[00:00:04]
>> THANK YOU. THE TIME IS NOW SEVEN O'CLOCK AND I LIKE TO
[Call to Order]
ORDER THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING ON JULY 19TH.WE BEGIN WITH AN INVOCATION, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND THE PLEDGE.
>> DEAR GOD, GUIDE AND DIRECT US IN OUR GOOD CHOICES TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE AND ENHANCE OUR MINDS FOR CLARITY OF THOUGHT IN THE DELIBERATION AND EXECUTION OF OUR DUTIES. AMEN.
>> LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
>> PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.
>> I THINK ABOUT ONCE A YEAR WE BEGIN BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN CITIZEN COMMENTS AND WE HAVE
[1. Resolution 62-22, Approving the Truth in Millage for the preliminary millage rate for fiscal year 2023. [TAB 1] ]
A PUBLIC HEARING ON RESOLUTION 6222 APPROVING THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE.WITH THAT, I TURN IT OVER TO TOWN MANAGER OR STAFF.
>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SCOTT REYNOLDS, TOWN OF JUPITER FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
AS YOU JUST INDICATED, WE'RE HERE AS WE DO ONCE A YEAR TO START THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE PROCESS.
THIS EVENING, TO START WITH THE ADVERTISING OF THE MILLAGE RATE AND FOR THE OPERATING AND CIP AS WELL AS THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE, THEN I'LL GO OUT TO THE RESIDENTS.
TO START THE PRESENTATION, I WANTED TO QUICKLY GO OVER THE CHANGES THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE OUR WORKSHOP IN JUNE, AND WHAT'S OCCURRED WITH THE TAXABLE VALUES.
AS WE DISCUSSED IN JUNE, WE INITIALLY HAD AN INCREASE OF 10.89 PERCENT INCREASE IN THE VALUES.
THE JULY 1 TRIM NOTIFICATION ACTUALLY BUMPED THAT AMOUNT UP TO 13.11 PERCENT IN VALUE, SO A TOTAL OF $276 MILLION ADDITIONAL FOR OPERATING AND CIP PURPOSES.
THE INCREASE IN VALUES INCREASED AD VALOREM COLLECTIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND OPERATING AND CIP, AS WELL AS THE CRA OF JUST OVER $13,000 OVER WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN JANUARY OR IN JUNE, I'M SORRY.
BUT TO SHOW HOW IT COMPARES TO THE FY 22 VALUES, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN FY 23, WE'RE JUST OVER $14 BILLION IN VALUES.
IN FY 22, IT WAS JUST OVER 12 BILLION, AN INCREASE OF 1.6.
THEN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE YOU CAN SEE WHAT PORTION OF THAT IS NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR THE INCREASE AND ALSO THE VALUATION INCREASES.
THERE WAS A TOTAL INCREASE IN VALUES OF JUST OVER 12 PERCENT WITH JUST OVER ONE PERCENT AND NEW CONSTRUCTION VALUES.
PART OF THE TRIM PROCESS IS WE ALSO HAVE TO SHOW THE ROLLBACK RATE.
IT'S A COMPUTATION THAT THE STATE REQUIRES US TO DO AND TO GIVE THAT OPTION TO THE COUNCIL FOR A ROLLBACK RATE.
WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PROPOSING IN THE OPERATING BUDGET AS YOU SAW IN JUNE WAS 2.4633.
THE ROLLBACK AS COMPUTED IS 2.2061.
THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT WOULD BE COLLECTED OVER THE ROLLBACK RATE IS JUST OVER $3,447,325.
THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE IS 11.66 PERCENT OVER THE ROLLBACK.
AGAIN, WE ALWAYS TRY TO SHOW A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE VALUES AND THE PERCENT INCREASE.
YOU CAN SEE AT THE FAR RIGHT WHERE WE'VE HAD AN EXPONENTIAL INCREASE IN THE RATES, AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE HOUSING SALES THAT HAVE OCCURRED NOT ONLY HERE IN JUPITER, BUT THE WHOLE SOUTH FLORIDA AREA, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND DADE AND BROWARD.
THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE, HOW DOES THIS AFFECT RESIDENTS HERE IN THE TOWN? WE'VE TRIED TO SHOW THIS SLIDE TO GIVE A PERSPECTIVE.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DEBT SERVICE RATE, BUT JUST TO SHOW HOW AN HOMESTEADED OF PROPERTY WITH THE 2.4633 MILLAGE, AND $550,000 HOME, THAT WOULD BE A $40.64 INCREASE.
[00:05:02]
BECAUSE WHEREVER WE SEE AN INCREASE OVER 10 PERCENT, THERE IS A STATUTORY CAP OF 10 PERCENT ON NON-HOMESTEADED PROPERTY AS WELL AS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.AT THE 10 PERCENT CAP, YOU'D SEE $135.48 INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR TAXES.
THEN THE PROPERTIES THAT NEWLY SOLD, THAT IS CAUSING THE MAJORITY OF THE INCREASE, THAT WOULD BE $177.62, THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE 13.11 PERCENT INCREASE.
OBVIOUSLY, THE SAVE OUR HOMES IS CAPPED AT THREE PERCENT.
TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A FURTHER PERSPECTIVE AND THE RESIDENTS, AS FAR AS HAVING REDUCTIONS TO THE MILLAGE RATE AND HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT THE OVERALL AD VALOREM TAX COLLECTIONS, AND HOW IT WOULD IMPACT THE RESIDENTS IN THEIR TAX BILLS.
IF WE PROCEEDED FORWARD WITH THE ROLLBACK RATE THAT WE'VE COMPUTED [NOISE] THAT WOULD BE A REDUCTION IN AD VALOREM TAXES OF JUST OVER $3 MILLION, $3.3 MILLION TO FUND THE OPERATING AND CIP PROGRAM.
THAT WOULD BE A REDUCTION IN THE ANNUAL TAX BILL TO THE RESIDENT OF $132.84 FOR $11 A MONTH.
THE MIDPOINT BETWEEN THE PROPOSED RATE AND THE ROLLBACK RATE, WE WOULD SEE A REDUCTION IN OPERATING AND CIP AD VALOREM DOLLARS OF $1.7 MILLION.
ALSO, THE HOMEOWNER'S TAX BILL WOULDN'T SEE A DECREASE OF $66.42 ANNUALLY OR $5.53 A MONTH.
THE RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING IS FOR THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION 62-22, WHICH SETS THE TRIM AT A FLAT MILLAGE RATE OF 2.4633, THE DEBT SERVICE RATE AT 0.1501, AND ALSO TO SET THE DATE FOR THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING OF SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022.
THIS IS THE GLOB AS ADVERTISING TO THE RESIDENTS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION THIS EVENING, MR. MAYOR.
>> IS ANYBODY IN THE COUNCIL, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? JUST ONE QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP ON THE OPERATING BUDGET OR WE'VE ALREADY HAD IT?
>> WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CIP WORKSHOP ON THE 11TH OF AUGUST, WHICH WE WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSING AGAIN THE OPERATING AS WELL.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING TO SHOW THE CHANGES TO THE OPERATING BUDGET.
>> THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> JUST ONE QUESTION TO BE CLEAR.
THIS IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT [INAUDIBLE] OR WE STILL LOWER THE NUMBER?
>> THANK YOU. SORRY. THIS IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT WE CAN HAVE FOR OUR MILLAGE AND WE CAN LOWER IT LATER, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> CORRECT. ONCE THE MILLAGE IS SET THIS EVENING, YOU CAN ALWAYS LOWER IT, BUT YOU CAN'T GO ABOVE THIS NUMBER GOING INTO THE HEARINGS.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT?
>> BACK TO COUNCIL FOR COMMENTS. ANY COMMENTS?
I KNOW YOU HAD INDICATED THIS TO US, THAT WE HAD EXPECTED THAT POTENTIALLY, WE WOULD GET AN INCREASED EVALUATION FROM WHAT WE INITIALLY HEARD AND THAT'S THE NORMAL PROCESS TO THE DEGREE THAT, THE REASON I ASKED ABOUT DO WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP IS, WE HAVE FEW TIMES WE'RE TOGETHER TO GIVE AN IDEA OF WHERE WE INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY NEED TO GO.
I DON'T THINK I'M ALONE ON THIS.
I'D LIKE TO JUST EMPHASIZE TO THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED, THAT AS YOU ANSWERED, THIS HAS A CAP WE CAN'T GO HIGHER.
IF WE CHOSE TO GO HIGHER, THEN YOU HAVE TO RE-MAILED EVERYBODY.
THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS, RIGHT?
>> SO WE ALWAYS DO THIS WHERE WE'LL SET A CONSERVATIVE CAP FOR THAT REASON, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
LAST TIME IN THE WORKSHOP, MANY OF US WERE SEEING INFORMATION FOR THIS SAME TIME AND WE WERE TALKING AND THE DUST HASN'T SETTLED UNTIL YOU COME BACK.
BUT I KNOW I HAVE IN MIND A TARGET TO GO BELOW THAT AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH MY COLLEAGUES, SO THAT WE WERE INDIVIDUALLY PREPARING.
IDEALLY, I'D LIKE TO TARGET A THREE PERCENT, WHICH MEANS THAT SAVE OUR HOMES RESIDENCE HAD NO INCREASE.
[00:10:03]
I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE, NONE OF US KNOW UNTIL WE SEE THE NUMBERS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE, SO THE PUBLIC REALIZES THAT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR POTENTIAL REDUCTION.WE MEAN THAT SINCERELY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT, BUT.
>> NO. YEAH, I AGREE. I THINK THERE'S STILL A LOT OF FACTORS OUT THERE THAT I NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
I'M NOT READY TO GIVE A NUMBER, BUT I AGREE THAT SETTING THE CAP FLAT NOW AND THEN LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IS A GOOD WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWER BECAUSE TO ME THEY'RE JUST TOO MANY.
>> NOR DO I, BUT I WAS JUST ASKING SO THAT WE COME BACK AND SEE WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT IS, RIGHT?
>> YEAH. I MEAN, THAT GOES TO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED TO SEE WAS SETTING THE FLAT MILLAGE AT 2.4 VERSUS THE ROLLBACK RATE AND HOW MUCH POTENTIALLY SAVE A RESIDENT.
BUT I REMEMBER BRINGING THAT UP TO YOU AND YOU'RE EXPLAINING THAT EVEN IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN TO THE FULL ROLLBACK RATE OF 2.2, OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
DEPENDING ON HOW IT LOOKS NEXT YEAR, IT COULD POTENTIALLY MEAN US HAVING TO GO BACK UP.
I DON'T WANT TO REDUCE THE RATE JUST FOR US TO HAVE TO INCREASE IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
SO ONCE WE GET ALL INFORMATION AND STUFF, MAYBE WE COULD REDUCE IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT MAINTAIN THAT FLAT RATE GOING FORWARD.
>> THE COUNTY HAD A DISCUSSION WHEN THEY WERE WORKING ON THEIR RATE AND LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF HOW THEY CHANGED THE RATE OVER TIME, THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO GO FROM 3.781-4.781 DURING THE RECESSION AFTER LOWERING, SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH THAT.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE HERE.
WHEN I LOOK AT OUR TAX RATE, TEQUESTA IS AT 6.6, PALM BEACH GARDENS 5.5, NORTH PALM BEACH 7.0, WELLINGTON 2.47 BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE FIRE.
OUR RATE IS PRETTY LOW AND SO WE HAVE TO JUST LOOK AT ALL THE FACTORS.
I KNOW STATE SHARED REVENUES ARE CHANGING AS WELL.
IT'S ALL REVENUES THAT AFFECT THE GENERAL FUND.
I THINK THE GENERAL FUND AMOUNT WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT DESPITE THE VALUATION GOING UP BECAUSE OF ALL THE OTHER REVENUES THAT GO INTO IT.
IT'S A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE, BUT I AGREE THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IT FLAT FOR NOW WITH ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE WHERE WE CAN HELP OUR RESIDENTS. THANK YOU.
>> YEAH, I NOTICE [INAUDIBLE] LOWER THE RATE EVERY YEAR, IT'S NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL, UNIQUE YEAR WHERE THE SKYROCKETING VALUES, THE HYPER, I CALL HYPERINFLATION, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO LOWER IT TOO MUCH TO WHERE WE HAVE TO PUMP IT BACK UP NEXT YEAR, BUT I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME A HAPPY MEDIUM WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT EVERYTHING AND MAYBE BRING IT DOWN A TICK.
BUT I'M DEFINITELY OPEN-MINDED TO THAT.
>> WITH THAT, CAN I GET A MOTION?
>> MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 622, AS PRESENTED?
>> GOT A MOTION ON THE SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING, AYE.
>> AYE. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO CITIZEN COMMENTS.
[CITIZEN COMMENTS]
THIS IS THE PORTION OF THE MEETING WHERE RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND SPEAK ABOUT THEM AND JUST LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.>> YES, MAYOR. FIRST WE HAVE STEVEN FIT SIMMONS AND JOE AUDIT.
>> GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.
I'M STEVEN FIT SIMMONS, I LIVE OVER AT 400 NORTH HIGHWAY A1A AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE A CONCERN I HAVE ABOUT THE ROUNDABOUT PROJECT THAT IS ONGOING.
I NOTICED ON THE PUBLISHED WEBSITE THAT THERE IS A BID-OUT AGAIN AND IT'S DUE ON AUGUST 2ND.
I WOULD ASK THE COUNCIL TO GIVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION IF THIS BID IS RECEIVED AND APPROVED OR LOOKED AT.
BEFORE IT'S APPROVED, RUN A VERY SERIOUS COMPUTER SIMULATION OF THE DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLES THAT GO INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS A SIMULATION TOLD TO US OF A 53 FOOT SEMI, BUT THE FACT IS, THE BUILDINGS THAT COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY ARE 12 FEET WIDE, 63 FEET LONG.
THE STRUCTURE IS ON AN IFRAME AND THE WHEELS ARE ATTACHED TO THE IFRAME,
[00:15:03]
AND THEN LOOKING AT HOW THE ROUNDABOUT CURVES AND CIRCLES ARE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET A BUILDING DELIVERED OR REMOVED FROM OUR COMMUNITY.ESSENTIALLY, WE WOULD BE LANE-LOCKED AND THE REASON WE'D BE LANE-LOCKED IS WE HAVE WATER ON THE BACKSIDE OF US ON THE NORTH STREET THAT ACCESS OUR COMMUNITY.
DON'T THINK YOU CAN MAKE A BEND, THAT'S WHY I'D LIKE TO SEE A COMPUTER SIMULATION.
IF A BUILDING WATER COME IN OR GO OUT, IT WILL GO ON TO PRIVATE PROPERTY WHERE THE PUCK POD IS.
SO THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM INFRINGING ON THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU RUN A SERIOUS COMPUTER SIMULATION OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE 12 FEET WIDE, 63 FEET LONG COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
>> JOE ALDITCH, THEN WAYNE POSNER.
>> GOOD EVENING MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS I ALSO LIVE AT 400 NORTH A1A, AND AS MR. FITZ SUMMONS THE WHOLE GROUP OF US, WE'RE ALL IN SANCTION ABOUT THIS ROUNDABOUT NOT BEING PUT IN PLACE, SO WE ASK THAT YOU DEEPLY CONSIDER THIS WHEN IT COMES UP AGAIN, BUT MY MAIN REASON HERE ALSO TONIGHT, IS TO ASK COUNCIL AND ALSO IN CONJUNCTION WITH [NOISE] THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, TO PLEASE GET THE NOISE ORDINANCE UNDER CONTROL, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA ALONG A1A, THE SPEEDING, THE LOUD EXHAUST SYSTEMS WHICH GETS LOUDER EVERY DAY.
THE LOUD MUSIC, IT NEVER STOPS AT CERTAIN HOURS.
IN THE AFTERNOON AND ON THE WEEKENDS AND WE ARE BOMBARDED, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA.
WE'RE MOSTLY QUIET PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS CONTINUOUSLY.
THEY COME OUT OF JUPITER BEACH PARK ON THE A1A.
THESE LOUD VEHICLES, THEY HEAD TOWARDS INDIAN TOWN ROAD.
NOT ONLY THE NOISE, BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, SOME OF THEM IS DOING 75 MILES AN HOUR JUST BY THIS NOISE WE HEAR IT GOING DOWN THERE.
ANYTHING, AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WE HAVE A NEW LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT, STATE LAW JULY THE 1ST ABOUT NOISE.
WHICH I'M SURE IT'S BEEN ON YOUR BOOKS BECAUSE IT'S A NUISANCE ORDINANCE.
SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS EVERY TOWN HAS A NUISANCE ORDINANCE.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS THE CITY MARSHAL, SO HE'S IN CHARGE OF HANDLING THAT.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PERSUADE HIM, ENCOURAGE HIM, TO GO OUT, MAYBE START A TASK FORCE BECAUSE THERE'S NO REASON WHY WE SHOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS.
NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT.
THEY COME IN WITH THEIR LOUD VEHICLES, THEY DO THEIR THING AND THEY LEAVE, THEY COME BACK.
WE HAVE THEM AS LATE AS TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING COMING OUT OF JUPITER BEACH PARK, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY.
I'VE TALKED TO THE HEAD OF THE PARK'S ADMINISTRATION.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO AGREE WITH ME ON IT, BUT THERE'S NO REASON FOR THAT THING TO BE OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY.
IT'S JUST CONTINUOUS SMALL BOTTOM THAT AND I APPRECIATED YOUR CONCERN AND PLEASE LOOK AT THIS FORCE, THANK YOU.
>> WAYNE POSNER, AFTER WAYNE IT'S ELIZABETH PETERSON.
>> GOOD EVENING COUNCIL, TOWN MANAGER.
WAYNE POSNER, [NOISE] 315 KARINA DRIVE JUPITER, FLORIDA.
THIS IS GOING TO SOUND CRAZY TO START OUT THIS WAY, BUT WHAT I SEE WE'D HAVE NEW TAXES, OUR TAXES INCREASING, EVEN IF WE LOWER IT WE'RE STILL MAKING MORE MONEY WE DID BEFORE.
I LISTENED TO MR. MAYOR OF COURSE, BALANCING IT OUT WHICH IS A GOOD TAC TO TAKE TO MAKE SURE WE COVER ALL THE BASES.
BUT WITH THAT, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND PRETTY CRAZY, BUT I DON'T THINK THE TOWN COUNCIL OR THE MAYOR HAS HAD A RAISE IN OVER 20 YEARS.
WE'RE TALKING A MINOR RAISE, THE INFLATION HAS HIT, YOU GUYS SPENT GAS, YOU GO TO MEETINGS, YOU GO TO DO ALL THESE THINGS.
I'M NOT DOING THIS JUST BECAUSE I LIKE YOU OR DISLIKE YOU, I THINK IT'S TIME TO MAKE A CONSENSUS THAT IT'S TIME TO HAVE A SMALL RAISE FOR ALL THE COUNCIL MEN AND THE MAYOR.
IF WE'RE GETTING THIS TAX MONEY AND WE'RE INCREASING THE TAXES JUST SIMPLY BY INFLATION.
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWN COUNCIL AREN'T IN THE WEALTHY STAGE OF THEIR LIVES.
I THINK IT'S THEIR VOLUNTEERING AND THEY SHOULD BE PAID FOR WHAT THEY DO AND THEY SHOULD BE PAID PROPERLY.
THE TOWN HAS GROWN TO 66,000 PEOPLE.
THE LAST TIME I THINK WE HAD A RAISE, IT WAS UNDER 40,000 PEOPLE.
IT'S SOMETHING TO BE CONSIDERED IN A WORKSHOP.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S ASKING TOO MUCH FOR THE CITIZENS TO DO THAT, IT WOULD ALMOST NOT EVEN BE SEEN ON A BUDGET SO MINUTE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP THE TOWN COUNCILORS,
[00:20:02]
IN SMALL BUSINESSES OR WHATEVER THEY DO AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.I LISTENED TO SOME OF THESE PEOPLE TONIGHT, THAT A ROUNDABOUT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY A FORMER ENGINEER, WE HAVE A NEW ENGINEER.
I WOULD HOPE THE NEW ENGINEER TAKES IT VERY SERIOUSLY ABOUT BEING LANDLOCKED FOR THESE PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN'T GET THEIR HOMES IN AND OUT OF THAT LOCATION.
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING CAN BE DONE AND I THINK THEY SHOULD LOOK AT THAT VERY CLEARLY.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I COME HERE EVERY MONTH AND I TALK ABOUT MY FRIEND ON DOLPHIN STREET, NOW HE'S NOT JUST A FRIEND, HE'S A CITIZEN, HE'S BEEN THERE FOR 25 YEARS.
OF COURSE HIS HOUSE HAS INCREASED 10 TIMES BECAUSE WHERE HE LIVES, BUT WHEN HE PURCHASED HIS HOUSE 25-30 YEARS AGO, IT WASN'T EXPENSIVE.
HE DOESN'T HAVE A BIG INCOME AND HIS WIFE IS DISABLED.
WE STILL HAVE A STREET THAT DOESN'T MEET CODE, WE HAVE A BUDGET COMING UP, WE HAD IT IN THE BUDGET BEFORE, IN THE CIP.
[NOISE] IT'S IMPORTANT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES THERE.
THEY'RE GOING TO ALREADY BE THERE.
IT'S GOING TO BE LESS EXPENSIVE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, SMOOTHLY OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVES IN ABACOA.
THAT COMMUNITY HAS NOT BEEN THERE AS LONG AS THE ONE [NOISE] ON DOLPHIN, DOLPHIN HAS BEEN THERE, PROBABLY 40 YEARS LONGER THAN ABACOA, WHY ARE WE FIXING STREETS IN ABACOA AND NOT TAKING CARE OF THE CITIZENS THAT PAID THE TAXES THE LONGEST.
AGAIN, IT'S A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE AND I URGE YOU TO PLEASE LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S NO ONE STANDING IN LINE TO GETTING THEIR STREETS FIXED AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS A ONE-OFF AT THIS POINT AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY THE CITIZENS, THANK YOU.
>> ELIZABETH PETERSON, AFTER ELIZABETH IS BETH DELLINGER.
>> HEY, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH PETERSON AND I LIVE AT JUPITER RIVER PARK, WHICH IS 400 NORTH HIGHWAY A1A.
I'VE JUST BEEN LIVING THERE ARE A COUPLE OF YEARS WHEN MY BROTHER PASSED AWAY, AND I AM LIVING IN HIS ADOBE RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD HOPE THAT I CAN HAND THAT DOWN TO MY CHILDREN AS WELL.
[NOISE] THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS ABOUT THE ROUNDABOUT BECAUSE, LOOKING AT IT FROM WHAT WE'VE FOUND OUT THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY GUARANTEE THAT WE CAN GET A NEW TRAILER IN THERE AND AN OLD TRAILER OUT.
WHICH MEANS OBVIOUSLY THAT OUR REAL ESTATE VALUES GO TO ZERO.
WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND LOOK AT THIS ISSUE.
BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE, THIS IS OUR NERSTEGEN.
>> MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, BETH DELLINGER 100 ONE OF WEST BEVERLY ROAD.
I CARE ABOUT JUPITER, I CARE ABOUT THE MARINE LIFE, I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN TO CONSIDER BECAUSE THE FILTER [NOISE] CIGARETTES ARE PROHIBITED ON THE BEACHES NOW.
IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER, PUTTING UP NO SMOKING SIGNS OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. THANK YOU.
>> BRETT LEONI AND THEN THERE'S JONNA FORDANZA. BRETT LEONI?
>> [LAUGHTER] HE'S RIGHT THERE.
>> SORRY ABOUT THAT, I THOUGHT I HAD ENOUGH TIME.
BRET LEONI FOR THE RECORD, 132 BARBADOS DRIVE IN ABACOA.
HERE BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT, AT THE OCTOBER 13TH, 2020 HRB MEETING, WHEN I SAT ON THE BOARD, THE HRB FINAL PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS FOR 2020 WAS DISCUSSED.
THIS LIST INCLUDED THE OLD TOWN HALL.
