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03-26-96 v a CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH Special Called Meeting - March 26, 1996 AGENDA 1. Authorize the purchase of benches, trash receptacles, and recycling bins for Howell Park in accordance with the specifications of Bid No. 9596-8, as follows: (1) 30 benches from Plastic Recycling at the bid price of$5,730.00 (2) 29 32-gallon trash receptacles from Suburban Waste at the bid price of$4,118.00 (3) 1,479 recycling bins from Rehig Pacific, Inc. At the bid price of$6,661.65 2. Authorize contract with Creative Environs, Inc., to furnish and install a double faced reader board sign on Seminole Road at City Hall at a cost of$2,063.00 3. Approve the Management Plan for Tresca Park and authorize staff to forward same to the Florida Communities Trust 4. Adoption of Resolution No. 96-14: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT BASIC REPAIRS AND UPGRADES TO JACK RUSSELL PARK, LIMITING SUCH EXPENDITURES TO $100,000.00 5. Adoption of Resolution No. 96-15: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, ENDORSING THE ADOPTION AND SUBMISSION OF THE CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AND THE FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST FOR THE ACQUISITION OF DUTTON ISLAND AS A COUNTY PARK; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, AUTHORIZING STAFF TO NEGOTIATE THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION OF ATLANTIC BEACH 6. Discussion and related action on the proposed Atlantic Boulevard Beautification project 7. Authorize execution of Interlocal Agreement among the City of Atlantic Beach, City of Neptune Beach, City of Jacksonville and Town Center Agency, Inc. and approve funding for the Town Center Project in the amount of$25,000.00 form the 1996/97 FY budget 8. Mayor Fletcher with report relative to plans for parks system Adjournment • , MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF ATLANTIC BEACH CITY COMMISSION HELD IN CITY HALL, 800 SEMINOLE ROAD, AT 7:15 PM ON TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1996 V V O O PRESENT: Lyman T. Fletcher, Mayor T T John Meserve E E Tim Reed D D Steve Rosenbloom, and Suzanne Shaughnessy M S O E AND: James R. Jarboe, City Manager T I C OY Alan C. Jensen, City Attorney NAME OF ON E N Maureen King, City Clerk COMMRS. N D S 0 The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM by Mayor Pro Tem, Steven Rosenbloom. (Mayor Fletcher arrived at 7:20 PM) 1. Authorize the purchase of benches, trash receptacles for Howell Park, and recycling bins in accordance with specifications of Bid No. 9596-8 as follows: (1) 30 benches from Plastic Recycling at the bid price of$5,730.00 (2) 29 32-gallon trash receptacles from Suburban Waste at the bid price of$4,118.00 (3) 1,479 recycling bins from Rehig Pacific, Inc. at the bid price of $6,661.65 MESERVE X X REED X X Motion: Approve all three purchases as recommended by staff ROSENBLOOM X SHAUGHNESSY X ' Dezmond Waters, Chairman of the Recreation Advisory Board confirmed that FLETCHER X the board had discussed this bid at their previous meeting and while they did not recommend that this type of bench be used throughout the parks system, they felt it was appropriate for Howell Park. No further discussion. The motion carried unanimously. 2. Authorize contract with Creative Environs, Inc., to furnish and install a double faced reader board sign on Seminole Road at City Hall at a cost of$2,063.00 Carl Walker, Beautification Coordinator, indicated the Beautification Committee had reviewed the proposal and supported the purchase of the reader board as specified. MESERVE X Motion: Award contract to Creative Environs, Inc. to REED X X furnish and install reader board at a cost of$2,063.00. ROSENBLOOM X X SHAUGHNESSY X FLETCHER X No discussion before the vote. The motion carried on a vote of 4 - 1 with Commissioner Shaughnessy voting nay. Minutes - Page 2 v V March 26, 1996 NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N 8. Mayor Fletcher with report relative to plans for parks system Mayor Fletcher summarized his vision for the Atlantic Beach parks. He indicated the University of Florida students who had studied Atlantic Beach parks had indicated that while each park had its own special characteristics, each had a unique relationship to the entire parks system and he felt the parks should be addressed as a complete system rather than considering each park individually. He highlighted the five main city parks and reviewed their primary uses: Bull Park- children's park; Russell Park- active/sports; Jordan - family; Donner