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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.17.2025 - City Council MeetingCity of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 CALL TO ORDER The City Council met in a workshop session on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 'in the Clermont City Council Chambers. Mayor Murry called the workshop to order at 3:00 pm with the following Council Members present: Council Members Howard, Strange, Petersen and Myers. Other City officials present were Interim City Manager Van Wagner, City Attorney Waugh, and City Clerk Howe. AGENDA ITEMS Item No. 1— Meet Us in the Middle Interim City Manager Van Wagner introduced Jeff Powell, Powell Studio Architecture, who has been working on concepts for Meet Us in the Middle. Mr. Powell presented a PowerPoint presentation showing the current conditions of the space and the vision for the project. He spoke about the community forum that was held in 2023 and how the feedback provided was incorporated into the current design. Mr. Powell showed the different spaces that included the main entryway which will include some form of monument, a veteran's space, a first responders' space, amphitheater and a pier/dock. He provided two options for the docks; one is centered and has a sweeping arc that comes out from the existing seawall and meets on a promenade with a covered pavilion and then creates a t shape out to the breakwater. This option provides twenty-six boat slips and eight jet ski slips. The second option utilizes the access at 8a' Street and extends out and off to the East and provides the same number of boat and jet ski slips and eliminates the promenade with a covered pavilion. He informed Council if they chose the second option for the dock then some of the space will be redesigned to make sure all the spaces come together. Mr. Powell requested direction from the Council on the two options so he can continue the design of the project. Council Member Petersen arrived at 3:10pm. The council discussed the difference of the two dock options, the ability to expand each option and handicap accessibility. Mr. Powell stated that once he has direction from Council on the design then he should have the design ready to bid in six to eight months. Interim City manager Van Wagner was asked about a timeframe on the Live Well grant the city received for this project. He stated that he was not aware of the time frame but staff is in constant communication with them. Council Member Petersen spoke about the restroorn facilities and creating this space to point people to the downtown businesses. City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Council Member Howard stated that the second option came about because he requested a smaller dock. The city cannot have docks that are not managed, it would take a full-time employee to manage the docks in option one. He was still not excited about the size of the dock in option two and hoped for it to be smaller. He said he would like to get away from some of the hardscapes in the project, there needs to be shade from trees for people to sit under. Council Member Howard asked Council how people will be pulled from Meet Us in the Middle to the downtown area. If the DeHoya property was purchased by the City and the Art Walk was extended to the waterfront, then centering the docks would make sense. He also spoke about the cost of maintaining the area. The council discussed the project being done in stages, economic tourism and development, viewing areas for the sailing and rowing. Council Member Strange proposed doing an 'Y' within the arc of the dock in the first option to have an 'Y' marks the spot view from above. Mr. Powell stated that the project estimate for the portion of the park is $6 million and an additional $5 million for the docks. He also informed Council that there will be oak trees within the project to provide shade. Discussion ensued on which part of the project to begin with, size of the docks, the cost of the docks and if Parks and Recreation Impact Fees can go towards the docks. City Attorney Waugh explained that Impact Fees must be used on new development so if the city is placing a dock in the same place, the city will have the burden of showing that it is not just a replacement. He stated that the plans provided satisfy him in terms of Impact Fees. The council discussed the DeHoya property and there being an agreement for the Art Walk to be extended. Interim City Manager Van Wagner stated that he has not been able to locate an agreement and will continue to look. Mr. Stringfellow explained that when they did the fundraiser for the original section of the Art Walk there was discussion about making it a requirement for the park dedication for that parcel for whoever developed it. He stated it was in writing, but he has also been unable to find it. The intent was for the Art Walk to be extended all the way to the waterfront. The original intent was for it to be spaced off the DeHoya property so there would be ten feet for the tent space, 18 feet for the walkway and another ten foot of tent space. There was a survey done so that there would be a line of sight all the way from the lake to Montrose Street. Mayor Murry opened public comments. Bob Farrell, VFW, commented this will bring a lot of people from all over the state. 