--------- this meeting into session at 3:01 p.m. It's great to see the chambers with the full house commissioners. Great to see you. Madam Attorney, Mr. County Administrator. Before we get started, I would like to begin this meeting with a
moment of silence uh for two particular issues. One, we had a a recent passing of someone who was a friend of mine, a Tallahassee police officer, uh Cody Terteranova passed away in an accident about a week and a half ago. And then
this is the one weekek anniversary of the shooting of from Florida State University that took place in April of last year. So, if everyone would join me in in a quick moment of silence. Thank you. We will begin the meeting by recognizing Commissioner Maddox.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Today, we have to do our invocation today Pastor Jack Leland. He's been the pastor at Innovation Baptist Church for 29 years now. Pastor Leland, you have the uh microphone to give our invocation, sir. Everyone could please stand.
Shall we pray? Eternal and all wise God our father, as we approach the throne of grace on this afternoon, we approach it with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise upon our lips. We
worship you in spirit and in truth and we thank you for the many blessings that you have given unto each of us. At this moment, we invite and invoke your presence in this great setting. We
ask that you bless the leadership of our county, the leotee of our county, and those who are much concerned about Leyon County. Let your spirit rule and reign in this place. Give us insight and
foresight of what you will have each of us to do in regards to the work, the labor, and the love of this great county. We thank you that for what you have done. We thank you for what you are doing. >> And we even thank you for what you are
going to do. >> This is our prayer on today. And we ask this prayer in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, the anointed one. And every heart said, "Amen." Amen. >> Amen. >> Pledge algiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Mr. K administrator, will you introduce this proclamation, please?
We'll do, Mr. Chairman. Just waiting for my technology here. Just be one moment. Here we go. I've got it up here. So, the first proclamation or the first uh proclamation we have is recognizing JP Moore, U Mortuary and Crematory Services. Commissioner Maddox.
Commissioner Maddox, you're recognized. How you doing? >> Um I would be remissed if I didn't recognize our mayor Mariam Moore that is with us with us today. Mr. Mayor, we're honored to have you here today and I I'm honored to present this proclamation to
you. Whereas in December 2020 2020, Jer Jarrian JP Moore founded JP Moore mortuary and crematory services began beginning with a single chapel in Madison, Florida. And whereas through strategic growth, this discipline
operations and a family centered approach to care, the firm has expanded to multiple locations, including its newest Tallahassee Chapel with continued plans for regional growth. And whereas the establishment of JP more mortuary
incriminatory cremation services uh marks a significant addition to the Lyon County community providing compassionate p uh professional and dignified services to family families during times of loss.
And whereas Jarian PCEL okay purselan pcel JP Moore okay it's all right there. Uh the owner and founder is a visionary leader whose life work uh whose life's work reflects faith
in God, service to people, and unwavering commitment to excellence. And whereas known for his compassion, professionalism, and steady leadership, Mr. Moore has emerged as one of North Florida's most respected funeral service
professionals and community advocates, demonstrating a longstanding dedication to serving others with integrity, empathy, and respect both through professional endeavors and meaningful community involvement. And whereas Jrian
JP Moore has been widely recognized for exceptional community service and civic leadership focusing on economic development, infrastructure, public safety and community revitalization. And whereas the opening of JP More Multterarian Cremation Services not only
represents entrepreneurial achievement but also strengthens the fabric of our community by offering support, care, and guidance to families in their most difficult moment, spreading sunshine at the sunset of life. Now therefore, be
it proclaimed by the board of Leyon County Commissioner. I didn't come up with that, y'all. That was that was all him. uh by uh the board of Leon County Commission, Leon County, Florida, that we do hereby recognize the grand opening of the Tallahassee location of JP Moore
Mortuary and Cremation Services and express our best wishes for continued success and our gratitude for positive impact made on the lives of residents in Leyon County. This is signed by the board, tested by the county administrator. Congratulations
to this board, to my family, and to those who all gathered here in these chambers. It's very simple with our work and our impact that we will make here in Lyon County. May the works we do speak for us. And my grandmother taught me as
a child, if I can help somebody as I pass along this way, staff, will you stand please? Then our living shall not be in vain. To God be the glory. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you.
I have council meeting in the great city of Madison. So, thank you again. I'm on my way. Thank you. Mr. Chair, >> of course. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Moore. We just want to tell you congratulations
on your entrepreneurship, on your business. I think we are all very proud of you, but I don't think any of us want to be your customer anytime soon. So, thank you and best of luck to you. >> Thank you.
>> Do we go? >> Next up, we have a proclamation recognizing the 25th anniversary of Bella Bella Restaurant. Vice Chairman O'keefee. >> Mr. Vice Chairman, you are recognized. This is not for y'all. The next one
would like to speak to. >> Perfect. >> Can I start my three minutes? >> Go ahead. >> Okay. Whereas Bella Bella began as a humble catering business by Dana and Mark Schwarz, built on family traditions and
recipes handed down through generations. And whereas under the leadership of the brother and sister duo Mark and Amy Schwarz, Bellabella has grown into a cherished Tallahassee dining destination known for its welcoming atmosphere, exceptional Italian cuisine, delicious
cocktails, and its signature item, bubble bread. a favorite among loyal patrons like myself. And whereas since opening its doors, Bella Bella has served more than 1 million meals to residents and visitors alike, reflecting its enduring
popularity and its significant role in bringing people together through food. And whereas Bellabella has made a meaningful contribution to the local economy and currently employs a dedicated staff of 30, some of which have been there for 20 years, including team members whose loyalty reflects the restaurant's strong
workplace culture, evidenced by that one employee who has been with Bellabella for 20 years. And whereas Bella Bella's commitment to the community extends beyond the dining room, exemplified by Amy Schwar's 2020 appointment to the Reopen Florida Executive Task Force, helping guide the state's safe economic
reopening during CO 19. And whereas Bellabella has also invested in enhancing local commercial corridors, receiving CRA support through the facade assistance and community enhancement program to improve building exteriors and strengthen business districts. And
whereas Bellabella has been recognized as an honore in Tallahassee magazine's best of Tallahassee awards among Italian restaurants, further demonstrating its excellence and strong reputation within the local culinary community. And whereas for 25 years, Bellabella has
remained a pillar of Tallahassy's small business community, bringing people together through food, family, and tradition, and enriching the cultural and economic fabric of our community. And whereas it is fitting and proper that our community recognize and celebrate the 25th anniversary of a
local business whose legacy is rooted in family service, resilience, and excellence. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the board of county commissioners of Leyon County, Florida, that we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Bella Bella, and urge all citizens to
join us in congratulating the Schwarz family, staff, and supporters for 25 years of outstanding service, community leadership, and culinary distinction in Lyon County. dated this day, this 14th day of April, 2026, signed by the chairman, and all the county
commissioners, the county administrator as well. Congratulations and thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh we wouldn't be anything without the customers that we have. So, we we'd like to thank all our customers for being loyal. Uh business is is hard. is harder
than it's ever been. Um, and we're we're just we just like to try to put out a good product and give good service. Uh, we couldn't do it without our co-workers, not employees, co-workers and family. Um, my sister Amy, my son Ree, my beautiful ex-wife Dana.
And this is Kyle. Kyle is our 20-year employee. Try to find anybody who's been anywhere 20 years. So, we'd just like to thank the commission and thanks for uh honoring us. We really appreciate it. >> Thank you guys very much. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you,
>> Commissioner Miner. You're recognized. >> Thank you all very much. Just real quick, if I can say a couple words uh for uh for Amy and company. Listen, I um 17 years ago, my fiance and my fiance and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Bella Bella. >> Yes. >> And we had people come from all over
town. all all over the state uh to to come to Bella Bella. They had a an incredible dinner >> and uh few years after that we started bringing our daughters to Bella Bella. >> Uh and we go there for special occasions and we sit outside in near the garden
and um I my family has a special connection to Bellabella. >> Not only is the food outstanding, >> but um we feel like uh it's part of our lives. So, >> thank you for everything you all do. Uh we'll be back. >> Bad neighbor either, >> right? Thank you all very much.
>> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> So, um, ditto to everything Commissioner Miner said, I just had one question. If y'all didn't bring bubble bubble bread, >> y'all didn't bring bubble bread. >> Bubble bread apart. Thank you. Make sure
>> Next, we have a proclamation recognizing the Lyon County Humane Society for 65 years of promoting the welfare of animals. Vice Chairman O'Keeffe. All right. >> You have the force, though. >> Let's bring the dogs out >> and cats.
>> Oh, who is this? >> This is Pearl. >> Pearl. >> All right. All right. All right. Everyone, gather in. Gather in as close as we can. If you ever see my coffee mug that I left home and there's all those little stickers I put up there, those are
stickers from the Humane Society's monthly sticker club that the money goes to the good cause of helping all our animals and and therefore their owners and people in our community. them. Whereas the Leyon County Humane Society was founded in 1961 with a mission to
provide compassionate care, shelter, and advocacy for animals in need throughout Leyon County. And whereas for 65 years, the Leyon County Humane Society has worked tirelessly to promote the humane treatment of animals through adoption services, foster programs, spay and neuter initiatives, and community
education. And whereas the Leyon County Humane Society is a life-saving organization that saves thousands of animals by providing medical care, rehabilitation, and safe, loving environments until permanent homes can be found. Whereas the organization relies on the dedication of volunteers,
staff, and community supporters who give their time, resources, and compassion to improve the lives of animals and strengthen the human animal bond. And whereas the Leyon County Humane Society continues to play a vital role in reducing pet overpopulation and
promoting responsible pet ownership across the community. And whereas this milestone anniversary represents decades of commitment, growth, and positive impact on both animals and residents of Lyon County. Now therefore, be it proclaimed that the board of county commissioners of Lyon County, Florida,
that we celebrate the Lyon County Humane Society for 65 years of outstanding service, compassion, and dedication to the welfare of animals and the betterment of our community. Dated this 14th day of April, 2026. Signed by the
chairman and all commissioners and county administrator Vince Long. Congratulations. and we'd like we'd like to make sure we hear from you and we want to be introduced to this foster dog. But I will just say that um working with the Humane Society,
my wife and I have been fosters um and they make it very easy um and it is uh something that we appreciate very much. >> Very grateful to you. Uh we just want to say thank you so much for this honor and this recognition. We have a team here
who is passionate about what we do. We love animals. We love people. And we love this community. And as Commissioner O'Keefe said, it is the community that really makes the Lyon County Humane Society who we are. We are very, very uh dependent on our volunteers and our
foster families. One of our fosters right here, one of our board members, Amanda, has a little ambassador Pearl, who is available for adoption. Um, but we just want to say thank you for this recognition. And every time that we have reached out to the county, uh, whether commissioners, whether Leon County
Animal Control, we've had a wonderful response and, um, and we greatly appreciate the support. >> Thank you, >> Commissioners. Any any comment? I I have a brief comment. I just would like to say I appreciate all the work
that you guys do. Um, I have uh rescued a a dog uh back what three or four year actually it was 2022 during my first campaign and uh it served a family member who was looking for a dog very very well. We still have this dog to
this day. I also would like to give um Mr. Vice Chairman a big shout out here. I don't know those of you who are friends with the vice chairman on Facebook, but he is always fostering dogs from our local humane society. So he really does uh lead by example in his support for the humane society. So thank
you all for being here and thank you for the work that you do. >> Amy Amy and Pearl. Next up, we'll have a proclamation recognizing Mr. Carl Hook as statewide volunteer firefighter of the year, and
that will be Commissioner Cummings on deck. >> Commissioner Cummings, you have the floor. Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chair, I have Mr. Carl Hooks. If he has any other supporters, his family that would like to join him here at the podium, please
come up. She stand. >> Thank you. Uh, Mr. Chair, I had the honor, I believe, when I was chair of the commission to recognize Mr. Hook as the Leyon County Volunteer Firefighter of the Year. And so today, it's my honor
to read this proclamation where a couple of months ago, I was at a ceremony where he was honored as the state of Florida volunteer firefighter of the year. And so we are very we are very proud of that.
So the proclamation reads, "Whereas volunteer firefighters play a vital role in safeguarding lives, property, and public safety, frequently risking their own well-being without anticipating any
form of reward. And whereas Mr. Carl Hook has volunteered in Lyon County for over 30 years at both the Lake Ammonia, now Brassville, volunteer fire rescue and the chair's Capola volunteer fire department, improving resilience and
well-being of local residents. And whereas Mr. Carl Hooks has demonstrated exceptional bravery, dedication, and generosity as a volunteer firefighter, spending considerable time on training,
educating the public about safety, responding to emergencies, and preventing fires, all while maintaining the highest level of service and professionalism. And whereas Mr. Carl Hooks is widely
respected for his volunteerism where he has served as an emergency medical technician and as fire chief showing bravery, teamwork, and commitment. And whereas Mr. Carl Hook has demonstrated
professionalism, courage, and dedication in his service and has received various honors including recognition as the Leyon County Volunteer Firefighter of the Year for three separate years. And whereas
Mr. Carl Hook received the 2026 volunteer firefighter of the year award for the entire state of Florida which recognize his exemplary service and dedication. And whereas this achievement
demonstrates the excellence of Mr. Carl Hook and brings pride to local volunteer fire departments and the entire Lyon County community. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the board of county
commissioners of Leyon County, Florida, that we do hereby recognize and honor Mr. Carl Hook as the volunteer firefighter of the year for the entire
state of Florida for his outstanding service. and we extend our sincere appreciation for his dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to protect others. Dated this 14th day of April,
2026, signed by our chairperson of the county commission, signed by all the commissioners, and attested to by great county administrator, Mr. Benson Long. Congratulations. Very welld deserved. me. That's you. Would you like to say
something? >> Yes, I would. Thank you. Um, wow. That Okay. Um, actually lost for words again. Um, but thank you, Commissioner uh, Cummings for sponsoring this recognition. I we really do appreciate
and I thank the entire commission for the support of the volunteer firefighters in Lyon County. Um, but I would like to point out we all recognize that you attend every volunteer function I've had I've been with. You've been there and not only in body, but also in spirit. You've engaged with all of our
firefighters and we all recognize that. I'd like to point out Chief James Pollock of Brattonville, Steve Maize of Lake Talquin, Assistant Chief of Blake Talquin, uh, Kenny Harvey, and Joe Parks as chief of of u chairs Capola. Sorry,
I'm I'm speechless. one of those departments. But um because you know it seems like just like 6 months ago I was standing here getting a personal recognition for being 30 years of of service to Leyon County. But I like to make this more not about me but about
all of the volunteers in Lyon County. A lot of great things have been happening in the volunteers in Leon County. I'd like to sit down with each of you commissioners and have an opportunity to talk about what the great things I actually have four pages here. Uh, I won't read it right now because I think y'all have some other things you'd like rather do, but uh, I would like to
point out a couple highlights. One is, uh, Vince, if you would point out, if you would tell the staff of the CDA, especially uh, Director Odum and, um, Assessant Director Hutshell, how much we appreciate what they've been doing for us. They reached out to us and said, "How can we help you?" They listened to
our comments, our concerns, and they've made adjustments in the CDA protocols to benefit for our benefit. So, please pass that on to the uh CDA staff. It's greatly appreciated. Also like to recognize another staff, county staff, and that is um uh Kay Pelt Walker. And I
don't know if Kay is probably not here tonight, but u Oh, hey, there's there's Kay. Hi, Kay. Kay and I have been trying to work together and increasing volunteerism in Lyon County. The last statistic I heard is is we are at 50% of what we were 5 years ago with volunteers. So we are on the decline of
the number of volunteers when right now we need to be reverse that and go on uptake. So I've been working with Kay and uh fortunately I've been awarded a uh a grant to go to the uh national volunteer fire council meeting summit on
retention and recruit recruitment and retention. And when I come back I hope to bring some tangible things that K and I can work together in order to increase the number of volunteers in Leyon County. Uh, like I said, I've got four pages of things I could read here, but
um, due to time, just call me. Any one of you commissioners, call me. We can sit down, schedule a meeting. But most of all, um, ah, the burn ban. Thank you all for instilling the burn ban. Okay, you have saved we it's unmanageable how
much property we've saved because we are not allowed to burn right now. But we constantly get calls and if you could have your staff the communication people stress again because we've been spending hours and hours out there putting out these fires that continually spread. So thank you for the burnban. We appreciate
it. Um but if we could just advertise a little bit more that'd be great with without further ado. Commissioner thank you very much. Thank you folks and thank all of y'all for the support of the volunteers in Leyon County here. >> Commissioners, any any comment,
>> Mr. Chairman? >> Go ahead. >> Just thank you. Thank you very much. Uh can't say enough. >> No, thank you, >> Mr. Hook. I would like to thank you for your service to the citizens of Lyon County. And um before we move on to our to our next proclamation, I would just
please ask that you send the volunteer application to Commissioner Proctor because I heard he wants to sign up and be a volunteer firefighter in the near future. >> Well, we're planning on building a station, a volunteer station in his uh district and so maybe you can help Richard Moose out with that and so we will send you the application and get you on board, sir.
>> Thank you, >> Mr. Chairman. Final proclamation uh is Miss um recognizing Vel Johnson for her role in launching uh the FSU unity 5K walk run in honor of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and
chairman COMMAND COMMISSIONERS. I asked Commissioner Proctor to join me in presenting this proclamation because he's gotten to know uh Vel as well and he represented our board Saturday morning at at the event and did a a wonderful job. Um, before we
get started, I would like to introduce Vel Johnson. As a community strategist and the founder of V Communications, Vel is truly someone who brings people together. She has built her career around connecting people and I saw that
very quickly when the first time we got coffee. What was that? uh earlier earlier this spring was a quick connection and she's just very inviting and the eagerness to do business and strengthen relationships and creating opportunities for other people and I think that's what what makes you as a person so special
whether it was helping lead the Tallahassee Leyon County bsentennial or organizing the inaugural FSU unity 5K has a special way of turning big ideas into meaningful moments and not anything she's someone who deeply cares cares
about this community and works every day to make it stronger, more inclusive, and more connected. With that being said, I welcome Commissioner Proctor to present the the formal proclamation. Commissioner Proctor. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Uh chairman,
commissioners, staff. Uh it's a real honor to that the chairman has asked uh me to read this particular proclamation uh because it is a tribute to the Civil Rights Institute at Florida State. Uh I would like to ask perhaps the dean of uh
civil rights uh the Beacon Institution representing historically civil rights community uh the Reverend Dr. RB Holmes if he would join and lend his shadow uh in this reading. Also I like uh Mr. Chairman if you for the shadow of uh of
um Mr. Fred um uh Fred come on up here flowers. It's just hard for somebody that look like a thorn uh to think of his name as flowers. That's that the problem right there. And
um this is uh a moment of um uh which today I feel as though I'm grieving as a instructor of political science uh as a uh graduate of uh very important school in Middle East United States uh that is
also a beacon institution of civil rights uh that today some of the issues that we're dealing here uh for our uh commission to consider uh with anti-dei. Um, it means a lot. Um, and I'm somewhat
valu emotional about this. Uh, Val, your name is spelled here and I I thought Val was just short that you were the validictorian of the class, so they just call you Val. You know, uh, I'm sure that's what it means. this proclamation. Whereas the Florida State University
Civil Rights Institute in partnership with the Florida State University College of Social Science and Public Policy is committed to advancing justice, equity, civic engagement, and community collaboration. And whereas on April 4th, 2026,
the institute hosted its inaugural Unity 5K at Langford Green, bringing together our community in a shared celebration of wellness and civic connection. Whereas the Unity 5K created a dynamic platform
for dialogue, visibility, and sustained collaboration, reinforcing the mission of inclusion, and featured a moving unity ceremony honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and emphasizing civic engagement, public
service, and the importance of building equitable communities. And whereas under the leadership and strategic direction of event coordinator Vel Johnson, the Unity 5K emerged as a powerful symbol of connection, health equity, and
collective purpose, exceeding participation expectations and drawing strong engagement from across the Tallahassee Leon County community and surrounding areas. And whereas as the architect behind the initiative, Vel
Johnson provided the vision, structure, and collaborative framework necessary to transform the Unity 5K into a highly successful and widely embraced inaugural event. And whereas Val Johnson's
distinguished career in public service and leadership and service have earned recognition from organizations such as Black Enterprise magazine while also extending to community focused initiatives like the founding of the
Beyond Wellness platform to support stroke survivors and their families. And whereas as a proud graduate of Florida State University, Vel Johnson continues to leverage her experience, relationships, and passion to strengthen
communities and inspire unity across Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Now therefore, be it proclaimed by the board of county commissioners of Leyon County, Florida, that we hereby recognize and commend Vel Johnson for
her visionary leadership and the successful launch of the inaugural Florida State University Unity 5K and extend our sincere appreciation for her continued dedication to building stronger, more connected communities and
encouraging all residents to support initiatives that promote unity, health, and civic engagement. Dated this 14th day of April, 2026. Signed, uh, Sister Johnson by the county's administrator and the chairman
of our board, Chairman Christian Kaban. CONGRATULATIONS. Thank you. >> Yes. >> I'd like to like to ask >> if if the director of the civil rights institute could come forward please
>> and everyone else who worked with me as a part of the unity 5k initiative. interns, planning committee members, Unity 5K team. I would be nothing without these individuals.
Thank you, commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity. This is truly an honor and a pleasure. Um, as I said, I'd be nothing without these individuals. You can plan all day long, but if you don't have anyone to help to implement the
initiative, there's nothing. The individuals standing behind me, I'd like for them to just say a couple of words if they'd like to. Um, I I would like to first introduce Mr. Ted Ellis. He's the director of the CRI, the Civil Rights Institute.
>> Thank Thank you very much. Val is so deserving of this recognition. Um, she cares about the community. She cares about others. Um, she gives more than 100%. And, um, you know, I'm thankful.
>> I have a comment. Um, my name is Angelie Austin and I had the great pleasure of working with Vel for the 250th anniversary that we just recently had and I cannot thank her enough for the detail and also her opportunities to really go out into the various
communities. So, congratulations. >> Um, hi everyone. I'm Aaron Files. I'm a senior now at Florida State University and one of the student ambassadors for the Civil Rights Institute. And I just want to take a moment to say it's rare to find a mentor like Miss Johnson. She is truly dedicated to Tallahassee and
has sacrificed more than you all will know to put on all the initiatives for this community and she still makes time to mentor students like me and our entire team of interns. And so we have a rare gem here in Tally. And then uh community I say to you that uh sometimes it's not necessarily what
you do uh it's the timing and in this moment uh the timing of right now uh not even sure if the word civil right will be available to our community uh or if it's going to be available to the Florida state or in the uh state
university system civil rights. So this is very meaningful and it's the timing with which Vel had the courage to um stand up, pull this together and uh make her statement in her own uh tender way. Uh we appreciate her lifting up the
Institute of Florida State of Civil Rights. Please give her one more hand. Thank y'all. >> Mr. Chairman, commissioners, the last item under awards and presentations is a presentation on the 32304 data and county efforts to reduce
poverty. Commissioners, you will recall uh that based on your direction uh we held uh the latest installment of the 32304 summit uh back on March 31st at the New Mount Zion AM Church in Griffin's Heights uh neighborhood uh
where we continued to actively coordinate uh our efforts with our community partners to reduce poverty in 32304. It was a big day and it highlighted uh what is now uh several years of very focused uh efforts and uh
commissioner our our chairman Caban and commissioner Proctctor were there uh and and they they didn't want the rest of the commission to to miss out and they told we we did about 8 hours that day and uh they wanted us to replicate that here tonight. So we're going to go
ahead. No, I'm just kidding. It won't be the quite the eight hour version. and it'll just be a few minutes, but we've got our uh dynamic duo of of Abby Thomas and Marcus West here uh from our county um uh human services and community partnerships division who do the work um
every day. And with that, I'll turn it over to Abby and Marcus to uh provide a brief presentation to the board. >> Mr. Commissioner, one one moment, please. M >> Yeah, Mr. chair. Uh we have individuals here that want to speak on the under agenda item, the threeminut undergendered item, and they have other
uh engagements. It's pressing for time. So I I want to move uh if we uh move if we would move the three minute uh non-aggended items now and hear the report after those individuals because
they have to leave. >> Okay. >> Some have to leave. That's my motion. >> I'll second that. So commissioners, we have a motion on the floor moved by Commissioner Cummings. It was second by Commissioner Proctor already. Commissioner Medics um to just do an agenda modification to hear the non-aggenda item speakers now and then
come back to this report. Uh we have a second by Commissioner Proctor and any discussion. Seeing none. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> Passes unanimously. Mr. County Minister. So let's go to our u our public speakers. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner's first speaker, Von Wilson.
>> Great. Thank you. Um before we get started, I I do I I would like just to briefly before we begin, I want to take a moment to just, you know, again welcome everyone here tonight. And it's great to see such strong community engagement and just want to say I appreciate everyone
being here at Lyon County. We do we do strongly value public input. We're committed to giving everyone the opportunity to speak and to be heard. Alon County we don't have a time frame at which limits public comment time and
so Mr. Mr. C administrator, how many speakers do we have? Looks like eight. >> Eight. Okay, great. So, we can take as much time as we need to. If there's more speakers want to jump in, we do set a time of 3 minutes per speaker. And just to maintain the level of respect and
decorum. Um, I want to remind everyone that, and I don't think it'll be a problem, but we do ask that comments be generalized when talking to the commissioners, and we do want to keep a certain level of decorum, so that way everyone has the time to speak. With that being said, Von, you have the floor.
Good afternoon. My name is Von Wilson, an almost 60-y year resident of uh Tallahassee and Leyon County. Uh I come to you today as a person who as a columnist has commended this commission uh for working together. Uh especially
on May 10th, 2025. We all know what happened. The tornadoes came. This body got together really quick with staff and made a miraculous turnaround to help this this this uh our county. We've got a great commission, one of the best county
administrators in the country. Um there there was something that happened a little while ago in these chambers and I'm sure all the people who have on white I did not have white to wear but I concur with my folks in white. um that
that raised a lot of eyebrows and and it was something uncharacteristic of this body. Um I would like to say because I know a lot of people are going to have uh points to make that would probably echo a deep dive by me into that
situation is that we cannot in Lyon County become like the world is in politics. We have to continue to work together. Um, you know, I I grew up in a in a society where an elderly woman that was
beloved and wise was called auntie. We call them aunties. I don't call Commissioner Cummings auntie. I call them Marley. That's a whole different rubric. So I would just like to say
that um a lot of speakers will talk specifically about that subject. I personally want us to get past this. There is a you know as as the son of a editor of a newspaper
you know I'm reading the heat shield that's over the United States. We're just going to warm that w water in the Gulf of in the Gulf and without FEMA answering the phone. You all need to be spending time figuring out
what to do if and when that happens this year. That's my charge to the commission. I love you, Mark Carolyn. I want this body to be continue to be collegial and work for the best interest of the people in Lyon County. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Wilson. The next next speaker, James F. Matthews. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the commission. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.
Um, in the interest of time and in the in the interest of the time limit, I request to defer my comments to the Reverend Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr., the pastor of Beth Missionary Baptist Church. >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Next speaker, Reginald Smith, to be followed by the Reverend Dr. RB Holmes, Jr. >> Good afternoon, Mr. chairman and members of the commission. Um, in the interest of time again in respect of the uh time limits that you have on public speaking,
I would like to defer my time and my comments to the Reverend Dr. RB Holmes Jr., pastor of the Bethl Missionary Baptist Church. >> Thank you, Mr. Smith. Reverend Holmes. Reverend Holmes, the chair has
discretion over time to speak, so just take as much time as you need. >> No, thank you. Don't tell a Baptist preacher that. >> Mr. Chairman, don't tell a Baptist preacher. I say he's a smart man. That's what I M Mr. Chairman,
Commissioners, Mr. County Administrator, Madame County Attorney. Uh, brothers and sisters, we have come here to thank you all for
your service and commitment to building a better and greater Leyon County. Most importantly, we have come to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation
to Carolyn Cummings for her service in this community. We want to encourage her to continue to stand boldly for what is right,
what is just, and for equity for all citizens. >> We're living in some very divisive and chaotic times. Yet, Commissioner Cummings
has the capacity, compassion, and courage to help create the beloved community. That was v that was the vision of Dr.
Marty King Jr. I am Commissioner Proctor. I am prayerfully and theologically reminded that we serve a God
who is a God of peace, a God of diversity, a God of inclusion, and a God of equity, and a God of togetherness. We must always
embrace diversity as a strength and not as a weakness, as truth and not a political talking point. Inclusion must be our north star.
