] the first time --
[3:09:26] >> I have, yes.
[3:09:27] it's my first time here in front of
[3:09:28] the bcc.
[3:09:29] >> that's what I thought.
[3:09:30] welcome, james.
[3:09:32] >> thank you. >> it won't be your last.
[3:09:41] it has nothing to do with the fact that the powerpoint won't
[3:09:43] come up.
[3:09:55] how long have you been in
[3:09:56] zoning?
[3:09:57] >> zoning, about three and a
[3:09:58] half years.
[3:09:59] >> so you've been around.
[3:10:00] >> then I was in planning for about six months.
[3:10:01] >> all right.
[3:10:07] you're relatively poised. Usually the first time
[3:10:08] people come to
[3:10:10] the board of county commissioners, they
[3:10:11] are really
[3:10:12] nervous.
[3:10:13] >> I will say I'm not nervous.
[3:10:20] >> all right.
[3:10:23] so there we go. We have
[3:10:26] a
[3:10:27] powerpoint.
[3:10:28] >> okay. Once again, just to
[3:10:29] address the requirements
[3:10:32] of senate bill 954
[3:10:34] reasonable accommodations that was
[3:10:35] effective
[3:10:38] as of july
[3:10:41] of this year. So
[3:10:44] we'll look at some
[3:10:46] background of senate bill 954 requirements.
[3:10:47] proposed chapter 38 amendments to
[3:10:50] meet those
[3:10:51] requirements, and then the requested
[3:10:53] action. Senate bill 954
[3:10:56] was
[3:10:57] effective on july 1st of this year.
[3:10:59] it amends section 397. 487 of
[3:11:00] florida statutes, which deal with
[3:11:02] substance abuse services.
[3:11:05] it requires jurisdictions to
[3:11:06] adopt an ordinance to establish proceed
[3:11:08] juries for the
[3:11:09] review and approval of reasonable
[3:11:11] acome requests for
[3:11:14] certified recovery residences
[3:11:17] by january 1st, 2026.
[3:11:18] it's important to note here that the
[3:11:20] senate bill
[3:11:23] is
[3:11:24] addressing reasonable accommodations and
[3:11:25] only addresses them with regard to
[3:11:26] certified recovery residences.
[3:11:28] but what you're going to see here
[3:11:29] is there's two
[3:11:30] distinct concepts at work. There's
[3:11:32] that of the
[3:11:33] reasonable accommodation and that of
[3:11:35] recovery of residences.
[3:11:41] so what is a recovery residence?
[3:11:44] commonly referred to as a sober living
[3:11:47] facility,
[3:11:49] where individuals live together as a
[3:11:50] family and receive off-site treatment for substance
[3:11:51] abuse disorders.
[3:11:52] they provide housing to a protected
[3:11:53] class, so
[3:11:54] all residents are considered to have
[3:11:56] a disability under the
[3:11:59] fair housing act and the americans
[3:12:02] with disabilities act, ada.
[3:12:05] so they get all of the same
[3:12:08] rights, all of the same
[3:12:11] considerations that somebody who
[3:12:14] relies on a wheelchair for
[3:12:15] mobility, somebody on dialysis, somebody
[3:12:17] with
[3:12:18] vision impairment, all of those same rights.
[3:12:19] local jurisdictions under this bill
[3:12:23] are limited in how
[3:12:25] they regulate and we're limited because
[3:12:26] you're dealing
[3:12:29] with a protected class here. And these
[3:12:30] facilities
[3:12:32] are commonly located in single-family
[3:12:35] homes in
[3:12:38] residential areas
[3:12:40] and neighborhoods. Contrast that against a
[3:12:41] certified recovery residence, a recovery
[3:12:42] residence
[3:12:44] that holds a
[3:12:45] valid certificate of compliance and is actively managed by a
[3:12:47] certified recovery
[3:12:50] residence administrator.
[3:12:51] certification is encouraged by the starkts but it is
[3:12:53] not mandatory. Certification
[3:12:56] is
[3:12:57] also conducted through the florida association
[3:12:59] of recovery residences.
[3:13:02] and farr is the sole
[3:13:04] organization that certifies recovery
[3:13:05] residences in
[3:13:08] florida. With regard to reasonable
[3:13:10] accommodation requests, these requests
[3:13:14] can cover a
[3:13:17] variety of circumstances. We have the one for recovery
[3:13:18] residences, which address how the residents
[3:13:19] of a ror ri residence are a family
[3:13:20] despite
[3:13:23] not meeting
[3:13:24] the code definitions. A code definition
[3:13:26] provides that a family is
[3:13:29] two or more related people related
[3:13:30] through
[3:13:31] blood, marriage, adoption, or no more
[3:13:32] than
[3:13:35] four
[3:13:38] unrelated
[3:13:41] people.
