Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 02-09-2010 Special-BRP, Merrill Lynch lawsuit — reading text

should be based on qualitative cost/benefit analyses such as money generated through construction activity, increased taxes, and additional jobs created. 3. FINAL BRP _ RECOMMENDATION: 3. 1. The Business Retention Ad -Hoc Panel respectfully requests that City Council accept the Final Recommendation Report, and; direct Staff to develop an action plan to implement for further those recommendations selected by the Council, at a future meeting, consideration. 4. ATTACHMENTS: 4. 0 BRP Meeting Minutes, dated January 28, 2010 4. 1. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated December 10, 2009 4.2. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated November 19, 2009 4. 3. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated October 22, 2009 2  4. 4. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated September 24, 2009 4. 5. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated August 27, 2009 4. 6. BRP Meeting Minutes, dated July 30, 2009 5. SIGNATURES: 5. L Submitted By: t-,1 0r K va o L- 1A B t_.,F. Barry Stafford, BRP Chairman Emerald Coast Association of Realtors 5. 2. Submitted By: O -T lk V is L-- q t t—r Tom Rice, BRP Vice Chairman Magnolia Grill 5. 3. Submitted By: Qr4 AA- J Briere, B Member F Small Business Development Center 5. 4. Submitted By: y Corbin, BRP Member echnigal Services Laboratory -, 5. 5. Submitted By: MarkSiner, BRP M ber Choctaw Engineer ne. Inc. 4-  MINUTES OF THE BUSINESS RETENTION AD HOC PANEL OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA JANUARY 28, 2010 INTRODUCTION The meeting of the Business Retention Ad Hoc Panel of the City of Fort Walton Beach was held on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:30 pm in the Council Chambers of Fort Walton Beach City Hall with the following members present: Owner of Magnolia Jane Briere, Director, UWF Small Business Development Center; Tom Rice, Vice - Chairman; and Mark Siner, Grill and member of the Emerald Coast Bridge Authority, President and Owner of Choctaw Engineering CEO of Emerald Absent: Andy Corbin, President, Technical Services Laboratory; Barry Stafford, Coast Association of Realtors, Chairman Also Present: Robert Mearns, City Manager; Michael Beedie, City Engineer CALL TO ORDER/ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Vice -Chairman called the meeting to order and led in the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Siner moved to approve the minutes of December 10, 2009. Ms. Brier seconded motion Corbin and Stafford and it carried unanimously with Briere, Rice, and Siner, in favor ( absent). REVIEW OF BRP FINAL RECOMMENDATION REPORT Michael Beedie, City Engineer, advised that Staff has reviewed the minutes from all meetings of the Panel and summarized their recommendations and placed them in a and memorandum to the once a motion is Panel. Mr. Beedie continued it is up to the Panel to make any changes, made to accept the recommendations, Staff will make a final report to go before the City Council at a special meeting on February 9, 2010, at 5:00 pm. Mr. Rice wanted to discuss Recommendation 2.4, which states, " The City should review its policies and practices with respect to the need to acknowledge the right of private property owners in regards to their properties." and informed he has Mr. Rice addressed the City's Historic Sites and Structures Advisory Board, and stressed spoken with several members of that Board about qualifications and membership, concerns that this Board allows individuals outside of the City to serve and make decisions on the rights of property owners within the City. Mr. Rice stated his main reason for focusing on the Historic Sites Board is the ordinance that was a result of this Board that restricts a property owner from demolishing a structure on his property that is 50 years old or more from anywhere from one to ninety days while the Board determines if there is anything historical or archaeological from the structure that can be saved. Mr. Rice noted that members of the Historic Sites Board he had spoken with expressed their frustration over the fact that the City has been certified a Certified Local Government ( CLG), which allows them to apply for grants, but due to a shortage of staff they have been unable to apply for any. The Board has repeatedly stated their desire to apply for a grant for an archaeological survey, since the last one was done in 1992 and is outdated. 