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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02062012Workshop�� HOME QF PELICAN ISLAND SEBASTIAN CITY COUNCIL MINUTES GOALS WORKSHOP MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2012 -1 P.M. CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1225 MAIN STREET, SEBASTIAN, FLORIDA Mayor Hill called the Workshop to order at 1:00 p.m. 2. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 3. ROLL CALL Citv Council Present: Mayor Jim Hill Vice-Mayor pon Wright Council Member Andrea Coy Council Member Richard H. Gillmor Council Member Bob McPartlan Staff Present: City Manager, AI Minner City Attorney, Robert Ginsburg City Clerk, Sally Maio 4. CITY MANAGER — BRIEF REVIEW OF 2012 GOALS The City Manager listed and updated Council on the following programs and projects that will take precedence in the upcoming year: • LDC Review • Cavcorp Property and District Street Improvements • 2013 Budget and Taxes • Senior Programming (Coy) • WiFi in the Riverfront District (Hill and McPartlan) • Playground Equipment Upgrades The City Manager said this type of goal setting is a new concept and he would get with the City Clerk to adjust the current charter officer goal setting resolution and bring it back to the February 22, 2012 agenda. 5. DISCUSS CITY COUNCIL GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND VISION FOR CITY Mayor Hill asked Mr. Gillmor to begin, noting it was his initial idea to have the workshop. Council Member Gillmor explained his reasons for this type of workshop, distributed an outline entitled "A Vision for Sebastian's Future (see attached), and expounded on each of the items. Mayor Hill agreed he liked the workshop idea and said it should be done before the budget process begins and after the election. City Council Workshop February 6, 2012 Page Two Multi-Use Communitv Center Mr. Gillmor suggested a new multi-use community center facility that will accommodate much needed space for teens and seniors. He talked about the possibility of an exchange of property between the City and American Legion, with the idea that we would give them our community center and some funding for their property on the triangle of CR512 and utilizing the City garage property and entering into a public-private partnership with possible grant funds. Mayor Hill noted we currently own property in the triangle. Ms. Coy said the American Legion has talked to others about their property and know its value, said they lease to the VFW and she did not think anyone would want to move at this time. Mr. Wright said there are 12 acres next to the Post Office for sale and he had been contacted by the owner. He said the price was a little on the high side at $1.5M but perhaps we could negotiate sale or lease and said this would be a terrific location for a community center. Mr. Gillmor said Council is on the same page, that this is a want, said an up to date modern building is needed and there is a great need in the City for teens and seniors. Annexation Mr. Wright said a discussion of annexation is critical, asking, as property values decline, how the City will get back, noting the State already caps ad valorem increases at 3% and is considering further reductions. He said we need to think about how we can generate revenues for the City and need to look at annexation. He asked where we would find revenues to pay for services. He said we have to be able to offer mixed use zoning with residential and commercial for future annexations. Mayor Hill said he agreed and seeking annexation of lands out west had been discussed. The City Manager said staff looked into it but it is on hold for now and there has been no commitment. Ms. Coy said people are waiting for a better economic forecast before they develop. Mayor Hill said there has to be something the City can offer to entice people to annex like mixed use zoning. Mr. Wright noted developers plan two to five years in advance and we should go back to those people and open up communication, consider annexation assistance and sell the benefits of Sebastian. Mayor Hill the most recent annexation hook at 510 and 512 was that they wanted to be in the City. Future Land Use Discussion followed on whether the City had agricultural zoning and the City Manager said he thought it had been included in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Mr. Gillmor said an important issue to him was the ability to traverse the City without impediments of gated communities to retain connectivity. Ms. Coy said we do require emergency access to and from gated communities. Mayor Hill said he could not think of any areas left for gated communities. Ms. Coy mentioned Turtle Cove. Mr. Wright made the suggestion that the LDC and land use regulations have to be reviewed, noting input from the Chamber of Commerce Business Development Committee, and citing modifications that were drawn up for Indian River County which made their process friendlier. He asked that staff bring recommended changes to City Council to modify LDC regulations. 