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08-08-2000 Regular Meeting CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 1 A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Clermont was held Tuesday, August 8, 2000 at Jenkins Auditorium. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Mayor Turville with the following Council Members present: Council Member Biddle, Council Member Mullins and Council Member MacLauchlin. Other City officials present were City Manager Saunders, City Attorney Guthrie, Finance Director Van Zile, Planning Director Brown and Deputy City Clerk Maddox. Council Member Lamb was not present. INVOCATION The Invocation was offered by Council Member Biddle followed by the repeating of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag by all present. MINUTES A motion was made by Council Member MacLauchlin, seconded by Council Member Mullins, and carried unanimously to approve the minutes o_f the regular' Council Meeting held Ju!¥ 25, 2000. CITY MANAGER SAUNDERS' REPORT Workshop City Manager Saunders scheduled a Council Workshop for Monday, August 28, 2000, at 6:00 p.m. at the Police Department Community Room. Mayor Turville confirmed with City Manager Saunders that a letter was sent to the Mayor and Council Members of the City of Groveland indicating our City's objection to them annexing the area east of Max Hooks Road on Highway 50 and the area east of 561-A and suggesting the benefits of joint planning and further requesting that our City's letter be read into the record at their Council Meeting. CITY ATTORNEY GUTHRIE No report. COUNCIL MEMBER BIDDLE Council Member Biddle reminded Council that the Chamber of Commerce and Kings Ridge are co-sponsoring a Hob Nob to meet the State and County Candidates on Tuesday, August 22, 2000 CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 2 at the Kings Ridge Club House and that tickets are available for $5.00. Council Member Biddle stated that he received a letter from Sue Whittle and Lake County has a Lake County Citizen's Academy and he has applications available. Mayor Turville stated that he had attended the Citizen's Academy and it was an excellent program and very informative. Council Member Biddle also thanked City Manager Saunders for having the downtown spruced up for the First Friday event. Mr. Biddle stated he spoke with Dr. John Gay from Troy State University and they are bringing a Master of Public Administration to Lake Sumter Community College and stated he felt this one-year accelerated program was an asset to our community. COUNCIL MEMBER MULLINS No report. COUNCIL MEMBER MACLAUCHLIN No report. MAYOR TURVILLE'S REPORT Mayor Turville stated that a Special Council Meeting was held on August 2, 2000 regarding Ordinance No. 400-M pertaining to the City of Clermont choosing whether or not it wished to be included in the M.S.T.U. for funding of the ambulance service. Mayor Turville stated that the City needed to let the County know whether it was or was not going to participate in the M.S.T.U., which is a not-for-profit program. Mayor Turville stated that if the City of Clermont chose not to participate, the M.S.T.U. would not be possible, as the program requires all cities in the County participate. Mayor Turville stated that Ordinance No. 400-M was adopted as an emergency ordinance, which is good for 60 days, and now we will introduce the ordinance at the next Council meeting with the public hearing at the first Council meeting in September for final adoption. CONSENT AGENDA Mayor Turville read the items listed on the Consent Agenda and asked that if anyone wished any item to be pulled for discussion. CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 3 Item No. 1 Plat Approval Highlander Estates located south of Grand Highway, east of East Avenue Item No. 2 Clermont Main Fire Station Change Order #1 Item No. 3 Hartman & Associates Additional services in the preparation of the Financial Feasibility Report for the issuance of utility system revenue bonds Item No. 4 Underwriter Selection Appointing selection committee for Bond Underwriter Proposals Item No. 5 Florida Freewheelers Request from Florida Freewheelers to stage the 21st annual "Horrible Hundred" bike ride on November 19, 2000 at Waterfront Park and request that the parking fees be waived for the event Item No. 6 Bid Award Cemetery irrigation well pump and station A motion was made by Council Member Biddle, seconded by Council Member Mullins, and carried unanimously to approve Items one through 6 on the Consent Agenda. VISITORS WITH BUSINESS Hunter's Trace Investment, Inc.-Bob Wade Mayor Turville stated that the following issue requires a Quasi-Judicial Hearing be held and that anyone wishing to speak in favor of or in opposition to the request should be sworn in. CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 4 Planning Director Brown stated that the applicant is requesting a variance to allow an existing non-conforming sign to be utilized as an off-site sign. Mr. Brown stated that the sign is the old Drive-in Theater sign, located on Highway 50 between McDonalds and Speedway Gas Station. Mr. Brown stated that the applicant would like to use the sign to advertise the businesses that are located on the property that was previously the Drive-In Theater. Planning Director Brown stated that since the sign does not meet the City's criteria, the minimum lot size or the set-back requirements, and no hardship has been demonstrated by the applicant, Staff recommends denial of the request. City Clerk Van Zile swore in the following: Bob Wade, 1363 West Lakeshore Drive, Clermont, F1 Bob Wade stated that when he purchased the property where the sign is located he was told by the owners it could be used for advertising and it had been used for civic and non- civic advertising in the past. Mr. Wade stated that the theater sign is a historical sign that has been a landmark in Clermont for 50 or 60 years. Mr. Wade