the regular town the meeting of the Lake Placid Town Council July 13th at 5:31 p.m. Tonight we have the pleasure of having Jason Null from the Community Church of God to give our invocation. If everybody
could please stand. For 250 years, this country has been in existence. And uh Abraham Lincoln said that we are a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people. Thank you, town council, for your service to our
community. But Abraham Lincoln also recognized that uh this nation that is of us and by us can only thrive if led by God. I appreciate the opportunity to open this meeting in prayer. Thank you
God, creator of the entire universe. We are humbled in your presence because you are God. We are not God. But you've called us to a task to lead this nation, to lead this community. And
Lord, you've given us so much wisdom to do that, but not enough because we need you. So now God, we rest upon your wisdom and I ask a blessing upon this town council
that they would receive from you what they need to govern well. Thank you God for who you are, for how much you love us, and for what you give us to accomplish the tasks before us.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. And now I have the pleasure of introducing Roger Lindberg, a veteran from the US Army to lead us with the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance 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. Thank you, sir, and thank you for your service.
[clears throat] >> Eva, can you please take the role? >> Mayor Charles >> here. >> Council member Royce >> here. >> Council member Hayes >> here. >> Council member Sap. >> Council member Eberhart >> here. >> Thank you. Um, and I just want to again
give some opening mayor comments, please. I want to begin by recognizing the work of our staff following the severe wind event that was experienced the Friday before Father's Day. The high winds tore the roof off of the batting cage at the ball fields down at Lake
June Park and caused damage to fencing, landscaping, and several trees throughout the park. I want to extend sincere appreciation to Jim Fitzgerald, Joe Gray, Steve Dampier, Alan Kefir, and Chief Snder who responded immediately
and spent their Saturday clearing debris and securing the area. Their quick action ensured the park was safe for the first annual father-son fishing tournament that took place the very next morning, sponsored by a local business.
Because of their efforts, the event moved forward without disruption and families enjoyed a great day together. Our 250th centennial July 4th picnic in Deain Park was also a tremendous success.
The event came together in under three weeks through the efforts of volunteers, local businesses, town employees, and generous donors, all without the use of taxpayer funds. We estimate around 250 people attended throughout uh the event
enjoying music, picnic games, a bounce house, a free and free food. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive and many expressed strong interest in making this an annual tradition. I want to thank everyone who contributed their
time, resources and effort to make this celebration possible. >> [clears throat] >> I also want to acknowledge the Legacy Foundation for sponsoring a very nice Fourth of July fireworks show. Special thanks to Joe Gray, our Lake June Park
employee, who marked off the parking area at Lake June Park using red, white, and blue staked marking tape. This allowed our police department to efficiently direct an estimated 150 cars onto the large green space area for safe
and organized viewing of the fireworks. The community appreciated the effort and it contributed to a smooth and enjoyable evening for everyone. Unfortunately, on July 3rd, we experienced another water main break that impacted a large portion of the
town. I want to express my appreciation to our water department employees, Brandon Rogers, Roger Diaz, Michael Ashberry, and Patrick Barrett for their response. They work tirelessly with only a few hours of sleep to resolve the
remaining issues and restore service as quickly possible. Their dedication is appreciated. However, I want to also acknowledge the inconvenience this has caused for our residents, especially on a holiday weekend. We understand how disruptive
these breaks are and we're committed to addressing the underlying issues. I've requested analysis of the past two years of water m break incidents so we can better understand the causes and determine what short and long-term infrastructure
improvements need to be planned. This incident also highlighted communication gaps and we are already working to improve our notification processes so that future updates can be delivered more quickly and consistently.
Next, I want to recognize a significant milestone for one of our long-erving employees, Alan Kefir. Allen's reached 22 years of service this month with the Lake Town of Lake Placid. His commitment, professionalism, and
steady leadership have been instrumental across many areas of our operations, and his institutional knowledge is invaluable. We appreciate your dedication to the town and thank you for more than two decades of service to our community.
In closing, I appreciate everyone's efforts over the last several weeks from emergency response to community events. We'll continue strengthening our operations, improving communication, and planning for long-term infrastructure needs. I personally appreciate the
dedication shown by our employees, volunteers, and partners. And I want to thank everyone for their continued support of our town. Moving on to the agenda. Um we'll open it up to any public comments on non-aggenda
items. If anyone does um just raise your hand, come to the podium. Three minutes. Seeing none, moving on. Uh before we move to the consent agenda, I have two agenda only revisions.
First, I request that we remove item 7E, the Lake June Park ballpark lights, and they'll be on a future agenda. And then second, I request that we add 7J, which is the Florida Rural
Infrastructure Fund grant application to the agenda. These revisions only apply to the agenda itself and do not affect the other items within the consent agenda, including the minutes of the financial reports. The chair will now
accept a motion to approve the agenda as amended. >> So move. >> Second. >> Second. >> Okay, we have a motion. We have a second. Any other comments on the consent agenda?
Seeing none, out to the audience. Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Everheart, >> yes. [clears throat] >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Motion passes.
Uh, next on the agenda is a two scholarship awards from the Ridge League of Cities that I want to um acknowledge. And then I just so pleased and proud to have both students here to be able to pass out.
And these scholarships award the timing was after the Lake Placid High School passed out their award. So um these were approved after and the Ridge League of Cities makes up 24 municipalities within
Dodto, Hardy, Highlands, Hillsboro, Pasco and Pope counties. And each year they give out scholarships. And because last year Lake Placid joined the League of Cities for the first time, that made us or or for
it was for quite a while that we had been members. That made us eligible that students could apply and they actually um have two categories of scholarships. They pass five out,
five academic scholarships out, and five vocational or trade school scholarships. Of the 10 scholarships, Lake Placid got two. That's unheard of. One in each of the categories. And more important,
Highlands County got two. So that just shows the intelligence of the students that we have and the two that applied. So, I'm going to come down here and I've got their certificates and a very nice
acrylic and I'm going to ask Gabrielle Null, who's actually the daughter of the pastor that gave the invocation today, and Jacqueline Torres to meet me down here to do formal presentation. And then we'll invite the um their family to come
up for pictures. And I've been told this microphone works. Aha, look at this. Technology is improving. Um, so first up, Jacqueline Taus. Jacqueline is receiving a $1,250
vocational scholarship. Her plans is to go to South Florida State College to pursue a bachelor's degree and and further to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology and if possible continue on education to
become a registered children's art therapist. That says a lot about you. So, I have this scholarship and then also a very very nice
uh plaque to be able to present to you. So, and this is Gabrielle. No. Gabrielle was the recipient of the academic scholarship, which is $2,500, and she's going on to Southeastern
University, and her goal is to be a physical therapist to help others regain their independence. Have a nice scholarship award from the Lead Bridge League of Cities. And then this congratulations and then also a
nice acrylic to so the family wants to come up and the council member want to come Now we'll just take a group. Congratulations. Okay, moving on um to item 5B is a region
utility uh update both the financials and the grant. Um this is an item that we're going to continue to keep on monthly so that we can keep ourselves updated on what's going on especially in the new sewer plant. So I think is this
to Rachel first Brandon and um Roger from Penoni? We've got the three experts. >> I think what we're going to do is go ahead and have Penoni uh do the uh um presentation then Rachel followed
through with the financials. >> Good evening. Roger Hman with Penoni. >> Roger. I mean closer in the mic. It's >> better. Roger Hman with Penoni. I'm here to give an update on the projects that we're
working on that are under the the grant. The first one is the biggest project, the um wastewater treatment plant, advanced wastewater treatment um expansion and modifications. Um the status of the project is that it's um the the main wastewater plant, the new
plant has been started up and it's currently treating white wastewater successfully. Um the town staff's been trained by um Ovivo, who's the plant equipment manufacturer. Um the items remaining um the main thing
is the the existing package plant is going to be converted to a digtor and a coin contact chamber that's still in the process of being uh the conversion. Um the contractor had some setbacks. There was some the joints in the tank were to
be um sealed up and those were some of those joints when they were um hydraulically tested, water tested, they did not hold water. There were some leaks and so they're now going back and repairing those leaks. Um they're they've repaired almost all of them. I
think there's somewhere around four to five left. There were closer to probably 15 or so to begin with. Those are um tomorrow tomorrow morning they're going to add water to the tank and test again the the ones that were uh that still
remain to be leaking and we're hopeful that those will be sealed at that at that time. Then that um existing plant can be put into service as a as the digtor and the chlorine contact chamber. Um hopefully that will occur um later
this week is what we're thinking. Um, another um issue that's going on at the with the project that um is the uh access road. The contractors apparently constructed that um it doesn't drain properly. The part the north end of the
the road is not draining properly. And so we're in the process now of getting asilts from them to see exactly what was constructed so that they can propose and we can look at what needs to be done to to fix the situation so that uh in the end the water it's all supposed to go
into a new storm pond that is that was constructed as part of the project. So that'll be coming up um this week. Also, um the substantial completion for the project, what substantial completion is is everything is in service as builts
have been received and the it's everything's working properly. That's not been reached achieved yet by the contractor. Um again, hopefully by probably the end of this week, first part of next week, it's possible they may get to that point. Um at that point
we'll do a um a full inspection and develop a punch list um for items that they have to complete before u final completion when they're all the way done with the project. We've been uh we have a preliminary punch list that's has all items as we go along and they've been working on getting those items finished
also. Um the you know they they've still got some things that remain but um hopefully we'll be done. We'll we're hoping that we can be all the way done by the end of July with everything if things go well.
Any questions about that project? >> Is that good up here? >> Okay, I'll go on to the next one which is the south lift station in Force Main. This is a project to take the the town's uh south wastewater plant offline and to
uh transfer water instead up ultimately to the to the new plant. Um so that involves building a new lift station at the at the wastewater plant property and a force main extension that goes um over
to the west and connects into the existing um collection system. status of that project. It's um all the way complete. The lift station's in operation. The force man's been tested, working properly. Um the only items that remain are to do a substantial
completion inspection um which is going to occur next week along with the other projects that I'll talk about tonight. We'll do that all hopefully on one day so that we can you know have town staff there and we'll we'll be there to go through that. So there'll be a punch list just to same thing. a punch list
will be developed. Um, and they'll the contractor will need to finish that in order to achieve final completion. With that project, there's not much left. They've already done most of the restoration. It should be relatively minor things that should be seen. So,
any questions on that one, >> Madame Mayor? [clears throat] Go ahead. >> I have a question. I know several years ago the town council discussed what to do with that property. Has plans been made or has there been conversations in
the last several years about putting that property up for sale or what what what's the plan? >> There isn't a plan in on our project that the um what I understand a couple years ago what what you're talking about there was interest to possibly turn that
into a septage receiving station and but I haven't heard what's happening with that and there wasn't in the scope anything to do with the with the old plant. No, I understand it wasn't. I guess I just wanted since we were here, >> if I didn't realize the work was that far along to be able to to shut that
down. >> Sure. >> Then I think that's something obviously we need to have a conversation about in the coming months what the town is going to do if anything with that property. Thank you. >> Agree. Um so we can put that on a follow-up list, Brandon. And I mean
these are things that would go I I would like to see as part of the the loop prep committee, right? and then bring it forward to us is what should we do? So, we'll start helping them with their agenda. Thank you. >> Just one other thing, when we uh started
up the South Plant lift station, what we did was we as soon as it was turned key, ready to go, we immediately started decommissioning the sewer plant in accordance with D standards. And so we're about 75% completion of that. Town
staff worked uh on uh Joelen and uh she she worked quite a bit last week getting that completed. So uh we we should have that completely done within two weeks. Madame Mayor, if I might, is there
anything that the town would do in the process that you just described [clears throat] that would either enhance or potentially negatively impact the ability of a future potential owner
to operate some sort of wastewater. I guess I don't I don't want us to take any action that makes that property less valuable to a potential successor owner. Um, we have to follow uh D's standards on on how to decommission it.
>> Yeah. And we're we're doing it exactly how they said the tanks will be there. We have to just pull like airators, get the sludge out, clean everything, remove the blowers, pretty much anything that would uh somebody could go out there and turn key and make sludge and waste water. We got to eliminate all that.
>> Thank you. >> Yeah. And to that to that point, another thing that was done with the design of the lift station, it was it was constructed designed with variable frequency drive pumps. So that'll be advantageous if anybody adds any extra flow to that. It was kind of designed
for that where the lift station itself because the idea would be if if there's a receiving station there, it would also all those flows would go through that lift station. And it's it's been designed with a little bit higher flows and really what's needed also to have some other capacity.
Madame Mayor, if I might again, I apologize. I just I want to make sure in my mind what I think you just said was if someone else was doing something and they were cleaning water up and there was gray water that needed to be exported off site, there is the ability
and capacity there to do that. Is that what you just said? >> Correct. With the lift station. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. The the third project is what's called the Marquada Drive and Main Street lift stations in Force Main. Um
KDL was the contractor on that. They're also the contractor on the south lift station. Um but the status of that one um there was a force main added 1.5 some million dollar force main that was added to the project. Um that's the to go all
the way at basically from the the south from Marquada all the way up to the um almost to the wastewater plant. Um but that scope of work is all the way finished that that's to install a larger force vein for additional future capacity. Um that's been installed,
tested, everything. It's in and it's ready to go in service. In fact, it is in service. the uh the two the two lift stations um the um the uh main street is the one on the south side of town. That
one is all has been fully constructed. The startup testing has been has been performed and the last thing that needs to happen is some small piping work to re redirect the wastewater going into that lift station. That should be done tomorrow and that station will be fully
in operation as of tomorrow. um the the main street lift station which is further further up north. It's fully been tested and has has been started up as of today. So it's all the way in operation. Um same as the south substantial
completion inspection needs to be completed and again expect kind of minal minor punch list items and that's going to happen next week concurrent with the with the other one. So with that, if you have any questions about that one,
>> Madame Mayor, I guess maybe you said this and I just missed it. Are we pumping material from the conference center yet? >> Yes. Yeah, it was a long time ago that Yeah. The It's been a while, isn't it? Yeah. >> About 18 months.
