CITY MEETING - GEORGE OAKLEY CHALLENGES CITIZENS TO UNDERWRITE TREE REPLANTING

The regularly-scheduled December city commission meeting, followed by a postponed meeting of the commissioners sitting as board members of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), together were completed within slightly over one hour Tuesday night, December 20.

During the public comment section which begins the city commission meeting, George Oakley spoke in appreciation of this year`s holiday lighting, mentioning in particular Andrea Dennison, Ronnie Taylor, and Fire Chief Robert Robinson - all of whose efforts Oakley has observed from his residence across the street from the city park.

As a neighbor and close monitor of the park and marina area, Oakley went on to challenge other Cedar Keyans to help underwrite relocation fees charged by the Central Florida Electric Cooperative (CFEC) to replant trees for the city - a charge of $150 per tree which, while modest, is not funded in this year`s budget.

As Commissioner Sue Colson explained in a conversation after the meeting, original plans for the city park and marina area included palm trees along the sidewalk running south from Tom Liebert`s Kayak Cedar Key. The city was able to plant the strip with mature palms when the CFEC agreed to relocate trees threatening overhead wires, trees that otherwise the CFEC would have destroyed.

Now some of those trees have died (the CFEC`s tree removal schedule isn`t necessarily an ideal schedule for transplanting trees), and the city cannot afford the $150 per tree fee to the CFEC to replace them.

George Oakley announced he would make a $150 contribution to the city to underwrite the cost of one replacement tree, and he urged others to make similar contributions. Mayor Heath Davis asked Commissioner Colson to coordinate such donations.

The city commission`s December 20 agenda included a report from Commissioner Dale Register stating that the city has met State of Florida requirements for reimbursement under the grant the city received through the state subsidizing the installation of solar panels on city buildings.

The agenda included two reports by Commissioner Scott Dennison, who could not be present. On Commissioner Dennison`s behalf, Mayor Davis provided a brief update on the proposed American Tower Corporation (ATC) cellular communications tower, and he reported that University of Florida collaboration with the city on marina planning would begin when the students return to classes after the first of the year.

After discussing a request by the owner of two lots in the Cedar Key Cemetery to sell one lot back to the city (a situation which Mayor Davis said had not come before the commission before), the commissioners asked City Attorney Norm Fugate to review existing policies and to recommend any steps the commissioners should take to clarify that cemetery lot owners may sell a cemetery lot back to the city, for the price originally paid for the lot and with the further approval of the cemetery committee, but that cemetery lot owners may not transfer lots to third parties.

Promptly upon adjournment of the city commission meeting, Commissioner Gene Hodges, who serves as chairman of the CRA board, called the CRA meeting to order. Within the context of evaluating funds remaining available to the CRA, Chairman Hodges asked City Attorney Fugate to report back to the board regarding any restrictions applicable to the use of remaining CRA funds.

The board approved Fire Chief Robinson`s request for funds to cover the cost of replacing two-and-a-half inch fire hydrant discharges with five-inch discharges. Chief Robinson`s request for funds to cover several new fire hydrants was approved with qualifications (including the afore-mentioned guidance requested of the city attorney).