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09/16/2024 Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 City of Clearwater Main Library- Council Chambers 100 N. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33755 m ap ® e Meeting Minutes Monday, September 16, 2024 1 :00 PM Main Library - Council Chambers Community Redevelopment Agency Page 1 City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 Roll Call Present 5 - Chair Bruce Rector, Trustee Ryan Cotton, Trustee Michael Mannino, Trustee David Allbritton, and Trustee Lina Teixeira Also Present: Jennifer Poirrier— City Manager, Michael Delk—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— Chair Rector The meeting was called to order 1:00 p.m. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve the minutes of the August 12, 2024 CRA meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. Trustee Cotton moved to approve the minutes of the August 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 Kathy Flaherty showed a video regarding CRAs and expressed concerns that the Clearwater CRA funds developers not community projects. Mr. Holuba expressed concerns regarding the lack of revitalization in Downtown. Barbara Sorey Love urged the City to preserve the historic Friendship Missionary Baptist Church by purchasing the property and placing it under auspices of the Downtown Prospect Lake CRA. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Approve the Interlocal Agreement with the Downtown Development Board (DDB) to provide personnel, administrative and management services during the Fiscal Year Page 2 City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 2024-2025 in the amount of$87,309, refund the CRA Tax Increment fee of$381,027, and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. Florida Statutes 163.387 requires all taxing authorities, which includes the DDB, to make an annual appropriation in an amount equal to the incremental increase in the ad valorem revenue within the CRA area. The DDB's increment payment is $381,027 according to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's office. In a spirit of cooperation to further the downtown redevelopment plan, the CRA Trustees executed the first Interlocal Agreement in Fiscal Year 1999-2000 to provide personnel, administrative and management services to the DDB and to refund the difference between the increment payment and the management fee. Pursuant to Florida Statute 163.01, the CRA and DDB can enter into this agreement in which the DDB agrees to perform certain responsibilities and functions including funding projects and programs consistent with the downtown redevelopment plan. The intent of this agreement is for the DDB and the CRA to work collaboratively on projects and programs that further downtown goals and objectives. The management of the DDB by CRA staff enables the CRA and the DDB to utilize the public dollars more efficiently. The DDB shall pay the CRA$87,309 for the services agreed to in the Interlocal Agreement. One individual spoke in opposition. Trustee Teixeira moved to approve the Interlocal Agreement with the Downtown Development Board (DDB) to provide personnel, administrative and management services during the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 in the amount of$87,309, refund the CRA Tax Increment fee of $381,027, and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.2 Approve an Interlocal Agreement between the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City of Clearwater to provide CRA funding in fiscal year 2024-2025 in the amount of$282,433.02 to underwrite the cost of additional Community Policing services by the Clearwater Police Department in the Downtown CRA to address quality of life issues, drug dealing, and homelessness and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. An allowable funding source of this active item is the use of CRA Increment Page 3 City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 Financings funds. Florida Statutes allows for the use of funds for "community policing innovations" in the Community Redevelopment Areas. Quality of life issues, drug dealing, and homelessness, all negatively impact the redevelopment plan. Additional community policing resources are needed to effectively address these issues above and beyond the level provided by routine road patrol functions. The CRA and Clearwater Police Department have reached an agreement on a proposed scope of services and terms delineated in the Interlocal Agreement. Included in the proposed scope is the delineation of specific, measurable crime reduction targets by which to monitor the success of the initiative as well as providing clear language required by statute assuring that the resources are applied to the Downtown CRA area. APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT: Funding for this Interlocal Agreement will be from R2001 Community Policing STRATEGIC PRIORITY: 1.4 Foster safe and healthy communities in Clearwater through first class public safety and emergency response services. Two individuals spoke in opposition. Trustee Allbritton moved to approve an Interlocal Agreement between the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City of Clearwater to provide CRA funding in fiscal year 2024-2025 in the amount of $282,433.02 to underwrite the cost of additional Community Policing services by the Clearwater Police Department in the Downtown CRA to address quality of life issues, drug dealing, and homelessness and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.3 Approve an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Clearwater and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to provide staffing and administrative services for the CRA, in an amount not to exceed $1,060,401.00 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. The City Council recognized the need for a dedicated focus on downtown redevelopment through the establishment of the Community Redevelopment Agency as an independent department in 2016. Page 4 City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 The Clearwater Downtown Redevelopment Plan established that funds received by the CRA through Tax Increment for certain redevelopment activities. The North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Area Plan acknowledges that the staff who administer the Downtown CRA will also administer the implementation of the North Greenwood Community Redevelopment Agency Area Plan. As per Section 163.387, Florida Statutes allows that money in the redevelopment trust fund may be used to support the activities for the for the Community Redevelopment Agency, including providing for staff. The total salary for the CRA staff is for FY2024-2025 $1,016,359.00: • North Greenwood CRA$91,558.00 • Downtown CRA $924,801.00 • Internal Services $44,042.00 Trustee Mannino moved to approve an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Clearwater and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to provide staffing and administrative services for the CRA, in an amount not to exceed $1,060,401.00 and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 4.4 Downtown Revitalization Update. In response to a question, CRA Executive Director Jesus Nino said staff has been working to identify all vacant properties and units in Downtown and conducting "wellness checks"for existing tenants. Staff has been contacting the owners of the vacant units and properties. He said staff is in the process of identifying all vacant properties owned by the City or the CRA and determining how the sites will be surplussed. Discussion ensued with comments made that members of the Downtown Merchants Association appreciate staffs involvement. It was requested that staff provide an update on the CMA lot, old firehouse property, and the current transportation site at a future meeting. The City Manager said staff is beginning to receive information requests from the County's consultant, CBRE, regarding potential development Page 5 City of Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes September 16, 2024 opportunities in Downtown. She said staff has provided a list of city -owned properties this past Friday. Staff will update the Trustees as appropriate. 4.5 Osceola Parking Garage Update. Mr. Nino said the proposed garage is located on CRA property and will be a 7 -story mixed use facility with 377 parking spaces. There will be approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of commercial wrap-around on Osceola Avenue. He said the project is moving forward as planned. 5. Director's Report Mr. Nino said the North Greenwood CRA CAC held their first meeting. Staff provided an overview of the Sunshine Law, community redevelopment agencies, and the plans and budgets for the CRA. 6. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 1:32 p.m. Attest City of Clearwater Chair Community Redevelopment Agency 4������ 4ELOP , r•N`" CORPOAAT `2= SES. � LJ ,irrrkORIDAnialq���```` Page 6