Village Council Workshop

Village of Wellington 12300 Forest Hill Blvd Wellington, FL 33414 Action Summary - Final Monday, March 9, 2015 3:00 PM Village Hall Village Council Workshop Bob Margolis, Mayor John Greene, Vice Mayor Matt Willhite, Councilman Anne Gerwig, Councilwoman John T. McGovern, Councilman Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Margolis called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. 2. REVIEW OF COUNCIL AGENDA Mr. Schofield presented the agenda for March 9, 2015 for review. A. 15-154 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR WELLINGTON COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 27, 2015 AND THE ANNUAL LANDOWNERS MEETING OF THE ACME IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT OF JANUARY 27, 2015 Mr. Schofield introduced the item. He asked Council if they had any changes to the Minutes being presented. There were no changes recommended. B. 14-654 AUTHORIZATION TO UTILIZE A STATE OF FLORIDA CONTRACT AS A BASIS FOR PRICING FOR THE PURCHASE OF MICROSOFT SOFTWARE, LICENSES AND MAINTENANCE Mr. Schofield presented the item. He stated that the contract was set to expire in March but would be extended through September. Mr. Schofield indicated that Mr. Silliman was able to negotiate a price of $81,422 per year which is less than the $120,000 the Village of Wellington was currently paying. He added that the price of $81,422 would be locked in for 3 years. There were no changes recommended. C. 15-35 AUTHORIZATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT FOR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, INSPECTION, CLEANING AND REPAIRS Mr. Schofield presented the item. He stated that there had been a process developed a few years ago to evaluate, upgrade and repair the Village’s drainage system as most of it is 30 years old with very little repair done to it. Mr. Schofield indicated that there were a couple projects that Council knows will exceed the $25,000 threshold. The projects are budgeted. He believed this to be the lowest and best price. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if the money would come from the ACME fund since this item is associated with surface water. Mr. Schofield indicated that some of the money would come from the ACME fund and some from general funds. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if this item had anything to do with the amount of money raised by the Village. Mr. Schofield stated that this was for normal general maintenance, whereas the raised money was for very specific projects. Vice Mayor Greene asked if the contract is a total of $154,000 over 3 years. Mr. Fleury stated that the cost should average around $150,000 per year. He indicated that there were other miscellaneous items not listed in this agenda item that were less than $25,000. Village of Wellington Page 1 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 Mr. Barnes clarified that what was actually being awarded was the unit price contract with Shenandoah General Construction Company and the two projects that the Village knew would be over $25,000 were listed in this agenda item. He indicated that Shenandoah was the only company that bid this particular job. Because staff decided to compare recently awarded contracts, Collier County was looked at and Shenandoah was the second awardee on that contract. Their price on the Village’s bid actually came in lower than the primary awardee on the Collier County contract. Councilwoman Gerwig asked why there were only two bidders on the previous contract. Mr. Fleury stated that this included underwater diving and very few firms did this type of specialized work. He indicated that the Village piggybacked off of Northern’s contract which had 4 firms. Mr. Fleury said that Shenandoah was the most responsive and provided good work. Vice Mayor Greene asked for clarification because he thought that this was a 3 year contract; however, it was not just for the project listed. Mr. Fleury explained that the two projects listed were the bulk of the projects. Mr. Barnes added that the Village would generally do a multi-year contract when this kind of an invitation to bid is issued because it will usually attract more bidders. Mr. Barnes suggested that, for the future, the agenda item would be separated with an A and B portion; A being the approval of a contract and B being the approval of project(s). D. 15-92 AUTHORIZATION TO UTILIZE A CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS CONTRACT AS A BASIS FOR PRICING FOR SUBSURFACE TURF DRAINAGE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS AT VILLAGE PARK SOCCER FIELDS Mr. Schofield presented the item. He explained that Fields 13-16 were constructed in 2004 and did not have subsurface and were the only fields that have not undergone major renovation Mayor Margolis asked if the County had the ability to use the outside fields or gym. Mr. Barnes clarified that a portion of Village Park was constructed with shared funds from the County but there were no County shared fields in regards to shared funds. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if this was the same subsurface done to the other fields. Mr. Barnes indicated that the surfacing that would be placed on these fields is the same as the fields that were previously resurfaced. In addition, the recovery times of the surfacing is measurably better with longer playing time. The project, with Council approval, would be expected to start in late April and completed in July. He added that the company Sports Turf One, Inc. has done business with the Village before and the work was completed successfully and on time. E. 15-107 AUTHORIZATION FOR PROPOSED DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE 12TH FAIRWAY AND THE YARMOUTH/FOLKSTONE & EASTWOOD COMMUNITIES Mr. Schofield presented the item. He indicated that this would be funded out of Safe Neighborhood’s capital funds. Mr. Schofield explained that a number of years ago the Village started a restoration and renovation program Village of Wellington Page 2 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 reconstructing some of the drainage in some of the multi-family neighborhoods that does not work. Mayor Margolis asked why the funds were being taken out of the Safe Neighborhoods capital budget. Mr. Poag stated that Safe Neighborhoods possessed some infrastructure improvements in the capital budget. He indicated that there were discussions with Public Works about utilizing those funds to do the infrastructure improvements hand-in-hand with resurfacing and installation of ADA sidewalks. Mayor Margolis asked if work was done outside of the classified “safe neighborhoods” which fund would the cost be taken from. Mr. Fleury said the funds would be taken from ACME surface water fund. Councilman Willhite