--------- Good morning and welcome to our January 6th, 2026 meeting. This is our first meeting of 2026. I'm extremely optimistic about this year. Please join us for a moment of silence followed by the pledge of allegiance.
Thank you. And now Cherylyn friend, would you like to lead us in the pledge of allegiance and then tell us about your service? >> 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. >> Good morning. >> Good morning. >> Happy new year. So I'm Cheryl and Scraers. I served for a short short time in the United States Army stationed at Fort Mlen, Alabama and my MOS was an MP
military police officer. >> Very nice. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> And MP, we can put her into work over here. >> Uh let's see. This morning we have uh our regular agenda at 10:30. We have a
preset which is the uh Synagro South contract. At 505 we have uh a designation of a brownfield. Um there's one proclamation. Uh and there is a pull from the consent
agenda which is consent 7 which has been pulled by Commissioner Caps and Vargas. Is there a motion to approve the agenda minus the consent? >> Move approval. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. It's
time for public comment. I have two requests to speak forms. The first is Jeff Order. The second is Tom Pine. You'll have three minutes to address us. >> Good morning. >> Morning. >> I was asked I'm Jeff was asked to speak
about this. County commissioners approved a 30-year lease with DAR that was not compliant with land usage and grant assurance at the airport. A big problem. A complaint was filed with the FAA about the lease. And so last week, the commissioners approved a voluntary
corrective action plan, VCAP, VCAP, to try to resolve the complaint. This plan calls for 63 acres of airport development and expansion, more buildings, noise, and traffic without citizen knowledge or approval. to
resolve the issue with a 30-year lease. The VCAP calls for one, remove 13 acres from the DAR lease, if DAR agrees, if then develop this 13 acre parcel, but the VCAP states because there are no taxiways currently running from this parcel, they would have to be
constructed by the county or a future tenant. Two, restructure the lease's usage designation annually. A smaller lease with different usage likely means less money for the county than the TCOM report of over $42,000 per year. Three,
develop 16 acres, parcel A. But the VCAP states the county faces a significant hurdle because the parcel doesn't have runway access. Taxiway infrastructure for this parcel is not currently included in the county's capital improvement program. Four, develop 10
acres parcel B located on the south side over the next 2 and a half to four years. Five, develop 23 acres parcel C along Monterey Road. The VCAP states that this parcel is vacant, densely vegetated, and inaccessible to
aeronautical infrastructure such as taxiways and runways. The parcel is also constrained by multiple zoning issues. Developing and cutting down the vegetation of parcel sea will mean a massive increase in noise for those in surrounding neighborhoods. So, how much
will this VCAP cost citizens? What will it do to the quality of our lives? Why is this VCAP not available online for all the citizens to see? After approving the non-compliant 30-year lease, the commission during a holiday week at a specially called meeting approved this
VCAP, a potentially very costly 63 acre airport expansion plan for more buildings, noise, and traffic while showing no benefit to citizens. If you're watching, please file a complaint with the FAA at faa.gov/ncir. fa.govcir.
File it under the noise complaint section. Use the current date and time on the site's drop-own menu and tell the FAA don't approve the VCAP. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Tom Pine is next and Mr. Pine is the last request to speak form. If you would
like to address us, please fill out a request to speak form and hand it to the baiff who will get it to us. Good morning. >> Good morning, commissioners. My name's Tom Pine. I've been a resident of Martin County for over 50 years. Today in the consent agenda, this commission will
approve $42,72,160.13 which was spent between November 24th and December 25th of 2025 without identifying the payes or the purpose of the payment. Today I will read an editorial from February 11th, 2011
from the Steuart News when the newspaper was much more relevant than it is today. The policy is clear. The Martin County Commission should use its meetings agenda, consent agenda only for items that are routine in nature, implement a
prior approved board plan, program, or directive, and or require no separate discussion by the board, the vote is before the vote is taken. So states the county's rules and procedures. Policy is one thing. Adhering to policy
is another. The public rarely knows what's in the consent agenda in advance. Controversial items have been put on this agenda the Friday prior to Tuesday's meeting. It has included consultants, contracts, fees, and
grants, including grants which require matching county funds without public vote or discussion. Consider the consent agenda for for January 25th, 2011. The meeting contained more than 2.5 million in spending. Some of the items were
routine. No separate discussion by the board. Other such others such as additional 670 for wastewater treatment plant. Another item of quas judicial nature should have selected to public discussion.
On Tuesday, one sitting one of our sitting county commissioners responded to criticisms that commissioners and county administrator are using consented to hide from the public. I will tell you there's nothing further from the truth. The commissioner said the public's right
to know is paramount. If this is true that the public's right to know is paramount, then county officials should be very judicious with their use of the consent agenda. The failsafe, the commissioner continued, is that any commissioner can pull items from the
consent agenda. That's not good enough. The only true failafe is adhering to county policy and limiting consent item to those desend disced in the rules and procedures. To do otherwise fuels the perception commission commissioners and
county administrator do indeed have something to hide. If county official if county officials are going to error, they should error on the side of transparency. It's the public right to know Commissioner Mlan when the wide rental deal for the Jensen Beach
Community Center got renting when renting the community center hidden in the public agenda in the public hidden from the public in the consent agenda. >> Sir, your time is up. Thank you >> for your time. >> Thank you. Next, we have a proclamation. a proclamation celebrating the life and
legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. >> Yes. Good morning. And we have um Nina Douly um here to accept and I'll just read a little intro and then you guys can come up. Uh Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that a person's worth should not be measured by his or
her color, culture, or class, but rather by a commitment to creating a better life for all. In honor of his legacy, the Afroamerican Citizens of East Stewart presents the 2026 MLK weekend celebration in which an event will be held daily in different locations
throughout Martin County from January 15th through the 19th. The weekend will end with Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade on January 19th at 11:00 a.m. beginning at 575 Georgia Avenue and then ending at Guy Davis Park. The board
joins the afroamerican citizens of East Stewart and other civic groups throughout our county in celebrating the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and encouraging all citizens, residents, and visitors to participate in activities honoring his legacy.
>> Miss Douly. >> Good morning. >> Morning. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you all for um having us here today the to speak about the Reverend Dr. King holiday coming up in about three weeks. My name is Nina Douly. I am the
president of ASUS. Um we partner with the city and the county to host this event. We have been doing it for the last six years here in U Martin County. We do a 5-day weekend uh for MLK instead of just the one day on Monday. On the 15th, which is
Thursday, um we do Jensen Beach, which we have a fish fry. The 16th, we're in Port Salerno. The 17th, we're in Hope Sound. And the 18th, we're Inia Town. And of course, the 19th, Monday for the parade in in the city of Stewart. I want
to thank the commissioners for your love and support for this um holiday. For all the ones who contribute, I thank you very much for your support. >> Thank you. I just want to add to that to say thank you uh for all your support. Also, if you come out and celebrate with us, let's have a good time. You might
get a free barbecue sandwich uh on that Monday. Let's get in parade. Let's get involved. This city and county belong to all us. This this uh celebration belong to all of us. It's history and it's all did all of us some good to be united together as one. Said love your neighbor
as love thel. So, we should love one another. Let's enjoy. Let's put aside all the other differences. Let's celebrate God blessing upon all us. Thank you for your sir. >> Thank Thank you. >> Next year, let's plan an event in Palm City. I heard Palm City was not on that
list. I'll help you for next year to do something in Palm City. >> I really appreciate that. We need that. >> Thank you. >> I'm hold you accountable for that. >> I'm ready. I'm the one that brought it up. Now in the Palm City, we got other
channels. We like to do the same thing. >> I got a spot. You >> think we get sewers point? Next up is commissioner comments. Commissioner Vargas, >> I want to wish everybody a happy new
year and um we go forth in a stride of um cooperation and uh good faith and good-heartedness for everything we decide here this particular year. And welcome back all of my fellow commissioners and madam chairman. >> Thanks. and Mr. Donaldson of course and
Miss Elder too. >> Mr. Caps, >> happy new year to all. We look forward to a great year ahead. I want to begin by expressing my condolences to my executive aid, Colleen Pakawitz, and her family for the loss of
her father a few weeks ago. Harry Yates was the first director of the Martin County Children's Services Council, uh, a role that he held for 17 years. He
was a pillar of our community and will be greatly missed. There will be a service for him this coming Saturday at 3:00 at the Treasure Coast Seawinds funeral home on Monterey Road. And then um
as I begin my second year in this role, I I want to thank my colleagues on this board and wish each of them a great year ahead. And to the residents of Martin County, thank you for the opportunity to
serve. May each of you have a wonderful 2026. >> Thank you. And commissioners, with your indulgence, we're going to after commissioner comments are finished, we're going to take up department 4 out of order because we have people in the audience who I'm sure would like to get
on to their jobs. >> Mr. Campy, >> thank you. First off, I appreciate those good uh happy wishes from my colleagues. I appreciate that. I will try as well to make sure that 2026 is a year that we
can work collaboratively for the for whatever is best for our community and our residents. Um, I was thinking about not bringing this up, but I think it's too important not to remind our parents. Sadly, this week we lost three members
of our community in fatal car accidents. two young people, 17 and I believe 16 and a 13-year-old severely injured, but the first two passed away at the intersection of Bridge Road and 95.
