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Minutes 03-15-02MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CRA INTERVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING HELD IN CONFERENCE ROOM C BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON MARCH 15, 2002 FROM 10:30 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. PRESENT Jos6 Aguila Al DeMarco Diane Dominguez Don Fenton Larry Finkelstein The Interview Committee met and interviewed four candidates for the position of CRA Director. The Committee members took notes on forms that were provided by Quintus Greene, current CRA Director and Director of Development for the City of Boynton Beach. CRA Chair Finkelstein introduced and welcomed Ms. Diane Dominguez, current CRA Director for the City of Delray Beach. CRA Chair Finkelstein outlined the method to be followed for the interviews. Mr. Finkelstein would ask the candidates the same questions and the Committee would note their responses. Following the candidate's responses to the questions, the Committee would be given an opportunity to ask specific questions of the candidate. Following this, the candidate would be allowed to ask questions of the Committee. The questions presented to each candidate are attached to the minutes. The Committee decided to eliminate Question 4 about computer proficiency since this information was included in the employment applications. The candidates were interviewed in the following order: John Rogers 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. Ed Horton 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Douglas Hutchinson 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Glen Vann 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Candidate #1 - J. Gary Rogers Answer #1: Mr. Rogers stated that he had read the City's Plans and he had noted many similarities between the City he had worked in, Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Boynton Beach. For example, they both sham the Intracoastal Waterway, the Federal Highway Corridor, and the Florida East Coast Railway and both are coastal communities. Both communities Specia CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 have high concentrations of public housing units, significant minority populations, and a wide span of age groups. He noted that the City had derived its plans from listening to the people and he was a definite believer in that. He liked the sense of community in Boynton Beach and wanted to do CRA work in the place where he lived. He was impressed with Boynton Beach and could see himself living here. Mr. Rogers' skills are ~n the area of Planning, Grant Writing, Economic Development, Parks Development, Transportation Planning, and Housing Renewal/Development. He expressed interest in attacking situations and finding solutions to difficult problems. He believed he was good at defining problems and finding the dollars to fix them. He also believed in sitting down and building consensus when forces are at odds. Answer #2 and 3 Combined Mr. Rogers explained that he had architectural skills in that he could draft a design and was comfortable with site planning. He had experience with replacing depressed areas with new subdivisions and was a skilled grant writer. He spoke of his dogged determination not to let go of things and to pursue them to their ultimate conclusion. He felt his skills were diverse enough to serve the CRA's interests with an understanding of banking, building, land-use and zoning, conservation, and engineering. He also cited several instances in which his negotiation skills had helped to bring major improvements to the City of Cocoa Beach. Ms. Dominguez inquired about the reasons Mr. Rogers had left his employment at Cocoa Beach, Mr. Rogers explained that the reason had been political and that his leaving did not relate to any performance issue. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Rogers if he had ever worked with a CRA Board. Mr. Rogers outlined some of his achievements while in Cocoa Beach. In his early days with that City, his job was to merge the Planning & Zoning and Building Departments with Occupational Licenses. Five of the City's Advisory Boards were under his direction. Also, he was instrumental in the establishment of a community-wide Vision Planning effort that served as a positive guide for community growth for over six years. He was instrumental in the planning and development of a downtown waterfront project that turned a roadway and unused parking into a $3M Riverfront Park. He applied for and was given a $1.3M grant from the Florida Community Trust program to acquire a 315- acre conservation area. This is a twelve-acre lake that will be restored to 66 acres. He also started two CRA organizations in the City. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Rogers what he had done since leaving Cocoa Beach in December of 2001. Mr. Rogers stated that he had been sending out applications and trying to find another job in an area that he would like to live. Question #5 and 6 Combined Mr. Rogers stated that he had driven through Boynton Beach extensively and liked what he saw. Consultants who had worked in Cocoa Beach told him that Boynton Beach was just the same and that he would like it. His biggest surprises were the beauty and the amount that had been accomplished from the City's first Plan to the current one. He had Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 read the City's Plans and Goals and as he did so, found nothing that he did not know how to do. Mr, DeMarco asked Mr. Rogers about his family situation. Mr. Rogers responded that he was married. Mr. Fenton advised Mr. Rogers that if he were to be one of the finalists chosen for this position, an in-depth background search would be done. Would they find any surprises? Mr. Rogers' response was "No." Mr. Aguila asked where Mr. Roger's allegiance would lie in a conflict ~etween the CRA Board and the City Manager or a Commissioner? Mr. Rogers stated that in that scenario, the Board would be his boss. Mr. Fenton referred to Mr. Rogers' wetlands project and wanted to know how Mr. Rogers had gotten the Sierra Club and the developers to come to consensus. Mr. Rogers replied that they not yet come to consensus. The whole idea of the "mile high view" of the wetland systems and of the water utility was a project he had conceived and brought forward and now they were actually digging waterfront storm water parks. The EPA gave them $250K for a concept that they initiated; they were the