BUILDING LOCATED AT 1,000 TOWN HALL AVENUE.
BROUGHT THIS UP MYSELF DURING THIS MEETING.
DISCUSSION WAS HAD, ABOUT THIS PROPERTY BEING MOVED UP ON THE PRIORITIZATION LIST.
ALMOST A YEAR-AND-A-HALF LATER AND NUMEROUS HRB MEETINGS CANCELED.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS PROPERTY BROUGHT FORWARD FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
I FIND IT VERY IMPORTANT AND IT WOULD SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE TOWN OF JUPITER IS SERIOUS ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
IF THIS PROPERTY IS DESIGNATED HISTORIC, NOT ONLY IS THE BUILDING HISTORIC AS THE FIRST TOWN HALL, BUT THE PROPERTY IS TOO, ALSO HOUSE THE FIRST SCHOOLHOUSE IN THAT WHOLE AREA IS VERY HISTORIC AS BEING A REALLY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN THE TOWN.
IT WAS MY INTENTION TO BRING THIS UP DURING HRB MEETINGS.
THOSE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN CANCELED OVER AGAIN, SO I'VE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO GO IN FRONT OF HRB TO BRING THIS UP.
I DID SEND AN E-MAIL BACK IN JANUARY ABOUT THIS AND JUST COMING BEFORE YOU ALL TONIGHT,
[00:25:05]
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING THIS FORWARD [NOISE] AS LOCAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION, MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN I SAT ON THE BOARD, IS THAT PALM BEACH COUNTY WAS LOOKING AT DOING SOME REVIEW OR STUDY FOR THIS AREA FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND SEA LEVEL RISE AND ALL THAT AND I THINK DESIGNATING THIS BUILDING IN THIS SITE HISTORIC WITHIN THE TOWN SETS THE PRECEDENT THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR TOWN, IT'S THE ORIGINAL HEART OF OUR TOWN AND REALLY LET'S OUR CITIZENS AND CONSTITUENTS KNOW THAT, THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND WE'VE DONE A LOT.THE ADAPTIVE [NOISE] REUSE WITHIN THE TOWN IS A STRONG STEP FORWARD TO SHOW THAT THE TOWN IS REALLY LOOKING AT HISTORIC PRESERVATION SERIOUSLY AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ADAPTIVELY REUSE PROJECTS AND CONTINUE TO SAVE HISTORIC PROPERTIES. THANK YOU.
>> HI. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M JONA FIDANZA, CO-OWNER OF 322 CENTER STREET, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE SIMS HOUSE.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SUPPORT OF ADAPTIVE REUSE AND HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
AS I'VE HEARD SOME RECENT CRITICISM OF THE ACTUAL PROPERTY AND ADAPTIVE REUSE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THE AMOUNT OF OVERWHELMING SUPPORT WE'VE RECEIVED FOR THE PROJECT.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC HOME, IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING FROM NOT ONLY THE TOWN OF JUPITER, BUT OUTSIDE OF TOWN JUPITER TO SEE THIS UNIQUE PROPERTY.
MY HUSBAND AND I ARE VERY PASSIONATE TO KEEP IT AS UNIQUE AS IT IS TODAY AND FITTING IN WITH THE OVERALL COMMUNITY, WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT.
WE DO LIVE BY THE SPIRIT OF THE ORDINANCE.
I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THIS EVENING AND MAKE SURE THAT I ADDRESS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
>> THAT WAS IT? MOVING ON TO THE MINUTES.
[2. June 21, 2022 Town Council Meeting Minutes and June 23, 2022 Workshop Meeting Minutes. [TAB 2]]
COUNCIL WE HAVE BEFORE US, THE MINUTES FROM THE JUNE 21ST TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AND JUNE 23RD WORKSHOP.IS THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES? SEEING NONE CAN I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND?
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVING ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA,
[CONSENT AGENDA]
THIS IS AGENDA ITEMS 3 THROUGH 12.DO WE HAVE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTED TO PULL A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM?
>> TO THE COUNCIL, ANY ITEMS TO PULL?
>> NUMBER 10. ANY ITEMS TO PULL?
>> I WOULD HAVE PULLED NUMBER 10 AS WELL.
WITH THAT WE HAVE AMENDED CONSENT AGENDA REMOVING ITEMS 3, 4 AND 10.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION ON THE AMENDED AGENDA?
>> MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA AS AMENDED WITH THE REMOVAL OF ITEMS 3, 4 AND 10.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[3. Ordinance 4-22, Second Reading, Private Property Right Elements Text Amendment – Town-initiated amendment to create a property rights element as required by Florida Statutes Section 163.3177(6)(i)1. [TAB 3]]
ORDINANCE 4-22, SECOND READING, PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS ELEMENTS.REMEMBER THE PUBLIC PULLED IT.
>> GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL AND EVERYONE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND FOR BRINGING THE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS TO FRUITION.
I'M SO PLEASED FOR THIS BILL TO BE PASSED.
THE REASON THIS NEW ELEMENT TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS BECOME NECESSARY IS BECAUSE OF THE UNJUST POWER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN EXERTING OVER THEIR CITIZENS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAFF ARE MANIPULATING THE USE OF PROPERTY FOR MAXIMUM POLITICAL BENEFIT, ALL AT THE EXPENSE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS.
[00:30:02]
PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, INCLUDING DEVELOPERS, HAVE BEEN VIEWED BY GOVERNMENT FOR A LONG TIME AS WORTHY OF A GOOD KICKING.BUT THE US IS NOT AT WAR AND PROPERTY OWNERS ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY CONFISCATED LIKE THE UKRAINIANS.
ON ONE HAND, PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE A LEGAL BUNDLE OF RIGHTS VESTED IN THEIR PROPERTY AND ON THE OTHER HAND, OUR CONSTITUTION GRANTS MUNICIPALITIES POLICE POWER TO REGULATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAND AND THE BUILDING OF STRUCTURES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE OF ITS RESIDENTS.
HOWEVER, WHEN GOVERNMENTS FALSELY CLAIM THAT THIS POWER GIVES HIM THE RIGHT TO TAKE PROPERTY WITHOUT COMPENSATION, THAT'S LEGAL PLUNDER.
AFTER THE VOTE TONIGHT, AND THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS FULLY AMENDED, I ENCOURAGE THIS TOWN COUNCIL TO MAINTAIN STRONG ETHICS WHEN DEVELOPMENT PLANS COME BEFORE YOU FOR APPROVAL.
WATCH OUT FOR THIS SECTION CONDITION SELF-DEVELOPMENT.
IF THERE IS A REQUIREMENT THAT AN OWNER PROVIDE A PUBLIC BENEFIT WITHOUT REIMBURSEMENT, THAT'S WRONG, UNETHICAL AND IT VIOLATES THE ESSENCE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT.
EXAMPLES OF THIS ABUSE OF POWER ARE CONDITIONS SUCH AS, THE OWNER BE REQUIRED TO DEDICATE A PRIVATE ROADWAY OR TO GIVE ROADWAY FRONTAGE TO THE TOWN, OR TO GIVE DOCK ACCESS TO A PUBLIC, OR TO GIVE CONNECTIVITY THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY, OR TO LET THE PUBLIC WALK ON THEIR WATERFRONT, OR TO BUY A SEPARATE PARCEL OF LAND AND HAVE TO DEDICATE IT AS A PARK.
THINK ABOUT IT, THOSE THINGS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH A POLICE POWER REGULATION.
IT IS AN OVERREACH AND AN ABUSE.
IF THE TOWN WANTS A DOCK, A WALKWAY, A PARK, A ROADWAY, THE TOWN NEEDS TO PURCHASE IT IN A SEPARATE TRANSACTION.
PEOPLE DON'T APPROVE THESE CONDITIONS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA AND THE PUBLIC AT HOME NEEDS TO BEAR THE COST.
>> THANK YOU. BACK TO COUNCIL.
THERE'S NO COMMENTS. MAY I HAVE A MOTION ON THE ORDINANCE.
THIS IS AN ORDINANCE AND SECOND READING.
I GUESS WE NEED TO READ ON SHORT TITLE.
>> ORDINANCE 4-22, IN ORDINANCE TO THE TOWN COUNCIL, TOWN OF JUPITER, FLORIDA AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 5789 IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR THE TOWN OF JUPITER, PROVIDING FOR THE CREATION OF A PROPERTY RIGHTS ELEMENT AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[4. Resolution 57-22, Approving contract award EPW 2022-02R for South Loxahatchee Drive roadway improvements – Community Development Block Grant]
PULLED BY THE PUBLIC.>> GOOD EVENING AGAIN COUNCIL, MAYOR.
PULL THIS ITEM, TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO FIND THESE PLANS ONLINE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE LOOKED AT THE PLANS FOR THIS PROJECT, FOR THE CDBG, MONEY FOR THE TOWN OF JUPITER TO GO INTO THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR SOUTH LOXAHATCHEE DRIVE.
BUT READING THE STAFF REPORT, SAW THAT THERE WERE SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE YEARS WITHIN SOUTH PINE GARDENS.
AND I JUST ASK WHEN WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE FOR OTHER PROJECTS IN HERE, THAT THE PROJECTS PROVIDE A SENSE OF PLACE.
THE PINE GARDENS NEIGHBORHOOD, BOTH THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH, ARE THE OLDEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER.
WE'VE DESIGNATED A HOME ON SECOND STREET AS A HISTORIC PROPERTY, THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHERS BACK THERE.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU-ALL KNOW WE HAVE JUPITER ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS THE OLDEST SCHOOL IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER THERE.
SO I THINK LOOKING AT THESE PLANS OR SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT COULD BE MADE TO THE DESIGN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JUMPED OUT AT ME WAS SOME OF THE PLANTER AREAS THAT ARE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SPEED BUMPS THAT HAVE PALM TREES IN THEM NOW, I PROPOSE TO JUST BE BRICKED IN.
TO ME, THAT'S NOT VERY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
THAT DOESN'T ADD TO THE CHARACTER OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.
LOOKING AT IN FRONT OF JUPITER ELEMENTARY, THERE IS PROPOSED TO BE PAVER BLOCKS OR BRICKS,
[00:35:04]
I FORGET THE EXACT TERMINOLOGY, FOR PARKING, I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC.IT'S GREAT, THEY'VE HAD A LOT PARENTS PULL OFF AND YOU CAN SEE THE ROUTES OF CARS IN THAT AREA.
I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT YOU ALL LOOK AT AMENDING THE PLAN TO ALSO PROVIDE THAT IN FRONT OF OFFICE AT SAINT LAWRENCE PARK OFF LOXAHATCHEE DRIVE AS WELL.
I'VE TRIED TO TAKE MY KIDS THERE JUST DRIVING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU CAN'T REALLY PULL OFF AND PARK THERE, YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE LIBRARY AND THEN CIRCLE AROUND AND THEN YOU'RE DOING A WHOLE LOOP AROUND THE BLOCK, IT'S NOT VERY CONVENIENT.
SO I JUST ASK THAT YOU ALL LOOK AT MAYBE BACK OF THIS PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SHIP HAS SAILED? I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS WITH THIS.
I KNOW IT'S GONE OUT FOR BID AND EVERYTHING.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT DOING PROJECTS WITH CDBG FUNDS OR ANY OTHER FUNDS IN SOME OF OUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS, JUST ASK THAT STAFF OR COUNCIL OR WHOEVER, LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT SENSE OF PLACE AND REALLY ADDING TO THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY AND PROVIDING A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. THANK YOU.
>> BACK TO COUNCIL, ANY COMMENTS? [BACKGROUND] AND I HAVE A MOTION. SO MOVED?
>> YOU HAVE TO SAY THE RESOLUTION NUMBER.
>> MAYOR SHOULD PROVIDE RESOLUTION 57-22.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 57-22.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY GOOD BYE BY SAYING, HI.
>> MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVING ON TO A RESOLUTION 113-21,
[10.Resolution 113-21, Approving an interlocal agreement between the Town of Jupiter and the Jupiter Inlet District for the Taylor Property at 500 North Delaware Boulevard. [TAB 10]]
APPROVING AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE EARLY DISTRICT, PULLED BY THE VICE MAYOR AND MYSELF. VICE MAYOR?>> SURE. THIS THIS TAYLOR PROPERTY, US THREE WERE HERE FOR THIS ONE AND IT WAS GOING BACK-AND-FORTH AND WE FINALLY WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY, I THINK A LITTLE UNDER MARKET VALUE WHEN LOOKING AT VALUES TODAY WAS A REAL HOME RUN.
AND JID WANTED TO COME IN WITH SOME CONTRIBUTION, THEY FINALLY HAVE AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THE BEST THING ABOUT THE SITUATION, THIS PROPERTY REMAIN OPEN SPACE IN PERPETUITY BECAUSE BOTH PARTIES HAVE TO AGREE TO SELL THE PROPERTY, AND THIS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO WE CAN HAVE A DIFFERENT COUNSEL APPEAR THAT WANT TO SELL IT AND THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO.
SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROPERTY.
IN THE FUTURE AS WE CLEAN IT UP AND MAKE IT SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT IN ITS MOST NATURAL STATE AND NOT HAVE IT BULLDOZE, BUT OPENED UP FOR LIKE AN OPEN PARK.
I WOULD SORT IT AND I MAY KEEP IT PASSIVE AND IN ITS NATURAL STATE.
AND WE TAKE A LOOK AS SIMPLY AS WITH DAVID BROWN AND THAT THEY HAD SOME NICE PLACE TO HELP WITH WATER SITUATION AND PALPATE JONES CREEK ORDINATE, SOME CREEK IN THAT AREA.
SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.
>> I'VE PULLED IT TO RECOGNIZE THE JUPITER INLET DISTRICT AND ITS CHAIRPERSON WHO HAPPENS TO BE HERE TONIGHT WAS HERE.
JUST HAPPENED, THIS ONE WE HAD LISTED AND CONSIDERED WHEN WE WENT OUT FOR THE BOND REFERENDUM.
AND IT WAS VALUED PER THE PROPERTY OWNER AT $89.
AND ONE EVENING, I WENT TO ATTEND A BOARD MEETING AT THE JUPITER INLET DISTRICT TO ASK FOR WORKING TOGETHER, COLLABORATING.
AND TRUTH BE KNOWN, AS I WALKED IN, I RAN INTO THE CHAIRPERSON WHO'S HERE.
AND HE, NUMBER 1, TOLD ME THAT THE PROPERTY WAS UNIQUELY BACK ON THE MARKET BECAUSE IT HAD GONE UNDER CONTRACT FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE AND WE CAN NEVER INTERFERE WITH THAT.
SO HE KNEW THAT IT WAS BACK ON THE MARKET.
FURTHER, HE INDICATED AN INTEREST IN PARTNERING.
SO WENT IN, WE DIALOGUED ABOUT IT.
IT WAS AN AGENDA ITEM, THEY CAME, DISCUSSED IT.
WE THEN CAME BACK AND WE'RE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE.
THERE WAS TOWN STAFF DID A REMARKABLE JOB.
AND FROM THE VERY MOMENT THAT I WENT THERE, THE INLET DISTRICT WAS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US ON IT, SO IT REALLY WAS OUR SLOWING DOWN AND MAKING IT HAPPEN.
[00:40:03]
SO I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE THEM A RECOGNITION BECAUSE TO ME, THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY WHEN TWO GOVERNMENTS WORK WITH THE COMMON INTEREST.AND TRUTH BE KNOWN, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY GET CREDIT FOR THE LEADERSHIP AND I DON'T KNOW IF GEORGE, IF YOU WANTED TO SAY AWARDS.
BUT CERTAINLY I'M SUPPORTIVE, BUT I COULDN'T LET THIS JUST BE ADOPTED ON CONSENT AGENDA WITH EVERYBODY KNOWING THE ROLE THAT THE INLET DISTRICT AND GEORGE IN PARTICULAR, HAD AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
>> THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TOWN MANAGER AND EVERYONE HERE.
WE'RE EXCITED ACTUALLY TO BE A PART OF THIS BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW THAT JUPITER INLET DISTRICT, OR MAYBE SOME OF THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT KNOW, IT IS THE OLDEST SPECIAL DISTRICT SET UP BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE HERE IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA, WAS BROUGHT INTO FRUITION IN 1921.
AND ONE OF OUR MAJOR MISSIONS IS, OF COURSE, ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT OF THE SALTWATER PORTIONS OF THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER.
WE WORK IN CONCERT WITH THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, ALSO IN THE UPPER REACHES.
BUT OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO DO THAT AS WELL AS NAVIGATION OF PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST PRISTINE AREAS OF RECREATION AND COMMERCIAL USE OF A WATERWAY IN THE NORTH END OF THE COUNTY, IF NOT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST FLORIDA.
SO IT WAS REALLY A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE AT THE TIME COUNCILMAN, NOW MAYOR KURETSKI, COME TO OUR INLET DISTRICT AND TALK TO US ABOUT THE TAYLOR PROPERTY WHICH HAD BEEN, AS HE SAID, UP AND DOWN IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS FOR QUITE SOME TIME, NEIGHBORS WERE A LITTLE BIT UPSET AS THEY NORMALLY DO WHEN THERE'S DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE REALLY GRABBED ONTO THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THAT PROPERTY WHICH IS REALLY NOT IN A VERY PRISTINE STATE AT THIS TIME.
BUT WE HOPE TO WORK WITH THE TOWN OF JUPITER TO MAKE IT A ENVIRONMENTAL RESTORED AREA.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT.
WE ALSO HAVE A LIVING SHORELINE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THAT IS A GREAT PROPERTY THAT COULD BE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR IT.
WE JUST FINISHED THE LIVING SHORELINE ALONG THE LIGHTHOUSE PROPERTIES WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO REALLY BE A PART OF IT.
WE WANT IT TO STAY PUBLIC PROPERTY AND PERPETUITY, AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
NOW OUR BUDGET IS NOT AT THAT MARK THAT I JUST SAW UP THERE AT A BILLION DOLLARS.
WE'RE A SMALL AGENCY, BUT WE ARE PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AND WE WILL CERTAINLY WORK TO HELP YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, BUT INLET DISTRICT PAID FOR THE UNDERWATER AND UNDERGROUNDING OF THE POWER LINES FROM ACROSS THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER WHERE THE TRESTLE BRIDGES YEARS AGO AND HANDLED THAT ON OUR OWN.
SO WE ARE ALSO WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE BETTER ACCESS UNDER THAT TRESTLE BRIDGE WHEN THE WRITELINE TRAINS COME THROUGH AND WE'VE PAID FOR PART OF THAT AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR WALKING US INTO THE OPERATIONS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. AND I WAS REMISS IN NOT EMPHASIZING YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHO WAS QUITE PERSISTENT WITH WORKING WITH US THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND PATIENT TOO, SO ON.
I'M THRILLED THAT WE'RE AT THIS POINT. THANK YOU.
SO WITH THAT, I GET A MOTION FOR RESOLUTION.
>> MOTION WE APPROVE RESOLUTION 113-21.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING, HI.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
[13.Ordinance 7-22, Second Reading, Approving an exclusive eight plus (8+) year Exclusive Franchise Agreement with Waste Management Inc. of Florida (Waste Management) pertaining to request for proposals (RFP), EPW 2022-25, Collection of Solid Waste and Recyclable Materials. [TAB 13]]
WE MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA.PUBLIC HEARING, ORDINANCE 7-22.
I TURN IT OVER TO THE TOWN MANAGER OR STAFF.
>> GOOD EVENING. FOR THE RECORD, THOMAS HERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS FOR THE TOWN OF JUPITER.
TONIGHT, I'LL BE GOING OVER THE APPROVAL OF ORDINANCE 722, SECOND READING PERTAINING TO THE EP, WHICH IS BASICALLY EPW AT 2022 25 COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLED MATERIAL AND AWARD AT
[00:45:01]
THE EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT TO WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC OF FLORIDA.THE OBJECTIVE OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS TO GO OVER AND HIGHLIGHT THE MAIN ITEMS WHICH WERE NEGOTIATED WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT.
IN ADDITION TO THE TOWN COUNCIL CONCERNS FROM THE JUNE 21ST, 2022, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL OF THE CHANGES WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED HERE ARE ALSO IN THE RED LINE PORTION OF THE CONTRACT WHICH WAS PROVIDED AS A PART OF THE AGENDA ITEM ITSELF.
BUT I'LL BE SUMMARIZING EACH OF THOSE ITEMS AS I GO THROUGH THE VARIOUS SLIDES.
IN THE END, ULTIMATELY MOVE TOWARDS LOOKING TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT.
THE MAIN TOWN COUNCIL CONCERNS FROM THE JUNE 21ST MEETING WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT FOR, WERE THE FOLLOWING.
CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS.
SHARING OF CARTS BETWEEN MULTIPLE RESIDENCES.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO SELECT A LARGER CART SIZE.
THE LOCATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT'S FACILITY AS IT RELATES TO THE PICKUP EXCHANGE OF CARTS.
TRASH COLLECTION AT THE BEACH, AND ADDITION TO A COLLECTION OF VEGETATIVE WASTE.
FOR THE FIRST BIT OF REVISIONS, I MENTIONED COMMUNITY EVENTS WAS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WENT BACK AND WORKED WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT ON.
SECTION 1.22 ACTUALLY HAS A DEFINITION FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND IT HAS BEEN CLARIFIED, MAKING MINOR LANGUAGE CHANGES.
IT NOW READS, COMMUNITY EVENTS SHALL MEAN PARADES, FESTIVALS, AND OTHER CIVIC EVENTS THAT ARE SPONSORED BY THE TOWN AND DESIGNATED BY THE TOWN PURSUANT TO SECTION 8.4.
WE TOOK OUT OR WHICH WOULD LEAVE ANY A LITTLE BIT OF OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.
IT'S NOW BEEN CHANGED, AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THAT OUT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT AND THEIR COUNSEL.
FURTHER INTO COMMUNITY EVENTS, SECTION 8.4 PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEFINITION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS.
THE DESCRIPTION OF COMMUNITY EVENTS WAS CLARIFIED AND 8.4 BY REMOVING SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THAT SECTION.
THEN FURTHER, IT WAS ALSO MODIFIED, AND IT LIMITS THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH WASTE MANAGEMENT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHARGE FOR THE TOWN FOR A COMMUNITY EVENT THEMSELVES.
ESSENTIALLY 8.4 ALSO FURTHER DEFINES THAT IN THE EVENT THAT WE'RE ANY ADDITIONAL CHARGES WHICH WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE TOWN BY WASTE MANAGEMENT BECAUSE LET'S SAY WE GO OVER ARE A LOT OF AMOUNT OF GARBAGE OR WE GO OVER THE AMOUNT OF EVENTS THAT WASTE MANAGEMENT WOULD NEED TO LET US KNOW 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE BASICALLY IN ORDER TO NOTIFY US THAT THERE WOULD BE ADDITIONAL COSTS PRIOR TO THE EVENT.
IT WOULD ALSO BE NOTIFICATION IN WRITING.
FURTHER AGREEMENTS FOR SHARING OF ONE CART BETWEEN MULTIPLE RESIDENCES.
SECTION 27.1.5 THROUGH 27.1.7.
THESE SECTIONS OUTLINED GENERAL RULES WHICH ARE TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES.
ESSENTIALLY, THE CHANGES TO THESE SECTIONS, IT ALLOWED RESIDENTS TO SHARE A GARBAGE CART AND THE EVENT THAT THEY CHOOSE TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT AMONGST THEMSELVES TO DO SO.
THIS SEEMS A LITTLE STRANGE, BUT IMAGINE, FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME RESIDENTS WHO MAY CHOOSE THEY DON'T WANT TO USE A CART OR THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO DEAL WITH TAKING A CART DOWN TO THE CURB, THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN ARRANGEMENT WITH ONE OF THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEY COULD SHARE AMONGST THEIR NEIGHBORS IN ORDER TO BASICALLY DROP THEIR GARBAGE INTO THEIR NEIGHBOR'S CART.
