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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-06-1995 Special Workshop Meeting• • • CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL WORKSHOP MEETING April 6, 1995 A Special Workshop Meeting of the Cape Canaveral City Council was held on April 6, 1995, at the City Hall Annex, 111 Polk Avenue, Cape Canaveral, Florida. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 P.M. by Mayor Porter. ROLL CALL: Mayor John Porter Present Mayor Pro Tem Rocky Randels Present Councilmember Arthur Berger Present Councilmember Leo Nicholas Present Councilmember Buzz Petsos Present City Manager Bennett Boucher Present City Attorney Kohn Bennett Present Acting Deputy City Clerk Susan Stills Present BUSINESS: 1. Discussion Re: Three (3) priorities from the Goals and Action Plan. Council reviewed approaches to hear each department head's priority areas. Mr. Berger suggested that each member of staff address their top three (3) priorities. Mayor Porter asked Ms. Hanson to review her top three (3) priorities for the Parks and Recreation Department. Ms. Hanson said that her three (3) priorities were the same as those listed in her memo to Council. Her first priority was Relighting the Senior Ballfield. Mayor Porter said that the City would not receive the anticipated grant funds for the relighting project. He explained that the two -part project included installing the concrete poles and lighting, and placing the electrical panel boxes in an enclosure at an approximate cost of $60,000. Mr. Boucher said that the $29,000 set aside from the recycled products fund was not yet allocated. Mr. Randels asked if Florida Power and Light could donate the cement poles needed for the project. Ms. Hanson said further research would be needed to acquire the cement poles. Mayor Porter asked the other Council members if they agreed to use the $29,000 from the recycled products fund for the ballfield lighting project and to research alternatives for the additional funds needed. Mr. Nicholas requested that the other two (2) priorities be reviewed before allocating these funds to this project. Discussion followed on alternative sources for additional funding. The second priority was the Long Point Road /Columbia Drive Park. Mayor Porter felt that this project was good for community and local businesses involvement. Ms. Hanson said that one of the proposed parcels would need professional clearing because of its dense vegetation. She commented on the sizes and costs of the suggested properties and she noted that on one of the lots there was access from Columbia Drive to Long Point Road through a city-owned easement. Mr. Nicholas said was he concerned if the access to the park were at the far western end of Long Point Road and he was also concerned with placing a playground on Long Point Road i • • City of Cape Canaveral, Florida City Council Special Workshop Meeting April 6, 1995 Page 2 when the children who would use the park lived predominately on Columbia Drive. Discussion followed on alternative accesses to the park from Columbia Drive. Ms. Hanson commented that the topography closer to the west end of Long Point Road may be wetlands. Mr. Randels said that the Department of Environmental Protection may be concerned if the playground equipment were built on wetlands area. Mayor Porter said that the three (3) proposed areas would need to be studied before the park were built. Mr. Boucher commented that an environmental survey would be conducted by several agencies before the project commenced. Mayor Porter asked the other members of Council if a park in the the Long Point Road area was a priority for fiscal year 1995/96. Discussion followed on the feasibility of implementing the proposed park or the relighting project or both. Ms. Hanson commented that preventive maintenance would be practical and relighting the ballfield should have a higher priority. The third priority was upgrading restrooms in the City park and replacing ballfield fence. Mr. Nicholas stated that the restrooms did not meet the American Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and TDC grant funds may be available to help meet these standards. Mr. Randels questioned Ms. Hanson on the proposed youth center issue. Ms. Hanson said that she chose the previously discussed items as her top three (3) priorities from a list of many items. Mayor Porter introduced Mr. Sigfried "Sid" Christman, professional landscaper, who worked with the Cape Canaveral Volunteer Corp and worked on the waterway park with the Merritt Island Redevelopment Agency. Mr. Christman said that he would be meet with Kevin Dean on Wednesday, April 12, 1995, in Titusville and hoped to bring a YMCA to the Cape Canaveral area. Mr. Petsos said that he would like to join the meeting and said that he was influential in bringing a YMCA to Seminole County. Mayor Porter said that Council should discuss the proposed YMCA and the youth center concept as another priority area under Parks and Recreation. Mr. Nicholas requested that the concept of "youth" center be expanded to "civic" center to include senior citizens who would utilize the facility. He also explained that because of the construction costs and operating and maintenance expenses involved