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Description |
Palatka City Commission |
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Date |
8/24/2006 |
Location |
Palatka City Commission |
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Time |
Speaker |
Note |
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Test |
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PRESENT |
Mayor Karl N. Flagg; Commissioners Mary Lawson Brown, Allegra Kitchens, James Norwood, Jr., and George E. Sanders |
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ALSO PRESENT |
City Manager Allen R. Bush, City Attorney’s Assistant Attorney Joe Boatwright, Assistant City Clerk Karen Venables, Finance Director Ruby M. Williams, Police Chief Gary Getchell, Fire Chief James White, Planning Director Adam Mengel, General Services Director Ken Venables, Public Works Director Woody Boynton, and Airport Manager Glenn Ball |
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CALL TO ORDER |
Mayor Flagg |
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Invocation |
Commissioner James Norwood Jr. |
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Pledge of Allegiance |
Public Works Director, Woody Boynton |
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES |
Commissioner Sanders moved to accept the minutes of 6/8/06 Workshop, 7/18/06 Tour and 7/20/06 GF Budget Workshop as read. Commissioner Brown seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. |
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PUBLIC RECOGNITION |
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PROCLAMATION |
Vice Mayor Brown assisted Mayor Flagg in presenting a Proclamation declaring the month of September, 2006 as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Maude Ann Robertson from Putnam Behavioral Healthcare was present to accept. Ms. Robertson thanked everyone and stated that Putnam Behavioral Healthcare, located at 320 & 330 Kay Larkin Drive, has a six-bed detoxification unit, which has been in place for nine years. They will help anyone who comes to them for assistance. |
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PERSONNEL PROMOTIONS & NEW HIRES |
Palatka Fire Department – Fire chief James White, Battalion Chief Mike Lambert and Capt. Randy Porter introduced three new Fire Department engineers and one Lieutenant, and noted that two of the Engineers had passed their Lieutenant’s exam. Commissioner Brown noted she sees no women or minorities in the Fire Department, and asked that they actively recruit minorities and women. |
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PUBLIC COMMENTS |
Christy Sanford, 312 Dodge thanked Public Works Director Woody Boynton for removing the dead crape myrtle on the City entryway median on Hwy. 20. She understands that Mr. Boynton is going to work with Ken Cheek and Dick Bush with FDOT in making improvements to the entryways, and voiced her support, as she believes this is important. |
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Sam Deputy 917 Carr Street, thanked Woody Boynton for the
progress on the sidewalk repair program.
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Commissioner Brown noted although Mr. Deputy claims not to have a voice, he just finished telling the Commission what he wanted them to know, and can do that any time he is ready, in public or private. Mr. Deputy said he is one individual. He felt he had a ‘corporate voice’ through the 5-Year Team, one with “unity” with the group, which makes a difference. Working together brings about better answers than working individually. Commissioner Kitchens concurred with Commission Brown and said the 5-Year Team can still exist, if they so choose, and can still be his voice. Every individual’s voice is important. |
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Daniel Ziem Sr. 401 Olive Street, thanked Jeff Norton, Parks Supt. for taking care of the riverfront park lights, but still feels the bathrooms should be open in the evenings due to the number of shrimpers at the park. The benches and tables at the riverfront are still in disarray and need to be repaired. There are three lights still out on Memorial Parkway and one at the City dock in the middle of the pier. The St. Johns Avenue benches, the removal of which he complained of earlier, have not been reinstalled. The “bus” sign is still on the palm tree by the Courthouse. The underbrush under the trees on St. Johns Ave. has to be maintained. The electrical outlets on St. Johns Avenue are in disarray and need attention. |
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Edison Lambana, 200 Husson Ave. stated he had organized bicycle races in the past and is hoping to bring them back to Palatka. He does not have a schedule yet, but it is his dream to bring professional sports to Putnam County. He hopes to have a plan to present to them in a month or so. Commissioner Brown encouraged him to bring a plan back to the City as his races brought good publicity to the City and Downtown Palatka. The merchants were able to accommodate them. There was consensus from the Commission to encourage him to bring back a plan for bicycle races so that it can go through the Special Events procedure. Commissioner Sanders asked that he work more closely with the churches, as a florist was unable to deliver flowers to an area church for a wedding due to the road blockages. The route shouldn’t interfere with church services. Mayor Flagg noted with a good plan and plenty of advance notice, they can work all the issues out. Edison Lambana said the US Cycling Federation sets the schedule. He’d like to see the Tour de France come here some day. |
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Randy Braddy, 614 River St., said he is certain the citizens have received their tax notification bills in the mail recently. This is a city where they struggle to provide decent housing for lower-income families while trying to balance a budget, yet he is here to ‘fan the flames’ about getting property valuation to where it needs to be. The very lowest increase of taxable value on any of his property was 32%. The predominate portion of these properties are single-family residential units. These increases mean he has to raise rental rates. In that valuations are taking such a huge jump, it seems that the millage rate should be moving in the opposite direction. Naturally they can expect some incremental budget requirements, but he wouldn’t expect to see a 32 – 54 percent increase in valuations. People like him, who try to provide decent rental housing, cannot do so because they are being priced out of the market. The citizens in this community can’t bare these increases in terms of having adequate housing. These valuation increases should also reflect in a decreased millage rate. |
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CONSENT AGENDA |
a. Authorize execution of Passero & Associates Work Order 06-02B for architectural/engineering on Terminal Building Design (30% phase) project at Palatka Municipal Airport b. Authorize execution of Passero & Associates Work Order 06-05 for architectural/engineering design, topographic survey, geotechnical investigation, stormwater permitting & bidding for construction of T-Hangars 3 and 4 at Palatka Municipal Airport c. Authorize execution of Passero & Associates Work Order 06-06 for architectural/engineering design, topographic survey, geotechnical investigation, stormwater permitting & bidding for Bulk Hangar Design project at Palatka Municipal Airport d. Authorize execution of Passero & Associates Work Order 06-04R for engineering & inspection, material testing & record drawings on Runway 17-35, Taxiway “C” Edge Lighting, Signage & Drainage project at Palatka Municipal Airport e. Authorize FAA FY2006 Grant Application Funding for $1,439,085 for Runway 17-35, Taxiway “C” Edge Lighting, Signage & Drainage project at Palatka Municipal Airport f. Accept Recommendation of Award of Bid to BGCO, Inc. for $702,640 for Site Contract and $522,455 for Electrical Work for Runway 17-35, Taxiway “C” Edge Lighting, Signage & Drainage project at Palatka Municipal Airport, per results of RFP – Passero Associates, Airport Engineers g. Accept Recommendation of Award of Bid to Jerry’s Johns, Inc. for $35,600 for Kirby Street Drainage Improvements contract, per results of RFP h. Accept Recommendation of Award of “Piggy-backed” Bid to Miller Pipeline Corp. for sanitary sewer sliplining, per terms of Agreement between Miller Pipeline and City of Orlando – Woody Boynton, PWD i. Accept Recommendation of Award of “Piggy-backed” Debris Removal Contract to A&H Excavation, Inc. in amount of $12.75 per cubic yard of debris, per terms of A&H Excavation’s Agreement with Putnam County BOCC, in preparation for 2006 Hurricane Season, per FEMA requirements j. Authorize execution of Amendment #2, Renewal of Florida Department of Corrections Work Squad Contract # WS172 in amount of $52,330 to extend contract through 9/30/07 k. Authorize execution of Amendment #2, Renewal of Florida Department of Corrections Work Squad Contract # WS178 in amount of $55,777 to extend contract through 9/30/07 l. Declare WWTP 1980 Dump Truck #1003 and B&Z 1993 Pontiac Auto #3911 as surplus for disposal per recommendation m. Declare vacant property at 18th Street & Diana Drive as Surplus for disposal at auction (site of old water tank) n. Revise F/Y 2005-06 Budget to move $50,000 in Better Place Funds budgeted for purchase of Public Works flat bed truck, to construct a sewer force main along Hwy 100 to handle sewer service along S.R. 100 o. Revise F/Y 2006-07 Preliminary Budget to include additional Planning/Building & Zoning Personnel p. Reappoint Citizens Advisory Task Force for CDBG 2006-07 Community Development Block Grant Application Cycle per staff recommendation: Larry Beaton, Bob Beacham, James Williams, Marjorie Tooley Shanks, and Commissioner Allegra Kitchens, Liaison |
