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County Administrator's Report 8. 1.
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| BCC Regular Meeting |
Discussion |
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| RECOMMENDATION: |
Recommendation Concerning the Acquisition of Property Located at 6400 North "W" Street and Two Adjoining Vacant Lots on Stumpfield Road for the Escambia County Tax Collector - Joy Jones, P.E., Engineering Department Director
That the Board take the following action regarding the acquisition of property located at 6400 North "W" Street and two adjoining vacant lots on Stumpfield Road:
A. Authorize the purchase of real property located at 6400 North "W" Street (2.08 acres) and two adjoining vacant lots on Stumpfield Road (1.28 acres), owned by Beach Community Bank, for the Escambia County Tax Collector, for $1,580,000, which is the average of the two County-obtained appraisals;
B. Approve, or deny, the Contract for Sale and Purchase for the acquisition of real property located at 6400 North "W" Street (2.08 acres) and the two adjoining vacant lots on Stumpfield Road (1.28 acres), from Beach Community Bank, for $1,580,000;
C. Accept, for information, the Public Disclosure of Interest Form provided by Beach Community Bank; and
D. Authorize the County Attorney's Office to prepare, and the Chairman or Vice Chairman to execute any documents, subject to Legal review and sign-off, necessary to complete the acquisition of these properties, without further action of the Board.
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST FORM TO BE PROVIDED UNDER SEPARATE COVER.
[Funding Source: Fund 353, LOST IV, Cost Center 110276, Object Code 56201/56101, Project 19PF0889 Tax Collector Buildings/Land Acquisition]
These properties are located in Commission District 3. |
| BACKGROUND: |
The Honorable Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector, notified the Board that there is a need to move his offices into County-owned and maintained facilities to better provide quality services to the citizens of Escambia County.
The current facility, which is outdated and no longer meets the service needs of the tax collector, is split into two lobbies, making it extremely difficult for staff to locate and serve customers. Drive-through traffic backs up into the front parking area and hinders traffic flow, often backing traffic onto North "W" Street. The two public restrooms are single-stall and insufficient for over 500 lobby customers per day. The staff restrooms, break room, and training rooms were designed for a much smaller workforce. Since the building was first leased, the tax collector duties have increased to include these additional transactions: driver license issuance, written exams, driving exams, fingerprinting for Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) new hires, and issuance of Florida concealed-weapon permits and Florida birth certificates. On busy days, the drive-through staff will process several hundred property and tangible tax payments, registration renewals, parking placards, etc. The drive-through restricts parking and makes it nearly impossible for driving test applicants to navigate and maneuver as required for the roadway portion of the exam.
The property at 6400 North "W" Street is a good location for the Marcus Pointe Tax Collector's Office to relocate to because it is directly across "W" Street from the existing leased space. It is convenient to the DHSMV-approved driving course for driver license road tests. The adjoining vacant property is a prime location for a proposed drive-through facility that has safe access, will be convenient for citizens, and will provide queuing space outside normal traffic flow. Traffic lights are situated at each end of Stumpfield Road to provide motorists safe access to the facility. Driving exam safety would benefit greatly from being located away from the main building.
The overall goals are to reduce operational costs and to provide quality service to the community while offering both citizens and employees a safe, comfortable environment. Build-out will provide an opportunity to maximize space to accommodate the Tax Collector’s needs for the foreseeable future.
The benefits of purchasing this property are elimination of lease fees (currently $202,500 annual lease), future lease increases (based on a five-year average Consumer Price Index), and better control over facility maintenance. The existing lease expires in April 2021.
Ownership will be more cost-effective for the County than a leased facility, with a payback of approximately 7.4 years for the property, less future improvements.
The County obtained two appraisals for these properties. The two appraised values were $1,550,000 (Frutticher-Lowery) and $1,610,000 (Presley-McKenney), averaging $1,580,000, which was the accepted purchase price by Beach Community Bank.
Previously, there were exisiting encroachments from the property owner at the corner of Stumpfield and "W" Street, as shown on the attached aerial map. The bank had those encroachments removed on Friday, November 1, 2019. The attached survey verifies those encroachments were removed and reflects the current state of the property. |
| BUDGETARY IMPACT: |
Funding for this project is available in Fund 353, LOST IV, Cost Center 110276, Object Code 56201/56101, Project 19PF0889 Tax Collector Buildings/Land Acquisition.
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| LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS/SIGN-OFF: |
| The Contract for Sale and Purchase was approved by Stephen G. West, Senior Assistant County Attorney. The County Attorney's Office will prepare the closing documents and conduct the closing for the purchase of this property. |
| PERSONNEL: |
| All work associated with this request is being done in-house and no additional staff is required. |
| POLICY/REQUIREMENT FOR BOARD ACTION: |
| These actions are consistent with the provisions of Section 46-139 of the Escambia County Code of Ordinances. |
| IMPLEMENTATION/COORDINATION: |
| Upon Board approval, staff will maintain compliance with Section 46-139 of the County Codes. |
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