It is a dream and hope of our fathers, founders, and mothers of this country and my black ancestors. As we celebrate the 25th year anniversary of this great nation,
equity and equality must remain our guiding principles. The American Civil War was fought over freedom and justice for black Americans and ultimately for all
Americans. The Civil Rights Movement was founded to secure the America the American dream and not the American nightmare. I call upon you all to rethink
and remember we must defend this democracy, protect this democracy and continue to embrace the statue of liberty.
Give me your tired, your poor, your holed up masses yearning to breathe free. And let me also remember to call your attention to the words of the great
Congresswoman of Texas, Barbara Jordan. She once said, "One thing is clear to me. We as human beings must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves.
Finally, what we are extremely proud of Commissioner Cummings, her leadership. We're here to say to you, Attorney Cummings, that your church,
your sorority, your family, and this community love you, affirm you, respect you, uplift you, and we will stand with you. We are
we are praying that God will continue to give you good health and good success. And as a preacher, let me let me make one thing abundantly clear without insulting anyone. Donald Trump is not
Jesus Christ. Thank you, Reverend Holmes. Next speaker. >> The next speaker, Ernest J. Lane to be followed by Stanley Sims. >> Good afternoon. >> Protocol having already been established to everyone in their respective places.
I would like to say Commissioner Cumins deserves the same respect and support as every other commissioner. I am surprised that none of the commissioners have said thus far that the county
attorney was wrong >> for writing such a disrespectful letter. If any of us had written such a letter to our boss, we would be disciplined severely or fired.
Commissioner Cumins was not supported by her fellow colleagues. But this community and those of us who vote are here to support her today. Hopefully you can see by this show of
support today how much we love and respect her. Commissioner Cumins has consistently conducted herself with professionalism and respect and this commission must match her
professionalism. THANK YOU. BOOM. SHAKALAKA. SHAKALAKA. BOOM. UM, brother chairman, they were giving out some time. Reverend, did you leave any minutes up here? Cuz All right. He used it all. He used it all
up. My name is Stanley Sims. I'm at 1320 Aenddale Way. This is challenging to because they done set me up, Reverend. And they got a lot of preachers in here. They got my class, home classroom teacher right here. I saw
Dr. Glattis Lane walk in. So, she used to give me a piece of candy in reading coach if I didn't talk too much. Give him some candy. I've been knowing Carolyn Cumins over 40 years and I'm
only 21 years old. And what bothered me the most is when I read that letter, see I'm a country boy. I thought at the end she was going to say now and I'm going to spank your behind for doing
what you doing. And what get me the most, that's not the first time that that question has been asked. I proctor has asked the uh state attorney's office why you ain't got no
black attorneys. He has ASKED THE PUBLIC DEFENDERS office why you ain't got no black attorney. And guess what Vince? He even asked Capitol City Bank why you ain't giving loans to black people cuz I went up there and got one. I had the paper in my hand.
And so it it it bothers me. It it it bothers me. Reverend Holmes. and and and because if we gonna be if we gonna be this wrong, let's be wrong consistent.
>> I have a problem when you can publicly reprimand a black attorney, Susan Dawson, who I'm not a favor of, but then you walking on eggshells when it comes to the county attorney. And it and and
and reverend it. Here's one other thing, too. How can you not know you got a black man? Even Trump know he got one. >> But see, you can't go where you don't know. >> All right.
And I find it very challenging to believe that all the time that you've been here, you have not found a qualified black attorney. I find it very challenging to
believe that you can't find a qualified black firm unless you have a different definition of qualified that's spelled with MAGA. County Minister. Our next speaker,
Fred Flowers, to be followed by Commissioner Dian Williams Cox. Good evening, commissioners. Thank you for this opportunity. I'm going to be making some comments. Some of you might find them rather sharp, biting, but I assure you that
that is not personable. My name is Fred Flowers. I am an attorney and a good friend of Carolyn Cummings and a member of Buffalo Baptist Church. Commissioner Cummings asked a rather straightforward question
>> about the diversity of the county attorney's office. The question of diversity or the lack thereof is self-evident from observing the racial makeup of the county's attorney's office.
In response to a legitimate question, I find that the county attorney's response is well-meaning, well intended, and attorney Cummings has accepted her apology.
But a closer analysis of the response shows that is very troubling, very disturbing. Why? To me, it shows a psychological inability to look at the race question
objectively. Can you explain to me the logic in the letter? Look at the words uncomfortable. The response says that the county attorneys are offended that their professional identity has been reduced
to their race and gender. What? That's absolutely irrational, absurd, and illogical. Can you make sense of this? Why does the mere mention of the word diversity
create such an emotional hypers sensitive psychological response to a very simple question? Let me ask you this. Where did this feeling of uncomfortability come from?
Where was this feeling of uncomfortability in 1857 in the Dread Scott decision where the United States Supreme Court said that people of African descent were like property cattle and swine that they
have no rights that a white man has a respect and cannot be citizens of these United States. Where was this uncomfortability during the Jim Crow era of American apartheid separate but equal from the
late 1800s to the mid 1950s? Where was this feeling of uncomfortability when the KKK was riding across the south plummeting, killing, burning down communities, hanging black
people? Remember the song by jazz blues singer Billy Holiday who sang about strange fruit hanging from trees. The KKK rode with horses at night with
sheets over their head with fire sticks in their hand. >> They wore sheets in order to hide their identity. They were doctors, lawyers, business people, law enforcement who have never been held accountable for
their crimes. But they also wore the sheets to hide their shame because they knew what they were doing was shameful, not right, and ungodly. So this sense of shame and guilt among too many whites is a
driving force of fear toward eliminating African-American history, banning books, censorship of of uh African-American history. To me, it's almost like a generational curse. A
generational curse among the descendants of slave owners who are psychologically unable to reconcile their own history with their present day contemporary feelings of not being a racist.
One can only imagine how difficult it must be. >> Mr. Mr. Flowers, Mr. hours. >> I I you've you've you're about 90 seconds over the 3 minutes allocated time. >> Okay. >> But could you kind of wrap it up a little bit for us so we can get to the next speaker? >> We'll do.
>> Thank you so much, sir. >> But I did think some time was allocated, but I'll >> Oh, yeah. No, I allowed 90 seconds over the three minutes, but you can continue to wrap it up. >> See, I was talking about the difficulty I think white parents have in discussing
history. To me, it's like looking in the sun when you're a young kid. The light is too bright. You can't deal with it. So, you look away and you don't talk about it.
In 1852, Frederick Douglas spoke about the role of Africans and whites in this country, and he said, "The actions against African-Americans would be a disgrace to a nation of savages." So we're here today divided by
ideology of race. We must take the good with the bad and tell the whole story. The solution communication, education, and understanding that DEI
is not a matter of civil rights. It's a matter of human rights. And so those inaliable rights embodied in the constitution are human universal rights. And so we're here today to promote
and support Commissioner Cummings. We because we believe in equity, justice, and diversity. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. FLOWERS. >> The final speaker on this item, Commissioner Diane Williams Cox.
Commissioner, great to see you. You have the floor. >> Good to see you as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my fellow commissioners and appointed officials, I've only come across the street, walked across the street maybe one other time to speak in
these chambers at this podium. And that was when it was time to determine who the next city, the next county attorney would be. And at that time that county attorney, the interim county attorney was wellqualified. But a process was put in place and
someone else was selected. But to God be the glory. That person who was acting is now judge. So God had a better place for her to be. I come today to check on my sister
commissioner to let her know I love you. If nobody else loves you, I love you. I walked across the street. You are the epitome of what an elected official should be. As our pastor said, you have
the compassion, you have the capacity, and you have the courage. You taught all three of the Cox boys in Sunday school. That alone makes you qualified. I taught your one and only son who did not want to leave my class, but he grew
out of my class and he had to go. We've sung in the choir together, singing whatever note we wanted to sing because he said, "Make a joyful noise." He didn't say it had to be a perfect noise, but your noise was more perfect than mine. We have worked together in this
community shouldertosh shoulder. You've done so much pro bono work. You provided advice without pay to many who could not afford it. So I come over here, I come across the street to say to my sister, this
ain't got nothing to do with nobody else but her. I love you. Thank you for what you're doing. Don't stop. Get it. Get it. Because we need people like you. A gubanatorial candidate that I am
supporting said, "You cannot be it if you cannot see it." We see you, Commissioner Cummings. The other little girls see you and they one day want to be where you are. They one day want to
be a decision maker, one who is well respected. That is who you are. Whether you chose to be it or not, you have been God ordained to be who you are all the way from Mississippi to Florida.
We thank you for making that sojourn and we thank you for what you mean to our community. Now, I hope being the only woman on this commission that these gentlemen will respect that fact and will stand for you, will stand up for
you no matter who comes for you. And in the words of my auntie Maxine Waters, if I didn't send for you, don't come for me. God bless. Mr. Chairman, that concludes our speakers on this item.
>> Okay. Thank you so much. Commissioner Cummings, would you like to say anything? >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, to all of you in white that came to support me,
those of you not in white that are here in support of me, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart to to my pastor, assistant pastor, all the deacons
members um that I walked alongside with and have done so for over 35 40 years. I I just love you. I I just want to
thank uh my pastor for all of his encouragement he's given me over the years. All of his support he's always uh been stellar. He and his he and his wife.
Um Von Wilson, I love him. his mom, his family, uh, James Matthews, Reggie Smith, supporters,
Ernest Lane, I love him to death. He uh, he's always been there. And Stanley Sims, >> my brother, >> I love you, girl.
Fred Flowers, my my brother, my fellow attorney who helped me in my practice. Um, he's more seasoned, but I could always go to Fred for advice on any case. And then my mentor, Commissioner Diane
Williams Cox, whom I've tried to pattern my public service after because she serves from her heart. She loves the people in this community and I have tried to epitomize
that love uh love and support. But just to all of you, my sorority sisters, my National Association of University Women sisters, my drifter sisters, my church, my church
members, my fellow attorneys from the Barristers Association, from the Tallahassy Women Association, just so many groups and organizations that have come out in such a dignified
and respectful manner to support me. And it's it's it's humbling. It's very humbling. And I just feel so honored to know that people in this
community still recognize what is right. People in this community will not turn a blind's eye or their backs on what is right.
Uh Mr. Mr. Chair, this out outpouring of support is nothing but love. God is love and it's nothing but love. And it's the love that I feel for you all. It's the love that I feel for this community. It's the love that I feel when I go out
every day in one capacity or another to support the citizens of this community. Jesus commanded that we love each other and love means respect as well.
And on this day, we have always respect since I've been on this desk, we respected each other. We might disagree, but we disre disagree in a respectful manner. And I want us to continue to
respect each other. But I don't want us to turn a blind eye to what is right. Right is just right. I don't want us to turn a blind eye to what is wrong and
what is disrespectful disrespectful from now and and moving forward uh as well. And so from the bottom of my heart,
I want to thank all of you all that spoke. I want to thank all of you all that spoke by your by your presence that's speaking uh speaking as well. And
I don't want us to lose sight of the best in all of us. And I promise that I will continue to serve faithfully, honestly, without any hidden agenda
to support the citizens of this community and to uphold what I believe is what's right. to uphold the respect of each person in this community and to recognize that
each person in this community deserves not only respect but dignity as well and especially from our elected officials and from our governing body uh as well.
And u Mr. Chair, I'm not going to go on and on. Uh this has just been a very pivotal moment for me. Just very emotional. Uh and Commissioner Proctor supported me in keeping me from crying.
But I'll end by saying this and this is something that I often say in important significant times as these. And I quote from this unknown author
who says I once said that life is not measured by the number of breaths that we take
but by the moments that take our breath away. And today with the speakers, with the presence of all of you and the support from all of you all, not just
today, but this last 30 to 45 days, it's just really taken my breath away and it's enforced my belief in humanity. is what enforce uh my belief in
love and that love and humanity does not fade. It has not failed and as long as we believe in God and we continue to pray and believe in God, it will not fail. >> Amen.
>> So, thank you all so much. You must know that I love you all. I love you so dearly. I love my pastor and his wife so dearly. So, thank you all for the support and I just pledge that I will
continue to do what I can in the best way that I can to support every citizen in this community and to uphold the ideals and standards that we all want not only to live by, but the ideals
and standards that we want each other to respect us by as well. So, thank you again. Love you guys. All right, everyone. I thank you all for coming and I appreciate and and and respect the decorum that everyone showed. It really means a lot to all of
us. Thank you so much. Um, Mr. just kind of administered. I'm going to take a two-minute recess and then we'll come up with the presentation. Thank you. You all right? Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. I believe that. I believe it. Bishop Proctor, we're calling this
meeting back into order. >> All right, commissioners, this meeting is back in order at 4:21 p.m. Mr. County Administrator, you have the floor to the item. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, that puts us back on our presentation on 32304 data in the county's efforts to reduce poverty. Uh let me introduce
again uh Abby Thomas uh and Marcus West. Uh again, our uh dynamic duo from uh community um human services and community partnerships division. They do this work every day. They're going to talk about the data that was shared at
our recent 32304 summit and our continuous efforts uh to make progress uh on our objectives. And with that uh Abby, let me hand it over to you. >> Thank you, Vince. Good afternoon, commissioners. As Vince said, this was about a six-hour presentation and we've condensed it to four slides, so we'll go
quick, but um we held the summit a couple weeks ago and this was in continuation of efforts from 2019 um the 2019 summit and that that was response to a Harvard study and a study from the University of Toronto as well as a Florida Chamber of Commerce report that 32304 was one of the poorest zip codes
in our community. And so at the summit, we provided information on updates to key trends as well as ongoing efforts the county's taken with its partners just to impact the lives of residents in 3204. And so this afternoon we'll share a brief overview as well as our ongoing efforts. I'm going to actually turn it over to Marcus now to talk about the
data before I come back to talk about our efforts. >> Well, good evening commission and thank you for allowing us to present some of the findings that we shared at the 32304 summit. So um as Abigail said um this
journey is was very comprehensive and it we're going to highlight some of the changes that happened over time and um what you're going to get this evening is a visual presentation of some of the key indicators that were shared in the 32304 summit. So today I'm not standing here
just to talk about where we are or how we got here today. It's more so the context and then how things have changed over time. So what we're going to be talking about is incremental generational change and what the county has been doing to usher that through
facilitated partnerships, collaborative efforts and county initiatives. So the first indicator that I want to speak about is poverty. Poverty in 32304 declined from 56% to 48.7%.
When we look at 32304's rate compared to the countywide rate, 32304 experienced nearly a four times reduction in poverty compared to the countywide rate. So those are significant strides and that again is a result of our consolidated
effort within the county and with our collaborative partnerships. Also median household income raised. They went from 26,000 to 32,000, which is a 24% increase. Again, we're making strides in this community. Median
income also increased countywide, but it grew at a slower rate than 32304. And again, this is from our placebased focused efforts. So, poverty connects to long-term stability, but through employment is how we have sustainability. So, we're going to look
at employment next. And unemployment, we're seeing some encouraging movements. Unemployment declined in 32304. Um, also the countywide rate also declined in three um comparative, but 32304 um improved more than double the
countywide rate. So again, we're seeing significant gains in 32304. Even though we're seeing gains countywide as well, we're seeing greater gains in 32304 from our efforts. When we look at health outcomes, infant
mortality um when I originally when we started this journey back in 2019, I was there and infant mortality was one of the keynote things that we looked at because it really tells the health of a community when you look at the youngest of those in the community. And one thing
that I can say today that I think is profound is that infant mortality declined within 32304 from 10.6 to 8 to 8.4. So the rate of in decline in 32304 was greater than the countywide um incline
in decline and again that is a milestone. And that's something that we want to celebrate because that represents our health care system and our collaborative effort and their ability to provide access and resources to the community. The biggest takeaway again is infant
mortality rate in 32304 is now lower than the countywide rate. So now when we talk about health outcomes, we also understand that housing shapes family stability and overall well-being. But housing affects way more than just
finances. And we're going to talk about some of the housing stats as well. So, the good news is home ownership increased from 12.3 to 13.5%. That's a 9.8% increase and home ownership within 32304.
So, also when we look at housing indicators, rental burden also declined from 77.2 to 68.7%. So again, we're seeing that 32304 is moving in the right direction.
Now, as we talk about some of the the great wins, um even though we're seeing progress, we do understand that there's still some housing gaps between 32304 and the countywide rate. So, um I do want to mention that within this space, the county is seeking to create more
affordable housing opportunities. So when we look at the all the data, the comprehensive data, 32304 is improving far faster than the county. When we look at poverty reduction, unemployment, and
several of the health indicators that we looked at, in some cases, the improvements were more than double the county's rate. In other cases, they were even more than several times greater than the county's rate. So we do acknowledge that poverty still
remains high. There are still some burdens or some barriers when we look at housing and um those are areas of concern for the county. But the overall the overall takeaway is there's real progress that's been made within 32304.
But the real work is not finished. So the encouraging part is that many of the areas that we just talked about where we have gaps are also the same areas where the county and its partners are already investing time, resources, and
strategies to address these. And that's what and again the data is just the data without the context. It's through these partnerships and our effort that these trends are moving in the right direction. Um, we're going to talk about what the county is doing and as far as
how investment and collaborative partnerships are helping move these trends. We're going to hear a little bit more from Abigail to speak about that. >> As Marcus mentioned, there's a strong correlation between the reduction in poverty and um the investments that the county's made and our partners have
made. We know that this work is making a difference. Over the past 5 years, the county has invested over $34 million in economic development, healthcare, housing, and human services um in 32304 and similar communities. And Blueprint
has invested $319 million um in 32304 representing 62% of all funded Blueprint projects. So again, significant investment is being made in these communities. The slide highlights a lot of the different work, a lot of the different efforts being made, but as Marcus me mentioned, there is a lot of
work to be done, right? Poverty levels in 32304 remain high. This is why the county in partnership with the city invest a million dollars annually in the promise zone category of CHSP to provide targeted programs to increase access to legal services, educational opportunities, and health care for
residents in 32304 and the greater Promise area. Um, and it's also that housing affordability remains a barrier as Mark has mentioned. In response, the county's doubled its annual investment in rental development projects to $500,000 annually. And then further, the county
has invested $198 million in bonds and 5.8 million in direct funding to support um 1,200 new affordable units that have either opened up to people like the Orange Avenue project or are on their way through like the Lake Bradford development. We're really proud of that.
These investments and ongoing programs are essential in strengthening access services in 32304 and across the community. At the summit, Commissioner Proctor, you'll remember that after every presentation, we talked about actionable steps that we're taking in these areas.
Um, and the good news is that we've we identified 16 steps, but these aren't new steps. These are the result of the efforts the board's taken through strategic initiatives, through policies, through targeted investments, and ongoing partnerships. um you've given us
the permission to do this work and we're doing it um every day. Many of these efforts are embedded in current initiatives and partnerships such as the trusted people and neighborhood engagement committee that the board established in 2022. Um and that that group of people is a group of trusted residents in the community who come
together quarterly to talk about um ongoing maybe concerns or areas of opportunity in their community. And one of the targeted efforts from that group was the the ability to provide air property workshops in targeted neighborhoods. And that's resulted in an
annual $50,000 investment to um work on clear title for families through a partnership with legal services. Um further we get policy guidance and recommendations from the affordable housing advisory committee which commissioner Maddox serves on. Um that group helped us launch the home
ownership development program which provides fundings to developers to reduce construction costs to build more affordable housings. Since 2023, we've provided a million dollars to provide to build 16 homes in 32304. And you you'll
see those homes projected on the screen in every commission meeting because we're really proud of those programs and just the opportunity to get families into homes in these communities. And we're continuing to monitor this progress through ongoing program evaluation, data collection, and regular reporting while using community
engagement through the trusted people in the AHACK to refine and strengthen our approaches. And these uh these insights directly inform our recommendations that we bring back to the board for consideration through regular agenda items in the budget workshop. Finally, we've reached out to
Harvard's Equality of Opportunity Project and the University of Toronto's Martin Prosperity Institute to share the improvement we've seen in the data um and to talk about the numerous programs and initiatives the county has taken with our partners over the last several years since we started this work in
2019. And we've asked if they've had plans to follow up on their studies and see how the county can be involved. And should we hear back from them, we will provide an update to the board. And that concludes the presentation. Not quite six hours. So, and we're available for
any questions. >> Commissioners, I'll open up for any questions. Um, I would like to see a motion on the floor if anyone would like to make a motion. >> Move. >> Second. >> I'll second. Commissioner. >> Okay. >> Staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Proctor. Second by
Commissioner Maddox. Commissioner Proctor, you recognize. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioners, I'm totally a glow. um thanking staff for all the important work that has occurred. Uh not just uh um when
initially we began 2019 looking at 32304 upon the alarm being ranged by the chamber of commerce, state of Florida, Florida chamber of commerce and um this body has not uh Mr. chairman ignored
your district and my district and uh left us um stranded uh without uh our efforts to unite and to go in and to uh look at steps and to look at actions
taken. And what's impressive about this is that this data uh that we have is measurable. These numbers are measurable. These numbers tell the story of a five-year look at the area called
32304. And I believe that with the focus and attention uh that has been given to the area, the partners who've come to the table, the resources, the effort, the time is making a difference. Uh, I think the
kudos to our staff, uh, Shington, Abby, uh, Marcus, uh, Galani, uh, uh, Matt, um, all of those, um, for I think what you did today kind of rubbed off, you know,
like getting some of that right there, right? I'm feeling that right there. Um, all of that, um, makes a difference. Um I believe that commissioners that we're at u the step and let me also say the Tallahass lenders uh the children um
services council uh all of that those those those partners who've collaborated and it puts us in a position now uh with this data and it's my hope that uh we greenlight uh our staff to continue uh
to take this data to continue to measure and to intellectualize uh a response that represents this board in terms of how this county has taken uh recognition of ours being the poorest zip code in our county. And what we have
done and what we have done uh not only has a brand new business school come up, but what we have done perhaps um uh in turning this kind of uh demographic uh these demographic challenges around is
just as impressive as u the the rising uh of a new business school uh out of the ground uh here in in Tallahassee. Um I want also to say, Mr. chairman that um
in February uh it's our ask uh that our staff that we convene uh beyond stakeholders which we did um the report that's being given but that we do a wider reach and an invitation to the
community to give a report um beyond the stakeholders who've been participants the agencies those and leaders Um because it takes it takes everybody and um I am as proud what I'm trying to say
of uh this initiative and effort as anything that this board has ever tried to do. Uh this brings joy uh to my heart and uh my cup overrunth and I'm very
proud uh of the sincere strides that we've made uh to address these concerns. The community is uh proud u delighted and I hope that uh we will not get weary. Uh we will not stop to rest but
it would be onward soldier march and um I'm put my credit card on the line as being a continued supporter not just supporter from the rear but a leader from the front of convening those resources um and letting this great
staff do their thing uh extending this message. uh talked to the county administrator and I've asked um for leniency uh and support for this staff to do their thing and to tell this story
to put this thing on on piece of paper book form and um what's that word um um social media and all like that and I we got the data and we want to answer uh Harvard, we want to answer
um Toronto told and we got something to say. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I appreciate it. Also, I call everybody name, but the person that jumpst started all of this was my aid, Rachel Holmes. Um, who grew up in 32304
and was just aggravated and u word all the hair off my head and I'm trying to regrow it and but Rachel started all this and uh aggravated all of us to do something. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. I have
uh Commission Commissioner O'Keefe Miner and Maddox. Thank you very much. Um uh quick question. We talk about the air property workshop and assistance and the for people who aren't involved in it,
they might not realize what the what the importance of that is. And it is where people may have homes that have been passed down and owned outright by families over generations and basically the papers and titles aren't all updated because they haven't had a bunch of legal work done and those need to be correct for them to be able to get grant
programs, financing and everything. How many properties and owners have gone through the air property grants and programs that it successfully entered them to to gain proper ownership and benefit from um financing or grant
programs. >> So, um since we started that program last year, we've had 20 families go through the program and legal services. If someone is in need of that, they can apply through legal services. We'll connect them um to those resources.
Excellent. Um, these are very positive numbers and I appreciate staff and everybody involved. This doesn't happen with with with just staff. This happens with community partners and everybody in the community. And so, um, my comments
are and even and questions are not to minimize the success we have, but identify the challenge we face. Um, we have done this in an environment where we have what I would call at least a minimum social safety net from federal
and state uh policies um, which certainly do not meet the need already. And we are facing and already facing drastic cuts in federal and state programs. Um, and so I um I hope that
any any way that we as a commission can make any efforts to offset to to protect the progress we've made and continue to make progress, let us know. Don't be shy. Um, let's get caught trying to steal a base um every time on helping
this community, especially in the face of those bases and balls being stolen. um from other governments. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Commissioner Miner. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um could you all go back to the first slide with the
metrics, the six metrics. So, just to summarize that slide. So, what you're telling us just to wrap it up in one sentence is that we see positive improvement along each of the six metrics in 32304 over the five years. Every single one of them has
improved. Yes, >> that's quite remarkable. >> Uh, and I I wanted to point that out because you went through one by one, but but I wanted to wrap that up and and point to just how impressive this is. Um, and uh, that doesn't happen by accident. That is because of our hard
work from county staff, the partners you work with. Um, and then I also wanted to to really give kudos to Commissioner Bill Proctor when I was a young commissioner. I think I just got elected a year or so. and uh he jumpstarted this effort by doing a series of 32304
summits and I went to some of those and uh you single-handedly in my view launched this effort and then the county commission got on board, the county staff got on board and you see the results up here on the screen. So, Commissioner Proctor, I I want to thank
you for taking the initiative and and Chairman Caban, this happened before you were elected, but since you've been elected, I've seen you two work in lock step as leaders to improve this to improve this zip code. So, I I really want to thank uh the two of you and our
county staff and the partners because this is exactly why we're here. This is the kind of stuff we are here on the county commission and the county staff to accomplish. And I hope this is on the front page of the Talis Democrat because people need to know about this success.
There's much more work to do, but every single one of these steps is a positive improvement. So, thank you very much, >> Commissioner Maddox and Commissioner Cull. >> Yeah, Rick to the right. Oh, sorry. Commissioner Meer took the words right out of my mouth. I think we can't let this moment pass without rec recognizing
Commissioner Proctor. uh I don't think any of us put in as much work as he did to deal with this issue. I don't know if you a lot of us well some of us were here on this commission and remember when the chamber came out with that information and there was a lot of u
push back as you may remember commissioner proctor on the validity of the information. Uh but we had one commissioner up here who said without a doubt that he believed every bit of it. he was going to do everything in his power he could to to deal with the issue. So, he started the summit
himself. Um, he gives a lot of credit credit to Rashelle. Relle, thank you for the work you put in cuz I know it was a lot from you. Um, but as you as we uh would would think would happen, District 1 stepped up for
32304 in that in his district to make sure that uh we did everything we could to to deal with the issues in 32304. There was a lot of comment about there's a lot of students there and this that and the other. Uh it didn't matter what the demographic was. What mattered was
that we were going to put in what we could do to make sure that that we had results. And I I must say, Commissioner Proctor, when you started the journey, I myself thought to myself, there is a lot of students there. There is a lot of challenges there. How are we going to move the ball with al while also keeping
the demographic uh that's there in place and not changing the the look uh but changing the look of the people in the community, but but changing the lifestyle of the people in the community. Uh and here we are as we sit and we look at this 32304
summit rundown and every measure is positive. Poverty rate, median income, unemployment, infant uh infant mortality, home ownership, rental burden, every single one of them. And I don't, again, I cannot let this moment
pass without giving our dean the flowers he deserves, putting in the work and pressing hard to make sure that we did everything we could to make sure this this happened here today. Um, I want to thank the county administrator for following the lead of Commissioner Partner and this commission and trying
to tackle this this this big problem we had 32304. $30 million, $30 plus million, correct, of investment from the county. 300 plus million dollars in blueprint investment is the reason that we're looking at these at these uh improvements that we're looking at today. Um but like uh
our staff said, we're not we're not done yet. There's still a lot of work to be done. Uh the people in that community though they see progress, they are not satisfied and they should not be satisfied. Um we have to continue to focus. We have to continue to to make the investment. We have to continue to
put in the work that Commissioner Proctor has started. uh and and and and follow his leadership to make sure that whether it's north, east, south, or west in Tallahassee that every community has the investment in the opportunity to
thrive. And so, Commissioner Proctor, again, thank you for your leadership. District One office itself, Michelle, thank you for all you did and and I'm I'm proud to say that I have a Commissioner Proctor on my board that's willing to fight those fights. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you.
