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   ↳You arrived here from a search for “HB 3 - Preemption of local regulations” — transcript expanded below

   Legislative Update Presentation by Sunrise Consulting

   discussed

   Sunrise Consulting (lobbyist) presented a 2019 legislative session update to council, reviewing the $91.3 billion state budget, key leadership in Tallahassee, and approximately 100 bills being watched on behalf of New Port Richey. Discussion focused on threats to home rule including CRA phase-outs, preemption of local regulations (HB 3), impact fee restrictions (SB 350, SB 144/HB 207), public meeting/notice requirements (HB 265/SB 518), retainage reductions (SB 246), local tax referenda supermajority requirements (HB 5/SB 336), and the state housing trust fund (Sadowski). Council gave direction to draft a letter opposing the retainage reduction bill.

   • direction:Council directed staff/consultant to prepare a letter opposing SB 246 reducing contractor retainage to 5%, with one or two specific examples of contractors who failed to finish jobs. (none)

   🏢Florida League of Cities🏢Florida Redevelopment Association🏢Genesis🏢Sunrise Consulting🏢University of Central Florida👤Amber Mariano👤Ardian Zika👤Bill Galvano👤Chris Spencer👤Chris Sprowls👤Debbie👤Debbie Mayfield👤Ed Hooper👤George👤Jack Latvala👤James Blair👤Joe Gruters👤John👤Jose Oliva👤Judy👤Richard Corcoran👤Rob Bradley👤Starkey👤Tom Lee👤Travis Cummings👤Wilton Simpson#CRA phase-out legislation (2039 sunset, two-thirds reauthorization)#Certificate of Need (hospitals)#HB 265 / SB 518 - Public meetings requirements#HB 3 - Preemption of local regulations#HB 5 / SB 36 / SB 336 - Local tax referenda two-thirds vote requirement#Hurricane Michael recovery funding#Red Tide / Everglades / environmental package $625M#SB 144 / HB 207 - Impact fees#SB 246 - Contractor retainage#SB 350 - Impact fees#Sadowski / State Housing Trust Fund#Suncoast Parkway extension

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   [00:00:40] Well, you know what? [00:00:41] It's funny you said that. [00:00:42] When I tell them I'm representing New Port Richey, [00:00:44] I want you all to know we had to clarify the new. [00:00:47] Many, many times. [00:00:48] Would it make you feel any better [00:00:49] to know that for the last two weeks, [00:00:51] I have been having to explain that I'm [00:00:53] the mayor of New Port Richey. [00:00:55] I know the SWAT team did not come to my house. [00:00:59] No, I did not shoot at the SWAT team. [00:01:01] And no, I'm not in jail. [00:01:03] Well, I guess one of the articles [00:01:04] that says new, like the word meaning new, [00:01:07] and then New Port Richey. [00:01:09] So it came out looking like New Port Richey. [00:01:11] Right. [00:01:11] I got asked about four times just today. [00:01:14] I did. [00:01:14] I know. [00:01:15] If we merge, we'll call it New and Improved New Port Richey. [00:01:18] You were trying to get the word in there twice? [00:01:21] Oh, I just wanted to mention that Deputy Mayor Starkey [00:01:25] wanted, it announced to you that he apologized. [00:01:27] He can't be here this evening. [00:01:28] He's attending a women's soccer tournament [00:01:32] with his daughter in Tampa. [00:01:36] Thank you. [00:01:38] Only get to do that once when the kids are small. [00:01:40] Yep. [00:01:41] So do I have this working? [00:01:42] It does. [00:01:43] So real quick, I'll go over just the highlights with you. [00:01:46] Either way works here. [00:01:47] $91.3 billion. [00:01:49] This is going to be the largest budget [00:01:51] that our state has seen. [00:01:54] It's about $4 billion larger just from last year's. [00:01:56] Kind of tells you that. [00:01:58] And our budget is built on sales tax primarily coming in. [00:02:01] So it tells you things are continuing to build, [00:02:03] but we have a lot of things. [00:02:04] They always tell us, hey, we got more money than last year, [00:02:07] but we also have more asks. [00:02:08] They always tell you that right off the bat. [00:02:11] Environment, $625 billion package. [00:02:13] As we know, what's affected the state, even up [00:02:16] in Pinellas County, throughout the South Florida, Red Tide, [00:02:20] Everglades, expect some large funds. [00:02:23] Senator Simpson is a huge supporter of that [00:02:25] here in Pasco County. [00:02:27] And a lot of the issues that he's [00:02:28] going to be putting that aren't in that paragraph [00:02:30] right there, of course, they have [00:02:32] to do with folks and their tanks and their septic tanks. [00:02:35] He wants to see septic tanks restoration also done [00:02:39] and being very careful on those fluids going into our water. [00:02:43] Hurricane Michael, we know just those numbers [00:02:46] are still continuing to come up and go up [00:02:48] even higher than $2.7 billion. [00:02:51] The health care is a major, major issue [00:02:53] for Jose Oliva, the Speaker of the House. [00:02:57] Literally, if you're familiar with a thing [00:02:58] called Certificate of Needs when it comes to hospitals, [00:03:01] he would like to see that removed as one of his items. [00:03:04] He thinks it's one of the issues that we need to get a tackle on. [00:03:07] It's a budget item that's continuing to grow, [00:03:08] and it keeps us from doing infrastructure [00:03:10] here in the state of Florida. [00:03:12] And ambulances, too? [00:03:13] Pardon me again? [00:03:14] Certificate of Need? [00:03:15] Well, he's primarily doing Certificate of Needs [00:03:17] just for the hospitals. [00:03:20] There was a bill out there removing [00:03:21] some Certificate of Needs with ambulances this year also, [00:03:24] too, I can talk about. [00:03:26] Transportation, I bring that up there [00:03:28] because that is a huge item. [00:03:29] I brought the two in there for the Senate President. [00:03:31] He'd like to see our money and our funds [00:03:34] put into transportation, hybrid projects to help rural areas. [00:03:37] He's from South Florida area. [00:03:39] I wouldn't say South Florida, I'm sorry, from Bradenton. [00:03:42] But he's interested in seeing the Suncoast Parkway [00:03:44] all the way up to the Georgia border extending [00:03:46] the current turnpike from Polk to Collier. [00:03:48] But it's interesting because those aren't his areas, [00:03:50] but that's some of the emphasis that he has. [00:03:52] I kind of just put these few folks on here [00:03:54] to kind of let you know where some of the directions are. [00:03:57] What I've seen is the governor, this governor has done a, [00:04:00] I will give him this, a phenomenal job putting