06/01/2022 City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
City of Clearwater
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Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
6:00 PM
Countryside Recreation Center
City Council
Special Council Meeting — Strategic Visioning and ARPA Funding Community
Meeting
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City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
Roll Call
Present: 2 - Mayor Frank Hibbard, Vice Mayor Kathleen Beckman,
Not Present: 3 — Councilmember David Allbritton, Councilmember Lina Teixeira,
and Councilmember Mark Bunker.
Also Present: Jon Jennings — City Manager, Michael Delk—Assistant City
Manager, and Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk.
To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Mayor Hibbard
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. Strategic Visioning — Mayor Hibbard
Mayor Hibbard welcomed those in attendance and said the first part of the meeting would
be dedicated to strategic planning. Community feedback will help guide City Council in
developing the City's budget, aligning the City's limited resources with citizens'desires.
He asked attendees to rate the following categories, with 8 being the most important and 1
the least important: Neighborhoods, Improving Roadways and Traffic, Sustainability,
Quality of Life (parks, rec centers, and libraries), Improving City Services, Economic Base
(diversify it), Public Safety (Police and Fire), and Infrastructure (pipes, roadways, and city
buildings). He said the budget is critically important as it reflects council priorities.
The Mayor reported the following rankings:
1 —Affordable Housing
2— Public Safety (police and Fire):
3— Sustainability(decreasing fossil fuels, solar, planning for sea level rise, decreasing
carbon footprint
3— Improve Roadways and Traffic
3— Diversify the Economic Base (more jobs, US 19, expand non-residential tax base)
6— Quality of Life Services (parks, recreation, libraries, and trails)
7— Financial Responsibility
7— Improving City Services
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City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
One individual said the strategic planning process is about determining the future of
Clearwater, and citizens consider Clearwater below average as a community, according to
the 2021 National Community Survey Results.
One individual ranked sustainability and infrastructure as top priorities. Affordable housing
is not the issue, the issue is affording the housing stock that is available. Wages should
be raised to attract workers who can afford the available housing.
One individual said sustainability is the most important. If we don't address the
environment, nothing else will matter.
One individual expressed a concern over keeping taxes down and said there is no such
thing as affordable housing, somebody is paying for it.
One individual said their priority is affordable housing, all resources are overwhelmed and
depleted. Some people are not able to get a job because they don't have an address.
One individual said quality of life services are important, expressed a concern that there is
no kayak boat launch at the Seminole Boat Ramp, and the reclaimed water and
stormwater fee is very expensive for small business owners.
One individual said there is vacant property on Palmetto St. that would be a good location
for affordable housing.
The Mayor said an African American graveyard was found on that property and HEP had
plans to build family housing, but the project has been put on hold.
One individual inquired about solar panels and the number of kilowatt hours they will save
and how much pollution it will offset.
The Mayor said it will depend on the panel application and usage.
One individual questioned why government is involved in private housing.
The Mayor said most agencies are involved in some ways with affordable housing.
One individual said they were comfortable with the strategic planning priority rankings and
questioned how the rankings during this meeting compared to the other three community
meetings.
The Mayor said the answers were relatively similar with slight deviations in different
neighborhoods. The information gathered from all four meetings will be compiled to show
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City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
the community's priorities which will allow Council to make decisions on the strategic plan.
He said affordable housing was ranked as a high priority in all the meetings.
One individual said other communities are focusing on affordable housing for first
responders so they can live in the community they serve which helps to maintain the
quality of life.
3. ARPA Funding
The City Manager said the city will receive $22,483,893 under the American Rescue Plan
Act (ARPA) program. Funds must be encumbered by 2024 and spent by 2026. Due to the
timeframes, projects and programs identified to use ARPA funds should be close to shovel
ready as possible. Staff has recommended the following proposed projects:
1. Startup funding for North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Agency- $5 million.
These funds will help the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Agency start its
redevelopment efforts. Because the Community Redevelopment Agency's future funding is
predicated on increasing the taxable value of the properties within the area, staff believes
an initial investment in the neighborhood is appropriate to jumpstart these efforts. A
centerpiece of the area is the North Ward School which the city has acquired and is ready
to redevelop. Many other efforts are currently being planned in this area which is generally
defined as a roughly 1.31-square-mile area to the north and northeast of downtown.
2. Fiber Upgrades and Broadband Connectivity- $3.5 million
These funds will be used to upgrade the city's traffic management infrastructure, which will
allow for better traffic management by using an Intelligent Traffic System that can be
integrated with regional partner's systems. This will allow for a better flow of traffic, which
will have positive benefits in the areas of local job creation, travel time to/from work, and
sustainability. Additionally, the infrastructure upgrades create a more secure network
infrastructure for the city to protect city assets and enhance provided services.
