2004-01-27 Joint WorkshopCITY OF OKEECHOBEE
JANUARY 27,2004 JOINT WORKSHOP OF THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNTY COMMISSION, AND SCHOOL BOARD
SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP DISCUSSION
1. CALL TO ORDER.
11. ATTENDANCE.
Mayor, City Council and Staff Members.
Okeechobee Board of County Commission and Staff Members.
Okeechobee County School Board and Staff Members.
Ill. DISCUSSION - Feasibility of Impact Fees.
PAeE I oF 2
Board of County Commission, Chairperson, Cliff Betts called the workshop to order on January 27, 2004 at 1:30 p.m.
The workshop was held in the County Annex Health Department Building, 1798 Northwest 91 Avenue.
The following Board and Staff Members were present:
City Council Members Noel A. Chandler, Lowry Markham, Dowling R. Watford, Jr., Clayton Williams, Jr., Administrator
Bill L. Veach, and City Clerk Lane Gamiotea.
County Commissioners Cliff Betts, Clois Harvey, John Abney, David Hazellief, Gene Woods, County Attorney John
Cassels, Administrator George Long, and Deputy Clerk Debra Lewis.
School Board Members Gay Carlton, Joe Arnold, India Riedel, Donna Enrico, Superintendent Phoebe Raulerson, and
Secretary Gena Arbogast.
Superintendent Raulerson began the discussion by stating the School Board called forthisjoint workshop to investigate
the feasibility of implementing impact fees within the City and County of Okeechobee. The school's enrolled two
hundred additional unanticipated students at the beginning of the school -year. The system that is in place can deal with
slow growth, but not rapid growth. The School Board is handling the new class room size requirement. However, the
concern is that should one large development come in. The schools would not be able to handle it.
Chairperson Betts responded that we all know there is a need. However, we need to all come to a consensus as to
whether we all want to participate. The City Council Members and County Commissioners present agreed that impact
fees should be researched.
Following a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that Administrator Veach and his staff, Administrator Long and his staff
and Superintendent Raulerson and her staff would work together to draft a joint Request For Proposal (RFP). The RFP
will be used to hire a consultant to perform impact fees feasibility studies within the City and County. The costs will be
shared by all three parties.
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE
JANUARY 27,2004 JOINT WORKSHOP OF THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNTY COMMISSION, AND SCHOOL BOARD
SUMMARY OF WORKSHOP DISCUSSION
1. CALL TO ORDER.
111. ATTENDANCE.
Mayor, City Council and Staff Members.
Okeechobee Board of County Commission and Staff Members.
Okeechobee County School Board and Staff Members.
III. DISCUSSION - Feasibility of Impact Fees.
PAGE 1 oF 2
Board of County Commission, Chairperson, Cliff Betts called the workshop to order on January 27, 2004 at 1:30 p.m.
The workshop was held in the County Annex Health Department Building, 1798 Northwest 9"Avenue.
The following Board and Staff Members were present:
City Council Members Noel A. Chandler, Lowry Markham, Dowling R. Watford, Jr., Clayton Williams, Jr., Administrator
Bill L. Veach, and City Clerk Lane Gamiotea.
County Commissioners Cliff Betts, Clois Harvey, John Abney, David Hazellief, Gene Woods, County Attorney John
Cassels, Administrator George Long, and Deputy Clerk Debra Lewis.
School Board Members Gay Carlton, Joe Arnold, India Riedel, Donna Enrico, Superintendent Phoebe Raulerson, and
Secretary Gena Arbogast.
Superintendent Raulerson began the discussion by stating the School Board called for this joint workshop to investigate
the feasibility of implementing impact fees within the City and County of Okeechobee. The school's enrolled two
hundred additional unanticipated students at the beginning of the school -year. The system that is in place can deal with
slow growth, but not rapid growth. The School Board is handling the new class room size requirement. However, the
concern is that should one large development come in. The schools would not be able to handle it.
Chairperson Betts responded that we all know there is a need. However, we need to all come to a consensus as to
whether we all want to participate. The City Council Members and County Commissioners present agreed that impact
fees should be researched.
Following a lengthy discussion, it was agreed that Administrator Veach and his staff, Administrator Long and his staff
and Superintendent Raulerson and her staff would work together to draft a joint Request For Proposal (RFP). The RFP
will be used to hire a consultant to perform impact fees feasibility studies within the City and County. The costs will be
shared by all three parties.
III. DISCUSSION - Feasibility of Impact Fan continued.
IV. ADJOURN WORKSHOP.
Please take Mice and be advised that ff a person decides to appeal any decision made by Me City Council with
respect to any matter considered at this meeting, helshe may need to insure that a verbatim record of the
proceeding is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
City Clark tapes are for the sole purpose of backup for oftal records of the Clerk.
ATTEST:
C
Lane Gamiotea7, City Clerk
"-e- "9 -
James E. Kirk, Mayor
JANuARY 27,2004 - JoiNT Wowswp PAGE 2 oF 2
The draft will need to come back to the City Council and County Commissioners for approval. Also, the two boards
will need to prioritize for the consultant, the needs of each. The Commissioners have already been working on this
topic. Administrator Long agreed to forward a copy of the various types impact fees to Administrator Veach.
