1974-12-03 Regular December 5, 1972
The City Council of the City of Okeechobee, Florida~ met in a regular meeting at the City
Hall on the above date at 7:00 P.M. with the followin~ present: ?fayor Audley Dunham, President
Russell V. Domer, Councilmen: E. H. Hunt, Edward W. Douglas, Donald L. Burk and C!if C. Betts, Jr.
Also .oresent were City Clerk, Sandra Bennett, Attorney David Conlon and Director of Public Works,
L. C. Fortne~r, Jr.
A ~re~ous reo. uest from Lester Jennings, Representing Robert Cardone and Colette
Cardone, ~is wife, an~ Arthur J. Cardone and Theresa C~.~done, his wife as their attorney for
rezoning of Lots ~, 2, ~ through ~2, Block 93, Original Town of Okeechobee from Residential (R-2)
'to Com.'aercial was presented. Councilman Douglas moved to authorize the notice of public hearing
be ~ublished in the Okeechobee News, seconded by Councilman Burk and carried.
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO AP~MD CITY ZONING ORDINANCE #27~
NOTICE is here~y ~ven that the CitM Council of the City of Okeechobee,
Florida, a municipal corporation, will consider rezoning from Residential (R-2)
to Commercial and to amend accordingly the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance ~27~
a~opted November 2~, 19~, the following described real property, situate,
lying and being within the corporate limits of the City of Okeechobee, Florida,
to-wit:
Lots ], 2, 2, ~, 6 ,7 through ] 2, inclusive, Block 93, Town of Okeechobee,
accordin~ of plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book ~, page 10, public
records of Okeechobee County, Florida
and that a public hearing in relation thereto will be held at 7:00 P.M. on
the 7th day of January, !97~ in the City Council room, ~ity Hall, Okeechobee,
~orida, at which 'time all parties in interest and citizens shall have an
opportunity to be heard.
PLEASE GOVt~tN YOURSELVES ACCO~DINGLY.
Russell V. Domer
Russell V. Domer
Presidenfl City Council
Okeechobee, Florida
ATTEST: Sandra Bennett
City Clerk
Okeechobee, Florida
PUBLISH IN THE OKEECHOBEE NEWS: DEC~BER ~ 2, 1972
A request for a 20 hour work week was discussed for the Dog Warden. The Council agreed
to the request.
The Council designated December 2hth and 2[, 1972 as Christmas holidays. Employees
comp. elled to work on holidays will be given compensatory time or paid one day extra pay if the
D~martment i~ short of personel.
Council~!~an Burk moved to authorize $~.00 Christmas bonus to each city employee, seconded
by Councilman B~tts and carried.
President Domer read a letter from four teachers of the Okeechobee South Elementary
School, complementing Officer Ray Stone on an informative report about police work he gave to the
children.
A letter was also read from Foster V. Wright, Representative of Florida Combined
Insurance Agency, Inc. reco~nending the City increase the group plan from $2,g.00 room per day to
$~0.00 and 1.~.~or Major Medical IL~ximum increased to $7~,000.00 from $~0,000.00. The Council
instructed the Clerk to contact i.~r. Wright and request him to meet with the Council December ~O~ 1772
to discuss the increase.
Councilman Burk reported that he had observed the clearing of Block 1 22 East of the Shell
Station and inquired of Director Fortner why the City trucks were doing the hauling. Director
Fortner stated that they were only haulin~ off debri that was cleared in the alley.
Director Fortner reported that the repair work on the old settling basin would be completed
I'~nday. The Council reouested Director Fortner and Buildin~ Official ~ray to inspect the work and
report the completion of the work to the Council.
Attorney Conlon ~·ras asked for his ite~ls of business. He inquired if it would be agreeable
with the Council to schedule the quasi-judicial hearing to determine if oil, gas and electric
companies are in competition of each other, December 19, 197l~ at 7:00 P.M. ~he Council a~eed to
set up the hearing Decemberlg, 197~ at 7:00 P.M. Attorney Con!ey stated that it would be illegal
for the City's attorney to serve in both capacity as City's Advisory and City Attorney, therefore;
the City would need to employ an additional la~er to be the City's advisory Council. He stated
that he had contacted Tom Conley about accepting the position and he had a%reed if the Council
decided to engage his services. 'I%~e Council discussed with Attorney Con!on the amount of
compensation Attorney Con!ey would expect. Attorney Conlon stated that it wouldn't be over $2~0.00.
