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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04282010WorkshopCity Council Present: Mayor Richard H. Gillmor Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Eugene Wolff Council Member Don Wright City Council Members Absent: Vice -Mayor Jim Hill (excused) Staff Present: City Manager, Al Minner City Attorney, Robert Ginsburg City Clerk, Sally Maio Deputy City Clerk, Jeanette Williams Airport Director, Joseph Griffin Finance Director, Ken Killgore Police Chief, Michelle Morris Police Captain, Bob Lockhart MIS Systems Analyst, Rob Messersmith 4. WORKSHOP ITEMS HOME OF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010 IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SPECIAL MEETING CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA 1. Mayor Gillmor called the workshop to order at 7:40 p.m. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL 10.073 A. Request from Mayor Gillmor Vision for Indian River County in 2020 for Mayors' -2 Committee (4/6/10 Mayors Meeting Minutes Excerpt) Mayor Gillmor said this item came from the April Mayors' Meeting, whereby each Mayor is to envision what they would like to see Indian River County be in 2020, and requested Council assistance in coming up with the vision. Ms. Coy said she did not want to see the cities bordering one another without County area in between, would like to continue with the ISBA process when we need it, with a delineation of county space between cities, unlike South Florida, so you know when Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Two you've left one city and then enter another. She said she wants to retain Sebastian's character and flavor, noting the proposed Liberty Park would make this difficult. She said as Liberty Park progresses she would like us to closely track the impact it will have on Sebastian and our facilities, our boat ramps and our schools. Ms. Coy said we have been prudent with annexing developments and could consider residential annexation, but we will have to ask what else they offer in terms of commercial to go with it, because without commercial area the City will be limited. Mr. Wright said his vision would be to create a balance among the different uses a community has, such as the environment, industrial, and commercial. He said in ten years we will see escalating gasoline and transportation costs, and we might need to bring certain jobs closer to us. He said we have to consider water resources and may have to expand sewer and garbage disposal, and would have to have a handle on all of the issues that affect us directly. He noted we have shortage of jobs and customers for our area, stating that Fellsmere has terrific plans for commercial and industrial. He listed the importance of diversity, management of resources, annexation of commercial/ industrial opportunities and the need to create a balance in the north County. He said we are different than Indian River Shores and Vero Beach and don't have commercial anchors, and urged that as transportation costs increase over ten years we will need to keep amenities close by to provide services to our people within a three to four mile radius. Mayor Gillmor noted Mr. Wright sits on MPO with him, and that MPO has gone out to 2065 and as a result of some of the questions they have asked, it has been noted we are now at peak oil, that gasoline could be $6 -8 a gallon, and with Washington making strict rules, the Honda FIT could be considered a large car. He said when he read the Sebastian vision plan from the 1990's, he thought the character and the vision of what people wanted to see is much the same as people want today. He said Sebastian has a character but change is constant, and we need to see how we can forensically look down the road to maintain our character. He said we want green spaces and we want amenities but keep the flavor of the community going forward. He envisioned the City built out, having annexed little pieces so the City is homogenous and looking to the waterfront as the engine that makes the riverfront go with water taxis to the inlet, maybe a stern wheeler, and even a park with a wave generator to teach surfing on land. Mr. Wolff said when came he came to the area fifteen years ago Indian River County was on the cusp of transition, and people either worked in citrus, for the Dodgers or Piper. He said in the next ten years he hoped we get comfortable with who we are and what we can offer; noting people are attracted to this area and come here. He said he thought there is an ongoing movement to change the area into something that really doesn't have potential, stating we are not a commerce center. He said we need to ask what do we already have that we can sell, noting it won't be an industrial center. He said someday in 2020 vacant lots will be filled and some homes will be fifty years old and there will be a transition in the Highlands and we'll see a renaissance of older homes, some will be renovated and some will be replaced. He said if the Highlands remains attractive and well kept, people will come. He said to maintain quality of living we need to bring in 2 Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Three levels of service that people expect like good drainage and roads. He said the riverfront is what is unique about Sebastian, and that the Vero Beach island will always be a pearl in Indian River County. He agreed with Ms. Coy that we need to focus on the fishing village idea, that we need to promote surfing and fishing and by getting easy access to those amenities we can attract even more people. He talked about water taxis, cruises, and mooring opportunities because the Indian River Lagoon is Sebastian's 1 -95. He said we need to focus on what we've got though not ruling out other opportunities, because we all love what we've got, and that is why we came here. Ms. Coy said we want to maintain our character and flavor and protect the environment because that is what is special about this area, and that our income is going to be the waterfront and tourism. Mayor Gillmor said that there is a plan in place for new