2015-0915 Special City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 15, 2015 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida First Budget Hearing project is being done in phases starting with the Collins Avenue corridor. On the construction of the Pedestrian Emergency Bridge from 174' Street to 172 "d Street, we took bids and we have opened the bids, and we will be awarding that bid hopefully at our October 15, 2015 Commission meeting. We are now taking a few other steps to start the commencement process on that project. We opened bids just a few days ago on Samson Oceanfront Park which is going to be going under a total rehabilitation. We also have underway the 174th Street Drainage and total street rehabilitation project. The completion of Gateway Park is expected by the end of the calendar year, and hopefully a green opening early into next year. Other smaller projects of public interest include drainage improvements that are budgeted for 172 "d Street and North Bay Road on the west side of Margolis Park. City Manager Russo said from an operating standpoint, we are raising the level of services provided throughout the organization with new and improved services. We continue to enhance our highly regarded existing parks, together in the way of amenities, maintenance, safety, security, programming, and we are taking an increased look at technology in its application for the general public. Public Speakers: None Mayor Scholl said this meeting is usually perfunctory because we do detailed budget workshops over the summer where we actually spend several hours meeting with staff and going through the budget, department by department, on almost a line -item basis in some cases. The fact is that all the difficult work has been done. We have a great staff, we have a great Finance Department, and we typically win accolades for our budget and he hopes that this year will be no different. Commissioner Goldman asked if there was a line -item or some ability for a Condominium Advocate, whether or not we are going to be able to fund that this fiscal year if we find the right candidate for it. Mayor Scholl said it is more of a mechanism that we have been looking at, and he thinks we have got the cost covered if we want to cover it. He doesn't believe there is a line -item for it but we know where we want to put it when we get it. But it has been more the mechanism which we will have a workshop on in the next month or two. Commissioner Aelion said this is something he spoke to staff about at agenda review that has to do with the rebuild of Samson Oceanfront Park and the big wall that separates the Chateau with the Park. Like the Doubletree, it is extremely close to 2'h feet with the borderline of the Park and he had suggested to staff to approach the developer to allow that big white wall to be covered in green or something. Of course it will be at our cost, it is something he does not know if it has to be inserted as part of the projected expense. Mayor Scholl said he doesn't think this is the place to stick something in the budget that we haven't cost it out yet but he thinks staff can take a look at it. He thought it was supposed to be a green wall, as he recalls he had actually voted against that project. Maybe if we can go back and look in the minutes and report back to Commissioner Aelion. Commissioner Levin said from the staff level, from the City Manager on down that we are a great team and a well -oiled machine. Everyone does an exceptional job. We are lucky to have the budget that we have, and we are lucky to live in the kind of City that we live in so we can provide all the services that we provide. The Police Department does an exceptional job,