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05/21/1996 (2) ~ tii~ l-L I~~'!J ' .~ .;..~ l;~";l W CITY COMMISSION SPECIAL WORK SESSION CITY OF CLEARWATER May 21,1996 Present: Rita Garvey J. B. Johnson Robert Clark Ed Hooper Karen Seel Elizabeth M. Deptula Kathy S. Rice William C. Baker , Tina Wilson Mary K. Diana Gwen Legters Mayor/Commissioner Vice-M ayor/Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner City Manager Deputy City Manager Assistant City Manager Budget Director Assistant City Clerk Board Reporter The special work session was called to order at 9:30 a.m. in City Hall for the purpose of continuing the review of the City's proposed Capital Improvement Project (CIP) budget for Fiscal Years 1996/97 through 2001/02 and Proposed Penny for Pinellas Infrastructure Tax Project list. To provide continuity, the items are listed in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. Marine Department Harbormaster Bill Held gave an overview of the Marine Facilities' projects. He discussed transferring $60,000 from the Marina Sidewalk Replacement project for parking lot and floating dock surface refurbishment at the Seminole launch ramp. Mr. Held noted , $250,000 is included in the 1998/99 CIP for dredging; however, it is not known when this will be necessary. Ms. Wilson said $250,000 needed for dredging at Seminole launch ramp is listed in the Penny for Pinellas projections, but it was not known if it can wait 10 to 1 5 years. The City Manager said, if dredging is done, funds could be borrowed from another project or acquired through a bond issue. She noted the $ 70,000 requested for bridges, docks and seawall renewal and replacement funding is being deleted due to a $263,436 balance available. Commissioner Clark questioned if slips rents are adjusted at Island Estates marina to fund the sewage pump-out system. Mr. Held responded they are not, as the ,system is an amenity provided to the tenants at no charge. Discussion ensued regarding fishing piers and considerations involved in constructing a fishing pier at Clearwater Pass. Mr. Held responded to questions, stating park rangers do not allow fishing from the Sand Key jetty. He has experienced problems with after hours 'trespassing by fisherman on Sailing Center property. A question was raised whether $200,000 is adequate to build a City fishing pier. Mr. Baker doubted if a fishing pier could i I f, ~ i , , mwssp05c.96 1 05/21/96 ". ' .,,'. '.,' ~ ' , , !,' ., 1-- . ~ be completed, for that amount, and suggested building one in cooperation with Pine lias County. Discussion ensued regarding Marine Advisory Board suggestions for alternate pier locations, since fishing is not allowed from the Clearwater Pass bridge. Mr. Held pointed out Pinellas County Park rangers strictly enforce the sundown closing time of County parks and dou~ted whether the County would support a night fishing facility. Access to the pier would need to be worked out. Commissioner Seel questioned the status of Clearwater Pass Bridge lighting. Ms. Wilson said a purchase order has been issued. The City Manager questioned whether the Harbormaster felt the need exists for another marina in conjunction with the Downtown plan. Mr. Held supported private and commercial marina slips incorporated into a downtown retail and restaurant area as a terrific addition to downtown. In response to questions, he said the increased parking need could be handled by two new parking garages. Dredging would be expensive and permits difficult to acquire. He was not aware of any existing public and private joint ventures to fund waterfront marinas. He felt marinas would be better run by City employees and would keep costs down. He said the City marina Is currently full and has a waiting list of 59 people. However, some on the list are current tenants waiting for specific slips. Discussion continued regarding a shortage of parking at marine facilities. Library Department (":'::1} Library Director Arlita Hallam gave an overview of Library projects. She said the '~",'/J existing carpet in the Main and North Greenwood Libraries was installed in 1991 and indicated five years is about the life of carpet in libraries. She recommended carpet tiles for the Main and North Greenwood Libraries, laid around bookshelves, because they last longer and are easier to install and maintain. In response to questions, she did not feel the existing carpet can be made to last until a new library is built unless it happens in two years. The City Manager noted a funding source for a new library must be decided if Penny for Pinellas funds are not available. Discussion ensued regarding the options which included a referendum. Ms. Hallam said the Library Foundation plans to do fund raising jf they receive a strong commitment for a new library from the Commission. Mayor Garvey suggested, if the Commission has a strong sense a new main library is needed, that a commitment be made to enable fund raising efforts to proceed. Ms. Deptula added, endorsement by fund raising groups would increase'the chances Penny for Pinellas funds will be approved. Discussion ensued regarding use of Adler funds. In response to questions, Ms. Hallam believed there was no legal reason the City could not move out of