first district in Florida to take downtown storm water runoff, put it into a lift station, send it back to a sewer system, and put it back as reuse water. Mr. DeMarco asked Mr. Rogers if. Cocoa Beach had replaced him. Mr. Rogers replied that they had. Scenario #2 Mr. Rogers stated that if the developer's needs were to be given the biggest consideration, he would say, "That's great, when are we going to sign our partnership agreement? We'd love to share the profits with you." My second reaction would be that public dollars should be spent in public places. The City might want to offer the developer certain concessions in the spirit of "horse trading." The notion that the City should put dollars into a project so the developer can walk away with a large degree of profit is absurd. If enough enticements are offered for them to make the initial investment and if the City offers enough amenities for their project to be a draw, then it can be win-win. Developers will ask for everything. He stated that negotiation should achieve the minimal amount of dollars that can leverage the deal. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Rogers if he had any questions for the Board. Mr. Rogers stated that the lists of projects that he had included with his application spoke for themselves and he hoped that the Committee members would be able to read them. He likes Boynton Beach and thought he could do this job and do it well. Candidate #2 - Ed Horton Answer #1: Mr. Horton was impressed with the commitment the City had made towards community redevelopment. He could see that the City had developed a real partnership with the community in this effort. Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 He mentioned that he brought his superb management skills to the table along with an extensive knowledge of the development community in Palm Beach County and the ways in which things do and do not get done in this area. Answer #2: Mr. Horton mentioned that he is currently Executive Director of a Faith-Based CDC ~n West Palm Beach where they work with affordable housing, do some economic development, and have a grant for after-school programs. He also works with Boards and with appointed and elected officials as well as private developers and the Housing Authority. He has considerable experience working with State Legislators as well. Answer #3: Mr. Horton stated he had written several grants at the local and Federal level. He explained that he would bring in experts in the areas of site planning, zoning, and design efforts. He works with consultants on a daily basis on matters of this kind Answer #5: Mr. Horton stated that everyone from Boca Raton to Jupiter was working on the equivalent of some kind of downtown restoration. He felt it was important to analyze the City's status today and where it wanted to be in ten years' time. He thought that the demographics had to be factored in also. He did not see what it was that made Boynton Beach uniquely Boynton Beach in terms of a destination. Scenario #2 Mr. Horton thought the Board would have to look at where the tax base was at the time and that it would be unreasonable to tie up T.I.F. funds for long. He would recommend disapproval and look to the developer to say what alternative sources of funding he or she could access. He thought they might wish to bring in some partnerships with non- profit organizations or do a joint venture with someone like the insurance industry. Scenario #1 Mr. Horton said that when the City Attorney drafted the contract, there should have been a reverter clause to cover this kind of situation. Failing that, the CRA has the ability to exercise its powers of eminent domain to recover the property. Ms. Dominguez noted that Mr. Horton had a lot of experience with housing developments and projects and she wondered what kind of experience he had in working with the business community. A lot of redevelopment involves working with the Chamber of Commerce and attracting businesses and structuring deals. Mr. Horton said that he had this experience from two perspectives, one when he sat on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Yakima County in Washington State for two years. His current project had a strip of Dixie where they were developing a mixed-use project and working with developers and businesses so they would be able to have a place in the new development. He works with some national firms to bring in appropriate vendors for this area of West Palm Beach. He also works hand-in-hand with the Northwood Business District, which is another Community Development organization to the north of West Palm Beach. 4 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15,2002 Ms. Dominguez asked Mr. Horton if he had any experience with assembling land and the use of eminent domain and whether he had ever done any projects where eminent domain had been used. Mr. Horton stated that in Yakima, Washington, he had authorized eminent domain for the government and was currently working with sixty- six sites in the current project, some of which would be taken with eminent domain and some by purchase. Mr. Horton mentioned OCS grants where cities could get planning grants for projects and eventually get from $250K to $400K for the purpose of business development. He sits on the Governor's Revitalization Council and assists with the other neighborhoods in the Front Porch community to make plans for business development. Mr. Aguila asked, "In the balance between the direction given to you by the Board and other forces such as the City Commission or the City Manager, if you received contradictory direction from that which the Board had given you, how wouid you handle this?" Mr. HoC[on said he would try to talk it out on a one-on-one basis and lay out what the Board wanted and see how it could be worked out. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Horton about the largest budget he had ever prepared and implemented? Mr. Horton replied, "$9B." Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Horton what he knew about CCNA and how it is applied? Mr. Horton did not recognize the acronym. Mr. Aguila stated it was the Competitive Negotiation Act and relates to obtaining services from architects and engineers and has specific guidelines. Mr. Fenton noted that Mr. Horton had moved around a lot and expressed concern that if he had this job, he would only stay for two or three years. Mr. Horton stated that he liked Palm Beach County and had children who were going to college in the area. Mr. Fenton mentioned that Mr. Horton had gone to a Negotiation program at MIT- Harvard and he asked him to relate some highlights of that program for the Committee. Mr. Horton stated it was interest-based negotiation where you sit across the table from somebody knowing that you will have to have "X" dollars in your pocket when you walk away from the table. Mr. DeMarco noted that Mr. Horton had a staff of 25 people and managed a million dollar budget. He asked Mr. Horton to elaborate about this. Mr. Horton explained that the $1M budget was the operational costs for the office and did not include grants, and so forth. The 25 people are teachers that they hire in the summer on a temporary basis. This was to meet the staffing guidelines necessary to obtain the funds for their after-school programs. Mr. DeMarco asked Mr. Horton if he was married and whether he had any children. Mr. Horton stated that he was married and had children. Mr. Finkelstein asked Mr. Horton whether he had submitted an application. Mr. Horton thought he had filled one out and mailed it but would be glad to mail another one. 5 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Mr. Aguila questioned Mr. Horton about the $9B budget and asked if he had conceived and implemented it or just administered it. Mr. Horton said he had prepared and implemented the budget for the Federal Government. He stated that when he had been the Director of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services, he had managed a $103M budget. Mr. Finkelstein asked Mr. Horton why he wanted to leave his current job. Mr. Horton said that there was no community support in the City of West Palm Beach. Every day is a fistfight in terms of geeing real community redevelopment and urban revitalization done in the City of West Palm Beach. The City of West Palm Bench is ~arge and has no priorities. Ms. Dominguez asked Mr. Horton why he had left the Department of Children & Family Services. Mr. Horton said this had occurred when Governor Chiles went out and Governor Bush came in. Ms. Dominguez stated that a lot of community redevelopment work related to consensus building, that in the process of increasing the tax base and raising property values, people get hurt or displaced. How would you explain to people that this could be a benefit to them when there is a lot of mistrust? Do you have some experience in working with consensus building and resolving these types of issues? Mr. Horton said that he did. About ten days ago he held a meeting in the Pleasant City Multicultural Center-for the residents. There is a lot of mistrust because promises were made and not kept, Part of it is just giving people an opportunity to talk about it and giving them an opportunity to participate in the process. He said a lot of people have charrettes. Ms. Dominguez asked if the community would help develop the project. Mr. Horton said they could help create some of the structure. He stated .that other neighborhood leaders, the clergy, and business leaders had to be kept informed and involved, We plan to involve the community when it comes time to design the architecture. Mr. Finkelstein asked Mr. Horton if he wanted to give a wrap-up statement or whether he had any questions for the Board. Mr. Horton asked when the Board wanted to fill the position. Mr, Finkelstein stated that the interviews would be held today and the following Friday. Within two weeks after that some action would be taken, They wanted to do it as soon as possible. Mr. Horton also asked for a description of the kind of individual the Committee had in mind for this position. Mr. Finkelstein stated that they wanted a well-rounded, experienced person, who would be able to carry out the CRA's work plan. Mr. Aguila added that it was a high-profile Board and the position would be also. The CRA Director must have sufficient strength of character to understand the opposing forces and stay focused on the big picture. Mr. Finkelstein agreed and added that allegiance to the Board was another quality they wanted the CRA Director to have. Mr. DeMarco said he was looking for leadership, good organization, communication and coordination skills, 6 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 experience ~n civic and government work at all levels, and a good relationship with the business community. Mr. Horton summed up by saying that his background and experience in government n general and Palm Beach County in particular, would be extremely useful to the Board. This experience gave him the ability to read hidden agendas and to know how things are done in this County and State. He has contacts among other influential and instrumental bodies in the community too, such as the clergy, developers, and business interests. He thought the position was an interesting one and that it would require a long-term commitment, which he was prepared to make. He liked the people in Boynton Beach and felt they were friendlier than in many other cities and he appreciated that. Candidate #3 - Douglas Hutchinson Answer #1: Mr. Hutchinson liked the idea of doing development on a waterfront in Florida. He had experience in diverse areas that would suit the needs of Boynton Beach for historic preservation of neighborhoods and community redevelopment, and liked that kind of variety. He mentioned that he brought to the table a reputation for getting things done in Texas in areas where, prior to his intervention and assistance, there was "no hope, no way." He had worked in large and small towns on multi-million dollar projects. He was a resource team member on Oak Cliff, where they went out with escorts to make sure they were not shot. He has dealt with a lot of issues on T.I.F. management districts. Answer #2: Mr. Hutchinson related that he had worked in the private and public sector. In the public sector he worked for Boards of Development who were special taxing entities, cities, counties, County Judges, and Commissions. He was comfortable in working with such groups and was aware of the need to involve the public. In the private sector, he was a developer and understood what types of things scare developers and how to approach them. He has owned large and small businesses and done consulting work. He felt that his experiences in the private and public sectors helped him be knowledgeable and fair. Answer #3: Mr. Hutchinson mentioned that he had written the development criteria for cities and neighborhoods. In Texas, they have zoning and deed restrictions that control design elements, size, scale, setbacks, and