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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-12-2025 CC MinutesCITY OI' �T SEBASTI�iV HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025 - 6:00 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA 1. Mayor McPartlan called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. A moment of silence was held. 3. Council Member Dodd led the Pledge of Allegiance. 4. ROLL CALL Mayor Bob McPartlan Vice Mayor Fred Jones Council Member Kelly Dixon Council Member Ed Dodd Council Member Chris Nunn Staff Present: City Manager Brian Benton City Clerk Jeanette Williams City Attorney Jennifer Cockcroft Finance Director/CFO Brian Stewart City Engineer/Special Projects Director Karen Miller Community Development Director Alix Bernard Community Development Manager Dom Bosworth Parks and Recreation Director Richard Blankenship Procurement and Contracts Manager Jessica Graham Public Works Director Lee Plourde Human Resources Director Cindy Watson Communications/Social Media Coordinator Avery Joens Police Chief Daniel Acosta Deputy Police Chief Tim Wood 5. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS The City Manager asked to pull item #12A and also to move item #11A so it can be discussed before Public Hearings. MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member Dixon to approve the agenda as modified passed with a unanimous voice vote of 5-0. 6. PROCLAMATIONS. AWARDS. BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS 25.037 Proclamation Honorino Dr. David K. Moore - 2025 Florida Suoerintendent of the Year Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 2 Mayor McPartlan shared what a wonderful job Dr. Moore has done in the schools in Indian River County. This proclamation honors him as the 2025 Florida Superintendent of the Year, the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year Finalist, and the 2024 Consortium of Florida Education Foundation's Star Superintendent. He improved the performance ranking of Indian River County School District from 38" to 9' place in the 2023/2024 academic year. Dr. Moore expressed his appreciation and accepted this proclamation on behalf of all of the teachers, the support staff, and board members who in the school system on a daily basis. It has been the community coming togetherto do what is in the best interest of children and students. They still have the goal of reinventing what public education looks like and to be the answer for every family within our community. He said the district has excellent standards so our students can compete across the nation. 25.038 Proclamation - Declarina the Citv of Sebastian a Moonshot Community Accepted by Marie O'Brien. The Learnina Alliance Mayor McPartlan proclaimed the City of Sebastian to be a Moonshot community with the goal of 90% literacy rates for the children within Indian River County by the end of 3d grade. He also noted that March is National Reading month. Marie O'Brien shared a video clip about the work of Moonshot community. The Learning Alliance is a local organization started by two moms who were inspired by JFK's call to reach the moon with no known path, so they called their goal to achieve 90% literacy rate in their community their Moonshot Moment. Indian River County had about a 45% literacy rate at the time. Dr. David Moore got behind the Learning Alliance, brought his system -change skills to Indian River County to put their focus on the needs of the children. The Moonshot documentary series will be coming out this summer and inspiring other people on what it takes to organize a community and schools around achieving improved literacy rates for children. She thanked Sebastian for their support. 25.039 Proclamation - Procurement Month - March 2025 and Professional Buvers Day. March 13.2025 Accented by Jessica Graham. Citv of Sebastian Contracts and Procurement Manaaer Mayor McPartlan proclaimed March 2025 as the Procurement Month and honored Ms. Graham as the Procurement Professional for the City of Sebastian. Ms. Graham thanked everyone and invited them to celebrate Professional Buyers Day along with her on March 13, 2025. 25.040 Presentation of First Pitch Baseballs to Mavor McPartlan and Council Member Dixon by the Sebastian River Area Little League This presentation was postponed to the March 26 Council meeting. BriefAnnouncements: River Days Festival at Riverview Park Friday, March 14 from 3pm to 8pm Saturday, March IS from 10am to 8pm Sunday, March 16 from 10am to 8pm Saturday, March 22 - Sebastian River Art Club Show at Riverview Park from 10am to 3pm Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 3 Vice Mayor Jones announced the upcoming events. 25.043 11 A. Presentation and Citv Council Consideration for Approval of the Citv of Sebastian's 3- Year Strateaic Plan Obiectives and Action Plans that Alian with the Council's Established Goals The City Manager reviewed that Dr. Saviak and Dr. Levy have been leading the City through the process that began about a year ago in order to establish our Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals. Based on that staff has worked to identify objectives and action plans to implement the goals. Dr. Saviak reviewed why it is so important to establish strategic plans, how it leads to success for an organization. He reviewed the work that he and Dr. Levy have completed on behalf of the City of Sebastian and then went over the specific action plans that have been created to meet the larger strategic goals. Goal #1: Enhancina Quality of Life ■ Objective #1: Increase activities and community events ■ Objective #2: Citywide plan for compliance with HB 1379, septic to sewer issues ■ Objective #3: Achieve a 85% citizen code compliance rate before scheduling of a magistrate hearing Goal #2: Imorovino Oraanizational Efficiencv ■ Objective #4: Customer -centric approach in the IT Department ■ Objective #5: Virtual building inspection program ■ Objective #6: Reduce building permit and plan review turnaround time ■ Objective #7: Establish a leadership training program, succession plan in all departments Goal #3: Preservina the Hometown Feel and Coastal Charm • Objective #8: Establish a citywide Citizen's Academy Goal #4: Supportina Smart and Sustainable Growth • Objective #9: Revise regulatory structure to encourage the private sector to create workforce housing • Objective #10: Conduct an Easy Street pond pilot project to improve water quality discharging to drainage canals Goal #5: Ensurina a Hiah Level of Public Safetv • Objective #11: Reduce crime by 10%. Goal #6: Maintainino Fiscal Responsibility • Objective #12: Ensure City's average pavement condition index (PCI) falls within a good range of 68 or better, reducing the cost of roadway construction Goal #7: Encouraaina Economic Development Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 4 • Objective #13: Increase airport leasing revenue by 18% • Objective #14: Analyze jurisdictional boundary and look for potential expansion of the City limits to increase the tax base • Objective #15 Increase airport revenues and growth by expanding capacity and services for transient traffic Dr. Levy reviewed the actions plans for each of the above objectives. Each action plan lists the objective along with specific strategies and tactics that will be used to adequately meet the objective. Adopting the plan is only the beginning; now it must be implemented and brought to life. Each of the objectives has a person responsible for its implementation. He suggested a regular performance report to assess progress on the strategic goals. Council Member Dodd congratulated City staff on making it through this process and committing to the action plans. He said it does feel it would be beneficial to identify how budget items relate to the specific action plans and noted that executing the plan is even harder that putting the plan together. Next year we will have completed some tasks and then we may create new objectives. He wants to support the City Manager in this area because in the second year of a strategic plan there is a risk that it becomes a book on the shelf that nobody opens, but they want it to become a document that people use to drive the future. Mayor McPartlan commented that he knows the City Manager is on top of this, so the City can learn it, know it, and live it. Council Member Dixon said she was pleased the dynamic and forward thinking that City staff has demonstrated and gave kudos to everybody involved. The City Manager asked for a motion for approval recommending this going forward noting a formal document will also be brought forward if this presentation today is approved. MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Vice Mayor Jones to approve the strategic plan presented tonight. Mayor McPartlan asked for public input on the strategic plan, and there was not any at this time. Roll call: Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd -aye Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Motion carried 5-0. 7. PUBLIC INPUT Mayor McPartlan invited the public to come forward and speak on anything that is not currently on the agenda. SAeed Limits in Residential Neiahborhoods Tabitha came up with her mom, Kristy. Tabitha read a statement she had written. My name is Tabitha. I don't feel safe because people are going too fast. There are 17 kids that play outside. Me and my mom were talking and someone was going so fast that they almost hit me and scared me and I did not like it. How would you feel if your Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 5 kids almost got hit? You would not like it, right. No one would. Please lower the speed limit and put speed bumps. Mayor McPartlan thanked Tabitha for sharing. Kristy, Tabitha's mom, said that her family has been in Indian River County for five generations, and she knows the area and the people well. The speed limit in her neighborhood is 30 mph and she considers this to be excessive. She referred to Florida Statute 316.183 which authorizes a municipality to set the maximum speed in a residential neighborhood at 20 or 25 mph after an investigation determines that such a limit is reasonable. She has spoken to FDOT and other state and local agencies that confirmed it is not a difficult process to reduce the speed limit. Dropping the speed limit in her neighborhood would be a common-sense decision so that people can walk and bike safely. Citv Council Authority Toni Ray spoke about the oath of office for City Council Members and claimed their authority is fraudulent because their allegiance is to a corporation, not to the Constitution. She said the Police Department does not protect and serve, but collects money for the corporation. She complained that she has been blocked on NextDoor. Uocomina Leaislation Terry McGinn, a member of the Budget Review Advisory Board for four years, brought up potential upcoming legislative changes that may reduce oreliminate property taxes and reduce the City's budget. In the past couple years there has been a lot of pressure to reduce the tax burden. He said it is time to take the budget process seriously. He said that some have complained that the City has a surplus, but the reality is the City does not have enough funds for its current projects and infrastructure repairs. He invited everyone to attend the Taxpayer's Association meeting on Friday at noon at the Vero Beach Country Club. They will have a presentation by the Mosquito Control District on their 1001h anniversary. The meeting is free to attend. If you want lunch, it will cost $25 and begin at 11:45. SAeed Limits in Sebastian Andrew Martin does not want the speed limits to be reduced in Sebastian because it will slow down the flow of traffic and he says there is no benefit to it. Putting down speed bumps will damage cars, especially vehicles that are low to the ground, and they are particularly dangerous to motorcyclists. He makes the point that children should not be playing in the streets, and the City of Sebastian has plenty of beautiful parks and recreational areas. He has lived in Sebastian for over 20 years and said the speed limit of 30 mph has been working just fine. Cathy Love, who lives on the corner of Barber Street and Dempsey Avenue where the speed limit is 30 mph, but she says drivers are flying by day and night at 50 mph and no one is policing it. She is a snowbird and also lives part of the time in New Jersey and the speed limit in her New Jersey neighborhood is 25 mph. She has noticed that people drive slower on 512 than they do on the residential roads because that road is being policed. She thinks it might be helpful to have a four-way stop at Vocelle Avenue and Barber Street. Ann Stanley wants to leave the speed limits the same. She does not want to penalize the honest people who are driving the speeding limit. She notices people driving very fast at 7 a.m. where Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 6 she lives between Fleming Street and Barber Street. She thinks the solution is more enforcement of the current speed limits. The City Manager spoke about City's response to complaints or inquiries about traffic