Community Redevelopment Agency Meeting Minutes February 29, Draft. City of Clearwater. City Hall 112 S. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL 33756

Transcription

1 City Hall 112 S. Osceola Avenue Clearwater, FL Meeting Minutes Monday, February 29, :00 PM City Hall Chambers Community Redevelopment Agency Page 1

2 Roll Call Present 5 - Chair George N. Cretekos, Trustee Doreen Hock-DiPolito, Trustee Jay E. Polglaze, Trustee Bill Jonson, and Trustee Hoyt Hamilton Also Present William B. Horne City Manager, Jill Silverboard Assistant City Manager, Pamela K. Akin City Attorney, Rosemarie Call City Clerk, Nicole Sprague Official Records and Legislative Services Coordinator To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. Unapproved 1. Call To Order The meeting was called to order at 1:01 p.m. at City Hall. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Approve the minutes of the January 19, 2016 CRA meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. Trustee Jonson moved to approve the minutes of the January 19, 2016 CRA meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda None. 4. New Business Items 4.1 Accept ULI Priority (P) Project Quarterly Progress Report for the period October 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, as well as the cumulative expenditure report since Fall Staff committed to the CRA Board, as a part of the ULI Advisory Panel Report Implementation activities that the Board would be provided with quarterly updates on the status of Priority (P) implementation items, as well as a compilation of total expenditures to date on ULI Report activities across all funding sources. The expenditures report is inclusive of all expense, on an accrual basis, since last fall. Page 2

3 Projects Update: To summarize, the status of the 13 Priority (P) projects are as follows: 5 Projects complete: Boost Downtown Library to Support Redevelopment (ULI 9) Attract Incubator/Support Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (ULI 15) Real Estate Parcel Marketing (ULI 30) Create Stakeholder Advisory Group (ULI 31) TIF Bonds Examination (ULI 34) 6 Projects on schedule: Comprehensive Boating Plan for Harbor (ULI 1) Comprehensive North Marina Master Plan (ULI 5) Master Development Plan for Bluff/Coachman/Waterfront (ULI 8) Use Harbor Bridge as Aesthetic Gateway (ULI 10) Update of Downtown Redevelopment Plan (ULI 12) Mercado in East Gateway (ULI 27) 2 Projects in progress/delayed: Enhance Gateways to Downtown/East Gateway (ULI 20) Comprehensive Branding Initiative (ULI 29) In addition to the council-designated priority projects, two additional ULI projects have been addressed: Create a Water Taxi/Ferry (ULI 4) Ensure Environmental Integrity of Clearwater Harbor (ULI 2) Expenditure Update: With respect to the financial expenditure report, on an accrual basis, $609,839 has been encumbered with $312,591 expended for ULI projects since September Broken down by funding source, the expenditure allocations are: General Fund, $100,000; General Fund Reserve, $186,064; and CRA, $26,527. The preponderance of expenditures/commitments to date are attributable to five projects: 1) Comprehensive Boating Plan, $59,975; 2) North Marina Master Plan, $105,624; 3) Boost the Library - Library Maker Space and staffing, $134,965; 4) Attract an Incubator- Clearwater Business SPARK, $125,000; and 5) Comprehensive Branding Initiative, $100,000. Staff has provided a spreadsheet identifying line item expenditures and fund balance through the period ending December 31, 2015, for the General Fund ULI account Information including fund allocations, timeframes, staff resources and responsibilities for each Priority Item (P) is also provided. No actual or committed funds were charged against the $1,000,000 CRA/ULI Project Account in Q1 FY2015/16. Beginning with the Q2 FY 2015/16 report, a Page 3

4 similar sheet will be provided for the $1,000,000 CRA /ULI Project Account. The City Manager provided a PowerPoint presentation. In response to questions, the City Manager said this presentation will be presented at the next joint CRA/DDB/Chamber/CDP meeting. Interim CRA Executive Director Geri Campos Lopez said she will be providing the same presentation at the next Downtown Development Board meeting. She anticipates the next CRA/DDB/Chamber/CDP meeting will be held in July. The City Manager said the Memorial Causeway Bridge is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and staff advises FDOT of any maintenance issues. Staff has contacted the City of Tampa regarding their experience in addressing the aesthetic issues. The City Manager said maintenance issues will be a challenge as Clearwater has a higher maintenance standard than what may be established by the agency. A concern was expressed that the Memorial Causeway Bridge has mold and vegetation growing on the wall. It was suggested that the bridge be inspected for infrastructure cracks. Engineering Director Mike Quillen said staff was unaware of any infrastructure cracks; staff frequently communicates with FDOT regarding any concerns. Staff was directed to provide information regarding the bridge maintenance (i.e., cleanliness, infrastructure, etc.). In response to questions, the City Manager said staff is focusing on the recommendations in the ULI report. For those recommendations that have reached their final destination, staff will continue to develop the ideas behind the recommendation. Ms. Campos Lopez said the brochure is part of the Department's continued marketing efforts; a second brochure may be considered as the recommendations develop. The City Manager said the strategic planning session in April will be a precursor to the budget development process; staff will be incorporating ULI elements as the CIP (Capital Improvement Program) is developed moving forward. The CRA Trustees will confirm the new CRA Executive Director appointment. Staff's updates alert the Trustees on the progress being made on each recommendation as staff integrates the recommendations into the CIP work plan. Ms. Campos Lopez said staff continues to work through the next steps for the North Marina Plan and the Comprehensive Boating Plan as each will be included in the upcoming budget process. The Bluff Coachman Park Master Plan RFP was released in November and the responses were due in January; the selection is expected to occur in April. Discussion ensued with a suggestion made that more transparency to the plan implementation and changes would be beneficial to the community and Trustees. It was stated that staff provides quarterly reports and advises when there are stumbling blocks; the implementation process should not be Page 4

5 rushed. Trustee Hock-DiPolito moved to accept ULI Priority (P) Project Quarterly Progress Report for the period October 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, as well as the cumulative expenditure report since Fall The motion was duly seconded and upon the vote being taken: Ayes: 4 - Chair Cretekos, Trustee Hock-DiPolito, Trustee Polglaze and Trustee Hamilton Nays: 1 - Trustee Jonson Motion carried. Interim CRA Executive Director Geri Campos Lopez reported that while attending a recent conference she was asked to join a panel on inclusive economic development. She provided a PowerPoint presentation on the City's East Gateway. A Georgia Tech professor was in the audience and is interested in using the East Gateway as a case study for a new textbook. Trustee Jonson stated the plantings in the pots along Cleveland Street are tall and out of scale with the pedestrian scale on the sidewalks. 5. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 1:52 p.m. Chair Attest Community Redevelopment Agency City Clerk Page 5