>> Thank you, commissioners. I'll close us out on this item. First off, let me start by saying incredible work. >> Oh, I'm sorry. It's not in the queue, Commissioner Cummings. Yeah, I'm sorry. Go ahead. >> You're It's not up there, but I may have
asked xed you out when I go ahead. Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. What a tremendous tremendous report. Uh the county administrating, the staff is is just awesome. And I want to thank you guys for providing me with my own
um PowerPoint that I could download on on my computer. But it's just it's awesome because in every category in the metrics compared to the state
32304 has excelled compared to the overall uh state numbers. And so I think we owe a lot of gratitude and thanks to a lot of
individuals, a lot of groups to staff, but certainly uh Commissioner Proctor, this is his this is his district. He has shown some very stern leadership
in that area. We appreciate the summits and I know that they will they will continue because even though we have statistics that show that we are improving compared to the state numbers we want to we want to continue we want to continue
to to do that and I think it's important that we keep the stats and we keep um the comparison to show just how well we are are doing and we have put millions millions of dollars into
32304 that has been labeled as the poorest zip code not just in Tallahassee but in the entire state of Florida. So when you look at the efforts of Gallen
County government, the money that has been put into those various areas to improve that marginalized community, I think it's it's worth noting, but I think we need to uh continue that effort
as well. So congratulation to you all. Thank you for your for your present presentation. I want to thank Shington and Galani and all of those in the county staff that uh that work hard. Absolutely. Let's give him a round of applause.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Great job, team. Like, this is incredible. Great job, Vince. This is um as a commissioner, I'm a tangible results guy. You know, I get, you know, I love seeing sidewalks
done, lights, roads. I love seeing those are the things that those are the things that people see. This is something people feel and that's a big difference when you can when seeing these stats and watching poverty rate, median income, unemployment,
infant mortality, home ownership, rental burden, seeing those statistics improve in the right direction, that's that's something that people feel at home. And so I want to tip my hat off Commissioner Proctctor since before I was elected. I
remember when I was campaigning, I hope it's okay that I share this, but you know, I sat down with Commissioner Proctor and uh was trying to earn his support on the campaign trail and he said to me, he said, "Are you going to be my ally in the 32304 zip code?" And I told him, I was like, "I live in the
32304 zip code." And he looked at me and he's like, "You going to be all right by me." And so, um, you know, Commissioner Proctor really has taken the lead of this. And Commissioner, uh, Miner, you you you hit the nail on the head. I think this is newsworthy, but I think
more importantly, we need to take in the win, but also be humble enough to know that there's more work to be done, right? This is a step in the right direction, but the work is not finished. And so, I look forward to seeing this coming back in the near
future. And again, kudos to staff. >> With that being said, let's vote on the item. >> It's been moved. >> Okay. No. Do we need to vote to accept the report? >> Not necessary. >> Okay. Well, I believe there was a motion on the floor. So, point of uh point of order. Uh, Madam Attorney, M. Will you
uh retract your motion that you had on the floor? >> Motion retracted. >> Okay. Great. Next item. Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That brings us to the uh consent agenda. We have uh items numbers 7, 10, and 12 pulled by
Commissioner Proctor. >> Okay, great. Is there a motion to move consent outside of the pulled items? >> Mr. Chair, I move acceptance of the agenda item >> excluding 7, 10, and 12. >> Uh moved by Commissioner Cummings, second by Commissioner Welch. All those
in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Passes unanimously. Mr. K administrator number seven. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. item uh number seven and then again on number 10. Both of these items uh represent the next steps uh in
the process uh of the board's uh uh moving uh on this issue of of uh school zone speed cameras. As you recall, the board has already taken uh the the policy uh actions necessary and passed the uh required ordinances, conducted
speed studies, etc. All of which is is presented uh in the analysis. Uh item number seven uh first seeks your approval of an interlocal agreement that's part of standing up this program with the Leyon County Sheriff's Office. We're happy to answer any questions you might have on it.
>> Commissioner Proctor, you recognize for a motion. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Mr. Chairman, I wanted to indicate to the board that I u recognize that this was on consent which would have been generally uh collectively uh endorsed by board members. uh I can't support this
particular measure and I pulled it that my vote might um represent where I feel my constituents are located. So thank you. >> I have no motion. >> Thank you Commissioner Parker. Someone else want to move staff recommendation. >> So commission um Mr. Chair this Mr. Administrator just clarification this
not this is not involved RFP process. This is just the agreement with the sheriff. >> That is correct. Uh the RFP request is the item number 10 which follows. >> Okay. Okay. I I'll move I'll move this but I'm going to make comment on 10. >> Okay, great. Moved by uh Commissioner Mad, second by the vice chairman. Any
discussion? >> Yeah, I wanted I wanted to talk on the motion. >> Okay, go ahead. Commissioners, what I wanted to point out uh real quickly is that uh we indicate that uh when people receive uh I guess a notification by way
of electronic uh measure, um I don't know where the revenue from speeding uh cameras is going to go. Uh who gets the money? Is this the sheriff's money? Is this our money? Uh where does it go? Um
it seems that the board of county commissions is tasked to put the bill um and we're tasked to administer the hearing process and I guess that's the due process measure. Uh there's no qualification of the hearing officer and
the hearing officer uh that the county is asked to provide staff and to serve as the clerk to the hearing officer. Uh I don't know what the qualifications of the hearing officer. Uh I don't understand tickets
that are given out that that did not process through the clerk of the Leyon County courts for that. This measure uh fosters somewhat of a kangaroo um situation that runs outside of uh the
clerk of courts and most tickets and administration of justice issues flow through the clerk of courts. But um more importantly um at this time uh the southern part of uh of our county
uh we have people who are going to be uh affordability issues that they're dealing with. And while safety and all of that is very very important, we don't really have a lot of data that indicates u traffic uh uh casualties or incidents
at the schools. Uh the grocery store is a challenge. Um um the um gas station is a challenge. Uh I imagine some people not even driving no more. Uh driving is going to probably
uh cease and desist period. And further it's difficult uh Mr. chairman that many people are being subject to pay um for tickets and they can't vote in city
elections and I just can't bring another burden to people who can't who buy city utilities uh but they're secondass citizens uh they're paying taxes and fees but they are secondass citizens but
we're going to place upon my district uh people can't vote in city elections where they pay their lots of money. Uh so I don't I don't see the urgency and I don't want to put uh the potential burden people just can't take no more
and this jumps up out of the um out of the u uh across the street. Good ideas come sometimes from across the street. Um but I'm not sure what the sheriff uh had had in mind. But those are the
measures that I'm I'm most concerned about and those are the reasons for my unreadiness today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. Commissioner, any other discussion? Seeing none, we'll take this to a vote. Um motion moved by Commissioner Maddox, second by the vice chairman. All those
in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? >> Are you opposed? >> Opposed? Yes. >> Motion passes 61 with Commissioner Proctor in descent. Mr. County Commissioner number 10. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, item number 10 is the draft RFP.
Specifically, the board wanted this RFP to come back. You had some issues and concerns. You discussed, you may recall that you had a pretty extensive deliberation on the issue. The RFP is before you. It reflects u how we were able to address a lot of the issues that came up at the time. It's pretty
customary uh of these school zone uh speed detection enforcement programs. And uh just happy to answer any questions that you might have. Thank you, Commissioner Maddox. >> Thank you. Uh just for clarification, um this so this uh speed zone detection
enforcement program will be procured, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Just want to make sure. Um Commissioner, for the sake of the item, I'll go ahead and make a motion for staff recommendation. >> Second. >> So, >> Commissioner Maddox move uh staff recommendation, second by the vice chairman. Commissioner Maddox, you're in
discussion. >> Yeah, there was a lot of discussion as we remember last time about whether or not we could do grace periods and stuff like that. And I think the the item answers those questions. Very glad we're procuring this cuz I think this is very it's very important that we have a procurement process dealing with this uh so we can get uh our best possible
vendor out of it. Um but with that being said, I I appreciate staff and the work they put in to answer the questions that we had and make some give some clarification to some of the things that we were asking for. Uh to to the general community, uh we understand. I mean, I had a guy in my gym the other day tell
me he had 10 tickets. Didn't even know about him. uh he's just riding through zones and not knowing that he's he's getting ticketed and they were actually going to his old address. And so the reason he found out is because his lights got suspended and he got pulled over and he found out he paid the
tickets. Um you know I the public information campaign I think the staff is putting together is going to be pretty good. The key thing to remember here is is is even if we get an opportunity to talk to people about these things I have a now 19year-old daughter. Happy birthday Nyla. Her birthday was yesterday. um
that is driving a car. Thank God she cuz she drives to FAMU every day and she goes down uh orange and she goes through that school zone and and then she passes NIM sometimes and we have not gotten a ticket yet. Thank God. And that's because she told me said, "Dad, I'm a
slow driver." Which is good. Um but sometimes it gets me to understand that if you're in the 15, you go 26, that camera's going to get you. And and even with that lights off is if if the if the if the road is 30 miles an hour, you get to you get to go to 40. You go 41, that
camera's going to get you. And so as we because we understand that as we're out in the community and we're having these conversations, that's what I told the guy at the gym I was talking to. I said, "Look, man, we're giving you 10 miles an hour. So you got to be going 11 miles an hour over to get the ticket. So just
slow down a little bit." So, um, as as we the our staff is doing their best to do their their version of the public campaign, sta the us as commissioners and those who understand it, if you have friends, do the same. Explain to them how this thing works because it's it's
it's it's going to be it's a thing. It's not it's not going anywhere. I mean, and I'll be honest with you, the revenues that are coming in off of it are are astronomical, I believe, at the city. Um, and it's because people just aren't paying attention. And so, we have to be a part of the public campaign. staff's going to do a good job at it. Um, I'm
pleased again with the RFP process and you the way you guys answer the questions. Thank you, Mr. Administrator. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Commissioner Max. Commissioner Cummings. >> Thank you. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. I just have a couple of questions
on this um on the RFP. And I believe when this came up before when we agreed for an agenda item to come back, um, Mr. the county administrator. I believe it was broken down on the percentage that would go the
the funds would go in certain areas can and that it wouldn't really be any cost to the county to implement this. Can you give us that breakdown? >> That's correct. There there's a statutory breakdown in terms of what you're required to do uh in terms of the
revenue share, if you will. Um 60% generally is retained by the county. the other 40% and for the administration of the program. The other 40% is shared with the department of uh wi with the state of Florida as well as the school board uh to fund crossing guards and
that sort of thing. Again, uh we anticipate uh based on our study which was required to be performed as well that the cost will be revenue neutral. We don't anticipate to make money on it. >> Well, thank thank you Mr. County Administrator and
Commissioner Proctor raised the issue of about the hearing officer when someone is given a citation and then they want to go to hearing. What do what do we envision as far as the selection of that hearing officer or who we contract to go
through uh county court because we have county uh judges that hear traffic traffic? I >> I'll defer to the county attorney on that one. Um, at this time we contemplate maybe contracting with uh the ALJs at the
Division of Administrative Hearings. They actually handle some of these cases for other jurisdictions already. So, we're looking into that as an option. >> Okay. Awesome. And do we anticipate, Mr. county administrative, I guess, having to pay uh the judge from the uh
administrative uh law judge part of the revenue for hearing your cases. Is that what we anticipate? >> Yes, we have actually an existing um interlocal agreement or with DOA. So, we would just include that and every year
um DOA sends us kind of an update about their rates. So we would have to pay the hourly rate. Um we don't have to use ALJs at DOA. Um but no matter who we retain to do that, we would need to pay them for their services. >> Uh thank you. And just one other
question, Mr. County Administrator, did we look at um are we prohibited from using the county judges who hear traffic cases all the time? I mean, it's not a novelty to them. as we've got jud judges, county judges that are assigned
to traffic cases. So, the local hearing officer process is separate under the statute from that. If someone doesn't opt to use the local hearing officer process, it will potentially get kicked over to um the
county court judges under the uniform traffic citation process. So some of these will actually go to county judges. It just depends on the path they take during the process. So many of the county judges are hearing city cases
under the uh uniform traffic citation process now. And that was that's what would happen here as well. >> So would that generate a cost to the county as well? Um well those will be covered by the co by the
fees and the costs that are imposed when people are determined who have been who who have violated in the judicial process. So again it's supposed to be um costneutral. um if it gets to the UTC process and it
goes before a county court judge under the statute, they actually impose more costs to cover that additional cost. So, >> okay. All right. Um, no upfront cost and under the RFP, uh, Mr. county
administrator, whoever is selected, the vendor that's selected, we've got a quite a litany of responsibilities for that particular vendor. >> Yes. >> So, we don't we don't envision the county really being involved
>> uh in that aspect of it once we once we uh give the RFP to uh to a vendor once we select a vendor. I mean, >> right there, there is a uh just to ensure that they they conform to all the statutory regulations that are in place.
It's very specific about how you install these cameras and where they're installed and every uh every little detail along the way. And so after our selection, uh it'll be coming back to this board probably um um 90 days after
uh after the um we issued the RFP and it'll probably take close to six months to uh fully stand up the program. >> Okay. So there will be a certain amount of I guess monitoring and and what have you compliance review and that type thing.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think that's that's all I have. >> Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Commissioner Proctor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um really, uh this is traffic enforcement uh through AI and u it's a regressive uh tax. It's a regressive
measure. It disproportionately will impact poor people of this community. Uh people who have whatever the habits, the practices of uh their travel um many people um actually abiding by the law.
But I believe that in this moment of time of affordability, gas increases, uh food increases, uh housing increases, and then we arbitrarily bring uh an AI
law enforcement gadgetry to um um zap people with u as Commissioner Maddox has pointed out uh the notice issue. And the noticing is neither tight nor right with respect of do people and when do they
get noticed and uh all of that and this tracks and and and detracts from their point totals and uh it can create issues with getting their tags uh getting their license renewed um going to rent a car
uh if they're suspended all of those things. Secondly, commissioners, as I've read and have read this, uh this is a um a uh a lookalike of of judiciary process of the nature that we
have on Thomasville Road with a court uh system set up for traffic enforcement and uh due process challenges and so forth. uh this is fabricated uh and this is a big business. Let's be what this is what this is. This is new
business and the new business of uh cameras u and I think that uh our county attorney would will would tell us that uh this thing has been challenged in school zone and I think they've been overturned in Hillsburg County. Uh
they've been challenged in Orange County. Uh and there are horror stories which uh citizens have uh tried to weigh in and say um we want to get u review
and appeal and trying to get your day uh before hearing officer. Um, no. So, so I'm not very happy uh with an industry that's expanding. Recognize it's growing. It sounds good. Pull out the violins, but this is AI and it's very
regressive and poor people going to get killed and I don't want to contribute to the slaughter. I will vote against the measure. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um the
will these cameras be limited in use to only this speed enforcement? And I'll specify the context in which I'm asking that question. We have um a real-time crime center that is pulling on all kinds of video and data which has benefits, but I have great concerns for
people's privacy and civil liberties. And we have a program where people's front door cameras can factor into all of that. And so, um, I I support this. This is already effective for me because every time I get near a school zone, I go, "Oh, can't get a ticket." Um, so
what are the limits in the use of the footage that will be pulled from these cameras? >> Mr. Chairman. >> Yeah. One second, Mr. County Administrator. So, >> Mr. Mr. Vice Chair, just so you know, in my notes for later today in this meeting during commissioner discussion time, I
intend to actually ask staff to bring us back a full status report on all cameras used in public spaces and partnerships because I saw that in the news about the real-time crime center uh partnership with the sheriff's office and TPD and
residents. And I do share some of those concerns. And so at the end of this meeting and commissioner discussion time, I was going to request a status report come back to the board because I want to know I want to know across Lyon County what cameras are we using in public spaces
and what what programs are we using to tap into um or allegedly tap into or in partnership with residents and their personal cameras. And I do share some of those concerns and I know a lot of folks in the public have reached out to us have shared those concerns as well. So I
just want to say that um because I do plan to bring that up at the end of this meeting but I will pass it to the county administrator to address your question in the short term. >> Sure. Thank you Mr. Chairman and commissioners. Yes. The statutes are very clear on this and they uh provide that there are very specific limitations
on these cameras to be used only for uh this purpose only for this program. And in fact, the records have to be destroyed within a certain number of days uh after the these these incidents are documented and um and and disposed of in in court uh if if they're
challenged uh and through the the administrative process. So, yes, they can only be used for this program. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else? All right, commissioners. Let's take it to a vote. We have a a staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Maddox. I believe it was second. Was it by the vice chair? The
vice chair. Um, all those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? >> I. >> Motion passes 61 with Commissioner Proctor in descent. Mr. County Commissioner, I believe we're on item number 12 now. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. Item number 12 is a status report from
the Florida Department of Health, Leyon County. And um, this was requested by Commissioner Proctor. We're happy to answer any questions you might have. And I believe uh, Brandy Knight has joined us uh, tonight. So, I'm I'm sure she'd be happy to answer any questions you might have as well.
>> Um, we can wait for someone to be in the queue. >> Okay. >> Oh, we have the public speaker. You said >> no. Uh, no speakers on this item. We're happy to answer any questions. Item number 12 pulled by Commissioner Proctor. >> Commissioner Proctor. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I'd like to move that this item uh be
continued brought back. Um I'm certain that staff is know I'm clear that staff has been very very busy and um as you all have already reviewed this item. You and I know that the analysis of uh our health department over the last three years can't be completed in four
paragraphs. Um and I know that the background um bullets uh in this is merely uh taken from our strategic initiative. I like the board's permission to do the research and uh that this board would
trust uh my going out to get a full report uh that explores the range of uh what the minutes uh from our one of our meetings indicate what my ask was and you supported it but um our staff has been quite busy and uh but I'd like to
give a more robust report. So I >> Commissioner Proctor, could you frame that in a motion? Yeah, I move that uh the board permit Commissioner Proctor to um delve into and be given um two months to bring back a look at the uh turnovers
that are uh of um our Leyon County Health Department. >> Could you Could you Could you restate the motion? I was I'm confused on the motion. move that Proctor be allowed to bring back a report and a discussion of background analysis requisite to the
level of what the Leyon County Board of County Commission deserves expects. I will do that on this issue. I ask for it. That's not what we got. I'll do it myself. I'm asking your support. >> Great. Yeah. I have no problem seconding the motion. Uh real quick in discussion,
um can you add to your motion that we'll have a continuation so the item will come back? Um, I'd like to submit, be given time, uh, a month to look into, bring a report back, submit it through staff. Staff document it, cross-examine it, uh, fact check, and make sure we're
tight, we're right. >> Great. Cool. Commissioner's motion on the floor is Commissioner Proctor would like to have a one-mon continuation. We like to do some of his own research and then bring it up during commissioner discussion time. So, um, I second the motion. Any discussion? >> Just clarification.
Mr. Sure. I heard Commissioner Proctor say he wanted Proctor to bring it back, but we were just really talking about this report being reviewed again and staff bringing it back. Right. >> Correct. >> Okay. Okay. >> No, Proctor is going to uh take a lead, but I will take it and submit it to
staff to be uh cross-examined. >> Do you want to take the lead? >> Yeah, I want to. >> Commission Commissioners are going to take a vote on this item. >> All right. All those in favor of all those in favor of Commissioner Proctor's motion, second by myself, signify by saying I. >> I. All right. Motion passes unanimously.
And is that uh is that it for number 12? >> Yes, it is. >> Awesome. >> Commissioners, what I'm going to do, I'm going to ask for a motion to for an on before we get to the next item for an
agenda modification to take up the fairgrounds item next to basically move it in front of item number 14. Um, I see we have some folks from the fairgrounds just been waiting. So hopefully we can bust this we can bust this out. So move. I'll second it. >> Great. All those in favor signify by
saying I. >> I. >> I. Great. Mr. County Commissioner, we're on item number uh number 16. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. Um, this item is a status report on the fairgrounds lease renegotiations. As you recall, uh, the board directed staff back in February to enter into
discussions with the North Florida Fair Association and to come back within 90 days. We're back a little before uh the 90 days. Quick refresher, commissioners, on the property. Uh the property is about uh 120 acres.
Excuse me. Uh quick refresher on the property. It's about 120 acres owned by the county, uh leased by the NA for a dollar a year through 2067. Under the lease, uh, the county cannot, uh, develop or make
improvements to the property without the consent of the NFA and we cannot unilaterally modify or end the lease unless the association either dissolves or stops holding the annual fair. Um, commissioners, the NFA, uh, just by
background, a lot of which is included in the item, um, has been, uh, running the fair for 75 years. uh can they have uh $2.67 million in reserves, they have no debt and roughly a $79 million a year
regional economic indicate uh impact. Um and um they've indicated um their strong desire to continue to invest and implement their vision on the fairgrounds uh but has identified uh their lack of ownership of the property
uh as one of the limit limiting factors um in doing so. Uh commissioners again background as you know we have a $30 million uh blueprint uh fairgrounds beautifification improvement project to move that project forward. The county
needs uh again uh uh the uh the agreement uh of the association. Uh following your uh meeting in February uh staff proposed lease modifications that would allow for this public investment as well for the NFA to continue to
operate the fair. uh and the fair uh or the NFA uh NFA has uh largely um uh uh declined those terms. Again, there's a counter proposal and all this information is included in your item there. They did advance a counter
proposal that they wish for the board to consider uh which was to have fees simple ownership for the county to convey uh the property about 60 acres of which you would would think of as as generally the fairgrounds property um to
the fairgrounds uh under Florida law. An important point uh here is that the infrastructure sir tax could not be spent on privatelyowned pro uh property. So again, if the board uh was considering uh the counter proposal, um the blueprint uh dollars could not be
used to invest in the property. Commissioners, there are three paths forward uh essentially here and you see them presented before you, all of which provide for the continued operation of the annual fair on the property. Option one uh continues the existing lease.
Obviously, further discussions related to the project timing or modification of the blueprint uh project would would uh happen at the IIA based on your direction today. Uh, option number two, should the board wish to further consider the NA's counter proposal, uh,
option two would ask the NFA to present an updated master plan with a capital improvement plan and a fiscal strategy in a time frame of about uh, 6 to 12 months uh, which the board could then consider conditional conveyance of the
property with uh, uh, reversionary protections. Uh, and option three, commissioners, uh, would be for the, uh, would direct staff to work with our legislative delegation on a bill to restructure, uh, the NFA governance. Uh, it would not impair our existing uh,
lease, but uh, could seek to replace the NFA board with the board of county commissioners. That's a range of options, obviously. Commissioners, again, happy to um, answer any questions you might have. do want to thank um NFA's representatives who who are here
uh while um um you know we they didn't agree with with the board's uh uh position and and and the and the counties and the IA's plans relative to the fairgrounds as contemplated in the pro uh project. Um again, I want to thank them for very constructive
deliberations and great communication that we've had along the way. With that, that's where we are at this point, commissioners. And again, happy to answer any questions that you might have. And I believe one moment. Yes, we have one speaker uh on this item. Thank
you. Our speaker, Stanley Sims, if he's still here. >> Boom. Shak. >> Okay, that's okay. >> All right. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> All right, commissioners. Um I'm going to go to Commissioner Proctor, but before I do so, I want to say um a couple quick things. It's currently
5:25. We're going to take this item to 5:40. We'll break. We'll come back at 6 for the public hearing. We'll pick right back up where we left off in this item. Um, what I am going to ask, I know we see we have representatives from the NFA here. I appreciate y'all being here. I'm
going to ask that our commissioner questions go through staff so that way we don't this doesn't turn into negotiation up on the dis. That's not what we're here for right here. We're here today to come up with board direction to give to staff to go work with them. anybody in any commissioner
who would like to work with them and discuss with them, let's do so privately so that way we can come back and move this item forward. Does that sound fair for everyone? Awesome. Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. You're recognized. >> Mr. Chairman, thank you. Um um uh gratitude to all the work that's been
extended by NFA, our staff, uh legions of um of brain cells thought has been uh extended to come to an answer. Um, as you all know that um I'm not sure if I should be approaching the Guinness World
Book of Records um for one commissioner asking for uh some public buildings get some bathrooms inside. Um >> Mr. Carter, need a motion. Need a motion. >> Oh, my motion, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Um, I'd like to offer uh that we assign
our chairman uh to become a uh liaison person, negotiator, uh designated u person to work with the NFA staff uh our property uh person and I think is and
and I'd like to see um I like to see um us give the chairman the chance to not be constrained and limited to the options to date but to bring back in 6 months or so thereabout um other
opportunities uh that we've not thought of and um we we won't get a bathroom before Christmas uh at the fairground inside um but we can redirect um the thoughts the approaches and I'd like for
this board to continue to not on the bone but to give um our chairman uh license to step forward and creatively to come up with um and we got that. That's my motion. >> I second the motion. >> Thank you. Mr. M commissioner Proctor,
could you include uh the county administrator in that so that way we can we can work it work on this together. I first of all, I'm honored by the by the the motion and the thought process, but I would like to to work on this with the county administrator. I think we can we can work together through this. >> Yes, sir. And I like for um the persons
that you all deem important to uh an idea. Um thank you. Yeah, I do. We accept that. M Mr. Chairman, um I just want to say the commission, we don't have to go to 540. Um u um it it's amazing the things that can be thought
um when we u free up from old paradigms. Uh there's a parable that says um um new wine new wine will will will will spill on the ground if you put it in old wine
skins. And sometimes the framework of thought which is an old wine skin deserves a new wine skin, a new framework, a new uh paradigm. And historically, this board some years ago, uh, False Chase was a was a property
that had been tied for about 34 years. And for some reason, this board decided, um, that summer to allow Commissioner Proctor to work with a piece of property that was tangled up. And uh we were able uh to get out of the previous thought
and um Proctor laid down some thoughts and we were able to detangle a 30 some year mess and we now have false false chase property u um commercial sites blah blah blah blah. I think the same thing can happen uh with Commissioner
Cavan. Um he don't think like us, he don't think like them. uh he he you know let him go and do this thing. So those are my um my um we have precedent of cutting loose commissioner who don't think like nobody else and let them work
it out and the person that thinks least like us is Kaban and I pray he goes and work it out. I don't know if I don't know if I'm insulted or honored, but I appreciate it either way. I got I got uh Commissioner Welch in the queue and then Commissioner Maddox and
O'Keeffe and coming. He's got everyone in the queue. So, uh Commissioner Welsh. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um you know, I've probably been the most demonstrative in regards to fairgrounds uh and the situation that we've been talking about for about 6 months in terms of the the administration of the
NFA and all that stuff. And so I mean at the end of the day, Commissioner Proctor, I'm going I'll walk with you, crawl with you, roll with you, whatever you want to do when it comes to the fairgrounds. I'll follow your lead on that. But I do want to say for the record that, you know, I would have
supported option three, asking the legislature to reorganize the NFA so that this county commission could actually have more oversight and more of a voice in the direction of the fairgrounds that we own. Um, I I think
it's extremely frustrating that we are sitting here both as a county commission and as a blueprint board offering to spend $30 million on a piece of property that we own and being told no thank you, which is
effectively what's happening. Um, and so we talk about breaking old paradigms, Commissioner Proctor. I mean, the fairgrounds and and the the way that this has gone down, the communication, the letter that we got, the notion that like we're trying to destroy the fair or
in the fair. I think that's really unfortunate. Nobody's trying to do those things. We are simply trying to have more oversight over a piece of property that is a prime piece of real estate in a part of town that could use a $30 million injection of money into a public
piece of infrastructure. um not to make it worse but to make it better but the argument is being made over control. Who gets to control what happens there? Does it stay uh the way it's been for 70 years or do we evolve?
Do we move forward? Do we progress at this at this site which I think we all agree as we have already committed funding through the blueprint master planning process at the fairgrounds that it has a lot more potential. It has a tremendous amount of potential,
but at the end of the day, Commissioner Proctor, it's your baby and I will walk with you. I will push the stroller with you and we will take this baby wherever you want to take it. But I just want to say to the chairman and to the county administrator who I've I've had this
conversation with, I I would totally support asking our legislative delegation to broach this subject with the legislature and say, "Look, we have an entity here that exists under some antiquated statutes.
