6 9 a.m. this is the bull Ron committee on the mid school um and uh we have Corum Nancy is excused and and John is on his way so I call the meeting to
order [Music] and first on our list is approval of minuts we have no minuts today so pass over that next is is John's School report um I think that
um really we can just opening it to discussions General discussion you all agree yes agree um and of course we had our meeting last night uh and um the the commission approved the
continuation uh of our of our committee until is it July 30th yes July 30th and the U and the summ it all up the the the
really the conern is is financial by a few of the Commissioners how are we going to pay for it and what grants are available and uh so with that um
commissioner I I have a question for you um is the audit completed the last the last fiscal year it's supposed to be close it should be we should be getting it out next meeting I think do you know have we it's close
very close should be they were writing last I heard they were writing the management letter and the response so that's usually that's like the last next to last step to getting it so I'm hoping that they'll we'll have it next month
we're on the 13th of is that what we ever meet yes yeah 13 and and with that um so that means that all 80 plus questions have been yeah been researched and answered yes and so they
will be responding to them yes in the management letter were there any other um concerns that any of us uh picked up last time I mean to me it seemed like that was the
big the biggest sticking point um and then of course our ability to negotiate with the um the school district and kind of you know this limbo now that we're in um you know it's uh you
know I I don't know what we're supposed to figure out how to pay for when we don't know what we're going to pay and also I guess I guess it's the operation costs is what we need to figure out but I you know I don't know I'm not sure what it would satisfy the two you
know other Commissioners that have an issue well I think um clearly operational cost uh and their short-term and long term uh uh the but but uh obviously the other
component is the capital that's needed to to um renovate get it getting it ready but you U you bring up a good point is because
the the other issue of course of Grants and I suppose we can explore grants but without without further agreement we
certainly can't apply well I mean I think in my one thing that we need to focus on is if June is the deadline for historic preservation grants in the state as Rick mentioned and I think that
we might want to focus on putting together a Grant application for a special category Grant which are the big ones that be up to million a million dollars we need to do a match of a quarter of it but we can use the
land as part of that match is what Charles explained to me so I'm sure Rick may be able to give us more advice on that but I mean it seems to me that that if we could at least prepare that and have it ready for I mean the city commission would have to approve it but
if we could do the work and try to get that together I mean that's a million dollars and apparently we don't have to actually own the property we can get a letter from the owner saying that we can apply you know um on our on their behalf I'm not
sure how that works but so I mean we don't have to own the property to apply for the grants I just think we need to research that more I mean obviously June is a deadline we're still going to be around in June so that we could work on that and then we just need to Dr down on some of those other costs
i' I've asked several times for our director Finance or Finance director to try and put together a package and some numbers for what it cost to run City Hall here so we can kind of compare I still have not gotten any information
back and I'm not sure why um but I mean there's obviously money you know it's obviously cost money to run this building and you know it would cost money to run the building down there but that building is also you know we were removed out there the one building that
City Hall would go in was built in 2000 or 1999 this building was built in 1950 like you know there's obviously change differences in the the construction of the building that makes it a lot more efficient in my mind I mean it seems it
be a lot cheaper but you know that would if I if we give those numbers that would make it a lot easier to to compare is are they not in the financials uh they're not really broken
down like that and the financials that we get and it has usually they they break it down and spread it across the Departments um with cost centers so it's really hard to kind of get an idea and I don't know where
where the power bill comes out of so it's I think it's all may clumped together so I mean I have to look I'd have to look at it and see but I mean it's it's not easily are readily available it's not standing out yeah it doesn't yeah
so have to be together right okay I'll ask Michael is Michael here he he's here welcome night but I'm here
well we we all want to congratulate you on an extraordinary job last month you made us very proud didn't go exactly as our plan but it could have been a lot worse it could have been and it
wasn't and of course the good news is that we have life beyond the in yes until um early July which is fortunate and um and also of
course uh we were just discussing the main issue was Financial yes so operating cost conversion cost and grants well we'll know what those costs
are soon like in April and uh R gets a report uh to me I think we need to come up with I don't know like a business plan that that lays out all of that how we're going to raise the