3. Affordable Housing - $3.3 million
Housing projects will include down payment assistance, rehabilitation and new
construction of single-family and multi-family homes, and energy efficiency improvements
such as installation of cool roofs and solar panels when practicable. These funds will be
used to assist households with incomes between 80 and 120 percent Area Median
Income. While this income bracket will be the primary target, worthwhile projects assisting
households below 80 percent Area Mean Income will also be considered.
4. Street and Sidewalk Improvements - $2 million
These funds will be used to expedite roadway, curb and sidewalk improvements in low-
income communities. Approximately$1.8 million will be spent on milling/resurfacing
roadways and approximately$320,000 will be spent on sidewalk and curb improvements.
This $2 million will be in addition to the $5.2 to $5.7 million that is budgeted annually for
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City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
street and sidewalk improvements.
5. Solar Panels for City Facilities - $2 million
These funds would be used to kick off the city's solar installation program on city buildings.
These investments will help reduce the costs related to energy use, allowing for
operational funds to be reallocated or tax rates reduced.
6. Pinellas Community Foundation - $1 million
Pinellas Community Foundation will solicit, evaluate and award up to $1,000,000 to a
nonprofit organization that offers an innovative and impactful concept for affordable and
attainable housing in the City of Clearwater. Awardee must be able to complete the project
by September 30, 2026.
7. Nonprofit Cultural Affairs Funding - $1 million
These funds are proposed as a grant-based program. Nonprofit organizations in
Clearwater that provide services within Clearwater will have an opportunity to request
funding for programs that focus on cultural affairs. These could include area markets,
concert or theatre events, or other community social opportunities that are trying to
become financially feasible or who need financial assistance getting back to pre-pandemic
levels of effectiveness.
8. Education — Grants or Partnerships - $1 million
These funds will be used to provide a grant or partnership opportunity with a nonprofit or
government entity for programs that focus on educational opportunities targeting students
who have fallen behind academically due to the pandemic.
9. State Street Park Improvements - $700,000
This project will provide for the development of State Street Park, located on the
southwest corner of State Street and North Betty Lane. This property was purchased more
than 30 years ago for the purpose of developing a neighborhood park. The present
homeowner association has been very active in promoting this park and desires to have
additional park improvements. Development of the park would preserve the tree canopy
and allow the park to remain in as much of its natural state as possible. Development
could include improved open field play areas and the addition of a playground,
nature/walking trails, fencing, water fountain, parking, signage and other park amenities.
Invasive plant species would also be removed from the park.
10. Clearwater Main Library Info Hub - $625,000
This project would transform the first floor of the Main Library into a one-stop destination
that supports and enhances citizen use of the new Coachman Park and downtown by
relocating the library's most-used resources and services. To support this one-stop model,
part of the reference and circulation staff would join to create an "information hub"on the
first floor where patrons could get any technical or library support or information about
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City Council Special Meeting June 1, 2022
activities in Coachman Park.
11. Reimburse the City for COVID Expenses - $2,358,893
The city expended$1,379,498 of General Fund operating budget on the Clearwater Back
to Business Grant and Professional Services Program during fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
Additionally, the city expended $1,741,242 city-wide on premium pay and vacation
accruals for essential employees during the pandemic, per the city's emergency
deployment and compensation policy. These two expenditure categories total $3,120,700
and staff is recommending $2,358,893 of reimbursement.
One individual asked how the amount of funds the City receives was determined and said
her rent has gone up $500 since she has lived in Clearwater and doesn't know how much
longer she'll be able to live there.
One individual asked if there is flexibility in changing the amount of funding if the results of
the survey showed affordable housing as the highest ranked priority.
The City Manager said that the recommendations are from staff and Council has final
authority to appropriate the funds. He said affordable housing is the top issue in all four
forums.
One individual said the City should implement the recommendations from the Clearwater
Neighborhood Coalition that would level the playing field for the land use approval
process, suggested traffic calming in the Countryside area with neighborhood
identification, way finding signs, and address code enforcement issues, the City of St.
Petersburg has done some innovating things to prevent code enforcement problems.
One individual suggested providing subsidies for residential solar panels and free Wi-Fi
access as Wi-Fi would directly impact every individual in the city.
One individual questioned how programs will get implemented and how can the public
monitor what is happening.
The City Manager said that even though this is the last community meeting, there is still an
online presence for residents to submit their surveys. He said after staff compiles the
survey data, information will be presented to Council with opportunity for public input. He
said the City's website will have an ARPA page which will be the best source of information
moving forward.
One individual said it is good to see work being done in the North Greenwood area and
questioned how it was created.
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City Council
Special Meeting June 1, 2022
The City Manager said a CRA is a way to invest in certain sections of the city that need
cash infusions that will get the private sector more focused on development and new
businesses in the area.
One individual suggested funds be used for children who fell behind academically during
COVID.
4. Adjourn
Attest
The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
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City of Clearwater
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