CRA, CITY COMMISSION MEET
REVISIONS TO CITY LAWS CONSIDERED
NEW IT SYSTEM APPROVED
NEW PARK GRANTS
October 8, 2014
The Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency and the Cedar Key City Commission met in the Cedar Key City Hall on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. The CRA meeting commenced at 6pm and ended at 6:10pm. The City Commission meeting began immediately after the CRA meeting ended.
Staff in attendance included City Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief / Public Works Director Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief / Building Department Manager Robert Robinson, City Clerk Teresa George, and Staffer Lisa Fine.
In the audience were Connie and Mike O’Dell, Tom Liebert, Jan and Maurice Hendrix, Leslie Sturmer, Carol Cook, Margy Van Landingham, Allison Nelson, Jeri Treat, Mandy and Frank Offerle, and approximately a half dozen aquaculturists.
CRA MEETING
All Agency members were in attendance: Chair Royce Nelson, Vice-Chair Tina Ryan, and members Dale Register, Sue Colson, and Nettie Hodges.
Budget:
CRA members unanimously passed Resolution 2014-01: A which establishes the CRA’s 2014-2014 fiscal year budget. The content of the approved budget was discussed at length and unanimously approved in the 2014-2015 Budget Hearings.
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
All City Commissioners were in attendance: Mayor Dale Register, Vice-Mayor Sue Colson, and Commissioners Tina Ryan, Royce Nelson, and Nettie Hodges.
Building Department Concerns:
Fire Chief/Building Department Manager Robert Robinson expressed his concern that the Laws of Cedar Key document contains conflicts and contradictions. He requested that the commission consider directing a legal review of the laws in order to delete the contradictions.
Robinson walked commissioners through several specific contradictions within the Laws document itself. He further cited the complications from the overriding Florida Building Code, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He reiterated the need for removing the Cedar Key Laws internal contradictions.
Current difficult issues involve aquaculture, its buildings, use of properties, how these properties are classified and, consequently, what regulations attend and must be adhered to for each classification. Because of contradictions, City Building Official Walt Brown, Building Department Manager Robert Robinson, and City Attorney Norm Fugate, after time-consuming deliberation, are sometimes not in agreement.
Attorney Fugate suggested the following steps:
1. Review and amend the Land Development Regulations to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.
2. Review the new 2012 State Statute regarding new exemptions and review the City Code to make sure it doesn’t have conflicting provisions regarding regulation of aquaculture which is agriculture which is exempt from local code.
3. Adopt an application form for aquaculturists who want to build and have them show the city why they should be exempt.
4. Walt Brown will also need to have a form that will show required information that they comply with the Flood Code.
5. Review the flood ordinance to see if modifications can be made.
Robinson suggested that the commissioners read the Laws of Cedar Key, not just once but multiple times. That is the only way they will be realize the full context. Comments from the commission ranged from “that is a good suggestion but it is asking a lot” to “that is why we hired our City Attorney and staff.” Only one commissioner said that she had read the Laws. Gasps of “you should” and “that’s what we hired our commissioners for” were audible in the audience.
Public Comment:
Commissioner Colson recognized the passing away of Cedar Key resident Donald Joyce who performed many valuable tasks for the city. Among his many activities is the decorating of City Park for the Christmas season. Mr. Joyce and his family made the majority of lighted figures, wreaths, and other decorations in the park and hung/placed each.
Commissioner Colson reminded the audience and the commission that the Museum on Main Street is going very well, this being the fourth of the six-week event. Hundreds have toured the aquaculture exhibit and the Library’s The Way We Worked exhibition has counted nearly a thousand thus far. Colson believes that the MoMS visit has boosted commerce citywide.
Information Technology at City Hall:
Commissioners unanimously approved a $7,044.50 contract for the James Moore, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, firm to have City Hall’s computer system dramatically upgraded.
Business Use Certificate:
Commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 489 which establishes a process for the issuance of a certificate of business use.
Property Annexation:
Commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinances 490 and 491 which annex the Teiss and Wellberry properties into the City of Cedar Key.
Public Works Marina Leases:
Commissioners unanimously approved the monthly renewal of Connie and Mike O’Dell’s and Tom Liebert’s (with the addition of Liebert’s spouse name) marina leases.
Fire Department Activity Report:
Commissioners acknowledged the impressive Cedar Key Fire Rescue Quarterly Report, July through September 2014, totaling 48 incidents ranging from grass fires, to power lines down, to automobile accidents, to medical assistance, to emergency medical calls. Thirty-two of the incidents occurred in the city; the remainder occurred on county land in the Cedar Key District, on county land out of Cedar Key District, and in Rosewood.
Tabled Items:
Commissioners tabled: a discussion regarding election signs on right-of-ways; and the Cemetery Committee update by Tina Ryan.
Grants for Parks:
Commissioner Colson spoke of $50,000 grants that will be available soon. The grant dollars may be used for upgrading park facilities and access. She proposed applying for two grants, one for City Pak and one for Cemetery Point Park. She further proposed hiring Fred Fox, previously and successfully hired by the city, to write the grant, for two percent of the grant total, and manage everything relating to the grant except writing the checks, for an additional five percent.
Public input will be sought in two public meetings coming soon. All input will be encouraged, recorded, and brought back to the commission for final decision making on what specifics the grant dollars will be spent.
Commissioners unanimously approved the hiring of Fox to write the grant and to move forward with the public input meetings.
Three Bridges Meeting:
On October 27, 2014, the Florida Department of Transportation will conduct its Pubic Information Meeting for its three bridge replacements at the Cedar Key Community Center. From 4:30 to 6:30pm an Open House is scheduled; at 6:30 public comment is invited.
Coastal Cleanup Results:
Commissioner Colson provided information resulting from the September 2014 Coastal Cleanup in Cedar Key. Cover nets retrieved this year numbered 121; last year they numbered 131. For a thorough analysis of the Cleanup’s results, click on the Cedar Key News September 26, 2014, article “Coastal Cleanup a Success.”