said that he did not see the connection with the Eastwood neighborhood as it is a single-family residential neighborhood, not a multi-family or transitional neighborhood. Mr. Schofield requested that this item be pulled in order to give himself and Mr. Riebe a chance to review the proposed item. Council consensus was to remove this from the agenda. It will be rescheduled for a later date. F. 15-59 RESOLUTION NO. R2015-12 (WELLINGTON TENNIS CENTER PLAT) A RESOLUTION OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL ACCEPTING AND APPROVING THE WELLINGTON TENNIS CENTER PLAT FOR A 15.53± ACRE PARCEL LYING IN SECTION 19 AND 20, TOWNSHIP 44 SOUTH, RANGE 42 EAST, VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON, PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, BEING A REPLAT OF A PORTION OF TRACTS 55, 56, 57 AND 58, BLOCK 20, PALM BEACH FARMS COMPANY PLAT NO. 3, PLAT BOOK 2, PAGES 45 THROUGH 54, INCLUSIVE OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, SAID LANDS LYING AND SITUATE IN SECTIONS 19 AND 20, TOWNSHIP 44 SOUTH, RANGE 42 EAST. Mr. Schofield presented the item. He indicated that this item was fairly straightforward as this was a plat for the tennis facilities. Councilman Willhite said that the Village Walk community had asked about installing a landscape buffer to ensure decent separation. He asked if the Village had discussed those concerns with the community. Mr. Riebe stated that he had met with the individuals from Village Walk the previous week, and they had expressed concerns about the increase in pedestrian traffic as a result of the tennis center along with possible glare from the lights surrounding the tennis center. He noted that the community also presented a plan with approximately $50,000 worth of work including additional landscaping within the Village Walk landscape berm to discourage pedestrian traffic. Mr. Riebe said there had been no decision made but he assured Councilman Willhite that the Village is aware of the concerns from the community and will discuss possible options with Mr. Schofield. Mr. Schofield Village of Wellington Page 3 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 said that whatever the Village does regarding the community’s requests would have to be done after the contract is finalized for the tennis center as a change order would be too expensive. Vice Mayor Greene brought to attention the southern adjacent community’s communication to the Village regarding their lighting concerns about the tennis complex. Mr. Barnes indicated that their concerns related to the glow that would be given off by the lighting. He stated that the lights would be turned off at some time at night and would not stay on through the night. He added that the lights are much lower than sports field lights, so overall the impact would be less than what could have been and what might be anticipated. Mr. Riebe said that he had communicated with two individuals in that particular community regarding the distance between the tennis center and the neighboring neighborhood. Mayor Margolis asked if the meetings that were held were generated by the HOA board or individuals throughout the community. Mr. Riebe confirmed that the meetings were generated by the HOA board. G. 15-63 ORDINANCE NO. 2014-26 (EQUESTRIAN BRIDLE PATH MAP CPA) AN ORDINANCE OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL, AMENDING THE WELLINGTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY ADOPTING A BRIDLE TRAIL MAP IN THE EQUESTRIAN ELEMENT; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT AND SEVERABILITY; AUTHORIZING THE MANAGER TO UPDATE THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mr. Schofield presented the item. He indicated that this was the second reading and final adoption of the Equestrian Circulation Map. The map had been transmitted to the Department of Economic Opportunity and was reviewed by the Bureau of Community Planning. The bureau found no issues with the map. Mr. Schofield stated that the map identified the current and future planned trail system. Mayor Margolis asked for confirmation that this map had been vetted through all of the boards. Mr. Schofield confirmed that indeed the map had been vetted through every board and through the state. Councilwoman Gerwig asked for a clarification between an Equestrian Circulation Plan and an Equestrian Bridle Trail Map. Mr. Schofield indicated that they were essentially the same one but it was Council’s direction to change the labeling to Equestrian Circulation Plan. Mr. O’Dell stated that there had been no changes made to the plan and that staff was still advancing through the Equestrian Plan Review process so it was anticipated they would go back to the plan and make changes in the next 12 to 18 months. H. 15-115 RESOLUTION NO. R2015-15 (SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 6TH ANNUAL GPL POLO EVENT) A RESOLUTION OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL Village of Wellington Page 4 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 APPROVING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE 6th ANNUAL GPL POLO EVENT TO BE HELD AT 3665 120th AVENUE SOUTH; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mr. Schofield introduced the item. He announced that Mr. Stillings would present the item. Mr. Stillings presented the item and corrected the reference of Southfields Polo, LLC to Isla Carroll Farms, L.P. as the applicant. He stated that this was their 6th annual event that will be held on Saturday, April, 11, 2015. This would be the first year the event will be held at this facility. The majority of the activities would take place at the area north of IPC and they would be using some of IPC for parking. It was anticipated that approximately 1,100 people would be in attendance. Vice Mayor Greene asked if there were any other changes besides the change in venue and conditions. Mr. Stillings stated that only the venue had changed; however, he did not know why that had been done. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if a non-profit benefited from this event. Mr. Stillings was unsure as to whether or not a non-profit benefited. I. 15-137 RESOLUTION NO. R2015-19 (SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE JUANITO'S RESTAURANT, LLC, OPERATING AS THE GRILLE) A RESOLUTION OF WELLINGTON, FLORIDA’S COUNCIL APPROVING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR JUANITO’S RESTAURANT, LLC, OPERATING AS THE GRILLE, UTILIZING OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED MUSIC FOR A ONE DAY OUTDOOR TALENT SHOW TO BE HELD AT 12300 SOUTH SHORE BOULEVARD; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Mr. Schofield presented the item. He stated that they have an approval level that allowed them to operate until 2 am which required them to come to Council for a special use permit if they are doing outdoor activities or entertainment. He said there was an anonymous complaint received by the Village about the activities going on until 3 am and noise being audible from Palm Beach Polo and Country Club. An inspector was sent out and found that they were operating outside after 11pm which violated their extended hour’s agreement. They were issued a notice of violation which required them to apply for a special use permit which they subsequently did. The applications were submitted and the business had been compliant for the most part. There were two occasions in which the business was not in compliance and they were cited for both. Mr. Schofield stated that there were 3 active violations on this business. Vice Mayor Greene indicated that he had not seen where in the past the business was permitted to stay open past 1 am. Mr. Stillings stated that the land development regulations changed requiring any business operating after midnight to get an hour of operations permit. As a part of that change, anything between midnight and 2 am could be approved administratively and anything after 2 am would go to Council for approval. Under the conditions of the permit, the business is to stop any outdoor activities at 11pm. Village of Wellington Page 5 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 Mr. Schofield indicated that it was not the Village’s intention to stop the code enforcement actions that were already in place. J. 15-81 ABANDONMENT OF A PORTION OF A LIMITED ACCESS EASEMENT ALONG GREENBRIAR BOULEVARD FOR REAR PROPERTY ACCESS FOR 14451 EQUESTRIAN WAY Mr. Schofield introduced the item. He announced that Mr. Riebe would present this item. Mr. Riebe presented the item. He indicated that the owner was requesting access to the limited access easement in order to access the barn and manure bins at the rear of the property. Staff’s recommendation was not to approve the abandonment. Mayor Margolis disclosed that he had met with the applicant and his understanding of the situation was for the owner to have the ability to remove manure out of the property one time per week. Councilman Willhite indicated that he did not agree with approving this agenda item because it would set a precedent going forward for other land owners doing this in the future. Councilwoman Gerwig thought that emptying the manure bin would be difficult in any method other than going through the limited access easement pathway. She asked if there was an engineering solution that would prevent a drainage problem with the swale. Mr. Schofield thought that something could be done with some conditions that he would recommend. He indicated that the apron would have to be paved due to previous occurrences with trucks driving over and destroying the swale. Mr. Riebe added that large trucks back in to the property causing traffic backup, damage to the swale and tearing up the edge of pavement. He stated that the concerned was for safety and damage to the swale and pavement causing the Village to spend extra tax payer dollars to fix the damage. He stated that there were alternate ways to solve this problem without allowing for access of the limited access easement but would require additional time and money. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if the Right to Farm Act would apply to this particular situation. Mr. Riebe stated that the Act did not apply. He stated that the Right to Farm Act did not give free and willing access through a limited access easement. Mr. Schofield clarified that the Right to Farm Act established that if an existing farm had other uses encroach upon the property, then the farm cannot be deemed a public or private nuisance Mr. Schofield stated that if Council chose to approve this item, staff had some conditions that they would like to see met. These conditions included pavement of a drive apron, the walkway had to be improved to hold the weight of a truck, the use be limited to once a week for manure removal only and that the owner be held liable for any damage. Mr. Schofield stated that if Council decided to approve this item, he would recommend not to abandon the limited access easement, but to grant an exception for that particular property that would expire at the transfer of the property. Village of Wellington Page 6 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 Vice Mayor Greene asked how the Village could stop the property owner from using the limited access easement if Council was not to approve this item. Mr. Riebe stated that the Village Code states that a property owner can only have a 4 foot gate that access the backside of their double frontage lot. He said that the property owner can keep their gate and the Village could put in a 4 foot gate that would prevent vehicles from entering the backside access gate. K. 15-193 40TH STREET/LAKE WORTH ROAD RIGHT OF WAY ABANDONMENT Mr. Schofield presented the item. He requested that this item be postponed. He indicated that a series of meetings occurred and several issues were brought to his attention that he felt needed to be looked into. Vice Mayor Greene asked if the Village had executed the quitclaim deed. Ms. Cohen stated that the Village had not executed the quitclaim deed as there were issues that were discussed. She thought that this project could not be postponed for too long as it is a ministerial act and that this had been asked to be done. Councilwoman Gerwig asked if the Village did not provide the quitclaim deed, what would that do to this project. Ms. Cohen thought that the Village would be looking at a lawsuit. The quitclaim deed reflects, in the records for purposes of title, that the property belongs to the developer. Councilman Willhite indicated that he had asked to have this item put on to the agenda because the last direction by Council was to go back and try to work this out with all owners and the Village, but there was no return conversation or feedback given to Council afterward. Councilman Willhite also stated that the last time any piece of property owned by the Village that was deeded, sold, quifclaimed, or put for auction came before Council with the public having the opportunity to speak on it. Mr. Schofield stated that he would ask for this item to be removed from the agenda at the following Council meeting. MANAGER COMMENTS Mr. Schofield indicated that in his Weekly Issues he had a list of potential discussion topics, and noted that he needed to add how they operate the tennis center to that list. He said that he was considering adding this to Council’s next discussion because he needed to get that done since they were coming up to budget season. ATTORNEY'S COMMENTS None COUNCIL COMMENTS Vice Mayor Greene asked how many television sets were planned for the new tennis center. In