2011-1215 Regular City Commission Meeting

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Summary Minutes: Regular City Commission Meeting December 15, 2011 City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida Asia so that she can carry the ball for us to a City in Taiwan. The person that we believe can do this job is here in the audience and her name is Fang Oliver. Public Speakers: Fang Oliver Fang Oliver said that she has been a resident of Sunny Isles Beach for seven (7) years and it is her privilege and opportunity to serve as the International Ambassador to Asia. She said she will continue to work hard to put Sunny Isles Beach in every City that she visits. She is already talking to the Mayors of several towns similar to Sunny Isles Beach. Vice Mayor Thaler moved and Commissioner Gatto seconded a motion to approve the resolution. Resolution No. 2011-1828 was adopted by a voice vote of 5-0 in favor. lOR. Add-On: A Resolution ofthe City Commission of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, Authorizing the Closure of the Skateboard Park Located in Town Center Park; Further Authorizing the City Manager to Do All Things Necessary to Effectuate this Resolution; Providing for an Effective Date. Action: [City Clerk's Note: This item was originally added as Item 12A.} Commissioner Gatto said in March 2011 the Commission approved an agreement with Kimley-Horn to do a Noise Assessment Study at the Skateboard Park because of the noise of kids skating coupled with a lot of screaming. She was not in favor of shutting it down at that time because we were talking about what we could do to alleviate or eliminate the noise. We allocated $50,000 to go out and request proposals for studies to see what it would take dollar wise and other wise to alleviate the noise. At some point, having led this project, she didn't really want the City to spend $50,000 for somebody to tell us that we have to spend six figures to enclose it including air conditioning to eliminate the noise. She stopped that spending, and one of the reasons why was to look at attendance figures to make a correlation if the Park is being used. Attendance is down historically from April to October, November is up slightly. Given the fact that it is expensive to spend $50,000 to see what it would take and then be told it would take six figures to cover it, coupled with the fact that attendance is down, and in speaking to residents upset over the noise, and Winston Towers 600 has a double whammy as the Park is about 500 feet from their pool, she is at the point to recommend closing it. Public Speakers: None Commissioner Aelion said based on what we have heard here tonight by Commissioner Gatto in relation to the bridge, the same approach should be consistent when we see an issue spring up in one part of the City and creates a diversion over a certain section of the community. He thinks that thought and application should follow a greater involvement for the residents and the benefits for the Commission would be that in the totality of the City. He said at this point it is self explanatory as to the thought processes of why initially the Skateboard Park was created for purposes of mitigating the views over side streets and used by skaters and the dangers it caused for potential accidents, etc. It was the community that came to the Commission back then to ask that this be built and erected. Vice Mayor Thaler said he agrees with Commissioner Aelion, in November there were 19 to 25 children a day at that Park. He was there and cannot understand how overwhelming this 12