final budget adjustments, FEMA reimbursements, and millage rate

1:14:07That was unanimous, remember that. Okay, now we're gonna R forty seven, final adjustment for the two thousand budget.

1:14:21Alright, Amy Farrell, Budget Director with Pasco's Office of Management and Budget. This is item R47 or OMB 260063. Final adjustments of the fiscal year 2027 budget. Before we dig into the PowerPoint, I just want to get you all oriented with the packets in front of you. You've got the PowerPoint slide deck. You have a list of changes since the first public hearing by fund, then by revenues, then by expenses, and then you have the details of the Footlocker recommendation by category,

1:14:52which might be important when we get a few slides in.

1:15:00Alright, so the purpose of this presentation is kind of twofold this morning. It's to provide an overview of the changes made to the fiscal year 2027 budget since the first public hearing and to follow up on three very specific topics for discussion as directed by the board during the first public hearing.

1:15:20So the first public hearing was held on Wednesday, september ninth, at five fifteen PM in the Dade City Courthouse. The board adopted the same millage rate sent out on trim notices, and they asked staff to bring back information on anticipated FEMA reimbursements resulting from Hurricanes Helena Milton. provide time to finalise the details of the Footlocker recommendation made by the County Administrator, and explore a possible reduction in general operating millage.

1:15:48So we'll start with our anticipated FEMA reimbursement. So timelines can be very hard to predict in terms of when we think we might get funding back, but my team did inform me this morning that we're now currently only working reimbursements related to Helene and Milton. We've closed out all other storms this year, and if the board's interested, we can get that data back to you. Now here in this table, the first column of numbers is going to show you by fund, by and large,

1:16:18how much we have received to date for Helena Milton. That next column is going to show you amounts associated with projects that have been approved but are still moving through the process. So these amounts are still kind of subject to change, but they're relatively firm adjacent. And then the third column shows you amounts associated with projects that were still firming up cost estimates and approvals. It's probably the squishiest of our columns up here. And then the fourth

1:16:48column shows you the totals. Do we have any questions about this information?

1:16:54But just so the people know. Anyone any more questions? Thirty million dollars was to be reimbursed. Twenty one million approved but not reimbursed.

1:17:07Yep. So so the chair's reading the totals

1:17:09at

1:17:09the bottom.

1:17:12Yeah but

1:17:12I but I write it. I like to write it.

1:17:17So thirty mil thirty million we've been reimbursed. Twenty one million we've been approved but not reimbursed, which is good to hear. And six million dollars have been request projected totals fifty seven million dollars.

1:17:31That was for our haulers, I think. For us little haulers?

1:17:35Well it's for a kind of a number of things. Part

1:17:37of that was that. But hey, we had to get that stuff off the road for the other hurricane.

1:17:42And you'll see the biggest component of that was the Solid Waste Fund, um, with a total projected forty one almost forty two million coming back to that fund, of that fifty seven.

1:17:57Oh can I have to touch on that? Yeah I mean just go a little further. So we we took a big risk no one after Hilling all the trash that was everywhere. Yeah. Everything was loaded up. If we didn't act quickly and take the chance of hiring a local haulers, which pretty much the big guys do anyway, we'd need to go direct, we need to do quick. And I will tell you from the neighborhoods I saw and I think the rest of us would see, all these private people that lived here, worked here, they got through and they clean that stuff up. Some streets like it just didn't even happen. I mean the the citizens just the

1:18:28companies that were local just did a phenomenal job. It was a risk we took, but if we didn't get it done and Milt Milton B was worse, all that stuff goes in the water, and then we would have a really environmental disaster. So we made the right move, and I think because we're fiscally strong enough to go take that risk, we're in good shape. So Commissioner Starkey.

1:18:47Um on the solid waste system fund that they're they're um expecting to get what fourteen million dollars more, is that what that is?

1:18:57Four anywhere from fourteen to sixteen, seventeen.

1:19:00'Cause you're adding that two point seven six. Um so did that come out of their reserves? And so where are the reserve what percentage are the reserves sitting now? now?

1:19:12That's a good question. I don't have that information

1:19:14with you, but I can get it. If you build that back up, then does that have to stay there or Uh it you know, is this like utilities where it can't go anywhere else?

1:19:23Well

1:19:24yes,

1:19:24it can't go anywhere else.

