--------- good afternoon everybody We will call this meeting of the Leyon County Board of County Commissioners uh to order And uh thank you all for being here today It's a beautiful day and I'm glad you took a little time out to come and visit us here at the Judge Augustus Akens Leon
County Courthouse Um I have got commissioners How are you all doing good to see you Looking sharp there Mr Vice Chair Um let's see We are going to start with our invocation and pledge of allegiance Uh the invocation
today is going to be delivered by Rabbi Paul Sidloski from Temple Israel Um and the pledge of allegiance would be led by Commissioner Miner So Commissioner Miner is approaching now Would you like to introduce uh the rabbi commissioner Miner you're
recognized Thank you Mr Chairman Very much appreciate it Um it's a pleasure to welcome back Rabbi Paul Sidowski to of Temporal Israel to the county commission chambers Prior to joining our community Rabbi Sidowski served congregations in Stony Brook New York and Wilmington North Carolina Now of course he's a
rabbi for Temple Israel which has 300 membership families Please just give a warm welcome to Rabbi Sidloski for the invitation Good afternoon everyone First I want to say thank you to Commissioner Miner for the invitation to deliver this invitation and especially for the
important work that you all are doing I want to express appreciation on behalf of Temple Israel and the Leyon County Jewish community for your ongoing care and support and specifically your recognition of the role of the Holocaust
Education Resource Council and the designation of Holocaust Days of Remembrance later this month As we prepare for the business of this afternoon let us reflect on the importance of our work so that may we may be fully engaged and ready for our
task Let us be thankful for the privilege of living in an open and free society where all members are able respectfully to express their opinions just as we respectfully consider their viewpoints May we have the wisdom to combine respect for tradition with
openness to innovation May we be sensitive to the fact that a society is ultimately judged by how it treats those most in need May we possess the gift of knowing that there are many paths that lead to a shared and mutually beneficial
goal And may we reach out to others in the room and beyond these walls to create an even stronger shared vision of what our community is and what it can become We ask for the blessings of inner strength and unity of purpose as we seek
to enhance our county where all have a place and that all residents are proud to call home Amen Thank you All right Commissioner I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all Thank you Rabbi and thank you Commissioner Miner Um commissioners if it would be okay with you I would like to uh alter the agenda just real quickly
to let Commissioner Kaban do his proclamation for the uh the uh students at FSU who um saved a man's life on the golf course Is that okay with everybody okay thank you Commissioner Command you are recognized Good afternoon everyone
Whereas on March 1st 2025 four Florida State University students Brandon Moore Tommy Provenzano Ty Schmidt and Charlie France were enjoying a round of golf at Highleman Golf Course in Tallahass Florida Whereas during their game the
students were alerted of a passer by to an emergency involving fellow golfer Mr Todd Watkins who had collapsed due to a heart attack Whereas the students immediately responded by calling 911 and administering CPR with Mr Provenzano
utilizing his prior CPR certification and experience as a lifeguard to lead the effort Whereas the students continued their life-saving efforts for approximately 10 minutes until emergency medical services arrived and took over
Whereas medical professionals have credited the prompt and decisive actions of these students with significantly increasing Mr Watkins chances of survival and recovery Whereas Mr Watkins who is with us here today has since been discharged from the hospital and along with his
family have expressed profound gratitude towards the students referring to them as heroes Whereas the Leyon County Emergency Medical Services plans to honor these students with a citizens award in recognition of their extraordinary bravery and selflessness Whereas the
actions of these students exemplify the highest standards of civic responsibility compassion and readiness to assist those in need reflecting great credit upon themselves their families and Florida State University Now therefore be it proclaimed by the Leyon
County Board of County Commissioners that we do hereby honor and commend Brandon Moore Tommy Provenzano Ty Schmidt and Charlie France for their heroic and life-saving actions on March 1st 2025 Their quick thinking courage
and willingness to help a fellow citizen in distress serve as an inspiration to our community and embody the true spirit of service and humanity dated this 8th day of April 2025 signed by the board of county commissioners and the county administrator Let's give him a warm round of
applause I'm going to pass it to Mr walk to I believe would like to say a few words Yes sir Well I would just like to obviously uh say thank you to the the boys We call them the boys and uh they're a great group of guys I can tell you that
already Uh but just just to for it to happen that quickly and for someone to react as quickly as they did and pull that off I had to be somewhere in the ballpark of 10 minutes or somewhere there about and for the fact that to get those guys to do what they did
paramedics to get there and and and apply the shocks and do what they did is why I'm here today And I just I just thank you Guys you want to say anything hey you're on the internet man This is your chance Come on recognition Well
thank you guys We appreciate you know your heart for service and your ability to act And Mr Watkins I think we can all safely say we're glad you're here today And uh and we look forward to a bright future for you guys Thank you for representing FSU Leon County and City of Tallahassee And and our our Leyon County
EMS staff who you know there probably a job there for you if you want it someday So we appreciate you guys very much Thank you Commissioners anything all right Thank you Commissioner Command You guys get you a nice picture Not only are those guys saving lives I
think they work for the football team right Commissioner Command is that correct that's why they had to go first so they can get out there and get back out in the sun and keep our football team hydrated Commissioner Maddox you're recognized Thank you Mr Chair Uh you have to excuse my voice everyone Oh no Pollen's getting to me Um I have the
privilege to honor Miss Beverly um Barbara today if she's here with us Barber Oh okay Okay You can sit down if you want to You can stand It's up to you man Mr Chair the proclamation reads "Whereas
Dr Beverly Barber is a native of Chicago and a product of Detroit public schools who received her bachelor's of arts degree in health and physical education with an emphasis in dance from Wayne State University master's of arts degree
in dance education from the University of Michigan and PhD in humanities from Florida State University And whereas she served as the dance specialist with the department of health physical education and recreation at Florida&M University
for 42 years before retiring Her tenure also included serving as chair of the department from 1988 to 1992 To put that in perspective I am 44 She served for 42 years Whereas her
imprint can be felt and seen throughout the university and community She choreographed for the for the for the FAMU theater department for 35 years the marching 100 starting in 1963 for three
years and for 37 years served as a director of the FAMU Orchus contemporary dance theater which was comprised of dancers and musicians primarily FAMUans but also community members who committed
their time and talents for the annual concert in dance and for many pre uh for many presentations throughout the Tallahassee community state of Florida and the southeast And whereas Dr Barber worked for a number of years with the
national organization the humanities the humanities unit of the American Dance Festival in this project to share information on the contributions of black Americans to dance in this country She has served on the boards for the
African Caribbean Dance Theater Florida State University friends of dance and Harambe Arts and Cultural Heritage Council and is one of the founding members of the Harambe Arts and Cultural Heritage Festival And whereas Dr Barbara
currently serves as the Delta Delta Cappa Omega Foundation and SHISHA boards she is a pearl mother I'm sorry a pearl member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated with 65
through 74 years uh with years of service of 65 through 74 years of membership And whereas Dr Barbara has garnered many accolades and awards that acknowledge her work at the university and in the Tallahass community Her legacy of leadership and contribution
have extended beyond the dance community impacting local and global cultural conversations education and community building efforts Now therefore be it proclaimed by the Leon Leon County Board of County Commissioners that we do hereby recognize Dr Beverly A Barber
This is signed by the chair attested to by the county administrator and as well as the signed by the rest of commission Congratulations ma'am Yes ma'am Go ahead Okay Thank you Mr uh Maddox and to the other commissioners I
want to say thank you for this very wonderful honor It was something I never thought I would get but I'm glad to get it I want to say I am so proud so grateful and excited to be to have this
award I also want to thank my family members who are no longer here but who helped me along the way my colleagues at Florida&M University and colleagues at Florida State University and my
very special friends who helped me and supported me through the years to get me here So I thank you all and thank you once again for the proclamation Dr Commissioner Proctor you recognize Mr
Chairman I I thank you very much And Commissioner Proctor thank you Mr Chairman Commissioners uh Commissioner Maddox uh I don't want Commissioner Maddox to to hog all the picture taken with all those uh queens down there and look at him He don't know how
to act And I I want to get a picture with Dr Bobber Nick don't hog it all You better go I just I just wanted to say that um my first formal instructions about dance
Well it sounds like I had multiple I've only had one informal instructions about dance And uh Dr Barber probably recalls me very well Dr Barber I'm talking about you but I don't want to talk about you behind your back And I'm
sure she remembers well me as a dance student Vince Uh because I was that one who couldn't over overcome and get with you know the rhythm and all Uh but Dr bobber Uh I said to her recently that uh
when I went to school and all like that and uh that I because of my exposure to her as a dance instructor at Florida&M uh it prepared me for a lot of stuff that I saw later Um Dr Barber don't pay them no
mind Just come on Dr Barber and uh Just stand right in the center Yeah you good Right there I'm coming down I'm coming down Commissioner can I say something uh yes ma'am I think we're going to stand and take a picture Oh okay Uh Commissioner
Cummings and then you can say something Oh okay I was trying to interest They need to come around George Clinton didn't have nearly this many people here for him Oh this how y'all know would if he were
here going All right everyone's making their way to the side Sorry All right Thank you There you go Commissioner Cummings you're recognized Yes ma'am Dr Barber
I just want to congratulate you for all your artistic and educational contributions to Florida&M University and to our community as well And I also commend you for having all your Aphacappa Alpha sorority sisters here
supporting you today So we love you We thank you Congratulations Thank you Absolutely Mr Chairman before I was so interrupted uh I'm glad that Commissioner um Diane
Williams Cox is here this afternoon Uh she needed to understand some things about uh the Bethl AM Church uh choir uh not choir but Bethl AM church lurggical dancers and um brother Daryl Jones can
attest to the reason why Bethl AM church has the city's North Florida's top lurggical dance uh is because of Dr Bobber's influence and uh we still got that going on I just want
the commissioner to understand doc um before you start one more again One more again Dr Bobber Dr Barber Um just between me and you I'd like for you to be the honorary
word chair of um my boots on the ground gay And um you don't have to save the last dance but if you save the first dance for me I'd appreciate it But I'm asking if you would please consider being our honorary chair of our Boots on
the Ground Gayla coming real soon That's just between us Thank you Mr Chairman All right I can give you Mr Proctor Please she'll think about it Please Yeah Uh and while we got a little time we want to say thank you to Commissioner Dian Williams Cox for being here We're
glad to see you And also school board member Jones who's here all the time but we love you too Commissioner Max for your next proclamation Thank you Mr Chair If I uh take point of priv personal privilege here to also recognize uh Miss Cheryl
Collier Brown It's her birthday today Happy birthday All right Uh Mr Terren Bur proclamation reads "Whereas working class Wednesday bridges the gap between local businesses and the community by hosting wellplanned fun and engaging
community and corporate events that cultivate and stimulate the entrepreneurial economy And whereas the first NA uh networking events started December 2016 derived from a need to develop a sustainable platform to help
small minority owned businesses And whereas the innovative concept of working-class Wednesday the ultimate networking experience and now made had now made its reach into Escambia County Pensacola Florida in a partnership with
the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber And whereas Terrence Barber is commended for establishing a community-driven environment that encourages collaboration learning and opportunities for everyone who attended the working-class Wednesday events And
whereas Terrence Barber's commitment to enriching the lives of others through continuous support and opportunity exemplifies leadership compassion and a deep understanding of the power of a strong relationship between business and the community by creating a bridge where
aspiring professionals can meet established industry leaders Now therefore be it proclaimed by the Leyon County Board of County Commissioners that we do hereby recognize the ninth annual uh ninth anniversary of Working Class Wednesday and its founder Terrence
Barber for his unwavering commitment to helping individuals thrive by providing consistent opportunities for networking learning and growth each week This is signed by the chair test two by the county administrator and signed by the
rest of commission Congratulations Come here Nicole I didn't do this by myself with Louis Come here Louis Hey how y'all doing thank you LT Hey what's up brother how you doing man how y'all doing listen Thank you So listen man Even the Bible says that a man is only without honor in
his own own home own I've been in this community for 44 years Brother Proctor I think you were here when my mother was recognized with a proclamation when she retired from the county for serving the county for 42 years That's the last time I came here to receive a proclamation This is a very heartfelt moment Thank
you to El Smooth Lewis Thirstston I'm sorry Mr Lewis Thirsten Nicole Everett Lor was okay Thank you to my family my uncles here man Thank you to the county commission Thank you brother Mattis man Daryl Jones I see you Thank you so much sir for your unwavering uh support of
all of my endeavors So that's all I have Anybody else want to say something y'all good y'all good thank y'all so much Lord Terrence Terrence Terrence Terrence Barber hold on one second I'm going to take a point of personal privilege Commissioner Miner and just say
something real quick that I think really captures the kind of spirit you have Okay Terrence is my leadership Tallahassee class 36 classmate Yes sir And um he and I were rooming together on the last night of the LT closing retreat
out at the Wakulla Golf Club which you know we don't we ain't really we don't really fit in at the Wakulla Golf Club but um uh Terrence and I were in a room together and he and I and by that time I was running for the county commission my first time And and Terrence was very encouraging to me You
know he believed in me He's like "Man you can do this." And I think that's really what Working Class Wednesday is about And I think that's what your mission is Terrence in this community is encouraging people and letting them know that they need to believe in themselves And so I'm glad you're getting your flowers man My LT brother forever I'm
proud of you Thank you Yes sir Commissioner Miner you're recognized Thank you Mr Chairman Thank you Mr Chairman Um the Le Moine Chain of Parks Art Festival is one of Leyon County's greatest annual events and uh it's become a big part of our
lives In fact if you um if you look through my iPhone's camera roll going back the past 15 years or so you'll see photos of my family at each chain of parks art festival growing every year Uh my daughters start out as babies then
become toddlers and now they're young ladies enjoying the festival's art food and the sense of community And I'm not alone I I'm sure that most of you have similar photos in your camera rolls on your phone Um I think most of us have a very special connection with the Chain
of Parks Art Festival and so it's an incredible honor for me to present this proclamation Whereas Le uh Le Moines's Chain of Parks Art Festival celebrating its 25th year as one of Tallahassy's signature annual events and the Big Ben's premier visual art festival And
whereas the chain of parks art festival was established to present an outdoor festival of highquality original artwork and entertainment for the enjoyment of our Tallahassee area of residents and visitors while fostering the careers and financial support of local and regional artists And whereas the Chain of Parks
Art Festival held annually in April hosts over 150 professional artists from all over the country and brings 35,000 to 40,000 visitors to town downtown Tallahassy's chain of parks for a unique highquality cultural experience for all ages featuring beautiful art amazing
performances 3D street art delicious local food and interactive art experiences And whereas the two-day festival is an economic stimulus for the community generating hotel stays revenue for local artists visits to local dining and shopping venues and sales tax
generated through art sales resulting in a significant economic impact of over $1.7 million each year And whereas on Saturday evening of this year's festival in partnership with Visit Tallahassee the festival will bring to the Adly Amphitheater the band Wilco known for
