2007 1213 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting December 13,2007 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida required fire doors as well as other fire related issues. He said he and Building Official Clay Parker met with representatives of the Fire Department and indicated that we know it is in their purview of authority to make these inspections and it has been quite a long time since they have been made. He said they asked what was their timetable essentially to continue, and the response that they received is that the Fire Department is in the process of hiring three (3) additional inspectors although we could not get a firm date as to when they would make it to Sunny Isles Beach, but it was eight (8) months to a year out, and he felt that because of the life safety issue involved and because the Fire Prevention Code is very similar to the Building Code, that we could hire a part-time Building Inspector. He said it would take about 1,000 hours or so, at $60.00 an hour, to make these fire inspections because we don't have the personnel to meet these inspections in-house. He said that we are probably one of the most busiest communities in terms of inspections in South Florida. He said approval is recommended to hire a part-time Building Inspector to determine the success for this program and come back to see if there is a need for continuation in other areas as well. Public Speakers: Isaac Aelion Commissioner Brezin said if you find these violations, does that mean that the City would be able to deal with it or would we have to go back to Miami-Dade County with them? City Manager Szerlag said that Community Development Director Robert Solera had used his Department to make some inspections in two of the condominiums. Community Development Director Solera reported that they started inspections on the north side of the City, particularly Ocean I, and they found about 45 violations where they had installed doors illegally. He said that they had issued warnings and some ofthem have gone to a citation at this point, and so yes they will, based on their report, be able to issue warnings and citations to those people which have not complied with the Code, and then take them to the Special Master if need be, and proceed from there. Commissioner Brezin said she is concerned with violations and that she had brought this to the attention of City Manager Szerlag and Building Official Parker, as we have certain situations whereby they have eliminated the fire-door that is the second door, and possibly they are allowed to because of the size of the apartment, etc. However, if there is a fire, a fireman has no way of knowing that he can't enter that apartment because that apartment is blocked with cabinets, etc. She said the other concern she had was where the fire extinguishers are (a shadowbox), the extinguisher sits on the shelf, and there is a glass door in front of it, as you go further down toward the floor, there is wall space that is as wide as the shadow box would be. She said they are entering it from inside of the apartment, opening it up from the kitchen, into the hallway, that is a firewall, and she asked if this new inspector would address this as well. She said ifthey have done something to protect that firewall and it meets with the Code, so be it, but if it doesn't and we have a fire in that high-rise, we are going to be in a lot of trouble, as the fireman can't get into the apartment, and in addition to which you have no firewall. Building Official/Administrator Clay Parker said that this inspector will help out with that situation, and it would take cooperation from the Associations as well especially if they know of a violation. He said that would be an additional thing that this inspector could look out for, as well as inspect all one-hour fire separation issues for life safety in common corridors. He said if they close up an exit-way from the kitchen, which is allowed now by the Fire 23