1:19:25Yeah, but we could I think we have some projects coming with solid waste and maybe it can offset some of our costs. But I'm very curious if this is gonna top us uh off higher than we need to be since it's been a few years. Okay.

1:19:42So I'll make sure we have that for you by this evening. Okay.

1:19:45Commissioner Weightman. Thank you, Chair. It's fantastic to see we've been reimbursed thirty. Yeah. In the approved but not reimbursed schedule. Do we know approximately how much time uh that that this column will take before FEMA or the state or however that works releases those funds? I mean approved is a great Oh great um

1:20:16forward but uh not reimbursed yet. So um just curious if they had a c if if a clock started once the approve button got pushed.

1:20:28Okay. So by uh clock started, um, we're paying attention and we're following up, but It's really uh But by rule they don't impossible to predict twelve

1:20:38months, twenty four months that they don't have

1:20:41it could be a few years.

1:20:42We're collecting from storms that were years ago still. Okay.

1:20:45Yeah, we received final reimbursements from Idalia this year, which that storm was twenty twenty three.

1:20:53Thank you, Mr. Yeager.

1:20:55I just wanna give a shout out to the team because um this is a very um

1:21:02Boy, this is a very hard task keeping keep keeping good records like this. And I I've talked to other counties and they're still fighting for money from Ian. So um I think you guys just you the whole staff did a great job of just, you know, g recouping these funds. So that's all I wanted to say was give you guys a shout out.

1:21:25Okay, Commissioner.

1:21:26I guess I have the same question for the general fund. So um the total estimate was seven point seven four million. Um so of the two, four, five and a half million dollars here, um Our budget gets us balanced. Does that anticipate this num numbers in that or di is this in dish in addition to our balanced budget?

1:21:53So this would be in addition the things in the column approved but not reimbursed and then requested. I'm spending it right now obviously. Okay.

1:22:03I'm still we may have a little wiggle in that. Right.

1:22:07Well because of the um the challenge with predicting timing, we don't necessarily

1:22:18County Administrator.

1:22:20You know, w w at one of my NACO meetings sitting in the disaster recovery mode they were talking about and and some of the storm was passed in even before that. So ten years plus they were waiting on reimbursement. So for us to get Initially we got like half back really quick. Was phenomenal because that could have taken many more years. So what you guys have done to get it quicker, but Not knowing when it's coming, you could still be waiting another eight years all said and done. And that would be a good idea.

1:22:54How many hours? How many hours? And you you you were good with all that. So that that that does help a lot, but still it's a slow process because frankly two years ago we've had all this information in particular.

1:23:06And remember what I told you and I I don't know if remember who might have been there when we were with those counties from the north when Michael hit the panhandle. They didn't have the reserve uh enough reserves to cover their costs. And they literally have borrowed money and are still waiting for FEMA to pay back. So they were trying to get us to change the state law that um their building their fees they're getting from building permits could go to pay ba pay that debt down. But they're not allowed.

1:23:36So um Yeah, we're this is why reserves are so important.

1:23:41So the state with all their surplus money to letting them borrow instead of helping them get through the storm?

1:23:46Yeah. Oh yeah, but they're gonna help us on amendment three.

1:23:49Yeah, that'd be great. Alright.

1:23:54So Amendment one, which deals with increasing uh the state's pot

1:24:02That's Amendment One.

1:24:04Right. So is is are dollars pulled. Do you guys know if dollars are pulled from that to help those?

1:24:11What's Amendment One?

1:24:15Rainy day funds. Rainy day funds. Oh yes, and governor against it, yeah.

1:24:19Um Is that is is that the pot that's used to supp to supplement cities and counties that get hit by storms? Can he miss me? I'm not sure the definition.

1:24:33I'll say from what from what I read of it they have the flexibility to do so and they're trying to keep that flexibility. Did it get done? Not seeing the results.

1:24:42I thought the governor said that was fully funded already. Oh it is.

1:24:46Member one wants to increase the number to give them more money so they can put more money in reserves.

1:24:53Just curious as well. I wish we had so much extra. Thank you, Chairman Mariano. Yeah. Gary?

1:25:02Alright, and then the second thing that we promised we would come back and have um time to talk was the directive for the footlocker reserve and the county administrator's recommendation. Again, the details of each of the categories are in your packets, but we just wanted to come back and get consensus on um Is it all staying in the Foot Locker Reserve?

1:25:27Once again I object to parks being put in there, but that's just me.

1:25:34Comment sucks?