And then also a I believe a 20-year-old on US1 uh just south of Seab Branch killed in a fatal car accident during the day. Uh and then sadly uh not in our county but in Palm Beach County, a
26-year-old killed in a motorcycle accident. That's four in less than a couple of days. And the sheriff was quoted in the paper as saying, you know, obviously um we don't know what the circumstances are of these specific
accidents, but um speed can sometimes play a role and uh inattentive driving. And I'm not saying that that's what the case was here, but it does happen. Uh I think it's important as parents that we remind our younger new drivers how
important it is to be aware, to follow the speed limits, to not get crazy. Stop signs are stop signs, red lights are red lights, and speed limits are speed limits. I think all of my colleagues will agree that we hear many, many complaints from residents and
constituents about traffic safety issues. So, let's not let these four young people's lives go uh extinguished without some kind of meaning and that
maybe we can use these tragedies to avoid future tragedies. So, I just I know that's sort of a doom and gloom thing, but when you have four in less than a week in our small county, I think it's important that we remind ourselves because it's not all young people.
plenty of uh adults are speeding around and breaking the rules uh and the results are catastrophic. So, thank you and I wish everyone a very healthy 2026. >> Thank you, Commissioner Heatherington. >> I had that on my list as well and I
wanted to wish condolences to the family that lost um those family members in that accident and I can't imagine a more tragic thing that your family member would leave and not come home that day. So, I would encourage and I know Sheriff Bud and Seek has done so encourage
everyone to be patient and drive safe. as we move into season, you're going to see more people from out of town here. And so encourage everyone to just drive cautious and um be patient and
just I think this is the year of as our colleagues have said, love thy neighbor and we're going to have a wonderful 2026 and I wish all my colleagues the best as well. Thank you, >> Mr. Donaldelson. >> Yes. and uh on behalf of your staff um
we're uh ready to help maintain Martin County as the best of the 67 and uh happy new year. >> Miss Elder. >> Thank you. >> Jimmy Smith, would you like to address us as public comment? >> Thank you for that. >> Sure.
>> Statement, Mr. >> Uh because it's so important of what's going on. uh uh through the holidays been some real bad incident all across and there's some real bad things that's bound to happen if we don't put some I spoke with Mr. C that we going to try to
work with some in Hope Sound. Uh the speeding that in the community. I know the young kids, you know, and they got the motorcycles. I got calls saying, "What can we do to put a speed bump for something there on Florida Avenue in Hope Sound? They running the motorcycles
100 mph down the streets and and you know, they carry on sometime and the little kids sometime. I was down there yesterday and and just seen the little kids on the little scooters and cars boom come by and just missed the kids. So, anything in these community that we
can slow this pace down. I know that some communities, oh, we don't want to speed bump in there until something happened to one of their family members then you want all those things. We got to prevent these things before it happen then talk about it after happen. I'll be working with you. See, we can go take a look. I got someone going to video the
situation so we'll have a little more evidence so people can see. It's not to hurt the kids but to help them to understand before you get yourself in a lot of trouble. Uh not only there in porcelain the same thing. I know the holiday is a very great day that we all want everybody to have a good time.
There was few incident that happened there over the holiday. Couple things got turned over. Some girl got her real crush. Boy got his neck messed up. uh uh I don't want to call their names and all that but uh someone was my family
members and um I wanted to see how we can work together to make it safe for all people during the holidays especially during New Year's and Fourth of July and all those things. We want people to enjoy the history of celebration of this country but also we
want to be safe and Mr. Campus say that these young folks don't realize the danger and people losing loved ones. So I will say that but also just just on this issue or do I can I speak on what I fill out a card for?
>> I have to wait on that turn right. >> Yeah. Yeah. Which what is that? Which one is that? >> I want to also say something on the boys and girls club but I can wait till that agenda. >> Yes. >> Okay. But uh just thank you. How can we work to make these communities safe? It's real sad if you see it and we don't
want that to happen with you saying Mr. Kempy and and uh Miss Harrison on that. Thank you very much. >> Thanks. We will now take up department four which is uh request for approval of a
first amendment to the lease agreement with the district board of trustees of Indian River State College along with an access and maintenance easement along Citrus Southwest Citrus Boulevard in western Martin County. >> Good morning. Uh Mandy Johns, real property professional.
This is a request for the approval of a first amendment to the lease agreement between Martin County and the district board of trustees of Indian River State College to amend the lease boundary to include 30.72 acres for sports facilities
along with a approval of a non-exclusive access and maintenance easement along the main entrance uh located on Citrus Boulevard. Let's see. On February 22nd, 2022, the county and IRSC executed a lease for approximately
25 acres along Citrus Boulevard for the purpose of creating a charter high school. The initial term of this lease is for 55 years with the option to renew the lease for four additional terms of 10 years each with a final renewal option of four years for the potential
total term including all renewal options of 99 years. The renewals are not automatic and require one-year prior written notice. IRSC has uh requested an additional 30.72 acres of adjacent land
to build, operate, and maintain sports fields and associated sports facilities and structures. The remaining terms of the lease will remain the same. The county is also providing a non-exclusive access easement for to IRSC for the entrance along Citrus Boulevard that
leads to the Indiantown High School and the future Martin County Fair. So, we would move that the board approve the first amendment to the lease agreement between Martin County and IRSC and approve the non-exclusive access and
maintenance easement and authorize the chair to execute any and all documents associated Thank you. Questions for Miss John's. >> I'll speak when the doctor is done. >> Dr. Moore, would you like to address us? And anyone else who would like to
address us on this matter, please fill out a request to speak form, hand it to the baiff, and the baiff will make sure that it gets to me. Good morning. >> Good morning, chair. How are you? Um, other members, thank you so much for your time. Um, we're excited about this opportunity. The district board of trustees is uh committed along with the Johnson family foundation to provide
resources uh to uh develop this site uh uh as a companion to the Indiantown High School. Uh we recognize that it is a an extension of the lease. We want to make sure that you understand this is property we hold and u in u esteem to make sure that we take care of it. Uh
make sure we preserve it properly. Uh that it is useful for the the fair as well. Um, we have approximately10 to$13 million we're seeking this year in the legislature for improvement of the site along with the Johnson's generous $2 million gift. As you know, they pledged $10 million in 2021 uh which started the
sequence of Indiantown high schools. So, we're very excited about this. We think it's a national extension. It's a further commitment to the community of Indiantown and we believe it is a cost-effective way for the county to extend services uh the reach uh help the fair uh as well as provide uh needed um
uh recreational facilities for the community there. So, ma'am, we ask you for your consideration and approval for this um item on the agenda. >> Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Commissioner Campy. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um thank you, Dr. Moore. I wanted to just say that I
think what has happened out there thus far, I remember having a meeting uh being invited to a meeting by Marshia Powers where Mr. Johnston was at up at IRSC and there was just a vision at the time. Uh Kevin Powers had worked his magic by touring the Johnston's around
in Indiantown and any of you that have had the Kevin Powers Indian Town tour know how impactful that is. Uh and then it was just a conversation and I remember as I shared with the folks this morning, Mr. Johnson said, "Look, I'm not a young man. I want to make sure
that this project is built uh beautifully and quickly so that I can actually see it." And then very quickly, a gorgeous facility came out of the ground. Uh that has just been remarkable. I mean, you know, it is open to all students. It's called Indiantown High School, but any Martin County
student or I guess other students from other counties as well could participate. It's state-of-the-art. It's incorporating uh local businesses. It is training our young people into uh immediate career opportunities. Uh they don't have to wonder like what happens
after I graduate from the Indiantown High School. They'll know. And so, a natural extension to add the things that most folks that think about a high school would assume is already out there. Uh, and for the Johnston's to continue to put money, investing and
giving money to our community is a godsend. And to partner with IRSC, um, which we're so fortunate to have. So many communities take that higher level of education for granted. Many communities don't have any, uh, and all of their young people have to travel
away to have it. So today is a is a fabulous opportunity. I'm thrilled it's in my district. Uh, and I would gladly make the motion to accept staff's recommendation. >> Commissioner Heatherington, um, I'll echo those comments. And, um, I
I as a resident of Indiantown and I went to Warfield, uh, Indiantown Middle School and South Fork High School. Somebody asked me yesterday, does your high school look like this um, this Indiantown High School? I said, no, but the Bulldogs are pretty pretty tough, you know, Southwork. So, um, I would say
that Indian River State College has made immense investments in our community. The fact that, you know, you're right there in Indian Town and training not just Indiantown residents for future trade career opportunities, I think something is something that's so important to our community. You've done
everything that you've said. You you've made investments in our community. This serves a public purpose. And I think even our parks recreational master plan showed that we need these kind of facilities and our young people need
this kind of interaction to grow into young leaders and to keep their minds out of social media and digital. And so I would gladly support this and I thank you for investing and for taking good care of all of your investments in our
community, investing in our young people. So, I'd gladly second it. >> Miss John's, what size is the parent parcel? >> The current parcel that they have? >> The whole parcel before we started dividing it up. >> Oh. Oh. >> 110.
