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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-02-11 - City Commission Workshop Meeting MinutesCITY OF TAMARAC CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING FEBRUARY 11, 2002 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Schreiber called the Workshop Meeting of the City Commission to order on Monday, February 11, 2002, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 105 of Tamarac City Hall, 7525 NW 88th Avenue, Tamarac, Florida. PRESENT: Mayor Joe Schreiber, Vice Mayor Marc L. Sultanof, Commissioner Edward C. Portner, Commissioner Gertrude Mishkin, and Commissioner Karen L. Roberts. ALSO PRESENT: City Manager Jeffrey L. Miller, City Attorney Mitchell S. Kraft, Assistant City Manager Michael Cernech, and City Clerk Marion Swenson. 1. REPORT ON THE MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT REGARDING POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF ANY FUTURE EXPANSION OF THE FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT: Commissioner Portner asked why Mr. McKaye was not timely notified about this morning's meeting and Community Development Director King apologized for the late notification. Community Development Director King introduced Airport Advisory Board Member John McKaye and Executive Airport Manager William Crouch. Mr. Crouch introduced Mark Cervasio, Assistant Manager of the Airport, and gave a presentation on the airport expansion plan. Mr. Crouch explained that consultants are required to review the demand on the facility and try to balance the needs of the airport with that of the community. Mr. Crouch said the airport has a $300 million per year economic impact and is the sixth busiest general aviation airport in the country. Mr. Cervasio gave a presentation on alternatives being considered, and Mayor Schreiber asked if any decisions had been made and what the affect would be on Tamarac. Mr. Crouch said no decisions have been made. Commissioner Portner questioned the number of take -offs and landings, and Mr. Crouch said there are currently 260,000 per year with 273,000 projected in the next 20 years. Vice Mayor Sultanof asked about annexing land, airport funding, and hours of operation, and Mr. Crouch said one of the alternatives involves annexation but he does not feel it will survive the process. The airport is a self-sufficient enterprise fund of Ft. Lauderdale and there are user fee funds for capital programs that come through the federal government. Mr. McKaye said he attended Airport Advisory Board meetings on behalf of Tamarac and he will not allow 250 homes in the Boulevards to be taken for expansion of the airport. Discussion was held on noise levels. Commissioner Portner questioned the glide path and Mr. Cervasio said it may be raised from 2% to 3%. Mayor Schreiber asked about the timeline and Mr. Crouch said the master plan should be completed by October or November, an implementation schedule devised, and then FAA approval could take another 6 months. The Commission moved out of the regular order of business to take up item #4. February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop 1 4. DISCUSSION OF PROPOSAL FROM THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL REGARDING THE CITY OF TAMARAC DE -ANNEXATION OF 64TH AVENUE: Assistant City Manager Michael C. Cernech gave a presentation and said Public Works received several complaints from Lauderhill residents regarding maintenance of 64th Avenue. While Tamarac maintains 64th Avenue and the right-of-way, the street does not service Tamarac residents. The City of Lauderhill proposed that Tamarac de -annex the street and Lauderhill will plant a hedge behind the Pepper trees, and when the hedge roots, remove the trees. Assistant City Manager Cernech said staff agrees with the proposal but is concerned about removal of the Pepper tree buffer and the affect on the golf course and neighborhood. Commissioner Roberts said Tamarac does not use this street and we should go forward with the proposal. City of Lauderhill Commissioner Lee Mirsky said the proposal would enhance both cities; the Pepper trees are invasive and cause flooding. Mayor Schreiber questioned the drainage program for Woodlands and Public Works Director Verma said this is a separate project. Discussion was held on the drainage ditch along 64th Avenue and Mayor Schreiber said Tamarac should check with the district to see if, in fact, we are able to transfer this property to Lauderhill. In the meantime if it is the city's responsibility to maintain the ditch, Tamarac will do so. Mayor Schreiber instructed City Manager Miller to continue negotiations while awaiting information from the district regarding the ditch. City Manager Miller advised that County Commissioner Lori Parrish will be at the City Commission meeting on Wednesday evening to speak on the relationship between the county and Tamarac. 2. FEBRUARY 13, 2002 AGENDA ITEMS: a. Item No. 8(d): CONTRACT AWARD - PUMP STATIONS 9, 13, 25 AND 34 REHABILITATION PROJECT: (TR9629) Awarding Bid No. 02-01 B to, and executing a contract with, the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, Azurix North America, for an amount of $412,668.51 for Pump Stations 9, 13, 25 and 34 Rehabilitation Project; and approving funding for this project from the appropriate utilities operational and CIAC Accounts; authorizing the appropriate City officials to administer the contract. Assistant Director of Utilities John Doherty gave a presentation and noted the electrical panels will be done in-house at a savings of $160,000. Mayor Schreiber questioned the provision for change orders, and City Manager Miller said change orders are part of the construction business. Vice Mayor Sultanof spoke about construction bids and unforeseen problems. Utilities Director Gagnon said it is standard practice for contracts to have change order provisions and the city's intent is to bring this job in under bid. b. Item No. 