Village Council Workshop

Village of Wellington 12300 Forest Hill Blvd Wellington, FL 33414 Action Summary - Final Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:00 AM DIRECTIONS WORKSHOP WELLINGTON COMMUNITY CENTER Village Council Workshop Anne Gerwig, Mayor Michael Drahos, Vice Mayor John T. McGovern, Councilman Michael Napoleone, Councilman Tanya Siskind, Councilwoman Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 1. CALL TO ORDER Council Members present: Anne Gerwig, Mayor; Tanya Siskind, Vice Mayor; John T. McGovern, Councilman; Michael Drahos, Councilman; and Michael Napoleone, Councilman. Advisors to the Council: Jim Barnes, Manager; Laurie Cohen, Attorney; Tanya Quickel, Deputy Village Manager; Ed De La Vega, Assistant Village Manager; and Chevelle D. Addie, Village Clerk. Staff present: Ana Acevedo, Robert Basehart, Nicole Coates, Paulette Edwards, Kim Gibbons, Charles Gill, Eric Juckett, Shannon LaRocque, Mike O’Dell, Johnathan Reinsvold, William Silliman, Tim Stillings and Bruce Wagner. 2. INTRODUCTION TO DIRECTIONS WORKSHOP Mr. Barnes welcomed everyone to the workshop. He introduced Sarah Paige and Michelle Royal, facilitators, Royal Innovation Design Group . Ms. Royal provided a brief overview of the company. Mr. Barnes stated the Department Directors, PBSO, Kyle Ostroff, Ian Williams and Gus Ponce were also present. Ms. Royal reviewed the objectives for the next two days. She said the main objective is to define and decide the 2021 Budget with a long-term vision in mind. 3. ECONOMIC IMPACTS PALM BEACH COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER DOROTHY JACKS: Ms. Jacks spoke regarding what is going on in the market and the impact to Wellington. She provided statistics from the 2020 Tax Roll. Wellington is almost at 23,000 parcels. The just value is $12.5 billion and taxable value of $8.8 billion. There are 19,000 single-family residential parcels that make up 64% of taxable value. The CPI index is in play- the change is 1.4% and 42% of value will go up 1.4%. The Village will see appreciation. There is plenty of movement in Wellington’s market. There is a mix of people who are staying still, moving in and out of Wellington . Ms. Jacks stated agriculturally classified parcels means that the land ’s (not the structures) value is set based on its use. Agricultural property is not valued based on the highest and best use (which is the normal Village of Wellington Page 1 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 standard for valuation). In Wellington, there are many structures associated with agricultural properties. The just value (market value prior to classification) for all agricultural property in Wellington is $ 2.6 billion; the agricultural value is $1.1 billion. 2021 values are based on what was happening in the market in 2020. She stated there was a very slow second quarter of the year but in summer, the market picked up and the end of the year saw record transactions. She stated for Wellington the residential property will increase in the median market. She referenced reports based on the median price of $450,000 in comparison to Tequesta and North Palm Beach. Wellington’s median price is above Delray, Lake Clarke Shores, Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Ms. Jacks then discussed new construction highlighting projects that have come on this year: a new Alzheimer’s research and treatment center on State Road 7, Water Treatment Plant, Christ Community Church, twenty-two new single-family homes (a total of $25 million), nineteen new townhomes for Bink’s Point (a total of $6 million), new barns and equestrian improvements. New construction will be approximately $50 million for 2021. In 2020, it was $58 million and in 2019, it was $89 million. She stated they are monitoring the equestrian activity closely and expressed concerns regarding agricultural properties . She said they would continue to monitor the occupancy. Ms. Jacks stated malls in general are going to have a tough year this year. However, they do not expect to significantly lower the Wellington Mall for 2021. The revenues are down but so are the expenses. They will continue to review the market data and information from the owners. They do not see a need for a substantial reduction will they mall. It is assessed at $90 million for 2020. The value adjustment board process will occur again this year. Overall, Wellington’s tax base is good; the mall is only one property. Ms. Jacks stated they see no signs that Wellington’s values will go down. She stated it is important to her and her team that the values are set fairly and accurately for everyone in Palm Beach County. Ms. Cohen asked how occupancy is tracked in equestrian structures. Ms. Jacks stated each year the farms provide applications with an update of their information and her team is out in the fields reviewing the properties and information provided. She said they complete regular audits of the properties. Mayor Gerwig stated it seems that people from outside the state buying new homes. Is