their eclectic mixture of rock alternative country indie sounds and a passionate fan base And this concert promises to deliver an engaging musical experience adding to the festival weekend experience And whereas the Chain of Parks Art Festival has been ranked in
Sunshine Artist Magazine's top 100 fine art shows for 10 years running and was named the number seven fine art festival in the nation and number one in Florida in 2024 And whereas the Leyon County Commission congratulates all the volunteers sponsors artists and visitors
who've contributed to the success and growth of the festival for the past 25 years Now therefore we reclaimed by the Lyon County Board of County Commissioners that we do hereby proclaim April 26th and 27th 2025 to be the weekend of the Chamber of Parks Art Festival Signed by the Board of County
Commissioners of Lyon County Florida and attested by our county administrator Vince Law Let's move again Thank you Commissioner Miner for making this happen for us We're very proud of this proclamation and we're very proud of the 25 years of putting
this awesome festival together I want to thank this team behind me who work very hard all the time to make this happen Um it wouldn't happen without them I also want to thank the community at large because you can't do something like this without a lot of support from the
community So this county commission has supported us visit Tallahassee has supported us and the city of Tallahassee has supported us as well and that's how we got it done for 25 years So uh we're very thankful and appreciative of this and we hope to see you in the parks
April 26 and 27th Thank you All right Commissioner Miner Uh you're recognized for this proclamation Thank you Mr Chairman Really appreciate it Is Barbara Goldenstein Come on up Miss Barbara Okay Um in uncertain times like these it's uh incredibly important to
remember our history Human nature doesn't seem to change but our progress and technology seems to be transforming society more and more rapidly In the midst of all this change knowing and understanding our history keeps us grounded This
proclamation recognizes an organization whose mission is to remind us of the uncomfortable truths of what humans are capable of doing to each other so that these brutal actions are never repeated Whereas the Holocaust was a
systematic state sponsored pers uh persecution and murder of 6 million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators The Holocaust was an evolving process that took place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945 And whereas we also commemorate
other victims of the Nazi regime including political opponents people with disabilities gays Roma and Cinti Slavs Jehovah's Witnesses prisoners of war and all others who have suffered grievous oppression and death under Nazi tyranny And whereas in 2005 the
Holocaust Education Resource Council HERK was established to build hope and confront all hate including anti-semitism by providing instructional guidance support and resources for educators who teach the history of the Holocaust and other programs for the community at large And whereas for the
past 20 years Herk has planned teacher training workshops annually and provided resources to schools and education for students And whereas in 2025 we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Awitz And whereas the history of the
Holocaust offers an opportunity to reflect on the moral responsibilities of individuals societies and governments And whereas Holocaust Remembrance Day provides citizens with a valuable opportunity to remember the victims of the Holocaust as well as to reflect on the need to respect to respect all
peoples Therefore be it proclaimed by the Leyon County Board of County Commissioners that we do hereby recognize the 20th anniversary of the Holocaust Education Resource Council PEK and proclaim April 20th through April 27th 2025 as Holocaust Days of
Remembrance dated this 8th day of April 2025 signed by the Board of County Commissioners and attested to by our county administrator Vince Law Thank you Commissioner Miner and all everybody else here Um I just want to say that we have to continuing education
That's the most important thing for everybody and I thank my helpers here and we just want to make sure everybody continues to learn about the Holocaust Thank you Miss Barbara Again sorry commissioners but I as a school teacher I have
benefited personally from your trainings and everything that her does And as a history I mean a high school history teacher right this is in my wheelhouse So thank you so much for your commitment to helping teachers all over the the the area the country probably you know learn
more about the Holocaust so that we can articulate it to our students so they understand the importance of it So thank you Thank you so much Cuz you know what I you know how much I know what you do I know exactly it is unbelievable Thank you Don't forget your picture Thank you
Thank you all Mr Chairman thank you sir Appreciate it Thank you Commissioner Miner All right commissioners We are on citizens to be heard on consent and non-aggenda items Mr County Administrator do we have any speakers mr Chairman we do The first speaker is Stanley Sims
Stanley Sims 1320 Avenue Way Um I I signed up on a non-aggenda item just in case I can't stay here for to until 6 I wanted to speak about the um pan handling um situation
That is an agenda item Mr Oh okay So I can't hook that All right So I guess I have to stick around Um yeah I think so Unfortunately Sorry I think we'll be to it Well 6:00 We should be to it pretty quick I'll
steal a biscuit Keep hoping Sorry Thank you Mr Sims Um next speaker Kelly Oor Hi commissioners Uh I'm with the domestic violence coordinating council This is Mike Pedra here Um and I just
want to say first of all the commission uh the domestic violence council wants to thank all of you for your ongoing support over the years for all the work we do Um especially in our work with prevention uh with teens and trying to eradicate domestic violence ahead of time Um fortunately our board was lucky enough to meet individually with most of
you and to discuss in more detail some of the work we've been doing over the years and some of the projects that we're working on particularly the prevention efforts So uh the board wanted me to thank you also for the positive comments and support that you sent back with them Um I was here at the last meeting when all of our agenda and requests were in your packet and through
a little procedural misunderstanding we didn't stand up and speak to you So I just wanted to say briefly um that we would like you to consider uh a bit of an increase if you can simply for cost of living increases that we have coming up and we are going to res resend um the
request in that budget amount uh the 5200 for um the social media person I understand this is a really tight and unusually chaotic year for budgeting So we will resend that amount and uh we'll just keep on plugging away with our
college interns and some of us trying to figure out social media as it goes Um but we would still like to please request the remaining amount of $10,000 or $9,999 if that sounds better Um for just again the cost of increases of the materials that we need um things have
just doubled We talked to you about that in the individual meetings T-shirts that were five are now nine Pizzas that were five are now 11 And so it's just simply a matter of just a little bit of an increase so we can keep doing what we're doing to prevent domestic violence elder abuse and teen dating abuse in the community Thanks Thank you Mr Oor Next
speaker That concludes your speakers Mr Chairman All right commissioners Um we are on uh consent Um do we want to just uh Mr Chairman I move consent All right we got a motion Is there a second a second Mr Chair All right we've got a motion and a second on
consent Um do we do discussion on consent i guess we can huh is there any discussion on consent All right seeing none all those in favor signify by saying I I I All oppose Passes unanimously Thank you commissioners We are now very quickly on
to our general business agenda Is that correct it is Sorry Mr kind That's okay That was your queue Okay Thank you Thank you Mr Chairman Commissioners item number 13 is an update on recent enhancements and and
ongoing improvements to the county's uh competitive solicitation process This item was requested by the board Um again uh and covers a number of of of improvements that we've made uh to make our our to ensure that we get the most
responsive bids and the most competition uh in procuring goods and services As you know commissioners we continuously seek uh opportunities to review and enhance uh county programs and services and this is certainly uh one of those The item describes in great detail uh
enhancements that have been made to the competitive solicitation process um and the board's adoption of revisions to the purchasing policy uh just a few months ago uh upon an analysis of every county solicitation over the past 2 years to measure the number of bids uh that were
deemed uh responsive versus non-responsive commissioners Again just in summary the the analysis found the county's non-responsive rate is uh considerably less than national uh averages uh according to the National Association of Procurement Professionals
That being said our team still found opportunities to continue to streamline the process for prospective biders uh by changing how we capture some of the information uh and reducing the overall number of forms that must be submitted uh to the county Again we're happy to
talk about any of this commissioners but again I think the item just reflects our continued efforts and again uh the board's most recent direction uh just provided another uh yet another opportunity for us to do that Uh and we've done that here So with that commissioners I have no speakers on this
item Uh we're recommending option one Happy to answer any questions you might have Um commissioners before we jump into that uh for the clerk's office um note that last vote was 60 and Commissioner Maddox was out of the I'm I'm not on my best game today guys I apologize Uh Commissioner Proctor you're
in the queue Thank you Mr Chairman Uh commissioners just real quickly um I'm appreciative uh sincerely um um um delighted to see the um MWSBE uh portion that's added on pages
five and six And uh I'm also uh extremely delighted to see the equal opportunity and affirmative action statement that's still a part of uh our process Thank you very much Thank you Commissioner Proctor Would would somebody like to make I move option one
All right we've got a motion a second from Commissioner O'Keefe and Commissioner Cummings We're in discussion Did you want to No I um I just want to uh thank staff and the county administrator for the analysis and to me 13%
uh nonresponsive uh that's primarily um minor um omissions like omissions and paperwork and and what have you I think it's it's a good track record So I think
they're they're doing a great job I appreciate having the bid uh pre- bid conference where all the responders are prospective biders are specifically told what has to be included when they submit their bids
So now I think uh the county administrator and the staff are doing are doing a great job But I also uh just want to echo um Commissioner Proctor too because in light of the executive orders that have come down it shows that we're
versatile Um we are not we are not trying to we we're not trying to circumvent any of the executive orders but we certainly have the ability and we have the staff to do what we need to do to say "Okay we're not making this specific
requirement but you you need to affirm that you recognize federal law you recognize state law and that you will adhere to that during your administration of um the contract if you are awarded to be So I appreciate that
versatility and flexibility And I think we're as a county we're still able to uh you know affirm our principles and practices of equal opportunity and compliance with federal law and state
law that requires no discrimination based on age race sex and any of the other prohibited uh categories So just thank you very much for that Thank you Commissioner Cummings Commissioner Maddox Mr Jefferson first if I could
Could you put me in uh consent for Yes sir Please show Commissioner Maddox Uh I think this is a good update by staff Uh it provides a thorough explanation of why forms are part of the process Also reduces the number of forms to be signed and notorized which is
which I think helps out a lot In some cases four forms have been adopted to uh digital confirmation Um there are some questions there But all in all I think this looks really good for solicitation of MWBE goals Uh mandatory pre-bid meetings are required for at least 2
weeks I think that's a good thing Uh good for that I would uh be interested in seeing what the good faith effort uh form entails Again in the past uh Mr Jones to tell you those firms that go through the good faith effort uh piece they I think they they make an earnest
effort to try to find firms to um to partner with And I believe our MWBE department even goes extra mile through trying to um uh I guess match makers it will be called um primary firms with minority firms And so I will say and I and I applaud the MWB office that we do
everything we can to try to make sure that we do have some subs that are ready and willing to serve in that sub um position on these contracts that we have And so staff think job well done on this and look forward to uh supporting option number one All right Thank you
Commissioner Maddox I'd like to echo that Um you know I think in a perfect world we have no percentage of people that fail to respond but that's not the way the world works right so um as is usual our staff goes above and beyond uh
what is normal um in helping folks help themselves in terms in regards to our u process So um all right seeing no other discussion all those in favor signify by saying I I All oppose nay And the motion was by Commissioner Cummings second by
Commissioner O'Keefe All right Thank you Commissioners We are now on item 14 Mr County Minister Thank you Mr Chairman Commissioners Item number 14 presents an overview of recent state uh state legislation authorizing local governments to implement automated speed
detection and enforcement programs within school zones and uh seeks your consideration uh commissioners on our next uh steps Um this uh item of course is consistent with the board's uh priority on on addressing uh pedestrian
safety Admittedly it's one tool of lots of tools uh for the boards to cons consideration and again um we'll um we'll we'll take whatever direction you have for us today Uh again uh we explained in the item in the analysis kind of how these um uh uh systems work
Uh the item has no fiscal impact to the county However should the board proceed with implementing the program by uh an ordinance that preliminary estimates of the program would generate about $275,000 in annual collections uh from speeding violations with about 60% uh
being retained by the county to fund the program uh and other public safety initiatives Uh the remaining 40 is distributed uh in accordance with Florida statutes as described uh in the analysis there'd still be a lot of work to be done in working with the clerk's office and the state attorney or or
rather the LCSO and Lyon County schools Um and of course um if it's uh the board's direction we would issue an RFP to select uh a vendor to administer the program As you may be aware this program was recently implemented um for school
zones I guess I should say that the city's in the process of implementation for school zones within the city limits Um and this program would operate similarly again pursuant to the authoriz authorizing statutes With that commissioners we're recommending option one We're happy to answer any questions
you might have Uh and again uh we're recommending option one I probably should have said that this was and um and an opportunity identified and and and approved in the board as a strategic priority uh for board's consideration So with that commissioners we have no
speakers on this item and happy to answer any questions you might have Move option one Okay we got a motion from Commissioner O'Keefe and a second from Commissioner Maddox Commissioner O'Keefe you are in the queue Then Commissioner Maddox then Commissioner Proctor Thank you Mr Chair Um today we're talking about something very basic We're talking
about keeping kids safe And we're talking about a program that addresses speeding of over 10 mph over a school zone speed limit Um we know every day that kids in Lyon County walk bike or get dropped off nearby school Um and every day we see drivers speeding
through school zones even with signs and flashing lights It's dangerous and this is one of many things we can do about it Um speed cameras near schools our tools that have worked elsewhere Um we've se they've seen a big difference in other cities in some areas reducing speeding
60 to 80% That means fewer crashes and fewer injuries especially for kids Um we're not doing this about catching people or collecting fines We're getting drivers to slow down in places where kids are likely to cross the street Um
we know our law enforcement officers have their hands full and they do a great job They can't be everywhere And by using these cameras in school zones only and only when school's in session we're able to address the enforcement to try to decrease speeding without taking
up additional law enforcement time Um we can do this in a way that builds trust Um we're going to put up clear signs We're going to have a warning period before fines start And any money collected I believe is going right back into pedestrian safety and safety around schools Put it simply this is common
sense Uh it's about doing everything we can to prevent the worst from happening Um let's do this straightforward program and keep our kids safe Thank you Commissioner O'Keefe Commissioner Maddox Thank you Mr Chair Just briefly I I have heard u that there may have been some
concerns as far as due process is is concerned here I think uh option one gives us the ability to continue to go down this road that we're going down to explore draft ordinance due to RFP but also kind of keep an eye of what's going on with other folks and their ordinances
Uh and and when it comes back if we choose to move in a different direction we we we can But I think this is the right way to go right now And I agree with every comment that Commissioner O'Keefe made look forward to supporting option number one Thank you sir Thank you Commissioner Maddox Commissioner Proctor you recognized Mr Chairman I'm
satisfied that these speed devices of detection would be stationary and um sometimes with uh uh moving flexible um stuff it it it can be a little um um
miscalibrated But with the stationary speed devices um I feel a lot more comfortable about those uh 60% of the revenue would be retained by um our local government and um while I see this
