Laserfiche WebLink
SUMMARY MINUTES <br /> Regular City Commission Meeting <br /> Thursday, February 19, 2015, 6:30 p.m. <br /> City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida <br /> ATTENTION ALL LOBBYISTS: CITY LAW REQUIRES YOUR REGISTRATION PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN <br /> LOBBYING ACTIVITIES BEFORE CITY STAFF,BOARDS,COMMITTEES OR THE CITY COMMISSION. <br /> PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY CLERK FOR FORMS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. <br /> AGENDA <br /> 1. CALL TO ORDER/ ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS <br /> The meeting was called to order by Mayor Scholl at 6:30 p.m. with the following officials <br /> present: <br /> Mayor George `Bud" Scholl City Manager Christopher J. Russo <br /> Vice Mayor Jeanette Gatto City Attorney Hans Ottinot <br /> Commissioner Isaac Aelion City Clerk Jane A. Hines, MMC <br /> Commissioner Dana Goldman Deputy City Manager Stan Morris <br /> Commissioner Jennifer Levin Deputy City Attorney Fernando Amuchastegui <br /> 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE / INVOCATION <br /> Action: Canvassing Board Member Gloria Taft led the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag,and <br /> City Manager Russo gave the invocation. He asked for a moment of silence to remember one <br /> of our City's Founding Commissioners Lila Kauffman who passed away on January 26,2015. <br /> Mayor Scholl gave opening remarks of decorum. He congratulated Commissioner Goldman <br /> upon her election, and noted that it is not easy running for any public office and he applauded <br /> the other candidates who ran in the race. <br /> Mayor Scholl gave a preview of coming attractions for some of the things that staff is working <br /> on. First and foremost,we have talked a lot about traffic mitigation. We have a severe traffic <br /> problem on Collins Avenue, and what we are coming to a conclusion of is that probably one <br /> of the ways we can mitigate traffic is to try to make it easier for pedestrians to cross Collins <br /> Avenue. A lot of traffic gets backed up and people are trying to cross at the major <br /> intersections like 174`h Street and even here at City Hall where people are walking across the <br /> street to the east side. What we are proposing, and we are starting to negotiate to potentially <br /> acquire more land, is to put some pedestrian overpasses in and we have two(2)sites identified <br /> for a pedestrian bridge. We have already approved a pedestrian overpass for 163`I Street for <br /> the end of North Bay Road in order to connect Gateway Park to North Bay Road. We are now <br /> talking about potentially putting a couple of them on Collins Avenue to get started and we <br /> believe that will take some of the pressure off of the traffic as folks are trying to cross Collins <br /> Avenue and backing traffic up. In Florida the pedestrians have the right of way. If the <br /> pedestrian is in the street whether the light is green or red it is incumbent upon the drivers to <br /> stop and give yield to the pedestrians. <br /> Mayor Scholl said the other thing we have been working on, and as you know our school is <br /> extremely crowded, and so we have started negotiating for a parcel of land for a school <br /> expansion site. We are talking to the School Board, and to a couple of potential property <br />