maybe. So, I think we covered pretty much everything we can before we go back to public comment. And I want to make sure that this is solved before we go forward. Um, does the commission uh commission have a fiveinut?
I can see the picture. Okay. So, let's just take a five to 10 minutes recess while we try and wreck the zoom link and we'll sure that everybody gets the chance to lo. Yeah, that's fine. Perfect. Apologies to everyone here in the public comment. I just want to make sure we
have everyone available access to Zoom before we start with that because I want to give everybody an opportunity. Um, so we'll just take a short recess while we get this sorted out and get everyone in. So, we'll be in [Music]
person. Okay. So, um, it may be best. Um, I don't know how to send the message through the app like you had said earlier that the original link via the
calendar. This is now correct. Is that right? Pamela, did you update the village calendar with the new link that you sent out? Uh, we tried. So, they show you how to share the correct screen cuz now it's telling me I don't have any
space. This is the computer that's running Zoom. Okay. So, can we open the screen again that um under more can do meeting info
right there. believe that's going to showc it's working on Yes. But yes, but it's always Yes. So, we're trying to fix that, right? So, can you email yourself from here to here? Yes.
Or can you update on the calendar from this computer? can't update on that. You know what? I can go into those. different. No, one account. Okay. So,
yes, you can be logged in. Don't I would not Is there a way to send an email from just They're opening ducks. Okay, try
it. So just hit uh control heard about the Yeah. Copy information. Can you just open up like a Microsoft Word? We don't need everything
because it gives all the information. This is the impossible. I'm going to put it in. Oh, you want Let's try it before you post so that we know that Okay. So, we know that's filling that request.
Go back to give you your calendar. I'm going to donate it to the downtown. Yeah. Go ahead. Excellence. Yeah, we have to way to edit this. No, you have to redo it.
I think what happens when you space that little square, [Music] it should still be safe. same. because if not everybody doesn't get up.
I mean right now it's just we have we don't have anything I think you ask Extremely well. The village
was a good sound better. Still still in process. We're almost there. I can't be healthy. But you know I have a bad foot. So I can say whatever I want, right?
the nonsense, right? I plan on speaking to that. Thank you. It's like the zone. It's much better than me. You talking to this thing is
and it's hard for me to do this and this and thank you Yes. I have no idea how much Oh, is that your shot? So, I left it up there.
behalf. I believe so. I believe so. Okay. Okay. I wouldn't know where to begin. All right, everybody. So, um, is that But yes, it looks like we got everybody.
It looks like we got everybody in. We have far more than we had which is at least one person having trouble access. All right, everyone. So, we're going to go ahead and call the meeting back to order at this time.
All right. So, just want to um Are we Are we back on the record now, madam? Wonderful. All right. Great. Thank you. So, just want to thank everyone for being patient where we put that out. I'm glad we were able to. It looks like we have a lot of people in here. I'm very happy to see that. So, thank you. Patience and we can move on. So, we had
left off. We had finished our reports. We're about to get consent, but now we have an opportunity to go back to public comment. Before I get to public comment, Commissioner, um would you like to speak your report? I know we are waiting. Can I do it after? After both way. Yeah, sure. Of course. Um, all right. So then let's go ahead and open up some public comments. So we'll do the same.
We'll start here in the log cabin. Then we'll move on to Zoom. Um, just a reminder for everyone, please provide your name and your address. Um, speak into the mic. Looks like we might have had John. I think we so thank you. Uh, and just remember that public comment is
three minutes. So very rare to me that I just cost thousands of dollars. So I'll be perfect for 19 street. Um reiterate what Anna talked about. I think the one thing that she did leave
out was that we were talking about the possibility of additional trees cash also possibility having some funds either part of that 50,000 or perhaps additional funds that are set aside for potential matching so that if affected
residents wanted to have some priorization some uh input into kind of trees that are going into areas that that have been affected by the pine removal that they would be able to work this out foundation already be able to donate to the foundation and either have a match or even if there's not a match,
people will still want that kind of opportunity. I know that that I wouldn't mind being able to contribute, have a say in what kind of tree um uh it didn't get to my cube every day. So even without the match, we still want that. We still haven't worked out the
foundation except this one of reference want to kind of put yourself near the top of the list or say you got to say what kind of things are on there. Um, one thing that I mentioned to the manager, I don't know if he's brought this to you guys. It might be something you want to talk about. Um, strange, but I know this is something that you're
into or that you talked about in the past. Um, I work for a Fortune 10 company. I don't mean to brag. It's paid for, but there are some benefits to that. Cheap own cars and develop them. Also, everything we do, we do in Microsoft Teams. Everyone calls you with
their own ID or dial pro laptop, their own ID. system uh teams captures who says what and then you run that through co-pilot which is the AI version that Microsoft has right now and it summarizes the
minutes for you to whatever degree of granularity that you prefer. The way it would work here is that everyone here would obviously have to have their own laptop. There would have to be a laptop here for public comment and if you have the licensing set up with teams, you can then have all your things automatically
transcribed in Teams and then have those meetings summarized in co-pilot since I know minutes are a point of pain point for some of you guys. I would I would strongly consider that. Um uh last thing, I'm glad we fixed the Zoom. I was going to say that taking Zoom away from all these good people is
not the right IT solution that you know you can't have it. And uh the last thing I was saying, how much time do I have left? Okay. I think last time I was here, I made a beat for sanity. Uh I think I'm going to be a little bit more pointed
here. Um Commissioner Samaria, I've known you a long time. I consider you a friend. I know that you love this village. I know that you're a good person. You have a good heart. I do think that some of the things that are going on right now have come across
the line from proper political discourse there are possibly are probably in my person and I would hope that some of these things that you might be taking personally I would chalk up to misunderstandings. I was there
during an incident in question where Commissioner Mary had on the shirt. He was doing a raffle winter time. It was a winter time uh thing. I saw him giving away tickets. I know he was doing things right. The fact that he had a shirt, I know caused something. And I think that that has snowball and I think it has
become now counterproductive. He's got so many things we have to get to such little time and things are stalling because of these things and now we're incurring additional costs as a result of these things. Then I would just ask please take a look at what's going on. If there's something that we've been
buried, just let let go for now. I was begging to be there if I don't want to go down the path a bit, but I'm curious to see how tonight goes. I'm curious to see how the next month goes. I know I'm over time. Thank you. 77.
It is 777 read [Music] the manager's contract. But you might want to get closer so it's louder. children is asking for $210,000
in salary. Computation package of $316,000 and written into his contract is also the use of a as a take home for about $1,000 a year. His attorney said the home terms were not negotiable.
Not exactly a give and take for the negotiation. He was making 225,000 Key West employing for $210,000. It's ridiculous to think it's a Derek comparis.
He's been the intro manager for almost 10 months and only Commissioner Pancler did an evaluation of his performance. I agree with her evaluation that it has not excelled in every area. There's been poor or non-existent communication with
residents, a website that has less and less information every day, a pattern of not noticing beatings correctly to inform residents, the Australian time fiasco for 120,000 without competitive bid and no plans to replace the trees
which has resulted in baron meetings. And to add to that, not protecting the nesting birds in Australian pond. And also as an example for today, issues with Zoom. You don't know how many times I'm trying to watch a Zoom meeting.
You're not labeled. There's no information there. I know that the Zoom Zoom doesn't always work. That is a major failure. And then there was an announcement put out that Zoom is a courtesy. I don't think that's what we wanted to be. It's your responsibility
as commissioners to do what's in the best the best interest for residents enter this community. And that means watching every penny and holding the manager responsible, following our posts, keeping residents informed, and actually trying to find out what
residents want and what the commission wants. Unfortunately, there has been little accountability from the commission. And this has become the tail wagging the dog. There is also an issue of by police officers and a commissioner accusing Mr. Children Chilus of creating
hostile work environment. These accusations have not been proven or disproved. How do you sign an agreement with Mr. Chas without a thorough investigation? Is this your plan? Just ignore the situation. Somehow you got yourself into this money
with the manager salary and benefits. You need to stop digging. This is part. It's not Key West and it's not Dur and we should not be paying the manager this you know part of the charter time the
opening of the charter is a government has been created to protect the government not to govern it in order to provide the public with full and accurate information to promote a efficient administration
and to ensure all persons fair and equitable And I don't think Michaela opened I sent you an email. Uh you can disregard that and not read it if that's okay. Okay.
Thank you very much. My comments in person because I'd actually So just a couple housekeeping things. Uh the the note about house foreclosure u I'm very happy to see that our codes are being enforced. I I only am curious as
to the circumstances of that person who is now potentially losing their home. That's that's tough. I hope that they are as if in terms of the the sand piles. Uh thank you for that piece of I appreciate that. I hope hope all safes for that final
consideration is we will hopefully be regressing that space after hurricane season's done because a big pile of sand there will start to fill the grass. I don't want to be on the punch that I really do.
With regard to uh Mr. Murphy passing I'm glad to see that some things he was a great guy bit of a chance I suppose but I actually really enjoyed Mr.
Thank you. Okay so off to Mr. the children's side. I I am in no way questioning your bonafide personally not. You have an exemplary career of public service and after so many years
you certainly merit uh the pay that you're being that you're requesting. I guess I I do I budget for a living. I know that when I see a single person line item that is almost 10% of our budget year that's a significant
expense. I just want to keep that we as a village are receiving the benefit of that salary. It's an awful lot of money that comes out of my father too, right? As all of us as taxpayers here to vote. So, you know, I
hope that we take that into consideration that, you know, we're going to be very clearly doing less of some things because uh we are paying tourists. I I would assume there has been some negotiation back and forth but the only thing obviously first was the
initial request from his lawyer for his compensation package. So that's something I can comment on if there negotiation I don't know but that package included a very significant amount of severance that amount of money
in particular is most likely going to as Mr. said he's not going to take any commission more here. I appreciate that. Thank you for your hard work. But that means we're going to end up owing him something close to $500,000 after the 5year period leaves the village. It means it'll be 30% in our
budget for that given year. That's a lot of money. Um so I I would assume this is in line with what's being paid to other municipalities. I've seen without question that other places pay that pay those most of those places have 20 30 40
50 60 70 100,000 residents much more than our bush so I very much hope that you will help us demonstrate the value will show what we're going to pay Eric, 777 Northeast 11th Street. Uh
there's no doubt it's been said that I'll show this has exemplary qualifications and many years of experience. However, the qualifications far exceed our needs. The experience has been in
large cities a small town like this part you know you don't need a 1000 horsepower motor exception of commissioner who has no evaluation done this the most important job in the city
and only one commissioner decides to do evaluation so you're prepared to move ahead Okay. But I didn't examine the and I've heard that part of the justification kind of show
this because he has his car in the community in the game. I I I didn't see that. But he demanded $76,000 more than was advertised position and I certainly don't see that in
style. It's kind of like some of you have been dazzled by the gold. most serious consideration here though the allegations that have been made by by police informal complaints by police official
scenario I I I don't know how possibly consider moving ahead with the contract under those circumstance you're putting a tremendous inherent liability on the village
do comprehensive investive investigation before you proceed. It is really time as a commission since you are a guardian of this community. We especially guardian
that we step back and think is this a good investment? Is this the right do we really want to sign a contract under a cloud of multiple allegations? Good evening. Thank you so much. I
didn't want to hear Avenue and also care about um talk about the contract. It's not about you. I don't even care. You have CL to get $20,000 almost 20,000 plus benefits. I question
your mental capacity. It's insane. We have one of the lowest salaries for both for our police department. It's outrageous. and we're going to pay $20,000 plus benefits to our account
manager. It's insane. You spend here forever time allocating $10 and we're going to talk and do questions and do nothing and keep talking for $1,000. But here we have a one-way contract and we
look like idiots because it's not in our favor. Now I wonder why our mag rate is 945. because we don't know we have this country almost 5% of the revenue no other municipality will spend more than 1% of the revenue in the town manager.
So please let's reconsider this. This is not in our favor and it's not against you. It's not against your your capacity. It's not at all. It's what we can can do and cannot do and we cannot do that. It's outrageous. It's
outrageous. So thank you. Good night. 500 on 19th Street. Good evening major commissioners and neighbors of this park. Tonight I will sit there the reason why I believe we should postpone this lo and why our
220,000 salary plus benefits simply doesn't fit our village. First, the compensation demand is out of scale with fewer than 3500 residents
and an annual budget under 5 million paying one person 220,000 in salary benefits would consume more than 6% of our budget and I'm sure that far more than 6%.
thus far above one to 2% benchmark for communities our size in second decisions without communication and transparency as a consequence of a foreign tree and
emergency were declared and the removal of 30 centennial trees were ordered without notifying residents and without commissioning a tree assessment. Our entire 120,000 funds were assigned on a
single unde contract and eight months later no tree has been replanted because there is no money and no mitigation plan. Third, the disregard for residents right
to notice. Twice December in meetings went unannounced. Silencing neighbors who wanted to participate. An open process demands timely consistent communication. No closed door decision that leave
people out. four the taking or leaving his fiveyear agreement was handed as nonnegotiable legal document negotiated by lawers instead of through our
commission in Key West district earned 225,000 on a 260 million budget here our entire budget is under 5 million
You should lead our commission, your commissioners, our representative. You should lead this negotiation. No follow external demands. So what is the real cost to our village?
By funding this salary and benefits we could forgo traffic cleaning measures replanting the majestic trees that were removed a full renewal of our community park playgrounds benches dining
landscaping and why not and a key things for our families the ability to keep property taxes stable and invest in other essential services.
So for all this reason, I ask you to pause this vote and commission a full crystal and community impact study before committing to such a contract for the next five years. Thank you.
Good evening, 721 North 16 Street. Greetings, mayor, commissioners. Speaking tonight because I'm deeply concerned about the decision to hire Albert Childers as village manager. Echoing what you've heard so
far from many of our residents proposed salary reportedly nearly 8% or some large percent of our entire operating budget that we cannot afford process lack transparency and reasonable notice
to residents. Mr. Chilus already cost our village significant funds for cutting down trees destructing protected species without competitive bids. Our former police chief and several village officers resigned, setting a hostile, toxic work
environment. Given these red flags, I urge you to pause the process, open it to public input, conduct another transparent, competitive search for a village manager who demonstrates integrity, respect for others, sound leadership, and one that can afford.
