HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-08-2021 WS MinutesCITY COMMISSION MINUTES ' `, °10`g6
MARCH 8, 2021
WORK SESSION
The City Commission of the City of Sanford, Florida, met in Work
Session on Monday, March 8, 2021, at 6:00 PM, in the City Commission Chambers, Is`
Floor, City Hall, 300 North Park Avenue, Sanford, Florida.
Present: Mayor Art Woodruff
Vice Mayor Kerry S. Wiggins, Sr.
Commissioner Sheena Britton
Commissioner Patrick Austin
Commissioner Patty Mahany
City Manager Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr.
City Attorney William L. Colbert
City Clerk Traci Houchin
Deputy City Clerk Cathy LoTempio
Mayor Woodruff called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM
1. Regular Meeting Items — additional information
A. Approval of adoption of the Goldsboro Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
Transformation Plan Amendment. [Commission Memo 21-062.K] (RM 6.K)
Mr. Bonaparte asked Mr. Thomas, Neighborhood and Community
Engagement Director, for an update on the Choice Neighborhood Initiatives (CNI). Mr.
Thomas said when the original transformation plan was approved by the Commission and
sent to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2018, the public safety and
neighborhood engagement program were still not complete. Mr. Thomas introduced
Tamara Johnson, Coordinator of the CNI program. He said Ms. Johnson has been
working with Captain Perkins of the Sanford Police Department and Bill Johnson, the
Consultant that was hired. Ms. Johnson said the group has created an action plan and has
several community meetings to sit with residents and find out their relationship with law
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WORK SESSION
enforcement. She said Cecil Smith, Police Chief has been very helpful and created a work
shop showing the group how to file an official police complaint. The CNI Council have
all been trained on this process and now serve as point of contacts in the community for
anyone that has questions or issues. She said there are so many times when the
community has an issue where they just call Chief Smith to handle the issue. This is not
the steps they need to take. She said the council dropped off surveys to nine different
locations. She said once the surveys were returned, the Council met with Chief Smith and
his team to evaluate the results. Chief Smith's team then provides feedback to the
Council to take back to the residents. Ms. Johnson said the Council is looking forward to
moving forward with the amendment.
Commissioner Britton asked why it is necessary for the Commission to
approve the amendment. She asked what has not been done that still needs to done. Ms.
Johnson said previously the Council would have a conversation and Mr. Johnson would
give them a plan of action, now the Council is executing that plan of action.
Commissioner Britton asked if the crime rate changed since the program has been in
place. Ms. Johnson said the crime rate has decreased. Commissioner Britton asked what
the Council has done to reach out to the community. Ms. Johnson said the information
was shared at the Eastside and Westside Community meetings and the Sanford police
department made cards the public can scan, providing them with information on how to
submit a complaint. Commissioner Britton asked to receive more information on who has
attended, the outcome of the meetings and how the community is notified. She asked the
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WORK SESSION
differences between the two consultants. Ms. Johnson said the community is notified by
posting notices at the Front Porch, handing out information at the Eastside and Westside
meetings and on the website. Mayor Woodruff asked if the members of the Council are
current. He said the by-laws are not clear on the term length of the members. Ms.
Johnson said the Council is currently revising the by-laws.
Mayor Woodruff asked Mr. Thomas what the Commission is being
requested to approve tonight. Mr. Thomas said to approve the item as addendum to the
action plan. After further discussions Mayor Woodruff said the Commission is being
requested to approve the designated plan to work with the Commission and to provide
HUD information on how the Council spend their money.
Chief Smith said the crime rate has decreased in the last five years in
Goldsboro and will provide the Commissioner with a report.
Commissioner Britton asked to be informed of items as they occur.
This is an action item on tonight's agenda.
