Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 04-14-09 regular minutes — reading text

153 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA APRIL 14, 2009 INTRODUCTION A regular meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, April 14, 2009, at 6: 00 p. m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with the following members present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes, Virgil Miller, Dennis Reeves, Bill Garvie, Bobby Nabors, Bill Patterson, and Dick Rynearson. Also Present: Robert Mearns, Acting City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Toni Craig, City Attorney; Department Directors and Media. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. He requested anyone who wished to address Council to approach the podium after being recognized, then state his or her name and address for the record. INVOCATION Pastor Michael Thorne, Abundant Life Church gave the invocation. PLEDGE Clay Allison, youth member of Abundant Life Church led in the Pledge of Allegiance. PROCLAMATION —AMERICAN INDIAN WEEKS The Mayor presented a proclamation on American Indian Weeks to Doug Reed, Musical Echoes Event coordinator. PROCLAMATION —VOLUNTEER MONTH The Mayor presented a proclamation on Volunteer Month to Viola Masters, volunteer coordinator for the Indian Temple Mound. GFOA AWARD —FINANCIAL REPORTING ACHIEVEMENT The Mayor presented a GFOA Award of Financial Reporting Achievement to Brandy Wunker, Finance Director. GFOA AWARD —CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION The Mayor presented a GFOA Certificate of Recognition for Budget Preparation to Brandy Wunker, Finance Director and Charlotte Dunworth, Budget & Grants Manager. SISTER CITY Sister City Presentation —Mayor Mike Anderson, Larry Sassano and Erik Stenberg. The Mayor explained through Erik Stenberg' s connections with Sweden and the tennis community conversations were initiated with Kristinehamn in Sweden to establish a sister city relationship and now there are others who are involved and partnering in this effort. Erik Stenberg, 808 Dawn Lane, Destin, Tennis Center Manager, talked about the International Professional Tennis Tournament held in the area for the past four years run by USTA and a sister tournament " Royals Royce Women' s Cup" in Sweden, and in combination with that the effort to establish a sister city relationship began around 14 months ago. He mentioned a golf tournament will be held in Stockholm on June 3, 2009 and it is named 'Welcome to Northwest Florida." 154 Regular Council 4 -14 -09 SISTER CITY cont. The Mayor added it was not only to establish a sister city relationship through the tennis community but also for business opportunities which is why Enterprise Florida and the Economic Development Council became involved, and for educational purposes which is why Liza Jackson School supported the local tournament and the University of West Florida established a cultural and education exchange program. He explained Kay Rasmussen, Andrea Moore, Abby Brown, and Dr. Rita Crider are present to explain the background on why it should continue with the understanding that Kristinehamn still needs to approve the sister city concept. Kay Rasmussen, Economic Development Council ( EDC) spoke about how a sister city relationship that establishes a cultural awareness between two communities will have a ripple effect of spinning off and building business connections. She mentioned the Swedish -American Chamber of Commerce sponsored Entrepreneurial Days ( E -Days) to be held in Savannah, Georgia next week will be another stepping stone for building the relationship. She said in essence the EDC supports the concept of a sister city relationship and expressed the belief that such a relationship here, if the City decides to continue to foster it, will be very beneficial to the economy. Andrea Moore, Regional Manager International Trade and Business Development for Enterprise Florida, mentioned Enterprise was one component in the initial step taken last year to establish a sister city relationship between Fort Walton Beach and Kristinehamn. She said the objective of the outreach was, and continues to be, to increase cultural, educational, business, and tourism exchange between the two cities and the two regions within which they are located. She said Enterprise Florida alongside the local Economic Development Council is very pleased to continue to support the effort designed to initially increase awareness of each others commonalities that will ultimately ascend to a level of finding business synergies and long -term increase in trade /investment activity between Northwest Florida and the Varmland region. Abby Brown, middle school art teacher at Liza Jackson School described how the students' knowledge and cultural awareness has broadened through the design of banners of other nations for the tennis tournament. She said this year the sixth grade art class designed banners to send to their sister class in Kristinehamn and they hope to continue interacting with their sister class. Dr. Rita Crider, University of West Florida ( UWF) expressed the University's full support of the collaboration between the City of Fort Walton Beach and Kristinehamn. She mentioned as a result of the collaboration and with the objective of promoting friendship between the two countries and the two cities and developing educational programs, UWF proposed an Academic Agreement with a University about 20 minutes from Kristinehamn to do an exchange of students and faculty. The Mayor explained he presented this