HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Council 072298i CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS
CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING
JULY 22, 1998
The July 22, 1998, Special Regular Meeting of the City Council of
the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was called to order at
6:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex
located at 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens,
Florida; and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
ROLL CALL The City Clerk called the roll and the following elected officials
were found to be in attendance: Mayor Joseph R. Russo, Vice
Mayor Lauren Furtado, Councilman Eric Jablin, Councilman
David Clark and Councilman Carl Sabatello.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Mayor Russo stated the announcements were as posted.
BUDGET WORKSHOP City Manager Herakovich announced a tentative tax rate and rolled
back rate based on the tentative budget, which she explained would
• not result in a tax increase for the residents unless there were later
changes to the budget. During review of budget categories,
requests for additional personnel and duties of current personnel
were discussed; job descriptions were requested by the City
Council to help them understand the duties assigned to specific
positions; the master site plan for a new fire station was clarified
to be a master design to be used for all future fire stations; the
number of computers used in City facilities and personnel assigned
to maintain them was discussed; Mayor Russo requested that a
uniform policy for travel expenses be established; the City
Manager suggested that the possibility of hiring an in -house
attorney be discussed later since there was no room for an attorney
until the new facilities were completed; a footpath in the Lake
Catherine area was requested to be included in the Parks and
Recreation budget; and the policy on use of City cars was explained
and the possibility of going to a car allowance instead of providing
vehicles was discussed. During discussion of the Police
Department budget, consensus was to raise the rate for hiring off -
duty police officers so that the City would not be operating this
service at a deficit and to approve the two additional police
personnel requested as well as filling existing vacancies. Needs
.studies and design of a master site plan for a new Senior Center
_ which would be needed in two years were discussed. Mayor Russo
expressed his concerns about bringing engineering in- house.
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 2
Councilman Sabatello stated he did not support either in -house
engineering or an in -house attorney. Consensus was to stay with
outside engineering services and outside attorney services at this
time. Personnel options for review of City codes to deal with the
anticipated explosion of growth resulting from sale of MacArthur
Foundation lands was discussed. Mayor Russo suggested costs
could be recouped in application and permit fees going forward.
It was the consensus of the City Council that Option One, hiring an
outside consultant and a Planner to assist the consultant, was the
best solution. City Manager Herakovich presented different options
for district park boundaries along Central Boulevard north and east
of the elementary school and Duncan Middle School. Plan I,
112,000 acres, was chosen by consensus in order to get as much
land as possible since it would never again be offered at the price
now available.
Mayor Russo stated he would be voting against the items on
tonight's agenda, since he did not believe items should be on a
Special Meeting agenda unless the public had notified at a regular
• City Council meeting that those items would be voted on at a
special meeting.
AWARDING OF BIDS
Micro Surfacing City Manager Herakovich stated this item was time critical and had
been placed on the agenda in order to qualify for FEMA funds.
After micro surfacing was recommended for use in the annual road
resurfacing program by Director of Public Works Bob Patty,
discussion ensued regarding prior concerns regarding the micro
surfacing formula. City Manager Herakovich explained that this
item was on the agenda requesting the City Council to re- authorize
the negotiated amount of the contract. The City Attorney explained
that there was an executed, signed contract, and that possible
withdrawal from the program set forth in that contract had been
discussed; the question was whether to pay the contractor for
mobilization costs incurred to date and have no product to answer
the questions regarding micro surfacing or whether to negotiate
with the contractor to come to agreement that for those same costs
a limited number of roadways would be micro surfaced in order to
answer the City's questions and to be satisfied that the proposed
surface would perform as expected. After discussion, Mayor
Russo recommended that Councilman Sabatello's suggestion for
10 legal review of the contract and the possibility of the contractor
furnishing a performance bond or Chair Pro Tern Jablin's
• CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 3
suggestion of the contractor possibly providing a longer warranty
be pursued and this issue brought back at a later meeting. Roger
Blangy, 11658 Hemlock Street, questioned what decision had been
reached and was advised by Mayor Russo that no decision had been
made and that it would be discussed at another meeting.
Threshold Inspection:
Municipal Complex Councilman Clark made a motion, seconded by Councilman Jablin,
to approve expansion of the City Engineer's contract to allow him
to subcontract threshold inspections for the municipal complex in
the amount of $20,000. During discussion of the motion
Councilman Sabatello requested addition to the scope of work of
inspection of new lights near the ballfields, if appropriate; and
questioned whether the City Engineer's office had sufficient
insurance coverage for this work, to which Mr. Lindahl responded
that the $1 million in coverage carried by his firm would be
sufficient. The motion carried by vote of 4 -1 with Mayor Russo
voting against the motion because the public had not been notified
at the last regular City Council meeting that this item would be
voted on at this special meeting.
Gardens Park Light Pole
Removal Councilman Clark made a motion, seconded by Councilman Jablin,
to approve removal of the light poles and fixtures from the present
Gardens Park ballfields by Suffolk Construction Company, Inc., in
the amount of $24,264.00. The motion carried by vote of 3 -2 with
Mayor Russo and Vice Mayor Furtado voting against the motion.
It was the consensus of the City Council to notify Suffolk
Construction Company that the City was not happy that this item
had been omitted from the original contract.
Allamanda Bridge Councilman Clark made a motion, seconded by Vice Mayor
Furtado, to award the bid to provide repairs to the Allamanda
Bridge to Murray Logan Construction, Inc., in the amount of
$69,500, by piggybacking the Northern Palm Beach County
Improvement District Contract. The motion carried by vote of 4 -1
with Mayor Russo voting against the motion because the public had
not been notified at the last regular City Council meeting that this
item would be voted on at this special meeting.