that resetting homestead. She asked how that would be figured out. Ms. Jacks discussed portability. She stated the numbers are up over this Village of Wellington Page 2 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 time last year. She stated they are hearing a lot about people coming in from other states. Next on the agenda, directors and management discussed successes from the past year. They also discussed updates and progress. Mr. Barnes gave a brief overview and thanked Council for their leadership . He also thanked the directors and teams for fiscal leadership, adaptability and ingenuity across the last year. Our residents and local businesses proved to be resilient. He stated staff has continued with roadway projects, projects in utilities, improvements/capital maintenance, public works and parks and recreation. In addition, staff has improved how things are handled through coordination with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO). The Village has changed how it does business. The Finance Department has been creative in developing ways to fund the internal improvements. Ms. LaRocque stated there were no interruptions in service to critical facilities during COVID and additionally $25 million in improvements were completed at the water and wastewater plants and staff is now ready to start other improvements. She thanked Council and management for their support. They are in a great position to keep moving forward. Mr. Wagner stated they continue to clean and sanitize Village Facilities . He stated COVID outreach has been great. Ms. Gibbons stated 2020 was the year of the pivot and we all learned how to work, live and play differently. She stated HR researched, made policy and programming to keep everyone safe while tracking possible and actual COVID exposures. She stated they continued to communicate with everyone. In addition, there was community outreach and internal diversity training and it will continue. She stated they were instrumental with the VOW testing site-13,500 people were tested at that site. Mr. Ponce stated the Community Services SWAG program brought in professionals and did not stop. Super Fridays were created to interact with the kids and it is a privilege to do that. Ms. Acevedo stated there was a significant financial impact during COVID and the Finance Department collaborated with other agencies to use grants. In addition, they implemented three new ERPs. They have continued to meet their deadlines, annual budget and audit on time. Staff continued to provide exceptional services. Ms. Coates stated that was a Category 1 hurricane in addition to Village of Wellington Page 3 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 COVID-19. She discussed Wellington’s safety culture and stated the Village received an award from the Palm Beach County Safety Council for the 3rd year in a row. Mr. Juckett stated the Parks and Recreation Department developed an innovative way to offer virtual programming and was the first to do it. They switched from RecTrac software to CivicRec software and it is mobile friendly. Mr. Gill said Tennis has been reopened and it was a sport that was shut down due to the pandemic. He discussed tennis in the south. He stated they are following all of the protocols and keeping the operation going has been great. Mr. Gill stated there is a great opportunity for tennis. PBSO Lieutenant Shavitz stated they maintained the low crime rate, kept clearance rate high and supported the village. The biggest accomplishment was becoming creative and changing the way they interact with people. Mr. Reinsvold is the new village engineer. Mr. Lundeen retired. He said they provided all of the great services in Engineering while working remotely and was still able to design projects, presented them to council and completed the projects (high school). Mr. Reinsvold stated they never lost continuity of service. Mr. Basehart stated at the end of 2019 they completed the rewrite of the Land Development Regulations (LDR) and in 2020, staff and the public were trained in use of the new LDR. Mr. Williams spoke regarding adaptability and ingenuity. He discussed programs that happened over Zoom. He commented regarding the Halloween event, dinner shows, etc. He stated the biggest accomplishment was that Wellington took action. Ms. Edwards stated the community was the hardest hit. She said they were able to serve seniors who could not get out. Ms. Edwards indicated the biggest accomplishment was the partnership with Feeding South Florida. Mr. Silliman stated IT came up with ideas to help manage new programming. IT dealt with cybersecurity and kept the city safe. He said the ERP was migrated and they kept everything moving in the Village. Mr. Ostroff stated the Village as a whole has not stopped since COVID. Mr. Stillings stated there were uninterrupted services and staff was Village of Wellington Page 4 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 serving the construction community. The planning community now submits permitting