people [00:04:02] around him that are familiar with the legislature, number [00:04:06] one, and with the issues that they're dealing with. [00:04:08] He's not just taking somebody who [00:04:10] was the chief of staff of the DCF [00:04:12] and putting him over transportation. [00:04:14] He's taking him with very good subject matters. [00:04:16] I put James Blair here. [00:04:17] You're not familiar with him, but he's [00:04:21] But he used to be here from Pasco County. [00:04:23] He worked closely with Speaker Corcoran on the political side, [00:04:27] but he did live here from the Tampa Bay area, [00:04:29] very familiar with Pasco County, and I'm very close with him. [00:04:33] And he's the chief of staff for the governor. [00:04:35] Policy director Chris Spencer was right here [00:04:37] in our area in Pinellas and Pasco County. [00:04:39] His wife was from this area. [00:04:41] And he's helping currently now in the governor's office [00:04:45] on policy items. [00:04:46] So you've got folks from this area [00:04:47] that are giving him that type of feedback, which [00:04:50] I think is positive. [00:04:51] I went over these names a little bit for you, [00:04:53] and I'll tell you real quick. [00:04:54] Speaker in the House, Jose Oliva. [00:04:57] After that is a gentleman named Chris Rouse, [00:04:59] who some of you probably know. [00:05:00] He truly is from Pasco County. [00:05:02] He lives in Pinellas County now, but Chris [00:05:04] is the incoming speaker after Jose Oliva. [00:05:07] Chris went to Genesis right down the street here, [00:05:10] graduated from that school. [00:05:12] His family lives here. [00:05:13] So again, some close ties to the Pasco County. [00:05:16] Appropriations chairman is Travis Cummings. [00:05:19] I put Ag and Natural Resources and Appropriations [00:05:21] in there. [00:05:21] A lot of the water projects and infrastructure stuff [00:05:24] that we are looking to get some funding for [00:05:26] come through those projects, Debbie. [00:05:29] The president, I told you, Bill Galvano. [00:05:30] He is from Bradenton. [00:05:32] Rob Bradley is the returning Appropriations Committee chair. [00:05:35] He's up in the North Florida area. [00:05:38] And Debbie Mayfield, same committee. [00:05:40] She's over on the East Coast. [00:05:44] And of course, our delegation. [00:05:46] It has been, I've done things now [00:05:48] with Pasco County for 10 years. [00:05:49] And it seems like every year, we have some type of vacancy. [00:05:52] If you remember last year, we had Senator LaValle's vacancy. [00:05:57] We've always had those type of issues. [00:05:59] Or we've had somebody in leadership who can't file bills. [00:06:02] We've had Senator. [00:06:03] We've had our speaker. [00:06:05] But Amber Mariano, Artie and Zika [00:06:07] is doing a phenomenal job already up there. [00:06:09] He's working close with leadership. [00:06:11] He's doing a terrific job. [00:06:12] We have the vacancy. [00:06:13] Most of you, I don't need to tell you probably much [00:06:15] about that. [00:06:16] There will be a race finalized in June. [00:06:19] It'll be after session. [00:06:20] There will be a primary and a general election. [00:06:22] And like I said, we'll see that filled by June. [00:06:27] In the Senate, Senator Wilton Simpson, Ed Hooper [00:06:29] specifically represents this area, and Tom Lee. [00:06:33] I do want to point out two of them. [00:06:34] We did very quickly, Debbie. [00:06:36] Right after the elections, we had Amber Mariano [00:06:39] come and do a tour. [00:06:40] And not only did a tour, we went over some of the projects [00:06:43] you all have talked about before, [00:06:45] and letting them see hands-on those projects. [00:06:48] We did the same thing a few weeks later [00:06:50] with Senator Ed Hooper. [00:06:52] And he was able to engage and help us on some projects [00:06:55] that we'll talk about here also in a few minutes. [00:06:57] But both of them have been quickly accessible. [00:07:00] I also want to point to you again. [00:07:01] Thank you for the letters. [00:07:03] What we do is work, and I'm going to go through this more, [00:07:05] work very closely for the Florida League of Cities [00:07:07] and what Debbie and her office has found out. [00:07:10] And Judy replying very promptly also, I need some feedback. [00:07:13] And so not only for the feedback for the Florida League [00:07:16] of Cities, but also for our delegation members. [00:07:18] And so what they have done is even farther [00:07:21] with some of my other constituents, I mean clients do, [00:07:23] is not just give me the information in an email, [00:07:25] but actually a letter that I can go back and give [00:07:27] to the senator or to the representative. [00:07:29] And we also give it to the League of Cities [00:07:31] as an example to say, this is what this policy matter [00:07:34] and how it will specifically impact [00:07:36] the city of New Port Richey. [00:07:38] And they try to do that for many cities around the state. [00:07:40] So it's a little more of a powerful statement [00:07:42] when you're standing up in front of your committee members. [00:07:44] So that makes my job a little bit easier. [00:07:46] And so thank you. [00:07:47] That's what it's all about, John. [00:07:48] Yes, ma'am. [00:07:49] Is that some of the stuff that we talk to them about [00:07:52] that you put in letter form then? [00:07:53] Yes. [00:07:54] Okay, okay. [00:07:59] So legislation watch. [00:08:00] Just to let you know, we have over 100 bills [00:08:05] that we're watching for the city of New Port Richey. [00:08:07] So I put everything that we're watching on about two pages, [00:08:10] but we have 100 bills. [00:08:12] It is a lot. [00:08:14] I say that number, but I also don't want to scare. [00:08:16] It's not as bad as it was the past two years [00:08:20] under Speaker Richard Corcoran in the House last year. [00:08:23] I mean, I have to tell you, it was the largest attack [00:08:26] that I have ever seen on home rule in 20 years [00:08:30] that I've been up here, [00:08:30] that I saw go through the last two years. [00:08:32] So even though I say there's 100 bills, [00:08:34] we have about 20 priority bills, [00:08:36] and these are about nine that I think [00:08:38] that really impact you all. [00:08:40] We can go through them. [00:08:40] I'll read slightly. [00:08:42] Any questions, I'll write. [00:08:43] If I don't have the answers, [00:08:44] I will write it down and get it for you. [00:08:46] But I put some of the top ones right there. [00:08:49] Preemption of local regulations, HB3. [00:08:52] This bill would