HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-03-13 - City Commission Regular Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC
REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2013
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Talabisco called the regular meeting of the City Commission to
order at 7:03 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 in City Commission Chambers, Tamarac
City Hall, 7525 NW 88 Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321.
ROLL CALL: Mayor Beth Talabisco, Commissioner Pamela Bushnell, Commissioner Patricia
Atkins -Grad and Commissioner Diane Glasser were in attendance.
ABSENT: Vice Mayor Harry Dressler
Also in attendance were City Manager Michael C. Cernech, Assistant City Attorney Jacob
Horowitz and Interim City Clerk Patricia Teufel.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Beth Talabisco led the Pledge of Allegiance.
1. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS:
a. State of the City Address by Mayor Beth Talabisco: Mayor Talabisco's State of the City
Address is attached hereto and incorporated herein.
b. Presentation of a proclamation by Mayor Beth Talabisco proclaiming the month of March
2013 as "Purchasing Month". (Requested by Purchasing/Contracts Manager Keith Glatz)
2. CITY COMMISSION REPORTS:
a. Commissioner Bushnell: Attended the Little League Baseball Season opening game where
Vice Mayor Dressler threw out the first pitch; Monarch Care Award luncheon at the Signature
Grand where Tamarac's Social Services Department was honored for the work that they do;
Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting at the Tampa Bay Brewery in Coral Springs and said
that she attended the final French class in the Mainlands. Commissioner Bushnell spoke
about volunteering and said according to her calculations her community has volunteered
9,753 hours to date, of which she personally volunteered 813 hours and spoke of the many
ways you can volunteer through the different organizations and events that take place in
Tamarac. Commissioner Bushnell commended the Recall Committee for all the hours they
have put in during the recall process and asked them to provide their hours so she can pass
those figures on.
Mayor Talabisco commented that over the past four years that she has been working with
Commissioner Bushnell she has seen the Commissioner volunteer countless hours at
different events in the City.
b. Commissioner Atkins Grad: Said she is in the process of contacting the presidents of
various homeowner associations in her district to get updates on issues that are currently of
Page 1 of 5 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 13, 2013
concern to them. Commissioner Atkins -Grad said she is pleased to hear how well the various
50th Anniversary events are going and said the various committees and organizers have done
a terrific job. Commissioner Atkins -Grad said she attended a very interesting legislative
update conducted by City Attorney Goren and Assistant City Attorney Horowitz at the
Northwest Council of Elected Officials luncheon last week and spoke of the various bills that
are currently before the legislature.
c. Commissioner Glasser: Said that last Saturday BSO conducted a shred-a-thon and
prescription take back at Kings Point which Chief Glassman said the turnout was the best to
date. Commissioner Glasser said that she attended a Kings Point Condominium meeting and
met with constituents and was able to help them resolve some problems. Commissioner
Glasser said she also attended the retirement party for Commissioner Varsalone from
Margate.
d. Vice Mayor Dressler: Absent
e. Mayor Talabisco: Said that she met with Tamarac's Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday
and spoke about Mission United, which is a collaborative between United Way and Red
Cross, and is a clearing house for veterans and their families as they re-enter civilian life.
Mayor Talabisco said we will be hearing more about Mission United in the future.
3. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT: Assistant City Attorney Horowitz had no report and extended
City Attorney Goren's regards.
4. CITY MANAGER REPORT: City Manager Cernech said that over the last few weeks the
agendas have been light and said this is the calm before the storm. We have a lot to do
between now and the summer break as we have a number of things that the Commission will
need to consider. This will commence in April when we expect to bring forth the Woodmont
LUPA and a special meeting has been scheduled for April 15th at 7:00 p.m. just for this
purpose. Also coming up will be items on the Palm Cove Project, Tamarac Village and some
Quasi -Judicial items for the Commerce Park. City Manager Cernech spoke of the Sterling
Site Visit in February and how extremely well the visit went. The Commission would be
extremely proud of what the employees had to say about working for Tamarac and for
representing the City in such a positive manner. City Manager Cernech informed the
Commission that staff will make a more formal presentation to the Commission about the
Sterling process, what we learned and the feedback we received, in the near future.