>> I'm not sure to be honest. >> And how much how much of it is now leased to other entities? >> So, currently IRSC has 25 acres. We are adding an additional 30 acres. and the back portion that's going to go
potentially to the fair at some point. Uh I don't have that in front of me. I don't know if George knows. Morning, Madam Chair. George Stoke, assistant measure. You have approximately 30 acres leased to the fair currently. This would be an additional the front 30 acres. Uh, I
think Miss John's told you what the current occupa occupied lease area is for IRSC and that leaves approximately well I say about 20 acres on the north side behind what would be behind the high school if you're standing on Citrus Boulevard which would probably be used for storm water infrastructure at some
point by both parties. So, of the 120 acres, there are 20 acres left available for storm water to treat the storm water that comes off of the least 85 acres >> uh approximately. I mean, IRSC High
School has their storm water facilities and then they'll have to all treat on their own separate uh parcels, but there is about 20 acres to the north side of the high school. >> Who's going to pay for the storm water treatment area for the 20 acres? Well, it would have to be one of those two parties if they would need it, and we'd
have to come back to this board and and amend leases if they were to do it onto that site. But right now, it's set that they're going to do it on their current sites. But we left it as extra on the top. >> And what access does the uh college
propose to give Martin County taxpayers and residents on this parcel? >> I'm more than happy to have Mr. Moore answer that. Okay. Rather than >> chair, we propose that we use the existing penetration off of the um the Citrus Boulevard going north, expanding
that to allow both access to the u uh uh recreational facilities and at the fairgrounds, provide additional parking in there as well. And to Mr. Socus's earlier comment, uh the storm water runoff, we believe we have a retention pond that's sufficient to carry all that right now in front of the high school. So, we think that's there. But to answer
your question, ma'am, the uh existing penetration north of uh of Citrus Boulevard would be expanded to allow traffic flow for the fair, uh for the high school, and for the recreational facilities. >> And what kind of access do our residents have to use those facilities? >> Well, the high school, of course, would be blocked off, but the recreational
facilities would be open for the community, ma'am, and the fairgrounds. >> Is this part of the lease? Do we have access to what kind of access do we have to any recreational facilities? It is our asset. >> I don't believe the lease calls it out.
>> Madam chair, I don't think we've defined the actual access and hours and and so on so forth of that property. >> Well, how have we defined it? >> I have to go to >> It would be up to the college to allow access for public use. So, um uh it is
uh currently not in the lease as I understand it to specifically provide for public access other than um the the college willingness in the future to allow use of it by um parks or Indiantown or anybody else um based upon
their schedule. So, it's principally for the high school um first and then secondarily it would be for any other use with permission from the college. >> Dr. or more, would you be willing to amend the lease to allow public access? >> Absolutely, ma'am. In fact, I was going to say I think our master plan indicates
there is a a parking facility in the front of the the planned sports complex that allow that to be easier access off of Citrus Boulevard and parking for the community. Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you, Commissioner Vargas. >> Yeah. Um I had discussion with the folks
from Indian River. I see no rent is being paid to Martin County taxpayers for this property. I think it's >> 99 years. >> Yes, ma'am. I think it's it's nominal. But we put uh to date we put over $25 million of combined uh assets from our
foundation as well as the Johnston Foundation. Uh in in addition to another, I think5 or $6 million for the state. Uh some county grants have gone in there. So, we have about $35 million that have been invested for the taxpayers of Martin County into that facility. So, I think that would offset uh revenue from taxes uh for this
current proposed uh facility for recreational use. uh approximately uh $13 million of state dollars uh plus additional dollars from the college plus the Johnson's donation. So again, we're looking at all in about a $50 million investment that the college has made uh through our donations and combination of funds and our our resources from the
state. >> Yeah, Dr. Moore, everything that comes from the state is taxpayer funds. You realize that and I realize that also. The other thing is 99 years. Why so long? Well, uh, in order for, uh, the property to be, again, it's 50
years, I think, is the original term, ma'am. And I think there's also 10 four-year terms that come off of that or four 10ear terms plus an additional cap to make it 99 years. That's subject to approval by this commission at the end of 50 years. >> Okay. >> So, it's not it's it's 99 years is is
the is the targeted goal for the use. That' be the normal service life of the building with improvements and whatnot. But at 50 years, we have to come back and take a look at it. We have to notice the commission that we're going to come back and extend the lease or request extension of lease. It's >> an exorbitant amount of time. 99 years. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Uh that that is not typical today. No
matter what anybody says on this commission, it's not typical today. People are not doing that. Um we need to review this sooner. Um I I think that and what I've read here, and correct me if I'm wrong, does Martin County have the option to terminate the lease? It
looks like the trustees can. Is that correct? And what I've read here, >> I I I that I don't know. I have to go back and research it. >> Well, we need to know these things if we're approving something. This is a document. Yes, ma'am. >> That you're asking us to to sign on. >> Well, I think we've been good stewards of the property and the rights the
commission has granted us earlier. Uh speed to target to get the high school constructed. Uh pledged to not use Martin County's tax base for uh the construction of this program. Again, uh 25 million of this came from charitable donations, ma'am. >> Okay. But you're a nonprofit, so Yes, ma'am. What What is the benefit for the
taxpayers? >> Well, the educational benefit, ma'am. >> Okay. I understand. I taught high school at one time and ma'am, they they redid all the high schools in the county that I was in. I I understand that. I went to junior college, you know, in in Miami Dade. So, I understand all of that. But >> what what what is the benefit?