Park- active/sports; and Howell Park- environmental. He felt the city also needed to address the completion of the work at the Adele Grage Community Center, as well as the proposed use of the Tresca property, the Dutton Island property, and the beach accesses. He felt that adequate grant funds could be acquired to make the creation of the Tresca/Dutton Island park system a reality. He felt it would be helpful to have a master plan for each park. Matters the Mayor indicated he would like to see accomplished within the next eighteen months included: Jordan Park - Expand Jordan Park into the public works area Aesthetics - Would like to see uniformity of playground equipment, landscaping and trees, signage, benches, trash cans, etc. throughout the parks system Safety - Review and correct the safety hazards, and keep safety in mind when purchasing equipment Programs - The city needed to decide what programs (if any)to implement Time Line - Consider priorities so work can be accomplished as budget/grant funds become available Maintenance - Funding for maintenance should be included for all new projects/improvements The Mayor noted that the Recreation Advisory Board had recommended creating a community garden. Commissioner Rosenbloom indicated that while he supported the development of the Tresca and Dutton Island properties, he felt the two questions which needed to be considered were the amount of capital outlay involved to fund the Mayor's recommendations and the cost of on-going maintenance of parks and public areas. He felt some of the existing parks were under utilized and it was important to consider the potential utilization of each of the parks and prioritize the projects and do what the city could afford. Minutes - Page 3 March 26, 1996 v V NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N Commissioners Reed and Meserve supported the Mayor's vision for the parks but felt the city had not done a very good job of maintaining the public areas. They agreed that the cost of maintenance was a serious consideration and they did not wish to over-extend the city financially. Commissioner Meserve Felt the city could commit to a concept but before going ahead, they would need to have more specific information on the long term costs. Commissioner Shaughnessy felt that open space added to the quality of life and she was in favor of purchasing additional park land while it was still available. 9. Authorize execution of contract with England-Thims & Miller for engineering services in connection with stormwater, water and paving project from First Street to Saturiba Drive Hugh Mathews, England Thims& Miller (ETM) indicated he had completed his presentation on this project at the commission meeting the previous evening and indicated he would answer any additional questions the commissioners may have. MESERVE X Motion: Approve execution of contract with England-Thims REED X & Miller for engineering services in the First Street to Saturiba ROSENBLOOM X X Drive infrastructure project at a cost not to exceed $747,564.00 SHAUGHNESSY X X FLETCHER X Commissioner Rosenbloom inquired regarding the curbs and gutters which had been discussed the previous evening and Mr. Mathews indicated that ETM would begin with the work in the Amberjack area. At the same time they would collect all the necessary data and develop preliminary engineering plans which would identify those streets which would have curbs and gutters. These preliminary plans would be brought back to the city commission for approval. Commissioner Rosenbloom requested that the commission be informed as the negotiations with the Water Management District proceeded. The City Attorney indicated he had reviewed the contract and pointed out the following provisions of the contract: (I) direct expenses which will be billed to the city as reimbursable costs are included in the total project cost; (ii) contract provides that payments under this contract are to be made in accordance with Florida Prompt Payment Act (iii) limit of liability to ETM is $1 million (iv) "reasonable costs" in Article 9 were not defined and the City Attorney confirmed that these would be"hard" costs (v) Confirmed that details of permitting in Article 9 were those listed on Page 5 of the Scope of Services Minutes - Page 4 v V March 26, 1996 NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N (vi) Contract contains no provision for attorneys' fees in the event of a law suit The question was called and the motion carried unanimously. 