This was designed to be an agriculture show 70 years ago, and that's what these county fairs were. And this has evolved now into a significant business operation in which they host a fair that generates significant revenue. It generates significant economic impact in
our community and it is still being run by a small group, a very insular organization that doesn't have doesn't really want a lot of feedback from the county commission uh or any other political entity or board. And so I think that's uh very frustrating. And so
uh I I would I'd like to see I don't want to get rid of the fair. I don't want to get rid of the agriculture. I don't want to go to the 4 showing their animals and stuff there. That's not what we're trying to do here. We're trying to make that better. We're trying to give them better facilities. We're trying to build a hotel there someday that people can stay there while they show their
horses at those buildings that are improved and better. And so, and we don't want to build the hotel. We just want to build the infrastructure that allows somebody else to build the hotel. So, uh that's my comments on it. Mr. chairman. Um, if you could uh, you know, set that into your negotiation uh,
status uh, and know that I would support a total reorganization of the NFA through legislative action if that were the will of the board. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you, Mr. Media, past chairman. Uh, Mr. Vice Chairman, >> thank you, Mr. Chair, and designated
negotiator chief. Um, I, uh, I have a quick question from comments. does, because when I look over this coming into the meeting, I like option two for a number of reasons, but uh Mr. Chairman, does the current motion allow
negotiations to move toward option two even though you're not limited to it under the current motion? >> The motion uh kind of ignores bypasses one, two, or three. It gives freedom uh a new thought, a new to whatever the
chairman and uh the county administrator. We're not running up on any of these. This just opens the field for them to rethink something different. We're going to get a bathroom one day. Be I got my fingers crossed. Okay. >> Something.
>> All right. So, I will stay away from the working together and animal husbandry jokes given even with the 4 club being over there. Um, so I with this I'll support the motion. Um, and uh hopefully
that that brings back something that can work together. I think staff has done a good job going from what was looking like we were breaking up and getting a divorce to come back within a couple months on something that works together. Um, and uh um and so and I I appreciate
that. I'm willing to go with with that because this doesn't put I think option three would be aggressive and be more like a bully which I don't think that's how we treat our partners. I think we are a local government that works together with our partners in our
agreements. Um and I think that's part of our collegiality that we are known for. Um also I didn't like I didn't like option one because it just ends the the possibility. So, I really appreciate both NFA and staff and this commission for bringing me that this back to work
together to what we can all achieve. Um, and I'm very open to the idea of if everyone is on board some sort of asset transfer that gives control that gives people gives both the county and the fair that notwithstanding any not public
negotiate. Um, and one thing I want to say is this is something that in a in a the environment where locally and elsewhere we have had issues with public assets being transferred. I really want to acknowledge and recognize
that we are doing it the way a local government that's collegial should. Should that be a result that we end up with, it will be after negotiations that it will be a even after that we will probably have 6 months to a year of
planning to get all the input and the community will be kept aware. We are in no hurry to transfer public assets. Um we are doing it slow, appropriately with input from everybody in a way that doesn't just try to slam the hammer down
on anybody. Um, and I I appreciate that. I expect no less from our colleagues and I'm not surprised at all and I'm looking forward to um a good resolution for everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you. I have Commissioner Cummings then Commissioner Maddox. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Very briefly, I
was prepared to move for option two uh as well because I I just feel like it's a win-win situation for the county and for um North Florida Fair Association as well. But given Commissioner Proctor's
motion, I think it's is broader. It gives you um along with staff and the county administrator um a wider range of of options as well as far as negotiating with uh the North Florida Fairground. I
just want I want the county to be fair to NFA and I want them to be fair and considerate in the negotiation process and hopefully we can come out in the end um with
something that's favorable uh to both. I think there is a way that this could be a winwin positive situation for uh you know for for the county as well as for for the fairground. So, um
I will respect uh Commissioner Proctor's uh motion uh ignoring all the other options because you guys have a wide range now. And I look forward to well, first of all, I want to thank uh the county administrative staff because they did
bring us a very great detailed result of the negotiations that they have been conducting in the meeting that they have had uh with uh North Florida Fairground staff and their board. And I just want to thank the board as well for your
cooperation and willingness to continue in the negotiation recognizing that we have a binding contract that extends to 2067. But in spite of that, we have a willingness uh to talk and and negotiate
and see what's in the best interest of the citizens and the best interest of the fairground as well. So I will, Mr. here uh support the motion that's on the floor. >> Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Commissioner Maddox, want to take it to a vote? >> Yeah, briefly. I I I too was um I was in
favor of option number two, but also had a little recall to it. I wanted to see if if there were other avenues we could we could look into um for the public investment. I think uh to combine those two those two master plans of what the fair may have in in place and what we're what we were looking to do could have
been accomplished on those four acres. And so, as you come back, Mr. care. I'm interested to see how the conversation goes uh and where we go from there. I want to reframe the conversation a little bit in that I want us to understand that we've been carrying an asset uh that the that the North Florida
Fair bought how many years ago? I mean, I don't know, 60 years ago. They bought it 60 years ago, transferred to us to hold so they could operate uh as the North Florida Fair. We didn't we didn't buy that land. We didn't it it
was given to us because they needed they had to give it to somebody legisl uh per the legislator for them for the legislature for them to actually operate as a North Florida fair. And so uh with that being the case and me understanding it from that from that perspective
uh is a public asset. um it's a public asset from the standpoint of we hold it, but they bought it privately uh and and they put it in our hands and they've trusted us with it and and I think all in all we we've been decent partners. We've tried to be at least. Um but I can
understand their their their hesitation on making some of the investments that Commissioner Partner has looked for uh because they haven't had full ownership of that land. Uh if we were able to give them the acreage that they're they asked for, they make that investment. I I don't blame you. Uh but on the same side, we can't make our investment
unless we own a piece of that land. And so option number two gave us that that possibility to do to handle both things and and combine a master plan that could work for everybody. Um but but again, this this gives us opportunity, as Commissioner Proctor said, I'm going to follow you on this one, Commissioner Proer, to open it up to see if there's
other lands that we can look at. Um if if there's other deals that we could possibly come up with, but option two wasn't a bad idea, Commissioner Cumins. It really wasn't. Uh, and so I look I look for us to continue to to work on not just that deal, but other deals that could happen and making sure that we're
on the same page. Finally, last but not least, I I do want to I did want to make the comment that I would ask in North Florida Fair if we do move in the op in the in the direction of option number two. Uh you would basically have the
furnished property for what would be our version of a um convention style hotel with a state of the art football stadium and facility behind it and
separately. I know um but but they but they want the investment though. Um, but I think my concern will be my concern would be and I've seen it happen because I'm I'm from North Carolina. So I saw Open Raleigh during what NC State did with that piece of property, that big piece of property that's the fairground
and they had this big stadium and stuff behind it. and all work together. And what that frontage look like as you're looking at as you're looking at this big convention hotel behind it and us being able to work together to make sure the aesthetic looks as such that somebody
who's looking for a convention hotel is willing to to come to that that convention hotel that's behind our fairground. And that's that's the part I'm really looking for us to work together on if if we're able to make this deal. So, Mr. Chair, thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you,
Commissioner Maddox. Commissioners, listen. Um, first of all, in all seriousness, I'm I'm honored for the sentiment, Commissioner Proctor. I've heard you all loud and clear. I think I kind of understand where everyone is at. Um, more importantly, you know, I've had some great
conversations with the NFA, NFA, over the last few days. my perspective on um the current situation I think has has changed and to where um you know I I I I think I understand where they're at and what they want and I think that we can get to a point where we make the
fairgrounds a generational asset for our community. I think it served an incredible purpose over the last what 70 years. I think it's benefited the community very well. It it's very clearly popular amongst our neighbors in in the general region. But I want to
look at is, hey, how can we improve this project? How can we improve this region in this area and so that way we can continue to have a great fair, but also so that we can get more out of the property. And listen, this is in in the heart of the southside of Leyon County.
And I think that it's it there's a lot of opportunities for us to look at generational growth for our community in that area for jobs, for housing, um, and for overall strong economic uh, economic development. So, commission
administrator, I think you and I should maybe huddle think we should maybe huddle on, uh, uh, during recess on this briefly. But, um, that all that being said, let's go ahead and vote on the item. Motion moved by Commissioner Proctor, a second by
Commissioner Cummings. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. Passes unanimously. Commissioners, when we get back, we will be on item number 14 and we will recess until 6:00. Part: 2
Heat. into session. It is 6:03 p.m. We are on our public uh public hearings number 19. Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. As required by Florida statutes, this item requests the board to conduct the first and only public hearing to consider adopting a resolution which
provides an inventory list uh of properties that the county holds uh fe simple uh title uh and which are deemed appropriate for affordable housing by law. The inventory also includes properties owned by independent special districts within the county. The proposed resolution would add five
county-owned parcel to the inventory uh list of properties deemed appropriate for affordable housing. Upon board approval, staff will work with Tallahassee Lenders Consortium to utilize these properties for future affordable housing projects. Should the lenders consort not wish to utilize any of the parcels, they'll be made
available to similar nonprofit partners in our community, any remaining county owned parcels would be marketed for sale with the net proceeds provided to the housing finance authority. With that, commissioners, we're recommending option one. We have no speakers on this item. Happy to answer any questions you might have.
>> Mr. Chairman, move option one. >> Second. Uh staff staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Miner, second by Commissioner Maddox. Any discussion? >> Discussion. >> Go ahead, Commissioner Proctor. >> Mr. Chairman, first I'd like to um
extend kudos to staff for our outstanding home expo on Saturday. And I believe that uh this state required inventory uh puts us uh and it keeps us in lock
step to keep the momentum. Um it was an outstanding uh forum on Saturday. Um the the collaborators if you will were there. Um the offerings of what services
were there. uh tables were set up. Uh the uh seminars I believe we did three or four sessions. Uh each of the sessions was packed out. Um it was quite
a great day on Saturday and um I believe that this is a continuation that helps to extend uh all the efforts that uh Galani uh and his staff uh do did and all of
that. I want to thank you Galani. Excellent job on Saturday. also to place into our awareness um me learning that um the mayor of uh Washington DC
uh Mayor Bowser uh great Howard um she attended Howard University and u she has that special thing called vision but she reported at the um uh national
association of cities how the federal government had gifted uh Washington DC uh with the former um hospital uh called Walter Reed uh there on Georgia Georgia
Avenue. Walter Reed Hospital is u is u in its day was u championed as the medical facility of facilities for um veterans and enlisted persons and generals and the big bigs
but that property was gifted to DC to become uh housing for uh the district. Uh she mentioned in her presentation also um talks of DC government receiving the uh what was called the RFK stadium
where the um old Washington Redskins used to used to play. And again, this this commissioner, this commissioner Singular uh beckons your attention to um to uh hear the the uh offer from the federal
government of its lens to local governments for the extension of affordable housing. And um given that uh Mayor Bowser uh made that report uh disclosed
uh city that's pretty much blue and Washington DC is a blue city uh but that the federal government which is pretty much a very red government uh is serious in its uh offering of its property for
affordable housing. I think that as we look at this inventory, this inventory can be doubled and tripled if we pursue uh the opportunities and at least consider um a committee um a special
committee to look at the opportunities because while we're looking uh at these indexes um these indexes could be uh multiple times greater and I just wanted to offer of that, Mr. Chairman, and move U option
one. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. We have a motion by Commissioner Proctor, second by uh Commissioner Maddox. Wait, are we on this? >> We're on 19, right? Yeah. So, >> yeah, >> I think it was already
>> there was there was already motion on the floor moved by Commissioner Miner. It >> was already >> Yeah, it was the motion was already moved. >> Apologize. Withdraw my motion. >> Great. Any other comments? Commissioner Cummings.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, I echo uh Commissioner Proctor's uh sentiments on this. I just want to applaud Lyon County and our collaboration uh with the city of of Tallahassee
uh and how we address affordable housing through with the Tallahassy Lind Consortium, the Community Land Trust and and what have you. Um, and I also just want to mention that last week
there was a fair housing forum. >> Mhm. >> Where we celebrated the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. We had some staff there. I want to thank
Galani Galani Marx was there. I just want to thank him for his leadership in the area uh of housing as well. But I think this is remarkable that we have these parcels and we sell them or donate
them and then they in turn are used uh for affordable housing uh programs. And I I just want to sort of pivot a little piggyback on uh the presentation that was done uh the information that we have
about the mayor of Washington DC and they're addressing affordable housing. And I think one of the areas the specific things they said that they were going to also do is renovate do some renovations
for housing specifically for disabled veterans and and and veterans in that particular area as well. So um I just want to ask do do we know do we
have a number Mr. the uh county administrator of veterans in our area that are homeless number. Do we have an idea? Do we keep track of the number of homeless veterans
in the area? >> I see Abby making her way to the podium. I'm going to ask Abby to respond. >> Yeah, thank you, Commissioner. um this continuum of care and their annual point in time count. They count how many homeless individuals there are in the community which includes veterans. They're finalizing their count from
January now. So we should have those numbers in the next month. >> Okay. And I know we we have Colonel uh Sanchez, Mr. County Administrator that specifically devotes his efforts uh to
veterans. And I think he does a great job. But I guess I'm interested in knowing um if we have a sizable number of homeless veterans or if we don't.
>> It's relatively I mean the the the sort of continuous population of of homeless that we have in the community. Yeah. Community is a pretty small number and of that veterans is a relatively small portion of that. Like Abby said, we'd
have to get the point the newest uh numbers which captures that and the point in time count captures that and we'd be able to provide that to you. >> Okay. And that will be we don't have to ask for an agenda item that will be brought. >> No, we'd be no need. We'd be happy to provide it to you. >> Okay. And then Mr. Mr. Sure. At that
point in time, I think depending on on the numbers, whether it's it's great or small, I don't I don't think it would be robbery for us to look specifically at some type housing for
our veterans or especially our disabled veterans. I mean, we're talking about individuals who who sacrifice so that we can have the freedoms that we enjoy, you know, that we enjoy right now. And I think it's it's probably more
prevalent on my mind because we involved with this war with Iran and we have lost uh individuals, service people. And then our very own city commissioner uh Curtis
Richardson and his wife who is uh Leyon County Judge Nina Richardson. Uh their daughter who is has made a career in the military has also been commissioned at some
commission. We're not sure when she she will be over there but commissioned to the Middle East as well. So um just thinking thinking in terms of how individuals service members so I can't say service
men so there are women so service members uh are sacrificing so that we can enjoy you know what we enjoy and then it's it it bothers me and it's sort of sad and I know we all have sentiment about it if
we have individuals in our community who have sacrificed and given their lives in the military service and they might have suffered some hard times uh including homelessness. So I would like for us at some point and maybe when the report
comes back uh Mr. uh county administrator to look specifically at that. But um overall though, great report and I'm just proud of how we focus on
affordable housing in our community in our community and that we continue to partner with the city and and give back as much as we can to address um homelessness among our people. So, thank you, Mr. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Commissioner O'Keefe, Mr. Vice Chair, >> thank you. Um, I just have a couple of quick questions on this um before we vote on it. We we say that we have done sales um of
these type of properties since 2018 totaling 1 million that went to the housing finance authority. Does the land that was sold is the land that was sold also still being used for affordable housing or is it be using is
it used for anything else once we use the funds for the for housing? >> I think when we and and I can ask Abby to provide some more but as a step prior to making it available for sale we make it available to our to our uh partners that do affordable housing. If it's not
eligible or appropriate for affordable housing then we sell it and give the proceeds to the HFA. But if I missed anything, Abby, please. >> No, that's exactly right. The Tallahassee Liners Consortium, they're building community land trust homes on this property. And then if if it's not suitable for housing, then it could be
used to support housing. That's been said. >> Uses what? I'm sorry, I didn't hear. >> Used to support housing. So maybe it's a small parcel that you couldn't build on, well, we can still sell that parcel for any number of reasons. And then that number go that money goes to the HFA to support housing efforts.
>> Gotcha. Okay. And why we have these properties? What makes a property not want what makes our partners not want land for free to build a house? Right? Because we've got list of properties that um can
go for free to our housing partners. What keeps an item on this list and keeps it from going not sailed for private use but for housing? >> It could be that it's in a flood zone. So you don't want to build a house in a where it's going to flood. It could be that the slope is too um severe for you
to build anything on it. Could be that it's, you know, basically a right of way. There's any number of reasons why you may not think housing is the right right piece. But if it is the right piece, then that's why we have the whole team that reviews it to make sure that it it's not in a flood zone. It meets
all the criteria so that anybody that would get that house has a safe and affordable house to move in. >> Gotcha. And are those those questions are evaluated before they get on this list or anything that
we have on on this list then goes to those questions. >> Whenever a a parcel is available, it goes through a number of departments within the county to assess whether it would be suitable for affordable housing and then it goes on this list. >> So this list wouldn't include things
that aren't suitable for housing that are have too much slope. They're in a flood zone. >> No. Okay. Um, and then how can we we talk about the community land trust and some of these are marked for the community land trust. Um,
I guess my real question is what else can we do to get properties off of this list and into built affordable housing? >> Yeah. I mean, we're giving away free land. Um I'm you know I'm wanting to
know what what else we can do here. >> We continue to promote these available parcels um through the HFA to our different partners. Letting TLC know that they're available should they need them. So just continuing to promote those efforts as we've been doing would help increase um the stock affordable housing.
>> Okay. >> All right. >> Thank you. Commissioner Proctor. >> Thank you, Chairman. Can I ask how many of these are u on uh this index resulting from leans that were not uh
satisfied in the county in force? And um of the parcels that are presented to um for your consideration and adoption, I believe all five of them is sheeted several years ago and I can't remember specifically what types of lans they had on them, but they did a sheet to the
county because of unpaid property taxes. >> Okay. Um and I know county county attorney uh we still have enforce that when uh we make improvements uh let's say like the uh 2/3 23 program
and people sign up and don't pay it that lean the county can enforce and we can um actually um I can't think of a word right now but move in and take that property become the owner >> Mr. chair. >> Of course.
>> So, under the 2/3 property, there has to be agreement in advance to participate in the program. They have to get a certain number of property owners who buy in, if you will, to uh that program to begin with. But yes, ultimately the properties that are
benefited, a special assessment is opposed and that's collected on the tax role. So, it is possible that over time if the special assessments aren't collected, just like if your taxes aren't collected or if any sort of assessment isn't collected, um there
could ultimately um you know, your property can be taken away. It's a long process, but um yeah, that is a possibility for nonpayment of assessments or taxes. So to the spirit of commissioner O'Keefe's ask um would
code enforcement type properties be another avenue by which we come into the ownership if folk are not paying the the um um >> the uh leverage yeah fee of code enforcement violation.
>> I I was I thought that's what you were getting to. Um yes, ultimately there is a list of uh properties that have incurred leans over time. Some of them for quite a long time. Some of the leans
are very very very high. Um at some point in time there has to be determination made whether to seek to foreclose on those properties. Those are a little bit different um than some of the other like failure to pay assessments or failure to pay taxes.
It's it's actually a foreclosure process the county would have to go through. Uh and under our policy, there has to be determination uh about uh the cost ultimately to foreclose versus the value of the property, but also whether the property uh qualifies for homestead.
It's an absolute nogo to foreclose on any property where there's homestead protection. Um so there has to be a case- by case analysis. Pennsylvania uh had property which the university uh bought and in their effort to
uh combat crime and to kind of control the uh u the uh pedigree of folk that lived in their university's presence. uh they had a program that um its employees
uh could they would finance for their employees housing near the university in certain areas designated and in having university employees in the area. It would uh deny um the blossoming of uh
their election and um riff raff from the campus front door. Um, I've always pondered, Mr. Administrator, uh, the possibility of, um, financing,
uh, a program that backs our employees, uh, that steps our employees to home ownership. And what creative uh models have counties in our nation uh assisted uh home ownership and and and
not just for the general public, but more specifically for the people that work for us. And we've had people here who work for this county for five years, 10 years. uh God, how long, you know, do you work for somebody before you prove
um that they're worthy to home ownership and how do we help them uh place a ladder up? And I think that when what I'm thinking about, Mr. chairman, if if it's doable, uh could this county look
out for our employees and provide um some kind of u uh step ladder progression. And the key thing that was important about University of Pennsylvania program, Mr. Sherman, is
that they had the employees paycheck. So the university uh took the mortgage off the top from the paycheck and they got paid first and gave the uh employee the balance of what they had earned. And I
believe that if you know it may be more times down the road when you guys you know have sat here for a few years that you think about this again. But I would love to see us contemplate um uh a program where we backed our
employees that been with us for 7 years, 5 years. Um solid folk come to work, do the job, committed that we're able to facilitate uh them. And then then if we stepped in there, we could actually pay their
mortgages or be the whatever you call that person and give them the difference of what they earn and we keep and pay on their mortgage and they have perfect mortgage records and all of that. Uh,
Mr. Administrator, did I say something dumb dumb enough that you would think that the chairman should just abruptly end this meeting? >> Never. Is is there a model anything like that you know of in the country? >> Mr. Chairman, sure. Sure. There there there are programs like that. I'll say
they're they're very they're very very rare, but they do exist um in certain and they tend to be very narrowly focused to specific jobs, public safety officers, teachers in certain cases. Uh you can structure those type of programs. We've looked at it in the
past. It's been a while, but at the board's direction, we'd be happy to to take a look at um at programs like that. Should the board be interested in getting an update or something to that effect? >> Mr. Chairman, I wouldn't wear weary the board. I was just throwing it out there. Just something that was floating in my head. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, commissioners, take this to a vote. We have a staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Miner, second by was it Commissioner Maddox? Second by Commissioner Maddox. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. passes unanimously. We're on item
number 20. Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. This item was request that the board conduct the first and only quasi judicial public hearing to approve the Monre Cemetery Museum type C site uh development plan application. The project site is located on the west side
of Edinfield Road, approximately 340 ft north of Mayan Drive within the RP zoning district with a historic preservation overlay included uh which allows for museum as a community facility and requires review and approval by the board at a public hearing. Uh the applicant, the Monroe uh
the Monree Cemetery Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in '09 2009 to preserve uh the historically significant Monre Cemetery site. Commissioners, again, we're asking uh or we're recommending that the board uh um
approve option number one. We have no speakers on this item. We're happy to answer any questions you might have. >> Mr. Chair, >> of course, >> I move option one. >> Mr. Commissioner Cummings moves option one, second by Commissioner Welch. Any
discussion? Commissioner Miner. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since this is since this is a since this is a quasi judicial matter, I just want to double check something. Um I've had conversations with Antie Anthony Gaudio about um a cemetery that he's working to
establish, but I don't think he's mentioned the name. So I just want to make sure um Mr. Chairman, it's not it's different. County Minister, they are distinct. They're separate. >> Great. >> Okay, great. Just want to double check. I didn't want to have us vote on something. >> It's on the record. We got it.
>> Great. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Miner. All right, commissioners. Staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Cummings, second by Commissioner Welch. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Passes unanimously. We're on item number 21, Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This item requests the board conduct the first and
only public hearing to consider an ordinance amending the official zoning map from the medium density residential MR1 zoning district to the general commercial or C2 zoning district on 2.74 acres of real property located approximately 640 ft southwest of the
intersection of Tram Road and Capitol Circle Southeast. The proposed ordinance would accommodate compact mixeduse commercial development at a major intersection. The proposed zoning is being uh p pursued to remove a split zoning uh from the subject properties following a 2026 boundary settlement
that reconfigured lot lines. With that as background commissioners recommending option one. Happy to answer any questions you might have. We have no speakers on this item. Second. >> We have staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Maddox, second by Commissioner Welch. Any discussion? >> Point of information, Mr. Chairman. >> Yes, sir. Madam Attorney,
>> is this like a Is this a asphalt? um um used asphalt site right now. What what's what what's occurring? >> We have staff approaching the das. >> Yeah, this is a a property two properties that are at the corner of Tram Road and Capitol Circle southeast
at the south uh uh west corner of that intersection and currently undeveloped. Um there's zone they were zoned C2. uh and there was a boundary settlement done with the adjacent properties uh to move the lot lines and when that
boundary settlement uh occurred it left the uh original zoning of uh of MR1 on the site and this is just correcting the zoning to match up with that boundary settlement. >> Has this been C2 all along or it's
moving to C2? Uh so the two parcels on uh the corner of uh uh of the road were previously reszoned uh C2 by the board in December of 2022. So the boundary settlement moved the lot line for the
parcels that were C2 to the to the west and then this is just moving the zoning uh districts uh in followup. >> Okay. it. But isn't there a asphalt holding used asphalt somewhere on this
on this corner? >> Uh potentially to the south of of these sites, but uh we don't believe that is on these sites itself. >> Commissioner, point of information, >> of course. Y >> are you thinking of the concrete plant site up closer to Tom Brown Park?
>> No, >> no, no, no, no. This is um deep south here on Capitol Circle turning that bin >> and uh >> it's on the left side right there. >> Yes, sir. >> And uh >> Mr. P, what's your question? >> That was my question as to the activity
currently here and this is currently I'll go by and look at it. >> Yeah, >> I'll take another one. >> This is on a four lane or six lane? >> Uh it's it's the sixlane capital circle. >> Yeah. Great. >> Commissioner O'Keefe, Mr. Vice Chairman. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. We've uh over the
past couple years this corner we've made a few changes, right? Um and it we're gearing up towards something is the we're gearing up towards some kind of activity. It seems like it's changed a few times uh to make things fit the right way. Has this changed owners or
are we just kind of moving along for making sure the process is followed for the original intent when we started being requested to make changes a couple years ago. So I believe that this is purely as a result of the shift of the bound of the boundary settlement to
create uh different sized parcels that are zone C2. Um I believe that makes it more attractive for development. >> Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry. Well, I I pause because when I ask these questions, I don't want to ask like who owns it and
what they're planning if it's not part of the process, but it's just either between this parcel or this corner on the southwest part of Tram and Capital Circle Southeast
and or the souththeast parcel. We had some other zoning changes, reclassifications or requests about like misuse residential and so so this has been on my mind as we've been seeing it for there's going to be some
development here but my >> I I'm trying to ask where we're going with it because we keep changing it seems like without getting into who owns what. >> Mr. Vice Chair, if I may real quick, this is just a zoning change, right? >> Absolutely. So there'll be so in the future if it's developed, right, there would be a a permitting plan, site plan.
They have to come back and approve and we would have an understanding of what's going to be built there. Right. >> That's correct. And I from what I understand it is that the folks that own this property are looking to move forward with development in the near term. And just to uh uh uh uh confirm this is a vacant these are vacant
parcels to help clear it up. >> Okay, great. Commissioner Patrick, >> Mr. chairman. Um I mean what we're doing tonight, I mean we're adding significant value to the stripe part and this is about 35 30 30 30 30%
of this property um is being converted from this MR1 to a C2. Uh it's going to add great great value um to whoever the owner is. But in terms of activities, I think the more important question is the
uh cuz there's a lot going on on tram road if you guys have not been down there. But making sure they're compatible and we're not doing, you know, undertaker store right here. Uh skating rink across the street. Uh
liquor store on this corner. Uh I just think that we really need to keep a eye uh on the quality of the activities there. And I I'm sure something we don't have this in front of. We're not
innocent of thought enough to know that this owner is changing this uh getting it tight and right uh to put it in the marketplace for something to happen. But as you go around Capitol Circle now
and you look at um between uh Crawfordville all the way down to uh Spring Hill Road um great things are happening and trees are falling and uh roads are going to be widened. But I think that the quality of
activities and if we're not careful um it's going to be so much is just going to be jumping off the wall. And right now there's a pleasant uh ambiance down there and I'd like to see it stay
that way. Tight and right. Thank you, M. >> Thank you. Anyone? Anyone else? All right, commissioners. Motion moved by Commissioner Maddox for staff recommendation, second by Commissioner Welch. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I.
>> Any oppose? Passes unanimously. All right, commissioners. We are back on item number 14. Remaining items, we have 14, 15, 17, and 18. Mr. County Administrator number 14. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. This item seeks board authorization to
schedule the first and only public hearing on May 12th uh to consider placing the a board initiated charter amendment on the November 3rd, 2026 general election ballot. The proposed board initiated charter amendment provides that county ordinances adopted
after January 1, 2027 shall supersede municipal ordinances to the extent permitted by law should conflict exist within the municipal boundaries. The agenda item provides additional analysis regarding how the proposed charter amendment, if approved by the voters, would give the county
greater regulatory authority within city boundaries and some um with some exceptions. A majority plus one vote of the board would be required at this public hearing to place the board initiated charter amendment on the ballot. Of course, commissioners, county attorney, and I are happy to answer any questions you might have. We're
recommending option one. We have one speaker on this item. >> Great. Thank you, Mr. County. first speaker and I apologize if I got your name if I get your name wrong. Delilah maybe. Pier Pier Delia Delila.
>> How's it going? Please state your name and uh address for the record. >> Yeah, that's the right way to say my name. My name is Delilah Pierre. My address is exempt. Um and I'm just here basically to speak in favor of this charter amendment being passed. I think that is extremely important. I think
that is a great chance to rectify previous injustices in the past of Tallahassy's history. Tallahassee has a very history where local counties and areas in Tallahassee have not received the same benefits and advantages that other places have. And I think it's important that this charter amendment is
passed that it's taken into serious consideration and that uh this the county commission does their job in considering this because it's extremely important. I know that the specific attacks um from the Donald Trump administration on DEI, on other progressive policies have been existing,
but I do not think first and foremost that it falls outside of the line of what is your authority as the county commission. But I also think that y'all still have some kind of home rule power and local organizations, local county commissions and others should do the work they can um to stand up against
attacks on autonomy in our own communities. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. point. Mr. Chair, I believe that uh Delila's comments were on the next item. So, if everybody would keep that in consideration, we take up the next item. It wasn't uh pertaining to this current item. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
>> Thank you. Delila, did you mean to speak on item number 14 or 15? >> Okay, great. Thank Thank you. We're on item number 14. >> We're on 14. >> Thank you for that uh that catch, Commissioner Maddox. >> Uh all right, commissioners, we're on number room 14. Commissioner Proctor, I have you on the queue. You are recognized.
>> I move option one, please. Second >> option one. >> We have motion for staff recognition. Option one moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Welch. Commissioner Proctor, you're recognized. >> Mr. Chairman, uh I am certainly uh uh on
14. 14 is the uh provide county ordinance revail over city ordinance in in the event of conflict. Is that the right one? >> Correct. >> Good. Good. Good. Chairman, commissioners, I think that we've simply reached a point where whatever our authority is, we can no longer loa gag
around and kind of be casual about it. Uh we're being uh told uh volunttold what we can we can't do. We're being volunttoled that we can't support DEI. We're being volunteer perhaps we can't
tax uh our community as we've done in the past. Uh the authority of this commission and local home rule uh is being just wiped out. And if there is any power or authority that we have,
we're in a time where we cannot be casual and relaxed about that because if not the state government, the federal government and the city government slapping us around side the head like uh
like we ain't nobody. And we have experienced these bumps. We are experiencing that. This is why I sincerely and seriously say to us that whatever authority in this context of the state constitution, we are a entity
of the state of Florida and the preemptive uh authority of a state entity having stronger character to a municipal entity is well established. But the key thing here is that a lot is
happening to local governmental power. And I believe that this helps us to not be casual and you know blas blah about it. We need to seize codify and execute the authority uh as we can while we can.
Thank you. >> Thank you commissioner commissioner mind then the vice chairman. >> Thank you Mr. Chairman. I appreciate it. Um I support the motion on the table. Um, at our last discussion on this item, um, I brought up a concern that I had about, uh, a blanket preeemption by county
ordinances and how that could pose some unintended consequences by, uh, preempting city ordinances that hadn't been discussed. Um, but this agenda item, the way it's written, addresses those concerns. It's pretty straightforward. Um, and so I have, uh, those issues that I brought up the last
meeting have been addressed, and I'm supporting the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you, Commissioner Miner. Mr. M chairman. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, this one's a close call for me. Um, this is one of those ones where I was hoping I saw a bunch of names before me so I could hear uh your thoughts on it, but we did cover
it pretty much pretty in depth last meeting. And last meeting, what convinced me to vote to support moving forward was I believe it was Commissioner Caban's map showing the amount of annexation that's coming that go continues and continues and
continues. Um but uh the only thing that starts to make me feel comfortable with it is the prospective nature of it that we're not just blanketing everything that should this pass starting I believe January 2027 should this pass on a ballot to be
clear by the voters um when we make a new ordinance we would decide if it would be one that supersedes where there's a conflict or does not and So if we trust the future commissions to be judicious and responsible in that,
that's that's that's one thing. Um the reason I don't support it is we have a lot of things that are going to be on the ballot. We asked the CCRC specifically to look at this that and
the CCRC specifically said no, we don't think so. and that's meant to represent what the community thinks to the best we can and we decided yes we still want to which is within our purview but I want to be very careful in the way I make my
decisions right now that the climate of the current or or or recent years does not make us make changes to long-term generational charter rules that um ought to be thought in the long
term and not if We're having issues and disagreements now. And so, um, I am I'm glad to see it come back as a perspective. Um, and um, that that's those are my thoughts on it. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Pro. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ask Commissioner Keith to walk with us on this. Um, you know that we can't afford to be leisure. uh with respect to the only other
government local in town and that's the one that we encounter. You've been here when we received a 22% uh increase on fire services. We've seen our other government um um
sell off the hospital. We had no voice, nothing in it. uh other government sold the slaves in the grave um put them up for sale knowing that what they were doing was not intended for the party that their
sale went to CCCCC but was intended for a secondary shadow buyer uh which was already in the works. Um, I'm not dissing anyone or casting shame. It's
just the character um the untransparency in the moments in which um things occur. Um there's the effort to bully us. And I say again, we've got to strap on all the
heat that we can because um we're being we're not being respected. So on yesterday, uh I did a interview about this item and um I chose to be at the uh
corner of Orange Avenue and uh Wish Way. Orange Avenue where FAMU asked us to approve all the way down to uh FAMU from Orange Avenue FAMU um Althia Gibson's name.
We honored FAMU's request. We exceeded to uh their ask. The city decided that that wasn't good enough. They changed their ordinance because there was silence. They changed their ordinance in order to run that
name past Bethl amme church down to Bragg Drive. That's um some great Americans said when people show you who they are, believe them. I do. And that's what we're trying
to do here to um equalize um our strength. Um, I don't know if we got to do push-ups, eat wedies, or jumping jacks, or what we got to do to equalize our strength. Uh, annexation going wild and wilder, and people, you
know, I think you saw what happened in the paper on Sunday where um Dr. um um former homeowner Frick of um of um Killar indicated that Killar uh got um was not trying to get in the
city. They voted not to be in the city. But in this effort to um capture uh the voters, uh the city has chased white flight. when white didn't want to be included in
the city, the city somehow co-mingled and counted uh individual votes as one group. And um that's the kind of stuff we're dealing. Walk with us. Trust is a long history and we can't afford um to
be walking with a with a slingshot and everybody else is towing the 45 and the 38. Um that's what we're doing. walk with us. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. Um, going to go to Commissioner Maddox and then I'm going to say a few uh a few things on assignment. >> Thank you. Uh, just for clarification,
Mr. Attorney, I'm sorry, Madam Attorney, Mr. Administrator, this this has this needs a supermajority. >> It needs a supermajority. All right. Um, if >> this one or the public hearing >> what >> schedule it, right? So, in the public
hearing, I think it needs five. >> Okay. At the schedule as a public hearing, we need a supermajority. Okay. Right now it's simple majority. >> Okay. Okay. At the at Okay. Today it's simple majority. Yes. >> Um I'm I'm I'm in support of sending it to the public hearing move. I'm sure
we'll get a lot of news coverage out of it. We get a lot of citizens in here to tell us what they think about it. Then we can make a a decision on it. But I want us to understand in order for us to move his direction. It needs a super majority. Again know the process hasn't gone back to the committee. Then the committee could have sent it back to us and it was a simple majority. But, um,
given, you know, the the sentiment of the board, I think where we're where we're going, I think, um, um, if we get the support of the community, uh, to at least send it to a ballot, I think we'll be okay. So, I'm I'm okay with with with sending this to public hearing, getting
to hear the community and what they have to say, and then making a decision from there. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. Uh, commissioners, I'll close this out. I'll echo the sentiments from Commissioner Proctor. Uh, Mr. Vice Chair would love for you to walk with us on this. No pressure, respect your vote and
where you're at on it. My opinion of this commissioners, I've been pretty clear about my feelings of how the city of Tallahassee has been led recently, but I don't I don't want you all to
think that that's guiding my my judgment long term because there's going to be elections and it's inevitable. Leadership is going to change. It's going to change here over time. It's going to change there over time. How I look at it is what's not going to change. What's not going to change is
the city of Tallahassee is going to continue to annex more and more property in our unincorporated and rural areas. We're seeing that um more and more and more. It's only a matter of time before the annexation starts working its way down into Woodville, which is an area
that I represent. And we as county commissioners are elected countywide, meaning that I mean majority of our pro of the for some commissioners the the property that we govern over is in the city limits. And so I think that you
know the way a Florida constitution is written is you have county commissioners that are duly elected countywide for a reason commissioners. And so I don't think this is overstepping because at the end of the day it's the citizens who
are going to decide on this on this measure. And so I I I think it's I think it's appropriate. I think it's within our purview and I think it more importantly it gives it gives an option to those voters that we're putting consolidation on the
ballot and we're you know hopefully putting this I think it gives voters an option options right maybe they don't want consolidation but they would like to see their county government be a little bit stronger right and so they have the dual separation of governments however maybe they want the county the
county government to be stronger maybe some folks you know will vote vote for both. Maybe they'll vote for none. I think it gives our our citizens an opportunity to be heard. And I think that's what, you know, what makes Leon County government different is that we listen to our constituents and we give
them an opportunity for the voices to be heard. So, um, with that being said, commissioners, we'll take it to a vote. Uh, we have a staff recommendation moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Welch. All those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying I. I.
>> Any opposed? Do you affirmative? Oh, wow. Okay. Appreciate that, Commissioner O'Keefe. Uh, passes unanimously. We are on item number 15. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. Item number 15 is requested by the board. This item provides a status report on a potential
charter amendment uh that was considered um but ultimately not not recommended to you by your 21 member charter review committee. The charter amendment called for the county to conduct historical impact audits to identify individuals or communities whose ancestors were
subjected to disparities resulting from historic public policy decisions and to establish a fund dedicated to benefit those individuals and communities. Examples of uh historic policy decisions included slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws. The staff analysis presented to
the committee at that time uh did not recommend uh pursuing the issue as a charter amendment um citing uh the the fact that the role of charter uh county charter generally is reserved for broad issues of governmental authority and
structure and powers and not typically program specific or policy specific issues which are generally the purview of the board of county commissioners as the policym body. It also pointed out the extensive policies and programs and investments that the board and the
county um uh does have in place which address the needs of our community uh especially our most vulnerable populations. And finally, the item uh to the charter committee at the time um did stress the ongoing state and federal issues uh and efforts uh prohibiting or
severely penalizing uh organizations uh that use public dollars. uh on what they determined to be uh diversity, equity, and inclusion. Since the committee's consideration of the proposed charter amendment in February, uh the item points out
commissioners of the state and federal governments have taken additional actions to prohibit DEI efforts at the local level. As you know, Florida legislature approved Senate Bill 1134, which prohibits local governments from adopting or implementing DEI related policies and programs. Elected officials
that violate SB 1134 can be removed from office for misfeasence or malfeasants. Uh pending action by the governor on 1134. Uh this would become effective January 1, 2027. Uh this legislation commissioners will impact county
programs uh and will require revisions to existing policies and programs uh and the Lyon County Code of uh laws to achieve compliance by January 1st. We, your staff will be bringing back a series of agenda items on issues beginning at your budget workshops later
in this month again to ensure compliance. Um, at the federal level, uh, the Trump administration has issued an executive order in recent weeks that requires federal all federal grant recipients to certify that they do not have DEI related policies or programs in place or risk current and future federal
funding. Therefore, commissioners, we're recommending that the board accept this status report and take no further action. And again, we're happy to answer any questions you might have. We do have several speakers on this item. >> Thank you, Mr. Caner. How many speakers do we have? >> Four. >> Four. All right, let's go with the first
speaker. >> First speaker, Serenity Williams. >> Senator, great to Great to see you. >> Great to see y'all, too. Thank you for having me. Um, good evening. Uh my name is Serenity Williams, a proud uh resident of Lyon County in District 3.
Um and I'm really excited about all the possibilities and opportunities that we have here in Lyon County that you all have been discussing here today. Um and have been for um many many years at this point. Um and I want to uh speak about
the RCA for you all today. Um, I want to acknowledge upfront that uh there's clearly concern um and caution coming from staff about this proposal, but I think it's important that we separate what the proposal actually says and what it does than what is uh assumed about
what it is. Um, first, this proposal does not create race-based or protected class eligibility or benefits. It's structured around historic public policy decisions and their long-term effects. Um, how this amendment is implemented is
entirely up to this commission. Any implementation that violates state or federal law would be already subject to those laws um in the appropriate oversight. Second, reviewing and documenting the uh impact of past government decisions is
not illegal. It is a standard and lawful function of government. Earlier today, we discussed the 32304 um summit. We see those numbers. This would see how did we get there? How did we get to that unemployment number
before and how are we changing to make it better? We already do this in other contexts like I described whether it's in infrastructure planning, environmental mitigation or economic development strategy. This amendment simply applies that same level of analysis to long-term
disparities. Third, um want to discuss that um it's been the RCA has been um compared to a CRA. Um and while CRAAS are sometimes great, they are limited. CRAAS and limited in
their geographic in their geographic they're geographically narrow. Sorry, excuse me. Um time bound and often constrained in scope. The amendment creates something different, a long-term countywide framework that can evolve with the needs of the community and
support uh larger, more coordinated investments. Most importantly, this is not about limiting the commission. It's about expanding your toolbox. uh this gives you another lawful mechanism to evaluate where past decisions created lasting
impacts and how to respond thoughtfully because this is not isolated to one particular group of people or one geographic area from the southside to Frenchtown from North Monroe to our rural parts of that community. Um there's documented policies that have shaped patterns of disinvestment um all
across this county and addressing that is not about blame. It is about course correction. Finally, I want to be clear. Existing programs show effort, but the persistence of disparities shows that effort alone is not enough. Existing programs demonstrate good intentions,
but persistent disparities demonstrate structural failure and the charter exists precisely to create fail to correct failures and programs alone have not solved. Oo, I guess my time is done. So I respectfully ask do not fear do not let fear stop you from uh continuing
this conversation. Uh the amendment itself is a governance framework. It must be it and must be implemented in compliance with state and federal law. It creates a framework for consistency, accountability, and long-term thinking. I uh accept the report if you must, but stay the course and allow the people of
Lyon County to the opportunity to decide this on their ballot. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker. Speaker Bruce Stroble. Good evening, commissioners. Um, long meeting. I'm enjoying I'm here. I'm Bruce Stroble, Dr. Bruce Stroble. Um,
from uh here in Tallahassee. Um, and I'm representing Tallahassee Alert. Um, I was moved by the 32304 report that we got earlier because a great deal of work has been done. Uh, and a lot of that was happening before we saw Project 2025 go into place. And I'm interested to see if
those trends hold going into 2026 and 2028. I'm very hopeful that they will, but I think we'll be facing some challenges. And I say that to say that when I'm out on Dave Street, when I'm in Springfield, Joe Lewis, and in Good Bread, I see communities that need to be restored. And I just worry about where
the trends are heading right now. So, let me be clear. This is a moment where we don't need to necessarily retreat. We need to take strategic precision as we look at this charter amendment. Uh we've all reviewed the county's analysis and the implications of Senate Bill 1134
under Governor DeSantis if it's signed. And I hear those concerns about funding legality and risk because I think that that's legitimate. But this is an opportunity for adjustment, not necessarily abandonment.
The question really hasn't changed even with Senate Bill 1134. What responsibility do we have as a government when in our past actions as a government that were later deemed unconstitutional continue to shape disparities in our current time? This is not really a DEI
question when you think about it. We're not talking about any specific group. We're talking about past um actions and the accountability we have to them today. This is about constitutionality. This is about governance. And we believe that the people of Leyon County deserve the opportunity to answer this question.
So this is what's important. Senate bill or the 1134 does not actually shut down this process. It actually helps us by clarifying the boundaries. Now that we have the language where DEI is carefully defined and is explicitly defined, we could fine-tune this um amendment to make sure that it stays within
compliance, but at the same time, it allows us to accomplish the same goals that were originally set forth. So this is exactly what we could do with the proposed charter amendment. We could avoid any prohibited DEI associated frameworks. We could center it on datadriven legally neutral analysis and
we could focus on accountability for unconstitutional policy, not necessarily identity based programming. So again, the question is not whether this could be done, but how should we do it? Will we allow a refined legally responsive
proposal to be reconsidered or do we simply just shut down the proposal because of fear of what could happen at the government government level? But ultimately, I believe sending this back to the review committee is not a vote for the amendment. It just allows you to allow the democratic process to continue. So it's a vote for due
process, deliberation, and continued democracy. And it's a vote to let the people decide. So please send it back to the committee for reconsideration. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Stroble. Next meeting. >> Uh Melody Andrade. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Melanie Andrad. address 3349 Argonaut
Drive. Um, good evening commissioners, uh, Mr. Administrator and Madame Attorney. Uh, I'm also a member of Tallahassee Alert, which stands for the African-American Local Election Review Team. And I first want to start out just by thanking staff. Um, you know, I was
at every um, charter review. I think I missed the first one or two, but I was at every charter review uh, committee meeting. And, you know, just the the back and forth. I felt like we became colleagues. It was like a tennis match, right? We had to work together. We had to read their analysis every time the
agenda came out. And I felt like this shows democracy in action. So, I thank them for um entertaining us. Um but I'm here today to urge you not to walk back your decision to send this amendment back to the Citizens Charter Review Committee.
At its core, this is not a final policy decision. What it is is simply a commitment to the democratic process. The charter review committee exists for exactly this purpose, to study proposals, gather public input, and determine what should move forward to the voters. I think reversing course now
would would short circuit that process before the community has had another opportunity to engage on this issue. Sending this amendment back to the CCRC does not enact it. What it does, I'm sorry, it does not enact it and it does not bind the county to any program, any
spending or any particular outcomes. What it does is allow for thoughtful review, public vetting, and expert input, which are the things, the very things that we say we value in local government. It's important to be clear about what this amendment actually does. It would simply create a structured
opportunity for the county to conduct audits and compile reports to examine how past policy decisions have shaped current conditions in our community. I don't think that's controversial. I think that's just responsible governance. Every major system we rely on, budgeting, planning, infrastructure
depends on data analysis and evaluation. This amendment applies that same principle to understanding long-term impacts of public policy so that future decisions can be better informed. uh you've already taken the appropriate first step by bringing this back up and
pushing to refer it to the charter review committee. I think walking that back now sends the message that even studying and discussing an issue is too much and that's not the standard that I think we should set for Lyon County. Let the process work. Let the committee do its job. And ultimately, if this does
advance, let the voters have a say. I respectfully ask you to stand by your original decision and allow the restoration of communities amendment to move forward to the charter review committee. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next speaker. >> Final speaker on this item. I think he may have left. Stanley Sims.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> So, Mr. Chairman, >> commissioners, we are on to discussion now. Do do I have any commissioners who would like to speak on this item? >> Commissioner Potter, you recognize. >> Mr. Chairman, >> for a motion. I move that we send this
back to the charter review for contemplation. Second. >> Great. We have a motion moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Maddox to send this back to the charter review committee. Any discussion? Commissioner Proctor.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sherman, I don't know uh last few days, weeks, months, uh I have I feel like I am the victim of uh racial target practice from the White House,
from the governor, and from the legislature of Florida. I feel like my children and my grandchildren are set up for racial target practice.
And I'm not the only person, but I'm the only person that can speak for me. That's what I see. And I believe that when you look at the mailin voting laws attack, you can't vote by mail is more
difficult. Uh while you can't have programs that are IDed by race, yet the federal government is calling for IDs that more strongly and more intensely identify,
you know, that's hypocrisy. I got to over ID myself to vote. But anything that lends itself toward being a woman or being a a non-white male, uh that right there is intolerable.
voter access is being cut off. And it's interesting that um down through the years um the 13th, 14th, 15th amendment supported by the federal government. Uh this federal government supported troops
in the Civil War. Um, federal government supported Brown versus Board, the 64 Civil Rights Act, the 65 Voting Rights Act, the 68 Fair Housing, federal government.
But under the Trump federal government, the Confederacy has taken over the federal government. And I'm a victim of racial target targeted racial targeted uh target practice
against me by the federal government. Where do the injured go? Um where do they fly for justice? was a report led by attorney Frank Scrugs for the state
of Florida Supreme Court in 1980 late 90s early somewhere. Where do the injured fly for justice? You remember that report by Frank Scrug and you testified in Okay. And when people are
shut out of the courts and they have no blacks on the jury and they have no blacks in the state attorney's office and they have no blacks in the public defenders office,
most black folk is scared of white folk in the vulnerable position in front of the court. And we have so many men black who are being bullied in a sense take
this deal or ain't nothing going to happen. So, does a black person, Commissioner Cummings, take the uh deal that's offered by the state and you accept the deal that the state offers
and in accepting that deal, you can either take that deal or take the chance of going in front of all white jury. And you that's that's that's what you call between a rock and a hard place. So to those who don't have to think black,
see life black, count on a 14th amendment, that is the birth certificate of all people, black, brown. It's it's the thing that gives um citizenship. This is very hard and I'm not trying to take time. I want you to know how my
heart feels. George Clinton was on the screen a minute ago and the first newspaper article I ever wrote for the Howard University Hilltop newspaper was the cover uh the George Clinton uh out in
Landover, Maryland and the mother ship was going to land and I was there as an 18year-old freshman and then this past weekend George Clinton was mother ship was going to land on his
85th birthday and it was at a place called the FIPS Farm and I was invited Saturday to come out. I got a table, you know, VIP, come on out. But I just couldn't go to the George
Clinton as much as I like George because my mama grew up on the Fipps plantation. She was born and lived there from 1937. My grandmama, her mother was born on the FIPS
plantation in 1907. and my greatg grandmother and father lived on the FIPS plantation. And the struggle with which the Landers family went through
to get off of a FIPS plantation through three generations was just a place unacceptable that I could go to and reconcile the difficulties, the struggle for survival and party with the mother ship landing.
So to anybody want to know why I didn't go, my mama, grandmama, great grandmama were all products of the FIPS plantation when you come from and evolve from that
standard. And there are a few things that seek to give um traction to some of us in this American life. Footing uh stability, a chance and opportunity.
And all of those things are taken back from you. It leaves you feeling uh many ways. But I'm not going to um
not vote for DEI because Reverend Holmes said today that if nothing else, he wanted to make clear and that is that Donald Trump is not Jesus Christ. And I believe Reverend Holmes,
but I'm not going to support a measure that's going to put my grandchildren back in a place that we have evolved from being with no rules of fair labor practices.
I don't know what your story is, but that's mine. and to vote for something that this governor have set down, I would be taking a vote against my dead daddy. And I ain't going to do that. So if I have
to get put out of office because I can't side with the governor, not Trump, I'm not going to vote against my dead granddaddy, my grandmothers, my grandfather, and all that they struggle
for our society to afford me, Carolyn, Nick, and Chassity a place to sit on this stairs. I ain't going to vote against all those dead people cuz I got possibly the chance to see them again.
But I want a progressive ongoing struggle to make better the options. Finally, commissioners, let me just say that that astronaut who was the captain
of the Artemis mission, Artemis 2, uh said from the vantage point of being out in the midst of space that we have a spaceship called Earth,
that the possibility, the potential to coexist in a very exciting space. Oh, he said something. I hope you listen to it. But I challenge us tonight to not
go with the flow. And though these policies are coming for me and I'm targeted and I don't know how long a black person will be allowed to sit here, um I don't know. I don't know how long the Civil Rights Institute at
Florida State will exist. I don't know. I don't know if FAMU students next year will be able to celebrate black history or not. I don't know. But what I do know, as long as I'm a damn commissioner, I ain't
never supported anti-Dei. I know that. And I will never be turned around in my determination to move forward and to make our society
a better space, a better place. And I surely would not vote for policies that would limit what my grandchildren can do and their potential and the possibility of achieving it is less than what I had.
I ain't going to do that. So, I thank you for the second on your motion, Commissioner Maddox. Yes, sir. >> But it's to go back to be rethought and whatnot because um we all as victims of target practice is racial. It's
discrimination. It's it's the pits. So, I appreciate your support. If this um group of citizens um can't work through those words and they're very informed, enlightened,
we'll accept that. But please let's give them that chance to uh stroke the genius of their minds and uh to offset what we're being told we can't do. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. Mr. Chairman, >> um I am I'm voting to support sending
this back to the citizens review committee. Since the citizens review committee considered this, we've had new laws be drafted and sent to the governor, not signed yet. uh as as was mentioned in the materials SB 1134 which
I went and testified against at the capital and I will just say that it was chilling to hear how the impacts of this were described um in such a benal administrative
uh paperwork way when I really thought about the impacts to our community and the reason I want to send this back to the citizens review committee is because it is a existential question of if we are able
to represent the values of the communities that elected us. And I really would like this s and and the the threats come with serious consequences. And I want to know from this group representing citizens
what you want us to do, how far you want to go with standing up for our values. And that doesn't even as as we mentioned before this can be structured in a way that is legally compliant. But I want to know what this those citizens want us to do and and come back and tell us because
because it's an important issue and we we really need to make sure we know exactly where and why they stand to educate our decision. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman. Commissioner Cummings. >> Yes, ma'am. Oh, I owe you to I'll yield to to my
>> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um I have some grave concerns on this particular item and on the motion on the floor as well. I agree with um Commissioner Proctor.
I believe in this climate there is some racial target practice and I specifically feel as though there's target practice on black females me being
black female and I think we've seen it more more abundantly here within the last year or so. And so when I look at this
agenda item number 15, I can't look at it colorblind because I'm black. I've always been black and always will be. And so I bring to this commission
my history. I I I bring to this commission the way I have lived and survived in this community and in this
state in this nation for all the years of of my life. But as an elected official, I have to put that aside and also look at what's in the best interest
of the citizens of Lyon County as well. I I too am not totally opposed to some type of study looking at past wrongs the way it's sort of framed now.
But I can't erase the fact that we have some legislation and federal executive order
that specifically addresses on the contrary to what this particular agenda item asked us to look at and whether or not we as a county
should engage in some historical study of past or past wrongs and then of course I think the motion on the floor is to send it back to the charter review committee. Now, the trial review committee
has already scrutinized this particular provision. They looked at it and they voted not to bring it to the commission. I'm not sure if they were aware
that Senate Bill 1134 was in the making, but as we sit here tonight, it has been passed by the legislature and at some point before
January 2027, I believe that the governor will pass that legislation. Now, the agenda item, and I pre I thank staff for uh being thorough in this particular agenda item, but it points
out some possible impacts that would not be good for the citizens of Leyon County, would not be good for uh for this board. And that's the potentiality of significant litigation number one and
the potentiality uh number two and three that our federal funding could be adversely affected and our state funding could be adversely
affected if we adopted what's being recommended. some empirical study. So, number one, I'm I'm really not in favor of sending it back
to the committee because they've already reviewed it. It didn't pass. So, we as a board decided to resurrect it, which we have the authority to do. But, commissioners, I'm just skeptical at this point. I
don't want to take a vote that is going to adversely affect the overall economic ability of the county, Leyon County, to carry out its duties and responsibilities from a fiscal
standpoint, from a financial standpoint um to this to this community. I don't know if if the charter review committee would send it back and of
course it would would go on the ballot but at that point and even now we're we're engaging in some act activity that flies in the face of the legislation that passed and in the face of the
executive order that our president has signed whether we like it or not. Whether we like it or not, we've got that legislation. Now, I do know and I think we all recognize that, you know, theology and was it Henry David the road
talked about civil disobedience and at that particular time civil disobedience was more from a personal personal standpoint. Was it legal and lawful for individuals,
primarily members of the Africanamean descent, to disobey laws that segregated us, okay? That to disobey laws
that dictated that I had to go to a fountain, a water fountain that was designated colored >> in this building. those in this very in this very building. >> The impact of not obeying of disobeying
those laws was was more of a personal nature. It and I'm sitting here as an individual that represents people that look like me in this community and people that don't look
like me. And I was elected by people that look like me and by people that don't look like me. But our common denominator is that we're all human. We're all citizens. We all residents of Lyon
County. And so for me, I I I think I have to look beyond the fact that I believe there clearly have been some wrongs. I have to look beyond the fact that from personal standpoint,
I feel that there should be some corrections in certain areas and I might even feel that that may there needs to be some reparations. Coming from Mississippi, you know, I pro I feel that way, but I have to take off
my personal hat and put on my hat as a representative of this entire community. Do I want to jeopardize Leyon County, the entire county, the well-being of the entire county? No. No, I don't. As I sit
here, am I aware of the federal legislation and the state legislation that has passed that prohibits what we are discussing? as an elected official, do I do I turn
my head and say my main priority is not the overall well-being of the county, but my main priority is knowing that there were some empirical wrongs done in the past. And by George, I want us to look at it and see what they are and see
what we need to do. Now, what I look at is what the county is doing, what the county has done since I've been on this board, and I know they did it before I became a member of this board. We had some reports here tonight
about how we are addressing those disparities without calling it DEI. Okay? And let me say this about DEI. There's been a lot of gaslighting about DEI.
