237  CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA JUNE7,2022, REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING  MEETING MINUTES  CALL TOC ORDER  Mayor Watford, called the regular meeting of the City Council for the City of Okeechobee to order on. June 7,2022, at 6:00 P.M. in the City Council Chambers, located at 55 Southeast 3rd Avenue, Room 200, Okeechobee, Florida. Thei invocation was offered by Mayor Watford; followed by thel Pledge of Allegiance Roll was taken by City Clerk Lane Gamiotea to establish a quorum. Members present: Mayor Dowling R. Watford, Jr., Council Members Noel A. Chandler, Robert "Bob" Jarriel, and Robert' "Bobby" M. Keefe, Jr. A. Mayor Watford asked whether there were any items to be added, deferred, or withdrawn. New B. Motion and second by Council Members Keefe and. Jarriel to approve the agenda as amended. Motion C. No comment cards were submitted for public participation for issues not on the agenda.  led by Council Member Chandler.  II. ATTENDANCE  Council Member Monica M. Clark attended electronically via Zoom.  III. AGENDA AND PUBLIC COMMENTS  Business, Item 1, Exhibit 11, was added. Carried Unanimously.  IV. PRESENTATIONS, ANDI PROCLAMATIONS  A. Mr. Joe Papasso was recognized by Mayor Watford for his years of volunteerism. He was presented with a framed Certificate of Appreciation, read into the record as follows: "The City of Okeechobee, Florida recognizes the Valuable Contribution of community involvement and hereby extends this expression of grateful appreciation to Joe Papasso for faithful service as a dedicated member appointed tot the City of Okeechobee Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, andl Design B. Mr. John" "J.P" Zeigler, accompanied byl his wife, was recognized byl Mayor Watford for his volunteerism. He was presented with a framed Certificate of Appreciation, read into the record as follows: "The City of Okeechobee, Florida recognizes the Valuable Contribution of community involvement and hereby extends this expression of grateful appreciation to. John Ziegler for faithful service asa dedicated member appointed to the City of Okeechobee General Employees' Pension Board of Mayor Watford proclaimed May 9 through 13, 2022, as' Economic Development Week." The document will be mailed to Mrs. Kaylee King and read as follows: "Whereas, the International Economic Development Council is recognizing 2022 as its 95th Anniversary. The International Economic Development Council is the largest professional economic development organization dedicated to serving economic developers; and Whereas, the International Economic Development Council provides leadership ande excellence ine economic development for communities, members, and partners through conferences, training courses, advisory services and research, in-depth publications, public policy advocacy, and initiatives such as the Accredited Economic Development Organization program, the Certified Economic Developer designation, and the Entrepreneurship Development Professional; and Whereas, the Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation as a current member of the International Economic Development Council, promotes economic well-being and quality ofl life for our community by creating, retaining, and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth, and provide a stable tax base; and Whereas, local economic development is engaged in a wide variety of settings including urban andl local, state, county, and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities, and variety of other institutions; and Whereas, the Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation attracts and retains businesses, partners with local stakeholders to develop vibrant community, boosts tourism, andi improves the services and quality of lifei in our County and our City. Nowt therefore, 1, Dowling R. Watford, Jr, by virtue oft the authority vested in me as Mayor oft the City of Okeechobee, Florida, do hereby proclaim the week ofl May 8through 13,  Review Board, May 20, 2020 through April 29, 2022."  Trustees, March 1, 2021 through April 28, 2022."  2022 of 'Economic Development Week' in the City of Okeechobee."  JUNE7,2022, CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETNG,PAGE10F4    238  V. CONSENT AGENDA  A. Motion and second by Council Members Keefe and Jarriel to [dispense with the reading and) approve thel May 17,2022, Minutes [as presented in Exhibit 1). Motion Carried Unanimously. A. City Attorney Greg Hyden read proposed Ordinance No. 1253 by title only, as follows: "AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA, PERTAINING TO THE CITY CHARTER; PROVIDING FINDINGS OF CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE CURRENT CHARTER AND A PROPOSED REVISED CHARTER; CALLING FOR A REFERENDUM FOR ELECTORS OF THE CITY TO VOTE ON WHETHER TO APPROVE REVISIONS TO THE CITY CHARTER; AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE FILING AND PUBLICATION OF THE NEW CITY CHARTER; DECLARING THE LEGAL AUTHORITY FOR ENACTMENT OF THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THE BALLOT TITLE AND BALLOT SUMMARY FOR THE REFERENDUM; PROVIDING FOR OTHER RELATED MATTERS; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVEDATES: B. Continued discussion [from May 17,2 2022) on thel Motion on the floor made by Council Members Keefe and. Jarriel to adopt proposed Ordinance No. 1253 [as presented in Exhibit2 2). Mayor Watford opened the