parks, noting the people at the dog park love it. We are probably looking at economic development with twentieth century glasses, and he was not so sure industrial development would be our solution. Mr. Wolff said that high gas won't be the end of the world, citing other countries that already pay high gas prices. He said our asset is the Highlands, and we need to make sure roads and drainage are in good shape especially as homes age. Louise Kautenburg, Sebastian, said ten years from now we will look at things differently with older eyes, and that we need to polish the string of pearls that we are now. She suggested creating "what if" imagineering by removing all the blocks in your minds and imagine we have to pay $12 for a gallon of gas, how will we move from point A to point B, what if a large corporation wants to move here, what if the population gets younger. She said home needs will change dramatically. She said we need countywide sanitary and storm sewers, and need to imagine what if we have a groundwater disaster. She said several years ago someone mentioned water taxi and a member of Council was frightened by it and now it's not so horrible to imagine. Jim Sunnycalb, Sebastian, said his vision is to plant more shade trees at parks. 10.074 B. Discuss Capital Improvements Projects (City Manager Transmittal w /Fund 3 -7 Charts) Recreation Impact Fee Funds ii. Discretionary Impact Fee Funds The City Manager explained the six funds that operate the City. He said as Chief Administrator he needs to keep his eye on the special revenue funds because that is where we can go to keep Sebastian special, and specifically cited recreational impact fees and discretionary sales tax. He described the chart that he had provided with issues Council and staff have talked about, the red representing things we have to do such as bond obligations, green representing some obligations such as police vehicle rotation, and blue being those things that are flexible. 3 Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Four Mr. Wright said he studied last year's Capital Improvements Plan and when sitting as a member of the Parks and Recreation Committee, has discussed the use of impact fees and stated that as Council gets into the CIP, they need input from the committee. He said there were plans before the hurricanes for the park on Azine Terrace but it will need more than $50,000. He said the Keene Terrace property is fantastic with the dog park but the other portion of it could be improved with bridges over the pond and trails to be more people friendly. Mayor Gillmor noted like Hardee Park. Mr. Wright continued, stating he has long range concerns regarding the availability of recreation facilities for children, noting that Barber Street Sports Complex is running out of room and wondered where we will get more land for this type of facility. He discussed the idea of a Sebastian Civic Center which could host events, noting we have a community center that is primarily an exercise club. He said we need to start thinking about setting aside project money for that situation, stating he believed that the economy will improve. Mr. Wolff said the idea of a co -op is important, that all residents are paying school taxes and right now our tax money is off limits, so we have beautiful facilities at the schools that are not being used and they should be available to the public and be a full benefit to the taxpayer. He cited the great things that the Sebastian Soccer Association is doing in the County. He said as elected officials we need to get with the School Board to discuss the idea of cooperation. Ms. Coy said the School Board is anxious to meet with Council at their place and agreed the time is right now to talk to them about sharing resources. Mayor Gillmor asked if we need a civic center or community center and described the St. Lucie Civic Center, which he found out had 42 employees and the cost of running it is unbelievable. He said we may be 30,000 population by 2020, and while our community center may have worked in the 70s it is woefully inadequate for City events. Ms. Coy said we have mentioned a civic center for five years and not inched any closer to what we need, and if we are going to continue to pursue we need a "needs" analysis. She noted that at one time Karen Deigl was going to assist with a senior needs analysis. Mayor Gillmor said the need is multi generation, seniors and teens. Mr. Wolff said people seem to be going off to do their own things, and cited the Elks, Italian- American Club, etc, that kids don't want to be around old people and old people don't want to be around kids. He said with a strong cooperation with the School Board we could use the cafeteria for senior lunches and cater to the fabric of the community. He said if there is a will, there is a way. Ms. Coy asked what is our real need for a facility if we have gone this long, noting she has not heard anybody screaming for it, and that people tend to create their own places to go, citing the VFW that she attends. 4 Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Five Mr. Wright said people gave up asking for a community center. He said we have a facility next door with many groups using it and it is in deplorable condition and there are plans to renovate it and suggested it could be ripped down and rebuilt with something nice in its place. He said it is critical to work with the schools on cooperation but he did not think it feasible to use a cafeteria during the week to feed seniors. He said we have a lot of clubs looking for places to do things and they have fallen away out of frustration because of no positive response. He said if we open up and ask what they want, we will be re- energized. Mr. Wolff said he has heard there is not a nice place for wedding receptions, or people say they want a gym, said the Yacht club is underutilized, and asked if we should be providing wedding reception space or that type of facility because we can't be everything to everybody. He said the maintenance and staffing will be the problem with a facility. He agreed with looking at the property next door and