--------- Okay, good morning every Oh, these do work well. Good morning everyone. We're going to call this meeting to order. Today is Thursday, September 11th, 2025. It is 9:03 a.m. now. 9:04 a.m. All council members are present. Town
manager, town clerk, town attorney, if you please rise for the invocation, followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of SE September 11th. As we gather here today in service to Fort Myers Beach, let us pause in gratitude for this community, its
residents, businesses, and all who visit our shores. May we lead with integrity and make decisions that support our continued rebuilding and reflect our commitment to fiscal responsibility. May our efforts strengthen the foundation of our town and honor the resilience that defines us. As we meet on this solemn
date, please we pause to remember the lives lost on September 11th, 2001. We honor the courage of first responders, the strength of survivors, and the enduring spirit of unity that rose from that day. May their memory continue to inspire compassion, service, and resolve
in our own community. Amen. Please join me in a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance. Thank you. I pledge algiance 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. Next is the approval of the final agenda. We have a couple of changes. We have the addition of emergency ordinance number 25-16
and the removal of item number I bid protest under the agenda management or administrative agenda. Are there any other changes to the agenda? Mr. Mayor, just for a point of order, where will the um emergency go?
Well, that's up for discussion. Where would we like to put it? At the beginning or at the end? Might as well do it at the beginning and get it over with. Okay. If I may add, push the button. If I may add, for the record, uh the emergency ordinance is
before you today at the request of the supervisor of elections. Thank you. Okay. So you want to put it so we should we put it just before the public hearings then right after consent agenda. Is everybody okay with that placement or would you like it before that?
That's fine. Okay. So we will place emergency ordinance 25-16 just after items removed from the consent agenda and just before the public hearings. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as amended?
So move mayor. Got a motion by councelor King. Second. Seconded by councelor Woodson. Mayor, that would be as amended for that item. As amended for item I and the adding of the emergency. Sorry, I missed that. That's okay. Uh, any further discussion?
All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Hearing none. That motion carries unanimously. Next is public comment. Madam clerk, I don't think I have anybody signed up. All right. Is there anyone out there that would like to speak in public
comment? Seeing none, we'll pull close public comment, local achievements and recognitions. Councelor Safford, uh, following up on on yesterday, I want to thank the, you know, you may, Mr.
Mayor, um, Will, and your predecessors for getting us here today. It really didn't dawn on me how important this is for for our staff. and they've moved. It's incredible. I I I know a lot of us have moved four or five times, but to to
move 11 or 12 times is just incredible. And it's it's great to have a place to call home and and um I look forward to the means we have here. Thank you, Councelor Woodson. Yeah, I'll just add on to that. When I
walked in here on Tuesday morning for my meeting with Will and looked in this area and I thought, "How in the world are we pulling this off for Wednesday morning?" But we did. You did. The staff did. It's fantastic. And um welcome,
Vice Mayor. I would just associate my comments with the comments of Stafford and Woodson on beautifully said, Councelor Kane. Uh yeah, I'll ditto all of that and just say uh how happy I am for the staff and how proud I am of how of all they've accomplished in almost
the last three years focusing on the the residents uh with all the turmoil that go that went on in their work life and their personal life. So thank you. Yeah, I'll just um reiterate all those sentiments. It's nice to have a home for
our staff and our residents now and it's uh the next chapter of Fort Myers Beach and hopefully this will be the last town hall we ever have to move into. All right, next we have presentations. We have an update for Mr. David Farmer. Come on up.
Good morning, council mayor. Thank you very much for having us here today. It's also wonderful to be here at your inaugural meeting. Uh and I uh I am very pleased and excited for the town that you have this new facility uh for your staff and your residents to interact
with government. So to remind you, we came and talked to you last year about the what we do and uh you engaged in a contract and we'll be coming back to you in October with a much more substantial presentation. But we, this is based on just some new data
I wanted to get in front of you because uh your your staff had informed us of some of the things that people were saying in some of the hearings and data they were presenting about how many hotels were here or not here, whatever. Well, um thankfully you guys are of a size smaller than Los Angeles. And so we actually reached out to every single
hotel and talked to every single landowner to get hard data on the ground. So we're going to present some of that to you today. Again, about myself. So metro forecasting, we only work for governments like you. So when we tell you something, we want you to know it's it's from our heart to your best
interest. There is no other outside interests that are influencing anything we say or think. Uh we'll get let's skip the slides. I got a lot of data I want to get to and we only have 20 minutes for this morning. Uh but we have a really cool model. We'll talk about that more in October. So, like I said, we actually reached out
to all the hotels and we determined which ones are in fact open and their number of rooms, which ones are still renovating and which ones are not never, but don't plan on reopening as they were ever again, probably likely as a future hotel. Uh, so we'd have that information
and we actually can spoke with them. And so, here is the data. So, as of May, uh you had about just under 1,200 single family homes, about 5,500 condo units, and I'll talk about those in a minute. Those are units, not necessarily
occupied units. We'll get to that. Uh hotel rooms. So, you have 1635 potential hotel rooms that exist on the island right now. But of those, and again, as of May, uh 1484 were open for business and available for rent and use. So, uh, this conflicts, I believe, with some of
your prior data from late last year, the tourism council or whatever and saying you had,00 or a thousand or whatever. Well, you got more than that. And I think within I think by season of next year, you're going to have those 1635 online. So, I'm not saying that's a good thing or bad thing. I just want you to
have the best information in front of you so you guys can make informed decisions. Uh, commercial building, uh, just under 300,000 existing. Excuse me. Just a quick question on the hotel. One of the numbers that we kind of hear bantied about is that we've got
roughly 60% of our hotel rooms open post Ian. Is that a percentage that based upon your recent research that coincides with your data? So I don't remember I don't remember you had before maybe 2500 before so maybe you're was it about 2500 when
I can go back and look I don't I think you have it on your one of your slides you have like 2685 or something of what you had. I have a question to follow up on that. Are are you counting just the island or are you counting Lover's Key and stuff that's just off the island?
Uh those are not in the town, right? Lover's Key is not in the town. No, we're only counting what's in the town. What's on the island? Yeah. Yeah. That's generally not. I mean, if you want me to, I can look outside. It's not much work, but we are counting what's in your political boundary and only that. So, for the for
these purposes. Great question. So, uh so you have some vacant land. Maybe you've heard you have some vacant land. uh 32 acres of of vacant commercial. That's as of this moment. Uh some of that could be already entitled because of of things that you've approved along
the way, but today those are vacant and actually not developed. Not that I want to correct you, but you said 32. You meant to say 23. 23. I apologize. Yes, I verbal dyslexia. Big difference. Thank you. Yeah. Um well, you have you have more than that of vacant land. Uh the graphics
don't do it justice, but we actually marked down. So we went through the data and Pat had a nice talk with the property appraiser and in fact there's a code if you know where to look inside the data it tells us whether a a structure has been compromised and the the secret code is 10. So the if the house if the the the structure is worth
$10, it means it was severely damaged and likely not going to come back as it was. However, we also then found in the data that you have uh condos that historically were assessed at 400 500,000 that were sub 100,000 and and so that actually influenced some of the
data I'm going to talk about here in a minute about your occupancy and who actually lives here now and what we think is going to happen in the near future and more in the long term. So, I've got two buildout scenarios for you. This first buildout, the easiest way I can say it is, you know, what was here, it's coming back. Okay? So, if it
was a house, it's a house. it might be a nicer house, but if it was a house, it's house. It was a condo, it's a condo. If it was a hotel, it's a hotel. And and then if it was vacant, when we use the surrounding properties, well, if it's surrounded by single family, we're going to say, well, that vacant lot probably is going to be a single family. Even if it could be a duplex, we it's very
modest, but it's interesting to look at this. So, we have a lift here. You have about 15,600 hotel rooms existing and potential buildout of just under 3,000 hotel rooms. Uh that's again based on building back as we were uh just pre-Ean
but adding the hotel and adding any new entitlements you guys have approved over the last few years. Um let's see moving down uh commercial building we think it could have as much as close to 800,000 at buildout. That depends a lot on what
you approve or do not approve. We've made some guesstimations. It's our judgment call. It's no requirement on your part. Hey, you have to approve this as commercial or that is that. We just used our our we have very good judgment. We do this is all we do. We did it all day long. We do it all over the state and we are we are used to working in
beach towns. So we think we understand what was likely to occur. Again, as your codes and zoning regulations change, these numbers could could change significantly. For example, this is uh uh politely if
you are aggressive in your buildout or aggressive in what you approve. So we're not saying this is what's going to happen. We're not saying the other thing is going to happen. It's probably going to be somewhere between these two different buildouts. But instead of having only 3,000 here, about 3,100 hotel rooms. Not that you couldn't approve more. Of course, you could
approve more. U more commercial space. We we envision some of the parcels have a potential to come back as some really nice mixed use like potentially uh don't know what you have planned. Maybe the old uh town hall, city hall, right? What's going to happen with that? I believe you still own that property. Is
that true? I think you as of my last records. Now, what are you going to do with it? I'm not saying you know or don't know. We don't know what's going to happen with that, but there's some potential for mixed use to happen in in these in some of these areas. Um, David, before we move on, do your numbers represent what has already been approved?
Yeah, to the best of our knowledge, yes, we've worked with your staff. So, we've incorporated things that haven't been built yet, but if it if you've approved a project, then we've been without getting specific, then we have marked that down. It's okay, that's what's going to go there, and that's not going to change in either scenario. only things that are vacant that aren't
really spoken for that this could go this way or this could go that way um and so forth. All right. So, these come off as bullet points like I'm telling you, but I'm not Please take them really more as questions. All right. So, uh we believe
there's a desire to to maintain that small town feel. Not saying you should feel that way or not feel that way. We But we that's sort of the sentiment that we read and um that there's uh concerns from existing residents and and and and people that that um come and play here
about keeping the views and and corridors sort of as they've been. And that may or may not be true depending on what was improved and how tall things are and so forth. And then uh preserving the existing amenities and open spaces obvious obviously a challenge, right? Land's expensive and and kudos to you. I
love that that volleyball um beach u park that you guys established. Um that to me that is a wonderful use of land that preserves the beach forever for public use. And I just I think that's a I know it's a I'm going way back right 15 20 years but I think that was really a genius of the beach to do that. All
right. This is probably the biggest slide that I have for you in the whole uh deck. And again I this is not preaching. So some you know you can sort of ask a question like you know you're hungry aren't you? That's not what we're doing. Okay, these are what we'd like
you to dig deep. And when we come back in October, we'd like you to share some of your thoughts about this slide. So that's it's a request from me to you. Uh how do you feel? What do you think? And you might, you know, you might like, yes, you might want to pick like on the revenue approach, pick pick the first
bullet point and maybe on the resident approach, pick the third bullet point or or all of one side or all of another. But these really are questions and and not that they can't be one or the other. Uh but we wanted to sort of pose these to you. Um
do these questions seem appropriate or inappropriate to you or you know um if you want to have more you know employees living on the island you're going to need more than likely rental and I don't mean short-term rental. Uh I don't see any other way for that really to to a
core unless you're going to do ADUs or something like that. Uh but there we need a mechanism to have employees live on the island and there's no magic solution. Um I know you guys are working on some zoning codes and some things by right and not by right. Uh but these are issues I think that need to be
considered and and I think it's important to have a rationale for how you move forward. I'm not telling you what's good or bad but you have as long as you have a reason. One of my first bosses out of college said, you know, depending whatever whatever you do, just make sure you have
a reason why. If someone asks you why you did something you don't know why that then you did something really bad. You need to know why you're doing something. And so I'm not preaching at you, but I'm I'm I'm requesting that you guys dig deep individually and as a counselor, what is it that you want uh to achieve? And we're help you to
hopefully help you, guide you through, and help you to show you how you can get to whatever your goals are. difficult that just just to comment on on the residential approach, your number two medical care, personal care, barbers, etc. That also goes with the revenue approach because a lot of our visitors were
finding that we don't have those goods and services that they're accustomed to when they visit other towns, right? So, I wouldn't pigeon hole that just under the residential approach because in order to attract visitors, you're going to need those nail salons, you're going to need those barber shops, you're
going to need a medical facility. um as it is right now most of those goods and services are off island which is creating more traffic right so I I wouldn't pigeon hole that just under the residential approach well it's under that side because if you go revenue approach then everything's condos and everything's hotels and
a year won't support those those businesses you need more full-time people here to support them year round that's the point of the bullet okay I don't disagree with you that visitors want to use those things I used to spend a lot of time on the beach uh for for many many years more on the north end of
things. We I've shopped in every shop uh down by the uh down by the pier and so forth. And so I appreciate what you're saying and I totally agree with you that visitors want those things, but some of those uses need to have a longer u presence of people uh patrons to to keep
them alive. That was the purpose of it. it. I I would just one other comment to your as you as you pose this paradigm for us is is the is it's a bit more nuanced in terms of some of these questions depend on where you are on the island. Sure. Sure. That's a good point. North
end versus south. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. You've got to factor that into your calculation. It's not completely, you know, doesn't have this right at the south end of the island. If you put in a bunch of barbers, I'm not sure that that would, you know, or restaurants that would really survive, per se, right? You need more people.
More the tourism side is up this way, right? Is that what you're saying? Except for right now, we would need more restaurants and barbers on the south side. Yes. But yes. Yeah. But but yeah, it is fantastic how the beach is building back. I'm I'm every time I come up here, I I I feel a positive energy of
all the things that are are going on, things that are changing and and maybe it seems slow motion, but it it it it's happening, I think, at a pretty good pace, and I'm excited for the town. Uh, okay. So, let's get bore you with some data here. So, we took a look at your last year's data because it's the
best data that we really have. We looked at your uh your single family, multif family units, and and we looked at things by homesteading, right? If it's homesteaded, by definition, they have to live here full-time. Full-time meaning more than 180 days a year. Doesn't mean necessarily 12 months, but anything more than 180 is considered permanent by the
census and generally by uh Florida's uh laws and such. So, it's interesting when we look at all the units and I'll remind you we had about what 1500 uh single family homes. Only about a third of them are homesteaded. Means twothirds are not homesteaded. and not saying that they're not rented full-time, but it's likely
that they're probably used more on the on the short-term rental side of things. Now, if we go to uh here we have the sort of single family, we have 696, I guess, total uh what is this non-homesteaded units right now that are
online. Uh 4,400 multif family units for a total of about 5,100. And so, we're assuming this is an assumption, but say, well, what what if those were all rentals? Okay. And then now let's convert that to beds bedrooms because this is what something we learned from from Homes Beach when we were working
with them five or six years ago. And and they actually monitor by the bedroom, not by the unit. And and it's that would be an interesting thing to consider for the town as well to monitor bedrooms versus versus units because they can have a big impact on seasonal residents coming. So you have about basically just
under 11,000 potential bedrooms and we so the data actually tells us how many bedrooms are in house and stuff. we are estimating to a point but we have a pretty good idea our our data is not off by more than probably 5%. Um we then took and we said okay we have these
bedrooms uh that's a given number of 11,000 but if we assume then how many people are in each bedroom at a peak season kind of thing right total peak think fourth of July think uh New Year's Eve um you know the peak of spring break uh so if you pick a pick a number and
from my personal limited experience on this beach I was a property owner for eight years I got to see a lot of things who came and used our units and so forth uh one and a half people per bedroom is not a bad place to sort of guesstimate, right? So, that would give you about 16,000 people in these units.
David, do you have any data from preian numbers as far as bedrooms are concerned? Uh, I can get that. That's not a hard number. Yeah, it'd be interesting to see that data compared to the 2025. Sure. Sure. I think that would give you a good idea of what the ratio of new construction
homes, what their bedrooms counts are going from at least give you a percentage of what that increase is from what was there to what is currently being built back based on the 2025 numbers, right? And we'll take a look at that. And you know, as much as I want to tell you that I'm a data guy and we're a data company, there's a lot I don't know. For
example, so I lived, this is hypothetical, I lived in my condo. Ian hit my condo went offline. I'm somewhere you within a half mile of here. My condo went offline. H Now I've lived in the city of Fort Myers for three years and now my condo just got it's it's
finishing up. So the question is, well, now I live I've lived some three years. I've got new friends. I've got a new sort of pattern in my life. Maybe I'll just Airbnb that unit or no, I'm going to come back and I'm going to actually homestead it. I don't know what's going to happen. I see a potential for change. I don't want to assume that everything's
static, that everything preen that was homesteaded is going to remain homesteaded and those same ratios are going to hold. uh things could change and we're really excited from a nerdy data point of view exactly how what is going to happen. I will tell you as of this morning and I mean literally on my drive up here my guy pulled new data on
your homesteads of your of your condos and you've increased by eight. So, and that's a small trend, a small blip that your homestead versus non-h homestead is increasing, but it's just one data point and it's only over a four-month period, but we want to monitor that because that's a very important, again,
homestead more likely to be used on a full-time basis. Not that you can't run out of room if you're homesteaded, of course you can, but it's not going to be likely the whole, you know, uh, crazy beach spring break thing. since we're on population and and this
is an inexact science obviously given the effects of hurricane Ian but you know you hear prior to Ian you hear you know out of season there was 5 to 10,000 people on the island at a time during season you hear these numbers of 50 to 60,000 people potentially on Fort
Myers Beach during peak season have you gotten to the point where you can get a sense of can you comment on those numbers yet or is it premature you're reading my mind I'm sort of heading there other than I can't do daytime popular. I can, but I'm gonna pull numbers out of thin air because lean, how many times it cross the
bridge, how many people are in it. But I have been here for many, many Fourth of July, many, many New Year's Eves. And I have witnessed what you're talking about where it took me four hours to get onto the island on one Fourth of July. My wife needed something. I had to run to Publix. 15 minutes there and four hours back uh
to to to fight the traffic of all the people trying to get on island that don't live here, but were coming for the festivities and fireworks and such. So I I bet that daytime or nighttime, you know, visitor, I'm not sure what that count is, but um so if you look at this today, so nothing new gets built ever,
even the things you've approved, if it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist. But based on what we see today, based on homestead, non- homestead, and based on one and a half uh visitors per bedroom of non-homesteaded units and a whole bunch of other words, and two pe two people per hotel room, uh you're at 22,000.
I now look at the the buildback buildout. And if we apply some very um boring assumptions to that, you're at 30,000 in peak population. That's that's that's uh on the island without adding a single
visitor from Lee County. So right now you're at 22 peak potential. Uh again, not excluding anyone from Lee Tran or people crossing over to get on the beach for the day or whatever. So right now you're at 22,000. I don't see a way for you to prevent yourself from going to
30. And I haven't calculated what because we just finished the the aggressive buildout and how that might turn out. But again, since it's more hotel um and and multif family base, it's hard to say. Uh so I don't know if those numbers are surprising to you or not. I'll lay another number on you
because I can't remember if it's in the deck. I'm almost done with my talk here. So, if we do our normal vanilla work, you should have uh about 3,900 full-time people here today. And I'm thinking, hopefully you're thinking, Dave, that sounds crazy. And and you're right,
because we went back into the data and not only pulled out those those those housing units that were the those the $10, so we know they're not occupied. It's impossible. They're not taxed, right? Someone's assessed them. But we went back and looked at the condos that are less than 100,000. You know, last year or three years ago, they were four
or 500. Now they're at less than 100. That tells us something that it's not valueless, but it's obviously not occupied if if if they're only assessed at that. And on my way again driving up here, Victor was telling me that there were units that just in January were assessed at 2 thou $2,900 that today are
assessed at $600,000. So I don't know if you've gotten your valuation yet back from the the the Lee County Property Appraiser, but I think you're likely to see a healthy bump from your taxable values from last year. uh based on that. So these units are now
coming back online. Um and uh so we're we figure there's you're now at about 3,400 people. Uh as of late last year, we think you were closer to 3,100 people of full-time permanent population. We think now or in the very very near future as these units
have just come back online, you're going to have about 34 to 3,500 permanent population until more housing units are constructed. Does that make sense? I don't if it's useful to you or not, but we dug deep to try to figure out some information that you can use as a
as a a base point of how do you feel now based on that population. And you're right, sir. The the permanent population was we believe between five and 6,000 uh during the, you know, August months or whatever. Uh, I never did go back and calculate what the the full peak was, but I I'm estimating probably at least
20 25,000 people uh were were on the island plus then your beachgoers. That was the people actually living on the island and so forth. Again, it's a guesstimate based on professional judgment and spending many many years on the beach. Uh, you know, tourism is is, you know,
your economic engine and we need to balance those benefits. But again, what is the right balance? Uh, you're the elected official, not me. I'm not here to tell you or preach to you. Uh but let's let's try to figure out what the target is and then we can help you with some policies and such to to sort of help get there with your other
consultants as well. And of course integrating some uh sustainable practices and energy efficient designs will also uh help uh the resiliency of the town being able to come back when uh the next storm inevitably hits. You have a lot of vacancies. Uh this this graphic does not do it justice. We
went through and and tagged all those homes that were $10. And it is frankly amazing and it makes my stomach sick sick when I look at the pictures and and and the of how many homes are damaged it's just catastrophic. So you have a
105 vacant parcels now uh that where 880 homes were um and either they're still there and they're so damaged they can't be lived in or they've actually been demolished. Um, and we also have another 626 uh parcels then with damaged, severely
damaged structures on them. Uh, the sooner we can get rid of those, the better things will look. Yes, sir. David, those numbers are those today or are those right after Hurricane Ian? That was May. The say today, but uh we we created these slides and the data was
based as of the end of May. Do you have the numbers? Did you did you ever have the ability to have the numbers post Ian? I mean, immediately after Ian, let me let me let me let me just we hear a lot because it's tough to estimate because it was it was obviously chaos at that time, but we hear roughly
a third of our structures on our island were destroyed as a result of Hurricane Ian. Based upon your research, does that seem like a reasonable number? That that does not sound like a crazy number to me that just based on the ane anecdotal evidence. Um because we believe more than half your homes were
were damaged, severely damaged. Yeah, I believe in memory surgery right the number was north of 1900 completely wiped off the face of the earth that didn't include substantially damaged homes but I I think it'd be at some point just so we have so people understand the gravity of what we went through if you could
find a number just to give people a rough idea of of of I mean people know it was impactful but how significant the impact of hurricane Ian would was on in terms of housing units housing and commercial overall both without leaving population out of it well um so you're in luck We also do the
metropolitan the MO work. Uh and so I we we did all the data in 2019. So I have 2019, 2020 and 2021 data that I can pull. Uh and and and those numbers that if you want 2019 data, I have that. It's literally free. I I just have to look
into the database and and pull that number out of the of the permanent housing units we had and we can do a quick comparison. I just think it's helpful for when we try to explain to people what Fort Myers Beach went through. We've got a sort of a data point that we can point to that again it doesn't have to be exact but just if a third of the structures on
Fort Myers Beach were destroyed as a result of Hurricane Ian. Is it structures or units? Because it's different. I got to count buildings that have 50 units. I got that that'll take more time because we don't count structures. We count bu housing units basically. Uh it's a great question. I'll you're counting I guess you could use parcels because in here you're using
vacant parcels. Well those vacant parcels are mostly uh homes. Right. Right. What that would usually mean is one structure. Yes, sir. Yes sir. Single family is a piece of cake. The multif family is a little more difficult between structures and units, right? We we track the units because that's what people live. Not
that the structures aren't important, but that's not what we track. We track the actual how many units are in each building. That's a good question. I'll defer to your your your wisdom nomenclature on that. Well, I think it's an important number. Not one for what you're you're getting to, Vice Mayor, but also for the rate of
recovery, right? you know, to be able to see the trend and how how it's you were here. Now you're here and where you're going. Well, so I can tell you since May, 400 400 condo units that were already existing have now come back online. Are they occupied? I'm sorry. I can't I
didn't knock on every door on the way up here. But according to the the latest data from 7:45 this morning is showing us that 400 more units are now active on the beach that were damaged for but are showing now as went from $3,000 in
January to 600,000 now. It means that they're occupiable. And your 626 number here of severely damaged structures, is that based, you said that was based on a $10 valuation from the property appraisers? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. not of the land. The land always remains has value, but just
the structure. Yeah, it's how you look at the data. That's an interesting number to me. I'd like to see how that correlates with our data as far as what we have deemed as are they still existing or are they gone? I mean, this doesn't necessarily say that those structures are still sitting there. So, okay, I wasn't planning to go this
deep. So, the thousand vacant parcels means that that that either they were vacant before or something was there and it's been scraped away because the now the structure value is zero. That's the clarification that I wanted that this this data isn't saying that that's a there's a structure actually there. Just that it's showing a $10 evaluation.
The 626 Well, the 626 says there is a structure there and it's damaged. Again, that was as of that's interesting to me. I I didn't realize we had that would shock me if that's accurate because that that means there's 626 severely damaged homes that are still sitting there almost
three years later, which or commercial like Royal Scoop. I think it was just north, right? But if you go if you go down the side streets and back streets, you will see them. I mean, they they've started to come down slowly but surely, but they're there. No, I understand. I mean, he just used
an example of Royal Scoop. That's not a substantially damaged building. That's actually being rebuilt. It's actually being rebuilt. Yeah. So, the data to me seems like it's a little bit off. It may be showing it's only $10 because it hasn't come back online, but how are you how are you verifying that that's a substantially damaged structure?
Uh, by the $10. So, again, I I was pretty sure when I looked at it that Royal Scoop of the one right by the hardware store, I believe that was one of those $10 ones, but maybe I'm incorrect. Didn't the roof come off of that thing? The blue building. Are you talking about? I think it's blue. Yeah.
Yeah. That that one's being built back. So, yes. But but if it was severely damaged, it was $10 and so it's not considered vacant, but was severely damaged. And now I'm not agreeing there. They're rebuilding, but Okay. So, there's a And I'm not trying to get into the weeds with you or beat you up over it. To me, in the eyes of in
the eyes of the federal government, severely damaged and substantially damaged are two different definitions. So, I'm just trying to understand when you say severely damaged, does that mean nonoccupi non occupied? Okay. Right. Well, I think what he's saying is that it it could be any in any part of the
process of being rebuilt either they're just brought online like those condos that were at 3,000 January and today they're at 600,000. They were obviously there in January, but they were so damaged that the the value was more than $10, but completely suppressed from what
it was. And now it's back. So, and I would just add this benchmark number that the mayor was referencing, I think, is so important because we're making an argument right now to the Lee County School District that we need our elementary school back. And, you know, there's some that will say,
"Oh gosh, you know, you you you don't have the people back, you don't have this back." And clearly there's a robust uh housing rebuild rebuild on Fort Myers Beach, but it'd be great to metric that so we can then demonstrate that hey, we're not only we we're back, but we're coming back even stronger. And to have
that kind of data to be able to make our case would be very helpful. I I can help you with that part of it, but I'll tell you, we want to talk about schools children. We do a lot of that, too. Uh one of the issues is we don't know what the demographics are the people moving back. Is it husbands and wives or is it families? And that's
what'll influence that obviously, right? And that that was part of our challenge with a school district is that during COVID, we had a lot of parents moved to Fort Myers Beach with kids who worked from home and uh and you would say, oh gosh, that demographic normally wouldn't live in that kind of a home. But it was a unique dynamic here. We had folks who
both parents were working very affluent and they wanted to put their kids in elementary school and they worked from home. They lived on the island. So it is tough. But but you know the school district has been somewhat challenging uh to to to convey this recovery to and to have some data points might be
helpful. Yeah. So we'll do a 2019 count of units because that's easy and then we can compare it to what we have right now and I can give you that justosition on on October 15th. Oh, what's next here? that.
Oh, so the the the last preaching thing here, and I think I've maybe said this to you before, but it's why I say to all of our clients. So, vacant land is currency. It's freedom. It's flexibility. And not at some point, every parcel will be
built on. But as you approve parcels, approve projects, recognize that that there's less and less flexibility of how the future get I'd say it's the future's converging, right? as we have as we approve more projects then the future becomes less and less uncertain about what's going to go there and what's going to go there. So be keeping that in
mind as we're considering projects and whether you want to approve it or not about well is that the does that fit the context of uh of the vision for the the council has for the town. Um that make sense and so vacant land is currency as
you approve projects or as as homes get built there's less and less uh doubt less and less flexibility of what the future might hold. Again, that's not a that's not preaching down. That's just saying it's a a perspective that I like to share with you. And that's it. Uh we're working on
completing the commercial analysis and generating the forecast. Your forecast is going to be different than anyone I've done in my in my career. I've done a lot of them. But yours is not so much of how many units are going to get built, right? We have units that already here and when did they come online. it'll be, you know, there's zero that kind that building has zero capacity and
then when it's open, I'll have 40 units come online, which is very unusual in the way we normally model things. So, I'm going to have to do some some professional work uh to help estimate how your population is going to change over the near future. And then as far as new construction, we'll help estimate how that's going to come online. So, you
have some some guesstimations of how things might look. Okay. Looking forward to coming back in October. If anything else comes up that you'd like to see, Mr. Town Manager, please let me know. happy to incorporate what you guys want uh into into that analysis and again that'll be a baseline analysis and we
have some additional things we'll be coming back to you with as well. Thank you very much. Any other questions or just just when you come back one of the things just to think about as you format the data that you're you're doing a great job of researching the data points but if you format it come back with some
broader talking points. As you can tell from this conversation, we're we spend a lot of time making the case about Fort Myers Beach to outside entities, a variety of different entities, both on the commercial side, on the school side, on just in in communication with our constituents to be able to convey
accurately what the impact of Hurricane I was. And a a and b this is how far we've come with respect to our recovery. Not necessarily 235 versus 237, but hey, a third of our homes are were destroyed. We're 90% rec. I mean, some nice
percentages that we could use as talkers that would be accurate that helps to explain in lay terms some general themes of where we're going and where we still need to have some work. Just broader, you know, in lay sort of dynamics convey
those talkers in ways that could be informative to the public. Okay. Okay. Well, I'll work on a graphic. I as you're talking, I have something in mind, a way to show existing units, but they're showing a different occupancy and and showing how things have changed, say, since pre and and then and then how things are coming back. Yeah, we can we can do that.
Thank you. All right. Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day for getting to push the button. Thank you, David. All right. Next, we have uh advisory committee items and report. Believe Sam is here from the Anchorage Advisory Committee.
Pick a side, whatever side you want. Good morning, Mr. Mayor and Council. Sam Lurri, the vice chairman of the Anchorage Advisory Committee. I have a brief uh prepared statement to read. I respectfully ask that $1,577.36
left over from our cruisers appreciation day on April 27th, 2025 be included in the town's 2026 fiscal year budget for the anchorage advisory committee to use in promoting the mooring field. Those dollars were contributed by a number of
event sponsors and we would like to use them for future events. We also request that council provide us with an additional $500 to use towards our events promoting the mooring field. This amount of just over $2,000 will ensure
our ability to host an event in 2026 as we did this year. We have tentatively set a date for our cruisers or our next cruisers appreciation day for April 12th, 2026. It has been placed on the official town calendar as well as the calendar the
chamber maintains. We will come before the council on November 3rd with our initial plan and our request for your approval of the event in a manner similar to how it was run this year. Um, that's the end of the prepared statement. I just wanted to make a couple comments. Um, it's my
understanding that that $1,577.36 that was a surplus from this year. And the reason we're asking for an additional 500 in the budget, not necessarily to be spent, is that if all else fails, if it's totally rained out, we have no contributors, it will be a
$2,000 event. However, this year we had members of the um committee that contributed. We had vendors and businesses contribute. We had gifts from all over the island contributed. Beach Talk Radio contributed money. and they
also were on site with the PA system and uh Ed Ryan MCED the whole event. So we don't anticipate having to use that money but we want to ask for it now um in in case of that that event that we will be covered. Um the other thing I
wanted to most of you attended the event and I've been to 10 of them and this is head and shoulders above any of them. It was a great event. We went from hot dogs and hamburgers to gourmet meal at Snug Harbor. We went from under the bridge,
you know, in a dirty parking lot to Bayside. And we had no less than two dozen displays, environmental and um marine related, uh that were put
together um by Jennifer Rusk. She most organized a lot of that. and uh Chris King and the rest of the committee did a great job organizing it. So that's why we're that's why we're asking for that. And uh I did have a couple other comments. Um the new dinghy is
installed. I was there yesterday. The only thing they're doing is extending the the pilings, but we wanted to thank you for that. And um Curtis uh harbor master Curtis Lwig and Bobby supervised the installation of that. And if you
were there before this week, it was rickety. There were hinges. There were all kinds of issues with it. And with the new one, you'll find out it's totally safe. It's state of the art. You mean the dinghy dock? What did I say? New dinghy. Yeah. Oh, new dinghy dock.
Yeah. That's okay. And uh and we continue to get uh rave reviews for for Curtis and his and his staff. and want to thank the vice mayor for being a good liaison. He's communicating everything we discuss at the meetings
properly to the council. Any questions, comments? Well, I think you sold yourself short by not including yourself in that. You did a lot of groundwork and getting sponsors on board for that as well. Yes. And and Chris did an excellent job organizing everybody. All of us went
around. We got a lot of sponsors. And like I said, I don't anticipate this is a surplus. we're just asking you to roll over the $1,577. That's a surplus um after we paid all the bills of this. So, just kind of a emergency bailout if we need it. We're
hoping we don't need it. We hope we add more to the surplus this year. Also, will you add the request to make sure it gets in the hands of Joe before our five o'clock discussion tonight? Yes, Mr. Mayor. No issues. I would I would say, Mr. Mayor, uh,
knowing the Anchorage Advisory Committee and the members and the efforts that they have put forth thus far, uh, Joe will sleep well tonight because I doubt we'll ever have to use that $500 because these this these folks have done an amazing job. Could I ask a clarification point with
the town attorney since my wife is the chair of the committee, would I be allowed to vote on that motion because it involves money or Well, at this point, we're not really voting on it. No, it was just for for later today. Yeah, I don't think that's a problem because when they did come before you
for the first uh to get permission, um she was in her representative capacity of the committee, not as an individual and any monies that are allocated are allocated to the committee as a whole. Um she has no special
benefit or gain from it. Thank you. Any other questions for Sam? Great. Thanks for all your support. All right, next we have the approval of the minutes. We've got the town council minutes from August 4th, 2025, the town
council meeting from August 18th, 2025, and the management and planning session from August 7th, 2025. Is there a motion to approve the minutes or any changes? I'll go ahead and move the approval of the minutes. Motion by Councelor King. I'll second.
Seconded by Councelor Woodson. Any further discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. Opposed. Hearing none. And the motion carries unanimously. Next we have the consent agenda. There are three items on it. All pertaining to local states of
emergency. The first one is resolution 25-252 through 25-255 for the declaration or the extension of local emergency for the tropical storm Debbie. The second is resolution 25-258-2-261 for the extension of local emergency for
hurricane Helen. And the final one is resolution 25-265 through 25-268 for the extension of local emergency for hurricane Milton. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda? So move there. All right. Second.
Motion by councelor King. Seconded by councelor Safford. Any further discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I I opposed hearing. None. That motion carries unanimously. Next is the items removed from consent agenda which we do not have which brings us to the
emergency ordinance number 25-16. This is an emergency ordinance of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, identifying a qualifying period for the filing of vacancies which may result from the special recall election of council members John R. King and Karen Woodson as scheduled for the fourth day
of November 2025 by the honorable J. Frank Porter, Chief Judge of the 20th Judicial Circuit in and for Lee County, Florida, pursuant to section 100.364, number four, Florida statutes, making a finding of emergency providing for
non-codification severability and an effective date and an ending date. Nancy, real quick, Madam Cler, we have hard I'm sorry. Do we have hard copies? I think if we could disseminate those because they're
not in our packet. I don't think they're very specific somewhere. Okay. So, council, um, as I indicated, um, earlier in this morning's meeting, as you were setting your agenda, um, the request, excuse me, for an emergency
ordinance did come to the town by virtue of the, uh, supervisor of elections. Um, in this ordinance, basically the whereas clauses um follow the procedures that are
applicable in Florida law regarding recall elections. Um, this is an area of law that has been preempted from municipalities in order to provide a uniform process statewide. Um and as we've gone through the process
um many of you aware of the the various steps we came to the point where there was a uh certification from the supervisor of elections that sufficient number of petitions had been received.
Um at that point, um the town clerk had the obligation to notify, um our two council members who are the subject of the recall, uh that they had 5 days in order to submit a voluntary written resignation from their positions. The
five days expired and no written uh resignations were received at that point. Um the statute provides that and I'm quoting from section 100.361 perin4 in the absence of a resignation
the chief judge of the judicial circuit where the municipality is located shall fix a day for the holding of the recall election for the removal of those not re resigning. Um there's also a deadline within that um statutory section that
says that the election shall be held no more than 30 days, excuse me, no less than 30 days or no more than 60 days after the expiration of the 5-day period. And and it should be at the same time as a general or special election
within that period. But if there is not one, then the judge shall call a special recall election to be held within that um 30 and 60-day period. So yesterday there was a order issued um by the
honorable um J. Frank Porter who is our chief judge of our judicial circuit um at the request of the supervisor of elections um indicating that you know no resignations had been received. And so
in accordance with the authority that was vested that is vested in the chief judge by Florida statutes, he did order that the special recall election be held on Tuesday, November the 4th of 2025.
At this point then the the statute does require that um and I want to quote the filling of the um any possible vacancies
um should occur at the same election at the same time that the recall election is considered. However, the town currently in our existing um charter and in our ordinances, we do not have a qualifying
date for any uh recall elections. Um, specifically also I want to cite that um, section 10 101.75 per 3 of Florida statute says that it is the town council by ordinance that can
establish what qualifying dates are. So the supervisor of elections finds himself in a situation where he is to move forward um, based on the recall statute. However, he does need to have
um qualifying dates established by the town council um in order for him to um to administer the um recall election. So based on the date that was established by the chief
judge, um the uh qualifying period that has been requested by the supervisor um is in section three of the ordinance. I'm just going to read it for the record. The qualifying period for the special
recall election to be held on November the 4th, 2025 shall open on Monday, September 15th at 9:00 a.m. and will close at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16th. The reason it is Monday and not
immediate is because um there is an opportunity to qualify uh to be placed on the ballot by petition and there needs to be a period of time for the collection of those um
petitions from any individual who is um interested in um serving in the event a recall um election. uh did result in some vacancies. Um so that is the request that is uh before you. This is
an emergency ordinance. Um unlike your other ordinances, this ordinance would basically terminate after on day 61. Um it is not codified. It would not pre uh apply to any other uh recall elections
that may or should occur, not should but may occur um in the future. And I'm available for questions. So the supervisor of elections cannot set the qualifying date. That has to come from outside his office. Is that
correct? That is correct. and in conversations with the supervisor of election is it the reason that there's such a short and quick potential qualifying dates is because of this his requirement by state statute to meet the overseas ballot
requirement which would be the 20th of this month that is correct okay so I'll have at this point but questions for Nancy Scott any questions Is the supervisor of election mandating
that we do this? He has not mandated. He doesn't have the authority to mandate that of us. I'm not aware of any any authority. I've heard a lot of shoulds and coulds and woulds, but is this a mandate?
No. However, um he is mandated by the chief judge to hold the election. Um, and then the statute does say that if the election is to be held, candidates to succeed them by unexpired terms shall be voted at the same election. So, he
really can't do it unless he has some qualifying dates. Um, so we're kind of um in an interesting situation. That's my first question. Uh, if I could follow up on that question,
madame town attorney, in his order, did the honorable J. Frank Porter specifically direct the town to create an ordinance identifying a qualifying period for a special recall election? He did not. He did not. And
interestingly in the uh Florida statutes itself um there are several subsections to uh regarding the filling of the um of any u potential vacancy. The first
part uh which is 6A applies to candidates um in jurisdictions that have at large elections which is what the town of Fort Myers Beach has. Subsection B talks about the uh possible recall election where there are single member
districts and in subsection B the statute does provide that the qualifying per period uh shall be established for this section shall be established by the chief judge of the judicial circuit after consultation with the clerk. So,
in all likelihood, it may be a oversight on the part of um the legislative drafting that omitted um that opportunity for the uh chief judge to also set the
qualifying period um in the event that the municipality has at large elections, which is what we have here. So, we have a a statute that is not crystal clear on it. Um there is a counterargument to what I just said which would basically
be that if the legislature had intended the judge to have that authority to assign the uh qualifying period taking that right away from a local government um they would have added that in there. So we don't know what transpired when
this um statute was put together. So we have a poorly drafted statute. There's the understatement of a new millennial. Well, um, it could be characterized that way. Yes. So, so we have a poorly drafted statute
uh that's been hijacked. Yeah. Amen. Procedurally uh by some folks utilizing defamation, slander, andor innuendo. And we have a judge. I I originally when I saw this, it was presented to me. Uh,
I thought to myself, you know, we're, as John Adams said, we're a nation of laws, not of men, and want to certainly respect the the judge's order. But then I find out the judge never ordered the town to do what we're doing here today. Uh, the statute's drafted poorly. Uh, it's it's so poorly drafted that it's
being exploited uh by folks who uh are not following the intent of the statute. I served in the state legislature in Indiana. I've drafted laws. Uh I I've never seen a statute that's been so poorly drafted and also
uh easily exploited by others for nefarious purposes. Uh I this gives me great pause and I would ask the town attorney what would happen if the town council did not pass this emergency uh
resolution or ordinance today. So the um a decision to not adopt the emergency ordinance is clearly one within your discretion. Um what would transpire um I could only
speculate. Um, I think that at that point, um, if I were the supervisor of elections, which I am not, um, and I am not really suggesting that he do that he do this, but I would probably be going back to the chief judge and, um, asking
for, um, some direction. um there may be some other um legal avenues that he has in order to uh get the information and and what he needs to do in order to fulfill his
statutory responsibilities. Could could you, Madam Attorney, and I I know you've had a lot on your plate over the last few weeks, but could you uh just for the public's uh sake, uh illustrate or or uh elucidate the the
the separate process that's occurring because I think it gets a bit confusing. We have a sort of a procedural exercise that we're going through here today, but there's a separate judge that's has a proceeding that that that they're we're waiting on a ruling on that's unrelated to this. I don't want to say unrelated,
but different from this. Could you help the public understand sort of this bifurcated process? So, we are the town is not a party to that litigation. I'm probably not in a good position to comment.
I don't mean editorialize. just procedurally give us an procedurally there it is a challenge to the recall um petition process u itself and that that is pending right now um litigation that is separate from the
election procedures that have required guidance um and direction from the chief judge. So there are two separate judges that have um these matters before them. Uh distinct matters, not not the same
questions. So I I got to this is a really it's it's a wicked pickle, right? It it is a as I think the vice mayor so graciously said, it is a a poorly written statute that people are
exercising. Um whether you agree with it or not, it is it is what it is. We had no control over that process. There's a lot of whatifs here to me. What if what if this doesn't pass? What happens? What if it does pass and nobody qualifies? What happens? What if they don't get
recalled? Then nothing h what if the judge throws out whatever potential cases out. There's a lot of whatifs on both sides. For me, I'm trying to look at this as although I 100% disagree with the process and how we got here and I do not think that either one of the members
have done anything wrong in the sunshine law. Um we are where we're at. Whether you like the process or not in November when they were elected in 2022, a process was followed. Uh in 2026, there will be another process to follow. But because of this poorly drafted state
statute, it has provided a process in which people can challenge um challenge people for no other reason than they don't like their vote or they don't like them or they don't like whatever. To me, that is extremely flawed and I will do everything I can through what I can do
in in lobbying at the state to make sure this gets changed for the future. However, that doesn't change where we're at. We're being asked by the supervisor of election because he has no he has no path forward to be able to set the dates. Um do we certainly wish that the
judge would have done it? Absolutely. Are we in no requirement to pass it or not pass it? Absolutely. Um to me, I'm solely trying to look at this as a process and are we following the proper process? And by voting on it one way or the other, we can go back and forth with
whatifs and whatifs. and how I vote on it, whether I vote for it or against it is not how I feel one way or another towards John or Karen in what happens throughout this process. Um, my hope is that it gets thrown out. My hope is that it doesn't go anywhere. I hope this is
just an exercise that nobody ever has to go through again. But, but it's where we're at. And for me, out of public out of courtesy to the the supervisor of elections, um I would support setting these dates. Again, I want to publicly
state that I've supported both John and Karen privately and publicly, and I will continue all the way through this process. Um, I'm not in favor of it, but out of public courtesy, we're we're at a position as what, you know, what how are we going to be looked at as a council if
if and I don't, despite what's been reported, I don't find this as moving it forward, I I find it as doing our jobs. And as much as I hate to do it for John and Karen's sake, I will have to support this ordinance out of out of just
following the due process. And and it really bothers me that I have to say that, but that's the reason I I will support this this emergency ordinance today. Point of order. Yes, sir. Um Nancy, the judge, the supervisor elections does have the ability to go
back to the chief judge and ask for this to be done. Correct. So there is still an avenue for that. Um I I hesitate because I don't represent the supervisor of elections.
Um however, it would appear that yeah, he would most likely go back um because the um the judge has directed that he conduct the election. Um and I say that because the election function um by
contract we have given that duty and responsibility to the supervisor of elections. I don't know if Amy you want to comment on Amy doesn't do the municipal elections um that sometimes transpires in other municipalities.
And just to just to be clear, John, I I wasn't saying that he doesn't potentially have an avenue. I'm just saying he can't his office specifically can't set the dates. No, I that I just want to make sure that that that was clear. No, I wasn't trying to I I would like to go on record. Um, you
know, this whole recall is a sham. It's been perpetuated by lies, deceit. Everybody knows it. The petitions that were signed really should be thrown out because they were gathered under false pretense. They used the Seagate vote as
the bait. I have witnesses that will testify to that in court. There's no mention of the three allegations that are total lies in and of themselves. I'm sitting here with this paper that
I'm supposed to sign that is a conflict of interest if I vote for this. I don't have a conflict of interest in voting. I have quite the contrary. I have a vested interest in voting no to this and I will stand by that. I will
not stand down. Thank you, Karen. Um, I will also comment on this because I thought it was unusual to see that this already had been drawn up that I had a conflict of interest uh predetermined without my say so. So, um, I think I'm with you. Thank
you, Karen. So, if I can clarify for the record, um the obligation to vote um or not vote in the event of a voting conflict, that is one that you as individual um council
members should make. Um and uh maybe that got a little bit ahead of the the skis, but um it just did the appearance. It it looked like it. However, you are the final decision maker as to whether or not a conflict exists or not. And if
you believe that one does not exist, it is with in your um authority to so so state and so out. I don't want to get overly dramatic, but I'm have Al Puchccino in the back of my
mind u in a clerk of in a movie where he was an attorney and he was called out of order and uh he told the judge the judge was out of order and the whole damn thing is out of order and I think that's pretty much sums up this whole process to me. Question looks like you're leaning in.
Yeah. I I just want to just add when I came in this or came in this morning, I was under the impression and maybe or I actually talked to the attorney on the way in this morning. She was driving in. Uh I was under the impression initially
uh because I I want to say I support the rule of law. Uh, and I was under the impression that the honorable uh, Frank, Judge Frank Porter direct was directing the town council to specifically directed the town council to create an ordinance identifying a qualifying
period. Uh, and I and as painful as it was going to be, I I wanted to respect that process, but that's not what happened. Uh, we've got a situation here where there's a mess because the legislature poorly drafted a bill. uh it's been exploited
uh by folks with uh nefarious purposes and works. They're asking us now to clean up the mess and and I I I can't be a party to it. I I can't I can't ethically be a party to cleaning up a mess that's so
that's so devious uh that it's uh it's it's quite frankly uh uh it's embarrassing for the town and I'm embarrassed for the for the for the process. So, so I I can't support this today. Scott, any other questions?
No, I'm just gonna lay out a quote by John Stewart Mill. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than good men should look on and do nothing. I if something's poorly written and I I'm not putting my name on this until a
judge mandates me to do this. And I would you know, Mr. Vice Mayor, I was under the same I was under the same thought process that we were mandated to do this. So I I had every intention of hey, let's you know, we're asked to get
keep the ball moving. It's mandated. I heard as our town attorney said should, would could. There's no should, could there's no there's no we have to do this. I want to kick this back up. If they if the law is not written correctly
and they need our guidance until I'm mandated, I'm not voting on this. All very good points. They are I think we're all in agreeance that this is a a hot mess that was not created by anyone sitting up here and it and it puts us in
a very very horrible horrible spot. And I think had it not had to come to the council for an emergency ordinance that it would have gone a different direction. Um, but this is where we're at. This is the the option that we were left with. Um, but to your point, there's still an option to vote yes.
There's still an option to vote no. And and although I don't support it, I'm going to vote to support it simply just because although I again, I'll reiterate, I don't agree with the process. I don't agree with how it got here. I don't agree with the reasonings.
I don't agree with any of it, but I do respect the process and and obviously I'm going to be in the minority and I and I completely respect that. Um, so just just to add add a point, I don't think this is a process. This is like an we're we're create the we're it seems to
me that they're trying to make us create a process there. There's not a process. We can't we can't So let me finish, sir. There's never been a precedent for this. If there there had been precedence and hey, this this we go from point A to
point B to point C, you follow this path. Well, we're at point A point B and there is no point C and they're they're trying to make us create a point C to go forward. I I'm I'm not creating a new p I'm not creating that path until somebody tells me I have to create that
path or there's a precedent behind this. Then I'm voting no. I'm not I'm not going over my skis. Respectfully, there there has been precedent to this as as recently as when Commissioner Mann passed away. It went through the same exact process at the county level for
that for that election. May not have been a recall election, but it it was a there and maybe Nancy, you could speak to it more. My understanding is there were two precedents as far as the the sitting board setting the qualifying dates. Obviously, Mr. mans was a different
situation. But yes and and there is a Florida statute which I mentioned uh earlier the 101 point I think it was 171 that um does vest the responsibility in the town
council to um to set the qualifying dates. So you have that authority under one section of the statute. um it is not mandated um by the chief judge in at large districts or that's
the wrong word in at large elections. Um in some jurisdictions your existing code may already have established um qualifying periods for recall elections. And in that situation then
there would not be a problem with the state statute because at that point um if you had it in your ordinance already then that process would continue on but you do not have that. Your last um
ordinance that you adopted um the section that I was referring to is 101.75 pern3. The last ordinance that you adopted um basically is um ordinance 24-12.
Yes. but -12 and in that ordinance what you what you approved was in accordance with that se statutory section that I cited 101.753 that you affirm that the candidate qualifying period shall be from noon of
the 71st day 71st day to noon of the 67th day prior to the August 2024 primaries. So, you did not establish a qualifying period by ordinance
um in 24-12. So, it it doesn't exist. If you had if you had something that was general, you know, in all recall elections, the qualifying period shall be. If you had something like that in your code, then there wouldn't really be
an ambiguity in the state statute um because the chief judge would order the um special recall election and it would default back to your existing code and your charter, but it there's nothing
there. That's why it is an emergency ordinance today um to allow that process. All right. Very much a hot mess. All right. Well, is there any further
discussion or is there a motion on emergency ordinance 25-16? I'm not going to make the motion because I know I'm going to be losing. I mean, I'll make it if we That moves it along. But I'll make a motion to approve 25-16 emergency ordinance.
Is there a second? Hearing no second. That motion fails. Is there a motion for emergency ordinance number 25-16? So moved. A motion by councelor Safford. A motion to deny. Okay. Or not adopt. Not adopt.
Okay. Parliamentary inquiry. If attorney is that necessary? Yes. Okay. Very good. Um, and by the way, this is a legislative matter, so we didn't go through our normal swearing in and all that. We do require public comment. Oh, you want to do that before we or
Before you go? Okay. But do we want to finish the motion before we take public comment or It's at your discretion. Yeah. All right. Before we move on, public comment. Does anyone here wish to speak in public comment on emergency ordinance 25-16? All right. Seeing none, we'll close
public comment. There is a motion on the floor by councelor Safert to uh deny ordinance 25-16 or not approve or not approve. Not approved, not adopt. Not approved, not adopt. Not approved, not adopt. Okay. Is there a second to the motion? I'll second that.
Got a motion by Vice Mayor Adderhol. Uh any further discussion? Councelor Saffford. I. Vice Mayor Adhalt. I. Councelor King. I may be recalled for this, but I will vote no or yeah. I I'll support it. Sorry, councelor Woodson. I
and I am uh No. Motion carries 4 to one. All right. Next, that brings us to our public hearings. Does anyone need a comfort break before we get into this? Yes. Where is the Oh, they'll be back. Right. Straight back. Make sure you lock the door. Right. Straight back. All right. We will
What time is it? 9 10:19. We will come back at uh 10:30. 10:35. Done. It's All right, we'll call this meeting back to order. It is 10:35. We are now moving on
to our public hearings. We have two public hearings. Uh the next two items on our agenda are public hearings for review for various land use requests. For the benefit of the public, please be aware that these items are quasi judicial in nature. Our attorney will further explain.
Thank you, mayor. Um the two items that we have, the first one will be a reszoning and the second one is a request for approval of a special exception. So these two uh agenda items are quasi judicial in nature and this
requires that your public hearing comply with procedural requirements that have been established in Florida law and in our land development code. Your quasi judicial proceedings are less formal than proceedings before circuit court, but they are more formal than the remainder of our meeting. And we do need
to follow the basic standards of due process that requires certain notices, the application of the correct standards to the application and that your decisions are made on competent substantial evidence either presented to you in written documents or through oral
testimony. Your responsibility today is to evaluate the testimony and uh information that is provided to you. draw a conclusion regarding the whether the criteria in the land development code or in state law has been satisfied.
So pure speculation or opinion that is not based on competence facts cannot legally be considered by you in evaluating an agenda item. Testimony by professionals who have been qualified as experts in a particular area has been considered competent
evidence by Florida courts as well as testimony by neighbors and residents who have fact-based information such as minutes, surveys, engineering reports, or whether their testimony is based on their personal uh knowledge and belief.
Your decision is final. Uh if a decision of approval is not obtained um a uh different motion could be made to continue the item uh to move it forward. If you members of the public if you
intend to speak please keep this in mind and when you come forward please state your name clearly for the record and whether or not you have been sworn in and your qualifications or your interest in the matter. So, for purposes of efficiency, um before we begin these two
public hearings, I would like to go ahead and ask the town clerk whether the two items have been properly noticed pursuant to our land development code. Yes, they have been. And does any of the town council members have a conflict of interest for either
of these two agenda items that would prohibit you from voting on them? Um if you could please disclose that at this time so we can make sure that we do have a quorum moving forward um on those two items. Councelor Safford, I do not. Councelor Woodson,
none. Vice Mayor, none. Councelor King, none. And I do not have none at this point. So, at this time, if there is anyone in the audience, uh, including staff, that would like to provide testimony, uh, regarding any of these two, uh, quasi judicial items, if you would please
stand, raise your right hand, and be sworn in by the town clerk. Do you solemnly swear and affirm that the testimony that you're about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Okay. All parties have been sworn. Okay, mayor.
All right. The first quasi judicial agenda item is a first reading and public hearing on proposed ordinance 25. The first quasi judicial agenda item is a first reading and public hearing on proposed ordinance 25-15. If approved at first reading, a second reading and final adoption hearing will
be scheduled uh for October 6th, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. or at another time identified by town council. This is an ordinance of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, approving approving with conditions denying an application to reszone property located at 138140 Delmare
Avenue, generally identified as strap number 1 19-46-24-W3-1000B.0150 0150 Fort Myers Beach from residential conservation to residential plan development to allow construction of a two-story duplex above above flood
elevation and a deviation from section 34-638D2 of the land development code to allow a porch and stoop to encroach 15 ft into the 25- ft street setback where a maximum encroachment of 10 ft is permitted for accessory uses. providing
for clarification as necessary, providing for conflicts of loss, scriveners errors, severability, and providing for an effective date. If any town council member has had any exparte communication to disclose, please let us know the subject discussed and the identity of the person, group, or entity with whom the communication took place,
any correspondence that you received or observations made of the site. Councelor Kane, none that I recall. Vice Mayor, same. Uh, councelor Woodson, I have none that I recall. Councelor Safford, I've had none. And I do not have any as well.
U Jason Green has been qualified as an expert already by this town council based on his education and experience. Has been accepted as an expert in the field of land use planning and development in the town of Fort Myers Beach. Are there any other individuals who would like to be qualified as an expert witness on behalf of the
applicant at this time? Seeing none. Has the property owner applicant seen a copy of the agenda backup materials from staff? Yes. Yes, they have. Okay. Go ahead. Hey, good morning. Jason Green, Community Development. Uh, pinch hitting for Judith on this one a little bit. So,
I'll I'll go through this and I'll try to be brief. As you mentioned, 138140 Delmare Avenue is a reszoning to residential plan development. Uh the reason why we're here for an RPD uh residential plan development resoning is because uh while it's a replacement of a
duplex u the the comprehensive plan development code essentially require this process if you're going to increase the square footage of rooms or square footage of the units. Uh so that's that's why we have to go through this process. Um something we'll talk about with the land development codes in the comp plan that you look the future one
to see if we still want to do that. Uh as you mentioned there is a deviation uh to basically reduce by five feet the front setback for uh front porch and stairs. So the property is zoned residential conservation RC. Uh it's approximately 4,400 square ft of a lot
size. Um according to Lee pro uh Lee County property appraiser information there was previously a structure of approximately 884 square feet which was two dwelling units uh and appeared to have been built in 1954. uh the applicant uh information and the
property appraiser confirm those two units and so therefore they're allowed under your codes either a post- disaster buildback or this process as I mentioned before. So Jason before you move on you said something there that I think I knew but it's first time I've really actually heard somebody say it. Oh
the the point they're having to go through this process is simply because they're increasing square footage. Correct. So there there's a policy about buildback um and in the comp plan and there's a a very strange and nuanced sentence in one of those policies that
allow for the square footage to be increased if you go through this process and under a couple other circumstances. So it's a unique and strange way to do it, but it's the way it's been in the comp plan for 20 plus years. Um we can discuss that.
There's other ways to do it whether it's special exception or other avenues. I think there's other probably more efficient ways to do it than a reszoning. Exactly. So what you end up having is a lot of your neighborhoods are consistently zoned like RC or RS. Uh you're you have these kind of dots of C RPD in the middle of them now after this type of
process and you're going to see more of these probably anyway just the nature of the rebuild as we go and you already have done several of these. All right. Thanks Jason. Could I could I add to that Mr. Mayor? the uh Jason, this item and the next item. Uh you've been around, but you're
now fullcourt press again. Uh we created a process almost a year ago where we delineated certain categories of items where the LPA could if if they approved something unanimously, it would not have to come this to this additional step where these
poor folks have to sit and go through all this. Sure. it was to to create uh expediency for our residents and for those applicants, but also to just from a time management standpoint for the council, it it just seems it seems to have worked very well at that time. We've also talked about looking for ways to add to
that list. Yes. Uh and so just as we think about and as you think about things as we go forward, if there are things that we can add to that LPA list that again with the unanimous vote and again the opportunity for up to two weeks where somebody could ask for something to come to council, I
think it's a really really effective process. So think about things policy-wise to the mayor's point, another day, another time, but but begin to think about some things to add to that list that might might might make sense. And that's why I mentioned it. I mean this process it's not adding to the list
but you would change the process to do to achieve this thing but maybe the next one or and others might be added to the list. For example, if you change it to a special exception and it's about neighborhood compatibility then you could that would then fall under that process potentially also. So it doubles the speed frankly actually. So very good. Thank you.
Yes sir. Uh this in the staff report we provide that history and the analysis of that comprehensive plan policy. I won't go into all the minutia of the that language in there. Um we we provide that essentially it's a replacement of what was there as a duplex. Uh granted is a little bit bigger. The proposed
structure will be kind of sidebyside units. There'll be two living floors on I think in your packet is the the plans for that. Uh it is an increase to approximately 3,000 square feet total. It's about 1,500 ft each floor. Um and and again the the do uh the front porch
and the stairs with needing the deviation from that. And again also this process does allow that deviation versus a variance which has some legal issues. So it is a benefit to them at this point for this process but again we can change some of that later. Uh the staff report also includes your findings and
conclusions uh our findings and conclusions uh based on land development code section uh 3485B and C and 342162. Those are set forth the requirements for this request. Um those are mostly found
to all to the positive and let me skip to this. Um and based on those findings, staff finds that the RPD amendment meets the criteria set forth in those sections I just mentioned and recommend approval with conditions of DCI 2025181
and there's three conditions that were provided. Um if you have any questions on that or want me to go into more details, I'd be happy to. Just a quick question. In the in the title, it's a little confusing. It says it's encroaching. This has always been an issue of how it's worded. It's really
only five feet, right? It's not really 15 ft, right? It's it's you're allowed to go Yes. 10 feet and they wanted to do 15 feet. So, it's five additional feet. Yeah. But in the way it reads, it doesn't read that way. It's always been backwards to me why it's And that's way it's unfortunately that's the way it's written in the code. It
calls it the encroachment. and we can again that's I agree with you because when you're talking about a variance we use different language but essentially the same thing right that's what gets confusing Scott any questions for Jason not at this time not at this time councelor Woodson
none councelor Kane nothing all right thank you yeah applicants are here applicants would you like to come up and say anything introduce yourself nothing got to come up to the mic and identify
Yeah. No, you don't. Okay. Does anybody have any questions? John, do you have any questions for the applicant? Nothing. Vice Mayor, Councelor Woodson? No. Councelor Safford? No. Good. Thank you. Okay. Stay seated.
All right. Uh, public comment. Are there any members of the public public who wish to comment on this matter? If so, please come forward to the podium and identify yourself, provide an address, and whether you were sworn in. Anyone public? No. Frankie shaking his head. No. All right, we'll close.
We'll close public comment. I'm guessing there's no additional comments from the applicant at this time. I will now close the public hearing and request a discussion or a motion from town council to approve. Approve with conditions or deny with reasons or a continuous to a time certain. Discussion or a motion.
I'll make a motion to approve um ordinance 25-15 RPD 20250181 1381 140 Delmare Avenue with conditions as outlined in the proposal
and move to second hearing. Second hearing. Oh, and move it to a second hearing. Okay, got a motion by councelor Woodson. I'll second. Seconded by councelor Safford. Any further discussion? Councelor Woodson. I. Councelor Safford. Hi. Vice Mayor Adhalt. Hi. Councelor King.
Hi. I'm an I as well. That motion carries unanimously. Next is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida approving approving with conditions or denying special exception 20250149
to allow a like forlike replacement of the two tiki huts, decking, fence, gravel, driveway, and landscaping in the EC zoning district. C word of the 1978 CCCL for the property located at 4750 Eststerero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, Florida, providing for Scrier's errors,
severability, and an effective date. If any town council member has had any exparte communication to disclose, please let us know the subject, discuss the and the identity of the person, group, or entity with whom the communication took place, any correspondence that you received or observations made of the site. Councelor
Kang, nothing I recall. Vice Mayor, I I do not believe so. Uh, councelor Woodson, I have nothing. Councelor Sephford, I do not and nothing on my end as well. Jason Smallley has been qualified as an expert already by this town council based on his education and experience has been
accepted as an expert in the field of land use planning and development in the town of Fort Myers Beach. Are there any other individuals who would like to be qualified as an expert witness on behalf of the applicant at this time? No one. Okay. And is the property owner
applicant seen a copy of the bad agenda backup materials from staff? I don't see they're even here. Okay. Um, go ahead, Jason. Good morning. My name is Jason Smallley. I'm the senior planner with your planning and zoning department. Uh, good morning to counselors and staff. So, uh,
as was mentioned by the mayor, uh, before you today is a special exception request for redevelopment within the town's, uh, EC zoning district. Uh this is for 4750 Eststerero, otherwise known as Shores of Fort Myers Beach Condo. Uh
as was mentioned by the mayor earlier, they are requesting the rebuild of two tiki huts, uh a relatively larger one, a slightly smaller one. Uh they'll also be uh replacing some pre-existing decking, uh fencing, and landscaping. They also
will be dealing with a portion of their gravel walkway driveway that extends past the 1978 CCCL line. Uh the general area between the the CCCL line and the um and the seaw wall where the
development is slated to end is approximately 2280 square ft. uh of that the decking will constitute approximately 1500 square feet and the rest of the the vast majority of the rest of the area is going to be
landscape material. Uh in the uh in the master concept plan that was provided to you, you can see a proposed list of species. Those species have already been looked over by Chad, but obviously he will also be um looking at them through
the process of redevelopment and working closely with them to ensure that the species that they choose are sustainable, right plant, right place. Uh the the applicant, as I mentioned, uh is not here today. I I have not seen them, but if you have any questions for
staff, uh oh, I I apologize. Uh based on the special exception criteria, staff recommends approval with conditions. One of those standard conditions is that no work will be done uh during turtle season. And so that means that they will be obligated to stay out of the area uh
working at least until October. Are there any questions or concerns for staff? Question Jason. So it looks like everything that's being requested is landward of the existing seaw wall. That is correct. Okay.
Uh I'm sorry. I also wanted to mention that uh the the applicant's narrative stated that they've had these structures uh since 1982. Staff can't verify that with uh any permits. That's not unusual. Uh and the LEPA uh aerials uh are only
really readable as of about 2002. So staff can at least visually verify that the um that the structures that they're asking to replace existed as far back as 2002, but the applicant uh states that they go back to at least 1982.
Scott, any questions for Jason? So Chad, it's all good with everything. I've already talked with Chad previous to this. He's comfortable with the proposed species that they're going to be using, but he will be working with them on any dune related issues that's going on. And then once they're ready to
come in for planting, he'll also be helping oversee that. Okay, great. So, he's going to be in the process. He will be involved in the process. Yes. Thank you, Councelor Woodson. I have no questions, Vice Mayor. No questions. Councor King,
I think just a clarification. You said October for turtle season. It should be November 1st. I'm sorry. November 1st is I thought it was October 31st. I guess beginning on November 1st. I apologize. That that's that is a very relevant clarification.
That's it for me. Okay. And I don't have any more questions, Jason. Excellent. Um I don't see the applicant here, so we can skip by that. Are there any members of public comment? Are there any members of the public who wish to comment on this matter? If so, please come forward
to the podium and identify yourself, provide your address, and whether you were sworn in. Still no Frankie. Okay. There's no additional comments obviously from the applicant. So I will now close the public hearing and request a discussion or a motion from town council to
approve. Approve with conditions deny with reasons or a continuence to a time certain discussion and or motion anyone. I'll go ahead and move SEZ
20250149 4750 Euro Boulevard approving with conditions and set to an effective date. All right, got a motion by councelor King. I'll second. Seconded by councelor Woodson. Any further discussion? Councelor King. I.
Councelor Woodson I. Councelor Safford. I. Vice Mayor Adville. Hi. And I'm as well. That motion carries unanimously. All right, that brings us to our administrative agenda. Our first item is a resolution of the town council, the town of Fort Myers
Beach, Florida, approving the selection of Sigma for medical insurance coverage and the standard for supplemental insurance coverage for the fiscal year 2025 2026 and providing for an effective date. Take it away. Good morning, town council and town
staff. My name is Tisa Olivera, human resources director for the recctor for the record. Um, we are here today to present to you the uh rec staff recommendations for our benefit insurance renewal for the upcoming fiscal year. Um, so I have Athena uh
here from Garing Group. She's our insurance broker. So I know you usually hear from me, but she's the one that does all the magic uh on the back end working directly with the carriers to help us ensure our um plans and uh cost each year. So, she has a presentation uh
for you today. Um but before she starts, I did want want to just let you know that finance was very involved in this process. Um the recommendations have been approved by finance and they are they are in the budget and budgeted for. Okay. All right. I'm going to turn it over. Before you before you do that, Tisa, uh
if I could uh just engage in a brief collic with the town attorney. Yes, sir. Uh my wife is a full-time employee of Elevants Health uh insurance and a lot of people assume assume Eleance is is associated with the Blue Cross Blue Shield uh brand. But as I
just Googled this, it says Eleance Health is not directly related to Florida Blue as Florida Blue is an independent lency of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association while Elev Health is a different large for-profit healthcare company that operates some other Florida Blue uh plan shield plans.
Florida Blue is part of a Guidewell family of companies and is independent and is an independent not prof not for-profit entity whereas Eleven Health formerly Anthem is a for-profit insurer and and I would just say to the public who's watching this uh uh Tiss and her
team made this decision with the town manager as to who who was selected. Uh Florida Blue was one of the participants in that process but they were not selected. I played no role in that selection process. So, I don't I just wanted to say all that for full disclosure. I don't believe unless the
town attorney feels otherwise, I don't believe I have to recuse myself, but I just wanted to put that on the record. I would agree with you, Vice Mayor. Um, and by the vote today, um, your spouse would not receive any type of private gain or loss.
No, in fact, they they lost the account even though they weren't affiliated, but yes, that's correct. Okay, any other questions for me? All right, I'm going to turn it over to Athena. Thank you, Tisa. Good morning, mayor,
vice mayor, members of council, and town staff. I'm Athena Ersard from Garing Group Risk Strategies, and we're very honored to work with the town and their staff on their employee benefits program. So, what we have before you today is the process leading up to this
renewal. The town transitioned to the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust back in 2023 and we've had one renewal with them in 2024 which was a 7% renewal. Very
competitive. I will say that the landscape for medical trend right now according to Price Waterhouse Coopers is was forecasted originally for 2025 to be 7 12% midway through the year they
actually increase that to 8%. So some of those drivers for medical trend are going to be a lot of consolidation within the provider community. So it drives more difficult negotiations with the insurance carriers and also
difficulty obtaining staff uh within the medical realm. We especially suffer from a shortage of pro providers here in Florida and there's also been an increase in inpatient behavioral health claims that has helped to drive that
trend. So that's just some of the things that we're seeing in the landscape in the market. This year was our second renewal with FMIT and the rate increase was an 85%. So obviously a staggering
number for any entity and that was largely driven by large claimment activity and there's no way to avoid that. That's why we have insurance but that is obviously what a big driver was for the 85%. So, we took this to market
and the ancillary lines too, we were in rate guarantee back in 2023, so we did not market those, but we did market them this time around. So, here are some of the RFP responses that you can see. And Etna declined to
quote because they didn't feel that they were competitive. Sigma and Florida Blue provided quotes on the medical insurance. And then we had quite a bit of activity on the ancillary alliance. The ancillary being your dental, vision,
and life insurance and disability. The plan comparison, as Tisa mentioned, with staff is recommending a move to Sigma. Sigma has a very competitive offer on the table. There are some modifications to the plan design, but it
is still a very competitive plan design, which would increase the family deductible. I'm trying to Yeah, I can't see that far over there, so I'll have to go with this way. The family deductible from 500 to 750. It would increase the
maximum out of pocket from 2500 if you're enrolled as a single to 3,000 and to 6,000 as a family and a bump on the primary care and specialist office visit co-pays. Advanced imaging would go from
a $100 co-pay to $200 and the emergency room visit would also increase. Then on the retail pharmacy side, we have tier two and tier three actually coming in at a little bit of a lower co-pay. So a
very not an exact match plan design, but still a very competitive and co and and comparable plan design. Are there any questions here before I move on? Could you just as a just as a premise you said
that last year the rates went up 7% and they're proposing 85% increase which is obviously very significant. Uh what under Sigma's uh proposal, what's the percent increase from our existing premium? 18. 18. Okay. Thank you.
Any other questions? Okay. So, I'm sorry. Just follow up on that. Just as a broker, just you're just is that because Sigma has the size and the scale and their pool is so much larger. They can absorb
Sigma is banking on a better year and obviously yes. The Florida Municipal Insurance Trust is just that. It's a trust with a lot of public sector employers in it. However, Sigma definitely has more a bigger pool if you
will. They could spread the risk, right? So, behind the scenes, you're still pulled with other employers because you're actually in a fully insured arrangement. Gotcha. Thank you. So part of our analysis is to actually look at the network of the specific
providers utilized by the population here at the town. And based on that, we found that Florida Blue with their blue options network matched 89% of those utilized providers and Sigma matched to
96%. I also want to point out that Sigma has a national seamless network which is similar to what the employees currently have with United Healthcare. And what I mean by national seamless, as you mentioned, Vice Mayor, all of the Blue
Cross and Blue Shields are independently owned. So, if you're enrolled in a Florida Blue PO plan and you travel to North Carolina, you're actually accessing a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina provider. So, they
have reciprocity, but it's not a true national seamless network like United Healthcare has and like Sigma has. So that's going to come into play obviously if you have college students that are outside of the state and retirees who
may retire elsewhere. Additionally, there's been a focus here at the town on wellness and part of Florida Blue and Sigma's offer are wellness funds which you currently do not have today. Florida Blues offer
included a $5,000 wellness fund and Sigma has a $10,000 wellness fund and also a $2,000 optional services fund. So that optional services fund is to help the town if they in a transition because
you your benefits admin system is eyeolved. If there are any charges or fees that I solved would um propose for the town to set up a carrier file feed on the back end, you have $2,000 there
to offset that so it's not coming out of your budget. And then also value added services. Florida Blue has the Blue 365 program which gives discounts on personal care, gym memberships, healthy
eating, financial health, and lifestyle products. And Sigma has a suite of value ads. I would say this is probably one of their strengths because there is a lot of value ads that are at no additional cost to the town there that are included
just by virtue of being a Sigma member. some of those. Well, I'm sorry. You're going to get to this, but I want to expand on it a minute because we have a a facility here called Bay Oaks, which is where we have exercise opportunities for our residents. And is is this is the gym discount of the Silver Sneakers program,
or is it different? It's different, but I would just for those who might be listening who have health insurance, many of health insurance programs have discounts like this. So, if you wanted to use those discounts like the silver sneaker program or this particular discount, they're applicable to entities
like Bay Oaks and it's a great way to save, but it's also a way for the town to continue to to get revenue at Bay Oaks and it's a win-win for everybody. So, some people forget that their health insurance has that benefit and it's a it's a great benefit for everyone involved. Thank you for that plug, Vice Mayor. No,
that's we you should come to the open enrollment meetings. Um, no that's a very very great point and people should absolutely look at their plans because you're right a lot of times there are gym memberships that are built in and
one pearl of wisdom I'll just interject there is that sometimes you when they do offer a gym membership and it's a place like LA Fitness for example because a lot of gyms are independently owned right so just because one LA Fitness is
in the network so to speak is offering a discount, it doesn't necessarily mean that the LA Fitness on the other side of town is participating. So sometimes people don't realize that when they try to access those gyms. You really have to hone in on the location of the gym that
you're looking at and make sure that that particular one is one of the gyms that offers the discount. But nonetheless, in this offer, it does include gym discounts in addition to I can't say enough about Sigma 1 Guide
because I myself have used Sigma 1 Guide. And what that is is it takes customer service to really a whole another level. So when your employees call in and they have us to lean on as well, but if they have maybe a a
something that they want to investigate a new diagnosis for example and what I had contacted Sigma one guide about um because there was a time when we had Sigma insurance at my company, I had a
very long list of lab work that needed to be done and someone from one guide sat on the phone with me because we had a high deductible health plan and I went code by code by code and probably an hour of them looking it up to tell me
here's what your responsibility would be so that I didn't walk in blind with a very large you know lab work bill. So, I can't say enough about these folks because they are highly highly trained. And the other nice thing about them is
if someone is struggling with a condition, they know exactly where within Sigma to connect them so that that member is making the most of their benefits and they're getting the right resources. So, it's a it's a great great service. They also include identity
theft protection. They have a diabetes prevention program. Recovery One includes health coaches and physical therapy virtually. Hapify is a gamified mindfulness app that you can download.
Headspace is also another app that gives employees access to coaches and therapists and psychiatrists. I prevail is a digital platform that targets anxiety, builds resilience, and reduces stress. They have a healthy
babies program for expectant mothers as well as discounts on um food and personal nutrition support which I love with a virtual dietitionian. So, a lot of great offerings there for the employees.
For the ancillary lines, the current carrier has been Lincoln for a number of years here at the town, and Lincoln held your current dental rates and vision rates, but the short-term and long-term disability renewals increased
5%. Not not a terrible increase, but since we were out to market anyway on the medical side, we also looked at all your lines of coverage and we we got competitive quotes. the most competitive being from Metife and Standard. And we
look at this because we can really maximize from a bundling capacity. And what I mean by that is if the dental, the vision, the life, and the disability are placed with one carrier in future
negotiating years when it comes renewal time, you have more premium dollars with them. So that helps with negotiations, but it also helps from a year one perspective because they're able to get more competitive on the rates
and obviously it streamlines administration for staff because they're not dealing with multiple vendors and multiple bills. They're dealing with one vendor for the ancillary line. So we really had a home run this time around. So standard matched the current benefit
schedule for the dental plan and at a decrease. So that's always nice to see a 20% decrease which is a savings of just shy of $13,000 annually. The vision finalists standard utilizes
vision service plan or VSSP. You may have heard of that. that is who basically does the vision administration for them and they also utilize the VSSP network. They have matched the the vision plan but they have also increased
the flame the frame allowance from $130 to $150 with an additional 20% discount. They've also extended a 2-year rate guarantee and the annual cost is pretty much a wash on that.
So just to recap, the also standard has a rollover benefit where if members go for their preventative exam and their cleanings, but they use less than $750 in a year for dental, they'll be able to
tack on up to $600 if they stay in network to their annual maximum. So that's a way over time for them to build their annual maximum. If there's a year where they need more extensive dental work, like a crown or a bridge, it comes
in handy in helping to offset those costs. Vision has a 2-year rate guarantee. Basic life has a three-year rate guarantee and also an 8.7% decrease. and the short and long-term disability
coverages would standard also have a three-year rate guarantee with a negative 14% and a negative 22% on the long-term disability. So, some nice savings here. So, our recommendations before you today
are to effective October 1st to move from FMIT to Sigma. the cost impact you can see the the town's um portion would be the 161,000 at the 18% a move from Lincoln to standard on the
dental with the decrease the vision is again pretty much a wash a 0% and the basic short-term and long-term with their negative their decrease basically to what you currently spend and then also standard has the ability to because
one of the things that employees have access to through Lincoln are EAP visits. So, Standard has a small buyout program for you to purchase additional EAP visits, which would bring it up to six visits for 35 cents per employee per
month. So, that's a three the $300 charge that you see. Does anyone have So what's what's the what's the the net the overall increase if you were to add all I don't have a calculator for but if you were to add all that up between the medical and then the decreases in the
other yeah the and the so the impact to the town for everything would be round about it 141,664. [Music] Thank you. I have one question if I may. I I know
most doctors handle Sigma. Are is the standard pretty I don't want to say standard but is pretty standard with most of the dentist and and uh I care. Yes. So VSSP you you may have heard of
VSSP. They have a very large network. So the members will have access to a lot of retail chains as well as private doctors. And for dental they also have a very robust uh dental network. Their
match was 77% I think it's was slightly higher with Lincoln 79% that was actually three providers a difference of of three. With dental it's a little bit different than medical because a member can access an
outof network dentist anytime they want. So the the network allows them to stretch their annual maximum, if you will, because those doctors have agreed to a a lower contracted rate, but they absolutely have the freedom to go out of network.
Thank you. My other question is although the open enrollment's now and takes effect October, the it would the insurance actually kick in January one? No, it would go into effect in October 1st. Yes. So if you have a doctor, you'd have to let them know after
October one. You'd have to give your new ID card to pharmacists and to doctors. Yes. Correct. Any other questions, Scott? No. Karen,
it's not really a question, but um just a comment. I mean, I I know from my previous life of the work that goes into this and how extremely important it is to have great benefit coverage. It's a recruitment tool. It's
a retention tool for all of our staff. And I mean, who would have ever thought we'd have an 85% increase, but to get it down to an 18% increase in this kind of market with our claims history, I think
is incredible. So, great job to all of you. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I commend you and our human resources department for excellent work. Uh, a trivia question of the day, which Frankie got, which I can't believe he
did. Where is standard insurance doicile? Portland. I want to say I was asking her. Frankie knew because John knew. Is that right? Yeah. All right. Well, let the record Let the record show. Oregon. Yeah. I did not know that either.
Thank you for your efforts. Thank you. I thought the standard was downtown Fort Myers, but what do I know? John, anything? I knew that because I had had dealings with him in a previous life. So, um, no, uh, no questions. But, uh, I'll piggyback on what Karen said.
Um, disappointed and and the vice mayor disappointed in the FMIT being a new board director member. I'll be looking into that and talking and discussing that, especially about the late notification about the increase. That was disappointing. Thank you both for all your hard work and the savings
you've done uh for the town taxpayers and and the continued good benefits for the the town employees. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Very good. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Is there any further discussion or a motion for resolution
25-273 for health insurance renewal? I'll move the motion to approve resolution 25-273 health insurance renewal. Second. Motion by councelor Woodson, seconded by councelor King. Any further discussion?
Councelor Woodson. I councelor King. Ice Mari. Councelor Sephford. Hi. And I'm an I as well. That motion carries unanimously. Next is resolution 25-247. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach,
Florida, approving a second amendment to the CDBG DR subreient grant agreement DR10262 between the town and the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to change the referenced key personnel for the North Island Water Tower and change the
address to the new town hall authorizing the execution of the second amendment by the town manager and providing an effective date. Frankie Frankie Frankach Frankie I'm going to challenge you before you start into the granular piece of this would you just take a a
minute and explain the north water tower the south tower and and give us a just an overview of the operational aspects of both of those towers before you get into the details. So the s the water system that the town inherited from the county when we became the town of Fort Mars Beach consisted of
two warh water storage facilities. There's one on the north side of the island off Lagoon and the other one on Lenel to the south end of the island. Uh the water that's purchased from the town um from the county used to come through the bay uh through a water line. It
still does. Um they had a off island pump station on their side and we had one where we called the Moss Marine pump station. Not to be confused with Moss Marine proper. It just happened to be coinciding on their property where the the main pump came out of the ground.
Um, back before Ian, both tanks were filled. Both tanks by gravity feed keep water pressure. If the line is intact, they keep water pressure. Uh, prior to Ian's impact, the north tower was taken out of service for inspection and it was
deemed at that time unsatisfactory for use. Uh, within a month of that report, Ian hit and did a number on the rest of the the whole station itself. uh leaving the town with just one water storage facility, which is the one on Lenel
currently. Um the the facade and structure of that building had taken a a a pretty good hit, but the tank itself was sound and we were able to continue to pump and provide good quality water to the people of Fort Myers Beach. Um there's going to be a couple of things
in the news and in the media coming up where you're going to hear about a new pump station uh for Fort Myers Beach. It's the county's facility. They just call it for Fort Myers Beach. Um, and it's not exactly on our island, nor does it affect us. And it is not one of our
CDBGR projects. It's the counties. Uh, what we are asking for through Frankie it does affect us. Well, it totally does because it provides us the water, but it doesn't affect our CDBGR, right? It's not included in the in the bundle of things that we've asked for. Um, so as far as our ESKs go, uh, the
north tower is to be rebuilt. Um it was s found functionally unsound prior to Ian. Uh this was a great avenue for the town to get back to where we needed to be. Um you know, we all know where we live. We all know what can happen to us at any given moment with with storms and
whatnot. Um to think that we've existed for three years with just one storage facility on this island and been able to handle that and keep up with the water pressures has been a miracle in and of itself. But we definitely don't want to get to the point where we're just calling, "Hey, Culligan man," every time we run out of water.
Frankie, that that was an excellent overview. Just just out of curiosity, I've heard where there was discussion of having instead of just being dependent upon one source of water from uh from that north tower or leading heading to the north tower, there was some discussion of tapping in on the south end to Bonita Springs.
That still would come through the Lee County distribution line. Is that is that happening or is that Could you give us an update? I mean, it would still be, you know, we always talk about the the village or or the city of Bonita. It wouldn't actually be them. It would actually still be through the county. Uh we have not explored that since uh well,
I think we've had a few discussions. A booster pump on that. Yeah, we would also need a a larger booster pump on that end to to traverse uh the the bay opening on that as But is that is that something potentially in the long-term plan? Yes, I know the county's uh you know the talks that we've had with uh their team
and our team that they are looking at totally revamping that down the road as well. That plant that they have that provides that water is a little younger and a little bit more robust than the one that they currently have now and that's part of the reason why they're replacing. Just to state the obvious, if we had
that second option through Bonita that would create redundancies that could be helpful obviously in the time of emergency. Correct. You are correct sir and redundancy in that line of work is something that you have to have. It's it's not a it's not a luxury. It's it's a must. So that is the the next check off on the list as soon as we get the
matters at hand taken and care. Gotcha. Thank you. U what I'm here today to just break brief to you. You have a couple of things in front of you. Uh B, C, and D are all the same. Uh they're just related to the different projects within the CDBGR asks that the town made. And
basically what it's doing is it's taking the financial burden off the town manager who was uh acting finance director um until we got one and now it's reestablishing uh Joe Anzik uh back to his original role as our finance
director. So that's the ask. Um so I just wanted to get up here and just say that. So I don't know if that moves things along quicker or whatever. So basically all you're saying is it's going to change to Joe's name versus Yes. That that's all those three items are. Yes, sir. not changing the funding, not changing the projects, not changing
anything, just just a name change on with HUD, we have to do that. We have to make sure that any changes that we do have to senior staff or senior people that are put onto those list have to be mandated and go before council to be voted on. So, since we're going to move these along and they're all the exact
same thing, have we gotten any updates on time frames as to when funding is going to be I know it's been approved, but released to actually start the projects? Uh, I would like to say soon. Uh, we have our weekly meetings with uh the
county and their uh subcontractor that that deals with the CDBGR directly. Um, our team has submitted everything that we possibly could on a lot of fronts. Uh we're cleaning up some details back and forth between language of our proposal
and what the county previously agreed to and what we are mentioning. This is just basically language back and forth at this point. But we need that language to get approval on their side before we can bring it to you for final approval. And do we expect them to come all all
three buckets, if you will, to come at one time or would it do we think one's going to come before the other? Obviously, we're going to probably have two buckets before you at the same time, and that will be the North Water Tower and the uh the pool. Uh the third bucket was
we had one of the the biders send in a price sheet in for an RFQ that's not acceptable and it got through on the county side and also got through on our side. Uh so that has to had to go off for rebid and that's currently in the process of uh out on demand star now. Okay. So you really don't it's kind of
in the county's hands now is what you're saying as far as when we can expect to receive the funding to start those projects. The the funding you're probably looking at probably the end of this calendar year to start those projects. All right. Any other questions for Frankie? None. Thank you, sir. Thank you.
No need to come back up on the other ones. We'll just Well, unless Will want you to come back up for some reason, but All right. Is there any further discussion or a motion for resolution 25-247 for CDBG DR organized change for the
north water tower? I will move it. Is there a second? All right. Motion by Mayor Aller, seconded by Councelor Woodson. Any further discussion? I'm an I. Councelor Woodson. I councelor Safford. Hi. Vice Mayo. Hi. Councelor Kane. Hi.
Motion carries unanimously. Next is item C. This is for resolution 25-248. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, approving a second amendment to the CDBG DR subreient grant agreement DR10263
between the town and Lee County Board of Lee County Board of County Commissioners to change the referenced key personnel for the parks facility and recreation revitalization project. and to change the town hall address to 6231 Eterero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach. And the
agreement authorizes the town manager to execute the second amendment and provide for an effective date. Any discussion? All right. If not, I will make a motion to approve resolution 25-248. Second. Second by councelor Woodson. Any further
discussion? I'm an I'm an I. Councelor Woodson. I councelor Safford. Hi. Councelor King. I and Vice Adhole. I motion carries unanimously. Next is item D. This is resolution 25-249. It is a resolution of the town council of the
town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, approving a second amendment to the CDBG DR subreient grant agreement DR10157 between the town and Lee County Board of County Commissioners to change the reference key personnel for the recovery and resiliency resilience planning
program authorizing the execution and second amendment by the town manager and provide an effective date. I will also move that item and I will second. All right. Motion by Mayor Allers, seconded by councelor Woodson. Any further discussion?
I am an I. Councelor Woodson. I. Councelor Safford. I. Councelor King. Hi. Vice Mayor Adder. I. Motion carries unanimously. Next is item E. This is a res. This is resolution 25-256. It is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach,
Florida, amending the contract approved August 4th, 2025 with Andrew Site Work for the purchase and replacement of 18 additional non-operable fire hydrants located throughout the town for an additional cost not to exceed $145,256
for a total not to exceed contract amount of $435,768 providing for severability and for an effective date. Jeff, uh Jeff Hogy, community services director, Ton Fort Beach. Uh yeah, this will be paid out of the water fund. Um it just we've talked about the water the
hydrant replacements before. There was a lot that were not operable. We definitely need that for public safety. Um they've been working on on replacing a major a majority of them already. Um I don't have the exact number, but uh this is just to do 18 additional ones.
John, questions for uh it was 36 originally is what the 36. No, he answers my questions. Thanks, Jeff. Vice Mayor, no questions. Councelor Woodson, I have none. And Council Staffford, I'm good. All right. Thanks, Jeff. Is there a
motion for resolution 25- 256? So moved. Second. Motion by Councelor Woodson. Seconded by Councelor King. Any further discussion? Councelor Woodson. I, Councelor King. Hi, Vice Mayor Adhalt. Hi, Councelor Safford. Hi,
and I'm an I as well. That motion carries unanimously. Next is resolution 25-270. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, approving a third amendment to the agreement between the town of Fort Myers Beach and Earth View LLC for storm
water maintenance and repairs to increase funds available for additional ground penetrating radar services in an amount not to exceed $130,000 and two include additional standard contract terms and conditions authorizing the execution of the third amendment by the town manager and
providing for an effective date. Jeff again, Jeff Hoggy, community services director. Um again, this is the water fund that it's getting paid out of. Um hopefully this is pro maybe hopefully one of the last extensions we're going to have to get with this. We are working on um hiring staff that can perform
these duties as far as locates and ground penetrating radar. Um so hopefully fingers crossed um we can do this in-house from now on, but we may need them for certain projects, but uh this is just to increase what we need. Do we have the equipment to do it? We do
have drum uh a GPR for we do have that and we have somebody trained in it. Um we don't really have a staff that does that has experience with locates but we do have some openings in the utility department um that we're currently currently hiring for that and we have some good potential uh candidates that
do have locate experience. All right. Questions for Jeff? All right. Is there a motion for resolution 25-270? So moved. I got a motion by councelor King. Second. Seconded by councelor Safford. Any
further discussion? Councelor King. Hi. Councelor Safford. Hi. Councelor Woodson. Hi. Vice Mayor Adville. Hi. And I'm an I as well. That motion carries unanimously. Next is resolution 25-269. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida
under the emergency procurement policy to approve a proposal from Andrew Sitework LLC with the town's contract bidding a contract addendum for the installation of storm water piping on Polarmal Circle and a not to exceed price of $36,171.60
to alleviate the flooding on a sterile boulevard by diverting a sterile storm water to the outfall on Santos Boulevard via Polymeral Circle. authorizing the town manager to execute the emergency purchase and providing for an effective date. Jeff Jeff Hogy, community services director.
Um, so we had we had a a we had an interesting situation that we may have um have happen now going forward. So, the the drainage on uh Asterero Boulevard, especially in that area, there was we've kind of found it a
little bit by accident um with doing some some storm water cleanup is that it didn't connect to any of our storm drains. So, it would just it would just u more of a French drain kind of thing. It would just connect to from one one drainage to the other in that pipe and
it would just dissipate. So, it would fill up really quick and just fill up with sand. um that was never connected when they did the Asterero Boulevard project. Um this was just the first one of probably a couple that we we probably will have to do uh to connect and and
provide drainage on a stero and our our side streets. So it was this is part of that. It's under the storm water fund again. So um we found that a little bit going forward with different drainages. Um even this property it it didn't have an outfall. It just went from drain to
drain. um didn't have a connection to an outfall. So um I don't know the reason behind that as why that happened. Um that was obviously before my time before Ian. So we're trying to um to fix all those those issues. Um we do have some
funds coming up in storm water and some grants that we have um to help alleviate that. Um also with a sto a swale grant that we have that'll help the drainage too. So one of our main focuses is on the drainage obviously on this island. I think that's that's a big one. Um just got an email again today about some
standing water. So, uh we're continuing to work on it and uh and finding those kind of those faults in the system. And on a side note, we did we have been using our gapback truck, which has been great. Um been had it out there um cleaning out the drains. Um and we can
do it much quicker than having Earth come in and scheduling it two weeks out. And this water that's going to be now going into the drain. What outfall will it use with I think I read it with Santos. Santos. Yep. Okay. Questions for Jeff.
Scott is we've way past the statute of limitations to get any recourse on that stupidity. Yeah, I would assume. I mean it was it had been part of the design. I don't know. I wasn't part of the design before, but um
we probably are going to once they do uh redo a sterile boulevard again. Um we may find that that that happened. Not the only place. Yeah, it's not the only place. So um whether it's us, I did talk to Lee County about it too and and that'd be a great opportunity for us to work
together to try to bridge those gaps and not have standing water at a stero that we have. Well, didn't we both use Tetratech? I'm trying to refresh my memory because it was obviously the the county had to come in and do a stair boulevard first and then we were coming in to connect to
their system afterwards if if memory serves me. Maybe vice mayor can help me out a little bit. I think we're the only I don't have knowledge of of that past experience but but I I want to say it was tetr that we used. Don't we still to this day use tetrate? So to
to councelor Safford's point, we have to be able to have some sort of repercussions for a mistake that was made not by the town. Possibly when we did talk to Teture Tech, it was a decision by the council and possibly funds that we had at the
time. So we have uh we have addressed it. Um but I'd have to dig a little bit deeper on the background of it as far I would like more I mean we'll move forward. I think we'll probably move forward with this, but I'd like some more information on that because I don't remember, at least since I've been on council,
ever being approached to say, "Do you want to connect to the outfall or not?" Sure. I I mean, maybe that was made at the management level. I don't know. But I don't Jim, do you I don't remember ever voting now, we're not going to spend the money to connect the the outfalls. And we've also found um you know speaking
with Mark Ashton who's who's brilliant in in the in the field work um for us for the town you know he's found a lot of drains that just connected drains um with no outfall and and these are the new drains after no not not a part of tier one this is before tier one we're we're finding this
out because of tier one and trying to resolve some of the drainage issues that we have for instance we need in this in this property it drains from here to here, but it just it sits in a pipe. So, we want the outfall to go either one way or the other. Um, there's also an
outfall that that could go out out the front. So, there are just things that we've been finding, especially lately that uh, you know, part of the drainage issues that we have, but we're trying to address as many as we can. Um, luckily, you know, we're we're okay in our storm
water funding uh, and getting um, grants and appropriations hopefully to resolve a lot of these issues as well. And and as we're going through these tier one, tier two, tier, we're we're fixing these issues. I hope so, so that we're not Yes. or some other council 10 years from now sitting here.
Yes. The one we're we're trying to do it the right way. Um with obviously with the funds we have, we'll have to keep coming back to ask. But um luckily we've gotten some some grants and appropriations to to help some of the if there was any damage from you know the storms and we have we're hopefully going
to have some to do some additional drainage um even downtown on Third Street uh where it always pools up. So um yes will I think this might be some speaking with Ron yesterday this might be very good ammunition for state appropriation requests.
Yes, Mr. Mayor. We we've already started those discussions. Jeff and Jason have already been talking with Ron and his team about this next round of appropriations asking for again more storm water. Yeah. And I I just want everyone to know that we are definitely working on it and finding hopefully finding some good solutions um because we know that's a
big issue here. If I may, what we're talking about here is is the funding in the budget. Are there funds? Yes, there there are funds in the storm water fund. Okay. Um yeah, this um and then we also have a couple that we we have to come to
you probably next meeting. I don't know when we're going to put it on for the SRF. We we got that that loan um increased. So um we'll come back to you to to approve that SRF loan. There's a couple Carlos Circle um C view were a
couple more that we added to that SRF to help with storm water on those those roads. All right. Any other questions for Jeff on resolution 25-269? Seeing none, is there a motion for resolution 25-269?
So move, mayor. Motion by councelor King. Second. Seconded by councelor Woodson. Any further discussion? Councelor King. Yeah. Wait, wait. Further discussion. Ju just for the record, I you know, I we need to take care of this. If we know there's a problem,
there's potentially more problems. I don't want to see 36 grand every two weeks on our agenda. So, if we could get our arms I know you're doing your best, but we need to make this a priority so we're not getting getting 36,000 every
I agree. I agree. I I I don't know why it happened that way. No, I'm not blaming you. No, no, no. I know. It would be nice to know the history of it, too, so I could come back and at least hopefully give you that and talk to Tetac and see how why they designed it. Some ammo going down the road of what, you know, what our forecast is
for appropriations. For appropriations. Yes, we'll we'll we'll definitely make every effort. I think Jeff and his team make every effort to try and um get as many of those together, you know, uh for you so you don't get hit every council meeting with the small ones. But we also try to address them when we find them.
you know, we don't want to if we see a drainage issue, a storm water issue building up in particular locations, we'd rather address it as fast as we can. But absolutely, we'll try to combine these. We're going to Jeff mentions all the different uh funding avenues that we seek on a regular basis to assist.
Yeah. And this kind of this one happened, hate to say it, but kind of on accident. We already had the whole open for some for a different issue and we found that it wasn't connected, so we went ahead and Okay, great. connected. Great work. Is there a reason why we're not proactively going out and scoping all these drains to figure it out? So, we
have one project to scoped after Ian. Um, we just kind of talked about that. I I know I don't want to bring it up, but part of the gapback truck, you can do a scoping um mechanism to it. It's it's it's costly, but um we can we can definitely get Earth View out
to scope these drains. It it is a lengthy and expensive process to scope them all. Um they did not do video last time, I don't believe. So, it'd be nice to get video of all the drains. Well, I would I I mean, I costly, what does cost I mean, how much time does it
take for to prepare this stuff and come before council and you time, staff, energy, all that kind of stuff. It'd be nice to know, you know, when you're going in to build something, you'd like to you'd like to know if you're renovating a wall, if you have a way to know what's behind it before you start digging into it. It sure would be nice
to know ahead of time. I mean, we could be looking at a much larger project or something that's very small. I would be in support of what do we have? If we have the ability to be able to find out what's beneath our feet before we get caught in potentially another storm season, it would sure be nice to know
where we're going to have problems before we have problems. Yeah. And when they have a serial boulevard open, you know, next year this year even. I'm not sure when they're going to start. It'd be a good time to do it. It's already going to be open. So yeah, we we'll do some research um and at least
scope the ones off of Asterero and see which ones are actually connected to Outfalls is a little eye opening that it wasn't. All right, any other questions for Jeff? We got a motion by Councelor King, seconded by Councelor Woodson. Uh any
further discussion? Councelor King, I. Councelor Woodson, I vice mayor Adhalt. I councelor Safford. I and I'm as well. That motion carries unanimously. Next is item H. Resolution 25-272. This is a resolution of the town council
of the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, approving supplemental task authorization STA number 17 with access infrastructure, Inc. in the amount not to exceed 195,000 retroactive to May 1st, 2025 for a cumulative total of
payment for services under RFQ 20-22-8 to close out the fiscal year 2025 for the continuation of planning services authorizing the town manager to sign STA number 17 and providing for an effective date. Frankie, good morning. Frankie Kpace, community
development director. Um, this is just to kind of catch up paperwork to services that should have been brought to you uh probably about a month and a half ago. Um, it just was kind of caught up and bogged up in the chain. Uh, but this is just to make right and finish out the calendar year with access group.
Um before we start the next contract questions for Frankie. A question I just I guess generally have for staff is are we with Judith leaving? Nothing against Jason and Access, but are we proactively
looking for a replacement for an in-house planner? Yes, sir. We have we we have uh several different avenues which we're currently exploring and that would help offset these additional costs that we're talking about. You know, we're always going to need that consultant group. I'm not Yeah, I'm not asking that.
And and eventually, yes, that's where we want to get to here, sir. All right. Any other questions for Frankie? All right. Is there a motion for resolution 25-272? I'll make a motion to approve. Is there a second?
I'll second. Seconded by councelor Safford. Any further discussion? I'm an I. Councelor Safford. Hi. Uh, Councelor Woodson. Hi. Vice Mayor Arhol. I. Councelor King. Hi. That motion carries unanimously. Next item was item I. That was removed.
Uh, that leaves us with the last one, item J. Resolution 25-246. This is a resolution of the town council, the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, accepting a utility easement from the Leo J. Diiosi and Valerie J. Diiosi revocable living trust dated
August 20th, 2014, the trust and directing the finance director to make a payment of 85,000 upon recording of the utility easement as agreed to by the town in a settlement agreement dated April 7th, 2025, providing a severability clause and providing an
effective date. Nancy, thank you, Madam Sir. Madame Mayor, I've gone from I've gone from a 900 pound gorilla to a madam. We had LPA what yesterday or before, so I was kind of tuned that way. Anyway, I
am very happy to advise you today that we do have a signed executed copy of the um utility easement that is the subject matter of the settlement agreement. You may recall that this item had been on
some prior agendas that you had um that we had to pull it at the last minute. Um but we do have an original um easement and it it is basically there's a copy of an unsigned one in your materials. The request today is that you accept the
easement. Um I have reviewed it u with the other attorneys and it's legally sufficient. This would be the next step towards completing the settlement agreement which had been approved by you back in April. Um the settlement had
been negotiated back in December. So you can see this is just dragged on dragged on dragged on but we do want to bring it to conclusion. Um and the next step would be for you to accept the utility easement. Thereafter, in accordance with
the settlement agreement, there would be a payment made for the uh real property interest that that uh utility easement gives the town. Uh the amount is 85,000. However, there is insurance um proceeds
that can be applied. So, it's really going to be about 45,000 and that will um conclude this matter. what it provides. The utility easement provides for uh the right, the legal right to have some of the town piping that was in
the ground um that was not known. Um and also the town had gone in and removed a dock area um without really any um proper uh documentation or authority to do that.
And this would resolve that um that matter. questions for Nancy. Yes, Nancy, just just a a little more history on this. This this was a situation where the town was in error and this settlement is to correct that error. Is that correct if I remember correctly? Yes, that is correct.
All right. Thank you. And how far back since you talked about how far back this is all gone, how far back did that original error take place? When did that occur? Do you remember or No, I do not know. Jeff may know. I don't
know. Do you know I Yeah, it was Yeah, it was pre I see something around here of 2014. I don't know if that's No, that is that I believe is the data there. I want to say it happened around the start of the tier one project for the side streets.
Yeah, I don't have a Jeff Hogy, community services director. Uh I don't have a a date on that. I know it was definitely pre-Ean. Um it didn't just happen. And I know that because even after Ian, we were we looked at it. Um because they they had inquired about it.
So it's been a while. Um I don't remember the history behind that either. Thank you. Yeah, I Well, it would have been whenever they redid Lazy Way. Yeah. So whenever that time frame was I don't remember exactly how long ago that was, but
I want to say it was at the start of tier one. Somewhere in there. But yes, irregardless. It was an outfall put in that shouldn't have been put in a spot it was put in. Yes. Yes. All right. Any other questions?
Is there a motion for resolution 25-245? Mr. Mayor, I'll move approval of resolution 25-245. Okay, I'll second that. Motion by Vice Mayor Adhalt, seconded by Councelor King. Any further discussion? Uh, Vice Mayalt, I. Councelor King, I.
Councelor Woodson, I. and councelor Safford I. Motion carries unanimously. That brings us to final public comment. There is no one here. So we will close final public comment. Tom managers items. Will
I just like to once again take the opportunity to uh congratulate and thank staff and thank uh the council for your support uh through the whole process of uh occupying and uh um opening this uh wonderful new facility. It really has made a big difference for all the staff.
Um, we did have another meeting on another topic. I did have another meeting as I as I talked about last time with with the FEMA CAV team on Friday where we uh reviewed some of our submissions, received some positive feedback on on those submissions that that uh that we had sent in. As far as
positive, I mean moving some some of the identified properties and structures from a non-compliant to a compliant uh status according to FEMA. Uh and we've sub since then we've submitted another 30 um for you know out of the the final or we've reached our sub upped our
submissions up to 30 of the 99 that are still remaining on the list as non-compliant. Uh about half of half of those we we've received positive feedback uh moving them into a better category. We still waiting on responses on the remaining of those 30 and the team is actively working every day uh
putting together uh responses to the rest that are on that list. I still remain confident that we'll we'll get to a better place with with those from moving them from a non-compliant to a compliant status. It's just a difficult process as we go uh line by line on their RFIs and line by line through the
FEMA and flood management statute process which you're all very aware familiar with. But it's going through and and I have an open line of communication with the re region 4 leadership anytime I have an issue. So, and uh that's all I have for this morning. Mr. I was going to bring it up, but since
you since you brought it up, it was brought to my attention yesterday that there's been some issues with people putting up um flood barriers like shutters or whatever. Is it they made it sound that it was a FEMA direction that
they were dry flood proofing their house, but then someone else said it was a it was a they didn't have permits to put them up. So, c can we give some clarification? I told him I'd bring it up today and since you were talking about FEMA, I just want to find out what the whole this is first I had heard of it.
Yeah. So, anytime we're making a structural change to a property, so in other words, you're bolting to that structure any type of flood barrier that you need a permit for because you're affecting the structure and how it would react under a wave load. anytime you're
putting up a mechanical or a semi- mechanical like the ones you can go to Home Depot and buy uh a a Tiger Dam, things like that, that's where it gets a little gray area for FEMA. And FEMA will not stretch his neck out and say yay or nay. What we dealt with here were people
that have actually been I don't want to say duped, but we had a salesman come through and go up and down the streets and said, "Hey, it looks like your house was affected by by flood water. if you buy this, you know, we'll not only store on a set of steak knives, but it will protect your house from from flooding.
Um, and people they they just bought them. When FEMA came through and did the CAV and people had these up or may have seen people that had these up, it's like, you can't do that, you can't do that. So, we've had continued conversations. We've separated
a lot of those lists, but we still have people out there that have actually gone through and hired companies that we see on TV all the time and they'll come through and they'll actually bolt panels to your garage to keep the water from going in. Well, but I want to be clear about what when you say you can't do that and you can't do that. Everybody knows you can't
you got to have a permit to do it. So, is the issue been that they haven't used haven't pulled permits to do this or that correct FEMA has an issue that you can't put up storm shutters or even if you go and get a permit, can you It's kind of a twofold thing. So, FEMA FEMA has a problem with the fact that
the people did not pull permits for the structural. So, it wasn't the fact that they were putting up storm shutters if it was properly also to that and Tom can can talk on the compliance side of that, but yes, it was a twofold thing. They they saw one set of circumstances and they just carried
it over to everything they saw and that's not the case. Yeah. I I don't know if I'm more confused now than I was before I asked the question. Morning. Push the button. There you go. Good morning. Thomas to be very clear with this. We're still
waiting for direction on some of this. Uh we've put requests out to FEMA FDM. FM is taking the lead as part of the dry flood proofing issue that this comes to because as you look at the regulation now you're not supposed to dry floodp
proof any structure that's residential there it's it's primarily for commercial projects only so the permitting so FEMA is sorry to interrupt Tom but so FEMA so what they said was fairly accurate because they said they've received letters now I don't know if
those letters came from us or if they came from FEMA but essentially saying you can't dry flood floodp proof residential. So, is FEMA saying that because you're buying storm shutters, assuming it's through a company and they go through the permitting process to install them that they're viewing that
as dry flood proofing your residential property? Yes, sir. That's so backwards. The bigger part here comes into is it mitigation or are they dry flood proofing? So, that's what we're trying to clarify with the the federal government and the state
government. And we were told that within the next two to two weeks to a month that they would have some direction in that that we could give out to our you know to to the citizens that live here. It the regulations are very clear in some respect. In this one they're very hazy.
So we're trying to get clarification as you know as you've watched this process over the last year and a half. And to be clear with that just one moment Mr. mayor is you you're actually asking the town to give a permit to somebody to barricade themselves inside their house in a disaster. Um, and that
was one of the questions we threw back at FEMA. Who's going to take the liability on that one? You know, our doors don't open the way they do up north. So, how do you get out of your house here? You have to open outward. And if you have a flood barrier up three feet in front of that door, how are you
going to get out of that house when your your uh you know electric car is on fire in the garage and you can't get out of your house because of the flood waters. So those are questions that honestly we asked FEMA just last week uh for clarification on, you know, you want to take the liability, you want to show us
a way to do that correctly, we're more than happy to do anything you want. But up until that point, we didn't have any direction. So, what's I guess what I want to get at is I want to see if we can get clear direction to our residents who are going through this. Um, so potentially what we're saying is even if
you came in and got a permit or you're storm shutter or storm water barrier company came in and got a permit that you may have spent money on something that FEMA will deem as non-compliant with flood plane regulations. That is that is very true at this point.
What about the steak knives? I'm sorry, what was that? Can you keep the steak knives? Oh, this is Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, that's that's on the salesman's part. But, you know, in all reality and in in seriousness here, you're it's a huge thing that you're asking the town. You know, FEMA is actually um do we want
to proceed with this and and allow people to barricade themselves in, which they're perceiving as saving their structure or saving themselves from future loss. Well, well, Frankie, not to interrupt you, but hopefully people will leave when we ask them to leave so that this isn't an issue. But what I want to get
is clear direction to our residents to be able to say either if you are moving forward with buying something, wait until we get clear direction so you're not wasting your money. And here's if you have bought this and you have received a letter from either FEMA or for the town, what direction should they do? What direction should they take? Uh
obviously we're doing what we have to do to show that we're we're following whatever direction we're given or no direction in this case when it comes to that. But we have to have a message that we give to our residents to be able to say if you receive this letter, here's what you should do. And and we can definitely get that out
through our our our websites and all that public information and through our PIO. Uh but to Tom's point, you know, until we get that definitive, hey, we're going to draw our line in the sand. This is what you need to do. You know, our our direction is kind of up in the air at this point is what the town can
proceed with. So our position is don't do anything until you we can definitively tell you you're not wasting your money. That is correct. And Mr. Mayor, we're also just you know we have not any of the cases that were created through this with our CAV program are on hold until we can get
better better information from the state and the federal government. So no one is being there's nothing being brought from magistrate for any of this. We're not holding anybody's feet to the fire as far as permitting as as well. And with the safety issue that we've brought up, that has been an ongoing issue, uh,
we're going to have to wait for for clarity with that. And then there's going to have to be more conversation. So, are we telling our residents who are potentially I don't know if there are or not any that are potentially coming down the pipeline to get permits to protect their homes from storm surge to we're
not issuing any permits at this point because we'd be in violation of what FEMA deems as dry flood proofing of residential properties. I can speak a little bit to that on the community development side. I've had talks with my manager uh Georgina uh in the community development department and we have talked briefly to staff that if
somebody comes and asks such a thing that they contact either her or I and we could reach out to those people and expound a little bit more. Okay. So, so if I could uh this seems to dovtail on something you and I had a public colloquy about a few weeks ago Frankie and that was at an M&P meeting
to begin to maybe give a do a seminar if you will on what you can and can't do. there. I have had a litany of condo buildings now. They're trying to be more resilient. They're trying to do the responsible thing. They're willing to expend capital on on these uh flood panels and flood doors. Uh but, you
know, even before they come to the town, you know, they've got to they've got to hire an engineering firm, expend quite a bit of capital to put the proposal together before they come to the town. If we're at a point, and I I feel for you because not getting the direction from the feds makes it your your job
extremely difficult. Uh if we could put out some kind of a notice letting folks know who are working on this to hang on for a bit because we're waiting for the feds to give us clarity then they could they could kind of that would positively allow them to sort of impact their plan
of attack because there's a lot of folks out there and I'm just one council person. I get a lot of questions about this and I know you're trying to do your best to help these folks but without that proper guidance you know your hands are tied but but it is cut and dry. We're talking condos wouldn't fall into
residential commercial prop. Condos are commercial so they they can uh but there's that there's still a lot of questions about what they can and can't do and how what's best practices and that kind of a thing. That's that would be really helpful and I know you're working on that but that that would be great. Uh so that that piece of the
puzzle you don't need federal direction on or federal clarity. No, that's just spelled out into the not only the Florida building code on what we can provide, but also because you got to remember the FEMA regulations have been adopted into the Florida Building Code, which then becomes law. Okay, the the regulations as themselves, and I
don't mean any disrespect to FEMA at all, are regulations. They're they're they're out there. there are guidance to follow and that you're it behoove you to do such but it takes the adaptation through and and and to to codify them under the Florida building code that actually
gives them teeth to to be enforced. And so in the case that you were just brought up, it was red residential properties that are affected because they deemed as not necessary to have that and actually impedes the flow of water. where in a commercial property you could have one right next door and
they're allowed to bolt up that thing and make it look like Fort Knox. So there is a little bit of ambiguity as as far as the direction that they're taking. I would I would love I I look forward to it your when it when it's when the time's appropriate at that M&P to have that as with the flood plane manager yourself and others. That'd be great
just to and and we can invite all the condo boards to come and participate and and any other commercial property owner. So that's helpful. Thank you Safford. So I have one other question. to muddy the waters even more. Does it matter what type of residential structure depending on
how it was built, whether it's wood, concrete, block? So, at this time, we we we we're familiar with the term that we toss around a lot like prefirm. Okay. So, prior to 1984, most of those houses that are existing pre-firm structures on this island are cement block. They're singlestory homes, cement block homes.
So the the flood comes through uh for the most part and takes out the windows, the doors, the roof stays intact or the roof may be replaced, but the structure itself can be rebuilt, engineered to to stand that with the proper engineering and whatnot. So if we're looking at like
a wooden structure, if you put anything in there to impede wave action or to slow down or to push wave action against that structure, what's going to happen with wood? Wood's going to buckle. You know, uh, as we saw with not only Ian, but the subsequent hurricanes that we
had last year, the concrete houses, if you think back to the three little pig analogy, you know, the ones that were built out of concrete withstood that they they stood tall. Are you telling everybody to build back that way? No. The the floating build code allows you to do certain things to achieve the same
same load, but we don't want to impede that that either. So depending on where you're at in the island, depending the age of your structure, depending on what type of your structure, those are all things that take into that calculation that the flood plane manager looks at and deres whether you can or cannot have that
and whether it's prefirm or not. That is correct. So there's Wow. Well, I I think we're getting kind of into the weeds on the structure of the building. The way I'm understanding it or what you've told me so far, what I'm heard is FEMA disapproves despite whatever your structure is made out of
on residential homes to apply attached flood mitigation matters. Yes, Sarah, at this time, that's correct. So, it doesn't matter what it's built out of. If you're a resident that has a single family home, residential in any manner, correct? that FEMA as of right now is telling us that
you cannot mitigate your home from water intrusion. That is true. Is that the best way to say it? Yes, sir. And that was our contest to them, Mr. Mayor. Is that I just want to make sure it's very clear to the residents listening out there that they understand how the town is moving forward based on the direction that we've been given.
Yes, sir. I think we made it pretty clear there. I hope so. But it it this is as you said the muddy waters as uh councelor Safford it's been this is a something that has come case to case and we ask for clarification so
it doesn't we can be more clear with our residents and give out direction so they don't uh continue to to buy very expensive items for their house if it's not going to fit within the FEMA standard regulation. So we're we're moving forward. were waiting for that
direction and we were promised that FDM was moving forward on that because it's not it's not a Fort Myers Beach issue. This is a East Coast United States issue across across the entire East Coast. I just again I want to reiterate our message is very clear at this point. The town of Fort Myers Beach's stance is
that you're not allowed to put water mitigation uh what word am I looking for? uh precautions, barriers and barriers in place at this time as per the direction. That's how we understand the regulation at this time.
Clear as clear can be until we hear any different. That's going to be our stance. Yes, sir. That is correct. Okay. All right. Thank you guys. Unless you had a question for Will. Different subject. Yeah. Uh Mr. town manager. Uh a week or so
ago, maybe it was longer, uh the mayor appropriately released uh some information about funds that were directed to Fort Myers Beach from the federal government. And I understand the town has put forth a records request to the Lee County School District. Um I've
not seen the records request. Could you describe the records request and also give us a status update as to what where we are with them on in terms of getting that information? Yes, Mr. Vice Mayor, the town requested um any and all records related to the
school district's requests for FEMA funding for Fort Myers Beach Elementary School. That would be uh project, you know, project uh submissions, the scope, um how much funding they were looking for, what work they wanted to do to uh to originally, you know, after the uh
the original storm to renovate and rebuild um the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School. We asked for anything any project worksheets that they submitted to FEMA for for said projects. We asked for uh any documents related to the award of those um those requested
projects, the grant funding, uh the insurance funding, etc. related to any of those requested projects. And then additionally, we asked for if the school district um did request um to uh use those funds, divert those funds for
other projects, uh did FEMA approve that? We get a copy of that request and a copy of FEMA's approval to those requests. Uh I did yesterday Amy uh forwarded to me late yesterday uh a response um from the school district. I haven't had a chance to go through all
of the responses to to see if they did answer all of those questions or not. I will have an answer for you uh as soon as I can get a chance to review those those submissions or those their return their response. I appreciate that. Will I I know that you and the deputy town manager are
having regular uh town meeting. I'm sorry, regular meetings with the uh with Dr. Carlin's team. Uh has this come up since has this issue come up? Have you had a meeting since this issue come up? If so, what was the result of that
meeting? And if not, when is your next meeting with their team? I have not had a meeting uh since this this recent issue has come up, Mr. Vice Mayor, and we're working to schedule another meeting within two weeks from now. We've been meeting about once a month, more frequently if possible, but
that's usually about the the frequency of our meetings. We'll schedule one within the next couple of weeks to discuss. Thank you. push the button. Town attorney items. So, um, council, um, on on your agenda, you do have an executive session, uh,
regarding the town of Fort Myers Beach versus Whitand Properties of Fort Myers Beach LLC and FGC Associates LLC. Um, in your agenda materials, we did say that the presence of the court reporter would
be announced, uh, her name would be announced prior to the commencement of the executive session. Um, I found out in the next the past hour or so that there is a little scheduling mixup. Um, so we do not have a court reporter uh
available at this time. So, we will need to reschedu this. Okay. Do you have any suggestions um at this time? No. Um the statute does require me to make the announcement and the request for a date.
Okay. Um there is uh this I can publicly discuss and and advise you or remind you that this particular piece of litigation is involving two code enforcement leans. Um there is another code enforcement
lean that was scheduled for review by our special magistrate uh tomorrow um due to some unforeseen medical issues. Um that hearing is also going to be uh rescheduled. Um I I think we're working
on a date, but as you can see, there is somewhat of a um a relationship between the executive session and um that other lean. Okay. So, what do you have to read? No date at this time. We'll come back to
you with um an announcement of an executive session and then scheduling it. Okay. So, you don't have to read any of this then? No. Okay. So, our one o'clock executive session is no longer happening. 12 o'clock. Correct. Our 12 o'clock is no is is not
happening today. Correct. Okay. All right. Is that all you have? That is it. Okay. Council members, items and reports. Uh, Councelor Safford, I'm good. Thank you. Councelor Woodson,
I have nothing. Vice Mayor Adolf, everything's been covered. Thank you. Councelor King, I'm going to expand a little bit and just take some time and thank you all today for your support for um what uh Karen and I have been going through for the last four months. Um I've tried to
take the high road very often uh when people have told lies about me and then basically cir circumvented a a state law by um going against the spirit of that law. Um, I'm kind of
tired of it and I will be um putting out a very vigorous fight um both legally and hitting the streets to u show folks that uh this is just a bunch of lies. Um the u
we have the we have the proof. They they've gone out there and sent out emails about this being about Seagate. Um I've challenged the media to hold these folks accountable. They have no proof. As a matter of fact, they've gone to the uh the courts to not have to file for
proof, not have to show it. They've won a protective order against showing that proof, and that's that's a sad state of affairs. Uh so, just thank you so much for for your support today. Appreciate it. All right. Um, just since you brought it
up, Vice Mayor, I'll the the school I want to for for the record, the information that I released via social media post concerning the school was was not an intent to say they did anything
wrong or a gotcha moment or anything. Um, it was my understanding that there was at least in all the discussions and maybe vice mayor, you know more than I do being involved in the ad hoc committee that there was no FEMA coming. there was no FEMA money coming. So, um like has happened many many times from
from Representative Donald's office, whenever there's been a notification of grant funding coming through the FEMA request, they have sent us a notification saying, "You're going to be getting this today." And it's always been it's always been accurate. So, when that
was sent to us from his office, I had no reason to not believe that it wasn't true. And and I don't think at this point the school board has denied that it's it wasn't true. Um but I took it at at the time as this is money that we didn't know. Maybe this they didn't know
about it and it was an excitement. I thought maybe this was the end of all the issues with the town of Fort Myers Beach school that there's going to be funding available. That was the entire intent of of putting that information out there. And that information was sent to both myself and Chair Fischer. So it wasn't like it came just to me. It went
to both the school board chair as well. Um, and again, it was not an intent of they did anything wrong, not a claiming they did anything wrong. Um, but there are some answered questions that I think and maybe they're in the documentation will that you've now received. I did not receive any response back to the the six
or seven questions that I directly asked of the school superintendent and the school board as to the same sense of questions that the town asked for public information requests on. Um hopefully everything is on the up and up, but um to me it doesn't change the fact that
morally it's disgusting that you used a a school that was devastated from a a massive hurricane. Um either you did it intentionally to raise funds to do something else. And I
know there's been back and forth about well we did rebuild the school and it did cost this much. Okay, but the numbers still don't add up. And that's all we're seeking is if you use the money somewhere else and it was appropriated and it was done accordingly to to all the dots and eyes's and T's and all the things you have to do to be able to
do it, so be it. But it doesn't change the fact that you used that funding that you requested specifically for a school that was devastated to use on other projects and and you've left these kids hanging. And I implore
them if they're listening and hopefully they'll hear this, they deserve, those kids and those parents deserve a decision one way or another. Um we've we've tried to work with you. We've got an interlocal agreement in place.
We we are standing by that. We we have stood by it. We have held up our end of the deal. You have publicly stated that you want to hold up your end of the deal in your posts and that's all we're asking you to do. Uh we've shown you that we can drive enrollment up. We've
shown you that we can do what we say we're going to do. We're just asking you to admit or not admit, but agree to or uphold what you have already agreed to do. Um but at the end of the day, it comes down to just making a decision. We sit here up here just like you guys do
and and our job is to give direction to staff and that's what I'm asking that board to do is give direction to your staff to uphold the agreement that you've already signed and give these kids a home to come back to. With that there's nothing else. Move to adjurnn.
Got a motion to adjourn. Any objection? I second. We are adjourned at 12:15. Part: 2
All right. Good afternoon, everyone. We are going to call this meeting to order. It is 5:02 p.m. All council members are present. Town manager, town clerk, and town attorney. Uh our first item is public comment. Anyone here that would like to speak in public comment? Yes,
ma'am. Come up. Yes, sir. Can I speak off my time for a moment because I want to hand some things out. Hand it to the clerk and she'll make sure that she gets it out and then person. Is this the same one?
Yeah, we can. Is it the same before she does it? Are these extras or I think Will I think we need one for Will? Why don't you pass another one down this way? Oh, this is everything now. Yes. Just need one more down here. This
is different than what you're Okay. Thank you. Sorry. Just No worries. Confusing. Getting organized. Yeah. Just hand what you want to the clerk and she'll make sure we get it. Okay. Great. Just Okay. Well, let's do that. If you want to
just go around that side over there if you would and then we'll call on who you've got to start speaking while she hands that out. So, okay, great. Someone people signed up first. I didn't know someone already signed up. Yes. Thank you. Okay. So, there's four copies. I need another one.
We can I dropped one off at the city, but I didn't or should say town. I never got a response other than from um the assistant town manager. And I did email. We can share one. It's fine. So, um if you don't mind, I'll go ahead
and get started if when you get ready. Go ahead. Are you okay? Thank you. Um, first of all, I know this is not a large crowd and there's You got to state your name, man, for the record. My name is Susan Ko and I'm a resident of Fort Myers Beach. I want to thank you
all for your civil duty. I know it doesn't pay a lot respectfully and you take your time away here. So, thank you for this. So, a lot of this may be directed towards the town council respectfully. So, again, thank you on this important day in history for being
here. I previously sent a copy of this correspondence and exhibits to the town council and I only got one written response about taxes and no one, I mean no one, responded. I put a lot of effort into gathering my data and I was looking
for a thoughtful response. I'm here to dispute the town's previous vote and the town management's recommendation on the proposed 26% tax increase for the millillage of Fort Myers Beach. This tax increase was allegedly based on the Lee
County Properties Assessor claim that properties on Fort Meyers Beach have increased in the value by 12% in the past year. Again, I'll dispute this claim. You will see in my presentation that I pro proved before you that this is
simply not true and that sales on Fort Meyers Beach have decreased by up to a whopping 88% since the 2023 investor grabb after Hurricane Ian. Exhibit A.
According to Google AI overview, the median sales price per square foot foot dropped by 9.98% yearoveryear in May 2024 to Redfin. Additionally, Zella reports that the
average home value in Fort Myers Beach is down 10.7%. If you do the math, that's a whopping 20% in value dropped since 2023. Exhibit B. Feel free to look at that.
Uh, the mic is off. All right, hold on just a second. Josh, can you work on if they can't hear Speak? I'm fine. But if you need a microphone, that's fine as well. PE and people following along at home can't hear you.
I understand. Try that other one. Okay, go ahead. Continue. Are you there? Okay. Exhibit B. To quote sunny106.3.com local news, Fort Myers Beach housing market takes a hit. Single family homes
dropped 68% in 25. The housing scene at Fort Myers Beach has taken a sharp downturn. Just 38 homes changed hands in early 2025, a stark plunge from 2024.
This marks a dramatic shift from the 119 sales recorded during the same stretch last May as reported by Beach Talk Radio News. The slump affects every corner of the market. Vacant land deals crash to just eight sales this year, tumbling
from 32 in 2024 and 66 lots in 2023. As summer starts, 132 empty lots sit waiting for buyers. This segment shows the steepest decline with an 88% sales drop since 2023.
You've just extended the TTP program for another 2 and 1/2 years. If a town does not comply with FEMA flood plane rules, it faces suspension from the National Flood Insurance Program. This means residents can no longer purchase flood
insurance, potentially losing federally backed mortgages and disaster relief. Suzanne, Susan, I need you to wrap up. Your time is expired. I thought I had 20 minutes by No, you have three. You have three minutes for public comment. Well, then I'll just finish up my three minutes eloquently. Your your three minutes have have
expired. Oh, they have? Yes. Okay. Okay. So, it's my understanding that I had 20 minutes. So, what I'll do is if you can let me know how much time I normally have and I'll come back. You have three minutes during public comment and there's another there's another public comment at the end that you can also come back up for another
three minutes if you'd like. I will. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Go ahead, Amy. I have uh Jackie Velasquez and after Jackie will be Cliff Gallagher. Good evening. I'm Jackie Velasquez.
My current my concerns are the same as hers, but more so. Uh I understand that the town needs money to operate, but Excuse me. Could you speak into the I'm just trying to figure out what exactly is the town responsible for like
um maybe bay oaks the pool side streets um of course uh permitting in inspections is a big one uh Newton's beach the moing fields is a big issue with me because I understand that they
we are on a a very downs slope losing on that. If they're not making us money, why are we, you know, even taking care of those? But it seems like I know that Lee County gets 6% of the taxes that you
guys, you know, gather from all the empty lots and the residents left here, but you know, you guys bought all brand new pickup trucks. You just purchased a vac truck that had to cost what, a million
dollars. I saw on your website that you are looking for somebody to run that truck for $25 an hour. That's about 50 grand a year plus benefits. And that person is going to need a crew. I mean, and then when they
get that job done, what are they going to do? It seems like you have a lot on your payroll. And you know, the other thing I was very concerned about is, you know, the 60 or 62,000 that you spent for a survey for, you know, a retaining
brick wall to go down the beach when you just spent all that money on turtle lights. Those little turtles aren't going to scale that. And, you know, God's going to put that water where he wants it. It has a lot of power. So you know I feel that with the raise of the
taxes although they may be minute it is having an impact on us and you know why don't you incentivize you know lower taxes if anything to get people to come in and and build and buy these properties I mean even our
you know the residential is hurting and restaurants can't build I mean it's Fort Myers Beach is in a sad state. I I will tell you. But, you know, I just want you to be mindful of us residents that are left here paying the bill, you know,
when you go to do your budget and and what you're spending. Okay. And that's and thank you. Thank you, Jackie. Um Cliff Gallagher and after Mr. Gallagher will be Ellen Vaughn. Hello folks. Um, I've been paying taxes
here since 1989. That's when I bought the property we have. Four of us went in. One of us died. One of us wanted out. Her the son of the person who died wanted
out and I paid him for his side of the property. That was the biggest mistake I ever made because this tax assessor says, "You're new people. You owe us a
complete reset on your taxes." And I appealed it to the VAB and an inspector came and he says, "Well, I'll make a deal with you. We'll lower the assessment."
And then I got my new trim notice. And the trim notice says you're a new person here. You're the welcome stranger law for taxes takes effect with you.
You know what the welcome stranger law is? Somebody new comes in, they hit them with maximum taxes on a property. And so even though I got an agreement to have this tax lowered,
they came in and jerked it right back up. I went from paying7,000 a year taxes on that property and now they want close to 13,000 in two years. That's not right. And
that's why I'm going back to the VAB. And that's why I'm here saying you got to find a way to cut your spending. My taxes for the town are proposed to go
up almost $400. Don't pay to have uh recycling picked up every day, every week. Don't pay to have uh yard waste picked up every week. Spread it out a
little bit. In the wintertime when nothing grows as much, maybe have it once a month. This is the kind of thing that you need to think about. Um it's it's it's kind of rough. The state
of New Jersey, where I have my permanent home, says, "You're over 65. We're going to take your real estate tax and we're going to cut it in half 50%."
They don't charge tax on uh retirement funds, 401k, or social security. I don't pay any taxes up there, but Florida says, "Come down here. We'll pay you. We'll
we'll we'll let you have a good deal on taxes down here." And it's not true. Okay. Thank you, Cliff. Thanks. Sorry, Ellen Bon. And that's all I have signed up. Good evening, Ellen.
Good evening, Ellen Bon. I live at 7500 Eststerero Boulevard and I'm here to say that I like infrastructure and I think you have a really tough job balancing a budget. Um I'm very involved with some of the organizations on the beach and I really don't want to see their budgets cut because I think they were they are
important to our quality of life particularly the friends of excuse me the moundhouse and bay oaks and Newton Park all of these things the amenities that make us special. If we lose our amenities and our special things, then the it will be very difficult to maintain a sense of community. So
without further ado, may you make wise decisions. Thank you, Ellen. That's all I have signed up. Is there anyone else who would like to speak in public comment? Seeing none, we'll close public comment. That brings us to our public hearings.
Our first one is a resolution 25-262 for the fiscal year 26 proposed millage rate. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach adopting the proposed advalum mill rate for the town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida for fiscal year 2025 2026
commencing October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026 for the purpose of providing sufficient funds for the general fund setting the second and final public hearing for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 at 50:01 p.m. to adopt the final operating ad valerum
millage rate for fiscal year 2025 and 2026 and providing an effective fee. Nancy, do we need to now open this and table it and then go to the next one and go back as we have done in the past? Um, you do. So, you can basically
discuss so you can discuss the budget uh to determine how much money you need in order to determine what the rate's going to be. Okay. So you would we need to have a motion in a second to table this to move on to item B.
Yes. To go ahead and move on to item B. All right. I'll make that motion. Mayor, I'll second. I got a motion by councelor King. Seconded by councelor Safford. Any further discussion? Councelor King. Hi. Councelor Safford. Hi. Councelor Woodson. I. Vice Mayor Adherald. I as well. That motion carries unanimously.
Item B. This is resolution 25-263 fiscal year 20 26 tenative budget. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach adopting the tenative budget for fiscal year 2025 2026 commencing October 1st, 2025 and
ending on September 30th, 2026 setting the second and final budget adopted public hearing for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025 at 5:01 p.m. and providing for an effective date. Joe. Um, good afternoon or good evening everyone. I'm Joanzuk, the finance
director for the town of Fort Myers Beach. Um, I would just like to begin by thanking Cassandra, um, our budget manager. She did really all of the work on putting the presentation together. And then our town manager and department heads for all of the input into, um, all
the data and the decision- making that went into it. And of course, um, the input from the town council members. So what we're starting with is just to kind of review where we're starting from. And so we simply moved forward in terms of
like the actual resolution for the budget, the same budget that was presented at the budget workshop. So that's that's what this resolution reflects and what this presentation will start out. But then we went further than that. We we started we we went from
where we started at the workshop and then we have a series of proposals um to present to you tonight um for an alternate budget. So just to review where we started from the the overview of what we're going to
be doing. We're going to show you where I'm sorry I must have pressed a button by mistake. Okay. We're going to show you where we we started from with the budget workshop version of the budget. We're going to present the tenative adjustments and then we're going to
present the actual resulting budget. We're going to take a break um and move into the fee schedule portion of the budget process and then we'll come back and discuss the millage rate. So this is this is just kind of a brief
overview of what we already presented to you at the workshop just so you know where we started from. So this shows you um the general fund budget revenue and expenses by department. So the first column is the revenue, second column expenses, and then the last column is
the difference between the two, the net. So this is where we started from. If you move all the way to the end, the second page, you can see that we had that deficit of $1.191 million that we then had the challenge
um to um cover. Just as a reminder regarding the bridge loan calculation, it's calculated or the amount of bridge loan that we'll be using is calculated based on the 2022 revenues um which is prehurricane yen
except for advorum revenue because that there's a delay of one year. So the advorum is actually compared to the 2023 revenues. Any increase just and also a reminder any increase in most fees will only
reduce the amount of the bridge loan that and it has no effect on the actual deficit. This is just to give you another Joe before we move on on that. So based on what you just said there with the fees is everything you're presenting today is it based on
the current fee schedule that you have in front of us or is it based on something that could change? Well, there's only a few line items in here that are reflective of any kind of fee changes. Okay. So, any fee changes would be additional
revenues that would be coming into the town. it wouldn't necessarily change the deficit because it'll just reduce the amount of bridge loan, which is a good thing, but that's not reflective in the budget um presentation today. The actual fee changes will be presented to you,
but the dollar amount of the impact is not here yet. We don't have that calculated yet. Okay. So, just as a to give you an idea of where we stand with the bridge loans. So, we started out with 11.9 million. We used 3,85,000
for the first year. FY23, we used 2,549,000 for FY24. We're budgeted to use 2,25,952 for FY25. It'll probably be lower than that once we complete the year and do
our analysis. And then we're proposing to use in next year's budget, $1.4 million. So that's a total of 9,271,000 um of the bridge loan that will be used leaving 2.6 million remaining. And as you can see as revenues have been
gradually increasing over the years since hurricane um Ian are the amount of bridge loan has also been reducing um accordingly must be. Now, starting from that budget that was
presented to you, these are the proposed changes to it um based on individual line items that each of our department heads went through um in order to um help cover that 1.1 million deficit. So,
the the first and the the biggest change occurred um in the Bay Oaks recreation area. Um this I might it might be easier for me. I'm not trying to figure out where I can look. That'll be clear. Um the first one is to remove 3.25
full-time equivalent part-time recreation aids out of the Bay Oaks recreation. That would save about $136,000. And our department head um Jeff Hoggy will be um coming to speak to regarding
the impacts of of these cuts um once we get through this slide, the couple of slides here. Um there's uh and he went through line item by line. I'm trying to find every possible way to to to save and to correct anything that may have
been um budgeted incorrectly. So 3,000 was cut from the cell phone expense. water, sewer, storm water charges. We reduced that significantly because the original budget was based on the actual expenditures that we had experienced
that previous year or I I should say our current year, but that incorporated um the costs of the temporary town hall trailer complex that was tied into the Bay Oaks recreational complex. And so that caused their bills to look higher
than they normally would be. So, we pulled that out. That's that $40,000 reduction for water, sewer, and storm water. And then also from electric um waste also has a reduction of $4,000. Um equipment rental was eliminated, so that
$1,000 that was set aside for that is gone. Um repairs and maintenance was brought down um to zero 2,000 saved $2,000. Promotional activities were cut to down to $500. Um saving $2,000.
um other services like athletic programs, the the um supplies and types of things that they would need for that was cut by $2,000. A major cut was made in terms of eliminating the budget for special
events. So, this would cover that $155,000 increase that was um part of that $200,000 budget that was supposed to cover fireworks and then the remainder was to cover such things as um the
Halloween event and the Easter egg hunt. Um operating supplies were cut um in half to saving $5,000, uniforms down to zero, saving $2,000. emergency supplies.
Um we we added $500 to cover that. Um so that's all rel related to Bay Oaks. Here's the list that has to do with Moundhouse. We have the Moundhouse grant um is an additional revenue line item
that was not incorporated previously. That's a line item that doesn't affect the bridge loan um calculation. So that will help the deficit by $20,000. Um the moundhouse donations, same thing.
That will help um the deficit by 7,500 by including that in the budget. Um janitor services um cut cut $3,000. Educational programs by $500. Pest control um down or I'm sorry, we're
increasing that by $2,500. publication and advertisements down $500. Cell phones down 3,000. Um it so you can see there's just there's small but um significant cuts when you add the total all up. So we got freight, um
printing, promotional activities, $7,000, office supplies, $6,000, educational supplies, books, training, water and sewer. Um then we get down to personnel. This is a cut um of 70 that
would save 73,000 by removing the educational coordinator position that is current that was budgeted in terms of the original workshop budget. Then there would be um adding three maintenance workers for grounds and
street which is would add $194,000 back into the budget that had was originally cut from the budget that was presented to you um in for the workshop. This would restore those cut positions.
And then um Josh, just one second. Yes. Question on that public works maintenance. Is that that's not really under the moundhouse, correct? That's just in public works. That's a totally separate bucket. It is. Okay.
It is. Um and what how we tried to organize this was by the um the would all fall under community services director. And so now Jeff would would come up and speak to the impacts of this. Okay. Good evening.
Push. Uh, good evening. My name is Jeff Hogy, community services director. So, I like uh thank you Joe for that. Um, my services that I run as I direct are um parks and recreation, the culture department, which is Moundhouse and Newton Beach Park, um the utilities
department, and public works. Um the majority of the cuts we did know and we heard um from the council at our first budget hearing um or our first talks that we had were uh to to bridge that gap. Um nationally 24% of
of funds come from taxes uh or excuse me fees. The rest come from the government uh general fund. So we're no different than any other municipality really. We don't we're not here to make money. It's an amenity to the town. But we are going to make some significant cuts cuts to bridge that
gap. Um for parks and wreck, we are going to cut a total of $436,88$850 off the off the budget. Um that'll bridge that gap was uh 1.2 million and uh we're cutting almost $440,000.
Um one of those athletics coordinator position we cut. Um that's so when when I talk about any of these cuts, uh a lot of them are going to have some impacts and risks for the my department. Um and I'm just going to go through kind of
what those what that would look like um due to these cuts. So removing an athletic coordinator, we aren't going to have basketball leagues, volleyball leagues, uh pickleball leagues. They'll those will most likely all be eliminated. Um, what I don't want to happen is that we make all these huge
cuts and then our um, youth and teen coordinator has to take on all these leagues and everything. They are already short staffed down at Bay Oaks. Um, you'll see in a second. We'll have to reduce the hours that we have there, but um, and then youth leagues and clinics will probably be eliminated. We had some
soccer leagues that were down there, basketball leagues. Um, we used to have flag football that we wanted to bring back and those those um those most likely will not be able to happen at Bays because of these cuts. Um, the four wades that we're going to cut some one full-time uh three three part-time is
it's going to mean less hours for the the rec center to be open. Um, you know, we won't be able to open like we were seven days a week. The weekends um early mornings, I know that's we we hear the the residents loud and clear. They want to be open in the morning, but they also want us to be open at night. So,
we just can't do it with the staff that we have. Um, and then when it comes to our after school and summer youth programs, um, it's just going to be a higher youth staff to youth ratio. Right now, we run about a 1 to 10 ratio for one one staff
and to 10 kids, which is I used to work uh nonprofit for the Boys and Girls Club. That's about average. Uh, when we cut make these cuts, it'll be one kid to about eight uh one staff to about 18 kids. So, it will be a significant impact and potentially impacting um attendance. So,
Jeff, before you go on, go back just a little bit. The cuts you said being open in the morning and being open at night, is that based on what your current staffing level is or if these cuts were made, budgetary cuts were made? Um, we did have an opening for athletics coordinator that we hadn't um staffed.
So, that would be one that we we just cut. So, that's actually a do the hours that we have now are really stretching us just to be open to what we are. So, you know, 8 8 in the morning till 7:00 p.m. But, uh, these cuts like we could be open on weekends if we had the wreck aids, you know, we we had a lot more
staff and, you know, prehurricane Ian um to be open all all these hours and we were open pretty much um uh about 7 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. um on a normal normal year. So, um yeah, these are these are actually
openings that we had. Um, we're not we don't have to cut staff right now. We don't have to tell anybody that's currently working that their their position is cut. These are openings that we had that we've been that we're going to try to fill. Um, but now with the budget cuts, we won't be able to fill
that those. So, any other questions about staffing before we go on to the next one? Yeah. And Jeff, what about um the thought process? We had a conversation about key fob entry, that type of thing. Are we saying that that's even off the
table because there wouldn't be a staff member on site or how? No, we just today we we kind of had some initial conversations. Um, and what what councelor Woodson is talking about is having um a key fob system like like some fitness centers have where you can
go in without it being staffed. Um, some are open 24 hours, which we would we I don't think we would be. it'd be more like 5:00 a.m. Um, they could come in and then we we'd open up at 8 with staff and then in the evening we'd probably be open till 10 or 11 o'clock and we we close at 7. So there' be some additional
hours for uh residents to come in and work out. We are trying to work that out with uh not only the insurance with the liability that we might have and then um we do have have some funds uh in our in our uh parks and wreck impact fee that can pay for some of those improvements.
So that wouldn't come out of the budget. those are fe fees that we we have to be using anyway. So, um it is a possibility. We're just in the the very early stages of that. Um I did talk to our town attorney and just briefly and we got to do a little more digging into
liability on that one, but we are trying to accommodate the residents and the and the guests as much as we can with the limited staff that we're going to have. So, yeah, that is one idea that we that we may have. So, uh and then special events, that's that's the big one. That's the $200,000
uh what? Gorilla, Dan. Mayor Dan. Um is that that would be eliminating all of our special events. Obviously, the big ones are are our elimination of Fourth of July parade and fireworks and our New Year's fireworks. Um
when you look at the budget and you look at when we say, "Hey, we need, you know, but it's 40,000 for the fireworks, 40,000 for the barge." um you know that's 80,000 but you don't take into account all of our rentals. We have to rent you know portable toilets. We have
to rent um dumpsters, lighting, we have to pay staff overtime to be here because it's usually on a holiday. Um we got to pay for the sheriff's services. We have to we have to close the bridge. We have to pay the permit for the fire department. All that added up last year to about $155,000.
Um and that's not including that's a different line item too for sheriff's services. some of the sheriff's office services came out of a different fund as well. So, we do have other special events that that it would definitely impact uh the Halloween Fright Night, Easter, and other community events that
we have um for the the public that we like to run. So, um luckily this year we had gotten some generous donations to do our our fright night, but it would not be in the budget next year um with these cuts. Uh any questions on special events?
Okay. Um and then just overall program and operational funds, just reduce supplies and amenities. Um reduce youth programs after school and summer program supplies. Um elimination and reduction of summer field trips impacting attendance. Our uh I guess in in
coordination or in contrast to a lot of uh um summer programs, we get we give our residents uh a pretty good deal. you know, they go on a field trip twice a week, one being a paid one to like Sunsplash or something, and then one to maybe like the library. So, we go we try
to do two a week. Um, this would probably reduce some of that um to maybe one every other week uh depending on how the finances uh lay out. So, it it would probably be an impact on attendance that way where we aren't providing as much as
we had in the past um for our residents and and guests that that come to our summer programs. Jeff, with respect to those youth programs, are those youth programs uh uh means tested at all? Uh are they means tested? How so? In other words, uh more affluent folks
could pay some folks who are less affluent would be subsidized or helped. Yeah, we have the we have the one fee. Um the residents pay a lot less and we'll go over that in the fee schedule when we get to it. Um but non-residents definitely pay more. We we charge more.
But we also have a scholarship program um that we have to accommodate those people that cannot afford it. We have a kind of a scale of what they can pay. So it's really based on resident non-residents, not it's not means tested. No, not unless you're looking for some kind of um assistance.
Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Any other questions about about Bay Oaks um or the wreck department? You Jeff, you said those those field trips. Is that the boss program that you're talking about? Those are the youth. So during our
eightweek, you know, summer program for youth, um they come, they come all day. Um where they're basically their child care for the summer. We go on field trips just to get them out getting experiencing uh different different things that they may not with their families. Um and getting them just out
out and about outside or um you know, just out of the gym, right, for lack of lack of better word. But um yeah, I mean those those are pretty significant. Other programs that I've ran, they do a standard fee and then they do almost like a a field trip fee
or an allocart. We actually include that in all of ours. Um I think we tried to do the allocart maybe a couple years ago. Um but it it it wasn't necessarily received well. So we just had the one fee for the for the entire program. So they pay I think it's like one 125 or
150 a week and that includes a nice field trip but that also includes the staffing the snack you know use of our our amenities. So well you can when he's done if you want to ask him a question we can do that. U so that's kind of my my impacts and
risks for for Bay Oaks at least. Sorry, this is might take a little bit because I have a few departments, but uh that was my for parks and wreck. Um Moundhouse again, we made $130,000 worth of cuts. Um one that's probably going to impact more
so than others is the another education coordinator. Um this is going to impact result diminished or elimination of programs including moundhouse tours, kayak tours, youth programs, um and field trips. We used to um we also used to go up to Heights and do a weekly
program with uh maybe not weekly but every other week to our beach school kids. We would that would be eliminated um as part of this as well. But um not to it wouldn't eliminate all kayak tours but instead of doing a couple a week would probably be down to one a week um and gain where that probably gains a lot
of our revenue. Um mouse tours we wouldn't have as many as many tours because somebody would have to sit at the front desk. Um and then it would also eliminate uh proactive outre out outreach and promotion of the moundhouse in Newton Park. We've really gained a lot of traction over the past year um
working with Adam and the moundhouse staff to go to festivals um get out there getting our name out there having a tent. Okay. Um don't even think it. Not didn't I'm just kidding. Keep going.
Um, you know, we've had tents and tents and booths at these festivals and it gained a lot of traction as far as uh putting our name out there. A lot of times I think we all know that mound houses, you know, that a lot of people don't know where it is, but we really gained traction in the last year and our attendance is actually showing it. We are we are up as far as the grounds and
tours. Um, and then reduced hours at mount house in the museum store. We just we just have to reduce um when it's open, when the store is open um which will also reduce revenue. Um, it'd also be visitor services. Um, we are planning
on moving our visitor services position um to to pay for or they're going to be moving to Bay Oaks to kind of cover some of those co some of that and she'll be working both, but it'll reduce mouth and museum store hours, reduction of services to residents and uh the public
there. Um, so we won't have somebody there, you know, guiding people, you know, in the museum store. We'll have to use an education coordinator for that. um which takes away from what their real job really is. So, and then program and operations funds that reduce program
material for residents and guests, limit to the experience for visitors of the moundhouse. Um we can't offer as many amenities to them as far as you know, we have little things for kids and we give out um you know, pamphlets and those things so they can take home with them.
Those would would seriously be reduced. Reduction of funds to perform best museum practices. We've really got on a good track these past two years with Adam doing the the maps program um museum accreditation program um and then so we we're trying to get back to best
museum practices and uh legal uh acceptance of materials. So even if we get a painting in there is a legal way to do that. Um we can't just take it and we have we have to session it into the
town of Fort Myers Beach collection. So then we can it's a process where they sign off on it. So we if we get a a painting in and then somebody passes away and the kids say no that's mine we can legally take that in as ours. I know
it sounds kind of strange but we do get artifacts uh in quite a bit. I'm not talking just Kousa artifacts but but town artifacts you know things throughout the years um that we we have gotten. Um, you know, I think, uh, one of the paintings that we have up, we had to a session. Um, and we just have to do
that for legality purposes. Um, and we definitely need we we just hired not just, but we've had uh, uh, somebody at the moundhouse that's been doing our collections, and some people go by and say, why why do we need that? But as a museum, um, that's a liability that we don't have those assessed. Um, so we
have somebody that's actually cataloging those um because they are our responsibility to keep them um legally in our possession. So u we do have obligation, you know, not only not only keep the moundhouse
open and tell the story, but to collect um artifacts and and things like that from the town when they come in. Uh and then public works we are going to you saw on there it might be a little shocking because of all these cuts but we are adding additional three public
works uh street department um pre-Ean we had six to eight um we are we with the first round of cuts we went down to two um and if you think of it this way uh one of the things that we kind of I guess get beat up for are the medians
the potholes we just haven't been able to keep up um at all Um, so we wanted to do was add a few more in. We we found some some extra dollars that we could cut other programs and and put that into public works. Um, because they do anything that's not beach. We have our
beach team and then we have our street team. Our beach team is paid through TDC and they need to they do work just on the beach. Um, they are kind of obligated to do that. TDC funds do not pay for anything. if they go put up a street sign, um that's general fund. So,
it could add up quick. Um so, if we don't add those in, you know, the roadways, signs, sand removal, um townwide medians, including Astero Boulevard, that is our responsibility. Aero Boulevard, as you know, is not technically our responsibility roadway
wise, but we have an agreement with uh with Lee County that we will maintain a serero boulevard. They did give us a a chunk of money um a few years ago to do that. Um we that's Time Square Bayside Veterans Park. Um so we reallocated some
of the the community policing and combine uh in combination of reducing in the mouth house staff and the Bay staff to kind of cover those costs. So we felt like uh you know definitely public works does um play a huge role in how our how
our uh community looks. Um, we don't do the garbage. We don't do the recycling. I get that. We don't pick up yard waste. That's that's waste management, but we still have um seven miles of of roads and back back roads that we have to maintain. Um, and two people just was
not cutting it. I mean, you'd get a quarter of the way down a stero medians and you'd have to turn right back around in rainy season and do it again. So, um, you know, if we don't if those don't get added in and even with five, it still is hard. I mean, it's hard to catch up with
all the the mowing and trimming and, you know, potholes. Our task list is just very high. And I I think it's it's just important to put that message out there that we're trying our best uh with what we have and uh hopefully we can actually gain a few public works guys out of this.
Any questions? Scott, any questions for Jeff? So, on on on the fireworks, um did you look at maybe just cutting um
New Year's Eve, keeping the fourth since it's our 250th anniversary? It's on a Saturday. We we know that and I I know like um towns like Fort Meyers is doing just one more and then they're cutting theirs for for good, too. So it I we were just
asked to reduce that fee and this is just one thing that happens one and don't I'm not trying to diminish it. No no in the whole scheme of things it's it's one day. I know it's a big part. Um I know it used to be funded partly by us partly by by other um entities which
would be great. Um we tried to do that one uh about two years ago. We didn't somebody promised us money we didn't get it back. So, it's hard when we say, you know, we we'll raise money, but we we haven't been able to as a town. Yeah, I'm looking I'm looking just, you
know, I I understand the budgetary aspect, but it being our 250th anniversary of the country, it's on a Saturday, Monday's Monday is going to be the legal holiday, the economic impact. I'm looking at big
picture, not just just the town's budget, but you're talking a huge economic impact if we don't have a you know, if we don't have fireworks. Yeah. And that's just I mean that's what I and this I'm just I'm just kind of letting you know the risks and the impacts of of these proposed cuts. So
ultimately it's up to to you all to decide if you want to make but I I also understand you know we we've got to use a barge now that everything's gone up. Yeah. I know like Santa Belt, they don't do it on a barge, but they have land. You have to have a 500 foot radius. We
just don't have that on this island. Um even we tried to get um the Red Coconut or Seagate property. It just wasn't a big enough area that the fire department would approve us to to to do those in. We can't do it at Bay Oaks. There just isn't that much room um that we have to
do them without using a barge and that without the pier. So that's that that increases the cost significantly. Um, not only do we have to do the barge, but we have to get the Coast Guard's help. We have to have the sheriff's office boats out there. So, we got to pay for all that.
So, I it's just something that I I don't want to I of course I I love fireworks, too, but it's just something in the budget that's kind of attainable to cut. I mean, I think we've we've trimmed the fat, if you will, off our budget, and I don't,
you know, there probably are some additional cuts that we probably could make, but again, they're bigger risks than having, you know, spending 150 thou or spending 100,000 or 120,000 on on fireworks. So would you say that the 200 is for both
events or is is the fourth more because it's a the fireworks alone when we we ran the numbers were 155,000 total. So where's what's the So that's for both events or just one. That's total that's both. But we also had other special events through the town. Okay.
You know the Easter egg hunt, the Fright Night? Okay. I mean we do other things besides the fireworks um parades that that we may help with that we need staff for. Um, we need uh rangers. If there's a say the the women's club does their parade, we still have to have staff there, you
know, and then that all comes out of this. I'm not saying we're not going to have staff there, but we're going to have to start charging for it. So, you're talking Christmas bike parade, you're talking fright night. Most of those are ran by by nonprofits. Okay. But, uh, you know, at some point we do
have a we do have a hand in at least the patrol of it. Okay, that's all I have right now. Mr. Mayor, councelor Woodson. Yeah, couple of things. Um, we have just reestablished the Friends
of Bay Oaks and we've been certified now with a 501c3. So, in looking at options, I mean, I understand cutting it from the budget, but the whole reason of having a friend's organization is for fundraising
and for being able to fund some of the elements that are not covered in the budget and the town. So, because we have this, I think it'd be a great um what's the word I want to say? you know,
challenge for them um that if we do cut this, it doesn't mean we have to actually cut the fireworks per se, but challenge the friends organization through donations and that type of thing to actually pay for it. So, it's an
option. Um they're putting together the board of the friends organization right now. So, that could actually help with some of the other things at Bay Oaks as well. Um, I I worry about the
afterchool programs and the summer programs for the kids. Um, it's a huge benefit for the parents and the working families in the town. They come and they drop their kids off. They're in a safe environment. They do great things for
them. Um, I worry about a 1 to 18 ratio for these kids. I don't know how is that the norm is it not the norm it can be I know depending on the organization um but the national kind of average I mean on the high end would be
1 to 25 in a big organization but you know 1 to 15 1 to 18 still a lot of kids to maintain when you're you're going out to sunsplash or you're even outside on the playground so I I understand that we used to run you know 1 to 10 or 1 to 15 um in my previous you know my previous
career and it works out but it's just not as ideal. I think the the the parents have been accustomed to those low numbers, right? Um and I worry about I mean our liability insurance for that does that increase because we have increased those ratios.
I mean there's a lot of different Yeah. um aspects to look at with it. And going back to the fireworks, we need we would need to sign a contract here in the next few weeks if not couple weeks to get to secure one
for New Year's. Um all the planning that goes into it are even our permitting. Um I think the Coast Guard likes about 90 days out which we'd be very close to. Um so it's one of those I I I know I' also I've thought of the friends. It's it's
just a kind of a question mark for me is if we would get those funds. Um I know a lot of towns that we've been doing our research to. I mean the nonprofits run the fireworks. The town doesn't necessarily run it. So um
because I think they they there's costs involved and there's a lot more that are cutting fireworks. You know, even in Florida, they're not doing them anymore. But it's just it's an option out there. I just it's something that, you know, we just propose to cut to try to save some of
the other funding, but it's just the risks and the impacts that I'm trying to point out. Yeah. I mean, just just things to think about. I know the um friends organization has their second meeting
coming up the end of this month. So maybe that's a time that you can make a presentation to them is you know what's their role as a friends organization and what are they responsible for? Yeah responsible for I'm sorry to interrupt. That is one thing even with the friends of mouth
house they they help us out with our budget too. some of these. I know Adam Knight, our museum manager, was going to ask the friends for some help um in in kind of getting some of these funds, but they as awesome as they are, they haven't had
the opportunity to raise a whole lot of money either. I mean, they still have they've been doing so well for us. We we're so appreciative, Ellen, to to the friends. Um but, you know, they're they have budgets, too, and we can try to recoup some of it. And uh I just with
the friends of of Bay Oaks, I think they have a pot of money hopefully still in there, Joe, of about 16,000. So it would it would it's a good start. Um but there are risks. Okay. Thanks,
Vice Mayor, Jeff. These youth programs, uh they're very highly acclaimed. Uh I talked to a lot of parents who are thrilled about them. The reason why I asked the means testing question is I do hear from these parents sort of whispering to me what a
great deal it is. And I asked that because you know we've some parents are very blessed and more affluent than others. Are we charging market rate? And if we did charge market rate would we have to cut these programs back? We're close. We're a little uh as far as the residents go we're probably under.
Um, as far as non-residents, we're probably getting closer to where where we should be. Um, if you if you were to charge market rate to everyone, would you be able to save some of these programs? Possibly. But I know we'd also lose some
some participants. I mean, we raised it what, two years ago, and we had we dropped a number of people. Did you? Yeah. But we are proposing again as as you might see just a little bit of an increase $25. Um
I didn't know how subsidized it was. But it's not that far from market rate is what you're saying. It's no it's not too far off. It's just the summers get a little and and how municipalities work is the general fund kind of kicks that in a little bit as an amenity, but we're trying to bridge that gap like we were asked to. So um the fee
we're we're proposing to go up. um not as much of an impact to the residents as a non-resident, but we're still going to try to get that gap going because yeah, I mean costs of everything are going up. You know, it used to be you could go to the movie for, you know, $3 and now it's like 11 a person, you know, so costs are
going up. Um what year what year was it when you were going to the movies for $3? Well, they had dollar theaters still when I was growing up. They had you could go for a dollar. Um they do still have matineese that are around $3 if we can find the right day, but Okay. They're not the newest movies, but
senior citizens. Yeah, for that one. We And yeah, I mean, it's hard obviously to to to make these cuts. I would and and you guys to make a decision on on this, too. I I understand. I'm not being critical. I'm just brainstorming with you. You've done a
good job of finding economies and belt tightening and so forth. So, I'm not here to I I think you've done an excellent job of of trying to find economies. So, I just was just brainstorming a little bit on some of these challenges. Yeah, it we're right in there. I did look up like when u Cape Coral is a youth
program or um even my son could go to his after school program. We're we're close. We're maybe a little bit less. Um and partly is the after school is a little less because right now unfortunately they're getting bust in. They don't get there till 4:00 or after.
We're open till 6. So, we don't want to gouge parents. with the limited time that they're there. The school thing is is obviously complicated everyone's world. So, okay, that's all I've got. Thank you, Jeff. Counc, I'll um back up what the mayor said. I
think you did a good job of of looking uh and making the tough decisions, and I appreciate that. Um, have you checked into drones for fireworks that would save on a boat rental or Yeah, they were around I think 50 or 60
when I looked. Um, I know there are places that have done it around here. It would probably save us a little. Um, but I don't I don't know. I mean, I don't know. Total cost. We'd still have to have everything else. The major cost, you know, like I said, is the barge
would help, but major cost is everything else we have to put towards those special events. Um, you know, I know, um, Tom Yazo, he's got to put a lot of rangers into it. We have to have police that shut down the bridge. It just gets to be really costly. Um, I would say,
and I I want to just say 155,000 came out of my budget. Um, more of the policing came out of Tom's budget. So, total budget-wise, I I wish I had that number, but and maybe Tom, maybe you may know, but it's every time we do it, it just it racks up with the sheriff's
office. Um, so if if you want to know a total cost, I don't know if Tom, if you can answer that maybe when you come up, but um that's 155 just out of my budget. Some of that does come through mind
service director it's spared across the the whole gambit and the sheriff's department I will say a lot of credit they have thrown a lot to us uh outside the scope of that but it's pretty dramatic number I don't
have right off hand right now we were working on for that the overtime that comes Rangers for the public safety side of that really Jefferson public safety side which ultimately if we're going to gather people in one place we have to be
prepared to protect them in every manner and make sure that we're controlling the space in a manner that makes it safe for everyone who's involved and who's there and yeah I'm not sure would and I don't know because I haven't explored it but I know some residents have brought it up
um basically because of the environmental concerns and and the noise pollution concerns from from fireworks. Um I don't know if you'd have to shut down a bridge for a drone show. I I don't know how that would work. I think they do that just they don't do it for fireworks. They do it for safety
again, but I'm not sure. Correct. Yes. Yes. I we could certainly uh look into it. We did do some We tried when uh previous town manager Andy Hyatt was here. We did look into it a little bit. Um they have had some issues with drone shows. There was one in Orlando. Yes. Yeah. So
yeah, it's something we can look at. Um I I think when we looked it was about 60,000. Um so it' save us about 20,000 and then some. Yeah. Then there'll be added liability which we still have it but usually the companies
that you wouldn't need to pay the fire department. Oh yeah, you would. They would still they would they would still want it for EMS. They always they always want a station down there no matter what it is. Even if it's the uh the parade, we pay a lot of money for the parade just to for security. Um and
I'm not saying that I don't mean to keep being negative about it. It's just there's a big cost to it. Um no, we get it. One thing we I don't want to cut. I mean, I I I get to work Fourth of July. I get to work New Year's because it's
fun. The fireworks are fun once they're going off and not uh we also have the risk of possible fog that may come in. Um, sorry if you had to do, but uh, you know, we have those risks, too. A drone show you could reschedule, though. Drone show you could possibly reschedule
depending on how the contract runs. Um, I know with the fireworks once it's on the barge and it's loaded, they're ours. Um, we pay for them. So, I if I could add, I know I know they they have looked into the drone show as Jeff mentioned. One thing that we will be able to do this year, and I've already started talking with the uh with
the Chamber of Commerce, is is they do plan to have a drone show during the the Sand Castle competition this year. So, it'll be a good measuring for us to see the the total cost, the effectiveness, all the other um services that are required for that event for comparison
purposes. I I don't have that yet, but I'm looking forward to having that data. I've been working with Jackie to make sure that we're tied in with that. So, that's excellent. Thank you. Um, and just another side thought, I I hope maybe we could get some citizens to start volunteering for things. Uh, would
the citizens be able to uh run the gift shop at the mound house and things like that? Uh, liability wise, I don't know. If they're not an employee, um, I I could look into it. We do use utilize volunteers there for tours, those kind of things, but to handle money, um, I
don't know if we can I'll have to look that. I haven't I haven't looked at that, but yes, certainly if if we can utilize volunteers and we we also can utilize volunteers for our summer uh youth program, you know, if if that can cut down if they're if they're with a group of of 18 kids, that really cuts down the eyes. Um so there there are
ways to try to help that out, too. So, I appreciate it. I you know, I know how this has impacted you and it's not easy and I appreciate your efforts. Thank you. Yeah, Jeeoff, I mean, you've done a great job of doing exactly what we asked of you to go and try to find cuts where you could find them. Obviously, the the
fireworks was the lowhanging fruit, for lack of a better term, to really look at. I'd love to see that program go back to the way it was where the town had a specific amount they put in and then the rest was funded through the chamber and local businesses in a match. It seemed to work really well that way. Obviously,
that's back when we had a pier. Um, but I'd like to see us look at that program again because Scott's right, it is an economic impact. But to me, I think the economic impact of the fireworks should be should be paid for by the people who are benefiting also, not just the taxpayers um,
specifically. So, it's we all love fireworks. We all love to see them. We would all love every single one of these events, but we challenged you with a very hard task and and you did it. Now, it'll be up to us to make those decisions. The other thing that's concerning a little bit is the the you know we always hear why isn't Bay Oaks
open more? Why isn't this open more? Well, this is exactly why. This is exactly why. And as these condos come back online, people who aren't here or aren't paying attention. Um, as we heard earlier today, you're going to start seeing more condos come back on. When they come
back, they don't have restaurants to go eat at yet. They're going to want things to do. They love the boss programs. They love their pickle ball. They love all that. and these potential cuts would basically not allow them to do that. And u I'm sure our inboxes and your inbox would fill up very quickly when when we
start getting filled back out. But you know, it was a it was a tough task we gave you, but uh you did your job and now we have to do ours. Yeah. And our goal, you know, is always to stay open as much as we can. Um, so we're going to stretch as far as we can go, but a lot of it is personnel and we
need people to provide those services and it's just the nature of the beast right now and we needed to make cuts and we need to bridge that gap and try to do the best we could. It'll be a stressor on on some of our staff. I I know that and those of that are listening during
my meetings, it's going to it's going to take a toll on them. It definitely will, but uh that just means that services for the town won't be as plentiful. That that hurts me to say because I'm definitely a parks and recck guy and I love the moundhouse and
but it is what it is right now. That's our that's our culture we got right now. Thanks Jeff. Thank you. So u kind of related to um what was just mentioned was um emergency services. So, this is where um emergency services
director um Tom Yaza will come and speak regarding about the $50,000. We better make sure we didn't lose our Everything's rebooting. Hold on. Yeah. Hey, mine came back quick.
We have recorded. So, You can hear the thing. It's going. It's live. Did we run out of money or Josh says we're still live? We're still We're still going. We're still broadcasting. We're still Okay. Oh, here we go. We're back. Okay.
Back. He's got Is he coming? We We can move on to the next item just until Tom is available. Yeah. All right. So in time's not here. He's cut. We'll just skip over his. Okay. We can
move on to the human resource change. Um this was to increase employee engagement budget from 10,000 to 20,000. And our human resources director Tisa Alivera is here um to address um the reason for that.
Yeah, that mic works a lot better. big laptop. Okay. Hi, my name is Tis Oliver. I'm the human resources director for the town. Um, so I am requesting to increase our employee appreciation budget. Uh, recently we had an
interactive workshop with our employees for our strategic plan and I don't want to give out too much information. I was not a part of it. um but our human resources generalist was and a few of our directors and they gave me some really great feedback. So, our staff was asked to engage in the strategic plan um
workshop and a portion of that was to talk about uh what's working well at the town and then what challenges we face. How can we improve from an employer standpoint and it was uh brought up that at times employees uh don't feel appreciated and uh we um I get that we
ask a lot of our of our employees. Um, currently we have a monthly lunch and uh birthday and anniversary celebration that we hold and that cost about $700 every time we do that. So that equates to $8,400 annually. So that basically
almost maxes out our budget. I would like to have a nice Christmas party for them and I would also like to um establish an employee recognition program so that when they hit their anniversary milestones we can actually present them with a nice gift or plaque um you know and they can just a way for
us to appreciate them and uh boost morale and employee retention um and so be that's so that is the reason for um for the increase that I'm requesting. Scott, you have a question for Tisa?
Not right now. Karen, again, it's not a question. It's more of, you know, the cost of turnover versus a $10,000 increase in employee retention is basically what we're trying to solve for.
Um, more than that is eaten up in just one replacement search. Absolutely. So, I mean, I would look at that as just saying this is, you know, we do ask a lot and now we're cutting even more and they're going to be
working even harder. So, we don't want to see that turnover. Yeah. And and just for context, Karen, thank you. That is uh so true. Um for context, in that same workshop, and I'm sorry, I hope if Dr. Kohler was here, she might be don't give away too much.
Um it was brought up that oftentimes our employees feel like they are overworked and asked to perform duties out outside of their um established job responsibilities and that is a direct result of the the um environment that we are in post Ian and you know every day
we're asked to do more. There are more challenges and we um we review our staff. We see what strengths they have and we ask them to, you know, we had an employee on our public's works team come and install, you know, the uh the brick down here and we have somebody handling
our special events that she has a different job. So, um we in my office, we do spend a lot of time trying to identify strengths and combine roles where we can. We really do ask a lot of our staff and they do a lot for us and
they have been so adaptable and so yeah, I mean I to me the $10,000 is well warranted and it will give me more flexibility to be able to give back to them. Um so they do feel more appreciated and they they deserve that.
Vice Mayor, just a just a little context, Joe, here. This presentation that you're putting forth, you didn't really set the table beforehand. Can you can you tease out what the end result of of all these discussions is? Is it a balanced budget at that point? Is that is that the end
end slide here just so as people listen to this at home they're getting a sense of the broader goal and the broader picture? Uh that is true. What we've done is we've tried to identify all the changes in the budget that would take us from that $1.191
million deficit and bring us to a balanced budget in the end. But in so doing, we wanted everyone to understand what the impacts were going to be of all these cuts just so that we have the full context when you make the decision. Very, very appropriate. I just wanted to make sure people who are watching who
hear these ad additions and subtractions realize that the end uh goal is to have a balanced budget without a military increase. Right. Well, that is true, but there are other considerations, too. You know, once we
get through this list of of potential I got you. But that's that's what we're focused on now. So, that's what we're focused on now. Thank you. I I don't have any addition additional questions, John. I don't have a problem with your request for the $10,000 for employee recognition
or engagement. Um, but I think it's important to note, and I'm not trying I don't know this. Uh, I'm assuming that you all do this. I'm just speaking for myself and how I interact with others, whether it's at a restaurant or something else. When I come into this
place, I try to tell people I appreciate what they do for the town. And that's a little thing that goes a long way to people or stopping and listening, um, asking them how they are. You get the normal response of, "I'm fine. No, I
really want to know." And it takes a little longer, but it shows you care. And I think that's important too. And I'm not trying to make a judgment there. This is just how I operate. And I I agree with that completely. And um one part of me trying to implement that performance review process is to
facilitate more of that open communication uh because we are so busy. And so making an intentional effort to sit down and discuss performance. I think that there's a lot of appreciation that needs to go into that process as well. And so we're in the middle of that now. So, I'm hoping that that will
contribute to that as well. Um, yes, it's every person and especially management's job to stop and and verbally appreciate employees every day. So, absolutely. I don't have anything additional. Thanks, Lisa.
Thank you. And you're doing a great job. See you. Good job. Um, now that Mr. Yeah, as I was back, I'll back up a couple slides so that he can explain um the $50,000
change for emergency lighting. Good morning or good afternoon, evening. Thomas Yazo, former Myers Beach Service Director. So to speak to the public safety aspect of this, we've built we've built a program now that had been
somewhat deficient over the past number of years. We took some of our personnel, changed them from just parking and we trained them and created a small group of people now who pay attention to a lot more on the island. parking is a small
part of what they do and part of that is the public service is getting them out there and helping. They're in the neighborhoods now as opposed to sitting at the beach accesses. So the goal behind this with the emergency lighting is we're going we're doing more
assistance on a stereo side streets in the special events that we do. That does not include the stuff that's you know we may lose but and that includes critical incidents everything from a storm to what we just had an MVA up the road that
may be affecting some of our it seems to be storm related but with our flashing lights. But the idea is to have our vehicles have lighting on them that incorporates a safety aspect to have our vehicles be able to do and help with with motor
vehicle accidents to be able to help with these different critical incidents to have them at different locations. So that's the idea behind this. It includes lighting for those vehicles, but it also includes equipment that will help in the event of a critical incident. And that's everything from generator space to
satellite recovery when we're dealing with things quickly. So, we're on the scene to help. And that's kind of the idea of this 50,000 which is being pulled out of another fund which is still related to to uh community policing.
Tom, when you say lights, I assume you're talking about overhead lights and just something that will protect our staff and also protect our public. Alert lighting. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Scott, questions for Tom. No, not this time.
Jim, I I have a question. Uh Tom, it's really more of an opportunity for you to and I know you'd be uncomfortable doing this. I I don't know that the taxpayers fully appreciate or know uh how you the things that you're doing to professionalize public safety on Fort Myers Beach in
terms of the town's role. Would you just take a second and talk a little bit about your background and what you bring to Fort Myers Beach? Um, I'm a retired police officer from New York. Um, uh, I worked for the federal government for a certain period of time as well. And I
was retiring here to Fort Myers. Uh, I came down here. I moved here about four months before Hurricane Ian came and and ate us. So, at that time, I decided I was not going to be retired anymore. So, I went and helped search and rescue in certain areas around here. And then I
was uh asked to come and help Fort Myers Beach. So, I brought some of my history with me and the idea was to help LCSO within their scope to make a better interaction with us, the county, uh, with LCSO, the fire departments, the
EOC, emergency operations center to kind of bring that together so we didn't have an issue where we have another big critical incident and it turns into a soup sandwich. So, we're building that up with the idea that we're now have a
plan. We're going to follow that plan so the residents and our employees are safe if something does happen. You also have military service as well. Yes, sir, I do. Would you elaborate on that? It was a long time ago. I served I
served United States military and I served around most of South and Central America in the Marine Corps. Yes, sir. Part of it. Well, thank you for your service. I would say just as an aside uh since I've been on the council, the relationship with the Lee County uh Sheriff's
Department and the fire department uh has never been better. The cooperation, the coordination uh give that give you and Frankie and and our staff and our and quite frankly the mayor and our town council. It's just great to see that kind of symbiotic relationship uh going
forward. It's solved so many problems, prevents so many problems and and I know you play a significant role in that. Thank you. Thank you, John. No questions. I just um appreciate you. Thanks for all you do.
Yeah, I mean it uh I don't think people You're right, Jim. People understand how much Tom really does and his his team and how it's appreciated not just here, but in the county. I haven't talked to anyone that does hasn't enjoyed working with you or feels confident that when they pick up the phone, they know they've got someone on the other line
that's willing to work alongside with them and not fight them and things who gets it. So, uh, and I had that opportunity of working directly with you and and some of the equipment during Milton, so I got to see it firsthand, too. So, thank you for, uh, for all that you do, and
we'll we'll consider your ask. Thank you, sir. Okay. So, I'll move on to Okay, this is um an adjustment. Actually, it was more of a correction that we needed to make to the budget for
$40,000. Um we realized um in taking as we were trying to find places to cut, we actually looked at the line item in the mowing field and realized there wasn't enough budgeted there. Um I don't um Frankie, if you would like to come and explain um the reason for this change.
Good evening, Frankie. Turn on the butt. Good evening, Frankie Garpachek, community development director, our town of Fort Myers Beach. Uh, one of my duties is to look over the morning field. Um, it has been on the upswing ever since, uh, we have our new harbor
master involved. And uh part of this what we're talking about here today is instead of having town staff that did it in the past, you used to dive and do all the maintenance on the mooring field itself, the underwater anchoring, um which is a huge liability, not only to
make sure that you have the proper certifications to dive, but the right equipment and then also the great responsibility of getting the right people to do that job. um we've done away with that and it's been a lot cheaper and a lot less risk
on the town to have a company come in uh by annually and do the maintenance on the underwater anchoring. So that's where this adjustment is. Scott questions for Frankie. Frankie, if it's cheaper then why why is it 40,000 more?
It wasn't it was a correction. It was supposed to be put in at 60,000. It was only put in at 20,000. Okay. They realized that we had to make that correction like Joe said. Okay. Point taken. Thank you, Karen. Well, and I think we're looking at fees
as well for the mooring field, aren't we? And we are. Um, but to to to get to that point, we did a study last year with Curtis. one of his first duties here as harbor master was to look at um other municipal run or at least countyrun
facilities um along the Gulf Coast and we are right in that sweet spot. Um our our reservations are plum full. Uh they're they're full almost two months in advance. Um we've illustrated over even a trying period this last summer when things really dropped off that we
stayed booked through the entire doldrums of the summer and we continue to do so all the way into season this year. Um, so being in that sweet spot of not being the cheapest, not being the most expensive, um, that has helped us greatly keeping, uh, uh, that also with
this maintenance, uh, it allows us to get almost back to full capacity, which is, I believe, 88 balls that we would be able to moore. Uh, we're still having a little issue with, uh, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to get that front section out by uh, Snug Harbor, uh, tucked in a little bit more.
Um but that that's been uh ongoing cooperation between all three entities. Thank you, Jim. Just briefly, we had some uh I think unusual numbers, Joe, when you first presented about the Moringfield, which maybe gave us a little bit of a
distorted view. It it is as the leazison to the to the Moing Field. It's been my experience, Frankie, and you can elaborate on this, is that as the moing field uh became whole again as a result of the repairs after Hurricane Ian, and now that it's full, once we now have a
full moing field, we're on track to become revenue neutral again and and it should be self- sustaining. That's certainly our goal. Is that a fair characterization, Frankie? That is true, sir. So, you got to remember, you go back to the original uh premise of why the Moringfield was established. It was established uh on
twofold. one, they had gotten that grant for the the pumpout boat. The pumpout boat was established so people just weren't dumping waste into the back bay to keep it an ecological preserve. Uh with that comes the Moringfield and and the ability to have people not only
visit but also come and stay for extended period of time and have access to the town uh through the upland services which we've used through the Matanzas in um and at one time we actually had a office there prior to Ian. Um currently they're in our
emergency uh communications trailer under right behind that building um and underneath the bridge. Uh so today was the day that the dinghyd dock fully got installed, the brand new one that uh FEMA had helped us with right after the storm. So the improvements that we've
made, even though they may not seem great to the average person, uh to the people that come and listen to the Anchorage Committee, uh that have talked to Curtis, that have gone out and actually looked at what they've done out there. Um and the fact that we have people just waiting to come and use it
um that should show that we have a very good uh future ahead of us. Thank you. John, let me ask you this, Frankie. Is it a fair characterization to say then that the morning field is a benefit for this community uh environmentally for the bay
and economically for the town? Yes. So that's also part of my duties is looking at tourism and how do we keep the economic engine driving in this town and if you're bringing people in here um even on a overnight uh you know they're sailing up from the Keys or they're coming down from Tampa on a way to
somewhere else they stay here they they more they come to our our places. Look where they're coming out at. They're coming out right in our downtown business district. So that's what we want them to say. They come here. They have a great time. They see what we have to offer here in the town. And yes, it's still kind of sparse, but we have a lot
more to offer now than we did two years ago when this whole thing started as far as rebuilding back after Ian. So, we have a lot of repeat customers that come down from Sarasota, that come down from Tampa on a long weekend with their sailboat on their way to the Keys because they like a particular
restaurant. They know that they can get in and out also in a protective harbor uh with the storms that we had last year. uh we had to actually turn people away uh because they know that this is a is a safe harbor here with the backbay. So it is on the upswing both
economically and as an environmental concern. I think we're eliminating that more and more especially with the new dinghy dock which will establish a little greater area for for boats to get in, get out and not sit there and just wait to get in where they're adding stuff into the water, oil, those type of
things. Who would pay to clean that up if we didn't offer these services? would the town also be responsible for that or you know that that's kind of a catch 22. The FWC could definitely find us because it would be within our boundaries. Um but again they're they're not in the business of doing that. Um Chad keeps a
great eye on everything that we're doing there. Not that he oversees the Morningfield. Uh but uh he does help out where we can. Um our greatest interest here is to protect the interest of that bay. There's going to be a huge project that's going to be undertaking here where the Army Corps is coming in and
dredging that back sandbar that you can see from going over the bridge either at low tide. Um, and so that part is going to be Chad's going to be involved with that. Curtis is going to be involved with that. Our new boat is going to be in involved with that process. So, we're doing the best we can and we're also
stepping in in a lot of places with the canal debris removal. Those type of things of making this island not only a safer place, but a very cleaner place. when you look into your canal, you'll be able to see the bottom. You'll be able to see the mantes come back, the dolphins that we're all used to seeing. So, those are the things that having a
good head on your shoulders and a good program, I think, uh, really fares well for the town moving forward. The Moringfield's best uh, case scenario is probably being revenue neutral as the vice mayor said. That is correct. But it can make money, but that money then has to be poured back into the
Moringfield, is it not? That is correct. Okay. Thank you. And and as everybody knows, I mean, is Matanis uh the Upland services even though it's a a great opportunity to do is is that a long-term solution? You know, it's been on my radar and expressed it to the town manager and the
deputy town manager that, you know, to sustain this and to move it forward into the next phase. Uh we have to get to that point where we're just eking past that uh that neutral area so we can start maybe affording to build our own uh infrastructure to to house our crew that way, too.
All right. Thanks, Frank. Yes, sir. Frankie, I think you guys are on the right path um outsourcing this and not having an employee do it. That being said, I would really like to see the $60,000 be rolled into the fee. And and what I mean by that is, you know,
looking at what the fee schedule, I believe, was $175 you're proposing for a week, and you mentioned it was 88 moing balls. That that's $13 a mooring ball a week. I mean, I to me it would make more sense to pass that to the users. um
versus adding it to the budget. I don't know if that's possible. I mean, I don't know anybody that's going to complain from going to 175 potentially to, you know, 188. That seems awfully cheap to to more at Fort Myers Beach for a week. I agree with you, sir.
Especially if you're telling me that we're booked out and there's a waiting list. Yes, sir. Just a discussion I would like to have at some point on that 60,000 uh being rolled into that weekly fee amount. We'll definitely look into that, sir.
That's all I have. Thanks. Thank you. Okay. Then moving on, um we have our town clerk, um changes to to her budget. Um Amy Baker, would you like to speak to this or if I could run through them for
you if I can speak to it? I'm going to do it from right here if you don't mind though since I'm already in front of a mic. Um, a lot of mine are just increases in some costs. Um, we have more meetings, so it
brings up our our um the cost that we pay somebody to do our minutes for us. Um, our software costs have all gone up. Um, we've added some election fees that we weren't planning on this year. Um,
I have dropped our training, which the risk in that is we're just not going to stay as current on um, keeping up with what's going on out there. You know, if there's any kind of new trainings we need to get into, that would be it. I
mean, my department's pretty easy to we we have to do our job no matter what. So what are some of the training? I mean to eliminate that entire budget to me doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. If there's things that you're required to
do right now I have we this this past year we've hired a new coordinator. Um a lot of you have met Lette. We were going to enroll her in the the clerk school for lack of a better word. Um, I've dropped that out of my budget, so she won't be
trained in that for another year at least if I get it back in next year's budget to just be a certified clerk with us. Jason and I are both currently certified clerks. Um, and the training is it's a three-year training, so it it's over the
course of a few years. So, that's what that training budget was for, among other things. But the big cost of it was that draining. Scott, questions for Amy? No. Thanks, Amy.
Karen. Yeah, I'm I'm a person that does not want to reduce training. Um, I think it's really important. I think it's important for retention. I think it's important for just everything you do to have all
of you certified. Um, and it's a three-year commitment, you know, that I think there are ways that you put that into an agreement. If we're going to send you to training and you leave, you know, within that
process, you reimburse based on a sliding scale. I think there's ways to do that. Um, but it benefits all of us. Um, it's very important position. We
There's been times when we have had to redo something, redo meetings because we weren't noticed in advance and that kind of thing. I I just don't think think that that's a cut that we should do. I hear you.
Yeah, I I I agree with you. I I you know especially after the storm you know n Amy always couldn't be here and and Jason has been very kneede in uh you know legislative liaison work to to be able to help this appropriations and do all the things
that have helped us along the way. So it really leaves a void for a $3,000 investment to have someone here. You know you're not no offense Amy but you're not always going to be here right? No I get it. you know, people get sick and and you know, things happen.
That one to me is is a valuable thing to keep in to keep involved. Jim, nothing additional. John, I just um can you clarify the travel and pdeium from 5 to 6? Is that for Jason's travel or
travel and PDM and the way the old budget used to be tagged, it's kind of a catch-all. Uh you'll also notice my books publications and subscriptions. It's it's kind of a catch-all for me. So it's not necessarily all travel and
pertium. Um a lot of some of the uh programs that we use get put into that and I don't have it in front of me how I break it down, but I can provide that to you if you'd need it. No, I don't need a lot of like would that be something then that should
be covered under the contingency then or I think what needs to happen is a lot of this just needs to be rewarded. Okay. Um like our our notary fees are in there. We are part of professional organizations that we're required to maintain. Things like that get kind of
dumped in those. Okay. Thank you. What's the software? the software is the things like the um the civic clerk the board portal you were all using um the our uh public records software we use so
you know we're increasing our records retention for that or you know it's all in one place for us instead of maybe in Jason's email maybe in my email um we're keeping all our agendas minutes items that you know all the backup materials all in one place so they're
easier to find Okay. I just have one other question. Is it fair to say like on the publication advertisement and that type of thing that's basically due to volume of what we have coming through? It is due to volume, right? With the
increased all the var or not variance as much, but all the ordinance changes. Um, every one of those ordinance that passes across this desk has to be advertised. Um, that thank you. You're welcome.
All right. Thanks, Amy. Okay. Then these would be the changes that I'll I'll speak to myself. Um we have originally in the budget that had been presented to you, there was a um contracts manager that was included in
the finance department budget. So that that was a vacancy. We already have a contracts and procurement specialist in the budget, a filled position. So, we're proposing to remove this position from the budget. Um, we're decreasing our
contractual services by the 98,000. That just has to do with the um the consulting firm that had been brought in um after, you know, the the change in the finance department. They were trying to fill the void there. So, we're um reducing that or actually just eliminating it and any ongoing
continuation of their services to assist with filling um ongoing vacancies. Um my expectation is that um the co additional cost would be covered by the savings from the vacancies themselves. Um we have an increase in the audit
expense. Um it was quite a bit more this past year as a result of the additional work that they did um in terms of um FEMA auditing especially and other grant auditing. I think there they call them single audits when they have to do an audit on a grant and there are five
different ones that they did. So that all adds cost to it and they also provided an additional service for us that we hadn't had in the past where they prepare the state annual financial report for us as well. That's a timeconsuming tedious process. Um it was
done before I returned um to my position um but it was a valuable um assistance to us because that's what was used to help provide information um for the the Doge um requirements and report. So it it it is actually very beneficial to us.
So we understand that if in order to maintain all that going forward, we need to increase the budget by that amount. Um there's also then in terms of general government, um there was a misunderstanding regarding the original budget when it was presented to you. Um
we had thought that there were some TDC um positions that were, you know, previously TDC positions that were no longer going to be funded. So we we were thinking we needed to move them back into the general fund. It turns out we had misunderstood and so we're just
moving them back out of the general fund into the TDC fund. So that was really a more of a correction in terms of what the funding source is. Um there's an increase to emergency communications um line item of $2,000 and that's simply
to um cover the cost of the increase to the code red um software that's used by the island. Um there's bonus pay um budget that is based on performance um metrics and because we've cut heads um
headcount or um full-time equivalent positions, we're also to able to reduce what was budgeted for for the performance budgets by um and accordingly. um there because we're reducing the overall budget for the town
the and the general fund um GFO recommends a 2% contingency line item. So because the overall budget came down, we're able to reduce that line item accordingly and that's where that $17,000 savings came from. the community
policing. We had originally proposed in the workshop budget a $330,000 um amount in the in the general fund. It's being brought down to the 100 I think that's 95,000. Um, and then that
savings is what we're trying to use to help fund um the $50,000 for emergency lighting as well as um some of the public works um employees that we're trying to add back in that were originally cut. Um I want to stop you right there if you don't mind, Joe, on this one.
So the $135,000 savings you're saying that that money would go to use towards the $50,000 lighting emergency lighting. Yes. So you wouldn't need that additional 50,000. Well, I mean this this is how we funded
it. It was by cutting from other areas. And this is this is this in particular was the line item we cut to help fund that that item. H I see what you Okay. So of the of the $195,000 that you have in there, what what would come out of that? Would that
be for police stuff? I mean, what would what what would that other 195,000 be used for? Normally, it's it's used to pay for um sheriff's services, law enforcement services. Um it's the general fund portion. We try to also utilize the gas tax fund um also to help
pay for it. I I want to say there's at least 110,000 or 120,000 in the gas tax fund plus this 195,000. So, it's a significant amount um of money that's available to pay for
sheriff services. So, there's no other separate line item just for sheriff services. No, this is the line item. This is the line item. Okay. Um because in the past there was a different line item, but now it's just kind of rolled into the community policing.
Yeah. And I think we I mean the actual line item may still say sheriff services, but because people have been referring to it as community policing, we've been that's how we refer to it on the slide, we thought maybe it would be more recognizable. Um but it is the same
thing. Um total total workers comp um came down only $1,300 after all the changes are made with personnel. um total benefit change. This was um the net change to the general fund after um
we received word um regarding what um the increase in benefit the cost of benefits for medical the net increase I should say. I think we had an increase in in medical and then there was a net savings um on the dental and other ancillary insurance. So, we do have um
those. So, the net change to the general fund was an increase of almost $50,000. Um and I think that was addressed um probably already. So, I think you fully aware of all of that. So, liability insurance um this is a savings to the
general fund, but I think um it's not so much that we're paying less for liability insurance as we're shifting more employees to other funds. And so as you shift it to other funds then um the cost of their insurance shifts with it.
Um miscellaneous corrections as we're going through the budget. There's just you know formula error here or there. Um and it just miscellaneous changes um totaled almost $15,000 of more savings that we were able to find. Um operating
supplies it was just uh just rounded up to $1,000 for the town hall maintenance. Still not very much. um personnel um savings. This what happened here was originally um when when Tom was started
out being overseeing boring field and his responsibility shifted and so it's in doing an overall analysis between that and then the next line item where it says personnel compliance officers u manager and magistrate.
So to the extent that all of these positions um oversee code compliance or have anything to do with code compliance um it was determined that at at least 75% of their time is involved in enforcing the Florida building code. And
because of that reason it it is a allowable use of building permit revenue um funding to cover those costs. And so given the situation that we're in and looking to um relieve costs from the general fund, it was appropriate to
shift those 75% of the that lower line item for code enforcement over into the building fund and then 20 I think it's 20% of Tom's time um in overseeing those areas also into the building fund. So that's that's the reason for that.
I'm not sure if there's more. No. No. Okay. So, if does anyone have any questions regarding any of these line items? No. Any questions? Go. Yeah, I've got uh two questions. Um the contracts manager, you you sure about
that since we're I mean, we've had some problems with some contracts in the past and I think it's gotten better. I mean, it's is this something that you know, it's a vacant position? We're trying to figure out. Oh, so it's a vacant position. a vacant position. It's not like we're eliminating an existing one.
It's vacant. Okay. We were adding to the staff. We have um a contracts procurement specialist position right now and this was like a bit of a higher level position to come in. Okay. Gotcha. I had Scott, I can I can add to that
too. It's something that when I came on board and uh Joe was not here um and we had the the the Goldman Wolf assisting us the contracting and saying um and Deb was working uh you know all all by herself on these contracts and and the
oversight and the development and everything of the contracting. I felt that at that time uh we needed another person to uh to help her in that in that regard and to help me out as a town manager. A couple months go by, Joe comes back on board. Joe gets his
assessment of the team when he comes back and we have a discussion and he, you know, shows me now that uh we had Cassandra on board, we had Joe on board and had moved Deb over to the finance department. Uh we we were in better better shape than was so no longer no longer needed. Joe, you saved us 107,000 just
Yeah, we had lost like three people out of that department. Correct. Correct. We and it wasn't just Joe that we had lost as you know. We lost Joe and a couple other people all around the same time. So I just I needed somebody then but then but now we're in a much better place. Okay. And then thank you Will. Um my
other question is red reducing the community policing you know by a third is is the same thing. It's can you explain that because that seems I mean we're always one of you know it's always safety first right. So,
well, one one thing I just want to mention is the original um workshop version of the budget that we presented, there was a proposed increase of $110,000. And so, we're we're taking away that proposed increase and then bringing it
down another $25,000. So, basically, it's coming down 25,000 in comparison to what it it has been budgeted at. We were just we're just not increasing it as much as it was thought. And I'm I'm it escapes me as to what the
reason was as to why we were well if you're not having special events like fireworks and things like that. You're this I just wanted some clarity because if if you know you look at this and you know like I said move contracts manager what do you and then you see reducing
community policing. So, just want to make sure that that's, you know, we we have a reason behind that. And sorry, I was just I was just reminded as the mayor also said it was the increase of 110,000 was um to help offset the cost um for the special events.
Gotcha. Thank you. That's all I have. Mayor Karen. Okay, Jim. Not at this time. John, nothing. Continue. So this so this was the detailed listing of all the changes that
were proposed. And so what we're just doing now is looking at this is the end result of all those changes by department. So it shows Bay Oak's um recreation department um the savings of
436,000. Moundhouse 130,000 public works maintenance is going up by 194,000 to cover those additional public works employees. um code enforcement. It's not that um we're eliminating anything in code enforcement. That $333,000
savings is by shifting um the cost over into the building fund. Emergency services, this is that $50,000 increase for the emergency lighting and other equipment. Um finances, that's the total amount of the net um change in the finance department um based on what I
just reviewed with you. general government, the 317,000 that also, let me just back up. It's these line items here. It's um the the return of of the 160,000
um for the TDC employees that were put into the general fund, but now they're put back into TDC. That's the bulk of it. Um and then the community policing that 135,000 is the bulk of the the general government um savings.
The overall um the 80,000 those were those miscellaneous items um like contingency um not exactly even sure. Um we'd have to go back and review it all. Um town hall maintenance. It's just simply that $250.
I mean, it's almost wasn't even worth putting in, but it was there to help balance it all out. Human resources, a $10,000 increase. Mfield, it's a net increase of 15,000 because of the moving out of um Mr. Yazo's salary, but then
the increase of the 40,000. So, that um was only a net increase of 15,000. And then the town clerk, we had um increase it primarily for the special election and then the other line items that were missed in her budget. So the net result is how we got down to covering the
entire deficit of $1.191 million. Um then this is just to give um so now what does the overall budget look like now that we've made all those changes? Um
this is just a comparison to the original I mean our our current FY25 budget to the FY26 budget. It's an overall change in um over in across the entire um town all departments a
reduction of 3.75% um full-time equivalents employees. Um here this is if you I'm not going to go through this in detail but I I have propritor Cassandra put all this together so it goes through every single
change in every single department um by position um whether it's increased or decreased. Um, so I I can't spend time on this, but I think um you already know this, so I'll just scroll through this, but there's quite a list of all the
changes, every single position. Um, so the gist of it, Joe, is you're proposing another almost four positions. Well, actually, it's a red I think reduction. That's what I meant. Sorry,
that's what I meant. A reduction overall. It just represents and I thought it was important that we go through all of this to show you the you know where all of those reductions in staffing were. Sometimes it's not you know and most of the time it's not it's it's not filling
a position that was vacant or it's a a changing of the fund allocation you know for for that position how we pay for that position as Joe explained you know if they're most of their work is enforcing building code it's allowable to use the building fund etc. So that's why you see in some cases the 0.25 050
or if it's a whole number, you know, then that yeah, that's a position that we either move to a different fund entirely or we're just not going to fill uh you know because we either identified that they're operating fine without it or that's one area that we felt we could economize.
Okay. So here's I'll just fast forward through all the list here. Um then this is just to give you an overview of all the revenues um that are coming in. So this is just by major categories of revenue
by the source. So our advalorum tax is about 4.5 million. Um charges for services. This would be all the fees that we collect. Um so that's 9.2 million in total. This is across the town. So it could include water fees,
everything. So we've got um fines 125,000 grants 3 million um intergovernmental so this would be monies coming in from other other um government entities um 500,000 licensing
permitting is 2.1 million loan proceeds um this would be from like including the SRF fund loan revolving loan fund like for the tier one and that's primarily what that would be um miscellaneous Yes. Um is that considered interest income then
or income loan proceeds? No, it this would be um actual borrowing you know borrowing use of loan um opposite of income opposite of interest. So it's well it says all funds revenue by source.
Well it's it's the use it's the use of loan proceeds. That's it's loan proceeds that are Okay. Oh to fund. All right. Now I get it. Okay. Thank you. Sure. Um a use of the reserves 19.6 million and I
and transfers a total of 2.8 million. Now I can there are slides some slides that detail this out. So you're probably wondering what some of these big numbers are. So use of reserves um this is just to kind of give you a list of what's all
in that almost $20 million. So, it's using it's it's carrying forward that $782,000 that has been set aside within the general fund for Eststero Boulevard landscaping. So, that's considered a reserve that we'd be using again or
would be available for use for next year's budget. We have um we're carrying forward road impact fees and parks impact fees from last year that are available for use. um bridge loan. We'll be using um 1.75
million of the bridge loan. Um I I should explain that um this may seem higher than it was from what was originally presented, but there's about a 300,000 340,000
um decrease in revenue in or I should say a a difference between revenue and the water fund versus the amount of expense in the water fund. And that's because this year we are having a full
year's worth of SRF loan payments that um where in previous years we had a break from having to pay those loans. They they gave us a two-year reprieve of loan payments. Um so we were able to kind of catch up with our water revenue
a bit, but we still don't have everyone online bringing in enough revenue to pay for everything. And so it would one way to bridge that gap would be to use the 300,000 from the bridge loan there as well. Otherwise, um it would just use up
the fund balance from um the water fund. So there's that. Um the FDM hurricane recovery fund. This was a a loan. It's it's a loan, but some but they gave it to us up front and this is available to use on a certain specified list of FEMA
projects. So we can use that money towards those specific projects. But we we have to be very careful that we know for sure it's going to be covered by FEMA because once you use it then it's the repayment of it is dependent upon
the actual reimbursement from FEMA. So it's it's still available. That's the balance of it started out with 5 million. We've only used a small portion of it. Um beach reourishment. This is what is left in terms of um grants that we received up front. Um as well as some
of the town's contribution for beach reourishment that's carrying forward to next year. Some of that money will probably have to pay back. I think um I I the exact number escapes me, but it's between three $4 million of unused funds
that we were paid for up front once we do the reconciliation. So, yes, it's in the budget, but it probably going to be paid back. Um, turtle lighting. This is the balance of what's left um of that grant that we received. Um, that's the final um I
think it's like we were we've there's like four payments of $1.9 million towards um turtle lighting that we've been um paying out. So, we've already made three payments. This will be the fourth and final payment for next year. Um Joe, just just for people who are
watching, you use the term turtle lighting. This these are the light the street lights for a stereo boulevard and the side streets, correct? Yes, they are. All right. Thank you. Okay. And then the replacement program, this is um an amount of money that's was set aside prior to Hurricane Ian um in
the capital fund. And then once we got the bridge loan, we were not allowed to um use any of our um non-envelor revenues to fund any capital programs. So, we we kind of had our hands tied, but we already had um roughly four times
that amount, I want to say. Um like well, like $2.5 million we had set aside in the in the capital budget. So, as a way to kind of parcel that out, we've been just budgeting like a quarter of it a year, but because we're pretty much
everything was destroyed or brand new coming out of Ian, we've really not had to use that much money very much. So, it's still sitting there for any needs that may come up during the year that were maybe unanticipated. And then the building fund, this is um
this is where um we're the cost of those employees that were shifting over there is is actually going to add to the total cost of the building fund to the point where it's exceeding
the new permit revenue that's coming in. But it so that's going to force us to use the reserve that's built up from the previous year's worth of permit revenue that's been coming in that exceeded our costs. So we've had a surplus kind of
building up in the fund from those fees. So we are required to use that money. We're not allowed to just stockpile it. We're required to use it and for but for the allowable purposes. So, it's another reason why um moving the cost into the
building fund of eligible expenses would make sense because this is a way to utilize the surplus and benefit the general fund at the same time. So, that's the almost $20 million um explanation for the reserves. Um and then this is just a list of some of the
various grants we have. um the WCIND marine law enforcement grant um to help pay for the um sheriff services of of patrol um and the on and the water there. Moundhouse um they have TDC
grants. So the next three are all TDC and it's the portion for Moundhouse 264,000. Newton Park 53,000 beach maintenance 941,000. Then we have CDBGDR. This is really um a placeholders um just
based on the agreements that we have with them. Um this is what was submitted um in terms of the applications to CDBGR. There was like a funding plan or a spending plan and a timeline. So I just looked at that and then based on
those timelines and the amounts that were proposed to spend, I plugged in the budget numbers for next year. The timing may be off. it may not be exact that exact amount but it's also important to know that these are reimbursebursement based expenses. Um so yes we that is the
plan but we have to wait to be reimbursed as well. It's it's not money we have. It's just um money that we're expecting in the future. Um Joe, where does the the last year's or this year's state appropriation funds that came in for the match programs?
Where does that fall in here? you know, I don't have them in here yet. I It was one of the things I wanted to put in, but we're literally running out of time doing this up until the last minute. And as I'm sorry, I it will be in there for our final budget presentation. Okay.
Um, but I'm sorry I didn't not get it in this this round. Okay. And then the bridge loan status. This is just a slightly different presentation because this also now that red line item is a little bit more because of utilizing that 300 and some
thousand for um the water fund. Um but so it's it's just under $10 million total that we'll be using of the bridge loan. Still leaving over $2 million. Um then in terms of um the changes in the bridge
loan amount from the last budget workshop presentation um in case anybody's wondering why did it change. Well we have um let's see these are these are reductions aren't they? Okay, I just want to make sure I'm not
Okay, so the numbers in terms of the signage. So, state revenue sharing is lower. So, we had to use 14,882. Okay, I just want to make sure I'm getting this right. So, we had to use more of the bridge loan because there's less state revenue sharing that we
became aware of as a result of an update from the state's website. They have a forecast of these figures. So we have we're using the updated forecast. So we need to use almost 15,000 more for state revenue sharing, 232,000 more for the
half cent sales tax revenue. Um Harbor user Harbor user fees were having to use $35,000 less of the bridge loan based on an updated revenue amount that um we worked with um calculating with um
Curtis, our harbor master. um we took the actual um took basically we took the actual revenue we received over the last 12 months and then used that as a projection for the next 12 months and just the 12 months alone um enabled us
to increase the budget 35,000. So that's what we did. Um and then um working with Jeff he increased some of his revenue line items by a total of $10,000. So, we need 10,000 less the bridge loan and then water services. Um, this we needed
to this is where I need Oh, it's actually I'm sorry I misspoke before. It's only $137,000 more of the bridge loan we need to use to make up the difference in the water fund. Okay. And then this is just general fund expenses by department. I you know this
it's just to give you the overall picture. So I I don't know that we necessarily have to go through all this, but just to have a complete presentation of the budget. So it's by department. It's a comparison of where we were at in the budget presentation to you at the
workshop versus the new budget that's being proposed now with all those reductions and the changes. So this is the expense side. So, if you look all the way down the line, you can see that on the expense side, um, it's down 1.1
million, um, 63,000. And I do we have the revenue side? No. Okay. I think I passed over that. Where is the revenue side? Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I guess I thought there was a revenue slide in here, but
on the revenue side, we did increase the the difference between the 1.163 and the 1.19 is about $30,000 worth of additional revenue savings um that oh from the Moundhouse um that
additional revenue from the Moundhouse. So, I think it was the $20,000 grant and the $7,000 of donations that made up the difference. So um that accounts for all the changes that we've proposed um for you. Um this is just a
presentation of all the funds um by and and by it's in alphabetical order by the name of the fund. So I don't know that we need to go through all of this but so in the final um amount of the general
fund budget is 12 almost 12.5 million. Total budget for all funds is like 53.1 million. Um debt services this is just something I'm required um by state statute to include in the buzzen budget presentation. Um this is that original
um $10 million capital improvement note that we had um a few years back. It it started in 2020. Um we've used um only three and a half million of it. Um, so that is all that we need to repay and we
have a fixed payment of $581,000 a year and the interest rates $3.15,000 3.15% sorry and Joe that 581 if memory serves me correct that was budgeted and set before Ian.
Yes. Yes, it was. That hasn't changed. Uh, no it it has not changed. So that yeah that the payment amount has not changed. It just means that we'll pay it off much sooner because we use much less of the loan than originally planned. Okay. Um the bridge loan, of course, we
all know about the bridge loan. Um and this is really a recap of the same thing that I presented before. The interest rate is 10%, but that doesn't start until 2033 if we do not pay repay it. and it's only on whatever remaining
unpaid portion there is beginning in 2033. Um, okay. And then the Florida State Revolving Fund. So, this is just an update as to where we are now with um that we have four different loans. This
is all related to the tier one um project um and what the balances are. So, the balances are um for the first two. So for drinking water it's 12.7 million almost and then 18.2 million and
then for the storm water side it's 8 1.5 million and 11.2 million and then those are the payments that we will be making this coming year. So you can see um between um water well right now in this
coming year it's only 615,000 for water a year that 1.1 million will be coming up starting 2029. So we have a few years to ramp up our revenue in order to start paying that payment at
that time. Same with storm water. Right now it's only 373,000 a year. Um but beginning in 2029 um we'll have an additional payment of 826,000. Okay. So I think that concludes um the
budget portion of that's related to this resolution um 25262. Um, so I think at this point you would need to decide um whether or not to accept these
changes. um if you'd like to amend um any of these changes. Um and then that will be what is carried forward to the next um meeting, the next hearing, whatever you decide today um would be carried forward
to the next for the final vote. Scott, any questions for or comments I should say? I'd still like to figure out a way to Joe. Thank you very much and thank you.
I mean, great job. Very detailed. Um, you know, if we I don't know if we want to dive into the line items again or give an overview. What how would you like to direct this?
I mean, I guess to summarize, Joe, essentially what you have done is made a way to show that there a path to no mill rate increase. Should we follow exactly what you just laid out today? Yes. I guess the discussion needs to be had
as to do you agree start with that or do you think there needs to be changes? For instance, I there's nothing in there that's talking about planning for future reserves and reserve funding. Yeah, that was that was going to be that was going to be my biggest question. This is great and this is, you know, but
this doesn't do anything to to to get us ready for several things that are coming down the pipeline. You just talked about the SRF loan that's going to significantly increase here in the next 3 to four years. And there's no talk in there about reserve funding, putting anything into
the reserve funding. We don't even know what that total amount is at this point, do we? Well, um I'll just I can comment on the SRF situation. There is a rate study underway now that will um provide us
with a recommendation as to where to set the water and sewer not sewer um water and storm water rates going forward. And part of what they do in the study would be to anticipate um the increase in the payments. And I believe there's also a
possibility of another um increase related to additional funding that might come through that. But that's all that'll all be factored in and that'll be coming soon um to you. So at that point that would be a way to take care of the water and storm water fund.
Um so and then now your other question about reserves for I'm assuming referring to like emergency fund. So, yeah, just so a couple things. Number one, our and I and I like what you did here with the with with the numbers to
to show us how we can get to back to where we need to be without a millage rate increase, but what are what how much is going to go to that emergency fund? And based on that, are are we setting our our goals as a
council, as a as a town of we we know we're underfunded. We we know what happened with Ian. Now, heaven forbid that doesn't happen again, but we all we've learned that we can't be underinsured and under underfunded. It just you're you're just setting your
just like anything else. You've got to have car insurance. You've got to you've got to have medical insurance. You've got to you've got to have money for the future. So, you know, we can't be living day dayto-day as a town. We've we've got to how do we tie everything into our our
long-term goal as to what our reserves need to be? I I know that we we've talked about, you know, we want to be in the next couple years up at that $5 million level for for emergency funds. So, we saw last year we we were going through this budget process. We got
clobbered by two more hurricanes and we just have to have emergency funds. So I I guess my first question is what were we are we still looking at putting away 400,000 into that reserve fund and what will it what will it what what will we
be with this budget for our emergency fund reserves? It would be 500,000 is built into this budget. Okay. Giving us how much for right now? Well, that's I that's my concern actually um right now is the emergency fund.
Since I came back, I that was my major concern like where are we? So, I have been working as many hours as I possibly can and trying to figure that out. And I mean it's it's a long story that I don't need to um take time now to explain, but there's just a lot of moving pieces, a
lot of in pieces of information in terms of how to really get an accurate picture of where we are because it involves tying all the individual expense line items to specific FEMA projects. So that alone is a process and then from there
trying to determine um what you know estimate the amount of FEMA reimbursement if it's eligible. So it's sorting through all the expenses making trying to figure out I mean initially when expenses are charged to the fund. It's with the belief that it's related
to the um hurricane or whatever that's going on. So after the fact though we do as we're sifting through it we may find things that well it's really not going to be eligible for reimbursement by FEMA for whatever reason. Um so so all of
that has to be sorted out and now the um funding or the um projects from FEMA seem to shift as they pull one large project apart. You know first they merge them together then they pull them apart depending on what is happening. So we
have to constantly shift well then that changes the amount of reimbursement we may be getting from them as well. So it's like a moving target. So there's that aspect of it. Um, also then on the accounting side because we have well I mean when when I left we lost pretty
much the entire department immediately afterwards and so we have a lag now a gap of getting caught up with everything. So there's that aspect of it. So I I can't just run a report say oh this is where we're at. When I do run
a report is concerning to me but there are so many missing pieces. I don't want to say anything that's alarming or con concerning or mention figures because I could be very wrong because there could be significant journal entries that just haven't been
booked yet. And that's what I need to find is like is search through the accounting records like since when I left all the way through to find out what has been posted. It's almost like doing an audit really, right? But I've only been back a few weeks so
I've not had enough time. I've been working on it as much as I possibly can and my goal was to have something for you today. I think I think um if I can work through now through this weekend because this kind of ties into what
we're required to provide to the newspaper in terms of um a uh a snapshot of our budget presentation. It's supposed to include the reserves. Well, I in order to put know what to put in the reserve, um, I had to finish these calculations. So, I'm I've made
significant progress and I think between now and Monday I can have the rest of it figured out. Um so there's and this is just um in terms of the reserves in terms of um calculating expected reimbursement
um for all for all the expenditures we've already incurred and comparing that to the total amount we've incurred and seeing okay the difference then is what we need to absorb by our um what we put in the reserve. you know, how much
of the reserve have we used up by expenses that we're not going to be reimbursed for? So, that's one aspect of it. The other thing is the cash flow aspect because we've spent millions of dollars, but you know, we're still waiting for reimbursement. And so, you
know, I think back in the spring before I left, we already were borrowing from the bridge loan to try to shore up the emergency fund because I was already looking like we're going to hitting a deficit cashwise in order to um continue
paying these expenses um for these FEMA projects for which we're not we're waiting for reimbursement on. So, there's there's that aspect of it. We're also now going through an insurance um audit in terms of trying to figure out where do some of these insurance
payments um what what FEMA projects are they attached to and it's it's looking like that is going to change and if that changes then that changes the picture too. So I that's why I I wanted to bring
something to you. I'm very concerned that I don't have something I can bring to you now because this is a decision point for you and I know your decision would also need to incorporate this. I I would do I mean I think by Monday I should have a pretty good idea of where
it will be. That doesn't help you today. Um but but it would certainly help for the next final decision at the next hearing. Um, so that's Well, I wouldn't want to tie you down, Joe, to hey, I need a Monday when we
actually have to have it by, you know, enough time to digest it and make our final decision on the 24th. But it's going to be very difficult for me. I I can't speak for everyone else here on the dis but to to
set a millage rate with not knowing for sure what I mean it's just like sitting down with your family budget. I I can't say hey we can go we can take the grandkids to Disney World if I don't have the money or we you know have you know you can't quit your job right now because I
don't know what's what we have as reserves. So, it's it's I it's going to be really tough for me to, you know, I mean, I'm airing on the side of caution again that we may have to be
a little bit higher than we think just just to wait to get get those numbers. So, I don't want to I mean, so yeah, I guess I I what I'm not hearing from you, Joe, is that you don't have the warm and fuzzies that we have plenty of money sitting in our reserve account to make you sleep at night. I I mean I'm
concerned that we may not. So that's and I would like to be to prove myself wrong and that's what I'm hoping will be the case. No, that's fine. I mean it's this is a this is this is a tough decision. We have we've very concerned citizens here about how we're spending their money and where the
money's going and you know I I get it. But at the same time and I hope you folks realize that we we've got to make sure we have reserves. I mean, we we we have to I mean, again, lessons learned. We were underinsured and under reserved
and it just now we can't get to that whatever num magical number we we need to be to, but we've got to be on that path to get there. So, um that's all I have. Is there is there a reason that going back to the slide from the the FEM money
that was loan to us, the $5 million to use specifically to fund projects? so that the town didn't have to put out the cash flow to and then pay. Is there a reason we've only used 300,000 of that and we haven't used more of that to help offset some of what you're talking about? Something that I would like to also look
at is is there a way to um to utilize some of that in terms of relieving the the um you know the burden on the emergency fund. So it's there's probably more of it we can use and that's that's part of the picture. I I don't I mean as
terms of actual FEMA projects, I know that we were specifically charging things that match those projects to that fund, but they're just but that's but that was like before I left. So that was several months ago. So there could be more that's come through
that maybe now we could adjust that again. Um and and those specific line items, there's like I don't know, let's say there's maybe eight or 10 specific FEMA projects. That's what it was approved for. But you can you can use
all of the money on one line item assuming you're not o overspending what is it was obligated. Well, see that's the other thing is it has to be an obligated project and we haven't had very many of those. There's more now. That's right. Um so that so we may have been spending
money but you couldn't actually charge it to that until it was obligated. I forgot about that detail. Um, so that explains probably it, but you know, since I've left, I think there's been more obligated, so that could make it eligible.
So once it's obligated if we've if we've put out the capital to to fund these projects because they needed to move forward without waiting for obligation. Yeah. Is is it possible then to use that loan to repay ourselves? Oh yes. Until the obligation funding actually comes in.
Yes, that that's the point of it. Yes. Do we have sufficient cash flow to do that to um what we've already spent? Yeah. I mean, how how is Well, I mean, some of the I mean, well, all of the emergency expenditures are things we had to do. It wasn't um
something that was optional necessarily, and I think we're they've all been waiting to do the optional things. I mean, the things that could wait because we know the funding issues, but everything that pretty much has been done has been we had to do it then. So their expenditures um and I don't want
to speak for other people but that's my understanding. Um so what we spent we had to spend it um because of of the emergency situation but beyond that there are there's more to do. There is more to do.
Okay. The list is long. The list is long. Um I'll let I know everybody else has questions. That's that was my big one. Yeah. I mean I agree. I I think we're premature in even trying to predict what
that final millage rate would be because there seems to be a lot of moving parts still. Um you know my biggest concerns are especially in kid programs, afterchool
programs, summer youth programs, are we cutting too much there? you know, I mean, these are our kids growing up and safety and that type of thing. So, that one that one I question, you know,
as much as I love fireworks and everything else, I think that's something that um we really should cut and have the friends of Bay Oaks new, you know, challenge them to get sponsors
and money coming in from that type of thing. Um, you know, same thing with, you know, for your program for education for the clerks. I think that's a no-brainer that we do not cut that at
all. So, I think there's adjustments that be made to be made still, but I and we haven't even looked at the fees or anything like that yet. So, I think we're too preliminary to even state what a proposal could be on the millage
rate. And I know we've got two weeks where we have to make that. So, I'm hoping in the next week in our meetings, our one-on-one meetings, we'll have a better picture of all of that going forward. That will be presented on the
24th. Yes. That's all. Well, I I think what you've shown here is there is a path to less than 26% potential mill rate increase. Uh but I think what you're hearing we'll hear from John,
but what is that? But we don't know. Yeah, we we'll let John Jim and and John have their two cents. Vice Mayor, is this our time to opine? Well, it's now or never.
Okay. So, first of all, I thought uh the staff did an excellent job. We have a structural deficit of roughly $1.191 million. Is that fair, Joe? Yes. Correct. And you've addressed that deficit through belt tightening. Some of those are not easy, but but but
you've done that at the request of the council, and I appreciate it. I think you've done an excellent job. Uh that's what the people wanted, and that's what they asked for, and that's what the council instructed you to do, and you've done that, and I appreciate it. Uh
there's a number of variables going on here, some beyond our control. Uh the mayor mentioned the state resol revolving loan uh fund obligation. It's my understanding that that obligation will be captured by utility rates. Is that correct? That's correct. That happens to be one of the areas that
I consulted and utility rates particularly in Indiana. And I can just say to my colleagues that whatever happens on the utility rate side, uh there's probably a 99.9% chance that the utility rates are going to go up. Uh people are in in every municipality in
the country's uh over years back underinvested in their infrastructure and now they're catching up as we are. We're doing a great job with it, but it's it's it doesn't come without uh impact. And so we'll probably see our utility rates continue to to increase. that comes at a time when we're still on
we're going into year four post. Um we are contributing uh making a contribution to the emergency fund. Uh Joe and his in just complete cander during the one-on- ones with each counselor at least in in my session was very open about his uh just has not had
the time to do the the proper analysis on the res emergency reserve fund. So, I can in good conscience uh raise uh the millage rate uh based upon speculation that we may need more. Uh I think again uh I I think we've done what we what
we've been asked to do. I think the staff has made the tough decisions. I commend them for it. I I like where we're at. Uh, I'm still I'll certainly keep an open mind, but I think being able to keep the millage rate what it's at, uh, given we're still recovering
from a cat 4, cat 5 hurricane, uh, is desirable. Um, and again, I I, uh, I I I know utility rates, utility rate increases in the offing as well. So, so that would be a double whammy for our folks. And if we can avoid that, I think
that's desirable. John I I will say thank you as well. Um I know these weren't easy cuts to make. Uh and uh it's obvious from watching you and listening to you and seeing you uh how much it has hurt, but I I think it's
been essential. Um and I appreciate the hard work and the effort that's gone into it. Um Karen, I think maybe hopefully uh and I I guess I don't know how it works, but if the friends of Bay Oaks would uh maybe focus more on what the mayor likes to call the lowhanging
fruit, such as the kids programs instead of fireworks, I'd like to see that done uh before we before we reach that. Um I don't think all options have been explored yet. I think uh we've talked about it in the past. We've never really come to any kind of agreement uh about
selling the old town hall property or uh I don't even know where we are about the property that was purchased for the per uh for the use of the proposed moing field facilities uh before I got in council. I know uh those are considered assets, but when I looked up um assets
as defined by the Oxford language uh dictionary used by Google, assets are property owned by a person or a company regarded as having value and available to meet debts and commitments. And I think that's what we should be doing there. Um I think it would also bring a
big budget revenue to us to handle these issues and it would put properties backs on the tax roles that are not being paid. Now, I tell you another thing that's not been considered, and when I looked at my trim notice, um, and I talked to some other folks, um, we've talked about folks coming online, not
just condos, but other property owners, um, they're losing out that storm related tax relief they got from Lee County. And some of these folks when they just come back online are seeing an increase of 500% on average, I think. And that's a huge hit in addition to
what we're asking now to put on top of them. I mean, I know when I wasn't in my condo and being able to use it for its uh full intended purposes, um it was less than $100,000 that I was paying uh to to Lee County. And now it's up over
$400,000. Uh so that's quite a hit uh in addition to what we're asking for them. So I guess what I'm going to do is conclude with a quote from my favorite economist, Thomas Soul. The real goal should be reduced government spending rather than balanced budgets achieved by ever
raising tax rates to cover ever rising spending. And with that, uh, I can't support an increase. All right. Well, I'll give you my two cents, Joe. I agree. I think you guys have done a an
excellent job at at finding ways to move things around, for lack of better terms. It sounds like you've been able to move funds or positions at at high dollar amounts into certain areas. That being said, you know, Bay Oaks has taken a pretty significant haircut when it
comes to um the services that are going to be provided to the residents. Um I think the you know the low hanging fruit obviously was the fireworks. That was a big big part of it. the reserve, the emergency reserve is is
a concern for me. Um, you know, we have not increased the millage rate since the storm. Other municipalities have. Um, we've been fortunate enough to get a lot of funding through appropriations both at the federal and the state level. That's not going to be there much
longer, if at all. Um, Vice Mayor, you'd mentioned, you know, you can't raise a millage increase on whatifs. Well, we can't make decisions on what if they don't forgive that bridge loan. That that's that's a cost that's going to be coming down the pipe that we have to pay back at 10%
interest. Those are all things. So, you know, we we can't move forward in my mind assuming that that's going to be forgiven. Now, next year, maybe it will be forgiven. We certainly will we'll do what we have to do to try to make that happen. But uh I think you've done a significant job
of of of reducing what the potential millage race may have to be ultimately. Um but I haven't been sold that there hasn't had to be one yet. I mean you haven't had time to do your analysis. U we don't have to make a final decision
today on what exactly it is. We have not heard from Will. I would love to hear from our town manager um who's been pretty pretty quiet and and let his directors rightfully so, you know, do what they have to do to make but at the end of the day, he is the CEO. He is the one that has to make sure this works. He
is the one that gets the emails from all of us and when we receive them from you sitting out there of why isn't my grass mode? Why isn't this taken care of? And all these cuts are part of those reasons. Why isn't Bay Oaks open? Why why can't I go there on a Friday at 5:00 because there's nobody there to allow me
to go in and work out or why do my kids not have a place to go at after school? These are all things that are hard decisions that we have to make. So, Will, I'd like to hear from you. Um, sorry I'm kind of putting you on the spot. I didn't let you know I was going to do this, but but you know, I think
you would agree that staff has done a great job of of of of taking a bite out of that 26%. But do you feel comfortable in moving forward at this point by saying uh we shouldn't raise it at all based on the uncertainty of of his final
analysis on emergency reserve funding? Thanks, Mr. Mayor. What I what I'll first say is is echo what I appreciate every every uh member of council has has highlighted is you you you tked us tasked me and tasked us to go back and look at the look at the revenues, look
at expenses, look at everything across the board and find efficiencies um find opportunities um and uh and I challenged the staff who's worked very hard over the past several weeks um every day really and
then coming back to me twice a week as we discussed each one of these things in detail. Um, and they did an excellent job and I think presenting to you here today like they did with me through the whole process we went through the last several weeks to identify the impacts
and the risks. I asked them to I think they did that very well. Um, I no uh to your your question about comfortable um no I I won't be comfortable but but that's okay. Uh I mean if if the ultimate decision is is uh to not raise
it to to hold Pat or or not give us give me a raise u in the millage rate um that uh that I initially proposed uh you know no it wouldn't be comfortable but that again you give us the guidance we're going to make it happen. They're going
to make this mission happen. I I don't feel good about cutting programs at Bayox. Be is is an important resource for this community. Um we do see the usage tick starting to tick back up. Um it is I think a value added um not just
for the residents but for the people that visit us as well. And there's some significant things in there that Jeff and his team um are are looking at are are going to have to cut back on um and efficiencies that he'll find. At the same time, as he talked about and some
of you asked him, he did he is looking at ways to offset some of those personnel cuts, some of those uh to to retain some of those programs through uh using technology um and and maybe um just challenging his staff in different
ways, but uh it'd be really hard to do and it would be one of the areas where I would look to um um utilize uh some of that additional funding if appropriated by the council uh is to retain some of those position positions for Bay Oaks. I do think they're that important. Uh and
and and Moundhouse as well significant asset to this community and resource uh that that brings in it's it's not only uh the revenue maybe that it that it brings in or doesn't bring in to to some opinion, but just the visibility that it
brings to our community in many ways as they go out and about and tell its story. But then also people come here for that reason. Um Tom made some significant uh sacrifices. I challenged him to in that in that community policing fund. We had we had allocated uh additional money, Mr. Mayor, that I
spoke to you about uh in the past to to that for this coming year. But in discussions with Tom, uh he's and you've all uh mentioned this, he's done an excellent job of rebuilding the re or building a strong relationship with our
emergency services partners, our law enforcement partners across the community and also um training his staff and and to to be able to take on more of those responsibilities themselves. Um, I feel very good if discussions with him that we can we can reduce some of the
sheriff's services that we have been uh asking Lee County to do and uh and shift some of those responsibilities to Tom's staff with the additional training he's given them. And if we add do if you do approve the additional money for uh emergency lighting uh for some of his
vehicles. Extremely important for the safety of our officers, the safety of our community members as they're responding to emergency situations across the island or supporting special events, but also uh it goes to that cost savings. the more that he that we can do
with his officers, the less we have to ask of our Lee County Sheriff uh or fire department uh um partners. Uh across the other things, everybody, you know, the uh has community services, uh community development looked at great ways to shift resources and uh everybody across
the board and human resources did a tremendous job um supporting our directors in finding those efficiencies and reallocating the fund uh the funds we use for some of those positions. It was hard. It's difficult. They they they were very professional here tonight,
very um stoic in how they presented this data. But it hurts it hurts each and every one of them to get up there and talk to you about some of these cuts um because that's how much because it the services they provide to the community mean so much to them. They want to be able to do it to the best of their
ability, but at the same time they completely understand our job is not to be, you know, we're not a for-profit organization. We are a service organization and our job is to service the community uh as efficiently as we can.
All right. Well, I guess you know I I'll just reiterate I I'm not comfortable at this time stating that I would not support some increase. I am comfortable in stating I would not support a 26% increase. Um but I would like the time
to be able to and I don't know maybe that you can help Nancy. Is it something that we would have to adjust today is what a rate is to move forward and that could potentially move down or up based on having the ability to finish your analysis as well as some of the talks
and changes that we had talked about today to shore up those numbers to be able to come back to us with or would it make it easier to say here's an idea a compromise if you will of of somewhere in the middle to come back and it could change next week or or two weeks.
Nancy, I know there's a long long limited question. Can I ask can I ask a quick question before Nancy goes to turn your mic on? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You raised an issue that certainly uh is is close to my heart is it's debt and and you you
talked about this bridge loan may or may not be forgiven and it's a potential reason to to to adjust the military. I in my one-on-one with Joe and this is where I need some help. Joe, I was under the impression that the legislature gave
us an appropriation that's available to us if necessary to pay that bridge loan off at least in part, a significant part. Is that the case? That's true. There's I think roughly 7.6 million um that we received.
Okay. I just wanted to make sure that I because because I don't like carrying debt. I don't like being dependent upon the legislature to forgive debt, but it sounds like we have a a plan if necessary to address at least in part that issue. And I just wanted to make sure I was understanding that correctly
because that is a that is a real concern. Yeah. And I mean, and it's a you know, it's a good, better, best thing, right? We're we're we're planning for the worst but hoping for the best. And you know, if we're fortunate enough to have that bridge loan forgiven, that frees that capital up to do some of these things
that need to be done that need to be oblig, you know, to pay for to be obligated to be able to use some of that $5 million funding and other things that we talked about. So, there's a lot of moving parts here, but you can't hope. I think I think I heard you say it the
other day, and it's a very good very good terminology. Hope is not a strategy. and and it really hits home here and and I would hate to not have a strategy to be able to make sure that you have the time to do your job to
ensure that we make the right decision for for our community and and with with that I'll kind of go back to you Nancy Mayor before we do that can I because you asked the town manager and and I know that I and you and Karen um gave um
Will some uh lists of possible revenue avenues outside of advoces or millage rate. Um, did that where did those get explored? Because all I've heard is cuts tonight. I haven't heard of anything of growing revenue. I know Mayor you talked about um possibly shifting more of those
things to visitors and I I didn't hear that that tonight and I want to know where we are on that. Well, I think you covered it a little bit as far as those would be fees, not right versus revenue when they not everything I gave to I was just
using that as an example, but not everything I gave to the manager was about visitors. No, thanks, John. No, not everything w was uh on fees. uh fees fees could be some revenue of course but it doesn't as as Joe articulated early on doesn't help
with the bridge loan uh or the deficit at this current it doesn't help with the deficit at this current time because of the bridge loan. However, we did look uh as as you charged us at maybe uh looking for some other um sources of revenue uh where we could um
pass costs may you know costs away from residents, cost on to visitors cost things like that. We're limited as a municipality in Florida and what we can um what kind of fees i.e or taxes we could impose uh on tourists uh extremely
limited through our research. I don't have the ability to do that. Um other areas that we can uh look at and and we are looking at just haven't really had the time to uh figure out how we would enact such things or uh there's very limited areas very few areas such as our
you know we we do already uh have a fee for our short-term rentals registrations. There are potential areas where we could we could uh um there potentially consider some community uh impact type fees on some of those uh type type of uh visitors to the island
as in the impact that that it has on the community uh public works security safety things like that. I haven't uh made any proposals like that because there's still research that needs to be done. we need to discuss what the overall impact would be and and really what the total revenue might look at um
to see if that that would be a path we'd want to go down. Um other than that, there's, you know, it was discussed before potentially some uh um beverage resource, you know, beverage and resort uh fees and taxes and things like that. We can't what I found was we can't
impose any additional taxes like that because there are already taxes imposed by county and state or state on things like that. And uh the state limits uh closely um municipalities which can all can uh um tax above and beyond that. Uh we
would have to u basically uh request through through the county and through the state as a municipality if we wanted to uh develop our own similar type of tourism tax. I don't know if that answers all your questions, sir. It gives me it gives me Yeah, because the list I gave you was approved by the
state, but again, I I wasn't, you know, I just had gleaned that from looking at their the revenue website, the state revenue website. So, I just Thank you for that. I appreciate it. So, Nancy, I just want to go back to you. Is So, do you need me to restate my question?
No, I think I've I think I've got it. Um the way that the statutes are set up is basically your initial u vote and direction is to establish the maximum uh millage rate. So tonight what we're talking about is a tenative rate which
cannot exceed the earlier amount that you identified. I do believe that you do have the flexibility when you get to your final to vary that. I think what he's I don't know for you, Dan, but I think
what he's asking is I'm just throwing out numbers here, but if we say, "Okay, let's let's agree on 10." And then Joe comes back and says, "Wait, you know, I found some other stuff and with with our means the next two weeks, you know, we decide we're going to keep a couple
extra programs, we're going to do this, that can if we say tonight it's only going to be 10 or or none." Let's say none. in in two weeks. Can we say, "Well, now we we've really got to raise it to 10, knowing that our ceiling's 25
26." You're talking about the rate itself. I'm looking at the millillage. Yes. Yes. So, so our max is 26. And I guess what our question is if tonight we say no, we're not going to raise it. Then we
come back and find out we we actually need money or or that we actually do need to raise the millage rate. Can in two weeks say Well, you're saying 26. I'm looking at 1.255. He's talking percentage.
Yes. You could not go over this millillage. I I don't I can't do the math. I mean, you But again, the question is whatever we decide tonight, can we go higher next week? As long as it's below the 1, as long as it's below the 1.255. 2550. I would say to keep it at 1.25 and then
you can lower it. That's also an option. That may be the better approach. You don't do.99 and then want to go up to 1.255. Yeah. Just keep it where it's at and then lower it. Okay. That would make it easier going forward.
Well, I again I I want to go back to and I understand what you're saying. don't go down to zero and then you have to find out in two weeks that the reserve emergency reserve funding is worse than than had anticipated. But what I'm getting at is say we we we say we'll
just cut it in half for simple mathematics. We're going to say 13% with with the discussion in two weeks that it it's going to go down. So we can at least give people the understanding that we're working in the right direction. I agree with you. I don't know that saying zero today and then trying to go
backwards because something changes between now and two weeks from now, but I I would feel comfortable in coming down off that 26% because I think you have done a great job at showing there has been ways to alleviate what that overall percentage should be. So I'm willing to do that. Um but I'm not
willing to go to zero today if that makes and to your point I don't want to have to go down and go back up. Uh Cassandra Penner for the record, budget manager. Um you're already at the not to exceed rate of 1.255. So, if you just keep it where it's at, it's just staying where you're at from previous.
And I totally understand that from a mathematic standpoint. I get that. But what I'm what I'm trying to do is is let our our our residents understand know that there have been significant reductions that can be made outside of some of the things that we talked about,
the Bayoth programming, the, you know, the mooring field, these other things that we've talked about, the the emergency research fund. there's things there that are still outstanding that I think to me at least personally need answers to. So that gives you time to be able to go back readjust what we talked about today to come back and say and
again I'll just use a middle number 13 13% cut in half just use it as an easy number based on that we can do this this and this but we have based on what I have found out now we can still come down from that and this would be our new recommendation and then we can make a policy decision from there that that's
that's kind of the strategy I'm trying to get at to see if it makes sense if it would if it would help Mr. Mayor, I add if it's okay that I I agree there's still some things that I would like the council to consider as they take this forward tonight in the coming weeks. to your point, you you multiple of you have mentioned the emergency
fund, but also there's things that that we want to be able to fund going forward that you know uh infrastructure repairs such as road repairs, which is a significant uh cost for us uh every day and all the time that we already operate on a very thin margin of that, but but
have to do it every day as any member of this community knows. Sometimes we get an appropriation from the state, but it's usually a 50% match. Yes. If I haven't planned as the town manager, Joe as the budget manager to have the money for those matches, then we're not going to be able to get the 50% from the state. So, these are some
things that I'm that I'm concerned about as a t town manager. Um, additionally, we just finished the the great uh renourishment project on the beach. We have some some money coming from uh from grant money to help with some of our uh additions to that and you know the parks
and some of the beach access uh uh stuff, but we're going to need more going forward to to continue to develop our beach accesses and make it you know to bring those tourists to the island. These are things I'm thinking about where if if we did uh increase some of the revenue through a millillage that
that that's how we would responsibly, you know, use that that funding. And also for context, so the 1.255 255 would bring in us in as discussed in in the last budget workshop uh 1.191 million in additional revenue uh this
next year. That's if we leave it at the the cap that you set for us last time. Um for and then you know the basically everything below that you know it it that revenue obviously comes down. So if uh somewhere in the middle of that if
you were to go down to say a 1.029 029. Uh that would bring us in, you know, just 177,000 uh additional in revenue. So there's a significant difference in the amount of revenue obviously because it's percentage based uh that uh that would bring in. But but even the even a small
amount would would bring us in additional revenue and and you you'd ask how would I as a town manager uh allocate that most appropriately to the town. I look at some of the things whatever the counselors uh direct us to or or ask of priorities and I've heard several tonight that we can take back
and and really be able to give you a good assessment um how you would do that whether it be replacing you know uh not making some of the staff cuts so we can save some of those essential programs or you know uh having the money to invest in infrastructure uh programs uh like I
mentioned. So, um the the table if if you if you want to know, we can walk it down all the way from one two 1.255 um all the way down to where we're currently at, which would be no increase. We've already factored in the the 0.99 to our current budget proposal
to you. Uh so, you know, from there all the way up to the 1.255, we have a table that uh that we can answer, you know, what those would be. Well, and I I think you raised a val valuable point that we haven't discussed yet, and that's the the 50% match that it seems the the
state appropriation requests have all kind of gone to. Last year's was a 50% match. That funding is not because we don't know if we're going to get it. So, we don't we don't know. We won't have the funding if we don't plan ahead for what we're going to ask for. And and and
I I use the cutting your legs out from under you. don't like to cut the legs out from under you and you know but until we have to make a final decision. I guess I would be looking to staff for direction. I've kind of said where I I where I feel Jim and and and um and John
have kind of said where they're at. John and Karen if you'd like to to before we continue down a path to to make a decision to move back. I'd like to hear from you as to where you're at. Yes. 026 somewhere in the middle. You've heard from John. Unless they have changed their mind in the last 10
minutes, we'll just assume they're they're preferring to go to zero increase. I told you I'm willing to go somewhere between zero and 26, but I'm not comfortable with going to zero. Karen, you want to go first?
Um, I mean, in a perfect world, we would we wouldn't want to increase anything. I mean that's reality but it's not our reality. Um and like I said I don't
think that we are fully baked yet in a position to decide to keep it at the 1.255. What is a happy medium? um
1.12 is like at the mid road and leaving room that we could still fluctuate from that based on what other information we're getting. I would love to know because I'm not a math wiz Scott at 1.12
what extra is that from what we be half of the 600,000 so 600,000 so yeah okay so it' be a 600,000 increase to do the kind of things that will was talking about is that enough is it not
enough is it too much that will come out in the next two weeks well I think if you And going back to the state appropriations, not to jump in there, but if you looked at what was appropriated this year, we're looking at roughly $700 $800,000 of match that we would have to pay.
That's correct. On top of So just that would cover our match or would be closer, right? So it's and those are infrastructure projects. Those are storm water. That's, you know, water tower stuff. That's storm water. That's roads. That's water.
That exactly water towers, not water fund, but yes. Scott. Yeah, it it's really hard for me to make a, you know, a decision right now based on not knowing what what our emergency funds are are going
to be. And uh I you know, like like Karen said, we want to be we we we don't in a perfect world, we don't want to raise taxes. I don't want to raise taxes. I don't know anybody does. I like Thomas Soul as much as uh Mr. King. I mean, you
know, follow the brother. Well, you know, sometimes John, you know, he unfortunately Mr. Soul didn't get hit by a category 5 hurricane and was underinsured and under reserved. Economist. He was prepared. Yeah, he was prepared. So, I I I would
be I would be comfortable, you know, if we can cover that 700,000 of that 50% grant and and let's let's see where we are in the next in two weeks and let's have further discussions and and see where we go. And our, you know, our our ultimate goal is to, you know, as Will
said, run efficiently, but we we still have to make sure things are covered. All right. So will you said you're prepared for every number somewhat somewhat
you know now I sorry now now I qualified it and said somewhat but based on what councelor Safford just said looking at what the just using that as the number to work off of as far as
percentages to cover our match for the appropriations from last year to to meet that. What would that percentage be? The 1.12. Is that what No, we know. We know what that is. We know what that is. But to get it down to say the 700,000 roughly
the 700k Cassandra there just over 13. Well, I guess we could ask the I'll have to ask the the true budget expert. Yeah, that's fair enough. It would be 1.15. That would get you about 719,000.
Okay. I I mean I could live with that to move forward to the next meeting. Yeah, I I could as well. And and again for people watching people here, you know, again, our goal is to, you know, not raise taxes, but we still have to make sure that we've we've just in case
we we've got ourselves covered because if we're not covered, then we're back to where we were before. And my hope would be in two weeks, Joe, you could come back with warm and fuzzies and say, "Look what I found." I am. I'm hoping to
section two. Johnny and Jim, do you have any input on that part of it? Look, you know, I'm I'm not I'm not in the demagoguery business. I I understand your position. I just I I took the that
position a month ago and gave uh our new town manager who was very new at the time and Joe had been back four days and they asked for a 26% uh potential millage rate increase and you know I wanted to be supportive of them and give them an opportunity to
sharpen their pencils and dig into the budget and they have done so and I think admirably so and I I uh I I I I think that's why we're here tonight is to adjudicate uh the results of their
findings and I and I and I think they've done an an admirable job and I and I support those findings and I'm I think that's where I'm going to be. Fair enough. John, anything else you want to add? I'm good. Thanks. Okay. All right. So, we'll wait for Nancy to come back. So, if memory serves
me, we would have to table this tenative budget and go back to setting the That is correct. Um and um I believe you already read the title to the um the resolution. I did.
Um I was speaking with our our budget um specialist and uh we will be making a change to section two to reflect what the um proposed millage rate is that you that you are selecting
and that would be the tenative Okay. So, is there a motion to table resolution 25263 for fiscal year 2026 tenative budget? So, moved. Motion by councelor Safford. I'll second it.
Any further discussion? Councelor Safford. I. I'm an I. Councelor Woodson. I. Vice Mayor Adhalt. Just a parliamentary inquiry. Mr. This is just a procedural just procedural to table. Yeah. So you can go back and set your millage rate and then come back and adopt a
budget that is supportive of that mill rate and there will be public comment before your final votes. Okay. Yes. All right. Okay. That motion carries unanimously. Do I need to take a motion to reopen the first one or can we Okay. Is there a motion to reopen item A
resolution 25-262 for the fiscal year 2026 proposed millage rate. So moved. I have a second. Any further discussion? Councelor Safford. Hi. Uh I'm an I. Councelor Woodson. I vice mayor. Nay.
Okay. It's just it's just opened back up discussion. I apologize. Yeah. This is just a procedural to open it back up. I apologize. I And I will go as well. Okay. It's an So that that motion carries unanimously to procedurally open back up.
I get it. I drifted for a minute there. Nope, that's all right. So, I know every year we go through the same thing back and forth. Um, you think they would change it, but anyway. So, now we do I don't need to reread the resolution again, do I? No. However, you um the question is uh
or the question before council is what mill rate um are you going to propose? Uh that would be by motion. uh at which point um uh finance would need to reread section two if it is something other
than 1.2550 2550 mills and again doesn't mean that it can't go down. It can't move from that. Correct. It's still it's still tenative until it is not final. Um however I believe that you are required to take public
comment even on the tenative assessment not to exceed. So you want us to make the motion first or do public comment before we do a motion like we normally do? Well, I think the public needs to know kind of what your thoughts are. So, perhaps you go ahead and make your
motion. Okay. Scott, would you like to make a motion? I would like to make a motion that uh we set the tenative mill proposed millage rate um to be finalized at our September 24th
meeting at 50:01 p.m. to 1.115 mills. One one no one 1.15 1 point I thought I said that 1.15 mills 1.15 yeah o mills yes
okay motion by councelor Safford I'll second further discussion now we can open for public comment okay public comment any would like to speak yes ma'am come on up you've got you've got three minutes
I understand welcome back Thank you. Is it Is it Susan or Suzanne? Um I go by Sue, but my name is Susan. Okay, Sue. So, I know that we have a lot of smart people here. I recognize you from after
Hurricane Ian helping me out with food. Thank you very much for that. Um coming up with a budget shortfall shouldn't be really that difficult. Um we have maybe 25% of the people that were living here before are even here now. We have so
many vacant lots and now that you guys have continued on with the TPP for now it'll be a total of five years just like this gentleman. He doesn't live here. The majority of I went to five trailers in my neighborhood. Five. Not a single
one of them are compliant. Some of them have been permitted by the town for people that live in Illinois. So we talk about all of our pet projects. They're important. I love turtles. I love the beach or we wouldn't be here. I am a disabled person. I trained in homeland
security. I had to do an oath to protect people's lives. You guys have put people's lives in danger. These people that you gave a permit to, this is their property flooded. As a disabled federal employee, I've had to go through Hurricane Helen to go drag them out.
They're still there. They told me they like living in a trailer and they don't have to pay for homeowners insurance. They don't have to pay for flood insurance. Why would they have to pay for more in property tax because they don't have a home on it? If you guys would actually make people do something
with their properties, you would actually get money for your revenue. When you have a property on it, they have to pay taxes. But instead, I am now off my f I can no longer get an NFIP uh program, and you guys aren't eligible
for it. So you guys are talking about the loans that you might get or the money that you might get or not get from FEMA. You are officially not eligible. You're not in compliance. So if we have another Ian and it'll happen, we'll have another hurricane. We've already had two more since Ian, the big grabbers that
came and pulled all your property out, you're no longer eligible for it. And you can thank every one of these people for voting to allow these temporary trailers to be there. So I'm begging you, do not endanger people. And you're also going to be liable for a class
action lawsuit when all of us can no longer I have an SBA loan. I actually have to have flood insurance and put them on as additional insured. What is going to happen with my SBA loan when I'm no longer eligible to be in the flood program? So simple things like
that enforcing parking. I had a drunk person walk right in front of me and during the mullet fest because there I don't even see police officers anymore. There'll be over 30 cars parked in vacant lots and no one patrols them. I've called parking enforcement. If you
guys were just to tow them or in charge a fee, those things are great ways to get our tax money back. You guys enforced them before the hurricane, but now it's day vacationers all day long. You're not going to get the revenue. Another great way to come up with a revenue shortcut may have finished this
is to go with temporary housing. Um, I lived in California briefly and I did have a vacation rental there. What I would do is every quarter, let's say the first quarter of every year, I would have to do a tax return on my revenue.
So, anybody 30 days or under were considered a transient and those Thank you, Sue. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. And I and I just want to make one point of clarity. Normally we don't do this if council members are okay with me proceeding a little bit of out of order.
Your comment about the national flood insurance program is not true. You are not in ma'am. You're not you're not in risk of not the big black truck's not coming. That is not true. If anybody is telling you that it is not true. It's public information. It's Google AI. I respectfully disagree with you. Thank
you. Well, you're everything on Google must be true. Yes, ma'am. You need to come to the mic, ma'am. You got to come up to ma'am. You got to clutch to the Thank you. I'm Jackie Velasquez.
Okay. So, I had two children born and raised on the island and we enjoyed Bay Oaks and all the activities. But I will tell you that now my daughter goes to college at FGCU and I pay. So, I'm
really not, you know, uh, thrilled about my tax dollars giving someone else education when you could just hire somebody that's already certified just for that. But, um, and also, Heights does have an afterchool program. But
FGCU is a major water university and I know for a fact that a lot of those kids are trying to uh they're on the bright scholarships, you know, bright futures scholarships and they have to volunteer. They need programs and I don't see why
somebody couldn't, you know, be trained to do the moundhouse, you know, tours. I've taken one. It was wonderful and our guide was very informative and we enjoyed it immensely. But you know
oh I'm sorry I'm sorry it's so loud. So you know my big thing is with the tax increase I just want you guys to stop wasting the tax dollars money like sand dunes that was such a a catastrophe.
They're gone now. I mean, just over this past little tropical storm that we had over the weekend, the south end of the beach flooded again. Did the beach reourishment really work? Is it going to work when we really get
an impact? Probably not. That was a lot of money. I understand you guys get grants and it, you know, pays for things, but, you know, maybe just be mindful, you know, and, you know, our our finance, you know, you did a great job. Thank you very much. It was very
informative. But I did hear a lot of uh pay, you know, taking from Peter to pay Paul, but you allowed some extra money to be used in other places. like it seemed like there was extra money for policing left when you move some of
those funds around, which is a good thing because then maybe they could have it for the fireworks or, you know, I'm confident you're going to find ways to do this and keep us in budget because if it was your own business, you guys would
be bankrupt and and have to close. So, you know, I want to put my faith in all of you and I wish you luck. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else? Yes, sir. One last time. I got uh
Say your name, Cliff, please, for the Cliff Gallagher. I had uh listened to the previous lady, not not this lady, about me not living on the beach. I've
lived here about eight months a year for the past 10 years. And what I've done is paid 10% increase every year in taxes. Well, people who
actually have a home here only pay 3% increases. Okay, that's that's what the that's what the law says. If you're not a Florida resident living in your permanent home, you have
to pay up to 10%. And that's what I've been paying since 1989. So when these hurricanes come through, I
come down here. I stayed in a uh a motor home with my son and we worked and we worked and we worked to get everything taken care of. Nobody gave me anything. FEMA gave me
nothing. FEMA gave me nothing. I don't carry flood insurance and I'm probably going to drop hurricane insurance. I just spent $25,000 to put a new metal roof on my home.
You do what you can do. And if the home gets blown away, I have to go into my savings and replace it. So, you know, there's a lot of us that do the exact same type of thing
with their properties, keep their property on. We're not the bad guys because we're not full-time residents. I'm going to make my wife a full-time resident so we don't have to pay uh appreciation when we sell
this house. Thank you. Thank you, CL. Anyone else like to speak in public comment? Seeing none, we Yes. Provide the uh amended numbers for that section two of the resolution and
announce that. Okay. So, in section two of the resolution, Cassandra, state your name again for the record. Penner, uh, budget manager. Um, in section two of the resolution 25-262, um, it will need to state the town
council does hereby adopt the proposing the proposed operating Avalor Miller for fiscal year 2526 at 1.15 mills, which is 1.15 for each thousand of assessed valuation. The current year
rolled back rate is 08954 mills. The proposed operating millage rate is 28.43% greater than rolled back. Thank you. You're welcome. All right.
Is there anything else we need to add to that, Nancy? Um, no. No, sir. I think that the um the title of the resolution itself uh did identify the date and the time for the second and the final public hearing on the millage right.
So I think you've made every um announcement that needs to be made. Okay. And we have a motion by councelor Safford, seconded by Mayor Allers. Uh is there any further discussion? Councelor Safford. I
I I'm an I as well. Councelor Woodson. Hi. Vice Mayor Adhalt. No. Councelor King. Nay. The motion carries 3 to2. Can I get a motion to reopen resolution 25-263 fiscal year 2026 for the tenative
budget? So moved. I'll second. Any further discussion? Councelor Safford. Hi. I'm an I. Councelor King or Woodson. I vice mayor. Just reopening. I councelor King. Hi. All right.
Motion carries unanimously. Now we have the resolution 25-263 for the fiscal year 2026 tenative budget. So Nancy, are we just making a motion then to Yes. But again, uh beyond for public comment. Okay. The motion is basically based on the
adjustments that you've heard uh this evening from the uh finance department or director. Okay. Scott, you want to make the that that motion or do you Yeah. want to get Hold on. Somebody's bringing
That's not me. So, so it's the same. Correct. Essenti essentially, right, Nancy? The same It's the same with the adjustments that um that they're proposing. They haven't made the adjustments on the screen yet, but
for the if if that is the will of of council just the budget cuts theyud well that's that's where I think we need clarification Nancy so the budget cuts that they recommended tonight yes are going to change
based on the new millage rate that tenative millage rate we just correct because the tenative mill rate will take care of those so would the motion be then to uh set the tenative budget to the proposed numbers based on the
proposed millage rate to tenative millage rate or what would the motion be or how would you approve the resolution with the proposed changes that they have um presented to you? So I'll I'll try to make a motion and then let me know if
because the military that you adopted would cover that. So it wouldn't let me if I can clarify. Yeah, please. It wouldn't cover all of it. uh you know, but I mean we can we can adjust our budget proposal or our our
recommended adjustments to coincide with the 10 the the new established not to exceed rate. We could come back with that proposal. Okay. So let's see if I can let's see if I can try to take a stab at this. I will make a motion to approve
resolution 25-263 fiscal year 26 for the tenative budget. to coincide with the adjusted numbers based on the millage rate being set at a tenative 1.15 mil.
Is that a safe is that a way to okay? It is. The only issue is we're not sure. I don't know what budget is being attached to the resolution. This is why she said we should have dropped it. Yeah, probably. the the resolution was
based on the same budget that was presented at the budget workshop. So it's the exact same budget as that as that was presented there. So So now these the list of amendments that we presented to you is what is an amendment
to what was presented at the workshop budget. It's the same budget. But but Joe, doesn't that get us to no increase in the military? Oh yes. I mean, I'm I'm just I thought you were asking a different question. Maybe I'm not answering the white cross question.
I thought you were asking what budget are Well, I think where the I think where the conundrum is here is you didn't present a budget today based on the new tenative mill rate that we set and I think that's what Nancy's trying to get at. Yes. because your proposed resolution
does have an attached exhibit A which is a tenative annual budget which should be consistent with the military and the tenative budget you originally introduced was a 26% increase in the military. So that's true. I don't think you want to match that up with this new military. No, we have to we have to know how to
change Y change the budget. So the key thing is how to draft the motion I think and I don't have the answer. Yeah, that's why I'm leaning on Nancy for for help. I didn't know the way I I thought the way that I said it worked, but
do you want to repeat it? Um, I mean, we're looking at the resolution. My concern is that the resolution does have attached to it an exhibit A to adopt the tenative annual budget for fiscal year 202526 attached here to and incorporated as
exhibit A. So, because we made the reduction in the millage rate, the budget that's currently attached I don't think that's been adjusted. Or has it? It has not. No, it it has not. I mean, the adjust all that we did was present to you the
proposed adjustments. That's all that was presented to you. So, I guess in addition to those would be to increase it to accommodate this increase in the military. Well, it is a tenative um budget that
you would be adopting. Um and you are going to give direction to um staff to come back and amend that for the final. Yes. Can you just strike the exhibit A part and would that cover? But then what are you adopting this
evening? The tenative manual. Okay, never mind. Should we go back? I'm not adopting anything. How's that? Well, I think we Yes. So, so perhaps it could be the motion could be made to um
adopt the resolution adopting the tenative budget um as attached as exhibit A with corre with adjustments to be consistent with the millage rate which is what I believe my original
motion was. But you have but I think I use the word coincide with the adopted. The only issue I have, mayor, would be that what kind of direction do you want to give them? Do you want to give them more specific direction on how to make that uh consistent or just leave it in their
discretion to make it and then bring it back? I thought I said, but if not, I can restate it in my motion that it to be consistent with our conversation today. Okay. I I can that's that's fine because I think you're going to have to go back and obviously there's a lot of
discussion about certain areas uh and that potential millage rate would allow you to adjust the things that were discussed here today to be able to come back at the next meeting and say based on what we heard from the first meeting here's where we can make adjustments based on this new tenative mill rate and
here's where the money is going and here's what this attachment A or exhibit A would be now. Yes, that would work. Okay. So, I'll restate my motion again. I will make a motion to approve resolution 25-263
for fiscal year 26 tenative budget to coincide exhibit A to match the previously adopted tenative millage rate of 1.150 mills
based on the discussion here today from the council and the adjustments and the adjustments Okay. Okay. I'll second it. Public comment. Motion by Mayor Hers, seconded by Councelor Safford. Any further discussion? Mayor.
Yes. Excuse me. Can you restate the millage rate, please? I think you might have misspoke it a little bit. The millage rate that was tenatively set was 1.150. Thank you. Yes. And is there public comment, Mayor? We already took public comment. On this one, not on this one.
We didn't. No, we did on the military. Oh, all right. Well, we'll open up. I thought we did. I thought he just spoke. Sorry. That's okay. We will open up for public comment. Yes, sir. Come on up. Come on up, Cliff. You got to come up to the mic, Cliff.
We're going to get to know you. Official document here from the Very good. You got to state your name. Got to state your name again. Sorry, Cliff. Cliff Gallagher. Um, the millage rate for the town of Fort Myers Beach is
1.2550. 2550 on this document. That was the proposed I'm sorry. That was the proposed the maximum the maximum proposed. Okay. So So you have a lower rate that you're
right. That's your proposal, sir. That That's your proposal. No, no, no. I'm just saying that's his trim not right. That's your trim notice. That's not the official That's not the final. That's not the final you're proposing. No.
No, sir. But it's it's that that's just the How can I say? That's your That's That's the max a good guess. That's That's the worst case scenario. How about that? Yes. All right. So now we just farted down. Yes. You know.
Yeah. Now we brought down. That's No, that was the No, that was the discussion today. So Okay. Yeah. Anyone else like to speak to public comment? either of you two. No. All right, we'll close public comment. We have a motion by Mayor Aller, seconded
by Councelor Safford. Any further discussion? I'm an I. Councelor Safford. I. Councelor Woodson. I vice mayor Adhalt. No. Councelor King. No. The motion carries 3 to2. That brings us to our last item, which is resolution 25-264,
fiscal year 26, tenative fee schedule. This is a resolution of the town council of the town of Fort Myers Beach adopting the tenative fee schedule for fiscal year 2025-2026 commencing October 1st, 2025 and ending on September 30th, 2026 and providing
for an effective date. Joe, thank you um Joe Finance Director. We're just about to give to you the um presentation on the proposed fee changes. Oh, here we go. Okay, it a lot quicker than I thought it would be.
Thank you, Josh. Hand out more handouts. Um so what um Cassandra has done is very carefully she's gone through the proposed um changes to the fee schedule. There's several of them. So I think um
we can go through them. If if there's any questions related to specific ones, I think maybe the department heads who are oversee those areas might be able to help answer them. So, I I think I'm going to be looking this way since I can read it better. So,
we have um the first group would be under administrative actions. So, we're proposing to raise the um zoning verification letter fee from 250 to 350 and you can stop me at any point if you have a question and we could have the
associated department head answer for you. Okay. We have the residential zoning requests is going to go $25 for first 15 minutes of staff time, $10 for each additional 15 minute increments of staff time to zero. Um, and I think
there's explanations for this that probably could be provided. Um, sign permits up to two signs. Um, is it says 100 per building permit fees is applicable, 25 each additional. That's going to zero. Garage sale permit
was 10. It's going to zero. Administrative relief 500. It's going to zero. Development agreement original agreement $5,000 to zero. Development agree agreement amendment $2,500 to zero.
Why why are those going to zero? Frankie. Yeah. Thank you. So, a lot of these fees Frankie Kachcha Community Development a lot of these fees are getting regrouped. So it it for lack of a better term a package. So instead of being peacemealed out when
you come in for these items you're going to be charged one fee. So it's just being moved into a different bucket to make it correct much. It was a lot easier to keep track of internally and then also as far as someone coming in for these services that they know ahead of time exactly what they're getting.
Makes sense. I just want clarification. I figured that's what you were doing but Yes, sir. Okay. Next slide then. So these would be um code enforcement related fees. So recording fees um we're going from $24 to cost plus 10%.
Lean search fees going from $50 to $100 and development order amendment going from $775 to $1,000 inundated. Need a moment more than that. So Thomas Soul,
any questions on on these changes or should I go forward? Any questions? Keep moving. Okay. Okay. This would be related to development orders. So we're going for a development order amendment $775 to
$1,000. Um the next item is type two any outofdoor recreational facilities provided the total cumulative additional impervious area does not exceed 8,000 square ft is going from $350 to $500.
Type four any single building accessory improvements thereto on a single non-conforming lot as defined in LD section 34-32271B is going from 500 to zero. Type eight, any other improvement to land determined by the director to have insignificant
impacts on public facilities. It's going from $1,100 to $2,000. LDO amendment is going from $50 to $0 and storm water review if it is deemed necessary would be the actual charge.
Any questions on this slide? Okay. uh Moringfield the weekly rate would be established at $175. There was not previously a rate. And is this going to you're going to look at that proposed 60,000 to adjust
that for the second reading? Okay. And the last um key fob um will will be a fee of $25 will be imposed. Parking fees. Annual rate resident
residential um island property owner is going from $25 to $50. Business owner annual fee will go from $50 to $100. Parking bags per bag is
going to go from $6 to $20. Parking decal, lost, stolen, replacement is going to go from $5 to $10. a license fee, $100 per spot. First calendar year,
$50 per spot um per calendar year if paid by November 30th is going to be 25% of the net annual revenue per spot. Any questions? Okay,
next slide is um special exceptions. This is regard regarding um public hearings. is going to originally it was 3,800 um slash 3,300 for amendment is going to $2,800.
Appeal of administrative decision is going to be one. It looks like it's staying the same. Okay. We were attempting to put the changes in, but I think some of these um don't look like they're changing. Is
there any reason why they're in there? if I may. Yes, please. Podium. Um, for the the line item, where did it go here? Uh, special exceptions. Um, we had two charges for 3,800 and then you see 33.
We did away with the 3,300 under under the current fee and the new fee just carries over to 3,800. It should be 3,800, not 2,800. 2,800. Y. Now, since you're up there, Frank, I got a question about this one since we're kind of stalled on that one. The I know
we had talks about when it comes to special exceptions for say someone that was putting a fence back that was previously existing. for them to have to pay $3,800
seemed a little we serves me we had discussions about potentially finding a tiered level based on the cost of the project. Is that something we're still trying to go down the rabbit hole to figure out? We we kind of are. Uh but in this case here we're dealing with the the the
packaging of a special exception. You don't need a special exception to put back an existing fence in existing spot. you know, if you're changing the outline or if you're changing the dynamics of it and how it fits on the space, that's where you might have to come in for a special exception. So, there there's like the two different
things here. I I don't know that that's 100% accurate, but I'll take you to take you at your word on it, but I I I thought we have had cases where people have had to come in to get a special exception to put a fence back that was there because of current code changes that have
changed since that fence was initially installed. There could be just using one case. There could be other circumstances where they may have needed a variance at one point and that may not be an option at this point. There there could be situations like that. Yes, sir. Okay.
But we are still trying to find a way to that path of charging by condition. And I'm assuming that this fee is just to cover staff time. It barely covers staff time, sir. Okay.
Seems like a lot. And I have some clarification regarding why it looks like some of these fees didn't change. It's because they were not included in the fee schedule before. Um they're not necessarily changing, but we're just making sure they're added to the fee schedule. Oh, okay.
Okay. And then the bottom one for town clerk comprehensive plan. It had been cost plus 5% is limited by statute. Now that has been removed. Okay. Now we're these are other fees. So personal watercraft vendor license
administration license enforcement this go is going from $386 to $500 before we move. Yeah, we've all got we you know we this Yeah, we all got the emails on this one, Joe. And it was agreed upon about the 3% increase
a year. Why is this going up 7.7 7.8%. Is there did it not happen last year or Thomas Yazo Fort Myers Beach M services director? Uh so we were trying to come
in line with surrounding counties surrounding municipalities with some of this and had not been raised. You had waved it at one point. So we're trying to come back online and bring it bring it into a space where as we move forward
it fits better with how we're moving forward. There's a lot of manpower that goes into monitoring these these uh licenses. There's a lot of contention within the licenses. They're very limited. So, uh we we spend many hours trying to put it together. Uh we have
legal involved with it many times. So, yes, we we thought that that would be a fair way to start and go with a 3% after that. Tom, have you had a chance to sit down with any of the interested parties and hear their concerns? I have. You have? I've had with several. Yes. because
we've heard from the Webers, Faircloth, and Perry. Have you those are those names familiar to you? They are. Okay. They seem they also seem to express and my colleagues will correct me if I'm wrong. They they seem okay with enhancing the fines for those who are
violating, but I think they envision themselves and I think they've proven over the years they've got a pretty good reputation, but they're okay with going after the bad actors. Does that what would that mean in terms of your your world? Tom, do you give many fines in that arena?
There are many possibilities. There are possibilities for fines, but there's also, as I said, they're very contentious. So, uh, it would take a lot more manpower to track some of this down. Uh, which honestly we don't have
to go attack some of this sometimes. and we do try to satisfy their complaints against each other as best we can and we try to try to move forward with that. So, we thought this was a fair movement forward to make it more equitable as we see across the rest of the state uh
which we're still a lot less than most that we're seeing especially in either either Gulf Gulf Coast uh townships and cities and the Atlantic side as well. Help me with this Tom because you are
asking for an increase in the penalties, the violations. Yes, sir. So that that this So with that being said, again, we we do our best to try to go after those things. Uh we're hoping that the increase in the
penalties will discourage the bad actors as as you guys described them. So that's our goal there. Yeah. And I understand that and and I can appreciate that. But again, we've all in the past agreed to the 3% increase. And I I can't support anything
going up above that. And and again, with these folks, they're more than uh happy to have you uh increase the penalties. Yes, sir. Again, this is this is a tentative plan and it's at your pleasure.
Thank you. I I guess what I'm trying to look at here, Tom, is to John's point, we there was a lot of time and energy he put into getting everybody to agree on the 3% increase and you know
is if if what you're saying is we're going to continue the 3% increase, but that whatever that number would be between the you know what is it 60 bucks, 70 bucks, is that going to make a huge difference I mean in the grand scheme of things to
to continue with the 3%. So the 500 would be three three and a half% less than that. Yes sir. Yeah. Is it going to make grand is a difference in our whole budget? No sir it's not. But it was a starting point for us to try to equalize. But
again it's a tentative it's a tentative plan. Yeah. Well I mean I I I believe in what you're saying. I just I'm wondering if again in the grand scheme of things if we're talking 11 licenses and it's you know 30 60 70 bucks a piece is
yeah we made a commitment to only raise it 3%. Yeah. So I I yeah I would I would like to see that 500 adjusted from the 386 plus the 3% which I don't it's long beyond I'm not pulling out a calendar. You guys can
figure out. Yeah, we I understand. Yeah. Yes, sir. N bucks. Yeah, I understand. Guidance from the council taken. Yeah, we we can adjust that back. $12. Yeah. It's not It's not It's Yep. And And if you feel that increasing and
to your point, Vice Mayor, every one of them have reached out to us and said they would support increasing the penalties, right, for those that are choosing to do things that they shouldn't be doing. I I can I can get behind that maybe make it up in the penalty part
the difference. So instead of raising from 25 to 100, you raise it to 125. From 150 to 500, you raise it to 550. Absolutely. Make it up that way. We can restructure the numbers and get it to where you're what you're asking.
Good. Okay. So I assume that goes through down to beach raking permit. This is another one. Is it? Okay. So that's a fee for $25 per property going up to $500 per property,
which I'm not the smartest person in the world math-wise. Maybe a little smarter than at Riot, but I checked and I hope my figures are right, but it looks like that's a 1900% increase. Well, the other thing too, it like these property owners are maintaining this and
they're getting these permits and they're actually maintaining the beach for us where and I don't think um FWC or DEP doesn't charge they don't charge anything. So, we're,
you know, they're they're maintaining their beaches for us, but yet we're increasing their fee substantially. So, I I don't understand that. I guess I'd go a little se if if they're getting a permit through the agency that
monitors that, why do they still need a permit through the town? I would agree. Chad's not here anymore. I mean, is there is there is there some sort of monitoring that we have to do on top of it and that's what this fee is to cover? I don't I I know Joe doesn't know the
answer to that and I think we're we're looking around. So that that that's a mistake clearly. I don't know and I definitely don't know the answer to where the where the fee came from in the first place. But so that's a doo we owe back to you council member. So then I think just to be able to move it forward we we'll keep it at the
current rate until the next the next push. We'll keep it at the current rate. Yes. We'll get you an answer on so beaching would stay the same as until until we have an answer as to the reason for the the increase, right? Okay. Thank you. Understood.
Hurricane re-entry replacement pass would now have a $10 charge. Um beach furniture vendor license first year. Um maybe this is the same issue, I don't know, but it's $124 now. It's being proposed to raise to $300.
Um, beach furniture vendor license renewal, the same would go from 124 to 300. Um, beach furniture vendor license late fee after October 1st would go from $25 to 100. Anyone complain about that?
Um, so now we're into Bay Oaks Recreation Campus Membership. Um, I don't know. Jeeoff, would you prefer to talk through these? Um, or I could I could read them. Okay.
Yeah. So, we just did some slight increases on on them. Um, one of the things with the annual membership for um a resident is that it did go up to up $15, but that's that's going to include pickle ball and the other amenities.
before they would have to come in. The approved fee schedule for last year was a and actually for the last uh since I've been here, you even if you had a membership or a pass to get in, um you still had to pay the $5 pickle ball fee. So, we we just increased that a little
bit as far as the the membership goes, but pickle ball will be included. You don't have to pay $5 every time you go in. Um, so I think over time with especially with the pickle ball players, they'll and also with uh open gym basketball and volleyball, same thing. If you're a member, you get those
amenities on on top of that. So, um, I think the $15 value will be be a good value once you include not having to pay the $5 of time to go play indoor pickle ball or pay $5 to play open basketball, those kind of things. So that's a good clarificate.
That's a good clarification because the people were worried that they were going to there was an increase plus they were still going to pay their $5 per session for yeah their pickle ball. And honestly it helps the staff out. Every time they come in they got to you know pay $5 and that. So I think it's just a good amenity to have. We haven't
had the rec center open you know a full year for a long time uh for years. And then uh I think that was just a good compromise to not have them to have them use the amenities that they can. Um and I guess just going down the line
um just minimal changes if that um not too much there on that one. So we can go to the next slide unless you guys have questions. Uh this next one I the only thing I want to clarify is you can see the fees for um the after or yeah the after school
program. It does say in there and it might be a little confusing on the way. We we must have missed some numbers on on the sheet. Um where it says uh youth club wreck during school and it says per semester we only have the $350
a year. Now, we had two in my proposal. We had two. So, it would be 200 a semester, which would be an increase um just because of the services going up, or you could pay 350 a year and get it get that $50
discount. Um and then we we went from a non-member 275 per semester or 400 for the the whole year. And that's those are really good prices. So um comparative comparative to you know going to
afterchool programs at the school or the YMCA those kind of things. So uh I did compare Santael uh rec center with that too. So we are still under that as far as that goes. If if you could by the next um the next meeting just clean up some of the
language because it can be confusing per semester and then it's a year over there. Which one is it? That that's why in the in my original one I it didn't get transferred on here very well. But some some just want to pay per semester. They only are going to be around they only want to pay for half the year maybe. You know they have Oh, so you're providing both options.
Either option. Yeah. You'll just save some money if you pay for the whole year. So you save $50 if you're a resident or a member uh if you pay for the year. Um and then you save even more. I mean you you save when you pay the 2.75 per semester and the 400 a
year. So you you'll say you have that savings. Um you know the rest are are pretty self-explanatory. Um we are going to eliminate like I said the pickle ball or volleyball day passes um to zero. We are
still going to be doing boss programs. That's going to be actual cost plus I believe it's I don't know if it's in this one but cost plus $4 for transportation um that we do. So, uh, it's actually more if you're I don't know why it's not in here. Is it the next slide?
What's that? Oh, I was wondering if it's on the next slide. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Um, so the No, it's not on here. Oh, senior trips. Yeah. uh it'll be 100% recovery um for the for the residents
and then 100% cost recovery plus $8 for non-residents. So we don't have that that extra $4 anymore for the resident. So um yeah, that's that's about it for Bay
Oaks. Any questions? Okay. Okay. Then this is um touching on permit fees now. Um Frankie, would you like to help out with that? Sure. So So basically what we looked at is a
couple of different municipalities around here uh tried to use uniform size and shape. So Eststerero and Bonita um they're all over the board on different uh permits and what you're looking for. Uh the simple approach we just did here is just took everything up by $10 to
make it more feasible for the department and to keep us in well not really in line with others that are almost hundreds of dollars more uh but at least to to try to get us moving forward. So if you look through these that's
basically all we did was add $10 to our current permit fees that had been established for a number of years now. Frank, do do you think $10 is enough? That's what I was just trying to do. Well, again, you know, what is too much and what is not enough? So, I mean, we
we we honestly did this in in a way where we took and packaged things, the large ticket items, um to try to make that more not affordable, but more easily handled by somebody coming in that needed a ton of different things. The people that are coming through on a daily basis, we're not here to kick them
in the knees. These are things that we can easily get with the staff that we have and and get them functioning and moving them forward. So, most of the things by raising them up $10, we're not talking about extensive reviews, those type of situations. Uh we kind of ran into a buzzsaw this year just with the
FEMA Cav where it took some staff away, integral staff, um that would normally be doing a daily review type regiment. Um so, but I think these are in line. We're where we need to be. Um, and if we just keep on upping maybe uh $10 every two years, we'll have to just wait and
see uh on where that is. But I think we're in line where where we need to be for our town. Definitely take direction. I mean, if you want to want us to take a harder look and go higher, you're not going to get a a scream out of me.
It's just hard to say apples and apples when you look at a a a typical permit uh for a condo on our island. Uh just say for uh uh what is the one up there? A carpet and garage flat fee or carport and garage flat fee. If you go to Cape
Coral, that same fee or that thing permit there can be upwards of $1,000. So, you know, we you have to kind of look at where we're at, what we're trying to accomplish. Our goal here is to build back and get the the people back in their homes and functioning as a
town and then we can start assessing some of these things slowly as we progressed forward. And that's kind of what my my thought process was. You feel comfortable with it and your staff feels comfortable with the recommended changes. I'm comfortable with it.
Thank you, sir. I don't know. I still think it's maybe too low. I mean, I would love to see it if it was $25 increase and based on the number of permits that we've had, what what kind of income would that give us?
We can we can break it. We have broke it down. Georgina, our our our community development manager and I have kind of looked at this really good as far as grouping them into what was the most requested permits. Again, you know, coming from 23 to 24, we were here. 24
we kind of now and now we've kind of plateaued. But as more of the condos come back online and as more of the the building structures themselves are approved and the homeowners move back into those condos, they're going to be coming in and doing some of the upgrade uh permits because they've been out of
them for, you know, a number of years now and we understand that. So, there's going to be a spike in some of them, but uh I'll definitely take any direction. If you feel they're too low, then we can actually go back and reassess and come back to you with a a better vision of the breakdown and what we think uh would
be feasible moving forward. I'd be comfortable with 25 instead of 10. Okay, John. Sorry, John. Um, I'm I'm comfortable with the original proposal. Jim,
I would defer to you on that, Frankie. I just want to make sure it reflects our actual cost. It It's uh again, you know, you're you're not in here to to to make money, right? We're in here to function as a community and get people what they need. Right. Um, our only problem with looking at
some of these is where is that line of debarcation? Where where are you going to assess one permit more money or more fee gathering than another one when they all have to go through the basic process? The the ones that uh like
councelor Woodson is proposing if we did take it up to the $25, those would be the ones that I would recommend that we have to do a full staff review on. you know that it may not take but a few hours of staff time, but it has to have the eyes of all the different disciplines. Planning, zoning,
environmental, flood, those are the ones where you go through the chain and if they require that type of stuff, I'm all for taking that up. Um, just because of the the nuances involved in getting it through those stages. You've all gotten the emails, hey, where's my permit and
such and such and you know, it might be hung up here, it might be hung up here. Those are the reasons why because they're taking that time to to look at it. Um, you know, Chad looks at stuff that other people don't. So, uh, and and the same with our flood plane coordinator. He looks at stuff that other people don't. I'd be willing to go
back and look at the more complex permits that require more eyes on it and and and definitely take that and I can get your report back to you by the time we do this next time. Yeah, we we all I I know I think we all were here. Maybe Scott wasn't here yet.
Maybe he was. I can't remember, but there was a time where we gave everybody some grace on these permit fees right after the storm. I still think it was the right thing to do. But we're now at a stage where we just want to make sure that it generates the appropriate amount of revenue for you to give them excellent service. And so I would I
would defer to you on that, Frank. And and we also waved right after I believe Hela and Milton for drywall permits because there was a lot of people coming in. So, not only did for a brief moment we waved and then we just went ahead and issued the trade price which is a static price not based on
square footage. So, we we've done that a few times and that was kind of a hiccup when Joe came back and uh the the Goldman Wolf was looking at it and I remember Carolyn from that staff came and said why was there such a dramatic drop off in such and such a period. Well, it was during that time when we were we were trying to
to help the residents get their stuff back. I think, and I don't want to speak for everybody because I know some folks are concerned about permit fees, but at the same time, if they if they pay what it actually costs and they're getting excellent service, we don't hear a lot of griping. So, we want we want you to charge whatever is necessary to give
them excellent service. No, we will definitely uh put our noses back to the grindstone here and come back with some realistic numbers for you then. Well, let me ask you this. You talked about complexities. Is that complexity because of the the permit applicant or because of what we are having to go
through? Where's the comp? It's a combination of both. It could be what is asked for in that permit, but it's also the the amount of eyes that have to go through to generate that permit to get it to be issued. But then now we're taking it out on the applicant because of what we have to do internally. I can see if it's something
that is a complex uh permit application that that yes, that should justify that cost. But if it's something that we're doing internally, that would I think John we're talking the same thing. It it is because of that complex permit that requires more staff time to do it.
I understand who who makes it complex, the applicant. The applicant by coming in here and asking for a lot of different things in a packet. That's what is requiring the staff time. Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate Well, and it could it it goes it could be they the applicant didn't
supply all the information and you have to review it two times or three times. So, I think you're on the right path. I think you've got direction to take a look at the ones that you've seen the most issues with and adjust these fees accordingly. Yes, sir. Thank you.
Oh, there's actually more, frankly. But it's all the same, I think. Yeah, they're they're all the same. I think it's all the answer. The same guidance will most likely apply. Same guidance all the way through. The guidance is the same, Joe. All the way through. Yeah, it's a good way to put it.
Frankie and then Okay, I guess that's that's Oh, no. There's more. All right. For now. For now. Yeah. Okay. I guess that would be the end of the presentation. Okay. Any other questions for Joe or
other staff on any of these proposed fees? John? None. Jim, no. Karen? No. Scott? No, sir. All right. Is someone prepared to make a motion on resolution 25-264, fiscal year
26, tenative fee schedule based on the amended changes discussed today? So moved. Got a motion by councelor King. Second. Seconded by councelor Safford. Public comment. Public comment. Anyone? Cliff, you want to come and say something again before we lose power?
For another three minutes. Seeing none, we'll close public comment. We got a motion by councelor King, seconded by councelor Safford. Any further discussion? Uh, councelor King. I. Councelor Safford. I. Councelor Woodson. I. Vice Mayor Adteral. I. And I'm I.
And I'm an I as well. That motion carries unanimously. That brings us to our final public comment. Anyone care to speak in final public comment? Yes, sir. Come on up. As a citizen here, you got to come up to the mic, sir. Four hours.
I was I was surprised you sat there the first time we get to hear from. You got to state your names here for the record. You all have to talk a little bit louder. I'm losing my hearing. I guess a lot of us are. What? But, uh, it's the first time I'm at a a meeting. Your name for the record, sir. You got to state your name for the record. State your name.
State your name for the record, please. Michael Jutier from New York, but I've been living here for 28 years. I retired in 2003. It's a wonderful place. Uh, I just like to compliment you all on
the way you conducted this meeting. That's why I came here. I wanted to see how my local government works. And I got an education tonight. I didn't know who you are. I know who you are. I know I know everybody here. I know what your jobs are and you're doing a very good
job. That's all I have to say. Thank you. What a nice nice way to end it. Can I ask him a question? Do you go back do you go back to New York for an accent renewal program? Did you say I talk like Robert Dairo? No, he talks like me.
There you go. I'm from Brooklyn. He's from Manhattan. There you go. I think you're better looking now. You're taller. New York. NYPD. Yes, sir. From the Bronx. The Bronx. The Bronx.
You're retired. I'm retired. My son's retiring in December. God bless. I want him to come here. Bring him on. I only go back to New York to visit now. There you go. All right. Thank you, sir. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak at public comment?
See, again, I can't hear you. No, just said thank you. All right. Said I'm going to the Bronx. forget about. All right, I'll close public comment. With that, there's a motion to adjurnn. Uh, I would just like to thank staff for
your efforts here tonight. Thanks for your late night and move to adjourn. All right, got a motion to adjurnn. Any further discussion? All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. We are journ at 856.