531. >> Being 5:31, I'll now call to order the regular meeting of the Lake Placid Town Council this October 13th, 2025 in the government center of the great town of Lake Placid.
Uh is Reverend Hurley here? We have the honor of having Reverend Hurley who's going to lead us in our invocation and pledge. So, if everybody would please rise and please make sure your phones are either off or on vibrate.
Good to be here. Would you pray with me, please? Father, we come before you today to give you honor and praise. You are worthy of that praise and you are the source of all that is good. You are the source of all of our blessings.
Thank you for every gift that you have given us. We thank you for the council members who come together to do the work of the town council. We ask your hand of blessing on this meeting. We ask that you would guide and
direct this meeting so that is full of wisdom, productivity and respect for one another. Thank you, Father, for helping us to accomplish this work this evening, this day. We pray this morning or this afternoon in the name of Jesus. Amen.
>> Amen. 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. >> Clerk, would you please call the role? >> Mayor Hullbrook, >> here. Council member Hayes >> here. >> Council member Worley >> here. >> Council member Charles >> here. >> Council member Everheart >> here.
>> Okay, before we get started, I just got a a few Housekeeping items I want to bring up. Uh again, our air our air conditioner is down. We weren't able to get the uh repair men here. Harry did put up a a fan. Hope that'll help a
little bit. So ask everybody to try to keep your your uh comments and stuff brief so that it it doesn't become too uncomfortable for everybody. Um remember public comments will be taken on each agenda item after the item
has been brought before council. Uh remember your threeminut rule. We also ask you to keep your comments focused on the items on hand so again we can move efficiently and quickly through tonight's agenda.
We do have several upcoming workshops and community events coming up. The first one's on Monday, October 27th. It's a downtown Lake Placid community workshop here at the town hall community room and that'll be from 5:30 to 7:30.
And we think this will be an opportunity for residents and business owners to share input on the future of what they would like to see our downtown area look like. On November 4th,
we have a Lake June Park Seny Sports TDC workshop in the same community room and the focus will be on the Lake June Park concepts, funding, partnership, opportunities, phasing, and
recommendations. That's a it's another good one for the uh uh residents to come to. This is a very nice one. Amazon wants to have a a giveback day on November 7th from 12:30 to 5. They're
going to have all their employees here and I think Harry >> Oh, he went to find more fans. I think I think you're going to be spearheading that with the >> Yes. >> um the Amazon >> cleanup.
>> Yeah, the Amazon. So, if anybody would like to volunteer, the more volunteers the greater. And we really appreciate Amazon coming forward with this. And I think it's something they're going to continually do throughout the year. So,
I think that's a great thing. And then, uh, on Thursday, November 13th, here in the chamber, we have the joint utilities, LPA, and town council workshop. And that's going to be a broad overview of the comp plan
and the L the LPRP and the regional utilities regional utilities. And lastly, we're already well on our way planning for our 100th year anniversary coming up in a in a couple years. And I
want to thank the chamber for stepping up and being a partner with this. And we've got a lot of great ideas coming. So, we want to get the public involved, too. If if there's if there's something that uh you think we can do to uh make it a better event, we're going to try to
get the governor down. Of course, that's a couple years away. We'll have to see who it who he or she is. And uh but we we're going to be working on that for the next couple years. So, I appreciate everybody being here and uh let's continue.
>> Mr. Mayor, could you give us those times of those meetings again? On the first one you said 5:30 to 7:30. What are the times of the others? >> The dates to >> the the downtown Lake Blastid community workshop is Monday, October 27th from
5:30 to 7:30. Okay. The Lake June Park Synergy Sports TDC workshop Tuesday, November 4th at 2 p.m. Don't know how long that'll go. Just I guess until we get it done.
The Amazon Giveback Day is November 7th from 12:30 to 5:00. And from what I understand, right now it's just mostly their managers and top-end people because they I don't think they have all their employees hired yet. So, uh it
ought to be a fun day. Uh and then the joint LPA and town council workshop is Thursday the 13th here at 5:30. >> 5:30. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Thank you. All right. At this time, we'll go to
item number two, which is public comments on non-aggenda items. That one is I guess. Yeah,
I guess Gilbert Randall, I'm not sure what you wanted to talk about, but you've got >> I'm never sure what I want to talk about either, but thank you for this opportunity to speak this evening. And what I want to talk about is our community. This is a wonderful community
that we live in. Uh we have great neighbors. We have great friends. Um we have great experiences around our community. What I like about Lake Placid, I'm not from here. I moved here, it's been almost 25 years ago. Most of my life I
was a visitor here. But when I moved here, I was accepted. It's it's not a closed community only open to generational families. It's a welcoming community. As I look at the DAS, I think with the exception of maybe
two, all of you are from another place as well. Well, we all came to Lake Placid for a reason and we stayed here. Those that are multigenerational, you stay here for a reason. It's because it's a wonderful
place to live. It's a wonderful place to raise a family. Um, we have security. We have peace. We usually have love and friendship with our neighbors. I think we all need to work together really hard to keep it that way.
You folks on the council, God bless you. You sit up there and you take abuse, you take shots, you take darts, but you do it well. But let's all remember, you're not council members. We're not constituents.
We're not business owners. We're not retirees. We're friends and neighbors. We live in this community. We need to have a respect for one another. We need to show love for one another. We need to show compassion for one another. We have these political issues that sometimes
that can get us really heated. Let's remember to keep that in check. And I'm also speaking to the folks here behind me tonight that there's a reason they've come out to this meeting. There's something on their mind, something on their heart that they feel like they need to address to help our community.
But let's remember to not make it personal, not make it selfish, but let's look for what's good for our community as a whole and find the areas where we agree, where we have common ground. We all have our opinions. They're definitely not the
same, but we should listen to each other's opinions. You don't have to adopt my opinion. I don't have to adopt yours. But I think we'll achieve success when we listen, when we digest the words that we've heard. You might not like it at first, but if
you'll take it away and take it away and think about it, chew it over a little bit. You might find little bits and pieces that you can say, "Yeah, I do kind of agree with that." So, let's let's just keep civil because I've been seeing things on social media,
which is the downfall of I think society in general if it keeps going. There's there's no need to to snipe at these people on the dis. There's no need to snipe at your neighbor. If someone has an opinion, that's their opinion. You have yours.
Draw back on the attacks and let's keep Lake Placid what it what it has been for many, many years, almost a hundred as a place that people choose to come to. that that the town has grown
not because of births, because of immigrants like me. I immigrated all the way from Arcadia to here, but I've also lived in a community in between that that was a very generational community and that would would lock things out. So, just just remember when you come up
here to speak, when you see these council people on the street, when we see each other on the street, keep it peaceful and and have compassion and respect for your neighbors. Thank you. Thank you. >> Well said, Gibby. Thank you very much.
>> And uh Horus Durrence, all it says is town. I'm not sure what you what you have, but please come forward. Thank y'all for letting me come up and talk to y'all. Um unlike Gibby, I'm here for 71 years. I was born here, so I've
been here a long time. Uh, my father served two terms as the mayor of this town, and we appreciate Lake Placid, and we like Lake Placid, but this committee and other committees before have y'all have tried to choke Lake Placid to death.
You've stopped all the growth. You've you just you're trying to ruin it. takes years to get permits to build buildings in the town city limits to get a tax base. I don't know what y'all's problem is, but y'all, it takes years. I know of two businesses that have left
because they could not build in the town of Lake Placid. I know I got a time frame, so I'm trying to go through this fast. Your rules and regulations have stopped people. um over the last year or so, how many
employees have y'all have left this town cuz they could not withstand the bombardment that this that committee has put on them. They you ask them to do stuff and then you come around and do something else. Do this, do that. You
overwhelm them and they're gone. Um the we're trying to get what we have $40 million a grant and have a sewer plant that now we can't even put a water line in because y'all thought and you planned
and you thought and you drove around, you drugg your feet until the prices have just doubled or tripled. There is no sense in that. Um, when you vote on an issue, whatever the
issue might be, once it's voted on, it's done. Move on to the next item of business that needs to be voted on, intended to. You don't come back and keep rehashing it and beating it and beating it down. Voted on it, and if it
passes, it's a done deal. Leave it alone. The town cannot spend money that it does not have. And I've heard y'all trying to buy this, buy the tower, but put a dog park in. You're broke. You ain't got no money.
So, how are you plan on spending something you have not got? This sewer plant was supposed to save the lakes of Lake Placid. Well, if that's the case, then put it by the lakes. the people that live on the lakes, Lake June Point,
put a sewer system through it. It's in their rules that they got to have one. Put it in there and save the lakes. So, don't contaminate them no more. And that's other lakes involved right there. I'm just not trying to pick on Lake June, but other lakes. That's what it's
there for. Use it and install it. Thank y'all. >> Could you give us your name and address for the record? >> It's there. It's written down on the piece of paper. >> I I know, but we don't have it. >> You can get it. Horus Durrence 8634411191. >> Thank you.
>> You want my address? Would you like my address? >> Yes. Our MUN code says to give address Lake Drive, Lake Placid, Florida. 33852. Good.
Thank you, Horus. All right, say seeing no others, we'll move on to the consent agenda. That's A through E. I'll make a motion to accept a consent agenda A through E. Second.
>> We got a motion and a second. Any comments from the podium? Hearing none, I'll take it to the audience. >> Seeing none, bring it back. Pull the council. >> Council member Charles. >> Yes. >> Council member. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes.
>> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Okay. We'll go to presentations. First be the police chief. We have some presentation of life-saving awards.
If I could get officer Perez and Corporal Ver. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, Mayor Hullbrook and council members, today we gather to honor two extraordinary individuals who ex have exemplified courage, swift
action, and unwavering dedication to the lives of others. It is both an honor and a privilege to stand before you as we recognize the heroic deeds of Corporal Basera and Officer Perez, two members of the Lake Placid Police Department who represent
the very best of our law enforcement community. As we reflect on their actions, let us not forget the grave realities that unfolded on those fateful days. On May 18th, 2025, Corporal Basera
responded to a medical emergency at the Wawwa station. Arriving to find a subject without a pulse and turning blue. In what can only be described as a critical moment, he administered Narcan with determination
and then initiated CPR. In a matter of moments, and thanks to his quick thinking and decisive action, the subject's heart began to beat once more. and he was able to breathe independently before EMS arrived. Without Corporal Visera's rapid
response, we would be mourning a life lost instead of celebrating a life saved. Similarly, let us turn our attention to Officer Perez, who on March 5th, 2025 faced a situation that many would find unimaginable.
He arrived at a scene where a subject was unresponsive with no heartbeat or breath. In that moment, when so many might freeze, Officer Perez took action. He began performing CPR and continued until additional officers arrived to assist.
Thanks to his diligence and skill, the subject regained a pulse and began to breathe on his own. Another life saved through the heroism of our local protectors. Both Corporal Bera and Officer Perez prove that our police officers are not
just enforcers of the law. They are guardians of our community. They stand ready day and night to confront the most dire of circumstances to bring hope in moments of despair and to ensure that we can all breathe a little easier knowing
they are out there on our behalf. Today, it is an honor to present these remarkable officers with awards from the American Police Hall of Fame. On behalf of everyone here, we extend our gratitude and respect. Corporal
Bera, Officer Perez, your actions reflect the highest ideals of public service and humanity. You inspire us all and it is your our commitment to honor and support you as you have supported our community.
As I invite Mayor John Hullbrook to join me at the presentation of these awards, let us all take a moment to celebrate the bravery and selflessness of these officers. They embody the spirit of our community and today we recognize their
extraordinary contributions to saving lives. Thank you, Corporal Bisera and Officer Perez. You have made Lake Placid a better place, and your unwavering dedication will not soon be forgotten. Let us celebrate these heroes, not just
today, but every day. [Applause] [Music] Here we go. While they're doing that, I'll also read
the letter that was accompanied these from the American Police Hall of Fame. It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been awarded the life-saving award of the National Awards Program of the American Police Hall of Fame. Our staff members join me in commending you for
your valor and service. Your professionalism in an emergency situation displays your dedication to service to serve the public. Your selfless act saved a human life and your action should be recognized. The diligence and bravery you exhibit
exhibited sets an admirable standard for all to follow. Again, please accept our congratulations on your nomination and award. The staff of the American Police Hall of Fame wish you continued success in your future. [Applause]
>> If we could have the council come down for photos with the officers, please. Everyone, please for photos with the officers. >> Can you come down? >> Did you say group picture? I couldn't. >> Yeah, just say picture. >> Come on, girls. Group picture.
Okay. >> Yeah. Tell me. Did >> you get a bunch? >> I like that. Gentlemen before ladies. Yeah, there you go. That's right. >> In this case, >> that's right. You got it.
>> Because these chairs will be whacking them against the wall. >> It takes me 10 minutes to get up and if there's ever a time that you wish you were the mayor of Lake Placid, this is one of them. What an honor to be able to
present these two awards to these gentlemen. and it just represent what our police chief has been able to do with his department. And so congratulations to all of you.
[Applause] Sandra Bass and Daryl Hipman for the Miracle League. I'm Sandra Sandra Bass, 807 Lake Betty Drive, Lake Placid, Florida, 33852.
Do you need my phone number? Okay, >> Daryl Hecman, 119 Serena Way. Um, What else I got to say? >> Oh, Lake Placet, Florida. Um, sale number is 8634410417. Um,
presentation. The first part is about putting a memorial in for the athletes that we've lost um during the Miracle League. There is a tree that has a memorial stand there that we would like to
>> We can't hear you. Oh, you can't hear me. Is that better? >> I'm sorry. Um, we would like to put in a memorial out at the field. >> There is a tree that has a memorial sign there that they've honored somebody when they first initially started. We would
like to make a memorial garden. Um, it will not cost the town any money. We've already got people to sponsor. Um, it will be bordered, so it will be rocked and then we're going to get rocks that look like baseballs and we're going to
put their names on them and put them underneath that tree. So, we want to honor these kids, and I shouldn't say just say kids, we just want to honor these athletes. And, um, I encourage anyone here that's
never been out there to see it, to come watch it because it will set everything into perspective. Um, so that's what I wanted to present and it will be and you guys can follow the process as we we do
it and we'll go from there. >> Do we we need a motion to that effect? I would make a motion to allow the Miracle League to create this. Is it a a memorial tree? a plaque, a >> garden, >> a garden. >> The tree is already there.
>> Okay. >> The one memorial plaque is in the ground. >> We're just going to build the garden around it >> to to build a memorial garden around the tree that's there to honor their players. >> Second. >> We got a motion, a second. Any comments
from the podium? >> So, I completely support this. This is my second year volunteering for the Miracle League. I'm one of the angels in the outfield. and when they talked to me, I thought it was a great idea to kind of respect, you know, the athletes that have passed over the years. Uh my
question would be when we come time to vote, Mr. Attorney, is that a conflict because I'm a volunteer for the organization to vote or not? So, that would just be a question to you if I have to fill out paperwork. >> Are you a member of the board? >> I am not. >> If you're only a volunteer, that does
not constitute a conflict. >> Thank you. vote. I assume there is no special private gain or loss to you based on your vote. >> None. >> You may vote. >> Thank you. >> Okay. No other comments. Take it to the audience.
>> Okay. Seeing none, let's pull the council. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Everheart. >> Yes. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Council member Charles. >> Yes. >> Thank you guys. Thank you. Appreciate all you do for us.
>> Thank you. And thank you all for your support. Just a side note real quick, we had 75 athletes this year. So we we've increased by 30 athletes come out and see us on Saturdays.
The other half >> the other half of the sign that got blown down on the memorial thing on the outside of the fence. >> I guess that would be a separate item. I thought it was all one. I apologize. But
I'd like to work on getting funding for that. um the sign that says the Glades Electric Members Field and it lists the town, the county, and different people. I'd like permission to um see about
getting funding for that because half of it had been blown down during one of the hurricanes several years ago. >> Yeah, we'll have to Yeah, have to get Harry to submit that to Dana. and then we'll get back to you on that.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> Next, >> Sam Ericson. How are you today? He's with the Highlands County. He's here for the Highlands County Ridge to River Con conservation plan community workshops.
>> Hi. Good evening, council members. My name is Sam Ericson. I'm a natural resources specialist for Highlands County. I'm a uh project manager for the Rigid River Conservation Planning Study. Um just a brief intro on the study. It is a community-based conservation effort with the goal of establishing a
conservation program within the county to protect and conserve lands that the community uh deems valuable in their eyes. We have a couple of upcoming workshops um October 28th, 29th, and 30th. The 28th will be in Sebring at our
governing board center or sorry, board of commission center. Um to the 29th will be in Avon Park and the 30th will be in Lake Placid at HL Bishop Park. All of these run from 6 to 7:30. We hope that um community members will come out
and they will uh provide input, any type of input we we desperately want. Um and they will essentially help us create the blueprint for this program. So, if this goes through to ballot referendum in 2026, what we will have is a blueprint
that was created uh by Highlands County residents and for Highlands County residents and then we'll be able to implement on their goals moving forward. Um so, yeah, we invite everybody out. I in the packet that I sent to Charlotte at the end, there are a couple maps that
show conservation goals. And so when members come uh members of the community come out, they'll u basically be putting dots and ranking those. Um Mr. Harris helped rank a couple earlier in the subject matter expert uh meetings, but
the plan will be based um if they come up. It's Yes, ma'am. That's all the way at the end. Sorry about that. Um it'll be based on on on those goals and you know it's threatening endanger habitat, agricultural and working lands. um water
quality improvements, um access to recreation, so on and so forth. So, we invite every member of the community to come out. If you cannot make it in person, we will be live streaming the 20 uh 8th, the Sebring one, just as we would a regular board
meeting. Um and you will be able to conduct online polling. And then our contractor, the North Florida Land Trust, they will be creating a a video specifically for people who cannot attend. Um, and so you'll still be able to if you can't come physically, you'll still be able to participate online. Um,
and that's all I have today. So if any questions or I'll I'll head out so y'all can move on. >> So for the live stream, Sam, will there be a link that you can send out ahead of time and maybe Charlotte we can put it out on to communicate? >> Yeah, absolutely. Good initiative.
>> Yes, ma'am. Yeah, it'll be all posted on our website and I'll make sure I I'll email to email it to y'all. Um, we have, um, on our on the natural resources page on the county website, we have a page dedicated to this and it includes our board of commissioner workshop that we
had in March. So, if you just want to familiarize yourself with what we'll actually be presenting, um, we had a great a great workshop with them. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Anything else? >> Perfect. Thank you all very much for your time.