Thank you. there. My name is Kristen McLean and I also one revenue. Um I I like my uh work with numbers every day in my job and my job is to um do data analysis for some very large
companies about the current economic environment. And while I also share some of the concerns that people have raised over whether or not this is the right candidate or not, for me the bigger issue has to do with the way that this contract is being laid out right now. So
I agree that it's a very large part of our budget, percentage of our budget for a village of this size. I also believe in the value of professional management. So for me, I do want the village to be managed professionally. I want to make sure that we have accountability
in the people that we hire for the village. So, I'm I'm in generally in favor of hiring a professional manager with good credentials. However, locking us into a five-year contract at a time when we have incredibly uncertain
economic outlook, not just for us as residents of the village, for the village within the state of Florida, but just our general macroeconomic outlook right now as a country is is super uncertain. And you know, we depend on
state funds, we depend on the economic health of our neighbors, we we depend on the tax base to fund this. And I believe that committing to a five-year contract at this rate, at this percentage of our budget, when we haven't actually even
done our budget for next year yet, uh without any kind of exit clause, without any way of renegotiation, um without a uh well articulated review process is a real problem for us. Five
years is a is a lifetime right now in this current economic situation. So, at a minimum, I would encourage the council uh to think about some kind of step plan for this this contract. I know the lack of negotiation for me is also a problem. If we're really looking for someone
who's going to be flexible for us and really able to negotiate um smart solutions as we navigate whatever we're going through right now, that's not a great sign either. Lack of flexibility. So, a step-up plan where we have regular evaluations that are tied to
compensation perhaps where we have a step up plan in compensation where certain milestones are met and then you step up to the next level. So we have some accountability in the amount of money we're laying out with some way of steering that because I just really feel
like five years in the current environment. We could be really uh seriously underwater. And also it assumes that none of our expenses of village are going to go up. I'm sure everyone in this room has seen their their expenses go up already, right? Higher tax rates, higher electricity,
higher labor costs, higher materials costs for anything that we want to do as a village. So I filled in a little bit more uh risk risk aversion at this moment both in our budgeting and what we're looking to lay out and put some checks and balances in
place around us. Thanks very much. Huntington 744 Street. Alexis Sel once said, "The most dangerous moment for a back government is when it begins to reborn. In the last year, we have seen enough people turn over manufactured controversies, fictitious and furous allegations.
According to the court of public opinion, we can't afford foul children. This narrative is appealing to those who focus on a small craft and the gate and gorge of a long-standing history of mismanagement and ineffective governance. manage your children. So as it was and is a great impetus for change
in a broken system. The moment accountability walked in the door, allegations, ethics complaints, and anti-childers propaganda was so rampant, it was hard to see what was true and what was false. Those who called out the lies and had their had their livelihood attacked and their family members attacked, including mine. We have
elected officials actively working against the best interests of the village. However, in the undercurrent of all the turmoil at the log cabin and village hall spoken quietly in play dates, logs messages, happen stance meets at the grocery store and school drop off and pickups, there are
residents who are grateful for change. There are res residents like myself grateful for experienced leadership to break cycles that have held this village captive for decades. There is a current of excitement and renewal from employees to have guidance and hope for an era of
consistency and stability. Prior to our new manager, the village hired an unqualified candidate with no managerial experience and whose accolades included being a wedding officient. The top down effect was that manager hired a department head with a precarious history and even more so
precarious financial decisions which is still plaging us today. We as a village and you as a commission lead thou led thousands if not puncturing in the million more. Vendors went unpaid. Contractors found no external revenue through grant funding to improve services. We were denied state
appropriation multiple times. No new private public partnerships were pursued and there were no new amenities added. All the while customer service and employee satisfaction were humbers sitting on the d today adamant and boisterous about how manager children's and his compensation package lack and
his lack of managerial style are the same ones quiet about how they managed to lose track of the $ 1.5 million in American Rescue Plan funds. Funds that have sat through years of budget seasons with not one but two previous managers lost in time and space. These are the
same commissioners that viferously votes on every platform and sit at every meeting stating how manager children will destroy this village, lower our budget, all while filibustering every meeting when there's significance work to be dumped. For reference, we are projected to be in a $700,000 surplus this year. The previous manager dipped
into this reserve fund to the tune of over $300,000 and had an over $700,000 pass budget in the last budget season. Not to mention multiple taxpayer funded taxpayer funds used to fulfills for various vacations and seminars. So when we are talking about salary, what are we
really losing that we have not already bled from inexperienced and ineffective leadership? Hello, my name is 941 and 107. I just want to put the attention that I found out about the building because someone sent me a list.
I don't think that's fair that I can get very quickly the hesitation for school or the garbage can out. Sure. So it's just that another thing is like
guys we live in a park and I think that we are going to live in a park. We need someone that can manage the village that know how park is managed so we can avoid all this destruction with trees and everything
that we have around. I don't think that people in the court that we have right now are prepared to manage a part. But I think the village man should be able to be open to these possibilities because this is a state park. This is a
park and it's made to be a beautiful part for every residents in the area. That's why I look and I I haven't seen the village really that take that approach for anybody. So, thank you very much. You want to
hold attention to that? Alex, Northeast 120th Street. Uh just a couple of comments regarding the trees. I'm probably one of the biggest treeers out there and I was one of the founding members of sustainability and resilience board and I live here because of trees.
But I have to say that putting the safety of any animal over the safety of the human is not the way it should be handled and something that most of the danger like those streets do continue to pose. I think that if you have the opportunity, you take them down as
quickly as you have to deal with the not human safety always trumps the safety of animals. So I love trees, but in that case I I don't agree with putting the safety of uh you know birds over the safety of people. Um in terms of the
compensation, I think that a lot of things are getting conflated together. Yes, it's a lot of money. Nobody can nobody can um say that that's not a lot of money, but you have to look at what the market um determines that that salary should be and you can't look at
the budget of the village um and try to isolate the compensation based off of just the budget of the village. Um so I think that that's there's two separate things. together compensation package which should go by whatever the market dictates and um if that is what the uh
compensation ends up being then that's what it should be because qualifications are you know the separate part of it. So we can't keep talking about personal qualifications and saying that that money is why that should be uh should be done. Um the the part of it that does
alarm me a lot is the five-year contract. I don't deal with the details of it, but this should absolutely be a contract that uh reduced yearly based off of whatever milestones used. A five-year contract for something like this seems absolutely outrageous and I
think that there's no way we can sign on for a 5year contract if in fact that is how it is structured. Okay. [Music] Okay. Um, just want to say that my concerns can Yes. My concerns have not been addressed in
the last couple of meetings. that residents who have been attending me regularly. Um I expect answers to my questions if at all possible. I have quite a few questions because they um they've been left unanswered.
Number one, why weren't the multiple police officers who resigned in our attorney question during the children's hospital investigation? Two, why do you feel that you do not owe it to residents to prove the allegations false? Three, why do you think what do you
think could happen in the future as a result of the pause that essentially makes money to employ? What proves that all children's performance merits 100,000 increase who are less manager? Five, where did the
120,000 come from building? I still haven't got an answer for that. Six, we have been told we do not have money to improve our roads or replace some trees. Where specifically in our budget is this package coming from? I think we all feel
more comfortable if we understand that. Seven, why does the village manage park municipality,000 residents deserve a salary higher than the managers of Miami population 12,000 and Miami Springs population 14,000?
Um like my husband said uh with your credential gaps we have the credentials I just not convinced that that 8% of our budget makes sense eight why has the why has there been no significant effort to date to negotiate salary benefits I
expect you guys to protect us in our in our budget nine why used our contract for the village manager position as a baseline instead of accepting the one written All children seek attorney. 10. Why do
three of you think it's acceptable to hire a large manager with two commissioners? Clearly believe that you choose my period. Would you be okay with your colleagues disregarding your your concerns? 11. Why are you unwilling to pro
probationary period first? 12. Why are you focusing efforts on limiting methods of communication with residents instead of making the communications more accessible to elderly, disabled, and financially disadvantaged residents who may not use
smartphones. 13. Food is limiting methods of communication help. President Zoom looks good. Anderson, you know, I mentioned too long ago that I actually would have been up here with
those who think that I was impressed from when I look back on 2006. That was the first year we got an insurance and in only 19 years we have been a resol for seven inexperienced managers and
multiple managers. But hey, we still get that compensation package and benefits with ranking employees to manage through opportunities such as the rec center
managers dropped the ball. really stop 1,500,000 of people in federal government right after it's that idol and account now you're all here tonight said to vote
on a significant storm water project was going to be fun every time we change managers there's costs including the intangible cost often while we're advantages and I'll be the only
exception. Now they all meant well they were basically territories then and by the time any progress is made it it's made there often municipalities that don't compensation
as far as the 210,000 announcements which I see nobody really in the agree within the range and Obviously you're not here is going to respect and
del you know as far as the hospital you got to consider it's not unusual as you go from last to actual management to high expectations and accountability how the employee can trust that complaint
you know he just so long past and the debates against those contracts to move forward with the most experienced managers. One other point in his agenda item without anything off
that commission consensus like she reached out to shores if he didn't how is that not a charter violation. 95 has to do with gender items gender items about
he knows that single m for the permission to direct any individually [Music] to be untrue. You don't like the answer. He decided he was above our father.
Go out and do this for himself representing a village of the state park. If he's unaware that not do this after giving out permission previously, he either doesn't care about the laws or
is he confident to be on this mission. It's already cost our taxpayers here $2500. This is a complete waste of money. How many of our trees could have been planted for the summer? I would like to
hear what the what sanctions the commission is going to impose upon. There has been this is a different subject. There has been no sense lately from one of our bishops that she was concerned
for the salary that the managers requested. I never heard her say anything before the advertisement was put together and when it was put together for a new manager. It included the
salary range for the manager. It's a check. Now she's saying she wasn't afforded. Was the salary range put in there only to attract a large number of applicants? It's called false
especially if you're not to honor what the salary was. We are like a house. Everybody doesn't want to spend your life. I understand it. We're like a house. It gets dirty outside. If you clean
the outside every year over the years, keep cleaning and then it becomes where spend the money to paint. Now the walls are start painting off. anymore. It needs to be repaid after
spending money. No choice. The last few managers have shown that we were pay for very little done during that time. Grants were missed out on reporting from some was
now the time to go. Thank Robert just a couple of most of the people on said rules um regarding the salary
just a couple things um Even Congress the United States Congress pays for 78% of its health insurance but we are we are giving the post manager and with we're paying completely 100%
I think that's a little bit much and I think that the um a lot of the benefits are um are little excessive but I know what the billers association deans and they want to give all the benefits they can. What worries me is that um It's not
only that but um there's certain things yes is well qualified but what are the qualifications that you need is a fiveyear conference really what we should do just going to keep put aside your decision okay
let's think of oh the first professional building manager we've ever had Chris how did that work out okay that's happened with Sharon Mone so many others have an ironclad concept that
um that makes it difficult for us to uh do anything. I think it's a mistake. Now, one other thing with this um uh uh lynch pin I was very upset uh Mr. Ch's lawyer said that this his contract
was non-negotiable. Just think about that. Okay, lynch pin to democracy is negotiation. Uh the manager for public management fail failure to seriously negotiate
especially taking into account of the state park's needs and limited financing indicates that this situ um should be pause and before going forward with
this contract I think credit again um especially something that is so high on check I'm glad five years. It's your choice. Uh but if we don't have it in the freeze um I think that money all goes to compensation that's
not the case. other fine finally qualified position. Please again second he goes aside this consider this concept and think about what you what you might really want the qualifications aside
from degrees and and things such like that. What about the personality? What about someone who does not negotiate seems not to work well with police and and with other people? Um, I think that you really do need to consider your um your decision
before we turn over Zoom. [Music] No. Okay. All right. So, we're going to go ahead and turn it over to Zoom. Um and just a reminder for for all those joining us via Zoom and planning on participating the same rules will apply for Zoom as uh they do for folks here in
the long cabin name and address and so go ahead and we'll start with the first individual. Oh sorry I neglected if you'd like to speak please raise your hand and the clerk will select you and ask you. Thank you. Um Vicki.
Yeah. Okay. I didn't want to mute because I didn't know if I going first or what. Well, first of all, thank you for actually getting the zoom going. This I think it is a big step towards to
communicate with us with many of us that we cannot be there many people who has you know another responsibilities I think that's what I drive there to let you guys know that is get frustrated
very frustrated when when we cannot get our voice out I'm very happy to see that many people show up in the meeting. That's another thing that I feel like is great and and I agree with many of the
people who talk and express themsel and the concerns about the contract and uh oh I have more time anyways um about the contract and about the money about the budget. people who did the
research, people who look at the market uh of the salaries, comparison and a lot of things that we should get together before making a decision and to really negotiate because if it was a
negotiation, it has to be a negotiation. So I really hope that you take all of the people who came to talk and and you know get together and figure it out what
is the best for us and I appreciate your time and appreciate your effort. So thank you thank you for all of that. And one thing I want to say before I go is that and I guess you know probably
Albert knows but a week ago or yeah I think one week ago in Northeast Fifth Avenue that big humongous monstros construction going on uh broke a water pipe in our line because they're
crossing in the medium with huge concrete trucks. And so we need to be more on top of what's going on and these developers and these places that they are building because
now not only I have 119 that looking devastated because we don't have trees and we don't have money to put back trees but now I have a a crime crime zone on Northeast Fifth Avenue. So just
want to bring that up. Thank you. Thank you. We have one other one other speaker. Okay. Uh Anna since she rejoined us. Hi uh Anna Dion, 655 Northeast 115th
Street. Um I just wanted to thank uh Mayor Jonathan Grath uh for uh pushing to make the Zoom work tonight. um and for Madame Clerk for uh your persistence and making it happen. Um I was a little concerned by the message that I saw on
the app that Zoom is provided as a courtesy and I think it's a vital resource for the village um residents uh like myself, my daughters are here and I my husband can't be home to take care of them. So it's important for me to participate as a resident and um to make
my voice heard, but also because I'm on the board, I can't always come in person. So, it's important that I can um still participate via Zoom um so that I can be informed and bring that back to our board for decisions that are important. And now I'm going to make a note about medians because I have um like the previous speaker, I have a
similar issue with my median and people driving over it. So, that's something that I, you know, I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't been able to participate via Zoom tonight. So, I don't know if there's a change um that's coming down the pipeline that Zoom may no longer be included based on that messaging, but I
would encourage that that continues to be um part of our normal operating procedures that Zoom is a way for us to participate in meetings. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Um I think I don't see any other hands on Zoom, so
that Please vote in once on Zoom twice. Any others? Don't see any other hands. Okay. All right. All right. Well, that looks like it or certainly want to thank everyone, Mr. Mayor.
Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. My apologies. Go ahead. The first one is from Lyn Audit. I don't know if I'm pronouncing that for residents, commissioners, attorney, and manager. On July 28th, 2025, I
communicated to the clerk, manager, and commissioners. Get a closer further. My belief that resolution 202418 and 202518 may not follow
Florida statutes section 166.041 and section 166.0412. Solely for the purpose of this statement, I will presume they are both in full force and effect. I respectfully assert that the commission meetings held on May 22nd and June 3rd, July 8th, and
July 17th, 2025 were improperly noticed pursuant to one or both of resolution 202418 and 202518. Unfortunately, if that is the case, these meetings may be null and null and
void. I do not make this assertion lightly or with malice without a respect for the law and a desire for our village to do and be better. Notice of these meetings did not follow section 1B of resolution 202518
which states in part. Notice of meetings of the village commission shall be sent via email to residents on the village current email list and posted on all appropriate social media platform for which the v the village has an
account. In addition to push notifications on the current village app, as evidenced by the village website and despite the claims of some individuals, the village apparently does not have a current email list which any resident can still sign up for that
should have been used to legally notice the above meeting. Further, as the resolution states, in addition to push notifications on current village app, it clearly distinguishes between the email system
and the village app and requires the notification via both methods and any social media platform. The resolution does not provide for the dissolusion or dismantling of any of the required methods of notice. All methods of notice
are conjoined with the word and not excluded from one another with the word or. One method cannot replace the other. Again, the dissolution of dismantling of the email system as is claimed by some
repeatedly has never done as evidenced by the fact that one can still sign up for emails on the village site and that it was never legally removed from notice requirements via resolution. Not using the email system in addition to the
other methods of notice is presumably therefore against the village law. Use of the phrase current email system in the resolution allows for substitution of one email system for another but not
for the dismantling of an email system altogether. According to the resolution, there must always be a current email system. Thinking in a forward manner, I would object to a new resolution to remove the
requirement of email system and notice based on the following. There are approximately 1500 recipients of the email system. By comparison, there are only approximately 200 downloads of the village app. There are apparently complaints that the app has
had issues requiring reboots, etc., and is referenced on the village site as a soft launch and as being in beta beta testing with only basic functionality. The village app requires a resident to have a cell phone or other Android adi
device with internet access to download and use it. Use of the village app and not an email system will prejudice those residents not able to re to use it and does not fit the goal of the village to be all-inclusive, friendly and
nonpresident prejuditial in addition to the spirit of a transparent governing body. I hope that I receive no retaliation for any objections and or the points I have made herein and thank you for your time and
consideration. Respectfully, L audit. Uh fellow Biscane Parkers, I feel the need to make my voice heard about some issues that have been happening in Biscane Park in recent months. the comm
sender Nancy Davis. Fellow Biscane Parkers, I feel the need to make my voice heard about some issues that have been happening in Biscane Park in recent months. The communication in the park has become troublesome at best.
