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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 7B_11/14/1996 gyir 8 , . t. .. VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA Post Office Box 3273 • 357 Tequesta Drive '_: /.j!,_ Tequesta,Florida 33469-0273 • (407)575-6200 '0. ' Fax: (407)575-6203 ova. CM COUMo • - VILLAGE OF TEQUESTA REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The Tequesta Public Safety Committee .held _ . a regularly . scheduled meeting at the Village Hall, 357 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta, Florida, on Wednesday, October 16, 1996. The meeting was called to order at 9: 04 A.M. by Chairman Joseph Capretta. A roll call was taken by Betty Laur, the Recording ,Secretary. In attendance were: Chairman Joseph Capretta, and Committeemembers Carl C. Hansen and Mayor Ron T . Mackail . Village Staff present were: Village Manager Thomas G. Bradford, Village Clerk Joann Manganiello, and Department Heads . II. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Committeemember Mackail made a motion to approve the Agenda as submitted. Committeemember Hansen seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Carl C. Hansen - for Ron T. Mackail - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted and the Agenda was approved as submitted. III. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS RPc"Vi-1C.i ";n—Y REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 - PAGE 2 , . .. There were no communications from citizens. :: _ IV. REVIEW OF VILLAGE'S MASTER PLAN FACILITIES OPTIONS 1) New Construction 2) Renovation 3) Rental Space Off-Site Chairman Capretta commented that the purpose of this meeting was to consider the possibilities for each option. Village Clerk Manganiello explained that this was the first of many meetings scheduled to address the Village Council' s top • priority for FY 96-97,' which was to implement facilities for • Village Administrative ' sta'ff, ' Police, and Fire; and ultimately how it would be financed. In the prior year, focus had been on the Life Safety and Code Compliance Study, and the Master Planning and Facility Enhancement program. Several conceptual site plans had been prepared by Gee and Jenson which incorporated the present site as well as offering possibilities for Tequesta Plaza and Bridge Road. Previous. recommendations made by the Redevelopment Committee had included a preference for Public Safety on the existing site; the possibility of housing Village Administration off- site in the Tequesta Plaza area; the possibility of a cultural center on that same site; and Chairman Capretta' s vision of The New Tequesta, a plan which would include the above scenarios as well as DiVosta' s Tequesta Oaks, the new McCarthy' s Restaurant, Sterling House, and possibly purchase of Tequesta Plaza by the Lighthouse Gallery. Village Clerk Manganiello reported that facilities options included scenarios for new construction, renovation, and rental, which could be financed by either revenue bonds paid by pledging non-ad valorem revenues such as utility service taxes, or general obligation bonds not subject to the ten mil cap operating millage and requiring a referendum. A perc chart had been prepared which showed a referendum in November 1997, if that were the option chosen. In the • interim, several Redevelopment - Committee meetings were planned to be coupled with Village Council meetings so that any recommendations made by the Committee could be acted upon by the Village Council in a timely manner. Village Clerk Manganiello proposed that if the decision was made to REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 3 - bring The New Tequesta concept to the residents that it .. could be done via presentations to homeowners associations and representatives of subdivisions which did not have homeowners associations, and two presentations at the Village Hall in April 1997 to present the concept and financing options. Articles would appear in each Village newsletter during this period to keep residents informed of the plans and direction being taken. Ms. Manganiello called for questions regarding any of the site plans included in the Committeemembers' packets. Chairman Capretta compared making a decision to obtain new Village facilities to the purchase of a new home; and discussed the reasons for deciding to go to larger- . . facilities, which included the present overcrowding and the newly approved ambulance service which needed space. Chairman Capretta commented that Committeemembers must decide space requirements and needs . Another way of arriving at square footage was suggested, which was to multiply the number of square feet desired by the cost per square foot to see how much the Village could afford. Chairman Capretta stated that he wanted to make sure the Village Council knew how much space was really needed, and commented that the Village Council and the public must become comfortable with the cost per square foot so that the Village would not be perceived to be building a Taj Mahal . Chairman Capretta commented that the public was not fully aware of space needs, since they usually only saw the Village Hall meeting room, and did not realize that storage space was at such a premium that Police Department cells were used for filing cabinets, and that every hall was used for storage. Chairman Capretta mentioned that the concept of constructing apartments for apprentice firefighters would need to be defended, since the public would not be comfortable with the idea. Chairman Capretta summarized his comments by stating that if a decision was going to be made the following items must be considered: 1) How much space did the Village really need;. 