HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-02-10 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC
CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2003
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the workshop meeting to order on Monday,
February 10, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 105 of Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88ch
Avenue, Tamarac, Florida.
PRESENT: Mayor Joe Schreiber, Vice Mayor Edward C. Portner, Commissioner
Gertrude Mishkin, Commissioner Marc L. Sultanof, and Commissioner Karen L.
Roberts.
ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, City Attorney Mitchell S. Kraft,
Assistant City Manager Michael C. Cernech, and City Clerk Marion Swenson.
FEBRUARY 12, 2003 AGENDA ITEMS:
a. Item 6(d). AUTHORIZING A FOUR -WEEK CONSECUTIVE PERIOD DURING
WHICH THE CITY COMMISSION WILL NOT SCHEDULE REGULAR MEETINGS:
(TR10032) Authorizing a four -week consecutive period (July 21, 2003 —.August 15,
2003) during which time the city commission will not schedule any regular meetings
pursuant to section 4.06 of the city charter. City Clerk Swenson gave a presentation
and there was an expression of interest to move forward with the selected dates.
b. Item 7. APPOINTING ONE MEMBER TO THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO
FILL A VACANCY: (TR10031) Appointing one regular member to the Board of
Adjustment to complete a three year term expiring July 16, 2005.
C. Item 8. AMENDING CHAPTER 24 OF THE TAMARAC CODE - BOARD OF
ADJUSTMENT: (TO1996) Motion to adopt Ordinance on first reading amending
Chapter 24 of the Tamarac Code entitled "Zoning", by deleting in its entirety Article II
"Administration", Division 2, `Board of Adjustment", Section 24-36 entitled "Creation;
members"; Section 24-37 entitled "Terms; removal of members; vacancies"; Section 24-
38 entitled "Officers; rules of procedure; records; meetings"; Section 24-39 entitled
"Funding; expenditures; application fees"; Section 24-40 entitled "Powers and duties
generally"; Section 24-41 entitled "Review of administrative orders, requirements, etc.";
Section 24-42 entitled "Appeals from decisions of administrative officials — generally";
Section 24-43 entitled "Same — stay of work and proceedings"; Section 24-44 entitled
"Same — hearing; costs"; Section 24-45 entitled "Judicial review of board's decisions";
providing for sunsetting of the Board of Adjustment; providing for codification; providing
for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date. City Clerk
Swenson gave a combined presentation on Items 1(b) and 1(c). After discussion, the
Commission expressed an interest in sunsetting the Board of Adjustment effective 30
days after Mr. Goldberg's resignation, (February 20, 2003). The Commission's decision
to sunset the Board of Adjustment effective February 20, 2003 voided the necessity of
moving forward with Item 1(b), Temporary Resolution 10031, which will be pulled from
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the agenda on Wednesday evening. City Clerk Swenson will amend Temporary
Ordinance 1996 to reflect the Commissions' wishes.
d. Item 6(f). AUTOMATIC AID AGREEMENT BETWEEN TAMARAC AND
NORTH LAUDERDALE: (TR10028) Executing an interlocal agreement between the
City of Tamarac and the City of North Lauderdale, allowing for the provision of
cooperative emergency medical and fire protection services through automatic aid.
Chief Budzinski gave a presentation. Commissioner Roberts asked about the
difference between automatic aid and mutual aid, and Chief Budzinski explained it is a
timing difference; mutual aid -the local unit must be on the scene first; automatic aid —
the closest unit responds. Vice Mayor Partner asked about the station on State Road
441 and Bailey Road, and Chief Budzinski said Tamarac operates that station. Vice
Mayor Portner spoke about smallpox vaccinations and asked if any decision has been
made with regard to our first responders. Chief Budzinski said no decision has been
made yet. Vice Mayor Portner asked if the vaccination is taken voluntarily, and the
disease is contracted, would medical insurance kick in, and Chief Budzinski said he did
not know at this point.
