Senate Bill sb2666

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666

    By Senator Jones





    40-1012-02                                              See HB

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the Monroe County Mosquito

  3         Control District; changing its name to the

  4         "Florida Keys Mosquito Control District";

  5         codifying, amending, reenacting, and repealing

  6         special acts relating to the Monroe County

  7         Mosquito Control District; creating and

  8         establishing a mosquito control district in

  9         Monroe County; fixing the boundaries of the

10         district; dividing the district into areas and

11         establishing boundaries of those areas for

12         purposes of selecting members of the board of

13         commissioners; providing for the present

14         members of the board of commissioners to

15         continue their present terms of office;

16         providing qualifications for the members;

17         providing for the method and time of elections;

18         prescribing the powers of the board;

19         establishing the duties of the board;

20         establishing the organization of the board;

21         setting the compensation of the board;

22         providing for meetings of the board; providing

23         books to be audited and for the keeping of such

24         books as public records; providing for the

25         adoption of a budget; granting the board the

26         power of eminent domain; granting the board the

27         power to tax; providing for the employment of a

28         director and for the advertisement of certain

29         contracts; providing for the penalty for damage

30         to property; setting out the purpose for the

31         district; providing for the duties of the

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1         director of the Monroe County health unit;

  2         setting out an alternate plan discretionary

  3         with the board of commissioners for relieving

  4         the board of commissioners of the duty;

  5         providing for the public distribution of mix;

  6         repealing all conflicting laws; granting to the

  7         district such powers as are provided for

  8         mosquito control districts under the laws of

  9         this state; providing for liberal construction;

10         providing for severability; providing an

11         effective date.

12

13  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

14

15         Section 1.  Pursuant to chapter 97-255, Laws of

16  Florida, this act constitutes the codification of all special

17  acts relating to the Monroe County Mosquito Control District.

18  It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this law to

19  provide a single, comprehensive special act charter for the

20  district, including all current legislative authority granted

21  to the district by its several legislative enactments and any

22  additional authority granted by this act.

23         Section 2.  Chapters 26042 (1949), 29295 (1953), 31009

24  (1955), 31013 (1955), 57-1591, 57-2067, 59-1584, 61-2508,

25  63-1639, 63-1640, 65-1913, 65-1915, 67-1726, 70-816, 74-537,

26  76-440, 83-469, 88-548, and 98-518, Laws of Florida, relating

27  to the Monroe County Mosquito Control District, are codified,

28  reenacted, amended, and repealed as provided in this act.

29         Section 3.  The Charter of the Monroe County Mosquito

30  Control District is re-created and reenacted to read:

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1         Section 1.  Establishing a mosquito control district;

  2  fixing boundaries.--There is created and established a

  3  mosquito control district for Monroe County, to be known as

  4  the "Florida Keys Mosquito Control District." The district

  5  shall encompass all the territory in Monroe County.

  6         Section 2.  Division of the Florida Keys Mosquito

  7  Control District into areas or districts.--For the purpose of

  8  selecting commissioners, the county commission districts of

  9  Monroe County as the same may now or hereafter be described

10  shall also be commissioner districts of the Florida Keys

11  Mosquito Control District.

12         Section 3.  Board of commissioners; election; terms of

13  office; qualification.--

14         (1)  The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District shall

15  be governed by a board of commissioners which shall consist of

16  five members, and there shall be one member from each of the

17  five districts named and defined in section 2 of this act.

18         (2)  The board of commissioners shall be composed of

19  the present members duly elected under chapter 65-1915, Laws

20  of Florida, who shall continue to serve their regular terms.

21  Members of the board shall thereafter be elected for terms of

22  4 years each by a vote of the district at large at an election

23  to be held on the date set for the general election of each

24  year in which a general election is held.