require any local government regulation [00:08:55] affecting business expire in 2021 [00:08:58] and be readopted every two years. [00:09:00] Further, certain professions and occupations [00:09:03] would be preempted by the state as well. [00:09:07] I mean, the next one, this is coming back again. [00:09:10] We dealt with the CRAs in the past couple of years. [00:09:13] Just want to let you know a little bit [00:09:14] what's happening right now is their plan was [00:09:16] the CRAs would be phased out by 2039 [00:09:19] unless they're reauthorized by two-thirds [00:09:22] of the body that created the CRA. [00:09:25] It also requires a new CRA created [00:09:27] after October 1st, 2019 to be held via countywide. [00:09:31] That's for counties, but it'd be, of course, [00:09:33] cities during a primary or general election. [00:09:35] So any of those time for the CRAs. [00:09:38] Again, very concerning, and it's not a pervasive [00:09:42] as it was last year in the CRAs. [00:09:43] CRAs, I almost thought were going to pass last year. [00:09:45] I really thought Richard was going to make a point [00:09:48] of pushing it. [00:09:48] I don't see that as a priority [00:09:50] with Jose Oliva this year in the House. [00:09:54] These two issues are more prominent over in the House [00:09:57] than over in the Senate, if you had asked. [00:09:59] The CRA was a big thing at the League of Cities. [00:10:01] Yes, sir. [00:10:02] With 400 cities, 200 of them were in their CRAs. [00:10:07] Right. [00:10:11] What it was, and that's a couple of the bad apples, [00:10:14] get the attention around the state. [00:10:17] They talk about this city or that city [00:10:18] and how those funds were misspent, [00:10:22] but we say put them under the microscope. [00:10:23] And I'll give you the example, University of Central Florida. [00:10:26] University of Central Florida is under a microscope [00:10:28] right now for how they misspent their dollars [00:10:30] and how they were not allowed to do it [00:10:32] in the Fuller Legislature. [00:10:33] We say do the same thing. [00:10:35] If there's a city, if there's an entity with a CRA [00:10:37] that's misspending those dollars, [00:10:39] then make sure that they then are treated [00:10:41] that way that they should be. [00:10:42] Don't take a broad swath at everybody, [00:10:45] and we think that that's wrong. [00:10:46] And that's been the statement, [00:10:47] and we've used UCF as the example. [00:10:50] On that topic, if I can follow up too, [00:10:52] I'm on the Florida Redevelopment Association Board, [00:10:54] and this was a big discussion there as well. [00:10:57] But the thing that I think informs me the most [00:11:02] was that I spent 14 years [00:11:04] in the community development district world, [00:11:07] and brand new communities in Florida [00:11:10] under the idea that the people who live here [00:11:13] didn't want to have to pay for the cost [00:11:14] of the new people coming in. [00:11:16] And so there was this assessment that new communities make [00:11:20] when they form community development districts [00:11:22] that allows them a 30-year timeframe, [00:11:25] build the infrastructure. [00:11:26] And I think I pointed this out to the county too, [00:11:29] when Longleaf or Wilderness Preserve, [00:11:32] or there's a bunch of them in our county, [00:11:35] when they're formed and people move in, [00:11:38] they have a mortgage for 30 years, [00:11:40] and there's all kind of laws that say [00:11:42] it has to be in big print, [00:11:44] and they have to know what they're getting into. [00:11:46] But those are two and $3,000 a year assessments [00:11:49] on those communities. [00:11:50] But it gives the ability to the development community [00:11:54] to not have to buy or pay that infrastructure, [00:11:57] and it puts cities and redevelopment [00:11:59] at a complete disadvantage, [00:12:01] because those developers are gonna move to a place [00:12:04] where they don't have to pay the infrastructure, [00:12:05] and they can slough it off. [00:12:06] So to the degree that cities [00:12:09] should have at least the same chance [00:12:12] to have us survive and redevelop, [00:12:15] which is more efficient environmentally, [00:12:17] the right thing to do, et cetera, [00:12:20] I really think that that is an argument [00:12:22] that I would like to try to refine a little bit better, [00:12:27] because if the argument, [00:12:30] what I had heard the argument was from your house speaker, [00:12:36] was that he didn't like that CRAs [00:12:38] were giving money to developers. [00:12:41] And we have to give money to developers, [00:12:45] because they've got basically the ability [00:12:49] to build tax-free, tax-exempt, 30-year bonds, [00:12:53] brand new communities. [00:12:55] So we have to be competitive with the new communities. [00:12:57] So I haven't heard that argument much, [00:12:59] but because of my background in that, [00:13:02] I would like to try to refine that. [00:13:04] Absolutely, if that comes up, [00:13:05] I'll definitely pull you into that very quickly. [00:13:08] We haven't heard that one specifically. [00:13:10] The only one that does impact us that they do, [00:13:12] and that they don't think that a CRA [00:13:13] should cover the entire city, [00:13:15] and they should think that the parts of it, [00:13:18] and this is what's come up in committee, [00:13:20] what have we done with those dollars [00:13:22] to pull some of those areas out of the CRA [00:13:23] that used to be in it that have been improved? [00:13:26] Those are some of the areas that are being discussed. [00:13:28] But if it does come up, I'll pull you in very quickly. [00:13:30] Maybe while I do this topic, [00:13:31] and this is the only chance I get to talk with these guys, [00:13:34] that's the underlying argument [00:13:36] that I've made to try to remove, [00:13:37] maybe the briar patch that's all in good shape [00:13:40] and doesn't need improvements, [00:13:41] or maybe some gated areas, some senior areas. [00:13:44] Just a few areas, so we can get off the bubble [00:13:47] of being the bad guy that the entire city is on. [00:13:49] So we have areas we might want to expand into. [00:13:52] We don't lose much, and at least we could say, [00:13:56] we hear you and have some kind of response. [00:13:58] So it doesn't sound like a money grab, but anyway. [00:14:01] Well, I'm happy to say our name [00:14:02] has not come up in committee. [00:14:04] The last two years it did, [00:14:05] but this year it has not started off, so that's. [00:14:08] But if I gave you any recommendation, [00:14:10] that