Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Protection Fund topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Environmental advisory board tables funding decision, requests budget detail for Environmental Protection Fund
Summary
North Port's advisory board agreed to hold off on allocating Environmental Protection Fund dollars until staff can present revenue-versus-expenditure details and the city manager reviews any staff-requested research. The board made the topic an ongoing agenda item and authorized a member to gather publicly available budget information.
The North Port Environmental Advisory Board on April 6 postponed firm decisions on allocating the city's Environmental Protection Fund and asked staff for more detailed budget information before making recommendations.
Stefan Kalen, the Natural Resources Division staff liaison, told the board that producing a staff presentation on fund revenues and expenditures would require a formal board vote to request staff time and then approval by the charter officer (the city manager). "In order for me to do a presentation on the budget and the environmental protection funds, I will need for the board to approve that as a majority, and then I will write a request to the city manager for his approval," Kalen said, citing the city's code procedure.
Board members said they wanted a clearer picture of revenue streams (largely development-related fees) and categorized expenditures before recommending percentage allocations. One member suggested delaying any allocation until after pending elections, saying broader fiscal changes could affect city revenue.
Rather than adopt budget allocations at the meeting, the board voted to make the Environmental Protection Fund an ongoing agenda item for continued discussion and carried a motion allowing board member Robin Sandesente to compile publicly available budget information for the board to review. The clerk noted that if the board formally requests staff time, the request must be routed to the city manager under City Code §4.6.
The board did not adopt any reallocation or spending plan at the meeting; members emphasized the need to review departmental budget detail and possible staff time costs before recommending action to the city commission.
