Orange County Budget: Admin Services drop slightly

Public Administration & Public Works Budget Highlights

From Bryan Nelson

Orange County Commissioner/District 2

Orange County’s proposed Administrative Services budget is slightly less than last year with a few capital improvement projects planned. Capital improvements to buildings are very vital to keep County facilities operational and safe and will continue to be a major goal of the Orange County budgeting.

From the past year, Orange County has had several accomplishments. The Business Development Minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Utilization program has done well over the past year. 464 prime and sub-consultant contracts have been issued for M/WBE. The county currently has a total of 429 certified M/WBE’s, 46 which are newly certified firms. 24 Educational workshops were conducted at the National Entrepreneur Center. Orange County is excited for the completion of the Young Pine Community Park, Regional Computer Center Roof Replacement, and Corrections Staff Dining, which were some major projects from the past year. Facilities Management has maintained over 5.4 million square feet of space, completed over 42,000 work orders, and achieved a 96% on-time completion rate for 24 hours response work orders. Most spectacular, Facilities Management received a 2016 Facilities Maintenance Achievement Award from Facilities Maintenance Decisions Magazine. Orange County Fleet Management was named as 2016 Top 50 Leading Fleet by Government Fleet Magazine and FPWA. The county maintained over 1,860 rolling stock vehicles and 1,750 off-road and heavy equipment assets in the 2016 fiscal year. The Orange County Procurement department received Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) Award in 2016 from the National Procurement Institute.

Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson

Accomplishments in the Solid Waste department include its first-year completion of 1-1-1 automated collection service and significantly reduced landfill odors. There will be a new weekly bulk pickup service beginning on January 1, 2018. Utility services successfully maintained wastewater pump stations through Hurricane Matthew without a sanitary sewer overflow event. As noted from the J.D. Power 2017 Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey, Orange County Utility Services received the second highest overall Customer Satisfaction Index, led the nation in the Billing & Payment plus Customer Service category, and ranked second in the nation for the Price category.

Additionally, the Library remodeled its fourth floor and established its Harry Potter and Summer Reading Programs. A fifth floor remodel is in the works as well as improvements to parking at the North Orange Library Branch. The Library also received an honorable mention by the Library Journal during their annual “Library of the Year” awards. The library faces challenges in retaining part time staff, with 40% of their staff part time. There is a challenge as well in providing future branches in high growth communities like Lake None and Horizon West.

The Orange County Public Works Department, during the 2016 fiscal year, maintained 2,860 miles of roadway and 1,831 retention ponds, installed 5.5 miles of new sidewalk, and maintained 604 traffic signals. 220 miles of roads were resurfaced and 110,500 traffic signs were maintained. Costs increases and growth of the county are a couple of financial impact budget challenges that face the department. The road resurfacing program will continue on a 15-year cycle. The right-of-way and retention pond mowing remains at a four to six week cycle on the 765 miles of right-of-way and 1831 ponds edges. The Pedestrian Safety Program will be continuing to conduct corridor safety audits, evaluating and redesigning high volume multi-lane intersections, and retrofitting intersections with ADA compliant ramps. Additional markings and signage as well as driver feedback signs also are continually added to increase pedestrian safety. This program helps to increase education about pedestrian safety, builds pedestrian refuge islands, evaluates lighting, and increases funding for sidewalks. In terms of the budget, the Public Works Department has proposed an operating budget of $70.3 million and a personal services budget of $34.6 million for the 2017 Fiscal Year; for the 2018 Fiscal Year, the department has proposed $35.2 for the operating and $66.7 million for personal services.

Despite its accomplishments, Orange County still faces a budget challenge in regard to solid waste. The Solid Waste System is experiencing increasing operational costs, primarily due to the care of closed cells and odor control measures. To ensure the system will continue to operate efficiently, it is crucial to secure the funding needed for capital improvements for transfer stations and new cell construction. The utility services department plans to continue to promote recycling just as strongly. Bear resistant trash and recycling carts as well as water supply and conservation are other major focus areas.

In the Community, Environmental, and Development Services department, new positions: Five in Building Safety, six in Parks and Recreation, two in Environmental Protection, and one in Transportation Planning. Some advanced affordable housing projects were completed this past year, such as Goldenrod Pointe and New Horizons in Apopka. Another big accomplishment is the progression of the UCF Area and Pine Hills Road Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety studies and improvements. The County is preparing for an online permitting system in the upcoming year. Overall, development activity continues to grow, which results in increased workloads. Department position requests correspond to economic recovery and new park facilities.

Our employee headcount, excluding first responders, of 5,101 is the same as it was in 2006 despite a 26% increase in the population, which is a tribute to our dedicated staff. The County is working hard in evaluating the budget for the upcoming new fiscal year, and plans to deliver utmost service, safety, and sense of community to its residents and businesses.