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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-15-98 SS MINUTES OF THE CITY OF OCOEE CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL SESSION/ PUBLIC HEARING HELD JULY 15, 1998 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Vandergrift called the special session to order at 7:18 p.m. in the Commission Chambers, and stated that this meeting was advertised as a public hearing. The roll was called and a quorum declared present. PRESENT: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Anderson (arrived at 7:30 p.m.), Glass, Howell and Parker. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, City Engineer/Utilities Director Shira, Director of Community Relations/Projects Shira, Finance Director Horton, Finance Supervisor Carter, Director of Planning Wagner, Budget Specialist Strickland, and City Clerk Grafton. ABSENT: None City Manager Shapiro gave the background for this meeting, and advised that the proposed bond issue would be used for road improvements to Maguire Road, Professional Parkway, and Maine Street (Old Winter Garden Road). He also said Stewart Enterprises was interested in purchasing the cemetery and adding more land to it. He said the Green Area would happen if the Blackwood Ave. extension is agreed upon. He stated that the Bond Market right now is the best it has been in many years and now would be the time for the City to act. Ken Hooper, Professional Engineering Consultants, Inc. (PEC), gave a brief introduction of the three projects with a cost estimate and alignment of each. (1) Maguire Road, Phase I, which is near completion, would be from 1200 ft. south of Roberson Road to Tomyn Road. (2) Phase II would go from Tomyn Road to Professional Parkway, including the bridge over the Turnpike. (3) Phase III would be Professional Parkway to Highway 50, with a proposed 5 lane section to accommodate the existing businesses there. The total cost for Maguire Road would be $8.3 million dollars. Part of the cost of the Turnpike Bridge would be reimbursed at some time. There was an open discussion at this point about the specifics of landscaping, retention ponds and right-of-way. Commissioner Howell asked how much PEC was being paid for this project. Mr. Hooper said the fee for Phase I is $350,000. Commissioner Howell also commented on the lateness of the information being distributed to the Commissioners, as he would have liked to have had an opportunity to interview the property owners. He asked if the property owners had been notified of this meeting. Mr. Shapiro said this meeting would not affect the property owners because the purpose of this meeting was to authorize the continuing process of the bond issue. There will be two public hearings at a later date for public input. Mr. Hooper said that there already have been two public meetings to inform the property owners along the right-of-way. Ocoee City Commission Special Session/Public Hearing July 15, 1998 Mayor Vandergrift wanted to know what happened to the bike path that was in Phase I but not in II or III. Mr. Hooper said the bike path would be routed along Professional Parkway to Old Winter Garden Road then to the north. Commissioner Anderson questioned the time frame for this project. Mr. Hooper said that the road would be open to traffic in approximately two years. Mr. Hooper explained that Professional Parkway is 1/2 mile long and would depend on what the county does with Old Winter Garden Road for the alignment. Mr. Shapiro said that Heller Brothers was working with the City on land for a retention pond in exchange for their part of the improvements on Professional Parkway. The total cost for the road would be $2.4 million. There was an open discussion on the speed limits and signals, where and what type would be placed. Also discussed was street lighting for these roads. Mr. Hooper said that Maine Street would be a total road project of .8 miles. He said the road would be built in different phases with consideration now for future additions. The existing road now would be closed and become an historical park or walkway. The total cost for Maine St. would be $2.1 million. Mr. Hooper said the total cost for the three projects he briefly described, including construction cost, right-of-way, and drainage, would be $12.8 million dollars. Mayor Vandergrift suggested that the City consider putting in the reuse water lines when constructing these roads so they can have "lush tropical foliage." Mr. Shapiro said upgrades would be looked into when the actual design is done. Director of Community Relations/Projects Shira gave a brief presentation on the Minorville Activity Center based on the extension and realignment of Maine Street. Ms. Shira displayed future plans for the area surrounding Maine Street. Finance Director Horton introduced the financial team: Mark Galvin, Financial Advisor; Mitch Owens, William R. Hough and Company; Brent Wilder, SunTrust; Grace Dunlap, Bond Council with Bryant, Miller and Olive; and Will Warrick, First Union. Mr. Galvin explained their purpose was to put together a financing plan for the city projects described earlier. He reviewed the information distributed to the Commission and displayed the charts on the overhead for the public. City Manager Shapiro explained that the new roads would also bring extra revenues into the City that will offset the cost of the debt. He said this City has money from impact fees in the bank, has been conservative and has low indebtedness which means if growth should end the City would have enough money to make payments on the debt. Ms. Horton reviewed the revenues from the public service taxes and Local Option Gas Tax dating back from 1987 until the present. 2 Ocoee City Commission Special Session/Public Hearing July 15, 1998 There was a discussion concerning the insurance rating, whether it could possibly be lowered and how to go about getting it lowered. Mr. Shapiro explained that this meeting was not to pass the bond issue, but rather to introduce the concept to Commission. He noted that there would be no roads built without meetings with the public. There are at least two more meetings and public hearings, then the Commission will have the final vote if the roads are to be built. The public hearing was opened. As no one wished to speak, the public hearing was closed. In reviewing the staff recommendation, Mayor Vandergrift was of the opinion that the Mayor should be the person with the authority to deem the Preliminary Official Statement final rather than the City Manager, and without objection, that change was made. Commissioner Glass. seconded by Commissioner Parker. moved to approve Staff recommendations with the change as noted above (1) Approve Proiects and Financing Plan. (2) Authorize Financing Team to Apply for Bond Insurance and Ratings-Prepare Necessary Documents for Future Commission ApprovaL (3) Designate City Maflager MAYOR with Authority to Deem Preliminary Official Statement FinaL and (4) Present to the Commission a Purchase Contract from the Underwriters for Approval by the City Commission. Motion as amended carried 5-0. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Attest: APPROVED: City of Ocoee ',(,... S. Scott Vandergrift, Mayor 3