would be one of the things that they look at, [00:14:12] and then say, you know, if this is improved, [00:14:14] what areas have improved that you can remove off? [00:14:16] That's a council decision, but okay. [00:14:20] The next item is Senate Bill 350. [00:14:23] Right now there's not a House bill, [00:14:24] so I just wanted to reflect on that. [00:14:26] This bill would prohibit local governments [00:14:28] from collecting impact fees prior [00:14:30] to the issuance of a building permit. [00:14:33] Again, it came to me, there was a certain area [00:14:36] that did that, and I was trying to figure out [00:14:37] how they did that, but there was an area [00:14:40] down in South Florida. [00:14:41] It seems like anything negative happens, [00:14:42] Georgia members, it seems always South Florida [00:14:44] where the problems would manifest from. [00:14:47] I've got some good news. [00:14:48] There's some good news coming on the housing stuff [00:14:50] coming up on our next one. [00:14:51] House Bill 265, Senate Bill 518. [00:14:55] We were talking about this with Judy earlier via email, too. [00:14:58] It's specifying that a board or commission [00:15:00] Any entity created by law subject to public meetings requirements, specified in the ordinance or code adopted by the Board of Commissioners, [00:15:07] is not binding unless the public meetings requirements are met. [00:15:11] This has been an issue, you know, obviously you guys are very familiar with. [00:15:14] Even the part where it has to be in the newspapers, that comes up and has the past four or five years. [00:15:20] I think that's an issue that could be a little pushed more this year that will allow them to do it online. [00:15:24] They've talked about that in committee also. [00:15:26] If we get back up to that Senate Bill 246, since that shows that Senator Hooper is involved in that, [00:15:33] we can give him firsthand examples where the city of New Port Richey has had to go after contractors [00:15:40] in the past few months that haven't finished jobs. [00:15:45] And if we had no retainage, you know, and 5%, you know, they'd just walk away from it. [00:15:54] Right. [00:15:57] That's just, it's a bad idea all the way around because there are contractors who don't get the job done [00:16:04] and you've got to have, the cities have got to have leverage. [00:16:09] Being reduced to 5%, well, we can put together a letter. [00:16:12] Why don't we do that on that one? [00:16:13] I can tell you from experience, it's a fire under a contractor to get it done [00:16:17] if there's a big chunk of money floating out there that they're not able to get. [00:16:21] Right. [00:16:22] We'll make sure they get it done quickly. [00:16:24] Okay. [00:16:25] Why don't we put together a letter? [00:16:26] I'd like to do it in one or two instances. [00:16:28] That'd be great. [00:16:29] Okay. [00:16:30] Thank you. [00:16:35] State funds specify the funds deposited in the state housing trust fund. [00:16:40] This is something George has worked on for many, many years, [00:16:42] and the local government trust housing fund may not be transferred. [00:16:47] And the reason we put this on here is that trust fund, like many others, has been rated for decades. [00:16:54] Actually, $2.2 billion have been rated out of that trust fund to help folks with low-income housing. [00:17:01] And when I say not even low-income housing, it's workforce housing. [00:17:04] Workforce housing is the issue you guys are familiar with. [00:17:06] It's not just those who are looking to not pay for anything, [00:17:09] but it's coming to be teachers and firefighters and an issue. [00:17:14] So we'd love to see them not tap into those funds that are needed for that great issue. [00:17:20] Local tax referenda. [00:17:21] This is a gentleman right here, both in our area, kind of why I put that on here, HB 5 and said it'd be 36. [00:17:28] DeSigley is right there from Pinellas County. [00:17:30] Brandis, you may see familiar also, is also from Pinellas County. [00:17:34] This would require a two-thirds vote of the local governing board to authorize a sales surtax [00:17:40] and require the measure to be placed on the general election ballot, [00:17:43] requiring voters to approve the measure at a two-thirds vote. [00:17:47] Senate Bill 336, I want to just let you know, passed its first committee just last, I'm sorry, last committee week. [00:17:55] I think this is kind of, you've heard about this before, [00:17:57] a lot of folks don't feel that it should be done at a time when the most voters aren't here, [00:18:02] whether it's a lot of folks are doing it in April or May, [00:18:05] or even doing special elections and they think the extra cost. [00:18:09] There's been some of those issues that have happened around the state, [00:18:12] but it's an item that was around last year and also did not pass. [00:18:17] But we'll see where that one goes next. [00:18:21] Senator Grutters, Senate Bill 144, and you've got HB 207 after that, [00:18:26] impact fees prohibits local governments from collecting impact fees prior to the issue. [00:18:30] So we already did that one, right? [00:18:31] No, it's the same one but in a different format. [00:18:33] I'm sorry, this bill. [00:18:35] Back up and tell me what the argument is for having two-thirds of the public to support. [00:18:41] I kind of smiled at that one. [00:18:42] I know. [00:18:44] I mean, I know the Constitution is the Constitution [00:18:47] and you have to really be strong to change it in theory, but. [00:18:50] 60%. [00:18:51] And that one's only 60%. [00:18:52] But even so, I mean, what, you know, [00:18:57] that's the no tax increase pledge or something that worked, I guess. [00:19:01] Yeah, those are. [00:19:02] That's almost impossible to get two-thirds of the country to believe to agree on anything. [00:19:07] Right. [00:19:08] Those are two Republicans. [00:19:09] One of them is the chairman of the party down in Pinellas County. [00:19:13] And I did. [00:19:14] When I said the two-thirds, I kind of smiled because I was like, [00:19:17] it's 60% just to pass the constitutional amendment. [00:19:20] Two-thirds is a big percentage. [00:19:23] Yeah. [00:19:24] Might as well just outlaw sales tax. [00:19:26] They want to make it harder to pass it. [00:19:28] That's exactly it. [00:19:30] It's very unfortunate. [00:19:32] You know, I mean, how many of those would have passed recently on two-thirds, [00:19:36] even than the ones that passed in Pasco County? [00:19:38] Very few. [00:19:39] Right, very few. [00:19:40] I doubt anyone would want one unless