B. Approval to submit the Community Development Block Grant Program
Substantial Amendment. [Commission Memo 21-062.L] (RM 6.L)
Mr. Thomas said this item is for the Commission to approve the
submission of Amendment #3 of the annual action plan. HUD allocated $367,418
through the CARES Funding Act. He said the funding is proposed to be allocated in the
following way; $150,000 for eviction and foreclosure prevention, $70,452 for public
services activities such as unsheltered homeless, food security programs, childcare,
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training and education, $73,483 for economic development activities supporting job
creation and job retention, and $73,483 for administration and planning.
Commissioner Britton asked what the deadline is for spending the CARES
Act Funding the City previously received. Mr. Thomas said the City has until September
30, 2021. Commissioner Britton asked Mr. Thomas how long it will take to process
information regarding the job creation and job retention. Mr. Thomas said HUD will be
providing an expedited process. He said the City has to advertise the program, solicit for
proposal and have the contracts executed which will take about 60 days. Commissioner
Britton disagreed with the process timeframe. She said she received an email today from
someone who applied for the CDBG Grant that was approved in October and still has not
received their funds. She knows this is a different program but she wants to make sure the
money is being put somewhere that it will be spent, not where the City has to send it to
HUD for approval and then Mr. Thomas having to bring it in front of the Commission for
approval. She asked if the City has spent the first $80,000 that was received. Mr. Thomas
said the City is waiting for the final contract to come back from HUD, but it will be
spent.
Mayor Woodruff asked Commissioner Britton if there is another area she
would like to see the funds be placed instead of the job creation and job retention fund.
She said she would like it to be placed in the evictions, foreclosures and childcare. She
said the City doesn't have time to wait for the job creation and job retention. She said the
City needs to spend this money. Mayor Woodruff asked Mr. Thomas if the funds could
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be changed. Mr. Thomas said a portion of them can. He said you can switch between Job
Creation and Job Retention but cannot put them in Public Services because it is a
different fund category. Mayor Woodruff asked Mr. Thomas if he was confident to get a
program going and completed in time to spend the money for the job creation. Mr.
Thomas said he thinks he can. Mayor Woodruff said he understands what Commissioner
Britton is saying, but he sees the job creation and retention as something that will help
people long term as opposed to one time. He said he recommends the City do that.
Commissioner Britton said she is not confident that this program can be
completed because the City has too much going on now.
This is an action item on tonight's agenda.
C. Approve action to endorse the action and that the City continue to oppose the
Florida Department of Environmental Protections proposed rules.
[Commission Memo 21-070] (RM 8.13)
Bilal Iftikhar, Director of Public Works and Utilities, presented a power
point presentation. He said if this rule the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection passes, the City will not have enough capacity for water for new development.
He said Sanford pulls water from the upper water aquifer and the City does not have the
technology to draw water from the lower aquifer. He said by 2025-2030 the City will be
below the proposed development. Mr. Iftikhar introduced David Gierach from CPH, Inc.
Mr. Gierach said Saint John's River is the fault line for the City. He said Lake Jessup and
Lake Monroe are the discharge areas for the aquifer. The City is looking to place
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additional wells around the airport, but this would be brackish water. He said brackish
water is harder to filter, the City would have to locate some place to dispose of the solids
and will cost the City additional money.
Commissioner Mahany asked if the water pulled from the upper and lower
aquifers require a lot of treatment and where do people get water from that are on a well.
Mr. Giearch said the water is chlorinated and aerated at the Auxiliary Plant. Seminole
County and the City pull water from the upper aquifer and Orlando pulls water from the
lower aquifer.
This is an action item on tonight's agenda
D. Approve the Patrick Noze Art Exhibit as well as the collaboration with the
Historic Preservation Board for the Sanford Preservation Exhibit as part of the
Art in the Chambers project. [Commission Memo 21-062.G] (RM 6.G)
Mayor Woodruff pulled this item to be discussed in the Regular Meeting.
2. Briefing Items
3. City Manager Comments
The Commission agreed to begin the Work Session Meeting earlier.
There being no further business, the meeting vas adjourneq at 7:07 PM.
Attest:
CITY COMMISSION MINUTES
MARCH 8, 2021
WORK SESSION