City Manger Cernech said that Hurricane season is just around the corner and in preparation
Tamarac Fire Rescue held an in-house WEB-EOC Training on March 6th and the team
continues to work with all the departments and outside agencies on updating the Continuity of
Operations Plan (COOP).
City Manager Cernech reported that there will be a Bike Rodeo on March 16th from 10:00 am
to 11:30 am at the Tamarac Community Center; the Hawaii "5-0" Party on March 21 st has
been sold out; invited everyone to attend the "Rock All Ages" concert on Saturday, March 23rd
from 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Tamarac Sports Complex and said there will be bus
Page 2 of 5 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 13, 2013
transportation from the Community Center and City Hall running from 3:30 pm to 10:00 pm
and there will be a Springfest on Saturday, March 30th from 10:00 am to noon at the Tamarac
Sports Complex.
City Manager Cernech said that Vice Mayor Dressler asked him to read the following
statement: "Tonight is a hallmark event for our great City. The accomplishments of Team
Tamarac are many and are of significant magnitude. Working diligently and cooperatively we
are all committed to playing a positive role and continuing the creative evolution of Tamarac
into a leading edge innovative place to work and live. As the Mayor, I am sure, has said the
state of the City is not only good, it is excellent and I couldn't agree more. I look forward to
working with everyone to ensure that this process never falters and our progress continues
into a bright future. My warmest regards."
Mayor Talabisco announced that on Tuesday, March 261h Ken Behring will be holding a book
signing event for his new book at the Woodlands Country Club from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm and
invited everyone to attend and asked people to RSVP to the Tamarac Chamber of
Commerce.
5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Mayor Talabisco opened Public Participation and the following
individuals spoke: Melissa Anderson, Counsel for Crown Castle, supported passing item No.
7(a) on the Regular agenda providing for a 60 day extension to the Zoning in Progress;
George Stroker, 5504 Water Oak Way, said the Recall Committee will continue to work to
recall Commissioner Atkins -Grad; Patti Lynn, 6411 NW 58th St., praised Tamarac City
Employees for the good job they do, invited everyone to attend the Broward County Women's
History Coalition induction of 4 women into their Women's Hall of Fame on March 23rd,
asked staff to take another look at the east side bus route as well as address servicing the
Veteran's facility on Commercial Blvd. and asked staff to look at the $700 a month car
allowance during the upcoming budget process; Michelle Gomez, 5729 Bayberry Lane,
addressed recent allegations and falsehoods that have appeared on blogs; Norman Grad,
Margate, spoke about decorum on the dais.
6. CONSENT AGENDA: Mayor Talabisco asked City Manager Cernech if there were any
additions/changes to the Consent Agenda. City Manager Cernech said pursuant to
discussion at the March 11, 2013 Commission Workshop, TR12314 - Extension of Zoning In
Progress is being added to the Regular Agenda as Item 7(a). City Manager Cernech read
TR12314 by title into the record and added that there were no additions/changes to the
Consent Agenda. Commissioner Bushnell seconded by Commissioner Atkins -Grad moved
approval of Consent Agenda as presented. Motion passed unanimously (4-0).
a. Approval of the February 27, 2013 Commission Meeting Minutes
APPROVED
b. TR12311- Caporella Park Public Art Project: A Resolution of the City Commission of the
City of Tamarac, Florida, approving the Public Art Proposal and Concept by Mary Ann Baker
Page 3 of 5 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 13, 2013
to be placed at Caporella Park; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; providing for
an effective date.
RESOLUTION R-2013-23
c. TR12312 - Confirming the Appointment of the Fifth Member Appointed by the Firefighter
Pension Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term ending March 13, 2017: A Resolution of
the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida, confirming the appointment of the Fifth
Member appointed by the Firefighter Pension Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term
ending March 13, 2017 or until new appointments are made; providing for conflicts; providing
for severability; and providing an effective date.
