If you stand with me, we will do the invocation and follow tillillage. Heavenly Father, we love you today, God. We're so thankful for your love towards us. We ask your blessings on this meeting tonight, on each person that's attending. Father, we ask for your wisdom, your grace, and your direction
and leadership in this meeting. We thank you for your love for the city and Lord, helping us to make it the best city we can. And so, we ask this all in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. I aliance 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. All right, we're going to start with a uh presentation if I have it. Did I get that from you?
You got a copy over there? Um, I believe they're going to put it up on the screen there and then you're going to be presenting on it now. Yes. Uhuh. Okay. All right. Okay. Okay. This is my security here. Okay. Grant evening.
Go ahead. um to the city of of the Gunia, the honorable mayor Campbell, Councilman and Council Women, maintenance personnel, and I'm going to stop right there and say uh I want to give a shout out to uh Danny Nichols and
um Anthony Kaiser. Um they were uh lawn attendance and waste management. um Chief Sheffield uh uh the city police and all remaining seen and unseen help the Slouse Avenue
community like would like to extend a heartfelt thanks for your invaluable help and dedication in making such a momentous event possible. With your unwaving support, the Sloth
Avenue com community was fortunate to hold its second annual Sllo Avenue reunion, bringing home countless individuals who otherwise would have never returned, many who have not been
in the area since the 1970s and the 80s. The Slouse Avenue reunion fosters community growth and uh engagement, passing down history from one generation to the next. It is the community's hope
that with your uh uh continued support, Sloth an Sloth Avenue will continue to share this history, preserving it for posterity and inspiring change and hope in the generations to follow. Thank you
all again for your dedication and timeless assistance. We look forward to to future opportunities to serve together and service of our shared community with utmost appreciation the Slouse Avenue
union committee. And with that there um we're going to make the mayor a honorary sloonian. Is that a big one? Yeah. All right. Well, thank you very much. And we're very, very grateful for all you guys.
Yeah. Yeah. Come on. We'll be put on now. Don't be upset with the signs. Tom at the shop said that was your side. Now, he know he he made church for 13 years. Okay.
Okay. Well, let's put you in the bill. All right. Put over my neck. All right. Thank you. Thank you, guys. All right. Mayor, before we move to consent, I'd
like if that's okay. Go ahead. Uh just it's not on the agenda, but I wanted to make a quick announcement. Um council, you know, last meeting we separated utilities and public works. We now have a formal utilities department. Um which I think is going to be a great step for the city
uh moving forward in all aspects. And so I just want to make it known to all of you and to the community that uh Randall Holden has been promoted to the city's first ever utilities director. And very excited. and I think he's going to do great things. Rand's been with the city a little over 15 years and uh couldn't
be a better person for the job. So, all right. Thank you very much. Uh and kudos. Amen. We I love my man. All right. We're going to go to the consent agenda and we would certainly entertain a motion to approve as written. If you have something needs to be pulled off, please let us know at this time.
So moved. I'd like to Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Do we have a second? Our second. Okay, go ahead. I'd like to remove a couple of things from the consent agenda. Okay.
Um, I'd like to remove um Diaz and Delta regarding the airport. Yeah. And E is an echo regarding the finance director position description. Okay.
All right. All right. So, you want to modify your motion? Yes, sir. I'll modify to include those changes in your second. I'll second. I mean, he just needs to modify his second
to include Can I ask why we're removing? Well, he's going to make that pretty clear in just a minute. Okay. All right. I'll second. We'll consider a second. All right. Uh and we are back to Todd.
Yes, sir. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I car. Thank you very much. And uh All right, Kobe, we're going to go to the regular agenda, but uh let's see where we want to move these two.
Okay, mayor. We can move uh what was 3D1. D1, we'll move that to 4 B1. And what was 3E1? We will move to 4B2. Mr. Mayor, 4B, I think. Okay.
All right. Okay. Um, go ahead. That' be the first two items under the city. I guess Go ahead, Tom. Um, I know that there's a lot of interest in agenda item 6B1 and is practically down at the bottom of the
list. Um, in the interest of of time for everyone that that has made the effort to show up tonight, could we move that to the top of the agenda, please? I don't have a problem with you coming. No, sir. All right. Where you want it to come? Are you looking for under the under
under the two we just talked about or on a particular spot of the agenda? That's fine. Just let's just move it to the top of the agenda. Okay. Mayor, we will move it after um what we just made 4 B2 or which will be Yeah. So, we have B1 E1 and then we have this. What is it? 6B1.
6B1. All right. Okay. With the So, it be 4B3. Yes. But with the changes, um I'm looking for approval of the regular agenda. So, moved to second. I have a motion. Second.
Is this where you can add something? Um add to the agenda? Yes, sir. Mean something totally new? Yes, sir. No sir. Um now we can if you got three council members to agree with.
Okay. Um one of them was uh one of the subjects is public works. Um there's some outstanding employees that I wanted to recognize and I've been I've had a really up close
and personal look at their work lately and I wanted to give them a shout out. If there's not a motion attached, you can do that under your council comments if you so prefer. That's typically way to do that. Okie do. All right. Council comments. Yeah. Okay. So, we'll put that on council
comments. And another one that doesn't require a vote is water sewage contracts. Okay. Um if it does require a motion, that can stay under council comments as well. Yeah. Yeah. You only really need to make the
addition if you're asking the council to vote on it. Okay. Thank you. All right. We'll do them both then. Thank you. Okay. All right. So, I'm just going to put when I call on you, just go ahead and add those. You don't have to I don't have to call them out. You just go ahead and call them out when you do your comments. Okay.
Okay. All right. All right. Uh with that, um we did we got a motion to approve and and a second. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. Eyes carry. Thank you very much. Um, all right. We'll go right into
regular agenda with what was D1 at the airport. Um, was that Dan? Yes, sir. Okay. Um, I believe out and getting out in front of things. Mhm. Um there's been a lot of uh negativity
about the airport airport regarding all the funding that's been getting lately and people think that it is being pulled away from infrastructure and other matters. I wanted uh I've been getting a lot of phone calls and emails on this and I just wanted to put the record straight
on a at a public meeting that this is grant money. Uh it's not city money and it's from the Florida Department of Transportation. And Kobe, do you want to um elaborate on this any?
I can briefly. Um so the uh the contract on the on the agenda is contract G3C58. Uh council a few months back approved that contract. Uh and that was in the amount of $ 1.5 million. That was the fiscal year 2025 work plan dollars from
the Florida Department of Transportation to the airport. So FDOT has as a has a specific aviation department within its within it. And uh they they assign work plan dollars to our airport which cannot be moved from aviation use. That's what they're for. Um and then that was fiscal
year 25. Fiscal year 26 we have a $900,000 allocation for the same type of project. So when monies are assigned in the work plan, they're put within some particular use. um you can get those changed, but we don't need to change them. We need them for the project we've already identified. And so if you uh
read the contract as it was for the 1.5 already had in the narrative that we were coming back for the fiscal year 26 in the amount of 900,000. So it's grant monies from the DOT. Uh the DOT just they they recommend an amendment to the contract rather than a totally separate grant agreement. So they just they're increasing the funding from 1.5 to
900,000. So none of the funding 2.4 4 million has come out of our uh water or sewage or general budget, anything like that? No sir. Grant money from Florida Department of Transportation and we do not make transfers from the general fund to the airport fund. It is a
self-sustaining enterprise fund. Mr. Mayor, go ahead. Motion to approve FOT contract G3C58 amendment one. Second. I have a motion. Second. Um, other questions, comments from anyone?
All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. Eyes carry. Thank you very much. Uh, you want to go to E1? Um, the reason I wanted the finance director uh position description pulled off is
because um we've got two scenarios. We got one scenario where um we want them to have an accounting degree and so much experience or the second scenario is
a high school degree um and work experience. uh the work experience is a little is a little more involved, but I made some phone calls within the
borders of Walton County and every county office, sheriff's department, school board, um tax collector's office, uh everybody that's got a finance director,
has an accountant are higher. There's a lot of CPAs that's the finance director and Freeport same way. There's only only found one government agency that allowed someone with a high school
degree to be to act to either be or act as their finance director and that was Paxton. So, I feel like we need to raise our bar so that it is accountant or CPA, not someone with a high school
degree. And here's my rationale. Just because you've got experience doesn't mean you're qualified for the job. For example, and I'm going to use the medical field as an example.
You can be an EMT for 20 years and that does not qualify you to be a paramedic. There are different there are different skill sets. One is basic life support, the other is advanced. The same thing in the nursing
world. You can be an LPN for 20 years and that doesn't mean you're qualified to be a registered nurse because they are different skill sets. Um, Paxton's the only one that doesn't require anything higher than a a
high school degree. Uh, their budget is about $3 million a year and um I just really think we should raise the bar and not go backwards. So, I'm going to ask that you reconsider.
And if you don't, I understand that's that's okay. I just wanted to get this out there. I didn't want the bar lowered. I wanted to be on par with the rest of the county. Okay. So, going to get a vote on that or Yes, sir.
I need to make a motion. I'd like to make a motion that uh we has as a requirement for our finance director to be a accountant from an accredited source or higher
and not have someone that just does not have the skill sets like a high school degree or a two-year degree. So to be clear, you're wishing to eliminate the work experience in lie of the BS degree. Correct.
With the BS degree being accountant and accounting. Second. All right. We have a motion and a second. Uh questions, comments from the council
or from the public question. Yes. I'm not familiar with the history here. How how long has that description been the description for the finance director? Do we have any idea how far that goes back or um not to put anybody on the spot, I'm
just curious, the crossout said uh last approved by the city council May 25th of 2022. Now, I don't know what changes may have happened the 22 version to prior to that, but that was the last time that
this was updated. The finance director ordinance dates back to 1987 and I would imagine that the similar work experience has been included since at least then it was present in the 1990 version of the ordinance that was amended in 2017 and
again in 2018 with the work experience they amended. So for instance, in 2017, the council amended qualifications to require a bachelor's of science finance or higher in accounting, public finance, business administration from a 4-year
university or five years work experience. So it was actually lesser back then when you go to look at that. And then they again made an amendment to that in 2018 to increase it from five to
eight years. So I believe it was three originally is my recollection from 94. Amy, I just wanted to make a different comment but on the same subject matter. At our last meeting I asked to have this postponed so we could play with this and
bring it back tonight for uh approval. And you know we sat and spent a lot of time going through this but I noticed the ordinance never came back with it. So uh Clay, the ordinance requires the ordinance requires two readings. So for us to
actually get the advertisement on the first reading, we're in that weird fifth week of the month. So for proper advertising and notice from your last council meeting, it has to be in your meeting in August would be your first reading and then your second reading would be your second meeting in the month of August.
Is it ready? Is it written so that we can review it in case we have suggestions or I'll be glad to circulate it, but it's copying directly out of this. Okay. I mean, what's your exact go? I've still to as of this evening have not
seen it. So I'd like to see it before an hour before we are asked to vote on it if that's possible. It's the language is identical to what's listed here. It's the same language. It's conforming the job the direction was to conform the
ordinance to the job description. So So if it's the same, would somebody please just email it? Sure. For us, that'd be great. Mail draft. That's a problem. But this part of it's not a problem. No, not at all. The city's advertising it. You're not going to hire until after the ordinance. I'm just talking about this part about the accountant.
Uh, but it would change this language to the Well, if you change it now, we're going to go back and change the ordinance again. Yes. I'm going to have to go change that again if that's the case. Okay. But until the council approves it, the ordinance is not ready to be sent for first reading.
All right. I just want to be clear. Go ahead. Go ahead. you know, a person can have eight years of experience and be exceptionally qualified and, you know, that decision is up to the council to make that determination,
you know, and and we have to be wise about that kind of thing. But I do know uh that just because someone has a degree doesn't necessarily mean they are qualified. uh they might have muddled through four years of experience which is the other part of that qualification
uh at a city and then been let go or been you know got the message that they're not working out or or whatever. But u you know degree doesn't necessarily cement uh a qualified person um no more than experience does. But if
somebody's been there for eight years and they've been allowed to be there for eight years in that position, you have to think they've done a pretty good job, unless there was some favoritism to that position or that that particular person. But um again, that's up to the council. E either either one of these.
Yeah. Go ahead, Mr. Mayor. I didn't know if you had her hand up. Go ahead. So for me personally, I have worked alongside people that have had no degree, master's degrees, PhDs,
multiples of all those. Um I I'm I'm a firm believer that experience matters. I I've worked around people that have um I'm I'm in the technology industry, so I've I've worked with people that have technology degrees, that have engineering degrees, and I've also
worked around people that have none of that. and yet they're wiser than other people. Um, the city has bought the t-shirt on both of the both sides of this equation. And in both of those instances,
it did it didn't matter a hill of beans, right? We we've hired people that checked every box, that had every degree, that had every certification, and and they're not here. We've also done the opposite. We've also hired people that
we felt like had experience and were here and that didn't help us either. So just because it's in the the description doesn't mean we are compelled or forced to hire this person. You know, when we discussed this at the last meeting, you
know, I brought up the fact that it's an incumbent on the council to interview this person and to ask those questions that we believe will draw out whether they're capable and qualified for this position, regardless of the credentials that they bring. Because I I can tell you, I've worked around people that have
plenty of credentials. I believe that the phrase that was used a lot was more degrees than a thermometer. and yet couldn't run this city to save his life. So, um
I I firmly believe that we have actually strengthened the job description requirements and it's on us to hire the right person, not on ticking every little box and and and worrying obsessing over whether they have a four-year degree or not.
Anyone else? Yes, sir. Every county and city agency within the borders of Walton County would disagree except for Paxton.
And if we're going to go on that mindset hypothetically, and I'm not taking a shot at you, Clay. I'm this is just hypothetical. If he's got somebody in his law office that's been there 20 years and is a
parallegal and knows contracts backwards and forwards and has worked under Clay's tulage and knows all the tricks in the trade of
being a government attorney. Why couldn't they take place place? Because the Florida Bar says they can't. Yeah, that's an apples to oranges comparison. Unfortunately, the Florida bar says that would be unlicensed practice of law, right? You're comparing medical professionals and lawyers that are that are licensed
through the state versus a position for this city and that they're they're apples and oranges in in the largest way possible. But the the rest of the county doesn't see it that way. Just because everybody else does it does does it doesn't make it right for the city of DeFi Springs.
So, we're just hanging there with Paxton. Gotcha. Well, could could I point out, you know, the description says under a a bachelor's degree in accounting, public finance, business administration, or closely related field. A person with a a
bachelor's in business administration that's not accounting, right? Um, you know, so a bachelor's in itself doesn't necessarily, you know, take take care of this. The the experience on the other hand would absolutely take care of
it if a person came from a you know appropriate had appropriate tra track track record but you know the motion was specifically for an accountant for an accountant or hire. Gotcha.
Okay. All right. Anyone else? All right. All in favor say I. Nay. Yes. I'm done. Yay. All right. It's uh 22, so it's going to fail. Um like we're not
the amendment fails. We still need a motion on the agenda item. Mayor, about the approval of the actual request before the council. So moved. Okay. Is that with or without the finance piece? With I'm sorry. With Thank you.
All right. Did we get a second? Repeat. What? What is it? To approve it as as presented. 3E1 as presented. Okay. Okay. We get a second. I'll second. Okay. All right. I have a motion to
second. Any questions, comments? From anyone. All in favor say I. I. No. I No. Okay. Motion fails. Yep. All right. Well,
I don't burn any more time on that for now. What's that? Can we just You can ask. Mayor, would the council be amanable to removing the finance director uh and and moving forward with utilities director, public works director, and utility billing supervisor and allow y'all more time however you wish to discuss on the
finance director. I'll make that a motion. Second. I have a motion in a second. Y'all understand the motion? Everything. Clarify it. to move forward with the utilities director description, polar works director description, and utility billing supervised description. Uh, and
not considering the finance director description at this time. Okay. So, we have a motion to second. Any questions, comments? Any questions, comments from anyone? All in favor say I. I. I. I. I.
I carry. Thank you very much. So, if we will, I'll just comment. I can bring you that ordinance back, but does the city want me to go to the trouble of starting the advertising process and incurring those expenses if you're going to talk about the finance direct finance
director's job description more because what I will be presenting literally mirrors what was in your packet tonight, which would have been advertised based on the 22 tie vote, but is now not being advertised. So, if we're going to discuss it more, it seems imprudent for
me to incur your time and money to advertise that. I was thinking the entire reason that we were updating the ordinance is because it was in direct conflict of the job description. Correct. That one section A, B, and C as
being advertised would have not mirrored what is in your ordinance. Council's direction if it had been to advertise this would have been to conform the ordinance to the job description and it's really qualifications, training, experience is the section that has to be updated.
I do want to clarify, Mr. Mayor. We're we're we're not going to put every single bullet point from the from the knowledge, skills, and abilities into the ordinance, are we? That's was what I understood was not to be the case. That's why it's not
included in the what I prepared and it's not required to be very clear. Duties, qualifications, training, experience is the part that was conflicting that we had to address. All right. So, what's our options here to either go ahead and Well, it sounds like I need to hold off
unless they're telling me because it sounds like they want to talk about it more, but I just want to be clear because Councilwoman Evelyn asked when's that going to be back. Well, it sounds like it needs to wait until they talk about it more. At least till we have five members since it's two two. Go ahead.
