Good morning everyone and welcome to the Braden City Council meeting Wednesday January 28th 2026 in the Braden City Council chambers. At this time as we always do we'll do our invocation and our pledge. Our invocation will be led by Pastor
Reverend Dr. Joe Lemons with Calvary Baptist Church. Please come forward. Welcome. If everyone will please stand. >> Thank you. Let's pray together. Most gracious heavenly father, we recognize that your word says that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness
thereof. That all things that we see, all things that are created, whether in heaven or on earth or below the earth, are created by your hands. You alone are maker, creator, and sustainer. The world and all the planets in their orbit are in place because you've established them
and your will keeps them moving in theirstead. Lord, you have created man in your image. And Lord, even in our wicked and sinful ways, Lord, you have loved us enough to provide a way of salvation, a way of return to be in relationship with you through providing your son as a sacrifice for our sins.
And we praise you for that. You have established that the government would be upon his shoulders and that all power and authority would be vested in him. and that the authorities that we have in this earth, in this worldly realm, are established by you and given to the people for their good. So Lord, I pray
today for this group of men and women who are here to make decisions, Lord, on behalf of our city here, Lord, I pray that you would give them wisdom beyond their understanding. Lord, I pray that you would open their minds to see the things that would be of greatest benefit to the population here, Lord. and they would
seek to serve you by serving these people that you've entrusted them over. Lord, I pray that you would uh give a hedge of protection around each one. Lord, I pray that there would be peace in our land, Lord, and there would be a unity around the things that this country was founded upon. Lord, I pray
for this time now that you'd be glorified, Lord, and that all this we pray in the great name of Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen. >> Amen. >> Please join us in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United
States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Thank you, Reverend. >> All right. At this time, we'll call the
meeting to order. Madame Clerk, >> the first item on the agenda this morning is a proclamation which I'll read on behalf of the mayor for Black History Month February 2026. Black History Month, excuse me. Whereas
Black History Month is observed annually in February to encourage all citizens to have a deeper understanding of history and acknowledge the struggle for equality and freedom for all citizens. And whereas in 1915, Dr. Carter G.
Woodson founded the organization known as Association for the Study of AfricanAmerican Life and History and was instrumental in the origin of Black History Month. And whereas black and African-Americans have continued to help
enrich and shape the lives of all communities through their contributions in arts, law, sciences, and politics. And whereas the 2026 Black History Month theme of a century of Black History
commemorations focuses on the profound ways that all citizens can take time to look back so we can push forward and continue to uplift our history. And whereas the city of Bradenton wishes to acknowledge the lifelong sacrifices and
successes for all black and African-Americans and stands firmly in remembrance of the past and looks optimistically for all to thrive and be respected in their communities. Now therefore, be it resolved that I, Gene
Brown, as mayor of the city of Bradenton, Florida, do hereby proclaim February 2026 as Black History Month in Bradenton, and urge all citizens to recognize the significant contributions and challenges faced by black and
African-Americans throughout our nation's history. Signed, Jean Brown, Mayor. >> Thank you. And who do we have accepting this award today? Councilwoman Coachman, >> I guess will be me. >> And it's an honor.
>> Yeah. You want to go up? Why don't you go in front of the podium and then we'll get back here with the picture and Miss Melton, do you want to be handing it to her? >> Oh, sure. >> We all get back here. Stand up. Did you give Lisa her box?
>> Lisa needs her box. Seats changed. >> You don't want to get us. Okay, we're good. >> We'll do one more. Yeah. Come on. Lisa's already got her box. >> I know.
>> Okay. Y'all ready? >> Ready. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, Madame Clerk. >> The next item on our agenda is item 4A and it's a plaque presentation from the
police department and fire. Wait, Josh Kramer, Chief of Police, Braden, Florida. I actually don't boss her around anymore, so I really appreciate you for voluntarily standing up and coming up here. I know. I know. I did. I know. I
know. >> Uh we are here to recognize the uh long distinguished career of Andrea Cassie Brewer. Nobody knows her as Andrea. That's what's on her pension check uh now. But, uh, Cassie is how we've all
known her. Um, she's been a great friend to all of us in the police department. Um, you hear when you when you talk about dispatch, you talk about the voice in the darkness. She's been that voice in the darkness. And it was really
dark because she usually worked midnight shift, too. Uh, but she was that voice. So, the voice of calm, uh, the voice of reason, the voice of pause when things were going berserk on the road. Um, she would always take that little beat and a
lot of times we'll be people be talking over each other and she would say, "Okay." And I like when she said that, then there was a pause and it sort of would make you chuckle, but then you would start paying attention and you understood that she knew where things were and where things were supposed to be. And that was that that little sense
of everything. Um, we had some words put together, but I found a memo having be written by me uh from 2020 one when she was nominated and awarded as civilian employee of the year. I want to read a couple different things and it was it was interesting because at the
time she was an elite dispatcher. She retired as a lead dispatcher with us. But it goes, "All organizations have formal leaders by way of rank, title, and chain of command. Informal leaders, however, are often overlooked for the critical role they play within organizations by helping supervisors
shape personnel into the employees those organizations need. Cassidy was then and has long been such an informal leader. She genuinely cares for the whole of her co-workers, not only that they learn how to do the job and know what to do when
questions arise, but by mentoring them at work and in their daily lives. Her role as a mentor to her fellow telecommunicators, whether she accepts it or not, is real. In the absence of a lead dispatcher on the midnight shift, Cassie stepped up as the go-to source
for communication supervision and administrators who needed assistance during overnight hours. The dispatchers working in our communication center are an incredibly tight-knit group of our department. Cassidy takes took it upon
herself to make sure that no one fails to serve the public or our officers to the best of their abilities. And if that standard wasn't good enough, she's worked with those dispatchers to strengthen their capabilities. Dispatchers serve as a lifeline for our
officers. And no one understands that and carries the gravity of that relationship more than Cassidy. Cassy's love of her fellow man is evident in her service to our department and to our community through her service at church. Additionally, Cassie is a longtime
member of the Cops for Christ chorus performing for law enforcement functions within our county, including the annual Mante County law enforcement memorial service during police week. She's a supporter of department fundraising efforts and tries to participate when she can, midnight schedule permitting.
She always brings a light-hearted warmth and smile to all social gatherings. One thing that I always appreciated was that you were just honest. I we need that. We need that from our fellow man,
from our fellow co-workers. If you needed to say what's going good and bad, you were the one to give that answer. Um I think everyone who worked with you can attest to that. um whether and that's the thing is whether you want to hear it or not, she was going to tell you honestly how things were. Not her
opinion, but actually how it was. Um and that's greatly appreciated. Uh did Tim is here too because for many years you worked as not only police dispatch but also fire dispatch and he's got a call. So
>> yeah. So there was an example here and I when I gear fire chief and I my department and I I think we worked for you for many years and uh and uh so so c this was a note from long ago but
Cassidy rarely made mistakes but one memorable instance involved dispatching engine 12 to a car battery sale at a lot on 19009th Street West. >> Little little slip up there. This resulted in puzzled looks and laughter
in the room, a moment that sto likely echoed over the radio. Still, she calmly and professionally corrected the information before Engine 12 could go in route. But that's one of many uh instances and and um I remember as a battalion um at 2 in the morning if
there was something going on I would hear across the radio cuz I scanned all night battalion 4. And whenever you're groggy at 2 to 3 a.m. I was like what am I having a nightmare? And so I'd call Cassidy on the phone and I'd be like, "Cassie, did you just call me?" And
she'd just be laughing and be like, "Yeah, I had a question for you." And uh so just good stuff. But when it was go time, uh Cassie was always serious. Uh she made things happen and like Chief said, the uh the voice in the darkness. And and I so thankful all the incidents
we had that you you uh coordinated for us and made things happen. Can't thank you enough. Kept us safe through the years. And just to end on one um sort of a staggering note that we have since implementing our current CAD system in
2007, Cassie has recorded a total of 69,95 service calls. Of those, 62,495 were for Braden police and 6,600 were for Braden fire. Her average call time
from answering the phone to completing the dispatch was a minute and 39 seconds. Just let THAT additionally you entered a total of 6,534 high-risk or dangerous calls for our officers and firefighters.
So, we have, as is traditional, a plaque presented to Andrea Cassie Brewer with heartfelt appreciation for her unwavering dedication, compassion, and exceptional service to the citizens of Bradon as an emergency dispatcher for the Braden Police and Braden Fire
Department's duties of service, September 23rd, 1999 through December 30th, 2025. Congratulations. Hold on. Josh. Josh. Chief. Hold on. I want to give her a minute and 39 seconds to say a speech there if she wants to.
>> It'll probably take longer than that. >> Let's get a picture. Everybody squeeze in again. I think you're gonna get >> not. >> Thank you. If all PD and fire personnel could come up front, please
>> both sides. Both sides. I like that too. >> Yeah. >> Yes. May I >> come up? >> My family. >> Everybody can stay. Cassie
bosses. Awesome. Yeah. >> Cassidy. >> Yes, sir. >> Will you please come to the podium? >> Yes, sir. >> Um, did you have anything you wanted to say? >> No, cuz I'm crying already, and if I say
anything, I'm going to be boohoo crying. But I want to thank the city for putting up with me. Now, my handle when I sent out any emails was TBDE. You know what that is? The best dispatcher ever.
>> Councilwoman Barnaby >> and thank you all. >> All right. Councilwoman Barnaby, >> don't go anywhere. >> Oh, I'm not going. Okay, I'm >> We ain't done with you yet. >> Oh, I'm sorry. In a speech, Ronald Reagan said, "Many times people go to bed at night when
they lay their head on the pillow, they wonder if they've made a difference." And his comment was, "The United States Marine Corps does not have that problem." I would say, "You don't have that problem either. You have made a huge difference in our city, in our
community, the lives that you've saved, the work that you've done. Well done, good and faithful servant." Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Cassie, >> hi. >> We We're mates. So,
>> yeah, we go way back. >> Way back. >> You come from a great family. >> Thank you. >> So, the expectations were that you would do great things. You exceeded it. I know everybody is proud. I am proud of you as
well. Enjoy your retirement. >> I'm going to try >> try try hard. I got a feeling you're going to probably fail at it a little bit, but >> your retirement looking. >> Now, the family she's talking about is the Rogers family. Yes. My mother is the
youngest child of GD and many Rogers. So, >> that's right. That's right. >> And and obviously we know of that family and what the family has meant to to Manatee County, city of Bradenon especially. and and you've carried on that tradition very well and and will
continue to do that. Um, I just I go back to a time or two when uh I've had to call 911 and something with an incident with my son and and some of that and and you know you're and and gosh 33 years ago when my 11 year 11month old daughter was stopped
breathing and and I'm trying to get her breathing and you're on with the dispatch and at that time I don't know who it was but it was but the they're telling you know Mr. Brown, calm down. Calm down. I in my mind I was calm, >> right? >> But I'm trying to get her breathing. I'm giving her CPR and and uh but I just
remember that dispatcher, >> you know. So, I mean, what you've done and you've had thousands of those calls, tens of thousands of those calls where you helped people and without that and behind the scene when they hang up, then the heroes come. But you are the true hero to start it. So,
>> I tell everybody, we are the first of the first responders. >> Yes, you are. you know, and it was a job that I really enjoyed. I still miss the people. >> I miss the job, but it was time. >> Well, thank you. And and um enjoy
retirement. I know you probably won't retire sitting around, but just do do the things you love to do and and uh as we know, great job. >> Thank you. Thank you so very much. Thank you all. Madame clerk,
>> item 4B is another retirement announcement for it. >> Oh, no. >> You're back. Um, it's better. >> Okay, good. Not great, but >> right. So, um Lance Williams, chief operating officer. I have the pleasure
to um announce Kevin's retirement. Um Miss Lanky, our IT director, is at a conference at the moment, so she couldn't attend, but she did send me a little blurb to write about him. Um so, Kevin's been with the city of Bradon for 12 years. Uh you may know of him of his
stories that he shared with his dogs or his favorite football team. Unfortunately, it's a lions, but you know, can't hold him against that. Uh, but more of you know, more of you know him for his support that he's provided through those 12 years. Support that's occurred with a smile no matter what the
issue has been. Uh, we thank him for his service, his loyalty to the city, and we wish him all the best in in his retirement. He certainly will be missed. Karen Lanky, IT director. So, I just personally I want to thank Kevin because I've worked with Kevin for 11
years now. Um, always with a smile, always willing to help. It is one of those one of those jobs that if you don't need him, you don't really pay attention to him. >> And Kevin's always there when you need him. You call him, he's there. You email
him, he's there. And, uh, he's done a great job for the city for 12 years. So, he certainly will be missed. I know it'll be a hit to the IT team and you know they'll always bounce back. They're pretty resilient group. But um Ken, we want to thank you very much for your service to the city.
>> Thank you very much. I I don't know what to say after following Cassidy, but uh I I can just say that I've truly enjoyed coming into work every day. Um this has been it's been an honor and a privilege being
here. Um, the city is a fantastic group of people and I will definitely miss it, but it is time. >> All right, Councilwoman Coker. >> Yes, Kevin, as one of your problem children, you will be very missed, but enjoy your
retirement. Thank you. >> I do appreciate it, >> Miss Barnaby. >> Kevin, thank you for never making me feel stupid when I walked in and said, "I can't get this to work." it would your professionalism, your demeanor, I really appreciated it
because I always walked in feeling like, you know, this was like in Espiranto and I couldn't figure out what to do. So, thank you. >> And I can't get my iPad to work now. So, >> call extension 44.
>> No. I that that was obviously some of us are more skilled than others and I've got zero skills in technology parts of things but but anytime that you had to come down to my office or come in and get something going it was right on the spot and and without it dispatch
probably wouldn't work. So as you say everyone's as important as the next because the clogs just don't don't work if we don't all work together. And that's one of the things I'm proud of in all my time here at the city and I know our council will echo it. Without teamwork, there's nothing we can do. And
I think we have a great team now and we're working for the citizens for the future and we hope your future is great. So, thank you. Appreciate it. Let's get a picture. >> So, just real quick, Friday, this coming Friday from 1:30 to 2:30, they are
having a cake for Kevin at the upstairs break room. So, all are welcome. >> Thank you. Let's get a picture. >> I don't want to wait. >> Yeah, there's no >> I don't want I don't want to be in your way. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you, Kevin. Madame clerk, >> item five is citizen comments. >> Citizen comment. At this time, citizen comment will be accepted during the citizen comment portion of the meeting on any non-aggenda item, agenda item, future agenda item, or topic of
relevance to the city. Comments will be accepted on the public hearings at the appropriate time. And at this time, I just have one citizen comment card from Kim Morel. Please come forward. Please state your name, your city of residence, and you will have three minutes. Good
morning. >> Good morning, everyone. I haven't seen y'all since last year. So, happy new year. >> Happy New Year. >> All right. Um, I am Kim Laorell. My address is 52112th Avenue West in Bradenon. I am here as a representative
of Exodus Community Resources. Um we were wanting to do an event um at the pavilion on May the 2nd. It's called Worship on the Water. And this event it uh was going to uplift and inspire and
um we would have uh 100 101 voice choir. We're going to have Trality uh perform. Um, but the reason that I'm here is I um am getting a block from the person who does the scheduling, Kelly.
I presented last year and she stopped me. Oh, we don't uh she was saying, "Oh, the time or whatever, it wasn't enough time, so I took it." She kind of cut me off. She was very rude. So, but it's all good. So, I tried to this year I put it
in early and I'm getting a block again. So now I feel like it's personal. I think that every citizen has a right to utilize our city and our our city um pavilion. So every she I gave her the date. She said the date wasn't
available. She asked me for another date. That date wasn't available. I gave her another date. Neither was that one. And then she also told me that the rest of May, June, and July the pavilion would be closed. So that meant any other dates that I would give her, don't give
her none because it ain't going to be available. So I take it personal. I would like to find out um what event is scheduled or you know what public event because I really would like for this uh event to go forth. It's something that
we want to do. We've tried this is my second year and I just I just uh I feel like we should be able to do this. Okay. So I don't know if I need I don't want to work with Kelly like Kelly and everything but I don't want to work with her because I feel
like it's personal. So if there is someone else who can be appointed that I could talk with and we can see I would like to see what is scheduled if those dates are taken if that was a truthful statement or if she's just um just blowing me off. Okay. So thank you so
much. I appreciate your time and the time to come here. I appreciate all you do. I do want to add 12th Avenue is so much better. You guys have done so much with 12th Avenue with the improvements and everything. Thank you for your continued support and surveillance. Um,
have a blessed day. Thank you. >> Thank you. At this time, I don't have any other comments, but I will respond to May and June. There's going to be some construction starting on May 4th, I think it is. Um, and some other events
are there already. So, I do know that. I do know that events coordinator job is a tough job and I've asked her to do that. I brought it in my office because of that when it started because it was bouncing around over the years and nothing was getting done. And uh
sometimes it's not No, Kelly is probably works with people more than anybody on timing and that. So, we will I'll I'll we'll talk offline a little bit, but I do know May and June because of construction, it is unavailable and there's already other events scheduled
up through May that weekend. So, um but we'll talk and and we'll figure out something that we can do. Um but there is what people don't realize is things are planned out. There is cost, there is regulations, and we have to do that as a city to protect our citizens. whether
it's police, whether it's fire, whether it's insurance, whether it's other things, but as most of you know, and we've said this up here, I'm an events guy. I love events and we will continue to have them, but there is logistics. So, um, but I'll we'll talk offline and, uh, yeah, your phone numbers on here, so
we'll reach out. So, thank you. Um, any other council comments? Seeing none, madame clerk, >> item six is the consent agenda and staff is requesting approval of items A through M. >> Mr. Mayor.
>> Yes, ma'am. >> Oh, well, Mr. Perry, did you want to >> Mr. Perry's? Yes. Go, Mr. Perry. >> As usual, >> Sure. I I've had the opportunity, mayor, to cover um the consent agenda with the uh city councilors individually. um we've spoken about any particular items
that they may have had concerns about and uh try to answer the questions and provide them information. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Perry. Miss Coachman, >> move to approve consent agenda 6A through >> 6M. >> All right, we have a motion. Is there a
second? >> Second. >> I heard Miss Barnaby first. Not that it was louder than Miss Vice Mayor Koger. All right. Um any other discussion hearing? None. We'll start the vote in ward two. >> Yes.
>> Three. >> Yes. >> Four. >> Yes. >> Five. >> Yes. >> And one. >> Yes. >> Carries. Five to zero. Thank you very much, madame clerk. >> Next item is item 8A, emergency procurement report. >> And mayor may be heard on item 8A, the
emergency purchase report. As you're familiar, I report to city council at the next scheduled meeting after we authorize emergency expenditures for situations that typically would deal with uh infrastructure. In this case, there's two items on the emergency uh
report, purchase report. The second item being the one at uh uh Manity Avenue, 22nd Street East, which was a water mane break. It was repaired. Um, we had to bring on an outside contractor that was
Woodruff and Sun and that was a $55,750 um, repair that had to be done on site. Involved variety of different uh, repair techniques to the main itself. I forget what the overall loss of finished water was within that main, but I believe it
was promptly um, addressed. that we were able to to tap the line, secure it, and uh put it back into service fairly quickly. That was through our engineering department. The first item being the repair at 3806 33rd Avenue
West, which basically dealt with a sewer repair and that was a forest man that was handled through construction services. Mr. Demonia, um again, it was signed on 11626, so middle of January. CS squared was the contractor on that.
So with that, I think I fulfilled my responsibilities under our policies and procedures related to uh emergency service requests, which of course allow me to authorize those repairs and then report to you at the next city council meeting. >> Thank you, Mr. Perry. Any questions?
Hearing none, moving on. purchasing >> item 8B is the addendum number two to the GMP to agreement for Seymour continuing services with halfacre construction for lift station 3 expansion.
>> Mr. Perry >> Mayor. Item AP is of course um as pointed out by the city clerk the um agreement for a construction manager at risk commonly referred to as a semar and uh basically to put together the GMP
gross maximum pricing uh that would be related to list station uh three expansion. Of course, council is familiar probably with list station 3 down in it. It's actually on Second Avenue, but there's a a project that
involves um a temporary list station of lift station 13 that is on River uh side avenue and and that has been historically a very problematic list station for us. It's within four feet of the river. And the plan that we've received approval from council and have
developed engineering and construction um processes for involve decommissioning lift station 13 on the river u bypassing it temporarily as it's in place now and ultimately building a temporary list
station which US water is doing within this contract itself as an adjunct to it. Um that temporary list station will be in place to basically relay all of the source shed that goes into list station 13 currently and then take it to
list station 3. Overall the plan is to take list station 3. That source shed accompanies uh re services about a somewhere between 187 and about 200 different um service uh connections mostly residential. This particular
contract lays out and it's in your package what the overall um cost to do this phase of the project rebuilding list station three to sufficient size capacity volume to be able to address the flow within that sore shed. It's a
$6.2 million project. It involves a series of force manses about 700 linear feet that would run basically uh east I'm sorry. Yeah. West to east um to lift station three. That's at the end of of
uh Second Avenue. We'd rebuild the lift station. We're currently in design with Jacob's Engineering um as part and parcel of this project to design that list station. It's a fairly expensive undertaking to design a list station and
then to to build it. This is a $6.2 $2 million project as mentioned and that will include the construction of the lift station itself and the force main associated with it. And within the package, it also includes a whole host
of other types of things that are necessary for that including demolition of the existing uh list station, the bypass pump, the site work, the earth work, the utilities, the concrete, the metal, the pumps and the like. Uh, as I
go through this lengthy situation, I believe it'll be slated for completion in I want to say March of 27. >> It'll be sooner than that. >> Sooner than that on the list station itself and the force main, correct? >> Right. >> Yep. So that that's that's the purpose
here. And and just let me also point out that the city received, I believe it was a $2.6 million grant from D.7 >> 2.7 Yep. 2.67 $7 million grant from DP with a local match as well. So, it's a fun funded project and basically it also includes a
second series of improvements which will have to be to uh redo the collection system itself to that sore shed and ultimately the uh the laterals that come off the homes and go to the collection system. It'll be one of if not the largest um projects probably the city
has taken on in its geographical reach to different affected areas uh affected area and the residences in a particular source shed um of of of rehab construction. You know, typically this would be done basically on new construction. You see it out Cortez
Road, 75th Avenue, all that piping, all that infrastructure, other places and the like. This is a rehab effort and uh there's different components of it. This is the first and probably one of the they're all important but what but one of the foremost paramount importance projects.
>> Mrs. Moore, did you have any comments on this? >> Um I uh I walk everyone knows I walk the dog just about every day and I can attest that um it's just so exciting to see things to see shovels in the ground
and the project moving forward tangibly. Um, a neighbor actually uh forwarded me the city's Instagram post. So much thanks to Miss Shadik and David. I don't know where he is, but the the footage was great. So, if you all pop on to Instagram, >> great.
>> You can see some great aerials, not necessarily of lift station 3 because we're just beginning that shovel in the ground, but um but of the temporary lift station. And I felt like it just was representative of uh you know just a a feel in that area of things progressing
um excitement about you know rebuilding and investment in you know the new time post hurricanes and all of that. So so much thanks to everybody I know from engineering to procurement to administration that it's been probably a
lot and I am just so appreciative and so excited. I never thought I would be this excited about lift stations and collections sewer systems, but here we are and it's very exciting. >> Councilwoman, >> point out also, you know, the leadership
that was necessary because with some of this project, we had to go to court to quiet title and uh the mayor has kind of taken a pretty good leadership role. We appreciate your involvement in that. Technically, the staff um uh Colonel Leaf that's in the audience and those folks have done a really good job. I
remember coming in I think on one of the holidays and trying to get the team together to expedite things because the engineers were telling us well it wouldn't be the engineering work for list station 3 and the ability to pre- purchase some of those components would be basically three or four months longer
than than what it is. Mr. Williams and I said that can't be we need it quicker and there's deadlines and stuff. So it it also represents an expedited ability and bandwidth capacity and and compassion and expertise to do this of a lot of disciplines that you guys have
supported through this city and the city council. We appreciate that. >> Mr. Mayor, >> yes ma'am. >> If I can just follow because I forgot to mention this one thing which is the um I can't think of a better word other than aggressive uh procurement of funds. Uh, generally speaking, I think that this
trajectory that we're on with really being proactive and getting grant funding um using Woodard's fiscal um team for that sort of thing, not even just for these three projects that I uh you know, boots on the ground witnessing, but for so many more, I know, you know, lift stations three and
13 are not the only lift stations that I'm aware of that I know are super problematic. And so I also just wanted to give a a kudos to with the way staff is also procuring funds because it's been my observation that that you know where there's a will there's a way and
it's not for lack of trying to do these things in the past. It's just that they're expensive. >> Thank you. Councilman Barnaby. >> Yes. Mr. Perry, could you please speak to uh the sec? It's the addendum number two, the second page, item number three,
talking about contract time and liquidated damages. It's right here. I just I just want that on the record, please. >> Sure. I'm going borrow your iPad. >> Absolutely. There's a specific um construction period where the Seymar is responsible
for substantial completion of the work within 300 and one days of receipt of the notice to proceed. 301 days is obviously about 10 months, >> right? >> And uh so it's fairly fasttracked. There's no doubt about that. There's liquidated damage provisions which is
which is basically if that target isn't met, it's a pre-agreed upon penalty that the contractor would pay for lack of timely completion. In this case, it's $1,000 per calendar day. So, it's incentivizes the contractor to get it
done. And a lot of times when you're talking about these type of contracts, uh, contractors aren't willing to do that because on the back end, if they don't bring it in on time, um, there's that type of penalty and exposure. It's interesting when you put that up
and what you set that at because sometimes you pay for it within the contract. Obviously, if there's more risk to the contractor, they're going to charge you a little bit. We th this this is pretty reasonable at $1,000 per day um on both sides of it. It's not a small
amount, but it's large enough to incentivize completion. That would be my comment on it. >> Thank you. I just wanted that out there because, you know, many times people think that we just vote on these things and it's
kind of loosey goosey or whatever. This is pretty that's a pretty substantial penalty. So, I am believing that they're going to do everything they can to make sure that they finish within the contract. >> Well, they also were willing to sign it
knowing what the possibility of them finishing was is is good. So, um >> I just want to just one final point. You know, that's another thing when I talk about bandwidth and expertise. Uh this is submitted by Miss Jones who's out there as our our chief purchasing agent
and putting this contract to get together and working it with the various contractors, the interface with the engineering aspect of it and the construction services there. There's a there's a great deal of thoughtfulness
and technical attention that has to be paid to these things and expertise. And again, we're upping the game and the bandwidth and the expertise, and it's just seems like it's one thing after another that Eron's team has to put together. And they're doing a great job, and they did a great job on this project.
>> Yeah. And I I'll agree with that, Mr. Perry, because we as a a city council and obviously through the mayor's office are pushing our team very aggressively and timing and and we try to be positive through that and be, you know, not
being, you know, as as a too aggressive, but also setting us up to succeed. And that's one of the things that I've stressed is some things aren't acceptable because it's government. Let you know a a very polished stateswoman
once told me that we can't be total business-like or business but we can be businessike. And that's what I feel that our government is doing now. We're running this like a business while supporting our citizens but also protecting the
integrity of our city. And some of the citizens because of past um experiences had don't have faith in us. But this is what we said. You've never seen us. And so as they look out there, obviously they were here when they were bashing
us. They're not here today because good things are happening. But that's good. >> But we need them to understand we've got a different team now. not not only on this dis but out in our staff that is wanting to face and fix it and we really
stress hard on that on the infrastructure underground but we're doing that with everything else too just uh generically as we go through face and fix it. So that's important to me. But we now have timelines. We now have things shovels in the ground. We now
have not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions now that we're getting these projects done while still being good stewards of our citizens money. And don't judge us for the past. Judge us for where we are and what we can do
better now. And I think that will show a positive impact for our children and grandchildren. And that's always been the the uh motto of of what I've done and what this council is doing is what what are we going to make us set us up to succeed? Too many people want to set
you up to fail and that's the wrong way to go. And believe me, and I've said this to a few of you over the time, um there's battles behind closed doors every day. And some of the battle is that we get stuff done and it doesn't go
into the public. But it's not just about wastewater. It's about everything else in the city that's going good. And it's, you know, one of the things I saw I was watching, I don't know why now I watch other county commission meetings around the region and all of that, but but
we've got to talk about the good things we're doing. This is a good thing, but it's about waste water and storm water and all of that and our drinking water. But we also are doing a city park. We're also doing a study that's going to come out soon hopefully with uh what the the
future of this city can can be and a lot of us won't see the ultimate outcome of that on this DAS but we know we're setting it up for the future and that's what I'm proud to be overseeing with the great council and a I don't know what's greater than great a fabulous great
staff that knows where the direction of this council wants to go. So we appreciate that. real quick while we're just talking about water stuff. Mr. Perry, Mr. Williams, can you give us a little and I didn't ask you this before so I don't always like to, but this is an easy one. Mr. Williams probably can
give it, but there's been some news on about Manatee County running out of water by 2037 or short. And they keep saying city of Bradenton gets the water. Can you explain that a little bit of why and what water we get from Manatee County, Mr. Williams?
>> Sure. Yeah, we get uh we do purchase a very small amount of water from Manatee County. Um back when we um on the west side of the of the city um you know when you have Pico Island and
um that kind of that area that infrastructure was already set up through the county. So when we um incorporated that into the city of Bradenton there was no reason to duplicate the infrastructure. it was a better business decision to actually buy the water wholesale from the county. Um,
so that's a little bit of of the area that we get the water from the county. Um, and I believe uh Manatee Memorial gets their water from the county as well. Um, it's a very small portion of our service area for the entirety of the
city. most of the city and I don't have a good percentage but I would say roughly 95% plus of the city gets their water from the city of Bradon. So when you hear anything about Manatee County may or may not run out of water um you
know obviously a headline sells newspapers or sells clicks or you know gets the attention. Um but that would not affect the city. um you know, if it happened tomorrow, obviously that's a situation, but not none of that's going to happen. It would affect the city very
little and then we would have um redundancies put in place to make sure that if that were to ever happen years down the road, our citizens would still have their water supply. >> And I think one of part of the grant we just got is for the fresh drinking
water. And we're working on projects that will continue to to go and and update our Evers reservoir. >> Correct. Yeah, >> I could just add a little bit to that. Mr. Williams description is really good, but we we purchase that finished water from
the county for Perico Island and we do it on a monthly basis. We I sign a check every month for the finished water that goes out there. We buy it at wholesale, sell it at retail because we do have some responsibility for service of of all that system that comes in through Harbor Isle and the other particular
areas. But uh for purposes of proportionality, there are allocations with maximum allocations of that water that I believe are around $4.5 million million gallons per month because it's built monthly as I said. And when you
think about our system, our system basically circulates about 6 to 7 million gallons somewhere between 5 and a half and probably lower end of seven on an average basis >> a day. >> A day,
>> right? That's 4 million capped out per month going out there. So you divide that month by 30, you're probably talking about a couple 300,000 gallons at the most out go going out there. So, it kind of confirms Lance's math about
it being maybe a 5% contributor to the overall water distribution. I think it's a little bit less. >> Um, and and so, you know, that that kind of gives you some perspective on it. >> Thank you. Miss Barnamy, did you have something still? >> Nope. I'm good. I'm sorry. No problem.
I'm sorry. >> Just wanted to make sure. All right. All right. Well, that I just think information is king and a lot of times information gets out that, you know, is is confused and then the Facebook starts and yeah, social media starts. I I don't
know how Manatee County with a population of 430,000 and the city with a population of roughly 58,000 could be that much of a significant drain on the overall uh water supply
availability to the county. >> And you also see that all of us and include all the municipalities and the county are planning for the future are looking ahead. Manatee County is doing a great job at some of their water systems
with different technology coming out and how they can do things. So I think there's opportunity. >> The county is still selling water to Sarasota County. >> Yeah. So if something happened, we'd have to stop. >> And and the county to their credit, I mean, you want multiple water sources so you're not relying on just one. They
have the duet wells that are in the northeast corner uh that are predominantly a major source of their water. They have aquafer water underground and they have surface water out at Lake Manatee. >> Right. Yep. All right. This information. Um, Madame Clerk,
>> moving on. >> Can we have a motion, please? >> Yeah. >> Oh, oh, okay. To approve that. You're right. So, is there a motion to approve? >> Yes, please. >> All right. Mrs. Moore, to approve the addendum number two to the guaranteed maximum price
>> for lift station three. Barnaby. All right. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll start the vote in ward three. >> Yes. >> Four. >> Yes. >> Five. >> Yes. >> One. >> Yes. >> Two. >> Yes. >> Appreciate it. Approved.
Five to zero. Yeah. We get excited about all the fun stuff and we forget about getting it done. But no, that's that's exciting. And I hope um obviously Mrs. more and and others will spread that around >> to show and plus they see the shovels in the ground already >> and our communications team is doing a
great job of getting the word out on that as well and you know obviously um Miss Shadic and Mr. Meyers both social media and other channels are doing a good bangup job trying to let the public know about that um with with with
correct information. >> Correct. >> Thank you. All right, madame clerk. >> Item 9A is the second amendment to purchase and sale agreement between New Rogers Garden Limited Partnership Housing Authority of the City of Bradenton and the city of Bradenton.
>> Mr. Perry, >> mayor as item uh it's 8C 8 a.m. to unfinished business. Uh this is an amendment to the contract that was previously approved for the purchase of the property that is currently basically
um within the ownership fee of the Bradon Housing Authority itself. Braden Housing Authority of course leases that on a long-term lease to Tellesus and now to Windgate who has stepped into the shoes of the former Tellesus uh for that
long-term lease. It was attached uh originally um as part of the development of Bradenton Village basically and it's uh it's probably about 10 acres um I don't have the specifics on the exact acreage but it's I'll say roughly 10
acres that abounds 13th Avenue to the north 17th Avenue to the south and uh due d west of the the constructed Bradton Village all the way to to a property line by Roger Garden Elementary
School um to the to to the west. Um at any rate, what this particular amendment is is that we've been trying to purchase that for the development of City Park as council's probably heard from me multiple times. It's key to that overall
uh development. It'll assist in uh providing a pad ready site to PAL for a community education, sports, wreck, learning, personal development center. It'll also on the south side provide
about four to five acres of um of storm water uh on-site retention that's necessary to meet swift mud permit requirements for the totality. It's a key piece of property. One of the hitches in putting together that
property deal, which was fairly complex and and and you sat in many meetings, so you know it better than than most folks, uh is the ownership interest in the property previously. Again, you have Braon um Housing Authority and then the
the the leaseold interest owner being Windgate. Now, there's a provision in there that required HUD to approve. Um, HUD is a large federal agency. They're subject to a great deal of technical, I
don't want to call it bureaucracy, but rules and regulations. It's very time consuming and it's also subject to a great deal of legal interpretation and ambiguity, particularly when you look at some of these agreements that were put in place really ranging back 50 years
plus and multiple agreements. So there was a trust that was basically placed on this in the chain of title is what it's called. When the title insurance company looks at chain of title, they try to see are there incumbrances and are there things that have to be cleared and if
they can be cleared um h how do them what the process is to satisfy the title insurance company? In this case, the title insurance company looked at it and originally saw this um trust and said, "You want to consider this as an
exception and perhaps have it cleared." They looked at it closer with their underwriters and title search people and they said basically that we are willing to issue the title insurance policy um for the purchase price and related
defense cost to defend it. Title insurance is interesting. When you buy it, there's two things they have to cover. One is the cost of the property. The other thing is their second duty, a duty to defend your ownership in the property. And if you go through litigation, that can become expensive,
too. In this case, the pol the the title insurance policy and the opinion letter that they provided said that they were willing to basically ensure the property. they don't believe the trust and HUD approval is necessary and that they would would ensure the property and
meet their obligations of indemnity as well as duty to defend under the insurance policy. That being the case, we removed it from the requirement that you had previously approved as a diligence clearance that had to be done pursuant to what your recommendation and
approval was for the original purchase and sales agreement. With that, I'll turn to Miss Foron and ask her if there's anything else she wants to hit on it. Is that good? Okay. All right. >> All right. So, we just need a motion. >> Enough lawyering. >> Yeah.
>> So, we would just need a motion for the second amendment. >> Approve the second amendment. >> Miss Coachman. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Motion to approve the second amendment to purchase and sale agreement between New Rogers Gardens Limited Partnership. Okay, it's
getting uh the housing authority of the city of Bradon and the city of Bradon and authorize the mayor to execute all closing documents required to consummate the purchase. >> Second
Barnaby heard first. All right. Any other comments or discussion? Hearing none, we'll start the vote in ward four. >> Yes. >> Five. >> Yes. >> One. >> Yes. >> Two. >> Yes. >> Three. >> Yes. >> Approved. Five to zero. Thank you very much and thanks for all the hard work on
everyone in the staff because it's been and and it's been a lot of work. It's been a lot of making sure things are right and um thank you Mr. Perry for continuing to go down that because this would have been something that would have been easier not to have in this
project but it's generationally going to make changes for our community and that's what we continue to want to do. So all right madam clerk we're to council reports. Mr. Williams has something first. >> Yeah, if I could. Uh, yes, sir. >> So, thank you, Mayor. We have uh, you know,
we talk about facing facing it and fixing it, right? So, we're in the process of facing our our situation. We're fixing a lot of u problem areas. And the question always comes up, okay, well, what do you do after you face it and you fix it? How do you manage it after that? So, what I'd like to do is
have Miss Armstrong and Miss Nicks come up and they just have a quick overview presentation. Um, on Monday, we kick off our asset management system, our enterprise asset management system. So, it's not just for wastewater or lift stations. It's for the entirety of the
city. So, um, we started with our, uh, largest department, which is public works and their work order process. Um before we get started on that real quick, I do want to we talk about all of the funding that we are getting outside of the city.
Much like it, I want to give kudos to Heidi and her finance team because they manage all of that and we're not managing just a few dollars like we did in the past. We have an influx of money. How do we make sure that we're using it
correctly? Making sure we hit the timelines or reporting deadlines and so forth. So, and in conjunction with Aaron and her team, Irv and his team, um I want to give Heidi kudos, Linda kudos, and David Lindseay, who we brought on board with public works, has worked very
well with our finance team to ensure that we're going to hit those deadlines, meet all of those uh stipulations that we have to to make sure that we're in good graces with the grants as well. So, kudos to Heidi and her finance team. Teresa, moving on to our asset
management system. Teresa is our project manager. She's done a phenomenal job and um I also want to give out kudos to public works and each superintendent. They've been on board for this from day one and and Teresa feel free to speak a little bit more if you'd like to but um
everybody it's been a team effort. Teresa's headed it up. She's going to give you a real quick overview of the work order system. Kind of something that we're managing in a in a citizen consumerf facing aspect. Um, and then just keep in mind this is a work in
progress. So, this is something that'll develop and and continue on third time. So, Miss Armstrong, >> thank you. Welcome. >> Good morning. Thank you. Terresa Armstrong. I'm the IT project manager for the city of Bradon. Um, we're excited to announce that starting Monday, February 2nd, we're going to
launch our new asset management program. Um the the new program supports the face it fix it initiative and reflects on our commitment to the continuous process improvement and represents a significant shift in how we operate as an organization. The program equips staff
with the tools necessary to effectively manage the assets through their entire life cycle with scheduled predictive and preventative maintenance as well as datadriven reporting. As part of the program, we would like to introduce my Birington 311.
The My Bington 311 is for non-emergency service requests for public works and utility related issues and concerns. Um, with the My Bington 311, we will have a new public web portal that will replace the current system. A lot of you
are familiar with public stuff which is a very simple program where they submit a request and that's it. It doesn't attach to an asset. It doesn't give us the data driven reporting we need. It doesn't help us with the life cycles or the predictive
um information that we need for our critical infrastructure. Um public stuff was that standalone program. So, we're very excited about the new asset management program with the public web portal. We also have a
mobile app. The mobile app will be available later to date. It's not available as of Monday, but it's in development. And with ease, our citizens can receive or look up city information. They can submit a request. They can track the status of the request. We also
have our social media links and our website information out there for ease at their fingers. Uh we do encourage our citizens to utilize the new public web portal and also the mobile app. It'll help us on the back end with the asset
management. We need that information in order for us to to do better, right? To manage it and have those process improvements. So, um staff has been working for several months. Um public works and the utilities department along with it. Our
GIS team was critical as well. Um we've done a lot of analysis. We've streamlined some operations and we've looked at processes to make the city of Bington better. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> So, much like finance and it that are kind of behind the scenes, your asset
management system isn't flashy. It's not something that you're going to see every day, but it is critical to the success of the city of Bradenton now and in going into the future. So, the mobile app that we have, much like our public stuff, will allow citizens, yourselves,
to to take pictures, send in a a request for service, and like much like Miss Armstrong said, it'll but this system will actually attach to the asset of the city. Public stuff is just a work order system. you you enter it, it creates a
work ticket, they go out and they take care of whatever the the service is and it's completed and it's done. It never attaches to the asset. There's no reporting to it. Um, this is a much more robust system and a full asset enterprise asset management system. Um,
again, not something flashy. It's not a vertical building you're going to see. We're not going to have a groundbreaking or ribbon cutting, anything of that nature. But if we face it and fix it and we don't implement something like this, we've we've not really done ourselves any favors or anybody in the future. So
kudos to Theresa and her team. Kudos to to Mr. Perry, mayor council for allowing us to go down this road and have a system put in place that helps us manage everything that we are facing and fix fixing going into the future. So Teresa, thank you very much for all your hard
work. Allison has been a huge piece of that for public works. I know she doesn't want to come up in the public, you know, say anything in the public forum, but um she's been a phenomenal asset and partner with Teresa. So, um I just want to thank the both of them for
their leadership and taking on this challenge. And it's it's a big deal. It's a this is a big project. No, I think one of the most important things as we look at it from up here is that when we something's fixed, you know, when it was fixed, you know, when it's continues on, and then if something
breaks six months from now in that same area or there's a problem, well, why did it break after we just fixed it, right? >> Not because there's a 30 mph speed limit sign wrapped around it >> that was from 50 years ago, right? >> You know, because that's how they tried
to fix things and and uh it happened. So, Vice Mayor Coker, >> thank you. Uh, will we still be notified? I mean, if the citizen's going directly to report an issue, I know, especially, at least for my ward, I
don't have to necessarily know everything. I'd like to kind of be on top of it and know if there's an issue >> so that if I get calls separately that will we be able to be notified when there's something? There's not I I'll answer this and you can back me up or or fill in the blanks, but there's not
anything that's going to be automated in the system that will notify you specific to your ward. Um, however, it doesn't mean that we won't we can't put processes in place to give you some reporting. So, it's not going to be real time. you know, if I if I enter a ticket for W one, it's not going to notify you
that there's a ticket now because you would be inundated, you know, with all everything that goes into those systems or into those uh into this particular work order system. But if you if there are critical things that you want to look at and it's something that we'll kind of have to define as we travel down
that road. Um but there's certainly reporting back to Teresa's point, there's reporting that we can provide leadership in public works. Mr. preparing myself, mayor, council, if you guys want specific ward areas, we can fine-tune it to that as well. You can do kind of the entirety of the city. Again,
it's something that we'll have to programmatically define as we move forward, but we've never had this opportunity in the in the past. And so, there's a lot of tools that'll be in our asset management system that we can take advantage of that we didn't really have
access to before. So we'll give you as much information as you want, but we also don't want to inundate you with uh you know everything that's happening that you know that mayor >> potholes being filled obviously. >> Exactly. >> But can be look >> correct >> looked at later on.
>> Excuse me. Correct. And we are looking at um some of the notifications to this the requester. So obviously you get much like public stuff you get the initial you your request has been submitted. Um what we're looking at is to see if we
can get kind of a midway point. Um your your request has been assigned so you you know that it's being worked and it just didn't get entered into um a reference of public stuff before kind of the black hole of work order systems. You know that somebody's actually looking at it and it's progressing
forward. Um, and then when it's when it's completed, there is an internal process that public works is working on that if it's going to take something long, if it's going to take longer, we're going to need additional support, maybe a subcontractor at this point because we uncovered something a little
bit larger than we have a pothole. Well, now we have to take up the street because of, you know, maybe some underground repairs that need to be done. We're going to reach out to that citizen and let them know, hey, this is going to take a little longer than we thought. Again, we want them to know that we're working the submissions. You
know, we're working the request. And then there are going to be ones that, you know, you submit it that within a few hours it's assigned and with a few hours it's it's completed. I had one yesterday. Allison put a ticket in for me in public stuff. And this just goes to show that they're working their
process internally. It literally was submitted and it was done this morning. Like I got a completion that it was done this morning. So again, going back to your original question, we'll be able to give you as much information as you want or as little as you want and we can kind
of define that as we as we go down the down this program. >> I just want to point out that you know we're starting this roll out here in the beginning of February. We will continue to keep you all up to speed. The asset management the is it enterprise asset
management EAM. It has a lot more functionality than just handling citizens complaints and things like that. It's uh it's basically all GISbased and it has functionality for preventative maintenance
>> uh that that Ross's team can do uh and and streets and drains and collections and everybody else. Joel is here with the and and if we coordinate all of these assets and they get an asset number of some sort, a coordinate for
where it's located. The functionality of this as far as it digitalizing our ability to get management information is really, you know, where we need to be. >> Um, you can't do this stuff on spreadsheets or written reports anymore.
There's too much to it. There's too much connectivity to it. There's too much public interface with it. There's too much interconnectivity with our various departments that touch all these assets. And when you look at the assets of the city, they're in the billions of dollars.
>> Absolutely. And so Teresa's taken it has taken a good lead on starting this from the IT perspective, but there's a lot of other folks particularly in all of the departments that have a key role to play and they've they they've
they've welcomed it, I think, realizing that we have to move in that direction. We'll continue to report on it, but we wanted to introduce it today. >> Just Yeah. Just and then then just real quick just internally we have an opportunity with a new police station, a new fire station to again track those assets, make sure they're maintained. So
there'll be internal reporting and and uh requests as well that can happen. >> Code enforcement. I see Mike out there. You know, all kinds of stuff. >> Y >> Mrs. Barnaby, >> thank you, Mr. Mayor. I concur with Councilwoman Coker because some of some things that happen is uh there may be a
force main break. there may be, you know, a cave-in, this sort of thing. And in the past, you know, prior to me coming on the council, and even when I was on the council before, it was get it fixed, get it fixed as fast as you can. And there wasn't really a lot of
recordkeeping with it. And that's how you ended up finding out when you started pulling streets apart that there were old telephone poles holding up and shoring up sanitary sewer lines because it was that's the equipment that
they had at the time. It was there. It was they got it done fast and nobody knew it. I mean it it's crazy. >> Four pieces of seaw wall down on River Boulevard 26th Street that happened to pierce a water distribution line a few months back. >> Exactly. So the thing is though we get
calls and many times we can get calls after hours at home saying does the city know about this or or has it been reported. So to be able to have the opportunity to maybe on some of the major things >> to to have something that we could look
let me say let me look it up let me get back with you that sort of thing that would be very helpful I think >> going in that direction that's really a function of its reportability you know generating reports to because it's a management information system but management is a broad spectrum management of preventive maintenance
management of your your elected officials management of public's response back to them that's being repaired, a whole host of things. And so we will basically expand out the um the functionality of this as we move forward. >> I would like to say that currently on
the on the mobile app or on the public portal, you can view existing requests. So citizens can go in there and see if this has already been reported. You can see surrounding work orders that have been submitted in your area. So that is there now. So there's visibility to our citizens and there's also visibility to
to you as well on the on the public facing end. The reporting and stuff on the back end. Absolutely. We can work on that. >> All right. We've I want to have Miss Moore, but we've got about one minute before we have to take a hard break because of the next >> I also was going to just um follow up on
the reporting. Um I I don't I mean I appreciate not being inundated with reporting, but I do see the categories and I think that they would be helpful for us to something. I am thinking like what code enforcement does uh with just like very general categories so that we can know it makes me think of things
like do we have to revisit the uh lawn vendor or do we have to talk to waste removal and I'm just using those as examples because they're part of the categories. So like a super general I think reporting helps is kind of like a vibe check of sorts. Um, and then I'm
excited, just a kudos, because I like that we maybe are moving towards being able to know that in five years we're going to have to replace X asset and we can actually plan and procure the money and the funds and all the things that have to happen before we do that. >> That's the goal is to be more strategic
and give staff the tools that they need to manage those assets and do better as a city. >> Sounds good. >> So, a key a key real I'm sorry, real quick, just a key takeaway is we have to use it. So, just remember that we're going to we're all going to be stewards and push it on and but there'll be more to come. >> All right. Thank you very much. Great
job. Thank you, church. >> It's 9:45 a.m. We'll take a recess till 10:00. >> Go check my email real quick. at 10 o'clock. >> Madame clerk. >> Yes, sir. >> Did you want to read into the record what we're doing?
>> Oh, I'm sorry. Item 7A is a petition for PLN APL25003 and it's a public hearing. Anyone that wishes to speak during the following public hearing will please stand and raise your right hand.
Do you swear or affirm that the factual statements and representations which you're about to present to this board will be truthful and accurate? >> Thank you. All right. Thank you. Um, the recess that was mentioned in the
mail notification for the public hearing has been cancelled. So, we're just going to go right through. We're not going to take a recess at some point to go to lunch or it's going to go right through. Um, all communications that were sent directly to elected officials were forwarded to the planning department and
the clerk's office. If any council members or myself have has not yet forwarded those communications, please do so after the meeting because we did get a lot of emails and communications. One of the things that I'll say that um you know, we all are very apt at
responding, but because when this became where we are, we did not respond to your emails. Not because we didn't care, but it just wasn't the right thing to do and and legally going through things. So, um, what I'm going to do and I'm just going to read through how this is going
to go and a couple other comments because we are, you know, a business meeting. It's a public forum. So, obviously when someone speaks or someone whether you agree or disagree, we won't have any cheering or booing or anything like that. No clapping, no anything
outside the normal business meeting. We will ask that this is your warning. So if you do talk over while somebody's speaking, you will be asked to leave and that's our rules of order, our decorum that we have. So it will be who's at the
podium has the podium. So you're not please do not disrupt that as we go. Um so the order will be once I open the public hearing um I I'll ask the council a question about any exparte and then where the present presentations will go.
The appellant will have 15 minutes, then the city will have 15 minutes, and then cottonmouth will have 15 minutes. Um, we will not comment. The council will not comment during those presentations. Then, um, we'll open it up to public comment, then we'll close the public
comment. Um, then there will be a rebuttal, which cotton mouth will go first, then the city, and then the appellant. Um then the council will deliberate and figure out what direction to go and then I'll close the public hearing. Um one of the things that we
will say and we we do this often where if you're you have three minutes in public comment but if you want to get up and say you've got my email I support or don't support. You don't
have to take your whole three minutes but you're welcome to. But you can just say I'm in support of it or not because obviously with a lot we already all have read all of those and gone through them. But we're giving both sides the opportunity and trust trying to make it where it is a diligent meeting and gets
the the information out there. So as we go through it again, it's going to be a very um calm meeting and we're going to give both sides the opportunity to to take care of things. So, at this time, um, I'm going to open the public hearing
and I'm going to look at the council as well as myself. Is there any exparte communications that anyone would like to to notice now? And I did say we did get all the emails, but I didn't respond to any of them. So, does anybody have anything? Yes, ma'am. I missed more. >> I did not um have exparte
communications. I did acknowledge emails and thank them. Thank someone for sending I thanked people for sending them but let them know that I could not speak to the subject matter. >> All right, >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, ma'am. Miss Barnaby, >> that is very similar to what I did up until yesterday afternoon. If your email came in after yesterday afternoon, I
have not acknowledged it and I have not forwarded it, but it will be sent to the appropriate people for the public record. >> Thank you, madame attorney. Is that sufficient for >> Yes. >> going forward? All right. Thank you. All
right. What we'll do is we'll go right into the presentation for the appelllet. >> Good morning, council members and ladies and gentlemen. My name is Laura Lawson. I'm attorney for Carrie Price. Carrie Price and her husband Preston Why have
lived in the middle of the village of the arts since 2008. In addition to residing there with their two children, um they also have a home business, a yoga studio, Blue Sky Yoga
in that structure. They live exactly right next door to Cottonmouth. Their many bedroom windows in their home face Cotton Mouth. um Cottonmouth um came there more towards around 20 around
2020 and has more recently introduced this musical entertainment use that is the what we're discussing today. Um in addition um as to being an attorney I was a legislative aid for a Hillsboro County Commissioner for eight
years. So I have some insight into what it is like to be behind the dis when we have these kinds of neighborhood disputes about zoning and planning. But in this case I think there is good news because this case is really about a
legal issue. And the point is that your planning director, she did an excellent job analyzing this situation. She's an expert. She's the professional that you have put in charge of your planning and
zoning. She has a lot of discretion about the um village overlay that's relevant to this issue. And um so um she analyzed the code. She looked at all the available uses. She prepared a 16page
report to support her opinion and determination. She testified in support of it. And um what because this proceeding is an appeal, it's also a denovo public hearing. That means this
council has the opportunity to take a fresh look at what took place at the planning commission board. You can review all of that. But the while the planning commission board was supposed to find error on depart on the part of the planning director that's not that
you don't have to spend a lot of time determining whether they made an error. You you're simply free also to uphold the planning director's decision for your own reasons. Um so um let's I think what would be
really helpful to ground us is to look at the maps. Um as you can see here this rectangle this is the village of the arts. You can see there's the brighter purple color along the outside perimeter of the village and then in the interior
there's the more lavender color. I don't know if you can see an MW up in the top right corner. That's where Motorworks is. you're familiar maybe with Motor Works. It's not very far from here. Um it is in the T4
T4R O open area of the village whereas um where the Price and WH family live is in the interior lavender T4R restricted portion of the village and you can see that dot is approximately
where Cotton Mouth is located. Okay, here is a more closeup view of the area around Cottonmouth. You can see the subject parcel. That's Cottonmouth. And this speaks to the uses around
Cottonmouth. And what you see is it's still primarily residential. You have 25 dwelling units. You have six of these business residential live work um
properties and they're all these non-intensive low traffic generating uses. We've got the yoga, we've got a galleries, we've got a record store, the village streamress, the village art house. There are only two structures within this area
that are that are business only. That's cotton mouth the the restaurant and embodied health which again as you can see um all of the idea of all of this is these um low intensity uses. Okay. Now here just briefly this is
table 4.7. This is what your executive your planning director relied on in making the determination that she made. And you can see it's got the T4R and the T40. Just glancing at it, you can see there's a lot more uses available in the
T40 than the T4R. Um, and you can see it's per by permit or special use. And as you know, permits are generally allowable. As I'm sure the council is quite aware, special uses is a much um more complex proceeding where you're considering whether the use um is goes
with the neighborhood. Okay. Now, let's look here at the entertainment uses. You can see there's a long list of entertainment uses allowed in the T40. Whereas in the T4R, none of these are allowed, neither by permit nor by special use. Rather,
there's a there's a process where the director can um allow a restaurant. But in that case, she has a great deal of discretion over that. And um she also is allowed to consult with residents and
business owners in the district. Um, this began on June 23rd, 2025. That's more than seven months ago. A stop work order was issued regarding the entertainment at Cottonmouth. It has never been enforced because of the
objections, proceedings, and um, arguments brought by Cottonmouth here. So, on July 11th, 20 Oh, I I'll say one more thing. What occurred at that time was for operating an outside event venue without a special use
permit. So on July 11th, 2025, Cottonmouth applies for a special um use permit for the purpose of hosting live music events on an outdoor patio incl and they include a site. You can see the stage is there in the backyard.
On August 5th, 2025, your planning director responded to this request. Um she determined that Cottonmouth had been approved for a restaurant but has evolved into an additional use e she said at the timeoutdoor amusement center
or outdoor auditorium. We're going to focus on outdoor auditorium because ultimately she decided that was the more analogous use for what they were doing. And you see here's the definition. a place of open air assembly consisting of a central place or stage for
performances which may be open to the sky or partially covered or enclosed. Now on August 29th, 2025, Cotton Mouth brings this appeal and this I think is where we see how the planning commission
got off track in their analysis. Instead of providing the um definition that's in the formbbased code, they provided one that talks about a venue for outdoor performances designed and intended primarily for spectators. I think that
primarily for spectators was how we got the idea if you're serving food then it's not an auditorium. And then they also just provided some additional language here saying not a venue, no tickets, no admission. But if you look over at the definition of outdoor
auditorium, it doesn't mention ticketing. It doesn't mention admissions. It is true that other use that that was originally cited did, but the outdoor auditorium makes no use no mention of ticketing. So on October 15, 2025,
there was a public hearing in front of the planning commission board and they heard from the planning director, they heard from the police, they heard from the fire chief, they heard from Cottonmouth and many of their music f a few of their music fans, they also heard
from the neighborhood. And what I have here, um, I I don't have time to go through all the testimony at the hearing, but I really wanted to highlight the testimony of residents just briefly. Um, I simply don't want extremely loud music in my backyard most
days of the week. Um, normal to loud and very loud and at times I stay out of my own backyard because I cannot hold conversations. Um he they describe um having to close all their windows to watch television, saying that the rights
of residents are being subverted to the business. Um Miss Price also testified and she's going to testify at the end of at the end of this. Um a clay artist testified that this is occurring at the expense of everyone around them. and Miss Weisner testified, "When they host
live music, the sound carries so strongly in my home that I cannot enjoy outdoor activities." So, all of this is laid out in the transcript that we provided with this appeal, which provides a lot more information that the council's also welcome to consider.
So, after the public hearing, the board approved the order on a 4 to2 basis. One board member was absent. This is a bare majority. and they determined that the music is allowable as an accessory use. They also relied strictly on
Cottonmouth's position. They didn't they didn't reference the form base code and to determine that the outdoor live music activities as described during the hearing should be classified as an accessory used to the restaurant. Um, we
filed the appeal December 18th and then here we are today at this denovo public hearing. So, here is the issue with the planning commission order. It does not demonstrate error by the planning director. That was what was necessary to
reverse her decision. Um, first of all, because it it relied on the wrong definition of outdoor auditorium. Um that's why it's saying that um that the ticketing that's where the ticketing component comes in. And it also testified that also relied on the idea
that meals are served at all times. Well, that's not really the issue because you can have two primary uses at one site. I'm sure the council has seen that many times. The fact that they also have food does not mean that this is not
an outdoor auditorium. Um and finally again no error was demonstrated by the planning director um who applied the and they didn't they didn't talk about the formbbased code they just come up with this accessory use idea.
So um Cotton Mouth promotes itself as an entertainment venue and continues to do so because of how this proceeding and how all of these matters have dragged out. I mean, there's a couple things about this. If this were background
music, which the planning director said is an accessory used to a restaurant, and we can all understand that, that background music is an accessory used to a restaurant. It's just that the fact that there are any fans tends to demonstrate that that's not what it is.
So, does all of these performers coming through tends to demonstrate it's not an accessory use. When I looked in the lura to see mention of what might be an accessory used to a restaurant, they spoke to those little t-shirt shops. You know what I'm saying? You go to the restaurant, you can buy some
knickknacks, hats, whatever. It spoke to nothing like this. The definition of restaurant does not speak to this. So, um, what we're asking for is, um, this legal limbo has just gone on too long. The formbbased code needs to be
enforced. The residents have been putting up with this for a long time and it's just time to enforce the formbbased code uh and protect residents. The idea of this accessory use to a restaurant is this is this um outdoor live
entertainment that could be used in other places because an accessory use isn't just about the village. It's about something that could be applied anywhere that you have a restaurant. So, I just think it's really important to think about that precedent.
And now I'm going to call up Miss Price to speak to her piece. Thank you. >> Morning. >> Good morning, Mayor and Council. My name is Carrie Price and I live next door to Cotton Mouth in the Village of the Arts with my husband and our two children.
We've lived here for nearly 20 years and we also operate a small yoga studio on our property. We chose the Village of the Arts because it is a mixeduse neighborhood with clear boundaries, places where activity is more intense, and places that are primarily residential. Those boundaries matter.
When outdoor live music began next door, our daily life changed in very real ways. During performances, the music is loud enough that we can hear it clearly inside our home and at our dinner table. Even with the windows closed, our bedroom windows face the performance
area, disrupting homework, family time, and sleep. My children have repeatedly asked me, "Can you please do something?" I've told them we're trying to work with the owner. One night, my daughter said, "It feels like you care more about him than you do about me." This has not been
occasional. has been ongoing and unpredictable and it's forced us to defend our right to live and work peacefully in a residential area. This is not about opposing music or the arts. It's about location and intensity. The formbbased code recognizes that
distinction and the planning director determined that what was happening went beyond incidental background music. I'm asking the council to uphold that determination and apply the code as written respectfully. I'm asking council to allow the code's boundaries to do the
work they were designed to do. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. So, we'll move forward to the um next presentation by the city. Uh Robin Singer, planning community development director. Um for the purpose
of this hearing, I'll give my credentials. Um I have a masters in urban and regional planning uh and about 35 years of experience in public sector planning and I've testified before this uh council on planning and zoning matters. And that's the nature of my
testim as an expert witness I should say. And that's the nature of my testimony today. All right. So, um, as indicated, um, this is an appeal of the planning commission's decision, which was an appeal of a determination by the
planning director. Um, the property in question is located in the T4R general urban restricted district and the urban village uh, future land use designation. Um, and the property is located on 12th
Street West, um, in essentially surrounded by residential uses, but also some, uh, mixed use. Um, and it has been approved, uh, to our knowledge, as a restaurant since approximately 2012.
Um, and this indicates the properties from an aerial view. This is a driveway. The restaurant is primarily located in the front uh building which was previously a residential uh use and then uh some of the entertainment venue has
been provided in the backyard. Uh again since 2012 it's been a restaurant. Recent complaints regarding noise brought it to the attention of PCD and um and the uh police department uh based upon observation by the police department and code enforcement and
evidence from websites the business provided musical entertainment sometimes for a fee or donation. Uh PCD director found that the uses most similar to outdoor auditorium or outdoor amusement center which are not listed as permitted uh uses in the T4R district. the
property owner appealed the uh that decision and the planning commission found that live music was accessory to the restaurant use subject to stipulations and then this is appeal is brought before you uh from a neighboring property home owner who did appear on
the record uh for that prior appeal determination. Um, so this comes before you. I had the administrative authority as a PCD director to have made that initial uh assertion. Then that was appealed under
1.8. C of the um formbbased code to the planning commission and then it comes before you as an appeal of the planning commission's decision. And that's 1.8.E. As indicated previously, uh this gives you the full use chart, but just to give
you a closeup of the uses that we're talking about, uh restaurants are not listed as permitted uses in the T4R. However, uh they are permitted under the overlay district uh chart for the Village of the Arts. Um outdoor amusement center and outdoor auditorium
are not listed as permitted or special use and therefore are prohibited unless again they were otherwise permitted under that use chart. This is a supplementary use chart for the village of the overlay uh village of the arts overlay district. Um this preceded the
the creation of the formbbased code. Formbbase code was created in 2011. Um you may recall previous discussions about other similar kinds of overlay district like the antiques overlay district that were also submitted before. And then what the village what
the um formbbased code did was provide a more liberal uh looser set of regulations towards uh permitted uses and then later incorporated by reference the village of the arts overlay. So both apply. So because uh of the the overlay
district that's where eating and drinking establishments, cafe, restaurant, coffee shop and bakery um are listed as permitted under administrative authority. There are other similar non-intensive low traffic generating non-residential uses that may be permitted by administrative
authority. Um I find that because these uses are specifically listed in the other use chart. Um and has I think a more intensive use uh that's why I made the determination that they were uh fit more into the entertainment uh center
under the outdoor amusement or outdoor entertainment center. Uh this is the village of the arts and shows the location of the subject property uh both in the village of the arts and again in the T4R district which is restricted more residential in
character than the T40 that surrounds it where you find some of the other similar kinds of uses that provide entertainment. Uh again, definitions for outdoor amusement establishments primarily engaged in providing amusement or entertainment for a fee or admission charge including sports arenas, ball
fields, courts, swimming pool, fairgrounds, exposition, skate parks, so on. Um outdoor auditorium, a place of open air outdoor assembly consisting of central space or stage for performances which may be open to the sky or partially covered or enclosed. So those
are the two uses again listed specifically in the use chart and not permitted in this particular district. Um this gives you the intent of the village of the arts overlay district and I think this was key in the determination of the planning
commission. Uh just that in generally uh this this is considered to be a a district that is a little apart from other T4R districts. uh and that you're trying to provide for um a a more rounded uh arts and entertainment
district um to this area. Um just gives you an idea of the business tax receipts that have been u applied in the village of the arts overlay district um to give you an idea of that business and mixed use is an
integral part of the district. Um and then comprehensive plan the urban village includes areas on near the fringe of the urban core is anticipated to develop with character lifestyle friendliness of the village based on concept of new urbanism. Um so new
urbanism really talking about pedestrianoriented uses mixed uses um and not necessarily so much autooriented uses. This gives you some photographs of the site. This is at the front um of
this uh this is um the back. There's an opening here leading that leads to the back, but that is not the accessible area for to to reach the backyard. Uh this is some of the interior of the restaurant. Um and this is the rear
area. And I noted at the planning uh commission meeting that you can see some of the residential um buildings that are overlooking uh the performance space and and observation space of the entertainment area at the back. So uh the planning uh commission made
their decision. This is basically um findings of fact uh that found um in favor of the the applicant for the appeal. Um and the two main um criteria or stipulations on this were that uh the
applicant testified that the meals are served at all times during live music events. The applicant testified that patrons are not uh charged separate admission fee or uh ticket for live music events. While we have evidence that they had been charging fees, um their testimony at the meeting led the
planning commission to that determination that they were testifying that they would no longer be charging a fee. So, in other words, you can go there, have a meal, and not charge be charged a fee in order to enjoy the entertainment while you're eating your meal. Um, and also that meals will be
served at all times. Um, so that means that while they're open, they're they're serving meals. So, if there's entertainment back there, they still the kitchen still has to be open. Um, there are certain issues with some of the improvements that were made to the
back and whether or not permits, appropriate permits were pulled. uh they are working through that process. They have uh you know attempted to pull the permits. I'm heard that they working with an engineer and they may want to testify to that on uh getting those plans and permits done uh to allow for
occupancy of the back uh portion of the property. Um and that has to pass both uh building code but also fire safety requirements on part of the uh fire marshall and the fire department would be setting the occupancy uh both as
assembly and towards the number of patrons that can be sitting in the back. So, um, with that, I think if the city council decides to reverse, um, the planning commission's decision, you may still
want to stipulate on what would be acceptable, would they still be allowed to have non-amplified music? Would they still be allowed to have some acoustic entertainment or just piped in music? What would be acceptable? If you decide to uphold the planning commission's decision, uh there may other be other
stipulations that you want to add to that. Uh they didn't address hours of operation or um um any kind of sound attenuation devices or anything that could be implemented to kind of reduce the impact on neighboring property. So, in either case, um you may want to
discuss other alternatives to kind of reduce the impact on neighboring properties even if they aren't approved for that additional uh accessory to their restaurant. Um with that, um planning commission did um vote to
approve it and um if you have any questions for me, I >> think we'll get everything and then do questions at the end. All right. Thank you. Okay, we'll have the cotton mouth come
up. We didn't know the details about how long we had and now apparently we can go before and after. Do you want to take before and I'll take after or you want to go? >> Uh, here. >> I can just be here next to her while she gives hers in case any questions need to be asked. >> I'll go before.
>> Um, who you are and you'll have 15 minutes. >> Thanks, Cecilia Hernandez. Um, I am the property owner um at Cottonmouth. And thank you all um for hearing us today. Um, I appreciate everyone here and um I
appreciate everyone in the audience. Um this is a great rally of community. Um I'm just going to briefly speak on um going back to it was a great overview of
what what what's happened and what's gotten us here today. Um to the planning commissioning hearing uh when we were here um we spoke heavily about the overlay district. Okay. And um the village
overlay district um an economic overlay that provides live work zoning rights allowing residents to operate businesses specifically those related in the arts,
visual arts, cultural arts. Um first I'd like to say village of the arts. uh music is a form of art. So, um it it was always intended from the very
beginning from stories that I've heard from Annie and others, some of the founders that you'll hear from today, um that music was at the beginning of celebrations and music uh gatherings and concerts
um at homes in the village. Um so it's it's always been a part of the culture. Um the purpose of the economic overlay is
it is to um preserve the underlying residential character of the neighborhood. Okay. Um there were some exceptions.
uh the the special zoning this this economic overlay it states that it supersedes standard regulations typically prohibiting um commercial activity. Okay. So it
supersedes the formbbased code. It supersedes this overlay this economic overlay came before the formbbased code. Okay. So, it needs it needs to have and
it's very specific to an area. So, it needs to be treated not it's not just oh, we need to uphold the formbbased code. Yes. But this is a special overlay economic district. And so, that that really needs to be
understood. Okay. Um and and really and really that's I think that's what it comes down to is this is yes this is a unique area that has has
an economic overlay that was initially approved in 1999. Okay. So this dates back some time ago. All right. Um and uh Dave, I'll let you go.
Okay. My name is David Chiplet and um >> you can come a little closer to the microphone. >> Okay, here we go. Yeah, there we go. My name is Dave Shiplet. Um I'm both a resident and a business owner. I've been a business owner in the village for 11 years. I've been doing almost exactly
the same thing I'm doing now for 11 years. When I came to the village, I came to the village because there was live music. I didn't bring live music to the village. John Edisham came down and did exactly what I'm doing
on a regular basis and was there at the beginning of us opening. We opened in 2020. We were doing and act like we suddenly started doing music. On day one, we were doing live music and um on
day one we didn't get complaints and we worked and anytime that we did I have completely bent over backwards to to change the hours. Just a few quick notes. On an average, we do six to eight hours of music a week. That's worth
noting. My restaurant, I'm a chef. We're open about close to 50 hours a week. And we do GrubHub and we deliver food. So, to act like we're anything other than a restaurant with accessory use is incorrect. And I've got some prepared
statement that I wanted to make sure that I hit on this. Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen at 1114 12th Street West in the Village of the Arts. I respect the city's process and the right of residents to be heard. I'm asking the council to keep this matter in its
proper lane. Land use classification, not personal conflict. This is personal conflict and not a substitute for ordinary enforcement. Cottonmouth is a restaurant in the in the arts overlay district, the village of the arts overlay district,
and I designed it to be in the overlay district through help from people that had helped put this the village in the village. The the village of the arts overlay district exists to encourage a mix that includes retail, entertainment, and eeries alongside artdriven uses.
Cottonmouth has always been food forward and community rooted. We are not an amphitheater, a festival ground or we are a neighborhood restaurant that also has music. The appeal attempts to reabel a restaurant, my restaurant as an outdoor auditorium auditorium using over
an over broad definition. The formbbased code definition of outdoor auditorium is extremely broad and you've heard it described here. It it is not me. Applied loosely, it could sweep ordinary outdoor events throughout the village. This will have a chilling effect and already has
on any other music coming to the village. Um, the record includes testimony. The record so far includes testimony about repeated law enforcement's responses. And mind you, if they came out 80 times and and and I want to throw this in
there, too. We are within all of those every day, all the time. We're so far under. When this started, and I got that overturn, I told the guys that we had to be six points over. So, we're usually around 60 dB, not 75. So, we don't even push it. Um,
the those issues should be addressed through noise ordinance enforcement, which we are, and fire and building compliance, which we are complying. It's just taken a lot longer and a lot more money than we anticipated, but I assure you, I have no intention of not letting this be
taken care of. A word about the proportionality, the village, and why the backyard matters to us restaurants. I opened and built this business through lots of lots of hard work. In my testimony, I stated the village has struggled since the pandemic, which it has. And I think it's worth noting that
the spots all around the village that are residents, it's really interesting that those people are here. They were businesses. They used to want to be, they have art on my walls that they gave me. They came in and set up. They wanted to be part of what I do. Each one of them has now retired and become
residents only. So that neighborhood that's chock full of residents used to be chalk full of a lot of like the other like 10th Avenue and some of the other places the village is losing businesses right now at a rapid pace and the backyard with most of us restaurants we seat
about 20 25 people inside. So if we don't get to go outside and that's all of us it's really hard to make a living like that with 25 seats. Okay. Especially since so much of the time is spent being not having anything and then the village fills up and we got to do
what we can. I'm asking the council to consider whether escalating a neighborhood dispute into a land use battle is the right use of public time and resources, especially when the real issues can be addressed through existing personal dispute. zoning should not
become a substitute for this process which we have participated in since the beginning. And like I said, we finish our music by 9. I want to stress that keeping people out of their beds. They want to go to sleep. We finish on weekdays at 8 on the weekends 8:30 or
9:00. We do twohour sets most of the time. Most of the other venues do four. So I've been changing what we do all along. And like I said, we're at about 60 65 on the edge of our property. So I know that the people that are over living on 41 and saying they can hear my
music, they can also hear motor works. Cottonmouth has already implemented mitigation a lot and continue to do so. And I'm not done yet. Since the red tag and the city's review, Cottonmouth has worked hard in good faith to mitigate the impacts. We have wanted to mitigate this entire situation since day one. My
neighbors, however, want this to happen and for us to not have music in the village. And I appeal to you how important that music is in the village. It is. We stopped doing tickets. The thing is tickets were always being done. I'm not the only one charging for things
in the village, but we stopped it, you know, and it was really hard. I had to change all the shows that I got that I needed to do tickets to and move them to a local brewery, which we have done. and we successfully are doing shows that I was afraid to bring into my place over there. So, you can see how many times
that I continue to change my business model, which is not easy and it's cost me so much that I'm out of money and if this goes through and stops the music, CottonMouth will not be able to survive. This has been devastating to me and the and what's happening in the neighborhood
is that people are hearing about this drama that's happening in the village and it's not good for business. It's not good for our reputation. And yet here we are again. Strict compliance to the city noise ordinance is the way I've been doing it. Cooperation with enforcement, defined
music hours, intensity controls, amplified sound limits. I live with that. The compliance that I'm working on. While Mrs. Price's appeal may be procedurally correct. I respectfully ask council to consider the extensive record
already developed and the good faith mitigation already implemented to avoid relitigating this as a land use label when the remaining issues are simply operational and enforceable under existing ordinances. For this reason, I am respectfully asking the council to
deny the appeal and affirm that Cottonmouth remains as a restaurant with use consistent with our overlay district while directing any operational issues to the appropriate enforcement and permitting pathways. Respectfully, me.
>> Thank you. Yes, ma'am. I just wanted to follow up on a update on um some of the other ongoing um permitting um obstacles that we have there at Cottonmouth. Uh we have
submitted uh preliminary plans uh to the city uh planning department and to the fire marshall. Um it's approved drawings by an engineer engineering firm. uh there a whole site
um life critical safety uh electrical everything. So that whole package has been sent. Uh we're working with a gentleman to help us with the permitting process. So this is underway. Um and just one final comment for me is uh
opposing council mentioned some of the descriptions that describe the current um face in the village. Um and I just I don't I want us to remain open-minded to
to and and open arm to keeping diversity in the village. Um, even though there might be some record shops and some art galleries and some
uh health and wellness studios. Um, we do want to make sure that we do have music opportunities um and continued restaurant opportunities um that do host uh live music as a successor because it is an art.
Thank you. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. Um, so we had mentioned early about our process. So we're going to go to public comment. Then once all that's done, then we'll go to rebuttal and we'll have the opportunity for the both uh all three to
have a rebuttal for five minutes. Um, one thing I did want to mention or two things I um, one is if you see any of me or the council or anyone walk out, we do still hear everything that's being said in the hallway there, but we might have to go to the restroom instead of
breaking to recess, but you we will still be able to hear. So, it's no disrespect to the speaker at the time. The other thing is I saw other people come in, so I want to ask Madame Clerk to give the swear in again. If you came in late and did not swear in at the beginning,
>> anybody wishing to address city council during the following public hearing, please stand and raise your right hand. >> If you already did, you don't have to, just new ones. >> Do you swear or affirm that the factual statements and representations which you're about to present to this board will be truthful and accurate.
>> Thank you. >> Okay, so remember at this time we're going to give uh three minute public comment. I've all the cards that I have and the ones we'll get. Um, if you agree, you don't have to go the three minutes. Or if you disagree with the
appeal, you don't have to go. So, you can get up and say, "I'm in support of my name." State your name. Time for the record. Um, that's up to you. But you still do have the access, but you don't have to take your whole three minutes if you're just in agreement or disagreement. So, all right. First name
I've got is Michael. And it looks like Shamboards or Shambods. >> Yes. And then next will be Annie Rousini. And then next will be Vinnie Marini. So if you guys can line up
behind as we go. You please state your name and your city of residence. >> Hi. I'm Mike Chambers. I live in Sarasota, Florida. And I wrote to you mayor and wherever the other person is and let you know my feelings. And I
drive from Sarasota to come to this place to come to Cotton Mouse. small as it is and as nice as it is and as genuine value as it is, you guys have a real pearl here because for somehow Dave manages to get in some of the best
musicians floating around the world. I'm a DJ in you in WSLR and in the summer I travel to music festivals. You know, they're $200 a weekend, but that's what I do. And I've seen more people at
Cottonmouth that I've seen on the road. I mean, these are big thousand people events. Come to Cottonmouth. And I know they aren't playing for full scale because there aren't that many of us there. They're there because they love this institution and what it does for those of us that enjoy music. WSLR has a
performing arts center right out the back door, a mile from my house. I still drive up here to hear this music because he gets such good entertainment. And it's a really lovely place. The service is good, the waiters are good, everybody. It's it's it's it's like a home for a lot of us. You know, I know
these people up here. I see them every week or whenever I come up every two weeks, whatever. And it's a very intimate space that is so rare and lost. Um you guys have uh motor works, great
loud music down there, etc. It doesn't have the spirit and the feeling of family that we get at Cotton. and these guys Dave's out there and the guy, you know, we know everybody and so that's so I understand your family and I understand the noise. I have people in
my neighborhood who have loud motors and play bass, you know, the guys drive around with a big bass in their cars and I understand it, but we're they're only there two nights a week down at Cotton and he does close early and we always go what? No Encore and I think I mentioned to you I added an addendum to my email.
Svin Birwood. Here's a here's a good one for you. Who just toured Europe for a month, month and a half. I saw him in shopping, Germany a couple years ago when I went over just to see him. He plays at Cottonmouth. He's like one of the best known musicians around. Uh the
and again I'll go back to the quality of who he brings in and that's one thing that's very important. It's what mean when you talk about the village of the arts, the people he brings in are real artists beyond that. And that's the best I can give you folks. It's don't lose
it. Don't lose this facility. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you folks. >> Annie Rini and then Vinnie Marini and then Turner Moore. >> Good morning everyone. I'm Annie Rousini, founding executive director of the Artist Guild of Manity, a 501c3
created to revitalize a severely blighted 18 block downtown adjacent turn of the century neighborhood, now known as the Village the Arts Economic Overlay District. I was recruited by the city of
Bradenton 27 years ago this April. I began working with planning director Jerry West and together we wrote the land use regulations for the economic overlay district. Our goal was to create an economic engine through the arts. We
recognize the arts in all mediums without exception and music has been the through line since day one. On October 15th at planning commission, director Robin Singer affirmed that we are not here to talk about sound ordinance and
the police said that Cottonmouth is consistently under the 75 decel citywide ordinance. Today we are here to talk about auditoriums. Key features of an auditorium are one
tiered rows of fixed seating, sloped or terrace floor levels and advanced AV equipment. I submit that we are in an auditorium
right now. You're certainly not going to find anything like this remotely similar in as this auditorium amongst the quaint bungalows in the village of the arts. Although I personally chose not to open my business on the main street, 12th
Street West, most of our business owners chose to be as close to the center of activity as possible. This would include the petitioner Carrie Price. Carrie Price and her husband did not walk into this blindly. They had been to the
village of the arts many times and chose to buy an extremely popular gallery in the heart of the village of the arts. This was approximately a decade after we began our revitalization. And it is a similar story with Gene Tenry from whom you'll hear and his
partner Claudia. They live on a very quiet street on 14th Avenue West in the Village of the Arts for many years. Then in recent years they moved into the heart of the village of the arts knowing full well that this has always been the center of activity in the arts district.
In inclusion I submit that if music should die in the village of the arts, the village itself will begin a death spiral. We will lose our anchor businesses and the economic
engine will break down in short order. Here today, you make a choice between returning to the blight, the drugs, the crime, the predatory landlords that we have staved off all these years or continuing to create this magical arts enclave.
>> Thank you. We have Vinnie Marini, then Turner Moore, and then Rick Lewis. >> Good morning and thank you very much for having me speak today. My name is Vinnie Marini. moved to Florida in 2019. For the last 15 years, I've run a digital
radio show where I interview musicians. I am a licensed talent agent here in the state of Florida. I currently live in Gulfport. I've lived in Hudson and I've also lived in Loots. And I constantly have come to Cottonmouth because of the
quality of the artists who come there. I have had artists who I've represented who have begged me to get into cottonmouth. From what I understand, this is the village of the arts. If blues music is not an art form, what is? It is the most American art form. It
began here in the US. It is the roots of all music. and I ask you to please make sure you do not leave lose this creative event center here in Bradenton. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Turner Moore, Rick Lewis, and then Peggy Ball. >> Good morning. >> My name is Turner Moore. I live in Sarasota. And as the last recent speakers have said, I also come up to Cottonmouth Cafe to hear the live music.
In the last 10-15 years, we have lost a lot of venues in this area. Aces Live, Blue Rooster, Five: Oclock Club, The Mabel, Darwins, uh the White Buffalo Saloon, on and on. We need music in our community.
Musicians need a place to play. They need stages, and the audience needs that shared communal experience and the and the great things that come from live music. So, I'm here to support Cotton Mouth Cafe, and I hope at the very least
some kind of um compromise could be reached between the parties, but it sounds like if they're operating under the uh sound ordinance, then they're within their rights. I'm a musician. I played on stages with a decimeter opposite us and we know exactly where
we're at and uh I'm I'm here to support Cotton Mouth. >> Thank you. Thank you, >> Rick Lewis, Peggy Ball, and then Lafayette Reid. >> Hello. >> Hello. Good morning.
>> My name is Rick Lewis. I'm kind of known around town. I've lived here all my life. And people may know me from my opinionated opinion. And I've uh the brain and Herald took my voice away when they stopped doing letters to the editor. Um so anyway, I'm in a
predicament because I've known both of these people all my life. We've been friends. We've been family. Um and it's hard for me to I can't pick sides. These guys are both good people, but we're in
a predicament. Dave's trying to keep his life going and his livelihood. Preston's trying to keep his livelihood going and there's a problem. I know Dave for a fact that Dave has done everything he can over the years to try to help them
be able to live help, you know, in a good environment. But it's the village of the arts and the arts mean music and art and yoga. Yoga is an art. Everything. So, it's just ridiculous that these two people who've known each
other, Dave and Preston have known each other their whole lives, not whole lives, but a whole lot of it. Preston is a musician. You know, Dave loves music. I've known Dave has um music has been a passion of his and food
and and I've seen it from both sides. And I just it it it needs to find a solution. I don't think this is the right thing to just close him down because of his music. We got to work out something. Like he said, everything he closes down at 9:00 on the weekends. You
can't find anywhere. And I live in the Village of the Arts, and I meant to put that in there a little sooner, but I live a block away from Cottonmouth, and I live about a half a block from Motorworks. I open my back I open my door of my apartment and I listen to
Motorworks. And even on their best night, I can hear them or their worst night, I can hear them. But I don't run to the phone and complain. And it just it's like I live in a village of the arts. I can go in my front yard and I rarely ever hear Dave's music. I have to
actually walk down there to see what's going on. And that's really hard. So it it's just ridiculous. He's brought in so much music and big names and money to that village. And if you had told me back when I was a kid growing up here
that I would be living in a house in the village of the arts, I would have laughed you all the way back to the island because It was a It was a ghetto. It was really a bad place. And now look at it. It's vibrant. It's happening. And Dave is part of it. And he's bringing
music there that we need. We all need. And as far as the residence goes, I I'm one of the residents. And it's and it's it's ridiculous what's going on here. And I just want to get this straight and straighten up and we can all live together peacefully. Thank you. Thank you,
>> Peggy Ball, Lafayette Reid, and Paul Benjamin. >> Good morning, Mr. Mayor and good people of the council. My name is Peggy Ball. I live in Bradington and I'd like to speak on behalf of Cotton Mouth. On a personal level, in 2022, I had a bilateral hip
hip replacement and at the time they found that I had multiple myyoma. It was devastating. uh changed my entire life and because of that it caused a lot of anxiety and pain but I still want to
live. I still want to party. I still want to eat. I still want to go to restaurants. But it's very very hard to do because of accessibility. So what did I find in the village of the arts? What did I find? Cotton mouth. a
singlestory restaurant with accessibility of parking on the street. Do you know what that feels like for somebody that is filled with anxiety? Should I go? Shouldn't I go? Is there a parking lot? Can I move? Can I get here? Can I get there? And
Cotton Mouth being a single floor restaurant with access to parking on the street is a plus. I was in a wheelchair. I was in a walker. I have a cane. And in all cases, I was able to get there. There are three steps to get inside the
back, get inside the restaurant. And the backyard is also a plus because I can sit. It's protected by weather and I can move about with my walker. Kyle will make sure that I have a seat. They're so
accommodating. The restaurant is delicious. They have a very small menu. I enjoy it every time that I go. And I thought, "Wow, there's music here." Guess what? It starts at 6:00. 6:00. How
many of you go to a place where music starts at 6:00? Doesn't it start at 9? Doesn't it start at 10? No. I can go I can sit. I can eat. I can have uh listen to some music. And often times it's over
like 8:30, 9:00. I'm finished. I get in my car and I'm home by like quarter after 9:30. So I have a meal. I'm happy. My anxiety is, you know, at a a good pace. And for
the handicapped people that are often forgotten, they are not forgotten at Cotton Mouth. So please consider my lifestyle and what I have to go through. and keep Cotton Mouth open for all of us. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Lafayette Reed, Paul Benjamin, and Kyle Morris. >> Good morning. My name is Lafayette Reid. Um, thank I'd like to thank you all for letting us speak about this this morning. Um, my friends know that I'm
very passionate about the blues. I also have a radio show on WSLR 96.5. I'm one of Dave's best friends and I've been helping him as much as I can to make this business successful. Um, we're we're working on something that's been a in a tradition in Florida
for years and we're just trying to maintain that. Um, we have tried to be compliant and we have been compliant with the the noise issues and we've got more ways that we can combat that if you'll only let us try. We're going to
win this. Um, the thing that's uh basically um we've been targeted and we've been harassed and we've tried to make every issue um our own and settle it and I think we can still do that. Uh what's at
what's at stake here is the village of the arts. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Got Paul Benjamin, Kyle Morris, and then Christine Turner. >> Welcome. >> Uh good morning. Uh my name is Paul Benjamin. Uh I I actually live in
Rockland, Maine, but I've been coming uh to this area for about 15 years uh in the Bradon area, but I was uh the one that Johnette brought in uh to start the Bradington Blues Festival and uh and I got to meet Dave uh through Johnette at
Cotton. I've been going to Cotton Mouth for a number of years. Dave does call me often asking me about different artists and some of the things he can do to keep in compliance uh with the the villages uh the village of the arts like most people have already said the arts uh
music is a big part of that. If you take music out of the village of the arts you're taking the soul out of that whole area and I think it's a big mistake uh to even consider uh closing Dave down for some of the complaints that have been made. Uh, I was at the Village of
the Arts last Wednesday night and as a as an ex police officer, I can tell you that they showed up in I want a 90-minute show. They were there three times last Wednesday night uh for complaints and about the noise. All
three times Dave was in compliance. The first time the police department showed up, there was three cruises. The band had just gone on the break. They had to wait 20 25 minutes before the band started back up and then they say they're in compliance. They left 10
minutes later they got another call to come back. 20 minutes later that they got a third call to come back. Dave was in compliance and every one of these. So I'm not sure if it's the where the nuisance is if it's cotton mouth or all
those calls is uh using up city offices and time to they could be spending time doing better things police working than sitting there trying to listen how how loud the music is and especially coming there three times in a 90-minute show. So uh please consider
here to support Dave in the village of the arts. Thank you, Kyle Morris, Christine Turner, and then Nicole Skaggs. >> Good morning, Mayor, City Council. My name is Kyle Morris and I've lived and worked in the Village of the Arts for 15 years. I've worked at Cottonmouth for
the last three and a half. I know this hearing isn't necessarily about the sound levels, but it seems to be the main issue with our detractors. I personally have been charged with controlling the sound levels at the restaurant and monitoring it for the last 7 months and I take it very
seriously. I monitor it monitor it constantly throughout the night and make sure it never goes over 75 dB. We are always in compliance whenever the police show up. And just by the way, the three times that the police came out the other night, one of the times he came
back to give me a case number to show that we were in compliance because I want him to document when they come out because we are always under 75 dB. The restaurant is open 40 plus hours a week and on a busy week, we do six to
eight hours of music. There are also three other businesses that do live music within just a couple of blocks of us. Of course, some of our opponents may support some of those places, but don't support Dave because it's very personal.
Um, I don't know if it's because our success, because he was president of the guild, um, but it seems to be very personal. We are restaurant first. If you have any questions about that, if you go to our reviews, it's all about the food. There are things about the
music, but all of our reviews and people come there for our food. I ask this council to uphold its previous decision. We have made so many changes to try to mitigate this situation. We don't hire
the same bands. We do our bigger bands now over at Flamingo Bay Brewery. Um, we even book some bands we don't even book anymore because of the sound. We've even changed the some of the people that
we book so we can be sure to be able to keep them under 75 dB. Um, that's really all I have to say. Thank you guys. >> Thank you. Christine Turner, Nicole Skaggs, and then Zoe von Aeramp.
>> Thank you, >> Mayor and Council. My name is Christine Turner. Uh, I'm a I'm well, I'm a re retired high school art teacher who retired in Bradenton. Uh my husband and
I took a leap of faith in 2003, 22 three years ago, and purchased a property at 1113 12th Street West and opened the Beaabt Tree Gallery. Um I have been on boards and committees
and have been integral part of growing the village. I've kind of taken a back seat. Um, my gallery closed because my husband passed away and I couldn't do it alone. Um, so I want to just give you a little
history about the house across the street because I've seen a lot. Uh, when we moved in, it was a rental with sever had had several prop owners, um, proprietors, whatever you call them. And um they were small rooms
boarded up with plywood with many people living in them. Uh eventually it was sold and um an antique shop went in and they did extensive renovations and put in the lovely brick
uh patio in the back. Then there was a gallery and then there was a restaurant that had indoor music. So there were no complaints. As a former educator, I'm very concerned about the three teenagers that live
adjacent to the cottonmouth. Um they deserve to live in a home where they can do their homework and study for exams. Uh these years are critical in helping to determine their life path.
I have a few questions for all of you to ponder. Would you like to come home from work and find your driveway blocked and no available street parking near your home? Would you like your profession and business that requires peace and quiet
to be interrupted by loud music that blar at no particular time or day? Would you like to live near a business that has outdoor patrons that get louder and louder the more alcohol they consume? Would you like to have guests
for a quiet outdoor dinner and not have peace and quiet? And so on and so on and so on. We've lived in harmony for the last 20 years. Please bring back that former quality of life. I support mi Miss Robin Singer's
determination. Thank you. >> Thank you Nicole Skaggs, Zoe Von Airamp, and then Don Collins. Good morning, mayor and council members. My name is Nicole Skaggs.
I'm a village neighbor. I've invested heavily in this district and I've been a licensed real estate agent for over 25 years. I'm here because the Village of the Arts is not just another neighborhood.
The VOAD Village of the Arts Overlay District is a rare asset culturally and economically. In my line of work, I can tell you plainly, districts like this are not common in
Florida. They are fragile and they are valuable and they are worth protecting with wise, consistent decisions. For context, I used to own Cottonmouth, that
building. Dave Shiplet was my tenant. I had a wise idea that I was going to open a restaurant there precoid. And that didn't happen. And along came Dave. I owned it for five years. During those years,
I was never made aware of any persistent noise complaints or any ongoing issues tied to the business. That doesn't mean that concerns cannot arise. Of course, they can. But it does suggest
that this is not some longstanding land use incompatibility. It feels more recent and frankly it feels operational. That's my main point today. This really is not a land use
classification problem. We certainly heard quite a bit about the formbbased code. This is an enforcement and operations problem if there is a problem at all. You've heard many times that they were
out three times during a 90minute set and not found to be out of order at all. If the sound levels are too high, the city already has tools for that. Noise ordinance enforcement, code enforcement,
clear standards, and practical mitigation. Those tools are designed for exactly this. But relabeling a restaurant with entertainment as a prohibited use is a much bigger move than enforcement.
It risks creating a precedent that chills businesses across the village. It tells every restaurant owner, gallery host, and small operator, "Success here comes with a target."
and it slowly turns a district designed for vibrancy into a district designed for silence. >> Thank you. Next, we'll have Zoe and I believe it's Von Aeramp, >> Don Collins, and then Carol
Dasti. Welcome. My name is Zoe von Averamp and I own a gallery and a home across the street from Cottonmouth and have for 18 peaceful and creative years.
I don't know what to say here that has not been said before except Mr. Shiplet continues to disturb the peace with live outdoor music and we continue to suffer for it.
We all try to abide by the neighborhood laws and have never called the police on each other for anything. On the other hand, the police have been called to Mr. Shiplet's business for breaking the law more than anyone else
in the village in the last four years. Last time we neighbors spoke here, we were shockingly told by the planning commission, and I quote, "If you don't like live music, maybe you should move
out of the village." Excuse me. Neighbors who live within hearing distance of Mr. Shiplet's outdoor music concerts, which are now held in his front driveway and the sidewalk, making matters worse, have all lived in the
village for 15 to 25 years, and everyone owns their property, which Mr. Shipley does not. Therefore, he has no vested interest to protect. Something is very wrong with this
picture. So far, Mr. Shiplet is doing exactly what he said he would do in an interview with reporter Wade Tatangelo on September 22nd, 2024, which was to enlarge the stage in the
backyard for bigger outdoor music events, the likes of the Hard Rock Cafe and the House of Blues in Orlando. One more time. No one is against Mr. Shiplet having a restaurant in the
village, nor are we against background dinner music, which is allowed. We are only asking that he abide by the laws of our community like everyone else, which means no loud outdoor music events
within the interior of the village where we all live. Having said that, I will close by stating that the ultimate disturbing of our peace will take place at Cottonmouth next week, Thursday,
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when Mr. Shiplet puts on his cigar box musical festival with 15 different bands performing live day and night for the entire weekend. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you. Um, we're gonna have Don Collins, Carol I think it's Dasti, and then Donna Muritino I believe. But one thing before you start, Miss Collins, is I am going to remind everybody, please no chuckling, no noises. We were going to respect
everybody, no matter what side you're on, please. Because I did warn, I didn't really see who that was there, but respect everyone no matter what side it is. Thank you. Good morning. My name is Don Collins and I'm a 15-year resident and business
owner in the Village of the Arts. I want to start by saying I enjoy music. I believe I believe music brings energy, connection, and life to a community. I'm not here because I dislike music and I'm certainly not here to tell anyone how to
run their business. What I am here to speak on is scale, setting, and adhering to the zoning of this community. The Village of the Arts was intentionally created as a live work community. It was designed for artists, families, homeowners, and small business owners to
coexist, not as an entertainment district, not as a concert venue zone, excuse me, and not as a nightlife corridor. Our homes sit just feet away from Cottonmouth. When amplified outdoor concerts take place, this is no longer
background music or ambiance. It becomes a level of disruption that changes the entire character of the neighborhood. Recently, last Wednesday night, I witnessed a large truck and a U-Haul unloading equipment in our straw, small,
narrow residential streets, blocking access and creating safety concerns. When I returned later that night, there were multiple police vehicles present. This isn't something that happens once or twice. This is an ongoing occurrence
in our community. And when police are regularly needed to manage a business operation, that tells us something. It tells us that maybe this business doesn't fit in the neighborhood it's operating in. I would also like to address something that's happened since
these concerns were raised. Recently, Dave Shiplet had posted a um a public Facebook post about what was happening. And because of that, village residents are being called out with negative and slanderous comments on social media.
This again highlights the disconnect of what's happening here. I would also like to point out that many of the people speaking in support of Dave and those loud outdoor concerts do not live in the village. They're patrons. They're not
residents, not homeowners, not businesses who open their doors every day. They their experience ends when they leave for the night. Ours does not. They can go home. We can't because we
live here. I have music at my own business during art walks. It's limited. It follows guidelines and it's intended to enhance a visitor's experience, not dominate it. There is a clear difference between ambiance and concerts. The
Village of the Arts was never meant to be an entertainment district. It was meant to be a neighborhood, a creative one, but still a neighborhood. I'm asking the city to protect the original intent of this community and residents who have invested their lives, homes,
and livelihoods here. Music has a place. Definitely, it does. But music must be the right kind. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Carol. And I'll let you say your last name when you come up. And then, um, Donna,
and then Jennifer Crop. Hello. Yes, you did pronounce my name right. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And hello to the rest of the council. >> My name is Carol Diaste. I live and work at 11:05 Street West. And I have for the last 26 years. I've had different
businesses. I've had a gallery. I'm a clay artist. So, I've done um clay in the back. I have my studio there. And I've seen a lot of business come and go in the village. And I think that I just want to say to begin with that I don't
have a problem with music in the village at all. I've had it I I did the the grand opening and we had music to start off with and there's no problem with it. But there's a time and place for everything and there's a volume for everything when it comes to music in a
residential area. Um, what I have a problem with is that when the music is so loud that I can't go anywhere in my house, not even in a closet because I've tried it to get away from the music. I know when it goes over
75 dB. I know what 75 dB sounds like in my home and I know what it doesn't sound like. So, they can say all they want that they keep to the decibel level, but I can tell when they don't. And I don't want to go out there and complain all the time. I think they should do the
right thing and stop trying to make this into a strictly entertainment thing where like the only thing that people have to do is to go out and drink and listen to music. The village of the arts is more than that. It has many artists village many artists
living there. Even if they don't have businesses, they live there and they do their art and they have just as much right to do that. and and that's you know anyway the restaurant that was bare before Arts and Eats always had music for dinner no problem they never got the
police called on them because they did it inside and for the couple of times a year that they did it outside they were respectful of their neighbors and they let us know I hear you would always let me know we're going to do something outside just to let you know and you're
invited so if it's a mostly residential neighborhood Then that place is not a place to have a music venue that is going to have music three, four times a night or more. I mean three, four times
a week or more. It's just not. It doesn't fit in with everything else. And we need to have respect for each other. If we're going to build a community, this is not going to work us fighting in between because that's going to alienate
people to come to the village. And I believe there's a solution to this. But both sides, if you want to call them that, have to stick to the regulations. It has to be clear. And I guess that's your guys' job, making it clear for us so that we can stick to things and get
along again so we can coexist. Thank you. >> Thank you, Donna Muraphina, Jennifer Crop, and Jean Tierney. Okay, you didn't do so good with my name. It's Musatano. >> Hi. >> Like an R, not an S. You're writing.
>> I'm Donna Musadano, 1010th Avenue West in the Village of the Arts, 20-year resident and gallery owner. The noise that y'all are talking about, that's not really the problem. the problem. One of these gentlemen, I think the first one
who spoke said sometimes he's had a thousand people at Copper Mouth. I want you to think, cotton mouth, I want you to think about that. Even though I think that's a big exaggeration because a thousand people wouldn't fit there. If they have a hundred people or 150 people
coming to these music events, just think about this. Now, I'm going to go into this. The noise is annoying, but it doesn't destroy our lifestyle in the village. It is the crowds the concerts attract. It is the parking, actually the lack of parking, especially in the area
of Cottonmouth. The concerts have attracted crowds, often over a hundred people, to his amphitheater. By definition, an amphitheater is primarily used for entertainment, including concerts, festivals, and theatrical
performances. They feature an open air design that naturally enhances acoustics and provides a clear sighteline for large audiences. That's what he has. Yes, music has existed in the village since our inception. However, in most cases, they did not interfere with the
residents and businesses ability to park our cars and have room for our customers to park. Our voter restaurants generally have 20 tables or so, usually half as many or less vehicles visiting their establishment. 10 vehicles would be a lot, but there is enough room most
evenings for their customers except near the Met. The problem is not the music itself. Although many of us do not like the hillbilly music many of the concerts feature, it is the intrusion into the lives of those of us who live and work
here. Most of the folks who attend his concerts do not visit the galleries in the village. They might go to the record store across the street, but few buy the paintings or sculptures of the artists next door or around the corner. I'm not saying none of them, but very few
concert attendees have brought business to the other galleries. They bring traffic, noise, and unruly crowds. The concerts are not the easing listening bands that diners would enjoy while eating their dinner. They are concerts. drinking alcohol, beer, lots of beer,
drunks peeing in the bushes, loud disagreements ringing through the streets, cops being called far more often than any other business in the village. I lived next to this chaos for years. Thefts, property damage by Dave, his staff, sometimes customers blocking
my driveway, running down my mailbox, flat tires with screws deliberately placed. There's a police report for that one. windows on my vehicle shot out and calls to code enforcement in an attempt to cause trouble to me for reporting him. >> Thank you, ma'am. Moving on to Jennifer
Crop, Jean Tierney, and then Claudia Wisner. >> Good morning. My name is Jennifer Crop and I'm a resident in Bradenon, Florida for many years. I have been a longtime student and client at Blue Sky Yoga for over 15 years. I've been going to the
yoga studio for private sessions with Preston Whley Jr. during evening hours for many, many years. Several times during my private sessions in the evenings, Preston has had to excuse himself to go next door to Cottonmouth
to speak with the management regarding the noise level of the live music. I attend those private sessions to experience relaxation, rejuvenation, peace, and calm. It is very unsettling and clearly not calming to hear
outrageously loud music playing next door during those private sessions. They're meant to be peaceful, relaxing, and calming. And they're none of those. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. Jean Tierney, Claudia
Wisner, and then it looks like Alicia Santiago. >> Mr. Mayor and Council, my name is Jean Tenery. Uh, my partner and I lived in the village for 15 years. Homeowners and
former gallery owners. Our backyard is less than 150 ft to the backyard of Cottonmouth. We've been hearing music coming from Cottonmouth for years with it getting worse as far as the noise level and increased frequency of scheduled entertainment.
They've expanded the backyard musical venue and as a result louder music. The Cottonmouth wants to get official permission for the expansion that they've already completed to become an outdoor musical venue in a 99% residential neighborhood operating
outside the licensed parameters of a restaurant in the village. We don't choose to listen to Cottonmouth's music. We're forced to listen because of where we live. The level of noise, depending on the bands, have been from moderate and enjoyable, like the hillbilly uh
thing on Sundays, which I liked, to loud to really loud. Sometimes so loud we can't peacefully enjoy our backyard and are forced to go indoors where we'd have to close our windows. Music has always been part of the fabric of the village at special events, art walks, and
parties. It was never intended to be an ongoing scheduled outdoor musical event by a business requiring a cover charge. Cottonmouth has a number of supporters and people who love music and that's great, but over 90% don't live at the village. They choose to come and pay to
hear the music than leave. I attended the plan planning commission meeting and was astounded that after all the citizen testimony explanation of the formbbased code city fire and police regulations violate violated the
commission still voted that cottonmouth is in compliance. When do the rights of ordinary taxpaying residents and homeowners become subservient to the desires of one business owner? Cottonmouth is the only vis village business that has caused this level of
complaint disturbance. There are other restaurants in the village that continue to operate with their parameters and no complaints. No one is asking Cottonmouth to go away or be shut down. They are successful restaurant with an accomplished chef. And we're approved to
be and only to be a restaurant. We're just asking that the city be more considerate of the residents and neighbors who are affected by this issue and Cottonmouth operates solely as an established restaurant. Thank you. >> Thank you, Claudia Wisner, Alicia.
And then uh Jeff, and I can't read Jeff's last name either, but it starts with a V. >> Hi. >> Hello. >> Hello. My name is Claudia Weezner. I live at 11:1513th Street West, which is directly behind Cottonmouth. I can't see
you with these glasses. I chose to live in the Village of the Arts 15 years ago. I thoroughly enjoy the arts base neighborhood and my neighbors. The regular events that occur in the village are intended to draw people from outside the neighborhood and often include
music, food, and outside vendors where activities are focused along the streets and in fronts of the galleries. This is very different from what Cottonmouth is doing. In the beginning, cotton mouse outdoor activities were limited to
occasional daytime brunches in their backyards that sometimes included music. Over time, however, these events have significantly increased in both frequency and scale. Cottonmouth now
hosts music focused evening concerts in their backyard as many as three times per week. These galleries feature amplified music and performances by well-known bands. As a neighboring property owner, I have
experienced firsthand the disruptive impact of these outdoor events. When Cottonmouth hosts live music, the amplified sound is so strong that I am often unable to use my backyard for normal activities.
There are many occasions when the music is so loud that I am forced to close my windows to maintain a reasonable level of peace indoors. These disturbances are not isolated incidents. They occur multiple evenings each week and are inconsistent with the
quiet enjoyment that is expected in a residential neighborhood. The increased advertising and popularity of these events has led to a notable rise in in attendees, many of whom park on the surrounding residential streets.
This change has had a direct impact on the neighborhood, creating challenges related to noise, traffic, and parking. In addition to the disruptions caused by amplified music, these events significantly increase traffic flow and
parking congestion on my street. As concert goers arrive before each performance and depart afterward, the volume of vehicles and pedestrians rise considerably. Cotton Mouse's use of its property as a concert venue is incompatible with
residential zoning and has already caused significant disturbance in my home life. I'm here to ask the city council to uphold the appeal and uphold my rights to the quiet enjoyment of my property in the village. Thank you. >> Thank you, Alicia S. Jeff V and Steph
Grace. >> Good morning. My name is Alyssa Santiago and I am a resident and owner of 1208 12th Street West located 250 ft south of Cottonmouth Soul Kitchen. Music is
energy. Period. It's just energy. Music is energy and we are energy and you can never destroy energy. Einstein says, "Therefore, it is a part of all of us." Mayor Brown and city commissioners, this is a recent quote from worldrenowned
chist Yoyo Ma in response to the question, "What is music for?" I know the city of Bradon repres recognizes the important of music. It is an integral part of our daily lives. When was the last time you ate dinner in silence? When was the last time you went grocery
shopping in silence? Probably not recently. I represent one of the newer homeowners in the village of the arts and one of the few in the working millennial demographic. I moved to Bradenton specifically be to vote
because of the opportunity I saw here that I know you all see too. The city of Bradenton is one of the last areas along the Gulf Coast to reach peak development. With the new highrises built downtown to encourage the working younger demographic to move here in
addition to the plans underway to clean up the 9th Street corridor, the Village of the Arts is a vital piece of this puzzle. If it's decided to end music at Cottonmouth, what's next? What future businesses are going to invest in this area? not ones that promote a safe,
lively arts district for locals and tourists to enjoy. It contradicts everything that the city of Bradenton is trying to evolve into. There are numerous articles recently detailing the economic impact and social structure that walkable, lively cities create and
how the younger generations like myself crave that lifestyle. I represent the future of the city of Bradenton as well as the village of the arts. In October, we thought we'd put an end to this discussion. Yet, here we are again. Why? Because sadly, a few residents who are
mostly retired of the baby baby boomer and Gen X generation are claiming this established restaurant is an auditorium. It is not. And the reality is that unfortunately, these residents have let frivolous personal complaints complaints
waste the public and the city's time. Mayor Brown and commissioners, you are not therapists. You are here to promote the growth and the future of the city of Bradenton. And as the future of this city, I ask you to keep this in mind
with this decision that you make. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Jeff V, Steph Grace, and Bill Webster. >> Hi, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for uh having our audience today. My name is Jeff Vanen.
I was I am a resident of Bradenton by the way. I've been here since 2005 and um I had the uh the had the ability to make the acquaintance of John at
Aisham at that time. She hired me to uh assist Wringling College of Art um with sound and noise abatement. Um and I I worked and done consulting
for uh Universal Studios, Disney and the uh US Department of Energy. And um I'm also aware and I hope you are too that in 2012 Johnette commissioned a charter
um and it was the mixed use um overlay district that defined this this this community. And unfortunately uh for some people who live in that community they are
sentenced to uh a mixed use that includes you know the arts and and yoga and uh music restaurants and and other freedoms that we enjoy in Bradenton here. And um I've I've had the uh
opportunity to uh to visit uh the the property um at Cottonmouth and over over the years I've seen the improvements that Dave Shiplet has made to try to abate the noise on on
his property. He's trying to keep keep steps ahead of u of any noise problems that break out. But, you know, unfortunately uh some residents are sentenced to live
there by choice. And um you know if I were to design a yoga studio, I might uh have I I might pick a place in a construction style that was uh consistent with this room which is about
25 or 30 dB background noise. Um and uh for chambers like this one where you enjoy the the peace and quiet and communication necessary to hear a u hear a chant or a a chime.
Um you would want to locate your your facility in that area or insulate your home instead of building it up two stories to face Dave's backyard. I've seen the efforts that he's made
over the last uh o nine years to abate the noise and he's trying to keep >> Thank you, sir. >> Um I'm going to ask Madame Clerk, are you okay? Do we need to take a break or is MEV all right with all the everything's good? Just didn't want
anything to to go on. So, all right. So, Steph Grace, Bill Webster, and then Preston Wh. >> Hi. Thank you for having me. Thank you for being here to look over this problem. Uh I
>> Please state your name. >> I'm I'm Stephanie Grace. >> I'm a funue consultant and practitioner and teacher and I'm going to explain this from the funue point of view that
the village of the arts has cotton mouth right in its heart. And we're talking about not having any more cotton mouth, not having the music, not having the heartbeat.
>> And can you pull the microphone too a little closer? >> Yes. Not having that heartbeat that makes cot that makes cotton mouth part of what it is. It makes it vibrant. It makes it complete. What do we have
without our heart? Without this the feeling. When you talk about the blues, what is that? That's feeling. And a lot of people have the blues and they they have this feeling that that keeps them
going. That's what music is about. And Cotton Mouth is about music. But Cotton Mouth is not only the heart of the village, but the village is the heart of Bradenton. And when you slow down that
heart or you stop that heart, you stop that body. And we're talking about a much larger body than just the body of the village. But we're talking about also the heart of the people who love the music who come there for healing.
Music is a universal healer and Cotton Mouth provides that for people who come from I guess all over the world to listen to this wonderful music, this wonderful feeling, this wonderful
healing that Cotton Mouth provides. And I'm sure that right here in Bradenton, we have the capacity to figure out how do we balance the vibrancy of this particular place with
the whole of a village that also wants to have peace. But the village is not it's it's not a graveyard. It's not ready for perfect peace yet. Believe me, for all of that, it will
come for all of us. Uh, so I'm I'm hoping that all of you here can figure out the way through to work through the ordinances and the boundaries that all of us have to face in order to make this
all work together. I would hate >> Thank you, ma'am. Bill Webster, Preston Why, and then Matthew Farmer. Uh good morning. Uh I'm Bill Webster. I uh do not live in the village, but I own some property in the village. I have a
son in the village, uh and another one who's about to move to the village. I uh served uh the burden of working on the guild for many years, including the president for a hell of a long time. Um,
so I'm just going to throw out some uh bullet points. First of all, the law. If if anyone is over the decibb, enforce it. If they're under the decibb,
then we're talking about another issue. Second of all, and I think this is important, is the traffic. Um, morbid businesses do not engender traffic.
I think that if something is successful, there will be traffic. Um, if somebody is blocking a driveway, they should be towed and ticketed. But I don't believe it's proper to
hold against a business. its success. Uh if we were that concerned about traffic, I think that uh maybe the Met would have been rethought. Well, it's there and it's successful, but there's a lot more parking and I
think that uh and it is not only uh two nights a week, three at the most. It's every day. Um, as far as uh I'd also like to say that Cottonmouth uh employs a number of village residents
which few others can say. I think that's very good. And um although my son who lives on 12th can hear uh can hear the ball game quite
clearly uh from his backyard, he has yet to call the pirates and complain. So anyway, I'd just like to uh wrap it up saying that the village is a unique and unusual vibe that this
city council has intentionally nurtured and created over a number of years. Um and unfortunately a bucolic retirement zone was not part of the plan. I mean, I don't like hearing loud noises either,
but I wouldn't be in the village of the arts because it is this is an urban area that's going to have activity. Um, I like everybody involved in this dispute and I can see everyone's point, but I
think the overriding point is the health of the village, the intention of the village and what this town needs. >> Thank you, sir. Thank you. >> Preston Whley, Matthew Farmer, and then Audrey Schroeder. >> Good morning.
>> Morning. >> I'm Preston Whe Yoga Studio, 11:22 Street, Bodha. Motivation for enforcement of the noise ordinance and this appeal isn't personal. It's practical. Cottonmouth
operates a concert venue 40 ft from my house. It's about responsibility to family business and the village of the arts. Lately, due to fire marshall and city building code violations, Cottonmouth features concerts in their driveway.
when they book a four to fivepiece electrified ban like Wednesday, the volume is disruptive to family, the kids homework, and commerce. Speaking of commerce, the only new business to open on 12th Street West in the past year is a wellness and yoga studio located one
house away from Cottonmouth. Formbased code and the business overlay say the village of the arts is about live work, lowintensity business. Multiple outdoor amplified concerts every week, as the planning director indicated in her report, is out of
compliance. These concerts are not ambient dinner music. They're heavily promoted performances. They disrupt yoga studio sessions in afternoon and evening hours and limit workshops on the weekends. I'm not against the village
tradition of music during art walks and special occasions. I'm a musician. My business sponsored Bluesfest for two years. Music is a vital art form. It's the frequency of Cotton Mouse concerts every week that throws family
life and business off balance. This appeal is about one thing, whether formbbased code permits this use at this location. The planning director's report shows abundant evidence of why her answer is no.
I tried to work this out with Dave and later Cecilia for two years. We held cordial meetings. I interrupted sound checks and sent many texts saying it was too loud. Sadly, we couldn't work it out. My over my 40 attempts to get the noise
ordinance enforced have been mostly ineffectual. Cottonmouth has lookouts watching the streets. When police arrive, it takes 15 minutes to calibrate the decibel reader. Cottonmouth temporarily shuts the music down or the band plays soft. It's
uninforcable. Businesses in the village are legally required to operate in compliance with code and zoning to ensure a stable live work environment. An outdoor auditorium destabilizes adjacent business and
creative activity. It strains residential life. Carrie Price's appeal is based on principle. I'm asking the city council to act on principle and fulfill its role to apply the existing formbbased code to the facts, not granting exceptions based
on popularity, personal preferences, cultural value, promises of compliance. >> Thank you, sir. Matthew Farmer, Andrew Schroeder, and then Terry end. >> Good morning, council. My name is
Matthew S. Farmer. I reside at 1012th Avenue West. My wife and I formerly ran a gallery called Fun Girl Art. I am fondly referred to as the Fungi. I have again lived in the village for 12
years. I've also been on the board. I've also been president of the board. What this is about is one thing. It is the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. I have read
the formbbased code. I have read the overlay district. I have read the numerous I think four reports on the village of the arts and what the purpose was and what was trying to happen within that community. It is unfortunate that
my friends have come to this. Somebody said, "Bring us back to the peaceful time that we used to have." Well, I will tell you, I sat in meetings where we cussed, we screamed, we yelled,
and I always felt that was not acceptable. So, it has not always been peaceful. This is not about one family. This is not about five people. This is about continuing the spirit of
the village of the arts. art that includes food, music, and the visual and creative arts. I would be saddened if this were to happen. And again, I
understand raising a family. I'm sorry. I'm a rock and roller. I grew up listening to music much louder than what I hear at uh at Cotton Mount today. And I will tell you that I walk by almost every night with my dog,
hear the music, and every time I have walked by because Dave really has been trying, I believe, to accommodate as many people as possible. Owning a business, as we all know, that is very difficult. So
again, I know you're in a difficult position, but this is about the spirit of the village of the arts as opposed to the letter of the village of the arts. Thank you. >> Thank you. Andrew Schroeder, Terry, and
Lucas Andrews. >> May I use May I use the projector? >> Sure. And you gave us all a copy of that? >> Yes, sir. >> Mr. Mayor, city council, thank you for allowing me to speak. My name is Andrew Schroeder. I am uh over in the village
of the arts at 1302 13th Avenue West. I am also uh the former president of the artist guild manity. Um at the planning commission meeting, I do urge you to uphold their findings and to reject this appeal. Uh music in the
village of the arts is it it needs to happen. Um during the planning commission meeting, I heard several complaints about property values falling in the village of the arts. So I brought uh some data about the whole
area. Uh in the center there is 34205, the area in which the village of the arts is. Uh we have fallen 8.2% property values year-over-year. Um, in addition to that, I have also uh had a market analysis done by a local
real estate agent. Since January 1st, 2025 to now, we've had five homes sold, an average price per square foot of 292 ft and a list to price ratio of 97.3%, meaning we've listed prices and we've barely backed down from them at a
closing sale. Uh, in that packet there is the methodology. I'm not going to really go over that. I'll let you guys review that on your own. Property recently sold. There's a list of them with the sold dates
with the benchmark sale being right next door to Cottonmouth at $599. $599,000. Uh, this increased the average square foot price per square foot by $20. So, we're actually seeing a level
up in property values in the Village of the Arts. And according to the findings of this real estate agent, cottonmouth is a good reason why property values are actually rising against the trends in the greater area in Bradon. Some neighboring homes,
um, we're going to go through each of them very quickly. So 11:05 Street West purchase here in 2000. Price price at $37,000. Estimated current value is 301.
That's an average gain per year of 29%. 11:25 12th Street West purchase purchase year of uh 2008 uh $225,000. Estimated current value is 355. Average gain per year is about 32.21%. 1129 12 Street West purchase price
purchase year of 2014. Uh purchase price of $40,000. Current estimated value is 354780 66% gain per year. >> Thank you. >> Let you all go through the rest. Thank you so much. >> All right, Terry.
And then Lucas Andrews. >> Good morning. Terry Natress uh 10913th Avenue West Bradenon, Florida. I am a 12year resident of the Village of the Arts. And I have owned my home uh
we're coming up on seven years and another vacant property in the village for about three years. So at 34 years old, every dollar I've made is pretty much invested into the village. That's okay.
Noise is not new to this area. From my home, I can regularly hear Motorworks Brewery, the baseball stadium, and other permitted events. This district has long been an active mixeduse area where arts and music and nightlife coexist with
residential life. This is a part of the character people knowingly subscribe to knowingly buy into when they join us in the village of the arts. What concerns me about this appeal is
not the issue of noise but the consistency of intent. When enforcement enforcement appears selective, it stops feeling like a policy issue and starts feeling personal. If standards are going to be enforced, they should be enforced
fairly, evenly, and across the board. I want to emphasize something that often gets overlooked. Active, well-run businesses are the ones, the most effective tools we have
to fight slum and blight. Okay. If it's not a business that's doing really well, then it's going to be BPD protect protecting us from activity we don't want in the village. It's going to be
one or the two. And I know BPD has so many things to do other than hanging out in the village. Okay. I I love this community and I've known all parties involved my entire adult
life and I wish it wasn't like this, but Dave has sacrificed a lot for this community, as really everyone who's come to this podium has. It would not sit right with me if we turn around and sacrifice him. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you, Lucas Andrews. Hello, mayor and city council and everybody else. Thanks for coming to uh in support or against this. So, >> state your name, please. >> I'm sorry. I'm Luke Andrews. >> Thank you.
>> Lucas, but I uh I'm in support of of not overturning this. And I I want everybody to kind of please take a look at why did we approve this before to say that that Cottonmouth is allowed to continue to work as a restaurant with music. And I think it's because that's what they
were. And I come here today like with my Cottonmouth shirt on. Not to show, oh, I bought a band's t-shirt like they're trying to show in the presentation, but this is I'm supporting the venue. I didn't buy they don't sell the band's t-shirt. Matter of fact, I'm one of the bands that play their solo band usually.
And I could tell you the difference. I play at Motorworks and I looked on the online says Motorwork I love Motorworks too. Motorworks is zoned as a brewery. Motorworks is zoned as an event space. Cotton Mouth is zoned as a restaurant because that's what it is. Matter of fact, in the last year, I've been there
a couple times and when I came back performed, I saw the staff doing extra things to to uh like putting up soundproofing on the fence. uh CeCe in the back holding the meter and people Kyle come and tell me, "Hey, you need to
turn down." And that's never happened to me before over there. And I'm a solo guy. So, what that tells me is that the the people and also people in the neighborhood are fixated on this issue as a sound thing. You know, all of a sudden you hear a dog and man, there's a lot of dogs around here and then you
hear like 12 dogs in the neighborhood because your ears fixate on what they they want to hear. And I'm not saying that anybody that's bringing this appeal is doing it, you know, and is not right. It's like, can we work this out? And I believe that we can. I know for true fact that I don't live in the village of
arts, but I know Dave does. I know friends that have just moved their businesses in the village of the arts, and they're working with with Dave and Cotton Mouth on art walks. Um Dave has had my wife who's an artist painting out front other local artists from galleries in the neighborhood painting out front
of their uh studio. I mean in front of Cottonmouth. He's a part of the community and you know so I don't know what's changed. He had another restaurant called Bird Rock and and he it was you know we had concerts over there as well but we always had in the last five years had concerts at
Cottonmouth as well. So, I just want to say from an artist perspective as a musician that lives in Bradenton of on the west side, you know, we go to the the Village of the Arts to see concerts, the Cava Shop has music all the time. They're not talking about that at city council. I don't I don't know. I don't
know why. So, I just want everyone to be open-minded and maybe please consider keeping, you know, denying this appeal because I can say that definitely Cotton Mouth and all staff is is garnish garnering the arts and doing the best
they can within the community. So, I that's the difference. The last year it's been like whoa, what's going on, you know? So, anyways, thank you very much. >> Thank you. I don't have any other cards other than um Celia Hernandez and Dave
Shiplet which you already spoke and you'll get your rebuttal on that point. Um so at this time is there any other public comment if you've already spoken just come up now and fill out a card. Make sure you do fill out a card before you're done.
You can come to the podium and speak now and then fill out and give it to the clerk. >> First of all, I apologize. I didn't know I had to fill out a card. Have you been sworn? >> I did swear. I stood up and swore. >> Okay, >> I will again. >> Charles Michael Dunovan, >> 301215th
Avenue West, resident of Manatee County, Brad Penton since 1989, owned a home since 1994. I have known Dave for a long time. And we've heard both sides. And I think that often mentioning here the rule of
law, planning, etc. We all know that rules, regulations, and law are subject to interpretation, and they're also flexible. Nothing is ever etched in stone ever. That's why we have these meetings. But I think what's at stake here is what direction the city of
Bradon wants to do. Braden always makes that little step forward, but we always go backwards. We have things, we lose them. We have jazz festival, blues festivals, it's gone away. So I think we keep on losing Bradon to Lakewood Ranch.
And there was one important thing said here today and that on both sides I am a a boomer but we have to look at the young people that are going to be supporting this town. Not me, not the people that are in their 70s. We've
stopped spending our money, you know, but we need the young people. And to attract young people and businesses, we need this. We need something for to live for, not to live for retirement community. And I know it's a rough
comparison, but St. Petersburg 25 years ago had nothing. If you walk one block off Beach Street, you were surrounded by homelessness and drug use. Right now, if you're in downtown St.
compete. You can get on Central Avenue and walk 30 blocks. Bars, restaurants, galleries, vintage shops, hotels, restaurants, condominiums, apartments, affordable housing because they embraced
the change and went forward. If you went there 10 years ago, you could have had an apartment at Janice Landing. That would be close to entertainment. You had an apartment overlooking a venue. So, we have to consider, are we going to build this village of the arts for a bunch of old
retired people? Are we going to build this for a community and an entertainment center and an arts center and something to attract young people to this town? We don't need retirees. We need young people to carry it forward. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Hello, Mr. Mayor, city council. My name is Steve Arvey. I'm a a local musician, business person, and I' I've been a promoter. Uh, first of all, I want to say that I do support um music in in the Village of the Arts. It's a very
important thing. I've known Dave for a long time and he's done a good job. I would like to propose this because I I helped the city of Indian Rocks Beach in 2010 with the same situation and we pretty much put together a little um uh
what do you a not work a group that we all sat down to to advise to help keep music in Indian Rocks Beach and keep the music alive there. So pretty much I just want you to know that I sent you all a uh an email with some plans to try to
maybe put together something because this is a very complicated matter but music needs to be alive and village of the arts. I work try to work with the village of arts uh for many years now and and and keep things working along with the the cigar box festival and
other events in the village of the arts. So, I would like you just to take a look at my letter and hope that maybe we can get some sort of a hearing with everybody to try to come to a nice solution and and and keep music in the village of the arts. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Vicky Guy, >> have you been sworn? >> Okay. Do you swear or affirm that the factual statements and representations which you're about to present to this board will be truthful and accurate? Thank you. >> My name is Vicky Guy. I am the founder
of Bridgewalk Community Resources. It's a nonprofit community organization that's located in Sarasota, Florida and operates in Sarasota and Manatee County serving the residents there uh in community outreach. We also support music and arts. I it it's no argument
that music is art. And in Village of the Arts, something rare occurs at Cotton Mouth. Cottonmouth is a southern soul food kitchen. And if you've ever had soul food, you've experienced it. You know exactly what I'm talking about. And it's an art. There's science that backs
it up. Uh thanks to Cottonmouth Southern Soul Food Kitchen, Bridgewall Community Resources has been able to help over 2,000 residents in Sarasota and Manatee counties, primarily Manatee County. How did it get started in Cotton? I feel
like Bradenton keeps pulling me back. I've been in Bradenon since 88, 89. I moved here and Cottonmouth has allowed us to serve the residents. We promote the artists, local artists that are sometimes in recovery. We use that art to help them, show them
that they have a purpose. So, they've rediscovered purpose. Um, when we first started having our art events where people do live art, they paint, they draw, they use easels, we use nature. Um, we had an indiv uh a senior who was disabled, loved coming to Cotton Mouth
because it was easy for him to get out of his car because he had the sidewalk. But it really started the music. We were able during COVID, we were innovative and we brought live music into people's living rooms when people were too afraid to leave their homes. They were getting
isolated. They were getting cabin fever. And I had an individual who was becoming wheelchair bound again because they weren't being physical. They were too scared to come out of their homes. And Cottonmouth was the only place they felt safe. They could get a meal. They found community. They had art. And they had
music. Anytime I've been at Cottonmouth, I've been aware of the noise issue that's been occurring. I've been going to Cotton Mouth since 2020, so about last five years. But it's only been about the last year that there's really been any music issue or any noise issue,
I should say. But I can say that every single time it has been brought to Dave's attention, Dave, I I've watched Kyle Morris stand there with the microphone and and watch the decibel and they do add a cushion so that it's five to 10 dB lower. I'm not an engineer, so
I don't know the numbers, but I know they do like they've showed me the numbers on the microphone and I watch it go down. Okay. And um so I I know that cottonmouth and and if you look at it from the VOAD or if you look at it from upholding the code either way economically or artwise cotton mouth
fits in both of those. It's pro provided an e economic value um generating program revenue for up to $10,000 that we've been able to provide services to manage county. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. I don't have any other public um comment. So at this time I'm going to
close the public comment. We'll have a fivem minute rebuttal. Uh we'll start out with um Cottonmouth will go first. >> Okay. All right. Thanks. Once again, I am
David Chiplet. And um I live in the village and take care of my 92year-old mother who also is in the village. I have my grandchildren in the village. So, I just want to make sure that everyone knows that this hurts a lot and that I get held up as I've done something wrong and I have never tried
to do anything wrong. I've done the same thing I've been doing since day one that I came into the village. I didn't change directions. And like I said, I just want to bring up that there's people that live within earshot of me that live a
block off 41 and the noise level I'm at 75. The noise level in my neighborhood's 55 60. So if you look at that, that means that my neighborhood's that loud anyways. I've got about 15 points above that and I live there. So if you look at
that, I'm usually at about I'm barely adding any any sound at all to the village. And that's been because of the complaints of a couple neighbors. You'll see that the the house next to me that just sold for 600,000. The reason why they bought it was because I was a
venue. That's why. Um, and if you're a business near me, like the one that left, she's told me before how much business that we bring in. Are they buying um art? No, they're buying houses. There's people in this room right now that came here to go to my
restaurant were from Buffalo or Memphis, Tennessee, and they said, "Wow, look at this neighborhood." And they bought. So, if you hear people telling you that there's no economic impact from a bunch of people, and the other thing I want to bring up real quick, too. I have the best guests in the state of Florida,
they're 70 to 80 years old, they don't drink too much. This idea that we've been called by the police, it's because of noise and it's not real. We've proved it. You haven't been called about fighting or loud parties or people peeing in the neighbor's yard. We don't
do any of that. Luckily, because I don't get to pick my customers, my customers are the most respectful people that I have ever been around and it's the reason why I'm continuing to do what I'm doing here. So, I just respectfully ask that you do not hurt the village in this way because it is people are watching.
Thank you. All right, it's been long. I'll make it short. Um there was a number of comments regarding uh patrons going home. Um uh well people who go to rock shops and
records and buy records and do things like that uh go to uh art galleries, they go home as well. Um there was a comment about large truck in the streets. Uh there's large trucks um
specifically in front of Cottonmouth. Um it was mentioned it was a U-Haul truck. Well, there's other vehicles that are about the size of U-Haul trucks that are in and out of the village all day long like Amazon delivery trucks and uh tree trucks and other forms of vehicles that
it takes to uh keep a a city going. Um there's also food delivery trucks and beverage delivery trucks that are in front of Cotton Mouth. Um the event that was spoken about the 1 of February, that's a guild uh sponsored event that's
been going on for years now. There's a similar guild event. Um but it wasn't mentioned in in negative light. That's Day of the Dead. Um and that's just I mean could it be because that's a liked event? um versus it being a a targeted
type of comment. Um there was a comment that there's only been there was only there's been only one business opened in the last year and it was on on the same street and it was a yoga or a wellness center. I know actually they're in which
is younger than um that business is a business right next to Cotton Mouth opened up and that opened up uh just a few months back and um the gal who opened it I spoke with and said, "Hey,
when we were moving uh music to the front um uh I asked her for some input and she said, "Oh my gosh, no." She goes, We chose to buy this place because of Cotton Mouth. This gave me cool creds with my daughter with my with my teenage
daughter who loves Cotton Mouth and that's why we purchased uh similar um similar age children as the children that live on the opposite side of Cotton Mouth. Um I've also uh want to point give light to
some of the comments that were made about um the constant change in the and the youth and the upcoming uh people who spend money and in the in in the area just in Braon in general specifically
the vision. >> Thank you. >> Miss Singer, did you have anything else to add before we go on to the Um so the decision today is just whether to uphold um planning commission's decision or reverse it or you can uphold
it but add stipulations. Um, I think from my department's um, perspective, we just want to make sure that they're clear and enforcable uh, guidelines as to how to keep this more in line with restaurant use rather than uh, tripping over into other uses. I I know there's
been some discussion about whether or not you want to consider other uses in the Village of the Arts. That's a discussion for another time. This is really about keeping it in line with the restaurant use that is permitted and and allowed in this district. Um, so any stipulations you want to add on that
with the, you know, with the agreement of everyone? Um, we're fine with that. We just want to make sure it's clear and enforceable. >> Okay. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Just briefly, um I would submit that virtually all the comments
that we've heard have actually supported your planning director's report and opinion that what is being put on at Cottonmouth is not background music, that this indeed is a concert venue, that it's too intense for the
neighborhood, and that it cannot be mitigated through buffering or other structures. Of course, that question about whether it can be mitigated is really a question that you would ask if a special use were available and it simply is not in the restricted
district. I think it's important too that we don't want to start this idea that overlays or mixeduse um districts are an invitation for nuisances or disturbances for people
who are already living there or doing business in the area. The idea of the village of the arts was to be a vibrant live work place for artists and most of the most of the art that speaks to is
indeed visual art and crafts as opposed to performance. Um my concern is that one concern would be that with all the focus on businesses, we're pushing out the live part, the part where artists live there.
That's what makes an artist community so vibrant is their actual presence there. And the other thing is um Cottonmouth isn't the only business there. Um we heard from Mr. Whley and his client his how the how their business is being
disturbed. Um I I would submit also as the director um had stated that mitigation is not possible. The t the intensity of what is going on is simply incompatible. It's not even just about the noise. It's about the crowds and the traffic and the
vehicles. The answer to this is to locate this business elsewhere. And as um we explained and the planning director explained, these kinds of uses are available in the village of arts but
in the open portion, not the restricted residential portion. Um, also there's been a lot of talk about how the business could not survive without music, but that tends to again demonstrate that this is a primary use
at the property. Um, the fact that there's been so much non- enforcement to do all of these legal proceedings is what's created the controversy. And I think that's unfortunate, too. The failure to impo it to um impose the code
on the situation. and and and again it wasn't applied for. I'm not trying to say anything about what staff has done in that regard because this use was never applied for until July. But the fact that this is dragged out has just continued that controversy and that
certainly cannot be beneficial. This is not a non non-intensive low traffic generating use. People don't typically complain about background music. And um as the last I'm going to request, please
don't try to craft a compromise here. I think that the that um that Miss Price and her husband have been working as hard as they can to figure out over the years some way to make this work. It just doesn't work. Other surrounding
residents have t have testified to that. So um our request would be and and the final thing I say is is is it also has not demonstrated that there has been an error. There would still be a need in order to disagree with the planning director to demonstrate that she has
made a mistake and all of the evidence and comments that we have heard have only further supported her conclusion. Um, so with that, um, I will ask that the city council please, um, uphold the
report and determination of the planning director that Cottonmouth's entertainment use is not permitted at this location so that we can move forward and finally find some peace in the in the neighborhood for these
residents who are an important part of the Village of the Arts, just as important as any other part. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. All right. So, um, first thing I'm going to say is as we go to deliberation, I'll go to the council
members if they have questions. But I just want to thank everyone out there because this is a very heated fact that's happening in your community. But I want to thank you for your patience today. I want to thank you for your diligence of of not making as many
sides and things as we go through to disrupt the other speakers because no matter what side you're on, you know, it is a heartfelt thing. One of the things that we've tried to do and I know this council especially has really figured ways to collaborate and make it better.
Um, sometimes better isn't always better for everybody, but it's got to be about what the for the good of the whole and also what that village has tried to do in the 27 years ago when it used to be the slum and blight that it was that that we all grew up with that we're
hoping as we continue will continue to grow which will grow the rest of the area. So, at this time, have anybody have any questions or comments or deliberation? I do. >> Okay. Yes, sir.
>> Um, so first I just like to say that I'm sympathetic to everyone in the village. I really do appreciate everyone's uh own voice uh on both sides coming out uh for the better good of of the whole. Uh, I'd like to say that the intent of the
overlay district established in the 1990s was to create and allow a neighborhood where art created businesses and residences residents could live, work, and flourish. Um, we all know and it's been mentioned several times today that art has various forms, paintings, murals,
crafts, uh, and yes, music is also an art as is food. That's why they call it the culinary arts. So to me there's several considerations. Uh this is a very tough one. Um
it's about how do we coexist? I do believe that music is vital to the village of the arts as are other creative activities. It's also vital to the future of Bradenton that we have things for our residents to do. It is an
attraction. Um, so I do have questions uh that really does the overlay district come before the formbbased code uh and what is the intent of the formbbased code? I do believe that Miss Singer said that
restaurants are currently allowed uh in uh this area where the cottonmouth is, but outdoor auditoriums are not. uh having said that then it's open to interpretation
what outdoor auditoriums uh actually are. So my summary point is I do believe that music is very vital uh to the continuation of the village of arts and is part of part and parcel of
what should go on there. Um I don't think it's a matter of code enforcement or noise if if the laws are being you know followed the rules and regulation. Um it's just some of the points that I have.
>> Saw Vice Mayor Coker and then Councilwoman Coachman. >> Okay. >> Um with regard I know there's been a lot of discussion about um the music and noise um Um I've, you know, been involved between
DDA and this and realized Brain for a long time and um it's actually quite satisfying to hear that we've done such a good job of getting rid of some of the slum and blight and um and we have
planned and and uh funded a lot of this through the years. So I I'm glad to know that we are making progress on that. um and I in no way would want to stop that progress. I do however think that public safety
um concerns, fire and safety concerns have to be paramount to everything. So there's not really been much said about if there is an issue with uh the is it 50 that they're allowed the occupancy
and the fire. I mean, if we're fine, are we fine on that? >> Um, as far as the facts and >> Yeah. And I think that's what Miss Singer said. Obviously, if they meet all health and safety issues, >> you know, and they're not open right now
in the back part yet because I don't think they've met that >> standard, but okay. Um that would be something that if there was a motion, it could be put into it that they have to meet all those health and safety standards and code enforcement and everything else. >> Yeah, it it is a given that they're
going to have to meet fire code before they can reopen the back area and fire department would determine occupancy. It would be a change of occupancy, I believe, to assembly from um the restaurant I think is limited to 50. Um, but they they they can do that through
the fire department. It's they have to. >> Okay. >> So, >> well, I I just uh you know, even as Miss Turner just kind of gave us that history of the progress that it went from a dilapitated bungalow to an antique and
then now to a restaurant. So, I mean, it shows that the intent is actually it's starting to pay off and and we're a you know, this is unfortunately um a victim of the success, but I do want to make sure that that um you know,
I I I do find it a little funny that someone's saying that you want compatibility in the village of the arts. I mean, you don't go to an overlay district because you want compatibility. you go into a into, you know, the regular subdivisions when you want that
compatibility. So, um I I just uh that's that's just where I'm coming from. I don't know. I I'm I I like all the people that are here and I want everybody to enjoy where they live. And
uh I I find a lot of distress in us developing a policy that's just based on one little situation um and a neighbor dispute. We've had that before and I think we need to have
it the overall policy be clear and be um predictable or we're going to have more problems. >> All right, Councilwoman Coachman and then Councilwoman Moore. >> Thank you. I lost my voice because I haven't been talking.
Um, again, I would also like to say ditto to how everyone has been respectful. Uh, because when it's when emotions are involved, sometimes it's hard to keep it, you know, low and regulated. But really,
really want you to know we appreciate that. All of my notes, I came up with this overlay and formbbased code and interpretation,
the ordinance and enforcement, flaws in what we may think of the overlay itself. The overlay was to stimulate live, work, and play
that environment. That was what voter but it didn't take into consideration when it became just live. That was a flaw because if you just live in that
overlay, you gonna be bothered. So that I see as a flaw, but and that seems to be something we need to address. Maybe not today, but it should be kept in mind.
The importance of bringing young people to this city, I can't I can't even measure how important it is. It's extremely important because if we don't, we all aren't going to be here. I'm
sorry to tell you, we won't be here in a number of years and then this city will die with us. I was a little concerned when I heard the applicant um the opposition, I guess, say that they're
not looking for a compromise. I was hoping that's what we could do. Um, that's all I got for right now. >> All right, Miss Moore, if you'll indulge me, I just want something I was going to articulate on what Councilwoman Coachman said. >> Um, the live, work, and play part of it.
And I don't know if that's a flaw coach that word, but but my thing is in what the the short time I've been around here, which is almost 15 years now coming up on it, but on the council and obviously living in this community my
whole life, is you didn't drive through that neighborhood when I was in the 80s and 90s when it because it was known as a bad place. You didn't drive down 14th Street because you saw unsavory stuff going on. You saw things and especially
when I got my license. Um, and my mom said you don't go here. And what we did is we kind of we've changed I say we as in general as a whole city as we've changed that. But what really made me think of something is the live, work, and play. You know, when you live, work,
and play somewhere that means you don't have to get in a car. you don't have to to to do other things. And you hope that we hope to have a grocery store somewhere downtown soon that we can live, work, and play and walk to the grocery store. And but when you close
your business and you still want to live there, you have every right to do that. But some of the work and play stuff still needs to be thought about. And I'm not saying that it's right or wrong that you still want to live there because I would hope you'd want to live there
because that's what vibrantly built you and and and obviously hopefully gave you a retirement. One of the things that that through a lot is I've heard about Sarasota. Well, their village of the arts is better than our village of the arts because they have such a small footprint.
We are very lucky. We have a footprint that could end up having 200 to 225 I think homes. That's the north village and the south village. Now, we don't want to be the north and the south. And this is what it's turned into a little bit of what's happening with family
because we all are family in here. And some of the things as simple as Mr. and Mrs. Claus, you know, there was drama through that with that. My wife and I love doing that for the children, not for the
community to be split up. But I'm just going to say it. It felt like this year because of the two fractions in the village right now that I felt like I was going to mom's house in the morning to be Mr. and Mrs. Claus and dad's house in the afternoon. We had to split up the
time and that's what not what this wasn't built on. I think when Annie and the group started and what Jonette, God rest her soul, she's turning over in her grave right now thinking how do I do this? How do I make it better? Because that was one of the first things I said
to her. how can we get people to get along? And she said, "They're artists. They're never going to get along." And I was like, "Well, >> I'll die trying, you know, and you guys know that. I'm not giving up on either part of it." But it's the live, work,
and play part that that I feel is the most important to look at. And when you don't want to work, you've still got to want to play there and have an opportunity. Now, I do have a question for Chief Kramer because there was a lot of innuendos out there,
right or wrong, that were put out there about the noise part of it and where what's gone on with that because it made it sound like this is a a bad place to do anything with of the the police going there all the time.
>> Yeah, I'm going to defer to my expert on this topic, uh, Assistant Chief Brian Theers. put him on it. This both parties um reached out to me to want to meet I want to be able to stay separate of it. Part of it is because I was on council and technically I am the complainant on
this whole matter from when I was on council but also um Brian's able to meet with everybody and here he goes. >> Yeah. Brian the assistant chief of police lifelong resident. Um, we since our CAD system inception in 2007,
uh, there's 69 >> CAD system, >> uh, computer automated dispatch tracks all of our records. I could have gone back further on this address. Kind of irrelevant. Um, so I'll fast forward to, uh, we'll just go to April 6th of 2025, there's been 41 occurrences at Cotton
Mouth. Uh, of the 41 calls for service, 33 of those were noise complaints. Uh, two of those were cited as city or warrants violations and then the other stuff was just random things. Um, nothing criminal in nature. So,
we will respond to any call for service. Everybody knows that. That's our job. Call comes in, noise complaint irrelevant of where it's at, we go and investigate it. Um, there's been some issue with responding to noise complaints because they fall down to a
level seven in our priority response, meaning it's not an active call for service. There's not a life and death danger. Uh, so we respond when we can. So oftentimes our officers get there and it's either over, done, or it's been turned down. We had early on in the cottonmouth complaints, we were just
telling uh Dave on the one side, hey, turn it down. That was it. And then it developed >> knowing whether it was exceeding the limit or not. >> Correct. And then we moved further into now we go out with calibrated noise meters that we own and we measure based
on the ordinance uh determined by the city uh 50 ft or on the property line. There's all kinds of stipulations and our officers have become pretty well verssed in this uh because of this this situation ongoing. Um but we respond
out. We get a call for service. We go. Um, and that's that's just plain and simple. And we determine then whether it's too loud or not. And if it's too loud, they're cited. >> All right. Yes, ma'am. Miss Coachman,
>> I have a question. There was a comment that when someone a lookout would see VPD coming um and the music would be turned down. Uh, is it possible to
respond to those calls or in an unmarked car? I'm not saying be sneaky on you, but at least that would eliminate I'm sorry. I didn't mean to I didn't mean to even encourage you to talk back. Um, >> no, we're going to follow our policies
and procedures and the st and the orders >> and the mark car. I'm sorry. >> You know, regardless of who calls, >> you know me, I'm always gonna come up with something out of the box. >> It's okay. >> All right. I I think that and if any council members have more, you can come back up. >> Um we're going to go to Councilwoman
Moore and thank you for the indulgence on that. And then also Councilwoman Barnaby. >> Um I um all the same. I appreciate everyone and all the respect and uh I wish we got this much engagement when it wasn't
contentious. But um I am going to start. I'm going to try to I also took copious notes like Councilwoman Coachman and I'm going to try to um I'm going to try to be orderly about it um but hit the points. So, I'm going to start with what we're not here
to do, which is make some determination of whether or not there's been some criminal action. Um, and we're not here to determine whether there has been some illegality, code enforcement, whether or criminal as to the number of patrons at
the restaurant at any one time. And the reason why I'm not going to engage in those aspects of it are because I think they're outside of the purview of this and I leave that to the appropriate departments to address if someone is just like anyone else in the
city violating code or doing something criminal. Um, so I think that the issue before us is whether or not the establishment Cottonmouth is an outdoor auditorium and the code that we are going to be looking at
to make that determination is the formbbased code including the integrated is it Vad Village of the Arts Overlay District? I don't know how to pronounce that. Um, I'm just going to note that
that in the in the integration of the overlay district, it plainly states that the overlay district is exists to encourage a mix of also in many things but included
entertainment and eeries as well as its supporting and increased presence and integration of the arts and related culture and arts related ancillary uses. um regarding the question of whether so and then we have the definition of outdoor auditorium which is a place of
open air outdoor assembly consisting of a central space or stage for performances which may be open to the sky or partially covered or enclosed. I believe that the two things I said I'm not going to indulge uh were you relied upon by Miss Singer and her determination um as
as she was trying to determine intensity of use as it related to whether or not this was an outdoor auditorium or just was a restaurant with music. And I don't think that that was unreasonable and I really respect the work of Miss Singer and I know that she's very knowledgeable of what she does. However, uh my issue
with that reliance on those two pieces of um data are to compare those two things with the current intensity of the use I think ignores the historical aspect of the district. Um, we heard testimony here
today that the district was more vibrant in the past. And I'm going to venture a guess that because the decline in vibrancy seemed to be coincided in 2020 that it had something to do with COVID. That seems, you know, logical. We all live that. And so
I would prefer that we look at intensity of use for what it was, what it was intended to be, and what it is supposed to be continuing in the future. I also think that it's reasonable for us to uh rely on the definition to
uh to me the definition speaks not so much to intent of use but to physical structures and I also believe that there was a speaker that spoke to the fact that this is an auditorium an indoor auditorium um because of its physicality because of the physical elements of the
structure uh so I don't think that the definition really includes an intent uh to make that determination to the extent that we are looking at music as and and I feel like we threw some terms out there that are not
necessarily in the code but like ancillary use, primary use, that sort of thing. I think that um I will just say that it's my observation that these days probably mainly since COVID many restaurants rely on music not to have
that be a primary use ancillary use or you know our our first use but to get people in the door. Um I can name you know several restaurants including one that is very adjacent to my neighborhood and we have the same struggles. I hear the same thing about the music and it's
not even and it's not a district overlay at all. it just happens to be there's an establishment on Manatee a that plays music and you can hear it in the neighborhood. Um, and so I don't find whether or not uh we were selling
tickets or or pre- purchasing or or anything of that nature um much different than someone making reservations at a restaurant establishment. And I also think that again because so many restaurants are doing it more of a marketing uh thing
increasingly that I don't think that it it doesn't persuade me that it is relevant necessarily to whether or not it's an outdoor auditorium. So, for those reasons, I'm inclined to uphold the decision of the planning um
commission. And I of course would love to see some kind of compromise, but I also feel like to, you know, I I don't think that we need to do that. Um and and as I say that, it's not because I'm not for compromise and and neighborly resolution of disputes. I I would love to see that. I don't like feeling like
I'm mitigate or I'm I'm um being a a judicial oversight of a neighbor dispute. Um, but I also will just note that we have a study going on that includes this area and and it's not just this area. I say includes it because it's also looking at several areas in
the city. So, we're revisiting Riverwalk. We're revisiting the area that's going to be City Park. We're revisiting, you know, historic manatee. So, we're just in a period of time where I think that we've had these things, you know, we've had the Riverwalk. had uh VODA for a few decades now and we are at
a moment where I think we're just asking ourselves what works, what what do we like, what do we not like, how do we how do we get to a place where we're more on the same page and and rowing in the same direction. >> Thank you. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. You always do things so
succinctly and organized. Um, I did use the word compromise, but I guess I was thinking of additional stipulations. You know, that's all. Okay. >> Councilwoman Barnaby. >> Well, first I I want to thank everybody for coming here today.
Um, was it Upton Sinclair that said those that like sausage or government should never see either one being made, but you you can't do government without the people
and I appreciate the gift of your time. It's one of It's the only thing I know that you can't get more of. you can buy more clothes, you can buy more houses, you can't buy more time. So, I appreciate that. Uh, a couple of things
I wanted to address, just comments that were made here and there. Um, social media comments and being slandered in social media comments. Welcome to our world. Yeah. Um, there's a lot of uh keyboard
courage out there and I think back of the things that I learned in kindergarten at Ballard Elementary and uh wanting to treat others the way you wanted to be treated and I truly
wish that we could get back to that uh comment made that you know we lost the blues festival. I want you to know that Mayor Brown did everything he could to keep the blues festival in Bradon and we were very unhappy when they
decided to go to Lakewood Ranch. However, um I think it it might have been that that they they got something from them that they felt that they weren't going to get from us, but I'm not sure. You can think
back and speak to that, Mr. Mayor. I know how hard you worked a very short period of time to try to keep that event in the city of Bradon. I do find it interesting when people come and say, "I've been here since 19
98 or I've been here from 2005." I was born here in 1957 and grew up not too far from the Village of the Arts. rode my bicycle through there all the time when I'd come to downtown to go to the library. So, I'm very very familiar
with that entire neighborhood. And I'm very familiar of the of the ups and downs that occurred from about 1968 until the current day because I saw it. I had family living there very very much
aware of what was going on. I also was here on the city council in 1998 and uh I want to thank Mr. Dong for some of his research that he did for me.
I didn't realize that they started the zoning process with the village of the arts in 1996 and then in 1998 when we had kind of a major turnover on the council I think Mr. West, the planning director,
thought, "We might be able to get this off the ground now." And I started attending meetings from people that wanted to buy houses or already had houses in the village in 1998 talking about what could the
village be, what could it become? And there was lots of conversations. And I'm kind of upset to say many times in the village y'all don't get along any better than you did during those original conversations in 1998.
And that saddens me. It truly does when we look at at what is happening here. And there's there's been some major changes. One of the major changes in the village was with the hurricanes
and the loss of tree cover. Trees are going to be a natural acoustic barrier. Think about the big trees that have come down over the past several hurricanes.
I mean, we're talking, you know, the mighty oaks. There were mighty oaks that came down in those storms. that changes the acoustics of a neighborhood. I think what we're talking about now
is is it possible to find balance, the live, work, play balance. And I jokingly was I wrote down hall monitor. I never wanted to be a hall monitor in elementary school.
And sometimes when these issues come in front of the council, that's what I feel like I'm being asked to do is to be the hall monitor and tell everybody to stop running and yelling and walk quietly to the library or the cafeteria. But I do take this very seriously.
The area that was the village of the arts had fallen into major disrepair. And you don't hear me talk about slum and blight and the owners of the slum. Notice I
didn't say the other word. Um it was bad. It was really, really bad. And we have been able with with your participation and what
the city has tried to do and what the DDA was working on and what the CRA has been trying to do, we've been able to lift an area up. I mean, where was this thing back here that was talking about a house that sold for
>> 5.99? >> 5.99. >> That was unheard of. That was unheard of in 1997 or 1998. So apparently what we are trying to do
is working, but we've got to find a balance. I don't know if we need to look into the frequency and scale of outdoor music productions.
if we need to work with the CRA and come up with grant opportunities for acoustic fences and buffers, sound curtains. I'm not an expert at this. I just Googled it and started saying, you know, what do
other communities do? This is not a standard residential neighborhood. It's not. And it wasn't designed to be a standard residential neighborhood. It was a grand experiment
that coincided with some of the the I don't know what I want to say the the trends of of the time. If you read Richard Florida's book, uh, the rise of the the creative class, this was all going on at the time that the village
started. I would hate for us to do anything that is going to damper, impede, or stop
this unique area of our city. There's always unintended consequences to things. And I was here when we first did the form-based codes. I wished I'd had a crystal ball to see what could come of that.
I know what we thought it was going to do, but we've had some significant challenges because of the formbbased codes. And I'm wondering, you know, I know we've got other information and studies being done and coming forward.
Perhaps we need to readress that again because there are always unintended consequences. I don't know if again the balance, frequency and scale, crowd size, number of outdoor music
opportunities in a given period of time. I don't know if that will help When people were talking about young people not coming here,
I have two sons that I'm very proud of. I never thought they would look at me and say, "Bradon has nothing for me. I've won in England and I won in Austin, Texas.
It makes me sad and I'm sorry to get so emotional about it, but this was my neighborhood. We're neighbors to say we can't compromise. What hope do I have for the future
if we don't show the children how to compromise? Compromise is not a bad word. Many times it's the only way we can get something progressively done
and I think I'm going to get off my soap box now. Thank you. And all the council has spoken. Um, so basically we're at deliberation where the chair will entertain a motion. >> I I'll make a motion. Um, and I want to make sure that I get the wordage
correct, but uh my motion would be to uphold the planning commission's uh public hearing and final order on November 19th, 2025. Um, denying today's appeal. >> Is that the proper motion? >> Is that the proper
>> That would be fine. and we will prepare an order. If the motion passes, we'll prepare an order um reflecting that and bring it back to the council on a future agenda. >> And uh Mr. Rutil, do we I know we talked
a lot about hours and scale and occupancy is does this need to be with steps? >> Yeah, let me let me address that real quick if I can, Mr. Mayor. I I don't think it would be appropriate to put stipulations on this. This is an interpretation,
a use interpretation under the code. If the council feels that it's necessary to um to have, you know, hours or occupancy or other type of regulations like that that should be done in a legislative
session and applied across the board. So, um this is not a development order. Um and so I don't think it's appropriate to add stipulations to it. >> Mayor, Mr. Mr. I just point out that the planning commission um decision did include stipulations. So I think the
motion could should include those stipulations from the plan. >> It does not. I thought it did. >> No, it had findings of fact. So they had the the order included findings of fact and if there are if there are factual findings that the council thinks are
important to be included in there um that are critical to the classification of the use. You know we can certainly include those but I would not recommend doing stipulations. >> Miss Singer
>> I'm just pulling up on the screen. These were the determinations and these were basically assertions that the uh petitioner had made at the planning commission and so they were incorporated into the final order. So the petitioner in that case uh representatives of
Cottonmouth were saying that uh the meals would are served at all times therefore it is a restaurant um and that the applicant testified that patrons are not charged separate admission uh entry fee or ticket for live music events and therefore didn't fit into the category
of outdoor auditorium I think it was uh the definition of that. So that's the reason for it. I guess not necessarily stipulations, but to say that this was uh part of the determination that the use fit in with a restaurant use. >> I'd agree, Mr. Rudolf. These aren't
stipulations. >> All right. So >> yeah, let's hold on. So let's clarify the motion, get a second, then we can have some discussion inside that. So do you want to clarify? >> Uh yeah. So, I'd like to motion to uphold the planning commission's public
hearing and final order on November 19th, 2025 and deny today's appeals. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second by Mrs. Moore. All right. Discussion, Mrs. Moore. Um in the final order in section two order, the last
sentence is it is the determination of the planning commission that outdoor that the outdoor live music activities as described during the hearing should be classified as an accessory used to the restaurant which is permitted in the village of the arts overlay district. Is that something that is important to like
do we need to in this is in connection with the conversation about stipulations. >> Is that something that we should continue to include in our upholding it or do we want to carve that out because we're not trying to make a determination as to the
music use? We're just trying to determine whether it was an outdoor auditorium. >> Well, if it's if it's not an outdoor auditorium, then I think it would be accessory to the restaurant. That would be I don't know what other option there is for in terms of how you would
>> I just didn't know if that it needed to be done at all. I didn't know if we had do we have to make a determination as to to classify the use of music. >> I think we do because it has to you you have to be able to classify it somehow
under the code. >> Okay. >> So I mean Robin may have >> thoughts on it as well. >> I agree with that. I think the determination is that it wasn't outdoor entertainment or outdoor auditorium. It was a restaurant. Mhm.
>> Okay. >> So, you know, it may be other uses that music could be offered in as accessory to, but the use that they determined this was still a restaurant. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Mr.
>> Coach. Well, in that statement, are they if if now it's determined it's not an auditorium, outdoor auditorium, it's an accessory, then does that mean it would
become working within scale as opposed to working as if it is? I mean, is that is that helping with that? Because I think in my mind because of the proximity of other homes and so forth, there's something you got to think about
scale and not just so so much decibels. You know what I mean? To to make it a live place, you know, a place to live. I think maybe as coach Mary thinking once the restaurant is reopened, meets all fire
codes, whatever that comes up with. If it's a certain number and they're all sitting at tables eating and they're listening to music, if all of a sudden there's all those tables, chairs, 75 chairs, they're all sitting there eating, but another 50 people are standing around, but then that breaks
fire code, that can't happen, >> right? >> It just needs >> Yeah. So that's where somebody could. So it's up to the scale of what the bis what the restaurant can do and the music is just for entertainment of those number of seats. That's how I see it. >> That's Yeah.
>> Yeah. I think um if I may um I think that we're there I I appreciate this so much that there is a temptation for us up here to >> I know >> to figure it out and say that we're going to try to make everybody get on the same page today. Um, but I think
that the decibel, the ordinance on the sound and the fire uh requirement, you know, the to be permitted as a restaurant, they are entitled to 50 seats and that's it. I think that's the only thing that we have at this moment at our disposal to try to do that thing
that we're inclined to try to do. Um, but again, I fall back on we're in a we're in a transition period as a city citywide. >> All right. So we've had deliberation. Um start the vote in ward five. >> Yes.
>> One. >> Yes. >> Two. >> Yes. >> Three. >> Yes. >> Four. >> Yes. >> Carries five to zero. Thank you very much. And I will close the public hearing. Please uh keep the decorum that we had the whole way. Thank you for
everybody. Um we'll resume our normal meeting with council reports. Is there any council reports? Where you start? >> Where you starting? >> I would start at W two. >> W two. >> Ladies and gentlemen, we're still in the
meeting. >> As quiet as possible. >> Thank you. Okay. Council reports. Um, this week is literacy week and I will be participating in a program uh out at Gan Wit with their um
special education group. >> Please have order in the chambers. >> So, um just just to let Mayor and council know that yes, I will be out there. I would like to thank
>> please order in the in carry the conversation outside. >> I would like to thank everybody that participated with the Manatee County Fair. It was um other than it was cold sometimes, it it
was a lot of fun. And um in the past, I just want to throw this out here. In the past, years ago, the cities had city booths and I know that uh the fair board would be interested in speaking with us to see
if if the various city of Palmetto because the fair is in Palmetto has always had one. Uh Manatee County has a booth and I know in the past we have had a booth and I would like us to maybe consider that. Maybe it's a workshop
item. Maybe it's a, >> you know, the mayor decides that that might be a a good opportunity for us to uh be able to interact with. >> How many nights is there? 10 nights. >> Uh, >> so if each council person would take two nights
>> and they do manage always ask what are we doing in this booth? >> I think it's a great idea. I think >> tank involved. >> I think it's a great idea. And I would also um like to let everyone know that we have moved forward on the butterfly
garden at the village of the arts. I'm sorry, village of the arts at Lewis Park. I'm so sorry. I guess I've got village of the arts on the brain. >> Butterfly garden is set up at Lewis Park. You'll be getting information about when we're going to do the the the ribbon cutting for it and and I would
like to encourage everyone to attend. And then I was shared something And we've never done this, but it could be a lot of fun. There seems to be a a kind of a theme going on in many communities both in
America and overseas where they give their citizenry an opportunity to name their garbage trucks. No. And just to get you thinking what uh some of them are that have been put
forward, Obi-Wan Benobi, because in in Europe or in England they're called bins or trash bins. Obi Obi-Wan Benobi Donald Dump Trash Gordon
Ben Diesel. >> Uh Ben Bendy what? Pot Wicker. >> Pot Indiana Jones. The Flying Dustman. And my personal favorite, Thomas the
Trash Wagon. >> My kids grew up with Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas the Trash Wagon. I know when we bought the new little uh vacuum thing, Kirby, we need we had a a thing and I I just >> perhaps it could be a lot of fun.
>> Yeah. So, after a very serious meeting, let's just think about something light-hearted for a moment. >> Anything else, Mer? >> That's all I've got. >> Ward three, he >> I echo your sentiment and that after a
morning like this morning, I really look forward to the Pittsburgh Pirates coming to town. Um, the upcoming River Riotta, uh, I do not have a lot this week. I I met with uh a few residences who would like to organize a uh a cleanup in the
area around Where's Creek and so to them uh I will be organizing that and getting back to them. Uh and I you know I look forward to that. I think it's fun. >> Try to maybe get Keep Manatee Beautiful involved because they can get some resources. Gotcha. and do some of that and help help a little bit easier with
those resources because that's they're I have seen some things in the social media maybe something that you know a mattress somewhere in the >> where's creek and other things >> Excella some of it have been whether it's a basketball hoop but it's >> something's in there so no longer there
>> yeah yeah >> Mr. Mayor >> yes ma'am >> um the other thing with with and it is not my ward Mr. Shushler, I I apologize for jumping in, but >> no apologies. >> Um, can we get the mangroves
along Virginia Drive and and up to the the Manatee Avenue bridge there? You know, you can only cut them a third of the time a year. And I can't remember the last time those were trimmed. There was a very consistent trimming for several
years before COVID and we got them down to the lowest they could be cost us about 10 to12,000 a year on both sides and what happened was during COVID all of those little companies folded >> and one big company's out there now and
I know it got very expensive and then time has gone by so we just probably need to research that again >> for budget things because it did take about four years to get boom boom boom boom because I learned what what are they there's black red and white
>> and certain mangroves and you certain ones you can cut more than others but in the the women's club really it's excited plus just viewing our city coming in and out. >> So that could be something that Mr. Williams could look into because obviously it'll fall under finance. >> Pardon the interruption but thank
>> No, I'm I'm glad you did interrupt because I I spoke to Mr. Perry about it earlier this week. We had a a citizen that uh could I do it on my own? >> The answer for several reasons, no. So, >> you actually can if you have repairarian
rights >> because they do it on Riverview Boulevard and they all work together, but it still has to be done in accordance with the law. >> Yeah, they they can't go lower them and just go, I thought I could do that. >> You gota get a permit. Is that where you have to have it every year? But you keep
it once you get it to the level you want it, you keep it there, >> yeah. All right. A lot of good information. >> Thank you. >> Y, Miss Moore, >> I um I wanted to thank you all for all
of your support with the lift stations and um I just wanted to let you all know I really appreciate that and I am super happy. I just also want to let everyone know that I'm I feel like we're doing this thing with the with the Woodward current fiscal plan and the my brain 311
and the study and the workshops that will be happening with the study and I Mr. Perry and I talk a lot about strategic planning and I feel like we're heading in that direction in many facets of what we do and I that I feel like is a positive thing so I wanted to
highlight it. Um I was and if I just might touch briefly on the study. I am looking forward to that because I have been hearing from a hand just a few like three small business owners that kind of in you know uh anecdotally mentioned to me that they in opening their business
they felt like it was a struggle to work with the city and I know we've made a lot of changes in that regard. So, it's not this is not necessarily a criticism, but maybe something that we keep our eye out for when we are having our workshops about the plan and those actionable items that we hope to see and whatnot. Um, I'm excited about the community
meetings coming up. So, we all know that we're having one on the 17th as a whole. And then I am uh we're about to be planning some in early March for um the lift station projects among the other ones in Ward 4. So, be on the lookout for a for award for work or community
meeting in the early part of March. Uh, I also was recently approached by a relatively new business owner, new to the area, um, newer to the area regarding flag signs again. And I just throw that out there as I don't know if you all have heard anything like that,
but I had that one inquiry and if it is something that people are interested in revisiting, I'm just letting you all know that someone mentioned that to me. >> I know I was going to say yes, they do, but I I immediately thought uh Vice Mayor Coker.
>> Um but it I told him I would bring it up, so I am. But I feel like if you know if there's not a consensus to ask staff to look into it, I I don't know that I have uh I don't know. I I like to uh be very generous with businesses in order to
encourage them and and help them succeed. I completely though agree with your concerns regarding, you know, visibility and how that might look cluttered and whatnot. So I'm a little torn about it, but I'm just letting you all know that that was raised with me. And then
um I think that's it. Thank you. >> Um, I'm going to say this and it's different than what I said when I was a council person, but I do think we need to readress some sort of banner signs or and look at it what we can do if we can manage it
only because so many of the areas that these are going, there's city, county, city, county, city, county. the counties allows them to be out. But if I'm a owner that's right next to a county property and I'm not allowed to do it
and it's affecting my business and we go code enforcement them but one 10 feet away is not being done. So, is there a way to come up with and the biggest part of that with the banner signs and you know what is it the the blowup thing that does all that there might be some
restrictions we can put where if you got 100 feet of frontage you're not allowed to put a hundred of those signs right >> something but >> well and how many and those are all >> right but the problem is that's the county and they're allowed to do it so
>> but I I agree with you like maybe there's some way to be like um what I spoke with this one particular um business owner about was um they mentioned that they would be okay if they were told they could only do it within certain time frames. So like if they were having a sale on a Saturday,
they could use it on that day. I don't know how much of a headache that is for our code enforcement guys, but >> and I don't know how maybe there's some we could ask to look at some other cities that have different not just open rules, but >> Right. I would not want the free-for-all. I I agree with uh Vice
Mayor Coker's concerns in that regard. >> Yeah. No, it's it's but it is kind of I've got been several times in the last year where a couple people have really well I put mine out I got code enforcement but the 10 next to my property didn't because they were city and or we were city and they were county.
Um, no. And I think that, um, obviously one thing you did mention was about the the meetings and the others with, uh, I think today it proved really much on what we can do with some of our businesses coming in and how we come up
with a plan. We're never going to be able to have that magic ball to say what's going to happen 10 years from now, but but one of those things. And I think that even brings up the point of the new businesses and how things are going. That's where we probably need to engage the EDC a little bit more to maybe get a little bit more of our
money's worth from that standpoint because, you know, they can do rapid permitting. They can help things and then they can follow through with them that might help them go farther. Now, you know, that's different than trying to bring in a business for 500 employees, which we don't have that, right?
>> So, how are we going to engage that and bring it in? And I don't know if you saw the county meeting yesterday, long meeting. The very end they did motion 7 to zero to re-engage with the EDC, but now they have to bring back a contract.
So I don't think a contract would be seven to zero, but I think by the discussion that was just let the staff talk to their staff. So, it'll be interesting because that's that to me depending on how much the county's engaged should determine in the future
how we go forward um engaging with them because um you know some thing and one other thing I'll say just if the county commissioners watch this all of the everything that's done through the convention center the Bradenton area EDC
has nothing to do with the city of Bradenton. It's the name branding of this community. If you put Manatee County, nobody knows where Manatee County is. The name ID is better for Bradenton. But our 14.4 square miles is
a very small portion of that. There is a bigger portion of in Manatee County called Bradenton, including Lakewood Ranch. Lakewood Ranch is a surname. Ono is a surname. Samoset is a surname. Those areas are still Bradon. Then you
go out to other areas. Parish has its name. Palmetto has its name. But just so some of the newer county commissioners do a little bit more research before you start throwing it on to that it's >> city of Bradon. It has nothing to do with that. It was it was a hundreds of
thousands of dollars were spent on studies by both organizations. Braden Area Convention Center in Palmetto. ESPN Sports had a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game there >> two years ago and they flew over the skyway as they're doing their
introduction for Monday Night Football >> and they put a Bradenton, Florida, right >> as as they flew a drone over the skyway up 275 >> because that was the name recognition. >> That's the ID this name. So, no, those are good things. But, but again, I think, you know, we all want to feel
like at any time we're getting our money's worth. I think there's opportunity to grow that to help our small business. Yeah, I expect it to be in the study, I would think. >> Yeah. >> All right, Mrs. Coachman. >> Okay. Um, I think that word flaw was on my mind
because someone was pointing out my flaws a couple of days ago. So, I guess I had that in my mind, but it but I did not really mean to say that the overlay of VOD was had flaws in it. It's just that it that the intent may not have
thought about, you know, years later as we are. Um, lots went on today. Um, as always, it's great when the public is engaged. But then look,
not to say that you all that are left aren't important, but very seldom do we have a big crowd the entire meeting. Um, but yet there are people who will watch the recordings and point out your flaws.
I'll tell you that. Um, thank you, uh, Madame Clerk, for reading that proclamation for Black History Month. It was brought out to me as a flaw. Last meeting I did not talk about it leading to Martin Luther King's
celebration and uh I I I'm I'm getting a lot for that. But I amum I'm it and it was so appropriate too to see Cassidy Brewer uh be recognized because she is black history here locally. you know,
she is and her family is um it's really so much going on in Wart 5. I didn't even jot it all down to to say, but um I I said I was going to retire the phrase Ward Five is alive.
>> I changed my mind. >> Good. I like it. >> W five is alive. >> I like it. >> Vice Mayor Coker. >> Oh, thank you. Oh boy. Long meeting. Hold on. Let me get to my notes. Sorry.
>> You have to do that here. >> No, I don't. >> Are you sure? >> Mhm. >> Oh, yours is different than mine. >> There we go. >> Yours is different than mine. >> Uh, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Village Green residents at their
annual HOA meeting. Um, and I shared with them the update on all of our projects and it just every time you go through all that, it it shows you what all is going on and how great it was. And I I love the um little I showed them. Now, that was difficult showing
the video, but um it was nice to have that and answered a lot of questions really. That way there were accur accurate numbers and everything. And next week, I believe the mayor is going as well. Um we're meeting with the village green sections.
Um but uh I I just uh there's so much going on and I'm so proud of everything that we're doing in the face it and fix it. Um so I would like any of the other HOAs that are out there if you're having meetings we are always happy to attend
and uh update you. I think the more informed you are on what's going on the better for everybody. So, um, and you know, this was a rough one. Um, I see I saw a lot of friends on both sides of
the the aisle yet there. And, uh, I I hope that they can work together. I know sometimes the village has had always had a lot of personality and always um struggle, but I do feel like I feel like
they really have, you know, they're thriving and uh hopefully we can keep it thriving and moving forward and um find a way to make everybody happy. >> Yep. I know that's important. And then
one of the things I told several of the I always hate to say village people but village of the arts people told them that was you know no matter what we're here to stay because others in the past have said whether it's on the electives or not that you know sometimes you know
there's going to be 50 on one side and 50 on the other so it's not worth engaging with them. I will never not try to engage with people whether we think they agree or disagree with with what we think or do because it's important to keep it going because it is like our family. We want that to be successful.
Obviously, we saw how emotional it is to Councilwoman Barnaby to make it successful and make it with that and we want the young people fighting to be here and that's important. Um, one of the things I want to just put a shout out and it was on our social media that
Tiffany and David do about the weather and the cold and those that are the most vulnerable through the all the not forprofits. And I see, you know, one of our CRA officers that does so much downtown and helping people that came in probably for the two o'clock meeting.
Um, so I know that's what's holding you guys from lunch, but um, but just thank them for getting that information out and what we're doing in this community, which will over the next 12 plus months, give or take a little bit, that's going to have opportunities to help them through the county, through all the
different not for-profit organizations, and two of the biggest ones and best ones for us is Turning Points and Salvation Army. We're going to be able to help them, but right now they need help today because of the cold weather. So, they're opening up the shelters and we're doing it. I know our police department gave out blankets and helped
a little while back. So, I hope that's continuing on some that we got donated and just appreciate it. And Face It and Fix It. Follow our social media on Face It and Fix It and everything else that's going on in the city. Um, department
heads, anything special particular? >> No. Okay. Well, we will be adjourned. Thank you. >> Yay.