HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-0319 Regular City Commission Meeting •
SUMMARY MINUTES
Regular City Commission Meeting
Thursday, March 19. 2015, 6:30 p.m.
City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
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AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Scholl at 6:30 p.m. with the following officials
present:
Mayor George "Bud" Scholl City Manager Christopher J. Russo
Vice Mayor Jeanette Gatto City Attorney Hans Ottinot
Commissioner Isaac Action City Clerk Jane A. Hines, MMC
Commissioner Dana Goldman Deputy City Manager Stan Morris
Commissioner Jennifer Levin Deputy City Attorney Fernando Amuchastegui
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE / INVOCATION
Action: Marc Mogil led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, and Captain Dwight Snyder
gave the invocation.
Mayor Scholl gave opening remarks of decorum.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3A. Regular City Commission Meeting — February 19. 2015.
Action: Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve
the above mentioned Summary Minutes. The motion was approved by a voice vote of
5-0 in favor.
4. ORDER OF BUSINESS (Additions/Deletions/Amendments)
4A. Request to Hear Items; Revisions: Item 10A. Southern Underground Resolution; Add-On:
Item 12B. Discussion re: Town Hall Meetings.
Action: Mayor Scholl noted the above changes to the agenda. Commissioner Aelion moved
and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the above changes to the agenda.
The motion was approved by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
5. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
5A. A Proclamation Proclaiming March 2015 as "Purchasing Month".
Action: Mayor Scholl read the Proclamation into the record noting. that the City has
recognized savings through the Purchasing Department. Mayor Scholl asked Purchasing
Agent Andrew Rozwadowski to stand up in the audience to be recognized.
5B. A Proclamation Proclaiming April 7, 2015 as "Mayors Day of Recognition for National •
Service".
Action: Mayor Scholl said this is a national movement that a lot of cities across America are
supporting,and he read the Proclamation into the record.[City Clerk's Note:As there was no
one present from the "Corporation for National & Community Service" to accept the
Proclamation, the City Clerk will mail it.]
5C. A Special Presentation by Representatives from Hotels and Condominiums to Discuss
Potential Traffic Solutions at the 174th Street and Collins Avenue Intersection.
Action: [City Clerk's Note: A copy of the PowerPoint Presentation was given to the City
Clerk for the record.] Vice Mayor Gatto said Nick Rosenstein who is from Ocean Four
called her and the City Manager to talk about the traffic situation at the busiest intersection of
the City which is at 174th Street and Collins Avenue. When it is busy, it is really busy
because when pedestrians from both north and south converge with the traffic trying to make
right and left turns, it can get pretty hectic. She said Nick is offering what she thought was a
unique solution and definitely worthy of a discussion. He is with other representatives from
Sole, Florida Ocean Club, and from the DoubleTree. She then invited Nick Rosenstein to
present his idea to the Commission.
Public Speakers: Nick Rosenstein; Robert Kurtzer; Steven Hirsh; Tom Feeley
Nick Rosenstein said he is the Vice President of Ocean Four Condominium Association and
he is here to present to the Commission one of the possible solutions for improvement of the
traffic on 174th Street and Collins Avenue. He presented renderings and gave a PowerPoint
presentation of an idea from the four communities that Vice Mayor Gatto mentioned that he
will refer to as "South-of-174th Communities". He presented a copy of the PowerPoint
presentation to the City Clerk for the record. The suggested changes are: I) close the
pedestrian walkway on the south side of the intersection; and, 2)at the same time allow a U-
turn on the south side of the intersection. This will be an identical flow pattern of traffic as it
exists at 172' Street and Collins Avenue which is working out great. These are for a safer
pedestrian environment, and less traffic on 174th Street, both west and east.
In summary, Mr. Rosenstein said the concept is simple,close the pedestrian walkway on the
south side of the intersection, and open a U-turn on the south side. The benefits are: I)
pedestrian safety as the cars making a right turn from 174th Street do not compete with
pedestrians trying to cross Collins Avenue; 2) southbound traffic out of the"South-of-174th
Communities"will not need to enter 174th Street as west and east bound traffic is eliminated;
and 3) east and south bound traffic from Winston Towers Communities on 174th Street and
Collins Avenue is both easier and safer.
Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
Mayor Scholl said for the record that Nick should subcontract himself out to a lot of the
developers, and that he did a great job in the presentation.
Steven Hirsh of Ocean Four and a member of the Board of Directors said this proposal has
positive impact on the community by increasing public safety for pedestrians, decreasing
traffic flow into a very congested area along 174th Street, and most importantly it can be
accomplished for a minimum cost. Most of the traffic impacting Winston Towers residents
along 174'h Street is not from residents or visitors, they are drivers trying to go northbound to
southbound on Collins Avenue and they are forced to eo down 174'h Street because of the
"No U-Turn" sign. If this proposal is approved, those existing Oceanfront properties in the
17200 and 17300 blocks of Collins Avenue designed to go south will not have to go two
blocks in, turn around and come back and make a right turn navigating pedestrians crossing
the south crosswalk in order to eo south. Vehicles turning right from 174'h Street will no
longer have the challenge of pedestrians crossing. The hundreds of residents and tourists
from Collins beachfront properties will be able to more effectively exit their properties and
make a U-turn to go south at 174'h Street without the competition of pedestrians. Pedestrians
crossing solely from the north crosswalk as is done at 172"d Street would consolidate a single
pedestrian crosswalk for vehicles to watch and be cognizant of versus the existing two
crosswalks. The result would be pedestrian safety and less traffic congestion, and at no
significant cost to taxpayers. It should be noted that the other day we were advised by a
resident of Winston Towers that told us that they never cross Collins Avenue in the south
crosswalk because it is simply too dangerous.