2 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Valerie Schuett, 931 W. Montrose Street — Meet Us in the Middle is more about the trail than docks. Spoke about the economic impact of the Coast -to -Coast trail and creating a line into downtown. Keith Mullins, Drew Avenue — Spoke in favor of option one. The council needs to look at the bigger picture and there needs to be parking. DuWayne Orth, VFW — Excited and honored to be part of the process of Meet Us in the Middle, especially the Veteran's memorial. Bret Jones, 700 Almond Street — Requested Council look at the cost of maintenance and repair and setting aside reserve funds to prepare for the periodic maintenance. He inquired if the city had made a capital outlay recoupment model. Kim Cashmer, Lake Minneola Shores — Expressed concerns about the boat docks withstanding hurricanes. Mayor Murry closed public comments. Discussion ensued on how much of the Parks and Recreation Impact Fees would be allocated to this project along with grant funding that has been secured and can be sought after to pay for the project. Council Member Strange stated that she is in favor of doing the arch part of the pier or replacing the original one, but she will not support $5 million on a pier. Mayor Murry said that the existing pier needs to be torn down and if we rebuild the pier, those funds will come from the general fund. Mr. Powell explained that to get a design to work they must design the whole park. The project can be phased into a budget if they know what the budget is. The council's consensus was to move forward with getting the cost for option one without the breakwater. Mr. Powell stated he will work with Interim City Manager Van Wagner's office and put together a cost estimate. Item No. 2 — Parking Garage Development Services Director Henschel informed the Council of four larger parking lots within the downtown that the city currently controls: the one by Salt Shack, the DeHoya property, the lot on 7a' Street and Minneola Avenue, and the Church parking lot on Desoto Street. The city currently owns two properties and leases the Church and DeHoya properties. The city does have some smaller lots within the downtown area and the lot at City Hall. 3 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 There are some restrictions on the church lot when there are bigger events in the city which has prompted this discussion. There may be concerns with how long the city will have a lease for that lot. There were three ideas for properties to place a parking garage. The DeHoyas property, which is almost a complete square except for one part which is another owner, and 2.4 acres in total. The lot downtown on 7th Street and Minneola Avenue, which is approximately 0.8 acres and last the Post Office property, which is approximately 0.9 acres. Council Member Howard stated that previous parking studies did not account losing parking spaces at 7`h Street and Minneola Avenue and the redevelopment of multiple properties downtown. From a planning standpoint now is the time to build a parking garage. He provided some details regarding the parking lot at 7t' Street and Minneola Avenue including building a fly -over Mr. Stringfellow's property to add more space to higher floors and it could be turned into a parking garage. He stated that staff were able to meet with FrinFrock, a construction company, to find out the best way to ask for the design of a parking garage and how the city could set it up to get the best prices. Council Member Howard spoke about the possibility of purchasing the DeHoya property and continuing the Art Walk to the lakefront and placing a parking garage but is not in favor of that option. He talked about the Post Office property, he would like the Post Office to stay downtown, and the possibility to build a parking garage on top of the building. Building a parking garage on either property would provide the benefit of shutting down all the brick streets to pedestrians only for events and people could park at either end. It would create a social opportunity for residents. Council Member Howard provided details on what it would take to build a parking garage at 7th Street and Minneola Avenue which included moving utilities and bringing in trash compactors. Discussion ensued about the different locations and the spaces to get from each location and if there is a need for a parking garage. Mayor Murry stated that he would like to see mixed use with a parking garage on the DeHoya property. Mr. Van Wagner informed the Council that the church is requesting funds to assist with repairing the parking lot the city leases. During events, the church is asking for paid donations, even though the city is leasing the property there is a clause in their