Councilman Betts moved to ~nya%e Attorney Conley to act as the City's advisory Council at the hearing
December 19, 197[~, at a fe~ no .~reater than $2~0.00, seconded by Councilman Burk and carried.
Attorney Conlon also reported that lit. Lee Thomas, Auditor, requested a statement from
himsel~ as City Attorney o~ a clause in the agreement between the City of Okeechobee and F.H.A.
on the wl~[O0,O00.O0 loan. 7le suo~%ested the City engage outside legal services.
Councilman Betts reported a re¢~uest for a street light on S.E. 8th Ave. from Roy Williams.
'Pne Council a~eed to add request to the street light request.
Requesting per,mission from the Department of Transportation to place an emergency sisal
light at S. E. 3rd Ave. an~ South Park Street to use only for the fire Department was discussed.
The Council instructed Director Fortner to contact the Department of Transportation requesting
authority to place the light st said section and inform them that the City has the light and pole.
Councilman Betts reported that he had called the Department of PollutionCon~rol~ on
i
ii obtaining a perm~it to destroy the building by fire donated by Clifton Lightsey for the purpose of
instruction and training of the firemen and they had informed him that the City wouldn't need to
· %et a written permit but to notify them when they planned to burn the building.
Director Fortner presented an above satisfactory employee ·performance evaluation on
Danny Helton in the Water Department. Director Fortner stated that Helton had completed his si~
months orobation with the ~,]ity and recommended his salary be increased $200.00 per year effective
November 20, 197h. Counci~.~n.~. Burk moved to increase Helton's salary, seconded by ~ouncmlman' Betts
and carried.
Director Fortner also presented a satisfactory employee performance evaluation on ~ll~am
Pokusa in the Water DeDart~lent. Director Fortner commented that Pok'usa has completed his six
months probation period an~ recommended is salary be increased $600.00 per year and classified as a
permanent employee. Councilman Betts moved to employ Polusa as a permanent employee and increase
his salary $600.00 seconde~] by CounciLman Burk and carried.
~ouncmlman Douglas reported the ditch at N.W. 2nd Ave. between 7th and 8th Street needed
cleaning. The Council referred matter to Director Fortner and authorized him to rent a bulldozer or
] [ [ 11 .... 1' [
tSO1
dragLine to do the work.
President Domer announced that the Council would sit as a canvansing Board to canvass
the election returns of the General City E~ection held December 3, 197~. The
following
is
the
count in accordance with ts!ley sheet as presented by of~cial election clerk, Doris A. Carden
and upon motion by Councilman Hunt, seconded by Councilman Betts and una~mously carried, the
count was accepted as per talley sheet prepared and presented by the official election board.
FOR MAYOR
Audley Du~am 2~8
P. P. Evans 173
'William H. ~er, Jr.
FOR CITY CL~K
Sandra Bereft
Violet (~ea) Briney 203
FOR CI57 C0~CIL~-~N:
~adis Lavon Bass 2~1
Leon E~ard ~ney 72
Russell V. Domer 300
~ward W. Douglas
J. E. Faircloth 11t
Harry David Hilliard 21
Mose Joiner, Jr. 233
H. Spencer ~rton 172
Paul Eugene Storey 8~
Wil~am L. Tedders 110
~E OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE ~{~L BE ~ECTITE ACCO~ING
TO SECTION 7 OF CI~ CH~T~
For ~72
Against 7[
Councilm~ Burk presented the following Resolution and moved its adoption and upon
bain~ . ~ seconded by Counci~n Betts was out~ to a vote and adopted.
RESOLUTION
~RE~, the City Council of the City of ~zeechobee, Florida, sitting
as a board of canvassers, has canvassed the returns of the ~neral City
Election held Dece~er 3, 197[, and
~F~E~, AUDLEY D~[ received the ~ghest n~ber of votes for ~'~yor,
RUSS~L V. DO~.[ER, ~{~IS LAVON BASS ~ ~D~t~ W. DOUGLAS received the ~ghest
nu~er of votes for Councilmen and S~.~DRA BEI~STT received the highest number
of votes for City Clerk.
NOW, ~EFO~E, BE IT RESOL~, that AUDL~ D~H~I be, and he is hereby
declared elected for four ([) years as l~yor; that RUSSELL V. DO~,
~IS LAVON BASS ~ ~W~D '~ff. DOUGLAS be, and they are hereby dedlared elected
for four ([) years as City Co~citmen: and that S~DRA B~NETT be, and she is
hereby declared elected City Clerk for four (h.) years.
BE IT ~RT~ ~SOL~ that ~he 5~ty Clerk be, and she' is hereby instructed
to issue and deliver 'certificates of e!ec~ion ~o each of the above persons.