5-  Business Retention Panel 01 -28 -10 FINAL REPORT (CONT) Mr. Rice noted that while the Panel is talking about taking plan review away from the CRA Board that has no qualifications to review building plans, at the same time the City is moving toward having a review by the Historic Sites Board of all plans to determine whether an archaeological survey should be done. He questioned how the process can be speeded up by having plans reviewed by Staff, and yet have a Board that may or may not be qualified, other than their interest in history, that have gotten through Council a somewhat restrictive ordinance. Mr. Rice stated that after talking with members of the Historic Sites Board, it is his opinion that the Board's only purpose is to stop or slow the process of a property owner demolishing a building on their property 50 years or older, and asked the Panel to consider asking the City Council to review and consider the ordinance and asked the Panel to consider adding a recommendation 2.4. 1 to review the activities, membership, Board. and qualifications of the Historic Sites and Structures Advisory Mr. Beedie advised Council has tasked the City Manager to review all of the City boards and committees, with changes taking place and some of the boards being eliminated. He added that Samantha Abell, the City's Planning Manager, met with the new museum director, Gail Meyer, and Tracy Garvie, a member of the Historic Sites Board, and discussed getting the application going through the CLG designation for the updated survey. Mr. Rice moved to add the following to Recommendation 2.4 as Recommendation 2.4. 1: " To encourage City Council to review the activities, the ordinances, the membership, and the qualifications for said membership, for the Historic Sites and Structures Advisory Board." Ms. Briere seconded motion. Discussion included that non -city members of the Board should not be discouraged as the City could miss out on expertise of individuals living outside the City limits; that archaeologists were present when the Indianola project was in process and there were no problems; and that having archaeologists-on site does not stop development; rather, if archaeological artifacts are found they can be retrieved, recorded, and preserved and the project can continue. The Vice -Chairman called for the vote on the motion and it carried unanimously with Briere, Rice, and Siner in favor (Corbin and Stafford absent). PUBLIC COMMENT Brian Rosales, 412 Holmes Blvd., discussed the proposed Soundside project and his concern that the City is considering funding a project that without assistance from the City cannot stand on its own two feet. Mr. Rosales discussed Recommendation 2. 6 which states, " Maximize the incentive potential of the CRA to encourage private reinvestment with proper cost/benefit analyses," and Recommendation 2. 6. 1 which states, ' The economic stimulus programs within the CRA should be increased to provide further incentives for costly infill development —when the potential tax return warrants the initial investment." Mr. Rosales asked the Panel to consider either striking the recommendations entirely, or re- wording it to say that projects that cannot be funded on their own will not be funded and will not be stimulated by the City, as this could encourage development in the future that cannot gain financing through a bank and could put the City at risk. Mr. Siner explained the recommendations from the Panel are to encourage projects that might not otherwise happen, and that the purpose of the Panel is to retain business and bring new businesses /projects into the City. Mr. Siner noted that Mr. Rosales' point is well taken; however, if the Soundside project materializes, funding will come from the CRA, since it has the funding, and Mr. Siner stated his feeling he would like to see the CRA focus on business retention. 6-  01 -28 -10 Business Retention Panel PUBLIC COMMENT (CO T) Dean Covey, 270 Brooks Street, advised he served as chairman of the Historic Sites Board a number of years ago and understands the problem of having an ordinance on the books as it was discussed and considered when he was chairman. There was no other public comment. Mr. Siner moved approve the Final Recommendation Report from the Business Retention Recommendation 2. 4 as to Ad -Hoc Panel, as amended, to add the following Recommendation 2. 4. 1: " To encourage City Council to review the activities, the ordinances, for the Historic Sites and the membership, and the qualifications for said membership, Structures Advisory Board." Ms. Briere seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Briere, Rice, and Siner in favor (Corbin and Stafford absent). The City Manager thanked each member who served on thethrough Panel the andPanel, that thethatCityStaff appreciates