response, Mr. Barnes said that it would have nine televisions. Vice Mayor Greene asked why there were so many televisions scheduled to be installed in that center. Mr. Barnes said that they have multiple locations Village of Wellington Page 7 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 noting that some will serve as scrolling marquis and there are a number of televisions. for the expanded viewing area on the second floor of the center. Vice Mayor Greene asked how many talevision sets were in the old facility. Mr. Barnes said that the old facility has about six or seven televisions, but that included the Wellington Community Center. WORKSHOP A. 15-173 SENIOR HOUSING OPTIONS Mr. Schofield introduced the item. He announced that Mr. Basehart, Mr. Poag and Mr. DeLaney would be presenting this item. Mr. Basehart stated that the purpose of this discussion was to provide Council with an opportunity to evaluate what kind of programs and facilities are in place in Wellington for seniors as well as to look at alternatives that may or may not be justified, needed or wanted. He said that the hope was that Council would then provide staff with some direction on how to proceed into the future. Mr. Basehart pointed out that the discussion was basically initiated by members of the Senior Advisory Committee. He noted that Committee’s concept was to provide a below-market quality residential, age-restricted senior community with the Village potentially participating by providing a site. Mr. Basehart stated that they initially looked at what was available in Wellington. He explained that there are many different types of senior housing and reviewed those that presently exists in Wellington. • Extensive Care or Nursing Homes: There is one extensive care of nursing home, Nu Vista. This facility also provides for some patient treatment as well as some short term stay, but it is predominantly a nursing home. . • Congregate Living Facilities: The Village has four levels of this type of facility: (1) Type 1: Allows up to 6 residents who do not have to be classified as seniors the Village has 17 of these Type 1 facilities. They can be located in the same locations as single family homes; (2) Type 2A: Allows up to 14 residents within a multi-family or commercial zone and require a conditional use approval from Council – the Village has one such facility; (3) Type 2B: Allows up to 21 residents who are classified as seniors – the Village has one such facility; and (3) Type 3: Institutionalized senior living – two or three of these types of facilities have been approved in the Village; however, none have been built. Mr. Basehart identified another type of senior living that being “aging in place” which he said the Village has quite a bit of. Mr. Basehart explained the 2000 Census showed that about 8% of the Village residents were seniors (age 65 and older) while the 2010 Census indicated that the number of seniors had risen to 10.5%. He said that staff also looked at the statistics from The Florida Bureau of Economic Business Research. He noted that the Bureau indicated that Wellington’s population was over 60,000 people, found 13.5% were age 62 and over. He said that Mr. Poag has a number of programs in the Community Services Department aimed at assisting seniors that desire to live in place. He noted that Mr. Poag had recently conducted a survey of seniors in Wellington to determine the needs and desires of the senior community that he would elaborate on. Village of Wellington Page 8 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 Vice Mayor Greene asked for a clarification as to who the target audience is concerning senior housing. Mr. Poag indicated that seniors are classified as 55 years old and over. He stated that several of the questions used a 5 year comparison, so anyone who is currently age 50 and over will qualify for any type of senior housing component within the next 5 years. Mr. Poag stated that there was a simple random sampling of the population who were surveyed in order to receive a valid cross-section of individuals in the surveys. Vice Mayor Greene asked why the Village had not targeted the two known senior communities within Wellington when sending out surveys. Mr. Poag said that if the survey had been targeted to just those communities then the numbers and response rate would have been skewed because there are 55 and over residents throughout the entire Village. By doing a random sampling of the entire senior community, there was no opportunity for a bias opinion and the Village was provided with a snapshot of the wants of the entire senior community. Vice Mayor Greene thought it was important for the Village to work with the existing senior communities that strong HOAs, strong community input with individuals who vote, have specific needs, and have more expertise in those areas. Mayor Margolis thought that a response rate of 10% in a survey is typically a good response. He said that if Wellington has over 60,000 residents with a fairly large number being 62 and over, he did not think that that the existing senior communities should be solely targeted because a majority of the senior population may not be located within those communities. He liked that the staff was looking into future needs of seniors as changes could arise quickly. Mr. Poag stated that if the numbers from the survey were dissected, the mean age for the survey was 66. The following results of surveyed response were provided: 1. Ages 50 to 64 – 44% surveyed response 2. Ages 65 to 79 – 45% surveyed response 3. Ages 80 and up – 10% surveyed response 4. 1% of responders refused to provide their age He reported that the majority of the individuals surveyed lived in Sugar Pond, Village Walk, Greenview Shores, Buena Vida, Paddock Park, Palm Beach Polo Golf and Community County Club, Bink’s Forest Golf Club, Lakefield, Grand Isles and Meadow Wood. Councilman Willhite said that the younger senior population is not looking to move anywhere as some will still have children in school and the older population will wait until a family member steps in to make decisions for them. He said that it is the percentage of individuals in the middle of those two population groups that are the ones that will probably do something. He thought that those people in the far end of the age spectrum say they will age in place, but realistically they will not. He said that he was concerned that the two surveys that were done indicated that the seniors don’t want the Village to do anything, but he felt that they still needed to make amenities available to keep the residents in the Village. He questioned whether there was a middle type facility that could be provided that would be most beneficial to the residents. He thought it should be some type of single-family residence that allows