Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 09-26-1972 Regular — reading text

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF CITY COUNCIL OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA September 26, 1972 INTRODUCTION A regular meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held at the City Hall on September 26, 1972, at 7:30 p.m., with the following members present: Councilmen: George Palmer C. H. Rigdon, Jr. Joe Guidry Art Schweizer Hurdis Brock Fred Hedrick Absent: H. C. Van Buskirk Also present were: City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk. Meeting was called to order by the Mayor at 7:30 p.m. Invocation was given by Councilman Rigdon and the Mayor led in the pledge to the flag. Mayor welcomed those attending Council meeting. — MERIT AWARDS Mayor presented Outstanding Merit awards to Edward Currie and David Peebles for their efforts in apprehending a bank robber and his accomplice. MINUTES Minutes of Council meeting on June 15, 1972 were presented. Upon motion duly made and seconded, minutes were approved as written. COUNCIL AS COMMITTEE Mayor read the Recommendations of Council as Committee: JONQUIL DRAINAGE 1. Concerning the paving & drainage problem on Jonquil Avenue, Committee recommended that a letter be sent to the State requesting cancellation of the contract, and that anew project be 1 & designed to include curbs and proper drainage. JONQUIL 2. Recommended that City Manager study the situation of Mr. Carroll's driveway on Jonquil Avenue. CHANDLER/STONE 3. Mr. Chandler and Mr. Stone's request INDUSTRIAL PARK for a new building in Industrial Park REQUEST was to be studied by the Industrial Committee, It was requested by Mr. Chandler and Mr. Stone that the City construct the building on a lease-purchase agreement. BLOODWORTH - RE: 4, Recommend that we sell Mr. Orburn CEMETERY LOTS Bloodworth, Sri, the Cemetery lots (3) at the same price as was in 1962, at $75.00 per lot. FRONT YARD FENCE - 5. Recommend that Mr. Melvin Gross's AUDREY DRIVE request for a front yard fence at 149 North Audrey, be granted. MOONEY ROAD SIDEWALKS 6. City Manager stated that the project for sidewalks for Mooney Road was being studied by the Public Works Director, Mr. Howard Holmes, and after the study he and Mr. Holmes will appear before County and State with a recommendation for approval of sidewalks at City's expense. 7. Recommended that the following projects and estimates be accepted: SIDEWALK - HOLMES BLVD. Sidewalk on Holmes Boulevard from Wright Parkway to Memorial Parkway for Max Bruner Junior High School $4,968.00 GOLF CLUB HOUSE Resurfacing Asphalt at Golf Course RESURFACING Club House $2,070.00 Drainage in City Park in Bayou Woods Subdivision $5,371.80 FUNDS TRANSFER 8. Recommended that authorization to transfer $50,000 from General Improvement Fund for down payment on the $250,000 building purchase from Vitro be granted. METER BOX BIDS 9. Recommended that bid recommendations on Sewer Trunk Pipe and Meter Boxes (low bid) be accepted. SEWER PIPE PRIVACY FENCE REQUEST - MERIONETH PRUITT CENTER A/C BIDS COMMISSIONERS MEETING VOTING RALLY ST. MARY'S SCHOOL FENCE CITY HALL ADDITION BID Meter Box Bid - Southeastern Municipel (400 Boxes) Supplies @ 6.95 each Birmingham, Alabama Other bids were: Russell Pipe - $7.00 each; Opelika Foundry - $8.67 each. Sewer Trunk Pipe Bid - Johns-Manville Corporation Green Cove Springs, Florida (Single bid). 10. Colonel Paul Gray and Mr. Alva Rowland's request for variance to set- back at 652 and 666 Merioneth, for a solid privacy fence was denied. 11. Recommended that Air Conditioning Chester Pruitt Center Bid recommendation from Mr. Elliott be accepted. (Low bid meeting specifications). Hermetic Rebuilders Co. $4,442.00 Fort Walton Beach, Florida Other Bids were: Smith Plumbing,$3,360.00; Climatic Controls, $4,563.86; Rogers Sales & Service, $4,621.52. 12. Request that Mr. Hedrick and other members of the Committee attend the County Commissioners meeting being held Thursday, and state that the City will deed certain property for the Courthouse site. 13. Recommended that a Resolution be prepared recommending that all Civic groups, School Bands, and Chamber of Commerce be encouraged to participate in a rally to encourage the citizens to vote. 14. Recommended that City pay half the cost of a fence located on Northern boundary of St. Mary's School, adjacent to City property across from the Low Rent Housing Area. 15. Recommend that contract for City Hall addition be tabled for two weeks, during this time try to negotiate a reduction in contract price with bidder, Morrison Company. 27” “2t8 Mr. Rigdon moved that recommendations 2 through 15 be approved. Mr. Palmer seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. Mayor read Item #1 of the recommendations. City Manager read a letter from the State Department of Transportation regarding paving and drainage on Jonquil Avenue. The letter indicated that in order to widen, and add curbs and gutters, the present contract would have to be can- celled and a new contract let. Contrac- tor would have to be paid for what has been done so far, amounting to some $13,000.00. It was estimated the additional work would increase the con- tract price to $200,000.00 and a request for this to be done would have to come from the Board of County Commissioners. (Existing contract let at $36,000.) Inquiry was made as to the cost of the job, including curbs and gutters, if the City did it, and the City Manager said that Mr. Holmes had estimated the cost around $66,000.00. He stated further that it might be possible to ask the County to budget the amount directly to the City, and let the City do the work as opposed to the Department of Trans- portation. Mr. Rigdon stated that it should be understood that Council was not criti- cising the County in any way on this project, which the State was handling. But the péopte on Jonquil needed the curbs and guttering and should have them if there was any way to get them. He suggested that the Council