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Motion |
Commissioner Sanders moved to approve all items on the Consent Agenda as presented. Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. |
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APPOINTMENT - |
CITIZENS ADVISORY TASK FORCE 2006-07 - Mayor Flagg opened the floor for nomination of candidates for consideration to fill vacancy. |
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Nomination |
Commissioner Kitchens nominated Dr. Richard Perallon of Palatka. Commissioner Sanders seconded the nomination. |
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Motion |
There being no other nominations, Commissioner Sanders moved to close nominations. Commissioner Norwood seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. Commissioner Kitchens said Dr. Perallon was willing to sit on this Task Force. He was present for interview. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to appoint Dr. Richard Perallon to fill the vacancy on the Citizens Advisory Task Force for 2006-07. Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. |
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PUBLIC HEARING - 1st Hearing |
Mayor Flagg opened the Public Hearing on the Community Development Block Grant Application Preparation. |
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Kaye Tucker was present to speak on behalf of Fred Fox Enterprise, Inc. Ms. Tucker stated this is a 1st Public Hearing for the 2006-07 Community Development Block Grant application. There are four kinds of applications: Neighborhood Revitalization, Commercial Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation and Economic Development. At this time the City has an open Neighborhood Revitalization CDBG, which is addressing the drainage problems on Madison Street. Until that Grant is closed, the only grant the city can apply for is in economic development. A developer has approached the City with a possible project. |
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Woody Boynton, Public Works Director, said the riverfront redevelopment project is under negotiation, and will contain a hotel, condos and commercial retail shops. In order to support that project, the city has a responsibility to ensure that adequate utilities and infrastructure will be provided to the development. This will require replacement of the existing 6-inch cast-iron waterline from approximately S. 13th St. west to the River with a minimum 12-inch PVC waterline. It should be run down Laurel, reconnecting all the homes along Laurel down to the waterfront. This will ensure the new businesses in that area will be served with adequate water pressure and volume. This will also be the beginning of a new ‘trunk’ of new water lines extending out from Laurel, but the initial project is in support of the proposed hotel and various small businesses that may come in association with downtown redevelopment. |
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Christy Sanford 312 Dodge St., asked where on Laurel Street this would run, as it is through her neighborhood. It is a beautiful street with the possibility of a canopy, which has been nearly destroyed by the death of old trees. She’d like the trees kept on the sides of the street and any utilities to go down the middle of the street. Mr. Boynton said they’ve not yet researched all the utilities on the street. At this time they intend to replace the existing waterline with a line at the same location, which he understands runs inside the street, so there will be no additional curb cuts outside the street. |
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Annie Svetlik, 511 N. 3rd St. said she thinks the big hotels should pay for the water lines because they are going to make the money. She lives at 511 N. 3rd St. Just three streets over are dirt roads with very poor people living there. In Key West where her husband was a contractor, they had a program where a certain amount of money was set aside so people could get money to fix up their homes, which they did not have to repay. It is time Palatka helped poor people. |
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Commissioner Kitchens asked Ms. Tucker if an Economic Development Grant could be used for any type of community redevelopment of homes. Ms. Tucker said no, they City couldn’t apply for a Housing grant until the present Neighborhood grant is closed out. Commissioner Brown said she hopes they can move forward with a Housing grant once this Neighborhood grant is closed out. Mrs. Tucker said the next grant application cycle begins in April. |
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Commissioner Brown said affordable housing is not only for the very poor, but also for teachers, firefighters, policemen and anyone else whose income prevents them from purchasing or renting adequate housing. The League of Cities is forming a Task Force to look at this issue all over the State. They have to have the infrastructure to support such a development downtown. Generally, developers want whatever you have to give them. This is the only thing they have to offer that does not come directly from the City’s pockets. This will mean more jobs and fits into the Economic Development arena. Next year their focus can be Housing. Fred Fox Enterprises has consistently been in the top 17 grant writers in the state. When she first came on the Commission, Palatka received more CDBG money for housing and infrastructure than anyone else in the State. The CDBG Task Force will meet and look at this, and come back with a recommendation for a focus. At this time the best option is to bring in more jobs. Commissioner Kitchens asked if this grant might be better used in other areas, such as the North side or the Hill area, where lines date back to 1886. She asked if the CATF has met and made a recommendation on this. Ms. Tucker said CDBG grants are based on the amount of income benefit. 51% of the people that benefit from the money have to fit the category of “low income.” Commissioner Kitchens asked if the people in the Laurel Street/South Historic District fit that category? Ms. Tucker said those are separate funds and is a separate issue. |
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Mr. Boynton said an Economic Development Grant is only for job creation and has nothing to do with low to moderate income. There is a Neighborhood Revitalization grant on-going in the Madison Street area that is tied to neighborhood income levels. Once that is closed out, they can apply for a Housing grant or a utility grant; both possibilities have been discussed. They can look to the next grant cycle to replace undersized utility lines in low- to Moderate-income areas. |
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Commissioner Kitchens asked if there are job-creation projects on the north side of town that are more important or more pressing. Mr. Boynton said this grant is intended for an entity or business that is coming in that is going to create permanent jobs in the City of Palatka. Commissioner Kitchens asked if they have anything in writing from the development assuring that he will hire local people. Mr. Boynton said the grant contains that language. They have met with Mr. Ashdji and he’s committed to those stipulations. |
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Commissioner Brown stated the Economic Development grant is the only grant that they can apply for while other grants have not been completed. Economic Development Grants focus on permanent job creation. If he does not meet his obligation, he has to repay all of the money. Mrs. Tucker concurred that the developer has to sign a ‘participating party agreement’ that lays out his obligations and liabilities. Commissioner Kitchens said she knows of 10 people who lost their jobs at the Holiday Inn and were told they couldn’t be rehired. She is glad to hear local people have to be hired. Mrs. Tucker said they have to create one job for every $35,000 of grant money. For a $750,000 grant, he will need to hire 21 to 22 people. Mr. Boynton said this is a zero match grant. |
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Michelle Jeansonne, 506 Emmett St. said she knows of existing businesses that have closed periodically because of water issues. Sometime good employees are forced to leave to work someplace where the business doesn’t have to close due to water issues. She asked if this water line could be redirected to benefit the businesses that are already in place that suffer from poor water pressure. She asked for a clarification of the term “local” as it seems vague. Ms. Tucker said while this grant is in progress, the purpose of the line is to ultimately benefit the developer that comes in, so that water line is initially just for that project. Once the project closes out, the city could connect to it and use it as a trunk line, but the project would have to close out before that can happen. Mayor Flagg said it will benefit the entire City. Mrs. Tucker concurred, saying the initial purpose of the grant is for the benefit of the developer. Once it closes out, it can benefit the entire City. As to the definition of “local” it means the City of Palatka. |