money uh but I think another leg of what we need to do is to educate the public uh give them
ownership they need to have meetings and ask them that's the public what would you like to see D with this building uh I think that's really important go to the
council Council to various places and and tell our story it's a story of the cultural center that will be so important to this this part of the
county it certainly will I feel like the district school district they need to transfer it to
[Music] us and we need need the property just so I understand um everything that happened last night I know that the VC got a new lease on live through
July um which I suppose is four months after but that's that's all that um your suggestion that the city approve at least in concept the spirit of that unfinished
contract did not meet a motion there was no motion made to approve that that's true so as it stands the contract that you proposed that you presented on behalf of the committee was not endorsed by the
city commission correct okay I just wanted to make sure that I didn't miss something although I was at the edge of my seat for most of that meeting um all we succeeded in doing was getting an extension committee
right that contract needs to be explained better so that the city understands it uh well I don't know how many times I heard you say that the city is not
making a financial commitment they are just simply approving a a a a contract to to receive a property for free as a gift from the public count school district and and it really was a
starting point Point as far as being able to talk to the school district and you know one of the reasons we we wanted them to vote on something so that we could go forward and talk to the school district it's right
now we're the school district has no idea what we want and we and we're not to talk to right we yeah which I mean we weren't going to be negotiating with them anyway we have we never have this has always been information gathering but this goes to the bigger is of how
are we supposed to come up with a financial perspectives in detail to the satisfaction of at least two par core commissioner who are not willing to let us talk with prospective partners because the entire funding
argument is based on an inter agency partnership right so that puts us in a position of strict fact funding where the most we can hope to do is propose hypotheticals right to potential partners and say if we formed a
partnership would you possibly be willing to throw in with us and what would you want to get out of this partnership but that could is that a negotiation or is that a fatf finding conversation yes I mean that that's
that's the uh you know the argument there I I fear that even if we came up with some sort of funding mechanisms it's not going to be good enough to cover it all um and that that's where you know so they're trying to kick
the legs out from under us but I think I mean I was you know I've never seen this room as full as it was last night ever and I don't think it ever has been the public could not be more supportive right and then you know when the mayor asked how many of your taxpayers and
almost the whole room was standing up because they were I mean I think they were trying to point out that it was Out of Towners that wanted this St but it's not as people here in town well to that point some who didn't stand um were
renters and of course their rent supports tax taxes tax as one gentleman stated we all vote Yes yes let me throw out a couple points here I think one of the problems last night was the word
contract yeah being in business you sign a contract that's Bing I think this next step should be more considered as an agreement between us and the school board and bring it back to the city I think the word
contract was the sticking point I think you may good the other thing I'd like to mention is I can't remember the figures but we did a comparison between the cost to operate this facility and the cost to operate that one what we need to look at
if what is the difference that basically we need to come up with if it cost $100,000 a year to operate that facility and it cost $65,000 du to operate this facility we're $35,000 short but we're more than halfway there that I'm just
going romes out there but that's what we're looking at is the difference between the two facilities to operate not the entire amount yes correct I I made the argument last night that according to figures we had been shown preliminary figures at this committee
that we were approximately halfway to covering the nut on and I think that's what Charles was talking about was the amount we're paying to operate this facility we can come up with the difference well and that's certainly
that is fact finding that comes under the definition of fact finding but I think scking point on the commission last night especially with the mayor was the word contract it certainly no that's where it certainly I think that's a good point yeah you know when we come up with
a business plan like you say it's it'll be a suggestion it won't be anything that we can put in place because they're restricting us but at
least it will tell us what could happen and I think we need to work on that and we'll know pretty soon the money needed once R gives a
reward but there there are many sources of income that that could be put in place yeah and well and I'll I'll work on getting us better numbers for this building um
looking at the financials we do they do have um I found one line for electricity uh and it's they budget $12,000 a year for this for this building for electricity so a big chunk of it is