>> We've been pumping material from the camp and conference center for the last 18 months >> roughly around. >> Okay. Okay. Good. Thank you. I didn't real I thought there had been holdups down there somewhere >> just I mean other okay good deal thank you
>> the force man that comes from the south lift station actually connects into that line into that force man so >> thank you >> okay >> if I might madam mayor I know again having been gone for a while so how how
are we I'll ask the question later but I guess just maybe I'll come ask you in private, but how are we billing them? I mean, how are we calculating what flow is? We don't have a flow meter. There's not water going in. I'm assuming there's not a a wastewater flow meter. So, have we
just come to an agreement with them? >> The uh well, the the lift stations that were constructed, those are kind of those are town lift stations. There's not really any new flows so much. Any new flows would be calculated based on your water flows if there's any new
customers. But there with this project, there really weren't any new customers. The south station, the purpose of that main purpose was to take the south wastewater plant offline because it was old and in bad shape and to route to the new plant.
>> No, I and I guess maybe I didn't ask. How are we determining what rate the camping conference center pays for wastewater services? >> Okay. Camping answer that. >> Yeah. So, uh each month from the 1st to
the 31st 30th, we we get our uh our reads and each pump has a design flow that it it's designed to pump and we times it by is it 60 times uh whatever the design flow and that's how we get
the gallons and we charge that that way. >> We have a methodology. >> Yes, sir. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. pass it on. >> So all the projects that Roger went over, it it was funded by three grants.
One was the WGO 17, I mean that was $40 billion and the WGO25 that was um 600,000 and there it here was a rift grant for 570,000. Um on the first slide I'm bringing this
one up because this is the timeline that initially started. So, it started out for uh 2022, then it went to June of 2026, and and Roger went over the dates and
everything. That date has passed. So, but the mayor wanted this sheet put in there as far as just reminded of the dates that was in there before or the potential dates. Um in the next sheet mark
and this right this one shows here as far as how much that we done um draw down from the state from the 40 million and it shows by each task of the 40 million that we um so far we don't draw down on so far 34 million has been draw
down and two 5.2 two is still remaining [cough and clears throat] and it has a chart to kind of show you where most of the funds went. Of course, went into the um the construction part of it. And on the next one, it shows it kind of pretty much shows the same
thing. It shows the the task, but it shows the budget. The original budget started out as for each task. And then you'll kind of notice on the on the right hand side it kind of show you for the construction it went over like 63,000
according to the original budget. And then also for equipment there was some equipment added on there later on which we called FD and they approved that it was it was eligible for reimbursement. So we added that in there too. Um, so as of the last pay request
that we uh put in is 2.6 million is still remaining to draw down and we got another uh request for payment coming out in August. We can only do them every 30 days. So I just sent the one for July and so in August we have another draw
down and then the final one is in in September and the next one. So on this one here, it kind of show you the task just in a different way. It show you the task as far as in the vendors. So on this one, the 40 the 34 million, it shows by each
vendor how much of funds went to each one of the contractors. Um and of course it most of it again goes to all the construction part of it. And they got a chart on there to show you that one. And so in the $40 million loan uh uh
line of credit, 4 million of the 40 um it was a a line of credit taken out on that and the line of credit is still outstanding. Um the 4 million that um the town had um loan from the bank. Um
the town is right now using those funds to pay the the invoices to the vendors. So hopefully by the end of the month that the town will be able to take that $4 million and pay the the line of credit back off and then that way and
it's only like 2.6 million and it's going to be 1.1 1.2 million in there till the final pay off the rest of those um invoices that come through. So hopefully they won't come through all at one time. So we just
got the last pay request for I think was like 400 450,000 or something like that. So um there's enough funds to pay that as well. Um and so once the the line of credit is paid off and the funds left over in that
account will be put right back into the the capital account where that funds were b were borrowed from. And it looks like that the whole project's going to go over maybe like 268,000. That's a lot of credit. Yeah.
On that sheet, it just shows how much the the interest rate and how much the town done paid so far on the on the interest on that 4 million. So it kind of just recap from the beginning to the end of the loan and hopefully by the end of the month we are we'll get out of
paying the interest. So So this grant sheet was put together kind of showing all the other grants that the town got got outstanding. So we had the the 130 which is a 319 grant 495,000.
This this grant is only for um connection. It cannot be used for infrastructure or construction. It has to be for on private property where they can actually install more connections or um grinders or what is the other thing
is? Um yes. So and we also have a sham grant. This one here is for 2 million9. This is for um equipments. It's for um pumps. Um at right down this
this project is uh the grant coordinator is working with the with the grantee on this one. And I think the next thing that she got going on this one is that she have to submit a report. Um then we got the Florida Cyber Grant. Florida
Cyber Grant. This one's kind of in toss in the air. Um there's still some conversation between the state and the town. Um we got the resilient grant for 182,000. This is for I think this one's
for vulnerability and we got the stag grant for 2.5 million. This one I'm not sure if this one got feed or not. I'm not sure. Now, Jennifer put this together, so I'm kind of ad living here.
Um, in the Ferd grant, um, that there's no funds for Ferd, so that one should have been taken off of this list. Um, for the Lake Classic Camping Comfort Center for the water side of it, um, the
wastewater part is closed, but we still have not gotten the final um, dispersement from the wastewater side of it. So, we're still waiting on the state to say um it's final close and the town got the final reimbursement of I think
was like 78,000 um storm water resistance. So, the police station, that'll be a mark discussion as far as um what's going on with that project. But for the the $800,000, we heard from the governor
that it got approved. So with that, those funds would go back into the the infrastructure funds to reimburse for some of the project costs. So it'll just offset the cost of that. Um and again, the W25, that grant is closed
out. And the RIP grant, that one is also closed. And we just discussed the WGO 17 for the $40 million grant. And that's pretty much the grants. >> So, so just real quick on the Lake June water line ex expansion 1.6 million. We
that was not approved by the governor. So, that one um falls off. But the whole purpose here is there's a lot of grants that we've applied for that uh were either waiting or we've um been approved. So just a lot of activity
going on as you can imagine that we're going to continue to monitor very closely. A lot of these fall again under utilities and that's where you know the utilities commission is going to be very active and a lot of the um support that
we're going to need on um where we you because sometimes it's just lift stations. Well whi which lift stations and where. So as and the same thing with hookups where are we going to do that? So we're we're really at the ground level of now starting to do some really
good infrastructure planning and there's money here and then there's other grants. But to a lot of the comments that are asked is how much do we have to pay upfront, right? It's that whole uh we really don't want to start taking out
loans in order to pay our bills, but really work with DP um on their advanced payment for little towns like us. One of the reasons we're a little delay here in paying off the loan is uh DP in the month of June does
a blackout for payments and it's and and they told me this is a blackout period. I said, "What does that mean?" and they owe us this money. Well, they don't make payments during the month of June. So, something that I'm curious on. I know we're all I'm very curious and and we'll work that back, but there was no
reimbursements from them in the month of June, which then put this ability to pay off our loan sooner. So things that we always find as we start digging more into the details and the challenges that you know will get the right people
involved to get us a good answer or help us to avoid interest costs. [clears throat] >> Madame Mayor, if I might, >> this is for either Rachel or Mark. >> Has the state of Florida indicated to
you when they plan to release the $800,000 for the police station? No, we have not heard exactly when they're going to release it. >> I mean, I asked that question because the folks at Highlands County told me it could be quite a while before they perceive they may get money for the
firehouse. And I I just think that's something we ought to both from our police station and to get a better understanding of how much to press Highlands County to get started on the fire station, what the state's normal operating procedure
is because county administrators seem to indicate they may not get going for another year on this fire department, you know, for various reasons. I think we just we need to probably press them get with the
chairman and press them to move forward. And that's why I just curious whether or not you'd heard about this 800 >> just from last year's appropriations were passed out around January February time frame following year. So >> So expecting it six months after
signature. Okay, good deal. And just another just general question, part of the money that was funding some of these lines and lift stations from the camp and conference center was through legal agreements or contracts we
have with them. I assume are they upholding their end of the deal and making payments as required and all that? >> Yes. Lake Plans. Okay. campus conference center and they um for the loan part of the this SRF they send $4,000 every
month. Okay. To make sure that it's paid off. >> Just want to make sure we >> they were living up to their agreement. Thank you. >> I'm trying to make sure we I'm clear on the bottom line for the uh wastewater treatment plant on the page that has the
the red bar. the red bar. Um I see that there was an advance uh number 18. That one's been submitted, right? >> Correct. >> Okay. And has 19 been submitted or is that an estimate of what it will be? >> That was going to be an estimate, but 17
and 18 was submitted together. 4.6 million. >> So, okay. So, we know 1718 are hard good numbers. >> That is correct. >> And 19 is >> that's going to be probably that that last 2.6 six million that for the draw down. So, however, um we get our
invoices to pay that, then we'll get that back. >> I I couldn't quite hear you. I'm trying to get at is uh is it going to be um the 2.6 million or less or is there a chance it could be more when all the invoices are in?
>> So, the last time we did a true up, it looked like 268,000 that's going to be over the 40 million. >> Okay, that's that's what I was getting at. Okay, thank you. [clears throat] Any questions from the audience?
Okay, thank you. This was just an update. Um, so we'll move on to um the action agenda and uh we have a couple uh different boards appointments and I'm going to turn it over to Eva.
>> So yes, Mayor, I did a review on our boards. We need some reappointments done. Um we've had two interested parties for the loop, the regional utility, um Mr. Harris and
um I just lost my mind and Gary Freeman. Um there was one added at the end for the LPA. Um Mr. Civio Joey, he he doesn't
qualify to be on the LPA board, so we're withdrawing that. So, and and if the town attorney wants to add anything, we ask for a little legal review, but I think we're good of where we're at. I I'll just clarify an eligibility [clears throat]
is um a lot of these boards there's uh qualifications just like for town council members and um it's they have to be a town resident or an owner of property residing within u the regional
utilities. So um when so when people submit we have to do a check to see if they qualify and in this case he did not. And just to add, um, so we have an open seat on the LPA board. If Mr. Freeman goes to the loop board, we can
readvertise. I advertised for 30 days on the website um, and the Next Door app. And we also did on Facebook um, with the Well, the uh, utilities commission has been operating with five people I think
since inception. So the two additional seats is a seven person board and they've been for the as long as I've been here had the five we've never been able to fill the other two. >> Right. Right. But okay. So but and I think I was on it since day one and [clears throat]
it's always been I think five people. What I'm getting at is that there is no rush to fill the other two seats. maybe be better if Gary stayed on LPA just for a little while longer because at the last meeting there was barely a quorum.
So I would suggest we do not move him over to utilities right now until you can find a replacement. >> Is there anything that prevents him from being on both boards? >> Yeah. >> I'm looking at you. Is that something
you'd be of interest? No, you [laughter] Well, that answers that. >> And he's termed out on that one, I believe. >> Yes. >> Um that's the >> Oh, can we do an exception?
And you know, and the other thing that bothers me is that um I know you're trying to true up all the assignments. Um but I don't know if the existing utilities commission was even told this
was being advertised. >> They were they were >> they were okay. >> Yes. I I've re I've reached out to every board member and every uh member of both boards individually. >> Okay. Have you got a question for me now? I'm
here. This is Gary Freeman. >> I think I withdraw my question because your term limited out on the LPA. >> Well, I I can stay on the LPA. That's not But I think um from my experience is in utilities,
>> right? >> 40 years in utilities. >> So that was the original board I wanted to get go on to, >> but it didn't happen. And I think you can provide a I personally think you can provide a lot of value after reading
your background in wastewater and water. >> So we hear then we have a dilemma because the LPA is very short. >> Well the LPA on on the LPA um
just a minute I lost my place here. And can we um can we not bring Alejandro Ramos up to a full member on the LPA LPA? >> So LPA right now is a five member board with three alternates.
Mr. Edgeman is no longer he hasn't been in attendance. So by Alex moving to fill Jack Edgeman's seat that gives you with G if Gary stayed on that' be your five full board with three alternates still open.
>> So if you move that back to an alternate you still are going to be short because >> on the LPA we have Dustin Woods, Donald Clark, James Oxer and if we bring Alejandro Ramos to a full member that's two that's four.
>> That's four. And then we um we would we would put out, you know, request full member. >> And then we also need three alternates on that board as well. >> You can have the alternates. We've we've had two alternates. Um
>> when I first came on board, we had no alternates and then later on down the road there was an interest to have a couple of alternates. they do come, you know, in play when board members can't attend and that's that's happened before and we were able to always maintain a
quorum with those alternates. >> But I'm thinking that um I agree with you, mayor, that Mr. Freeman's um experiences in utilities and we definitely need utilities right now. So, um, I would be more inclined to ask him
to serve on utilities, uh, along with Bert Harris and that would bring us to Matt Elliot, John Draper, Tel Rancort, Pam Brewer, Jack Connley, Bert Harris, and Gary Freeman. And if that would at least give us one full board there, am I correct?
>> Yes. >> That that would be that would be my recommendation. >> Second. >> I guess that was a motion. Second. Okay. [laughter] Okay. So, we'll take these one committee at a time for the utilities committee. We have a a motion and a second. Any
other comments from the podium? >> Is this just a motion and a second to accept them or to appoint? >> To appoint them. >> I mean to appoint them and then we'll have another motion as far as choosing chair and vice chair. >> Yes. >> Okay.
out to the audience. Bring it back. Clerk, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Everheart, >> yes. >> Motion passes. And so then um the second
item is uh the council appointing the chairman and the um the vice chairman for the utilities um commission. Council Everheart, is this the commission that you are our liaison to? What would be
your recommendation for that? >> Okay. Um, again, I've been on that thing since inception. I don't know how many years, 10 years or whatever. Um, I think what bothers me now, I know according to the code, the chairperson and the vice
chair are appointed by council. On the other hand, LPA decides among themselves who is going to chair. We decide among ourselves who is going to be vice mayor. I know it's in the code, but I would like to have some input from
the existing members of the utilities commission uh on their opinion as who should be chair and vice chair be before we go ahead. There's no rush to settle it tonight. I would like to
have that decision so that the next meeting of the utilities commission they know who the chair um is. So >> well I propose that we would just stay with the existing chair for another month or two until we can get their input.
