Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-14-06 ‎(regular)‎ — reading text

Council owes the children an explanation as to why they will not have a County fair this year. Week Mr. Campbell thanked Beach Community Bank for sponsoring the Florida Government luncheon for the employees last week and thanked the staff for a wonderful program. Mr. Patterson mentioned the Beach Community Bank project is moving along very well. He He mentioned the growing agreed a workshop is needed to address the vagrant situation. insurance problems with insurance companies increasing rates and canceling homeowner about the policies and suggested homeowners contact their State and Federal legislators problems with the insurance companies. The Mayor mentioned there will be a Special Legislative Session the second week in December to address the insurance issues. Mr. Holmes thanked the city employees for the services they offer.  91 Regular Council 10/ 24/06 MAVOR/COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS The City Manager agreed something needs to be done with the insurance issue, especially the Coastal communities. She suggested a resolution be developed for Council to forward to the State and Federal governments that they step in to help resolve the issue. She noted the State has to put pressure on the insurance industry in Florida and the Federal government combined to achieve real reform and ensure that the residents have at least minimal coverage for their property . The Mayor mentioned that the Florida League of Cities and the Northwest Florida League of Cities have an initiative to put pressure on the representatives to address the insurance issue. The Mayor further mentioned that, along with insurance, the State is looking at property tax reform. He noted the Northwest Florida League of Cities priorities handed out is for information. He mentioned the Seabreeze Neighborhood is organizing a neighborhood association and commended Mr. Bubis on his hard work as a neighborhood coordinator. CITY MANAGER ANNOUNCEMENTS The City Manager mentioned Ted Corcoran would like to say a few words. Ted Corcoran, Chamber of Commerce, commented on the vagrant issue and stated the City staff and Police Chief are doing an excellent job in organizing churches, non- profits, and citizens mentioned they have organized the groups, and he is proud of the progress being made. He historic downtown Fort Walton Beach community and there will be changes, including this in the Saturday' s first organized function, Trick or Treating from 3: 00 - 5: 00 with all stores historic downtown participating. He thanked Jim Frazier with his help on the recent golf tournament. The City Manager mentioned a Vagrancy Task Force meetin~ that identified issues and concerns and solutions and they will meet again on November 131 to address the issues. She mentioned the vagrancy problem has improved downtown but they are now moving toward Uptown Station. The City Manager mentioned an issue has come up on the Alarm Ordinance adopted in April and now being implemented by the Police Department staff. She reported the issue of an annual inspection fee required for those who have an alarm will be revisited as they received a number of from the community about the requirement to register and the $ 50. 00 fee. complaints The City Manager announced the Craft and Collectible Show on October 28th from 9: 00 - 3: 00, and the Doll Show on November 18th from 9: 00 - 3: 00 being hosted by the Creative Senior Center; the fall carnival at Chester Pruitt on Halloween night from 6: 00 - 8: 00; the Charity Golf Tournament hosted by the City on November 4th with the proceeds to go to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. She congratulated Charles Smith, Heating and Cooling Dolphins, who won the City' s 5- 8 year old flag football championship last week. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8: 55 p. m. APPROVED: MAVOR: ATTEST: CITY CLERK Ive  93 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 25, 2006 JTRODUCTION A special meeting of the City Council was held on Wednesday, October 25, 2006, at 5: 30 p. m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall with the following members present: Mayor Mike Anderson Councilmen: Mike Holmes; Bill Patterson; Bob Campbell, Mayor Pro Tem; Jim Tucker; Jim Hartwell; and Mike Minich. Absent: Dr. Wayne Pullen Also present: Joyce Shanahan, City Manager; Finance Director ( Position vacant); Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Toni Craig, City Attorney; 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, and then state his or her name and address for the record. PLEDGE The Mayor led in the Pledge of Allegiance. PURPOSE The purpose of the special meeting is consideration of accepting the abandonment plan submitted by the Northwest Florida Fair Association pursuant to section 11 b of the license agreement. SUSPENSION OF ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER Mr. Minich moved to suspend Roberts