Insurance that's like when we have to look at the costs of the school what school districts paid like 20 what is it $25,000 or 30 something of is is Insurance that's the only thing that's going to be hard to um to figure out because I know we
have one policy for our liability insurance and auto and it's all thrown in there together and they don't really break it down by building so like it covers this property the annex the city The Old City Hall and all the water plant all that together and also I
believe that that's the way it is with school district I mean that number that they put in there I I'm not sure we we kind of think that might just be allocated you know they have one big policy in each building you know they don't really break it down the building but I work I can work on trying to get
better Clarity on that um because I mean for auto property and liability insurance we paid 39,000 or we had budget at $339,000 and that's just in the city hall Department we break that up over all the Departments so we I think
our our uh property liability is somewhere in the hundreds 100 something thousand um and that's so I I I'll try I can try and get some clarity on that and see we can break that down because obviously
that's a big chunk of it it should be broken down in the policy itself I mean I often uh with uh with multiple structures uh they look at the square footage and usage yeah and they identify
each building and its use and and that's how it's calculated I I've not seen the cities yeah I I I the last thing that I saw was our our um project cost for this year and it was all just one number but
I can talk to the finance director and see if we can get that broken down it's just Insurance yeah that's just insurance but that's that's the big that's almost the biggest expense is the insurance um he has the main
power and then water well I can I'll get I'll try I'll work get more numbers so that we can see because I mean really to me it seems like we we don't have that much hard to
go as far as making up that difference um we'll just have to get some better data because I mean we did have the three years that they gave us that was that we put in the the book and the binder of for cost for them to run the
facility but like I before asking I didn't know you know that's some of it was when it wasn't when it was occupied and then when it wasn't occupied I mean I I wish we could get some more years back so we could see because it it' be you
know a better picture of what's going on there part of the problem there too is it depends on what we do with it yeah how occupied is it do we have to heat a gymnasium right 12 months out of year or not figure that brought up by J West
last night I don't know where that came I don't know where that came from me she mentioned $180,000 a year just in electricity yeah I I've never heard that before I don't know do you know where she got the number wrong the $180,000 that Judy talked about I don't know where she got
I mean I was I in talking with [Music] her was roughly 75 8 85000 that's that's the numbers that we have I don't know where she added the 100 she does now after I talked to about it she came up and told the commission that she had made a mistake after the meeting that
that didn't help that explains to L on the face when I said that the city was halfway yeah to cover the expenses she was she was stunned yeah and she wanted to debate it with me but I don't think she wanted to engage in dialogue that we we absolutely need something a little
more accur yeah we and and I think that would bring us you know give us a better picture I mean I I I I feel like we I think if for some more data I feel like I kind of failed on that front so I will work on that
and uh I mean I have requested two different times from our finance director I don't know if someone's getting in my way of getting that information or what but the next not your phone commission yeah but I mean I still I I work on it does it need to
come from the chairman of the BL committee a letter to the City Finance director I mean that that would help I guess that could help the Dead one suggest yeah it's you know Steve
yeah because we've been given enough restrictions we can't afford to have any hurles imposed on by other and yeah Dan if you want to request some more information throughout the property insurance and maybe a break
if he can find out that's broken down my building I'll ask for the detailed policies yeah yeah complete cost to run the cities public buildings know there's a big difference in a building that's occupied by several
hundred students yeah occup by the staff and and I don't know who the how the school district gets their insurance I know what for for us as part of the Florida Le of cities we have the Florida
Municipal Insurance trust which which is like a self-insured insured you know for all the cities together so we get our policies through that and that's much better than going out the commercial Market um it's kind of you know but they've run it as a business the league of cities does so I mean they obviously
have to make money or cover their cost but there not it's not a profit you know profitable Enterprise that they try to make profit on you make an excellent point the rates are much larger because it is a large group yes it's a large volume of their insurance right so it's
always the benefits yeah it's really one of the biggest benefits of being part of the league of cities besides all their lobbying and information so it's something that we take advantage of well I'll I'll put together a letter and get