speeding issues. Doing a traffic study analysis on the specific roads is the first step in seeing what is happening. Additional measures will be taken based on the results of the speed study and he communicates with the Police Department about selective enforcement in certain areas when it is needed. They did recently conduct a traffic study on Layport Drive and found there were no speed limit signs, so those have now been installed and some selective enforcement measures have been taken. All of the citizen input given tonight will be taken into consideration. Council Member Nunn drove down Layport Drive recently and he saw the new speed limit signs that were installed. He also happened to see a young woman and her children in the middle of the road and he had to drive around them because they did not attempt to move out of the way of his vehicle driving by. He played in the road as a kid, but the kids knew to move out of the way when a vehicle was coming. Council Member Jones had the experience of handling speed enforcement within neighborhoods during the course of his career in law enforcement. He found that most of the speeding drivers in neighborhoods were the people that lived there. If a driver is driving 50 mph in an area where the speed limit is 30 mph, that driver will not be deterred from speeding if the speed limit is reduced to 20 or 25, but we can continue with selective enforcement because that is effective in reducing some of that behavior. 8. CONSENT AGENDA A. Consider Approval of the February 26, 2025 City Council Minutes 25.041 B. Council Consideration of Approving the Usage of Council Chambers for a FDEP Meeting to be Held on May 7th from 1 pm-5pm forthe Purpose of the Central Indian River Lagoon Stakeholders BMAP Update MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member Nunn to approve items A and B passed with a unanimous voice of 5-0. 9. COMMITTEE REPORTS & APPOINTMENTS - None. 10. PUBLIC HEARINGS 25.031 A. Consideration of Ordinance No. 0-25-01 - Pr000sed Future Land Use Mao Amendment of 3.96 Acres off Dav Drive from Institutional to Low Densitv Residential Second Readina and Ador)tion Hearina The City Attorney read the title of Ordinance 0-25-01. The Community Development Director stated this is the second and final reading for this future land use map amendment, changing this parcel from Institutional to Low Density Residential. She stated that the applicant was present if Council had any questions. MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member Dixon to approve Ordinance 0-25-01. The Mayor asked for public input, and there was none. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 7 Roll call: Council Member Dodd -aye Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Motion carried 5-0. 25.031 B. Consideration of Ordinance No. 0-25-02 (Qtj?isi- I jdicial) - Proposed Rezonina of 3.96 Acres off Dav Drive from PS (Public Service) to RS-10 (Sinale Familv Residential) Second Readina and Adoption Hearina The City Attorney read the title of Ordinance 0-25-02. The Mayor reminded anyone that wanted to speak on this matter they needed to complete a speaker oath card. He asked if any Council Members had any ex parte communication to disclose and no one did. The Mayor asked the applicant if wanted to make any statements, and he did not. MOTION by Council Member Nunn and SECOND by Vice Mayor Jones to approve the second and final reading of Ordinance 0-25-02. The Mayor asked for public input, and there was none. Roll call: Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd - aye Motion carried 5-0. 25.034 C. Consideration of Ordinance 0-25-07 Amendina Chapter 70 of the Code of Ordinances to Include Provisions for Public Camp_ ina and Public Sleep_ ina. Second Readina and Adoption Hearinq The City Attorney read the title of Ordinance 0-25-07. MOTION by Vice Mayor Jones and SECOND by Council Member Dodd to approve the second and final reading of Ordinance 0-25-07. The Mayor asked for public input, and there was none. Roll call: Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd - aye Council Member Nunn -aye Motion carried 5-0. 25.042 D. 1 st Readina and Public Hearina on Ordinance 0-25-06 - Consideration of an Application for a land Development Code Text Amendment to Allow Accessory Dwellina Units in Sinale-Familv Residential Areas by Establishing Definitions and Reaulations - Schedule 2nd Readina and Adoption Hearina on April 9th. 2025 Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 8 The City Attorney read the title of Ordinance 0-25-06. The Community Development Manager stated Ordinance 0-25-6 was an applicant -driven change to the Land Development Code and the applicant, Brad Reardon, came forward with his presentation. Brad Reardon stated that he and his business partner, Jim Adams, are the owners of Renovations Plus of Indian River County. Renovations Plus recently contracted with a resident of Sebastian to build an accessory dwelling unit which will enable the resident to provide housing for her adult daughter on her property who was not able to afford to live independently. Renovations Plus has had a lot of recent calls for similar jobs and so they researched and found out there was a need for these units because of people who have aging parents to care for or adult children who need to come back home. Mr. Reardon explained that Renovations Plus requested the new parameters established by Ordinance 0-25-06 in order to accommodate residents who need these accessory dwelling units. This will provide affordable housing opportunities for young professionals, retirees, and essential workers and also address the growing demand for housing in Sebastian. Homeowners will benefit from an increased property value after the construction of an accessory dwelling unit, and this contributes to a stronger local economy. This also supports multi -generational living and allows people to live together while maintaining privacy so they can help aging parents and adult children. Accessory dwelling units also provide a source of supplemental income for homeowners through long or short-term rentals, and the additional income can make home ownership more accessible and sustainable for many residents. There would also be an increase in tax revenue for the City since there would be an enhancement to property values, as well as the permit fees that go along with construction. Mr. Reardon stated that thoughtful guidelines, such as the construction size limits and architectural consistency outlined in Ordinance 0-25-06, will help to maintain the unique characteristics