RESOLUTION R-2013-24
7. REGULAR AGENDA:
a. TR12314 — Extension of Zoning in Progress: A Resolution of the City Commission of the
City of Tamarac, Florida, extending by sixty (60) days the period of Zoning in Progress
initiated by the City Manager's amended Administrative Order dated December 19, 2012, and
confirmed and ratified by Resolution No. 2013-05, said Order and Resolution declaring a
Zoning in Progress and prohibiting the issuance of Building Permits, Engineering Permits, or
Development Orders for the installing of or siting of any wireless communications facility as
defined under Section 365.172, Florida Statutes, in any public Rights -of -Way, or in any
Residential Zoning District within the City of Tamarac Florida; authorizing and directing the
City Manager to continue study and review of the City's regulations regarding the same, and
to review and consider the comments of stakeholders affected by proposed revisions to the
City Code; providing that upon the adoption of this Resolution no permits shall be issued
within the affected areas during the time period covered by this Resolution; providing for
conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. Commissioner
Bushnell seconded by Commissioner Glasser moved approval of TR12314. Motion passed
unanimously (4-0).
RESOLUTION R-2013-25
Assistant City Attorney Horowitz said that at the appropriate time, Item 10(a) will be deferred
to a time uncertain so that we can continue discussions as previously discussed.
8. ORDINANCE(S) - FIRST READING: There were no Ordinance(s) — First Reading
scheduled for this meeting.
9. PUBLIC HEARING(S): There were no Public Hearing(s) items scheduled for this meeting.
10. ORDINANCE(S) - SECOND READING:
a. TO2272 - Amending Chapter 24 entitled "Telecommunications Towers and Antennas":
Motion to adopt an Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida; on
second reading amending Article IX, Chapter 24 entitled "Telecommunications Towers and _
Antennas" of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Tamarac, Florida, as amended, and to
regulate personal wireless service facilities in the public rights -of -way; containing a repealer
Page 4 of 5 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 13, 2013
provision; a severability clause; providing for codification; providing for conflicts and providing
for an effective date. Commissioner Bushnell seconded by Commission Glasser moved to
defer TO2272 to a time uncertain. Motion passed unanimously (4-0).
PASSED ON FIRST READING ON FEBRUARY 27, 2013
DEFERRED TO A TIME UNCERTAIN ON MARCH 13, 2013
11. QUASI-JUDICIAL HEARING(S): There were no Quasi -Judicial Hearing items scheduled
for this meeting.
12. OTHER
There being no further business to come before the City Commission,
adjourned the meeting at 8:14 p.m. kiwl�zlz_��'
Beth Talabisco, Ntfayor
atricia Teufel,
Interim City Clerk
Vice Mayor Dressler
Page 5 of 5 REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING MARCH 13, 2013
State of the City Address 47°��
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
City of Tamarac State of the City Address
Good evening Vice Mayor Dressler, Commissioners Bushnell, Glasser and
*2vyt
Atkins -Grad, City Attorney G-TmeM, City Manager Cernech, staff, residents
qz-
and viewers joining us in chambers or via the internet. rr✓5�'
1' r
Our focus as a Commission is the business of serving the needs of our
constituents, now and into the future. ed on this Commission
since 2003 iPII assure you, that commitment remains strong. Because
what drives us is the business of our City: ensuring that we provide the
highest levels of service and finest quality of life that our funding will allow.
And as we strive to meet those goals, we are grateful for the continued
I-/
involvement of our citizens. You're intelligent, concerned,- vocal...
most important !AFwt4jW have an active interest in bettering our
community.*r
1
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting (�
Tonigh I'm going to share some of the many significant achievements
designed to move our City forward and plan for ap even brighter
tomorrow. We've come a long way in our first 50 years,,aorThe steps we're
taking will provide a firm foundation for Tamarac's continued health and
sustainability.
• It all starts with a stable financial environment. I'm proud to say that
Fitch Ratings, a global financial ratings agency, has affirmed our
General Obligation bonds at "AA". According to Fitch, "this rating
reflects the City's strong financial management, robust reserves and
manageable carrying costs." They go on to say that `these positive
results have been achieved through a combination of revenue
enhancements and expenditure reductions." Achieving that was not
without some pain, but the hard work left us in a good place. And
while double A is an excellent bond rating, we're shooting for better.
Our finance department is aiming for a "double A plus" rating within
the next few years. That's important because it helps reduce the cost
of borrowing, should it be necessary for future large-scale projects.