>> Thank you. Thank you, sir, for being here. And now we have um Mr. Spark from the Tower Town property. Good evening. So, I was hoping to have a few more data
points and get a presentation submitted to the county or to the to the city uh to Eva more particularly last week. Uh I had >> I can't hear. Can you Yeah. closer to your mic. >> Can you hear me better now? >> Mr. Spurk, you have to just speak like
directly into it. Un they're very temperamental. you have to do it directly right on or >> test. How's this? >> That's much better. >> Okay. So, anyway, I apologize um for not getting a presentation submitted uh on
time uh last week, so therefore it wasn't in your package. So, I promised to return next week or two, but I was waiting for more data points, but I thought I'd still come today and kind of give an update and kind of walk through. You know, the Tower Plaza is a complex
property uh in that it has this monument, if you will, and a and a um a landmark, if you will, to Lake Placid that near and dear to a lot of people. And frankly, even though I own this
piece of property, um it's also very sentimental to myself and it's made me drag my feet with caution trying to make the right thing happen with this tower to to restore it or put it into a presentation that would be, you know,
beneficial to the community and and to all the people that are here. So, some of the complexities were unraveling or unwrapping some of the things that historically had taken place prior to my ownership and prior to uh me even being
involved in the property. And one of those things that were the cell repeaters that served the community uh for cell phone towers and over the last three four years, one by one, they've been decommissioned. And I'd like to just update the the selectmen and and uh
the town that that's all successfully been completed. T-Mobile was the last one off June of last year and they've successfully decommissioned. The other person that was helping a lot and we had donated space or antennas on the tower
um was a very grew to be a very near dear friend John Shaput. I don't know if um the community all knows him, but he was a an unbelievably spiritual guy, religious guy, um kind to everybody I ever know. Always had a
smile on his face. Uh he just passed about a month ago with with cancer unfortunately, but he was the tower climber. Um he led the charge for amateur radios for all your citizens in this area. that we donated or provided
the antennas to to him that he managed that gave people access to that. So, we're still trying to figure out how to unwrap that or unravel that or maintain that. Having said that, um I was before you guys about a year ago. Um, I just
recently had the pleasure of meeting Miss Rodriguez and the chief, the new chief uh to give an update on the tower and to to share with some of the um struggles with the with the tower, what we can do. And I I think we've made some
progress. And that that's what I'm here today to give you some update on that progress. So, we're going to be listing the property. We're interviewing the final realtor, if you will, on the market here and forthcoming in the next couple weeks to a month. Uh the leading
candidate right now is a member of your community and has sold a lot of property up and down 27. Um you know, and as soon as you introduce a player or a name, a lot of people will cheer and applaud and say that's great. And a lot of people say why him should be somebody else. Uh
but Mr. Greg Carlson is is um I've met with him on several occasions and I think we're very close. He seems to have lot of done a lot of commercial space including the Waw Wa across the street from the tower. So we'll have more on that within the next coming weeks. In
addition to this gentleman uh Ken Leblanc has been in front of your council many many times has done a lot of downtown projects and renovations. Journal Plaza I think is one of his feathers in his gap. He's a very creative guy. Um he he takes a lot of
pride in whatever he puts together. I've heard a lot of good things about him. I met with him on several occasions. He's been helping us or or putting his heads together to work with us to come up with ideas for the tower itself and what
would bring it back into the limelight, if you will. I took a personal visit myself up to Claremont to the Citrus Tower and looked at their tower that changed hands in 2023. Um, they did a a lipstick change to it,
if you will. The tower was decorated a little bit. Um, the center is still old, but I was trying to meet with them to get ideas because that's a very similar structure in age and functionality and size to the happiness tower or the plaza
tower as we have it. So, I think and again, Mr. Harris, I've had the pleasure of meeting you a couple times over the years. There's legalities involved in this, but the million-doll question is how do we move forward? So in my hands
is some conceptual plans that have been drawn for the tower to give us some concepts or ideas or themes what we could do with the tower. this would be used and we would go to your planning department and we would present to them
what possible configurations would be and this would be coupled with the listing so that when we hunt for the new buyer or the new developer that the two could be a handshake and I've already been through or in front of the town on
presentations etc etc this again is at a macro level it's conceptual at this point but what do you do with the tower So there's been a lot of conversations and I think the decision is clear and made that the plaza itself would be
knocked down or demoed but the tower itself kept. So how can we accomplish that? And that was one of the themes that we were here is is a year ago how would we accomplish that? We came and tried to collaborate and work with the town to do that. Uh we went sideways you
know to to be to to be kind and to be honest at best. So I think the idea to that we got some ideas we went to a survey company we've gone to engineers um we are now going to be in process of making meetings with with the town the appropriate people that we would perhaps
carve out the tower and make that a separate entity and we would put it the appropriate what what what would be a handshake with the rest of the center and that would leave I think the parcel is about 2.4 4 acres in total. Maybe two
acres would go on the market which would include the 14,000 square foot of retail that ultimately with the new new buyer would be demoed. I will go next town to your county. I just got the name of the person that would be in charge and research what a demo permit would look
like and what the process and procedures would do that. The question mark I have with that and and uh would be some further due diligence whether we knock down the center as the owner. Now we're getting bids to see what that would look
like and what kind of cost that would be involved. But if you guys do adopt impact fees going forward if we were to knock down the center now before the impact fees will come in place. The question I would have is is
and hopefully Mr. Harris, maybe you could direct us to get the answers. What would be the financial implication that if the center is knocked down, would we still get credit for that center or do we leave it standing until we could do the two simultaneously? And I know the
county is entertaining doing impact fees coming up here in perhaps as little as a month or two is what I'm hearing, but would be established hopefully by the 1 of January. So, I we don't have to have an answer to that tonight. I'm just throwing that out there as an issue. I've heard some people say we could
still knock down the tower and get credit for it. I heard if we do knock it down, we wouldn't receive credit for it. So, that's the the only question mark I have. Um, let me just check my notes real quick here. So, the cell phone companies have all been decommissioned.
We visited the Citrus Tower to get some ideas of what could be done. Um, if we could separate the two the tower, we would look to perhaps donate that tower. We already have some viable people that would like to participate and donate towards that. I would stay in as one of
those donors. Um, we then could make a venue out of the tower and we were talking about doing renovations to it, which Mr. Lebon has been working with me. Put cameras at the top of the tower that perhaps a citizen or somebody from Lake Plaster area could dial in on their
computers and can move the cameras around and take different vistas or different shots and different things of the lake. Um, there's thoughts of the decorative brick that goes up to 200 f feet of the tower to take that middle part out and perhaps decorative stucco
that and put lights up the tower to something that you could light for holidays, New Year's, Fourth of July, homecoming football teams for the high school team, etc., etc. Again, these are just concepts. They're just ideas. We're going to get a scope of work and put
those out for bid to see what those kind of costs would be and see if we can raise the money in the interest to do that. But I think that the the question for tonight and and I don't know that it's a question, but the thought that has to be uh given some thought is how does that handshake happen between a
nonprofit perhaps donating the tower to the people? I we we've had this talk exhaustively again with Miss Rodriguez the other day. It's loud and clear. the town can't buy the tower. The town doesn't have money to operate the tower. The town doesn't have the budget to do
that. So, there are private individuals, a nonprofit, there are perhaps even grants that could be achieved as long as the qualifier that owns that tower be a nonprofit or a governmental agency, there's perhaps money to do that. But
meanwhile, which I know the baited question, the million-dollar question is what's going to happen meanwhile with the center? We're going to list it. We're going to bring in some viable buyers to it. We're going to have some answers here very short coming in the next one to two months. What the cost
would be to demo it. Whether demo like Wawa was done, I think a Bank of America building was there before. Once they purchased it, they knocked down the building, they came to town, get approval to Miss Rodriguez parts. It's not an easy process. It's not going to happen in 3 months, 6 months, maybe even a year. So, we're not going to hold that
up, but we're going to get it on the market and and and bring you those people so that we can come up and get h have a future or have something to target to look forward to. Um, I think that's that's all the
information I came today to convey. I'll open up the floor to to any questions I can answer while I'm here. Um, I think I can come back in front of you. I tried to come back in September, but I understand it was a very busy time with budget time, this that and the other. Hence why I'm here today. But I could
look to be in front of you in November or December at your next meeting or whatever and bring a presentation submitted to Eva uh prior to the meeting so that we'd actually have slides to go through and populate it with more of this
information as we get it. With that, can I answer any questions? So, um, is is this to say that the tower will stay and the property around it will stay the way it is
until a realtor, whether it be Mr. Carlson or whomever, would sell that property and then you would demo it? >> Well, first off, we're going to get cost of what it would cost to demo. Now, Jess, we have to be careful how
this goes because we're not de we're not demoing the tower. >> We're demoing the buildings around it, not the tower. >> Yes. Yes, ma'am. That's exactly right. The tower will stay. The tower is going to be there. There's already been about $70,000 work to the tower. U there's
been new railings put up there. It's been painted. As you recall, I was in front of you guys about a year ago and I asked for suggestions of paints, colors to do it. We didn't really couldn't collaborate. We didn't know if the committee could happen or not happen. We painted it a gray. But the point is we
powerressured it. We got rid of all the ugliness. We made it a neutral tone color. It obviously could be repainted again. What we'd like to do for the tower again is come up with some ideas with technology, cameras, and maybe lights. Obviously, it can't blind people. There's the FAA. There's a lot a
lot of considerations to be done, but certainly technically feasible. I went and looked at the sit to show tower for example just to just to that thing. So that will remain in itself. The question is how big of an apron would we need around it to get ingress and egress and I think we would make even the new owner
of the new center agree that if there's maintenance needs to be done or a crane needs to be brought in they'd be allowed to work from the exterior property so it could reach up you know the 200 to 250 ft you know up to the top to service it. But these are the details that have to be worked out. So, I think Miss uh
Hayes, to answer your question, we're going to move forward immediately to get it on the marketplace. Once we get some numbers, the cost to demo and what it would look like, what would be required to do that if we didn't have a buyer in hand or had a specific need like the Waw Wa property that got knocked down, it
may get taken down before that. But meanwhile, I met with the chief. We signed a an agreement with him that allows him to prosecute trespassers because that was one of the biggest problems we were having is that people would come by. I send somebody by the property three times a week picking up
beer bottles and and cans and things that are loitered trying to keep it neat and and uptight. But I will be before you again in 60 days or or less to have some updated numbers what that looks like and let's get it to market. We get
unsolicited offers for that property almost monthly. But until we had a good concept of how we could get the tower to coex coexist with a new shopping center and what that would look like, I've dragged my feet on on trying to make that decision. I've heard loud and clear
that we want to move forward. We can't look backwards and that's why I'm here today to give you that commitment. That's that's that's our intent. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. I was glad to hear that. Um, well, everybody knows we want to keep the tower and so now you're separating the
tower from the buildings. Um, I was all set to come down hard and heavy on code enforcement and required demolition of those buildings cuz it's gone on too long. And uh, so you are getting estimates, but how long to get the estimates back?
We can't keep going. We have to put a deadline before we impose code enforcement and maybe demolition. It can't go on for years and years. And putting on the market doesn't mean that you're going to have a buyer and who
knows when. So my point is um we have to have a timeline of when things will be accomplished. Never minding the tower, just the buildings. >> Right. Well, in the spirit of the gentleman that spoke first tonight, that loving community, give a little hug to
everybody. Um, I don't think this would be the right forum to debate that tonight. I can get you numbers, but even if we get the number, let's say it's $100,000, I can't guarantee that I'm going to write a check for $100,000 to to demo the building. So, meanwhile, what I'm trying to do, and I have done,
and I worked with the prior administrator, we spent60 or $70,000 painting the building, cleaning up the building, etc., etc. I'm going to work with the chief as he agreed. Look, I don't go down to that center and throw rocks through the windows. I honestly
don't. You might think that I do, but I don't. So, it happens. And when we learn about it, we we've been taking care of it. So, I'm going to get the numbers. I'm going to try and figure out what that looks like. I also have to know what the town and the city and the county, there's a lot of people, a lot
of hoops to pass, what they want it to look like post demo. meaning, do I have to turn it into a park and does grass have to be growing there? Can the concrete pad stay there? I need these answers. I I don't know the answers to them. So, I'm in pursuit to get those. I
don't think you're going to be disappointed. I think you're going to see offers and people, again, it's one of the most prime pieces of real estate down there. We get unsolicited offers all the time. And I'm not being unreasonable on the price. You know, there was a $2 million comp for what Waw
Wa sold for across the street just for the land. We get anything close and it's the theme that you guys want. I'm signing it. So, I'm not here to hold that down. What we were trying to figure out, with all due respect, um, >> Abra,
thank you. Was what to do with the tower and and that people would be satisfied with what the post tower ownership looked like. I think separating it subject to some legal issues that may be done. ingress, egress, etc., etc., seems to be the way to go. And look, I'm being
a generous person here. I'm willing to donate it to the right person with the right home ownership to to get a win-win situation out of this. This is where my heart's been from day one. I don't make any money by that center sitting empty. There's no bene benefit to me. So, we have the same goal. So, I guess I ask
you to trust me that I will do it. I've been here. every time somebody answered the call before the goalpost had moved a little bit as to to what that looks like or whatever, but it'll get listed. Let's see what we get for options. Let's see what you guys endorse and and support.
Let's see what the public supports and, you know, go forward. So, that's the best answer I can give you right now. >> So, I'll re I'll reiterate. I was glad to hear that you were make making efforts. >> Yes, ma'am. >> As long as there's some assurance that it won't go on three years. I've spent
several thousand dollars on these conceptual plans right here just for example just to get the ideas so the realtor had different ideas to present to the marketplace to show what it could be and one of them has like a big uh uh
pavers in the middle like a courtyard or something very much like the journal property for example >> you know no I'm I don't care about the tower I care about the tower but that part of this the project is a side project my focus is on the condition of the buildings.
>> No, I understand. But this conceptual plan is tearing down those centers to make room for this. So they in that way they are still married hand in hand. >> So I I will the next meeting that I can come to I will get you a PowerPoint
presentation with some of this data points that you're asking to point submit it to EVA and you guys will have it in your packet and we'll have something to all visual and put our eyes on. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I I think what Mr. Everheart is trying to say is that we've really looked at
these these rundown buildings for quite some time and we're very pleased that that you will will donate the tower and I think it's wonderful. Um but we it it just kind of looks like a third world country there and we would prefer it to
just look a little neater until you can get this thing done. And I would think that it would add to the uh salailability of the property if it didn't look so rund down. You know, >> I don't know how to respond to that, but
I we have the same goal as a comment. Yeah. >> Yeah. I just want to reiterate there is no financial gain or benefit by me not having any revenue and having the building empty. I pay taxes, insurance, every time a window's broken, I go down there and take care of it. So it costs
me it hurts your eyes and it costs my pocketbook. So we want to solve both those. So we both have the same goal. It's coming. I promise you it making a decision getting on the market and getting over that emotional hurdle and trying to figure that out was one of the biggest hurdles and and I think that's
in our rearview mirror. Good. >> Thank you. >> So let me just add again. And I appreciate it's very exciting to think that you know the tower will be at some point in the future accessible and more important development around the
difficulty we have is the appearance and you know I'm going to say it again it's the appearance and there's other areas in town that we're addressing and so I would want to make sure that we have consistency in our code enforcement because we've had a lot of complaints you know with with the appearance and
that So, it is a tough one for all of us, right? >> Yes, ma'am. >> It's tough for us, but at the same time, our job is to enforce the code. So, um appreciate you having those conversations with, you know, not just the chief, but possibly it needs to go through the attorney, too. Have we
issued any violations on this property or we're still just working with him on that? Because we know it's there's a code that's being violated, right? Um the cases that were were open >> for the plaza buildings, right? >> Yeah. The ones that were open previously
are being closed and we would have to start again because it has been so long since they've been addressed and we didn't have a active working code enforcement officer. I was asked to hold off on doing anything until we met with Mr. Spur and and tried to see and give him an opportunity to move forward with
it. So, no, we have not issued any new violations, but yes, there were violations prior to that are just closed because again, they were so long ago, the code enforcement officer that issued them is no longer here, we can't move forward with that. >> Okay. So, mine is consistency and code
application. >> Yes, ma'am. I I would like to add to that narrative because this is where I want to make sure we don't go away here thinking tonight that we did not respectfully look at those and address those. Kevin McCarthy was your city uh
administrator prior to this. We had meetings with him. He sat down with Daniel with uh Mr. Harris was at one of the meetings. He they came with a bunch of code violations said let's go through these and let's do the things are important. I have a folder this thick of things we came out there and we were
here for two months and we addressed many of those. That's why a lot of those chief were closed. So yes, the person maybe that was there is no longer with us anymore. You know, unfortunately, when you fix something on a Wednesday, it doesn't stay stagnant for a year from
Wednesday, too, right? So, things happen to the building progressively that it's an ongoing issue. But I just want this the the councilman to know I don't get, you know, calls from them and not respond. I do respond. We have done it. We will continue. And let's just
accelerate the timeline so that we can get to that happy place all together quickly. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. I'd like to add this. I'm glad to see you've listed it and or you're about to list it because I know that's been one of the issues because to move forward,
yeah, you either need to sell the property or do something with it for sure. Um I don't think there's anybody in Highlands County that doesn't want to see the tower operational again. Um again, you know, it's complicated because you do have to allow parking for
the people that come just to see the tower. So that you have a tower, no parking. That's not good. So, and we I just want to remind everybody again that the um you are the keeper of the runoff for Lake Clay and that will always be um
at the north end of that property that needs to be taken into consideration. Whoever buys the property needs to maintain that for the health of the lake and its it's it it's you know its quality. So, and the other thing I wanted to ask you, which is a
favor, if you I don't know if you can do this or not for the TLE Placid and for our school, but we're about to come up on homecoming and I know you in the past you've been able to light the tower, but um you've done it green to support our
green dragons, our team. I didn't know if you could do that for this coming week because we have homecoming coming up this week. That would really be wonder. I know if you can't do it, it's fine. I just thought if you could, it would be wonderful. >> I'm sorry. What was the ask?
>> Um, if you could light up the tower with the green. You've done it before. >> Um, we have homecoming this coming week and it might be a pain. I don't know. I'm sorry. What What week? >> Yeah. Two weeks. >> 24th.
>> The 24th. So, if we could have I mean, I don't know if you can do that or not. I know it's a gift to us, but it would be great for our area. If you could, you did it. I don't know if you even have the lights there anymore, but if you could do that, that would be great. I'm not going to even ask you to make a
commitment. If you can do it, fine. If you can't, it was just a gift. >> No. And and to maybe put a note of, you know, somberness on that. Um those the lights you were speaking of were on all four railings and the railings were all replaced up there and they were taken
down for that. So we still have them. John was tasked with that to do that about six, eight weeks ago and he took a turn for the worse. Wasn't feeling well and said, "Chuck, I'll just be gone a week or two." And unfortunately, he went to Tampa and uh
>> Well, if he can do it, that'd be great. >> Make it home. So, >> it'd be great for our school and our and our team spirit. I appreciate that. >> We'll make an effort to make that happen. >> Yeah. Thank you. Um, oh, one of the things you said you needed a determination on impact fees,
whether you they would apply if the buildings are up versus down. Is there something we can help him determine that >> impact fees are traditionally county? I've not seen their proposal or their ordinance, so I would not be able to answer his question. I would refer him
to the county administration. >> Okay. Can can someone forward me whoever that contact would be and I'll go see them? >> It's on their website. Lori Hearner would be able to send you >> uh and they've got a public information officer.
>> Highlands County Board of County Commissioners. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Harris. >> Sure. >> All set. Okay. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Questions? All
right. Now we'll go to >> Oh, sorry, Sam. Sorry, Pam. Go ahead. >> Pam Fentress, 12373 Lost Lake Drive, Lake Placid. Speaking on the tower. Um, last at the last uh county commission meeting, they reviewed the impact fee
study and the timeline. It won't be reviewed in October, November time frame. It's been delayed to the March, April 2026. Um, so that's going to be a whole different process. So he should know that. Then
too, I think the building started being in disarray back in Hurricane Irma. That's almost been eight years ago. And it's not like y'all are just trying to go after somebody and after and just on them constantly about code violations.
th this and he may have done some improvements, but if you go by there right now, that's an eyesore to the town. You're coming into the town and you see those buildings and they look run down. So, I agree with Councilwoman Charles. Whatever the rules are, whether they apply to food trucks or whatever
they are, the rules apply to everybody. So, next time if I have property in town, I'm going to say, "Well, I'm going to list it or I spent money on estimates for something." Um, and then so you can't, you know, give me a code violation. It's been 8 years. It's been
over a year since he was here to give a presentation and y'all have been working with him and he's been working with you and Ken Leblanc came up here and he talked and he talked about the investors that he brought in and how much it would cost or, you know, if the town took it over, but and it's nothing personal
against Happiness Tower. It's an asset to the town. But when is enough enough? I mean and and I know how this will proceed maybe gets listed it'll be years before then then year who's to say that they demolish right away you you can say
best case scenario polyiana this will happen boom boom boom meanwhile it's still going to look the way it looks so I I just don't understand some some of y'all's reasoning um behind your code enforcement or other
areas in town just big picture kind of stuff but it it it doesn't it doesn't add up to me. Thank you. Gilbert Rando 134 Plaza Avenue. Um the gentleman referred to me speaking of our community. That tower is part of our community.
That is an eyesore on our community. It hurts every one of us when we have to drive by. My property has to be maintained and kept according to code. If not, I get a violation. I get a fine until it's rectified. The fines continue until it's taken care of. He's had
plenty of time. The gentleman's telling you he's turning down offers to sell the real estate. Well, he doesn't want to spend the $100,000 to bring it into code. Apparently, he doesn't really want to sell it if he's turning down offers. We have codes in place for a reason. Please enforce them equally amongst all
of us. Thank you. I'd like to ask you if you could come back up, please. So, if we're to vote tonight on a timeline, what would you suggest to give
him time to tear down those buildings? >> I don't know. >> I don't think there's a timeline that's applied to it. We have codes that are being violated there. There's no timeline exceptions in the code. You're given a violation to bring it into compliance. Whatever your ordinances say
that timeline is, that needs to be enforced. Building's an eyesore. It's a danger. It's a hazard. Pieces are falling off of it. Someone can get hurt. He has problem with littering there. That's because it's an attractive nuisance for vagrants to come up and set
up homestead there. That's part of the problem. I I as this is a a code violation just as any other crime code or anything else. Excuses don't make them go away. You have other parts of the town where
violations have been issued, fines have been issued, some are even moving into foreclosure. Why are they different than this property? You know, it's it's this one's in the middle of town. So, it it creates to me more of a concern than some of these
outlying areas. Just be consistent and bite the bullet. Get it over with. >> Okay. Okay. And I guess that moves it back to code enforcement as far as I'm concerned. And what we like to look like it to look like doesn't mean code
enforcement. So I think that we should ask code enforcement actually to come back to us actually with the violations because just we don't like the way it looks. We can't enforce that. But we can enforce code enforcement. So, I think
we're going to have to turn it back over to our code enforcement people to tell us what we need to do next and then move on because just because we don't like the way it looks, we can't do much about that. But we can do about violations of code.
>> We can bring that back in the November meeting for you. >> I think that would be good and then resolve this once and for all. As far as you know, I always say you you can't You can't legislate what you like with
how you want something to look, but we can enforce the code enforcement. And I understand what you're saying. Absolutely. But >> just to make so you guys are aware, we have issued violations. He has fixed what the violations are each time we issue the violation.
>> Correct. >> As far as the trash goes, >> as soon as we bring it to his attention, he does send someone out to clean up the trash. Um, we have had to go in and chase people and arrest them from inside there. Um, it's it's an ongoing problem.
The problem we have is each time we we address an issue on one part of the building, another part falls apart and then we have to start all over addressing that one. Each violation
has to be handled exactly the same way. I can't continue forcing the issue if it's a new violation that wasn't there before. So each time we we find the problems, we do address them, >> but we treat them the same as we do
everyone else. At first, we call and we ask you for voluntary compliance. Not everything you go in with a hammer and say, "We're going to go ahead and find you immediately." You you have to start with the warnings. You have to start
with the verbal warnings. And again, when we give them to him, he comes in and he does fix them. >> And I I do I do and that's what I think the general public needs to understand is that you can only enforce code advice. You can't say I don't like the
way it looks. And I have to say there's a lot of vandalism over there. And I know he shared that with me. He fix something and somebody breaks in and does other stuff. So it's it's it's a problem. And I'm glad to see he's going to list it. Let's um go with that. And
I'm just I think the public needs to understand there's only so much. I mean, just because you don't like the way something looks doesn't mean we can regulate that. So I think as long as he's keeping up with code, we have to understand what we need to do
is and I'm thankful to hear he's listing the property. We need a new person to come in and purchase it and and do something with it. And that's our hope. That's my hope anyway. And I hope he can get those lights going. So I'll repeat the comments I made to
him is if we've got violations in the code, we should address that. And the second that I'm concerned with and you know it's called selective enforcement of our code. That's where it gets us in trouble that and again I don't know exactly what codes he currently is
violating if any. But, you know, for the sake of time, did you say next week we'll bring we'll bring this back to next week's meeting to talk about what codes are being violated? We can if that's what council wants. >> I mean, it sounds like it's wacko,
right? We talk to him, he fixes it. We talk to him, fixes it, talk to him, fixes it. But the overall appearance, and this isn't about I don't like the appearance of your building. This is the hurricane. I mean, it's right there in the middle of the town. And again, I'm
more concerned. How can you give a violation to one person that there are some we're working on and this guacamole keeps going on. And that might not be the right way to say it, but I think you know what I mean. And so maybe I personally don't know what code he
currently is violating. I I'm guessing there are a few, but for the sake of time, if you know, we can come back and we can try to figure out, okay, what do we need to do? I I appreciate what he's doing and moving forward. I appreciate that he's worked with Kevin. He's worked with us that he does address when we
bring it to his attention, but at one point it's a bigger picture of the issue. So, okay, let's say there's a a code violation for, I don't know, broken window or whatever, and he puts plywood over it. Is there anything in the code
for a derelch building, an unusable, uninhabitable? I'm going to I'm going to tell you that it's all in your opinion what a derelike building is. Well, so I mean a dare building you have to go and code you and
if it's a broken window and he's been evidently he's been doing it and he's been fixing it and people have been breaking in and damaging his building which you'd think like he's upset about that because he wants protection and I
don't know you could say him get more protection but at the same time if he has a broken window and he fixes it and then somebody breaks it then he keeps fixing it. That's his frustration. But you can't say, "I don't like the way the window he put in." You can't say you
don't like the way the building looks. As long as it's within code, there's not much we can do except get it listed. That's why I said I'm so thankful. Let's get it listed. Let's find somebody to buy that building and get going with it.
That's my point. Let's Let's all get together and try to find somebody and get it going. >> Mr. Harris, do you have any comments to add to this? >> I think I suggest you table the matter until next week so your staff can uh
inspect the building, get a few pictures, and come back with a proposal of what should be prosecuted. Great. >> I can't sit here and for the life of me may remember whether there are holes in the roof, the walls, or whatever. So, thank you. Um, let us take a look and come back with a plan
>> and and by then we'll all drive by inspect it closer. Fair. Fair enough. I agree. >> Yeah. Charlie, >> for the record, Charles Wilson, 763 Sunset Point Drive. Um, there is a tool condemnation. You can condemn it, but it
requires I don't know at what process through the code enforcement and stuff, but Structurally, I don't know the condition of that building. So, there's condensation, but I don't know what steps have to be followed through to get
to that point. But I know parts of it I I don't think are >> that that's what I was trying to get to, right? As far as when I call it derelict, if it's structurally unsound, that nothing can >> there is condemnation procedures, but
that would have to be determined by a building inspector, I assume, or some process to get to that point, but that's that's an option as well. Thank you. So, is any action you want taken tonight,
>> next week? >> I think I think basically we just table it to next week and give the code enforcement officer an opportunity to go out there and evaluate what violations actually do exist and um and and then we'll we'll address it next week. That
all right, Chief. Good. I have a have a motion. And do I have a second? >> Was that a motion? I just think it was suggestion to table it. >> I think >> Did you make a motion? >> Was it Was it a motion to
>> motion to table it? >> I can make it a motion to table until the enforcement officer. >> Okay. >> All right. Here are the com. We have a motion in a second. Any other comments from the podium? Hearing none, we'll go to the audience. Seeing none, go ahead. Pull the council.
>> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Council member Charles. >> Yes. >> Council member Everheart. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. We now go to six public hearing.
First reading ordinance 2025-16 2025-2026 budget correction to ordinance 2025-11 budget attachment. This will be on first reading.
>> The adoption of the fiscal year 2526 budget. It was discovered that the ordinance 2025-11 contained an incorrect budget attachment as an earlier version was inadvertently included. To correct this error, ordinance 2025-16
has been prepared to correct the adopted budget attachment in alignment with the 3.65 millage rate approved by council and consistent with the budget summary advertised on September 12th. Could you move it up just >> 2025 in compliance with the truth and
millillage requirements mandated by the state of Florida. Town staff contacted the state of Florida to confirm whether this correction would affect the trim processing and we were advised that the correction does not impact trim compliance and that the town should follow its internal correction process
by adopting the ordinance 202516. Accordingly, the town remains in full compliance with state requirements. I'm going to make a motion to approve ordinance 2025-16 on first reading for the fiscal year 2025-
2026 budget correcting the inadvertent error in the budget attachment to the ordinance 2025-11. Second. >> Okay, we got a motion to second. Any comments from the podium?
>> Yeah, I do. So is is this to resend the one and then approve the second? >> Yes, ma'am. Does it need two motions? One to resend it and then the second is a separate to approve it.
>> No, the if you'll scroll up to the ordinance, you'll notice the ordinance um repeals the first ordinance we adopted and adopts a new ordinance with a new budget. Bert, I never had the ordinance
up on my screen. Let me read that into certainly into the comment. Ordinance of the town of Lake Placid, Florida, Town Council, repealing town budget ordinance number 2025-11 and adopting the final town budget for
fiscal year 2025-2026 attached as exhibit A and providing for an effective date. >> Is that answer? No, I mean I'll ask it again and then I'll leave it to you. But the ordinance is saying two things. One,
it's repealing one and it's setting up another. And that does not need to be two separate motions. >> It does not need to be two separate motions because you're adopting one ordinance with two sections. >> Section one, if you'll continue scrolling,
>> repeals. Section two adopts. >> Okay. >> And one ordinance. So you just approve one and you're done. >> So So my comments will be the same when um when we had the motion to approve it
is I'm opposing it for a couple reasons. One is I do oppose an 18% tax increase um to the taxpayers. And then um second, there's some items in the budget that I don't support. And
again, this is repeating it from when we went through this before when it was approved. Um, of which I voted no, but I I I'm not supportive of 1.6 million for a police station in the department when
we don't have uh the total funding. And I also um oppose as and again this is new not new information to anybody but um when we have up to 40,000 in our
budget for special detail garbage fees for events that are profitable events and the taxpayers are then paying uh for certain fees that the town has to incur. And then last, um, continued to be concerned that there was no money in the
budget for Lake June playground improvements or replacement. >> Um, the the ordinance is legally before the town council. The motion would be to approve the ordinance on first reading. So it would move to second if that in fact is the motion to be made that
someone is willing to make. >> I thought Deborah already made the motion. >> Was already done. >> It's already been >> We already have the motion. >> Deborah made the motion and I seconded it. >> Yeah. Made and seconded and it's open to the public for discussion and vote. Mr. Mayor. >> Okay.
Any other comments from the podium? We'll go to the audience. >> Any comments from the audience? >> She's coming. She's trying to get here. She's stuck. She can't get out. I have a question. We're talking about
the budget and the police station right now. Both. >> Yes. >> Okay. My one question is >> name and address please for the record. >> Oh, sorry. My name is Rosemary Heath and I live at 188 Sunset Point Drive, Lake
Plazid. Um, I don't understand why we're not looking at more efficient, more cost effective um, ways to find a building for the police
station. We spent $1.2 million in 2018 for them to go into the government center. They're still you have officials living in there. They barely use the building. They can go elsewhere and the police can move in
their buildings. You also have the chamber and you have the meeting um areas that also could be renovated to fit the um police officers or police administration there. you. I don't
understand why we don't have a quote for um renovating the present police station. I just need other options. So, I feel better about this. You also have the bank building. Um you have a new
building that's on 27. Uh that's another bank building. Um why aren't we not just getting options to justify the 2.6 6 million that you want for the police station.
>> Could I just ask a question of of maybe of Eva or whatever? Um it seems to me that several meetings ago, maybe even several years ago, we evaluated all of these locations and there was
presentations before this board. We got uh back and forth on all of these locations. It was determined that these locations would not fit the bill. A plan was drawn up. A plan was accepted.
That plan has gone out to bid and bids have been accepted. I think in reference to Mr. Durren's point earlier, I believe we are going backwards once again. I believe this decision has already been made and I
have some paperwork. I could probably look it up, but I think that this has already been decided. Thank you. I think I should be able to ask questions even though this has been decided.
You're deciding it on information that you received in 2018. Prices have changed. I it's my belief that we should have and it would be easier to vote on if we had
other options to at least look at. They might not be valuable options but at least we should have options. And then my other question is is that there is a drawing that has all the different rooms
in the government center um with the different offices dedicated to the different personnel. What happened to that? >> Yeah. >> You want to answer it or I can >> go right ahead. that uh that plan. I
also have in front of me that plan and it was determined that that plan was not efficient efficient nor effective and it would not pass either Florida State or FDLE requirements for the police station. It was also determined at that time there were certain activities that
may go on in a police station that would not be conducive to be going on at the same time or location as activities that would typically go on in a town hall. Was this all voted or presented at the count town meeting?
>> It was in 2008, I believe. 2008. >> Maybe you weren't here yet. 2008. >> 18. >> 2018. >> 18, pardon me. 18. >> 2018. >> Okay. And again, I'm wondering why we're not This
has been 7 years ago. You're talking about the tower. Why are we not talking about new um prices on buildings that are existing now? This is not what the citizens want. If
you're going to do this, you need to give them some type of justification. >> A 2.6 building 6 million building. >> It's now 2.6 >> 2.6 It's 1.6 which is now looking at
maybe 2.3 >> if we take this discussion any further it's going to be 2.8 8. But it's still the residents don't feel that
we're ready to make a decision without going back and seeing what the other options are and what they cost. We might be going back and forth, but this has been a seven years. Why? I don't understand why we're not
Okay. >> May May I say one thing? You're talking about looking at other buildings. We looked at other buildings. Mid Florida Credit Union before um it was Mid Florida Credit Union when it was Sunrust. It was for sale. We looked at that building. We were donated land. We
looked at building. We spent a ton of money trying to fit this police station other places. It did not fit. It's going to come down to this. If you want a police station, we have bought a property at an unbelievable price. It was 975,000
plus all the acreage plus the building plus all the contents and a full commercial kitchen and a seating and tables for 180 people just because okay it did not fit in here but we had an opportunity to buy it and we did and it
was if you can ever in the history of the state of Florida find a better deal than we got on this building I challenge you to do it now we can put the police Here we hit what has happened is the cost has keep going up and up as we keep
looking as we spending money 30,000 to try to fit it on this property. Hos Compton donated property didn't fit there. Couldn't keep it in town. We tried to please everybody by keeping it in town. And the truth of the matter is we have a beautiful site here. The
parking's in place. We don't have to build parking. We don't have to buy the land. I was at the meeting and just to give you an idea of renovating, okay, the the Sebring town of the city of Sebring just asked for $7.5 million just
to renovate the building they're moving into. They already have the building. They already have some parking. They don't have what is it 12 acres, but we have we have the parking in place where we have the land. All we're doing is building the building. And the longer we
delay it, the more it's going to cost. And this is the bottom line. We can we have to comply with the state for having a police department. So I'm telling you, you either want a police department or you don't. This is the best deal we're going to get. And I believe that. I
believe it totally. And so you tell me, you answer this question. Do you want a police department or not? Because we can't find anywhere this reasonable to do it. And delaying it further is just going to cost more money. I'm sorry. That's that's the truth.
>> And I still feel that we should look at other options now because you're talking those options you looked at were seven years ago. Okay. >> And it might be different. >> All right. Your your time is up. >> Okay. >> We look we looked at options several years ago.
>> The best option we got is where we're going to build it. >> Okay. I wanted to talk about the budget, too. May I do that? I only have one question. You're >> you're done. >> Three minutes are up. way long time ago. >> Here we go. Chapter two on the three minutes. C
>> could I just ask for um a copy of where from the 2018? It says that we aren't conforming and things like that because and I think you just gave us a copy of the 2018 meeting, right, where this was approved in that. So, if you can I'm not
aware that after that meeting there's some correspondence that said, "Oh, nope. it shouldn't be included because of these reasons that um Councilwoman Hayes just said because it's not in this report. So, I would be interested in seeing where that correspondence of why
the decision that was made in 2018 to incorporate it in this building was, you know, non-conforming with police standards. I I I don't I don't disagree with your question at all and I'm certain that the chief can can take care
of that for us, but I just have to ask um why why I mean seriously, why are are you you want this information? And and I I agree. I understand you always want information. I that's
perfectly good. I think you're great about that. But um so you get all this information Does that mean that you're going to bring this up again and say, "Oh, well, I don't think I agree with all of this."
