2004 0520 Special City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting May 20, 2004 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Eichner and her firm to assist in reviewing zoning matters so that we were attempting to do the best that we can to move matters forward. He said it still seems that this City sometimes have difficulty in tracking everything, specifically Mr. Behnamou has mentioned that for months he has been trying to get the opportunity to donate his property to the City and he felt that the City was not acting in a prompt and quick manner. Commissioner Iglesias commented that in all fairness to staff that he does know that developers have a tendency of sometimes bringing documents in to the Department that are incomplete and expect the Department to do the work for them, or tell them to basically streamline because it is cheaper to bring something in that is halfway done than to pay the attorneys to tell you what needs to be done. He said he doesn't disagree totally that sometimes things get delayed because we have a tremendous volume of work but he thinks that we need to get word out on both sides that when we have an application coming into the City, these are the items that we expect from the developers, that way when it is in and that checklist that we do in permits, then there is no question. He said he would like Senior Staff to be here five days a week because it is more convenient for the Commission to get a hold of and be able to meet with Senior Staff and have impromptu meetings. He said in respect to working outside, he would agree to a point that if it interferes with City work, but if a person has annual time or what he or she does on the weekend, he has no problem with that as long as it doesn't interfere with here. Commissioner Brezin said that was very well put and what people do on weekends, with their vacation times, is their personal business. She said she is very satisfied with staff and also feels we should have them here five days a week. Vice Mayor Goodman reported that since he has been on the Commission he feels that staff have been working extremely well, and in reference to developers, we have been getting reports from the City Manager weekly on what the status on some of these situations are, and from what he finds, the developers are not prepared on many occasions to present their case to us, and if you would check the dates when they are constantly resubmitting and by resubmitting it means it is not complete, and we should not blame staff. He said that progress reports are sent to him regularly. He said in reference to the City Manager and City Attorney, that when they go away on vacation they shouldn't go at the same time, but he has found that they are always available by telephone, day or night. He said he does not find any problem with the senior staff. He said in 1997 when the Charter was written, we were suppose to have a strong City Manager and a weak Mayor, and in his opinion he feels it has gone in the other direction and he feels that this has to be clarified. He said if a developer comes in to see a Commissioner or the Mayor, he is coming to see him, and when things get presented and the Developers are coming here and talking to people, he doesn't get that information until right before a meeting, and he sometimes does not know what is going on and he can't talk to the Mayor or Commissioners because ofthe Sunshine Law, and if everything 2