type of materials used. The Ci.ty Ordinances only go so far and he would research that in Florida. In Planning & Zoning, it was easy to go in as a City and dictate certain things but if the private sector can't live with them, the City is forced to do spot zoning changes because the developers cannot work with the City's requirements. He has been on a mitigating Panel for zoning dispute resolution issues. He had been through the public hearing process and felt that he could present information on impacts in such a way that everyone could understand and make up their own minds. He is able to gather the resources needed for the Board to make an informed decision that is supported by the community. He does design work and the largest project he had done so far was an $80M destination resort/entertainment center. He had done office buildings, homes, apartments, and office condos, but did not do high 7 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 rises or any heavy-end commercial work. He can 'work with architects; has his own construction company; and has his own license. He understands construction issues and constraints. He noted that Boynton Beach was trying to wrestle with achieving an identity for the town. Answer #5 and 6 Combined: Mr. Hutchinson said that the biggest-positive was that Boynton Beach did not have a lot of negatives. It was trying to move in the right direction and there was a lot of opportunity here. One of the issues was how Boynton Beach fits in to the cultural development that has been going on. What is your identity? As an out-of-towner, it is hard to figure out where one town starts and another ends. He stated that~ Boyr~'~on Beach had to have something that caused people to say, "This is a place I have to stop and explore." The finding of this identity was one of Boynton Beach's greatest challenges, he said. He was very impressed with the major development going on in the vicinity of Boynton Beach, including the shoreline residences and the development going on West of 1-95. Another surprise was the lack of development in the downtown area. There was a lot of discussion about height limits and raising them and he was surprised to discover that there was no height, and that the town has a single-story feel. He was currently working on a major destination resort in Texas with three hotels and a conference center. He remarked on Boynton Beach's desire to create a destination by building a conference center and he thought that in today's climate, this was not feasible. The way to get a destination resort in Boynton Beach was to get a major attraction to go along with that conferencing facility. _ Meeting planners would have to choose between Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale, and there would have to be an attribute or attraction that would cause them to choose Boynton Beach over those other towns. Also, to compete with the surrounding towns would be an extremely expensive proposition. A conference hotel by itself would not be enough to create a destination for Boynton Beach. There has to be entertainment support and attractions. Today, over 80% of the conferences are booked based on amenities and other things for spouses to do. He had a study with him of a recently designed dinosaur museum with robotic dinosaurs, a restaurant, a water park, IMAX theater, television studios, amphitheater, and a movie museum in Glen Rocks, Texas, southwest of Fort Worth. He mentioned this because he wanted to display that he knew a little bit about what it takes to get people to a destination. The project he referred to earlier was on hold until the tourist situation could be assessed and he said that Boynton Beach was a tourist's heaven. Also, Mr. Hutchinson suggested that Boynton Beach might wish to think about how much of a change they were willing to make. He mentioned the possibility of Boynton becoming a sort of "retro" community; an artist's haven, a place for demonstrating artists, with single-family residences that would only continue to appreciate in value because this kind of lifestyle is harder and harder to come by these days. Mr. Aguila mentioned that a key element of the CRA Director's role was patience and he alluded to Mr. Hutchinson's earlier comment about his tendency to get bored quickly. He said that it took months here to decide things because so many people were pulling in different directions. 8 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March t5, 2002 Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Hutchinson to explain why this was not going to disturb him to the point of leaving town. Mr. Hutchinson stated that what he got bored with was a lack of progress or vision. He realized that the CRA Board had to be guided by the interests of the community and that it might not always agree with those interests. He believed that his job here would be to have the resources and know-how to translate the community's vision and direction into reality. He thought that Boynton Beach had a lot of different things going on at once and that this would insure that he would not be bored. He acknowledged the fact that the changing of the downtown area could take years and mentioned the need for organizing the various clusters of communities. He said that some of those areas would get it together faster than otherS and that the ones that wanted to work should be given the tools to create what they wanted. As the community got excited about having success on their own and other neighborhoods began to see this, there could be a snowball effect. Scenario #2 Mr. Hutchinson stated that there was a quantifiable way that you would go through the feasibility impacts and measure the costs. An analysis would have to be done for every T.I.F. district, something that he has done. And, you would look at the paybacks. Then you might consider subjective issues such as what the community feels about the project. Are they willing to sacrifice to have the project? You would also check the track record of the developer. The private sector has to have a return on its money so there is always risk/reward involved, but it is a definable thing. Ms. Dominguez Redr-i~ asked Mr. Hutchinson if he had any familiarity with the Florida State Statutes that govern CRAs? Mr. Hutchinson said that part of his job would be to become very familiar with the Florida Statutes since they were the enabling documents that allowed for the design of programs. He thought that the Texas Statutes and the Florida Statutes probably