Steven Hirsh said in closing, information provided by the Sunny Isles Beach Police
Department indicates that within the last three(3)years there were approximately 100 traffic
accidents at the corner of 174'h Street and Collins Avenue. Although they do not distinguish
between solely vehicular accidents versus pedestrian accidents it would be difficult to
believe a good number were not in fact pedestrian involved accidents. In recent weeks there
has been a discussion about constructing pedestrian crossover bridges across Collins Avenue
at strategic sites, one of which is the intersection we are talking about tonight. We may one
day have a crossover bridge at this intersection as the Mayor has publically mentioned citing
the need for pedestrian safety and traffic mitigation. However in the interim, until the
pedestrian bridge can become a reality, this proposal is a low cost and effective change that
will facilitate both of the above stated goals. Finally, we understand that there may be
additional partners that may need to get involved in this such as the Florida Department of
Transportation as this is a State highway, and possibly Miami-Dade County. It is further
hoped that the Commission will be a strong advocate for this simple change that benefits so
many City residents, and will encourage and facilitate this proposal to fruition.
Tom Feeley who lives in Ocean Four and is the President of the Condo Association for Sole
on the Ocean, and he is also the owner and hotel operator of Sole. He thinks this is a great
idea for Ocean Four and Sole for their guests. Making three (3) U-turns to get off from
Collins Avenue is a pain in the neck. We think it will be safer for pedestrian traffic from the
west side of Collins Avenue, and we like it.
Commissioner Goldman asked how the proposals of the pedestrian bridge or even
alternatively underground tunnels would that impact this discussion? In other words, is the
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
proposed pedestrian bridge or even a proposed tunnel, would that be situated over the north
or south crosswalk? Mayor Scholl said there is more work to be done but pending a traffic
analysis it will probably be on the south side which would actually act favorably on this
because if a pedestrian bridge is on the south side, FDOT will look more favorably upon it.
Commissioner Aelion asked the City Manager if we at one point went to FDOT to do a study
of that intersection, and City Manager Russo said yes, he does not know the exact dates but
more than once. Their response was that they would not create a total four-way stop there.
Fundamentally the main concern that FDOT explained to him was the main traffic flow
would be impeded because of the signalization changes when you have a total stop for
pedestrian traffic. Commissioner Aelion said to that end, we are talking about the largest
complex in our City which is Winston Towers with 5,000 residents living there. Vehicular
and pedestrian traffic come out on a regular basis and it is heavy traffic. The differential
between the north and south is a point that has to be taken into consideration because people
who live on the northern side of the street, the 400 building, the 200 building, etc. has to
cross at one point if the crosswalk is closed they can cross without a problem but the ones
from the south end, the 600 building, the 300 building, etc. will have to cross over at one
point also. He agrees that it is an issue at that intersection and his suggestion is a Pilot
Project and to get feedback after a 3-month period and from there decide if we want to do it
on a permanent basis or not.
Commissioner Levin said it sounds like such a simple solution and makes so much common
sense that it is a wonder that it hasn't been done. She happens to agree with Commissioner
Aelion that she thinks it should be a pilot project to see what the outcome would be and for it
to be studied for a while.
Vice Mayor Gatto said she likes the idea and noted that she lives in Winston Towers. She
thinks that 174'h Street is being used in this way, it is a private community but 174'h Street is
a conduit to not only Collins Avenue but to back streets as well. Now we are learning that
hotels and condos south of 174th Street find it necessary to pull into 174th Street and make the
U-turn in front of Building 600, and that is causing a lot of unnecessary traffic that we deal
with. At rush hour in the morning it is very difficult to make the right or left turn when you
are competing with pedestrians who are crossing the street to get into Samson Oceanfront
Park and you are competing with people who are going to work. The interesting part of this
is that Winston Towers is being used as a conduit, and she thinks this idea will greatly
alleviate the back and forth traffic that is occurring right now in Winston Towers.
Mayor Scholl said it is great when members of the community actually come forward in a
sane and rational manner. He appreciates the fact that it takes a lot of effort and coordination
to get your neighbors together to discuss a problem and he was not kidding when he said to
Nick earlier that he thought the presentation was really strong. He knows he doesn't have to
remind everybody but we don't control that road. We can vote unanimously today and say
we want to do this but we have no authority to make any representations. Clearly we can
state a case to FDOT which he believes we should probably do. The other good news is the
City Manager is going to have a major traffic study done throughout the whole City because
one of the things we have heard loud and clear in the last six (6)months is traffic. Traffic is
a big issue and so the City Manager has been looking for the right consultant and we are
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2013 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
going to end up with a Comprehensive Traffic Study, and look at signalization and
everything that is a part of that. What has been interesting is that we have all been coming up
with little fixes that we think could have an impact but ultimately we have got to look at it
holistically but he has no issues with directing staff to basically put something like this in
front of FDOT and see what they have to say. That is the outcome of this, we are not voting
on it as it is just a presentation. Clearly when we do our Traffic Study and looking at the rest
of the City it is something that we are certainly going to present to the Consultants as well.
The thing that is frustrating him as Vice Mayor Gatto pointed out,and it is the reason why he
has always been against the pedestrian bridge in Winston Towers being vehicular because we
don't want to use interior streets as secondary means of ingress and egress from major
arteries in the City, and basically that is what is happening here. They are going down 174th
Street to make the U-turn because you don't have the advantage on Collins Avenue. He
thinks that anytime that we can prevent that it is very important to be able to try to do that.
He thanked everyone again.
City Manager Russo said we expect to have that Comprehensive Traffic Proposal before the
Commission at the next meeting [April 16, 2015].
6. ZONING: ZONING HEARINGS ARE QUASI-JUDICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS.
None
7. ORDINANCES FOR FIRST READING
7A. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Amending
Ordinance No. 2014-436;Amending the City's Budget No. BA1415-03 for the 2014-2015
Fiscal Year—General Fund: Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to
Implement the Terms and Conditions of this Ordinance; and Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Finance Director Audra Curts-Whann reported
that our budget is a living document so as we become aware ofchanges we will present to the
Commission periodically amendments to that budget. We have some additional budgetary
needs that we have not anticipated. We have a reduction in some budget revenue and we
have done some reclassifications.
