Board of County Commissioners

The DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners has appointed Lauri Benson, Social Services Director, to continue representing the Board on the Step Up Suncoast Community Action Board. Ms. Benson has served in this capacity since 2018 and will continue her service through 2026. The Board of County Commissioners expressed their desire for her continued representation.

This document is an Amendment Three to the Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation Program (CDBG-MIT) Subrecipient Agreement (MT040) between the State of Florida, Department of Commerce, and the DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners. The amendment revises audit requirements and increases the total funding for the agreement to $2,903,575.00. The primary purpose of this funding is for mitigation efforts to repair and harden the C.R. 769 Bridge (Bridge #040022). The amendment also incorporates new provisions regarding contracting with entities of foreign countries of concern, foreign influence, and human trafficking. Several attachments related to audit requirements and funding sources have been updated or replaced.

This document is an Amendment Three to the Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Program (CDBG-MIT) Subrecipient Agreement (MT041) between the State of Florida, Department of Commerce, and the DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners. The amendment modifies several sections of the original agreement.

Key Changes:

• Audit Requirements (Section 7a): Updated to reflect that a single or program-specific audit is required if the Subrecipient expends $1,000,000 or more in Federal awards from all sources during its fiscal year.
• Funding/Consideration (Section 21a): The total funding for this Agreement is capped at $4,127,012.00, subject to availability and legislative appropriations.
• New Provisions: Added clauses regarding prohibitions on contracting with entities of foreign countries of concern, foreign influence disclosures, and human trafficking attestations, in accordance with Florida Statutes.
• Attachments: Revised Attachment A (Project Description and Deliverables), Attachment I (Audit Requirements), Exhibit 1 to Attachment I (Funding Sources), and Attachment J (Audit Compliance Certification).

The Project Description (Attachment A) details that the $4,127,012.00 in CDBG-MIT funding will be used for mitigation efforts to overhaul the decaying Baker King drainage system in DeSoto County. The project aims to reduce flooding and mitigate transportation impacts during storm conditions and is expected to be completed within 48 months. The project area has a Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) population of over 51%.

This agenda item proposes to designate the positions of Assistant County Administrator and Human Resources Director into the Senior Management Service Class of the Florida Retirement System (FRS). This designation allows these employees to participate in the FRS, which is a state-administered retirement plan for public employees. The provided job descriptions detail the responsibilities and qualifications for both roles. The Assistant County Administrator assists the County Administrator with county operations, strategic initiatives, and special projects, requiring at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in government functions. The Human Resources Director oversees the county's HR and Risk Management programs, supervises staff, and manages personnel rules, benefits, and compliance, requiring a Bachelor's degree and 5 years of HR experience or equivalent. This action is administrative in nature and does not involve specific financial figures or direct community impact beyond employee benefits.

The city council is declaring several items as surplus property. These include two Manitowoc ice machines, a 2016 Ford Pickup Truck, a 2016 Caterpillar Dump Truck, and a 2013 Triple Crown Trailer. The reasons for surplus range from being no longer needed by departments to being damaged or worn out. The dump truck and trailer are noted as damaged or worn out, while the pickup truck is slated for internet/auction. The ice machines are no longer needed by the department. The Board of County Commissioners approved this declaration on February 10, 2026.

This resolution formally adopts the 2025 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) for DeSoto County, serving as the official guide for all-hazards emergency management activities. The CEMP, updated on January 12, 2026, to include ESF 19 (Fuel) and ESF 20 (Cybersecurity), outlines the framework for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery for DeSoto County, the City of Arcadia, Nocatee, and Fort Ogden.

Key Provisions & Scope:

• The plan is mandated by Chapter 252, Florida Statutes, and complies with Rule 27P-6, Florida Administrative Code, receiving approval from the Florida Division of Emergency Management on January 20, 2026.
• It establishes roles and responsibilities for 20 Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) under the National Incident Management System (NIMS), coordinating efforts across local, state, federal, private, and volunteer agencies.
• Covers a wide range of hazards including hurricanes, floods (24% of county land is flood-prone, with $2.3 billion in estimated structural losses), wildfires, hazardous materials, and cybersecurity threats.
• Addresses specific needs for vulnerable populations, including 147 registered special needs individuals (29 requiring transportation) and the 20.5% non-English speaking population.

