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1997-07-11 Regular Meeting381 CITY OF OKEECHOBEE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING SUMMARY OF COUNCIL ACTION A. Call Regular Meeting to order on July 1, 1997. B. Invocation offered by Councilman Dowling Watford; Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Kirk. C. Mayor and Council Attendance: Mayor James E. Kirk Council Member Noel A. Chandler Council Member Lowry Markham Council Member Robert Oliver Council Member Dowling R. Watford, Jr. Staff Attendance. - City Attorney John R. Cook City Clerk Bonnie S. Thomas Deputy Clerk S. Lane Gamiotea Mayor Kirk called the July 1, 1997 Regular Meeting to order at 7:53 p.m. Council Member Dowling R. Watford, Jr. offered the invocation; Mayor Kirk led the Pledge of Allegiance. Clerk Thomas called the roll: Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present D. Motion to dispense with the reading and approve the Sum- Council Member Chandler moved to dispense with the reading and approve the mary of Council Action for the Special Council Meeting of Summary of Council Action for the Special Council Meeting of June 9, 1997; seconded June 9, 1997. by Council Member Oliver. There being no discussion on this item, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. X X X PAGE 1 OF 9 382 JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 2 OF 9 REQUEST FOR THE ADDITION, DEFERRAL OR III Mayor Kirk asked whether anyone had requests for addition's, deferral's or withdrawal's WITHDRAWAL OF ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA. of items on today's agenda, none were stated. E. OPEN PUBLIC HEARING FOR ORDINANCE ADOPTION III Mayor Kirk opened the Public Hearing for Ordinance Adoption at 7:55 p.m. 1. a. Motion to read by title only Ordinance No. 701 - Council Member Watford moved to read proposed Ordinance No. 701 by title only City Attorney - (Exhibit 1). amending the City's Comprehensive Plan by revising the Future Land Use Map for Cycle 1 1997 Amendment Applications as recommended by the City Land Planning Agency, seconded by Council Member Oliver. There being no discussion on this item, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. Attorney Cook read proposed Ordinance No. 701 by title only as follows: "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CITY OF OICEECHOBEE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ORDINANCE NO. 635, AS AMENDED, BY REVISING THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION OF ORDINANCE AND REVISED FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. " 1. b. Public Comment. III Mayor Kirk asked if there were any questions or comments from the public. There were none at this time. 1. c. Motion to adopt Ordinance 701. III Council Member Markham moved to adopt proposed Ordinance No. 701; seconded by Council Member Oliver. X X X X X 383 E. PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED I 1. c. Motion to adopt Ordinance 701 continued 1. d. Vote on Motion. CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING F. NEW BUSINESS JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 3 OF 9 Council Member Watford called for a point of order. Attorney Cook reminded Council Member Markham that he would have to abstain from voting on this item and could not make the motion. Council Member Oliver withdrew his second to the Motion. Council Member Markham withdrew his Motion from the floor. Council Member Oliver moved to adopt proposed Ordinance No. 701; seconded by Council Member Chandler. There being no further discussion on this item, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM - ABSTAINED OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. Mayor Kirk closed the Public Hearing at 7:58 p.m. 1. a. Motion to read by title only, and set July 15, 1997 Council Member Watford moved to read by title only, proposed Ordinance No. 702 and as a Public Hearing date, Ordinance 702 amending set July 15, 1997 as a Public Hearing date, amending the 1996197 General Fund Budget the General Fund Budget and Ordinance No. 696 - and Ordinance No. 696; seconded by Council Member Chandler. There being no City Attorney (Exhibit 2). discussion on this item, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. X X X X X X X X X mm JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 4 OF 9 F. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED a. Motion to read by title only, Ordinance 702 Attorney Cook read proposed Ordinance No. 702 by title only as follows: continued. 'AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO ORDINANCE NO. 696 GENERAL FUND ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, FOR FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1, 1996 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 WHICHAMENDED BUDGET SETS FORTH GENERAL FUND REVENUES OF $5, 935, 928.00 AND EXPENDITURES OF $3,302,846.00, LEAVING A FUND OF $2,633,082.00; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. " b. Motion to approve the first reading of Ordinance Council Member Chandler moved to approve the first reading of proposed Ordinance No. 702. 