Commissioner Levin said that it says reason for budget item C. "Increase Planning and
Zoning professional services budget for estimated costs of Heritage Park/Gateway Park re-
platting...",what does re-platting mean? As a real estate attorney it means something to her
but she doesn't know if it means the same thine here. Mayor Scholl said it is what it means
to you. City Attorney Ottinot said when we bought Heritage Park and also Gateway Park
basically we assembled a number of parcels with different folio numbers, in order to ensure
that we received a State grant where they platted the parks to ensure that the public use is
exempt from taxation as private use.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
proposed Ordinance on first reading. The motion was approved by a roll call vote of 5-
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
0 in favor. Second reading, public hearing will be held on Thursday,April 16,2015, at
6:30 p.m.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion ves
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin ves
Vice Mayor Gatto ves
Mayor Scholl ves
7B. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Amending
Section 265-18(1) of the Land Development Regulations Relating to Site Plan
Modifications; Providing for Severability: Providing for Repealer; Providing for Inclusion in
the Code; Providing for an Effective Date. [Requested by Mayor George "Bud" Scholl]
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title,and City Attorney Ottinot reported that the purpose of
this Ordinance is to allow administrative approval by the City Manager of a decrease in the
number of units or square footage in an approved site plan where the decrease is not more
than 5%of the number of units or square footage approved in the site plan. This Ordinance
will allow a small percentage of units to be combined or eliminated without the need for
approval of the City Commission. Essentially, this Ordinance provides for a mechanism to
decrease density and intensity in an approved development project.
Public Speakers: None
Mayor Scholl said he gets phone calls from developers that want to combine a couple of
units in the building because the buyer may want to buy two units that are adjacent. And so
it requires a site plan application because it was before the building was completed. That
would mean they would have to come back to a full hearing at the Commission meeting and
it is really an administrative burden, and so what we are doing is giving the staff the leeway
for a 5% variation on that. So when these matters come up, they don't have to come back
before the full Commission. Commissioner Aelion said for the same FAR for tax influx
purposes of one unit would that be equalized or not? He said he spoke to the City Manager
and City Attorney that we would have a reduction somewhat but it would be nominal. Mayor
Scholl said two 1,000 foot units might sell at a higher premium than one 2,000 foot unit but
since it is just 5% of the building, it is at a minimum. He said Commissioner Aelion had a
very good point because that is probably the only economic impact that this would have on
the City other than the administrative time for another full blown hearing.
Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
proposed Ordinance on first reading. The motion was approved by a roll call vote of 5-
0 in favor. Second reading, public hearing will be held on Thursday,April 16,2015,at
6:30 p.m.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion ves
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl ves
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
7C. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Amending
Section 267-2 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Sunny Isles Beach Relating to
Fees for Site Plan Modifications; Providing for Severability; Providing for Repealer;
Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported that we did not
have a fee for site plan modifications and so this is including a fee.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Levin asked if the fee is the same if it is a minor modification. City Attorney
Ottinot said that there is less work for site plan modification and so the City Manager is
giving a reduced fee.
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
proposed Ordinance on first reading. The motion was approved by a roll call vote of 5-
0 in favor. Second reading, public hearing will be held on Thursday,April 16,2015,at
6:30 p.m.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion yes
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl yes
8. PUBLIC HEARINGS (Other than Ordinances for Second Reading)
None
9. ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING (Public Hearings)
9A. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.Amending
Ordinance No. 2014-436; Amending the City's Budget No. BA1415-02 for the 2014-2015
Fiscal Year—General Fund,Street Maintenance& Construction Fund,Building Fund,
Capital Fund, 2011 Capital Projects Fund, 2010 Capital Projects Fund, Stormwater
Fund and Stormwater Capital Fund; Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things
Necessary to Implement the Terms and Conditions of this Ordinance; and Providing for an
Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Finance Director Audra Curts-Whann reported
this carries forward all of the audited fund balances as well as some additional project needs.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No. 2015-444 was adopted by a roll call vote
of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion Yes
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl yes
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
9B. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida;Amending
Chapter 171 ("Historic Landmarks")of the Code of Ordinances to Provide a Definition
of"Objects"; Providing for Severability; Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for
Repeal of Conflicting Provisions; and Providing, for an Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported that the City has
collected a number of historic objects from the older hotels and this is a definition clarifying
what we collected as objects.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No.2015-445 was adopted by a roll call vote
of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion ves
Commissioner Goldman ves
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto ves
Mayor Scholl ves
9C. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida; Amending
Chapter 62 of the Code of Ordinances to Clarify that Contracts for Professional Services
Governed by Florida Statutes §287.055 (The "Consultants Competitive Negotiations
Act") Shall Not Exceed S25,000.00 Unless Approved by the City Commission; Providing
for Severability; Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for Repeal of Conflicting
Provisions; Providing for an Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No.2015-446 was adopted by a roll call vote
of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion ves
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin ves
Vice Mayor Gatto ves
Mayor Scholl yes
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
9D. An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Amending
Section 150-1 of the Code of Ordinances ("Materials and Color of Exterior Walls") to
Update the Color Palette for Exterior Walls of Structures: Providing for Severability;
Providing for Inclusion in the Code: Providing for Repeal of Conflicting Provisions; and
Providing for an Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Planning and Zoning Administrator Claudia
Hasbun reported that this is to update our Color Palette.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion said to leave it open for other providers,and Ms. Hasbun said that the
Code actually allows that flexibility as long as it is appropriate with the color palette we can
allow other providers.
Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Goldman seconded a motion to approve
the Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No. 2015-447 was adopted by a roll call
vote of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion yes
Commissioner Goldman ves
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl ves
Sitting in as the Local Planning Agency and the City Commission, to Consider the
Following Ordinance Amending the Land Development Regulations (LDRs):
9E. A Resolution of the Local Planning Agency of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida,
Recommending to the City Commission of Sunny Isles Beach for Approval the Ordinance
Amending Section 265-5 of the City Code Entitled "Definitions" to Include Public Parks
Managed by Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida in the Definition of Public Parks;
Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: [City Clerk's Note: Items 9E and 9E.I were heard together.] City Clerk Hines read
the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported.
Commissioner Aelion moved, and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. LPA Resolution No. 2015-86 was adopted by a vote of 5-0 in favor.
9E.1 An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida,Amending
Section 265-5 of the City Code Entitled "Definitions" to Include Public Parks Managed
by Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida in the Definition of Public Parks:
Providing for Severability; Providing for Repealer: Providing for Inclusion in the Code:
Providing for an Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action:City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported that under the City
Code we have a need to clarify the definition of a Park. We have one public Park that is
owned by the State that is considered a Park in our Comprehensive Plan which is the beach.
Public Speakers: None
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No.2015-448 was adopted by a roll call vote
of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion yes
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl yes
Sitting in as the Local Planning Agency and the City Commission, to Consider the
Following Ordinance Amending the Land Development Regulations (LDRs):
9F. A Resolution of the Local Planning Agency of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.
Recommending to the City Commission of Sunny Isles Beach for Approval the Ordinance
Amending Chapter 265 "Zoning" Section 265-35D(4)(C) to Provide an Option for Design
Flexibility for Lots with Frontage 200 Feet or More in Width; Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: [City Clerk's Note: Items 9F and 9F.1 were heard together.] City Clerk Hines read
the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported.
Commissioner Aelion moved, and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. LPA Resolution No. 2015-87 was adopted by a vote of 5-0 in favor.
9F.1 An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida.Amending
Chapter 265 "Zoning" Section 265-35D(4)(C) to Provide an Option for Design
Flexibility for Lots with Frontage 200 Feet or More in Width; Providing for Severability;
Providing for Inclusion in the Code; Providing for Repeal of Conflicting Provisions; and
Providing for an Effective Date.
(First Reading 02/19/15)
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Attorney Ottinot reported that this
Ordinance was requested by Mayor Scholl. This Ordinance provides options for design
flexibility for development projects within the Mixed Use-Resort District. Specifically the
lots on the east side of Collins Avenue that exceed 200 feet or more in frontage may
participate in the Design Flexibility Program which requires a contribution of S1 Million or
500,000 for Park improvements and other Capital Improvements. By adopting this
Ordinance the City will treat similar situated properties in the same way.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
Ordinance on second reading. Ordinance No. 2015-449 was adopted by a roll call vote
of 5-0 in favor.
Vote: Commissioner Aelion yes
Commissioner Goldman yes
Commissioner Levin yes
Vice Mayor Gatto yes
Mayor Scholl yes
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
10. RESOLUTIONS
10A. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Approving
Purchasing Authority with Southern Underground Industries, Inc. for Small a
Construction Project at Town Center Park '• -. ' ' . - . . - , in an
Amount Not to Exceed 5120.000.00 5250.000.00 for Fiscal Year 2014-2015, Provided that
the City Attorney Review Such Agreements for Form and Legal Sufficiency;Authorizing the
City Manager and the City Attorney to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this
Resolution; Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Public Works Director Bill Evans reported
noting that the Resolution was revised to reflect that this is for a construction project at Town
Center Park in an amount not to exceed S120,000.00. There are two issues at Town Center
Park: 1) ADA issue for the ramps that lead up and around the bathroom, they are not
compliant, and that cost is $32,885 which includes a small contingency; and 2) the canopy
over the playground structure is non-compliant as well. The playground structure that is
under the canopy on the northeast corner, the clearance between the bottom of the canopy
and the top of the playground structure is less than six feet. They are proposing to put spool
pieces on the supports, raise it up and get our six-foot clearance which will also include a
new canopy, and some other things that need to be done there, and that cost is $82,500.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Levin asked how old is the current structure, and Cultural and Community
Services Director Susan Simpson said the original structure was the sail in 2007. Mayor
Scholl asked how it could have been built and not be in ADA compliant, did the rules
change? Mr. Evans said the ADA compliant is the ramps going into the bathroom. City
Manager Russo said it was not constructed ADA compliant and we are actually extending it
out further. Mr. Evans said the structure is being raised to meet the National Playground
Safety Institute Standards for that.
Commissioner Levin moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. Resolution No. 2015-2386 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
IOB. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida,Authorizing
Commissioner Isaac Aelion Mayor George "Bud" Scholl as the City's Delegate to the
Miami-Dade League of Cities and Mayor George`Bud`Scholl Commisioner Isaac Aelion
as the Alternate to Attend Meetings During Fiscal Year 2014/2015; Providing for an
Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Mayor Scholl amended the Resolution by
making Commissioner Aelion the Delegate, and he will be the Alternate.
Public Speakers: None
Vice Mayor Gatto moved and Commissioner Levin seconded a motion to approve the
resolution,as amended. Resolution No. 2015-2387 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in
favor.
