HomeMy WebLinkAbout01121983'.~NUTES OF MEETING OF CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD - JANUARY 12, 1983
MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN ROBERT FITZMAURICE AT 2:10 P.M. IN
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUILDING.
PRESENT: CHAIRMAN ROBERT FITZMAURICE, VICE CHAIRMAN EARL WITHERBY, MARTIN
LEWIS, GEORGE McCLEARY, GEORGE LA PORTE, PETER TARBELL, BOARD ATTORNEY GREGORY
GORE.
MOTION BY MR. LEWIS, SECONDED BY MR. McCLEARY, TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE
MEETING OF DECEMBER 8, 2982. CARRIED.
VIOLATION HEARING: CASE NO. 82-6 - BILLY ADAMS, BOX 602, MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN -
VIOLATION OF CITY OF SEBASTIAN CODE OF ORDINANCES SEC. 7-20, APPLICATION FOR
BUILDING PERMITS; FEES. SEC. 7-96, RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATE. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE
STATED THAT BE HAD BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS MATTER HAD BEEN SETTLED AND REQUESTED
JOHN PALMER, ACTING BUILDING OFFICIAL, TO EXPLAIN THE CONDITION THAT EXISTED
AND HOW IT WAS RECTIFIED. MR. PALMER STATED THAT AT THE TIME HE TOOK OVER
AS BUILDING OFFICIAL, MR. ADAMS HAD NOT RENEW-ED HIS LICENSE. BE HAS SINCE
DONE SO AND HAS AGREED TO PAY THE PERMIT FEE AND PENALTY. HE ADDED THAT MR.
ADAMS WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE REMARKED THAT BEFORE
MR. ADAMS SPEAKS, SINCE THE VIOLATION HAS BEEN RECTIFIED MOTION SHOULD BE
MADE TO DISMISS.
MOTION BY MR. LEWIS TO DISMISS CASE NO. 82-6.
MR. McCLEARY SUGGESTED THAT THE ALLEGED VIOLATION SHOULD BE READ INTO THE MINUTES.
CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE REQUESTED MR. GORE SO TO DO AND MR. LEWIS WITHDREW HIS
MOTION. MR. GORE STATED THAT THE ALLEGED VIOLATIONS CONSISTED OF FAILURE OF
MR. ADAMS TO APPLY FOR A BUILDING PERMIT AND PAYMENT OF FEES PURSUANT TO SEC. 7-20
OF THE SEBASTIAN CODE OF ORDINANCES AND FAILURE TO OBTAIN A RENEWAL CERTIFICATE
PURSUANT TO SEC. 7-96 OF THE SEBASTIAN CODE OF ORDINANCES. IN ADDITION, THERE
WAS IMPROPER CONSTRUCTION ACCORDING TO THE PERSON WHO BROUGHT THIS MATTER BEFORE
THE BOARD OF A SCREEN ROOM ENCLOSURE. MR. GORE READ LETTER DATED FROM ARTHUR
MAYER TO MR. ADAMS, DECEMBER 21, 1982, ADVISING HIM OF THE VIOLATIONS. MR.
WITHERBY THOUGHT MR. ADAMS SHOULD BE HEARD FROM BEFORE CASE tS DISMISSED.
SINCE MR, PALMER STATED THAT MR. ADAMS HAD AGREED TO OBTAIN THE PERMIT AND
PAY THE PENALTY, BUT HAD NOT YET DONE $0, MR. WITHERBY WAS NOT IN FAVOR OF
DISMISSAL UNTIL EVERYTHING IS COMPLETELY COMPLIED WITH. ATTORNEY GORE STATED
THAT IF THE BOARD CHOSE NOT TO DISMISS, THE HEARING CANNOT CONTINUE WITHOUT
THE PRESENCE OF ATTORNEY KILBRIDE WHO MUST PRESENT THE CITY'S CASE AND SWEAR
IN ANY WITNESSES. THE BOARD HAS THE OPTION TO DISMISS ONE PART OF THE VIOLATION
AND SETTING ANOTHER MEETING.
MOTION BY MR. WITHERBY, SECONDED BY MR, McCLEARY, THAT CASE NO. 82-6 CONCERNING
BILLY ADAMS BE SCHEDULED TO ANOTHER MEETING DUE TO THE FACT THAT COMPLETE SET-
TLEMENT OF THE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST HIM HAVE NOT TAKEN PLACE AT THIS TIME
;~¥D THE CITY ATTORNEY IS NOT HERE TO PRESENT THE CASE FOR THE Cl I~. CHAIRMAN
FIT£MAURICE CALLED FOR A VOTE AND THERE WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR APPROVAL.
