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121056-Regular Session158 MINUTES' December lO, at 8 M. 19.56 City Commission, Sanford, Florida, The City Commisslm of the City of Sanford, Florida, met in regular session at the City Hall in the City of Sanford, Florida, at 8:00 o'clock P. N. December lC, 1956. ~ Present: Commissioner F. D. Scott, Nayor ~. # David N. Gatchel " Earl Hlg ginbotham " John S. Kr~er, Sr., " A.L. Wilson City Attorney W. C. Hutchison, Jr,, City Clerk H. N. Sayer 01ty Manager W. E. Knowles Ass't Dir. of Finance, H. N. Tamm, Jr., Chief of Police R. G. Williams Meeting called to order by the Chairman. On motion of Commissioner Wilson, seconded by Commissioner Krlder and carried, minutes of ~egular meetings of November 19. and 9_6, and special meetings of November 29 and 30, 1956, approved. The next o~der of business was a Public Hearing to consider closing, vacating and abandoning a certain public street in accordance with the following notice published in the Sanford Herald on November 19, 1956: TO 'MOM IT MAY CONCERN: You will take notice that the City ~Ommission of the City of Sanford, Florida at 8:00 P. M. on the 10th day of December A. D. 1956, at the City Commissioners' Room at the City Hall in the City of Sanford, Florida, will consider and determine whether or not the City will close vacate and abandon any right of the City and the public in and to that certain street hereinaf~ described, to-wit: San Carlos Avenue from its intersection'with Seminole Boulevard on the north, south to its intersection with First Street on the south. Persons interested, may aPpear and be heard at the time and place'ab~ve specified. CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BANFORD, FLORIDA. BY: ~ ~.~ _N.~ _Say_er~._ ........ City Clerk The Chairman then announced that the Commission would be glad to hear from anyone in favor~of., or against closing, vacating and abandoning the street as described in the fore- going not ice. There being no objections registered,~':~Commissioner Wilson moved that the stree~ be closed, vacated and abandoned as advertised, and that the City Attorney prepare the necessary ordinance for adoption,' Seconded by Commissioner Hlgginbotham and carried. The Zoning and Planning Commission next introduced Frederick H. Blair, Jr., Planning Consultant, with recommendation Shat She City consider employing him as a Consultant to make a survey and prepare a comprehensive plan, designed to meet current and future needs of the City. Mr. Blair ~hen submitted the~following letter of recommendaticns, together wi~h proposal ~o act as Consultant for Sanfcrd, which was previously submitted to the Zoning and Planning Commission: Zoning and Planning Commission, Sanford, Florida. Gentlemen: Auburndale, Florida November 3, 1956 These are my recommendations concerning planning for Sanford: MI NUTES City Commission, Sanford, Florida, December 10 at 8 P..M. i9 56 159 ,E~ER~ The primary objective should include more than the acquisition of a comprehensive.plan. The aim should be to establish.the planning pro- ~iess as a continuing part of city government. Sanford is big enough and g~o_wing fas~ enough and has troubles enough so that it should have its own planning staff. After the ground-work is made, one man should be able to handle the Job. Competent and experienced staff ~lanners are in very short supply. If you can.find a seasoned man for $7,500 - $8,000, he should be able to proceed very well without a consultant. But Tallahassee has been look- ing for about a year, and has'nt been able to find one. ,~f you can't find a man llke this, the next best thing is to start with a staff planner not quite r~ady for independent operation, and to employ consultant guidance to direct his work until he is able to handle the Job himself. The Consultant's Job in this case would be to supervise and assist the staff man in the preparation of the basic studies and elements of a comprehensive plan; and to prepare both the man and the material so that the plan will be kept ' current and realistic. Using this approach, Sanford could start quiCkly and would come out with a comprehensive plan plus a planner intimately familiar with why the plan is as it is - and a body of basic data to ~eep current which would indicate when changes should be made in the plan, and what the changes should be. The consultant would work closely with the staff man for the first year, taper off aa the staff planner became more self-sufficient. 