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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-10-97 Joint City Mtg. JOINT CITY COMMISSION AGENDA SPECIAL MEETING APOPKAlOCOEEIWINTER GARDEN HELD NOVEMBER 10, 1997 Mayor Vandergrift called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Ocoee City Commission Chambers. Mayor Quesinberry led in prayer and Mayor Land asked everyone to remember Veterans and Armistice Day on November II, 1997, before leading in the pledge of allegiance. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL OF EACH CITY COMMISSION CITY OF APOPKA - Mayor Land City of Apopka: Mayor Land, Commissioners Arrowsmith, Dean, Holmes, McQueen. Also present were Assistant City Administrator Douglas and Executive Director of Apopka Chamber of Commerce Andy Gardner. CITY OF WINTER GARDEN - Mayor Quesinberry City of Winter Garden: Mayor Quesinberry, Commissioners Anderson, Harriman and Graham. Also present were City Manager Holden, City Attorney Ardaman, Planning Director Cechman and City Clerk Pryor. CITY OF OCOEE - Mayor Vandergrift City of Ocoee: Mayor Vandergrift, Commissioners Anderson and Parker. Also present were City Manager Shapiro, City Attorney Rosenthal, City EngineerlUtilities Director Shira, Planning Director Wagner, Director of Community Relations/Projects Resnik and City Clerk Grafton. DISCUSSION AND UPDATE OF THE BELTWAY PROJECTS - OSCAR JUAREZ Assistant Administrator Douglas presented a report for Mr. Juarez, who could not be present. In the report, Mr. Juarez advised that the Department of Transportation is committed to commence the Beltway project and will soon begin the right-of-way purchases. He also advised that DOT is seeking an amendment to the Transportation Improvement Plan that will allow for the transfer of $3.5 million in Federal transportation funds to the construction of the Interstate 4/County Road 46-A Interchange. DISCUSSION OF SCHOOL SYSTEM VIS-A-VIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT - OCOEE Commissioner Glass was unable to attend this meeting due to an illness in his family, but he had prepared a statement which City Manager Shapiro read into the record. In his paper, Commissioner Glass addressed the function and status of the Public Schools Construction Study Commission, of which he is a member. He pointed out that the two biggest impediments to the successful provision of adequate public schools in our state are: 1) the general lack of coordinated planning between school boards and local governments, and 2) the inherent conflict presented by the Florida Constitution which establishes school districts and charges them with providing a uniform system of public education. As a result, local governments cannot implement concurrency with respect to public schools because constitutional control of schools is placed in a separate and equal division of government. Mayor Vandergrift discussed a chart he had distributed showing where the area schools are located. Joint-City Meeting with Apopka and Winter Garden Held November 10, 1997 City Manager Holden asked if anyone had spoken to the new Superintendent of Schools regarding future growth needs. City Manager Shapiro said the City of Ocoee has met with John Martin, Planner for the School Board, and discussed these matters with him. He in return presented the information from those meetings to the School Board, and they responded in letter form. Mayor Land said that if fire officials throughout the cities made inspections of portable schools on a regular basis, it would help save school funds. SUPPORT WIDENING OF S.R. 535 FROM S.R. 50 TO CHASE ROAD - WINTER GARDEN City Manager Holden spoke of the great need for Winter Garden to investigate alternative funding to realign and four-lane CR535. He gave three possible scenarios for this road dropping below its adopted level of service by the year 2007. Those were as follows: I) Beltway Improvements, the proposed interchange on CR535 is currently in the advanced right-of-way acquisition stage. If this project advances to construction, this would open a floodgate for new development along its corridor. 2) Horizons West, CR535 would be used by this development as a means to get to the Turnpike and SR50. If this development advances to completion within the next few years, CR535 would not be able to handle the impact. 