2020-11-05 Approved Minutes113
i�.OFOkFF
CITY OF OP�EECIq®SEE, -L®GbI®A
-,r.r a NOVEL BER 5, 2020, REGULAR CITY (COUNCIL
MEETING MlINUTES
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Watford called the regular meeting of the City Council for the City of Okeechobee
to order on Thursday, November 5, 2020, at 6:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers,
located at 55 Southeast 3rd Avenue, Room 200, Okeechobee, Florida. The invocation
was offered by Mayor Watford, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance by Council Member
Keefe.
BI. ATTENDANCE
Roll was taken by City Clerk Lane Gamiotea to establish a quorum. Members present:
Mayor Dowling R. Watford, Jr., Council Members Wes Abney, Monica Clark, Bob Jarriel,
and Bobby Keefe.
III. AGENDA AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
A. Mayor Watford asked whether there were any agenda items to be added,
deferred, or withdrawn; New Business Items I and J were added.
D. Motion by Council Member Clark, seconded by Council Member Abney to
approve the agenda as amended. Motion Carried Unanimously.
C. There was one comment card submitted for public participation for issues not on
the agenda. Mr. Mike Mammarelli, owner of Joey's Pizza located at 107 West
South Park Street, voiced his concerns with the increased homeless population
loitering in Veteran's Park and panhandling. Council Member Keefe also relayed
comments from Mr. David Feltenberger on the same issues, adding that Mr.
Feltenberger was willing to offer his services to help remedy the situation. Mayor
Watford instructed Chief Peterson to ensure the Police Officers were informing
individuals of what they could not do in public areas.
IV. PROCLAMATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
A. Ms. India Riedel was presented with an engraved crystal mantel clock and a
framed longevity service certificate which read "In recognition of your 15-years of
service, hard work, and dedication to the City, its citizens, and your fellow
employees from November 7, 2005 through November 7, 2020."
V. CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Council Member Clark, seconded by Council Member Keefe to approve
consent agenda items A, Minutes for the October 6 and 20, 2020, Regular Meetings;
and R, ratify Ryan Holroyd's re -appointment as the Fifth Member to the Police Officers'
Pension Fund Board, term being October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2024. Lotion
Carried Unanimously.
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Motion by Council Member Abney, seconded by Council Member Jarriel to read
proposed Ordinance No. 1220 by title only regarding Abandonment of Right -of -
Way Petition No. 20-002-SC [as provided in Exhibit 1]. Motion Carried
Unanimously.
Attorney Fumero read the title of proposed Ordinance No. 1220 as follows: "AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA; VACATING AND
ABANDONING A PORTION OF SOUTHWEST 4TH STREET (f/k/a FIFTH
AVENUE) AND A PORTION OF SOUTHWEST 5TH STREET (f/k/a FOURTH
STREET) MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED HEREIN, LYING WITHIN THE
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF AS RECORDED
IN PLAT BOOK 5, PAGE 5, PUBLIC RECORDS OF OKEECHOBEE COUNTY,
FLORIDA (PETITION NO. 20-002-SC); RESERVING UNTO THE CITY, ITS
SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS A NON-EXCLUSIVE EASEMENT FOR PUBLIC
UTILITIES PURPOSES- DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO RECORD THE
ORDINANCE IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT
COURT IN AND FOR OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, FLORIDA; PROVIDING FOR
CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE."
November 5, 2020, Regular Meeting, Page 1 of 3
V1. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED
ITEM A. CONTINUED: Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Council
Member Keefe to approve the first reading and set December 1, 2020, as a Final
Public Hearing date for proposed Ordinance No. 1220. Motion Carried
Unanimously.
B. Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Council Member Clark to
approve a software upgrade to the Police Department Spillman System in the
amount of $19,925.00 for the purpose of providing Uniform Crime Report Data
required by the State of Florida [as provided in Exhibit 2]. Motion Carried
Unanimously.
