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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-09-08 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC WORKSHOP MEETING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2003 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the Workshop Meeting of the City Commission to order on Monday, September 8, 2003, 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. EXCUSED FOR CAUSE: Commissioner Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco. ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, City Attorney Mitchell S. Kraft, Assistant City Manager Michael C. Cernech, and City Clerk Marion Swenson. Mayor Schreiber led the pledge of allegiance. 1. PRESENTATION BY CIVIC DESIGN FOR MAIN STREET PROJECT: Community Development Director J. Christopher King introduced Eric Liff of Lambert Advisory, and Jim Hill of Civic Design Associates. Community Development Director King said at the strategic planning session staff was instructed to move forward with the feasibility study. A meeting was held with property owners during the Commission's summer break, and today the final report is being presented. Mr. Hill gave a presentation on the overview of the study area, existing development, development potential, vacant lots, phasing of the plan, regulatory environment, current vested rights and property values. Commissioner Portner said it appears that the sale price of single family homes in Tamarac has increased 30% from 1998 to 2002, which makes Tamarac desirable. Mr. Liff added this is in line with the growth of the County and parallel to interest rates. Mr. Hill said the potential of Main Street will be driven by residential development with retail playing a supporting role. Commissioner Portner asked about the projected population of the area from University to 94t" Avenue and Commercial to 57t" Street, and Mr. Hill replied 400-500 housing units, with the rest being commercial. Mayor Schreiber asked if Mr. Hill foresaw parcels on Commercial between University and Pine Island being other than commercial use, and Mr. Hill replied ideally the uses would be maximized. Commissioner Sultanof added that the Post Office is on 57t" Street, as well as the new Tuscany development; the Caporella property will consist of 536 units, and there is a large parcel of land between Wendy's and the bank on Commercial, and on 57t" Street there are two houses of worship, an ALF and the schools. Commissioner Sultanof asked Mr. Hill if all that had been considered, and when the commercial use people were interviewed, what their feelings were about the plan. Mr. Hill said certain regulatory parameters would have to be put in place, and then discussed the area behind the Library and Communit� Center. There was discussion of promenades and pavilions on the south side of 57t Street, to encourage pedestrian activity. Commissioner Sultanof spoke of narrowing the medians, and said the community on the north side of 571" street wanted the City to build a wall for them. Mr. September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 1 Hill said this area would be harder to work on than other areas, and spoke about parking. Commissioner Portner said at the last meeting with Mr. Hill he asked about moving City Hall to this area; Mr. Hall said while this was considered, it is not recommended. Mr. Hill added currently the Jewish and Buddhist Temples do not fit within the proposed development mix, and if this plan takes off, their properties will become more valuable and they may find a good deal on property in a more quiet neighborhood. Mayor Schreiber said he did not think that would happen. The addition of a housing development would provide more members for the Jewish Temple, and he did not see why they would want to move somewhere else. Vice Mayor Roberts said there is no other place for them to move. City Manager Miller explained in the short term as development begins the Jewish and Buddhist Temples would remain where they are; down the line, in 10-15 years, that land will be very expensive and religious institutions may see it to their advantage to sell. Mr. Hill added that Broward County is running out of land, and being able to capture the opportunity is the key. Vice Mayor Roberts asked if any consideration had been given to the children; by doubling the density it would place more of a burden on the existing schools. Mr. Hill replied that Broward County looks at concurrency for new development, and different student generation is based on the type of units built. Broward is at a crossroads; growth is likely to continue but there is no reservoir of raw land. The approach to infill development and redevelopment needs to be reevaluated. Mayor Schreiber asked about the time element for the entire project and Mr. Hill said early development would be in 2-3 years. Vice Mayor Roberts said new residential developments would sell well due to the proximity to schools and shopping and Mayor Schreiber said it depends on the mortgage rates and the economy. Vice Mayor Roberts asked how the property owners foresaw this project when Mr. Hill met with them and he said they seemed interested; once discussion turned to intensified development, parking became an issue, and the City may need to give some future thought to a parking structure. Commissioner Sultanof spoke about City Place in West Palm Beach, and how it was developed. Mr. Hill said the key to that was critical mass and development by one entity. Mayor Schreiber suggested it would be in Tamarac's best interest to contact three or four