2
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
• Continuing the focus on finances, the City was able to successfully
conclude pension negotiations with the International Association of 1
Firefighters. A long, arduous process with concessions on both sides
V'
(the way successful negotiations should be) that will save the City
660-thousand dollars annually over the course of the 3-year
agreement. And it will still maintain a stable pension plan for our first
responders.
• In response to residents' requests for increased police visibility, your
Commission approved a budget that has put five additional BSO
officers on the street.
• In spring of next year, we look forward to cutting the ribbon at
Tamarac's newest recreational facility, in the Mainlands, which is
* /}Cjc-
turning vacant scrubland into a beautiful passive park.
• And, in response to our changing demographics, we continue to
develop an integrated bike path system around our City, another of
the many things that help make Tamarac "the City for Your Life' .
3
Q-fp
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
• Our enhanced Neighborhood Stabilization Program is making home
ownership a reality for deserving families, while shoring up our
communities. And our Neighborhood Improvement Program or "NIP
It", is helping improve community appearance as well as providing
financial assistance to qualified residents.
All of those accomplishments improve livability over the short term. But to
remain a vibrant community well into the future, we need to have
processes and infrastructure firmly in place. And we do.
• The City is concluding its study on commercial redevelopment in
several key areas.
• Soon we'll be hearing the results of a corridor study. It will help
develop the vision for how our major roadways should look and
function in the future.
0
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
• We took advantage of the opportunities in the real estate market
to aggregate properties for a future "downtown" corridor vqeVe
Tamarac Village. This will be a town center for people to
congregate: live, work and play, as well as provide an economic
engine to help fund City services and minimize the burden for
residents. We anticipate a very positive update on the project
within the next few weeks.
I've chosen to save the best for last. Over the past few weeks, two things
with tremendous long-term effects for the positive growth of Vig City have
taken place:
• The first is a major economic development win for Tamarac (code
named Project Monodose) that will bring 100 new jobs and a 50
million -dollar capital investment into the City. While confidentiality
requires that we not reveal the company's name, we can say that it is
a Venezuelan pharmaceutical firm that has been looking to relocate
for the past six months. Tamarac was in competition with six cities, in
and out of Florida...
61
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
I am so proud to say that after meeting with the City of Tamarac and
hearing about our commitment to work together, the company made
the decision to make their new home here the very next day. They are
4—
purchasing a building in the Tamarac Commerce Park and, let me
repeat, will be bringing 100 jobs — high skill/high wage jobs. And that
will have a wonderful ripple effect on the supporting businesses and real
estate in our community. It's a -'n and I'm confident that this is
just the start.
• Planning for the future involves putting the right people and
processes in place. Tamarac has done just that. I don't want to steal
the City Manager's thunder, but a major event occurred at the end of
February; something we can all be extremely proud of. Our City
stood for a week-long organizational review by examiners from the
Sterling Council. They provide feedback at all levels on ways
to improve the organization's approach to doing business...
1i
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting
v
They asked lots of questions, poured over boxes of documents and
met with 78% of our City's staff. We won't know the results until the
end of April, but at their "out brief" session, the lead examiner
referred to Tamarac as a city "that really has world -class potential".
&� UL 4
t3�-dam, we already knew that, didn't we? To our City staff, we
congratulate and thank you ... for your professionalism and
commitment to service.
Speaking of commitment (JACK)...
AV
40
7.�;_
During the City's 501h annivers/a' r year we ha,e many `thitQ celebrate_ .
Fifty years is the better part of a lifetime. Over that period, Tamarac has
grown and matured. We started off as a haven for snowbirds and retirees.
We've become so much more than that. We're now a diverse city of 60-
thousand residents, whose median age is in the mid -forties, as well as
home to almost 2-thousand businesses.
State of the City Address
For COT 3/13/2013 meeting �L
The first 50 years for Tamarac has not been without its challenges. We'll
undoubtedly face a lot more in the future. But what's most important is
that we've proven we have the strength to overcome adversity, in
whatever form it appears, and move forward.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln,
"The best way to predict your future is to create it."
As a City, we stand tall and proud. As your Mayor, be assured that your
Commission and I will continue to create a truly bright future for the
City of Tamarac.
Thank you.
8