the existing main library building. The Commission unanimously supported a new main library and directed Ms. Hallam to proceed with fund raising efforts. The general feeling was the new library should be in a central location for easy public access. Ms. Hallam reported engineering examination of the East Library has determined, while it was designed to support a second floor, this is not possible due to cost saving measures u mwssp05c.96 2 05/21/96 I I f , I t I ! General Services ~ taken during construction. Discussion ensued regarding whether fa build another library branch south of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, expand the East Library, or replace the East Library with one large enough to meet the demand. In response to questions, Ms. Hallam said a $100,000 cooperative grant would help, but would not construct a new library. The Countryside Library was not designed to support a second floor. Consensus was to delete $1.5.million from the CIP budget for East Library expansion, but to leave funds In for Penny for Pinellas for library expansion (construction of additional space at the East Library or an additional branch in East Clearwater). Concern was expressed $1.5 million would not be sufficient to construct an additional branch in 15 years. A suggestion was made to combine a library with a recreation facility. It was indicated this would work well as long as it was located in an area where the increased traffic would not negatively impact the community. Discussion ensued regarding a central location for the Clearwater beach library branch and combining. it with the Memorial Civic Center project. Staff will meet with Parks and Recreation Director Ream Wilson to prepare construction estimates for review at a future meeting. (~~~ Discussion ensued regarding potential locations and the financial impacts for a sixth library branch. Ms. Hallam did not feel a city of 100,000 people needs six branches. It was felt the cost of reinforcing and building up the East Library might be less than a new building. As an alternative, Ms. Hallam said the concept of a combInation facility in the North Greenwood area is being considered and is listed on the Penny for Pinellas project list. Ms. Deptula said General Services Director Bill Baird has estimated about $250,000, which is not reflected in the CIP, is needed to replace the air conditioning in City Hall. This will be brought forward, along with electrical system repair options, as an item to the June 17 work session to coincide with the planned City Hall remodeling. It is estimated City Hall will be without air conditioning for about a month while the unit is being replaced. Depending upon the extent of the electrical repairs, the building may be without power for up to a month, as well. She said a decision needs to be made whether to do a major upgrade to City Hall for a 15-20 year life, or continue to piecemeal repairs. Discussion ensued regarding the factors to be considered when looking for an alternative location for conducting City Hall business during construction. Parks and Recreation Department Parks and Recreation Director Ream Wilson said the Parks and Recreation Board's number one priority is acquisition of the Magnolia Falls property indicating Sembler mitigation monIes and impact fees are available. In response to questions, Mr. Wilson and Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Art Kader pointed out the location on the map and reviewed the history of the 1 3-acre site located in the city limits of Safety Harbor. This property is north of an existing undeveloped City nature park. The owner of the 1 3-acre v mwssp05c.96 3 05/21/96 j \ t l I , l t f t ~ t~) y parcel is not interested in selllng just the 4-acre Magnolia Falls. Mr. Wilson recommended pursuing the purchase and will investigate the current cost, possibility of Safety Harbor deannexing, and potential value as a nature park and recreation facility. The possibility of an agreement with Safety Harbor to combine Magnolia Falls as part of the City's nature park was discussed. Mr. Wilson noted areas on the comprehensive plan showing minor parkland deficits indicating no parkland acquisition is budgeted next fiscal year. In response to a question, Mr. Wilson recommended pursuing the purchase of the entire 13 acres indicating the last asking price was $800,000. King Engineering donated a conceptual site plan for a 30~acre nature park and the Falls were part of the plan. The front 9 acres could be valuable as athletic fields or an entrance to a park. In response to a question, Mr. Wilson said Safety Harbor is interested in a nature park. He said the City is required to do something with the mitigation money which has grown to approximately $350,000. This money has to be used to create another wetland or to develop the Magnolia Falls portion of the nature park. Staff will approach Safety Harbor. Recreation Superintendent Steve Miller gave a presentation regarding options for replacing the Clearwater beach pool with a family aquatic center, combining water park type amenities with facilities for competitive swimming and lessons. He said the traditional pool tank facilities are still provided in other City parks, but industry research