Board of Commissioners Regular Workshop Meeting

MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR WORKSHOP MEETING APRIL 16, 2025 6:00 P.M. The City of Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners held a regular workshop meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 16, 2025 in the Patricia Shontz Commission Chambers at City Hall, located at 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, Florida. MEMBERS PRESENT: Anne-Marie Brooks, Mayor Ray Kerr, Vice Mayor/Commissioner District 2 David Tagliarini, Commissioner District 1 Eddie McGeehen, Commissioner District 3 Housh Ghovaee, Commissioner District 4 MEMBERS ABSENT: None CHARTER OFFICERS PRESENT: Robin Gomez, City Manager Clara VanBlargan, City Clerk Andrew Laflin, Finance Director/City Treasurer Thomas Trask, City Attorney 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Brooks called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL City Clerk Clara VanBlargan called the roll. All were present. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Brooks opened to public comments. There were no public comments. 4. BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A. Board of Commissioners Policy Handbook The City Manager said that the Board of Commissioners must review the handbook for changes and adopt its rules within 90 days after the election. The Mayor wanted to add to the manual a process that has been in place to allow public comments to be addressed at the end of the meeting. The most appropriate place would be to add it to the order of business for the regular BOC meetings, possibly after or before the adjournment, or before #14, on p. 23 of the packet. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 17 Mayor Brooks said she was indifferent to where it goes. They should make it official. Many residents come up and make statements, but it never goes anywhere. By formally adding it to the order of business, they would make sure it does not get missed, and it would let residents know their public comment would be addressed before adjournment. She wants it to appear consistently on regular meetings and workshop agendas. Commissioner Tagliarini said they could call it "Public Comment/Discussions/Questions." Mayor Brooks said they should all be mindful that when a resident is standing at the podium, it is not proper for them to converse with them. It is not being dismissive or disrespectful of the resident. If they do it for one, they must do it for all, or they are playing favorites. Commissioner Ghovaee said they could defer it to the following meeting if they need to analyze it further. The City Manager said it would be put somewhere before the adjournment. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr said at the top of p. 20, paragraphs 3 and 4 are one statement that needed correcting. B. Key to the City & Awards Policy and Procedure The City Manager said in the packet that there are examples of what other cities do and that they are open to suggestions. Commissioner Ghovaee said the City Attorney provided good ideas and various options for recognizing people contributing to the City. Vice Mayor Kerr said, looking at the City of Cocoa example on p. 30 of the packet, C. 2. Key to the City, "The City Commission will consider a complete, qualifying request for a Key to the City during a public meeting and determine the awarding of the Key." He asked if it mattered where it came from. Mayor Brooks said the intent was to look at the examples from the City Attorney and decide what they wanted to do for the City. Vice Mayor Kerr said a resident would make the request to a commissioner, who would present something in writing requesting that they present the Key to the City. Mayor Brooks said that whatever procedure is determined, the Commission will decide who gets the Key. They will set up parameters for determining who qualifies because they need to have done something above and beyond to be given a key. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 17 Commissioner McGeehen suggested taking the top three and allowing the residents to vote on who should get the Key. Vice Mayor Kerr said a resident could inspire a Commissioner, present it to the Board, state why, and then the Board would have a follow-up discussion. Commissioner Tagliarini shared examples from the packet, of which he read that a key to the City, honoring someone who has contributed significantly to the City through cultural, historical, educational, community service, humanitarian, or business efforts, should qualify to get the Key. A Key to the City is an honor bestowed by the City upon distinguished persons or organizations, symbolizing outstanding civic contributions or other significant accomplishments. He is uncomfortable giving a prestigious award to someone who benefited the City while doing their job. It should not be something paid to do. Alternatives to that could include a proclamation, a Board of Commissioners or City Manager award, a business award, certificates of recognition and appreciation, and a City coin. Mayor Brooks said she, too, liked the City coin. During the hurricanes, individuals in the City went above and beyond. Some people saved people's lives. Coming up with a definition to recognize residents would be time well spent. Commissioner Ghovaee said a Key to the City is prestigious. It should be well-designed and sized, like eight inches, on a nice board. People would feel good and acknowledged for doing a wonderful