they really needed it. [00:19:42] That's the point. [00:19:43] I mean, I don't see any sense that it's going to affect us. [00:19:45] I don't see any of us planning to increase taxes. [00:19:48] But it's still the point. [00:19:49] You know, it shouldn't be at two-thirds. [00:19:52] I mean, they don't require two-thirds of things to pass on the floor of the House and the Senate. [00:19:56] It's 50% plus one, you know. [00:20:00] HB 693 and Senate Bill 1000 oppose this one. [00:20:04] This is the CST. [00:20:06] We've talked about CST for many, many years up there. [00:20:09] They want to reduce the tax rate by 1%, the state communications. [00:20:13] It would be approximately about $21 million per year with all the counties and cities statewide. [00:20:18] I don't know. [00:20:19] I should have asked you that before I came to this committee. [00:20:22] That wouldn't be a bad one for me to get from us if we lost that 1%, even if it's $40,000 or $50,000. [00:20:28] Because what we like to tell them, you know, you do a little bit of an unfunded mandate here, [00:20:32] you pass a bill like that here, that's $40,000, $50,000. [00:20:36] You know, those things start to add up. [00:20:38] So even if it's a $40,000 or a $50,000 impact, that wouldn't be bad for us to deliver back to them specifically. [00:20:44] All right. [00:20:45] I think in that letter, Debbie, you might want to have Crystal look at the last several years [00:20:50] because the communications service tax has been less helpful every year because people are not using their telephones anymore. [00:20:57] So we're already losing money, as it is, on that tax revenue. [00:21:00] It's declining anyway. [00:21:02] It is. [00:21:03] And people like my wife and I, we've cut the cord. [00:21:06] You're the one. [00:21:08] I mean, point blank. [00:21:12] The number of households and businesses that are using wirelines anymore is dropping. [00:21:18] I think we'll move point anyway at some point. [00:21:20] It is. [00:21:21] It is. [00:21:22] It's still a reduction, but I guess my point is with the different ones that they're doing, [00:21:25] it just seems like it's a little bit of the piece of ice here they're trying to knock off, a little bit over here. [00:21:30] And, again, more and more. [00:21:32] Their budget has gone up tremendously based on sales tax, right? [00:21:35] Well, Tallahassee's, absolutely. [00:21:37] I mean, just in four years. [00:21:40] I agree. [00:21:42] Well, let's see. [00:21:43] Of course. [00:21:44] Last one here. [00:21:46] The firefighter. [00:21:47] I didn't put – it's up to you all where you are. [00:21:49] So are you familiar with this one, the firefighter bill? [00:21:51] We are. [00:21:52] Okay. [00:21:53] I know it's a very touchy issue. [00:21:55] We all support a law enforcement of firefighters. [00:21:58] There are some concerns here for the Florida League of Cities. [00:22:01] I'll say that. [00:22:02] I don't know if you guys have taken a position. [00:22:04] But some of the items that they're asking to be covered underneath here are beyond what they feel are within the line of duty [00:22:11] and could be caused to be covered, another liability from the city that they work in. [00:22:18] We have voted, just so you know, Sean, to support the Florida League of Cities position on this matter. [00:22:23] Okay. [00:22:24] And, again, I know it's a very – we all support the firefighters and it's very sensitive. [00:22:26] Absolutely. [00:22:27] But the mandate is, again – and this one has been around for three years. [00:22:30] This is the third year. [00:22:32] And I'll say this. [00:22:33] When I keep on saying this one has been here for two years, been three years, been five years, [00:22:37] that's usually what happens in Tallahassee, number one. [00:22:39] It takes – when an issue comes up, rarely does it generally pass in its first year. [00:22:43] It takes at least a minimum of three years to get something passed. [00:22:48] And if it's controversial, kind of like what this is, an issue, it could take up to five. [00:22:53] But the more somebody hears, oh, I heard about it last year, [00:22:55] and so what they'll do is they'll take one little item away from it and they think it's a little bit more palatable. [00:23:00] And there's been a couple of those issues. [00:23:01] I mean, coming – you know, like I said, as you heard me talk about here the past couple of years. [00:23:05] And so I'm a little bit more concerned that they're going through committees [00:23:09] and they've got House and Senate sponsors. [00:23:11] Sometimes when you see it – that's why I wanted to post all of them up here. [00:23:14] Every single bill that I put up here except one, that Senate Bill 70, which we support, [00:23:19] all had House and Senate sponsors, meaning that they've had support over in the House and the Senate, obviously. [00:23:25] So we will keep you abreast of that and of the other issues. [00:23:28] The big issues going on right now, I'm going back for those two right there, the HB3 and 9. [00:23:35] We're looking and walking around the halls of Tallahassee this week, getting them to oppose HB9 [00:23:42] and working with the Florida League of Cities. [00:23:45] I'll talk about them in just a few minutes. [00:23:46] They do a phenomenal job, by the way. [00:23:48] I work for quite a few other state associations, Florida Association of Counties. [00:23:52] The group that represents you in Tallahassee does a phenomenal job. [00:23:56] We do a phone call every Monday to gather and put together what we're going to do that week [00:24:00] and where we can assist. [00:24:01] So you've got your internal lobbyists for the Florida League of Cities [00:24:04] and you have folks like me who are your external. [00:24:07] And they'll look and say, hey, I know who's got a close relationship with Representative Santiago. [00:24:12] Well, I do. [00:24:13] Well, we need somebody to go in there with our League of Cities staff and we'll do that [00:24:16] or they'll ask us to get them some feedback on a bill and come back. [00:24:20] Number two, we also have in-person meetings several times before session starts, [00:24:24] which we just had about two weeks ago. [00:24:26] And like I said, they're just really good on their subject matter. [00:24:30] So I just wanted to give you some real good comfort. [00:24:32] I think they do a great job working with us. [00:24:36] This was, as we know, we started off a little bit different. [00:24:38] So I wanted to spend a few minutes and talk to you about our projects. [00:24:42] We started off with a handful of