is guided the breakdown of u who gets what from the monies um I wish that the school crossing guards uh would receive more than 5% And I think that they in terms of those who are uh subsidiary
supporters of school and education that school crossing guards are really intended to be uh among the very first uh representatives of schools that we see when you bring your children to school or they walk for school uh to try
to insist for safety But um I think that this is no doubt uh reinforces uh the efforts of guards to say slow slow down But I believe that these devices are going to uh help to harness uh um
speeders uh in the school zone So very very pleased to support it It adds to the safety of u the school experience Um I'm sure that school board member um Daryl Jones um certainly does not
disagree uh that everything we can do to uh maximize safety um is valued by the school board So I'll support this Thank you Commissioner Proctor Commissioner Cummings Uh thank you uh Mr Chair I certainly support um option number one
for the reasons that have been stated because after all we are looking at enhancing the safety of our children and our parents uh and staff at the schools But uh in addition to the fact that this will pay for itself I'm also um
encouraged because there was a study that was done and I know the county attorney has indicated to us many times in certain areas we need to have studies to support ordinances um in certain areas We have the study
here we looked at they identified over 23,000 potential speeding violations in those school zones And so I think clearly um this implementation will be a deterrent in the long run and hopefully
we can get those fees down to protect our children and and staff and families So certainly in support of it Thank you Mr Chair Thank you Commissioner Cummings I'll just add you know I I know most of us drive through a school zone every day and I certainly drive through a school
zone every day Um and we worked hard to get a school to get a school zone designation in front of Charles High School uh a couple years ago and that's uh four-lane road People cruising through there pretty hot and it's had a huge impact um on slowing folks down
We've had no major traffic accidents in front of Charles High School in the time since that's happened This will only serve to further enhance that safety And I think that I echo all of your sentiments I mean there's really no limit to what we should do to keep our
kids safe Uh whether we're talking about hordes of elementary school students walking across busy roads or teenage drivers around our high schools Um and I think this is a reasonable mechanism to do that So uh any further comment commissioners all right Seeing none we've got a motion for staff
recommendation option one made by Commissioner O'Keefe was it and seconded by Commissioner Maddox All those in favor signify by saying I I I shows it Show it passes unanimously Thank you commissioners Um Mr County Minister we're on item number 15 Thank you Mr
Chairman Commissioners item number 15 seeks full board appointments to the MWSBE uh committee the um enterprise citizen advisory committee and the Tallahassee Sports Council as well as the value adjustment and board uh value and adjustment board Um commissioners uh
based on uh your direction at the last meeting regarding the value adjustment board option three is provided should the board wish to wave the policy regarding uh the citizen committee term limits uh and appoint uh Mr Gregory Cowan to the value adjustment board We have no other applications for the VAB
at this time Again happy to answer any questions Uh options uh we're recommending options one and two and three should the board wish to u reappoint uh Mr Cowan Um thank you Mr Administrator Uh commissioners I've got the queue rocking here and Commissioner
Cummings is first followed by Commissioner Maddox O'Keefe and Minor Mr Chairman on if you don't mind me Uh on point if you don't mind I've got to declare a conflict What's that i've got to declare a conflict Okay go ahead Thank you Thank you Commissioner Cummings Commissioner Cummings thank you
very much I appreciate it Um I I need to declare a conflict on option one as it relates to the Minority Women and Small Business Enterprise Citizens Advisory Committee Um one of the applicants is Laura Lowe who is my wife's cousin And so um after conferring with a county attorney um it doesn't appear there is a
maybe a close enough familiar relationship for me to declare the conflict but out of abundance of caution under chapter 286 I'm going to abstain from that item So for any motions that will be made if you'd be so kind as to as to bifrocate option one from options two and three Thank you Mr Chairman Uh
Commissioner Cummings thank you very much for the absolute Thank you Commissioner Miner Uh Commissioner Cummings you're recognized Thank you Uh Mr Chair um I move option one for two appointments to
MWSBE Citizens Advisory Board specifically the reappoint of Mr Eddie Gonzalez Lamett and the appointment of Miss Rasher Greenley Second Okay we've
got a motion uh and a second for option one excluding Commissioner Miner who is recused himself Uh any discussion wait Well I've got Commissioner Maddox O'Keefe and Minor Uh Commissioner Maddox you're recognized
Mr Chair um if I can if you'll allow it Um unless you want to take them separately I I had a recommendation for the next two Um can we just do them separately since Mr minor recused himself I'll wait Okay perfect Uh Commissioner Miner are you you're back in the queue do you you want to be in
the queue okay All right Uh we've got a motion for option one uh for staff recommendations excluding Commissioner Miner All those in favor signify by saying I I I All oppose passes unanimously We're now uh back in discussion on the items Commissioner Maddox Did you want to Thank you Mr
Chair I am the board's appointment to the TL Sports Council Uh being such I will make a recommendation and a motion for Britney Christie for the Tallahassee Sports Council and also being the chair and board and part one of the board appointees to the uh value adjustment
board I will tell you that uh Mr Cowan has served with honor uh and been a a regular in our meetings I don't think he's missed the meeting And so with that being said ma madam attorney I don't know if if how what the order is here for us to wave the rules to allow him to
be reappointed or do we just make the motion what what's the what's the order of that uh option three contemplates the waiver of the policy as part of the reappointment I think we can just do two and three Three includes that On point to that though ma Mr Chair Madam
Attorney on option three does it wave it indefinitely or wave it for another term it would it would wave it for the appointment for this term yes any further future board waiver would
require another vote Okay All right Um I make the motion for options two and three with Britney Christie being the appointee to the Tallahassee Sports Council Thank you Okay We've got a motion uh from our appointee to the sports council Commissioner Maddox Um
Commissioner do we have a second second Second from Commissioner or Vice Chair Command Commissioner O'Keefe if you're in the queue Thank you Mr Chair Um I just want to make sure I think we have to we don't have to but I think that our recommendation I want to make sure we have in there that we're reappointing
Isabella Igloff as well as appointing Britney um Christie Is that I accept that amendment okay So we've got an amendment to the original motion Um okay Uh any further discussion on items two and three All right Seeing none all those in favor signify by saying I I I
All opposed Passes unanimously Thank you commissioners for record timing here We're going to move on into um I guess do we want to do citizens to be heard on items again or we want to move into We don't have any at this time Okay Uh so
commissioners we've got two hours until our public hearing so we're going to go ahead and do our comment discussion items if that's okay with you Uh this is miraculous Um uh m madam county attorney do you have anything for us no Mr Chairman I have nothing for the board Thank you Thank you Mr County
Administrator It sounds like I have some time Yeah Yeah Don't take too much Okay we got to uh Mr Mr Chairman uh commissioners just a very quick uh recap uh on uh yesterday as the board uh knows and this we know that uh storm fatigue
is is a real thing and certainly uh we get more than our fair share Uh but as the board will recall yesterday Leyon County uh experienced one confirmed uh tornado and one likely to be confirmed tornado And I just want to just hit the very very high points of this
commissioners again just for the public and to sort of wrap up the communications that we have uh between staff and the board on this So the two uh one was an EF zero classification in southwest Leyon County in the Fort Braen area Uh the other likely tornadoes in
the northeast uh near Deer Lake Middle School Um there was initially no damage um reported in Fort Braden However uh our damage assessment teams are still doing some work and and we may have one
uh roof uh damage um uh report and uh however five structures were uh damaged uh near Deer Lake Middle School again and and a relatively minor uh damage Uh commissioners as you recall the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch
about 10:22 or 10:22 a.m with a swift uh escalation from what was initially forecast as a rain event So again these things can escalate very very quickly Uh the storm cell moved through the county uh and the National Weather Service
issued three tornado warnings at 11:30 11:51 and 12:15 Each warning triggered a wireless emergency alert uh that the county issued um and uh before noon uh minutes after rotation was first detected uh in the in the atmosphere Um
the tornado watch was lifted at about 2:25 p.m Commissioner So this was a quick moving cell Uh just a uh again just some some kudos Uh uh Leyon County Emergency Management coordinated with the American Red Cross who were quickly
able to uh reach all affected homes due to the storm's uh localized northeast uh impact County Public Works was able to quickly uh respond to the northeast clearing uh five neighborhood roads and assisting uh first responders Um three
county damage assessment teams were immediately deployed uh following the storms The emergency portal of course was activated and CMR uh continue to provide public updates Again no injuries have been reported Uh it's the best news and I wanted to take again a moment to
sincerely thank public works for their rapid response Also to all the men and women of Leyon County government who responded to the emergency from EMS uh to emergency management and teams uh in between And of course commissioners thank you for your continued uh support and to the chairman for your
accessibility uh uh and and and our district 2 commissioner commissioner uh Caban uh for your accessibility throughout um uh this event And with that commissioners that concludes my report Thank you Mr County Administrator Um all right commissioners we're on
discussion items Commissioner Proctor no I'm sorry Mr Chairman I understand that Um hold on I'm sorry one second Mr Mr Vice Chair on point Okay that's okay Yeah Mr Vice Chair he's going to talk about that Uh Mr County Minister I just want to say thank you for um the the rapid response in response to the
weather event yesterday I noticed that there was a specific highlight um in regards to our mobile homes and we we greatly appreciate that So thank you very much Thank you Mr Vice Chair Uh Commissioner Proctor we're in discussion time and you're up Mr Chairman I know you asked for citizens to be heard again
and I think that um there is a citizen here who wanted to who's in route Um Rachel just shared with me that he's in route and I know that it's unprecedented you know except that when I was chairman that we would be ending at 4:00
Um so I think he's just totally startled that we would would be through anyway Uh Mr Ballas is his name and uh whenever he comes in I ask um in the interest of we move so quickly um commissioners I want
to thank you for thank you Rachel for um for I want to state to our librarian that today is a national library workers uh is that right day n all across America we're recognizing uh librarians
and certainly here at Leyon County we know that we have among counties the very best of uh librarians So we say um congratulations to all our librarians the staff outstanding job and um what an
exciting uh role Thank you to our librarians I want to remind um our um board that on this very day April 8th in 2014 we recognize Jimbo Fiser I'm sorry Jimbo
Jackson Day And I want to um to acknowledge um his daughter Ally Uh she's in chamber All is in chamber uh but to state the outstanding work that continues uh through his own flesh and blood and
his um spirit lives on that dwells with us and the outstanding um um service rendered through the current district 2 commissioner and I believe that in every sense uh in every sense of the um of the
word uh commissioner Kaban has captured the servants's heart and the servant spirit and the energies that he's poured into district 2 So um shouts out to Ally um and to Commissioner Caban as this day
um in 2014 we um designated it as Jimbo Jackson Day I'd like also commissioners to um ask for um a resolution recognizing uh Mr Scott uh and Julie Carwell for the
40-year uh recognition of the moon's anniversary Second And all right got a motion to second I've never been to the moon Um personally um I'm not Have I been Couldn't remember
Did you say you're not proud of it i I just couldn't remember leaving I don't know I've been there but I never remember leaving I went for the first time the other night Commissioner Brocker can you remember leaving yeah I do Okay Per Mr Brother while you at it
you might as well go ahead and add uh proclamation celebrating the 50 years of top flight Oh absolutely I'll say goodbye Um and I like Okay one at a time Jim I like to offer and and many people don't remember leaving the top flight
but that um we recognize the top flight um business establishment uh on Oyola Street um which has been um um Mr Mac has done a fabulous job It's hard to keep people coming 50 years Mr Caban maybe few years from now you'll
know how hard it is to keep you know relevant But we ask also for a proclamation recognizing uh the gifts uh that have been offered to our community through uh the agency of the top flight uh club Can we do those one at a time
commissioner Proctor you want to do one for the moon yes sir We do the moon We offered the moon as a uh 40-year Okay we got a motion a second All those in favor signify by saying I I Pass unanimously Now we got one for top flight Okay Um as Commissioner Maddox is reminding me and I thank you that
allowed a district commissioner make this motion honoring top flight for 50 years of service and um I heard the commissioner say earlier that um he may not have been around um on opening night Um but um he's learned about it and some
things we learn about later later years but um outstanding service of Topflight not offered that as we got a motion in a second by Commissioner Maddox on point Um okay Yeah I had to go back and check cuz when I said 50 years it hit me I'm like what is it 50 years but that's a
short 50 years that top flight has been open That's pretty that's pretty huge So uh I support this with uh open arms And then 10 years later the moon comes about establishments that Mr Pro Commissioner Pro Reverend Pro say he has not
frequented I think he's fibbing Uh but we won't talk about that Congratulations to both of those establishments Thank We got a motion and a second Uh all those in favor signify by saying I I Pass it unanimously Commission Well maybe I'll meet my next wife at the top flight Who knows you know I'm looking for a lady
named Miss Happily Ever After See Miss Happily Ever After I want to meet her I thank you very much Um and we want to um the curse of the short meeting Um I wouldn't know that uh Brother Stan if the drinks were real or
not over there Really you say so I believe I want to um ask um for uh an agenda item on the U 32304 um update a summary of it as well as uh
the board uh working with us to do an assessment of where we are post um COVID In 2019 um commissioners we reviewed and we came up with um um we came up with this
document the zip code 32304 summary uh you all may have seen it have come to uh the four various summits that we've had and um our work was progressing well uh
Rachel's leadership efforts and others and others but um co came and things um dissolved a little but I'd like to see us get back out in front and particularly in the climate uh which uh
right now we're and when 10,000 workers from the United States Department of Health and Human Services are being laid off uh all things according to um findings uh with respect
to uh health disparities uh educational disparity income disparity uh housing infant deaths um u all of these
categories Um I think that we need not neglect and leave uh behind uh what has been identified u in commissioner Kaban in my district as um as Florida's poorest zip code And I asked the board
to um that we bring back an agenda item uh reciting some things but most of all to launch another uh set of hearings on 32304 uh where are we now um an update in an
inquiry in terms of where do we go from here i make that motion All right we got a motion Is there a second second Second Commissioner Kaban Vice Chair Kaban and we're in discussion Commissioner Kaban Vice Chair Thank you Mr Chair Um Commissioner Proctor Um I'm sorry Mr
County Administrator I I wasn't um obviously elected in 2019 Um what was this 32304 summary report do you mind just kind of explaining sure Sure I I think Commissioner Proctor did a great job uh kind of given the overview there
and I think he's right and that we this would be a good opportunity for us to to to backtrack and sort of summarize and and update uh where we are at this time As Commissioner Proctor could tell you it was a very organic it started out as a very organic movement advanced by by
Commissioner Proctor with um uh some but I think relatively limited support really again it was it was carried and and uh yeah he's saying none Um but but I think uh with with the item that is um being requested we could um again
provide an update and give the board uh options relative to u the support that you'd like to see the county uh become more involved in going forward and that sort of thing So happy to do it if um if that's direction of the board So the summary report is it just talking about
um you know what is it what is like what is the I guess can we circulate a copy of it um this is for I'm sharing with you summary findings that came out on areas of housing education employment infant mortality birth u income we
looked at that area once the state um chamber of commerce Florida's chamber of commerce did research and announced that 32 2304 was the poorest zip code And that was startling because you know
Tennessee Street divides um the two different worlds um between Florida State and 32304 And um it includes Springfield uh Do Street Dun Dean Dwey Delaware Day all
