Loading...
06-24-1998 - Special Nue CITY COUNCIL OF EDGEWATER SPECIAL MEETING JUNE 24, 1998 7:00 P.M. COMMUNITY CENTER MINUTES CALL TO ORDER Mayor Allman called the Special Meeting to order at 5:00 p.m. in the Community Center. ROLL CALL Mayor Randy Allman Present Councilman James Gornto Excused Councilman Myron Hammond Present Councilman Gary Roberts Present Councilwoman Judith Lichter Present City Attorney Nikki Clayton Present Interim City Manager Kenneth Hooper Excused City Clerk Susan Wadsworth Present Police Chief Lawrence Schumaker Present MEETING PURPOSE The purpose of the meeting was to consider adopting an emergency ordinance which would ban purchase or sale of fireworks and all open air burning. Mayor Allman asked Acting Fire Chief Tracey Barlow his feelings on cookouts. Mr. Barlow stated at this time they are asking for a voluntary ban on cookouts. Mayor Allman saw on the news where the Governor may come out with a statewide ordinance regarding this. Mayor Allman read Ordinance 98 -0 -04. Councilwoman Lichter suggested this be put on television on the news due to not everyone getting newspapers. She feels this information needs to get out to the public. City Attorney Clayton asked if the City Clerk could make copies so the radio stations and televisions could be made aware. City Clerk Wadsworth agreed to contact the television stations tomorrow. Mr. Barlow informed this was placed on the home page on the Internet for CET. Councilman Hammond stated he had a customer who said she wanted to make fliers on her computer and go around and post notices at the businesses in Edgewater. Mayor Allman feels this is necessary due to the severe situation we are in right now. Councilman Roberts stated in the meeting notice it says the ban of the purchase of fireworks where in the ordinance it is basically the use of the fireworks. Mr. Barlow explained it appears to be an error on the first page. When you talk about restricting and changing the law on the sale of fireworks, you essentially open this up to a possible lawsuit. So they are going for the use. Councilwoman Lichter suggested getting helpful hints into the newspaper such as being prepared in case we have to evacuate. After they vote on this, they should take preliminary precautions. Mayor Allman commented on the thick smoke in Port Orange yesterday and needing a mask. With the elderly we have here, do we have anything to assist these people with. Mr. Barlow explained if a condition like that happened, the only thing we can do is assist them with evacuation to a safe area. Councilman Roberts made a motion to adopt Ord. 98 -0 -04, second by Councilwoman Lichter. The motion CARRIED 4 -0. Councilwoman Lichter commented on during hurricanes there are evacuation routes. With the fires, there may be routes that are totally closed. Mr. Barlow elaborated on Councilwoman Lichter's concerns. Routes closed change hourly. There was some discussion regarding the fires around the State of Florida. Councilwoman Lichter asked about pets. Mr. Barlow informed her they could be taken to the Volusia County Fairgrounds. Councilman Roberts stated yesterday he met with a concerned citizen and Interim City Manager Hooper and that citizen asked that they have a workshop so they can talk to a group of people about their concerns with the City. He feels this is a wise idea considering the friction going on in the City. They could set a date at the next meeting. The citizens were hoping to meet possibly on July 9th. The next Council meeting is July 6th. City Attorney Clayton spoke about a Special Meeting with the City of New Smyrna Beach tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. at the South Campus of Daytona Beach Community College regarding the YMCA. The Oak Hill community has been invited, the County Council representative has been invited, the YMCA representative has been invited who thinks he will be bringing hospital representatives who want to talk about the establishment of a wellness center. Councilman Roberts feels the County Council representatives at large should be present as well as Jim Ward. Councilwoman Lichter stated she is trying to go into that meeting with an open mind. She wishes she had more background on the YMCA before they have a meeting. She will go to this meeting with an open mind for discussion but she can't help coming in with a particular viewpoint. Councilman Hammond stated if they build this gymnasium and they can't maintain it then it falls back on the taxpayers. Mayor Allman stated everything done with the City falls back on the taxpayers eventually. Councilman Hammond stated people think it is going to be a free gym. They will have to pay for the uses. He is looking for a way to enhance growth in the area. Councilwoman Lichter stated where she used to live, they could use the facilities of the schools. She thinks to have something of our own with potential use and control by our City would give us something we do not have now, identity. Councilman Roberts elaborated on why he feels each side has pros and cons. He feels there is a lot to discuss and it is going to be a tough decision which way they go. He feels they need to give the people a nice place in the City of Edgewater for recreation and activities. Councilwoman Lichter would have liked to have had more information on why the YMCA was turned down by the New Smyrna population. Councilman Roberts stated it was very nice of the church to donate the land, but they are going to be restrictive there which could be a problem. He believes New Smyrna turned it down because they were going to support it financially as far as the construction through a bond issue. When the YMCA was built in Port Orange, they did it with strictly Port Orange money and leased it back to the YMCA. If we did it by consolidating several cities in the County then the financial impact isn't on just one community. Page -2- Council Special Meeting June 24, 1998 \✓ 'w Mayor Allman stated they will find out why New Smyrna turned it down tomorrow. City Attorney Clayton stated she thinks the City of New Smyrna is not expecting any kind of proposal other than let's talk about whether we have any opportunities, where we are, and what areas of mutual interest the cities have. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, Councilwoman Lichter made a motion to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 5:23 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lisa Kruckmeyer Page -3- Council Special Meeting June 24, 1998