Hello everybody. Hello. All right. Thank y'all very much. Welcome to the July 27th special call village council meeting. Marne, can you call us to order, please? Or do the roll call, please?
>> Council member Steve Freriedman, >> here. >> Council member Deb Gillis, >> here. >> Council member Anna Richards, >> here. Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney >> here. >> And Mayor Don Horton, >> I'm here. We have a Okay. Dr. Capola, will you please lead us in the pledge of allegiance? >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you
to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation, indivisible, [groaning] with liberty and justice for all. All right, good deal. Well, we've got a
house full of people, so why don't we go on and start off with public comment? Marne, is there any public comment this week? >> Mayor, before you start that, could I I'm sorry to interrupt. Could we just take a minute? We lost a very good patriarch. Sir, I >> I just wanted to to recognize Van Caden
Head's passing for those that didn't know, and I thought we could just take a minute and recognize him cuz he was here for every single council. here for every meeting. He sure was. And so, yeah, >> Van Kaden had passed away about a week ago, I guess it was. And, uh, although
he moved, he was always a a big part of this community and and a big part of all of our council meetings. So, thank you for that. I really appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Okay, Marty, are there any public comments? >> Yes, sir. We'll start with Andy Newman. >> Thank you, Marty. >> Welcome, Andy.
>> Good afternoon. Great to be here. Um, Andy Newman, 193 El Capitan Drive. Um, just wanted to talk about something a little bit different. It's not really baseball. Um, but want to talk about sargasm. And the sargasm assault along the village shorelines this year has
been unprecedented. It's affecting residents quality of life. Everybody in this room, and not just in Alamra, all of them down the keys. And I mean that quite literally. As sarcasm decomposes, it releases hydrogen sulfide into the air, creating
that familiar odor that we all hate of rotten eggs, sometimes even sewage. Um, that gas can pose a health threat uh and risk for people with compromised immune systems and also may initiate
respiratory problems for others. As a lower Manacumbi resident living across the highway opposite Seot Beach, my wife and I and our neighbors have endured this overwhelming odor throughout the summer. There have been many days when spending time outdoors has been simply
impossible. And during times with southeasterly winds, the odor actually permeates the walls within our residents. Three weeks ago, I contacted Councilwoman Gillis to discuss the issue. After listening to my concerns,
she she suggested that I call the village manager and I did and had a very productive conversation with Ron. I connected Ron with Dr. Brian Le Point. He's a Lower Keys resident and a research professor at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institute. He's one of the nation's leading uh um experts on sargasm. I appreciate that Ron has taken the uh this issue seriously. He's spoken to Dr. Le Point several times and I understand that there's a potential for a future
project that might actually be here in Alam Marada. My primary reason for for speaking today is I want to reinforce the seriousness of this issue. Sargasm is more than an inconvenience. It's a public health um concern, major
public health concern, a quality of life issue for again everybody in this room, including our youngsters here. Okay? And um it's a threat to the village's economy and tourism based identity. I encourage council and staff to make
addressing this challenge one of the village highest priorities and to pursue both short-term and long-term solutions. um and very much appreciate your time and your consideration. Thank you. >> Thank you, Andy.
>> Okay, next up is um Alina Davis. >> Welcome, Alina. >> Good afternoon, Alina Davis, village of Island Marada resident. I just want to um reiterate something that happened um during the last council meeting. We were
talking about health benefits and the budget coming up and Don asked I believe he asked um the village manager Ron Saunders to direct staff to get additional estimates for employee health
insurance because there was only one bid if I remember correctly. So, with budget season coming up, which is right around the corner, it's only a week away, right? Um, I'm wondering, has that been done? Have there been
additional estimates for employee health or for anything else that we need to consider in the budget? >> Thanks. >> Thank you, Elena. >> Next up is Joe Wish Meer. >> [clears throat]
>> Mr. Joe Wishmire, Plantation Key. Mr. Mayor and Council. First, I would like to comment on a couple things. One, the first one being the scarified lot behind CVS. It's a tragedy as to how that happened.
It's not the first time it's happened. Even the representative of the owner said, "We need to come up with better penalties or fines other than just like a slap on the wrist." Instead of following up with any of that and saying
something like, "Well, maybe you can't get a permit or maybe you can't build until we get this taken care of." Instead, what you did was reward them by giving them a long dock that admittedly is going to be high enough that it won't
affect some of the coral there. I remember previous councils had turned down people just putting a a T dock on the end of their dock because there was turtle grass. I think that was a shame and a disgrace and we ought to look into better ways to handle that.
Second was the school board meeting that was held at 1:30 in the afternoon. So, a lot of people couldn't attend, including myself. And then we didn't get a chance to do public comment and all because it was only for those people who actually showed up repeatedly. You kept saying
over and over, "Yes, we're going to have public comment. We're going to make sure that everybody gets a say." And that of course didn't happen. We're kind of doing the same thing now with the budget hearings. We got three days in a row of budget hearings starting at 3:00 in the
afternoon. Now, people at work can't get here for that. How are we going to digest a budget for three days in a row when y'all been probably working on it for a long time? We had no committees this year. Remember last year we had a committee and they came up with some
great ideas. So, I think we're just rushing into this budget thing way too much. And I think that you ought to give us more consideration for the public. Thank you. >> Thank you, Joel. >> Next is Elizabeth Jolan. >> I'm sorry, who? >> Elizabeth.
>> Oh, Elizabeth Jolan. Welcome, Elizabeth. >> Hi. Thanks for the opportunity to speak and thank you for your dedicated service. Um, you know, I wanted to, um, thank you for having the meeting tonight and and waiting through the difficulties
of the baseball scenario situation. I hope that during the comment that you all will the conversation you all be having, you'll address um, why we've chosen to peacemeal the project. So tonight we're we we understand that you've you've come to some agreement
with the school board about one element of the project, but the buildings and the remainder of of the discussion is yet to to to come. And I um I hope we can move forward with that in a very, as much as I hate the word, transparent and
organized way so that the community can be right there with all of those discussions and we can um proceed efficiently and um with fairness to not only the residents but um of course the kids who want to play on that field.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you, Elizabeth. >> No one else has signed up for general public comment. So, this is general public comment. Is there anybody else that would like to have it uh get up and talk about anything? >> Okay, good deal. For that, public
comment is closed. >> Uh Ron, would you like to open up the uh the discussion on this ball field licensing agreement, please? >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Council, as you know, we've been working on this for years. Uh there's been discussions. Uh
when I came in as manager in April of 2025, over a year ago, uh one of my first days was started on this. We've been going back and forth. Uh we've had a citizens task force meetings. [clears throat] We've had parks and recreation committee meetings, numerous council meetings, a lot of public input.
Uh we've had back and forth with the school board individually uh with the superintendent. Uh we had a joint meeting last week, an a historic one uh that uh we had the school board and the village council there and we went through item by item and came up with a tenative agreement. So we are having a
special call meeting tonight. The school board is meeting tomorrow at I believe 5:00 5:30 in Key West. They'll be taking up the identical agreement. Uh just as a legislative bill, you have to pass identical agreements. If you change one word, there's no agreement. So they're taking up the identical one that we're taking up tonight, they'll be taking up
tomorrow. And if there's no changes and both bodies agree, then we have an agreement. Uh in response to one of the questions, we it was my recommendation that we only move forward on the fence, the dugouts, uh the uh the um batting cages in the field because there's too many questions about buildings. We've
already with your agreement eliminated one of the two buildings originally proposed. The second building, there were some questions about the location of it and the the format of it. And rather than trying to drag that out, we wanted to get reach agreement on the field so it could be done before next season. And so we have gotten a timetable from the school district that
said if we if we the council and if we the village and if we the school board come to an agreement they think that comfortable they will be able to complete the field uh in the fencing and the dugouts prior to season starting. Uh so that's kind of where we are now and respond some questions the maintenance
cost. Uh Mr. Lefir I've asked for confirmation the 48,000 was what we've been paying traditionally and I have the breakout if somebody wanted it. he mentioned $6,000 if the artificial turf is approved. So that was the the breakouts that he mentioned and he's confirmed those numbers. So there'll be a great reduction in cost because
obviously a turf field is much less expensive to maintain than grass field, no water, no no uh pesticides, um mowing, etc. Uh, as far as other cost, uh, the costs being borne by the school district, we've had some questions today, but emails about what would not
be covered and the school district has basically taken on the most of those costs and we'll try to disclose any other costs as we go along. But, uh, to our our mind, there's not a great deal cost to the village. The school district is the tenant as we will be picking up
the cost of the improvements. So, with that, I'll um leave it to to the discussion by the council. Steve, anything uh you want to talk about that may have arisen since our meeting with the school board that you've got some questions or comments about?
>> Um no, I I think we I think we did a good job of hammering out our our differences and coming to some conclusions. Um I I think um Ron touched on many of the things that uh we're we're hearing around town about um certain costs to the village um which
are uh in fact minimal if not less than what we were uh experiencing before. And um uh uh I think that there's uh there's no obligation to approve any buildings um right now. We're just really working on the on the field and the fence and
the dugouts I believe. So, that's going to be something that's going to be coming forward and uh I think that that process should go um hopefully very smoothly because of the understanding that um hopefully we can reach tonight. >> Very good. Thank you, Steve. Deb,
>> no, I just really uh appreciate the school board meeting with us or allowing us to meet with them, whichever the proper phrase is. Um, uh, I think we made a lot of headway in in coming to terms with [clears throat] both sides and I think both sides gave in on, uh,
things to to make it work for both of us. So, I just really appreciate it. >> Thank you, Deb. Anna, welcome back. >> Thanks. Uh, no, I'm going to go along with everybody else on that and that I think it was great that we all got to meet and we, you know, we worked it out amongst
ourselves to come to an agreement. There was give and take on both sides, but at the end of the day, I think the most important thing is the the safety of their kids and getting this field right. I've been begging for this to be done for over 10 years now. I mean, my own kids have been hurt on that field. I
think your kids been hurt on that field. I mean, it's deplorable position and it it needs to be fixed. So, I'm just glad that we've finally getting somewhere and we can get this done. >> All right. Thank you, Vice Mayor. I think I'm going to wait uh for public
comment on this subject before I weigh in. So, >> Oh, okay. Um yeah, I agree with all and um of course we met at a school board meeting uh which was a regularly which was scheduled for this specific thing which
we've been trying to do for over a year and and I know that the previous council um you know struggled with these with the with the improvements and what was going to happen there. Uh again, it you know, I I was told a long time ago, if
if everybody doesn't walk away with being 100% satisfied, you've probably come to a good a good agreement. And I think that's probably where we're at at this point. I'm I'm thankful that we've moved it along this far. So, um why don't we just go on and open up this
particular topic then to uh some public comment and see what the what the folks out there in the in our audience uh might want to talk. Yes, John. >> Do you want me to read the title for the resolution before we do that? Thank you. Um uh our only tap is [clears throat] uh
resolution of the village council of Alamra Village of Islands, Florida, approving a baseball field license agreement with the school board of Monroe County, Florida, authorizing village manager to execute the amended interlocal agreement and baseball field license agreement providing for imple implementation corrections and an effective date. >> Thank you very much, John.