2) How much would it cost per square foot; and 3-) .. Could -the -Village afford it-.. . -:.. - Village Manager Bradford explained that the present Village Hall was approximately 9, 000 S.F. , and that 17, 000 S.F. was needed; that there had been approximately 50 employees in REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 4 that 9, 000 S.F. space ten years ago and there would soon be over 70 employees working in that same space. Cost per square foot was discussed. Village Clerk Manganiello explained that for renovation the cost per square foot would be approximately $65, or $80 to $90 per square foot for new construction. The Committeemembers commented that those figures were very reasonable and indicated that the building would not be a Taj Mahal, and that the School Board had spent approximately $300 per square foot. Village Manager Bradford commented that in his opinion the cheapest option would be to rent off-site space for Village Administration, which would cause the impact to taxpayers to be incremental, , would provide immediate relief -for space requirements, and would cost roughly $60, 000 annually versus the annual debt service of approximately $150, 000 required to build one of the conceptual site plans developed by Gee and Jenson. The Village Manager explained that this plan would move the Administration, Water, and Finance Departments, leaving the east half of the back building for the Fire Department and both sides of the Village Hall building for the Police Department. Meetings would continue to be held in the Village Hall meeting room. After that had taken place, focus would be on an incremental plan to develop facilities, of which the first step would be to develop a new, permanent Fire Station on the site now occupied by the old Fire Station. Village Manager Bradford estimated the cost of a new Fire Station including administrative offices to be approximately $750, 000. The next step recommended by the Village Manager was renovation of the existing Village Hall building for the Police Department, keeping the meeting room for use as a training classroom for both Fire and Police Department personnel. Councilmember Hansen recommended development of a Master Plan with space requirements for each building. Village Manager Bradford explained that the cheapest alternative for new Administrative offices would be to build on the site next door, since the Village already owned that land. Mr. Bradford estimated the total cost . of. -this : plan. -as. $2.3: -. million, which would provide 39, 000 total square feet, or approximately double that of the present total facilities. Councilmember Hansen commented that Gee and Jenson' s space requirements estimated 48, 000 S.F. , and questioned again the REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 5 basis for using these numbers, so that the Village could feel confident in the amount they would ask taxpayers to pay. Village Clerk Manganiello commented that the 48, 000 S. F. was probably inflated and included public safety apartments; and that a more realistic square footage of 39, 000 could be used, depending upon what the Committee wanted to include. The need to house ambulances might change that number slightly. Chairman Capretta suggested that the bare bones plan of $2 .3 million, 39, 000 S.F. , all on the existing site, figured out to be under $60 per S. F. , which would be a low-end figure, which could probably be sold to the public, and the Village could probably afford it. This basic plan could be offered for input from residents as well as alternatives adding additional features such as upgrading the existing Village Hall facade to match the new Administration building if it were eventually built next door. Chairman Capretta reported that the Tequesta Country Club was planning to renovate their clubhouse, and had been advised to establish a planning committee and to develop a master plan by getting input from focus groups, including members of the public, homeowners associations, homeowners, business people, and uaginners° to obtain different viewpoints and to gain more ideas . Chairman Capretta suggested using the basic plan and adding desirable features. Village Manager Bradford commented that in the new facilities square footage must be dramatically increased over that of the present Village Hall building which had no closets for storage, no employee lounge, no file room, no copying room, etc. ; and that he did not necessarily agree with trying to stay below $60 per square foot, since the quality of materials which could be purchased for that price would rapidly deteriorate in a public facility used many hours per day. Village Manager Bradford recommended spending an amount closer to $100 per S.F. in order to have more durable facilities. The Village Manager pointed out that the beauty of the incremental plan was that it did not really have to be sold to the public because they would not be asked to increase tax payments significantly; rather, the facilities would be developed as the tax base increased from --- - new construction. The rental cost for off-site offices would be shared with the Water Department, immediate space would be gained by the Police Department, and the first construction could convert the present Fire Station from a REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 6 temporary to a permanent structure. The new Administrative office building, if built next door, -would be a 2-story