Me or I I was going to say I'd prefer to read it before he goes out and publicizes it because I haven't read it. Well, it literally even though I understand that you say it's literally that it is verbatim qualifications, training, experience. There's nothing else in it. So, I would like to see what the 19 I
think you said 1987 version versus the new version that we'll gladly go pull all those. Okay. I thought you said it hadn't been the ordinance wasn't updated. It's been updated. No, it's been updated four times. No, I read I misunderstood. I read the two most recent ones in 2018
was the most recent one after that and that's the one that was forced on us, right? I mean, I know we modified it, but was that part of the grand jury recommendation? No, that no, that was the council's decision in hiring the finance director when we hired Miss Gibson. Um, they wanted to update to require
more experience, which is what got us to the eight years over five. And that was the council that hired Miss Gibson, which is what the one Okay. So, did they do that prior to their uh
advertisements? I believe they actually updated um they updated two parts of it. I believe that was during the hiring process. It was in July of 18 that recall that strikes me as around the time we did those interviews when Mr. Smeagielski was still here
for we updated the bond. That was Deborah's competition. So that's why I'm just kind of curious what I don't recall any of that. Okay. It was adopted by the council on the 23rd day of July 2018. Okay. provide
a copy of it. And that's the most updated one, CL. Yes, it is. Okay. Thank you. You guys want We went through a real dark period in our city's history involving our f finance department. Uh grand jury
um numbers didn't come up and it wasn't just one year or two years. We went through a dark period there. So if you want to know what my motive is, it is not to go backwards and not to repeat that. To have the best qualified person
with the best tools to do the job. That's my motive. That's all I want. Okay. All right. I guess we're going to I'll hold I will circulate drafts and we'll hold off until the council's had yet one more chance to talk about this.
All right. Okay. Okay. Now we either do the 6B1. No, 4B3. Mayor. Yep. 43. 6B1. Oh, sorry. Okay. Um All right. We're going to I
guess uh Josh is going to bring that up. Here you go. He's coming in. Good evening, mayor, council, members of the public. I'm pleased to be in front of you tonight uh with some progress on our veterans memorial project that we've been working on. Just a little background information to remind
everyone, including the public, that this originated back through our redevelopment plan update process where we had a a visioning session and allowed the public to introduce their ideas for our redevelopment plan and in particular our capital improvement uh list.
Subsequent to that, we had a joint workshop back with the city council on October the 16th where we discussed this project in spec very specifically. At that particular workshop, it was identified that we needed to have, you know, some more meetings with veterans. So, on November the 7th, we uh of 2024,
we had a meeting at the DAV where multiple chapters were present and we discussed the labyrinth concept and the location. Back uh early this year in February, our board put together a task order for Dubberry to look at three locations to
come up with some highle concept drawings to focus primarily on the general scale and the accessibility for each location. So on May the 22nd of 2025, our um consultant, which is here tonight to answer any technical questions you may have, provided these concept drawings
where we solicited public input at large as to the location uh and as to you know kind of the overall concept of of its applicability for those respective locations. So during that conversation uh we introduced the technical side of
each location and we allowed the participants to rank them in accordance with their preference. Green being yes, orange being maybe, red being no, along with pros and cons for each site. Through that exercise uh which we had
over two dozen in attendance, we saw that there was a strong favor for the original location which is here at Main Avenue in Circle Drive. in that the little depressed area where that circular sidewalk section is. So, at this point, there are still a lot of
questions surrounding this project. What is it going to look like? What features are going to be included? What about the uh sidewalk sections that go along there? Could those be shortened? Could they be lengthened? Could they be reconfigured? And the short answer to that is yes. But in order for us to have
those uh level of detail uh questions and answers, we need to be in a position where we can hire an engineering consultant to start the formal design. So tonight we're at kind of that crossroad um where we have this information. Uh we would like to move forward with formal design development,
but considering that it is in the Chipley Park uh and and property of the city, we would like to ask your permission to move forward with that so that we can answer some more of those questions. So again, I have uh Rudy M with Dubberry here to answer any technical questions you may have as it
relates to the concept drawings and any other questions you may have as it relates to on I know you've had several meetings. Uh the public's been invited to how many they've been invited all of them and that would be about how many? Yeah.
So you know like I said we had a meeting uh at the CRA city council workshop. We had a meeting at the DAV. We've had subsequent uh council and CRA meetings and then we had a public meeting at large, a public workshop on May the 22nd where we advertised that for three
consecutive weeks in the Phoenix Herald. We posted it on the city's Facebook page. We distributed flyers to all the veterans groups and we also did an advertisement on WZ local radio. So been a lot of opportunities. The core function or purpose of this workshop on
May 22nd was to look at concept drawings more so than really get into the weeds of what this thing may look like. You know, here's its representation at this respective area. Uh do you like this area? Do you not like this area? Uh and so that's really the the purpose of
that. It was to collect general feedback from the public to show somewhat, you know, preference, if you will, of moving this project forward at either location. Any I'll go to the council. Y'all have any technical questions you want to ask the
engineer that's with us? Mr. Mayor. Yes. Go ahead. Can you tell me what the cost estimate would be for the site one? Rudy Maul Dubberry Engineers. So the the cost estimate really depends on the material to be used. um we have a linear
feet of sidewalk that we have conceptualized. I can give that number out and do a base calculation on that. But until um you know the the the CRA decides on what type of material and um
I guess overall uh detail on the plan the the cost on the project is is unknown. Mr. Mayor, how um how much was the cost for your task order to to develop those plans?
Myself? Yeah. Yes. Um 22500. 22,000. Yes, sir. So, we spent $22,000, had 10 public meetings, and we're no further along
than when we discussed this last time. Now once we decide on the site and I believe that was what this whole meeting this workshop meeting was to help uh take a step forward was to you know everyone get on board with a site and
then we part of my scope was to finish out the the the basic concept to a more detailed engineering concept and provide an engineering cost of opinion for that project. So, in your in your presentation, you everyone all three of these sites you showed a labyrinth. You
didn't consider any sort of other design that that could be implemented to honor veterans. Is that correct? Correct. Okay. Anyone else? Well, on that point of design, I I think we've all been blown up with emails and
phone calls and discussions on the street and and what have you and and that has come up numerous times with people that I've heard from about the the choice of the the recognition, what it would be, whether you know, there's all kinds of
memorials out there and and ways to do that. So, I'm not real clear on how that process went and if those options were discussed um or whatever. Um myself um I've also heard from a lot of people
that um are opposed to the location and I remember you know when we discussed I don't recall if it was in a workshop or or or or when it when it was but I you know it seems like the council was fairly clear in the objection to
additional buildings in the lakeyard and this first phase might not include that but are there additional phase phases to follow that might include the construction of a pavilion and restrooms. Sure. Uh if I may go back to the question regarding the labyrinth. So, back on November the 7th where we met
with the DAV, Councilman Connors was present at that, we actually asked the uh the the members in in attendance there, the veterans members in attendance to to show support or not for the concept of a labyrinth that you know, we could talk all day long for
many days about what it could look like, what it could look like. Uh we included the labyrinth as the concept in the redevelopment plan update. And during that meeting, uh, the DAV commander basically asked for those in attendance, which if I recall correctly was well over 30, if they supported the A
location and b the labyrinth design. And and the overwhelming response was yes. And so that's how we decided to to move forward with continuing this conversation as far as a location. Um, as far as the ancillary buildings or
pavilions, those are all things that have been discussed. certainly not part of our scope. I think we all can recognize that that's probably a little too much right now. Um, but I think the goal would be to to look at the memorial, figure out how we can move that forward in some capacity, and then
if there's some desire later on, that would be part of another task order. But right now, that design development would be purely for the memorial and the accessibility as it relates to that. Go ahead.
As a veteran, I'm 100% for the Veterans Memorial. However, I'm opposed to the location. Y'all got the same emails I did. I'd like to make a motion that we disapprove the location.
Second. I have a motion. Second. Um, questions or comments? Mr. Mayor? So I I want to go back to this because this has been brought up a couple of times in our workshop now previous meetings.
One of the things that and I I harped on this last time. One one of my issues is only one option was presented and that was the labyrinth. And that's that's what I heard from people that were at the DAV meeting. That's what I heard from people that were at these other
public meetings. There's only one option that's continually presented over and over and over again at all these meetings. And yet I've heard from other people that have said, you know, the council's considering a park project called the linear park that was presented by Scenic Walton and actually
handed to us on a silver platter. And the idea was start out there at the airport where we already have a T38 sitting there on display. Let that be part of an air air force display. And then as the linear part progresses down through the middle of DeFi Springs, we could erect monuments to the various
services, all seven branches. And through throughout the linear part that runs the entire width of Defiac Springs, we could we could honor our veterans that hasn't been presented at any of these meeting these public meetings. Instead, one concept and one location
has just been repeatedly presented over and over and over again. And that that's what I'm hearing from the public in phone calls, emails, people coming into my store, stopping me on the street. That's the concern that I have. And that's that's the same concern that I've had all along is, and Mr. Harrison, you
you pointed this out. What what's what's the idea here? Because there's a labyrinth, there's pavilions, there's bathrooms, there's flag poles, there's, you know, uh bricks with with people's names on
it. the the concept isn't being solidified in any sort of way. Instead, it's just we're going to build a labyrinth in the lakeyard. I guess I'll be the jerk that says this, but that concept of a labyrinth in the lakeyard has already been presented to
previous councils and been voted down. And I I find it as as the the son of an Air Force veteran, I find it offensive to just slap the word veterans on something and then say we're going to do this for the veterans when it was not approved previously for something else.
I that's just my personal feeling on it. I'm not saying anybody else has to have that feeling, but that's my personal feeling on it. Yes, ma'am. Josh, can I ask you? I've gotten a lot of uh inquiries uh to me also. Has anyone ever thought about a location out
at the Veterans Lodge? Has that ever been a Yeah, I think that's been discussed. You know, at some point when that gets built, perhaps having some memorial, whether that's publicly funded, privately funded. Um, so, you know, but I meant for this project to be on
that property out there. No, I think the difference is that being private property versus this being public property. Um, so you know, the short answer is yes, but don't really have any plans or or any allowance, if you will, from the private owner to do
that at this point. So, as as far as alternatives, you know, I've mentioned I don't I don't know that I did in in a meeting, but you know, if if the goal is to have a lot of veterans become aware of this memorial, regardless of where it is, and there's
nobody sitting here that opposed to a veterans memorial. Um, but there is a lot of blowback from the public on on the lakeyard. It's a gem of the city. I've heard it over and over and over and they're just concerned about additional
structures in the lakeyard and what have you. But but but I had this idea of you know the Wayside Park at 331 and 90. There's already facilities that the city incurs the expense of maintaining and
nobody utilizes that park for anything. We have restrooms, we have picnic shelters, we have shade trees, we have level ground. Now, if you get off that level ground, yes, it slopes down to the street below, but at the end of that level area, there is parking on the same
level that could be easily uh improved. But you talk about a place where it's highly visible and could potentially be visited a tremendous amount by by tourists coming through here by the millions. Um, and it very visible right there. So, you
know, I've always thought that, you know, if we don't utilize parks, we end up eventually shutting them down because they just cost us money, right? We've got 11 parks in the city, if I'm correct. Um, but so that park um could
be utilized for something that and be extremely attractive right there. I I think if if considered. So, I'm not for one saying no on something without offering something as an alternative. you know, the the fountain area at the lakeyard was considered, but people just didn't want to see that either. Uh, but
so, you know, we we've got to think about this and put our heads together because we we would like to see this thing done, but done in a way where people actually know it's there and visited and and and it draws attention. That that would be the ideal thing to me. Um, so
can I can I respond to that? Yeah, go ahead. So, there have been a lot of suggestions made. I mean as wide as you could imagine from Magnolia Cemetery to Wayside Park to fill in the blank park and and I think for us considering that it was included in our redevelopment
plan as a labyrinth at that location is why we stand here today. Could we look at all those locations? Absolutely. You know, we could turn over every stone if we really wanted to. It really comes down to time value of money uh and and what that's going to mean to the bottom
line. As you saw, we spent a considerable amount of money to get the concept drawings for the three locations because there surveying required. You know, each each location has different features, has different elevations, uh has different topography. So, nothing's copy and paste, unfortunately. And, you
know, based on where we stand with the project in our redevelopment plan, that's why we're here today. As a director for the CRA, I am neutral in this. I'm here to present the information as I collect it. Uh I feel we went above and beyond to to gain as
much input as we can through public workshops where we heavily uh advertised those. We looked at the three locations that the council allowed us to move forward with on concept drawings and we have received what I believe is clear agreement with the participants in that
meeting. So if the council would like to to look at somewhere else, we can certainly do that. Um, but I think again it just it goes to where our priorities are are as a CRA versus where we said they were going to be as it relates to the redevelopment plan. So certainly
open to any and all opportunities. Uh, but this is kind of where we are in order to define some of those other things. We talked about brick papers, putting names on them, flag poles, lights, no lights, height of monument, you know, vertical monument. In order to get to those detailed conversations, we
got to have a location. uh because again each location is different. Um and so we're we're certainly I'm gonna speak for my board, but I think that there is interest to do whatever we can uh to move this project forward, but the task that we were assigned was to look at these locations, get some input, and
that's what we've done. Yes, ma'am. Um can we just fast forward? Let's pretend that their location's been picked. And at the end, is this who maintains all of this at the end? Who pays for the electricity and the lights and the uh have we gone that far to
think ahead those many steps because is that going to fall upon us as an additional and who puts up the I heard you just say flag polls. Who's going to put up the flags every day? I mean, are the veterans groups coming forward to to help with this?
I I would like to think that there would be some volunteerism there. Uh I mean, the short answer to that question is it would be a city, you know, facility uh through our tenure uh which again sunsets on September 30th of 2033. I think there's some opportunity for us to to fund maintenance of the improvement.
Uh but subsequently, it would be the city's responsibility as would be with any improvement that we make. So any of the capital improvements that we have projected uh to construct those would have to be maintained uh and those costs would have to be figured out at some point. Okay. Thank you, Josh.
Maya. Yeah. Um, one of our um, citizens that's on our beautifification board came up with an excellent idea about putting one of
those um, camping world type flags at the Wayside Park because it's a it's such a key location uh, that everybody that comes through that intersection there, you know, there's no doubt in anybody's
this is an all-American town, you know, and I ran this idea by Kobe and he said that there was some utility issues there with Florida Power that we couldn't do that. Do you remember this conversation at all? It depends on Well, it depends on the
location. So, because of the easements we provided to FPL, they intend to run large transmission lines to the intersection and then down 331 south. So I mean that would definitely be a consideration depending on the size and location and proximity to those lines expected lines
and another possible location uh this is my next the last comment on the subject um is if you're standing in the middle of the road of US 90
looking right square at the courthouse on the right side. There's vacant property. It's a yard. That's the courthouse. That's the county seat. That's a very
important location. They've got bathrooms. They've got cameras. And since it's going to be on their courtyard courthouse yard, a little icing on the cake is that they would be
maintaining it if the county would go along with that. Now, that's just an idea. And my last comment is when we when we open up the floor to public comment, I'd like for the veterans, if you would,
I'd like to hear your suggestion on a location. We want the veterans memorial. Thank you. Well, I can say this. I know that u we said we want we we want to hear from the public. We've we've heard a great deal from the public and we're hearing a lot more at the very last
minute this week. You know, I'm getting I've gotten four or five emails. But anyway, so I appreciate what you've done, Josh, and I know that you've uh tried to do this as transparently as possible and so I appreciate the way
you've done it. Um whether you know we've been persuaded otherwise, that's one thing. But uh I just want to let you know I appreciate the way you've done this with all transparency. Thank you. Appreciate that.
All right. Anyone else? Yes, ma'am. To respond to Mr. Beerbomb. When this started, the very first question on the slide was, "Do you want a monument or do you want a memorial?" And there's all
kinds of memorials, memorial park, memorial picnic place, memorial this, that, or the other. And overwhelmingly, it was a memorial.
And I kept getting the impression every time I showed this to a group of veterans. They would bend over backwards not to cost the city any money. They wanted their flags to fly when they were having ceremonies and they could have
more ceremonies if they had a space. Um, and perhaps when there were city festivals. The rest of the time they said, "We need a place to take these down and fold them up because we don't expect the city to put them up and down every day."
Um, they kept saying, "Well, we can maintain this." And I kept saying, "No, if it's on city property, they have to decide how it's going to be maintained." I did call Napierville, Illinois, which
has the labyrinth that is underwater a lot of times. It's 25 years old. It has been underwater 12 to 15 times. The person who oversees this told me they put down brick sealer about every 3
or four years. Uh they do have to trim around it, but down there in the site that the veterans selected, you have to trim twice around the circle and then around the sidewalk. And if there was a labyrinth in there, you'd
only have to trim once. um using the bricks as uh an individual memorial. We said that we should charge more than they actually cost so that that extra
money would go for maintenance, go to the city for maintenance. Um, one of the reasons this restarted, uh, initially started in 2009, one of the reason it restarted was that
members of the black community came to me and said, "We've got a little money, but we don't have any land." And part of what their intent was to have something where they could walk to it. So, I don't think they would be
comfortable in a place where Confederate flag is flying and there's a Confederate monument. Um, thank you. Anyone else? Yes.
Mr. Mayor, can you ask somebody to fix the microphone? They're saying they can't hear in the back of the room. They turned up the speakers. Okay. Randy Lightner, L I G HT N E R. Um, my first question is in those designs, that zigzag there, is that a boardwalk?