different projects that we are asking our legislative delegation to support. [00:24:48] And we can go through and talk about it. [00:24:50] I know we talked about it a little bit before, [00:24:52] and Debbie, I don't know if you got to talk to them about where Senator Ed Hooper [00:24:57] and folks thought they didn't want to support some projects that we had asked them to support. [00:25:01] They had some concerns about the overpass. [00:25:05] And they asked me, said, listen, we'd like to do things for the city of New Port Richey. [00:25:08] Could you come? [00:25:09] We're not really interested in doing these type of projects. [00:25:11] We'd like to work with you on some others. [00:25:13] Would you do that? [00:25:14] So I immediately, I think within minutes, would call Debbie and her office, [00:25:18] and I said, listen, they're interested in helping us with some water projects, [00:25:21] some infrastructure improvement projects. [00:25:24] They just had some concerns with the overpass. [00:25:26] But they are interested in the underpass, you know, one that we were doing. [00:25:30] So we'll talk about this real quick. [00:25:32] You did originally propose to them some improvements for the library as well as for the fire station. [00:25:39] The fire station, correct. [00:25:40] And they indicated that those projects weren't at all of interest. [00:25:43] Yeah, and I was surprised about the fire station. [00:25:46] They are harder to get. [00:25:47] They're called firefighter grants. [00:25:50] They don't put much money into that budget item, and I think they probably knew it's a little bit tougher to get [00:25:55] unless you're the committee chairman. [00:25:57] To be very honest with you, that's what Senator Hooper. [00:25:59] Unfortunately, Senator Hooper on that part, he's familiar with the process. [00:26:02] He knows, you know, how the appropriation process. [00:26:04] He was head of appropriations for four years. [00:26:08] And I think he knows where it's a little bit easier to get some dollars for cities [00:26:11] and get some of their needs met, where the fire station and the library are a little bit harder dollars to go after. [00:26:16] So this is one of the ones that you all did not support originally. [00:26:19] We came back and asked you to support, and we ended up doing it. [00:26:22] This project, HB 4095, consists of the design, permitting, and construction of stormwater improvements [00:26:30] and BMPs to treat stormwater runoff and improve water quality discharging it to the Pithacoochee River in New Port Richey. [00:26:37] Did I say that right? [00:26:38] That's Cody. [00:26:39] Okay, let's just do that. [00:26:40] Cody River. [00:26:43] Pardon me. [00:26:44] This is the one off of Gulf Drive, right, that comes in through executive apartments? [00:26:48] Correct. [00:26:49] And that was part of a study that was done on the river quality by determining whether... [00:26:55] I think we actually submitted that study with it. [00:26:58] That's been on our list for a while. [00:27:00] It has. [00:27:01] The sewer system, just on it as well, is that just some expansion funds, or is that something we have to do to the plant? [00:27:08] I'm going to have to ask Mr. Rivera, because I don't remember the detail on that project. [00:27:14] Robert, the sewer system improvements that you submitted the grant application for to the Senate and the House, [00:27:22] what specific work was included in the improvements? [00:27:27] Upgrades, enlargement of the existing stuff. [00:27:31] Why not? [00:27:36] If we can't hear you, the people at home can't either. [00:27:40] You lost a bet in the back corner there, so you have to go past that if you want to get up. [00:27:45] Thank you, Robert. [00:27:46] Thank you. [00:27:47] It's expansion or upgrades of the existing system. [00:27:50] We currently have a master lift station in the downtown area right behind the Suncoast Theater, [00:27:57] and so all of this work that we're doing is an effort to try to divert some of those flows. [00:28:02] That lift station is almost at 100% capacity. [00:28:05] Divert some of those flows to the south end of the town so we can alleviate some of that pressure off the system. [00:28:11] Thank you. [00:28:15] You know information about the second one too? [00:28:19] Which one, the stormwater? [00:28:20] The sewer water improvement project here? [00:28:23] I just talked about the sewer. [00:28:26] The Beach Street is the stormwater one where we've got some existing flooding, repetitive flooding in that area. [00:28:35] We've got an outfall pipe that we did some testing on, [00:28:39] and so it's an effort of trying to do a flood control as well as a water quality project. [00:28:45] We would expect that as we move along next year, [00:28:50] we've already been thinking about the new utilities that we've purchased. [00:28:54] A lot of those are not hooked up to the existing sewer system now, but have septic systems. [00:29:02] So we would expect that our future requests for appropriations would be directly related to taking those customers off of their septic systems [00:29:12] and putting them into our existing system. [00:29:16] And there again, in a community development district world, the county's utility, [00:29:20] when the bonds are floated and a whole new subdivision is built with sewer lines and water lines and built to the people who live there, [00:29:27] the county inherits a brand new sewer collection system that adds to their revenue stream without expense. [00:29:36] So when the cities are trying to do the right thing and redevelop, we need this help. [00:29:41] So as you see, the first one is a $500,000 project. [00:29:44] The second one is a $1,150,000 project. [00:29:48] Good luck with that. [00:29:49] We're trying. [00:29:54] Again, I won't go through this part here, but we told you we work directly with the League of Cities. [00:30:00] You know, when the money's there, everyone's trying to go after it. [00:30:03] It's just staying imperative in front of the staff, the delegation, and the committee staff continually. [00:30:08] And that's one of the things that we work on. [00:30:11] We meet with your legislative. [00:30:12] This is one of the things we tell folks. [00:30:14] Even if we don't have an issue that specifically, even with 100 bills, [00:30:18] there are generally something we need to go meet with our delegation on and committee staff. [00:30:21] But even if there's not, we go around to our delegation, our local legislative delegation, [00:30:26] every single week just to check in. [00:30:28] It's amazing sometimes