Morning everyone and welcome to the Braden City Council meeting Wednesday, February 11th, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. City Hall Council Chambers. As we always do, we'll start with a invocation and a pledge. Vice Mayor Coker will give us the
invocation today to please stand. >> Begin in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you for bringing us together today for this council meeting and for giving us a willing spirit to work together. We ask for your guidance
and wisdom. Please bless our conversations and may our ideas be thoughtful and our efforts productive. guide us so we may bring people together in a meaningful way, reflect the best of who we are, and have a positive impact on the citizens of the city of Bradon.
We are grateful for the time, talents, and commitment present in this room. May we be encouraged, focused, and confident on the path ahead. We ask this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you. Will you 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. And we'll call the meeting to order. Madame clerk, >> the first item on the agenda this morning is a proclamation year of people with disabilities. fix it in 26. Whereas, according to the 2024
disability update census, 14.6% of Manatee County's population, approximately 58,683 residents live with a disability. And whereas people with disabilities have identified multiple overlapping
barriers that impact daily life including attitud attitudinal communication, physical policy, programmatic, social, and transportation barriers. And whereas when individuals with disabilities were asked their wishes for
greater independence and inclusion, they identified key priority areas including inclusive education, meaningful employment, accessible and affordable housing, community inclusion and social connection, accessible transportation,
and quality quality health care and therapies. And whereas additional priorities include supportive services and advocacy, adaptive recreation opportunities, empowerment, and the promotion of independence for people with disabilities across their lifespan.
And whereas true inclusion requires not merely participation, but intentional design, recognizing that inclusion is not about being invited to play the game. It's about redesigning the game so everyone can play. Now therefore be it
resolved that I Gene Brown as mayor of the city of Bradenton, Florida, do hereby proclaim the year of 2026 as year of people with disabilities, also known as fix it in 26 and urge all citizens to support and promote communitywide action
to remove barriers and advance advance equality, access, and inclusion for all people with disabilities. Signed, Gan Brown, Mayor. >> Thank you. And who do we have accepting this? I know who we do. Miss Simmons, you want to come up and say a few words
and then we'll all come down there and get a picture with you. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. Um, I do have a few words planned, so
bear with me. Policy makers, if you want to know best practices for people with disabilities, ask us. Don't assume
what looks appropriate on paper will work for someone with the disability. In other words, don't be a suit. I used to think a lesson for policy
makers was to spend an hour being disabled. I have since come to realize how inappropriate that is because people with disabilities
can't stop being disabled after an hour. The better lesson would be to spend a day in the life with a person with a disability,
not as a caretaker, but as an observer. I never thought my voice disorder and tremors would lead me to community activism, but here I am.
I'm fighting for inclusion, access, and most importantly, a paradigm shift. Anyone at any point in their lives can become disabled.
The education of policy makers and people in the state of Florida should begin with the fact that not everyone can walk and talk and see and hear. One question for people with
disabilities. Do you feel well informed about services, parks, recreation, and access? Do you have unanswered questions? Make
the ask I did. Um, we need to be a united voice to teach policy makers. We are loud access, inclusion, and just such important a voice.
Here's my 2026 work in progress. Um that's I don't know if you can >> Yes, we can see it. Um, that's my I was told it's my strategic plan and
I changed August to um voting rights because that's primary month and um even precinct workers don't know that um
people with disabilities, people that are have the right have an ASL interpreter in the precinct with them. People that have that use a mobility
device have the right to have a caretaker in with them. So I changed August and October I thought it would be informative um to do a walk and roll.
Best I could come up with um to raise awareness of the lack of accessible sidewalks on 14th Street, 41 highway, whatever you want to call it. It's a
mess. So, those are two things. And um December to celebrate what we've done, how far we've come, and where we need to go in 20 something. So
this is our first step and thank you very much for the proclamation. It means a lot to me and it seems to carry a lot of weight and I say I'm getting a
proclamation. People are saying when you get that come back and talk to us. So thank you very much. >> All right. Any comments before I go? All right. Thank you, Miss Simmons. And I
think one of the things that, you know, obviously being in the position I'm in as mayor and then on the MO and and watching at other meetings, I just want to thank you for taking the time to persistently push. And that's not a bad thing I'm
saying. I'm saying it's a good thing. And I know some of us, you get frustrated at some of us at times because we we don't seem like we're always paying attention or listening. But I think we are and I know others are too and but thank you for always trying
to to keep that front of the the room and we appreciate that and and um we've got some stickers that were ready late yesterday and they weren't open when we went to get them, but they're she's trying to get them now for you that you can be able to take out to the businesses and hopefully they'll put on it and then go and find out more
information about you know the fix in 26. So, that's something just to keep pushing and and it's not that people don't care. Sometimes we all get busy in our own lanes and we just got to remind people to to be there to help when you can and and do more when you can. So,
thank you for you pushing that. We appreciate it. And we'll come around and get a picture with you if that's okay. Yep. Exodus 26. >> She should Madame clerk, >> we do not have any presentations today. >> All right. So, we'll move on to citizen
comment. Um, 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. So, I just have one card. Pat Simmons again. Um just read three real quick things. Um
sat in Oaken and the window that overlooks First Avenue. I think it is in Old Maine. >> Bakarada. Yeah. But Bakarata and First, right? Um,
people run that stop sign consistently and it's it's like the old Missouri road and I and I think it's because the stop sign's so far back from the actual
intersection. And the only other problem is people use that crosswalk and they don't look when they walk across a crosswalk. I'm just
afraid one of these days there's going to be a really bad accident there. Um, the second thing is I tried to call the farmers market um to see about getting
just a temporary part-time one time booth um to talk about my sugar program and I was got a recording that said come
back in August. So, I don't know if you you or your staff has a better number or a better way I could connect to somebody at the
farmer's market. Um, the third thing that I watched the cotton mouth discussion and I seriously I looked up what 75 dB is. That's like equivalent to
a washing machine or dishwasher or normal um traffic. I don't think it's about that. I don't think it's about it that it's an outdoor
venue. I think it's jazz versus blues. And what they don't realize is um without blues there wouldn't be jazz. So that's just my two cents. Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you. Um at this time I don't have any other comments. Chief might want to just comment a little on that and what we can do. Thank you for the comments. Um, I have a different opinion as to why people don't stop and stop signs, but that's me. Um, I'm less
concerned about vehicles. I'm more concerned about uh people on ebikes that fly down all roads locally but do not stop, do not consider stopping at stop signs. Um, that's something that I think we I know the legislaturator is talking
about addressing it, but we're going to need to address locally. Um, I certainly believe we're going to need to address it in Riverwalk. Um, it's just a very dangerous situation. Uh, the riata coming up, we part of the insurance
approval for the riata being held is that while the bridge is closed, there's no bikes or ebikes coming across. We've had some resistance, I'll say, from uh other jurisdictions and helping us enforce that in the past.
uh we will enforce that to the letter this time because I've let people know that I will lose it if I see people riding any bike on that bridge because it's just not safe. Um people have no consideration in situations like that.
But thank you again. >> Yep. So we'll watch it. And then um with the public market now I I can get with the staff of that and see because we don't have anything to do with it. It's all on them. But I'll deal with that. So, um, all right. So, we have one more
comment kind of going back. Michelle Crockett. Yep. Just came in. >> Good morning and thank you. This is my first time. >> All right. So, you'll have three minutes. Come up. State your name into the podium there. >> Michelle Crockett.
>> I'm representing Oak Tree Community Outreach. And I want to talk about the Back to Angola Festival that's coming up March 7th through the 8th. Can you believe it's been seven years? The first Back to Angola Festival was held in 2018.
Now we're getting ready for something even greater in 2026 as March 7th through the 8th. Oak Tree Community Outreach presents the Back to Angola Festival. The theme, the cousins are coming. Join us for this powerful historical and cultural gathering
celebrating over 200 years of shared heritage between the USA and the Bahamas. Manatee Mineral Springs Park is where it will be held. 1312nd Avenue East in Bradon. We come together to commemorate the
Angola Maroon community that thrived along the Manatee River from 1812 to 1821. Their legacy lives on in Red Bay Andrews Island, Bahamas, and in the descendants. What to expect: live music
and cultural performances, panel discussions, and oral histories, authentic Bahamian cuisine, and African-American food. Cultural demonstrations will include basket weaving, wood carving, junkano, vendor
booths, community exhibits, and more. admissions free. Just want to take this time to encourage our community to come out and help celebrate with us this wonderful cultural riched event. Thank you for
your time, council members. >> Thank you. >> All right, Mrs. Moore, did you have anything you wanted to comment on first? I will um I will take this opportunity while you're here just in case you're not here for word comments and um and thank you for coming and sharing the dates and I hope to see it be promoted
more and if I can help with that I would happily you know try to get the word out. Um I love the festival. I love that uh we have such a jewel of a of history really right here in the heart you know like in some of the oldest part of the city of Bradon. Um it's a wonderful
time. It's a wonderful time of celebration and I look forward to it. So, thank you. If I can help at all, please feel free to let me know. >> All right. And it it's been every year. It's obviously a great event and uh really enjoy obviously the conch salad.
They know to have that for me when I get there and uh go over and and buy some of that and some of the great juices and and I still have my first one with the the carved fish that's in my office that stays in there for that. So, appreciate it. Looking forward to it and exciting
on that. So, all right. Um, one thing before we go on, we did finally get the stickers in and, uh, it's fix it in 26. And I'm going to read the the, uh, card that's going to go with it that we're going to give to Miss Simmons to be so she's able to give out. We would like to present a sticker to display in your
front business window. We ask for your pledge to adopt a few simple fixes to enrich your customers experience. The sticker will alert people with disabilities that they are welcome and will feel safe in your establishment. Thank you for helping us to make 2026
the year of for people with disabilities. And then it's got an email on or a email on it for further information. Go to PSL bluesfanol.com. And this is the card that she'll be giving out. And then this is the sticker
that shows. And uh it's it says fix and 26. It's got, you know, some symbols on it that kind of go with the FIX and 26. So we've got those for Mrs. Simmons and she'll be able to kind of present it and give it out to businesses. So hope all
businesses in the city and anywhere else can can have those and start to do some good things and and pro, you know, make people feel welcomed and encouraged. So thank you. We will. No, I have one at the here and
at my business. All right, madam. >> Item six is the consent agenda and staff is requesting approval of items A through P. >> Chair will entertain a motion. >> Make a motion to approve. >> Okay, mayor. >> Yes, sir. If
>> I can be heard briefly. >> Yes, sir. Let me get a second then we'll do discussion. >> Yes, sir. Second by Councilwoman Coachman. All right, Mr. Perry. Mayor, >> I just want to point out on items K through M, uh, really K through L, the two items there, and just take a quick
moment to kind of highlight a few things about those two items. And I have had the opportunity to speak with all of the counselors regarding the consent agenda and answer any particular questions or provide any information that was requested or or or sought. But on items
K and L, uh those two items are fairly significant capital um investments of infrastructure in our wastewater treatment. It's basically a permanent um uh in equalization tank. As you know, we have the equalization tank that's out at
the plant right now and then ultimately a reject uh tank as well. So what those two things do and of course this is a request to award the construction manager at risk to begin construction of these projects and we think we can complete construction these projects um
fairly quickly probably within about an 18-month period um that we previously in November of 2025 awarded the design and engineering contracts um to Kimley Horn and I believe it was Jones Edmonds for the two projects. But what's important to note about this in accordance with
the face it and fix it investments is that both projects use uh direct appropriations from the house to fund substantial amounts of the $6 million project cost for each of them. Each of them. So you're talking about over $12 million for just these two projects. Um
and of course we obtained that through the Florida legislature. my appreciation to the mayor and the council that went up last week to pursue our legislative agenda and spec direct appropriation request for continued support of our infrastructure programs. What these
programs will do is a couple of things that I think is worth noting is we hear this claim about discharges of uh of untreated sewer water basically and really these these two items deal with the first phase of three phases of water
treatment. And when we have excess flows, we basically introduce biology because that's when the first influent comes into the plant. The microorganisms are designed to take those solids and combine with them and break them down. They have a certain maturation period
that has to stay in that process before they can advance the next process which is solid separation and actually removing them through through a press and ultimately tertiary uh treatment. Uh but but that three-step process starts here. And and when we have these high
flows like we had last year, we don't have a current reject reuse pond. Right now, when you go by the county southwest um water treatment plant on 53rd um avenue, you look over there by the golf course and you see probably a 10 acre
reject reuse pond. probably capacity on something like that is close to I don't know probably 10 15 million gallons. Um of course we're a much smaller plant than that. We we we actually about a third of the size of that and this will provide us about two million on one
phase and about two million on the other to give us flexibility because you need that time to move that first period waste water through and ultimately improve the treatment process so that we don't discharge as we're not doing now
untreated water. This is even more fully treated if we have flows like we had last year where our 9 million gallon rating is s, you know, basically challenged by 30 million gallons per day. 30 million gallons per day. That's
what came into the plant last year. All bets are off. They're bet off at the county. They're off with us. But through general high flow periods, this provides us a great environmental protection, a great mechanical and hydraological and micro uh chemical process
to really engage in alternative and diversified treatment so that we can manage that water better. And of course that all starts with pretty intricate engineering um that deals with wastewater and ultimately you all trying to help us get
the funding. So, it's a team effort. It's an environmental effort. It's a it's really an economic effort and and it's a quality of life effort. So, I want to showcase that and just point out that this is on consent, but I thought thought it was worth talking about. The last item is the Ironwood um which yeah,
Ironwood um water distribution system. We were out at Ironwood yesterday with with Mayor and Councelor Barnaby. Uh there was a big crowd out there um probably I'd estimate about 75 people or so. And uh I thought it went really well. Of course, Ironwood had come to us
asking us to do this uh as stated by me based on the letter from Ironwood back in 2021, the month after I got here. And we have a plan now to move forward with doing that. Estimated project cost on that is 2.8 to 3.2 million. Um as it relates to specifically the construction
itself, it'll be open cut um opposed to uh HDT horizontal drilling. and we anticipate that project to take about 12 to 15 months um from its start. We're ready to proceed on that. I think Ironwood, it went very well. I think I appreciate you guys going out there and
helping out with the public awareness and the community outreach. You did awesome jobs there and I think this community was pretty satisfied when we explained it to them even though there's an assessment related to it that will be levied that you all have, you know, it's difficult decision to do um and the like. So, I just want to highlight those
three items. I think it's worth worth commenting on and that's where we're at. We'd ask for approval of the overall consent agenda at this time and I'd stand for any questions. >> Councilwoman, Vice Mayor Coker, did you have anything specific? >> Uh, actually, uh, one one question I
have because I had a discussion with someone this week. The when we are on bypass and putting into the river, that would not be the cause of brown water in the river. Correct. the water's clear
>> uh in the I mean it comes out at the outfall and we test at different different points from the outfall. We test at a close point from the outfall and the outfall of course is where the where the effluent enters the river from our piping system. It goes from a
conveyance to an outfall and then into the river. uh at the very close point it could but really I mean coloration I don't know the dilution factors I it's pretty treated and it's pretty separated so it shouldn't be and once you get away
from that I mean you're talking about these discharges that usually you without the major storms are in terms of gallons it's fairly minimal um and I don't want to take away from anything
you know because any discharge isn't a good discharge But the reality is it's it's treated about 90%. To start with and then secondly once it dilutes it would be like I think it was pointed out to me by one of the engineers. >> Dr. Tomasco said it's like an eyropper in a bathtub amount in
>> I think it was like three eye drops in six bathtubs is what I had heard. billions of gallons and we're putting and again we don't want to we're never trying to lessen any impact but we're trying to explain that what I think what most people think of when they think of
a sewage discharge they're thinking of solids they're thinking of toilet paper they're thinking of other solids and we do not release that that that is gone out in the first processes and and gone so the discoloration of the water might
be more of what is around it the dying seaggrass grass, the birds, the soil underneath it. And because you can get anywhere in the river and you see brown water, you know, it's not just from there. And I think that's what sometimes people whether purposely or not
>> go on that. So >> Mirus lives like right on the river and I run on it probably three times a week now, maybe maybe a little bit more. And and sometimes it's crystal clear going out 50 yards and as it gets deeper you know but but then other times for
whatever reason as mayor pointed out the biology in that river it I don't know what comes in and it gets a little bit less clear. Um you'll have to talk to probably Dr. Tomasco about that for what cause and relationships are cause and effects and relationships. No, but I
think Yes, ma'am. Miss Barnaby, >> I just wanted to double check because now we're hearing people are making comments about um where the where the Braden River comes into the Manatee River and there's a very large rrookery
there, but we don't have a pipe that ex that puts out there. >> No, there's no outfall there. >> There's no outfall at that location. I just want I mean I thought I was correct in saying that and I just wanted to double check. >> I don't think that that's accurate
actually. But we are in the process of moving it. I wish Lance was here. But >> you're talking about a storm water. You're you're talking about something else. >> Storm water, not Yeah, there's a storm water. There's no outfall for not a water. It's a storm water. It's not a >> treated water. >> Treated water.
>> Two different things. >> Two different things. And and storm water. >> Yeah. Storm water. Clean water >> and storm water. That's what we have to deal with. >> Yeah. >> But storm water is something that we do control that we'll be bringing up some
other ideas later in working with the county that we found out some things from from D and and commerce this past week meeting with them. But one of the things that people don't realize is they call those little islands there bird island. >> Yeah. Know >> and we know the birds
>> are a natural source of a lot of that. And we know and and again rattlesnake key is so important to our ecological community, but rattlesnake key when they were testing it was one of the most
uh highest contaminated without any of horses without without sewage without all the stuff that they claim that's going into some of our areas that is not. And that's why we've got if you read Mrs. Barnaby's newsletter this week
over 150, but we're up to 175 million now of monies that this board has spent about 450,000 on to get 175 million by hiring lobbyist by going with Woodard and Curran and getting opportunity to
get that money that we basically don't have to pay back to face and fix what we're doing. And that's the one of the most important things to us and me and and the position I'm in of clean water, storm water, wastewater, how we fix that. And those are the important
things. But but again, look at this week's results. If you go I get a report printed off by either Miss Tiffany or Miss Kelly every week of the water keepers results. Everything is green. Braden River area is a little bit red,
just barely in the red, but that's because of again the birds, the storm water that's there. And how do we work through some of that? And that's what we're doing greatly. And I think the lobbyist situation that I had had um tried to promote before I was in this
position as mayor but never could get traction. Now we got traction and in five and a half years 175 million plus dollars by our staff and this council supporting it. So those are the things that yes it is consent agenda. I think it still should be on consent agenda,
but when you see stuff in the social media that is just inaccurate and we're not trying to engage with Facebook and the different medias, but we are answering to just go to face it and fix it and look at it and you know, and I'm
not going to say this, but I don't want to jinx anything. I haven't had a lot of comments from people coming to me directly in the emails because they know we're facing and fixing it and that's one of the most important things and Tallahassee knows we're facing and fixing it and that's why the
collaborations that you work on is you know really to work with people and to help your community and that's what we're doing a great job at as a as a board and especially as a staff. So, kudos to all of our staff and and uh I know we get a lot of we get the grief or
we get the credit sometimes, but it's the staff that does the boots on the ground every day and and uh again, I think we're going in the right direction. Councilwoman Barnaby. >> Yes. I just before we go to a vote, I just needed to double check with our
attorney. Um I am one of the reappointes to the grievance board. Am I allowed to to vote on this? >> Uh yes. You don't have thought I I have no financial gain in that. Um matter of fact, it's usually sleepless
nights, but um I just I thought I was right, but I'm not the attorney. So, >> and then Mr. Perry, the last thing I'll comment on before we call for the vote is Ironwood, which that's when it first came to you. It came to me long before
that, a couple years before that, where it's a private system that the residents of that private system are going to bring it up. We're helping them because when you have I think believe it's 14 different HOAs and a master board, the
financial part of this country and the service part of this country doesn't like to work with 14 different entities, but they would work with us if we would help process that through. And I was very impressed with like you said 75 to 80 people last yesterday. we walked in, you didn't know what was happening, but
they were very well informed, which that was an important thing that we pushed. Well, as they had great questions, >> and so that was a a good um outreach, which people say we're not doing, and but we are, and we're facing and fixing everything else. And this is part of
that that will actually help that private development from the 70s become into the way things are today. So, appreciate that. Any other concerns or we'll go for the vote. All right, seeing none, we'll start the vote in ward three. >> Yes. >> Four. >> Yes.
>> Five. >> Yes. >> One. >> Yes. >> Two. >> Yes. >> Approved. Five to zero. Thank you very much and thank you for the comments. >> Madame clerk. >> At this time, I'll administer the oath. Anyone wishing to address city council during the following public hearings,
will you please stand and raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that the factual statements and representations which you are about to give to this board will be truthful and accurate? Thank you. Item 7A is the public hearing for resolution 2602.
>> Good morning. >> If you would like, I can do the next or the following resolution also. They're very similar. These are projects you're familiar with. We just need two separate votes. >> Okay. Yes, if we can do them together. >> I don't have any objection to that. Have the hearings together in separate votes. >> Votes. Thank you.
>> You've seen us a few times already. Greg Dong, assistant director of planning, community development, and I have been sworn. Uh the first uh request is resolution 2602, which is a special use request for 25 or 2115 9th Street East.
Um we are the owner of this property. Um it is down south of Tropicana. These were recently annexed properties um that we brought into the city for future use. Um the current zoning is industrial. This lot is a little over 4 acres at 4.08 acres. Um future land use again is
industrial. Current is industrial. Flood zone is X and currently a vacant lot. Um the special use request will allow for the property to be used as a public facility. Here is the lot that we are discussing on this application.
And I'm sure this looks quite familiar to you. Um, future land or the zoning is industrial. Future land use also industrial. Um, a special use request is for a public facility. Um, there is the definition of a public facility. When we annex this property into the city last
year, um, we put industrial class zoning classification on it. But under the industrial zoning classification, as you can see in the use chart, under schedule 3.2.1.2, to public facilities are a special use. Um, unless we did a PDP,
which would have been a lot longer process, this was the easiest way to do it. So, um, I appreciate working with Mr. John Todd on this, but we we're getting in front of you guys so we can start using these properties and they are compliant to city regulations. Um, the this parcel in that we're talking
about here, um, there has been some plans for it. They're a little in I don't want to say um or still in flex I guess on them but we want to make sure we have the special use approval on it. So we have some options moving forward. This was a parcel that was being used or
looked at to being used for um temporary location for public works. Um I'll have Mr. John Totty. He can talk a little bit more about that. Um, this is all going as part of the project going on at Lecom Park where we need to relocate public works um, out of that area so we can
have the city park project move forward. And I've got some information about that on this slide here. It is really designed to elevate Bradington's reputation as a destination of sports tourism, create economic opportunities, um, provide essential um, services and support to underserved neighborhoods and
schools. And I have the link which I'll leave up for a few minutes so the uh PD can grab it so the residents can go take a look at the website and get the latest information on the city park project as it's moving forward. The subject property that we're talking
about here was annexed in or was purchased in May of 2025, May 14th to be exact. Um, city council approved under ordinance 4061 a voluntary annexation on July 23rd. And then on August 13th of 2025, city council approved a
comprehensive plan map amendment and zoning atlas amendment. And those are the ordinances were 4062 and 4063. And those were to place the industrial zoning classification on the property and as the future land use. Here is the property in question. I did not draw a
line around it, but you can kind of see where it is. It's right through here. It's a long sliver. Um, this was a conceptual plan that has been proposed. Um, you know, still questionable of whether or not this will go forward at this time, but this gives you an idea of
how this property could be used, should the property be used um for uh public works as a temporary relocation site. And here are just some photos of the property. It is fenced in, so I was unable to get into it. Um, so just some aerial photos and some um photos looking
north, northeast, northwest. I was out there on a Saturday morning. It was a little foggy. Um, but here's photos looking um to the southwest at 9inth Street East in US 301. the comprehensive plan. Um here's just some objectives out of the comprehensive
plan talking about um uses um kind of goes this as we've gone through this before talking about the industrial that's why we put industrial on it. So the property meets these policies and objectives under objective 1.2 and policy 1.2.1
and there is the definition of industrial um in the comprehensive plan. land use regulations um special uses under section 3.3 really get into how why they come forward to the boards.
They start a planning commission for recommendation and then come to city council for a final decision is basically because they are have a potential of being disturbing to other land uses in the zone. So that is why they go through the public hearing process. Notices are sent out to
residents within three or property owners within 300 feet of the affected properties and we do run legals in the paper. We have heard nothing on any of these next two cases or this case and the following case. So, um I think people with having Tropicana down there
are are used to what's going on in that vicinity. So, putting the special use for industrial and a public facility is not a bad thing. under section 3.3.1. These are just general standards out of the land use regulations and it they do appear to all be met with even the
conceptual plan and the city will ensure on future plans that they are met. And then under section 3.3.2 again here are some review criteria that are in the land use regulations. These all appear to be met with the comprehensive plan or the concept plan and we will ensure that
all future plans do meet these uh review criteria moving forward. And then the final uh section of the code is 3.3.2.5. These are the criteria that need to be answered um and are the criteria that planning commission does use when they
make their decision moving forward with their recommendation to city council and it is the criteria that city council should be using in making their final determination. Um the application that was submitted, Mr. Totty did put responses to these questions in the application. So you have it on record in
your packet. And it does appear that all the criteria under this section 3.3.2.5 letters A through K are met. Um again, city council is just encouraged to evaluate the request based on the criteria provided as well as input from staff, the applicant, and the
public. And it is in our opinion that section 3.3.2.5 2.5 of the land use rags and the design element of the comprehensive plan are met. Uh planning commission did review this case on January 21st and recommended uh with a vote of 5-0 approval.
And that is the first case. Any questions on that one? >> Questions? >> Nope. Thank you. is that you guys have probably seen these enough and I will go quicker on this one because there's no reason to regurgitate everything we just went through because the slides shows are pretty much the
same. Um, this is the larger parcel. Um, this is 1706 9inth Street East and this is resolution 26-03. Uh, this is a little over 28 acres in size. Again, current zoning is industrial, future land use industrial.
Um this is where uh Tropicana most recently was storing a lot of their trailers um in that vicinity. And there's kind of a little road network on that parcel as you can see from aerial photos. Again, this is to allow for a public facility to be uh used on the property. And here is the uh location
map, zoning map showing the industrial and you can see to the north you also have Tropicana. It's got industrial zoning. Um part of Tropicana campus is actually in the county. And here's the parcel right here to the right um is uh the
parcel we were just discussing future land use also industrial. Again, I'm not going to go through all this. It's the same slide you just recently seen, but it just defines what a public facility is. Again, it's a special use in the industrial zoning classification.
This parcel is a little bit more um targeted on what the use will be and how it's going to be laid out. I know city council has looked at options for this parcel, but this is where public works permanent location should be going um in the future. And I listed all of the uh
all of the um apartments and uh divisions within public works that'll be utilizing this parcel. They're listed there. Um we are currently engaged in a master site plan for this property, finalizing building sizes, locations, landscaping,
and parking. Um the project construction is anticipated to start in this summer of 2026 with buildout completion taken approximately four years. Again this is in relationship to the relocation of public works from the area around Lecomon Park. So the city park project
can move forward and again there is the link the residents want more information on the city park project. Again, same history as we just had on the previous case on the purchase of the property when it was annexed and also when the comprehensive plan map amendment and zoning atlas amendment
were adopted. And here is a photo of or an aerial of the um parcel. You got Ninth Street East on the right hand side or the east side. You got the Tropicana campus up here. Red Barn is over here on the west side or the left. And you can kind of see 301
and kind of loops around as you know. And here was the conceptual plan that um was most recently reviewed by city council detailing the layout. Again, this is still under review. And here are some more um just areas
that were part of the packet that you previously saw related to um the conceptual plan for uh the options that were you were reviewing for the future public works facility. And this is looking to the southeast. Uh this is looking northeast. You got
301 down here on right through here. And you got the rail line through here and then the Tropicana campus up here. And here are some photos I took again on a Saturday morning out there. Looking um northwest on the property looking west.
You see there is a little bit of a road network out there or driveway network I guess I should say. Um, ignore my shadow in this photo here, but um, trying to get not the chain link fence in the photo, so I don't raise my arm up. Um, and then you have the photo over here
looking southwest of the property from looking towards 301. And there is that infamous chain link fence there on my left and that is looking north um to the Tropicana campus. Again, you know, I'm not going to regurgitate these items, but these were the items we reviewed when we did
the annexation and put the comprehensive plan uh future land use and the current zoning on the map or on the parcel of industrial. And here again is the definition of a special use under section 3.3 point or 3.3 of the land use regulations. Again, the general standard
criteria under 3.3.1 appear to be met even for the conceptual plan. And again we will ensure that all future plans meet these criteria. Same with the review criteria under section 3.3.2 and again under uh the review criteria
which are the uh A through K which are the really the meat and bones of this whole thing when making decisions um they appear to all be met also and we will ensure that all future the final plans also meet this. Again, um you're encouraged to evaluate this request
based on the criteria from staff, the applicant, and the public. And we are the applicant. Um and city or planning commission reviewed this case also on January 21st of 2026. Recommended approval by a vote of 50. And Mr. Jean
Potty is here if you have questions about anything. And I know Mr. Perry can probably also chime in on any updates on the >> any council questions before we go to uh citizen or public hearing >> hearing none. Thank you.
>> You're welcome. Sorry. >> And we'll open the public hearing on both 2602 and 2603. Anyone wishing to speak? Anyone wishing to speak? Anyone wishing to speak? Hearing none,
we'll close the public hearing. Mr. Perry, did you have any final comments before we go to a vote? >> No, I think Mr. Delong did a really good job of talking about the uh the special use application. >> Okay. >> We could obviously talk about a whole host of things on the concept plan and
the project overall, but it's really not the grain of what we're here to talk about today. >> All right. Thank you. Chair will entertain a motion. >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, ma'am. Miss Coachman to approve. >> We just do 2602 first. >> 2602.
>> All right. Is there a second? Second by Miss Barnaby. >> All right. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll start the vote in ward four. >> Yes. >> Five. >> Yes. >> One. >> Yes. >> Two. >> Yes. >> Three. >> Yes. >> Carries five to zero.
Uh. Now we'll go to resolution 2603. Chair will entertain a motion. >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, ma'am. Miss Coachman. >> Move to approve resolution 2603. >> All right. Second. >> Second by Miss Barnaby. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll start the vote in ward five.
>> Yes. >> One, >> yes. >> Two, >> yes. >> Three, >> yes. >> And four, >> yes. >> Approved 5 to zero. Madame clerk, >> item 7 C is a public hearing for resolution 2604. Okay. Uh Brandon Wink, city planner,
here with resolution 2604, request to operate drive-thru service station/repair in the suburban commercial corridor zoning district for property located at 3511 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton. We have the agent Herb Green with us
today. Uh he's here to do a special use approval for drive-throughs service station repair. It's at the Friendly City Car Wash. It's they're turning it into a take five pending this board's approval. The subject parcel is located, as you
can see here, right on Manatee A. It is in the suburban commercial corridor zoning district and notably surrounding it is county properties. This used to be a county property. It was annexed into the city and the at the time car wash
was allowed to be built under county rules but they are now coming in to go turn it into a take five and it is a special use to do a service station repair. Future land use is also SEC. So they are
following with all the rules related to that. Service stationation/repair is listed as special use in SEC zoning district. Special use requires city council approval. It is currently a car wash. Car wash is also listed as a special use, but because it was allowed to be
built under county rules, it did not require special use at the time of it being built. For the future land use, it typically supports automotive uses. Uh this is directly from the comprehensive plan for commercial uses commiserate with ser
suburban arterial roadways such as gas stations, car washes, drive-through restaurants, open storage, mini storage, retail office, automotive sales, automotive repair and service, hotel, motel, restaurants and social services, outdoor storage is prohibited.
This is a concept that was submitted to us and I believe the applicant has more updated things that they would like to talk about. they have their own presentation that they will get to after I get through a couple more slides. Uh for the general special use
standards, it's all the same as every other special use that we put through to you guys. Uh shall be subject to general regulations of the land use uh regulations. Separation strip of 10 ft in which shall be provided along all property lines. Uh there is existing
landscaping which they will probably be talking about. They at the time of submitt they had no plans to alter any of the site via landscaping or the the parking lot. They're trying to keep things as close to standard as it is
with what is currently existing. Uh for their criteria adequacy of ingress and egress to the property proposed structure with regard for automobiles and pedestrian safety. Like I said uh with what they submitted, they're just trying to keep everything as it currently is standing. They're
just trying to switch it from a car wash to a take five. And there are uh stipulations put on this. There's one which is during the site improvement permitting phase, the site plan shall be reviewed for compliance with Florida Fire Building Code and with City of Bradon land use
regulations. We put this stipulation on here because this is us going to you for special use and obviously things might change a little bit once they get further along in the process. So, we're letting you know that through the stipulation, they will continue to be kept to the standard that the city has
when it comes to any new construction or existing that's getting improved on. And then we have the applicant here ready to come up. >> All right. Is there any questions first before we have the applicant come up? >> I have a little one,
>> just a small one. Go ahead. Um, so it uh do I understand correctly that currently even just operating the car wash is technically not permitted because they don't have the special use that permits car wash or >> they were grandfathered into not needing
one because they were annexed while the plan was already in place to build the car wash there. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So if the car wash were to not be in use for longer than one year and a new car wash would be put in, then they would have to come get special use through you. Okay.
>> Okay. Anything else? All right. We'll have the applicant come up. >> Good morning, honorable mayor, ladies and gentlemen of the council and staff. My name is Herb Greenwood with CAD Jazz Engineering. I have with me Don Wallace,
owner operator of Take Five. uh to an answer any additional questions and offer clarifications. Uh we come before you today to ask for a special use permit for uh a change but not a change. It's a similar use as a car wash except
ours is a very uh unique uh setup from standpoint. You stay in your car, get your car oil changed, incidental repairs and activities. No cars will be left on site. It's just uh just that activity and no there's no nothing um no
significant mechanical repairs in the special use criteria. There are certain things that the the city considers from standpoint of level of service and consistency with use. Those incur include some of the things that staff reviewed, adequacy of uh ingress
and egress, location and design uh of the the the waste in the refues, utilities, screening buffers, proposed signs and exterior lighting, effect upon the value and surrounding properties, adequacy of land and or building.
general compatibility and appropriateness of the use, environmental quality of the district and consistency of the city uh in in accordance with the existing comp plan. In terms of access, take five is going to make use of the car wash that has two
access points uh on on the main strip on Manatee Avenue and then one on 36 Street consistent with the way it sits now. I'm just going to say all of this is west so people if they're watching the meeting,
it's Manatee Avenue West and 36th Street West so they don't get confused because we do have those east also. Thank you. Uh traffic impact take five uh is just a comparison of level of
service. Again, take five average daily trips as uh as um estimated by it, which is a standard traffic index. Uh average daily trips of the existing car wash is estimated about 432 trips. Take five
will take only 120 average daily trips. When we compare compare the um the peak hours, take five will generate about eight in and four out for a total of about 14 peak hour trips. Whereas the car wash is at about 19. So it's pretty
comparable. But the car wash on an average basis generates three times the amount of uh traffic as the take five would be. So take five would be in a sense generating less number of cars going to the site. required parking. The car wash right now
sits with six spaces. Take five requires only five spaces, but we are adding an additional space for ADA uh accessibility parking. So, we are uh just making use of that existing area that's not being used appropriately. So,
we'll we'll just uh stripe that area for ADA or handicap parking. uh garbage pickup location. The car wash already contains the refuge uh accessibility there with the the size that's required for our use. Uh I mean
comparing the level of service car wash will generate actually more over the year more tonnage of waste. take five and and then just main concern was just activity and access to the refuge or the garbage location and take five will uh
that access in that location to the existing garbage can works works well for the site. So we'll just leave that in place. Utilities uh car wash will demand more water and sewer required as required
than the car take five. Take five generally only uses about uh 150 200 gallons per day whereas the car wash is generating in about uh close to 1500 gallons per day in excess screen and buffering. Um
car wash right now is open bays all the washing activities in the sound and they have vacuum cleaners outside of the bays that that they're operating. uh take five all the work will be enclosed or inside the building within the garage areas. So screening and
buffering is is also less impact by take five lighting and sight sign location those uh the lighting and signs already there. Uh the lighting is per code and the signage is there. Uh take five will just uh make use of those existing
facilities. hours of operation just a consideration of uh take five take working from 7 am to 7 pm whereas a car wash is 24 hours of course that's more taxing on the the public streets and access
environmental impact take five u we have to just acknowledge that take five pose no more environmental impact than the existing car wash car wash uses detergents and things that are not filtered out they just you know run off or just sprayed out into the parking
lot. Take five is all contained within uh all the lubricants are stored within the site and hauled in inside tanks, collected inside the tanks and then uh there's a special vacuum system that they they take the oil from and stored
in the tank and then it's collected and and recycled offsite. future land use uh just for compatibility in in this area. The car wash is already uh enjoying the benefits of the the the
SEC use and take five um is asking to do the same. Right now, the the the city of Braon land development co code and comprehensive plan says that this
area should support like car activities and that's what take five is proposing similar to the car wash is it's uh supporting the car or vehicle use activities on this along this corridor. Economic impact.
Take five will generate 15 new jobs including management and technicians on site. Uh car wash currently just has one job. So the economic impact is a benefit to the city. You have 15 more new jobs at that location without doing much.
It's just a change of use. In terms of access access, there was a question coming up uh came up in the planning and zoning about access. There's a dual access to Manatee Avenue West at this location. And I just wanted
to share this from a standpoint of just looking at the accesses overall around this around us. And this is very consistent with an urban corridor. You want multiple accesses for EMS traffic and traffic calming per se. The speed
limit supports multiple accesses in this manner and the uses are consistent with that. So in we're we're saying that there is no issue with access because this is an urban corridor and urban corridors have multiple accesses that
calm the traffic down. It slowed the speed of traffic coming through the area. site plan. You can see and we're just proposing to uh >> Can is there any way we can make this any larger for those of us that remember when Eisenhower was president?
>> Is there old? >> I am old. I was only three, but I do remember. >> I was going to say I don't remember it. But >> I remember it and I'll tell you why later. Thank you so much. No problem. >> Yeah, it's good.
>> There we go. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Um, as you can see, the the existing site sits with the building location pretty much where it is. Um, we're proposing to renovate the building
internally to enclose the building. And right now, the car wash bays are all open. I think there's like four bays open and we're going to enclose the uh the eastmost portion of it and then maintain the west three bays for the uh
the quick oil change service. Um for reference all the facilities that's required by us is pretty much there on site. the parking the uh the refuge locations as you can see here.
Here's the existing refues here. Uh parking here and and we're going to add this ADA parking. The accesses are here and here. And the circulation, everything pretty much works. Uh for reference,
I showed eight eight uh six cars in the weight and then three more cars in the service location just so that there would be no questions in terms of uh what would the stacking be? There's always a concern if there's going to be enough stacking. Uh
it says there's eight cars coming in at a peak hour and that's pretty much that's pretty much the peak. I've done take fives uh all throughout the state and the peak number is actually about seven. Seven an hour. That's about the maximum number that they get. And then
if you consider seven, they process a car in about 15 20 minutes. So in an hour they're processing uh three four cars out. So the stacking seven minus three, they're only going to get four cars stacking at at most. But I
just showed the uh nine cars working in the bays or or wait and wait just to show that there's should not be any issues in queuing zoom back out. This is the uh proposed architectural elevations for
the project. Um you can see that the bays will be enclosed. Buildings will be completed out a little bit different facads. Uh roofing will change a little bit but adds a lot more aesthetic than what is there right now.
And with that I'll take uh questions. And of course uh well let me allow Don to come up and explain a little bit about our operations. All right and then we'll get questions after that. >> Uh Don Wallace we are the uh owner
operator of take five. We have uh presently we have um three locations um one in the city, two more in the county on u state route 64 uh which is in the
city and then we have uh Cortez uh we have uh Palmetto. We also are uh planning with this location would be our fourth location in Manatee County. Uh we have a site secured and under permitting uh at
Lakewood Ranch on 64 near Pope Road. We also have a new location that we're working on in Parish 301. Um and then corporate also has three locations within Manatee County. uh
cumulative total all built out with our future plans and our current locations will provide approximately 107 jobs in Mandy County. We do have um uh Manity Tech Institute, their auto repair uh
program. We've hired uh we have presently have four managers that are all from 20 to 30 years old that we've promoted from within. And um we have two more assistant managers that came from
that program that we're hiring locally here, training locally here, and partnering with uh Manatee Tech uh to get a lot of our employees. And that we have other employees that uh still go to school and actually work part-time with
us as well. Um you know we we love we love city of Bradenon Mante County. Love being here. Love doing business here. Y'all are a great community. We like to team with the um be a good business partner. Uh we do local events, car
shows, some other things that we'd like to do more of. We uh nationally uh take five, we do folds of honor. We hire a lot of veterans. Um we're a partner with Folds of Honor and uh that's one of our um charities. Also Children's
Foundation. We work with Children's Foundations. Um Sarasota and then uh St. Pete. Y'all don't presently have a Children's Hospital in Mante County, but um that is one of our main things we do.
um provide for veterans. We do discounts for veterans. We do discounts for first responders uh both the police departments and um nurses and um any um first responder staffs,
>> fire departments. >> Fire department. Yes. Fire department. We also uh have uh uh fleet programs with um we do Mandy County Schools. We're president doing Mandy County Schools. we're working with to to uh provide additional services for Manatee
County Sheriff so they don't have to go all the way to Port Manatee now um for just quick oil changes. These are where they can bring their cars, get their oil changed, not have to go leave their car and get it serviced and and change cars.
Um uh we do Leo uh Leo Beach Police Department. We take care of their cars. Um and um I know that we have our fleet folks that are working on getting in here to provide city uh uh u services.
We do Port Charlotte uh or we do Charlotte counties and uh like I said our rates are um almost what um a lot of the municipalities can actually buy their old for and then have to have somebody all the services and downtime.
So, um, but we do appreciate y'all's consideration. Um, couple of the things, uh, know that landscaping was mentioned. We are going to enhance it a little bit with some more flyers. There's some beautiful royal palms there. We don't want to have to take those. We're just
going to enhance it, clean it up, maintain it. Uh, we may put some additional fencing in around just to for buffering between it's a business uh, offices behind us. I think a dry cleaner is next to us. And just for cut through traffic and safety purposes, we may come
back in after we start construction and get a a a fence permit, put a nice fence up as well. That's it. >> Any questions before we go to public hearing? >> All right, Miss Barnaby. >> Um I'm just three things. One is you
still want to maintain two in on Manatee Avenue. >> Yes. is uh I mean people are used to that access if you look up and down man uh mantav the those access points in and
out um are utilized we we did look there's been no significant accidents or goes there's a center lane to go into from either direction um you know people are going to take the most convenient route um there and again also
Those two access points across the front are part of the drainage system as well and protection to tile the drainage back into the outfall point at the very back part of the property. >> My only concern and again lived here all
my life, >> used to use that car wash. Most of the time when people came off of Manatee Avenue to use the car wash, they either came around, which I'm assuming you're going to want them to do, but you've got three bays of stuff coming at people
that way. >> Yes. >> Uh we have when we guide we we guide people in, we stop them in the back. We uh for safety purposes, we always give them a water smile, tell them what they're getting ready, you know, ask
them what all services they want. We guide them into the bays. When they leave, they don't just take off out of the bays. We go outside. We look both ways, make sure there's nothing coming, and we guide them out of the bays for safety purposes. >> Okay. >> And then as far as pulling out on
Manatee Avenue, whether they're pulling out from uh the side street or one of the other two, it's pretty much the same thing. >> I thought I saw something about if on Manatee Avenue, you wanted people to do right turn only. And then if you need to turn left, come
on. >> Do the it the it's stripe. There's no double stripe or caution stripes across there. So that's not something that we could go out into the rideway and provide. That's just an existing condition from DOT.
>> And and you're going to be doing some excavating, correct? Because aren't your employees like under the car or are they up on jacks? >> It's it's No, it's 30. Uh we do a 30-inch uh recess work area. >> Okay. >> So what in the renovation we do we're
adding 8 feet onto the bays to make the bays a little deeper. It's part of the building renovation which is in permitting now waiting for for uh the conditional use. Um all of that has been been approved well sitting blessed by
reviewed and and no comments there. Okay. Um the Yeah, we do pull them in. They're safety rails. There's safety steps, OSHA safety steps down our vacuum system. The tray goes in, all the oil goes in there, goes into recycle tanks.
>> Okay. Um just one other thing. Many times up here we get accused of rubber stamping projects and it was a little disconcerning to see a s a a cover on the sign saying that
it's coming soon when it hadn't been in front of the planning commission and it hadn't come in front of us. Yes, we we purchased the property and again by our initial review of all of the codes and everything with it being a car wash
the use consistent. We purchased it as we were going through the process when we were going for our zoning letter through permitting. That's when they go, "Oh, wait. This has never been uh gotten a conditional use when it was annexed." That was just a
we didn't know. As soon as we were asked to say, "Hey, wait, you know, we got to go through the conditional use," we were asked to cover it. We covered it and but that was um I guess hindsight or just assumption that we were, you know, our
use was consistent with the present use. >> All right, Councilman Schustler. >> Um yeah, first uh Miss Barnaby, thanks for that comment. I agree with the rubber stamping. I was a little bit uh I live right in the neighborhood. Um a little bit shocked with the signage that
was up there before it had gone to uh planning um and before us. Um having said that and looking at the ingress and egress of there and looking at the rest of the service stations
that are in that area and along there, there's a Jify Lube, a competitor right down the street. Um, and you know, I live off a 26, so I'm around and about making left and right-hand turns. And when traffic is busy, uh, you know, you
use caution and you go beyond it and come back around. When I look at the other service stations, I do see those two ways in there in the gas stations and then the one on the um, side street. I don't see anything different. What I also just would like to mention that in
looking at the Take Five brand uh the stores are clean. It's actually aesthetically an upgrade as to what is there now. Um so I you know I I I wonder about the hesitancy of the planning council. I'm
not a uh uh an urban planner. Uh but from what I see and what's in the area, I understand it's a special use. I I just wanted to comment that I think it's a good thing. >> Thank you, Mrs. Moore. >> Um I thank you for expressing Councilman
um Shusler curiosity about the planning commission's deliberations because I thought that that was notable, too. I'm assuming it has something to do with traffic, but um but I agree with you that I thought that that was a little interesting. Um, and I have to defer, I
think, to you all on the issue of traffic. That's not my traffic pattern to travel in that area during maybe higher peak times. Um, so I would love to hear if anyone has more um, commentary about what it's like there
um, and how concerned we should be about that regarding the name of the brand. And I think this is a question for planning specifically and as um you guys know usually my concern is always not the take five brand itself but you know going forward in the future what are we
permitting right now if we like the take five brand and what they're proposing what is the potential if the property changes hands or you know for whatever reason it's not a take five is it possible that the automotive use could potentially become more intense and is
that something that we just need to have a conversation about. >> Let's so keep that on the back burner for a moment. We'll get I think they'll be able to answer some of that. >> Um >> you can go ahead and sit down for now. >> Um thank you if you don't mind, Miss
Moralette. The others and then uh Sure. >> then we'll have the planning commission answer to that because they may be able to answer a bunch at once. >> Thank you. >> Uh Vice Mayor Coker. >> Yeah. Um with just wanting you said you wanted comments. I was a frequent flyer at the car wash, so the ingress and
egress, you know, I I never had any issues with it. And uh from what they've presented, it sounds like it's going to be less intense. So, I don't see that as a concern. >> Miss Coachman, >> I didn't want to be left out. Um I agree
um with um Vice Mayor. It it this I think is going to be an improvement. Um, I can't really see any change in terms of traffic, any it being excessive. I think if anything it might
be a reduction. Um, the idea that they're going to be ADA uh they're going to attempt to be more ADA um accessible. That was just so appropo. So, you know, they they could definitely
put that in a sticker window. Um and and and another thing that really stood out to me was 15 jobs versus one. So um I'm definitely leaning towards approval. I I also wondered about that
vote um from the planning commission. >> Yeah. The only thing I had to finish was >> Let me I'll finish my comment real quick first. um with the pretty much adult lifelong resident in that area and I probably drove bigger
vehicles in there than any of other of you but the pulling a travel trailer on my truck and I liked the two accesses in and out and that's where I would drive where we stored our travel trailer. There's a closer car wash that was like
that, but it was harder to get in and out of because it only had one entrance off of Cortez Road and then it had you had to go in and really maneuver. So, I think keeping the two accesses is a plus. Plus, when you have a curb cut from DOT, you don't give it up. You just
don't give it up. I mean, I don't know if anybody ever else has thought that because to try to get a new curb cut >> is very difficult and and uh so those those things aren't concerning to me. Um I like Mrs. Moore's question about you
know what if what ifs something changes. Now I went I sat through as a councilman your other take five on the corner there that was was very controversial with a lot of neighbors in that. I don't think most neighbors in this area and businesses are going to say, "Oh, it
looks better." That's what they're going to say. They're not going to say, "Oh my god, we're putting that there." And so, I think there's some positives. Obviously, I didn't sit through the through the uh planning commission and know things, but I like when people have their opinions and that's why we have seven members on that planning
commission and five were there that day and uh you know, they make their decisions known and for whatever reason was three to two. But I think that there's some opportunity and I like cleaning up the property. I do like what they said possibly about a fence around the back because and and I think a fence
around the back on the on the around the side would actually help their property look better because they you know the the uh the property next to it isn't kept up as well, you know, and that's just what you know the goal is to try to get things along that keep it up. Um, so
I don't think there's I mean I don't nobody's jumping for joy or not jumping. You know, it's just it's going to be a same use. You know, we missed the car wash, but car washes change. Um, especially the ones on Mante Avenue and the way car washes operate now. So, um,
but yeah. So, now maybe you can give us a comment on because once we approve something, it stays forever unless they don't are they're there for 12 months consistently. Is that how does that work? So, uh, to what Moore said, uh,
you could put a stipulation or some sort of thing on it saying that, you know, they're allowed to do what is stated outdoor storage or other in more intensive automotive uses would not be allowed. That is something that you could uh, look at. But also, if they
were to sell to a different type of automotive use, that automotive use would have to be consistent with the service station repair. If they were to become more intensive or do something outside of that purview, then they would probably have to go back before you, depending on what type of use they're
trying to do, in which case you have more say. Um, but it is >> exactly what they were proposing >> and then they sold it to somebody else and it was the exact same thing again. >> That could be it. If it was going to more intense than what they're doing,
>> it I it would have to depend on if more intense falls within what is currently being proposed as the use type. Like if more cars were to show up, you know, we love when businesses are busy. Mhm. >> Um but if it became way too much or if
they started to do say service stationation repair and cars were staying there overnight for instance and that is obviously >> more intense >> more intense. >> So it is idea. >> Yeah it is a concern always to look forward which planners love when council
members say to think forward. Um, but yeah, you have the ability to add, take away, and >> but we don't want all of a sudden, like you said, cars are staying overnight because now they're changing alternators and everything else. This is basically an oil change and minimum
pipe to two, you know, whatever they can do really in 15 minutes, which I think that's probably the use. And and I I may disagree on one thing that they brought up about 452 cars going through there. >> Oh, >> for a car wash. I don't think that ever
happened, but but that was the that's what could happen >> if it was the maximum use. But I still think it's going to be on a weekend less cars during the week. It's definitely going to be about the same because there's very few cars that would go to that car wash during the week. It's
mostly Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And I don't Your hours are probably seven days a week, I think. So, it's going to stay similar open hours, but but no. And that car wash has been in disrepair for years. So, Miss Barnaby,
>> thank you. Don't go anywhere. >> Um, as it stands now, are they allowed to have outside storage? >> The car wash. >> The car wash. No, I'm I'm talking about I mean, >> take five. I I was looking at it and they were saying there was not going to
be any outside storage. Do we need Do we need to put that? But I'm I'm concerned like Miss Moore has brought up that you know we we want do we need to memorialize that there's should it change
should it change that there is to be no outside storage um no cars overnight that sort of thing do we need to put that in there? >> So outdoor storage is prohibited by the future land use. Uh, however,
you can add whatever you would like. >> Is a very dangerous thing to say to a woman. >> I trust your reasoning. >> Wow. >> For his age. >> I know. >> So, what would be to to move this along
to a public hearing and open the public hearing? Um, do we want to listen to the public? Sure. >> And then we'll come back and come up with a stipulation that might help us feel a little bit better that if they do change the use but similar, it can't
expand into more. So, all right. So, at this time, I'll open the public hearing. Anyone wishing to speak? Anyone wishing to speak? Anyone wishing to speak? Hearing no public comment, we'll close the public hearing. Um, so Miss Barnaby, do you want to
propose something or >> Well, I am been staring at Mr. Ruters, but he's not looking my way. >> That's because I was writing. >> Okay. >> Um, >> me to you. Okay. >> So, I have a suggestion for a
stipulation. Um, and then we'll bring the applicant up and see if they're in agreement with it. Um but based on the discussion um my thought was we'd have a stipulation that would say the use shall be limited to oil change and minor
repairs and no outdoor storage or overnight vehicle storage shall be permitted. >> Come forward as if you >> um and we we do not have
>> state your name again for the >> Don Wallace. Yeah. Um or take five >> take five oil change. Um we do not um do any type of repairs that somebody would have to leave their cars or somebody drops their car off say come back and pick it up tomorrow for the oil change.
We do we don't >> So you would accept those? >> We would accept that. The only the only other thing that um we do have is we do have our our marketing vehicles that would be parked out front um and a well it's a little Tikes car and some of
those but >> move them around to different locations. >> Yeah, we move them around to different locations mainly bring them in for events or customer appreciations or stuff that we're doing and so they kind of come and go but those would be um >> sitting there overnight. >> Those would be sitting there overnight.
Normally the cars go into the bay and it would just be the trailer that hauls it around that might be sitting out there and it's not >> permanent fixture. >> That's okay. So it's not not necessarily >> it's not anything that's getting repairs or stored or anything like that.
>> All right. So the chair will entertain a motion. >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, ma'am. Miss Barnaby. >> Mr. Reuters. I'm going to try to do my best if I because I was making very furious notes. So, if I mess it up, >> let me do this. I just tweaked it a
little bit based on his comments. >> Okay. >> And so, I think the motion would be um it' be a motion to approve resolution 26-04 with the addition of stipulation
number two. to read. The use shall be limited to oil change and minor repairs and no outdoor storage or overnight storage um for vehicle repair shall be
permitted. >> So moved. >> I will I will move that with the stipulation. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second by Mr. Schustler. All right. Any further discussion? >> Ask a quick question. >> Yes, sir. Uh, my technology is not working today. So, I just wanted to make
sure Mr. Rutil mentioned that was stipulation two. Is stipulation one referring to the SIPs reviewed for compliance with Florida Fire? >> That's correct. >> Thank you. >> Good. All right. Hearing nothing else, we'll start the vote to approve in Ward one. >> Yes. >> Two,
>> yes. >> Three, >> yes. >> Four, >> yes. >> Five, >> yes. >> Carries five to zero. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Madame Clerk, >> the next item is new business. >> Mr. Perry, did you have anything?
>> Just one item, Mayor. Um, >> yes, sir. >> Again, I'm I bring items to you pursuant to our emergency purchase policy at the next scheduled meeting, and we had a public works expenditure on February 6th, uh, that was submitted by Colonel
Lee in the amount of $325,000. And That was for Woodruff and Sons for disc filters at the wastewater reclamation facility. Um I I don't really know a whole lot more about it. Um so Mr. Lee's here if you do have any
questions, but that disc filter is obviously a pretty important piece of our uh machinery and apparatus down there. And I know that we installed the supplemental disc filter. I don't know if it has to do with that or not. He's nodding his head that it is. So, I think
it's related to that particular purchase. Um, and I think we actually leased that disc filter. And I'm getting another nod. So, I'm assuming this has to do with either the installation or the lease of that disc filter. And a third nod. >> Nod. Yes.
>> Yes. >> All right. Any questions? Anything else? Mr. Perry, >> I have one other matter um that I'd like to bring to the the council's attention under new business. And um it's an interesting and legacy matter that's
kind of been looming in the community actually back to about the 1950s which is the bus bench signs and we've had some litigation um dispositive of certain actions regarding the bus bench signs as council may or may not know uh
they started in 195 I think it was 52 55 something along those lines and uh way back in the day it was amended with a contract new contract in 197 72 and then a substantial amendment to that in 1995.
When I came in in 2021, I had been told by um Mr. Mlen and some counselors that they had concerns about the blight and unsightliness and lack of functionality of the 140 plus benches that are out in the community particularly in their
position their condition their relationship to right away their possible encroachment onto private property as well as their position as it relates to the county's efforts for their metro um MCAT system their mass transit um system and of course the
county had come in and put in shelters where a lot of these benches were to weather shelters basically guard against rain UV um and provide benches in those areas to people waiting for a bus and that was all done with uh federal transit money um in coordination with
the county. The vast majority of those benches are either on a state road or north south artery um for the county as well and of course we don't have those rightaways. So at any rate, I began to talk with Metro Bench back in 2021
thereabouts and look at the options. Um it became clear to me at that time that based on that 1972 and the ensuing 1995 amendment that Metro Bench was taken a position that the city could never terminate these unless specific
conditions and opportunities to cure were were um executed, but that it was a continuing contract in perpetuity. And and when lawyers hear that, they go, "We're not so sure that there are such things." They're usually frowned upon as
a matter of public policy. And so I began to discuss that and a potential about reducing benches as well as as re redoing the benches, the quality of them, things like that. But Metro never really came off that position. And so I
consulted with Mr. Rudicel and and it was I won't get too deep into that but but but it was pretty clear that the only way we were going to be able to kind of resolve this stalemate um was by litigation. And so we initiated litigation for
what's called declaratory judgment. We wanted the court to declare whether those provisions allowed for termination under certain conditions and notices. what what provisions of the contract controlled and to further complicate it the 1995 amendment was unsigned by the
city I think and no reference to um any city council meeting yeah so so it really meant whether it had legal efficacy as a question and a whole other things right but we looked at it and and Mr. Rudisell gave me very very uh good legal advice which was basically that we
need to send them a letter um and tell them that we are going to exercise the termination provisions that we believe that the 95 pro provisions had had extensions potentially of 10 years and a second one but that that would expire in
2025 the end of 2025. And so lo and behold, we went to court last week and and Daniel Vanettton from Blade Lock handled the litigation and he made two key arguments about them to the court.
The the the plaintist Metro insisted that they had a non-terminable contract and they had exclusive rights and that if their benches were moved or in disrepair, it was the responsibility of the city. And we argued basically against that at a preliminary
injunction. We had sent them a letter telling them that sec second term had exp was was expiring and we expected them to remove their benches or that we would remove them for them and then charge them back cost. And so they went to court and filed a preliminary injunction attempting to prevent the
city from doing just that. Uh they have the burden of proof under preliminary injunction. There's three there's four components, but the three that were applicable mostly to this case was their likelihood of success on the merits, their adequacy of it of a remedy at law and a public policy interest. And so
that's what the hearing focused upon. and we went before the manatee circuit court, the state circuit court for manatee county and we had a hearing and uh they they asserted those arguments and and we counted those arguments and talked about the exclusivity provision
and whether it's a lease or a licensing agreement. But moreover, we talked about the fact that we can't give them something we don't have even if they were correct with their exclusivity. meaning we can't tell the county where to put benches or the state where to
allow benches and the like. And then perhaps more importantly, we had conducted a very extensive professional engineering survey regarding the location of the benches, the condition of the benches, and the compliance of the benches with the Florida Administrative Code, the Florida
Accessibility Code, and the Federal ADA. And and the firm that we engage to do that is a specialty firm out of Tampa or St. heat that actually does that work. I mean, they are that's their their sweet spot. And out of the 47 benches they surveyed, they found that 45 of them did
not meet one of those three requirements. That's required by FDOT for any clearance as well as required pursuant to the green book and other traffic engineering standards. And so between our expert and myself explaining that a good number of these we don't
have certain rights. tell them where to put the benches, tell them whether the exclusivity provides, and then arguing the legality of the termination provisions. The court ruled in our favor and found specifically that there was not a likelihood to prevail on the merits by by Metro Bench and that there
would be an adequate remedy at law. We are in the process right now of negotiating a a negotiated resolution and settlement of the case which requires Metro to remove all all benches within the city to wave any and all
claims against us and we would do the same against them and each party goes their own way but it ends a 75 year saga of the bus bench and there's a lot more to this story I don't need specific action at this point, but I do feel that
it's incumbent upon me to advise council. The reason why I don't think I need specific action is because there is no financial settlement that's being laid out by the city. It's a contract interpretation on a contract that I have to administer in my official capacity
and uh and and also it's uh you know advanced basically in in the interest of of good roadway safety and things of that nature. So that's where I stand and I hope to finalize that fairly quickly.
I applaud Mr. Ruticel for bearing with me for the last many years and probably you know doing doing a lot of research before the litigation team got involved as well as the litigation team. It's a good outcome and it's and I just point out that Metro Bench is pretty
latigious. They had been involved in three cases that had gone to court previously. I believe it was Tarpon Springs, Gainesville, and Jacksonville. And their attorney was pretty good, and they prevailed in all three of those cases. >> Interesting. >> Vice Mayor Coker.
>> Yes. Can we put a hard deadline on having those? >> It's 120 days as proposed. >> Good. >> Mrs. Moore, >> um I I'm just curious. Um I I'm sure I'm not the only one that hears sometimes from businesses that advertise on those
benches. Does Metro contract directly with those businesses? Do we have any problems? >> That's not really our concern. >> Well, I just want to make sure that we're not later going to be accused of some kind of interference. >> Let me just explain something about the contracts themselves that was originally
stated. >> Initially, Metro was to provide um nonprofits in the community, specifically the Boys and Girls Club, Girls uh Girls Only. >> Yep. Girls >> and the Lions Club. The only two that
are existing at this time as it relates to having contracts for their the revenue share with Metro and this was flushed out at the hearing is the Lions Club. The Lions Club joined and I don't know why they joined. And when we asked
how much revenue was received and what the revenue share was, we didn't get answers. Now, as it relates to advertisers and things that that might be on there, uh we don't advertise. That's not our core business. And although I'm sympathetic to those
advertisers and don't pass judgment on the value they receive for that, um this saga has to end in my opinion. >> Yeah. The nature of my question was and I imagine you know I trust Mr. Russell and his team um that it has been
addressed and it is just um whether or not those advertisers had any claims against the city for us. Now they no longer they're in a contract presumably with Metro and this is probably outside of the purview of what we really need to talk about. But presumably they're under a contract with Metro directly that now
Metro can no longer perform because we are removing the benches. And so I'm thinking, okay, well that's between you two now. That has nothing to do with the city, >> right? I remember law school that whole couple weeks in the bar exam about legality of contract.
>> Mr. Rutell, do you >> I'm not trying to apply this. I'm not a litigator. >> Well, I I would just say we the approach we took was to give them a significant amount of notice of our
termination of the agreement. So I think we gave them two years plus. >> Okay. And so once they um once they dismiss their claim, you know, all we have is our termination of their agreement, which we provided notice of
over two years ago. So I don't see how there's any claim of, you know, that we interfered with their contract or anything like that. >> So Miss Coachman, >> thank you. Okay, so it sounds like this is just going to be a wash, right? But
what about legal fees? Shouldn't they pay our legal fees. >> That's a good question. >> Or just make it a wash and just >> I think the latter is what what what's in the best interest of the city in my opinion and one of the reasons why is that there are certain statutes that re have mandatory legal fees for prevailing
party. >> This is not one of them. it's discretionary and to that extent um usually it's an uphill climb on on discretionary legal fees >> and we'd basically have to continue with the litigation on the declaratory
judgment and probably incur another significant probably twice as much was was expended already. >> Yeah. >> And that being the case I think it's time to just >> look at that's the price of uh of doing business. >> Miss Bar Miss Barnaby >> are you done Mrs. judgement.
>> Oh, okay. >> Okay. Well, I can't see her unless I lean forward. >> Um, a couple of things. One is I know that there are some benches in Manatee
Avenue in Ward 2 that I think people tend to use. And if we're going to remove those, can we contact the county and ask them to replace them with just the regular little county? >> I mean,
>> well, yeah, and I I'll comment to that a little bit being MO and different things involved. Um, and at one point many years ago being the largest bench advertiser for my private world,
um, the I think every bus stop has either the pole with the two little side things or it has a bench or it has a covering now. And that's where when this all started and when it many years ago and doing all the research through it,
they were putting them at. It was a JC project I think um that they were putting them at for people to have a place to sit >> and how they paid for them was through the advertising and then they were given money to local organizations Bradenon Manatee County organizations.
Well, when the company had got bought out over a couple of times, then all of a sudden the Boys and Girls Club of another area was getting money and they were trying to claim that that's what it was still going to the charity, but it wasn't the charity of Manatee County.
So, um, and as still an advertiser in the private world, you know, I look at the looks of our city and when you have a bus stop and 50 feet away you have an advertising bench, it's not really for the bus stop anymore. So that's why I
was in support of this um going through and I think you know sometimes you know a win is a win and the more you do and when they've prevailed in their other cities and the other cities had to pay
their legal fees a win is a win and especially when the other side comes to us and says hey maybe we should both walk away with a little frown or smile and I think the I I I think I know most of the advertisers on it. I don't know
that it's going to be a big deal. And when I got sued at my private business for $5 million because the advertising bench was blocking with a motorcycle death on Manatee Avenue and Metro Bench wasn't willing to let us out of the lawsuit until we had to force our way
out. You know, there's some other issues that they've not become they've not bus stop benches anymore. They were advertising signs which we don't allow. >> Chief Kramer, >> thank you. And I'll say thank you to both of you, Mr. Rousil, Mr. Perry, for
pushing us through. I know it's a issue that when I was on council was and beyond that, it was been trouble for a long time. Um, one thing that the county benches, school, I'm sorry, bus stop with the coverings and all that, we're
actually able to enforce uh trespass warnings that the county has a blanket trespass warning for their bus stops. We can't do that on these benches because we have to get actually the property owners like you were saying if it's several feet away. It adds to that
blight that slum >> 14th Street versus Tam Hammy Trail look that you've talked about so many times. >> This goes a lot deeper than just another advertising bench that's not in the right spot. Most of them are on private property which isn't ours. Most of the roads aren't ours, you know. So it
really it's it's a it's a community solution going long term. So Miss Barnaby, I'm sorry for interrupting. >> That that's okay. Um, I think I was in my very second the my first year in office, my very second council meeting
back in 1998 and we were talking about this >> because there were people complaining back then >> and the buses were not being kept up and they looked terrible. And if I was an advertiser the way that some of them looked, I I would have never signed
another contract with those people because they didn't they they weren't kept up. I'm very grateful that we are not having to deal with this any longer and I appreciate everything everybody did.
Just as a point to councelor Barnaby's uh comment when we researched it we had found out that I think it was keep beautiful back in 95 when they met I think it was 95 there was a couple of newspaper articles written and actually an editorial and letters to the editor
opposing opposing allowing the benches >> but that's not the predicate of the legal rights here and I don't want to talk too much more because it's not finalized uh if there's no objection I' like to proceed as suggested um and
accordingly for Mr. Ruticell and myself to resolve the matter. >> Yep. >> All right. >> Thank you very much. Anything else, Mr. Perry? >> No, sir. Um we we do have when you go to directors, I know director Lee wants to >> Yes. >> say a couple words, but we have not
there yet. Yeah. >> Any unfinished business? >> No, sir. >> All right. Council reports. We'll start in W three. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I just wanted to take a moment to talk about um expectations, not just for
staff or council, but for all of us in the city. Um I've spent a lot of time over the past weeks talking with W3 residents at their homes, in their businesses, and out in the community. And what I hear most often isn't ideology or politics. It's very
practical concerns. Roads, drainage, public safety, code enforcement, and the overall quality of life. in our neighborhoods. People want to know that city hall is focused on the basics and that decisions are being made clearly, consistently, and in the open. The Face
It and Fix It initiative is a perfect example of this. Uh transparency isn't just about posting online in the book of Face, as Maryanne Barnaby likes to say. Uh it's about explaining what we do and why we do and making sure residents feel
respected in the process. Uh I believe our job as council members is to ask good questions, set clear priorities, and make sure the city is delivering measurable results uh that will make everyone happy. Um every decision, however, should be understandable.
My commitment to W three and to this council is simple. I'll listen first. I'll focus on outcomes over headlines, and I'll work collaboratively to move this city forward in a way that's responsible and sustainable. I appreciate everyone who has taken the time uh to reach out, meet with me, and
stay engaged over the past couple of weeks. This involvement only makes us better. So, thank you. >> All right. Thank you very much. Mrs. Moore, >> um I uh have a couple of things. The
first one is um thank you for that, Councilman uh Shusler. I I agree. Um, I know that we're not in a CRA meeting, but I think it's good information for anyone, not just the CRA board. I listen
to the podcasts generated by uh Mr. Munan and M and Dr. Burton um that were basically uh summations of the just for the general public because this is technically a CRA. This is what I'm
talking about. uh uh the CRA engaged the services of a person named Randy Ayaboni. He prepared some data reporting on each of the CRAAS. They were quite lengthy. They were each about 200 pages long and uh Mr. Munan
created a podcast to listen to that uh encompassed all the information and the data in those. They're 30 minutes and if you have if you haven't had an opportunity to listen to them, I just really strongly suggest that you do. They're well done and the information is literally mind-blowing. Just the data in
it is so good. It's just so great. Um, and I um I also think that we should share it. I think we should be sharing the uh content with our uh economic redevelopment partners including the
chamber and the EDC. Uh and so that was just a little plug for the podcast good. They're only 30 minutes, but it's a lot of info and I think you all would enjoy it and it would frame our our discussions up here. I think you know in inside and outside of the CRA. Um
the I so we have a new debt coming. This is not anything I've heard officially. I have heard it like you know most of you up here uh on social media and whatnot. Deweilers is allegedly coming and opening a new location on East State Road 64 uh adjacent to the River Isles
neighborhood and I'm hearing a lot of concerns from that neighborhood regarding the potential excited super excited about the Debtweilers huge win um for many reasons including I think our common goal of trying to encourage a
grosser uh and more economic redevelopment as you move westward towards downtown, but they're very concerned about traffic in that area. And I'm sure you all have heard these kind of concerns as well. And so I'm being asked if we're doing a traffic
study, if FDOT is doing a traffic study. So I'm just throwing that out there. I don't know the answer to those questions. Um, but I know that a couple of you obviously the mayor's chair of the NO, maybe you have some information in that regard. maybe we could meet with
them and maybe you know re calm any concerns and address anything. Um so that's just a question thrown out there. And then uh just to also similarly maybe I'm directing everything towards the
mayor. I was unable to attend the a last week's um FDOT consultant meetings regarding the Printon Palmetto connector but if it's not inappropriate maybe to share what I heard. Yep. Good news. Um, I'll let you I'll let you share it.
>> Um, and then just quick uh just to give you all updated, I have been out of town for the past uh week or so. And then upon my return, I saw that the temporary 13 lift station is really making a lot of great, you know, strides in its in
construction and and uh whatnot. the the p I appreciate public works being very patient with the neighbors in the immediate, you know, that are literally adjacent to the site um regarding noise and construction and that sort of thing. Uh you know, again,
they're just nervous. But I I I have heard nothing but wonderful things about their interactions with public works when they um express their concerns about noise and that sort of thing. But it's moving along and it looks great. So >> that's all I got. >> Um couple things. First off, River Isles, I have talked with Wayne out at
River Isles who's coordinating some of that, working through some of it. We've talked with our planning staff and right now they don't have a permit in, but they had a demolition permit. So, they're going and but it was an existing grocery store at one point, went to a
office depot or office supply store, and now going through it. There is a meeting already scheduled for March 9th. you probably have that letter up on your desk um that we're going to meet with them and obviously you're invited. We'll do all the public records notices and that to talk to them. Um DOT's involved,
the city's working on things. Um some of the things we can do I think that will help that won't cost a lot of money because you know you can do lights, you can do different things. So, we're we're working through that with DOT and u sometimes we get the cart before the
horse on some things, but I don't blame them, you know, but but obviously we all have to be open-minded and go through it because it wasn't a pre-existing grocery store before. >> And I think and I told the gentleman yesterday, I said, you know, we're panicking over something that is
successful compared to other ones that may not have been as successful. And he agreed. But um Debtweilers, you know, in itself in its Palmetto store is bar none the busiest one. When you go to 53rd Avenue store, it's not as busy. And I
believe this store will be just like that 53rd Street store where it went into an existing Wind Dixie, but the one in Palmetto draws from a lot more. So the gentleman did say, "Well, that does make sense." So, but again, it still doesn't defer that we should be checking
on things and making things easier. That light um Mr. Perry and I had a long conversation about it. I think that light from DOT can be better. The light in itself might solve the majority of the problems. Um and then also looking at where you can do, you know, because
that is a a um what's the proper word I'm looking for? The president is in the audience of the association right now. that is one of our senior residencies communities that sometimes a little bit more safety is good and that's what we want. So, um that which
is important for all of us and then um the what was the other next one? >> Um shoot >> the connector. >> Oh, the connector. Yeah. So, I went to the meeting and um Mr. Perry had left just before I got there. And if you
looked at the map, they had the final three down from 10 to three. They had the map up. They had the Dodto corridor. Then they had the other two corridors and the other two corridors had big X's on them. So that means that they've ruled those two out and they're working
on the Dotto corridor. Um, there's other things that we will bring up later on that will, I think, make a lot of people happy, but it's still in the early infancy parts of it to move to to the corridor. And the word I'm looking for is to try to move more traffic through
there quicker because now we believe that a lot of people believe that we're up to 60% of the north south traffic is through traffic. So, you have to figure a way to get that 60% from stopping the
east and west traffic. So, they're looking at some things that um trips to Tallahassee, positive reinforcement, playing nice in the sandbox will benefit you. And so, and while we're talking about it, I'll go ahead and talk about our Tallahassee because
that's the biggest thing, you know, and it's the old 8020 rule. If you agree with somebody 80% of the time, that doesn't mean you crucify them for the other 20. You know, because everybody differs politically at times, even if you're on the same team. You play on a
football team, you're not going to get along with all 54 players. You play on a hockey team, you play on anything. But when you're wanting to go there and get stuff or win in a sports type thing, you're going to play as a team. And I think that's what we do great up here and and with a great collaboration from
our staff. But those meetings went so well and you know we have an appropriations ask of $24.5 million which would advance a lot more of the stuff we want to do to help our citizens traffic other things. You know we just got the traffic study from Manatee
Avenue and a lot of it's matching money. So I know Mr. Perry and Mr. Williams is probably on a plane flying back, having a heart attack or driving back because money, but that's something we're going to have to really work through and and uh we saw that money doesn't solve
everything, but it helps going down the road quicker. So, that Tallahassee trip was great and I appreciate everybody articulating on it and working with them. So, but that just plays into your question. So, what can we do better? And I think we're at that point now that we
are 175 million kind of already articulated in things and the projects are starting to happen and see now the underground stuff we don't see but it doesn't mean it's not happening and you know we were fortunate last year Mr. Perry said last year with the hurricanes but that was two years ago now. We
always, it's hard to say that because we're two years out from that and almost getting into the third hurricane season coming up, but >> not having anything last year really played into keeping things moving. I believe Mr. or Dr. Lee was going to
talk about Colonel Lee get a promotion maybe at Colonel. Colonel Lee will talk about some of those things if if he wasn't gonna I was going to ask him to about maybe a taste of our water and some different things and but some of the monies we got is going to help fix some of that plan too. So um but so
anyway, no I think all those Was there one more thing? >> I think that was it. But that's great. Thank you. >> Station Oh, lift station 13 is going Yeah, that's that's going very well. >> Yeah. Yeah. I that was really a shout out to public works because I know that there's been angx >> um about the relocation of the pump and
that sort of thing but um but I feel like the site I mean as from what I can tell is not being in construction but I feel like the site is wellmaintained the pump has been moved and that means it's closer to the residences and they were concerned about that but I believe that and for you know again sorry not a techie whatever tinkering has taken
place has been effective and it is quiet so they're appreciative of that. Yeah, there's a lot of different that was one of the questions we got, Mr. Williams and I got while Mr. Perry was talking on the lawsuit, I think um the other day in Tallahassee that um our our
um generator and the generators there's different types and there's quieter generators. So, I think that's something. And Miss Barnaby has a a part in our her neighborhood that has a pump station where we actually sold the front part of it, left the original pump or
lift station with the generator and the people live within feet of that generator and there's no issues. So, that's nice. Um, so that was one of the things and, uh, you know, the challenge was accepted and taken by some of those residents that said nothing's going to happen. >> Yes. And so, so I hope that those
residents, if they do hear this and watch it, you know, if you're mad at somebody for something that we didn't do, we're facing it and fixing it. And you know, it may not be exactly how you like it, but we're going to face and fix it and we're going to make it happen. And because when they challenged me, I
said, "You've never seen me as mayor and with the rest of a great council and staff." So, that is a I think we're working. Yeah. on that point. Um, you know, you see lift temporary lift station 13 as the interim collection facility, but there was also concern by the neighbors about, well, don't just
leave it there. You're not going to do the rest of the project. Well, lift station 3 is heavily under planning design and you'll see start seeing some things. And my hat goes off to to uh Colonel Lee and his team and Mr. Ference and and and Don Demon and all those
folks involved in those projects, Kim and her engineering team because they are expediting it. pedal to the metal. >> Yeah. And they really are being I mean when they face the community I am hearing back. >> The guys are great. The guy, you know, they listen to me. They're responding.
They're tinkering. They're making it quieter. So that is kudos to the work that you guys are doing. >> We we have on-site inspectors out there. Roy Lesing's our inspector that's assigned to it. And of course, Mr. Demon is out there pretty regularly dealing with community relations. They love them. And they're good. They love them. Yep. >> And I'm not going to say I drive by
every day. >> I drive by. We don't go anywhere in Manatee County, East County, city of Bradenon that that I'm not driving by and talking to them because again it's important and I not say that to me. I say it because it's important
>> that we're doing what we say and we're facing and fixing it. >> Face it and fix it because again we didn't control what happened in the past as much but we can control it going forward. And thank goodness we are collaborating >> locally f state and federally.
>> Yes. for for help. Um, all right. So, anything else, Mrs. Moore? >> That is it for me. Thank you, >> Mrs. Coachman. >> Hey. Um, first off, I want to applaud you for doing what you did in the la the past two weeks. It sounds like, you know,
talking to the people that live around you, you know, live with you and hearing what their needs are. I also have in my ward a lot of people that are
vocal about what the city does for you know us and and what it doesn't do and and I I when I first came on office came in office uh prior to you uh Colonel Lee
our public works uh director Mr. Mlin um I talked to him and I talked about it in council that there's a there there's a there are parts of this city where people collectively feel like they
aren't heard. We don't care. Uh yeah, they'll do it over there, but they won't do it here. And one of the one of the the
projects I guess I I wanted was for us to face and fix things as quickly as possible as you know concerns would come up so that that area or those those neighborhoods would feel like no we do care. We're taking care of it. You know
you said it you know you need this. we're going to take if it's something that can be taken care of as opposed to the thought that yeah, if it happened over on the extreme west, you'd fix it like that, but if it happened on the east, uh yeah, you'll take your time.
Well, this in this past couple of weeks, I have been hearing from from citizens and um once we know, once Colonel Lee is aware, once Mr. Perry is aware,
all of us, once we're aware, it's fixed. It's faced and fixed. And I just want to say kudos to everyone of course, but I am as a as a as a resident of War Five and I'm
going to do this without crying. I appreciate the efforts that this city, this body and all of staff, what they do to
totally turn around the mindset of a segment of this city that for a long time felt like they don't. When I say Ward Five is alive, what spearheaded that in me early on in
my career up here was it was so much going on in W five and it still is. And prior to being elected in office to get to know W five and we were it was during
COVID and church was online. I would drive the grid of W five so I could learn all the pieces and parts of W five. And I I have to say I've gotten a little lazy, but um after something recently was
brought up to us uh about um some safety issues around a well not a construction site but but a site that work is going on and there was no fencing around and children could get you know injured.
Anyone could get injured and that was taken care of. Um, so those are the kinds of things that stimulate me to say warp five is alive. And I almost retired it, but I can't because I it's going on. So from here on out, I'm going to do my best. all the
projects that's that are going on in W five. I'm going to make sure I drive by and just take a little peek and not to not micromanaging or anything like that, but it's just that it's something that I stop doing that I should be doing
because it is a lot going on and okay and um there were some things that has happened um the headliners lunchon where the GM GM of uh the Pittsburgh
Pirates, Ben Cherington. Jerry Cherington. >> I was moved by a statement he made. He was of course, you know, being uh very appreciative of the relationship of the city of Bradenon and and and the county
as well in in working with the pirates and the Marauders. But when he said, "This area stands out from other areas that post spring training of Major
League Baseball." And he made the comment that here all of his players could find somewhere to live, you know, whereas in other places, yeah, the high-end players, they were like, "Yeah, I got this." you know,
but the others they probably had to live live two hours away, you know, whereas here, this area offers affordable housing and and I that just really stood out to me because
that just says we're doing something right. Uh we're really doing something right. Um it's Black History Month. I'm not going to get in trouble not talking about black history. Um that
20%, you know, uh they'll forget all the 80%. Barnyard restaurant on uh MLK 9th Avenue um is doing something special. And I'm
gonna have to take a sip of water. Sorry, Mark Rubio, you have nothing on me. Uh, that wasn't meant to be political. Okay. Um, they are featuring local people
that are making history and um, I just hope that not only will you go to Barnyard and enjoy the great food and give them your business because they are showing love to the community.
We need to show it back. But do take take a look at their Facebook page because they're talking about local people that are making history. Yeah, they put one on for me. Uh I actually
missed it. I had to go back and see it. But I was so excited to see the other local people making history. Um Gary Lo, the very first black uh chief police chief in Palmetto. His brother Michael
was the very first black firefighter in Bradenton. Um there there was a feature on Reggie Bellamy, Susie Copelan, uh Coach Robert Powell, and they did one on me. I was the first
black female to be uh elected on city council. And um it's just some history, but it's it's different from what you normally hear during February. It's local. And and I just want I hope
everyone will, you know, take some time and just look at who's featured each day just to know that you you are among and I'm not saying to toot my horn. You're among people that are really trying to make a difference. Yeah. You
you pulled it up, didn't you? >> I sure did. Let's see. >> I really missed it. I I I caught on to they were doing it when they did Reggie Bellamy and I just kept going each day to look and I said I'm glad they didn't do me because I'll probably get negative
posts, you know, like and then I went back I was like, "Oh, they did." But anyway, it's it's just great to see them honoring people here locally. Uh, I think it's important for young people to to to to understand that because all
they hear, you know, of course, are the big names and and and these are people that they can actually touch. I'm kind of getting emotional, so I need to just say kudos always to staff, every
last one of you. Um, you you you make face it and fix it happen. you do, every last one of you. Um, and I'm I'm appreciative. I mean, my time is short up here, but I am I am just
uh full with being able to work with all of you and all of you up here as well. War Five is alive. >> Thank you, Miss Cook.
>> Thank you. Um, first I want to uh offer my condolences on the passing of Wing Graham from the Graham family. They've been here for a long time and she's been a wonderful member of this community and
um she will be greatly missed. Um her service is oh I'll have to get you the information. It's it is open to the public. Um, and I'm sorry I didn't know. >> Um, also I wanted to mention I really
did enjoy Ben Cherington, the general manager of the Pirates. Um, it really spoke loudly to me about the partnership that we have with the Pirates. um and he talked about how what really we are one of the best locations for um the spring
training and for the teams and and I think it goes both ways and uh I'm excited and I hope that the members of the community will go out and support um at the Pirates Pep Rally this Saturday evening on Old Main Street. It's always a lot of fun. um great opportunity to
meet some of the players, get signatures, and uh just be be the support that that we are that we that I know we're capable of doing. Um I don't know if I'm able to address this. Um we
recently had an issue with an HOA payment. I don't know if >> No, >> don't talk about it. >> Please don't. >> Okay. Um then uh trip the trip to Tallahassee last week was very successful in my opinion. I really
enjoyed going up there and supporting our local leaders. I I don't know if everybody appreciates the leadership that we that we send to Tallahassee with our representatives and the incoming Senate President and it was very good to go there. I think we support them and
they support us. I think it was a great opportunity to interact and get to know some of the county um people because they were all there and forced for Manatee County Day and I just think it was a great opportunity and and a lot of people any any criticism of us going to
Tallahassee is unfounded. Uh if you understood how the sausage gets made, you know, it's important for us to be up there and to have your voices be heard. And so I just wanted to express how successful I think that that trip was.
And that's all. >> Mr. Mayor. >> Yes, ma'am. >> May I just say something? >> Sure. >> The trip to Tallahassee, I I really was I physically was sick. I ended up being sick that week, but also sick that I
could not go. I really wanted to go, but I'm sure uh all the the governor and all that are in education would understand I could not miss so many days during FTE week because that's how we get some of
our funding. So, but I'm but I I I really am happy that you all went up there and it it is I think it's important and anyone that feels that it was a negative thing, I feel sad that they don't fully
understand. >> Right. Thank you, Miss Barnaby. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh this Friday night, the Manatee High girls basketball team, who won districts last Friday night, will be in competition again at 7
o'clock at the Manatee High School gymnasium. And they are playing the same team that they beat last Friday night. >> Um >> I don't think I'm being um dramatic when
I say it's going to be a grudge match. Uh there was some um activity after the last game from the team that did not come out victorious.
So uh I would really like to encourage anyone if you if you want to see a good ball game, come on out to Manatee High on Friday night and and watch the girls play. They they will surprise you. They are scrappy.
And I mean, I used to hear in high school, it's like you have to sacrifice your body for sport. These young ladies, I mean, dang, I was so impressed watching them. Also
want to um echo about Valentine's Day. If if you're if you're going to come down and and see the Pirates, I think that's great. Uh, I would also like to encourage you if if you have a Valentine or you're thinking about asking somebody to be your Valentine, a nice dinner out
is a good way to go. And we have some wonderful restaurants in downtown that are doing special Valentine meals. I would recommend you get your reservation. If you're talking about Sofra, if you're talking about Pier 22, I think they're going to be pretty full. So, I would recommend getting a
reservation for that. And I am looking very much forward to the open house with public works that we're doing here at city hall on uh February the 17th. I strongly encourage
those who have strong opinions about what they think the city is doing to come on down and find out the facts about what the city is doing. So I >> I'm gonna interrupt you real quick if that's all right because >> well
>> people that are the ones that aren't going to come down are the ones that don't want to find out the facts. And that's one of the things that uh Miss Tiffany and her group is doing to really produce the facts. And I think I've had people say, "Well, you don't say it. You
don't get it. And where are you saying it?" So whether they watch these meetings or not, I think that's important. go to our website, face it, and fix it. And because when they don't want the information, they just post negative on Facebook. And unfortunately,
and and I'm biased for the last six years and before that, I had seven and a half years on the council. I think the last six years, we have done more than the city did in the previous 40 to 50 years because we're facing it and fixing
it. And I'll have some more comments in my time. So, >> uh, the other thing I would I would like to do is I I want to say thank you to our police department, uh, because every time I have noticed something that caused me concern, when I
called over and asked, you know, can you tell me what's going on or have you had someone look at it? Um, you do. I get information back and I very much appreciate that. >> You're welcome. He's
still recovering. >> I also want to uh thank public works. Just this week, I got uh an email from someone thanking us for how our solid waste employees do their job.
And as you all know, that does not happen every day. You know, it's it's pretty much every day we get told what we haven't done right. >> Mother from Irv's mother. So, just please pass along how much it
meant to have someone, you know, tell us that that we are doing a good job and it was noticed and certainly appreciate that very much. And thank you, Mr. Mayor. >> Thank you, Miss Barnaby. >> Can I just ask? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Were you Were you saying it doesn't
happen every day that they do a good job or that you hear somebody say good every day? Not every day I get I get >> not you know recognized >> a call or an email from one of our citizens saying thank you so much. >> Yeah that's rare but it it's not rare
that it happens actually. >> Thank you. Um Pirates Fest obviously Saturday night is Valentine's night also. So, it's going to be a fun time downtown and maybe we'll get a few people that might not have seen Pirates Fest because they are down at all of our
local restaurants, which we've got many now and more are coming from what I hear. So, that's going to be a great time to really start to celebrate what we're seeing is maybe a little bit better of a year for the Pirates with the the way the management and and um
the general manager Ben Sharington has brought to us some information and where they have spent a little bit more money to get some players and and obviously having the number one pitcher generationally in Paul's skins and they're already working when Paul pitches and possibly
um if somebody comes along with them how to manage that a little better now because you know um sometimes the the younger people who's Paul Schevy Dunn's girlfriend or boyfriend and they're like oh I know her
>> I will volunteer my services for that >> it's Valentine's Day coming up for Miss Maria fully aware >> I'm fully aware uh Miss Barnaby I I'm glad you brought up about our ladies basketball team but Everything leads back to football when you talk about that because the last couple of years we
have kicked their butt. So, I'm sure those girls are fighting for their football team coming back at us and our girls will fight back in a good way. >> Saying that football team has >> kicked Charlotte's butt the last couple of years in the playoffs and at
different times. So, I'm sure the boys, you know, are talking to the the young ladies and saying, "Hey, we want to beat Manatee no matter what." Which makes us a better school. All of that. the only public high school in the city of Bradenton. Um the riata, we can't forget the riata. You got a riata. It's coming
up a week from Friday night and Saturday. So those are going to be good. It's the 11th year they're bringing in, we always had, I think, Formula 2 boats. Now they're bringing in Formula 1 boats. There's going to be races all day where
before there'd be a race, a break, a race, a break. Now, all of the leagues from what I understand in that have merged together. One company has bought them all. So, this is their first test of a race and obviously they want to see
how good it is. We're the first te we're the first race of the year because if you go anywhere up north, you can't do it right now. So, basically still ice, but so we're here. Um, and they love this. So, I think it's something that we can even build off this year and maybe
it's almost like starting over again. in the first 10 years. Now, because of the reset with the boats, this is like year one of the new. So, it's interesting to see how that plays out in the water with the national exposure we get from that because we're one of a kind if with how
that happens and I'm excited about that um to keep growing on that. Um for the council workshops, expect in the next four to five weeks probably to have three to five workshops. So, we need to
make sure and get Miss Tamara all your dates that you won't be able to do it if anyone's going out of town so we can try to work around that. I am going to try possibly to do it at after a council meeting like today would have been a perfect day for that because we knew it was a shorter council meeting, but we're
going to bring some of those up because we've got so many exciting things to happen. and and I'm going to ask and I'm going to look out in the camera wherever it is at me is if you could spend 0.003% of an amount of money and return
$175 million on that. So basically if you divide 500,000 by 175 million it's 0.003 cost to return that amount of money. every one of us in this room would sign up, especially if it was in our
investment accounts for retirement. >> So, that's what I'm gonna say our face it and fix it is. And we could even be less than that with what we've got. So, I just want to commend this council and especially when it got driven by Vice Mayor Coker a few years ago to push it
and the council bought into it or at least four to one did at that time, but now I believe it would be five to zero because there was the one that was against everything always. But um that is to me how we are changing the
dynamics of our city. When you have a business that used to have all of their employees in Sarasota, now they're bringing 50 of their employees to be on the financial building downtown and splitting up because we were fifth on the list when it started a couple years
ago to bring 50 employees every day downtown from a a company. And now they're bringing them to be there because they want to be downtown Brighton. We're seeing that. And that's not one person. That's all of us not only selling our city as the the
liaison, but the staff. And it's because we could have never taxed our way out of some of the issues. Are we finished? No. Have we started? Yes. Is there better things we can do? Always. But we have the right people in the seats politically and staffwise to continue
things moving. And I think that's a a direction that we can continue to be proud of but not sit back on our laurels because when's the next 775 million coming in and it gets harder but it's still worth the fight. Um, and as my
wife when I go home and and she'll say something happened and she'll say, "What's wrong?" or whatever. And then she'll say, "Well, you signed up for it." And then one of the things that I love when she says it is, "And you love it." And I do love what we're doing to change generationally. And we do not
sell ourselves well enough. As good as we do, the public still doesn't see a lot of that. I will promise you that I will never post on Facebook. And that's been something since day one I became. And people in the in the good way
criticize me for that. But no good deed goes unpunished at times. So personally my Facebook isn't public and because I just will never do that. That's just not me and I'm not apologizing for that. I'm saying that. But we don't sell ourselves
with the city park with the the do coal that's going to come out that's going to come out and how do we get it out? When you had a a newspaper that was a print paper and they had 120,000 going out every day, if you got the front page, 120,000 people might not have read it today or tomorrow, but they would have
seen it at some time. Now, it's as Mrs. Barnaby says, the book of face and it's not always the truth of face. And that's something, you know, I wanted to bring up the face it and fix it with your comments were great, Councilman Schustler, but and individually we
might, but collectively we are working to do a better job with our and and again, I'm not saying we're doing bad. We're doing great now, but how do we get it out more? How do we get that? Because we want people to hear it. >> And if I'm rambling right now, that's okay. Maybe somebody will listen. But
when these people put on there that were spilling raw sewage and they're high-profile people, shame on them. I'm not going to back down from shame on them because it fits a political narrative for them at the moment.
>> Get the facts and face it and fix it. Maybe that's a new slogan. Get the facts that we're facing and fixing it. So, and it this is not a slight anything to what we're doing. We are doing a lot more than we've ever done. But how do we prove to those neighbors that hey, you
may not like me, but it's okay. I'm going to face and fix it and we're going to get it done despite what's happening. Um, and then that's part of it I had in here. Information is knowledge and you know, so we got to get more of that out.
Um, and then I'll let Mr. Lee come up. Um, since I'm done, he can come up first and give us a little synopsis. I don't know if that's what you were going to talk about, but and I know we're going to get it out today, but I had some people say that the water tasted a little funny or gritty, and I I'm on the
same water line as them, and I don't taste it, and I drink our water and put our tea together. So, if you can give us a little update on and again there is some water shortages or if you want to say it that that came out the other day which we don't have a water shortage from the standpoint of we're not going
to have water to drink and do it but there's issues. So, Colonel Lee >> Yes sir. uh urinally, director of publication utilities, uh mayor, council, chiefs. Uh as far as the water issues concerned,
this uh coal snap that we've had created a a situation out in the reservoir, which rarely occurs at this time of the year. Normally in the summer when when the waters are are warmer, we we we get the
the turnover if you will in in the the water in in the reservoir itself. Well, we had cold snap, then a warming trend, followed by another cold snap, and that
caused uh believe it or not, we we had algae starting to form in the reservoir, which led to uh our folks uh Mr. Rollington uh out at the the uh water
treatment plant um having to do some activities which they normally don't do during this time of the year to address uh you know the the chemistry uh in in the treatment process. Unfortunately
uh as as that occurred it it also occurred when the temperatures were were changing which created challenges when when the uh the the viscosity of of the chemicals in solution started to change
which again led to to us having to uh have some issues where where we were putting in uh chemicals at at different concentrations. operations because we couldn't keep them in solution at the
temperatures. So, uh that created a situation where yes, uh they're they're literally treating the the lake uh the reservoir as we would in the summertime to to deal with with algae. And that uh
those chemicals then created that situation where folks were were I think the comment was made. Someone said it tasted >> little gritty. >> Little gritty. So So that that's that's really the issue. And and >> but it's safe to drink. >> It's safe to drink. We we haven't our
water quality uh standards have not been violated in in the least, but we we're in a situation where where we normally don't this is highly unusual for this time of the year. So >> but we're testing it. If you if you can
if you're of a certain age and you can close your eyes and act like you're going back into the chemistry lab a long time ago, you see men in lab coats and the little beakers and they're testing it all and you know and so you know even though it's it's still the updated
Excuse me. >> Thank you. I don't that's weird but the technology but that's what they do out there. They test it. They get it and then they fix it. you know, they face it what's happening and fix it. So, we can put that anywhere. But, but no, that and
again, if if u if you have questions, I'm just saying for the public, if you have questions, don't wait a week and a half to bring it up. Call us and ask us and we'll pass it on to you >> and and we will get uh we're working with our public information officer to get some the word out to let folks know
what's going on. But it it just un unfortun >> right >> but uh unfortunate this time of year. >> Okay. Thank you. You had something else? >> I I do. Uh and in my business and as as you all
know as well uh when you approach a task having the right tool to do the job is really the foundation for success. And and one of the things that's happened uh uh in public works and and you know we've we've been working
through this uh issue where some of the tools that we had uh to to to document the work that we do have have been I I will say uh below standard. Um and
and what I would like to do at this point um is invite uh Karen Lanky our IT department director and Terresa Armstrong u to come up because what we would like to do uh my right hand Mr. Ed
Ference and I would like to uh recognize their excellence in delivering a project on time and uh within budget. It's our enterprise asset management software package which allows us again to have a
the right tool to to track the information and to be able to report and and monitor uh the investment that that we in public works are making in the city's infrastructure. Um and and they have this this was a long process. uh uh
Miss Armstrong has reminded us constantly uh to to just bear with him and um working with our consultant uh we we were able to to work together. uh folks are are we haven't changed what we
do but we've changed the way we document how we we capture that information and having that information uh you know more available you know information knowledge is power and and it's it's uh in the long term this will make our folks more
effective and more efficient in being able to support uh the citizens and and our n our city's infrastructure. So uh I would like to recognize here first. This is uh on behalf of uh city of Braden Public Works. We wanted
to to give you a welldeserved thank you uh for bringing this project to to completion. And I know that that was not you you were not a lone ranger on this. Uh, you had quite the team and I I I know sometimes Karen would get that little
wrinkle in her forehead looking at me and and I was like, we we'll get there. We'll get there. But to you and the rest of the folks over in it, we really appreciate what you all have done to to bring us into the 21st century. So, thank you. >> Tiffany, can we get a picture?
I think it'd be good if the four of you stood up front. We'll get up here behind you. >> The ref boxes. >> I'm trying. >> Actually, that's probably not good for you. Let me do it for you. >> Probably not good for your back.
>> Seriously. >> Further. >> It's okay. That's okay. I just want to stand up. >> Now Pam looks short. >> She's saying out of the picture. Rob, >> thanks.
It's a dog. >> Congratulations. >> I'll see you soon. >> So, you don't have to carry it. >> I know that our getting late. I just got probably about a minute's worth of comments on the the enterprise asset management system. So a lot of folks don't really know what that is. But but
when you talk about you know enterprise basically meaning it's the scope of the totality of of it. The asset is a capital asset whether it's a truck whether it's a pipe uh any type of system we own a tool a pump whatever and
the management of it. There's two things you got to there there's a multitude of things you got to manage but two key things are basically the the the operations and maintenance of it itself. when did you put oil in the truck? When did you put a change to pump out? Uh what's the spec on all of that things or
a pipe that's in the ground? Where is it? And the like. Um and and and how much does it cost? The people in the finance, we're doing cost right now. Uh Ross Peterson, we're doing contracts basically for our landscape. Well, how do we account for that in assessing the
total cost of our our landscape and grounds program? And that all fits into it. So you got this IT kind of component with the O andM the operation maintenance of the particular divisions. It is a very wide broadspread type of
digitalization effort that modernizes our management of the billions of dollars in assets the city city has. And um I like you know I used to say well it was a spreadsheet or or or something along the way. Sometimes there wasn't
even that. and and to the extent of I applaud public works and we're doing it across the board but public works um is the first one Teresa Armstrong is a project manager for our information technology and of course IT director is
Miss Lanki but this is a big undertaking and it's a big advancement and unless you're in one of the components that has to use this you don't understand the value of it mo most people with like the citizens on book of face and stuff they have no idea about this stuff
>> is a new Right. Yeah, I like it. But I wanted to highlight a little bit because you're going to hear more and more about it and it involves a great deal of various disciplines to run good government, to run good business like government. >> That's exactly that's exactly what I was
going to say. I personally don't think that government should run like a business because if you're in business, you should make a profit. And I don't think government should make a profit. But we need to run business like we need to make sure that
we are doing the fiscally conservative things that make sense that anybody in a business would already be doing. So I'm very excited about this and thank you all both so much. >> Mr. Schustler, >> I just wanted to mention as a public
service announcement um as an individual, how do you access my Braden 311? Uh, the city's launched a new system for submitting non-emergency service updates. This is an email that I got when as an individual I went to
report an issue. If you need to report an issue that requires city attention, please use the report a problem link on the homepage. Now powered by my Bradenton 311. The system is not for emergencies. For urgent situations, call 911. My Bradenton 311, Bradenton,
Florida. >> So you can access that. Actually, may I clarify? So, it's not an app. >> It will be an app. There will be an app. It's just not. The app's not We didn't want to wait to get them all at the same time. Okay. >> But this was ready, so we got this out. Okay.
>> And I know it works. Just ask my wife. >> Probably stuff like that. >> Yeah. But, um just just helping out, reporting potholes, different things that we can address. And like I said, when I found out um this morning that the water downtown tasted a little
gritty or that, oh, it's been happening for a week and a half. And I said, 'Well, if you broke your arm, would you wait a week and a half to go to the doctor? So, if something's unique, reach out to us and we will try to address it because maybe it's something we don't even know about yet. So, and it was a
good friend, so they were laughing. The whole group was laughing but but you know let us know you know because we're we're very we are very um open government and we are very contact contactable is that a word? We are very able to be contacted in a good way. Um
and then again you got to have fun in life but you still got to do things to face and fix. And again it goes right back to what we're doing in the IT with public works. were facing and fixing some issues that can make us better and more productive. And I think one of one
of the things that really made me think about it is when I was there and we dug up a situation that we didn't know what we were digging up because there was a break and there was literally a sign wrapped around the top of the pipe. But
again, I'm not criticizing the past because that's all they had to deal with at the time to get it working at the moment. And we don't know if it was five days before or 50 years before, but now we will with a lot of this technology because if you have an area that keeps
breaking, you want to figure out why, but if you don't have any knowledge from the past, you're never going to get it. So, um, Chief Kramer, you have anything? >> Thank you. Uh, just tomorrow 10 a.m. right here, uh, we're going to spin that around. We're going to have a swearing
in ceremony for 10 new officers. Seven came through our academy process and three are uh equivalently of training EOTS. They came from uh out of state. A little bit more on each of them tomorrow. >> Great. >> Just make sure you get Mr. Eckles involved.
>> Oh, he's they're coming in tomorrow morning to flip around. >> All right, Chief. >> Um you can tell from uh the pages I keep sending out, we've had a number of fires lately. um most due to either unattended cooking or discarded cigarette a ashes
uh improperly. So, a lot of human error uh folks could improve on. Uh yesterday the uh government put out or the governor put out a uh executive order uh covering all counties about the current status of the state and the dry conditions and uh giving us the
opportunity if if needed that we can uh uh seek additional resources and and additional funding if needed just like we do during hurricanes or whatever else might be. But but yeah, super busy brush fire season and uh even here in the
county which depletes assets, you know, from from everyone. Uh so we've been busy to say the least and uh uh hats off to code enforcement for helping us out. We found numerous cases where the homeless are tying into meters
and in homes that they shouldn't be and um you know so we've you know been able to um um take care of those situations as well recently. >> And I I'll comment to you talk about the homeless with this cold weather. our
shelter, Salvation Army, through Turning Points and a lot of other organizations have really had some great opportunity for people to get out of the cold when they needed it. And I know our police department and the fire department have done a great job at collaborating with
that in the city. But we know that the county, the city, and all of our not forprofits have did a great job of giving people opportunity. And unfortunately, you know, we had one person that didn't take that opportunity and and passed, but it was on a private
property and but he had opportunity to go somewhere and he chose that. But, you know, God bless him and his family. Anything else, Mr. Perry, Mr. Rudicel, anything else from Corey? All right.
We'll be adjourned. Thank you. Y