CITY COMMISSION SEEKS GRANTS
TO ENHANCE PARKS
October 23, 2014
The Cedar KeyCity Commission met in the Cedar Key City Hall on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. All commissioners were in attendance: Mayor Dale Register, Vice-Mayor Sue Colson, Commissioners Tina Ryan, Royce Nelson, and Nettie Hodges.
Staff in attendance included City Attorney Norm Fugate, Fire Chief / Building Department Manager Robert Robinson, City Clerk Teresa George, and Staffer Lisa Fine. Police Chief / Public Works Director Virgil Sandlin was not in attendance.
In the audience were and Margy VanLandingham, Tom McKee, Mike and Connie O’Dell, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
PUBLIC COMMENT
SRWMD Visit, Reimbursement:
Vice-Mayor Sue Colson requested reimbursement of $70 for refreshments she recently provided to the visiting Suwannee River Water Management District meeting; commissioners thanked her for so doing, directed her to complete the appropriate forms, and assured her that she would be reimbursed. Colson shared that the District personnel asked her about and will be looking into storm water runoff.
Tobacco Organization Support:
Mayor Dale Register shared correspondence from Unit Doc Research and Education Foundation Tobacco Specialist Kristina Zachry who sponsored Cedar Key’s Ordinance 488 which prohibits placement of tobacco or nicotine products in self-service displays accessible to minors. Zachry requested a letter of support for her organization’s attempt to secure funding for the upcoming fiscal year. Commissioners unanimously approved the city’s writing the letter of support.
CLERK’S OFFICE
Capital Improvement Schedule:
The city’s Capital Improvement Schedule, which lists capital improvement projects, their estimated dollars, and estimated years in which to accomplish them, is necessary to amass points needed to be success in grant getting. The schedule is a long-term planning document which may be altered by the commission. Commissioners unanimously approved the schedule.
Resolution 360 and 361:
Commissioners unanimously approved Resolutions 360 and 361 which authorize the submission of two separate applications for Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) for two $50,000 grants to improve, enhance, and/or develop Cemetery Point Park and City Park. There was some discussion about including security cameras in the application of Resolution 361 before the final vote.
Camera Discussion:
Recent public meetings requesting citizen input on how they would improve City Park evoked vandalism, safety concerns, and cameras. After nearly an hour discussion, all participants ranked cameras first among all the suggestions.
Commissioner Royce Nelsonobjected to the cameras and to the fact that they had been voted down during budget meeting and he didn’t like being “back-doored.” Mayor Register commented that the cameras had been eliminated during the budget meetings because of money and “Big Brother.” He had not been in favor of cameras in the past because of their expense in a tight budget year. Now that these cameras were being covered by a grant, the Mayor said he would be in favor of the cameras. Commissioner Tina Ryan initially agreed with Nelson and expressed concern about the expense and the “big brother issue.” She also recalled Police Chief Virgil Sandlin’s earlier comment that the cameras could be as open as the commission wished: they could be viewed by the police or to the entire community, the latter distressing Ryan. Commissioner Nettie Hodges opined that she has “no problem with cameras.”
Knowledgeable about the issue and in the absence of Sandlin, Fire Chief Robert Robinson explained that such cameras can be set any way the commissioners chose: passwords for viewing could be given to police, commissioners, or anyone else they selected; no legal expectation exists to share viewing capability with anyone except the police, affirmed Attorney Norm Fugate. The content would be considered public record and have a retention schedule.
Nelson said that he had always wanted to have the public works department separate from the police department so there would not be “a conflict of interest.” With the cameras we are getting “the police involved in the park,” he said. “Where if we had a public works director we would be working more with playground equipment and park landscaping.” The comments left the audience curious about how vandalism and safety would not be at the top of both the police’s and the public works administrator’s list.
Mayor Register directed Teresa, along with Attorney Fugate and Public Works Director Sandlin, to have the job description ready for discussion at the next meeting so the position could be advertised.
Audience member Mike O’Dell remarked that much is stolen in the Marina, concluding that more lighting and cameras would diminish theft. Robert Robinson, speaking as a citizen and not Fire Chief, explained that when he controlled the Harbor Master, he experienced vandalism. After the installation of cameras, identification and follow up with the culprits, vandalism occurred no longer.
Colson shared that on the Saturday morning of the Seafood Festival this past weekend, she cleaned pizza that had been slung on the walls and ceiling of the City Park pavilion. She further expressed that she would have liked to have cameras there, not to prosecute anyone, but to know who the vandals were and have them make restitution in hours of labor cleaning the park.
Commissioners voted upon whether to include cameras in the grant proposal: all voted yes except for Nelson. The question was called on Resolution #361. It passed unanimously.
Approval of Minutes:
After several items were discussed, commissioners approved Budget Workshop Minutes from August 7, 14, 20, and 28, 2014, and City Commission Minutes from August 19 and September 2, 2014.
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
FWC:
Attorney Fugate reported that he had no further communication from FWC’s Patricia Harrell regarding Marina fees. Commissioners directed him to put the concern aside until FWC contacted him.
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Library Roof:
Police Chief / Public Works Director Virgil Sandlin submitted estimates for repairing the Library roof. Commissioners tabled the issue until Sandlin could respond to questions.
BUILDING DEPARTMENT
Aquaculture Exemption:
Fire Chief / Building Department Manager Robert Robinson reported that he had nothing to add now to the previous discussion. Mayor Register asked for a report at the November 18 meeting.
COMMISSIONER ITEMS
Land Planning Agency:
Attorney Fugate reported that according to state statute, municipalities are required to have land planning agencies; municipalities may appoint a LPA or its commissioners may act as the LPA. The LPA is addressed in the Laws of Cedar Key, Chapter Four: Land Development Code, 11.01.03. In the past, Cedar Key had an LPA; now commissioners comprise the LPA.
Colson offered the opinion that she has worked under both systems and greatly prefers the appointment of knowledgeable, representative community individuals. She opined that acting as Community Redevelopment Agency members and as commissioners is sometimes too much and appointment of others “increases the brainpower” in decision making. Commissioners Hodges, Ryan, and Nelson agreed.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to identify a willing, knowledgeable person to appoint. Fugate would draw up the resolution for its two readings.
Sign Ordinance:
Commissioners unanimously agreed to review the latest revision of the city’s sign ordinance and attend to the recent issues of election signs and the many signs around town advertising the same business.
Cemetery Committee:
Commissioner Ryan reported that she had met with the Cemetery Committee and discovered none or little in the way of guidelines, bookkeeping, meetings, permitting, or deed issuing and consequent noncompliance with the city’s Ordinance.
Ryan positively explained that this, understandably, is the way things have been done for many years in the past. It is now time to gather extant documents and design a plan to become compliant with the Laws of Cedar Key.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:47pm
November 4th is election day.
There is not a city commission meeting scheduled.
***********