PASS~ ~D ~OP~ in reg~ar session %~s 3rd day of December, A.D. !97[.
Russell V. Domer
PRESCOTT CITY CO~CIL
ATTEST: Sandra ~nnett
CI~ CLERK
~[E Above and foregoing ~sol~tion is hereby approved by me this 3rd day of Dece~er,
A.D. 197h. Audley D~am
"1 ' ' I -'I " ......... ..............
Upon r~otion the Council adjourned to ~,.eet December 10, 1972 at 7:00 P.M.
CIT]~ CLERK
Dece~er 10, 177]~
The City Council_ of the City of 0keechobee, Florida, met in a regular., adjournec' ~ session.
at the Citer .Hall on the above ' *'~ 7: ~'~'
~. aa~ at 00 P.~.'~. with the following present: l~yor Audley ~a~,
~esi~']enC [,~.ssell. V. Do;~ler, Councilmen: .~. H. Hunt, E~ard W. Douglas, Donald L. Burk and Cli.f
C. Betts, Jr. Also present, were: City,, Clerk, San~'~ra' B. ennebt,~ Attorney DaSd M. Conlon, Director
o.f Pubic ~¢orks, L. C. Fortner, Jr., C~ef of Police, De~ti, Staats and Fire ~ef Olen Godwin.
$1~?,S75..~9 an8 C.2~09.00 were approved and ordered pair] ~hen. ~unds are available.
Mr. Fo:~ter V. Wright, t{epresentative of ~orida Co~ined Insurance A,~ency~ Inc.
reco~zed. I-~. Wright,, appearer] in re~ard..~ to increasing rates of the ~tys hospitilization plan
rl~
fro~ ~?.00 per ?ool~] to $~0.00 and increasing I'.iajor Medical from $10,000.00 to $7~,000.00.
~ -~'7right + ~ ~ ' ~ ....
. s oaoe..-~ that Fort Pierce ~'ze~,~ormal Ho~mtal is now ~6~1..00 for se~-p~vate room,
'~[artin I'[emorial [;ospital is $~3.00 and Okeechobee General Ho~ital is $~0.00. He further stated
that the Cit~ - =
~ %seno plan is far below the averaffe hospital cost and needs to be ~o~aded
meet the increasing cost. After much discussion, Councilman Burk znoved to increase rabes~
secon~b)(~ b~r Counci!~an Betts and car~eU.
Chief o+
aais reoorteU receivin..% a resi%nation from Joe Phelps November 22, 197~ and
reconr~en(]ed+,h~ Co,oil accept the resi,~a, tion. Councilman Betts moved to accept Phelps
resi~ation Upon ~S]~ief Staats reco~rz~endations, seconded by Councilman Burk and carried.
Chief S.~a~t ..... bated that, due 6o the resignation of Phelps and ~ant~ he presented an
application for ~!o~ment on Carroll "~ne Gibson for the Councils consideration. C~ef Staats
reporseo that, Gibson ~.~as certifie(] and had been e~loyed by Poke ~{emorial %unty Police Department
ant~ reco~en~ec7 ~'.he Council e~loy ~bson as Patrolman 11. Councilman. Burk moved to e~iploy
Gibson a.s Patrolr;an 11~ seconded by Councilman DouRlas and carried.
C~ef ~.~in presented the fire report for the month of November 197~. He requested
per~ssion to apply for a operators license for the Civil Defense on the Citys Fire D~partment
frequency' . 'Chief ~&,,~in state(] that !e~Ia!ly~ the Civil Defense cabot operate on the City
freeu, ency without a license, i"~tter referred to Councilman Betts.
Attornr? Co.on was asked for his items of business. He stated that he had contacted
several cik, ies requesting a copy of their taxi applications an~ had combined all the forms as a
.~ide for the Co~r}.cil to stud~f to ~]eter~ine w~ch rules and re~lations they wish to adopt for
~ new t~;i application. The Council a~eeU to study the for~ prepared by Attorney Conloa and to
set up a ~orkshop meeting in the future to adopt the ne~..z application.
~recto7 Fortner presented the water, sewer and street report for the monlh of November.
IncludeJ in the report was estimates of cost per 1000 gallons of water in the clea~.~el!,
total ~a!lons purnoed for fiscal year of 1973-7~, for the last quarter of 73-7[~ and for November
-]-9711 that the Council had reeuested ~rector Fortner to calculate to aeter~ne how much to
increase the rate of water sola to 0keechobee Beach 'Jater Association.