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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06242009car oc E~I3AST 3~'" HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2009 - 6:30 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Mayor Gillmor called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Rabbi John Goldring of the Congregation Beth EI gave the invocation. 3. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. ROLL CALL City Council Present: Mayor Richard H. Gillmor Vice-Mayor Jim Hill Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Dale Simchick Council Member Eugene Wolff Staff Present: City Manager, AI Minner City Attorney, Robert Ginsburg City Clerk, Sally Maio Deputy City Clerk, Jeanette Williams Police Chief, Jim Davis Deputy Police Chief, Michelle Morris Police Captain, Bob Lockhart Police Captain, Greg Witt Human Resources Director, Debra Krueger MIS Senior Systems Analyst, Barbara Brooke-Reese 5. AGENDA MODIFICATIONS None. Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Two 6. PROCLAMATIONS, AWARDS. BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS Presentations of proclamations, certificates and awards, and brief timely announcements by Council and Staff. No public input or action under this heading. 09.105 A. Reading of Resolution No. R-09-24 and Presentation of Plaque in Honor of ~-a Police Chief James Davis A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, HONORING CHIEF JAMES A. DAVIS' EIGHT YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF SEBASTIAN, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE. Mayor Gillmor read the resolution in full and presented the resolution and plaque to Chief Davis, thanking him for his service to Sebastian. The Chief received a standing ovation from the audience. 09.106 C. Employee of the 4th Quarter 2008 Police Detective Theo Robinson 5 Mayor Gillmor read a brief bio of Officer Robinson and noted he could not be in attendance. 09.107 D. Employee of the 1St Quarter 2009 Building Department Administrative Supervisor ~ Karen Park Mayor Gillmor read a brief bio of Karen Park and presented her with a plaque and bond notification with the assistance of Human Resources Director, Debra Krueger. 09.105 B. Formal Announcement of Appointment of Michelle Morris as new Chief of Police At this time, Mayor Gillmor announced Deputy Police Chief Michelle Morris would be the new chief effective tomorrow morning. Brief Announcements Mr. Wolff announced a dance class at the Sebastian Community Center on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. for beginners, 8:30 p.m. for level 2; cost is $7.00 per class and for further information, people can go to desiretodance.com. Mr. Hill announced the beginning of the Sebastian River Little League and invited the public to support the boys and girls and pick up a schedule at the Little League. Mayor Gillmor said there will be a Hurricane Preparedness forum in Indian River County Commission Chambers, 1801 27th Street, Building A, Vero Beach on Tuesday June 30, and people can call 778-3534 for further information. 2 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Three 7. CONSENT AGENDA All items on the consent agenda are considered routine and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of consent agenda items unless a member City Council so requests; in which event, the item will be removed and acted upon separately. If a member of the public wishes to provide input on a consent agenda item, he/she should request a Council Member to remove the item for discussion poor to start of the meeting or by raising his/her hand to be recognized. 9-23 A. Approval of Minutes -June 10, 2009 Regular Meeting 09.105 B. Formal Approval of R-09-24 -Chief Davis (R-09-24) 1-4 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SEBASTIAN, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, FLORIDA, HONORING CHIEF JAMES A. DAVIS' EIGHT YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF SEBASTIAN, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE. MOTION by Mr. Hill and SECOND by Mr. Wolff to approve the consent agenda carried on a voice vote of 5-0. 8. COMMITTEE REPORTS & APPOINTMENTS City committee reports and Council Member regional committee reports. No public input or action except for City committee member nominations and appointments under this heading. 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS -None 10. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 09.021 A. Billboard Concept Approval 25-44 The City Manager gave a brief update on the two locations and concepts recommended by staff as set out in the agenda packet. He said there are four concepts in the packet and now is the time for Council to offer any alternative suggestions. Mr. Wolff asked the cost of the two recommended locations. The City Manager responded the north site is $26,400 per year and the south site would be $17,400 per year, and the total contract price would be $46,800, whereas $40,000 was budgeted. Mayor Gillmor called for public comment. Charlie Wilson, partner in Pelican Billboards, said the City Manager has been trying to contact him, that his business had recently moved and offered alternatives to the locations and concepts provided by the Committee. He suggested utilizing the billboard on the east side of I-95 near the Sebastian/Fellsmere exit, currently owned by Dairy Queen, noting the owner will allow the City to use it. He said the right location saying "Exit Now" is more important than how pretty it is, and said if the City did not take it, Capt. Hiram's would have it by noon tomorrow, he said the next best locations are the Palm Bay location, and the billboard three miles south of Sebastian. He pointed out the City will pay a premium for the Indrio Road location. He recommended three billboard locations for $3,900. 