Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWeekly Update - 07-29-16 Weekly Update Week Ending July 29, 2016 Cape Canaveral VISION Statement Administrative Services Community Engagement Community Development Economic Development Culture & Leisure Services Public Works Services Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Canaveral Fire Rescue – No Report 5-17-2016     Cape Canaveral Vision Statement We envision: A bikeable and walkable Cape Canaveral that retains and enhances its residential feel, characterized by low-rise buildings. This residential and business friendly atmosphere is a liveable, attractive, safe, inclusive and sustainable coastal community that embraces the seaside and riverside as the main amenities, and supports local culture, commerce and education. We envision: A1A as a “complete street” with a native-landscaped and tree-lined median with traffic calming elements and dark-sky street lighting. “Complete street” amenities include bicycle facilities, covered transit stops, and safe pedestrian crossings that invite pedestrians and bicyclists to access the beach, river, local neighborhoods and adjacent communities. Our improved “complete streets” will allow us to travel calmly to intimate waterfront destinations and a walk- able uptown core. Multi-use paths lined with shade trees should be wide enough for bikes and pedestrians and lighted so anyone can walk or bicycle safely anywhere in town, day or night. We envision: Welcoming community entrance features that create a sense of arrival and unique community identity. The “uptown” and other areas will contain an architecturally rich and unique mix of uses, with wide tree shaded sidewalks and umbrella covered café tables at restaurants and bistros where friends gather, interact, and enjoy drinks and dinner. We envision: A community that; removes or transforms blighted and unfinished buildings into attractive structures, offers city-wide green spaces, provides a pet-friendly park with ample shade, and actively recruits and supports businesses that enhance economic viability and serve our residents and visitors. We envision: Open shorelines and rivers accessible to the public including amenities that take advantage of the water, such as limited and quaint water-view establishments and intimate public gathering and entertainment places that may include pavilions, gazebos, or a performance stage.   Administrative Services Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 The City Manager’s Office is responsible for the day to day administration of all City departments in accordance with City Council’s established policies/direction, local ordinances, resolutions and State/Federal laws/rules and regulations. Telephone conferences, meetings with citizens, documents prepared/reviewed/approved and meetings/conferences held are numerous and may not be included in the Weekly Updates. Highlights:  Met with Department Directors regarding various projects/issues/initiatives.  Met with Council Member McMillin regarding various City initiatives.  EA provided assistance to City Council Members and select Department Directors. City Clerk’s Office Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities and assisted various telephone/walk-in requests from the Public/Staff and provided assistance to City Council. Highlights:  Records Management – 28 pages of documents scanned; continued preparing records for offsite scanning and disposition/destruction; disposition of 1.5TB backup hard disk drive documented; continued updating/adding backlog of permanent records in Laserfiche; provided assistance to walk-in request for records regarding the building located at 8600 Astronaut Blvd.  Council Meetings – continued preparing for 8-16-2016 and 9-20-2016 Regular Meetings and 9-6-2016 Special Meeting.  Community Redevelopment Agency Board – continued preparing for 8-16-2016 Meeting.  Elections – 2nd Notice of Election ad ran in Florida Today 7-28-16; City Qualifying Period begins noon, 8-12-16 through noon, 8-26-16; go to www.votebrevard.com for information regarding Primary and General Elections; collected 3 Campaign Treasurer Reports, Report Code P3.  Attended Florida Association of City Clerks webinar regarding Council Orientations.  Met with City Manager regarding various items/issues. Financial Services Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities and assisted various telephone/walk-in requests from the Public. Highlights:  Completed June 2016 Financials (attached).  