Altamonte City Commission votes to keep local gas tax, approves $230,887 purchase of turf for Eastmonte Park

Allison Smith  
By Herald Intern  
  
The Altamonte City Commission voted to retain a local gas tax of 5 cents to support the construction of a Seminole County toll road.  
The vote was described by City Manager Franklin Martz as a formality, due to the City Commission already supporting the County in a vote passed months ago. Because the Department of Revenue required the County to produce an inter-local agreement, the Commission approved the agreement to continue their contributions.
In a memo submitted by Bruce Doig, P.E., Director of Public Works and Utilities and approved by Martz, the inter-local agreement only provides administrative clarity confirming that the Florida Department of Revenue will continue to distribute the City’s share of fuel tax revenues directly to the City. 
“It’s ministerial, if nothing else,” Martz said. “It is accurate to the current distributions of the assets.”  
The Altamonte City Commission also approved to waive the formal solicitation process and declare Act Global, LLC as a sole source vendor for the purchase of synthetic turf for field two at Eastmonte Park. The total cost of the turf material is $230,887. 
Because the purchase exceeded the formal solicitation threshold of $100,000, it required the City Commission to waive the formal solicitation process and approve the sole source purchase. 
According to a memo submitted by Tara J. Culver, Chief Financial Officer approved by Martz, there are sufficient funds in the budget.