starting there. The City Manager said maybe our vision of a community center has been wrong and perhaps we should do a needs analysis. All agreed this may be an excellent place to start. Mr. Wright said we need more of this type of workshop to discuss these things and plan for a better community and our future needs. Mayor Gillmor said the key is finding what facilities are available and if we can have an intergovernmental agreement for facilities that exist, why build new facilities. Ms. Coy suggested the Mayor present this at the Mayors' meeting and get a united front on use of school facilities. The City Manager said he didn't think the managers meet enough and he needs to get Superintendent LaCava, Joe Baird and others together. Mr. Wolff talked about just the overhead for running the air conditioning in the High School auditorium. Mayor Gillmor said he didn't know the cost factor but there is a church meeting there on Sunday. Mr. Wolff agreed it is time for the managers to get together. Mr. Wright said he had requested a copy of the Stormwater Master Plan which is nearly eight years old and said we need to analyze that because plans don't last forever. He said it needs to be reviewed and updated. He said he reviewed the 2009 -2015 CIP, and briefly reviewed some of the projects in the works such as Cavcorp, Powerline Road, etc. He discussed the quarter round program from the stormwater funds, stating he had heard comments from the business community that they were being charged a great deal more for the stormwater assessment than residential and that the stormwater work really only benefits the residential areas. He said we have to recognize that commercial has stormwater regulations it has to provide for during construction. 5 Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Six Mr. Wright then discussed the Public Works garage relocation and said he had talked to the City Manager about the role of the Public Works garage and whether it could be contracted out to businesses. He said the cost of maintaining the facility should be analyzed. Mr. Wright said sidewalk construction should move forward. He said he wasn't sure if there was a cost benefit for the $3.5 M allocated in the CIP for the underground utilities in the CRA district. He said the road survey coming out because of the recent surface improvement bond will help the City decide which roads to concentrate on. He said one of the substantially missing pieces was the expansion on the north side and west side of the Airport. Ms. Coy said she really liked Mr. Wright's Public Works thoughts and asked if other places contract out their garage work. The City Manager said he has a colleague who recently contracted out their garage work but he has heard the need to get the facility out of there and noted they will still need a facility to start -up, store equipment and suggested looking at existing industrial buildings on U.S. 1. He requested permission to look for some of those to save construction costs. Mr. Wolff asked why there would be a need for a garage if the work is contracted out. The City Manager said they would still need a storage facility, to change out tires and do oil changes. It was clarified they were referring to outsourcing the mechanic garage not the Public Works Department. Mayor Gillmor said there are banks that will do a public /private partnership to fill the triangle area with restaurants and retail. The City Manager said they have a healthy DST fund and they can count on that revenue stream with $1 M open on an annual basis; and a healthy $300,000 CRA fund. He said they are tapped with the storm water fund, and the local option gas tax. In response to Ms. Coy, the City Manager said the CRA is extended out to 30 years and he believed towards the end they can reapply for another 15 year increment. Mr. Wolff asked Council what they thought of getting a public /private partnership going for the auction of the Paradise Marina. Mayor Gillmor said that is a good thing but they like to spend millions. Ms. Coy said she would have public /private partnership questions for the City Attorney. Mr. Wright said as they move ahead with the CIP a good heads up as to when meetings will be held should be given to the community for a needs analysis; and, immediately meet with the School Board and the County to look at cooperative needs without spending additional money. 6 Sebastian City Council Workshop April 28, 2010 Page Seven ATTES Mayor Gillmor said a committee of the Art Club would like to refurbish part the old schoolhouse cafeteria into an art center with sweat equity. He said this would provide classes to senior citizens and the Boys and Girls Club. He said there are groups within the City that would like ownership in some of the City's parks. Mr. Wolff asked the City Manager to highlight some of his thoughts since tropical storm Fay as they update the storm water master plan, noting a change in the commercial fee will impact revenue stream and his thoughts would give a better grounding of what needs to be done. Public Input Louise Kautenburg suggested a number of neighborhood centers or club houses throughout the community that would receive more use especially if transportation costs increase, and they could be maintained by residents in the neighborhoods. Mr. Wright said renovating the old cafeteria needs to compliment the complex and he didn't think it does that right now. He cautioned against bonding out the CRA funds revenue as Ft. Pierce did because they had to pay back the debt from their general fund. Ms. Coy said five years ago there was a big effort to bond out the CRA money to bury the utility lines in the district. The City Manager said he did make contact with Florida Redevelopment Association to provide a facilitator for the master plan revision meetings; and he planned to bring back some bump out and gateway concepts to them at the May 12 CRA meeting. 5. CITY COUNCIL MATTERS 6. Being no further business, Mayor Gillmor adjourned the workshop at 9:12 p.m. Approved at the May 12 2010 Re ?ular City Council Meeting. 40 1 m ar. H. Gillmor, Mayor Sally A. Maio, MC City Clerk 7