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07-02-2013 - Town Hall CITY COUNCIL OF EDGEWATER TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 2, 2013 6:30 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS MINUTES 1. INTRODUCTION & WELCOME Councilman Emter presented the introduction and welcomed everyone. He asked everyone sitting towards the back to move forward, which they did at this time. There was a pledge of allegiance to the Flag. Councilman Emter wanted to talk about the rules of the road and identified this wasn' t a usual type of City meeting as it was informal . They were there for the purpose of communication and to hear what the citizens of Edgewater had to say and to find out if there were issues or problems the City could help solve . Councilman Emter wanted to go around and have everyone identify who they were, the area they were from and if they were representing an HOA, which they did at this time . Councilman Emter informed the public present the first thing he wanted to do was hear from them. He informed the public they had yellow comment sheets and if they had individual questions they wanted to have answered he asked them to fill them out and get them to him or City Manager Tracey Barlow or anybody else and they would get back to them with some answers . 2 . PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED QUESTIONS There were no previously submitted questions to be discussed. 3. CITY STATUS PRESENTATION There was a discussion regarding why the Mayor, Councilwoman Power and Councilwoman Bennington were not there. Concerns were expressed by Mr. Overton that they were not there. Councilman Emter identified he was the one that set this up. City Manager Barlow informed the public that due to the holiday week, two of the Councilmembers were out of town on vacation. A gentleman expressed concern with finding out about the meeting this morning in the newspaper and asked how the line of communication went out, which Councilman Emter identified for him. 1 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 There was a brief discussion regarding not having contact information for some of the Homeowners Associations, which Councilman Emter encouraged the public to provide to the City so they could continue the communication. A gentleman from Edgewater Lakes spoke of taking over their Association when Sea Gate pulled out June 30, 2012 . Most recently they received from one of their residents a citation about a tree. That information was sent to Sea Gate in Palm Coast. They never received any correspondence and needed to have that information updated. City Manager Barlow asked the gentleman as well as anyone else to leave their information with City Clerk Wenzel to be updated. Councilman Emter identified the City had a number of ways the citizens could get their questions directly to the people who belong there. A gentleman commented on using the TracEZ on the City' s website a couple of months ago to send correspondence to the Police Chief, Council and Code Enforcement. Within 45 minutes there was a Police Officer at his house following up on his e-mail, which he identified as a request. He felt the TracEZ program was the most valuable asset. City Manager Barlow then showed the audience the TracEZ program available on the City' s website. He also pointed out under "Contact Us" were the phone numbers and e-mail addresses for each of the departments . He then showed them where they can sign up to receive the City' s newsletter electronically. They were still going out quarterly with the water bills also. He then referred to Latest News and Quick Menu. Councilman Emter asked City Manager Barlow to show the audience where the agendas and videos were, which City Manager Barlow identified could be found on Webcasts under Quick Menu and further explained how it works . A lady in the audience commented on resurfacing issues in Wildwood, which were taken care of once she spoke with City Manager Barlow. She spoke of receiving information from the previous Utilities Director about when the resurfacing would be done but when he retired and was replaced evidently there was no continuity between what she was told to what the new person was told and how it was being budgeted. She questioned when the Councilmembers and departments change if there was continuity to information and things that have been stated now. City Manager Barlow stated he came in the job December 17, 2007 and started his transition plan then. He spoke of the Council putting goals on paper so they have that continuity going forward. 