TO: Chair and Members of the Board
FROM: Jeffrey L. Oris, Executive Director
DATE: February 12, 2020
Title
UPDATE ON MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
BACKGROUND: There is one item to address and several additional updates for the Board.
1) The item to address relates to the transfer of legal services agreement to Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman, PL. The agreement was transferred word for word from the agreement with the previous firm. Thus, the term of the agreement was restarted to be three years with two, one-year extensions. The City’s Purchasing Department has suggested the Board clarify that this was its intent and that the intent was not to just transfer the remaining term on the agreement with Goren, Cheroff, Doody & Ezrol (which was only 5 months). If it was the intent of the Board to only transfer the remaining 5 months then we will need to put out an RFP for legal services after only utilizing Weiss Serota Helfman Cole and Bierman, PL for a limited period. Staff’s intent was for the term to restart when it was placed on the agenda. (A copy of the approved Weiss Serota agreement is attached)
2) Employment agreement with Jeff Oris for the Executive Director position. Mr. Tolces and myself negotiated an agreement that was intended to be placed before you at this, the February 12, 2020, meeting. However, City staff informed us too close to the agenda deadline that while retirement and health benefits of the City could be extended to the CRA Executive Director, none of the other benefits available to City employees could be. This necessitates some additional negotiation as to whether the CRA will provide comparable benefits or not. Mr. Tolces and I will continue our negotiations and have an agreement ready for your review and potential approval shortly.
3) Advertisement for CRA Executive Director. At the request of the Board, an advertisement has been placed for an Executive Director concurrent with ongoing negotiations with me for the position. The advertisement has been on the City’s website and has been placed on the websites of the Florida Redevelopment Association, Florida League of Cities, and the International Downtown Association (the best organization for such a position to be given national exposure). The advertisement can also be found on Indeed.com. The position was first posted on the City website about January 21, 2020 and was on other websites shortly thereafter (as the organization’s had to approve the ads and post them). The position has a closing date of February 21, 2020.
4) The sale of the property at 6280 West Atlantic is proceeding without any issues. The buyer has delivered their $25,000 Earnest Money which is being held with an Escrow Agent and they doing their due diligence and are happy with information we have been able to help provide. Their inspection period ends on February 20, 2020 and we remain on track for a March 21, 2020 closing.
5) Staff is working with the Police Department to put up appropriate signage on our bus shelters to give MPD the power to remove homeless persons who are loitering at the stops. This has become a problem with increasing frequency of late. We have also authorized paint touch ups and minor repairs to the bus shelters as they are increasingly vandalized.
6) Additional “no trespassing” signs have been placed on the former Swap Shop Property and stakes have been placed 15 feet from the property line along the southern end to properly demarcate the limits of our property. In addition, a Cease and Desist letter has been sent to J&J Towing who has been continuing to use the Swap Shop site and the old bank building site on SR-7 to stage their transport and wrecker vehicles.
RECOMMENDATION: N/A
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
CONTACT PERSON: Jeffrey L. Oris, Executive Director