[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6461791,"mediaKeyId","5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c","parentId",5822725,"title","Brooksville council allocates $30,000 to pilot standardized garbage bins and lifting-assist equipment","audioSeconds",829,"startMs",5811000,"endMs",6640000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c&start=5811&end=6640","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c/thumbnail_5811000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6461791/Brooksville/Hernando-County/Florida/Brooksville-council-allocates-30000-to-pilot-standardized-garbage-bins-and-lifting-assist-equipment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461791-039734598dcc4ee10e4de2240def89fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157182&Signature=dNxLgXXoLjG~FQ47Y28UTIKokx-JpTjGrx~cENXCPLM5G-2CiHo93dAOJ0gY0fA6W3~EvxS-yDgJlUG5IqkMkW-auemVmgZD2Om~H7DYYS7Mljw3f7VwuyTCjZ3hVxAEOBcyTGO39fYixiA70T2iKYtSckUD77miiNWU97eADt0i5vybYTWxW36ZYs6RINAWJdEQEwFXna3q0yKlbV7nw0LmQoYJv0uXHFYKsFo3~vICHrGJ6czCwjPMC9Cj3r81dKfXD-VAEGqr-3hZ-iSEpvAo4WQKBuJqjiYqmTIU0O5BYDOlIiX3rIi4v229Ey7m6wrImTyCQYM9k8aYHgNPOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Brooksville","date","2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Brooksville City Council gave consensus to allocate $30,000 from the sanitation enterprise fund to begin a standardized garbage-bin program and purchase lifting-assist equipment for collection trucks.

Public works staff proposed issuing a standard, heavy-duty 96-gallon residential cart and fitting collection trucks with a rear bin-assist mechanism. Staff said the estimated purchase price is about $51 per bin; the council and staff said the city would provide one bin per household at no charge and that replacement or additional bins would be handled by policy to be set later by council when staff returns with full pricing options and design mockups.

Why it matters: Councilmembers and staff said standard carts and mechanical assists can improve safety for sanitation workers, speed collection, and present a more consistent public appearance. Staff recommended starting the rollout in Southern Hills (or another identified pilot neighborhood) to test logistics and resident acceptance.

Details discussed
- Cost per bin and funding: Staff reported vendor pricing of approximately $51 per 96‑gallon cart and proposed using the existing sanitation enterprise fund (Fund 403) to pay up to $30,000 initially. The fund currently holds enterprise reserves that staff said are appropriate to use for sanitation capital items.
- Resident impact: Council and staff said residents would receive one bin at no cost; additional bins or replacements would be handled under a future policy that staff will bring back for council approval.
- Operations and staffing: Staff said the assist equipment will reduce heavy manual lifting (many existing bins weigh 60–70 pounds) and help retain employees and reduce potential workplace injuries; it will not necessarily reduce crew size per truck but will improve efficiency and ergonomics.
- Rollout and design approval: Council asked staff to return with cart color options, mockups showing city identification/branding, specifications, proposed pilot neighborhoods and recommendations on replacement/additional cart pricing for residents.