111 702; seconded by Council Oliver. Following a brief discussion between Council and Staff, Council instructed the Finance Coordinator to move the ten thousand dollars ($10 000.00) from the salary line item to the appropriate line item for purchase of the software To delete the principal and interest Payment on the new fire truck since it is not due until the new budget year begins. Instructed Fire Chief Tomey to go through his budget and find line items where money can be pulled to cover the overtime cost even if it meant not attending scheduled seminars for the rest of the fiscal year. Council Member Watford again stated his comments that the furniture proposed for the City Clerk and General Service Offices be purchased in the 1997/98 budget year. KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. 1. � MGM • JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 5 O ::............ I<. A� :.... F. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED 2. Discuss Sidewalks on Southwest 21 st Street - City 4 Attorney. Attorney Cook advised the Council that the City Staff has been working on a problem concerning Southwest 21 st Street and a proposed sidewalk installation in front of Mary Ann Bryant's property. The area was prepared to have the sidewalk constructed on the south side of 21 st Street. After a discussion with Mrs. Bryant stating she did not object to the sidewalk, but did not wish to maintain the lawn maintenance. A title search was done and it was discovered that when Southwest 21 st Street was paved it shifted to the South and is actually on Mrs. Bryant's property. Attorney Cook continued that Staff contacted Mr. Charlie Lambright at the County Property Appraiser's Office since he knew the correct method to determine the market value of this property. The total area the City would need to purchase is .179 acre. Mr. Lambright took comparable sales in the area of lots and found the square footage market value to be one dollar, fifty cents ($1.50) per square foot making the purchase price eleven thousand, six hundred ninety-five dollars ($11,695.00). Attorney Cook stated he felt that was high for a small strip of land that could not be developed. He asked the Council if they wanted to discuss purchasing the property at that price or have him find another appraiser to see if there is another way of computing the market value. Following a lengthy discussion, Council instructed Attorney Cook to talk to some appraisers and see if there is another cost analysis the City can use not hire them. iust ask and negotiate a price with Mrs Bryant see what she feel's is a fair price and bring the information back to the Council for further action. 3. Discuss Health Insurance Plans - Nina Borenstein (Exhibit 3). Administration Secretary Nina Borenstein addressed the Council concerning the request made at the June 17, 1997 City Council Meeting to seek approval to change the City's health insurance carrier. Mrs. Borenstein and Attorney Cook advised that in following Council's instructions from the previous regular meeting they found the City could send out request for proposals due to the time frame for the health insurance. Seventeen proposals were mailed, the only one returned was from the Blue Cross/Blue Shield which is the company Mrs. Borenstein is requesting the City change to. Council Member Oliver moved to accept Blue Cross Blue Shield's plan as presented effective August 1, 1997; seconded by Council Members Watford and Chandler. JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 6 OF 9 F. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED 3. Discuss Health Insurance Plans continued. Company Representative Scott Harris advised the Council he will set up meetings with the City employees to get the paperwork completed and contracts signed as soon as possible since it takes an average of three weeks to process everything. The only area there may be a problem is prescriptions since the identifications cards will not most likely be received by August 1 st. Council Member Watford requested Finance Coordinator Parker make sure employees have insurance during this change. Fire Chief Tomey asked for clarification concerning credit given for those who have already met their deductible. Mr. Harris responded that all that will be needed is for an employee to submit a statement from Principal to Blue Cross/Blue Shield and they will process it as a claim and how ever much an employee has met will go toward the deductible with the traditional plan. There being no further discussion, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. Council Member Watford moved to approve purchasing Life Insurance from Guarantee Life Insurance Company: seconded by Council Member Oliver. Mr. Harris noted that this company is eighteen percent less than Principal with the same amount of coverage. There being no further discussion, vote is as follows: KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. 