HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-04-20 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC
CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING
MONDAY APRIL 20, 2009
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco called the workshop meeting to
order at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2009, in Room 105, Tamarac City Hall,
7525 NW 88 Avenue, Tamarac, FL 33321.
PRESENT: Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco, Vice Mayor Patricia Atkins -Grad,
Commissioner Pamela Bushnell, Commissioner Diane Glasser, and
Commissioner Harry Dressler.
ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, Assistant City Attorney Julie
Klahr, Deputy City Manager/Interim Financial Services Director Michael C.
Cernech, and City Clerk Marion Swenson.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco led the pledge of allegiance.
1. Item No. 8 on the Regular Agenda. JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT:
(TR11601) A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida
authorizing the appropriate City officials to file an application through the Broward
Sherrifl's Office accepting 2009 grant funding in the amount of $83,986 from the
U.S. Department of Justice through the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
with no match required by the City to enhance crime prevention and law
enforcement programs; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and
providing for an effective date. Lt. Wood, Executive Officer, BSO, Assistant City
Manager Phillips and Management Analyst II Hughes appeared. Assistant City
Manager Phillips spoke of grants and stimulus money, Management Analyst
Hughes spoke of deadlines and the fact that we have three years to spend the
funds, and Lt. Wood, Executive Officer, BSO spoke of the four projects with
regard to BSO. Assistant City Manager Phillips added there will be a public
hearing on this item at Wednesday's meeting. Commissioner Dressler asked if
categories are stipulated or chosen from a list and Assistant City Manager
Phillips said there are broad categories and our projects fit within certain
parameters. Commissioner Glasser questioned additional personnel for high
crime areas, as well as the use of the funding for special duty police. Lt. Wood,
Executive Officer, BSO said the advantage of contracting with BSO is the ability
to draw on resources from across the county. Vice Mayor Atkins -Grad spoke of
surveillance security for the skate board park and the fact that Tamarac has less
graffiti than other cities. Commissioner Bushnell questioned whether the
application could be disapproved and use of some of the funding for the COPS
program. Assistant City Manager Phillips explained BSO's grant writer is working
on the application for the entire county; and we are confident our uses will be
acceptable. The COPS program falls under another venue. Mayor Flansbaum-
Talabisco asked when the skate park will open and Assistant City Manager
Phillips said the CIP committee will meet to time out the project; we have three
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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years to obligate the funds in this grant and if we determine the skate park falls
outside that window we can obligate these funds to other uses. Mayor
Flansbaum-Talabisco said if the funds are not used for the skate park she would
like to see them obligated to special detail for BSO.
2. Item No. 7 on the Regular Agenda: 2nd AMENDMENT CDBG FY 2008-2009
ACTION PLAN: (TR11954) A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of
Tamarac, Florida approving an amendment to the projects recommended for
inclusion in the fiscal year 2008 Annual Action Plan for expenditure of the U.S
Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block
Grant funds estimated to be $418,811 for the ninth program year (Case No 08-
MI-09)' providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an
effective date. Community Development Director Bramley and Housing
Administrator Bauldree appeared. Community Development Director Bramley
gave a presentation and said the strategy on the original action plan was for
Fitness in the Park; however the program has not begun yet and there has been
an increased demand for social services. This amendment allots the $3,020
from the Fitness in the Park program to Social Services Counseling.
3, Item No.9 on the Regular Agenda. SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS/PERMITTED
USES ORDINANCE: (T02174) Motion to adopt ordinance on first
reading amending Chapter 24, Section 24-1 "Definitions", Article IV, "Exceptions
And Modifications" and Section 24-434 "Permitted Uses Master List" for
Churches and Places of Worship providing for consistency with the Florida
Statutes; providing for codification; providing for conflicts; providing for
severability; and proving for an effective date. Community Development Director
Bramley gave a presentation. Vice Mayor Atkins -Grad spoke of sidewalk sales
and special exceptions for restaurants having outside seating. Commissioner
Bushnell questioned the difference between B-1 and B-2 zoning and Community
Development Director Bramley explained. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco asked
Community Development Director Bramley to define the various business district
zonings and Community Development Director Bramley read from the Code of
Ordinances. City Manager Miller explained B-1 zoning districts are located within
close proximity to neighborhoods, and there is sensitivity associated with the
types of businesses in this zoning district. Commissioner Glasser expressed
concern regarding the number of religious organizations that might be allowed in
any one shopping center/mall, as we are losing businesses in Tamarac and she
feels we should encourage landlords to rent their facilities to businesses other
than religious organizations. Businesses feed off one another and look at the
prospective location to see what other businesses are there and the activity
generated during the week. City Manager Miller discussed the advantages of the
ordinance proposed and the fact that the final decisions rest with the Mayor and
City Commission as far as allowing more than one religious organization in a
shopping center; Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco agreed. Commissioner Dressler
said he does not agree with, but understands, Commissioner Glasser's concern,
and questioned whether religious organizations coming into shopping centers are
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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exempt from property tax. City Manager Miller said he would have staff research
the matter of business license fees and come back with an answer on
Wednesday; however, he believed the onus was on the landlord to pay the
property taxes. Assistant City Attorney Klahr confirmed City Manager Miller's
statement and added it is the landlord's responsibility to pay property taxes, with
the exemption of the square footage allotted to the religious organization. Mayor
Flansbaum-Talabisco spoke about code issues on various properties and asked
Community Development Director Bramley to draft a glossary of terms common
to this type of matter.
