Charlotte County Rumor Central

Setting the record straight...

Conservation Charlotte Land Purchases

What we have heard: The County did not listen to the recommendations of the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee regarding land purchases.

Reality: The Board of County Commissioners depended heavily upon the advice of the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee. The Committee serves as advisors for the Conservation Charlotte program. Conservation Charlotte is a voter approved funding source for the purchase of environmentally sensitive lands. The properties purchased by the County were on the Committee's list of recommended purchases. The program has been a hugely successful in acquiring 2,250 acres of environmentally sensitive lands. The properties were purchased at below appraised values. The lands acquired will ensure these extremely valuable natural areas will protect endangered species and their habitats while also being enjoyed by County residents and future generations.

Assistance with Neighborhood Clean Up

What we have heard: The County doesn’t assist residents who want to remove litter from their neighborhoods and community.

Reality: Charlotte County offers many opportunities to residents to participate in community programs; Keep Charlotte Beautiful helps civic clubs and homeowner associations coordinate beautification projects for their neighborhoods, and sponsors the Adopt-A-Road, Adopt-A-Shore, Coastal Clean up events, and the Great American Clean Up event and the Partners for a Clean Charlotte is a committee that helps these same groups with community clean up events, providing coordination, disposal containers and disposal information. All these programs are available, but all require volunteers from the community to make them work. To find out more about these programs please contact Keep Charlotte Beautiful Program Coordinator, Glenda Anderson at 764-4390 or go on line at www.CharlotteCountyFL.com.

The County’s Mini-Transfer & Recycling Facilities were designed and are operated to provide services for waste generated on individual residential properties and are not staffed nor funded to accept large quantities of waste associated with community clean up events, other community improvement activities or vacant lots. There is a cost to operate the recycling facilities. Residents that desire to clean up their community or neighborhood on their own can take the waste generated from this activity to the County’s Zemel Road Landfill, a fee will be charged for disposal.

West Charlotte Mini-Transfer & Recycling Facility

What we have heard: The West Charlotte Mini-Transfer & Recycling Facility has been sold.

Reality: The renovations for the West Charlotte Mini Transfer & Recycling Facility are on target and the completion is scheduled for July 2008. The facility has not been sold.

The renovations for the West Charlotte Facility are on schedule and the construction time-line should be achieved. These renovations will not only improve customer services, but significantly reduce operating costs through more efficient means of transporting waste and provide us with more recycling opportunities which generate revenues.

Water Shortage and New Development

What we have heard: Why does Charlotte County continue to approve new developments if we have a water shortage?

Reality: Water availability and new development involve two County departments, Charlotte County Utilities (CCU) and Growth Management. Senate Bill 360 mandates that all facilities and infrastructure required to support new development be in place before a certificate of occupancy can be issued. If the development intends to use centralized sewer and water then Growth Management works with CCU and part of the plan review process confirms that water will be available. CCU is required by State concurrency requirements to provide sufficient capacity to meet the needs of future growth as well as existing customers. They do this by monitoring current usage and estimating future growth. Approximately 95% of the water CCU provides its customers is purchased from the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (PR/MRWSA). They currently have several projects underway to increase water capacity and insure the necessary facilities are in place as these new developments come on-line. So, to answer your question, we have sufficient water available (or will have after expansion is complete) to meet the needs of those developments currently planned. However, water will continue to be of concern as we grow and experience seasonal drought conditions. At times there can be a limited supply and the ongoing drought has depleted reserves of stored water at the PR/MRWSA facility. This is one of the reasons why we emphasize water conservation and try to curtail water waste wherever possible (unnecessary yard watering, unchecked running faucets, leaks, etc.).

The County is involved in developments that utilize our water and sewer services. Those dependent upon septic tanks and wells fall under the jurisdiction of the State Health Department.

County Employees Follow Garbage Trucks

What we have heard: Why does the County have employees following garbage trucks?

Reality: The employees are doing solid waste audits.

Charlotte County Solid Waste Management Division is responsible to oversee/manage the contract services provided by Waste Management and, as such, we monitor and verify performance.

The Solid Waste Division is auditing solid waste curb side collection services. This is part of our management responsibility and the audit enables the County to make management decisions. The County is currently performing route audits to provide us with information relating to the Waste Management contract, which expires in 2009.

These audits will enable the County to determine garbage, recyclables and yard trimmings participation rates [set out rates] of residents. It is anticipated this information will assist with the new contract negotiation process. The audit results will enable the Solid Waste Division to make recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners and provide the Commissioners with information on which to base their decisions. In addition, the information will aid in developing educational outreach and in making other management decisions. These audits will be continuing over the next several months.

Library to be closed?

What we have heard: The Port Charlotte Library will be closed.

Reality: There are currently no plans to close the Port Charlotte Library. Over the next year the County will be examining all of its operations with the goal to be more efficient and to reduce spending. While we will be looking at the libraries, as well as other programs and services, no decisions have been made at this time.

Fishing Pier in Placida

What we have heard: The fishing pier in Placida is being removed.

Reality: The County did not discuss the removal of the fishing pier/trestle in Placida. However, the County did consider the removal of a portion of the trestle on the closed pier on the Myakka River on the Gulf Cove side. This pier has been closed off for many years since the DOT Department widened the bridge and cutoff access. The county had considered removing the decking and cross ties at this location and leaving the pilings for fish habitat. The pier had a fire at the substructure level and there was concern that trestle material might fall in the water and create an unnecessary risk for boaters. At the March 11, 2008 Commission meeting a number of residents spoke in favor of leaving the trestle pier as-is. The Commissioners agreed and voted not to remove the decking and cross ties.

