03/18/2024 Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes March 18, 2024
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
m
ap
® e
Meeting Minutes
Monday, March 18, 2024
1 :00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Community Redevelopment Agency
Page 1
City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes March 18, 2024
Roll Call
Present 4 - Vice Chair Mark Bunker, Trustee David Allbritton, Trustee Kathleen
Beckman, and Trustee Lina Teixeira
Absent 1 - Chair Brian Aungst Sr.
Also Present: Jennifer Poirrier— City Manager, Michael Delk—Assistant City
Manager, Daniel Slaughter—Assistant City Manager, David Margolis
— City Attorney, Rosemarie Call — City Clerk, Nicole Sprague — Deputy
City Clerk, and Jesus Nino — CRA Executive Director
To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Vice Chair Bunker
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the February 12, 2024 CRA meeting as submitted in written
summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee Beckman moved to approve the minutes of the February
12, 2024 CRA meeting as submitted in written summation by the
City Clerk. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda — None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Approve a Declaration of Restricted Covenant for property located at 1277 Grove Street,
Clearwater, FL 33755, and authorize appropriate officials to execute same.
At the February 12, 2024, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting
approved a fourth amendment to the Agreement for Development and Purchase
and Sale to Archway Clearwater Gardens, LLC. The Amendment requires the
execution of a declaration of a restrictive covenant, instead of a perpetual
easement, restricting the use of the community garden site to use as a
community garden for the benefit, use, and enjoyment of the public. This
change eliminates the need for the City to procure, manage, or contract with
future operators and users of the community garden. Archway will take on this
responsibility.
Page 2
City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes March 18, 2024
The Property shall be used solely as a community garden for a period of 30
years commencing on the Effective Date of this Declaration and for no other
use.
For purposes of this Declaration, community garden shall mean an activity on
the property where more than one person grows produce and/or horticultural
plants for their consumption and enjoyment, for the consumption and enjoyment
of friends and relatives, and/or donation to a not-for-profit organization, generally
on a not-for-profit basis.
Trustee Teixeira moved to approve a Declaration of Restricted
Covenant for property located at 1277 Grove Street, Clearwater,
FL 33755, and authorize appropriate officials to execute same.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.2 Approve the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) companion grant for the Gotham
residential project on the Bluff and reallocate $750,000 from the vacancy reduction grant
program.
On February 1, 2024, the City Council approved a substantive amendment to
the City's purchase and sale agreement for the old City Hall site. As it pertains
to the CRA, the amendment approved on February 1 st creates a new condition
precedent to closing for the Buyers which entitles the Buyers to a CRA grant in
the amount of$2,250,000 upon Substantial Completion of the project. Because
these funds are being allocated from the CRA, only the CRA can give final
approval to that portion of the agreement.
As provided in the amendment approved on February 1 st, if the Buyers
successfully close on the real estate by March 1, 2026, the CRA grant in the
amount of$2,250,000 will be disbursed upon commencement of construction,
instead of being deferred until Substantial Completion. In addition, if the Buyers
successfully close on the real estate by March 1, 2026, the CRA shall disburse
an additional $1,000,000 early closing incentive grant upon commencement of
construction.
This item seeks approval to allocate and set aside $3,250,000 in CRA funds for
this grant, but no portion of these funds will be disbursed to the Buyers unless
and until the conditions in this item and the Fourth Amendment to the Contract
for Purchase of Real Property, approved the City Council on February 1, 2024,
are met. To fund the $3,250,000, the staff is requesting approval to transfer
$750,000 from the vacancy reduction grant program. To date, none of this
allocation has been utilized; nor are there any current applications in progress.
The remaining $2,500,000 is being funded administratively through the use of
Page 3
City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes March 18, 2024
City TIF funds already available in the Housing Project of the CRA Budget.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
A mid-year budget amendment will provide a transfer of$2,500,000 from capital
improvement project R2009- Housing -City, to capital improvement project
R2003, Economic Development-City, to fund this commitment.
In response to questions, CRA Executive Director Jesus Nino said there
are funds remaining in the Vacancy Reduction Grant Program, staff
continues to market the grant program.
Trustee Allbritton moved to approve the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA) companion grant for the Gotham
residential project on the Bluff and reallocate $750,000 from the
vacancy reduction grant program. The motion was duly seconded
and carried unanimously.
4.3 Approve the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Citizens Advisory Committee
Policy.
On May 23, 2023, the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area
(NGCRA) was formally established as a community redevelopment area under
the purview of the City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency
(CRA). Originally, the NGCRA was proposed by the Clearwater Urban
Leadership Coalition in 2019. The City of Clearwater and the CRA then moved
forward with the approval of a required Finding of Necessity Study, identifying,
and ultimately establishing the NGCRA boundaries (840.88 acres or 1.31
square miles), and the creation of the NGCRA Plan. The NGCRA Plan is the
guiding document for implementation strategies and policies to eliminate slum
and blight in the NGCRA.
To ensure the Plan is implemented in continuous collaboration with the
community, the Plan, sections 5.4 and 5.5, states the city will establish a
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), a "recommending body," comprised of
residents, business owners, property owners, and non-profit organizations
located in the plan area. Once established, the CAC will aid staff and the CRA
Trustees to administer the implementation of the NGCRA Plan.
Prior to CRA staff conducting a robust CAC member recruiting campaign, CAC
policies and guidelines must first be in place. Staff is requesting approval of the
attached "North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area Citizens Advisory
Committee Policy." The purpose of the Policy is to establish uniform guidelines
under which the CAC for the NGCRA will be organized, comprised, and
Page 4
City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency
Meeting Minutes March 18, 2024
administered. It also provides guidelines the CAC will follow unless relevant
circumstances justify an alternative approach acceptable to and approved by
the CRA Trustees.
The CAC will consist of five members, with three members appointed by the
City of Clearwater City Council (City Council) and the remaining two members
appointed by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (Section 5.5,
NGCRA). CAC members will serve without compensation.
In response to questions, Mr. Nino said staff has reached out to Pinellas
County to discuss how they wish to proceed with appointing their two
members. For the city appointees, staff will collect the applications and
present those that meet the criteria to the Trustees for appointment.
Trustee Beckman moved to approve the North Greenwood
Community Redevelopment Citizens Advisory Committee Policy.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
5. Director's Report
6. Adjourn
Attest
City Clerk
caL
City of Clearwater
Mr. Nino said now that the North Greenwood CAC policy was approved, staff
will start a recruitment campaign that includes community outreach
materials. Outreach efforts will include flyers, videos, and presentations at
various public meetings.
In response to a question, Mr. Nino said staff is seeking an Attorney
General opinion as he does not believe trust funds from one CRA can be
used for another CRA.
The meeting adjourned at 1:21 p.m.
°‘,„_E'igi,„ Chair
AIRoillig,/'Community Redevelopment Agency
z0 CORPpgg1
* TF ictirivli ,
V .y '''r
.�� I .ti.• ..•W sy
'''''''rr,�iip R; DA",*`03``\\\`
Page 5