of those Um it's a tremendous breath a rich history and it goes all the way back over to the west side deep into your district And um the time just happens that uh
undergirling the social needs of that area There's a diminishment in federal uh housing uh dollars were frozen that and people rely on vouchers and stuff Um the department of US department of
education uh is possibly going to be disbanded The US Department of Education provides sub subsidies and and support for title one schools Um HHS is losing
10,000 employees We already got a health crisis over there So many of the the infrastructure federal infrastructure that services that area um it was a crisis in 2019 but um with recent
executive orders and government policies it portends even richer disaster uh in the future We need to look at it now I agree Commissioner Proctor This is very important uh to me I I currently reside in the heart of 32304 um uh zip code One thing I would like to
ask if you would amend your your your motion to specifically include in the summary report um a comparison of uh local government investment in the 32304 zip code compared to other zip codes in Lyon County
I would like to see how much we're spending currently in 32304 um with local government investment and compare it to other parts of the county Okay Uh Mr administrator is is is are you able to uh capture uh those contrasts
yes we are And Shington reminded me that there was some board action taken uh after the last um 32304 report was delivered We brought an agenda item forward got some additional direction and and were able to accomplish some other things All of
which we'll bring back to the board uh whatever else is is amended into into this uh motion Happy to do so Okay that's um absolutely um I'm comfortable Okay so uh accepts the amendment You still Okay Uh Commissioner Maddox
thank you Uh on point to the last uh amendment that was added that that includes city and county and state investment Mr Administrator Oh he said local government City and county City and county is what we would try to capture Yes I couldn't let this
moment pass without um let me see did I see the document for a second without u making it clear that this document that was created and those meetings that were that were had uh were an effort solely of district one and commissioner
proctor's office uh he took leadership on that when that report came out came to this commission and asked for support and um decided that he was going to do it on his own and so I didn't want to let this moment in the past without thanking you for your leadership during
that time And it wasn't just a meeting It was a series of meetings that produced a report And if you look at that report it's pretty well written There's a lot of detail to it So Commissioner Proer uh thank you for continuing to lead the torch on this and
and leading this way but thank you for starting it off Most people think that you know when we call these kind of town hall meetings or we have these series of meetings that it's all about you know political gain and being seen but what I can tell you is that in those meetings that Commissioner Proctor had work was
done and a product was produced that we could do something with And so I wanted to thank Commissioner Proctor for his leadership on it Thank you Mr Chair Yes sir All right Commissioner Proctor Um we've got a motion and a second on your request Uh any further discussion
seeing none all those in favor signify by saying I I Passes unanimously Thank you Commissioner Proctor Back to you Thank you Mr Chairman My final um request commissioners thanking you Um you probably are as concerned
uh as the directions um the movement uh the fears that are being expressed uh among family neighbors friends across our community and uh not just of the physical type which um uh the
administrator gave us a report um about to native um encounters that we've had and we're having serious encounters from a um um weather perspective but I want to ask
the board for your support of the county um actually uh doing a uh financial empowerment
um um series of workshops for our community um perhaps to be uh conducted through our library Um there may be um some something like that But it's very
concerning when $6 trillion of value uh dropped out of uh our nation's um recognized stock uh market uh this past Friday 3 4 days ago
And it suggests that financial literacy in times like these I remember um Brother Sims and I'm I'm old enough to remember Brother Sims when having a government job you were thought to be
secure You was a-okay Kind of like working for the post office You could just on and on But that's not true any longer And to the extent that uh the nation's uh imposition of tariffs upon
uh other governments that these tariffs and the ripple effect uh domestically uh I believe that we need to help people navigate and teach uh the fundamentals
of um of um financial considerations in the future So I wanted to ask the board um and I've looked at a couple of curricula that I would like to submit you know to our staff uh for
consideration that we launch into um helping people to streamline and to wrap their understandings around the economy economics that kind of stuff So I'm off that as a motion Thank you Commissioner Proctor Um I
think Shington might have some uh ideas for you on that Shington you're recognized You um Mr Chair good afternoon Um commissioners Yeah we actually have several type of financial empowerment series that we hold one through the through the library Right now they hold financial empowerment
series at the several different branches monthly in partnership with Envision Credit Union We also have the um through working with Tallahassee Lenders Consortium when we do our home ownership um or down payment assistance and credit uh programming that they hold Um and
then also recently when we um did our when we worked to get our the grants for city start we're working with capital C capital city um chamber to hold in I'm sorry financial empowerment series um in partnership with them with
the city start grant that we received um in addition to that commissioners um when you as you know that when we partnered recently with with the um legal services of North Florida to do um to specifically look at financial empowerment through the area of um um
dealing with um housing specifically with the um air properties air properties so to ensure that um that there's opportunities there there's and then there's financial counseling that is being held like I said before tal lenders consortium so there's a several
series of different ways that we're interesting find financial empowerment and working to prop it um to promote it in partnership with several of our partners here in our Excellent Um one of the things which we do commissioners um aside from every
four years uh we think that we offer a platform for what we hear coming from citizens is that we're um even more contemporary with respect to crisis things that occurring I would love to see uh an
amplification of um our efforts and I think that the fears that have been reached and since January 20th uh there's a whole new aura of uncertainty and I believe that since
January 20th uh the uncertainty about government um people are very afraid in my district commissioners I I just can only speak for my district right Now uh the social security um
um challenges and thoughts of social security being lost Um these are just fundamental fears that um I express to this board as a policym body And to the extent that we're able to give
information uh to amplify what is offered um as people are afraid they're not going to have a check um they're afraid that schools are not going to function They're afraid that healthc care uh
support uh Medicaid is not going to be there I'm talking about my district and that's why I'm talking and asking uh staff for the 32304 summit Hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry Cuz people are more afraid than
I've ever seen So I lift that up and um ask the uh the magnifying of those things in light of at least for my little district our little district Um we're very deeply concerned about the loss of so much Thank you very much
Commissioner Proctor Um the county administrator told me that they could probably take the curriculum you're suggesting and fold it into what they're already doing at the library Um if that's I don't necessarily think you need a motion for that I think you could probably just direct staff Um and I would also remind you guys uh you know
the state of Florida now requires financial literacy taught in high school as a requirement to graduate because it is a huge problem People don't understand with all the fluctuation fluctuation in the stock market this past week Um I've seen all kinds of statistics like only 15% of the
population has $1,000 saved of liquid cash So most people aren't even in the stock market uh to be impacted by the fluctuations So um just a I think it's a great suggestion Commissioner Proctor I think it's a really important issue Uh Commissioner Maddox Thank you Mr Chair Uh Commissioner
Proctor before you finish um as edition one commissioner I thought you might also want to know that it's the 10th anniversary of the Capitals uh Capital Cigar Club uh down south in your way Uh you might want to and we'll see if you
want to ask for a proclamation recognizing them as well Okay Um um Mr Chairman Yes sir At large commissioner my my brother has
recommended and suggested that the Capitol Cigar Club in my district ought be recognized So I ask the board support for recognition of the cigar club All right We got a proclamation request for the cigar club and a second from Commissioner Miner All those in favor signify by saying I I I Passes
unanimously Very good And then finally Mr chairman Um there's a scripture um that says something to the effect of uh um uh the race does not go to the swift or
to the strong but to they who persevere and endure until the end I want to give a shout out to the Florida Gator for persevering and enduring until the end of that game last night in that game
versus Texas Tech Um they personify that scripture persevere And um I'm not a Gator hater Um nor am I a Gator locator Mr Sims But I want to give a shout out to
the Florida Gator That was a tremendous uh uh effort on last evening Thank you very much Commissioners Uh um thank you Commissioner Proctor Uh commissioners the gentleman who Commissioner Proctor referred to earlier is here but I need to remind you Mr Ballas that we only
speak on non-aggenda items at this time So if you want to speak on item 18 you got to wait till the public hearing All right Thank you Commissioner Miner you are recognized for commissioner comment Thank you very much Mr Chairman I just have one item Um yeah as digital technology becomes
more integrated into uh into our lives um many folks are vulnerable to internet scams identity theft Uh our children and teenagers faced increasing risks from uh gaming platforms social media mobile apps Um and uh both children are and
adults are susceptible to uh unsafe digital practices such as you know putting their financial security personal information and emotional well-being at risk Um what I'd like to do is request an agenda item that would explore uh a partnership between Lyon County the Appalache Regional Planning
Council and other possible partners to seek grant funding for a new grant opportunity This is um something that's being offered by Florida Commerce's digital capacity grant program and the details of the program are going to be released um in the coming weeks I've been talking with folks from OEV about
it as well as uh briefly with people from Florida Commerce and others Um the reason the the the reason for for seeking grant funding through this program would be to establish a big bend digital literacy program that would um
consist of marketing to residents in Lyon County as well as the rural counties around us that would provide residents with um uh essential digital literacy and safety training with the goal of um enhancing digital literacy promoting online safety and also um
encouraging responsible use of of generative AI Um after speaking with OEV about this Florida Commerce uh this type of program we have a proposal here that's been drafted would be eligible for this grant program Um Florida
Commerce is in the process right now of of formulating the parameters of that program but it does seem like it's going to be something that would be suitable for this type of program So the reason why we want to have um ARPC the Appalache Regional Planning Council be part of that is because their
jurisdiction includes not just Leyon County but also some of the surrounding rural counties And by doing so it makes the grant application um much more appealing to the grtor So that's my motion Second All right Great motion Commissioner Miner seconded by Commissioner O'Keeffe Commissioner
O'Keefe you want to comment uh just um thank you for bringing that up uh everything you said I'm glad uh we can do that Thank you Thanks Awesome Any other discussion seeing none we've got a motion from Commissioner Miner and a
second from Commissioner O'Keefe All those in favor signify by saying I I I Passes unanimously Thank you Commissioner Miner Back to you Thank you Mr Chairman Thank you That's it That's it Mr Miner Uh Commissioner O'Keeffe You are up Mr Chair thank you very much Um I
have a question on the status of something for the county administrator the county attorney Mr chair as he directed it Um right in this in in downtown here in my district in the courthouse we have Washington Square which we have known we've gotten updates from the county attorney um about
pursuing since it's been active so long pursuing getting the roads put back to normal as a safety and an aesthetic concern And so I wanted to um get an update on where we stand on that um and how how we're moving forward to getting things back to normal Madam attorney
So um just to refresh the recollection of the board uh we did have a license agreement with the developer of Washington Square Uh basically they have defaulted under that licensing agreement
Uh and it has been terminated Uh they were responsible for fixing and repairing our right of way Um but obviously that's not going to happen at this point Um for all intents and purposes that developer
um as far as we know is without assets Uh so uh basically that's the legal status Um and um we could try to go after the developer and get some sort of a judgment Uh but chances of recovering
any money uh they're probably pretty judgment proof uh we're unlikely to to actually recover any funds Um but that's kind of the current legal status I would defer to Vince on um the work of administration Mr Administrator in the meantime uh and and Commissioner O'Keefe
let me underscore your your uh concern with that you've been as a district commissioner very adamant about that and and certainly and I also you know obviously we all recognize that there's that this has been a prolonged uh to put
it politely process um it's one that at least initially um construction had some fits and starts and that it went through a long uh code enforcement process and a and a due process there now uh and then some of the legal issues that that the
county attorney um mentioned and we're actively working with the the city of Tallahassee now um to cooperatively restore uh the streets and right ofways The way uh it works is we are as the county responsible from curb to curb on
the streets There are two county streets one city street total of three streets involved and the city is responsible from end of curb to uh to to the building's property line So everything that's in the right ofway sidewalks and that sort of thing So it really is going
to require a cooperative effort between the county and the city to restore this Um and we're again we're actively involved with the city on that Now uh and um we will uh in addition to even if again we've got to make the uh
investments and restore the property As the county attorney said we will be seeking um reimbursement or to charge uh uh the um former license holder of the uh of the property So uh with that that that's I I will uh happily provide the
board uh with more um specific time frames once we get um an agreement uh established with the city of Tallahassee Thank you Mr Administrator Uh Commissioner O'Keefe and then um Commissioner Kaban Um if you have I'll I'll let you make your comments and I'll
come back to it Okay Mr Vice Chair I had a comment on point in regards to what um the county attorney Mr County Administrator said Um has the developer declared bankruptcy not to our knowledge we didn't actually enter into the license agreement with the owner of that property It was with
an affiliated entity that is basically um defunct in Sunbiz and for all intents and purposes is not operating as a business currently but to our knowledge it is not um it has not filed for bankruptcy
So did the de how so I'm trying to understand the relationship that we had as a county with the developer or the lency here um did the developer are are they responsible for the the damage that was done to the rightways like and directly during the construction
yes all the damages related to the development project of Washington Square and under the license agreement had they not defaulted again they would have had an obligation to fix uh the county's property So what do we have um
commissioners i don't really like that a developer you know backed out of a project and left us high and dry to clean up the mess and with a damage right away um if a developer has not declared bankruptcy I mean what do we have in our um legal authority to go after the developer uh for costs
associated with it So we can uh go after them for costs We can uh seek and probably obtain a judgment Um the issue always becomes collection because if they have no assets to
collect there's no money to recoup under the judgment But they but there's no form of they they have not declared bankruptcy is what I'm hearing though They have not declared bankruptcy to our knowledge That's correct Um I don't my personal opinion commissioners is I don't think uh Leyon County taxpayers
should um have to bear the cost of a developer who you know led the CRA on over and over and over again and then damaged the right of way and then said "Hey I'm out You guys fix the ride ofway." Um you know I I would like to hear what the board's consensus is but I
we have a a very polished county attorney who I trust to do what she needs to do if she does want to go after um the developer but I don't think that's good business and I don't think that's fair to Leon County taxpayers So um thank you Mr Chair Uh Commissioner O'Keefe I've got Commissioner Proctor in
the queue for discussion Commissioner Proctor well I'm sorry Commissioner point there's no motion right so far yeah you were just asking questions I'm just talking So is there not discussion until I make some motion still in my comments yeah Yeah Yeah We're sort of technically