>> The benefit, ma'am, is we're providing the youth of uh Indian Town an opportunity both for education, recreational outlets. Uh the second part of this is it builds character and leadership. Third part of this is it provides an anchoring point. I'd also point out to this commission that once we announced we were building the high
school, uh this is when Terraago began building out as well. This this was a triggering event for the investments inside of the Indiantown community. So we believe there's been a a cascade of events economically probably approaching somewhere in the 150 to $200 million of investment for the taxpayers of Indiantown and Martin County. So we
believe this is a very positive event. >> So So those are my two sticking points. >> Yes, ma'am. We're not getting any revenue from this. 99 years is way too long for a lease. And it seems as if the trustees, it's unilateral, this contract. >> Uh, ma'am, that's that's the way the
lease is set up. I the board of trustees are are a sovereign corporation in the state of Florida. >> Nobody set up the lease. Who set up you set up the lease? >> We proposed the lease. The commission approved the lease. Ma'am, >> well, I'm I'm expressing my opinions about this. >> Yes, ma'am. Commissioner Caps,
>> I think this will be a great benefit to Indian Town High School. I remember being at a village council meeting for Indian Town a number of months ago and it was like a visioning event on a Saturday morning and the commissioners
were talking about how the the youth of Indian Town need more recreational activity. Um it's it's a great need and I think this will go a long ways toward helping that and um so I will support it um with
uh the uh issue of that uh Commissioner Herd brought up about um amending the lease for public access. >> No problem. >> And as long as that's in there. >> Yes, sir. We can do that. >> Commissioner Campy,
>> thank you. just uh to I was here when we approved the original lease. It's it's not uncommon for the government, especially with large donations being put forward for a 99-year lease. I think the Elliot Museum has a 99-year lease. I think the Children's Museum, I remember
going back and forth that the term of the lease was very, very important for donors to realize, you know, before they'll write checks. the the benefit to the community is that I would say probably 100% if not in the high 90% of
the students at Indian Town High School are Martin County residents uh getting a vocational training the charter school aspect and we're I'm thrilled we should all be thrilled to have the partnership with IRSC versus a
charter school with a you know a entity from outside the state. Uh we have other charter schools. Uh to have someone that has, you know, generational history and a track record. Um everything that happens at the Chastain campus in on
Solerno, I I think all of us have been to hundreds of meetings that the facility was opened up to the public to use their uh meeting spaces, their AV spaces, their staff has come, all of us have been there where their professional
staff have come in to help with uh AV issues and uh that facility is very well used. So I'm very confident in the partnership uh and the generosity of the space in terms of uh to Commissioner
Herd's point that it is our asset. The land is our asset that was donated to us from uh South Florida Water Management District uh as surplus from them to us and for probably the last 10 to 15 years prior to this use has sat completely
empty unused. So the asset of the property is ours but the asset itself is being completely funded by you all. And yes, a lot of the money that comes down from Tallahassee or Washington if that's
the case is at one point was taxpayer dollars, but how great that Martin County taxpayers that are sending money to Tallahassee would have it come back to Martin County in the form of a, you know, what I will believe to be a worldclass facility and every graduate
that gets out of there and has a job and a future and a career, especially if they're able to work in the community that they grew up in, live in the community that they grew up in. I don't know how you put a dollar amount on that. So again, I guess there's five of us for a reason to create a different
perspective. And the questions are, look, you're a tough guy. You're not afraid of these questions. You have some military background. I was only kidding when I said we were going to beat you up, but uh uh but I know that the questions are valuable so that people that have maybe the same concerns as my
colleagues can hear your response. uh and then the difference of opinions up here I think makes us a more cohesive board. So I appreciate and welcome the comments. It forces all of us to really pay attention. In terms of changing the lease to add uh you know some type of
language, I'm not opposed to that as long as it doesn't slow the process down at all. Uh we have a similar scenario with school district properties that we have joint uh use resolutions and and agreements. Uh I look at this as a very
friendly amicable uh arrangement and a lease from from friends and partners. Thank you >> chair. With your permission, ma'am, um we had a graduation earlier in 2025 of 14 students that graduated high school
early. Um that um their families came up afterwards. We had over 220 people in attendance for that graduation ceremony. um they were uh effusive with praise that the the county and the and the and the college had worked together to create this high school to create this
opportunity and those are 14 citizens are now going out with with an a degree with technical skills to go get jobs. I think that's just the beginning of where we are. And so I'm very pleased that that the relationship has worked as well as it has. Uh we're committed to work uh uh side by side with the county to continue to improve lives, change lives
through education. Uh whatever uh is necessary for this commission to feel comfortable with access to that property, we'll work through that process. We do this in all four counties that we support. We're there to support the the communities which we serve. So please understand if it's not articulated in the agreement as as you
wish, we will go back and amend that. But I I share Commissioner Campy's one one comment here. I want to make sure we go quickly because again uh part of the gift from the Johnson's was the speed. Mr. Johnson's approaching that age in life where next day he's not necessarily assured and wants to see this done and
with the passing of Sister Elizabeth uh he's got a renewed commitment now to see this thing completed and so that's where we stand as a college and the board of trustees is unified behind us in in this process. So, please understand, we will work side by side as a good uh uh good citizen and advocacy for this
commission's uh uh reach to make sure we improve the lives of all citizens within the within the Martin County area. >> Thank you. I just I just want to give a little bit of history about the donation of this parcel. U it's not was not a donation. It was part of Martin County
and South Florida Water Management District's partnership to acquire land for the C44 project. Martin County residents paid $20 million for this par for the parcels that are used for the C44. And this was a parcel um from that
uh acquisition that wasn't used for the project. But Martin County residents certainly paid more than our fair share for our piece of this parcel. So I just want to make sure that Martin County taxpayers interests are protected. I'm
supportive of this project, but I don't So, this is what the the lease says for use. The trustees shall use the least premises solely and exclusively for the construction and operation of a charter
school near the village of Indiantown. That's it. That's what the language says. It doesn't say anything about public use. I don't think that this lease can be amend can be sufficiently amended quite frankly in order to
guarantee that there's shared use. >> So if I may um commissioner so we can we can amend the actual amendment that's being proposed today to allow uh use for the public for the recreational facilities that are being added to the lease right now. Um, so we can craft
some language that allows the public to access and use the recreational facilities that would be subject to the county attorney's approval and the um, colleg's approval and it wouldn't have to come back to the board if the board wanted to do it that way. And we can move forward and ensure that there is
public access to those recreational facilities if the board desires to do that. and it would be in the amendment that we're approving now because the access um would only be for the recreational facilities and not for the actual high school. So, it would fit. >> Okay.
>> As the motion maker, I will amend my motion to add in that our legal staff and Mr. Donaldson work with the IRSC entity, whoever it should be, to uh add in some language that the recreational facilities
um have public access that is agreeable to IRSC and to our representatives so that it does not need to come back to the commission. >> Second agrees. >> Mr. Fox, is this your light? Uh yes, Miss Elder addressed my clarification,
but I'd also like to point out um as to some of the questions about the term of the lease. A 99-year uh term is somewhat typical of a ground lease. And one of the aspects of a ground lease is that at the end of the term or early termination of the term,
any improvements to the real property become the property of the less or in this case the county. I just wanted to make that clear. >> Any further questions? There's a motion and a second. All those in favor I opposed. >> That motion passes unanimously. Thank
you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Uh let's see. Let's take up >> the consent agenda item number seven. I believe it is. >> Yeah. >> That's Mr. Bate or
this was pulled by two commissioners uh Commissioner Caps and Commissioner Vargas. If you would like to explain what your questions are so we can have them answered. Yeah, I I had uh a member of this particular advisory board approach me uh stating
that uh they feel that they do not have enough input. This is obviously something voluntary, not a paid position. They're bringing their expertise from outside. They were appointed or selected to be on this board. And so I they will have another
meeting in about 3 weeks or so, three or four weeks. I would like to postpone this until after that time and they'll alert us as to when they had their meeting or or you may know when they have their meeting. You can tell us uh so that they can have
resolve whatever differences are going on there. Um actually what was told to me is that their piece of paper is put in front of them. Okay, this is this is our strategy. this is what we're going to be doing. Just check the boxes. And that's not what they're there for. They're there to be consulted. Everybody
puts their ideas on the table. Uh you know, they they work through this. And I think this is the proper thing to do for this particular committee. We want people to be involved in the community. And I think it's reasonable. I would want this also. So, >> Mr. gaps.
>> So, the issue here is whether we uh the parks and recck board should meet monthly or quarterly. And uh I had a a member of the parks board request that the parks board be able to weigh in on the issue before we
do. And I thought that would was a courtesy uh that we ought to grant. So, I would agree with that uh that we should continue this item until they've had a chance to vote on it. >> Is that a motion? >> Yes.
>> Um regarding the um board, I just want to bring to the um board's attention, I'm sorry, Melissa Petri, a senior assistant county attorney >> in selecting the board, just so that you are all aware, it is the BOCC's, it is your decision to set up how many times
they meet. Um, in our code of ordinances, chapter 17, >> article 1, section 17.2, it's the board of county commissioners are the ones that may establish the advisory board. So, historically, when I've gone through the resolutions, it
was always at the request of the board to change the meetings. It's not, from what I've seen, not based upon a vote from the members of the prab. I just wanted to clarify that so that you're aware that in setting the dates that is meeting it is your decision to be made
as proposed a resolution in here does allow the PRA members to extend those meeting dates >> if they want to hold a special meeting they're allowed to vote on that and that is that gives them that option there then essentially to modify their schedule but the resolution itself is
something that the BOCC determines okay >> right and I realize that it's our ultimate decision vision, but just to influence what we should do. I'd love to hear from them. I understand there's been some participation problems on the
monthly basis. The that the the attendance is not quite as good as it should be. And it could be that if the board knew that we were going to switch them to just four meetings a year, that that would prompt them to come to the
meetings more often on a monthly basis. and maybe that would be the ultimate resolution of the issue. Um, or maybe maybe they're all good with with meeting four times a year. And I I don't have a a big uh preference on the issue. I just
like to hear from them first. >> Any further questions? Is there a second to the motion? >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Now, is there a motion to approve the remainder of the consent agenda? >> So moved.
>> Second. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Now, let's start with that. DPQJ1, which is a departmental quasi
judicial request for revised final site plan approval for the Boys and Girls Club of Martin County located at 11500 Southeast Laris Avenue within the Hoboundtown Community Redevelopment Area. >> Good morning, Mr. Griselka.
>> Morning, >> Commissioner Herd, if I might. We need to take the public hearing before the final site plan. Did you announce the final site plan? Where is that? >> So, it's public hearing quasi judicial, not DPQ. That's the one that's up on the screen,
though. It's public hearing quasi. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry. >> No, we need to do the abandonment before the site plan. >> Okay. >> And where is that? >> 54. >> It's right after the consent in the Right.
