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

performs the inspections and was advised City staff, either Mr. Rosales also questioned Bolduc as the Building Official, or the City's building inspector. Mr. whether the City allows bank personnel to do inspections, and Mr. Bolduc informed that Florida Statute requires an individual licensed under the Florida Department of Professional Business Regulations to perform all business inspections. Mr. Bolduc discussed the permitting process timeline and informed it takes between 60 to 105 days from the pre- construction conference to permit approval, depending on the complexity of the project. Mr. Siner suggested a way to help expedite the process is to increase the threshold of a minor process. Mr. Bolduc clarified that for the next meeting Staff will return with ideas of what in the process is required by state, by the City Code and what is being accomplished on a Staff level. 23- Business Retention Panel August 27, 2009 FEES - Mr. Bolduc next discussed the fees involved in -the development process, including planning fees, which are intended to offset the expenses incurred during the requested process; utility fees, which are intended to offset the expenses incurred and the impact realized by the development; and permitting fees, which are intended to offset the expenses incurred for the administration of the permit, the plan review, and the inspections. As an example, Mr. Bolduc displayed the fees for a new hotel with 75 units that cost $ 6. 5 million, and that the total fees paid for such a project would amount to $ 167, 252. 00. This example was put together to put into perspective what a real -life project of this type would cost in fees. Mr. Corbin questioned how these fees compare to other municipalities. The City Manager responded that these fees are about average, and lower since there are no impact fees for police, fire, parks, or roads, which would add significantly to the building permit fee. Discussion included the difference between the ICC Plan Review and the Plan Review and water and sewer tap fees. Mr. Rosales questioned the fee of $ 125. 00 for the pre- construction conference, and was advised there is cost associated with it and to maintain the service the conference provides requires the fee. The Chairman thanked Staff for their work for this evening, and asked the Panel for agenda items for the next meeting. Mr. Rice requested that the transportation element of the Comprehensive Plan be discussed and what the Council has on record regarding transportation. Ms. Abell advised the MPB will be looking at revisions to the transportation element at their September 3 meeting. Mr. Rosales requested that the issue of banking and credit markets as it relates to financing for businesses be addressed at the next meeting. Mr. Rosales also stated his feeling if there is something in the LDC or the CRA standing in the way of development, the Panel could make recommendations for change. Mr. Stafford advised he has approached commercial realtors and asked them to produce an overlay to identify all vacant and available commercial properties, the cost, and what it could be used for, and should be ready to be discussed at the October meeting. LOSS OF MEMBER It was noted that Pravin Chauhan resigned from the Panel. SEPTEMBER MEETING The next meeting of the Business Retention Panel will be held on Thursday, September 24, at 5: 30 pm in the Council Chambers. ADJOURNMENT As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 7: 14 pm. Ive 24-  AMENDED MINUTES OF THE BUSINESS RETENTION AD HOC PANEL OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA JULY 302 2009 INTRODUCTION The first meeting of the Business Retention Ad Hoc Panel of the City of Fort Walton Beach was held on Thursday, July 30, 2009, at 5:30 pm in the Council Chambers of Fort Walton Beach City Hall with the following members present: Jane Briere, Director, UWF Small Business Development Center; Pravin Chauhan, CEO and Hotel Owner; Andy Corbin, President, Technical Services Laboratory; Tom Rice, Owner of Magnolia Grill and member of the Emerald Coast Bridge Authority; Brian Rosales, Banker, Gulf South Bank; Mark Siner, President and Owner of Choctaw Engineering; Barry Stafford, CEO of Emerald Coast Association of Realtors Also Present: Robert Mearns, City Manager; Michael Beedie, City Engineer; Samantha Abell, Senior Planner CALL TO ORDER The City Manager called the meeting to order at 5:30 pm. INTRODUCTIONS OF STAFF AND PANEL The City Manager welcomed the members of the panel and stressed that the panel belongs to them and it is their job to let the City Staff know what subjects they want to discuss, and that the City Staff is there as a resource to the Panel. He discussed some information he asked them to review, including booklets on Parliamentary Procedure and the Code of Ethics, as well as a memo advising the meetings will be televised and broadcast over FWB -TV. The City Manager asked the Panel to carefully review the information on the Sunshine Law, and advised that the City Attorney will be present at the next meeting to discuss and explain the Sunshine Law and how it pertains to the Panel. Michael Beedie, City Engineer, introduced himself and Senior Planner Samantha Abell and advised they will serve as the Panel' s Staff liaisons. The Panel then introduced themselves. The City Manager discussed the Panel's Mission Statement, which reads " The mission of the Panel is to identify obstacles and opportunities the City may consider