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Mr. Bush said in the past when the City has constructed lines for economic development grants, it is not uncommon to tie into those lines and create cross lines, as the new lines create much more capacity and pressure. They install valves and tie the existing lines into the new lines. Once this line is in place, Ms. Jeansonne will see an increase in both pressure and capacity at her location. Mr. Boynton said there will be a residual increase just because the new trunk line will be four times the current 6” line capacity. After the grant is closed out they can run crossties into the new line. In reality, it will benefit the entire “south” area. Hopefully, over the next few years, the City will dedicate money to replace the existing lines. |
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Sam Deputy, 917 Carr St. asked who monitors the requirements of the grant and sees that those hired actually live in the City. He is looking for accountability on the local level. He noted Laurel Street was just recently repaved and asked if this means it will be dug up again, and if so, will it be patched or repaved. With River Street, we paved and then dug it up and patched it. He’d like to see the street returned to the state it is in now, and would like to see some beautification along it on both sides. |
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Mayor Flagg said everything is tied back to this grant. He has full confidence in the Public Works Director that, once this project is in place, everything above the infrastructure will be in its proper place. He has demonstrated his competence through prior projects. As far as the administration of the grant, through the combination of the CATF, City Commission, Public Works Director, and Fred Fox’s administration, the checks and balances are in place. They ultimately have to answer to the State of Florida. Commissioner Brown said the State sends in a ‘monitor’ periodically that checks to be sure the developer is complying with the terms of the grant. If he doesn’t, he will have to repay it in full. Mayor Flagg said it is an audited function and the monitor actually goes to the site to do it. All the documentation has to be in place. Mrs. Tucker said, as to confirmation of employees, they required a form accompanied by a payroll roster and proof that the developer spent the money he said he would spend. Unless this is turned in to Tallahassee, the grant cannot close out. |
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Edison Lambana, 200 Husson Ave., said he was a downtown business owner. There are no bicycle lanes even though the streets are remodeled year after year. This hurt his ability to promote cycling events, as there are no shoulders in the City; only Hwy 20 has one. He rides a bicycle every day in the City. They need to provide safety to cyclists. He asked if the city could implant some shoulders in order to promote cycling. Also, the RR tracks on Reid St. have a bump that could be a liability for the City if not fixed. Mr. Flagg said the Public Works Director will take that under consideration. |
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Robert Svetlik, 511 N. 3rd. Street, said he has lived in a number of communities since 1970 and it is his understanding that cities try to get the developer to pay for infrastructure that will benefit only the developer. If the City has to apply for a grant to do this, he does not feel it is proper. Mayor Flagg said this line will benefit many others besides just the developer. There will be a lot of beneficiaries from this project. The City’s developer agreement will be open to the public, so everyone will know what kind of benefits the developer will receive. This is not a public hearing on the merits of the development project alone. Mr. Svetlik said he has nothing against the development, but thinks that if it is government funds earmarked for economic development, it shouldn’t be funneled into the development. Mayor Flagg said no one has talked about funneling money to any developer. He wants this to be clear and that no one is being misquoted or things taken out of context. |
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Mr. Svetlik said he recently installed a whole-house water treatment system. After 3 months the filter was clogged with a brown gooey substance that smelled horrible. After his wife saw it, she would no longer drink the water. He heard tonight that some lines are as old as 1886, and if they are metal water lines they contain rust and who knows what else. Had he known they would be discussing water quality he’d have brought the filter with him. The City should give serious consideration to changing out many of its water lines. Mayor Flagg said lines are being changed out as part of an ongoing project under the leadership of the Public Works Director, which is being accomplished through Better Place funds. They need not confuse that issue with the issue of this new truck line. They are not waiting for a CDBG to continue enhancing the City’s water lines. |
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Ms. Laura Grainer, 103 Crestwood, asked if all the $750,000.00 will be spent on the one pipeline, or if parts of the money can be used at a later date to help smaller businesses tap into the new water line. She asked if there will be any overall assessment. Mr. Boynton said the new pipeline will cost $125 per foot, and is a mile long, and will likely cost every bit of $750,000. The grant is a maximum of $750,000, but they may be able to come in just under that. What is left over must go back to the State. |
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Ms. Grainer said the cost of the project is based on the need, and there is a need not for just this area, or the people living in this area, but for small business owners in the area, who need to take advantage of this. She asked if there is a way to reach some type of compromise to make these improvements all at once, instead of incrementally. Mr. Boynton said unless the City was in a position to take out a several million-dollar bond to replace water mains, that wouldn’t be feasible. They will provide for gate valves and T-junctions at every intersection along the line and they may be able to run a 20-foot length of pipe down a street for tie-ins, but the main trunk line will run down Laurel to the river. The developer will need to run an 8, 10 or 12-inch line to get to his facility. If the City needs to upgrade the line to 14 or 16 inch to insure adequate water in the south area, the City will make up the difference in funding. The CDBG will only pay for what the development requires. Given that it will be a fairly large hotel, they think they can justify a 12” or even 14” line in order to get adequate volume. Mr. Bush said each year Mr. Boynton removes and replaces substandard lines throughout the City. This is not happening in just one place. |
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Mr. Boynton said once this trunk line goes in, they will start extending from there. There is a new $11.5 million dollar water plant coming on line in the next three years. His goal is to follow that up with making sure the lines are adequate to get the water to homes and businesses. He’d like to see the next CDBG grant go for Community Development to help this plan along. He hates paving a road and then coming back a year or two later and installing pipe underneath it. When the City sees the benefits from development that is coming in, and other monies coming available, this will allow them to make needed improvements. Better Place money has allowed the City to make great strides in replacing infrastructure over the last three years. Over the next three to five years they will see more utility work being done. There are still dirt streets to be paved, but the infrastructure should be in place first. He hopes the citizens will have faith in him, the Commission and the City Manager to see that, once these projects are completed, the roads will ride better than before they were begun. He will be here to oversee all this work, which is just the beginning. They have to start somewhere, and this ‘seed’ money is coming at no cost to the City. Commissioner Kitchens asked where the funds will come from if the $750,000 is not adequate to cover the cost. Mr. Bush said the $750,000 is a fixed cost figure. Mayor Flagg said if it costs any less, the City will not receive the full $750,000. He confirmed that the grant is for $750,000. Commissioner Brown said this is a standard amount for a CDBG grant to allow ample distribution of CDBG money throughout the State. |
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Daniel Ziem, 401 Olive St. said Mr. Svetlik lives in his neighborhood, and asked if they can get a substation there to promote better circulation of the water, as at this time they get “flushing” which creates the problems of dirt and rust in the water. They are going to have more development at the end of N. 3rd Street. Mr. Boynton said more development will cause more circulation, so it will alleviate ‘stagnant” water issues. With development, a substation wouldn’t be necessary. |