Mor mayor, point of order. Let let her make her comments and not engage in question answer. Yeah, you need to direct everything. Okay. Sorry. I I've just been trying to figure that out. I was hoping to get that answer. Um, I don't want to be ugly, but I'm always known for saying what everyone thinks
and won't say it out loud. So, I guess I'll stop tonight. My father was in Vietnam, 101st Airborne on the day I was born. And because of Vietnam, I was raised by a stepdad. Because of Vietnam, I hated my father my
entire life. He died when I was 18 years old. and I never got the chance to know him as an adult and be able to tell him that I understood what he went through. So, I'm more than I am appalled that after this many years
of trying to get something like this, a person would stoop so low as to veterans to it. And I hope that any veteran in this room who has been called here to speak on this now realizes that they're being used. Um, beyond that, I I've
lived here my entire 53 years. The one place I told you last meeting, police department, fire department, lakey yard, you mess with it, I'm coming. We need nothing in that lakeyard. Rebuild the amphitheater, make it nice, upgrade it beyond that. Positively, nothing else should ever go there because once you
open that door, how do we close it? There's going to be another group and another and another and then the lakeyard is lost forever. and and that would be a heartbreak for me. Um, and just one other thing I want to mention that the circular sidewalk that's there
right now throughout the years, it's never been properly maintained. So, how are we going to maintain a whole entire labyrinth? That that doesn't make sense. We can't even keep the the one little sidewalk. I mean, I love it. It's it's beautiful. I I like it there. I'm not But it just
year over year it's we all know it's never been maintained properly. Um, and I I think the world of Mr. Irving, on a personal note, I've spoken with him several times lately. He he seems like a wonderful person. But, um, I I hope that
later on tonight, we also plug the CRA leak, $22,500 for what. Um, and just to say I think Wayside Park is an excellent idea. And in closing, I just want to say that after tonight, I hope this is put to bed permanently. and forever. And that any
talk moving forward of a veterans monument be brought to you by veterans. There there's a man in here tonight who can lead the charge. Get some veterans in here to decide. And I think it should be veterans and no one else who talk with the city about doing that.
Absolutely no one else. Thank you. Anyone else? Come on. Come on, Danny. Okay. Talking about veterans. Well, you're looking at one. 28 years United States
Air Force. Five years enlisted. The rest is an officer. Fixed planes, flew planes, three combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, all them wonderful places.
All these other people in here that are veterans, and I see several, we all swore an oath. We swore an oath. I swore enough when I was 18 years old to protect all y'all. All y'all,
this whole country from everybody that was going to come after you, going to try to kill you and anything else. My job was to fly a fighter. I dropped. I couldn't tell you how many bombs in the middle of a desert.
Can't tell you how many times I was shot at. How many time I was told I couldn't arm my weapons. But I'm a veteran. The guys in Vietnam, Korea. My dad was
World War II combat medic. Bronze Star for Valor. two purple hearts. He was going after people that were dying. What I was doing, I was dumping bombs on people trying to kill them cuz they
wanted to kill all of us. Yeah, we needed a memorial. We definitely need a memorial. We don't need to get in this pickle of arguing over where it's going to be because this person don't like that, that person don't like this.
We need to come together as a group like we do in the military. We come together as a group. You're a veteran. You know what I'm talking about. Yes, sir. I'm a retired major. We come together as a group and we figure this out. We don't talk here. We don't talk there. We don't talk over
here. We come together and we figure out a game plan. And that's what we do as veterans. That's what we do as military. I wasn't going to say nothing tonight, but I've heard so much crap, you mind will say from this one,
that one, and the other thing around time, everything else. I've been called everything from a so and all I was doing was my job. But instead of trying to talk it done,
as we say in the military, we need to put boots on the ground and do something about it. We don't talk it done. We need to put action behind the words. But we definitely we have a lot of veterans in this area. Biggest air one of the biggest air force bases in the
world. Fort Rucker, Pensacola, Naval Air, Panama City. We're surrounded by military everywhere. And a lot of us are retired and a lot of us aren't.
You got guys did four years, they're still a veteran. I don't care if they 21 years old or 201. I'm 65 years old. I've seen some of the worst of the worst and I really wouldn't care to see none of it again. But
we definitely definitely need to get together, put our heads together, and not have two or three different factions arguing over this, that, and the other thing. I know y'all can probably see where I'm coming from.
That's the way I was raised. Well, we appreciate you. Appreciate your service and we appreciate you stepping up. M major. Major, go ahead. Do you have a preference of location? Yes, sir, I do.
Location one, Lakeyard. I was born and raised here. I've lived here all my life except the time I was in the military. If you're going to put anything in that lakeyard to not necessarily benefit
someone, but to show appreciation for what a group of men and women have done for this country. That's where I say you should put it. Don't put it some offthe-wall place back
out here in the middle of BF Egypt. Put it where people can see it. They know what it is. People coming down Highway 90, they're going to the beach. They're not stopping here. They're going to the beach.
Thank you very much. I'm Danny Burch. A lot of y'all know me. Uh, I really don't have no preference in where you put it. I kind of agree with him putting it over there. They're driving by 75 going to the beach. But,
uh, my biggest concern is how do you get a veteran memorial or monument out of that thing? That's like a rose garden that the garden club wants to go sit at and
reminisce and trim their flowers around. Has nothing to do with a veteran memorial. That's all I got to say. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Kim Winterberg, president.
Um, I think I can echo what everybody else said. No one's against a Veterans Memorial. We wouldn't dream of it. My dad was a veteran. Served in the Navy and the Pacific in World War II. I appreciate everything that you guys have done for us. And this is one of the things that you have done has allowed us
to have the freedom to speak out and even though it might not be, you know, what everybody agrees with, I'm personally extremely opposed to it. And this is a hill that I will die on because our lakeyard is precious. We have managed to protect it for 150 years
by not mucking it up with stuff. And I don't mean the Veterans Memorial is stuff, but potential bathrooms, sidewalks, pavilions, um all of that is not appropriate for the lakeyard. Not to and there's a deed
that does protect what can be put in that lakeyard. Um if you haven't seen it, there's some pretty good protections in there. and more structures are not part of it. Um that corner, it is an intersection. You
can call it a round lake, but that is an intersection where people turn or go straight. Having cars parked on a corner is really a bad idea and a dangerous idea. Um, and why
why would we put something in a place that we know can flood? I don't understand that. Like, so what? It floods and then it becomes unusable. Why why would that be the place to put it? Um, I'm I'm speaking as a citizen,
not as a board member. But the beautifification and tree board is putting together a master plan for Chipley Park starting this year to be presented to the council next year. I think that needs to be done. That
needs to be the council instead of ad hoc one thing here or there. The council needs to agree or ask us to go back and make changes, but allow the board that you put to help guide you in these things to bring it before you and let
you all decide what's best. I will echo what Randy said. It's bothersome that this was a labyrinth until it was a veterans memorial. And it was a labyrinth that couldn't stand on its own merits for a number of years.
And the veterans got attached to it. And I don't like that. The veterans deserve their memorial the way they want it with their support. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,
Sharon Gren resident. And I'm all for veterans. I think we need a memorial. I think we've had a lot of trouble in this city with we want things, but we don't ever get around to finishing anything. We have the visitor center that's right
over there by our museum. There's an area right there that people walk by when they're coming to visit our lakey yards. If you want to have a memorial somewhere that people are going to see. It wouldn't be in the lakeyard, but it would be very prominent because
unless you're going down in the lakeyard, you're not going to see that labyrinth or whatever you else you put down there. If it's up there where maybe one day we will have our public restrooms in there that we've been talking about for I probably say five years.
If that was finished and the visitors center was used appropriately, that is city property, that would be a fantastic place to honor the veterans that we have here. Thank you. All right. Come on.
I keep trying not to come to these meetings, but y'all keep dragging me up here. Michelle Kit, I'm against the lakeyard 100%. and um mayor and I might be close but I've been coming to these meetings since chief hooks carpenter days was the mayor
and I've seen this labyrinth come before us many times as utilized with other things I think shiakua assembly was when it first came forward to them I have a problem using our veterans for someone to get their way that's the bottom line that's what this is and it's not about
our veterans because out of the two people speaking for it and the engineer I I didn't see any veterans. Why are veterans not designing it? Why is the VA not involved? We have a chapter, I believe, over at the courthouse. Has anybody decided to like see what the
veterans really want or are they just presenting an idea, making you put a sticker on the same lab or idea in different locations? I went to the VFW last week and I asked five people in there showing them the picture that is in this. What is that? I
said what it is. I got told it was a movie and it was a puzzle. That was at the VFW. I also went and talked to Danny right after that because they told me to go over there and talk to them. This is not about our veterans being
involved. My dad was a veteran. He's not here and able to speak today. But bottom line is we were here 9 months ago. We were here. There was objection to the lakeyard. But yet we got two
things brought back on the lakeyard. Why is that? Because that's been the idea for 15 years. Rejected by Shiaka assembly, rejected by the council. I think we need to get off this idea and build something for our
veterans in a location that's appropriate for everybody. I don't want to see somebody in a wheelchair try to get down to a flooded area at our lakeyard. Bottom line. So,
I also know that we turned over the I can't think of the name of it, but it's on 83. It's the ballparks that we were maintaining at one time. field. Do we turn those back over to the county to maintain? The property is stateowned, but is in a
lease agreement with the city in which we do now do have an interlocal agreement with the count Walton County Board of County Commissioners that they maintain the field. The city still maintains the community center and the skate park uh and fire department. Okay. Why did we do that? I can't speak. That was council action,
I believe, in 2022 because we didn't have manpower to maintain the fields. and you're talking about building something else. If we don't get our veterans involved in this to help maintain it, I'm sorry. I keep seeing the same two people talking about and pushing an agenda and I got a
problem with that because that's not about our veterans. And when you bring me something that's about our veterans, I'll stand up here and 100% be for it. But I'm not for the labyrinth and I'm not for the locations. Thank you. I tennis court I don't have a problem with just because if we get bathrooms that would be solve two problems, but I don't
know that that's where they want it either. So, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Go ahead, Rudy Maul, the engineer. Uh, just wanted to to clarify a few things. There was a couple questions, you know, asked. Can we wait, mayor, let's have all public comment.
All right. All right. We're going to have a couple more. Let me see. Somebody on the very back back there. Yeah. Come on. Well, good evening everybody. Hey, I uh promise to be brief. Uh, I appreciate all the discussion pro
and con. Your name for the record. Name is Bill Brock. Uh, my wife and I are residents here. The historic district. Just want to let you know that we are in favor of the Veterans Memorial down at the uh, the lakeyard. Uh, it seems like a a tasteful, thoughtful
design and we would support it. I'm not a veteran. My wife is a veteran. I have an uncle that was a veteran who's now in the bottom of Tokyo Bay. His name is Lawrence Edge, commander of the Bonefish.
And if you go ahead with the memorial, I'll be happy to buy a brick for $100 and put his name on it. So, we do support that concept. Thank y'all very much. Thank you. One more. Hello. Uh my name is Kraton Dengshanti.
Um airborne ranger 24 years in uh in the army. So uh retired. I am the commander of the disabled American veterans here association going back to the
the cleanliness of the area. So, I believe that my chapter and probably the VFW will take care of our memorial ourselves without the city's help if we see it, you know, in disarray. Um,
to assist with the the funding and stuff, we will volunteer to take care of our memorial. as in, you know, I'm I'm only 49, but being in 24 years, I think I still got 40 more years to take care of my memorial.
Um, but I like to have the number one pick that was at uh, as a veteran putting out my vote for
where we need to have it at. But to clarify all the funding and the cleanness and the stuff like that, I think I our organization, the DAV, will put up our own little small memorial. It'll say DAV on it and then we will take care of it volunteering from the
DFW to help clean up the area wherever we we find a place to put it at. But I recommend that we close out the location. That's uh that's the key thing. I don't want to push it keep on pushing it
another year and another year. So if I've already had it at my organization with all about 30 veterans in there and we discussed it everything about it, we should have some input into that. I mean
they gathered up the data for us. So that's my input. Any questions for me? Thank you for your service. Thank you. All right.
All right. We have a motion and a second. Sorry, just really quick. I'm sorry. I just had a quick clarification. So, the questions were being asked, what what does the labyrinth have to do with the military? Nothing. The the labyrinth is more of a meditative tool to I guess um help with
their healing. PTSD. Um a maze is meant to take you on paths, trick you. The labyrinth takes you to a a a path and you follow it and you get to the center and there's there's healing powers to that. As an engineer,
I was attracted to the geometry and the science behind that. So anyways, just want to give that. Thank you very much. All right. So we have a motion second on the floor. Any last comment from the guys? All in favor say I.
Yep. Will you just rephrase what the what is the motion? All right. Go ahead and repeat the motion. Was your motion? I'm 100% for the Veterans Memorial. I'd like to vote nay. Recommend we vote nay on the location on the lakeyard.
So, the motion is to deny the position of the memorial going in the lakeyard, but not to deny to decline to do the memorial. So, basically, go back to the drawing board and find any other location but the lakeyard. point of order.
She already there's already been a council. She can't call point of order. Would be located anyway, Mr. Mayor. She can't call point of order. And the count the council's free to take that up. I know I'm confident Mr. Cosen was not on the council when that motion happened. Yes, he was.
Does council in the last four months has voted to place this in the lakeard? Josh Conor did for within the last four months. What? He did. He did. I don't think he meant to, but he did. Did you vote for it? I must have been absent.
You can pull the motion up if you like. Uh well, let's figure out who voted for it because it's a right for reconsideration if he voted for it. Mhm. Yeah. I don't recall. I mean, if it passed, it passed, but I doubt Did anybody vote against it? I doubt it.
What I remember the last time what he said, you'll call the meeting. I'll verify. It's just a matter of whether he can make the motion or not. That's the only question then meeting would have been he was on the council in September.
Mayor, the date that I have for that uh direction from the council is on January the 13th of this year. Councilman Co was not yet elected. Therefore, it is well within his purview to make the motion to bring it before the council. Good enough. All right. Motion's well taken.
So, we got a vote. We're voting to keep the project but not in the location of circle. Is that correct? We're shelfing the project until we find a location. But we are declining the lakeyard has that location. Yes, sir. Tripley Park specifically. Yes, sir.
Say I. I. I. Before I vote, I'd just like to say that, you know, veterans voices matter. Uh this memorial is obviously important to us. um and to see it through. The location
seems to be the problem. I personally have heard from more uh negative comments about the location being in Chipley Park than I have that voted to put it there. We are a city of quickly
approaching 7,000 people and we we have a lot a lot of people's opinion to consider on this and it's not easy. I vote. All right. How did you hear you? Hi. Hi.
That's scary. Thank you very much. All right. Hopefully we have enough interest to look for another location. Okay. It was conceptual. All right. So, do we want to take a recess, Mr. Mayor, or do we want to Let's go a little bit further.
Okay. Um All right. I guess we're going to 4C1. Oh, I was I stopped when he started moving forward. Hold on a second. All right, Kobe. Okay.
Thank you, mayor. Um 4C1 is update and direction on Senate Bill 180 and land development code rewrite. Uh believe Mr. Atinson's prepared to provide that update on bill 180. And then the second part of that after Mr. Atinson finishes is staff is looking for direction on the
contract that we the city has with Kimley Horn to do the land development code update um in lie of Senate Bill 180. So I'll let Mr. Hackinson go first. So the legislature passed and the governor signed Senate Bill 180. You've heard me speak about it a couple times
before, most notably related to the potential moratory on sign ordinance. The largest impacts for us from a land development perspective are we are not able to place moratoria from one year from the date of a storm event going back to last year. And then retroactive
August 1, 2024, we are prohibited from making any amendment to our land development code, comprehensive plan, or any other land development policy that is more restrictive or burdensome than the laws that were in effect at the time. Considering we're doing a complete rewrite of our land development code, it
is entirely fair to say that there will at least be some elements that are more burdensome or restrictive. We are prohibited from making those changes for a period of three years, which is which would take us to 2027. So, in light of that, um, and to Mr. Townson's second
point, we have a contract let to begin a land development code rewrite. We could well go through with that contract and simply not accept the proposal and shove it. Whether it would still be valid in three years, that's a fair question. um
we can request to cancel the contract which is likely the most prudent thing to do but you do have a hybrid option which would be allow Mr. Townson to advise them that in light of Senate Bill 180 is our desire to cancel the contract for the rewrite before we incur any cost
in case we can't. But ask would they be willing to hold the price in the contract until legislative session starts in January of this year to see if any legislative relief is handed down from our delegation to areas that may not have been the prime targets of 180. That would also be prudent. Although I
say we can ask that, we can't compel the company to agree to that. They may have other projects they wish to take on, but ultimately we don't need to incur a lot of money rewriting our land development code when we cannot actually adopt it. So, need some guidance from the council. Mr. Mayor,
I'll start us off. I I'm I'm of the opinion that I think we should we should carry on. We have the contract. I understand that that process is going to be a lengthy process and so we could perhaps find ourselves in a situation where uh we get to the end of that
project and then we have to wait to implement it for a period of time, probably a year or so. But as the chair of the committee that is trying to rewrite a large portion of our code, I recognize that our LDC is in desperate need of a rewrite. And and I I firmly
believe that no matter what we do, that needs to occur. And if if we are delayed in implementation, so be it. I also just based on some very initial conversations that I've had, I firmly believe, and I don't want to say too much, but I firmly
believe that we will more than likely get some legislative relief because I don't think that everyone realize the actual impact that this is having on municipalities and even counties. And so I think that there's probably going to be some relief in the next session. So
that's my opinion is that I think we should carry on. We have the contract. A lot of what they're going to produce, I would I would venture to say that probably 95% of it we're going to keep no matter what. What I ask you because I know you've kind of done a little homework on it.
What is uh your prediction or maybe Toby your prediction of time for them to have done that either way whether we could have implemented or not the consulting firm? Yes. Um we gave them if I'm not mistaken Chris I believe we gave them two years but the contract is for either 16 or 18.
is their expectation, but we we give them the ability up to two years for the rewrite. Okay. All right. Is that correct, Chris? Two years. You agree that 18 months with a two-year window for completion? Yes, sir. Yep. Okay, Mr. Mayor.
I mean, that makes your suggestions a whole lot more valid. Go ahead. So, I'm thinking along the same the same lines. If we if we went ahead and did the rewrite, it could be a two-year process up to a two-year process. we and we would have to shelf it, right?
But if we wait two years to to to start rewriting it, then there could be another name storm and we have to shelf that one, you know, and and not be able to utilize that with that. Yeah. Every time there's a new storm, it kicks it three more years out if there is not legislative relief. And I I curl council beer bomb, it seems like there's a chance there's going to be some
legislative relief. Yeah. I just wanted before we spend this kind of money, I wanted the council to be aware there's a waiting period. So if we if we rewrite it and it has to be it has to be shelved,
we can always amend it, you know, down the pipe and and not have to rewrite the entire thing, but it would be ready to go as soon as they release this to change our code. We can. People are screaming. I'm telling you, I've heard more complaints about our our recent
developments and the total clearing of trees. Total absolute clearing of trees to build. I know that's profitable. That's the quickest, fastest way to build, but we are Tree USA city and that's something I personally would like to see us be able to do and sooner
rather than later uh in these codes so that we can we can save some trees that were neighborhoods already have existing shade trees and cooling elements of those neighborhoods instead of waiting 30 years for them to be able to sit in the shade of a tree. Uh so so to me the
sooner we do this the better even if we have to shelf it and amend it uh when the time comes. Something Kobe do you endorse this? I believe it's been it has been my stance to all the council members including council who is here and and
the mayor and Mr. Atinson Mr. I talk about it's my recommendation we do move forward as Mr. Berbomb, Council Harrison has discussed because for a number of reasons, we budgeted specifically for this this year. Uh we anticipate to budget next year for it. That was our conversation last year. Um and so we we
would continue to do the same thing with it being a two-year process. It's going to give the council ample time to have those conversations on what they would like to see the city look like moving forward. Motion to approve. There's no there's no motion to approve. You've already approved it. Just wanted to make sure you don't want to stand down. My bad. So unless there's a motion to stand down
and I want to encourage the council It's just going to be the limitation on the adoption of it. And so, as long as the council understands you've got to do this, yeah, it may end up being reworked three or four times by the time we get done if we don't get legislative relief. But the last thing I wanted was you to
have a contract you just signed. Somebody come back in 16 months and say, "Why haven't we adopted this?" Well, we can't. Why do we spend all this money on something we couldn't do? Why didn't anybody tell us? That's what Kobe and I's job is to make sure you're aware of that implication. So, but there's as long as the council is willing to do it,
I can assure you we do need to update the land development code and we will have to do it eventually. Let's move forward. Works. Any other implications of 180 that we need to they can't they can't close the doors. Sir, sir, hold on. We can't close that door.
No, sir. Uh, yeah. I see the city marshall, Mr. Hurley, you mind helping us out? Hey, Chief, can we help it out outside there? Chief Sheffield's go out again. We do have some emergency management discussions, but those will be handled
with administration. Those are the biggest ones that and they're quite heavy. We also have some other ones that we're working with. All right. 1080 and 784. Oh, there's not. We're not going to just No, no, no. It's already been voted on whether or not we
Oh, okay. I disagree. I don't think we should spend the money, but that's I'm always on that losing end of the All right. Let's move on. if you're ready. 42 4C2. Yes, mayor. Thank you. Uh discussion um
on the funding of the community redevelopment agency and I'll let Mr. Atinson take this one. I'll just Well, I'm going to open the conversation by just saying Councilwoman, I think you asked three maybe four meetings ago now. Hey, are we going to have this back in enough time?
This is the enough time. This is the meeting where I need the council to make that call before the August one deadline of the certification of values. We start submitting forms. I'd like us to go and have that conversation. And if possible, I'd like the board to take action to
express its intent tonight to keep the CRA the same, reduce the funding, reduce the size, whatever it is this council wants to do with it. Let us know it now so that we can program all that in over the month of August. So when it comes time for budget, we are not out of time.
Joy, everybody knows I desire to reduce I know that there's a match that we'll get from the county, but there are so many projects that are of necessity needs for our citizens. I really would like to see
us uh reduce the 95% to a 50% at least for one to two cycles so that we can uh use that money within our preview to do what we need to do for the citizens. I just I want to make a comment the u um
you know the county's contribution is a is major for us. I think the real secret is and I think that we've got a working group with the CRA. If they will, we can't dictate to them what they do, but if we have a good communication and they
sort of follow our lead and they get the things done that we want done, we're going to have more money to do it. Um, if we start cutting back and county cuts back, we don't know when we'll get them back. There's no guarantees we'll get the county's money back. I want can I
just add one more piece to that that the CRA has now got a reserve of $4 million M fund they have a fund balance of four plus million shaking your head no ma'am so what is their 20 they have about um
1.8 8 million. Josh, where are you at? That's enough total. I don't know what's combined and what you're looking at, but I was looking at their standalone financial statements issued by the auditors. Yes. So, we we carried over Josh Irvin, CRA, for the record. We carried over, I
believe it was $814,184, if that number is is correct, it was somewhere around that. Some of which has been allocated already during the budgeting process for this fiscal year that we're in now. and an additional 414,000 is going to be brought forward to my board at our next meeting uh for
them to uh formally amend through a budget movement. But that is a carry forward uh from the previous year 814,000 and some change. But since inception, how much have y'all accumulated in your fund balance reserves at the end of this fiscal year? Yeah, I believe all that money was was
allocated uh previously. So, I don't I don't think there's anything left in the actual fund balance. Um, since Are you saying that I'm sorry. Are you just saying you guys have it set aside for certain projects? Is that what you mean? So, any any monies that was left over uh
in the previous year, they were allocated in accordance with part three of 163 and allocated to a project. Um, we do that each year. Uh but last year through that uh auditing process we budgeted if I'm not mistaken a carry forward amount of 400,000 through the
reconciliation it was determined that we had an additional 414,000 uh to to bring forward uh and be allocated in accordance with that same statute. So it's my understanding this fiscal year that we're currently operating in that is the balance was 814,000 in
1418 fund balance at end of the year per the audit was $814,000. Yes. No 4 million. No the organization's never had $4 million. But now to add to that 1.511
944 went in this year. So 814 1.5 but he has spent money out. So, so fellow council members, I I kind of want to talk you through some of my logic here. So, hopefully you can track
with me. I've always viewed the CRA as a way to force the council's hand at living within our means. and to to go now and reduce the CRA's funding, we we lose out on the city, I'm
sorry, the county and the city funding unique projects that as as a council with the general fund dollars we would not otherwise be able to fund. Putting them into the CRA gives them a unique designation and some of these projects
we would not be able to do and fund otherwise. So that that's my first thing and and to to kind of carry that thought forward. If we live within our means and continue to fund the CRA as we have at the current levels, that forces us to
set a budget that when the CRA finally expires, if we stick to the plans that we have previously talked about in our workshops in the last couple months, we're suddenly looking at a windfall
in our general fund budget of several million dollars that we can then turn around and actually put towards street paving, sidewalks and that sort of thing because we have sacrificed in the short term and we have kind of put our head
down and saved so that we can then when the CRA sunsets we then have all those project unique projects done that we otherwise couldn't do but we now have this money coming to us that used to go to the CRA that then gets released back to us that we can then start funding all
of these other projects. So, it forces us to live within our means now so that we are set up for success in the future. So, that's why I'm I'm not in favor at this time of reducing the CRA funding. I agree with the mayor. I think that if
while we can't dictate to them directly, I think that we have a good uh CRA board and and I personally know a lot of the members on there and I think they're fantastic people and I think that their their willingness and I've even had direct conversations with the director.
Their willingness to help the city out is there and it hasn't been in the past and that's that's okay. That's all right. But it's there now. And I think we give them a chance at full full funding levels because once we reduce this, there's no going back.
On once we reduce that funding, if we decide to up it again the next year, the county has to vote whether they would re-up it again. And I don't know that we would get that. I don't know. And to me, that's not something I'm willing to roll the dice on. I say
we continue at the current levels. We we work and live within our means. That that does force us to make some difficult decisions about how we fund things right now, but it sets us up for the future long term from a funding perspective.
Go ahead. Well, I'd like to see some real some hard numbers on what we're looking at. If if we cut the percentage, what are we losing county? uh if we you know back to that discussion that we didn't want to have because it's a longer route but
adjusting the map shrinking the map we know that a lot of development high value property development is going to occur on the south side of town CRA gets 95% of that right of that
additional adorum so when we are talking about do we keep our fire department do we let the county take it We're talking about do we have to cut personnel? Those conversations right there are not those those are those are we got to find a way for the
CR to help us uh with with that additional funding if we leave the map as it is. So uh but I would like to see some numbers. I can't I I can't I don't like to make emotional decisions. I would like to see what exactly we're looking at if that percentage is reduced
or if that if the if the CRA district which is entire city limits if that is reduced. I know that's a time consuming route but it's a hard conversation for for me. I I want to see I I was the one that asked us to to have
workshops and improve communications with the CRA so we could get on the same page and work together in accomplishment. They they've gone through, you know, growing pains and and and learning curve and and we all are. We are I certainly am. But we need, you
know, and I believe in making things be successful. We got to make it work. But we have to also be realistic when we're talking about, you know, potentially losing employees because of our budget or our carryover issues that we want to resolve and those types of things or keeping our fire department. Most people
I talk to want to keep the fire department. I haven't talked to a soul yet that wants to see it go. Uh not in our residents. So just like the veterans memorial, I have to listen to what I hear from from citizens and and residents. So, um, so I I I've got to
have something to make these decisions on. Um, I've I've talked to Kobe briefly about this. I don't I know we we canled our budget workshop Friday. Um, this has to be decided to CSU by Monday if I correct because the TIFF submitt has to
be turned in August 1st. Um, so fourth. Okay. So would you all consider, you know, maybe having a special meeting so that we can discuss and have those numbers
um to consider? I mean, hard as hard as we can get those numbers uh by either reduction or map reduction or whatever it is. Um I'm I'm like you. Um Councilman Verb, I just I would like to see the CR work. It has to work. We need
we need it to work. we need it to gives the city some relief um in the future and I think those things can more clearly be worked out and defined. Uh but would would it would a special meeting before the fourth date would it
would it be productive or do you all feel like we can do this tonight because I I mean I don't I don't know the I don't know the impact I don't know the financial impact of doing these things yet. So, u mayor Miss McDaniels put together a sheet and I think she's given just so if we can if you have a question
on certain percentage she can tell you exactly what those change be but the map that would be a much more complicated process. We would have to go to the properator's office to get those numbers. That that is unlikely to be able to be done prior to August 4th. Prior to the fourth Yeah. It would require them to pull all that out. But the percentages we do have
that Daniel has put that together over the weekend and but Jesse will put it up. He has it. Jesse can put that up if you have any questions. Yeah. There we go. Course I don't So she did it through Miss McDaniel did it through every 5% down. Um so you'll see a bunch of line items. So I'll let her answer any questions you may have uh
on any of that. But so I gave you two columns of historical data. That's the first two. Can you blow it up a little bit, Jesse? Zoom in just a little bit, Jesse, and just show the current uh column G or work through column G.
I need stretching my account. All right, scroll to the top, please. That'll work. So, in order to make this work with the different varying things, I put things
that come off the DR420 your amounts so it would calculate and then I verified in the system today by doing some of them randomly that it did match what would shoot out on the four DR420. So currently your roll back rate because
of the increase in the CRA this year is a higher number than normal. Um usually it'll be a little less so you get the same amount of taxes but that's not the case this year. That's true with most tips by the way
when you're saying increased values. 5.5287 is roll back. Well, as you adjust the CRA percentage, it adjusts that number. It'll take that number down,
which makes it look like So, if you were to cut it 50%, that would be a reduction to what the city would gain, $526,569 in abilorum, the budgetable amount, 95%. But it would also make you have an
increase of taxes of 34.45%. The county portion would go from 722,569 down to 380 300. So it would significantly reduce them as well.
So Danielle to be clear on the 34.45% four or five percent the actual amount of dollars collected would stay the same but because of the roll back because of the reduction it would seem to be a 34% increase to city aor collection but it is not it's the same dollar amount it's because you're undedicating that
money to be clear that will though be what you were going to advertise when we were under ads in the papers and you start getting the calls we didn't go up on taxes no that's if we kept it at roll back is what you're saying 5.5
it's affecting your roll back number. It takes roll back. If you were to do the 50%, it takes roll back to 4.0906 where it's currently 5.5287. Playing with the dedicated value affects
your roll back number is all I'm trying to say. So the notice is going to say that we increase taxes 34%. Even though only if we only if we adopt roll back, right? No. If you adopt 5. So if we stay at 5.5
and you cut the CRA to 50% it'll be a 34 plus% increase and that's what you will have to advertise which equates to how much cash it would be an additional 526,569 actual dollars to our budget because you can only budget ablum at 95%. So that's
our 95% total would be 1,939633 for us and that right now our amount is 1 million41364 is what we're going to net after giving the CRA. Mr. Mayor, go ahead.
So, so we're going to gain $500,000 to the general fund and the this council has worked hard in the last couple of workshops to come up with a plan for getting our transfers to zero so that we can then invest in our
infrastructure. And to me, I don't want to take a shortcut to getting to that by reducing the CRA funding and saying, "Okay, well, we accomplished the goal because we put 500
grand back into the general fund." I think that that shortcuts the hard work, the good work that we're doing to make sure this city is the most efficient operating government as possible. And so when once the CRA finally falls
away, we then have these funds available that we can then at that point because we've done the hard work now, we then are able to look at those these dollars and say, "Okay, now we can put this towards paving. Now we can put this towards sidewalks. Now we can put this
towards parks or or whatever else we want to do." But we've got to make the sacrifices today. And that's that's difficult. That's not easy. And you know, we we've had already had some workshops that are not fun, but I just I firmly believe that if we
do this now, it I I don't think that that's where that's accomplishing what we want to accomplish long term. They're Mr. Go ahead. Oh, sorry. The CRA's handcuffed to what they can potentially help us with. So, if there's certain restrictions on the
CRA spending money for us to help us maintain certain things that you all were talking about, they can't repair our roads or or I don't know what the whole limitation. No, but my point is they're handcuffed as to what they can
really help with what we have to do. If that money didn't leave our checkbook and stayed with us, then we ha here on this dis have the option of you know through our budget process to put that money where it needs to be
for the needs of the city and and I can tell you that what what year did the CRA come into effect? 2018 18 is the first effect. What project has really accumulated that that that we've
accomplished since then? So 18 that's about seven years. I mean I know things I know. Yeah. They had to they had to let let it accumulate. Well my goodness. Didn't we give them a million dollars last year? I can't recall but I was thinking 900. But like for the first three years they
were getting like $20,000. They couldn't even hire a director for that to actually move a plan forward. No. The first year the council served as the the city council itself served as the CRA the very first year and city manager served from 18 all the way
through 22 as the executive director of the organization because it cannot afford one. I I again I think that there are unique opportunities with the CRA to help us with their dollars and and based on the
workshop that that Mr. Harrison called that we were we we met with the CRA members. There's a willingness there to help us with that. And I again I'm quoting Josh, but Josh has a willingness to help us on I understand that. I believe that they
do. I do believe that. So I I I firmly believe that if we do this, we're just taking a shortcut because that money is going to go back into the general fund and we're going to go pressurees off of us, man. We got an extra 500 grand in the general fund.
We're good. And then it's it's it's the path of least resistance. So that 500 that $500,000 could be potentially I mean, yeah, if we had it, it'd be great. But if CRA spent $500,000 and saved us from having to
worry about $500,000, then it's working like it's supposed to be. And that's my only point. I want it to work the way it's supposed to work. Um, okay. Go ahead. Can you hear him? Oh, I want it to work, too. But, you know, we were
talking about them helping us, like for example, at the lakeyard with the amphitheater, which I was super stoked about until I had a conversation just this past few days with Josh and I said, Josh, how much where are we on that project? Because I know that was part of
the uh plan for y'all to help us do something there. And we talked about, well, how much would that estimate cost? He said," $4 million. And I I I asked him, I said, 'What are they making at the What are they redoing it with? Gold, bricks. I mean, I can't imagine that we
would spend $4 million to upgrade our amphitheater when we've got infrastructure that we need in such a desperate way. And that's a ne, you know, that's not a necessity of life. So, I mean, I'm just thinking about some other things and right
the timing and I I just I disagree. I appreciate what we're all sharing, but I just I disagree. See, so in 2000, April 2019 is when I came into office, city manager was the manager at that point. And of course, we had a
conversation and he I need you in support of the CRA. It's going to be a good thing. There's going to be money available. It's not going to be for the next couple years, but eventually there'll be some money in there that can go to the law enforcement, police department, stuff like that. Um, I feel
like we're finally at that point. Um, I understand the frustration and the thought of, you know, let's funnel all that money here. Um, I've got an agenda item on their next meeting to fund some of my budget stuff. Um, I I truly
believe there's ways to fund projects. We just have to take them projects to them and say, "This is what we need. Does it fit within your realm of funding?" But we we have to take those individual projects and give them to them. Say this is what we're trying to accomplish. Can
the CRA by statute accomplish that? Same thing I've done with with Mr. Urban. Um me and him took a field trip to Fort Walton Beach and met with their CRA director and and my whole thing was help me figure out how we can fund some of our projects in our town with how you
do and and she had a lot of great ideas. Um and I'm doing exactly what Mr. Harrison just said I'm going to them saying this is what I got. This is what I need to figure out how to fund. Can you do it? Not sure if they're going to approve it next week, but I feel pretty good that
there's there's going to be a good chance for it. So, I would say as a as our departments are budgeting for projects, whether it's sidewalks or infrastructure, anything like that, they need to have these conversations with the CRA before bringing it putting on
our regular general fund budget. Can we get this funding other places? There there's revenue in Walton County. We as a city got to figure out how to tap into that revenue. I can't think of a better example of I think that's a great point.
I can't think of a better example of the revenue that we collect and the revenue that the county collects being spent within the city limits. That that's what the five of us are here to do. when when it comes to revenues, whether it's state tax, federal tax, whatever, our job is
to make sure that as much of that money comes back to Defianc Springs for the Defianc Springs residents that paid it as possible. And to me, the CRA is one of the many uh funding mechanisms that we can do to bring that back. So from that perspective, like
it's it's vital that we advocate for those funding mechanisms to show up here in Defuniac Springs. And again, CRA is one of those mechanisms. Yeah. Oh, what project are you having? So our flock camera system, um, it's
been funded through grants over the last two years. Those grants are ending. Um, we've had great success solving crime, preventing crime through them. Um, and that's what we're going to take to the CRA for them to fund. Um, and that's going to take it out of our our budget request.
And that's an acceptable limit on their spending. Chief, do you find that do you find that as a community policing innovation? Oh, yeah. 100%. Trust me. That is expressly under the statute. But you've had it for how many? We we've had it for two years. We've got
two separate contracts. Um, so the first one we got through an FDLE grant we funded that grant funding is ending. It actually ended this month. um flocks gracious enough to keep us going for right the second. But that's where you know I if if what I'm hearing
through all my the budget workshops and everything is hey we need to tighten our belt and figure out you know what's what's priority what's not you know I I don't overextend my spinning as you know I try to keep it as in-house as I can but you know there's there's certain
things like those cameras that are very beneficial to our citizens and solving crime preventing crime um helping us do our job that I won't be able to fund because we we need to cut. It's not it's not 100% a priority, but as far as solving crime, it it helps our
solvability rate tremendously. Um, and it's a simple tool. So, and trust me, if I can squeeze every dime out of that bunch, I will. Same with with any other taxation organization. If I can figure out how to get money back to the city, I'm going to do it.
So, you know something? I think all of us believe you. Go ahead, Dan. Okay. So, um I've got a few notes here I'd like to share, but first of all, if this went forward, how long would it
take for the CRA to die a natural death? 33. 2033 is your sunset. Seven effective years, eight C eight years. If you read it, five to 33, but it's seven effective years. So if we go
forward with this, we've got eight years of the CRA, seven budget years. Yes. Okay. So some of the notes that I'd like for you to please think about right now
we give approximately a million dollars of our taxpayers money to the CRA and every year that goes up. We give the CRA 95% of the adalorum tax
increase. That is the maximum in Florida statutes. This is what the council decided. I don't even know if you were on the board then or not. No, no one here was. The mayor was the mayor, but infant stage, the council went the maximum of any tax
increase, the CRA gets 95% off the top and we only get 5%. So that goes straight to the CRA and the map uh the the geographical area that the
CRA collects this money from the 95% of the adorum tax increase. They're not even providing any services there. They're mostly south of the interstate and there's no talk about providing any
services there. And what they're doing is taking money that we should be using for infrastructure. And I'll go into infrastructure uh a little more. Um,
the CRA is basically depriving the citizens of Defunia Springs badly needed infrastructure updates such as replacing 100 plus year old clay pipes, badly needed streets resurfacing, sidewalks,
street lights, park updates, and the list goes on and on. Um, I almost forgot to mention that if we continue on this course we're on, we're already talking about having staff reductions.
We're giving a boatload of money, a million dollars a year, and the county, they've got uh $1.7 million to operate on, and that's maximum.
We're not taking care of oursel. We're not taking care of our citizens and we're not giving them the basic life amenities that they deserve. We're postponing paving their roads. We're postponing
replacing our clay pipes. We're doing patchwork now. And we've got a plan to replace them all, but it's not being implemented and we don't have the money to do it. And I was sitting here one day
Speaking from that podium when the CRA was on the chopping block before and Todd, you told me that the city can do anything that the CRA can do. And you said this
will jar your memory and I said even sell bonds. And you said yes. That's correct. Sell bonds. They can sell bonds. So why are we giving them and and and I've heard this comment before. It's not our money. It's the CRA's money.
It's our taxpayers money. And the only reason you can claim it's the CRA's money is because we give our taxpayers hard-earned money to the CRA instead of replacing and funding the money that we
need to to replace these pipes that are being constantly maintenanced on patchwork. There's so much stuff that we need to be doing for our people. And instead of giving the money away,
now if we cut it to 50%. Then the county is going to that's going to reduce the county's uh to three $380,000 and it'll reduce what we give them. And
they're still going to have they're still going to have $900,000 a year. Is that right? To operate almost a million dollars. And if they can't get things done for a million dollars a year,
why are we giving them the money? We've already app we've already approved the alleyway. Correct. That's a million-doll project. By the time it's said and done, it's going to be a lot more than that.
Answer that question. So, I just don't think we're giving our city the basic quality of life amenities that they deserve. We're saying, "Y'all put up with those pothole roads. Y'all put
up with this patchwork infrastructure." and um we're cutting our citizens short. Uh my vote would be to stop the bleeding and dissolve the CRA, but that's not going to happen.
The very least we can do for our citizens is to instead of them getting the maximum amount, the 95% of the adorum tax increase, let us get 50% and they get 50%.
Let's look after our citizens. Let's do something about our infrastructure. Mayor, let me just comment on the bonds real quick. We can issue bonds, but we cannot issue bonds on Aalora money without a referendum. To the extent this is Aalora
money that becomes tax increment finance that goes in CRA trust fund, they can bond that money whereas we cannot. The 500,000 you get back, you could not bond without a referendum in the payable. So to clarify, the city can sell bonds, but it's going to have to be from a nonadorum source.
Okay? As long as it benefits our citizens and we get the infrastructure that they deserve that we're years behind on. So understand the 500,000 you're getting back cannot be pledged for debt service. Mr. Mayor,
that's what I'm saying. The the money you get back cannot be their money can be. That is the distinction. Okay. Josh, good evening. Uh, mayor, council, Reynolds Henderson, Chairman Reynolds Henderson, unfortunately couldn't make it tonight. He had a family emergency,
but I I will speak on behalf of the CRA. You know, we're we're finally at a place where we have the revenues to be able to carry out a good percentage of a redevelopment plan update. that plan update that went before you all back on January of last year that kind of lays
out our framework for how we operate through our time certain for completion which is September 30th 2033. I can tell you for the first time in my tenure I have a board uh that's willing to make decisions, willing to issue
contracts, willing to issue task orders. At our workshop there were three projects that were identified in that workshop with the council. one of which being the alleyway uh improvements, the other being the amphitheater, and the last one being our Crescent Drive building uh design for a potential arts
center. I can stand be in front of you today and let you know that all three of those are under contract for design. Infrastructure takes a lot of money and it takes a lot of time uh to get it across the finish line. I think you
mentioned the infrastructure uh improvements in the alleyways. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if that project between four and $5 million before it's all said and done. We already have an estimated cost of the undergrounding portion and that's roughly 3/4 of a million. So when you
start talking about underlying utilities, the clay pipe that sits underneath the roadway, maybe an inadequate water man that has to be upgraded, uh same with gas line, uh storm water collection, conveyance, and treatment, none of which really exist
today. Those costs add up tremendously. We are at a place now where we're able to to leverage our our revenues and issue bonds. The the good thing about the CRA is that once that money hits the redevelopment trust fund, it's no longer considered tax revenue. It's considered
increment revenue. And why that why that distinction is important, if it were still considered tax revenue, we wouldn't be able to do the things that we do today, grants, things of that nature. But most importantly, I think, is our ability to issue bonds on that same advalorum that was collected by the
city. Once it's deposited in a redevelopment trust fund, we can bond that revenue. In order to bond that revenue or to borrow against our debt, we have to have positive cash flow ratios. We're at a favorable place now uh to consider maybe borrowing half a
million up to 5 million uh maybe even more. But if our numbers and our revenue projections aren't favorable of that, then we miss out on those ratios and we have to wait even longer to get these projects across the finish line. What I can tell you is that we are here to help
this city in any way that we can. We have great latitude with our infrastructure improvements that we can do. There are some statute uh statutory pro prohibitions in there that you know make it difficult but that doesn't mean they can't be done uh without the you
know taxing authorities uh approval. So we have an opportunity to work together to determine some of those areas where uh the city may have struggled in the past. while we can leverage not only our bonding but we can also leverage the amount of of Avalor coming in from the county that would have otherwise stayed
uh with the county. So my point being we're here to work with the city in any way that we can. I think there are a number of needs that have been identified. There are a number of projects that we've identified through our redevelopment plan. So my ask would be to consider continuing to fund us at
95% and allow us to do the things that I believe the council created us to do. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. M I'd ask first. All right. Go ahead. So, I hear infrastructure being brought up repeatedly in these conversations, and it is it is my firm belief that if
we want to have a a honest and frank conversation about infrastructure, the conversations we've had in the past and the past couple months about our our transfers from our enterprise funds into the general fund. That is that is the
first order of business in addressing our infrastructure needs because right now we are taking money from those funds where we could spend money on clay pipes and new wells and all of that sort of stuff and we're putting it into the general fund to fund the general fund.
Why is that? Because over the years when someone asked for a 5% raise, when this position need to be created, when we needed this over here, the council just said yes. poor management. The council just said yes. And so the CRA is a mechanism if you if you want to
if you want to look at it this way, it's an austerity mechanism because basically as of 2019, that was the funding level we would get from henceforth with 5% increases year-over-year. And what we've always done, and this this even predates
2018 and 2019, they've made transfers from the enterprise funds to the general fund to make it balance. So, if we're if we're truly as a council worried about infrastructure upgrades, then we have to start there and address
those issues of of making those transfers because once we stop those transfers, we then have money in those funds to do exactly what he just outlined, which is go borrow a bond and to address all of our clay pipes or to
build a new well or whatever the case may be. But we're not doing that. We're we're taking the easy way out and going, "Well, we really need that in the general fund because we don't want to lay off people and we don't want to say no to this and we don't want to say no to that, so we're just going to take it
back from the CRA." That That's the way I see it. That That is the way I see it. We really and truly want to be serious about infrastructure. We've got to stop the transfers and we can't keep robbing Peter to pay Paul and then turn around and stop the transfers and go, "Well, CRA, give me that money back because I
don't want to make the cuts in the general fund that we need we truly need to make." That that's just the way I see it. I'm going to call it what it is, Josh. I appreciate everything you're doing, but the CRA when it was created, it was just a reallocation. It took that advalorum
tax dollars from us and gave it to the CRA organization which then reclassified what could be done which is borrowing on that money. We can't borrow on that on advalorum tax dollars but you can because it's not considered advalorum
tax dollars when it comes to you. So you're right you can do much more with that money than we could but it was let's call it what it is. It was certainly took it out of our control, created a whole another entity with a whole another board that now has control over what the citizens are taking out of
their pocket to put, you know, uh, to pay the tax. So, let me ask you a question. What is the top three priorities that your board has? What top three projects are they on target to
complete within the next uh, 12 months? I believe those three I just mentioned, the amphitheater, uh the 27 Crescent Drive redesign, and the alleyway improvement project. Can we go back to this conversation then? Let's start with that the
amphitheater. Sure. I'm just curious, is it just the design? When when when I say project, I'm thinking start to finish so that it's taken from its current condition to a pristine like brand new. this was the concept that it
was. But yet, like you and I, what I shared with everybody, how can that be? I don't want to see y'all pour $4 million into a project and we don't even have an estimated cost, for example, for that. So I I'm just curious reasonably
speaking with what the funding sources that you have and the priorities that your board has put place forward versus what we're needing assistance with which to me is the fire department is the you know uh some other things.
Could you help me out with that please? Sure. I mean I I think most of these projects that I discussed uh specifically the amphitheater uh we did receive a very high level probable cost. Again pie in the sky
worst case scenario this is what the planning consultant thought that that was going to cost us uh or cost the community to construct. One of the exercises that we're going through now with our architect is defining what that looks like. What does the community want?
Even more importantly is what will the community be able to benefit from if we do re redevelop that to a certain parameter? What are we missing out on today that we could gain tomorrow through the redevelopment of this amphitheater? So, it's more than just identifying what it's going to look
like. It's how's it going to be used, by whom, things of those of that nature so that we can then get to a concept that makes sense for the community. Unfortunately, all of those improvements require a lot of money and they take a
lot of time. And for me, with my experience, I can tell you that, you know, three years, four years, Commissioner Glidewell can attest to this all day long. They take a long time uh from concept or from idea to ribbon cutting. That's what we all want to do.
We want to go cut the ribbons, right? So that we as a community can benefit from this. And I think the overall goal is to elevate this community to increase advalorum taxes so that we can benefit during our tenure, but also the city continue to benefit from that. And I
think it's through some of these improvement projects that we have will go a long way in doing just that. It's the rising tide theory. All boats look together. And and I think that's that's certainly where we have to look at this. There are some opportunities that exist,
some opportunities that quite frankly are outside of the box, so to speak. Don't mean we can't do them, but certainly conversations we can have. Uh, in the end, we have the projects we've identified. Certainly more opportunities that are out there. Uh, some of which we've identified, some of which we
haven't. Uh, but that's kind of the the long answer to your question. Thank I appreciate Yes, ma'am. your input. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. I just So Josh, before you leave, the alleyway project you said could could approach $4 million, but you know, if it's less, great. If if you bond, you're going to
have to bond that out much like. All right. So, what would the term how long would that bond be for typically through through the end of our time certain for completion? We can't exceed that. So, so so 2033, September 30th of 2033 would be the last payment uh that we could
possibly make on any debt service that we take out. and the amphitheater would be the same. That's exactly right. Right. Of course, you would be looking for other funding for that as well, perhaps. Uh, you know, and that's that's a lot of the the concern that I think we have moving forward on this is, you know, we're we're lessening the amount
of time or reducing the amount of time that we have to do these projects. And so, if we don't look at borrowing or issuing some kind of debt, then we have to wait. Well, the longer we wait, the closer we get to that time search for completion. So our likelihood of of
carrying a large project across the finish line, well, it diminishes, right? So having these projects, having a group of projects identified with some generic cost to allow the board to consider a debt issuance would mean that we
accelerate when we can do these when we can finish these projects. We don't have to hope. We know based on cash flow calculations and we know on our debt service payments what the amount of money is that we can afford to borrow and how it's going to be repaid. So, so time is of the essence to get
these projects started and and that's my point earlier like it's it's time you know we've got to we've got to do we've got to have some movement and move forward. Yes, sir. You want me answer that? Go ahead. Yes, ma'am. Yeah.
We got council. We're having a discussion here at the dis. We need to continue this discussion at the dis. I can get back to that. Okay. Before you leave the podium, um when you said originally that it would be approximately a million dollars to do
the alley project, that was for the undergrounding of the aero utilities. Underground. Okay. Have you locked that in so we don't have to pay inflation? We will not lock that in until we issue a contract to a contractor.
So it's out there. It's it's being designed as we speak. Um all right. So um now Thank you. Yes, sir. A comment to to you Todd.
This is a seven-year plan so that we can quit taking transfers. And that means taking money out of the water and sewer that we've been doing for a long time. And that's why our infrastructure is the
way it is. Kobe's got a three-year plan to reduce transfers to all enterprise uh funds down to 10%. So, he's he's got that. And if we go another two years, we can get it to zero.
Okay. Well, water and sewage has always paid the bills. We've probably taken as much as what do you think the most we've ever taken out as as a collective whole or I would assume this year $2.8 million.
That's a combination of water, sewer, gas. Okay. And you can reduce that down to 10% in three years. That that that's the goal. and the plan I present. All right. So, and and and to be clear, when anytime the public hears the word transfer fees,
that means they're robbing the water and sewer money, the the infrastructure money to pay for other projects. So, I'm kind of hardcore on on this infrastructure because it's been kicked down the road so many times. And the
bottom line on all this money going to the CRA. We don't have control of that anymore. We can suggest and we can have a good working relationship with but the people of Defunia Springs can't really say
what's going on. Oh, I disagree with that. There's every one of those is citizens of Defuniac Springs sitting out there. Okay. So there's so there's the there's the um the alley and there's and there's the amphitheater and then what's the third one? What's the third one?
It's the redesign of 27 Crescent Drive for a potential art center. Okay. All the focus is right here in this little area. The city of Definiac Springs is a lot bigger than that and that's where most of our
problems are. They've been overlooked for a long time. Can I ask another question of Josh? I'm curious. Let's say you get the opportunity, whatever happens here today, uh, and you go out and you borrow against future revenues. Are they only
going to let you go seven years or are they going to let you go longer than that? And then we accumulate the debt only to our time certain for completion date which is September 30th 2033. We cannot exceed that. Okay.
That that will be the absolute cap. Seven years. Mhm. That is a long time for our citizens to wait on what they should have had a long time ago. No sir. But I I I would just like to say that the the CRA covers I I actually
attended some of the meetings when the they were forming the CRA and I actually remember Dr. Mcnite discussing the various ways to cover the CRA and cover the city. And the way we they got to where it is today is we excluded all of
the swamp out of the city that got us to the threshold for what we could cover. So that's why the CRA covers the entire city. Typical CRAAS don't cover the entire city. Typical CRAAS only cover small
portions. They redevelop that and then they move to the next portion and they focus on that portion and they redevelop that, etc. We're unique in that we we've covered basically the entirety of the city with basically a few exceptions, mainly the swamp land. And so the
benefits of the CRA benefit everybody. Josh, I think you you could stand here before us and tell us that you've done stuff that's not located just on Bowwin Avenue or its alleyway. Absolutely. So you you have helped people improve their property, which has improved our
abilorum taxes all throughout the city, right? Absolutely. That's actually illustrated in the map in our annual report that's available on our website. Go ahead, Amy. Can I make a motion to reduce the CRA funding from 95% to 50%.
Second. I have a motion and a second, questions, comments. Any more questions? Comment. Comment. This is This is why I I asked about a special meeting earlier. We don't have all five councilmen here
tonight. Um, so if this vote were to end in a tie right now, what happens? CL stays the exact same for the next funding year. Stays. I'm sorry. If the motion ends in a tie here in about five or 10 minutes,
if the motion ends in a tie, the status quo is preserved and therefore since there's not going to be another council meeting between now and August 4th, the funding say a special meeting. I would tell the council the goal is to have a special meeting. You need to go and have a
special meeting. You don't need to vote on it tonight. You now have a motion on the floor. So, if you wish to withdraw that motion and schedule a special meeting, that's well within the purview of the council, but I think the point of going to a vote tonight only to turn around and try to
vote again in three days defeats the purpose of calling it to a vote this evening. Well, I'd suggest at least this either uh withdraw the motion or at least wait till Mr. Scaners gets here in about eight or 10 minutes.
Well, I would say he hasn't been here for this discussion uh right now. He would be here in a special meeting, but you know, well, I'm for a special meeting. I'm okay with I'm with I can do a special meeting. I'm okay with going ahead and vote if you want to vote. Let's vote.
I think we could do both. I just wanted to know the status. A two two vote means the funding will stay in effect for the next fiscal year. Is he on his way? Mayor, is that what you're That's what I've been told. I'll second that motion.
There's already a motion. So, we have a motion and a second. So, so if this passes, if if we vote yay, the funding is cut to the 50% of the increase year-over-year. the county will go down to that level and that's where it will remain set until we go back
through the reprocessing of it in the future. There is no going back up automatically. So voting yay is going to reduce voting yes from 95% of the advalorum increase to 50%. I'm for that.
Clay, could you please repeat what you said about it can't go back up. So next in the next budget cycle, the council would have to go through the full process of notifying the county of its intent to levy an additional increase. You would have to give them
adequate notice. We'd start 90 days in advance at that point to get the 60-day meetings. They would have to consent to whatever those amounts are and we'd have to go through a more lengthy process to go back up. So we would just have to start earlier if we wanted to go back up. But if we
wanted to keep permission, but if we wanted to keep it at 50% that nothing else would have to be done like today, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to change it. Change to 50%. Go ahead. Um there's a motion on the public comment.
You have to have public comment there. Okay. I have to agree with Mr. Berbomb and his rationale. And one question that I'm sorry I blurted out to ask was if you decrease the percentage and they want to get bonds, are they
going to meet be able to meet it with that, you know, their payments and everything with the decreased uh percentage? Josh can answer that. I mean, I know we've met with the financial adviserss of the city on this issue. It it it certainly reduces the amount that we can borrow and the amount available um to us
throughout the remainder of our time ser for completion. So just for easy math, it's a difference of about $10 million. So Josh, tell us what what what are you what are your future? What's what's the amount that you're wanting to borrow for the next seven years? Well, I I think it's dependent upon, you
know, what projects we we move forward, which ones we've identified, which ones we have not. I can tell you that based on our redevelopment plan, we have in excess of $20 million in projects that were allocated by our planning consultant that our tiff dollars were projected for. Are any of those what the council wants
you to help the city with now or are would that have to be re-evaluated by your board and because we're going to try to shift your focus? So, we we have a redevelopment plan uh that is somewhat of our guard rails. uh we identified a number of
capital improvement projects uh in that redevelopment plan update. Some of which the council has uh prioritized some of which uh were not prioritized. So I think the the answer to that is you know there are some of those funds that that have already been allocated and some
that are remaining for us to figure out well what's a better way of using it. So for instance, the council cannot the CRA cannot do anything that is on your city capital improvement plan until it has been off the CIP for a period of three
years. When that was brought to the council's attention, Mr. Urban started going through his redesign. The council did reallocate some of its CIP so that the CRA could step into some of those and those are now in the plan.
If it's left at 95%, how much are can you borrow? What what is the goal? I mean, yeah. So, I I I think it looks like we would be able to borrow no problem, $5 million with the potential of 5 million more out of 2027 debt issuance. So,
that's a total of 10 million, which is roughly half of the 20 million and such that we have projected uh for the remainder of our time certain for completion. So you would borrow 10 million but you'd have to pay it back within seven years of borrowing it. It would all be paid back within that time period.
Yeah, that's the calculation PFN was given. One one of the areas that the bank in particular wants to see with debt issuance is you know at least a 2x two times cash flow ratio. So at 10 million that would get us pretty close to that.
Um so any adjustment up or down will affect that ratio. So, right now we're in a favorable position, at least according to our financial consultant, to really consider this. Hasn't gone before my board. The majority of them are here tonight, so they're hearing it. But those are conversations we've been having. Those are conversations that are
certainly going to be brought up at our next meeting about what that looks like for us. But it's hard to have those conversations without knowing exactly what our funding is going to be. Thank you. This is a very difficult conversation, and I appreciate everybody's input, even if we're on different sides of the fence. I I just
and if I may say your board and what you guys are doing, you're in a tough spot and and I certainly would not want to be in your spot. Uh we have opportunities uh that I think the city can benefit from. Um but at the same time, I recognize the bottom line numbers. And
so I I just want you to know that we want to help the city the best we can. Uh we're certainly sensitive to your concerns and your needs. At the same time, you know, we would like to continue to do the things that, you know, you all created us to do. I'm just gonna Josh update, which is Mr.
Cos made a motion. Mayor, before he leaves the podium, may I ask him a question? Certainly. So, you've got three projects, the alley, the amphitheater, and Crescent. Mhm. And do you feel confident that $5
million will take care of those three projects? I I do not I I think it would be in excess of that. Okay. So, you're asking what kind of how much money do you plan on borrowing?
That's a to be determined amount. I think in our conversations we were looking at that amount that we could borrow realistically and that number was a $5 million issuance and 26 and then maybe another $5 million issuance and 27. Okay.
Uh so for a total of of 10 million but it's up to the board to decide a if they want to to pursue that and b that amount that they feel comfortable with. Okay. Okay. So, $10 million is going into a small area. Can you tell me
approximately, and I'm not going to hold you to a exact figure, just approximately, how much money has been spent to help the rest of the city? I don't know that number off top of my head. Uh, I can tell you that our growth and development assistance program uh in
aggregate has seen somewhere around a quarter of a million. that's been scattered all over this community. Some east, some west, some north, some south, uh across both residential, commercial properties. So, a good bit. Um, never mind some of the, you know, other inind
kind of things that we've done as well. You see a imbalance there? I do not. Um, honestly, thank you. Yes. All right. Miss Co made a motion on the you know right now we are taking 95% of
our belong to CRA which also county puts in as well. Uh and he wants to reduce 50 and was there anything else to that? No sir to have the CRA continue with business as usual but use
the maximum the Florida statute allows is 95%. The minimum is 50. And I want to apologize to everyone. I was on my way back from Nashville and watching the meeting here at the last part. I was just trying to catch up as I was coming in. Okay. So, all right. So, we've uh we got a second
a motion. Do you have a motion? Made a motion. Second. Mayor clarify. Was the motion made by Councilwoman Hein, seconded by Council Member, second by Mr. Okay. All right. I'm sorry. Okay. All right. Uh All right. One more comment.
Come on. Well, I don't know that we've had more than one mayor. We probably need to give public chance beyond just clarify that motion for Josh. Uh my name is Rob Hamilton. I'm actually on the board for the appointed by Amy. Um I had this whole thing written out,
but I'm a straight shooter and I don't like filters. So, I think it'd be very shortsighted to cut this down to 50%. Um, I would much rather see us work together and I I said it at when we had the joint meeting. I will meet with you
anytime anywhere you want if you have concerns or things you want addressed and I will bring it back to the board. Uh, I can tell you I already have planned not for this meeting but for the next meeting to bring um being able to help the fire department and redo their building because there are ways for us
to do that. We have to get things signed off by other taxing authorities and I don't see that being a problem. But that's something I, you know, I was an EMT at one point. I get it. I've talked to Chief Sheffield about it. I love law enforcement. But there's so
much we can do with that money. And I think cutting that down and therefore losing the contribution from the county is going to really limit it. You know, Josh kind of touched on it. No, we can't pay for everything we have planned right now. If you cut it down to 50%. you're gonna lose a lot. And I don't think it's
unbalanced. And the reason for that is um you know, Baldwin is a an epicenter, right? This is where we want our our tourists to come to. We have the farmers market. We have uh the Christmas stuff, the hap Halloween happenings. Everything
happens at the lakeyard. So, yes, a lot of money is going to the lakeyard because we're trying to get more people to come. Uh, but again, short short answer, I really think we need to work together. I think there's a lot of projects that you guys want to get done that we can get done, but you have to
tell us what you want. I can't read your mind. I'm I'm good at a lot of things, but I definitely can't read your mind. I want to modify my motion. Okay. I instead of uh having the conversation to reduce it today, I'd
like to uh ask that we have a special meeting so that we can discuss just this one issue before Monday. Got to be before Monday. Second willing to modify. Yes, sir. All right. Well, I think that'll be a good idea. Um
what day are we talking? Thursday. We better do it now. Do you have a budget workshop Thursday already? No. Friday is going to be um we we could do Thursday the 31st um 4:00.
We can do any day. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. Special meetings require six hour notice, but we're all here. So, I think this is this is sufficient meeting. Yes. So, any afternoon this week? All right. Uh I'll make myself available
for airport. Airport is Friday, so we can't do it then. We need to do it before that. Are you going to be there? Okay, that's a modified motion and a second. So, any questions? So, now now it's to have a special meeting.
Yeah. Thursday at 4 was the block. Wait till I get Since y'all are going to a meeting, I'm going to change my statement a little bit. Um, I have a problem with the CRA and some of the funding that's going on
cuz I see three signs at the lakeard recently from those homeowners. This was originally started and correct me if I'm wrong, mayor, but this was started for blight property. Now it's going to friends and family. Yes. I don't see a lot of blight property. I don't see the signs at
blight property. That is one of the things I have an issue with. Now, what I am in favor of is if we can structure something that ties Josh's hands a little bit and we are using this money for the police department, the fire
department, the alleyways, the amphitheater more so that it benefits everybody in the community. I'm for that, but I'm not for the friends and family benefit of the CRA. Thank you. Thank you. Go ahead, Josh.
If I may clarify Miss Kitch's comments, you know, our our grant program is structured in a way that it will fund improvements to exterior of a of a home or the parcel itself so long as those improvements can be seen from a public road. And the intent is to elevate the
property and to increase the tax value of that property. So, it's it's not just for blighted. If you go back and look in in the original uh founding document, you'll see a a memo from the city manager that that outlines that the core goal is to address current blight and
probably more importantly to prevent future blight. And that's certainly the goal with the site and building improvement grant is to make this area more attractive. It's not income based. It's just a function of exterior improvements to a home regardless of income. We do have income, excuse me,
income based grant programs, but the residential and the commercial site and building improvement grants are open to anyone and everyone willing to participate so long as those conditions are met. M. Yes, ma'am. Go ahead, Tom. So, I think that that's a that's a great
segue into some of our subsequent u agenda items tonight. If it wasn't for the CRA funding, we would not have these agenda items to be presented to the council. The code review and land use committee has worked hard to come up
with abatement procedures to address future blight. And it is it is literally the perfect marriage of that with the CRA funding that will help that mitigate that future blight. We can then
institute these abatement procedures which would then keep this city from putting leans on people's houses that total hundreds of thousands of dollars and we never we never see any resolution. So, so here's a here's a real
application of the CRA funding that it will have direct benefit for all involved. So, if you have a code violation, if if we adopt these that are further down down the list here, you will then be you could potentially be abated and then have that instead of
a $100,000 plus lean because we have that with some of these properties right now. The big store is a a classic example of that where the big store was acrewing fees and it's well in excess of $100,000. It's well beyond the value of that building at this point because it's
so dilapidated. And yet here's a here's an option that we could take that we can seize the moment tonight and say we're gonna we're going to be proactive about this and we're going to take care of these things before they become a big big problem. It's like taking taking some medicine
now versus having to go to the doctor and see a surgeon. Yes, ma'am. Um state your name again just so he'll make sure. Randy Lightner. L I G HT Ner. I'm kind of like Miss Kitch. It goes back and forth. I'm switching up what I want to
say, but um basically at at 95% of all increased property tax, that leaves the city with 5% increase, the city is stagnant for at least the next eight years. No one can
get raises. You can't hire anyone else. That That's the way I understand it. I I only know nurse math. Mhm. But it I mean, if you're only getting 5% of any increase, then you're not growing, right? You're it's the same
amount of money. You're not even going to have money for a cost of living increase. I do like what Mr. Hamilton said about the possibility of doing something with the fire department. Everyone knows that's what got me here, but it is just talk right now. So, I've
I've heard a lot of and and again, no, I understand it takes time to do things. I'm not bashing Mr. Irving at all. He seems like a wonderful person, but I've heard a lot of talk about design architect. What's this going to look like? What's that
going to look like? We've got a study on this. We've got a study on that. And now we've got a general idea even though we don't know what it looks like. But we do know we need to borrow 5 million this year and we need to borrow 5 million next year. So I'm lost. I'm
I'm very confused. But um Mr. Beerbomb saying that the CRA ties the council's hands. I think that decreasing it back to 50% ties the CRA's hands to where we're doing everyone's doing things more
responsibly and everyone's checking each other. I just don't understand at this point in time respectfully how any rational responsible decision other than to cut the CRA back to 50% can possibly be made right now. The
city's got too many other things that they need to have done. I mean, of course, the fire department, but you've got sewer sewage problems, you've got water problems, and you are going to be basically stagnant for eight years, unless there's some new fangled math that I'm not aware of. You can't
you can't progress for as long as the CRA is existent. So, I think it's a fair tradeoff to cut it back to 50%, you're losing a little bit from the county, but so what? You have to stretch it out over a little more time. It may take a little longer to do the things, but everything
can get done. You don't have to go into debt $10 million for it, Lord. I hope. Um, yeah, I'm I'm confused about all the changes that have come about, so I'll just end it there. Thank you. Are we all going to have a special meeting?
Well, if you're going to have a special meeting, then I don't want to talk. I want to come to that meeting. Well, maybe you can come up here and tell me you want to have a special meeting. Okay, I want you I was here when the CRA started. That's Sharon Grenade. I was
here when they had all the meetings and there were a lot of meetings about whether we were going to have it or not. It sounded like a really good idea. I haven't heard anybody say anything that the CRA's done that they didn't like. The CRA is not a foreign entity that's
come into our community and that y'all have nothing to say about. They had something to say about it from the very beginning. the city council was involved in it. So, I I resent the part where it's acting like you've got some foreigners coming in and telling us how
to do it. There are people that live here that care about the community. And just like I said, I'm still upset about the bathrooms. I want a public restroom on the lakeyard. And we've been talking about that. Robert Nelson worked so hard and he
passed away and still nothing's being done. I want to start seeing a city council that does something. So, if you have a meeting and you can all have a discussion rather than at this time because you can't talk to one another. Seems like that's the best way to go and I'll be here with you. Thank you.
Anyone else? A question for Go ahead, Kobe. Um, is there any extra how how quick does it take you guys to get ready for that submitt of the TIFF form? I believe Daniel's already ready. That's it. Okay. So, she plugs in plug in a
number. You tell us Thursday evening. It's good. Yeah. So, I got you. Oh, are are you asking about the map or the percentage? No, the map. Well, it has to be submitted on the fourth. So, so special meeting would not put a type of crunch on
the forms are already about 95% filled out. Yeah. Propert. It's a multiplier. You just add in the number and run the form. Yeah. All right. Got a motion about the special meeting. What day? What day do we agree?
Thursday. Thursday at what time? Just four is fine. That works for everyone. Thursday at 4. Is that good with everybody? It's good with me. Good with me. So, I add that to my motion. Thursday at 4. All in favor say I I I I carry.
Mr. Ali will get that out in the morning. We're going to take a little break. Uh probably about seven or eight minutes and we'll get back to you. Why can't they do that? Because they're not approved. They're literally just approving that number.
All right. They have to set the public. We're going to call this meeting back to order and we're going to go right to the attentive mill rate. Mr. Kobe. Okay. Mayor. Uh mayor, the council needs to set the fiscal year 2026 ten of
millage rate. Mr. Atkins will give his annual spill. Uh but we also need to set the two public hearings for the budget adoption which we recommend September 11th for the first hearing and September 19th for the second hearing at 5:01 p.m. And this is in coordination around the
county and the school board. So, as always, you can always go down from the tenative mill rate you set, but you do not ever want to go up because it requires resending DR420 forms, readvertising,
multiple phone calls, do and a lot more cost to the city. Your current mill rate is 5.5%. you had a lengthy discussion from finance regarding the millage rate is um based on the roll back rate is going to
be based on what you do with the CRA. Um but ultimately we need you to set the tenative millillage. So that's the first motion. Motion to set the tenative mill rate at 5.5 and confirm the hearing dates presented. We got to have a second motion, separate motion on that. Motion on the millillage 550.
Second. I'll have a motion second. Uh any any questions? Comments? For the record, that is the same millage rate and not an increase. Correct. Is this what you recommended, Kobe? No, sorry. This I'm I'm not sure. We didn't discuss the recommendation for
this one. This one's up to the council. This is leaving the millage rate the same as it was before. No tax increase. All right. Any no mill increase? Any comments? Question increase. Well, the tax increase goes up because the abalore values go up. Yes. It is not
an increase in the tax award. Right. All right. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. Eyes carried. Thank you very much. Motion to set the uh public hearing dates for the budget. Second. That's dates we that was the dates that
were the 11th and the 19th. Correct. At 5:01 p.m. There we go. There is not. All right. We have a motion second. Uh any questions on that? All in favor say I. I I I
I I carry. Thank you very much. Kobe will go down to C4. Thank you, mayor. Uh this is for the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant. It's a draft agreement. We're not asking you to approve the agreement, but James Swinsky with Liberty Partners is here to kind of give an overview of the of the
of the grant, what it is, where we're headed, and then they'll bring back an agreement for approval at a later date. Good evening everyone. I'm James Swinsky, Liberty Partners, as Kobe mentioned. Jennifer and Tim send their regards. First off, I want to give you all just a brief update of where we're at on the safe streets and roads for all
grant. As you all may be aware, this was a US DOT grant that we pursued and were approved well last year in the amount of 150,000. Um requires a match of $30,000 small in percentage and that can be made up of anything non-federal. So local
funds that are associated with the project, associated community funds, that kind of thing. Um to just give a brief overview of the project, it's a safety action plan that looks at the entire geographic area of the city. Um we did write a focus in on the area
between US 331 and Walton Middle School. So that whole Bruce Avenue corridor. Um it's my understanding that there's a lot of a lot of traffic in there and at the same time a lot of pedestrians. though the potential for for a fair amount of safety issues especially around a school
wanted to make that high priority as part of the project. Um the project was really delayed on the federal side. We reached out to the agency multiple times and tried to get an update um through the transition of the new federal administration. I think DOE was looking
at that among other programs. Uh finally got the go-ahad a few months back to move forward with a draft agreement. They sent us a draft agreement. Um, we took first pass at it, sent it to Kobe, Kobe, um, and Attorney Atkinson looked
at it and really that's what we're bringing you tonight. So, all this is is the draft agreement. Um, first pass, we have to send it back to the agency. They're going to review it, provide further comment on their side, and then send a final copy back to the city for execution. So, all that we're asking for
this evening is to authorize the city manager um to enter into discussions with the agency and to transmit that draft back and forth which will be brought again for the C before the council for final approval. So moved. Second.
I have a motion second. Questions, comments? Just to say, mayor, we did in this in fiscal year 25, we did budget the $30,000 match. So, I don't anticipate us using any of that this fiscal year. So, we will carry that over next fiscal year, but we did budget that match this year.
Anyone else? I just I just want to say that this hopefully will be a catalyst for I've been reached out to several times by people that are concerned about sidewalks on Bruce Avenue with with the middle school. So, I'm hoping that we
can use this grant to get some clarity, to get some plans that we can then actually act upon to address those concerns that we've heard from the citizens for many, many, many years. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. I.
Eyes carry. Thank you very much. Thank you, James. We'll go to the property abatement. Okay. U mayor before I get started on five through eight. Um just a heads up I'm going to ask that we uh we continue six and eight but we'll get to those in
a minute. Um but number five is the property abatement parameters and procedures policy. Um this is generated out of the code review and land use committee. Um and it is in direct relation to chapter 11. So what is all this is doing is it's taking that section of abatement. It's putting it
into a policy for city staff and also setting parameters in which we work within when we do abatements. In no way does this policy require the city to do abatements. It's just there as a guideline uh to that code of ordinances. So regardless of what we do with number
six, um we would staff recommends we approve uh the property baitment parameters procedures policy. Motion to approve. Second. All right. I have a motion and second. Any questions, comments? Anyone? All in favor say I.
I. I. I. I. I. Eyes carried. Thank you. Right. Then you say we're going to I'll make a motion to continue items six and eight. Second. All right. There been a motion and second. Uh any question, comment?
Anyone? All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. I. All right. Now we're moving to seven. U quick note on both of these. Uh once approved, uh staff will make all the applicable changes from planning department to community development
department. So scribers change, which they've already done, but I've failed to get it on on here. So we'll make those changes. Uh this mayor is the lean reduction policy. This is simply a way to formalize process in which pe individuals, property owners with leans on the property from city code
violations have a way and a path to reduce those. So they can show the city progress toward that property and cost invested in it. uh it it lays that out into a process and again it's generated out of the code review and land use committee uh staff create a flowchart in which you know they work through and the
individual can see as well and so it takes you through that process and the criteria required there is a $200 non-refundable application fee for individuals to apply for this because they are applying for relief from from violations and so uh again it's formalizing it it's taking what we've
been doing in best practice and it's putting in policy so we ask for approval of the lean reduction policy policy. Motion to approve. Second. Second. All right. We have a motion and second. Any questions, comments from anyone? All in favor say I. I. I. I.
I. All right. Eyes carry. Thank you very much. Now we're going to go to D with Mr. Wallace. Four 4 D one B Springs. All right. Good evening.
Evening. So, what I have tonight is the infrastructure uh acceptance and development development order issuance for Bay Springs phase 1. As you can see, this was uh a project that was initiated
back in 2022. So, we've been waiting a long time. Um there are approximately 125 lots there, I believe. Um, all the infrastructure has been installed. It's been inspected by
city staff. Um, it's been inspected by our engineers. So, what I would ask for tonight is that the city council accept the infrastructure for Bay Springs Phase One and approve me to issue a development order for the construction
of the actual homes. Motion to approve. All right, I have a motion. I'll second for discussion and a second. Um, all right. Go ahead, Tom. Um Chris, can you confirm to me uh
this kind of come up in the past um as a matter of fact came up um very vividly at least for me um back when we uh were looking at potentially accepting the roads right there around Chick-fil-A and there was question about those roads and testing of those roads and how do you um
what's that process that's in our code for how do you get those roads accepted etc. So can you confirm for me that they followed on this that they followed what the procedures that are in our code which if I recall from that discussion was that there's there has to
be independent testing at two different points in the construction phase of those roads to verify that the base is correct and that the asphalt's correct so that when we accept them we're accepting a road that's up to our standards. Can you elaborate on that for me please? Yeah and what I've got here this is done
by a third party. It is signed and sealed by an engineer. They took core samples throughout the project. Um those samples are at a depth where it tests not only the base but the actual thickness of the asphalt and the
engineer has certified that all the results have came back in compliance. So there were tests done along the way and the final results show you basically a you know a foot long tube of base
asphalt and we get a thickness report. So, okay. And then to I guess to kind of take that step one step further, um Kobe, I know I'd had this discussion with you, but I kind of want to do it here in public as well. And that is um when it comes to the lift station, the
sewer pipes, the water pipes, has all of that been inspected to our our standards by our staff and engineers as as appropriate? Yes, I would. Okay. Absolutely. Okay. They're required to not only get
approval from staff, but from D. And we have been there uh every step along the way, especially with the lift station. There's a lift station. Yes, there is. And they built it to our standards. They did without any problems. Yeah. It's amazing when you
That's a miracle. Yours will never cease. Anyone else? Is that what they call the tech specs to the tech manual? They built it to the tech manual. To the current tech manual, too. Yeah. Not the old one. Anyone else?
It actually looks really nice out there. You know, when I looked at the map, the detachments, you know, I thought, "Oh, I bet they hauled 350 ft of dirt in, but they did not have to do that out there." And it looks really nice. The streets look nice. Yeah, it does. And I might add that they
before I was able to um or after I entered this agenda item into the system, they provided us with a check for the warranty and the maintenance bond. So we have that in
hand now. Since that came before our time, how many homes? Well, in this phase there's 125, I believe, and then in total between the four phases plus the town homes, you're
going to have a little uh 475 to 500 total, right? Real real quick, I'm sorry. Uh let me let me see if I can find it real quick. We're we're accepting these roads,
but then in here it states that they're going to be maintaining them. Yeah, they're they're going to be maintaining them. So, how does that work if we're accepting them, but then we're allowing? We're accepting the public dedication, but we are not accepting the maintenance obligation. Okay.
Correct, Mr. Walls? Because that would be correct for the first year. But after that first year is up, they have to come back and ask us to accept the maintenance at that point in time. Yeah, we'll do a final inspection. Yeah, you're accepting the public dedication at this time on the final
plan and then they have to maintain. There'll be a final inspection at that point in time. If it doesn't meet our standards, you should choose to decline, they stay privately maintained, but publicly dedicated. Okay. Dedication to the public and maintenance
are two different things always. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Is the infrastructure for the whole four the whole thing or just the 125? No, just for phase one and then they'll just keep adding on to that. Yep. So, that'll come back before the uh council when that is ready to go.
Thank you. Okay. Anyone else? All right. I have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. I. I. I. Carrie. Uh, that all you needed? Yep. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. All
right. This time we'll go to Is Kyle in the room? I didn't see him. He's not, but um I'm prepared to take it, fellas. Go for it. Talk to Kyle. I'll try my best. Okay. I have a question for him. One second. Get loaded up here.
He called me today. He had a family emergency, so Okay, he couldn't be here. Um so, mayor between the months of May and June, the city is 100% compliant with both water and wastewater permits. uh we are we pumped in the month uh on
average between April and June 42.28 28 million gallons of water. At our treatment plant for wastewater, we are for the month of May, we were at 45%. So 670,000 gallons. When you see the chart, I talked to Kyle next month, he's going to start or next time he'll
add percentages because the 67 represents 670,000 gallons, not 67%. So he'll add percentages next time. So we're currently at 45%. Uh the fan press for um bioolids is expected to be here in September hopefully. Um he will be working with
Randall on closing in the pole barn to make sure that piece of equipment is well maintained and functions properly. SCADA we're waiting on the equipment to come in for the contractor and we will be having staff trained on that in August for both water and wastewater SCADA
through this spills. Uh May 1st there was spill station 36 and 15,000 gallons. Uh, that was the result of a water meter blowing up. I could share that photo. It It literally blew up. So, power meter. Water meter. Yeah, the power meter. Sorry. Sorry. Not water meter. Power meter. It blew up.
So, they're they're getting that fixed. Um, spill at the station 17 of 2500 gallons. I do not have any information on that. Do y'all have anything on that? Uh uh Skyler Martin Jacobs. Uh yes. Uh that
liation is currently uh offline technically sort of in a way uh because this is also connected to listation 42. Um we worked with Mike Harrove and the city guys uh about that. We're trying to
develop a plan about course of action with that lift station because some of the components in that lift station are pretty old and there's a lot of electrical issues and a lot of us, you know, so we're just trying to figure it out. But we it
I think the uh the rain that it was lightning a lot that weekend and then the power went out to that lift station and it caused a slight spill. So, uh, we responded accordingly, put a b a bypass pump over there, and then also
rerouted the line to fuel into live station 42, uh, which is the new Veterans Lodge live station. Yeah, appreciate it. Y, thank you. Yeah, 17 is behind Westwestern. 42 is a master pump station that put in on the, uh, on Eagles Crossing. So, they're finding a
way to divert the flows from 17 to 42 because 42 can well handle it. So, yeah. Uh June 2nd the effluent line broke. Uh we talked about that previously. Staff uh found that Jacobs worked with Jacobs. Uh there was a spill, but I believe majority of that
very high percentage of that almost 99% close to it was recovered. Staff was pretty proactive in and guiding that down to certain ditches and getting the pump trunks there to haul it all out. Um section two, projects completed. Um you can read through that.
um under repairs and replacement. A lot of these things uh have already been identified and and prioritized by Kyle. Him and I worked together on that. So, what I know Councilman Germa and I talked about I'll get with Kyle and start kind of distinguishing between old and new. So, a lot of these things have
have priorities. We're working on a funding plan either this fiscal year or next. So, we will be bringing that back. And then LA and then lastly, what you see in number five, the rebatables account. Uh currently they're at 104,298
in wastewater and 14,142 in water. We budgeted 200,000 for wastewater. So we we still have roughly $95,000 left in that account. And then uh for water, we budgeted 75,000. So again, that's through June. We haven't received for
July just yet, but that's where we're currently standing. So, while we're kind of on this um this particular topic, especially when it comes to to wastewater, I wanted to to bring up to the council. I mentioned this to Kobe. Um I would like the council, and I can
put it on the next agenda, um if if amanable to it. I would like for the council to direct Kobe to reinvestigate a proposal that was given to the city years ago about a septic receivage station and what a septic receiving
station. And so that would allow us to take when someone's uh uh septic tank is pumped out, we can actually receive that because right now they're traveling over an hour from here to do that. Now, when this proposal originally came up, I
think it was back in 2020 2021, the the income numbers from that would have paid the debt service on the new plant. $80 million. It would have paid the debt service on that plant. That's
how much potential there is for septic receiv. So they when they their truck fills up, they're an hour and a half one way to go empty that truck to the back in the area to service the next customer. And and when it was presented originally and
then it's kind of sort of floated back up and people have made comments to me recently that kind of brought it back to my attention. If we will do that, that will be a massive revenue stream for us and that's utilizing our existing equipment. if I I I found the proposal
and actually forwarded it to uh to Kobe, but it would actually be set up out there at the airport at that lift station that's out there because what they have to do is they have to ingest it far enough away from the plant for it to get diluted over time over over time.
And so, uh there would be some initial upfront investment. If I remember correctly, it was on the the order of like 200 or $250,000. Now, that was pre-COVID and pre-inflation. But the return on the revenue from it, it would have been paid for in less than
5 years. And then after that, that's just pure how much how many trips is that? Or how many It was hundreds of thousands of gallons that we would be able to receive and charge them for. Yeah. But per day or what? I mean to pay
to 80 million. Just the math doesn't math isn't. It would cover the debt service on the $80 million issuance which was projected to be 50% of the $80 million. Right. So, right about $4 million debt service. I'd be all for looking at something like
that, but I certainly want to see what kind of proposal they put to Can you find that old one, Kobe? I fored it to Okay. So, send it around to But it it's it's a revenue stream and and as we were looking through this
agenda item, it reminded me it's a potential revenue stream that we're we're leaving on the table. And and don't get me wrong, it might be very expensive now because that was many, many years ago. That was pre-COVID and pre-inflation. So, it might not be attainable right now, but I think it's something we should look at. I was just
at a state park that I do volunteer four time four months a year and I can tell you that they had a problem and they had to have a truck come and they had to come on a Saturday and Sunday and they had to make seven trips and it's still what didn't correct the problem at the
time and it's very expensive. So, it is a good revenue stream. If the other thing is we've I've had conversations with Kobe already, even though we're at 45% today, just a few months ago, we were at 40%. And we
haven't taken on all the growth that's yet to come at this point. So, there's going to be substantial increases in our capacity over time. And we've got to start looking at ways to fund either in in or either expanding our existing
plant, which is what I would propose that we look at at this point with that property, or construction. And we don't need to wait until we get to the conversations that I was having when I first came on this council about we're at 70% today, 80% today, 90. We don't know where we're at today. But those
were very uncomfortable conversations and we could get heckled by the public over it or tred and feathered really quick because of the fact that um how serious you took it or what lack of forethought either us or
others had in the past. But I mean now we've got good measurements whereas we did not have that at that time. But we've got some growth coming and it may not be in seven years. It may not be in 10 years, but within the next 20 years, it's going to be here. It's already
I'm talking about that expansion. That expansion is going to you're going to be required to expand within the next two decades. No doubt about it. Go ahead. How are we going to pay for it? Okay, good. That's what I'm talking about with with what Councilman Beerbomb's talking about
bringing back to us. That's one other uh revenue stream that we can leverage to put right back into this. Well, it wasn't just equipment. It was it was them setting up that that lift station out there to be able to receive those trucks. So, there was there was it
wasn't just one single piece of equipment. It was a whole process to set that up set that up as a station. It would almost seem like a business plan that we would have to find streams to invest in that based on what we're trying to accomplish. I think it was it it were originally was proposed at like
$200,000 and I think we were maybe going to fund it out of some of the impact fees or some other I don't know I don't remember the suggestion was impact fees that would have not have been a permissible use however capacity fees are viable consideration. Where's the physical location out at the airport of this lift station you're
talking about on that property? Where is it physically? I'm looking at the right one. I found this from Jacobs back I have to look at the year. I don't know the year now. 2021. That may be it. This is uh looks like at the front of the park. Yeah, I thought it was in the park area.
Front of Gene Hurley. There's two there's three alternatives. There's front of Gene Hurley and then two different alternatives at the existing plant. So they they talked about that and they they recommended Gene Hurley because if you receive it directly at the plant, they have to do more processing of it before it then is put into the plant
because it's it's such high concentration. If you put it in out there at Gene Hurley, it's allowed to flow through the system and dilute down over time. a distance. Yeah. Correct. And will constant incoming trucks that are dumping there will is that going to impact any of the aviation world?
No, it's outside the fence. Does right now? No more than what the park does right now cuz it's outside the fence. But that's that's just one location. You know, we we could say, "Hey, we want you to look at other locations." We're fixing to have another entrance to the south. So, it doesn't have to be right exactly
where our lift station is. It just has to be somewhere in the vicinity that just can flow to that station on those ready sites. Understood. Thank you. Yep. Okay. If that's something council me too, we can just bring something back. Please just general direction.
Done. Okay. All right. Then this time we will go to No, that's what we've already done. Kevin, don't do that one again. Oh my god. Uh we'll go to citizen comments this time. If you have a
comment, uh, keep it three minutes or less, please state your name and whatever organization you're with. Michelle Kit, just me. Um, Kitchen Incorporated. Yeah, Kitchen Incorporated. I do have a question. Um, it's come to light to me
that the fire department does not bill for car accidents if they go and actually physically do something, but that is allowed on insurance. And I was wondering if that's a missed revenue we're missing out on, like when they do cleanups of gas or oil spills or that kind of thing.
And my next question is to help fund the fire department, could we consider an ambulance or two? Because I can tell you from the last bill on my father-in-law, ambulances are very pricey expense to head to the emergency room. So, this is
all in wanting to save our fire department. If we could look at some revenues like that or even if that's possible, I don't know. I've never done it, but I was told that by insurance you can bill the insurance company for services. I know they're quick to ask for insurance cards typically when people
have those. Do we bill for them? We don't operate ambulances. Yeah. No. What about the fire fire trucks? Typically, it's got to have paramedic assistance or other assistance for EMT. So, is there is there something in the in insurance that the fire department
can for oil spills into it? I'm sure if he wants to. Okay. All right. Second, I'm a little unclear on the Veterans Memorial. I just want to make sure I understand this. All y'all voted on was the lakeyard was a no. That's correct. And and in other words, they're going to
have to come back with something else if they want to put it on city property. Y new location, new design. Yes. That y'all didn't you didn't have that in your motion? Well, because the existing motion was for conceptual plan at that location. Now that we've eliminated that location,
they're going to have to come back with new designs. Now, what those look like, that'll be a separate process. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Public comment. All right. We'll close the floor for public comment and we will go to You got
anything, CL? No, sir. All right. And legislative request. We got Mr. comparison on a U guess those emergency identification markers. Correct. Um
they staff was nice enough to put this up there for us uh to see. Now this was just an idea. There was an incident at the lake yard where responders had a little bit of trouble finding uh the person and I don't know who responded first, but uh the person that made the
call to 911 was evidently giving landmarks from the bottom sidewalk down at the water. um which from that person's perspective being upset and you know what have you with with the situation um may or may
not have made sense to the dispatcher. Uh so my understanding was there was a little bit of a delay to get to the first person ended up being fine what have you. Um but it I I got a text message at 10 o'clock
that night and um about it and said, "Well, can the city consider, you know, some type of system so that 911 can know exactly where someone's at in an emergency, whether it's at night, which could typically be somebody walking,
jogging, whatever, uh a festival or whatever. Just just so it's a more rapid response. that involves water, swimming, heart attack, stroke, any of those kind of things. Th those are minute responses, right? They have to be very quick. So, it made me think
about this and I rode around the lakeyard and you know, all the all the streets that enter the circle have a have a pedestrian lamp post directly across on the inside sidewalk in in the lakeyard right there. So I thought, well, that'd be a good place to put some
kind of identifier, whether it's a whatever zone, 911 emergency response zone one or two or color code, just a letter A or color. They do it at beach accesses in the county that whole process. So I just wanted to bring this up for
for us to think about, you know, um doing what now Chief has provided us all with a uh paper here. This what three words app. Now I'm not familiar with this. So, if you you guys want to explain this, there is a way uh
evidently to identify where someone is, but the dispatcher would have to send a text to that person. Um, and I don't know if they have to download an app at that point in time or what. I mean, I don't know. I'm thinking emergencies. How does
this work, Chief? So, yeah, it'll give their the coordinates to it. But the issue we had with this particular incident was the person calling 911 was on the opposite side of the lake
and the directions they gave us was it's over by the star which we were able to kind of figure out but he ended up actually being which probably about 27. He was actually under the pier in Z5 or 25 or whatever Z5 I guess is. So, it
took us a second and of course it's 9:30 at night and he's, you know, bobbing out there. But, um, but yes, with the new, we are updating our 911 system currently. Um, it should go in effect. Uh, it's within the next quarter. I
mean, by the end of the year, they should be moving pretty quick. So, um, but yeah, there's all be kind of all kinds of capabilities with that system that are going to allow us to better do stuff. So, 20 um said he hasn't swam in the lake um
since he was a kid and he used to swim across it. Why he chose that night to do that? It was last Tuesday night. Um fully clothed in jeans and uh tennis shoes. I'll let you know if he was crazy or not. Um but uh we did trespass him from the
lakeyard for violating city ordinances. Um he did not meet Baker Act criteria. um never said he wanted to harm himself and all that, but um yeah, he has been trespassed from Chipley Park at this point. For swimming after sunset,
um so the city ordinance states that you can only swim in the designated swimming area during the time set by the council. So he was Yes. So um definitely wasn't within y'all's time frame at 9:30 at night. So,
so on your identification is a with the numbers I think I think it would be a good idea for for that type of scenario. Um, and of course as as we grow and have more events, you know, Fourth of July would be a great one. You know, something's
something's happening and we need to know exactly where they are and if we had some kind of going because, you know, somebody may look at the numbers and think that's a number on Circle Drive. If you use letters, it wouldn't be confusing. Yeah, I think it would be.
Yeah. Zone A, zone B. Kind of like Disney parking. You know, you got the Josh Conor's parking area and top beer bombing area. Would you do it at the top of the lake and at the bottom of the lake corresponding because there's a lot of distance between that area. You should be visible when we when that
we went through more of this than I' ever cured at the TDC at the beach accesses. The short answer is there should be a sign that's visible from both angles. And so if it's not readily visible line of sight from the lower part of the lake charge, you'll need a second one down towards the bottom.
How would you do that at night? Depends on if it's lit or otherwise. Um yeah, I I think I think probably making kind of like the newer street signs. If you just had an A that's already on the existing pole that was lit and the backside would be a B, of
course they could look up and say, "Well, I'm in zone A." I think something like that would work. But that's that's some of the I hate to kick a dead horse, but put the CRA on project like that and tell them that and I'll I'll push it through, too. And I think that's some stuff that they can find. Sure.
Let natural selection take it course. Then we got to worry about liability insurance, duty to act. Yeah. I mean, we'll just slow down at the front of an hour. It, you know, it it could be someone
walking the top sidewalks, you know, at night, ladies or whatever that are feared for their safety, somebody's approaching them, that kind of thing. So, it could work up top, it could work at the bottom. I don't know the nuts and bolts of it. I just wanted to bring it
to for us to think about. On the bottom, would it be especially if it was way down at the bottom? I'd really look happy. you know, if we had signs down by the lake. So, I think if you had them on the power poles already and it was kind of high and visible, you might, you know, I think there's all kinds of things you
probably come up with. I think the post are a great idea. And and most people wouldn't even notice them or know what they're for unless it said, but the dispatchers could be trained to say, "Hey, direct these direct these upset people to look for the for a sign or whatever."
Well, when they say we're I'm by the dock, there's two docks and they're pretty good, you know, halfway across. So that's right by the church. Oh yeah, I'm by the church. Well, that's Methodist Presbyterian, you know, so it can't be confusing. If y'all if the council's okay with it, I'll I through me, Chief Sheffield, will
work with the city marshall will bring back a solution to that. I know code enforcement officer Strong has provided some ideas as well. So if everybody's good with that, we'll we'll work with city mar. This might be a good time to um maybe the PD needs a boat. Oh god.
There you go. Lord have mercy. They sell them at Walmart. They're orange and they have paddles. Yellow board. I'm going to buy you yellow. All right, Kobe, you got any more comments? Just two, mayor, really quick. We did
receive two bids for the Shiitak Hall Brotherhood second floor. So, that'll be on our next agenda. Um James, he's gone. So, uh you'll see those. you'll get to consider those and um the we just need the council to select one if we receive any more between now and agenda deadline date
that'll be on there as well but um we did finally get two of those and so that'll be up for consideration the next meeting and then lastly libraries coming along should see the mayor having another update here soon so everything's going well is there so thank you all right great all right we'll go to Mr. beer bomb.
I just want to um give some commentary. I've seen some stuff about uh online at least about the city's in dire straits and city can't afford this and the city can't afford that. And um I might get in trouble for saying this publicly, but to
me it's no different uh what we're going through, right? having discussions at a council level about what our priorities are and what we want to fund. That's no different than having the discussion that I have to have sometimes with my wife and I say, "We're not broke, but
we're not shopping at Amazon today." You know, so the city's not in any kind of work for you. The box is still alive. But we're not in any sort of dynam uh you know, dire straits. Um this a lot of
this discussion although you know to the general public might look like you know calamity and that we can't afford what we have and all that it's it's not that at all. It's about priorities and saying are we going to fund this or are we going to fund that? What do we want to do now? What do we want to do three 5 10
etc. The city's not in any kind of dire straits. I just want to reiterate that the city's good. Money's there. We're okay but it's about priorities. That's awesome. Thank you for short shortening your vacation to be with us. But you
I would I would add on to that and it's maximizing impact. So it's like how can we do everybody's doing more with less and and it's it gets tight. But I I do appreciate that though, Miss Mary. It was a quick trip in here. Um it was a quick trip back from Nashville, too.
But, uh, one thing that I did hear tonight that I would like to to clarify on, and I think it was Miss Sharon who was talking about the bathrooms at the lakeyard. Um, we've been the our visitor center is getting remodeled around the lake. And then the TDC and the BCC have
been gracious and and helping with funding that project as well, too. So, those bathrooms, they're coming. And, um, there there's some good things coming to this city. So, it it's just how can we how can we fund multiple systems just like that? How how can we all help each other out? How can we fund
multiple systems to keep everything flowing efficiently? But it it was a good trip. Thank you'all. Thank you, Amy. Cody, it looks like a year ago, in the last day or two, you became a daddy. So, how was the first birthday party?
My wife looked at me on whatever day it was and she said, "It's it's already been a long week, but it's going to be a lot longer. So, suck it up." Congratulations. That's what I got through the week. Congratulations. Um, Councilman Beerbomb is is is right on
the the the we don't need to panic, right, with with the budget. And, you know, this council, one thing I enjoy working with you you all is is we're proactive looking down the road. We're trying to address that 22% uh transfer reduction and um that's something the
state feels like we need to do. that came out in audit, right? And we we need to we need to start working on that. So, we're being proactive with that kind of stuff and and I'm proud of that fact and and you know, nobody wants to hurt our fire department or our employees or anything like that. These are just conversations we have to have and and
and we're having them. So, that's that's great. Congratulations, Michael. Uh Nelson, employee of the month, right? Or employee of the quarter, that is. He works with our IT department. Um thank you, Michael. Um, it's another
thing that's come to my attention on these on these budget things. I it's it's my my understanding that there there's a possibility that those properties that we we talked about earlier with the uh Harvest and Field
Fire Department community center property. Um I I I understand that there is a possibility that the city the state could turn those properties to the city.
Um and if if that is the case that that makes us available for grant opportunities to do things that we need to do to to those buildings to to the fire department to the community center repairs. We're looking at this building
right here, you know, and and it needs a lot of repairs that we don't right at this point know where it's coming from to do it. Um, so here's one building has to be done. Those buildings will have to be done. And so we know that we better
be looking down the road at these kind of things. So I think that's something that we have to we have to look at. We we we also have to, you know, consider that, you know, there's we're not at the end of our income from now to till 2033
with the CRA when they they they you know, have to have those bonds paid out and all that. And someone made a comment like they don't see our revenue increasing. Our revenue is bound to increase because we're growing. Yeah. And we're doing things just like you just presented a while ago with the this
the sewage collection. So, our income will will we're working hard and and everybody's thinking and working ways to do this. So, I'm proud of that fact. But I I think if we want to keep our fire department, that's going to have to be decided. You know, I think a lot of
people do want to see it. And I know it's expensive, but this is what we have to do. We have to roll our sleeves up and figure out ways to do things to provide services to our to our city. Um, and so I I think that's
something that we should look into uh whether that is a real possibility uh of acquiring those properties uh from the state. And I I know we have the agreement with the maintenance for with the county on harvest and field and all that, but you know, those things could
be worked out if if it allows us to keep our fire department, improve it, get those guys a good place to be, expand that building, get the ladder trucks we need, all those sort of things. Um, I think it's worth taking a hard look at,
you know. Dan, I know you had two or three things. Um, yes, sir. Um, I don't know if this this is a learning thing. So, um, Kobe, I don't I'm not going to hold you
to a exact number, but do you know how many contracts we have regarding water and sewage? Are there multiple contracts out there with multiple companies or is there just one? Well, do you what do you what are you referring you referring to projects? Are
you referring to consulting services? If we if this if the city of Diniac Springs has a contract with any company in connection to our water and sewage. Okay.
What would that be? Um terms of consulting, Jacobs runs our and operates our plants and lift stations. Anchor Engineering and Three Knots Group provide consulting services for water and wastewater operations. Um and and then in terms of projects, we're currently under contract with a 280B
project, which is grant funded on the city's half from legislative appropriations. Um effluent line, we have a contract for design and CI that kicks off, I believe, next week. We're out a bit. So
I'm thinking that's all I can think on top of my head. I have to pull see if there's anything else. But I think that's all I can impressive. What about that press? That's something we haven't done yet. So, the fan press hopes to show up in September. That was a bid. I was ITB council approved it. So, it was a purchase of a piece of clothing.
Do you have a ballpark figure on all the companies that we've got contracts with on what that cost the city? I may have to give it to you, but Okay, we can address that another time. I just got a little spool in there, so I appreciate it. Um, is this something that we would
discuss at the budget meeting? I guess it determine it depends on the intent of what what they're asking for. Well, we want to find out where our money's going. We'll know how to budget. Yeah. Yeah. So, during the budget workshops, we'll uh we'll go through
every we'll go through the line items. We're doing staff um and we go through and specifically budget and line items. And then this year, we update the CIP as part of the process. We hope to have more detailed sheets in the budget this year. So, a capital improvement project that we budget for will have its own sheet explaining more information where
it's coming from, what it's for, how long it intends to take. Um, and then any other detailed in there as well. So, this year you'll see R&M sewer, right? R&M water. We'll have a detail sheet that explains to you of the 600,000 are budgeted, what in that are we doing? So,
we'll break all that down this year. Okay. Um, can you bring the photos up? Jesse has them right there. Can you can you blow each one up the full screen if possible? Okay, this right here
is Randall's crew. This is what they do every day just about. They go all over the city repairing uh these old um clay pipes.
Uh the one that they're replacing now uh they had they got two spots there. One of the holes is already covered back up. Um the whole side of the uh of the pipe was out. This is some of the city's equipment required to take care of this.
Um that's other equipment down the road toward the old library. There's a lot of equipment involved. Now, this guy right here, he's the foreman. And what can you tell me about him? He he's a he's a cracker
jack. He is really good. What's his name? Michael Harrow? And he's been with the city how long? Uh I'd have to look at it. I believe it's been over 10 years. Okay. That's a lot of knowledge right there. These guys right here were doing backbreaking work for two days straight.
And the these guys don't they don't go brick. These guys are serious about working. I'm there's three crews out there. And I'm not partial to Randall. I don't
even know his last name. That is by far the hardest working crew I've seen. in public works and I just wanted to give them a shout out. Uh are there any more pictures or is that it? Okay. Um so the last thing I want to say
is I keep trying to catch Cody on uh something to where he'll say, "Wow, that's a good idea." So So this is what I ran by. I said, "Uh, hey, hey, hey, Cody. Um, we got a
million dollars, uh, from the state of Florida, courtesy of Shane Abbott, right?" Yeah. I said, "We got another million dollars, uh, for the affluent line, uh, from Congressman Dunn, right?" And he said, "Yeah." And I said, "Well, could we take that $2 million and get one of
these 5050 grants and turn that into $4 million?" And he said, "I'm already on it." So, I did I hadn't got him yet, but I'm still trying. So, that's that's how and nobody's asked him to do this. He just did it. You know, he he took $2
million and he's turning it into four. Now, this is the part, one of the parts I have hard uh a hard time having patience with. How soon could we take this $4 million
and start putting it into that uh affluent line? So, the one million, so back up a second. Uh, we have the $300,000 grant from wast from Northwest Florida Water Management District for design. We'll
fund the other 183,000 of that cost. Um, then the million dollars that Representative Abbott secured for the city will go toward construction for and we'll get that in within the next probably 8 to 10 months in terms of an agreement and the funds. 8 to 10 months in terms of getting the money from the state. Well, we will not collect money
from the state. It's a reimburseable grant as are all of our grants. Um the other million from from Congressman Dunn's office uh through Congress. We're waiting for the bill budget to be passed. So, we're still waiting for that. Has few more hurdles to go through. But in essence, that $2 million, we'll use that money to
leverage hopefully SRF, so state revolving fund, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Uh they have two funding cycles in the fall, one in the fall, one in the spring. So, Three Knots Group, who's doing our design work. as they're doing design, they will also be coordinating with SRF for funding opportunities and hopefully we will get an 8020 grant. The last few
we've received from D has been 5050, but hopefully we can get an 8020 which would reduce our burden. Nice. Yeah. And uh who would work on that? Would uh would Tim Parson work on that or would our in-house grant work on that? So SRF typically when we go through an SRF program, the engineering firm on
board would be the consultant for the city to provide an application and to do that. Um, but Denise, our grants coordinator, she would also be involved in that as well for compliance. Uh, so would the utilities director, Randall, he'd be overseeing the project and then Denise would submit reimbursements on the city's behalf.
Okay. Um, and the last question is, what was this uh, storm water um, workshop here today when we walked in? It's a part of the city's vulnerability assessment. So in 2000, so in this year, we got the grant last year, but we
budgeted for it this year. It was 100% grant from D for vulnerability assessment. So they've been through a couple public meetings. Uh when they're completed, they'll bring back an assessment to the city for flood risk mitigation and stuff like that. We'll take that planning document and go for funding. Are they going to give the um the
council Yes. demonstration? Yes. Once they're come done with all the uh information and get ready to finalize it to the state, the council will get an opportunity to review and I would assume adopt. That's it. Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. All
right. Well, we'll call this meeting ajourned.