2014-0417 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting April 17,2014 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida control, a scooter or a skateboard. At least a bike is possible to have some control over it. We will study it. The best way we can control a lot of this is to prohibit some of this activity on the sidewalks. Mayor Edelcup thanked her for bringing it to the Commission's attention, and the City Manager will come back to the Commission with recommendations. 13B. Discussion by Gloria Gomez regarding Bikes on the Sidewalk. Action: Gloria Gomez said she was waiting for a bus on 174th Street, and when the bus came, a bike went in front of her and ran over her toe. About a month ago she was getting off the bus and a skateboard went flying in front of her and she couldn't do anything because the bus was right behind her. It is unfair for senior citizens to be inconvenienced. Sidewalks are for walking,not for bicycling or for scooters or skateboards. When they go into the Park, they use the skateboard,they don't walk into the Park,and they do it up and down 174 Street. Mayor Edelcup asked Cultural and Community Services Director Susan Simpson about the skateboarders in the Park, they are not supposed to skateboard into the Park, they are supposed to use the Skate Park only. Ms. Simpson said that is correct. Mayor Edelcup asked that it be monitored and to make sure it is being enforced. He asked her if she had any other suggestions. Ms. Simpson said we talked about coating the sidewalk at Town Center Park, the entrance to the Skate Park so that it will deter skaters from using that walkway,and carry their boards in. When we have staff there,they are diligent with picking up their boards and walking through. When we add additional staff we will be able to enforce that. Vice Mayor Aelion asked if we have anything on the books for usage of skateboards on the sidewalks. City Attorney Ottinot said no, in fact the City Manager has indicated that. He wants him to research as to whether we can prohibit skateboards around Collins Avenue,and so he will research that on his behalf. Commissioner Scholl said we are victims of our own success. The good news is that we built a lot of Parks and we have a lot of people out on the street every evening, the bad news is that it is overcrowded. He thinks we may have to do something a little more drastic in order to regulate it. Commissioner Gatto said do you think it is important again to note that 80% of those kids using the Park are not Sunny Isles Beach kids. They come from all over and a lot of them don't want to pay the fee when they get here,and they skateboard on private property mostly the Epicure Parking Lot and up and down North Bay Road. Some of them jump the fence after hours, they have had issues with that. A lot of the kids convene here because we have become a skateboard friendly City because we built the Skate Park. 14. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Edelcup adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: Approved by the City Commission on May 15, 2014 2." ‘ 711 2 /tie/- Jane A. Hines, MMC, City Clerk No man S. Edelcup, Mayor 19