Community Redevelopment Agency
April 19, 2005
1. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Oliver called the meeting to order at 6:30 pm. Mayor Oliver led the Pledge of Allegiance. Ken Edmunds led the invocation. 2. Roll Call. City Clerk Hodges called roll. Mayor Oliver, Commissioner Colson, Commissioner Daniel, Commissioner Davis, and Commissioner Edmunds were present. 3. Minutes of February 15 and March 8 (Joint meeting with the LPA) 2005. Commissioner Davis motioned to accept the minutes of February 15 and March 8, 2005. Commissioner Colson seconded. Motion carried. 4. Local Planning Agency to present CRA Plan revisions. Kevin Flynn presented and recommended the revised CRA plan. He gave a time line of the CRA's history. The CRA plan must be periodically addressed because it is an evolving document. The original plan was vague in many respects. This Commission felt the CRA plan should be amended for more specificity. This plan lays out the strategies for persevering Cedar Key's special nature and considers improvements. The LPA feels that they have completed the plan to the best of their abilities. They are turning over the plan to the elected officials. The LPA would like to emphasize: 1. LPA has only considered what is best for Cedar Key through public input. 2. LPA suggests special meetings because it is an evolving document. Another Charette type event may be useful. 3. The plan is not the result of a few people's ideas. 4. CRA funds are to be used for community improvement, not to encumber City beyond 25 years. 5. Plan does not increase or decrease taxes. 6. The plan adoption will require marketing to ensure the public understands the CRA plan. 7. A CRA director is needed to ensure success of the plan. Greg Lang said the goal of presentation is to outline parts of CRA plan. CDs are available at City Hall that contains the written document. Section 1: Executive summary. The History of CRA in community and strategies for implementation. Section 2: History of Cedar Key. Section 3: Background of public planning process. Section 4: Redevelopment master plan. Broken up into 6 areas: citywide concerns, low density residential areas, historic residential district, 2nd street, Dock Street, aquaculture industry. Section 5: CRA funding plan. CRA will issue 5 bonds every five years, if present strategy is followed. Section 6: Implementation plan. City relationship to CRA plan and capital and operating budget of plan. This is not a big pool of money to expand general City budget. Section 7: Original CRA plan as it was laid out in 2000. CRA projects have been ongoing since 2000. The City has much to look at next 25 years of revenue to plan large ticket items. This includes considering prior plan, adding key revisions, and looking at life of plan. It is a working document. Mr. Lang gave a description of possible projects from public input. Projects should be judged from vision laid out at Charette. A lot of Cedar Key families have been living with vision for a very long time. Mr. Lang asked Chris Brown and Jim Hill to comment. Chris Brown said the plan the plan is a 25 year budget. It is something to make a decision on each and every year. It is a working document. The public is going to have many opportunities to give input throughout the process. Approving legislative authority to spend money on programs. Jim Hill thanked community of Cedar Key. It is very engaged and concerned about the future. It has been a pleasure working here. Mayor Oliver thanked Greg Lang for his involvement and leadership. Greg Land gave LPA's formal recommendation. These revisions are consistent with current CRA plan and Comprehensive Plan. He recommended that the City move forward with the revised CRA Plan. Our suggested strategy for moving forward include becoming familiar with existing CRA plan and revisions, encourage public input, instruct City Attorney to prepare or obtain necessary documents for adoption of plan's revisions, move forward with hiring of CRA director, adopt and implement the plan's revisions. 5. CRA Update. Greg Lang said received update in recommendation. The update is to move forward with recommendation. 6. Kenneth Daniel-Fire Hydrants. Commissioner Daniel said at last City Commission meeting he brought it before the Commission to buy fire hydrants. It was determined that three fire hydrants were needed. He asked if $9,000 could be used for the three fire hydrants. The Water Board will install them. Mayor Oliver asked if a fourth fire hydrant should be brought as a spare. Commissioner Daniel agreed that a spare hydrant would be useful. Commissioner Daniel motioned to release the funding to buy four fire hydrants at $12,000. Commissioner Davis seconded. Motion carried. 7. Amend CRA Budget-Fire Department Responder Truck to read $150,000 instead of $135,000. Mayor Oliver said during budgeting process, the Fire Department came to the CRA Commission with a recommendation for a responder truck. They also laid out a vision for a tanker truck. After the fire at airport and reviewing needs of fire department, Chief McCain recommended that the tanker and responder truck be reversed. That would solve a more immediate need. The tanker truck will cost $15,000 more than was budgeted for responder truck. The Fire Department modified priorities based on circumstance. There is a truck available that the Fire Department is planning on buying if this amendment passes. Commissioner Edmunds motioned to amend the CRA budget for a Fire Department Responder Truck to read $150,000 instead of $135,000 and changing the language from responder truck to tanker truck. Commissioner Davis seconded. Motion carried. 8. Business Issues. Commissioner Davis said he would like to see a committee set up to screen the applications for the CRA director position. He would like to see at least one LPA member on the committee. Several community members would be willing to serve. The Mayor should also serve on committee. There are 16-18 applications that need to be reviewed. Commissioner Davis recommended one LPA member, the Mayor, and two citizens serve on the committee. Commissioner said that a 5 member board with three citizens would be better because it would be an uneven number. She also said the timeline for the applications need to be considered. A cut-off date is needed. A tool for screening is needed. Mayor Oliver agrees with the five member board. Mayor Oliver asked Greg Lang to serve on Board. The Mayor will serve. Commissioner Davis said he would pass on the names he had in mind to Greg Lang. Mayor Oliver and Greg Lang will select the citizen members from the recommended list. Mayor Oliver is going to draft a letter to send to all who applied for job and let them know that the hiring process is continuing. 9. Adjournment. Mayor Oliver adjourned the CRA meeting at 7:15 pm. The Board will reconvene as the City Commission. | 