CONSENT AGENDA Vice Mayor Furtado made a motion, seconded by Councilman
Clark, to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by vote
of 4 -1, with Mayor Russo voting against the motion because the
public had not been notified at the last regular City Council meeting
• CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 4
that this item would be voted on at this special meeting. The
following items were approved on the Consent Agenda:
1. Resolution 79, 1998 - Consideration of Approval to Provide
for an Amendment to Resolution 8, 1997, Subsequently
Amended by Resolution 8, 1997, Resolution 87, 1997, and
Resolution 3, 1998, to Extend the Date of the Dissolution of
the Neighborhood Initiative Task Force.
2. Resolution 80, 1998 - Consideration of Approval of
Ratification for Article 10 and 21 of Collective Bargaining
Agreement between the City and IAFF Local 1928.
3. Resolution 81, 1998 - Consideration of Approval Making
Certain Amendments and Modifications to Resolution 166,
1996 and Resolution 52, 1998 of the City Council Relating to
the City's General Obligation Bonds, Series 1998.
REORDERING AGENDA Principal Planner Kim Glas requested the agenda be reordered
to discuss the Golf Digest PCD Master Plan and Proposed
Rezoning before review of the site plan for the Golf Campus.
• ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION
Golf Digest PCD Master Plan and
Proposed Rezoning
Principal Planner Kim Glas reviewed planning considerations
which had been taken into account during review of the PCD
Master Plan for Golf Digest. These included preservation of
environmentally sensitive lands; parkways with adequate
buffering from the roadways; concurrency requirements
consisting of a 15 -acre improved park site, plus monies in lieu
of an additional 12.5 acres of parkland anticipated to be
applied to a district park; level of service standards to
accommodate a new fire station on the project; 32 acres for
a middle and elementary school regarding which
negotiations were currently being held between the School
Board and the petitioner; an aggressive buildout date of 2004;
and timing elements for common areas. Mayor Russo
expressed his desire to approve everything at once and not to
have the petitioner come forward with items for approval at
a later date, and referred to the original BallenIsles approval
as a guideline.
Golf Campus Site Plan Henry Skokowski, agent for the petitioner, presented the
project, Site Plan for a 26.15 acre "Golf Campus ", a 4.1 acre
golf maintenance facility, and two roadways connecting PGA
• CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 5
Boulevard with the golf courses. Mr. Skokowski announced
that dedication of the school sites would be accomplished
within a two -year period. The number of roadway lanes and
unit densities were discussed. Mayor Russo expressed
concern that the first phase would include residential units
when the CRAWLS designation for Military Trail had been
based on those units being built two years later into the
project. John Gary, representing JCB Golf Ventures, Morgan
Stanley, and Golf Digest, explained he had been before the
City Council two years ago and the golf course was to have
been started then and residential units two years later, and the
fact that the golf course did not get built until now should not
alter the fact that construction of residential units was planned
two years ago to begin about now and the impact on the roads
should be basically the same as if the golf course had been
built two years ago. Mr. Gary assured the City Council that
everything possible would be done to keep the high -end
rentals and the golf courses from becoming less than high
quality. Mr. Skokowski described vegetation for the project
• as a much more natural look as opposed to projects such as
BallenIsles where vegetation had been planned to be much
more manicured. Another topic discussed by Mr. Skokowski
was waivers requested to pathway requirements for sidewalks
in areas where a third sidewalk would be unnecessary, or
where as much buffering or green space as possible was
desired. Concerns that were expressed included providing
sidewalks for schoolchildren bicycling to school, that staff
look at the fire station site to be sure it would work properly,
that provisions be spelled out as to what would become of the
sales office when it was no longer needed, that the School
Board be consulted regarding bus routes, that odors from the
and sounds from the water treatment facility would not be a
problem, that lighting be provided for the pedestrian
walkway, and holding future discussions regarding the
amount of dollars which might be paid in lieu of a fire station
located on the property. Harry Fix, representing the School
Board, commented that it was more feasible to utilize a
school site on this property within five years in lieu of a site
on Abacoa during that time frame.
Principal Planner Glas highlighted some of the conditions of
approval in the staff report recommended by staff and the
Planning and Zoning Commission, including a restriction on
• CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 6
the height of the office building, and recommended
disclosures to buyers. Ms. Glas explained that Eastpointe
property owners were present and had concerns regarding
seasonal traffic on Hood Road and additional access to the
project from Hood Road which might affect their access into
their neighborhood; and that PGA National residents were
concerned with construction traffic. The petitioner requested
anything that could be done to facilitate approval of the
project.
BUDGET MEETING A budget meeting was announced for August 3, 1998 at 6
p.m.
CITY ATTORNEY REPORT City Attorney Acton advised that the DeLuca case had been
won by the City, however there was one item which might be
appealed.
0
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL REGULAR MEETING, 7/22/98 7
ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, upon motion by
Councilman Clark, seconded by Vice Mayor Furtado, the meeting
was adjourned,
t 19:40 p
APPROVAL: —
JOSEPH R. RUSSO
VICE MAYOR LAUREN FURTADO
C"ff(VIA1-,;'PR0-- TE,M E C JABLIN
. COUNCILMAN VID CLARK
COUNCIVXAN CARL SABATELLO
ATTEST:
CINDY HARVEY. DEPUTY CITY CLERK