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
10C. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida,Authorizing
the City Manager or Designee to Strictly Enforce Traffic Obstruction Laws Relating to
Commercial Vehicles on Collins Avenue and Sunny Isles Boulevard During Peak
Traffic Hours Based on Guidance Provided by Florida Department of Transportation
(FDOT); Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title,and Commissioner Aelion reported that this is like a
bandwagon effect by seeing somebody doing something and piggybacking. The standing of
commercial vehicles north and south bound, sometimes on the side of Collins Avenue and
especially in front of hotels, the trucks are being loaded and unloaded and they take their
time. He had asked the City Manager to approach FDOT to see if they will give us a free
hand in regulating this. City Manager Russo said they responded in the affirmative to this,
and we have been actively working on a Code Enforcement Program to emphasize at least
the afternoon hours in through rush hours on Collins Avenue and Sunny Isles Boulevard,and
so we are fundamentally starting to ratchet up substantially. The Code Enforcement
Department does traffic enforcement. Commissioner Aelion said basically the critical hours
that he thought were precedent here is in the afternoon hours between 3:00 p.m. and 9:00
p.m. Mostly between 163rd Street and 178th Street. The weaker points to address the backed
up traffic because that is when the traffic is maximized on Collins Avenue.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Levin said these trucks are on routes and so there may have to be special
deliveries at certain times and take the trucks off their routes which could increase the cost.
Commissioner Aelion said that is a very good point and what he also voiced was that it has to
initially be spearheaded by the City. The communication between the vendor and the hotel
or any place where they are getting deliveries, has to be fine-tuned so that the timing and the
availability of staff,and if you have that, then you minimize the down time when that truck is
going to be there.
City Manager Russo said one of the things they have observed in this whole issue is that
many times what we are seeing is just for convenience they are stopping on the street when
the loading dock at the hotel is available or the loading area in a shopping center is available.
In fact,some of the places can hold two delivery vehicles at the same time. He thinks part of
it will be conditioning and training. We are planning on meeting, and we do this
periodically, with all the hotel managers about a subject like this. Mayor Scholl commended
Commissioner Aelion, the important thing that Commissioner Aelion did here was he
uncovered the fact that we had a right to regulate it on a State road. That was a very
important consideration and it gives us more flexibility in trying to deal with the problem.
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. Resolution No. 2015-2388 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
10D. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Approving
the First Amendment to the Agreement with HPF Associates, Inc. to Provide
Professional Consulting Services, in an Amount Not to Exceed $100,000.00, Attached
Hereto as Exhibit"A";Authorizing the Mayor to Execute Said Amendment;Authorizing the
City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution; Providing for an
Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and City Manager Russo reported that this is a
Consultant firm that he brought in based on their experience and references to assist us with
our Capital Projects and any other projects that he would assign. Fundamentally they are
here because we lost our City Engineer as an employee a couple of months ago and they have
particular experience in some very complicated projects especially the undergrounding that
we are working on, total street rehabilitation like the 174th Street Project, and others.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. Resolution No. 2015-2389 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
10E. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Approving
an Agreement with Coastal Systems International, Inc. for Consulting Engineering and
Environmental Services Relative to Beach Management. in an Amount Not to Exceed
$35,000.00, in Substantially the Same Form Attached Hereto as Exhibit"A":Authorizing the
Mayor to Execute Said Agreement; 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 this is the study
that we have been talking about having done to consider beach erosion, mitigation,
techniques, and possibilities for our City. Coastal Systems International is very well versed
in our area, they did the previous report for the City a number of years ago, and they have
been involved in many other projects relating to the coast. As it was made clear in
developing the charge and scope for this project, it is heavily geared on coming up with
various alternatives, methodologies, state of the art from beach erosion mitigation,and they
are going to come up with a series of possibilities. We will take a very close look and fully
vent what we decide on the two most feasible ones. Christie Brush is here and is very
familiar to our City.
Public Speakers: None
Mayor Scholl said he thinks this is important because the thing you hear about the most is
traffic and beach erosion, and so he feels good about the fact that we are getting this
proposal. We each got a letter from Roberto Rodriguez of LaPerla regarding beach erosion
and the problems associated with it,hopefully the study we are conducting will also speak to
the issues that you mention in your letter. City Manager Russo said that he and
Commissioner Aelion attended the Board Meeting of the LaPerla Condominium last night
and this was the main reason that they had asked us to come to the meeting, and they had
some very good thoughts on it. Commissioner Aelion said unlike Haulover Park where you
take a walk along the beach and it is straight, when you walk along Sunny Isles Beach you
see the meandering coastal erosion in some areas and the reason is because of the different
elevation in certain areas. The higher the elevation, 75 to 100 feet in-bound coastal line, the
slower the erosion.
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. Resolution No. 2015-2390 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
10F. A Resolution of the City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Approving
the Request Submitted by 18555 Developers, LLC ("Applicant") for a Modification of
an Approved Temporary Sign for the Porsche Design Tower Project Subject to Certain
Conditions; Providing the City Manager with the Authority to Do All Things Necessary to
Effectuate this Resolution; Providing for an Effective Date.
Action: City Clerk Hines read the title, and Planning and Zoning Administrator Claudia
Hasbun reported that the developer wants to have two (2) banners on the Porsche Tower.
Public Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion moved and Vice Mayor Gatto seconded a motion to approve the
resolution. Resolution No. 2015-2391 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor.
11. MOTIONS
None
12. DISCUSSION ITEMS
12A. Discussion regarding Bike Lanes.
Action: City Manager Russo said back in December the Commission had a discussion item
sponsored by Commissioner Levin to discuss the Bike Share Program to connect surrounding
municipalities, and other things. During that discussion the Mayor brought up the issue of
where the bike lanes are or are not currently in the City, and it was agreed to do a feasibility
study that looks at where our bike paths are first. The maps enclosed for this item is the first
pan. The rest of it will be included in the Comprehensive Traffic Study by the professionals
that will be before the Commission at the next meeting in April. That study will deal with
vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic, and non-motorized traffic.
Cultural and Community Services Director Susan Simpson gave a Powerpoint Presentation
denoting the Bike Path Maps. She said that they identified some areas that most of our
residents don't even know exist where we can get some bike traffic off from Collins Avenue.