documents electronically. As far as notable accomplishments, The Building Department earned a Class5 rating for insurance and Three rating for insurance rates for home insurance. This is attributed to the team’s efforts and has been a work in progress. New staff members have been incorporated into the department. Mr. O’Dell stated the Great Neighborhood and CDBG programs were brought into the Planning Department and were retooled. He said applications are now online on the grant portal and the rental program will be launched on Monday. For the Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) grants, they received funding for bike lines and the canal path. The promenade is the highlight and they continue to work on Phase 2. The golf cart study is moving forward and Council will see it soon. The State Road 7 corridor study has completed the first phase. Ms. Addie stated the Village has a standard for excellence and commented about the Communications Media Technology Policy created for the use of Zoom technology for Council and Board/Committee meetings, ways for the public to continue to have access to their local government, participation in the Florida League of Cities webinar and records (scanning and retention). Ms. Quickel thanked everyone and stated it has been an amazing time . She commented regarding the pandemic and pre-planning with the Finance and Information Technology (IT) Departments. She commended IT for how they implemented remote working and the people who have been here working every day. She also commended all of the departments. Ms. Quickel stated Mindi Lockhart and Elizabeth Arocho have been troopers every day and ran the Call Center which did a great job. Mr. De La Vega stated there have been meetings to plan and develop programs. The Community Services and Parks and Recreation Departments have come together to provide services to residents. He said approximately 10,000 people participated in virtual programming across the past year. He said the Village continued to pay instructors to do virtual programming. Ms. Jenifer Brito and her team were instrumental in obtaining community partners to fund the programs. He highlighted some of the programming accomplished: United Way Food Distribution, Feeding South Florida, Wellington Community Center COVID-19 Testing Site, Summer Camp, the Creepy Crawl Event, Holiday Food Drives, bringing back Food Trucks to Thursday nights, Concerts and Senior Programming. We are all closer, stronger and better. Village of Wellington Page 5 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Ms. Cohen stated she is in awe of the leadership of Council, the dedication and innovation of all of the Village staff who continued to service the departments and Council. She said many documents were revised and updated to include COVID language and concluded litigation successfully. Ms. Cohen stated they drafted and presented a local bill. She said everyone did the work that was required and thanked staff for all of their hard work. Mr. Barnes stated staff did a great job and this is due to the support provided by Council. He said it has been a tough year for everyone. He said we have had great success in trying to continue our services. Mr. Barnes stated we learned a lot in 2020. In FY 2021, we have a game plan to keep going. He suggested that we put the same foundation we utilized for 2020 and 2021 in use for 2022 and move forward into the future. Ms. Royal asked if Council would like to comment on the Village’s Wall of Accomplishments. For the Village of Wellington Today: Councilman Drahos stated there is a lot to celebrate in Wellington. He stated when he sat through visioning last year the Village was not sure what it was facing in the future. The fact that we have made it through that difficult challenge is a testament to the staff. Residents and business owners have an expectation for Wellington to stand up and be a leader . Surrounding municipalities looks to Wellington for leadership. He referenced the testing site, July Fireworks (two), virtual programming, and service to our seniors. The Village was the first Council to go back to having live, in-person meetings. Council and staff handled and represented Wellington in a way that the residents could be proud. We maintained our roads and kept our streets clean. We did not have a single employee layoff and we were able to keep our employees safe . Each one contributed in a positive way to keep going during COVID and it is time to launch even higher. Councilman Napoleone stated Council gets far too much credit for how good staff is and stated the creative programming, outreach to seniors, testing site and Feeding South Florida is remarkable. He stated he is so proud. Councilman Napoleone thanked staff for the year and stated we all learned alot. This is truly a great place to be. Vice Mayor Siskind echoed sentiments of Council, thanked all of the departments, and stated it was great to hear everyone share their Village of Wellington Page 6 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 