of Sebastian neighborhoods. He thinks this is a forward -thinking strategy that aligns with the values and needs of the community. Council Member Nunn stated that he sits on the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee in Indian River County and the County had incorporated similar parameters into their Code not that long ago. He is in support of this Ordinance and thinks it will provide a huge benefit. Council Member Dodd stated that he is not in support of Ordinance 0-25-06. He said he views this as a solution looking for a problem. He is not against affordable housing. He is against allowing accessory dwellings on a lot that is 0.161 acres in size, which is what 7,000 square feet is. He is opposed to having second residences being built on a quarter -acre lot, and most of the City lots are quarter -acre lots. He is not sure everyone understands the impact or the ramifications of this. In the Ordinance, we are stating the accessory unit will not be to be a separate address. He asked how will this impact 911 calls? How will the tax assessor handle a second residence that is a rental property on the same lot with a primary residence? How will the Postal Service or Waste Management handle additional services for the accessory dwelling unit? Council Member Dodd stated it is already legal in Indian River County to add an addition to an existing home. There are already guest houses allowed in the Land Development Code, up to 500 square feet, he believes, in two of the zoning categories. He points out that the applicant added a 500-square foot guest house on property that is almost half an acre, which is not a problem. He said this can be handled by making guest houses allowable under conditional uses within RM-8 and RS-10. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 9 It is a common conception that we are failing to provide affordable housing, but he does not believe the solution is to jeopardize the basic nature of our City. He understands there are a limited amount of residents that will construct accessory dwelling units, but the City is being opened up to a lot of potential problems without an understanding of the ramifications. He says that the federal government is passing legislation that puts more responsibilities on state governments and state governments are passing legislation that puts more responsibilities on municipalities, but a lot of these decisions are based on emotion without considering the impacts. Council Member Dodd said this project could have been dealt with in a simpler way by asking for a guest house to be allowed on the property and it could have been a very simple Code change. The Mayor agreed with some of the Council Member Dodd's points, particularly in regard to the septic systems. Council Member Dixon agreed that it "opens up a whole can of worms." MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member Dixon to deny Ordinance 0-25-06. The Mayor asked for any public feedback. Louise Kautenburg, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, wanted to ensure Council that a lot of thought, consideration, and study was put into Ordinance 0-25-06. She has been involved with community development from a volunteer perspective and actively involved in the business of real estate for almost 50 years. She said the lip service that we give to affordable housing is sad because we are not doing anything that really helps. She points out that it is not possible to allow a 500-square foot guest house in the City at the current time. If you read carefully the criteria for the accessory dwelling units, it encompasses things like the septic system, making sure that all of the setbacks have to be met, and also checking the square footage. From her personal experience, she knows this is already being done all over the City illegally. Residents can add 2 more bedrooms and a bathroom to an existing house, but that does not provide independent living. Independent living means you have a place to cook your food, a place to relax, and a place to sleep. The criteria of Ordinance 0-25-06 includes the provision of a parking space. She assured Council that this was not entered into lightly and all of the criteria was researched. It is important to keep every property in our City as viable and amenable to its neighbors as possible. City staff and the Planning and Zoning Committee are looking to solve problems and how they can accomplish goals. She asked them to consider this carefully and consider their own family needs and even consider how they might feel differently as they get a bit older. Carrie Jones expressed her hope that no one ever has a tragedy happen to one of their children where they have to move the child back into their home. Children want privacy and independence. A child who has significant medical bills may not ever be able to afford a home of their own. She asked where will those children go? Parents will open their house up to them, but they still deserve the right to have their own independence. Also, having worked in senior living, she understands that when you have a family member that has aged to the point where they can no longer be on their own, you will want that loved one to be at home for as long as possible and your loved one will still want their independence. She asks for Council to continuing considering something like this for the people that cannot afford homes in Sebastian. She reminded them that the homes provide through Habitat for Humanity will still be $300,000. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 10 The Community Development Manager said this was applicant driven, but she still wanted to respond to some of the questions and concerns of Council. First, the Code provisions for a guest house were considered, and the first draft of this Ordinance was to allow guest houses as a conditional use in RS-10 zoning. They had also considered requiring a double lot, and that can certainly be required criteria. Our current Code states a living area, a bedroom area, and a kitchen area creates a living unit, but because of the density in the single-family zoning, some of the proposals that have come to the City which added an outside door were disallowed, even if it was an addition, and residents were required to still enter and exit through the main door. However, by putting something into the Code that allows for accessory dwelling units, residents can now have a separate living unit within the criteria. This would also allow for a house addition with a separate door to create some separation from the primary