THAT WOULD RELIEVE THAT POTENTIAL ISSUE AMONGST THE RESIDENTS.
THE NEXT BIT OF REVISIONS WHICH WERE DISCUSSED WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO SELECT A LARGER CART SIZE.
SECTION 28.4 OF THE AGREEMENT, IT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE REPLACEMENT OF GARBAGE CARTS AND CONTAINERS.
AS REVISED, THE SECTION ALLOWS A HOMEOWNER OR A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION IN ADDITION TO A SUBDIVISION,
[00:50:03]
TO SELECT A LARGER SIZE CART.IN ORDER FOR A RESIDENT TO HAVE A LARGER SIZED CART AT THE START OF THE SERVICES, THAT RESIDENT WOULD NEED TO CONTACT, WHETHER IT BE A HOMEOWNER, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION OR SUBDIVISION, THE TOWN IN ADVANCE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE REQUESTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LARGER SIZE CART, WHICH WOULD BE A 96-GALLON CART.
ALL OTHER RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE A 64-GALLON CART.
LET'S SAY YOU TOLD US OTHERWISE, AND THE TOWN WE WOULD TAKE THAT INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY RESIDENTS UNDER THE SPECIAL REQUESTS AND WE WOULD PASS THAT INFORMATION OVER TO WASTE MANAGEMENT 120 DAYS IN ADVANCE.
THAT WOULD GIVE THEM TIME TO PURCHASE ALL THE CARTS THAT ARE NECESSARY AND GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO WORK ON ORDERING AND DELIVERING THEM TO THE RESIDENTS PRIOR TO THE START.
JUST TO NOTE, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY TIME THAT THEY COULD REQUEST A CART.
THEY COULD FOLLOW UP AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT DATE AND WORK IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY REQUEST A DIFFERENT CART SIZE AFTER THAT TIME.
THAT'S JUST THE INITIAL REQUESTS FOR STAFF SERVICES.
THE LOCATION OF WASTE MANAGEMENT'S FACILITY AS IT RELATES TO CART PICKUP AND EXCHANGE, SECTIONS 28.3 AND 28.4, THESE SECTIONS ADDRESSED THE REPLACEMENT OF GARBAGE CARTS AND EXCHANGE OF CARTS AND CONTAINERS.
THE CHANGES TO THESE SECTIONS WILL ALLOW A RESIDENT TO PICK UP GARBAGE CARTS AT THE WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY IN MARTIN COUNTY, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES FROM TOWN HALL.
ADDITIONALLY, UNDER THE SAME THEME, SECTION 31.7 WAS ADDED.
THIS SECTION STATES THAT IF THE MARTIN COUNTY FACILITY WERE TO BE RELOCATED IN THE FUTURE, WASTE MANAGEMENT WOULD COORDINATE WITH THE TOWN TO IDENTIFY A CONVENIENT LOCATION OR ARRANGEMENT FOR THE PURCHASE OF ANY GARBAGE CARTS.
>> QUICK QUESTION. THAT FACILITY IS THAT THE ONE LOCATED ON BRIDGE ROAD, AND I HOPE SOME?
ANOTHER [NOISE] REVISION WHICH WAS [NOISE] WORKED ON WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT WAS TRASH AT THE BEACH.
THIS AND EXHIBIT 8 IN PARTICULAR, WAS MODIFIED AND EXHIBIT 8 PROVIDES A LIST OF TOWN FACILITIES AND COLLECTION SERVICES ALONG WITH THE NUMBER OF FACILITIES, AND THE FREQUENCY OF THEIR VARIOUS PICKUPS FOR THE CONTAINERS.
THE EXHIBIT WAS REVISED IN ORDER TO STATE THAT UPON REQUEST BY THE TOWN, WASTE MANAGEMENT WILL COLLECT REFUSE FROM ADDITIONAL 11 TRASH CANS AT A1A BEACH DUNE WALKOVERS FOR UP TO 60 TRASH CANS FOR THE DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT.
ESSENTIALLY, AS WELL AT THE STAFF LEVEL, WE HAVE WORKED AMONGST MYSELF AND I'VE WORKED WITH PARKS IN ORDER TO WORK ON LOOKING AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THAT HAVE SMALLER CANS, SEEING ABOUT [NOISE] UPPING THE SIZE OF SOME OF THE CANS THAT TEND TO OVERFLOW.
THERE IS VARIOUS LOCATIONS ALONG THE BEACH WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY CARTS LOCATED IN THE INTERIM UNTIL WE CAN GET A FINAL LARGER CAN PLACED AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
WE'VE WORKED ON MOVING SOME OF THOSE CARTS AROUND THAT ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED OUT THERE TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE DEMAND AND USE AT THE VARIOUS DUNE CROSSOVERS.
>> EXCUSE ME, DID YOU CHOOSE CERTAIN WALKOVERS THAT HAD MORE VOLUME OR HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE 11 CARTS AND LOCATIONS?
>> ESSENTIALLY JUST LOOKING AT WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUT ON SITE AND TRYING TO GAUGE THE AMOUNT IF WE HAVE TO ADD ADDITIONAL AT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS.
BASICALLY WORKING WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT AMONGST ALSO OUR PARK STAFF, HAVING THEM GO OUT AND SURVEY AND DETERMINE WHAT WE CAN DO AT THOSE VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT.
THERE WERE SOME CARTS THAT WERE AT THE NORTHERN AREAS WHICH WERE REALLY NOT GETTING FILLED UP [NOISE] AT THE TIME SO WE'VE WORKED ON MOVING SOME OF THOSE DOWN AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED AS MANY COMPLAINTS, REALLY, NONE SINCE SOME OF THOSE MOVES WERE CHANGED.
>> OKAY. GOING FORWARD, THEY MAY PUT DIFFERENT CARTS THERE OR LARGER CARTS AS THEY [OVERLAPPING]
>> IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT SOME OF THE CARTS THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN AREAS, THEY'VE BEEN MOVED DOWN TO SOME OF THE SOUTHERN AREAS AND RELOCATED.
THEN WE AS STAFF ON THE PARK SIDE,
[00:55:04]
THEY'RE WORKING ON ORDERING A LARGER-SIZED CAN, WHICH LOOKS MORE APPROPRIATE WITH WHAT THE LOOK IS OUT ON THE BEACH THEMSELVES.I BELIEVE THAT WAS SENT TO THE BEACH COMMITTEE JUST SO THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT THE LOOK IS AND SEE THAT THEY'RE OKAY WITH THE DECOR WHICH WOULD GO OUT [NOISE] IN THOSE LOCATIONS.
>> ON NON-PICKUP DAYS IF THERE'S A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S OVERFLOWS IS THERE GOING TO BE COMPLAINT-DRIVEN, OR WILL IT BE MONITORED BY ANYBODY HERE?
>> WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS AND WHAT SO, I'M NO LONGER OF PARKS, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'VE HAD ISSUES WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE LOCATIONS THERE WERE NO, AND THE REASON IT DIDN'T GET PICKED UP WAS BECAUSE THE LINER THAT GOES DOWN INSIDE THE CAN WAS SO FULL OF WATER THAT WASTE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL COULD NOT PHYSICALLY PICK UP THE LINER, IT WAS JUST PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
THEY WOULD HAVE NEEDED QUITE A BIT OF PERSONNEL OR SOME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT TO PICK IT UP.
WHAT OUR PARK STAFF DID WAS THEY WENT OUT, THEY CLEANED OUT MUCH AS THEY COULD AND THEN THEY DRILLED HOLES IN THE BOTTOM IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T RUN INTO THAT SITUATION AGAIN.
IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S A TRUE ISSUE AND IT'S ON A DAY THAT'S NOT PICKED UP IF I WERE NOTIFIED, I WOULD WORK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF RECREATION AND PARKS AS WELL AS THE PARK SUPERINTENDENT TO TRY TO ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE ISSUES.
SHOULD IT BECOME A CONSISTENT ISSUE, I WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT TO TRY TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE.
>> THOSE WERE MY MAIN QUESTION. THANK YOU.
>> [NOISE] SOME OTHER MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES AS WE WERE BASICALLY GOING THROUGH THE CONTRACT ITSELF, MYSELF I REALIZED THAT SECTION 5.2, [NOISE] BASICALLY B THROUGH E, THOSE SECTIONS PROVIDE DEADLINES FOR THE CONTRACTOR'S TRANSITION PLANNING.
SINCE THE AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE EXECUTED UNTIL EITHER TONIGHT OR AFTER TONIGHT, SOME OF THE DEADLINES HAD TO BE REVISED BECAUSE IN THE EVENT THAT WE WERE TO HAVE AGREED TO THE CONTRACT OR AWARDED THE CONTRACT AT A TIME, THEY ALREADY WOULD HAVE MISSED SOME OF THE DATES.
ESSENTIALLY, THOSE MINOR DATE CHANGES WERE MADE UNDER THOSE SECTIONS.
SOME OTHER MINOR MISCELLANEOUS CHANGES, THE EXHIBITS 3 AND 4, THOSE ARE THE EXHIBITS WHICH PROVIDE [NOISE] THE RATES FOR RESIDENTIAL AS WELL AS MULTI-FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES.
THE HEADINGS OF THOSE EXHIBITS WERE JUST REVISED TO MAKE THEM MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE CONTENTS OF THE EXHIBITS THEMSELVES.
THEN EXHIBIT 5, WHICH IS THE EXHIBIT WHICH PROVIDES RATES FOR SPECIAL COLLECTION SERVICES, THE TEXT OF THOSE EXHIBITS WERE REVISED TO CLARIFY ANY [NOISE] CERTAIN RATES AND FEES THAT APPLY ONLY TO MECHANICAL CONTAINERS OR DUMPSTERS.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS THAT JUST NEEDED TO BE MODIFIED BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WAS IN THERE.
[NOISE] FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS WAS LISTED AS IF A CART WERE TO BE OR A CONTAINER WERE TO BE REQUESTED TO BE CHANGED OUT, THE FIRST TWO CHANGES WOULD HAVE BEEN FREE WHICH CONFLICTS WITH THE ACTUAL RESIDENTIAL.
WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CLARIFICATION WAS MADE, THAT THAT WAS ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE ITSELF.
[NOISE] YARD WASTE, ON THE FIRST READING TOWN COUNCIL, YOU ALL ASKED US TO GO BACK AND WORK WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT AND SEE IF THEY COULD CONSIDER [NOISE] A COLLECTION OF MORE THAN EIGHT CUBIC YARDS WITHIN ONE DAY LATER THAN THE SCHEDULED COLLECTION DATE, AND ESSENTIALLY, AS IT IS REFLECTED IN OUR CURRENT CONTRACT THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COME BACK IF THEY HAD MORE THAN EIGHT CUBIC YARDS TO PICK THAT UP WITHIN ONE COLLECTION DAY.
THAT'S WHAT WAS REQUESTED TO WORK OUT WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT.
IN THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT, WASTE MANAGEMENT HAS AGREED TO THE COLLECTION OF YARD WASTE IN EXCESS OF EIGHT CUBIC YARDS ON THE CUSTOMER'S NEXT COLLECTION DAY AND ESSENTIALLY THEY WOULD PICK IT UP EIGHT CUBIC YARDS AT A TIME BASICALLY UNTIL THE PILE IS PICKED UP.
EVERY SINGLE COLLECTION TIME WOULD BE EIGHT CUBIC YARDS UNTIL THE END OF THEIR PILE IS GONE.
[NOISE] AS FAR AS THE RECOMMENDATION, TOWN STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL ON SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE 7- 22 AND
[01:00:03]
AWARD OF THE EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT TO WASTE MANAGEMENT INC. OF FLORIDA, PURSUANT TO THE TOWN'S REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS EPW AT 2022-25 FOR COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLABLE MATERIALS WITHIN THE TOWN OF JUPITER.IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, I CAN DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THEM.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT NOT SURE WHETHER IT'S DIRECTED TO YOU OR TO WASTE MANAGEMENT.
AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, THIS WEEKEND, I WAS UP IN ORLANDO IN A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAD WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICE AND I SENT YOU A PHOTO OF THIS THAT IT HAD ONE WASTE MANAGEMENT CART AND HAD TWO TOTER CARTS, TOTER BEING THE BRAND NAME.
IN THAT COMMUNITY, ALL THREE WERE ACCEPTABLE FOR PICKUP.
I ASKED THAT BECAUSE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS NECESSARILY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN THE CONTRACT, BUT IT SURE IS AN IMPLEMENTATION PRACTICALITY.
AS YOU TOLD ME, THERE'S 19,127 ESTIMATED RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS THAT'LL BE GETTING A NEW GARBAGE CART IF THEY'RE SO INCLINED.
I JUST DID SOME RANDOM OBSERVATIONS ON A FEW TOWNHOME NEIGHBORHOODS IN ABACOA AND A LOT OF THEM HAD TOTER CARTS.
IT SEEMS TO ME WITH ALL WE'VE HEARD ABOUT, CERTAINLY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NATIONALLY ABOUT WASTING PLASTICS, IT JUST ALMOST SEEM LIKE, OH MY GOD, IF WE DON'T ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE THESE PERFECTLY GOOD CARTS, THE TOTER ONES, THE ONES THAT CAN BE PICKED UP BY THE AUTOMATED AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY THOSE CAN'T BE USED.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM? I JUST WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE ADDRESSED FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT BECAUSE I WAS DELIGHTED TO OBSERVE WHAT I DID.
BECAUSE IT STANDS TO REASON THAT I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF CARTS THAT DON'T FIT THE STANDARD, BUT THAT TOTER BRAND, WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE, IS RATED CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S IN THE SPECIFICATION.
AGAIN, WHETHER THIS SO IN THE SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WILL BE GETTING 64-GALLON CARTS, THEY MAY ALREADY HAVE A TOTER CART WOULD THAT AND THE AGREEMENT HAS IT THEY CAN PURCHASE MORE CARTS, BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH KEEPING THE ONE THEY HAVE.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT'D BE A WIN FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT BECAUSE YOU'D BE GIVING OUT LESS CARTS INITIALLY.
THEN YOU'D HAVE A SUPPLY WHEN THERE WAS REPLACEMENT.
TO ME, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A WIN-WIN.
THAT'S ON THE SINGLE-FAMILY AND THEN SO IT'S A TWO-PART QUESTION, JEFF.
I STILL THINK THAT IN THE CASE OF THE TOWNHOME-TYPE COMMUNITIES IN ABACOA, CAN REALLY GET SEMI-AUTOMATED SERVICE.
MANY OF THOSE HAVE ROOM FOR ONE CAN AND MANY OF THEM ALREADY HAVE A 32-GALLON TOTAL CAN.
IF THEY WERE SATISFIED WITH THAT, WHAT I ASKED LAST TIME, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE TO BE CONTINUED FOR USE? IT'S A TWO-PART QUESTION, BUT IT'S THE PRACTICALS.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT REQUIRES ANY CONTRACT CHANGE, BUT IT SURE REQUIRES SOME PRACTICALITY THINKING WE THE TOWN HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS TRANSITION BEFORE, BUT I SURE WOULDN'T WANT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD ANSWER WHEN RESIDENTS SAYING, "YEAH, YOU'D HAVE TO THROW THAT CART AWAY IT CAN'T BE USED ANYMORE." WHEN IT'S PERFECTLY MEETS THE STANDARD.
JEFF, WOULD YOU MIND ADDRESSING THOSE TWO ITEMS?
>> GOOD EVENING. HONORABLE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL, AND STAFF.
FOR THE RECORD, JEFF SABIN, WASTE MANAGEMENT.
FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR THIS CONSIDERATION AND THE PROCESS.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT OUR CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN AS MANY YEARS AS WE'VE SERVED YOU AND NOW THIS IS A NEW PHASE.
MOVING INTO THIS AUTOMATION IS VERY EXCITING.
[01:05:02]
I KNOW OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT AS SEAMLESS AND PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE, AND WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF SO FAR IN WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE TERMINOLOGY CHANGES, AND LANGUAGE CHANGES HAVE GONE VERY WELL AND WE APPRECIATE THEIR COOPERATION AND FOR US BEING HERE THIS EVENING.IN TERMS OF THE AUTOMATED SERVICE, WHAT I'LL CALL UNIVERSAL AUTOMATED COLLECTION SERVICE, WHICH WILL BE FOR BASICALLY ALL SINGLE-FAMILY NATIVE ABACOA, AS WE'VE MADE FAIRLY CLEAR.
THE ACTUAL FROM I WOULD SAY TECHNICALLY SPEAKING, THE TRUCKS WILL BE SPECIFIED AND CALIBRATED TO ACTUALLY COLLECT THOSE SPECIFIC UNIVERSAL CARTS THAT WE'LL BE ISSUING TO ALL THE RESIDENTS.
IN THIS CASE, THAT WOULD BE PRIMARILY THE 64-GALLON CART.
THOSE CARTS WILL BE PURCHASED FROM A WELL-KNOWN INDUSTRY PROVIDER, BUT THAT PARTICULAR CART, WHICHEVER WHICH ONE WE PURCHASE, IF IT WAS TOTER, IT WOULD THEN DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL SIZE.
WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT THAT LIFT ARM MECHANISM IS CALIBRATED TO GRASP, HOLD, LIFT, DUMP, AND RETURN A SPECIFIC SIZE, MAKE AND SPECIFIC TO THAT TRUCK, AND HOW IT WILL BE CALIBRATED.
IT WOULD BE REALLY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO SAY PUT YOUR TOTER OR WHATEVER TYPE OF CART OUT AND THAT ARM WILL BE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COLLECT AND DUMP WITHOUT IT FALLING INTO THE TRUCK, FALLING OFF THE ARM AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING.
REALLY, WE CAN'T PICK UP ANY OTHER CARTS WITH THAT PARTICULAR EQUIPMENT, WITH A FULLY AUTOMATED VEHICLE.
WHERE WE'VE CONVERTED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY HAVE SIMILAR SITUATIONS, WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY PURCHASED TOTER CARTS, OR WHATEVER OTHER CARTS FOR THEIR GARBAGE.
THE RE-PURPOSING OF THOSE CARTS OR THEY CAN USE IT FOR YARD WASTE, WHICH IS WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE, IS USE THAT NICE CART FOR YOUR YARD WASTE COLLECTION BECAUSE THEY'RE PICKED UP WITH REAR LOADERS.
THAT WOULD BE MY IMMEDIATE SUGGESTION AS A RE-PURPOSING OF THOSE CARTS THAT RESIDENTS MAY HAVE.
IDEALLY, WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CONVERT THE DUAL STREAM RECYCLING TO SINGLE STREAM, BUT THAT'S TOTALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
THAT'S THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SOLID WASTES AUTHORITIES, DECISION, THEY DO STILL HAVE AND WE ISSUED THE BINS AND WE'LL BE COLLECTING THOSE IN THOSE DUAL COMPARTMENT REAR LOADERS, WE CALL THEM SPLIT BODIES.
NOW TO SEGUE TO TALK ABOUT THE SECOND PART AND THAT IS THE COLLECTION SERVICE IN ABACOA, WHERE WE WILL BE SEMI-AUTOMATED.
WE WILL HAVE REAR-LOADED TRUCKS WITH FLIPPERS ON THEM AS WELL, COLLECTING THE GARBAGE.
WHERE WE WILL BE COLLECTING PRIMARILY FROM THE 64-GALLON CART NET OF THOSE THAT REQUEST THE LARGER.
THOSE CREWS WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE US CANS AND CARTS THAT ARE SET OUT.
I'M NOT ADVERTISING THIS AS A MEANS TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN ADDRESS YOUR PRACTICAL APPROACH, MR. MAYOR.
BUT ELSEWHERE WHERE IT'S FULLY AUTOMATED, THAT TRUCK WON'T BE SETUP TO PICK UP ANY OTHER CART THAN THE ONES THAT ARE ISSUED INITIALLY AS WE CALL THEM, THE UNIVERSAL CART.
>> ON THE SECOND ONE, YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T ACCOMMODATE IN ABACOA? IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY?
>> BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT TRUCK.
>> IT HAS FLIPPERS. THAT'S NOT PART OF THE CONTRACT.
>> BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TOO.
>> I THINK IN EMBARKING HERE, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO DO AS MUCH AUTOMATION.
I WAS ONLY TALKING ABOUT CARTS.
NOT EVEN IN A SEMI-AUTOMATED JUST SO YOU KNOW, NOT GARBAGE CANS, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. IT'S INTERESTING.
I'M GOING TO ACCEPT THAT AS FACT. I'LL GET WITH YOU LATER.
I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT I RENTED A HOME IN BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY, THEY GAVE US RULES AND REGULATIONS AND THEY HAD COVERED GARBAGE.
[01:10:06]
FROM THE RULES AND REGULATIONS I READ AND WHICH CAN I USED, IT DIDN'T MATTER.THEY SAID ALL THREE ARE PICKED UP.
MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S FULLY AUTOMATED, WHICH IS WHAT LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE TOTER MEETS THE ARM AT LEAST ON WHATEVER WASTE MANAGEMENT IS FULLY AUTOMATED TRUCKS WERE UP IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT I'LL LEAVE IT FOR NOW.
>> THAT MAY BE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM, A DIFFERENT LEFT LIFT MECHANISM THAT ACTUALLY LATCHES ONTO THE STANDARD BAR ON THE FRONT.
BUT OUR PARTICULAR TRUCKS AND THE ONES THAT HAD BEEN SPECIFIED FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT ARE BASICALLY CALIBRATED GRASPING ARMS THAT ACTUALLY WRAP AROUND THE CART.
ONCE THEY REACH A CERTAIN SENSITIVITY OR PRESSURE ON THE PRESSURE GAUGE, THEN IT DOESN'T SQUEEZE IT ANY HARDER.
IT CAN ONLY GRASP CERTAIN SIZE CONTAINERS AND CARTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DESIGNED FOR THE COLLECTION WHICH THESE CARTS WILL BE.
>> YOU'RE PREPARED TO PICK UP 19,000 GARBAGE CANS THROWN OUT BY THE STREET AND NO LONGER ARE USABLE TO CUSTOMERS, CORRECT?
>> AGAIN, I WOULD RECOMMEND. [OVERLAPPING]
>> NO. I UNDERSTAND FOR SURE [OVERLAPPING].
BUT THAT'S A PRACTICAL THING YOU'LL BE DOING ON THE CURRENT CONTRACT.
BECAUSE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, IF A GARBAGE CAN REACH ZEN OF LIFE AND THE CHEAPER ONES DON'T LAST THAT LONG, YOU PUT IT OUT THERE, IT GETS PICKED UP.
AS YOU MAKE THIS TRANSITION, IT'S GOING TO BE AN AWFUL LOT OF CANS YOU'RE PICKING UP.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE JUST SUGGESTING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY GET PROCESSED TO BE DISPOSED OFF.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION. REFRESH MY MEMORY IF YOU CAN.
I'M IN ABACOA AND I'VE GOT THE ALLEYWAYS, SO I WILL BE SEMI-AUTOMATIC.
WILL MY GARBAGE HAVE TO BE IN THE GARBAGE CAN WITH THE LID CLOSED OR IF THERE'S AN EXTRA BAG OR SOMETHING THAT FINDS ITS WAY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, DOES IT SIT THERE AS WELL OR MUST IT BE IN THE CAN?
>> ALWAYS MUST BE CONTAINERIZED.
IT MUST BE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE CAN.
>> LOOKING AT MY OWN TRUST SITUATION, WHICH I DO HAVE A TOTER AS WELL, BUT I LIVE IN DENIAL AND I HAVE A SMALLER SIZE THAN I NEED.
I THINK I'VE GOT 40 SOMETHING.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE SIZE, BUT SMALLER.
TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK, INEVITABLY SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN WITH MY CHILDREN THAT LEADS TO MORE TRASH, THAT LEADS TO A BAG NEXT TO IT AT THE END.
I GOT A QUESTION FROM A RESIDENT REGARDING THE SIZE AS WELL, AND WHAT YOU WOULD DO AND JUST WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT OF HAVING IT BE REQUIRED THAT IT BE IN THE TRASH CAN, I WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE MY CAN REGARDLESS.
THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY I WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE INDEPENDENT OF ANYTHING AND CHANGE SIZE.
THAT IS ONE ELEMENT TO CONSIDER.
ANOTHER IS THAT I THINK I WAS LOOKING AT ALL OF THE VERY SPECIFIC SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE WASTE-MANAGEMENT CONTAINERS AND THE RATING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR HOW MUCH IT CAN CARRY.
I GUESS THE BENEFIT IS THAT IT WAS 50 POUNDS, AND NOW IT'S UP TO THE RATING WHICH IS HUNDREDS OF POUNDS, WHICH IS A BENEFIT TO ALL OF US IN SOME WAYS.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT WHAT IT ALLOWS ME TO DO.
WITH THAT RATING THOUGH, I DON'T KNOW IF TOTER, I WENT TO HOME DEPOT AND PICKED IT UP.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MODELS THERE ARE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME, ARE ALL DIFFERENT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS TO IDENTIFY WHICH ONES ARE RATED AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT.
I COULD SEE HOW THAT COULD BE A CONCERN.
I'VE SEEN ALL DIFFERENT KINDS.
I'VE DRIVEN AROUND ABACOA AS WELL, AND YOU SEE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONTAINERS.
I WOULD BE CONCERNED THAT SOME MAY NOT MEET THE RATING AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? IF YOU HAVE TO HIT SO MANY HOMES EVERY DAY, IT HAS TO BE RATED FOR THAT FOR THE POUNDS OR IT COULD BREAK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE IMPROVED LEVEL OF SERVICE IN SOME WAYS. IT'S A CHANGE.
>> WE WENT FROM AN OVERFLOWING LARGE CAN, NOT QUITE THAT BIG AND OTHER DEBRIS.
IF THEY GO TO COLLEGE, WE'RE NORMALLY ONE BAG FOR OUR PICK UP.
THEN THEY COME HOME, IT'S THE SAME THING.
I WENT TO AN ABACOA POA MEETING NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND I LAUNCHED MAYBE A 100 INVITATIONS TO ALL THE HOAS.
SO I'M GETTING TO KNOW AT MY NEIGHBORHOOD ABACOA REALLY WELL.
I DID AN INFORMAL POLL AT THE ABACOA POA MEETING AND I'VE BEEN TALKING TO SOME OF THESE HOA PRESIDENTS,
[01:15:04]
THEIR RESIDENTS AS WELL AND THEY KNOW THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT THE 64.I ASKED SPECIFICALLY WITH TOWN HOME.
I'VE DRIVEN AROUND AND LOOKED FOR OPEN GARAGES AS WELL TO CONFIRM, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT, SO THANK YOU.
>> REAL QUICK, JEFF. JUST TO THE MAYOR'S POINT TOO, WHEN THE TRANSITION HAPPENS, WHEN WE DELIVER THE NEW CARTS OUT AND PEOPLE WANT TO GET RID OF THEIR OLD CARTS BECAUSE THEY'RE END OF USE OR THEY HAVE NO ROOM FOR THEM, WHATEVER, THERE IS A PLAN IN PLACE TO PROPERLY RECYCLE THOSE CARTS I WOULD ASSUME.
>> WE WOULD WORK WITH THE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY.
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE. I KNOW THE QUESTION IS GOING TO COME UP.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ENVIRONMENTALLY WANT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WASTING PLASTIC AND STUFF AND MYSELF TOO, SO WITH THOSE CARTS, I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY ARE RECYCLABLE MATERIALS.
WORKING ALONGSIDE WITH SOLID WASTES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN BE RECYCLED.
THEN NOT ALL THE COMPONENTS OF THE CARTS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MANUFACTURER ARE NECESSARILY RECYCLABLE.
SOME OF THE WHEELS ARE MADE OF A PARTICULAR COMPOSITE RUBBER, WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY.
WE TRY TO RECLAIM, REUSE, AND RECYCLE ALL THESE CARTS THAT WE CAN DETERMINE ARE AND THEN THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE BY THE SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY.
WE'LL DO THAT WELL IN ADVANCE.
WE'LL WORK WITH STAFF AND REACH OUT TO THEM TO SEE.
BUT THEY CONVERTED THE ENTIRE COUNTY TWO YEARS AGO.
WE'LL JUST TAP INTO THEIR KNOWLEDGE BASE TO FIND OUT HOW THEY ADDRESSED IT AT SUCH A LARGE SCALE AND HOW THEY OFFER TO THEIR RESIDENTS THE POTENTIAL TO DO THAT.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A DROP-OFF LOCATION.
ANYWAY, I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE WHEELS, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY TO FIND OUT WHEN THEY DID THAT HUGE TRANSITION.
>> I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S GOING TO COME UP.
>> I HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION. I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS FROM SOME RESIDENTS CONCERNING, LIKE IN THE PAST, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR TRASH CAN OUT, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GET RID OF A GAS GRILL.
YOU GUYS HAVE PICKED UP EVERYTHING I'VE EVER PUT OUT.
LIKE MINOR CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS, TWO-BY-FOURS THAT CAN'T FIT IN THE CAN, DO THEY COME PICK IT UP LATER OR IS IT GOING IN THE SAME TRUCK OR HOW DOES THAT WORK OUT, OR DOES EVERYTHING HAVE TO BE CUT UP AND PUT IN THE CAN?
>> THAT WILL GET TAGGED AND THEY COME BACK FOR THAT?
>> WELL, PUBLICLY, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS THAT HAVE LARGE ITEMS THAT CAN BE BROKEN DOWN AND PUT INTO THE CART INTO THE RECEPTACLE.
FIRST-OFF, THAT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL AND BENEFICIAL.
BUT FOR THE LARGER ITEMS THAT FALL WITHIN WHAT THOMAS SAID BULK CATEGORY, WE HAVE A REAL LOADER THAT WILL STILL TRAVERSE THE TOWN AND PICK UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.
>> THEY JUST CALL THAT IN THEN THEY COME BACK AND GET IT?
>> IT'S HELPFUL IF THEY CALL IT IN.
IF NOT, WE HAVE THE TAG TO LEAVE BEHIND, WHICH HELPS BOTH THE RESIDENT, THE TOWN AND US THREE-LEGGED STOOL.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO CALL, GREAT. [LAUGHTER]
>> [OVERLAPPING] THEN THEY WILL COME BACK TO GET IT.
WHAT WAS THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF THE CAN THE TRUCK PICKS UP? WHAT WAS THE MAX WEIGHT ON THAT? THAT COULD BE IN THERE?
>> FOR THE 64 GALLON, AND I HATE TO GUESS PUBLICLY BASED ON THE SPECIFICATIONS.
I THINK THOMAS HAS THE ACTUAL PROVISION.
>> THE 96 GALLON IS LISTED UNDER SECTION, IT'S ACTUALLY UNDER EXHIBIT 12.
IT'S ON PAGE WHAT WOULD BE TWO OF SIX.
THE 96 GALLON, THE CAPACITY IS £330 WITH 64 GALLON BEING £224.
>> I JUST SAID I BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME RATING AS A TONER.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION, BUT YOU'VE COMMENTED ON THAT.
MAYBE YOU MAY CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT THAT ON THE PRACTICALITY OF, BUT OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT?
>> YES. BETH DELLINGER AND THEN AFTER BETH IS WAYNE POSNER.
>> MAYOR, VICE, MAYOR, COUNCIL, IN MY LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 210 HOMES I COUNTED TRASH FOR MANY NIGHTS ON
[01:20:05]
MY BICYCLE AND I'M EXCITED TO GO WITH THE PROGRESS WITH SOLID WASTE AUTHORITY WITH THE NEW TRASH CANS.I WAS VERY EXCITED TO GO WITH THE RECYCLABLE CANS UNTIL MR. SIMON JUST INFORM ME THAT THERE IS SOMETHING THEY'RE WORKING ON, AND SO WOULD STILL HAVE TO CARRY OUR LITTLE BINS, TO THE FRONT [INAUDIBLE].
BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RECYCLING CANS BECAUSE THAT IS IMPORTANT.
>> WELL, AGAIN, HONORABLE MAYOR, ENGINEER AND THE TOWN COUNCIL.
AS AN ENGINEER, I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT SPECIFIC IN TACTICAL AND MAYBE UP IN ORLANDO, THEY MAY HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT SITUATION, AND MAYBE THEY MADE A DEAL WHERE THEY'VE STILL PICK UP SOME STUFF FROM HAN, I DON T KNOW.
AS WE KNOW, TRASH IS TRUTH, NOW WE ALL KNOW TRASH IS TRUTH.
I LIVE BY THAT SINCE 1976, I CAN PICTURE MYSELF WITH TRASH IS TRUTH.
SOMEONE JUST TOLD ME A GREAT IDEA.
MAYBE IF PEOPLE CAN GIVE AWAY THEIR CANS TO LANDSCAPERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, MAYBE THEY PUT SOMETHING IN THE TOWN NEWSPAPER AND THEY CAN COME AND PICK UP CANS FOR FREE.
PEOPLE NEED CANS FOR OTHER THINGS, FOR THEIR GARDENING, WHATEVER.
THEY'LL COME TO YOUR HOUSE, PICK IT UP FOR FREE IF YOU WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY, AND IT HAS ANOTHER USE.
SO MANY VARIABLES WITH THE SMALL CANS AND BIG CANS, I KNOW THIS IS TECHNOLOGICALLY OVER MY HEAD PROBABLY, BUT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE, LIKE THE MOVIE BACK TO THE FUTURE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CANS THAT HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON AND YOU PUSH A BUTTON ON YOUR PHONE.
THEY LOAD UP, AND THEY DRIVE THEMSELVES TO THE CORNER.
EVENTUALLY, JUST LIKE YOU HAVE AN APP ON YOUR PHONE THAT CHANGE A CAMERA IN YOUR HOUSE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO THE NEAR FUTURE, I THINK.
IT'S LIKE WHEN WE CHANGED FROM HORSES TO CARS, WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DRIVE A CAR.
IT'S GOOD THING TO KNOW THAT £220 FITS IN THE SIXTH SMALL CAN, AND THAT MEANS I CAN STILL FIT IN A SMALL CAN.
[LAUGHTER] THAT'S A GOOD THING AS WELL.
I THINK IT WILL WORK OUT WELL.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU CAN USE THE BIG CAN OR FIT THE BIG CAN IN YOUR GARAGE AND HAVE ROOM FOR THAT, THAT GIVES YOU SO MUCH MORE OPTIONS.
I KNOW WILLLY SAID THAT HER CHILDREN GET MORE STUFF.
YOU'D NEVER HAVE THE OVERFLOW IF YOU HAD THE BIG CAN.
FOR SOME PEOPLE, LIKE YOU HAVE NOW YET THE SMALL ONE, OF COURSE, THE SMALL ONE WORKS GREAT.
YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE A DECISION FOR YOURSELVES, BUT I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING A DEAL WITH WASTE MANAGEMENT.
I'M SURE THERE'LL BE VERY ACCOMMODATING LIKE THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN, AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A LONG DEAL SO WE ARE NOT GO THROUGH THIS.
WE HAVE HAD TOO MANY OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO AS TOWN COUNCIL.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THAT I FINISHED.
OH, AND I THINK THEIR TRUCKS ARE GOING TO BE NATURAL GAS.
I'VE BELIEVED SO, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, IT'S GOING TO BE BETTER.
IT'S GOING TO BE LESS DRIVING, IT'S GOING TO BE FAST TO PICKUP.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PEOPLE WHERE SOMEBODY IS LOADING IT IN THE BACK, IT'D BE LESS INTRUSIVE, LESS WEAR AND TEAR ON THE ROADS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL FOR MAKING GREAT DECISIONS AND I HOPE YOU PASS THIS TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
>> THAT'S IT. BACK TO COUNCIL.
>> WE HAVE ONE. I JUST THINK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED JUST RECENTLY SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT WE REALLY NEED A COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
I KNOW WASTE MANAGEMENT HAS MADE A CONSULTANT AVAILABLE, I THINK FOR THE FIRST MONTH OF ROLLOUT FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT RESIDENTS HAVE, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A PUBLIC MEETING WHERE ANYONE INTERESTED COULD COME AND ASK QUESTIONS OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'LL CERTAINLY BE TRACKING CLOSELY BECAUSE [OVERLAPPING] I'M SORRY.
BUT NOW AS WE CONTINUE, THIS NEEDS TO BE REGULAR AND WITH JUST SPECIFIC TO THIS ITEM AS WELL.
THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I'M GOING TO TRACK AND HOPE THAT WE'LL HAVE A NUMBER OF EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE VARIED AND WE DON'T ALWAYS EXPECT THEM.
>> JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT I HAVE IS, I KNOW STAFF ULTIMATELY HAS THE RIGHT TO PICK THE COLOR, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN A COLOR PERSON.
[LAUGHTER] HOWEVER, AESTHETICS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SEEK PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT BEFORE WE ORDER THEM AND PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT THE COLOR SELECTION IS BECAUSE I'M ALREADY GETTING AN EARFUL WHEN THESE CARTS THAT POOR HOA GUIDELINES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE HIDDEN OR COLOR THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO FIT.
>> I THINK THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS BLUE WITH ORANGE WRITING.
[01:25:05]
>> THERE IS A METALLIC JUPITER'S FACEBOOK PAGE POLL FOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. [LAUGHTER].
>> I AM ALSO NOT A COLOR PERSON, SO I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS INPUT ON IT.
PARTIALLY COLORBLIND MYSELF, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S INPUT ON IT.
>> WITH THAT TO COUNCIL, I GET A MOTION FOR.
MOTION TO APPROVE FRANCHISE ORDINANCES 722 ON SECOND READING.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND, THIS IS SECOND READING.
CAN [INAUDIBLE] READ IT ON SHORT TITLE, PLEASE?
>> ORDINANCES 722 AND ORDINANCES TO THE TOWN COUNCIL OF TOWN JUPITER, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE AWARD OF A FRANCHISE TO WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC OF FLORIDA, AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AND EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT WITH WMIF COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLED MATERIALS IN THE TOWN.
>> MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
>> THE MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
MOVING ONTO ROUNDTABLE FOR THE 2022 UPDATES TO THE WATER AND STORMWATER MASTER PLANS.
[14. 2022 updates to the Water and Stormwater Master Plans. [TAB 14]]
>> [NOISE] [LAUGHTER] GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M DAVID BROWN FOR THE RECORD, DIRECTOR UTILITIES WITH THE TOWN.
I'M JOINED TONIGHT WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS OF MY STAFF.
I HAVE AMANDA BARNES, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR UTILITIES, REBECCA WILDER IS A FACILITIES MANAGER ENGINEER, AS WELL AS DAWN CLARK, FINANCIAL OPERATIONS MANAGER.
ALSO ACCOMPANYING US IS ROB TAYLOR WITH THE FIRM OF HAZEN AND SAWYER, AND ROB HENRI WITH THE FIRM OF [INAUDIBLE] US WHO'S OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANT THAT HELPED WITH THIS MASTER PLAN.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE TOWN COUNCIL FOR ALL THE TIME AND ATTENTION THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THESE UTILITY MASTERCLASS.
I KNOW THAT BOOKS ARE VOLUMINOUS, AND LOT TO DIGEST AND SO FORTH.
WE HAVE INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS AND BRIEFINGS WITH EACH OF YOU AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FOLLOW-UP SINCE THEN.
FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, I WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH A BRIEF PRESENTATION.
THEY'LL BE BASICALLY BE A 30,000 FOOT OVERVIEW OF THE PLANS AND THEN WE CAN OPEN UP THE ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON ANY OF THE SPECIFIC TOPICS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DIVE INTO DEEPER.
THE BASIC AGENDA OF MY PRESENTATION, I JUST WANT TO OVERVIEW THE PURPOSE OF MASTER PLANNING, AND THEN I'LL TOUCH ON BOTH THE WATER MASTER PLAN AND THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
THEN BUILDING OUT OF BOTH, THERE'S RECOMMENDED FINANCIAL STRATEGIES FOR THE TOWN TO TAKE AND THE NEXT STEPS FOR US FROM A STAFFING COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE THAT WILL NEED TO TAKE IN ORDER TO MOVE THINGS INTO FRUITION.
THE WATER AND STORMWATER MASTER PLANS WE ADDRESSED EVERY FIVE YEARS AS A PRACTICE OF THE UTILITY OVER THE YEARS.
WE DON'T JUST LOOK AT FIVE YEARS IN ADVANCE, WE ACTUALLY LOOK OUT 25 YEARS.
WE'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS THAT LONG-RANGE PLANNING IS THE WAY TO GO.
THAT'S THE WAY TO TRY TO MINIMIZE SURPRISES AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
EVERY YEAR THAT WE DO IT, WE DO AN IN-DEPTH BUSINESS ASSESSMENT, A COMPLETE FINANCIAL OVERVIEW, IN-DEPTH LOOK OF THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE UTILITY IN COMPARISON TO WHAT THE CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE UTILITY OR FORECASTED TO BE OVER THE NEXT 5-25 YEARS.
THE WATER UTILITY ALWAYS BEEN BUILT ON THE CORE OBJECTIVE OF DELIVERING SAFE AND RELIABLE UTILITY SERVICES AT AN AFFORDABLE COST.
ON THIS SLIDE, I WANTED TO PUBLISH FOR YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN, A MISSION STATEMENT THAT WE CREATED ABOUT TWO DECADES AGO,
[01:30:01]
WHICH HAS REALLY HELPED TO FORM BECAUSE IT REALLY BUILDS ALSO ON HOW WE ALSO HAVE A HEAVY DOSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP AND EVERYTHING WE DO ALSO.THE TOWN'S UTILITY IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING ESTABLISHED ROLE IN THE INDUSTRY AS A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE, WHICH THANKS TO THE COUNCIL OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR WITH A COMMITMENT TO A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY IN CONCERT WITH THEIR UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT.
OUR SUCCESS OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED THROUGH PROBABLY 50-60 AWARDS FROM VARIOUS NATIONAL AND REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND GROUPS.
REALLY REINFORCING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES AS A TECHNOLOGICAL LEADER IN THE REGION.
I THINK THAT REALLY STANDS TRUE WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA WHICH REALLY HAVE MIMICKED THE APPROACH TO WATER SUPPLY AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT THAT WE'VE TAKEN HERE IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER SO, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANT, HERE ARE TWO VERY BIG EXAMPLES, [NOISE] OR VERY IMPORTANT EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT REALLY FEED INTO EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE FIRST OF WHICH WE STARTED ABOUT 2-3 DECADES AGO, AND THAT WAS THE INVESTMENT INTO A DUAL AQUIFER APPROACH TO WATER MANAGEMENT.
WHAT THAT ENABLES THE TOWN OF JUPITER TO DO IS DEAL WITH DROUGHT.
FRESHWATER SUPPLY IN JUPITER IS VERY LIMITED, IT WAS DETERMINED IN THE LATE 1980S THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT SUPPLY FROM THE LOCAL SURFICIAL AQUIFER TO SUPPLY ALL OF JUPITER'S WATER NEEDS THROUGH BUILD-OUT.
WE HAD TO GO INTO THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER BY HAVING BOTH AQUIFERS TO USE, DEPENDENT ON WEATHER CONDITIONS, ALLOWS US TO POP BACK AND FORTH AND ADDRESS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT CAUSE ANY ENVIRONMENTAL HARM AS A RESULT OF OUR WITHDRAWALS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE CONCENTRATED ON WAS THE CONVERSION TO A 100 PERCENT MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY AND OUR WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS. IT WAS DEEMED THE BEST AVAILABLE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU CAN EMPLOY FOR WATER QUALITY, SUCH AS THAT WE HAVE IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
IT'S REALLY PUT US IN A GREAT POSITION RELATIVE TO PRODUCING THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE DRINKING WATER QUALITY.
AS WELL AS BEING PREPARED FOR FUTURE REGULATORY CHANGES AS THEY'RE MORE AND MORE EMERGING CONTAMINANTS THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO ADDRESS IN THE WATER TREATMENT INDUSTRY.
THE SCHEMATIC THAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU RIGHT NOW PRESENTS OUR EXISTING SYSTEM AND HOW WE UTILIZE BOTH AQUIFERS AS WELL AS MEMBRANE TREATMENT.
THE EXISTING SYSTEM RIGHT NOW PULLS FROM THE SURFICIAL AQUIFER OR THE SHALLOW FRESHWATER LOW SALINITY AQUIFER TO SUPPLY WATER TO AN NANOFILTRATION PLANT, WHICH IS A MEMBRANE TREATMENT PLANT OF LOWER PRESSURE, AS WELL AS THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER, WHICH IS A DEEPER BRACKISH WATER SOURCE THAT FEEDS OR REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT.
THE WATER FROM THOSE TWO PLANTS ARE THEN BLENDED AND THEN SENT TO OUR COSTUMERS.
THERE'S A BYPRODUCT WATER CREATED BY BOTH OF THOSE FACILITIES, AND IN THE CASE OF THE NANOFILTRATION PLANT, THE BYPRODUCT WATER FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS HAS BEEN SOLD TO THE LOCK STATUE RIVER DISTRICT FOR AUGMENTING THEIR RECLAIMED WATER SYSTEM.
WHILE THE BYPRODUCT WATER FROM THE RO SYSTEM HAS BEEN DISCHARGED TO THE SOUTHWEST FORK OF THE LOCK STATUE RIVER AND REUSED IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
THIS SLIDE GOES TO ILLUSTRATE HOW MEMBRANE TREATMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT RELATIVE TO WATER QUALITY AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY.
AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS, THE MEMBRANE TREATMENT PROCESSES THAT WE USE A NANOFILTRATION, REVERSE OSMOSIS OR SOME HAVE THE HIGHEST REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES OF THE TECHNOLOGY.
THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND REMOVING SUCH THINGS THAT ARE ILLUSTRATED FURTHER IN THE MASTER PLAN SUCH AS THE PFAS AND THE PFOA AND THE PHARMACEUTICALS THAT ARE NOW BECOMING AN EMERGING CONTAMINANTS IN THE DRINKING WATER INDUSTRY.
IN THE 2022 MASTERPLAN, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY NEW CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE DEFINED THROUGH THE PROCESS.
BUT I FIRST WANT TO REWIND BACK TO 2017.
IN 2017 THE MAJOR EMPHASIS OF THAT MASTER PLAN FOR THE WATER UTILITY PERSPECTIVE WAS THE DEGRADATION OF WATER QUALITY IN THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER.
THAT IS THE DEEPER BRACKISH WATER AQUIFER THAT FEEDS THE REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT.
IT WAS RECOGNIZED AT THAT POINT IN TIME AND PRIOR TO THAT, THAT TYPICAL TO SOUTH FLORIDA THAT YOU WILL SEE A DEGRADATION OF THAT WATER QUALITY OVER TIME AS THAT AQUIFER WAS BEING PUMPED.
QUANTITY WISE IT WILL BE LESS PROLIFIC AS WELL AS IT WILL BECOME MORE SALIENT OVER TIME.
ONE OF THE BIG OUTCOMES OF THE 2017'S MASTER PLAN IS TOWN, YOU NEED TO TAKE STEPS TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO MINIMIZE THAT DEGRADATION OVER TIME,
[01:35:02]
AS WELL AS PLAN TO ULTIMATELY CONVERT YOUR REVERSE OSMOSIS TREATMENT SYSTEM TO SOMETHING THAT GOES FROM TREATING BRACKISH WATER TO SOMETHING THAT'S MORE LIKE TREATING SEAWATER IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DECADES.YOU HAD TO PLAN FOR THAT ACCORDINGLY.
IN 2022 THE BIG ISSUE THAT CAME TO LIGHT AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT WE HAD TO DEVELOP A NEW STRATEGY FOR IS THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE LOCK STATUE RIVER DISTRICT THAT THEY WERE NOT AMENABLE TO EXTENDING THE INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WAS CREATED IN 2006, WHEREBY THEY GET THE BYPRODUCT WATER FROM THE NANOFILTRATION PLANT, SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS TO DEAL WITH THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE LOVE TO REUSE AND USE ALL WATER SUPPLIES TO THEIR HIGHEST AND BEST BENEFICIAL USE.
OUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO STILL REUSE THAT NANOFILTRATION BYPRODUCT WATER BECAUSE IT'S STILL RELATIVELY FRESH.
IT CAN BE RE-USED FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES.
THE SOLUTION WE CAME UP TO THAT ISSUE WAS THAT WE PLAN TO PILOT TEST AND WORK TOWARDS RECYCLING THAT WATER BACK TO, SAY THE HEAD WORKS, SO THE REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT.
WILL COME OUT IN THE TAIL END OF THE NANOFILTRATION PLANT AND THEN BE BLENDED WITH THE RAW WATER COMING FROM THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER AND THEN RUN THROUGH THE REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT, THEREBY CREATING AN AUGMENTED RAW WATER SUPPLY TO THE RO PLANT.
COUPLED WITH THAT, WE'RE PROPOSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN INJECTION WELL FOR AS A DISPOSAL MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVE ALSO.
FOR INSTANCE, IF THE REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO TAKE THAT BYPRODUCT WATER FROM THE NANOFILTRATION PLANT, WE CAN THEN SEND THAT WATER TO THE INJECTION WELL.
THE OTHER BIG BENEFIT OF THE INJECTION WELL, WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE FURTHER, IS GOING TO TAKE THE REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE THAT CURRENTLY GOES TO THE C18 CANAL AND DISCHARGE IT INTO THE INJECTION WELL, WHICH WILL HAVE AN ENORMOUS ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT TO THE LOCK STATUE RIVER.
ELABORATING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THAT, I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS, WE CAN DIVE INTO IT FURTHER.
BUT THE BIG BENEFIT OF TAKING THE REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE AND DISPOSING OF IT IN THE INJECTION WELL IS THE NUTRIENT LOADINGS IN THE LOCK STATUE RIVER.
IN 2020, THE TOWN WORKED WITH OTHER LOCAL ENTITIES TO DEVELOP A WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE LOCK STATUE RIVER POLLUTION REDUCTION PLAN.
IT WAS A RESPONSE TO EPA'S REGULATIONS RELATIVE TO REDUCING MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS OF NUTRIENTS SUCH AS PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN FROM THE LOCK STATUTE RIVER.
IN DOING THAT EXERCISE WITH DEP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT EVERYONE PUT TOGETHER THEIR CAPITAL PLANS AND THERE WERE STILL A SHORTCOMING AND THE AMOUNT OF NITROGEN THAT THE COMMUNITIES WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE FROM THE IMPAIRED WATER BODIES IN THE RIVER.
REMOVAL OF THE RO CONCENTRATE FROM THE RIVER WILL GET YOU THERE AND BEYOND.
THE ACTUAL NUTRIENT REDUCTION LOAD IS SOMETHING LIKE £30,00 PER YEAR OF NITROGEN WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE FROM THE RIVER, IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.
THEY'RE ALSO SIDE BENEFITS OF THE SHIFT IN THESE NEW CONCENTRATE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES SUCH AS REDUCTIONS AND OPERATING COSTS.
THOSE WILL ALSO BE REDUCED THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
ROLLING BACK TO RECYCLING THE NANOFILTRATION CONCENTRATED INTO THE RO WATER.
HOW THAT BENEFITS THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER IS THAT, YOU'RE NOW GOING TO HAVE 2-3 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY OF NEW RAW WATER COMING TO THE RO PLANT.
THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF FLORIDAN AQUIFER WATER YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE FROM THE AQUIFER, OBVIOUSLY REDUCING THE STRESS AND THE DEGRADATION ON THAT WATER.
THE OTHER BIG THING IT DOES, IT FRESHENS UP THE WATER COMING INTO THE RO PLANT.
WHERE WE SAW IT BECOMING MORE SALINE AS THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER WATER BECAME MORE SALINE THROUGH DEGRADATION.
BY BLENDING THAT WATER INTO THE MIX, YOU'RE NOW GOING TO BE FACED WITH HAVING A LOWER [NOISE] CHLORIDE, LOWER TDS WATER COMING INTO THE RO PLANT, THAT ALSO REDUCES OPERATING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RO PLANT.
I'M GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THESE A LITTLE FASTER.
IN SUMMARY, THE SCHEMATIC OF THE FUTURE SCENARIO THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
THIS IS THE MAJOR PROJECTS STEMMING OUT OF THE WATER MASTER PLAN, GIVEN THAT THE LOCK STATUE RIVER DISTRICT SEEM TO MOVE ON AND WILL NOT BE AMENABLE TO EXTENSION OF THAT INNER LOCAL AGREEMENT RELATIVE TO
[01:40:02]
THE NANOFILTRATION CONCENTRATE SUPPLEMENTING THEIR RECLAIM SYSTEM.WE WILL NOW REROUTE THAT WATER TO THE REVERSE OSMOSIS PLANT AS A NEW RAW WATER SUPPLY.
IF THAT IS UNAVAILABLE, OBVIOUSLY, THEY'LL BE THE OPTION OF THE DEEP INJECTION WELL, AS ANOTHER DISPOSAL ALTERNATIVE.
ONCE AGAIN, REINFORCING THAT SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A SAFE AND RELIABLE MEANS OF MANAGING CONCENTRATE.
WE CANNOT OPERATE A WATER PLANT WITH AN ENTITY POTENTIALLY SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE YOUR CONCENTRATE.
THAT ELIMINATES THAT ENTIRE SIDE OF YOUR TREATMENT PROCESS.
FIFTY PERCENT OF YOUR SUPPLY IMMEDIATELY GOES AWAY IF YOU CANNOT DO THAT.
YOU HAVE TO BUILD IN THESE EXTRA REDUNDANCIES IN THE SYSTEM.
THEN YOU HAD THE DEEP INJECTION WELL.
YOU NEEDED THAT DEEP INJECTION WELL AS REDUNDANCY FOR THE NANOFILTRATION CONCENTRATE.
IT'S ALSO A BEAUTIFUL SOLUTION FOR THE REVERSE OSMOSIS CONCENTRATE, NOW THAT NUTRIENTS ARE IN THE FOREFRONT OF THE REGULATORY AGENCIES.
WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ORIGINALLY PERMITTING THE RO CONCENTRATE GOING TO LOCK STATUE RIVER, IT WAS A SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT THAT WE DID HAND IN HAND WITH VPA AND DEB.
AT THAT POINT IN TIME, NUTRIENTS WEREN'T AN ISSUE.
BUT WITH THE ALGAE BLOOMS AND VARIOUS OTHER WATER QUALITY IMPACTS THAT WE'VE SEEN ELSEWHERE IN FLORIDA, NUTRIENTS ARE NOW THE ISSUE.
WE WANT TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF IT.
WE WANT TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO DEALING WITH IT.
ON THE STORMWATER SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
UTILITY WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED IN 1994.
TWO PRIMARY PURPOSES TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF FLOODING AND ENHANCING STORMWATER RUNOFF QUALITY.
MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT STEMMED OUT OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT NOW WE'RE RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
RAINFALL INTENSITIES AND ITS EXPECTATIONS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE INTENSE.
OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE STANDARDS ARE GOING TO BE ALTERED IN THE FUTURE JUST BECAUSE THE STANDARDS ARE CHANGING.
STORMS ARE BECOMING MORE INTENSE AND MORE FREQUENT.
OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'VE EXHIBITED IT IN THE PAST, IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE PREVALENT.
THE WAY THAT WE'VE APPROACHED IT THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF MASTER PLANS, IS DESIGNING ALL OUR SYSTEMS INCREMENTALLY SO WE CAN ADDRESS SEA LEVEL RISE AS IT HAPPENS IN AN INCREMENTAL PHASE WITHOUT OVERBUILDING.
HERE'S AN ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THIS IS ELSA ROAD AND PAULINA OVER YACHT CLUB ESTATES BEHIND DUNE DOG.
THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT IS ACTUALLY A PHOTO PRE-CONSTRUCTION OF OUR PROJECT THAT WENT IN A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
WE THEN CONSTRUCTED A GRAVITY SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE CENTER PHOTO, WHICH GREATLY ELIMINATED ANY EVENTS OF FLOODING IN THE STREET.
THEN LASTLY, WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT [NOISE] IS THIS CONCRETE VAULT THAT'S IN THE STREET OR THE DRIVEWAY TO THIS HOME.
IT'S ACTUALLY A VAULT THAT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO TAKE ON A PUMPED ARRANGEMENT IN THE FUTURE WHEN SEA LEVEL RISE THEN BECOMES TO A LEVEL THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED FURTHER.
WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PUMP THAT SYSTEM DOWN.
THAT WHOLE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD IS AT A VERY LOW ELEVATION.
ALL OUR FUTURE STORMWATER PROJECTS, WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO INCORPORATE AS MANY STRUCTURAL BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES INTO EVERY PROJECT TO PROVIDE GREATER WATER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT.
AS WELL AS WE ALWAYS ARE TAKING ON NEW NON-STRUCTURAL BEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS, THE STRETCHES, THE STREET SWEEPING, A LOT MORE CLEANING OF THE SYSTEM AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WITH ALL THAT SAID, I KNOW I RUSHED THROUGH ALL THAT, BUT I WANTED THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.
THE MASTER PLANS ARE OF MINIMAL VALUE UNLESS YOU HAVE A FINANCIAL STRATEGY TO IMPLEMENT.
WE TASK OUR FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT WAS DEVELOPED THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH TOOK ABOUT A YEAR-AND-A-HALF.
THEN LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THE UTILITY AND TRY TO FORECAST WHERE WE'LL BE AND HOW'S THE BEST WAY THAT WE CAN APPROACH THINGS.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE CERTAIN FINANCIAL STRATEGIES OR GOALS THAT YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE.
WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING AT THE RISK AND THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND SAFETY.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION ELIMINATES ANY TYPE OF HIGHER-RISK.
WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE OPERATIONAL AND CAPITAL RESERVES TO ADDRESS EVERYTHING.
WITH ANY UTILITY, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH FLORIDA, YOU HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES, CONTINGENCIES, EXTRAORDINARY EXPENDITURES.
[01:45:04]
LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH ALL THE INFLATION THAT WE'RE BEING FACED WITH.THEN THERE'S THE PRUDENT PROCESS OF FUNDING FOR RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT.
I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT [NOISE] IN PRIOR YEARS AND SO FORTH.
IT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS UTILITY BEING IN SUCH A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION TODAY AND WILL BE IN THE FUTURE.
A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
WE KNEW THE LIME SOFTENING PLANT, WHICH WAS THE CONVENTIONAL MEANS OF TREATING WATER IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
IT WAS GOING TO ABSOLUTE FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT.
WE KNEW WE HAD TO DO MEMBRANE TREATMENT.
WE HAD TO BUILD THE NANOFILTRATION PLANT.
BECAUSE OF OUR RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT RESERVES, WE HAD 75 PERCENT OF THAT $46 MILLION FACILITY IN THE BANK, AND WE WERE ABLE [NOISE] TO ACCOMPLISH THAT CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND BRING THAT PLAN ONLINE WITH NO RATE IMPACT.
THAT ILLUSTRATES THE BEAUTY OF THINKING LONG-TERM AND FUNDING FOR RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO MAXIMIZE OUR CREDIT RATING.
THIS UTILITY HAS VERY LITTLE DEBT.
WE HAVE ASSET VALUES WELL OVER 300 MILLION NOW, BUT WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT $14 MILLION OF OUTSTANDING DEBT CURRENTLY AND A AAA CREDIT RATING.
THEN OBVIOUSLY, AFFORDABLE RATES.
WE ALWAYS TRY TO MAINTAIN HIGHLY COMPETITIVE RATES AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL OUR RATES ARE BUILT FOR LONG-TERM STABILITY.
THE LAST TIME OUR BONDS WERE LOOKED AT RELATIVE FROM A WRITING [NOISE] STANDPOINT, A COUPLE THINGS THAT THE RATING AGENCIES DID POINT OUT WAS THAT LOW AMOUNT OF DEBT.
OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM AND HOW WE DID FUND FOR RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT TO UPGRADE AND MODERNIZE.
THEY ALSO POINTED TO OUR DUAL AQUIFER SUPPLY SYSTEM AND HOW OUR PERMITTING SITUATION WAS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR THE LONG-TERM PERMIT.
THAT HOLLOW RATES REMAINED VERY COMPETITIVE.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT OVER THE YEARS THAT WE'VE DONE MAINTENANCE TO OUR RATE IS THE ANNUAL RATE INDEXING.
EVERY YEAR, WE COME FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL AND WE TALK ABOUT THE NECESSITY TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE OR DECREASE RATES BASED ON NATIONAL [INAUDIBLE], BASED ON US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INDEXES THAT ARE PUBLISHED, THAT APPLY TO WATER OR WASTEWATER UTILITIES.
THE PROCESS OF RATE INDEXING ON THE WATER SIDE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT AND IT'S WITHIN THE CODE SINCE 1992, AND THEN THE STORMWATER SIDE, IT'S BEEN IN PLACE SINCE [NOISE] 1996.
OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THOSE FINANCIAL MEASURES ARE ADDRESSED AND REALLY CHECK ALL THE BOXES RELATIVE TO ANNUAL RATE INDEXING, AND THAT WAS REINFORCED BY HOW THE BOND RATING AGENCIES ALSO POINT TO IT AS A PLUS.
AS MR. ORIANE RAPH DELLAS, DID THE FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF OUR CURRENT SITUATION IN OUR FUTURE CAPITAL PROGRAM, THERE'S A CERTAIN ISSUES THAT OBVIOUSLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT.
THE BIGGEST ONE BEING THE EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH INFLATION ON OUR OPERATIONAL COSTS.
SINCE OUR LAST WATER RATE ADJUSTMENT IN 2019, THE COST OF POWER TO THE UTILITY HAS INCREASED 31 PERCENT.
I HAD TO GO IN AND REVISE THIS SLIDE JUST AS OF LAST THURSDAY BECAUSE WE'VE RECEIVED BIDS FOR CHEMICAL PRICES FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
ORIGINALLY, WE HAD FORECASTED THEM TO BE ABOUT 1.5 MILLION OVER THE CURRENT YEAR.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT 1.8.
THEY'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED BY 179 PERCENT IN THREE YEARS.
ON THE CAPITAL SIDE, AS YOU'VE SEEN IT, AS WE'VE BROUGHT PROJECTS TO YOU OVER THE YEARS, OVER THE PAST YEAR, A YEAR-AND-A-HALF, OUR CAPITAL PROJECT BUDGETS ARE BEING STRESSED AND HAVE BEEN RUNNING ABOUT 30-35 PERCENT ABOVE EARLIER ESTIMATES.
PRIMARILY DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN OR INFLATIONARY ISSUES RELATIVE TO MATERIALS AND LABOR.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S COMING INTO PLAY, OBVIOUSLY IN JUPITER IS THAT WE'RE REACHING A BUILD-OUT CONDITION IS VERY LITTLE ON GROWTH REMAINING IN OUR SYSTEM.
WE HAVE EXCLUDED JUPITER FARMS FROM THE PROJECTIONS AND SO FORTH BUT I THINK THERE'S WHAT ABOUT 25 OR 2,800 UNITS TOTAL IN THE NR FUTURE BEING ADDED TO OUR SYSTEM.
THEN OUR SYSTEM IS GETTING OLDER.
JUST NOT AS BAD AS MANY OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTHEAST AND THE OTHER WAR STORIES YOU HEAR THAT IN THE NEWSPAPER.
OUR SYSTEM IS GETTING OLDER, WHICH REQUIRES MORE AND MORE REINVESTMENT.
OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS, IT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
[01:50:01]
THE WATER UTILITY SIDE AND OVER 50 MILLION ON THE STORMWATER SIDE.RELATIVE TO RATES, IT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION OF RAPH DELLAS THAT WE CONSIDER DOING THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT THE TOWN STAY THE COURSE OF ANNUAL RATE INDEXING, WHICH IN THE MASTER PLAN, IT'S ASSUMED THAT THAT WILL BE A MINIMUM OF THREE PERCENT ANNUALLY GOING FORWARD.
BUT GIVEN ALL OF THE INFLATIONARY ISSUES THAT THE TOWNS THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING FACED WITH THEY ARE RECOMMENDING AN ADDITIONAL 4.5 PERCENT OR A TOTAL OF 7.5 PERCENT DURING THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS BEING APPLIED TO WATER RATES.
THAT'S IN FISCAL YEAR '23 AND '24 INCREASE WAS 7.5 PERCENT AND THEN GOING FORWARD IN FISCAL YEARS '25 AND BEYOND, DOING THE MINIMUM OF THE ANNUAL INDEXING HAS PROMULGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WERE THREE PERCENT, NO LESS THAN THREE PERCENT.
TOWN STAFF UNDERSTANDING ALL OF THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES THAT ALL OUR CUSTOMERS AND RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW, AND WE GENERATED AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WOULD FIRST ONLY INCREASE RATES, WATER RATES AT AN INCREASE OF 4.5 PERCENT IN 2023.
THEN IN FISCAL YEARS '24 AND BEYOND, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE AT.
OBVIOUSLY, THESE MASTER PLANS ARE DEVELOPED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FOLIATE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REVISIT THESE PLANS EVERY YEAR, YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, AND HOPEFULLY, THESE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES SUBSIDE OVER TIME AND SO FORTH.
BUT ASSUMING WHAT WE KNOW TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU DO FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT IN FISCAL YEAR '23, THERE MAY BE OR THERE MOST LIKELY WOULD BE INCREASES IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
FOR INSTANCE, WE DID AN ANALYSIS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE THAT RAPH DELLAS IS ORIGINAL PROJECTION OFFERED AND IF YOU STARTED WITH 4.5 PERCENT IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, YOU'D BE LOOKING AT HAVING TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE RATES BY 7.5 PERCENT IN 2024 AND THEN FIVE PERCENT IN '25 AND '26.
THEN AFTER THAT, IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS REVERTING BACK TO THE ANNUAL INDEXING.
WE CAN DIVE INTO THOSE IN GREATER DETAIL AS WE GET TO THE ROUNDTABLE.
HERE'S JUST A COMPARATIVE TABLE [NOISE] THAT TRY TO SHOW THOSE TWO SCENARIOS.
BUT I WANT TO REINFORCE ONCE AGAIN, THESE PLANS ARE DYNAMIC.
THEY'RE BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TODAY AND ON THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE PLAN.
EVERY YEAR, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER EVALUATION BY ADOPTING THESE MASTER PLANS, OR REVIEWING THESE MASTER PLANS WE'RE NOT SETTING FORTH A RATE INCREASE FOR IT ANYMORE THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THERE'S NOTHING ESTABLISHING THAT.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY A STRATEGIC MODEL FOR US TO APPROACH THINGS AND APPROACH THINGS RESPONSIBLY.
RELATIVE TO THE AFFORDABILITY OF WATER SUPPLY, OBVIOUSLY, WE'D LIKE TO KEEP OUR RATES WELL BELOW LOCAL AND STATE-WIDE AVERAGES FROM A WATER SUPPLY STANDPOINT.
IN A TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL BILL IN JUPITER RIGHT NOW IS $37.19.
RAPH DELLAS AVERAGE FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES ON THE FLORIDA REGION CURRENTLY IS AROUND $53.
EVEN AFTER THE RECOMMENDED INCREASES THAT RAFT TELL US IS RECOMMENDING OF 7.5 PERCENT AND THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS, OUR RATE WOULD THEN BE $42.99.
ON THE STORMWATER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, ONCE AGAIN, TO ADDRESS THE INFLATIONARY ISSUES, I RECOMMENDED INCREASE OF SEVEN PERCENT IS RECOMMENDED FOR EACH FISCAL YEAR AND THAT ASSUMES THAT THERE WAS A BUILT-IN COMPONENT FOR THE ANNUAL COST INDEX THAT'S ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
THAT WOULD EQUATE TO 0.43 ADDED TO THE MONTHLY BILL FOR STORMWATER SERVICE IN JUPITER WHICH IS CURRENTLY $6.17, THAT WOULD EQUATE TO A PROPOSED BILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020 OR 2023 OF $6.60.
ONCE AGAIN, RELATIVE TO AFFORDABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS, THE RAFT TELLER SURVEY AVERAGE OF OTHER STORMWATER UTILITIES IN THE REGION IS $9.79.
[01:55:07]
IF IMPLEMENTED THE SEVEN PERCENT INCREASE WILL BRING JUPITER'S RATE TO $6.60.ONCE AGAIN, THE RATE RECOMMENDATIONS RECOVER THOSE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS.
WE HAVEN'T TOUCHED RATES SINCE 2019.
DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE'VE SEEN SOME VERY DRAMATIC OR EXTRAORDINARY INCREASES AND INFLATION, WHICH ARE VERY HARD FOR A VERY WELL-POSITIONED FINANCIAL POSITION UTILITY TO ABSORB.
WITH THAT, I JUST WANT TO ONCE AGAIN STRESS MASTER PLANS ARE NOT SET IN STONE.
THEY ARE JUST SPECIFICALLY A STRATEGIC ROADMAP FOR US TO MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS AND LONG-TERM PLANNING AND RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS FORM WHILE PROVIDING RATE REASONABLENESS.
OUR NEXT STEPS AFTER WE DISSECT THE MASTER PLANS IS TO POTENTIALLY COME BACK ON AUGUST 16TH WITH THE RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE PLANS AND THEN AT THAT SAME MEETING, OFFER A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE ANY WATER RATE STORMWATER FEE INCREASES BASED ON YOUR FINAL DIRECTION.
THEN IF WE'RE ALL AGREEABLE TO THE PROPOSED PROJECTS, WE HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF WAITING UNTIL OCTOBER TO GET STARTED ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
THE TIMELINE RELATIVE TO LOCK STATUE RIVER DISTRICT AGREEMENT IS JUNE OF 2026.
[NOISE] TYPICALLY IT TAKES FIVE YEARS TO BUILD AN INJECTION WELL, WE'RE DOWN TO LESS THAN FOUR YEARS IN THAT WINDOW.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING TO GET THAT DONE.
WE WOULD DO THAT CONCURRENTLY WITH THE BLEND STUDIES AND THE PILOT TESTING OF THE NANOFILTRATION BLEND GO INTO THE RO PLANT.
WE'RE ALREADY ENLISTING OUR FRIENDS AT UCFS ENGINEERING SCHOOL TO ASSIST WITH THAT.
WE'RE DEVELOPING A TESTING PROGRAM FOR THAT AND PROTOCOL AND WE'D LIKE TO GET STARTED ON THAT VERY SOON TOO SO THAT WOULD BE A RIGHT AROUND THE AUGUST, SEPTEMBER TIMEFRAME START ALSO.
WITH THAT, LET'S GET STARTED WITH ANY ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, THE ONE ISSUE OF SPECIFIC DIRECTION THAT STAFF WILL NEED THIS EVENING IS RELATIVE TO THE WATER RATE STRATEGY LIKE FOR US TO EMPLOY GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU.
>> LET ME FIRST START WITH THIS. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
SINCE THERE'S GOING TO BE A GAP BETWEEN WHEN WE CAN YOU GET THE DEEP INJECTION WELL FINISHED PROBABLY, AND WHEN THE AGREEMENT IN LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE FOR ANY SHORT-TERM EXTENSION SO THAT WE AREN'T CAUGHT FOR IT?
>> YEAH. OBVIOUSLY, I'VE KEPT THE DIALOGUE OPEN, ALBRIGHT AND I ARE PRETTY GOOD FRIENDS.
WHEN WE APPROACHED LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT IN 2019, ASKING THAT WE BE ABLE TO LOCATE A COUPLE OF OUR FLORIDAN WELLS IN THE LANDSCAPE PERIMETER AROUND THEIR SITE AND WE GOT A FIRM NO OUT OF THEM, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO START THESE DISCUSSIONS WELL BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THAT AGREEMENT, DON'T ASSUME THAT IT WAS GOING TO GET EXTENDED.