4. If you want me to undertake stearing this Job, and if we assume that a staff planner is to be trained for Sanford in the process, I would sug- gest that $10,000 be budgeted for the first year to cover the salary of the staff planner ($5,500 - $6,500), my fee and expenses ($2,500), and money for purchase of a planning l~Ibrary,_Banborn maps, travel of staff planner and contingent, expenses ($1,000) ($2,000). This assumes that office space and equipment, occasional seCretarial service mimeographing, city maps, etc., would not be charged against the planning budget; that the staff planner, employed and paid by the city, would be under the direct supervision of the consu~mnt and would receive Job assignments only thrcA gh him, and that the consultant would spend sufficient time each month in Sanford to give needed supervision and guidance. 5. As a goal for the first year it is anticipated that under the circum- stances described above (consultant plus staff planner) the basic studies will be developed and in shape for routine current maintenance, the compre- hensive plan will be prepared, and recommendations for an amended zoning ordinance, tailored to fit the needs of Sanford, will be completed. 6. On financial arrangements, I would prefer to have the staff planner paid by the city and that the expenditures of the planning office be handled through the city. On the item for consultant fees and expenses, I would want a retainer of $500, with the remaining $2,000 divided into 12 monthly payments on a one-year contract. I would prefer that the contract be so drawn that the city might discharge me on 30 days notice without penalty to the city, retaining any monthly payments for which services had not rendered. DETAILS ON OBJECTIVES AND PROCEDURES - FIP~T.YEAR The planning .process breaks down logically into three stages. There are the basic studies, fora nalyzing the city and what is happening to it. There is the plan-making stage, in which a variety of individual plans for various elements of the physical and economic development of the City are dovetailed into a comprehensive plan designed to meet the fieed~,:~dlaclosed by the basic studies. And after the comprehensive plan shapes up, planning controls need to~.bed ~designed to guide action in the direction in which the plan indicates it should go. The basic studies which should underlie all planning fall into three groups: 1. Population 2. The ~onomic base 3. Land characteristics and use At this stage, the basic studies for sanford can be outlined only in a pre- llminary way, No set formula fits every city. As the work proceeds, it will become apparent that more detail is needed here, less there, or that circum- stances arising from Sanford's unique character require specialized information which was no~ anticipated at all at the outset. The purpose, of the basic studies is to organize material to guide planning. It' is necessary to know what Sanford is, what it has been, and what it apoears to be becoming before planning for its future. So it will be important to set up the charts and graphs and maps and tables which make up the basic studies before starting to draw up the comprehensive plan. It will be even more important to set them up in such a way that they can be 160 MINUTES City Commission, Sanford, Florida, December .lO. at 8 P. 10Io 19 56 planner can see into the future une~ringly. He Judges the future by the pre- sent and the past. As the present moves forward info.time, the fallibility of human foresight becomes apparent. The plan should be moved forward too, to take advantage of new knowledge. P~op~ulation studies - These .should organize information on the number and kind of people who make up Sanford - trends in number, characteristics by race, age, educational and economic levels - where they came from and why - mobility within Banford, etc.~ This material indicates what kind of people. you are planning for and how.many there are and are likely to be. Figures:~for the entire Sanford area are too general to be of much direct value for planning purposes, so it will also be necessary to develop this information on sub-areas within Sanford - to find out where growth is slow. or fast, where the boundaries of economic neighborhoods lie, what kind of people are moving into or out of what areas. EOO~omi6 ~se - This group of studies would determine what supports the popUlation of Sanford, at what economic levels, and which way t hinge are headed. It would also indicate action needed if unfavorable trends are to be stopped. All of the basic studies would have to include areas outside the city limits of Sanford, and the Improtance of um~rstanding what is happening beyond~the city line is particularly.vital in the economic base study. Among other things, the base study would delineate Banford's area of in- fluence in whoesale, retail