Loading...
1979-06-21 Recessed Meeting 2457 Conway, Jrt, West Palm Beach. The Council decided to wait for Councilman Knight's review of the application at the June 21, 1979, Workshop. DISBURSEMENTS Vouchers on the following funds were approved: Water & Sewer Operation &Maintenance $43,506.03 Water & Sewer System Revenue Fund $1,983.32 Water & Sewer Revenue Fund $44,021.65 Anti-Recession Fund $2,873.33 Cigarette Tax Fund $280,830.35 Federal Revenue Sharing Trust Fund $132,670.03 General Fund $43,627.24 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Meeting recessed at 12:05 A.M. ~ard W. Dohgi~s .... / President City Counci~ City of 0keechobee ATTEST: City Clerk City of Okeechobee RECESSED MEETING THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1979 The City Council of the City of Okeechobee, Florida, convened in a Recessed Meeting in the Council Chambers at the City Hall, Okeechobee, Florida, at 7:00 P.M. Thursday, June 21, 1979. President Edward W. Douglas presiding. Councilman OAkland Chapman, Jim Knight, Donald Burk and Lytle Raulerson were present. Others present were: Bonnie S. Thomas, City Clerk; L.C. Fortner, Director of Public Works; Keith Tomey, Fire Chief; Larry Mobley, Police Chief; David Conlon, City Attorney and Sylvia Christian, Deputy Clerk. 79-63 FIRE DEPARTMENT 1) HIRING NEW MAN Councilman Knight informed the Council that he had interviewed ap- 2458 plicant John William En~nons for the position of fireman. He felt, after examination of qualifications of other applicants, Emmons was the best choice. After deliberation, Councilman Knight moved to employ John William Emmons as fireman for the City of Okeechobee, seconded by Councilman Chapman. Councilmen Knight and Chapman voted "yea", Councilman Raulerson and Burk opposed. President Douglas voted "yea" to break the tie, motion passed. 2 ) PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Chief Tomey presented the Council with information, as requested, con- cerning physical examinations for firemen. After checking cost with several Doctors and hospitals he recommended a proposal froTM local Dr. E. E. Williams. It was Dr. William's opinion that, employees under the age of Twenty-five (25) do not need to undergo the cardiac test or two step test. A complete physical will cost them Fifty Dollars ($50.00). Men over the age of twenty-five (25) need the cardiac test along with the complete physical for an additional Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00). The examination to be repeated every three years, men over Fifty (50) every two years. After brief discussion Councilman Knight made the motion that the City Fire Department employees undergo the physicals, seconded by Councilman Raulerson and vote carried. 79-69 POLICE DEPARTMENT 1) PROBATIONARY RAISES Police Chief Mobley presented the matter of probationary raises for Noel Lee Duncan and Jerome Smith, previously discussed at the June 12, 1979, meeting. Chief Mobley once again recommends that the City grant probation- ary raises in the amount of Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) to these two employees. Councilman Raulerson stated he had listened to the tapes of the April 24, 1979, meeting, and noted the motion was made pertaining to any employees hired after that particular meeting. The new employees would not receive any raise in salary after their probationary period was completed. Thereby, the motion did not pertain to Duncan and Smith. 2459 In view of this, Councilman Chapman moved to grant policemen Smith and Duncan probationary salary increases of Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) each, seconded by Councilman Raulerson and vote carried. 2) TWO NEW PATROL CARS As in the meeting of June 12, 1979, Chief Mobley requested permission to advertise for payment and delivery in 1979-80 budget year two new patrol cars. Attorney Conlon advised if the Council advertises now before new budget year, and a bid is awarded, we will have created a contractual obligation which obligates monies not in current budget. However, Attorney Conlon suggested the Council do an invitation to bid and advertise. Then after reviewing the bids issue a letter of intent stating to the company awarded the bid, that our intentions are to purchase two vehicles. This then would not be a legally binding c ontrac t. Councilman Chapman moved to authorize Police Chief Mobley to ad- vertise for bids on two new patrol cars, and upon receipt of the bids the Chief will issue a letter to the company awarded the bid that our intentions are to purchase two vehicles, seconded by Councilman Burk and vote carried. 