Action taken
- Council consensus to allocate $30,000 for the pilot cart and lift-assist program and to have staff return with formal recommendations and mockups before full citywide implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Brooksville - City Council Workshop Meeting September 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council allocated $30,000 from the sanitation enterprise fund to begin providing standardized 96-gallon curbside bins and installing bin-assist equipment on trucks, starting with a pilot area; staff will return with mockups, pricing and roll-out details.","taxTitle","Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida","taxId",52021,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6461797,"Brooksville council reviews 10-year capital improvement plan, directs staff to prioritize sidewalks, drainage and roads",701,198000,899000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c&start=198&end=899","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c/thumbnail_198000.jpg","/articles/6461797/Brooksville/Hernando-County/Florida/Brooksville-council-reviews-10-year-capital-improvement-plan-directs-staff-to-prioritize-sidewalks-drainage-and-roads","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461797-db545fbfc26bcb75dce1d198c42e763a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157182&Signature=Gq3cAX4iqGMng~MVLqWCkBHyttgGtI0wzRqe3rQWKIW6uh6F2g84wsOHFjfi7FsKTTrwLrPf0808WE~cZvX9zLnyk0NcJY-ArHs8Lv0LRpwTE~rhpwwyv0QWNKE3J-b7vm0L3al55ejZlXZUnazZ70U1d9n1fAuZamTmxl9~nJCxCc5nFne4K4O4xpRIxS5n0J6hAU~9Ejrt-DxGMe~l8jLhalE1z3m2XXq6rz0yPP0wc-c0X1np0O~9ICgE7jrAr~vNh6oP-3WXyFpu7XFtQzDBV-DzYHKhvcevBMpDJHPssRg3uTeaIakyEmI4g3xh19TKZ4b07QHRvZfGIqB5~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Brooksville City Council at a workshop reviewed a draft fiscal-year 2026–2036 capital improvement plan (CIP) and gave staff consensus direction on how to prioritize about $487,000 identified as annual CIP savings from the recently adopted millage and budget.

City procurement administrator Emily Bennett led a short presentation explaining that “CIP does not appropriate funds. It is a plan” and is intended as a long-range list for capital expenditures such as land, buildings and infrastructure that staff can use when pursuing grants or appropriations. Finance director Autumn Sullivan described the $487,000 as a standing CIP savings account to which the city will add the annual allocation and from which council can direct spending or savings for multi-year projects.

Why it matters: The council’s guidance will steer which projects staff seek grant matches for and which projects the city will save toward. Council members repeatedly emphasized sidewalks, drainage (retention/DRAs) and roads as near-term priorities because those address everyday public safety and maintenance needs.

Council discussion and direction
- Council members said they want the CIP to be proactive rather than reactive and asked staff to return to council biannually with updates; staff said quarterly CIP leadership meetings will continue.
- Autumn Sullivan told the council the $487,000 CIP allocation comes from the millage/budget process and will be treated as a savings account from which staff will allocate amounts each fiscal year to prioritized items.
- Public works director Richard (last name not specified in the transcript) said sidewalks are a main concern and recommended starting with targeted sidewalk repairs and asphalt sealing and striping to extend pavement life.

Consensus allocations and staff direction (summary of council consensus; allocations are earmarks/savings, not immediate appropriations unless noted):
- $100,000 per year — asphalt sealing and striping (ongoing line item recommended to preserve roads; distinct from the $600,000 milling/resurfacing already in the current budget).
- $50,000 this year — start North Avenue sidewalk (earmarked toward the multi-year engineering/design estimate; council asked staff to add North Avenue sidewalk discussion to the interlocal/school board agenda).
- $50,000 this year — repair/replace general city sidewalks (ongoing allocation).
- $100,000 (allocated/earmarked) — Southern Hills Boulevard (entry side prioritization discussed).
- $20,000 this year and $20,000 next year (earmarked) — Jerome Brown Center roof replacement (staff reported a full coating solution estimate of about $40,000).
- $25,000 — City Hall sewer descaling/relining (council authorized spending this year to address recurring sewer blockages).
- $100,000 — vehicle/equipment fund: mower/tractor and other scheduled vehicle replacements were confirmed for future-year purchases; council clarified enterprise and general funds will transfer into the replacement fund as budgeted.

Enterprise and utilities priorities
- Utilities staff described water and sewer CIP priorities for enterprise funds separate from the general fund CIP. Priorities discussed included valve replacement, a lead service line replacement program, water main relocation/replacement (to move mains out of future pavement trenches), and upgrading to automatic meter reading (Neptune/AMR) at roughly $75,000 per location estimate.
- Council and utilities staff noted the need to preserve enterprise reserves for wastewater treatment plant needs. Richard and utilities superintendent David Kingsbury said the Liberty water tower last painted in 2010 will likely require about $200,000–$215,000 to repaint given past costs and site-control measures used in the previous project.

