Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 06 28 Regular Item A COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM A CONSENT INFORMATIONAL PUBLIC HEARING REGULAR X June 28, 1999 MGR VIDEPT J ~ Meeting Authorization REQUEST: Tuscawilla Lighting and Beautification Assessment District Advisory Committee requesting the City Commission to receive and approve recommendations for lighting and beautification capital and operating programs for the district for fiscal year 2000 to take to public hearing PURPOSE: This agenda item is needed to fulfill the responsibilities of the Committee to provide to the Commission recommendations for the Assessment District, and to have a plan adopted to take to public hearings as provided for in the Assessment Ordinance. CONSIDERATIONS: On July 27, 1998 the Commission approved a resolution establishing the Tuscawilla Lighting and Beautification District Advisory Committee pursuant to Section 2.02 of the City's Assessment Ordinance #704 adopted July 27, 1998. As provided in Resolution #855, the Advisory Committee is responsible for providing recommendations to the Commission relative to a program of capital improvements and operating and maintenance activities, and budget for the district that could be taken to the public in public hearing as provided in the City's assessment ordinance. The Committee began meeting on August 4, 1998 and has met almost weekly in its efforts to prepare its recommendations. During its ten months of intensive study the Committee has developed a plan that provides for the Regular Agenda Item A June 28,1999 Page 2 following at an assessment of $110 per year beginning in fiscal year 2000. The presentation by the Committee will address the following: Capital Improvements Entranceways Median Improvements Street Signage Operations and Maintenance Street Lighting Landscape Maintenance Administration Financing Strategy FY 2000 Budget Schedules The presentation will take approximately 45 minutes. It is anticipated that another 30 minutes will be needed for questions and comments. Architectural renderings and the written report will be on display in the lobby of City Hall Monday, June 28, 1999. FUNDING: Funding for the project would be paid from non-advalorem assessments in an amount estimated to be $110 per year to pay for the following: Debt Service Operating Maintenance Street Lighting Landscape Medians $173,000 Administration/Co llection 46,000 223.000 $269,000 50.000 $492,000 4,468 $110.11 Total Parcels Cost per Parcel RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Commission consider approval of the Committees recommendation to take to public hearing, including: Regular Agenda Item A June 28, 1999 Page 3 a) Capital Improvement Plan b) 30 year Bond Issue c) Operating and Maintenance Plan d) Administration Plan e) FY 2000 Budget , f) Implementation Schedule ATTACHMENTS: 1. Final Report of the Tuscawilla Lighting and Beautification Assessment District Advisory Committee COMMISSION ACTION: COMMISSION ACTION: None Required. ATTACHMENT NO.1 FINAL REPORT OF THE TUSCAWILLA LIGHTING AND BEAUTIFICATION ASSESSMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO: MAYOR AND COMMISSION CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA PRESENTED JUNE 28, 1999 COMMITTEE CITY Donald Gilmore, Chairman Gary Hillery, Vice Chairman Moti Khemlani George Morris Linda Tillis PaulP. Partyka, Mayor Cindy Gennell, Deputy Mayor Commissioner Michael S. Blake Commissioner Robert Miller Commissioner David McLeod Commissioner Edward Martinez TUSCAWILLA LIGHTING AND BEAUTIFICATION ASSESSMENT DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Mayor and City Commission City of Winter Springs, Florida June 28, 1999 Re: Final Report of Recommendations for Fiscal Year 1999 Dear Mayor and Commission: On behalf of the members of the Tuscawilla Beautification and Lighting Assessment District Advisory Committee I am' very pleased to transmit to you the Committee's Final Recommendations Report relative to the financing and operation of the district for fiscal year 1999. This report has been completed as provided in the Committee's responsibilities pursuant to City of Winter Springs Resolution # 855. The Committee's recommendations include information needed for the Commission to utilize in public hearings relative to creation of the district and the cost and assessments needed to operate the district in fiscal year 1999. As discussed in the preliminary report, the Committee reviewed the financing alternatives for proposed street light improvements. The Committee found that owning streetlights produced an unacceptable level of financial risk due to the unknowns of operating and maintaining the