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Michelle Jeansonne, 506 Emmett St., asked if a larger line to accommodate the development is necessary, and if the trunk line they are building is only going to be large enough to accommodate the new development. Mr. Boynton said he’d stated there is a minimum size necessary for the development. The City is going to pay whatever cost is necessary to be sure it also meets the needs of the South Historic District and areas south of that for the next 20 to 40 years. If they believe the development requires a 12-inch line, but the needs for the south portion of the City requires a 16-inch pipe, they will install a 16-inch pipe, and the City will pay the additional cost. Ms. Jeansonne asked if they considered the Future Land Use maps when doing their calculations, and if they included potential development. Mr. Boynton said they did. Ms. Jeansonne asked if there will be a cost to businesses or homeowners to tie into this pipe trunk line. Mr. Boynton said no, at this time they will replace ‘in kind” and will tie existing homeowners in up to their meter box. Mayor Flagg noted new development will have to pay to tie in. |
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Robert Griffith, 510 Mulholland Park said most of the people that have come to purchase properties downtown do not have developer experience or status. They depend upon City Government to provide structure for economic development. He waited outside to talk with Ms. Tucker about this grant; she told him there was only one grant available for economic development in a commercial area. He does not have the experience or the knowledge to know how to implement this, but at least he knew it was there. He is concerned that there is a lot of focus on riverfront development, but at the same time the City has blamed downtown disarray on other things. When he would talk with the Main Street Manager, she would tell him she ‘wears two hats’ and would emphasize the City has no money for downtown. Now they hear there was a grant for $750,000 available for commercial economic development. He asked why this information was withheld from local people. Mayor Flagg said this is a public hearing and is the time to present the information. They hold this type of public hearing every year, and the information on the grants and categories available are made public at that time. Mr. Griffith said this is only being offered to a developer because he has status. Mayor Flagg said that is not true. Mr. Griffith asked if a decision could be made tonight not to use the grant for this project. Mayor Flagg said this is an application process, a public hearing that is giving them that opportunity. They have a task force that is designed to look at the City as a whole. They have to look at the benefits, whether they are residential or commercial. |
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Mr. Griffith asked, if this is a hearing, could the local downtown people get together and put in an application competing with this application. He asked why they couldn’t do something accessible to downtown? Mayor Flagg said this is a community development block grant; they are not talking about a situation where several businesses or entities get together to apply for a grant. This is about community development. |
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Mr. Griffith stated this is a built-in reaction to hearing that a developer is getting access to benefits that he has not been able to get. It causes a reaction. They get blamed for having bad attitudes, such as the article in the paper that cited the Main Street Manager was leaving because of negativity, when other people know our Main Street Program is not in line with the National program. The whole heart of the Main Street Program is to motivate the whole city to develop its downtown area, and that hasn't happened. The people who tried to do something shouldn’t be blamed for the negative attitudes. If there is information on this type of grant, please give it to them. They all want to see the City develop. They are for the development of the historic areas and have a great opportunity to have a historic downtown. They need opportunities to focus on historic development. |
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Commissioner Brown stated this is not the first time this grant has been made available. Many other local businesses have taken advantage of it in the past. This is not something just for a developer; it has been around since the 1980’s. Some of them do a lot of work looking for grants to bring back to them. They pass these things around and try to help as many as they can. There are grants available for lots of things. The Chamber of Commerce has a lot of information on business grants. Fred Fox is in the top 17 grant writers in the State of Florida. They should talk to him for information and sources for grants. Commissioner Sanders said he almost went out of business downtown when they redid all the water lines under St. Johns Avenue from 2nd to 7th Street; the street was torn up for months for infrastructure replacement, treescapes and benches, which was done under a CDBG grant. Commissioner Brown stated the Commission is not sitting back and doing nothing. Thaddeus Cohen, Secretary of the Florida Dept. of Community Affairs, who runs the CDBG program, will be in Palatka Sept. 6th. They are going to show him just what Palatka has done with all the money it’s gotten over the years. The Commission goes out in search of resources on a regular basis. It could be that people have not asked the right person, or maybe the attitude in asking has just turned them off. They all need to work together and make this town the best that it can be. |
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Christy Sanford, 312 Dodge St. concurred with Commissioner Brown’s sentiment and expression. She said Ms. Butler is not here as her sister is quite ill, but having worked with Palatka Main Street, she wanted to remind everyone that just about a week ago the facade grants went out and some of the people speaking tonight received grants through that program. It is a very nice program administered by Palatka Main Street. There are probably other programs that Palatka Main Street could apply for. They need volunteers that will show up to the meetings. Just this year there were five Historic Preservation Grants-In-Aid applications from the City of Palatka, which is an incredible example. She does not know if Main Street could also apply for Block Grants, but there may be a possibility of piggy-backing or doing some other joint things. It is up to them to seek those answers; knowledge is power. |
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Mr. Bush asked Ms. Tucker to explain the CATF process and how a group would that wanted to present a specific project for a specific place would get that in front of the Citizens Advisory Task Force and sell them on making a recommendation to the City Commission. Ms. Tucker said the State requires citizen participation in the CDBG grants. The Task Force is appointed and anyone can approach them with a project they would like to see come to fruition. The Task Force reviews all projects, makes a recommendation to the City Commission, and sometimes they actually choose two or three projects, which they prioritize. The Task Force is in place to provide citizen input. Mr. Bush said this is open to anyone interested and all parts of the City. |
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Commissioner Norwood said they first need to move forward with putting the trunk line in place so that it can feed the downtown and areas south of there. He was unaware they were having water issues with downtown businesses. He asked Mr. Bush to provide him with a list of businesses that are being affected so they can address the problems. He also concurs that they should create bike lanes throughout the City. He believes the City does have a responsibility to encourage businesses to come. They need to be sure they create an environment the businesses can thrive in. Any information that can be passed along should be passed along, and any grants that can be facilitated should be. He knows there is a Downtown Palatka, Inc. and thinks that is an entity that can be used to facilitate information. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Norwood moved to go forward with an Economic Development Grant Application for the Riverfront Redevelopment Project on behalf of Farid Ashdji, Elite Hospitality, Developer. Commissioner Sanders seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. |
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Mayor Flagg closed the Public Hearing on the Grant application preparation and opened the meeting of the Fair Housing Workshop. |
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FAIR HOUSING WORKSHOP |
Mrs. Tucker distributed information on the Fair Housing Workshop and laws. Commissioner Norwood asked if there was a reason this could not have been a part of the commission’s agenda package. Mrs. Tucker stated it could have been; this is just an informational workshop and no action would need to be taken. As part of the application process they are required to hold two workshops, for which they receive points. The workshop package she distributed contains Fair Housing Ordinance #83-31 which was adopted by the city on December 8, 1983, which was amended in 1985 to include “physical handicap” rather than just “handicap,” and again in 1990 adding the category ‘familial status.” The ordinance states that it is the policy of the city to eliminate discrimination in housing based on age, race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, place of birth, handicap, familial status, or national origin. It also includes a provision for registering and investigating complaints. If someone feels they have been discriminated against in housing, they can bring a written complaint to the city manager within forty-five days of that incident. The City Manager will then act upon it within 60 days of receipt. The Commission is required to act upon the complaint if they feel it is a legitimate complaint. They will then ask the State Attorney to investigate the complaint. To date, there have been no Fair Housing complaints in the City that they are aware of. |