still in your comments but I mean there's discussion about your comments All right I if Good for the goose good for the gander on y'all's comments Yeah I mean it's it's fine I mean not sliding at you if you want to I mean do you want to not have discussion on your comments
i'd like to I'd like to um No let's go Let's go around Go ahead Commissioner Proctor do you have comments on this point if you want to make a motion I defer No I'll have a motion coming Uh okay So let's let let's let Commissioner
O'Keeffe have his time and if he wants to make a motion he can make a motion If not then it's really moot Yep I'm going to give you a trailer There'll be a motion but there's some questions um that help shape with that motion Okay Uh so okay So as we see it as I see it um
you know the uh regardless of um whether the builder can afford to do it um the matter is we have an obligation to provide safe transit and safe roads and safe access for our citizens And then we also have an
obligation to go after anyone who can pay for it That's fine But my main issue right now is not delaying fixing this This this has been basically frozen since 2019 I don't think a nail has been hammered since 2019 And the project started I
think in 2017 or 2018 Uh that is um uh that's a long time ago Um and so I just if there is a one going forward I I've been I think I've been
told now we have performance bonds when this happens and we enter these agreements that a third party insurer protects us from this type of situation and that we no longer just sign the agreement without a performance bond Is that correct we would definitely include a
requirement for a payment and performance bond were we to enter into another licensed agreement like this Yes Okay So that's going forward That's that's going forward Um on this one we have an obligation to fix it Um and what
I I move that we direct the county administrator to uh give us back an item an agenda item telling us what the current timeline is for fixing it uh what the city's uh agreement is at that
point on doing it with us uh or not and what the estimated cost would be for our portion so that we can give policy direction to what we want to see happen with this second All right we got a motion and a second Um now we're in
discussion Okay Commissioner Proctor do you still want to comment um sure I I think it's an appropriate item I think it's a gentle and a broad item and I think that it has room to accommodate uh Commissioner Caban's thoughts um
consistent with uh what we all want to know that that's the courthouse's eyesore Um and I remember some years ago the idea that uh Wall Street was it was just too big to fail and you had to give
them billion and billions of dollars uh because you couldn't let Wall Street fail and um billions of dollars were given to Wall Street so that they would not uh fail And
um it it seems that we've been very soft this company because our perception that they're very big and they're just too big that we force them to do right by the people of Leon County And sometimes the bigs just get a a a buy They they
get a pass and they're just too big to to hold them accountable And I'm not sure uh as I have spoken for the period that you've mentioned um you know cat a cat colony over there uh weeds were
growing It's horrible And then we have the Leyon County Code Enforcement Board Um tacking on penalties um um what's that word leans on people's property for failure to pay And we treat
it bitty people We we we dog them and chew them up spit them out you know But the bigs again they get an exemption waiver We don't treat them with the same uh ferocity of enforcement that they do
this this and this to comply And the site is purely junky Um you can't get worse But if it was a small person over in district one we would kick their tails Period And and not ap not without
apology And our county attorney would be on with all four feet lean and all So I see a distinction Um I'm pleased to see the motion Uh I would love to see par of action toward the
bigs like little itty bitty people to get ran around and trotted in front Uh Madame County Attorney I want to ask um since there's been no um no um bankruptcy file
uh in our filing for uh a and seeking a judgment would our having a judgment somehow put us in a good position uh if eventually there was a bankruptcy
but we're already holding a judgment and if there was some liquidation of their assets and so forth wouldn't that um kind of put us in a better position after a a bankruptcy occurred yeah madam
attorney Uh so so first from the code enforcement perspective please keep in mind this is in the city limits and actually code the city's code enforcement has gone after the Washington Square developer and there are I believe at this point hundreds of thousands of dollars in uh leans uh
fines and leans on that property just for the board's information Um but with respect to whether we would uh be able to obtain any money if we had a judgment and judgment there was a bankruptcy there are different classes of creditors
in a bankruptcy and we would have to evaluate where we would fall if we were to obtain a judgment Uh and then of course it then depends on how much money there is in the bankruptcy proceeding to go around So it would really depend on where we were kind of in the order and
how many of the creditors there were and which class we were in So it would depend but it's possible So but if we got a judgment that at least puts us in that conversation We're in that finite small group who are there
to u get a praa share of what is liquidated Is that accurate potentially yes Again though keep in mind it there's a real question whether this entity has any assets at all because again we entered into the
license agreement with an entity that's not the owner of that property So uh we would have to do some due diligence and we certainly could to determine whether that entity has any assets at all but we could still obtain
a judgment And again I just want to forewarn the board that it just may not be collectible We just may never be able to recoup that money Well there is a theory and Commissioner Cummings walk with me if I'm on shaky
ground Uh but since there's a the agreement that we have is with some subsidiary and they've fallen flat uh there there's this notion of piercing the the corporate veil that we can go
through uh that fallen company in particular if they're set up as a buffer and in particular if they're I won't use I don't want to use the word fraudulent but if they are an alter ego go of the
owner who is hiding behind this so-called subsidiary that has failed which we have an agreement we can pierce their corporate veil and go after the owner and I think that's the direction uh that if we need special counsel to go
after them we should consider uh those um uh those causes of action uh to pursue this Okay Um all right Mr Cummings I'm sorry you were in the queue Yes if I can Thank you Mr Chair If I can follow up with the
county administrator on that line do we have any indication that that might be the case where we could pierce the corporate veil and do we have any indication that there's an alter ego someplace and we're actually dealing with the same one and
the same but different names so uh the county attorney's office hasn't received any direction to date to explore uh seeking a judgment um trying to pierce the corporate veil If that's the board's direction of course we would
pursue that and we could evaluate that and come back and give more information to the board about potential options there if there's board direction to do that And just one more followup as far as the bankruptcy is concerned just
depending on what entity files bankruptcy or what chapter it is uh whether we've got a judgment or not if we're listed as a creditor that doesn't um I in other words the county having a
judgment doesn't necessarily put us in a better position to get paid if we're listed uh being required to list as a creditor anyway if we are a creditor because we could get a judgment and just be a blanket judgment can't collect on
it Okay Commission or m sorry I you you went to commissioner Cummings which I did call her name You did she was in the queue Commissioner Proctor and Commission Vice Chair's next So go ahead real quick Yes sir I was
going to say yeah go real quick I want just just close out Uh I really believe that Um I mean the building that we're in is the courthouse This is the building where suits are filed That's what this build is for And I dare
believe that there is not a judge that comes to the Leon County Courthouse Who I mean exhibit A here's a picture of the building Exhibit B judge you've seen it every day you come here Exhibit C judge has been going since
20168 It's not a judge that's going to dispute the evidence of this raggedy building How we've lost that sidewalk the diminishment of the property Um you don't even need a jury I think the judge pretty much has made his mind up cuz he sees the same thing We do everything we
pull out of this building So piercing that corporate veil uh I think is what we need to do seldom uh and I'm not an expert um on corporate uh law but often
times uh the the owner the true owner the real the biggie the money folk will put some phony subsidiary out there and operating as an independent and it ain't
okay now I know that telcor uh is an independent that represents a whole lot uh brand uh big names owners of blah blah blah But this right here is not uh them using an independent local agency
uh like tail core Uh this is probably a product of somebody's nephew cousin mother-in-law something like that I think is well worth us not um extinguishing our own rights uh for
the failure of asking and looking into it And we would be in my opinion um a little bit negligent to be sitting up in the courthouse with all these judges at a property across the street and who we
are where we are the courthouse uh we have all the tools and we need to examine the relation of that so-called failed company that has not see they still they're still they're not they're dormant but they ain't dead because they
have not filed bankruptcy they have not gone out of business they've not filed a sheet of paper across the street saying they're no longer corporation doing business in the state of Florida so for all we know they're just in a coma but we've got to look through that dormant
state and go to the real operative and owners of this and I would like to suggest to the make of a motion that we proceed in that direction of Pearson the corporate health All right Um Commissioner Kaban and then Commissioner Cummings could you be real quick or do you want to speak just real quick I was
just going to perhaps suggest with the motion that's on the floor for an agenda item to come back to perhaps those options that are being raised from a legal standpoint that those sir I was asking Commissioner O'Kee I think I can I can get to where we want to be Um I'd
like to amend the motion to additionally include all legal options to pursue all available remedies to collect everything due to us from the company or any related company or asset Okay And
seconder is cool with that I assume that would have been in the motion anyway Yeah Yeah All right So Commissioner Fan can you close us out so we can move on yeah Um uh Commissioner Cummings took the words right out of my mouth I was going to um say uh Commissioner Keith if you wanted to amend the motion I'd be happy to second it I also want to
compliment the thought process here I'm glad you pointed this out without you pointing it out wouldn't have realized it So um I we all drive by that corridor every day It looks terrible It's not safe and so I think it's time we get it remedied So thank you Awesome I agree I think it's a good motion Um all right Uh
all those in favor of Commissioner O'Keefe's motion seconded by Commissioner Caban uh signify by saying I I passes unanimously Uh we're back to you Commissioner O'Keefe Thank you Uh and I appreciate everybody's support Um like was said we don't let we wouldn't let someone come in and leave a bunch of
junk forever And um we're not going to do that for a developer Um the last thing I have is um I just want to thank the Capital Area Justice Ministry uh on March 31st they held a Nehemiah action event where a number of my colleagues
came and um also sent uh responses to their request to get commitments on housing Um and I just want to thank them and in particular thank uh two people who shared their personal story of facing uh struggles with homelessness One was um a 9-year-old boy named
DeAndre um and uh another was a teacher uh and a mother uh who could not find housing when she got here and who is a public school teacher And so I want to thank them for their openness to publicly share the experience so that we can make clear
that everyone can hear exactly what the real human cost is of lack of housing for people And then um I want to quote Jordan as she said "We don't need pity we need policy." And so I want to thank them for that And um I'm looking forward
to us supporting that kind of policy in our June Commission meeting And that's all for me today Thank you Thank you Commissioner O'Keefe Commissioner Cummings you're up Thank you Mr Chair Uh Commissioners I'd like to uh recognize one of the county employees
uh Miss Kiana Gilly She's here Um she's our Leyon County public information and communications manager but she was awarded a very prestigious award the last couple of weeks by the Tallahassee Women
magazine and she was awarded the Innovator Award So I want you to join me in giving her a round of applause Congratulations and very well very welld deserved And I also um want to thank the county
administrator and uh Matt Cabel uh yesterday during the storm I was involved in a conference with several hundred women from all over the state of Florida And then in the midst of that uh conference yesterday morning we received
the the hurricane warning Uh we all had to shelter in place and bathrooms and halls and what have you But in the middle of all of that uh thank my um chief of staff Chancellor Haynes for communicating and we got in touch with
the county administrator and with uh Mr Cavll And I tell you the ladies we were all females in that in that conference They were very excited and very elated and impressed that we could call directly to the county administrator and
get firsthand information on the tornado So I just want to thank you guys for for just being very very responsive Um and my last thing Mr um Mr chair Um I've just over the last couple of
months just received quite a few inquiries and calls from older people in our community and I think we are aware that there are people and families who for decades
uh when individuals pass in the families the properties are not probated properties are tied up There are many services that older individuals in the community need uh that they can't receive because they don't have clear
titles to the homes that they live in Many of the homes are um in need of roofs and plumbing and electrical uh wiring and what have you And I know the federal government they might not have it now
but they had a program where they would um allocate funds where they allocated funds for air property to be cleaned up and and I thought and I looked at at at my
notes last couple years I couldn't find anything but I thought we had addressed that Mr account administrator and I thought we had allocated some funds to legal services or some somewhere to help clean up that project and somebody Yes Shington can fill in the details Okay
Yes Commissioner That's exactly what you did last July Um we have cont we are contracting now with legal services of North Florida to do exactly what you'd mentioned where they're helping people clear up um their air property issues with clear titles So that way we can then be able to assist them with many of
the needs that they have with re rehabbing their homes but also get insurance that they need and also qualify for um FEMA assistance which is critical that they have that they have clear title um to receive those services But we are actively contracting and
working with um Legal Services of North Florida to do that Awesome I thought we had Do do we have an idea do we have the number of individuals or properties that they are dealing with or where they are
how many they have probated and have cleared titles to the property about 30 sir About 30 30 ongoing Do we know how many they have cleared no that's information we can get We can
get how many um we know they're working um specifically with those individuals So as you know Commissioner the um the biggest piece about the clear title a lot of the issues is um tracking down the family members that
are also on the title Those typically take a lot of time And that's one of the things that when we you know prior to the contract prior to contracting with Legal Services North Florida um last year we were actually holding several air property events with them to
specifically explain to folks the process and and the work that is required to to actually getting those um individuals and locating them so that way um um title can be cleared That is a process in itself but it's information that we can get also by those um
individuals that they're working with right now to um get those um titles cleared Right Do we do we anticipate Shington um a report back to the board on the status of where we are or is that something where we need to ask or is it too early you think i mean I' I've
cleared titles I know depending on where the the family members are it takes a while Some are dead you know that that's um that probably part be part of the um we're utilizing SHIP dollars in um to invest into this program that we work with um legal services and that's
something we can include as part of that annual um report that we provide to the um the board during the summer time So you anticipate a report during this summer it will be included so we don't have to ask for an agenda Yeah it will be included part of it Awesome Well thank you so much I appreciate you on
the spot Thank you Mr U Mr Chair That's all I have Thank you Commissioner Cummings And I want to share that whenever I want to impress somebody I too act like I'm taking a call from the county administrator Oh they don't another county No no no no no People go
"Hey I'm sorry this has been so long." Um Commissioner Maddox Mr Chair thank you Great meeting so far today Um want to request a proclamation for Bishop Elect Griffin His installation is taking place on April 12th All right have a
motion in a second Uh any discussion seeing none All those in favor signify by saying I I I passes unanimously Secondly uh February the 7th 1979 uh near do Campbell Stadium um state legislator
Representative Gwen Cherry passed Um she was the first black woman attorney in Miami Day County Also first black women to be uh to be elected to the Florida legislature and also a Florida&M University grad Um I'm hoping that we
could I would make a motion that we place a mal marker at the place of her accident If I could make that motion Mr Chair Second All right we have a motion in a second Uh no discussion All Oh I'm
