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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-0911 Special City Commission MeetingSUMMARY MINUTES Special Cio, Commission Meeting Thursday, September 11, 2014, 6:15 p.m. City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida ATTENTION ALL LOBBYISTS: CITY LAW REQUIRES YOUR REGISTRATION PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BEFORE CITY STAFF, BOARDS, COMMITTEES OR THE CITY COMMISSION. PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY CLERK FOR FORMS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. AGENDA 1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL OF 1IEMBERS The meeting Was called to order by Mayor Edelcup at 6:15 p.m. With the following officials present: Mayor Norman S. Edelcup City Manager Christopher J. Russo Vice Mayor Isaac Aelion City Attorney Hans Ottinot Commissioner Jeanette Garin City Clerk Jane A. Hines, MMC Commissioner Jennifer Levin Deputy City Manager Stan Morris Commissioner George `Bud" Scholl Deputy City Attorney Fernando Amuchastegui 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Action: Former City Commissioner Roslyn Brezin led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Mayor Edelcup gave opening remarks. 3. RESOLUTIONS 3A. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Approving an In -Kind Donation to the Sunny Isles Beach Foundation, Inc. to Assist in an Event to Honor the Retirement of Mayor Norman S. Edelcup, in an Estimated Amount of 53,200.00; Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution; Providing for an Effective Date. Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Manager Russo reported that the City is approaching an historical occasion, the first retirement of a Mayor. Rather than the City bear the entire expense to commemorate this milestone, the Sunny Isles Beach Foundation is planning a formal retirement dinner. The event requires some assistance from City staff who have the expertise to develop and coordinate certain aspects of the event. public Speakers: None Vice Mayor Aelion thanked Mayor Edelcup on behalf of the City Commission for his dedicated service for all these years. Commissioner Gatto asked how many years has it been. and Mayor Edelcup said 13 years today on the City Commission, I I of those years as Mayor. Vice Mayor Aelion moved and Commissioner Scholl seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2014 -2280 was adopted by a voice vote of 5 -0 in favor. Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2014 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 3B. Add -On: A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Accepting a Donation in the Amount of S3,200.00 from the Sunny Isles Beach Foundation, Inc.; Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution: Providing for an Effective Date. Action: Mayor Edelcup asked Lynn Dannheisser who is the Executive Director of the Sunny Isles Beach Foundation if she would like to speak. Public Speakers: Lynn Dannheisser, Esq.; Ari Steiger Executive Director Lynn Dannheisser and Board Member Ari Steiger presented the City with a check from the Sunny Isles Beach Foundation to cover the expenses of those in -kind contributions in the amount of $3,200.00. She said the Foundation has begun to raise money and they have the funds in their bank account. They wanted to begin on a good foot and start reimbursing the City for what otherwise might have been bourn by the City alone. That was our stated goal when we formed and that is what we hope to carry out. Mayor Edelcup and the City Commission thanked them for their contribution. Commissioner Scholl moved and Commissioner Gatto seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2014 -2281 was adopted by a voice vote of 5 -0 in favor. 4. DISCUSSION ITEMS 4A. Discussion regarding the Conceptual Design for Samson Oceanfront Park. Action: City Manager Russo said as he had promised any time when we are doing one of these projects that has a look to it, a plan, a park, the Commission is going to see a colored rendering of it before we go forward with it. This is where we are at with Samson Oceanfront Park and so we want to take a few minutes to get your conceptual blessing on the Park design. It is not drastically different although there are some significant things like a new electrical system, a new entire sewer system and plumbing system, the expansion of the bathrooms, and a few other things. He asked Assistant City Manager Bill Evans to go through this. Public Speakers: Ida Curtis; Javier Rodriguez Assistant City Manager Bill Evans introduced Javier Rodriguez with RJ Behar, part of our design team taking the lead, and Ida Curtis with Curtis and Rogers, who is doing the landscape design of the Park. He said we are approaching the completion of the Chateau project and we were given the task of reconfiguring somewhat increasing the size of the walkways, not doing a whole lot with the landscape other than trying to match what was on the south side, increasing some seating, putting in a playground structure, etc., and he presented renderings of the design for Samson Oceanfront Park with those kind of things. What you also see on the north side of the Park is a pavilion plan for our design there with an increased width in the walkway for potentially a dance floor or whatever else wants to occur there. The walls on the Collins Avenue side are being redone in such a way it will look really artistic and kind