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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem #01 Approval of Minutes MINUTES OCOEE CITY COMMISSION March 4,2008, at 7:15 P.M. ((\cu-ch \%" Ja)~ ~ch ~ ~ l REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING I A. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tern Johnson called the regular session to order at 7: 15 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. Commissioner Keller gave the Invocation and Commissioner Hood led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. City Clerk Eikenberry called roll and declared a quorum present. Roll Call: Commissioner Hood, Commissioner Anderson(absent), Mayor Vandergrift(absent), Commissioner Keller, and Commissioner Johnson. Also Present: City Attorney Rosenthal, City Manager Frank, City Clerk Eikenberry I B. PRESENT A TIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS - none I C. COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS/PUBLIC Sam Woodson (Commissioner from 1989-1993) - 1) said March 23rd is Easter Sunday and there will be a Sunrise Service at the gazebo with the Mayor opening the service. He added that the Sunrise over the lake is a beautiful blessing that everyone should have a chance to see, 2) said he would like to get more done at the cemetery; there was a man there still spraying the weeds and getting too close to the headstones. Parks and Recreation Director Hayes said they are monitoring that situation with the pesticides and they should be getting them to comply with doing it the way they were asked. Mr. Woodson said he placed grass seed over his wife's grave and saw them spraying it with weed killer the next day. He said other cemeteries use granules, spray. He told the Commission that he loved them all and thanked them for all they have done. Rosemary Wilsen, 1019 Shady Maple Circle, announced the Spring Fling on April 5, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is a free day for anyone wishing to attend. There are many programs from fire, police, etc. to enlighten and educate kids on safety issues. There will be hotdogs and drinks, face painting, puppet shows, door prizes and MIX 105 radio station. This year's theme is water safety, but they will cover many topics. I D. COMMISSIONERS ANNOUNCEMENTS (1) said during the weekend of April 24-26, Ocoee High School would be performing the play "High School Musical" and was also hosting the Relay for Life. (2) said the OHS Band won straight superiors and would be going to State Finals in Miami on April 14th. (3) reminded everyone to move their clocks forward for the time change Saturday night. CQlriIDI~siQg~rioQa (1) said the Big Orange Games Golf Tournament is Sunday, April 6th and citizens can contact Joy Wright or Jim Beech to sign up. (2) thanked Commissioner Johnson, Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioner Keller, and City Manager Frank for attending the Ocoee Little League opening day ceremonies. (3) thanked Parks and Rec. Director Hayes and his staff for all of their efforts out there on the fields and all the adult ball players who sacrificed their fields for the little ones. (4) praised Texas Roadhouse for being out there barbequing two City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 . Saturdays in a row and donating their time and product to help raise about $2,000. They are to use the to redo the bat cages at Central and Sorenson Parks. - (1) said it was a pleasure to attend the Little League ceremonies and to hear Dot Richardson speak, who was an Olympic winner and is now an orthopedic surgeon. (2) thanked Commissioner Hood for taking back over as L:~ague President and assured him that his sacrifices payoff. (3) said he appreciated the City staff doing such an amazing job at Central Park on the old field. reported that there was a vehicle burglary this past Saturday, but the PD was handling it and they have been patrolling all over to prevent it from reoccurring. I E. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approv~land<~cceptance of the Regular City Commission Minutes of February 19, 200~. (c:ityc:!~tk Eikenberry) Approved on Consent. Motion carried 3-0 with Commissioner Anderson and Mayor VanderQrift absent. . 2. Approvalof,pra1rie L~J.<~s Tr~~!.."~" NalDeChange to Reserve..at.M.eadow Lake and Approval of .Me.adow La.J.<e Plat.>(City Engineer Wb..~eler) Prairie Lakes Tract A residential subdivision which is 44.19 acres and located on the northwest comer of Clarke Road and A.D. Mims Road. The subdivision consists of 79 single family homes and 126 townhomes with its associated amenities. The City Commission, on January 16,2007, reviewed and approved the Final Subdivision Plan for Prairie Lakes Tract A. Thereafter, the property owner has :~equested a name change from Prairie Lakes Tract A to Reserve at Meadow Lake in accordance with Ordinance 2001-18. Approved on Consent. Motion carried 3-0 with, Commissioner Anderson and Mayor VanderQrift absent. 3. Approval ofPro~essi()p.ft!Se~~~es Agreement with G9vel'nluent.Seryices Group, Inc. fora.FireAssessment Fee,- Phas.e Il. (As~istantCity Manager Croteau) Last year the City entered into an agreement with Government Services Group, Inc. (GSG) to perform professional services relating to the implementation of a Fire Asse:,sment Fee. The fIrst phase of GSG's work included a study to identify the full costs of service and the de velopment of a possible rate schedule. In November of 2007, GSG presented their findings to the City Commission and in December of 2007, the Commission adopted the Resolution of Intent and an Ordinance relating to the collection of the Fire Assessment Fee. This completed the fIrst phase of the implementation process. The next steps in the implementation of the fee include adopting both an Initial and Final Assessment Fee Resolution. Notifying all affected property owners by mail and certifying the Assessment Roll to the Tax Co] lector. Staff would like to GSG to continue providing professional services for the second phase of this project. Approved on Consent. Motion carried 3-0 with Commissioner Anderson and Mayor Vanderarift absent. I F. PUBLIC HEARINGS . 4. Highpoin(Jhurch - Special E~~e~tion...... (Advertised in Extra on Thursday, uary 21, 2008).(Prin~ipalrlannerRumer) The proposed HighPoint Church is located on the north side of Ocoee Commerce Parkway; at the northeast corner of the intersection of Ocoee Commerce Parkway and Central Commerce Lane. The subject property is approximately 1.8 acres in size, zoned C-2 (Community Commercial), and is the site of the former Haynes Page 2 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 Brothers Furniture Store. The applicant is not proposing any exteri or improvements to the building or site. The proposed sanctuary will seat 362. Principal Planner Rumer gave a summary ofthe Special Exception Case. The applicant is requesting a waiver with regards to the par:-dng; using the equation that provides 1 space for every four seats. The church seating is 362 which would require 92 spaces and they currently have 72. They provided a letter from the State Farm property on the east side which allows them to use 20 of their parking spaces. The DRC recommended approval subject to the list of conditions of approval included in the staff report. The Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval, excluding condition F and adding 1 condition that the parking issue can be revisited from time to time to evaluate the parking issue. Staff recommends approval, subject to the approval of the parking waiver, and incorporating ":he Special Exceptions conditions of approval. Keith Tower, 12530 Aldershaw Lane, Windermere, Senior Pastor of Highpoint Church-said they are excited about the possibility of having a church in Central Florida, as he fell in love with this area when he played basketball for the Orlando Magic for two years. He said the location is ideal for them because his congregation is from Ocoee and surrounding communities. He looks forward to being a good community neighbor and said his church provides a lot of manpower to assist with community projects such as the Little Leagm: batting cages previously discussed tonight. . Commissioner Hood asked how soon it would be before they outgrow this location. Pastor Tower said they would go to two services to prevent any o\-erflow. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson said he would like the agreement from Gary Meredith of State Farm placed into the condition of approval. City Attorney Rosenthal said this question was raised during the legal review, they saw a letter that was written over a year ago. It is not an easement or anything that guarantees permanent use of their parking. Commissioner Hood asked about surrounding businesses that may serve alcoholic beverages. Mayor Pro Tern Johnson said this property is in a prime location for commercial business (with a tax base for the city) and he does not want to see the chllfch in the future raising issues with surrounding businesses. He noted it is also in our CRA area. Pastor Tower advised that they desire to be an asset to the community, they are not an angry congregation, and if the City feels that it is in the best interest of the community to have specific type of business next to the church, then so be it. City Attorney Rosenthal said the Code has an exception that the Commission can approve the Special Exception in the context of a PUD, but that would be a decision the Commission would need to make. Principal Planner Rumer showed a map thlt demonstrated 1000 feet in different directions from the Church's front door. There was further discussion regarding parking issues, Mayor Pro Tern Johnson noted that some signage may need to be put up to handle the traffic flow. Mayor Pro Tern Johnson says he has some heartburn over losing the tax base there, but feels that we will get it back in other ways with the church helping the community. City Attorney Rosenthal advised Mayor Pro Tem Johnson that if that is material to him, he should add an additional condition of approval which ~;,ays for the purposes Section 38-5 regarding locational requirement with respect to the serving of alcoholic beverages, the 1000 foot distance will be measured as shown on that exhibit, and nake that part of the approval. That exhibit will be there in the future and be binding on staff with respect to any future application. Page 3 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 Principal Planner Rumer said that restaurants are exempt as long as 51 % of their business is food with full course meals and sit down service. There was discussion regarding revising language in Condition F and it was decided to strike the entire condition. Commissioner Hood. seconded by Commissioner Keller. moved to approve the Hiahpoint Church Special Exception in accordance with staff recommendations except strikina Condition F: addina the condition that for the purposes Section 38-5 reaardina locational reauirement with respect to the servina of alcoholic beveraaes. the 1000 foot distance will be measured by the Exhibit included herein: and addina the condition as recommended by the Plannina and Zonina Commission that the parkina issue can be revisited at such time as overflow parkina becomes an issue. Discussion followed. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson asked what would happen if the neighboring business comes in as anything other than a restaurant. He was concerned about doing anything to damage the potential commercial business that may wish to establish there. Commissioner Keller said they only thing that would be excluded is a regular bar or package store. Principal Planner Rumer said a package store would have to obtain ,1 waiver for that Section ofthe Code, which staff would consider at the time. After the discussion. the motion carried 3-0. with Commissioner Anderson and Mayor Vanderarift absent. 5. Ocoee.Relief . Middle Schoot__Spe~ial Exc~ption'.f4dvertife4in.. the Orlando Sentinel Orange Extra on. Thursday, February 21, 2008). (principal Planner Rumer) The proposed Ocoee Relief Middle School is located on the northwest corner of Ingram Road and Cemetery Road. The subject property is approximately 25 acres in size, zoned R-IA (Single-Family Dwelling). The site is currently vacant, consisting of planted pines. Principal Planner Rumer summarized the Special Ex::eption being requested by Orange County School Board. The applicant is requesting a waivfr to Section 48B of the LDC, which deals with the maximum height in the R-1A Zoning District is 35 feet, and they are requesting that building 600 go up to 50 feet. They are providing road improvements as a stipulation to being granted that waiver. The building would be 100 fe;~t from the property line and 50 feet from Ingram Road. The DRC recommended approval subject to conditions that staff presented, and the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval with the added condition that a buffer be provided on the north and west::l: 25 feet. Staff recommends approval subject to the Special Exceptions conditions of approval. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson opened the Public Hearing. Discussion followed regarding the landscape buffer. Tyrone Smith, Senior Manager in the Planning Governm;~ntal Organization Office for OCPS, explained the proposed trees and plant materials for the landscape buffer. Mayor Pro Tem opened Public Comments. R.P. Monacky, 1820 Prairie Lake Blvd. asked about the re~;identia1 area that would be subject to noise from the track and soccer field. The Commission explained that the middle school would Page 4 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 not hold night events and any sporting events would take place in the afternoon during regular school hours. Residents who purchased adjacent property were fully aware that this school was planned at the time of purchase. Commissioner Hood asked if portables were slated to go on the north end near the residents. Mr. Smith said that portable areas are pre-designated, however they would like to retain the right to use portables in other temporary locations if necessary to alleviate capacity issues. Christopher Block, 3464 McCormick Woods Drive, said that during the building process it was made very clear that a middle school would be built behind the property and he found that to be an asset to the community; however they were concerned that the initial plans showed no landscape buffer for the area. Mr. Block presented some pictures of the existing site as well as his recommendation for an additional condition of approval to the Special Exception. He read his recommendation into the record. The Orange County School Board (OCSB) will follow the general site layout and will provide a landscape buffer in substantial conformance with the submitted "Ocoee Relief Middle School Project No. S-0043 Landscape Plan" dated February 15,2008. The required buffer must be completed before occupancy of the school. The OCSB is responsible for maintaining the required buffer in a healthy and vigorous condition at all times, and any dead plants/trees must be replaced with like or similar plantings. Mr. Smith from OCPS said as long as Mr. Block's condition remains with the general site layout, they have no problems with the request. Commissioner Hood suggested to Mr. Smith that the OCPS might want to have a meeting with the residents of McCormick Woods. He also inquired aO:)out the opening date of the school which is scheduled for August 2009. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson said if he needs to discuss C1cceptance of this new condition of approval they can reschedule the item until the next meetirog. Mr. Smith said they do not have any issues with this condition as long as it remains with the general site layout. City Attorney Rosenthal said Mr. Block's language said "substantial conformance" and that doesn't mean that every single thing will be exact. He felt be condition was a good one. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson closed the Public Hearing. Commissioner Hood. seconded bv Commissioner Keller moved to approve the Special Exception with the conditions A-H as submitted bv staff. and with the additional condition (I) reaardina the landscape buffer as submitted bv Mr. Block. Discussion followed regarding location and number of pc rtables and not having an excessive number of portables similar to Clarcona Elementary. Commissioner Keller asked if there is a way that the number of portables can be limited on any pieGe of property. He does not want the soccer field to become a portable field. Mr. Smith said they have only done that once and they regret that decision, but asks that the Commission allow them to use portables as needed for a temporary solution until new school sites can be identified and built. He said that limiting the number of portables would limit the quality of education for the kids. The County is trying to keep up with the development, but they can only build so fast. Commissioner Keller said it would be better to place another building on the property like Olympia High School, rather than filling tr.e property with portables. Page 5 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 City Attorney Rosenthal said the condition that was added via Mr. Block, also states that they will follow the general site layout, so if the excessive portables started showing up out there, the position of the City could be that it would breach the condition of approval to follow the general site layout. After the discussion. the motion carried 3-0. with Commissioner Anderson and Mavor Vanderarift absent. I G. ORDINANCES FIRST READING 6. Tiger Minor Park. (Second Reading and Public Hearing scheduled for March 18, 2008, Commission Meeting)f(Principal Planner Rumer) The subject property is located on the north side of Geneva Street, 2,000 feet east of the intersection of Geneva Street and Bluford Avenue. The City ofOcoee is requesting the annexation of two parcels totaling 9.46:i: acres and an initial zoning from Orange County "A-I" (Citrus Rural) t) the City of Ocoee "R-1A" (Single-Family Dwelling). The initial zoning requested will be equivalent to the zoning on the northern portion of tiger Minor Park that is currently located within the City of Ocoee boundaries. a. Annexation b. Rezoning City Attorney Rosenthal read the title of the annexatioll ordinance. City Attorney Rosenthal read the title of the rezoning ordinance. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson announced that the Second Reading of the Ordinances and Public Hearing will take place on March 18, 2008, at 7: 15 p.m. or as soon thereafter as may be heard. 7. <::.hateau Reserve~. (Secon,!Readiq~ s::heduled for March 18, 2008, Commission Meeting). (Prin.cip~IPlanner Fabre) The subject property is approximately 8.76 acres in size and is IClcated on the east side of Tomyn Boulevard approximately 255 feet south of Patriots Point Drive. The subject site is currently undeveloped with a variety of trees, wetlands and tOO-year floodplain areas. Wetlands and flood ,:one areas are associated with the Johns Lake Basin and are situated on the properties eastern and southern most :)oundaries. The existing land use to the north and east is Single-Family residential subdivisions zoned R-1A, R.1AAA (Brookestone Subdivision) and PUD Low Density (Wesmere Subdivision). To the south there is an unincorporated parcel (+/- 1.4 acres) of land which is heavily treed and currently undeveloped, zoned (Orangt: County) A-I. Situated west across Tomyn Boulevard is a water retention pond owned by the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. Currently, it is being utilized for storrnwater abatement for SR 429. Further v,est across SR 429 is a vacant undeveloped parcel zoned (City of Winter Garden) A-I. a. Annexation b. Rezoning City Attorney Rosenthal read the title of the annexation ordinance. City Attorney Rosenthal read the title of the rezoning ordinance. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson announced that the Second Reading of the Ordinances and Public Hearing will take place on March 18,2008, at 7:15, or as soon thereafter as may be heard. 8. Approval of Changes to the City of Ocoee Municipal Genera Trust Fund. (Second Reading and Public Hearing scheduledfor March 1 (Human Resources Director Carnicella) ployees' Retirement 8, Commis$ion Meeting). Page 6 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 Amendment to the General Employees' Pension Ordinance to include Mayors and Commissioners, to include City Manager, to change Finance and Fund Management, to lllow Members who reached 81 % cap to discontinue contributions and freeze benefit, to add an additional f(lnn of benefit known as PLOP (Partial Lump Sum Option), to remove the window for electing the DROP (Deferred Retirement Option Plan) and change the participation period for the DROP to 7 years, and to add the Purchase of Credited Service for Air Time. There is no financial impact for Fiscal Year 07-08, however in Fiscal Y(:ar 08-09 the City contribution to fund all of the above mentioned changes will increase from 12.5% of payroll to 12.8% of payroll or an additional $48,000. City Attorney Rosenthal read the title of the ordinance. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson announced that the Second Reading of the Ordinance and Public Hearing will take place on March 18,2008, at 7:15, or as soon thereafter as may be heard. Human Resources Director Carnicella said Mayor Vandergrift brought an issue to his attention that had been discussed before the Commission in 2001. There was discussion back then about some continuing benefits for the Mayor and Commissioners that included Health Care and Life Insurance. He said the will propose to continue the $20,000 life insurance policy and continue paid health insurance into retirement. He said he would bring that back under a separate resolution because it would not be part of the pension ordinance. City Attorney Rosenthal asked if it would be affecting the Pension Plan. He said they should defer to the Pension Attorney. Human Resources Diredor Carnicella said he will discuss it further with Attorney Dehner and City Attorney Rosenthal so that some formal action can be taken to clarify the discussion that began in 2001. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson said the ordinance can be revised for the second reading, if necessary. He added that the cost of continuing the Life Insurance Policy was approximately $4 per month for each Commissioner. Human Resources Director CarniceUa said we currently continue Life Insurance eligibility for retirees over the age of 65. Human Resources Director Carnicella said that the recommendation would be that the Mayor and Commissioners who are eligible to retire (who have served for nine consecutive years) would be able to receive these extra benefits upon retiring and all of the years served would be used to calculate the pension benefits. Commission Hood asked if they would become eligible after the age of 65, and Mr. Carnicella said that you are eligible to retire after nine consecutive years, regardless of your age. I H. REGULAR AGENDA 9. Approval of utUitiesDepartlDen!