and service trades: the employement pattern (which in Banford is quite different from that of most Florida cities); the Job-location pattern, and a number of other items. One of the things which is clearly apparent about Banford, even from superficial scanning of the material available, is that it lent a typical city or an average city. Its differences are clearly related to its ec- onomic characteristics, and I suspect that as we get into the Job the economic base studies will ~ve to be done with particular care, and that economic analysis will not stop with the standard list of charts and statis- tics. .. ~_~nd Use and Land ~C~racteristics - This study would cover the present situation and trends leading to it on use of land resources in and around Sanford. It would also bring together i~ ormation on characteristics of land likely to affect its use - topography, drainage a nd other physical characteristics and also ownership and value where these appear to be pertinent to future land use. Together with the materials on population and the economic base, the land use Study would be the basis for esti- mating future needs for lands in various categories. The land use romp series would include a master map showing present use of all lands in Banford and the area around it for the following general categories (with appropriate breakdowns): Residential, commercial, in- dustrial, public and quasi-public, agricultural, and vacant. The master land use map would be set up so that it could be kept current as an in- ventory of the existing situation. It would.be backed up with a series of individual maps on important details, which would also be kept current. For example, there would be a residential land use map showing time of development and recent trends, In Banford, there should probably to special attention to residences in multiple-family use or adapted to multiple-family use. There should be a map showing recent residential construction by value of dwellings, to de£ine areas by quality. And there would be similar series for commercial, industrial, and other catagori es. In summary, the basic studies for Banford should~..include all of the normal items in the usual.detail, but should not stop there. It is obvious that there are fields which will require specialized investigation. At this preliminary stage, it is too early to attempt to define these other studies with any d ogres of assurance. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN With information well in hand on the current situation and trends in popu- lation, the economic base, and land use, it will be possible to.proceed to draw up a realistic comprehensive plan designed to meet current:needs and such future needs as can be foreseen. The comprehensive plan is actually a whole series of dovetailed individual plans. Taken as.a group, these plans should represent the best expression of knowledge, foresight and common sense it ls possible to put together. Local participation - If this kind of plan is 'to do Sanford any ~ood~ it should' bd'developed with a maximum amount of local participation.This is necessary partly because local people know more about the intangible social, political and economic forces at work in Sanford than any outsider can pos- sibly know, and partly because if local people are involved in the plan- ning process the plan becomes their plan and something more than planning is likely to come of it. MINUTES- City Commission, Sanford, Florida, December 10 ,at 8 P. 14. 19 .57 The f,~nCtion;"of.'th~e.-.sta~f(.planhe~ (and-thee, conSultant.,. If:'ene is employed) is to bring together and organize the information, to draft the maps and charts and reports, to suggest methods which have worked well elsewhere - in short, to furnls~ technical assistance. They are technicians - the local people are the decision-makers and executives. Technicians can produce only plans. The local people must produce the action. The only real measure of the success of planning is the amount of action it induces, guides, or prevents. If you want plans only, the most painless way to get them is to buy a package plan produced entirely by technicians, but if you want assurance of action, the best way to get it is by public participa- tion in the planning - from beginning. Contents of~ the comprehensive plan - The over-all plan will be a series of related sub-plans. These should include a plan for traffic, transportation and parking (including a major street plan and consideration of the railroad problem and potentials): a plan for public and quasi-public buildings; a plan for parks, playgrounds and recreational areas (including the ~ater front); plans for public utilities and services; plans for an industrial district or districts; plans for urban redevelopment, :.