2 City Council Workshop February 6, 2012 Page Three The City Manager inquired whether this was centered on sign and landscape regulations and noted divergent opinions between Planning and Zoning and City Council. He said staff anticipated recommending creation of a committee to review the regulations and get input, and that idea was scheduled for the next City Council meeting, however, he said he could pull it off the agenda and get with the Community Development Director to look at the LDC and make some modification recommendations to Council. Ms. Coy said she would like more control and is hearing of ideas coming from Planning and Zoning that concern her, and said Council should give its ideas and guide the discussions. The City Manager said he will pull the item from 2/22 and get with Joe Griffin and come back in the next couple of weeks on the sections that need fixing. Mayor Hill said individual members of Council can meet with the City Manager. Ms. Coy asked if anyone else was getting calls about removing residential from the riverfront district. RiverfronUDowntown Water Taxi Mr. Gillmor said we need to create a riverfront/downtown mixed use district better than what we currently have, noting we have changed parking provisions which has helped. He suggested we could consider a public/private partnership for water taxis. Mayor Hill said he would rather they be privately run, and Mr. Wright discussed what you would get is bar boats. The City Manager said that the parking helped in the RiverfronUDowntown area, the LDC will be reviewed, recent infrastructure projects have helped such as the Main Street/Indian River Drive project, the planned Cavcorp project, and street improvements. He said the area that is lax in development is the north side of the district which will need infrastructure improvements. Sebastian Municipal Golf Course Mr. Gillmor said the municipal golf course grounds are wonderful but thought it would be a good idea to have a good banquet room in the plans for a new clubhouse that could be utilized and leased out. Mayor Hill said that sounds like a community center. Ms. Coy Ms. Coy said short term she would like to hear from Mr. McPartlan on Wi-Fi, and as to a senior center or recreation center, she has been hearing this need for seven years and it needs to be put in the budget so, as we regain a tax base, it can happen. She said she had spoken to the Athletic Director at Sebastian River High School who said he would love to share their facilities with the City. She said we should look to the middle and high schools for teen use if we can work out programs after school. Mayor Hill noted the School Board is on board with this idea and asked the City Manager to look into it. Ms. Coy said maybe we can get with the City Attorney to discuss liability issues. As to senior needs, she encouraged use of By the River which is anxious to work with the City, though there are transport needs. She talked about Meals on Wheels, and noted By the River is looking to build a community center. Mayor Hill said he has visited the facility, it is easily accessible, is not in the City but is important to the City. Ms. Coy said the Police Athfetic League needs to be expanded in the City and has a lot of potential. She said we need to get parlaying on senior needs in the north county. 3 City Council Workshop February 6, 2012 Page Four Mr. Gillmor said he attended a Senior Resources Meeting with the City Manager and had a conversation with Phil Matson. He said nothing was really accomplished in the meeting and there were 50,000 reasons why they should help out and they will get back to us. Mr. McPartlan Mr. McPartlan talked about existing facilities like the Boys and Girls Club, and churches which offer programs and facilities. He said he would like to see Wi-Fi provided in the City, at the very least in the riverfront and asked how much money is available to do this. Mayor Hill said the Wi-Fi discussion has come up before for CRA district coverage and there is never an answer. Ms. Coy said that would be a good hook and Mayor Hill noted we have it at the airport. Mr. Wriqht Mr. Wright discussed the efforts to expand City programming coverage currently carried on Comcast Channel 25 to ATT U-Verse. He cited other communities that had done this, and that talks with ATT had come to an impasse for Sebastian and Indian River County. He said he would like to see a budget in 2013 to accomplish this, which would enable the City to broadcast to a wider range of viewers and attract people. Mr. Wright expressed concern about where we are going to be in three to five years, noting unemployment in Sebastian and Indian River County was one of the highest in the State. He said until we see an improvement in house values, revenues will not increase. He said there needs to be a focus on economic development and growth. He noted that North Central Avenue did not have water or sewer and it floods and we need to work to bring infrastructure including road improvements to that area. He also cited the need to provide infrastructure in the area on the west side of the airport due to the fact that it is the largest area for incentives for businesses to attract people. Mr. Wright encouraged everyone to operate proactively and said the City is being viewed as crisis management, such as the working waterfront issue, the noise issue where issues get to management on a crisis basis, and said we need time for in-depth consideration and to study issues and do what is best for the City. The City Manager said some issues may seem to be in a crisis mode but were rooted a long time ago, and that issues come up on on-going projects. He said when Council and the public get into day to day issues, things pop up during projects and we respond and that is the price of doing business in the