Fort Walton Beach Council minutes — 05-12-09 regular minutes — reading text

181 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA MAY 129 2009 INTRODUCTION A regular meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was held on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at 6: 00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, with the following members present: Councilmen: Mike Holmes; Virgil Miller; Dennis Reeves; Bill Garvie, Mayor Pro Tem; Bobby Nabors,; Bill Patterson; and Dick Rynearson. Absent: Mayor Mike Anderson Also Present: Robert Mearns, Acting City Manager; Helen Spencer, City Clerk; Toni Craig, City Attorney; Department Directors and Media. CALL TO ORDER The Mayor Pro Tem 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 Reverend Roger Goen, Wave Crest Community Church, gave the invocation. Sierra Goen, youth member of Wave Crest Community Church, led in the Pledge of Allegiance. RECOGNITION —CHIEF FIRE OFFICER The Mayor Pro Tem presented a plaque to Fire Chief Mike Dutton that awarded to him by the Commission on Professional Credentialing ( CPC) in recognition for successfully completing the process that awards him the professional designation of "Chief Fire Officer" ( CFO) RECOGNITION —CITY AND COUNTY JOINT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT The Mayor Pro Tem announced the City of Fort Walton Beach received an award from the Northwest Florida League of Cities for the City and County Joint Interlocal Agreement for Wastewater Services. He relayed since 2003 administrators and utility personnel from the City of Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa County have held discussions in an attempt to develop creative partnerships to reduce the costs for wastewater treatment for their respective customers. Many ideas were developed during these early discussions ranging from constructing a regional treatment facility to shared service areas in an effort to reduce costs for both agencies. Though these efforts failed to gain ground early on, both agencies began discussions in earnest again in late 2007. Due to a sharp increase in the cost of raw materials, rising construction prices, and pending lease fees associated with the use of Air Force lands, both the City and the County were faced with enormous capital costs related to treatment plan renovations and new treatment plant construction. Both agencies faced additional complications in 2008 when the national economy experienced historic losses and long -term financing opportunities began to dwindle. City and County officials recognized an opportunity to consolidate wastewater services during this period as Okaloosa County had recently began construction on a new 10- million gallon wastewater treatment facility immediately east of the City' s current facility. Earlier this year, representatives from both the City and County met on a number of occasions over a 4 -week period to finalize details for a Wastewater Service Interlocal Agreement. Through these cooperative efforts, both agencies were able to craft a long -term agreement for wastewater treatment and disposal that is both fair and equitable to County and City residents. The City sincerely appreciates the County' s willingness to partner in ` good faith' on this mutually beneficial effort. The Wastewater Service Interlocal Agreement developed by the City of Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa County is the culmination of an intergovernmental relations effort six years in the making. In today' s economic climate, residents demand cost -effective solutions to the high costs associated with big government bureaucracy: consolidation, alternative service delivery, and public /private partnerships to name a few. The wastewater services agreement development by the City of Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa County represents a localized partnership effort which will result in long -term cost benefits for all City and County sewer customers." He recognized Acting City Manager Robert Mearns, Finance Director Brandy Wunker, Utilities Director John Hofstad, and City Engineer Michael Beedie as the City team who worked with the County to develop the Joint Interlocal Agreement. 182 Regular Council meeting 5 - 12 -09 APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Reeves moved to approve the Agenda as the business of the day. Mr. Rynearson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. BOARD /COMMITTEE REPORTS Beautification Committee/Tree Board report - Nicholas Barlotta, Chairman Nick Barlotta, Beautification Committee /Tree Board Chairman, reported their mission is to raise the overall value of the City through projects in common areas and rewarding people who beautify their property. He went over the need for people, cash, better communication, and action as a roadmap to success. He mentioned their goals are to have the yard of the month/yard of the quarter awards program in full swing by the end of the summer, to hold one successful fundraiser before the end of the summer, and to raise $ 1, 000 in cash in order to take on more projects in common areas by the end of the year. CONSENT AGENDA Mr. Rynearson moved to approve the following Consent Agenda item. Mr. Patterson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson and Rynearson in favor. MINUTES Approval of the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting on April 28, 2009. ORD. 1793 —CODE ENFORCEMENT LIEN MITIGATION The City Attorney read the ordinance by title. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF FORT WALTON BEACH, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR AUTHORITY; ADOPTING SECTION 1. 05. 08, ENTITLED CODE ENFORCEMENT ORDER MITIGATION PROCEDURES; RESOLVING CONFLICTING PROVISIONS AND SEVERABILITY; AND SETTING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. The Mayor Pro Tem opened the public hearing. As no one wished to speak the public hearing was closed. Mr. Patterson moved to adopt Ord. 1793 on second reading. Mr. Nabors seconded motion and it carried by a vote of 5 to 2 with Miller, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor and Holmes and Reeves opposed. MUNICIPAL PLANNING BOARD APPOINTMENT Appoint a citizen to serve on the Municipal Planning Board for a four -year term until May 12, 2013. Mr. Miller nominated Glenda Glover. The Mayor Pro Tem called for the vote to re- appoint Glenda Glover, 115 Waynell Circle SE, to serve on the Municipal Planning Board for a four -year term from May 12, 2009 until May 12, 2013 and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE/TREE BOARD APPOINTMENT Appoint a citizen to serve on the Beautification Committee/ Tree Board for an unexpired term until May 7, 2011. Mr. Reeves nominated Rob Williamson. The Mayor Pro Tem called for the vote to appoint Rob Williamson, P. O. Box 516, Bagdad, Florida to serve on the Beautification Committee/Tree Board for the unexpired term until May 7, 2011 and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. Regular Council meeting 5 -12 -09 183 CITY MANAGER EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT Employment Agreement for Robert T. Mearns as City Manager, authorizing the Mayor to execute the Employment Agreement. Mark Wiltsie, Administrative Services Director, highlighted the terms of the Employment Agreement with Robert Mearns as City Manager. The Mayor Pro Tem opened the floor for public input. As no one wished to speak public input was closed. Mr. Patterson moved to accept the Employment Agreement for Robert T. Mearns as City Manager and authorize the Mayor to execute the Employment Agreement. Mr. Miller seconded motion. Council expressed support of Mr. Mearns as the City Manager, expressed pleasure at his exemplary performance as the Acting City Manager, and applauded him for modifying his employment agreement to reduce his base salary and severance payment. The Mayor Pro Tem called for the vote on the motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. DECLARE COUNCIL AS CRA Request from Councilman Miller — Discussion regarding Council to declare itself the Community Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners, and utilize existing CRA Board Members as a downtown advisory group. Mr. Miller talked about the need to streamline how business is conducted, streamline the permit process, and to cut costs within the City. He proposed that City Council act as, and exercise the powers of, the Community Redevelopment Agency, and proposed that the current Board continue as an advisory group Mr. Holmes moved to amend Robert' s Rules of Order to allow public input if there is a motion made and a second. Mr. Rynearson seconded motion and it carried unanimously with Holmes, Miller, Reeves, Garvie, Nabors, Patterson, and Rynearson in favor. Mr. Nabors moved to continue with the CRA Board as it is currently. Mr. Rynearson seconded motion. It was questioned whether a motion is needed to continue the CRA. The City Attorney confirmed a motion is not needed to continue what is being done but thought the motion is a vote of confidence for the CRA and to put the issue to rest. Discussion included thoughts expressed that the Council should be at the beginning of discussion of redevelopments; that Council should exercise authority over the CRA spending; that the CRA is an advisory Board and Council has final authority to negate anything that comes forward; that Council has the responsibility and should be first on any development; that Council to act as the CRA would streamline the process; and that the work and decisions of the current CRA Board are appreciated. The Mayor Pro Tem opened the floor for public input joyce gillie Gossom, CRA Chairman, said the Board members are volunteers who serve at the pleasure of Council. She mentioned that the CRA is an advisory Board that does the legwork, background research, and ask detailed and specific questions so that Council will have the benefit of that information and can focus on the bigger picture of running the City. She offered to answer any questions. Discussion was held on speeding up the process for a developer to acquire the permits to start a project and whether or not it would speed up the process if City Council was first on the agenda for review of a project... The CRA Chairman mentioned that the CRA Board is going to discuss making a request for a meeting with City Council to discuss ways to streamline the process. 84 Regular Council meeting 5 - 12 -09 DECLARE COUNCIL AS CRA coot. Doug Reed, 842 Santa Rosa Court, CRA member, talked about the history of the CRA over the past twenty He expressed there is now a CRA that serves better than it has in the past and thought if Council or the years. MPB were to take over the responsibilities of the CRA that it would be a devastation to the CRA program. Tom Tona, 207 Walkedge Drive, CRA member, talked about how the CRA has evolved over the past 29 years. He expressed his thought that the CRA should be a more autonomous Board with more