2024 04 02 Draft Minutes 001.11.ff4TZ;zs, CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA
APRIL 2, 2024, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING
..��. MEETING MINUTES
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I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Watford called the regular meeting of the City Council for the City of Okeechobee to order on April 2,
2024, at 6:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers, located at 55 Southeast 3rd Avenue (AVE), Room 200,
Okeechobee, Florida. The invocation was offered by Pastor Don Hanna of First United Methodist Church;
followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Member Chandler.
II. ATTENDANCE
City Clerk Lane Gamiotea called the roll. Members present to establish a quorum: Mayor Dowling R.Watford,
Jr., Vice Mayor Monica M. Clark,and Council Members Noel A.Chandler, Robert"Bob"Jarriel,and David R.
McAuley.
III. AGENDA AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
A. There were no modifications stated at this time. However,three pages were added to Exhibit 5,for New
Business Item VI. B.
B. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and McAuley,to adopt the agenda as published.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
C. There were no comment cards submitted for public participation for issues not on the agenda.
IV. CONSENT AGENDA
Motion by Vice Mayor Clark, second by Council Member Chandler to:
A. Dispense with the reading and approve the Minutes for March 19, 2024 [as presented in Exhibit 1]; and
B. Reappoint Dawn Hoover and Mac Jonassaint as regular members and Dean Murray as an alternate
member to the Planning Board, the Board of Adjustment, and the Design Review Board, terms being
May 1, 2024,through April 30, 2027 [as presented in Exhibit 2].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
V. MAYOR WATFORD OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ORDINANCE ADOPTION AT 6:02 P.M.
A. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and McAuley to read by title only, proposed Ordinance
No. 1287, prohibiting smoking/vaping in City Parks, adding enforcement of the policy by Code
Enforcement citation process [as presented in Exhibit 3].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
City Attorney John Fumero read into the record the title of proposed Ordinance No. 1287 as follows:"AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, AMENDING THE CODE OF
ORDINANCES AT CHAPTER 30 ENVIRONMENT; ADDING SECTION 30-47 SMOKING AT PUBLIC
PARKS PROHIBITED; PROHIBITING SMOKING IN CITY PARKS; PROVIDING FOR
ENFORCEABILITY; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDING
FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE."
Motion by Vice Mayor Clark, second by Council Member Jarriel,to adopt proposed Ordinance No. 1287.
Mayor Watford opened the floor for public comments,there were none.
Roll Call Vote:Chandler—Yea,Clark—Yea,Jarriel—Yea, McAuley—Yea,Watford—Yea.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
MAYOR WATFORD CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:04 P.M.
VI. NEW BUSINESS
A. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and McAuley to [award] a [Quote]to Streamline Paving
in the amount of$18,900.00 for repairing [two segments] of the asphalt on Southwest (SW) 11th AVE
[segment one: the East 12.5-feet (ft) from SW 2nd Street (ST) Northward 50-ft; segment two: the West
12.5-ft from SW 6th ST Southward 202-ft as presented in Exhibit 4].
Motion Carried Unanimously.
APRIL 2,2024,CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING,PAGE 1 OF 2
VI. NEW BUSNESS CONTINUED
B. Motion by Vice Mayor Clark, second by Council Member Jarriel, to approve the Fiscal Year 2023-24
proposed Midyear Budget Amendments [as presented in Exhibit 5]. Finance Director Riedel distributed
three pages that corrected pages one and two of the budget, and the one page that provided the line
items and difference amount between the adopted budget to mid-year adjustment amount.
Motion Carried Unanimously.
C. Mayor Watford advised he has received numerous complaints regarding food trucks becoming
permanent structures and requested the topic be discussed. City Planner Ben Smith of Morris-Depew
Associates, Inc.,and City Attorney Fumero provided the standards as outlined in Ordinance No. 1272 as
adopted by the Council as well as the Florida Statutes (FS) mandating what authority the City has to
govern food trucks.The Ordinance allows food trucks to operate within the Industrial and all Commercial
Zoning Districts so long as they meet the requirements in the FS and Ordinance. The Ordinance does
not address the length of time food trucks can operate in these Zoning Districts, so long as there is no
more than two per site and no tables or chairs. Other Zoning Districts allow food trucks based on special
event/temporary use permits.
The issue of requiring bathrooms was addressed. The three hours limit provided in the Ordinance is not
• the length of time a food truck can operate, but rather the length of time they can operate before
bathrooms are required to be made available to the food truck's customers. City business owners Jose
Cruz of Manny's Flower Shop and Jason Ferrell of Ferrell's Market addressed the Council on the issue.
There was no official action taken.
VII. CITY ATTORNEY UPDATE
Discussed information included in House Bill 1365 prohibiting unauthorized camping and sleeping in public
areas.The Bill provides for citizens to file suit against municipalities that do not take the appropriate measures
to prevent said actions.A copy of the Bill was provided to the City Clerk and added to the official Minute File.
Attorney Fumero will be providing a written summary of all new laws from the 2024 Legislative Session to the
Mayor, Council, and Staff.
VIII. CITY ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE
• Thanked the Staff for the great job they did while he was out of the office[March 20-31].
• The City is working diligently to complete the real estate closings on the two properties within the
Commerce Center so the new businesses can begin site planning and development.
• Reminded everyone that there are growing pains involved in the process when cities see increases in
development; but that new businesses attract more new businesses to the area; the growing pains are
not going to get better, changes in technology and the way the City operates will be needed. He
recommended that in lieu of Department Reports,that a Workshop be scheduled prior to the next budget
cycle to review the day-to-day issues each department is experiencing.
IX. COUNCIL COMMENTS
• Council Member Chandler stated he was glad to see Council Member Jarriel was able to attend the
meeting in person.
• Council Member Jarriel is glad to be out of the hospital and to see that the General Services Department
has been busy.
• Council Member McAuley thanked the Finance Department for their work on the mid-year Budget
amendments.
X. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further items of discussion, Mayor Watford adjourned the meeting at 7:09 P.M.
Submitted By:
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, s/he 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.
APRIL 2,2024,CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING,PAGE 2 OF 2