Bayshore Live Oak Park Lighting

What we have heard: There are problems with the lights at Bayshore Live Oak Park

Reality: This project has just been completed and a grand opening ceremony was held in March. To explain the lighting issues, it needs to be understood that this project has taken many years to complete, from land acquisition to actual construction. It took a couple of years just to work through all of the environmental and federal permits required; the project was also delayed due to Hurricane Charley. While the original design had lights included, over time they were deleted as a cost cutting measure. During the construction phase, this decision was readdressed and the lights were reinstated for additional security and for the safety of visitors after dusk. In addition to the park lights, street lights have been installed along the roadway fronting the park. This provides for better illumination and the additional safety of our park visitors.

Murdock Village Interest Payments

What we have heard: The Murdock Village redevelopment project is costing the County $14,000 a day in interest on borrowed funds.

Reality: The County initiated a long-term commitment to re-assemble and redevelop a 1200 acre site in mid-County in 2003. This commitment was a result of an in-depth study prepared by the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit education and research organization whose “mission is to provide responsible leadership in the use of land.” The study was commissioned by Board of County Commissioners on 125 acres within the current Murdock Village Redevelopment Area.** It was an effort to find a solution to the platted lands dilemma that faces the county. With over 226,000 lots that were platted during the 1960’s Florida land boom era the build-out of these antiquated subdivisions did not seem feasible. These subdivisions are primarily single family lots that do not provide a balance of use with adequate infrastructure and environmental safeguards. Abandoned by the original developer, the infrastructure deteriorated and urban services were not met and private investment into the area was limited.

In 2003 the Board of County Commissioners identified a section of the county that consisted of platted antiquated subdivisions that met the definition of “blight” as defined under the Florida Redevelopment Act. In 2005, the Murdock Village Redevelopment Plan was adopted by the Board to set the vision of the redevelopment effort. The vision is to create a mixed-use, high tech, energy efficient and environmentally friendly community that will provide the town center that was lacking in county. To assemble the parcels and provide the necessary entitlements that would facilitate a developer, the County borrowed $88.3 million from external sources. The majority of the loan is at a fixed interested rate of 5.83 with a small loan of $5 million with an interest rate that varies monthly, since July 2007 the interest rate has been in the low 4% range. The average external rate is $14,880 a day.

In addition, the county has provided $12 million from the General Revenue as a loan to complete the project. The Board decided that the loan should be interest bearing and so the interest is equivalent to what the County would earn if those funds were invested, which is assumed to be 5%. The interest on the internal borrow is an additional $1,830 a day.

Murdock Village is a long-term commitment which is expected to provide long-term benefits to the entire community and the region of Southwest Florida. Kitson and Partners was selected in October 2007 to purchase the approximately 870 acres of property that the County assembled in Murdock Village. The real estate closing is anticipated to occur in June 2008. The purchase price of the property is $72 million plus a transfer fee from each initial sale and resale of qualified built residential units. The developer has estimated that $67 million dollars of infrastructure improvements will be constructed to add value and promote the redevelopment vision that has been adopted by the community.

So, this is not a rumor, the County is paying interest on the money it has borrowed for Murdock Village redevelopment project. It is a planned expense and will be compensated for in various ways over the life of the project.

**In a prior posting we indicated that the ULI study was completed on the entire Murdock Village project. In clarification, the ULI study was on 125 acres within the current boundaries of Murdock Village. It was this ULI report, however, which lead the County Commissioners to apply the same principals to all 1,200 acres of the Murdock Village Redevelopment project.

County Project Brings Questions

What we have heard: Work on a County project has resulted in damage to protected wildlife. Why is work going on at this site (Bachmann Tract) and isn’t the project an unnecessary expense?

In reality: The County is beginning to develop property it owns between Veterans Blvd. and Hillsborough Blvd in Port Charlotte. It is more commonly referred to as the “Bachmann Tract”. While doing soil borings, a path had to be cleared for the boring equipment. Some of the debris from this path was believed to have covered a gopher tortoise burrow. The gopher tortoise is a protected species in Florida. The County worked with Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officers, and biologists who specialize in the species, and after a thorough investigation, it was determined that no burrows had collapsed and no tortoises had been harmed. We will continue to monitor the area for the next two to three months.

This 40 acre property was purchased by the County, from the School Board, in April 2007, and is zoned for public use. It is the future home of a Public Works Complex and the remaining 25 acres in the original parcel still belongs to the School Board. It will house the Public Works administrative offices, a fleet facility and our maintenance & operations activities. Our current Public Works headquarters is located in Punta Gorda. Most of the buildings on the south county site were destroyed by Hurricane Charley. Workers are currently housed in a variety of office trailers. These trailers are rented and it is not cost effective to continue to operate in such facilities. They are also standard office trailers, and not specifically designed for the programs and services that need to be provided by our Public Works staff. For example, the monthly rent for the fleet facility, alone, is $16,277. Since the initial contract, Charlotte County has paid $443,824 for the use of this temporary facility

In addition, over the years our population has shifted to mid-county, as have many of our paving and stormwater projects. It just makes sense to relocate our Public Works activities to Port Charlotte where our equipment and personnel will be more centrally located. Again, it was a decision based on cost effectiveness. Being in mid-county will result in less travel expense, faster response times, and a modern facility that is more energy efficient. Over the long-term the costs to operate the Public Works Complex on the Bachmann Tract will be substantially less than at their existing location.

• Phase one consists of a fleet maintenance facility of approximately 37,000sq/ft, fuel facility and associated site work and infrastructure. Construction of phase one begins in April of 2008 and should be complete within 9-12 months.
• Phase two consists of a maintenance and operations facility of approximately 13,000sq/ft, an office facility of approximately
36, 000sq/ft as well as site and infrastructure work

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