DEI was never designed, nor was it implemented to hire anybody that was not qualified. And I promise you, if you go to any program in the state of Florida, our university
system, you're not going to find where any position was filled with somebody that was not qualified. You're not going to find where any position was filled because of the race of a person or of the color of their skin. That's not what
DEI was about. And I'll tell you what DEI was about. It was about allowing me as a person of color to go apply for a job and think about something I omitted from
my application. I go back an hour later to add it to my application. DEI was about me not finding my application in the garbage can. That's what DEI was about. It's about giving
all individuals and races the opportunity to be considered not to be selected because of any particular race, color, creed, national origin, what have you. That's not what it was about. And if
anybody tells you something different, that's gaslighting. That's not what DEI was about. Okay? But in spite of that, the county has spent substantial revenue on human services throughout Leyon
County, throughout the community. Healthc care, we've spent millions of dollars. We spent millions of dollars in housing, economic development. We partnered with Florida Anning
University and FSU in various areas. is we've been in been involved in the CHSP process which our nonprofits go out and do a lot of the human services that we from a county level we can't do. We have
to have have partnerships. Okay. But I I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. I said all of that uh to say this and Dr. Stro, I just want you to understand I am a black female. However, I'm an
elected official of Leon County and I don't want to put the fact that I'm a black female over the well-being of the entire county, which would include me as a citizen of this county.
And so while I'm concerned uh about some past wrongs, I believe strongly that we as a county are addressing those wrongs without setting ourselves out as a target for our state
funding and our county funding to be affected. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Commissioner Matis. >> Mr. chair. Thank you. Um so I think we had some very good conversation about
this. I want to start out talking about the DEI issue um about maybe 10 years ago had opportunity to speak with u congressman former congressman might have been congressman
time JC watch. >> You remember when we did the little TV station over there commissioner partner at FAMU? Um he was JC Watts was a part of that. How long ago was that? >> About six years. >> About six years ago. Yeah. Uh JC Watch was a part of that. I had an opportunity
to sit down and talk to him and I and one of the questions I asked him is I said um I asked him I said, "How did you pick your political party?" He said, "Nick," he said, "Um, I I um I sat down and I looked at everything and I looked for the right opportunity and he said,
"I I I went Republican." He said, "But when I sat down with them, I told them that I would always support affirmative action." And in 1995, he was the lone black male Republican
uh that uh said that the playing ground still was not level. So, he voted against uh his Republican uh folks and and and and was still in favor of affirmative action. And so, um, I'll always remember that conversation
because I'm a Democrat having a conversation with a conservative black man who played football at Oklahoma trying to figure out how he was a part of the Republican party and what exactly he believed in and how his beliefs might have intersected with that party. And he
said he stood for what he stood for. And he told them from the junk that's who he was going to be. And they accepted that that's who he was going to be. And so that's as much as I'm going to say about DEI because I want y'all to understand. I I want to reframe this. I want to make
this very clear. This is not about DEI. What we're talking about here today is not about DEI. I think uh Dr. Stroble uh framed it perfectly.
This is about historic harms of policy. Um, not that just harmed black folk, not that just harm women, not just just harm any not that just harmed any minority. It's about
historic harms, legislation that harmed anybody, no matter your color, race, creed, it doesn't matter where you live. If there's a policy that was enacted that created harm in an area that is what we
are talking about here today. So in my in my case in my opinion this is a whole different issue than DEI race gender anything. This is about policy and people in general
not a sector of people but people in general. And when we talk about when we if we send it back to the committee, what is the difference between what they saw and what we're talking about? It's the framing of this piece right here. That a whole I watched some of that too
and some all that conversation was about well slavery and this and that. It was very pointed towards particular issues and particular races and part particular genders. That's not what we're talking about. That's not the issue that we're talking about here today. is transformed to being about historical harms of
policy that happened to people in general geographically all over Leyon County. What have we done? What policies have have been implemented that harmed areas of our community that we could pour
resources into? Um, so as we talk about it, make amends. Commissioner Per, I remember a while back we did an apology for slavery. You remember that? I think you asked for it. That's not what this is about. We we we did our apology for that, but that's not what this is about. We we uh this is about us being very
clear about targeting targeting our resources in areas that may have been harmed by policy. And because policy harmed those areas, it created blight. It created an area that lag behind when it came to development. That's what this
is about. So, what we're talking about with the 32304 and all those positive things that we talked about there, what was the one thing that staff talked about that that that really was a key thing that staff talked about that helped change that? They didn't talk about policy. They talked about the fact
that $30 million of the county was sitting that area. They talked about 300 plus million dollars of blueprint was spent in that area. Now, did we make some policy changes? Did we have some other stuff? Of course, we did, but we put some resources there. So yes, Commissioner Commissioner Cummings, you
said it. We have done a good job of of allocating our resources to areas of our community that may be blighted and need the help. We have done that. We have done that. But what if we had studies that say that told us specifically what
areas that we have created policy created in the past have harmed those areas and that we can target those areas. See, right now we're going off of current day um um data of what we see as poverty, the areas we see as poverty. We're going off current day data as we
places we see that need the jobs and stuff like that. But but what about the policies that might have been implemented? So I wanted to reframe it because yes, DEI is important, but that's not what we're talking about today. And I and I didn't want to say my piece about DEI and I gave my story about JC Watts and his his take on on
affirmative action and and and in in that in that in that meeting he made the statement he literally said is quoted he said that the playing ground is not level yet. I believe that in 2026 that statement was made in 1995. I believe at
2026 the playing ground is still not level. It's still not level. But that's not what we're talking about here today. It's not what we're talking about. What what we'll have to do what we will do with the county is with our DEI programs we will have to transition to something
differently so we are not penalized for having a program that focuses on helping our small businesses develop. We will do what we have to do there. But that is not the proposal that we're talking about today. That's not the proposal
that we're sending back to our to our uh to our committee. And the other thing I the most the most I won't say impressive pointed thing that that Dr. Stroble said is and the thing that I I thought hm I didn't think about that he said that
legislation has been passed that told us exactly what state and federal government think DEI is and how to avoid being a part of what's being determined to be DEI. If this passes, we will not
put ourselves in position where we're going to miss out on federal and state funding because we created a program that goes directly against what they've said. And if we do, if it passes and we cannot create a program that does not that goes against that does not go against what the federal and state
government says, then we will continue to work on it until we create a program that goes that does not go against what they said. We're not ain't nobody up here in the business of losing money. Ain't nobody up here in the business of trying to to to to to to go against the federal government when it comes to what
they've what they've said we got to do or we're going to lose their money. We're in the business of trying to put a program together that really focuses on targeting our resources in areas that may have been harmed by legislation of prior commissions. That's what we're
talking about here today. Uh so I'm I'm going to support it. Send it back to the committee. But I'm supporting it. Send it back to the committee because that is what I'm supporting. I'm not supporting DEI. I'm not supporting a racebased program. I'm not supporting that. Ultimately, what I'm really supporting
at the end of that, and I'm going to pull out what a bit of what um Commissioner O'Keefe said is ultimately, if it comes back to us changed in the way that I have spoken uh in my comments, I'm really supporting seeing how our community feels about it. I'm
really supporting them voting on whether or not they want it because if they don't, guess what? We won't have it. We won't have it. But it has to be framed the right way. We have to think about think of it in the right way. We have to speak of it in the
right way. This is not reparations. This is not DEI. This is not a race-based, gender-based program. This is none of those things. This is us trying to figure out how to target our resources in geographic areas within our
communities that we may have we may have harmed through legislation or not legislation through ordinances and policies that we p that we have passed in the past that created blight that created disparity that created a a
situation where a part of our community may not have thrived as much as another part of our community. So again, it could be north, south, east, west, it doesn't matter. It could be black, white, female, male, it doesn't matter. If if it's a policy and we and it was
implemented by Lyon County and it created blight, it created a situation where one area of our community was able to prosper more than the other, then we need to look at it and we need to we need to target our our resources within those areas. Final, final, final. The best part about it is we're talking
about infrastructure. We're not talking about people suing us and we giving them putting money in people's pockets. No, we're talking about targeting our infrastructure, the things that we already do. The things that we already do is just extra layer
of study to say to to to to really to solidify the fact that hey, what we did that that 30 million that we did in 3 3304, that was spot on. And we got all of the facts here that says that we've done
some things in the past. And I'm not saying this commission did it. I know I didn't do it. Bill, you didn't do it either. You've been here a long time, but you didn't do it. But we've done some things in the past that might have created a situation where this this this this this area didn't have the advantages of another area, and we need to really really focus on how we bring
them up to par. So, I I really I I enjoyed the comments, but I really wanted to reframe it a bit because I I I want us to understand what we're voting on or or I want y'all to understand what I'm voting on. And I want the the public, the general public, to understand what I'm voting on. I'm going
to say it one more time so I'm clear. I am not voting on a race or genderbased program. I am not voting on DEI. I am voting to send back to the committee a
program or a charter amendment for them to review that focuses on the historic harms that was done to anybody any area of our community so we can target our resources. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
>> Thank you, Commissioner Madx. Commissioner Miner, bring us home. We'll take it to a vote. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Madame County Attorney, if Mr. Chair, if I can ask a question of the county attorney. >> Of course. Um, speak based on
what Commissioner Maddox has has said and what he's described his motion to be about and the specific direction we'reing to the charter review committee. What is your assessment of the legal risk as it pertains to that
for us simply to send it back to the committee at that for that one step? there's no risk to send it back to the committee. But the challenge is going to be that the first a record has been established here. Okay. Over time, the
first proposal that went to the CCRC specifically used the term race. Okay. After concerns were expressed at the CCR meeting, a revised proposal came back to remove the word race and instead insert
the word unconstitutional. Okay. But the backup materials that were provided reference the same sort of things. They reference in terms of defining historic
>> historic policy decisions. Forced or compulsory labor systems in effect prior to 1865. Post emancipation systems of coerced labor including debt penage and convict leasing. legally mandated segregation in
housing, education, healthcare, transportation, employment, or public services. I I I understand the desire to do this. I am merely telling you that you can couch it in the most benign way
possible, but the true intent and what Commissioner Maddox is talking about is not what is reflected in these supporting documentation in terms of what would be audited. And it goes further than just auditing
or research or compiling data. It talks about the potential for establishing a community restoration fund dedicated solely to support restoration activities that benefit individuals and communities
that are identified above. Okay, I'm telling you under Senate Bill 1134 that is problematic as this is presented. >> Commissioner, >> it also talks about the integration of planning and budgeting. budgeting is
funding. It also talks about priority access to county owned land. That's giving preferences. Th this is why this agenda item has identifies some legal risks that it
does. And even if we were to adopt Commission Commissioner Maddox's motion, basically giving a a clean slate, a a a new proposal to send back to the committee without any of the background materials attached to his motion. Does that give
us does that put us in a better position? There would have to be a cle a complete reworking of what this proposal does and what it means and that would
have to be followed. >> Is it possible to do that? Potentially, but it is not what you it's not what the CCRC reviewed and it is not was what was attached to this agenda item. >> Understood. Understood. Commissioner Maddox's motion
could be a >> second to his motion. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> But I don't know if he's going down the same line I'm going down. Go ahead. >> Yeah. Yeah. This would be a a clean slate starting a new a directive toward the citizens >> review uh con charter review committee
to start this without any of the backup materials that you talk about in the previous work that the CCRC has done. Uh that's how I would view this motion. Is that was is that how you see it, Commissioner Proctor? Commissioner Maddox, is that how I saw it? Um, Commissioner P, you saw it a
little bit differently than I saw it, but that's how I see it. >> No, but you the way you said it is how I now see it. >> Oh, yeah. But then, yeah, that's how that's how he sees it. Yeah. It's it's it's basically giving them a framework that gives a new slate. Yes. Cleanly
severed from any previous materials whatsoever. >> Yes. >> Okay. I have been procilitized to commissioner view >> and and madam madam county attorney just to reiterate a motion such as that without any background materials us voting on this tonight sending that back to the
citizens charter review committee uh poses minimal risk for the county government in terms of as you best can ascertain um poses minimal risk for Leyon County government with regard to funding >> I don't
>> or anything I I know what Commissioner Maddox articulated, but what that looks like on paper and what would be discussed is how that would be implemented has not been fleshed out. So, I cannot tell you right now.
>> Is that is that different than what was previously considered in what's in your agenda item? Yes, absolutely. Is it possible that that's workable if something is developed? Yes. But until something is
developed and on paper, I can't tell you whether that's high or low risk. >> And apologize for taking so long on this, but this is important. Um, Commissioner Proctor, Commissioner Maddox, um, if we were to actually have this put down as an agenda item that comes back to us at a future meeting so
that we can review it with the county attorney, get her explicit advice on what exactly is written to provide to the citizens charter review committee. Do we number one, do we have time to do that and still make it on the ballot if we decide to go that way? Number two,
would you all accept waiting this having this come back to a future meeting where everything can be laid out black and white, the county attorney can look exactly what's being proposed and we go from there? >> Yeah, I think that's prudent. Um because we don't want the citizens review down
there um punching in the dark and there's no target. They don't know what they're going for. So, uh, the more specificity, uh, we lend to them, extend to them, uh, the greater their chances to galvanize
support for or against a specific, uh, but you need an axle of which their minds rotate around collectively. >> Point of clarification, Commissioner Commissioner Miner, are you asking him to reframe the motion so we have an agenda item come back to us before we send it back? >> Exactly. So my my recommendation as a
friendly amendment, Commissioner Proctor, if you accept it, is to have this agenda item come back to us at the next meeting explicitly writing out what our directive will be for the citizens review committee. The county attorney can then look at that at that that explicit writing and tell us what her u
opinion is on what risk that might pose to the citizens charter review committee if it comes back etc. >> Assuming we have time to do that and still if we choose to proceed to move that to the ballot. >> Mr. kind of minister. Do we have time?
>> Just very quickly and I just wanted to give you I wanted to foreshadow shadow a little bit in terms of what will come back to you. Uh and I realize how slippery these issues can get. One of the big things we we cautioned the committee about the charter review committee about was getting into policy
issues in a county charter. Uh, again, I pointed that out earlier tonight about the board having the ability to implement policy, direct, implement, develop policies that do certain things. What Commissioner Maddox talks about is what you do today, 32, 2,3, or 4, you do
it. So, you'd basically be proposing a charter amendment that says, can we do what we're already doing? Um, so again, I just wanted to give you a little context that again you could go further and then you start getting into some of the other issues that we're talking about now. So, and again, uh, again,
just wanted to in case in the effort just to get perhaps a little bit more guidance that may be helpful to us in terms of what to bring back to you. >> Thank you, Mr. K. Administrator, Commissioner Mer, you still have the floor. >> Yeah, thank you very much.
This is a really difficult one. Um, Commissioner Proctor, would you accept that as a friendly amendment? >> Um, Mr. Chairman, I can do better than that. I'd like to plagiarize what Commissioner Miner said and vicariously plagiarize and make that first person voice coming from me.
>> Okay. Do you maintain the second? Okay. So, the motion >> Okay. I maintain second, but I have a question. So, so what it sounds like we're coming to a consensus about is that the motion on the table amended would basically ask our county staff
working with our county attorney to come up with a specific directive toward the citizen charter review committee to work on um the the concept that Commissioner Maddox has articulated. >> Okay. No reference whatsoever DI, no reference
whatsoever to reparations, no background materials from previous work from the CCRC, nothing related whatsoever to uh anything related to race, DEI, uh, etc., etc. >> And that would come back to us at the next county commission meeting. We could look at it. The county attorney could
then provide counsel on whether or not it had any legal risk for us. >> Thank you, Commissioner Miner. He loud and clear. He's adopting the amendment. We have a second by Commissioner Maddox. Any other discussion? I'm going to move on. >> I'm good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you for for framing that. Uh,
Commissioner Miner, I have uh Commissioner Welch and I'm going to go to O'keefee because he has not spoke yet on this item and then I'm going to come to you. Commissioner >> I'm done with the name. >> Okay, you're good with that. Okay. Thank you. I'll remove you from the queue. Um, perfect. Commissioner Walsh and Commissioner. Um, thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Uh, I'm going to be a no on this. I think precisely because of this conversation we're having. What we're what we're looking at in this document is not what we're talking about. We're talking about anti-dei or you know
is this DEI? Is it not DEI? This is ice skating uphill because what was discussed at the citizens charter review was clearly about reparations. It was clearly about forced or compulsory labels labor systems, post-emancipation systems. It
defines it. It says persistent disparities as individuals or communities. So to say that it's not about individuals, what we're trying to do is put a square peg in a round hole here because when this item came out and it got in the
press, it became called reparations, right? And that's that I think the the real what we're doing here from we're jeopardizing to Commissioner Cummings point and to the county administrator's point what we're already doing.
If there is a segment of the community that has been disinvested because of historic policy decisions, then it's disinvested today. We know where those communities are and we are already directing our funding to those
communities. But when you start calling it something else, when you start calling it historic policy decisions that resulted in disenfranchisement or disinvestment of individuals or communities, when you start talking about ancestors,
then you are muddying up your what you're already doing as an organization, which is investing in communities that are disinvested. The 32304 is clearly a disinvested community where we have clearly directed hundreds of millions of dollars and a lot of that's come from
the state and federal government that we have leveraged. When we start considering things like this, we jeopardize that very funding that we are trying to send there because we want to label it as historic policy decisions or
disenfranchised communities that dealt with forced labor systems, post-emancipation systems, Jim Crow exclusionary zoning, land use restrictions, um redevelopment programs that displace communities based on unconstitutional criteria, documented
denial of access to publicly funded services. This this item is about reparations and we're trying to posture it in a way that makes it not about reparations. And that's the frustration that we're having up here in terms of a polies policy decision. My objections to
it are that reparations is a non-starter for a lot of people when we start talking about spending current taxpayers money to impact people who whose ancestors experienced,
you know, segregation or or racism or slavery or things like that. That becomes a very controversial issue that then now with the environment at the state and federal government jeopardizes the very foundations of this organization and what we are already
doing. You are jeopardizing your own seats at this table. if you support what's in this item. And I think that's I mean, if you were making that decision right now, hey, you want to support this item or lose your ability to advocate for the communities
that you serve because I'll remove you from office if you enact this item. Would you take that deal? I bet you wouldn't. So, really, it becomes an issue of it's very clear what this is about. The frustration they're experiencing is that they're trying to
figure out what we're wanting to do in terms of not making it about DEI but not making it about reparations. Well, then what's it about? Right? So, that becomes the the thing they're trying to the needle they're trying to thread.
And I would say to you and and putting it in the charter, I think, is a terrible idea because again, you are establishing policy through your charter. Again, we can get up here and we can say we apologize for slavery. We unanimously supported that on this board. We wholeheartedly agreed with the
idea that we should put out a statement, a proclamation, a a resolution that we apologize for slavery knowing the history of Lyon County through that era. But now you are directing funds specifically to individuals and
communities because of slavery. That is that is a bad policy decision in my opinion, especially in light of the fact that you already do it sort of automatically anyway. You're already directing funding to disinvested
communities to people and communities who have experienced discrimination historically or otherwise. And so I think it's a really slippery slope that we're playing with. I think that it's
dangerous for not just the county's current efforts, but I think everybody up here's political seat and ability to to advocate. So, um I will not support the even the the
thing that's on the uh on the dice now because I don't think they know what they're going to bring back to us. I mean, I don't think they are given. We can give them clear direction to bring back a policy, but at that point, why why do we even need the charter review committee? We don't need to kick anything back. We can just bring
something to our board and put it on the on the ballot, whatever we want, right? So, I think that um we're going to need to give them a lot clearer direction of what exactly we're trying to achieve here if we want it to come back to us
and make any sense at all. So um I hope I could sort of explain that in the best way possible. But again my reading of this analysis is very clear. It is very defined about what exactly this considerate this proposal is considering
and this proposal right here is trouble based on the Senate bill that the governor is surely going to sign. And I think it just defeats the purpose entirely of what we're already doing in our community. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
>> Point of information. >> Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, Commissioner Welch. Just quick point of information. Yes, sir. Commissioner Welch, I understand what you're saying. Um, I wouldn't vote on what's in the agenda item packet either, but that's not what we're talking about. The motion is completely different. The motion is a separate clean slate from what is in the
agenda item. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Yes, you may respond. My thing, Commissioner Miner, is I don't know what the motion is exactly. It's just asking her to bring back something that sounds like what Commissioner Miner described. I mean, Commissioner Maddox described. >> So, basically, I mean, I wasn't I couldn't gather a whole pretty much.
>> Thank you. Thank you for the the clarifying, Commissioner W. Commissioner. The motion on the floor by Commissioner Proctor is to bring back basically a version of this item that has uh from my understanding no ties to how it was previously written. So, it's essentially clean slate. Um,
>> can I clarify, >> please? >> Because it's not that it it's it's really the direction that Commissioner Miter gave was or or the suggestion that you gave the agenda item comes back, Madam Attorney, that focuses on the things
that I said and gives us clarity on the directive that we're going to give the committee. And so, it's more of it's not even coming up with policy. It's not it's not coming up with a statement. It's more of this is what Commissioner Maddox said. This is what it this is the
framework framework of what it looks like and then taking it back over there to them and if they have policy that goes with it then they you know then they can talk about it that way. Is that correct? >> So here's what I want commissioners. Here's what I want to do. >> I would like a clean stated motion, a
clean stated question on the floor so that way there can be a proper second staff has clear direction and every commissioner knows what we're voting on. And if we can't get to a clean question for the board to discuss, then we should not debate it. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. So, Mr. Proctor, if you need a
minute to to just ask the question cleanly. >> Mr. Chairman, I'd like to withdraw my motion and yield to the more uh clear mind of Commissioner Miner. >> Commissioner Miner, you're recognized to make the motion.
>> Thank you, Mr. Proctor. I think. Um, so what this motion would do would be to ask the county attorney and the county administrator to work to bring back an agenda agenda item to us at the next county commission meeting. That would um
provide a framework for the points that Commissioner Maddox eloquently made. a clean slate, no reference whatsoever to to background materials from previous work, no reference even to this agenda item we're looking at now, but one that
addresses the points that Commissioner Maddox made. Um, and um, and basically having us review that. We could decide whether or not we want to send that back to the citizens charter review committee or deal with it ourselves. We don't have to go to the CCRC if we're satisfied with what has
been presented. But that's the that's the motion. >> Okay. Thank you. Second. >> You have a motion by Commissioner Miner, second by Commissioner Proctor. Listen, I I the reason why my interpretation I feel like I know what you're trying to do, what the
board's trying to get at, but then we're we're piggybacking off saying what Commissioner Maddox was trying to do. I feel like the question is not very clear, right? And so to me, I don't I don't I want to get to a point where we can vote on it, right? Right. I I could verify it. >> So, withdraw your motion and I want you
to make the motion that you're referring to his point. >> Here we go. I'll draw my >> I think I can do it. All right. Here we go. Everybody ready? >> All right. >> Um I'm sorry, madam. Immediate pass. Thank you. Uh immediate immediate pass. So, my motion is for staff to bring back
an an item uh that looks nothing like what we're looking at right now that looks at historical harms that does not include gender, race, anything like that. It's just it's just leg is just historical harmful policies that look at
geographical areas, okay, for bring it back to us in a way that could actually work. does that does not violate anything any state or federal laws or anything like that. I need the framework for it. And what I what I'm asking for
is not for the policy itself. I'm asking for a directive that we can give to the CRCC that they could then take that directive and create something that can be sent back to us for our for our consideration
to be put on the ballot. >> Second. >> Okay. Okay. >> Does that make sense? >> Correct. Motion on the floor. Moved by Commissioner Proctor. Moved by Commissioner Maddox, second by Commissioner Proctor. Commissioners, everyone understand the motion.
Okay. Uh, Mr. Vice Chair, do you mind yielding to Commissioner Cummings? Okay. Commissioner Cummings and Commissioner O'Keefe and then we're voting on the item. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, two things. Um I also wanted to mention I agree
that this particular um amendment should not be part of the charter. It's policy. I think at any point in time we as a commission uh can vote on a policy. The com the
commission uh staff can look at it. I I I think it's totally inappropriate for this to go in the charter as a charter amendment. I don't think we generally put policy in the charter. I
think we we uh approved some language that one of the charter amendment amenders. I believe it was um Daryl Jones recommended that we have a statement in the charter just generally
recognizing I I I guess the humanity or I can't think of the specific word but I think something like that globally is appropriate for the charter but I don't think this this language is and the other thing I want the commission to
recognize is even though the charter amend amendment. I'm sorry. The charter amendment committee meets every eight years and what they propose if we agree goes
on the ballot in the fall. I I want us to recognize that we as a commission have the authority without the charter review committee to raise any issue. We don't have to wait for 8 years if we
want this to be part of what we do from a policy standpoint. It doesn't have to go to the charter review committee. We as a commission can do it. Now, I'm concerned about the motion. Even though we're saying no
reference, what have you, I want to ask the county attorney, all the information, the history, the background that we have now, it's already been created. So, can we can that be excluded or bifurcated from the motion that's on
the floor now? I mean, we know that it's been u scrutinized and discussed with the charter review committee. So, if something should come up challenging us, how do we exclude that background or is
it not would it not be relevant? >> I mean, it would be relevant. I mean, I can't say with any certainty what would happen if somebody were to challenge this and utilize in the record the stuff that happened to CCRC, the discussions of
this board, the agenda materials. I I don't know. And again, a lot of it would depend on what we ended up with and what was being proposed. Um, I think that that would have a lot to do with
how much risk and and the risk that someone would basically relate back whatever the board proposed and put on the ballot to what's already been considered. >> So, but in litigation, all of this information, it's discoverable, isn't it? >> Yes.
>> Public is discoverable. Yes. >> Right. >> Mr. County measure. >> Yes. Yes. If I if I may, and again, commissioners, please understand, you all know how much I respect the the commission, and I'm and I'm really just I'm trying to
rephrase something here in effort to help you, and I know to save your time, too, because you're asking for agenda items to come back, but think about it this way, if you would just to help you maybe focus in on this. What this reframed motion does is exactly this.
You are asking the charter committee if you should ask the citizens to vote on putting something in the charter to give you the the authority to do something you either a already do or already can do.
>> Is is that it? >> Well, we're happy to bring back an agenda item on Yeah. So, >> so Mr. Can I can I just finish that that then just emphasize the point that we as a body have the authority at any time
>> and I think if we do it if we if we are interested we as a body aside from the charter review committee say for instance if if some made a suggestion or a motion at our meeting
in June or July just for the board to consider consider all for an agenda item to come back. I think it's less chance than this history and background with the charter review committee. It's less chance that
that would be a part of what we as a committee as a commission would request. We as a commission can place items on the ballot without it having gone
through the charter uh review committee. Okay. or we can adopt a policy that's not amended as charter that could perhaps do what uh
Commissioner Proctor and and Commissioner uh uh Maddox are are discussing. But I'm just concerned that even sending this back, for them to come back with an agenda item, changing the
language, the history is already there. The documents are there with litigation. They're discoverable. We can't destroy. So we we've got that. We've got that p we've got a paper trail.
>> Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. >> Thank you, Mr. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Commissioner O'Keefe. Last last comments, then I'm going to talk and we're going to vote. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, real quick, I'm going to support the motion to bring back the agenda item. Personally, it was just me. If we wanted to direct something, I think we should direct it
now, but I know we want to make sure we're very clear on this. So, I'm supporting the agenda item. And I I understand concern about old old policy. I mean, old proposal versus new proposal. But the way I
understand this is, and I think we have every right to take into consideration new information, new legislation into a new proposal. This proposal went to from the CCRC. It came up. We said we wanted to come back for more. We got information about illegalities and new
state laws. We can't do what we originally asked for, but we do want to look at historic harms that are not within what we found out the law was not allowing. And that's what we're coming back to ask for. And I really just want
to make sure I identify that reframing and that's where we're supporting it is. We found out what we can't do in the old proposal. We are starting fresh with with finding out what we can do and changing that based on new information. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. All right,
commissioners. >> Mr. Chair, just for clarification, this is just for an agenda item to come back on the floor. >> Yes, ma'am. Commissioners, here's where I'm at. Um, I've heard an
abundant amount of honestly very logical debate. um the arguments of this is a policy issue, we do this anyway or you know the even the points that Commissioner Welch
made are uh very logical logical points as it was originally stated earlier on on in this debate. I don't think I could have supported it, but this just coming
back to us as an agenda item, reframing this and giving this another shot, I think I can be there just because I want to look at what's in front of us. But one one thing I I do just want to
point out is staff has been very clear just along the risks associated with this. And so this is just something that as a board we need to be conscious of and understand. Their job is to is to guide
us with the risk and it's our job to make the decision. And I think they did a very good job laying out what the risks are no matter how it gets tried to reframed or framed. Right. However, I I think that the spirit of what we're trying to do here is reframe it so it's
clean and ultimately allows the CCRC to debate it again, I think is a fair ask. However, when this comes back to the board, I I I need to be clear that I do not know depending on how the debate goes and how it's framed back with us
whether or not I can support it. >> Okay. Um, however, I am I feel like it would be hypocritical for me to sit here and and push some of the things that I've been pushing through this charter review process, but not give this an
opportunity to go back to the CCRC. And so, that's why I'm going to support it. With that being said, commissioners, we have a motion moved by Commissioner Maddox, second by Commissioner Proctor. All those in favor of the motion on the floor signify by saying I. I. >> All opposed.
passes 61. Um, next item, Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners. Uh, this item seeks the board's full appointment of two commissioners to the value adjustment board and and the selection of one of the two commissioners as the chair of the value adjustment board. Chairman Caban and,
uh, Commissioner Maddox currently serve on the VAB and their terms expire later this month. Uh, Commissioner Maddox is the VAB chairman. Um the terms are for two-year terms and all commissioners including uh the incumbents are uh eligible to serve. We're recommending
options one and two again which require your appointment and selection uh for the chair. >> Chairman, I move that we reup on the two already uh named commissioners uh yourself and man. >> Thank you. Uh Commissioner Maddox, you good to still be the chair?
>> Yes, sir. Great. All right. I accept. Commissioner Maddox obviously accepts as well. Um, all those in favor of the motion for signify by saying I. >> Any opposed? Passes unanimously. We're on number item uh 18, Mr. County Administrator. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And and if it
uh it works for you, what I'll do is um after each one of these options, I'll I'll hand it back to you, Mr. Chairman, to facilitate a vote. Kind of take them one at a time, but the item seeks the board's full consideration of the appointment of eligible applicants to the MWSBE Citizens Advisory Committee and the Leyon County Planning Commission
and the Talis Sports Council. Option one seeks your reappointment of one citizen, Carol Reapy, to the architectural construction engineering seat of the MWSBE committee for a 2-year term. It would require uh that um the applicant
request a waiver uh for conflict of an employment relationship. Should the board choose to reappoint Miss Reapy, it would uh be necessary for the board to wave the conflicting employment relationship uh disclosed on form 4A by
a twothirds majority vote. >> Commissioner Maddox, you want to go ahead and try to frame this for us? >> Yeah, thank you. Um I I'm I'm okay with a reappoint, but if we have any appointments to come up, I think we should postpone appointments to this board given the fact that we are moving in the direction of probably having to
change that program. Mr. administrator. >> Yes, it was just a matter of timing and and we were going to do that as these appointments come up. We were >> coming for option one. >> Yeah. But so are you Let me ask you this, Mr. Administrator. Should we postpone this or should we move forward with this?
>> We're very happy with uh postponing it. It's just that we had it slated >> for postpon I'm okay with postponing this. >> Well, just just the one for the MWBE given the fact that we're probably going to move in the direction of a different program. I I'll postpone it. You want to make a motion to postpone those two? >> Um,
>> that was option one. >> That's option one and two. Yes, I'll postpone option one and two. Right. >> Second. >> My staff recommendation says reappoint one citizen. >> Carol Rippy. >> Yeah, but it's MWS. >> This MWSD and given the fact that we're probably going to move in. >> I know. But what I'm saying is you're
saying you want to >> postpone option two. >> Those appointments. >> Yes. You need to I know. But what I'm saying is you need to make a motion to postpone and not appoint. Oh, okay. I didn't hear that. I thought you said you moved option one and two. >> No postpone. >> Gotcha. >> Okay. So, we have a motion in the floor
to postpone options one and two. >> Yes. >> Seconded by Commissioner Proctor. All those in favor >> we on this right. >> Okay. Great. >> Uh this is that 2,000 lb gorilla and it's difficult for me to understand u uh
our county attorney's advisement on the previous issue and where it would place us in jeopardy and all of that. And yet um there's no counsel to us uh about moving ahead to a point to the u
minority women small business enterprise and this silence is is u u >> well I think I think she wants to jump in right now. >> Here's reason. >> Go ahead. So, so the thought was with the vacancies, go ahead and fill them.
Understanding that staff plans to bring back a complete report and consideration of what to do about the NWBE program, but that's not happening for a couple of months. And so in reviewing that, staff
decided go to fill the vacancies which currently exist, but understand that staff's recommendation going forward will be to modify the program potentially and and that will depend on the board's direction to do that. Um,
but it's just not something they were prepared to do at this meeting today. So, so it like county administrator Long said, it's really a timing issue, but you can certainly postpone and wait. It it's really your preference and what you
want to do with that. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, um my thoughts are very very simple. I've said tonight that I feel like I'm a victim of of racial target practice. Um,
are we naming people who may we may have to send a Dear John letter to? We regret informing you. This committee doesn't exist. And the county uh uh is advised that we
transition this committee to some other title or whatever. But it seems like we would be uh building the hopes placing a title of belonging to something which seemingly um it won't stand past uh
January of January 1, 2027. So I I don't want to jerk anybody around uh with false illusion of inclusion. Um, we ain't got no MBE. Let's just do a eulogy and uh pronounce it dead and be
honest with the public. M. Mr. Kenn, Mr. >> No, it's really simply a timing issue given the board has an existing policy right now today existing program today. It's consistent that we fill these seats. understanding that we have a
series of items set up for you all over the next several months where you all will be changing your policies and programs and at which time it wouldn't necessitate us perhaps changing uh committee members but u but right now you have current policies and programs in place uh and this reflects that.
>> Mr. Chairman, can I ask maker of the motion if you'd allow me to ask the maker of the motion um and I understand well from the heart first uh and I understand well equally as well uh from the head but to make the motion that
he's willing uh to abide by uh comments from the county administrator that we move ahead as though we have a few more few more months about six seven more months to live and seven months to live is better than no more months to live is
He's asking to re basically asking just to go ahead and point those individuals while the boards are still there. Is that what you're asking? >> Yeah, I withdraw my second so that we can >> Okay. See? All right. I ain't got no problem with that. >> Well, I'll make the motion to reappoint Carol Rippy and Danielle Andrews.
>> So, staff re So, staff recommendation on those two. >> Option one. >> Yeah. Staff option one. >> Well, while we're at it, why not? Um, Carol Rippy and uh, Danielle Andrews for MWBE. Um, for the planning commission,
Christine Henry, and I'll reappoint as the board member on the uh, sports committee. I'll reappoint the two members that are looking for reappointment on on the sports >> council. Who are the two >> two reappoint? >> The two reappoint same. Okay. >> Jennifer.
>> Yes. Jennifer. >> Yes, ma'am. Michael uh Flex. Okay. And Jennifer Meadows >> and including waving the conflict as well. >> Yes, including waving the conflict as well. Yes, sir. >> Commissioner P, do you second that? >> Yes, sir. >> Okay, we got everyone understand the motion in the M chair. I want to ask one
question. >> Yes, sir. >> Has these names uh come to us in particular sports council? Uh just just on page um >> you want to be on the sports? >> No, my eligibility has run out. Um but
the diversity of current membership uh county attorney are these words going to remain um as we have 17 seats they each are named by gender they're named by race uh are are these categories going to uh
>> I'm sorry madam participate um commissioner partner I mean if you remember a while back I asked for uh the breakdown of the boards to be placed so we so we know it's not it's not mandated. I ask for our own information. It's not policy. I ask for our own information for it to be as a part of
the agenda item so we know what the what the breakdown is. I want to know is this going to remain legal? Can we publish this in our agenda item? >> It's questionable under Senate Bill 1134 because it talks about the promotion. >> That's crazy. >> Which I'm just going to tell you there's
no case law. I mean, this hasn't even been approved by the governor yet. I think everybody knows it's going to be, but this is a whole new world and whether you can consider uh demographic information even just forformational purposes because arguably that could
that could go into people's decision-m that may very well be something that we would not recommend that you include in these m agenda materials as of January 1 of 2027. And I think that if if we're going in that direction that uh the
question of uh race should come off of the uh job application uh for county jobs as well. I mean let's be uniform. All right, commissioners. Let's take this to a vote. Um we have uh we have a
motion moved by Commissioner Maddox, second by Commissioner Proctor. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. >> I. Any opposed? passes unanimously. All right, commissioners, we are on citizens, have you heard on non agenda items? Mr. County, administrator, any any speakers?
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have about uh six or seven speakers here. First speaker, Kevin Langston to be followed by Juniper Curtis. >> Next speaker, Mr. County Juniper Curtis.
to be followed by I believe it's Regina Joseph. >> Name and address. >> Name and address for the record, please. You have three minutes. I'm sorry. >> Um, yeah. Juniper Curtis, uh, 632 West Georgia Street. Uh, I'm here with the Tallahassee Community Action Committee
to demand that the Leyon County Sheriff's Office release all files related to the death of Keith Lee in LCSO custody. Um, we need public records, an emergency public hearing, and accountability for how the LCSO budget is being used against the people of this community.
Uh, on March 31st, 2026, we submitted a request for all files related to the death of Keith Lee, who was tased by LCSO officers before dying in custody. The request was approved and paid for. Uh but now LCSO is telling us that the case was closed by accident and that
they are refusing to release the files because actually it's now an active investigation. How can we trust an investigation they accidentally closed? This death cannot be kept behind closed doors. We need the county commission to hold a public hearing. We need LCSO
leadership to answer questions from the community and provide honest, transparent answers. What timeline events led to Keith being tased? What kind of aid was rendered afterwards? And who was there to render it? Why did Keith die? And how could
LCSO prevented it? These files should be public. The people of Lyon County deserve to know how LCSO conducts itself in where their tax dollars are being spent. The county commissioning controls nearly all of the LCSO budget, so they have a
responsibility to hold LCSO accountable. Over the past year, LCSO's had at least three other incustody deaths. There's a clear blatant pattern of misconduct, improper aid, and unanswered questions. How can the county give more than and
more money to LCSO, well over hund00 million every year only for them to fail at their only job of protecting people? How can they ignore public records request, hide investigations, and face no accountability? If this commission is meant to represent
the people of Lyon County, where is the representation for Keith Lee? Each and every member sitting here needs to demand transparency. They need to demand accountability. They need to demand a release of all files and demand justice for Keith Lee. You cannot allow the
police to act with impunity. And you cannot allow members of this community to keep dying under your watch. >> Thank you. Next speaker. I want I wanted to be uh first of all I appreciate your
comments and all who came to speak on um Heath Lee. I wanted to let you know before your comments the sheriff though we fund him is his own constitutional officer. We cannot mandate that he do
anything. We cannot make him come to anything. We can't even withhold his his bud the budgetary money that we give him. We can't even withhold that. He's the only constitutional officer that can go to the state and petition that we
must give him the money that he that that that he has asked for. So let's say there's a disagreement between the money that the sheriff's asking for and the money that we want to give him. He's the only constitutional that can go to the state and and petition the state to say
that he is deserving of the dollars that he has asked us for. And so I I appreciate your concern. I just don't want you to think that this board controls the sheriff's office. It's not like the city. The sheriff doesn't work for us. He makes his own policies. He
makes his own decisions. He runs his own ship. And so though I I am I I'm not this board is very willing to listen to everything that you all may have to say. I want you to understand how how how policy works with with at the county level as far as the constitutionals are
concerned. And I don't want you to to to be disappointed in, I guess, our lack of ability to mandate that the sheriff, even if we had a a public a uh workshop, we can't mandate the sheriff come and explain
anything, especially if it's an open investigation. And so I just wanted to give perspective to to the conversation that we're having so that we can so you guys understand where our jurisdiction lies and exactly what we can and can't do as a county government concerning uh the Leyon County Sheriff's Office. Thank
you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. For the >> Thank you. Name and address for the record. >> Regina Tallahassee. Um, I'm also with the Tallahassee Community Action Committee and you all are elected
officials whose salary comes from our tax dollars. And instead of saying what you can't do, you should be talking about what you can do. You can demand an investigation. You
can demand a public hearing. You have a relationship to be able to put pressure to Walt McNeel. There's campaign strategizing where you have your primary targets and your secondary targets.
Your primary targets are the people who can give you what you want. Your secondary targets can move your primary targets to get what you need. You can do way more than saying that you can't do anything because what happened
is that a man was killed in Lyon County Sheriff's Office custody. A man that is a pattern of multiple other people who have been killed in Lyon County jails and by Lyon County Sheriff's officers.
And there's no accountability whatsoever. So instead of talking about what you can't do, talk about what you can do. Talk about what it's like for Keith Lee's family to know that he is gone and that they will never see him
again. You have control over Leyon County uh sheriff's office, 98% of the budget. So you can do something. No, do something. You don't have control over. >> You literally gave Leon County $300,000
for 287g. You control the purse strings. You can do something. >> We're going to rein this back in for both commissioner and the public speaker. Keep going in. >> I'm sorry. >> To the entire commission. Thank you, Commissioner. >> Public records are not optional. They
are a right. When someone dies in custody of the state, transparency is not something that law enforcement just gets to choose. It's something they owe to the public. And let's be clear what we're demanding. We are demanding the immediate release of all public records related to Keith Lee's death. Body
camera footage, incident reports, use of force report, EMS records, and a full time of events. Because right now, what we have is not clarity. We have silence. And silence in situations like this creates fear, distrust, and suspicion.
This is why we're demanding that this county commission hold an emergency public hearing because it is your job to listen to your constituents. This cannot be handled behind closed doors. The sheriff's office must answer questions in front of the public. The family must be able to speak. The community must be
able to speak and everything must be placed on the public record because if the truth can stand, then it should be able to stand in the light. And I want to be clear about something else. You may not control the sheriff directly, but you do control the budget. The commission funds 98% of the sheriff
office budget. That means you have power, and with that power comes responsibility. We are demanding that there is no increase of funding to LCSO without full transparency. We are demanding that funding be tied to compliance with public record laws and
clear reporting on in custody deaths because public money should never fund secrecy and accountability is important. Accountability is what make communities safer. If someone could be taken into custody and die and the public cannot even access basic facts of what
happened, then that is not just a tragedy. That is a systemic failure and it's your responsibility to respond to that. So, we're here to make one thing clear. We will not accept silence. We will not accept delays. And we will not accept the system where the truth is hidden from the people. No transparency,
no trust, no accountability, no funding, and we will be here again. >> Thank you, Mr. K. Administrator, just a point of clarification. I'm trying to help me understand what issue we're talking about. Are we talking about um this recent I think I saw on the news
where um the sheriff tased somebody because he was holding him hostage at knife point. >> You have more than I do. Yeah, I don't I don't think we we have the the facts of really surrounding the case. >> I think I remember seeing that. But I just if I'm if I'm understanding
correctly, I believe this the board understands. I believe the there was someone being uh held hostage um at knife point and law enforcement saved uh the hostage's life by intervening. So just want to make sure the board understands but next speaker please.
>> Yes, Thomas Spears to be followed by Delila Pierre. >> Good evening. Please state your name and address for the record. Uh Thomas Spears live at 32304. Uh TCA has not come to these chambers very often, so trust us, we wouldn't
come without very good reason. Come to speak on the death of man named Keith Lee. Police departments and county sheriff's offices lie. That's not a supposition, that's an analysis. They distort stories who fit their needs. The LAPD said that
they swarmed Rodney King in order to subdue him. They didn't say anything about beating him with batons for 90 seconds while he was on the ground, unable to defend himself. The Minneapolis Police Department said George Floyd died of a drug overdose. They didn't say anything about the knee on the back of his neck pinning him to
the ground for 9 and 1/2 minutes. And that's just two of the most prominent examples. Easily thousands or tens of thousands of other examples happened that we never hear about. This situation with Keith Lee here in Lyon County this year is at best concerning. That's why
TAC made the body cam records request. The fact that it was suddenly mysteriously reopened after that request goes from concerning to suspicious at best. We come to you to ask for accountability
and transparency about this situation, to ask for the body cam footage and for all the records and to support Keith Lee's family so that they can get some sense of justice. We know y'all have said y'all hardly have any control over SC LCSO as uh Commissioner Maddox said,
but we know y'all control the budget over 98% of it. In fact, he made the point that the sheriff can simply go to the state. So have him do that. Use that lever of power. Say that you do
not approve of how this has gone down at this point without more transparency. We are demanding that LCSO release all public records, including the body cam footage, which are the right to each and every one of us as citizens. We demand that there be a public hearing by LCSO
to answer questions from the community and from his family. and we demand that the this body, the city, the county commission use the power of the budget to demand accountability. We do want to unite on this situation. I'd be willing and rest leadership be willing to have
meetings with each of you. Any one of you, however, want to come together to try to make this work and try to get justice for Keith Lee and for his family. That's ultimately the goal. There's been so much discussion. If I understand, I believe Keith Lee was a black man. It's
another instance of questionable at best situation regarding police in the United States. We can't discount there being the possibility of something going on, something wrong going on here.
We will try to work with you. It is a little disconcerning that we have come and try to approach and there can be points made about what y'all can't do. I fully agree with what Regina said. Let's talk about what you can do and let's try
to go forward. Thank you. >> Thank you, Danielle Pierre to be followed by the final speaker, Renee Souvenir. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Delila Pierre. >> She She left. >> Okay. Next speaker, >> Renee Souvenir.
>> That concludes our speakers, Mr. Oh, sorry. Thank you. >> I apologize. Did you say your name is Renee? >> Uh, yes. I'm Renee Souvenir. >> Okay. Please say your name and address for the record. >> Uh, Renee Souvenir, uh, 1835 West Call Street.
So, again, I am Renee Souvenir, a 5-year resident of Tallahassee and a social worker with troubled youth. Uh, in the past three months, I've had the great pleasure of volunteering for the Tallahassee bail fund. And on March 24th, early Tuesday
morning, our recently released client, James Keith Lee, died in the custody after being tased by a Leyon County Sheriff's deputy. Keith spent a lot of his life incarcerated. Being incarcerated, especially
especially, I apologize, especially multiple times, is highly traumatic experience. trauma which manifests and reinforced his struggles with mental health. Despite the odds being against him, he
fought for his freedom with enthusiasm and grit. He messaged us with poetry to express his gratitude for a second chance. He graciously used all the resources we provided to him. He expressed his anxieties to us, his
anxieties about interacting with law enforcement. law enforcement who eventually took his life. Tasers are seen as a non-lethal weapon. So, in the case of Keith, there had to be neglect medically or excessive force.
Mental or emotional distress is a significant predictor in taser related deaths. Officers tend to tase individuals appearing to have mental health crisis multiple times when compared to other arrests. Similarly, being tased while detained is
more likely to lead to tas taser related death as vital airways may be blocked depending on the position of the detainee. But we don't know how many times Keith was tased. We don't know if he was lying on the floor against the hood of a car
on a wall. We don't know if the officers were told about the pain he was having in his body. We don't have answers. We are desperate for answers. We want to see the body cam footage. We want to know why he wasn't taken to the
hospital. We need these answers not only for the sake of justice, but for protecting citizens who are confused and scared as being placed under arrest, seen as resisting when having a mental health crisis, and deprived of medical
care after absorbing multiple shocks to their potentially fragile bodies. Please advocate for the release of the body cam footage for answers, for safety, and for closure. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Renee. >> That concludes the speakers. Mr. Chairman. >> Okay, great. Commissioners, we are on now this uh commissioner discussion items. Mr. County Commissioner, do you have any business to discuss? >> No chance, Mr. Chairman.
>> Madame Attorney, >> I have one. matter for the board. We received notification um as part of the um opioid litigation which this uh body entered into an agreement uh on many
years ago. Um we have uh six regional distributors/dispender defendants who uh have uh proposed to finalize settlement agreements over um the related to the opioid litigation and
their role. Uh these uh organizations are Associated Pharmacies Inc., JM Smith Corporation, Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company, Inc., Morris and Dick Dixon Company, North Carolina Mutual Wholesale
Drug Company, Inc. and United Natural Foods Inc., including their subsidiaries. Um again, uh it is proposed that the board enter into a settlement agreement to settle all claims against these particular distributors and dispensers. Um I just
need board direction as to whether you was to participate in those settlement agreements because it's an optin. Uh and so um I'm requesting I'm recommending that the board authorize these settlements um and authorize me to sign the participation agreements on behalf of the board.
>> Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry. Go ahead, Commissioner Pro. >> Chairman, I move uh uh upon the advisement of County Attorney Osin that um our board um agrees to support our participation u in the litigation she's brought before us and that we'll be a
hardy uh uh collaborator with the other plaintiffs u to uh receive settlement for any of proceeds. >> Second, Mr. Chair. Uh commissioner moved by mo motion moved by commissioner proctor, second by commissioner cummings. Any discussion
>> with authorization to sign? >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Yes. All right. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Passes unanimously with Commissioner Maddox outside the chambers. Anything else? Madam Attorney. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Commissioner Cummings, you are recognized.
>> Uh thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to ask for a proclamation for let me find my notes. I want to make sure I got it right. The FSU
Women's Student Union has asked for a a proclamation recognizing April as Black Women History Month. and they recognized that their request came late so it couldn't be presented at
tonight's meeting >> but their request then and I move for a recommendation I mean a proclamation at their request to be presented at FSU at at some later date >> proclamation requested by Commissioner
second by Commissioner Miner all those in favor sign by saying I >> I commissioner Walter and I will pass with Commissioner Madx outside the chambers. >> I'd also like a proclamation designated in June as Leyon family
unification, Leyon County family unification month uh for safe families uh for children to be presented in um in June. >> Great. I'll second that. >> That's my motion. >> Uh proclamation requested by
Commissioner Cummings, second by myself. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I pass unanimously with uh Welch and Maddox outside the chambers. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. And uh the only other thing uh finally I just want to
um to thank those individuals and some are still here. that came out earlier as a show of of support uh for me is it's been an extraordinary uh remarkable
uh meeting for me and I just want to express my grat gratitude for all of those uh that came and when I was thanking individuals I I forgot to thank the best chief of
staff on planet earth. my best the best commission aid on P planet earth. Oh, he's in here. Chon Haynes. I minute to thank him for all of his support and his hard work cuz he really he really works
hard on a daily on a daily basis with with our phone calls and our meetings and and they come as as you all as you all know. But um again, I'm just very humbled by the individuals that came and
just said so many kind words. So um thanks again for the outpouring and the great level of support that I that I received. Mr. Chair, thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. It's been a great meeting. Commissioner Mer recognized.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Chairman, uh two things. Um, on March 26th, uh, Leyon County Libraries hosted Safe Sense, which is, it's actually on the screen right now, uh, which is an online safety and digital skills training directed toward the public. We had, um, I think
nearly 100 people there. Uh, it was a great one and a half hour session, lots of great content about how to avoid digital scams either on your phone, computer, uh, etc. Um, I want to thank the four instructors that developed the content and presented it. this Matthew
Christophel, Ailia Ameilia Sie, Sophia Knox, and Ivan Kenyodes. Our project manager, Christy Tilman, as well as uh Leyon County CMR team, which did a great job promoting it and branding it. Um, and then Pamela Monroe and the library team for hosting it. So, thanks very much. Um, and of course, I want to thank
the working group and the partners that uh helped make this possible. So, scams are becoming more and more sophisticated out there. Um, they're coming at us from all different types of media. Um, and um, it's it's something we all need to be aware of. So, two quick things. If you couldn't attend the training, if
never provide personal information from some from a from a to a source that seems that you're not totally trusting of, uh, rather than click on an email that has a bank link to it, go to your bank's website and go through that direction instead of responding to an
email that may or may not be accurate. Number two, if someone is trying to push you urgently to send money or share information, that's a that's a red flag to pause. If if you get an email or a text saying you must act on this now, that more than anything else is a red
flag that it could be a scam. So, just keep those two things in mind. And the second thing is um the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation is having an expedition uh through the Big Ben, the Red Hills down to the um Appalache Bay
uh a week from now and I was one of four elected officials to uh to go. So I'll be on that for 5 days. I'm not sure if I'll be back. Um we'll see how it goes, but if it's hopefully it's not like Survivor because I'll be the first one voted off. But um when I do come back, I'll probably be um
um you know, sunburned and all that kind of stuff. But I'm looking forward to it. Should be a great experience. The whole point of it is to help promote awareness of the importance of Florida's wildlife corridors. >> Yes. >> Uh these are things that preserve the ecology of the state of Florida. And
it's got 5 years ago, there was legislation passed that was unanimously bipartisan within our legislature. And if you know our legislature, you know how hard that is. So, this is something that receives a lot of uh statewide support. And just so you know, for the record, uh I'm paying for my expenses
personally. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Mr. Miner, will you please wear your blue blazer on the trek >> and take random photos in swamps and in tree stumps? >> Thank you. Thank you. Where's Commissioner Meyer?
>> Um, Mr. Vice Chair. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, first I'd like to request a proclamation designating May as National Bike Month, recognizing bicycle use as a means of both transport and recreation in our community and will be presented at a at a community event.
>> A second. >> Uh, proclamation requested by the vice chairman, second by Commissioner Cummings. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Passes unanimously with Commissioner Maddox outside the chambers. >> Thank you. The other thing is I do want to thank the members of TCAC for coming
and speaking up and bringing accountability. Um I am familiar with the public information about that incident and um of course all life is is worthy of uh any loss of life is tragedy. It has been
uh 18 days since that incident and I I think that's still pretty fast for an investigation to close up. So, I fully expect the sheriff's office to publicize to release records when the investigation's closed. And of course, I'll keep up with it and follow up and ask about it if in time that doesn't,
but seems reasonable to still be in an inactive investigation at this point. Um the I I was at a veterans event, a couple of veterans event and um one of the things that was asked about was
consideration of extending bus service from on Appalachia Parkway from where it ends at Walmart out 1.5 miles to the Tallahassee National Veteran Cemetery. Um, this came up. It can help. It can be good for a lot of people, but it came up in particularly with members of the
community who work with the veterans treatment court because many of those veteran participants need to do community service and they proactively want to do that at the National Cemetery, which obviously makes sense, but without a car, there's not really a safe way to get out there. So, I know
that's a cooperation with the city issue. And so I was going to ask staff if I could get information on that or has that been considered in the past. Um that extending that one and a half mile stretch. >> I'm not sure if that one specifically has or hasn't, but we can get that
information to you. >> And I have a meeting I'll be having a meeting coming up with the new director of that uh cemetery and I'll ask that he get in that y'all get in contact and try to figure that if we can cuz it's uh it's very special place and it's not too far out to to extend that. Plus, the
city has annexed well out past the national cemetery. >> I'm sure they have. What? >> Um Okay. >> Is that true? >> Okay. Um so follow I I do want to make comments that um following
everyone who came to support our esteemed colleague Commissioner Cummings. and um to say that I missed the moment last meeting and I've thought about it more and I c I did miss the moment last meeting and
I'm going to make some assumptions that put it this way. The the initial letter certainly had information we needed and certainly but there certainly was some disrespectful language in there and a tone of disrespect. And when I was thinking
about Commissioner Cummings reaction, what I was missing, I think what I was missing is that when Commissioner Cummings graduated UF Law School in 1981 and came to work here, I would imagine there was a level
of disrespect she may have had to fight through due to her race and her gender. And so I could only imagine any level of disrespect when asking about this issue given the incredible trailblazing success she has had through a time like
that is matters and I apologize for not putting that together sooner. Um, what we have is legitimate questions raised about diversity in our legal department and they do deserve serious engagement. Um,
not more memos and an apology was given. Um, and I hope that closes the personal dispute. But I want to be clear about what I see happening here because it is bigger than that moment. We have a black woman commissioner who is also the only lawyer on the commission who is asking
about representation at county staffing and at the same time as mentioned we have a black judge uh black women judge following a law as written um facing calls for impeachment from the state and it's a pattern we need to see and it's something we need to be able to address.