>> And who is the existing chair? >> Matt Elliot. He's been I think three years now maybe. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> And vice chair? There is none. >> Yeah. >> I when I spoke to Matt the other day, I I sounded like he wanted to step down
out of the chair but still stay onto the commission. So what would prevent us from just making that decision tonight of is it is a concern that it's been done a different way in the past? Well, there was it was I don't know how it
ever got to I think we decided among ourselves who was going to be the chair. >> So, yeah, when I came on on in 2013, it was already established John Draper was the And I don't know how that came about. Yeah. >> But when Mr. Elliott became I think it
was done by the commission themselves. It didn't come before [clears throat] council to make him chair. >> Yeah. Among ourselves. >> I think it was >> Yeah. And um so I think I would speaking personally
without input from the commission. I the the [clears throat] commission is set up so that uh let let me read the words when it was set up. Um the commission should have expertise commissioner should have expertise in
the utilities engineering and finance and then planning and development secondary. So, if you're going to decide on somebody, I would my opinion is to keep Matt in there for now twist his arm
and um then have somebody else. Um Bert, you're the new kid on the block at the commission. You have not been to any of the meetings and your expertise is not in engineering um or utilities. So
although you have know a lot by osmosis, um I would my opinion would be to have Matt Elliot remain the chair and then choose a vice chair from someone with utilities experience and then >> was that a question to me? >> No, this this was to tell you my
reasoning that why I why you asked for my opinion, I'm giving it. >> Thank you. Um, >> not yet. We're still having conversation on the dis >> because I'm unfamiliar. Um, does Matt
Elliot have experience in utilities as well? >> Uh, no. He's uh, uh, real estate, which would fit into maybe planning, but >> so then I would say the vice chair would either be John Draper or Gary or No, and Pam Brewer. Pam Brewer has utilities
experience. A lot of experience, >> right? That's what I was thinking because I I know I know Matt Elliot. He's one of my late husband's cousins, but they all are. [laughter] But um I knew he was in real estate. So um I don't know how he ended up being
chairperson if he doesn't have that experience, but I'm like you. I would lead toward John Draper or Pam Brewer or Gary um Freeman simply because they've, you know, have that experience. And I would then go back to either John Draper
or Pam Brewer since beca simply because they've been on the commission. I mean, Mr. Freeman is now being appointed to the the role and he was in it before, but from 2014 to now is 12 years >> and I don't quite know what what Mr.
Freeman's been up to in the last 12 years and it's not really any of my business, but it doesn't appear that it was in utilities. So, I don't know. Well, you know, he was a utilities director, so Yes. Yes. Okay. >> Yes, I read that. Uhhuh. Yeah. >> So, is there a motion?
[clears throat] >> I want to make sure I understand Miss Eberart's I think Miss Eberhart is saying, let the newly constituted regional utility board meet. let them come back to us with a recommendation
that they think the chair should be Mr. Smith or Miss Jones. We can take that or leave that, but at least let them have a say. >> I second that. >> I perceive the mayor's position as let's
get on to work and get going. >> Exactly. Let's get going. And I will say that for me, we're going to ask these folks to do a lot of things. And it's really a function of not whether or not he or she has
technical utility experience as to who is going to lead that group forward, get some stuff done and bring back recommendations to us because I want to make sure the utility advisory commission, they are
nothing but an advisory body that comes back to us with recommendations. And conversely, we are s we we're we're we should be advising them of policy directions that we want them to operate
within and they should be coming back with more specifics from those broader policy guidelines we're get we're providing them. Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. So, I mean, I'm happy to either appoint a chairman tonight or I'm happy to come back in 30 days after they've
met, but we shouldn't wait [clears throat] more than another month at the most so we can get them moving is my opinion. >> I I don't think I want to appoint somebody tonight who isn't in the room because, you know, it's like, oh yeah, I
missed a meeting and now I'm chairman. [laughter] I don't want to do that. I've done that. Um, and so I I would agree with uh with Councilman Royce that let's let it go one more month and let the committee
decide. Um, we also have the challenge of a council member as a non- voting liaison and a council member as an alternate non- voting liaison. So on that note, um, are you M. Everard, are
you our current council liaison? would you continue in that role? >> I think that's a good idea. Um, >> can we back up to Mr. Royce? Was that a motion or question? Because then later you said this or that. >> I just wanted to make sure I just want
to bring it back to >> do we have a motion on the table right now? >> No, >> no, no. We're just We have a second, but we didn't have a motion. That's >> No, no. I think I just had a a second thing to say. No second. I guess regarding the chair and the vice chair
before we move on to the others. Is there a motion? >> Okay. >> Um unless you want to make a motion to hold on it for 30 days, not to exceed 30 days. >> Do you want to reiterate what you said that I said? is let me madame mayor is the lake is
the utility commission >> I perceive they have not been meeting regularly or I've been told that >> they have been >> are they scheduled to meet in the next several >> they always they unless unless canceled for whatever it's every month >> uh the first two
>> first Tuesday firstuesday Tuesday >> first Tuesday I'm one first Tuesday >> I I'll make a motion that we we will we will select the chair of that commission at the first meeting in August and that we encourage the utility commission to meet prior to then and see whether or
not they would like to offer a recommendation. >> Very good. Second. >> Now we have a motion in a second. Any more conversation from the dis out to the audience? >> I I'm getting an odd look from the
attorney. >> Oh no. Well, that's a that's a comment from the dis. >> Oh, I'm I'm sorry about that. Um, there is a joint meeting non-action item Thursday at 2 PM where maybe council in the commission could discuss this and at
least get where you're going to go because we do have a lot of work to do with that. >> Okay. I tell you what, I'm going to withdraw my motion because we're going to have a workshop on Thursday. >> Correct. No action taken, but we are then going to meet next Monday night in our capacity as council. So I I would
make I'm going to Can I withdraw my motion, Madame Mayor? >> Yes. >> And if the second withdraws, I'll go ahead and make a new motion. >> I'll make a motion that we that this be an item on the workshop agenda and that we will appoint the next chair of the utility commission next on July the 20th
at our meeting on July the 20th. >> Second. Second. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Mr. Durm. >> We have an amended motion and a second. Any other comments from the dis? >> Okay. Now, out to the audience.
State your name and address for the record, please. >> Pam Pentress 12373 Lost Lake Drive, Lake Placid. I attend the utilities commission meetings and have so for years. They were presented uh Bert Harris's and Gary Freriedman's names and
to the committee. Um I read the packet last Thursday or Friday for this meeting. I contacted some of the utilities committees and and and members and told them that they were going to be discussing the chair and the vice chair. Nobody knew anything about it. Matt's going to be out of town this Thursday.
He had medical tests being run. Um he said, 'Well, if they're basically said, if they're going to boot me off, I'd still like to be vice chair then. So, how that happened and how Matt became chairman because John Draper was the chairman. John came to a meeting and
said, "Hey guys, I'm tired of being the chair. Anybody else want to be chair?" And people looked around each other and then somebody said, "Hey, Matt, would you be chair?" And Matt said, "Sure." That's how Matt Elliot became the chair. Um, I think it's very
concerning if you're going to appoint a chair and vice chair without having input from the committee. I know you're originally that was your motion and then we said something about this Thursday is a joint meeting. Um, I think if you're not if the if the loop goes in with the
joint meeting and they're blindsided that this and it's a workshop so y'all can't make any official decision that night. Correct. No, no, it'll come back to next Monday's meeting is what the motion was. >> But that's on the July the 16th.
Thursday, >> this >> Thursday is the 16th, but it's a workshop, so y'all can't vote on that. Correct. >> And the plan wasn't the motion is to have the recommendation come out of the this Thursday's meeting for decision at
the July 20th, next Monday's town council meeting. >> Right. I know that Matt won't be in attendance on the 16th. I don't know about the other committee members, but I would say still it need to be I I don't understand why you wouldn't want to wait
for you had um Gary Bur and the people that are currently on the board to be able to discuss it and vote amongst themselves or at least make a recommendation to this council who should be chair and vice chair. Thank you.
>> Any other comments from the audience? Thank you. Okay, bring it back. Eva, please take the role. [clears throat] >> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Council member Ebahart. >> Now, it's a matter of the 16th or versus the first of the month. I'm going back
and and with Matt not being here on the 16th, I'm going to vote no only because I to revert back to the original motion that we let the uh regularly scheduled utilities commission meet and then the
next week is the town council meeting. It's only a matter of what 10 days difference. So, I'm going to have to say no and ask to revert to the original motion. >> [clears throat] >> and Council Member Hayes.
>> You're killing me. You're killing me. I'm going to say yes simply because I think uh the state of affairs of our utilities is critical and we need to move forward as soon as possible. I also think um we we if we get a
recommendation from the board then we don't have to take the recommendation but we can at least listen to that recommendation and if we go to this meeting on Thursday and the utilities board is not significantly represented
then we don't have to take this up on the 20th we can turn around and wait but if I say yes now it gives us that opportunity to go either way. >> Motion passes. Um and then I this the next item was the um the leazison. You
wanted to >> you had some questions on the leas of that that town council leazison for that committee. Well, I was going to say that um I've been really pleased that Councilwoman Eberhard has been on this committee because she has expertise in
that regard and um and I would I would suggest that Council Member um Zap would be a good alternate because of his in that as well and [laughter] he's not here so you know um too bad you're
on vacation you miss. No, I [snorts] mean he has that's his business. >> Um, so I think if we have council member Eberhart and council member Sap on there as a as the uh non- voting liaison and an alternate, I think we have the best of both worlds.
>> Second. >> Okay, we have a motion and we have a second. Any other comments from the dis? Mr. Sap, do you want to comment? Sorry. Um, out to the audience. Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. Council member Hayes. >> Yes.
>> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Council member Abhart. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. Onto the LPA. Are we >> Madame Mayor? If we need to take action in order to move Mr. Ram Alex up to being a full member. I'll make a motion
that we move Alex Ramos up to become a full member of the Lake Placid Planning Agency Board of Adjustment >> and also reappoint the others. We need to reappoint M. Uh, >> I'm sorry. And reappoint the existing
members of Dustin Woods. You're moving the screen on me. >> Donald Clark, James Oxer. >> I I just had a question. And um did you say that Joey Esavdo was not eligible? >> Not eligible.
>> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> I'd second that then. >> Okay. We have a motion. We have a second. Any comments from the dis uh to the audience? [clears throat] Margaret dear 1504 French Street. Um
what I have to say isn't necessarily about the LPA. Is there an is there a plan to kind of make all of these commissions standard and give them some teeth and how the chair and who's going to be on it because we got some slim pickings for
some important business. Um, do you live in the LPRP but you can't get in the LPRP but you live in 33852 but you don't own a business but you do own a business. I mean it is so incredibly confusing. It's no wonder people aren't just beating down the door
to serve on these commissions. Is there a a plan to figure this out to to move us forward so that everybody knows how to serve, when to serve, who serves, who fits, who doesn't?
That's a question. I I'll take that question with an answer. Even I just had this discussion and one of the things that we're going to do is a standard form with exactly do you that the questions that you need to check that
will support the requirements um for each of these commissions because each commission does have a different type of um eligibility. >> So but that's my question is that eligibility isn't necessarily expertise.
The eligibility all has to do with where you live, correct? Or if you own a business or you don't own a business. I mean I mean there's a difference between eligibility and willingness to serve
because we've got people who determines what the eligibility is. It just feels like it's been the same people over and over. And as long as you always do what you always did, you always going to get what you always got. And there's a lot
of people that would be willing to serve that can't. Now, my friend Pam Fentress, she probably into LPRB or No, you're not. >> Now, y'all are probably that's probably by design because she can't serve. And guess what? Neither can I. And maybe that's the way everybody wants it. But I
I thought that that in trying to move Lake Placid forward, the goal was to get more people involved in government and moving us forward. And that's just my own two cents. Thank you for listening. >> May I ask the attorney?
>> Um I think all of these requirements are in our code and the code would have to be changed in order to >> Sure. We could explore changing the code, but each board has its own authority. And you take the LPA and the BOA.
Those individuals need to have a more interest within the geographical areas of the town. You take the utility commission because it stretches outside the geographical boundaries. You've actually expanded membership for that. But certainly we could look at the code and look at the statutes to see where we
are on that and and try to get it as uniform as possible. But I do think a qualifications list as the mayor's proposed when it goes out would be helpful because we have a lot of talented people that I think would be interested in serving. >> Not like there's not enough to do, but
um we're limiting our resources or possibly limiting our resources. Are we having a lot of good people? And I I would just like to take a little uh a little objection to the fact that we have Slim Pickkins because I don't
think we have Slim Pickkins. I think if you look at who's on this board, you have Dustin Woods, Donald Clark. Dustin Woods has been a member of our community for a long long time. Um is a wellrespected pastor. I don't think that's Slim Pickings. >> You got you don't have a whole lot of
people. >> No, I know I know what you're saying, but I think it just may be taken incorrectly. I know you didn't mean it that way, Margaret, but I think >> No, no, I you you misunderstood. You got You don't have people beating down the door to serve. >> No, we don't. That's what I'm saying. But I think we have qualified people.
>> You have wonderful people existing. Wonderful people serving. That was no reflection on the people currently in place. And I cannot imagine that that any that that could have been misinterpreted that way. There are fantastic people serving. Okay. >> You're wearing them out.
>> Okay. Well, I'd rather have fantastic people serving than try to have our quality go down. So, >> I I think what I heard was for the LPA, we still have one open spot and three
alternates. >> That is correct. >> And and so when we went out and advertised, we ended up having one person. We found they're ineligible. So, it's the trying to reook at the eligibility to be able to get a larger
population um versus the people that are on there. So, definitely something we'd have to look at and if there was some changes in eligibility, then we'd need to change some codes, have to have an ordinance, but >> I think that's a discussion for another day.