8(g): I & I WASTEWATER FLOW EVALUATION OF BROWARD COUNTY OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PUMP STATION 455: (TR9657) Executing Task Authorization No. 02-01 with Eckler Engineering, to provide design, bidding, permitting and construction documents for an I & I Wastewater Flow Evaluation of Broward County Office of Environmental Services Pump Station 455, in accordance with the City's Consulting Engineering Agreement as authorized by Resolution #R-2001- 185, in an amount not to exceed $20,600.00; approving funding from the appropriate February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop 2 budgeted Utilities Operational account; authorizing the appropriate city officials to administer the contract. Utilities Director Ray Gagnon gave a presentation and said this item is a result of the city's disagreement with the county on the reported wastewater flow charges. Commissioner Mishkin asked if we have recourse for past charges and Utilities Director Gagnon said recourse would be pursued. C. Item No. 8(h): AGREEMENT - STATE OF FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - COMMERCIAL BOULEVARD PROJECT: (TR9660) Accepting and executing an agreement with State of Florida Department of Transportation for funding the relocation of underground utility to eliminate conflicts along Commercial Boulevard from Florida's Turnpike to NW 31st Avenue for a total contract amount of $116,840; approving funding for this project from the appropriate Utilities accounts including the appropriation of $116,840 from Retained Earnings. Utilities Engineer Tony Rabbat gave a presentation and said staff recommends the project be done by the state, which would be coordinated with the roadwork. d. Item No. 8(f): FOUR -WEEK CONSECUTIVE PERIOD DURING WHICH THE CITY COMMISSION WILL NOT SCHEDULE ANY REGULAR MEETINGS IN 2002: (TR9665) Authorizing a four -week consecutive period (July 22, 2002 — August 16, 2002) during which the City Commission will not schedule any regular meetings pursuant to Section 4.06 of the City Charter. City Clerk Marion Swenson gave a presentation. The Mayor and Commission agreed to the time period specified. Commissioner Roberts noted that the Broward League of Cities would be meeting August 14-16. Commissioner Portner said he did not receive the back-up for Items 8(i), 80), and 8(k) on the consent agenda and Item 9 on the regular agenda until this morning, and having not read the back-up, no action should be taken. Item 80). EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ASSISTANCE TRUST FUND COMPETITIVE GRANT APPLICATION: (TR9681) Seeking grant funding from the Florida Department of Community Affairs Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance Competitive Grant Program in the amount of $200,000 for the construction of the Emergency Operations Center; providing for a City match in cash and in kind. Item 8(k). EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ASSISTANCE TRUST FUND MUNICIPAL GRANT APPLICATION: (TR9682) Seeking grant funding from the Florida Department of Community Affairs Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance Municipal Grant Program in the amount of $50,000 for the acquisition of Emergency Preparedness Communications Equipment; providing for a city match of in cash and in kind. Assistant to the City Manager Diane Phillips gave a presentation on Items 80) and 8(k) and noted these resolutions are necessary to get more points for purposes of scoring the applications approved by the Commissioners at their last meeting. Discussion was held regarding delaying the items and the consensus was to proceed at this time. Mayor Schreiber requested that back-up to agenda items be made available as soon as possible. February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop 3 Item 8(i). EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES - FINANCE DIRECTOR: (TR9677) Negotiating and executing an agreement between the City of Tamarac and the selected firm to conduct an executive search for Finance Director, for an amount not to exceed $20,000; approving the appropriate budgetary transfer of funds. Personnel Director Swanson apologized for getting this item to the Commission after the agenda packets were distributed, but it was important that this item appear on the agenda since interviews with the top three firms are scheduled for Thursday of this week. Personnel Director Swanson said it is not expected that the full amount of $20,000 will be used. Staff felt it would be better to broaden the search outside the local area for this position and the top three firms do have a national focus. Vice Mayor Sultanof asked about using the job line on the website and Personnel Director Swanson responded that using a firm with national contacts gives us a wider range from which to choose. Mayor Schreiber asked if a survey had been done of municipalities to find out how much finance directors are being paid and Personnel Director Swanson said pay is not always the main or only issue. Commissioner Portner questioned if there would be a great loss of time by putting this on the next agenda and asked how long we have been without a finance director. Personnel Director Swanson said another two weeks would be lost by waiting until the next agenda and we have been without a finance director since the beginning of January. Commissioner Portner spoke about the number of finance directors Tamarac has had in the last few years, and Commission Roberts said we need to find the person with the right fit for Tamarac. Commissioner Roberts said she would like to see a CPA fill the position and asked to see the applicants' qualifications for the position. Commissioner Mishkin spoke about people who have lost their jobs due to the events of September 111n. 3. UPDATE AND DISCUSSION REGARDING CONDITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES AFFECTING WESTWOOD 24: Utilities Director Ray Gagnon gave a presentation and said complaints had been analyzed