And so, you know, we we we're going to start all over again. You hate it that much. You really hate it that much. >> No, this is not about hate. This is about taxpayer. >> This is about fudicial responsibility. This is about management of taxpayer funds.
>> Okay? And this is all of that sounds. >> And this is trying to explain to a lot of people who said when we bought the church it was going to be incorporated in it. And I don't know how to tell them, oh that decision changed and why it changed. >> So I've heard tonight I've heard
tonight, oh because the standards for a police department um are nonconforming. So then I guess the council made a poor decision when they did that. So, I will continue to say over and over in order to make an informed decision, we should know what
the options. So, for now, I know we've got a police department discussion later. Mine is, and I will continue to be consistent, of 1.6 million of taxpayer money from our reserve, but then we need another 800,000 for a
legislative grant. So, now we're talking 2.4 million. And it it and and I know that a lot don't agree but I will continue to ask the questions for the taxpayers and even myself as a taxpayer is what other options did we look at?
Okay. So we we need to go back to 2018 so you can be comfortable with what happened in 2018 because you can't trust that what happened in 2018 was legitimate, was
valued, was took things into account and now you're going to rehash it and take other things into account. I'm going to be just as strong with our police department and building the muchneeded police station and I also believe in the
in the the members of the town of Lake Placid and I'm looking for the future for the town of Lake Placid. I'm really sorry that our tax rates have to go up and I'm really sorry that we're in this position right now, but you know what folks, we are. And in order for us to go
forward, this project has to go forward. And we continue to hit brick walls for things that have been done in the past. Now, I'd like to turn to the police chief because it looks like he's bursting at the seams over here to say something.
>> Just to drive a point home, we're talking about fiduciary responsibility. Currently at the rate of inflation on the price of this building, we're looking about 300,000 every year. This price is going to continue to go up and we're going to be doing the same thing
next year with another 300,000 tacked on or two years down the road with 600,000 tacked on. If we're discussing fiduciary responsibility, the time to move is now. I said this once before and I'll say it again. This is the worst time to build, but it's never going to get better. It's
only going to go up in cost. It's going to continue to increase. So, if we don't move on this, if we continue to drag our feet, it's just going to cost the town and the taxpayers more money. I am trying to get this pushed through
as quick as we can to save them money on this. If we do not do that, it's just going to continue to go up and up and up. It's not going to go down. Prices do not go down. We're not going to get it cheaper. That's my two.
>> So October 2023 when this was being discussed and at that time it was to make the decision to spend 70,000 to go out for design and there was discussion are we prepared to move
forward with building a new building or not. At that time it was estimated, and this is two years ago, between 1135 and 14. Council member Royce said, "If this is wildly above 1.4, I don't
support it." And so now we're talking a million more. So I think it is worthwhile to just have those questions on what other options are there. And if the answer is there is no other option, that's fine.
And I will continue to say, are there any other options? We have not looked at how much would it cost to remodel the current one. We have not looked at is there another building to buy just like the 2018 study that's up here. It looked
at different options and and I could be a voice of one and that's fine but I will continue before I can make an informed decision on spending $2.5 million which with 10% overrun is going to be a lot more. What
were the other options we looked at so we can properly explain to the to the taxpayers? >> They're in front of you right now. >> Remodeling the building we're in does not address the space issues. There's nowhere to grow in that building. That building is what it is. You cannot add to that property. You cannot add to that
building. Currently, you cannot turn around in the evidence room. You slide in one way to get in one locker. You have to slide out, turn around, slide back in to get to the other side. So, renovating what we have does not address
the space issue. I I mean, this has all been covered in the past. We continue to go over it and over it and over it and it feels like we're just going to continue to keep bringing it up and keep disagreeing with it just because we don't want it. We would rather have a pretty park than
have public safety. I I just don't get it. >> I have to stop talking because I'm going crazy. >> Marlin, >> good evening. Marlene Berger, 760 Sunset Point Drive. One element of clarity. In
2018, the then town administrator Phil Williams commissioned a study. It had nothing to do with the police station or where you put it. It had everything to do with where do we locate the new town hall. Everything you see up there on the
screen was for the sole purpose of where do we put the town hall? At that time, the decision was made and as council member Worley said earlier, it proved to be a good buy to build this to buy this building. 17,500
square ft in it with another nearly 1,000 square ft behind it. At that time, they did talk about putting the police department in here, but that study had nothing to do with analysis of a new police department or a new police
building. Interestingly, and for efficiencies and economy of scale, Highlands County is talking about building at great expense a new fire station for the town of Lake Placid just a few blocks up from our town hall.
There are many things that are similar that a police officer needs if he gets his officers get chemicals sprayed on them is the same issue that you have with firemen. So the question becomes, are there opportunities for economies of
scale to look at what perhaps we're going to be talking to the county about that fire station with their training room and some of the other equipment they have there that would serve this police department. Having said that, the 17,500 square ft in this room, this
building here, seems to me has never been analyzed at all or redesigned properly. While nice for the town, the town moved in and spread out to take over all the rooms. The question is, is that an efficient use of space? This has nothing
to do with whether you have a beautiful park or not. It has to do with efficiencies. Efficiencies for the interest of the taxpayer. I would like to see a similar study done that says, and it doesn't have to take
very long, what are our options? And can we be talking to the county about coalescing some opportunities with the new fire station that they plan to put in? And what other item that comes up with the 1.6 and the 800,000?
I don't know if if you go, it's a question. If you go to the legislatorship council and you attend that meeting and you say we need $800,000, does that request have to come before the town council? And if not, we know that all
the prices that came back for the fire station, my question would be, why didn't we go and ask for 2.5 million? Are we afraid to ask for 2.5 million and take the burden off the taxpayers? Because we do have leadership in this state that supports all firsttime
responders, be firemen, >> be they firemen, policemen, or ES, it doesn't matter. Why didn't we ask for 2.5 million? >> If I may, Miss Barker, we have had conversations with the county. I've actually spoken with the county administrator many, many months ago
regarding the um the fire station. We looked and explored options of possibly having the fire station located here at the government center. There were issues with the location here and also the fact that we are a city town government and they are a county government. So
intermingling the two would be very cumbersome and not fitting for us at this time. >> I get that. I understand that. But I'm talking about the efficiencies within the building that we have a cooperation for a first responders facility. It shouldn't make any difference whether
it's county or it's Lake Placet, the property they they will be buying. It's what do we have with our police department and the fire department? What are the efficiencies and the economies of scales that could be realized in that building that we don't need to duplicate? That's my question. And have
we addressed that? I don't know that we have. I spoke to one of the town commission the border com county commissioners. He thought that was a great idea. I'm just I'm just throwing it out. >> There's two of them that think it's a great idea, but it you can't intermingle
the two together. >> We can't co-mingle first responders together. >> I thought we were doing that. That was what our goal was at first was to to put Yeah. the fire and the the police. >> What's the state law that says you can't
do that? >> My understanding from history is that this was to be our government centered, not with the county. the county and the town do not intermingle in that area. >> We did try to um that when we were looking at the property behind Bert
Harris's office. Um we were planning on doing the fire station and the police station on the same property, but the fire folks couldn't get in their head. >> I know that. I know that. >> Yes, you know that. But I want to speak
into the record because next week you won't know that or some people in this room won't know that. So let me say it into the record that we did talk about it at that time and the fire folks could not get together. What kind of a design or whatever and they kept putting off
and putting off and how much do you want of the land? And I remember saying forget this. The fire folks can't make up their mind. let's just build a police department there and they can have whatever land is left. And then the the motion came up here to the to the
council at that time and I was on council at that time and and you spoke and you spoke of different items at that time. So I know you were in the building but they decided that we wanted to try to make this building a kind of a municipal center if you will so that you
would have kind of a one-stop shop. So I I feel in fact I'm beginning to get personally offended because I've now been on this council for four years and I was part of the agreement in the beginning to start this whole process
and the fact that folks keep coming up and I'm not talking at you personally but you are one of the people that keeps coming up but you're not the only one believe me that that keep coming up with things and basically say to me as a part of the previous council Mr. Wilson back
there also part of the previous council. Well, obviously you didn't know what you were doing. You didn't check out these things. Yes, we did. And we absolutely did. And I'm offended that you didn't think we did. >> I don't think we had the wherewithal to check out all these possibilities before
we built it here. And I was going to build it here. I was making the clarification that in 2018, everything you see up on that screen up there was for the sole purpose of where we put the town hall. And as part of
that discussion, they hope to win over the town by putting the police in it because their positions are listed in there. The question is, if you look at this, why couldn't we harden that whole right wing of this building? If you're not going to rent it out anymore, why
why can't we just put the police in there and harden it? It's just options. It's just having space analysis done and looking at options. It's not saying don't do it at all. >> We looked at we looked at options. We looked at that and it frankly >> it wasn't at a town hall meeting that
didn't come before. Many of the things you talked about earlier that never came before a town hall meeting. I can't speak to that because here not all the elements that you talked about that you said that was offline not at a town council meeting. >> Well, I I was not on council at the time
and I really don't think it's 7:15 already. I really don't think we need to rehash this again. Um it's it's in the it's in the packet for clarity and I would ask the mayor that we move on, please. >> Yeah. Yeah.
There's a hand up on my left. There's a hand over there. >> My name is Josephine Conley. I'm at 607 Sunset Point Drive and I do want to thank you for your service because we do think of you. My biggest concern here is, and you need to just kind of help
direct me. My understanding was we were going to get these grants on a police department. Okay. Now, I'm understanding that we're up to $2.3 million out of taxpayer. I mean, who's going to pay for it? Taxpayers. Now, is this coming from
our reserve? The last time I recall, we had a little over two two million in reserve. >> No. >> Okay. So, you're saying, and that's my question, how much reserve are we going to have when you accept this contract?
That's my concern that we have to dip into because we've had so many issues where there's no reserve to pay for this or pay for that. Now we're going with a $2.3 million police department. So please tell me how much reserve do we have when we make a commitment to $2.3
million because we have to pay our bills. That's most important. >> Right. But but you have to understand there's $300,000 in in our in our funds where we sold the old torrent the old town hall that had
that was allocated toward the police department and then whatever funds we create when we sell the current police department will also be be allocated toward the new building. So in essence it won't be that whole nut. We also were
looking at an ARPA grant and then it turns out that Miss Charles determined that we could not use the ARPA grant. So that that fell apart for us and some of our funding from the from the state fell apart too because of the the decisions
that our president made and I agree with those. So there we are. But um that it's not the whole there's there's probably $600,000 in there that from those sale of those properties. So, we have right now in reserve, how much? Anybody know
that answer? >> I think that answer could be told to you if we didn't have people asking 35,000 other questions, but I'm sure Miss Rachel can help. >> This is my time. I'm been very polite. I've waited my terms >> and it's in there. I just don't know the answer, but I bet you Rachel.
>> Well, why not? I'm a taxpayer because I want to know where the money's going. How much are we spending? >> You can have the answer. You just can't have it right this moment because I don't have it. >> Okay. So, that's great. You'll have it at the next meeting that >> I'll give you the answer. Right now in the infrastructure reserve is $2.3 million.
This whole discussion is starting on this motion to approve the budget. Included in the budget is 1.6 million to come for the infrastructure reserve. >> The infrastructure reserve of 2.3 million already has 200,000 encumbered
for the pickle ball station. for the pickle ball project. We've added another 300,000 for Lake June Park improvements, lighting and bleachers and and other things. And then this would would be 1.6. So I believe about 200,000 in the
infrastructure reserve. Rachel. Okay. So can I interject because I think we're jump we've jumped way ahead. >> That's fine. >> We've jumped way ahead and we we brought police department straight to the forefront. So, Mayor, with your approval, I think we might as well go ahead and bring this one up. And >> right,
>> Miss Conley, we were prepared to answer that question. >> Mhm. >> It just we've all unfortunately this meeting just went real sideways, but our staff are perfectly prepared to answer this. Miss Charles will take it. >> Mayor, >> yes.
>> Okay. >> So, no answer. >> And do you have anything else to say? No, that's the concern where the money how much we're going to have in reserve for whatever we need in the future. >> Yes, ma'am. We were prepar prepared to answer that. We jumped ahead.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> We've never finished yet. >> Right. Mayor, you have a first and the second. >> You have a motion on the floor. >> Yes, there's a motion on the floor. >> Any other comments? >> I was trying not to, but I am.
>> You have a motion and a second. Can you please tell me what was relevant about this last 30 minutes of discussion to this? That's why we're never moving forward with anything. Thank you. [Applause] >> It's part of the budget.
>> This is the only time people have a chance to speak. >> I I don't mind them coming up and doing as long as they're talking about the items that we're No, no, no. as long as as long as it's relevant to the budget. But and and it was, but it's time to
move on. So, I ask you to pull the council, please. >> Council member Worley, >> yes. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Charles, >> no. >> Council member Everheart, >> yes. >> Okay.
>> Now, we'll go to action agenda. >> My computer went away. Which one? >> For for clarification, there's there's a separate line item to discuss the police station further on in the agenda. >> We'll go ahead and jump to the police
station since there's been so much and we'll get that out of the way. The town of Lake Placid received three bids for the construction of the new police department facility. The bids were open and reviewed as follows. The lowest bidder is Simco Construction with
a total bid amount of 2 million 299. The town has 1.6 million currently encumbered for this project. The difference between the lowest bid and the budget amount is approximately 699,000. To ensure the projects proceed
efficiently while maintaining fiscal responsibility, staff recommends that council accept the lowest bid and authorize the town administrator to work with the contractor to identify value engineering opportunities that align with the available funding and future appropriations.
There is more discussion on that and I am going to turn that over to Mr. Harris. My recommendation is that you table this for one week because of the value engineering discussions that have not taken place. Those need to take
place before you award a contract. A motion to table would be not would not be debatable if made. >> Okay. >> Can we comment because I I was of the same position. Is one week going to be
enough? I mean, the questions I pretty much have are going to be um fair bidding with all of those that did bid and how this value engineering works. Um and then eventually we don't have 800,000 in the bag yet. We don't do we have
anything in commitment of the 800,000. So all we have right now is 1.6. We don't have total funding for a 2.3 million contract to sign. If that question was directed to me, two questions I hear. Is there enough time?
Won't know until we try. And I would suggest you try. >> Um and I would also suggest that we bring back a contract. We don't have one before us tonight. So that a week from now, you would be able to enter a cont adopt a contract that includes the value
engineering. As far as the funding, we absolutely must have the funding available before we go to contract. It is my understanding. We've income of 1.6. We have adequate funding in the reserve to to cover the $800,000 delta.
And we're applying for a grant and hope not to use the 800,000 in the reserve, but it's there if it is needed. >> So, I'm not cert. So, you're saying we have 2.4 4 million of town funds that we're
going to use until we can get the 800,000 legislative grant that we're hoping to get. >> Go ahead. I'm looking for my notes. >> My understanding is you have well more than 800,000 which is the shortfall in
your town reserve unencumbered. >> The 1.6 is encumbered in our infrastructure fund. >> Agreed. That's what we just had a long discussion of 1.3 our 1.3 reserves Rachel >> 1.3 general fund >> of which you need three months
>> correct >> for our policy >> Rachel >> that is correct >> so what is the excess you think in the general fund >> so right now the infrastructure have 2.5 in it $2,5328
um $830 So it does have enough money in there to fund the police department. So if the 800,000 appropriation is awarded, then that would go back into the infrastructure account,
>> right? So if we don't get it awarded and we sign a contract, then we're on the fence for 2.4 million >> plus plus 10% contingency. Well, they haven't done the value engineering either. It may not be 2.3.
>> Can somebody clarify exactly what value engineering is? >> It is a discussion between the engineer, the town, and the contractor to attempt to reduce the price by eliminating
certain elements of the construction. >> And we can do that just with one of the contractors. We don't have to do that with the others or those that didn't. >> I didn't say that at all. >> That that's going to be my question. I'm >> going to start with the low bidder
>> because you have three biders. >> I don't think there's been any discussion that the lowest bidder is not a responsible and responsive bid. So, I would start with the low bidder, but I would not tie my hands by saying
we will or will not go to the second at this time, which is the reason I would not award the bid until we have a definite decision or recommendation coming to the council for um the value
engineered lowest bid. And I would suggest again we table this because you're going to go all through every bit of this. You're really premature. We don't know the numbers >> right >> at this sitting. >> Right. Right. No, I mean I that's where I was was to table it. I was thinking
until the a month from now, the next meeting if you think we can do it in a week. Okay. >> We could be back here in a month. I agree. But I'd sure like to try for a week. Let's let's try for a week first and then table it again if we have to. >> Do you need a motion to vote or anything
on the table? >> I would move the motion to table the police department until the next meeting. >> Can you make that motion? >> Pardon? >> Can you make that motion? >> Me or >> I can make I'll make a motion to table
>> to table the uh police department facility bid award and contract authorization for another week. And I'll second that. How about that? >> All right. We've got a motion and a second to table this until the next
meeting. Any other discussion? >> What may I suggest that um there be a documentation of how how much reserves we have in for the you know in the package? >> That's right. Yeah. >> For for the next meeting. >> It's here.
put in to put it into the packet. I mean in the next meeting >> you want so it will be in that packet too >> so we can look at it next week too >> and and the public can look at it. >> Okay. >> I just want to thank Simco for being here and waiting painfully through this
whole process. >> Thank you for coming tonight. >> All right. Got a motion to second. Any other comments? take it to the audience. [Music] >> My name is Rosemary Heath. I live at 588
Sunset Point Drive, Lake Placid. Um, you all felt that you were going to receive a grant for the sewer lines. Now, we have a >> Mr. Mayor, a motion to table is not debatable nor discussible. >> But I'm talking about the grant for the
police. No, not at this time. >> It's not It's It It's not on this topic. It >> I thought it was part of the budget. >> Okay, >> bring it back. Pull the council. >> Council member Charles.
>> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Council member Everart. >> Yes. >> All right. Now, we'll go back to the beginning. Uh, Chamber of Commerce has A and B. So, we'll we'll bring Jennifer up and let
her take care of both at one time. >> Mr. Mayor, I have to uh be excused from this vote because I have a um a conflict. I'm on the board of directors of the chamber. I have filed the paperwork here. >> Okay. >> Good evening. Jennifer Bush with the
Greater Lake Placida Chamber of Commerce. Two things on the agenda tonight are the arts and crafts country fair which is February 7th and 8th and then also I have a presentation I think I gave um Eva some information to pass out when I got here u about the exercise
equipment that we are liking to hopefully put on um Deain Circle. >> I didn't see it. >> It was two pages. >> Um there's two agenda items. >> It was two pages that I brought in tonight though. >> Yeah, they've all gotten it. >> Okay. It's just got the chin-up station and the bench dip and all the exercise
equipment on it. So, those are the two things. Um, the first obviously is the the country arts and crafts country fair. We're going into our 54th year, I believe it is. Um, see about 6,000 people and that's the first weekend of February. Next year will be the 7th and
8th. I've turned in all the paperwork. And basically what I'm looking for is to make sure that the alcohol permit I've already applied for the state and that it's feasible that we have a um beer tent. So just just make it clear to the public
because I hear it all the time. Town doesn't do a thing for anybody. We don't help with anything. So the value of our vote tonight is $9,260. Is that correct? Isn't it? Say that one more time.
>> Yeah, for the for the total amount. >> Oh, sorry. This is a different one. Okay. So, $8,660 for the fees. Is that what you're asking me? >> Yes. >> That's what we're forgiving tonight. Is that >> I would turn that over to the chief who
actually helped me do the paperwork on the road. We don't do a road closure on that one. That's just the police services. >> Yeah. I'm looking at a different >> The fees are not just the uh police, it's also the um garbage and the facility use fees as well, but yes, it's $8,660
total. >> Okay. >> We um wave the fees of $8,660 for the festival or do I need to call it out? Arts and Craft Fair. It's the arts and crafts country fair.
>> Country fair. Okay. So, >> we go through this all the time. We're trying to get a I don't know a decision on fees waivers, but in the in the interim, I would second it. Thank you.
>> Okay. So, we have a motion and a second to wave the fees for the uh arts and craft fair. What's the date on that? >> February 7th and 8th. >> Okay. February 7th and 8th, 2026. Any other comments from the podium?
>> Two two questions. One, Charlotte, is this $8,660 that's being proposed to waved incorporated in the budget already. Even though I took exception to event fees being waved in the budget, the
budget was approved. So, is this one of the events that is in the approved budget? >> Yes. >> Which is important. It is. >> Yes, it Yes, it is. It was in the
chief's list of arts and crafts fair with all of his yearly recurring events with a cost breakdown for the police department. It was in there. Caladium Festival, Arts and Crafts Fair, Christmas Parade, July 4th Fireworks, the Smoke 5K, the Green Dragon 5K, and
the Pancake 5K. >> Can and that's fine. Thank you. Can you separately just summarize that and the price of each? I I'd just like a copy of that. >> This was included in the budget. It You've already got it. It's in your budget packet >> from previous, but we can get you another copy.
>> Thank you. The Caladium FE festival has four officers each day, eight hours each day for three days, 5,280. One officer each night, 12 hours per night for three nights, 1,980. Total cost 7,260. You want me to go through all of these right now?
>> No, no, no. I said separately. This this event is on the table now. I was asking, is it in the budget? You said it is, and then you named off some other. So, I'll I'll pull the budget worksheet on the others. Thank you. All [Music] right. Any other comments from the
podium? >> Take it to the audience. One question. Have Have we ever tried to figure out what impact this has on our businesses? >> Um, last year, Pacer AI showed that 6,000 people came to town that weekend.
We had 6,000 people um roaming through the town of Lake Placid on the first weekend of February. Uh, >> I don't believe that that's typical. >> To me, it just seems like it's got to be a a plus plus for the businesses that at least the ones that stay open. But
>> I know that day that that weekend, it's not it wasn't just us that had events going on. Obviously, the farmers market, there's something going on on each street and they kind of all filter down to the circle. Well, I'm I'm definitely for this and I I really really I'm a
great supporter of you anyway, but thank you. >> Uh I just appreciate what what you and your committee does for for our town and >> I any comments from the audience. >> Thank you. Marlene Barter, 760 Sunset Point Drive. Just one point. If you
remember back when we were talking about waving the fees for the Cladium Festival, we stood in this chamber and we talked about TDC funds. Council member Worley said at that time then we do the first year or two, but Casey Hart happened to be watching and contacted the Chamber of Commerce and
asked for some information. The cost at that time was thought to be $10,000. So Casey Hart gave the chamber a check for $10,000. Did any of that money come to the town to help defay cost? Maybe some of that money should be held
to defay costs from the craft share. I'm not saying that we were putting this on the backs of taxpayers. We're raising their taxes. We're raising the fees across the board. We talk about waving fees. Then we talk about not doing this.
And yet here we are again asking the town to come in and pay for the 5K run is coming up. Did they come before you? No. So, I'm just kind of curious. Why do we keep doing what we're doing to hurt the taxpayers? Thank you.
And that is why I side because we don't have anything in place yet as far as a policy on waving fees. um can maybe put it on to think about that if the TDC does reimburse. I know
they would we uh that the TDC would give you money could somehow give us a portion back. >> So the TDC does not do events in February. It's outside of their they do like when it's not busy in the town. So
February is considered seasonal. There's already money flowing through the town. I cannot even apply for a grant for the TDC in February. >> Okay. >> Does everybody understand that you cannot apply during high season? It's
for the off months to create tourism because basically the their policy is is that you have tourists here, you have they're not going to support during the high season. So, and it used to be more strict than it is now, actually, but
it's a little more lenient, but February is the month they will not fund. >> Did you get 10,000 from >> We applied for the grant and we were rewarded. >> You did get 10. And is there some way to help cost share with the 10 that we
spent? >> At this point, I don't have those figures. I can tell you that we in order to do the Caladium Festival, it takes every penny that we make. >> Mhm. So between the vendors, that's really the money that we're getting. I mean, so there isn't a lot of money to
turn around. That's why we're here asking for the help of the town. >> We are bringing the people, but we do need the help of the town to be able to make this work. So, and and I also appreciate the chamber and the festivals that you put on. I'm just between a rock
and a hard place of also supporting the taxpayers, right? because and and and I'll just be consistent in my messaging that when it is an event that is making a profit, however the profit's being made on the backs of somebody paying,
then the taxpayers are then subsidizing that. They're actually giving money to, you know, the profit of that event versus the event raising their prices to their vendors or whoever. So, you know, at least I'll be cons, you know, where I'm going to come from, right? I'm going
to be consistent. You know, I know years ago it wasn't this high, but it is what it is. So, you know, >> it's just it's we all got tight budgets, right? >> Absolutely. We work the same way. We have a very tight budget. >> Mhm.
>> Okay. Other comments the council. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Council member Hart. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> Council member Charles. >> No. Mayor.
>> She never asked me. >> I'm sorry. >> You have two yeses and one no and one abstain. >> Yeah. Yeah. Motion carried. >> Yeah. I don't think I had to. Okay. All
right. Next, we'll go to B. So the other item that we have is the Deain Park exercise equipment. It has come to our attention that a lot of people use the circle for exercising, walking several times throughout the day. Um I believe it is divided into
eight pies. And what we're thinking of doing um and what we'd like to ask of you is there's nothing fiscally I'm asking for. This is something that we have put together. Um, we would put out exercise pore slabs on six of the pies,
have it done professionally, and then on top of that, there would be different exercise equipment, which is what I I presented tonight, like a chin-up station, a bench dip station, a push-up station, and a sit-up station. I do have everything covered financially. U, we
have a sponsor that is interested in doing all of this. And then if I had to, if for some reason the chamber cannot financially afford to pour the concrete, we would get sponsors for that as well. But it is on town property and it would have to be covered obviously by town
insurance. That is the only thing I'm asking of. What is what is the value of the equipment and installation? And well, just for the concrete slabs alone, each slab is somewhere between $9 and $1,500.
So there's six of those. They're 6x6. They'll have runoff or any puddling. So there would be no puddling on them. And then it just depends on the equipment um
and where it it comes from as far as the cost of the equipment, but we are not we don't have to cover the cost of the equipment. I have a sponsor for that. >> Did you say eight or six? >> Six of them. Six stations. >> Six. Six by six.
>> Six. Six by six. Mhm. It's a lot of sixes. >> And then each station will have a different equipment, but some of the stations you could do a couple exercise things at >> couple like warm up and stretches, cool down, different things. You can do
jumping jacks, you can do half jacks, you can do whatever you want at each station. But there will be like a chin-up station, a bench dip station, different things like that. I um it was one of my hope uh wish list things was to have a park that had
exercise stations somewhere. Um but um when I look at Deain Park and it's so pristine and quiet and soothing and the vista looking right through it, I'm a little concerned about the aesthetics for one and then when we have the uh car
shows and certain things if there if it's going to interfere with that. Did you consider any other locations? Um, no, we had not considered other locations, but we did consider the aesthetics and the car show and the things that actually happen on the circle as well, and they would not
interfere with the car show. Um, so no, we could look at other places, but we thought that because Devain Park was already readily being used by so many people, morning, afternoon, evening, that it would be a good place. We've talked with Growstrong um, fitness as well, and they use it for some of their
boot camp stuff, and they would be happy to come to the circle as well and do that. And I I believe there's a few other people that walk the circle early in the morning. >> Yeah. Would the um the property next to the old town hall be possible? I'm sorry, where the the property next to
the old town hall, that little triangle, would that be a possibility? I don't think that structurally it would lay. I mean, you'd have to have them kind of I don't know. Now, that area we do use for handicap parking um ADA when we have events. So that would take all
of that away. >> I I love the idea as well. And we had when I was trying to still trying to get the park down by Lake Clay. That would be perfect area. Um for me, I mean, it
is I think we're going to get a lot of push back. I mean, we don't have where you're going to put these or how they're going to look, but it is like a very press team and I know there's a lot of people there, but I just I mean, I'd like to see where they're going to be to
try in my mind to get an idea of how it's going to change that park because the park is beautiful. I do know it's used by a lot of people, but I just don't know that that's I want this more than you know. I think I've dreamed about it for a long time. I just don't
know if that park is the right place to put it. And and personally, I could never approve anything unless I saw some kind of conceptual plan what it would look like. I don't want to say do it there when I think that probably the
public is not going to like that there. So, it's just it's just such a pretty space with no nothing interfering with it. We talked about putting a bathroom in. I thought that was a great idea, but to put it in the park would kind of not
be a great idea. So, we did talk about over by the town hall doing it there. I understand you're supposed to run and there's not a lot of space there, but why not Lake June Park? I mean, could we do it down there or could we get see
some kind of conceptual plan for the the circle or >> um November 11th is the um workshop with the park evaluations and recommendations, a public workshop. Um I would suggest we bring it up to the
public there. >> Yeah, >> I love the idea. >> Of course, it's up to the council to make the decision. uh that park made sense because that's basically a walking track that's already there. Uh the the sidewalks that come off of the walking track that makes perfect segments to put
this exercise equipment. It's very nonobtrusive. It's a 6x6 slab. The the pull-up bar is the most obtrusive thing and that there's not much to that. It's a simple bar. Um it it's it's not a complicated thing. Uh this is something that that fit with the infrastructure
that was currently in that park. Um it was just something that the chamber came up with a an idea, a plan to give back to help improve the community. Um as far as going researching other sites and getting into engineering and drainage and parking and are people going to go there and use it because we already know
people are exercising in that park. Um I don't think that's something we're is that's going to become a huge endeavor if we have to do that and I don't think the chamber would be interested in doing that. that's going to incur a lot of expense to to do all of the the proper things are going to take place. So, it's an offer from the chamber and a
community sponsor to do something for the good for the health of the community uh for people that are already there to use and enjoy. And it's up to you guys to make that decision. You can take it from there. If I may interject here just real quick, I'm not sure how many of you are out at
4, 4:30, 5:00 in the morning. That park is heavily used at that time in the morning. And people are currently using our benches to do the push-ups, the dips. They're using the tree branches out there to do their pull-ups. So, all this is going on on the circle right now
already. This would just give them more some actual equipment to use while they're out there. I know when we had talked about parks and that and we had talked about even the hill crust at one point kind of making that like a a circle and and with
this equip. So I I mean I think this is great idea. I'm just up in the air on where and and I know we had kicked that around. That's actually a CRA district too. But um so I
think that conceptually it's great. I I think it's the same thing as I' I'd like to have input from the public too on to make sure that it complements the usage of the park right now versus takeaway. >> Okay. And it may it may be 100% yay.
That's the best place, but I don't feel comfortable deciding for the people where it should go. >> Okay. Not a problem. Could Could we wait until the November meeting until we could talk get everybody to talk about it? >> Sure. And I can come back with a drawing
or something. >> Sure. Not a problem. >> I don't want you to get discouraged. >> I am not discouraged. Trust me. >> Thank you. >> I'm not discouraged. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> No problem. Before I walk from the podium, I just wanted to bring you up to date on one more thing. Lake Placid
Legacy Foundation has been formed and the purpose of that is to um absorb the Lake Placid Mural Society so that we can continue on with the murals, taking care of the murals and installing any new murals. But going forward, it is considered the Lake Placid Legacy
Foundation. What we'd like to do maybe is recognize the mural society in the next couple of months. We'll come up with something and present it to you so that you have the information to do that with. >> That is such great news. You have no idea how I worry about that. Thank you. >> We got it. Thank you.
>> All right. C. Lake June Park pickle ball court project. On October 1st, the town was notified of the need to complete the traffic concurrency review process at an estimated additional cost of 7,500, which had not been previously approved
or initiated. With this new information, staff has re-evaluated the project scope, funding sources, and reimbursement terms, and the town council has requested to consider whether it remains financially prudent for the town to proceed. Upon review, it has been confirmed that the town is required to pay all project costs
upfront prior to requesting reimbursement from the grants. Given the increased project costs, add additional financial obligations identified, and the town's current financial position, it is recommended that the town council review the feasibility of continuing the
project, and there are options provided. The project reflects an estimated additional cost of 100,000 beyond the 200,000 already allocated and encumbered by the town. In addition, the project requires an upfront funding outlay of
approximately 500,000 to be in reimburse reimbursed upon completion of the project in accordance with the grant reimbursement terms. I move to discontinue the Lake June Park pickle ball court project and authorize staff to return to coordinate the return
of all awarded grant funds to the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program for ADAP and the Highlands County Regional Park Advisory Committee. And let me comment that uh I was not aware that we had to pay for the
money upfront and if we're dipping into our contingent our reserves possibly for other things we can't dip into that for this too. Um, I also did some research on the original FERDAP grant and there
one of the things that I found is that um, of the 190 or whatever people that did the survey um, there were two no votes, which would appear to be overwhelming support except that it doesn't seem to be a valid
survey because you would expect at least 10% 15% of opposition. Um, it was only up for a month on an obscure link on our website. I suspect that it was loaded by pickle ball players and did not reflect the
full community um, sentiment. Um, the uh, the other thing is um, we can return money to Fur. I've done research on that too for two reasons. that it will not count against us if there's
opposition from the community or the financial um it's not financially feasible anymore. We can return money to Ferd. So I don't feel we'll have any against us with Ferd if we return it. And um
hence that motion I'll second it. What was the motion? >> Okay, what I was wanting to do was wait for a month and really look at this again since we've already expended hard
cash over 50,000 and we have all our staff time and all of that into this. We did go ahead and say we were going to do this in the beginning for Ferdap. So, I was hoping to at least wait a month to
see what everybody could come up with and then a month from now, if it doesn't work, fine. But I think that we should at least give a nod to, you know, this the the money we've already spent,
the staff time, and that um we did obligate ourselves to move forward with this grant. So, I was hoping that we could table it for a month, give staff time just to see what the options would be instead of just doing away with the
project and really look at the hard facts and then come back and see what the options would be. That's what my hope was that and I think that we we should do that because of the time expended the community involvement
everything just to one last look at it before we make the decision. So I was asking just to table it until the next meeting. That's what I wanted to do. So instead of just not doing at all >> for for how long, Deborah, did you want
to table it? >> Just till next month and give staff some time to see. >> I've already made a motion. >> Yeah. So that's >> this is just discussion. I'm just asking I'm just trying to say would you consider that
to wait a month before we just throw it down the toilet and say that's it. That's what I'm asking. Okay. I'm not saying don't, you know, do it, don't do it. I'm just saying, can we just wait one more month with the money we've
already spent over 50,000 plus all the staff time, all of the energy and what the public maybe not, you know, obviously there's been opposition, but just to see in a month from now if staff can come up with a suggestion and just
not hurry up and make this decision after all we've been through. And nobody can say we haven't been through a lot. So I'm just asking you all to wait a month. So So let me
just go on for a couple comments. Is you're right. There's been a lot of controversy on this from the beginning and a lot of opposition to it with a lot of the taxpayers for the location where the location is with the green space
being taken away. And then we had the option one or option two. We tried to make it happen, right? And move it over to the other side which would then allow the green space for the families and the uh the football and the the people that use it.
and and that was decided no to keep it back on the green space side. And then recently now we've got parking that's taken over all the green space side pvious or not but it's parking that's taken where now the children would have who are in the pavilion would have to
cross over to the playground. So so to go to the playground that's existing which I think is lacking they have to go through a parking lot now where cars are coming to park by the pickle ball. And then second, it's if they play in the green space, the green
space is now up against the road. So if they kick a soccer ball in that, so I just think the whole location was never thought through and again very controversial with the public. My bigger concern is
twofold. One is two weekends ago we had a lacrosse camp that was relocated from Tampa. People thought it was relocated from um Sebring and it was not. And if you go to >> it was actually located from Port Birdie
and that's it was on that coast. >> Yeah. I mean Casey sent because I said oh we understood there was a water mane break and she sent me a note and said no please read spread the word it it came from Tampa. But what's really exciting and it was it was in the football field, the soccer
field and the green space and and yes, we're going to have a followup because they were very exciting on the possible economic impact for that whole that green space is it was 28,000 economic impact which
was 724 room nights, 286 athletes and a lot more opportunity. So we have an opportunity to use existing green space to bring value to the town versus now ask the lake placid residents
to contribute another 100,000 on top of the 200,000 because what I'm understanding is right now the estimates for this project are now going to exceed another 100,000 and we haven't even gone out to bid and so to me that's
concerning because we've just talked about 2.3 whatever the infrastructure 1.6 six for the police department, 200 for pickleball, 300,000 for Lake June Park, improvements of the lighting and the bleachers and and the pavilion. And
then there's more money we're going to need for a police department incumbrance. I think it gets to be unaffordable. unaffordable on something the public doesn't want, but more important, taking away green space that we can use for economic development,
which is something that this town needs, our businesses need, the hotels need, the restaurants need. And and my motion is based on not on emotion, but on the financials. I understand that we have to upfront the $600,000, and we do not have
the cash flow to do that. Is that correct, Charlotte? not in the bank currently. >> Okay. So, we there's really no option. We cannot afford to upfront $600,000 and pay our bills and we have to wait to
get reimbursed until it's done to recoup the $600,000. So, so knowing that and added to that that we will not be penalized by FUDA app and because of the economics we can
prove that we don't have the economics don't work and we can prove that the uh fi overwhelming public support was in error and um another note that on the scoring for the
fur app for this out of um what are my notes here? Out of 66 projects that were submitted, this one ranked 55 and was almost cut. So, we are justified. I think Verdup would understand if we
decided not to go ahead. Okay, I'm a little bit offended that I'm the one that really promoted the lacrosse and I actually went over there and worked hard to get them to come back and they are coming back and I was very excited about it. The problem was is
that they did oh go all over town that that weekend, but they had planned to have their their lacrosse and Sebring, so they didn't stay here. But the exciting part is is that they are coming back in November and they will be
booking everything here and they will be staying overnight and then our our our town can actually be open at night and all the events that we can have for them at night. It's just going to be a very exciting and he even told me he'd like to bring back the big tournaments, the
really big tournaments. I'm a little confused when you don't want to even talk I mean when they want to come and they want to do flat fields. This is the exact thing they're talking about and they're talking about helping us fund the whole thing over a million dollars.
But the the push back when I tried to to that No, no, no, no. I think that keep an open mind that if they want to come here and talk to us and they want to actually help us fund that that we should this is this is the exact thing I
was trying to tell you is that flat fields we can still do all of our other things that we do but we're not going to have I know I know that the the the ball fields are important but they most of the year are not used. It's green space
that's not green space. If we could do a combination, I hope when they come, you will keep your minds open and you will actually listen to what they have to say and that you'll even have them come um to and they will even help us fund it. I know it's a new concept, but it's a it's
a well worthwhile concept to even listen to them when they want to come here and talk to you about it. I hope you will open your minds up and listen to that. I still would like to wait just to give the public that wants this. There are some other options. You can get a
short-term. This is just a this is a financial gap. It's like we're going to have the money. I mean, if we did something like creative, like we did some short-term financing. Um, we can still do this project. It would just be
we're going to get the money back is we're going to expend it, get it back. And exactly this when we were talking about the taxes, what did I say? say the reserve fund was for and I said that exact same thing. There's times when we get grants that we have we find out we
have to fund money and then get it back and it's almost like a a loan. If we get the money out, we put it back in. Now, I don't know and I'm still I'm not sure either to be honest with you. I'm not sure. But if we can figure that out and
still keep this million-doll dollar project for our town, the the the the pickle ball fields, we can keep that project and we can still do it. Um I think we at least should take a month and explore maybe some gap financing.
That's all it is. It's not that we're going to we're just we need a temporary gap here. And normally our reserve funds, we could do that, but with the other projects we have, we really need to look at even trying to do that. But I
I just think it deserves one more month to look at it. And and I agree. I'm not going to I mean, you know how productive I am of our reserve funds. But it's just a gap financing. And it's like I said when we were talking about taxes, you don't mess with the reserve fund because
this is exactly the kind of thing you get in a bind and you you you get the money out and you put the money back. But I agree we need to really take a hard look at this, but I'd like to wait one more month and just see. I I have two things. May I?
>> Well, you made a motion to table. >> No, she made a motion. >> Deborah, >> no. We already have a motion on the t on. We have to vote on that. >> I thought I heard you. >> No, >> I can't make a motion. >> I made the first motion. >> Mayor, >> I made I made the motion to do option
two to discontinue. >> Okay. So, we have a motion, a second on that. >> Yes. >> All right. >> Need to >> any other just hold on. >> Any other discussion? >> I'm just Yeah.
Um, with reference to the pickle ball courts, I think, um, I need to read a text that I received and I have permission to read this this text. Um, and I need to get to the part here. Excuse me, just one moment.
Um, this is from Ray Royce and um, he's gave me permission to read this into the record and I'm going to skip it. It it it talks about two different things. So, I'm just going to read the pickle ball part. I understand that pickle ball I
was back on the Lake Placid Council agenda again. I want to briefly weigh in. I don't play pickle ball. Probably never will, but it is a popular recreational activity across a wide demographic of people. The courts will certainly be utilized year round,
probably on a daily basis, unlike most of the other facilities with much higher maintenance costs that are utilized a few days a week for a couple of months a year. Please move on from this and get it done. Perhaps modify the parking
portion to lower the costs, but move on. Well, that's all that that referenced the pickle ball court. The other thing is I don't want to um and I'm sure you didn't mean to do this, but I don't want to discount the people that filled this council chamber
in in positive support of pickle ball when it was said that people really didn't support it. Oh, they really did support it. It's just that we have some rather vocal people that are interested in swing sets and I agree with swing
sets, too. just not in you know I mean I don't think we have to have one or the other I think we can have both but we have to come to realization number one we are financially constrained number two we are demographically more pickle
ball than swing set we have more older people than we have younger people okay but we do still have to do swing set but we have 12 parks we have 11 others okay but I know they're not right there and I know when you were a little girl. Yeah,
I know all that. But and the 500 signatures. I know that. But I think it's important that we pay attention to the 60 some odd percent of people in our county that is that are senior citizens like myself and I would venture to say
the rest of us up here. Okay. So, I just don't want to discount that. And the third thing is let's mark it in stone if this does go south that this will not be held against us because and I've been told by Carolyn Morrison that no it
won't be held against you. I promise it won't. I still think it will but okay. So a couple comments is number one is you're right. There was a lot of people who filled this room that were from the Seabbring Pickle Ball Club. They kept
saying it over and over. I'm from the Sebring Pickle Ball Club and a lot of those people live in Spring live in Sebring and also a lot in um Placid Lakes. Interesting to note is Placid Lakes is buying the tennis courts at the
golf course and they're moving forward with turning that into eight uh pickle ball courts. So that's that's good. they'll be, you know, a lot of the people that came and wanted our pickle ball courts will be able to now play in their backyard. Um, and so, and then to
the FURD app, to the comment that you just made, um, FURDAP applications are graded individually by three different people. And to the point that you made, we had self-graded ours 99, FDRP graded
it two people 55, one at 49. If it's below 53, it would not make the cut. And so, two of them were above. And I think just the strengthening of if this is an activity that we want going forward, Avon Park is putting one in
with a pavilion over it. The lights are in the pavilion. So, they really are doing a court project that I think would get used more in the summertime because of the shading over it. So those are just my comments. It's
one is the the public's interest on this project, but more important the overrun. And I mean, Council Member Worley, you just threw out a million dollars of this project. >> So that would really make any of us nervous for something that's going to be
a segmented group of a lot of the other activities that we need to do for the town. >> But you also said that Class of Lakes is doing that. Yes, I'm very aware with that. And I said maybe they could even use a lot of the information we have, >> right? >> And and and do that because you know
I've been working closely with them out there. So but still it's Placid Lakes. You have to have a card to go into their park out there. Do you just like the other parks you have to you have to have a card. Now I don't know how the that's going to work out there. I'm not sure.
But that's the kind of thing I said we need to if we could just table it for a month and find out all these things because right now our senior citizens and I do agree we are demographically seniors we do not have tell me one thing
we have for the seniors in our community and I'm not I'm just saying wait a month I totally agree with you I you know how I am I am just like the reserves are the reserves but again I said if we maybe need to look at that. Why not wait a
month? We've gone through this so long. How many hours have we spent on this? Wait a month. Explore the possibilities. Come back and give these people that want it a chance to do to find out is that we've done everything we can do. That's all I'm asking for.
had a very interesting and disturbing phone call today at 3:30. Gentleman called me and said they were coming down here in force to protest the pickle ball courts.
Well, in talking to the gentleman, he said he didn't think it was right that the town spend money on a subdivision building pickle ball courts. And I asked him what he was talking about and he
said, "Lake June Point." I It was told to us that the town was building pickle ball courts for Lake June Point. And so I went through the whole scenario with him and told him that that was not true. That
that would never happen. The town would never spend money to build Pokeball courts in a private community. They would have to raise their own money and do that. So we talked a little further and I told him where the pickle ball courts were
going to be built and what was going on. And he said, "Well, I understand that." He said, "We're all in favor of the pickle ball courts. We were just against building it in Lake June Point." So, I want to I hope nobody out here tonight is thinking that we were going to build those pickle ball courts in Lake June
Point because that was never part of the the process. And I know it could start down here that we're building pickle ball courts and by the time we get to Joy, it's a Walmart. Right. So, I'm I'm hoping it was just a misunderstanding of
people talking. Uh, but anyway, just just wanted to put that out there that that they're not against the pickle ball courts, they're just against the putting it in Lake June Point. So, all right, this time we'll open it up to
the public. Hello, I'm Josephine Conley, 607 Sunset Point Drive. Okay. I've never been against pickle ball courts, but I do have a comment on it and my concern
and we talked about it. We talked about it many, many times over the last two years. We actually had someone that went out, our Rose went out and she had gotten signed signatures of the taxpayers of
Lake Placid. They were close to 500 signatures. Now, I don't know how many of you I've asked you the question before. Did you look at those signatures? How many there were? I didn't get an answer. That's fine. I
would ask you to please look at those signatures. You have a copy of it. Go through it. We've all gone through it. Okay. Now, the one night we had a big discussion, you had a lot of people come up that didn't even identify themselves because
you had the proof at the podium who they were. They were not from Lake Placid. They were from the surrounding. And I'm not saying that they don't they haven't earned having this pickle court. But what I'm saying is we have 2500
residents in Lake Placet. 2500 residents don't pay taxes. You have residents that have three people, four people, five people. So the taxpayers of Lake Placet probably, I'm going to be
generous maybe 750 or maybe,00 are taxpayers. And of that of the coffers of the town, you have 500 signatures that felt they really weren't
comfortable with it in Lake June Point. But we're not going to go there. Okay? You decided that's where you want it. But what I'm asking you, please review over the next month. Okay? What do the taxpayers want? They wouldn't sign that
form if they and they like pickle ball just like myself. I play pickle ball but I agree that it should not be hey listen we can always like you said we can get the money back we can put it somewhere else there are other places to put it in
lake classet. So, I'm asking you if you're going to do this delay of 30 days, please look at the signatures because you'll see and there's probably another group out there of other signatures, which is fine. Okay? But how many are taxpayers in Lake Placid?
That's what I think you have to go by. It's not a question of not liking pickle ball and all this. Okay? So, I really appreciate and also Deborah, it's not a question of how hard someone has worked on council. I appreciate everything you've all done. I appreciate all of our
prior council people, but just because you spent three years on detailed information to try to get these grants doesn't mean Oh, gee, we need to have it where they say they want it. >> That's not the case. Okay, >> times. Thank you.
>> Okay. Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Hold on a minute. I've got I've got two that requested to speak and I'm going to call them first if that's okay. Uh chat >> and up front up front. John, thank you for preventing somebody from building
pickle ball in Lake June Point. >> State your name and address, please, and speak into the mic. >> Yeah, my name is Chad Heath. I live at 588 Sunset Point in Lake June Point, not Lake June Park. And
I I think there's a compromise in this, but I'm not sure anybody will listen to it. My wife may be waiting for me behind the door with a rolling pin if I suggest it. But the objection to this is overwhelmingly against where it is and
not what it is. when we spend a week thinking about what we're going to do with this, maybe we ought to think about some some other place it can go and where we can get a consensus among the people in this town that they actually want it. And I can I
contend initially this the ball was started, pun intended, with a list of people who said, "I want pickle ball." but they were from the pickle ball league. So, it's not really
accurate. And my wife went down to the park and got 500 people that didn't want it because of what they were doing at the time. They were launching a boat. They were playing in the water. They were eating with their children. And that
space, that space is sacred. It belongs to the families and the children. And they have used it for years. And if it weren't there, you would not be getting the objection you've got. But because it is,
people are determined to see it not be there. Now, it's not it's maybe not worth it now to do this because we got other expenses. Chief needs a place for his people.
We need a firehouse. those this looks trivial compared to those really critical needs. So why if you want to table it, why not give them a chance to come back? When
they come back, we want to see a referendum on a ballot that says I want it or I don't want it. And if they come back and they say overwhelmingly that they want pickle ball, fine. But
those words were put into the FRED grant that overwhelmingly the people in the area supported it when they did not. And I could tell you I saw the people that discussed this that were in the park and they were adamant.
Now my wife gets a little emotional about this stuff because she's a former school teacher and she thinks about children. I think there have been many times that people have proposed a compromise. I saw one that that first put it in the upper uh north southwest corner of the park,
but then that grew and it was no longer a compromise. It took over the entire park. And you want to talk about something that makes people angry that did. I can tell you I talked to the people >> time. >> Okay, Chad. >> All right, John. >> Thank you.
>> I'll be back. Okay, Rose. >> Well, I don't care. One of you come up. >> My name is Pam Fentress, 12373 Lost Lake Drive. Two points. I have heard about the 500 signatures that were collected at the Lake June Park and that is an out
and out lie. I was at Publix. I had emailed the town administrator on June 12th, 2024. When I entered Publix, Rose was there collecting signatures. I heard her multiple times, asked people uh Ford to sign to save the children. People
said, "I don't live here. I live out of state." She said, "It's okay. It's for the children." I went in, I did my shopping, I came out for 15 minutes. She tried to get me to sign the petition or the Yeah, the petition. I told her, I said, "Hey, don't you know me? I go to the council meetings." She for 15
minutes tried to get me to sign it. I said, "What you're saying isn't true. This isn't true. That isn't true. Don't you want to help the children? Don't you want to save the children? They won't allow children be at that park anymore. It will only be for adults." This is what she was telling people. So, y'all
can hear all you want that it was only collected by town taxpayers that signed the 500. That it was only by that they were at Lake June Park. That is not true. I emailed this to the town administrator, let him know. He
responded. So, I'm going to go back now to the budget, the 202526 budget. The revenue is $30.7 million of which 1.3 million is approximately from property taxes. The mil the the millage rate of
3.65. Sales tax revenue is approximately 1.3 million. Franchise fees 340,000. you get 125,000 from the county commission for recreational fees. Your property taxes that town taxpayer ma um provide
are a small portion of the $32.7 million. You can all stand up here and say the taxpayer this and that. We are a community. We are Greater Lake Placid. Um the grants that you receive is a part we
all pay money that goes for those grants. You're looking at a project that was originally 700,000. It wasn't just for pickle ball courts. It was for paid parking for boat and trailers. It was for water retention, water quality, and it included pickle ball. And you go
there and now it's apparently another $100,000. Why? It's been four years we've been working on pickle ball. And as we've seen with the police department, you keep on delaying stuff, cost goes up. There's another Okay, it's 800,000 now. That puts it back to the
town at 38%. They'll be paying for $800,000 project. Do the math. This has been going on for far too long and it you got cost overruns. To the current council, all of you. Your reputation is on the line. Every
single time people come up here with a project, with an idea, trying to do something, it is delay, delay, delay. People get up here and they're very vocal. Normally I sit there the meetings I do speak but I'm normally calm and I try to be a voice of reason. I've had
enough. This is ridiculous. Thank you. >> My name is Rosemary Heath. I live at 588 Sunset Point um Drive. One Pam is not does not live in the city. She does not pay city taxes as a resident. I don't know why she comes up
here and speaks. As far as public's concerned, I couldn't collect those signatures. I was told I only could um work on voting and um so I had to leave Publix and they
didn't let me stay there very long. Um, and the parking, they're not they don't need to pave or do anything with where the boer boers park or where the um
um beach people park. They decided that they were going to do more pickle ball parking spaces, but they weren't going to pave any of the potholes, any of the ruts, that the boers and the people from Lake Placid use.
And most of the people that go to that park come from Lake Placid. I didn't have a lot of time. I went to the park and I spoke with many residents. I have 51 signatures. I got maybe 45 minutes.
51 all residents from Lake Placid and many of them walked from the uh apartment buildings to the park like all the other children do. This is for Lake June Point is for the f
like June Park is for the families. It's not for a few bigger ball players. And when all those people came and talked about pickle ball, I think there was one, two that pay taxes in the city, there were five of us sitting back
there. And there were more than five. They left. And when you had the vote at 11:30 at night, I had those back roads all filled with parents that did not want pickle ball at that end of the park. and you didn't have them come up until 11:00 at
night and voted on it at 11:30. How ethical is that? How can you even count that as a vote? And the vote before that was not to put it at that side of the park and then this
the park plans. Who gave permission for these park plans that Niti drew up? I not the council. I go to every council meeting. It was never brought up to the council. So, who signed this document? Who said it was okay for them to totally
destroy the park? And where the green most of the green spaces go was, they're putting gravel. And as far as grants are concerned, you have a $40 million sewer plant that you expected to get grants to
build lines. That grant disappeared. Now you're stuck with >> time. >> Well, you're stuck with a sewer plant with nowhere to go. >> This is unfair to the residents. For the record, Charlie Wilson, 763
Sunset Point Drive. I find it quite ironic that they weren't even living in the town of Lake Placid when this project started, so they don't know all the nuances. I was a recipient of her uh approaching me at the park. Um well,
first of all, Rose, the the grant is partially paid by Lake Placid. Everyone in this room pretty much is a county resident, and that's our money as well, and we're all state residents. So, there you go. But this council proposes
purports itself to be for recreational and opportunities for its residents. There are none for for adults. Zero. We had shuffleboard. We have nothing. We've worked 40 years on this. It's compromised. You're
the the 7/10 or 3/4 of an acre everyone's so concerned about in the corner. You can look at Rosemary's things. I was one of the people that she corresponded while I was putting my boat in the boat ramp and I said, "Rose, hello, it's me. Don't you recognize me?"
She misrepresented to people telling people that the pickle ball courts were going to be on the lakefront. I don't care what her petition said. I heard the words she said. They did not match up. I've never seen anyone anyone who has
signed that petition in any of the meetings I've ever been to come here and speak publicly. It's the same five local people. The second thing is uh the money you've got invested in this. You've already paid actually paid out I don't
know what's due now $52,180 to Kimberly Horn. We've paid $6,500 already paid for a survey. I don't know what the legal costs are that we've paid to do the title work to uh
Mr. Harris and there's countless hundreds hours of town time and effort. This has been nothing but a delay, delay, delay. The do vote didn't go the way that certain council people didn't.
And I think I know why that this is such a problem for them. They they have a little square area in there that they would love to see a water park, their little splash pad that a campaign promise. I have never had one person all
the time I sat on that dis come up and asked for a splash pad in all my years ever. And I think that's that there may be some ulterior motives as to why to kill it. Now, I have never heard anyone but the vocal group of six or seven, all
from Lake June Point, I might add, that have been in uh conflict with this. We have no public courts. You're referring to the Placid Lakes things. They've tried been trying to get pickle ball courts there for 10 years.
It may or may not happen. That doesn't affect me a bit anyway. The reality is we've already expended money. You're you're already 30ome% of the way of the grant. You can take a loan
out of your expense accounts or or your emergency accounts to pay for it in in front and then repay it. >> Thank you. Katie Wilson, 491 Archie Summers Road, Lake Placid. Um, I grew up here. Growing
up, there was nothing for teenagers to do. Nothing. We get in trouble. We'd hang out in the parking lot. Police kick us out. We'd go to the sand hills. I've got kids, fortunately enough, that stay out of trouble. They don't look for trouble. They go play pickle ball. They
play tennis. They play golf. They have to travel up to Sebring to play pickle ball. and it's at night. So, of course, I have to stay up late waiting for them to get home 10 or 11 o'clock when they get finished. I know they're being safe. I know they're in good hands. They're doing a sport that's outside. They're
not sitting at home playing video games or sleeping their life away. I feel like everyone's keeps saying that this is a sport for the older generation, but these kids are playing it. My daughter's in college. She's 18. She
just joined a pickle ball club at her school. So, I feel like we need to remember that this isn't just I mean, kids are playing the sport. It's becoming very popular now and and it's keeping them out of trouble and getting into things that they shouldn't be getting into and
they're staying active. Isn't that what we want? >> No. My name's Rhonda Degra, 425 Michigan Street. Some of the the signatures that Rose got, I actually got from my neighborhood. Four generations of my
family have played at the park. Four generations. And now you want to take it away. We don't care that you have pickle ball. We don't. Just don't take our park. That's where we enjoy our time with our family. Four generations and now you just wanted
to go away. I don't understand that. I don't understand why you didn't listen to her signatures because she didn't get all them signatures. I got a good majority of them myself and I didn't lie to nobody. And I don't live in Lake Doom
Point. I live on Michigan Street. My kids walk to that lake. My kids enjoy that lake. I think you need to listen to the people. We don't care that you have pickle ball. We care where you put it. You can't take
our phone away, too. My kids enjoy that. My kids enjoy the lake. My grandchildren enjoy that lake. And now you're telling them they can't enjoy the lake. We're going to play pickle ball instead. I thought we were supposed to be including the kids, too. But we're going to take
something else away from them. I don't understand that. I don't I don't understand why you don't listen to the people of the town. We pay the taxes here. We're the ones that don't want it there. We don't care that you have it anywhere. We care that you
have it away from where we enjoy our recreational time. We play volleyball out there. We play dodgeball out there. We do all kinds of things out there. And you guys just want to take it away. And I don't think that's right. You should listen to the people.
Thank you. Horus Durance 1218 Lost Lake Drive. You all know who built that damn place? Me. I built it with my people and my tractors. Yes. The whole park. We in the
land leveling. We did that. And you say I'm not a taxpayer. No, I ain't a taxpayer. But I got blood and sweat in that province. All these people are saying you're going to take the it away from their kids. Has anybody ever showed them a diagram of where the pickle ball
is and where the swing sets are and the softball in the American League, all of that and how it all fits. I'm asking. I haven't seen a picture of it. But there no, you ain't losing no land to the kids.
The swing sets and the slides and all that. None of that's going away to my knowledge, but that's somebody. It just it's it's a shame the complex that's going on right here. It's a shame.
Uh good evening. My name is Jeff Linsky. You've seen me here before. Um I don't live in the town. want to live up in the Lake Josephine area, but I'm also uh one of the pickle ball ambassadors for Highlands County. Better better. >> You have to have your address, sir. >> I appreciate all the points that have
been made. >> Sorry. You have to have your address, please. >> Oh, two uh 2628 Oak Beach Boulevard. >> Thank you, >> Sebring. I I appreciate a lot of the points being made, a lot of the emotion. This has been discussed for several
years. Um, I would ask that you first council person that you might reconsider your motion, maybe ask to withdraw it and follow the recommendation of the other council person about putting it off for a month and giving us an
opportunity to the pickle ball community uh, to maybe come up with other alternative funding sources. I'd hate for you to give up the grant money opportunity. I would ask that also staff look into some of the things mentioned by the council person about the FURD app
grants and whether or not uh it would be a negative strike against you for future submissions. I think staff needs to confirm that. I don't think you should just go by a statement made by the council person. I appreciate your research though. Um
you know something really offended me a little bit. I love this town. Uh my wife and I moved up here in the area. We've been coming up here for years. We decided when we retired, we'd move up to Highlands County and in the place we live. But I'm I'm offended by this
comment about the fact I'm not a taxpayer here. We spend probably 70 80% of our time in Lake Placid. We do our shopping here. My doctors are here. I just bought $4,000 worth of bicycles at your bike shop
here. I spend more money in this community than you pay in taxes. And when she says stuff like that and that you'll dump a project like this that would attract outsiders to come in and spend money in your community, you know how many times I stop at Publix or CVS
or some other errand when I come into town to do something that I didn't intend? I will stop doing that if I'm don't come here for pickle ball. There's hundreds that will stop doing that if they don't have an opportunity to come here for pickle ball. So, I would ask
that before you throw the baby out with the bathwater, you do due diligence on this recommendation that you drop this and look for other alternatives. Give us a month uh to try to figure out something, you know, other alternatives
here if you're really, you know, in that financial strap. I'm retired law enforcement, been in it 45 years. I've worked in communities similar to this. I've been a police chief in communities similar to this. I've sat in meetings like this for hours upon end. I I sympathize with you,
Chief. Um I get the whole finance issue. I worked in communities that had had millage rates of under nine time. And when you add the other issues, they're 11% millage rate. So the fact that you pay 3 point some percent that
doesn't >> okay >> affect can I just make one just one kind of correction here to the ma'am the lady in the back can you see what's on the board up there you you see what's on the you
see what's on the screen I think you have a misconception yes ma'am I yes ma'am I think you have a mis because I didn't hear your name. I'm sorry. Tell me again. >> My name is Wanda. >> Miss Wanda, I I think if you can look at
this thing that's on the board, I think you have a little misconception of how much of the park the pickle ball is going to take over. >> I'm not mistaken cuz I see I see all of the pavement and how hot it is going to be. >> Okay. >> When it's 120° outside, how much heat do
you think's coming up off that pavement? >> Oh, I I know. I work outside. I know. But my point is, but the pickle ball courts are only that little square. Okay. Everything else in the park is going to stay the same. It's just that little square. >> Not with all the pavement you're putting in. No, ma'am. That is not staying the
same. >> What? What do you mean it's not staying the same? The pickle ball carts aren't taking over the park. >> No, but everything else you putting in is >> Oh. Oh, I see. >> Do you understand? The kids can't run from the lake to the bathroom no more
because they have to stop and put their shoes on sandy feet to be able to get to the toilet because they have black ashalt to go overnight. >> Oh, I see. Okay. >> Can I Can I correct that? Can I correct that for everybody and for the public? >> It w the designs that have gone out have
all been conceptual designs. Conceptual. I mean, >> you just put it somewhere. >> Wait, it's it's not even paved. You're saying that it's concrete and it's not. If you look at what it is, it is reinforced. It's reinforced surface. >> Grass.
>> It's grass. >> Yes, that's correct. >> So, everywhere where the boats and trailers are parking is grass. It's not parking spots. >> If you look at it, that's what it says is reinforced grass. We gave concept of that, please. >> Absolutely. >> So, I can see I really can't see it up there.
>> We'll be happy to give that to you after this meeting. I can't right now. How? However, it has been provided to our council. Everyone up here has received that and we'll be happy to put it out there, but it is reinforced grass parking.
>> That's not what I was told. >> I understand. That's what that's what we're trying to get out to everybody. >> It's conceptual designs and we are trying to say that to everybody when you see it until it comes forward from this manner. So, how is it going to be marked
off for the children that are running back and forth? That >> one one part if I get to make my motion was is to ask staff if everybody agreed to go out there and actually mark out where it's going to be. So, in the next
month, people can actually literally like you can go see where it's going to be because >> I have no problem with that. >> Okay. No, I'm just saying I think I think it's important. I do think >> I do think it's important for you to understand exactly what we're talking
about. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. So, if I got to make my motion, that's what I was going to do. And not only that, but also the police station so people understand because it's all floating around and everybody's saying this and that. Let's put it down where
it is and actually everybody can go look at it and feel it and touch it and um you know just so you know because I want you to have the right information to to make your decision as well. >> We're we're getting sidetracked. The
whole um agenda item was the finances of the project, not the layout, not whether to have it or not to have it. >> I don't want to pay another 18% next year on my taxes so we can have pickle ball. Period. >> Yeah. So, let's get back to the original thing which was the finances and not to
have it or not to have it. If you would scroll back the screen that shows the uh the f what the cost is please or the original motion options. There we go.
So we have the other option was to authorize a just estimated 100,000 additional from reserves to cover the current project. Also there's somewhere in there there would traffic study had to be done for another 17,000.
Where is that? Okay. So October the town was notified of the need to complete the traffic concurrency review at an estimated additional 7500 which has not been previously approved. Um with this information the staff has
evaluated the project scope the scope of funding sources and reimbursement terms. Um the town has requested to consider whether it remains financially prudent to proceed and it's been confirmed by the town the
town has to pay all the project costs upfront and get reimbursement later which means that we have to dip into our reserves for the amounts of the two grants which which is the 200,000 and the 299.
So given that there were the two options and on a purely financial basis as to whether or not this is feasible financially feasible is why I proposed option two is to stop the project because I because we do not have the
cash flow right now to finance the amount of the grant. So no more no more on to have it or not to have it. We're discussing the finances. >> Marlene Barker, 760 Sunset Point Drive. Couple points to clarify.
>> Speak in. >> Is that better? >> You got to talk right into it. >> No, it's not. You got to go up. >> Yeah. >> Hello. Hi. >> There you go. There we go. >> Marlene Varger, 760 Sunset Point Drive.
So, already we're up to a lot of money for this. We don't have all the cost estimates back. We don't have the cost I've asked for multiple times that the former engineer sent stuff to Kimly Horn to talk about the photogenics and the lighting. We don't have that back. If
you go through the Kimberly Horn letter that she sent to the town and you look at page four, she's talking about other costs. If you go to page five, there are even other additional cost. We don't know what the total costs are. Council member Worley said that in
Placet Lakes you have to have a card to get in. That's not where the pickle ball courts are going. The pickleball courts are going down next to condominiums where tennis courts currently are. And when you say this doesn't impact the park, this is the picture of the park.
Some of this isn't shown up there, but this is the picture of it. And you've got the dry ponds here. You've got very little parking for the boats and trailers. When you put this in, there will be no lacrosse in that park.
No lacrosse. Lacrosse. As as Casey Hart said when she was here, pickle ball does not bring money to the town. What brings money to the town is lacrosse. You heard the cost of that. I talked to the people who were down there for the lacrosse
tournament. The woman was so excited. Several women. Their kids loved it. They wanted to come back the next day, put their bathing suits on so they could play lacrosse and go in the water. One woman from New York said in her community, she no longer lives there. They put pickle ball courts in. Those
pickle ball courts are no longer two, three years later even being used. The point is Cet Chad had the great idea, put it out for referendum. If you're afraid of what the town and then well, it's not important what the town
taxpayer is important. I pay a lot of money to this town. I have two properties in this town. Consider buying a third. I am paying a lot of taxes to this town. So, I think it is important. If we're up to a million dollars, what is where does it stop? Some of you want
to go ahead and vote. Well, let's do it because we've talked about it. Charlie Wilson just said, we talked about this before some of us lived here. I'm sorry. I moved here. I bought my first property here in 2001. Pickleball courts in that park were not discussed then. They were
not discussed until 2022. The petition that was put out there, which is important, was not put out. It was there was no outreach to the community. There was nothing posted at the park at all. They didn't come into my homeowners association and talk to us about pickup
courts. The first place they wanted to put it was in Lake June Point across from Joy Everheart's house. Fortunately, the board of directors said no. So maybe that's how somebody got confused because that was the first selection. I'm saying that we're up to a million dollars. We
cannot continue. Take a close look at this. You're welcome to come see. Tell me that. What is that plan, Marlene? Where did that come from? >> If you present that and walk away, it becomes a public record. You can only
get a copy back. Okay. >> I wouldn't let them do it. I can't let you do it, Charlie. Diane Thompson, 101 Ellison Avenue, Lake Placid. Real quick, I just want to say you discuss a cash flow problem.
>> I did. >> I said 101 Ellison Avenue. Did I not? Diane Thompson, 101 Ellison Avenue, Lake Placid, Florida. Any you discussed a cash flow problem, so I just might and I think um Mrs. Swirly, you mentioned that
you could get um bridge financing. So, just consider getting bridge financing, pledging the grant funds, and that would fix your cash flow problems possibly. >> Okay. >> No interest. >> All right, I think we've had enough pro
and cons. Let's let's go ahead and pull the council. And now this is to >> this is to discontinue. >> Discontinue the second option. >> Okay. >> Council member Everheart. >> Yes. >> Council member Charles.
>> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> No. >> Council member Worley. >> No. >> Mayor Albert. >> No. I'm going to go ahead and make my motion that we table this for till next meeting
that we do explore we bring back every possibility we can and then um look at all of that. In addition to that, I would like staff to be directed to actually go out there, if you all agree,
that to mark it off where the pickle ball courts exactly are going to be so that the public can actually see without anybody telling them something exactly where they're going to go. Now,
I leave it up to what the council thinks about putting where the parking is going to be because that's going to be pretty extensive. But, I mean, if you all agree, I think the public needs to see. They can go out there and look at it. They can say, "This is where it's at.
It's going to be improved graphs. I am all for doing graphs anymore at Max Long. That's what they do." And just let's give it for everybody concerned. all the time we've spent one more month just to see what we can come up with and
then make the vote and decide. Then that's my motion is to go ahead and continue it, table it till next month and direct staff to go out there and actually mark off where um where it's going to actually exist.
I I just want clarity, please. Um one time you said next meeting and one time you said next month. Could we put a date on the meeting? So, it would be the meeting in November. Is that what you're saying? I'm thinking we need a month to
give staff to to do that and the public to be able to go out and really go over there and look at it so that there's no more question. Where is it going? Is it out the lake? Is it here? Is it there? So, we have a full month and direct the
public to go down there and actually look at it and see what we can come up with and then make the decision to give everybody a fair chance to really finish this up after so much. So, that's going to be the first meeting in November.
>> Well, be our council meeting. Yes. Council meeting in second Monday of Monday. >> Second Monday of November. I'll second the motion. >> Uh, we have a motion to second. Any other comments from the podium? >> Just a couple comments, please. Is if we're going to mark off what needs to be
the parking because the concern I have is the green space is going away. We saw before for option one and option two when we had that meeting that the decision was made quite late at night to move it back over to option two, but it had no parking around it. And so we've
gone to ARPAC to expand from the 453 original pickle ball to include parking. So, if we're going to mark it off, I would like to mark it the parking to be marked off also just so people can see. I mean, because that's a lot of the concern is the green space usage.
>> I object to the idea that if something was done quietly at night, because we don't do things like that. >> I did not say quietly at night. I said when the decision was made at night, that meeting that went till 12:15 is what I said. >> Wasn't quietly. It wasn't at night. It was here in the >> It wasn't I did not say the word
quietly, Councilman Mahes. I said when the decision was made, >> we can pull the tape, but I'll go ahead with it. But it was not it was not at night as insinuating it was done some other than a council meeting. It was done at a council meeting that happened to run into the wee hours of the
morning. Okay. Um and then just for clarification, I've heard a couple times that this project has been for four years. I think some key dates so that it doesn't look like this council has been dragging their feet is in January 2023
is when this council approved to go out for bid with Pollston and apply for the ARPAC grant. So February of 2023 an ARPAC was applied for but it was rejected. They said go to Ferdap and so
August of 2023 is when the FDRAP grant was submitted. November of 2024 is when we had the meeting where we made the decision of option one or option two. And then what's taken place in the last
year is the legal issues that had to be worked out. There were title issues and there were things like that. So, nothing towards this council versus um I think Charlotte's staff's ability to work on it once the um once that the uh title
issues were um were clear were cleared out. Um, I also wanted to say I knocked on many doors when I campaigned a lot and the feedback maybe I didn't get signatures
of people but the feedback was the location of pickle ball, the cost to pickle ball and why was it a priority? So, you know, we can tip for tat of the signatures that a couple of the ladies have said they've had against it. I can
vouch for when I knocked on doors there were few people that were supportive of it. Um and again because of the location because of the amount and then I personally am not interested in financing a project. I don't think we want to start going down the financing.
So I just throw that out there as and I think that brings some challenges in itself and and additional costs. >> Uh we have a motion a second to table. Go ahead and pull the Go ahead and pull the council. >> Council member Worley, >> yes.
>> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Charles, >> no. >> Council member Everart, >> no. >> Mayor Hobber, >> yes. >> I just want to say too, I appreciate
Giby's comments and I mean, I care about everybody in this room and there's not one person. This isn't about winning or losing. This is about what's best for Lake Placid and we just I just am trying to move this forward to see to make sure
everybody is satisfied. I think there's been a lot of misinformation and we just need to get it straightened out and it's it also I would like to say this hopefully almost the end of the meeting. While we're talking about putting markers out there, I would like
to see and I don't know how we do this since we're not talking about police station anymore. I'd like to see it laid out out there so I could see it, too. But I think that the public needs to see what we're talking about. Lay it out out there and then everybody can drive by
and see because the parking's in place. So really, you're just looking at where the building's going. And I think that would be helpful to the public. I just want to make that comment. >> Three more. Uh Harry, >> don't you have the original conceptional
plans for this park when it was developed? >> I haven't seen that in a lot of years, but where were planning on putting the pickleball court? Wasn't that going to be a basketball courts? >> Tennis courts. >> Tennis courts. >> Tennis courts. But we moved them farther
even away from the lake. No, nothing has changed from the original. where the T tennis courts were supposed to go were to the left of the playground where the pickle ball courts were originally going. Now they're going behind you. >> Moved them. Okay.
>> We moved them farther away from the lake and closer. >> It might help to bring those might help to bring it to next meeting just to show people. >> And then the other thing with parking and marking it off there's how do you mark off parking that's grass there? It's always you can walk there. >> Right. Right. >> It doesn't mean people are going to park
in that area. and to to Rose and your your petition. I don't know what you told these people. I have no idea. I've never seen it. >> I I I do know I've had a lot of people
come to me and tell me if you would have told them the truth that they would have never signed it. That's not my all I can go by is I can all I can go by is what people tell me
>> that just just that everything like I said I never saw it. I don't want to see it. Uh but we've had people here that have have talked about it. I'm I'm sorry. But I I it's part of public record. I guess we could pull it up and
look at it. But I I just can't put much credence in it. I'm sorry. >> Well, a little late for that. >> Can I make a comment on that that petition she has? Everybody wants the addresses of what the people that were for the pickle ball. Can we get the
addresses of those 501 because I know people that signed that that don't even live in Lake Placid and they weren't given the correct information there either. >> Okay. >> I I mean I mean that's I just think that probably we should move on. It's almost 9:00. So,
>> yes. Um, and I appreciate everybody's comments. I do. It's very important. And I want to say the other lady, I never got to talk to her before she left. I am very aware um that this involves children more and more as younger and younger. And this would give the school an opportunity, maybe grant opportunity
for our young kids to to get out there and um get grants and scholarships to colleges because that's where this is all going. I just it's just that we don't have anything for the seniors. That's my point. And this would give it's multigenerational, but it would
give us something for our seniors to do. And now we don't even have a golf course. So I think it's that I'm just to to finish that up. So I think we're on the holiday schedule and I was shocked my bank was closed today for Columbus
Day. Go figure. All right, let's move on to E 202526 Town of Lake Placid Town calendar meetings, sanitation holiday schedule, and town holidays.
Thank you, mayor. This is the 2526 annual town holiday sanitation pickup schedule, town meetings. The regular meetings included are set by town code. After approval, this document will be published in the Highlands New Sun, included on the public calendar, on the town website,
shared on the Next Door app, and posted on the bulletin boards at the town of Lake Placid Government Center. We do have a correction in the one of the dates. Eva, do you remember what page? >> It's going to be the October 20th. It says 21st of this next meeting coming
up. So, it was 21 and it's 20. >> There's a correction for October. It says October 21st and it should say October 20th >> and the 14th needs to say the 13th. Correct. >> Yes. Yes. >> Correct. Both of those. Um, keep in mind that these meetings are
>> these meetings are in your town code. These meetings are on the W website. The only one that is not built in to the town code is your CRA. So, they are in our code. The meeting dates, I mean the meeting times. I've also started
including them on the bottom of the agenda. So, let people know, start letting them know that these are standard. Um, I know I advertise them and I know a couple of times I might have put a different date, but they are standard in code. So, I'm trying to keep
putting that out there more and more. Okay. Can I just make a motion to approve the 2025 2026 annual town holiday sanitation pickup schedule and town meetings >> with the correction
>> with the correction as noted to October 13th and October 20th for October 2025. >> Second. >> Uh we got a motion and a second. Any other comments? I believe there's an uh second error on the holiday schedule for
Thursday, January 1st, New Year's Day. It says 2025. Should be 2026. >> I missed that one. >> We all missed that one. >> What? No commercial pickup on New Year's Day. Are you kidding?
>> So, when does that move to, sir? >> It doesn't It doesn't move. It's just a >> typo. It just it just goes away. >> No, it's just a typo. The year is wrong. >> Oh, the year is wrong. >> The day is 25 to 26.
>> It says Thursday 2026. >> How is the year? >> He's so quiet. He's so smart. >> I have a quick question to to um educate me. On here, >> please state your name and address. >> Marlene Barker, 760 Sunset Point Drive.
Um on here it has for November 27th and you just need to educate me. It says commercial pickup on Wednesday and then the very next day it says residential and commercial pickup. Is there a difference between the commercial pickup on the 27th and commercial pickup on the
28th >> of November? >> No, the commercial pickup is on the 26th. >> Pardon? The commercial pickup instead of on the 27th is on the 26th. Well, I've got it on the 27th on commercial pickup and then I commercial pickup and then I
have commercial pickup on the 28th. >> There's a different commercial pickup every day of the week. >> Thank you. Okay. Thanks. I need Thank you. Oh, I get it now. I I got it now. Thank you. I got it.
>> Okay. All the changes noted. Okay. Pull the council. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. Yes. Council member Charles. >> Yes. >> Council member Evar. >> Yes. >> All right. Now we'll go to F. Approval
of appointment of Charlotte Rodriguez, town administrator to the Hounds County Equin Economic Development Commission Board. >> I make a motion we approve the appointment of Charlotte Rodriguez, town administrator to the Highlands County
Economic Development Commission Board. >> Second. Okay, we got a motion in a second. Any discussion? >> Um, yeah, I just have u first off, I didn't know there was an opening, so that's great. Um, and I went and kind of educated myself a little more on the
economic uh development commission board. And I think in the past, Ray Royce, who's executive director also on the town council, kind of pro probably represented us and played both roles. Um, but when I looked at the members, it's like the mayor of Sebring, the
mayor of Avon Park, presidents of companies, chairman of companies, and I appreciate, you know, Charlotte being appointed, but knowing that she's busy with so many other things, I wonder if it's more appropriate, Mayor
Hullbrook, to have yourself as the mayor, which is comparable with the other two mayors, uh, to be that member. Um if you're unable to schedule it's what four times a year you know maybe Vice Mayor Warly so maybe show somebody
from the council to be part of that kind of equal representation that the other cities are having. It doesn't matter. I'll go as well. It whatever everybody wants to do is fine with me. I mean I was I used to go to those meetings back when I first was um
elected. um just because nobody nobody had ever gone. So, but I'm very thrilled with Charlotte doing it. Whatever you all want to do is fine. >> Yeah. I was thinking with your real estate background and I know that you've actively been involved in that that it
it and then it shows somebody from the Lake Placid Council is representing us. That that's kind of where my head was going. >> I think it's important that the Lake Placid town be represented. And I know, mayor, you would you would certainly
represent the town well, but you also have a full-time job, and I'm sure it would be a little difficult for you to do that. >> Miss Wley can't cover the hardware store. >> I think at this point with the schedule I have that uh I would rather see
>> I would rather see Charlotte do it >> if she's willing. I'm I'm contend with either one of you. It's just your word is the concern. >> Okay. So, we have the motion in second. >> Hold the council.
>> Council member Worley. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Council member Abhart? >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes? >> Yes. >> Council member Charles? >> No. >> And and and you know what? I love going to those meetings actually. Economic development. I just like the whole
thing. So if Charlotte doesn't ma mind maybe when I can tag along when I can go >> well and I just know how overloaded she is right that very overloaded do we want to add one more thing when again you look at the makeup of the
commission and it's the two other cities mayors it's commissioner and it's a lot of um presidents and and chairman of businesses so that's where I thought with your real estate background in that that that would be a good fit. But
that's fine. She'll fit in just fine. She has a reputation in county government and I think she'll fit in just fine. >> All right. Next is G. Cemetery budget amendment. I would say this. If Allan needs it, I'm
going to go ahead and make a motion that we do a budget amendment to include a new submersible pump. >> Second. >> All right, we have a motion to second. Any other discussion? >> My only question is we had previously
approved this. Is it an increase in the amount? It wasn't quite clear to me what's different of this one than we had previously. >> It It was just a time constraint. we weren't able to advertise before the fiscal year ended and since this is a new budget, >> so it's a timing issue that we didn't get in it. So, you've got a savings in
your 25 budget. Um, and to amend it for the 26, >> correct? >> Thank you. [Music] >> Okay. The council. >> Council member Worley. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> She did the second.
>> Second. >> She did the second. Oh, sorry. >> Sometimes I >> I'm sitting up too. It wasn't me. >> Council member Charles. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Everart. >> Yes. >> Okay. Go.
That's all I have on the agenda. Yeah. Just uh Yeah, we're down here now. Town administrator, town attorney. >> Okay. All right. Before we go to you, how about staff? Does staff have any
comments? >> U in regards to the uh exercise equipment proposed for Deain Park. I just wanted to uh make sure if anyone knows what they look like that there's there's child safe, no pinch points,
uh potential areas to get head obstruction or crush injuries. Um other otherwise, just so everyone knows, we're aware, there's a lot of uh line of sight issues uh impeding stop
signs and regulatory signs throughout town, and we're going to be working on that uh throughout the month. Alan, on that point, um, so when you come out of Waw Wa, not the right turn only, but the other one, those orange barrels they have as a sitting along the
side of the, um, the grass and that's a line of sight issue. So, just, you know, sometimes when DOT moves their little barrels around after they're not being used and they moved them onto the grass, but as you're coming out, I mean, and it's even to make a right turn, you're looking to the left and there's barrels
sitting there. So, I think it it's great. It's almost like see something, say something on a lot of different line of sights with the construction and things going on. >> They they do uh weekly updates uh every Tuesday, I believe, and we can bring it up at at that meeting.
>> I'm sorry, I'm not hearing incredibly well tonight. I don't know whether you guys just discussed Allen moving some of those barrels. >> No, no, no. I was bringing to his attention that they they moved DOT when they're not in the road anymore, then
they moved them to the grass right off the road. But the problem is it's close to leaving Publix. It's sitting right there as a line of sight issue. >> I was just hoping you weren't suggesting he moved those. >> Not at all. No, no, no. I've just said it's awareness
>> because we don't want to touch one of the barrels. We can call DOT or >> That's what he said he would do. He meets with >> Absolutely. It's a liability issue. Don't touch him. >> Okay. >> All right, Charlotte.
>> Mayor just handed me the one thing I'm getting ready to say. We had these really nice buttons that come in. He has. But city government week is October 20th through 26. It's held annually in October October. And it's a week-long event hosted by Florida League of Cities. It's a time for cities across
the state to celebrate, showcase, and engage citizens in the work of municipal government. We are going to kick it off by recognizing on Monday at our council meeting two of our first ever um student interns. They will be coming from the
high school. And I would like to say thank you to Councilwoman Charles for helping initiate this. Thank you. Thank you that all of you will be impressed whenever you see our interns that we have. We also have one middle school middle school student who wrote an essay that we will be recognizing if she were
on the town council. So, we will be awarding her as well. We also will have our town new town Facebook page launch. It will kick off on the 20th as well. It will serve as a main hub for any updates, meetings, community events, town announcements,
and things of that nature. The police department page will stay up and going for police department updates and also emergency EOC more more things that pertain to the police department. Our new town website is also in final development and is targeted to go live
by mid December. The laserfish public records portal is also live and accessible to the public. Not all documents have been uploaded uploaded yet. We're working backward through the archives. Our goal is to streamline the record access and improve transparency
for the residents. Eva has already started using that with some of them. We have um the 151 Dowh Hall Boulevard. The building is nearing completion. Thank you very much, Harry. We anticipate that it'll be ready for rent in November. It's pending the fire marshall's final
walkthrough and we will provide additional rental space and community use opportunities. However, that still leaves a cost factor on the table that we will have to discuss and come up with. So, Harry and I are going to work on that so that we'll have that to bring forward in the November meeting.
>> We're we're waiting on the fire marshall. So, that's the right now that's the holdup is to be determined. And then the just the closing note is really about city government week is about the education, the access and community connection. So, I know that
we've had a lot of I say in the one year I've been here, we've had the two PPS have been on my pickle ball and police department has been the topic and moving force since I got here. And I would like to hopefully be able to put some positive
traction into the community so that they can see that Lake Placid is a very welcoming community. And just because we may disagree and not see eye to eye on certain things, that that truly is what democracy is about. But it's also about being able to then communicate with our
neighbors and still be able to see Chad and say, "Hey, Chad, I appreciate you. I thank you for you coming and having a voice. Thank you for weighing in. I may not necessarily agree always, but I still appreciate and value him as a person." And I think that's the big takeaway for us in the town of Lake Placid is that we are that friendly
community just like Gibby said earlier. So, I think just ending on that and saying that this new Facebook page hopefully will bring positive awareness to the work that is being done in the communities that we are all here serving and a and a big recognition to our council.
You all are really the unpaid heroes. You all are the unpaid heroes because you give of your time and we don't pay you for that. you really do not get paid and you sacrifice and you're sitting here after 9:00 and I
know that many of you sit up reading, researching, and looking at it. So, we appreciate that. We may not always like the uncomfortableness, but we appreciate everything that you do because we can't do our job without you either. So, I
just wanted to say thank you. >> Great. Charlotte on 151 Dell Hall. I want to say bysentennial all the time. Should we think of some type of a ribbon cutting? >> Yes. >> Grand opening. I mean, it's like a positive. We It's a very positive, you
know, >> we've improved it, right? We paid for it. We improved it. And then I just think it would be a nice to do a ribbon cutting. >> We can coordinate with the chamber. >> Yeah. Thank you.
>> Okay. All right. We'll go to Joy. >> Okay. I was smiling broadly when you said about not getting paid or whatever cuz you all know I I monitor Facebook public sentiment and there was somebody out there griping that they should give
up 25% of their pay. And I don't post I, you know, I don't get into dialogues, but we get $100 a month, guys. And uh well, and then a little bit of health benefits on the side, which I
didn't expect. So that maybe smile and thanks. Um, I was thinking about the Centennial building to put on maybe just to mle around a little bit if anybody in the community would want to volunteer or if we could use that for an afterchool
um tutoring area. uh particularly since I noticed um that we are our schools are have not good ratings that uh maybe some maybe you let it go out to the community or put it in Facebook or I don't know what liability
is but think about it >> community share space oh yes I' we've I've worked with a lot of those that's a great idea I've talked to Harry and we'll see what we can come up with >> we actually had some retired school teachers when we knocked on doors to
say, you know, what can we help with? >> So, I think that that's a great idea to get kind of s some volunteers involved, too. >> Okay, Deborah, >> I think I've said quite enough. Thank
you for listening. Have a have a good month. >> Yeah. >> Alan, I have a just a quick question. Did you find the the hog in the cemetery and kept trap him again? >> I noticed he's come back. Um, but I it's
like they were there for two days and took off again. I haven't seen anything new since that occurrence. >> It didn't it didn't seem a whole lot worse this past weekend, but >> they went to a different area in the back. >> Oh. Oh. Oh, okay. All right. Well, sorry. But anyway, you still do a nice
job in the cemetery regardless of the hog. I'm sorry you have issues. >> Um I'm just wondering maybe at one of the upcoming meetings we can get an Amazon update because I think it's close to them going live and I know you hear all these rumors about
50 semis coming in and how many vehicles leaving and how many thousands of people we're hiring. So maybe we can set the truth right with getting an update on the Amazon. I will get that for you. I did have that to I received an email. I asked when they're going to open and
they will have a ribbon cutting. I'm waiting to find out exactly when they're going to open, but they said that the ribbon cutting will be in more so in February. So, I know February. I don't know why. I'm waiting to find that out. >> Yeah, because I thought November that that they were actually going to start
servicing. They were working to get before Christmas. So, our packages >> I know they wanted to, but I just don't know if they're going to get all their people hired. And they may open do the they do the soft opening and that's what I was saying for the big one and that um >> did the road too. Remember we were out there looking at
>> Yeah. Well then that's the whole update of the road. I know they met with Tamoka who wasn't happy with them circulating them and that turnaround. So but the point is there's a lot of questions even the guy when we had met out there he just it was the developer right it
wasn't even you know uh the Amazon. So, whoever can give us an update, I don't think it needs to be the developer or the construction person, but you know, Amazon, it's a positive thing. So, let's let's get the momentum going. >> And also, the website will be a great
place, too, on on that. >> Couple things on the positive note. Tamoka Heights had a meeting with the county and DOT, and I guess the light there is back in the picture. It's es
it's escalated, right? Yes. To a better than one year from now timing. Yeah, >> we have sent a a resolution to the state promoting that for >> we >> the council >> council. Yeah, that was >> Did we approve that?
>> That was some time ago. >> Yeah. I thought about doing another one. >> Yeah. >> But I don't I don't want to overburden them with that. But uh from the the way they come out of that meeting Yes. the light is probably going to happen and
also if there's a fire station, they're going to allow them to put in a blinking light was what I was told. Uh but they they asked a question about the fire station and one of the gentlemen there who was in charge, I never got his name,
said he knew nothing about it >> about a fire station. >> About the fire station >> DOT guy. >> So So he So it was corrected. They they said it is in the works, but they had some problems with the title. I don't know what's going on with it. Yeah. I
mean, I don't know. It it may take them two years yet. >> Uh you probably heard more than I have, >> but uh supposedly it it's still going, but who knows? >> So, the blinking light is down at the fire station. >> That that'll be
>> not the Tamoka. >> Not a Tamoka. Yeah, the blinking light will be like the one they have on 27 south of the the lake there typically. >> It's only activated when a fire truck or EMS comes out. >> Yep. Typically.
>> So, and I know and also we had the chamber banquet the other night and one of our own got a very prestigious award. Uh none of you knew Dow Hall, but he was a a really a well-liked man in town. I
think he worked for Barnett Bank. Yeah. And he passed away in office. And to honor him, they had I think it's a what is it? Leadership award. You can probably tell more cuz you were the MC. But it's a it's a very prestigious award
and Charlotte was welld deserved. And I just I don't think she brought it with her, but >> uh the horn. >> Yeah. But no, we're going to toot your horn for you. So So congratulations for that. Okay, >> I had just one more thing is uh Eva.
>> Yes, >> Eva's celebrating 12 years tomorrow, right? You usually read these down. So, congratulations on uh that anniversary. Uh there's others that are here, but I really think one worth noting is Steven
Dampier is basically um October 4th celebrated 23 years with the town. So, you know, to all of them, but please pass that on of the acknowledgement. 23 years is a lot of time and appreciate all the hard work. Which department,
Allen, does he work in? >> He's under me. Uh, public works. >> Is he one of the drivers? >> Uh, no. No, he's uh just out out in the field. Does a lot of works in the streets and parks. >> Okay. Thank you. That's all. what we want 134 Plaza Avenue.
Councilwoman Charles asked a question. I'm going to try to help her out with a little bit of an answer. >> Uh Amazon was looking for a place to conduct job interviews. Uh they were having trouble locating a spot. So the chamber has allowed them to use our meeting room for the next I don't remember if it's this week or next week
starting for two weeks. They're going to be in there three hours a day conduct conducting their job interviews to go ahead and get their employees hired. So I think they're getting close. Did they say how many? Do you have that insight, too? >> Do not have that. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I was told originally around 200,
but I don't know if that's going to be the the >> I had heard that, but I keep hearing 200 vans will be leaving during the day. Six trucks come in at night. So, the 200 is poked around quite a bit. >> And oh, that was one of the other things they brought up at that meeting that everybody was afraid of all the semis
and stuff that would be coming in and out of there. and the gentleman from from them made the comment that this is just a hub. It's only going to it's only going to take about four maybe five counties and most of the trucks that
we'll see are going to be the vans and the smaller trucks, not not not big semis. So what they told us at that roadside meeting >> was six semis at night coming in to undeliver and then it was quite a bit of
vehicles the vans in the morning >> go different directions >> and the concern came up with school right school timing and they said well it probably would be 9 after so there but but again that was the developer maybe we can get just that information
so that we aren't getting 200 200 200 you know those were because everybody was saying all these semis are going to be coming in all the time but >> I was hoping we could get a representative here to go over all those final >> Yes. >> So so that everybody knows exactly
what's happened. >> So >> invite them. >> Yeah. With all the with all the rumors and stuff out there. I think that would be a a great thing to do. >> Okay. >> All right. Anything else come before councel? Meeting adjourned.