MY CONVERSATIONS, IF ALBRIGHT SAYS, "HEY, LIFE IS TOO SHORT, LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN." WE JUST CONTINUED TO WORK TOGETHER.
OUR CUSTOMERS ARE THE SAME COMMON CUSTOMERS, THINK ABOUT IT.
WE SERVE BASICALLY THE SAME COMMON, THERE'S NO FINANCIAL GAIN TO PLAYING GAMES AND SO FORTH.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS AN AGREEMENT, ALTHOUGH IT'LL BE A WATERED DOWN VERSION, IT WILL BE NOTHING FIRM.
IT WILL BE UNABLE EITHER ENTITY TO CALL ON EACH OTHER FOR ASSISTANCE.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WOULD BRIDGE THOSE TYPES OF GAPS AND SO FORTH IF WE DIDN'T GET DONE ON TIME.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE WOULD BE THERE TO POTENTIALLY HELP THEM IF THEY HAD SHORTCOMINGS IN THE FUTURE TO ENABLE TO MEET THEIR SUPPLY DEMANDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT SUPPLY DEMANDS THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET ALSO, WHICH ARE OUR RESIDENTS TOO, OUR GOLF COURSES, OUR COMMUNITIES AND SO FORTH.
>> QUICK QUESTION. THE BYPRODUCT FROM THE NANO PLANT THAT'S GOING TO LID, WHAT ARE THEY REPLACING THAT WITH, AND WHY DON'T THEY WANT IT ANYMORE?
>> OBVIOUSLY, I POSE THAT QUESTION.
BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WHEN IT WAS DONE IN 2006, IT WAS A KNOWN FACT THAT THEY HAD QUITE A FEW BIG VOLUME OF CONTRACTS FOR THESE GOLF COURSES AND ABACOA THEY NEEDED TO SUPPLY.
[02:00:04]
THEY ONLY HAD A WASTEWATER FACILITY THAT WOULD PRODUCE SO MUCH TREATED WASTEWATER TO MEET THAT DEMAND.I'D SAY, WELL HERE'S A BEAUTIFUL FIX.
WILL BLEND THESE TWO WATERS TOGETHER AND YOU'LL BE MORE APT TO REACH YOUR GOALS OF MEETING ALL THOSE DEMANDS.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED ACCORDING TO THE FEEDBACK THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, THERE'S A LOT OF THOSE CONTRACTS WITH THE GOLF COURSES.
I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE ABACOA CONTRACT, BUT THEY BASICALLY WROTE IN CURTAILABLE PROVISIONS, PROVISIONS THAT STATE, IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A NOTICE AND WE'LL BE ASKING YOU TO CUT BACK SAY 20 PERCENT, SO WE CAN MEET ALL OF OUR THEN RATCHETED DOWN DEMANDS.
I EXPRESSED THE PERSONALLY, I HAVE APPREHENSION ABOUT THAT BEING SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WHEN THINGS ARE STARTING TO DRY OUT LANDSCAPING DIE, AND GOLF COURSES ARE DYING, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN OUTCRY, WE NEED WATER.
>> YEAH, IT'S PRETTY RISKY. THAT WAS MY BIG WHY FOR MANY MONTHS, AND NEGOTIATIONS AND SO FORTH.
IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE BOARD ISSUED THAT LETTER AND SAID, "WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN EXTENDING AGREEMENT." WE HAD TO PUT ON OUR THINKING CAPS TO COME UP WITH SOME ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS.
>> OKAY. THE ARO BYPRODUCT THAT NOW GETS DISPERSED INTO THE RIVER.
HOW DOES THAT COMPARE IN SALINITIES TO NOT FOR SEA WATER.
>> ACTUALLY IT'S NOT. BECAUSE IT'S COMING FROM A BRACKISH AQUIFER THAT'S 1500 FEET DOWN.
I THINK THE BEST WAY TO QUANTIFY OR QUALIFY IT IS TO SAY THAT IT'S ABOUT 1/4 THE SALINITY OF THE RECEIVING WATER.
IT IMMEDIATELY GETS TAKEN UP IN THE RECEIVING WATER BODY.
THERE'S A MIXING ZONE THAT'S PERMITTED THROUGH EPA AND DEP, THAT HAS MET ALL THE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS.
THE BIG CHANGE NOW IS PEOPLE ARE FOCUSED ON NUTRIENTS, AND NUTRIENT REDUCTIONS.
THIS STUFF GOING ON LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, OBVIOUSLY JUST HEY, LET'S REALLY TRIED TO DO OR HIT A HOME RUN FOR THE RIVER AT THE SAME TIME TRYING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES RELATIVE TO NANO FILTRATION CONSTANT.
>> YOU DRIVE THE NEW WELL, AND HOW MUCH FURTHER DOWN INTO THE GROUND IS THAT?
>> ABOUT 333,500 FEET HIGH INTO A CONFINED BORDER ZONE.
>> THAT'S BELOW THE FLORIDAN [INAUDIBLE]?
>> YES, IT'S BELOW ANY TYPE OF PRODUCTION FOR A CONSULTANT.
>> IT DOESN'T MINGLE WITH THAT WATER?
>> THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT DESIGN FUNCTION OF THOSE WELLS.
>> OKAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
>> I'M GOING TO SAVE A LOT OF THIS FOR MY COMMENTS, BUT ONE QUESTION ON THE INJECTION WELL IS, I THINK I'VE LEARNED IN MY RESEARCH THAT CHEMICAL PLANTS ALSO HAVE INJECTION WELLS, SO THEY HAVE THE SAME DEPTH OR DEEPER? I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
>> [OVERLAPPING] YOU DON'T KNOW. OKAY. THAT'S FINE.
>> MY STAFF MAY HAVE MORE DETAILS, I'M JUST [INAUDIBLE].
>> ONE MORE QUESTION JUST RELATED TO THIS AS A NEWER MEMBER AND LOOKING AT THE HISTORY.
YOU SAID THAT WE DIDN'T INDEX OUR RATES FOR THREE YEARS.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? THAT STRUCK ME AS A BIT ODD.
>> WELL, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS IN THE LAST DECADE OR SO THAT WE'VE HAD A HIATUS OR THREE OR FOUR YEARS, THAT THE TOWN IS NOT OPTED TO INDEX.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS THAT HAVE WORKFORCE OVER THE YEARS, IS THE BEST WAY TO MAINTAIN LONG-TERM RATES STABILITY, IS TO DO THAT ANNUAL INDEXING.
YOU TAKE A FEW YEARS OFF, AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE SMALL PERCENTAGES.
THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT OVER A 25-YEAR PLANNING PERIOD, I THINK IN THE REPORT, IT SAID SOMETHING LIKE ONE PERCENT EQUATES TO 17 MILLION AT THE END OF THE PLANNING PERIOD.
>> I THINK IT WAS THE THREE PERCENT. YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT.
>> WAS THAT A THREE PERCENT? YOU CAN SEE HOW QUICKLY IT CAN IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE, NOT ONLY FOR YOUR OPERATIONAL NEEDS, BUT YOUR FUTURE CAPITAL NEEDS.
OUR CAPITAL NEEDS ARE SIGNIFICANT WITH THEIR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
>> WE HAD A RECOMMENDATION FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT, I THINK I MIGHT HAVE HEARD IT HERE TONIGHT, BUT FOR ALSO IN THE OPERATING BUDGET PRESENTATION THAT WE WOULD COME WITH A FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT PRICE ADJUSTMENT THIS YEAR AND THEN WE WOULD DECIDE IN FUTURE YEARS THEN, CORRECT?
[02:05:01]
IS THAT WHAT WAS PROPOSED BY, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND TOWN MANAGER?>> THAT IS HOW OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS CONSTRUCTED CURRENTLY?
>> [OVERLAPPING] WE HADN'T REVIEWED THAT. WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THAT YET.
>> NO, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T. I'M JUST LOOKING THIS ON HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TOWN COUNCIL DIRECTION ON WATER-RICH STRATEGY TO BE UP ABOUT IT.
CERTAINLY WE HAVE SHORT-TERM DECISION FOR THE BUDGET.
WHAT ADJUSTMENT WOULD WE MAKE? I SUBMIT FOR TONIGHT, THAT'S ONE ITEM THAT WE OUGHT TO TALK IN ROUNDTABLE.
THEN WE CAN PONDER MORE IF THERE'S A MAJORITY THAT THINK YOU CAN DECIDE MULTIYEAR [OVERLAPPING] BUT IN ANY EVENT, SO ANYBODY WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT PROPOSAL?
>> I THINK THE FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, IS THAT MORE OR LESS TO GET YOU GUYS OFF THE GROUND FOR THE DEEP INJECTION WELL?
>> IT'S REALLY THE INFLATIONARY ISSUES THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED WITH ANYTHING ABOVE THE THREE PERCENT.
THE UTILITY IS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE TO ADDRESS THE CAPITAL NEEDS.
I MEAN, I'LL LET MR. OR I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR HIM.
I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE TO ADDRESS THE CAPITAL NEEDS OF THE UTILITY WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR IT.
WE DO THIS EVERY FIVE YEARS AND THEN WE'D LOOK AT IT EVERY YEAR.
THESE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS, THINK ABOUT THESE CHEMICAL PRICE 179 PERCENT IN THREE YEARS.
THERE'S JUST NO WAY WE CAN KEEP UP WITH THAT.
>> WE'RE BASICALLY TREADING WATER HERE TO SAY [OVERLAPPING] SOMETHING ON THAT.
YEAH, WE WILL BE TREADING WATER, BUT WE'RE ALSO UNDERSTANDING OF ALL THE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW, COMING FROM ALL DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
WE'RE A VERY STABLE RATE STRUCTURE AND IT'S A GOOD THING.
OTHERWISE, WE'LL BE TALKING MORE SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES AT THIS JUNCTURE GIVEN WHAT WE'RE BEING FACED WITH.
>> I THINK WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE OBVIOUSLY LIVING WHERE WE LIVE TO HAVE THE WATER RATE THAT WE HAVE COMPARATIVELY TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT, I CAN SAY THAT'S A BIG PERCENTAGE, BUT REALLY WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO DOLLARS AND CENTS, IT'S NOT AN INSANE AMOUNT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE OF DOLLARS HERE FOR THE MONTH.
IF STAFF SUGGESTION IS FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, I'M OPEN TO THAT.
>> I HAVE TO SAY, THIS IS VERY HARD TO SAY.
I'M ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE PROBABLY BOTHERED DAVID THE MOST OVER THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE 4.5 PERCENT, AND WOULD SUPPORT THE CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION AND JUST HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE FINANCIAL POSITION IS.
IT DOES CONCERN ME THAT WE HAVEN'T INDEXED OUR RATES FOR THREE YEARS.
COULD I ASK WHAT THOSE RATES WOULD HAVE BEEN? I THINK I WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF 4.5 HAD WE BEEN INDEXING, BUT GIVEN THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY RATE CHANGE WHATSOEVER FOR THREE YEARS, THAT'S WHAT DRAWS MY ATTENTION.
>> YEAH, I THINK THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INDEXES FOR THAT PERIOD, I'M TALKING FROM MEMORY HERE.
I THINK ONE YEAR WAS 3.1, 2.9, AND 3.3 PERCENT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THREE INDICES THAT WOULD'VE BEEN APPLIED IN 2020, 2021, AND 2022.
>> YOU'RE ALSO SAYING THERE'S THIS TIME VALUE OF MONEY THAT IT COMPOUNDS.
I DID WATCH SOME VIDEO OF THIS COUNCIL TALKING ABOUT THE INDEXING IN 2019 JUST TO REFRESH MY MEMORY.
IT DID SPEAK TO WE'RE MEETING OUR RNR TARGET RATE.
WE'RE EXCEEDING IT ACTUALLY AND EVEN IF WE DID CUT THAT INTEREST, WE WOULD STILL BE MEETING THE TARGET RATE.
THEREFORE, WE MAY BE ABLE TO CUT IT.
BUT THAT IGNORES OR DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE LONG-TERM COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF THAT MONEY.
BUT WHAT YOU HAD SAID ABOUT THREE PERCENT IN 2022 LEADING TO 17 MILLION OVER THE LIFE.
I THINK THE TIMING MATTERS AS WELL.
YOU WANT TO ACT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER BECAUSE THERE'S A BENEFIT TO RESIDENTS IN TERMS OF STABILITY OF RATES AND ALL OF THAT.
I WOULD HATE TO RAISE THE RATES IN A RECESSION IF IT DOES COME TO THAT.
IF THIS COUNCIL DOES IN FACT REVIEW IT'S RATES EACH YEAR, THEN THAT COULD BE A MORE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.
I THINK I HAD SEEN YOU DIDN'T INDEX FOR ANOTHER PERIOD OF TIME.
WHAT WAS THE OTHER [OVERLAPPING] GROUP OF YEARS?
[02:10:02]
>> IT WAS LET'S SEE, I HAVE A SLIDE.
I'M SORRY. I CAN FIND IT REAL FAST.
>> HERE WE GO. [OVERLAPPING] HERE'S A SUMMARY STARTS 2007.
[NOISE] AS TO WHAT WE HAVE OPTED TO DO RELATIVE TO WATER RATES AND INDEXING.
IN 2009, I THINK THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY THE HOUSING BUBBLE AND THEN AFTER THAT, THERE WAS NO INDEXING FROM 11 THROUGH 14 AND I THINK THAT WAS JUST RECESSIONARY IMPACTS AND SO FORTH THAT WE OPTED NOT TO DURING THAT PERIOD.
>> WAS THE INDEXING DONE AFTER 2014 IN A WAY TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR LOST REVENUE FROM THIS RECESSION?
>> THERE WAS NO MAKEUP COMPONENT.
THOSE WERE STRICTLY JUST APPLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR INDEX FOR THAT GIVEN YEAR.
>> THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN INDEXING.
I THINK WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS 7.5 IS REALLY JUST THE BASE INDEX OF THREE PERCENT PLUS THE 4.5 FOR A SHORT-TERM TO MAKE UP FOR THAT FACT AND TO ADDRESS THIS INCREDIBLE 40 YEAR INFLATION CHEMICAL COSTS.
I'VE SEEN MANY INCREASES ACROSS OUR BUDGET.
I HAVEN'T SEEN A NUMBER LIKE THAT IN A LITTLE WHILE.
LET'S SEE WHAT OTHER NOTES DO I HAVE? IN THIS BUDGET, WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THE MASTER PLAN UPDATE COMING AT THIS TIME BECAUSE LAST YEAR, [NOISE] I THINK WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE HAVING A SUPPLY CHAIN IMPACTS AND INFLATION LAST YEAR, BUT WE DIDN'T INDEX.
BUT THIS YEAR WE HAVE THIS UPDATED DATA, THIS UPDATED MASTER PLAN, THE LATEST AND GREATEST ON WATER.
WE HAVE THE BEST INFORMATION TO WORK WITH.
WE'RE TAKING THE RECOMMENDATION FOR STORM WATER.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULDN'T TAKE IT FOR WATER.
LET'S SEE. WE HAVE THIS CLEAR PICTURE AND RECENT ANALYSIS.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT MY NOTES AND JUST THE STABILITY OF RATES.
HAVING I THINK WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CURRENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT, MUCH OF IT, THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US EXPECTED AN INJECTION WELL, FOR EXAMPLE.
I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE RESILIENCY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT AND HAVING A STABILITY OF RATE.
THIS IS UNDER BEST CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IF THERE ARE MORE SURPRISES AND WE'RE NOT INDEXING OR WE'RE UNDER INDEXING IT COULD BE WORSE.
INDEXING PREVENTS RATE SHOCKS FOR CUSTOMERS.
I JUST THINK THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR EXPENSES ARE FOR RENEWAL REPLACEMENT.
IT'S EASIER TO PLAN FOR IN THAT WAY.
WE HAVE A CULTURE OF WORKING LEAN WHERE POSSIBLE.
I THINK YOU HAD SPOKEN DAVID OF WHAT'S THE USEFUL LIFE OF OUR PLANT AND HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXTEND THE USEFUL LIFE? I THINK THAT WAS MENTIONED IN THE 2017 PLAN AS WELL, BUT IT'S A PRACTICE THAT WE'VE FOCUSED ON.
>> THERE'S CONSTANT LOOK AT EVERY COMPONENT OF THE TREATMENT PLANT AND ALL OF THE ANCILLARY FACILITIES TO TRY TO EXTEND USEFUL LIFE OR OBVIOUSLY GET ACHIEVED FULL USEFUL LIFE [NOISE] ANTICIPATED USEFUL LIFE AND EXTENDED AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE THAT HAS DONE.
THERE'S MANY PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GREATLY EXCEED USEFUL LIFE AND MEMBRANES THEMSELVES.
WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATION THIS WEEK ABOUT MANUFACTURER STANDARDS FOR MEMBRANE LIFE ARE TYPICALLY FIVE YEARS, SEVEN YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, IT'S NANOFILTRATION OR R0.
IN THE R0 SIDE, WE'VE BEEN GETTING 15, 17 YEARS.
IT'S ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE UTILITY AND HOW THE SYSTEM IS OPERATED, AND HOW THE SYSTEMS ARE MAINTAINED AND DESIGNED.
IT'S THE WHOLE TEAM. ALL GOES INTO JUST A LOT OF GOOD KNOWLEDGE BASE COMING TOGETHER AND ACHIEVING GOOD RESULTS.
>> THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS AND SOME OF MY COMMENTS, BUT I DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING
[02:15:01]
CARE OF THIS UTILITY OF THE WAY IT'S TAKING CARE OF US.>> I AGREE WITH A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAID.
FOR ME THE ISSUE IS HOW DO WE OFFSET THE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS AND OPERATIONS AND THEN CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION? THE 4.5 PERCENT DOESN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S EITHER YOU'RE DOING THE INDEXING AND THEN IT'S 1.5 PERCENT ON THE INFLATION AND IT [NOISE] DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WE HAVEN'T INDEXED BEFORE FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS, AND NOW WE HAVE ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
WE KNOW WE NEED TO GET BACK ON TRACK.
FOR ME, I'M LOOKING FOR WHAT'S THE SOLUTION TO DO THAT, AND I DON'T WANT TO WAIT.
ALSO AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH TRYING TO TAKE A VERY NARROW SNAPSHOT OF JUST NEXT YEAR BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS PLANNED OUT TO SUCH AN EXTENT, I THINK WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT IN A MUCH LARGER EXTENT OVER MULTI-YEARS AND NOT JUST A ONE-YEAR HIT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM ISN'T DESIGNED THAT WAY.
FOR ME, PART OF WHAT I'M THINKING IS, WELL, WHAT ARE THE OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE THE UTILITY WHOLE IF WE'RE UNCOMFORTABLE 7.5 PERCENT? WHY CAN'T WE USE SURTAX MONEY FOR SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, THAT REDUCES THE IMPACT ON THE RIGHT PAIR? IN THE SURTAX REPORT OR STUDY AT ONE POINT WE WERE LOOKING AT SPENDING 3.6 MILLION DOLLARS GOING TOWARDS BASEBALL.
BUT WHY CAN'T WE TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY TO OFFSET WHAT'S GOING ON WITH UTILITY IF COUNCIL WAS A WHOLE, IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE 7.5 PERCENT? I THINK TO ME WE HAVE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS? HOW DO WE GET ALL THESE PROJECTS DONE, INCLUDING THE DEEP INJECTION WELL, INCLUDING ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS ON THE LIST AND HOW DO WE PAY FOR THAT? TO ME, THE 4.5 PERCENT DOESN'T PAY FOR THAT.
THAT'S JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, THAT'S CHECKING THE BOX SAYING WE'VE DONE SOMETHING AND FOR ME THAT'S MY NONSTARTER.
I'M OPEN AND FLEXIBLE TO ANY OTHER KINDS OF WAYS OF DOING IT, BUT NOT THE 4.5.
>> I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
[NOISE] IF SEVEN-AND-A-HALF PERCENT GETS US THERE, I WANT TO GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
I WAS HERE AT THE BACK END, WHAT WAS IT? '20 WHEN WE STOP INDEXING.
I WAS HERE SINCE '15 AND WE ALWAYS INDEXED AND I ALWAYS PUT THE UTILITY IN A GOOD POSITION.
I LIKE STABILITY AND BY NOT INDEXING, I WAS ALWAYS AFRAID TO GET TO THIS POINT WHERE NOW WE HAVE ALL THESE ISSUES AND WE HAVE THIS CRAZY YEAR OF, NOT TO BE A REDUNDANT, BUT THE INFLATION AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND COST OF CHEMICALS.
SO IT'S A GREAT IDEA USING THE WHAT YOU SUGGESTED WITH THE OTHER FUNDS.
I WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THE SEVEN-AND-A-HALF PERCENT AND GO WITH THE CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATION OR FIND OTHER FUNDING MECHANISM TO GET US THERE.
I AGREE THE FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, YOU'RE NOT EVEN UP WITH INFLATION AND THIS IS A SERIOUS SITUATION.
BUT I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSING IT.
COUNCIL MAY, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT ONE?
>> WELL, I GUESS THE DOWNSIDE OF SPEAKING FIRST IS YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND.
[LAUGHTER] BUT OF ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED, I'M DEFINITELY AGREEABLE TO THE SEVEN-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.
>> WELL, I'M LOOKING AT IT THAT, THERE'S REALLY TWO GREAT ADJUSTMENTS.
ONE, THERE'S AN INFLATIONARY RATE ADJUSTMENT.
I'LL JUST TALK A LITTLE ABOUT HISTORY SINCE I WAS AROUND.
NOT TO DEFEND IT, BUT I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE POLICY DECISIONS THAT HAD BEEN MADE AND I DON'T SAY THAT TO BE DEFENSIVE.
GOING BACK, TO ME, I'VE ALWAYS PHILOSOPHICALLY DISAGREED WITH THE RADII CONSULTANTS' APPROACH, THAT SUDDENLY WHEN THEY BUY A HOUSE, THE DAY THEY BUY A BRAND NEW HOUSE, THEY'RE THEN ALSO SETTING ASIDE IN THE BANK TO REPLACE THE ROOF.
MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THAT LUXURY.
SO UNDER THE RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT, I AGREE IT'S GOOD TO PUT ASIDE RENEWABLE REPLACEMENT AND WE WOULD MONITOR THAT EVERY YEAR.
ALSO PERSONALLY, I THOUGHT IT WAS RATHER INTERESTING THAT WHAT THE PERCENT INCREASE WOULD HAVE BEEN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN CPI.
COINCIDENTALLY, THIS WATER WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT, WE WERE SEEING ONE PERCENT IN IT, 3, 3, 3, 3, IT DIDN'T PASS THE TEST FOR ME BECAUSE I THINK PART OF MY ACCOUNTABILITY IS EFFECTIVELY WE'RE OPERATING AS THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION IN A WAY THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BALANCE BETWEEN THE TOWN AND OUR CUSTOMERS,
[02:20:03]
WHICH IS A RATHER UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE A STAFF THAT IS LOOKING AT IT THAT WAY.I DON'T MEAN IT AS A NEGATIVE, WE GOT GOOD INFORMATION.
I KNOW MYSELF, I WOULD JUDGE ON THAT.
SO I DON'T REGRET NOT HAVING DONE THE ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS MISMANAGEMENT OF OUR FEDERAL LEVEL ON THAT CAUSE THE INFLATION, BUT IT'S HERE.
I FOUND AN APPROACH THAT I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH FOR THE ANNUAL ADJUSTMENTS.
NOW, THE ANNUAL ADJUSTMENTS JUST COVER ESCALATION, WHICH I NEVER HAD ONE BEFORE.
ACTUALLY, SOMETHING THAT DAVID HAD SENT ME CAUSED ME TO DISCOVER IT, IF YOU WILL.
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, WHICH OVERSEES THE WEIGHTS FOR WATER UTILITIES OWNED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR PUBLISHES ANNUALLY AN ADJUSTMENT THEY THINK IS FAIR AND APPROPRIATE.
