MINUTES OF THE STATUTORY SARASOTA CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF APRIL 14, 2006 PRESENT: Mayor Mary Anne Servian, presiding, Vice Mayor Fredd "Glossie" Atkins, Commissioners Danny Bilyeu, Lou Ann R. Palmer, and Ken Shelin, City Attorney Robert M. Fournier, City Manager Michael A. McNees, and City Auditor and Clerk Billy E. Robinson ABSENT: None The meeting was called to order by Mayor Servian in accordance with Article IX, Section 6(a) of the Charter of the City of Sarasota at 12:00 p.m. INVOCATION: City Auditor and Clerk Robinson PRESENTATION OF THE COLORS/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The following members of the Vietnam Brotherhood: Kevin "Oz" Rhanor, Roy "Doc" Johnson, Bob "StoreKeeper" Jensen, Luis "Dancer" Vasquez, Tom "Griz" Swiney, Carol "Honey" Swiney, Robert General" Patton, Bobby "Captain Midnight" Martin, Sherry "Little Star" Kasten Martin, John "Tag-Along" Sims, Scott "Sundown" Collins, Rick "Caveman" Lewis, Whitey, Bert Alderin, Top Harrison, James "Tattoo" Ahille, Glynnis "Button" Button, Rick "Gunny" Bradely, and John "Mailman" Bradley 1. STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS (AGENDA ITEM I) Mayor Servian made the ollowing Mayor's State of the City Address concerning the City's accomplishments of the past year and the challenges of the upcoming year of the tree Charter Officials and all the City Departments: Thanks to the Vietnam Brotherhood Color Guard for posting the colors for us today. It is fitting that the Brotherhood be here with me today as I end my year as Mayor since they started with me a year ago as we brought the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the City marking the 30th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. I have dedicated this past year to our Veterans and to Military Families and I want to thank all of your for your support and most of all for your service to our Country. As prescribed by Section 8 of the City Charter there is a requirement for an annual city report. It is my pleasure to be able to deliver the annual state of the city message for the time period of April 2005 to April 2006. It certainly has been a very busy year for all involved. The City Commission, the Administration, the staff and our residents have worked at break neck speed to keep pace with the issues that face us. The City Auditor and Clerk's Office began closed captioning on Access Sarasota 19 in the Commission Chambers for Commission and Planning Board meetings. This will soon be followed by video streaming so Commission meetings can be viewed on the internet. This will continue to improve our communications with the public and insure accessibility. Our Public Information Officer assisted FEMA in the aftermath of Katrina in a spirit of multi- agency cooperation. Book 58 Page 30116 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. Book 58 Page 30117 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. The Clerk's offiçe can be proud of having received 4 Telly Awards; one Silver Telly for SPD Dive showcasing the rigors of our Police Department's scuba rescue and recovery squad and 3 Bronze Tellys for the Vietnam Traveling Wall which highlighted, in a very sensitive manner, the impact on area veterans and non-veterans alike. A major milestone was met by recruiting and launching the new Youth Advisory Board. A team comprised of the City Attorney, City Clerk and representatives of the Hudson Bayou Neighborhood Association worked together on the Lift Station #7 issues and their conclusion will be brought before the Commission soon with what should be a win/win solution. Challenges facing the Clerks office include hiring a Web Coordinator and implementing a document image system both needed to meet technology changes. Another need will be to keep pace with the applications for development review. The City Attorney's Office was certainly busy this past year. They were significantly involved in the rezoning of 1800 parcels downtown to implement the downtown code and many amendments to the previously adopted code. The City Attorney guided the Commission thru this process and can take pride in the fact that there have been no appeals filed to date. Other items of significance include the resolution of the long standing Opera parking easement, the approval of the Purchase Agreement and Remediation Agreement for the proposed Wal-mart, approval of the Term Sheet for Pineapple Square, and the Agreement of Sale for the Incremental Development Rights with Indian Creek. The City Attorney should be commended for coming in well under budget last year. This office will continue to face increase work loads and the complexities of moving their operation in-house. The City Manager's Office implemented the First Annual Citywide Citizen Survey that will allow us to compare and benchmark our services with other cities throughout the nation. The goal is to deliver outstanding services and provide a high quality of life. The feedback from our