1:25:37Okay. Yeah, I'm okay. I mean I'm open I'm open to conversation about parks. Um But I think this looks good.

1:25:51We we we we made we all agreed that we had to do something something um I can't remember what our word was when we had our workshop with parks um how important they are to the community so I if we we just have to make sure that whatever happens that that eight million full I think it was that's the number. That he gets that eight million. I agree.

1:26:18Okay.

1:26:19Alright, so what I think I'm hearing is it'll stay in the footlocker for now and we'll revisit putting it back in the budget after November.

1:26:30Alright.

1:26:34Alright, and then the third point was the county administrator coming back and providing a reduction amount for you for the general operating millage. And so here you can see the county administrator's recommendation to bring us down to the rolled back rate of 7.2488 MLs. And then the budget that we'll be discussing is representative of that reduction in general operating millage. Some options here on how we could get there, and now we'd like to open it up for discussion and consensus on the

1:27:04best path forward to make that reduction.

1:27:09Uh Mm-hmm. actually have commend the county administrator for doing uh significant due diligence to uh bring this opportunity forward. So uh I'd like for you to to discuss your thought process um with these items that you've identified and and then we can discuss them from there. So So really this was a

1:27:39staff initiated, administrative uh initiated um conversation, which was really nice to see. And uh he's seemingly comfortable with um the ideas and thoughts that he has, and I I think it's it'd be good if you discussed your thought process on this slide.

1:28:00Happy to, Commissioner. Thank you. So we've we've outlined a few things, and there there are there probably is another option that's not listed up here that could be considered as well. Um but we we started looking at all right where where do we have discretionary spending? And obviously, based on what I've heard prior pri previously here with the board, you know, reducing discretionary funding to outside agencies is doesn't sound like that's something that this board wants to. Consider, but it's always an option because it is discretionary funding uh by definition. Uh reducing the emergency

1:28:31events reserve. That is a line item that we put place in the budget every year to allow for, I will just say, expedient s expenditures of funds in turn in times of a natural disaster. We fund two hundred and fifty or five hundred. I don't know.

1:28:45It's currently five hundred thousand.

1:28:46Currently five hundred thousand that we We put in the budget. If we use it, we use it. If we don't need it, it goes back to fund balance. But but simply it is a budgeted item that that we put in every every year. We don't always use it. And so it's it's kind of one of those things that it it makes my job a little easier uh when we have to do when we have to do spending. Otherwise what we'll end up doing usually is cannibalizing from other portions of operational budgets uh because I'll sign things that are within my spending authority and then under an emergency

1:29:17situation and then we'll move on with life. But this kind of saves us from having to do a lot of that accounting and brain damage. So that would be one area where maybe we take a little bit from that and that's that's okay. I'm comfortable with that. Reducing the facilities R R budget. I'm not a fan of that but I did recommend an increase of about half a million this year into that into that pot Money, those dollars go back into uh you may hear our facilities director talk about it, making buildings happy. And those are the types of things that we want happy buildings because they think about

1:29:46healthy

1:29:46buildings and healthy buildings, yes. This Commissioner Yeager, we learned uh the hard way here last night. Uh the other the other option is is reducing our subsidy to the TIFF operations, and so you have a a tax increment financing district. And we we use those dollars to fund uh transportation-related projects uh across the county. So some of those dollars go in to fund public transportation, some of those dollars go in to fund capital projects, sidewalks, things like that. Uh, and other

1:30:16portions of it go in to supplement the public works budget. So mostly on the road and bridge side of the house, not the stormwater side, because that's a Separate funding source. We have the flexibility to make adjustments in there. There are some fund balances that aren't being spent as rapidly as I would like to see done. So until that happens, I mean we could afford to make some reductions there. Another reduction, and I've had this conversation with you privately as well, is Development Services is considering and contemplating adjusting its fees.

1:30:47So the planning and development. Economic Growth Department is subsidized through our Municipal Services Fund, which is backstop by the general fund, several millions of dollars. And those those fees are basically subsidizing some of the things that happen happen in the development world. So plan reviews, site plan reviews, uh MPUD reviews, those types of things are charged at a rate that they're charged and backstop. So there would be an opportunity probably in the second quarter. I

1:31:17anticipate development services coming back to seek approval from this board as well as discuss with our stakeholders increasing those fees. And so those that increase in fees would would offset a general fund subsidy, and therefore we could we could make a cut there. Now we don't have I haven't seen these fees yet. I haven't presented these fees to the board yet. And so I don't know which way they would go, but in the terms of the dollars that we're talking about here, I would feel comfortable perhaps even making a reduction based on that. So I would reduce the planning and development

1:31:47and economic growth department's budget. buy an amount similar to that and then come back to you when the fees are approved and then add that revenue back into their budget in that time frame. So probably first second quarter of next year. Those are my thoughts.