job, and more would want to do it. Commissioner Tagliarini asked who would write out a draft of the criteria or suggestions. The City Attorney said they have the policy from the City of Oldsmar as a starting point. He could draft it and give it to the city manager and the city clerk to look at before it goes to the Commission. It would be adopted by resolution. The policy can be changed at any time. From what he heard, the Commission favors proclamations, a Key to the City with some boundaries, certificates of recognition and appreciation, and possibly a City coin. Mayor Brooks said it would be fantastic to set up a system to start recognizing businesses within the community. There are over 200 businesses in Madeira Beach, especially now that businesses are trying to return. Vice Mayor Kerr suggested conducting a quarterly survey and having the business vote on it. Mayor Brooks said she would rather the community vote than the Board. The City Attorney said some cities do it through the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, or somebody else in the City who would make a recommendation. They could do it quarterly, biannually, or annually with the given direction. The Chamber of Commerce in the City of Oldsmar provides a biography of the business being recognized and what it has done to benefit the City recently. They bring the business in, give them a plaque, recognize what they have done for the City recently, and allow them to speak about their business briefly. Pictures are taken and recognized in the newspaper for receiving a nice award. Vice Mayor Kerr said doing it quarterly could be too much. The Mayor agreed. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 17 The City Manager said cities also have a citizens' academy and programs like Business Quarter or Business of the Year. The City Attorney said they could narrow it down to a business recognition award and not nail it down to a specific time frame. They could do it whenever they felt appropriate. He asked if they wanted it to come back as a resolution with a policy attached or if they wanted to prepare the policy and bring it back at the next regular workshop for discussion. Commissioner Tagliarini said he would rather see a draft of the resolution and the criteria and discuss it. The Board agreed. 5. CITY MANAGER A. Personnel, Policy, & Procedures Manual (Ordinance 2025-01) The City Manager said the Board is considering some adjustments to the personnel policy. One is related to the time frame for professional development reimbursement for classes. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. Joe Petraglia, a Community Development Department employee, said he just applied to go back to school for his master's in urban planning. He researched other cities' personnel policies and had the City Clerk distribute a copy of his prepared summary to the Board. The City's policy since 1995 has been 100% reimbursement and a one-year obligation to the City after obtaining the degree. The City of Largo requires a "C" or better grade with no time obligation. Redington Beach and Seminole mention reimbursement in their handbook, but he did not see the specifics. With St. Pete Beach, it depends on the grade, 100% for a grade "A" and a one-year obligation afterward. Treasure Island is 100% for a grade "C" or better and a one-year obligation afterward. Indian Shores is an 18-month obligation afterward, but it does not mention a grade to get the 100% reimbursement. The City of Oldsmar is a grade "A" with 100% reimbursement and a two-year obligation. Commissioner Tagliarini said he assumed it was 100% for a course passed. He suggested a one- year obligation for every academic year an employee receives tuition reimbursement. The City would benefit from them taking a course for one semester. Assuming they pass the class, every year or segment thereof is a one-year obligation. He does not know about putting a letter grade requirement, but they require a one-year obligation every time an employee receives reimbursement. Commissioner McGeehen said the City of Largo is a grade "C" or better. They talked about it before. Mayor Brooks said they had to pass a class previously, but the class did not specify the passing grade for reimbursement. They passed the 100% reimbursement with a "C" or better grade. They are now deciding how long an employee would be required to work for the City if reimbursed for their education. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 17 Commissioner Tagliarini said that if they just took a beneficial course, they would be reimbursed for it without finishing the degree. Mayor Brooks said the City would immediately benefit from someone taking a certification, a one—or two-day class, a two-month class, etc. That would require them to work, but going to college is different. It is a greater expense for the City, and you want a buy-in from the person who will get the education. Vice Mayor Kerr asked when the clock starts and ends. They were working on a degree but did not complete it. When would the clock start for the employee to work for the City for another year? The City Manager said the period would begin when they receive reimbursement or whatever time frame is set. Some cities require two years, so the last time they receive a reimbursement, they would be obligated to work two years with the City. The City Attorney read the language in the policy, "Reimbursement may also be conditioned upon the employee's agreeing to