She showed the first map that had the least amount of color and lines, and we will refer to
that one mostly. The second map is where we are today, the existing bike path, most
everything is on Collins Avenue and it is unmarked as it is a State Road and we don't have
the power to mark it but we can request that through FDOT. There is an area that everyone is
familiar with at the north end of the City by the Lehman Causeway where it is marked and
bike traffic can go over the Lehman Causeway. In the north end, if you are going south you
can take your bike into Heritage Park Garage and go past Heritage and down this little
walkway and it actually takes you under Lehman Causeway and,this is what most people do
not know,on the south side that sidewalk goes all the way to Collins Avenue. The advantage
there is that you are continuing south and not ending up in the middle of four lanes of traffic.
The next area that we can do something about is North Bay Road between I83`d Street and
174`h Street. That is where we already have our designated Bike Lane and have the Bike Path
Signs already there. The sidewalk was already made wide enough to accommodate both
pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The one component from that project that never got completed
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
was, there was supposed to be a demarcation line to show bikes here and walkers over there.
With the Commission's approval, we can add that to this walkway. As you know. 174'h
Street is to be redesigned, the medians and the roadway for the Drainage Project. We will
work on a way to bring people from North Bay Road to 174'h Street and back out to Collins
Avenue until the Pedestrian/Emergency Bridge is completed. Once you are back on Collins
Avenue you are going to have to go two blocks to 172' Street, here you are going to be on
the road, and we will mark the road because the sidewalk is not big enough. This will take
you down 172nd Street to North Bay Road and this will brine you to Sunny Isles Boulevard.
This area on the map where the little red lines are is where we are going to add some signage,
put the surface markings on there to show an area where you can then go under the Sunny
Isles Boulevard Bridge to come back out south and then you will have to go east again to
Collins Avenue, and it is Collins Avenue the rest of the way. The map we have here is what
we can do.short term, and have it done by September 30, 2015 if that is the direction that the
Commission are giving us. The final map will be our final Bike Path Map. The red hash
mark those dots are what is proposed for the future and one of them is the
Pedestrian/Emergency Bridge from 174`h Street to 172nd Street that we already talked about.
On the north side between 185'h and 183`d Streets is that Bay Walk, when that property gets
redeveloped, we hope to have a Bay Walk there, and that would get people off from Collins
Avenue for that little stretch. There is a small portion by where Bella Vista Bay Park was
that will get people off from Sunny Isles Boulevard when that is complete.
Speakers: None
Commissioner Aelion said minimizing the exposure on Collins Avenue is the main goal,and
that is achieved by this. Commissioner Levin said she thinks it looks great as that was the
whole point to get people off from Collins Avenue and get them around safely and this
makes perfect sense.
Vice Mayor Gatto said she is going to talk about 170 Street, we just had a discussion earlier
about traffic turning into Winston Towers, making U-turns in front of Building 600, we are
getting traffic through the backend, and she knows people use it as an alternative to Collins
Avenue. They come alone 174'h Street to go north or south adding to their traffic on 174th
Street. She cannot imagine on top of all of that,competing with bicycles on 174`h Street, she
is really worried about that. She just cannot imagine how they would manage something like
that on 174'h Street. She cannot see it, and she feels very strongly about this. They are
competing with a lot of traffic right now,a lot of pedestrians on North Bay Road. even going
north to Publix when the school is open. and when the school closes, kids are coming down
North Bay Road on their skateboards, and they are coming along 174'h Street,there is a lot of
competition, a lot of activity going on along there. Mayor Scholl said the alternative is on
Collins Avenue. Commissioner Aelion said that he does feel what Vice Mayor Gatto said
and she has a very valid point but the question is, what is the lesser of the two evils.
Commissioner Levin asked the City Manager, when we spoke about this did you say that it
would be possible to make the sidewalks wider on 174`h Street? City Manager Russo said
yes, we have to go and measure this but yes that is exactly right because we can take that
grass area that is along the sidewalk now. He does not know if it becomes as wide as we
have on North Bay Road, and Ms. Simpson said it is not, it will be short. City Manager
Russo said how short would it be? If we pave, like the sidewalk on the south side of 174`h
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
Street paved from curb, as much as we have there, and certainly we can make it wider than
what it is right now but he does not know if it is enough. Public Works Director Bill Evans
said the grass strip is a foot wide but the ADA and the County allows us to use the 6-inch
header on top of the curb, and so if you factor that in, that gives us another 18 inches which
will make us at 6.5 feet, we will still need to come up with another foot and a half. City
Manager Russo asked how wide it is where they plan the trail,and Mr. Evans said 8-foot and
they are called "Hike and Bike Trails". City Manager Russo said the other thing to keep in
mind is, regardless of what we do bicycles are allowed anywhere,and so they are going to be
on any street. Vice Mayor Gatto asked the City Manager if he is proposing to put bike lanes
on the sidewalk in lieu of the grass? City Manager Russo said he is suggesting we pave the
sidewalk to the maximum width that we can at \Vinston Towers, meaning that strip,and do it
right from the curb over, and the other thing going from North Bay Road east to Collins
Avenue on 174th Street is temporary, granted it could be there for five(5)years. We already
have a couple of other issues, and this is an issue for another time but we are going to be
opening bids on the Emergency/Pedestrian Bridge next month.
Commissioner Aelion said he wants to mention a situation on I74th Street, if we intend to
widen the sidewalk then you have an issue, the grass is property line of condo, and the trees,
specifically on the 100-foot stretch from the 400 Building up to Collins Avenue belongs to
the Association and it would be very hard to come and ask for an easement on that without
having issues. Vice Mayor Gatto asked him if he was talking about the north side because
the north side does not come into play here,and Commissioner Aelion said yes,he was. City
Manager Russo said the reason we are talking about only the south side is because the south
side ties in nicely with one less intersection for people on bicycles to cross. Mr. Evans said it
is easier to take that one-foot grass strip which is hard to maintain anyway, and widen it and
utilize that area on the south side than it would be on the north side.