>> Okay. Sorry. We are going to take up uh public hearing quasa judicial number one which is a request for abandonment of a portion of the deed rideway uh in Martin County. And Mr. Griselka, you are taking up this matter.
>> Yes. Good morning, commissioners. So first of all is quasi judicial any expparte disclosures. If I have any they've been filed. >> If I have any they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. >> I don't have any and that's been filed.
>> And let's anybody who's going to provide sworn testimony, please stand up, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> And Mr. Gazelka, have you handed your
information to the clerk? >> Yeah, everything everything has been filed except for the um public noticing um certification. >> Thank you. Please proceed. >> Good morning. As we as as we've
discussed, this is a um request for a portion a partial abandonment of the public ride ofway um adjacent to the Boys and Girls Club of Martin County. Um it's approximately 2,148 ft of deed
rideway as shown in exhibit A lying within Go's grant in Jupiter Island, Martin County, Florida. All parals of budding the subject rightway are owned by Boys and Girls Club of Martin County. Upon approval, the abandonment abandoned rideway will be incorporated into the Boys and Girls Club Hopetown project and
will be privately owned and privately maintained in perpetuity. Section 139.2 of the Martin County Code of Ordinances requires a privilege fee for abandonment and vacation of county proper county property and roads. However, the board may wave the privilege fee required upon a showing of
good cause. the gap the applicant is not for-profit entity and has requested a waiver of the privilege fee. Uh so that basically that this is a piece of property that they had deeded to us prior and had deeded us far out from
what we were we're were requesting. There had been a scribbers error in it that left a hiatus piece between the piece they originally deeded us and the existing ride ofway that they had since come back and given
us that that other piece there. So they are in conjunction with this and with their site plan they are now um deeding the rest of the rideway along the southern portion of their property to be equal to what's here. And we're banning
the 6 and 1/2 ft strip on the northern part of the property. Let me see if I can get that the picture up. Um, there it is. And what's in what we're showing in green is what we are abandoning. Um, so then everything to the east of what's
shown in green will remain county rideway. And then as part of their project later on, they're donating an additional 8 1/2 ft section of rightway on the southern portion to make it a a a straight line rightway line along uh
Laris Avenue. Um that's the basics of the whole thing. The this other uh rideway had been deed from this property on on an earlier piece of uh an earlier approval. So, I mean, we're basically going to be giving right away back that
they deed it to us that at an earlier time and it's about the presentation. If I have I'd be glad to answer any questions that come up. Commissioner Campy, >> I think the most important point here is that you're they're asking for something
that they had given to us in the past back because when they originally built this building, it facilitated the needs of the community at the time, but now we're going to be uh the beneficiaries of a huge new u expansion and uh sort of
a rebirth of this site. So, this is almost just clerical paperwork. Am I >> correct? I make a motion to accept staff's uh recommendation. >> Second >> after public comment. >> Yeah. Do you want me?
The recommendation is a little lengthy. Should I >> Sure. >> Read it or do you want me to read it or >> chair said yes? >> Sure. Let's see how well you read. >> If not, we can send you to the Boys and Girls Club and they can help you with your reading. >> There you go. Uh the recommendation is
move that the board receive and file the agenda item summary and all the attachments for the record as exhibit one. Move that the board adopt the resolution abandoning portions of DEA right ofway lying within Gomez Grand and Jupiter Island as described in exhibit A subject with the following conditions
present. Proper notification of a notice of adoption of this resolution. Move that the board wave the privilege fee if it finds good cause shown by the petitioner. and move that the board authorize the chair to execute all documents necessary to complete the transaction. >> Thank you. Um Mr. Gazelka, what are our
policies regarding um waiverss of privilege fees? >> I don't I mean it's it's strictly a board decision if if they want to if they feel it's in good cause um to to to wave that to wave that fee. Um, this has
been, you know, they this this is a a a nonprofit that had donate previously donate this property to us. So, and it's our kind of recommendation is that uh we go ahead and wave the fee to be able to basically give them the piece of
property back that they donated to us previously. >> In this in this case, it's it's a moot point. I I agree. It's it's you know, they don't they donated donated it before and now they're getting it back. you know, there's it's there's no net gain or loss to either party, but um I
think that our policy is lousy. Um it seems to me that we wave privilege fees when it feels good and that's picking winners and losers and I am not in favor of that. I think we need a clear policy about u waving privilege fees. Either we
do it or we don't do it. And I think that in all, you know, in most cases, uh, when there's a private entity, they pay the p they pay the fee, you know, and they do lots of good things in the community, too. So, uh, Commissioner Vargas,
>> I'm in total agreement with Chairwoman Herd. We have to have a strong policy, not shifting sands, and I' I've noticed this over the last year. um whether you're not forprofit and we do support them to give our tax dollars.
>> Correct. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> Yes. >> Um then there there's a fee. Uh we're it's a wonderful organization. I've seen it in different counties in Florida. Wonderful. But we have to
protect the taxpayers of Martin County who put their hard-earned dollars to support us here. So I'm in agreement with Chairwoman Herd. >> Commissioner Caps. >> I noticed that the value of the strip of
land that were that's called right away uh was $40,000. >> Correct. That's where the appraisal came in. >> Right. Is the privilege fee usually the value of the the piece of land or is it something less than that? >> No, it's normally the value of the land.
>> Okay. Okay. Good enough. That's good. Thanks. >> There's a motion in a second. Although Oops. I'm sorry. Is this a public hearing? Would anyone like to address us? You're probably want to be on the next item, Mr. Smith. That's that's the next item. So, seeing none, we'll return
back to the board. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. We'll now take up uh DPQJ1, which is uh now the request for a revised final site plan for the Boys and
Girls Club of Hope Sound. Commissioner Vargas, any exparte disclosures? >> I have any, they've been filed. >> Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. Commissioner Campy, >> I don't have any and they've been filed. >> Commissioner Heatherington, >> I don't have any and that's been filed.
Anyone who's going to be providing sworn testimony in this, please stand up, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> Excellent. Mr. Sinnot, have you provided
all the necessary materials to the clerk? >> I'm turning a copy of the agenda item and my work history to be filed as exhibit one. >> Excellent. Please proceed. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, commissioners. I'm John Sennet, principal planner with growth management. I'm presenting the Boys and
Girls Club of Martin County revised final site plan application. This is a request by Architects Design Collaborative on behalf of Boys and Girls Club of Martin County for revised final site plan approval for the Boys and Girls Club site at 11500 Southeast Larry's Avenue within the
Hobound Community Redevelopment Area. The existing facility is proposed to be demolished. The redevelopment of the 5.04 104 acre site includes a new 28,142 ft facility consisting of a programming space, teen center, and gymnasium as
well as associated infrastructure and accessory structures. Included is a request for a certificate of public facilities reservation. The site's located within the Hobound CRA. It's about 700 ft south of the intersection of Southeast Larry's Avenue
and Southeast Dixie Highway. It's also just south of the Hope Village Mobile Home Park and again it's just over 5 acres in size. The site is located within the general subdist of the Hobound CRA. You can see the in the brown to the
north you can see the multif family subdist and to the south in the pink you can see the corridor subdist. The future land use designation of the site is CRA center. And to the north, you can also see the CRA neighborhood future land use designation.
As part of the current proposal, the existing clubhouse and gymnasium will be demolished. The parking areas in the soccer field will be reconfigured and a new 28,142 ft facility will be constructed. This will consist of a gymnasium, programming
space, and teen center. As part of this application, they'll also be constructing an outdoor classroom, an elevated garden area, as well as an 800 ft² fieldhouse. Included with this application is a request to release two existing unities of title encumbering the site. The
unities of title were recorded in 1998 1999. As the subject revised final site plan application requires a right-of-way dedication, the applicant requests to release these two unities of title to allow a new unity of title to be recorded which would permit this
conveyance. The required rideway dedication is 8 1/2 ft in width along the southern portion of the southeast Larry's Avenue frontage. The site plan depicts the 6 and a half foot rightway abandonment which was just approved via item PHQJ1.
This is the first sheet of the proposed final site plan. The existing facility will be demolished. The new building will be situated in the southeast corner in keeping with the CRA building setbacks. The existing parking areas and soccer
field will be reconfigured. Access will be continued to be provided from Southeast Edwin Street and Southeast Larry's Avenue. As part of the redevelopment activities, the applicant will be cleaning up the existing Upland Preserve area. They'll be removing
exotics and doing some reveation activities. The site will continue to be served by South Martin Regional Utility. like to pull up the building elevations here to show you. These are the proposed building elevations and I believe the agent will
also have some color renderings and in their presentation in a few minutes. This top elevation is the primary facade facing Southeast Larry's Avenue. The Hobound CRA permits a variety of architectural styles. The applicant is proposing the contemporary
style. Uh some alternative compliance has been approved as part of this proposal. Um alternative compliance has been approved with respect to facade transparency. Full compliance with facade transparency
could present safety concerns for the children. Staff finds that the alternative compliance request is appropriate given this institutional use. The proposal as a whole still fulfills the intent of the CRA and article 12.
