Board of Commissioners Workshop Meeting

MINUTES BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORKSHOP MEETING MARCH 26, 2019 2:00 P.M. A workshop me~ting of the City of Madeira Beach Board of Commissioners was held at 2:00 p.m. on March 26, 20 19 in the Patricia Shontz Comm ission Chambers at City Hall, located at 300 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach, Florida. MEMBERS PRESENT: Maggi Black, Mayor Deby Weinstein, Commissioner District 1 Nancy Hodges, Vice-Mayor/Commissioner District 2 Doug Andrews, Commissioner District 3 John Douthirt, Commissioner District 4 MEMBERS ABSENT: CITY STAFF PRESENT: Jonathan Evans, City Manager Clara VanBlargan, City Clerk Andrea Gamble, Deputy Clerk Ralf Brookes, City Attorney 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Black called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. 2. ROLLCALL City Clerk Clara VanBlargan called the roll. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no public comment. 4. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION A. Amendments to Special Events Ordinance -Jay Hatch, Recreation Director Recreation Director Jay Hatch explained the final changes made to the special events ordinance. First reading of the ordinance is scheduled for the Apri l 9, 20 19, BOC Regular Meeting. Director Hatch responded to questions and comments by the Board. March 26, 20 19, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 1 of 6  The Board provided consensus for the item to move forward with the recommended changes. B. Amendments to Fees Ordinance - Linda Portal, Community Development Director Director Portal introduced the item. Each Department Head explained their proposed changes and responded to questions and comments by the Board. Building Official Frank Desantis reviewed the proposed changes to the building permit fees section of the document. City Clerk Clara V anBlargan reviewed the proposed changes to the City Clerk's Office section of the document. Community Development Director Linda Portal explained the proposed changes to the Development Services section of the document. Finance Director Walt Pierce reviewed the proposed changes to the Finance Department section of the document. The Board recommended and consented to also increasing the fee for weekly parking passes from $25 to $40 and increasing the fee for monthly parking passes from $75 to $90. City Manager Jonathan Evans suggested inserting a fee for festival parking or to create language allowing the flexibility for that and not put a value to it. The Board can modify that on first reading. Following discussion, the Board consented to adding some language for them to review on first reading to allow the flexibility of charging a fee for festival parking and not put a value to it. Fire Chief O'Neal reviewed the proposed changes to the Fire Department portion of the document. Recreation Director Jay Hatch reviewed the proposed changes to the Parks and Recreation portion of the document. Following discussion, the after-school program fee for children of general employees and fire personnel was removed. Director Hatch requested that the fees for residents to use the Sand Volley Ball Court to be waived for residents and to allow them to use it on any day of the week, at no cost, at a first come, first serve basis. The Board consented. City Manger Jonathan Evans reviewed the proposed changes to the Public Works and the Municipal Marina portion of the document and responded to questions and comments by the Board. The City Manager reported that Pinellas County is increasing their tipping fees for dumping sanitation waste and they have gone through a comprehensive study. At the next workshop meeting, staff will be presenting the elements associated with the study. During the budget process they need to discuss the fees that the City levies for sanitation services. Costs are increasing and they need to discuss what to do about recycling because the one-year contract the City entered is up for renewal or negotiations around the holiday season. March 26, 2019, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 2 of6  The City Manager reported that he had a conversation with Director Portal, and they need to place a section in the fee ordinance for charging an impact fee. They are looking to insert some type of language allowing them to charge the impact fee once the study is completed, and that those fees can take effect once the Board adopts it. They will work with the City Attorney on that. Mayor Black opened to public comment on the special events item and the fees ordinance. There was no public comment. C. Electric Charging Stations - Linda Portal, Community Development Director Director Portal reviewed the item. She said that the City of Madeira Beach has one electric vehicle charging station within a city parking lot located west of Gulf Lane and south of 129th Ave W. The charging station in Madeira Beach is free to use but sits in a pay to park lot. It can charge two vehicles at one time. Director Portal and the City Manager responded to questions and comments by the Board. Mayor Black opened to public comment. Lawrence Brand, 508 129th Avenue East, said he owns two electric vehicles and have used the charger in Madeira beach many times. It was mentioned that the charging station can charge two vehicles at one time. Only one car can be parked there at one time and it can only charge one car at one time because there is only one cord. D. Gulf Beaches Public Library Audit (Verbal Presentation) - Walter Pierce, Finance Director and Vince Gadrix, GulfBeaches Public Library Director Director Pierce introduced Vince Gadrix, Gulf Beaches Public Library Director, who presented on the Gulf Beaches Library Audit. He responded to questions and comments by the Board. E. Seafood Festival Proposed Agreement - Jonathan Evans, City Manager City Manager Jonathan Evans reviewed the item and said he would like direction from the Board on how to proceed forward with the 2019 proposed modifications and additions to the Seafood Festival contract. He had the opportunity to meet with Ms. Flynn to talk about some specifics associated with the proposed agreement. At the February 26th meeting, staff proffered some recommendations for modifications to the agreement. Through the Parks and Recreation Director, he reached out to Ms. Flynn and resolved the issues that the Board had. He explained the proposed contract modifications and additions. Commissioner Andrews stressed concern with the City Manager asking for individual meetings with Board members on items before a meeting. He felt that everything should be said at the meeting for more transparency. The City Manager explained that it was very common to individually meet with them to provide additional clarification and to answer any March 26, 2019, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 