3 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Four Mr. Wilson, in response to Mayor Gillmor, said the cost of the two billboards would be between a dollar to two dollars per square foot, productions could be done at the same time to save costs, and during a hurricane if the company is not providing the service they are not charging the customer. He congratulated the City for getting this rolling. Mr. Hill questioned Mr. Wilson's Internet blog which indicated that the City would spend far more than it should and that the City had turned over the issue to the Chamber of Commerce. He reminded Mr. Wilson that the Billboard Committee of three includes the City Manager, City Attorney, and member from the Chamber of Commerce who make recommendations to the City Council. Mr. Hill said the billboard effort is positive, he was taken back with what seems to be a slap, and asked Mr. Wilson which is it. Mr. Wolff asked for a point of order, noting it is unhealthy to go back and forth with speakers, Mr. Wilson had his three minutes, and the meeting should get back to business. Mr. Wilson asked to answer Mr. Hill and said he has written thousands of stories for a private news service in which there is some history between him, the Chamber of Commerce and the Tourist Development Council. He pointed out the City has shown great leadership in the billboard campaign which the Tourist Development Council has not and he came to give the City Council information before they made their decision. Ms. Coy asked him if he submitted a consulting fee or bill for this information. He said he did not. Damien Gilliams, 1623 US Highway 1, thanked Mr. Wilson for coming to provide the information. He asked Council to table the item and not demean people who offer information for free. Cindy Falco, Sebastian, concurred with the last speaker. Mayor Gillmor thanked Mr. Wilson for bringing things to their attention such as the illumination. He said spoke to the owner of the billboard on circle page 33 who has three billboards available north of Route 60 for $1,000.00 a month but he did not think it included the vinyl. Mr. Wolff said illumination is important to talk about, he could counter the non- importance of displaying the website, and it is just as important to target people coming from the south who are looking to relocate to a smaller town. The City Manager said the illumination came from a previous conversation with Council, he offered to go either way and he was trying to show Council where the boards would be going and what they would be paying for. Mr. Wolff pointed out the billboard is only used part time if it is not illuminated 4 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Five 7:23 pm Mr. Hill said the people driving up and down 195 might influence families looking for a place to stay and he hoped the Committee weighed all of these factors, he wanted to see billboards on 195, and people will look up Sebastian on the Internet when they arrive home. Ms. Coy said her first observation is attractiveness, when she sees the Dairy Queen board, she sees all the wood underneath it first; she reads the newer, illuminated boards and asked that we have a little bit of class. Ms. Simchick mentioned if the billboard on circle page 31 can be raised up and illuminated, it would be good. Ms. Coy said she is not interested in that billboard. Mr. Wilson said the billboard to replace it is lying on the ground awaiting permit approval by the Dept. of Transportation; it would be 25 feet higher but not installed until the permit is received. Mayor Gillmor said whatever the City does, it should be excellent, and he would love to get three signs for the same amount of money. The City Manager said Council could double the output with the sign depicted on circle page 31, and asked to be cut loose to get as much bang for the buck. He said the sign near Indrio Road is a higher quality, he has been noticing the billboards on 195, the City should do it right and spend a little more money. He said the production cost is included in the transmittal costs. Ms. Simchick said she would want to scoop up the Dairy Queen sign, and see how it does during the year. The City Manager said close signs are important but quality is needed for the Miami traffic. Mr. Wolff said the artwork is nostalgic, not a contemporary look so it would not be the end of the world to start out humbler, closer to Sebastian. Mayor Gillmor mentioned three impressions going 80 mph is better in the advertising business. 7:39 pm The City Manager confirmed the consensus was to have three. Mr. Wolff clarified three signs, and those that are close are paramount. Mayor Gillmor suggested Council move to content and displayed the Paris Productions slogan on the projector in which the man has on a tee shirt and long sleeves, the lady has long pants which suggests it is cold in Sebastian and you need a lot of clothes to go to the beach. In response to Ms. Simchick's question regarding targeted demographics, the City Manager said the Committee tried to show Sebastian's crown jewel--the river, show fun, show family, and warmth. 