~includlng redevelopment of the cen- tral business district; and such other irene as appear necessary. (Parts of some of these plans already exist. Some will have to be worked out in cooperation with local interests involved. It will not be the sole responsibility of the planning staff to develop all of the elements of the plan. But it will be the responsibility of the staff to coordinate the planning of other groups and individuals so that conflicts are minim~zed, and to undertake or stimulate long-range planning in areas where it is now lack lng. ) In combination, such elements of these plans as affect the physical pattern of the city go together to make up the ~omprehenslve land use plan.. (This differs from the land use map, discussed under basic studies, in.that the land use map indicates actual present use, whereas the land use plan indi- cates a balanced design for future use.) PLANNING CONTROLS ~fter there is a comprehensive plan,-it is possible to develop ~realistlc planning controls. Before there is comprehensive planning, such' controls as are developed are likely to be stop-gap devices for keeping the situation from getting worse. They may or may not keep things from getting worse, but they aren't likely to make them any better except by accident. This is be- cause no one has any clear conception of what "better" is until there is a plan. Planning controls include a wide variety of devices for steering things in the direction planning indicates that they should go. Planning controls for Sanford should, be carefully related to the plan for Sanford, and not borrowed indiscriminately ~om someplace else. Among these controls are zoning (to separate incompatible uses, group. those w~ch live well together); subdlvi~2on regulation-(to establish stand- ards for land development and requirements as to public improvements): build- ing codes and sanitary codes (to set minimum standards for construction and sanitation); minimum housing codes (to aid in clearing out old slums, or getting minimum improvements, and to prevent the constructic~ of new slums); the capital improvement program (to establish priorities and timing on public improvements ). After there is planning, the matter of e stablish~ng/planning controls is greatly simplified. Once the city knows where it wants to go, it is much easier to find means to get there. When it is clear what needs guiding, and in what direction, it will be relatively simple to find a way to guide it. This letter has roamed considerably beyond the question asked in ~r. Knowles' note of November 2 - "particular attention should be directed towards tell- ing what the recommended steps would be in the preparation of a city plan for Sanford." 'What I have done here is to ind2cate what Banford might well do to get the kind of planning process established which will assure not only a comprehensive plan but also public u~derstanding and support of the plan as a living and changing influence in Banford's development. I have assumed that what Banford wants is not only a technically sound plan, but also plan- ned action. If the Planning Commission has further questions, I would be very happy to answer them if I can. I enJoye~ ~alkX~ng to you the other~ evening, and hope we will see more of each other in the future. Sincerely, Fred Blair, Jr., Consultant Consideration was then given to the first step of employing a full time staff planner to work under the supervision of the Planning Consultant, as recommended by Mr. Blair, and MINUTES City Commission, Sanford, Florida, December 10 at 8 P. M. 19 56 school should be employed instead of an experienced planner, who could be trained in the field of planning and also qualified to do engineering work for the City. Thereupon Commissioner Higglnbotham moved that the City institute the planning program, and that the City Manager and Mr. Blair be authorized to investigate the pcs Slbillty of employing the necessary personnel to fill the position of staff planner, subject to the approval of the Commission. Seconded by Commissimer Gatchel and carried. Petition next submitted from the local water heater dealers requesting the City to consider the possibilities of adding, lime or other ingredients in the municipal water system to neutralize the acidity which is causing rust and rapid failure of such heaters throughout the city. After discussion of the estimated cost of $2,200.00 for installing the necessary equipment for adding lime to the water, plus the annual expense of approximately $1,500.00 the City Manager was directed to contact the