seniors to age in place while offering them the services they asked for Village of Wellington Page 9 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 in the survey responses. He hoped that it was clear that there was still a need in the Village for the middle aspect so they can take care of the residents. Mr. Poag concurred with Councilman Willhite. He pointed out that they looked at different age groups and the data was broken down. He indicated that the survey showed that the most highly desired services to be provide in the retirement community for the 80 plus age group included: home maintenance, other services, such as recreation programs, transportation, in-home healthcare, house cleaning/laundry and meal services which was taken into consideration. He said they looked at the survey from different aspects including those people who want to age in place as well as those individuals looking to a senior community that provided those services, as well as those services they will be looking for if a decision was made to move in that direction. Mayor Margolis said that when someone says they want to age in place what they really mean is that they did not want to lose their independence. He thought as they get older, it becomes more difficult to retain that independence because they can no longer perform routine chores. He said that he hoped they would be living in a place where those services are provided to them. Mayor Margolis said that the Village hears from the members of the Seniors Club; however, they don’t hear from the rest of the seniors which is why surveys are important. Councilman Willhite thought that the services provided were not so much assistance as they were benefits to the resident. He reiterated that there was the middle aspect where people still kept their independence and could things on their own, but services were available if they wanted them. He asked what could be created to provide some of the services desired by seniors throughout the community. Since the 10 acre site was referenced, he asked what would a model look like and how many residents could be accommodated. Councilwoman Gerwig wanted Council to consider that Wellington seniors wanted to own properties and did not want to rent. Vice Mayor Greene added that there was a sense of independence associated with owning a home. Councilman Willhite believed that the senior community could come with some sort of HOA or concierge fee to provide those services. Councilwoman Gerwig offered the option of having more of an ala carte service because she believed seniors may not want to relocate to a community that would require them to pay for unused services. Vice Mayor Greene asked if the survey indicated that there was a sense that the seniors wanted to downsize while still maintaining ownership. He did not believe that young seniors wanted to live in a facility with older seniors who needed more assistance. Mr. Poag said that the data that was collected from the survey provided staff with a wide range of information. From a community services aspect, Mr. Poag indicated that the focus was on a menu of programs and services that needed to be developed not only to address one particular group of seniors, but all of the seniors and all of their needs. He said that the data provided what the seniors in the different age groups desired. Mr. Poag said that the seniors between the 70 and 80 range were looking for a facility as described by Councilman Willhite; however, it was one where they would own Village of Wellington Page 10 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 or downsize at a cost from $1,000 to $2,000 per month. Mayor Margolis stated that a number of his friends that had lived in Wellington for a number of years and raised a family here were selling their homes and moving to a young retiree community in Boynton Beach. He said they were looking to give up the responsibilities that they had, and wanted to live in a community with other people their age that provided certain benefits associated with senior style living. In addition to that, Mayor Margolis thought that they also needed to have an area that provides other amenities that are not offered at those young retirement communities, i.e., car service, etc. He said that Century Village got started because they provided affordable living with services provided in a retirement community. Vice Mayor Greene asked how much was the government’s responsibility versus the free market. He thought they should partner with someone if there is a need where the company makes the investment, and the Village works with them to ensure they are successful. He did not know what level of services the Village could provide. Mayor Margolis thought that the government does have a place in providing assistance to seniors; but questioned whether government had the responsibility to provide a vehicle for people to age in place. He thought the residents are aging; however, he did not believe they wanted to go somewhere else to age in place. Vice Mayor Greene asked if there were places around the county that fit the model of what residents were looking for. Mr. Poag indicated that staff had looked at some facilities but direction was needed from Council regarding what they wanted. Vice Mayor Greene said that seniors today wanted to stay active and live with other seniors who are active in a community that offers a wide array of amenities such as the “Villages” community offers. He said there is a broad spectrum of retirement and senior communities that appeals to different needs. Councilman Willhite said that he was not advocating for the Village to build something, but if a min-Century Village was built on 10 acres, how many units could it hold if those amenities were included. He said that this would be a community where seniors transition from owning a home to downsizing to then being in some type of skilled care or nursing facility. Mr. Schofield provided the following figures in reference to Councilman Willhite’s inquiry about how many seniors could be accommodated at certain facilities. 