COMMISSION MEETS
October 18, 2016
Meeting Specifics
The Cedar Key City Commission met on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, at 6:00 pm at the Cedar Key Community Center, not City Hall, because of Hurricane Hermine damage. Present were: Mayor Heath Davis, Vice-Mayor Dale Register, and Commissioners Sue Colson and Diana Topping. Commissioner Royce Nelson was absent.
Staff in attendance included: City Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief and Emergency Operations Director Robert Robinson, City Clerk Office staff Crystal Sharp and Donna Risker. City Clerk Nicole Gill was not in attendance.
Among those in the audience were: Molly Jubitz, Ed Butler, Michael Hancock, Lisa and James Custer, Jeri and Bob Treat, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
PUBLIC COMMENT
STATUS OF CITY HALL:
Resident Jeri Treat asked the commission about the status of City Hall. Davis reported that the city is working with the Florida League of Cities, with which it has wind insurance but no flood insurance. As it turns out, the building will be covered under it “storm surge” coverage. Now the city is waiting for FEMA to assess the damage before it can begin rebuilding.
STATUS OF THE POST OFFICE:
Mayor Heath Davis suggested that residents question the owner of the building in which the Post Office is/was located about the building’s status. The owner of the building also owns the Jiffy Store adjacent to it.
Davis further reported that the owner requested a permit to fix the structure just days ago; the permit was issued the same day.
MEDICARE PART D ASSISTANCE:
Cedar Key Library Manager Molly Jubitz announced that should residents have questions or concerns about their new Medicare Part D drug program, they may attend a SHINE information session in Chiefland or, instead, if they have worked with the SHINE volunteers in the past, they may call volunteer Dick Henson on the phone. If he has the account details on file, he will be able to help. His phone number is 352-447-5439.
FIRE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES AWARD:
Cedar Key Fire Chief Robert Robinson announced that the department has been awarded over $30,000 in equipment that will allow his volunteers to help rescue needful citizens. The award was granted by Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
DEP, SRWMD GRANT:
Commissioner Sue Colson announced that she is working with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Suwannee River Water Management District on a grant that will focus upon living shorelines and possibly allow the city to scientifically plan the shore restoration along G Street. She will have more details in the near future. The grant is entitled “Investigating Strategies, Benefits, and Stakeholder Preference of “Living Shorelines” to Stabilize and Ecologically Enhance the Coastline around Daughtry Bayou, Cedar Key, Florida.”
CITY CLERK:
Mayor Heat Davis reported City Clerk Nicole Gill’s modified work schedule.
ORDINANCE 512
Commissioners unanimously approved Ordinance 512 on its second reading. The ordinance amends the city’s land development regulations to correct “typological and grammatical errors” and remove “superseded provisions and wording.”
ORDINANCE 513
Commissioners unanimously approved Ordinance 513 on its second reading. The 38-page document regulates signage in the city.
Mayor Davis stood and addressed the commissioners, staff, and audience from the podium. He explained that:
- code enforcement would begin on Dock Street, then in the historic district, then on State Road 24, then in the remaining parts of the city;
- citizens may register complaints in writing, as always, supplying the complainant’s name; or they may choose to not identify themselves, for the time being;
- Officer Perry will be trained in code enforcement practices.
QUARTERLY REPORTS
Quarterly reports for the Cedar Key Police, Fire, Public Works, and City Clerk Departments were approved unanimously by the four sitting commissioners.
POST HURRICANE HERINE REPORT
On October 5, 2016, an internal debriefing occurred after Hurricane Hermine that involved: Emergency Operations Director Robert Robinson, Mayor Heath Davis, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Public Works Supervisor Bill Crandley, Brian Hancock, Norman Hodge, and Assistant Clerk Crystal Sharp.
Recommendations made follow.
- Each staff member, commissioner, and department head should read the parts of the plan that apply to their areas of responsibilities and make recommendations accordingly.
- Research ways to better inform the public of predictions affecting them.
- Department heads need to communicate more regularly and frequently with “EOD Robinson.
- Commissioners ought to enroll in online Incident Command System courses.
- Use high-wheel vehicles once salt water starts to rise.
- Develop outreach effort to have citizens sign up for new Levy Alert Emergency Evacuation System.
- Use the Cedar Key School’s “robot” telephone system for messaging.
- Have volunteers trained for debris removal.
- Police Chief will revise Cedar Key’s reentry system.
- EOD will meet with some community members for their input.
- Remind citizens that all suggestions are welcomed; writing is the best form of communicating the information.
In addition to these items, other suggestions were entertained.
- Commissioner Sue Colson suggested that a thorough plan for safeguarding city records is critically important. She reminded the group of previous City Clerk Mrs. Frances’s efforts to carefully load all the necessary paperwork into waterproof bins and store them in the “safe room.”
- Robinson reminded all that when an evacuation order is called, people need to “get out” of the area; evacuation orders are well-thought out directives.
- The suggestion was made that regular evacuation drills would be of assistance.
Commissioner Colson voiced her concern that the sanitary lines under the Dock Street buildings are under the jurisdiction of the building department official. One leak form these plumbing lines, said Colson, can taint the water causing the aquaculture industry to shut down temporarily or permanently.
NO CITIZEN STOLEN FROM OR HURT
The group reflected on the facts that no home was broken into and no medical emergency resulted from Hurricane Hermine.
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
Department heads presented their initial assessment of damages to their department’s equipment and supplies. No total numbers were presented and no plan for replacement was offered.
C STREET BRIDGE RAIL OPTIONS
At its October 30, 2016, informational meeting conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation in Cedar Key, citizens and several commissioners requested that the proposed C Street Bridge rail not be solid concrete 42” high, consequently obscuring the view of the water.
The FDOT, in recent written correspondence, offered the city options, both with an open metal railing. Commissioners elected to request of FDOT a rail with an 18-inch concrete base topped by a metal rail that may does not obscure the view.
COASTAL CLEANUP UPDATE
Commissioner Sue Colson presented more data from 2016 Coastal Cleanup.
Areas Visited During Cleanup:
Anchor Hole, Number Two Bridge, Number Three and Four Bridge, Number Four Bridge, Sixth Street, Railroad Trestle, Inner Marina, Whiddon Road, Airport Road, Snake Key, Piney Point, Thirst Street UF Dock, North and Deadman’s Key, Atsena Otie, Cemetery Point Park, Cedar Key Beach, Seahorse Key, and Rattlesnake Key.
MINUTES APPROVED
Minutes from the August 16 and 18 and September 6 and 19, 2016, budget meetings and the September 20, 2016, City Commission meeting were unanimously approve red.
MEETING ADJOURNED
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:55 pm.
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