79-57 CHARLES ALLEN ROBERTSON Charles Allen Robertson addressed the Council in regard to the Mobile Home Subdivision Expansion issue (Markham and Williams). Since this issue has been before the Planning Board and the City Council, he requests that the City Council make a decision on this matter. President Douglas called for discussion from the Council members. Councilman Raulerson noted the Zoning Ordinance states mobile home park expansion must have fifteen (15) acres. The Zoning Ordinance must be amended before the Markham-Williams issue can be settled. The Planning Board brought before the Council the recommendation for waiver of minimum acreage, each request to be taken on a case by case basis, which the Council rejected. Since the issue was tabled at a previous meeting, Councilman Raulerson moved to untable the motion regarding the waiver of minimum acreage, seconded 246O by Councilman Chapman and vote carried. WAIVER OF MINIMUM ACREAGE REQUIREMENTS With the floor now open for discussion of waiver of minimum acreage requirements, Councilman Burk recommended staying with the existing fifteen (15) acre requirement. Charles 'Robertson stated his particular piece of property is now zoned "Holding" but needs to be used. If the Ordinance remains as is, the property is useless. Councilman Raulerson noted a piece of property cannot be zoned out of its use. In regards to the Markham-Williams request, the only use would be a mobile home subdivision because of the depth of the lot. This would have a bearing on any decision to amend the present Zoning Ordinance. Councilman Raulerson also informed the Council that this is the only mobile home subdivision within the City limits. If the minimum acreage requirement is dropped for expansion of existing use, here, this would not open the door for other expansions because they would be required --~ to have fifteen (15) acres or more to establish a new park. President Douglas suggested the Council make a decision whether to amend the Zoning Ordinance or not. The present Ordinance lacks a clause for growth and expansion. Attorney Conlon stated the Council has three alternatives 1) to table this issue again, 2) deny the Planning Board request, or 3) adver- tise for Public Hearing to amend Zoning Ordinance. After deliberation, Councilman Burk moved to amend Ordinance #402 to state regarding existing residential mobile home parks or subdivisions that we allow expansion of no less than five (5) acre amounts to be permit- ted. Attorney Conlon suggested rewording Section 8.11, the last sentence to read as follows: "This provision shall not be deemed, however, to permit the establish- ment of new facilities under this section except in conformity with all -~ requirements herein set out, provided, however, that the expansion of existing facilities shall only require a minimum acreage of five (5) acres." 2461 President Douglas questioned the word "existing" in the provision, noting that the Council would still be limiting the expansion to one individual case. Attorney Conlon said the word "existing" could be eliminated, but this would make it less restrictive. After discussion Councilman Burk withdrew his original motion. Councilman Raulerson moved to advertise for Public Hearing to amend Ordinance #402 to change Section 8 of Mobile Home Park and Subdivisions, to permit the establishment of new facilities on mobile home parks would require eight (8) acres; the establishment of new facilities of a mobile home subdivision would require fifteen (15) acres; but the expansion of both facilities would be five (5) acres or more, seconded by Councilman Burk and vote carried. 79-7# COMMUNICATIONS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS A. Attorney 1) ORDINANCE ON PARKING OF JUNK AND ABANDONED VEHICLES Attorney Conlon presented a new Ordinance on Parking of Junk, Scrap Metal, Abandoned Vehicles, etc. He asked that the Council instruct him as to the items in Section 4 regarding amount of fine and term of imprisonment. President Douglas read the proposed Ordinance and called for discussion. Councilman Burk suggested a fine of Three Hundred Dollars ($300.00) or Thirty (30) days and to instruct the City Clerk to advertise, seconded by Council- man Raulerson and vote carried. 