<::on~ultingAgreement withSMW GeoSciences, Inc. (Tabledfrom the February!p,2008rt'ol11i1iissio~Meeting),(Utilities Director Smith) The Utilities Department utilizes the consulting services of SMW GeoSciences, Inc., for assorted projects throughout the year, such as receiving assistance for renewing the Consumptive Use Permit, researching Alternative Water Supplies and developing the Water Conservation Program. The original agreement was executed on January 17, 2006, and was authorized for two years. Staff recommends extending the terms of the Agreement and including a revision for Fees for Services through January 17, 2009. Utilities Director Smith said the Commission asked that this item was tabled until we brought back fees, which have been included in the new packet for this meeting. Mayor Vandergrift entered the meeting at 8:37 p.m. Page 7 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 Commissioner Hood asked why the CUP is taking so long, we have spent two years and we have not yet reached our goals. Mr. Smith advised that th;~se consultants have been hired to do other services that are not related to the CUP; they currently have nine work orders completed and he reviewed those work orders. City Manager Frank said he has done this with many other entities and this is typical. We have the checks and balances in place and we are watching the dollars. Weare not hiring environmental attorneys, etc. Commissioner Hood asked if it would it be feasible to hire someone in house that could do this? City Manager Frank said it would not because once we get the CUP it will be good for 5, 20, or 20 years and then there would be no other work for that person. Mr. Smith reviewed some of the issues with SJWMD, and some of the delays that have occurred. Weare getting through the process one phase at a time, but it is a very laborious process. Discussion followed regarding a revenue sufficiency study for all of the work that needs to be done and the pipes that need to be replaced. Mr. Smith said a summary of the physical pipe and valve jobs that need to be done has been delivered to the City Manager this week. Staff will work on cost numbers and prioritizing these projects. Mayor Vanderarift, seconded by Commissioner Keller moved to approve the Consultina Aareement with SMW GeoSciences, .Inc. Motion carried 4-0, with Commissioner Anderson absent. Sara Whittaker, licensed Professional Geologist and a licensed Hydro Geologist in the State of Florida said she worked for DEP and SFWMD. She woul:i be willing to give a presentation to the Commission if they would like regarding the permitting issues, DCA, wetlands monitoring, and other issues that will be impacting the City. She said they hope to be finished with the CUP process in the next year. She gave a summary of the proces'; and negotiations that are required to get through this. 10. Appointment of Ama.#4a Brtimfield to the Human Relations Diversity Board, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board~and tli~SchQ91 Adyj~orrQoard. (QityQlerk EikenlJerry) One application was received from Ms. Amanda Brumfield with an interest in serving on three (3) boards, the Human Relations Diversity Board, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, and the School Advisory Board. She has reviewed each board's summary and has been notified of their scheduled monthly meeting dates and times. Members of each board serve two-year terms and each resolution allows no less than seven (7) members and no more than fifteen (15) members. Currently, HRDB has seven (7) members, Parks & Recreation Advisory Board has seven (7) members, and the School Advisory Board has eleven (11) members. Commissioner Keller, seconded by Commissioner Johnson moved to approve the appointment of Amanda Brumfield to the Human Relations Diversity Board, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the School Advisory Board. Motion carried 4-0, with Commissioner Anderson absent. I I. STAFF REPORTS none Page 8 of 10 . . '. I City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 I J. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS - 1) stated his Tallahassee trip went very well and he had the opportunity to speak with several of the Legislatures. 2) stated he has had a couple of different complaints on single family lots and the costs of annexing the lots into the City. He stated he would like to see if staff could look into some of the cost of individual lots annexing into the City. Commissioner Hood inquired as to what the cost is for annexing and Mayor Vandergrift stated it was roughly $15,000. City Manager Frank stated the actual annexation would cost about $2000-$3000. If you include the cost of sewer and water that would bring the cost to $8000- $9000. City Manager Frank stated he has spoken with Commissioner Keller about this issue and the possibility of lowering some of the costs such as the application fee and/or the deposit. He further stated there are still other processing fees such as several advertisements that have to be published that are the true costs. City Attorney Rosenthal added that even on a single lot the applicant would have to provide a metes and bound legal description survey which is other cost. Without Obiection, staff was asked to look into the costs of annexation and brina the information back to the Commission. 3) comnented on the School Board Meeting Work Session last week and how it was announced that the residents of Ocoee are bigots. He stated that none of the people that had spoken against the rezoning of the Evans High School with the exception of the Mayor lived in Ocoee. He furthe;' expressed his opinion on the school board's rezoning tactic's and stated the school is a nightmare and it is not Ocoee's fault. Mr. Blocker has been the superintendent of School's since 2000 and yet he has not done much to improve or maintain Evan's High School. He stated that maybe it is time to get a new school board superintendent that will take care of all the schools in the Orange County Public School System. - 1) announced the Blood Drive is March 11th at 9:00am-3:00pm and all donors will receive a free tee shirt, free club red membership to receive a $10 Darden restaurant gift card with every two donations. 2) inquired about the green building across from Betty 1's off of Bluford Ave. and doing away with it so thcJ they may possible put a tree in that location for Christmas and also take a piece of the building along with items from inside to put in the Maguire House for historical purposes. He further ~:tated it was an old doctor's office. Mayor Vandergrift stated he would like to go into the building. City Manager Frank stated he did not believe the building department would be happy about letting anyone in the building due to safety issues. He stated there are several big crach through the exterior of the wall. 3) stated lights were going to be taken down out by the lake and he wants to make sure they know where to put them back. Mayor Vandergrift inquired if ':hey could get a different connection for the Founder's Day event. Commissioner Johnson stated Al Butler from the Engineer Department is working on that. 4) announced the Central Florida Crisis Intervention Team has a golf fundraiser and he would like for the City to look irto a sponsorship. Commissioner Hood, seconded bv Commissioner Johnson, moved to sponsor a aolf foursome and hole sponsorship for $500. Motion carried 5-0:. - 1) thanked the Mayor for going to the Opening Day Ceremonies this past Saturday at the ballpark. He also thanked all the City s':aff that helped out with the event. 2) announced that the Big Orange Games are coming up and anyone interested in helping out can Page 9 of 10 . . . City Commission Regular March 4, 2008 call Mr. Beech, and if you are not able to get a hold of him you can contact Joy Wright. 3) announced Easter Service is on March 23rd by the gazebo it will be a sunrise service. 4) thanked Texas Roadhouse for going out to the Opening Day cere:nony and donating all the food and helping raise over $2000. 5) announced there are many sports out their with the local schools that need support and you can get a schedule from the schools. - 1) stated that on Easter Eve there win be Food for Families at Ocoee High School. If you are interested in helping there are about 800 families that they will be distributing to in the West Orange area. 2) reported that he had a meeting with Rick Roach and the members of the Clarcona Improvement Association who presented different sites that were never mentioned before for placement of Evan's High School. H:~ then attended a later meeting where it was announced that they were going to put a 10-story h.lilding on the 25 acres where the 9th Grade Center is located. He further stated that on March ] 1 th they will have another meeting if anyone is interested in speaking. It is being proposed that they can put on educational school on the 25 acres and they can use the athlete's field at the old Evan's High School. Mayor Vandergrift stated there are several other plans they presented that were just as bad. He further announced that the rural settlement district has raised about $20,000 for an attorney and he feels that after tonight they may need one. He urged people to be attentive as to what is going on. 3) announced the Boys and Girls Club of Pine Hills is being rebuilt near the current location of Evans High School with help from Walt Disney World. I ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 9:23 p.m. Attest: APPROVED: City of Ocoee Beth Eikenberry, City Clerk S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor Page 100f10 \f\~m \g ,'dJX8 ~ CITY COMMISSION WORKSHOP .