2 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 City Manager Barlow spoke of going out every two years and prioritizing the streets that need to be resurfaced. He then identified his tenure with the City as having over 20 years with the Fire Department, 10 years as Fire Chief and also serving as the Emergency Management Director and the importance of the continuity of operations . He spoke of implementing a two-day orientation when the Councilmembers change. Mr. Overton asked if the street plan for paving was on the website. City Manager Barlow informed him it was not as a result of the list continually changing and that it was due to be updated this year. City Manager Barlow further identified for Mr. Overton that the streets in Edgewater Landing were in relatively good shape in comparison to the rest of the streets in Edgewater and that they were 44th on the priority list. He spoke of budgeting $150, 000 and because of getting a pretty good deal on asphalt they were able to add two more streets to this year's list which would move the other streets up a little faster. Mr. Overton mentioned paving that was recently done on Riverside Drive. City Manager Barlow informed him they were able to do from SR 442 south where it comes out on U. S . #1 . They were also able to do Fernald, which was on next year' s list. A gentleman asked if the median work on U. S. #1 was County or City dollars . City Manager Barlow informed him it was the State and further described that FDOT was doing an Access Management Plan and reconfiguring the medians to make South Ridgewood Avenue safer. He also mentioned the State giving the City grant money and the City matching some of their money to take advantage of the opportunity while the construction crews were there to beautify the medians that were ripped up. Along with that they were going to rip out the sidewalks as they had received almost $2 . 5 million from the State to do a right-of-way certification of U. S. #1 which had never been done and also a sidewalk design. The hoped to have the second phase bid out by July or August, which was a $1 . 1 million project to finish the sidewalks down both sides of U. S. #1 to SR 442 and only on the east side of U. S. #1 south of SR 442 down to Volco Road. He spoke of trying to make pedestrian traffic safer. He further commented on having a master pedestrian plan to connect sidewalks at the Hawks Park/YMCA facility as well as the East Central Florida Regional Rail Trail head which would be at Rotary Park. There was a brief discussion regarding most of this being under a grant, including matching grants . A gentleman expressed concern with turning into TD Bank off of Falcon Avenue and questioned if there was something planned to improve or 3 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 renegotiate that as a result of the traffic at this intersection. He further expressed concern with people coming from Florida Shores going through Mariners Gate. City Manager Barlow spoke of when Riverside Bank was originally built there all of that was traffic engineered. This was the first time he was hearing of a situation so there was nothing in the plans to correct anything there. He agreed to put it on his list for stormwater and traffic. He also explained there wasn' t much he could do to about the through traffic in Mariners Gate to calm that as this was a public street. The gentleman suggested placing a stop sign on Mariners Gate Drive where it intersected with Central Mariners Drive . City Manager Barlow agreed to evaluate the situation. The gentleman also mentioned that they had put additional street lights in Mariners Gate. City Manager Barlow wasn' t opposed to putting "no through traffic" signs adding it wasn' t enforceable, but felt it did deter some. A gentleman then commented on going to the YMCA on Turgot Avenue and questioned if there was any way to get a street light at Turgot Avenue and U. S . #1 . Councilman Ignasiak identified the Council had already discussed this and he considered this a safety issue. The gentleman further expressed concern with southbound traffic making a u-turn at Turgot Avenue as well as northbound traffic turning left. City Manager Barlow spoke of evaluating the cost of making a right turn lane to go south on U. S. #1 so they wouldn't be stacking up which they felt may help alleviate some. The City owns the property so it would be easy to acquire the right-of-way. City Manager Barlow commented on three traffic studies that were done and none of them warranted a light at Turgot Avenue. He also mentioned the need for a light at another bad intersection at Marion Avenue and U. S . #1 . Dan Valenzisi, Coral Trace, commented on the condition of the roads in Coral Trace and who was responsible for the maintenance of those roads . City Manager Barlow informed him everything beyond their gates was private roads so the HOA would be responsible for the maintenance of those roads, which allows them to have the gates . Mr. Valenzisi asked about who could inspect the condition of the roads . City Manager Barlow informed him they did that when the roads were finalized and approved to be turned over to the developer but he could provide him with some reputable engineers that could do that for the HOA. Mr. Valenzisi requested the City' s Engineer do another inspection of the roads in Coral Trace. City Manager Barlow stated the deeds were written in a way where once a certain percentage of development was complete all of those amenities, including the roads were turned over 4 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 to the HOA. Anything beyond that would be a civil matter between the HOA and the developer as far as any additional repairs