Agenda Item Name:
Title
Discussion of Ordinance to Fund Radio Management System (Amendment to WSPP Surtax Ordinance #2016-06)
End
Presenter:
Harold Theus, Chief 352-384-3101, and Tommy Crosby 337-6205
Description:
Discuss Ordinance #2016-06, the WSPP Surtax Ordinance, allowing funding of a Radio Management System and ballot initiative
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Provide direction to County Manager and County Attorney on proceeding with Sales Tax ballot initiative.
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Prior Board Motions:
April 28, 2020 Public Hearing to Consider Ordinance to Fund Radio Management System (Amendment to WSPP Surtax Ordinance #2016-06) 20-0326
Fiscal Consideration: The estimated annual impact to the County for the entire system needs are increasing from $640,000 to $1,940,000.
Recommended Action: Approve proposed ordinance amending Ordinance #2016-06 to allow funding of a Radio Management System.
County Manager Lieberman presented the above item.
Commissioner Cornell moved to keep options open and approve proposed ordinance amending Ordinance #2016-06 to allow funding of a Radio Management System.
A Citizen presented comments via telephone.
The motion carried 5-0.
April 14, 2020, Staff presented presentation on the proposed ordinance. Board approved authorization to advertise ordinance to amend Ordinance #2016-06, to provide funding for the Radio Management System.
March 14, 2019, BoCC Special Budget Meeting, Commission directed the County Manager to review all the critical safety infrastructure needs in conjunction with the Sheriff and the City of Gainesville and bring back a proposed list that could potentially be used for a half cent sales tax referendum.
October 23, 2018, County Commission Commissioner Hutchinson moved to hear the presentation, discuss alternatives, and funding options. Also provide direction to staff. Federal Engineering recommends that the County continue operating on the current radio system managed by GRUCom, which is alternative 1 of 2 within the final report with the following changes:
1. Direct staff to return with some governance models they believe would be more functional.
2. Direct staff to return with Funding Options including tax initiatives and County debt.
3. Place this item on upcoming Joint City of Gainesville meeting.
4. Direct the County Attorney to work with the appropriate personnel to update County Ordinances to enable the building codes to provide operation of radios within building/structures.
5. Commissioner Chestnut, Commissioner Byerly, Commissioner Hutchinson, and Commissioner Byerly presented comments.
Commissioner Byerly exited at 10:28 a.m. due to obligations with the Canvasing Board.
Chair Pinkoson presented comments.The motion carried 3-0 with Commissioner Byerly out of the room.
October 10, 2017, County Commission approved the RFP ranking and
authorized staff to negotiate an agreement.
November 14, 2016, joint City/County Commission meeting, both commissions
authorized the Radio Management Board to obtain a radio system consultant.
December 7, 2015, joint City/County Commission meeting, both commissions
authorized the Radio Management Board (RMB) to hire a radio system
consultant.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
The estimated annual impact to the County for the entire system needs are increasing from $640,000 to $1,940,000.
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Background:
The Trunk Radio System (TRS) was established in 1999 to have all public safety agencies on the same radio system in an effort to have interoperable communications. The TRS provides radio communications services primarily to the general population core of the City of Gainesville and Alachua County. The existing radio system consist of 6 radio towers.
The TRS began to near obsolescence approximately five (5) years ago. GRUCom invested over $5 million dollars with Motorola in a capital infrastructure project in 2018/19 to substantially upgrade the current TRS at the six (6) existing communications tower sites. Unfortunately, even with these upgrades significant portions within the Alachua County boundaries (such as Archer, LaCrosse, Alachua, High Springs, and Micanopy) remain without consistently reliable radio communications. In response to this, the County has secured consulting services with Federal Engineering to evaluate the scope of the coverage issues, and provide conceptual design/procurement support guidance.
Federal Engineering is now at the final statement of requirement phase and is prepared to begin budgetary quote negotiations with Motorola. Preliminary costs for the increased coverage, additional resiliency and features are estimated at just under $8 million dollars.
Staff asked for Board direction on funding methodologies. Options included amending the County’s existing infrastructure surtax ordinance, Ordinance 16-06 (i.e., the WSPP Surtax Ordinance, attached), to temporarily increase the increase in the levy of the surtax from 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent for a one year period commencing January 1, 2021 and then decreasing back to 0.5 percent on January 1, 2022. To pursue this option, the Board needs to approve the amendment of Ordinance 16-06. A copy of the draft amendment is attached. Pursuant to §212.055(2), Florida Statutes, the amendment must be approved by referendum of the electorate. In general, the amendment would temporarily increase the levy from 0.5 percent to 1.0 percent for a one year period, with the additional 0.5 percent to be designated solely for the capital improvements to the Public Safety Trunking Radio System and the current 0.5 percent remaining designated solely for WSPP purposes. At the end of the one year period, the levy would decrease from 1.0 percent to 0.5 percent, at which time 100% of said surtax would be designated solely for WSPP purposes as is the case presently.
At the May 28, 2020 joint meeting between the Board and the City of Gainesville Commission, representatives of the City stated that they believed the proceeds of the surtax could be used to pay the City’s existing debt related to improvements that it made to the TRS. Attached is a memorandum regarding the City’s statement.
In the event the Board does not wish to proceed with proceed with the TRS surtax, the Board would need to repeal the TRS ordinance that it adopted on April 28, 2020 with the same formality in which it was adopted. Said process requires at least 10 days notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation. In order to ensure that the TRS surtax referendum does not appear on the November 2020 ballot, the latest date that the Board could repeal said ordinance would be at the Board’s August 11, 2020 meeting, because the Supervisor of Elections has communicated her intent to send the November 2020 ballot to the printer shortly after the August 18, 2020 primary.