COMMISSION MEETS
January 3, 2017
Meeting Specifics
The Cedar Key City Commission met on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, at approximately 6:12 pm at the Cedar Key Community Center, not City Hall, because of Hurricane Hermine damage. The commission met immediately after the Community Redevelopment Agency adjourned. Present were: Mayor Heath Davis, Vice-Mayor Dale Register, and Commissioners Sue Colson, Royce Nelson, and Diana Topping.
Staff in attendance included: City Attorney Norm Fugate, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin, Fire Chief and Emergency Operations Director Robert Robinson, City Clerk Nicole Gill, and Assistant City Clerk Crystal Sharp.
Among those in the audience were: Mac and Nita Cox, Joan and Mr. Selby, Susan Rosenthal, Ann Morgan, Bill Heckler, B. J. Hogan, Karen and Jim Deckeer, Colin Dale, Esta Johnson, Sue ad Bob Wooley, Maurice aand Jan Hendrix, Donna Thalacker, Beth Mizell John McPherson, Brian Skarupski, Bill Bales, Michael Hancock, Chris Topping, Linda and Steve Morales, Lisa Mitchell, Bev Ringenberg, Mary Ellen Szper, Steve and Mrs. Preismann, Ken and Vanessa Edmonds, Larry Feldman, Doris Hellerman, Fred Brendel, Molly Cowart, Russell Fulmer, Ann O’Steen, Rosie and Rory Cantwell, Bob and Jeri Treat, and Mandy and Frank Offerle.
PUBLIC COMMENT
MOBILITIE CORPORATION PRESENTATION
The Mobilitie Intelligent Infrastructure Corporation’s Chad Cerdill presented his plan to “improve connectivity” for “cell phones and wifi” in Cedar Key by constructing a 120-foot high utility transport pole on the corner of Third and A Streets, in the right of way and in the historic district. No action was taken. The tower will first go before the Historical Review Board for their approval.
COLSON THANKS ALL
Commissioner Sue Colson thanked everyone who made Christmas better for those in need; dollars were collected and donated to the Cedar key Food Pantry and the Children’s Tale.
LEVY COUNTY RESTORE ACT COMMITTEE LETTER
The commission presented a letter to the Levy County RESTORE Act Committee, written under Mayor Davis’s signature, in support of thee Nature Coast Biological Station’s proposal for $300,000 to complete its Aquarium/Education Center and classroom at the Biological Station on First Street. Commissioner Royce Nelson explained to the audience that the endorsement does not impact the City of Cedar Key’s RESTORE Act requests and projects. Commissioners unanimously approved forwarding the letter to the RESTORE committee.
FRDAP 111 CITY GRANT
Cedar Key is considering tits third Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program grant. Mayor Davis expressed his concern that grants ought not overburden the Public Works personnel. Colson responded in agreement saying that monies were in the grant to “hire out” some of the labor that might be involved. Commissioners voted unanimously to have Commissioner Colon spearhead the initiative.
POST OFFICE UNDER EMINENT DOMAIN
The status of the Cedar Key United States Post Office was on the agenda last evening at the Cedar Key City Commission meeting which began at 6:12 pm at the Cedar Key Community Center. Some sixty people were in attendance, anxious for a resolution to the problem of the post office building, owned by Stoney Smith of Hudson Food Stores, Inc., being closed.
Stoney Smith was not in attendance; his general contractor Russell Fulmer was in attendance. All commissioners were in attendance.
Smith did submit two documents to the city titled “Cedar Key Post Ofice” and “Timeline for Events….”
RESOLUTION
After many residents spoke to the issue, Commissioner Sue Colson suggested that the City Commission put in writing the facts that: this evening’s audience and innumerable other area residents have voiced concern about the closed postal building; four months have passed to no avail; the building closure presents serious hardships for infirmed users.
Commissioners voted, 5 to 0, to direct Cedar Key City Attorney Norm Fugate to draft a resolution containing the concerns to be mailed to Cedar Key’s United States House of Representatives representative and two Senators, United States Post Office officials, and a host of other state-and county-level officials.
OPTIONS? EMINENT DOMAIN, FIX AND LIEN
Mayor Heath Davis spoke to the issues of eminent domain and liens as possible ways to manage the building closure concern. Eminent domain has been used in Cedar Key in the past, when Davis was not on the commission. Davis also shared that the city, when faced with this kind of situation in the past, has gone into the building, fixed it, and then placed a lien on the building in the amount expended to repair it.
Attorney Fugate explained that in eminent domain can be invoked only when the “property that is being sought to acquire must be [is] for a public purpose.”
Both options are not desirable as eminent domain makes the city the landlord and costs dollars to purchase the building at a fair market price. The lien option requires the city to put up the dollars to fix the building in hopes of getting its money back, the latter of which has not always happened in the past.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Local general contractor Fulmer explained that he has been ‘unable to find people to fix it [the building],” that if anyone can find people to fix it, “we’ll hire them,” and that “no building gets EPA approval.”
Audience members made comments and suggestions.
- Michael Hancock suggested requesting a double-wide trailer, as the city has just been allocated, to house the post office employees until the post office building is fixed.
- Esta Johnson asked how a landlord could be allowed to treat his tenant so poorly for so long.
- Colin Dale spoke to the good sense behind invoking the eminent domain concept, citing the public purpose.
- Ann O’Steen relayed that the building had asbestos issues long before the hurricane and that she, as a postal employee, and others, were asked to sign papers acknowledging the fact that they knew they worked in a building with issues.
- Commissioner Royce Nelson noted that numerous items on the list to be fixed were not hurricane related.
HURRICANE HERMINE UPDATE
PRIVATE ROAD UPGRADES
Mayor Davis explained that the city has had some requests to have some private roads repaired because of Hurricane Hermine damage. It was discussed that the city does not repair private roads. Commissioners voted to take no action on this item.
CITY HALL STRUCTURE UPDATE
The city’s insurance carrier is nearly finished with its engineering tasks.
LIBRARY UPDATE
The library building is open and the library staff is back on its regular schedule. Floors, uncontaminated, will be finished when the contractor can work this library into his schedule. The estimated date for the floor finishing to be completed is January 27. Shelves remain a “guessing game”: Davis is looking for city dollars; he is further petitioning Levy County for assistance. The upstairs “office,” after is it cleared somewhat, will be partially used by the city.
MINUTES APPROVED
Commissioners unanimously approved minutes from the December 6, 2016, commission meeting.
MEETING ADJOURNED
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:15 pm.
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