Process and next steps
- Staff will: (a) include council’s CIP priorities in current and future budgets; (b) hold quarterly CIP leadership meetings; (c) return with specific scope, pricing and grant-match recommendations; and (d) coordinate legislative appropriation and grant-seeking priorities with the city’s lobbyist and grants staff.

The meeting opened with a motion to approve the workshop agenda and passed 5–0 earlier in the session; the CIP discussion followed. The council also confirmed that funds in restricted enterprise accounts (for example, fire fund and connection-fee funds) should be preserved for their intended uses and not reallocated without additional council action.

Council members asked staff to return with more detailed ranking from department heads, scope-of-work documents where appropriate (for milling, sidewalk engineering and water infrastructure), grant status updates and specific match estimates to support legislative appropriations and competitive grant applications.","At a city workshop the Brooksville City Council reviewed a draft FY2026–2036 capital improvement plan, asked staff to continue quarterly CIP reviews and gave consensus direction to earmark $487,000 of annual millage proceeds for prioritized capital projects including sidewalks, street preservation, drainage and several facility repairs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6461787,"City attorney recommends resisting demand to repeal water and sewer connection fees; council concurs",106,7993000,8099000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c&start=7993&end=8099","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5822725-cc4694a2b72d538fe72249a5286e0f0c/thumbnail_7993000.jpg","/articles/6461787/Brooksville/Hernando-County/Florida/City-attorney-recommends-resisting-demand-to-repeal-water-and-sewer-connection-fees-council-concurs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6461787-3a7e8a15258f1b5e53c2970c807aa14f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157182&Signature=GGrWhwIKKLm-6by-1~BR60Pl4Y2U-awzACrGsGhxmo~nOgaLbZfqZqWck9MsziCaZxC98v6uIR3wzNQRX-k3bA8t8eHiEmmkzn7C-~ki3knCtpvdJ2pToKLM96pRgKRliAs932ew8pvSpj1PbDe-VFGlMvjwjIXwJne-q10yGxRAwdcCVyaIJUbgBkvTNVRVZGrtAEiVu32rYKFW1px94lQMrbDke9sH6MbDtRZUClIJvZiBIdFixHYNvwM3Fqlvj0ulRaih34xH16H7vRQHcgQxDx8oI7xwt5Ew2i7YH9hoSacduYC7M4lY2fXcikxgyLy4qF8EUk1djdVwef8OQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Brooksville’s attorney reported the city received a demand from a law firm seeking repeal of the city’s water and sewer connection fees. After reviewing the relevant issues, the attorney recommended the city “not cave to this unreasonable demand,” and asked for council consensus on how to proceed. Council members signaled agreement with the attorney’s recommendation.

Why it matters: Connection fees are a recurring source of capital funding for utility infrastructure and are subject to statutory and policy constraints. The council’s direction preserves those fees while the city’s legal team responds to the claim.

What was said and next steps
- The city attorney summarized the demand and the firm’s request and said the city’s analysis supports defending the fees. The attorney asked the council if they agreed with the recommendation to not acquiesce to the demand.
- Council members indicated consensus support for the attorney’s recommendation.
- No ordinance or formal repeal was proposed in the meeting; the matter will be handled by the city attorney’s office consistent with the direction given in open session.

The council did not provide further public debate in the workshop and asked the city attorney to proceed with the recommended legal response. No confidential or executive-session deliberations were recorded in the transcript for this item.","The city attorney told the Brooksville City Council the city's legal analysis supports keeping water and sewer connection fees in place and asked whether council would support resisting a demand from an outside law firm; council indicated consensus to follow the attorney's recommendation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Brooksville council allocates $30,000 to pilot standardized garbage bins and lifting-assist equipment

Brooksville council reviews 10-year capital improvement plan, directs staff to prioritize sidewalks, drainage and roads

City attorney recommends resisting demand to repeal water and sewer connection fees; council concurs