to ultimately improve and stabilize the local economy; and provide an action report on said measures to the City Council." In essence, the purpose of this panel is to evaluate the City's approach to business regulations and what can be done to improve the services the City offers during this downturn in the economy. He advised the Panel will meet for no more than six months at which time it will provide a report of its recommendations to the City Council for consideration. Mr. Beedie gave a power -point presentation which described the role of Staff and the City's economic element in regards to the Panel; what occurs when a new business wants to locate into the City; and the Panel's goal to identify short -term strategies ( 1 to 2 years) to assist the City with the economic element. EXPECTATIONS Discussion ensued regarding whether this Panel will be duplicating the efforts of the Economic Development Council ( EDC). Larry Sassano, President of the EDC, explained how the EDC works with the City and explained that the EDC works with retention and expansion and less with recruiting. 25- Business Retention Panel July 30, 2009 EXPECTATIONS ( CONT) The Panel discussed looking at some of the City's rules and regulations and ways to provide incentives to bring industry to the City. Samantha Abell, Senior Planner, explained that the City's Economic Development Element is a new chapter to the Comprehensive Plan that says growth management will be looked at through the economic lense and the City Council has sent a strong message that the City will be looking at how the City can match growth management and public infrastructure services to industry needs, and that as a liaison the Panel can tell the City how it can strengthen those industries. Mr. Rice expressed concern the Panel would add another layer to the already burdened City staff and stated he likes the idea of a short -term panel. The panel received clarification that their main focus is to not only entice business to come to the City but to discuss the layers of bureaucracy that exist for someone to open or expand a business in the City, and what actions other boards and previous Council' s have taken in regards to growth. As the meeting progressed, discussion was held regarding the need to look at conditional uses in the City and coordinate with other entities Discussion ensued regarding the proposed boardwalk along the Sound and the need to compensate property owners on Brooks Street. Ms. Abell advised that the boardwalk has been in the planning stages for a number of years and explained that incentives such as density points are given to property owners but that the City does not take someone's personal property for the boardwalk. In regards to compensation and incentives for property owners, Mr. Stafford advised that when he rebuilt his building on Hollywood Blvd in the CRA area, he had to pay $ 10, 000 into a sidewalk fund that did not include sidewalks in front of his building. Mr. Rice discussed the negative reaction to the architectural guidelines funded by the CRA that discusses such issues as types and number of windows and color of buildings to be used by a potential developer. The City Manager commented that this document is a planning document as it was reviewed by the CRA and MPB and has never been reviewed by anyone but a planning entity, and suggested the document be scheduled for a future meeting date for discussion. Mr. Siner commented that as an engineer he is in a unique position on the panel because he can look at issues from both sides, as a developer and from the City's perspective. Mr. Siner stated he feels the CRA guidelines are needed because there are some people who do not know what constitutes an acceptable development, and that the latest projects in the CRA area were approved without hesitation because they were quality products and the developers were not in need of any guidelines. Ms. Abell added that color palette and windows are not dictated in the guidebook; the guidelines offer only recommendations based on the architectural character of the City, and Staff could provide the Panel with the actual document. Mr. Rosales echoed that property owners should be able to develop property or open a business as they see fit, whether it be a tattoo parlor or having additional signage on their property. WIVI Business Retention Panel July 30, 2009 EXPECTATIONS ( CONT) Further discussion included that businesses may be leaving the area because of the economic downturn, not necessarily because they are unhappy with the City. Larry Sassano of the EDC advised that in the Commerce Park a couple of businesses had left because of company downsizing due to the economy. Discussion ensued regarding ways to streamline the technical aspects in the developmental process and that this would be a good question to ask the City Attorney. Mr. Corbin suggested the idea of a hub zone as an incentive for businesses to have their offices in the City. FUTURE MEETING TIMES AND DATES The Panel decided to hold the remaining meetings on the last Thursday of the month at 5: 30 pm. The next meeting will be on Thursday, August 27. Agendas will be sent out the Friday before the meetings. FUTURE AGENDA AND ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION Items to discuss at the August 27th meeting include the intricacies of starting a business from the first visit with City Staff to opening the doors, and to discuss the permitting process and fees. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR