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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-27-2021 CRA MinutesCrNOF SEBAST�" HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND COMIMIUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY 1225 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958 The attached January 27, 2021 Community Redevelopment Agency minutes were approved at the February 24, 2021 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. Chairman Ed $odd ATTEST: �anette Williams, City Clerk Regular City Council & CRA Meeting January 27, 2021 Page 4 The Community Development Director said she would add the St. Sebastian River TMDL which will bolster the policy. Mayor Dodd noted that Dr. Cox suggested that the City should advertise more as they move through the comp plan process. Vice Mayor Hill said the document was well done, staff did an outstanding job incorporating the community's comments. Council Member Jones thanked everyone who worked on this; it will keep the City one of the most beautiful cities on the coast. Council Member McPartlan said this was the City's vision for next 20 years but noted that things change and he hopes they will still be on track in seven years. Mayor Dodd said the Community Development Department has done a fantastic job but he noted it will require a lot of changes in the Land Development Code so their work is hardly over. MOTION by Vice Mayor Hill and SECOND by Council Member Jones to approve Ordinance No. 0-21-01 on first reading providing for the transmittal of the proposed City of Sebastian Proposed Comprehensive Plan 2040 passed with a unanimous voice vole. 5-0 —>� 11. Mayor Dodd recessed the City Council Meeting and convened the Community Redevelopment Agency meeting at 7:07 p.m. A. Aooroval of Minutes — December 9.2020 CRA Meetina MOTION BY Mr. McPartlan and SECOND by Mr. Nunn to approve the December 9, 2020 CRA Meeting minutes passed with a unanimous voice vote. 5-0 21.017 B. Discussion of Septic to Sewer Prooram Options and Provide Directive to Staff !Transmittal. Report) The City Manager said in 2019, the County noticed residents that sewer was available and since then the City has provided grants for conversions and notified others by flyers, notices, and news blasts that grant money was available. He said there are requirements in state statutes and city code that if sewer is available, it is mandatory to hook-up and the Health Department also requires a hookup if a septic system fails. He asked Council how they would like staff to proceed with a program to get approximately 140 properties in the CRA District off of septic systems. He said about 40 systems have to be put on a gravity system for about $4,000-$5,000 a unit. Mayor Dodd noted the City will lose grant money if people don't use the program; and the residents will lose the County's impact fee reduction currently available. He said during his discussions with the City Manager to come up with an objective to present to Council, he found out there is grant money available but this particular program requires 95% of the properties to connect which won't happen voluntarily. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting January27, 2021 Page 5 721 pm He said what would be the process that the City could assume the financial contracting/managing responsibility to get these transactions to take place and cover that as much as possible with grant programs that will pay the cost to connect. He said it is feasible to do this and then go after each property owner for the ERUs to reimburse the City for what they couldn't cover with the grants. He said it is a way to get all the properties off the septic systems. He asked the other members if they had any interest in this. In response to Council Member Nunn, the City Manager said people have not come to the City to find other funding alternatives. He said if the Mayor's suggestion can help get the conversions paid for, he was in favor of it. Vice Mayor Hill said he was in favor of it and was a strong proponent of getting the sewer line in but he was concerned with the economic condition the small businesses and restaurants are in and that the City many be burdening them with additional expenses. He said if there was a way to gel this paid without impacting the businesses, he would support it. Mayor Dodd said he also did not want to request money from businesses right now but possibly in 18-24 months. Vice Mayor Hill noted one thing in the agenda backup is to have an engineer start the process for approximately a year then they would have to wait to plan for any infrastructure improvements. Mayor Dodd said he would like Council to direct the City Manager to put together a project plan where the City takes on financing for the engineering work to do it. He said 100 lift stations would be unfathomable which is what will happen if the individual businesses go forward, so an engineering firm can determine how many lift stations to service a certain amount of businesses. Mayor Dodd explained one caveat is there are 40 gravity fed properties that in a year and half from now will have to pay an additional $600-700 County impact fees that they don't have to pay today. He said those properties can be done quickly at a savings with the grant money currently in the system. The City Manager said a portion of the City's available $160,000 is the match to the Indian River Lagoon Council of which $80,000 has to be spent by September. He said if they explain to the Indian River Lagoon Council their intent, the Indian River Lagoon Council may grant an extension. The Community Development Director said a single ERU is $2,796. Mayor Dodd said the City could pay that and roll that money into the 25% match they would expect from the property. Council Member Nunn asked if they could request the County to extend the impact fee reduction. The City Manager said he asked last year and the administrator said it would have to go back to the commissioners but he could not support the idea. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting January27, 2021 Page 6 The Community Development Director said the County's website lists individuals on the gravity sewer line that have five years to connect (until May 22, 2024) with what needs to be paid by the property owner. She noted the impact fee savings would reduce to 60% in April 2021. Vice Mayor Hill asked if the County required the $2,700 ERU upfront or was is in the resident's payments. The City Manager explained that the County allowed residents to make payments on the infrastructure; but impact fees are required at time of connection. 7:29 pm Council Member McPartlan asked if there was a way to make an ordinance that if one sells the property, the next owner has to be on sewer then introduce the grant program. He commented that over ten years; a lot of those properties will change hands that will instigate a change. Mayor Dodd called for a recess at 7:30 p.m. and the meeting reconvened at 7:37 p.m. All members were present. The City Manager said to put a condition on the sale of a property might not be a proper methodology but there is an ordinance requiring hookup at 60 days after it is available so one thing the City can do is record a notice of violation that they have to correct when sell the property. Mayor Dodd said if Council agrees, he would like to see to the City Manager go forward with putting together a plan to get approval from all of the other partners. He said the Sebastian Highlands is in the top ten of the polluting septic systems for the Indian River Lagoon. He said a major step would be to migrate Sebastian to a central, collective system which the City can't do on our own and if they can't come up with the political will to get it done for 140 CRA properties, they will never get it done in the Highlands. He said it would help them find out what cooperation they have and show we want to take the responsibility of connecting properties; which will allow the City to receive more grant money. This means the City must take the financial responsibility of contracting this, making it happen and then working out the financial details with the property owner knowing the City will be reimbursed. He said it was important to move forward with this. Council Member Nunn said the City of Vero Beach has an ordinance that 500 property owners on the barrier island had to either give proof their systems were pumped and inspected or connected to the step system by January 1". If they didn't address a failed system they would have to face code enforcement. He said this might be something to look at. Vice Mayor Hill said there are already government agencies that have mandatory hookup in place, all it would take is to say the City is going to enforce it but he didn't support this because it would be a major financial burden on the businesses. MOTION by Vice Mayor Hill and SECOND by Council Member Nunn to have the City Manager to come up with a plan, bring the plan back to them for approval, hire an engineer and then identify a way to pay for it followed by reimbursement in the future. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting January 27, 2021 Page 7 The Community Development Director said there has been a Septic to Sewer Program in the CRA since 2016. Council Member Jones noted the program was there before COVID pandemic, the property owners don't want to do it; it was time to push the issue. He said they need to protect the lagoon. Council Member McPartlan said if they decide to create a plan and the property owners were still not connecting to sewer, they should go towards enforcement. Mayor Dodd agreed he would not want to spend money for a plan if they don't intend to enforce it; and he would not want to notify the businesses that they must convert unless the City works out a process by which we can mitigate the expense as much as possible. Vice Mayor Hill said he would like to notify the businesses now before the grant money goes away, maybe a flyer. The City Manager offered to put out another flyer. Council Member Jones asked if the enforcement side should be in the motion. Vice Mayor Hill suggested that will be part of the plan. He asked that the flyer should indicate the City is serious about getting it done. The City Attorney agreed, enforcement should be part of the plan. There was no public comment on this issue. Vice Mayor Hill's motion passed unanimously with a voice vote. 5-0. —� 12. Mayor Dodd adjourned the Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting and reconvened the City Council meeting at 7:50 p.m. 13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None 14. NEW BUSINESS 21.018 A. Resolution No. R-21-03 — OgDosinp the Elimination of Statutory Authorization for Reaional Planninc Councils in Florida (R-21-03) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TREASURE COAST REGIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, INC. POSITION; OPPOSING THE ELIMINATION OF STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION FOR REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCILS IN FLORIDA AS PROPOSED IN SENATE BILL 62 OR SIMILAR PROPOSED LEGISLATION; PROVIDING FOR SCRIVENER'S ERROR; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF RESOLUTIONS OR PARTS OF RESOLUTIONS IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mayor Dodd said there is a bill in Tallahassee to do away with regional planning councils but he sees a benefit of having the councils and asked Council for their support of the resolution. There was no public input on this item