successes. Staff gets ahead of things. Wellington is a role model and everyone worked together to find creative solutions and new ways to do things. Councilman McGovern stated the key is that the great success of this year on the government side is what we provided to our residents. No one ever wondered if the Village services were going to be there and that is the because of the success of the people in this room. Councilman McGovern said Council often discussed what needs to be changed or what to do going forward. This was an unimaginable year and staff made this whole past year as less painful as it could be. He mentioned COVID numbers. The creativity of this team is what he appreciates. We were invisibly positive most of the time. Government was reliable and there . We have a very exciting change here and thanked staff for everything. Mayor Gerwig stated she felt pressure for making sure the community had real data, facts and to know their local government had a plan. She thought of the emergency operations center (EOC) and stated we had a plan. Ms. Coates and team had already been through pandemic training. She stated she felt safe the whole time here. She commented that she learned through the new changes and behaviors. Mayor Gerwig stated she felt confident in staff. The community stepped up, made facial coverings and donated their time and energy. She stated Wellington made a bold statement in what we were going to do for the community and the community appreciated this. She spoke regarding her business . She is proud. She stated staff and Council had to make decisions and learn how to be safe. Mayor Gerwig said she is glad she was in it with this team. Ms. Royal discussed a context map, clients to serve, what would change now and what would forever change. The future of work and services will change and what stays the same is one human helping another human . She stated she wanted to acknowledge what are the lowest to highest priorities. Vice Mayor Siskind stated a situation needed to be figured out regarding the mall. Councilman Napoleone stated there needed to be a vision for the mall . He does not want to see it surrounded by multiple parks. Mr. Stillings stated they would work with the five different property owners for the mall and come up with some general uses and concept ideas as part of SR7 and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC). Mr. O’Dell stated there is also a lender involved that does not want the property back and wants nothing to do with it. He indicated they Village of Wellington Page 7 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 are trying to get the owners to look at a new way for seeing the mall. It is 97 acres. Councilman Drahos stated this is a private sector issue and government should stay out of it. He stated he is open to bold, creative ideas. Mayor Gerwig asked about the mall property owners and the outlying properties. She asked if it was inside the “egg”. She stated that it is separate pieces. Ms. Royal provided a summarization of the discussion on the mall. She said it might be one of the five bold action steps tomorrow. Councilman Napoleone stated he feels we are coming up with a vision that could be built upon. He stated the promenade was the first step. Councilman Drahos stated he pinpointed the discussions regarding the town center that he would like to have. Councilman McGovern stated all five items are important but if we do not maintain what we have, we cannot go forward. Vice Mayor Siskind said they are all important items. She stated she picked existing infrastructure because if you do not have this, you do not have anything. Mayor Gerwig stated the mall is not the Village’s property so how can the Village redevelop it. However, Council could have an idea of how they would like to move forward with it. Ms. Royal provided a summarization of the discussion on the mall property/egg. She mentioned that the commercial corridor and the mall being community based are things to focus on. 4. CAPITAL PROJECTS For the Village of Wellington tomorrow: Councilman Drahos discussed the idea of expanding South Shore and said the police substation is one of his top priorities in his remaining time on Council. Councilman McGovern commented regarding roadway expansion Mayor Gerwig said roadway expansion leads to some equestrian changes. She mentioned the police substation. Village of Wellington Page 8 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Mr. Odell stated the SR7 Phase 1 report had been sent to all parties. Ms. Royal stated she asked the Village team when Wellington’s transition started i.e. equestrian community. Mayor Gerwig stated Wellington has the longest running horse show in the world and it happened organically. She stated she wants Wellington to value what we have. Ms. Royal asked whom are we serving. She explained Stakeholder Mapping and indicated the focus is highest service and highest partnership. She asked Council to participate by placing their Post-It notes on boards with the