reimburse the City for tuition paid should the employee receive subsequent grants or scholarships covering all or part of the City tuition payment, resign prior to a set period of time after the course is taken, or be terminated for cause." He said that before taking the program, they must agree with the City on how to be reimbursed and stay for whatever period is set. Right now, there is no time period in the policy. If the employee separated during that period, reimbursement would be based on the number of months. The City Attorney said the provision also says, "The approval of any specific reimbursement request is at the sole discretion of the human resources staff, who must weigh all relevant facts and policies in granting or denying any request. The human resources staff decides how long someone should stay after completing the course. Mayor Brooks said that is the problem. If one person decides for three different people, favoritism could play a role in the decision. It would not be fair to let a single individual make that decision, which is why she brought it back. They must put a year on it. Commissioner Tagliarini said they could say a year or a segment thereof. So, taking 12 credits, the second semester is a year. The City Attorney said the language is not necessarily tied to a specific time frame. It is all tied to courses, not semesters or degrees. It says, "Reimbursement shall be limited to courses which are required as part of an overall academic program leading to a degree related to the employee's current City position." The policy has two paragraphs, one for non-degree courses or seminars and the other for degree programs. It is all related to courses taken versus an actual completed program. Commissioner Tagliarini said when referring to a segment, he means a completed semester with a passing grade. Vice Mayor Kerr said there is an opportunity for them to get a master's degree and a compensation increase as a reward. Still, they must maintain employment with the City for a specific time. Attorney Trask said there would be an agreement between the employee and the human resources staff regarding the time. It does not talk about an actual written agreement. It would be the employee agreeing. As in Paragraph 9 regarding reimbursement requests, the human April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 17 resources staff, subject to the approval of the City Manager, may set priorities such as electing to offer only partial reimbursement to requesters, not to exceed what is budgeted. Reimbursement on a first-come, first-served basis or in such other manner as deemed needed to ensure a fair and balanced ability for all employees to obtain the benefit." So, it looks like standards and priorities must be established by the human resources department. It does not nail down a specific time frame. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if the policy needed to be pushed back to the Civil Service Commission. The City Attorney said they could do that if it is the direction. They might have already taken a position on it. Mayor Brooks said they did take a position on it. They voted to make it 80% reimbursement. She disagreed with them because if an employee wants to further their education for the benefit of the City, they will do that outside of working for the City, which takes much of their time. So, she was in favor of 100% tuition reimbursement. She would not tie it to grades because some students excel in some classes and not in others, but they are equally intelligent. Her comments and thoughts were that if they were spending the money it costs to get a master's degree or a bachelor's degree, she would not feel that just a year was enough for someone to commit to the City. If an employee comes to the City with no education, has zero education, and the City pays for their four-year degree, and they stay for a year and walk down the road somewhere else, she is not a fan of that. If they come to the City and have a bachelor's degree and want to get a master's degree, the City will pay for the master's degree. She wants more than a year out of them. If the employee does not want to give the City two years, she would not want to pay for their education. Commissioner Tagliarini said it should be year for year, and the penalties for leaving the job early are already in place. The City Manager asked if it would be cumulative. If reimbursed in three consecutive calendar years, they must stay employed for three years afterward. Mayor Brooks confirmed with Commissioner Tagliarini whether he was thinking year for year based on the term of study or the actual time it takes. She liked the idea of year for year but would not base it on how long it would take them because they would not be going full-time. So, the master's or bachelor's programs, however many years it would take if they were a full-time student, would be what they owe at the end of earning it. A bachelor's program could take someone six years, so she would not want to commit somebody to six years, but she could go for four years. Vice Mayor Kerr said if courses toward a degree could be less, or if someone stops, there is a penalty in place for that. He does not follow the calendar year by year. Commissioner McGeehen asked if it would be a contractual agreement. The City Attorney said they are trying to make it part of the policy, so once it becomes part of the policy, they do not need to get the employee to agree; it is part of the policy. If