University of Florida for recommendations on correcting this water problem. Application next submitted from Tommie Lee Herring for permit to sell beer and wire s at llll W 9th Bt., and on recommendation of the Chief of Police, Commissioner Krider moved that same be denied. Beconded by Commissioner Gatchel and carried. On motion of Commissioner Higginb°tham, seconded by Commissioner Wilson and carried, the Commission next appointed M. R. Strlckland as a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment to fill the vacancy created by resignation of J. B. RoXton. Ordinance No. 599, entitled: AN 0RDINAN(E OF THE CITY OF SANFORD, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 23-22 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF BANFORD, FLORIDA,' 1954, SAID SECTION PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY AND ASSEBBMENT AND COLLECTION OF A~UADNIBBION TAX TO THE SANFfRD MUNICIPAL ATHLETIC FIELD, AND ESTABL'IBHING THE AMOUNT OF BAID TAX, SAID AMENDMENT EXEMPTING FROM THE LEVY AND EFFECT OF SAID TAX EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AKrD NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. introduced and placed on first reading at regular meeting of November 26, 1956, was next placed on its second reading. The roll was then called on the final passage and adoption of said Ordinance No. 599, the vote being as follows: Commies ion er Scott Nays " Gat che 1 Ye a " Higginbotham Yea. " Krid er Yea # Wilson Yea Thereupon the Chairman announced that the City Commission of the City of Sanford, Florida, had passed and adopted said Ordinance No. 599, entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANFORD, FLORIDA, AMENDING SECTION 23-22 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF BANFORD, FLORIDA 1954, SAID' SECTION PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY AND ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION OF AN ADMISSION TAX TO THE SANFORD MUNICIPAL ATHLETIC FIELD, AND ESTABLIBHING THE AMOUNT OF SAID TAX, SAID AMENDMENT EXEMPT- t~G FROM THE LEVI AND EFFECT OF BAID TAX EDUCATIONAL INSTITU- TIONS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONB. Ordinance No. 600, entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF~ SANFORD, FLORIDA, CLOSING VACATING AND ABANDONING THAT CERTAIN PUBLIC UTILITIES EASEMENT~ IN THE CITY OF BANFORD, FLORIDA, AND EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERLY LINE OF LOT 2 TO THE EASTERLY LINE OF LOT 1, AND LYING'5 FEET SOUTH AND ? FEET NORTH OF THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF SAID LOTS I AND 2, ALL OF GROVE MANORS, SANFORD, FLORIDA, ACCORDING TO PLAT BOOK lC, PAGES 31 AND 32, SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBLIC BECORDB introduced and~ placed on first reading at regular meeting of November 26, 1956, was next MINUTES City Commission, Sanford, Florida, December 10,. at 8 P.M. 163 Commissi oner Scott Yea " Gat chel Yea " Higginbot ham Yea # Krider Yea " Wilson Yea Thereupon the Chairman announced that the City Commission of the City of Sanford, Florida, by unanimous vote had passed and adopted said Ordinance No. 600, entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF%~THE 0ITY OF SANFORD, FLORIDA CLOSIng, VACATING AND ABANDONING THAT CERTAIN PUBLIC UTILITIES EASEMENT IN THE CITY OF SANFORD, FLORIDA AND EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERLY LINE OF LOT 2 TO THE EASTERLY LINE OF LOT l, AND LYING 5 FEET SOUTH AND 7 FEET NORTH OF THE SOUTHERLY LINE OF SAID LOTS I AND 2, ALL OF GROVE MANORS, SANFORD, FLORIDA, ACCORDING TO PLAT BOOK 10, PAGES 31 AND 32, SEMINOLE COUNTY PUBLIC RECORDS. Commissioner Gatchel next introduced Ordinance No. 602, entitled: AN CRDINANCE OF THE .0ITY OF SANFORD, FLOP~DA, CLOSING, VACATING AND ABANDONING THAT CERTAIN EAST-WEST ALLEY IN THE CITY OF SANFORD, FLORIDA, RUNNING EAST FROM FRENCH AVENUE TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH THE NORTH-SOUTH ALLEY BETWEEN HICKORY AVENUE AND LOCUST AVENUE, AND BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY TENTH STREET AND ON THE SOUTH BY ELEVENTH STREET. Commissioner ~atchel then moved the waiver of the requirement of the second reading of said Ordinance No. 602, and that same be pis ced on its final passage and adoption. Seconded by Commissioner Higginbotham. Thereupon the question recurred upon the waiver of the second reading, the roll was called and the vote stands as follows: Commiss ~ner Scott Yea " Gatchel Yea " Higginbotham Yea " Kr~ er Yea " Wilson Yea Said Ordinance No. 602 was then placed on its final passage and adoption, the roll was called and the vote stands as follows: Commissioner Scott Yea " Gatchel Yea " Higglnbotham Yea " Krider Yea " Wilson Yea Thereupon the Chairman announced that the City Commission of the City of Sanford, Florida, by unanimous vote had passed and adopted said Ordinance No. 602, entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY 6F SANFORD, FLORIDA, CLOSING, VACATING ARB ABANDONING THAT CERTAIN EAST-WEST ALLEY IN THE CITY OF SAN- FORD, FLORIDA, RUNNING EAST FRC~ FRENCH AVENUE TO ITS INTERSEC- TION WITH THE NORTH-SOUTH ALLEY BETWEEN HICKORY AVENUE AND LOCUST AVENUE, AND BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY TENTH STREET AND ON THE SOUTH BY ELEVENTH STREET. The City Manager next submitted bill of Stlne Machine Company in sum of .