TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the North Port Commission
FROM: A. Jerome Fletcher II, ICMA-CM, MPA, City Manager
TITLE: An Ordinance of the City of North Port, Florida, Amending the Non-District Budget and Capital Improvement Budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026 for Additional Funding for the Emergency Operations Center Project F24EOC in the Amount of $1,685,105; Providing for Findings; Providing for Posting; Providing for Conflicts; Providing for Severability; and Providing an Effective Date.
Recommended Action
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2025-34 as presented and move to second reading on December 9, 2025.
City Commission Options
Option 1: Approve Ordinance No. 2025-34 as presented and move to second reading on December 9, 2025.
• Pros: The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Building Project may proceed with design and construction as planned.
• Cons: Surtax and Building funds will not be available for other infrastructure projects or operational needs.
Option 2: Deny Ordinance No. 2025-34 as presented.
• Pros: Surtax funds currently appropriated for the construction of the EOC Building Project could be reallocated to other infrastructure projects.
• Cons: The EOC Building Project would not have sufficient funding to proceed with construction, leaving the City without an adequate base of operations in the event of a large-scale emergency event.
Background Information
The Emergency Management Division of the City Manager’s Office seeks to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Non-District Budget to appropriate $1,685,105 in additional funding necessary to ensure the timely and complete construction of the planned Emergency Operations Center (EOC). This facility is critical for coordinating emergency response during natural and human-caused disasters.
In addition to serving as a base of operations during large-scale City-wide emergency events, the EOC building will also include a dedicated space specifically designed to support Building Inspectors in the performance of post-disaster damage assessments. This space will serve as a central hub for Building Inspectors to coordinate their field activities; review assessment data; compile reports; and communicate with other emergency response teams. Adequate workstations access to mapping and permitting systems; secure storage for inspection tools and documentation; and reliable communication infrastructure will be provided to ensure that Building Inspectors can operate efficiently and effectively during emergency events. This dedicated area is essential for maintaining the integrity and speed of damage assessments, which are critical to public safety, recovery planning, and the resumption of essential services following a disaster.
Project F24EOC currently includes appropriated Surtax funds in the amount of $12,166,555. Additional funding is being requested in the amount of $340,740 from the fund balance in the Surtax Fund and $1,344,365 from the fund balance in the Building Fund, for a total project appropriation of $13,851,660.
Ordinance No. 2025-34 has been reviewed by the City Attorney and is legally correct as to form.
Strategic Plan Pillar
Good Governance
Financial Impact
$340,740 will be added to EOC Building Project F24EOC from fund balance in the Surtax Fund (306).
$1,344,365 will be added to EOC Building Project F24EOC from fund balance in the Building Fund (135).
Procurement
Not applicable.
Attachments:
1. Ordinance No. 2025-34
2. CIP Detail Sheet F24EOC
3. Fund Balance Reports
Prepared by: Nickie Brown, Budget Analyst
Department Director: Irina Kukharenko, CPA, Finance Director