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Mr. Bush stated a copy of the ordinance is posted on the City’s Public Bulletin Board, and has been so for several years. Any new or revised policy will take its place. Mrs. Tucker stated there have been no changes. Mayor Flagg noted this workshop is a requirement that each year is revisited for the benefit of the public. Ms. Tucker responded it is to keep the information current. To answer Commissioner Norwood’s question, Ms. Tucker replied the Fair Housing Program is citywide. The ordinance does not address vacant lots; it is an ordinance to ensure there is no discrimination in the sale or rentals of housing, or things of that nature. This is in compliance with Federal Fair Housing regulations. Even if the City did not have this ordinance in place, they would still be obligated under the federal regulations. It is an ongoing CDBG Grant requirement that the city is required to hold annual Fair Housing Workshops. An announcement is put in the paper and posted. |
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Mayor Flagg commented that the attachment stated specifically this as an annual update to renew and raise awareness. The City does have a Fair Housing ordinance on the books, and this is what they do to stay in compliance with that. It is also an opportunity to make the public aware of the Act and procedure to file a complaint if they feel they have been aggrieved. |
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Annie Svetlik, 511 N. 3rd St. asked if this meeting was the workshop. Mrs. Tucker said this was advertised in the newspaper; it was stated in the newspaper that it would be held during the Commission meeting. They set a time of 6:00 p.m. with the caveat that it would be held at that time or as soon thereafter as possible. This is not a ‘brainstorming’ workshop, but an informational workshop. Mrs. Svetlik asked if they can have a real workshop on fair housing and other issues that have to do with housing. Mrs. Tucker said it can be brought up at this workshop. |
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Mayor Flagg stated the objective of this workshop is to deal with the City’s Fair Housing Act, any complaint procedures, and things of that nature. If she feels the need for a workshop dealing specifically with fair housing, it can be requested and scheduled. If that is the case, Mr. John Nelson of the PHA and others who are in housing, HUD and administrators of housing facilities, should be included and present. This is an informational workshop to distribute information related to laws and complaint procedures. This is an annual occurrence and part of the regular meeting. There is no request to change the ordinance. |
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Ms. Svetlik asked if she can speak in this workshop. Mayor Flagg responded she can, and recommended she converse with the City Manager on the subject, and set up a time and place for the workshop, to include proper advertisement. Mr. Bush said Ms. Svetlik could either come in or place her request in writing, and she will be accommodated. |
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Audrey Mitchell, 211 Kirkland St. asked for clarification that this workshop is a requirement for the grant that was just discussed. Mayor Flagg stated this is being held so that the City stays in compliance with the Fair Housing law, whether applying for a grant or not. They are required to raise awareness of these laws. This ordinance is on the books for the City and Federal governments. Compliance is part of the grant application process for any CDBG grant. |
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Mayor Flagg said in times past the Fair Housing Workshop has been advertised as a stand-alone meeting, and has not drawn an audience. They have an audience when it is held as part of a City Commission meeting. Commissioner Brown said they haven’t hidden this away; it is posted in the Lobby and anyone can obtain a copy of it for the asking. It states the process for filing a complaint. Mayor Flagg thanked Mrs. Tucker for her presentation and noted this does not call for a motion, as it is informational only. |
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Mayor Flagg closed the Fair Housing Act workshop. |
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PRESENTATION |
PRIDE OF PALATKA RIVERBOAT PROJECT - Atlas Hovercraft CEO Kurt Peterson, Vice Mayor Mary Lawson Brown and General Services Director Ken Venables. |
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Commissioner Brown stated they have been working with Mr. Kurt Peterson of Atlas Hovercraft out of Green Cove springs on bringing a ferryboat operation to Palatka. The mission of Pride of Palatka, Inc. was to bring a paddlewheel boat to Palatka as an economic development and educational tool. They have approximately $1 million in grant funds to work with, but cannot purchase a boat without funds for its operation. The second phase was to bring in a ferryboat operation with a fast enough boat to effectively move people from place to place in a timely manner. Congressman Mica brought this Hovercraft operation to their group’s attention, as they have the means to move people from Palatka to Jacksonville and Green Cove Springs in a fast and efficient manner. Ken Venables has been working with her to pull this information together. They, members of the Jacksonville Transit Authority and representatives of other counties visited the Atlas Hovercraft factory last month to explore this possibility. She hopes to get a consensus from the Commission to move forward in this direction. The money realized from this operation could fund a paddleboat operation as well. The money can also be earmarked to develop the waterfront and develop a landing terminal for the paddle and ferry boat operations. |
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Mr. Kurt Peterson, CEO of Atlas Hovercraft, said he and two of his staff had a positive visit in Palatka yesterday with Vice Mayor Brown. He distributed information regarding Atlas Hovercraft, Inc. and its product, and said they are the largest designer and manufacturer of air cushion vessels, or hovercraft, in the world. This vessel has the ability to travel over land or water and is classified as “amphibious.” It literally rides on a bubble of pressurized air, which reduces the friction between the hull of the boat and water or land to virtually nothing, so it takes less energy to move the vehicle from point A to point B. This is an environmentally friendly technology because it takes nothing from the water, and discharges nothing into the water. It can safety operate in a Manatee area like the St. Johns River. While underway, no portion of the boat is under water. Hovercrafts have been used for over 45 years commercially, primarily in Europe and Asia. Anyone can come and tour the factory at any time during business hours. He created the core technology, and has put together a team of experts in their fields. They moved to Green Cove Springs in 2005 and have made tremendous strides since coming to the community. The St. Johns River area is the ideal place for this company to be. Currently they are building a hovercraft that will enter into service next year in Chicago, IL and operate off of Navy Pier as a tourist ride. Other craft being built will stay in Florida, operating as daily passengers service between Miami and Key West, which will be very profitable for them as a company, and will provide and a tremendous benefit to the community. Statistically there are over 5,600 cars per day with 2 to 3 people per car that travel between Miami and Key West. If they capture just 1% of this ridership, their boats will run at 100% capacity on two to three round trips per day. The other value and benefit will be that they will transport people from Miami to Key West in about 2 hrs. 20 min, or half the 4.5 – 6 hour driving time. This will also help with the limited amount of parking space, which is a huge issue for the community. It will help alleviate traffic and road congestion. The Key West project is not funded by any federal, state or local dollars; it is all out of pocket. This technology has a worldwide benefit. They are also looking to locate a hovercraft company in San Francisco next year. Their craft is not just something that can be used on a daily bases for general transportation, but also during emergencies. They are a tremendous asset to the San Francisco area. He is excited about Palatka’s positive growth opportunities, it being a waterfront community and potentially a tremendous hub of activity for their future hovercraft plants. They are looking to put a hovercraft system on the St. Johns River. He envisions a daily operation that would not only take people and their vehicles from Palatka to Downtown Jacksonville, but also to the beaches via the Intercoastal Waterway. He visited Palatka last year at the request of Rep. John Mica, whom he met with during the Transportation Summit, along with Mayor Flagg. Through the St. Johns River they can solve transportation issues and unite communities. This hovercraft could take passengers, motorcycles, bicycles, cars and light trucks. They are also working to develop a hovercraft that would be specifically used for carbon containers, raw materials and other types of goods that could be moved up and down the river safely, economically and in an ecologically safe manner that other types of boats just can't do. |