sorry I'm sorry Commissioner Proctor Um the late Gwen Cherry uh was my mentor and um uh I cut uh her yard and maintained her yard in Silver
Ridge Um I got a little older and um I drove a car and I took her to the airport and picked her up and all of those things She spent um time mentoring
me when I was in seventh eighth grade And uh I love Mrs Cherry Mrs Gwen Cherry And um I was a student when that fateful accident occurred at Howard
University And for some reason going to the capital has never really been the same Uh since um from her office I um evolved and worked full-time for the Senate Secretary Mr Joe Brown senior year in
high school But Mrs Cherry um no doubt um um her presence her her style you you couldn't duplicate it And might I say that um she continues to
hold the highest grade point average of a student who's ever attended um FAMU law school Uh she's the number one all-time uh highest score of a student who's attended FAMU And my
daughter will graduate um um in May from family law school but I never seen her grades or know if she was contending for second place I'm not sure but she's going to cross the stage So thank God So I had to say that for Mrs Cherry because
she's more than a legislator She's um she's um a whole lot more So thank you for bringing that uh forward Thank you Commissioner Mr Chair if I might Yes sir Um actually the recommendation came
from a very special lady to me um Representative Ashley Gant who was serving in uh District 106 which was Representative Cher's seat And so Mr Chair with your permission what I'd like to do since you have that personal relationship with Commissioner Proctor
going all the way back to cutting her yard and driving her car I don't think I got paid either I don't remember getting paid What I what I'd like to do Mr Chair is yield to Commissioner Proctor allow M commissioner Proctor to make that motion and I'll be the second on that motion and and um go about it that way if we can Got a motion from Commissioner
Proctor and a second from Commissioner Maddox And and one other footnote strange uh uh Representative Cherry lived next door to Representative Joe Lane Kershaw Um I believe she was
district 106 and he was 105 or 106 107 But the um district line was right there where their yards but they live next door and represented two different districts Uh me and Caban are working on that right about now
to to try to duplicate that feat Now I don't know how you what kind of influence they had but they were the first two um African-Americans and Mrs Cherry was uh succeeded by um representative um Meek
Carrie Meek um who succeeded her um after her untimely demise So u great legacy coming out of that district Um super Thank you Commissioner I'm what I'm envisioning uh in this m market
would be something uh with some um her name of course and some factual things about her and her accomplishments while she was uh during her lifetime Mr Chair thank you All right we've got a motion and a second All those in favor signify by saying I I Passes unanimously
All right Uh last but not least Mr chair Uh I have to say congratulations to the Florida Gator basketball team as a speech person in my life as a Gator This is a very hard moment for me but I'm going to put it on record to say uh
congratulations to those Florida Gators for a heck of a game last night And if you watched it you got to see some good basketball all the way down to the end Thank you Mr Chair Thank you Commissioner Maddox Um Mr Chairman um I I forgot something and I know the vice chair is up there on the upper tier and
before you go up I I left one thing and I wanted to say quickly if you allow me Yes sir Go ahead Um I asked uh Mr Administrator for a report on the um shooting uh of u our clerk of court and uh on the Monroe Street side of her
office Uh I can see that that glass has shattered and is really looking um really bad It needs to be replaced But um I wanted to amplify uh into something very very very serious of anybody
shooting at any office in this building and I was hopeful for an update and I didn't secure it uh from my notes Mr Administrator Sure Um Mr Chairman Commissioner Yeah we we were uh we responded the the same day that we
received that information from a facilities standpoint obviously and and we we alerted your office to the fact that we responded to the facilities needs and and we've we've been able to address all of those and some and and and some more Um but the security issues
are in the purview of the sheriff The sheriff too has communicated that he's on it and they're doing a thorough investigation to try to determine um what has happened It's not that has not been confirmed that this shooting but it it is being investigated Um and so
that's that process is underway too I believe we've not yet heard back from the sheriff but NFall you might have additional information Yes commissioners um Vince uh Mr Long Um in fact just this morning um our staff reached out to the u uh folks that are u investigating this
from the um sheriff's office and they've told us they're coordinating with the TPD also Apparently there is another incident that happened in the general area and they may have some leads They didn't want to tell us any more details than this It's under investigation but that's the latest from this morning and
we'll and we'll we'll let you know as soon as we get that back from law enforcement Thank you very much Thank you Thank you All right Mr Mr Vice Chair you're up Thank you Mr Chair Um first off I want to say great meeting everybody Um I I want to start my my commissioner comments by giving a
sincere thank you to all of Leyon County staff and the county administrator We had a a wonderful town hall about a week and a half ago down in Woodville I want to thank the board also for their support um and allowing um to have board direction for that We had a we had a
packed uh Woodville Community Center Commissioner Proctor I know uh I know you thought it was very beneficial as well And um you uh did you say you did you want to say something you said Mr Sure I I I appreciate Commissioner Kaban U he's so much more popular down in
Woodville than I Um I felt um a little out of place Uh but anytime he's around it it it it places a little more shine on me So thank you for letting me sit by you Uh Commissioner Caban to sit between
you and Mr long Uh I you know it made me look more dignified or something And I want to thank staff uh outstanding um brother Brent um outstanding report um
calling the role of uh all the staff who did a wonderful job and um um the worst part about the night commissioners and you all who've been not voting with me on support of this um people came down there and were really upset about um the
US forest and Um and I got um talked bad too um about interest in the US forest becoming affordable housing So it was a bad night for me but it was a great night overall Thank you Commissioner Command Um no but again thank you to
staff And one thing that I thought was uh a great feedback that I saw just in the dialogue and and amongst our staff and constituents and in the dialogue back and forth was anytime that um a Woodville neighbor constituent brought
an idea up or or a complaint or an issue um our staff was already had a a solution in progress Whether it was the legal dumping we could point to the app Um there was a lot of um a lot of feedback on infrastructure improvements on Oakidge Road and we already working
on that I think there's an item coming back and so it was very very um it was very it felt good seeing that we're being proactive and addressing the needs and in our Woodville community Um with that being said Mr County County Administrator I I know we talked about
this lightly after the meeting but the Woodville fish farm You know this is a uh commissioners there is a a fish farm that sits right outside Jay Lewis Hall Park in Woodville
It's a big brick building Uh looks abandoned Um from my understanding this has been permitted by the state and um it's a ginormous eyesore Our office is getting dozens and dozens of complaints about this particular um project and u
Mr County Minister I know we had a conversation about this Um I see Nefal in Q ready to speak Mr Chair could we Sure Yeah I know exactly what you're talking about Okay great So where is this is this what info do we have on this fish farm i promise commissioners I
didn't have Chris crystal ball I got with the deputies this morning on commissioner proctors and I got with the Florida Department of Agricultural this morning too uh with the appropriate folks that are handling this fish farm I conveyed our concerns about the status
uh or lack thereof any improvements on site Uh they're sending their inspectors to verify what's going on uh they had back at the end of last year an inspection that extended their uh agricultural exemption and I've
requested them point blank we need to have an update from your inspectors and tell us what is the status and what it is based on if they're still egg exempt why are you arriving to that conclusion and if they're not that way the county can become involved and we're able to uh
implement our code compliance uh process okay thank you so much um commissioner What I would like to do um and I don't want any serious direction right now because I don't think we have enough information but I would like to make a motion to have a status report come in one of our next two meetings and to gather all information in regards to
this fish farm that's um in located in Woodville Okay I second Good motion Uh we have a motion and a second Uh any discussion um seeing none all those in favor signify by saying I I Passes unanimously Thank you Um I I'll close it
out and just say this Uh you know I was I was speaking to some folks the other day and we were talking about you know government and and politics in general And they gave our board a really um I thought great compliment that I wanted to share with you all And they were just talking about how in politics right now
whether it's this uh the national level or state level um or even most local governments they were saying now everybody's fighting And they said that you know no one is getting along currently in local politics or national politics and politics in general And then it said "But Leon County." And so I
thought that was a great compliment to all of us in this board and I'm proud to serve with all of you and like to see that we're moving our agendas forward and we're getting stuff done for our neighbors So you didn't tell him that was a facade I I told him I told everyone I told him everyone but Commissioner Pro There you go Thank you
Mr Thank you Mr Vice Chair Um commissioners I would like to ask someone make a motion to uh do a proclamation for Rick Carney So move um at uh absolutely at the uh at the shelter there Um uh so we've got a
motion and a second Uh this is just to recognize Mr Carney's years of philanthropy and dedication to helping our community and you know we're I don't know if we really probably don't give him enough kudos for what he does Um so yeah we have a motion in a second All those in favor signify by saying I I
Passes unanimously Thank you for that commissioners Uh secondarily just wanted to thank uh the county administrator and our public works staff for their response yesterday on the tornado deal I was in class with kids hunkered down and and got a call from the uh county
administrator and and um you know thought that was unusual So I took the call and he's like "Hey man tornado like near you." So appreciate that Uh response was very quick to clear roads and out in Kar Lakes and then that Deer Lake area So the National Weather Service has while we've been meeting uh
confirmed uh NEF1 tornado Okay Okay Well I I hate to hear that but um you know and these things keep happening more and more which you know it's a terrible thing when it happens but man we have a great response mechanism set up here in Leyon County and and uh uh Mr Peters and
your staff I mean you guys just do a great job And I don't know ought to be running some you know teaching lessons about disaster response around this country in Lyon County because between hurricanes and tornadoes and floods now we pretty much getting it all Snow storms I mean goodness gracious Um so thank you to those uh folks involved in
that And then also I always want to say thank you to our public works staff and whoever's involved Matt Cavell and his folks for putting together the float for our springtime parades and our uh and our uh holiday parades They do such a good job really unsung job because we
all just show up and get on it and ride around and wave at people but I know there's a lot of work that goes into that and decorating the the trailer and getting everything ready and there's always cookies or something for all the kids Facilities facilities management Thank you Mr County Administrator Uh just love those guys and think that's a cool thing that they do for us and and
and always enjoy those parades So um that's all I've got Commissioners we will reconvene at 6:00 for our um for what I anticipate will be a very healthy discussion in our public hearings So we are in recess until 6:00 Thank you Part: 2
[Applause] [Music] heat heat [Music] [Music]
uh thank you all for sticking around for our public hearing which will commence now at 6:00 um commissioners thank you uh Mr county Administrator what's our first item on our public hearing thank you Mr chairman okay thank you Mr chairman commissioners
item number 16 is the first and only public hearing to consider adopting a resolution that includes an inventory list of properties appropriate for affordable housing as required by Florida statutes this item requests that the board conduct the first and only public hearing to adopt the resolution to add six parcels to the affordable
housing inventory list of properties which the county or uh any dependent special district within its boundaries uh has deemed appropriate for the use of affordable housing again this is pursuant to Florida statutes this item comes to you uh at this time each year
we're recommending option one and we have no speakers on this item mr chair option one commissioner Miner has moved option one seconded by Commissioner Maddox do we have any discussion all right Commissioner O'Keefe i know this one's close to your heart you good
yep awesome um All right Commissioner seeing no discussion all those in favor signify by saying I i i passes unanimously uh next item Mr county Administrator thank you Mr chairman commissioners this item item number 17 requests the board to conduct
the second and final public hearing for the FY24 small city CDBG opportunity the item also the item also seeks board authorization to submit a CDBG application in the amount of 7.1 million for improvements to the Fort Braden
Community Center we're recommending options one and two i recommendation i second we've got a mo a motion by Commissioner Maddox and a second from Commissioner Cummings any discussion seeing none all those in favor signify by saying I i i passes unanimously thank
you Commissioners mr county Administrator our last item on public hearing thank you Mr chairman i'm going to hand this off to the county attorney thank you agenda item number number uh 18 is the first and only public hearing to consider an ordinance regarding the
safe use of public rights of way as directed by the board at its meetings on February 11th and March 18th of this year this item presents options for addressing public safety and pedestrian activities within the public rights of way uh there are two uh potential
proposed ordinances attached to the agenda item uh one that prohibits the occupation of medians smaller than six feet wide uh the other ordinance as directed by the board uh mirrors uh the city of Tallahassee ordinance number 18-0-17 in all material respects happy
to answer any questions the board may have uh board recommendation uh or staff recommendation is option number three board direction thank you thank you Madam Attorney uh Mr mr do we I think we have a few speakers yeah we do mr chairman the first speaker
Charlene Stucky to be followed by Alan Ballas miss Stucky come right to the podium and please state your name and address for the record please hi my name is Charlene Stucky i live at
8508 South Court in Tallahassee uh I want to say I appreciate this opportunity to share my ideas or my perceptions on this i had understood this was more about giving aid to
homeless people is can anyone confirm that's what this is about um yeah i it's it's about public safety the item is because if it's about the homeless
people panhandling I don't see any I don't see any reason for it to be a county issue because once you get past Capitol Circle there's nobody panhandling
my concern is that when I go into Tallahassee I had no idea they had an ordinance like this that you can be arrested for handing a person a bottle of water from your car i actually
thought it was worse than that i thought it was helping homeless people anywhere anytime but I understand now i've been told that it's pertains to helping pe people
panhandling at intersections but so I had no idea I could be arrested for doing that i don't do it because I don't carry money to hand to them but you know I do I do help homeless
people not from my car but you know if someone's hungry and I can help them take them to a subway or you know if I'm near a Subway or something like that I'll take them in and buy them a sandwich but I just don't see how this
pertains to the the county because no one's panhandling outside the city that's that's all I really had to say thank you thank you Miss Tucky next speaker the next speaker is Alan Ballast to be followed by our final speaker
Kenneth White mr balis oh sorry is Stanley in there Mr administrator he must be i see him moving around out there but yes we'll call on Mr bast uh state your name and uh address for the record please you got three minutes yes my name is Alan Ballas
my Tallahassee address is 428 Road Tallahassee Florida first of all I want to thank you so much for bringing this issue up and truly I want to thank Commissioner Proctor and his aid Relle they have been just wonderful in working with the people of the south side of the
county and the and the issues that are going on there back to your initial thing safety this is number one somebody's going to get you know they go walking through the roads to pick up the money you know not the roads the cars
and another person's going to end up stopping and somebody's going to end up rear ending them somebody's going to get hurt this has just got to be the the tip of the iceberg i use the line from Beverly Hills COP we need a multi-jurisdictional task force in other
words we need the city working with the county with the sheriff with the homeless and everything to help um I I my personal request is that you do it to match the city of Tallahassee which has actually had some citations
but mostly they give warnings you know we don't want to be putting people in jail we don't want to arrest anybody but we want to get the the um the um the the word out you know there's basically to me the pandering for three different