C. The status of Code Enforcement Case No. 190411010, Kemp Properties of
Okeechobee located at 909 South Parrott Avenue [approximately 1.035 unplatted
acres] was provided in a memorandum dated October 28, 2020, from Chief
Peterson and Assistant City Attorney Kowalsky [a copy is incorporated in the
official minute file]. The Case was deferred.
D. Motion by Council Member Keefe, seconded by Council Member Clark to accept
the recommendation by the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate to proceed
with foreclosure proceedings regarding Code Enforcement Case No. 190412010
[located at 102 Southwest 14t" Street, Legal: Lots 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 12 of Block
22, together with a 15-foot wide Alley running North to South between said Lots,
SOUTH OKEECHOBEE, Plat Books 1 and 5, Pages 12 and 7, public records of
Okeechobee County]. Motion Carried Unanimously.
E. Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Council Member Keefe to
approve salaries and positions for Code Enforcement as presented by Chief
Peterson [Full-time Code Enforcement Officer Step 1 annual salary amended to
$37,440.00 or $18.00 per hour. Part-time Administrative Secretary job title
changed to full-time Assistant Code Enforcement Officer with Step 1 annual
salary as $��-3-,249-00 $33 224.00 or $15.97 per hour added to the Salary Step
Plan; a copy of the cost explanation is incorporated in the official minute file].
Motion Carried Pour to One. Minutes were amended at the January 5, 2021
meeting.
F. Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by Council Member Keefe to
approve the Committee ranking for Request for Qualification (RFQ) No. ADM 03-
32-09-20 Professional Landscape Architect Services [as provided in Exhibit 3].
Motion and second withdrawn from the floor.
Motion by Council Member Keefe, seconded by Council Member Clark to
postpone approving RFQ No. ADM 03-32-09-20 Professional Landscape
Architect Services rankings and to have all five firms make their presentation to
the Council [the submittals from each firm have been incorporated in the official
minute file]. Motion Carried Unanimously.
G. Mayor Watford and Council Member Clark conveyed proposed Florida
Department of Transportation improvements to State Road 70 East from 3rd to
16t" Avenues.
H. By consensus the Council directed Staff to provide all figures related to annual
and sick leave payouts for Fire Department employees only to review at the next
meeting.
I. ITEM ADDED TO AGENDA: Motion by Council Member Jarriel, seconded by
Council Member Keefe to authorize Mayor Watford to execute a letter to South
Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) to hold a workshop and consider
alternatives to its proposed Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir Water
Restoration Rules [as presented in Exhibit 41. Motion Carried Unanimously.
Motion by Council Member Keefe, seconded by Council Member Abney to
authorize Mayor Watford to execute a letter to Governor DeSantis supporting Mr.
Ben Butler being re -appointed to the SFWMD Board [a copy of the letter read by
Council Member Keefe is incorporated in the official minute file]. Motion Carried
Unanimously.
November 5, 2020, Regular Meeting, Page 2 of 3
115
ill. NEW BUSINESS CON-rINUED
J. ITEM ADDED TO AGENDA: The consensus of the Council was to host the
annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony as a restricted venue on December 1,
2020, at 5:00 P.M. with only City employees and their families for in person
attendance, utilizing the Center for Disease Control guidelines at that time, and
provide a virtual !broadcast on the City's YouTube Channel and/or Facebook.
Vill. COUNCIL COMMENTS
Council Member Jarriel thanked those who attended the Town Nall meeting. Council
Member Keefe requested as an agenda item for the next meeting, to discuss meeting
minutes' preparation styles.
>/III. Mayor Watford adjourned the meeting at 8:39 P.M.
Dowling R. Watford, Jr.; Mayor
ATTEST:
Lane Gamiotea, CMC, City Clerk
Please take notice and be advised that when 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 ensure that a verbatim record of the
proceeding is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based.
City Clerk media are for the sole purpose of backup for official records of the Clerk.
November 5, 2020, Regular Meeting, Page 3 of 3