In a word world where instant communication is the accepted norm, I find that the village communication has sadly lacked in recent years. I am a trained graphic artist who has spent a bit of time in my career helping to
design and create websites. And I only say that to convey that I am not computer adverse. the newer website and also the app that you have been pushing are not very consumer friendly. Sign up for the app when it was first I signed up for the
app when it was first put out and I have to say that I never use it. Also, the website is a bit unconnected and by that I mean that it is not easy to find basic information. It looks pretty, but it's a
little hard to navigate and I have spoken to neighbors who are not computer literate who seem to be unable to find information there. Also, I am sure most of you are aware of the Australian pine debacle that happened in the
neighborhood this year, but you are probably not aware of the issue with my oak tree. I live on six Avenue. Not along a not long after the Australian pine situation, I noticed one day that there was a lot of noise
outside, when I looked, there were some large trucks in front of my house, blocking my ingress and egress completely, and they were trimming my oak tree. I must say that it needed to be trimmed, but I was given no warning, no contact, and they just hired someone
to cut my tree without my knowledge and or consent. I also would have had a very hard time leaving for an appointment without asking these people to move their large trucks and heavy equipment completely blocking my house. I called
manager children's and spoke to him and he was very nice about it. He told me that someone from public works would call me. Okay, John, call me. He was filling in for the injured head of public works which I knew nothing about
at the time. John was very kind and he took the fall and apologized to me about not not contacting me. I hardly think that he and unexperienced worker should have to be the one to deal with an iate
resident, but he did just that and he was great. My point is the communication ball has been dropped with a thug. All I can assume is that you all think that no one is paying attention, but we are. In a busy world, it's hard to get
to a public meeting, and I'm not a public servant. But as long, but a longtime resident, I do expect for my public servants to care about Biscane Park and its residents. Thank you, Nancy Davis.
Al Alexander Bern Burnernhard you he was here. Yeah. Okay. Dory Zean 18 Griffin Boulevard. We are a little village of homes and
does doesn't seem like any of you want to know what residents are feeling or thinking. Every month you offer this segment for public comment. Then it seemed our comments become like chaff in the wind. You all know my disappointment
that Jordan was not hired as our manager. He didn't need the job. he actually wanted the job and he wanted to get to know all the residents who chose the village as their home and why. I recently had a situation on the swell in
front of my home. A lady out for a walk fell into a three-foot hole and thought she had broken her ankle. I contacted Vera and she reported my concerns to Mr. Childress. Mr. Childress later sent me an email saying he took time out of his
lunch to drive by my house and the swell is my responsibility and if I need anything else, don't hesitate to reach out. Seriously, it's disappointing when the manager of a village this size
didn't even ask who or how the lady was doing or offer public works to come out and perhaps assist me in filling the hole. I remember former manager Christian Christian Manners sleeping at
Village Hall three days after our last major hurricane. He went out canvasing the village to make sure all residents were alive and well. His salary was about 75,000 if I remember correctly. And believe me, with his hands-on
approach and concern for all residents, he was worth every penny. Whenever a resident had an issue, he would meet with that person personally and do his best to find a remedy or assist them. Our village has had too way too many
way too much employee turnover and people don't want to get involved. Everyone who tries if they aren't friends with and agree with the Andersons or now the Huntingtons, they are ridiculed and publicly shamed. Yes,
people can hear the vulgar comments you make at the meetings. It's basically their way or the highway and they have chased so many bright creative people away. Vera and Tamara do not deserve for
others to overhear your comments and you have done this while they are speaking. Remember, we don't have enough people to run for commission. Dan basically did everybody a favor by stepping in and now you complain about him. It's your fault
for creating this negative environment where residents are afraid to get involved. The tree fiasco was on our current manager's watch and that was a huge fail. The hostile environment hasn't changed. In fact got
worse under his watch within our police department. If Mr. Childress is familiar with our budget. Then why is it we don't have any money to replace 38 trees the village chopped down in
February, but we have money to pay him more than any other manager in the history of our village. He must not care about the welfare welfare of our village and what matters most to residents and it is definitely not his paycheck. Thank
you for your time, Dory. David Raymond, 11520 Northeast Beach 9th Avenue. Dear elected officials, I am disheartened to see that the village posted a notice stating Zoom participation will no longer be guaranteed. I am recovering from back
surgery and can't sit for more than 30 minutes at a time. If not, I would have attended tonight's meeting. Instead, I hope you will picture picture picture my smiling face when the clerk reads this into the record. Between limited access to Zoom, lack of meeting notice to
residents, no commission meeting minutes, and no meeting videos posted, it does not appear you, our elected officials value our participation in village government. Contrary to that, I have seen your smiling faces and heard
your positive comments when the log cabin was packed with residents providing input. It seems as though you are happy so many people care, but at the same time, I hope you can see how the lack of access to meetings and
improper documentation does not achieve that goal. In terms of tonight's agenda, you are making a decision on a contract with the manager while the same agenda contains an item from a commissioner claiming the manager is creating a
hostile work environment. You are also moving forward with hiring someone who after 10 months on the job does not have the support of two-fifths of the commission. You also were presented with a contract as non-negotiable. Not sure
how you start a negotiation with that. However, it is your job as our representatives to in fact negotiate the best terms for the village, not the job applicant. I realize Al is a qualified candidate and has done some good things
since he got here. At the same time, between the allegations of a hostile work environment by half a dozen law enforcement officers and an elected official, the Australian pine tobacco and his inability to gain the support of
two of his five bosses for the last 10 months does not bold well in terms of the salary request at the maximum of the range. This places the village in an unsustainable financial position. While I have long advocated for paying more to
attract quality staff, starting someone at the maximum with a boatload of benefits which total approximately 8% of the entire village budget for just one staff member is not good president. Additionally, the proposed contract
allows for increases which would take the manager over the maximum of the range limit very soon. I have heard you argue and at nauseium over one millillage point which of which is approximately $45,000
yet you are willing to cough up $160,000 more than we have ever paid a manager. I have spoken to most of you and I can count to three. So I realize this is a done deal. As such I am addressing this to Jonathan Ryan and Art as our
representatives. You must ensure that our new manager makes every effort to work in a respectful and productive manner with the two commissioners. And please, please negotiate this contract as if you represent us, the residents,
because you do. I truly hope this all works out. If not, thanks for the new material for my next book. Thank you, David Raymond. That's the last one, Mr. May. Okay. Thanks. All right. So that's uh final public
comment. [Music] Mr. Mayor, Madam Cler, I received an email from I believe it. I didn't receive it. Yeah, he requested that. He did.
Yeah, highlighted. I can read it. The one from Yeah, it's highlighted. You said just read the highlight. Hold on. There we go. I got it. Just highlighted version. I got I got so
Yeah, it is. So, I'll go ahead and read because I I have the email sounds like the entire commission received. This is from Tutor and I'm just reading the highlighted portion for listening. Good evening. I'm unable to attend tonight's meeting but wanted to share my thoughts regarding the management postcontract
salary and strong we opposed to both paying children to base salary 210,000 210,000 a year would amount to 4.62 of our total revenue this number would increase to at least 6.9 being a factor of benefits in comparison which pays percentage of total revenue is only
2.99%. I'm concerned that the request requested salary and benefit not sustainable without service residents working much required. As for the cont as for the contract signed salary I concerned regarding PTO7 as for PTO demanded 240 hours of PTO signing and on
every anniversary date plus another 80 hours every October 1st is travel contract caps PTO carry over 500 hours earned over my let me I'll start back in the second paragraph as the contract besides salary
I consider PTO service on every anniversary plus 80 hours every October 1st contract PTO carry over 500 hours any hours earned over the cap would have to be used before end of the year or forfeit. This means children
would have to take would have to take eight weeks of leave every year. Another concern is the severance length. Based on the contract, the village would pay out 500 hours of PTO plus 20 weeks of salary. The proposed salary would equal $131,250.
Oh, and the kicker, he gets severance payout even if the parkways after contract expires 5 years. There's more issues in the contract, but I'll stop there due to time. I sent an email to each of the commissioners containing a detailed summary of my concern regarding both post contract and salary.
Additionally, the email includes a schedule contained analysis manager salaries across 27 by many county municipalities including this party. I forward that email to the village clerk requesting that the email be made and schedule be made part of the record readily available. So, madam clerk, all
for that. I have it. It came in after six. My apologies. I didn't do apologies. Okay. So, I think that's the last one. Um, so that will close public comment.
Um, and certainly as always, uh, I very much appreciate everyone and everyone being on Zoom. They're all still there on our agenda. So, we do have um, commission reply to comments. I know a lot of these will very likely come up in
our discussion, but I would like to ask if there's any replies comment at this time. The only one that actually the only one I have is I want to thank everybody for coming out and giving me support. So you have but your comments are very warm. I hope
we continue um to come out if anything with this um city manager position for against it has brought the resistance and so this part I'm very happy I ended up doing everybody. So again I want to
everybody on Zoom and every I hope that we get this situation settled with the Zoom because I do think it's very important that we have this people have participated by I just want to reiterate my my position on this for those of you that
haven't heard it before I've already stated my position on this but some of you may have not heard it um so the argu there's an argument that we can't afford uh Al for that position. Uh I argue that we can't afford not to have someone with
that position and someone with that background and I'll explain to you why. So just quickly going over the last few months uh like we already talked about this park fund that uh uh that we had sitting in our bank account for $1.5
million. Uh we we came this close to losing it. Um, and because Al and because of his background and knowledge, uh, was able to find out was able to get Yolanda over here. I appreciate what you've done very much. Um, we were able
to to fight that and actually get that $1.5 billion. Then the other one is just recently also for those of you that were here earlier, there was a state senator here uh, that doesn't represent us. Represents Homestead, South
Uh but she was pivotal pivotal in get helping us get that $400 and some thousand dollars uh in Tallahass. And the reason she did that is because of the relationship she has with nothing to do with those part. She helped get that
because because of because of that. And then the other thing I wanted to talk about a little bit about is you know a lot of people are are genu genuinely concerned about the financials and I appreciate that. Some are cons are some are using the financials because they don't like the
candidates and that I don't appreciate because they're not being honest. Be honest. I don't like the candidate. I don't want to pay him that and that's that. Everybody up here agreed to that salary range of 150 to 210. Everybody. So for somebody to say
not everybody I'm sorry u sorry talking about the people on the um so everybody up here agreed to that salary range then so for somebody up here now to say and if it's not Al and if it's somebody
else that came in here with with his background and knowledge and uh and experience um they would have asked for the same thing. Okay, having said all of that, uh the last thing I wanted to say was um I think it's it's very important
that you know we don't I I understand those of you that are concerned about the financials, but I having sat up here now for five years, um I can tell you that having hired inexperienced leaders here has cost this village hundreds and
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars in lack of followup um that 1.5 million that we would have thought. Those are just brief examples of funds that we would have never collected if we had the proper leadership here sitting up here. We
don't run the village. I have a job. Ryan has a job. We all have jobs. Um, so we need somebody in that seat that is actually going to manage and watch out. Commissioner back backpedaling
sorry get paid for be a commissioner. He doesn't get paid enough to do what he does. None of us invest. I'm sorry but we've done the public comment. We need people to remain on mute for a while.