streetlights and wiring. We were successful in getting Florida Power Corp. to acquiesce on charging, approximately $122,000 to upgrade the wiring for the proposed streetlights on Winter Springs Boulevard. The Commission requested that the Oak Forest community be approached on the option for the brick pavers on the west side of the Winter Springs Boulevard and Tuskawilla Road intersection. The pavers will be an addendum to Seminole County's Tuskawilla Road project as a unit cost item so areas can be added or deleted once the Oak Forest Beautification Board is in place. As you review this report, please take note that the critical events schedule has been updated to reflect changes that have occurred. At this time I would like to thank the members of the Committee; Vice-Chairman Gary Hillery; Moti Khemlani, George Morris and Linda Tillis; City Staff; City Manager Ron McLemore, Public Works Director Kip Lockcuff, Interim City Clerk Andrea Lorenzo-Luaces, Interim Assistant City Clerk Amy Lovingfloss, Architectural Consultant Bill Starmer, Landscape Consultant Kanjee Graham, and Camille Gianatasio and Virginia Delagol of Government Systems Group, the City's Assessment District Consultants, for their important contribution to the Committee's deliberations and the preparation of this Final Report. It is our intent to make a presentation that will last approximately forty-five minutes. We will be making a team style presentation. As Chairman of the Committee I will coordinate the presentation. It would be very helpful and most efficient if you could allow us to complete our presentation before questions. We will be following the outline below: I Introduction II Overview III Capital Improvements (entrances, medians, signage) IV Operations and Maintenance (street lights, landscape systems) V Administration/Collections VI Capital Improvement Financing VII Budget VIII Schedules IV Questions Gary Hillery Linda Tillis Bill Starmer Linda Tillis Ron McLemore Jim Lentz Linda Tillis Ron McLemore Linda Tillis/Gary Hillery Finally, I would like to again thank the Mayor and Commission for allowing us to be involved in this most important community project and the opportunity it is providing us to make an important contribution to the future of our City. Sincerely, Donald Gilmore, Chairman Tuscawilla Advisory Committee TABLE OF CONTENTS Capital Improvement 1 Entranceways 2-3 Medians 4 Signage 5 Operations and 5 Maintenance Street Lighting 6 Landscaping 7 Ad m i n istration/Collection 8 Capital Improvements 9-10 Financing Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Operating Budget 11 Capital Budget 12 Assessments 13 Critical Events Schedule 14 INTRODUCTION The purpose of the Tuscawilla Lighting and Beautification Assessment District is to provide a financial mechanism through which the residents of the Tuscawilla PUD could fund lighting and beautification improvements to enhance the aesthetic value and appeal of the PUD thereby maintaining the economic vitality, marketability, and quality of life. Recognizing that there is no overall mandatory PUD homeowners association, nor a developer in place to fund lighting and beautification improvements and adequate levels of maintenance to those improvements, residents appealed to the City to approve an assessment district. On July 27, 1998 the Winter Springs City Commission approved Resolution # 855 establishing the Tuscawilla Lighting and Beautification District Advisory Committee pursuant to Section 2.02 of the City's Assessment Ordinance # 704, adopted July 27, 1998. As provided in Resolution # 855, the Advisory Committee is responsible for providing recommendations to the Winter Springs City Commission relative to a program of capital improvements, operating and maintenance activities, and a budget for the district that can be taken to the public in public hearings, as provided in the City's Assessment Ordinance prior to final adoption by the Commission. The goal of the Committee is to develop a lighting and beautification plan that would present the PUD to current and future home buyers the aesthetic quality of a premier planned community on par with that of other communities in Central Florida recognized in the marketplace as premier planned communities. The Committee began meeting in August 4, 1998 and has met weekly in the efforts to complete its responsibilities pursuant to Resolution # 855 and its adopted goal. During the last year of intensive study, the Committee has developed a plan of recommendations that provides for the operations of the district in its' initial fiscal year at an estimated amount of $110 per year, and which the committee feels will present Tuscawilla as a premier planned community