CEDAR KEY
COMMISSION MEETS
April 3, 2018
Meeting Specifics:
The Cedar Key City Commission met on Tuesday, April 3, 2018, at 6 pm, at Cedar Key City Hall. Present were: Mayor Heath Davis, Vice-Mayor Sue Colson, and Commissioners Royce Nelson and Dale Register. Commissioner Nickie Rucker was absent.
Staff in attendance included: City of Cedar Key Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief and Emergency Operations Manager Robert Robinson, Public Works Supervisor James Custer, City Clerk Nicole Gill, Assistant City Clerk Crystal Sharp, and Legal Assistant to Mr. Fugate Leslie Landress.
Among those in the audience were: Andrew Gude, Beth Dieveney, Buddy Scruggs, Fred Foxx, Esta Johnson, Susan Rosenthal, Ewan Leighton, Allison Nelson, Jeri and Bob Treat, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
PUBLIC COMMENT
OAKLEY REQUEST:
Resident George Oakley requested permission to place a sign on public property advertising his wife Alice Oakley’s Bed and Breakfast. He asked that the sign be placed at the southwest corner of State Road 24 and Third Street, across the street from The Market.
Police Chief Virgil Sandlin read from the Laws of Cedar Key, citing a city ordinance which states that no private signs may be placed on public property. Oakley thanked the commissioners for listening to his request.
FRED FOXX, CDBG GRANT APPLICATIONS:
Grant administrator Fred Fox explained to commissioners the process and requirements of obtaining future Community Development Block Grants.
CITY EMERGENCY SERVICES LAUDED:
Resident Beth Dieveney recalled a recent incident when she and her family were dining at 83 West when her father experienced a heart attack. She expressed gratitude and admiration for Fire Chief Robert Robinson, volunteer Andrek and the others who quickly and knowledgably responded. Because of their expertise and coordination, Dieveney’s father is healthy and recovering well. She thanked the City of Cedar Key and the Fire Department and its volunteers.
CEMETERY DIRECTOR TRANSITIONS:
Vice-Mayor Sue Colson suggested that the commission continue its formerly agreed-upon action regarding the cemetery: to initially place a commissioner as director and eventually transition the director function to a staff member. Colson suggested the Police Department, specifically Police Chief Virgil Sandlin. Commissioners voted four-to-zer0 in favor of her suggestion.
ORDINANCE 520 APPROVES STORAGE SHEDS
Commissioners unanimously approved the second reading of Ordinance 520 which establishes a procedure for approval of 200 square-foot accessory storage sheds on properties in Cedar Key.
CEMETERY TREE REMOVAL BID APPROVED
Public Works Supervisor James Custer advised commissioners that two bids have been returned to Cedar Key City Hall for the removal of dead trees from The Cedar Key Cemetery. The removal will be paid for by Federal Emergency Management Agency funds garnered after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Bids were from Custom Tree Care from Topeka, Kansas, at $44,250 and Langston Tree Service from Trenton, Florida, at $13,500. Commissioners approved the lower bid in a four-to-zero vote.
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTION
ELECTION CANVASSING BOARD:
The 2018 City of Cedar Key election of commissioners resulted in the reseating of Royce Nelson and the seating of Susan Rosenthal in the place of Dale Register. As a result, no canvassing board will meet. Rosenthal will be formally seated at the May 2018 meeting.
DOWNTOWN PARKING DISCUSSION:
Much thought, grousing, discussion, and work has been put into Cedar Key’s downtown parking difficulties. As the town becomes increasingly populated, drivers become increasingly creative, and parking becomes tighter. Mayor Heath Davis, working with staff, presented his initial research and recommendations this evening. Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the plan.
Initially, Davis presented the baseline information staff’s carefully detailed curb-to-curb measurements of downtown streets. Additionally, car lengths and widths, including mirror were calculated.
Davis suggested that any changes to be made would be prefaced by:
- making the changes incrementally, one block at a time, one week at a time;
- speaking with the residents or business owners before the changes would occur;
- placing temporary signs reminding drivers of the changes for the first week or so of implementation;
- assessing the efficacy;
- finally, painting the road with the appropriate striping to indicate areas where no parking will be allowed.
Recommendations included:
- No parking with-in 15 feet of corners. The standard for Florida is 30 feet.
- Four new pedestrian crosswalks to be installed at the intersection of D Street and Second Street.
- Mark no parking areas at all fire hydrants.
- No boat trailer parking on Second Street in downtown area up to A Street. The area on Second Street, in front of Park Place, will be studied further to determine if it should be included.
- No parking on the entire length of First Street, unless completely off the pavement.
- No parking on east side of D Street between First and Second Street.
- No parking on either side of D Street between Second and Third Street. The lot across the street from The Market will continue to be available for parking.
- No parking on G Street except the area of the Sandspit and they must be clearly off the pavement.
- Paint parking lines parallel to curbs. Ticket vehicles not within the line.
- Consider parking only one side only on Fourth Street and F Street.
COMMISSION DESK UPDATE:
The desk at which commissioners sit at City Hall during commission meetings has morphed over the months into a possible design by resident and architect Renee Payne. Because of the Florida Sunshine Law, she is unable to meet with commissioners unless it is in the “Sunshine.” Payne will present her suggestion and gather input from commissioners at the next commission meeting.
OUTSIDE DOCK UPDATE:
The destruction of the old outside dock at the City Marina is estimated to cost approximately $299,000. As the city has more pressing priorities, mainly dredging the inside City Marina, commissioners made the decision to place the outside dock removal on hold for a time.
Commissioners directed Public Works Supervisor Custer to bring back new proposals for fixed and floating docks.
MINUTES APPROVED
Minutes from the March 20, 2018, city commission meeting were unanimously approved.
MEETING ADJOURNED
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:25 pm.
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