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<br />Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting February 21,2008
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<br />City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
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<br />there was still a recession and the Commission is still allowing the administrative voluntary
<br />program to go forward. He said you can buy the entire four years today, and put your mind at
<br />ease that there won't be any change in what the Commission will want to do two years from
<br />now, or buy it in increments or installments, that is a decision that the developer is going to
<br />have to make.
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<br />Commissioner Goodman said we started out when the developers had two years to pull the
<br />Building Permit, and he knows things are tough and that they should offer them another two
<br />years and then come back, he doesn't think it is fair that the City extends it four years, that
<br />would make it six years, so he would be in favor of extending it for two years and then come
<br />back to the Commission to see where things are. Mayor Edelcup responded that he would
<br />rather see them get the four years up front because if they are ready to build in two years, they
<br />will, they are not going to sit and wait two extra years, and if they are not ready to build in two
<br />years they will only be back in front of us again. He said by limiting it to two years only
<br />means that we are going to have to listen to a plea two years from now that we can take care
<br />of today, they are going to start when the economy is ready, and it may not even be in four
<br />years. He said why not just give them the latitude that they can start whenever they want to
<br />start over the four-year period.
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<br />Commissioner Brezin said that she too felt at one point that they would be coming back but
<br />after thinking about this she came to the same conclusion that the Mayor is referring to, the
<br />builders have the land, they are anxious to build, they have their site plan, everything is in
<br />order and they are ready to go, but because of conditions today they are unable to do what they
<br />would have done if conditions were better. She said that there may also be some changes
<br />during that time period in the Commission, we may not be here, other people may be in and
<br />she would like to give them that protection and give the developer the additional time because
<br />she feels that the developer is anxious to proceed with it. She said that she is not in favor of
<br />changing any of the terms, it is a voluntary program, and let's hope that the economic
<br />conditions do change, and in the interim of your own accord you will come forward and say it
<br />is better and we can proceed with this.
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<br />Commissioner Scholl said for those who participate in the program, it is good for the City and
<br />it is good for the developer, meaning the City also wants to see every project built in the City
<br />successful, the faster a developer can come out of the ground when the market improves, the
<br />better it is for everybody. rfthe developer doesn't have to go through the entitlement process
<br />again and spend a year, a year and a half, the City doesn't have to spend its resources as well
<br />in that entitlement process, and as far as the time frame, he has always been in favor of a long
<br />timeframe. He said in reference to Commissioner Goodman's point, business people need
<br />certainty, they need to know that their exposure is xxx and going out two years, and then
<br />having another process, and as Commissioner Brezin pointed out, this Commission could
<br />change, sentiment could change, a lot of things could change that takes away that certainty
<br />from these developers. He said that the fact is, even though they have to pay, at least if they
<br />know if they pay they have certainty, and so they can, in some instances, go to their lenders
<br />and say that this City passed this and this is the certainty. As far as the amount is concerned,
<br />there's some tipping point and that is what the Mayor was referring to, and it is hard for him
<br />to determine what that tipping point is, obviously ifhe were in a developer's shoes he would
<br />want it less. He said the City also made an investment in this process with anticipation of a
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