when we do our pop-ins and say, [00:30:31] hey, is there anything going on that's affecting the city of New Port Richey that they'll tell us? [00:30:34] And some things, of course, are going on that we're telling them. [00:30:37] So we do that every single week. [00:30:39] Continue to build relationships because you have new committee staff that are coming on every single year, [00:30:43] and you had that this year in the House and in the Senate. [00:30:48] We participate, I told you, in the weekly conference call for the legislative updates for the FLC. [00:30:54] As you know, we track your bills and amendments and appropriations daily to impact the city of New Port Richey, [00:30:59] staying in continual communication with your city manager considering the impacts of legislation. [00:31:05] We kind of told you about the letters, and we'll be working on another one or two to do that. [00:31:09] And I'm here to take questions. [00:31:11] I'll just tell you one. [00:31:13] It's been great. [00:31:14] I think, first of all, you've got some new members that have just came in and being representative, I mean senator. [00:31:23] He was very familiar with a lot of the issues that impact cities, but not specifically city of New Port Richey, [00:31:28] and what we've had occurred here. [00:31:30] He was very familiar with, of course, the hospital down the street. [00:31:34] It was really inquisitive, actually, after we left here, and I went to lunch with him, Debbie, [00:31:37] and we were talking about, he says, you know, he looks that we're not just looking for handouts, number one, [00:31:42] that we're looking for assistance and support, but not just the fully funding of projects, [00:31:46] and we're looking for that, number one. [00:31:48] Representative Mariano, the same way. [00:31:50] She's a young lady. [00:31:52] She's in her second year, but I have to say she's been very active in working with other chairmen to say, hey, [00:31:57] this project is important to the city and my district, and I've been really impressed by that. [00:32:01] So I do want to let you know, I think they've got a good team together. [00:32:05] It was great to know that it had no issues trying to get them to sponsor these. [00:32:09] What has been different than it was before for appropriations? [00:32:11] I just want to tell you about this real quick that we didn't put on the slide. [00:32:14] Before we went into appropriations, you never even had to get, as you heard me talk about sponsors, [00:32:18] we never even had to have sponsors. [00:32:20] We just asked somebody to put it in, and it ended up in the budget. [00:32:24] Fortunately now, we think through a transparency process, you go through this now, you fill out the paperwork. [00:32:29] Not only do you have to get a bill number, you have to get it heard in committee, [00:32:32] which we have to then work with the staff to get it heard in the committee, which we have coming up next week. [00:32:37] I went to our member, Representative Mariano, and said, would you like Debbie or somebody coming up from the committee? [00:32:43] She's like, nope, I've been told from the staff we're good on our projects. [00:32:46] The quicker I get them to get it heard and voted on, the quicker we get it to the second committee. [00:32:51] It goes to a second committee, and then it gets into what's called conference. [00:32:55] So as we have right now, we have agreed amounts in the House and the Senate by both members. [00:32:59] Sometimes you could have a senator say, I agree to put it in for $200,000, you could have a House member do it for $5,000. [00:33:05] We've got them both agreeing to do it on both the same amounts. [00:33:08] The next process would be getting it through the second committee to get heard, which I said we'd get the first one coming up next week, [00:33:14] and then you're going to be going through a conferencing period to make sure that it's in the final budget that would go before the legislature. [00:33:20] We're several weeks away from that, three, four, five weeks. [00:33:23] I will definitely stay in weekly communication with you all and let you know. [00:33:27] What I say during those times, sometimes a helpful text or a message to Representative Mariano or Senator Hooper are very helpful, [00:33:36] and I'll definitely be talking to you about that. [00:33:39] Even Senator Simpson will be very helpful, even though obviously he doesn't cover this district per se. [00:33:44] He is very influential as an incoming Senate president in two years to help us through that process. [00:33:50] So he is aware of our projects also. [00:33:54] The only thing additional that I'd like to add to what Sean's indicating to you is that we did present the U.S. Highway 19 underpass project [00:34:04] to both Representative Mariano and Senator Hooper, and they indicated good support for the project, [00:34:13] and I think in all likelihood we could have, if we were a little further along in the planning for that project, submitted it this year and received some funding. [00:34:23] Representative Mariano wanted to do it. [00:34:26] There was those concerns, and they said, you know, if we can move forward on this and see it's coming out, they both would be supportive of the project. [00:34:33] It helps to get a drawing and to get some preliminary design, too, and also the structure itself is outside the city limits, right? [00:34:41] So ours is just a connecting portion of it. [00:34:46] We're looking at it as tying everybody together, and the fact that we've got the City of New Port Richey, City of New Port Richey, [00:34:54] and Pasco County all on board in saying, hey, let's figure this thing out, yeah, and like I say, we get the design stuff done, [00:35:03] then it may be next session we come in and say, hey, guys, how about giving us a hand getting this thing financed? [00:35:08] Because it's not directly in New Port Richey, but it has an impact on us. [00:35:13] And I'm glad you said it. [00:35:14] So two things. [00:35:15] The county was absolutely wanting to put it on their priorities and support it, and it was the design. [00:35:19] The committee staff, when that paperwork was being out, got a little bit, she got a little, [00:35:24] and Representative Mariano got a little bit of pushback, and that was where, you know, [00:35:27] because they don't are always asking for specifically 100 percent shovel-ready, [00:35:32] but a couple of the items that came up from Senator Hooper was, like, [00:35:35] we didn't own the right-of-way for the project that we were trying to do over there by