developers to see where and how they would get involved to develop the plan. Community Development Director King added that when meetings were held with property owners several large developers who could easily participate in a master development scenario were in attendance. Now that the final report is done, staff would like to move into the second part of the phasing, development standards for an overlay development district, which includes zoning regulations, design for street furniture and lighting, and he hopes to have this done within one year from now, if not sooner. RFP's are ready to go out October Vt. We will continue to market the area, and at the same time hire a consultant to put together development regulations and amenities. Vice Mayor Roberts asked how this would affect the 57th street paving and renovation of the medians, as it has already been put off because the City was looking into this project. Community Development Director King said a temporary layer of asphalt would be put on the roads. September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 2 2. SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 AGENDA ITEMS: a. Item 6(c). AGREEMENT — TELECOMMUNICATIONS ANTENNA AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT: (TR10180) Executing a Site Lease Agreement with AT&T Wireless Service of Florida for the installation of a telecommunications antenna and associated equipment on the existing tower at Tamarac Sports Complex; authorizing the appropriate City Officials to execute any permit applications as may be required on behalf of the city as owner of the property. IT Director Levent Sucuoglu gave a presentation on the current sites and said the total revenue derived from the telecommunications antennas with the inclusion of AT&T would be about $385,000 per year. Vice Mayor Roberts asked what the new equipment would look like, and IT Director Sucuoglu said it would be as stealth as possible; we could ask them to do anything we desired. Vice Mayor Roberts suggested a flag pole, as there is not one there now. IT Director Sucuoglu said we are fortunate to co -locate on existing facilities. IT Director Sucuoglu explained that Item 6(c) on the consent agenda is a lease agreement with AT&T at Tamarac Sports Complex, which will generate $29,106 yearly with a 5% increase each year. This would be a panel around the existing pole on the existing tower. Item 6(d) on the consent agenda is an addendum to the agreement, whereby MetroPCS would recover half of what they paid Nextel. Commissioner Portner asked if Nextel would be leasing space to AT&T, and IT Director Sucuoglu replied the lease agreement is with the City; we own the tower. b. Item 6(d). ADDENDUM TO AGREEMENT - METROPCS - LEASE OF PROPERTY: (TR10221) Executing the first addendum to site lease agreement between City of Tamarac and MetroPCS California/Florida, Inc., for the lease of property for installation of a telecommunications antenna and associated equipment. C. Item 6(h). GRANT APPLICATION — DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTHGATE LINEAR PARK: (TR10228) Seeking grant funding in the amount of $200,000 from the Department of Environmental Protection through the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program for the development of Southgate Linear Park. Special Projects Coordinator Perron explained this is a grant application for the development of the Southgate Linear Park, in particular the winding road through the park, another large picnic pavilion and two smaller shaded, covered areas. Commissioner Portner asked if we have the funds for the match, and City Manager Miller said we do. Commissioner Sultanof asked if there is federal money available for the park since it is mandated that we have a certain number of acres per population. Special Projects Coordinator Perron responded the Land and Water Conservation Fund Program, to which we applied in March has tentatively awarded Tamarac $200,000, but we must provide a match. d. Item No. 6(i). FMIT PROPERTY AND CASUALTY PREMIUM FOR FY04: (TR10239) Renewal of Property, General Liability, Automobile Liability, Automobile Physical Damage and Workers' Compensation lines of coverage with the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust for a one (1) year period beginning October 1, 2003 at a cost of $1,017,030, and payment of any increase resulting from the annual premium audit. Human Resources Director Swanson said this is the annual renewal with FMIT for September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 3 insurances, and introduced Risk/Safety Manager Patty Tomaszewski. Risk/Safety Manager Tomaszewski gave a presentation and said she is pleased with the rates the City was quoted, given that in general insurance rates have risen considerably. Human Resources Director Swanson added that with each department working hard to become safety conscious, as well as the work of the safety committee and Risk/Safety Manager Tomaszewski's lead, there has been a change in the modifier from 1 to .81, which directly impacts the rates. Commissioner Sultanof said he is delighted, and asked if we are always in concert with the League of Cities to make sure we fall within the categories, and asked if they work with us. Risk/Safety Manager Tomaszewski said Tamarac gets a benefit from the League and over the past 1'/z years she has spent time working with the League, reducing reserves on closed claims. The incentive credits have amounted to $242,000 beyond our other discounts. Human Resources Director Swanson said Tamarac is making progress and moving