Palmetto city commission and CRA board meeting summary, April 5, 2010

Moment of Silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance

PROCLAMATION: National Tartan Day April 5 2010

Parphrase of presentation:
Over half of the Declaration of Independence signers were of Scottish descent, and today, over 200 organizations in the U.S. represent Americans of Scottish descent. April 6 declared "National Tartan Day" in Palmetto, FL.

Accepting:
Todd MacClinchy, President of the New World Celts South Bay association; he gave mayor Bryant a box of Scottish shortbread cookies. She have MacClinchy a plaque. 12 men in kilts, along with others dressed entirely or partially in tartan-patterned clothing, then left the commission chambers.


Swearing in of all persons intending to address City Commission or the CRABoard
Five members of the public stood, along with several city staffers.

One comment:
Chris wondered if law about yard sales could be changed to allow them more often than twice per year per household. He said he was willing to pay an additional fee. Mayor Bryant said they'd discuss his thoughts, see what they could do.

1) CITY COMMISSION AGENDA APPROVAL

Moved, seconded, unanimous approval.

2) CITY COMMISSION CONSENT AGENDA

A Minutes March 15 2010 TAB 1
B Special Function Permit Alvarez Mexican Restaurant Cinco de Mayo Festival TAB 2
C Noise Exception Permit Alvarez Mexican Restaurant Cinco de Mayo Festival 5810 TAB 3
D Noise Exception Permit Alvarez Mexican Restaurant Cinco de Mayo Festival 510TAB 4
E Noise Exception Permit Kojaks Palmetto Ribhouse TAB 5

Moved, seconded, unanimous approval.

3) PUBLIC HEARING ORDINANCENO 2010 04J Freeman TAB 6
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF PALMETTO
FLORIDA AMENDING THE PALMETTO CODE OF ORDINANCES AMENDING THE
QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR CITY ELECTIONS PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE

Open public hearing
no comments
Close public hearing
 
Moved, seconded, unanimous approval.

4) 1ST PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CDBG GRANTJ Freeman TAB 7
Commission will accept public comment regarding the City sapplication for a CDBG grant up to $750,000. If awarded the grant will assist the City in funding the Ward I Phase II infrastructure improvement project, including water mains, sewer lines, and paving "in areas designated."
 
Open the public hearing
A representative of CTI, the consultant Palmetto uses to help seek grants, said Palmetto might be eligible for a DCA (Florida Department of Community Affairs) "small cities" development block grant; that this kind of grant is supposed to be used to benefit low and moderate income persons; remove blight or slum conditionss; for housing rehabilitation; community rehabilition & development; purchase of machinery and equipment, purchase of housing and other buildings -- all with the proviso that 70% of the money spent must benefit low moderate income persons.

There were no other comments.

Close public hearing after public comment

Moved seconded, unanimous approval of moving this matter forward to a 2nd public hearing.

5  ***REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA*** will take it up again at April 19 meeting.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF PALMETTO FLORIDA
CLARIFYING AND ADDING DUTIES TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD DELETING
PROVISIONS RELATED TO A PLANNING COMMISSION PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF
ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND PROVIDING FOR AN
EFFECTIVE DATE

Other items on  the consent agenda approved unanimously.

Recess the City Commission meeting to open the April 5 2010 CRA Board meeting

CRA Board Meeting agenda (pdf)

Note: the Palmetto City Commission and CRA board are one and the same.

Jeff Burton, CRA interim director, discussed streetscapes and Florida-friendly landscaping. There are still some questions about the contract they are considering for a 5th Ave. landscaping (streetscaping) pilot project, so it was held over for legal review. Download the agenda item and bid info (pdf)

Burton and the Board discussed Facade Enhancement Grants (download pdf of current draft document)

One problem mentioned was that many business's signs in Palmetto are not up to code and are not likely to withstand even a modest tropical storm.  Perhaps, noted staffers, once the grant mechanism was fully in place, it could be used as a "carrot" along with the "stick" of code enforcement to bring more businesses into compliance. This matter was covered in a separate Bradenton Times article.

----

CRA meeting closed, City Commission meeting reconvened at 9:01 p.m. (Notes are paraphrased, not direct quotes, unless they are within quotation marks.)


6) 23rd STREET REALIGNMENT UPDATE BASEBALL FIELD UPDATE

Land swaps and zoning changes "Are coming along," said public works director Allen Tusing, who expects to put out bid requess for the construction work this week.

Mayor Bryant: The YMCA may want to put an aquatic facility there, including an Olympic-sized pool. Needs more discussion, but met with them and their grant writer. This would have no impact on ballfield construction, which is moving forward. YMCA is forming a community group to see how peope feel about a YMCA in the area, including an aquatic (pool) center. Maybe our elementary school students can get some drownproofing classes -- but that's just a thought; there's no funding for that right now. A YMCA facility would be positive for the area, but it's a future thing, not going to happen  right now.

Commissioner Cornwell pointed out that good water sports training opportunities are not currently offered anywhere in Manatee County, so that would be great.

Mayor Bryant says she needs to talk to school superintendent Tim McGonegal about ideas like swim teams for schools. Worth talking about, anyway. Is there enough parking and enough space to do this?

Tusing said, "Manatee County is all over this," and that they might be able to tie parking to Palmetto High School next door and save some of the ballfield land for a YMCA swimming facility, that we should be careful and think before we put any new roads in, because "as long as the lines are on paper" it's easy to change them, and at this point we're only putting out bids for design, not moving dirt or pouring cement.

Attorney Mark Barnebey warned, though, that if you move too many lines around "it impacts other things we're doing" and can affect project timing.

Mayor Bryant: Basically, though, this (swim park) will not impact the ballfields, and this may not happen -- but also MAY happen in the not too distant future.

Tusing: The Y could take four to five years...

7, 8, 9, 10) MAYOR'S and COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS and REPORTS:

Bait shop lease (Green bridge fishing pier building) - still working on it.

Code enforcement has gotten complaints from  Tropic Isles (mobile home park) about garage sales.

Tusing - on  the bait shop... may be able to use CRA money to make it nicer; it's a waterfront enhancements. Maybe move the restrooms, make things more accessible to both public and fishers.

Burton - We're taking that idea to the CRA advisory board a week from tomorrow, and we already have bid requests out to one or two architects for pricing.

Commissioner Williams - expressed a concern that if restrooms are moved away from the bridge "where all the activity is," - people may (go) casually on the pier, create odor and cleanup problems.

Tusing: planning to keep the current bathrooms, just add more.

Mayor: on the  estuary park; we have all the permits, we're moving trees, the restroom and culverts are ordered; "We're there."

Discussions led to no motions.
 
10 PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR CITY COMMISSION

There were no public comments.

11 ADJOURNMENT