09/25/2020 Organizational Meeting Minutes AdoptedMINUTES OF THE
MONROE COUNTY
VALUE ADJUSTMENT BOARD
Organizational Meeting
Marathon Government Center
September 25th 2020, 10:00 A.M.
The 2020 Organizational Meeting of the Monroe County Value Adjustment Board was
convened. Present at the meeting were County Commissioner David Rice, School Board
Member John Dick, School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard, Clerk of Court Kevin Madok,
VAB Counsel Jennifer Sanchez, VAB Clerk Sally Abrams, Property Appraiser Scott Russell,
and Property Appraiser Supervisor DeeDee Harnish. Members not present were County Mayor
Heather Carruthers, County Commissioner Craig Cates, School Board Chair Mindy Conn and
Commission Citizen Member John Repetto.
Item 1. School Board Member John Dick called the meeting to order and lead the Pledge of
Allegiance.
Item 2. County Commissioner David Rice, County Commissioner Craig Cates, County
Commissioner Heather Carruthers, Alternate; School Board Member John Dick, School Board
Chair Mindy Conn, Alternate; School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard, and County
Commission Citizen Member John Repetto are the Members of the 2020 Value Adjustment
Board. Their contact list was provided in the agenda packet.
Item 3. Motion was made by School Board Member John Dick and seconded by School Board
Citizen Member Mike Leonard to appoint County Commissioner David Rice as Chair and
School Board Member John Dick as Vice -Chair. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 4. Motion was made by School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard and seconded by
School Board Member John Dick to ratify the contract with Jennifer G. Sanchez, Esq., to
continue as Private Board Legal Counsel for the Value Adjustment Board, contract term expiring
September 30, 2022. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 5. Motion was made by School Board Member John Dick and seconded by School Board
Citizen Member Mike Leonard to adopt the following Resolution 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. 001-2020
Said Resolution is incorporated herein by reference
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Item 6. Upon the Recommendation of VAB Counsel, Jennifer G. Sanchez, motion was made by
School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard and seconded by School Board Member John Dick
appointing the 2020 Special Magistrates as listed. Motion carried unanimously.
Special Magistrates for Exemption and Classifications - David Van Loon and
Rinky Parwani.
Special Magistrates for Valuation — Residential and Commercial — Kevin Talbott
and Steven Nystrom.
0 Special Magistrates for Tangible Personal Property — Steven Nystrom
Item 7. Motion was made by School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard and seconded by
School Board Member John Dick to adopt all administrative actions. Motion carried
unanimously.
a. Authorize Board Counsel to review and make good cause determinations of late -
filed petitions for tax appeal year 2020, pursuant to Rule 12D.9-015; ratifying such
good cause determinations, if any, made to date.
b. Direct the Board Clerk to interpret "filed" as when the petition is received by the
Clerk, and not to base a timely filing on the postmark.
c. Authorize the Board Clerk, or her designee, legal counsel, to re -schedule hearings
requested by petitioners or Property Appraiser for a single time good cause. ES
194.032 (2)(a).
d. Authorize the Board Chair to sign all documents upon VAB Attorney review.
e. Grant the Board Clerk flexibility in scheduling hearings and meetings pursuant to
Executive Order No. 20-69 (extended by Executive Orders No. 20-112, 20-139 and
20-150), Monroe County Emergency Directives 20-06 and 20-10, and the Center
for Disease Control ("CDC") social distancing guidelines established to contain the
spread of the COVID-19 virus by conducting hearings and meetings via
Communication Media Technology ("CMT") using a Zoom Webinar platform
and/or telephone only when conducting "in -person" hearings or meetings cannot
conform to the COVID-19 Protocols set therein.
f. Adopt no telephone hearings during the 2020 tax appeal year unless necessitated by
the COVID-19 Protocols listed above.
g. Approve confirmation of denial of all petitions without further hearing when
petitioner has not made partial payment of property taxes by deadline, pursuant to
F.S. 194.014.
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Item 8. Motion was made by School Board Member John Dick and seconded by School Board
Citizen Member Mike Leonard to adopt the 2019 VAB Final Meeting Minutes of July 22, 2020
as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 9. Jennifer G. Sanchez, VAB Counsel, reviewed the 2020 Legislative Changes with the
Board. No Board action was taken.
Item 10. Motion was made by School Board Member John Dick and seconded by School Board
Citizen Member Mike Leonard to approve the 2020 Initial Certification of the Unadjusted Tax
Rolls Pursuant to Fla. Statutes Sec.193.122. Motion carried unanimously.
Item 11. Sally Abrams, Clerk of the Board, reported the number of petitions filed to date as
follows:
a. Exemption and Classification Petitions. 40
b. Valuation Petitions. 261
C. Tangible Personal Property Petitions. 55
d. Late -Filed Petitions (to date).1
Item 12. Sally Abrams, Clerk of the Board, announced that the tentative hearing schedule for the
2020 tax appeal year has yet to be determined. The Board will remain in session until all
petitions have been heard.
Item 13. Sally Abrams, Clerk of the Board, announced the 2020 VAB Reference List is available
to the Public, Special Magistrates and Board Members.
Item 14. Property Appraiser Report: Scott Russell, Monroe County Property Appraiser,
addressed the Board.
Item 15. Public Comment: No one from the public addressed the Board.
There being no further business to come before the Board, motion was made by School Board
Member John Dick and seconded by School Board Citizen Member Mike Leonard to adjourn the
meeting. Motion carried unanimously.
Kevin Madok, CPA, Clerk
and ex-officio Clerk to the
Board of County Commissioners
Monroe County, Florida
Sally M. Abrams, D. C. (adopted 04.1 S. 2021)
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