Recovery & Financials:

• Details recovery phases, including damage assessment, establishment of Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs), and access to Individual and Public Assistance programs.
• Individual and Household Program (IHP) grants can provide up to $87,200 (annually adjusted) for housing and other needs.
• Financial management procedures are outlined for procurement, record-keeping, and FEMA reimbursement, with emergency purchases expedited under Chapter 252, F.S.

This report details accounts and warrants drawn for Desoto County for the period of January 13, 2026, through January 26, 2026. It lists payments made to various vendors for a range of goods and services, including fuel tax payments, equipment financing, sanitation services, tire purchases, heating and cooling services, office supplies, and professional services. The total amount disbursed across all banks for this period is $1,244,964.16.

This item details several budget amendment requests for the 2025/2026 fiscal year, totaling $1,618,342.85 in adjustments across various departments. Key amendments include:

• Law Enforcement Trust (Amendment #2026-42): Transfers $5,336.52 from "Other Fines and Forfeitures" to the "Reserve for Contingency" for the Sheriff's department, covering Q1 revenues.
• Capital Infrastructure-CDBG (Amendment #2026-43): Adjusts $803,408.02 for the King & Baker Project and CR769 Project, involving contract adjustments and transfers between funds, including $407,276.62 for construction and $49,642.13 for professional services on the King & Baker Project.
• Sheriff (Amendment #2026-45): A supplemental invoice of $1,033.81 for the Sheriff's Office fire alarm system is being processed.
• Capital Road Grant Projects (Amendment #2026-50): Increases budgets by $466,326.00 for road projects, including LAP 444206 CR760 (+$213,649.00), LAP 444207 SE West (+$234,413.00), and LAP 444324 SW Kingsway (+$18,264.00).
• Utilities Operations-Spec Projects (Amendment #2026-52): Transfers $171,119.25 from Utilities Operating Reserves to a special projects fund for engineering design costs related to utility line relocation for the Kings Highway road project.

DeSoto County has submitted a letter to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) outlining its transportation project priorities for Fiscal Years 2026/2027 through 2031/2032. The county is requesting funding for four projects under the Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) and the Small County Road Assistance Program (SCRAP), with a request to waive any county match.

SCOP Projects:

• NW Owens Avenue: Road and safety improvements from State Road 70 to State Road 72.
• NW County Road 660 (AKA Mcintyre Street & Moore Avenue): Road and safety improvements from US 17 to US 17.

SCRAP Projects:

• NW County Road 769: Road restoration from State Road 72 to SW County Road 760.
• NW/NE Brownville Street: Resurfacing project from US 17 (SR 35) to NW County Road 661.

The county engineer, Michael Giardullo, P.E., is the point of contact for additional information.

This resolution approves two agreements related to the CR 769 (Kings Highway) expansion project in Desoto County:

1. Utility Design by FDOT Consultant Agreement: This agreement allows the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to use its consultant to design the relocation, installation, adjustment, or removal of Desoto County's water and sewer mains within the project limits. The County will bear the cost of this design work.
2. Three-Party Escrow Agreement: This agreement establishes an escrow account managed by the State of Florida, Department of Financial Services, for the project's utility design costs, involving FDOT, Desoto County, and the Escrow Agent.

The project, identified as Project # 440342-1-32-03, involves the Kings Highway expansion from the Charlotte County Line to SW Glenadine Ave. The County's utility facilities include approximately 3,400 linear feet of 4" PVC force main and 3,000 linear feet of PVC water main (6" to 8").

The estimated cost for the utility design services by Burgess & Niple, Inc. is $158,200.57, with an additional $12,918.68 for SUE locating services, totaling $171,119.25. The County is required to provide an advance deposit of $171,120.00 to FDOT at least 14 days before the Supplemental Agreement is issued. The agreement specifies that the FDOT consultant will not begin work until this deposit is received, and the agreement will be null and void if not received by March 6, 2026.

The resolution authorizes the County Administrator to take necessary actions to implement these agreements. The resolution was adopted on February 10, 2026.

This item concerns the potential purchase of two used ambulances from Sarasota County. The ambulances have the following details:

• Asset 30003990: VIN 3ALACWDT4FDGT1991, 149,116 miles, 9,723 hours. Proposed cost: $40,000.
• Asset 30003922: VIN 1FVACWDT3FHGD6315, 176,997 miles, 12,175 hours. Proposed cost: $37,000.

Both units include Striker power lifts with cots. The purchase requires filling out a Vehicle Purchase Request Form and submitting it to Sarasota County's Fixed Assets department. The total proposed cost for both ambulances is $77,000.