City Council Meeting – August 10th

Last updated on September 1, 2021

The City of Titusville Community Redevelopment, (CRA) will have their meeting at City Hall, which starts at 5:30pm

The Regular City Council Meeting is scheduled for 6:30pm

Click here to skip to the City Council Meeting Agenda Items

The CRA Meeting Agenda is as follows:

American Rescue Plan Act – Farmers Market Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Greater Titusville Chamber of Commerce Department/Office

City staff recommends approval of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Greater Titusville Chamber of Commerce to operate a Farmers Market Token Program to be funded by the American Rescue Plan Act to the City Council.

At the July 13, 2021 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting the CRA recommended approval to the City Council for the City to contract with the Greater Titusville Chamber of Commerce to operate a series of farmer markets in the downtown utilizing American Rescue Plan Act funding. Fifty (50) dollars worth of tokens will be provided to Titusville households negatively affected by the Covid pandemic and that meet household income thresholds.

City Council at their July 13, 2021 meeting unanimously approved the plan for the City to partner with the Greater Titusville Chamber of Commerce for the Chamber to operate the farmers market utilizing American Rescue Plan Act funding and directed staff to draft an agreement with the Chamber to operate the farmers market. A MOU is attached for the CRA’s review and recommendation for approval to the City Council.

Funds Proposed:

$52,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Greater Titusville Chamber of Commerce to operate the Farmers Market Token Program

$280,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the City to pay Farmers Market vendors.

A copy of the Agreement can be viewed below

Advisability Re: Funding Park Improvements at Marina and Sand Point Parks in the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) District Department/Office

This item was tabled at the June 8, 2021 CRA meeting and the Board directed staff to contact the North Brevard County Parks & Recreation Department to see what projects the County is proposing at parks located in the CRA. Information on the proposed FY22 Parks Budget was not available until after it was presented to the County Commission.

Brevard County North Parks & Recreation Director Jeff Davis presented the proposed FY22 Parks budget to the City Council at the July 27, 2021 City Council Presentations meeting.

Proposed projects for parks within the CRA include the following:

Marina Park Pavilion Replacement – $400,000

Marina Park Skate Park Lighting – $15,000

Sand Point Park Pavilion Replacement – $629,500

The current FY21 CRA Budget has $45,000 available in the Trail Town Amenities capital projects account to provide improvements that would benefit visitors at Sand Point and Marina Parks. Brevard County Parks staff has indicated that one of the top requests they receive from park users is for a shade structure at the dog park in Marina Park. Parks staff indicates that installation of one 45 foot by 45 foot shade structure for the dog park area is estimated to cost a maximum of $40,000.

Brevard County Parks staff has also indicated that there is a need for park benches in both Sand Point and Marina Parks. Based on the budget and the input of the Parks and Recreation staff, the CRA would be able to fund the purchase of twelve (12) park benches at Sand Point Park at an estimated cost of $3,600 or $300 per park bench. Brevard County Parks staff can research existing contracts in the State to find a contract that provides the lowest cost for the shade structures to piggyback.

If the Board is not inclined to fund park improvements, another possible project that the CRA could consider appropriating the Trails Town Amenities funds towards a viewing structure at Scobie Park near the intersection of Main Street and Indian River Avenue.

The estimated cost of that project is approximately $125,000. Depending on the advisability from the Board on allocation of the available Trail Town account funds, staff will need to be bring a budget amendment back to the CRA for approval

Brevard County North Parks & Recreation proposed FY22 Parks budget:

Conditional Use Permit (CUP) #4-2021 – Rental Car Agency

The applicant is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to locate a rental car agency at 1026 S. Hopkins Avenue. The applicant is proposing to lease the front 1.1 acre portion of the parcel to operate the rental car agency. The property is zoned Downtown Mixed Use (DMU), Midtown Sub-district. Section 28-107(a) of the Land Development Regulations requires rental car agencies to obtain Conditional Use Permit approval in the Midtown Sub-district of the DMU zoning district.

The property has been used as a new/used car sales use since the 1960s. Per the submitted plan, the applicant proposes to utilize the existing building, parking, and ingress/egress points for vehicular access.

FY21 Downtown Projects Timeline

Regular City Council Meeting Agenda Items

Change Order #2 to Work Order #3 – Annual Stormwater and Piping Installation

On November 26, 2019 City Council approved word order #3 to SDV Services for repair and replacement of stormwater pipes and structures at the La Cita Golf Course. In order to move the project forward a change of scope was requested by the City to allow for more underground storage to help alleviate the flooding on Country Club Dr.

On May 11, 2021 City Council approved change order #1 to work order #3 in the amount of $118,178 for a total work order amount of $362,393 to SDV Services, LLC. Change Order #2, is a result of plan changes by staff to add an additional inlet to Country Club Drive, expand the underground storage and expand the roadway repair area.

City Staff recommends that City Council approve change order #2 to work order #3 in the amount of $433,076 for a total work order amount of $795,469 to SDV Services, LLC for repairs and upgrades to the stormwater system at Country Club Dr near La Cita, approve the associated budget amendment and authorize the Mayor and City Manager to execute the work order per review and approval by City staff.

Approving Temporary Closure of State Roads for Special Events – Farmer’s Markets and Downtown Street Parties

City staff recommends approving the temporary closure of S. Washington Avenue (US Highway 1) on selected Fridays from August 13, 2021 through December 10, 2021 for Farmer’s Markets and Downtown Street Parties.

This Resolution would approve the temporary closure of S. Washington Avenue for:

Farmer’s Markets scheduled for August 13, 2021, August 29, 2021, September 10, 2021, September 24, 2021, October 8, 2021, October 22, 2021, November 12, 2021 and December 10, 2021

Downtown Street Parties scheduled for August 13, 2021, September 10, 2021, October 8, 2021, November 12, 2021 and December 10, 2021.

Change Order #1 to Contract #CN20-B-044 with Wharton Smith, Inc. for City of Titusville Building Permit Fees

On February 23, 2021, the City Council authorized the Mayor to execute contract #CN20-B044 in the amount of $9,537,000 with Wharton Smith, Inc. for the Osprey Water Reclamation Facility Nutrient Removal Upgrade Project. This contract is currently ongoing.

During construction, the building permit was applied for and has an associated cost of $36,836.18. This increase in cost to the project also slightly raised the insurance costs by $276.27 and the bond costs by $184.18 for a total value of $37,296.63. The cost of the building permit was paid by Wharton Smith and this change order is will reimburse those costs.

The contractor has provided a change order noting the building permit fee, reference to the check number, and associated insurance and bond fees. Staff recommends approval of Change Order #1 in the amount of $37,296.63 to contract #CN20-B-044 with Wharton Smith, Inc. for repayment of the City of Titusville Building Permit fee and authorize the City Manager to execute the change order.

Naming the Kurt Eichin Memorial Trail

The Office of State Senator Tom Wright (Senate District 14) has requested a resolution from the City supporting the naming of a portion of the Coast to Coast Connector within Brevard County as the “Kurt Eichin Memorial Trail.”

A similar resolution has been approved by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners.

Specific Revisions to the Firefighters’ Pension Plan and established “Share Plan” to provide special benefits to Firefighters

This is the second reading and public hearing for the following proposed Ordinance for the Firefighters’ Educational incentive pay and types of incentive pay for members of the union which are currently stated in the IAFF collective bargaining agreement language Article 22 Incentive Pay:

a. Associates Degree and /or Bachelors Degree in Fire Science as provided by the State of Florida pursuant to F.S. 633.422.

d. Paramedic Certification pay in the amount of four thousand five hundred dollars ($4,500) for Solo Paramedic Status pay for a total Paramedic incentive of ($6,500) per year including two thousand dollars ($2,000) per year for FL Paramedic Certification.

e. State of FL Fire Officer Two certification pay in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) per month

f. State of FL Fire Instructor certification shall receive twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per month

g. State of Florida Live Fire Instructor certification shall receive fifty ($50.00) per month

h. Titusville SWAT Team shall receive fifty dollars ($50.00) per month

The aforementioned pay incentives currently count as pensionable earnings.

