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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Island Strategic Action Committee - 06/08/2021Webex Meeting Number: 1871 06 6088 Password: U2w39yt8PYU Island Strategic Action Committee Regular Meeting Agenda Meeting Minutes Tuesday, June 8, 2021 5:30 PM ISAC Agenda I. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL Chair Jay Gardner called the meeting to order at 5:3 1 p.m. City Staff Bonnie McLaughlin called roll . Present Members (8) Jay Gardner, Cheri Sperling, Daniel Brown, Melanie Salinas, Roy Coons, Dotson Lewis, William Uhlarik, Charles Duffley Absent Members (3) Tommy Kurtz, Polly Balzer, Robert Pruski Present Ex-Officios (4) Keith McMullin, Twila Stevens, Darren Gurley, Terry Palmer Absent Ex-Officios (2) Bryan Gulley, Brett Oetting Present City Staff (x) Daniel McGinn, Bonnie McLaughlin, Leane Heldenfels, Captain Timothy Frazier, Thomas Klein, Neiman Young, Sarah Munoz II. Approval of Minutes from May 4, 2021 Motion by Committee Member Cheri Sperling to approve. Second by Committee Member Melanie Salinas. Motion carried by unanimous vote. III. CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR EXCUSED ABSENCES: Robert Pruski Motion by Committee Member Cheri Sperling to approve. Second by Committee Member Melanie Salinas. Motion carried by unanimous vote. IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS 1. Mike Pittman 14878 Granada Drive 303 With regards to the upcoming meeting, I would like to express the following concerns about UTV/ATV rentals on the island. As someone that is on the beach daily, we have seen an increase this year in vehicle traffic and guests. The recent introduction of Weezie's UTV/ATV rentals has made this even more challenging. As they are unregulated, these rentals do in excess of 60mph an hour. This is leading to many renters testing that speed on the beach. They are consistently past the grass lines and speeding in the dunes creating a safety hazard for all. I have personally visited Weezie's and asked them to be responsible for their carts. I also offered a compromise that they put governors on their carts to slow them down. They refused and said, "it was up to renters to act responsibly, that the allure of speed and power is why people rent them". Since March, we have seen Beach Enforcement, Lifeguards, CCPD, and the Nueces Constable pull them over for reckless driving and speeding. (Photos of these encounters can be sent over). This past weekend, there was a Weezie's maroon UTV speeding down the beach repeatedly at the 260MM mark. Our group had little kids with us, and we repeatedly tried to slow them down. This led to the driver stopping, making an obscene gesture, and then peeling out and almost hitting a 4-year-old. The constable was able to pull him over and calm the situation but was unable to ticket him since he didn’t witness the Class C Misdemeanor. I am aware that the constable has visited them, in addition to CCPD. The lack of Weezies to be a good partner with the best interest of Islanders and others on the beach, will eventually result in injury or death. Before this gets any worse or Islanders lose their rights to drive their LSV's, we would like to encourage this committee to move forward a suggestion to pull the license for Weezies UTV/ATV rentals. The safety of our Islanders and visitors are paramount and we cannot afford to let a bad business operator put anyone at risk. 2. Deidre Williams, Blucher Institute 3. Stan Hulse for PIBA a. Padre Island Business Association Letter (see below) VI. ONGOING BUSINESS for Discussion/Possible Action 1. Watershore & Beach Advisory Committee-Terry Palmer a. Terry Palmer: Committee mostly discussed lifeguard stands (will build a few more on the north side of Packery), lifeguards and their effectiveness, trying to improve the program since there have been a few incidents lately, over a thousand contacts over Memorial Day weekend, showers on in North & South Packery, sold lots of beach permits (nearly 1700) on MDW just on the beach, beach markers to be moved back to the dune line, and boardwalks will be moved back away from the eroding beach. b. Darren Gurley: Mile markers on access road two will be moved back, also moving walkovers away from the eroding beach, lifeguard stands will be on the paths by the end of the week (3 already on, 2 by the end of the week), signs up on the path to tell people to keep off, looking for lifeguards for the season (can apply online), working on raising the pay from the current $10.50/hr. c. Neiman Young: lifeguard shortage is being highly prioritized, want to build it up by increasing pay to $15/hr., should be executed by the end of the week, stepping up recruitment efforts to improve hiring, will start recruiting in January to ensure a full, prepared force for the future. Currently have 16 vacancies, need 44 for a full staff. 2. Parks & Recreation-Twila Stevens a. Update on Zahn Rd. Showers: now complete. b. Brought up May ISAC discussion at the May PRAC meeting, was told that the Beach Maintenance Facility rendering from May meeting will be accepted, Parks staff will weigh in later in the meeting. 3. Nueces County-Bryan Gulley a. Not in attendance 4. Nueces County Water Control & Improvement District #4-Keith McMullin a. No updates 5. Convention & Visitors Bureau-Brett Oetting a. Not in attendance 6. Island Engineering Updates-Thomas Klein a. See presentation for detailed Engineering updates. b. Jay Gardner: Question about Bond 2018, where are the negotiations at with TXDOT? c. Thomas Klein: First step is to prepare schematic to present to TXDOT, then a discussion to follow about responsibilities, and then on to design. 