groups of people first of all there's a lot of I understand it pays about $200 a day there's people that can work that have a house that claim to be a vet that claim to be homeless that claim and they're taking the money it's black market money and they're getting it
tax-free the other ones are are the people that have a drug addiction and they need help and what we're doing is we're giving them more money to support their addiction i want to help help as much as we can and by giving this money that goes into the black market is just
wrong and then thirdly is the mentally ill too they need help and we need to help them so it's not just a a small thing we've got to try something different doing the same thing and expecting different results you know what that is the definition
um you know I just you know and I'm I'm volunteering my time to help too and just a little about me i'm from Lyon County i graduated in Leyon High i was the postmaster of Woodville i own three properties off
Oakidge Road and I've got eight that are in um in Commissioner Proctor's U i'm not sorry six everything I rent is between 700 and 1,400 and I'm putting in another one that's going to be right at about
$1,000 i want to help the the the citizens of Tallahassee the good people and I appreciate the time that y'all have done i'm asking that you you vote for this and to give it a chance try something new and work with this work
with everybody to get this done i don't want people to be given tickets and arrested but given warnings and a first chance thank you thank you Mr ballas next speaker Kenneth White to be followed by Stanley Sims mr white name and address for the record
please you have three minutes my name is Kenneth White i live at 427 Crossway Road Tallahassee i just wanted to say that since I bought the house there uh the homeless issue has become a pretty big deal uh it's kind of a problem
um the panhandling that goes on is definitely adding to it um we're removing some of the homeless from different locations only to for them to relocate somewhere else
um it's created kind of uh uh a stigma for that area I guess too um really Once they know that they can get away with panhandling in one area they kind
of stay there um my property is pretty much right across the street from Allen's and um they use that as a as a thoroughare there to get to outside on the street on Capitol Circle to Panhandle
um it's the homeless there it's not going away until you take away some of their way to make money like that um they're going to stay as long as they can continue to panhandle that's their only source of
income i know but uh if we don't get them off the street there it's just adding to it it's not going to go away the the homeless thanks thank you Mr white and our final speaker Mr sims
stanley Sims 1320 Aenddale Way your community gator locator and why am I here today is because it's it's it's is it's two main reasons Mr maddox that I want you all to
examine number one look at the targeted population that you're getting ready to regulate against i love my brothers but everybody out there is not intentionally
sinning my second thing is I'm not happy with the ordinance that was written by the city but I think that it's going to be problematic if we have two different ordinances
what I think and that's a big deal cuz I think I'm very important i think the implementation and how we enforce it will determine whether or not we be
successful i do give you credit i don't know about $200 a day or hell I'll be out there with a sign but that's not the whole demographics you go on Pensacola Street I would say 45% of the
panhandles are in need of mental health services so do we arrest people because the government failed to provide the necessary services then I want to talk about
see when Kendra Lamar said they not like us because they don't live among us just cuz I walk through your property don't make you know me you want to know how I live take some of them shoes off and put on some of the
shoes and clothing and the lifestyle that a pan handler has i ain't here to push them down to derogatory them but I do admit that this needs to be dealt with
compassion not a carrot i mean not a stick but a carrot the only reason I'm not panhandling in the day is because of God's grace amen that's the only reason and so when you look at that
you know A lot of this is not their fault and I I I I just wanted to come up and say that and Mr caban you are right you share a dis with some great
community leaders we only just not have a worldwide county administrative but I appreciate the fact that you guys don't always get along but you don't never get disrespectful thank you for your time
thank you Mr sims any more speakers mr administrator that's all our speakers commissioners uh we are in discussion uh Commissioner Proctor is first in the queue followed by Commissioner Maddox commissioner Proctor commissioners I've heard the U
speakers appreciate their time uh we've listened to um other input we ourselves have had our own experiences and um we note uh the
pedigree of ordinance uh addressing this um has already been specifically um adopted by the city and this is why um um all of those considerations and with all of the
deliberation with which we've given as well as considering the historic uh conversations and deliberations of the city of Tallahassee uh I offer as a motion uh option two all right commissioners we have a motion for staff
or I'm sorry board direction option two is there a second second seconded by Commissioner Kaban we are in discussion on option two i believe option two is the city's ordinance okay um Commissioner Maddox you're recognized thank you Mr chair um
we've gone back and forth about this had a lot of conversation um I don't believe option two is the answer um I actually am partial to option one um and so I'll make a substitute motion Mr chair for option
one which is the that's the uh F dot guidelines 6' wide medians smaller than 6' wide medians um I'll make substitute motion there and I'll Okay we've got a substitute we got a substitute motion seconded by Commissioner Cummings
commissioner Maddox we're back to you i would uh Commissioner Cummings if you don't mind I would like to um amend the ordinance to reflect the $250 fine and or 30 days in jail instead of
$560 u Madam Attorney is there any is that is that something that we can do uh that's within the discretion of the board to uh to to lower the potential penalty um please understand though to
the extent there is any potential jail time it will still be considered a crime okay and subject to prosecution as a misdemeanor is there any way I could just have it be a civil offense fines only would mean that it's civil only and it would not be criminal in nature and
it would not be prosecuted as a misdemeanor uh madame immediate past chair I'm not sure I want this to be criminal and so if I could I would like to amend just to say a $250 fine and take out the 30 days
in jail if you accept that uh the reason I I like um uh option number one is because uh it's it's stood tried and true it's been there for a while it's been challenged uh it's been seen to be
by the courts to be um legal or or whatever the the word I need to use for it is basically it was it was challenged and it stood in court and so I feel safe with that knowing that we have something that when it if it is challenged that we'll be able to keep it on our books
i'm not in favor of trying to make this into a criminal offense um civil's fine and even with the civil offense if you think about it uh $250 million I believe is something that I think we can all deal with a lot of people and and the
young lady who came up earlier mentioned this being about homeless me personally um I have seen groups fund raise uh whether it be uh Maddx Youth Dance Company or other groups and I have even seen instances where it's gotten real
dangerous where you've had people in those medians that were trying to walk down up and down the street and get money and people were nearly hit because of it and so for me it's it's it's not when you talk about health safety and welfare which is what we're supposed to be doing up here that's exactly what
this is about is health s health safety and welfare and so if it's if I believe the ordinance says six feet or more sidewalk or median then we're fine right and a median is described as something that's in between roadways correct uh
madam attorney so that keep keeps people out of our roadways uh and if they're on the sidewalk so be it um but I believe this puts us in a place where at least again we're doing what I'm concerned with which is which is protecting the health safety of welfare of anyone that
may be in our roles fundraising or otherwise thank you Mr chair thank you Commissioner Maddox Commissioner Cummings followed by Commissioner Proctor Miner and O'Kee uh thank you um Mr chair i I certainly uh well I second the um uh substitute motion and and I
support it i support um the draft ordinance that was done by our county our county attorney as opposed to the ordinance uh that the city has already implemented uh primarily because the draft ordinance only
involves the median am I correct madam uh county attorney and when I read the city ordinance it involves sidewalks and bike lanes and what have you the what was drafted in attachment one the way I
read it it only involves uh medians less than six feet am I correct that's correct okay okay great great uh and we are also not talking about any particular group I think all of us have experienced
uh fundraisers of different individuals even um our high school students elementary students with buckets uh soliciting funds and and it just it's just heart-wrenching and
cringing to see them running out in the streets cars moving even with your own car moving close to them as well so to me the overarching theme is health safety welfare not only of the
pedestrians but of those who are driving the vehicles uh as well i believe uh adopting the amen the amendment makes it um least restrictive because we're only
we only talking about that that median we're not making any discretion as far as individuals we're not targeting any groups or individuals and I believe it will it will just pass scrutiny if if we
have to because I believe that we do have a significant governmental interest in the health safety and welfare of our citizens and of those that are soliciting funds for whatever reason as well so I certainly support the the
substitute motion rather thank you Commissioner Cummings commissioner Proctor thank you Mr chairman uh this is somewhat of a rhetorical question um madame county attorney uh how many roads
uh in our community uh in the county would actually have a 6 ft or wider median can you identify those uh I would have no idea public works might have that information though okay
if I might ask the same question how many uh rows would this apply to uh good evening commissioners sure go ahead uh public works analyzed 16 highfrequency intersections only three of these intersections are in the unincorporated area only two of those intersections
have medians less than 6t wide that would be Mayanmand drive lagnappy lagnappi has got less than a 6t median and then on Woodville Highway Woodville Highway is less than 6t so this ordinance proposes to allow for
solicitation um not that word but people to wander and do what they do uh this ordinance would prohibit them to be in medians less than 6' wide which would be roads such as Lagnappy in front of Walmart the Bassro area and then on
Woodville Highway only the medians on Capitol Circle are actually 13 ft wide so this does allow people not five not 511 but 6 feet the median such as lagn is a 3ft wide
median so they would not be allowed on that median it would not be allowed would not be allowed on that median correct okay how many roads would be allowed under this construction of the ordinance all the other intersections are in the city limits so the city um city
ordinance would apply to those intersections okay this applies madam attorney in the county right okay this ordinance would apply in the unincorporated area because the city already has an ordinance in effect
within the city limits right are there any ordinance with which the county might make which preempts the city's ordinances under the Lyon County Charter to the extent there is a conflict between a a
city ordinance and a county ordinance the city ordinance governs within the city limits is this considered a conflict or a companion or comp compatible ordinance you're talking
about option number one that okay the city's ordinance is actually more stringent than what is contemplated in option one so within the city limits the city's ordinance would would govern okay
so I'm trying to find out from what Commissioner Maddox has um made motion that we would put into play is the number of areas for which uh persons could stand uh in the roadway
and are there any and if so how can we identify what which would we know i mean because in in a way when officers say well no they standing in oh yeah we got a checklist we know it's okay it's permissible
uh which which ones are permissible which what's a 6T median you mean six when you say because when I read it are we talking about a medium that's going horizontal or we talking about a medium that goes from
um vertical uh the same direction lineer with the lanes of traffic is that the median that it's a 6ft um thingy in the divide or is it 6 ft um uh not in length
but in width being wide what is the same so when you have a median that breaks up two parallel lanes of traffic six feet in width anything less than six feet in width people would be
prohibited from standing on do we have any existing medians that are 6 feet and greater brent do we have any medians that are 6 feet and greater and if so which are they in the unincorporated
area we could have three areas okay and what are those three okay so Woodville Highway and Capital Circle the medians on Capitol Circle are greater than 6 ft the median on Woodville Highway are not now you took your um tape measure out or I need to take mine out no staff did
measure these physical measure so Woodville Highway so Woodville Highway you could not but on Capital Circle at the intersection you could okay what's the second mayanmand Drive and Lagnappy Way lagnappy Way you cannot but on Mayan Drive you could
mayhm and what lag nappy in front of uh the Walmart Bass Pro intersection in front of Costco yeah Costco okay Costco i could be spelling that or saying that wrong and what is that final one and then your last one is on Highway 27 Monroe Street at Sessions Road sessions
Road has no medians but Monroe Street does i believe they're about 13 feet wide so 27 is east or north havana or head it' be north of I 10 so between I 10 and Havana it's near the Walmart intersection okay okay um I for me
commissioners um thank you um I'm I'm satisfied um that we have but three um sponsor that are exempt under this particular ordinance so we pretty much accomplish
uh my desire for sanity uh with respect to intersection and uh roadway safety and um 27 north um and um
um so we're still going to have a problem um Commissioner Miner because when and you come and get off of um I 10 uh heading
uh west you take that exit and come up to Monroe Street 27 there's always hell to pay and is always somebody there to um who want to lighten your load and um
take a little load off your wallet um is that uh that's protected madame attorney at the uh interstate exchange of um
27 and um I 10 when you come off of I 10 and come up the ramp and you're trying to make a left to go back uh toward u uh uh Cracker Barrel yeah downtown uh you that's still permissible right there on
that corner mr chairman yes ma'am so so if that's in the unincorporated area and not covered by the city ordinance and the city limits if that median is greater than 6 ft in width then option number one would
would not prohibit people from from being in that median right is that in the city is that area in the city it is in the city it is okay good good good well commissioners um I think that this uh policy um accomplishes what I believe
we wanted to do and um neither I um nor um others desire to make uh anything criminal it's not a desire i want to make things safer thank
you very much i will support um this motion thank you Commissioner Proctor commissioner Miner you're next in the queue thank you Mr chair i uh I also wanted to express my support for the substitute motion as well as the amendment that uh Commissioner Maddox and Commissioner Cummings have agreed to i think that
makes sense uh in terms of removing the um the potential jail time the reason why I'm going to support this is is mainly because of the FDOT uh design manual and that uh that aspect of um anything less than 6 ft width is is not
deemed as a safe pedestrian refuge so um I think that makes that the right decision here and so I'm going to support the substitute motion thank you Mr chairman thank you Commissioner Miner commissioner O'Keefe thank you Mr chair uh Mr chair um can uh you either the county attorney
or county administrator confirm under this option am I understanding correctly that there is still a penalty for a physical exchange between a pedestrian and a driver no matter the size of the median madam Attorney
which which ordinance are you referring to ordinance one ordinance number one uh that doesn't address any specific activity it just regulates someone's presence in the median of less than six
feet in width period okay and then um as as the current motion sits we're we're we would be considering fines uh which would not be um uh open that up to jail time does that
change this so that none of these infractions would make their way through the court system through the state attorney or the detention center uh it's my understanding that if uh there is no potential for jail time and
I have confirmed this with our criminal justice partners that it would not go through uh the state attorney's office of prosecution uh instead there a citation would be issued uh and the fine would need to be paid but it would not
uh be prosecuted uh like a misdemeanor by the state attorney's office that is correct gotcha and so I'm assuming many folks won't be able to pay these fines uh that do you know if unpaid fines from a civil ordinance like this affect
people's credit history or ultimately can get them back into court if they go unpaid i do not know the specifics of that uh I do know that there is no such thing as a debtor's prison anymore uh but in terms
of the specifics of what happens when people don't pay fines I sorry I don't have that information okay all right um so currently we're sitting on ordinance number
uh number one option number one and um while it is softer than option two that matches the city um and I appreciate the sort of softening of the penalties I still oppose this um because I think it
still poses a risk um that uh it could put someone in a situation where they're interacting with law enforcement that may lead to other issues and I think that it also won't be effective um and I think honestly we're calling this safe
