February 26, 2019
9:30am
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BOARD MEETING
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
ADDITIONS,
DELETIONS, & SUBSTITUTIONS
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
PAGE ITEM
2 3B-1 ADD-ON: Staff requests board
direction: regarding the
development and submittal of comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
during their National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public scoping process. SUMMARY:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has initiated a re-evaluation of Lake
Okeechobee operations, which is expected to result in
revised water level and discharge operations. The Corps is hosting Public
Scoping meetings throughout south Florida during the month of February 2019
with a meeting in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, February 27. At scoping
meetings, members of the public are invited to provide
comments, identify issues and aspects that need to be changed and suggest how
changes should be implemented and evaluated. The deadline to submit written
comments is March 31, 2019. (Admin)
2 3B-2 ADD-ON: Staff recommends motion
to amend: the Workforce Housing Program (WHP) Financial Assistance Strategy to incorporate the inclusion of a $3,000
“Buyer Finder’s Fee” for Realtors & Not-for-Profit agencies assisting in
the identification of buyers and closing of WHP units. SUMMARY: Staff is
seeking BCC approval to amend the WHP trust fund to allow the in-lieu dollars
to also be used to pay a $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee”
to realtors and not-for-profit agencies.
Currently, there are 131 WHP units available for sale by three
developers, Attachment 1 to this agenda item.
The developers are required to market the units in the same manner as
the market rate units. To augment the
developers’ marketing efforts, the County also markets the units on our webpage
and through various outreach efforts. Those efforts have resulted in approximately
500 people attending the WHP orientation sessions conducted by Housing &
Economic Sustainability staff with an additional 300 people registered for
upcoming sessions in the next two weeks. At this point, 15 homes have been sold and now occupied with 11 homes currently under
contracts in various closing stages.
The remaining 131 units must be sold at the applicable
price points within the specified timeframe in accordance with the Unified Land
Development Code or brought out by the County. Otherwise, the developers are
allowed to request release from their WHP obligation, pay a
significantly reduced in-lieu fee (~$40,000) and convert the units to market
rate. In an effort to increase the
County’s marketing efforts and sale of the WHP units, staff would like to partner with realtors and not-for-profit agencies who are
professional experts at connecting pre-qualified buyers with for-sale
properties. Staff held a special Realtor & Not-for-Profit Agencies
roundtable last week to discuss the increased marketing of the WHP and
potential $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” and received buy-in from those in
attendance. Currently, the going rate
for realtors’ commissions is typically 6% of the purchase price
which is split if there is a buyer and seller realtor. Staff developed the “Buyer Finder’s Fee” on the basis of the 3% for a buyer’s realtor. Taking that into account and based on the lowest and highest
price points of the workforce housing units ($156,300-$289,770), the realtors’
commission would range from $4,680 to $8,693.
The proposed $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” takes into account the
constraints on the amount of available WHP dollars and the primary use of the
funds for down payment and closing costs assistance to the WHP buyers. The WHP
Trust Fund has a balance of approximately $3.9 Million generated from in-lieu
payments of $81,500. Staff is requesting the Board’s approval to amend the WHP
Financial Assistance Strategy to incorporate the Buyer Finder’s Fee” for
realtors and not-for-profit agencies. These
are WHP funds, which do not require a local match. (Admin)
NOTE: Items that
were revised, added, deleted, or backup submitted and were
not listed on the addition/deletion sheet distributed to the Board the
prior day are noted with an asterisk (*).
ORDER OF BUSINESS
BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
TUESDAY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
9:30 A.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER
A. Roll Call
B. Invocation
C. Pledge of Allegiance
2. AGENDA APPROVAL
A. Additions, Deletions, Substitutions
B. Adoption
C. Staff Comments
D. Commissioner Comments
3. REGULAR AGENDA (Page 2)
A. 9:30 A.M. Housing Units for Homeless, Extremely Low Income, & Low Income –Project Plan (Admin)
B. 10:30 A.M.
C. 2:00 P.M.
D. 3:00 P.M.
5. ADJOURNMENT
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
A. CLERK AND COMPTROLLER
1. Staff recommends motion to receive
and file: Warrant List – Backup information can be viewed in the Clerk &
Comptroller’s Office.
2. Staff recommends
motion to approve: Contracts (regular) and claim settlements
list as submitted by various departments to the Clerk & Comptroller=s
Office. Countywide
B. ADMINISTRATION
1. Staff requests
board direction: regarding the development and submittal of comments to the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers during their National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public
scoping process. SUMMARY:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has initiated a re-evaluation of Lake
Okeechobee operations, which is expected to result in
revised water level and discharge operations. The Corps is hosting Public
Scoping meetings throughout south Florida during the month of February 2019
with a meeting in West Palm Beach on Wednesday, February 27. At scoping
meetings, members of the public are invited to provide
comments, identify issues and aspects that need to be changed and suggest how
changes should be implemented and evaluated. The deadline to submit written
comments is March 31, 2019. Countywide (MJ)
2. Staff recommends
motion to amend: the Workforce Housing
Program (WHP) Financial Assistance
Strategy to incorporate the inclusion of a $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” for Realtors
& Not-for-Profit agencies assisting in the identification of buyers and
closing of WHP units. SUMMARY: Staff is seeking BCC approval to amend
the WHP trust fund to allow the in-lieu dollars to also be
used to pay a $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” to realtors and not-for-profit
agencies. Currently, there are 131 WHP
units available for sale by three developers, Attachment 1 to this agenda item. The developers are required to market the
units in the same manner as the market rate units. To augment the developers’ marketing efforts,
the County also markets the units on our webpage and through various outreach
efforts. Those efforts have resulted in approximately 500 people attending the
WHP orientation sessions conducted by Housing & Economic Sustainability
staff with an additional 300 people registered for upcoming sessions in the
next two weeks. At this point, 15 homes have been sold and
now occupied with 11 homes currently under contracts in various closing stages. The remaining 131 units must
be sold at the applicable price points within the specified timeframe in
accordance with the Unified Land Development Code or brought out by the County. Otherwise, the developers are
allowed to request release from their WHP obligation, pay a
significantly reduced in-lieu fee (~$40,000) and convert the units to market
rate. In an effort to increase the
County’s marketing efforts and sale of the WHP units, staff would like to partner with realtors and not-for-profit agencies who are
professional experts at connecting pre-qualified buyers with for-sale
properties. Staff held a special Realtor & Not-for-Profit Agencies
roundtable last week to discuss the increased marketing of the WHP and
potential $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” and received buy-in from those in attendance. Currently, the going rate for realtors’
commissions is typically 6% of the purchase price which
is split if there is a buyer and seller realtor. Staff developed the “Buyer Finder’s Fee” on the basis of the 3% for a buyer’s realtor. Taking that into account and based on the lowest and highest
price points of the workforce housing units ($156,300-$289,770), the realtors’
commission would range from $4,680 to $8,693.
The proposed $3,000 “Buyer Finder’s Fee” takes into account the
constraints on the amount of available WHP dollars and the primary use of the
funds for down payment and closing costs assistance to the WHP buyers. The WHP
Trust Fund has a balance of approximately $3.9 Million generated from in-lieu
payments of $81,500. Staff is requesting the Board’s approval to amend the WHP
Financial Assistance Strategy to incorporate the Buyer Finder’s Fee” for
realtors and not-for-profit agencies. These
are WHP funds, which do not require a local match. Countywide
(JB)
* * * * * * * * * * *
*