1:32:03Okay. Mr. Oakley. Yeah, I I think that's a good idea to look at those fees and whatever they might be, that's gonna be a uh less money coming out of the general fund because you're gonna the people using that service is gonna be paying for the service. So I think that's a very good idea and I think it makes us using rollback rate is the best thing for us to do at this time with facing the elections and uh Amendment three. not knowing what's gonna happen. So we just need to tighten our belt and and go in flat and

1:32:34and try to uh manage our monies for our citizens and and do the right thing for them. Without losing a lot of services that we give them. We need to tighten our belt at the same time. So I appreciate that.

1:32:49Alright, I'll go in so no one else. Um so I think I think development services is something we do need to go after. Um I think it's the least painful of all and makes the most sense for our citizens. I mean the state legislature's tied our hand on impact fee, any type of ordinance we tie to type to pass. So if we can go to look at those fees, I think we should. The building community said years ago, what they're looking for is certainty. They are looking for better service. So I'm gonna say again, um, you know, I was talking to Todd Bayley this morning about using more AI with tourist development, helping

1:33:19those guys get better technology in their hands safely, but to go. And I think we still have a great opportunity with buildings development services to actually get in into that world that we were the leader. Now we'll lag behind. I think AI can take the offset so that even the building community may not get mad about it if they can see better service anyway. But we've got to look to be more efficient. And I think it's a great way to go forward. The discretionary fund, I don't want to see us losing a Leave that alone. Uh as far

1:33:49as facilities, we need to keep the facilities up to speed because we don't need issues for health or anything else going on. You know, one leak comes in, you spend a lot more money. Uh other issues can happen. Uh in the TIFF. You know, we we told people we're gonna get rid of paving assessments so that But we didn't have to come back and do these pavings that they were very inefficient. So by taking that back, you're going to take back something that the people said they wanted, and I think been very receptive too. So I think your backstop can be and should be the reduced emergies events reserve,

1:34:20partially. And I'm sure you're going to be able to still get to that 629 number with development services, and we may see even a greater benefit in the future. Future.

1:34:30Two.

1:34:31Commissioner Weightman. Thank you. And thank you for I wasn't on with the history. Explained the tip. With your um emergency events reserve. Does the administration or the administrator have that's not your only bucket you could pull from if there was an emergency event.

1:34:49Yes. No, not really. I mean I can I could pull from any op for so for example if if we had to do a big event and let's just say we needed to order a million dollars worth of sandbags or five hundred thousand dollars worth of sandbags, I could pull from that emergency fund to go do that in an emergency because I I do have authority to to make emergency purchases. Um if in the absence of that I would take it from public works' budget. Uh with you know if it's October. That October time of year their budgets are loaded up. There's money in there. So w

1:35:19the emergency fund allows us to make keep the accounting a little more streamlined. What we would have to do it uh instead of defunding, say, um uh you know a street budget, you know, temporarily, we'd we'd backfill it with other things. So it it's more of an ease uh and an efficiency line item. Walking around cash. Around money, yes, sir. Alright.

1:35:41Mike, if I may. Um, also, so some of it has to do with timing of storms. Now, if we need to pull out of reserves, because let's say we're getting impacted in September and we're now at the end of the fiscal year, operating budgets are almost completely spent. So this allows us to have some funding where we can still move and not have to come back to the board to pull out of reserves because that could be kind of lengthy for us to get the So being able to align the timing to pull out of reserves should an event happen late in the fiscal year, so it just kind of gives us a buffer to be able to maintain continuity of

1:36:12operations.

1:36:13And you know, with the advancements in meteorology, we see a storm on the horizon. and we could prepare, we could case by case basis almost, say, hey, let's, you know, discuss the general fund, pull five hundred from there and and and go to work. 'Cause we meet in emergency circumstances anyway.

