09-13-2021 CRA SWS MinutesCITY COMMISSION MINUTES
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SEPTEMMER 13, 2021
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
The City Commission of the City of Sanford, Florida, met in Special Joint
Meeting with the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) on Monday, September 13, 2021,
at 4:00 PM, in the City Commission Chambers, Sanford City Hall, 300 North Park Avenue,
Sanford, Florida.
City Commission Present: Mayor Art Woodruff
Vice Mayor Kerry S. Wiggins, Sr.
Commissioner Sheena R. Britton
Commissioner Patrick Austin
Commissioner Patty Mahany (Arrived 4:13 PM)
City Manager Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr.
Assistant City Attorney Lonnie Groot
City Clerk Traci Houchin
Deputy City Clerk Cathy LoTempio
Community Redevelopment Agency Present: Charles Davis, Vice Chairman
Brian Volk (Vice Chairman)
Theo Hollerbach
Joshua Snyder
Absent: Paul Osborne
1. Meeting called to order by Mayor Woodruff at 4:00 PM.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Woodruff at 4:04 PM, at which time
he turned the meeting over to Tom Tomerlin, Economic Development Director. Mr. Tomerlin
announced that the update on the Mayfair Hotel will not be on tonight's agenda as planned. He
said Key Performance Hospitality Management is unable to attend today's meeting. He said
there is an exciting item on the agenda regarding a downtown app for visitors being presented
and introduced Will Henao.
2. Presentation
A. Downtown Parking App — Historic Downtown Sanford
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SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
Mr. Henao from Community Marketing Online, Founder and Marketing Director
of Historic Downtown Sanford Social Marketing Network, Founder and Publisher of the
Sanford Visitors Guide, Owner of the Famous Tiny Houseboat in the Sanford Marina as
an Air BNB, a Founding Member of Golf Cart Rentals and Historic Downtown Tours
and Experiences. He said that the app is not to be considered as a parking app, it is a
destination marketing app for visitors to locate things that they want to do and the places
they would like to go. The app is about 90% complete. One area that they are focusing on
is parking lots. Currently, the names of the parking lots in the City of Sanford are boring
and the group would like to rename parking lots with something fun or easy to remember
such as names of animals that may be found in the St. John's River. He said the group
met with the Sanford Zoo and they are on board with assisting Community Marketing
Online. With the app, visitors can click on the animal and the app will take them to that
parking lot. Businesses can also assign a parking lot close to them on the app and visitors
will see that. Mr. Henao said the reason they are here is to ask the City for financial
assistance in making the signs.
Theo Hollerbach, CRA Board Member, asked Mr. Henao if they will have any
competitors. Mr. Henan said no one is doing this.
Commissioner Britton said that she remembers that when City Hall renamed all
the meeting/conference rooms, people still referred to the room it by its old name.
Charles Davis, CRA Chairman, said he is not disagreeing with the animal names.
However, he suggested that there could be names like waterfront parking.
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SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
Christina Hollerbach, Sanford Main Street, said she had the same discussion with
Mr. Henao regarding naming the parking lots. She said the residents will not understand
it at first, however, the visitors will not know the difference and eventually residents will
recognize the change and use the new names. She said that this is something that is
preliminary, they'd like to get the Commissions feedback and move forward with the
app.
Commissioner Mahany suggested using names that are more business related. Ms.
Hollerbach said that is a good idea, but if the business closes or moves then the name has
to be changed. She said the reason Mr. Henao suggested the Sanford Zoo was so visitors
would hear about the zoo and the visitors who attend the zoo would learn more about
downtown.
Joshua Snyder, CRA. Board Member, said he doesn't mind using animals from the
zoo but suggested using the names of the animals and wildlife that frequent the lake such
as bird names, alligator, otter or manatee.
Mr. Davis reminded everyone that the trolley has an app and in order to avoid
confusion with two apps, it would be great to link the two apps together.
Mr. Tomerlin said he spoke with Bilal Iftikhar, Director of Public Works and
Utilities regarding the signs and he said that the sign shop would be restricted to squares
or rectangles.
Mr. Tomerlin said he placed scrolls with an oblique drawing at the Commissions
seats at the dais, to show them what the City looked like in 1884.
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Mr. Henao said that he is incurring the cost of developing the app. He is just
looking for funding for the signs.
Commissioner Britton said she likes the idea of the app but feels that it is more of
a want than a need. She said the City should continue with the Wayfinding Signs that are
downtown. She said there are so many apps for downtown and things are now getting
cluttered.
