What Were the Causes/Costs/Explanations for each of the Bellview Library Change Orders?

Ahead of yesterday's BCC meeting, there were some voices online and other places that were questioning the size and number of change orders necessitating approval by the board to keep the Bellview Library project on track.  This build out has been costly due to a number of factors--some unforeseen--some self-inflicted.  Nevertheless, the board did approve the change orders by a unanimous vote as the consent agenda was approved.  I had a one-on-one meeting with the Facilities Department and the project manager--and we went through each change order--why they were needed and why the costs shook out the way they did.  Below is a summary of each of the change orders approved and a short explanation of the "why."  I provided this information to each of my peers yesterday before the meeting so they would have awareness prior to the vote.

What has Escambia County Collected in Franchise Fees from the County's Electric Utility Provider over the Last 5 Years?

 

	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals	Actuals
General Fund:	FY21	FY20	FY19	FY18	FY17
Electric Franchise Fee	12,303,490.47	11,998,982.63	11,813,944.03	11,877,215.44	11,353,718.47

In light of everyone's Florida Power and Light (FPL) bill increasing--some have asked what  Escambia County collects in the way of franchise fees from this, the county's energy provider.  Over the last five years, as illustrated in the chart above, it is about $12 million per year.  This money goes into our general fund which pays for a LOT of the county's operations.

With a barrage of emails complaining about the FPL power increases and the stories of bills doubling and tripling in some cases, it is important to know this information.   Because I am getting emails like this:

"My power bill jumped from 160 to 292 in 1 month I went back and checked my power bill in January has been a little over 200 till this year upon going back and looking at my old bills I had never been charged something called a Fuel Charge and it was 67.45 what are the people of this county supposed to do allow Florida Power to do what they want when they want I'm confined to a hospital bed living on limited income has escambia county become a prisoner to a utility service that our county commissioners should have a say in thank you for listening..after spending over a hour with Florida Power today I learned you are charged one rate for 1000 kilowatt hours or less but when you go over the 1000kw hrs your charged 22% more for your power but nobody seems to answer why this is what difference does it make if I use 1000kw hrs or 3000kw hrs shouldn't everyone pay the same amount for power some things just aren't fair"

And I am sure my peers on the board are getting these sorts of emails as well.

According to the county attorney, our portion of the bill is based upon the size of the user's bill--and capped at a maximum of $10.00 per billing cycle.  In other words--our franchise fee is not the culprit responsible for these bills going through the roof.  According to Alison Rogers, the attorney for the board, the current agreement in force is some 30 years old.  A previous iteration of the Escambia  Board of County Commissioners attempted to update the agreement in 2012, but the vote to approve a new agreement failed by a 2-3 vote at that time.

I am certain this topic will be discussed at some point in our meeting tomorrow morning.  I also plan on having a representative from Florida Power and Light come to my town hall on Tuesday--I have made the invitation and am waiting a confirmation of his attendance.

District 1 Townhall Meeting this Tuesday in Beulah

We will have a District 1 Townhall event this coming Tuesday, February 22nd in Beulah.

Like the one we had a couple of weeks back in Perdido/Innerarity--I anticipate this one will be well-attended.  As was the case in the previous Townhall in January, I will have a sizable contingent of County staff on hand to assist me in answering every question put forward by citizens that night.  And any answers we cannot give immediately, we will follow up via email or telephone to provide the answers.  See the agenda for this townhall here, below.

So What is Going On With This Economy Locally?

Ahead of my 69th Coffee with the Commissioner event Tomorrow Morning, I have been researching issues related to the economy which I'll be discussing with my guest Todd Thomson, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

One of the issues I will discuss with him is the labor participation rate and how it is impacting the workforce locally.

In Thomson's op-ed from a few weeks back, he brings this issue up as a problem for local businesses:  they can't find employees to fill the positions they have for their business operations locally.

But why?  That's the million dollar question.

According to Jeff Dyer, workforce development specialist with Florida West, with whom I have been speaking on this topic, the total labor force is actually at an all-time high with 147,000 citizens employed in Escambia County currently.

And, according to Dyer, the participation rate is actually up to around 61% locally--a figure that has remained relatively constant over the last 10 years--with the exception of 2020 when the pandemic first hit and the resultant recession spiked unemployement to 12% locally and created a dip in participation down to 58.83%.

These numbers mirror what is happening nationally, according to the labor participation rate chart on the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

So with unemployment locally hovering at about 3.7%, with 147,000 citizens working, and only about 5,500 citizens unemployed and actively seeking work-----why are so many jobs---especially the jobs that require very little skill---going unfilled locally?

I mean, even with 147,000 working--many (tens of thousands) of those citizens are commuters from Santa Rosa and Baldwin Counties.  Okaloosa probably as well.  So with a population of 320,000---how many Escambians are not working "by choice?"

Are federal entitlement policies that paid/are paying folks to not work hurting our employers locally?

These are  the questions I want to ask Todd Thomson tomorrow and are among several I will throw his way.

What is going on with this economy locally--and why are so many NOT re-entering the workforce?