That's also that's so um um just a question mayor on the format of the discussion. So we're getting into feedback in relates to the contract and the manager specifically are what's going to be the discussion
next when it comes to the contract. Are we going to do a format? I don't see the attorney representing the manager. So I'm wondering is there going to be an opportunity to revise certain things that were discussed today or is this going to be a Yes or no both in how are
you planning to do this because based on that then I can have comments but if the idea is not to go to the extent of the discussion it's a done deal per se and it's just like one you're okay with a contract yes or no um then this will be
the moment to say well it's I no I don't think this is the time for that I appreciate sharing your opinions I know you want to get out ahead of it that's certainly his right to do so Um I mean it's a resolution. The way it works here is we always discuss a resolution. If there are
discussion points to be made so you can't get down the same so they can't say um so so based on that I think um I would appreciate just I have a lot of highlights but I think the main thing
for me today is to say thank you everybody driving here getting on Zoom after I don't know how long you had to wait. I found out today that actually we have a room that says the zoom path is not longer mandatory in a way. It's not
being provided just as a force, right? Um so that that is a that is a problem for a lot of people just like myself finding out. There's a lot of people trying to get in and they're like well this is me. I've talked to people that actually were trying to get in and I had
just like Ryan said issues, you know, physical issues and other issues in terms of not being able to come press and they were very concerned. Um, so I don't think that's okay. We need to talk about that and that will be part of the notice discussion we have uh which is
part of my phone. So I think I'll expand on that. I just want to say first thank you VP for coming running to the meeting and letting us know that the zoom was on and to be honest with you um again I appreciate you ran back and protected
and I know you mobilized a lot of people a lot of people here mobilizing people and the reason I say this is because when people want to say something they show up when they know something's happening and they have something to
they show up. And I think the problem here, and you you'll hear this a lot from for me, and it's been a push for months now, is that lack of transparency of giving you the opportunity to show up. So, thank you for doing that. And I
think I'll leave it for when we talk about not about how that that's going to look in the future, how we're going to address the fact that you couldn't do this before. And I think that's my same thing. We are at a contract level
talking about notice for months and so you're trying to backtrack everything you couldn't say at that time that you didn't know was happening because I got a lot of phone calls about that. It was a lot of conversation
aside. I I don't know. So thank you again. I'll leave the rest for Okay. Thank you. The only the management contract that we'll get to. Um, as far as as far as I understand it, and
Brad, you can correct me if I'm wrong. We need to get there when we get there, but it's my understanding that we're not removing to we're not making it unavailable. It's still going to be available, but what we're doing if you don't mind. Yeah. Is this something we can discuss with notice or you want to make this
separate? I just want to go through my permission to report as well. Yeah. No, I just it was a very short point. I just wanted to make it clear that we're not we're not revoking Zoom access. It's still going to be available, but as a as a legal procedural note, we we were
basically required from noticing issues to say that if there if there are technical issues, then it won't invalidate. So, it's still always going to be available. We're not removing it. It's it's an important tool and it's important for people to have access by
Zoom for reasons that we've heard tonight. So we've done bully. Yeah. Very quickly very very quickly. So the the the notice that people are are addressing is something that was done um my advice
that I gave to the mad and the madam clerk. The issues that we were having is as you correctly stated, if you're providing a public notice saying that the public can access the meeting by Zoom and you have the issues that you had at the beginning of this meeting and
you continue on with the meeting, then your notice is defective and it affects the legislative actions of. So it was the the reason why we put that warning or that advisement on on the on the notice was not to do away with Zoom
but for people to understand that there are technical issues that have occurred that people may not be able to for whatever reason um appear by Zoom and if they want to ensure that they're going to have an opportunity to speak publicly that they they they need to appear and
that that's essentially what is it so that the notice is legally sufficient. ownership in by no way is that me voicing my opinion saying that we don't we don't want it we don't need we absolutely do so I just wanted to make that point that we're not getting
so but does that mean on that question so does it mean that it's some so basically we are telling people if you if you you have to be here because it could happen that like today we have half an hour more 40 minutes of not
working link Someone at that time is like maybe there's no meeting and moves on. Well, you didn't come. You didn't find out. We're saying for you to be sure, you have to be here. What we're saying Yeah. Well, yes. in a short burst. What we're saying is that
you cannot a resident or a member of the public based on this notice would not be able to attack the legislative acts of this commission based on a defective notice argument because they were unable to appear via. That doesn't mean you're
not going to have Zoom. You can still have it. But if you were to go forward with a meeting, not let's say you didn't realize the Zoom wasn't working, which we didn't in the beginning until somebody came in. So if you had passed a resolution, you had passed an order to approve something
and you had your original notice, there could be a potential of attacking that notice and saying that it was legally insufficient and therefore whatever was done during that time period is null and has to be done. Okay. So this was to clarify
the the purpose of whim that you all can remove that if if that's what you choose to do. But if you're going to remove that advisement, then my suggestion is that you make sure you're remotely works so that the public can appear
and you do not hold you do not move forward with a meeting if it's not if it's not working because otherwise there's potential problem. Correct. All right. Thank you for that. So yes, so it's it's uh I mean it's sort of uh and we'll get to know this on my item, but uh we we've done with uh Zoom
before. I mean this isn't um something that you know it's rocket science companies rely on zoom you know even you name it. Um there is other opportunities to explore and we can talk about it during notice but um an IT person I
thought the manager had mentioned there was someone hired for it you know is present at some of the meetings someone that can assist Pamela to make sure the connection happens someone that can ensure that we have proper technology that is a solution meant to ensure that
we give the people what they demanded it's not to adapt basically to ouration And I think that is like my my biggest take away from there to leave that as conversation. Although it's legally,
you know, it's less of an issue legally for us to have this knows it's a wrong message that we heard here today when all this and all the people that are still in the zone waiting for the to live in order to participate. So again,
I think it's testimony that um that is not what Okay. So we'll uh get more into it up. So let's uh go ahead and move on to our consent agenda. Do I have a a first and second? Can I do my
I'm sorry. Yes. Um so I just I just want to highlight something. So, I'm going to address uh something that was brought up uh to my attention regarding inappropriate comments allegedly made about me during the July 8th commission meeting which uh
I was unable to attend. I was unable um I've been made aware of several disrespectful remarks about me which were made out loud and clearly heard by others in the room. I won't repeat them, but they were
described as offensive and the rest of the commission is aware. Um, unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've received seen other reports. Given this pattern, I feel it's necessary to publicly address.
Disagreement on issues is a normal and expected part of public service, but this respect is not. It damages public trust. It discourages participation and it sets the tone that
reflects truly on all of us. We've all seen how toxic behavior if left unchecked can escalate beyond words. I thank you all for today about resolution that pass to protect privacy for
hyper local politics. may feel personal because we're all very close to each other, but they are not. I serve this village not just as a commissioner, but as a neighbor doing this work without compensation with no other purpose or
motive, sorry, purpose of motive other than represent residents of the state village. I welcome this agreement and criticism when it's expressed with respect. We all share responsibility for fostering a space where every voice
feels safe and valid. And I bring this up and I really thought about doing, you know, whether it was appropriate or not, I didn't know. But I say it because in that meeting on June 3rd, um, my husband came me. You know, the comment was, I
don't know if you're safe and that's not okay. And so I want every Can you hear me? So the the comment that I received is that I don't know if you're safe and that's critically important to me. So something
that I need to talk to the manager about. Maybe there's something to do in terms of police um supervision when I go back and forth. It's crazy to think this way. I don't feel unsafe. So I want to say that clear. I don't but there is an
underlying tone of the violence and I will address it but this is that has to stop and it's every part plays an important part of the role. Every one of us plays an important part. how you behave as an audience, how we behave
with each other and how the manager behaves with the followers. Those interaction ripple to those effects um certainly a little bit of violence have no place here in this room here in
this village um in this community no matter what post I hope everyone understand. Um, okay. So, let's uh let's go to our consent agenda, please. Uh, do you want to go a first and second consent
to consent agenda? Second. Okay. All in favor? I I Okay, consent passes. We'll move pass the consent and we'll go to our amended agenda, which moved 13A up to the end of this section before we get to section
11. The 13A is um the manager selection of police manager item on selection of police. So Mr. Manager would like to introduce the item first. Yeah. Uh thank you very much, Mr. Mr. Mayor. As you as you know, we u we had
an um Chief Steel was uh placed on u on suspension the pending investigation. Before that had occurred, I had uh had put him under a performance report on January 13, 2025.
Uh identifying items of concern, establishing a plan improvement over the next month. Yeah. Plan of improvement over the next three months. I listed 13 items that needed much improvement. on on February 14th, the village
attorney and I met with uh Steel discussed some unanswered emails that the Department of Justice had sent uh Steel regarding equitable sharing agreement and certification. As a result of those unanswered emails,
uh we were placed in non-compliant status. In light of those unanswered emails, some lost funding had occurred. uh a further employee had presented documents and a former employee had presented documents and information that deemed the village attorney
administration as appropriate for an investigation of of misconduct by Chief Steel and Steel was placed was notified about these allegations. At the February 14th meeting on on February 20th, he was relieved the duty would pay pending an
investigation from an outside investigator. Um, at that time, Steel refused to sign the memorandum, a notification being relieved of duty and less than 24 hours later, he sent an email to the mayor and village commission notifying him of his
resignation and claiming hostile work environment and some a number of other allegations. Upon him being relieved of duty, Captain Jorge Rosoro was named acting police chief and has been in that role since
that time. Um I advertised for the um um chief position was advertised on the village website. Florida League of Cities, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida City County Managers Association and then advertising reflected that the village
was looking for prior experience as a police chief and the village of Biscape Park received approximately 20 applications. We selected a a committee of seven people um to review those applications and determine exactly the most qualified
that they wanted to interview. That committee uh consisted of four residents, all who are longtime property owners uh live at village of Biscane Park. Most of them had more than 20 years of living in the village. Uh I I
won't the the uh if anybody wants to know the names I'll I'll be happy to share those names with you. The committee was chaired by Mr. Howard Goldman who who came here and at at uh and and made a presentation about the
what what movement the committee was was moving on and what the format was. The committee also included a current police chief from a neighboring city and a former president of the Day County Police and Chiefs Association who is a current deputy police chief of a
neighboring city in Miami Day County. Upon reviewing the applicants, seven candidates were selected to be interviewed. Upon notification of seven candidates, two which were named, so boiled down to five that were interviewed by the committee. of that
five those those interviews were held over a two-day period June 19th and due June 20th. As a result of those uh those interviews, the committee selected three finalists who were names were submitted to to myself.
The committee selected um the following individuals, Carlos Avala, Dale Angel, and and Scott Israel. Um the the the u I have a detailed memo about their background and it's in the it's on the
website if you can read all their background. They're all three of them were very highly qualified individuals who were who had extensive uh law enforcement experience and any one of them could meet the needs of the village. All all
three candidates were invited to this July village commission meeting where they each were asked to make a 10-minute presentation to allow the mayor and village commissioner be aware of who the final candidates were and to get to know who they were. The village commission asked each candidate a number of
questions. And on July 19th, a meet and greet was held in which coffee and donuts were served. From 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. from the residents to meet each of the candidates and ask them questions. From 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. some 14 members of the Biscane Park
Police Department met with each of the candidates and had an opportunity to learn more about them. In the final selection process in the uh last week, I met with each of the candidates for over a two-hour period in which I sat down and and interviewed each of them to
learn more about their strength, their weaknesses, their goals for the village of Biscane Park Police Department and um and that um when when I sent out this this um um memo, those interviews had not taken place yet. But I can tell you
that all all three candidates were very highly qualified. Um, as a result of those the meet and greet and u and and the the committee each of I had uh conversations with many of the police
officers and many of our residents about who exactly is the the right police chief. And it was it was a tough decision. But uh I wanted to tonight and in public form announce it so that everybody is made aware of it at the
same time. But my selection is Mr. Carlos Avala who's been doing a great job for us for the last uh uh three or four months. So I I'll be I'll be meeting with Chief Aba in the next few days, sitting down
with him, talking about goals and uh and direction for the department, talk about community policing. And I'm I'm sure that ask the residents if they see them on the street or they they run into them uh uh please say hello to them and uh
and talk to them about their their their expectations for the police chief and and please feel free to reach out to me. But I I I'm happy that we have someone of of Carlos's cab caliber to run our police department and and bring us to
the next level. So thank you um Mr. mayor, members of the commission for your support in making this selection, manager. Thank you. Uh, Captain, now Chief Abula, um, very excited to see which direction you have for this department and very appreciative of your
service to to this group over the last couple months. Acting chief, former acting chief, um, thank you very much for filling in our time of need, providing some some assistance to that department. Thank very much appreciated. And, uh,
possible something from the chief. Yeah, certainly have shared that accepted accepted tortures.
Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Mayor, mayor, commissioners, Mr. Manager, uh, thank you for considering it and for giving me this opportunity. Uh again just want to thank you for uh
considering me and this opportunity. I will give you 100% and I look forward to meeting the manager and let's see how to move the village forward. Thank you again very much. Thank you.
Congratulations. Your first training will be how to use the microphone. Thank you. So everybody's got to go through this. All right. Very well. Uh thanks for bringing the item forward and moving it up so we could uh hear that. It's it's
see excuse me. Um and uh it's certainly very very nice to have the res involved in and the neighboring uh law enforcement officials health selection say that these three individuals very applicable
individual. Hope you get it. Um, okay. So, having included 13 A, let's Our next item in our amended agenda is 12B. What's that? coffee at this hour. Did you? No. Doesn't
probably [Music] Please Yeah. So much [Music] [Music] Good luck. Yeah, it's okay. That was fine.
That's Well, looks like we got everybody back. So, let's take a second. Yes. I would share but I don't That's nobody. water. I say this
That was probably How bad no one has left up there. We got to order my own. What was the question? We got it.
everyone. So, let's uh call the meeting back to order. when we formally adjourned but we'll call back uh and we will go on to our next item of the amended agenda which is moving up to
discussion item 12B. So uh 12 is the order items but commission recommendation discussion to all favor I
discussion of this. Okay. Go ahead. I do this because he preventing me from doing my job. My duties [Music] professional arrested man towards me on several occasions. Five
police officers also accusing hostile violence containing a police car. [Music] The mission has an obligation to our residents to investigate these accusations. If they are true, Mr. Children should not be eligible. You
cannot ignore these complaints. You should not sign an employee [Music] too. I requesting that the commission have an open and frank discussion about the complaints that I
chose and that needs to work in mutual professional manner is the commission responsibility question. Sure. What makes discussion? Well, given my first question,
I mean, normally it's enough procedures you discuss and the matter requires that after a certain amount of time someone calls for five minutes. That's what it is. Why are we giving five minutes before we start talking? Well, so my question on that point, I
think it kind of leads in so to speak to the question I got from vice mayor on this item. My question to the vice mayor on the is can you give the the commission a clear direction of what you're asking us to do? You know, normally we have that
cover page where we say here's the recommendation that I want. I'm just trying to understand what you're asking us to do with this. This just something we you want us to consider uh on the on the contract item or are you asking us to do something? This this is a host just like the other five offices. I
think it affects I think it affects the heart of it. Can I ask for a question? Sure. And you filed an ethics complaint against what was the result of that was that the
ethics committee said was that it doesn't stand. They did not clear it. I was I'm just asking because I I I thought I had heard that you had and I didn't know what the results were. So the to the attorney uh have you seen the
the results of that the ethics uh response because I haven't seen it. I have not seen the one related to Mr. Chilerson. I only saw the order of the commission related to my
So which the one that cost us $2,500? Well, they were without reliving them, they were they were related. So, what Commissioner Samaria had done is is filed a complaint filed a single complaint against um the manager and
myself making different allegations um regarding different issues. Um what the commission did is they separated the allegations into the allegations that were addressed against the manager and the allegations that were addressed
against myself. Okay. Um so they were both dismissed by they were both dismissed by the ethics commission by majority vote. Not even a majority I believe it was unanimous vote. Okay. Um, however, when the orders
were drafted, there were separate orders. If I remember correctly, and correct me if I'm wrong, Al, I think there were separate orders for the allegations brought against me and the allegations brought against Mr. Ch. So, I I don't know that I've seen the ones against Mr. Ch, but I I know it was the
same order. I thought it was seven. Yeah. And and now is it your position that you're saying that the allegations were dismissed or that they were tabled or what the I'm just asking what is this? Well, they weren't table I mean they
were they were thrown out. So they were what the commission essentially ruled is that they did not the commission only deals with ethics violations right of the county ethics. Right. Right. So the allegations were uns what they found was the allegations were unsubstantiated and that they even
if taken is true there was no violation of the county. Okay. So, so my only then my only question is to Ben then. So back to what Jonathan was saying, what exactly is it that you're asking us to do? Is that what you're asking?
Okay. This is a hostile commission. I mean, we're his boss and I can't have one commission because complaints. It happens to be a commission that has not exploded. And I, you know, I mean, I
just can't believe that the rest of the commissions don't think the if they read the accusations, which I was going to do public review, but I didn't want to take all the time. It's on the website. The accusations are very serious. And if you see it's very serious.
Well, I think it is. You brought it up at one commission. You brought up a commission that they bought and you asked the city. You asked the attorney what is the option and the attorney said you can buy
and you know so you're asking us to fire. I think that I think that this complaint is very serious that needs to be investigated. And I wasn't ethics that I can do to
the criteria for the complaint that I filed. Ethics said it's important to date county criteria important to state what was supposed to have done when I submitted my complaint to this. They were going to give it to the attorney
look at it and see if it should go forward and then return. They didn't do that. The attorney went forward with the They say it doesn't fit their criteria. They didn't say it wasn't true. They said of he works for the bridge is the
commission that has to decide now that has so attorney file I got agree in front of the commission. That's exactly what I did. I think Adam's accusations are really serious. If this commission
doesn't take it serious, okay, but it's my job as a resident, I my hospital is really serious, especially the one on April 19th. That's to me, you know, this doesn't mean this doesn't
let me provide us some direction. Can we um I want I want to kind of point us in the right direction on this because I I think I understand what you're trying to to ask and my question would be similar
in that if what you're what you're what you've asked of for us tonight vice chair is what you had provided to my immediate company ethics and I understand you're saying it's not this is not this is not what I reported to this
one the one with ethics has to do with the hostile complaints that was done by As a commissioner, it is my responsibility when residents bring stuff to me. That's what I did. It was allegations made hostile complaints. That's what I thought. It wasn't saying that the hostile complaints were true.
