for the Blue Ribbon committee meeting February 11 2025 in the absence of Don Don who or chairman who has the flu so I'm calling
us to order we are all here with the exception of our chairman uh as I understand if we don't have minutes uh so we will move move to the next thing on the agenda which is my
report and I will say this uh I did meet with mayor Myers uh and I think that meeting went well we discussed the previous meeting
and the meeting coming up on the 25th uh other than that I don't have a report but I will be asking some of us after commission Loring makes his report I will be asking
for assignments we we have things to do in the next few days in order to prepare for the meeting of the 25th uh I think with that I'm going to turn
it over to Commission and for your report thank you Mr chairman um in front of you you should have printed out the final report or final draft of the report that we've been working so hard on the last seven
months I guess take um it's you know it's I give you guys a rough draft about two weeks ago this is the the final one with all the pictures and all the the formatting and it um I think it turned out really well
and it was uh a lot of work um there is another version of course that is actually in the book that's in a whole entire book I think it ended up I forgot what it said it was 262 pages so that was 262 pages of your
work and all of this that we've been putting together so it's a quite a formidable binder when you have it all done um but I'm proud of it I think we did a great job job I think it looks good and I think that it lays the whole case out for you know acquiring the
school um I think we have exhausted and explored and [Music] researched just about everything that we can right now as far as the value goes the appraisals all that stuff that's in there um and we made the case I I think
very convincingly that the city need should acquire the school for no cost from the school district um of course that means that we have to convince them both of that in the city first the city commission first um so that's what we
will do this week on Thursday we'll be giving books to each one of the Commissioners um or binders like you found with this pin here the final report in there um and also have a PDF that's uh has it all and it's all linked
inside there so that's um ready to go and will be distributed to the clerk and everybody on Friday so um it's it's done you all it's we uh we've come a long way and
uh I don't if uh well the big important thing now is that we need to make sure that we are ready to go on the 25th we've been working on the presentation with John and slideshow and I've been working on
slides now too and getting the graphics put together I think we're up to like 24 slides or something now um we still have a few more pictures to take and I'm waiting from stuff from R um from The Architects so we'll put that in the
slideshow but um I think it's I think it looks really good it'll look really good and we did the run through on Saturday John and I think good job was good job and we'll have to do that again I think when we get all
the slides ready you think that's that's good yeah so you you have the books ready have them they're at home they just need we have to I printed out most of the stuff that needs to go in we just have to
assemble them and I think Mr Miller is going to help me do that after the meetings this morning so and Rachel's at home to do it okay uh there's a list of people we need to get the books to and I'm going
to go over there okay of course the first thing is to get them to the City commissioners uh I plan to take one to uh
commissioner for and I I have emailed her I don't have her phone number but I have emailed her and I'm time to do that either this morning or tomorrow morning
um we need to get one to so I'm volunteering to do that we need to get one to the other Commissioners and who who would be
willing to take one to commissioner deito all right all right now when we do this if they want to ask questions I think we should say do you have
questions and we should try to answer those and if you I don't think we should just I think we should go back again to answer those questions so they'll be
prepared they'll understand what the blue book is about and they'll know what the contents is they're going to take it and digest it and we should go back a second time
uh I don't think we need to deliver on commission righted for memory I see in my dreams when I close my eyes yes and I have seen U commissioner Bron and I will I will
take one to her Mr Burton I will do that as soon as I get one I will take it to them and then I guess I'll take the one to the mayor too so I have three that I will deliver
okay and Kevin you have okay and um so I like I said we have a a commission meeting actually we have a special meeting tomorrow at 10 10:00 a.m. right it's 10: I trying to say it's 10:30 this morning but 10: and then
Thursday we have a regular commission meeting I was just waiting until Friday I give it so that we're done with that stuff because you don't want to pile too much on you're suggesting we not give them out till Friday till Friday because we have to get them let us get done with
our commission meeting on Thursday and so so we don't have so they have time to digest it I don't want to just throw them to the side you know give it to him on Friday and that's when everything can go live we'll put it on the I'll give it to the clerk to post it to the website
too and U that's that's my suggestion because they're not going they're not going to have a chance to read it before before Thursday a special meeting tomorrow a meeting on Thursday so I think Friday there's a meeting on
Wednesday tomorrow yes yes that's that's in the morning 10 a.m. yes it's a special meeting to discuss our next steps in the city manager search yes and but there one in the
evening a regular meeting yes and should I be at that meeting you are welcome to I think that it might be a good reminder that we are to everyone that were you know have the meeting on
the 25th coming up and you might want to remind the commission and and you can inform them then that they will be getting their books the tomorrow you know the day after I think that would be a good way to do it okay so they're expecting it well I emailed
commission Moore and said I might get it today or tomorrow I if you if you want I mean they'll be done apparently should be done this afternoon I I can give them to you um or have them sent to you or dropped off to
you okay okay she calls me I'll tell her it's not like I just would think that Friday everybody will be our M you know our brains will be clear from the commission meeting hope and moving on I don't know
after commission meetings I don't feel very clear but you know it's it's time it's time to move something else so do you have a copy of the contract yeah no I don't I'm waiting for that so I have a in the PDF I have just a a placeholder
that says the contract is still under development on the electronic PDF um I did email and talked or I emailed uh Charlie Douglas and Lisa miles yesterday but I have not heard back I know that they they have't in you know in theory it's
completely done except for the legal descriptions and the problem is those legal descriptions you have to get for all those Parcels that uh that make up the property and so they're waiting on until the title for that so and we know how go the title is
um so I I've emailed Chris title to see if she's working on that I had not heard back from her and I had not heard back from dou La of course it was yesterday afternoon when I messaged them so um I don't know they know that we're having well they knew that we're were
having a meeting today and they know that you we're at a deadline so uh I will call them later today I guess and see what's going on I mean I told I can put I can put it together and look at the
deeds and figure it out but I'm not you know that's not my expertise but it might be better than waiting for col title so I mean they they'll they'll get it to me but I guess yeah we need to have that
put it in the we need to have that put in the book as well so if I you like to say something if I might offer a contract as contract sorry first on my first cut of coffee um a
comment as regards the legal uh the legal of course is critically important but not for the immediate purposes as I understand that all the many Deeds that comprise the Mosaic that
made that property uh the legals from all of those will be required that is not something that will fit on the two lines in the form farbar commercial contract it will be a very very
extensive uh attachment to the contract so I'd suggest that perhaps go ahead and move forward uh uh because the contract appears to be complete but for that and
uh then that attachment could easily you know be a uh the lawyer will figure out the best way to do that but for the purposes of the presentation uh in the book I suggest that may
suffice I when in my email to Douglas I did say can I have a draft of it you know everything but the uh legal description and U have have I response yet so we'll see so you're you're basically preparing
to get them that yes one more comment I forgot to identify the property on the contract there's room for the address and it's 101 and 2011 South Prospect and that keys to the
uh uh addresses for the all of those properties and excuse me Keys the legals for all those properties that the property appraiser has in the website and again that would be sufficient I've been thinking a lot
about my presentation and I want to talk the meat of the answer that's before the commission will be how will we get it
funded I want to address that a little bit it's a little bit of History uh when I was on the school board in the
70s I was appointed to represent the small smaller counties in the state in relation to funding from the
state this was the this was the end of the control in the legislature by the smaller rural counties and I was told bluntly by one
of the representatives from B County that that control was over and the populace counties around the edge of the state
were now in control and he was correct he said but however we understand the rural nature of the
state and the legislature will always he said we understand that's where the water is that's where the resources are that we will need in the future and he said the
legislature will always look out for that portion of the state that doesn't have the population said over 80% of the population is 5 miles from the coast all
the way around and that has held true and it still holds true today so the source of money is from the state
that will come to help fund this project it's not just from One Source it's from many sources but that's going to be be the basis of how we get this
property uh repurposed the money it's going to take to redo those buildings to put it into usable shape as not only a community center but a cultural center for the
whole this whole of the County so I want everyone here to understand that because when we come on the 25th that subject is going to come up and and we we are in a a new federal
[Music] Administration and that's going to influence us to a degree but it's not going to interfere in the state this this state is a very wealthy State we have money we have
plenty of money and how it is St is important and keeping the rural nature of the small towns intact is a priority for the state I think I've said sounds like I
sound like I'm giving that that reminded me of something I was going to uh pull you guys and see we in our in whole executive briefing we use the word Community Center and we use that over and over to describe what we want to do with this project but I don't
think it's really a great descriptor because you say community center you think of like the Women's Club or something like a hall that you rent out and we've been I mean we've gone through a bunch of different options and trying to figure out what what fits best and
need some input from you guys um because Community Center just doesn't work this is much bigger than that and uh you know I think Mr Frank had suggested like the a city center or a Village
Center um which I I like that term except they use it a lot you know developers they always like you know over in Flagler there's the Palm Coast Town Center and like it's like Developers used that a lot to build shopping centers and I'm like that's not
really a town center I just don't know I mean this is so many things in in one and I don't know how to describe it and I would love for someone to tell me what to do I would I would suggest the term Civic [Music]
Center well cultural sound too right anybody any other Hub the center yeah I was I was I tried out hub like Community hub I thought that worked well because that's a lot of things together and it's you know
it it works I think I liked it I was trying it um because even Civic Center culture center you know that doesn't really describe all of it you know I don't they may have a I would love for an answer I love for um because in that
report there's 12 different times it says Community Center so um it would be nice to uh replace that something else is I I just don't think Community Center does it as a descriptor I think Community Hub would do it because we want it's kind of be the center of
everything I don't know what do you guys feel about that do we want to go City or could we go south [Music] PS I don't I think the city would have yeah you know because of the city city
yeah um I mean I I I was I like presentent City Community Hub and then you can make it and just call it the Hub like people would call it that as like a nickname like Oh The Hub do we have any other feelings or not bad about that I just I I can't
Community Center just doesn't do it for me okay I also have a list of potential speakers and they all have to be inv and I would go down that list and see see who would like to take some of these Harry
Banks name on my [Music] all right Bill Pickins Bill Pickin is going to be the incoming president of road I'll ask what what do I need to
ask we want people to speakers to this would be speakers to speak on the 25th okay in favor and you know some of them well you know you can buy them but then they have reasons that they can't and and he might
you know poly pigment on the but but we need to invite them and confirm that they're going to come and let you know all right right who who's going to talk to Bill I will all right all right uh Joe Pickins
I think that should bej yeah got it Hol tick and that's I don't know that she could come before us I think that would be a conflict interest I think you comt yeah and we don't want to put her
in a position that's uncomfortable all right uh I think that's probably Barbara show a letter would talk to barar I'll all right Jim
p liby's number okay Gerald Watson [Music] doal Jr I [Music] wonder third all right Brad for he's I've already talked to him he said I do not want to appear but he'll run letter
but I'll talk to him again about the letter I've already talked to Nancy Harris and she needs some information so I'll take her one of these reports okay you I was I was going to print some more for you later today if you want if you need some
more all right Judy West you talk to her be good thankless you want me to talk to J and you talk to Judy how about Terry turn I talk to him you think you know him
yeah I don't know if he wants to come talk but I can ask him all right Genie wolf or PA there'll be um Paul will be here today after this meeting I have a meeting at 10:30 um that I have to be at because Dan so I
will ask Paul and if Jenny is there um so and I also I already talked to uh Brian Laura from uh R and invited Rick the the principal of R and I don't
know if they'll be able to come but they were they seemed interested in the opportunity that's good yes and the other two speakers I have are Dan DOD and Kevin [Music]
Jordan I'm speaking to Kevin he's a difficult character okay I and you're going to talk principal from yes and and more than that of course
everybody else we just need people to show up and be here and support I we should have this whole room full of people it would make it much more difficult for them to charart us down when you have a room full of people that obviously are in favor of this so
it's the 25th at 6 o' 25th at 6 o' yes and uh you know the more the more people the better all all of you guys will be there um and you know well the Historical Society will be sending out emails and trying to activate all that and get
everybody here for that and then in addition that next week March 4th is the meeting at school board uh that is 3:30 in the afternoon on March 4th that day is also very important we want to that meeting that
they're having is just to discuss this so as as is the meeting on the 25th that's the only thing on the agenda that's the only thing we're there to discuss so it's very important that people show up and at both of those especially up in pla from March 4th so
3:00 3:30 3:30 3:00 I mean this this is these are the times that people need to show up this is the most important meeting that we're going to have and the most important meeting for the future of this of this school um is that people show up and
talk and support of this and if you have people that have questions and have want to know more it's going to be on the website City it's going to be on the website for the C too so when we have that up I'll let know but it should be by the end of the week so everything
should be available and you know it's it's important that people talk about this that people get the information out that people know the truth and stop saying $45 million because that's not happening I me that's not you know we're not asking the city
to spend any money right now and we don't plan on doing that uh that's not what we've been working on all this time so it's really important that we get that out there and that people understand the truth okay Mr Mr chairman if you could
actually have I would like if possible to have someone make a motion and a vote on accepting the report to be presented so that I have authority to you know put it out there
I I believe make we accept the report that uh has been prepared for committee okay is there a second second okay is there further discussion all those in favor please say
I I are there any opposed okay it passes unanimous thank you thank you all right anything else that should come before us is there new business or old
business right if I could just make a few General comments please uh as regards the naming U excuse me I respectfully suggest that
Hub is a currently trendy term and uh what's being considered is something that will'll hopefully endure for a century and perhaps the term h may not age well there a lot of seas but it's
listening Crescent City you know Community you Civic and Cultural Center you know but regardless of what it is uh uh on on facilities like that the public kind of just
organically comes up with a verbal shorthand for it um uh another thought is there was mention of letters uh and then you discussed a long list of people any who are unable or
unwilling uh i' suggest you ask them for a letter in general support uh that could be introduced into the record or if it's a particularly compellable letter perhaps even read in uh to the record the thought occurred that if uh
Joe Pickins uh perhaps you might invite the the uh whoever the head of the flow arts program is to also write a letter just kind of generally in support with that in mind when there are
letters I think it's important that the Blue Ribbon committee be represented on the 25th not just not John lbo so when it comes times for those letters I'm going to ask maybe Nancy and Kevin to come up and read those letters rather
than John N just be the Army and we'll have you those previous so you can be uh there was conversation course about the absolute necessity for
community support and to that end perhaps the uh whoever the president of the Women's Club is might appear right letter or otherwise indicate that organization support and perhaps at the
county level the puton County Historical Society as well uh the more folks that are that are supportive the better and then the last comment is uh if uh the city commission uh votes to uh approve
the uh proposal of the Blue Ribbon committee would it not then be very important for the city Commissioners in Ms to appear at the meeting on March 4th uh it would be bad
look if uh there were there were no shows it be a real bad look that's a good point I'll emphasize that and I would include all the commission to read letter not just all the new Riv committee m I'll
talk the be right with problem we could get Ry to write a letter of oh that's the fourth isn't yes to the county or is play a role support a
role all right we have two more things on the agenda uh is there anything we need to address on the agenda okay then the next item is our next meeting
uh we only have one more week before the 25th you know but I do think the day after the 25th we should
have a meeting which would be on the 26th and that would show a sense of urgency about what's going to happen on the fourth yeah because that's that's the hard part is if we concentrate on the
25th we forget but we played this four so we need we also need to get finders ready for that and to Lobby school board members so the 26th is a Wednesday is that right yes yeah so we want do
9 26 is that okay with you m yes and we need to have a meeting in between I I don't think so I mean as far as you know as the group goes I mean the report
is done um we approved it basically we all have to just do our part to lobby and to get the word out there but I really don't think we need to meet his body I mean that's my my feeling
uh how many of us here do Facebook I hatab I'm not but Rachel does that we need to put this on our Facebook pages we in the Historical Society needs between now and and they need to get it
on their it's really important this is this is one of the most critical decisions the city mission is going to make in the next few years and we need to
remember we know it but we need the community to understand the blue rubben committee has no power we only make recommendations to the city the city Commissioners it's in
their hands they set the policy for the city this is a great policy decision and it should be one of the easiest decisions they have ever
made but I hope that's what we convey [Music] to here I am pre again but you have the BRC has made it a lot easier and you made you've made the collection of all the information
and and progress and you and you yourself John have uh done a great job of moving us forward as far as the relationship with the school district we would have never gotten anywhere without the without you and without this committee being able to meet and talk and do what we've done and talk to the
people we've done and you know it's it would never have happened I know because I'm I'm there it took me two years to get the city commission to even pay attention to this and two years before that Danny was working on it and go
nowhere so uh you guys have excelled beyond my wildest dream so uh thank you we've gotten and before we leave I want to Comm and all of his help
Rachel Dan he had a part in it we've all had a part but he is the one that has put it together and we as a committee cannot find you I'm going to emphasize that on the
25 also but it's not the V it's not commissioner L's show it is the commissionary is the city Comm
missioners show it's their deal and we want them to understand that completely the sooner we can get this booklet into their hands and let them ask questions the
sooner it'll happen Okay anything else to come before the the good of the cause tonight I have a question about Facebook what would you want put on Facebook just general
Facebook um local ones yeah about the about the meeting you should come and be present Rachel will be doing a post for the Historical Society on our account
and when you you can always share that to whatever groups you're in or any other places so we'll have that put together in few days so that you should see out there and that's just that's really we'll put it on the group and our page
and share it to other people and and that's how it kind of blows up real fast on Facebook there's a big class reunion being organized are you familiar with that is I mean a letter from from that group
would be a big help we who's organizing and it's like from the 60s the 80s big big group and they're meeting out at
trimas anony is Antony doing that no no uh it's uh Ralph Marriott who's currently in the hospital very sick organized the last time they did that and it was really kind of an ad hoc
effort they had over 300 they had over 300 people there um I'd like to speak generally uh to the social media and communication effort kind of with a historical society had on
uh getting the word out of education is what the historical society is all about so the historical society is hard at work to uh make some tweets through their website to help disseminate information public has to be engaged
they have to know what's going on they have to have the opportunity to to have the questions and concerns answer there's a lot of bad misinformation use a trinity term that's that's out there that needs to be dispelled so that plus as BJ mentioned
social media all of it will be sharable and uh so that will hopefully do a whole lot to get the information out of the community and as regards the uh class reunion with hopefully 300
people plus people there and folks who went to school there uh are are likely to be the most emotionally supportive of this effort so uh the Historical Society with with Rachel's help will put
together a flyer to be handed out there with with websites on it people can go on and register so that they they're in the loop so there's a there's a tremendous community ation effort that's going to
be undertaken but isn't that meeting after the 25th it is it's going to be on the 15th yeah it is what it is but we still need to leverage that Gathering because there's going to be so much work
uh uh beginning March 5th and continuing for years frankly that uh these folks support uh uh will be absolutely critical they help get all right is there anything else that we need to bring
up if not do I he a motion that we adjourn second we have a motion and a second all those in favor say I I we are [Music] aour thank youate
I'll