of freshen it up a bit. 2 Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2013 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Ida Curtis said we are doing a renovation to Samson Oceanfront Park and adding a few elements to increase the functionality of the Park. Such as what you see on the north end we have a covered stage for performances or concerts. We are also adding the covered playground for different ages. We are putting in the stage, the grating is going to be very simplified like before. We are adding some seating areas. We are reconfiguring the inside of the bathrooms and adding stalls, moving the shower from the beachside closer to where the bathrooms are. We are adding a cleanup area for the maintenance vehicles so they can douse off when they are coming from the beach. At the entrance we are reconfiguring a little bit, modifying the wall so it is a more can y linear and centering the name of the Park and kind of refinishing some of the walls so it would have the more art deco look of what the building is. It is a really special Park and we are maintaining the character as it is one of the few ones but it is still Art Deco, the landscaping is very simple and we are going to be matching what is on the south side pretty much with the same pallet of the native coconut palms and a lot of the native vegetation. Vice Mayor Aelion asked about the new playground, you said covered, does that mean there will be a canopy? Ms. Curtis said the cover that is proposed for the playground is similar to the concrete cover that is there right now for the picnic shelter. We are keeping that same look and we are putting one on the playground and one on the stage. Vice Mayor Aelion said then that it is an extension of the existing cover that is on the picnic area. City Manager Russo said it is not an extension it will be its own independent cover but it will be the concrete which is a substantial change, and it will be over the stage and the playground. Commissioner Levin asked what the two different colors are the blue and the yellow over the playground? Ms. Curtis said that would be the surfacing of the playground, wejust rendered it so that you would know that is the different surfacing than the surfacing of the walkway, and the cover goes all the way around. Vice Mayor Aelion said the existing children's equipment in the play area, that remains because it is written here rubber surface, new concrete shade structure and new playground, it includes new equipment, and Ms. Curtis said that is correct. Vice Mayor Aelion said he understands the complete playground would be built by Chateau? Ms. Curtis said yes on the north side. Vice Mayor Aelion said the southern part, the new 6 -foot ornamental black picket fence, is there an existing fence there now? Ms. Curtis said yes but it will be upgraded like the fence at Town Center Park. Vice Mayor Aelion asked if there is a pump there now, and Javier Rodriguez said there is no pump now. City Manager Russo said that is part of the problem with the sewer system, we are replacing the entire sewer system in that Park as well as the electrical system. Vice Mayor Aelion said the costs for these total improvements, it is going to be bourn by the developer, and City Manager Russo said we are working on our final cost estimate on this because we have substantially changed a few things here. The biggest changes are these solid concrete covers, the sewer system, the electrical system, the expansion of the bathrooms, those are probably the biggest expense items here. We have an Agreement with the Chateau Group to pay for certain aspects of the improvements pretty much the area that covers where they were, the third of the Park that we had given them for staging. What we are doing right now, and don't forget that they have also given us 3 summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2014 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida $400,000 in addition to paying for their fair share of this. The original Agreement we want to change to have them pay us the money as opposed to do that part of the work, the logistics. RJ Behar is now costing out the value of the work that is in the Agreement that we have with Chateau and then we will hopefully get a check from them and get the project bid out. Mayor Edelcup asked if we have a dollar amount that Chateau has agreed to, he knows that the stage that is going into Gateway Park they are funding as well. City Manager Russo said yes 5400,000 of it, and what we are doing now is we are taking what is spelled out in their Agreement and we are costing it out, and we will be in negotiations with them. Commissioner Scholl said the fixed cover is the way to go because every time we put these covers, especially on the ocean, you can't get a canopy to hold up. Ultimately even the sail material over time, Ms. Curtis said the environment is very harsh. Commissioner Scholl said he feels that is a great change and he fully supports that. He also likes the fact that you have lawn seating because the Park always seems to be under seated. When the Park is used in the evening there is not enough seating there, and the fact that you have this is a great addition. City Manager Russo said in addition to what is under the existing pavilion, we are going from 30 to 90 total seats in this Park. Vice Mayor Aelion said normally what we used to do is to set up the stage on the southern side and then people would come for events. With