09/27/1999 Organizational Meeting MINUTES
MONROE COUNTY
VALUE ADJUSTMENT BOARD
Organizational Meeting
Harvey Government Center
at Historic Truman School
Monday, September 27, 1999
The Organizational Meeting of the Monroe County Value Adjustment Board convened at
10:00 a.m., on the above date, at the Harvey Government Center located at Historic Truman
School, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West. Present and answering to roll call were Mayor
Wilhelmina Harvey, County Commissioners Shirley Freeman, Mary Kay Reich; Monroe County
School Board Members Anne Cohan and Eileen Quinn. Also present were Danny L. Kolhage,
Clerk of the Court; Pamela Hancock, Deputy Clerk; Ervin A. Higgs, Property Appraiser; James
T. Hendrick, County Attorney; Sherry Johnson, representing the Property Appraiser.
School Board Member Eileen Quinn nominated School Board Member Anne Cohan to
serve as Chairman of the 1999 Value Adjustment Board. There being no further nominations,
Anne Cohan was elected as Chairman.
Commissioner Shirley Freeman nominated Commissioner Mary Kay Reich as
Vice-Chairman of the 1999 Value Adjustment Board. There being no further nominations,
Commissioner Reich was elected as Vice-Chairman.
Clerk advised the Board on the petitions filed as follows:
1. Homestead Petitions
27 Petitions filed - 21 Petitions resolved
2. ReaUTangible Property Petitions
220 Petitions filed
168 Lower Keys/Key West 20 Middle Keys 32 Upper Keys
Clerk addressed the Board concerning late filed petitions and some of the reasons given
for those late filings, including closures and delays as a result of Hurricane Irene. Motion was
made by Commissioner Reich, seconded by Mayor Harvey to accept the late filed petitions.
Motion carried unanimously.
Motion was made by Commissioner Reich, seconded by Mayor Harvey to approve
Resolution No. VAB001-1999, implementing the authorization provided for in Section 194.013,
Florida Statutes, to require a filing fee for certain petitions filed with the Board. Motion carried
unanimously.
Resolution No. VAB001-1999
Ervin Higgs, Property Appraiser, introduced Sherry Johnson from the Law Firm Dent &
Cook. County Attorney James Hendrick discussed the pending litigation versus the Value
Adjustment Board by the Property Appraiser, and the constitution of the new Value Adjustment
Board. Mr. Hendrick requested authority from the Value Adjustment Board to move to dismiss
this case on the basis of it being a newly constituted Value Adjustment Board. Sherry Johnson,
representing the Property Appraiser's Office, addressed the Board. Motion was made by
Commissioner Reich, seconded by Commissioner Freeman to approve the County Attorney's
request to move to dismiss the pending law suit on the basis of the fact that the Value Adjustment
Board is a newly constituted Board. Motion carried unanimously.
Board discussed the applications for Special Master. Motion was made by Commissioner
Freeman, seconded by Mayor Harvey to appoint Attorney Thomas Wright to serve as Special
Master for the Middle and Upper Keys. Motion was made by Commissioner Freeman, seconded
by Mayor Harvey to appoint Regina Corcoran to serve as Special Master for the Lower Keys and
Key West. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion was made by Commissioner Freeman, seconded by Commissioner Reich to
approve Special Master fees at $150.00 an hour for time spent in hearings, plus mileage at the
standard statutory rate of.29 cents per mile. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion was made by Commissioner Reich, seconded by Mayor Harvey to approve the
Special Master schedule. Motion was made by Commissioner Reich, seconded by School Board
Member Quinn to appoint Octavio Masses to serve as an alternate Special Master. Motion
carried unanimously.
Motion was made by Commissioner Freeman, seconded by School Board Member Quinn
to authorize alternate dates for the Value Adjustment Board in the Lower Keys, to be determined
by the Clerk in consultation with the Special Master, Property Appraiser, and the County
Attorney's Office and the appropriate parties. Motion carried unanimously.
Motion was made by Commissioner Reich, seconded by School Board Member Quinn to
approve alternate dates of December 6, 7 & 13, for the Final Hearing of the Value Adjustment
Board. Motion carried unanimously.
There being no further business to come before the Value Adjustment Board, the meeting
was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Danny L. Kolhage, Clerk
to the Value Adjustment Board
of Monroe County
c---
e Clerk