had similar provisions for public use of funds and so forth. He would also work with legal counsel to prevent a public entity from promising something that it could not do. Ms. Dominguez Redrh3uez asked Mr. Hutchinson what kind of experience he had in working with diverse groups, particularly minority communities where they had a history of being displaced and run out of town for the sake of redevelopment. Mr. Hutchinson stated that Time magazine had an undercover reporter that investigated the Main Street Program ~n America because it was believed that they were displacing minorities in their downtowns to bring in white, cute, or historic buildings. In Brennan, Texas, where he was Main Street Director, he was one of the persons investigated by Time and the article turned out very well. He said it went back to communication with the community and there should not be a series of surprises for a minority community. A good development process has elements where they can win on certain points. You ask them for their input. If you give up this, what can we do to put you in a better situation in the community? And, you work through that the best way you can. Mr. Hutchinson stated that if the project were really good, it would be good for the whole community, not just the developers. Mr. Hutchinson stated that minority families have different household structures and their needs and points of view are often different but they have to be listened to and given as much information as possible. 9 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Ms. Dominguez Redr-~ asked if people accepted the project. Mr. Hutchinson stated that his secretary had been a leader in the black community. His organization helped them set up their own credit union because the banks in the area were not cooperative. They went to the black building owners and businesses and worked with them to create a small business development center. They worked with them to raise the level of their businesses so they could afford to stay in those areas. They helped them with free fa(;ade design and renovations also so they did not have to be moved o~. They had success and growth. It is easier to work with what you have than to try to get something else back in. Mr. Aguila asked if the Hutchinson Development Group was still an active organization. Mr. Hutchinson stated that he still did some consulting but he had sold most of his development to his partners and he was not taking on any more work. Mr. Aguila expressed his interest in the experience that a candidate brings to the table, his or her knowledge of the things that would affect performance as a CRA Director in Florida under the Florida Statutes. He was impressed with Mr. Hutchinson's accomplishments and experience but was not clear about why he wanted to leave Texas and come here when he might or might not know what he would be getting himself into. Also, why would he be the one that the Committee picked? Mr. Hutchinson said that as to fit for the community, he had done a lot of research on the Internet before coming here and he had spent some time wandering around the area in his car. In Texas and in the private sector he had a partner that he no longer wanted to partner with. Also, he had a group of investors that might even bring some funds here for projects. He thought he would be going through some changes at the family level. He noted that in the private sector, you are allowed to work 24/7. Mr. Hutchinson spoke of the stresses involved with having your name on multi-million dollar notes and having to meet deadlines and being the only person responsible for doing everything from one end to the other. He had never had a project that was slow and did not want to imply that he did not want to work hard. He simply did not want to work 24/7. He wanted to find a community that he wanted to live in that had a diversity of projects to keep him involved. He currently has about 49 employees and a $300K payroll every week and he no longer wanted to worry about this kind of thing. Mr. Fenton asked what Mr. Hutchinson had meant by "we" when he spoke of having three hotels. Mr. Hutchinson said that this had been in the context of a project on which he had done the design and feasibility studies. Part of the master plan had three lead hotels to go along with it and the adjacent property had a high-end conference hotel. Mr. Hutchinson said he was an equity partner at 10%. Mr. Fenton asked Mr. Hutchinson why he would go to Boynton Beach for $80,000. Mr. Hutchinson stated that the salary being offered for this job was in the right range and that the salary and benefit package could be negotiated. He said he would have to consider the risk/reward factors of going back to the private sector. He did not have much debt. Mr. Fenton said that the Committee would pick two or three finalists and would be doing an extensive background check on them. Would they find any surprises there? Mr. Hutchinson responded, "No." 10 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Mr. DeMarco mentioned Visions 20~20 and the desire of the community to redevelop the downtown area. He stated that the Board wanted to make sure that the person they chose had the qualities of leadership, experience, and skills in organization, coordination, communication, and motivation, to carry out the Visions 20/20 objectives. He was hoping that Mr. Hutchinson would not come here to retire but to be part of the team. He was impressed with Mr. Hutchinson's background and stated that this was the kind of leadership they were looking for. He wanted to feel comfortable that if Mr. Hutchinson were to be the final selection, that they would have someone that would be a leader. Mr. Hutchinson stated that he would not be coming here to retire at all, but simply wanted to change stress levels. He was looking at this community but had interviews in other communities. He was assessing what he saw here, what the vision was, and what the personalities were like on the Board. He did not plan to jerk anyone around and expected the same in return. He wanted to make sure that there was a reality about the community vision. He would not be a puppet but a professional who would work as a team with the Board and with the community to get things put on the ground. He tends to be firm but can take direction. He knew that there would be times when the CRA Director would have to stand up in public meetings and take the heat. He stated that the Board and the City and the Community backers were the ones with the power, not him. The only way the director can get anything done is with wsion and power and they have to come from the Board. Mr. Aguila mentioned the Federal Highway Corridor Project and the fact that by the time the Commission approved it, it was so watered down that the report had been almost useless. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Hutchinson, "In the balance between the direction given to you by the Board and a contradictory opinion from either the City Commission or the City Manager, or maybe another Board member, whose direction would you follow?" Mr. Hutchinson stated that it would be his job to make sure that there is no one direction to follow. To get things done you have got to win your enemies and get them on line. The first thing you have to do is listen and see if there is merit to the position that they are taking. At that point you weed through it to the point where you really disagree. The ultimate person that he would respond to would be the person that writes his paycheck. If the majority of the Board agrees to a direction, he would stand the storm and let whatever would come, do so. It was not his job to pick sides. Mr. DeMarco asked Mr. Hutchinson if he were familiar with the type of government in Boynton Beach. In some type of cities there is a strong Mayor form of government and in others a strong City Manager. Mr. Hutchinson was not aware of that but stated that he had worked for both types of government. Mr. Finkelstein offered Mr. Hutchinson an opportunity to ask questions of the Committee. Mr. Hutchinson asked about the relationship between the City, the County, and the Chamber of Commerce and whether there was any kind of Economic Development entity other than the CRA Director. Mr. Finkelstein stated that the City had an Economic Development Department and they now have two Assistant City Managers and one of 11 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 them takes on the Economic Development responsibilities. The Chamber has an Economic Development Committee and the Assistant City Manager goes to that committee and makes reports. Finally, there is a lot of working together between the City and the Chamber of Commerce. This actual position is not so much economic development, like bringing major corporations to town. The Assistant City Manager, Dale Sugerman, and the Chamber are handling that function. Mr. Hutchinson asked if there would be an involvement with a viewpoint toward the redevelopment areas. Mr. Finkelstein thought the CRA Director would have to be involved and go to those meetings on behalf of the CRA. Mr. DeMarco mentioned that three members of the CRA Board are members of the Economic Development Committee in the Chamber. Mr. Finkelstein brought up the Sunshine Law where everything is done in the open. Mr. Hutchinson stated that they had this law in Texas also, Mr. Hutchinson asked about the accounting mechanisms for the Director's office and whether there would be accounting people that took care of that. Mr. Finkelstein said that the CRA Director and his staff would handle the accounting such as keeping the checkbook and inputting income and outgo into Quick Books or something similar On the computer and handling the budget. The current budget T.I.F. income is approximately $950K a year. There is a current fund balance of around $6M. Mr. Finkelstein stated that the accounting responsibility did not necessarily have to be done by the CRA Director himself but that the CRA director would ultimately be responsible for the budget. Mr. Hutchinson stated that he was "squeaky-clean." He had never been in a controversy about funds and he liked to keep it that way. He liked to have as much audit or separation as he could get. Mr. Hutchinson thought it was good public policy to have third parties or annual audits or something to that effect when it came to public funds. Mr. Aguila noted that there was a specific line item budget that is set up every year by the Board and the Director would give monthly reports that would show how those balances had gone up or down. Mr. Finkelstein said the City also had double-signature checks. Ms. Dominguez thought that the key was to hire an assistant who was comfortable with accounting and very detail-oriented. Ms. Dominguez stated that she has a staff of seven in Delray Beach. She also has an Assistant Director who is also the Comptroller and does all of the financing and bookkeeping. Mr. Finkelstein stated that other than the three studies Mr. Hutchinson had been given, the Board's annual expenses were around $20K. In summary, Mr. Hutchinson stated that he was interested in the job and would not take it unless he could make a commitment to it and that this could be verified. He asked what kind of timeframe was involved in the decision-making process. He was told that the finalists would probably be chosen in three weeks and that the Board would be meeting on April 9. Mr. Hutchinson commented that if things became serious and he came back, he would like to have someone drive him around to get a more in-depth feel of things. 12 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Candidate #3 - Glenn Vann Answer #1: Mr. Vann stated that he wanted the job because he knew that he had the education and the experience to bring about the level of redevelopment that was desired by the City of Boynton Beach. He has had over fifteen years of experience in economic development and redevelopment in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. He thought he brought a wealth of experience ~n redevelopment and new economic development to the table. Answer #2: Mr. Vann stated that he worked for the East Central Planning & Development District (ECPDD) in Mississippi for about nine years. The District covered nine counties and 32 municipalities within those counties with the key city being Meridian, Mississippi, a city of about 60K people. He worked with all of the mayors and Commissioners in those cities as well as Board supervisors with the counties involved with projects ranging from housing to economic development to special projects involving fire houses, and police protection. They applied for grants to bring resources to the various areas within the District. He did this for eight years. He also worked for the Martin Luther King Avenue Redevelopment Corporation in Mobile for three years. He was the first coordinator for that particular office and when he got there he had to start it u p from scratch. Answer #3: In working with the ECPDD he worked