structure with a total of 16, 000 square feet. During the following discussion, Councilmember Hansen stated that he would like to see the incremental plan in writing, including a Master Plan, perc chart, and cost estimate. Village Clerk Manganiello directed attention to the conceptual site plans provided in the Committeemembers' packets which most closely fit the incremental plan proposed at the meeting. Village Manager Bradford commented that one of the reasons he favored the incremental plan was that he could not see Tequesta residents ever being willing to pay for a facility which would $8-.million. Chairman Capretta inquired how the Village Manager had arrived at a $750, 000 cost for a new Fire Station, to which Mr. Bradford responded that was the going rate in Palm Beach County for a new typical Fire Station with administrative offices, including the land, and that those recently built in Delray Beach had cost under $700, 000. Village Manager Bradford estimated the cost of renovating the current Village Hall building for the Police Department as $250, 000. Village Clerk Manganiello commented that the $2 .3 million total did not include public safety apartments, which was a separate concept, and that there would be room to construct apartments on the existing site. Councilmember Hansen indicated that he was in favor of renovating the Village Hall building and the annex to become a permanent Fire Station. Ms. Manganiello explained that the largest portion of renovation cost would be for hurricane hardening of the existing buildings . Councilmember Hansen expressed concern that the present Village Hall building was not in compliance with codes, which he felt should be addressed as soon as possible. The Village Clerk responded that all non-complying aspects of the building had been identified and could not be put off much longer, and that they would all be addressed during renovation. Mayor Mackail commented that the Committeemembers and:: staff - -. - all agreed that lack of space was a problem, that something must be done, and stated that he liked the incremental concept recommended by the Village Manager since it was a prudent approach and renting property off-site would not REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 7 obligate the Village except for- the term of their lease; Mayor Mackail commented that with increases in the tax base this year from Cliveden' and next year from Tequesta Oaks that taxpayers would not have to bear the burden of increased taxes to pay for Village facilities, and that he had requested a bell curve from Finance Director Kascavelis showing a break even point, and wanted to see it so that he would know exactly what point in time that would occur. Mayor Mackail reported he had been talking with Lighthouse Gallery, the Camelot group, and Coastal Players, who had indicated their desire for facilities within the Village. • Mayor Mackail stated that he was not in favor of expending Village funds for facilities for these organizations; however, the Village might ::want -.to explore off-site locations for an Administrative office building which might be shared with the cultural organizations who would pay their fair share of the cost. The Mayor explained that he was not saying the Village should do that, but it was an option, and the Felhaber property was worth exploring as a site. Councilmember Hansen expressed the opinion that waiting for that property might take too long; however, the incremental approach might allow the Village to be able to wait since immediate space needs would be met. Councilmember Hansen stated that it had always been his hope to combine a Village Hall with cultural facilities in that area. Mayor Mackail stated that the Village would have control of the situation since they already owned land they could use for Administrative Offices, and commented that he had . concluded that Mr. Felhaber had not dealt with the Village in good faith during the past two years. The Mayor reported that he had shared his idea of a cultural civic center with Mr. DiVosta, who had encouraged the idea to the extent of offering to have his architects design a facility or helping the Village in that process. Mayor Mackail stated that if the cultural facilities could get their act together that there were cultural funds available from the State of Florida. Village Manager Bradford reported he had been doing spreadsheets on the Felhaber property and had concluded that renovation .costs would approach thec value-=of - the property. Chairman Capretta commented that condemnation procedures might be a more likely approach, that Mr. Felhaber thought his property was more valuable because of DiVosta' s project across the street, that it was probably REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 8 hopeless for the Village to wait, and that eliminating Bridge Road and building a combination Village Administration and cultural facility on that site should be a long-term dream. Ensuing discussion regarding the incremental plan included Chairman Capretta' s suggestion that a good place for the Village Administration offices would be in Gallery Square South. . The Public Safety apartments were discussed. Village Manager Bradford explained that these had been proposed as an option to save long-term employment costs; however, they were not critical . Mayor Mackail commented that those apartments could be always be incorporated at a later point in the incremental plan. Village Manager Bradford stated that an incremental concept was the only plan which had any hope of dovetailing