use right of way but let's be honest what we're really talking about we're talking about visible poverty we're talking about people standing at intersections and medians holding signs asking for help and it never says the word panhandling but that's who it targets and the impact is going to fall hardest on people already struggling the
most um and so that's why when this came on the agenda I reached out to uh the public defender the state attorney and the sheriff's office uh to get a bigger picture um and notwithstanding the current modification uh the public funer did continue to oppose these ordinances
um under the risk that they could criminalize or penalize homelessness lead to more arrest or add to court burdens with cases that don't make anyone safer um the state attorney did say that uh option two could face a constitutional challenge but of course
he'll enforce whatever we put into force he did say that it would be best for them if the city and the county were consistent um but uh I don't think consistency is a reason for flawed policy
um we've also heard from our county attorney that laws like this um especially when they limit how people can express themselves in public places can be and are likely legally vulnerable under the First Amendment and courts have said over and over that asking for help is protected speech including
panhandling and yet we're moving forward anyways um even beyond the legal risk I'm concerned especially what this says about our values just as we're starting to do better in addressing homelessness in our county um we started to increase support for homeless services we're
beginning to explore uh new investments in affordable rental housing for people with low and very low incomes so we're taking incremental steps in improving but something like this could set us back um and we still have a long way to go we've seen other cities that take
punitive approaches like Jacksonville get sued over ordinances on first amendment grounds um they were sued by the Homeless Voice which is a uh a newspaper that um uh in addition to challenge the law it's a homeless newspaper that kind of shows us a path
forward or something we ought to be copying through their newspaper they uh give people panhandling experiencing homelessness a way to contribute a way to put together a product a newspaper in this case and to sell it for a profit and to become part of the community and
tell their story these kind of programs have worked in major cities DC Nashville Boston um and they're a compassionate effective way to do it but following like Jacksonville uh we're not doing something like that we are actually moving an ordinance that would
preclude us from new ideas like that um if we pass this ordinance I'm concerned we don't just open ourselves up to legal challenges but we do prevent better solutions and we send the message that public need and poverty is something we can punish or legislate out of view i
don't think that's who we are so I'm voting no um I'm asking you to vote no on any ordinance and I'd like us to focus on helping people and treating everyone with the dignity they deserve thank you Commissioner O'Keefe commissioner Kaban you were in the queue
are you out of the queue no you're in the Can I let him go and then I I'll defer to Commissioner Maddox okay Commissioner Maddox you're up thank you Mr chair um Mr chair I think I started my points with this is about health safety and welfare
there's nothing that irritates me more than my when I state my intentions and they're not respected no part of me making the motion I made was about
homelessness no part of it was about panhandling no part of it was about precluding people from being able to have freedom of speech in any way it was about health safety and welfare
of Leyon County citizens you cannot tell me nor convince me that it is safe for someone to be in a median doing anything in way of what we're talking about here and I believe who said it but I
think Commissioner Miner brought it up a median or any or any sidewalk less than or any thing less than six feet is not deemed to be safe so again I I don't want this to be
twisted at least for me I don't want this to be twisted because I'm I'm the maker of an emotion and I want my intent to be respected and that again my intent in making the emotion was to protect the health safety and welfare of
Leyon County citizens no matter who you are or what you're doing again I've seen children in the medians fundraising that is not safe i've seen adults in the median
fundraising that is not safe homeless or not i've seen I've seen firemen carry boots up and down the road that is not safe it's not
safe so I don't I don't appreciate it and I don't respect it when again I'm the maker of emotion and my intent is stated very plainly nobody in here is listening to me can think anything else
besides the fact that my motion is to protect the health safety and welfare of Leyon County citizens thank you Mr chair thank you Commissioner Maddox commissioner Command did you want to say something yes sir thank you Mr chair i first like would I
first would like to start and uh thank Commissioner Maddox appreciate your u your sensitivity compassion and thoughtfulness related to this motion um I plan on supporting it i I do have a couple questions um I don't know if it's for the county attorney county
administrator Mr chair I'll just ask the question can um they can jump out if whoever it's pertaining to but with a civil citation what what teeth do we have to be able to enforce it and so I guess an example is the best way to
describe it if someone is standing in the median um and law enforcement sees him and they come give him a citation or fine is there any ability for to get them out of the median if they're violating the ordinance ultimately they can be given a
warning for trespass and if they refuse to leave then they could be guilty of trespass in which case that is a crime so uh that is a tool in the toolbox for law enforcement for people who refuse to
stop uh violating the the county's ordinance if that's the selection the option that the board chooses to go with so to so to Commissioner Maddox's point um this this starts with like a very a
warning and a civil citation would be the very basis of it and if for whatever reason um someone who is in the median refuses to leave then law enforcement has the ability to issue a trespass and eventually uh it's a criminal fine at
that I mean criminal charge at that point it's my understanding yes because they they would have they would receive a warning uh and they would be given an opportunity to leave only at that point could they be arrested for a trespass okay so yeah I I I agree with you
Commissioner Maddox i feel like this is very well poised um to give um those who are not following this this civil citation that we're looking to enforce i think it gives them enough tools and enough bite u to be able to enforce it which is what I care about um my next
question is I I hear u I heard Brent Pel from public works say that there's only a very few um medians that are larger than 6T why are medians larger than 6 foot
deemed not or deemed safe versus a 6ft median um if someone is standing in a median on the side of the road um is that not equally as unsafe i you know that's kind of what what I'm like why are we just saying 6
ft um I think part of the issue is you know walking through the roadway and then standing on the curb right um if you're panhandling and the next is the I don't know what they're called but when you have a it might be a median
but I think I'm using Capital Circle and and Highway 20 as an example when you're turning left or right going on Highway 20 you have those triangular medians that are like where the crosswalks are they're like a step out in the crosswalk
those are way larger than 6 ft from my understanding so does this does this ordinance um contain those as well Madam Attorney or that's a technical question that I would
defer to public works i drew a little map to describe what I'm talking about but I'm embarrassed of it but for commissioners I'm talking about these things here if you're turning this way that's helpful good evening commissioners i believe that's referenced as a pedestrian refuge
and as you said is greater than six feet so therefore it would not be prohibited to be within that that is it considered a median though or is it it's not a sidewalk no it's not a sidewalk it's a pedestrian refuge so it's not a median it's not dividing obviously two opposite lanes of traffic so I wouldn't call it a
median okay commissioners i feel like that's something um worth pointing out is that when I oftent times see folks um panhandling I see them in those left or right hand turning lane and that's where I think it's the most dangerous is
you go turn right if you're you know if you're going on a roadway and you turn right and they're standing literally right there on the road you know I um you know I I put it like this i think this mo this uh motion is a good start but I think it's still leaving areas
that I believe are very unsafe um and so for what it's worth I just I just want to throw that out there commissioner Max I plan on supporting your motion but um these areas right here that I'm talking about if you're turning this way or here I think are a danger or vulnerab
vulnerability for folks who are panhandling um but if it's if it's not something that we think that is legally defendable you know I I hear that but I think it is you know it is something that poses a high risk thank you Mr
chair point information um sure go ahead for so for confirming on a on on this ordinance about it being more than just standing in a in a median on section
17-14 prohibited acts in an ordinance under C it shall be unlawful for a person to engage in any physical interaction between a pedestrian and occupant of a motor vehicle including the transfer of any product or material while the motor vehicle is located on the roadway within the county is not
legally parked so isn't that saying that we also are permitting a physical exchange of anything in any roadway where the vehicle is not parked no matter of median or sidewalk or size so are you looking at the ordinance on
page 704 of the agenda materials correct yes i'm looking at most way down the page under line 30 C yeah i mean so so yes that would be prohibited but if you look at under line
22 it says it shall be unlawful for a person to stop stand or otherwise occupy a meeting that is not a sufficient pedestrian refuge within the county when that person is not in the process of lawfully crossing the roadway in accordance with the applicable traffic and safety laws and if you go up to the
definition of pedestrian refuge uh that is uh already defined as um an area that is less than um 6 ft in width but so section C is limited by section A
i just want to be clear that your your your answer to my question before on this was this is only this only penalizes holding and communicating things in the defined median but I'm seeing I'm seeing
item C that says it is also unlawful for a physical exchange um at on any on any roadway within the county so I want to make sure I understand is that also penalized that would only apply to activities of
people on medians and again it's it's a subset but A is would include C technically but it does call out an exchange in C but if you're standing on a medium of less than 6 feet in width and doing nothing but that you're
already violating this ordinance it it would also violate it if you do exchange you're right about that so if I pull up to a intersection and there's a median greater than 6 ft and someone asked for a bottle of water and I hand them a bottle of water am I in any violation
under Okay thank you commissioner Proctor thank you very much um we're talking about a bottle of water it's become illegal to hand somebody a bottle of water if they're standing in line to vote um and I realize that we
weighed out in the weeds of fostering illegality but the folk uh they're earning earning monies to uh I mean we've looked out the window and you've seen people out there on that swing uh wiping down the windows of the
state's capital um you've seen people hanging on a swing uh wiping the windows of uh the Turlington building Department of Education building and I mean you know people do strange things for money and I think that's dangerous but I don't
oppose them for but it's not the people who standing up there on the ladder or sitting on the ladder swinging um and it's not the people who volunteer to go out there and play Russian roulette in the midst of traffic it's
it's more so the drivers that I'm I'm concerned about and the intimidation the fear factors uh of which drivers um and they may accidentally do any number of
things um when people made uh defensive you know Florida has a stand your ground law and um actually someone approaching your vehicle in Florida also has an open
carry law and there's a great possibility that when you mix open carry um with stand your ground and somebody that makes you feel uncomfortable um some bad things can happen but my
thought is not for those people who choose to earn their living uh um by walking you know some some people walked up in the circus and they get on a little pole of stick up and walk across
with no net that's what they want to do but it's the driver who um could end up in a situation which we're looking out for uh county attorney I want to um actually
uh thank you for option one and um piece of work that I think you've carved out something which gathers uh an overwhelming majority of the commission and um when you're creative like this
and uh hear our voices and maybe we in our heart of hearts did did not want to replicate the city in full but you um um you had a a meter reader and you
measured the indexes of our hearts and you know that we wanted to do something but not uh to foster the criminality of which the city's ordinance so I appreciate and respect your balancing the interest of what we wanted to do um
but maybe not with the slamming impact uh Commissioner O'Keefe um your comments and concerns are compelling and no doubt uh it's good that your empathies run high and your
comments uh I think we all um have weighed but in weighing you know and that's what we do here uh balancing of interest uh our commitments to safety and the concerns of drivers ers across
our community uh that's a very uh compelling point for us to to keep in mind so I didn't want to leave tonight and I didn't you know then Commissioner Maddox indicated his intent and I I heard him twice the first time he said
his intent uh but I also heard what you've said but I'm okay and comfortable uh that county attorney has done a wonderful job to um capture our concerns with I think minimal uh impact to uh the
public in a way that it would hurt with the failure to pay those fines those fines turn into judgment and if I'm wrong madam attorney correct me and those judgments can turn
into leans so um given that sequencing um folk can still be hurt a little bit with those leans so but we have to balance the public's interest and tonight
um there there far more cars u the traffic far more people who are driving and if you want to quantify it there'll be 100 people go by Woodville Road and Capitol Circle across the road
capital it'll be 100 drivers in an hour and one or two people out out there and tonight I'm voting uh in the interest of the 100 people who are drivers instead of the one or two people out there in the road thank you very much Mr thank
you Commissioner Proctor commissioner Cummings yeah thank you Mr chair just just real briefly I just appreciate the commissioner's comments um on these ordinances i think we appreciate the fact that the city's
ordinance is already operative and in effect but I think what we've done here tonight is analyze the two and I think we've made it clear that we are not concerned about criminalizing uh behavior not criminalizing certain
behavior and so that's why I certainly was glad to support the substitute motion i voted um to second that motion and I think we've done the right thing for our um
for our thorough affairs and and and our um our citizens in the county Mr chair so I just want to thank the board for your thoughtful analysis of this particular ordinance and thank the county administrator for giving us the two to compare thank you thank you Commissioner
Cummings and I'll close us out just by first acknowledging our our outstanding county attorney for taking our somewhat you know confusing direction sometimes and bringing us back items that that
give us the ability to be thoughtful and considerate and I and I think that this conversation that we just had is a great example of what Commissioner Caban mentioned earlier about how the public notices how we behave and how we conduct
ourselves on this disin and I think that um this is a great example of that this is a a narrowly crafted uh motion by one of the best motion makers I've ever heard of in my limited time here um and
I think it is it could be much more there's a lot further we could go um and I appreciate Commissioner O'Keefe's concerns i genuinely do i know they're heartfelt and at the same time I I agree with Commissioner Maddox i think that it is a vital public safety issue as I have
discussed before and I agree I as I have said before I think it applies to the firemen it applies to the cheerleaders in the road which I have seen many times and I hold my breath because I fear how dangerous it is and we have had a lot of pedestrian tragedies in this community
over the last four or five years there's far too many people out in the roadway and this is a I think a measured approach at trying to discourage that and so uh I want to thank you all as commissioners for the way you conduct
yourselves and and I think that we have a lot to be proud of on this board and how we deal with these sensitive issues i don't think we're trying to violate anybody's first amendment rights we're trying to be very careful and very sensitive to people's god-given rights and and we want to help people and ultimately at the end of the day it
involves us having these types of conversations so I want to commend you guys i I want to commend our county attorney and her staff who do a really unbelievable job right they could they could start a powerhouse law firm in and of themselves guiding corporate boards
to make these types of decisions and so that coupled with our county administrator and his great work um I think that I'm going to support the substitute motion and we'll we'll have a vote so just wanted to close by saying thank you all um if there's no other
discussion uh we've got a motion substitute motion by Commissioner Maddox seconded by Commissioner Cummings all those in favor signify by saying I i all opposed i Okay so passes 61 with Commissioner O'Keefe um opposing and uh
I believe that's it commissioners thank you all for a really good productive meeting i will see you oh real quickly yes sir public speakers uh you know do we have that we don't have any we don't have anything like that on our agenda so
um thank you all so much appreciate it and we'll uh see you next time we're ajourned