forward a letter to the County Commissioners requesting an opportunity to discuss the problem. Mr. Hedrick stated that the next meeting of Council and Commissioners would be on the court house annex and he did not think anything else should be brought up at that time. Mr. Rigdon then moved that a letter be prepared to the Board of County Commis- sioners to deliver at their next meeting requesting a discussion of the problem. Motion was seconded and carried unani- mously. ED CLARNO, PLANNING BOARD MILO SMITH REPRESEN~ TATIVE 27 Willis Sadler, 13 Jonquil Avenue, was recognized by the Chair. He stated that if the work could be done by the County instead of the State at no assessment to the property owners on Jonquil, it would be fine, but if it meant additional costs to the owners, he would prefer it con- tinue as is. Mayor introduced Ed Clarno, of the Muni- cipal Planning Board, to speak to the matter of the work to be done by Milo Smith & Associates. Mr. Clarno intro- duced Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Ulbricht, of Milo Smith, who gave a resume of what course their study would take in reviewing and revising zoning ordinance and sub- division regulations for the City of Fort Walton Beach. Mr. Ulbricht urged the City to adopt the 1969 Statewide Enabling Act which he said added flexibility to the instrumentation of comprehensive plans through the tools of the City, and upon which their recom- mendations would be based. Mr. Ulbricht discussed briefly special areas of interest which would be covered, and stated that Milo Smith & Associates would make every effort to have documents to present to Council and at Public Hearings within six months. Mr. Clarno stated that the Planning Board would assist in expediting the process of revising ordinances as much as possible. Mr. Hedrick expressed the need for speed, in view of the many requests to rezone which come before Council. He specifically mentioned the requests concerning Highway 98 properties, and said he hoped there would not be a flood of requests in this area. He asked if a moratorium on such requests could be maintained until the rewriting of the ordinances was accomplished. Mr. Ulbricht stated that this might be difficult as there may be legal considerations in this regard. Mr. Clarno suggested that requests be permitted to be filed, but that ones which might be specifically affected by a change in ordinances be held up until after the recommendations of the new study were available. PUBLIC HEARING Mayor called a Public Hearing on the MARILYN AVENUE curb, gutter, and paving assessments ASSESSMENTS for Marilyn Avenue from Rogers to Sullivan Streets. Mr. Klenk and other property owners on Marilyn Avenue stated they were in favor of the work and desired it to be done as soon as possible. It was noted that Council had passed a reduction of 15% to be applied against the $7.24 per foot cost assessed on this project, and this would be figured in when property owners were billed for their individual assessments. It was also noted that citizens were allowed to make pay- ments over a period of 5 years at 8% if they desired. It was duly moved, seconded, md carried that the assessment rolls be approved as prepared. HEARING & PLANNING - Mayor presented the recommendations of REZONING OAKLAND ADD. Municipal Hearing Panel and Municipal Planning Board. (Request to rezone from R-2 to C-2 property located at Lot 13, Block 1, Oakland Addition (corner Rogers & Wright Street). If property cannot be rezoned to C-2, owner desired that C-1 be considered). Municipal Hearing Panel recommended that request be granted; Municipal Planning Board recommended request be denied in view of there being sufficient commercial zoning in the area, and need for consi- deration to be given to R-2 zoning in surrounding area. Mr. Clarno spoke to the matter. He stated this was an example of need for more dis- tinct zoning. Even though owner desired to build an office building, there was nothing in: present ordinance to prevent a gas station or body shop, or other unsuitable business to be conducted there. He suggested that if a hardship existed, perhaps a variance could be granted. Mr. Rigdon inquired if the request could be granted, with some provision restrict- ing the use of the lot. City Attorney stated that this was possible. C-1l zoning MONTHLY REPORTS INSURANCE COMMITTEE REPORT 28%. was mentioned. Mr. Clarno stated this | would be spot zoning and illegal since no C-1 was adjoining the property. City Attorney stated that going to a lesser zoning would not constitute spot zoning. Mr. Rigdon moved that the request be granted with a restriction to use, and motion was seconded. Mr. Hedrick inquired if owner was present. He was not. After some discussion, Mr. Rigdon withdrew his motion. It was then duly moved and seconded that the matter be tabled until the requestor could appear before Council. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor read the Library and Sewer Depart- ment reports for information of Council. Mayor presented the recommendations of the Insurance Committee. Committee members are: H. C. Van Buskirk, C. H. Rigdon, Jr., and Art Schweizer. Recommend that the Insurance be continued based upon a 1971 successful bidder: Workmen's Compensation, Long Insurance Agency; Catastrophe Liability, Brooks- Hunnicutt; Multi-Peril Package, which includes all other insurance, Waldorff Insurance & Bonding Company. Further recommend that the Flood Insurance be awarded to Long Insurance Agency based upon the May 19, 1972 bid which will be subject to premium change due to reduc- tion in rate. Recommend that the City consider False Arrest Insurance, Recreation Insurance Coverage, Fairgrounds Coverage, and that this be placed with Waldorff Insurance subject to approval upon receipt of estimated premium. Mr. Rigdon moved that the recommendation be approved. Mr. Palmer seconded the motion. Mr. Hedrick inquired if all carriers had been advised of Committee meeting and given opportunity to appear. He stated he felt