Pursuant to article 10, table 10.5 F9, Martin County Land Development Regulations, review of this application is not required by the local planning agency. Development review staff have found the Boys and Girls Club of Martin County application to comply with all applicable regulations and the
comprehensive growth management plan as detailed in the staff report. Staff recommendation is to move that the board receive and file the agenda item and its attachments, including the staff report as exhibit one. Move that the board adopt the resolution approving the revised final site plan for Boys and
Girls Club of Martin County. Move that the board adopt a resolution releasing the existing unities of title. and move that the board adopt a resolution accepting and approving the warranty deed for dedicated right-of-way along Southeast Larry's Avenue from Boys and Girls Club of Martin County and
authorize the chair to sign all documents necessary to complete the transaction. That concludes my presentation. >> Questions for Mr. Sinat. Mr. Sinnot, you stated that the uh uh design is compatible with the
contemporary design. >> Yes, that's correct. which is an acceptable building design. Can you give me some other examples in Hope Sound of the contemporary design? >> Just recently, the uh PBS headquarters facility, it's just a couple blocks
south of this facility on on Anst Place. That was approved, I believe it was in November, using the contemporary architectural style. >> Where is that? >> That's on Southeast Anstis Place. I can uh probably show you here on the map.
just a block north of Bridge Road. Let me see here. >> Is it 28,000 square ft? >> I believe the total of those buildings was roughly 16,000 square ft. It was several detached contemporary
architecture buildings in that case. Sorry for the orientation but in the upper right hand corner that is where the PBS headquarters project will be. >> What does the PBS stand for?
>> Positive behavior support. They're a national uh behavioral therapy company and now they're bringing their administrative headquarters to Hope Sound. Commissioner Vargas. Oh, >> that was my question. >> All right. Any further questions?
Applicant, would you like to make a presentation? >> Good morning, Madam Chair, commissioners. Raample for the Architects Design Collaborative. Uh this is going to be the third Boys and Girls Club that we do in Martin
County. We did the Indian Town uh Boys and Girls Club. A few years back um about I guess close to a year ago now. We finished the Steuart Boys and Girls Club. Uh obviously there has been a transition and an evolution as we have
gone through the process of designing and building uh boys and girls clubs in the county. It's not just in the county, but everywhere else in the state and the in the nation for that matter. There are certain areas of concern that Boys and Girls Club have that are kind of unique
to it. Uh and one of them is the amount of windows that we have on the building and the sill height of those windows. This is something that we have gone over extensively with staff. Uh staff has been absolute pleasure to work with.
There has been a lot of back and forth. Uh there has been a lot of questions. Uh I think that all of those have been um answered to their satisfaction and to uh be in accordance with our program. Uh but handling the primary question in
terms of the um fenestrations in the building, the security requirements uh and all of the issues that go along with dealing with the clients, the children that go to the Boys and Girls Club is
something that uh has been handed down now for a while from National Boys and Girls Club in terms of not being able to see into a facility uh from the outside of the building into the classroom activity areas into the gymnasium and so
forth. That has led us to adopt a standard of 5'6 in for the window sill of any fenestration looking into those areas of the Boys and Girls Club. This is for their safety. As you are probably
aware, u the children that come to the Boys and Girls Club come from uh sometimes homes that are not exactly to the average, if you will. Uh not only just single family, single parent households, but uh quite sometimes not
even a parent, but a family member who is taking care of them. The issues that that leads to is that there may be arguments amongst uh the parents. there may be people that are trying to uh take advantage of a relational
uh situation within the family to be able to uh identify and acknowledge the location of a certain child. So that's really the principle behind why this uh requirement is set for the Boys and Girls Club. Um having said that we have
tried to increase the head of the um windows so that we get the maximum amount of natural light into each one of these clubs. That's very important for us. It's very important for the program because natural light we all know is a
precursor to a healthy environment for learning in the classrooms and in general. Uh so we have set most of those heads either close to the ceiling or very close to the height of the structure that will permit that amount of light in. So we have tried to
maximize the amount of light that comes into it. Now uh as uh Mr. So had gone over the the different elements of of the project. This is a close to 30,000 ft facility.
uh some 10,000 square feet of it uh are for the gymnasium. That gymnasium is not just a gymnasium. It is really more or less a performing arts center, if you will. There are many, many activities that occur within that facility. That is
also the central portion of the area of the club that is open to the community for use by the community whether it be for basketball, other types of uh sports uh uses or for community facilities, gatherings uh that the community would
like to use. uh the design of the building is such that access to that specific part of the building does not preclude or include access to any other parts of the building. So we continue to have a secure facility while we allow
the community equal access and easy access to that part of the community. the uh other two portions. One is the basic club and I say basic because it's uh multi-purpose classrooms that are used for many many different uh
programs. Those programs have to be multi-purpose and flexible in nature because the programs change over time. Uh the what we call the teen center uh is really the the area where we prepare
uh kids that are so interested to go into the different trades within the community. uh this has become more and more relevant, more and more important as we all see the the uh the news lately with the requirements uh that AI is
beginning to take over many of the functions that have traditionally been those that are uh being done by graduates of college. We see now that most of those functions that are not being take over taken over and most of
those functions that are really in dire need of new students are all of those trades and professions and this is something that Boys and Girls Clubs excels at. If you have not seen them in action, I would suggest that you visit
Indiantown or that you visit uh the Steuart facility which is the latest which propos which has programs uh for HVAC, for welding, for electronics, for digital uh anything that you can think of in the trade industry they are either
have or are proposing to have. So this facility is going to be I think a a very uh unique facility in the sense of the contemporary architecture but it's also unique in what it brings to the community and the ability to uh
facilitate many different programs for the children of our community. Now I'd like to go ahead and show you some of the visuals. Uh this is the overall site plan. Of course, this is the pretty picture site plan rather than the one that is shown with all of the details and dimensions
and everything else, but it shows that we have a U14 soccer field as kind of the centerpiece of the uh of the site. Uh that soccer field is surrounded by the upland preserve on two sides. Uh the building was moved from its original
location, which is ba at the base of what would be the soccer field uh to the corner. That was a requirement of the CRA uh design guidelines that we have zero um 0 to 5 ft of setback from the roads. Uh honestly, we would have put it
there anyway because this is really the corner that would exhibit the facility the best and give us the greatest amount of green area left over on the back side of the property to be able to use that for all of the other facilities that we have. Uh the upper right is the club,
the lower left is the teen center, and then you have the gymnasium on the corner, that being the the tallest portion of the building. So we draw attention to it. And later on I'll show you in some of the the slides, how the facility can be enhanced in the
evening so that it also shows off as a as a nice uh portion of the streetscape of of Hope Sound. Uh to the left and just up of the uh uh parking areas, you have the outdoor classroom. There is a
need for outdoor classrooms. Uh there is also an a raised garden area which is part of their culinary program uh to take you know food from from farm to table. Uh this is an important program.
Uh it's not just an important program uh for actually being able to provide a lot of the food stuff for the for the Boys and Girls Club themselves, but also teaching the kids about the culinary programs. Uh we have a state-of-the-art
facility in the kitchen. Uh uh the the program there is is really um I I would say next to no one. In fact, uh, some of the people that run the program have been
asked to consult on some of our other Boys and Girls Clubs in Palm Beach County, which we also do Boys and Girls Club facilities for. So, you can be very proud of the program that is being presented here. Uh, next to the outdoor uh, classroom, we have the fieldhouse.