1:36:36So Yeah, this this would cover things. Like you know, if there was like a massive sinkhole or something. Usually with hurricanes we're we're gonna convene an emergency meeting and get a declaration typically too. I could always tack things on to those meetings if need be. As Amy says this is Flexibility and as you say, walking around it it certainly it certainly helps. I mean but what I'm hearing Commissioner Mariano suggest is go with developer fees. If that doesn't pan out, then my backstop would be to erode that budget line item if we don't if those savings aren't realized.

1:37:03Right. And uh and I'm off of the efficiencies of your your office. When you get all that stress coming on, all these things going on, whether it be hurricane season or not, you gotta make a quick decision so you can get something done quicker so something doesn't get worse. You get the flexibility. We've got limitations on you already, but at least you have that fund. It does put you in a better position to be able to act in in the public's best interest to save us money and and prevent a bad situation from getting worse.

1:37:28I just wanna add remember during the hurricane, you know, when the the bridge failed, the state was able to rebuild that bridge because they had that money lying down. Oh you mean

1:37:37down in Lee Camp

1:37:37or Charlie Lee

1:37:38or Sharp?

1:37:39Yep.

1:37:42Yeah. Okay, consensus? Okay.

1:37:44Alright, so I'm I'm sensing consensus here that we will pull the savings then from uh anticipated savings from developer fees. If that doesn't pan out the way, we'll we'll use that emergency fund as a backdrop. I don't see that happening, but we'll we'll be bringing that forward in a few months. Thank you.

1:38:00Alright, thank you, board. Alright, so um now let's take a look at our overall budget as it sits right now. Um we are looking at a 6.5% increase from FY26, but when you look at that operating line, we're looking at a 2.1% increase. Now the last time we talked about this, we were looking at a 2.8% increase in operation, but related to that millage reduction, we just just discussed we're now looking at a 2.1% operating growth which is um tracking with inflation

1:38:33Now for those of us who are more visual, this is the same information from the table, just in a pie chart format. And here you can see that over half of our county's budget does support daily operations, which again has grown, tracking with the rate of inflation. So the next thing we're going to look at is a deeper dive into that reserve piece of our pie.

1:38:55Alright, so um so this slide takes the roughly $619 million slice of the previous slide's pie chart and it breaks it down to better better illustrate the restrictions. So just like our county's revenues have restrictions on how we're able to spend them, the reserves work in the same way. So where those reserves sit, it can only be spent to support um activities within those funds. So Enterprise, that's that purple piece that is the biggest slice of our reserve. So this is our water and

1:39:25our solid waste utilities. And so we use these reserves for a few reasons. They support operations during an emergent event like we just discussed. And then you will remember Solid Waste did have the biggest hit of our financial impact with Hurricanes Helena and Milton. Let's see. And then we also use it to build up cash, to fund infrastructure. And we also want to make sure that we're meeting our bond covenants so we can maintain strong ratings.

1:39:53Alright, our capital bit. So our capital bit of reserves. We try not to hold too much capital reserves. Really we want to put that money to work. If we're holding a reserve here, it's because we're trying to build up to cash flow a project. Our special revenue reserves, so those support daily operations, and again they're segregated for particular uses. So think all of our municipal services taxing units have their own reserves, tourism has their own reserves, Transportation Trust

1:40:24has their own reserves, our tree fund, and our stormwater fund as just some examples of our bigger funds in that grouping.

1:40:31Commissioner Weightman. Alright, so um for capital projects, if you're saving up for a project, what's the timeline of the of the project that you're saving for?

1:40:40Depends on the cost and how much revenue is being generated on an annual basis.

1:40:46Alright, so that's another target.

1:40:48It sure is.

1:40:50Sorry for the non-answer.

1:40:52No, I mean with procurement timelines and all, I just didn't know if you categorized segment of road or bridge and say, okay, it's gonna be eight months in procurement and before the board sees it nine months. and then projects that go, you know, twelve months later if you guys if if the money in here would being you know, you had kind of a if if it was based on the timeline of the proje project that's on the project.

1:41:22Let me just add in to that five projects. Yeah, we're working very hard to time our cash flows better in the organization. I think that's really what you're look what maybe what you're talking about. If I have twenty five sitting there today, I could invest it in a project right now versus waiting until tomorrow. We're looking very hard, Brantford and I have been talking about uh overall execution schedules as well as as trying to make sure that the timing of the cash flows uh in terms of projects and schedules are are working out. So just know that that is that is happening.