in Central Florida. Page 1 - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS , ENTRANCES MEDIANS SIGNAGE ENTRANCEWA YS: THE PROBLEM Entranceway System: There is no overall entranceway system providing for a uniform design theme at the various entranceways of the PUD. Primary Entranceway: The primary entranceway located at the intersection of Tuscawilla Road and Winter Springs Boulevard is twenty years old. Its scale and design does not present the PUD as one of the premier planned communities in Central Florida when compared with that of primary entranceways of premier planned communities in Central Florida. The tree vegetation is good. However, the shrubbery, flowering and turf vegetation are past their natural life cycles and in need of upgrading and replacement. The fountains' mechanical, electrical and lighting systems are, for the most part, dated and in constant need of repair. Secondary Entranceway: The secondary entranceway located at Winter Springs Boulevard and State Road 426 was removed during the development of the Oviedo Mall project. Thus, there is no entranceway feature located at the second most busy and important entranceway to the PUD identifying and presenting the PUD as a premier planned community. Tertiary Entranceways: There are no entranceway features located at other less traveled entranceways identifying and presenting the PUD as a premier planned community. Although these entranceways currently receive less traffic flow, many are located on important arteries through the City, specifically S.R. 434 and Tuskawilla Road. Entrance features at these locations are important because they emphasize the scale of the PUD. ENTRANCEWA YS: RECOMMENDATIONS Entranceway System: A system of entranceways providing for a uniform and coordinated design theme for primary, secondary, and tertiary entranceways on a scale equal to their importance to the PUD needs to be designed, constructed and properly maintained. The Committee recommends an entranceway theme using traditional red brick with black iron accents, complimentary to both the older and newer developments within the PUD. Primary Entranceway: The primary entranceway located at Tuscawilla Road and Winter Springs Boulevard needs to be replaced with a new design to present the PUD as one of the premier communities in Central Florida. The mechanical, electrical and lighting systems need to be modernized. The Committee recommends low profile, terraced brick walls flanking the boulevard. The Page 2 proposed design would feature the PUD's trademark fountains against a wooded landscape backdrop. Additional enhancements would include new entrance signs identifying the PUD as well as brick paver accents at the roadway intersection Secondary Entranceway: A secondary entranceway feature needs to be constructed and properly maintained in the vicinity of Seneca Boulevard and Winter Springs Boulevard in coordination with an overall design theme. The Committee recommends an entranceway theme for non-primary entranceways which consist of low profile, curved brick planters and PUD identification similar to those at the primary entranceway. These entrance features would be sized to reflect the importance of that particular entranceway while maintaining apprpriate scale to their surroundings. Tertiary Entranceways: Tertiary entranceways should be constructed and properly maintained at all entranceways in coordination with the overall design theme at all other entranceways to the PUD including, Tuscora Drive and SR 434, Vistawilla Drive at SR 434, Dyson Drive at Howell Branch Creek bridge, Shetland Drive at the South PUD boundary, Howell Branch Creek Drive at the South PUD boundary, and Deer Run at the South PUD boundary. Page 3 MEDIANS: THE PROBLEM The median system located in the center of Winter Springs Boulevard is some 2.3 miles long including 23 islands. The current median system does not provide for a uniform landscape design that would present the main traffic artery in the PUD on par with that of premier planned communities in Central Florida. The landscape vegetation includes large amounts of vegetation that is not native to this area. Much of this vegetation has already died or is in poor health. Most of the native vegetation is past it natural life cycle and in poor health. Evidence of weed and pest infestation is common along the entire median system. The newer East Side of the median system has very few trees and virtually no shrubbery or flowering vegetation. The older West Side has mature tree vegetation. However, the shrubbery, flowering and turf vegetation is in poor condition. The level of maintenance provided to the medians is woefully inadequate. MEDIAN: RECOMMENDATIONS