CEDAR KEY CRA MEETS
December 6, 2016
Meeting Specifics:
The Cedar Key Community Redevelopment Agency met on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at 6 pm at the Cedar Key Community Center, not in City Hall, because of Hurricane Hermine’s damage. Present were: Chair Royce Nelson, Vice-Chair Sue Colson, and members Dale Register and Heath Davis. Diana Topping was not in attendance.
Staff in attendance included: CRA Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief and Emergency Operations Manager Robert Robinson, City Clerk Nicole Gill and her staff, Crystal Sharp and Donna Risker.
Among those in the audience were: Michael Craig, Crosby Hunt, Chris Topping, Lis Brasher, Molly Jubitz, Doris Hellerman, John McPherson, Amy Gernhardt, Bobby McCabe, Ron McCabe, Janice McCabe, Jan and Steve Stackhouse, Rachael Weatherington with her six Cedar Key School Future Farmers of America students, Nita and Mac Cox, Sue Wooley, Allison Nelson, Janice Fugate, Michael Hancock, Andrew Gude, Doug Maple, Mike Davis, Esta Johnson, Bob and Jeri Treat, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
The meeting was called to attention by Chair Royce Nelson who introduced Cedar Key School Future Farmers of America sponsor and science teacher Rachael Weatherington. Weatherington immediately turned to meeting over to her six middle school-level FFA students who practiced their performance for an upcoming competition. Their performance will be detailed in a separate Cedar Key News article soon to come.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Vice-Chair Sue Colson drew the audience member’s attention to the article contained in their agenda packets of the Fall 2016 issue of the Tractor Supply Company’s Out Here magazine entitled “Fighting Hunger: FFA Students Grow Bountiful Harvests to Feed the Hungry on Their Tiny Florida Island.” Colson reminded all that, over the years, the CKS FFA groups have grown, nurtured, and donated 9,000 pounds of produce to the Cedar Key Food Pantry.
MINUTES APPROVED
Minutes from the September 9, 2016, CRA meeting were unanimously approved.
CEDAR KEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY SELF-INSURANCE REVIEWED
In the CRA’s September meeting, John McPherson, treasurer of the Cedar Key Historical Society, requested that the Society’s proposal for flood self-insurance be postponed until the Society could better assess the damage done to the property by Hurricane Hermine. This evening, McPherson reported that the damage amounted to approximately $10,000.
With that information in place, McPherson requested CRA approval for the Historical Society to self-insure for floods because of ever-increasing insurance costs. Currently, flood insurance for the Society amounts to some $10,000 annually with a $50,000 deductible. McPherson and the remaining Historical Society Board of Directors, who total twelve, have discussed the issue and unanimously believe that self-insuring is wiser.
Already the Society has set aside $38,000, will mark a separate bank account or flood repair, deposit those dollars, add another $10,ooo next year, and be near the $50,000 it wishes to have on hand should another flood incident occur.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to approve the request.
The reason the CKHS requested CRA approval is that in 2008, the Society received a $550,000 grant from the Cedar Key Community Development Agency to restore its property at 609 Second Street. That grant document, titled “Grant Award Agreement,” between the CRA the CKHS, contains Section 14 which addresses insurance. McPherson’s request meets the stipulations of Section 14, affirmed Cedar Key CRA attorney Norm Fugate.
SUNTRUST BOND
Attorney Fugate reported to the CRA members that two pieces of correspondence from the Office of the Governor, State of Florida, were received and contained the following information.
The October 16, 2016, document is unclear regarding the city’s request for technical assistance.
The November 9, 2016, document states that, “…the CRA is under no obligation to provide official notification…each time the CRA fails to make a debt service payment.”
MEETING ADJOURNED
The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:25 pm.
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