dwelling unit and so the aging parent or young adult does not have to walk through the main house to get to their living space. The Community Development Manager stated the accessory living unit can be detached, and the City already has many detached garages in Sebastian. It can be a second floor added onto a detached structure. Regarding addresses, you can have unit A or unit B added to the single address and still delivered to one mailbox or used for 911 calls. They also had asked the Property Appraiser's Office how this would affect homestead exemptions, and found that they already have a process in place and if the accessory dwelling unit is being used by a family member you do not lose your homestead exemption. If you do rent it out to someone who is not a family member, it will be assessed separately and fully assessed for school taxes. The County also has a process in place for collecting impact fees, and there will be impact fees due on the accessory dwelling units. With regard to septic tanks, a permit will have to be issued or a review by the Health Department. A resident may still have capacity in their existing septic drain field. If it does need to be enlarged, then a resident would probably have to put in a new system, and it would go through all of the regulatory processes for the construction. The Community Development Manager stated that Indian River County, Stuart, and Melbourne all have ordinances that allow for accessory dwelling units. These units still have costs and do not help so much with affordable housing, but it can help with housing choices and transitional housing which is also a need in the community. In proposed Ordinance 0-25-06, there are still criteria for construction, setbacks, and for the unit to match the house. These are not inexpensive to construct, but it does provide options. Also, we do have a lot of illegal accessory dwelling units in the City already. Through this Ordinance, they can become legal and we can have the Building Inspector inspect these units. If this is not the direction that Council wants to go, City staff can go back and make revisions. We can make the accessory units conditional units, which means they would have to fill out an application before the Planning and Zoning Commission. We can consider the guest house guidelines if Council feels that is a better way to handle this. Council Member Dodd said that he is not questioning the great job done by City staff and the Planning and Zoning Commission. He is just questioning this particular Ordinance because he does not see it as positive for the City. Sebastian does not want to become like Stuart, Port St. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 11 Lucie, West Melbourne, or Palm Bay and that is what he hears from residents. He thinks this Ordinance opens the door to becoming like those areas. There is a concern that people will build a unit, rent it out, and never let the tax appraiser know. If this is illegally being done now, Code Enforcement should be visiting them. This Ordinance will allow an accessory dwelling unit on as little as 7,000 square feet. How will we handle a situation where there is not a parking space available on the property? He thinks there are more details that need to be addressed. He does not think adding an accessory dwelling unit should be allowed on quarter -acre lots because there is not enough space, although adding onto the house would be fine. The Community Development Manager brought up that this is also part of the Sebastian Comprehensive Plan which includes policies that City Council would look at the feasibility of this. She also can show Council some examples of accessory dwelling units that have been put on quarter -acre lots. Council Member Dodd said that the Comprehensive Plan requires Council to consider affordable housing, but it does not require that they allow residents to build a second building on a quarter -acre lot, and he cannot vote for that. Council Member Nunn expressed his pleasure at the amount of research and pre -planning that went into this. He realizes there are quarter -acre lots on which an accessory dwelling unitwould not fit, but he has faith in the Community Development Department, and he does not want to refuse to take action because there are problems or difficulties expected to arise. Palm Bay in 1990 had a population of 65,000, and they have 260,000 now. Currently Sebastian only has 28,000 people. Sebastian will never be the size of Palm Bay. He thinks this is a good plan, even if it has been done on behalf of a contractor. It is also part of the requirement of the Comprehensive Plan that we look at the issue and consider what we can do. Council Member Dodd wanted to assure Council Member Nunn that his comments were made to staff prior to this meeting. The Mayor says that he is hearing that Council might want to tighten this up and make some adjustments, not that they are refusing to consider it. He asked for a roll call. The Clerk clarified that this roll call is to deny the first reading of Ordinance 0-25-06. Roll call: Vice Mayor Jones - nay Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd -aye Council Member Nunn -nay Mayor McPartlan - aye Motion carried 3-2. The Community Development Manager asked for clarification. Now that Ordinance 0-25-06 has been denied on the first reading, it will not be back for a second reading, but is there direction from Council to see another version or draft or the accessory dwelling unit issue is now denied? Council Member Dixon expressed her desire to tighten it up. The City Manager brought up Florida Senate Bill 184 which has already made it through two committees. Senate Bill 184 currently does not have a grandfather clause, but if a grandfather clause is included, the City is being proactive by implementing something stronger than what the Senate Bill 184 is going to require. Senate Bill 184, if passed, says a municipality is going to allow accessory dwelling units and cannot have any parking regulations. It will also allow for Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 12 manufactured units on the property and will provide clarifications regarding rentals. This is part of the reason why staff has brought this Ordinance forward. The Mayor asked for a 10-minutes recess at 7:50 p.m. Upon return at 8:00 p.m., all Council Members were present. 11. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 25.043 A. Presentation and City Council Consideration for Approval of the Citv of Sebastian's 3- Year Strateaic Plan Obiectives and Action Plans that Alian with the Council's Established Goals This item was discussed earlier in the meeting. 