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Commissioner Brown noted Mr. Peterson has looked at the Putnam County Barge Port and both industrial parks for possible locations for his factory operation. Mr. Peterson said they are currently renting in the Green Cover Springs industrial park and are looking for a more permanent base of operations in the area. His business is growing at a rate of 110% per quarter, with over 25 full time employees and over 100 people a day working on the fringes of what they are doing. Twenty percent of his labor force are US Navy, Air Force and Army veterans. |
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Edison Lambana, 200 Husson Avenue, said he supports the paddleboat project, and believes this is good for the community. He asked how this operation will bring business to Palatka and what impact this business will have on Palatka. This was supposed to be a ‘community’ boat, not a business proposition to benefit one business. |
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Mr. Peterson stated Atlas Hovercraft is a manufacturer. He is not going to move his business here and expect the community to support him. The majority of his business goes outside the community. Ninety percent of his customers don’t live in the U.S. This is worldwide technology. Atlas Hovercraft will bring jobs to the community. They are looking at building anywhere from 18 to 25 of these boats over the next two years, which requires 10 to 12 employees per boat to accomplish that. They project they can bring hundreds of jobs to the community, either directly or indirectly. |
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Commissioner Brown stated Mr. Peterson also wants a showplace for his boats, and will be bringing in visitors from all over. If Palatka had had this during the recent Super Bowl, they’d have made quite a profit and impression, and it would have benefited the service and hotel industry in this County. If one wanted to attend a football game or the opera in Jacksonville, this could be a mode of transportation for that. A hovercraft is unique and people will come from all over to ride on it. Mr. Peterson needs a docking area, and the City can profit from that. She’d like a consensus from the Commission that this is something they’d like to explore further. If Palatka doesn’t do it, someone else will. This will certainly promote tourism and other activities, besides promoting economic development. |
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John Burns, 506 Emmett St. asked if they were currently permitted to operate a hovercraft on the St. Johns River at the speed that would get them from Palatka to Jacksonville in one hour. Mr. Peterson said at this time they do not have a hovercraft that is specially built for operation St. Johns River. When a commercial vessel is built they will receive a Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection, which documents the vessel is safe for passenger use. Then they will establish a route with the Coast Guard. As to speed, that is left to the parameters of Coast Guard regulations and the discretion of the operator. They are not proposing that hovercrafts operate at 100 mph up and down the waterway. Their boats have been insured by Lloyds of London for over 45 years. Their insurance premiums can be equal to or lower than those of passenger buses. There is no potential to hit underwater obstructions, as no portion of the boat travels under the water when underway. Mr. Burns asked as to manatee protection measures. Mr. Peterson said they work with DEP and are doing testing with the Coast Guard on the River towards a certificate of operation. They are about 90 – 120 days out of having their first St. Johns River craft operational. A good deal of what they do is educational in nature. This is the only type of boat that can operate in harmony with manatees; this craft cannot possibly hurt a manatee. They have been in discussions with DEP on this, as well as EPA and groups all over the country, especially in San Francisco Bay. As to noise and loudness of the hovercraft, Mr. Peterson said this craft is unique because they operate on diesel powered generators that run on low to medium speeds, which supply all of the electricity required to operate the craft, powering fans driven by electric motors that lift it and provide forward thrust. They operate like a window or ceiling fan. Noise levels are typically equal to or lower than conventional ferryboats. As to whether they already have a sufficient passenger load for a Palatka-Jacksonville round trip, Mr. Peterson said the required ‘load’ will take more than just users from the two cities; it will be a regional issue. This will not exclusively connect Palatka to Jacksonville. This is more expansive and will run in a circuit, like a bus line. This is a very economical way to travel, given the price of fuel these days. |
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Commissioner Brown said they need to form an alliance to do this. They need to promote what they can, and they will in turn promote Palatka. In the beginning this project was about economic development and to attract people to Palatka. They need to accommodate dockage for the operation. |
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Edison Lambana asked if the City will receive a percentage of sales and operations, and how the operation will benefit the City. |
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Mr. Peterson said he is looking for a place to move his business. He will be hiring people and giving veterans’ preference. He has people coming in from all over the world to look at his boats. They project sales of 20 – 25 boats over the next few years, at around $10 million each. The city will be benefiting from the sales tax alone. As to whether the boats are tagged, a recreational boat at a cost of $20 million would require a tag, just as any boat would. A commercially operated vehicle is different; it requires a Coast Guard Certificate to perform passenger services. Some communities charge a dockage or licensing fee. They are currently negotiating with one city on the potential of a passenger “over-ride” which means a percentage of each fare could go to the City. That particular City is looking at 12 million passengers per year at $1.50 per passenger. As to tangible personal property taxes for a boat docked in an area, Mr. Peterson said the boat is an LLC or a business unto itself. A company may have 10 boats, and each would be an LLC in itself. How that washes out tax-wise is based on what port it is operating from and what kind of port fees or taxes that vessel would be getting charged for. For example, often when a cruise ship comes into a US part, they have to pay a port fee. Commissioner Kitchens asked if there had been discussions with the City Manager as to whether or not the Industrial Parks would accommodate his business, and what resources he would need. Mr. Peterson said his hourly employees start at $10.50 an hour and generally make upwards of $12.50 an hour. Salaried employees generally make between $30 - $40 thousand per year, to upwards of $80 - $120 thousand per year. These people are also going to come in and buy homes in the community, feed their families and generally put their salaries back into the community. These are sustained jobs, not “here today and gone tomorrow.” |
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Commissioner Brown said they have pushed to add Palatka as a docking area for this; the JTA is looking at transportation in an 8-county area. They don’t want “big brother” coming in and pushing Palatka out of the way. She is asking for consensus to move forward to bring a working plan back to the commission. Congresswoman Brown and Senator Hill have been in on these discussions and have given this project a nod. The legislative delegation feels this is a worthwhile pursuit. This will open the door to other projects designed to bring people here to shop, live, work and spend their money here. Commissioner Kitchens concurred and said she is excited about the possibilities. |
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Askew Vickers, 207 N. 18th St. asked as to the dimensions and square footage of the vessel. |