These revisions do not constitute additional cost to the City to list these incentives in the revised Pension Ordinance. In addition, this Ordinance establishes a supplemental benefit component referred to as the Share Plan providing for a special benefit for Firefighters to be funded solely by F.S. 175 Premium Tax Monies.

The components of the Share Plan referred to in this Ordinance were negotiated and have been mutually agreed to by the City and the IAFF in accordance with F.S. 175.351 and Article 4.8 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The CBA between the IAFF and COT was approved by the City Council on May 11,2021.

Ordinance No. 21-2021 – Community Gardens

This is the first reading and first public hearing of Ordinance No. 21-2021, amending the Code of Ordinances to allow community gardens as a permitted use in the Public (P) zoning district and a limited use in Neighborhood Commercial (NC), General Use (GU), Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) and Regional Mixed Use (RMU) zoning districts.

Based upon a request by members of the public, City Council approved advisability for staff to prepare amendments to the Code expanding the zoning districts in which community gardens are permitted/limited uses.

Council also expressed interest in visually buffering community gardens along arterial roadways. The proposed ordinance expands community gardens as a permitted use in the Public (P) zoning district.

Community gardens are proposed as a limited use in the General Use (GU), Neighborhood Commercial (NC), General Use (GU), Downtown Mixed Use and Regional Mixed Use zoning districts with requirement for a visual buffering along arterial roadways.

American Rescue Plan Act – Low Income Housing Tax Credit

City staff seeks direction on the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the proposed Forest Glen low-income housing tax credit housing project located at 2001 South Street. Summary Explanation & Background: On July 13, 2021, City Council approved the Neighborhood Services Department portion of the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant program. This approval included allocating $460,000 for affordable housing developments that include a homeless element for set-aside units.

Subsequent to the aforementioned July 13th meeting, the Neighborhood Services Department received a request for funding from an affordable housing developer who is applying for the annual Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, for the vacant property located at 2001 South Street. The developer, in their application, is seeking the Local Government Areas of Opportunity Designation and Goal, which requires a commitment from the City in the form of a grant or loan of $460,000.00 at application, demonstrating its high level of interest in the project.

Although the Local Government Areas of Opportunity Designation is not a requirement to apply for the tax credit program, it provides the project a preference for the tax credit funding over non-opportunity designations. It should be noted that the City is open to accepting applications for projects through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program at any time.

Currently, the requested project is the only application which has been made to City. The Forest Glen development proposal indicates that the development, when complete, would consist of ninety (90) units for low-income households making up to 80% of the area medianincome consisting of one, two, and three bedroom options, as well as ten percent (10%) of the units set-aside for those individuals or families meeting the HUD definition of homeless.

If approved by Council, staff would commit $460,000.00 of the City’s ARPA grant funds to this project, which would preclude staff from entertaining other affordable housing development projects for funding consideration under the City’s current ARPA budgeted program.

However, should the application not be accepted or be funded by the FHFC, the commitment will become null and void, and the Neighborhood Services Department will advertise the availability of the funds for the same purpose through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. The applicant is aware that final approval of these funds will be based upon review by a third party auditor review for compliance with ARPA guidelines. Funds committed under this action would not be transferred to the Developer until successful completion of the project on or before the ARPA expenditure deadline.

The funding would be provided through a local development agreement requiring a minimum of a twenty-year affordability period (lien) to ensure that the project remains its intended use during that timeframe. At the end of the twenty-year affordability period, the City would received repayment in full of its investment, which in turn would be regenerated back into affordable housing programs.

The Neighborhood Services staff has reviewed the Forest Glen proposal, and finds that it meets the intent of the current American Rescue Plan Act program guidelines, as well as the City’s housing goals and objectives found in its Community Development Block Grant and Five-Year Strategic Plan.

Staff is seeking Council’s direction on the commitment of its full $460,000.00 ARPA affordable housing set-aside funds for this project, and authorization for the City Manager to execute the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Local Government Verification of Contribution- Loan Form, if approved.