through water quality and quantity testing, and it was determined that approximately 16,000 feet of pipe needs to be cleaned. Utilities Director Gagnon said this is not a health issue, but instead a preemptive measure. The process to clean the pipe, called pigging, can be completed in a month and will improve and restore the original flow. Replacing the water mains would take 3 years and be a great inconvenience. Commissioner Roberts questioned the affect on paving Southgate Boulevard and when work could begin. Utilities Director Gagnon said the work would be contracted out and there would be minor disruption to Southgate Boulevard. Commissioner Portner asked if a liner could be installed instead of pigging and Utilities Director Gagnon said it would be impractical at this time. Mayor Schreiber asked if the item would be brought forward to the Commission and Utilities Director Gagnon responded in the affirmative. Commissioner Roberts said the school board will meet regarding boundaries and Middle School II will be included. Tamarac Elementary and Challenger Elementary will feed into the new middle school. Commissioner Roberts added that at the Task Force meeting Tamarac and Challenger Elementary discussed support for purchasing land for High School FFF and a petition has been put together. February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop 4 Mayor Schreiber called a recess at 11:40 a.m. Mayor Schreiber reconvened the Workshop meeting at 2:30 p.m. with everyone present as before. 5. DISCUSSION OF MARKETING STRATEGY FOR THE STATE ROAD 7 PROPERTIES: Community Development Director J. Christopher King said he was given a directive from the City Manager, pursuant to a commission request to look into alternatives other than a CRA for redevelopment efforts on the east side of Tamarac. Mayor Schreiber said the problem is run-down shopping centers that need to be spruced up and asked if we are prepared to help or stimulate them to renovate. Community Development Director King said financial assistance from the Commission is not being requested at this time. Economic Development Manager Tammy Reed - Holguin gave a presentation and said the area mirrors the CRA area and is approximately one mile long, with 64 properties covering 68 acres, and is 94% developed. Economic Development Manager Reed -Holguin reviewed conditions indicating need for redevelopment, redevelopment initiatives, private investment, customer base, consumer spending patterns and the five shopping centers within the corridor. Discussion was held regarding the shopping centers' lease and vacancy rates. Mayor Schreiber asked about the movement throughout Broward County to change ordinances to upgrade occupants along the corridor and Economic Development Manager Reed -Holguin responded that this collaborative effort has not yet been undertaken. Commissioner Roberts spoke about design guidelines and facade renovations for businesses in Tamarac along State Road 7, and Commissioner Portner said there is an effort afoot to come up with a uniform look throughout the cities. Vice Mayor Sultanof spoke about John Ruff's movement to rehabilitate SR7 starting in Plantation and extending north through the state. Economic Development Manager Reed -Holguin said the first steps are to draw on the customer base and spur further interest from the private sector. Discussion was held regarding Sunshine Plaza. Vice Mayor Sultanof spoke about approaching owners and forming partnerships. City Manager Miller spoke about the Real Estate Investment Trust and bringing in big investors to see if they might have an interest in purchasing and renovating the centers. Vice Mayor Sultanof referenced the Fort Lauderdale Realty Association's movement in Wilton Manors and suggested this approach be used. City Manager Miller noted that as long as there is a plan in place, when there is a change in ownership, design standards can then be implemented. Commissioner Roberts questioned the cost to the city and utilization of the county paint program. Community Development Director King said the initiatives are being done in-house with the intent to make the owners on the east side feel they are a part of Tamarac and are not being overlooked. The Broward County paint program is specifically for residential use. Mayor Schreiber said most of the shopping centers need painting, parking lot striping, etc., and recommended 27tn Avenue be looked at with respect to redevelopment. Community Development Director King said there has been a lot of code enforcement activity in this area over the past year and drainage issues are being addressed by Public Works. Commissioner Mishkin spoke about a call she received regarding Midway Plaza and the fact that the plaza had just been painted but there are many vacant stores. Community Development Director King said he would provide the Commission with an update on the city's progress. February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop 5 City Manager Miller reported that a mailman was bitten by a Rottweiler at 7902 NW 72nd Avenue and Channel 7 happened to be on the scene. Public Information was notified. City Manager Miller said suggestions for County Commissioner Parrish on her visit to the Commission meeting would be: 1) speeding up library construction; 2) a hands -off approach regarding the fire department; and 3) speeding up decision -making on the county bond issue relative to the two park sites in Tamarac. Mayor Schreiber requested this information be put in a memo to the Commission. City Manager Miller advised he was informed by Mayor Schreiber that the city has four free registrations to be used for the "Transforming Local Government" conference in Tucson, Arizona. Commissioner Portner expressed interest in attending. There being no further business to come before the City Commission, Mayor Schreiber adjourned the workshop meeting at 3:25 p.m. Marion Swenson, CIVIC City Clerk 1 1 February 11, 2002 City Commission Workshop C.1