>> Exactly. Exactly. So there there needs to be a second motion to direct staff to go back out um to advertise for the remaining open LPAC. >> We're going to do a roll call on that vote. >> Oh. Oh, we already have one >> appointment vote and then we can go on to another to go out to advertise.
>> So any other comments on the motion? Okay, bring it back. Eva, take the role. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Everheart, >> yes. >> Okay. Madame Mayor, I make a motion we direct staff to pursue all avenues
possible to um advertise and publicize the the process for uh LPA applica applicants. >> Second. >> I look forward to a well-written article by the Lake Placid Insider explaining
exactly [laughter] why if you're a town resident or interested citizen of the area, you should raise your hand. If you can solve the car wash deal, you can solve this. [laughter] >> Can I second that before we get further in the weeds? >> Thank you.
>> We have a motion. We have a second. Any other comments from the dis audience? Bring it back. Clerk, please take the role. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Everheart, >> yes. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Motion passes.
Um the next one is the CRA um board and Eva, are you taking that one or it's membership on the CRA board?
>> So uh Mr. Leblanc and Mr. Hartzell have asked to u not be on the board at this time. Those are the two additional seats for community members. Uh the rest is a full board of the council. So that's where you sit. And then um I think it's
a two-year and a four-year term that was determined by by council. So I guess do we want to go out to fill those other two seats advertised? I guess would be the question.
>> Well, I I have a question on that. Um, we operated for a long time with just the council uh as the CRA and then we decided a year or so ago that it would be good to go ahead and fill those other positions because we wanted more input
just like Miss Deer said, you know, we we need this input. Well, this kind of backfired because both of these people are the two that I recommended. So, I'm not going to recommend again, but but my question is, do we want to
continue filling right now with filling these two positions? We have so much on our plate at this moment. Or do we want to just go ahead forward with the five members that we have, the the four member, the council people that we have and the mayor and just go forward with
that at this point and at least get us through the budget process and and maybe into the fiscal year a little bit before we go ahead and and advertise for some more positions. And also, we've got this two-year and four-year term, and then
there's this recommendation that they all come in for four-year terms until somebody backs off. And then I I don't think that's a good idea either. We if somebody's going to come and and put in for a term, they should know whether it's a two-year term or a four-year
term, and that might make a decision in their in their part. Um, but I think at this point I would suggest that we just go with the four council people and the mayor as we have. >> Is that a motion? >> That's a motion. Yes, ma'am.
>> I'm just hesitant because I'm sensitive to the fact that [clears throat] Miss Eberart, Mr. Charles, I perceive this was one of your initiatives to add people to the CRA board. And while I agree with Miss Hayes, I I don't want to amend that this is something that you all felt strongly about.
>> Well, it it was I think it was my initiative because I wanted to have the business people have input into what was being done in the in the CRA district >> and and and I did too and that's why I suggested those two people, but um that
didn't turn out well. Maybe we have the two the wrong two people. And I still agree with I think we do need the input of the business people, but I think right at this point we need to take a breath. That's just why I made that motion. >> I I don't see how it can hurt us to move
forward rather than putting things off and putting things off. And >> to Miss, if I might better to Miss Hayes's point, I'm assuming if we took no real action on Miss Hayes's motion, then we would start a process of advertising saying, "Hey, if you're
interested in being on the CRA, apply. [clears throat] All of that's going to take several months anyways, I assume, to work through the process. Um my concern about having other people is that the CRA budget is part of it in a
way has to be in tune with the town budget and we have to see the bigger broader picture of how we utilize the CRA revenues correctly and properly and how it
enhances or detracts from the general fund town budget. So um I agree with Miss Hayes in principle if nothing else to get through this budget cycle which is again 60 or 90 days the reality that we should not start someone brand new
now. So if we're going to start some new people then it would really should be September after October one. But but if if if you all want to have additional people then let's just start the advertising process and let people express an interest. That's fine with
me. >> We could start the process and just have u no action taken until the new fiscal year October 1. >> That way we'd kind of get the best of both worlds. >> So So if you amend your motion that we go out for the process and hold the
appointments until after. >> Yes. Yes. So we we I will I will amend my motion to say that um we will continue with the current five members of the CRA at this point. And at
this time we will put out um requests for any one that would like to be a member. And we will we will look at these for the two open seats. But we will look at them only after the budgeting process is completed. And they
would only take office after the new fiscal year being October 1st. >> That's a big motion. Do you have that, Eva? >> I know. Is that Is that too much words? >> I got it. [laughter] >> Okay, you got that. >> I got the gist. >> Sorry, I got a little verbose there for a minute.
>> Yep, I got it. >> And if if I may, um, they have the motion up on the screen. It could be modified to direct staff to, you know, open up, you know, advertise for it, but then the last half with appointments to
be made at a future meeting. >> Is that kind of what you're saying is go ahead and advertise for the open seats. It's just the timing of when they would be discussed and approved >> and and I would say yes, that would that would make it much more concise. And
then but I would say with appointments to be made after or during their after the fiscal year of October 1st of 2026. I don't want to leave it open-ended. I want to give a date because otherwise we kind of fly in the nebulous. >> Not before the October meeting would
>> October meeting. Yes ma'am. October meeting. >> Did you second it? >> Okay. I second that. >> Okay. We have a motion. We have a second. Any other comments from the disr I would if I might madam mayor I think
again in case someone was to write about it um again this is a sunshine group and I think you know I I I don't know this I haven't spoken to Mr. Leblanc about it but I assume part of the problem for someone like Mr. Leblanc is he's now you
know advocating for things that maybe benefit a potential business. he can't talk to us in our role as council people because we're on the CRA together. And so I would just encourage people that are thinking they want to do it just to make sure that they understand they're
joining a sunshine body and that it then negates their ability to talk to their fellow members about anything that may potentially come before them in the future. So I think that's just important for the public to keep in mind.
Fair. Any other comments from the dis out to the audience? Bring it back. Clerk, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Ebart. >> Yes. >> Council member Rice. >> Yes.
>> So, um, the resignations of of Mr. Leblanc and Hartzell are effective immediately. They are not >> verbally. Yes. I spoke to both of them. >> They both of them. Okay. Yeah. All right. Thank you. So when we have our CRA meeting which is
next Monday, it will be just the five of us. >> The five of you. Yes. >> Okay. Moving on to C. Release of recorded code enforcement lean. Town of Lake Placid versus 27 Northwest
LLC. Code enforcement case number 2021 0326 4 and 16 Hartland Boulevard. This is an item placed on the agenda. Um, basically we have a property that has been amassing uh code enforcement
fines. Uh, it's been discovered by our code enforcement officer. This was not properly noticed at the time the it went to magistrate and the fines began to amass. What we're recommending is that
we go with the motion from our current uh magistrate and go ahead and uh wave these fines. >> Can can you let me understand where are these two properties? >> Uh these two properties are at the
corner of uh Hartland Boulevard in US 27 to the north of Hartland National Bank or where the H Heartland National Bank was between there and Voters World. Okay. >> The empty lots. >> Okay. >> Madam, so because we didn't procedurally
do something correct, >> correct? >> Accurately, we need to wave these fines and then if in fact there is still a potential violation, then the process could begin a new. >> Yes.
>> Okay. I'll make that motion. Second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. Any other comments from the dis? I >> I just have a question. Does the what whatever this was cited for, does that condition still exist? >> No, it's been corrected.
>> It has been corrected. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other comments from the dis out to the audience? Bring it back. Clerk, please take the role. >> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Council member Ebart. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes.
>> Yes. Motion passes. Moving on to D, the Lake June Park Pickle Ball Project. The bid documents. >> All right. Can everybody hear me? Okay. Oh, there's Carol. >> Yeah, Mike, can you hear me?
>> Okay. All right. All right. So, Cara Groves from the town attorney's office this evening. We are dealing with the um bid documents. So, the invitation to bid for the pickle ball complex. I do have
um I did provide an agenda item which gives some background here. I can I can jump into some of that but um I defer to council here. We have specific questions for the council to consider um and those are under the um key topics for council
discussion at the bottom of the first page of the agenda item and it starts with the liquidated damages. So, we can begin there or if it's council's preference, I can give some some background on some of these risk areas that are identified above that that kind
of go through some of the issues we've been dealing with. So, I don't know where council would prefer I start. Um, just let me know if you want to go outside of the key topics for discussion. >> And Eva, can you minimize her so we can
see the charts too that she may go through? >> I'm not driving. Oh, who's got control there? I would just I mean, >> and then I would enlarge I have a little mark enlarge that just a little bit. I guess >> I I think on this one is I'll go ahead
and tee it up and then we can go from there. So, we directed at the last meeting to ask the town attorney could he do the bid documents um because Kimley Horn was going to charge us $67,000.
So, um Mike and Cara have been working on this. Um they've got the big binder from Eva. They've gone through it. Uh Dana's provided a lot of um assistance. Um and and as they went through this, you know, one thought was we'll just put
the bid out there and let's go for go from there. That's what we were directed. But there with timing, with costs, and with a lot of other things, there's a lot of risk associated with making a decision to just go out to bid. So, um, what they've done is they've
tried to summarize what a lot of the risks are going to be and if you know council makes a decision, these are risks we're willing to take on, then the bid will be published and and we'll talk through the timeline and some of the
other things. So, that's kind of the why are we back here? We directed them to just put a bid out there. Well, there's a lot of new information that has been pulled together that we think it's important for council to know and then
allow us to make an informed decision. So, Cara, why don't you kind of go through? So, in the packet was a draft RFP or invitation to bid, right? ITB. Um, and I
guess kind of take us through where a lot of the risk areas are and I guess it's always going to start with funding, right? >> Yes. Yeah. So, we'll start with some of those risk area backgrounds and then go into those specific questions. So, one
of the biggest um risk areas to be aware of is this compressed bid window. So if you are looking at the agenda item, this is the first um bullet point underneath risk area background. So right now we have terms with the two grants that
we're receiving. We have the FURDAP grant and we have the RPAC grant. So the FURDA app grant the project completion date is April 2027 and then for ARPAC it's February 2027. Now, we are working towards, and we'll talk about this a little bit later, but
we are working towards trying to get those agreements to end at the same time for consistency, efficiency, all of that. But for right now, that's where it is. And so, part of what we're trying to do is we we have a compressed window of time to get these things done. So,
ideally, if council approves tonight, we would actually send this out for official bid tomorrow. And then as per the dates in the draft bid, we have the final submission date as August 11th. So
an exact I think exact four-week period of time. And then we do also have a couple of um other deadlines in there, deadlines to submit questions, things like that. But the reason for that 4-week bid window is because what we want to do after the 11th of August is
to then turn it around to staff and a committee, whatever the council decides, um to review, tabulate, and vet bids. I believe there's a plan to get a um tabulation se uh sheet in order. And so that leaves, you know, very little room
for irregularities. But ideally, we would have at that next meeting, which I believe is August 24th. So that next week basically 6 day turnaround to approve and you would have all of those sheets in front of you. But that's the reason that that's so tight.
Um because then it gives approximately um 5 months or so for the bidder to complete their project. as we have it written right now. We didn't want to give them a completion date of the term ending dates of the agreements. We wanted to give them a little bit of leeway. So right now their substantial
completion date is January 31st, 2027. So it's only a fivemonth um scope there. So that's number one. And that will be a topic of discussion. The council can change that, but that just kind of gives you a background of why we have it that
way. And then our next one on here is the open RPAC negotiation. So part of like I just said there's there's an issue of the term. So we definitely want to make sure that that is more consistent. But another big issue is
there were some items that were in the ARPAC agreement that didn't end up in the conceptual site plan that we have attached to the bid. And so that's a fancy way of saying, you know, there's some things that were in the ARPAC bid which included, I believe, some paving
and some different um drainage requirements that as of right now based on the uh compressed bid window and the cap dollar caps that we have on this project probably not going to be met. And so part of the conversation we had
today with our pack with um the Highlands County Attorney was to go through some of these items and hopefully get approval from them. We are going to appear in front of the ARPAC commission in on the 21st of July and
hopefully get an amendment to that agreement that allows us to lower um some of these requirements which I can go through in more detail later. Uh but basically we we think some of our bids are going to tell us uh some of the things that they cannot meet based on
the bid cap um that we have in place here. And so that's our next next point is we we have a not to exceed bid cap threshold. And so what that means here is because we have certain grant dollars in place. We've got 200,000 from Ferdap
and then we matched at 200K and then RPAC now separately has a 299,274 um bid or a grant for their RPAC agreement. And so what that means is technically we had about 699,000274
uh in dollars and some of that has been spent already. And so we did we did run the numbers um which is another topic of discussion for this next section. But it seems like as of right now we've spent about um 86,000 or so and the exact
number is about 600,000 68,000 left for a potential bidder to do this entire project. And that again it's based off of that. That's all the money we have earmarked. And this is the, you
know, in in our um in our legal mindset for this not to exceed bid cap, we cannot have them go beyond that. And so we have, it's not always in a bid, but we have it here. So, we'll address that a little bit later because that could be something that is moved around, but
we've done the crunch the numbers and we believe that 608 figure is probably going to be the max that they can spend for the whole project. And then the last piece of it which is our first topic for the council discussion and that's the loss of grant funds and liquidated
damages. So from FDRAP's perspective typically if you do not meet that project completion deadline it's you you get none of the money. Now we have had more recent conversations with Ferdap that suggest otherwise which is great news but we do want to operate you know
less uh more risk averse in this type of scenario. So, as of right now, we're treating it as though if we do not get it completed on time, we lose that money. And we're also com dealing with ARPAC and treating that the same way. Again, that could change, but for the
town's purposes and ensuring risk for the town, we kept the liquidated damages, which this should have been changed, but it should be exactly $4.99,274, which is a large amount for a liquidated damages provision. It's usually, you know, some dollar amount per day. But we
do believe that reflects the actual damages to the town if they do not complete it on time and certainly we want to incentivize timely completion. So that's part of that issue there. So that's the background. I don't know if we have any questions yet or you want me
to jump into the, you know, topics for discussion and um deciding whether you want to move forward. >> Madame Mayor, I have a couple questions. >> Sure. Um, Miss Gre Ray Royce, [clears throat] did I understand you just say you had a conversation about this with Sher Sutin?