as a result of their wear and tear. Three years ago, because it was an issue then, the City' s engineer had sent a letter to the HOA based on an evaluation. He couldn't continue to apply city resources . Mr. Valenzisi expressed concern with the speeding in Coral Trace . City Manager Barlow informed him the traffic laws could still be enforced within there . He also informed him of the smart cart that could be put out there. City Manager Barlow encouraged the public to put in a request through TracEZ if they wanted a particular department director to attend their HOA meetings to discuss a particular topic. Mr. Valenzisi then expressed concern with properties located around Coral Trace. City Manager Barlow identified Mr. Valenzisi was talking about the property in front of Coral Trace that was zoned commercial . He also commented on the north side of Cow Creek Road that was west of Coral Trace being in the County and they were going through the annexation process with the City. Council would see the agenda request on the July 15th agenda where residents could express their concerns . He also mentioned the property would be rezoned and they could address their concerns with the rezoning during the public hearing. Mr. Valenzisi expressed concern with a convenience store being located in front of Coral Trace and the potential for the gas tanks leaking fuel and going into the water supply. City Manager Barlow informed him if the site plan was over 2, 500 square feet then it would come back formally before the Council as a development order. The annexation for the Cow Creek property had been through Planning & Zoning and would be heard by the City Council on July 15th. City Manager Barlow further commented on the annexation approval process, which starts at the Planning & Zoning Board and then comes before Council . Mr. Valenzisi also expressed concern with a campground being located close by and the dangers associated with the propane tanks on the campers and sewer being dumped on the ground. City Manager Barlow informed him anything would have to fit within the safety parameters and be compatible with their neighbors . City Manager Barlow further identified for Mr. Valenzisi that the agendas are published, the Council meetings are held once a month and certain items have to be advertised in the News Journal for public 5 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 hearing. City Clerk Wenzel pointed out they were typically located in the Classified Section under the Legal Notices . There was a brief discussion regarding people adjacent to a particular property being noticed if the property designation was potentially going to be changed. Councilman Ignasiak spoke of needing to know about the public' s concerns before something is brought before the Council . He felt they needed community input in order to make sure the City isn' t turned into something it' s not. Mr. Valenzisi further commented on the potential for growth in Edgewater. Councilman Ignasiak felt growth was inevitable, but how fast they grow and what they grow into is something the public has input on and in some cases the City has control over. He encouraged the public to communicate with the Council when they have concerns . Mr. Valenzisi further commented on economic development. City Manager Barlow commented on some of the things the City has done to attract economic development. There was a discussion regarding Coronado Paint closing and moving to Alabama and the building currently sitting vacant. A gentleman in the audience commented on SeaGate Homes coming before Council and getting approval for a three phase development. Halfway through phase one they went into foreclosure and the bank sold off the 53 remaining lots in phase one . He asked if on phase two and phase three when the bank sells that would they have to abide by the master plan that was approved by the City for the development of that land. City Manager Barlow believed both of those phases had designs and he thought phase two had entitlements . He didn' t know if there were expirations on the entitlements . They could come in and amend it and have a better plan that they would be receptive to and the amendment to it. If there are entitlements, they can come back and petition for a better plan. City Manager Barlow explained that all of the incentives have been to attract non-residential development to help diversify the tax base and make it more sustainable. Sixty eight percent of Edgewater' s taxes are made up of a residential tax base. He spoke of seeing an increase on the commercial tax base over the last five years . They haven' t discouraged any residential development but the incentives have been to get more commercial here. Anne McDevitt, Edgewater Landing, asked City Manager Barlow to tell her about the Central Florida Regional Rail Trail, which he did at this time. He then commented on a video the County did, a rendition 6 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 of what the trail would look like and the path of that that were available on the City' s website . City Manager Barlow spoke of the trails being very successful and this