Regular City Commission Meeting

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BOOK 55 Page 26307 10/20/03 2:30 P.M.

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SARASOTA CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 20, 2003, AT 2:30 P.M.

PRESENT: Mayor Lou Ann R. Palmer, Vice Mayor Richard F. Martin, Commissioners Fredd "Glossie" Atkins, Danny Bilyeu, and Mary Anne Servian, City Manager Michael A. McNees, City Auditor and Clerk Billy E. Robinson, and City Attorney Richard J. Taylor

ABSENT: None

PRESIDING: Mayor Palmer

The meeting was called to order in accordance with Article III, Section 9(a) of the City of Sarasota Charter at 2:30 p.m.

City Auditor and Clerk Robinson gave the Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

1. CHANGES TO THE ORDERS OF THE DAY CD 2:32 through 2:35

City Auditor and Clerk Robinson presented the following Changes to the Orders of the Day:

A. Remove Item No. XI-A-2, Public Hearing Re: Proposed Ordinance No. 03-4494, amending the Sarasota City Code, Chapter 2, Administration, Article I, in general, Section 2-5, Administrative Approval of Contracts, by the addition thereto of contractual matters which shall be exempt from the Charter requirement of City Commission approval, due to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune inadvertently not advertising the Notice of Public Hearing.

City Auditor and Clerk Robinson stated that the item will be readvertised and placed on the Agenda of the November 3, 2003, Regular Commission meeting.

B. Add under Commission Presentations, Item No. IX-3, Presentation Re: Hands of Heritage Festival events.

Mayor Palmer asked if the Commission had any objections to the Changes to the Orders of the Day. Mayor Palmer stated that hearing no objections, the Changes to the Orders of the Day are approved by unanimous consent.

Mayor Palmer asked if any Commissioner wished to remove any item from Consent Agenda No. 1 or 2; and hearing none, stated that Consent Agenda Nos. 1 and 2 will be heard as submitted.

2. CITIZENS' INPUT CONCERNING CITY TOPICS (AGENDA ITEM I) CD 2:35 through 2:37

The following people came before the Commission:

Patrick Calhoon, Manager, Sports Facilities, and Jeff Maultsby, Manager, Florida Operations, Cincinnati Reds.

Mr. Calhoon stated that Mr. Maultsby came to Sarasota at the beginning of Spring Training in 2003 to fill the position of Florida Manager of Operations for the Cincinnati Reds; that the appointment demonstrates the commitment of the Cincinnati Reds to a long term relationship with the City and will enhance the relationship between the Cincinnati Reds and the City and the County; that Mr. Maultsby has ten years' experience with the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers in St. Lucie and Vero Beach, Florida; that Mr. Maultsby has been actively going out to meet members of the community and will be an excellent asset to the City's relationship with the Cincinnati Reds and baseball in the community.

Mr. Maultsby stated that representing the Cincinnati Reds is an honor and a pleasure; that working with Mr. Calhoon and Staff of the Ed Smith Sports Stadium since February 2003 has been a pleasure; that the Cincinnati Reds look forward to beginning talks and moving forward with a long term agreement between the City and the Cincinnati Reds.

Mr. Calhoon stated that a conference was attended in Las Vegas, Nevada, representing the City in pursuit of the national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) tournament, which was secured for the City for the next three years through July 2006; that the AAU tournament is the most coveted tournament in baseball; that the City competed against Fort Myers, Florida, Chickasha, Oklahoma, Kingston, Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Louisville, Kentucky; that the success in attracting the AAU tournament is the result of the support of the Commission, the volunteers, and the City's partner of the Snappers Baseball Club; that the AAU tournament will have a positive economic impact on the community amounting to approximately $6 million annually.

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3. APPROVAL RE: MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL JOINT CITY AND COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 15, 2003 – APPROVED; THE SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2003 – APPROVED; AND THE REGULAR CITY COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 6, 2003 – APPROVED AS REVISED (AGENDA ITEM II-1, 2, AND 3) CD 2:37 through 2:38

Mayor Palmer asked if the Commission had any changes to the minutes of the September 15, 2003, Special Joint City and Commission meeting?

Mayor Palmer stated that hearing no changes, the minutes of the September 15, 2003, Special Joint City and County Commission meeting are approved by unanimous consent.

Mayor Palmer asked if the Commission had any changes to the minutes of the September 30, 2003, Special Commission meeting?

Mayor Palmer stated that hearing no changes, the minutes of the September 30, 2003, Special City Commission meeting are approved by unanimous consent.

Mayor Palmer asked if the Commission had any changes to the minutes of the October 6, 2003, Regular City Commission meeting?

Vice Mayor Martin stated that the name of one of the appointees to the Human Relations Board under Agenda Item V-1, Board Appointments, should be corrected from Silvia Taylor to Sylvia Taylor.

Vice Mayor Martin referred to the following from Agenda Item IX-B-1, the Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing concerning proposed Resolution No. 03-1634 regarding the Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) transfer facility:

Vice Mayor Martin asked the projected number of additional buses coming into Downtown every hour in the next five years?

Mr. Rees stated that the headways will be reduced from one hour to 30 minutes on the US 41 and Beneva Road routes.

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Vice Mayor Martin stated that the recollection is a response was provided indicating five additional buses per hour will be routed through Downtown in the next five years; that the minutes should be revised to include the response if the recollection is accurate.

Mayor Palmer stated that hearing no other changes, the minutes of the October 6, 2003, Regular City Commission meeting are approved as revised by unanimous consent.

4. BOARD REPORT RE: PLANNING BOARD/LOCAL PLANNING AGENCY'S REGULAR MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2003 – RECEIVED REPORT; APPROVED FOR STAFF TO EVALUATE A SAMPLE OF ALLEYWAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND PROVIDE A REPORT BACK CONCERNING THE CONDITION OF THE ALLEYWAYS (AGENDA ITEM III-1) CD 2:38 through 2:45

Michael Taylor, Deputy Director of Planning, came before the Commission; stated that the Chair of the Planning Board/Local Planning Agency (PBLP) is unable to attend; and presented the following item for the September 4, 2003, Regular PBLP meeting:

- Alleyway Inventory and Evaluation

Mr. Taylor stated that the PBLP discussed the condition of alleyways throughout the City and voted 4 to 1 to recommend the Commission consider funding an item in the fiscal year (FY) 2004/05 budget to inventory alleyways and evaluate alley conditions to determine if improvements or repairs are required; that Staff recommends a sample of alleyways throughout the City be evaluated with a report back to the Commission to provide a better understanding of the condition of the alleyways; that the magnitude of the problem is not currently understood.

Vice Mayor Martin asked the parameters of the perceived problem?