with the growth in the Village tax base, therefore minimizing any impact to the taxpayers. Village Manager Bradford commented that he could have figures for the proposed plan ready to present to the Village Council at their November meeting. Councilmember Meder, who was present in the audience, expressed his delight with this concept and agreed with Village Manager Bradford that this was the only way to get a good response from the public, and commented that he was happy with the $2 .3 million cost as opposed to the much higher figures discussed previously. Councilmember Meder requested a conceptual site plan which would reflect the plan as described. Betty Nagy stated that this plan sounded much better than the original plans, and that the taxpayers were not willing to pay $7 million for facilities. Ms. Nagy stated that using property owned by the Village was a better option. Village Manager Bradford commented that at the next meeting of the Committee a drawing as requested by Councilmember Meder would be presented, -as well as a-perc chart', firm cost - - estimates for each phase within the plan, costs for rental facilities, and startup costs for the move. Village Clerk Manganiello pointed out that there was very REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 9 little office rental space -available- within Tequesta and • even less with the square footage needed by the Village. Ms . Manganiello stated that she had provided a rough estimate of the cost to rent office space in Tequesta Corporate Center (at the southeast corner of Tequesta Drive and Old Dixie Highway where the First United Bank was located) , which was very reasonable, and the Water Department would pay half the cost. Ms. Maganiello reported that that was the only space currently available within the Village that was large enough to accommodate the Village offices, and that it was not known how long it would remain available. Harriet Smith, manager of Tequesta Corporate Center and Realtor for the property, advised that the recent departure of lessees had freed enough space for Village needs, and that there were only small offices available at Gallery Square South. Village Clerk Manganiello explained that the available space was on the third floor and was comprised of two adjacent suites, making possible shared use of xerox and fax machines to conserve costs. Lease and start-up costs for the first year were estimated at $160, 000 which would include cost of moving, initial purchase of supplies, machines, and phone lines . People who liked to come to the Water Department to pay their water bills was discussed. Village Manager Bradford commented that people could continue to leave bills at the present location, or could go to the new offices to pay. Harriet Smith suggested an arrangement whereby people could drop off their payments at the bank drive-in. Details of space requirements and a final plan were planned for presentation at the next Committee meeting. The assessed value of new construction was discussed. Cliveden was estimated to provide $10, 000,000; Tequesta Oaks $15, 000, 000; Tequesta Shoppes $3, 000, 000; and Sterling House $1, 000, 000, for a total of $29, 000, 000 for those projects. Village Manager Bradford commented that in the event of an economic downturn that the incremental plan could be delayed. Harriet Smith invited the Village Council to visit the available office space. Mayor Mackail requested that REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 10 the Village Manager' : get: Finance Director Kascavelis to ., provide the bell curve he had been requesting. Councilmember Hansen summarized the action taken at the meeting for the staff: 1. Provide a Master Plan. 2. Provide Cost Schedule. 3. Provide perc chart for the incremental plan. Village Manager Bradford reported that money was .very tight and he needed to determine how much the Village could pay for office space, to which Chairman Capretta responded that since space might not be available later that obtaining space should come first. Village Manager Bradford explained that the money for moving and the first year rental had not been provided for in the budget, and that funds were tight in the Water Department funds because of lawsuits and in the General Fund because of drainage projects. Mayor Mackail questioned whether the move could be accomplished by Christmas, to which Village Manager Bradford responded that it could be done within 30 days . Mayor Mackail questioned Harriet Smith as to the possibility of phasing the lease payments in conjunction with ad valorem funds coming into the Village. Ms. Smith agreed. Committeemember Mackail made a motion to authorize the Village Manager to secure a lease with First United Bank in conjunction with a rent reduction commensurate with cash flow of the Village if needed. Committeemember Hansen seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Carl C. Hansen - for Ron T. Mackail - for • ' The motion was therefore passed and adopted. REDEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 16, 1996 PAGE 11 V. ANY OTHER MATTERS There were no other matters to come before the Committee. VI. ADJOURNMENT Committeemember Hansen made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Committeemember Mackail seconded the motion. The vote on the motion was: Joseph N. Capretta - for Carl C. Hansen - for Ron T. Mackail - for The motion was therefore passed and adopted, and the meeting ' was adjourned at 10:26 A.M. Respectfully submitted, ` Betty Laur Recording Secretary ATTEST: Joann Manganiello Village Clerk DATE APPROVED: