City Commission Meeting Summary - May 28, 2008
The City Commission met in regular session and took the following action:
Recognized and welcomed members of Leadership Tallahassee
Item 1 - Recognized and presented trophies to the district-wide winners of the Water Conservation Poster Contest for area elementary students, including:
- Third Place - Jordan Brooklin, 4th grader in Mrs. Garcia's class at Bond Elementary
- Second Place - Landon Hardeman, 4th grader in Mrs. Long's class at W. T. Moore Elementary
- First Place - Madeline Sipple, 4th grader in Mrs. Pannell's class at Trinity Catholic School
Items 2, 4-7 and 10-19 - Voted 5-0 to approve the staff's recommendations presented in Consent Agenda Items 2, 4-7 and 10-19, taking the following action:
Item 2 - Approved a settlement in a personal injury matter styled Gregory L. Kenon, individually, and on behalf of Genuine Parts and the Travelers Indemnity Company v. City of Tallahassee (Option 1 as recommended by the City Attorney)
Item 3 - DELETED FROM THE AGENDA the purchase of five street sweepers (brought forward by Fleet) - MOVED TO JUNE 18, 2008
Item 4 - Approved the purchase of technical and functional assistance with the City's Oracle/Peoplesoft Financial Management System (FMS) upgrade process from version 8.4 to 9.0 from consultants qualified under state contract or GSA Schedule 70 (Department of Management & Administration [DMA]/Accounting Services)
Item 5 - Authorized Information System Services (ISS) to contract with Insight utilizing a Hewlett Packard solution for the leasing of desktop PC's for one year with an option to renew for two additional years on an ongoing basis, at a cost of $95,550 per year for three years; and authorized the purchase of approximately 883 flat panel Hewlett Packard monitors from Insight, at a cost of $166 each rather than continuing to lease monitors, for a first year cost of $119,147 for the purchase of monitors and a net savings of $84,825 over the first five years of ownership (Option 1 as recommended by ISS)
Item 6 - Approved the award of a three-year term contract for warehouse pre-cast concrete products (Bid No. 0136-08-KR-BC) to Southern Precast, Incorporated, low bidder meeting specifications, at an estimated cost of $130,000 for the term of the contract (Option 1 as recommended by DMA/Procurement Services)
Item 7 - Approved the award of a one-year term contract for warehouse wood utility poles to GRESCO Utility Supply, low bidder meeting specifications, in the estimated amount of $200,000 (Option 1 as recommended by DMA/Procurement Services)
Item 8 - MOVED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS the proposed adoption of Ordinance No. 08-O-38, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would create a $5 traffic violation surcharge that would go to the City's general fund (brought forward by DMA/Budget and Policy) - SEE BELOW
Item 9 - MOVED TO PUBLIC HEARINGS the proposed adoption of Ordinance No. 08-O-37, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would create a $2.00 parking violation surcharge that would be dedicated to the School Crossing Guard Program (brought forward by DMA/Budget and Policy) - SEE BELOW
Item 10 - Approved the award of a three-year contract for the purchase of miscellaneous law enforcement equipment and supplies (Bid #0072-08-JAG-BC) to Law Enforcement Supply, Inc., low bidder meeting specification, in the estimated annual amount of $26,800, for a total of approximately $80,309 over the term of the contract (Option 1 as recommended by Tallahassee Police Department [TPD])
Item 11 - Authorized the acceptance and expenditure of an American Heart Association (AHA) grant, in the amount of $31,000, to purchase 29 additional automated electronic defibrillators (AEDs) for placement in Police patrol vehicles and at Police Headquarters (Option 1 as recommended by TPD)
Item 12 - Adopted Resolution No. 08-R-15, requesting a utility easement from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the purpose of extending a sanitary sewer line through Lots 18 and 19 of the Colonel Alfred Fisher's Subdivision, necessary for the Gaines Street/Stone Valley Sewer Trunk Project (Option 1 as recommended by the Assistant to the City Manager/Property Management)
Item 13 - Approved a Road Right-of-Way Maintenance Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for the period July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2009; and authorized the City manager to execute this agreement requiring FDOT to reimburse the City $668,528.56 for road right-of-way maintenance on state roads within the City limits, to be paid on a quarterly basis of $167,132.14 for each quarter, as presented (Option 1 as recommended by Public Works/Streets & Drainage)
Item 14 - Approved a change order, in the amount of $37,600, to the contract with GPI Southeast, Inc. (formerly Varnum & Associates, Inc.) for additional engineering services to complete the development of the as-built Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) stormwater computer model and flood maps for the Northeast Drainage Ditch affected by the Blair Stone Road Northern Extension, completing this FEMA flood study (Option 1 as recommended by Public Works/Engineering Division)
Item 15 - Approved the transfer of administration of the Tree Bank from the Planning Department to the Public Works Department (Option 1), and changes to City Commission Policy 2001 to implement the transfer of Tree Bank administration and prohibit the utilization of Tree Bank funds to remove trees from City property (Option 2) (as recommended by Planning and Public Works)
Item 16 - Approved the award of a construction contract for the Wahnish Way/Orange Avenue Intersection Improvements (IFB #0106-08-ER-BC) to Jimmy Crowder Excavating and Land Clearing, Inc., low bidder meeting specifications, in the amount of $418,888 (Option 1 as recommended by Public Works/Engineering Division)
Item 17 - Approved the purchase of five (5) additional buses for the expansion of Florida State University (FSU) bus service off campus, serving the new Osceola Route starting in the Fall of 2008, at a cost of approximately $140,000 each, totaling $720,000, from funds already received from the 1998 FSU Campus Development Agreement (Option 1 as recommended by StarMetro)
Item 18 - Approved the award of a five-year contract for farming operations at the City's Southeast and Southwest Wastewater Sprayfields for the period October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2013 (RFP #0083-08-VA-BC) to J. L. Morgan and Sons, Inc., sole bidder also meeting specifications, at a fixed price of $85 per cultivated acre per year, including 1,913 acres, totaling $162,605 annually (Option 1 as recommended by Underground Utilities)
Item 19 - Approved the minutes of the following City Commission meeting as distributed (as recommended by the City Treasurer-Clerk/Records Management Office):
April 16, 2008 Regular Target Issues Workshop
Items 20-27 - By consensus, introduced Ordinances Nos. 08-O-30, 08-Z-31, 08-Z-35, 08-Z-36, 08-Z-39, 08-Z-41, 08-O-46 and 08-O-24, as follows:
Item 20 - Introduced Code Amendment Ordinance No. 08-O-30, which would amend the Land Development Code Development Standards Matrix to disengage the University Transition district and modify standards applicable to the Activity Center district; and set public hearings on the ordinance for June 25 and July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 21 - Introduced Central Urban Southeast Rezoning and Central Urban Southwest Rezoning Ordinance No. 08-Z-31, which would change the zoning classification from the CU Central Urban zoning district to the CU-18 Central Urban 18, CU-26 Central Urban 26, CU-45 Central Urban 45, and OS Open Space Zoning Districts (PRZ #080006), and set public hearings on the ordinance for July 9 and August 27, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 22 - Introduced Hermitage PUD Rezoning Ordinance No. 08-Z-35, which would modify the existing Hermitage Parcel 7 Planned Unit Development (PUD) Concept Plan by revising the current development plan from a 120-unit condominium to a maximum 125-room hotel and 25,000 square-foot retail center, located off Lonnbladh Road and Hermitage Boulevard (PRZ #080009) (applicant/owners: Hermitage Venture, LLC; agent: Moore Bass Consulting, Inc.), and set public hearing on the ordinance for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 23 - Introduced Pecan Plantation Apartments Phase II Rezoning Ordinance No. 08-Z-36, which would rezone 1.32 acres located on the south side of Pecan Road approximately 700 feet east from the intersection of Mission Road and Pecan Road from R-3 (Single and Two-Family Residential) to MR-1 (Medium Density) (PRZ #080012) (applicant/owner: Veith Construction, Inc.; agent: Parker Consulting Services, Inc.), and set public hearing on the ordinance for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 24 - Introduced College Park Residences Rezoning Ordinance No. 08-Z-39, which would rezone five parcels totaling 2.2 acres located near the intersection of West Park Avenue, West College Avenue, and Macomb Street from College Park Commons UPUD Urban Planned Unit Development to DI Downtown Institutional/Cultural/University Transition (PRZ #080012) (applicant/owner: College Avenue Investors, LaCharles Apartments, LLC, Steiner and Sons Family, and J. R. Steiner; agent: Poole Engineering & Surveying, Inc.), and set public hearing on the ordinance for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 25 - Introduced Stadium West Student Housing UPUD Rezoning Ordinance No. 08-Z-41, which would rezone 7.53 acres located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Belle Vue Way and South Lipona Road from UT (University Transition) to UPUD (Urban Planned Unit Development) (PRZ #080013) (applicant: WP South Acquisitions, LLC; agent: Poole Engineering & Surveying, Inc.), and set public hearing on the ordinance for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 26 - Introduced Comprehensive Plan Amendment Ordinance No. 08-O-46, which would repeal Text Amendment 2007-1-T-020 requiring an updated Schedule of Capital Improvements in the Comprehensive Plan, and set public hearing on the ordinance for 1:30 p.m., on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at the Joint Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan Workshop, scheduled to be held in the Leon County Courthouse Commission Chambers (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
Item 27 - Introduced SHIP Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Ordinance No. 08-O-24, which would provide for the establishment of an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to recommend monetary and non-monetary incentives for affordable housing in the form of a triennial report to the City Commission for approval, as required by State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Rule and Statute, and set public hearing on the ordinance for June 25, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers (Option 1 as recommended by Neighborhood & Community Services [NCS])
Item 8 (moved from the Consent Agenda) - Held a public hearing and voted 4-0 (Commissioner Katz absent) to adopt Ordinance No. 08-O-38AA, introduced on May 14, 2008, creating a $7 traffic violation surcharge that would go to the City's general fund and to the School Crossing Guard Program; after voting 4-0 (Commissioner Katz absent) to reconsider a prior motion passed on a 4-0 (Commissioner Katz absent) vote to adopt the ordinance creating a $5 traffic violation surcharge that would go to the City's general fund (brought forward by the Department of Management & Administration [DMA])
There were no speakers on this item.