~ ~ ~I RE: CROWN POINT PROPERTY Ocoee Commission Chambers Conference Room 150 North Lakeshore Drive Ocoee, Florida January 22, 2008 I CALL TO ORDER MINUTES 6:30 p.m. Mayor Vandergrift called the work session to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. City Clerk Eikenberry called roll and declared a quorum present. Roll Call: Commissioner Hood, Commissioner Anderson, Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioner Keller, and Commissioner Johnson. Also Present: City Attorney Rosenthal, City Manager Frank, City Clerk Eikenberry, Assistant City Manager Croteau, Community Development Director Wagner, Bill Owens of Real Estate Research Consultants I DISCUSSION RE: CROWN POINT PROPERTY. Community Development Director Wagner said that that when the Centex sale fell through a few months ago the Commission requested workshop to discuss what to do with the Crown property. He introduced Bill Owens of Real Estate Research Consultants, who was one of the original consultants for the property and the northwest se ctor study. He advised he is here to give an overview of what is going on in the marketplace and what the best use may be for the property in the future. Commissioner Anderson asked a question about the colored areas on the map that was displayed. Community Development Director Wagner reviewed the map points and ownership of various tracts in the area of the Crown Po int Property. Bill Owens said, when they looked at potential uses for this property back in 2001, the idea of Commercial development in this area was pretty far out; the high school was being built, the 429 was just getting under construction, and the area was predominantly residential. At that time, they felt that commercial opportunity was going to be on the main road and they had envisioned redevelopment opportunities and office parks, etc. Whm they sat down with planners and looked at different scenarios for land uses, they were geare d to slow the emphasis toward trying to create jobs or slow the emphasis toward residential infi] I and new development. The horizon year for that plan was the year 2020 and they figured the residential units would develop at about 1000 units per year. Currently, it has developed at a rate of 2000 units per year, but it will soon slow down and average out at about 1000-1500 units per year. Mr. Owens said the Northwest Study Area would need to allow about 60-100 acres of retail/office development and probably another 200 acres of industrial business type uses. He said they have worked with several development projects in the general part of West Orange County and Lake County are familiar with what is going on. In terms of market analysis, it is pretty systematic; first, we look at the dynamics of growth; second, where is competition going and what are the patterns; and third, how does the property fit in that competitive environment and can it compete with the demand in the area. He expressed that Ocoee has been seeing a transformation in the past eight to ten years, as a result of its commute access, and it has been put on the map as a destination. Recently, the commercial maps show about a million square feet of projects identified within the next three years. On the residential side, about 2500-3500 residential units are proposed within Ocoee in the next three years. His opinion was that it is an appropriate time to consider marketing some of this commercial property. He stated that, despite the current housing down turn, the corridor is well positioned for residential development. Bill Owens stated that the Fountains West property is under construction nearby and developers will be coming to that area looking for retail pieces where they piggy-back on the momentum of Fountains West. He said that some of the commercial pieces are well located and will capitalize on out-parcel developments such as a drug store, muffler shop, bank, etc. He asked them to keep in mind that the major portion of commercial development is being drawn toward Fowler Groves and the Highway 50 connection, so the large scale commercial stuff is not moving in that direction. Mr. Owen said, according to his studies, his view is that Fountains West will soak up most of the impending neighborhood-type commercial demand in the next three years. There will be many opportunities around to pick up smaller focused commercial and now is a good time to sell or lease the commercial property. He thought the mentality is constraining the market downward and he did not feel that was fundamentally supported by the economics; it may take a little longer than anticipated, but he felt it would be worth it to position that project for when the market turns back around. Commissioner Anderson asked at what point they would break even, compared to what they have spent. City Manager Frank explained their costs on the property thus far. City Attorney Rosenthal stated it was not a question that the City would recover what they have put into it. He said they just need to decide what to do with it to maximize profit or tax base. Bill Owens stated that properties make quantum jumps in value, whereas it is bought raw and then it is rezoned to jump in value again. Next, it proceeds to be engineered, platted, drainage is handled, etc. and it can be sold at another jump in value. He stated that Ocoee has already met the first benchmark and the next step is the engineering. Commissioner Johnson said he thought they were going to decide what to do with the property. Bill Owens suggested they do a Request for Proposals or Letters of Interest on any parcels they want to sell to see what they receive that meets their goals and objectives. Commissioner Johnson inquired about a government service center proposal, whereas City and Government have a joint facility with schools and such. Mr. Owens agreed that was a good idea. Commissioner Anderson inquired about moving forward with the Centex proposal, which would give them the tax base. Commissioner Keller asked what concurrency would do to them next year. City Manager Frank said the property has concurrency. City Attorney Rosenthal stated they were vested under school concurrency as a pre-existing or pre-approved project because there was already a subdivision plan associated with it. He added that the vested rights determination would be made by the local government, the City of Ocoee, and they have concluded this property is a vested project. Commissioner Hood said the Centex property would not bring as much money as the developers. Community Development Director Russ Wagner said they could have it all platted and do the final engineering to have it ready to sell; however, that would be a risk of spending more money out of their pocket. He said they could actually sell that land for more money per acre for an apartment project than they can commercial and they could sell parcel #9 today for $6 million. Commissioner Hood inquired as to what would happen if they did the platting and a developer wants to change the way they did it. Community Development Director Wagner explained the basic standard lots and said they could probably hit 80% of the market if they platted it and it would be lower density. City Attorney Rosenthal stated they could spend money on final