this facility may need a referendum. Mayor Porter commented on the benefits of bringing in an organization that was equipped for recreational programs such as the YMCA. Mr. Nicholas asked if the YMCA would acquire land and construct the building. Mr. Christman said that those questions were part of the initial concept of bringing the YMCA into the City. Mr. Nicholas asked if the City would be responsible for the YMCA's operating and maintenance cost. Mayor Porter said that the YMCA would not be dependent on revenue from the City. Discussion followed on the some of the criteria involved with bringing the YMCA into the City. City of Cape Canaveral, Florida • City Council Special Workshop Meeting April 6, 1995 Page 3 • Mr. Randels stated that Freedom 7 School in Cocoa Beach had a community center which housed volunteer teachers who gave classes to the community. He researched the possibility of utilitizing the Cape Sierra building as a community center and he mentioned that there were other vacant buildings also available for use. Mr. Randels also mentioned that the Cape Canaveral community may not be large enough for a full size YMCA. Mayor Porter said that the City could request a facility concurrent with its size. Mayor Porter asked the other members of Council if their priorities had been addressed. Mr. Nicholas said that he agreed with the priorities covered in the Parks and Recreation segment of the Action Plan, but he also suggested a basketball court on the undeveloped southern portion of the library. Mayor Porter said that the Cape Canaveral Volunteer Corps could build such a court. Mr. Berger questioned using half of the tennis court area for a basketball court. Ms. Hanson commented that it may not be reasonable to combine the two sports. Discussion followed on utilizing alternative areas for a basketball court and the costs involved in building one. The majority of Council agreed to add a basketball court to the Parks and Recreation priority list. Mr. Berger said that his priorities were covered. Mr. Petsos said that his priorities were also covered and he suggested that the City work with the business community on the proposed art show. Ms. Hanson said that she had worked with the Brevard Arts Council for a response in an art show from interested artists within the Arts Council. The response was minimal and the artists she spoke with said that 4 -hours was lengthy and that there was no judging or awards. Mayor Porter commented that Mr. Tony Hernandez said his law firm would underwrite the cost of an art show. Ms. Hanson said that she had spoken to Mr. Hermandez and he could not make that committment at this time, but she and Mr. Hernandez could work on an art show project for next year. Mr. Randels said his initial plan was a cooperative use of recreational facilities with Cocoa Beach, but it would be beneficial to enhance the Cape Canaveral area. Mr. Randels questioned if there were: enough children on the community soccer team to generate interest in acquiring land for a soccer field. Ms. Hanson said there were presently 32 children on the team and she, Mr. Randels, and Steve Roney could do further research for acquiring a soccer field. Mayor Porter asked the City Manager for his recommendation on the items that were not top priority but were possible to achieve. Mr. Boucher said that these items could be included in the Comprehensive Plan. Mayor Porter said that his priorities were covered and asked Mr. Boucher if his priorities were included . Mr. Boucher mentioned that Space Coast Area Transit could be used to transport senior citizens between recreational facilities in a partnership effort between Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. Mayor Porter said that Council and staff may want City of Cape Canaveral, Florida • City Council .Special Workshop Meeting April 6, 1995 Page 4 • • to make an enhanced marketing strategy a priority. Mr. Christman asked what was the City's market for recreational facilities. Ms. Hanson said Central Brevard with a target area being the beachside communities. Discussion followed on advertising and marketing strategies to reach the target areas. Mr. Berger suggested that the priorities discussed at this meeting be better clarified. Ms. Hanson asked if there was a concensus on the items discussed. The majority of Council agreed that the five (5) priorities discussed: the Relighting of the Senior Ballfield, the Long Point Road /Columbia Drive Park, the upgraded restrooms in the City park, the Civic Center /Y.M.C.A., and the basketball court were the priorities that required research of funding. Mr. Boucher said the fiscal year 1995/96 budget would determine what could feasibly be done. Ms. Haggerty mentioned that the mid -year budget transfers would be presented at the next workshop meeting and would help to assess the City's current financial position. The majority of Council agreed that possibly 3 to 4 additional meetings for a two -hour period would be needed to address the other departments' priority areas. Council and staff agreed on a schedule of additional meetings on the following Tuesdays: April 11th, April 18th, April 25th, and May 2nd, from 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 9:00 P.M. Sus sous, G DEPUTY CITY CLERK