1. Zero-lot line single story homes – 40 to 45 units 2. Patio style home – 60 to 65 units 3. Garden Apartment – approximately 80 units 4. Multi-family with elevator – 130 to 140 units Mr. Schofield pointed out that the highest end of the number of units would most likely be three-story units. Vice Mayor Greene asked if there were any dwelling units associated with the ten acre parcel. Mr. Schofield said there were none; however, he would not take that site out of consideration. Councilman Willhite asked if it was correct that they could build to a height of 75 feet in that area. Mr. Schofield said that was correct; however, at that height Village of Wellington Page 11 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 they were talking about densities and costs that were not sustainable for affordable senior housing. Councilwoman Gerwig’s understanding was that there is a need for senior housing, and said they could put out an RFP which includes exactly what the Council wants relative to senior housing. She thought that not everyone can afford to live in Wellington, and if they wanted to create a product that everyone can afford, she did not know why they would target seniors for that. Vice Mayor Greene asked what is defined by affordable senior housing. He questioned whether they wanted to go through this exercise only to attract people outside of Wellington. Councilwoman Gerwig thought that regardless of what they did, they would have residents from outside Wellington because she did not believe they could limit it to just Wellington residents. She said that she did not want it titled in a way that is illegal and sends the wrong message. She also questioned how she could tell young mothers who can’t afford housing in Wellington that the Village will be providing senior housing that is subsidized with tax dollars. She understood that seniors have different needs, but she did not think that financial need was the biggest issue for the seniors that they were looking at. She noted that Buena Vida was a high end senior community. From a legal standpoint, Vice Mayor Greene asked Ms. Cohen if there was anything the Village could put in place that would give Wellington residents the first opportunity to purchase or rent in the new senior community. Ms. Cohen indicated that she would have to look into that. Vice Mayor Greene hoped there was a way to provide a priority to Wellington residents because they were spending taxpayer dollars and he did not want only a small number of Wellington residents to be serviced. Councilman Willhite thought that it would still attract people who would become Wellington residents. He thought it was important to survey those residents from the senior communities because they already know what the issues are. Vice Mayor Greene asked Mr. Poag if he had a sense of why people were leaving Wellington for senior housing in other communities. Mr. Poag stated that from the data that was collected, the two key factors were cost and the desire to downsize. Councilman Willhite asked where seniors could go to downsize within the Village besides the senior communities where they could still own a home using Village Walk as an option. Mr. Poag stated that there were no other areas identified in the Village. Vice Mayor Greene did not think that Village Walk was affordable housing; however, Councilman Willhite thought that people could downsize there. Councilwoman Gerwig identified Sheffield Woods as a possibility for seniors to downsize that would also be affordable. Vice Mayor Greene also noted French Quarter as another possibility. Mr. Poag said that staff has had some conversations about the French Quarter and what would it take to reinvest in it and have it become a place where seniors could downsize; however, many units are two stories and are not equipped for elevators which would be a major cost. With regard to the French Quarter, Mayor Margolis pointed out that seniors were also looking for security, and thought that Village of Wellington Page 12 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 community did not provide the same security as the gated communities. Mayor Margolis believed that if the Village was considering this type of senior housing, there were places in Wellington that would jump at the opportunity to become available. Vice Mayor Greene said that they have never been able to attract anyone to the Medical Arts District but thought it would be a good site because of its location and proximity to the hospital, restaurants, etc. He said that would take someone from the free market to partner with the right organization or with some involvement with the Village to look at an area that could provide senior housing. He did not believe there would be one solution to fit every need. Mayor Margolis said that they had to define the age group that they were targeting because each age group has different needs. Vice Mayor Greene thought that it had to be based more on need than age. Mr. Tony Fransetta stated that for 10 years the talk of senior housing was refined, defined, surveyed, resurveyed and he now has a vision for the Village. He thought Wellington had a great opportunity to work with EHDOC (Elderly Housing Development & Operations Corporation) a not-for-profit organization. At this point, Ms. Cohen stated for the record that Mr. Fransetta had sat on the board for the EHDOC Company but had resigned from that position, so there was no conflict with his service on Wellington’s Senior Advisory Committee. Mr. Fransetta indicated that a representative for the EHDOC Company was present. Mr. Fransetta continued stating that he thought the Village’s 10-acre site, now known as Wellington Green Park, was an ideal place for housing built, perhaps up to 200 units with a preference for servicing Wellington’s seniors to the point they can legally do so. He explained that when this type of housing has 200 people, they have a person living on-site who assists with the types of concerns raised by Council although they are not able to dispense medicine but can assist the residents within their limits. Rather than donating the property, Mr. Fransetta thought that the Village should do a 99 year lease with a stipulation that it could never be used for anything besides senior housing. If the property is not used for senior housing, then everything would revert back to the Village of Wellington. Mr. Fransetta explained that protections would need to be put in place to ensure the senior housing element. He said that this type of housing would have an HOA-type governing board consisting of community members, Council appointments, company representatives and members of the legal and religious communities, to ensure that the facility is operated the way it was intended to run. He pointed out that the benefits to this being operated by a not-for- profit entity was that they would not be looking to make a profit, but would only be meeting wages and costs. Mr. Fransetta explained that this would be a rental facility where renters agree to certain stipulations when the property was rented. He thought if they have too many requests to rent the property, they could start with the oldest people having the first opportunity because there will be a quicker turnover. Mr. Fransetta spoke about the number of people who had approached him over the years who had expressed their sadness that they would have to leave their friends behind and move outside of Wellington because they could not afford to here, He explained how he had sold his