it out and I I can give you his email address if you want if you want to email it to him or and I would that would be terrific okay and I'd also suest cing the city manager oh I'm concerned about the
uh safety of the building yes uh in the meantime uh seems to me that one of the Commissioners could say something to
the I I've unofficially you know talked to Captain us and asked him if he could make sure that someone goes through there that an officer checks on it every shift and he said that they are already doing that okay so that he will make sure that they
in fact he said that they will continue to do that they're worried about it as well okay that's that's good that that reassures me and I also mentioned it to the city manager and he he agreed so um that's
going on currently so it should be as safe as we you know last night attorney Holmes said that the deficiencies could be cleared
up he thought fairly easily the title well thought about that you know that would have they would have to come before the city almost all of them I don't think the city would
drag their feet but I don't think they'd be infused about pushing it along either but let's just say all of them were cleared out who's going to step up and want to buy it when you talk about clearing up
deficiencies you referring to the incumbrances for Education the only person only group want to buy would be a charter school right and the city knows how awful that would be and the
district knows how often it would be so it's a loot point the the district would like to transfer it to the city I mean that's obvious the city
needs it we just as a group as an appointed task force whatever you want to call it we just need to keep pushing forward and you know I was taking a back last night
but I've regrouped today and we need to keep moving and I I mean I think the biggest thing like like Ron said the word contract definitely scares the mayor and you [Music]
know I it wasn't even a contract it wasn't finished it was not we weren't signing it we were approving the idea that to go forward and I think that was the I I mean I I should have said that I should have tried to make that point um
because it's not it wasn't a contract it wasn't finished it basically a document well John John you did modify your argument to say I I would request that you approve this in concept I think your chice and the commission
failed to make a motion yeah I think it says in the contract that the it's at the discretion of the city when they accept it yes sir yes which is the same thing as
saying when the money's in place will accept it now one lawyer look at it one way and another but I think it's the same thing so I I would like to the city is
protected anyway we need we need a good bullet point and explain it to the city just be a simple matter ofing instead a contract memorandum of understanding that's the letter the other point that Mr holes
subjected to was the wording in the document which required the uh P CSD to um relinquish marketable title yeah immediately following the article that title is not Market if we
just reward that I get the attorneys to reward that to say that P County School District relinquishes any and all claims to the property we don't have to say marketable title that's a tech we say just a quick claim you know any and all
claims and then and then all those conditions are led by the city anyway right so back to the city yeah that that was um I because we used that standard farb bar contract and it has in there you know the box is about marketable
title I think we just got stuck with that as far as and I think there might have been a little miscommunication with Lisa the one that put the contract together for Charlie but that's an easy fix I see I see it all be easy to fix
and let me go back to uh to catch up uh I also spoke with the sheriff's department about the safety of the building and they assured me too they daily were supervising it so it was a concern of of theirs um I also want to
point out I understand why perhaps two Commissioners were uh a little uneasy on this particularly the financials because let's reflect back that recently there was a finance director that had to be uh
let go uh because of his past and also that there are just finishing up a an audit that is late that had over 80 items that were
questionable um compounded too that recently there was a a windfall um that the city uh found out of what 350,000 38,5 that was unexpected
well we all understand finances here Among Us um how does that happen how how do you not know that month by month but frankly um it is it is something that as we go
through at the end of the year basically you know we don't get the the numbers are Lag they lag behind unfortunately because so on the fiscal year ends on September 30th it does take a few months for us to get everything in and everything calculated especially with
our finance director being still being new and still getting everything in order it always takes you till about January to figure out where your last fiscal year ended up and really what that $318,000 is as a a fund balance is what was left over from last year so our
expenses were below our Revenue you know our expenses were below what was budgeted our Revenue was a little bit above what was budgeted and so just like anything you know you end up at the end of the year you got little bit of money left over which is great I think that I
I understand that however in business the large percentage of Ro just doesn't occur right and you might have a little or a little under but nothing like this but your point is well taken
it's catching up yeah and and um and that seems to be happening now uh which we we're very grateful uh but I just want to share with you my opinion I can understand why two Commissioners might be a little uneasy because of the past
and it wasn't only this year but previous years right so um I'm sure in the future that uh at year end um there won't be these large amounts of found
money or well I there should be it is normal to have a fund balance and to have that happen it's happened here almost every year they don't always take it and [Music] [Music]
rebgetz it it isn't a business they soon will be out of business well what what usually happens is a lot of cities during during the year as you go along we do budget amendments I know that like the City of Sunrise does a budget amendment every single month because as things change throughout the year they
amended um we don't usually do a mid year except for to catch up that end of the last year and get that fund balance in there so again let me speak to that as being a town treasurer for 10 years uh as a eled official
um we never adjusted our budget and in good budgeting you don't need to and in fact it's better to show where you're over at under so when you are budgeting
in the future you know where you need to put more concentration and getting a true number I understand that so so anyways set I'm going to take your argument and and go a little further um after what I
witnessed last night I have serious misgivings about the ability of the city to handle the project that we're proposing I don't know how else to say
um we've we've gone I think over and above the expected goals of this committee and putting together a broad concept and a mission um with a plan to make it work
and handed it to the city for free okay and and we've been we've had it tossed back at us with another four months to work on it basically with our hands time in terms of
negotiation um to make another presentation sometime in the future we'll adjust the wording and make it low impact and all of that but at the end of the day we're still handling a large complicated project to a
small inexperienced City and and I must to say at this point I am not confident that they can handle it well I I thank you for um um giving
us your thoughts uh and I think it's important for us to reflect on the need for us to do a presentation where they can understand it yes we should do that at every every council meeting we should be
there explaining where where we are where we're going and that we're here to do the work for them yes as advisor that would be my follow I tried to emphasize last night we are
the city where we're your arm we're your task force we're doing what you ask us to do clearly there's a trust issue you know just be play there's a
trust issue um I think the future of this project depends on retaining some kind of a governing board with the confidence of the city behind it to run it for the
city with financial Acumen that we have available with architectural expertise that we have available Michael Frank is just one of several accomplished professionals who said on the record they're willing to work for
free to get this thing off the ground I don't know I've never never seen any group look the gift force in the mouth so bluntly as as I saw last night um you know the truth is we're never going to
get the last dollar accounted for there there's always going to be room for for some kind of innovation or for some kind of Enterprise to to fill the Gap and we we had to expect that um it goes to to the issue of good faith so
I think the the future of the blue rib committee maybe again we have to have the full faith of the city commission behind it which at this point I think is is a long shot um to to run the thing for the city
or instead of I don't know I'm I'm not entirely put off by the suggestion of commissioner Burton to establish a private foundation for the purpose and and you know the only problem with
that argument is the school district is not going to give the property to a nonprofit they've done that and they've got burned and they've got in trouble with the office the Inspector General they can't they're not supposed to be giving property away to 501 c3s or
whatever because they just they they can do it to local governments to other governments because there state law that protects us and suggests that to happen um but giving it to anyone besides the local government or another government entity is pretty frowned upon and
especially in pman county and that's that is a I'm glad you brought that up it's a very important uh point so so um for acquiring it it blows it out of the water it's not
consideration however once the city owns it there's nothing stopping the City by establishing a portion of it being a nonprofit right and I and I think that that idea is is a good idea to have a
501c3 or something establish that would help manage it and the city can still own it it's it's a great possibility to explore as as other Partnerships are yeah let's face it the city's operating expenses
basically will be one building will be what one building yes and the rest of the compound um uh can be Partnerships right and we heard last night how
excited uh Partnerships are I mean the pl players if you put it in that terms the one building that the city would occupy is probably a wash at their expense all and and and then when you think of the gain of the sale of real
estate where we're sitting now now the building next to us um it is certainly a wash so we understand that but we have to get them to understand we have to get U the full commission to understand it
and the public that's that's what I'm talking about with a business plan that we can present that makes sense we need to start working on that we do and we need to fill our audience on our
meetings to get a good Exchange in ideas yes I think it's really important that we educate the public and we I think it's more
important that we educate the commission yeah well we have to do that too yes well that's our principal responsibility that's our number one yeah I agree with that I thought it was one one thing that
was said last sight that kind of annoyed me but that I thought was very telling was the mayor pointing out that we're the ones speaking of the commission and her the ones that have to make it all work as if it's up to her and us to make
decisions for the taxpayers and I did not I didn't like that because she was kind of saying well we know better and it's our our job don't we're not listening to you and I mean I think it was very telling I again when she asked I think she was hoping that there was
only going to be a few people here that lived in Cent City and obviously the entire place was full of and so uh I I think that I mean I've never I've never seen that much of a interest in outpouring of information of support and
ever seen someone turn that down in person I don't know but I I think that goes back to the fact that we just need to educate and try and get word out but if we can put it on paper give them some more def you know give them some more firm
numbers and we'll just go at it again um I think we can push this through but yeah I I all all those things that you said there's a trust issue I don't know why it's US versus them and me
being both I don't know um I don't know why that that is what seemed to come up um you know we had that whole report we did all that forward of them to know and learn and for for the public and it's all going to still be out there it's all it's on the website for the city and
it's on the uh fbhs website so people can read it um and we just need to now hone in maybe on those operational costs because to me it just seems like it's doable it's really doable in fact we have to do
it I think it would be much just it would be stupid not to do it so we just have to make it that point and make make it more evident so Dan if you're if you can get more numbers from the finance I'm going to see if I can reach
out to the finance CFO for the school district and ask them for some more numbers um because what we had was really kind of I don't know spotty there at times so I know that was something Charles had asked for and put
together in the spreadsheet that's what we had but I would like some more detail on some of those there was a piece on wjxt yesterday about a school in Jacksonville area that was converted to
a community center and they received $2 million for its reab and that happened like now so it can happen and we we can make it
happen we can help it happen do you um do you think Brad purcel would be willing to come talk to us at the BRC here could you could you contact Brad forel and see if he would come and talk to us here at the BRC and maybe give us
some ideas on next steps to help us talk to him about that okay because I think you know he might be able to to give us a little bit of uh motivation a little bit Direction on which ways to be going with Brands and so we can start researching
that yes one of the wonderful things um that we have going for us is that school conversions have happened all around us yeah and throughout the state and they become very
attractive and very successful especially for the economics of the community and bringing in additional revenues for the businesses yes um and attracting people to them um I'd also like to uh
remind us that we've been in existence since June that's nine months uh not six our report has just been released and it's going to take time for people to educate
themselves where to read it I mean 260 Pages yeah so as as people are acknowledge about it um I'm sure that good will will spread among our community it's
true yes so I I mean I I I don't I went home last night feeling like I Was Defeated you know that we were defeated or that I was you know not a great meeting but I think
that I think we still you know we didn't lose we didn't win but we didn't lose well the other thing was that we found out what we need to do what the concern was it was basically one concern Financial yes and and we sit
here with all this knowledge that we that we've collected and uh we just need to share with them that wasn't explained succinctly enough last night
but we know our we know our marching orders we need to explain that and the other is just a matter of relabeling yeah agreement contract yeah
get down to it they're all the same and then maybe a little more language into the agreement that would make them more what is the final um relationship established now between Char douas and
he will be I guess putting together a a contract for the commission on the 13th to approve so that he will be the he'll basically be the uh representation for the city in this in
this matter so he he's he'll be representing the BRC and the city commission basically um but he is as I understood from body language and so on last night he is going
to begin to work um on some kind of narrow retainer for the city yes based on the Assumption the city and the BRC are not conflicted right in this so that is pro for
us think Pro over but we need we really can't do any negotiating until he is appointed right and that'll be on the 13th right because then also you know the school board has to find representation as well because
Don Holmes is conflicted he can't he can't represent any either of us although both of them are paying him he can't work for either so in a nutshell he's a clever guy the city is paying him not to represent yeah the school yeah but you know only
on this issue so I mean still are are turning on other things so I mean that's you know on once Charlie is you know once they approve his contract which can't wait till this is I really rate uh let me bring up a a question I
had so we heard last night that the scheduled meeting with the school board or Workshop um was delayed because of the attorney issue um I was disappointed with that because I thought we we still could have
had the opportunity to present facts yeah to introduce the idea not to negotiate or suggest but to present the facts well and I think the thing was that Mr bowling was not comfortable with there not being representation at that
meeting I don't know why when it would just be a workshop and they were just giving information but exactly my point he wanted more time to break it to the school yeah which is I mean they they have their binders right you they took the binders took seven of them yeah so
they one of them would be Mr holes I assume so they they have the binders whenever we get the representation issue strained out then I guess we can have a workshop scheduled and I don't know I mean we hoping Charlie would do that
that Workshop I guess maybe we need to well it will give us time for some of us to talk to some of the board members and I think that's really I think it's a good thing for that reason also because I'm looking at the positive side of it
does give us time to get things in order and and it gives the school board uh time to to prepare so they can't claim surprise yeah they'll be they'll be prepared to review it so yeah I think as
soon as we resolve the representation issue we can get that rescheduled because I mean that's that's a big part of it is we need to get the school board informed and up speed I guess and then I guess
once Charlie's appointed we can ask them to do a letter of intent or something at the commission can someone and then to get get the commission to approve it so that we can present it to the school district so we've just added extra steps now which we were kind of hoping to
avoid because it's just going to drag things out longer but that's just what's going to happen because governments take a long time I just I just worry because every day something's not going on with the school it's just you know deing but I
it's not up to me so we can just all we can do is keep going on those steps that we have using your position on the commission you'll be able to affect the changes in this supposed contract which will now be a
memorandum of understanding yeah so yes I I will do my best I sometimes you know last night I was just I didn't know what to say because I want I didn't want to be rude to my fellow Commissioners well you it
was good to hear their thoughts yeah we gathered information and now we know how to go forward because we're enriched with that information um I their concerns I understand and I don't think
there's it was with animosity I think they were doing it with sincere concerns and we need to move forward with that uh with that that in mind I I think we have a good commission and I
really do well yeah they're just they're trying to protect pay the taxpayers they're trying to protect you know and and they they unknown and we just have to make the Unknown Known and I think we would
be a lot more comfortable with it and continue to state which we always have that we don't want to put a financial burden on anyone right and actually this there not need to it's it's obvious to us that will be
a huge financial success um you know if Pearson can do it we can do it that's the bottom line and we're so much further ahead of them because it took them four or five years
to do that yeah yeah that's true the other point is that we're we're very willing to continue to work very hard to do this work yes to lessen the burden on the commission well and it not only lessens
the burden but it really is hard for the commission to make these to do these things I mean because it's I don't know excuse me it's harder for them to get together and to make a decision first of all and secondly you know we're
focusing on this one issue where the commission has to worry about everything um although I have to worry about this and all that but um you know the commission has certain things that it just has to you know it keeps us busy I don't know I've never worked so hard for
you know a part-time job in my life and when I was a commissioner in 2003 I didn't this was it was not that hard it was not that hard then well we we to bring out the the reimbursement you get for it yeah oh
yeah the school district is the largest in florer in the town yes so they have a tremendous budget then on top of
that taxpayers of the county decided to give them a 300 M doll gift yeah yeah that we're paying for for which created a buch of new schools which creates a bunch of closed
schools and the district they have to deal with those closed schools and finding someone to take one is a gift to them
so and and they know that and we just need to move move forward and help make that happen and do it in a true partnership agreement which will cre be created between the city and the
district and they'll look out after each other that's that's the bottom line well and I'm glad that Mr bowling made the point last night that you know his taxpayers are our taxpayers I made that point I think in the meeting that we had with him it's like you know this is not
a a Schoolboard thing that they own this and the city own that you know we all work for the taxpayers it's it belongs to the taxpayers the school does and school will still if the city is the one responsible for it the taxpayers are who
own all of this and we're just making decisions on their behalf and we need to make the best decisions and for me I I feel like the best decision is that we the school needs under our control because we can redevelop it we can focus on that and that can benefit the whole
city and the whole County the whole area around us um as Mr bowling pointed alight they're not in the real estate business and they're not in the developing a cultural center business for them it's just a piece of property that is costing money for us it can be
it's an opportunity so we just have to make that opportunity happen because I thought I'm going know we're going to and understands the limitations financially that the city has they may not want to but they're
going to need to support us until we get it the city gets it in a position they can handle it and hopefully we can do it before middle burning closes two schools sitting here but one
school at a time yes well in in Ron's comments on what could be done uh with the elementary school I thought were excellent what was that what did we
talk IDE oh oh were here turning in the elementary scho into an assisted living facility oh well course that's not something the city would do [Music] says that the layout is ideal for and
that's something that is I'm sure there's a need for it in our great there isn't now there will be right by the time this committee is done we'll ready to move in well I'm at the right age already so far
I'm still vitally least my mind still so reflecting on last night the audience I I estimated there were excessive 50 people here yeah I I was I was very proud of that I
was very happy about that that was very encouraging and there were some uh there over I this morning this morning early that there were 70 plus that watched it on on w wow well that's a that's a record
because usually it has about 18 views or something or other meetings students so I mean that's there's there's obviously a ground spell of support in the community we need to just make sure that we keep that going and keep in keep people informed the excitement of those
that were here yes for us to hear that was very important yes and the of people that we had here giving their opinion it really represented the whole Community yes it did yes and they will go out and share share our Goodwill with
their friends and you know everybody that I I've talked to that I've gotten to sit down and explain the realities of the project I think it's a wonderful idea and really and you know it's hard to do
one person at a time but I you know I'm trying we can can all do that because some people just need to see it and I mean just like that young man that was here I say young I don't know if he he was younger than I was um that owned the gym that owns the gym out of town he had
just found out about it and came here to support it and like so if he just found out about it and M Dr brosman just found out about it because we saw him on Monday night I mean so there's still a lot of people that need to know and we need to try and keep spreading the word
because I I told Daniel the day before I think that's really so we just need to keep plugging on and on that note do we want to set a date for our next meeting in like two weeks or something you know within the
Rotary Club I stood up and ask him how many of you know who the Blue Ribbon committee is and not everybody did I mean yeah my goodness except the three of us who are right that would push us to
need to to own that's and that's the week of the commission meeting yeah yes I we can we can meet the morning I'm I'm okay with that is that Tuesday yeah so Tuesday the 11th of March is that
yeah that's fine is that good for everyone say it again Tuesday the 11th of March I'm glad that everyone um feels like we can keep moving I was afraid this morning no one
was going to be here well I was actually I was Inus because creating these financials pretty straightforward and of course I was sitting next to Rick last night he's exceptionally
excited see the possibilities he was very helpful because he's done it he's done so many of them and and he also said funding is available right with the GRS and he would know fitting on that
board and and you know was the the other person another person on the board is John brownie it's John brownie name yeah that lives here in County and you know so that's two out of seven
that live that know us in the area at least so that's really great for odds we just have to make sure that we we need to find out and you and Mr chairman you might be the right person to ask we about getting some guidance on how to best put that narrative together
for the grant we do thank you and of course Paul Paul was very Paul is very enthusiastic as well so and he he's uh excited to help us and he he really does have a lot I mean I I went
and did a Google search on him and he has names on reports going all the way through you know all kinds of U you know National register nominations in historic districts in St Augustine and Stewart and I mean all over the state I I his name pops up at all kinds of
places he a lot of experience and he and Rick know each other well yeah it's it's kind of small I mean it's not a very large world when you deal with you know historic architecture they kind of all know each other but then I mean we have two of the best I think involved so
that's a positive a huge positive so okay um anything else on the general conversation anything else on the agenda is there a motion to [Music]
Ive thank you all we are and I'll send you the emails right now