Commissioner Levin asked if we are allowed to make people walk their bicycles in certain
areas rather than ride them? City Manager Russo did not think we could, and he knows we
can't do it on a State Road because the State allows bicycles, and we cannot supersede the
State, and City Attorney Ottinot said that is correct.
Mayor Scholl said he agrees with Vice Mayor Gatto that it is not a good situation but as
Commissioner Aelion said he thinks we are doing the lesser of two evils here because
ultimately leaving folks on Collins Avenue because of 174th Street,he questions the sanity of
that too. Unfortunately again, we are trying to create a condition in a City that has natural
constraints because of the narrowness of the City and the limited interior roadways,and so he
thinks it is commendable that we are trying to come up with a bike route in the first place.
He asked what we are looking for today, and City Manager Russo said we can come back to
the Commission and look at final plans, and probably with a budget number and we may
need to move some money around. Mayor Scholl said he thinks you hear where the pockets
of concerns are from and he thinks you can go back to those individuals and talk about those
concerns and maybe work it out.
City Manager Russo said would compromise be something like knowing full well and not
suggesting we change anything with what we do for all the buildings especially \Vinston
Towers that when there is construction that requires them to close their garages,etc.,and we
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
allow them to park on the street. Not changing anything, what if instead of doing it on the
sidewalk we do the line on the street on that north side, we don't put up the signs that we
have got on North Bay Road on posts and marking the sidewalk, but for that stretch from
North Bay Road to Collins Avenue on the south side of 174'h Street, while it has to be there,
we just do the marking out into the street for bicycles, and allow if we have to the cars for
purposes of construction, for parking because it is no different than what it is today. Bicycles
are still going to go on that street, and they are going to go around the cars that are parked
and go on the sidewalk. And so it is just a suggestion. Vice Mayor Gatto said when you
create the lines and the little insignia for bicycles you are basically sanctioning that as a
bicycle route and so there is a bit of a difference perception wise. City Manager Russo said
he understands that but that is the way it is all along Collins Avenue even in some areas
where that is marked if there are cars or traffic, you can't physically get to it,and so he is just
suggesting, that is all.
I2B. Add-On:
Discussion regarding the Concept of Having Town Hall Meetings.
Action: Commissioner Goldman said she just came off from a campaign. She learned a lot
and received a lot of input and a lot of comments, ideas, suggestions, and while it is true we
do meet once a month and our Commission meetings are open to the public,we should not as
a Commission have to wait until the next campaign to get our message out or to receive input
or dialogue with people of our City. The idea is to bring us out there into the community
where not in a more formal setting but certainly bringing our message, receiving our input,
and getting ideas, imparting what developments are in the City, answering questions, and
bringing it out there into the Community in a more informal setting and how can we improve
our message and information and that is just one example of how we can do it through that
type of a vehicle through a town meeting. She proposes that the Commission bring our
show, so to speak, on the road and have that dialogue in different settings outside of this
Chambers. A perfect example is this traffic analysis,again she received scores ofemails and
lots of information and she would never have that information just as a commuter from the
south side, and if she went to visit as part of the Commission, the north side, the central side,
other areas of the City and we are more likely to get more information, more likely to have a
better vehicle to impart that information,talk about traffic issues,talk about issues ofconcem
to the residents, and to our community and it is just one way to improve our dialogue and
improve our message and ultimately improve our product, and really improve our output.
And so she advocates implementing town hall meetings on either issue specific or on a
periodic basis.
Speakers: None
Mayor Scholl asked her how she is seeing the difference between a workshop on an issue and
a town hall meeting? Commissioner Goldman said a town hall meeting is a more informal
gathering outside of this Commission Chambers where we would present ideas, not a
workshop where we are basically going through an analysis. For example when she was at
Winston Towers people asked her what is happening with the bridge, when is it going to go
up, what is happening with our 1 74th Street improvements? And so people ask questions and
it is a way to get out into the City and respond to those inquiries and get the message out. It
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19,2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach,Florida
is not a workshop saying we have this process, it is more about improving communications
and getting information out and receiving information. It is more of an additional platform,
additional dialogue with the residents.
Commissioner Aelion said we are here to serve the people and so he is all for improving
communications channels and any vehicle that would do that or improve that then absolutely.
The logistics of this and the timing of this etc. maybe because something has to be somewhat
structured that has to be some sort of a flexible situation where it is left to the will of the
individual Commissioner or the Mayor to spearhead this,and as we are part of a team we are
also individual selves to present to our constituents and also to the City as a whole.
Vice Mayor Gatto said she really likes the idea, she likes the one-on-one interaction. Every
time she goes down to get her mail at her condo at around 6:00 p.m. 99%of the time she gets
stopped and asked questions and so she really likes that idea. She thinks that people are
hungry for information and she knows there are ways that we generate that information with
television and with the newspaper but still she thinks it is important to get that one-on-one
feel. Her question is we have to be careful with Sunshine Laws,and she is trying to get a feel
for how you envision we execute this. City Attorney Ottinot said we can have those town
hall meetings, in fact he and the City Manager were talking about it. In 2002 and in 2008 we
held town hall meetings about a budget issue,and City Manager Russo said we had increased
taxes and that was the one and only time we increased taxes for the Capital Program in the
early years when we were not sure how much money was going to come in. City Attorney
Ottinot said also when we were embarking on a program for parks. Commissioner Levin
said that is good and she asked if these meetings are noticed, and City Attorney Ottinot said
yes, they have to be.
Commissioner Levin said she likes the idea, she thinks it is worth a shot and that it is hard to
say how it is going to work, we won't know until we try it. Along the same line she would
like to bring something up and she had mentioned it in the last article she wrote for the
Community Newspaper. We all get an email from Commissioner Heyman once a month and
so she is able to get her message to us. She would like to look into perhaps having
something. like that available for us, with a border on the outside, we will have links to
everything that is going on in the City, and we can have the center for our own message and
we can send the messages out. We are limited by how much we can put in the paper and
communicate with the residents because we are on this rotating schedule and it would give us
an opportunity to get out there more, other than just at the meetings. It is something that she
would like to visit at another time.