[3:13:42] typically, the request for accommodation in these
[3:13:43] situations is to treat the residents as a family the
[3:13:44] same way we would address
[3:13:46] any other single family. It allows
[3:13:47] a a
[3:13:49] greater number of unrelated people
[3:13:50] to dwell together in
[3:13:52] a single home than would otherwise
[3:13:56] be permitted by code. We also get requests for
[3:13:57] emotional support
[3:13:59] animals,
[3:14:00] which allows for types of animals to
[3:14:01] be located on a property where they
[3:14:04] may not be otherwise be permitted by code.
[3:14:05] this applies also
[3:14:06] to development standard variances.
[3:14:08] if somebody needs to put
[3:14:11] up a
[3:14:12] wheelchair ramp it might encroach into the setback, a
[3:14:13] reasonable accommodation would cover that as well.
[3:14:20] the current process, which is not
[3:14:23] codified, but it is the
[3:14:26] process that we currently have requires a cover letter
[3:14:29] that
[3:14:30] states the nature and purpose of the reasonable accommodation.
[3:14:32] what is it and why do you need
[3:14:35] it. Depending on the request, there
[3:14:38] might be additional
[3:14:40] documentation such as a floor plan, a letter from a health
[3:14:41] care practitioner, proof of compliance
[3:14:42] with the state and
[3:14:43] local requirements for licensing and
[3:14:44] vaccinating
[3:14:47] each emotional support
[3:14:50] animal.
[3:14:52] those requests then go to the zoning
[3:14:53] manager or the county attorney's office
[3:14:56] to review the
[3:14:59] request and for compliance with the fha and ada.
[3:15:00] the zoning manager then issues a letter approving or denying the
[3:15:02] request.
[3:15:08] senate
[3:15:11] bill 954 requires the
[3:15:12] county to adopt an ordinance establishing procedures for the
[3:15:14] review and approval of reasonable
[3:15:15] accommodations. It
[3:15:17] only addresses certified
[3:15:20] recovery residences only.
[3:15:26] it must through this bill establish
[3:15:27] a
[3:15:29] written
[3:15:30] application process. The process may not require
[3:15:31] public hearings required by law and
[3:15:32] requires kipt sit
[3:15:35] with the fair housing amendments act and
[3:15:36] the ada.
[3:15:38] so here
[3:15:41] are the proposed chapter 38
[3:15:44] amendments. To amend section 38-140
[3:15:47] , which is reserved vacant, to add
[3:15:50] a reasonable accommodation process,
[3:15:51] which
[3:15:52] includes recovery residences, emotional
[3:15:54] support animals, and any other
[3:15:56] requests for reasonable accommodations.
[3:15:59] so the proposed ordinance does not
[3:16:02] only address those certified recovery
[3:16:03] residences.
[3:16:06] it does require certificate fate fist indication or documentation
[3:16:09] for recovery residences.
[3:16:11] it prohibits fees associated with the request or appeal, but
[3:16:12] it does
[3:16:13] establish an appeal process because
[3:16:14] it's a zoning manager determination
[3:16:17] that would go through the board of
[3:16:18] zoning adjustment
[3:16:21] that
[3:16:22] would be a public hearing, but for the
[3:16:23] appeal only. The process would largely follow
[3:16:24] our existing unofficial
[3:16:27] process. So this is not adding a
[3:16:28] new use or anything like that. It's just codifying what we're
[3:16:30] already doing.
[3:16:35] pzc hearing on november 20th, there was
[3:16:36] the
[3:16:37] ordinance recommended for approval
[3:16:39] unanimously
[3:16:41] with no changes. And the next steps,
[3:16:45] january
[3:16:46] 1st, 2026, is the effective date of
[3:16:48] the ordinance. That
[3:16:51] concludes the presentation. I am here and everybody else I
[3:16:52] mentioned before is also here to
[3:16:53] answer any questions you may have.
[3:16:57] >> all right.
[3:16:59] standby, james. Do we have anyone
[3:17:00] from the public present?
[3:17:02] >> we have no speakers registered
[3:17:03] for this item.
[3:17:06] >> all right. Then
[3:17:09] we'll close the public hearing
[3:17:12] portion. Before I
[3:17:15] go to commissioner for a
[3:17:18] motion,
[3:17:19] I'll entertain questions or comments from
[3:17:21] the board.
[3:17:22] >> thank you.
[3:17:23] I have a question. Thank you so much
[3:17:24] for
[3:17:27] the presentation.
[3:17:30] I have a
[3:17:33] simple question. Okay. How is the county working to
[3:17:34] make sure these changes don't cause
[3:17:36] any delays to project
[3:17:39] getting approved since there are
[3:17:40] already developers feel like it takes too
[3:17:42] long?