1:41:52Thank you, Sure. Thank you. And I'll just touch I think we I mentioned last time with the enterprise funds. So those who didn't see it at the last meeting, uh that enterprise funds we put a lot of money into a waste energy plant. We decreased our fees gradually over the years to go in time when the thing gets built out that number's gonna drop down. Uh but you may see the other things coming in with wastewater plants coming in that are gonna elevate it back up. So it does move but right now I think the reason that's so huge is because of the expense of that building.

1:42:19Correct. And then our general operating. So this supports the sheriff and our other constitutionals as well as our board side departments within this fund. So like parks and libraries, our internal services funds, which have been grouped into the green pie chart with our debt service and our capital projects. These are for things like fleet and our self-insurance. And then that footlocker reserve is related to what we had just discussed. Right.

1:42:47Alright, now we're gonna pivot and we're gonna discuss revenues. Um And so this is revenues across all of our funds. And the majority of the revenue that the county receives does have very specific rules around how we're allowed to spend them. So let's discuss some of them. That purple bit is our property taxes, and so in there's our general fund, our fire and rescue MSTU, our roads MSTU, and then our voter approved loans, which are our general obligation bonds. The green bit, and

1:43:18so I'm gonna go counterclockwise. Got it right. Um, so these are what we call other sources, and here are our sales and other taxes, penny for Pasco's in there, um, interest that we've projected to earn, fuel taxes, federal and state grants, so not all of our grants, but just the ones that we expect to have because they're formulaic and we get them on our recurring basis. Um in the water and wastewater connection fees, those are for infrastructure. And in that that 31

1:43:48million of other are things like tree removal fees, traffic charges to F DOT, um, animal services, parks has a little bit of revenue that comes in. Then if we move to the red part, our charges for other service, these are things like our water and wastewater, which supports operations, mobility impact fees, those are for capital. Um, let's see, stormwater assessments, our building fees, the development review fees that we were discussing earlier. And then in that 28 million

1:44:18of other, these are things like tourist taxes, communication service tax, those types of things.

1:44:28Alright, so now let's we're gonna go kind of laser focused into our general fund and look at how our general fund is projected to be for FY27. So we have a starting balance of $86 million. We're expecting to bring in just over $569 million of revenue, expending just above $557 million with an ending fund balance of $99. 25 million of that ending balance is related to the FootLocker recommendation. The next pie chart or

1:44:58table, excuse me, the next table just shows you broken out from our recurring revenues to recurring expenses and then those one-time revenues to expenses like fund balance.

1:45:11Alright, so now we're going to look at the expense side of the equation with our general fund and how is that being allocated? Um so I think you might have noticed I have been practicing for the first public hearing, so we're gonna start with the purple slice of public safety, and then we're gonna go counterclockwise, so we're following the color on the tables. Yes, I have learned clockwise and counterclockwise since the ninth. Alright, so public safety is that purple bit and you'll see that makes up over half of the expenses in the general fund. And so

1:45:42there's the sheriff. We've got corrections. We've got our public safety admin, emergency management, juvenile detention are all in that other bit. Outward facing services, so we've got parks, um, community services, libraries, and that other. We've got veteran services, cooperative extension, things like that. And then that blue bit is our general government, so you see facilities. Our administrative departments are like our fiscal team, organization performance management, your budget office.

1:46:12And I think it's worth noting that overall this is a decrease from the FY26 adopted budget, so we've tightened our belts there. That other bit, these are things that really aren't attributable to any particular department, such as our payments to our CRAs, our auditors, our investment services, and those kinds of things.

1:46:34Alright, so I promised you at the first public hearing that we would have this slide updated with our new Medicaid number. And so here you'll see that Medicaid is projected to be a little bit less than it was this year, and that's due to overpayments in August and September. And all of that has to do with the state's fiscal year not aligning to our fiscal year. They run July to June, where we're October through September. So August and September is a

1:47:02Did we ever find an answer on Bay Care up Sorge? Commissioner Yeah. Uh, I need another cup of coffee. Did we ever find an answer to the Baker allocation?

1:47:18Yeah,

1:47:18Paula can explain the nuances.

1:47:20I don't want to butcher it, so thank you, Paula.

1:47:23I'm sure it wasn't I'm sure it's complicated. Yes.

