08/22/2019 City Council Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Meeting Minutes
Thursday, August 22, 2019
3:00 PM
Special City Council Meeting
Council Chambers
City Council
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City of Clearwater
City Council Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
Roll Call
Present: 4 - Mayor George N. Cretekos, Councilmember Jay Polglaze, Vice Mayor
Bob Cundiff and Councilmember David Allbritton
Absent: 1 - Councilmember Hoyt Hamilton
Also Present: William B. Horne 11 — City Manager, Micah Maxwell —Assistant City
Manager, Michael Delk—Assistant City Manager, Pamela K. Akin City
Attorney, Rosemarie Call — City Clerk and Nicole Sprague — Official
Records & Legislative Services Coordinator.
To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Mayor Cretekos
The meeting was called to order at 3:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at the
Main Library.
2. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items not on the Agenda
Lisa Lanza opposed providing her address on the comment card and
said that the stormwater fee was instituted due to citizen activism years
ago.
3. Office of Management & Budget
3.1 Discuss proposed 2019/20 Operating and Capital Improvement Budget and approve
updated Penny for Pinellas project list for public hearing advertisement.
The proposed 2019/20 Operating and Capital Improvement Budget was
presented to City Council at the July 18, 2019 council meeting. The tentative
millage rate of 5.9550 mills was approved for fiscal year 2019/20, which is the
same rate as was levied in the current year.
As required by City Ordinance, a public hearing for approval of the Penny for
Pinellas project list is held prior to adoption of the capital improvement budget.
In advance of that public hearing, scheduled for September 5, 2019, the
proposed project list is available for review of changes included in the proposed
2019/20 budget.
Significant changes to the project list include:
• Aviation Operations Center- This project, which provides funding for
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City Council Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
a replacement of the airpark operations center, is being postponed from
fiscal year 2019/20 to 2022/23.
• Fire Engines/Ladder Truck Replacement - The replacement
schedule for fire ladder trucks is being changed to advance the planned
replacement from fiscal year 2020/21 to 2019/20 and eliminate the
replacement in fiscal year 2022/23 which is not needed due to life cycle
of current ladder trucks. The funding for fire engine replacements are
being changed to postpone fiscal year 2019/20 to 2020/21 and add an
engine replacement in fiscal year 2022/23 reallocating funding from the
ladder truck. This project in total is being reduced by $1,000,000 due to
elimination of one ladder truck replacement.
• Police District III (Countryside Substation) -This project, which
provides for construction of replacement patrol operations and training
facilities at the Countryside Substation, is being increased by
$6,000,000.
• Waterfront/Bluff Masterplan (Imagine Clearwater) - This project,
which provides funding for the revitalization project for the downtown
Clearwater waterfront and Coachman Park, is being increased by
$6,500,000.
• Downtown Parking Garage -This project, budgeted at a total of
$10,500,000 planned in fiscal years 2025/26 and 2026/27, is being
eliminated from the Penny for Pinellas project list. Funding will instead
be provided by Parking revenues, reallocating Penny for Pinellas
revenues to fund other projects.
• Ed Wright Park Renovations / Neighborhood Parks
Renovations - The remaining Penny III funding of$260,0000 in the
Neighborhood Parks Renovations project is being transferred to the Ed
Wright Park Renovations project to provide additional funding needed to
complete the park renovations.
Budget Manager Kayleen Kastel reviewed the Penny for Pinellas project
list.
In response to questions, Ms. Kastel said the Police District 3 Substation
project is being advanced to 2020/2021 through an internal loan; the
penny funding, which will be used to repay the loan, will not be available
until 2022 and 2027. Police Chief Daniel Slaughter said the original $6
million for the project was an estimated place holder. The new substation
will be the Department's Category 5 facility, the original estimated
amount was insufficient for a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. He said the current
facility was built in 1983 and functionally obsolete, requiring mobile
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City Council Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
trailers for training sessions. The facility will provide 180 employees
shelter during a storm event. The substation houses the patrol operation
from Keene Road to Tampa, SWAT training and Fire and Range training
facilities. He said the new facility will eliminate the mobile trailers. Ms.
Kastel said $1 million was allocated from Penny 3 to start design work
and the remaining $5 million from Penny 4. She said there is sufficient
parking revenues to build a Downtown parking garage. When Council
decides on a new City Hall or parking garage, changes to the Penny List
will require a public hearing since the change involves more than
$500,000. The City Manager said the Public Works Complex is where
the tree give-away is located. He said staff creates the list and Council
approves the Penny Project List. Staff will highlight items that are of
particular interest to council. Assistant City Manager Micah Maxwell said
funding has been allocated for a 500-space downtown parking garage,-
anything
arage,anything larger would not be funded.
Vice Mayor Cundiff moved to approve the updated Penny for
Pinellas project list. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
4. Council Discussion
4.1 Council discussion of fiscal year 2019/20 preliminary operating and capital improvement
budget.
Budget Manager Kayleen Kastel provided a PowerPoint presentation.
Department directors reviewed changes to their proposed budgets.
In response to questions, Ms. Kastel said less than 30% of one's property
tax bill goes to the City of Clearwater. The property tax revenue funds the
City's general revenue fund, which supports public safety, general
government operations and street maintenance. The average
homesteaded property is $118,000 in Clearwater. The City Manager
said the additional staff members in the City Manager Office includes a
Sustainability Coordinator and the Cultural Affairs Coordinator, and one
Administrative Assistant. The cultural affairs activities were reduced a few
years ago and staff has realized the disconnect it created in the
community, instead of having the position listed under Parks and
Recreation it was decided to place it under the City Manager Office. The
Sustainability Coordinator position was created after council approval.
There are 160 fewer employees than there were in 2008; the idea is to
repurpose positions to meet a new requirement, rather than adding
additional FTEs. CRA Executive Director Amanda Thompson said the
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Meeting Minutes August 22, 2019
CRA receives a tax increment from the geographic area and the funds
are spent within that area. Economic Development and Housing Director
Denise Sanderson said Clearwater Business Spark is a network of
support services; the Main Library is a key component and a founding
member. The Department acquires or donates land to developers of
single or multi -family projects, but mostly leveraging funds through
private investment or through the federal low-income tax credit programs.
Finance Director Jay Ravins said the City's pension plan is over 100%
funded; the extended bull market since 2008 of excess investment
returns that have contributed to a healthy plan. Public Communications
Director Joelle Castelli said staff has been working with departments to
upgrade department website information to ensure it is ADA compliant.
The information must be presented in a format that is more readable by
screen readers. The City's website is approximately 90% compliant.
5. City Manager Reports
5.1 Move the October 17, 2019 council meeting to Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 6:00
p.m.
Staff is requesting to move the October 17 council meeting to October 16 due
to Clearwater Jazz Holiday.
Councilmember Polglaze moved to move the October 17, 2019
council meeting to Wednesday, October 16, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
6. City Attorney Reports — None.
7. Closing comments by Councilmembers (limited to 3 minutes) — None.
8. Closing Comments by Mayor — None.
9. Adjourn
Attest
The meeting adjourned at 4:31 p.m.
City Clerk
City of Clearwater
Mayor
City of Clearwater
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