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COMMISSION MEETS
June 6, 2017
 
Meeting Specifics
The Cedar Key City Commission met on Tuesday, June 6, 2017, at 6 pm at the temporary, double-wide trailer home of Cedar Key City Hall, located on the same property as the original City Hall, which remains closed because of Hurricane Hermine damage.  Present were:  Mayor Heath Davis, Vice-Mayor Sue Colson, and Commissioners Dale Register, Royce Nelson, and Nickie Rucker.
 
Staff in attendance included: Cedar key City Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief and Emergency Operations Manager Robert Robinson, Public Works Director Bill Crandley, Clerk Nicole Gill, Assistant City Clerk Crystal Sharp, and staffer Donna Risker. 
 
Among those in the audience were: Henry Coulter, Bill Rucker, “Coach,” James Custer, Buddy Coggins, Terry Kite, Barbara Boyd, Michael Hancock, John Blouse, Connie and Mike O’Dell, Pat Tyson, Frank Patillo, Bob and Jeri Treat, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
 
PUBLIC COMMENT
SHELTER CONSTRUCTION:
Resident Henry Coulter, in honor of recently-deceased Thelma McCain, requested permission to construct a 10 by 16-foot shelter behind, north, of the Community Center property to shield those who cook in the area, from the rain and the sun.  Commissioners unanimously approved the request and voted to pay the $114 permit fee.
 
DOCK STREET EROSION:
Commissioner Royce Nelson reported the eroding of the newly repaired Dock Street (C Street) Bridge.  Bridge replacement is scheduled for 2020, he said, and urged the mayor to telephone the Florida Department of Transportation and request action sooner.  Mayor Davis said he would do so.
 
AUDIT REPORT:
Purvis, Gray and Company, LLP, Certified Public Accountants with offices in Gainesville, Ocala, Tallahassee, and Sarasota, have been the city’s auditors for years.  This evening, Terry Kite presented the company’s “Financial Statements and Independent Auditors’ Reports” for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016. 
 
All funds and transactions were found to be in order.  Contained within the report is the Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency debt which is currently being paid within the dictates of the contract with SunTrust Bank.    Copies of the audit report are available at City Hall.
 
LICENSE REQUEST TO EXTEND PRIVATE PROPERTY INTO PUBLIC LAND
Pat Tyson of 626 Second Street requested a license to extend his front porch or front porch steps into the public property in front of his house.  Commissioners directed him to return with a survey by a registered surveyor and drawings showing the existing building and proposed addition. The drawings should show the building setbacks from the property line and street and the encroachment of the new addition into the city street right-of-way.
 
CITY KIOSK ELECTRIC, WATER METERING FEE STRUCTURE
Public Works Director Bill Crandley presented suggestions regarding how fees might be structured for the newly installed electric and water meters at the five outside Marina kiosks.  After some discussion, commissioners voted to charge the leasers the amount registered on the meter monthly.  
 
HOUSE BOAT, LIVE ABOARD DISCUSSION
Brought forward by Fire Chief Robert Robinson because of a fire aboard a houseboat docked in Cedar Key, commissioners discussed their stance on “live-aboards.”  Robinson pointed out the dangers of attempting to put out a fire when access to the fire is limited to a three-foot walkway; no access to the sides or the opposite end of the boat exists, limiting his effectiveness. And increasing the danger to the fire fighters.
 
Nelson reported that he knew of two live-aboards, both of whom have sewer access directly with the Cedar Key Water Sewer District.  Other commissioners reported more, five or six, live-aboards about town.  No mention of their sewage arrangements was made.
 
Vice-Mayor Sue Colson reminded commissioners that the Clean Marina designation requires that certain standards be met and live-aboards are not part of them.
Commissioners decided to send the live-aboard matter to the Cedar Key Land Planning Agency to resolve the contradictions in the Laws of Cedar Key that address it.  Some language reads live-aboards are legal if they abide by a stringent set of rules; others are far broader.
FLOATING DOCK REMOVAL
In April, Royce Nelson-owned Triad Residual Management, Inc., was awarded the “2016 Marina Concrete Boat Docks” contract.  Since April, the city requested changes in the length of the docks and it became obvious that pods upon which the dock rests are cracked, reducing buoyancy, and needing repair. 
Commissioners briefly discussed options, but instead, directed Royce Nelson and Bill Crandley, working within the legal parameters to be articulated by City Attorney Norm Fugate, to find a solution and return to the commission with it soon.  All concerned want the issue resolved as hurricane season is omnipresent.
  