shows they are declining in popularity in favor of the aquatics park concept. Additional revenue generated by aquatic attractions will help defray operating costs. It was indicated greater maintenance costs will be offset by increased attendance. Mr. Wilson said the City is proposing to bring in a consultant for a needs assessment study of similarly retrofitting existing City pools. The City Manager noted the previous Commission committed to building a replacement pool on the beach. She said once the planning stage is completed the start of construction is possible by October, 1997. In response to a question, Mr. Wilson indicated the $500,000 budgeted is just for the beach pool. Concern was expressed that adding facilities would, increase staff and place additional strain on the tax base. A question was raised regarding the possibility of arranging for public use of some of the larger, privately- owned, hotel pools. It was indicated none of the pools in the vicinity is large enough to handle the competitive and recreational needs. Discussion ensued regarding the $100,000 projected annual operating cost for the pool and the need for a facility that will attract tourists to recoup part of the cost on this relatively small site. In response to questions, Mr. Miller said the pool proposed for the aquatic center is 25 yards long and six lanes wide, similar in surface area to the Morningside pool. It will only be eight feet deep to accommodate local and summer swim meets. He estimated existing pools recover less than 10 percent of operating costs. Parents accompanying children, 8 and under, to open swimming are required to pay. I Discussion ensued regarding the softball complex development and Mr. Wilson noted 30 acres of property west of the E. C. Moore complex was purchased 3 years ago for 1 future softball fields. Mr. Wilson said the demand for fields has grown with the largest mwssp05c.96 05/21/96 4 \. ~ growth being in girls' programs. He said the $220,000 for 1996/97 might be design and site money and 3 fields could be constructed the following year. The City Manager noted there. is one full time equivalent position involved with the development. Mr. Wilson responded to questions regarding field sizes, percentage of non-resident use, resident/non- resident fee structure and the Tampa Smokers choosing a Clearwater field as their headquarters. Mr. Wilson indicated .the Tampa Bay Smokers would pay for the grounds keeper, and if th'e proposed fields are built, they indicated their willingness to contribute money to dress up the fields. It was indicated Clearwater has the finest fields in the State encouraging non-resident use and placing additional burden on the facilities. In response to a question, it was indicated non-residents fees are $10. The meeting recessed from 11:05 to 11 :20 a.m. The City Manager noted the Parks and Recreation projects listing infrastructure tax as their source of funding are existing Penny for Pinellas projects. Mr. Wilson and Mr. Kader noted the location of the proposed State Street Park indicating there is no park area north of Sunset Point Road to meet residents' needs with the exception of Kings Highway. Discussion ensued as to whether a need exists at this time. Mr. Wilson said this project is not scheduled until 1 997/98 and could be pushed even further back. Discussion ensued regarding D. D. Davis Park near Lake Chautauqua and it was indicated this issue would be revisited before 1999. ,'" ~t (~',l, ~ '".\ ~;j7 Discussion ensued regarding Morningside renovations and it was questioned whether any monies should be spent if a new complex is included in Penny for Pinellas. Mr. Wilson said Penny for Pinellas funds could be 14 years away. In response to a question, Mr. Wilson indicated Cliff Stephen's P,ark restroom/storage increased from $50,000 to $80,000 due to parking lot refurbishment and a new restroom building. Discussion ensued regarding replacement of the Cultural Arts Workshop if the County extends Keene Road. Mr. Wilson said they will be looking at the possibility of adding a roller hockey facility at Morningside. In response to a survey, major public interest is in cardio-vascular activities. Discussion returned to the report of Penny for Pinellas recommendations by Parks and Recreation Board members and City staff. Mr. Wilson pointed again out their number one priority is the purchase of the Magnolia Falls property and their desire to pursue this immediately. Ms. Tina Wilson indicated approximately $500,000 instead of $800,000 is needed due to having mitigation funds. Mr. Wilson responded to questions regarding a proposed Downtown Recreation and Cultural Center in the area around the East End property. It was questioned whether these activities could be outsourced to existing facilities. The Mayor pointed out ballroom dancing is well attended, pays for itself, and cannot be accommodated at any of the existing facilities. An opinion was expressed a downtown recreation center should not be -....J mwssp05c.96 5 OS/21/96 A question was raised whether additional City pools are needed in North and East Clearwater, and whether aquatic facilities could be built and operated privately on City land. Mr. Wilson said this is possible, but a