Item 9 (moved from the Consent Agenda) - Held a public hearing and voted 0-4 (Commissioner Katz absent) denying a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 08-O-37, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would have created a $2 parking violation surcharge dedicated to the School Crossing Guard Program (brought forward by the Department of Management & Administration [DMA])
The following persons appeared before the Commission relative to this item:
- Mr. Al Pasini, representing the Downtown Improvement Authority (DIA), 111 South Monroe Street (opponent)
- Ms. Jenny Wells, representing the Downtown Merchants and Business Association (DMBA), 222 East College Avenue (opponent)
- Ms. Susan Stratton, representing the DMBA, 964 Rosebay Court (opponent)
- Mr. Jim Schalow, 212 South Monroe Street, Treasurer of DMBA (opponent)
Requested that the staff undertake a comprehensive review of the metering issue and obtain information on how other cities address the impact of metering on their downtown
Item 28 - Received a presentation by City Lobbyists Ron Book and Sean Pittman on the End of Session Report on the City's successes and challenges during the 2008 Legislative Session (brought forward by the Office of the Mayor)
Item 29 - Voted 5-0 to authorize an expenditure of up to $150,000 for the purchase, permitting and associated costs of installing a crematorium at the Tallahassee-Leon Community Animal Service Center; authorize the supplemental appropriation of $70,000 from the Solid Waste Rate Stabilization Fund, to be repaid from Parks and Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs (General Fund) and authorize receipt and expenditure of reimbursement from Leon county for its portion, estimated at $50,000, to be deposited in Project 07161 (Animal Cremation System) as a reimbursement to the Solid Waste Rate Stabilization Fund (Option 1 as recommended by Parks and Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs)
Item 30 - Voted 5-0 to accept funding from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Department of Agriculture, and Thirty Five Days, Inc. to reimburse Police overtime expenditures and support TPD operations for task force and special events (Option 1 as recommended by TPD)
Item 31 - Voted 5-0 to approve the selection and ranking for the award of contract for the supply and delivery of a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system at the Lake Bradford Road Wastewater Treatment Plant (RFP #0015-08-KR-RC); authorize the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a contract with General Electric Water & Process Technologies, the first-ranked proposer, in an amount not to exceed $6,075,228, in accordance with their proposal; authorize the City Manager to approve non-scope change orders to the construction contract in an amount not to exceed $600,000; and authorize the City Manager to attempt contract negotiations with the second-ranked firm, Siemens Water Technologies, if an agreement could not be reached on a satisfactory contract with the first-ranked proposer (Option 1 as recommended by Underground Utilities)
Item 32 - Received a status report on the mission and programs of the Department of Environmental Policy and Energy Resources, and the Demand Side Management Project (brought forward by Environmental Policy and Energy Resources, and Energy Services)
Discussed the community's carbon footprint and moving forward more expeditiously with the City's green initiatives
Item 33 - Voted 4-0 (Commissioner Katz absent) to approve the formalization of a project team and move forward with a request for proposal to hire a project manager to design a new joint dispatch facility for the Tallahassee-Leon County Joint Communications Center (Option 1 as recommended by Information Systems Services [ISS] and Public Works)
Item 34 - Held a public hearing and voted 4-0 (Commissioner Katz absent) to adopt Ordinance No. 08-O-28, introduced on May 14, 2008, providing for the voluntary annexation of approximately six (6) acres located on three parcels on Capital Circle Southeast and Monday Road, as petitioned by the owner, Ronald R. Kelly, of Kelly Brothers Sheet Metal, Inc. (Option 1 as recommended by the Office of the Mayor)
There were no speakers on this item.