LEVY COUNTY ORDINANCE 2017-03 AND 2017-04
City Attorney Norm Fugate reminded the group that the Levy County Commission had passed a five-cent gas tax, 90% of which goes to the county and 10% of which is distributed among the county’s municipalities.
 
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR NOTICE:
Mayor Davis thanked Public Works Director Bill Crandley for his letter of intention to retire on January 5, 2018.  Crandley’s timely submission allows the city to advertise and interview more effectively.
 
PUBLIC WORKS TREE REMOVAL:
Prompted by Hurricane Hermine and the current hurricane season, bids were put out to cut down and remove 39 dead, dying, and/or dangerous trees in the Cedar Key Cemetery.  Four bids were sought:  two providers opted out; another came in at $20,000; and Langston returned a bid of $10,300.   All agreed that the job ought to begin as soon as possible and should go to Langston.
 
Mayor Davis and staff suggested funding for the tree removal by taking the following amounts from the following funds:  $570 from Cemetery Maintenance; $1,000 from Cemetery Operating Supplies; $5,000 from Public Works Department Storm Pipe Cleaning; and $3,550 from Tree Removal Permits.
 
Some commissioners expressed the belief that the Tree Permit Fund was created to be used for anything tree related.  (The tree fund was established when the commission decided that the original tree replacement ordinance could not be enforced and changed to a fee system. The fees would be placed in a fund used to replace trees) Vice-Mayor Colson explained that the money in that fund is, by city ordinance, to be used only for tree replacement and for the necessary trimming of the island’s officially designated Heritage Trees on city property.
 
Colson was not opposed to using part of the fund in an emergency-type situation but wanted the money to be replaced by the city when the FEMA funds were received.
 
Resident Frank Offerle, reiterated Colson’s comment and requested assurance, that should Tree Permit Funds be used now for tree removal, that the commission would agree to replace the $3,550 upon receipt of expected FEMA funds.
 
Mayor Davis remarked that when the FEMA money comes in, Commissioner Colson could ask for the return of the Tree Fund money and she would probably get it.
 
PUBLIC WORKS EQUIPMENT QUOTE:
Director Crandley reported that he had three new quotes for a new potential Gator purchase that had been put before the commission in the past months.
 
Three quotes came in.  Crandley recommended the $8,892 John Deere model. The Mayor asked Crandley to also get prices for comparable equipment by Kubota and Kawasaki.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
CODE ENORCEMENT UPDATE:
Police Chief Virgil Sandlin presented his “Code Enforcement Quarterly Report 4/18/2017, complete with categories, names, reasons, and status.
 
CITY HALL FEMA UPDATE:
City Clerk Nicole Gill reported progress in working with FEMA personnel.  The agency’s intent to pay is implied in all conversations and correspondence.
 
Plans of City Hall are being completed and will be available soon for viewing at the temporary City Hall trailer. Gill invited anyone who is interested to come in and comment on the plans.
 
The lease on the trailer has been extended.  Should a hurricane come, personnel and records will all need to be moved to the Community Center.
 
CITY CLERK JOB DESCRIPTION UPDATE APPROVAL:
Gill is preparing job descriptions for each position that the city funds.   Recruitment and clarity of responsibilities will become easier.
 
AGRICULTURE USE ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES:
Mayor Davis asked commissioners what they wished to do with the issue of agricultural use on vacant residential properties.   The issue had been given to the LPA for review. The LPA, after review and listening to comments from many residents and owners of aquaculture businesses, recommended that the ordinance not be changed. The Commissioners, also, chose to leave the ordinance as it is.
 
WASTE PRO BREACH OF CONTRACT
The city received a notice from Waste Pro advising the city that Waste Pro no longer carries the 35 or 64/65 gallon carts any longer. Waste Pro will now only carry the 96 gallon containers. Mayor Davis believes this is a breach of our current contract.  It was not discussed whether rates, and or service, would increase due to the 96 gallon size.
  
MINUTES APPROVED
Commissioners unanimously approved minutes from the May 16, 2017, city commission meeting.
 
MEETING ADJOURNED
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:52 pm.
 
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