MAYOR FLOOD STATED THAT AS A POINT OF ORDER CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE DID NOT ASK
FOR A DISCUSSION AND THE VOTE IS OUT OF ORDER. HE ADDED THAT THE BUILDING
OFFICIA~ WISHED TO SPEAK. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE REPLIED THAT THE BUILDING
OFFICIAL HAD NOT BEEN SWORN IN AND THEREFORE NO EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED
PER SE. MAYOR FLOOD STRESSED THAT A DISCUSSION MUST STILL BE CALLED FOR AND
WE MAY NOT BE TAKING TESTIMONY BUT SOME DISCUSSION MIGHT CLARIFY WHETHER THE
CITY WILL PURSUE. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE STATED THAT IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT
AN ERROR IN PROCEDURE HAS BEEN COMMITTED, THE VOTE ON THE MOTION IS RESCINDED
AND THE MOTION IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
MR. PALMER STATED THAT HE HAD TALKED TO ATTORNEY KILBRIDE WHO HAD ADVISED THAT
THE CASE BE DROPPED AS IT WAS A MINOR THING. HE ADDED THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO
ASK SOME QUESTIONS. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE REMARKED THAT HE FELT THE SUB POENA
WAS STILL APPLICABLE BECAUSE ONLY ONE PART OF THE VIOLATION HAD BEEN CORRECTED,
BUT WITHOUT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PRESENT THE EVIDENCE WE CAN'T EVEN HERE THE
CASE. HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT CONTINUED TO ANOTHER MEETING. MR. PALMER ASKED
WHAT THE FUNCTION OF THE BOARD WAS AND CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE EXPLAINED IT IS
TO ADJUDICATE ANY VIOLATIONS CITED BY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AS NOT HAVING
BEEN RESOLVED. MR. PALMER WANTED TO KNOW IF THE MATTER IS RESOLVED BEFORE
ANOTHER HEARING IS HELD, COULD ATTORNEY KILBRIDE JUST WRITE A LETTER AND NOT
APPEAR? ATTORNEY GORE STATED THAT IF A LETTER IS RECEIVED FROM ATTORNEY
KILBRIDE STATING THAT THE CITY IS DISMISSING THE CASE, THEN ACTION CAN BE TAKEN
AT THE NEXT MEETING. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE STATED THAT WE HAVE ON THE FLOOR
A MOTION TO CONTINUE THE CASE OF MR. BILLY ADAMS TO ANOTHER DATE AND ASKED
WHAT DATE SHOULD BE SET. IT WAS AGREED THAT HEARING SHOULD BE CONTINUED AT
THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING.
MOTION UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED.
SINCE THIS MATTER HAS BEEN CARRIED OVER TO THE NEXT MEETING, IT WAS AGREED
THAT THERE WAS NO REASON AGAINST HEARING FROM MR. ADAMS. MR. ADAMS ASKED
IF THE BOARD CHECKS EVERY PERSON WHO HAS A LICENSE WITH THE CITY EVERY YEAR?
CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE INFORMED H~M THAT THIS IS NOT WITHIN THE PROVINCE OF THE
BOARD. THE BOARD ONLY HANDLES VIOLATIONS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO ITS ATTENTION.
MR. ADAMS ASKED IF THE BOARD PURSUED PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING BUSINESS OUT OF THEIR
HOMES? IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE BOARD ACTS ONLY ON CASES SUBMITTED BY THE
CITY. THE BOARD DOES NOT SEARCH THINGS~ OUT. MR. ADAMS WAS REQUESTED TO APPEAR
AT THE NEXT MEETING ON FEBRUARY 9.
IT WAS SUGGESTED BY MR. WITHERBY THAT WHENEVER A SUB POENA IS ISSUED BY THE
BOARD SECRETARY COPIES SHOULD BE SENT TO THE BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE THE HEARING
AND IT WAS AGREED THAT THIS WOULD BE FUTURE PROCEDURE.
THERE FOLLOWED A GENERAL DISCUSSION AND QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD BETWEEN
THE BOARD, MR. PALMER AND JOHN MELTON, POLICE CHIEF, AS TO THE WORKINGS OF
THE BOARD. CHIEF MELTON STATED HE WOULD WORK WITH THE BOARD AND HELP IN ANY
WAY, INCLUDING THE TAKING OF PHOTGRAPHS, IF NECESSARY. ~HE QUESTION OF WHO
HAS JURISDICTION OVER ANY PROBLEMS CONCERNING JUNK, TRASH, ETC. WAS DISCUSSED
AND CHIEF MELTON SUGGESTED THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BE ASKED FOR A CLARIFICATION.
MOTION BY MR. WITHERBY, SECONDED BY MR. TARBELL, TO AUTHORIZE ATTORNEY GORE
TO WRITE TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ASKING FOR A CLARIFICATION ON JUNK, TRASH,
ETC. CArRiED.
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MR. McCLEARY THANKED MR, PALMER AND CHIEF MELTON FOR THEIR ATTENDANCE AND
ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS ATTEND A MEETING
OCCASIONALLY. CHAIRMAN FITZMAURICE STATED HE WOULD ASK THE CITY ENGINEER
AND THE SUPERVISOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO COME.
ATTORNEY GORE ASKED IF THE BILLY ADAMS CASE IS RECTIFIED BEFORE THE NEXT
MEETING WOULD THE BOARD GIVE HIM AUTHORITY TO WRITE ATTORNEY KILBRIDE A
LETTER STATING THAT HE NEED NOT SHOW UP AT THE MEETING? MR. WITHERBY WAS
OF THE OPINION THAT THIS COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE
WITH THE SUB POENA. MR. PALMER STATED HE WOULD CONTACT ATTORNEY KILBRIDE
RELATIVE TO ATTENDING THE NEXT MEETING OR WRITING A LETTER.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 3:15 P.M.
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