[3:17:43] >>
[3:17:44] I don't know I understand the question.
[3:17:45] >> with
[3:17:48] all the
[3:17:50] changes, will this be --what will
[3:17:51] cause
[3:17:54] delay in the projects?
[3:17:55] >> so commissioner,
[3:17:56] I think that your question is maybe
[3:17:57] somewhat
[3:18:00] unrelated to the ordinance
[3:18:02] itself. So this isn't really going
[3:18:03] to impact any
[3:18:05] developers at all. Typically what
[3:18:06] we get for reasonable accommodations
[3:18:09] are
[3:18:11] existing single-family homes wrrks a business just want thes
[3:18:12] to move in and operate a
[3:18:14] recovery residence in those single-
[3:18:18] family
[3:18:20] homes. This actually is an administrative process.
[3:18:21] so if anything, it's going to make the process
[3:18:24] faster. There's no
[3:18:26] public hearing process. All of that.
[3:18:27] does that answer your question?
[3:18:28] >> yes, thank you.
[3:18:33] >> all right. Commissioner?
[3:18:36] >> how are we currently
[3:18:39] handling these? We have always been
[3:18:40] very
[3:18:42] responsive to assist people who may
[3:18:43] need
[3:18:45] help.
[3:18:46] I have known you fwies have got on the phone with
[3:18:48] applicants and people. Is this
[3:18:51] something extraordinary for us.
[3:18:52] I know someone with an emotional animal and they got help.
[3:19:00] currently, we're already
[3:19:01] helping individuals that may need
[3:19:03] some
[3:19:04] additional systems who are like that.
[3:19:06] if you could share more.
[3:19:07] >>
[3:19:09] yeah we are. In the last three
[3:19:12] years, we have had 12 or 13 requests
[3:19:15] for reasonable accommodation for
[3:19:18] certified recovery residences. We're
[3:19:21] also evaluating the reasonable accommodation
[3:19:22] request
[3:19:24] for the emotional support animals.
[3:19:26] those don't always get approved depending
[3:19:27] on the
[3:19:30] animal, but with
[3:19:33] the
[3:19:42] certified
[3:19:45] recovery residences, 13 approved in the
[3:19:46] last three years.
[3:19:47] there are the not certified recovery residences as well.
[3:19:48] sometimes they don't come in the way they should depending on how
[3:19:49] the house. This is something we're
[3:19:50] already doing.
[3:19:51] all this bill is requiring is to actually
[3:19:52] put it in
[3:19:53] the code the process.
[3:19:54] >> that's what I
[3:19:55] was getting
[3:19:57] at. I was always known us to be very
[3:19:58] responsive to
[3:20:00] people who need assistance. And
[3:20:03] I know the commissioner asked if it's going to change
[3:20:04] anything in the process. You said it
[3:20:05] actually would help move this along.
[3:20:06] so would a
[3:20:08] person have to come and identify themselves
[3:20:09] as
[3:20:12] needing
[3:20:13] special accommodations? Can you run us through a
[3:20:14] typical scenario of a constituent
[3:20:15] that would
[3:20:18] be coming in?
[3:20:19] >> sure. The only ones that I
[3:20:20] have received since I have worked
[3:20:21] here a little
[3:20:24] over eight years are requests
[3:20:26] for emotional support animals or requesting
[3:20:27] for
[3:20:30] recovery
[3:20:33] residences. And usually it starts
[3:20:36] with the code
[3:20:38] of compliance. Someone calls in and says my
[3:20:39] neighbor has a goat or a chicken or
[3:20:40] whatever.
[3:20:42] and they say this is my emotional
[3:20:43] support
[3:20:45] animal. If you're asking
[3:20:46] for reasonable accommodation, you
[3:20:48] need
[3:20:51] to submit the documentation as a result of that.
[3:20:52] so we ask them to send a letter in
[3:20:53] to
[3:20:54] me explaining
[3:20:56] what they are asking for in the case of
[3:20:57] emotional support animals, we ask
[3:21:00] that they identify what
[3:21:03] each animal -- we ask that a health
[3:21:06] care practitioner identifies what
[3:21:07] each animal does
[3:21:08] for the individual. Each animal has
[3:21:10] to be an
[3:21:11] emotional support animal for that
[3:21:13] person. It
[3:21:16] can't
[3:21:17] just be I have 50 chickens and I want to have them
[3:21:18] all. So the practitioner has to specifically
[3:21:19] outline
[3:21:22] typically the animals have
[3:21:27] names. Usually they are cute. And
[3:21:31] so
[3:21:32] they outline what chuck does for the individual, and
[3:21:34] then I consult with the county
[3:21:35] attorney's office to confirm they
[3:21:37] are meeting those
[3:21:39] standards of the fair housing act.
[3:21:43] and then I write them a letter
[3:21:45] back saying we're giving you this reasonable accommodation.