not being new to Florida. He then commented on the crime factor residents think this will bring. He assured the residents it was safe. 4 . PRELIMINARY BUDGET PRESENTATION Councilman Emter spoke of being in the process of developing the budget for Fiscal Year 2014 . He pointed out they asked Finance Director John McKinney to give an idea of where they stand as far as the budget development was concerned for this coming year to give the residents a perspective of what they were looking at. The budget would not be done until September. City Manager Barlow passed out a handout. Mr. McKinney disclosed that not only did he handle the overall finances for the City but he was also responsible for sending out the water bills . He encouraged the residents to use customerservice @cityofedgewater.org with any questions or concerns . Mr. McKinney went through a Powerpoint Presentation and described where they had seen an increase and decrease in their taxable value. He further described why Edgewater was one of the few cities that have seen a resurgence in the current fiscal year and the projected increase going into the upcoming fiscal year. The City had over 300 home sales just in the last six months and were seeing 60 to 70 new utility accounts every month. Mr. McKinney then commented on the 2004 Property Tax on a Residential Home in Edgewater compared to 2014 . He then commented on the City' s tax base improving as a result of expanding the commercial/industrial base. Mr. McKinney then commented on the Rolled Back Rate vs . the Adopted Rate. He further described what the millage rate was . They have two types of funds in the City, the taxpayer which was the General Fund and the rate payer which were the Enterprise Funds such as Water, Sewer, Refuse, Stormwater, etc. Tonight he was only talking about the General Fund; which includes Police, Fire, Code Enforcement, Parks, etc. For revenue they have ad valorem taxes; State shared revenue; franchise fees; and utility taxes . He also pointed out the City had a savings account, that was used for the last four years to bridge the gap between the other main revenue sources of the City to balance the budget. The city sold off all the land in ParkTowne, which was where the savings account was generated from, however, that money was no longer available . 7 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 Mr. McKinney then described the Tax Analysis and compared the General Fund Expenditures Breakdown for FY2004 and FY2014 . Mr. McKinney then went over a chart that was provided by the Property Appraiser regarding the 2001 Final through 2013 Preliminary Roll - PCI to Tax Roll & Taxes Levied Increases . City Manager Barlow pointed out when they see a 16% decrease in a piece of property and the Save Our Homes clause only allows it to increase by 3% it takes several strong years before they can make up for the damage that was done in one year. Mr. McKinney spoke of shifting their revenue streams over the last few years to make up for the economy. Mr. McKinney then informed everyone present they would have another budget workshop on July 15th at 5 p.m. which was immediately prior to the Regular City Council meeting. In August they would be having two public workshops of which only one is required, which would be conducted prior to the Council meeting. In September, they have their two public hearings regarding the millage rate and the budget. Councilman Emter asked that in the interest of time if they had a question about the budget to catch Mr. McKinney afterwards and he would get that answered. 5. FINAL THOUGHTS Councilman Emter was impressed with the questions and the answers and expressed his appreciation for getting together and getting those kinds of questions and answers . He encouraged the public to fill out the question/comment sheet. Councilman Emter asked if the meeting was worth it and worth carrying on on a fairly regular basis . He and City Manager Barlow had talked about the possibility and if the public felt it was valuable, that they might like to set it up on a regular basis, monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly. The residents felt it should be done quarterly. City Manager Barlow asked if they were doing it quarterly if Tuesday night at 6: 30 p.m. was good for everyone . Councilman Emter asked if everyone represented at the meeting had e- mail, which was the easiest way to get them information. He asked that the information be provided to City Clerk Wenzel . Councilman Emter identified that any one of the Council would be willing to speak at their respective HOA meetings . 8 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013 Mr. Overton thanked them for putting this program together. He felt it was very informative with a lot of good information that they can use to answer questions . Councilman Emter encouraged the residents to take the information back to their HOAs . Councilman Emter thanked everyone for being there. 6. ADJOURNMENT Due to there being no further business to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 8 : 10 p.m. Minutes submitted by: Lisa Bloomer, CMC 9 Town Hall Meeting July 2, 2013