City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2025 - 9:00. AM The City of Mexico Beach City Council met in a regular meeting on Tuesday February 11, 2025, at 9:00 am at the Public Works Building in Mexico Beach. Mayor Wolff and the following Councimembers were present: Linda Hamilton, Jerry Smith, Jason Adams and Tim Linderman. Also present were City Administrator, Chris Truitt, City Clerk, Tammy Brunson and City Attorney Tim Sloan. I. Call to order: Mayor Wolff called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. II. Consent Agenda: 1. Minutes for the January 8, 2025, LDC workshop were approved unanimously. III. Regular Agenda: 1. 2902 Hwy 98 Development Order was brought to the table. Mrs. Brunson swore in speakers for the quasi- judicial hearing. The development includes 1800 square feet of office space and 2700 square feet of residential space, and additional rooftop deck space. The council discusses the impact of the new development on traffic flow and parking, with concerns about congestion and the need for additional parking. The developer, Rick Moore, explains the plans for outdoor seating, pop-up retail, and potential food truck operations on the paver area in front of the building. Mr. Adams motioned, and Mr. Smith seconded to approve the development order with the stipulations for proper signage, directional arrows and a limit on structural height to 32 ft. Motion passed with a 4 to 1 vote. No vote was Mrs. Hamilton. 2. Ordinance 849 Townhome District setbacks (second reading) were brought to the table. The ordinance includes changes to definitions and sections related to setbacks. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to read Ordinance 849 by title only. Motion passed unanimously. 9:44 am, open public comment. No public comments were made. 9:44 am, closed public comment. Mr. Linderman motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to approve Ordinance 849. Motion passed unanimously. 3. Ordinance 850 Budget Amendment (second reading) was brought to the table. Chris Truitt requests to table Ordinance 850, which involves transferring funds from water and sewer to public works, due to increased costs for new trucks. Mrs. Hamilton motioned, and Mr. Linderman seconded to table Ordinance 850 for further discussion and review of the budget. Motion passed unanimously. 4. Ordinance 851 Beach and Dune Protection (first reading) was brought to the table. The ordinance includes provisions for protecting the city's beaches and dunes, with definitions and prohibitions for certain activities. The council discusses the impact of the ordinance on private beachfront property owners with boardwalks and the need for proper communication and coordination. The council discusses the need to protect the entire length of the city's beach and dunes, with concerns about the impact on private property owners. Mr. Smith motioned, and Mrs. Hamilton seconded to table Ordinance 851 and schedule a special meeting to continue the discussion. Motion passed unanimously. City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2025 - 9:00 AM III. Regular Agenda - Continued: 5. Boat ramp task order repairs and expansion for protessional redesign, engineering, permitting and bidding in the amount of $96,590.00 was brought to the table. Elizabeth Moore from Anchor CEI presents the proposal for boat ramp repairs and expansion, noting the decision to reduce the boat ramp from three lanes to two. The proposal includes engineering, terminating, design, surveying, permitting, and inspection tasks, with grant funds from FWC to help cover costs. Mayor Wolff and Chris Truitt discuss the budget details, including the grant amount and remaining funds for sea wall repairs. Elizabeth Moore clarifies that the engineering fees will not come out of the FWC grant but from the city's budget for the boat basin repair. The proposal aims to have the project out for bid within three to four months, with surveying and permitting already completed. The council discusses the timeline for completing the project, with a focus on meeting the June 30, 2026, deadline. Chris Truitt and Elizabeth Moore address the discrepancy in grant amounts, with the FWC paperwork showing a higher maximum grant award amount. The council agrees to move forward with the project, with Mayor Wolff emphasizing the need for communication with FWC regarding the project's timeline. 6. Agreement for auditing services from James Moore was brought to the table. Chris Truitt presents the agreement for audit services with James Moore, noting the increase in costs and the recommendation to approve a four-year contract. The council discusses the need for proper oversight and the impact of the increased costs on the budget. The council agrees to table the agreement to allow for further negotiation with James Moore and schedule a special meeting to continue the discussion. 7. New copy equipment lease agreement with Dex Imaging was brought to the table. Chris Truitt requests permission to sign a new contract with Dex Imaging for additional copier equipment for utility billing. The council discusses the need for a secondary copier to handle the workload and ensure proper backup in case of equipment failure with the cost to be split between water and sewer funds. The council agrees to approve the City Administrator to sign the new contract. 8. Beach vendor setup was brought to the table. Chris Truitt discusses the challenges with beach vending permits and peddler orders, noting the lack of allowable spaces on the beach and seeks council guidance on whether to allow beach vending or stick to the current restrictions. Mayor Wolff questions the interpretation of the ordinance and mentions existing vendors who operate off the beach. Council and others express concerns about the legality and enforcement of beach vending regulations. Mayor Wolff asks about the difference between a vendor license and a business license in Mexico Beach. Others discuss the historical practice of vendors delivering to the beach and setting up equipment. Tim Sloan suggests tweaking the existing ordinance to allow deliveries to beach-side businesses. Chris Truitt asks if the council wants to continue allowing ATVS on the beach or restrict them to city-owned vehicles. Discussion continues with the historical use of ATVS by vendors like Hector for delivering equipment. Chris Truitt and others discuss the legal requirements for vendors to get permission from property owners to set up on private property. Mayor Wolff emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the city, not individual property owners, grants permission for beach vending. Chris Truitt confirms that the current ordinance requires written permission from property owners for beach vending. City of Mexico Beach Meeting Minutes TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2025 = 9:00 AM IV. Citizen Comments: Nancy Faulk raised concerns about beach access after the CDC's dune restoration plan. Mayor Wolff provides an update on the timeline for sand dune work, estimating completion by the end of March or early April. Gary Cox asks about ADA compliance for the beach walkovers. Lisa Logan talks about having to walk over the dunes in the sand and why there are no cut throughs. Zach Post makes a comment about recommending Randy June for the Public Works Director position. V. Council Comments: Mrs. Hamilton announced the upcoming Gumbo Cook-Off, including details about the event and the activities available. Tim Linderman reads a statement from Derek Noonan, the JLAC Audit Manager, confirming no indications of fraud in the city's financials. Mayor Wolff and Tammy Brunson praise the city employees for their hard work during the audit process and emphasizes the importance of having the right people in place to manage the city's finances. VI. Mayors Comments: Mayor Wolff discusses the need to address flood issues on Fourth and First Streets. Chris Truitt suggests getting bids fori the repairs to understand the cost and potential grant funding. Mayor Wolff emphasizes the importance of addressing these issues to prevent further damage. Chris Truitt provides rough cost estimates for the repairs to give the council an idea of the scope of the work. VII. Staff Comments: Ryan Wiedenman provides updates on various projects, including the stormwater project, emergency berms, and the police and fire station appeal. Ryan Wiedenman mentions the progress on the pier project, including environmental reviews and cost estimations. Tim Linderman and others discuss the challenges of securing funding and approval for the pier project. Ryan Wiedenman emphasizes the importance of following the proper process to ensure the project's success. City Administrator - Mr. Truitt Had no additional comments City Attorney - Mr. Sloan had no additional comments. VIII. Adjournment: Mrs. Hamilton and Mr. Adams motioned to adjourn the meeting at 11:43 am. By: Attest: Dauvy Buvi Mayor, Richard Wolff City Clerk, Tammy Brunson