Item 35 - Held the first of two public hearings on Ordinance No. 08-O-19, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would implement the Providence Neighborhood Overlay (PNO) to properties zoned Central Urban within the Providence Neighborhood, and limit allowed uses within the PNO; and announced the second and final public hearing scheduled for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
There were no speakers on this item.
Item 36 - Held the first of two public hearings on Ordinance No. 08-Z-20, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would rezone the Providence Neighborhood from CU Central Urban to CU-18 Central Urban 18 and CU-45 Central Urban 45; and announced the second and final public hearing scheduled for July 9, 2008 (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
There were no speakers on this item.
Item 37 (moved from Public Hearings) - By consensus, continued action to June 4, 2008, on Ordinance No. 08-Z-21, introduced on April 9, 2008, with action previously continued from the public hearing held on April 23, 2008; this ordinance would rezone a site located on the south side of Ridge Road approximately 2,600 feet west of Crawfordville Highway, from R-3 (Single and Two-Family Residential) to R-4 (Urban Density) (RZ #080004) (agent: Synergy Design and Engineering, Inc.) (brought forward by Planning)
The following persons appeared before the Commission relative to this item:
- Mr. Keith Griffin, 4170 Ridge Haven Road, representing the Wilson Green Neighborhood Association (opponent)
- Mr. Scott Seckinger, representing Southport Financial Services, Inc., 2430 Estencia Blvd., Suite 101, Clearwater, FL 33761 (proponent)
Directed staff to provide a report on how to address the current high crime rates in the Wilson-Green/Ridge Road area
Item 38 - Held a public hearing on Ordinance No. 08-Z-22, introduced on April 9, 2008, and continued from the public hearing held April 23, 2008, which would have rezoned 1.21 acres at the northwest corner of East Park Avenue and Magnolia Drive from OR-3 (Office Residential) to C-2 (General Commercial) (RZ #080005) (applicants/owners: PESCO Inc., Public Employees SC, and Ben F. Betts, Jr.; agent: Canter Group Planning and Design); by consensus, continued the public hearing to August 20, 2008 (brought forward by Planning)
The following persons appeared before the Commission relative to this item:
- Mr. David W. Pichard, 1123 Hays Street (opponent)
- Ms. Patricia E. Gritta, 1108 Hays Street (opponent)
- Mr. Jim Canter, AICP, President of Canter Group Planning and Design, representing Morning Star properties, 2065 Thomasville Road (proponent)
- Mr. Francis Rentz, 2065 Thomasville Road (applicant/proponent)
- Ms. Madalyn Barton, 1126 Hays Street, representing the Smith Subdivision (opponent)
- Mr. Collin Cherry, 1114 East Park Avenue (opponent)
Item 39 - Held a public hearing and voted 0-4 (Commissioner Katz absent) denying the adoption of Ordinance No. 08-O-34, introduced on May 14, 2008, which would have abandoned an approximate 150-foot paved portion of Genevieve Park Drive right-of-way, measured from the easterly edge of the Brush Hill Road right-of-way, based on the findings of the Planning Commission (Option 1 as recommended by Planning)
There were no speakers on this item.
Unagendaed Speakers
The following persons appeared before the Commission and expressed concern with the planned construction of transitional cottages in the Carolina Oaks area of Frenchtown, and the impact of numerous existing rehabilitative type facilities already surrounding Carolina Oaks:
- Ms. Annie S. Harris, 436 West Georgia Street, representing the Carolina Oaks Homeowners and Residence Area of Frenchtown
- Mr. Richard Dusenbury, 439 West Georgia Street, representing the Carolina Oaks Homeowners' Association
- Mr. Taylor Bodoh, 608 North Martin Luther King Boulevard, representing Carolina Oaks
- Ms. Valerie S. Bowers, 432 West Carolina Street, representing Carolina Oaks
- Mr. Kevin J. Koelimij, President of the Angels' Arch- Recovery Solutions, Inc. (TAARS, Inc.), 2225 Amelia Circle, appeared before the Commission and urged support for the community Judiciary and drug courts.
The Commission directed staff to provide a summary report on the issue of existing rehabilitative facilities in the Carolina Oaks area of Frenchtown and plans to build transitional cottages in the area, and a land use and zoning map of the area.
Information and Sharing of Ideas: Mayor Marks announced that he would be out of town the following week on a sister city trade mission with Florida A & M University representatives to Ghana.
CTC:RM:ecg:05-29-08