lease that they can use the property at their discretion. He stated that once he receives an amount from the church, he will return to Council for direction. Council Member Strange suggested engaging a professional design firm to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the downtown area. 2 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Their scope would include identifying a location for a parking garage, ensuring alignment with applicable codes, and providing an analysis of the potential economic impacts based on their findings. Council Member Howard stated that staff met with Frinfrock to gain knowledge from one of the biggest parking garage builders on how to maximize our dollars when designing and building a parking garage. Council Member Myers stated that Council needs to decide the location of a garage and move forward with the project. Discussion ensued on moving forward with the project. All the potential properties were discussed and the pros and cons of each along with potential tax dollars. Council Member Strange stated that she would like to have an RFQ for the Comprehensive Plan that would include where the parking garage should go on the next meeting agenda. The council discussed the Comprehensive Plan and the RFQ that will be used for a Comprehensive Plan overlay in the downtown area. Council Member Howard spoke about purchasing the DeHoya property. If the city purchases the property, then the city becomes a developer. He voiced his concern and stated that he would be in favor of purchasing the property to ensure we have the land to extend the art walk. Council Member Petersen suggested getting the cost of placing a parking garage on the 7th street property with the flyover of Mr. Stringfellows property. Council Member Howard stated the estimate for that property would be $30,000 per space at the high end. Being able to flyover Mr. Stringfellows property would add to the overall cost but decrease the price per space. Development Services Director Henschel explained to Council that the longer they can make the parking garage the price per space goes down. The estimate, not including the flyover, is $30,000 on the high end and $27,000 on the lower end. Interim City Manager Van Wagner stated that if the consensus is to move forward with the 7"' street property, staff can do an RFQ and bring the results back to Council. Mayor Murry would like to include post office property as well. Council Member Howard stated he was comfortable moving forward with an RFQ for the 7th street property and requested staff work closely with Mr. Stringfellow regarding the flyover portion. Interim City Manager Van Wagner informed Council that staff will move forward with an RFQ. Mayor Murry opened public comments. Keith Mullins, 640 Drew Avenue — spoke in favor of building a parking garage on the 7th street property. City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Ana Sinclair, 575 W. Minneola Avenue — expressed opposition to building a parking garage, some businesses are not open on Mondays and Tuesdays. In favor of an overlay for the downtown area and allowing property owners to build up. David Colby, 3072 Santa Maria Avenue — spoke in favor of building a parking garage. Jayson Stringfellow, 1455 W. Lakeshore Drive — spoke about the previous process the city went through regarding a parking garage. The 7a' Street property is owned by the city to build a parking garage. Council Member Strange spoke about changing the code to allow for vertical construction and where the funds for the project will come from. Patrick Bianchi, 810 W. Montrose Street — Main Street is in full support of a parking garage at 7a' Street and Minneola Avenue. Spoke about eminent domain, revenue and development in the downtown area. He believes that the parking garage should be 500 spaces and height will vary on location. Council Member Howard stated that the parking garage should not be taller than the tallest building in downtown, which is City Hall. Council Member Strange asked if Council envisions downtown attracting people from outside the area or if it will be a place for the residents within the Community Redevelopment Agency area to live, work and play. She believed that an overlay needs to be done before planning a parking garage. Bret Jones, 700 Almond Street — spoke about the high cost of free parking by Donald Shoup. Suggested a parking mechanism with dynamic pricing. Spoke about a liner building. Interim City Manager Van Wagner informed the Council that a four-story parking garage would have 544 spaces, five stories would have 691 spaces, and a six -story parking garage would have 838 spaces. A six -story parking garage would be approximately 72 feet tall. The consensus from Council was to move forward with an RFQ/P for a parking garage at 7`t' Street and Minneola Avenue. Mayor Murry recessed the meeting at 5:36pm. Mayor Murry reconvened the meeting at 5:45pm. Item No. 3 — Compactors Public Services Assistant Director Maiworm presented a PowerPoint presentation on the potential of compactors in the downtown area. The presentation included the history, potential cost and locations for the compactors. There were 18 potential locations, some locations are on city owned property, the best locations are not city owned. To place compactors on private property, the city would acquire small pads and easements to place them. The cost of acquiring the easements was considered in terms of the overall cost of the project. The estimated cost per site is $82,000 which would include professional services, land acquisition, site work and compactors. 11 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 There are two options for the compactors, the city could purchase compactors and handle servicing them which would include purchasing two collection trucks and hiring an employee. The second option is to lease the compactors and use an existing contractor to service them. Public Services requested direction from the Council on whether to move forward with this project. Mayor Murry inquired about in -ground sanitation systems. Public Services Assistant Director Maiworm stated there are fundamental limitations and can cause drainage issues. Discussion ensued about the cost to businesses, potential locations and trucks being able to access the compactors as well as some of the businesses that do not use city service. Council Member Howard stated that there are downtown property owners that will work with the city on locations for the compactors that may avoid having to acquire property. Mayor Murry and Council Member Strange stated that they prefer the lease option for the compactors. The cost difference and upfront costs were discussed. Council Member Strange requested Public Services prepare the estimated costs for the next five years to discuss at the budget workshops. Mayor Murry opened public comments. Patrick Bianchi, 810 W. Montrose Street — spoke in support of the compactors. Mayor Murry closed public comments. Item No. 7 — Piers Public Services Assistant Director Maiworm stated that all piers in Lake Minneola have been damaged or destroyed. The pier that is next in line to be repaired is the one by the rowing boat house. Staff are optimistic that the city will receive funds from FEMA to assist with the reconstruction. This will be the fourth time docks have had to be rebuilt from hurricane damage. The plan is to build a more robust structure which FEMA is willing to fund. A structural engineer is currently assessing the swimming pier at Waterfront Park to determine whether it can be reconstructed in its existing form. There is an engineer that will provide designs for the other piers. Council Member Howard stated that there are six piers that have damage, and Council should decide on if they all need to be replaced. He stated that there should be a hierarchy in which ones need to be replaced first. He feels the piers at West Beach, The Rowing Boat House, 8a' Street, and the beach should be rebuilt/repaired. He does not feel the pier at the old boat ramp on 4' Street needs to be repaired. 7 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Council Member Strange spoke about a vision for a rowing course and receiving funding from tourism as well as FEMA. Discussion ensued on rowing courses and the integrity of the material used for the piers. Councils' consensus was to repair/replace the piers at Waterfront, Rowing Boat House, West Beach, 8a' Street, Boat Ramp and Hiawatha Park. Item No. 4 — DeHoya Property Interim City Manager Van Wagner informed Council that the owners of the DeHoya properties are entertaining offers for their two properties. Development Services Director Henschel informed the Council that one property is downtown and the other is to the east overlooking the trail. The property overlooking the trail is sloped. Discussion ensued on the Clermont Cardio Challenge which is a path from the trail to Osceola Street and the DeHoya property is on the east side of the proposed path. Council Member Strange stated that she would like to connect this property to the Meet Us in the Middle project and create a park. Council Member Howard stated that he is not interested in purchasing the property overlooking the trail and is uncertain about the other property with the feedback he has received from the community on developing that property. If there was guaranteed Art Walk access without purchasing that property, then he is not interested in purchasing. He suggested purchasing the property and splitting out the space needed for the Art Walk and then selling the remainder of the property. There is an option to eminent domain the property. Discussion ensued on the pros and cons of purchasing the property, splitting off the piece for the Art Walk and reselling the remainder of the property. Council Member Howard inquired about the possibility of adding language that would direct future Council on what to do with the property. City Attorney Waugh stated that the future Council is not bound by language proposed by current Council. Discussion ensued between different options of