engineering and getting a plat approved; however, if they start to make improvements at this point they are at risk. Community Developer Director Wagner commented that he was blown away when they opened up the bid and three major national home builders all wanted the same spot and saw the value of the location. Commissioner Keller said they could not afford improvements on the land right now. Community Development Director Wagner explained many ways to reduce final cost to expedite sale. City Attorney Rosenthal suggested closing quicker the next time. Mayor Vandergrift said that a RFQ would not hurt and asked about going in jointly with a developer. He said money was not the only issue. He discussed a new mall coming to Clermont, an office park like Maitland Center, Mall/Education Center going up, and other ideas that everyone could use that might make Ocoee special. Commissioner Hood said the county would need to work with them because they would need to rebuild Ocoee-Apopka Road for commercial development. He thought they should hire somebody to send out the Mayor's ideas and start shopping around. Mayor Vandergrift was concerned about that big piece of property around the lake and how great that location was. Commissioner Anderson thought that the area of the Auto Auction would be great for a Commerce Center and wondered if they auction would still be there in twenty years. Mayor Vandergrift asked what they would ask for in the RFP. Mr. Owens said his firm does about six of those per year and they can have specific requirements and limitations. He said there is a process that they can set up evaluation criteria and screen the proposals, then talk to only the ones who are in-line with what they want for that area. He added that they could add a disclaimer to all RFP's to cover legal issues. City Manager Frank said they first have to put out an RFQ to find companies to put together an RFP. Mr. Owens explained the RFP process in further detail. Mayor Vandergrift went around the room asking what each Commissioner desired to see in that area: . Commissioner Anderson - incorporate the wetland or green area / recreational. . Commissioner Hood - something similar to Baldwin Park with mixed use with more recreational area; more Commercial along the 429 by building vertical. Vertical building would require more firefighters and apparatus. . Commissioner Keller - mixed use recreation with light commercial (professional offices); some High-Tech such as what AAA did for Heathrow. . Commissioner Johnson - mixed use, less residential and more business. . City Manager Frank - mixed use via RFP that includes all parcels. City Attorney Rosenthal gave a word of caution that anything they do that deviates from the plan, would most likely require a large scale comprehensive plan amendment approved by DCA, and would require Orange County approval for change in the Joint Planning Area Agreement. Additionally, it would trigger with DCA on all of the traffic concurrency issues. Mayor Vandergrift said if we go from residential to commercial it should lessen the impact on traffic and other issues so it shouldn't be a problem. Bill Owens clarified that if they prefer to go through an RFP, you don't obligate yourself to changing anything in the Plan; you can't wait to see how exciting the proposals are. That is the beauty of being the City going out for RFT; you own the entire playing field until they were ready to pick teams. Commissioner Anderson asked if we had any reason to want to acquire bus stop terminals. City Attorney Rosenthal explained the process with the School Board during the dealings with the Centex people. He said even if that is not the highest use for that land, if the School Board still needs to put the buses there and has no other alternatives, it is valuable to them for that reason. Bill Owens said his company could put a proposal together for City Commission to review. He stated they would go as far as helping the City negotiate with a developer or a field of developers, all the way to the point of signing; however, they would not solicit people for the City. He said they have a target list to go to, both locally and nationally, and the City would rely on their experience to advertise right market. He added that they are doing a similar project for Ashville at this time. Mayor Vandergrift said it seems that we are looking for RFP responses that are visionary in nature. Mr. Owens said that there are eight parcels to include in the RFP and we would ask for their reaction to all of them; if someone wants to put a Maitland Center in there, and it makes sense, the City would look hard at that option. Commissioner Hood asked about bringing a marketing person into the City for commercial growth. City Manager Frank said, for the past two years, they had discussed that position being combined with the CRA; however, he did not feel they would have enough to keep them busy at this time. Commissioner Hood said he thought they needed someone to look at every piece of commercial property in the City, not just the Crown Point property. He felt that the neighboring cities were growing rapidly and, if they waited any longer to do something, then there would not be any commercial developers left to come here. Discussion followed regarding various combinations of mixed use, the existing uses in the area, how to make Ocoee special. Commissioner Hood believed that a high-tech and educational area coming in would make the area really special; they need to get someone in there who knows what they are doing as far as marketing and getting commercial business to come in. He added that we need to do whatever it takes to get new business in here. Discussion ensued regarding current growth trends and the need for having an Economic Development person on staff. Commissioner Hood said we should look to see if there is enough market demand to put someone on staff. City Manager Frank suggested doing an RFQ for a firm to do what Commissioner Hood recommended and make it a 3-6 month effort. Mayor Vandergrift stated the problem was coming up the money to pay for such a firm and mentioned that Winter Garden used funds from the CRA, and also grants are possible. Commissioner Anderson asked if they had a projection if the Amendment #1 passes, what loss of revenue would occur for Ocoee. City Manager Frank said it is difficult to predict because we don't know how many people will move and take their homestead exemption with them, but he would guess approximately $500,000 - $750,000 just for the loss of the additional $25,000 homestead exemption ad. Mr. Owens said they are dealing with many issues that he has 35 years of experience with. He asked for permission to bring something back to Commission that would make sense to them. The consensus of the Commission was to have Mr. Owens of Real Estate Research Consultants draft a proposal and bring it back to them. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:56 p.m. Beth Eikenberry, City Clerk S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor M'CWm '8. 2008 -~~ CITY COMMISSION WORSHOP RE: LOBBYIST-LEGISLATIVE ISSUES FOR 2008 Ocoee Commission Chambers 150 North Lakeshore Drive Ocoee, Florida January 31, 2008 I CALL TO ORDER MINUTES 6:00 p.m. Mayor Vandergrift called the work session to order at 6:01 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of City Hall. Present: Commissioner Hood, Commissioner Anderson, Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioner Keller, and Commissioner Johnson. Also Present: City Attorney Rosenthal, City Manager Frank, and City Clerk Eikenberry. Guests: Fred Leonhardt and Robert Stewart with Gray Robinson, State Representative Bryan Nelson, and Scott Dudley with the Florida League of Cities. Mayor Vandergrift introduced Fred Leonhardt from Gray Robinson and turned the meeting over to him. I DISCUSSION RE: LEGISLATIVE MATTERS FOR 2008 Fred Leonhardt started out by saying that Gray Robinson was honored to work with the City and to represent them legislatively. He said they will work with the City to answer any questions they have and encouraged them to visit Tallahassee sometime during the Legislative Session because "presence is power". He introduced another member of their lobby team, Robert Stewart, to Commission and reported that he was not an attorney. Commissioner Hood left the meeting at 6:04 p.m. Scott Dudley, Florida League of Cities (LOC), thanked the City for their service and was proud they were all involved with each other. He also encouraged the City Commission to get fully engaged with the LOC and to attend meetings as they can. He discussed their priorities this year as follows: . Figuring out what will happen on the Property Tax Reform, and the implementation of Amendment #1. Transportation Issues dealing with funding and planning, and growth management. Affordable Housing such as mobile home parks. Pension Issues. Local Municipal Tax Issues. . . . . City Commission Workshop Re: Lobbyist January 31,2008 Amendment #1 Mr. Dudley was concerned about the impact of Amendment #1 and thought it was poorly drafted; he felt that Legislature will struggle to implement the bill and to make some portions work correctly. He said that after the May meeting, they will put some issues on the November ballot regarding local government revenue caps because they are concerned they will have to make up differences in user fees, impact fees, or other service-type fees. Working water-fronts are a strong issue around the state, whereas they are trying to protect these areas and assess them for the highest and best use. The Tax Budget Reform Commission has many ideas they are looking into, such as table issues, taxpayer bill of rights issues, local government caps, class size amendment, and many other issues that Commission should be aware of. Transportation Issues Mr. Dudley spoke of Transportation issues and the lack of funding. He said the F.D.O.T. estimates a $2.4 billion deficit to maintain the current level of transportation, not including any improvements. A big problem is that cities have no way to raise revenues for transportation purposes; most revenues come from State or Federal matching. Through the County-Local Option Fuel Taxes, the county gets to control the funding for transportation and the League of Cities would like to change that. He explained that F.D.O.T. is cutting projects from their 5 year work plan that they had committed to build, which may cause issues for the local municipalities who are depending on those projects being funded. Commissioner Anderson asked if we do our portion of Highway 50 and the county finishes it in the next ten years, will we get reimbursed and would the LOC assist them in that. Mr. Dudley said they assist with those types of efforts for cities in general, but your lobbyist would work with your city directly. He advised the F.D.O.T. moved from allocating 60% of their funding to 75% to Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) roads such as 1-4, which is taking money from the Urban Arterial Program. He explained that, because of the recent budget cuts, it will tough to get funding from F.D.O.T. However, in regards to economic stimulus, road building is the best because for every dollar spent, you get $6 worth of stimulus. Mr. Dudley added that LOC is trying to get F.D.O.T. to accept city input on what will be cut, so they would have to notify them when there is a change in capacity or would impact growth management. Concurrency driven growth management laws are cumbersome and do not deter urban sprawl; he said they need to encourage urban infill and some exemptions from the growth management laws. He feels it is necessary to change laws that allow urban sprawl because we are never going to build our way out of the current situation without changing the way we are doing things. He thought it was necessary to ensure municipal representation and regional planning issues ensuring that cities maintain control over their own Land Use Plan. Affordable Housing Mr. Dudley explained that the Sadowski Trust Fund has about $800+ million committed to affordable housing for the cities and counties; however, the Legislature has only appropriated about $250 million last year. He reported that they had gone into the fund and raided some of the money to balance the budget. He clarified that Sadowski Trust Fund came from Documentary Stamp Tax dollars as a commitment to fund affordable housing in the state, but that commitment has not been kept on a regular basis. 2 City Commission Workshop Re: Lobbyist January 31,2008 Mr. Dudley discussed the efforts to require local governments to pay for mobile home relocation parts for rezoning; however, they have limited authority to deny rezoning request when they are inconsistent with the local comp plan. LOC thinks there should be shared responsibility between the developer, State, and City, whereas all parties can come together to rezone mobile home parks. Water Quality and Quantity Mr. Dudley said these are huge issues with respect to the water quality. He reported that last year the Government had cut about $25 million from the Water Sustainability Trust Fund, which is used to help local governments build waste water treatment facilities and storm water facilities. This year's Governor has proposed fully funding the Water Sustainability Trust Fund and they wonder where that money would come from. He explained Water Quantity issues, whereas they have to figure out ways to allocate the limited resource they have in respect to water. When it comes to Water Quality issues, local governments are facing TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) issues, essentially pollutant limitations imposed by the State and Federal Government. Local municipalities have to be able to maintain and protect water quality. Tax Increment Financing Mr. Dudley said there was a Supreme Court issue (Strand vs. Escambia County) that ruled that bonds financed by Tax Increment Financing/CRA's require approval by referendum. That rule negated thirty years of law which permitted redevelopment bonding without referendum. LOC is asking the Legislature to address that issue and clarify the law so they know for sure which bond issues need to go for referendum and which do not. Pension Issues Mr. Dudley said there will be a big look by the House and Senator at local government pension plans; there may be an effort to impose more requirements and unfunded mandates on those issues. LOC thinks they have done a good job in local government to invest properly and have dealt well with their pension plans. He stated they are addressing that anything subject to union negotiations are not addressed by the Florida Legislature because Police and Fire personnel have historically taken their issues to the state legislature when they can't get what they want at the local level. Mr. Dudley closed by emphasizing the importance of City Commission staying fully engaged in the Legislative Session and announced a meeting on March 26, 2008, in Tallahassee. He stated that in politics it is all about building relationships and they need to build one with their Legislators and make contacts locally and in Tallahassee. Mayor Vandergrift commented on global warming and told a story of finding an airplane that had been 250 feet under ice for 50 years. He said that SJWMD proposed draining lakes and rivers before draining under ground and thought that was a bad idea. Mr. Dudley thought our government is trying to focus the discussion on energy independence and efficiency to conserve our resources, although global warming is one of the key initiatives. One of LOC's priorities is to allow a municipal representative on the government board for SJWMD so they are involved with the decisions. Commissioner Keller spoke about his effort to change the constitution and make City School Districts. He said they were talking in Tallahassee about it with Sen. Gates and Rep. Flores. He 3 City Commission Workshop Re: Lobbyist January 31, 2008 said that Sen. Gates asked him to come back with his local Legislature putting the bill in and they would then talk about it. He said they were looking at putting that into the four or five largest school districts; however, he thought that was a mistake and they need to get a constitutional amendment to allow the city school districts to be the smallest school district size. Commissioner Keller said that OCPS has a $4.3 billion budget and that is too large for them to keep up with. He stated that each School Board member had 31 schools in their district; therefore, they cannot keep up with the other 186 schools within the school district. He believed that putting it back at a city level charter school, running under the school board, would be better because the parents would be closer to the schools. Mayor Vandergrift said the State passed a law so that certain school districts could be exempt from municipalities being able to go to a different authority for Charter Schools and Orange County received that exemption. Fred Leonhardt introduced Senator Bryan Nelson and his wife. Senator Bryan Nelson said that Fred was the best lobbyist in Florida, and Scott from LOC is a great champion for the cities. He stated the Governor's budget takes a lot of trust monies out, even though the Constitution says you can only raid 3% of trust funds and his budget is higher than that. He said that Mr. Dudley could get more cities to champion the idea of smaller schools districts and they need political allies to fight the game. He thought the city school district is a long shot, but he would champion the issue either way they decide to go. Senator Nelson spoke about the Red Light Camera Bill and said that Apopka is one of the few cities with the cameras. He said they began giving out 200 tickets in the first month! He said within the last month, they were down to only 40 tickets; therefore, it seems to be working. His point was to make sure cities do not put that as budget line item because it is not much revenue. He stated that Senator Baker would be putting something on the table to make it easier for cities to put these red light cameras out. Mayor Vandergrift stated he was pushing toward using the money from those tickets toward putting cameras into neighborhoods for safety reasons. Senator Nelson discussed a new bill regarding the Property Appraiser, whereas physical appraisals may be replaced with Google Earth. That would save about $50 million of tax payer money. Also, the Bill will attempt to prevent homestead exemption fraud. He further mentioned a Sexual Predator Bill they are working on to require the landlords of sexual predators to be held more accountable. He explained a Ready to Work Bill, whereas high school kids who don't go to college can go into technical training programs to gain some job skills to put them right into the work force to make a good living. Senator Nelson said he was working with LOC on a PURE (Protect the Urban and Residential Environment) Water Bill. They would have a model ordinance for fertilizers, residential yards, application rates, and education components of the issue, aimed at reducing nutrient runoff from urban landscapes and to cut down on phosphorous. Another bill he discussed was an Insurance Bill that suggested that everyone invest 10% of their IRA funds into the CAP fund. Mayor Vandergrift said he received an email from James McAdams from Florida Dept. of Revenue regarding the TRIM process. Mr. Dudley said that is an issue from LOC to try to make the TRIM process easier, but they may have to hold off until next year due to prioritizing the bills. Mayor Vandergrift inquired about T.V. rates and it seems like the State has given everything to the cable companies now. He explained that they moved Ocoee TV to channel 200 and you have to have digital cable to watch it, but you have to pay more to have digital cable and that is absurd. Senator Nelson said they did pass a bill to allow more competition with both phone and 4 City Commission Workshop Re: Lobbyist January 31,2008 cable companies. He said he is working with the next district over on transportation infrastructure and the Highway 50 interchange. He said it maY,take 3-4 years to complete, but they will get it done. Commissioner Anderson asked about the Home Rule and said they could not do their millage unless they did 100% to get the same millage as last time. He said if they are mandating these things that they should pony up. They should say the City is losing money on millage, and they are going to give funding to bridge the gap. Senator Nelson replied that no money was coming out of Tallahassee that has not been spoken for. Senator Nelson announced a Big Water Day at Lake Apopka on March 29, 2008, and that he would appreciate any participation they could bring to that event. Mayor Vandergrift read a newspaper article about voter pile up complaints and suggested making elections a mandatory course in school. Fred Leonhardt went over a few issues going on in Florida Government. He gave a PowerPoint presentation and briefly touched on the following topics: . Budget Shortfall: Governor released his $74 million budget and he went over those recommendations, which need to go through the approval process. . Amendment #1: Save Our Home benefit, portability, tangible personal property exemption, 10% assessment cap for non-homesteads, etc. He said the results of that vote in Ocoee just missed the 60% requirement. . Red Light Cameras: Big issue last session and did well in the House, not so well in the Senate. Probably will pass. Now would be a good time for Ocoee to adopt an ordinance regarding the Red Light Cameras. . Tax and Budget Reform Commission: Formed every 20 years and they can put things directly onto the ballot this fall. They also have the authority to recommend to Legislature, which only has to pass by majority. It will be interesting to see them get 2/3 vote. . Strategies for Success: Presence is Power. Being in Tallahassee and letting the House and Senate hear from you is always more welcomed than hearing from a lobbyist. Stay involved. QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION Commissioner Johnson said they used to spend a lot of time in Tallahassee and the Florida League of Cities would really put on the pressure; it seems like that is not the case anymore. Mr. Dudley said, since term limits have taken affect, lobbying has changed in general and members are not looking at long term anymore. He strongly encouraged Commission to build relationships with Tallahassee and he would help them along the way. He also thought the regional league may reimburse some of those travel costs. Commissioner Johnson agreed that they needed to get back into taking trips to Tallahassee and get their faces seen. Fred Leonhardt said that getting groups to go would be very impactful. 5 City Commission Workshop Re: Lobbyist January 31,2008 Mayor Vandergrift said there seems to be a fever to get Amendment #1 passed. Mr. Dudley said that fever has no end and there is still a sense that local government is spending crazy money. Nobody knows how much of the spending is mandated by the State and County. Commissioner Anderson asked what other things cities are doing, as far as fees, other than fire service fees. He asked if there was a list that existed to provide that information. Mr. Dudley said there were 412 municipalities in the State; they could give a snapshot, but it is not a comprehensive list because it is a constantly moving target. Mayor Vandergrift commented on how fiscally conservative he was and said that the larger the government entity, the larger the percentage of their annual budget is wasted or misappropriated. He said he cannot believe the State is trying to make the Cities appear to be fiscally irresponsible. Commissioner Johnson said he sat on one of the boards for the State Committee regarding the Sadowski Fund, which was supposed to help low income housing and it does not. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m. Beth Eikenberry, City Clerk S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor 6