Rules of Order for this meeting. Mr. Tucker seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Patterson, Campbell, Tucker, Hartwell, and Minich in favor (Pullen absent). ABANDONMENT PLAN The Mayor advised he would like each of the five options proposed by the Northwest Florida Fair Association addressed one at a time before any motion is made, with a representative of the Fair Association to their position, to be followed by public input and any staff input. present The five proposed options submitted by the Fair Association are: 1) Request that the City renegotiate or renew current lease; 2) Request that the City establish a price and offer to sell the property currently required by the Fairgrounds Association to us; 3) Request that the City make an offer to purchase all facilities and equipment currently owned by the Fairgrounds Association; the 4) Request that the City extend the current lease agreement for the time required to allow Fairgrounds Association to honor all existing contractual agreements; and 5) Should the City not be willing to entertain any ofthe above proposals, request we be allowed a term of no less than 180 days from the date of the final decision by the City Council to remove all facilities and equipment owned by the Fair Association and return the grounds to the condition in which it was originally acquired by the Fair Association. Mr. Hartwell wished to know if it had been determined whether or not what the Fairgrounds submitted is an abandonment plan as defined in Section 11 b of the License Agreement, as it did not show specific outline with a timeframe for removal of anything, and is a letter of what the Fairgrounds would like the City to do.  Special Council 1 0- 25- 06 4 ABANDONMENT PLAN cont. The City Attorney stated that the October 3rd letter received from the Fair Association states after the City has considered the proposal and do not accept any of the offers, they will start removing their buildings with a demolition permit. She took that to mean that the Association understands that they have the 180 day time limit from the time they received the letter of termination. She stated further the October 2nd letter that sets out the five options, par~ raph 5, asks for 180 days from the final decision by the City Council, but then back to the October 3 letter they fully understand when they have to be gone. She said it is a situation where an Abandonment Plan was not absolutely required until Council told them to file an abandonment plan. She interpreted what is before Council tonight as, here is what the Fair Association would like but if Council does not agree with the options, then they know they have to leave. Mr. Hartwell asked whether the City should accept it as an abandonment plan. The City Attorney replied only after Council has worked through the options. Discussion began on the first option proposed by the Fair Association: 1) Request that the City renegotiate or renew current lease. Charles Rigdon, 232 Mattie' s Way, Destin, discussed the issue of renegotiating or renewing the current license agreement. He expressed understanding that the license agreement cannot be renewed since it has been terminated and the desire to work together to re- negotiate a new agreement that is expressed amicable to both the City and the Fair Association. The Mayor clarified it could not be to re- negotiate but to negotiate a new license agreement. Mr. Hartwell expressed concern that certain things took place outside the lease and about it happening in the future ( Le. contracting events into the year 2007 when the operations plan has to be approved by Council in December of the preceding calendar year, and placed a lot of people who were under contract at adisadvantage and made the City look bad). He asked if there was assurance, if the City did another lease, they would follow the procedures as outlined in the lease. Mr. Charles Rigdon explained the Dog Show contract was negotiated before the City took title to the to know property, they did not negotiate a three year contract after the City took title. Mr. Hartwell wished the number of existingcontracts the City did not know about. Mr. Rigdon explained the events try to secure their dates and it was not done with any intent to place the City or the Fair Association in a box, but it was done to secure the date so that the people on the circuits know when their events will be held. He stated the long- term contracts that come to mind are the Dog Show, the Antique Show, and the Salt Water Fishing Show. The Mayor suggested if that is an issue and the City is interested in negotiating a new contract that the City should know what is on the plan for 2007 and 2008 so they will have that information during negotiations. Mr. Hartwell asked if the Fair Association plans to put in the monitored fire alarm as required by the City Fire Marshall. Mr. Charles Rigdon responded the Association received a price of $37, 000. 00 to put in the alarm, but they were under the