12. NEW BUSINESS 25.044 A. Presentation on the Conceptual Riverview Park Master Plan and Consider Approval of the Conceptual Plan This item was pulled from the agenda at the request of the City Manager. 25.045 B. Presentation on SUDDlementary Citv Loao and Brand Template The City Manager stated that staff have been doing more in the past year to boost the City's communications on social media. The Communications/Social Media Coordinator explained that brand guidelines are essential to ensure messaging and branding are consistent. This will reflect the professionalism of the City and allow easy recognition of City materials by residents, staff and partners. A supplemental City logo is needed to conform with the sizing requirements of social media platforms. The main City logo would still be used on letterhead, agendas, minutes and legal documents. Specific fonts and colors have been chosen to be used in the messaging. Light colors showcase the coastal charm vibe which is a special aspect of the community. She displayed various options for the supplemental logos using the lighter, brighter colors. (See attached) Council Member Dodd asked if the current logo has copyright or trademark protections. The City Manager stated that Sebastian has the right to use the logo, but we cannot stop others from using something similar. The City Attorney said it would cost between $5,000 to $10,000 to copyright and is not usually worth the cost. Council Member Dodd said if our current one was not copyrighted, then he has no problem with it not being copyrighted. He supports adoption of the new supplemental logo, and his preference is the logo with two palm trees. Council Member Dixon said she likes the logo with one palm tree because the pelican beak is not seen as well in the logo with the two palm trees. Council Member Dodd does think email signatures for the City should be standardized. The Communications/Social Media Coordinator let Council know that MIS already has software in place to create standardized email signatures for employees. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 13 Mayor McPartlan and Council Member Nunn also expressed their preference for the logo with the single palm tree and the sunrise behind the pelican. MOTION by Council Member Nunn and SECOND by Council Member Dixon to approve the supplementary City logo with the one palm tree and the sun rising behind the pelican. The Mayor asked for public input, and there was none. Roll call: Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd - aye Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - nay Motion carried 4-1. Council Member Jones was not voting against the supplemental City logo. He just preferred the logo with the pelican flying over the water without trees. He says it is more representative of what the pelicans look like when they are seen flying over the water. 25.046 C. Consideration of a Purchase Order for Alan Jav Automotive Manaaement Inc. in the Amount of 5202.864.00 for Four (4) Chevv Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicles and Consideration of a Purchase Order for ProLoaic ITS LLC in the Amount of 587.746.85 for Vehicle Unfitting and Authorize the Citv Manaaer or Desianee to Execute The City Manager reviewed that this purchase order comes in under budget. The Procurement and Contracts Manager and the Police Chief were on hand for any questions from Council. MOTION by Council Member Dodd and SECOND by Council Member Dodd to approve the purchase order for the Police pursuit vehicles and vehicle upfitting. The Mayor asked for public input, and there was none. Roll call: Council Member Dodd -aye Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Motion carried 5-0. 13. CITY ATTORNEY MATTERS The City Attorney reminded everyone that under Florida law that generally all meetings are open to the public, but there is an exception for an executive session for City Attorneys to discuss litigation matters with Council. She asked for such a meeting to be scheduled to discuss strategies and settlement negotiations related to litigation. She will arrange for a court reporter to be on hand for the meeting. She asked that this meeting be published to give the public notice of the date of this meeting. She is trying to accommodate Mr. Mai's availability and asked if such a meeting could be scheduled as a breakout session from the regular Council meeting or held immediately prior to the regular Council meeting on March 26, 2025. She estimated it would take 30 minutes at the most. She would prefer to hold the executive session at 6:00 p.m. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 14 Council agreed to schedule the executive session on March 26, 2025. The regular City Council will happen at 6:00 p.m and be adjourned for the executive session upstairs. Then Council will resume the regular meeting and address matters on the agenda at 6:30 p.m. 14. CITY MANAGER MATTERS Riverview Park Updates The City Manager asked for direction regarding on whether to hold a public workshop regarding the conceptual plan to update Riverview Park. In the past when the City has held workshops they have sent a mailout to every single resident in the City, and it costs between $6,000 and $7,000 for each mailout. He asked if Council would have a consensus to hold a public workshop to get more public input on the plan and if giving public notice using social media and newspapers would be satisfactory in this instance. The City Manager said there has been some staff discussion about a second option that should also be considered. He would like to get public input on both of the options and would like to schedule this in early April and possibly bring input back to Council at the April 23, 2025 Council meeting. Council Member Dodd suggested having the workshop from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., right before the April 9, 2025 Council meeting. He also inquired if this second option is now being considered because of an issue with one of the monuments in the park. The City Manager said it had not been determined if there was an issue with one of the monuments in the park, but if there is, the second option would address that concern. Council Member Dodd noted that the current design had already been presented to the Parks and Recreation Committee and they agreed to it. If there is not a problem with one of the monuments, he would like to move forward with the current plan and not present the second option at the public workshop. Council Member Nunn inquired about the second option and if it is considered a better alternative? The City Manager says at this point it is an idea that has not been fully evaluated, but he does feel it is a reasonable option. Council Member Dodd asked if the two options could be presented directly to Council since public input is always allowed at the regular meetings. There was a consensus to hold a public workshop and give residents an opportunity to express their feelings about planned updates to Riverview Park. The City Manager stated he would hold the public workshop on April 9, 2025 at 5 p.m. and then bring the updates before Council at either the April 23, 2025 meeting or the May 14, 2025 meeting. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 15 Upcoming Florida Leaislation The City Manager said that he and staff are keeping a close on the current Florida legislative matters and how the City will potentially be affected by them. No bills have passed, but they will keep Council updated. 15. CITY CLERK MATTERS - None. 16. CITY COUNCIL MATTERS A. Council Member Dodd Council Member Dodd highlighted that legislation is currently being considered which has a good chance of passing that require cities to go to rollback, and if they choose not to go to rollback, they will be limited in how much they can increase to their millage levy. There is also talk about doing away with ad valorem taxes. There is also a bill that would give a $100,000 tax exemption on all property. He also explained there is also a bill that will eliminate CRA Districts or put a stop to any new projects within a CRA District. This bill, if passed, would hurt Sebastian quite a bit because the riverfront is as nice as it is today because of our CRA District. He suggested, if there is a consensus of Council, that the City Manager might draft some letters to be sent under the Mayor's signature to our legislators expressing the concerns of Council on these possible legislative changes, without having to come back to Council for a meeting because expediency is crucial right now. For instance, Debbie Mayfield is on the committee that is hearing the CRA bill right now, so it may be very helpful to send a letter to her outlining how this bill will impact Sebastian. There was a consensus from Council to do this. B. Vice Mayor Jones - None. C. Mayor McPartlan - None. D. Council Member Nunn Council Member Nunn noted the hypocrisy of the state legislators who want to force a rollback and then take away $100,000 taxable value without thinking of the consequences. He cannot even imagine how the City will handle things if both of those pieces of legislation get passed. Voters will think it is great to not have to pay property taxes, but money for City services has to come from somewhere. E. Council Member Dixon Council Member Dixon asked for reconsideration of Ordinance 0-25-06. She was under the impression that we were not looking to kill it altogether but to tighten up the language. Council Member Dodd said he does not have a problem if staff brings something back that reflects Sebastian. The City Manager asked for specific guidance on what needed to be cleaned up. Council Member Dixon brought up the issue of parking. If a property has four parking spaces but someone has to knock on the door and ask for a car to be moved, that affects independence and she would like protective measures put in place so that the streets are not looking junked up, which also protects our neighbors. Council Member Dodd said this discussion sounded like a workshop. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 16 The City Attorney asked if Council Member Dixon was making a MOTION to reconsider and asked if there was a SECOND to that motion. Council Member Dodd pointed out that if they SECOND the reconsideration, that means the Ordinance 0-25-06 comes back as it was written. The City Attorney explained that if there is a SECOND to reconsider Ordinance 0-25-06 and if that vote prevailed, then a new MOTION can then be made to approve or deny Ordinance 0- 25-06 with conditions. Council Member Dodd asked if that reconsideration with conditions would be a first or second reading. The City Attorney said if Council Member Dixon's MOTION has a SECOND and it succeeds, then Ordinance 0-25-06 can be reconsidered. Council can then decide if they want to have further debate and additional conditions added and it can come back for a second reading. Council Member Nunn made a SECOND to the MOTION to reconsider Ordinance 0-25-06. Roll call: Vice Mayor Jones - aye Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd - nay Council Member Nunn - aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Motion carried 4-1. The City Manager said now Ordinance 0-25-06 can be discussed again and potentially another motion made in regard to it, and the City Attorney agreed. Council Member Dixon said her concerns are the changes that might be coming down from state legislators in Tallahassee who are not necessarily thinking of municipalities. She would like Sebastian to have something in place that protects residents so that random sheds are not just popping up in backyards and people are calling them accessory dwellings. The City Manager reminded everyone that there is not currently a grandfather clause in Senate Bill 184 and so the Council's actions on Ordinance 0-25-06 may not be able to change what comes down from Tallahassee through this state legislation. The City Manager has been watching this legislation closely and has listened to the discussions during the committee meetings. It is being touted as an effort towards affordable housing, and it does look like it will continue to advance. The third and final committee is expected to meet in the next two weeks and then it can move to the Senate floor. Council Member Dodd said he did not think there was enough time this evening to provide feedback and address all of his concerns within the Ordinance 0-25-06. He recommended sending this back to staff for further discussion. Council Member Nunn was in support of that and said that was an exceptional idea. The City Attorney summarized the concerns she heard from Council tonight regarding this Ordinance. This included concerns about lot sizes, parking, and septic issues. She reminded Council they have the ultimate say on changes to the Sebastian Land Development Code as long as their decisions do not violate the law. The City Attorney provided clarification on the next steps. Since Council has had the first reading on Ordinance 0-25-06, they can now approve or deny with