Book 63 Page 34894 01/16/15 9:15 A.M. MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE CONVOCATION OF GOVERNMENTS OF THE SARASOTA BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE SCHOOL BOARD OF SARASOTA COUNTY, THE CITY COMMISSIONS OF THE CITIES OF NORTH PORT AND SARASOTA, THE TOWN COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF LONGBOAT KEY, AND THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VENICE OF JANUARY 16, 2015 PRESENT: Sarasota Board of County Commissioners: Chair Carolyn Mason, Vice Chair Alan Maio, Commissioners Paul Caragiulo, Charles Hines and Christine Robinson, County Administrator Thomas Harmon, and Deputy Clerk Charlie Maloney School Board of Sarasota County: Chair Frank Kovach, Vice Chair Shirley Brown, Members Jane Goodwin, Bridget Ziegler, and Caroline Zucker, Superintendent Lori White, and School Board Attorney Art Hardy Longboat Key Town Commission: Mayor Jim Brown, Vice Mayor Jack Duncan, Commissioners Terry Larson, Lynn Larson, Irwin Pastor, Phill Younger, and Patricia Zunz, Town Manager David Bullock; and Town Clerk Trish Granger North Port City Commission: Mayor Rhonda DiFranco, Vice Mayor Jacqueline Moore, Commissioners Cheryl Cook, Tom Jones, and Linda Yates, City Manager Jonathan Lewis, and Deputy City Clerk Jennifer Malone Sarasota City Commission: Mayor Willie Charles Shaw, Vice Mayor Susan Chapman, Commissioners Suzanne Atwell, and Eileen Normile, City Manager Thomas Barwin, Deputy City Attorney Michael Connolly, and Deputy City Auditor and Clerk Karen McGowan Venice City Council: Mayor John Holic, Vice Mayor Jeanette Gates, Council Members Deborah Anderson, Jim Bennett, Bob Daniels, Emilio Carlesimo, and Kit McKeon, City Manager Edward Lavallee; and City Clerk Lori Stelzer ABSENT: School Board of Sarasota County: Member Caroline Zucker Longboat Key Town Commission: Commissioners Terry Gans North Port City Commission: None Sarasota City Commission: Commissioner Stan Zimmerman and City Auditor and Clerk Nadalini Venice City Counci!: None 1. WELCOWENTRODUCTONS (AGENDA ITEM I) Frank Kovach, Chair, School Board of Sarasota County, called the meeting to order at the Suncoast Technical College (STC) at 9:00 a.m. and welcomed the attendees. Attendees introduced themselves. 2. ÇONVOCATION GOALS AND AGENDA (AGENDA ITEM II) Mr. Kovach reviewed the Agenda for the meeting which includes: Update on STC and Joint-Use Public Library Project Update on the Sarasota County Manufacturing Community-Wide Plan Other business from participating municipalities Items submitted by the Cities of North Port and Venice, Florida 3. UPDATE ON SUNCOAST TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND JOINT-USE PUBLIC LIBRARY PROJECT (AGENDA ITEM 1.1.) Scott Lempe, Deputy Superintendent, Sarasota County Schools, and Sarabeth Kalajian, General Manager, Sarasota County Library System, came before the Commissions and Councils. Mr. Lempe stated that one year ago, attendees at the Convocation of Governments discussed a joint-use public library in the City of North Port, Florida; that an update will be provided; that a preferred site in North Port, Florida has been identified. Ms. Kalajian stated that plans are progressing well; that a panel was convened to identify a site; that the recommended site is very appealing. Mr. Lempe stated that Sarasota County Schools is ready to hire an architect to design the facility; that the hope is to have a final contract in early February 2015; that initial impressions were considered important as was safety and security; and displayed on the screen aerial views of the preferred site on North Toledo Blade Boulevard and graphics of the environmental concepts being considered. Mr. Lempe stated that the design is intended as a brand for the STC. Ms. Kalajian stated that several benefits are derived from the planned design: Hard Savings - Site Development: Reduced Duplication - Design/Construction: Shared Space Soft Costs: Shared by the Parties Program Benefits Working together for positive community outcomes STC students have access to a library Second public library to serve North Port New opportunities to meet education goals Ms. Kalajian stated that the North Port citizenry has been involved at Community Forums; that citizens' ideas are incorporated. Mr. Lempe stated that a Community Forum was held at Toledo Blade Elementary School and one is scheduled for February 19. 2015, to solicit citizens' feedback; that the Operational Concept is: The School Board of Sarasota County will - Handle Maintenance, Custodial, and Utilities Bill the County on an annual basis for a proportional share" Staff the student bookstore Sarasota County will - Manage daily library service Develop digital and print/media collections Conduct Lifelong Learning programs Mr. Lempe displayed on the screen a timeline for the development of the proposed site; that construction should begin January 2016; that the next steps are: Purchase the property Complete the process to solicit a Design Team Book 63 Page 34895 01/16/15 9:15 A.M. Book 63 Page 34896 01/16/15 9:15 A.M. Engage in a Community Dialog Develop the Interlocal Agreement Discussion ensued concerning the architecture design, meeting space, funding for additional meeting space, funding available for the facility, the cost of approximately $150 per square foot, the possibility of a Culinary Arts program and conference center, consideration of a Health Care facility, the timing for Phase II, the size of the site, the differences between meeting space and a conference center, continued discussions with the North Port City Commission and the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners (BCC), the resources including historical resources which will be available for the library, and a focus on the goals identified to benefit constituents. 