private fee structure could be more than some users could afford. It was indicated many people in the Countryside area have their own pools, making an aquatic center difficult to justify. Consensus was to remove the Family Aquatic Center - N. Clearwater 1$1,500,000) from the Penny for Pinellas list. ~ funded through Penny for Pinellss. Consensus was to remove $5,000,000 from Penny for Pinellas for the cultural center project. There was discussion regarding providing Parks & Recreation activities at the Harborview Center if the facility was not needed for another event. Discussion returned regarding D.O. Davis Park and the City Manager noted its location on the proposed landmark Drive extension. While it has potential to have tennis courts and a playground, Mr. Wilson noted the area residents have indicated they are not interested in developing a park ot this time and may not be done for years. A question was raised if a passive park is necessary at Alligator lake. Mr. Wilson said it is City property acquired years ago through dedications, near Ruth Eckerd Hall. He said they have no specific plans for the area, but are looking at what might be done in the future. The City Manager believed the property is being looked at for stormwater purposes. Consensus was to remove the Alligator lake Park project 1$300,000) from Penny for Pinellas. (~'i'~) ',' ,1,-"~ The City Manager reported funding is needed for a new infrastructure facility for the parks and facilities maintenance group currently working out of the old Vine Street garage. She said, if Penny for Pinellas funds are not used, it will have to be built using tax money. Determination of a location has not been made, but Mr. Wilson hoped it can be located on City owned property. Penny for Pinellas funds would be primarily to pay construction costs. The possibility of using the old tree farm location adjacent the Keene Road extension' was discussed. Ms. Deptula said that parcel also has the interest of Airpark personnel. She wanted to ensure other needs are examined before staff brings a firm recommendation for the property. A question was raised what will be done with the Vine Street land if the infrastructure groups moves. It was indicated the site may be contaminated because it formerly contained a fuel tank, and a City paint and body shop. In response to questions regarding two proposed property purchases along Drew Street west of McMullen-Booth Road, Mr. Wilson said they will be used to expand softball, soccer fields and athletic facilities 10 to 1 2 years in the future. He said it is difficult to find land large enough to accommodate ball fields and locating them close together provides for easier lighting and maintenance. It was agreed more fields are needed due to a great demand. , Discussion ensued regarding a new Phillies Complex and Stadium. Mr. Wilson noted the Phillies are not currently requesting a new facility. The Penny for Pinellas funds would be for future needs. The Airpark site is the only area large enough for a development to replace Jack Russell Stadium and the Carpenter Field complex. Consensus was to delete \~ mwssp06c.96 6 OS/21/96 I ' ",.' Economic Development Department ~ the New Phillies Complex and Stadium ($30,000,000) from the Penny for Pinellas list. Commissioner Clark questioned the acreage needed if the PhHlies complex should be moved. Mr. Wilson estimated 100 acres would be needed for a new stadium and . associated parking. Expansion to that extent is not possible at their current locations. It was indicated St. Petersburg Junior College and the Clearwater Airpark are built over landfill. Discussion ensued regarding the Long Center request and the Budget Director indicated the request came directly from the Center. Ms. Deptula said the City funds their sinking fund each year. Mr. Wilson noted Long Center representative Mark Abdo will address the City Commission regarding their needs. Ms. Deptula suggested scheduling this report for the June 17, work session. Ms. Wilson will check to see if the County will wait for submission. Concern was expressed regarding user fees at the center. Solid Waste I Recycling Department , ,,,,~A>" ,,' < ::"l The City Manager notcd this department has no Penny for Pinellas projects. Solid Waste Director Robert Brumback said funds are projected to provide for facility expansion as needed. He responded to questions regarding the rcquest for two new lease/purchase (LIP) roll-off container hauling vehicles to supplement the two existing vehicles. He said this requirement will likely increase. Mr. Brumback responded to questions regarding this projection, stating it is extremely difficult to track transient container business. The City Manager noted the purchase of additional vehicles would come before the Commission. Mr. Brumback said a new vehicle takes about six months to obtain. Ms. Deptula gave the background of the Container Screening Program, or "Dumpster Drive" on Clearwater beach, during which visual pollution was evaluated and improvements were suggested. She said monies have been set aside to provide front money, incentives, or low interest loans to property owners for dumpster screening. Mr. Brumback said assisting property owners will be mutually beneficial