Met with Community Development Director regarding Budget items for upcoming CRA Meeting. Human Resources/Risk Management Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities. Highlights:  Legal Update HR to the Rescue: Prompt Investigation Beats EEOC’s Sexual Harassment Claim A recent federal court decision illustrates the point that prompt/appropriate investigation of an employee discrimination complaint can prevent employer liability. In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Autozone, Inc., the EEOC filed suit on behalf of three female employees, alleging that Autozone was liable for sexual harassment in violation of Title VII because a male store manager engaged in “lewd and obscene” behavior toward them. Autozone argued that it was not liable because it took appropriate corrective action that was reasonably intended to end the harassment. The court agreed, finding that the facts showed that after “Charging Party A” reported sexual harassment in writing to HR, the HR Manager took immediate action by meeting with the complainant and obtained a written statement. During that meeting, the employee identified another employee who, subsequently, filed a charge of discrimination as well as sexual harassment. The HR Manager followed up by obtaining statements from the second employee and a third employee, who also filed a statement regarding the store manager’s alleged harassment. About a week later, HR informed “Charging Party A” that the store manager would be transferred from the store and asked if she could work with him until then. “Charging Party A” said she could, and they worked in the same store for a few days until the store manager was transferred. About two weeks later, Autozone fired the store manager for acts and conduct detrimental to Autozone, inappropriate comments and loss of confidence. The court held that Autozone’s actions shielded it from liability and demonstrates that an appropriate/prompt investigation of a harassment complaint can prevent employer liability for the harassing conduct, regardless of how egregious the harassing conduct may be. OSHA and Employee Post-Accident Drug Screening Occupational Safety and Health Administration may now limit an employer’s right to conduct post-accident testing. In May, OSHA published a new rule regarding the reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. The rule was designed to place more emphasis on an employer’s obligation to make sure employees are reporting workplace injuries and illnesses. The new rule emphasizes that procedures employers put in place to facilitate the reporting of incidents must not discourage employees from making injury reports. OSHA also provided written commentary that is creating concern for employers that conduct post-accident drug testing. According to OSHA: Although drug testing of employees may be a reasonable workplace policy in some situations, it is often perceived as an invasion of privacy, so if an injury or illness is very unlikely to have been caused by employee drug use or if the method of drug testing does not identify impairment but only use at some time in the recent past, requiring the employee to be drug tested may inappropriately deter reporting. OSHA stated a standard it will use to evaluate improper workplace testing in a post-accident setting: To strike the appropriate balance here, drug testing policies should limit post-incident testing to situations in which employee drug use is likely to have contributed to the incident, and for which the drug test can accurately identify impairment caused by drug use. While the new rule was scheduled to go into effect on August 10, 2016, OSHA recently announced it will delay enforcement until November 1, 2016 in order to give employers more time to amend their policies. Employers are advised to immediately amend “blanket” mandatory post-accident testing in favor of a case-by-case approach, testing only if drugs are “likely” to be a contributing factor. Furthermore, if tests used do not measure impairment, employers will be choosing to bear a significant risk. While Florida municipalities are currently exempt from OSHA reporting requirements, the City voluntarily adheres to OSHA Safety guidelines and is committed to ensuring the highest standards of workplace safety. HR will continue to monitor legal developments regarding post- accident drug screening.  Active Shooter Preparedness Program In response to recent workplace violence events, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued an “Active Shooter Preparedness Program”. It is intended to enhance preparedness through a “whole community” approach by providing training, products and resources on issues such as active shooter awareness, incident response and workplace violence. DHS has found, in many cases, there is no pattern or method to the selection of victims by an active shooter and these situations are, by their very nature, unpredictable and evolve quickly. DHS recommends that all employers establish specific Active Shooter policy and procedures and conduct training along with drills at least annually. Following the Orlando Pulse nightclub shootings, HR distributed “Active Shooter” preparedness instructions to Directors and employees; Active Shooter Preparedness training will be included in the Safety Program.  Search continues for qualified Professional Engineers with Wastewater/Reclamation municipal plant leadership experience for the Public Works Services Director vacancy.  Met with Administrative/Financial Services Director to discuss current/projected employee utilization levels necessary for projecting the Personnel Budget for 2016/17. The hiring strategy of retaining fewer, but more highly skilled employees (competitively compensated) for vacancies, continues to glean cost savings to the City.  Collaborated with Capital Projects Director in formulating a process by which to develop a City Sustainability Plan. Confident that the City is currently “doing the right things” with positive measurable results, Staff looks forward to engaging the community, whose support and assistance will ensure economic, social and environmental sustainability for current and future generations.  ZIKA UPDATE (NBC News) U.S. health officials issued updated recommendations for preventing and testing for Zika infection on July 25, 2016, warning that the virus can be sexually transmitted through a male or female host. Previously, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other experts, believed that the virus could only be sexually transmitted by males infected as far back as 6 months. A recently reported case of female-to-male transmission in New York City led to the new warning. Florida's Health Department began looking into what may be the first cases in the United States of Zika caused by the bite of a local mosquito. Health authorities in Florida have tested approximately 200 people for the virus as part of the state's investigation of two possible cases (Miami-Dade and Broward) of infections not related to travel to a region hit by an outbreak. Epidemiologists from the CDC arrived in Florida Friday to provide assistance. State authorities in Florida reported the capacity to test 4,770 for Zika and 2,130 for the antibodies. Florida Department of Health reports 364 Zika virus cases as July 26, 2016. Community Engagement Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Community Engagement is primarily responsible for implementation/evaluation of public programs, community meetings, public gatherings and more. Staff attended various meetings, performed day-to-day duties/responsibilities, website maintenance/improvements and performed content sourcing throughout the City for various digital/social media platforms. Other highlights include: Conversations with residents/pedestrians/business owners in regard to:  Pet-friendly  Aerial Adventure Park  Community garden  Coyote / Rooster / Wildlife  Trimming mangroves  Synthetic putting green / bocce courts  Stormwater A Report a Concern form has been added to the City website. It was brought to our attention by a resident that the current Report a Concern software was not working correctly. The form requires no login/account and is very easy to use. To report a concern, please visit this webpage cityofcapecanaveral.org/concerns and fill in the required fields. The City was contacted by a visiting military family looking for “fun things to do in Cape Canaveral”. The husband currently serves in the United States Army and is soon to be deployed. Staff directed her to: City attractions, City parks with playgrounds, sunset/sunrise spots, local restaurants and stores. The family, who will be here on July 30th and 31st are very excited to create lasting memories in The Space Between. Participated in a live demonstration of a cloud based mapping application created by Boondock Cities. Their application is a “platform used by municipalities to easily build maps for any purpose and increase community engagement.” The application is both easy to use/share, both internally/externally. Possible uses for this application would be: event maps, bike/walk trails, public project input, Brownfield area, Economic Opportunity Overlay District area, reuse water map and local attractions. The maps can be shared on websites and social media platforms, as well as viewed on phones/tablets. In coordination with the Canaveral Public Library, Staff will instruct a basic computer skills crash course for 5 registered students. The first Computer ABCs is full, but the second is on Monday, September 12, 2016 at 12:30 pm at the Canaveral Public Library. Anyone interested in attending these classes should reach out to the Canaveral Public Library by calling (321) 868-1101 ASAP. Designed print collateral/website digital imagery/social media posts for:  PWS signage  Holiday Series 5K  Beach & Kite Fest Connect with the City of Cape Canaveral on social media! Facebook – cityofcapecanaveral, 3,278 page likes, +11 Recent posts: Instagram – cityofcapecanaveral, 317 followers, +7 Recent posts: Twitter – capecanaveralfl, 329 followers, +5 Recent tweets: Pinterest – capecanaveralfl, 492 inspiring pins, +50 Periscope – capecanaveralfl, 447 hearts Snapchat – capecanaveralfl, 143 score, +1 points, 22 followers, +2 followers MailChimp has 175 subscribers Social Media Weekly Bests Tag us in photos, tweets and posts to be considered for the social media weekly bests!       Community Development Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities and assisted various telephone/walk-in requests from the public, including performing plan reviews, processing permits, conducting inspections, performing site visits, issuing Notices and conducting research. The Building Division conducted 38 inspections; processed 22 new building permit applications; 24 permits picked up and payments processed; processed 87 renewal Business Tax Receipts (BTR’s) fire/alarm payments and four (4) new BTR applications.  