with architects, attorneys, engineers, and did his own grant writing. Mr. Finkelstein asked him about his experience in zoning, site planning, and architectural design criteria. Mr. Vann stated that in Miramar he is working in the Planning Department and is the Economic Development Coordinator but he comes under the supervision of the Director of Community Development. He has been a senior staff member and has access to working with the planners on these types of issues as well as zoning when necessary. They are there to offer assistance and advise. Answer #5 and 6 Combined: He was surprised that the redevelopment effort had started twenty years ago and had been followed by several "flat" years in terms of getting things done, but could see that the spirit was there to change that now. Mr. Finkelstein asked Mr. Vann what he saw as the positives and negatives of Boynton Beach. Mr. Vann thought there was a body of people here that were determined to make redevelopment happen. The only negative, and he was not sure it was really a negative, was that there was a lot of politics to be learned. Scenario 2 Mr. Vann stated that offering up-front money was a very serious proposal and would require a thorough knowledge of the project. He thought that housing was a project that would be worth putting money in up front because they put money back into the community, especially when you get into affordable housing type programs, either new 13 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 or the renovation of existing structures. money in terms of soft second mortgages. A lot of banks are willing to invest up-front Scenario 1 Going into that deal, timeframes would have to be set up front. It sounds like a discussion with the developer is in order to see what problems he is having. There might be some unique assistance that could be offered that would allow it to happen. If a timetable were not set down up front, it might have to be done now. If the developer is not able to meet those timetables, then the project might need to be abandoned. Ms. Dominguez stated that a lot of redevelopment requires land assembly and use of eminent domain and she asked him to relate his experiences, if any, with this. He said that eminent domain was sometimes necessary but that it often struck a nerve 'n the community, especially when someone has to leave their house or if you have to ask businesses to vacate the property for a project that meets the common good. It would be good to get in there and work out deals individually, if possible. When this cannot be done, eminent domain has to be used, for the common good. Ms. Dominguez asked if he had any familiarity with the Florida Statutes governing Florida Community Redevelopment Agencies? Mr. Vann replied, "Generally speaking." They were in the process in Miramar of setting up a CRA and they have done some overlays related to the 441 Corridor. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann what the key element of an effective CRA Director would be. Being able to coordinate. Also, you have to be able to work with all sectors of the population. When you talk to Commissioners, Mayors, and City Managers, you have to be able to handle them, and when you stand up in public meetings, you have to handle negative remarks. He had done this all his life. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann, "In the balance between the direction that is given to you by the Board and a potentially contradictory position that you might get from a Commissioner or the City Manager, or maybe independently by another Board member, where is your allegiance?" Mr. Vann said he had been in both those situations. He would lay it all out on the table, all the conflicting opinions. He might say that he disagreed with it but that the majority opinion was to go that way. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann about the largest budget that he had prepared. Mr. Vann replied that when he worked in Mobile, his budget had started out at $300K and he was able to work with the Justice Department to get some social changes made in the community and they looked at a loan pool for small business development. When all the financial sources were put together, including the Community Block Grant funds, the budget came to about $3.5M Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann how many staff people he had been responsible for. Mr. Vann stated that he had a ten-person staff when he coordinated Community Development. In Escambia County he had administrative responsibility for 300 firefighters and the individual fire chiefs of 16 districts. 14 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Mr. Aquila asked Mr. Vann to tell the Committee what he knew about CCNA and how it is implemented. It is the Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act. Mr. Vann stated that he was not familiar with it. Mr. Aguila stated that it was a statutory mandate on how you hire consultants. Mr. Vann explained the methods of bidding and selecting consultants from his experience and the importance of analyzing performance based on past projects. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann if were still working in Miramar. Mr. Vann stated that he was. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann about his activities during a gap in time of about a year between Escambia County to Miramar. Mr. Vann stated that there had been a reorganization of the fire departments, in which he participated, and at the end of the study, several positions were cut, including his own. However, on leaving, he received a "stellar" recommendation from the City Manager. Mr. Aguila asked Mr. Vann whether he would move to Boynton Beach if he got this job. Mr. Vann said it was a consideration and a possibility. Mr. Fenton asked about the foreign trade zone establishment in Miramar, and wondered if Mr. Vann had been a part of this. He stated that the City did not implement the foreign trade zone ultimately, but did work on an as-needed basis for the company that drew up and got approval for it. Mr. Fenton noted that one of the newsletters in Mr. Vann's resume mentioned "working on Lucent" and then he noted another place where it said that Lucent was already in the town and he asked Mr. Vann to comment on this contradiction. Mr. Vann stated that Lucent was building in the town at this time. Things changed with the Lucent deal due to the stock market and so Lucent did not do all that they had wanted to do. They had initially planned to bring in 