Commission Workshop Notes of 4/17/06

The City Commission held is Regular Workshop Meeting on April 17, and covered 15 items in 4 hours. The following is a summation of some of the items covered:

1) Addition information relating to a new City Hall was brought up. New figures of the cost of the 3 options were presented with some recommendations. Option 1: Reconstruct the existing City Hall using the shell is estimated to cost $5.75 million, and was not recommended by the City Manager; Option 2: Demolish the old city hall and build a new one in its place would cost about $7.250 million; Option 3: Build a new city hall at the site of the old Publix on Oakland Park Blvd., would have a net cost of $1.2 million. After some discussion the Commission came to a consensus to support a new city hall on Oakland Park Blvd., and to pursue Option 3. Other potential sites were discussed, though they were found unacceptable or inferior to the other options presented.

2) Discussed and consensually agreed to put the garbage bills on to the tax bills so that they would be collected once a year. This is presently done in the newly annexed areas of the city and is also done throughout Palm Beach County. It would only affect single family houses, and not multi family properties that use large trash bins covering multi properties.

3) Discussed and consensually agree to change water bills from a bi-monthly system, to a monthly system.

4) A presentation and discussion was given by the Educational Advisory Board on direction on the expenditure of funds intended for schools. The Educational Advisory Board, after input given, will be meeting shortly to develop a program to be brought back to the Commission. There were a variety of viewpoints given, but no final decisions were made.

5) Approved by consensus installation of speed humps on NW 37st Street, NW 73rd Ave., 37th Terrace, 38th Court, NW 42nd Street (in the south area of the Homes of Inverrary, and NW 33rd Ave (in St. George). These locations were as requested by residents living along these streets, and pursuant to the procedure set out by the Commission for obtaining speed humps. Depending upon the location, the humps will start to be installed within the next 2 weeks, though they some may be held up for a brief time if necessary due to already scheduled road construction.

6) Discussion on additional walls in Inverrary was brought up in conjunction with the requests of the Inverrary Association. Additionally, GO Bond projects within Inverrary were discussed.

7) A design plan for 55th Ave. (showing a park and greenway from old City Hall north), a botanical garden for the new park being created on Inverrary Blvd., and the layout of the new Community Center at Westwind Park, were presented.

Many of these items will require future Commission approval to proceed, and are subject to modifications.