e. Item 6(g). AGREEMENT — 577H STREET TAMARAC/MAIN STREET
PROGRAM FEASIBILITY STUDY: (TR10034) Executing an agreement between the
City of Tamarac and Civic Design Associates, LLC for the preparation and completion of
the 57th Street Tamarac/Main Street Program Feasibility Study to determine the
appropriateness of establishing a Main Street Program along the portion of NW 57th
Street located west of University Drive and east of NW 94th Avenue in the City of
Tamarac in accordance with LOI 03-03L entitled "57th Street Tamarac/Main Street
Program" (Case No. 2-MI-03). Community, Development Director King gave a
presentation and introduced Jim Hill of Civic Design Associates, LLC. Mr. Hill gave a
presentation regarding the upcoming feasibility study. Commissioner Roberts said
before we move forward with the project she .wants to know if it is warranted for
Tamarac. Mayor Schreiber said the key is to decide what we want to have and then
what we can have. Mr. Hill said it is also important to get community input.
Commissioner Sultanof spoke about Tamarac's changing demographics, the need for a
downtown area and establishing a Tamarac landmark. Vice Mayor Partner questioned
the amount of input from the Commission, how this study fits in with the study previously
done for the Commercial Boulevard project, and said he would like City Hall relocated to
57th Street. Community Development Director King said the previous study would be
taken into consideration. There was a unanimous expression of interest to move
forward with the feasibility study.
Commissioner Roberts questioned the 30-day notification in Temporary Ordinance
1982, AMENDING CHAPTER 10 OF THE TAMARAC CODE — RELEASE OF PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENT BONDS: (TO1982) Motion to adopt Ordinance on second reading
amending Chapter 10, entitled, "Land Development Regulations", Article V entitled,
"Improvements", Division 1 entitled, "Generally", Section 10-156, entitled, "Public
Improvement Bonds", adding the Director of Utilities where applicable, amending the
requirement for acceptance of engineering improvements by resolution of the City
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Commission to require acceptance of engineering improvements by City Engineer or
Director of Utilities, amending the requirement for the City Engineer to recommend to
the City Commission the acceptance of engineering improvements and release of the
improvement bond to require the City Engineer or Director of Utilities to recommend to
the City Manager or designee the acceptance of improvements and release of the bond,
and removing the requirement for placing bond release items on the Commission
agenda for discussion and possible action; amending Chapter 10 entitled, "Land
Development Regulations", Article V entitled, "Improvements", Division 2 entitled
"Roads and public rights -of -way", Section 10-191, entitled, "Street lighting"; amending
the requirement for the Commission to release the public improvement bond to require
the City Manager or designee to release the public improvement bond; providing for
codification. Assistant Director of Utilities Doherty explained the commission would be
notified of a pending release 30 days prior to the release of the bond. The notification
would go to the City Manager's Office and from there to the City Commission.
Commissioner Roberts questioned whether the City Engineer is still involved in the
process, and Assistant Director of Utilities Doherty said he is.
2. DISCUSSION — MONTEREY GOLF COURSE: Assistant City Manager Cernech
gave a presentation and asked for an expression of interest for staff to submit a grant
application to Broward County for the purchase of the golf course, as well as an
expression of interest to seek proposals from appropriate service providers for
appraisals for the golf course and a feasibility study to operate the property as a golf
course. Assistant City Manager Cernech also said discussion was needed to determine
how this fits into the long range projections of the strategic plan. Mayor Schreiber said
there are no restrictions on the property; if we do not want to continue the use for a golf
course we need to see how much we can get from the County and what the best use of
the property will be, plus we need to investigate the impact on the surrounding
neighborhood. Assistant City Manager Cernech asked for an expression of interest to
authorize the City Manager to begin discussions with the owner of the golf course to
establish a more realistic price. Assistant City Manager Cernech said economic
conditions indicate a need for more rounds of golf, and added that the golf course would
need to be self-sufficient to continue as a golf course and be a viable option. Assistant
City Manager Cernech said this would be discussed at the planning retreat scheduled
for the spring. The property consists of approximately 60 acres, plus two residential lots
owned by the golf course. Input would be needed from the neighborhood.