2) NOTICE TO CUT AND REMOVE EXCESS GROWTH OF WEEDS AND PLANTS Attorney Conlon presented the revised letter Notice to Cut and Remove Excess Growth of Weeds and Plants. President Douglas read the Notice as follows: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, That the following described real property is in violation of Chapter 11, Section 11-3 of the code of ordinances of the City of Okeechobee, Florida, because of excessive growth of weeds, bushes, or other noxious plants, to-wit: IF YOU FAIL TO COMPLY with this notice the City of Okeechobee will cause said excessive weeds, bushes, or other noxious plants to be cut and to be removed from said premises and the cost thereof will be as- sessed against the property which said weeds are growing or located on. Chapter 11 Sec. 11-3 and 11-4 Code of Ordinances City of Okeechobee GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY 2462' Councilman Raulerson moved to adopt the Notice as read, seconded by Councilman Chapman. 3) PROPOSED DOG ORDINANCE After reviewing the proposed Dog Ordinance, Attorney Conlon stated it is near completion. However, there are a few items that need to be changed as follows: a) Section 1.e - Humane Officer: Any person designated by the City of Okeechobee, who is qualified to perform such duties under the laws of this state. b) Section 2 - A license tag fee of Three Dollars and 50/100ths ($3.50) per.year for each dog or cat owned. Licenses shall be issued for a period of one (1) year and shall run from the first '(lst) day of August, 1979, in each calendar year to the thirty first (31st) day of July, the next follow- ing. c) Section 7 - For the purposes of this section, "Household" shall be deemed to mean any family, association, corporation, or group residing or utilizing a single structure, lot or parcel of land. d) Section 26 - Any person or persons, firms or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall upon conviction thereof be subject to a fine not to exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or by imprison- ment not to exceed Thirty (30) days or both fine and imprisonment. 4) ORDINANCES WITH FINES OR PENALTIES Attorney Conlon informed the Council and the City Clerk that any Or- dinances with a clause pertaining to a fine or penalty must be recorded at the County Courthouse. 5) PARKING OF TRUCKS, ABANDONED CARS~ ETC. ON CITY PROPERTY Building Official Spray asked Attorney Conlon to discuss with the Council the matter of parking trucks, abandoned vehicles, etc. on curhsides, streets and in alleyways. After brief discussion, Councilman Burk suggested this matter be tabled for the next Workshop Meeting, the Council concurred. B. CITY CLERK --~ City Clerk Bonnie Thomas presented the Discussion Draft Guide of Pro- posed Personnel Policies and Procedures for the City of Okeechobee for dis- cussion and/or changes by the Council. 2463 Clerk Thomas stated that changes to be mmde in the manual needed to be completed tonite if possible in order for Mr. Keesee to begin working on a payroll schedule that could be used in time for the new budget session. Councilman Burk asked Clerk Thomas if this was the manual he had al- ready noted his changes on or was it a new one. Clerk Thomas stated it was the original one with Councilman Burk's changes. President Douglas asked the Council if they have had the chance to go through the manual yet, or did they feel they still needed to take it and go through it and discuss it at the next meeting for any corrections, ad- ditions or deletions. President Douglas asked Clerk Thomas if that was all. Clerk Thomas stated yes, but she thought the Council was going to tell her what the corrections were, tonight, to get it ready. She supposed they didn't want to do that. President Douglas stated apparently not. C. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS 1) Director Fortner presented the Annual Report of the Water, Sewer and Street Departments. 2) Director Fortner informed the Council a developer has twenty-four (24) lots west of town, west of DeBerry Gardens that he wants to develope and put City water in. Director Fortner presented plans for water mains and applications to DER for permit to construct. Attorney Conlon stated a policy should be provided for the Public Works Department whether to extend water to developers out of the City limits without requiring fire protection. After lengthy discussion Councilman Burk moved to take this matter up at a later date, seconded by Councilman Raulerson and vote carried. D. CITY CLERK In regards to the drafting of the City Policy manual, the City Clerk wanted to clarify her statement regarding the necessity of making necessary corrections and appr~oving the manual. City Clerk Thomas noted that a great deal of time and effort has gone into preparing this