Um the the issue of if we have enough diversity that represents our community is not a distraction. It is central to who we are and who we claim to be and we can't have our answer to be that question be silence including when we
have face legal threats about asking about it and we have a bigger problem. I believe in this community. I believe in the values of inclusivity of in diversity and equity that our county has committed to and I believe as we've discussed we know those are under legal
attack and so I at least will make my commitment to this that we will address the core issue that started this debate that we won't look away as that issue fits into the broader issue that still needs addressing um the diversity of our
staff how we are able to do that and not forget our that make we make sure we represent our community and um uh I don't know what more I could add to that based on what was said earlier but I did want to apologize and express that
I did miss that and this is perhaps maybe the biggest issue we'll be facing in in the near future and I look forward to working with it to protect our community in a way that works uh with all of you. >> Thank you. Thank you. That's all I have.
>> Thank you, Mr. Vice Chair. Uh, Commissioner Pocker, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, first and foremost, uh, Mr. Chairman, you you chair a great meeting tonight. This is a historic meeting and, um, the sensitivity of matters uh, from the opening uh, gun. Uh, you did a
tremendous job. I want to extend heartfelt condolences to uh, Mr. Keith Bowers um our staff member um who's here um lost his mother and u his mom was
funeralized last week and um Miss Bows I didn't get a chance to come over to your home and u but I want you to know that u my family and I we extend our deepest condolences to you and um your sister Jennifer um we love her. She's a former
aid uh here at Leon County and um we noted the Bowers family who you all are and what you all stand for uh over PC. So God bless you my brother. Mr. Chairman um I'm excited that that you're
going to in this commission. And I want to thank this commission for greenlighting uh your um freedom to re-imagine uh the fairground and what you think it needs and you know hopefully it you
consider it needs some bathrooms. I hope um but might be something addition to the bathrooms uh conversation. We're excited about what possibilities exist and um if you need me for any reason uh let Miss Chassity know and I'm sure
she'll call me personally say you need me and then she'll take what I said and give it back uh to you. The Boy Scouts are asking our support for a table. Uh we've supported the Boy Scouts uh annual um banquet for the last 10 years and I'd
like to ask uh this commission support for Tallahassy Boy Scouts. >> Mr. Kenny, Mr. uh is that not in a reoccurring is that in a reoccurring discretionary? >> I don't think so. But we we will take that as a board direction relative to a sponsorship. >> Yeah. What's the price tag on it? Do you
know do you know how much it is? >> Um 2500. >> Okay. >> We'll tell you. Okay. Um, make that a motion. >> So move. >> Second. >> Okay. Motion moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Cummings. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I.
>> Any opposed? >> Passes unanimous. >> Mr. Chairman, ask a a resolution honoring uh recognizing the graduate school performance of Florida State University, Florida University, which was cited in today's newspaper by US
News and World Report. Um, I'd move uh our recognition of these outstanding institutions who've climbed um the rankings of the US News and World Report uh in their graduate school programs. That's the motion.
>> Second. >> Okay. Motion moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by the vice chairman. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. Pass unanimously. >> Mr. Sherman, shouts out to the um again to our staff for the home expo show. Uh
it was absolutely um it was great. It was a beautiful day. Um just extraordinary day. Um beautiful and the spirit of the place was incredible and u so grateful for the leadership um in
particular that Galani is emerging uh with u Vince. I think that he's going to be a rising visual. He he don't know he supposed to stay till till we give our benediction. It's all right. Let him know the benediction
he left. U my grandmama would have killed me if I had left church before it was benediction. Anyway, um he's doing a great job. His rapport with people's confidence is rising. Staff development. I I'm proud of what I'm seeing there. Thank you, Vince. Thank you, Shington.
Then, um, commissioners, uh, I'd like to, um, request, uh, that staff on behalf of this board, uh, secures from Sheriff Walt McNeil, uh, a report on the deaths of those persons who've been incarcerated
um, in the building of the agency which we fund. Um, I'm not sure if Florida statutes, Madame Attorney, uh, has a trigger when a death occurs with incarcerated persons. Uh, what triggers
uh, either the state, uh, the local government jurisdiction, the state attorney, uh, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, what triggers those reviews? Uh, is there anything? Does the sheriff have total autonomy that
countless people die die and die and he's the sheriff and so what uh I like a report notwithstanding uh the law of what it might be but our board deserves to know on behalf of the
public who's asking u we like a report on um what triggered the tasing what policy did they observe um my son is in Leon County Jail. This is very personal to me. I want to know and I'm asking uh if you would secure that information.
Thank you very much. >> A motion. >> That's a motion. >> A second. >> Motion moved by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Cummings. Um Commissioner Proctor, what is the motion you would like to ask staff for? What? secure uh from our sheriff a report an
update uh on um reports public reports about deaths occurring to incarcerated individuals. >> You're just you're asking for like a status report on previous deaths in the Leyon County Jail. >> Right. There have been as pointed out there have been multiple uh I I believe
that we should have a standing policy >> officer involved in jails. Yeah. Yeah. >> Huh. >> We need to know what happened in the custody of of a sheriff deputy. What happened to a citizen? >> Commissioner Proctor.
>> Couple Yeah. A couple things real quick. I'm going to jump in here. I'm okay as long as there's not an open investigation. Right. So, right now, I think what what what they were referencing was an open investigation. I don't want us to mingle in an open investigation. However, I do agree that there has been deaths in the Leyon
County detention facility that I'm completely okay with the status report related to that, but I don't want our board, Leon County government to interfere with any open investigations. >> Well, I give the sheriff the courtesy to tell us he has an open investigation. I
don't defer to him and don't ask because I'm assuming he has open but if he has an open investigation, we know that's code word. I ain't talking to you, but um I accept the responsibility of asking on behalf of citizens who want to know.
I want to know um what in the world and if he wants to respond and hide behind or you know really frankly have an open investigation, so be it. But the responsibility, the burden to ask is on me asking. >> Commissioner Welch, you're recognized.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will not be able to support this motion. I don't think it's good practice for us to meddle in the affairs of an independently elected county sheriff. We do not have any oversight over the sheriff's operation. We are simply a vessel for funding his organization as
required by Florida statute and the constitution. I think that's a very slippery slope. Open investigation or not, for us to compel an independently elected constitutional officer to do anything from this dis I think is is bad form. Slip your slope and I will not
take part in that. Well, that that's fine. Um, Commissioner, that's that's respected. But I want this commission to know that um we've heard multiple reports that we've given on housing. We've given reports on 32304 this evening. Uh we've
gone out and met the public on home expo. I mean, we give reports accountability and transparency all the time. Of course, we've not no one has died on, but even even short of death, we account for uh what we're doing and
and and that's a good thing. And that's what's happened uh here today. We got a report on the school zone, speed detection, uh a lot of stuff. Why can't the sheriff I mean, we're not meddling um to ask. It's public information. He's
a public officer. >> Mr. Chair, I'm wondering if we could modify that motion for copies of completed investigative reports, which would then be public record. I think >> you know, if the if the report is completed, you know, anybody can get
>> if we're if we're asking for a status report of of deaths that have been involved um of closed cases, whether it be in the in the detention facility, I'm okay with that. But I don't want this is me person. I'm only one vote, by the way. Right? So, if you have the votes, you have the votes. I'm saying me
personally, I I don't I don't want to get in the in the habit of meddling in open investigations. And I say that >> won't release it anyway. If it's open investigation, we'll release it. >> Right. Right. Commissioner. >> Yeah. During during the investigation, they won't, but if it's if it's
completed, it's public record. >> Any other discussion? Yes. >> I also want to reiterate, I am absolutely against us interfering in any open investigations. >> Cool. >> Yeah. We're not the law enforcement, so we're not trying to investigate. I mean, I'm not trying to investigate. I'm
asking the sheriff to account and to share with us information. If he can, if he can't, tell us he can't. Um, >> yeah. Listen, any any any deaths in the Leyon County detention facility, um, we own that, >> right? >> We what? >> We we own the Leyon County Detention
Facility, correct? We do. >> Yeah. So any deaths that happen in the Leyon County detention facility, you know, if if there's anything that we can do better to improve the facility that are are unsafe, makes the the facility unsafe. I'd like to know that, right? I just want to be careful of how we're
meddling in the weeds of what the sheriff does on a day-to-day operational basis. That's that's where I'm at on it. But I hear you loud and clear, Commissioner Proctor. >> All right. Um I'm troubled by the word meddling. Um I think it's check and balances. Um, I don't think it's
meddling. Uh, I think we have a right to expect safety for citizens. Uh, their health, their safety, and welfare. We're responsible. The sheriff is responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of people charged with crime. Those he's
detained all the same. So, um I'm not approaching this as an effort to meddle um simply the right for citizens in particular for something as unique as death. That's just not essentially what what occurs every day. So,
>> all right, we'll take it to a vote. >> Okay. >> Um motion on the floor by Commissioner Proctor, second by was it Commissioner Cummings? >> I I second it, but can can we get a clarification? Because what I was saying is if we amend it to say completed report. >> Okay. Uh I think it should be released.
>> Sure, sure, sure. But I I'm I'm I stand with recommendation from learning council to my left and that we completed report. >> Great. Okay. All those in favor uh all those in favor of the motion on the floor by saying I >> I. >> Any opposed? No. I'm a nay as well. Uh
passes 52. Um madam attorney, Mr. Proctor, you're still recognized. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, commissioners, I'd like a resolution recognizing the Restoration Church of Christ celebrating their 50 years of ministry June 26 through 28th. >> Second.
>> Proclamation requested by Commissioner Proctor, second by Commissioner Maddox. All those in favor of the motion to signify by saying I. >> I. >> Thank you. Um, there's an appreciation honoring Mr. Sam Samson Harris, uh, citizen Lean County, the Harris family,
longtime family. He's 85 years old. The family seeks a um a proclamation recognizing uh Mr. Harris as he's in recent >> second >> months been faced with u proclamation requested by Commissioner Proctor. Second by Commissioner Cummings. All those in favor of the motion signify by
saying I >> I passes unanimously. Then finally, commissioners um um uh beg your indulgence to uh accept a request that Capitol Park be renamed Beasley Nims Capital Park. And I asked our
administrator, Mr. Administrator, do we need to uh >> thought it was already? >> I'm responding to this this request that I have. Do do we need an agenda item? I think uh in 2010 we named it the Capitol
Park to the Beasley Nims Field. The request now is that we move from Beasley Nims Field and change it and rename it to the Beasley Nims Capital Park. >> I'll second I'll second that. >> If we need to um agenda that
>> agenda item requested by Commissioner Proctor to rename Capital Park to Beasley Nims Park. Um just an agenda item. I second the motion. All those in favor of the motion. Any discussion? >> All those in favor of the motion by saying I >> passes unanimously. And and then the
final um Nick stole it. He said the final final final. He did the three finals tonight. >> I got that from >> I can't top that. Yeah, I know you got it from preacher. >> Um congressional redistricting is coming uh to our community shortly. um without a census being taken. Um and
it seems to be the purpose to snatch congressional representation from Democratic voters. And um I'm pondering uh our stance. Uh we lost last year uh year before, one of those years. We're
the capital of Florida. We're majority Democratic county and we don't have a congressman uh of Democratic persuasion and um some of the votes that were taken by the Republican
um simply did not reflect in particular u the 173,000 people who had no representation on social security last year. And um I'd like for us to be quite uh lerary of um and I want to also ask
staff um for uh just a minor quick quick quick um the issues that I believe coming back redistricting uh property attacks and our state still has no adopted budget. uh how soon might
we hear something on those matters in particular uh an adopted budget which might say how much raises u state workers may receive >> as soon as u that Mr. Mr. Chairman, as soon as you'll get something back is uh at your next meeting, we've got an end
of session report. We'll try to include everything that's been completed by that point in time. >> Very good, Mr. Chair. Thank you again for your leadership tonight. Well done, Commissioners. Um including Commissioner Cummings. Uh I love you, Commissioner
Cummings. Someone said that and beat me to the punch tonight. But to pull out this many people that stepped up in here is way more folk than me that love you. And um even I can recognize a whole lot of people love you uh as much as me. And
thank you for allowing me uh to be a part of the experience historic experience of serving uh the public uh during your tenure uh on your watch uh during a moment in time which God
blesses you uh to serve on this day and that I'm a part of your experience. I'm grateful each of our commissioners, your stars, uh your absolute superstars. And thank you all for um your acceptance and
working with me. Um all of my faults, frailties, shortcomings, and all like that. Uh and that's enough. Thank you all. Great job. >> Thank you, Commissioner Proctor. >> Mr. Chair, I'm so sorry. When we get done, I have one more. >> I'm sorry.
>> I'm sorry. I have one item I I forgot. Um if I can put it in. >> Yeah, let's do it now. I'm going to go before I go to Commissioner Maddox. >> Go ahead. >> Thank you. Um, this one I couldn't let pass another um, meeting and there's been so much I apologize. Um, I missed it. So, a couple meetings ago, so the
big thing going on is Southwood and St. Joe in compliance with building a road, right? and we have gotten our legal information and a prior meeting on an unrelated item that clearly puts it in the hands of the city
of Tallahassee clearly and they are um having a hearing. They are their commission has decided to see how much they can enforce it under the law and what I would like and I fully support that. Now,
I do not want I am not wanting us to I don't want to pretend and I don't want to ask us to intercede on that process. That's not where I'm going with this. But that road that would or wouldn't be built would significantly impact a county maintained road in that area that
is Southwood Plantation Road significantly impacts a large part of our county um and including our unincorporated area. It's not just for the Southwood neighborhoods. It's for all people at Appalache and where Suttor is. Now, as we know, enforcement or non-
enforcement and legal action or not legal action is happening over at the city. So, what I'm what I'll be asking for isformational so we can be aware of what's going on. I'm uh making a motion to ask for next meeting an information
report to come back to us with what has happened since we last got information. Since we've had information, the city will have met. Hearings will have been made for developmental reviews for things that uh St. Joe wants to get in before any possible challenges. So, I'm
asking for an information report updating us next month on everything that's happening and where the possible building and requiring or extending of building this road by St. Joe stands. >> Motion
on the floor by uh uh Commissioner O'Keefe, second by Commissioner Proctor. Um Commissioner O'Keefe, here's the issue with that. St. Joe has a two-year extension that's that's via an executive order with the
state. So, I'm I'm supportational item on this so long as it's truly anformational item and we're not going to be relitigating past things that the board has already discussed. So, I guess is the spirit to bring it up because we want to relitigate it or is it just hey, you want to know to update the constituents and update the public? Does
that make sense? >> That does make sense. I wish I could relitigate but I can't. But I we need to be informed well informed and our public needs to be well informed of what litigation or enforcement is happening in the community. >> Gotcha. I can support that.
Commissioners, any questions for Commissioner O'Keefe. Okay. Seeing none, um motion moved by the vice chairman, second by Commissioner Proctor. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Passes unanimously. Commissioner Maddox.
>> All right. First things first, Mr. Chair, you ran a heck of a meeting today. >> Thank you. >> Um, I want to request a proclamation for the 43rd annual Big Ben Regional Small Business Week to be presented on site. >> Second. >> Motion moved by proclamation requested
by Commissioner Maddox, second by the vice chairman. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Secondly, I want to request proclamation to Florida tax principles of the year from Leyon County and they are Delshana Jackson from Bond Elementary and Lisa Merr from formerly
of Woodville School. >> Proclamation. >> Proclamation. Yes, sir. >> Second. >> Commissioner requested by Commissioner Maddox, seconded by Commissioner Proctor. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> Finally, um well, not finally, before finally.
>> Pass unanimously, by the way. I'm sorry. >> Thank you, sir. Uh happy birthday to my my daughter Nyla. She's a 19-year-old freshman at uh Florida&M University. She has her mahogany show this weekend, so she's excited about that. So, I want to make sure I give her a birthday shout
out or she get me cuz I gave her all the rest of the kids a birthday shout out. >> She got a new car or what? I mean, >> she didn't get a new car, she got the old one. She used to I gave I gave her a full tank of gas that cost about >> $90. She got she got that. She got a tank of gas. >> That's liquid gold, right? >> Right. She got a tank of gas.
He's not going to be he won't be father of the year this year. >> I got to take a guess of the Pandora on. Um and then finally, um Commissioner Cummings, I I I I said my piece when when things happen and I' I've given my
apologies and I think today was a was an outpour of of um of support that that showed just how much you mean to this community. uh you're highly respected and you're highly admired uh by the community and and by me. Uh and I and I'll say again any disrespect that you
felt I I do uh that you felt I do and for the disrespect that you felt I do sincerely apologize. I I want to to I want to also recognize and I think a gentleman set it up there uh that um I
think I think our county attorney I think her her sinc her her apology was sincere and that she recognized that that there was some wrong done there. Uh and and what I appreciated about it about the whole situation is that a gentleman said while he's up there that
she apologized and you accepted the apology and Commissioner Cummings, I think I think that is something especially based off of what Commissioner O'Keefe said given the struggles that you've had growing uh in this in the profession that you're in uh
to to have the the the the moment to say you know what I I can accept the apology that's again admirable and so I didn't want the moment to pass myself. I I said what I said. I meant what I said. I don't I don't take any of it back. But
to to reflect on a moment to say that the the the outpour of community of the support and two to also say that there is we do have to watch out to make sure that we are respecting the women uh black, white or indifferent that are in
office that are in government and the and the jobs they have to do that are very hard um in Lyon County and worldwide. And I think that's what today was about and you led that charge, Commissioner Cummings. So, I I again I I admire you and I look forward to
continuing to serve with you and what what you did what you did and the cause that you brought up pushed our community forward in a way that nobody else could but you. So, I appreciate you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you, Commissioner Max. Immediate past Chairman.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um I have not much. Just wanted to say uh I think Honor Flight's going off on Saturday. I'm going to be joining my uh high school senior and some of her friends from Anchor Club, welcoming them back to the hangar at like 9:00.
So, uh if anybody wants to show up uh in the evening on Saturday night, hang out with me. Uh we can hang her out at the airport. Um that would be cool. Uh >> that really was a teacher joke. >> Yeah, you know, dad joke, teacher joke.
Uh other than that, uh I have nothing else. Thank you all. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Med pass chairman. All right, commissioners. >> Mr. Chairman, >> of course. Go ahead. >> And it was in my notes, but I overlooked
it. I just want to thank um the county administrator and their staff for consent agenda item number three. I didn't pull it. Uh at our last meeting, we asked that they go back and look at it, redo it, and they did an awesome
job. They included all of the um protected classes in the resolution. It captures uh what we as Leyon County, Leyon County government believe is dignity and respect um for everybody.
And I just think I just I didn't pull it. I I agree with it. It was awesome. and just want to give accolades to uh county administrator and to the staff that went back and reworked it and just put a lot of meat into it. Uh but also
just want to commend the county administrator uh because this resolution in in my opinion epitomizes his notion uh about county government, the makeup of county
government. If you look at the people that he has uh working for him, uh the great caliber of people of all ethnicity and race and background, what have you, I think it speaks a lot of the type person that he is. And I think it
demonstrates this resolution uh that he possesses that dignity and respect for all of the employees of of Leyon County. So, I just wanted to emphasize that and u just tell staff
great job. They did a great job. >> Awesome. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Cummings. Commissioner Potter, >> Mr. Chairman, um >> can I get to my comments? >> Yeah, I I just want you to note that gentleman back there, Mr. Chairman. Um he's looking at his watch as if to say, "Y'all ain't got to go home." But
>> he forget about say it's time to go. >> All right. Commissioners, listen. Usually I don't have much to to run through at the end of these meetings, but since I' since I've been the chairman, I've been kind of just huring it up. But I got a few items I'm going to be very quick. Help me push through
real very quickly. Um top line of business I have to disclose pursuant to section 2-670, the Leyon County uh code of ethics. I was contacted about a real estate transaction. Um I was unaware of this
policy. I'm sorry. I wasn't contacted. Our office was Alli spoke to a gentleman who bid on a piece of uh property. U Mr. and Miss Maym. Uh I don't think he got the property. Madam Madam attorney, what law do I do I need to read all this?
>> Yeah. Do I just disclose it? >> Yeah, >> you need to disclose the information. >> Gotcha. Okay. So, our office received a phone call. Sorry, commissioners. on March 19th from Jason Mayan regarding concerns about a surplus property process that he believed lacked transparency. During the call, Ally Richards asked him to follow up via
email so our office could review the matter. On March 23rd, Mr. and Miss Mayan sent the reference information to our office via email. Ally responded to confirm that she would have staff look into the issue and contacted the county administrator, informed him that she would be forwarding the Mayan's email
for staff to review. On March 25th, she received a phone call from the county attorney who advised her that this is a non-interference provision related to the county real estate transaction and the Leyon County code of ethics. She immediately notified me of the disclosure requirements and informed the constituents that her office could no
longer communicate with them regarding the real estate transaction. And then she directed them to contact assistant county administrator Ken Morris directly to further assistance in pursuant to policy because I'm the chairman. She shared the summary of information with the vice chairman O'Keefe. Good. Great. Thank you. I did not know that policy
exists, so it's good to know. Now, um I have a couple things I would like to run through quickly. Commissioners, I would like to um ask for a status report to come at our next meeting, basically highlighting all uh government cameras that are both
government and contracted with private contractors used in public spaces >> and also um programs that are in partnership with private sector cameras as well. I'd like to know pretty much all the details, you know, are they AI
related? you know, what are the the are the financial implications, you know, how are they used by by government, etc. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you, Commissioner Maddox, for moving the motion. Second by uh Commissioner Proctor. Any discussion? Seeing none, uh passes unanimously with
uh Commissioner Miner outside the chambers. Yes, ma'am. >> I'm sorry. Who made the motion? >> Maddox. Second by Project. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Um next, Mr. Mr. County Minister, do we have a date on the food insecurity workshop by chance?
>> Because we um Oh, I see Abby making her way. She'll have a better date than me. Go ahead, Abby. >> Yeah. So, as directed by the board at one of the last meetings, we were going to wait for the FAMU Food Council to issue their report on the topic of food systems. We expect that to be at the end of the year. >> End of the year.
>> At the end of the year. Yes. >> Um Mr. K Minister, do we are we talking like November, December? >> Yes. Tell me. >> Yes. That would be that gives the food council about a they've been working for a year at that point to kind of hammer out where they're going, kind of what
they've found to then bring back something. So, they've still the food council's kind of talked about how they're still kind of figuring out their legs and learning to walk. And so, that time gives them the year from when they started this work. >> Okay. Um All right. Thank you. Um Mr.
County Administrator Commissioner, let me go on to the next item. I you know I just I I don't really love that that's the end of the year but I think that's something Mr. Caner sure we could probably talk about in a briefing. >> Yeah. Um commissioners listen I know that there's been a lot of discussion um
in the news and press related to u Missy's law and it's been a little bit uh politicized here and there. However, I just want to say extremely proud of the policy behind Missy's Law that passed from the House, passed the Senate
unanimously, was signed by the governor. I think um I'm incredibly proud that this was a legislative priority that came from our board and supported from our board and ultimately is going to put um dangerous individuals, especially those who pray on our children. we're
gonna we're going to keep them um away from society. And so I I know I know what's there's been a lot of dialogue in the press about, you know, what's happened since then. However, when it comes to my position fundamentally about the bill, I think it keeps kids and
family safe. And so I think uh I want to say thank you to the board for supporting that as a legislative priority. And I'm also proud, you know, I don't know since I've been elected if we've ever had a legislative priority actually go between the House, Senate, and then signed by the governor. Um,
next, I would like to give a big thank you and shout out to uh Sheriff Walt McNeel. Last week, I was invited to attend a the Forest Preservation Task Force press conference where they basically announced a partnership with US Forestry and Florida Fish and
Wildlife and the Leyon County Sheriff's Office. And basically this was a a step up. If you recall in 2024 we supported um the sheriff in adding the the forestry position which was a new deputy
particularly overseeing the Appalachic National Forest and Lake Talquin State Forest. Onethird of our of our land mass in Leyon County is those are those forests. And so this task force is going to prevent crime that takes place in the forest such as human trafficking, drug
use, illegal camping. And so I know I know that my neighbors in Highway 20 are really, really excited about this. And I think that this is something that, you know, anytime that we can we can partnership and leverage relationships with other agencies to help support our residents, I think it's something that we can be proud of. And so I just want
to say thank you to the Leon County Sheriff's Office for really spearheading that. Next, I would like to request a proclamation. um for I don't know if you guys saw in the news but we have a local bakery the cake shop which just made uh the today's show is featured by by Ron
Brian Gos >> so so move by >> move proclamation move by the vice chairman second by commissioner Mattis >> she bring some of them uh >> pop-tarts >> I'm going to ask I'm going to make the ask I'm going to make the ask >> that place makes banging cakes too like
skip the pop-tarts and just have a cupcake they're awesome >> they they've gotten Tallahassee a bunch of good press so um all those In favor of the motion signify by saying I. >> I. >> Thank you. Commissioners passes unanimously. Commissioner Miner had to run, I assume, but I was going to congratulate him on being uh selected as
one of the treers. Madame Attorney, mobile home park update. Do you need any additional board direction or uh I know that there was in the letter that they talked about a payment plan, you know, can we get a quick update to where we are on that?
>> Sure. Um, OMB staff has already communicated with their representatives and they've already provided um the payment information for them to start making payments. Uh, it's it's my understanding everything will be paid in the next 6 months. >> Wow. Awesome. Commissioners, again, I
want to thank you all for, you know, walking with me on that particular item. Um, honestly, it's one of those things where I I feel like we we fought for the little guy and it makes me proud to be a Leyon County Commissioner. And I also want to thank um the mobile home park
owner for recognizing um well I guess they didn't admit to any wrongdoing but you know working with the county to make those to make our neighbors whole. I think it's it's a it's a act of good faith and I and I appreciate the willingness to work with us. Um lastly I I guess two more issues. One
I would like to request an update on Lake Mson water quality update um to come back to our board. Um, >> so move >> second. >> Thank you. Um, any discussion? >> What generates that? >> What does that mean? >> Why you doing that? >> Uh, because I want to see how the water
quality is doing. It's been a while since we've had an update. >> Yeah. But, you know, I I want to see with the with the recent drought and weather conditions if we have if we have any issues that are alarming to review. So, >> well, you know, the lake is so low till I mean, if we ever want to clean it out
or get debris and burn the bottom or whatever, but >> it's it's pretty low. >> Yeah. So, I want to get up there. >> So, moved. >> Yeah. >> Seconded by >> me. >> Uh yourself. Okay. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I.
>> Passes unanimously. Last condolences, Mr. Vice Chairman, passing your pup from one fellow uh dog dad to another. Um, I know you're you're a big uh dog guy, man. So, really sorry to hear about that. Saw that over the weekend, man. So, just thinking about
you guys. Um, last commissioners, listen, this was uh, you know, this was what I would say a very challenging meeting and not not just for um the different interpersonal sentiments, but
the we had a ton of business to discuss and um, I really just want to thank each of you um, particularly Commissioner Cummings. I felt like you're you're you you you held yourself to such as you always do, high decorum and high
standard. And every speaker that came in here was so, you know, respectful and we had these chambers packed. Everyone left with with with with grace. It wasn't it didn't feel hostile. And I think when you when you compare that to other other chambers across the state and across
Tallahassee, I think it just it continues to be a testament to the leadership across this dis of every single one of us, but also how our neighbors view Leyon County. And so I tip my hat off to each and every one of you and I
want to thank you for for also recognizing that this is some of these things are challenging. So you've been a chair. Everyone's pretty much been a chair. You know, you're going to be the chair. And so you don't really understand some of the how much these things can be taxing until you sit in the chair and and manage some of these
uh these issues. And so just want to say thank you all. And I'm proud to serve with you with each and every one of you. With that being said, we will adjourn.