Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 12-08-2009 regular — reading text

51 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA DECEMBER 8, 2009 INTRODUCTION A regular meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, December 8, 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, 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/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Rev. George Loften, New Zion Tabernacle, gave the invocation and church youth members led in the Pledge of Allegiance. RECOGNITIONS— STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR THE GUARD AND RESERVE The Mayor read a " Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve" and presented a copy to City employees Buddy Femia, Anson Holyfield, Kay Money, and Fire Chief Dutton on behalf of Larry DiAmco. STUDENT ACE AWARDS The Mayor presented Student ACE Awards to Emily Bennett from Choctawhatchee High School and Michael Woods from Fort Walton Beach High School. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to approve the agenda as the business of the day. Mr. Holmes seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. SPECIAL PRESENTATION Presentation by the Code Enforcement Board. Paul Horn, Code Enforcement Board Chairman, gave a report on the code enforcement activities since April 2009 which included a review of the primary activities of the Board, the type of code violations that appear before the Board, the number of Orders issued and the amount of fines and fees collected; the philosophy of the Board to work with the property owners with the primary objective of acting in a fair and impartial basis in arriving at a decision that follows the law and Code of the City. CONSENT AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to approve the following Consent Agenda items. Mr. Nabors seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor.  Regular Council 12 -8 -09 52 MINUTES Approve minutes of the Regular Council Meeting of November 24, 2009. REMOVAL OF FIXED ASSETS Authorized the removal of fixed assets from the City' s accounting records. AMENDMENT TO INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH OKALOOSA COUNTY —RADIO EQUIPMENT Authorize the Mayor to sign Amendment No. 1 to the Interlocal Agreement for Radio Communication Equipment received by the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners under the PSIC Grant. MATCHING STREETSCAPE GRANT FOR 29 EGLIN PARKWAY NE Award a Matching Streetscape Grant to First National Bank and Trust in the amount of $10, 000 for the installation of $6, 100 square feet of brick pavers at 29 Eglin Parkway. RES. 2009 -50, WAIVER OF LOCAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA FINDING THAT DRS C3 SYSTEMS INC., BE APPROVED AS A QUALIFIED APPLICANT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 288. 107, FLORIDA STATUTES; REQUESTING A WAIVER OF LOCAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. PUBLIC HEARING: ORD. 1817 - GENERAL EMPLOYEES' DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN CLOSURE The City Attorney read the ordinance by title. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE GENERAL EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT PLAN; AMENDING SECTION 17 -11, CLOSING THE PLAN TO NEW MEMBERS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2010; AMENDING SECTION 17 -11. 1, REVISING THE DEFINITION OF EMPLOYEE; AMENDING SECTION 17 -12, DISCONTINUING CONTRIBUTIONS FOR MEMBERS WHO TRANSFER TO THE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; AMENDING SECTION 17 -17 TO PROVIDE FOR A REFUND OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO MEMBERS TRANSFERRING TO THE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; AMENDING SECTION 17 -20. 1 TO PROVIDE FOR TRANSFERS INTO THE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The Finance Director noted the ordinance will close the defined contribution plan on January 1, 2010 for all new hires. The Mayor opened the public hearing. As no one wished to speak the public hearing was closed. Mr. Holmes moved to adopted Ord. 1817 on second reading. Mr. Miller seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. COUNCIL APPOINTMENT —HEADSTART BOARD Appointment of a Council Representative and an alternate to the Headstart Board for the 2010 calendar year. The City Clerk reported that Dick Rynearson is the incumbent representative and Virgil Miller is the incumbent alternate. Mr. Holmes nominated Dick Rynearson as the Council representative and Virgil Miller as the alternate. Mr. Miller withdrew his name for consideration. Regular Council 12 -8 -09 53 COUNCIL APPOINTMENT - HEADSTART BOARD cont. Mr. Patterson volunteered to serve as the alternate. The Mayor called for the vote on the nomination to re- appoint Dick Rynearson as the representative and appoint Bill Patterson as the alternate on the Headstart Board from January 1, 2010 until December 31, 2010 and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. COUNCIL APPOINTMENT - NORTHWEST FLORIDA FAIR