Manatee Review

Green Cove Springs recently issued the following announcement.

Awards and Recognition

1. Recognition of Parade of Trees Volunteers

Plaques were presented to the group of 50 volunteers that helped organize, set up, and take down the Parade of Trees for December 2021. 

Recognition added during meeting: Introduction of two nominees to serve on the Police Pension Board (see consent agenda item #14 for details) 

Presentations

2. Sharing the vision of the future of the August Savage Mentoring Center.  

Henrietta Francis, Barbara Cornett, and Johnny Mathis gave a presentation to the City Council on the look of the inside of the Augusta Savage Mentoring Center, and how it will incorporate history of Dunbar High School and Augusta Savage, as well as inspirational quotes from Savage pertaining to each room in the building. 

3. Changes to wording of the proposed Policy for the Naming, Renaming, or Honoring/Memorializing of City Streets and Public Facilities.  

Citizens Advisory Committee Chair Thomas Smith presented the Committee’s recommendations on the policy to the City Council. Smith reported that the Committee agreed to leave a majority of the policy as is, with the recommendation to waive the 10-year residency requirement if that person’s contribution to the community is a notably outstanding one. CAC also agreed to correct a typo in the policy, 

Council agrees with the Citizens Advisory Committee’s recommendation. Staff will present it as a resolution to the City Council to be adopted at the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting. 

Consent Agenda

4. City Council approval of funding in the amount of $42,738.65 to Area Communications for the relocation of City fiber to new poles on Palmetto Ave.

Passed 5-0 by City Council 

5. City Council Approval to purchase a JD 60 Mini excavator in the amount of $79,744.75 off Florida Sheriffs Association Bid number FSA20EQU18.0-Heavy Equipment, and surplus backhoe # 281 D 20-year-old Backhoe. 

Passed 5-0 by City Council

6. City Council approval of Minutes from 11/02/2021, 12/07/2021 Regular Sessions.  

Passed 5-0 by City Council

7. City Council approval of, and authorization for the mayor to execute, contract time extension for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Federally-Funded Subaward and Grant Agreement # H0297 / Project Number 4337-215-R, improvements to sewage Lift Station # 306.  This project includes 75% grant funding from HMGP.  

Passed 5-0 by City Council

8. City Council approval of the Black History Month Proclamation.  

Passed 5-0 by City Council

9. City Council approval of, and authorization for the Mayor to execute, Disbursement Request #9, in the amount of $786,276.34 for construction of the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWWTP), as part of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), State Revolving Fund (SRF), Harbor Road Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) Expansion, Phase 2, SRF Agreement No. WW1000420 in the total amount of $15,426,644.33.  Note:  This request returns funds to the Wastewater CIP budget.  

Passed 5-0 by City Council

10. City Council approval of lien reduction and payment plan - 473 Jeri Drive  

Passed 5-0 by City Council

11. City Council approval of Amendment Number 1 to Contract # LC 2020-04 with Danella Construction for Directional Boring Services through January 20, 2023. 

Passed 5-0 by City Council

12. City Council approval of a Task Order to Patterson & Dewar in the amount of $75,500 to complete a Long Range Plan for the Electric System. 

Staff is recommending continuing to use engineering firm Patterson & Dewar to create an updated long range plan for the electric system. Patterson & Dewar completed the first electric system long range plan in 2012, which was updated in 2016. As many of the projects in that plan have been completed and staff and the City’s customer base has significantly changed since 2012, City staff recommend using Patterson & Dewar again for this new long range plan as they are familiar with the City’s current electric system and understand the challenges that the City faces in providing electricity in the future. 

Council Member Steven Kelley pulled the item from the consent agenda to mark the significance of this long range plan. He noted that the first long range plan made way for many significant and positive changes to the electric system, and this new long range plan will continue to strengthen the City’s electric system to take on the demands of future growth. 

Passed 5-0 by City Council

13. City Council review and approval of the Oglebay plat, a replat of Tract “L” in Magnolia Point Golf and Country Club Phase VII and a portion of Section 5, Township 6 South, Range 26 East identified in Official Records Book 1538 PG 1646. 

Passed 5-0 by City Council

14. City Council Appointments to the Green Cove Springs Police Pension Board.  

Appointing Mitch Timberlake and Eddie Diggs

Passed 5-0 by City Council 

15. City Council approval of funding in the amount of $29,892.48 to Area Communications for the relocation of network cabinet in Finance to the second floor Main Data Facility (MDF). 

Passed 5-0 by City Council

Council Business

16.  Discussion and possible approval of proposal from Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions Inc.  

This discussion is the approval of the bid proposal from Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. to conduct a Waterfront Asset Inventory and Master Plan. The value and benefit of the City having such a plan has been previously discussed by the City Council. Council Member Van Royal asks City Manager Steve Kennedy if the plan includes the possibility of a boardwalk or other over the water walkway, and Kennedy responds by saying that the analysis of the waterfront will help determine specifics for a boardwalk in the future. Mayor Ed Gaw asks if the Governors Creek Boat Ramp is included in the study, and Kennedy responds that it is. 

Motion to approve the bid proposal passed 5-0 by City Council

17.  Approval of Procurement Platform & Services Agreement with Urbanleap, Inc. 

The City obtained an agreement with Urbanleap, Inc. to handle the formal procurement process for the City moving forward. City Council discussion is on the agreement and whether to approve City Staff to move forward with the agreement with Urbanleap, Inc. 

Council motions to approve the procurement Platform & Services Agreement with Urbanleap, Inc., contingent on staff getting more information from cities and counties that already use the platform and to confirm if any local bidder that goes through the City website to place a bid would still have to pay a 1 percent fee to Urbanleap, Inc. Passed 5-0.

18. City Manager & City Attorney Reports / Correspondence

City Manager Kennedy Comments: He will be giving a presentation to pitch a Community Redevelopment Agency in Green Cove Springs to the Board of County Commissioners on January 25. He will start interviews with potential teacher and tutoring volunteers for the Augusta Savage Mentoring Center starting next week. 

Police Chief Guzman announced the launch of the Safer Watch app on January 31, 2022, in partnership with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Clay County District Schools. Safer Watch is an app that allows anyone that downloads the app to report crimes directly to law enforcement and share live video with law enforcement in real time. It also allows law enforcement to push area-specific messaging during an emergency or when the need arises. 

Emergency motion to accept Safer Watch and move forward with implementation process, including a $5,000 annual fee, passed 5-0 by City Council.

19. City Council Reports / Correspondence

Original source can be found here.