Mr. Henao said he received a traffic study from the City that showed there is a
need for better communication with parking options in the City.
Mayor Woodruff asked if the signs could be tagged with the surrounding
businesses, like the zoo logo, or with a QR Code that will give visitors information on
each business. He said the overall should tie in with the current signage downtown.
Ms. Hollerbach said she will put together a list of costs and bring that back to the
Commission for their review and approval.
Commissioner Austin asked about the status of a second trolley. Mr. Davis said
the State of Florida pulled the grant last year because of COVID and the CRA will have to re-
apply.
B. Update: Mayfair Hotel — Key Performance Management
This item was pulled from the agenda.
Mr. Davis asked the Commission for an update on the Catalyst Site. He said the
CRA is coming up on sun setting on September 30, 2026. Mayor Woodruff said the CRA
funds are earmarked for Streetscapes. Mr. Bonaparte said he does not have an update
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from Waterfront Management Partners. Mr. Davis asked for the CRA be able to have
another Joint Work Session when Management Partners provides an update on the
Catalyst Site.
Mr. Snyder provided an update on the Public Art Commission (PAC). He said the
Utility boxes are being prepared to be wrapped, the box has been built for the steeple
entrance on Sanford Avenue and needs to be installed, PAC will be asking the CRA for
funds for an additional stained glass window for the other side of the steeple, and the
CRA will help with assisting in funds for the Seagulls. He said PAC sent out a survey to
the residents regarding public art and will tally up the responses that are received back
within the next 30 days.
Commissioner Mahany said she is not in favor of the location for the Seagulls.
Mr. Davis said the CRA and PAC took a tour of the Foundry on Lake Mary
Boulevard and left with great ideas on how the Committee would be able to utilize local
funds for art displays in the City.
Mr. Snyder said PAC would like the CRA to hire a grant underwriter.
Commissioner Mahany said PAC has a new member that has grant experience.
Commissioner Britton asked Mr. Tomerlin if there is any update regarding the
Mayfair Hotel. Mr. Tomerlin said there is nothing new, other than the group has secured
the Historic Tapestry Flag, under the Hilton Flag.
Mr. Tomerlin provided updates on a few other things going on in the City. He
said San Leon on Sanford Avenue planning a Grand Opening in mid to late October.
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These are the ten units of multi -family, one bedroom apartments on top of retail. Pamela
Lynch, Economic Development Project Manager, said San Leon has not announced the
tenet yet. They are pushing for their Certificate of Occupancy on September 10, 2021. He
said there will also be a Columbia Expo Event this weekend at the Civic Center. He said
Wells Fargo is still on the radar screen. The City is getting quite a bit of interest from the
second to sixth floors for residential, the bottom floor still needs some work. Ms. Lynch
has been speaking with the building owners downtown to see how much of an interest
they have in changing the building's interior.
Commissioner Mahany asked Mr. Tomerlin to explain how that will work for the
Wells Fargo building. Mr. Tomerlin said the first floor of that building is owned by
someone different than floors two through six. He said the building may be sold to one
person or firm as a whole or it may have several owners with a contract for the portion of
the floor they own. Ms. Lynch said each floor has a different Parcel ID. Commissioner
Mahany asked how the residents access the upper floors, will they have to build a new
elevator outside. Mr. Tomerlin said there is an elevator shaft inside the building for a new
elevator, however there will need to be another way the access the other floors. He said
the good news is the City has potential buyers that have done this type of work before.
Commissioner Austin said he has been speaking with Julie Scofield, Historic
Preservation Planner, and a developer regarding the Wells Fargo building and there
would have to me a new elevator build on the outside of the building in order to be up to
code.
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Mr. Tomerlin said the other item he wanted to update the Commission on was the
Capital Room, a high end bar that will be located directly adjacent to the County Public
Works Office Building on 1" Street, opening sometime this fall.
Mr. Tomerlin trying to seek a trail town designation from the Department of
Environmental Protection Office of Greenways and Trails. It is an application process but
would be a nice compliment to promote the completion of our Riverwalk.
Commissioner Britton said the Commission asked for the attendance records of
all City Boards and thanked all the CRA Board Members for their dedication of service
and always being present.
Mr. Davis said he would like to continue to have more Joint Work Sessions.
There being further business, Mayor Woodruff adjourned the meeting at 5:04 PM.