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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20220111 Hybrid CRA Board MeetingMINUTES OF HYBRID MEETING DANIA BEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY TUESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2022 - 5:30 P.M. 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Chair James called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. Present: Chair: Vice -Chair: Board Members: Executive Director: City Attorney: CRA Secretary: 2. Citizen Comments Tamara James Marco A. Salvino, Sr. - via virtual attendance Joyce L. Davis Lori Lewellen Lauren Odman - via virtual attendance K. Michael Chen Eve Boutsis Thomas Schneider There were no comments at this meeting. 3. Administrative Reports 3.1 Administrative Report Director Chen reviewed the information included in the agenda packet, consisting of updates on the Dania Beach Innovation Ecosystem (the Dania Beach Business Academy; related item on tonight's Consent Agenda), Dania After Dark (revised special permit application on tonight's City Commission agenda), Dania Beach entering international markets, economic development activities (new business resources webpage, new business additions, and pending fagade grants inquiries), the CRA Plan Update (the REP Selection Committee reached a unanimous consensus to recommend Vanasse, Hangen, Brustlin, Inc.), and the PATCH (grant reports, December events, and the Vertical Hydroponic Gardening pilot program). 4. Presentations There were no presentations on this agenda. 5. Consent Agenda 5.1 Minutes: Approve Minutes of December 14, 2021 CRA Board Virtual Meeting 5.2 Travel Requests: None 5.3 RESOLUTION NO. 2022-CRA-001 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY ("CRA") OF THE CITY OF DANIA BEACH, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE PROPER CRA OFFICIALS TO EXECUTE THE PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES WITH SCORE BROWARD, A FLORIDA NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION; AND TO WAIVE COMPETITIVE BIDDING AS THE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED ARE FROM A SOLE SOURCE PROVIDER; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; FURTHER, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. Board Member Lewellen motioned to approve the Consent Agenda; seconded by Board Member Davis. The motion carried unanimously. 6. Proposals and Bids There were no proposals on this agenda. 7. Discussion and Possible Action 7.1 CRA Executive Director evaluation Chair James asked the Board for their comments. Board Member Davis noted she did her homework and was able to log her concerns. She was looking to have more benchmarks to document overall with the partnerships undertaken by the CRA to indicate what we wanted to get out of the programs. Overall, she thought the Executive Director was doing an excellent job and with this additional information, will do even better. Board Member Lewellen said Director Chen came into his position in the middle of a pandemic. She would like to see some things tied in together in our relationships and moving the relationships to a new level. It is not just promoting the City but bringing things back to us; there is still time to do this. She is pleased with the communication with the Director and with what the Director has with the City. She would like the CRA as a group to come together to determine what they want to see, but she felt we are on the right track. She addressed possibly increasing benefits for the Director. Board Member Odman noted she and Director Chen do not talk very often; there were trust issues at play, but they have an agreement that they both want to see the best for the CRA. It has been a challenge for her to communicate with him to effectively get across what she wanted to see happen in the CRA and for the CRA. Some of it could be accounted for by the lack of Minutes of Hybrid Regular Meeting 2 Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Tuesday, January 11, 2022 — 5:30 p.m. interaction in City Hall with the pandemic. She is hopeful they work on their relationship over the next year and on the things she would like to see happen in the CRA. Vice -Chair Salvino said he has spoken to Director Chen many times about issues in the CRA; they have had their differences, but he has watched Director Chen change. Director Chen is very extensive on the programs he is developing, and he would like to see the CRA projects completed. It has been difficult with the pandemic. He felt that we should extend the contract or give a cost of living raise or adjust his benefits and let him prove himself and possibly evaluate him again. Chair James noted she was very excited to bring Director Chen on, but they have disconnects and he is aware of those. She would like to see the same passion he has for the PATCH Mission to Market spread out to all the CRA projects and aspects. She wants to see more tangible things so she can see what the CRA is doing; things do take time. The Strategic Plan is great, but we cannot wait on it to take the CRA forward. Some areas have fallen to the wayside. Her expectation is that we hit all the points in the CRA Plan. She also does not have the type of relationship she would like to have with the Director. To her, not enough has been done; we do not have to stop to focus on one thing. She spoke about diversity in housing and safety, as well. She is looking forward to a better relationship with the Director and improved relations between him and the stakeholders in the CRA district, and communications with the stakeholders. Director Chen thanked the Board and thanked them for the conversations he has had with each of them. He is definitely interested in finding ways to work closer with the Board. He felt he has been addressing a good range of the CRA Plan and his objective is to continue the work started. Director Chen noted an in -person quorum has not been achieved for the workshop scheduled on January I3 h. Chair James said we could re -schedule now. Vice -Chair Salvino commented he would like to give Director Chen an