25         (3)  Members of the board shall be residents and

26  registered electors of the area from which they are elected

27  and represent. Candidates or incumbents of the office must

28  qualify in the primaries and general elections, which

29  primaries and general elections are to be conducted in

30  accordance with the election laws of the state. The terms of

31  each newly elected commissioner shall begin on the day of the

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  first meeting in January following his or her election and

  2  shall extend for 4 years, or until his or her successor has

  3  been duly elected and qualified. Each member of the board

  4  must, before assuming office, make and execute to the Governor

  5  a good and sufficient surety bond in the amount of not less

  6  than $2,000 conditioned on the faithful performance of the

  7  duties of his or her office, and the bond must be approved by

  8  and filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Monroe

  9  County, the expense of the bond to be borne by the Florida

10  Keys Mosquito Control District. If any person so elected or

11  appointed fails to make and file a surety bond within 60 days

12  after his or her election or appointment, his or her office

13  shall become vacant, and such vacancy shall be filled by

14  appointment by the Governor for the unexpired term. Vacancies

15  created by the resignation, death, or removal from the board

16  of commissioners shall also be filled by appointment by the

17  Governor.

18         Section 4.  Election; ballots.--The Board of County

19  Commissioners of Monroe County shall make the necessary

20  arrangements for setting up the elections of the Board of

21  Commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District

22  and shall supply the necessary ballots and do all other things

23  necessary for those elections.

24         Section 5.  Powers of the board of commissioners.--The

25  board of commissioners shall have all the powers of a body

26  corporate, including the power to sue and be sued as a

27  corporation in any court; to contract; to adopt and use a

28  common seal and alter the same at pleasure; to purchase, hold,

29  lease, and convey such real estate and personal property as a

30  majority of the board deems proper to carry out the purposes

31  of this act; to prescribe rules and regulations for the

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  marking of such property; to employ a director and such

  2  experts, agents, and employees as the board requires; to

  3  participate with employees in a group hospitalization

  4  insurance plan and pay for the entire cost of such a plan; to

  5  contract and cooperate with county, state, and other

  6  governmental agencies in regard to mosquito control or

  7  suppression; to borrow money in an amount not to exceed

  8  $150,000 for a period of time not to exceed 2 years; and to

  9  issue negotiable promissory notes and bonds or such necessary

10  instruments to secure any loan to enable it to carry out the

11  provisions of this act.

12         Section 6.  Duties of the board.--The Board of

13  Commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District

14  shall perform all duties necessary for the control and

15  elimination of mosquitoes and other arthropods of public

16  health importance in the county, and the board is authorized

17  to provide for the construction of canals, ditches, drains,

18  dikes, fills, and other necessary works, and to install and

19  maintain pumps, excavators, and other machinery and equipment,

20  and may also employ oils and chemicals and all other means and

21  methods, and do any and all things that are necessary to

22  eliminate and control mosquitoes and other arthropods in

23  Monroe County at the discretion of the board.

24         Section 7.  Organization of the board.--As soon as is

25  practicable after the commissioners have been appointed or

26  elected and have qualified, they shall meet and organize by

27  electing one of their members as chair, one of their members

28  as vice chair, and one of their members as

29  secretary-treasurer. In all meetings three members constitute

30  a quorum in order to transact business.

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1         Section 8.  Salary and expenses of the board.--The

  2  board of commissioners shall have authority to establish the

  3  amount of compensation by way of salaries that is to be paid

  4  to the individual commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito

  5  Control District. The commissioners who are selected to serve

  6  as chair and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of the Florida

  7  Keys Mosquito Control District shall be paid compensation in

  8  addition to their regular salary as compensation for their

  9  services as chair and secretary-treasurer, respectively, of

10  the board, which additional compensation shall be set by the

11  board. All commissioners may be reimbursed from time to time

12  for any moneys expended by them personally in official travel

13  for the district at the rate authorized under the provisions

14  of section 112.061(7)(d), Florida Statutes, insofar as those

15  provisions relate to the allowable amount of payment per mile

16  of travel. All commissioners shall be paid $20 for attendance

17  for each day of each regular or special commission meeting.