4. UPDATE OF THE SARASOTA COUNTY MANUFACTURING COMMUNITY-WIDE PLAN (AGENDA ITEM III.2.) AND 5. CAREER EDGE-SCHOOL TO WORK INITIATIVE (AGENDA ITEM III.3.) Mireya Eavy, Executive Director, Career Edge, Suncoast Technical College (STC), came before the Commissions and Councils; displayed a PowerPoint Presentation on the screen; gave a background of the Community-Wide Career Edge Plan and the Career Edge School-to-Work Program and stated that private and public funding has been utilized for the programs; that the focus is to raise the students' skill sets to prepare them for jobs in the community; that funds continue to be raised; that the School-to-Work initiative is a Regional Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Program; that manufacturing jobs are professional jobs which students can build careers; that the YA Program is: A regional School-to-Work initiative High school students get "real-work" paid learning in an occupational area The programs are one- or two-year programs Combines academic and technical instruction with mentored on-the-job training Available to all youths in participating school districts Ms. Eavy continued stated that employers hire employees expecting that employees can learn, be productive, and provide a return on the training investment; that the combination of on-the-job training as well as relevant classroom instruction boosts employee retention and increases the return on the investment; and displayed on the screen a list of the Core Skills which are addressed in the Regional YA Program. Ms. Eavy stated that aligning the program with current career pathways is important; that the targeted programs are: Architecture and Construction Arts, Audio/Visual Technology Finance Health Services Hospitality and Tourism Information Technology/Computer Science Manufacturing STEM Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Ms. Eavy stated further that an emphasis is also placed on safety and security including: Follow personal safety requirements Maintain a safe work environment Demonstrate a professional role to be used in an emergency Follow security procedures Maintain confidentiality Ms. Eavy further stated that the employers' role is to: Participate in mentor training session Interview and hire YA Program students Provide on-the-job training to YA Program students Pay YA Program students Perform progress reviews Ensure 450 hours of worksite training/work hours Comply with Child Labor Laws Ms. Eavy stated that developing a campus in North Port, Florida has been encouraged for a long time and will be a significant benefit; that classes are being videotaped and made available on the website; that goals have been established for 2015/16; that certifications will be implemented in the program; that social media campaigns are going; that employers are encouraged to validate the value of the Certification Program; that an advisory board is being considered to target parents of students to teach about the careers in manufacturing. Discussion ensued concerning target dates for the implementation of the initiatives, the importance of apprenticeships, Sarasota as a City which is advanced in the Community-Wide Career Edge Plan and the Career Edge School-to-Work Program compared to other cities around the country with similar programs, the partnering of mentoring with internships, the importance of communication skills. 7. CITY OF NORTH PORT: JOINT-USE OPPORTUNITIES AND OFF-SITE IMPROVEMENTS (AGENDA ITEM IV.2.) Jonathan Lewis, City Manager, City of North Port, Florida stated that North Port, Florida would like a reaffirmation of joint-use opportunities where they work such as for recreation, meeting space, etc. Ms. White stated that an excellent relationship is enjoyed with North Port, Florida and the other jurisdictions. Discussion ensued concerning School Lunch Programs and feed-the-hungry school children during the summer. 8. CITY OF VENICE: PUBLIC SAFETY: SCHOOL INTERNSHIPS: SCHOOL PROPERTIES: AND ÇOMPREHENSIVE PLANNING (AGENDA ITEM IV.3.) Mr. Kovach stated that items of interest are sidewaks-to-schools and drainage projects which can sometimes be shared projects. Len Bramble, Assistant City Manager, City of Venice, Florida, came before the Commissions and the Councils and stated that one area of primary interest is public safety which has to do with the School Resource Officers (SRO); that the City of Venice pays 50 percent of the cost; that the School Board is requested to consider covering the full cost of the SRO Program service. Ms. White stated that the SRO is consistent across the State; that the primary funding source is the Safe School funds; that the Sarasota School District received the lowest amount of funding since the inception of the program; that the fund does not meet 50 percent of the cost of SROS in the schools; that General Fund revenue must be utilized; that the SRO Program is very important sO over $300,000 was added to the budget to augment the funding; that 80 percent of the School Districts in the State have a shared funding program; that the priority for the limited funds available is at the middle and high school levels; that assuming 100 percent of the funding would be a significant burden. Book 63 Page 34897 01/16/15 9:15 A.M. Book 63 Page 34898 01/16/15 9:15 A.M. Mr. Bramble stated that collaboration is very important; that school internships are a wonderful opportunity for youth and mentors; that expansion is encouraged; that the City of Venice, Florida is updating the Comprehensive Planning process; that the collaborative effort with the School Board of Sarasota County is encouraged. Discussion ensued regarding students' sitting on City advisory boards which provides exposure to government jobs and is a positive effort, the jurisdictions may be missing an excellent opportunity to have a process to have government obtain more exposure to government jobs, the installation of a traffic arrow at Indian Avenue which was requested last year. Commissioner Gates of the City of Venice, Florida stated that the street lighting on the east side of Bahama Street due to the number of activities in the vicinity and the signage on the new Performing Arts Hall in Venice, Florida is not visible at night and should be adjusted to improve visibility. Dr. Bowden stated that a community picnic will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, January 24, 2015, at the STC in celebration of the renaming of the school. BCC Chair Mason stated that collaborative efforts are demonstrative of the power of working together; that Commissioners and Council Members are requested to take with them the power emanating from the meeting of all the jurisdictions in Sarasota County. 9. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (AGENDA ITEM V) No one signed up to speak. 10. ADJOURN (AGENDA ITEM VI) School Board Chair Kovach stated that the next convocation is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., January 17, 2016, at a site to be determined and adjourned the Convocation of Governments of January 16, 2015, at 11:00 a.m: olale - a WILLIE CHARLES SHAW, MAYOR ATTEST Mah KAREN D. MCGOWAN DEPUTY CITY AUDITOR AND CLERK