3. Approve the Management Plan for Tresca Park and authorize staff to forward same to the Florida Communities Trust MESERVE X X Motion: Approve Management Plan for Tresca Park and REED x authorize staff to forward same to the Florida Communities Trust ROSENBLOOM X as recommended SHAUGHNESSY X X FLETCHER X (The City Attorney left the meeting at this time) George Worley explained the management plan was a required step in the process to obtain the Preservation 2000 grant. He explained the costs listed on page five were preliminary costs and when a design for the park was finalized more specific costs would be determined. He explained proposals had been invited from design firms and the city commission would soon be asked to select a firm to develop a design for the park. Mr. Worley also explained the grant funds would reimburse the city for funds expended to purchase the Tresca property and by authorizing execution of the management plan the city commission was committing to using the grant funds for the construction of park improvements. No specific criteria was imposed upon the city as long as the amenities complied with the intent of the agreement. Commissioner Rosenbloom clarified that funds would not be returned to the citizens to reimburse them for the purchase of the Tresca property and this was confirmed. Commissioner Meserve inquired whether maintenance costs had been estimated and pointed out that maintenance costs needed to be included in future budgets to maintain park improvements. Following further discussion, the question was called and the motion to approve the Management Plan for Tresca Park carried unanimously. 4. Adoption of Resolution No. 96-14: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT BASIC REPAIRS AND UPGRADES TO JACK RUSSELL PARK, LIMITING SUCH EXPENDITURES TO $100,000.00 The Mayor presented in full, in writing, Resolution No. 96-14 and invited comments from the audience regarding the proposed repairs and upgrades for Minutes - Page 5 March 26, 1996 V V NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N Jack Russell Park as specified in the resolution. Ray Coleman of the Atlantic Beach Athletic Association, urged the City Commission to approve the installation of lights on a second baseball field. He pointed out that games are scheduled at 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM, and 8:00 PM and some of the older children had indicated they could no longer play baseball because their parents would not allow them to be out so late on school nights. By installing lights on a second field, games could be played simultaneously and the children could be home at a reasonable time. Alice Richardson and Mike Bryant, members of the Atlantic Beach Athletic Association, also supported the installation of lights on a second baseball field. Dezmond Waters indicated the Recreation Advisory Board also supported the installation of the lights on a second baseball field in Jack Russell Park. MESERVE X Motion: Approve appropriation of funds to install lights on REED X "B" field in Jack Russell Park at a cost not to exceed $35,000 ROSENBLOOM X SHAUGHNESSY X X Commissioner Shaughnessy inquired whether this estimated cost included a FLETCHER X X contingency and was advised a contingency of$5,000 had been included. The Mayor indicated he felt the lights should be installed as soon as possible. However, he felt the city may be able to purchase equipment at lower prices by ordering in greater quantities and he recommended deferring action on the other upgrades until they could be considered in conjunction with improvements in other parks. The City Manager pointed out there were safety issues in Jack Russell Park which needed to be addressed. He indicated that he and the Finance Director had met with Jacksonville Purchasing Director and Atlantic Beach would be able to "Piggy-back" on Jacksonville bids to get the best prices. Following further discussion the question was called and the motion carried on a vote of 4 - 1 with Commissioner Rosenbloom voting nay. MESERVE X Motion: Approve expenditure of$65,000.00 for the rest of the REED X X improvements recommended by the City Manager, Recreation ROSENBLOOM X X Director and Recreation Advisory Board SHAUGHNESSY X FLETCHER X Recreation Director Timmy Johnson indicated the Recreation Advisory Board had considered and prioritized the needs in Jack Russell Park. They had considered the kiddie playground as the highest priority and the baseball field lights as the number two priority. He recommended addressing the safety issues at this time. l Minutes - Page 6 March 26, 1996 v V NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N In further discussion, Commissioner Rosenbloom felt the City Commission should respect the