>> Yes. >> Yes, we had one today. Correct. And >> Okay. And and I'm I'm going to be interested obviously in hearing what Sherry said. I guess my point is I would advise us not to spend too much time going back to ARPAC. This is an issue
that this is Miss Sutin, Miss Hearnner, Mr. Gun. I mean, this is ARPAC is an advisory commission. they've made we we should not waste weeks or months going back there. This is now in the hands of the county commission, the town the
administrator and probably equally important the county attorney. And so I'm kind of interested to hear what Miss Sepin had to say. >> Yes, sir. So I believe and and Mayor Charles can correct me if I'm wrong, but what I got from that conversation is at
that July 21st meeting, so I guess 9 days from now, uh we are going to present and we the town attorneys are going to present on the town's behalf, indicate to the commission, I believe. I don't know that we're I don't think we're going to ARPAC and then have to do
another hearing because we did specifically say to Sher that this is on a time frame. it's already going to be out to bid and we're receiving bids back by August 11th. So, I believe the intention is going to be show up at that on the 21st, get them to approve and
then that gives Sherry the automatic right like the motion essentially would be Sherry can go and negotiate and do an amendment and that's what we sign. So, as long as we can at this 21st meeting, my intention is to get all these questions out there, ensure they're answered, get them on the motion, and
then that way, to your point, we're not having to go back and forth on this beyond the bid deadline because we really can't do that. Um, so that's what I understand from that meeting. I don't know if Mayor Charles, you have a different um interpretation or uh Mike, >> so I they asked me at the last minute. I
jumped on that. Um, it was a meet me line and not just Sherry but Brandon Gun was also included in that and [clears throat] we explained to them with what are like two
areas of help. One is the timing of our pack is has to be completed February 4th. The timing of FURD app is April 30th. So, we wanted to get those two dates more in align. Would ARPAC have flexibility? And you're right, we we
backed off of it's not an ARPAC decision. It's a Highland County Commissioner's decision uh because of the agreement that's been signed. They were they felt that that was a very reasonable and that was something that could be adjusted. The second thing was
okay about the funding because we've adjusted what we've um submitted to them. We've basically peeled back parking and paving and boat ramp area and even on the pickle ball courts, cabana,
windcreens and some fencing. So, we've basically reduced a lot of the elements in the original submission. Do we need to do a revision for that? Kind of explained. And that's where she said that yes. and
that [clears throat] she would help like put it on the agenda and we have to get them the information tomorrow to make it to the 21st uh county commissioners meeting. With that, I tried to feel them out. Okay. Do you feel that there is a
appetite for not just approving our amendment, but because we've pulled things out, is there going to be a thinking that we're also going to get reduced funding than
the 299,274? And we didn't get a definitive on that. That was kind of a that's not up to us. That's up to the county commissioner. So that's where it was like, okay, they understood that we've got a scope change
here. Um I, you know, a fundamental change because we asked for more money and now we're using that money for the courts, not for the additional um work projects that we were going to do. >> Okay. And I apologize. I I I thought
when they someone mentioned the 21st, you were talking about going to an ARPAC meeting. You're talking about going to a county commission meeting. >> Yeah. Okay. The next county commissioner meeting is on the 21st and >> we need to rush to get some things together tomorrow and they'll get that on the agenda for that decision to be
made on the um revision to the ARPAC um grant. >> So I you know I mean I read through the list a couple times and if you're just looking for some consensus I think we need to go to the county commission. We need to tell them we need we need to have them continue with a full award.
Um, we need to move forward. We need to have the completion date move back to match the FRAP um date. If if we want to have a $400,000 uh liquidated damages figure, that's fine by me. Uh, if we want to have a 630
625 or 630 cap, again, that's fine by me. Um, I mean, those are the main couple things, right? >> Yeah. I I think the cap um Cara mentioned some um amounts you should say like 85,000 has been spent to date
something like that. The other thing we have to keep in mind and is one the county is still requiring in this transportation study you know when was done and so there's another $4,500 $5,000 uh that we're going to have to pay out of pocket that's going to take a
few months. So the timing of this whole thing is where it's going to be the risk, right, of trying to get all of this done. So there's a transportation study and then um there has to be we have a final development order takes another 30 days. Then they can apply for
a building permit which is going to be a couple weeks, $3,000. So there's more money than the what we spent today that we're still going to have to invest. and and I thought we spent about 35,000. How
did it get to 80,000? >> No, the um the last um chart was 63,000 and we've gone back and we've reconciled that and then we've added the attorney fees on that we've incurred a lot of attorney fees and then we did an
estimate um >> and plan our fees to add another transportation study. Well, that's and that's what I'm saying is so in addition to what we spent so far, we still are going to have another 4,500 transportation study and $3,000 in
building permits and a time delay. That's what's probably the more concerning is to to us is I want the money reimbured, right? We do this project, it has to be completed even though it's April 30th. We need time to
get all of our paperwork and vendors paid so that the reimbursement can get back to FURDAP before April 30th. The county is going to be a little more flexible, but the third FERD app and they said it's a hard stop that April
30th. The same with the the other grants. So, if you back that up now to March 30th, assuming the county is going to, which we should, assuming they're going to, you know, uh, let the dates match and you start laying all these things
out if we get it done by, you know, bids back by this date. But then you have this transportation study that I'm told could take a couple more months. You've got a final development order that's with the county
that the building department there takes another 30 days. Then the building permit can be one to two weeks and this just came out this afternoon and that's $3,000. So we still got to sink another almost $10,000 in. The construction is
going to be around 600 610 at the highest end in order to stay with the budget. I will say that it just was also discovered that we started pulling things out. We pulled out cabanas. We pulled out windcreens. We pulled out
fencing. It's clear at one point in time that's going to come forward for a request that would be general fund paying for that. So that's of a concern to me as we scale back in order to do it now. Is that just
something that's going to be later coming back to council? So there's just so much is now as we're getting into the details coming out the compressed timeline. We don't want to lose our funding. Um the other thing we never talked about is ongoing maintenance costs for the the lights. There's going
to be 11 light poles. Today we pay $1,000 a month for the ballpark lights and those aren't on seven days a week. So, I just I would prefer that this council has accurate information in order to make a decision on what route
we're going to take. The biggest concern is the compressed timeline right now to get something out to bid, get through these transportation study, building permits, final development order, and is that contractor even going to have enough time to get this completed?
>> So, [clears throat] this this will never get any better. And the reason we are where we are is because we spent two, three or four years trying to get to this point because we had consternation. We had we had conflict. We had people
not wanting us to go forward with this project. So they continued to put roadblocks in our in our way. And the last of which has been the transportation study. And I think that this has been a concerted effort to just put roadblocks in the way of this of
this in my opinion very much needed um u amenity for our town. We're doing a lot of things for the children. That's wonderful. We need to do something for the senior population of which we know that our county and our town is more
seniors than they are kids. And we need to do this. And the reason we're in this complex, this compressed time frame, we put ourselves there along with some other help from other agencies, but we put ourselves there. And I want to see if we can get out of it. And can we
still build these pickle ball courts? And I don't want to lose that $400,000 grant because I know what everybody tells me. Oh, it won't make a difference. I still believe it will. >> Can I get back to the finances and the timing? Um, now the $68,000 that's left,
that takes into account the traffic study and everything else. >> It does. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. And then so what if the traffic study, let's say we're under construction, whatever, and the traffic study comes back and it says, "Oh, we
got to you got to change some of your roadways or your this or that or whatever, and now we could incur additional costs." That's an unknown. So, you don't have to just put that back here. The next thing is the timing. If I read it right, the
bidding starts July 14th, but the meeting with the count the county is July 21st. >> Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Yes, ma'am. So we have written into the bid um invitation to bid on that first
page I believe um an agenda deadline which is August 6. So that's actually will give us a little bit of time if we needed to amend. So, for example, with the liquidated damages, as much as we don't want to amend huge substantive things right before people are
submitting deadlines, um at least with the liquidated damages and some of these other issues, we can, you know, they'll be lowered and and it'll be perhaps more favorable to our our contractors. Um but yes, we we would have time on August 6
to um make any revisions, notify our biders if the costs go down significantly. So, okay, that's where I was going. So, what if the commission comes back and says, because you took out so many things, we're not going to give you all the money we said we'd give
you originally, and now your budget is half. Let's instead of the 200 or in the 299, let's say they cut it back to a total of 300,000. But in the and you can amend that to the contractors, but in the meantime, the
contractor has put effort, time, and effort into starting to bid thinking it was 608,000. Well, I don't think we will do that because they understand that we've been trying to do this for three years and five years or six years and the pro the
prices have gone up just like they did on the police station and that's why we are where we are today. It's not going to get any better. >> But the problem is and I can see where the county might um bulk at doing it. I'm not worried about the timing thing. That's minor. But where they might get
ruffled is that part of the justification for doing this was that we would pave by the boat ramp because it was a safety issue and they were giving us money to do that and if we don't do that now are we reneggging on the
original intent of the agreement and they may cut money out of what they promised us. >> So my madam mayor for my my question is Mr. Durm, if we put out a bid document and we solicit bids and we get bids in,
are we under any legal obligation to accept any bids or take action or are we just in receipt of their proposals? >> We would draft a bid so you could reject all bids. >> I'm sorry, what? >> We would draft a bid document so you could reject all bids that you wouldn't
have to move forward. I guess my point is I understand Miss Everheart's points, but if anything changes between now and August 11th or whenever in funding goes away, traffic studies, we can't mitigate that situation.
You know, it looks we we get bids that are well in excess of 600 or $625,000. We say, "Okay, we tried. We move we move on." And I guess I'm I'm in that camp of let's put together the best set of bid
documents we can in the next several days. We move forward with soliciting the bids. Two things are going to happen simultaneously. People are going to be putting together potentially bids at or below $600,000 range, give or take. And the county is
going to be working with us on some stuff. I think we ought to continue to ask them why the heck the old transportation study, I mean, is that something they can wave, they can accept? Nothing's changed as far as those numbers. Alls we've done is
decrease the amount of traffic, you know, I don't know, but we might need to push back on the county some >> on the actual traffic study. The traffic study we had done was done Monday through Friday. We did not include weekends on that and this requires the
weekend study as well. That's why the new traffic study needs to be accomplished. They have to bring it back and do an actual weekend traffic study. >> So, who did the town pay to do the initial traffic study? >> It was, if I'm not mistaken, the county >> Kimley Horn, >> I'm sorry, Kimley Horn.
>> I mean, I to be frank, why the hell did they do it wrong then? >> I asked that question. I mean, to me, that's the kind of thing that Kimley Horn, who just makes a pile of damn money on our backs, that should be something they rectify because that's
their screw up. >> They failed. And And who asked for the traffic study and didn't put the right parameters on it? >> Our county is asking for the traffic study. >> So, the county didn't put the right parameters on it that said it had to be a >> I'm not sure what parameters they were
given to begin with. I was not in this position at that time. I was not privy to that. >> Dana Dana, do you have any information on that? That was I think Charlotte. >> Unfortunately, I I really don't have much information on what happened in the methodology. The only thing I could
imagine is that maybe they move forward without a methodology meeting with the county, which would be highly frowned upon. This is something that I'd be happy to look into, but because the traffic studies placed on hold until after the bid process, I've not moved forward on that at all. But if the
council would direct me or like me to work with the county to better understand what's going on here, I'd be happy to do that. >> Well, Madame Mayor, if I could go back to my original point, I think we need to be moving on the one last attempt to to Miss Hayes's point to get it across the
finish line. And I know there's people that would like to see it die right here and now, but we move forward with this. We don't spend any other than a little bit of legal money, significantly any more money. And at the same time that the bid process is going on, who knows?
We might not even have any biders. You know, they may look at it and say, "No way. I don't want to get in bed with those folks." You know, so um but I think we move forward. Then these other issues we we track and try to deal with
on a parallel timeline. My perspective, >> the only thing I'm going to add for that, if we want to make it in the time frame that we have left, we would have to move forward with that traffic study. Now, that twomonth period for
permitting, we have to have before construction can even begin. Am I correct on that? Well, I'm happy to ask the mayor to call Kimley Horn tomorrow and say, "What the heck?" >> I'll do that
>> because >> I just want to make sure that we are are 100% upfront with this to even have a chance to meet that that time frame and that is a very slim chance. You would have to move forward with that. There is no
wiggle room here. We have to move forward. there can be no delays or we will not meet the time frame. >> I understand I want to make sure that's >> simultaneously >> and I think our message to Kimley Horn ought to be this is your issue. This is your problem.
>> I paid you $8,000 already. Why do I need to pay you another $4,500? >> I need to get it done >> and tell them of the the short time frame. I mean, you got to fix this now. >> I think it might also benefit Sorry, Dana Redell Town Planner. I think even before having that conversation with
Kimley Horn, there might need to be a conversation with the county and I think there could be some wiggle room based on recent events that have happened with the county to revisit their comments. Just a thought. Okay.
Dana, do you have a copy of the results? No, you don't. So, Chief, we need to try to find I' I'd like to be able to find the results coming back from the transportation study so we can have that intelligent conversation with Kimley Horn. >> I will look through all the documentation I can find.
>> Thank you. >> I I perceive anyways, Miss Madame Mayor, that there's at least two of us up here that want to move forward on this. And so, if from from Mr. Mr. Dur, Miss Groves's standpoint, they need answers to a couple of questions so they can
finalize the documents. Then at least make sure we give them those answers so that we can move forward on parallel tracks. I understand there are things that could derail this and if it's legitimate stuff derails it, it derails
it. But um if there are two or three of these key topics for liquidated damages, not to exceed big caps, let's make some determinations and let them finalize these documents in the next several days and we can do that. I I don't Is there
Cara anything here specific for council or I can work with you over the next couple days on the quickly changes here that are needed after we find out from Kimley Horn? I don't >> Yeah, there are just
>> it was more awareness there's a risk but is there anything specific decisions you need from council on anything within this RFQ? what do you call the invitation to bid? >> So I think and I'll just I'll go as um
quickly but as concisely as possible. So the liquidated damages if the council is in agreement right now we have it as the full amount of the two grant do two grant um agreements. So, $499,274 with the um backup in mind that once we
have this conversation with the commission in Highlands County on the the um 21st, that number may go down and we can amend that within our bid documents and notify the biders up until August 6. So, that would be the first
comment. I think it sounds like we're okay with that. um based off of, you know, we don't really know if the dollars are going to be reduced, but once we do, we can certainly amend that. So, that would be the first one. Um and then the second one is the cap. So, I
think we were in agreement as well that the cap will be uh $68,000, which does take into account the $86,773.68 68 in cost and this potential $4,500, which if that gets taken away, great.
Um, but at least we we won't have any bids over that worst case scenario number 608. And then the last two or the last three. Um, so that substantial completion deadline we have is January 31st, 2027.
I think we keep it at that for now because we're waiting to see if ARPAC will actually amend. Um so we'll you know for right now I think we we keep that the way that it is. Um but if there is any objection we that is within the council's power to change that. And then
the last two are um bid security and this is just a fancy you know requirement. We do not have to require it of our our biders but in the event that they do not timely complete the project. We do have the liquidated damages in there, but we'd still have to
foreclose on the bond that they put up. They have to put up a bond equal to the contract amount, and that's costly to the town. So, we have suggested that there's a $100,000 set aside um held in escrow, so the town has the funds to retain bond counsel. Obviously, it's a
non-issue and they never have to really pay anything out of pocket if they do this timely, but it is $100,000 in cash or prop, you know, collateralized bond and that can be expensive. So, that's really the kind of the larger question mark. And then the last one is our
contractor questionnaire, which we can look at. It's just questions to ask our biders to see if they're qualified. We have a lot. It's on page 20 already. Uh but if anybody had any you know comments on additional questions they want us to ask our biders uh we can go through
that. So with the first one the liquidated damages. So our recommended motion would be to put the liquidated damages as 499,274. So that would be our first part of it if
there's any objection to that. Again, Madame Mayor, the rationale there is that if they do not finish the project on time and we are not meaning the town is not reimbursed the 499,
then they're it's on them. >> Exactly. >> I would that it's in in lie of us getting the money from the state and the county, it comes from the contractors.
And if I may comment, um, realize when you get into those complexities, there's things called set offs and things of that nature. So if the county or the state were to reimburse some monies, naturally the contractor would say, "Well, you were reimbured town, so we're going to take a set off of what you were
reimbursed." >> It's not a windfall that we get half a million dollars plus the state county. Okay. Makes sense today, but I've had those questions asked before. No, that only makes sense. >> So, if that I guess how do you want to
proceed because these council gave us direction to prepare the best bid documents we could get this on the street with Dana's help and Jeff's help and Cara especially. That's what we wanted to get back to council. If there's any amendments needed or you're okay with stuff, that's what we would
want to hear tonight. Get it done. Get the documents out. And then we need direction on a supplemental memorandum to go to the board of county commissioners and then who's going to represent the town at that county commission meeting. Um county staff was
very gracious today very workable Miss Suan Brandon Gun. So um it was it was a good meeting but they can't promise things that they don't have the authority to promise and it's going to be some of those set offs with some of the elements brought up. So, with that in mind, we just like to take this
logically through. What amendments do you want, if any, so we can get the bid documents. >> Okay. What I'm sorry, Madame Mayor. What I don't understand is, if I'm reading this right, it talks about key topics for council discussion, liquidated damages.
Whoever authored this says, "We do not recommend increasing to full project cost as this is typically struck under Florida law." So why are we going to $4.99 then if it's if if you have concerns about Florida law? >> That's not the full cost of the project
is what we're thinking there. You don't want to overreach and have it stricken. So that's why we're staying under. >> So you're saying what we then put at risk is our 200 grand. >> Yes. >> Correct. >> Okay. Okay. I mean I I hope we just
aren't and I told Mr. Durham this. I mean, I I just don't want to poison pill this thing to death that we make it such an unattractive >> package that everyone says no. So, but if it looks like we got two on 499, fine. Um, I'll I'll wait and argue bid
security here when we get to it. And I think that number, if we're going to do that, could be significantly lower. I can't imagine we'd spend $100,000 on bond council. So, if someone says, "Let's put 20 or 25 grand there," then
fine, but let's let's don't poison this thing up so deep that no one wants to touch it. >> I I would have two amendments. Um the first one is that there will be absolutely no change orders that increase the cost because I'm afraid
that a bidder may under bid thinking they can make up the difference on change orders. And then the other one that concerns me is the one only a one-year warranty. Uh if they don't compact the base and it settles or the sidewalks crack, I would
like to see a longer warranty. >> Yeah, I would defer maybe to Dana Redell. Um I I think we should ask for the maximum warranty. I agree with you with something like that. You would think there'd be more to it. A commercial structure. Um,
we could ask for the maximum warranty, but a year isn't enough. You would want something three to five or something of that nature. >> At least at least at least two. So, it goes through a full an annual cycle of rains and whatevers.
>> It's often the the workmanship that creates the warranty issues as opposed to the materials themselves. So, >> yeah, I'm worried the workmanship. Yeah. and but mostly is that there will be absolutely no change orders. >> Um I would suggest that our maximum not
to exceed big cap then be $610,000 >> just to round it out. >> What? >> Just to round it out. >> Just to round it out. And frankly, if the town has to put an extra couple of grand in this to make it a project, we do that. Um,
just because the town is the one that I won't go any further. Yes. Still round it out. I I don't know that it's reasonable to ask for no change orders, but I would um just say that minimal change orders or
maybe that's not even addressed, but I don't know that it's um I mean, I've built a number of buildings, not built them, but supervised them being built and that there's always something. So, I I don't know. I think but we would
certainly need to limit them. Certainly >> I I maybe we can put some language change orders are absolutely >> discouraged >> discourage critical but I do think that comes in the award because when you have the lowest bidder that's the most responsive and responsible bidder and
you see a big spread that's when you're possibly looking at someone that's looking for change orders as opposed to when this comes back and we go through our scoring and we're trying to work on that that's when council can look at this and say, you know, this one's the
lowest bidder. It's under the budget, but there could be a lot. Everybody else is much higher. I think you're asking yourself for change orders. That's just in the process of who you award the bid to. We have questionnaires for backgrounds. We can do those background
checks and things, but I think we can put some language like everybody does and and be serious about it. I mean, the council's serious about that. But but even if let's say there was one bidder who came in at 610, >> right? >> He could they could still raise up up up
till it get to who knows what. >> So there has to be something that limits change orders. >> Well, I think even um taking change orders into account, the
maximum limit for this project remains the same. But your change orders can't put you over that. >> A change order takes two parties. >> Yeah. >> Agreed. >> Yeah. So, we [clears throat] can always refuse the change. >> And maybe inherently we can say council
has not authorized staff or anyone to agree to change orders except for council >> and let them come to council and explain why they need a change order and the public can explain that. >> Yeah. And also >> just to add to that just the way that
it's structured, we have a full schedule of values. So they are going to have to put in each dollar amount and that's the representation we made. So we all that's also why we we did it that way because to your point, we cannot have folks coming in here later on and saying, "Oops, I, you know, didn't realize that
the cost of of of some reclaimed wood was going to go up." So that's part of why they have to actually attest to all of that, too, >> right? And I'd hate to have a change order scaling back in order to make the budget. So as they get into it, okay,
we'll take this fence off or we'll take this off. So that's >> um that's where I would be concerned. Not just the scope of the work, but then also the dollar. Any other items? Have Have we addressed all of your questions, Miss Gross?
Have we have we addressed everything? >> Cara, are you do you need any further? >> So, I think we've addressed it all. So, I'll recap my notes on here. I think we're okay with the liquidated damages at the 499 with the um with the
knowledge that if the numbers go down, we will absolutely change that as soon as that meeting's over. Um not to exceed big cap, we're going to round to 610. Um, we're going to uh make sure the language is clear on change orders that um they're they're they're not going to
be allowed. However, we do have language. I just want to make sure that everyone is aware um before I I sign off on this. The only language we have that specifically allows for a change order is if there's a utility conflict essentially that was not anticipated by
either party. So we wrote on here that relocation of existing utilities is included only where specifically shown um or identified on the site plan. Unforeseen conflict shall be handled via change order. We felt that that was a reasonable, you know, if if we mess
something up on that end, but that that's the only piece of it there that I wanted everyone to be aware of. Um and then the warranty, I I heard three years for the warranty. Is that the number that we want to go with? Yeah, I'm not in that industry, but I
would say we would want the maximum. Maybe we maybe we draft it that warranty on workmanship and materials will be a consideration in awarding the bid and the contractor that provides the greatest warranty on their workmanship, that be a
consideration. Would that work, Miss Groves? >> I think so. Yeah, I I think that because we do have in here the applicable manufacturers's warranty period is also included, but yes, I think we could do something to the effect of um that's
considered in the not for less than a year, but if it's higher than that, that's a consideration in the tab the tabbing of the uh of the bid. Okay. And then I heard on the bid security we want to lower that to maybe
25,000. I I defer to Mike on the you know I I think it's a question really for council on how much they're comfortable spending. So it it does seem to be we can lower that to whatever council decides um if 25,000 is the better amount. I don't mind having an
amount in there just as an extra thought process, but I we we're already we're already at half a million dollars of bond for them on this. And I think if we were going to have to get bond counsel, I mean, I'm obviously I'm
not the attorney, but I hope we wouldn't have to spend a hundred grand to collect 500 grand. >> Um, >> and it wouldn't have to be us, by the way. It's Specialized Bond Council. It's not us. >> And and that's the issue um
>> Chairman Royce is that when you start dealing with this, it's always the last 10% of any deal where you find out your subs weren't paid and you have your subs are making greater claims than what's left um which finance would have in the budget and then if we get midway through this and it's not completed for on the
performance bond issue um and we need to make claim on that bond and then bring other contractor in to finish it. This is about risk and about putting you in the best position. I know 100k sounds like a lot, but bond council $400 or $500 an hour. Um we can at least um
maybe make that as as well. the town is would look for a um escrow hold of 50,000 and and the higher that number is um that would be a consideration in awarding because if a contractor comes
to you and says look I'll I'll put up the 100,000 um I will guarantee my work product I will get it done on time you have a lot more confidence in awarding a bid like that versus somebody well I'm not going to do the hundred I only can do 10 um that just might be something we
need to consider in the bid process as a criteria for evaluation. >> No, I understand what you're saying. I just I also understand that we can load this up with so many pills agree >> that it becomes such an unattractive
package that everyone just says the juice isn't worth the squeeze here. And that's I just don't want us to start off poisoning this thing. so deeply that that no contractor in the next 30 days will even want to look at it. I have a
feeling frankly that's what's going to happen anyways and we're just wasting time right now. But um fine. I mean if you want to make it if others if I can get another friend to say 50 that's fine, you know. But >> yeah, we we could start there and it
could be a criteria in the award. If somebody wanted to put more on on the plate to guarantee their performance, they they may do that. I don't know. But I know in my last experience with this on a town park, um subcontractors were
really harmed and that's where we had to make claim really on their behalf because they didn't have the whereforall to do it. It would have been nice if the government had a trust fund set up so those subs could get paid. Contractor got paid, but the subs didn't get paid. And that's a main concern in a lot of
the those bonds, but the performance bond we want to look at as well. >> So you want to put 50k on the issue and then we can go from there. >> So as part of our contract with a con with a general GC, we don't we don't require release of subs or anything like
that. >> Excuse me. As part of our contract with the GC, we don't require a notification of release of sub of subs. >> We do. >> We do. >> But you would be amazed of how many subs
aren't paid and sometimes those releases are still submitted. It's usually that last 10% of a project where subs are coming in submitting invoices to the GC higher than what the GC thought they were going to be. And and that's where we get the problems. you don't get the
release and then we have those claims and they're coming before council saying we didn't get paid on this job and that's what we would like to avoid. Hopefully here you don't have a lot of components. you have a a court nets,
you know, you don't have a lot of components um in this particular project, but if you were building an entire new park, I would certainly be concerned. >> So, do I hear 50 as the 50k as the final? I mean, are you thinking less? Is
council thinking less on this or more or >> 50 is okay by me. And I have a final question in a minute, but I'm I'm good with whatever y'all propose. >> I think 50 is okay as well. >> Okay. And then the last one is just this
questionnaire. I just put it up on the screen. Hopefully you can see um but it just if you want to add anything to it. This is typical to ask questions of the contractors to make sure they can do this kind of work and further ensure we're making the right decision. But if anybody has any extra questions they
want to add I will add those in here. >> Fine. >> So my ultimate question is we put together this bid package in the next several days. How does it get advertised other than just some random
posting? I mean, have do we have an aggressive means to reach out to the companies in this portion of the state that do this type of work? >> So, it will go out on the bidet system,
which is broad. It's beyond the state, too. Versus in the past, we've just put bids on our website. this will actually go into the system. Not the easiest system to load it up. So, you know, with these changes and that, but we'll put it out there. Um,
this the same that we've done with the police department, the sewer plant, and um the the lighting other projects. I would hope and ask that when the bid documents are ready that someone on staff reach out to those interested parties that have been following this
for several years to make sure that they at least have the ability to share with the folks they know in the industry that it's finally out there. So at least they have the opportunity to say to folks those GCs that they've heard of just
make sure they're aware, you know, just in case those guys, especially in this compressed three or four week period, aren't going to bids us.com, you know, to to find it. I I will defer to Mike on this, but I
believe we're not allowed to individually solicit because if there was a bid contest, that would come out as as evidence that we uh solicited people in particular. So, I think we're limited on publishing through uh normal channels and records, but I'll defer to
Mike. >> So, we're not allowed to tell members of the public that it's available. >> No, you can you can inform members of the public. They're here watching and listening. And that's right now a contractor could make a request and get the agenda item.