BOARD Appointment of a Council Representative and an alternate to the Northwest Florida Fair Board for the 2010 calendar year. The City Clerk reported that Dennis Reeves is the incumbent representative and Virgil Miller is the incumbent alternate. Mr. Reeves volunteered to continue as the representative. Mr. Nabors volunteered to serve as the alternate. The Mayor called for the vote to re- appoint Dennis Reeves as the representative and appoint Bobby Nabors as the alternate on the Northwest Florida Fair Board from January 1, 2010 until December 31, 2010 and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson and Rynearson in favor. COUNCIL APPOINTMENT - CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD Appointment of a Council Representative and an alternate to the Chamber of Commerce Board for the 2010 calendar year. The City Clerk reported that Mayor Anderson is the incumbent representative and Bill Garvie is the incumbent alternate. Mr. Holmes nominated Mayor Anderson as the Council representative and Bill Garvie as the alternate. The Mayor called for the vote on the nomination to re- appoint Mayor Anderson as the representative and Bill Garvie as the alternate on the Chamber of Commerce Board from January 1, 2010 until December 31, 2010 and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. OKALOOSA COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION ISSUES The City Manager noted The Advocacy Group provided an overview of the four issues, Caps on Property Taxes, Windstorm Insurance, Drilling, and Homelessness/ Vagrancy, that Council had identified to present to the Legislative Delegation. The Mayor mentioned an issue that also needs to be presented to the Legislative Delegation regarding comprehensive public pension reform efforts. He said he will represent the City to talk about the five issues at the meeting in Crestview next Tuesday at 3: 30 p.m. ACCEPTANCE OF EASEMENT —BEL -AIR SHOPPING CENTER The City Manager explained the City is seeking to acquire a 10' easement across Bel -Air Shopping Center to relocate the sewer line and the owners requested $ 50, 000 for an easement. He said an appraisal performed determined the easement area to have a value of $11, 200. He said he contacted the owners who accepted the $ 11, 200 offer but they want the City to remove foliage, underbrush and a dead tree. He reported the cost of the appraisal was $ 1, 500, cost of the easement is $ 11, 200, cost of materials to install the main line and laterals is estimated at $ 12, 000, the cost of tree removal is $ 1, 500, and the funding source is the Utility Fund net assets. He said staff requests Council accept the easement and authorize payment of $26,200. 54 Regular Council 12 -8 -09 ACCEPTANCE OF EASEMENT cont. The Mayor opened the floor for public comment. As there was none public comment was closed. Mr. Miller moved to accept the easement from Too Friends, L.L.C. and authorize the expenditure, not to exceed $ 26,200.00, from Utility Fund net assets. Mr. Garvie seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. CITY MANAGER REPORTS The City Manager noted at the last meeting he suggested Council meet on a Saturday in January in a retreat format to discuss an action plan for the 2009/ 2010 fiscal year and that Council requested the issue be placed back on the agenda. He thought it important to establish three to five goals to achieve this year. Following some discussion on Council members' availability, it was agreed to hold a Council Retreat on Saturday, January 16, 2010 from 8: 30 a.m. until 12: 00 p.m. at Two Trees Restaurant. The City Manager wished everyone a safe and happy holiday. MAYOR/COUNCIL COMMENTS Council members expressed enjoyment of the Christmas parade, thanked staff for their hard work in putting the parade together, and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mr. Garvie briefly discussed the inter -relationship between mental health and homelessness. Mr. Patterson mentioned there are a lot of military personnel who are residents of the City and offered a thought for discussion at a meeting next year that should the City lose a citizen in combat on active duty that Council consider offering a spot in the Memorial cemetery free of charge. Mayor Anderson mentioned his attendance at the Chamber' s First Friday Coffee where Erik Stenberg made a presentation on the Women' s Professional Tennis Tournament that will be held in March; that the Northwest Florida League of Cities is seeking anyone interested in lobbying in Tallahassee; that Laurel Hill mentioned their need for water meters at the Okaloosa County League of Cities meeting yesterday and since the City is replacing their meters Mr. Hofstad will work with Laurel Hill to help acquire the City' s old meters; that the Panhandle area made Frommer' s list of top 12 places to visit; and that the Honorary Commanders Program at both bases is available to any Council member who is interested. ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:46 p.m. APPROVED: i V ATT ST: ITY CLERK ddm