2011-0615 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting June 15,2011 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Commissioner Scholl said he received a call about three months ago from a business person that wanted to do something on the beach, and he told that person that we don't own the beach, to go to the County. That person called him back three weeks later and said that the County said if it is okay with the City it is okay with them, as they don't want to regulate your beach anymore, which is a very similar comment received from Mr. Harrison. The County cannot cede control to us, they can do it as kind of a facto-ceded but they can't hold us responsible for taking care of the beach because they are not permitting. Vice Mayor Thaler said this instrument should not be used until it is approved, and it has been on the beach and he thinks it should be taken off until we approve it. City Manager Cohen said he would concur with Vice Mayor Thaler and if you are here in good faith and you want us to pursue this, then to deploy these without our permission would be acting in bad faith and it would not put you in good stead with this City. Mr. Harrison said he voluntarily has not put them out since he was told through the Permit Office, Helena Forbes. 13. CITIZENS' FORUM: REQUESTS, PETITIONS & OTHER COMMUNICATIONS 13A. Dawn Spillane, Nadeen Spillane, and Juan Crespi regarding the Basketball Court at Heritage Park and Access through Golden Shores Park Tot Lot. Action: Dawn Spillane said she has not seen anything distributed on this item. Mayor Ede1cup said it was discussed at a Workshop and the Commission gave City Manager Cohen instructions to send the letter out sometime after July. Ms. Spillane asked if the gate will be locked meanwhile, and Mayor Ede1cup said no, however it will be locked after Park hours. Cultural and Human Services Director Susan Simpson said Park hours for the remainder of June is from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to allow the construction company to finish up. Once that is completed, the hours will be 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. the same as Town Center Park. Ms. Spillane asked if the air quality test was ever done, and last night at 9:45 p.m. kids were out there playing basketball, and she called the Police that someone had broken a bottle there. Mayor Edelcup said that we are opening the Park on Saturday, June 16, 2011 and that the security cameras were approved at tonight's meeting and will be in operation as soon as they are installed. In the interim when the Park opens on Saturday, the Police Department will be incorporating it into their route. Whether there is a basketball court there or not, the issues raised will still be there because we have always had parking under the Lehman Causeway, we have always had people come to that area and now that we have activities there, if anything, we are increasing whatever security that used to be there to a higher level. As it pertains to the entrance gate at that Park, that gate is there because the majority of the residents of Golden Shores came to our Commission meetings when we were designing that Park and pleaded with us to put that gate there, and we have honored that commitment. We have reached an impasse where we will not resolve this issue to everyone's liking, and so we are going to do the best we can to reach a compromise. We have made every honest effort that we can to improve the quality of life in Sunny Isles Beach to give the children the opportunity to have a place to play that is going to be safe for them, and that is going to have more security. City Manager Cohen said there is also another element that is under review right now. Staff has looked at the pathway running through the Park, and has determined that there is an alternative route that they will be working on in the weeks ahead to ensure that bicycle traffic does not intersect or interact with the children that are playing in the Park. Weare looking into putting in a new walk around that area so that the bicycles don't go through it. 13