A new landscape system is needed for the full length of medians to present the PUD as a premier planned community. The goal of the new system is to provide continuity among the vegetative features throughout the length of the boulevard within the PUD. This must include extensive enhancement and replanting of existing shrubbery, flowering, turf and tree vegetation. Extensive new shrubbery, flowering, turf and tree vegetation on the eastern section is required. Removal of all vegetation that is not native to the area, and upgrading of the irrigation system is required. A detailed and vigorously applied maintenance system will be necessary to maintain the new landscape system in good repair and good health at all times. Page 4 STREET SIGNAGE: THE PROBLEM The existing directional signage is inadequate for a premier community. The existing street signage is common municipal grade low-cost metal signage, giving the PUD a common rather than premium look and appeal. STREET SIGNAGE: RECOMMENDATIONS A complete uniform and coordinated graphic directional and street sign system needs to be developed for the main arteries in the PUD. The design should be chosen to present the PUD as a premium planned community, and to coordinate with the design of the directional signs. Common municipal grade signs should be eliminated. The first phase should include Winter Springs Boulevard since it is the main artery of the PUD and that section that is receiving most of the lighting and beautification effort. Future improvements can be made based upon request of citizens. Page 5 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE STREET LIGHT SYSTEM LANDSCAPE SYSTEM STREET LIGHTING: THE PROBLEM The choice of a street lighting system to be utilized by a community is an important decision affecting aesthetics and public safety. The street light system on the public streets in Tuscawilla is comprised of the decorative coach style, 50-watt. lights on 15-foot fiber glass poles on Winter Springs Boulevard and the western side of the PUD, and concrete poles with 100-watt, cobra style lamps on the east side. The private communities have varying styles of decorative systems. The concrete pole, 100-watt, cobra style lights are in good condition and provide good lighting. However, of more concern are the existing coach style, 50-watt light system and the underground wiring system that provides power to the lights. The existing 132 poles and lamps are old and in poor condition. The 50-watt bulb provides woefully inadequate lighting for standard 50-foot right of ways much less divided streets such as Winter Springs Boulevard. The underground wiring systems providing electricity to the streetlights is in poor condition and inadequate to provide increased power demands for additional 50-watt lights or the use of 100-watt lights. Previously, Florida Power Corporation has been unwilling to improve the poles, features, and wattage until the underground wiring was first improved and unwilling to upgrade the underground wiring until a service of funding was identified to pay the estimated $120,000 needed to upgrade the wiring. STREET LIGHTING: RECOMMENDATIONS Through the efforts of the members of the Advisory Committee, Florida Power Corporation has agreed to modernize the underground wiring system in Tuscawilla without additional cost to the assessment district to provide for 100-watt light features and expansion of the number of existing lighting installations. This improvement of the lighting system infrastructure gives the Tuscawilla PUD the opportunity to use brighter, more decorative fixtures similar to those found in new premier communities. The Committee is recommending the replacement of existing light fixtures on Winter Springs Boulevard with Washington style, decorative concrete fluted poles and Flagler style 100-watt lights with glass domes. The number of installations would increase from the current 132 installations to approximately 140 installations. Page 6 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE: THE PROBLEM The maintenance of landscape systems in the Tuscawilla PUD has been a rather hit and miss situation. Some maintenance was performed on a non-routine manner by the developer. The developer is no longer in control of the PUD and thus makes no contribution to the maintenance of landscaped areas including the entranceways and medians. The Tuscawilla Homeowners Associations through voluntary efforts of its membership has attempted to provide some degree of maintenance but does not have the funds to contract for an adequate level of maintenance. The City of Winter Springs provides a minimal level of maintenance on the medians. This maintenance does not include any funding for replacement of dead or dying vegetation or funds for upgrading vegetation. The extensive amount of non-native vegetation requires maintenance efforts over and beyond that needed for native vegetation. Most of the non-native vegetation is either dead or in poor health. As a result of these factors the landscape system is in a declining state of health and serviceability. Repairs to the fountain system in the main entranceway have been made on a crisis basis by volunteers rather than as part of a well-organized and funded preventative and regular maintenance program. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE: RECOMMENDATIONS A well-organized and funded maintenance system based upon criteria developed for the various species of plant life improvements and equipment needs to be put in place for maintenance of the landscape systems in the PUD. The budget for this system must provide sufficient funds for maintaining vegetative and non-vegetative systems in optimum conditions including funds for scheduled and unscheduled repairs and replacements. Specifications prepared by competent professionals should establish standards and criteria, which can be bid and awarded to the most affordable landscape maintenance companies. Companies receiving the maintenance contract should be monitored routinely for performance of the contract standards. A competent project coordinator should be employed to respond to complaints, perform field inspections, to monitor contractor performance, and to coordinate with the City and the Assessment District Advisory Committee. Page 7 ADMINISTRATION COLLECTIONS ADMINISTRATION: THE PROBLEM There has been some criticism of the estimated $50,000 cost of annual administration being excessive. ADMINISTRATION: RECOMMENDATIONS Certain administrative costs have to be born by the assessment district each year. These costs include Seminole County Tax Collector Fees, the annual cost of recertifying the tax rolls to the Seminole County Tax Assessor, and the 5% statutory reserve. TAX COLLECTOR FEE County Tax Collectors in Florida fund their expenses from fees assessed to users. Florida Statutes allow the Tax Collector to charge up to 3% of the gross revenue collected. The Tax Collector can charge less than 3% if his actual cost is less. It is recommended that the City attempt to negotiate the fee below the 3% level if and when actual costs are below 3%. ANNUAL RECERTIFICATION OF TAX ROLLS Florida Statutes require assessment districts to provide the Tax Assessor annually with a certified tax roll verifying that all applicable real estate changes which occurred during the year are reflected on the roll as legally assessable properties. In an abundance of caution against errors and omissions that could be problematic to the operations of the district, it is recommended that the City's assessment consultant be employed to recertify the roll until such time that the City can perform this task with the same reliability at less cost. STATUTORY RESERVE It is recommended that the reserve not be shown as an administrative cost. Although the original consultant's report showed the reserve as an administrative cost, it is not a true administrative cost in budgeting terms. This will result in the administrative cost being properly shown at a significant reduced level. Therefore, in the alternative it should be shown as a separate expense classification. Page 8 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FINANCING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FINANCING: THE PROBLEM The cost of capital improvements is estimated to be approximately $2,525,000. The debt service for financing this cost through bonds has proven to be an issue. Some have questioned why the improvements couldn't be financed over a shorter period of time. Others have asked if the improvements could be made on a pay-as-you-go basis. FINANCING FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME: The chart below demonstrates that financing for 30 years allows the assessment rate to remain at approximately $110 per year. Rounded to'the nearest dollar, financing over a shorter period causes the assessment rate to rise to $118 per year for a 20-year issue and $126 per year for a 15-year issue. 