conditions. If they deny it with conditions, they can give staff direction on the desired changes. Then at the second Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 17 reading, Council could potentially agree to changes. If changes were made, it could be brought back for a subsequent reading (ultimately a third reading) because there would need to be two readings in its final form. Council Member Nunn asked if staff if has enough information on Council's concerns in order to provide some tightening up to the Ordinance. The City Manager said that staff would go back and review all of the issues brought up in the earlier discussion and Council would be welcome to individually come in and discuss their concerns with staff. The City Attorney explained that Council cannot discuss this issue with each other. They can only discuss matters with each other in a meeting that is open to the public. The Community Development Manager offered to show Council surveys of some properties that have accessory dwelling units on them, if that was helpful. She also stated she was not clear on whether they wanted modifications made to Ordinance 0-25-06 or if they would prefer to make changes by modifying where guest houses are allowed in the Land Development Code. Currently, guest houses are allowed in certain zoning districts as conditional uses. A change could be made to allow for guest houses within RS-10 zoning and call them accessory dwelling units instead. Council Member Nunn asked if it would be more appropriate to plan a workshop. The City Manager said if they are not able to come to a decision tonight, whatever change is made on this issue will need to be readvertised. The City Attorney expressed concern that this is going beyond just a discussion of the issue by Council. Mayor McPartlan said that Council is just considering whether to bring the Ordinance back for a second reading, and if there is more input, it can be considered on the second reading. Council Member Dodd reminded Council they had a motion to reconsider that was approved. Now they are reconsidering and now they need to make a motion to approve or deny the first reading of Ordinance 0-25-06 as it was presented tonight. The City Attorney agreed, but specified they could deny with conditions and provide further direction on making changes. The Community Development Manager again offered to show surveys of properties with accessory dwelling units on them to address the concerns about parking. The City Attorney said doing what the Community Development Manager was suggesting would be going beyond the first reading of the Ordinance. Council Member Dodd asked for clarification from the City Attorney on what they are able to do at this point. The City Attorney said Council can give direction to staff to bring back something that addresses the concerns that have been raised during this public hearing. MOTION by Council Member Dodd to approve the first reading of Ordinance 0-25-06 but also provide direction staff to make accessory dwelling units allowable as a conditional use, just like guest houses are. The City Attorney said that this motion asks for a change that goes beyond what was heard within the first reading. The motion was withdrawn. Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 18 MOTION by Council Member Dodd to approve the first reading of Ordinance 0-25-06 but remove all of the items on pages 2, 3, 4, 5, and that accessory dwelling units will be made a conditional use in RS-10 and RM-8, just like guest houses are currently, and the conditions that staff believes appropriate will be included. The City Attorney stated that the changes in this motion go beyond what was heard at the Planning Board (Planning and Zoning Commission) and presented at this public hearing tonight and legally this large of a change would need to go back through the beginning of the process. Council Member Nunn asked if there was a second to that motion. Mayor McPartlan asked how they could go back to consider some tightening up of the Ordinance. The City Attorney pointed out that they had a motion and asked if there was a second. There was not a second to that motion. MOTION by Council Member Nunn to bring back Ordinance 0-25-06 back for a second reading on April 9, 2025, to have staff consider the concerns of Council, and discuss the proposed changes during the second reading. The City Attorney stated this motion would meet the requirements to make some modifications without needing to re -present the Ordinance to the Planning Board (Planning and Zoning Commission). A SECOND on this MOTION was made by Council Member Dixon and Vice Mayor Jones (simultaneously). The Mayor asked if anyone from the public wanted to speak, and no public input was given. Roll call: Council Member Dixon - aye Council Member Dodd - nay Council Member Nunn -aye Mayor McPartlan - aye Vice Mayor Jones - aye Motion carried 4-1. Little League Council Member Dixon gave a shoutout to everyone involved in Little League this spring. She and Mayor McPartlan were at the Little League Opening Day and she said there was a huge turnout with a lot of excited volunteers and children. She wished all of the Little Leaguers a successful season. She also thanked the Parks and Recreation Department for all they had done for the Little League and the baseball fields. Vice Mayor Jones reminded Council Member Dixon that he was also there on Little League Opening Day. Council Member Dixon remembered and commented on how fabulous he was and how much the kids love him. She also said that Little Luke did a perfect job with the national anthem. RAD Women's Class She also wanted to thank the Sebastian Police Department for the RAD Women's class. It is a class that she highly recommends to the women in Sebastian. Speed Limit Concerns Regular City Council Meeting March 12, 2025 Page 19 She also commented on the concerns about the safety of children with the current speed limits. She said she always took her children to the park to ride bikes as a family and she never let her children play in the street. She also said that she doesn't appreciate getting run off the road and when people fly by her house driving too fast. It does happen, but policing will help and we have to parent and teach our kids to move for cars. We cannot make rules based on emotions. 17. Being no further business, Mayor McPartlan adjourned the Regular City Council meeting at 8.46 p.m. Approved at%theeAApril 91h, 2025 Regular City Council meeting. Mayor Bob McPartlan ATTEST.• -- WJ ,Janette Williams, City Clerk t� � ••.• �`„� ,.• fir, ` i lit