house two years ago and downsized in the Village Walk community because he liked their amenities. He further explained that in order for him to make that move, he had to sell all of his stock Village of Wellington Page 13 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 and use the money from the sale of his house. Mr. Fransetta indicated that this event further solidified his passion to help the people in Wellington. He pointed out that if someone has enough money they can live anywhere they want and obtain any, and there would be no need for senior housing. He stated these facilities and communities are for those long-standing members of the community who can no longer care for their larger homes, and have to move outside of Wellington. He further explained that the cost of the building would be done through EHDOC at no cost to the taxpayers of Wellington. He said that he had previous plans for purchasing units, but that has to be simplified where it is a rental facility. He said that it has to be stringent so they don’t lose their mission of taking care of seniors. He believed that Wellington could be recognized for doing a senior community done in the Wellington style. He noted that the buildings that EHDOC has done look as good as anything that would be done in Wellington. Mr. Fransetta stated that the bottom line was that the need was present and the Village now has the land, the company that was willing to do it, and the taxpayers don’t have to pay for it. Regarding the 99-year lease, Vice Mayor Greene asked if the Village would not receive compensation for providing the land. In response, Mr. Fransetta stated that they would receive whatever is legally required to affect the lease. Councilman Willhite said that the number of acres that could be utilized was not set as he only used 10 acres because that had been previously indicated. He said the idea of a return on the land will be that they will capture residents whether or not they are present residents who will utilize the businesses and other amenities throughout the Village. He added that some of the individuals who would take advantage of the senior housing may still be working individuals, so they would add to the local economy and workforce. He thought that the benefit to this was unknown, but it will be conceptually beneficial to the Village. Mr. Fransetta said that there are so many situations where people come in and say that they will create jobs which never happen; however, he believed this project would create jobs. Mayor Margolis asked what the cost of the rentals would be. Mr. Fransetta said he was not sure of the cost. Councilman Willhite pointed out that, for the record, the Village was not endorsing any company, but were just gaining information about senior housing options. Mr. Dan Charleston, Director of Development for the non-profit EHDOC, addressed the Council. Mr. Charleston stated that one of the strong considerations to make to support this both as a non-profit sponsor/non-profit managing general partner and tax credit investors as limited partnership/management agent, etc., was to try and utilize, since they would be dealing with a population that naturally starts coming down to a level that is 50% to 60% of average median income within their County, was that they would looking at a structure that would utilize Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s low income tax credits. He indicated what they were used to and what the EHDOC would recommend was that the Village engage in a design Village of Wellington Page 14 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 charrette to get at the structures of utilizing community resources, own versus lease housing, and flow of populations age wise. Mr. Charleston said that when utilizing low income housing tax credits, since the people could no longer afford to live in Wellington, the governor essentially would be essentially a state derived percentage of income which is based on the 50%; 55% 60% average median income. He said that they would end with a governor on rent that is typically set at 95% of what the rents are for that average median income. Based on these percentages, typically a 1 bed unit would be in the range of approximately $970-$1,050 to $1,000 in rent which would be inclusive of a utilities consideration; and a two bed room unit would average between $1,250 and $1,375, depending on amenities. He stated that when using housing tax credits, the Village must require occupancy opportunity to those that are 55+. When looking at HUD designations, the age range is 62 and above. According to Mr. Charleston, EHDOC does a mix for its 59 properties across 15 states providing housing for approximately 7,000 residents. He said that in those considerations, they typically find, that in non-metropolitan areas, a two bedroom unit will tend to be what is acquired, rented or purchased by individuals who will be 55 to around 65 who in most cases will be dual wage earners. He said that the Village may want to consider a component which is both low income housing tax credit driven as well as a component that is market rent. He said that a charrette would bring out what components of the population would be engaged. Mr. Charleston stated that EHDOC had 53 properties which were 62 years of age or above in terms of the age restriction with the balance of the inventory at 55 years or above within the newer developments because HUD had a lower capacity. He noted that all of the facilities were independent living with an average age of 79 years of age at 41% of the population. He said that the key consideration was activities of daily living which include bathing, feeding yourself, being able to dine, etc. which is a valuation of the population as it ages, and when someone reaches a certain level, they must move into a nursing or another facility. Vice Mayor Greene asked if EHDOC’s model of housing attracted dual earners who would still be classified as low income wage earners. If that is the case, Vice Mayor Greene asked if this model would fit into the demographic and standard that Wellington was trying to attract. Mr. Charleston indicated that he did not know that answer. Councilman Willhite asked if wage earners could be part-time. Mr. Charleston confirmed and stated that dual wage earners are typically part-time. Mr. Charleston said there was a good discussion about how they convey what Wellington wanted into this. He pointed out that he had done a charrette with the City Fontana noting they have about 250 units there with 60 more being built which is being done as a blended interdependent/assisted living facility. He explained that there was a definite interest in being able to establish preference. He further explained that the word preference is important because they would be able