18  Authority for payment of mileage and for attendance at each

19  meeting or official travel shall be by a majority approval of

20  the board of commissioners and shall be duly recorded in the

21  minutes of proceedings of the board. However, total payment to

22  each commissioner for any meeting shall not exceed the mileage

23  figure authorized under the provisions of section

24  112.061(7)(d), Florida Statutes, and $20 for each meeting per

25  day. Official travel in addition to attendance at board

26  meetings is defined as such necessary travel as the board

27  authorizes in connection with meetings of scientists,

28  associations, or groups engaged in mosquito control work,

29  inspection of district activities and projects, and other

30  travel necessary in the conduct of district business. However,

31  the total payments for such official travel made by members of

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  the board in addition to travel for attendance at board

  2  meetings shall not exceed 2 percent of the total budget

  3  derived from local moneys for any 1 year.

  4         Section 9.  Meetings of the board.--The board of

  5  commissioners of the district shall hold monthly meetings,

  6  which shall be open to the public. Special meetings may be

  7  called upon the request of any three commissioners, but shall

  8  not be held within less than 24 hours after notice to each of

  9  the commissioners unless a written waiver is obtained from the

10  commissioners who cannot attend such special meetings.

11         Section 10.  Audit, books, and records to be public

12  record.--The books and accounts of said Florida Keys Mosquito

13  Control District shall be audited annually or by the same

14  officers and in like manner as books of other county officers

15  are audited. All books and records of the district created by

16  chapter 26042, Laws of Florida, shall become a part of the

17  records of the district created by this act.

18         Section 11.  District budgets and hearings.--

19         (1)  The fiscal year of the Florida Keys Mosquito

20  Control District shall be the 12-month period extending from

21  October 1 each year through September 30 of the following

22  year. At the discretion of the board, the governing body of

23  the district shall, before June 30, complete the preparation

24  of a detailed work plan budget covering its proposed

25  operations and requirements for arthropod measures during the

26  ensuing fiscal year, and, for the purposes of determining

27  eligibility for state aid, shall submit copies by July 1 to

28  the State Board of Health for review and approval. The

29  detailed work plan budget shall set forth, classified by

30  account number, title, and program items, and by the fund from

31  which to be paid, the proposed expenditures of the district

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  for construction, for acquisition of land and other purposes,

  2  for the operation and maintenance of the district's works, and

  3  for the conduct of the district generally, to which may be

  4  added an amount to be held as a reserve.

  5         (2)  The detailed work plan budget shall also show the

  6  estimated amount which will appear at the beginning of the

  7  fiscal year as obligated upon commitments made but incomplete.

  8  There shall be shown the estimated unobligated or net balance

  9  which will be on hand at the beginning of the fiscal year, and

10  the estimated amount to be raised by district taxes and from

11  any and all other sources for meeting the district's

12  requirements.

13         (3)  On the date to be fixed by the board of

14  commissioners, the board shall publish a notice of its intent

15  to adopt the budget or as the same may be amended for the

16  district for the ensuing fiscal year. The notice shall set

17  forth the total amount of funds budgeted under each title

18  classification of the budget, subtotals by fund under each

19  title classification, and grand totals. The notice shall

20  advise all owners of property subject to the district taxes

21  that on a date, time, and place specified in the notice,

22  opportunity will be afforded to such owners, and their

23  attorney or agent, to appear before the board, examine the

24  work plan and detailed work plan budget if desired, and to

25  show their objections to adoption of the proposed budget. The

26  notice must be published for 2 consecutive weeks, at not less

27  than 7-day intervals, in a newspaper of general circulation

28  published in Monroe County. The last insertion must appear not

29  less than 1 nor more than 2 weeks prior to the date set by the

30  board for the hearing on the budget.

