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Minutes 10-28-93 #INUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY C01414ISSIOH 14EETING HELD IN CO#HISSION CHAHBERS, CITY HALL, BOYHTON BEACH, FLORIDA, ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1993, AT 6:30 P. 14.. PRESENT Edward Harmening, Mayor J. Scott Miller, City Manager Jose Aguila, Vice Mayor Shannon Burkett, Deputy City Clerk Lynne Matson, Mayor Pro Tem Robert Walshak, Commissioner David Katz, Commissioner CALL TO ORDER Mayor Harmening called this special meeting to order at 6:30 P. M. to interview candidates for the position of Downtown District Coordinator. City Manager Miller advised that one of the applicants, Tom Plante, has with- drawn his application as of this afternoon. GEORGE DENGLER City Manager Miller introduced Mr. Dengler. Mayor Harmening advised Mr. Dengler that he has nothing against him personally but that he is totally opposed to this position and he will do everything within his power to do away with it. Vice Mayor Aguila advised Mr. Dengler that this City operates on a majority vote and there are four members of the Commission who fully support this position and this effort. The members of the Commission introduced themselves. Commissioner Katz' vision for this position is somebody who has ideas for the downtown and who is familiar with securing money to improve the downtown. In reviewing Mr. Dengler's resume, it appeared to Commissioner Katz that Mr. Dengler has only done studies. He asked Mr. Dengler if he ever took a central business district that was in such disarray as this one and improved it. Mr. Dengler advised that he has not done this from an administrative point of view; however, he has been through many of the processes on a consulting basis. Vice Mayor Aguila asked if Mr. Dengler has a minimum of five years proven experience with a redevelopment agency or in a supervisory position with a private development firm specializing in urban development projects. Mr. Dengler advised that he has not been involved with an agency; however, he has been in a supervisory position with a private consulting firm that special- izes in providing services to communities in development and redevelopment. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Mr. Dengler how he perceives the problem with downtown Boynton Beach and how he thinks this area should be revitalized. Mr. Dengler stated that the land use plan decided upon must meet with community acceptance and has to reflect a development of land uses which have a demonstrated market support forum. He stated that usually in a redevelopment area, there are more -1 #INUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY C01414I$$ION #EETING _ BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 risks than in a private development. For example, if a developer wants to come into an area like downtown Boynton Beach, he cannot assemble the land without assistance because the land is owned by a multitude of owners. There may be other things that economically become a problem in terms of parking or infra- structure, etc. Therefore, the plan may have to provide some kind of incentive for a developer to invest in the downtown as opposed to a cow pasture in the western part of the county where it is pretty cut and dry. Furthermore, the plan has to be within the possibility of the public funding capabilities for any infrastructure that needs to be provided in order to induce development. Mr. Dengler pointed out that there is no real central focus and that there is a lot of vacant land in downtown Boynton Beach. He felt the first order of busi- ness that the community needs to undertake is to develop a pl~an that has objec- tives and goals which reflect the community because the community is going to have to accept any public cost that may be associated with it. Mr. Dengler felt that priorities have to be set because everything cannot be done at one time. In addition, it has to be determined what the City wants the function of the downtown area to be. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Mr. Dengler what specific experience he has had in down- town redevelopment that makes him feel qualified to make this redevelopment effort a success. Mr. Dengler stated that no one can guaranty whether or not a project will be a success. He worked on the downtown areas of Fort Lauderdale and Safety Harbour where he helped put together developer packages for solic- iting developer interest in specific sites and projects. He worked on the Central Beach and Brickel Avenue projects in Fort Lauderdale. The Brickel Avenue project involved a historic district near the downtown. He was involved in designating land use programs for some buildings. He was involved in a proj- ect in Meridan, Connecticut, an old mill community between New Haven and Hartford. This project involved $58,000,000 of renovation and new development in their downtown district. He was also involved in the Riverwalk project. Vice Mayor Aguila asked about Mr. Dengler's strengths and weaknesses. Mr. Dengler felt his strengths are that he understands market, knows how to pro- ject the demand for land uses, understands the needs of the community and the developer, and understands the need to convince the community that a redevelop- ment program is cost efficient in terms of what it would do for the community. He felt his weakness is that he has not been involved in projects like this on an administrative level. Mayor Harmening felt most of the tenants and land owners in downtown are not in favor of a Downtown District Coordinator and pointed out that others have unsuc- cessfully attempted to do something with the downtown. He asked Mr. Dengler if he thinks he will succeed. Mr. Dengler stated that if there is not a general consensus among those most effected, it would be very difficult to do anything. He felt you have to go through the process step by step and have the consensus · ~ build with you as you go along. Mayor Harmening asked about the effect of the alignment of the railroad and U. S. 1. Mr. Dengler advised that it would physically limit what can be done in -2- #INUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY C01414I$$ION #EETING .. BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 the area where they are close, and it would have to be determined whether that area would be most appropriate as open space or a specialty restaurant. Mr. Dengler said it would not leave room for any significant development. Mayor Pro Tem Matson stated that one source of revitalization and revenue for any jurisdiction is to attract new businesses into the area. Due to the econom- ic slump, the City of Boynton Beach has not been successful in attracting new businesses. She asked about Mr. Dengler's experience in this area and what he would do to promote and attract new business and economic growth. Mr. Dengler stated that business can ~be difficult to attract in any community. He felt the best approach is to look at the labor force characteristics in the community, the infrastructure of the community, the types of industries which are already in the community, and to go through a process of targeting industries which can be sol i cited. He advised that in many cases, the Chamber of Commerce or econom- ic development groups have been a vehicle for making those pitches; however, you have to have sites available before you can do anything. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Dengler about the extent of his interactions with the Chamber of Commerce, community redevelopment agencies, commercial and retail business establishments, and municipal government. Mr. Dengler explained that all of these agencies at one time or another have been clients of his. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked if Mr. Dengler could walk through the grant process with someone interested in a mom and pop kind of business. Mr. Dengler has not had experience in this but did not see this as being unduly difficult. Mr. Dengler was asked if he had any questions. Mr. Dengler asked if it is possible to have taxes and social security deducted from his salary so that he does not have to pay it in advance. City Manager Miller advised that something can be worked out. In response to Mr. Dengler, Mayor Harmening advised that an administrative assistant will be assigned to him. In closing, Mr. Dengler stated that he knows the process and feels he can make a contribution. He stated that he is not a magician and does not bring any prom- ises in advance. If selected, he will work hard to get this thing moving and keep the City apprised of why he thinks it is not moving if there are problems. At 7:05 P. M., Mayor Harmening declared a recess and instructed Vice Mayor Aguila to call the meeting back to order should he not be present when the second applicant arrives. Vice Mayor Aguila called the meeting back to order at 7:26 P. M. and advised Ms. Ford of Mayor Harmening's position on this matter. ANN FORD Commissioner Katz asked if Ms. Ford has ever taken a central business district from nothing to a self-sustaining economic area. Ms. Ford said she has not; -3- N~NUTE$ - SPECZAL C~TY COI4Nr~$$~ON #EET~NG BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 however, she has contributed to this process in cities all across the United States. Commissioner Katz advised her that downtown Boynton Beach lacks busi- ness and pedestrian traffic. Ms. FOrd advised that there must be enough activ- ity for people to fee] safe enough to go downtown and that there must be a few other businesses that mix well. She wondered if the citizens are aware that the tax situation would be much better if the commercial district was improved. Commissioner Katz asked about Ms. Ford's contacts who might be beneficial to downtown Boynton Beach. Ms. Ford advised that she has worked a lot with the Commerce Department grant programs through the Economic Development Administration (the "EDA") and has done very successful grants with them. She stated that the EDA is one of the few places that has major chunks of money to put into the kind of work needed for downtown Boynton Beach. She has very good relationships with the State as well and has worked with the Commission in Deland to help them get a half million dollar building and renovation money in order to renovate that historic building. She did a commercial corridor for them. She advised that grant money is available for this. Ms. Ford stated that if the State gives Boynton Beach planning money, the next step would be to figure out a reasonable way to go about causing the environment you want to create. Commissioner Katz advised her that the City already has many plans. Ms. Ford stated that they should be submitted to the State for a planning grant because once that grant is received, you are more likely to get more money, par- ticu]arly historic matching fund grants, for key components of the project. Mayor Pro Tem Matson stated that one source of revitalization and revenue for any jurisdiction is to attract new businesses into the area. She asked about Ms. Ford's experience in this area and what she would do to promote and attract new business and economic growth in Boynton Beach. Ms. Ford told of her current experience with working with a California consortium. She stated that you have to look at a particular area, the economic problem that they are having, the census information, and feasibility studies for what makes a good economic mix for that area, and you target. Mayor Pro Tem Matson stated that there a lot of vacant store fronts. She asked if Ms. Ford would be able to walk a person through a grant application and the City processes to start a mom and pop business. Ms. Ford said she read through the Code sent her and it looks like a fairly easy one to work with. She stated that economic development is a combined effort and is a very close knit opera- tion involving a very tight tie to the City Manager, the Planning Director, and the Utilities Director. Her undergraduate training is in gravity model voca- tional analysis, There are very few people in the United States that have this training. She explained that you have to take the whole metropolitan area (from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach) and look at what is there, what hitch is not filled, what would flag somebody off the highway and make them want to come into downton Boynton Beach for something they cannnot already get in Boca Raton or West Palm Beach, and to develop a nitch. When you take a census data (educa- tion, income, etc.) for this whole surrounding area and plug it into a gravity model, you are going to find out what the demands and needs are for that income and education level of that metropolitan area. You then present this to industry or business and try to attract them to Boynton Beach. Regarding the #INUTES - SPECIAL CITY COI414ISSION #EETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 little antiques stores that are starting up, with facade grants and street improvements, etc., you have to design out crime. They need to be able to be open at night. Restaurants need to stay open at night to cause somebody to want to be down there at night. Better signage and uniformity is needed. Better landscaping is needed in the front, as wel~ as in the back. Facade grants are now allowing landscaping in the back to make it inviting no matter which side you are on. She noticed in the design guidelines that the City would like people to park in back. This makes it even more important to go after the money to allow them to make the back of the store attractive as well. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Ms. Ford what she sees as the catalyst for downtown Boynton Beach. Ms. Ford advised that you have to take little steps in a situa- tion like this and that one success leads to the next. She explained that vacant lots stop everything dead. Commissioner Katz pointed out that there are many absentee owners. Ms. Ford stated that they need to be called and talked to about their property and that Code Enforcement needs to get out there if a code problem exists. She explained that when y~ou have their attention, you can point out other factors to them that would increase the value of their property if they would work with you on it. She felt you get a lot more cooperation when you have a program and call them and ask for their help than you would by just sending them a notice. At this point in the meeting, Mayor Harmening returned. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Ms. Ford how she envisions her role in what the area is now and what it is to become. He also asked her about her role in making it happen with regard to those who own the property and those who inundate the property owners with regulations and constraints. Ms. Ford saw her role as coach. She said there are a lot of possibilities. The census data has to be reviewed and it has to be determined what the best possibilities are and why. Workshops should be set up with the business community and the downtown marketing association needs to be involved. Ms. Ford advised that waterfront grants are still available. She felt Boynton has much promise and potential. Vice Mayor Aguila asked how Ms. Ford intends to make herself available and be that coach on a one on one personal level. Ms. Ford advised that you have to get the marketing association and as many people involved as possible. She felt a facade grant should be sought immediately. Colors, design features, and signage need to be discussed. Ms. Ford stated that some of the structures would be better utilizing blade signs. They would not be as intrusive and they would be more readable at eye level. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked what Ms. Ford is going to do to encourage a person to start up a business and to get them through grant and City processes. Ms. Ford advised that most successful redevelopment downtown programs have a person to do this, and that this is the position the City advertised for. In closing, Ms. Ford said she would love to see Boynton Beach with a great marina. She felt that the antique area can be quite nice with the historic features that are available. More restaurant activity needs to be encouraged to NINUTES - SPECIAL CITY CONNISSION NEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 make the downtown pedestrian-friendly. Ms. Ford advised that there are experts available for free that could help. She said there are tremendous resources to draw from for free to help analyze the downtown and to work with the people. In response to someone in the audience, Ms. Ford advised that it is extremely important to target what you want, know your demographics, and seek the appropriate restaurant or antique store. This same person in the audience asked how Ms. Ford felt about the noisy rail- road. Ms. Ford advised that great things can be done with railroad tracks and that there are mass transit grants still available for trolleys for pedestrian circulation. Ms. Ford stated that it is not a bad thing to have a noisy restaurant (which is typical in Europe) or outdoor dining by the railroad track. Mayor Harmening asked how long Ms. Ford visualizes it taking to achieve this desired effect. Ms. Ford advised that it never goes quickly. She said you really have to look at a five year plan and a ten year plan and even further up than that. T, NEIL FRITZ Mayor Harmening introduced the members of the Commission. Mr. Fritz gave a background of himself and told how he first became interested in downtown revitalization. He advised that he has an extremely comprehensive working knowledge of the Main Street approach and how it can be applied. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Mr. Fritz why Boynton Beach excites him. Mr. Fritz replied that on his initial drive through, he stopped at the Shell station on Woolbright Road and asked where the downtown was and was told there is no down- town. Mr. Fritz said this is not an exciting place. He said the downtown area has a very interesting block of historic architecture, but after reading the CRA redevelopment plan, he thinks the opportunities are very exciting. He is aware of the streetscaping plans and thinks the opportunity to work with the property and business owners to bring in the private sector exists. He stated that the excitement is in the potential and that there are good demographics in the com- munity. He felt that if the community comes together as a group, a vision can be found for downtown and that vision will be very exciting. Vice Mayor Aguila asked him what he can do to galvanize the community. Mr. Fritz said the first thing to do is decide the logistics of the program itself, and to immediately reach out to the Chamber of Con~nerce, the business and property owners, and financial institutions {both inside and outside the district}, and find out what people already understand is important downtown. Mr. Fritz said he specializes in organizational build out in the private sector. He suggested working with the people to form a task force, undertaking a market analysis, and start focusing on what this is going to be and what is realistic. Commissioner Katz asked him for his definition of good demographics. Mr. Fritz stated that the median age in Boynton Beach is older than the rest of the -6 NINUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION NEETING ._ BOYNTON BEACH,, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 County. He thinks there is a potential market for the downtown and that the local market needs to be looked at immediately. Commissioner Katz asked him about absentee owners. Mr. Fritz advised that they can be contacted and if the right business mix is found to increase the value of the downtown, you are talking that property owner's language. Commissioner Katz asked him about his success in obtaining grant dollars. Mr. Fritz said the only grant he worked directly on was the mainstreet grant itself. Other than Historic Preservation of Florida grant:, he did not think the City should look too heavily to grants for property improvements because it is difficult money to get for private property. He suggested work, lng with the Planning Department to get some ice tea grants for transportation. He felt the downtown will be successful through the investment the City makes to attract private investment. He stated that there is a lot of competition when it comes to grants. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Fritz what he would do to promote and attract new business and economic growth. Mr. Fritz felt the two most important things to do immediately are to take an inventory of what space is available and do a detailed market analysis. The City should then help the existing businesses grow and improve. This, hopefully, would attract new business. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked him if he would be able to help a potential small business owner to fill out a grant application and guide them through the City process. Mr. Fritz said this is an essential part of a liaison; to work in every way possible to meet the needs of someone who wants to open a business. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Fritz about his visions for downtown Boynton Beach. Mr. Fritz thi:nks once the community is involved, is excited, and can articulate a vision, anything is possible. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Mr. Fritz what his weaknesses are. Mr. Fritz replied that if he has a weakness, it is perhaps impatience. Once he believes something is possible, he really wants it to happen. He turns that around by adopting someone else's agenda. His other weakness is an inability to function in an environment that turns negative. GLEN IRWIN Mayor Harmening introduced the members of the Commission. Mr. Irwin told of his qualifications and experience. He said he has approxi- mately nine years of experience in various stages of housing and economic redevelopment. His first experience was working with Palm Beach County with their Community Development Block Grant {CDBG} program. He was there for about 4½ years as Senior Planner. The emphasis of the CDBG program was on housing rehabilitation, capital improvements, and relocation. As planner he was involved in demographic analysis, market conditions, and grant writing. Mr. Irwin said he did a lot of grant writing in a number of housing programs. -7- NINUTE$ - SPECIAL CITY COI414I$$ZON #EETING ~ BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 From there he went to the Riviera Beach Redevelopment Agency. He was employed there for about 4½ years. This opened him up more to the economic' development side of redevelopment. He now works with a West Palm Beach consulting firm. Most of his emphasis is in various stages of housing redevelopment. Vice Mayor Aguila asked Mr. Irwin what he perceives the problem to be in down- town Boynton Beach and what he thinks should be done to solve the problem. Mr. Irwin stated that some of the problems in downtown Boynton Beach are no different than those of other downtowns along the coast, such as vacant lots and lack of development. Mr. Irwin advised that this is common along Federal Highway. He pointed out the attributes of Boynton Beach. He said it is very close to 1-95, it is on the waterfront, all civic uses are close to the central business district, and it contains residential, which brings a lot of potential customers. He stated that having residential is going to make mixed use development easier to do. Mr. Irwin stated that a market plan needs to be done and some areas in the down- town need to be fixed up, for example the northwest corner of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway. Commissioner Katz asked about Mr. Irwin's success with grants for a central business district. Mr. Irwin advised that he helped get a $40,000 grant from Palm Beach County for Riviera Beach to do a market study. Commissioner Katz asked what Mr. Irwin would do about absentee property owners. Mr. Irwin suggested sending them a newsletter to let them know what is happening and to keep them informed. He also suggested calling them. Commissioner Katz asked Mr. Irwin to convince him why the City should hire another planner. Mr. Irwin explained that the title of planner which he has carried around with him is kind of a misnomer, and that his background really is not in typical land use planning. His background is more in working with the block grant program, program coordination, urban design master planning, marina permitting, master plan traffic engineering, and vesting development so future development can occur. His undergraduate degree is in economics. His master's degree is in public administration. Commissioner Walshak asked Mr. Irwin about the criteria for establishing the enterprise zones. Mr. Irwin explained that in the early 1980s there were a number of enterprise zones. Around 1987, the State came out with much more com- petitive criteria, such has having vacant land available to be redeveloped, having the right mix of commercial and industrial, and being willing to waive or reduce fees for occupational licenses. Mr, Irwin did not think enterprise zones have been successful because not enough benefits were involved and the regula- tions were so cumbersome and there was much paperwork involved. Commissioner Walshak asked if he felt the criteria has lessened in 1993. Mr. Irwin did not believe the criteria has lessened. However, he felt the opportune time may be coming up, depending on what the federal government does. Mayor Harmening asked if Mr. Irwin would be discouraged if his efforts are not accepted by the people. Mr. Irwin stated that the stability factor is always a H~NUTE$ - SPECIAL C~TY COHH~$$~ON MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 big question with downtown development. He believes the civic ]eaders must take control and charge in order for downtown redevelopment to occur and hopes the City Commission is committed, Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Irwin what he would do to promote and attract new business and economic growth. Mr. Irwin felt it is crucial to have a marketing plan. This will tie in with a market analysis. He felt the Chamber of Commerce is a big key in making this happen and that the City should work with them and the advisory board members to set up a committee and put together a marketing plan. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Irwin if he would be able to help potential business owners to write grant applications and get through City processes. Mr. Irwin felt one of his strong points is working with people individually. He also felt very confident in writing grants. Mayor Pro Tem Matson asked Mr. Irwin what he perceives happening in the not too distant future. Mr. Irwin felt there is potential on Ocean Avenue to restore and fix up some of the store fronts to promote the pedestrian theme. He felt it is crucial to utilize the waterfront and the marina, He felt the park and the fixing up of the schools will bring people downtown. He suggested expanding the beautification program along Federal Highway and parts of Boynton Beach Boulevard. He felt mixtures development brings activity to downtowns. Mr. Irwin thanked the Commission for their time. Motion Commissioner Walshak moved to nominate Ann Ford as the Downtown Coordinator. Mayor Pro Tem Matson seconded the motion. Commissioner Walshak commended City Manager Miller for choosing four intelli- gent, outstanding individuals to be interviewed. City Manager Miller gave cred- it to the Community Redevelopment Advisory Board. Commissioner Walshak felt Ms. Ford brings an enthusiasm, a charm, contacts, and intellectual prowess that is absolutely necessary for this job. Commissioner Katz pointed out that two applicants cancelled their interviews because of the issue of money. He pointed out the accomplishments made by the cities of Delray Beach, who has a lobbyist and a CRA director, and Boca Raton, who has a marketing director, a lobbyist, and a CRA director. Commissioner Walshak felt these cities cannot be compared. He stated that the City of Boynton Beach has put forth a great deal of effort. Commissioner Walshak stated that he reads all the time in the newspapers about the City Commission bickering; however, he pointed out that the water in Boynton Beach is drinkable. He stated that the City of Boynton Beach has succeeded in building the most modern water treatment facility in the country. He pointed out that the City of Boynton Beach has a very low crime rate. He also pointed out that out of the bickering, fighting, and enthusiastic debates, the Commission has -9- MINUTES - SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA OCTOBER 28, 1993 managed to tear down the Old Sewer Treatment Plant, and has accomplished much over the last couple of years. He felt we should be proud of the City of Boynton Beach and stated that it is a nice City to live in. Mayor Harmening added that the City of Boynton Beach does not have the beach front tax base that Boca Raton and Delray Beach have. Commissioner Walshak added that if we had a little bit of foresight, we would start annexing our valuable properties. He pointed out that the City of Boynton Beach is the only city in the world that has a water treatment plant, a golf course, and possibly a high school outside the City limits. The motion carried 4-1. Mayor Harmening cast the dissenting vote. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to come before the City Commission, this special meeting adjourned at 9:10 P. M. THE CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH Mayor Vice Mayor ATTEST: Pro Tem Ci tyjC1 e rk - Commi ssi oner 'Recordi'ng Secretary /.J ommi ssi oner (Three Tapes) - 10 -