3) Theme Park Expansion, The impacts for employment housing from the expansions of Sea Wodd, Disney Wodd or Universal Studios may increase the traffic of CR535 greater than anticipated. Brief questions were asked of Mr. Holden by Mayor Quesinberry, Mayor Vandergrift and Commissioner Holmes regarding the funding and location ofthis project. DISCUSSION OF TRI-CITY RELIEVER AIRPORT STATUS Assistant Administrator Douglas gave a history of the Tri-City Airport Authority and said that it appeared that the Authority may intend to close out without building an airport. Brief discussion ensued and all agreed they should review the report when it comes out next year, then make a decision. ENCLAVE LEGISLATION Mayor Vandergrift presented a proposed legislation that would help cities throughout the state with enclave issues. Mayor Land said the City of Apopka would support the proposal and Mayor Quesinberry said the City of Winter Garden would also support the proposal. Mayor Vandergrift also directed attention to the proposed legislation on "Urban Preservation Districts." After Mayor Land briefed the Cities on the background of the issue, Assistant Administrator Douglas said this issue would be presented on the 10th of December to the Orange County Delegation. He said he felt most cities in Orange County would not support the legislation. He presented a draft Resolution, that could be modified by individual cities, that would transmit their concerns about this legislation before the Orange County Delegation meets. Each City reached consensus to adopt a resolution opposing the Urban Preservation Districts. 2 Joint-City Meeting with Apopka and Winter Garden Held November 10, 1997 PROPOSAL TO DO A JOINT FUNDING EFFORT BETWEEN FDOT AND OCOEE TO CONSTRUCT AN INTERCONNECTION OF VARIOUS MAJOR TRAFFIC ARTERIALS ON AND AROUND THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE, EXPRESSWAY AND RELIEVER FOR HIGHWAY 50 City Engineer/Utilities Director Shira presented a map of the proposed Beltway and Turnpike improvements, and gave different examples of how to connect the major roadways in the City to the Beltway and Turnpike without further closing up SR 50. THE ApOPKA ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT Assistant Administrator Douglas said that in the last legislative session, funds were allocated for the buying out of muck farms, and most of the farms have been purchased. He will be returning to Tallahassee requesting some sort of economic project or process as well as funding to protect the economic development of that area. IF AS FACILITY Assistant Administrator Douglas discussed the City's success in getting allocations of funding for the construction of the new consolidated IFAS Facility near Lake Apopka. Mr. Douglas said that while they have the funds for construction of this building, they still need allocations of funds for the property on which the building is to be constructed. The allocated funds from the property would help offset the impact of the mud farm buyout program. He asked that the City of Ocoee consider putting this issue on an agenda for support. PROPERTY LEGAL DESCRIPTION Assistant Administrator Douglas said that the legal description of property still is required to be in metes and bounds. The City of Apopka proposed that the state law allow the description be changed to Tax J.D. Number or Property J.D. Number. MANDATED IMPACT ON TRIM PROCESS Assistant Administrator Douglas said this issue had to do with last year's hiring of school crossing guards. Many of the cities in Orange County received an extra expense in their budget for school crossing guards and some cities had to alter their Trim Bill to accommodate this additional cost. The City of Apopka would like to change the Trim Bill process so that if a cost is transferred from one agency to another, it should be allowed to disclose the cause of the increased tax to the public. GENERAL DISCUSSION Mavor Land: 1) Read an editorial in the Orlando Sentinel the day after the election for the one cent sales tax on where the County was going. He said to watch and be sure what they are doing is not detrimental to the cities. 2) Thanked the City of Ocoee for its hospitality. City Manager Holden: 1) Announced that there was a Tax Equalization meeting Wednesday, November 12, 1997. 3 Joint-City Meeting with Apopka and Winter Garden Held November 10, 1997 Commissioner Dean: I) Thanked the City of Ocoee for its hospitality. Assistant Administrator Doue:las: Called attention to the copy of the proposed bill to be entitled "Taxpayer Protection Act" in the packets having to do with the bills that go to Tallahassee concerning salaries, benefits and pensions. When those bills are passed, the costs are transferred to local governments. City Manager Shapiro said there would be a strong attempt by the IAFF, GP A, and Fire and Police to push for a strong benefit package in the next legislative session, and if this bill is passed, cities that do not comply will lose the 175 and 185 monies. The Cities of Apopka, Ocoee, and Winter Garden reached consensus that the City of Apopka would draft a resolution supporting the "Taxpayer Protection Act" and pass it on to the other two Cities. Mavor Vandere:rift: I) Thanked staff for all their efforts in making the other city representatives feel at home. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:33 p.m. APPROVED: 4