citizens allows us to partner with our constituents to provide the services they want. In order to provide a pleasant experience to our visitors coming into City Hall and the employees that work here, the City Manager supervised the remodeling of City Hall and his Assistant implemented the City Hall Art Program. This is a collaboration with the Art Center and benefits local artists and showcases the charitable programs run by the Art Center. In partnership with many organizations the city handled a record number of special events including the first Albritton Sarasota Marathon. Each of these events provides an opportunity to expose our City to visitors and to allow our residents to rediscover their city. The Manager's office has several challenges remaining for the rest of the year including determining the site for the police station, completing the mooring field to clean up our bayfront, implementing the City Hall Volunteer Program, and completing the Continuity of Operation Plan to ensure government operation during a state of emergency. Each of these items will require cooperation, collaboration and partnerships. Our Building Department has demonstrated grace under pressure this past year. The were successful in issuing over 5,000 occupational licenses, served over 16,000 walk-in customers, and issued over 5,600 building permits, conducted over 7,800 inspections with 99% of those being done within 24 hours of requests. The challenge is to insure our processes encourage small business growth by not being too burdensome and at the same time maintain a uniformity of standards. By working cooperatively with the development and the small business community I am certain that the needs of this market will be met. The City's Engineering Department experienced the retirement of Dennis Daughters this past year and Alexandrea Davis-Shaw has ably taken over the role as City Engineer and Department Head. A Downtown Project Manager has been hired to coordinate among the construction projects, update construction staging plans but most importantly to build a team of downtown residents, merchants and developer representatives to minimize conflicts. They also oversaw the completion of the much-awaited Seminole Linear Park that once again demonstrated the cooperation between our neighborhoods and various City Departments. The challenge here is to cope with all the new development and remain sensitive to the needs of the residents and businesses already here. The City Finance Department has a favorable report yet again for this year. Our reserves are a record 23% of expenditures, we have seen a rapid expansion and diversification of both our economic and tax base; we have demonstrated a strong financial performance and a favorable overall debt position. In recognition of these factors, Standard & Poor's Rating Service has raised its rating on the City's General Obligation Debt to AA from AA-. - am pleased to report that we have once again received both the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting and the Award of Distinguished Budget Presentation. Our Finance Dep. Created the Golden Gate Streetscape Special Taxing District after a two-year partnership with that Neighborhood Association. The General Services Department initiated a Purchasing Card Program that will result in over $50K being rebated to the City. General Services oversees Payne & the Municipal Auditorium and close to 100K residents and visitors used those facilities and created revenues for Sarasota. In recognition of our responsibility to the environment, we purchased two hybrid vehicles with more slated in the future and consulted with the remodelers of our $2.5M City Hall renovation to use Energy Star rated products. The Human Resources Department launched the Career Management Program to assist employees with career path decision-making. They also partnered with many stakeholders to implement the new wage and benefit package. The biggest challenge will be to maintain a competitive compensation package to help reduce turnover and to evaluate a living wage for our employees to improve their quality of life. The Information Technology Office lost its Department Head this year however I am pleased to report that a new Department Head will be starting next week. IT has implemented the city's intranet site to improve internal communication and rolled out the Imagine SRQ website to improve communication with our residents. These two tools demonstrate a commitment to Book 58 Page 30118 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. Book 58 Page 30119 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. openness and transparency in government. The challenge will be to keep our technology current in an ever changing IT field and to recruit and retain qualified personnel. Our Neighborhood Partnership Office is working with the Arlington Park Neighborhood after the adoption of the Neighborhood Action Strategy. The Alta Vista Neighborhood is now working on their plan. The NPO has successtully developed the Citizens Academy. The first 23 Citizen Students graduated with enthusiasm and a whole new perspective on City Government. This will become one of our most sought after programs. When we can partner with our residents it helps to remove communication barriers and provide a true understanding of how your government works. The Office of Housing and Community Development played a role in helping to "kick-off" the Newtown Redevelopment plan by funding the redevelopment and beautification of Fredd Glossie Atkins Park. They have helped many people become homeowners and worked in the formation of the Community Housing Trust. This is the culmination of multi-year, mutt-jurisdictional effort to provide a mechanism for meaningtul affordable housing throughout the region. The efforts of this department are constrained by the cutbacks at the State and Federal Level on funding for these much needed programs. The Planning Department has been incredibly busy this year and the preceding several years as well. They have successfully negotiated term sheets for both Pineapple Square and for the proposed Wal-Mart. They worked tirelessly on the Downtown Code and Design Standards. Efforts are under way for a Waylinding program, the redesign of Selby 5 Points Park, a major update to the City's Comprehensive Plan to include the much-anticipated Barrier Island component. They are working on a Concurrency Study for the Newtown Redevelopment area as well as an attainable housing study. This department works very closely with a large group of stakeholders and the demand on their time can be overwhelming. The biggest obstacle facing this group is workload and the need for flexible application rather than strict adherence as we implement the new codes for our downtown. The Sarasota Police Department can take pride in the fact that our Total Index Offenses are down 6%. The Department received a reaccredidation in June by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation. The SPD meet all mandatory and 98% of non-mandatory requirements. This year saw the addition of a Gang Officer, and an Officer to handle homeless and transient issues and a walking patrol in the Rosemary District. These new positions are a result of working in conjunction with area non-profits and neighborhood leaders to fulfill their needs. The Challenge for our force is to remain competitive with other agencies and to handle the growing population of our region. The Public Works Department was responsible for the completion of Shenandoah Park and for securing Commission approval of the funding for Payne Park. The long awaited park construction will begin in early summer. An $8M bond issue will allow Public Works to address their biggest need which is to improve reliability, meet new compliance requirements and improve the lift station system, water treatment plant and wastewater treatment facility. Our Sports Facility Department lost a hero this year with the passing of Ed Smith. His legacy will live on, not just in name on the Stadium, but embodied in the spirit of the City and the hearts of people like Pat Calhoon. This Department can be proud of the record-breaking attendance at the Skateboard Park and the popularity of the Children's Fountain and Playground at Bayfront Park. Also, this department assisted in bringing the Vietnam Traveling Wall to our City for this very touching 4-day event that was attended by thousands of visitors and residents alike. They provided an atmosphere of healing for many veterans. They also helped to develop an environment for regional cooperation in the planning of a North County Recreation Facility and Spring Training Complex. The first hurdle to be overcome will be getting the legislation passed and then securing the needed funding. The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall had a very successful year with earned income of over 90% of budget. Their financial success allowed expansion into new areas. Van Wezel was the home of the first and second Festival Diapente, which was a resounding success as well as negotiating to keep the Perlman Music Program in Sarasota. Both of these events demonstrate success through partnerships. The Van Wezel's challenge is to ensure it can meet the needs for the growing regional population both in terms of programming and physical size of the facility. The City Commission certainly was busy this year. All of the many projects enumerated above had their beginning at this table. The Commission held 24 regular meetings, 18 Special meetings, 3 Statutory meetings, 3 Emergency meetings, 26 Workshops and 9 CRA meetings for a total of 83 meetings. Book 58 Page 30120 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. Book 58 Page 30121 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. This in addition to constituent work, neighborhood meetings, Board assignments, commitments to various non-profits board and the many other functions we attend, The challenges facing the Commission include an increase demand of time, complexities of issues and maintaining a balanced life. A Charter Review may be in order to look at the need for a full time commission, proper compensation, clean up some housekeeping issues, like not having this meeting on Good Friday, and the ever present issue of an elected mayor. As you have heard our accomplishments are many our challenges remain numerous. Some of the major issues facing the City are managing the unprecedented growth, developing solutions for parking and transit to include mass transit and pedestrian safety, working on providing affordable housing, improving the living conditions in some rental properties, assisting in the redevelopment of the public housing and continuing to work on ways to protect our environment. With the continued leadership of the City Commission in partnership with the community, the Charter Officials and the talented City staff, I am confident we will successfully meet those challenges. I want to thank our department heads and staff for your dedication and teamwork this past year to successfully complete sO many projects. Your accomplishments are appreciated by those of us at this table and our residents and visitors alike. All of these accomplishments have a common theme: teamwork, cooperation, partnerships, collaboration and consensus. The City, from the top down, has made a concerted effort this past year to work together as a team, to put our best foot forward and to celebrate our successes while being mindful of area needing improvement. I would like to close by thanking the team at this table. Our Charter Officials for mplementing the policies we set, to my fellow commissioners for your support this year and the Vice Mayor for providing back up to me whenever it was needed. Thanks to the staff in Mr. Robinson's office for insuring our minutes are accurate, our meetings are broadcast professionally and for assisting me in my duties this past year. I especially want to thank the staff in the Commission office for the professional manner that you interact with the public and the support you give the City Commission. A special thank you to Linda McCorkle for your patience and efficiency in keeping me on track this past year. With your help I have been able to meet the challenges as Mayor. (Linda, Diane, Carolyn and Toni please come forward) I want to thank my husband Rob for sharing me with the City and for your understanding when I have been late for dinner, cancelled travel plans and for bringing my Blackberry everywhere with me. Lastly, but most importantly, I want to thank the residents of Sarasota for giving me the opportunity, to have the best year of my life in public office, and for the honor of serving as your Mayor. (FTR 12:30) 2. SELECTION OF MAYOR (AGENDA ITEM H) A motion was made by Commissioner Bilyeu, seconded by Commissioner Palmer, and carried by a 5-0 to select Vice Mayor Atkins as Mayor. (FTR 12:32) Mayor Servian passed the gavel to Mayor Atkins who chaired the balance of the meeting. 3. REMARKS OF NEWLY SELECTED MAYOR (AGENDA ITEM III) Mayor Atkins stated that the City should focus on the following five areas in the upcoming year: 1) Affordable/Atainable Housing, 2) Expansion of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) and Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts, 3) Parks and Recreation, 4) Livable Wages, and 5) Asset-Based Community Development. (FTR 12:45) 4. SELECTION OF VICE MAYOR (AGENDA ITEM IV) A motion was made by Commissioner Palmer, seconded by Commissioner Servian, and carried by a 5-0 vote to select Commissioner Bilyeu as Vice Mayor. (FTR 12:45) 5. REMARKS OF NEWLY SELECTED VICE MAYOR (AGENDA ITEM V) Vice Mayor Bilyeu stated that the leadership former Mayor Servian brought to the Commission table during the past year is appreciated, congratulated Mayor Atkins, and offered to assist Mayor Atkins in continuing to work toward the vision of the City. (FTR 12:50) 6. REMARKS OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS (AGENDA ITEM VI) (FTR 12:56) A. Commissioner Shelin stated that best wishes are offered to Mayor Atkins and Vice Mayor Bilyeu; that providing adequate affordablelattainable housing will be a difficult issue to overcome. B. Commissioner Shelin stated that the public's coming before the Commission is significantly important, not only to complain but also to propose solutions to the issues facing the City. C. Commissioner Palmer stated that all the Commissioners have a genuine concern for the betterment of the City and a great respect for the other Commissioners. D. Commissioner Palmer stated that the assistance of the community in making the difficult decisions facing the City is appreciated. Book 58 Page 30122 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. Book 58 Page 30123 04/14/06 12:00 P.M. 7. ADJOURN (AGENDA ITEM VII) Mayor Atkins adjourned the meeting at 12:57 p.m. FREDE/-GLOSSIE ATKINS, MAYOR - Ai 1 - BIELY EV ROBINSON, CITY AUDITOR AND CLERK a nt