floor for discussion by the public. Mr. David McAuley requested clarification that the Council had come up with a way to separate the amendment into two different questions. Mayor Watford responded yes and clarified thati is not how itis proposed in the current language. Mr. Billy McCullers stated his disappointment that no consideration has been made to separate the Ane emaili from Donnal Howard was readi intot the record byl Mayor Watford as follows' Esteemed Mayor and City Council Members of Okeechobee, Iwould like to address the office of the Okeechobee City Clerk, which is scheduled to be discussed on tonight's agenda. The right to vote is at the core of our American democracy. When you take away our right to vote on any matter, you essentially take away our voice, our autonomy and ultimately our power. I am aware that a financial case can be made for changing the City Clerk's position from elected to appointed. However, I am also aware that an appointed official would only need to satisfy a select few, whereas an elected official would need to continue to satisfy the entire City of Okeechobee in order to stayi in office. It's also worth mentioning that we, the City of Okeechobee, have elected each ofy yout tos serve on our council andI don'tthink any of you would! bel happy ify your positions were upi for debate. Please make a clarification separating the Okeechobee City Clerki issue from the rest of the Charter changes. Your time and attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. P.S. I cannot attend tonight's meeting in person, so please make sure that my comments are An email from Jodi Hazellief was readi into the record byl Mayor Watford as follows' "To Mayor Watford and City Council Members, am writing to yout today to voice my opinion on the proposition of thel New Charter. While I have read over the Charter and the changes you want to make, lama a little confused as to why you would add the change of the City Clerk position to be appointed from elected to this ordinance. Its seems that maybe as an afterthought it was just added in the end. Ibelieve this should be a separate question altogether as it has no relevance to the other items being presented. would hate to think that this was done maliciously, with the hope that the voters would pass the entire Charter when voting, without reading it in its entirety. We all know, unfortunately, that voters do not like to read things all the way through when they are voting. If they read a little intoi ita andi its sounds good or beneficial then ay yes vote itis. Too much legislation int the USA gets passed this way, with hidden agendas, andi iti is wrong. As far as the position of City Clerk being appointed and not elected doesn't sit well with me either. People who are appointed tend to be in someone's pocket or have theirs or someone else's best interest in mind, not the public they are serving. Okeechobee's own Bill of Rights states-In order to provide the public with full and accurate information, to promote efficient governance, to ensure accountability and to provide all persons fair and equitable treatment. How are all of these things going to happen when the person is appointed and not elected? Where is the accountability going to come from? Is this appointed person just going tol become as scapegoat for any wrongdoings that are found out? Keep this position as an elected one, separate it from the charter, and give the voters a chance to really see what you are proposing. Thank you for Al letter from. Jennifer Tewksbury, Executive Director of the Economic Council, was readi into the record by Mayor Watford as follows "Good evening Mayor Watford and Honorable Members of the City Council, the Economic Council has supported your initiative to update our City's Charter since the discussions first began, and with the belief that the best interest of the City willl be served  VI. MAYOR WATFORD OPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING AT 6:10P.M.  referendum intot two questions.  read aloud att tonight's meeting."  your time and consideration."  JUNE7,2022, CITY COUNCIL REGULARI MEETING, PAGE20F4    239  VI. PUBLIC HEARING CONTINUED  B. Continued: thereby, we support advertising the Charter revisions with the same language currently in your agenda as a single ballot item (Exhibit 2). I regret I am unable to attend in person this evening but want tol be sure that the community support for your previous action on thisi item is known, recognized, and documented for the record as you continue youre efforts toi improve our City and modernize the Charter. Thank You for your continued service to our Council Member Chandler made a motion to amend proposed Ordinance No. 1253 to separate the issue of the position of City Clerk changing to an appointed position from the other items listed in the Motion and second by Council Members Clark and. Jarriel to amend proposed Ordinance No. 1253to correcte errorsi in Article 5p paragraphs b, d, and g removing any reference that the City Clerk position is elected; andi in the first' "Whereas" paragraph, correct to read appointed residents, not City residents. Motion to Amend Carried Unanimously. Vote on! Motion as Amended Carried threet tot two, Mayor  community."  charter. Motion to amendi failed duet tot the lack ofa as second.  Watford and Council Member Chandler voting no. MAYOR WATFORD CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING AT6 6:33P.M.  VII. NEWI BUSINESS  A. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and Chandler to review and approve the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21 Audited Financials prepared by Carr, Riggs and Ingram [as presented in Exhibit 3). B. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and Keefe to read by title only, proposed Ordinance No. 12541 regarding Land! Development Regulation (LDR) Text/ Amendment Application No. 22-001-TA forh home-based businesses [as presentedi in Exhibit 4). Motion Carried Unanimously. Attorney Hyden read proposed Ordinance No. 1254 by title only as follows:' "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA; AMENDING SECTION 90-633, HOME OCCUPATION WITHIN CHAPTERS 90, LDR'SOF1 THE CODE OF ORDINANCES; PROVIDINGI FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; PROVIDINGI FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR ANI EFFECTIVE DATE." Motion ands second by Council Members Chandler and. Jarriel to approve the firstr reading ofp proposed Ordinance No. 1254 and set. July 5, 2022, ast the final hearing date. Motion Carried Unanimously. Motion and second by Council Members Keefe and. Jarriel to read byt title only, proposed Ordinance No.1 1258, extending the sunset date one year for Ordinance No. 1224, adopting the Holding Property Attorney! Hyden read proposed Ordinancel No. 12585 by title only ast follows: "AN ORDINANCE OFTHE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, FLORIDA; EXTENDING THE HOLDING REZONING PROGRAM CREATED BY ORDINANCE 1224; PROVIDING FOR A ONE (1) YEAR SUNSET CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR Motion ands second! by Council Members Chandler and. Jarriel to approve the firstr reading of proposed Ordinance No. 1258 ands set. July 5, 2022, ast the finall hearing date. Motion Carried Unanimously. D. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and Chandler to approve al budget amendment in the amount of $9,379.62, not to exceed $10,000.00, to rewire the Council Chambers [as presented in E. Discussed local and state regulations for the use of fireworks. Per the discussion and, at the recommendation ofA Attorney Hyden, Mayor Watford stated thati it was the consensus of the Council F. Motion ands second by Council Members Clark and! Keefe to approve aF Facility Usel License Agreement witht the Okeechobee Historical Society, Inc., regarding use oft thel Primitive Baptist Church! property [as presentedi in! Exhibit8,1 located at 1003 Southwest (SW) 3rd Avenue, Legal Description: Lots 9t through 12 of Block 8, SOUTH OKEECHOBEE, Plat Book 1, Page 12 and Plat Book 5, Page 7, Okeechobee  Motion Carried Unanimously.  Rezoning Program [as presented in! Exhibit 5). Motion Carried Unanimously.  CODIFICATION; ANDI PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE."  Exhibit 6J. Motion Carried Unanimously.  thatt the Code of Ordinances be amended with Police Staffi input.  County Public Records). Motion Carried Unanimously.  JUNE7 7,2022, CITY COUNCIL REGULARI MEETING,PAGE30F4    240  VII. NEW BUSINESS CONTINUED  G. Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and Keefe to approve a Contractor's Agreement with RMPKI Funding, Inc. for grant consulting services [as presented in Exhibit 9, piggyback from the City of Oakland Park, RFPI No. 030971, for at term of oney year with twor renewable years). Motion Carried H. Staff presented ar recommendation to convert the City parcel at SW 3rd Avenue and 23rd Street from as storage area to an open public green space, or sell the parcel [as presented in Exhibit 10). Motion ands second by Councill Members. Jarriela and Chandler tos sell the parcel [Lots 6 and7ofE Block 5, ROYAL OAKS ADDITION, Plat Book 1, Page 8, Okeechobee County Public Records] ande earmark the money tob be usedf for the Primitive Baptist Church project [structures onp property listedi in New Business, Item Added Agenda Item: Motion and second by Council Members Jarriel and Chandler to approve the purchase oft two administrative Chevrolet Traverse vehicles under Florida State contract pricing in the amount of $29, 652.00 each [as presented in Exhibit 11). Motion Carried Unanimously.  Unanimously.  FJ. Motion Carried Unanimously.  VII. CITY ATTORNEY UPDATE IX. ADMINISTRATORI UPDATE X. CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS  Nothing att thist time.  Legislative Update: Senate Bill 620i is still pending, andt the proposed budgeti is not signed yet;  Cattlemen's Square Ribbon Cutting Ceremonyi is set for. July 23, 2022. Council Member Chandler: Pavementi is buckling on SW 8th Street and 2nd Avenue.  Council Member. Jarriel: Chief Hagan does aradios show ont thef first Thursday oft the month andl has already The City Council extended a warm welcome to Mrs. Heather Prince, hired by Clerk Gamiotea on June 6,  laidt thet fireworks' groundwork last week. 2022, as thel Deputy City Clerk.  XI. ADJOURN, Mayor Watford adjourned ther meeting at7 7:30P.M.  Submitted By: Lane  Gote Gamiotea, CMG;City Clerk  Pleaset take notice, and! be advisedt that when a person decides to appeal any decisionr made! byt the City Council with respect to any matter considered att thisr meeting, s/her mayr needt to ensuret thatav verbatim recordo of the proceedingi is made, which recordi includes thet testimony ande evidence upon which the appeali ist to beb based. City Clerk media are for the sole purpose of backup for official  records oft the Clerk.  AMEIABZOIYCANCIRKGQNAECWLURMETMAPAEIGA