It was allegations made by five police officers that I think was very serious and needs to be investigated. which are asking because there was there was a complaint filed ethics which was clear they did not clear it wasn't in
their criteria in day county's criteria the criteria was done with with state ethics but they said it does not fit within that I was going to bring it I should have said to commissions was going to come up that criter they did not dismiss the attorney they said it
did not in the criteria of the account and it fits into criteria of the commission. May I May I make a suggestion? Sure. So I think I think first of all I think your allegations are extremely serious.
I I read your allegations and I think they're very serious and we should take them serious. Having said that, the only way to do this is to hire an attorney, hire an investigator. I don't know. That's something that we're gonna have to do, right? Obviously. No,
not because I'm not an investigator. I I we would have to investigate this firsthand before we make any decisions. We can't just I'm not an investigator. I have a hard time finding my way home. So, the issue the the issue is that we
have to hire somebody. Okay. So to to to do an investigation and then whether the allegations are proven to be or proven to be true at a cost. So then I guess the only question is are we willing to accept and pay that cost or are we
willing to say hey if the allegations are substantiated we'll pay the cost but if they're not then Dan should pay them because why should I pay if the allegations are true or why should the village pay allegations are true that
that's the only thing we can do so accusation surround. Right. We're talking in circles really quickly. I know commissioner you can ask. So I just have questions for that. We're getting to the procedurals. So what it
means when it was for me remove all that representatives always voted and you know do the elective sitting here saying that the manager is not treating him correctly. There's several points here that are very concerning and he's been
bringing it up and and he's trying to kind of address the fact of what's next. I think the question here is what's happening. So for me and I'm going to tell you that a lot of this again it's concerning but it's not that different in certain circumstances that I
experience. So I want to make sure I understand what he means by each one of this because again it's been more like it's the ethics committee or is it I just want to have a clear conversation right about the fire manager and ask the
manager what's going on threatening behavior after I reach out to members of the city of Dorado I was threatened by injury manager he's been here following a communication with the member was intimidated and of course creating a climate of fear retaliation what
death. Are you going through when you say fear and retaliation? The standard goes against the principle of profession professionalism and decisency. Yes. But what what do you mean? What happened? Those are the questions I have. Unprecedented medical distress. I suffer
a medical complication the manager's office. These are very serious stuff. So what what's next? So it takes like an investigation by someone else or it's a conversation among ourselves and the manager to see what what's going on.
But before we get into the process, I for me is regardless of the process you decide whether it's an investigation or it's a whole conversation with a manager, we have to have a conversation. What about him as a future?
That's how I feel. If it's going to require some money, let's not be piece of mind to ensure that that that like it's okay, then we can talk about what that looks like or what's the alternative. You seem to believe there is an opportunity to do this without cause
and you know workshop and sit down and and put all out all the cards on the table and talk about it. I don't know. I don't know what it is. But I'm I I think regardless we need to look I think I think that the I'm not out
this is not out to to get any money or anything. I want to be able to I got one more year and hopefully I'll get a reelect when he's chosen city manager. I don't stand on I don't want to have problems in the future and he works for this commission hires and it's with the
commission now commission might say they don't believe my accusations. But then you don't believe my accusation. But I have in all my accusations, especially the first one that the April one is very serious. Okay. That's very serious. What happened on the Which one is the
April 19th? You have five seven points here. Which one is it? Well, he's looking he's referring to a separate name. It's a different name. So it's not the other
it's just based upon the comp. Okay. But commissioner Mary I just want to be clear what you're what are you asking? Are you asking for the try and come to terms with the manager or are you asking for a formal investigation?
ter you see this as a solution to the military. I like I was exploring and I want to be able to work with the city. I really do but I can't be true. I've gone through this once
before when it was me and you and and uh mission tour had the same problem when commissioner has I mean when city has three supporters get treated differently than others. I really feel strongly that I treat you because I am not in support
and I just feel you know at the one the first one that I saw I didn't know that it's a people that were there function when I collapsed I didn't know by people that were there and then the
second one I happened to be there and the oxen parkway director was there to have me as a commission and I've done volunteer worked in this village for I don't know how many years, but to tell me that I can't be behind the table and
to have a police officer tell me that I can't talk to residents at that meeting that's who did that at the at the at the Thank you. [Music]
I guess at some point we're going to have to get out of this. Yeah, because listen, I think that, you know, based on what I just heard from Barrett, I think that he's willing to, you know, work this out. August, you kind of jumped out ahead where I was
kind of trying to go with this was it sounds like you this needs to be a discussion in terms of vice told us and it necessarily impacts the resolution item of the time. Yes. So, I mean, I don't want us to by
no means am I belittling or dismissing what we're talking about because it's important, but I think if it affects if it necessarily affects and works into the resolution item, then I think we should take out with the resolution item so we can try to get the rest of these done. I think we can revisit it. I think vice mayor, you can cue it up for us and
we can revisit it when we get to that resolution. But we have a couple other items and it's corner act. So I'd like us to try and tie that into the resolution if we think that's the resolution on uh resolution 11A which is the discussion content.
So you want to go into the front? No no I want I want to table this to reit to reopen it and have the vice mayor I'm not sure why you shift subject matter. This needs to be discussed. Well, we're saying we're going to discuss when we get to
it sounds like you just push and I make a suggestion. Sure. Um, can can we agree uh at least in principle that we can get you two gentlemen together uh some point uh and
have a discussion if commissioner Samary is willing to do it. I'm sure uh village manager is willing to do it. uh to try to move this forward. Uh because it seems like we're we're just honestly at this point we're not moving the needle
in any in any direction. But I think that you know based on what you just said that you'd be willing to to to try to work things out we're not taking this by passing it over to have a certain meeting. It's not taking these not addressing these accusations. We're not you said you don't want a
investigation. investigation. This is discussion just like the other five. They all need to be investigated. We have not done any investigation. The one investigation that was done where people did not want to talk. The reason they didn't want to talk was because the
investigator didn't have the the power to make these people talk. I I just those were taking one side of the story. We weren't taking Mr. children. We're not even looking into other investigations and I believe that by ethics complaints
is very important as the has effect [Music] attorney. So this had come up several times during the public comments. Um this is one of the many you know what happened with the investigation the investigation was closed but the
question remains still nothing was disproven right the um so in a way still did not cooperate and the question from people remains as well that that we didn't get the chance to hear from those
going through um you know the ones that that were going through the hustle works environment the ones that you I was saying they were and here's their perspective. You know, we didn't go through at the end of it to understand if it actually was a case or it wasn't.
And so a lot of what I hear from residents is at what point you clear that out before you decide a hiring management that has that. This is off topic from commission. I think we're all talking about the same
thing. It's the same thing. Yeah. But my question is again I I don't know how we replace it. Your question linger in is how do we treat that? Is that by talking to the attorney is would
that require an additional investigation that we need to go and pay and say well you know what we decided that before we move forward with the contract we are going to provide an investigation to go through those obligations. They're in a paperwork right now. They're not linked to steel, but they're linked to the
manager. And we pay extra for that. And once that's done, we clear all the allegations and we're ready to move forward. I just don't know procedurally legally what's the recommendation. So, or before we jump into that, I might make a procedural recommendation on the agenda because I think this we're all
talking about the same thing. We're talking about we're talking about the the open items that have been raised that necessarily affect the resolution 11A. So why don't we and I don't want to displace your item but why don't we introduce resolution 2025-43
and then let's within that context let's continue that what context within the context of the question that you just asked the so you want to talk about the contract well because this I think this necessarily affects that conversation but there's not we're going to go into
the contract step by step or how are we tying this to the contract? Well, I would say it's it's type of contract because what you're telling us if you would want to consider these the question before you consider approval or rejection before you even decide if it's you know
we everything's okay with the contract the question stands. How do you guys feel? That's the question. How do you guys commissioners feel hiring someone knowing that we still have question marks related to these allegations? And I think my question to the attorney is,
is there a process where we decide to now we vote? You know what? It's worth to spend $20,000 extra to find this out and keep out happy. Make sure everything is a clean slate. We work into a relationship. We'll figure it out a way
to make this happen from now on. But there is no allegations. Everything has been disproven and is a clear. I can answer for me. Okay. Um, so to answer your question is, uh,
you know, I know everything in this country's changing really briefly, but you know, people here are innocent until guilt. Yes, there are allegations, right? But we have to look at these these individuals that are have allegations
at them as innocent, they're innocent until they're proven guilty. Now, back to the investigation that you just mentioned, we did have an investigation. There were certain people that didn't want to cooperate with investigation for my understand correct. I mean
no there was other I think there's somebody else also that didn't participate or didn't want to but anyway regardless so so you know you can have an investigation but if the folks that are that are part of the investigation don't want to cooperate
with it you know I I what would you do? There's people in there for what I understand that were say they did not want to go. So that's what I'm saying. I it's not even if it's one that's my point. Even if there's one person saying
there is serious allegations, I'm here for you to ask me questions. Is it worth asking the question and would you pay for it? That's why I'm asking. So that's the question that's able whether it's one two five people when I would feel
comfortable having a conversation on a contract knowing that that's been checked and that we can rest assured to resident that a very important issue it's could be a legal potentially safety concern for employees I mean we're
talking about hostile work environment haven't been clear and finding assignment a for five years without clearing that. That that's where people are coming struggling on the fact that this is moving forward without that being cleared. So that's the question I'm asking and again I don't know who is
to respond. Do you guys feel okay that we can move forward without clearing those obligations or do you feel there is a necessary step and therefore we need to quote what would that look like? How many people clear that there will be three months and then we move on is Mr. the children would were willing to do
that and wait that that's what we I think we need to talk about. So I'll I'll address for many these things have been investigated. If the plaintiff is not cooperating with the investigation group over a thousand investigations you're not going to get a
different result if they're not cooperate. We provided them with an investigation. We paid village money to have investigated. They chose not to participate investigations about the host work environment complaints were assessed in that investigation. proved not to be hostile work environment commissioner
talk uh the they were investigated they chose not to not to to uh participate they chose to seek outside uh remedies of POC complaints that is outside of this
village's purview so for me it's been investigated we gave them their their right to an investigation they chose not to not to support that investigation I'm fine with I'm ready to move forward are you saying everybody said that they weren't. I just want to be sure that they're as far as I'm from the document that I
read the they were assessed hostile work environments they and they were either not a complaint or they chose not to participate and at the end of the day you're talking about complaints that came in when in February we're sitting in July. Have we received any more? Have they been knocking down our door to, hey, you didn't investigate this? Or are
we talking about investigations that were investigated or complaints that were investigated that we're sitting here just spinning our wheels trying to find any reason to stall the 11th hour when these things were investigated? We spent village money and they chose not
to on that investigation. Correct me uh attorney that investigation was was the ML Mr. Steve the chief's right. This has nothing to do with the fire department. So
to say that there is no there is no listening commission. I'm gonna ask I'm gonna ask the attorney response because I'm interested in hearing I don't put you on the spot Brad. You're on the spot. If I may. Yeah. But I'm a little I need some guidance to specifically what you're
asking. Here's why I say that is we you guys are discuss and and I think Commissioner Samaria in his discussion item when he when he initiated it tonight I think he's confusing different
aspects and different investigations his item let me just start with his item then I'll I'll try to address your other questions okay his item with regards to the hostile work environment complaint against Mr. shoulders. He submitted those to me and there was a conversation
that that what the vice mayor and I had in which Let me just backtrack real quick. Your rules say that there if there is a hostile work environment complaint where the manager is the is the target of the of the complaint, then the the village
attorney's responsibility to investigate that complaint. All other hostile work environment complaints are investigated or initiated by the man. So because the the subject of the vice mayor's complaints were the manager, he directed
him to me was asking for for an investigation. I explained to him is because of his position being essentially Mr. Childerson's boss or one of his bosses that there there you can't bring necessarily a hostile work
environment complaint under the federal rights. There's no way to cue that type of an investigation because essentially what would happen if if you have an insubordinate employee addressing themselves to a to a boss that way they're attorney I mean that in
the simple form that's what we're at here obviously the commissioner or the vice mayor can't do that because it takes a majority vote of commission but what I explained to him is I I can't conduct this investigation there's nothing for me to conduct is it technically enough there's there's no
manual to be conducted and if he desired to have something done he needed to bring it to the commission to view as a collective body and ask for some type of relief which is what I was assuming he was doing but let me just finish but
then he started speaking about these other investigations that the police officers brought and all these other things so so so that's what my understanding of this item was the answer to your question about the other investigations. I I'm not aware and and
I'm a little leerary to call them hostile work environment complaints because the term was being used by many of these employees, but they weren't alleging a hostile work environment. They were just saying this is a hostile work environment. That's that's not how you bring a complaint for a hostile work
environment. And and and I know I've said this previously before because you have a supervisor, a boss that's not nice to you, that's mean to you, that's not a hostile work environment. So people filed an filed I I will tell you that Chief Steel filed a formal hostile
working. Okay. There was a letter sent by another employee. Do you want me to identify them? I will. There was a captain who ultimately resigned who who claimed in a letter that he was
a witness to hostile work. He was a witness to an interaction between Mr. Childress and Mr. Steel. And if I remember correctly, I think it was when he was being placed on suspension and the investigation. And that that employee said in a letter that in in his years of experience, he never saw
anything like that and it was a hostile worker and and essentially was saying this is a hostile work environment. That's not a hostile work environment. That's that's a witness saying I saw something that I think amounts to a hostile work environment. So that I
guess is two. Then you had another employee who was a part-time captain who filed he did he filed a a formal hospital work environment for 20 submitted it to myself and to to madame
clerk. He actually came to my office to present it to me and we had a discussion about it. I asked him what he wanted done with it, which is the first question he wanted investigated. And what his response to me was at the time was, you know what, I may just resign. I
don't I'll let you know. And he took the physically took the complaint back from me and then never reinitiated the complaint. That is quite frankly, that's the one that Commissioner Samaria in his ethics complaints against me claiming that I didn't investigate. Then then you
have another complaint. Well, you're asking something. I got you. I got you. And then there then there's another complaint, quote unquote complaint, which it was um officer Dana Rodriguez. Um I'm sorry, Dana Rodriguez. Yeah, I think that was her last name.
