Pet Sitting Bottom
NEW CKPOTTERY 2019
 
MAYOR TO FURTHER EXPLORE
PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
ADMINISTRATOR POSITION
 
April 8, 2015 
 
Meeting Specifics
 
The Cedar Key Commission met in the Cedar Key City Hall on Tuesday, April 7, 2015, at 6:30 pm immediately after the Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency adjourned.  Members in attendance were: Mayor Dale Register, Vice-Mayor Sue Colson, and Commissioners Royce Nelson and Tina Ryan.   Commissioner Nettie Hodges was absent.
 
Staff in attendance included: City Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, and City Clerk Teresa George.  Fire Chief / Building Department Manager Robert Robinson was not in attendance.
 
The audience consisted Jeri Treat, Heath Davis, Scott and Andrea Dennison, Tom Deverin, John McPherson, Leslie Valen, Lou Elliot Jones, Mandy and Frank Offerle.
 
Three candidates wishing to become seated on the CRA and the City Commission were not in attendance:  John Blouse III, Jamie Griffin, and Diana Topping.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS & PUBLIC COMMENT
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR QUANDARY
Shortly after the meeting opened, Mayor Dale Register informed the group that Fire Chief/Building Department Manager Robert Robinson resigned his part-time, temporary Building Department Manager position effective immediately. Register further reminded the group that the person to whom the city recently had offered the full-time Planning and Development Administrator position declined.
 
Commissioner Royce Nelson responded to Register’s announcement saying that in regards to Robinson “picking and choosing which jobs he wants to do, I would like if they quit one job, they quit everything,” that he, Nelson, “would like him to resign from fire chief, also.” His comments were met with audible gasps from the audience.
 
 
Commissioner later Colson spoke for a time about Robert Robinson’s commitment to Cedar Key. (Robinson is Cedar Key’s fire chief as well as the Emergency Management Officer.) She reminded the group that Robinson had the Building Department Manager foisted upon him; he expressly stated not wanting the job but taking it because the city needed someone to perform the duties until they were able to hire a Planning and Development Administrator. Colson said that should she be dying, she certainly hoped it would be Robinson who came to help her, a knowledgeable, experienced nurse herself.
 
WASTE PRO
Waste Pro’s contract with the city is soon to come to term. Register announced that he, Waste Pro’s president and vice-president, and Tom Deverin met earlier in the day in a very “productive” meeting. Audience member Scott Dennison asked if meeting minutes were available; Deverin offered to forward his notes to Dennison.
 
COMMUNITY CENTER PARKING LOT LIGHTING
Resident Andrea Dennison voiced her concern about the lack of lighting at the Cedar Key Community Center parking lot., a concern expressed earlier in the evening by CRA member Sue Colson. Dennison reported having seen people trip. She thanked the commissioner for bringing the issue to light. Register directed City Clerk Teresa George to add the lighting issue to the list of priorities to be researched, cost, before the upcoming budget cycle.
 
KAYAKERS ON BOAT RAMP
Resident Scott Dennison reported seeing kayakers disembark on the newly constructed boat ramp. Because of the slope of the ramp, boaters backing onto the ramp are unable to see anyone or anything at the foot of it. Dennison described the situation as very dangerous and suggested that signage be placed in the area advising kayakers that the place to disembark their kayaks is the beach nearby.
 
FLAG ETIQUETTE
Commissioner Royce Nelson reported having spoken to an unnamed “commissioner from another town” during the Old Florida Celebration of the Arts who complained to him that the city’s flag etiquette was lacking.   Police Chief Virgil Sandlin will speak with the Public Works Department and remedy the situation.
 
CONSENT AGENDA
ITEMS APPROVED
Commissioners approved the minutes from February 17, March 3, March 11, and March 17, 2015 meetings.
 
They further approved the minutes from the March 3, 2015, Freemon, Bellas, and Drymon interviews and the March 4, 2015, minutes from the Crandley and Bosco interviews.
 
PROPERTY ANNEXATION
Commissioners approved the annexation of the David E. Thomas, Jr. property at 16350 Whiddon Avenue.
 
ADMINISTRATIVE
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATOR
Discussion centered on how to fill the temporary gap as the building permitting process continues. The group considered and resultantly dismissed the recently interviewed applicants not residing in Cedar Key based on various assumptions, among them: that the low salary offer would get them to Florida and then they would leave Cedar Key for another Florida post for more money.
 
Commissioner Colson suggested that current Cedar Key Building Official Walt Brown fill in temporarily. Such an action would require additions to Brown’s current contract. Attorney Fugate was directed to communicate with Brown.
 
Commissioners directed Mayor Register to speak in depth with applicant John McPherson. McPherson, a Cedar Key resident, previously applied for a part-time Planning and Development Administrator position, part time because he excluded the code enforcement responsibility.
 
BUILDING
CKWSD BUILDING PERMIT
Commissioners approved waiving the building permit for a shed to be placed on Cedar Key Water and Sewer District property on Whiddon Avenue.
 
PUBLIC WORKS
RECYCLING AND COMPOSITING?
Resident Tom Deverin reported a 72% capture rate of all waste involved in the recent Old Florida Celebration of the Arts. He furthered that $65,000 and 1,000 tons of recycle material has occurred over a five-year period. Ongoing education, research says, is the key to successful sustainability.
 
Deverin explained that the next logical step for Cedar Key is the establishment of a small off-island waste yard for composting. The compost material would be picked up by Waste Pro and delivered to the yard.   Commissioners unanimously and thankfully approved conducting a feasibility study and cost analysis of establishing a compost facility off island. Resident Tom Deverin offered to do the study and report back to the commission.
 
DOCK STREET BRIDGE
Mayor Register reported that he believes the Florida Department of Transportation is still working hard on Cedar Key’s Dock Street Bridge options. He believes that three options are on the table at present: Alternative One seems the least likely as it necessitates closing Dock Street to automobile traffic. Options Six and Eight, he believes, are more likely; one increases bridge height by one foot six inches and will close the bridge for four months; the other will raise bridge height four feet and will close the bridge for six to nine months.
 
JULY 4 FIREWORKS
Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Leslie Valen reported that the Chamber group deciding upon July 4 fireworks will meet on April 15; she invited commissioners to that meeting. She shared that the Chamber is planning what will be a “big event” in City Park on July 4.
 
The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 pm
Next City Commission meeting will be 21April 2015
 
 
The link below will connect you with the
video of the April 7, 2015 meeting
CEDAR KEY COMMISSION
 Video provided by the
Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce
 
 
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