The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About06-28-2023 CRA MinutesrnvLf SE- r�" HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY 1225 Main Street, Sebastian, FL 32958 The attached June 28, 2023 Community Redevelopment Agency minutes were approved at the September 27, 2023 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. Chairman Fred Jones ATTEST: Ll"eitc (, )A-c"4 (e nette Williams, City Clerk Regular City Council & CRA Meeting June 28, 2023 Page 2 Grace Reed, Sebastian, thanked Council for making the decision to run for Council which takes time away from their personal lives. During the past few months, she has determined it is a thankless job with little compensation. She said there are some who are quick to ridicule, defame or threaten their next vote but they don't appear willing to run to take on the task of representing the people. She said in November she will make her decision based on what Council has shown her and how they treat the public and interact with their peers. Ron Mather, Sebastian, said now that people are comfortable not wearing masks, he thought if Council Members were not present at the meetings, their vote should not count; it should go back to the way it was. Vice Mayor Nunn advised the voting precedence is based on state law and the City's Charter and ordinances. They could look at it in a future Charter review but it wasn't something they could just change. Mr. Mather said he contacted Waste Management to see who owns the newly distributed carts and was advised that Waste Management does. He asked if there is a hurricane, why would he want to take care of Waste Management's property. He asked who is liable for it blowing around in the street. Mayor Jones advised that was a legal question for Waste Management. 8. Mayor Jones recessed the City Council meeting at 6:09 p.m. and convened the Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. A. Approval of Minutes — September 30, 2022 CRA Meeting B. ADDroval of Minutes — Anril 26. 2023 CRA Meeting MOTION by Mr. Dodd and SECOND by Mr. McPartlan to approve the CRA minutes for the September 30, 2022 and April 26, 2023 meetings. Roll call: Vice Chairman Nunn -aye Ms. Dixon - aye Mr. Dodd - aye Mr. McPartlan - aye Chairman Jones - aye Motion carried. 5-0 C. AnDrove the Sebastian CRA Sustainable Economic Redevelopment Master Plan 2023 (Transmittal, Plan) The Administrative Services Director advised the consultants who were employed to develop the master plan were present and ready to make a presentation. Regular City Council & CRA Meeting June 28, 2023 Page 3 Laura Smith, Urban Analytics Manager, GAI Consultants, Inc. introduced herself and said some benefits of this update were the identification of items that needed to be taken out of the CRA Trust Fund and placed in the City's budget; an inconsistency in the County's contribution that will benefit the City going forward; and a reminder that the CRA will sunset in 10 more years. Natalie Frazier, Senior Analyst, GAI Consultants, Inc. displayed a PowerPoint presentation outlining the process of updating the plan and some of the findings. (See attached) She said GAI recommends evaluating the projects and programs that will remain active within five years of this update to see if extending the agency is necessary; adopting a formal definition of "old fishing village;" developing a formal style guide to provide design criteria to prevent delays in developing and redeveloping the existing structures; modifying each overlay district to adopt the fishing village and style guide; and prioritizing the opportunity sites identified in the plan. Mr. Dodd asked if they should prioritize the five catalysts sites and go forward. The CRA Manager said two sites are currently out for RFP and she is hopeful that Council will be comfortable with what will be proposed to give the City the economic boost they are looking for. There are grant dollars and plans to expand the Working Waterfront area as well as a design to expand the Riverview Park area recommended by 2018 GAI Mr. Dodd asked if separate action was needed to develop Catalyst Site 5 noting developing parks was the number one priority of a recent citizen's survey. The CRA Manager advised there is funding available to move forward with a design for Harrison Street and the overflow parking area. In the next year there is construction money. Ann Gallop, Sebastian, said she had the opportunity to look through the plan and noted it sounds like it is to be a 15-Minute City which is a global agenda affecting rights and freedom which she hopes Sebastian isn't walking into. Llisa Boisvert said she understood that the City didn't pay for the plan and asked who was the benefactor? She said China has some 15-minutes cities and asked if they wanted their privacy invaded. She asked Council to research this before voting on the plan. She said there will be more litigation if this passes. Louise Kautenburg, Sebastian, commended Ms. Boisvert's suggestion that they should all do more research including her as many have missed the material provided where she would have seen the funding doesn't come from the City; the company drafted the plan at the direction of the City; and the aspirations are in balance with what the community asked for in the public meetings. She explained the County takes taxes from all of properties in the CRA and returns those monies back to the CRA as opposed to being thrown into the big bucket so that a majority of the citizens will benefit from the improvements. Vice Chairman Nunn stated the CRA district was founded in 1995 to help redevelop the riverfront area to provide a better community for the citizens. He said the plan did not Regular City Council & CRA Meeting June 28, 2023 Page 4 include anything about cameras, controlling the citizens or hampering their life --only to make it better for the City on the riverfront. Mr. Dodd said he agreed with the people concerned about being controlled and reminded them that this Council refused to put cameras in school zones although he doesn't want to see people speeding through school zones. There seems to be confusion in what's talked about as a smart city which is a technology smart city with cameras and monitors. He has never seen anything in any city that is stopping people going from one zone to another except maybe in Moscow. He said there is a concept called a walkable city, where you build mixed use commercial and residential in the same area so those that live there can walk and shop where they live. They are not going to see Sebastian turn into a smart city. He didn't think the plan was tied to conspiracy things that the people talked about. He said the plan was paid for by state taxes and theoretically anything that government gives is paid for by the taxpayers. He said he doesn't want to see every move monitored with active cameras which is why he doesn't live in New York. He said that he was in favor of the plan. MOTION by Mr. Dodd and SECOND by Ms. Dixon to approve the Sustainable Economic Redevelopment Master Plan. Mr. McPartlan said he has seen all of the great things completed since the last CPA update and they should look out for growth. He noted that they are being monitored now by carrying cell phones or credits cards with the chips. He said he hoped they go to 2063 and in that short period things could change; he was in agreement with the plan. Roll call: Ms. Dixon - aye Mr. Dodd - aye Mr. McPartlan - aye Chairman Jones - aye Vice Chairman Nunn - aye Motion carried. 5-0 9. Chairman Jones adjourned the Community Redevelopment Agency meeting at 6:46 p.m. _ and reconvened the City Council meeting. 10. CONSENT AGENDA A. Approval of Minutes — June 14, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting 23.107 B. Approve the Ground Lessor Estoppel and Agreement from Sheltair Sebastian, LLC and Authorize the City Manager to Execute the Related Documents (Transmittal, Ex. A)