this new design will the stage be able to be placed exactly where it was or in front on the north side, and City Manager Russo said that it is fixed on the north side. Vice Mayor Aelion asked what the measurements are for that stage area, and Ms. Curtis said it is on the plans and it is 25 x 40 oval. Commissioner Gatto asked if it is the exact same footprint as the one we had prior to this renovation in terms of the size of the Park as she gets asked that question a lot, and Assistant City Manager Evans said the lot dimensions have not changed. Commissioner Gatto said she was going to ask about the seating, and she noticed that there is wall seating which she feels is a great idea, and Ms. Curtis said yes around the playground area. Commissioner Gatto asked where the restrooms are. and Ms. Curtis said the restrooms are where they are right now, they are not being moved, they are being expanded and renovated inside. Commissioner Levin said she understands the concrete structures, the roofs, the first thing she thought of was are they going to be hot, is it going to keep the air in? Ms. Curtis said they are going to be raised higher than what is there right now and so the one in the playground is about 24 feet high so that it can capture more of the breezes coming through. Commissioner Levin said the existing one you have the pass through from the ocean but that one is kind of off to the side and then the stage area is kind of off to the side and she didn't know if air would circulate in there or not. Ms. Curtis said again, the whole breezes that come from the ocean, the idea is that they will come through that. Commissioner Levin asked about the stage location, is it going to be open with just a roof or is there going to be a wall in the back so that it would keep the sound from going to the building next door? Ms. Curtis said there is a wall behind the stage, and Commissioner Levin asked how tall is the wall? City Manager Russo said four (4) stories, 35 feet, 18 inches in back of the stage parking pedestal and that is why it is over there, it will project the sound. Commissioner 4 Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2013 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Levin said yes she remembers that now, also, are there going to be vines going down there, and Ms. Curtis said yes, we are going to have landscaping on the back of that. Mayor Edelcup said the other comment that he can see is that you are providing for crafts in the future, the Commission could consider gating this Park since the north side and the south side will have walls already there, all you would need is a gate area. It looks like that is a two front entrance location and something in the back and then we would be able to secure the Park at night and keep the homeless people out of the Park which would help the Police Department. City Manager Russo said this was an issue that we did have a discussion on without anv direct resolution from one of our workshops. We can put it in, and it would be easy to put in the bid document an option, an item for the complete fencing in of the Park, and what the Commission decide at that time. Vice Mayor Aelion said no, it would kill the look but the Mayor is right it would solve a problem. Commissioner Gatto said the restrooms would be locked, and City Manager Russo said we lock the restrooms now. Commissioner Gatto asked what the hours would be for locking the Park, and Mayor Edelcup said it would be the same as all the other Parks, at approximately 9:00 p.m. We have always had a problem with this being an open Park. Commissioner Gatto said it seems a little early to lock up the Park. Commissioner Levin asked why aren't we doing the gates now, why would we postpone it? City Manager Russo said it is up to the Commission, what he is suggesting is to put an option in the bid package. Commissioner Scholl agreed it should be in the bid package. Mayor Edelcup said this does not require a vote, and City Manager Russo said it is just a consensus that everybody is okay with the plan, and the Commission said they are in consensus with the plan. 4B. Add -On: Former City Commissioner Gerry Goodman's Birthday. Action: Mayor Edelcup said the main reason we are here tonight is that this happens to be September 11 ih and approximately 13 years ago this same day, he and Commissioner Gerry Goodman were elected for the first time as Commissioners to the City of Sunny Isles Beach on a very bitter sweet day because we all remember what happened that morning at approximately 9:00 a.m. He was at Oceanview campaigning that morning and Mayor David Samson drove by in his car and informed him about the plane crash [in New York CiW and we were really at that point not certain if the Election would take place that day. A lot of people were glued to their television sets, not only in Sunny Isles Beach but across the whole world. There was a very low turnout for voting until later in the day, and again we weren't certain until later in the day that the County would certify that it was an official Election. It turned out that it was an official Election and he and Gerry Goodman were elected 13 years ago tonight. In Gerry Goodman's case it was a very close call. We had our first rendition in 2001 of the hanging chad regime because the first time around it was uncertain as to whether Gem' Goodman had won or not and then on a second and third count it kept changing. Fortunately for both of us we were