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Home My WebLink About2001-01-23 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2001 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the Workshop Meeting of the City Commission to order on Tuesday, January 23, 2001, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 105 of Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88t" Avenue, Tamarac, Florida. PRESENT: Mayor Joe Schreiber, Vice Mayor Karen L. Roberts, Commissioner Edward C. Portner, and Commissioner Marc L. Sultanof. ALSO PRESENT: Charter Board Chairperson Bert Buckley, Charter Board Member Harvey Kram, Charter Board Member Benjamin D. Hutt, Charter Board Member E. Lorna Bryan, City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, Assistant City Manager Tim Hemstreet, City Attorney Mitchell S. Kraft, and City Clerk Marion Swenson. ABSENT AND EXCUSED FOR CAUSE: Charter Board Vice -Chairperson, Marcia Kantorwitz. 1. DISCUSSION BETWEEN CITY COMMISSION AND CHARTER BOARD: City Manager Miller said he received correspondence from the Charter Board questioning recognition and the role of the Charter Board. Correspondence has been sent to the 0 Charter Board regarding the issue of recognition. At this time, the Commission and Charter Board should discuss the role of the Charter Board. Mayor Schreiber said the Charter Board's purview is to review the charter and make recommendations to the Commission, and asked for the Charter Board's input as to where they want to be. Mr. Buckley asked whether the Commission feels the Charter Board should remain an elected Board, and Mayor Schreiber said as long as there is no public outcry. Mr. Buckley said the Charter Board would like to be notified and consulted if the Commission is going to hold a public hearing for a referendum, and Commissioner Sultanof said the Charter Board should be included in the circle. Commissioner Sultanof said he is in favor of keeping things as they are until the Charter Board comes up with something different. Mr. Buckley said at the last meeting of the Charter Board the general consensus was to leave the Charter Board as it is. Ms. Bryan said the Charter Board needs more responsibility so it can work with the Commission, and the Charter Board needs to be recognized. Vice Mayor Roberts asked if the Charter Board's responsibilities and procedures are laid out in the Charter and City Attorney Kraft said they were. Vice Mayor Roberts said the voters changed the responsibilities of the Charter Board over the last several years and took away some powers of the Board. Vice Mayor Roberts said she had no problem with the Board continuing as an elected Board. Mr. Kram thanked the Commissioners for meeting with the Charter Board and said the Charter Board is an advisory group to the Commission. Tamarac is the only City in Florida with an elected Charter Board, and it is strictly an advisory board. Based on that function, Mr. Kram said he believes it should be an appointed board. Vice 0 Mayor Roberts asked how the Charter Board members feel, having been elected and getting no monetary reward, and Ms. Bryan said the citizens of Tamarac elected the January 23, 2001 City Commission Workshop 1 Charter Board because they wanted a voice. Commissioner Sultanof said there is only one government in Tamarac, the Mayor and Commission, and the Charter Board is an advisory Board. Commissioner Portner said he does not feel the need for an elected Charter Board; one member can be appointed from each district and one at large. Mr. Buckley said if the Charter Board was to be appointed, the Mayor and Commission could dictate when they are to meet, and Commissioner Portner said other boards select their own meeting times, and the Charter Board could have the same choices. Commissioner Sultanof asked about the Charter Board's ability to hold public hearings, and City Attorney Kraft explained the provision in the Charter. Commissioner Portner said he would like the Charter Board to review the entire Charter and come back to the Commission in six months with a report of their findings, but not in referendum form. Commissioner Sultanof asked the City Manager to make sure the Charter Board is recognized. 2. January 24. 