in the right direction. e. Item No. 7. APPOINTING VOTING DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES' ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING AT THE CONGRESS OF CITIES IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: (TR10229) Appointing as the City of Tamarac's Voting Delegate to the National League of Cities' Annual Business Meeting at the Congress of Cities in Nashville, Tennessee; appointing as the City of Tamarac's Alternate Delegate to the National League of Cities' Annual Business Meeting at the Congress of Cities in Nashville, Tennessee; directing the City Clerk to send a copy of this Resolution to the National League of Cities. Commissioner Sultanof said he will not be able to attend the meeting, but suggested Commissioner Portner as the Voting Delegate with Mayor Schreiber as the Alternate Voting Delegate. Vice Mayor Roberts said she did not want to be a voting delegate and was not sure about whether Commissioner Flansbaum-Talabisco wanted to be a voting delegate or not. City Manager Miller said he spoke with Commissioner Flansbaum-Talabisco this morning and she did not address this item. It was agreed that Commissioner Portner would be selected as Voting Delegate and Mayor Schreiber Alternate Voting Delegate. f. Item No. 8. AMENDING CHAPTER 24 OF THE TAMARAC CODE — SECTION 24-71: (TO2018) Motion to adopt Ordinance on first reading amending Chapter 24 of the City of Tamarac Code of Ordinances entitled, "Zoning", Article II "Administration", Division 3 "Planning Board", Section 24-71 entitled "Review and Consideration of Variances and Appeals by the Planning Board", authorizing the City to obtain a fee for processing a variance application (Case No. 31-Z-03); providing for codification. Community Development Director J. Christopher King gave a presentation and explained this ordinance provides the Planning Board the ability to charge for variance cases brought before them. Vice Mayor Roberts asked if it would be the same fee as previously charged, and Mayor Schreiber said he felt it was excessive. Mayor Schreiber said he believed the code should be amended to provide that only architects, planning consultants, or those with construction background should be appointed to the Planning Board. Commissioner Sultanof said he thought when the Board of Adjustment was removed a caveat was placed in the ordinance that variances come before the commissioners. Community Development Director King said this was not so. Commissioner Sultanof asked who sits with the Planning Board with the ability to advise September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 4 them on their decisions. City Attorney Kraft said an appointed board has certain duties and authorities and it is not up to staff to change their decisions. Community Development Director King explained when the powers and duties of the Board of Adjustment were given to the Planning Board all variance requests are handled the same as other matters. Staff makes its recommendation based on expertise and past practice. The Assistant City Attorney is advisory to the board, and does help direct them. Mayor Schreiber asked why the fee for a variance is $2,000. Community Development Director King said the fee is to recoup the cost of staff time, research, mailings, and preparation of documentation. Mayor Schreiber said homeowners usually request variances and $2,000 is more of a penalty to them. Mayor Schreiber asked how many variances came before the board(s) this past year and Community Development Director King said two; one residential and one from a prospective business. Commissioner Portner asked about a two tier process, one for residential and one for commercial. City Attorney Kraft said that is not legal, and added that this ordinance does not set the fee. Vice Mayor Roberts said $2,000 to a homeowner is not a minor amount of money, and asked if there is any way it can be declared a hardship or the City Manager can reduce the fees. Community Development Director King said staff has been working on making sure residents can get through the process, but if they request a fee waiver they can come before the Commission. Vice Mayor Roberts questioned items 6(f) and 6(g) on the consent agenda, in particular, the fact that (g) is for a tipping fee increase and (f) is an increase to monthly service. Vice Mayor Roberts also questioned the increase in the cost of logo bags. Item 6(f). SINGLE FAMILY SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES RATE INCREASE: (TR10234) Authorizing an increase in the Single -Family Solid Waste Collection Services monthly rate from $16.56 to $17.31, effective October 1, 2003; authorizing an increase in the purchase price of City Logo Bags from $1.31 to $1.38, effective October 1, 2003. Item 6(g). MULTI -FAMILY SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES RATE INCREASE: (TR10235) Authorizing a tipping fee increase of $0.152 per cubic yard and a Consumer Price Index increase of 2.87% for Residential Multi -Family Solid Waste Collection Services, effective October 1, 2003. Public Works Director Strain said fees are tied to the tipping fee; when that goes up, everything else does. Project Manager (Solid Waste Recycling) D'Amato added that the backup contained the language Vice Mayor Roberts was questioning. Mayor Schreiber questioned item 6(e) on the consent agenda. Item 6(e). BID AWARD - FURNISH,, DELIVER AND DISCHARGE OF QUICKLIME: (TR10230) Awarding Bid 03-24B, "Furnish, Deliver and Discharge of Quicklime" to and executing an agreement with Chemical Lime Company of Alabama, Inc. for