golf. [00:35:39] That concerned them. [00:35:40] You know, I mean, that's what he verbally said to us afterwards. [00:35:44] And, you know, you start to get those type of feedbacks, [00:35:46] and you don't want to put them in those positions where they'll submit the project, but they're not supported. [00:35:51] So as soon as I'm hearing that, then I want to put a project in front of them that they'll support, [00:35:55] they'll go after and push others to make a priority for us also. [00:35:59] But that, you're right, report was the issue that they had got pushback for staff for that for the underpass, [00:36:04] and I would look at if you had that next year, that that would be a project that would have more support. [00:36:09] The overpass is probably a few years out, as much as several of us would love to see it. [00:36:14] Part of what's going on in Pasco County, [00:36:18] they just broke ground on a piece of a trail extension out by Anklote Park [00:36:27] that ultimately is going to tie the Pinellas Trail into the multi-use path that runs along US-19 [00:36:35] and ends on the north end right at Marine Parkway. [00:36:38] And once that's complete and we get the rest of the way from the downtown to that corner, [00:36:46] then I think we can make a really solid argument that not only is this a safety thing, [00:36:51] but it's also expanding a trail system that goes all the way down to downtown St. Petersburg. [00:36:56] Absolutely. [00:36:57] Mr. Mayor, let me stop you there for a minute and say, [00:36:59] when I was involved in the city on the staff side and was talking to the Department of Transportation, [00:37:06] one of the questions that they asked was, why don't you just go through the normal process? [00:37:11] So this may end up not being a special allocation, [00:37:15] but it may be part of these funds that are always available and programmed. [00:37:18] And I think Councilman Starkey, I know he has told us how he's working to try to push that. [00:37:24] So I would just say, again, we get special help on special projects, [00:37:30] but there's a lot of state money that is channeled not through legislative special meetings that have to go on the thing, [00:37:37] but through just working it into the system. [00:37:39] So I'm hopeful that that is what will attract them, [00:37:43] the chance to get that coast-to-coast all the way to our Gulf Trace Park or whatever. [00:37:48] I think that's what they call it, right? [00:37:49] Because ultimately the tourists are going to get to the water, [00:37:53] and they're going to want to follow the path of least resistance [00:37:56] and not go through a lot of population to do a recreational trail. [00:38:01] That's the other thing is a recreational trail, but then the opposition is it's not transportation. [00:38:06] And so we heard that with the county staff too. [00:38:10] So when you have something that combines different areas and has mutual benefit, [00:38:16] it seems like sometimes it finds itself at a disadvantage [00:38:21] because each of those individual silos are trying to push their own purpose. [00:38:26] One thing that I would ask that we encourage our delegation to be cognizant of, [00:38:33] and it isn't directly a New Port Richey issue, [00:38:36] but as the governor has indicated he wants to put money into transportation, [00:38:42] I would certainly encourage that for any of us that have to leave the city of New Port Richey from time to time [00:38:50] to go anywhere, and that includes down to St. Petersburg or to Tampa [00:38:55] or, heaven forbid, to Wesley Chapel. [00:38:58] The road situation is just short of crisis point right now, [00:39:04] and if they don't jump on that soon, it's going to be gridlocked completely. [00:39:08] Glad to live up here. [00:39:10] Yeah. [00:39:11] I'll follow up on that again too. [00:39:13] At the Regional Planning Council there was discussion about the Suncoast Parkway going all the way up to Georgia. [00:39:18] The understanding was that Alatra County and Gainesville and some of those areas [00:39:22] were adamantly opposed to having the trail go through their counties, [00:39:26] so they were looking at what to do. [00:39:29] But if we're going north to any place from Atlanta on, [00:39:36] my point was we're on the inside of the Tampa Bay Loop. [00:39:42] I would take the Suncoast Parkway if I could get off at Crystal River and get to 75, [00:39:48] but it sort of curves back to 19, and it was commented that at the point that it now ends at 19 [00:39:54] is where 19 was closed during the hurricane and floods. [00:39:57] So from an evacuation standpoint, our Ridge Road and even the Suncoast Parkway would do well [00:40:04] to spur back to 75, I think, at some point. [00:40:07] All the way up in Georgia. [00:40:10] Anybody that's ever gone to a Gator game on a Saturday, all it takes is one idiot to make a mistake on I-75, [00:40:16] and it's a parking lot. [00:40:18] The original Veterans Expressway was supposed to go to the county line of Citrus and Levy County line. [00:40:23] Then it veered and they were going to bring it off to 44 up in, right, Inverness? [00:40:28] The Canto area. [00:40:29] Yeah, the Canto area, in that area, in 44. [00:40:31] And, of course, now you see it swinging more this way for the evacuation route. [00:40:36] It's been 20 years in the planning. [00:40:38] Smart people will be evaluating all that, but evacuation doesn't work too well if you end up back on 19 where it was. [00:40:45] Very true. [00:40:46] Well, again, I apologize. [00:40:48] I'm glad you didn't leave before I got here. [00:40:51] It allowed me the opportunity. [00:40:53] It's been an honor representing you. [00:40:55] This is obviously our first time during session, and I think we've had a great opportunity [00:40:58] in letting people know a lot of the things impacting you and not just you, other cities. [00:41:02] Because it's funny when we go to meet with some of our legislators and our delegation, [00:41:05] and we're like, well, we're not hearing from this city or that city. [00:41:07] And, of course, I run back to the League of Cities, and I'm like, you need to go tell this person to go talk to a senator [00:41:12] from the city of St. Petersburg and Clearwater. [00:41:16] But I did mention to a senator about Dunedin, talking about the trails. [00:41:21] And I said, you know, if anything, I can tell you going down to Dunedin [00:41:24] and seeing the impact of what those trails had down there, we'd like to see that here in New Port Richey.

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3. 3Adjournment▶ 41:26