public where under the law we have to talk about our dirty laundry. Mayor Hill said the City has been running in the right direction, noting the sound ordinance was reactionary to complaints. Mr. Wright said this is the view of the public and is bad publicity. Ms. Coy said there is always going to be someone stirring the pot one way or another and as long as we are representing ourselves clearly and keeping transparency and not being rogues, but gain consensus of Council, it will be fine. Beth Mitchell, Executive Director of the Sebastian Chamber of Commerce, said small and medium sized meeting and conference space is needed by the public. � City Council Workshop February 6, 2012 Page Five Damien Gilliams said the City needs to have Waste Management make recycling easier with bins with wheels, that a review should be conducted quarterly to see what we're doing to increase revenues, get with realtors to get a strategic plan to get assessments back up, said we need Wi-Fi and iYs pathetic it is not available in City Hall, said the billboard on I-95 is missing a boat, noting we are a resort area, and we should team up with the Chamber which uses free property from the City. Mayor Hill asked him to stay on the subject of goals, noting the Chamber partners with the City. Mr. Gilliams continued his discussion of the Chamber and Mayor Hill told him he was done and to have a nice day. Donna Keys discussed the need to view City and County meetings on ATT U-Verse. Mr. Wright said they are two different issues and each agency has been working with ATT to resolve the problem which exists throughout Florida, stating ATT won't partner with the City and County at the same time, and it will cost money to implement it. Ms. Keys asked about it being a private initiative and Mr. Wright said they could try. In response to her question on Wi-Fi, the City Manager said he did not know the cost at this time. Ms. Keys said annexing land to the west was a good idea, citing the elephant preserve in Fellsmere for which Disney is proposing eco- tours and said we could partner and incorporate what the City has to offer, such as eco-tourism opportunities. She mentioned that the preserve was planning to do a zip-line. Mavor Hill Mayor Hill said the working waterfront project would be critical over the next year and suggested creating a committee such as a Friends of the Waterfront to help get it moving in the right direction and so the City is not managing the project. Mr. Gillmor asked if the Working Waterfront Committee had been disbanded and it was noted they are still in effect until September. The City Manager said he has had discussions with the Council on this issue, the existing leases have been approved by DEP and he will be working on the business plan. He said either at a meeting February or March he will have additional information on that. Ms. Coy said we need a formal agenda item. Mayor Hill reiterated we should not have the City in day to day activities, but rather create a Friends of the Working Waterfront group. Mr. Gillmor said we could apply to become a Working Waterfront City which has grants for management of such projects. Mayor Hill said he knew we would have people who would volunteer. The City Manager said he would report back to them in February. Mr. Wright suggested implementing two more City sponsored festivals, perhaps one at the Working Waterfront site and a September Hurricane party with bands and local restaurants participating with City seed money. Mr. Gillmor said the restaurants were full during the recent Fine Art & Music Festival. Mayor Hill suggested bringing it forward as a plan and Mr. Wright said it could be a Chamber event. 6. Being no further business; Mayor Hill adjourned the workshop at 2:28 p.m. Approve at the ebruary 22nd, 2012 Regular City Council meeting. Ji Hill, Ma ) ATTEST.� ✓ �_�, Sal/y A. Maio, MMC City Clerk A Vision for Sebastian's Future WANTS. A new Multi Use Community Center that is both teen and senior friendly. ( Perhaps making a swap with the American Legion giving them our old community center building along with some cash, for the land they have now on the triangle. Demoing the garage and developing that whole parcel with a public private partnership. Possible Grant Funds?} Annexation. Enough annexed land to serve our city's needs for and employment center. Commercial/industrial IMixed use designation to be developed in our future. To make up for all the land we lost to that classification north of city hall. le the preserve. Future Land Use. Land use regs that replicate our D N A so that we don't lose our connectivity in future residential projects. Require new "gated communities" to stub out for roadways to facilitate emergency vehicle access as well as resident access to future neighbor communities, Riverfront/Downtown. I'd like to see infill development of a mixed use nature, upstairs residential downstairs shop or store in this district to enhance our destination resort image. Bed and Breakfast, Art shop, Goffee house, Small shops and Restaurants. Water Taxi. A pair of water taxi to serve the waterfront and ferry people over to the beach/inlet park. Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. A Future Club House that gives members something other than an un-airconditioned locker room next to the cart barn! Include a Banquet Room big enough to host weddings and other events that can be rented out as a revenue booster for the city.