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1         (4)  The hearing shall be held by the board of

  2  commissioners of the district on a date to be fixed by the

  3  board not earlier than 1 week and not later than 2 weeks after

  4  the date of the last publication of notice of intent to adopt

  5  the budget, and may be continued from day to day until

  6  terminated by the board. Promptly thereafter, the board of

  7  commissioners shall consider objections filed against adoption

  8  of the budget and, in its discretion, may amend, modify, or

  9  change the tentative detailed work plan budget, and shall, by

10  the following September 15, adopt and execute on a form

11  furnished by the state board a certified budget for the

12  district, which shall be the operating and fiscal guide for

13  the district. Certified copies of this budget shall be

14  submitted by September 15 to the state board for approval.

15         Section 12.  Eminent domain.--The board of

16  commissioners may hold, control, and acquire by gift or

17  purchase for the use of the district any real or personal

18  property, and may condemn any land or easements needed for the

19  purposes of the district. The board may exercise the right of

20  eminent domain and institute and maintain condemnation

21  proceedings as provided in chapter 73, Florida Statutes.

22         Section 13.  Tax levy.--The board of commissioners of

23  the mosquito control district may levy upon all of the taxable

24  property in the district a tax not exceeding 1.5 mills on the

25  dollar during each year solely for the purposes authorized and

26  prescribed by this act. The levy shall be made each year not

27  later than July 1 by resolution of the board or a majority

28  thereof, duly entered upon its minutes. Certified copies of

29  such resolution executed in the name of the board by the chair

30  and secretary-treasurer and under its corporate seal shall be

31  made and delivered to the Board of County Commissioners of

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  Monroe County and to the Department of Revenue, not later than

  2  July 15 of such year. The board of county commissioners shall

  3  order the assessor of the county to assess and the collector

  4  of the county to collect the amount of taxes so assessed and

  5  levied by the board of commissioners of the district upon all

  6  of the taxable property in the district at the rate of

  7  taxation adopted by the board for the year and included in the

  8  resolution, and the levy shall be included in the warrants of

  9  the tax assessor and attached to the assessment roll of taxes

10  for the county each year. The tax collector shall collect such

11  taxes so levied by the board in the same manner as other taxes

12  are collected and shall pay the same within the time and in

13  the manner prescribed by law to the secretary-treasurer of the

14  board. The Department of Revenue shall assess and levy on all

15  the railroad lines and railroad property and telegraph and

16  telephone lines and telegraph and telephone property situated

17  in the county in the amount of each such levy as in the case

18  of other state and county taxes, and collect the taxes thereon

19  in the same manner as he or she is required by law to assess

20  and collect taxes for state and county purposes, and remit the

21  same to the secretary-treasurer of the board. All such taxes

22  shall be held by the secretary-treasurer for the credit of the

23  board and paid out as ordered by the board.

24         Section 14.  Director; advertisement of contracts.--All

25  work done under the provisions of this act, both in

26  construction and maintenance, shall be carried on under the

27  supervision of a competent entomologist, or person qualified

28  under the provisions of chapter 388, Florida Statutes, to be

29  employed by the board. The board may contract and purchase

30  property or equipment without formal bids in any amount not to

31  exceed $4,000. All contracts or purchases in excess of $4,000

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  shall be by competitive, sealed bids, after advertisement,

  2  pursuant to rules and regulations established by the board.

  3         Section 15.  Penalty for damage to property.--Whoever

  4  shall willfully damage any property of the mosquito control

  5  district created under this act or any works constructed,

  6  maintained, or controlled by the mosquito control district or

  7  who shall obstruct or cause to be obstructed any of the

  8  operations of the district shall upon conviction thereof be

  9  punished as provided by the laws of the state.

10         Section 16.  Purpose.--The abatement and control of

11  mosquitoes and other arthropods within Monroe County is

12  advisable and necessary for the maintenance and improvement of

13  the health, comfort, welfare, and prosperity of the people

14  thereof, and is found and declared to be for public health and

15  other public purposes.