4. Item No. 6 (c) on the Consent Agenda. UTILITY ID THEFT PREVENTION
PROGRAM: (TR11596) A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of
Tamarac Florida, adopting the Identity Theft Prevention Program for the City of
Tamarac Water and Sewer Utility; providing for conflicts; providing for
severability; and providing for an effective date. Parks and Recreation Director
Warner and Community Services Manager Maldonado appeared. Director of
Parks and Recreation Warner gave a presentation and said this program
satisfies the ID Theft Red Flag Rule established by the FTC. Community
Services Manager Maldonado spoke on the specifics of the program and the
procedures and training we will use to comply with the Rule. Commissioner
Dressler questioned whether data on laptops are encrypted and whether e-mail
messages are encrypted. I.T. Director Sucuoglu explained data is not; however,
we do not store information on the laptops, and the a -mails are not encrypted but
are processed through secure transaction methods.
5. Item No. 6(b) on the Consent Agenda. WAIVER OF BUILDING
DEPARTMENT'S PERMIT FEES FOR INSTALLATION OF WATER
CONSERVATION DEVICES: (TR11591) A Resolution of the City Commission of
the City Of Tamarac, Florida authorizing a waiver of Building Department's
Permit Fees for the installation of water conservation retrofit devices,
fixtures, and appurtenances as a part of any South Florida Water Management
District's Water Savings Incentive Program; providing for conflicts; providing for
severability; and providing for an effective date. Chief Building Official/Director
Grande and Utilities Director Gagnon appeared. Director of Utilities Gagnon
gave a presentation and said the program has been expanded since 2003.
Commissioner Dressler said he is in agreement with waiving the permit fees.
Commissioners Glasser and Bushnell questioned provisions to make sure
licensed contractors install low flow toilets where requested and Building Director
Grande said there are still required inspections. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco
asked how residents will be made aware of this and Director of Utilities Gagnon
said they will be informed at the time of application, but we can also add this
information to our advertisements.
6. DISCUSSION REGARDING APPOINTING A DIRECTOR, ALTERNATE
AND SECOND ALTERNATE TO ATTEND AND VOTE AT ANY BOARD OF
DIRECTORS OR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING OF THE BROWARD
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LEAGUE OF CITIES: City Clerk Swenson gave a presentation. After
discussion, there was an expression of interest by the Mayor and City
Commission to appoint Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco as Director, Commissioner
Glasser as Alternate and Commissioner Bushnell as 2"d Alternate. All were in
agreement.
Assistant City Attorney Klahr said TR 11608, approving and accepting the
Second Amendment to the Interlocal Agreement Between Broward County and
the City of Tamarac for Service Area 33 — citywide single -unit and multi -unit
housing rehabilitation and temporary relocation in the amount of $723,804.00 as
part of the 2005 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery
Initiative from the Florida Department of Community Affairs, attached hereto as
Exhibit "A"; authorizing the appropriate city officials to take any and all steps
necessary to execute the second amendment and effectuate the present and
future intent of this resolution, will be added to Wednesday's agenda. The
deadline has been extended to November giving us additional time to expend the
funds.
Assistant City Attorney Klahr said with regard to the NSP program, a number of
employees have applied for and have been processed for assistance. In order to
prevent a conflict of interest and to provide full disclosure, Assistant City Attorney
Klahr read the following names of employees who have applied and been
approved for this assistance into the record: Michael Cain, Laszlo Szucs, Moses
Pineda, Alecia Sinclair, Teresa Backer, and Robert Colangelo.
Assistant City Attorney Klahr reported the Florida League of Cities has advised
us that no cities in Broward County were in opposition to the Growth
Management legislation. However, that is incorrect, as Tamarac and a few other
cities in Broward County have adopted legislation opposing the Growth
Management legislation which is currently before the State legislators. Assistant
City Attorney Klahr asked the Mayor and City Commission what action they
would like to take to rectify this matter. Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco questioned
the easiest and most direct way to handle this and Assistant City Attorney Klahr
responded both directly and through the FLC. All were in agreement to send
notice directly to the legislature and also through the FLC.
Assistant City Attorney Klahr informed the Mayor and City Commission that on
Wednesday, City Attorney Goren will provide a legislative update with regard to
legislation in connection with homesteaded properties and declining values.
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco spoke of an article in the New York Times regarding
the Florida Legislature and a new voting bill.
Commissioner Dressler said he received an e-mail regarding language missing
from the canine legislation; Assistant City Attorney Klahr said she is aware of the
e-mail and explained the woman who spoke in favor of the ordinance at the last
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Commission meeting expected a change in the ordinance; however there is no
need to add language regarding a time frame within which to bring these matters
before the Special Magistrate, as it is covered in other areas of the Code, and
Broward County also has their own quick methods of enforcement.
There being no further business to come before the Mayor and City Commission,
Mayor Flansbaum-Talabisco adjourned the workshop meeting at 10:55 a.m.
Marion Swenson, CMS
City Clerk
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Monday, April 20, 2009
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