1:47:33So good morning, Commissioner. So the Bay Care allocation is part of the state's system of behavioral care. So what ends up happening when the state got rid of the behavioral health services that they provided directly, they divided the state into managing entities. We are part of the managing entity that is um operated under the Central Florida Behavioral Health. network. They are the ones that contract directly with DCF to obtain these funds for behavioral health services and contract

1:48:03out with Baycare. The Baycare piece that we pay for is a 25% of that set uh the additional 75% that uh the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network pays for under that same contract. And so we are part of that service provision. I've spoken with both the CEO and the CEO of that organization. And the reason why Baycare has been selected is because not only are they a good provider of services, but they're

1:48:33also the primary provider of services in our community.

1:48:39Thank you for the clarity there. But as it in terms of the 1.2 million, which we're mandated to pay. Yes.

1:48:50We don't receive any receipts. We just cut the check and give it to all the people. No, we do receive a send line item.

1:48:57We don't do reimbursement based uh like we do for our other grants, but we do know the services that they are providing. Uh those services right now include um our um behavioral health services for adults, children, uh in Pasco County. Um and so we Do you know that services are being provided in the community, but we do not reimburse per service um like we do with our grants?

1:49:23We don't know.

1:49:26if we're truly using one point two million dollars worth of services or not.

1:49:31So from my experience with the OPIAR grant, seeing those behavioral health services that come along, the $1.2 million that we are paying for that 25% of that contract, um we're actually getting more than what it would cost us if we were to contract those services out.

1:49:49How can you how do you confirm that?

1:49:52uh because um the contract hasn't changed in this in that amount since twenty fourteen. And the amount of services for behavioral health costs in our community are fairly expensive. In fact, we're one of the communities that has the least amount of behavioral health care providers per capita. So we're roughly about 1,500 citizens per each provider. The state of Florida is roughly about 700 and so providers.

1:50:23So just to give you an idea of the services that we are receiving. They are admitting over sixteen hundred individuals in our community that have either low income or no insurance under this contract. Uh they have over ninety nine hundred um Thousand um bed of bed stays. Uh the length of stays roughly about 5.96 days. For our mobile crisis response unit, the number of calls is over 1,500, the number of services or over 4,500.

1:50:54And that what it does is that it diverts our Baker Act rates. So we're at 84%. That means those individuals that are being provided services actively. through that contract, don't end up then being part of the criminal justice system and then eventually in our ERs. Uh in addition to that, they also provide ad adult medical inpatient psychological follow-up. Um the number of patients served under that contract over 6,900 and the number of services over 33,000.

1:51:23So how many of those folks are actually Pasco residents versus people passing through and they just happen to land in Pasco County and qualify for these services?

1:51:35So, my understanding is that these services are for Pasco County residents only. I cannot confirm that every single uh patient that they receive through their doors is a Pasco County resident. They are a medical facility and so that's something that um

1:51:50That's the ambiguity I have. The fact that th this has been the same rate since twenty fourteen when every service across the board has gone up and they're still okay with one point two million tells me that It's a good deal for them. So I'm not entirely convinced that um

1:52:16I'm just suspect of it because they're they haven't asked for an increase.

1:52:20So so I will say that there's a complement to those services and that is the funding that we have invested through the opioid fund. And so that allowed now for the the removal of barriers so individuals instead of having to wait two weeks, three weeks, four weeks for appointments, they can now be seen within two weeks and still be able to get assistance.

1:52:40What's the dollar amount from the opioid f fund? So when the opioid point fund ends in what, two years, three years?

1:52:47Uh it's it's a uh right now we're in year fifteen roughly of eighteen.

1:52:51Of eighteen years. So in three years when the opioid funds run out, what's going to happen? How much is the opioid front funds supplementing the twenty five percent allocation?

1:53:05Uh they're not uh supplementing the twenty-five percent allocation. What they're doing is expanding services based on that allocation. What we get is a very good deal for services right now, Commissioner. If you were to go to the ER right now for behavioral health services, chances are that other ancillary physical symptoms are going to be taken into account and your bill will increase because of that. What they're trying to do is

1:53:29taxpayer doesn't pay for that bill.

1:53:31Depending on whether they're insured or uninsured.