elected that evening and in addition, Gerry Goodman had a special celebration that night. It happens to be Gem' Goodman's birthday today. Gerry not only has his Election to remember on this date but also the fact that we can all be here F Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2014 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida tonight to celebrate with him another year and we hope this is still another year of many more yet to come. He knows that Gerry is a man of very few words and he would be remiss if he didn't give him the opportunity to speak at the microphone, but remember there is an addendum to this ceremony right after you speak. Gerry Goodman said he wanted to ask a question before he speaks about what happened that day. When we decided to let the developer use Samson Oceanfront Park, it was his interpretation that he was going to rebuild the Park. Nov he hears that the Park is going to cost about S2 Million, is that correct? Mayor Edelcup said yes, that is the total estimated cost before giving any credit to the amount that the developer will pay, and so the whole project is a S2 Million project. Some of that will be boum by the developer and that is subject to the negotiations with the City Manager and the developer. Mr. Goodman said okay because it was his interpretation that he was going to rebuild the Park. How did the City get involved in spending City money? Mayor Edelcup said because the developer was going to rebuild the Park as it was and we took the opportunity to say that we don't want it exactly as it was, we want to have expanded bathrooms, we want to have more playground area, and we want to have better electricity in there, and other things that came along. It was decided by the City staff that the best thing that we could do would be a partnership, we will pay for some of the improvements and the developer would pay for some improvements. We would have a better and a more modern Park after this is built as opposed to what the former Samson Oceanfront Park had. City Manager Russo said we have an Agreement with the developer and it spells out exactly what he was to provide. The Mayor is correct, he was only rebuilding the part of the Park that he was using which he was paying for, and he gave a significant contribution to our Parks, the $400,000 in addition to this. So what we are doing right now is our Engineer who you met tonight, is cost estimating this project and he has that Agreement, he is cost estimating what the developer was to provide. We have made significant improvements on what it was he was to provide but not only doing our plans with some of the items we mentioned tonight, like the solid concrete covers on these structures as opposed to canvass. He is costing out what the developer was to provide and we will be getting and negotiating a check from him for that amount that will go towards the project in addition to the other funding that he is giving the City for the other project. Gerry Goodman said the reason why the apartments in Sunny Isles Beach are so high now and in demand is because of our beach accesses. When he and Mayor Edelcup first sat on the Commission anybody who wanted to build had to give us beach access, and that is why the apartments in Sunny Isles Beach are much more valuable because the people have access to the beach which was very important. Mayor Edelcup said we should also mention that it was Walter Bresslow that led the charge for that. Mr. Goodman said yes, he was afraid of you and Mayor David Samson and so Gerry spoke for him. Germ Goodman said that day was a very auspicious day in my life, at that time Lila Sterling was alive and she brought a cake to the Election that night and Mayor Samson, when they counted the ballots, went over to Lila and said to her "How did you know he was going to win ? ", and Lila said "I didn't know he was going to win but today is his birthday." They G Summary Minutes: Special City Commission Meeting September 11, 2014 Sunny Isles Beach, Florida counted the ballots with the machine three times and came up that he won by one vote. His friend incumbent City Commissioner Irving Turetsky wanted to recount all the ballots and it ended up that Gerry won by 5 or 6 votes. It has been his pleasure to serve the people here in Sunny Isles Beach. He said he was glad they are fixing 174`h Street because it took him a couple of years to convince the Commission to do that, and so he wanted to thank the Commission. Mayor Edelcup asked everyone to sing Happy Birthday to Gerry Goodman, and he invited everyone to the First Floor Meeting Room for a Birthday Cake. 4. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Scholl moved and Commissioner Gatto seconded a motion to adjourn the _meeting. Mayor Edelcup adjourned the meeting at 6:47 p.m. F�Respectfully submitted by: r t Jane A. Hines, MILMC, City Clerk 7 A • •,.j Approved by the City Commission on Oct. 16. 2014 S. Edelcup, ESJON ISX City of Sunny Isles Beach 18070 Collins Avenue Sunny Isles Beach, Florida 33160 • is �:' C P (305) 947 -0606 City Hall (305) 949 -3113 Fax MEMORANDUM TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commission VIA: Christopher J. Russo, City Manager FROM: Jane A. Hines, MMC, City Clerk DATE: 10/16/2014 RE: Summary Minutes for the September 11, 2014 City Commission Meeting RECOMMENDATION: Attached for your consideration are the Summary Minutes for the September 11, 2014 Special City Commission Meeting. REASONS: 121L1