So with that, uh let's open this up to public comment that's specifically about this ball field and licensing agreement. And Marne, is there anyone signed up to speak about this? >> Yes, sir, there are. >> Thank you. >> Um, we'll start with Captain Ed Davidson.
[clears throat] [snorts] >> For the record, I am Captain Davidson, chairman of the IRS 501c3, Florida Key Citizens Coalition, a former four-year Keyswide elected member of the school board and a residential property owner and taxpayer in Alamrada. Uh, it's not
personal. I'm just making the record, Mr. Attorney. Uh, school system facilities director Pat Leafir has publicly admitted to meeting out of the sunshine for years with his 14 member Founders Park baseball field design team. Pursuant to my Freedom of
Information documents request, only three sets of minutes were ever produced for all that time. Uh, and I'll remind you they hired without notifying Marada two design bill contractors in a row over a three and a half year period without even notifying us that they done
it. Uh, no evidence was ever provided that any of these meetings were ever publicly noticed and officially open to the participation by residents of Almada. This is about process that went wrong is likely to go along again when they want the buildings. Meanwhile,
emails have recently surfaced documenting that village manager Ron Saunders has partnered with ceremonial village Mayor Don Horton to cut what is a in major respects and out of the sunshine deal with the school board that dramatically contradicts and extensively overrules the uh original baseball field
license wording adopted twice by this council uh 5040 with energetic aluma council debate and extensive public input. Yet, in his 27th April 26 speech to the Alam Parks and Rex committee,
Saunders reveal revealed that in attempting to bypass the impass consequences of the school board's repeated refusal since January to sign the village's ball field license wording, he'd been privately carrying votable issue conversations in between
individual schoolboard members and conversations and vote polling which were fundamentally contradictory to the official village permit wording and which the Florida sunshine law would seem to specifically prohibit. Yet, at the recent 12M council
meeting um and three council meetings at which nothing was ever mentioned about that this was going on, some such uh sunshine contradictions repeatedly described with village officials adamantly claiming they could legitimately interact with schoolboard officials outside of public venues as
though themselves were private citizens. when it would seem in fact that once elected and appointed to public office they remain as public officials bound by the sunshine law 247 365. The 12 May council meeting public
comment starts at 2:3513 and at 249 council member Don [clears throat] Horton states that he lobby schoolboard members quote as a private individual unquote despite those prior official permit wording approval votes which he had already publicly cast
repeatedly reendorsed and assured the public during his re-election campaign that he would rigorously defend. while he and the village manager were in fact at the same time actively promising schoolboard officials that is never publicly voted addendum one would repeal
most of the original safeguards. During the four years I was myself elected Keys White to the school board. I had many professional briefings on the applicable restrictions of the Florida government in the sunshine law. Here are some possibly relevant quotes from the Florida Attorney General's handbook.
First, Florida Supreme Court, town of Palm Beach versus Gratison. Jot that one down, Mr. Attorney. Quote, "The Sunshine Law is to be construed so as to frustrate all evasive devices." That's pretty damn clear. But all the lawyers
in this room should understand, and those watching on TV, a few from as far away as Tallahassee and Washington DC, I might add informationally. In the case Paris versus state, quote, is a warning about conducting private
meetings through the use of surrogates such as friends, aids, relatives, and other governmental officials," unquote, which is Ron Saunders often publicly avowed specialty as everybody's favorite lunch buddy. But it lacks sunshine. Just as Ron's often spouted mantra that he
knows how to count to three ignores his fundamental legal obligation to count all the way to five so that councilors number four and five get to speak publicly on the record to their constituents and the taxpaying voters get to speak
publicly to all five counselors in return like now. This never happened with the Saunders Horton addendum one that you're about to adopt tonight. Although it was conveyed to the school board as though it had been voted and
was binding already on the council and the taxpayers, which which it wasn't and it isn't. >> Thank you, Catman. You bet. Marne, um, who's our next speaker? >> Next up is Tony Hammond.
>> Tony, welcome. >> [clears throat] >> Thank you very much. Uh Tony Hammond, 246 Jasmine Street. Uh as most of you know, I've worn a lot of hats over the years. I've been a marine biology teacher, biology teacher
at Coral Shores, baseball coach at Coral Shores, a 1972 school principal for most of my life. um again baseball coach throughout almost 50 years and then back at Coral Shores as a baseball coach and currently one of
the baseball coaches at Coral Shores. But uh what I want to talk to you about tonight is another hat that I have to wear that's very important. That is the hat of a pastor. I don't have anything new to add to this tonight, but since our meeting with the school board last week, I just want to
listen to my schedule. I've conducted two memorial services, pulled along the side a friend from our community who [snorts] lost his father, two brothers who just lost their sister who was a former teacher of mine, spent
hours on the phone trying to keep a marriage together of a couple that are very, very close to me. And I spoke yesterday at at church. And I tell you all this because dealing with things like I've
dealt with over the last week since our school board meeting gives you a new perspective of the great debate over the baseball field that we're having right now. It makes me want to say, "Come on, folks. It's a baseball field for crying out
loud. That's all it is. Let's not spend any more time on this thing. let's vote and get this done so that the teams will have a field to play on next year. And guys, thank you for coming. And uh I look forward to being around when all of
you are playing for Coral Horse High School and being a part of uh the coaching staff and watching you guys raise up and play ball as well. And thank you. And hopefully after tonight, we will actually have a great field to play on. So, thank you for being here
tonight. Thanks everybody. >> [applause] >> Okay. Thank you. Thank Thank you, Tony. Can Can y'all do me a favor? Can y'all do me a favor? If you agree with somebody, will you just wave your hands up in the
sky and not clap and we can move this meeting along. But, uh, I think that's probably the nice way to do it is everybody just show their sign of approval this way and maybe we can get through this. >> So, Marne, who's next? Next up is Rich
Russell. >> Quiet, please. Coach Russell, >> where's [clears throat] the jacket? Come on. >> I uh By the way, Rich Russell and I'm a lifelong resident of Alada. I looked around the room and saw that I was the
only idiot with a jacket and decided that's probably >> It looks so good on you. >> Yeah. And the sweat looks so bad. Um Mayor Horton, Vice Mayor Mahoney, and distinguished members of the council. During the first 18 days of July, my
wife and I were at our cottage in uh Alaska, and we spent each evening watching Hallmark's Christmas in July series. So, yeah, thank you. I know some of you must be saying, "Get a life." You know, you're probably right. But borrowing from Hallmark, I'd like to
title my remarks tonight Thanksgiving in July. Please allow me to share a few things of the many things I'm thankful for on this what I believe to be will be a historic night. To begin with, I want to thank my pastor. It's a good name for
pastors, Dr. Tim Crutcher, for yesterday of all days preaching on Matthew 5:44. And for those that don't know that scripture, it says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." In all cander, that sermon made me give
up about third of a third of my talking points. So, that's probably a good thing. You can be thankful for that. I'm thankful for Mayor Horton's leadership in proposing the unprecedented joint workshop between the village of Al Alada Council and uh the Monroe County School Board. I'm thankful for the school
board's willingness to participate and especially for uh board member Bendy Khan's strong advocacy for the workshop. that workshop concept that again mayor you originated. [clears throat] I'm thankful for every member of the governing bodies who approached that
workshop with an open mind, a spirit of cooperation, and I think a sincere commitment to resolving the differences. I'm thankful and she's here tonight for schoolboard chair I'm sorry I'm skipping over. I'm thankful for schoolboard chair John Dick and Mayor Horton who conducted
a workshop with patience and professionalism ensuring that every question was heard and every concern was thoroughly and respectfully addressed. Mr. Mayor, I especially appreciate the fact that you went around the five member council a second time, making
certain that every member had an opportunity to ask questions, express concerns, and be fully heard. Now, as I started to jump to I want to thank the school board district 5 member Dr. Sue Watansky for her preparation,
for her command of the details, and her clear explanations just that reflects the thoroughess and professionalism she con consistently brings to her public service. I want to thank Vice Mayor Mahoney who while serving as mayor encouraged the creation
of an ad hoc committee that helped develop proposed language for our attorneys to consider. But most importantly, I think established the expectation that the turf that was going on this uh this field would be selected using uh as criteria the safest possible
playing surface while protecting our sensitive environment. I'm thankful for village manager Ron Saunders who took the helm after years of limited progress and listened and processed all perspectives and then charted a course has brought us to this
important evening. I'm thankful to the Monroe County School Board for committing over $4 million or an estimated $4 million for the cost of this state-of-the-art facility. an investment that will not only benefit Coral Shores baseball, but also numerous
other uh youth programs and our entire community for the years to come. Finally, council, I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you for enduring your part of this four-year challenge. This project's been much more about baseball. It's it's much more
about a playing field. It's about investing in our children and vi and providing field options for countless causes and I think strengthening the community that we all love. Tonight we can close the chapter on four difficult
years and begin a new chapter. One that's filled with opportunity, with pride, and with promise. I thank you in advance for making that possible. >> Thank you, coach. Thank you. No, no, no, no.
[applause] Let's remember, we're just going to raise our hands. That's the way to do it. That's the good way. Thank y'all. Marne, who's next? >> Alina Davis. >> Elena. [clears throat] >> Welcome, Elena.
>> Thank you. Alina Davis, village of Al Marada resident. I believe that Ron just said that the total costs are not yet detailed. Would that be correct? If so, I would like to remind all of you who sit on village council that you
represent the residents and the voters of Isa Marada. Please make sure that you have all the answers to your questions regarding costs and that there are no surprises in the license agreement that will financially impact the taxpayers of
Isa Marada. Concerning the license agreement and the building application, I looked at it and the site plan says that the bleachers now accommodate 190 seats with a
proposed 300 seats. It also includes the building that is not going to be included. I thought that the site plan and the building permit should coincide, right? That's what I would I believe
that the planning manager, that's what they expect from people like me. So, the civil engineering plans also include future buildings and the permit states only field fencing and bullpen.
One of the other items under the terms, I believe that it should be the responsibility of the school board to renew the license agreement. Why should there be an automatic renewal? Isn't it always the tenant who requests an
extension of a lease? I thought Steve's dad had a good idea at the workshop. He said that the amortization schedule should be brought back just in case something unforeseen happens. You know, we don't know what's
going to happen down the road. We're looking at a 20-year agreement with two automatic 10-year renewals, which is 40 years. And yet, that field is probably going to last maybe 8 to 12 years,
something like that. The new ADA playground is going to need shade for the kids to be able to use it. Is there any thought to what might it take to put to for the artificial turf to cool it off during the hot summer
months? That's may be a concern to some, but you know, obviously the baseball team plays during the winter, so it's okay for them. But what about the rest of the year when it's the village of Isa Marada children who are using it and little
league and things like that? Thank you. >> Thank you, Elena. >> Okay, next up is Sue Miller. Sue Miller representing the Marada Community Alliance. It is certainly
great to see so many baseball fans here, especially the players and of today and tomorrow. Looks like we have a great group of teams that'll be on our field for years to come. Sports
are really important for our young people. They teach about hard work, the importance of practice and workouts, and how to be a leader. They even experience how to lose as well as how to win. Here
tonight, we will observe firsthand the importance of participation in the government process. A government meant to look out for its citizens, young and old. The council will demonstrate how they listen to us and why it's important
for the baseball fans, all of you, to show up and speak up. When have we ever seen a crowd like this? The five people up front will be voting, but all of us
will help them decide whether to vote yes or no or yes with modifications. The kids all will be making a difference on the field next year, being the best
they can possibly be. We in this room are here to make a difference by being a part of a government process. I had boys that played baseball at Coral Shores 30 years ago and now a grandson on the
Coral Shores team. It makes a difference in the life of a kid to be part of a program like Coral Shores has. Today, we all are here to cheer the council on and hope that you realize the significance
of day today's vote. Consider every detail. This isn't just a decision that will impact the the ball players in the room and all of the fans that are here pulling for a better field. This is a 40-year deal. Some of the kids playing
on that field now may have children and grandchildren on the Coral Shores baseball team before the 40 years is over. Every contract detail is critical. Yesterday, I was told by coach Russell,
who coached my sons many years ago, that we, the residents of Alam Marada, should trust the baseball experts that have spent the last five years designing the field. I disagree. He left out too many
experts. The fans know well about the horrid bleachers we have endured for years. the experts that honestly argue that green grass is better,
the grandmas who and others who have serious problems with the lack of ADA compliance. This grandma who needs help just to get into the bleachers and to get back out
has to sit in bleachers on the home field side where I can't see my grandson who plays in left field because of the obstructions. I think we need to think about more than
just what's on the field. We in this room know about other design features that need to be incorporated. Yes, there may be experts that did the design, but more public participation
from day one could save um on and actually create a better result for a 40-year project, one that everyone feels a part of. baseball experts with no financial expertise could add to school
and village costs that prohibit these young people that are in this room today from being as lucky as I am to see both their children and their grandchildren experiencing the joy of baseball games
for Coral Shores High School. Let's make sure we don't price future generations of ball players out of the Keys. Let's have more public participation from day one. More collaboration, more people watching over our our
baseball field. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. >> Okay, next up is Jamie Angel. >> Welcome, Jamie. Boy, that's hard to get used to, isn't it? It works, though. >> You're just testing the deodorant on everybody. That's exactly [laughter] right. Thank you, Jamie.
>> Good evening, Jamie Angel, Plantation Key. I recognize that both the village and the school board had to compromise to reach this agreement. One of the village's biggest gains is the revised insurance provision, removing the original requirement for separate
village property coverage could save taxpayers more than $60,000 annually or over $1.2 million during the initial 20 year term. However, we still need accurate accounting of the village's ongoing expenses. We've been told that
the village's seven-month maintenance expense will decrease from approximately $48,000 to $6,000 per year. I've requested the supporting breakdown for more than two weeks, and I have no response. We also need to know whether adding these
improvements to the village's existing insurance program will increase our current premiums. These figures are necessary for the upcoming budget discussions. Any additional improvements, activities, or projects involving the baseball field or surrounding areas of Founders Park
should begin with a new public process, including proper notice, public workshops, community participation, and council discussion before plans are developed or commitments are made. A future proposal should not begin with a project the school board has already
designed and then ask the village and the residents to accept it after the fact. Starting with the public would help prevent a repeat of this lengthy and very difficult process we have experienced over the past year and a half. Had public participation [clears throat] and council discussion occurred before
major decisions were made, much of this disagreement and frustration could have been avoided. Finally, when residents research issues, write emails, ask questions, and show up at meetings, it should never be dismissed as what Councilwoman Gillis referred to last
week at the school board meeting as quote nitpicking end quote. Those of us who have been actively involved in this issue, as well as others, are unpaid, unelected community members volunteering our personal time because we care about this village and how public money is
spent. Respectful public participation helps identify problems, improve agreements, and produce better decisions. It should be welcomed even when the questions are difficult. It'll be wonderful to see the Coral Shores baseball team out on that field next year and the entire village of Island
community should be there to celebrate that. Let's celebrate this project, complete it responsibly, and bring this same commitment to all of our student athletes. Most importantly, let's carry forward what we've learned from this process. Working together from the
beginning will help us avoid difficulties we we all are having and have have had experienced with and lead to better decisions, stronger participation, and best possible results for our community. >> Thank you, Jamie.
>> Next [clears throat] up is Joe Wisher. Yes, Joe Wishmmyer Plantation Key. First, I would like to start out by saying I don't think there's anybody in this community who is trying to keep uh a a workable field for our athletes.
That is number one priority. The other thing is all we're trying to do is to make sure that the village and our the residents who are paying for a lot of this get a fair deal. You know, I hear a lot of talk about maintenance. Maintenance costs. Who keeps track of
that? I I look at what happened with the field in the past. We even had a council member said her son got hurt on the field. I've heard in the past there were teams that refused to play on our field. That's when the school board was supposed to be maintaining it and
keeping it up to snuff for our players. Does that give us concern about if they're going to do it in the future? I believe so. My other question is all the other baseball fields, everybody here pays school taxes and it goes into the
county. So all their fields are all completely taken care of and paid for by the school taxes. We pay school taxes, too, alless, but we also pay village taxes. So now, not only are we paying to maintain the field with the school
board, but now we have to pay to maintain as a village. That just to me does not make any sense whatsoever. And I think you ought to come up with a better agreement for that since how we are giving them a multi-million dollar piece of property to use for their
baseball field which over all the years they have not been able to come up with on their own. Next, I want to talk about some insurance concerns. My wife, who's a teacher, does go to some of the games and has had problems with the bleachers,
especially sitting in the back where if you lean back, you can fall right off the back of the bleachers and nobody's going to think twice whose insurance is going to take care of that. Is that going to fall upon the village to maintain and to to pay for such
accidents that should have been taken care of by the school board? And I see that our bleachers are not even in consideration for this first phase. I think that you ought to add those bleachers and make sure that they are up to snuff and ADA compliant if nothing
else at least from a safety concern. Thank you. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Okay. And next up is Cheryl Culver. >> Welcome, [clears throat] Cheryl. Cheryl Culverson, Venetian Shores. Congratulations on picking hens teeth.
It's the first pile of hens teeth I've ever seen for actually getting the school board to meet with you. That was probably the first cold day in hell because the school board doesn't meet with anybody. If you remember correctly, it only took you a year and a half to get there. You accomplished some things. There were some things that I would
suggest you revisit. I'll let you do it privately, but I would not have taken out the amortization schedule. In six years, none of you will be in those seats. If something comes up, there is an opportunity. As the two lawyers can tell you along with the other lawyers in this room, that amortization schedule may save you on something that may be
there. Never give yourself take out a means of getting out of something. I would remind everybody in the room that the school board was supposed to be maintaining this field for the last 20 years. They have been a very bad tenant. I want you to keep in mind that you are
releasing property to someone who has failed to perform for 20 years. Mr. Manavich, Coach Vancavich can speak to that as can everybody else in here that's been on that field. That field was never prepared properly and it has not been maintained. It's going to be uted deep up to each and every one of you, particularly those of you that are
teachers, um, coaches, parents, and have kids playing on that field. If it's not right, you need to come to somebody and I would designate [clears throat] the village manager, members of the council, let them know it's not proper. They are supposed to be maintaining. We've already seen how they do not maintain things and that includes the other
fields in Marathon and Key West, which I made a little road trip to go visit. They are poorly maintained. I would also point out to you that Ron Saunders and I have been having multiple discussions, Sue to change, bring in other bleachers. We have found somebody that can make ADA compliant bleachers. They can be the
portable kind because you do not want to get into what that second phase is that they still haven't modified, which will be that mausoleum like building for your ashes to sit in behind home plate. That's where they want to try to put things. You don't need that. You need bleachers that can stabilize be there,
but they make them with ramps, wheelchair accessibility, handrails, steps, and oh way, by the way, backs on the seats like adults should have. You can do all of that. I congratulate you on trying to pull the hen's teeth. Now, let's see if you can make it work. Good luck to everybody in here because I'm
not sure that I think the school board is ever going to be capable of doing this. >> Thank you, Cheryl. >> No one else has signed up to speak. >> All right. Is there anyone else that would like to step up and talk about the ball field with us?
>> Welcome. >> Well, hi guys. >> Uh Doug and >> welcome Doug. Um, I want to say thank you to all you everybody involved board. You guys, this has gone on way too long. [clears throat] So, I thank you for your countless hours and all this stuff. Rich, everybody else. I think the room
speaks for itself. I keep going back to taxpayers dollars. I think all the parents here and pay taxes. I would much rather spend money on something that is done right than the wasted taxpayers money that has been wasted on the field
that currently is. Remember this too. The school board only has to maintain that field for 5 months. You cannot maintain a grass field for only 5 months. If you're going to keep doing it, it's got to be everybody. It's got to be here. It's got to be It's got to be our village. It's got to be the school board. [clears throat] That's why
the idea of turf even came about. It's simple. It's easy. We lay it down. We don't have to worry about it. Um, hearing [clears throat] complaints from people who have haven't stepped on a field or used it in that same period is really kind of comical. I go back to this. I said this at the last meeting. Where was this all this concern before?
Where was this concern when the field was a train wreck? Um, we were wasting taxpayers money trying fighting everybody involved trying to fight to make this worthwhile. We mentioned the injuries. I think selfishly I care about the kids way too much because I've seen
Steve's kid break his collar bone for doing nothing more than running off the field. My son tore his ACL twice on these same exact fields. So, I care about the concern of these of these boys and girls that are going to be using this field, young men and women. Bottom line, taxpayers money we have wasted far outweighs what it's going to cost to
make this current project work. And the good news is for most of the people that are really complaining about this, we'll find something else to complain about in two weeks and we'll never forget, but we'll forget and move on about this. So, I think this room speaks for itself. The kids in here, I mean, some of us
were at the field this morning in the cages at 8:30 this morning working. They give these kids every chance they can to move on in their futures. I I've seen what it's done to the last kid, the last eight years of our kids that we've had. We've had almost 11 kids go on and
continue their education through this through through this community. And I would nothing love nothing more than to be able to show them, show the community a beautiful ballpark and have everybody here come out and watch this because when your community backs you, these kids, there's nothing these kids can't
achieve. And at the end of the day, it's something that we've been Rich and I and Joe Molinero, we fought for this is going on year seven about this. We hear all the complaints at the same at the same time. Aren't we supposed to leave our leave what we have to our kids
in a better condition than what we found it and this is the this is the only way it's possible. So again, thank you guys who everybody's involved. Without you guys, none of this is possible. We appreciate your hard work moving forward. Thank you. >> Thank you, Doug. [applause] Don't forget. Don't forget. Please.
[applause] Please. Cannot control you people. Okay, Marne. Is there anyone else? No one signed up. Is there anyone else that would like to speak about the ball field before we close? Yes, please come up.
Chris Trentine Alam Marada. Um, same thing. Thank you. I've been to numerous meetings, not necessarily about this, but talked about this and really want to stop wasting everybody's time here. Um, Doug, I mean, Doug's been here almost as many meetings as I have for different
reasons, but Tony, just want to, you know, for you like everybody's been through this, spent enough time, you know, it's the best decision for the community and we just need to, I think, vote on this and you guys have a lot other things that you need on your plate and I think this one needs to go passed
and let's get this done. Thank you, Chris. [applause] What happened to this? Okay. Anyone else? Going once. Going twice. Okay. Public comment is closed.
Council, what's your pleasure? You wanted to speak after public comment. Vice Mayor, will you please take the lead? Um, I had a very good conversation with our attorney today for quite some time
about this license agreement and I'm sort of surprised that coming in tonight some of you guys didn't know what was in this agreement. Um, this has nothing to do with the ball field to me. It has nothing to do with Rich or Tony how
great they are and these kids have a future. I want the field. My concern is the cost for the Alamada taxpayers. Um [clears throat] I look if you look at maintenance
tab 8, we're still paying for it when we were told we weren't. You look at 10 insurance um to put a new field out there, new fencing, it's going to cause our insurance policy to go up, which is
whatever. And then if you look at number 11, there's my word again, elements. We're going to get a hurricane. And whether it's two in a row, one every seven years, it doesn't matter. Elements is a hurricane. And when we get one, the taxpayers of all Marada are going to be
responsible for 50% of the cost of a new field. And that's right here in this agreement. So my question to the other four people sitting up here and yes maybe I was called a nitpicker at the last meeting because I did ask these
questions but it is my job to answer these questions and if you guys all are okay with putting this financial burden on the taxpayers when there's a hurricane to increase our liability insurance then I'm okay with it too. But
I want to go on record saying that this is going to wall up our taxpayers one day ahead. So this all needs to be considered. I would like to see the school board getting a piece of property. I'd like to see them step up to the plate and pay for the field. I
just don't understand why this is off the table and we should be paying for it. So John, I'm gonna put you on the spot again like I have in the past. Do you think this is a good contract for the village of Al Marada?
>> There are there are definitely some things that I have recommended that I would prefer to see in here. They were um like the uh termination for convenience. Um and uh but those those were terms obviously that were negotiated uh with the school board. Um obviously as your attorney I would
always like for you guys to have as many easy outs as you can have. So, um you know, those are that's you know, like I said, there there's some provisions obviously you guys are aware of of that we recommended and um the negotiation um
brought this back though. >> Thank you, John. >> Anything else, Vice Mayor? >> No. >> Nope. >> Uh Steve, anything? Well, in in that vein, do we want to
talk about bringing back the amortization schedule so that we do have some kind of safety net in the end, still maintain the 20-year um amount, but keep an amortization schedule as a backup? I can't really speak to that in terms of legal terms, but is that something that you would
recommend, John, or >> uh if it's going to be a if it's going to be a guaranteed 20-year agreement? No, I don't I don't think it's necessary because um uh that that was only for an early termination. um uh payment. So if there if there's not an ability to to do an early termination, there wouldn't uh
be you wouldn't necessarily need to have an amortization schedule. Um so if as written, I'm okay not including it. If we were to include back in a termination for uh for convenience, then yes, I would absolutely recommend an amortization schedule. >> Thank you, John.
>> Okay. Do we want to talk as is everybody okay with that then? keep I uh I personally don't I I think that once we once we uh changed that and got rid of the amorization schedule because I didn't agree with the way it was
originally written anyway. Um I uh I didn't if it's a 20-year lease, if it's a 10-year field, it should have been a 10-year amortization schedule to begin with. In my mind, I saw no reason in extend that out beyond what the what the projected life of that was. and and
that's why the minute we talked about getting rid of the amorization schedule, I was quite happy with that. But that's just me. Um, Deb, >> well, that's the way I saw the amateurization schedule, too, is uh once
once we agreed that it was um a guaranteed 20 years, then we didn't need that. Yeah. >> And so I don't have a problem with that at all. >> Anything else? >> No. Okay, Anna.
>> So, my guess, my question is a lot of this is hold over from the last contract and is that not right? >> Um, uh, yeah, I didn't go through and see what what was what, but yeah, there are definitely um we built upon upon the last agreement. So, there are the last
contract that lasted for over 26 years and we didn't have any major problems that way. Although we were paying a ton of money on our labor and mowing the grass on the seven months that we had it and spraying and water and bug and
fertilizer and all of that stuff and the insurance part that's on here and the damage to destruction of property was a holdover from the last contract. And I didn't don't I don't think I saw any major concerns back then if a fence
would have got blown down or a tree would have fell fell on it. Is that am I understanding that right? >> I'd have to double check, but my recolle I I believe that's correct, but I'd have to look at the the old uh baseball license agreement >> for 26 years. We basically lived with
these same terms and uh we survived all of that. Uh, and kind of like what Doug said is where was that concern back then? If we're all of a sudden having this concern now, we we do an improvement on our property or we have
somebody come to our property and pay for that improvement and yes, we all as taxpayers and everybody out there every time you bought a pair of shoes or you went and bought something else, you paid a half cent on everything that's happening over there. But it didn't come
out of your property taxes as far as your ad valorum taxes and whatnot. Those improvements are being done by that half cent sales tax that probably the majority of y'all the last time we had an election out there voted to help the
school board and help the school system to approve that hats in sales tax. So, uh, those are different dollars that are coming out of the than what you paid in your ad valorum taxes. And I didn't see
the concern back then. So, um, I I'm not an expert on artificial turf by any means. I I've I've been thrown in the middle of this turf war and uh and and this town has listened to workshop after
workshop and and our park and rec committee listened to experts on both sides of everything and came to the conclusion that we should go with turf. And I know that there's a lot of argument about turf being too hot and
what's going to happen to that. And like I said, I'm not an expert, but I'm told that the turfs that they have today are turfs that are completely different than turfs that that that I when I grew up or I watched the Colt 45s or the Houston
Astros play on and u they've made a ton of improvements on that and our our community and our committee chose that turf and said that's what we should do. So when nobody can say that we didn't listen, we didn't vet this, it wasn't
done out in the open, it was beat to death. And u I I just think that again, if if we've got an agreement and both parties are not 100% satisfied, I think
that we've probably worked out a pretty good agreement. That's where I'm at. So, we're here to make a motion. If there's no uh more discussion, I'd like to play ball and make a motion to approve. >> Okay, we got a motion to approve. Do I have a second? >> Second.
>> We have a motion to approve and a second. >> Marty, will you please call the role? >> Council member Steve Freriedman, >> yes. >> Council member Anna Richards, >> yes. >> Council member Deb Gillis, >> yes. >> Vice Mayor Sharon Mahoney, >> yes. >> And Mayor Don Horton, >> absolutely.
>> MOTION PASSES WITH FIVE. >> [cheering] [applause] [applause] >> ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OTHER BUSINESS we have to take care of? We have a motion to adjourn. >> Motion to adjurnn. I'll second.
>> Okay. We're now clap. You can clap. [applause]