387 JULY 1, 1997 REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 7 OF 9........... .....;..;. ;. .::......:;:..:...;:... :.:::. . ............ ................:::::..::::..........::..I...11It�` .:::::.:::...;.:;;.....;:.:.: _::.. 3 .. :. .... ...:: :..: F. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED 4 4. Seek guidance for questions on status report - Nina The following is a list of outstanding City projects Administrative Secretary Nina Borenstein (Exhibit 4). Borenstein went through with the Council to obtain direction. - Community Development Block Grant. The facade renovations are being bid out for the third time. The first time no bids were received. The second time only one was received at double the amount estimated it should be. A local contractor has indicated interest but is not bonded. Mr. Fennigan of Genesis Group is researching if the contractor could bid with a letter of credit. The City's Grant Administrator Fred Fox Enterprises has been able to continue to get continuances for the City. The City is in danger of losing this grant if it cannot continue to move forward. Municipal Centre Parking Area. The one-way entrance to the parking lot has been closed off. Also, the plan was to do the area along North Park Street (State Road 70 East) the same as in the front of the building with Eurotile, solar lighting and planting beds. Council instructed to not continue with the plan at this time but put it in the 1997/98 budget for review. These items on the list were either taken care of by previous Council action or did not require direction at this time: Health Insurance, Comprehensive Plan 1997 Cycle I, 1997/98 Budget Update, Police Car Program Update, Median Strips Update, Building and Zoning/Addressing, Land Development Regulations Update, Council Meeting Invocation. Fiscal Year Calendar of Contracts, there was a brief discussion concerning any contracts that will expire soon but no action since Council felt the new administrator will be on board to get these out for bid. 5. Discussion regarding the City Administrator position Attorney Cook advised the Council he carried out his instructions from the June 19th - City Clerk (Exhibit 5). Special Meeting and distributed a copy of the contract to each for the four candidates for City Administrator. Mr. Veach and Mr. Bradshaw have expressed they would like to negotiate moving expense assistance, but that they were still interested regardless if Council did not wish to negotiate that item in the contract. Fireirs i i JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGE 8 OF 9 F. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED 5. Discussion regarding the City Administrator position He thanked Clerk Thomas and Police Chief Mobley for the information provided in the continued. I thorough background checks on the candidates and expressed the importance of it. Clerk Thomas provided a summary of the information received from the reference and background checks to the Council in Exhibit Five. Mayor Kirk stated that before he opened the floor for discussion concerning this topic he wanted to know if the rest of the Council agreed that whomever they choose that it be with a super majority vote. Council Members stated they understood the reason behind this and agreed. Council deliberated at length the good and bad areas of each of the applicants they interviewed at the June 19th Special Meeting. Each also commented on what a tough decision this is. Council Member Chandler moved to nominate Mr. James R. Threewits to serve as the City Administrator seconded on second call by Council Member Watford. Following further discussion Council Member Watford withdrew his second. Motion died for lack of second. Council Member Markham moved to hire Mr. Robert Bradshaw for the City Administrator Position subject to agreeing to the employment contract as is, that he begin employment by July 15 1997, and that his residence be moved to Okeechobee County within one hundred eighty days and that if Mr. Bradshaw decline that the employment contract that it be extended to Mr. James R. Threewits; seconded by Council Member Oliver. Council Member Chandler stated he did not support this motion because he felt Mr. Threewits should be offered the contract first, however, he would back any applicant who is hired one hundred percent and would work with them. KIRK CHANDLER MARKHAM OLIVER WATFORD MOTION CARRIED. X X X X FA JULY 1, 1997 - REGULAR MEETING - PAGEq OF 9 ADJOURNMENT - Mayor Kirk. 11 There being no further items on the agenda, Mayor Kirk adjourned the July 1,1997 Regular Meeting at 10:17 p.m. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE AND BE ADVISED that if a person decides to appeal any decision made by the City Council with respect to any matter considered at this meeting, he/she may need to insure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. A tape recording of this meeting is on file in the City Clerk's Office. 'J Jameg'E. Kirk Mayor ATTEST: Bonnie S. Thomas, CIVIC City Clerk