Rodriguez. Um she came to a commission and that was the same day when commi when Mr. Steel was here and he voiced his concerns and his position and she basically said, "I'm resigning. This is a was a h this is a hostile working." but didn't give
any other information. So, those are the only ones I'm aware. So, I'm aware of the ones I just listed, Commissioner Samaras, and there was an investigation done into Chief Steel's hostile work environment, claim, and this is addressing Commissioner Ans's question. And the first thing you do when you're
investigating a hostile work environment complaint is you reach out to the complainant and say, "I need to talk to you because I need to know what is the basis of your complaint." That's what the investigator did. And Chief Steel's response ultimately he said he was going to cooperate but ultimately his ultimate
response is from his counsel saying we're not talking to which at that point there there's nothing to investigate because there's no there's no basis for the complaint. You have an allegation but there's no facts. So you can't go forward. There's nothing to go forward. All right. So let's get to the none of
the matter. So So here's the thing. Okay. I this item is about my apostle. This has nothing much to do with the chief and all of that. This is my apostle and this is where I was told by the attorney that I have to be a public soldier. That is what I'm doing. Now if
the commission bios as one of five bosses bios that go to you don't take nothing up. That's that's your choice right that's so here's here's the thing. So if this was a normal company and you were one boss one employee you would be fired.
So basically what you're asking the five of us is to agree to fire. Right. That's basically what you're Oh, I'm talking to him and I think that that's exactly what he wants is for that's the reason that's the what what I don't know what he what else does he
want? You you just said if you were just your employee and the employer you were fired, right? Based on his the way he treated you, correct? He would have been fired, right? Right. Yes. Okay. So, are you asking us question?
No. This commission has to be see I think it's all because this is all commissions. I guarantee you if this happened to one of your other five commissions we would not react. It just seems that he actually ask what is it that you want? You want us to
fire him? Do you want us to investigate him? What is I just don't think that we should move forward with this this because this is is my had this all be nice and calm, but it
just seems like you guys just feltful. Can I Yes, I will do something. But can I don't hear anyone think that this is Can I Can I please ask you a question and I don't think anyone up here has dismissed it? Yes, I have.
I certainly have. We're just asking you told us what happened. Can you just ask what your passing commission did? You're just asking us to consider this. with respect to Mr. Jones's employment. Understood. If you're asking us to
permission, I want a majority of hire investigator to look into this. Understood. If you want us to fire or test them, understood just trying to understand what you're asking us. I don't think this should affect the hiring of Mr.
Take a serious consideration of hiring Mr. This complaint is very serious. The first one that I filed was very serious. happened in village 12, okay? Where people approached me and told me what he did. One that happened on April 19th as
a as a commissioner was is not accepted and and I guarantee you that if this happens and he grew up here in this guy, I would have this kind of reaction. It just seems like every time commissioner brings something up, we go against. We don't look at it seriously. I heard it from you, Commissioner, and I heard it
from your wife. I've been hearing from everybody telling me that this is emotion that I'm following for sanation. These are very serious and nobody's taking serious. There's no need for language. We're just asking questions to understand
if I may please you can address members of my family out of it. They have personal rights. They are allowed to say what they want. You meas that's enough. Let's keep the discussion here. Please Mr. Andrew, you want to ask the question?
Um, yes. No, I just want to basically have the exact same question that that I mean I I experienced myself what I consider to be different treatment and um you know thought hard and serious whether to to bring up and there is no
better time before to resign a contract for five years. So I want to have an open conversation about that and when I read this allegations and I see the way and then see what he's saying. I don't have a serious concentr.
He's saying before you hiring him, is this important? What are you willing to do about this? Is it worth considering before we move forward with this contract? And so, I'm going to tell you, I've experienced myself delaying responses. I didn't really, you know,
myself blockage to meet the defenders. I I fear you meeting, you know, about grants. I'm like, that's awesome. I wish I could, but I have to talk to Bo and I have to call the attorney because I'm not provided a number until I do. And the feedback is, well, it's not fair for
you to call them if the rest of the commission doesn't have the same information. I have a session for the vendor that we pay. So the treatment seems to be very good and I have things like that filed up and
I'm like it's a style of management. Well good style management. So either you like the style or you don't. But here's the thing. I'm only 20%. He's only 20%. So as long as you three get
along it goes. Is that fair for the representation of residents to have that happen? Is that fair for both of us to have that happen? Would you hire someone if it was just yourself with those
concerns? And that's all I'm bringing. I think he has the qualifications. I've said it before. I think he's experienced speak. I think he's suited for large villages. large city.
I don't think it belongs here because the style has a lot to do with who we are and it's reflected in the way I feel I'm treated and it's been reflected on what he's bringing to that clearly in a way that is shows his strength.
But here what you guys are doing this is what I feel and that's why I had to come forward with this because I was trying to say okay let's go through the contract and you know you know what's going to happen is you're going to have a commission of free that's what's going to happen and I think that's what you
guys want to be honest with you so that's why I'm bringing it up and I think for me is there's better ways to communicate there's better ways to figure this out but is that an investigation necessary maybe it's a conversation And I'm happy if it has to
be an investigation, I'm happy to actually concede to that as well. So I I happy you brought it up. I think it's gerine to the issue and and I'm going to say again, sir, I just want to be clear, it's not easy to bring it up. I understand
because again, I swore to the village to protect the village. They bring this up. I'm always thinking, is this the best interest of this or is it on my best interest? Is it because I want to get along? Yes, it would be wonderful if it doesn't happen. Do you guys have the
right person? Maybe it's just me. I'm I'm doing that thinking, but I have to be honest and bring to the table before you guys and you let me know what you think. Well, I think I think the point that I wanted to have both of you discussions while we're discussing this issue
because it's all part of the same issue. We're all having the same discussion. So I think it is gerine to be issued and I'm glad you brought it up and and these are things we have to consider before this happens not. So certainly it's it's it's worthy of you being discussed um
procedurally I how do we move forward? I don't know. So again there is the other portion that had to do with with you know what you just described and what can be or cannot be done. I still have a question. So if there's one person that s you know quick
and left all of this just talks about a sty of management I think and and Brad and I have had plenty conversations about is this legal is this not legal that for me it's a red flag. So for me,
you know, am I sensitive enough? It's just me, but you know, it's illegal like should you stand up and leave on my manager yelling at me, right? He was saying, right? Maybe he's st it wasn't a possible work. So I'm putting myself in
the same circumstances. It could be because of you know what I'm sorry, but this shouldn't be so hard work. We had amazing managers and even truth that after giving a review of less than average had significant and it was what do we do
and it was just you know that's it what do I need to do I have you know in my perspective many an evaluation the manager has never before because he's confident you guys are okay so with three we're fine he's not interested in
know what I evaluated them on it wasn't a feedback request as to please tell me what what's going on or an approach to see how we reach differences in any way. So, and actually I think that's the key here. Just know that that's happening.
What the solution is, I don't know because it's a trick you want to get. Maybe you guys um have a different experience and your experience speaks to maybe this is a fair contract for that's when I said I see it a lot for the
scarity. So, I I you know the point that you raising I think this is very comparable to a situation that we don't when we several of us sat here. We looked at Matt at the end of the table and said, "Matt, you and Chris don't get along." I said that.
Yeah. Yeah. We said to figure it out. It was It was I don't know if it was 41 or 32, but it was 4 to one and we we I I don't think that we discounted his position. I think we said Chris, Mac, you guys got to figure it out. Yeah, you guys got to figure it out, you know. And I I'm not in any way
dismissing your position or vice mayor's position because I think they're important. Yeah. Um you know, but we have five of us because that's a great time, you know, um we have to make decision. But let me let me just add to that. So you're saying you don't get around
saying so it's beyond that what you're seeing in his allegations are not just he, you know, didn't answer email. Well, you've seen allegations are serious allegations. So, first that's my concern. Second, we
have other employees literally they went by and leave whether that was again because of the spouse because of the obligation, you know, that's what we don't know. I don't know. But then the feeling what you're saying is
you know we're fine then the rest need to get along in 10 months. I'm going to tell you now. sign contract five years. So it's not that we kind of questions now because we haven't been working together for three weeks. So I've made
my intent, you know, I I'm the only one that like monthly meetings. I've never received a request for a weekly meeting, you know, with me. So the act is I I have two phone calls a month. So I don't know. I mean, you guys work with that. If the feedback is going to be what you
can call as try, you know, if I made a meaning request of could be a public record request, it could be speaking to a vendor. You've seen items being blah when I have a resolution to defense that you guys have received it. You know,
there I we can do that if you want. We can sit down as a special commission meeting. I can bring you together all of those little details. Doesn't matter. That's what I'm saying. Does it even matter because you have one commissioner already bringing a lot of allegations
and this employee if employees doing that? That's why I was doubting to you. I'm like it should be enough to call the flag and say let's talk about if the idea is well three of us are fine and that's majority then I have something that's
I I don't think that my expression of tiebreaking is to say that three of us are fine so deal with it. That's not by any means. I'm not trying to say that. Um, you know, I I think if you look if if we're to take these things separately, if we're talking about these four or five components, whatever they
may be, you know, I'm I've been quite satisfied to hear the explanation for Brad for several months, that they cannot be substantiated for the reasons that stated on the record. I won't recap them. This is certainly different. This is certainly different. This is something that the vice mayor is represented to us that have not proved.
Yeah. So that I understand is is different categorically than the other the other place that we're so you want to go into the contract. I I think we're already talking about it. So let me ask you this because the next
point is notice before we get to the contract which is a key issue on me and the way everything how do you say this? um mass considering a very important part of sanction
and engagement of residents have been right by law have to do this the own you all have heard me on the record on workshop saying I don't feel comfortable no one's here except for
Jamie Anderson and Danielle Angington you know the feed privates were well represented you know I I think the idea of again me making it public and not being highlighted was trying to see if it was
of interest of anybody to without me bringing it as an issue until someone did and so how come this vote is happening I had something to say when was the meeting notice and that's when people start with
their concern that's a performance issue that's a big liabilities coming to me and so I'm tying it out because you know we're not talking about the status so now let's talk about something else that has to do with the functionality that the function
itself of the man so is it because I'm bringing it up but it hasn't been I mean you guys have the opportunity I wasn't here last month I brought it up as a mission report with the idea is better well we didn't feel comfortable I know
and I still I appreciate what you said. Mr. Mayor, if I will. We have 15 minutes left. I'm not sure which work moved on from Mr. Amler's. I'm not sure where we are at this point, but we have 15 minutes resolution. I would really like
to resolution. So, the point that you're trying I understand. Let me see if I can try to trate for you. If I can, if it's not fair, then you just let me know. But what I I in the context of the noticing issue and we've all read it. We understand that there are some red flags
being being raised about the noticing. Certainly in the context of of the uh the the agreement with the resolution, are you asking us to consider the noticing and the issues with residents maybe not being able to voice their opinion in consideration of whether to
approve? Absolutely. So can we take up that issue while we discuss contract without having to go through? Okay. So, I'm just trying to put us all in one basket here so we can all do the same thing. I appreciate that. All right. So, Ben, let's start with the
resolution and see what we can do uh with 15 minutes. Um, so Brad, could you read the resolution for us? 118. Sure. A resolution of the village commission of the village of Biscane Park, Florida,
approving the employment agreement between village of Biscane Park and Albert Childress for the position of village manager, authorizing the mayor to execute said agreement on behalf of the village and providing for an effect. Okay.
So, let's go back. We already um do [Music] a second. Yes. Okay. Still in favor?
Okay. Um and while we're at it, um I'm going to I'm going to move to extended 15. You're going to do what? Move to extended meeting 15 minutes. We've got 14 minutes discussion. I'll second that. All in favor? I
start. All right. So, we're 15 105. Okay. So, I think Vice Mayor, we wanted to come back to you. Uh uh you the the entry that you wanted to consider as part of the negotiation, correct?
What was that? Uh what was that entry? The allegations. Yeah. April one, I think. Yes, April 19th. Go back to it. And true to my word, the period. Inform me to formally report an incident
that October April 19, 2025 during which I believe children. Prior to my interaction with Mr. children to the insults. You instructed me not to speak or to approach any. I found out that directly
directly unusual, particularly given my role as a directed official. The nature of the instructions raised concerns with me for regarding potential implications for my personal rights. Based on the century events, I was I am concerned
that this action may have been influenced or directed by the term bill of not approximately 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I was participating event as a village commission assisting at the prize table by handing
out items to children found. This was a commission sponsor event and I was informed by the parks and pathway director that my president behind the table was participant. Despite this, Mr. Childress approached me extremely rude,
aggressive and confidential matter. He saw that I had was not allowed behind the table because I am not a stat. His tone and approach was in phobia, unprofessional, especially considered my role as an elected official participating in the public events.
Following this conversation confrontation please to stand at the table to intimidate you to detain you from returning to table. I found this deeply troubling as I am not acting in
as I had not acted in any violation of laws or words. This action felt like an attempt to weaponize law against the public said I felt threatened humiliated retaliated. As a result, the incident is part of the a
children who changes treat including meat while communications receive direct out. I will be bypassed. I must receive information secondhand from the village
attorney. Certain fact in this action has created significantly hostility. I requested that this matter is formally investigated and that I told steps to be taken to ensure professional and respectfully and non retaliated for all
elected officials. He's confirmed received this complaint and had my advice on the next steps. I available to discuss further juror's conversation. Sincerity Darc happened. I called our attorney and left
a message and that you know three days I had not heard back from the check. Jonathan, can I ask you a question? Sure. U maybe this is for Brad. I don't know. I think correct. Obviously, this is not a trial. Uh, but he's just made some serious allegations against Al.
Should we give Al opportunity to respond to these serious allegations? Because I would like to I mean, if I were in his shoes, I would like to respond, but I don't know. Yeah, certainly. I mean, it's
an opportunity to rather not address. So, I'll address it. So, Commissioner Samario, were there any other volunteers volunteering non city employees at these tables? Yes, there was a lot of people there and I've done this
employees behind the table the uh uh the only one and then Isa other people had other
so for me uh I'm I'm sorry that you were removed but uh I actually when I heard about this I had great concerns that not not to say anything about you, Commissioner Mary, but I have great concerns about volunteers handing out things to children without about proper background checks being done. Is visa
standing shoulderto-shoulder with someone who visa has to have a background check. Our all of our employees have background checks. Our police officers do it. To me, it just doesn't and it's nothing about you. It's about liability to the village. You put somebody wearing a village shirt at a
village table handing out things to residents, handing out things to diplomats and we don't know who we're we're allowing to do this scenario. It's about that's just liability. We have to clear that liability. So for me, he's not an employee, right? So what do
you think about I understand that we have a policy for volunteers who are non employees sitting by tables. I don't believe we do. I think that there's a lot of that there's a lot of uh different there was times where people were
getting turkeys. I don't know this part. I don't know the people being in the turkeys had a background but I understand for me I'm not comfortable not comfortable with there's difference between handing out flyers but handing out things to children interacting with
with presidents and to me I'm not okay I'm not okay. So you're saying it was appropri appropriate for him to be I'm not commenting on some area. I'm commenting on having a village representative standing behind a village
table that has not been an employee of the village doesn't have insurance on the village. When he trips and falls he's he's on he's acting as an employee acting as a volunteer without proper documentation to make it come up. It doesn't matter who it is. I do have I do
have uh invest I in the pest control industry I have investigated I said multiple times it's not about you it's about the idea in general 16 years I've never heard anybody ever
heard so the the item being brought by vice mayor Mary for us to consider context of of plan agreement with this concerns. I think that we need to each of us internalize that and decide how we feel about it. We can discuss it, but it
needs to be it needs to be the rest of the contract. You need to talk about we need to talk about all these issues in front of us. So, I want to I want to hear from each of the commissioners about about the contract. Yeah. Before you one thing also said that the tech he said he contacted the
attorney. He didn't receive anything back. What was the contents of that? Did you say you were going to send an email? No, I contacted the I I was really upset about it. So I called the attorney. I left the message on the cell. What did you say?