ownership, possibly partnering and interested parties. Mayor Murry opened public comments. Patrick Bianchi, 810 W. Montrose Street — suggested the option of getting the property under contract, in that timeframe seek opportunities from the public for a buyer with the same vision as the city. He stated that the city could close with the DeHoyas and then close with the new buyer. City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 Keith Mullins, 640 Drew Avenue — stated that the trail system was supposed to go to East Avenue. The DeHoya property on the trail could be a viewing area for rowing races. Interim City Manager Van Wagner stated that the city could possibly get a better price if purchasing both properties versus only purchasing one. The council's consensus was for Interim City Manager Van Wagner to continue speaking with the DeHoya family and present Council options on land and price. Council Member Strange informed Council about a possible opportunity with BMX. Item No. 5 — Post Office Property The council stated they are not interested in purchasing the Post Office property. Item No. 6 — Art Walk The council discussed this matter within the previous items. Extending the Art Walk is tied to the DeHoya property. Item No. 8 —Trolley Council Member Howard stated that if a parking garage is constructed on the 7t' Street property the lot will be closed which will cause parking issues. His thought was to provide trolleys to move people in and out of the downtown area to outer parking lots. He inquired about purchasing a trolley and hiring an employee or hiring a company to provide the service. Discussion ensued regarding the area the trolley would service along with the cost of the service. Council Member Strange suggested that Main Street could handle the trolley project. Natalie Keeler, Executive Director of Main Street, stated that people come to town that do not know their way around. She explained that people do not always know where the different parking lots are located and providing a trolley will ease that issue. A trolley would be a huge asset. Patrick Bianchi, Main Street — Main Street could be a part of the trolley program. Main Street will be applying for a grant that would pay for a trolley. He is happy to seek opportunities and be a part of the trolley. The consensus was for Main Street to seek opportunities for a trolley downtown. Item No. 5 — Stage at City Hall Park Council Member Howard spoke about the design of Sawgrass Grove in the Villages and would like to do something similar in the space next to City Hall. There used to be a stage staff would have to assemble and disassemble which the city no longer uses. He had seen vehicles driving on and off the grass for setting up and feels there is a better use of the space. The stage could come right off the Council Chamber doors and then place the shades around the space. He believes the total cost for the setup is around $5,000. 9 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 The council's consensus was to move forward. Mayor Murry opened public comment. Natalie Keeler, Clermont Main Street— in support with the design of the shade. Spoke about insurance coverage. Keith Mullins, 640 Drew Avenue — suggested extending the concrete out from the bottom of the steps to keep as much green as possible. Patrick Bianchi, 850 W. Montrose — The shade structures cost $300,000.00 to install. Spoke about the drainage system. Keith Mullins, 640 Drew Avenue — requested the sidewalk gets redone. Mayor Murry closed public comment. Council Member Howard stated that the last piece of making downtown walkable, especially on the weekends, is being able to shut down all the brick streets to make it pedestrian friendly. He also spoke about finding a way to fly over State Road 50 so people can walk and bike without crossing a major road. Patrick Bianchi, Main Street — There will be a 100 percent Florida native plant installation in the downtown. Parks consulting did the design, which is currently with Cherry Lake Trees. Main Street has allocated funds; Lake County is contributing $50,000.00 and Banks Helfrich's organization offered $2,000.00 for the project. Main Street will be requesting funds from the city from the tree fund. The first phase will be Montrose; the second phase will be 8a' Street and Minneola Avenue and then Main Street will seek additional funding for future phases. Once the plan is complete Main Street will bring it before Council. Mayor Murry directed Interim City Manager Van Wagner to address the issue of kids riding electric bikes at unsafe speeds on downtown sidewalks. Mayor Murry asked why there are no handicapped spaces on Montrose Street. Mr. Bianchi explained that parallel parking does not allow space for them; the street would need to be one-way with angled parking to accommodate. 10 City of Clermont MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP June 17, 2025 ADJOURN: With no further comments, this workshop adjourned at 7:29 pm. ATTEST. Tracy Ackroy Howe, MMC City Clerk 11 APPROVED: Tim Murry, Mayor