3 of6  questions they might have, and it was not in any way or in any form or fashion perceived as a lack of transparency. Commissioner Douthirt commented that they wanted the Seafood Festival to stay in Madeira Beach and asked Ms. Flynn if she was getting bids from other cities because they would like to see if the City could make a better offer. Ms. Flynn said they received other offers and Treasure Island offered fees free, but the merchants at John's Pass are not wanting to move the event. Commissioner Douthirt asked the percentage of the merchants in John's Pass that are members of the John's Pass Village Association and Ms. Flynn said 69 out of 110. Commissioner Weinstein recalled the Board consenting to an agreeable contract with the Seafood Festival on February 2is• that defined the parking and the waiving of the hard costs. She read a letter written by Ms. Flynn in its entirety regarding her asking people to vote for Doug Andrews and Steve Kochick and to critically evaluate the progress Madeira Beach has not made over the last three years. She said she did not take offence to what was written in the letter, except for the statement made about critically evaluating the progress Madeira Beach has not made over the last three years. That was an inappropriate statement to make by any organization, as they are wanting to be partners. Commissioner Weinstein asked Ms. Flynn if the letter represented just her opinion or did the John's Pass Village Association take a vote on it and were there any minutes showing that. Ms. Flynn said John's Pass Village Association had a Board meeting and voted to endorse those candidates, and they have a political right to do so. Commissioner Weinstein said that was fine, she had no problem with the candidates, and was not questioning that, just to read the letter in its entirety. She was tired of any association holding the City hostage in one of those type of events. She was agreeable to the agreement on the table, but now wanted it changed. She asked that the City keep all the parking and the Seafood Festival pay all the hard costs associated with the event. She would like for the event to stay in Madeira Beach, but said Ms. Flynn could seek other venues, because she had an obligation to the City, residents, and to their other business people in the community. Commissioner Andrews said Commissioner Weinstein had trampled on Ms. Flynn's constitutional right to support a candidate. Commissioner Weinstein asked the City Attorney to remark on that. The City Attorney said they can have a fair debate controlled by the chair. He believed they were talking about issues that were relevant to the public agenda item and that there were no constitutional violations. Mayor Black noted a correction to be made to #3 on p. 69. Commissioner Hodges inquired about the terms in the original agreement and asked Ms. Flynn if she agreed to the terms in the proposed agreement with modifications and Ms. Flynn said yes. Ms. Flynn said she appreciated that the City Manager was communicating with them and she wished that the Commission would understand what they are having to do and what is March 26, 2019, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 4 of6  involved. She and the City Manager had reached a doable agreement that benefited both sides. The City Manager said they worked through all the issues to bring to the Board an agreement that benefited both sides and to work together to ensure the event stayed in Madeira Beach. The City Manager asked if the Board consented to proceeding forward with the agreement as proffered by staff working with Ms. Flynn and her counselor with the City Attorney. The Board consented. The City Manager said the agreement will be brought forward to the Board for ratification at the first meeting in April. Mayor Black opened to public comment. There was no public comment. F. Appointing a City Representative to serve as Liaison for the City concerning the Planning of the 2019 Seafood Festival - Jonathan Evans, City Manager City Manager Jonathan Evans reviewed the item. He said the intent was to appoint a staff member to serve as the liaison for the City. City Attorney Ralf Brookes explained that a resolution was not needed to appoint a staff member to serve as the liaison. The City Manager said based on that, instead of bringing the resolution to the Board, he designates the Recreation Director to serve as the staff representative with the John's Pass Village Merchant's Association and to be the City liaison through the planning process. Reports can be provided at regular meetings during staff reports. Mayor Black opened to public comment. There was no public comment. Commissioner Douthirt said he had spoken to the City Manager regarding the Schooner hotel and explained that the permit went before the Planning Commission withoill all the things required in the ordinance. That should not go before the Planning Commission unless everything is there. The ordinance is the law and they must follow that. The ordinance must be changed if that cannot happen. The same happened with the Town Center property. The Judge ruled it illegal, because all 22 items required by the permit were not there. Director Portal said she understood the concerns. The ordinance and the PD require them to follow the site plan and criteria and that criteria leaves some opportunity for them to interpret which things in the plan are relevant, which are necessary for the review at that level, and when it is applicable. It provides a little flexibility to decide on a case-by-case basis what is needed for a particular plan at a particular time. That flexibility is incorporated into the PD review because it refers specifically to that section. It is something that the lawyers have been defending and the courts have upheld in the past. They can change the language in the PD section, so it is not making specific reference to the site plan and that it has its own criteria listed, which is more appropriate. A PD should not have that level of detail in them for an exact site plan because of having to go through an extensive hearing process. Commissioner Douthirt said when voting on the Schooner project, Director Portal had told them that it was quasi-judicial, but how can that be when everything was not there. Director March 26, 2019, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 5 of6  Portal explained that it is quasi-judicial by process. Commissioner Douthitt said the ordinances needed to be changed. Vice-Mayor Weinstein reminded everybody of the trash pirates cleanup day on April 6th at Archibald from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and invited everyone to attend. 5. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Black adjourned the meeting at 4:51 p.m. ATTEST: March 26, 2019, BOC Regular Workshop Meeting Page 6 of 6