draft and a final decision is needed. Each Councilman and Department Head was give~a copy of the draft prior to this meeting to 2464 make any necessary changes or recommendations. Councilman Burk stated he had gone through the manual, made fifty (50) of sixty (60) proposed changes and went over them with the City Clerk and Mr. Keesee, who made notations on his copy. Councilman Burk requests that these changes be adopted. He was not aware of the fact that it was urgent for this to be done tonight. Clerk Thomas informed the Council the minor changes in wording Councilman BUrk~refered to were made in the manual before them and copies with recommended corrections were distributed to Department heads. Councilman Burk stated there was a major change on page eighteen (18) of the manual regarding holidays. Paid holidays on New Year's Day, National Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas. On his proposal he struck the day after Christmas and the day after Thanksgiving, left Veteran's Day (not presently on the schedule) and left the two other days up to the option of the Council whether to grant them or not. Also, on page twenty-three (23) Councilman Burk thought it was important __~ to change the conversion rate (for unused sick leave, etc.) from fifty per cent (50%) to twenty-five per cent (25%). The Department heads then voiced their opinions, regarding annual leave; benefits not mentioned in manual that the City offers such as insurance, re- tirement plan, telephone, uniforms, bonding, reimbursement for personal property damage. In Section 2.10 the phrase "provided otherwise qualified" was added. In Section 3.31 it was reworded to begin "For any employees hired after the effective date of this manual, it is the policy of the City that no two mem- bers of the same immediate family are to be employed within the same depart- ment, either on a permanent or temporary basis. In Section 4.80 the Street Department Supervisor phrase was deleted. In Section 5.33 the words "for emergencies only" were added. In Section 5.51 the words "and a copy to the City attorney" wer~added to the last sentence. In Section 8.30-12 the word quarterly was inserted instead of periodically. Section 8.50-3 Process for --~. medical examination, when required. Section 10.50 a portion of the last sentence "or request the City Council to approve payment to the employee in 2465 lieu of vacation leave or grant an exception to the thirty day maximum, whichever the employee selects", was deleted. In Section 10.60: There shall be no payment to probationary employees on appraisal and approval by Council only. In Section 14.20 add phrase "Additional days may be designa- ted by the Department Heads." In Section 14.40 "The Council shall at their discretion either approve or disapprove requests ..." In Section 15.20 a sentence was reworded to read "The employee receives pay for all accumulated vacation leave and sick leave up to fifteen (15) days." In Section 15.30 the words "does not" were deleted from the sentence "He may be separated from the City ..." The Council concurred with these changes. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Meeting adjourned at 11:15 P.M. ~dward W. D~uglas - ~ President City CounCil City of Okeechobee ATTEST: Bonnie S. Thomas City Clerk City of Okeechobee SECOND REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1979 The City Council of the City of Okeechobee, Florida, convened in a Regular Meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall, Okeechobee, Florida, at 7:00 P.M., Tuesday, June 26, 1979. President Edward W. Douglas presiding. Councilmen Oakland Chapman, Jim Knight, Donald Burk and Lytle Rauler- son were present. Others present were: Bonnie S. Thomas,~ City Clerk; L.C. Fortner, Director of Public Works; Keith Tomey, Fire Chief; David Conlon, City At- torney; David Hunter, Humane Officer and Sylvia Christian, Deputy Clerk. The Invocation was offered by President Douglas. AGENDA RECESSED MEETING JUNE 21, 1979 7:00 P.M. 1. Jim Knight - Hiring new fireman 2. Chief Mobley - Employee probation 3. Advance purchase of Police patrol cars (Get bids now, pay for in new budget) 4. COMMUNICATIONS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS A. Attorney - a. Wording of bids for new police cars b. Ordinance for Dogs c. Discussion: Parking of junk and abandoned vehicles on streets or curbsides B. City Clerk - City Council employee policy 5. COMMUNICATIONS FROM COUNCILMEN A. Edward W. Douglas B. Oakland Chapman Q. Jim Knight D. Donald Burk E. Lytle Raulerson 6. ADJOURNMENT