Multi-Million $ Capital Improvements Managed by Cross-City Team

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The May 5th City Council meeting was dominated by an enthusiastic update on the City’s Capital Improvement Projects, anchored by David Reyes, Community Services Administrator.  Several members of the cross-city department team presented updates on: mobility projects, baseball, monument signs, exhaust filtration systems for all the fire-stations, Burns Road Community Center Modernization and Expansion and Aquatic center, including the pool, sports field lighting upgrades to LEDs, electric vehicle fleet charging stations (free to use – partnership with fpl), artistic bus shelters, the City’s parcel in Avenir including new Fire Station Six, and the Golf Course construction.

The city does NOT have a dedicated department for these projects but project manages through a cross-department team that is involved from the initial stages through fruition on all of the projects. The Capital Improvements Team has managed a total of 157 projects over the last ten years totaling about $142 million!

The City Manager report included a presentation made by Candice Temple, Public Media Relations Director and Fire Chief Keith Bryer on Stroke Awareness Month. The city has created a PSA Stroke Wars and has a series of events slated for the entire month to heighten public awareness. See Stroke Wars here.

Public Comment was made by:

• Dana Middleton – Chair of the PGA Corridor (and candidate for City Council Group 5) – announced the upcoming State of the City presentation to be made by Mayor Reed on May 11.
• Ramona Bean – resident – raising concern about two parcels near Bayhill Estates on the south side of Northlake that were originally going to be commercial but the developers now want to rezone to be residential. While not before the Council, she wanted Council to be aware that there is significant opposition to the change by residents in surrounding communities.

Ordinances and Resolutions:

• Ordinance 5, 2022 – A City-initiated request to amend Chapter 78 – Land Development, Article V – Supplementary District Regulations, Section 78-159 – Permitted uses, minor and major conditional uses, and prohibited uses, to exempt City-owned public safety communications towers from the requirements of Note (64), except where specifically provided. First reading. Passed 5:0
• Resolution 23, 2022 – approval of the site plan for Avenir Pod 15 which will have 562 residential sites on the west side of Coconut – Passed 5:0
• Resolution 26, 2022 – Art in Public Places for PGA Station – Passed 5:0

Other topics included:

• The City will have a Memorial Day ceremony on 5/30 at 9am in Veterans Plaza. 
• Council Member Tinsley gave a brief update on an FDOT video meeting on the redesign of the Bee Line Highway /Northlake intersection. She described the presentation as very confusing, with a very complex intersection which raised a lot of red flags. She and City Manager Ferris discussed having a presentation made to Council and the public, and have the City’s traffic consultant review the plans and see if there are any alternatives.