Wednesday, October 12, 2016

More Answers to your questions - Checking the Palmetto Bay record - Coral Reef Park Baseball batting cages/storage - another 5-0 vote - but during a prior adminstration. Majority of Council stood up to attack from 2 members on the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance.

This is an additional update - this time answering the question as to the new batting cages/storage area at Coral Reef Park. The discussion before the council also morphed into what appears to be  an attempt to strike down the Neighborhood Protection Ordinance (NPO) as it applies to Churches, Schools and Institutions.

This is another of a series based upon some questions I receive during my meetings/walks in our parks.  I do believe that it is important to post answers for the public – for several reasons:

1.  It gets the answer out for all to see.
2. The answer remains available – there is no shifting or “evolving” of the answer to suit the specific audience or circumstance.

The storage batting cages were approved – again by a unanimous vote on March 4, 2013.  The meeting itself is contained in the minutes of March 4, 2013 – under the prior administration.  Only Vice Mayor DuBois and Councilman Schaffer remain from that administration.

The matter including the batting cages was moved forward by Vice Mayor John DuBois.  It was seconded by Councilman Patrick Fiore.  The minutes recording the discussion are found one pages 4-5 of 19 (CLICK HERE).  Ron E. Williams was the manager at that time.  Again, the batting cages were approved as part of Resolution 2013-18 on a 5-0 Vote - voting to approve were Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor DuBois, and council members Fiore, Schaffer and Lindsay.

There was interesting discussion held at this meeting – as cited (and taken verbatim from page 6, 7):

Specific item (beginning page 4) - this was an item specifically regarding the Coral Reef Parks Master Plan, but then something strange happens; much like congress 2 members appear to try to undo the NPO:

RESOLUTIONS REQUIRING PUBLIC HEARING - Item A

A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND VILLAGE COUNCIL OF THE VILLAGE OF PALMETTO BAY, FLORIDA, RELATING TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION PARKS MASTER PLAN; HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING TO AUTHORIZE REVISIONS TO THE CORAL REEF PARK MASTER PLAN TO INCLUDE 1) TWO NEW BATTING CAGES TO REPLACE EXISTING; 2) REPLACEMENT OF THE TENNIS CENTER SPORTS LIGHTING SYSTEM AND 3) BENCHED SITTING AREAS WITH SHADE CANOPIES WITHIN TENNIS CENTER; ADDITIONALLY, APPROVING THE APPLICATION OF THE VILLAGE OF PALMETTO BAY REQUESTING ZONING APPROVAL PURSUANT TO SECTION 30-50.21 TO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC FACILITY PUBLIC USE AT THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS CORAL REEF PARK, 7895 SW 152 STREET; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

Vice Mayor DuBois moved this item forward. Seconded by Councilman Fiore.

* * *
Vice Mayor DuBois stated that while he is in favor of approving the parks, he is not comfortable with having to modify the parks master plan and instead the Village should remove churches, schools, and institutions from the Neighborhood Protection Ordinances. Attorney Boutsis advised that the Village's Park plan does not have lighting currently, which approval would require a parks master plan amendment. She stated that this legislation is about approving what is currently at the park.

Vice Mayor DuBois stated that he is not in favor of making a master plan modification at this time until private schools and churches can be treated the same.
The matter was brought up for final votes after procedural wrangling (beginning page 7)
Councilman Fiore moved to approve the master plan, with an amendment for the Village Manager to provide quarterly reports concerning the tennis lighting, and to allow the same consideration for churches and schools. Seconded by Vice Mayor DuBois.

Attorney Boutsis advised that the amendment would not have an effect on churches and schools.

Vice Mayor DuBois suggested amending the matter to give the schools and churches automatic master plan approval for their master plan amendments.

Mayor Stanczyk noted that the motion is "meaningless", as there is no modification to the ordinances being considered.

All boldface emphasis was added
* * *
Finally, (Page 8): The question was called - All voted in favor of the motion (5-0.) Councilwoman Lindsay moved to approve government use at Coral Reef Park. Seconded by Councilman Fiore. All voted in favor. The motion passed unanimously (5-0.)
Please CLICK HERE to view Resolution 2013-18, the result of the March 4, 2013 public hearing/council meeting (JPEGs of this reso are also posted below)




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