following topic--Asking Who They Serve Today and in the Future: 1) Our Citizens, 2) Business, 3) Non Profits, 4) Government, 5) Socio/Cultural Changes Whom we serve? What are the core challenges to service and what are the core needs? Our citizens: young adults new in the workplace (30-out of college), families, children, seniors, equestrians. What are challenges for this group? What do they want? Technology Walkability Safety Healthy Lifestyles Great schools Nonprofits: Rotary Crowned Pearls Wellington Community Foundation Wellington Cares Service Groups PTAs (school based) Churches (faith based) Lifelong learning in the future Groups that focused on equity and inclusion What are their core challenges? Are they well staffed? Are they well funded? What is their biggest pain? What do they most want to achieve? Village of Wellington Page 9 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Businesses: Small businesses Professionals Hospital/Medical Socio economic groups Chamber Corporate Headquarters BCorp (holistic work experiences for their employees-important to millennials and Generation Z). There is a certification a business can receive that indicates that it is providing environmentally and in other ways to provide a high quality of life to employees, not just providing the check. It is about the holistic approach for the employees (from either an incentive or big picture standpoint). What would a business want? What are their core challenges? Resilience, stability, resources available that extend beyond the walls of the business? Government: Government change/government stakeholders-stays the same but what are some of the needs? Core challenges? Core needs? What would they most love in the future or today? Residents-what they need/want: Councilman Drahos: Quality of Life needs: restaurant, entertainment, schools Mayor Gerwig: Employment (is there sustainable work that sustains my family), other sports Vice Mayor Siskind: Venues, great schools, entertainment, good restaurants, shopping and convenience, services to meet the needs Councilman Napoleone: Activities, schools, quality of life Challenges for residents: Councilman Drahos: balance (internal struggle with balance in the community: its identity, how it’s developed) Mayor Gerwig: Aging homes, traffic Councilman Napoleone: Older homes Village of Wellington Page 10 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Councilman McGovern: Particular type of housing, transitory Businesses: what they need/want: Mayor Gerwig: Better broadband, cell service, 5G (this is also a challenge) Councilman Drahos: How to navigate through seasonal population over the course of 12 months Ms. Royal asked how many businesses in the Village depend on the digital structure. Vice Mayor Siskind stated many businesses had to go to online. Councilman Drahos: Office space Councilman McGovern: Shared workspace/venture X, working from home Non-Profits: needs: Councilman Drahos: Exposure in fundraising Mayor Gerwig: Seeking relevance (with repetition) Non-Profits: Challenges: Councilman Drahos: Vision/outreach Ms. Royal asked how many retain their ability to stay in touch with the local community. Digital services is a big need, quality of life. ***Keep the idea of Wellington being a Beach town without a beach (consider this as a risk in the future). Mr. Basehart stated he purchased one of the first two hundred homes in Wellington. Ms. Royal stated a lot has changed in Wellington. She referenced Trends Mapping: how do we make decisions about what is affecting our community. Village of Wellington Page 11 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Ms. Royal also discussed a Context Map: things you noticed, you read about in the paper, what is in the news besides the pandemic: · Stock Market · Civil Unrest (equity and inclusion) · Presidential Election In context mapping, we look at (increasing and decreasing trends): · Demographic Trends · Rules and Regulations · Economy and Environment · Competition-what trends do you see among your competitors- -other communities that may have solved some of the identified challenges. Is there any community that can promise the quality of life you have, that can meet the needs? · Technology Trends · Customer Needs · Uncertainties Ms. Royal had Council place their Post-It notes on the boards and then review them all together. Themes from the context map canvas: dynamic, divisive, changing, rapidly changing technology world, pay attention to what is going on globally (beyond local-local and beyond), fast paced, Zoom/technology fatigue, Quality of life means space to think and calm down Accessibility Who can enjoy Wellington? Can everybody? How does this world look and feel to the stakeholders? They feel “winning”, the residents feel like they are being cared for, people feel safe and secure here-home values are stable, stability and safety, businesses feel like it is not easy to access our services, neglect How do you define the criteria that you will use to take care of your stakeholders? How do we