to have the preference for Wellington citizens and then provide the opportunity to others. He said by doing that they would not be restricting income, background or affirmative fair housing, but are able to establish some preferences. Vice Mayor Greene pointed out that in conversations there appeared to be a need for ownership rather than this scenario which is for a rental community. Mr. Fransetta indicated that Mr. Charleston was giving a broad generic Village of Wellington Page 15 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 background. He stated that the reason he chose the rental option was with seniors moving in and turning over the unit, the Village could end up in litigation with individuals attempting to stay at properties owned by deceased individuals. Although renting would not be his preference, he thought that option provided a clean, straight forward and realistic way of providing senior housing. Councilwoman Gerwig thought that buying would be the better option based on feedback from the community. In addition, she stated that purchasing would allow for a lower monthly cost than rental payments. Vice Mayor Greene thought that there would be very few Wellington residents that would be interested in living in a rent controlled, low income type housing environment. Councilman Willhite pointed out that they would still become residents. Councilwoman Gerwig stated that if the market can’t be captured in a way that meets the wants and needs of the Wellington residents, then the Village wouldn’t be meeting the senior housing needs of its residents. Vice Mayor Greene asked if the standards of Wellington would be lowered or was the Village trying to maintain and increase the standard of living. Councilwoman Gerwig stated that before she could support doing this, she would have to make sure that the Village was hitting the market that is currently in Wellington. She thought that it wasn’t right to take the resources and the assets that the people of Wellington paid for and offer them out to the public outside of the Village. Vice Mayor Greene asked if this model would only work if you partnered with the government that has surplus land that is willing to enter into free 99 year lease or would it work with the private sector that has land who tries to accommodate the same need. Mr. Charleston said that the both situations could be done. He said in the absence of project based vouchers, if there is adequate density so that it was possible to underwrite a 15 year ownership model by a limited partner tax credit investor, then that usually means that the Village would reduce the amount of cost for the land going into the property but the Village would have the ability to manage the cost of the land within the capital stack efficiently. Mr. Charleston said if occupancy could be, for the most part, guaranteed by the market or the market study, then the Village could work with combinations of public and private partnership where there is an engagement of different lands. One of the key ways to attract the individuals in Wellington to consider this downstream is whether the Village intends to include a community facility for seniors that includes activities during the day. Mr. Charleston stated that generally speaking, EHDOC would look at projects and have the ability to structure projects that would have anywhere between 60-80 units of residents, that would be where the cost of the land would be roughly about $500,000 or less and that would work very comfortably. Mr. Fransetta said that in any day of the week a not-for-profit is generally going to have a cheaper price for rental than a for-profit. He stated that the Senior Advisory Council remained stuck to the fact that this project needs to be given to a not-for-profit company. He said the real return for the residents of Wellington is their ability to remain living in in the Village. He said that they Village of Wellington Page 16 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 9, 2015 were trying to help those people in Wellington who have aged and who want to stay in the community. Vice Mayor Greene indicated that the perception was that Wellington had land that was valued at $5 million plus on a 10 acre lot and was considering low income housing rentals. He said that the Village has to find some way to take the vision that Mr. Fransetta had spoken about with the reality of taxpayers losing out on a piece of property that could be potentially sold or could be used for other purposes. Vice Mayor Greene said that Council needed to be conscious of all options, being the guardians of tax dollars, and ensure a maximized return on the investment that taxpayers have made. With that, he asked how Council would have to understand how they need to meet the needs of the constituents. Mr. Fransetta pointed out that these would be residents paying rent, creating some jobs and it would be something that the Council could feel good about doing which is the price of leadership. Vice Mayor Greene was unsure that Wellington had enough demand from the residents for the model advocated by Mr. Fransetta. Mr. Charleston said that EHDOC has found that in independent living facilities if the choice of dental, health and vision care is not restricted, then they don’t wind up in an issue going queer against licensure to become an assisted living facility. He said that many times the end result is an independent living facility with service coordination or evaluation of their activities of daily living. As an example, he said that EHDOC provides a facility that has a diagnostic area with a front desk occupied by a Nurse Practitioner from 8-5 five days a week along with an examination and physical therapy room with equipment that is disaggregated from the workout room that is for the 55-70 years. He said a facility is provided for people to be evaluated, for vitals to be checked, and where examinations, physical therapy and services are also provided in their individual apartment. Mr. Charleston indicated that has been getting a lot of support from the federal government. By having this, the cost averages about $8,000 to $8,300 per year in operating costs in order to maintain independent living. To have mobile care provided by a homecare provider averages about $19,000 nationally to provide the same level of care on an annual basis. On a skilled nursing basis nationally it costs the federal government on average $87,000 to $88,000 per year for B. 15-178 PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN This item was not heard by Council. C. 15-106 COUNCIL DISCUSSION REGARDING APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL MAGISTRATES This item was not heard by Council. ADJOURN There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned. Village of Wellington Page 17