Commissioner Roberts asked about the cost for the feasibility study, and Assistant City
Manager Cernech said he did not have the figures at this time, however, this is less
complicated than other studies recently done. Commissioner Mishkin asked if
membership or special rates are attached to the maintenance fee for people living in the
vicinity, and Assistant City Manager Cernech responded in the negative. Vice Mayor
Portner said another recreation facility or a community center on the east side of
Tamarac is highly desirable, and asked the City Manager to look into an option. Vice
Mayor Portner said the cost of the property goes up each year and he is desirous of
purchasing the property. Mayor Schreiber said the City needs to move forward
cautiously as it is tax payers' money they are using. Commissioner Sultanof suggested
the information would be brought back to the commissioners in two weeks and he is not
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adverse to a golf course, but wants to get the full picture. Mayor Schreiber said we
should not be involved in these types of enterprises; the municipality 'should provide
activities to the people with their tax dollars, and golf is a small part of the entire matter
— the question is the use of the facility. Commissioner Roberts said she would like to
see all options, but knowing how land is going so quickly, we need to look hard at this
land and with the County coming up with another round of grants, Tamarac needs to get
in on them. There was an expression of interest for a report to be brought back before
the Commission.
3. DISCUSSION — UPDATE RE: SOUTHGATE LINEAR PARK: Assistant Parks
and Recreation Director Warner gave a presentation. Mayor Schreiber spoke of a
barrier to keep children from failing into the canal. Commissioner Roberts said parents
must take responsibility for their children. Assistant Parks and Recreation Director
Warner responded this will be addressed in the design components, and Veterans Park
has a similar situation where they included a fishing/viewing platform. Commissioner
Sultanof questioned the observation deck on the overpass, and Parks and Recreation
Director Margoles said the plan is to ultimately connect this side with the Everglades
and opportunities will be developed to view the Everglades. Assistant Parks and
Recreation Director Warner spoke about traffic lanes being changed from four lanes to
two. Vice Mayor Portner asked when the next two public meetings would take place
and the distance from Nob Hill Road to the Sawgrass. Parks and Recreation Director
Margoles said the next meeting would be in late February or early March, and the
distance is about 1.5 miles. Vice Mayor Portner suggested creation of a board for
public art projects, and Parks and Recreation Director Margoles said at some point in
the future this would be a good idea, and she is in the process of creating a public art
policy. Parks and Recreation Director Margoles asked that the entire commission be
present at future public meetings.
4. DISCUSSION — TAMARAC TRANSIT: Mayor Schreiber said we need to get
people to ride the buses or inform them that if they do not support the bus system the
buses will be removed. Parks and Recreation Director Margoles gave a presentation.
Commissioner Roberts said part of the problem is that people in the blue zone do not
know about the buses and also that the buses do not run on weekends. Parks and
Recreation Director Margoles offered the use of her staff to go to the various
associations and address concerns about using the bus service. If residents do not
start using the service we will be in violation of our contract with Broward County and
may lose our buses. Commissioner Mishkin suggested publicizing the information in
the Tam -A -Gram and Sun -Sentinel. Commissioner Sultanof asked the ridership age,
and Parks and Recreation Director Margoles said it is exclusively senior citizens.
5. DISCUSSION — UPDATE RE: BSO CRIME STATISTICS: Discussion and
update regarding BSO crime statistics. Mayor Schreiber said due to time constraints he
would like to have this item moved to the next commission workshop.
Commissioner Roberts asked BSO Chief Dugger why the Commission was not notified
of the new truancy officer, and also the Commission should have been notified of the
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problem with the sexual offender in the Tamarac area. BSO Chief Dugger replied the
notification of the new truancy officer was an oversight; the juvenile officer requested a
transfer to another location. Regarding the sex offender, the information is forwarded to
the Mayor and Commissioners through the City Manager's office.
There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Schreiber
adjourned the workshop meeting at 11:40 a.m.
Marion Swenson, CIVIC
City Clerk
February 10, 2003
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