The fieldhouse is strictly an area for storing of some of the play equipment. Uh there are the bathroom facilities there. All of the bathroom facilities again because of the requirement of risk management for Boys and Girls Club. All of them are unisex. They are all ADA
handicap accessible. The only gang toilets in an old term if if you will are those next to the gymnasium or within use of the gymnasium for the community facilities, community access. Uh it's just a a much more efficient way
of providing bathrooms to uh to the community and to the public outside of the use of the Boys and Girls Club requirements. This is the floor plan of the facility. Again, to the right is the club itself with the multi-purpose classrooms. Uh in
the corner is the gymnasium. You'll see that it has a performing arts uh stage. It also has bleachers which uh can can seat somewhere between 150 and 170 uh folks. Uh and to the upper left where
the green is that is our um our basic uh uh trade uh trade school type of of uses. And we also have a uh a music uh facility, a music room uh which
is going to advance a new program which was just started at the Boys and Girls Club in Stewart and we are again going to facilitate that in this location. This is a view of the facility along
Lars uh Avenue u looking kind of uh southwest if you will. Everything that you see in the bright colors is a metallic surface. So, it's a siding, if you will. Um, the rest of it is all
paint. The roofs that you see that are kind of sawtooth on the top section there uh have windows that are facing north. Those are going to allow for natural light to come into the facility in the main circulation area that is
going to distribute the kids once they get into the classroom uh arena. And it also is the area where the um lunchroom cafeteria if you will occurs. This is what the intersection of Lar and
Edwin uh looks like. So again you can see the metal is uh signifying the area where the gymnasium is. The eyebrows occur on this facade only because this is a south facade which requires that we
try to limit the amount of solar heat gain that comes in through the uh through the windows. This is kind of an aerial of the entrance and kind of showing you an overall facility. You see the big canopy in the front uh with the uh the the tree
style columns that are supporting it. That's the main entrance to to the building. Uh obviously this is a a secure building. So when you look at the other entrances of of the building or the other doors, exterior doors to the
building, those are really required uh emergency exit ways rather than real entrances. The entrance, the main entrance with control security occurs at this location. This is an up close of that. You can see the uh speed table which will slow any
traffic down through the the parking area itself before you get into the uh into the main entrance. This is the facade on layers. Uh purpose of this is to show I think at one point one of the concerns from staff
was are are we hiding the service area of uh the facility. So uh it's very hard to see and and designed in that way that you don't see the dumpsters. uh the trees have kind of been transparent so
uh you can see a little bit better but in reality as you approach the facility from the south uh you really can't see much of any type of service facility there. Uh, another point that I think should be made is that um we have made
every attempt and I think the staff would agree would agree with us and this is in um cooperation with them to salvage as many of the existing trees there. I mean this facility has been there for a very very long time and the
trees that are there are very large. They're mature. They're for the most part in very good health. So we've made every effort to maintain those trees. Uh one of the uh alternative compliance requests was regarding the parking
actually this parking in particular where the parking is required on layers to be 30 ft setback from layers. We have a 19 foot10 setback which is to preserve the uh the parking as it is there and
not incur an additional expense at at really no no uh no need since we are uh I think complying with the intent of creating the streetscape that is required by the CRA.
Uh this is a view of the um the garden area. This garden area is a deck that is elevated above the retention one of the retention areas out here. As you can see, there'll be planting beds for vegetables. There's
going to be uh the towers for hydroponics. Uh in the background, you see a little bit of the shed roof that is over the outdoor classroom. We'll see a little bit better view here. Um this is an area again where the kids are
learning all about the culinary arts. They're learning not just how to cook it, but how to harvest, how to bring it in, how to clean it, how to transport it from one location to another. Um, the outdoor classroom has two soft walls.
Uh, those are green walls. The green walls there in particular are going to have flowered planting material so that we can create a butterfly garden on both sides of this classroom. And if you look a little bit more further to the right there, you'll see another green space
there. That is actually an herb garden. So that the kids will again start to be able to create their own herb gardens. I mean, most of us have herb gardens at home. This is a place where they can come and actually, you know, pick and take home. And so this is part of the
programming that the Boys and Girls Clubs has for their all of their facilities. And this is an overview looking at the facility from I guess the corner of the two preserves if you will, the upland preserves. So that you can
see the extent of the amount of green area that is being preserved, albeit as a soccer field, but you can see the rest of the the facilities in the in the background. As I said before, uh we're trying to
also create an image in the evenings. This is by no means a a showcase or show place. We don't have a lot of intensive lighting, but we do have subdued lighting that will enhance the streetscape uh along layers during the
evening hours. This is what we intend for the corner of the facility to look like. Again, um, elegant lighting, uh, nothing that is really, uh, uh, overly lit and creating
any kind of a of a nuisance, if you, if you will. The entrance, uh, well lit. Again, this is facility that will be used by the community after hours. So, we wanted to make sure that we we had adequate lighting, that we had appropriate lighting for entrances and
identifying all of the main features. This is from a step away again from Lars and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. >> Commissioner Caps.
>> Yes. I had a question about the gym and you mentioned that it could be used for community events. >> Yes. >> You know, appropriate ones. And as far as the size and the scale of that gym,
how does it compare with the one in Stewart? Cuz I've been to a couple of lunchons over there and that's very impressive facility. But I was just trying to think of how how big it is because in in Hopes we we don't have a lot of places where a larger group could
meet. Man, that that could be a nice feature. I'm curious as to how many people could be at something. uh within a hundred within a couple hundred square feet. It's the same size >> as as the one at Steuart and I believe the capacity that we have at Steuart
well one that you're familiar with is somewhere in the 300 350 people max depending on what the seating arrangement might be. >> Okay, good. That'll be a nice thing for for Hope Zone. And then on the contemporary style,
um the one in Steuart is also contemporary, right? >> That's correct. >> Right. So it it's kind of in that flavor and and style of architecture. >> Yes. >> Okay. Well, uh I would move approval.
>> Second. >> Commissioner Heatherington. >> I would I would also lend my support and boy, the Boys and Girls Club has come a long way. My son used to go to after uh care in the fire old fire station on
Martin Towns Boulevard. So um you've made a lot of gains. You've been a good community partner um partnering even with Treasure Coast Basketball and some other organizations lending your uh facilities. So I gladly support you and thank you for your partnership with our
uh residents and our community organizations. >> Commissioner Campy. Thank you, Mr. Okampo. I appreciate that thorough sort of visioning, if you will. Uh, I think now that we have have the
city of Stewart facility built, I there's no need to necessarily have to come hatin. You've already proven the organization has proven themselves. I've had the opportunity to speak at several events, most recently when they had members from other Boys and Girls Club
from throughout the state. We hosted them here. When I say we, I mean you guys did and had the opportunity to meet and speak to a lot of them and they were just so in awe, if not jealous of what we've been able to accomplish here. I think the Boys and Girls Club in
particular shows how generous our community is. >> Absolutely. The facility in East Stewart is absolutely remarkable and I know the financing it was, you know, close north or in in the neighborhood of $20 million to build that. Uh and again, like you
said, the it's already been proven that it is a community facility. Uh I've been there for many events outside of the of specifically the the function of the Boys and Girls Club. It is something that not only the employees that work
there can be proud of the, you know, the students and the clients and the kids that go to it. You know, most of us that are older remember that the Boys and Girls Club, at least the one in my town, they helped you with your homework. They gave you an afterchool snack and maybe you played basketball. And I know you
you are representing more of the project than the organization, but I know that whether it's drones or any of the of the technical skills, the culinary, uh soon to be healthc care and everything else, kids that and as the school districts
and God bless this public school system, as more and more of those extracurricular technical uh things that we're used to having, as they start to strip away from the school system, Our community would be void of them if it
wasn't for the Boys and Girls Club constantly saying, "Wait, you're not going to do that anymore. We'll do it. That program is going away. We'll take it on." Uh, as well as the fact that I think Martin County in particular has really addressed the necessity of mental
health for the kids that come there because like you mentioned, these kids come from very challenging backgrounds. Not all of them, but a lot of them do. Uh, and so when you talk about the design of the building, a lot of us might not take into consideration what
your organization and staff members have to take in when you'll have an aggressive parent that's not entitled to access to even if it's a child, their own child, legally not entitled, and all of a sudden your organization has to build a facility that can handle that.
Um, I think East Stewart is so I I know and I Jimmy is here to talk about how thankful they are because before it was just an idea and now it's a reality and I know that you've had a club in Hob Sound for a long long time and they've
been very fortunate to have this located in the community where your students and kids live is such an advantage and now to take it and have you know again probably in the neighborhood to of a $20 million facility to build it and run it and
staff it. Uh I thank the folks from the Boys and Girls Club that have been so generous with their with their money. You know, this is not a taxpayer funded operation. It's a generosity of our community from their hearts and their
wallets funded operation. So, uh I'm happy that the district commissioner got to make the motion for it. I'm happy to participate and we are so fortunate. So, from my perspective to the Boys and Girls Club folks that are here, thank you very much.