$1,124.89 including $720.25 for labor, in connection with converting the Reo 7~-ton truck into a wrecker, which was recently purchased, by the City under the Capital Improvement Program. He advised that he and the Department Heads had protested this bill because they felt the labor ~harge was excessive for the work involved. After discussion the City Manager was instructed to obtain estimates on the work from other machine shops for comparison. Final bill of Robert M. Angas & Associates, adjusted to $10,108.39, covering balance due for engineering services in connection with improvements to water and sewer system, as per contract, next submitted for payment. This bill having been rendered at $11,752.70 and ad- Jmted to $10,108.39 under compromise settlement, due to commitments made by Mr. Angas that no fees would be charged for certain services included in the bill. Thereupon after discussion and conslderatinn_ and nn rant1 an n~' ~nmm1~et~n~, ~,~, 164 MINUTES City CommiSsion, Sanford, Florida, December 10, at 8 P. I,I. 19 56 and authorized payment of $10,108.39 to Robert M. Angas & Associates in full settlement of balance due for any and all services in connection with the~ City, upon receipt of all maps and tracings to be fUrnished under their contract, and also a release of said contract. Also, the authorization for!J~ransfer of $5,298.21 from the current sewer extension appropriation to the Construction Fund to apply, toward paying this bill. Application next submitted from C. A. Whiddon, representative of a proposed developmerZ of 566 acres of lard south of the City limits, for the City to extend water and sewer lines to the City limits to serve such development. Developers to deposit the necessary money wilh the City to extend the services from the city limits to their property, to be re~unded to them on a pro-rata basis as each 100 connections are made to the system. The estimated cost of water extension being $30,000.00 and $45,000.00 for sewers. After discussion it was the opinion that the City's sewer system is inadequate to serve this development, and on motion of Commissioner Krider, seconded by Commissioner Gatchel and carried, the Commission agreed to enter into an agreement to~ e×tend only the Water lines. The City Manager next reported that the charges to Odham & Tudor, Inc., developers, for services in installing water and sewer facilities in the subdivisions' of Grove Manors and Rose Court, and street improvements in Plnecrest were almost sufficient to off-set the amount owing them in sum of $17,500.00 for the sewer lift station purchased from ~hem under lease- option cont_ract. On motion of Commissioner Higginbotham, seconded by Commissioner Krider and carried, the City Manager was next authorized to advertise for bids on purchase of the follow~ng equipment: 2 automobiles for Police Department with trade-in allowance on two o~ the cars now in service; 1 automobile for Fire Department; 1 steam Jennie for City Shop; and uniforms for firemen and policemen. On motion of Commissioner Gatchel, seconded by Commissioner Higginlxlham and carried, the CommisSion next authorized the transfer of $3,650.00 from the Contingent Fund to the Parks Department for the purpose of creating an appropriation for construction and maintenance of the spring-training baseball facilities lease to National Exhibition Company. No funds having been appropriated in the budget for this purpose. On motion of Commissioner Krider, seconded by Commissioner Higginbotham and carried, the City Clerk was next authorized to invest $8,000.00 of the funds on hand in the ~nsurance Fund in U. S. Series "K" Government bonds maturing 12 years from date of issue, and also in- vest $18,000.00 of the funds on hand in the Utility Meter Deposit account in such bonds. There being no further business, and on motion of Commissioner Wilson, secom'd~d by Commissioner Higginbotham and carried, the meeting then adjourned until 8:00 o'clock P. M. December 13, 1956. ATTEST: gm