HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-15-04 Minutes WS
MINUTES OF THE OCOEE CITY COMMISSION WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS
PURCHASE OF UNITED METHODIST CHURCH PROPERTY HELD JUNE 15, 2004
Call to Order
Mayor Vandergrift called the Work Session to order at 6:08 p.m. in the Commission
Chambers. City Clerk Grafton called the roll and all were present.
PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Anderson, Howell (arrived at 6:30),
Johnson, and Parker. Also present were Acting City Manager Williford, City Attorney
Rosenthal, Building Official Phelps, City Clerk Grafton, Finance Director Horton,
Parks/Recreation Director Farmer, and Deputy Public Works Director Zaitooni.
Discussion Re: Purchase of United Methodist Church Property
Acting City Manager Williford distributed the summary page of an appraisal of the Ocoee
Oaks Methodist Church, located at 120 Floral Street, showing the As-Is Market Value to be
$805,000. He said Parks/Recreation Director Farmer had put together a report showing the
possible uses of the facility by the Parks and Recreation Department along with the potential
operating costs, and he distributed that as well. Mr. Farmer had included pertinent
information from the feasibility study done by Architects Group, Inc. when the Ocoee Police
Department was considering the property for the new Police Headquarters.
Ernie Post, Pastor of the Ocoee Oaks Methodist Church, said the report made after the
walkthrough has a few errors in it: that the buildings are about 1/3 each of the property, and
that the Fellowship Hall is also air-conditioned. He added a leak that had been reported was
caused by a sprinkler aimed at the building and that has been corrected. He said the Church
Board had directed him to let the facility go to another purchaser if the City does not move
tonight to purchase.
Questions were raised and discussed regarding the cost of renovation to bring the buildings up
to Code, the income that would be produced versus the cost of operating the facility, how the
City would pay for the facility, and whether the stained glass windows would have to be
removed.
Building Official Phelps talked about the heating and air conditioning needs and the things
that would have to be done to make the buildings Code compliant. He said the main thing
would be to meet ADA requirements.
Finance Director Horton, Public Works Director Wheeler, and Deputy Public Works
Director Zaitooni responded to questions regarding financing and using funds already
designated for other projects.
Mayor Vandergrift asked the Commission how they would like to handle this information and
whether they wished to address it as an emergency item on the regular session agenda. City
Ocoee City Commission Work Session re Ocoee Oaks Methodist Church
June 15, 2004
Attorney Rosenthal said if the Commission wished to proceed with the purchase he could do
a letter of intent upon direction from the Commission. After a brief discussion, Mayor
Vandergrift said he would declare this an emergency item along with the other items that had
been handed him by Mr. Wheeler and Commissioner Parker and they would all be addressed
at the beginning of the meeting, before the consent agenda.
Jose Iglesias, 400 Misty Meadows Drive, observed there was a good bit of due diligence that
still needs to be done before a well-informed decision could be reached. He said to add this
issue as an emergency item to an already published agenda would not give the public enough
notice to be present to speak. He added he was not expressing an opinion about the purchase
- just the procedure.
Mayor Vandergrift said this Commission had set the Work Session up several weeks ago; but
had not given direction to place the item on the regular session agenda, and may have been
remiss in not giving that direction.
Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
Attest:
APPROVED:
City of Ocoee
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