>> Thank you. Mr. Jimmy Smith would like to address us. If anyone else would like to address us, please fill out a request to speak form. >> Welcome back. >> I'm so excited. Thank you. >> Didn't bring anything with you, sandwiches or anything, but I'm just
>> I have some ribs and mac and cheese and all that stuff. >> You'll get it >> soon. Uh, as being the president of Martin County branch, I want to let you know right now, you are the most watched county and city in the United States
through the NAACP National. Right now, we're being watched probably all over the state of Florida. We one of the most watched branches here uh with the excitement of what takes place in Martin County. I want to give my hats take my hats off to you all and the leadership
you're doing here. uh most most most county are adopting what we do here. All right, I just want you to know that. And uh I first I want to say give my hats off to the Boys and Girls Club team. Uh I look back I've been here since 1962
here in Martin County. I don't want to count our age, but uh I see in the the hardship of communities that couldn't afford to have their kids have a decent meal and being able to be educated because they had to work in the fields.
I'm one of the ones that as a little kid picked tomatoes and oy and all that stuff off of Bridge down uh going towards 95 uh with my parents and uh just to make ends meet, miss school. went to school to Donar Elementary when
it was segregated. I look at all those things that that didn't have here in Martin County. Then I look over the years of how Martin County with the love like Mr. Camper was just saying how the love of the people of the community of Martin County comes together with care
and love. You have put together all of you all in Martin County have put together that love and compassion for each other here. I don't I I I I just I'm just so excited in my heart and I know for the fact that the Boys and
Girls Club has set us example in Martin County because I remember that it was only the small like you said we only gave us a snack but now with the Boys and Girls Club give back to community he stood in Indian town when he built one in Indian town and then I think the
president co Mr. Flesh became the president later and then that facility in steward and how the impact it has been for the kid education to be able to advance uh the reading skills I know that JD Parker wanted to fill in schools
it was for our youth and then now with the boys and girl coming it it has it's it's just advanced for these kids now the kids have more activity the kids can see things they can believe they can be something now in life and in the community you just so much love the kids
don't go hungry the culinary school the kids uh they run me down hey Mr. Smith, I learned how to cook uh this and that and they're just so excited at what they offer. And then the one in Hope Sound, I remember when it first started in the their little facility and and over there off of Bridge Road there, most majority
of that's my family on my father's side. I I look at those kids now, those kids are so eager and the education part that they are giving them. I I I just say that Martin County is one of the greatest county to be in in across the world. And you look at the statistics
and it's saying that uh uh what you have here there's nobody go hungry here in Martin County. Everybody got something to give here in Martin County from their heart. And so I say this and I end my what I have to say that uh uh I don't
know it's the president here uh Mr. Fletch. Uh, I take my hat off. This this dude has have a heart and his team, the whole team of the Boys and Girls Club, all the all the staff members, you talk to him and they all I know they work, but they heart is still more than just
the work cuz see, money can't take a place of love. Okay? Money can just help love, but it can't take the place of love. Uh so I just say to them that and to you all I thank you for your support of this this uh facility and what it going to bring to the community and you
did mention about the use for activities on the outside that the boys and club allow the venue to be able to utilize. We don't have many places for a venue that can hold 300 people. Most of the places here only 150 and then the fire department come in and check and see how
many you got in there. So that's they doing their job. But 300 people is a great number for us to use that facility. And I want to say that thank you and thank you for your love and your compassion. You got my support. I support that. I hope you continue to support the great things for the kids
because the kids is our future. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Amen. >> Would anyone else like to address us? And I'll close out the public hearing. There's a motion in a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Commission. I would like to
make a statement. I recognize Mr. Barrett Angler in the back of the room with Proctor Construction who's going to be spearheading uh this development in Hope Sound. And just wanted to give a shout out to you. Uh he's the man that gets things done.
When he looks at you, it's already done. So, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. and I've been to numerous events at the Boys and Girls Club in Stewart, and it's a beautiful facility, but I understand the modifications you've made here, and I think it's well worth the effort. So, thank you.
>> Thank you. We're now going to take a 10-minute break. We will return for our 10:30 preset. >> Thank you, commissioners. >> Thanks. No. We are back taking up item department five
which is request to approve a contract from Synagro South. >> Take away Mr. Graham and Mr. Emerson. >> Good morning, commissioners. Matt Graham, assistant county administrator. Joining me is Sam Emerson, our utilities
and solid waste director. And um later on in the presentation, we'll have Stanley and Andrew from Sedron and Synagro presenting. Um but this agenda item is a request to approve a contract with Synagro South LLC for advanced
waste residuals, processing, and beneficial use recovery. This item before you follows a formal RFP process that was advertised on March 28th, 2025 and subsequently reviewed by the selection committee. The proposed
agreement is for a 10-year term with two optional 5-year renewals. Um, I'm going to turn it over to Sam who's going to talk a little bit about the county's bioolids management program. and then after that um Stanley and Andrew will be
presenting um on Synag. >> Thank you, Matthew. Good morning, commissioners. Um it's good to be here with you once again. I don't get too excited about agenda items. You've probably recognized that over the years, but this one um I'm very excited about the presenting this to you today. This is uh going to put Martin County in a
very good position uh going forward for residuals management. A brief history on our residuals management. I call them residuals, wastewater residuals or bioolids. I'll use that kind of interchangeable. It's the same thing. Um, but a history of the county's bioolids management. In 1983, the county
utilized sludge drying beds. This is where sludge was pulled off the bottom of the clarifier, decanted, and the solids were a very small percentage contact, like content, like one and a half to 2%. So, it was very liquid. This went into an area contained on the ground. It exfiltrated. The bioolid is
dried naturally outdoors and then that was hauled to either land application or a landfill for disposal. In 97 the county advanced that to a lime stabilization and this is a process where you take residuals the bioolids or the sludge. You add lime for a period of
24 hours. You reach a pH of 12. That's as high as you can reach on pH and it destroys all the pathogens and all the viruses uh that may be contained in that in that product. In 2002, the county moved to a mobile uh sludge dewatering
operation where they had a vendor, which I believe was Synagrow at the time, would come on to the uh treatment facility sites, and they would have a mobile centrifuge, bring it on, dewater, and then haul that sludge away. In 2015, the county advanced that even further
and went to a chemical injection process to produce a double A um exceptional quality bioolids. and double A means that it doesn't have 12 of the listed heavy metals above contamination limits uh in those residuals. And then in 2019,
uh, we decided to go to strictly dewatering. And then that dewatered bioolids would be hauled to a composting facility in Indian River, uh, county, which was uh, New Terra, no longer in service. And so most of our bioolids.
Um, much of that is going to landfill application. Um and so moving on to June 8th of 2018, the South Florida Regional Planning Council held a uh symposium, a bioolid symposium. You
may recall that had a number of speakers and presenters there. Three of the presenters um were providing information on um what we call emerging technologies. So these are emerging technologies with new treatment
facilities, new treatment processes. Some of them have been tried and tested. Some are in the development phase. So we got a presentation on advanced paralysis technology. This is using high heat high energy to zap basically the bioolids dry them completely and destroy the
pathogens and the PFAS that may be uh a part of that. Uh the other was a super critical water oxidation process. And then thirdly, um, Janicki Industries presented which we know as Cedron Technologies now, uh, a mechanical vapor
recompression and this is what's being proposed for treatment in this contract. Um, Senagil will sub and partner with Cedron Technologies who has this proprietary process. So moving on, um we s we requested
proposals uh that was advertised in May of 14 of 25 for advanced waste residuals processing and a beneficial roof reuse recovery. The proposals were to include transportation and processing of the bioolids. One proposal was received from Synagrow
South LLC. Selection committee uh was um formed to review that proposal. The pricing in the proposal was I said for transportation and processing using this patented NVR method.
The benefits of contracting with Synagrow at this point we have the ability to execute a long-term contract for the transportation and processing of our bioolids. This provides for budget predictability and security into the future. It provides for beneficial use
recovery of liquid fertilizer in the form of ammonium dried residuals for use as a fuel for either a waste energy facility or even in particular a cement kiln. And with that process it's guaranteed to destroy any PFAS in those
residuals. Um the contract uh as I said assures the destruction of the PFAS and then it also avoids land land application of our residuals which uh was environmental concern for the board over the years the land application and even depositing the bioolids in a
landfill. Uh we just didn't want to put it in someone else's backyard. We really wanted to solve the issue uh permanently. And so like the waste management contract that was approved several years ago that was advertised. The board negotiated that agreement
staff and the board. Um it was a little higher cost than what we were uh paying for currently for that service. Um in hindsight that was a sound decision by the board. It was an outstanding decision. It was a long-term decision uh that provided predictability and a high
level of service. Um, we know that some other facilities, um, actually other cities and counties, um, had some issues following that contract and where they had issues with their service and levels of service. They're paying a lot more for lower level of service. So, in hindsight, the
board uh, made a sound decision there. We're requesting the board uh, look at this contract in a similar fashion. It provides long-term stability. