Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutcocc_council_mtg_minutes_20221101CAPE CANAVERAL CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING City Hall Council Chambers 100 Polk Avenue, Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920 Hybrid Meeting via GoToWebinar Tuesday November 1, 2022 6:00 p.m. MINUTES CALL TO ORDER: The Chair called the Meeting to Order at 5:59 p.m. Mayor Pro Tem Kellum led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Council Members Present: Council Member Mayor Pro Tem Mayor Council Member Kim Davis Mickie Kellum Wes Morrison Don Willis Council Members Absent: Council Member Angela Raymond Others Present: City Manager City Attorney Deputy City Clerk Capital Projects Deputy Director Community and Economic Development Deputy Director Public Works Services Director Public Works Services Deputy Director Resilience Engineering Services Manager Executive Assistant to the City Manager/Office Manager Brevard County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Todd Morley Anthony Garganese Daniel LeFever Tim Carlisle Zachary Eichholz Jim Moore June Clark Alexis Miller Lisa Day Scott Molyneaux APPROVAL OF AGENDA AS WRITTEN OR WITH AMENDMENTS: Discussion ensued regarding whether a vote or consensus would be appropriate and/or required. A motion was made by Council Member Willis, seconded by Council Member Davis, to approve the Agenda. The motion carried 4-0, with Council Member Raymond absent. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Marc Bigbie, property owner, discussed ProChamps' difficulties in registering all short-term rentals in the City, enforcement of the 7-day minimum rental requirement, and short-term rental operators in the City being unable to compete on price with rentals in Cocoa Beach and Avon -by -the -Sea. Steven Stroud, resident, property owner and Planning and Zoning Board Member, thanked Council for discussing State Road A1A, urged for King Neptune Lane to not be blocked -off by a median, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has final say on the project and the overall safety concerns that result from a state highway running through the middle of a beach town. Bruce Robertson, resident, thanked Council for opposing FDOT's proposed roundabout, concerns as a pedestrian, danger of e-bike and e-vehicles on sidewalks and pedways, a preference for FDOT's proposed Alternative 1, and desire for FDOT to present what a finished A1A would look like in the year 2026. City of Cape Canaveral, Florida City Council Regular Meeting • November 1, 2022 Minutes • Page 2 of 4 Georganna Gillette, Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (SCTPO) Executive Director, thanked Council and Staff, discussed improvements to A1A, Council Member Willis' efforts on the SCTPO Board to advocate for safety, FDOT partnering with local governments through SCTPO to plan future road improvements, the safety of A1A remaining a top priority of the past decade, and SCTPO's preference of FDOT's proposed Alternative 2. Mayor Morrison thanked both Council Member Willis and SCTPO for their efforts. Sarah Hodge, property owner, stated a preference for a possible 3rd Alternative that would combine elements of the two proposed Alternatives, such as split pedways and bike lanes, no turn on red, divided medians, and opposition to performing U-turns to access businesses. William Hodge, property owner, stated a preference for Alternative 1, and related witnessing numerous near -accidents between turning cars and pedestrians utilizing signalized crosswalks at intersections. Marie and Duane Pierce, business owners, expressed a preference for Alternative 1 as it would not block access to their car wash, thus preventing a potential devaluation of their business, advocated for slowing drivers down with lower speed limits and more signalized pedestrian crossings, and expressed concern for emergency services having to navigate around medians. ITEM FOR ACTION: 1. Resolution No. 2022-29; providing for the swearing -in of the newly elected City Council Members at the Regular City Council Meeting to be held in December of 2022 pursuant to Section 2.02(d) of the City Charter in consideration of the legal requirement to canvass all overseas ballots 10-days after the election and the Supervisor of Election's role in providing Official Election Results to the City of Cape Canaveral for the November 8, 2022 General Election which are expected to be issued on November 22, 2022; providing for repeal of prior inconsistent resolutions, severability and an effective date: City Attorney Garganese read the title into the record and explained the Item. Discussion continued and included preferences for cancelling/postponing the November 15, 2022 Regular Meeting to ensure all items are considered by the newly -elected Council Members, whether to hold a meeting on November 29, 2022 or December 6, 2022, Charter language detailing seating of newly -elected Council Members at a Regular Meeting, and Council authority to reschedule a Regular Meeting. A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Kellum to postpone the swearing -in of newly elected Council Members to November 29, 2022. Discussion ensued regarding the ability for Council Members to attend on that date and a desire for all Council to be present as annual appointments will be considered at such a meeting. The motion died for lack of a second. A motion was made by Council Member Willis, seconded by Council Member Davis, to cancel the November 15, 2022 Regular Meeting and postpone it, along with the swearing -in of newly elected Council Members, to the reserved Regular Meeting date of December 6, 2022. Discussion ensued and included the pros and cons of holding a Regular Meeting on that date and this action not impacting the Regular Meeting scheduled for December 20, 2022. The motion passed 4-0, with Council Member Raymond absent. ITEM FOR DISCUSSION: 2. Discuss and provide direction to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding design considerations for State Road (SR) A1A in Cape Canaveral: Mayor Morrison noted the workshop -style discussion intended for this Item and opportunities for the public to speak. City Manager Morley and Resilience Engineering Services Manager Miller provided an overview of the item, asking Council to provide direction for a formal decision to be made at a City of Cape Canaveral, Florida City Council Regular Meeting • November 1, 2022 Minutes • Page 3 of 4 future meeting, and details of the two Alternatives proposed by FDOT. Discussion ensued and included input from the community in favor of Alternative 1, others in favor of Alternative 2, and some who prefer no improvements to be made at all, wishes to select components from both Alternatives 1 and 2, adding more signalized intersections and crosswalks, desire for a new signalized intersection at Columbia Drive versus Thurm Boulevard, statements regarding the safety of making U-turns, possibly including small medians where no business and residential turn-offs exist, difficulties maintaining consistency with an in-between approach for the medians, landscaping concerns related to medians and crosswalks, details of the renderings and diagrams provided by FDOT, pros and cons of combined bicycle and pedways versus separating them, dangers to pedestrians from e-bikes and other e-vehicles, utilization of trees and shrubbery to enhance aesthetics and calm traffic, conceptual nature of FDOT's renderings, desire for FDOT to provide more detail on crosswalk and median locations in the Alternatives, comparisons with other highways in the area, emergency services will defer to FDOT's judgment, FDOT will not drop the speed limit to 35mph with either Alternative, A1A safety being top priority in the City's 2018 Survey, FDOT construction anticipated to start in 2026 with completion estimated for 2030, State law allows e-bikes and e-vehicles on sidewalks but the City has the authority to prohibit them via ordinance, and SCTPO will support the final decision of Council. Mayor Morrison recessed the meeting at 7:36 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 7:48 p.m. The floor was opened for brief comments from the public. Michelle Church supported no improvements to the road and expanding the project for all of A1A throughout the City. Mary Gowenloch stated a preference for no medians nor landscaping. Peggy Green opposed medians being installed due to concerns for timely response from emergency services. Joe Abreu advocated for a traffic light at Columbia Drive rather than Thurm Boulevard. Mike Corrigan stated a preference for maintaining access to businesses on A1A with no medians, noted a recent, fatal pedestrian accident, and advocated for lower speed limits and more crosswalks. Bruce Robertson opposed medians being constructed, concerns for large trucks, and contested statements of U-turns being safe. Arlyn DeBlauw supported Alternative 2, stated medians and divided roads are safer, a long lead-time for the project allowing a proper decision to be made, red lights being preferable to yellow lights at crosswalks, and dangers of e-vehicles on sidewalks. Discussion continued and included statements from FDOT regarding U-turns, Alternative 1 supporting a walkable, bikeable City, still being very early in the process, FDOT needing direction from Council before moving from the conceptual to the preliminary phase, ensuring clear identification of sightlines at stop signs between vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians, traffic calming efforts, amount FDOT invested into rendering the proposed roundabout versus how much they may invest in rendering the two Alternatives, any proposed signalized crosswalk or intersection at Columbia Drive needing a signal warrant analysis to be conducted, and such an analysis would not be appropriate at this early of a stage, but could be requested at a later date. The floor was re -opened to the public. Michelle Church noted Cape Canaveral Hospital relocating, further lengthening emergency services transport times. Nancy Tillman opposed medians and U-turns and noted the dangers of pedestrians crossing A1A. Bruce Robertson inquired if FDOT would be responsible for lighting A1A and its sidewalks at night. Carole Munn, via GoToWebinar, stated opposition to merging two lanes into one and discussed traffic to and from Port Canaveral. City Manager Morley clarified that there are no known proposals to merge two lanes into one. City of Cape Canaveral, Florida City Council Regular Meeting • November 1, 2022 Minutes • Page 4 of 4 Mayor Morrison recapped the items and talking -points discussed. City Manager Morley clarified the workshop -nature of this Item and next steps. Council reached consensus to request FDOT provide updated and more -detailed aerials and renderings of Alternatives 1 and 2, expanding the scope of the renderings further north, and include stop sign setbacks and sightlines. Discussion continued regarding SCTPO adopting a resiliency master plan, which complements the City's Resiliency Plan, and thanks to Staff. REPORTS: Mayor Pro Tem Kellum noted a Veterans Day ceremony scheduled to occur at Veterans Memorial Park at 11:11 a.m. on November 11, 2022. ADJOURNMENT: The Meeting was adjourned at 8:34 p.m. Wes Morrison, Mayor Daniel LeFever, Deputy City Clerk SEAL of Cape Canaveral, Floirda