Discussion ensued, the members also mentioned that at some point the Okeechobee Utility Authority may have to
become a participant with this. Administrator Veach stated, on behalf of Mayor Kirk who was unable to attend due to
a family medical emergency, his first concern was that impact fees would restrict growth. Everyone agreed that this
tool needed to be used in a realistic, sensible method to assist the community as a whole, not deter growth.
There being no discussion, the workshop was adjourned at 2:33 p.m.
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Minutes of
Okeechobee County School Board
Workshop Session with Okeechobee City Council and
the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners
January 27, 2004
The Okeechobee County School Board met in a joint workshop session with the Okeechobee City
Council and the Okeechobee Board of County Commissioners on the above date at the Okeechobee
County Health Department Auditorium located at 1798 N.W. 9th Avenue. The following Board
Members were present at the workshop:
School Board Members: Gay Carlton, Joe Arnold, Donna Enrico, India Riedel.
City Council Members: Noel Chandler, Lowry Markham, Dowling Watford, Clayton
Williams, and City Administrator Bill Veach.
County Commissioners: Cliff Betts, Clois Harvey, John Abney, David Hazellief, Gene
Woods, County Attorney John Cassels, and County Administrator George Long.
The workshop session was requested by Phoebe Raulerson, Superintendent of Schools, to discuss
impact fees. Clif Betts, Chairman of the Board of Okeechobee County Commissioners called the
meeting to order at 1:35 p.m., and turned the meeting over to Superintendent Raulerson for
comment.
Mrs. Raulerson explained that in talking with the School Board, they requested she ask for this
meeting to talk about impact fees as something the community may want to look at. What brought
the matter to light is the additional 200 students above last year's enrollment, which is significantly
above the FTE projections for the School District. Mrs. Raulerson stated that the School District can
deal with slow growth; but should the community have a large development there would be many
problems, not the least of which would be enough schools. Mrs. Raulerson provided the following
costs for building new schools in the state this past year:
cost Grade Level Cou
$12 million Elementary Brevard
$9.9 million Elementary Clay
$39.9 million High School Osceola
$21.6 n-dllion Middle School Pinellas
The figures provided by the state to calculate the cost of building a school are based on an average
cost for each student station. The figures take into account everything that is needed for the student,
such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, media centers, office space, etc. In order to show how quickly
costs are increasing, Mrs. Raulerson provided the average cost per student station estimates from
January 2002 and January 2004:
January 2002 January 2004
$12,755 per elementary student station $13,352 per elementary student station
$14,624 per middle school student station $15,316 per middle school student station
$19,352 per high school student station $20,267 per high school student station
Mrs. Raulerson commented that the community needs to be aware of these costs should there be a
large increase in population at some point in the future.
The School District also deals with the Class Size Amendment, and Mrs. Raulerson told the group
that the District has not had any money taken away from it so far because it has been able to meet all
the requirements to reduce class sizes and stay within the law. Under the Class Size Reduction law,
no matter how large a classroom is, there can only be so many children in a room at one time.
Mrs. Raulerson stated the cost for the new South Elementary was $8 million.
Mrs. Raulerson said that the School District is in good shape right now as far as buildings are
concerned, but that it would behoove the community to look at what happens if a big development
suddenly comes in to the county.
Clif Betts, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, stated that the main thrust of the
meeting is to get all the players together to look at the possibility of having impact fees. He stated
that no one is interested in seeing fees like Martin County is imposing - - $10-12,000 per lot. Mr.
Betts mentioned that George Long, County Administrator, suggested hiring a consultant to do a
feasibility study to see what impact fees are needed. He stated that no one wants to see a windfall
for anyone from impact fees, but that everyone knows it is something that is needed if the
community is going to support any future growth. He said that whatever is done must be affordable
for residents so as not to deter growth. However, future growth must pay for itself and pay for the
facilities and infrastructure it will require.
Mr. Betts asked how others of the group felt about the issue, and a lengthy discussion followed. It'
was agreed that County Administrator George Long and staff, City Administrator Bill Veach and
staff, and Superintendent Phoebe Raulerson's staff would work together to develop a joint Request
For Proposal (RFP) to hire a consultant who can conduct a feasibility study regarding impact fees. It
was also agreed that the cost will be shared by all three entities.
409
Minutes of
Okeechobee County School Board
Workshop Session with Okeechobee City Council and
the Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners
January 27, 2004
The Board of County Commissioners has been researching impact fees, and Administrator George
Long agreed to share the information it has gathered to date with the other Boards. It was also
mentioned that at some point, the Okeechobee Utility Authority may need to participate in the effort.
City Administrator Bill Veach stated that Mayor Jim Kirk could not be present due to a family
emergency. Administrator Veach went on to say that Mayor Kirk's concern is that impact fees will
not deter growth in the community.
Commission Chairman Betts stated that the Board of County Commissioners is interested in
continuing joint workshops from time to time to discuss common objectives. The meeting
adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
P6ebe Raulerson
Superintendent of Schools
OKEECHOBEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Gay
410