1,100 employees. They are a presence, but a small one. Mr. Fenton asked Mr. Vann how he was associated with NBC6, Spirit, Royal Caribbean, Aviation Sales, American Express, and Smith Klein & Beecham, or whether he had been involved with them. Mr. Vann stated that he had been in Miramar two years and that he had worked with the City Manager to bring these entities in to Miramar. When he got to the City, the City was already working with many of these names. In many cases permitting was involved and getting various levels of approval on the building cycle for physical structures. He helped them get through the Miramar Building Department. He worked from start to finish with Mattel, when they brought their Latin Amedcan headquarters to Miramar. Mr. Fenton asked Mr. Vann why Mattel had chosen Miramar over Sunrise? Mr. Vann stated that the two cities were competitive with each other. Mr. Fenton wanted to know how Miramar got Mattel to choose Miramar. Mr. Vann thought it was not all about the money. They came to Miramar because Miramar had some vacant land that was suitable for their purpose. Another reason that companies decide to come to a town or not is politics. In Miramar there are no heated political debates. They offer incentives and then kind of "go away." If they need assistance beyond that point, the City helps. The City tries not to get in their way. 15 Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Mr. DeMarco asked Mr. Vann whether he was a director, completely in charge of the Community Development effort in Miramar, or whether he had a supervisor. Mr. Vann stated that he has a Senior Level position in Miramar and they have planners, technicians, and statisticians. He has access to all of them and uses their services as required. Mr. Finkelstein asked Mr. Vann if he had any questions for the Board. Mr. Vann asked about the backgrounds of the CRA Board members. The Committee members explained their backgrounds and Mr. Finkelstein noted the same for the rest of the CRA Board members. He also noted that the CRA was composed of volunteers and that it was now completely independent. Mr. Vann also asked whether the Plans he had been given to read were strict or whether they might change at some point. Where does the City want to be in one year, five years, and ten years? Mr. Finkelstein stated that Mr. Vann had a copy of the Goals and Objectives and that these were short-term goals. The Director updates the Board at every CRA meeting on the status of these goals. The Visions 20/20 Plan, updated by the Heart of Boynton Plan and the Federal Highway Corridor Plan, were the long-range plan. He said the CRA plan had not been updated since 1983. The separate plans are the beginnings of an update of the entire CRA area. Mr. Vann summed up by saying that he had experience working with Boards and with cities and he would rather work for a Board where he could offer his thoughts and experience with an eye to getting things done. He had excellent experiences working with Boards in the past. He stated that he knew what had to be done to encourage economic development and redevelopment and that he had a great relationship with boards and with cities. The interviews were concluded by 4:45 p.m. and the Interview Committee adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Susan Collins Recording Secretary (three tapes) (03/25/02) 16 Ci Beach March 15, 2002 Each candidate was given the following introduction and welcome: Good morning/afternoon and welcome to Boynton Beach. My name is Larry Finkelstein and I am Chairman of the City of Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The other members of the CRA Board jOining us here today are AleXander DeMarco, Jos6 Aguila, and Don Fenton. Aisc joining us is the CRA Director of our neighboring City, Delray BeaCh, Diane Dominguez. This position is a new, contractual position and the person chosen for the position will serve at the pleasure and at the direction of the CRA Board. There is currently no staff, but we have budgeted funds for an administrative secretary and an accountant. We will also need to choose appropriate office space and furnishings as needed. Question 1: Why do you want this job in Boynton Beach and what do you bring to the table? Question 2: Describe briefly your qualifications to help advise the Board, take direction from the Board, and work closely with third-party consultants, developers, residents, business and Property owners, City staff and CRA staff. Include any related or comparable experience. Question 3: Tell us about your experience with development, site planning, zoning issues, grant writing, architecture, and design criteria. Question 4: What proficiencies do you have with computer programs such as Word, Excel, and CAD? Question 5: What do you see as the positives and negatives of Boynton Beach? Special CRA Committee Meeting CRA Director Interviews Boynton Beach, Florida March 15, 2002 Question 6: According to your research on Boynton Beach, what were the biggest surprises? SCENARIOS Scenario A local developer takes advantage of the City's desire to encourage development in the CRA and buys several properties. He then claims the parking requirements are too restrictive and should be changed to no parking and no fee in lieu of parking so he can develop all his properties to the fullest and not lose income-producing square footage to parking. The City accommodated the developer and changed the requirements for parking and further, gave the developer a grant to reduce the cost of the operation of his proposed businesses. However, several years have gone by and the developer has not developed one of the key properties that sits as an eyesore in the middle of the upgraded downtown redevelopment area, nor developed another property in the same area to the extent of the drawings presented to and approved by the Planning and Development Board and City Commission. How would you handle this situation? Scenario 2 A developer comes to you and suggests that the CRA refund the future T.I.F. fund increment for his project for the next 20 years and also pay upfront significant City development fees required, such as permit fees, fee in lieu of parking, recreational fees, water service fees, etc, to increaSe the yield on his project and allow him to increase the yield on his project and alloW him to overpay for additional land to increase the size of his project. What type of project would you consider worthy of this type of incentive, if any, and what advice would you give the Board? 2