>> Well, I think what we're going to do is go through bidet, general practice of the town >> and you can we can inform individuals that it's out on the street and the intention from my understanding is to make these amendments and have this ready to go tomorrow.
>> Well, there's a lot of work that needs to that's our goal, right? That's our goal to try to get all of the documents from tonight's meeting >> changed so that we can then get them into business >> because the timeline we don't want to miss that August back it up.
>> Yeah. This can't this can't wait a week, >> right? No, no, there was not going to be a week. I mean, I just heard you know in the next couple days. Our intent is tomorrow. That's what our goal was going to be tomorrow. >> Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Yeah. >> I don't even want to say a couple days because uh then people drag your feet.
We need it tomorrow. because we we need to be as fair as we can in this late hour to the contractors. >> So, Council Member Royce, to the comment that you just made and what I don't know, Mike, if you heard Cara's answer to it, you know, the comment was to have
staff reach out to these vendors we've been working with to let them know that it's out there. We're not going to do that because that's, you know, >> No. And I I was I did not mean I did not mean that the town would reach out to specific vendors or contractors. I just think that it's important and I'll take
care of it too that the pe the parties that are have a vested interest in this may know the types of people that would potentially bid on this and we just need to make sure that we have at least where we could share with the public. Yes,
they can go to www.bidnet Bidnet or whatever it is and it's out there available now for >> so along with bidnet we possibly could put it on Facebook and put on next door app and all of that and that puts it out and pushes it out a different way that
would be okay right >> yeah it the same thing that we generally do with trying to recruit >> others yeah >> yeah this this was really designed and you can see council that we wanted to get guidance from you before we just put these documents out on the street and
somebody would say, "Oh, that's a poison pill. Oh, that's not tight enough. Oh, that's too tight." And this is why it's a policy decision for council to move forward. And the risk is, you know, half a million plus dollars. And we're just trying to ensure that if anybody's
serious about doing the work that it's going to be completed within that budget. It's a quality project. So we are you are you satisfied? We could go ahead with a motion now. Are you cool? You satisfied? Yeah.
Okay. So, I guess the motion then would be to authorize town attorney's office and town clerk to finalize and issue the invitation to bid for the Lake June pickle ball complex substantially in the form presented subject to resolution of
the outstanding items identified tonight with bids to close August 1st uh uh August 11th, excuse me, 2026 and the award recommendation to return to council for final decision on August 17th, 2026.
>> Second. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I was waiting for Miss Abberart to just jump on the train. [laughter] >> I knew that wasn't going to happen. >> Okay, we have a motion. We have a second. Any more comments from the dis
out to the audience? Seeing none, bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Ebart, >> and I'll reiterate from all the other meetings, no. Because of the financial
unknowns with the uh uh possible cut in real estate taxes, plus all the things that the mayor just mentioned for the add-ons. So, it's a no. >> Motion passes. Um, so moving on, we pulled item E.
We'll move on to F, Bridge League of Cities. >> I I think we have one more item. >> There's a second. >> Well, it came up today during the meeting with the county staff. Probably council needs to go ahead and I guess give direction that we prepare that
supplemental document, have it up to the county by five o'clock tomorrow, I believe. And then who's going to be the representative? It could be, you know, all of you for that matter as long as you're not talking among yourselves. Um, but you could present. That would be a
discussion I would ask so we don't lose that opportunity. >> Okay. Do you do you need a motion for that or you're just saying? >> Well, >> I think it was a given before. We're going to the county. We're putting the package together. >> Would we have a representative? Would mayor are you going to represent the
county in that or would you want somebody else or a motion from the >> What do you all want? I I think our mayor would be >> You think our mayor would do it? >> Good representative. >> I think Greg Zap would be great. >> I think the mayor would be a good representative. And if you need backup,
we can always be in the in in the audience, but >> I think it looks best for the town if the mayor leads that charge. >> I'd be happy to do that. >> Is that not approval? We >> No, that that's fine. It's just I didn't want like the county commission to have a meeting and they look for a town
representative and nobody appeared. It's kind of at least somebody's there to answer any questions and we don't know what they're going to do with those elements. So, that is a that is a discussion. >> And did you need something uh in in the way of a motion with reference to getting something to the county by 5:00
tomorrow so that it gets on the agenda? >> No, we're going to I mean, you don't need a formal motion. We're going to do that. >> We're just going to get that done. No worries. It it's it's it's going to get done. Um Karen and I are well aware it and Dana um we know what needs to be done, what the county's expecting. It's going they've already started
>> an agenda item. Okay. >> It's just a matter of us providing the supplemental material based upon tonight's meeting. >> But I just certainly want a representative. I think it's good. >> It's polite to show up at meetings where you have an agenda item. >> Right. Right. >> Absolutely. [laughter]
>> Yes. Definitely. >> And Madame Mayor, Mr. Durham, since this is an item that we've already voted on in a public in a county commission public meeting, it would be okay if there were several
of us there and even spoke in favor of the issue. Correct. You're speaking on a matter that is likely not coming back before you as to whether or not the ARPAC money will be
fully funded or not fully funded. So, I would not think it would violate the sunshine law. >> Okay. If you were going up there to advocate and then have to come back here next week and do this process, I think
that would be problematic. It's close, but here's the thing. You're making all the comments at the podium in the sunshine that's been advertised with an agenda item. Um, so I think it's certainly a lot cleaner than me meeting at a restaurant and having a political
candidate. But good question. I think you can you each of you could appear on on that issue. >> No, you gave me the answer I thought and obviously since I get paid to be at those meetings by a different entity. If the mayor is there and the mayor is
presenting, I will sit very quiet up. But no problem at all. Okay. Thank you. >> So that's that's been pretty much established. You're at a restaurant and the mayor is presenting something as long as you're not engaging back and forth. But even in this context, this particular matter will not come back
before you. So, >> just wanted to broach this again in the public. >> Yeah, good thought. >> Okay, we're good on that topic. Moving on. >> Uh moving on to um item F, the Ridge
League of Cities nomination letter for the 2026 Florida League of Cities annual conference. And this is a scholarship. This should go pretty fast is um the as as we did with the scholarship. Oh,
I'm sorry. Absolutely. Please come up and identify yourself and and your address for the record. >> My name is Scott Sus with Central Contractors and uh [clears throat] address is 1245 County Road 621 East.
Thanks for giving me the opportunity just to find out what's going on. I came in last Friday looking to talk to somebody within the town just like, "Okay, what's happening with this thing that we bid back in March and kind of got kicked around a little bit?" And said, "Yeah, they're going to talk about
it tonight." So the I'm just trying to get out to find out what is the status with the project. Are you doing the project? Are you not? Is it going to go out back out for bid? That's all I'm trying to find out. >> Which project? the Lake Plaza ballfield
lighting project. The ball field lighting >> the one that the one that got pulled tonight. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Um so it I I can't answer if it's going to go out to bid. When I got the information and I looked at the information, it hadn't had attorney
review. I had not looked at it, so I pulled it. Um I give me the few days this week. It may go on next week's agenda. So I I apologize that um you didn't know that it was pulled. Um there were various contractors came in and I
think that the way possibly the actual quote went out it was difficult for us to compare them consistently um to see that the work that was being um bid on. >> Okay. So then I'll hear from you then in a couple days. >> That's fine.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> By the end of the week maybe sorry for interrupting because they just loaded up my platter for tomorrow. >> Yeah, that's fine. I I hear you got you got a lot going on between now and tomorrow. So yeah, that's fine. And sorry for interrupting. I just didn't >> No, that's fine. I didn't know if it was the pickle ball lights. I think we were
kind of like, okay, is this the pickle ball lights or >> We've been on that a couple of times, too. So, yeah. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Okay. Moving on to item F. Um, what this is is earlier we talked about we had the scholarships when the uh the Ridge
League of Cities. So, we the town belong to the U. Florida League of Cities and then there's a separate um entity for various counties uh that we've joined and then I also belong now to the mayor's league of cities. So u three
different entities that can help us and the annual Florida League of Cities meeting is in October and I have registered for that. I think uh council member Hayes, you went last year. Um council member Warley and um and the town administrator went. So I went ahead
and um reserved myself for that. And then I find out that the Ridge of Cities offers a $1,000 scholarship to any um member that has not previously attended the
Florida League of Cities, which would be myself. So I said, "Fine. what do I need to do u to apply for this scholarship? And they said, well, you need a approval from the town council. And thus in the packet is a letter to be signed by the
vice mayor and then a letter from myself. And I wrote that up and put it it in there. And then I need to send it to the um the Ridge League of Cities. The scholarship is offered to any um city that has under 8,000 um residents.
So, I think that we sit very good uh to be able to receive that. So, this is asking for council support to apply for a $1,000 scholarship for myself to attend the Florida League of Cities Conference this year. >> I make a motion we approve the nomination letter and authorize the vice
mayor to sign on behalf of the town council. >> Second. We have a motion. We have a second. Any other comments from the dis out to the audience? Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Everheart,
>> yes. >> Motion passes. Moving on to G budget amendment, purchase of a replacement chlorine skid. I'm going to turn that over to the chief. This should go pretty fast because it's changed from a approval to an information and a
subsequent approval with the emergency needing to do that last week. >> Uh this is a piece of equipment that basically makes our water potable so that we can drink it. Um it is needed in our wells. Uh last week we had a and
correct me if I'm wrong, it's a an >> air lock on one of our wells and it prompted us to have to move a little quicker than we thought we would have to get this replaced. So the parts been ordered and steps have been taken to go ahead and repair this problem. But we
still need the approval for the budget amendment. Make a motion to approve a budget amendment in the amount of $31,400 to purchase replacement chlorine skid for the Serena water treatment plant. >> Second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. Any
other comments from the DIS out to the audience? Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Royce, >> yes. >> Council member Hayes, >> yes. >> Council member Ebart, >> yes. >> Motion passes. Uh, moving on to age resolution 2026-09,
temporary use permit for dog park. And we'll ask Dana to go ahead and brief us on that one, please. Good evening, Dana Redell, town planner. For the record, it came to our attention that a a dog park was approved with CRA funds in the lot
next to the old town hall building. And uh this building or this particular lot and several others throughout town might contain grandfathered uses, but because we're proposing a new use on this property. Um, again it came to our
attention that the zoning is not in place. The town does not have a public zoning designation and we have a um firehouse coming in that could also benefit from a public zoning district as well as the downtown library and the
deain park, the basketball courts, things of that nature. If we apply a PD, I'm sorry, a public zoning instead of a PD. um were able to just move things along much more quickly and much more
smoothly. So, in the interim, it was proposed that we use a temporary use permit to allow the construction of the fence for the dog park. And as that continues to move forward, we will continue working on creating a public
lands zoning district and get our properties into further compliance. >> I'll make a motion we adopt resolution number 2026-09. >> Second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. Any comments from the dis?
>> I have some questions. >> Go ahead, please. you have this um this development this what do you call that that you're that you're creating here. >> What kind of
>> public zoning district? How big is the district? >> So it's a zoning designation like we have the commercial district, the agricultural district. Um, it's by the time we're done, I'm sure we'll
encompass several acres, but this will be a brand new zoning district. So, this is a public use district for the for the dog park. That's not going to include the fire station that's up here unless you're going to make it miles,
>> right? So, we create the zoning district, which is what allows us to apply the public zoning. And then we also have to reszone those properties that need that zoning designation. So, we'll have to reszone the fire station property and several other properties
throughout town that don't have the zoning in place to do what they're currently requesting to do. >> So, how could we do this without that? Because now you're saying that if we do this and we make that zoning change, we've got to make zoning change to five or six other properties as well.
>> No. >> Right. We don't have to, but >> but you won't let any development go forward unless they do. >> Me personally have no dog in the fight. >> No, I know you don't. It's a dog park. No, I'm just teasing. But but no, I mean
your office, your planning, your all this stuff. But if we do this, it's going to make us go to reszone all these other things when we do it because we've done it for one little dog park. It would be a cleaner way of moving
forward. Some properties already have the zoning in place. Other properties do not. Like the residential district allows certain public uses. So like the Dow Hall Park um and the Lake June Ballfields do not need reszoning because
those are permitted uses in those districts. Downtown around Deain Circle has a commercial zoning which does not allow these uses that are currently proposed and grandfathered in those areas. >> So how did we choose this property?
>> There was a request on the table to move forward. I was told that I was going to be asked to sign off on a permit and the first thing you do when you sign off on a permit is to confirm that the zoning allows the use. The zoning did not allow the use. I brought the concern forward
and this is a solution that would allow us to move forward while still bringing the properties into compliance. Dana, let me let me just So when we went forward to use this parcel for a dog park, it was determined that parcel is
coat is a C1 zoning. Well, guess what? So is Deain Park today a C1 coding. So is the basketball. So then it's like, okay, so what are we going to do? So the temporary temporary is to do if we want to move forward with the dog part, then
we need a temporary use for just a dog part. then the the right way to do it is then look at all of those properties there that are being used for recreation today and zone them to a recreation use. So, it's another one of those things is
we went to do something, we discovered some other things that need to be fixed at the same time. >> And madame mayor, I believe this this resolution speaks to this specific piece of property. >> And theoretically, the only property we may put into public zoning district is this particular piece of property. So it
doesn't, Councilwoman Hazel, it does not force us to reszone or do anything other any other properties. We may very well do that, but this resolution speaks specifically to this particular parcel >> area. I mean this this one is a
temporary for this parcel. But then the discussion is then do you do >> a planned development for the but this resolution speaks to that specific dog park area property. >> And why is the dog park exactly here?
Why isn't it somewhere else? >> Because we said we'd allow dog park there. >> That's what the CRA approved. >> The CRA approved the a dog park. I didn't think the CRA approved a dog park in that location. >> No, that was the whole the proposal with
the picture of where it would be and we talked to First Insurance and the surrounding areas and >> they were okay with it. >> Yes. >> So now we have another one of our favorite plan development projects which is >> not yet. >> Yeah.
>> Today on the table is just this parcel. >> Yeah. I'm telling you right now, I'm just going on the record that you are opening a can of worms for planned development because I know that our
planner loves planned developments. And every time we turn around, there's another planned development. Look at Lake Placid Marine. They're trying to do something good to their property. Oh no, we have to have a plan development for that. Oh no, we have to have a plan
development for this. I'm not interested in a plan development for a dog park. >> I think you mean in many instances the code requires planned developments, but in this instance, I'm actually actively working to avoid plan developments by
applying a public zoning district. >> Okay? And I think you will be quite satisfied when you see some of the ideas that I'll bring forward in that zoning district to give the town a little leeway to avoid concerns like we had in the past regarding the exterior finish
of the old fire department when that was a big issue. Um I'm looking for ways to find flexibility for our infrastructure to come to fruition. So I hope you can appreciate that. I'm going to hold you to that. Okie
dokie. >> Any other comments from the dis out to the audience? Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Council member Ebahart. >> Yes. >> Council member Hayes.
>> Yes. Motion passes. Uh moving on to I. Approval of memorandum of understanding with I3 broadband for fiber optic network deployment in the town's rightway. >> Okay. Good evening again. Cara Groves
here uh esteemed council members and mayor. So we have another uh fiber installer. This time it is I3 broadband LLC. This is identical memorandum of understanding to the first one we had with Clearwave last month. I forget. Um
but this is as we spoke that first time, we are not um going at any no nothing different than what this memorandum of understanding has been from the get-go until we get an ordinance in place. So it's the exact same um terms and
provisions. We've attached a copy and so we'd ask for the town to approve the memorandum of understanding with the understanding that it's still going to go in for permitting. And I believe there's actually no um cabinet and I'll
have Dana confirm, but I think that there's no u no structures in this one. So I know that was a concern from the last meeting, but here no structures and everything else is the same. I'll take any questions that anyone has. I think we actually have a
representative from the company if you just want to come up in just two minutes. Good evening, Michael Duran. Uh, good evening, mayor. Good evening, council. Um, I'm here as a construction regional manager for I3 based out of Illinois for
the Florida market. I'm I'm here I live local Cape Coral. So, I'll be uh ensuring that this construction goes through. We use local partnerships here, the construction folks, contractors that are local to Florida, been building here for about 15 years. I3. We actually been
in the business since 1994. We've been providing fiber to a home since 2003. >> Okay. Thank you. So, um, I'll make a motion to approve the memorandum of understanding between the town of Lake Placid and I3 Broadband
LLC doing business as IC, no I3 broadband for installation of a fiber optic network within town rights of way and to authorize the mayor to execute theou on behalf of the town. >> Second. Second.
>> Okay, we have a motion. We have a second. Any comments from the dis? >> I don't think we can do for one and not for another. If when these these different um firms come in and they want to do this fiber optics, I think we we've approved one. I think we have to
approve them all. >> Yes. >> Yes. Um any comments from the audience? Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes. [clears throat] >> Yes. >> Council member Ebahart. >> Yes. >> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. Moving on to the last
item on the agenda, J. Florida rural Infrastructure Fund Grant application. I'll turn it over to the chief. >> Uh, yes, we have actually already submitted this this grant application. We had till 5:00 p.m. today to get this
in. Um, basically this grant is going to be able to go to lift station rehabilitation, modernization, manhole re rehabilitation and lining collection system improvements, inflow and infiltration reduction, skate and emergency power improvements, septic to
sewer expansion, regional wastewater infrastructure planning, continued implementation of the capital improvements program. U basically there is no uh match on this grant that we know of at this time. We've gone ahead and applied for this and wanted to make council aware of it.
Are there any questions on this? >> I think we have a motion though, right? >> Yeah. >> Uh there's a motion because there's another element to that. >> Okay. I don't have it in there. >> I apologize. I didn't that was the last minute and it is not in >> it's not in the P drive. I don't have
it. I didn't put it in the >> Okay. I don't have >> drive. >> Yeah. I guess it's a motion to accept the report from the mayor and the town administrator >> along with a motion
um to send this matter to the utility commission under chapter 135 of the code because they manage grants and process grants for council to be on top of this particular grant and report back to council. So that would be the motion.
>> So move second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. Any comments from the dis? >> As I told the chief the other day, I would encourage town whenever they town staff whenever they get a chance. Since
we are under no obligation to accept grants, >> apply, right? >> We they should apply and not let a deadline pass. if they feel it's a worthwhile project, we can always pull the plug later or not accept the grant. But let's don't miss
a potential good application because of council timing. >> I think that's what I told you the other day. >> I would agree with that as well. Absolutely. We have to give our folks some some leeway and let us get involved
in some of these things. If it doesn't uh allow have require any any match on our part, I think they should go ahead and put in for things and if we decide we're not going to go forward with them, then we don't. >> Agreed. My my only question is if we
employ a grant writer and then turn down a grant, are we obligated to compensate the grant writer? >> Are you talking about an employee as a grant writer or basically a head hunter grant writer? If we hire a grant writer
and um they go through the process and then we decide that we can't afford to do the matching or whatever, are we obligated to reimburse the grant writer? >> We'll just have to look at that business relationship and to protect ourselves from that. >> Okay, that's just my caution for future
that things aren't always free. >> Historically, we were told anyways that we had to accept the grant. Once we accepted the grant, [clears throat] then we were we were obligated. But that was when back when we were using consultants
to do that kinds of things. I mean, I'll let Mr. Durm, he's that's his expertise, but I I was specifically talking about our in-house staff. But I think even with a grant writer, it was once you accepted the grant, then you had some obligation. >> Okay. I was going on the theory that if
you put your house for sale, you get a buyer and then you say, "No, I changed my mind." you're still obligated to the real estate agency >> at a certain time, especially if you accept the grant. To me, that's the relationship that we've talked about, I think, is that do you make or buy? Do we
can we use grant finders to bring us because we're in a unique position, very rural county, small budget, and there may be folks out there that want to pitch us grants. We just need to look at that relationship because there's so many opportunities. I >> I know it doesn't apply to this one, but
just to keep in the back of our heads. We have a motion and we have a second. Any more comments from the dis out to the audience? Bring it back. Eva, please take the role. >> Council member Hayes. >> Yes. >> Council member Ebahart. >> Yes.
>> Council member Royce. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. Okay. We'll just kind of go around real quick if there's any items for an update. Uh Brandon, >> Rachel, Allan.
Uh, yes. I just wanted everyone to be aware that we had a representative come by from GS Products who wanted to demonstrate a garbage truck vehicle. So, he's allowing us to use it all day tomorrow to do the residential route and
then we'll go to take it to the landfill and then he'll be on his way. So, the truck that he brought was 15 yard which is about half the size of the ones we normally have. It was just a mixup on his end, but he said it should get six to eight yards, which is right about
what we collect on a Tuesday route anyway. So, it should all be normal timing. In the event that the truck packs out, it might have to go to the landfill, come back, and continue the route. But I just wanted everyone to be aware if you see an unmarked garbage
truck coming by, it's just a demonstration vehicle. >> That's funny. and unmarked garbage truck running around. Thank you, Alan. Eva, >> I have nothing. >> Uh, we just have a meeting this week. >> So, you have your workshop on Thursday
2:00 for the joint loop and um town council. >> Okay. >> And then your regular meeting next Monday. >> Perfect. >> At the bottom agenda is also the workshops for the budgets all listed out. Um I believe it's July 30th, August
6, and August 27th for your budget workshops. >> And in next Monday's meeting, we'll have the um the millillage. And it's important that all town council members be here um if we need the unanimous
vote. So if you're not able to make it, please let us know so that we determine a special meeting in order to get that done. Okay. Mr. Attorney Chief, >> nothing. Just want to say thank you to
Eva for all her hard work getting this packet together. >> Councilwoman Eva Herd. Um I was at uh the the TDC has a an informal brainstorming group um that I'm
a part of and it it's uh the three towns put together uh and it's like uh for example uh the Sebring mayor, chamber of commerce people um council people uh whatever ad hoc group and one of the
things that they are organizing or we are organizing is the first annual garden week and the idea is to bring tourists down here in the off season. Um it's September 8th through the 13th and it's not a garden tour. It's anything
that you can think of that might you could somehow tie in flowers or gardening. Um one restaurant is having uh flower bingo. Uh, another venue is having um where they bring somebody in to do you can do
your own painting and it would be a floralbased painting. Um, so I wanted to get the word out. Um, I have a flyer here and I can but if you go to um on Facebook and look up search garden week,
you can find the flyer and the information and there's a form there. If you're interested, if you have a business that's interested, there's a form there to submit your ideas. Um the due date is the 17th, Friday. Um and that's the due date because they're
going to do massive media pres um materials and um I'll do the county media work. Uh you can submit after that, but the deadline for getting your materials into the media is on Friday. Um,
so the other uh person to contact would be uh Casey Hart with the TDC. So it's Casey at visit sebring.com and they are truly trying to get all three of us towns together and support
each each one. It's not just Sebring. >> Just uh just so you know, I heard that on the radio this morning. They had it on the radio. Um, just on that note for TDC is the TDC uh membership that we had expired
and so at the last county commissioners meeting they appointed uh the Avon Park representative. So at this point we don't have a count of Lake Plaza doesn't have a representative on TDC but we have Joy on the ad hoc committee. >> I'm in the unofficial committee.
>> Okay. I think that I think that rotates back and forth that one year it's Avon Park and one year it's >> it's like four years, right? So they have that uh Britney has that for four years. They said it's like a half ahead >> dedicated
to Avon Park and half ahead to us, right? So >> that's their fouryear term. >> Okay. >> Okay. Councilwoman Hayes, you >> I would be curious if if Mayor you might be able to find out um you know there was such a big deal made about our
kiosks. You know that there was a kiosk in the um I call it the Casey kiosk, the kiosk in Sebring, the kiosk in Avon Park, the kiosk in Lake Placid. How are our kiosks doing? And are the other
towns kiosks sending us any business? And are we sending any business to the other towns? >> I yeah, I don't have any data on that. And I don't know if I one of the objections was that the kiosk said Sebring and they were going to have them
reskinned for each town. >> They were going to have them what? >> The the outer uh advertising on the kiosk initially was in big letters Sebring, >> right? >> And um they were going to ask the manufacturer to do individual ones. Um,
and I believe each town uh well, you have to input your own data. Uh, not through the uh TDC and but if you have a a restaurant or whatever, um, put in give them your data
and they will they should load it up onto the kiosk. >> Well, I've seen ours. Um, I I pass it every Saturday at, you know, I'm on my way to wet dogs and I just saw a a young kid working on it the other day. I have looked at it, looked through it and and I was adequate with what it was looking.
But that's us sending business elsewhere. I want to know who's sending business to us. >> All three towns are in on it. >> Oh, I know that. But but our kiosk sends business to other towns. I want to know,
are the other towns are people in the other towns looking at that kiosk and then coming to us? >> Yeah. Well, if they load up, then they say, "Okay, what's in the area?" If they're if they're in Sebring and they load it up and say, "Well, what's around here?" >> Yeah, I I know [clears throat] that, but
I don't know if anybody's >> I don't have any data on that, >> but I bet you >> But we can ask her for the data. I think that's a good point. It's been in place for a year. What's the data showing? Where is the data being collected? And then um you know, what are they searching for? So, all that should be
available. We can ask her for that, I think. >> Council member [clears throat] Royce. Thank you, Madame Mayor. First of all, I would like to thank the mayor and the others involved in putting together the July 4th program. I was out of town. Um, but I saw the pictures, the video looked
like a great time was had by all. Thank you to to all that were involved, the businesses, anyone who contributed. I want to congratulate Allan again uh on his work anniversary. I have always found Allan to be an excellent representative of the town and extremely
helpful with anything that I've ever discussed with him. So congratulations Alan. Thank you for your hard work. I want to make sure I understand it correctly. Next week we're going to be asked to set the maximum millage rate. Correct. >> That is correct. >> And in order to exceed the roll back rate, it'll take you an unanimous vote
of four council members. >> Correct. >> And we all have to be here to do that. >> Correct. >> Okay. And so I assume the expectation is that we're that you all are going to present us a millage rate that's above the the maximum advertised millage rate that's above the roll the roll back
rate. So I look forward to that conversation. Number two, I'd also encourage um the mayor and and the temporary or inter administrator to have some conversations with Miss Hearner and probably more importantly county commission chairman Elwell. I was I was
very disappointed in their in in particular the comments about when they were going to commence activity on the lake placid firehouse and EMT station. So they they got approval much like we did and they you
know they had moved Spring Lake ahead of us in line and took the money that was originally >> and so it's under construction. And so what they basically said is well we may be able to get to it in a year. Well that's when government says we're going to get to it in a year. We know that
doesn't really mean a year, you know, and so I think on behalf of both our town and the 30,000 of us that call the greater Lake Placid area home, we ought to have more of a conversation with with the chairman and others about how do we
move that project forward. They have repeatedly said that they even if they had not got that money, had the money set aside to build this station. They were just waiting obviously to get the money. So, I think we we ought to put
their feet to the fire to get moving on that sooner rather than later. Um, that's why I asked a question earlier. I think there's even things they could be doing now that did not involve funds that that that they going to have to do,
but they're they're obligated to it. And then, um, Madame Mayor, hopefully [clears throat] maybe next Monday we'll be at a position where you can share with us how things are going in regards to the administrator search or applications or my understanding we've
had a couple, but and if if that's not the appropriate time to share, I just I'm I'm interested in the coming weeks to know what your impressions are of the process so far. Thank you all. Okay, it's 8:29. I declare this meeting
adjourned.