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CASSGLBGRRY CITY COMMISSION <br />Minutes of March 27, 2023 — Regular Meeting <br />Page 10 of 16 <br />Commissioner Albritton requested that Item 7.N., Budget Amendment 423-039 — Removal of Construction <br />Funding for Sunnytown Park Improvements, be removed from the Consent Agenda for separation <br />discussion and consideration. <br />Audience Participation: No one came forward to address the Consent Agenda. <br />MOTION: Vice Mayor Busch moved to approve the Consent Agenda, as amended by <br />removing Item N, Budget Amendment #23-039 — Removal of Construction <br />Funding for Sunnytown Park Improvements for separate discussion and <br />consideration. Motion was seconded by Commissioner Albritton. Motion <br />carried unanimously by voice vote 4-0. <br />N. Budget Amendment #23-039 — Removal of Construction Funding for Sunnytown <br />Park Improvements <br />Introduction: Approval of Budget Amendment #23-039 to remove $1,947,260 in Fiscal Year 2023 parks <br />bond funding for construction of Sunnytown Park is request. <br />Background: In March 2020, Casselberry voters approved a parks bond referendum, which proposed to <br />fund major improvements to five existing parks, including Sunnytown Park, and construction of one new <br />park. Sunnytown Park is the lowest priority of the proposed improvements, as established by tine City <br />Connnnission. Design, periniitting, and construction was estimated at $2.1 million as pari of the original <br />parks bond package and design of project PW 2112 Sunnytown Park Improvements was initiated, <br />preliminary 30% design plans were developed, and $1,947,260 in parks bond funding has been budgeted <br />in Fiscal year 2023 for construction of the park. During the development of the 30% plans for Sunnytown <br />Park, several site issues and constraints came to light that had not been identified during preliminary <br />conceptional planning. The presence of wetlands and the size of stormwater ponds that would be needed <br />in order to address City and St. Johns River Water Management requirements and size constraints would <br />significantly hinder the construction of parking as originally proposed. Moreover, the construction cost <br />estimate based on the preliminary 30% plans is $3.3 million. Adding to this the anticipated design costs <br />would bring the project cost to over $3.5 million, well in excess of the parks bond $2.1 million estimate. <br />In addition, to date, all other higher priority parks bond projects have or are anticipated to significantly <br />exceed their original parks bond cost estimates. This is in large part due to the highly inflationary <br />construction environment experienced over the past two years, despite significant measures taken to cut <br />costs. This project was discussed at the January 10, 2023 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) <br />meeting at which the Board agreed to recommend that the City Commission consider reallocating funds for <br />Sunnytown Park to other park projects and instead focus on basic maintenance items that need to be <br />addressed for Sunnytown Park. The project was also discussed at the January 23, 2023 City Commission <br />meeting, at which tine City Commission passed a motion to suspend development of the project and free up <br />encumbered funds, which could then be later directed to higher priority parks bond projects. <br />Discussion: In light of City Commission direction to suspend development of Sunnytown Park, Budget <br />Amendment 423-039 provides for removal of the $1,947,260 budgeted for construction of Sunnytown Park <br />from the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget. These funds may be reallocated to other parks bond projects in the <br />future, subject to City Commission approval. For tracking purposes, this agenda item is associated with <br />project PW 2112 Sunnytown Park Improvements. <br />