2001 AGENDA ITEMS: a. Item 7(d). REMETERING AGREEMENT WITH AIMCO/OTC QRS, INC.: (TR9247) Accepting and executing a Remetering Agreement with AIMCO/OTC QRS, Inc., for the Boardwalk Apartments to allow remetering the water service for the purpose of allocation of the direct cost of water and sewer service among multiple users subject to the terms of the applicable developer's agreement and in accordance with City Code Section 22-30, "Limitations of Use". Utilities Director Raymond Gagnon and Support Services Manager Keith Wilder gave a presentation and introduced Bob Rathman, Manager for AIMCO. Mayor Schreiber asked if a lease could be arbitrarily changed if the water and sewer became a separate billing, and Mr. Rathman said existing leases cannot be changed, but when leases are renewed or new leases signed, an addendum is put in that when remetering occurs the tenant will be charged for water and sewer usage. Mayor Schreiber asked if the rent would be increased, and Mr. Rathman said it would not. Mr. Rathman explained raising the rent depends on market value. Vice Mayor Roberts asked how many apartment complexes in Tamarac have been remetered and Mr. Wilder said about three out of 66. Vice Mayor Roberts said it is costly, and expressed concern that the cost would be put to the renters. Mr. Rathman said the cost is absorbed by AIMCO, and increases in rent are market rates. Vice Mayor Roberts asked whether it would be costly to the City to send out individual water bills, and Mr. Rathman said one bill would be sent to AIMCO and a third party would bill the residents. The billing fee would be absorbed by AIMCO. b. Item 7(g) PURCHASE OF VEHICLES AND. CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT: (TR9229) Purchasing vehicles and construction equipment; authorizing an expenditure in an amount not to exceed $429,167.86 utilizing a variety of Governmental Purchasing Agreements including the Florida Sheriff's Association, United States General Services Administration, United States Defense Logistics Agency and the City of Punta Gorda, Florida. Assistant Public Works Director Mark Greenspan gave a presentation and said Tamarac needs construction equipment to function efficiently, and discussed the life of the equipment and the maintenance curve. There was discussion about cost of maintenance as a result of accident or general use, and auctioning used equipment. January 23, 2001 City Commission Workshop 2 1-1 C. Item 9. WATER RESTRICTIONS: (TO1919) Motion to adopt Ordinance on first reading creating Article VIII "Water Conservation Regulations", Section 22-300 through 22-309, in Chapter 22 "Utilities" of the City Code of Ordinances, providing for the establishment of permanent water conservation measures and implementation of a water shortage plan; providing for codification; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. Utilities Director Raymond Gagnon gave a presentation and said this is the worst drought to hit South Florida since 1961. There was discussion of phase II restrictions, water pressure, and the proposed ordinance providing for year-round restrictions for conservation purposes. Vice Mayor Roberts questioned the proposed prohibitions of sprinkling between the hours of 9:00 a.m. --- 5:00 p.m., and said she had received complaints about the City watering the medians between 4:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. Commissioner Portner questioned eliminating Section 7.2 of the executed agreement in Item 7(c) on the consent agenda. Item 7(c), UTILITY IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT - NW 44 TH STREET - LAUDERHILL: (TR9195) Accepting and executing a First Amendment to the agreement between Broward County and the City of Tamarac for the funding of utility improvements along NW 44th Street in the City of Lauderhill. City Attorney Kraft responded that there is no relation between the contractor and the City, so the County cannot require the contractor to indemnify the City. This is a change in state law. Commissioner Portner asked about drainage and Utilities Director Gagnon responded. Mayor Schreiber asked about appointments to the Investment Advisory Committee and City Clerk Swenson said the two new seats were advertised and the deadline for submitting applications is Friday, January 26th at 5:00 p.m. City Manager Miller said interviews for the District 2 seat are scheduled for Tuesday, January 30th beginning at 10:30 a.m., and suggested the Commission set time limits for each interview. Mayor Schreiber said 15 - 20 minutes for each interview would be sufficient. City Attorney Kraft said experience has shown that it would be better if staff were to develop questions for the candidates, and Vice Mayor Roberts said the same questions should be asked of each candidate. There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Schreiber adjourned the workshop meeting at 10:50 a.m. MARION SWE SON, CIVIC, CITY CLERK = January 23, 2001 City Commission Workshop 3 • Ll