Delivering the Mail

After returning from a recent trip out of the country, I found letters 
addressed to five (5) different persons in my accumulated stack  
of mail----So I delivered them
all yesterday----- before the Super Bowl.......

Former NBA Basketball great Karl Malone had a nickname.  They called him "The Mailman" because he "delivered."  Many residents out in Beulah have felt a lot like delivery persons as we get mail that belongs to others and we re-deliver it.  We all want to be good neighbors--but why are we in a position where we have to be the "delivery" service for incorrectly delivered US Mail pieces?

I have received important looking bills destined for others, and I have brought such pieces of mail over to my neighbors directly.

But this sort of issue makes one naturally wonder--are other residents doing the same?  Are important pieces of mail not getting to me? Or other citizens?

Like many of us, I get the mail daily and go through it.  Some is junk, and goes into the trash.  Some is important, so it gets attention.  Some is for other members of my family--so it gets distributed.

But over the last several years, lots of what I get is NOT my mail.  Nope, it goes to other folks in my 

neighborhood and sometimes in other subdivisions.

In my neighborhood of 77 houses--for the most part---we all get along and it is congenial.

The gentleman around the corner from me who's address starts with the same four numbers (but different street name) ----yeah, he and I constantly get each others' mail, and subsequently bring it over to one another.

On one recent day I went through a stack of mail that had accumulated as I was recently out of town.

5 pieces of mail were in the stack that were addressed to other residents.

Four were addressed to person(s)  in the neighborhood, and one was in the Keystone subdivision about a mile down the road.  That particular package had the same first four digits in their address as mine does--albeit with a different street name.

So on Sunday, yesterday, I pulled a Karl Malone and"delivered" the wrong mail directly to the front doors of the residents to whom the mail actually belonged.  Except for one.  I couldn't get into Keyston's locked gate.  By sheer happenstance---- as I came back into my neighborhood from attempting to deliver the mail to Keystone-- I saw a USPS truck delivering on a Sunday to a neighbor in my subdivision.  I flagged him down, explained the situation, and he took that package and said "I got you, I know that neighborhood and I'll take it by there."

Ironically, I had a conversation with our new Postmaster General of the Pensacola Area, Christina Walker,  just last week.  She has been here since April of 2021 but took over officially in October of

Opinion Host Andrew "Tallman" McKay Weighs In on Upcoming BCC "Resign to Run" Ordinance

While purportedly reporting "news" Andrew "Tallman" McKay of AM 1620 expressed his desire that his listeners and the public "light-up" the Escambia Board of County Commissioners at their next meeting over a proposed "resign to run" personnel ordinance.  This garbage is NOT News.....

Flipping through the radio dial this morning I happened to catch AM 1620 morning host Andrew "Tallman" McKay opining and droning on about his "opinion" of an upcoming BCC decision on an employment ordinance.

Hey, everyone has their right to an opinion.  This is America.  And he is an entertainment/opinion program host.  Not a news guy----but rather an entertainmnet and opinion host masquerading as a news guy.  Problem is, some folks don't see a distinction.

Naturally, he is entitled to his opinion.  

But the issue becomes murky when he transitions between his opinion and his so called "news."  

He's not the only one who does it-- lots of hosts like Rachel Maddow, Don Lemon, and (former) host Chris Cuomo engage in this sort of "entertainment/news commentary." Report something, then opine on it, then drift back to opinion, add in some facts, then more opinion.  It's very fashionable these days and not uncommon and a leading reason why more and more Americans do not trust the media complex anymore.  Too much mushy garbage and no clear delineation between opinion and fact.  But this particular AM 1620 segment is called "future news"--- on a show called Pensacola's Morning News and where he, Tallman,  identifies himself as a "news" guy.   And in the segment in question he and his co host predict whether or not a particular "thing" (purportedly news) will happen---so the area becomes grey for listeners once again.  Is it opinion, or is it news?  Is it good or is it bad if the thing happens?  

I'll answer for him.  It's neither.  It's straight up "opinion."  And in HIS (Tallman's) opinion--this "resign

Massive $1.45 Million Sidewalk Project through the Heart of Bellview in District 1 Commences February 28th!

The caption from the front page of the plans, above,  shows the project's path along Saufley Field road in Bellview

A massive state-funded sidewalk and drainage project will be kicking off in District 1 on Monday, February 28th.  

This project will be constructed by Chavers Construction, Inc., and will include 5-foot sidewalks (north and south side of the road) and some drainage enhancements all along Saufley Field Road from the entrance gate of NAS Pensacola special area Saufley field over past Mobile Hwy to Denver Avenue.

The 7-month, $1.45 Million  project should be completed by October 1st if all goes according to plan.

This large sidewalk project will be connected to several currently-underway county sidewalk projects along the side streets and roads connecting to Saufley Field Road.

This will be a fantastic enhancement to the heart of District 1 in Bellview!

Typical section of the project--showing the 5-foot sidewalks on both the north and south side of Saufley Field road from Saufley Field over to Denver Avenue east of Mobile Hwy.