Exactly what happened. Exactly what happened. And I did not receive any information. So Mr. Attorney, do you want to address that? I'm shaking your hands. If you ask me a question, I'll answer it. What What did he say in his message? He he he left me a message. I mean, I still have the message. I can actually play it, but
Oh, great. That's too long ago. No, I don't watch the play. I He basically left me a message saying something to the effect of something that happened. I don't I don't remember it verbatim, but something had happened between him and the manager during the village's east Easter egg hunt then. And
he indicate it was on Saturday or Sunday. Um, when the call came in, I was in the middle of something. I couldn't answer the phone at the time and he ended the call by the cleaning that he was going to send me an email after that that question never say
the point I think the point is that vice mayor has made his comments to them attorney what vice mayor is raised something that we all need to consider our discussion project let's use it in that context and
let's talk about Brad can I ask you very unfair summarily question so I apologize in advance yeah we left off with having made several changes or recommendations correct to change the contract in its terms
after a very long discussion on it I'd like you to just an update if you could please. Yes. So, there was um the changes that you all proposed um Mr. Chens's attorney was listening in at
the time and we had we had a brief exchange. If I remember correctly, I believe it's by email. Um, I made those changes. I made those changes as you all requested. Forwarded the changes to um,
I'm sorry, I forgot your attorney's for sure. Sigman. Sigman. Thank you. Um, to Miss Sigman and um, she actually caught one that I missed and I made that correction as well and sent it back to her for her approval. Which one was that? that
I don't remember exactly which one I missed but um but oh I think it was um actually I do the mayor's it was dealing with the mayor approved with you with the mayor approve I left the mayor in there and um I sent it back
to her and Miss Sigman's response back to me again by email we I don't think we had any personal conversations okay was uh essentially that as long as I hadn't made any other changes um that she was in agreement with those changes I will tell you that there's one other
change that I missed that I believe was discussed and I have not discussed this with with M sigman but I don't think it's a material change in section 11 which is uh professional development dues and subscriptions. The last sentence says that the employer shall
also pay for such other dues and subscriptions for employee as are approved in the village's annual budget and then parenthesis says on a line item basis or as separately authorized by the village finance department director we
discussed that during the last meeting when we were discussing the contract and I think Paul's comment was because I think I had asked him that that he really doesn't have the authority to do that and Paul wasn't comfortable doing that. Okay. So, I think we we had agreed to strike that portion and just leave it
that the employer shall also pay for such other dues and subscriptions for employees as are approved in the village's annual budget on a line item basis and stop it there. Okay. Um and I I I can't I mean I haven't talked to Sigman about it, but I I can't imagine
that you have an issue with that. Right. Understood. Any other anything else before I There were no other changes that that were made to the agreement that they just reflected essentially what what your all desires just you're mentioning now there were no so based on what you have
today for approval the only change that would have to be made is striking through that last part of section 11 that references finance because all other changes that were discussed by this commission at the special agenda meeting are incorporated into the exit that you
have before you. So, if you were to approve this agreement um with with the amendment of just removing that language, what I would do tomorrow is reach out to Miss Sigman and just let her know this is what we this is what the commission did. I I think it was something we all agreed to anyway. Okay.
Um and as long as she had no issue, we could move forward with the execution. Okay. Can I can I ask a question? I believe I made a note that also one of the changes with respect to section five health and life insurance benefit where there was a
negotiation that came back and forth and the commission and said okay you can keep the health and dent insurance as you requested and the life insurance it wouldn't be for two years but it would be for one that's understood my recollection and I believe it was uh
commissioner ultimately that brought it up and there was a consensus I think Paul discussed the difference in the cost to the village between one year and two years and that the commission determined that it was negligible the difference and
that it was $500. I don't remember the exact amount but I think Paul was giving an estimate and it was negligible. It may have been commissioner Huntington I can't remember but thanks for consent supposed to leave it at two years. Okay. I that's my recollection.
Understood. Um, all right. And I I certainly don't want to speak for you, Al, but I believe that there was an additional change that may not be reflected. It's my understanding, but then you'll let me speak for you, but it's my understanding that you were representing that you would be off the
FRS. Yeah, of course. Please. Listen, you brought the FRS retirement system. I was in discussion with our finance director. Um, and if if if I'm eligible to opt out,
you know, if that's available to me, I'm going to opt out. Uh, my concern was with whether the village will still be charged for that. Uh, in the draft budget, we've taken that that uh fee out of there, that line item out of there. Um there's an employee within the police
department right now that has opted out and is not being charged. But we I just want to phone call with our finance director to both of us get on the phone with FRS to verify that village won't be still charged for that expense whether I
I whether I opt out or not. So I just want to verify. Can I ask a question? Was it ever um um the feedback was ever provided by Paul about your interim budget and the FRS? Is that cleared out? I mean, did you ever receive or No, you
are now. I'm not receiving any type of retirement. I I get no benefits right now. And if I remember, Commissioner, I I I spoke to Paul about that. I think when they looked into it a second time, they realized that the village was not making
contribution. Yes, he was. as an in to the FRS. Yeah. Yeah. So what? So you're saying FRS? Yeah. FRS. Um so that wouldn't be included in the compensation package. You would be okay with that.
M I want to make it clear that I I want to I want to have a phone call with FRS with the finance director and it's not it's not it's not in the draft budget. It's not put in there. But you know my question is the F FRS was said F FRS
made one statement to me and made another statement to Paul when he called. So, we want to go get both of us off the line together and verify that even if I op out that the village is not going to be charged because if the village is charged then the benefit
needs to be in there. We're still going to you're still going to have to pay that expense. that part. I understood right my question to you was so I'm just reiterating you are okay with giving up that if it's confirmed that you
if if if I'm able to opt out I I'll is that is that what I understand what I'm confused about I think was that the meeting was about $60,000 that you were supposed to get.
It was commission the attorney just clarified that that was a payment for the in his interim tenure here and the attorney just clarified clear that okay I just want to provide that context since that brought to my attention today
so I appreciate that um would any of the other numbers remain the same I don't know have you guys done the homework of just checking what Uh the for what I understand everything we saw in the XL last time remained right.
We just removed our asset bel as far as I'm aware without looking at it in front of me. Yes. That is an insignificant amount. I just want to say $72,492 is yes significant amount which is why I wanted to raise the attention commission
during the session. Um, okay. You know, I know we talked a lot about a lot about the circumstances surrounding the contract um and these things to be considered by commission. Um, I I'd like to to kind of open open
discussion or or open form for motion or just kind of what do we is there anything else we need to discuss about this? Having understood that we've already heard from the vice on this item and understood yeah we've heard from commissioner Amsor as well to be considered um in our consideration
you've already kind of made your position clear earlier on um you know I asked the commission this time if there's any other consideration before we um before we move to say it's
about okay Motion we're in discussion I'll ask if they have other points they want to make well along with the other commission having
residents voice concerns on this oh I along with other commissioners have received emails from ressing their concerns on how children's family's job is sitting around. I received along I received along with the other
commissions two emails from a long time residents who I miss to announce his name's father voicing in more detail of concerns about his performance as manager and the amount he's being paid which I add up to approximately 8%
budget. All our past managers were paid approximately $100,000 per president. This is approximately half of what our current manager would be. That existing amount is the private department to do their job. I hope that teachers
have taken this time to leave this concern. I have reviewed all the documentation regarding the contract children as part of it manager. One thing I wanted to ask, there was a couple comments that made uh about the
two finalists that I interviewed four of the people that applications for city managing for hours and all of them said that they were willing to work within 150 to $185,000.
They need to have fiveyear contract. They were committed to five years. They want the year at a time. Um and and so they all said that they were were committed to the village and the money was important but really wasn't important. So for someone to say that
one of the residents I mean one of the best took a better job but he was committed to the bridge all the I and that in good faith receiving approving this contract until we resolve
the full investigation the outstanding knowledge alleged host complaints including my so thanks vice mayor um I'd like to take a second to address there are some things that you heard
and I address vice mayor commissioners separate um you know obviously this is the percentages the budget is very different now considering what we've heard about the timing. I think that changes traiterial.
Um I don't want us to rehash old grounds. You know, I think that what we talked about as far as salary is, you know, we've been through that discussion. We've been through the range of discussions. Uh and yes, it's in the top end, but we kind of identified
identified our personal position. Um you know, there's I think some of the things that maybe the the public may not have had the benefit of seeing it be something that I consider very heavily well gone through this post budget for
2026 2025 2026 because I see a very different picture of this theme park in this budget versus the budget I've been a part of one of the points I'd like to bring up you mentioned this in our last budget um the police the police budget seem to go up every year by 20%. and it
was always represented to us. Well, that's just how it is. That's just how this increased it. I can say because the commission has this the proposed budget that Al has given to us does raise by 20%. And he has represented to me that we are controlling that budget. We're
actually hiring more. So, we're getting the benefit of additional services, but we're not inflating the budget to go above and beyond where every year we seem to be going. Uh I talked to Esa. I'm going to name names, so I'm sorry to to those people if they hear this. I talked to Issa. I've talked to every a
lot. Um I talked to Issa and he's represented to me that he's met more with with Al than any other manager has. And now is going to work to get a full-time employee there to give is some we look I code budget. I try to understand why there's huge reduction in
code budget and it's not because we're cutting services because it was improperly it was improperly building part of cost. were being part of the code costs. So those are being reallocated properly and I think this clinician decision to help Paul in that respect has been a big part of fixing
this budget. I think we're going to have a great budget. Um but even talking to Paul, you know, Paul has represented to me that that Al's been able to control this budget better than it's a manager's budget that is a budget that is more in line with how we should be spending. And I know several folks told us tonight that our budget under four. Our proposed
budget for 26 25 is actually close to five and a half. Um, so there is an increase in revenue. We're seeing some controlling costs to some of our departments without a loss of service. So this to me represents represents the value that we get with someone with good
experience. You know, I've heard a lot about our fun. We've heard a lot about people talking about I'm not discrediting that because that's important too. Heard a lot about, you know, the FEMA costs. We've had, you know, 60 $70,000 of FEMA costs being levied against us and I was working with them to to write that one. So there's a savings there. These are dollar takers.
These are working with departments benefits. Those are positive things and that's why I voted for you too to to move forward with balanced negotiation. Look, I'm I'm comfortable with where it is, how I would tell you that. But I do want to just address something with you
personally. What I've heard from these two here tonight, it does concern because it it's it worries me that we have an environment. Look, we were all here. We're not all of us were here when we had the issues with Chris and Matt. It was really uncomfortable. And you
know, Matt was saying a lot of the same thing here. You know, I'm not getting the discussions that I need. I'm not getting the response that I need to get. I'm not getting the the substance that I need. And it was a very it was very unilateral. I'm not commenting on, you know, each of you, you know, has your own position with respect to
relationship. And I'm not going to assume one over the other. But what I am hearing warrants some serious uh fixing and some serious concession, you know, that you can give to us or
some serious representation to us that we're not going to hear this. You know, I I think that you're the right person for the job because I can see the benefit that you're bringing, but I I I don't like to hear this. I don't like to hear Commissioner Amber saying, "I'm not the curve." because I certainly would
never want to be in that position. You know, that's that's my concern is if it was me in your seat, and I know you both said this, it was me in your seat and I was not getting, you know, the response or or dedication or, you know, however you want to characterize it, I would be just as frustrated.
But I know that Al, you're a professional that's been doing this a long time. You've lived here long. I think that someone of your stature can make change to to address the concerns that we've heard to say, I'm going to be better to this commission as a whole.
And yeah, look, to your point, we've had a good work relationship. Uh, and that's certainly helped. But to hear that the whole commission isn't getting that, um, it's it's trouble, you know. So I want to know and I think that some concerns about five-year contract I think
concerns about oversight and those things the commission always controls right the commission we we have a six month review process in place that is part of this contract now we will be doing those things and I would never materially or summarily discredit any
any concern that is brought by commission say this is important and that needs to be addressed. So, I don't like hearing this, you know, from commissioners. It sounds to me like, yes, you do have a 3 to2. I'm not speaking for anyone, but if it goes
forward like this, I don't want it to be 3 to2. I want it to be five to zero. You know, we're not we're probably not going to get there now, but I would hope in the very near future that that's where we get because I I realize that the benefit that you pose to the villages
and not just any one of us. And of course I can speak that way because I have good relationship. So I understand that I'm speaking from a different perspective as the other commission. So that's really important to me. That would be the one condition I think that I would say is I would vote to move this
forward. I want you to get started. I want you to continue to show us what you've shown in the budget and show us the cost savings you show us. But I I need to you know I need to know from you that that this is going to we're going to work things.
So, I I appreciate you guys all of you. Um, it's important to me that that my vote, I guess, be heard in that context that Al, I want you in this position. I think that you can be good for this village as a whole. Um, but I want it to
be on the terms qualify. That's all I So, I don't know if there's any other comments or any of the discussion items. Um, appreciate your I I I want us to get this done. I'm going to ask them go to the 15 minutes to extend.
I have a second. All in favor? I sorry. Is there any other I I like to address missions as well. Yeah. Um I I concur with a lot of mayors. Uh financially I think we're in one of the
best positions we've been in the last 10 years. Uh it's taken a lot of people to give there, but I think we are there and we're approaching great things for this. That being said, what we did here tonight was not in the best interest. Doing the business of the village is what I want. What I came here to do,
what I think all of us came here to do, but his residents came to better this. So, speaking to Al, I really hope there's an branch to the other two commissioners and speaking to other commissioners. I hope there's an branch back together. I hope that tomorrow we wake up with a air of forgiveness and we
move forward together. As as Jonathan said, we we told uh and Mac to figure it out. I hope you figure it out and I and I expect it from both sides from both sides. I want to see collaborative efer here with the residents. I think we're
all come here with the same intention of making this village a different place. I truly believe Alus is the man to do it. I think he will bring us to a place we have not been ever in a manage the foreign government and that's why I'll make a motion to approve as amend
so um commissioners and I have been been around long enough to see relationships between commissioners and managers sour so this is nothing new Um, obviously it's disappointing. Um, and uh, to me
it's it's unacceptable and I and being a commissioner if I had that kind of a relationship with a manager would be a thousand% unacceptable and that's the way I see it. Um, having said that, you know, like Commissioner Huntington said,
you know, I would hope that uh that Al and the other two commissioners are able to bend some fences. Obviously, that that is going to require conversations. That is going to require each other, reaching out to one another, spending time together and being able to
um doesn't mean you have to like each other, but you have to endorse each other, right? Uh and at the end of the day, we have to all consider what is in the best interest of the village. And the best interest of the village is um for the five of us uh to have a
confidence uh in you uh that obviously three of us currently have. Um but we wanted like to um typically so so you're starting off a little rough. You know what? Uh typically managers start off uh and it's
it's all it's right now you know right now it's not that you uh but I have full confidence that uh that you uh and the other two will hopefully those actually as far as useless that's what I
requested uh and ask you to minor so that's ask a question before voting. Um so on the perspective of what I feel is important I think the only
suggestion like some suggestions but one that is talking about ad is to hear of the goals that we were going to evaluate in six months. with us that um today the manager came forward. We all agreed to
that um with the goals that we were going to evaluate the time. So I didn't see it in the agenda and I wanted to ask you over do you have those goals for you? So okay so but they're not here and the
exman was again that's why this is a difficult part. So that's the part that I said I think it's important and and again I just want to reiterate this is this is what's happen it's nothing
so you guys want to move forward it seems like you guys have it in I just want to address that the other thing is we never finish upon notice there was certain requests in my point that I made one of them was the acknowledgement the notice didn't happen correctly for
months and we have to fix um how we're going to fix it. But my main question number one was did we notice? But I thought the answer was no. But we never got feedback saying we didn't notice. We're going to fix it or
did we get notice? Have we been doing it right for the June third meeting? That's in my high office. That's question to you. Did we provide notice correct? We don't know. We're still looking at them. still looking at that. Okay. The reason I bring it up, I know the answer is that
we spoke and we turned. You may want to revise the fact that if you do move forward during the contract what I was reading it says employer agrees to employee as village
manager and hereby authorizes employee to perform the functions and duty of the village manager pursuant to the village charter village board ordinances and any applicable resolutions of the village commission and to perform other legal permissible and proper are duties and
functions. If any of this were not to come forward, if any of this contro is not found to fruition, that could be a breach of contract for any other parts. Is that correct? Mr. Mayor, may I respond? Yeah, of
course. So, yes. So if there yes there will be a cure provision within the agreement where the manager has an opportunity to cure it before any before any actions taken by the commission. But um yes, if he
violates any conditions of this contract, then he's essentially in breach of contract which subject to cure provision for terminate the agreement subject to your charter provisions as well.
So all I'm saying is this is this is retroactive to June 3rd. June 3rd and your resolutions have not been met. He's not fully following policy at the floor. There is a breach of contract. He's not doing his
job. Okay. So, that's what I'm saying. So, part of my point today was to talk about how do we fix it. It's part of the point I've been trying to address for a while. We had a meeting about this that attorney suggested a solution to be included in the July meeting. It was a
choice to say no. Um, but I'm just making you aware because if if it is retroactive, if in fact the resolutions are not being followed, then our own contract that we're signing
today, it's not you know what I'm saying it's being. So what you're what I want to read about so you can tell me what you're asking is
the item the item says very clearly what it needs to happen. Address the concern. Did we notice? We're still investigating. Well, that doesn't mean we know it's been a while. No, we're going to fix it. Great. How are we going to fix it? Well, the recommendation is
to make sure that we address the June 3rd meeting which was the issue. We're going to put in the next the attorney provider. Could it be addressed action points? It gets voted next and it's sold. And then we talked about the notice itself. Does
it touch the resolution? So those were the points to discuss. I don't know what happened again because that was my idea. I didn't get to to go through this and I think the idea was but we moved forward with talking about this contract. I just want to make you
aware. You're saying that this is what needs to happen and we're going to go back to June 3rd that this is going to be happening since June 3rd. So I think I think the I mean the solution that I see and Brad you know correct me if I'm
wrong to to address the the larger point that you're trying to make is yes noticing needs to be fixed. Yeah. which is certainly part of communication which needs to be fixed. It's a very large discussion to have. Um and I I see them both kind of concurrent
that they this is a larger issue that the village is facing that needs some serious attention. Um which preview for a later date or something that I've plan on proposing to the village as as a solution to a lot of these. Um but that's neither here nor
there. Um it needs to be addressed. Yes. If we were to address it in the context of of this provision and all I could ask Brad is guidance on this point is if you were to make this portion not retroactive to June third but rather upon execution only to that
provision would it cure the concerns that commissioner has brought up or address them sorry in English sorry I can make it clear I can clear it up so I the
the answer the simple answer to your question is yes. But what what you're suggesting is that the provision that Commissioner Amswood just read, we parse that out of the agreement and there would be a provision within that paragraph that says however
this provision does not go back to the effective execution. It does right. It's Yes. So you could do that. Yes. So, so it wouldn't be a breach of the agreement at the time of execution. Correct. That's what I'm trying to
address. And then addresses only symptom of the larger problem. Then I think we need that larger and then essentially the cure if you would have a cure provision if somebody were to allege that is in breach of the contract. But it's only for the execution. It doesn't go retro back to the item that
the commissioners address. Correct. Your revision would have already passed. But but to that point, the only way the breach provision's even executed or initiated is if the village brings it, if the village initiates it.
So what I'm saying is even if you don't have that provision in here, it's the village understanding that technically there's a breach moving forward. You look at it timeline, we bring it forward after he signs it to say that you are in breach because of X and that you have the the cure provision is now.
Correct. So you could do that at any time. So, and the agreement specifically says if there's a breach of the agreement and you don't bring it up at the time of the breach, you don't wait. You don't No, it's not a waiver. It's not a waiver. You not reserve your right to bring it up later. Yes. Okay. So, by by not addressing immediately,
you don't wave it. So, I don't know that you really need that provision. I understand. Okay, that makes that makes more sense to me now. So, this provision isn't technically breached until we bring it up after sign. Well, I mean, it's breached. It's just that it's not asking for some any type
of enforcement of the breach until you as a commission bring it up and say, "Mr. Manager, you're in breach of the of this provision of the agreement and now you have 15 days to cure." Understood. So it would be on us to bring it forward after this contract is
any breach would be yes obligation of the village to bring it forward or if if the village breaches for the manager to bring it forward that the village is in breach which would then trigger the provisions. Okay. So so are you saying you started with that trying to fix fix that breach?
except by we would we would upon execution in theory upon execution we at the next meeting would need to bring it to attention to say you are in breach because of X and then it would give him the opportunity to then correct so in theory if you were to sign this
tomorrow at the next commission meeting and say oh you you're in breach because of the notice issue please fix it please so that would be okay I just want to raise because again I I don't feel comfortable
my item was not fully discussed and it was left we jumped to this and we and have we solved that first I think or had a plan but uh within a certain amount of time I don't know this could have been signed next month together with the
fixing of the notice there was there is no urgency it goes on from June on right so you can pass it and then you know sign for leave it for the next month. I I don't know. You have an urgency. We've been moving this to make the room for
this again. Although we know it was part of what I want to do. It's 10 time 28. I don't know if we're asking time for that. I don't think um I don't think that at this point I I think it matters.
I mean, we about it. That's what I'm saying. If we I I'm not going to go into the full detail that I would have liked to do and you know explain and showcase how many times we talked about it. We rushed through it. It's okay. We we're going to move to it and then we're going
to fix the fact that potentially the ability of contracts they signed today because resolution. And what I would ask of you because I'd like us to continue to address the notice is let's not abandon the item.
Let's continue. Let's put on for our next item to say which look these have been raised. How are we fixing it? Mr. Mayor, I'll make a motion to Okay. Second. All in favor? [Music] Um,
you want me to bring again the next meeting? Well, because I'd like to hear from the manager at the time on how we are going to correct the notice. Yeah. If if I may, I was hoping we have a more robust conversation. I think
anybody can just mean off the rails. Um I think this this is a notice noticing is communication. I think communication as a whole needs to be addressed in this village. I suggested before I suggest we schedule a workshop to hear from the residents how they want to be communicated from communicate to and
then we can try to solve this point because communication three years ago when I was watching YouTube videos communication it's been a problem for every so let's stop trying to build bandaids let's fix it completely
so so I have some problems with that notice it's not mutation notice the legal requirement sunshine that we have to you know to notice or make one thing is probably through Instagram if we decide to do that and the other one is
um making sure that I know where it's in company the way we uh agree to so it's talking about the resolution itself and so how do we fix it we fix the notice resolution itself
very appetite for that How do we fix the fact that we have residents come here to challenge me and public comment and that that's why I was avoided by putting on the following meeting you know at least as a condition
but clearly I wasn't here to do it but and today just to make sure also knowing that this is sort of going to happen I'm like well there's a provision here that says that in order for this to move back to June Well, this will mean that he's not doing
what he needs to do since jail, which is true, but I'm saying it's now signed in a contract. Um, so as you wish, I can I can bring it again. We can talk about it if there's appetite. I don't know if it makes sense. But me, I've said it. We
have to fix. It's very easy. It's not a fixing. I'm sorry. It's not a fixing. We have to do what we said we're going to do. people doing at some point when did it start we did for the Australian client I was checking the notifications were there so we can
do it I had plenty conversations with a gold app uh vendor because of that like can we is there an opportunity to fix it this way can we get a time stamp always yes you know and it's and technology is
pretty easy way to explain we have the technology you could do it. Um, so you tell me how you want to to to I still prefer that you revisit because I'd like to hear from the manager on how we're going to make sure that we're
enforcing resolution as or if we are going to then how we've amended to meet the needs. Okay. So I would say yes. So I'll bring in let's see September 9th. Yes. Okay. Um, if there's nothing else, I
think there was a motion on the table. Okay, we had a second. Second it. Okay. Uh, do you need a roll? Is this just voice? A roll? Well, it's Oh, it's not consent. Do you need a need a vote?
Okay. All in favor? I I So, who are the notes? We have vice mayor. So, first off, thank you for your time. We really appreciate the thought and frame of this. I really
appreciate Albert coming down as well and that makes a big difference in part about Jeff and a lot of what I heard from president. Um, but I'm disappointed because this was part of what I wanted to see and it's not addressed. Um, and
this speaks a little bit of what feeling and so I can't say yes knowing that it wasn't addressed again. Uh, so my vote is no. I hope you change it. You have until September 9 out to talk about notice. And I know there has been some
changes already to the act. Um, but isn't the way you engage, you know, and and I think I I try to do that. If I haven't been clear what the expectations are, it's for you to come and also say, "What do you need from me?" Uh, so I'm
leaving the door open, but I'm disappointed enough to say no. And I don't feel comfortable with the way you are treating the contract to ensure that it says that we're doing what we're supposed to do. On a separate note, I just want to add
something. I didn't realize that meeting was September 9th. So I just want to just to be transparent meeting is not September meeting is September second. Wait a minute. You don't have a meeting on the second
because of Labor Day. Because of Labor Day. I thought we moved that the week after. You moved it to the 9th on the day of your of your budget hearing. You did not reset a date for another commission meeting. You set a date for your budget hearings. So there is no September.
There is no September commission meeting date set. This is just I ask commission. This is just incent for the past 17 years. I've been doing my collection at the center and for commissioners have give me permission to
do it. So I'm basically told I was going to ask on September. So I'm asking the permission to help put my mind up like and then also
also that I have that September 11th we usually have a ceremony department and then I usually have on that Sunday. Next Sunday I have you know instruction that I always
push on asking before we before you do that can I just pass some clarification so I know what I'm doing on that so because it the the motion if I understand that Commissioner Huntington's sorry I'm getting tired
Commissioner Huntington's motion was as amended the only amendment is we're striking through the language that I brought up in section 11 which says or is separately authorized by the village finance department direct
change I'm just I'm just making sure I just want to make sure that's the only that's the only modification that'll make Yes, that was the only one commission I referred to. Okay, I'm just so clear. Okay, thank you. Okay, very quickly for September then
we're looking at the 9th area hearing a budget hearing. So that means we can either do the second which is the day after Labor Day or 16 or I guess we don't have to do it on a a Tuesday then we'd have to move on another day for the regular commission meeting.
I'm back on the seven. What's that? I'm back on the seven. Okay. And you cannot be the nine. No, we have a we have a budget hearing that Oh, that's what it is. Okay. Sorry. So, you would do this by resolution. You have to change your dates by resolution.
So, how they make a motion? Somebody makes a motion second and I'll draft the resolution. Okay. The resolution was changed to the 9th, but they they added the budget meeting on the 9th. So your your official
calendar has September 9th as you know I understand but that was passed by resolution right. So what I'm saying is if you're going to amend your commission dates since it was set by resolution you have to amend it by resolution. What about the budget hearing? Can we move the budget hearing? Can we move the budget hearing
without resolution? Your budget hearing resolution and it's probably already been that that's the that's an actual budget hearing. That's not the workshop. That's the first budget. No, that's a way to have a resolution. No, it hasn't been notice. That resolution hasn't been sent to the
Oh, yeah. The resolution has been sent. Yes. So, we we need by resolution we need to change one of these days. So, which eight are we looking I would say the budget because that can be done any day. The other one we have on Tuesdays. So, leave the regular agenda meeting for
the 9th and move the budget hearing what to the 11th to the 16th. Adam clerk, is it possible to move the budget hearing at this point? Has not gone out in the show notices and things the the resolution stating that the budget hearing on the 9th has been sent
to the the county. I believe it's been sent to Paul to send wherever he It's been sent to the county. So I honestly regular commission meeting. What about the next Tuesday? I think that
that was the issue. You Well, you guys can figure out the law because I that's the workshop you were talking to me about that 16. Yes.
16. [Music] September. Yes. September 16 for the regular condition. What about the next? You've got code. What about the AC Thursday? There's nothing on the calendar, but I
can quick grab it. Um, [Music] well, so the two boards that are on the 16 one one meets over in village hall. We only placing one of the boards
and the other one has not met has not been made. So, can you bump that one board meeting with our sinceres of machines? No. Well, we can have them meet over in village hall where they meet when this is available.
Uh, it's a Tuesday, September 16th, Tuesday, which the week after our budget. I mean, I I I can do the 16th budget has to be a certain time. What's that? Don't we have This is a regular this just reg what was the 10th or the 11th
is 10th you have the arts and culture the 11th you have nothing what about what about the 11th Thursday workshops workshop Thursday before I'm going to be out of town but
doing you said a substitute um wellass I don't I can't speak for but um I'm in I'm teaching in conference 14th and 19th. Yeah.
What about the fourth? The third. The third. But that's fine. I wasn't going to be here on the second either. So I can try I can try to appear remotely. So it's between the two of you.
Oh, listen. I count me out. Okay. So, how about the third? Yes. Brad, is that okay? That's fine. What time is that? Okay. Third. The same same time at 26. 6 o'clock. Okay. The regular commission meeting will be
at 36. Motion to move the September regular commission meeting to the 3rd at 6:00. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? Motion to accept. I'm sorry. Who is the same? Gonzalez,
right, Miss M. Mayor, I I had spoken with some of you about the workshops on August 14th and August 26th. the the way I I do the budget, each department director makes a a presentation and those budget workshops are probably
we're going to split them u half one day and half the other day of all the departments and we wanted to if it's possible they're set now to start at 6:00 and I don't want to be here till 10:00 11 o'clock if we could start at
10:00 in the morning uh have a have a a working lunch and that on weekend. What's a Thursday? That's on the 14th is on a Thursday and the 26th is on 2 o'clock. Thursdays are during the day.
I mean, I could do later, but I can't 3:00 when 3:00 work. What time was that again? August 14th. So in the 26th in the 26
anticipating this is going to take I I didn't commit I didn't anticipate this meeting was going to take this long should I mean first of all I understand what you're trying to do with it I just don't know that it's going to work I mean I would like to make it work I
would because it would be great to do that have lunch and you know but then you know the workshop's going to make it dinner. There we go. Yeah. In the past, we had
maybe two departments or three department. All right, guys. Um, we have a motion to adjourn. We have a second. Second. All in favor? Hi people.
[Music] Oh, okay. This one. Okay. I just hyper. Okay. Thank you.