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Mr. Peterson said the boat that they are building now, the AH100, is 100 ft. long, 50 ft. wide and 2 depths high. When the boat goes up on hover, the bottom of the boat rises 8 ft. off of land or water and rides on a bubble of pressurized air. At that point the boat is physically is 120 ft. long, 60 ft. wide and over 36 ft. to the top of the radar arch. This boat carries 150 passengers. In other configurations it could carry up to 250 passengers, but this is a passenger-only design at this time. They will be creating configurations on passenger/light car or truck ferries in the next year. As to whether or not any of his boats currently operate and carry passengers in the US at the present, Mr. Peterson said not at this time; they are just now setting up their factory and beginning to build these boats. These are the largest craft built in the western hemisphere. Their facility is the third largest of its kind. They’ve built dozens of prototypes. They are now at the point where they can bring their product to the commercial market. They have competitors that have been in the business for some time. He founded his company when he received his first contract to manufacture six if these crafts, which is the largest single contract ever issued for hovercraft manufacture. They expect to do sea trials in November or December, and expect to have their Coast Guard approval by February. The first boat will be used for tourist guide purposes of a Navy Pier in Chicago. |
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Len Freeman, 422 River St. asked if they have a boat designed to go through the Shands Bridge. |
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Mr. Peterson responded they did and the boat they have now is designed so. They have all the Coast Guard navigational charts and all the bridge openings, both vertical and horizontal, and potentially feel they can go as far south as Sanford. They envision an operation that can take people from Jacksonville to Sanford and over to Disney and other Orlando attractions, but that is still in the works. |
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Commissioner Sanders stated he is enthused about this, and noted Commissioner Brown has worked diligently on this for years. He has sat in on many of her Committee’s meetings. He met Mr. Peterson the other day, and is excited about the possibilities. He believes they should look into the matter further. Commissioner Kitchens concurred and said she welcomes the business. Commissioner Norwood concurred and said economic development is important, and he is glad to see it is coming by way of the River. He also feels they should move forward on looking at the type of infrastructure they can provide for this operation. Mayor Flagg said he looks forward to a progressive plan on the Pride of Palatka riverboat project. They look forward to the next stop in the process. |
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Recess |
Mayor Flagg called a five-minute recess. |
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Reconvene |
Mayor Flagg called the meeting back to order. |
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REQUEST TO CHANGE TERMINATION |
Jeffrey K. McGriff - Request to change termination of employment to voluntary resignation - Mayor Flagg noted a staff recommendation to table this item to a time certain due to the absence of the City Attorney. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to table Jeffrey K. McGriff’s request to amend his termination to voluntary resignation to September 14, 2006. Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. |
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RESOLUTION 8-8 |
FDOT JPA FP#40990729401 - The Clerk read a resolution entitled A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO EXECUTE AND ATTEST A 'JOINT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT' WITH THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO REHABILITATE PORTION OF RUNWAY 17/35, TAXIWAY "A", "C", "D" EDGE LIGHTING AND IMPROVE DRAINAGE IN THESE AREAS AT PALATKA'S KAY LARKIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to adopt the Resolution as read. Commissioner Sanders seconded the motion. |
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Roll Call Vote |
Commissioner Brown, Kitchens, Norwood, Sanders and Mayor Flagg, yes. Nays, none. Resolution 8-8 was declared adopted. |
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RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT ANTI-DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY |
Woody Boynton, Public Works Director stated that this policy is relevant only to commercial motor vehicle drivers. The City currently does not have a policy to provide for random alcohol or drug test for drivers that operate commercial vehicles. A copy of this policy was provided to all department heads for their review. He took their comments and incorporated them into this policy. This will put the City in compliance with State and Federal Regulations. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to accept the Anti Drug and Alcohol Policy for drivers of commercial motor vehicles. Commissioner Sanders seconded the motion. |
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Roll Call Vote |
Commissioner Kitchens, Norwood, Sanders, Brown and Mayor Flagg, yes. Nays, none. Anti Drug and Alcohol Policy adopted. |
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E-MAIL AND INTERNET USE BY CITY EMPLOYEES - |
CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF POLICY - Consideration of adoption of policy on e-mail and internet usage by city employees was discussed. Mayor Flagg said a draft policy has been circulated. They will take comments and suggestions tonight and if any revisions are suggested, a revised policy should come back at the next meeting to be voted upon. Commissioner Brown asked that all department heads be given an opportunity to review and make comments on prior to its adoption. |
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Mayor Flagg noted and read into the record the most recent policy revisions, dated today. He concurred that input from department heads is necessary. The policy must clearly state that there is no privacy when it comes to materials on City computers. Also, there has been concerned raised with the passage stating that any obscene messages should be immediately deleted, due to the public record aspect. If it does not come from another City employee, it may not be an issue, but if it comes from a city computer it should be reported and retained. If it is deleted, there will be no “evidence.” Employees should clearly understand the penalties involved for violations of this policy and what actions would constitute termination, suspension or have access revoked. The draft policy does contain an employee acknowledgement signature page, stating the employee signing acknowledges having read the Internet and E-mail Policy Manual, understands the content of the manual, and agrees to abide by the policies and procedures as set forth. This is mandatory for all computer users. He stated that perhaps the language reading, “Employees are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment for violation of these policies and procedures” could be revised to be more specific. He noted the City Attorney drafted this using language pulled from several different e-mail policies. He noted they are not trying to provide loopholes to employees, but want to look upon internet and e-mail access as they would telephone access. |
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Commissioner Kitchens stated she had no problem with the way the policy was worded, and concurred on getting department head input prior to adoption. Commissioners Norwood and Sanders also concurred. |
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Mayor Flagg stated the policy would come before the Commission for adoption at the next meeting, and asked if there were any comments or questions from the public on the proposed policy. There were none. |
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E-MAIL INCIDENT OF 07/24/06 |
Mayor Flagg read a memorandum (filed) from Donald Holmes, City Attorney offering his opinion as to whether a city employee, namely the City Manager, violated state law, city ordinance, or city personnel policies in forwarding to others an e-mail received by him at his City e-mail address, utilizing a city owned computer. Based upon the circumstances, as he understands them to exist, it is Mr. Holmes opinion that the City Manager did not violate state statute in receiving or forwarding the e-mail under discussion. Mr. Holmes memo describes U.S. Supreme Court, Chapter 847.011 Florida Statutes. While the images contained within the e-mail probably meet the third tier, lacking serious literary...value, they do not, in his opinion, meet the first and second tiers of the required 3-tier review. Mr. Holmes also referrers to Chapter 847.011 (16) Florida Statutes saying, again, it is his opinion that a Court would not find that the images at issue conform to the definition of ‘sexual conduct’ as set forth. It is Mr. Holmes’ opinion that the City Manager did not violate the cited Florida Statute in forwarding, intentionally or unintentionally, the images under discussion. Mr. Holmes reviewed Chapter 112 (Part III) Florida Statutes, which references "The Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees" and found the only provisions of the statute which might be relevant to consideration of the City Manager's action were found in Chapter 112.313 Florida Statutes, entitled "Standards of Conduct for Public Officers, Employees of Agencies, and Local Government Attorneys." The provisions of the cited statutes deal primarily with financial conflicts of interest and business dealings with a public employee/former employee and a public agency. He found nothing within the entirety of Chapter 112, Part III (Code of Ethics) that would even conceivably be relevant to consideration of the City Manager's actions in the instant case. It is not his intent within his memo to dispute the contention that the images forwarded by the City Manager's e-mail were offensive, insulting, or inappropriate in the eyes and minds of some or all of those who inadvertently received them, nor it is his position or intent to defend as sound the City Manager's judgment in forwarding the e-mail at issue from a city computer via city e-mail services. Instead, it is his intent to state the position that the City Manager's actions did not violate State Statute or established city policy or procedure. It is his opinion that it could be difficult to legally justify taking serious disciplinary action against the City Manager under the circumstances at hand. |