Provided inspections for New City Hall to include pre-pour for final section of tie beam.  Processed one (1) payment for an expired permit and one (1) payment for a failed inspection.  Processed three (3) new contractor information packets (Contractor License, Liability Insurance and W/C Insurance) allowing them to pull permits in Cape Canaveral.  Provided assistance completing building permit applications as needed.  One (1) call to contractor regarding scheduling final inspections for building permits that are nearing expiration & permits recently expired.  Trained new employee for processing building permit applications and permit payments.  Scanned 17 pages of Certificates of Insurance. Code Enforcement performed day-to-day duties/responsibilities, assisted with various requests from the Public and provided office coverage throughout the week. Highlights:  Issued two (2) notices of violation.  Tagged two (2) vehicles to be towed for not having a current tag or expired tag.  Responded to two (2) lien search requests.  Issued three (3) door tags for visible violations to be corrected.  Issued one (1) compliance notice.  Obtained compliance for two (2) violations in the field.  Conducted thirteen (13) site inspections.  Stopped one (1) commercial property owner’s tenant while painting the exterior of building prior to obtaining Community Appearance Board approval.  Received three (3) new requests giving life-safety issues priority, followed closely by community appearance and property maintenance.  Code Enforcement Officers continue to conduct daily community sweeps for visible violations throughout the City.  Continued to reach out to commercial/residential property owners with non- conforming ground signs in an effort to provide awareness of the upcoming     requirement for all existing pole signs to be modified into pylon signs by September 16, 2016.  Responded to 31 voice mails regarding Code Enforcement.  Conducted a nighttime inspection for lighting violation, which causes turtle hatchling disorientation. To be followed by Notice of Violation.  Started reviewing, printing and preparing the 2016 Annual National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) community rating system recertification packet. This voluntary incentive program recognizes/encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk(s).  Records Management – 1,843 pages of documents scanned/verified; continued preparing records for disposition/destruction.  Conducted Planning & Zoning Board Meeting on July 27; Board unanimously approved Special Exception No. 2016-03 and Site Plan approval for the proposed Cumberland Farms project at 8000 Astronaut Blvd. The Board of Adjustment will consider Special Exception Request No. 2016-03 at its August 23 meeting.  Contacted Florida Department of Economic Opportunity regarding required revisions to the City’s Coastal Management Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Determined that the revisions will be incorporated into the City’s Evaluation and Appraisal Report which is due on October 1, 2017. The proposed revisions will need to address the following:  Include development and redevelopment principles, strategies and engineering solutions that reduce the flood risk in coastal areas;  Encourage the use of best practices, development and redevelopment principles, strategies and engineering solutions…;  Identify site development techniques and best practices that may reduce losses due to flooding…;  Be consistent with; or more stringent than, the flood-resistant construction requirements in the Florida Building Code…;  Require that any construction activities seaward of the coastal construction line be consistent with Chapter 161.  Encourage local governments to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System. Economic Development Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Performed day to day duties/responsibilities, conducted various meetings with business stakeholders, potential investors, citizens, realtors and Staff. Performed site visits and conducted research as necessary.  City Hall status: o Polk Ave. at A1A was closed to vehicular traffic on July 18th. o Steel work for the 2nd floor deck was delayed to next week. o Crews formed/poured four arches on the east side of the building. Concrete blockwork was installed on top of these arches up to the main tie-beam level to define the footprint of the overhanging second floor.  Met with City Manager, Community Development and Community Engagement Directors, regarding possible re-purposing of the Business and Economic Development Board. This comes as a result of a board member’s inquiry at the July City Council meeting. The Board has not met in the last 12 months.  Along with Community Engagement Director, met with Business Owner regarding the coming August 24th Ribbon-Cutting Event at Fairvilla Boutique.  