they require them to stay two years for an AA degree or master's degree or whatever, and fire them after the first year, they must reimburse the City for the other year. Commissioner Ghovaee asked what would happen if an employee who is a technician goes to college to become an engineer, the City pays the tuition, and the job they wanted with the City is no longer available. Mayor Brooks said they would have to stay in their position for the duration April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 17 of what they owe the City, or reimburse it. In the meantime, they could be promoted if the position becomes open. Commissioner Ghovaee said it seemed too complicated. It has too many dimensions. Vice Mayor Kerr asked why they would pay for an engineering degree, knowing there was no position. Mayor Brooks said they would have to be in school to work in the City. Commissioner Ghovaee said they must graduate to a higher-level position if they get a bachelor's degree. Mayor Brooks said not necessarily. They may just be getting the education to get it. Everybody gets a trophy, and everybody gets the same raise. Or are they giving merit-based raises where they will get a raise because they have gone to school, obtained a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree? Now, they merit more money. They have a higher level of education and can bring more to the position. The City Manager said they want to protect the City's investment. If it is two years, then after they receive reimbursement and leave before the two years, they reimburse the City a portion of what the City paid them. The City Attorney said that if they give him the number of years for each degree, they will work on a change to the policy. Commissioner Kerr suggested 1, 2, and 3. The City Manager said it would be after each one of the reimbursements, while they are pursuing each one of the degrees. That is the corresponding time period. They would pay back the City for that reimbursement if they leave before that. Commissioner Tagliarini said he would favor 1, 2, and 2. Mayor Brooks said the employees will know that when their education is paid for, they are committing to the City's residents to work for the City for two years. They hope that any employee who works for the City intends to stay for many years, grow with the City, and understand the need for the role they are pursuing in their education. Mayor Brooks said tuition reimbursement aims to promote returning to school and pursuing higher education. The Board consented to a one-year commitment for an associate's degree, a two-year commitment for a bachelor's degree, and a two-year commitment for a master's degree. B. John's Pass Dredging Update The City Manager gave an update. The Director of the Aptim Coastal Port Marine Program gave an update. The DEP had suggested that mitigation would be required, but Aptim disagreed with it. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 7 of 17 Commissioner Ghovaee asked what would happen if the DEP disagreed with Aptim's professional opinion. The Director said the DEP could issue a permit and require mitigation. Mitigation would require additional time and cost. He thought they could quickly reach an agreement with the DEP. The Army Corps of Engineers would take longer. Commissioner Ghovaee said they could not afford to waste more time; they are against a deadline. The Director said they need two official permits before going to professional bidding. They do not do the bid plans and specifications now because special conditions could emerge from the permits that impact the plans. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if Aptim keeps up with the follow-ups. The Director said they do. Mayor Brooks said their elected officials would like to step in and help with the Army Corps of Engineers permit. She asked if the Director had an issue with it, and he said he did not, but that would not improve the situation. It would not change the Army regulatory process. Mayor Brooks asked what getting the bid package out quickly meant. The Director said they could finish it in less than a month if there were no special conditions. Mayor Brooks said that from the time the project was awarded until today, some of the questions should have been included in a package that went to the Army Corps. They should have had a better understanding of what they were looking for. If the project is not completed by December 31 they will lose the funding. The Director said the best approach for the Corps is constant, timely communication. Now that they have accepted the application as complete, they can consult, meet with the permit processor, document the communication, and anticipate any issues. Mayor Brooks said she would like to see Aptim work proactively with the City Manager to get the City in a position to move quickly. She would like a weekly update. The Director committed to weekly updates with the City Manager, drafting plans and specifications, and pushing the Army Corps. C. City External Financial Audit James Moore & Co., PI, presented the Financial Audit for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2024. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr asked about the overpayment of grant expenditures. The City Manager said a vendor in the Beach Groin Project was overpaid, but that has been corrected. 6. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 17  A. Madeira Beach Master Plan Update Representatives for Kimley-Horn gave an update on the project. They expect to unveil the final Master Plan at their final community workshop in early to mid-June. They had two community workshops that were very well attended. They are currently hosting their second online survey. She reviewed six focus categories and their goal statements. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Commissioner Ghovaee said the community involvement was a success. Commissioner Ghovaee said the presentation was nice and general. He asked them to consider a parking garage in John's Pass. It is a jewel to this community. The concept and vision of John's Pass will take them to the next step. Commissioner Tagliarini said he liked the wide range of focuses and thought it looked good. Vice Mayor Kerr said he hoped they would meet with staff and help define the character of John's Pass Village and put some concrete examples together, so if they have redevelopment, it is defined and not arbitrary. He asked what feedback they were receiving from the community about the vision for the Marina. Mayor Brooks said she was super excited. She got started with the City on the Budget Committee and was then appointed to the Planning Commission, where she was introduced to the Duany Plan. She liked the fact that the plan gave a vision to the City. She wants to see defined architecture in the plan as a guide. If they do not get busy doing something like that, they will not get what they want. Parking is an issue in the City, and the next step is to do a feasibility study to see where parking is needed in the City. Mayor Brooks said more parking is needed on this side of the City. Commissioner Ghovaee said they prepared a site plan for Winn-Dixie 25 years ago, closer to 30 to 35 years ago. He asked if they could create a public-private partnership to put elevated public parking spaces there. He wonders if they should approach the owner to see if it is possible. Mayor Brooks said the library would be a very good place to park. The best use for the building would be to build it up and have parking beneath it. They have the opportunity to do something for the community. B. Impact Fees Community Development Director Jenny Silver said impact fees are one-time charges local governments impose on new development to fund infrastructure and capital improvements necessitated by growth. These fees help ensure that new development pays a fair share of the cost of public facilities such as roads, parks, schools, and utilities. The Madeira Beach impact fees were adopted in June of 2021 and took effect on April 1, 2022. The fee rate increases each fiscal year April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 9 of 17 until October 2028, when the fees are 100% of the calculated rate (pages 6 and 7 of Ordinance 2021-10). Adjustments to the impact fees require an updated impact fee study by a qualified consultant that reviews a rational connection between the fee imposed and the need for additional capital facilities generated by the new development and the proportionality between the fee amount and the cost of the improvements needed to serve the development. Director Silver said they also collect county impact fees, which the City keeps 50%. Vice Mayor Kerr said it had been discussed many times, especially since the hurricane. He read the above paragraph and said there is no new development; it is redevelopment. He said Jerry Murphy said they could have impact fees just for commercial property. Residential impact fees do not impact the community. Director Silver said the county is amending its impact fees. The City typically collects impact fees on single-family homes, but does not see much commercial development. Right now, the permits it sees are for those who want to elevate their homes. Director Silver said a solution could be to go forward and change how they calculate impact fees. Commissioner Tagliarini said he would like to see the comparison between charging impact fees for units versus square footage on a residential property. Director Silver said if they wanted to change the impact fees, the City would need to get a consultant. Vice Mayor Kerr said Jerry Murphy was supposed to give them a quote. Andrew Morris, Long Range Planner, said he provided a quote, and then the hurricanes hit; they could contact him and get an updated quote. Commissioner McGeehen said many residents are taking the same size and building up. Director Silver said they would charge for the expansion if they were elevating and expanding their house. Mr. Morris pointed out that it is just on the heated square footage. Commissioner McGeehen said they should charge the people coming in from out of state and flipping the houses, not the residents who will be there for a long time and rebuilding. Director Silver said it is a long-term study on the impact of redevelopment. Commissioner Ghovaee said impact fees should be based on use, regardless of size. There should be just one impact fee. For commercial property, every use is different. So, if a property is commercial and it is torn down and someone wants to build a different use, they would calculate the square footage. He is in favor of residential being based on dwelling units. Mayor Brooks said that when the study was done, the conversation was not about commercial property, and nobody had an issue with commercial. She asked how their portion of the county's impact fee could be spent. Director Silver said it could be spent on anything transportation-related in the capital. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 10 of 17 Mayor Brooks said it took a long time to get it done. The intent is that you only pay an impact fee if you increase the square footage of your home. When lifting a home, you will pay more if you turn the empty space into a heated space. If you turn it into a porch, there will be no impact on the City. She is not for spending money on a study to tell them they should not collect impact fees on somebody getting a bigger house. There is an impact on the community when tearing down the homes. The impact fees they are collecting can enhance the parks, and they can spend them in many diverse ways. Commissioner Ghovaee asked if they could analyze how Pinellas County works regarding impact fees. He understands the Mayor's position on bringing revenues into the City for other uses. Mayor Brooks said they would need to pay an outside consultant to conduct a new study to change the impact fees. C. Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) Director Silver explained that the Pinellas County Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS) is a multi- jurisdictional, FEMA-mandated plan that identifies strategies to reduce or eliminate risks from natural and man-made hazards. As a participating jurisdiction, the City must stay engaged with the LMS process and ensure their local priorities are represented. The LMS serves several key functions, such as identifying vulnerabilities to hazards such as flooding and hurricanes, developing prioritized projects to reduce or eliminate those risks, maintaining eligibility for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant funding, and coordinating a countywide effort across municipalities and agencies. Participation in the LMS allows the City to submit projects for inclusion on the county's project priority list, increasing our eligibility for federal mitigation funds, influences countywide planning efforts with local knowledge, collaborating on multi-jurisdictional projects, and satisfies a requirement under the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) for mitigation planning. The City must remain in good standing, including attending LMS working group meetings, updating and submitting mitigation projects, and providing documentation of completed projects. The LMS must be updated every five (5) years. The last LMS was adopted in 2020, and an updated LMS is near completion and must be adopted by May 2025. The updated 2025 LMS plan will be presented at the May BOC Regular Meeting for formal adoption. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Director Silver said they must have LMS. Doing it every year, they could be eligible for grants. D. Amendment to Kimley-Horn Agreement for the Master Plan Director Silver explained that the consulting and design agreement with Kimley-Horn for the Master Plan was finalized on April 10, 2024. The scope of services only included the Master Plan. The City staff would like to amend the agreement to include additional consulting services for implementing the Master Plan. It could include amendments to the Land Development Regulations and the Comprehensive Plan to help the City successfully implement and apply goals and strategies April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 11 of 17 from the Master Plan. This depends on the extent of additional consulting services. Keep the current impact fees in place and use the funds. They recommend hiring a qualified consultant if the Board wants to change the impact fees. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr supported Kimley-Horn. Commissioner Ghovaee said they are amending the contract because they are requesting additional services. City Attorney Trask said it is to allow different scopes of services to be created, which would have to be approved with an associated fee. Mayor Brooks said they are specifically asking to amend it to include amendments to the Land Development Regulations and the Comprehensive Plan and apply goals and strategies to the Master Plan. E. Post-Hurricanes Update-Recovery, Rebuild, Permitting, FEMA, FDEM Director Silver reviewed the numbers from April 9. The meeting with FEMA went well. The City Manager said the meeting was for regulatory compliance. Director Silver said they have to start the code enforcement process, which they plan to do in late May or early June. Vice Mayor Kerr asked when the window closed for someone to get a post permit. Director Silver said it is currently a year. They are still doing open hours, and that might change. Barbara Scott said the website is updated daily. The City Manager said April 11 was the deadline to apply for the Elevate Florida Elevation Program. They have received inquiries on whether properties have been substantially damaged. As they receive any updates, they will send them out. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. 7. FINANCE A. FY 2025 Financial Overview Presentation – Through March 2025 Andrew Laflin, Finance Director Consultant and the City Manager, gave an overview. Mayor Brooks asked if they paid Servepro. She did not see it on the list. There should have been a Servepro cost on Milton for the Rec Center. The City Manager said it would be added to the list. They have not paid for the Rec Center's repair yet. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if they would be allowed to put a more permanent restroom structure at Tom & Kitty Stuart Park. Director Silver said they will need a new survey showing where the April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 12 of 17 flood zones are because the zone changes in the area of the restrooms. They cannot put a permanent structure where the V Zone is. Director Wepfer gave an update on the John's Pass Village structure, which the City allowed the Chamber of Commerce to use. The City Manager suggested they return the building to the City for City usage, and the Board was in favor of it. The City Manager gave an update on the structures at Archibald Park. The concession agreement expires in July 2026, and they have requested an additional agreement. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. Representatives with United Park Services asked if they could get the full term of their contract once they make the building whole. They also asked for a month-to-month replacement for the period of time they missed. They took out about 8,000 tons of sand. They are hoping to open and rebuild it better than it was. Commissioner Tagliarini asked for clarification on making the contract whole. They said they have been closed for eight months and are asking to be able to make up for the eight months. The City Attorney said they must follow the lease as it is currently written. They cannot go over the 10-year lease. There is a provision in the Charter that states they cannot enter into leases greater than ten years without going to a referendum. Mayor Brooks asked for more information before they discussed it. B. Fees and Collection Manual Updates The City Manager explained that the amendment would increase overnight parking and update community development fees. Director Silver reviewed the changes in the community development fees. Ms. Scott reviewed the changes in the building permit fee schedule. It was not implemented when they switched to MGO. Mayor Brooks said a private provider would be beneficial for staff and the person building the development. Ms. Scott said they are not charging for after-the-fact permit fees because the permit fee is currently zero, but that is open for discussion. The City has waived $147,378 in demo permit fees and $419,406.26 in all other permit fees, for a total of $566,784.26. The state requires $10,229.42 in fees. Mayor Brooks said there was no one in the audience for public comment. Mayor Brooks said she met with a resident at City Hall. They were angry that they lost $200,000 for doing everything right. Now, they are dealing with an overloaded contractor who does not have April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 13 of 17 time to do it. The people who did not do what was right are getting away scot-free. The Mayor said it was time to tell people to file a permit by a certain day or there will be consequences if they do not. The permits will not be free. Since they will be voting on it, language needs added stating that. People all over the City did not get permits, and they were not caught. If not caught, they do not pay. The City said it would overlook it and did, but people are still not coming in and pulling a permit. Commissioner Tagliarini said he is in favor of setting a deadline. The City Attorney said the code already provides for the fines. They are $250 a day for a property that remains in non-compliance. The Special Magistrate sets the fines. When talking about life safety issues, they ask for a higher fee. They could say if they are not in compliance by a particular day, the fees will come back into play. Mayor Brooks said they need to pick a date for when people must be in compliance. The City Attorney said they can remove that language and add it to the fee. It should be done in the place where you give them a year. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if they could say that code enforcement will begin on a given date and that anyone who has not pulled a permit is subject to it. The City Attorney said they do not need to put it in the fee manual; the only thing required by law is a notice of violation, which is the third step in the process. Mayor Brooks said that when people get their demo permits, they have not done the work on their homes because they will tear them down. Those people are in compliance because they have not done any work yet. If she lives in a house and it floods, whether she rebuilds or builds up, she still can get a permit and not pay. The City Attorney said they would add a fee for those who have failed to get a permit, and their permit fee will not be waived. The City Manager said that the fee would be five times the amount. Vice Mayor Kerr said it takes time for whatever reason. Ms. Scott said they are seeing people come in and buy homes and want their permit fees waived, even though they were not homeowners during the hurricane. 8. PUBLIC WORKS A. Court of Honor update April 16, 2025 Public Works Director Megan Wepfer gave the update and the timeline of the bidding process. The agreement should be ready for discussion at the May BOC workshop and approval at the June 11, 2025, BOC Regular Meeting. About 11 companies showed up at the pre-bid meeting. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr questioned why the addendums were posted on April 22, and two days later, it was open. Director Wepfer said it was not a large project and that all the questions had been answered. The timeframe can be changed on any project. B. Boca Ciega Street End Project Update 4-16-25 April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 14 of 17 Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Public Works Director Megan Wepfer provided an update and timeline for the bidding process. The agreement should be ready for discussion at the May BOC workshop and approval at the June 11, 2025, BOC Regular Meeting. Commissioner Tagliarini asked if they perceived a problem with the water leak in the park at the end of 135th Avenue. Director Wepfer said the area will need to be excavated. Every bid has a 10% contingency to account for associated costs. C. Archibald Parking Lot and 142nd Beach Access Repair Update Director Wepfer explained that the repairs had been completed, and both reopened on April 8. Staff is still working on landscaping at both locations and will continue to improve both areas. They will also replace the plants that were lost there. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if the lights were upgraded. Director Wepfer said they are waiting on parts, so ten lights are still not working. The electricity has been waterproofed. She is waiting for a purchase order to be approved to paint the lights. Commissioner Ghovaee asked if FEMA would pay for consulting fees. The City Manager said all expenditures related to the repair work are included. D. Tom & Kitty Stuart Repair Update Director Wepfer explained that a purchase order was completed and sent to Transystems on February 13, 2025, for the construction plans and specifications, which included a boundary survey with topography, geotechnical investigations, perform a wave run-up analysis, prepare construction plans, review of contractor request for information, provide bidding assistance, two construction inspections, and project close-out for $16,800.00. The analysis is expected within the next couple of weeks. The bidding process will start after the wave run-up analysis is complete, which typically takes four months, and it will be an extensive project. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Vice Mayor Kerr asked if, with a permanent restroom structure, natural ventilation could be used instead of air conditioning. Director Wepfer said yes. They do not install air conditioning in public restrooms. Mayor Brooks said they are looking to put a prefabricated building there, and Director Wepfer said they would floodproof it. April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 15 of 17 Commissioner Ghovaee asked if the park was permitted based on the development agreement. The City Attorney said the development agreement expired. Director Wepfer said the design is based on the park's original plan. Commissioner Ghovaee asked if there was an ingress for Caddy's. The City Attorney said the agreement allowing the fencing to be moved has been signed. Director Wepfer said it was moved today. E. ITB 25-05 area 3 Roadway & Drainage Improvement Project Director Wepfer explained that they placed Area 3, which includes West Parsley, East Parsley, Marguerite Dr., Lynn Way, A St., B St., a part of S Bayshore, and Puritt Dr., out to bid for 49 days and received three submittals. The project scope consists of replacing and upgrading the stormwater outflow pipes, replacing the concrete curb, driveway repairs, restoring the side yards disturbed by the project, milling and resurfacing the roadway, and the replacement of Pinellas County Utilities as per their plan. The City will pay for the replacement cost and will be fully reimbursed by Pinellas County per the joint participation agreement that will come to the Board at a later meeting. Staff received bids from Harbor Contracting, $7,155,457.44, Keystone Excavators, $8,624,372.00, and Harris–McBurney Company, $8,059,148.89. Staff reviewed each bid with the City's consultants, Tina and Al. Harbor Contracting was the lowest responsive vendor. Harbor Contracting has done work in Bellaire and has had great reviews. The Pinellas County portion of this project came in at $1,099,220. The project's fiscal impact is $7,155,457.44, but the cost to the City, once reimbursed from Pinellas County, is $6,056,237.44. Staff has a $4,500,000 budget for FY25, and the remainder is scheduled for FY26. Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Director Wepfer said the project has an FDOT grant for $549,400. They are behind on the project because of the review process. They are upsizing all of the storm drains and increasing the size of the pipes. Increasing the size of the inlets does not make a difference, but increasing the pipes increases the flow. The City does not own sanitary water or reclaimed water pipes, but the county will replace them. F. Interlocal Agreement for Storm Debris Management Site Utilization Mayor Brooks opened to public comment. There were no public comments. Director Wepfer said the City struggled to locate a place to put debris caused by Hurricane Helene. The City of Largo agreed to allow the City to use its debris management site in the event of another hurricane, with the approval of an agreement they created that the City Attorney made minor changes. The use will be for lot 14 for 90 days, costing $500 per storm. It is a five-year agreement from the effective date and will be renewed for an additional four one-year terms unless written notice is provided before. They recommend approval of the agreement to use the debris management site. G. Joint Participation Agreement with Pinellas County for Area 3 Roadway and Drainage Improvement Project April 16, 2025, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Minutes Page 16 of 17