for Council to decide whether or not to go forward with the sister city relationship, and whether or not to participate in the Entrepreneurial Days in Savannah next week, and in the summer a trip to Kristinehamn to exchange proclamations. He noted the Savannah trip will have an associated $ 499 registration fee expense, and the travel to Kristinehamn will have an associated travel expense ( approximately $ 2, 000). He mentioned it was expressed to him that they would like a City representative at the E -Days and at this point the only issue to address is the $ 499 registration fee and the travel to Sweden can be addressed at another time. Discussion included questions on what information the City could present, and whether a representative from the EDC and the Chamber of Commerce is going to E -Days. Ms. Rasmussen mentioned that the Chamber of Commerce could provide promotional information and the EDC also has information available. She explained the EDC is not going because they do not have the funding in their budget but added they would be happy to assist. Regular Council 4 -14 -09 155 SISTER CITY cont. Further discussion included support expressed on pursuing the Sister City relationship and a cordial exchange of opinions between those who did not support and those who did support paying the $ 499 registration fee for the trip to Savannah. Comments were expressed that the City should not be responsible for promoting Northwest Florida, that the City also has a tight budget, that the trip to Savannah would be better addressed by the Chamber of Commerce; and when the economy is bad is when more advertising is needed. Mr. Garvie moved to support the registration fee ($ 499) and that the Mayor represents the City at E- Days ( Entrepreneurial Days in Savannah). Mr. Patterson seconded motion. During discussion it was commented that the City cannot afford to promote the entire area; that the City is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the EDC and that is their profession; it was commented that it is a good opportunity to put the City out in front of a large community; it was commented that the City has received plenty of exposure lately; it was commented there is no need to travel somewhere to try to get a small business to open here when there are businesses here that need help; it was commented that the Mayor should go, and that someone from the Chamber should go with the Mayor; and it was commented that the right people are needed to promote the area. The Mayor called for the vote on the motion and it failed by a vote of 3 to 4 with Garvie, Nabors, and Patterson in favor and Holmes, Miller, Reeves, and Rynearson opposed. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to withdraw Item 14.5 discussion regarding the Role and Responsibilities of City Council and Mayor from the agenda. Mr. Rynearson seconded motion. Mr. Miller disagreed with the withdrawal of the item from the agenda and explained the reason he requested the item on the agenda. The Mayor called for the vote on the motion and it carried by a vote of 5 to 2 with Holmes, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, and Rynearson in favor and Miller and Patterson opposed. The Mayor noted the request from the CRA Chairman to postpone item 14.6 until May 12th. Mr. Miller 12th agreed to postpone until May item 14.6 discussion regarding Council to declare itself the Community Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners and utilize existing CRA Board Members as a downtown advisory group. Mr. Reeves moved to approve the agenda as amended with Item 14.5 withdrawn and Item 14.6 12th. postponed until May Mr. Holmes seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. BOARD /COMMITTEE REPORTS Code Enforcement Board report —Chairman Horn. Paul Horn, Code Enforcement Board Chairman, gave a report on the code enforcement activities of the past year which included a review of the primary activities of the Board with the authority to impose administrative fines for code violations, order liens for failure to satisfy a code violation or pay a fine; and the type of code violations that appear before the Board, the number of Orders issued and the amount of fines and fees collected. CONSENT AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to approve the following Consent Agenda items. Mr. Patterson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. 156 Regular Council 4 -14 -09 MINUTES Approval of the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of March 24, and the Special Meeting of April 1, 2009. ONE ( 1) 132 NICHE COLUMBARIUM WALL Award one ( 1) 132 Unit Niche Columbarium Wall to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder, Gulf Coast Wilbert, for a total cost of $55, 500. RES. 2009 -11: TRANSFER FUNDS FROM BEAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY PERPETUAL CARE Resolution 2009 -11 provides for a budget amendment to account for the transfer of funds from the Beal Memorial Perpetual Care Fund to fund the construction of the niche wall. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR OCTOBER 1, 2008 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2009 BUDGET TO MAKE CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO APPROPRIATIONS OF CITY FUNDS TO PAY FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO BEAL MEMORIAL CEMETERY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. RES. 2009 -12: TRANSFER FUNDS FROM HARVEY TRUST FUND Resolution 09 -12 provides for a budget amendment to account for the transfer of funds from the Harvey Trust Fund to fund the