approach the future? What do we need to do or be in the future? Mayor Gerwig: Togetherness (we like being connected. Wellington has its own community feel) Village of Wellington Page 12 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Vice Mayor Siskind: Remain resilient Councilman Napoleone: Balance Councilman McGovern: Relevant, current (modern) Councilman Drahos: Ambitious-as a community Ms. Royal also added the statement: “I could fulfill my ambition here in Wellington; my ambition is possible if I am here in Wellington”. Design Criteria Canvas: · Must (must haves and non-negotiables): Safety, great schools, sense of community, aesthetics, award winning utilities/drinking water, services, the Village as a partner (having a partner mentality). This is a part of our community feeling. Sense of community. Retain what we have that is going really, really well; reimagine how we collaborate with people, inclusivity. · Should (should haves and important features): Arts and culture, theme of entertainment (definitely) as quality of life in general, equestrian services, connectivity (technology and multi-modal (getting around town), improve walkability. · Could (could haves and optional features): Ambitious (pathways to realize/achieve ambitions). Community is the first place where we realize what is possible. More entertainment and restaurant options, redevelopment incentives (aging housing or commercial spots), innovation {(take some risks: small risks along the way-testing things out), do something different--be innovative}, walkability. Ms. Royal stated marketing could be to Wellington’s benefit also (we could tell our story). · Will not (Will not haves - things that are definitely not on the table- -also non-negotiables): Will not be exclusive (desire to be inclusive), will not have overdevelopment, will not have congestion (not intentionally) and will not lose Wellington’s identity. Discussion about finance, infrastructure and people: Village of Wellington Page 13 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Long Term Financial Plan FY 2021-2025: Ms. Quickel stated last year’s discussion focused on revenue reductions. She highlighted Page 7, Page 2-5 (Five Year Goals and Projects), Page 2-6 (Long Term Financial Plan Review); Page 2-7 (Current Financial Condition); and Page 4-3 (Financial Forecast). The Florida League of Cities (FLC) is looking at impacts across the state. She stated staff is monitoring this information. Ms. Quickel indicated the Village could work with this due to careful planning and work with the Village Council. Councilman Napoleone questioned if the projections were cumulative to the prior. Ms. Quickel stated it was add-ons. She said in looking at the elastic revenues the concern is increased inflation. She referenced Page 5-4 governmental fund projections and discussed Sales Surtax Capital. Mr. Barnes referenced the bigger umbrella of people, infrastructure and finances. Town Center, Mall, existing infrastructure and future infrastructure. He encouraged everyone to determine the service level to be provided and then later figure it out on the financial end. He asked what service level do we want and how we get there. Infrastructure covers more than the usual. It is the entire fabric that makes up Wellington (roads, services, facilities, etc.). Mr. Barnes stated the last two decades of suburban life is changing and the predominant growth has been families and single-family housing (25-34 is the Age Group nationwide and for Seniors, it is 65-74, 75 and up). He said we should keep an eye on what our housing stock looks like. The Village has to own what we are : schools, parks and programs. He stated in survey that have been conducted is that seniors what to age in place and stay here. Existing infrastructure will remain the same. Staff will continue to maintain existing canals, roadways, utilities and will try to make it more efficient . Staff will come to Council with a budget to maintain that level of service . Regarding new infrastructure, staff will have to look at it including more amenities and consider some new infrastructure components. Mr. Barnes indicated that a decision should to be made on the old Girls and Boys Club (Wellington Community Park). There needs to be a decision on how this will be funded over the next several years or pull the trigger . The design for the Police Substation needs to be discussed. Public engagement is necessary. Mayor Gerwig asked if we were to look at selling the Old Boys and Girls Club property, will the Village be able create it somewhere else. Village of Wellington Page 14 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Mr. Barnes stated the property is worth 12 million. Councilman McGovern asked how many fields are at the Old Boys and Girls Club. Staff stated it has six fields that serve for games and practice for little leagues. Councilman Drahos asked if the Village sells the property on South Shore and build a new property on Greenbriar, what would be the purpose. Councilman McGovern asked if