16         Section 17.  Director, duties of Monroe County health

17  unit.--The Monroe County health unit, also referred to and

18  known as the "Monroe County Health Department," established by

19  the board of county commissioners is charged with the

20  responsibility of abating or suppressing mosquitoes in Monroe

21  County. The director of the health unit or health department

22  shall cause to be done any and all work and all things

23  necessary for the control and elimination of mosquitoes in the

24  county wherever such work is necessary and he or she is

25  empowered to use such means, physical or chemical, as are

26  necessary to accomplish the objects of this act. All employees

27  engaged in such work shall be considered employees of the

28  Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, and regardless of the

29  fact that the determination as to who is to be employed and

30  the wages or salaries to be paid is made by the Board of

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  Commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District,

  2  and the records are kept by the board.

  3         Section 18.  Alternative plan.--The purpose of section

  4  17 is to coordinate certain activities between the Monroe

  5  County health unit or health department and the Florida Keys

  6  Mosquito Control District in an effort to best serve the

  7  interest and welfare of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control

  8  District and the property owners and residents thereof. If the

  9  Board of Commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control

10  District makes a study determining, or by reason of the

11  experience in handling the affairs of the district determines,

12  that it is not in the best interest of the Florida Keys

13  Mosquito Control District and the property owners and

14  residents thereof to continue in the Monroe County health unit

15  or health department the responsibilities, powers, duties, and

16  authority and that the continuation of the responsibilities,

17  powers, duties, and authority in such unit or department is

18  not advantageous to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control

19  District, it is declared to be the legislative intent that the

20  Board of Commissioners of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control

21  District may pass a resolution making such determination and

22  finding, and, upon the passage of such resolution, any and all

23  such powers, duties, responsibilities, and authority given to

24  the Monroe County health unit or health department shall

25  immediately vest in the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District

26  and the employees shall become the employees of the Florida

27  Keys Mosquito Control District; and the provisions of section

28  17 shall, insofar as they relate to Monroe County health unit

29  or health department, be of no further force and effect.

30         Section 19.  Public distribution of mix.--The board of

31  commissioners of the mosquito control district shall have the

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  authority to set up and maintain a properly controlled public

  2  mix program providing for the alleviation of mosquito and

  3  other arthropod infestations throughout the district. Any

  4  program established pursuant to this section must provide the

  5  following restrictions:

  6         (1)  The mix must be provided to persons for

  7  residential use only.

  8         (2)  No person may obtain more than 1 gallon of mix at

  9  any one time nor may any person obtain more than 2 gallons of

10  mix during any month.

11         (3)  Any person seeking to obtain mix must provide the

12  container therefor.

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14  The board may establish a fee schedule or provide mix to the

15  public free of charge. The board shall maintain records of all

16  distribution or sales of mix under its program.

17         Section 4.  Chapters 26042 (1949), 29295 (1953), 31009

18  (1955), 31013 (1955), 57-1591, 57-2067, 59-1584, 61-2508,

19  63-1639, 63-1640, 65-1913, 65-1915, 67-1726, 70-816, 74-537,

20  76-440, 83-469, 88-548, and 98-518, Laws of Florida, are

21  repealed.

22         Section 5.  The district created by this act and the

23  board of commissioners shall have the right to use any and all

24  privileges or powers that are granted to mosquito control

25  districts under the general laws of this state.

26         Section 6.  This act shall be construed liberally.

27         Section 7.  It is declared to be the legislative intent

28  that if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or

29  provision or part thereof of this act is held invalid,

30  unenforceable, or unconstitutional, it shall not affect the

31  remainder of the act and the remainder of the act shall remain

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    Florida Senate - 2002        (NP)                      SB 2666
    40-1012-02                                              See HB




  1  in force and effect as if the invalid portions of the act had

  2  not been enacted.

  3         Section 8.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  4  law.

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