to help promote tourism and economic development. Discussion ensued regarding suggestions on how a program of this nature could be implemented. Discussion ensued regarding District Parking Plan funding. The City Manager noted the City Commission previously approved $100,000 for district parking, and said they would allocate additional monies, providing parking needs were identified and this was demonstrated to be an economic incentive for area development. Economic Director Alan Ferri responded to questions, stating substandard lot sizes in the North Greenwood and North Fort Harrison areas make it difficult to meet development , codes. Allocating offsite parking for substandard lots helps relieve some of the parking requirements. ~) mwssp05c.96 7 OS/21/96 I !' ! i ( t r t ( Discussion ensued regarding the Economic Redevelopment and Environmental Assessment and Abatement projects listed in Penny for Pinellas. Mr. Ferri said this project ~ mwssp05c.96 a OS/21/96 ~ will help the property owners evaluate and clean up pollution and contaminants from 75 of the 100 downtown sites and adjacent neighborhoods targeted for Phase I environmental cleanup during the next several years. Ms. Deptula said this project provides only clean-up of the sites. Mr.' Ferri responded to questions, stating 22 of the targeted sites are in the proposed downtown lake location. The remainder are in or contiguous to downtown. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of receiving Brownfield money which would be used to identify the contaminants and organize the effort. Questions were raised regarding recovering cleanup costs on sites and it was indicated the properties could be liened for a reasonable period. 1 ! ) i Discussion ensued regarding how the presence of contamination adds to the market perception of risk. Mr. Ferri said the levels of contamination on these sites impedes marketing these privately-owned properties. The current owners are not required to do anything to the land until it is sold, but the known contamination forces down property values in an area where the objective is to get rid of development deterrents. He said eliminating the risk by eliminating , the contaminants will help the market function more efficiently. The City Manager noted this project is not on the Penny for Pinellas list. (->;(;}.) .~; " Discussion ensued regarding how much, if any, Penny for Pinellas monies can be applied to Mr. Ferri's proposal. It was felt some way should be found to accommodate this project because of the high ranking of economic redevelopment issues and jobs in the' community consensus survey. It was pointed out CRA dollars may be available at some point in the future. Ms. Deptula felt, jf any environmental cleanup funds are found, they should be applied to City-owned properties first. She cited a number of City properties where contamination is known to exist. In response to a question, Ms. Wilson said the anticipated amount of Penny for Pinellas funds the City could receive is $101 million. It was indicated the full amount has been earmarked. The City Manager questioned whether the City Commission wished to reprioritize the entire Penny for Pine lias list to come up with the requested $23-million. While the Commission did not want to commit the full $23 million, they felt $3 to $5 million could be 'found. It was agreed if any environmental cleanup funds are found, they be applied to City~ owned properties first. Consensus was to agenda this issue for further consideration at the June 3 meeting. Staff was requested to place strong emphasis on City owned properties that lend themselves to redevelopment and marketing for return to the tax rolls. City Manager Items Ms. Deptula distributed and discussed handouts which included: 1) staff's original Penny for Pinellas list submitted to the Management Team and changes made before being brought to the City Commission; 2) Dr. Janelli's proposal regarding helicopter rides on Clearwater beach; 3) newspaper advertisements for the Economic Development Director; and 4} copies of the Community Consensus report. Ms. Deptula displayed a City street map and a request was made for reduced copies of the street and park maps for the Commissioners. Ms. Deptula said they should be ready in time for the property issues discussion on June 14. She circulated a copy of the Metropolitan Planning Organization projects and other construction projects currently underway. fJ~:!:,~?;'{?t~~:~j;~;;\(~:)ti.;:~'i,:?~;;~:',{:.;,;'\;: ::",', :' ,', " " ' , ~ <" i)' " .'.. " . . ,rti :';' ":;'.d~I/:, .. ~ '" . '.'1 ~ . 'f f ' r{::' i~ ' '.' :; :~ c' ',~{ , " , . t ~ ,,:"0' ',' , ': ; ~IL 'I J'~, . ,:,r.,r. ~, t, ..('0/ ,,' ~. .' , Other Commission Actioll ,I "", Discussion: ~nsued regarding whether, Dr. 'Janelli should register as a 10b~yist.Mayor ,(3aryey r~mlnded Commissioners to Inform 10b~Yists of the need to register with the City Clerk. AdjourQ !":,.C " :::;'::':'::'" '. 1,' , .". '~i;" ':,' The, meeting 'adjourned at 1 :05 p.m. . " ,I i '~~'i..' ;H=,i .., v';'.,,', /:1':';::' '; +':. .. ~. < i~"'~,>..." :"': " i' ,'.c; ,'.' ;(.:: : ,,'~ " , , j '" fi",!':'" '/,' '. '>~' ~,. ;<. . , . ~ " .1, .. ., , J, .\ .. 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