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Mayor Flagg asked if there was any discussion. There was none. |
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Mayor Flagg read into the record a letter addressed to Allen R. Bush, City Manager, which was signed by all members of the Palatka City Commission with the exception of Commissioner Sanders, who abstained (Original attached, copy on file). The letter stated, essentially, that it concerns the Commission that he exercised poor judgment in failing to immediately delete the e-mail. It also illustrates that the City of Palatka lacks a comprehensive policy for the appropriate handling of e-mail communications. Irrespective of whether specific policy exists, it is incumbent upon all city staff, together with administrative and elected officials, to use sound judgment and be responsible in their actions in and out of their official duty with respect to all forms of communication. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Norwood moved to enter into record the correspondence addressed to Allen R. Bush from the City Commission, which is under discussion and filed with the record. Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion. |
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Roll Call Vote |
A roll-call vote was requested and taken, with the following results: Commissioners Norwood, Brown, Kitchens and Mayor Flagg, yes. Nays: none. Commissioner Sanders abstained. Motion carried. |
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Mr. Bush stated he’d like the public to know that he regrets this situation happening, saying he never should have put himself in that position. He gave his word that it will not happen again. |
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Commissioner Sanders also made a public apology, saying while it was poor judgment on his part, he received it and forwarded it and forwarded it under his name. It has taught him a lesson. He regrets the incident and stated it will definitely never happen again. |
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ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS |
Mr. Bush read a resignation letter from Cathy Butler, Main Street Manager/CRA Director into the record (filed). He recommends following the same procedure through which Ms. Butler was hired to hire her replacement, and named the people he recommended to sit on the interview committee. Ms. Butler has agreed to continue to work with the City as necessary on special projects until her replacement can be hired and trained. She currently has an assistant who can continue to operate the office and fill in for her in the interim. |
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Mayor Flagg stated it has been brought to their attention that Palatka’s Main Street program is perhaps not in sync with the National or State Main Street Programs. This may be a good opportunity to examine those issues that need to be updated and enhance this position. He regrets Ms. Butler’s personal issues and noted they all need to be sensitive when individuals have stressful family illness issues to deal with. He appreciates the good she did and her contribution to the City of Palatka. They are all human and all have shortcomings, but together they can make a positive difference. Commissioner Kitchens asked if the position has been advertised, and how long it will remain open for résumés. Mr. Bush said they normally advertise for 3 weeks to 30 days. The newspapers and Main Street publications have been notified, and it will appear in the FLC Datagram. It went out to local newspapers as well. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to accept the City Manager’s recommendation to advertise for a Main Street Manager, and to make whatever adjustments are necessary to bring the Main Street program into compliance. Commissioner Sanders seconded the motion. |
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Ruby Singleton, 216 St. Johns Ave., noted they did not list a representative from Downtown Palatka, Inc. when naming the people on the interview committee. Mr. Bush stated there is a representative from the Main Street Board of Directors, and many of them are downtown merchants. Mayor Flagg said the Main Street Program is for the benefit of Downtown. This process will be open, publicly advertised, and specific questions will be asked. It will not be a closed session. The City Commission will make the final decision. The Committee will interview and make a recommendation to the Commission. Both processes will be public. As to putting a Downtown Palatka, Inc. rep on the interview committee, Mayor Flagg said the recommendation does not include a Downtown Palatka Inc. representative, but it does include a representative from the Palatka Main Street Board. That person should be a downtown merchant. Commissioner Brown asked why they need a representative from the County BOCC. Mr. Bush said it was to address equitable representation for the CRA Director and TIF funds. Commissioner Brown asked him to remove a representative from the BOCC and add a Downtown Palatka, Inc. representative. As to what Downtown Merchants are on the Main Street Board of Directors, Mr. Bush said he could not name them without seeing a list of Board Members, but there are quite a few. |
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Motion |
Commissioner Brown moved to add a representative of Downtown Palatka Inc. to the Main Street Manager/CRA Director Interview Committee. Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion, which passed unopposed. |
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Vote on Original Motion |
There being no further discussion, a vote was taken on the original motion to accept the City Manager's recommendation for the hiring of a new Main Street Manager Position and appointment of the Interview Committee as amended, which passed unopposed. |
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COMMISSIONER COMMENTS Commissioner Kitchens |
FIRE CHIEF SEARCH - Commissioner Kitchens stated the current Fire Chief, James White will be retiring at the end of September and the option is up for the Commission to either promote someone from within the ranks or advertise the job. Chief White was promoted from within the ranks to be Fire Chief and she believes the Department has done well under his leadership. She’d like to see a promotion from within the ranks for his replacement. |
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Mayor Flagg stated the Commission does not select the Fire Chief. The City Manager appoints and the Commission concurs. He does not want to get things out of the proper sequence. He asked if Commissioner Kitchens means that she’d like the City Manager to use the authority given to him under the City Charter, to interview an internal candidate and make a recommendation to the Commission. Commissioner Kitchens concurred that this is her request. She believes Mike Lambert is the most qualified based on his training and resume`. Per City policy, Sec 3-2(b), vacancies occurring at any other than entry level in any department shall be filled, whenever possible, but the promotion of qualified employees from the next lower grade or class within the department. |
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Mayor Flagg cautioned that the Commission cannot tell the City Manager to hire anyone. The City Manager has the authority to interview candidates and then present the candidate he feels is most qualified to the Commission. It is the Commission’s roll to concur or not. Anything else would be out of order. The commission cannot even by consensus ask him to hire a specific candidate. He believes Mr. Bush has enough information to know her feelings on the matter. |
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Commissioner Norwood |
Commissioner Norwood asked whom the Assistant Main Street person works for. Mr. Bush stated she works for the Main Street Manager and is paid through Job Source. Cathy Butler has volunteered to come in on an as-needed basis, but for the day-to-day operation, her assistant has worked closely with Mrs. Butler and is able to handle meetings and the like. |
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Fire Chief Search, revisited |
Mark Lynady, Fire Marshal, asked if it would be out of line for the City Manager to make a recommendation tonight. Mayor Flagg responded it would be, as procedure should be followed. Mr. Bush needs to conduct an interview, document his interview, etc. He is concerned with following procedures that are in place. |
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ADJOURN |
At 9:24 p.m. upon a motion by Commissioner Norwood. |
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