7. Beach Maintenance Facility-Neiman Young & Sarah Munoz a. Neiman Young: it is highly likely that the project will proceed at that location, there has been five years of engagement between ISAC, the city, and the county while equipment has been deteriorating and lost, the city wants to be a good steward of equipment that the taxpayers pay for, the city must move forward to protect equipment across city departments, city has determined that this is the best location (due to elevation and it being city-owned property). b. Charles Duffley: concerned that this is a residential neighborhood, the city will have to rezone, no public notice, regarding being good stewards feels that the city is changing a city park without public input. c. Neiman Young: feels that this is an education issue, the community hasn’t been included in a way that would make them more comfortable, also the title is a misnomer, it is not a maintenance facility but a storage facility (heaviest are the front-end loaders), maintenance is contracted work (will be hauled away if heavy, light maintenance completed in CC), building is 200 feet from an active fire station, looking to invest in landscaping to screen the facility from the road as well as brick exterior for aesthetics, engineering has taken traffic patterns into consideration, equipment will be moved 6:30am and then stored at 2:00pm, and the park in question has deteriorated and is not utilized. Considerations to be good neighbors include updates to the structure as well as investing in landscaping. d. Neiman Young: Reiterates that this is not a maintenance facility, it is a storage facility with wash-off capabilities. e. Dan McGinn: Zoning evaluated by engineering, Development Services, and legal. Government provisions allow the city to store equipment that serves parks/beaches in residential areas because they provide a service to the area. f. Darren Gurley: equipment inventory has not changed, this is the closest location to Zahn Road of any city properties, 6 locations have been scouted (all property that the city owns on the island including every park) for both mileage to the beach and elevation requirements, 5 pieces of heavy equipment and 1 rescue boat will be stored in the facility. Motion from committee member Cheri Sperling to postpone moving forward with facility until there is an alternatives analysis provided by the city. Motion seconded by committee member Daniel Brown. Motion opposed by committee member William Uhlarik. Vote called. Jay Gardner abstains. Polly Balzer is absent. Charles Duffley in favor. Cheri Sperling in favor. Tommy Kurtz is absent. Daniel Brown in favor. Dotson Lewis in favor. Robert Pruski is absent. William Uhlarik is opposed. Roy Coons in favor. Melanie Salinas in favor. Motion passes with 6 (majority) votes. Jay Gardner to present the ISAC position during public comment at the next city council meeting. 8. TIRZ #2 & Subcommittee Update-Neiman Young, ACM a. Packery Channel Repairs: City went to US Army Corps of Engineers for repairs, initial funding used to build the Packery Channel are not appropriate for repairs, bounced back between FEMA and Corps of Engineers. The City was able to get the Army Corps of Engineers to write a legal opinion as to why it doesn’t qualify for their funding, now waiting for FEMA to respond, FEMA will either agree and fund or will provide an official declination for the project that the City can then appeal. City will have to repackage the project if FEMA declines to fund the channel to explain the urgency of the repairs. City still advertising the project, trying to decide how to move forward, city council decision that will have to be made. b. Jay Gardner: Is the RESTORE Grant an option? Need to investigate grant funds to match current funds. c. Neiman Young: Packery Channel doesn’t qualify for rescue funds; they are more for infrastructure and/or economic impact from COVID-19. VII. NEW BUSINESS for Discussion/Possible Action. 1. Island Overlay Subcommittee-Jay Gardner 1. Waiting on ADP to be formalized, June 22nd tentative date for City Council. 2. Send updates to ISAC. 2. Island Rentals (Razors/UTVs)-Captain Timothy Frazier 1. Captain Frazier: City ordinance only requires that the rental places post the ordinance on the business as well as inside the rental vehicles. 2. Captain Frazier: speed of UTVs is difficult to determine without radar, the people renting them are the ones held responsible, if the city limits the businesses there is a concern about government overreach, law enforcement enforces them where they can, not sure that putting a governor on a UTV is going to cause a big impact (golf carts it doesn’t help much since they already don’t go that fast), CCPD does stop them here and there but doesn’t think that the number is significant enough to warrant the action as of yet. 3. Captain Frazier: Haven’t found any razors that aren’t street legal yet. States that there is a recognized speed limit for beaches around 15 mph even if there is no signage. 4. Jay Gardner: Subcommittee proposed to talk with city legal about what it would take to put governors on rentals. Jay Gardner to check with city legal to see what is necessary to move forward and present findings at next meeting. VIII. IDENTIFY ISAC FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IX. SCHEDULE NEXT MEETING Date: July 13, 2021 @ 5:30 p.m. Location: TBD X. ADJOURNMENT - Meeting Adjourned at 7:50 p.m. Motion made by Committee Member Daniel Brown to adjourn. Second by Committee Member Cheri Sperling. Motion carried by unanimous vote.