Port Canaveral engagement: o Spoke with Port Engineer and Port Counsel regarding the City’s position on Commercial Parking Facilities. The City has long held the position that we benefit by supporting Port growth/economic longevity, but we do not benefit by being “the parking lot for the Port”. As such, there are only two limited circumstances where Commercial Parking is allowed in the City: 1. A hotel with sufficient parking spaces, and 2. A “Port-of-Call Facility” - a tourist-related use with a range of uses which may include, but is not limited to, commercial parking, transportation transfer facility, vehicle rental, taxi service, retail, restaurants visitor/information center, provision for hotel and other tourist support services.  Along with Community Development Director, prepared memo to Planning & Zoning Board and Board of Adjustment regarding a City Easement to be located at the south end of the current Spaceport Amoco property. This prime property in the center of the City where A1A splits from N. Atlantic Ave. is the location of the proposed new Cumberland Farms Store. The City intends to utilize the easement area to create a beautifully landscaped “gateway” entrance feature honoring the historic significance of North Atlantic Ave. as the road that took America’s first generation of astronauts northward to the original Cape Canaveral launching facilities.  We are very proud to recognize our very own Kimberly Kopp as having earned Board Certification from the Florida Bar in City, County and Local Government Law. Kimberly is with our City Attorney firm of Garganese, Weiss & D’Agresta, P.A. She has worked very closely with Staff over the years and regularly represents various City Boards including the Planning & Zoning Board, Board of Adjustment and Code Enforcement. WAY TO GO, KIMBERLY!! Culture and Leisure Services Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities and assisted various telephone/walk-in requests from the public. Director Meetings • Director out of office this week. Adult Athletic Leagues Monday morning mixed doubles completed the second week of play. Wednesday and Thursday intermediate tennis is off to a very strong start with new players enjoying the friendly competition. Softball and Kickball leagues are on hiatus until the stormwater project at Canaveral City Park is complete. Wednesday night advanced racquetball boasts 11 players this season with 4 of them still undefeated. Monday night advanced tennis resumed July 25. Youth 3v3 Basketball League We are seven weeks into the 3 vs 3 Basketball league on Tuesday evenings for kids ages 13-17 at Canaveral City Park. The league currently hosts nearly 20 players and with such a great response, Staff has decided to continue the league into the fall. If you know any teens who enjoy basketball, let them know about this super fun, supervised activity. There is no cost to participate and it is a great option to sitting at home playing video games. Summer Food Program – Did you know that there is a free lunch available to any child under 18 years old at the Cape Canaveral Youth Center on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays? Share the word if you know anyone who might benefit from this great Program, which will end on Friday, August 5th as school returns to session the following week. Summer Camp Monday morning started with the last installment of the family nutrition program sponsored by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Services of Brevard County. Kids completed their healthy food workbooks, watched a slide show and enjoyed a sampling of watermelon to end the session. Monday afternoon the kids walked over to the Nancy Hanson Recreation Complex for a karate activity hosted by experts at the Ultimate Martial Arts Academy. Tuesday’s adventures included a trip to the Cobb Movie Theatre to watch the animated spooky thriller “Goosebumps”. Upon their return to the Youth Center, campers engaged in a few rounds of noodle blacktop hockey before settling in for the weekly ice cream party. Wednesday morning the kids headed to Sandpiper Park before venturing to the Library for a music class taught by Mr. John. Campers were handed drum sticks to play and singalong, a hands on musical experience which they thoroughly enjoyed. Thursday was a great day for a pool party at the Cocoa Beach Aquatic Center where many campers took part in a game Marco-Polo. Friday started off with a visit to Sandpiper Park for a round of freeze tag and finished by spending some free time with the new air hockey table and other games inside the Youth Center. The week ended with the Camper of the Week award presentation and receiving weekly reading prizes at the library. Banana River Park Phase II / III The ground work for the putting green has been laid. Surface elements should be installed next week and work will then commence on the bocce ball court. The north parking lot paving project is also underway. Surface preparations are nearly finished. Staff anticipates substantial completion by the second week of August. Farmers Market Due to lack of a produce vendor, the Farmers Market has been suspended temporarily. The contractor in charge of the Market has secured a new produce vendor who is available to attend beginning in September. The Market will resume at that time. Public Works Services Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Staff performed day to day duties/responsibilities and assisted various telephone/walk-in requests from the public. Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)/Sanitary Sewer System  Oxidation Ditch Rehabilitation. Bids received/opened on June 30; Staff requested additional information from the three lowest bidders. Contractor recommendation will be made to City Council at the August 16th meeting. This is one of the projects funded through the City’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan.  Force Main Leak/Repair. Force Main #3, located at the western end of Columbia Drive, experienced a significant leak the early morning of July 21. The ruptured line was repaired the same afternoon; paving of the impacted area was completed on July 25. Signage was posted at key locations along the Central Ditch warning residents of the sewage spill. Stormwater  Canaveral City Park Ex-filtration Project. Pre-construction meeting with selected contractor (Villages Construction, Inc.) was held on July 13. Anticipated Project start date is August 3. Staff continues preparing other initial documents per grant requirements. Project is being funded with two grants from (1) Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and (2) State Legislature funds as well as funds from the City’s CRA.  Annual Stormwater Permit Report. Staff submitted the Year 3 Annual Report to FDEP for review and comment. The Report is required by the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit and documents activities conducted by Staff to limit pollutants entering the stormwater system.  Manatee Sanctuary and Banana River Parks Shoreline Restoration Project. Staff submitted the draft Grant Work Plan and other preliminary Project documentation to FDEP. Grant funds (EPA 319 Grant) from FDEP are not available until October 1, 2016. Infrastructure Maintenance (IM)  North Atlantic Avenue Streetscape Project. Pedway construction on the western side of the street continues along North Atlantic Avenue. Contractor is currently installing a French drain in front of the Villages of Seaport property. Due to utilities being present at shallow depths along the western side of the street, the pedway will be constructed with six-inch thick concrete in lieu of asphalt. Maintenance of traffic (MOT) includes closure of one lane on North Atlantic Avenue during working hours; flagmen are utilized to direct traffic. All roads will be open after working hours. Estimated time of construction is eight months (early-October 2016 completion date). NOTE: All businesses in the North Atlantic Avenue corridor will remain open during construction activities. Pedway construction at Canaveral Boulevard intersection - looking north. Miscellaneous  Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) Grants. Staff is preparing a draft Grant Work Plan for two projects receiving funding ($40,000) through this Grant: o Master Plan for Canaveral City Park; and o Planning revisions to the Pedestrian Mobility Plan.  Utilities Advisory Board Meeting. Staff attended this Meeting on July 27 in Cocoa; key discussion points were as follows: o Water rates will increase 5.0% next year; o It is anticipated that water rates will increase 5.0% each of the next 10 years; o The national average for annual water rate increases is 5.7%; o City of Cocoa is hiring more staff (18) to be more proactive with the potable water system (e.g., replacing old valves and piping); o City of Cocoa is also updating information on the potable water system (i.e., using GIS for all infrastructure locations, developing computer mapping system, etc.); and o City of Cocoa system now serves over 270,000 residents with 85,000 connections.  Estuary Rehabilitation Grant. Staff continues working with US Army Corps of Engineers to finalize documents for this Project on the 7.9-acre, City-owned property located at the western end of Long Point Road. The scope of work includes clear-cutting all Brazilian pepper trees and replanting with native vegetation. The Grant is a 65% - 35% match with an initial budget of $306,420; remaining Project budget is approximately $250,000. To save costs, the City will prepare the bid specifications/drawings. Aerial photograph showing City-owned property at the western end of Long Point Road. Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Cape Canaveral Precinct Update for Week Ending July 29, 2016 Page 1 of 1 Patrol Division Weekly Statistics July 1 thru July 27, 2016 Type Weekly Total Case Reports Written 103 Case Reports Closed 76 Arrests Made 61 Front Desk Weekly Statistics July 1 thru July 27, 2016 Type Weekly Total Phone Calls Answered 210 Walk-ups Assisted 114 Fingerprint Cards Completed 20 Notary Assistance for Citizens 6 Citizen On Patrol Weekly Statistics July 1 thru July 27, 2016 Type Weekly Total Patrol Hours Completed 70 Training & Office Hours 24 Miles Driven 702 Total Volunteer Hours 100