[3:21:46] with recovery
[3:21:48] residences, it's typically a similar
[3:21:49] thing where either
[3:21:52] someone
[3:21:53] just knows if it's a company that's done it
[3:21:55] before
[3:21:56] they come in and ask. Then it's a similar thing.
[3:21:57] they provide a letter. They provide
[3:21:59] us documentation. And then I consult
[3:22:01] with the county attorney's
[3:22:04] office and we write them
[3:22:06] a letter backing. The difference here is we're
[3:22:09] codifying the process so that people actually know there is a
[3:22:10] process.
[3:22:11] so before it was kind of like, oh,
[3:22:12] I don't know what to do or how to
[3:22:13] do it
[3:22:15] or whatever. We're actually putting it in
[3:22:16] the code
[3:22:18] now so it's clear for anyone who might
[3:22:19] want the to
[3:22:20] utilize that process.
[3:22:21] >> perfect.
[3:22:22] thank you.
[3:22:26] >> just while I'm here, one point of clarification.
[3:22:28] the effective date of
[3:22:30] the ordinance is not january 1st.
[3:22:31] it will
[3:22:32] likely become effective prior to january
[3:22:34] 1st. I'm guessing
[3:22:37] about 10
[3:22:39] to 15 days after the adoption of the public
[3:22:40] hearing. Once we receive it from the
[3:22:41] state,
[3:22:42] but I think it's about 10 to 15 days.
[3:22:49] >> commissioner scott?
[3:22:51] >> I just had a quick question. If
[3:22:55] someone made a
[3:22:58] complaint reference to
[3:23:01] code violation,
[3:23:02] you were going to investigate and
[3:23:04] meet with the practitioner or thought
[3:23:06] the appropriate paperwork gets approved.
[3:23:10] what
[3:23:11] follow-up is done with me as the complaint and what is
[3:23:12] shared with me? Do I know they have
[3:23:13] an accommodation?
[3:23:15] how does that work? I'm just trying
[3:23:16] to
[3:23:18] understand from a hipaa stand point.
[3:23:22] I
[3:23:25] make the complaint.
[3:23:27] >> point of clarification. I do not go
[3:23:28] and investigate. I'm looking
[3:23:31] back to
[3:23:32] them because I'm not sure what they do when
[3:23:33] they close out complaints if they
[3:23:34] notify
[3:23:37] the
[3:23:41] applicant or not megan, would you mindment coming
[3:23:42] and speaking to that and what it is they notify?
[3:23:43] >> I did know you were going to
[3:23:46] come up here today.
[3:23:49] >> megan
[3:23:51] marshal. Your question was if the --
[3:23:55] >> I made
[3:23:57] the complaint -- in team you get notice
[3:23:58] from a
[3:24:01] health provider they have accommodation.
[3:24:03] what's being told?
[3:24:04] >> as the person
[3:24:05] that made
[3:24:07] the call, you would be told that the
[3:24:10] property was placed based off a
[3:24:11] reasonable accommodation. We're not
[3:24:13] getting into any of
[3:24:16] the
[3:24:18] hardship a pa rules rules violations.
[3:24:19] everything we do is public
[3:24:21] record, so the letter that the county attorney's
[3:24:22] office writes
[3:24:25] is --I don't want to say
[3:24:28] vague, but you're
[3:24:31] stating that the information provided by the
[3:24:32] health provider was found to be in
[3:24:34] conjunction with
[3:24:37] the law, so tlrvegs there's a reasonable
[3:24:38] accommodation for the goats, chickens,
[3:24:40] that would be
[3:24:43] at that specific property. That's why we'd close the case
[3:24:46] based on that.
[3:24:47] >> with
[3:24:49] this ordinance, does it apply
[3:24:52] county wide inclusive of
[3:24:55] the municipalities?
[3:24:56] >> no,
[3:24:58] it does not. Is and you
[3:25:00] may -- I don't know if you get other municipalities
[3:25:01] or not,
[3:25:04] but I have been
[3:25:07] seeing quite a few agendas of
[3:25:09] local municipalities adopting a similar ordinance
[3:25:10] because state law requires them all to be
[3:25:11] effective by january 1st.
[3:25:16] >>
[3:25:18] okay. All right. Any other questions
[3:25:19] or
[3:25:22] comments? If there
[3:25:25] are
[3:25:28] none.
[3:25:29] >> so moved. >> second. >> all
[3:25:30] right.
[3:25:34] commissioner made the motion.
[3:25:36] all in favor?
[3:25:37] >> aye. >> motion passes.
[3:25:38] it is unanimous.
[3:25:43] all right. With that, we
[3:25:45] really do not have any other business before us
[3:25:46] this afternoon.
[3:25:49] so we stand adjourned.