NOW, THAT ADJUSTMENT IS OUTSIDE OF WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING IN BUSINESS CHANGES.
I SENT THIS TO OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR IS IN PROPOSING THIS.
IF YOU GO BACK TO 2014, IF YOU USE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION'S ANNUAL CHANGES, EVEN GIVEN THAT WE DIDN'T DO AN ADJUSTMENT OF THREE PERCENT, THREE YEARS, WITH THEIR APPROACH, WE WOULD ABOUT MATCH.
THAT STUFF CAN COME BACK AND LOOK AT THAT IN THE COMMENT.
FOR 2022, COINCIDENTALLY, THEY APPROVED A 4.53 PERCENT INCREASE.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME HERE, BUT IT'S PUBLISHED.
SO CLEARLY, I WOULD EXPECT NEXT YEAR'S ADJUSTMENT TO BE HIGHER.
THEY PUBLISH THAT AS A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR WATER UTILITIES THAT ARE UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION TO AUTOMATICALLY DO.
SO I AM COMFORTABLE WITH THE RECOMMENDATION AT FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, AND FURTHER, I'M COMFORTABLE THEN TO THE DEGREE THAT BASED ON HISTORY, THERE'S AN ANNUAL CHANGE THAT SEEMS TO BE MORE RATIONAL TO ME THAN THREE PERCENT, WHICH WAS ALWAYS ABOVE THE INFLATION INDEX.
I THINK WE SHOULD SEPARATE THEM, AND AT LEAST SEE IF WE GET A CONSENSUS ON THE RATE ADJUSTMENT AS THE INDICES AND I'M AT FOUR-AND-A-HALF PERCENT.
BUT THEN I ALSO BELIEVE WE HAVE TO ADJUST RATES FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT EVALUATION.
ONE IS WHAT THE ANNUAL RATE SHOULD BE AND I SUPPORT THE 4.53 PERCENT COINCIDENTALLY, AS WAS RECOMMENDED.
BUT I SERVE AS THE BASIS TO PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION GUIDANCE.
BUT THEN I ALSO SHARE THAT THE FIRST THING THAT I GATHERED WHEN I LOOKED AT THE UPDATED MASTER PLAN.
IN FISCAL YEAR '20, WHEN WE ADOPTED THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL BUDGET, WE HAVE A ROLLING CAPITAL BUDGET.
THE TOTAL FIVE-YEAR AND THE WATER UTILITY WAS JUST ABOUT UNDER $36 MILLION.
IN '21 THE FIVE YEAR WAS $28 MILLION.
IN '22, THE FIVE-YEAR WAS 39 MILLION.
I WAS STUNNED WHEN THE MASTER PLAN INCLUDED IN THAT SAME '22-'26 PERIOD, 110 MILLION IN SPENDING.
WOW, AND IT WASN'T POINTED OUT TO US.
SO I'M NOT IN DENIAL ABOUT IT, THERE'S SCOPE.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO VET THROUGH AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
INCREDIBLE INCREASE, THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING IT.
OR JUST DON'T THINK NOT RENEWING REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.
GRANTED, THERE ARE BUSINESS CHANGES WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO APPROACH IT, IN MY MIND, AS A VERY RESPONSIBLE RATE ADJUSTMENT TO DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT MY INCLINATION IS, FROM MY DAY JOB AND MY JOB AS A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL IS FIRST THING IS, IS THERE ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO DEAL WITH $110 MILLION IN SPENDING THAT IS NOW RECOMMENDED IN THAT SAME FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, '22-'26? I'M NOT QUESTIONING ANYTHING STAFF DID, IT'S A PHENOMENAL REPORT TO TELL US WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.
BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE OWNERSHIP WITH THEM.
I WANT TO GET WITH A LAP STRUCTURED RIVER DISTRICT AND TRULY, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEEN CHANGING ABOUT THE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP. WHAT'S CHANGED?
[02:25:04]
I GET IT. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME ENVIRONMENTALLY BENEFICIAL.THEY'D BE TAKING OUR WATER AND PUTTING IT IN FOR IRRIGATION, SO I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
THAT ALONE IS A 20-SOMETHING MILLION DOLLAR ITEM.
I DON'T MIND IF WE DECIDE WE WANT TO GET STARTED ON ENGINEERING BECAUSE I'M A PROJECT MANAGER, I UNDERSTAND YOU MOVE THINGS ALONG.
BUT I'M NOT READY TO SAY THAT HAS TO BE DONE UNTIL I, AND I WOULD THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MAY FEEL LIKEWISE, MAKE A RUN AT THAT POLITICALLY WITH A BOARD THAT FOR YEARS USED TO BE IN BETTER ALIGNMENT.
>> YEAH. WE COULD DO THAT, BUT ALSO MY THOUGHT WAS WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALTERNATE FUNDING SOURCES WHEN WE HAVE EXTRAORDINARY TIMES.
NOT ONLY OTHER MONEY IN THE BUDGET THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF STATE MONEY THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN CHASING.
I THINK WE HAD TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE PROBLEM AND NOT JUST FOCUS ON WHAT'S THE DOLLAR RATE HERE OR THERE.
IT'S LIKE HOW DO WE GET THE MONEY AND TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO AND NOT ALL OF IT NEEDS TO NECESSARILY FALL ON THE RATE PAYER.
BECAUSE THERE'S, LIKE I SAID, THEIR STATE MONEY, THERE'S SURTAX DOLLARS SITTING THERE THAT HAD BEEN ALLOCATED FOR OTHER PROJECTS, THE $7.5 MILLION THAT HAS NOT BEEN ALLOCATED.
SO I WANT TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN USE THAT MONEY TO HELP THIS SITUATION BECAUSE THIS IS A CRITICAL FUNCTION OF THE TOWN.
TO ME, THOSE OTHER DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NEEDS TO GO TOWARDS WATER QUALITY.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
WELL, LET'S PUT THOSE DOLLARS THERE TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
>> RIGHT. I WAS JUST LAYING THE GROUNDWORK ON WHY DO YOU THINK THE RATE ADJUSTMENT FOR THE BUSINESS CHANGES IS REALLY A SEPARATE DECISION PROCESS IN MY MIND.
ALSO, I SUBMIT IT'S NOT RENEWING REPLACEMENT.
I QUESTION AND I HAVEN'T ASKED ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION QUESTIONING BY EMAIL AND WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH, BUT THE CONNECTION FEES SHOULD GO UP FOR FUTURE BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THE CONNECTION FEES WERE SET AT THE WORLD AS IT WAS WHEN WE THOUGHT THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED.
IN FACT, I BELIEVE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES WHERE THAT SHOULD COME FROM.
AT THIS POINT, IT DIDN'T COME AS A RECOMMENDATION, AND I CHALLENGED, WELL, WHY AREN'T WE ADJUSTING THE CONNECTION FEES? NOW, I REALIZED THAT'S NOT THE FULL ANSWER BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP THAT DIDN'T PAY THE INCREMENT, IT'S TOO LATE.
BUT AT LEAST FOR WHAT'S LEFT, WE SHOULD ADJUST.
IN THE REPORT, IT CLEARLY SAID THAT THE CONNECTION FEES WERE ESTABLISHED BASED ON NANOFILTRATION PLANT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN IT WAS DONE, WE ENTERED INTO THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOG STATUE RIVER DISTRICT AND AVOIDED THE DEPO-INJECTION.
NOW THAT THE DEEP WELL INJECTION MAY BE REQUIRED, BUT HELL, IT'S PART OF THE NANOFILTRATION PLAN PROJECT.
I DO THINK THERE'S A LOGIC FOR THAT.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT SHOULD PLAY OUT AND I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE ONGOING DIALOGUE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR UP HERE TO MY COLLEAGUES.
I'M HOPING TO REALLY BE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS AND PURSUE THIS, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO DEAL WITH.
BUT TO THE DEGREE THAT IT WASN'T REPORTED THAT THE FIVE-YEAR PLAN HAD GONE FROM 39,000,110, I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU REALIZE THAT BECAUSE, ISN'T THAT REALLY THE ROOT CAUSE HERE? I'M NOT IN DENIAL ABOUT IT.
IF THAT REALLY ALL WAS REQUIRED, THERE YOU GO, THAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION.
SOME OF THAT IS BUSINESS CHANGE.
>> THE 100 AND SO MILLION DOLLARS IN SPENDING, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD JUST DIVE INTO THAT AND JUST TEAR IT APART AND LOOK AND SEE WHAT'S NECESSARY AND NOT NECESSARY?
>> NO, I WAS JUST SHARING A FACT THAT THAT'S NOT RENEWAL REPLACEMENT.
I'M JUST USING THAT AS A FACT.
WE HAD 39 MILLION IN THE SAME FIVE-YEAR PERIOD AND YOU'RE NOW RECOMMENDING.
I WAS LOOKING AT WHERE THE BIG COST DRIVERS ARE AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH STAFFS ABOUT.
A BIG PIECE IS THE DEEP WELL INJECTION, BUT THERE'S OTHER ONES THAT I WAS ASKING ABOUT.
I DON'T EXPECT WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THAT TONIGHT, BUT I'M HOPING TO RATE ADJUSTMENT ON TOP OF THE FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO COME UP WITH THAT INCREMENTALLY, BUT I DO THINK IN FAIRNESS WE'RE OBLIGATED TO SERVE THAT HIGHER LEVEL,
[02:30:01]
WHICH IS JUST NOT TAKING A STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND BALANCING WITH THE CUSTOMER.SINCE THIS IS A GOVERNMENT-RUN WATER UTILITY THEY ARE IN.
WE HAVE TO SERVE AS EFFECTIVELY, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
AT LEAST THAT'S THE WAY I BELIEVE.
>> YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN ADJUSTMENT BASED ON PRIOR HISTORY TO STORE MONEY AND KEEP UP WITH INFLATION, BUT THEN A SPECIAL EXCEPTION INCREASE?
>> LOOK, THAT'S WHAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WOULD BE DOING WITH THE PRIVATE WATER UTILITY.
THEY'RE SAYING, HEY, YOU GET THIS ANNUAL INCREASE AND THEN YOU COME WHEN YOU HAVE BUSINESS CHANGES AND WE EVALUATE THE BUSINESS CHANGE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> WE'LL PROBABLY THAT WILL GET TO THE SAME PLACE.
>> CORRECT AGE OF THIS. [OVERLAPPING].
>> BUT I'M INTERESTED IN MANAGING THE BUSINESS CHANGES TO SEE IF THERE CAN BE SOME COST SAVINGS TO BE HAD.
>> BUT THIS IS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN ANYWAY.
AS WE GO THROUGH AND AS THESE PRODUCTS [NOISE] COME UP, THEY CAN BE LOOKED AT AND THOSE COSTS CAN BE MANAGED.
BUT RIGHT NOW THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT IS WE'RE IN THE HOLE.
WE HAD FOUR YEARS OF NO INDEXING AND WE HAVE RUN AWAY INFLATION.
TO ME THE EXERCISE IS, HOW DO WE MAKE UTILITY HOLE? HOW DO WE GET THEM BACK ON TRACK? THEN OF COURSE, THE OTHER QUESTION IS WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS DOWN THE ROAD TO SEE WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF THOSE? DO THEY MAKE SENSE? CAN WE GET GRANT MATCHING FUNDS FOR THAT? HOW DO WE MANAGE THAT GOING FORWARD? BUT THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE TO ME IS SOLVING THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE IN.
>> THEN YOUR APPROACH, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE IT? JUST CURIOUS.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE IN MY MIND I GOT A $71 MILLION GAP THAT WE NEVER WERE FUNDING BEFORE THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
THAT'S TO WHY I'M LOOKING AT IT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WHAT HE DID SEVEN-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, YOU'RE NOT EVEN SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.
WE REALLY NEED TO DEAL WITH THAT AND WE NEED TO MANAGE IT.
WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH OUR STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS.
ANOTHER IDEA WAS, WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE PLAN, THE DESIGN BASIS FOR A SYSTEM WAS SET AT A CERTAIN LEVEL.
WE'RE EFFECTIVELY MAINTAINING IT AT THAT LEVEL.
IT'S 30 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE, CAN WE MEET THE DEMAND PROJECTED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? I THINK THERE'S MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFER REPLACING WELLS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO PUT OFF THINGS THAT YOU DON'T REALLY NEED.
WITH SUCH A SIGNIFICANT OUTFLOW OF MONEY THAT WE NEED TO GRANT, I GET IT THAT I MAY BE THE ONLY ONE THAT THINKS THIS WAY, BUT I'M DIALOGUING WITH THE CLIENT TO ASK.
THAT'S ANOTHER BUCKET OF STUFF.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD'VE EVER BEEN LOOKED AT THAT WAY.
I TELL YOU WHAT, THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WOULD CHALLENGE SOMEBODY OVER BUILDING.
I LOOK AT IT THAT WE HAVE A SERVICE PROJECTION AND TO THE DEGREE THAT THAT'S THE AMOUNT WE NEED TO MEET AS AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM.
AGAIN, THAT'S JUST ANOTHER AREA.
>> NO, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
WHICH IS WHY I HAD SAID I THOUGHT WE NEED TO JUST TAKE A LONGER TERM VIEW OF THE WHOLE ISSUE RATHER THAN JUST A SMALL SNAPSHOT AND EVERYTHING TBD.
BECAUSE AS YOU'RE POINTING OUT, THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THINK ABOUT OVER THE NEXT.
>> LOOK, I THINK WE MAY BE ON THE SAME PAGE.
WE HAVE TO DO A LONGER TERM VIEW, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A ONE-YEAR DECISION AND THEN CONTINUE WORKING ON THE LONGER TERM VIEW.
I'M JUST SAYING I RECOGNIZE THAT IN LIGHT OF THESE CHANGES, $71 MILLION IS HIGHER THAN HAD BEEN PROJECTED.
I KNOW THE BUSINESS CHANGES, SO I DON'T SAY THAT TO FIND ANY FAULT. BUT IT'S THE FACT.
LET'S DEAL WITH THAT FACT AND SEE, DO WE NEED TO DO THAT? THEN WE GOT TO GO FIND THE MONEY FOR IT.
>> MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO INTERRUPT REAL QUICK.
THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, I LOOKED AT THAT AS WELL.
I SPOKE WITH MY HUSBAND WHO ALSO WORKS THERE FOR [INAUDIBLE] WITH IT.
THE RATES ARE LOWER AND I WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHY THEY ARE LOWERING.
>> WELL, THIS TIME IT'S 4.5 THIS YEAR, 4.53 ABOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, EVEN IF A LITTLE BIT.
WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ONE IS IT ALSO INCLUDES PASS-THROUGH ITEMS, SO ENERGY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT INDEX.
THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN BE COMPARED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEIR BUSINESS MODELS ARE THE SAME.
FOR EXAMPLE, UTILITIES THAT WORK IN MULTIPLE STATES CAN MOVE ASSETS, CAN MOVE ACROSS STATE LINES COMPLETELY.
LOOKING AT THE RATES THAT THEY CHARGE RESIDENTS [NOISE] AND THEN TO MOVE IT OFF STATE, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT MODELS.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY FOCUS MORE ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND GO FOR THE RATE CASE LATER.
THIS IS THE MINIMUM OF WHAT'S APPROVED, BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE PASS-THROUGH ITEMS.
[02:35:02]
I DON'T KNOW, UNLESS I'M LOOKING AT A RATE PAYER, LIKE A REAL CASE SCENARIO, I THINK THEIR RATES WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THIS INDEX BECAUSE IT INCLUDES PASS-THROUGHS LIKE ENERGY AND OTHER ITEMS. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN COMPARE THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR.I ALSO THINK WE HAVE THE SHORTFALL.
OUR MASTER PLAN STATES THAT THE RNR TARGET IS 6.9 PERCENT AND THE FORECASTED DEPOSIT IS 5.9 MILLION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS WATCHING.
OUR CURRENT RATES ARE NOT PROJECTED TO BE SUFFICIENT.
WE DO [NOISE] NEED TO TAKE A LONG TERM VIEW.
I AGREE, IF WE CAN LEARN WHAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE LOXAHATCHEE RIVER DISTRICT, I WOULD LOVE TO.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO.
I DON'T KNOW IF IN THIS UNCERTAIN EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE'RE OPERATING, WHAT GRANTS WE'LL BE ABLE TO SECURE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW RELIABLE THAT WILL BE.
I KNOW A MORE RELIABLE, STABLE SOURCE MIGHT BE THE RATE.
I DON'T LIKE BEING IN THIS POSITION. I DON'T.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF INDEXING FOR THREE YEARS PLUS 40-YEAR INFLATION, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
TO THE 110 MILLION, I WOULD LIKE TO THROW THAT BACK TO STAFF.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND POINT RAISED.
I REMEMBER IN THE 2017 MASTER PLAN I WAS COMPARING THE TWO A LOT.
THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS RELATED TO THAT.
ONE IS 2022 AND THE FORECAST THERE, I DON'T REMEMBER THE TOTAL DOLLAR NUMBER, BUT IT WAS MUCH LOWER THAN IT IS NOW.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENT THE INJECTION WELL REPRESENTS.
I KNOW I SPOKE WITH YOU ABOUT AMI IN METERS AND THEIR REPLACEMENT.
I'M SATISFIED WITH WHAT STAFF HAS TOLD ME ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF YOU COULD JUST SPEAK TO THE DOLLAR INCREASE AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO.
TWO, I BELIEVE THE RATE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 2.1 IN 2017.
IT WAS A LOWER INDEX PERCENTAGE.
THAT VERSUS THE THREE PERCENT, WHICH IS BEING RECOMMENDED IN THIS PLAN?
>> I WILL START AND THEN I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK [NOISE] MR. ORI ALSO TO CHIME IN.
RELATIVE TO THE INJECTION WELL, THE INJECTION WELL IS ABOUT 25 MILLION DOLLARS.
[NOISE] I PUT TOGETHER SOME SLIDES THIS AFTERNOON THAT I PUT IN THIS BULLPEN AREA.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET BACK TO IT.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN SCROLL UP HERE.
THERE'S TWO BIG PROJECTS THAT HAVE COME INTO THIS MASTER PLAN WITH 2022 MASTER PLAN.
[NOISE] THERE'S THE INJECTION WELL AND THERE'S THE NANOFILTRATION BLENDING, CONCENTRATE BLENDING INTO THE RO FEED WATER.
HERE'S A SUMMARY OF THE COSTS THAT ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE DEEP INJECTION WELL.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S A LITTLE OVER $25 MILLION.
THE NANOFILTRATION CONCENTRATE BLEND.
I TOUCHED ON EARLIER ABOUT THE 2017 MASTER PLAN.
WHEN WE DID THE 2017 MASTER PLAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF FUTURE PROJECTS DEALING WITH INCREASE IN SALINE WATER THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BOTH FROM A WELL STANDPOINT, WE BASICALLY MADE THE DECISION THAT 20 SMALL STRAWS INTO THAT AQUIFER ARE GOING TO BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER FOR THE AQUIFER THAN INSTEAD OF 10 VERY LARGE STRAWS, WHICH IS BASICALLY HOW WE WERE OPERATING BEFORE.
THERE WERE LOTS OF WELLS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WHEN YOU BLEND THE NANOFILTRATION CONCENTRATE INTO THE FEED WATER COMING INTO THE RO PLANT, YOU ALSO ELIMINATE A LOT OF PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE HAD TO HAPPEN TO THE BRACKISH WATER RO PLANT BECAUSE IT'S NOT MOVING TOWARDS SEAWATER SO FAST.
THAT RESULTS IN A NET CAPITAL COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OF ACTUALLY REDUCING $16 MILLION OFF OF THE LONG-TERM PLAN TOTAL COST.
I JUST WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE THOSE TWO POINTS, HOW THOSE TWO PROJECTS REALLY WORK TOGETHER.
PARTIALLY MITIGATING SOME OF THAT INJECTION WILL COST.
THE OTHER BENEFIT OF THOSE PROJECTS ALSO, IT'S A NET CAPITAL INCREASE WHEN YOU PUT THE TWO TOGETHER OF AN ADDITIONAL $8.6 MILLION, BUT THERE'S ALSO A NET ANNUAL OPERATING EXPENSES DECREASE OF $720,000 PER YEAR.
RELATIVE TO THE CAPITAL PLAN IN $100 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS.
I'M NOT DISPUTING ANY OF THAT.
THERE'S CURRENTLY $52 MILLION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS RIGHT NOW IN 2022.
[02:40:02]
A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE JUST STACKED UP HAPPENING ON THE WATER UTILITY SIDE OF THINGS.THEN GOING FORWARD, I THINK THERE'S ON AVERAGE PROBABLY ABOUT $8-10 MILLION PER YEAR GOING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS AFTER THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE INJECTION LEVEL WORK.
RELATIVE TO THE 2.1 PERCENT ASSUMED INDEXING IN THE 2017 PLAN, AND THE 3 PERCENT THAT'S INCLUDED AS THE MINIMUM ASSUMED INDEXING IN THE 2022 PLAN, I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH JUST OVERALL TRENDS IN THE WAY THAT THAT INDEX HAS BEEN PERFORMING.
I'M SORRY, HE'S GOT A KNEE INJURY THIS WEEKEND.
GOOD EVENING. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IN THE PAST MASTER PLAN, INFLATION WAS A LOT LOWER.
YOUR ESCALATION IN O&M EXPENSES WAS A LOT LOWER, AND HENCE THE 2.1 PERCENT ESTIMATE WAS RELIED UPON.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE FINANCIAL PLAN GOING FORWARD HERE, THE AVERAGE INCREASE IN O&M EXPENSES BASED ON CURRENT TRENDS.
FORGET THE 179 WHATEVER PERCENT INCREASE IN CHEMICALS.
BY THE WAY, YOUR MOST RECENT DATA IS NOT IN THE FINANCIAL FORECASTS.
WE ALREADY HAVE HIGHER INFLATION.
WE HAD THE HIGHEST INFLATION ONE MONTH CHANGE IN JUNE IN 40 YEARS.
THAT'S NOT IN THESE FORECASTS.
BUT THE POINT IS, THE AVERAGE INCREASE IN O&M EXPENSE GOING FORWARD FOR THE FORECAST PERIOD IS ABOUT 3.6 PERCENT.
WE LOOKED AT YOUR NET REVENUE MARGINS, WHICH IS THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS LEFTOVER AFTER YOU PAY O&M, THAT'S DECLINING.
MY RECOMMENDATION WAS YOU NEED TO PROBABLY HAVE A HIGHER BASE INDEX THAN THE 2.1 PERCENT FOR THIS UTILITY.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, LABOR, CHEMICALS, POWER AND ANY TYPE OF SLUDGE DISPOSAL IF ANY, THAT'S 60-70 PERCENT IN O&M EXPENSES RIGHT THERE.
RECOGNIZING THE COSTS WE'RE HAVING TODAY, THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.
BACK TO THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH IS 7.5 PERCENT, YOU CAN ALMOST TURN THE TABLE AROUND.
WE HAVE THREE PERCENT INDEXING AND 4.5 PERCENT.
IRONICALLY, THE POC INDEX IS 4.5 PERCENT AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE.
I REALLY THINK STRONGLY THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND WHERE YOU'RE GOING, WE RECOMMENDED A HIGHER INCREASE THAN INFLATION BECAUSE OF THAT.
SECOND, THE OTHER THING IS THE OTHER THING ABOUT FUNDING VERSUS THE OTHER PROJECTS AS WELL.
THE $100 MILLION IS CLEARLY IN THE MASTER PLAN.
BUT WHAT'S BEING FUNDED FROM RATES EVERY YEAR IS THE RNR DEPOSIT, WHAT'S GOING INTO THE KITTY.
THAT'S BEING SPENT AND THAT'S ABOUT SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, LET'S SAY SIX, SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS AT A TIME.
YOU THINK $36 MILLION OVER FIVE YEARS OR SO, THAT'S SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS.
I LOOK AT THAT FUNCTION [NOISE] LEVEL AND IF YOU CHANGE THE CIP, YES, THAT COULD POSSIBLY CHANGE THAT FUNDING LEVELS WELL OVER TIME.