30 Year 20 Year 15 Year Bond Bond Bond Debt Service $173,000 $207,000 $245,000 Operations/Mai ntenance $269,000 $269,000 $269,000 Admi n istration/Collection $ 50.000 $ 50.000 $ 50.000 Total Cost $492.000 $526.000 $564.000 Parcels Assessed 4,468 4,468 4,468 Assessment Per Parcel $110.11 $117.73 $126.23 PAY AS YOU GO: Maintaining the annual assessment rates at approximately $110 per year provides approximately $173,000 per year to either pay debt or to fund improvements from cash. As shown below, it would take approximately 15-years to complete the improvements on a cash flow basis assuming that inflation did not cause the cost of improvements to increase, which is highly unlikely. Capital Improvements Cost: $2.498.000 = 14.4 years Annual funds available for Capital Improvements: $173,000 As demonstrated above, unless annual assessments were raised significantly, funding of improvements from cash does not appear to be feasible. Page 9 COMBINED FINANCING APPROACH: The Winter Springs Assessment District Ordinance allows individuals to choose if they would like to pay their portion of the capital improvement costs in one lump sum, or to pay annually through their annual assessment. If a person chooses one lump sum, the cost would be approximately $577. This would represent the person's pro-rata share of the capital improvements principal and not include any interest payment resulting from the debt. The person choosing to pay the one time lump sum cost would have to pay the annual assessment for operations, maintenance, administrative and collections estimated to be approximately $71 per year. . CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FINANCING: RECOMMENDATIONS The Committee is recommending that the capital improvements cost of the assessment district should be financed through a 30-year bond issue for the following reasons: 1. It is important to maintain annual assessments as close to the earlier projected $110 estimated cost as possible. 2. Property owners have an option to pay for capital improvements in a one-time lump sum payment if they do not desire to participate in the 30-year bond issue. 3. Funding capital improvements through a 30-year bond issue will allow all improvements to be completed in a short period of time and fix construction cost at today's prices. 4. Funding the capital improvements through a 15-year pay-as-you-go alternative is not practical from a construction perspective and would not meet residents' expectations. A 15-year development schedule would result in cost rising over the period of construction and causing assessment rates for capital improvements to go up. 5. Current interest rates are ideal for long term financing of improvements. 6. The bonds will be structured to be callable if conditions in the future would make it desirable to raise capital to payoff the bond issue early. Page 10 FISCAL YEAR 1999 BUDGET OPERATING CAPIT AL ASSESSMENTS FISCAL YEAR 1999 OPERATING BUDGET REVENUE EXPENSES Debt Service Operations Maintenance Street Lighting Landscaping Administration Collections Roll Recertifications Statutory Reserve TOTAL EXPENSES Page 11 $ 492.000 $ 173,000 $ 46,000 $ 223.000 $ 269,000 $ 14,800 $ 10,600 $ 24.600 $ 492.000 FISCAL YEAR 1999 CAPITAL BUDGET REVENUES Bond Proceeds $ 2.498.000 EXPENSES Pre-Construction Cost Legal Services Design Services' Planning and Administrative Services $ 85,000 $ 184,000 $ 16.000 $ 285,000 Construction Cost (1) Entranceway Improvements Median Improvements Signage Improvements Brick Pavers Contingency (7.5%) Construction Administration. Preconstruction and Construction Subtotal Bond Issuance Costs $ 982,000 $ 727,000 $ 44,000 $ 175,000 $ 145,000 $ 40.000 $ 2,113,000 $ 2,398,000 $ 100,000 $ 2.498.000 TOTAL EXPENSES Page 12 FISCAL YEAR 1999 ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED ASSESSMENTS NUMBER OF PARCELS ASSESSMENT PER PARCEL Page 13 $ 492,000 4,468 $ 110.11 CRITICAL EVENTS SCHEDULE TUSCAWILLA LIGHTING AND BEAUTIFICATION DISTRICT CRITICAL EVENTS SCHEDULE (EXTENDED TIMEFRAME) EVENT Assessment Ordinance adopted Advisory Committee approved Notice of Intent to Tax Collector and Property Appraiser RFP for Architectural Services Advisory Committee Recommendations approved by City Commission Architectural Proposals Received Architectural Contract Awarded Apportionment methodology developed/refined Construction Bid Documents completed Bids Let Bids Received Bids Confirmed Initial Assessment Resolution adopted First Class Notices mailed Publish Notice of Public Hearing Public Hearing/Final Assessment Resolution adopted Commission bid approval Prepayment Period Bid Awarded Notice to Proceed on Construction Assessment Roll Certified Bonds Issue (Commission sells bonds) Construction begun Tax Bill Mailed DATE July 27, 1998 July 27, 1998 November 1, 1998 February 21, 1999 February 22, 1999 March 10, 1999 March 22, 1999 April 30, 1999 May 15,1999 May 16,1999 June 16, 1999 June 18, 1999 June 28, 1999 July 5, 1999 July 5, 1999 July 26, 1999 July 26, 1999 July 27 - Aug. 27 August 23, 1999 September 1, 1999 September 15, 1999 October 1, 1999 October 1, 1999 November 1, 1999 Page 14