extra week of vacation pay. Chair James noted she is opposed to this. Board Member Lewellen said she favors it because it shows we have confidence in him, and we support him. Board Member Odman commented she would not be in support of this. She has spoken to Director Chen only a handful of times and does not know how this would be justified. At this time with everything going on with COVID, she would not support this. Board Member Davis said she wanted to be sure we are being consistent and referenced the City Manager's contract. She would be in favor of it, and she explained her reasons. Minutes of Hybrid Regular Meeting 3 Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Tuesday, January 11, 2022 — 5:30 p.m. The consensus of the Board was to give Director Chen an extra week of vacation pay. Chair James asked the Board to look at dates for the re -scheduled workshop. The Board agreed to hold the workshop on January Wh at 5:00 p.m. 7.2 Smith Store Property Director Chen reviewed the information included in the agenda packet and noted staff is requesting Board approval to proceed with Recommendations 1 and 2 as outlined in the Director's memo. Chair James noted it takes a unanimous vote to change from single-family homes to townhomes as this is the stipulation of the restrictive covenants. She does not agree with the townhomes concept of it and would not agree to changing from single-family homes. Some of the qualifications seem to be unfair and she addressed the down payment assistance component in the recommendations. She also disagrees that each house must qualify as a minimum of a four - person household. Board Member Odman said she has a problem with a four -person minimum. Director Chen explained the sale price criteria is set by the cost of the house. This is not a big point to him in his recommendation, but these properties are very large lots. Board Member Odman questioned why a mother and one child would want a four -bedroom house. Director Chen noted that is a HUD qualification regarding a minimum of four people. If the Board would like to change this, they could. Discussion ensued. Director Chen noted there might be confusion caused by the way he wrote the memo and explained the HUD requirements. Chair James asked if the language could be changed without adding any additional criteria and not requiring at least four people in the household. Vice -Chair Salvino noted he does not have an issue, but the thing with bigger families on bigger lots makes sense. He explained why the restrictions came about initially. Board Member Lewellen felt the intent was trying to bring in first responders and she does not have a problem with the incentive. This could be something for further discussion or brought to the Board's attention. Minutes of Hybrid Regular Meeting 4 Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Tuesday, January 11, 2022 — 5:30 p.m. Board Member Davis addressed the four -person household and the $10,000 down payment assistance. She does not have a problem with this but does not think we should discriminate and perhaps we should broaden the category beyond first responders. Board Member Odman said she supports keeping it to include service workers and possibly broadening it like Commissioner Davis mentioned. She looks at it as an incentive for these people to come to Dania Beach. Chair James noted the City Attorney would get with Director Chen and would come back with language that does not limit it to four persons per household. She repeated she does not like the HUD standards and wants to make sure we have a clear definition of what those are. She does not agree with giving down payment assistance to only certain people, but that is the will of the Board. City Attorney Boutsis said for clarification, EMS, and nursing and all the examples Board Member Odman gave are already covered in this definition. Unless there is something new to add, she would leave the definition as is if that is the will of the Board. Director Chen noted he made recommendations in two stages: to get direction and move forward to develop the housing RFP so we can initiate the actual projects to be constructed; and whether the Board would be interested in exploring a unanimous vote to override the single- family housing. It is a separate discussion and decision from the first. He said Chair James has been clear on her position and it does require a unanimous vote of the Commission to change that as a covenant on the property. If there is not a unanimous decision to bring it to the City Commission, then he suspects there is not a chance of success of the vote of the Commission. The Board can deny the second recommendation and it is the end of the conversation of that. Chair James said she already stated how she feels about that, so we can move on. 8. Board Member Comments Board Member Davis welcomed City Attorney Boutsis aboard, and thanked and congratulated Director Chen for his first year and successful evaluation. Board Member Lewellen thanked Director Chen for this year and said she looks forward to working with him in the future. She welcomed City Attorney Boutsis. Board Member Odman asked if she and Vice -Mayor Salvino needed the Board's approval to be excused for not being in -person for this meeting. City Attorney Boutsis recommended that be done just for the formality of the two appearing virtually because of illness. Minutes of Hybrid Regular Meeting 5 Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Tuesday, January 11, 2022 — 5:30 p.m. Board Member Lewellen motioned to excuse Vice -Chair Salvino and Board Member Odman from being physically present at this meeting; seconded by Board Member Davis. The motion carried unanimously. 9. Information Items There were no items on this agenda. 10. Adj ournment Chair James adjourned the meeting at 6:37 p.m. ATTEST: r 9 � THOMAS SCHNEIDER, CMC CRA SECRETARY COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT Approved: February 8, 2022 —a DANLA, BEACH MUMEOEVEIOPMENT AUNCY Minutes of Hybrid Regular Meeting 6 Dania Beach Community Redevelopment Agency Tuesday, January 11, 2022 — 5:30 p.m.