1:53:35I have more questions now on it than I ever have. Thank you, Chair. And I'd

1:53:40encourage you, Commissioner Weightman, I would have you go meet with the um uh Bay Care folks. I met with them last year or the year before and they actually gave me a good description as far as all the stuff that was going on. Um similar concerns about it, but they actually showed me that the value we're getting is good. Um and I will tell you if you just think about even the opioid building that we did re re renovated that building was sitting idle and I I gotta assume maybe with the shortfalls not shortfalls but not getting more money decreased that building and and not didn't run it. Now it is running full scale and is

1:54:10saving us a lot of money and probably a lot of sheriff's time too not having enough worry about where they're gonna bring someone when they can actually bring 'em there to get care immediately.

1:54:16Yeah. Over twenty eight hundred people have been seen there. From that service.

1:54:21I'm wondering how much money the after ho the after hours um for their mental health and substance abuse has saved us on Baker Axe.

1:54:32So I don't have that specific number, but I can tell you that the number, the rate of our Baker X has decreased dramatically. Right now we are 84% of the cases that come in through their door are prevented from moving on into the ER. And so that's important because those are costs that could go beyond the scope of just behavioral care for preventative. Services.

1:54:57Chairman Mariano.

1:54:58Commissioner Starkey.

1:54:59Well, um, I love this questioning, just uh and I wanna be sure we're serving Pasco County people's kind of thing. Um, on the same vein You saw that Hillsborough County just shut their DJ J solely for kids and they moved them to other counties. So I want to be sure that the money that Hillsborough's paying for the kids they brought to Pasco because we didn't we weren't sure about the DJ J, but it turns out we fund them. And so if we're taking in those kids because

1:55:29they shut their facility in Hillsborough, we've got to make sure they're paying for the kids. I agree.

1:55:34Okay. I just want to alert the board we're eleven fifty seven.

1:55:37Mm-hmm. Yeah, I got a lunch. We

1:55:39want to try to get this done before noon so that staff can be ready to go instead of being pushed pushed on it. So if we could, let's try to move quick through it and see how we do.

1:55:50Mr. Chair, if I could just ask Paula if you could state for the record your name, your Sure. And Paul

1:55:55Ruckala, Director of Support Services. Thank you. Thank you.

1:55:59Chairman Mariano. Paula, does in the Bay Care in the twenty five percent, does the state in the state's budget do they add any funds to the regions for this?

1:56:11They pay for the additional seventy five percent of that contract, yes sir.

1:56:14So the state pays seventy five percent and counties pay twenty five. Twenty five percent. Okay. Thank you. That's

1:56:22probably the reason it hasn't gone up, because unless the state increases their dollar amount, we don't have to increase ours.

1:56:30Yeah, that's an important detail. Alright, thank you. Thank you, Chairman.

1:56:35Mm-hmm.

1:56:38Alright. So there was no change to this slide from the first public hearing, so I will keep it moving. Um also here constitutional officer budgets, no change from the first public nope, that's not true. Alright. FY twenty seven amounts um there was one change since the first public hearing in the sheriff's allocation.

1:57:01The rest are the same.

1:57:04Just a quick interview, Mr. Wittmann.

1:57:06Sheriff, so Chase is here and we've been going working on some structural

1:57:15Definitions and with other uh ballot initiatives that are on here in the sheriff's budget. The conversation is going to take more than a minute and it's more of a forecasting conversation, but it's important that we have it have the conversation today uh to plan for next year, at least just to get folks thinking about things. So I know we're we're at recess but there's a it'll be a few minutes on that that comes

1:57:45when related to the the sheriff and and a portion of the sheriff's budget.

1:57:49Okay, so again time's moved quickly here and I think we should spend the next few extra few minutes. I don't I've got lunch appointments, I've got one as well, but I think if we try to get this done uh I think we're better serving our citizens.

1:58:03Do you wanna get it done now or do you wanna start at one thirty with this item it's a noon

1:58:08but they can we can

1:58:09Is everybody okay with that?

1:58:11To do either way.

1:58:12To work a little bit to work a little bit longer to try to get through this. F right

1:58:16now?

1:58:16Right now.

1:58:21You

1:58:21wanna get it done seven? I it's

1:58:24uh really it's purview of the board. We you've seen a lot of these slides, so this is

1:58:28uh let me say this. If we're not gonna get it done and I don't want to shortchange this either, I think we come back at one thirty. Finish this first so staff can do that.

1:58:35And then we can go into public hearing and then we can finish the regular.

1:58:38Is that okay? That's fine. No, it's it's it's all good. Alright, so uh let's adjourn. We'll come back at one thirty. Thank you. Thank you.

1:58:59Yeah, we just have

1:59:02I don't know why it works.