Mayor Scholl said basically he thinks it is a good idea, he thinks making sure that we get
participation is important because basically when we are running for office we beg, borrow
and steal to get folks to come to our meet and greets. What is interesting when we are
interacting with the public is, and he is the happiest when 400 people show up screaming
because he knows that folks are still involved in the community. Like when Mr. Kurtzer
called him up the other day and he was pretty fired up,and frankly that is what our job is. He
feels our job as a Commission is to talk to our constituents, and being a community that
functions relatively well, and our constituents and residents are issue-related. The one thing
he wants to be careful of is making sure we have an effective forum because ultimately if we
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
announce the town hall meeting tomorrow without a specific reason, he thinks it would be
interesting to see what kind of a turnout we would get. If we announce a town hall meeting
around Winston Towers and say we are going to talk about the bridge,we are probably going
to get a good turnout because it is a very hot topic in that area. He thinks that we will have to
work with staff and figure out how we do this and to make sure that we have a proper
turnout. Going around the community while campaigning we get feedback during that
process.
City Manager Russo said you are going to have the perfect opportunity to accomplish
everything that is being said here and you can consider it a test. The EAR,the updates to the
Comprehensive Plan and Evaluation and the Comprehensive Traffic Study will be addressed
in a public meeting and we can do south, middle, and north and use those as the town hall
meetings. The Study is contemplating public meetings,and Mayor Scholl said that would be
great. Commissioner Goldman said with that idea we could even focus traffic issues relevant
to the south end, traffic issues relevant to the north end, etc., information and input that
maybe the Traffic Consultant wouldn't necessarily have or that dialogue where you get from
the residents one-on-one. And so we can even look at it in terms of the different areas.
Mayor Scholl said he thinks he heard the City Manager saying that our upcoming agenda for
our traffic study and the Comp Plan would be a good basis for a kind of a kickoff for this,
and putting a little meat on the bones in terms of when we call these meetings, why we are
there, and what the issues are. Commissioner Aelion agreed with the Mayor that the subject
matter has to be defined pre-town home meeting.
13. CITIZENS' FORUM: REQUESTS, PETITIONS & OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
13A Request by Robert Kurtzer to discuss the parents of school children who take over the
parking lot at Publix, and the Traffic Situation at the 193`d Street Intersection.
Action: Mr. Kunzer thanked the Commission for returning his phone calls. His issue was
that the parents of the school children are taking over the entire parking lot at Publix every
afternoon. People cannot get in and out of the parking lot. They are not even parking their
car in spaces, and are taking up every square inch, it is a nightmare. The City has to take an
active role along with the School Board and they have to have people that constantly tell the
parents over and over again to stop using the Publix parking lot as a place to discharge and
pick up their kids and maybe the School can put some school officials in, and tell the parents
not to go in there and reinforce that until the project they plan on doing gets underway.
Commissioner Aelion said he did speak at length with the Police Chief on the school matter,
and on a daily basis they have at least six (6) police officers during the hours to and from
there. The Manager at Publix is very much aware of this but they are not going to police
their own parking lot because it is a retail customer oriented business.
Mr. Kurtzer said it is interesting the issue you have on 174'h Street while on 193`d Street at
Heritage Park we have Oceanview Buildings A & B. with 1,200 units. What happened to
them was the identical situation. No U-turn, they have to turn into Galahad Boulevard,make
a U-turn. come back out and make a right on Collins Avenue. We also have the addition of
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Summary Minutes:Regular City Commission Meeting March 19.2015 City of Sunny Isles Beach.Florida
Heritage Park, doubling the size of the parking garage now. We used to have a very private
community where nobody made a left turn on 193`d Street except for those who lived there.
At that same intersection you have to go up an extra block into that last tip of Sunny Isles
Beach where Regalia is being built but no,everybody is making the left, and he is kind of the
person through the business he had,everything to him is about traffic getting from point A to
point B as fast as possible. He is not opposed to that happening because in one way it takes
the traffic off Collins Avenue to make that left, it is a quick U-turn around in those traffic
circles, they go back out and hopefully they are paying attention and will make a right on a
red when traffic allows and continue southbound on Collins Avenue, and so we have a very
similar situation.
Mr. Kurtzer said also as far as commercial vehicles, you have to see what goes on at the
Regalia, at 5:00 at night there are trucks constantly in the street, you have the U-turn for the
buses right there, a bus stop at 193`d Street, and just north of that people want to go through
Golden Beach and it turns into one lane and everything backs up beyond the Lehman
Causeway heading north. He thanked the Commission.
Commissioner Goldman said today is a special day for somebody in our audience and she
would like to shout out to her husband a Happy Birthday!
14. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioner Aelion moved to adjourn the meeting, and Mayor Scholl adjourned it at 8:16
p.m.
"'. C'
Respectfully submitted by: Approti ed by t e City Commission on April 16, 2015
•• .
Jane A. Hines; MMC, City Clerk George •. Scholl, Mayor
i. r.
20
Item Coversheet Pan 1 of 1
C s° ^ City of Sunny Isles Beach
`,. 18070 Collins Avenue
l i. Sunny Isles Beach,Florida 33160
V '.
'.6-s (305)947-0606 City Hall
a. ., (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: 4/16/2015
RE: Summary Minutes for the March 19,2015 City
Commission Meeting
RECOMMENDATION:
Attached for your consideration are the Summary Minutes for the
March 19,2015 Regular City Commission Meeting.
REASONS:
N/A'
ATTACHMENTS:
Description
Summary Minutes
Item Number: 3.A.
http://sunnvisles.novusagenda.com/Agendaweb/CoverSheet.asps?ItemID=1603 4/10/2015