stated that the sign size, height and shape will not change, but would be used to advertise and direct the public to those businesses, such as the Holiday Inn Express and others that are located offHighway 50 and 27. Mr. Wade passed out photographs of the sign as well as other signs in the area for comparison and for the Council's review. Mr. Wade stated that at the time he developed the property where the Holiday Inn Express and other businesses are located, he contributed to the improvements at the intersection and where the sign is located is a non-conforming piece of property so there isn't any way to utilize it except for a sign. Mr. Wade reiterated that the sign was going to look better and would just be an information and directional sign. Mayor Turville closed the public hearing. Mayor Turville asked City Manager Saunders whether there were other signs on Highway 50 that were off-site signs and Mr. Saunders stated that he is not familiar with the circumstances of other signs, however the old theater sign became non-conforming when our sign ordinance went into effect and stated this request for a variance should be decided on its own merit, not based on other signs. Council Member Biddle stated that a variance request should show a hardship in order to be considered but he sees both sides and knows that sometimes the hardship is what the City is left with if they don't grant a variance. Mr. Biddle stated that the businesses that are not located on Highway 50 are not entitled to have signage on Highway 50, but he also sees that this is an unattractive sign on a non-conforming piece of property and he is concerned with what will happen to the property if a sign is not allowed. CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page $ City Manager Saunders stated that since the sign is non-conforming the City could require that it be taken down. Mr. Saunders stated the previous owners had committed that they would only use the sign to announce community events. Mayor Turville stated that if this is granted we will have an off-site sign, which is against our sign ordinance. Council Member MacLauchlin stated that she felt that the theater sign was a piece of Clermont history, however she did not feel variances should be granted when there is no hardship. Council Member Mullins stated he hates to see the sign tom down but his problem is it the land is not contiguous and we are not talking about a single business but two or three businesses that will be advertising on the sign. City Manager Saunders suggested that this issue be tabled since the Council Members have mixed feelings regarding the sign and that would give he and Mr. Wade an opportunity to review the matter to see if anything can be done. ,4 motion was made by Council Member Biddle, seconded by Council Member MacLauchlin, and carried unanimously to table the variance request to a time certain at the August 22, 2000 Council meeting. UNFINSIHED BUSINESS Resolution No. l136-Lake-Sumter Community College City Manager Saunders stated that the applicants have requested this be tabled until the August 22, 2000 Council Meeting. A motion was made by Council Member Mullins, seconded by Council Member Biddle, and carried unanimously to table Resolution No. 1136 to a time certain at the August 22, 2000 Council meeting. Ordinance No. 400-M Mayor Turville stated that this ordinance is withdrawn. CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 6 NEW BUSINESS Introduction of Ordinance No. 401-M Mayor Turville read Ordinance No. 401-M by title only. Planning Director Brown stated this ordinance amends our Comprehensive Plan changing the land use of approximately 6.7 acres at the southwest comer of Bloxam Avenue and Hunt Street from UD-4 to UD-3 allowing multifamily development. Mr. Brown stated that currently the land use district does not allow for densities greater than 4 units per acre and applicants would request this change so they can built a town-home project. A motion was made by Council Member Biddle, seconded by Council ~9(9" Member Mullins, and carried unanimously to approve the introduction of "'1 ~ Ordinance 401-M. Introduction of Ordinance No. 402-M Mayor Turville read Ordinance No. 402-M by title only. Mayor Turville stated that this ordinance will rezone property located at the southwest comer of Bloxam Avenue and Hunt Street from R-1 to R-3 Residential. A motion was made by Council Member Biddle, seconded by Council C~ ~)" Member Mullins and carried unanimously to approve the introduction o_f Ordinance 402-M. Bid Award-Waterfront Park Dock City Manager Saunders stated this is the final piece of the Phase 11 of the Waterfront Park project and stated that the City received a grant from the Department of Environmental Protection Recreation Assistance Program and the grant included this dock. Mr. Saunders stated that our grant budget for this part of the overall project was $75,000 and we received a bid from Hodgldn Outdoor Living in the amount of $84,250 and one fi'om U.S. Docks, Inc. for $60,818. Mr. Saunders stated that our engineers reviewed the bid and found it to be in compliance with our contract documents and Staff recommends the bid be.awarded to U.S. Docks, Inc. in the amount of $60,818.00. Mayor Turville reviewed the details of the drawing of the dock and City Manager Saunders explained the elevations of the dock and the design with Mayor Turville and the Council Members. CITY OF CLERMONT MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 8, 2000 Page 7 A motion was made by Council Member Biddle, seconded by Council Member Mullins, and carried unanimously to award the bidfor the ~(~) - Waterfront Park Dock to U.S. Docks, Inc. in the amount of $60,818.00. CITIZENS COMMENTS Mayor Turville invited any citizens to address the Council and none came forward. There being no further business or discussion, the meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. "ft~o~d S. Turville, Jr. Mayor