City Attorney
The City Attorney had no items.
City Manager
The City Manager stated that after the Thanksgiving holiday he would update them individually and ask for input.
Council Member Battista on Parks and Rec Board
Battista reported on the meeting at the Parks and Recreation Board he attended for Bernardini. They discussed the presentation on changing the golf course landscape and repurposing it. There are events planned to keep the public informed and requesting input from the public.
Council Member Kemerer on Quarry signage, ordinance for reclaimed water and code enforcement
Kemerer revisited the need for signage at the quarry, particularly as the property is in transition. With the Good Neighbor Trail connection, Kemerer suggested thinking ahead to the next year’s legislative session and appropriating funds for business opportunities.
Kemerer stated he would like an ordinance requiring the use of reclaimed water (as a closed loop system and not just in open ponds) in new developments, saying it will become a valuable resource. The city could run the lines to the property, and the developers would direct it inside the property for irrigation purposes.
Kemerer attended the legislative meeting with the Florida League of Cities and brought back the approved list of items for the city manager. It lists the League’s priorities.
He thanked citizens for providing input and asked for a staff assessment to see if bringing on an assistant or part-time code enforcement officer would be feasible. He stated having proactive code enforcement would be better than reactive code enforcement.
Council Member Bernardini on taxes, Oak Park Rd.
Bernardini also thanked the public for their input and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving. He referred to a letter the council received from a citizen stating her taxes were higher but stated the City lowered the millage rate. If her property value increased, then it’s possible she is paying more.
Referring to the road issues at Oak Park Rd, Bernardini stated it was ranked #171 in 2013, with a due date of 2033 and a proposed cost of around $45,000. Bernardini expressed concern for that road and Tremont St, which is nearby. Near the Suncoast Credit Union is another problem area, scheduled for 2018, but no work has begun. Overall, he said, simply repeatedly patching is a waste of time and money. Since the list is several years old and some projects have been completed, Bernardini suggested compiling a new list and re-prioritizing it.
More Discussion on Road Repair
Kemerer recalled when Bernardini was previously on the council and the estimates were three times what was anticipated and change orders on several projects. The list was objectively decided by engineers Kemerer said, which removes the political aspect. Deviating from the list will open the council up to continual complaints by citizens stating their road is in worse shape than another. If just the first three projects had extremely high actual costs, then they can expect the rest to be the same and the $25 million estimate will triple.
Battista remarked that an engineer could give an updated estimate. Dowler responded, saying that they could do a cost per square foot, and that would give them a ballpark figure. Covering the streets with new asphalt will not be effective, as the base will likely have to be rebuilt at a cost of at least double the estimate, Dowler said. Battista added that assessing each homeowner to repave the section of road in front of their respective houses would likely cost as much as their mortgage and said the homeowners would probably decline.
Kemerer and Battista compared the County’s current paving of the Royal Highlands community, which is limerock road. Rather than continue to maintain the limerock, the County is packing it and adding a layer of asphalt. By getting to the base (roughly 12-18 inches from the surface) Kemerer stated that new water and sewer lines could be put in, which would allow the City to draw from different funding sources.
Erhard brought the discussion to a close and gave Bernardini an opportunity to finish his comments. He stated that since no progress is being made, it seems they are going backward. He suggested doing just one project, such as Providence Road. Battista concurred that fixing roads that are most used by the public would be better.
Code on dogs in parks
Returning to comments by Cordell during Citizen Input, Bernardini asked about an ordinance requiring dog owners to clean up after their dog. Geiger replied that it may be part of an older provision but is not one that comes up often. If the City does not have a specific ordinance about it, Bernardini would like one. While dogs are prohibited in parks, Vose stated there is no specific code relating to that.
Mayor Erhard
Erhard thanked the public for staying until the end (more than three hours). She thanked DiGiovanni and the Inverness council members and staff for the presentation and thinks the opportunity will benefit Brooksville. She thanked Father Paul Pecchie for the invocation and appreciated that the council agrees to have the invocation by a member of the local clergy.
Thanking Geiger for his information on code enforcement, Erhard said that spending money to have a full-time code enforcement officer would be well worth it in the revenue he/she could generate. With regard to the road repair, Erhard agreed that Oak Park is “very bad” particularly because it is in the historic district. “We pride ourselves on being historic, but we’re not maintaining our roads and our infrastructure,” she said.
Erhard thanked Druzbick for the Veterans Day Parade, and for the assistance of Parks and Recreation. She thanked all the department heads for their attendance and for helping address citizen concerns. Erhard received an update from Kutney on merit evaluations and self-evaluations that were assigned.
With the lack of money to repair roads, Erhard stated the council voted to reduce millage rates. The citizens voted to continue to add fluoride to the water. She stated a concern was the number of employees having gas (58) or procurement cards (31) and would like to see that resolved. Erhard encouraged citizens to review the weekly statement that is on the website. Department heads should monitor spending and contracts.
Erhard mentioned an air conditioning company that did not pull a permit for work being done for a resident. Geiger stated that he was aware of the company and that they did not pull a permit. There were a number of irregularities about the installation and certification, and the inspection failed. His department is working to resolve the issues with that company.
Closing Remarks
Bernardini had one last question pertaining to the minutes from the 10/01/18 meeting. He asked about event and parade security provided by the Sheriff’s Office consisting of 10 officers. Kutney said this was pertaining only to city-sponsored events and not events by other organizations. Any requests for additional security will have to be discussed.
Kemerer made the motion to adjourn the meeting and Bernardini seconded. The meeting was adjourned by a vote of 4-0. The next meeting was scheduled for 12/03/18.