time and effort the Recreation Advisory Board had given to this matter. Substitute Motion: Approve those items listed as safety issues and MESERVE X defer action on the enhancements SHAUGHNESSY X In further discussion, when it was pointed out that all other recommended improvements could be accomplished for $65,000.00 the substitute motion was withdrawn and the question was called on the motion to approve expenditure of $65,000.00 for the improvements recommended by the City Manager and the motion carried on a vote of 4 - 1 with the Mayor voting nay. 5. Adoption of Resolution No. 96-15: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA, ENDORSING THE ADOPTION AND SUBMISSION OF THE CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF JACKSONVILLE, THE CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH AND THE FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST FOR THE ACQUISITION OF DUTTON ISLAND AS A COUNTY PARK; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN ON BEHALF OF THE CITY; AUTHORIZING STAFF TO NEGOTIATE THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION OF ATLANTIC BEACH Mayor Fletcher presented in full, in writing, Resolution No. 96-15 and invited comments from the audience. Dezmond Waters, Chairman of the Recreation Advisory Board, urged the City Commission to support the acquisition of Dutton Island. He felt this was an opportunity to work with Jacksonville to develop a regional park. Tom Dumas noted the city was close to build-out and land would not be available in the future. Mr. Dumas reported the owner was asking $1.1 million and Jacksonville was willing to contribute $575,000.00 to match the grant funds to acquire the island. Jacksonville, however, was anxious to know the extent to which Atlantic Beach was willing to support the venture. Mr. Dumas reported Jacksonville Electric Authority owned land between Dutton Island and Tresca property and it may be possible to acquire grant funds through JEA. Commissioner Rosenbloom inquired regarding ownership of the island and Mr. Dumas explained Jacksonville would own the land. He suggested scheduling a meeting between high level officials of the parties involved to negotiate the responsibilities of each party. Minutes -Page 7 March 26, 1996 V V NAME OF COMMRS. MS Y N The Mayor pointed out Jacksonville Land Trust had adopted a resolution in favor of the acquisition, and he indicated there was support for the project on the Jacksonville City Council. MESERVE X X Motion: Approve adoption of Resolution No. 96-15 REED X ROSNEBLOOM X SHAUGHNESSY X X Following further discussion, the question was called and the motion carried FLETCHER X unanimously. 6. Discussion and related action on the proposed Atlantic Boulevard Beautification report Commissioner Shaughnessy indicated Chief Thompson had expressed concern that the palm trees may be a safety hazard and Kelly Elmore of Greenscape of Jacksonville indicated that Zahedii Date Palms had been selected for this project because the canopy was high and would not obstruct the vision of motorists. He indicated Zahedii Palms were very cold, salt, and wind tolerant. In response to an inquiry regarding whether the Beautification Committee had reviewed the project, Carl Walker reported the Beautification Committee had concerns regarding the cost of the palm trees as well as on-going maintenance. He pointed out that merchants on both sides of Atlantic Boulevard had made donations toward the landscaping which was on-going on Atlantic Boulevard and the Beautification Committee had voiced some concern regarding the future of that landscaping. The City Manager also indicated he had concerns regarding the cost of maintenance. Discussion ensued and it was pointed out that a recent article in the Beaches Leader had indicated that Neptune Beach would not participate in this project. However, it was felt that this was an opportunity for Atlantic Beach,Neptune Beach and Jacksonville to work together and it was felt it would be beneficial to meet with the Neptune Beach City Council, Mayor Delaney and Councilman Dick Brown to discuss the project. MESERVE X Motion: Direct the Mayor to write a letter to Mayor REED X X Kowkabany requesting a special meeting with their City Council ROSENBLOOM X to discuss the Atlantic Boulevard project SHAUGHNESSY X X FLETCHER X No further discussion. The motion carried unanimously. 7. Authorize execution of Interlocal Agreement among the City of Atlantic Beach, City of Neptune Beach, City of Jacksonville and Town Center Agency, Inc. and approve funding for the Town Center Project in the amount of$25,000.00 from the 1996/97 budget