YOU HAVE AN IMMEDIATE NEED RIGHT NOW I THINK KETCHUP OF INFLATION.
HIGH COMPLETION ON THE CAPITAL COSTS BUT I ALSO AGREE, THIS IS A PLAN, IT'S A LONG-TERM VIEW AND YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IT.
AS YOU DO YOUR BUDGETS, AS YOU LOOK AT THE PLANS, THE KEY IS STAY IN THE PLAN AND ADJUST AS YOU GO WITH IT.
THAT'S BEEN OUR RECOMMENDATION ALL ALONG.
IS TRYING TO STAY WITHIN THE PLAN.
THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT ALL OF THESE YEARS IS IF YOU TOOK [INAUDIBLE] AND ALL THE POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM LOUIS, I FIND THAT TO BE TREMENDOUS TO YOU BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT.
YOU GUYS DO SO I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD, BUT THAT'S THE BASIS FOR WHY WE HAD A HIGHER INDEX THAN THE 2.1 PERCENT IN THE PRIOR IF THAT'S FINE.
I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT I WENT ON A WHOLE DIFFERENT CANVAS THERE.
DAVID, CAN YOU GO BACK TO SLIDE 34? I THINK IT'S 34. IT'S UP ON A SCREEN.
WHAT'S ON IT? WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN, IT'S THE SLIDE YOU DID BEFORE THIS SHOWING THE DEEP CAPITAL ASSETS.
YOU COULD JUST TAKE THIS AS AN ACTION ITEM BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD ALL THIS IN THE REPORT.
IF THIS WAS THE CASE THAT'S PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION FOR DOING IT, BUT THEN THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S $17 MILLION THAT'S COMING OUT AS A PLAN.
I COULDN'T FIND WHERE IT WAS EVER IN THE PLAN.
I'D LIKE YOU TO GET BACK WITH US AND CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION.
AGAIN, I SUBMIT THAT AND FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS SAID THIS IS THAT WE WERE TRENDING ALONG FOR YEARS, SPENDING ABOUT THE RATE OF RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT.
[02:45:02]
SOMEBODY SAID, GEE, WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THIS? WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT? BUT WE WERE SPENDING ABOUT THE RATE OF RENEWAL REPLACEMENT.THIS IS THE FIRST PLAN THAT WAS RADICALLY DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY IT WOULD HAVE STUCK OUT TO ME AND NOBODY ELSE.
BUT I KNEW, WOW, THESE ARE BUSINESS CHANGE DRIVEN AND WE HAVE TO PROCESS THAT NOT AS AN ADJUSTMENT AND RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT, BUT AS THE BUSINESS CHANGE.
THAT INCLUDES TRYING TO GET GRANTS, TRYING TO WORK WITH LRD TO SEE HOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SAME CUSTOMERS.
I KNOW DAVID HAS WORKED THIS HARD, I'M STILL PUZZLED BY IT.
NONETHELESS, BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND, AND I KNOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S CHANGED.
I WANT TO ASK THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'D BE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
LOOK, THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN AND THE LEAST MAKE A SHOT AT IT, RIGHT?
>> TALKING TO BOARD MEMBERS TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE ANY CHANGE.
BECAUSE AT THE VERY LEAST, WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE WERE ELECTED.
>> [OVERLAPPING] IT'S A PIVOT WITH THE NEW DRIVING WHEEL, AND THEN WITH THE ECONOMIC FACTORS, AND WE'LL LOOK IN 25 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
I'VE BEEN HERE, I UNDERSTAND THAT ALSO, BUT WE NEED TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE, OR WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND AS WE GO ALONG.
>> YEAH. BUT THE WAY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WOULD DO IT AS JUST BUSINESS CHANGES IS WHAT JUSTIFIES A RATE ADJUSTMENT SEPARATE FROM THE ANNUAL, AND THAT'S WHY I LOOKED AT IT THAT WAY SAYING I CAN SEE, LET'S PARTITION THE TWO.
>> [NOISE] [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S FINE.
>> COME IN, BECAUSE TO ME IT'S MORE TRANSPARENT ON WHAT YOU CAME UP WITH, DOES IT END YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S JUST MAKE THAT X PERCENT.
>> I ALSO TRUST OUR PROFESSIONALS HERE TOO.
I'M NOT IN HIS OFFICE EVERY DAY, MY CO-MANAGER WHAT HE'S DOING [INAUDIBLE].
I DO DEPEND ON OUR FOLKS AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
>> [OVERLAPPING] I AGREE WITH THAT.
>> WE CAN LOOK IT CLOSER IF YOU WANT.
>> BUT I ALSO THINK IT'S A THING NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OF WITH THE INJECTION WELL IS THAT WE'RE NOT RELYING ON [INAUDIBLE] RIVER DISTRICT FOR THEM TO DECIDE TO TAKE OR NOT TAKE SOMETHING.
WE ALSO ELIMINATE IT DISCHARGES AND CAT CANAL, AND I THINK THAT'S SIGNIFICANT.
TO ME, IT'S WORTH GOING THROUGH WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET TO THAT POINT.
>> I AGREE WITH THE TAKE OR NOT TAKE, THE SITUATION BEING, NARROWS AS A FATAL FLAW, WE CAN'T ACCEPT THAT.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER. I GET THAT.
THAT'S NOT A FAIR PARTNERSHIP, IF YOU WILL.
BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT USED TO BE IN PARTNER THAT ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF, AND SOMETHING HAS CHANGED.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT.
ANY PRESSURE WE COULD EXERT, OR ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO FIND THE ANSWERS ON LOD.
BUT WHETHER WE UNDERSTAND IT OR NOT, IS DIFFERENT FROM WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN CONTROL IT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN OUR EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CANNOT CONTROL.
WE CAN CONTROL THE INJECTION WELL WHICH GIVES US AN OPTION.
I ALSO LOOK TO STAFF AND THEIR EXPERTISE.
I'M NOT A WATER EXPERT AND I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET A MASTER'S DEGREE IN THIS, TO TRY TO ADJUST EVERYTHING.
BUT I'M GIVING YOU THE FULL FAITH EFFORT.
I'VE QUESTIONED A NUMBER OF THINGS LIKE AMI AND SOME OF THESE OTHER COSTS BUILT INTO THIS YEAR, AND TRY AND HAVE THEM BE JUSTIFIED.
GIVEN THAT WORK THAT YOU AND I HAVE DONE AND GIVEN THE LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE ENVIRONMENT, GIVEN THAT WITH THE COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF MONEY, THAT TIME MATTERS AND ACTING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER REALLY MATTERS.
I THINK THAT THIS IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.
DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T LOWER IT LATER IF THINGS CHANGE, ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE LONG-TERM MODEL ISN'T GOING TO BE PERFECT DOWN THE ROAD, AND ABSOLUTELY GO AFTER GRANTS AND OTHER MONIES, AND IF THEY BECOME REALIZED THEN EXCELLENT, BUT IF NOT, WE HAVE A BACKUP PLAN.
I WANT SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR WATER SYSTEM, AND I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR WATER UTILITY.
SOMETHING NOT MENTIONED IN THIS PLAN WAS, AND I KNOW IT'S A SMALL PART MAYBE, BUT THE CHEMICALS OF EMERGING CONCERN.
I'VE READ A LOT OF ARTICLES IN THE PALM BEACH POST ABOUT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND CONCERNS OVER THIS, EVEN NATIONWIDE, JUST WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING, AND OUR TREATED WATER DOES NOT HAVE THEM.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR OUR WATER QUALITY.
HOW LEAN WE RUN, EXTENDING BEYOND THE USEFUL LIFE, ANSWERING AND JUSTIFYING SOME OF THESE LARGER PROJECTS.
I THINK FOR ME THAT'S ENOUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT I CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE DIALOGUE.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT GROUP HERE AND A GOOD DISCUSSION.
>> I REMEMBER FEW YEARS AGO WE ALL HAD THE POWER FOR THE BUDGET AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE WOULD STOP THE INDEXING AND, WELL, OKAY.
[02:50:01]
BUT I THINK WE LEARNED A LESSON.I DIDN'T SPEAK UP BECAUSE I'M NOT BLAMING ANYBODY, BUT I THINK THESE TICKET ITEMS ARE SO HEAVY, THEY THEN COME OUT OF THE BLUE, YOU NEVER KNOW.
YOU GOT A COUPLE OF WELLS FULL. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
THAT INDEXING GAVE US STABILITY AND WHAT WE NEEDED, CAPITAL PROJECTS COME ALONG.
WE HAD MOST OF THE MONEY FOR IT AND WE COULD BORROW FROM HERE AND THE OTHER FUNDS, BUT I WAS NOT CRAZY ABOUT NOT CONTINUING THE 3.9 OR 3.2 A VERY YEAR TO YEAR.
BUT I THINK THERE'S A LESSON LEARNED HERE, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
I AGREE WITH COUNSEL [INAUDIBLE] THAT OUR WATER QUALITY IS PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS TOWN WHAT IT IS. LESSON LEARNED, I THINK.
>> DAVID, IN TERMS OF COMPARING OUR RATES, THAT WAS ALWAYS A FUN SLIDE.
CAN YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP AGAIN ACTUALLY?
>> SURE. TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE TO PURE, I'M SORRY.
WATER RATES I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF SURVEYS.
[NOISE] THERE'S THE ONE THAT WE DO INTERNALLY.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THAT'LL WORK.
>> YEAH, THAT'LL WORK. OUR LEVEL OF TREATMENT, HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO OTHERS ON THIS LIST? WE HAVE 100 PERCENT MEMBRANE TREATMENT.
WE'RE FORTH OVERALL, BUT HOW MANY OTHERS HERE HAVE OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND TREATMENT?
>> THIS SURVEY THAT'S PRESENTED IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW INCLUDES EVERYBODY IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA.
THERE'S BOCA, DEL REY, AND BOYNTON.
ROB MENTIONED DEL REY IS MOVING TOWARDS MEMBRANES NOW.
BOCA IS STILL ABOUT, I BELIEVE, 50 PERCENT CONVENTIONAL LIME SOFTEN.
THAT'S WHY THE RATES ARE LOW PLUS A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE.
BOYNTON, I THINK THEY MAY HAVE SOME NANO FILTRATION, BUT NOT TO A GREAT EXTENT.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS ANOTHER SURVEY THAT WE PERFORM ANNUALLY JUST TO COMPARE THOSE THAT GO AS FAR AS WE DO RELATIVE TO DOING OUR RO, BRACKISH WATER TREATMENT AND SO FORTH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE STILL REMAIN THE LOWEST IN THAT GOING FORWARD.
>> PRESUMABLY THESE ARE INDEXING AS WELL, SO OVER TIME?
>> ROB CAN ATTEST TO THAT HE DOES A LOT OF WORK FOR A LOT OF THE OTHER UTILITIES AND SO FORTH, AND EVERYBODY IS BEING FACED FOR THESE SAME INFLATIONARY COST ISSUES AND CHEMICALS POWDER.
>> IF IT COULD BE BENCHMARKED TO BENEFIT FROM IT, I WOULD JUST SAY LET ME JUST USE RANK 1 VERSUS RANK 10.
WE HAD FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THE HIGHEST CONNECTION FEE REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE WE WERE EFFECTIVELY MANAGING GROWTH, WHERE SOMEBODY'S OTHER UTILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, PORT ST. LUCIE, IT WAS RETROFITTED IN EXISTING COMMUNITIES.
YOU REALLY CAN'T COMPARE WEIGHTS LIKE THAT.
EACH ONE IS UNIQUE INTO THEMSELVES.
ONE PARAMETER IS THE TYPE OF WATER TREATMENT, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
I HAVE A FAMILY THAT LIVE UP THERE, SO I KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
PORT ST. LUCIE HAD TO BASICALLY PUT THE SYSTEM IN, RETROFIT, AND THEN THEY'RE COLLECTING IN NEW RATES SOMEWHAT TO MAKE UP FOR THE FACT THAT, NUMBER 1, THEY PUT A CISTERN IN AND THEN THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT.
ENOUGH SAID BUT THEY'RE MY PART.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK ON THIS ONE, BUT THIS IS A ROUND TABLE.
WE HAD BEEN ASKED TO GIVE INPUT, AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT WAS THE DIRECTION FOR THE RATE ADJUSTMENT, IF YOU WILL.
WE'RE NOT MAKING THE DECISION HERE BECAUSE IT'S A ROUNDTABLE, BUT THAT'S THE ASK WE HAD.
I'M INTERPRETING THAT'S ONE YEAR BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE WOULD BE ACTING UPON.
WHAT'S THE CONSENSUS ON THAT TO GIVE DIRECTION TO STAFF?
>> I WOULD SUPPORT THE 7.5 PERCENT FROM THE CONSULTANT.
YEAR TWO, WE CAN LOOK BACK TO SEE AS WE REFINE MAYBE THE PROJECTS OR RECEIVE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES WE HAVE.
WE CAN REFINE THAT GOING FORWARD, BUT I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH 4.5 PERCENT.
>> FOR ME, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 7.5 PERCENT.
>> I AGREE. I THINK TO 7.5 PERCENT, AND THEN AFTER FISCAL YEAR ROLLS AROUND, BUDGETS, TIME.
LOOK AT WHERE INFLATION IS, SEE WHAT THE WORLD IS OR NOT, IT MAY BE BETTER OR MAYBE WORSE.
[02:55:01]
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO START HERE.WE'RE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL ON THIS. I THINK WE NEED TO DO IT.
>> I AGREE WITH THE CONSULTANT'S RECOMMENDATION OF 7.5 PERCENT.
I ALSO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD TAKE IT YEAR BY YEAR.
>> RIGHT. WE GOT THE MAJORITY.
>> IS THERE ANYBODY HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS ON THAT ITEM, OR WE HAD DONE WITH THE ROUND TABLE? [NOISE] OKAY.
[NOISE] MOVING ON TO REPORTS, TOWN ATTORNEY.
[TOWN MANAGER]
>> JUST A COUPLE OF BRIEF THINGS, MR. MAYOR, FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY LIKE TO GIVE A THANK YOU TO THOMAS FERNANDEZ AND DAVID D, AND OUR TOWN ATTORNEY BAIRD, FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE ON THE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT.
IT WAS SHORT TURNAROUND AND I THINK THE OUTCOME WAS PRETTY DONE GOOD AND THEY WORKED PRETTY HARD ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO THOSE FOLKS.
REMINDER FOR YOU ALL, AUGUST 2ND IS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.
THAT IS ACTUALLY, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME.
THEY KNOW THE CHIEF HAS AN EVENING PLAN AND SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR IF ANYBODY IS INCLINED TO PARTICIPATE.
THEN JUST TO UPDATE YOU, WE DID HAVE A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH FOLKS REGARDING BASEBALL WITH THE COUNTY, AND I'LL BE UPDATING YOU ON SOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL.
THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE CAUGHT IT.
WE'VE PUT IT INTO FRIDAY REPORT, BUT THE COUNTY COMMISSION DID VOTE TO MOVE THE POLICE RADIO POLL PROJECT TO MOVE THAT FORWARD WITH THE STATE TO MOVE THAT TO OCEAN K PARK.
THAT WAS A BIG PLUS FOR US ON THAT.
NOW, WHO KNOWS HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THE STATE TO GET BACK TO US, BUT THAT WAS A BIG PLUS.
[TOWN COUNCIL – LIAISON REPORTS AND COMMENTS]
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK DAVID BROWN, FOR IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING ELSE HE'S DOING FOR HELPING REWRITE THE CHARTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL TASK FORCE, AND WE GLOSSED OVER THAT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT THAT'S BEEN REWRITTEN AND RETHOUGHT.THE FIRST MEETING IS GOING TO BE AUGUST 15TH, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THE GROUP TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY GET SOME PROJECTS DONE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M TALKING TO TOWN MANAGER ABOUT IS GOES BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING BEFORE ABOUT CHASING STATE MONEY AND JUPITER REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A PRESENCE TO TALLAHASSEE.
I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE MISSING OUT ON MONEY THAT'S OUT ON THE TABLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, THE GOVERNOR GAVE $3.5 MILLION TO LOCAL MUNICIPALITY FOR STORMWATER TREATMENT.
TO GET THAT MONEY, WE NEED TO HAVE A PRESENCE, AND SO I'M INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HAVE A LOBBYIST FOR JUPITER TO GET US THE MONEY'S THAT WE NEED.
I REALLY THINK THAT WE'RE MISSING OUT.
I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GO FORWARD AND PURSUE THAT.
I ALSO HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK WITH REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SNYDER, TALKING ABOUT SOME JUPITER ISSUES, AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE MENTIONED WAS A DESIRE TO HAVE A PRESENCE HERE AT MISCIBLE COMPLEX SO THAT RESIDENTS CAN COME AND TALK TO HIM ABOUT ISSUES, AND HE CAN UNDERSTAND MORE WHAT'S GOING ON IN JUPITER.
I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A REALLY GOOD IDEA.
HE'S ALSO VERY INTERESTED IN COMING AND TALKING TO US AND GIVING HIS PRESENTATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TALLAHASSEE AND WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES.
FOR ME, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE SEEK TO.
I THINK IT CAN SUPPORT AND RAISE OUR PROFILE IN TALLAHASSEE TO WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH SOME OF THE STATE REPS THAT WE HAVE.
>> LOOKING AT HIM JUST AS AN FYI.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOBBYIST FOR NUMBER OF YEARS. WHAT'S THAT? IT'S QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO NOW. BUT WE HAD A LOBBY.
SAME THING HAPPENED KEY, WE'RE LOSING OUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOBBYIST AND WE HIRED A LOBBYIST AND THEN YOU ALWAYS WONDERED, WHAT ARE YOU, ARE YOU GETTING SOMETHING? WE WERE GETTING REPORTS AND MAYBE BEING MORE IN THE LOOP, AND QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT CAUSE IT TO STOP, BUT IT DID.
I THINK IN ADDITION TO SUGGESTING THAT WHAT LOBBYIST AND WHAT WOULD THE COST BE AND WHATEVER?
[03:00:04]
CERTAINLY, WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE BEFORE.WE WOULD BE AGAIN, BUT THERE'S GOT TO BE A CHECK THAT WE ARE TRULY GETTING SOMETHING FOR THAT.
>> YEAH, DEFINITELY I HAD TO GET THE RIGHT PERSON AND HAVE BE ON TOP TO MAKE SURE IT'S WORKING FOR US.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY OUT THERE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE'S MONEY LOOKING FOR PROJECTS.
I THINK WE CAN REALLY BENEFIT FROM MAKING THEM MORE CONCERTED EFFORT AND TRYING TO GET SOME OF THESE GRANTS.
>> THANK FRANK AGAIN AND THE STAFF FOR PULLING OFF AT RFP AND THAT AMOUNT OF TIME AND ALL THE ATTORNEYS INVOLVED, AND THAT COULD HAVE GOTTEN UGLY, AND THAT COULDN'T HAVE GONE ANY BETTER.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A GREAT PACKAGE, GOOD LONG-TERM CONTRACTS, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE SATISFIED, SO THAT WAS AWESOME.
NICE JOB GUYS. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU. I'M REALLY PROUD OF THAT TEAM.
>> I ABSOLUTELY SECOND WHAT RON WAS SAYING REGARDING OUR WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT, AND I ALSO BECAUSE SO MANY STAFF MEMBERS ARE HERE FROM WATER.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AS WELL FOR ALL OF YOUR WORK.
YOU'VE PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK IN DETAIL AND ANALYSIS INTO IT AND THANK YOU ALSO FOR OUR GUESTS WHO ARE HERE AS WELL.
I WOULD JUST SAY A REMINDER TO ALL RESIDENTS THAT WE DO HAVE AN UPCOMING IS AT THIS FRIDAY.
THAT WAS ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY A PRIORITY FOR US TO BECOME MORE ACCESSIBLE.
IN THE CASE, THAT YOU DON'T ENJOY GOING UP BEFORE A MICROPHONE TO SPEAK TO US AND BEING VIDEO RECORDED.
IF YOU WANT SOMETHING MORE INFORMAL, WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU.
I DID, ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WAS MARKHAM.
WITH THE AUDIT COMMITTEE THAT I'VE RECENTLY JOINED, AND I HAVE ENJOYED WORKING WITH AS WELL.
WE DID APPROVE MARKHAM AND THEY WERE THE ONES WHO DID OUR LAST AUDIT.
THAT WON'T BE THE TRANSITION CONCERN.
VERY PLEASED WITH THAT RESULT.
IT WAS WONDERFUL GETTING TO WORK WITH SUCH A GOOD TEAM AND, AND UNDERSTAND, A BIT MORE HOW WE APPROACH THE CALFER OR THE, I WILL ALWAYS CALL IT THE CALFER.
THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH AND THEN THAT'S IT.
>> ALSO, THANK YOU TO DAVID BROWN AND YOUR STAFF FOR THE UPDATE.
WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO REACH OUT AND INVITE ME OVER TO THE PLAN TO REALLY SEE HOW EVERYTHING GOES THERE.
OUTSIDE OF JUST TURNING ON THE FAUCET, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE AN IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF SO WHAT YOU GUYS DO TO TREAT OUR WATER AND MAKE IT THE BEST.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING INACCESSIBLE AND UPDATING US AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
THANK YOU TO STAFF AS WELL FOR THE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND GETTING THAT THROUGH AND NEGOTIATING THAT IN A PROBABLY, A RECORD AMOUNT OF TIME AND PROVIDING A GREAT SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS.
>> JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON A COUPLE OF THINGS REALLY REGARDING THE MASTER PLANS.
AGAIN, I THINK IT WAS A VERY EXCELLENT.
IN ONE REGARD EFFORT, WE CAN USE IT TO BUILD UPON.
I'VE ASKED STAFF TO GIVE ME A RANK PRIORITY BECAUSE I WORKED FOR A COMPANY IN MY DAY JOB THAT IF YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERY DOLLAR, WHAT WOULD BE ORDERED, YOU WOULD SPEND IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'LL GET THAT AND HOW I FEEL, BUT REGARDING THE SUGGESTION THAT ON AUGUST 16TH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT THE UPDATES.
AM BOTHERED THAT THE UPDATES INCLUDE ADVOCACY FOR RATE HIKES THAT NUMBER 1 HAD BEEN INCONSISTENT WITH PARENTS, TOWN COUNCIL POLICY AND THE PRESENT THEM LIKE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE TOWN COUNCIL POLICY AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
WE MAY GO IN FORTHCOMING TO A DIFFERENT CONSENSUS ABOUT IT, BUT I JUST REALLY DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT REALLY BELONGED IN THERE.
WHEN YOU SET CONFLICT BECAUSE THEN WHO'S SETTING THE POLICY? IS THAT THE COUNCIL OR IS IT THE CONSULTANT? I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I'M GOING TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, AND AUGUST 16TH ACCEPTING THE RESOLUTION, I DON'T EVEN ACCEPTING THE PLANS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT EVEN MEANS.
I GUESS I'LL WAIT TO SEE WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS.
I CERTAINLY ACCEPTED AS A PHENOMENAL PIECE OF INFORMATION, BUT I JUST PERSONALLY WOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT ACCEPTING AND EVERYBODY THINKS THAT I'VE AGREED WITH WHAT'S IN THERE.
I'M FOLLOWING UP ON TO USE THAT INFORMATION WITH STAFF AND ASK THEM FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE WOULD APPLY IT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, I'M STILL CONVINCED WE CAN'T COME UP WITH A $110 MILLION IN THAT FIVE-YEAR WINDOW.
YOU ALL MAY THINK OTHERWISE, BUT I WOULDN'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF JUST APPROVING THAT.
[03:05:03]
I DO THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN THAT AND I'M SHOWING YOU RELY ON STAFF'S INPUT AS I HAVE CONTINUED TO DIALOGUE WITH THEM ON Q&A ON THAT.THANK YOU. WITH THAT, [NOISE] AM LIKE, TIME IS NOW, IS IT 10:00?
>> 10:05 POSE FOR TODAY'S MEETING. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.