a period of one year with four (4) additional one-year renewal options, issued on behalf of the Southeast Florida Governmental Purchasing Cooperative. Mayor Schreiber said we did not want to give the current company a 6% increase, so we went out to bid, and wound up paying the same amount to the successful bidder, which was the same company we previously used. Mayor Schreiber asked where the backup was for the second and third bidders, September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 5 as the commission has a right to see this information. Finance Director Newman explained Tamarac is in a bid cooperative with other Broward cities, and on this item, Tamarac was the lead city. We tried to get the best deal for all the cities. Acting Purchasing/Contracts Manager Nicotra explained that this is a very difficult item to source, as there are very few companies in the southeast who provide this service. Every year the issue arises whether to re -bid because the low bidder wants more money than the contract allows for; there is a lack of competition in this area. Commissioner Partner asked what the other vendors bid, and Acting Purchasing/Contracts Manager Nicotra said other bids were higher. Vice Mayor Roberts explained that is why the backup must be included so the commission can make the comparisons. City Manager Miller said it appears that a new policy is being set; the commission wants to see the bid documents on all bidders. However, sometimes many bidders participate, which means a great deal of documentation. Commissioner Portner said he thought staff usually gave the commission several from which to choose, and City Manager Miller replied not on bids. Vice Mayor Roberts said she would just like to see who bid and the cost. Mayor Schreiber said he would like to see the successful bidder and the next two bidders in line. Vice Mayor Roberts said it is not necessary for all the bid documents, just a few lines of summary. City Manager Miller explained there is a summary sheet included in this backup, and it will be included in future backup documents, along with the price. Commissioner Portner questioned Item No. 10 on the regular agenda, and asked if the commission had to decide now what it was going to do. AMENDING CHAPTER 2 OF THE TAMARAC CODE — ARTICLE III CREATING DIVISION 14 ENTITLED "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: (TO2019) Motion to adopt Ordinance on second reading amending Chapter 2 of the City of Tamarac Code of Ordinances entitled, "Administration", Article III "Boards, Committees, Commissions", creating Division 14 entitled, "Economic Development Advisory Committee", Sections 2- 234.37 through 2-234.42 as provided herein to serve in an advisory capacity in matters relating to economic development within the City of Tamarac; providing for appointment of new board members and providing for specified duties (Case No. 32-Z-03); providing for codification. City Manager Miller said the committee must be formulated before any decisions would be made. 3. DISCUSSION REGARDING MEETING TIMES: Commissioner Portner asked the commission to consider `flip-flopping' the times of the meetings; holding the first meetings of the months in the morning and the second meetings of the months in the evening, beginning in October. City Attorney Kraft said this requires an ordinance to amend the code. Vice Mayor Roberts said she is not thrilled about it as she has meetings set up so they work around the commission meeting dates, and she cannot change some of the board and committee times. Mayor Schreiber said this affects all future meetings away from City Hall, to which Commissioner Partner replied this could begin in November if it would be more convenient. Mayor Schreiber asked the commission to think about this and come up with a response before the next commission meeting. September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 6 4. DISCUSSION REGARDING SENIOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION: Vice Mayor Roberts said she brought this up because many people asked about it. The first $10,000 went into affect this year. Vice Mayor Roberts said she had asked City Manager Miller and Assistant City Manager Cernech when we need to pass this additional amount if it is to take place next year, and she was informed it must be passed by December. Vice Mayor Roberts asked how the other commissioners feel about increasing the amount. Commissioner Sultanof said he is in favor of the full $25,000 Senior Homestead Exemption as long as the City can remain fiscally sound. He would like to see the numbers this November from the first $10,000 the commission approved. Commissioner Sultanof spoke about people having untaxable income that they are not required to report, and perhaps availing themselves of the Senior Homestead Exemption. Mayor Schreiber said we could approve the full $25,000 and if it does not work out we can then change it. Commissioner Sultanof said the commission should not give something and say if it doesn't work next year they will take it back. Vice Mayor Roberts said we could put off purchasing a fire truck for one year. Commissioner Portner agreed to put the full $25,000 into effect and wanted to do so immediately. Vice Mayor Roberts suggested placing the item on the next workshop agenda so that Commissioner Flansbaum-Talabisco could speak on it, and Mayor Schreiber agreed. There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Schreiber adjourned the workshop meeting at 11:25 a.m. Marion Swenson, CMC City Clerk September 8, 2003 City Commission Workshop 7