5 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Six Mayor Gillmor reminded Council the more billboards they have, the more concepts can be displayed and he displayed on the overhead the previous slogan depicting pelicans with the message "Join the Crowd" done by the City Manager's wife. It was the consensus of Council to change out the photos of the Paris Productions slogans. Ms. Coy pointed out that since Sebastian doesn't have any beaches, they should probably not use beach scenes. Following further discussion, Mr. Hill confirmed the following pictures and slogans: pelicans -Join the Crowd fishing boat -Play in Paradise sunrise in the puffy cloud background -Unspoiled Paradise Ms. Simchick asked to be sure the language "next exit" be used. The City Manager said the closest board to Sebastian will be adjusted. Mayor Gillmor reminded Council the boards are changeable. The City Manager clarified that he will send out an a-mail as to what depiction will go where and if he hears from a Council Member he will re-agendize the item. 11. PUBLIC INPUT Public Input for each individual is five minutes; however, it can be extended or terminated by a majority vote of Council members present. Damien Gilliams, 1623 U.S. Highway 1, suggested a billboard for the bikers that patronize the businesses on Indian River Drive; congratulated Chief Davis and Karen Park; said two police officers displayed empathy and were polite at a recent Indian River Drive accident; thanked Mr. Wolff for outlining the charter officer evaluation process at the last meeting; discussed each officer's evaluation; requested a citizens academy and grant staff again for the City. Kristen Beck, Kayaks Etc., 1671 U.S. 1, said there weren't any kids in a recent state kayak competition and this September there will be a free kids kayak program that can take place in the County's north conservation area park. Ms. Coy suggested they receive launching permission from the County. Ms. Simchick said that would be a great, inexpensive activity for the Boys and Girls Club and invited Ms. Beck to contact Mr. Jay, Director of Operations for the Club. Mayor Gillmor offered to contact the County for any kind of permission that might be needed. 6 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Seven 12. NEW BUSINESS 09.086 A. FLC Annual Conference 45-50 (City Clerk Transmittal, Letter, Form, Outline) i. Designate Voting Delegate ii. Resolution Proposals The City Clerk said this is discretionary and explained the Florida League of Cities letter. Ms. Coy nominated Vice Mayor Hill, and Mayor Gillmor seconded the nomination. There were no further nominations. Ms. Simchick said she would like the resolution adopted by Council expressing support to include the Collier Creek Project in the Indian River Lagoon initiative bill to be considered by the Florida League of Cities. The City Clerk said she would submit the resolution. 13. CITY ATTORNEY MATTERS -none 14. CITY MANAGER MATTERS -none 15. CITY CLERK MATTERS -none 16. CITY COUNCIL MATTERS A. Council Member Wolff -none B. Manor Gillmor Mayor Gillmor said he spoke to the City Manager during the break regarding an available grant from the Treasure Coast League of Cities to aid in the League's effort to bring citizenship back to the community. Ms. Coy asked that the City apply for it and beef up Student Government Day in October. There was no objection. 8:27 pm Mayor Gillmor said we are under utilizing Channel 25 which can be utilized for economic development and promoting the City, however the MIS Department doesn't have the necessary equipment to do this. Ms. Simchick said she was surprised to see the Mayor's recent public service announcement (PSA) and thought the PSAs should be by done by the City Manager or the Police Chief. 7 Regular City Council Meeting June 24, 2009 Page Eight Mayor Gillmor explained that funding for promotional videos could be obtained from our Comcast contract which states Comcast shall provide 84¢ for each home utilizing its service. The City Attorney advised that he has looked at the contract; we need to get an accounting to see if we have received the household fee or received an in-kind fee but he cautioned that the Telecommunications Act did away with most of the allowable fees that may be charged. He said he would get back to Council as to what the City has received. Mr. Wolff said only Sebastian residents can view Channel 25, but it was worth looking into to increase economic development. He suggested holding a YouTube video competition. C. Vice Mayor Hill Mr. Hill said he thought the YouTube competition was a great idea and he didn't have any problem with the Mayor making and airing public service announcements. D. Council Member Cov Ms. Coy reminded the public that with the new technology available, there are folks that choose to use the Internet for not-so-nice purposes and she reminded everyone that you might not be as anonymous as you think and cautioned the public. E. Council Member Simchick Ms. Simchick said the Hardee Oak has really been brought back to life and asked the City Manager to make sure it continues to receive nutrients. 17. Being no further business, Mayor Gillmor adjourned the regular meeting at 8:42 p.m Approved at the July '' 2009 Regular City Council meeting. R hard H. Gillmor -Mayor ATT T: ~i (~ Sally A. M o, MMC -City Clerk 8