this property were to be sold, what would be the cost of the buy time option. Mr. Barnes stated it is in need of a major update. He stated little league and travel ball teams use the property for practice. Councilman McGovern asked what it would cost to refurbish it to bring it up to standard until we see how the new field at Wellington Community High School works. Councilman Drahos asked when it was completed. Ms. Cohen explained the decision about the pool. She stated the lease itself is a 20-year lease. Mayor Gerwig stated she was suggesting a way to find money that we do not have. Mr. Barnes suggested to not letting the funding dictate the vision. He encouraged everyone to focus on the vision and let staff come up with a game plan for Council. He said as far as the site goes, we need to define what would be considered. He said it is probably a $4-5 million project just for the fields and a new park will be considerably more than that. Mr. Barnes explained that staff needs to do something to move forward on the site besides cutting the grass and pressure cleaning it. Councilman McGovern asked if all six fields are currently in use. Mr. Barnes replied yes. Councilman Napoleone stated if there is a use for it, you could not get rid of it without replacing it. Village of Wellington Page 15 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 Councilman Drahos stated a current appraisal of the property is needed to find out what it is worth. Mr. Barnes stated staff would have to make sure it clears title. Ms. Royal made a note regarding whether to sell or keep the club (Wellington Community Park). Ms. Royal asked what Council would like to most discuss prior to tomorrow. Mayor Gerwig stated she would like to discuss K-Park. Mr. Barnes discussed the proposal received for the K-Park site in terms of a “Blueberry, U-Pick” type of use. He stated now the proposer is looking at going on a year-to-year basis with this scenario. It would be blueberries and strawberries. Mayor Gerwig stated it would give a public benefit to the property that the Village does not currently have. Mr. Barnes discussed Town Center Phase 2. Mr. O’Dell stated they would be ready to move forward in the next 30 days. He stated it centers on the enlargement of Scott’s Place and the Amphitheater. Councilman Drahos stated he would like to know if this is what they will be discussing tomorrow. Mr. Barnes stated he is laying the groundwork for a more meaningful discussion tomorrow. Councilman Drahos asked Ms. Quickel if there would be other potential projects for Wellington to use the sales surtax. Mayor Gerwig asked if it was a 10-year process. Ms. Quickel stated the Village has been collecting ahead. Mr. Barnes discussed what is happening now regarding having a central park or green space to visit. He stated during Phase 3 or Phase 4, the Village could consider an aquatics facility or review what is there and upgrade it. An upgrade could cost approximately $4 million or if it is brand new, it could cost approximately $14 million. He discussed options Village of Wellington Page 16 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 for a new facility (not only competition but also additional recreational amenities). Mr. Barnes stated that an equestrian plan of action should be discussed. He said the demand is there for the expansion of the roads (Pierson, South Shore). Councilman Drahos asked if the Equestrian Preserve Committee (EPC) supported the expansion of South Shore. Mr. Barnes replied that they do. Councilman Drahos asked about the upgrade of the area a few years ago. Mr. Barnes replied that this is something to review along with improvement to the intersection. He then discussed the mall. He stated it is privately owned. However, it is a problem to just leave it alone, sit back, and wait for the market because that is not the Wellington way. Mayor Gerwig stated this would cost us all and loss of a tax base by sitting in a downward spiral. 5. CLOSING COMMENTS Ms. Royal discussed the take home work. She highlighted the 1) Opportunity Canvas-what is the broader area of opportunity? Focus on barriers and challenges. If the Village is aware of these, they can become gateways to opportunities. This helps the Village expand on new ideas and more things that could be put on the table and 2) Cover Story Vision Canvas - imaging a cover story: Florida Trend, etc. Think 3 years into the future for the homework assignment. Ms. Royal indicated that tomorrow the Impact Effort Matrix would be discussed and everyone would be able to see everything come together . She handed out the Opportunity Canvas. Assignments: Expansion of South Shore - Councilman Drahos Equestrian - Vice Mayor Siskind Town Center - Mayor Gerwig Mall - Councilman McGovern Wellington Community Park - Councilman Napoleone K-Park - Ms. Quickel 6. ADJOURN There being no further business to discuss, the Workshop adjourned at Village of Wellington Page 17 Village Council Workshop Action Summary - Final March 11, 2021 3:54 p.m. Village of Wellington Page 18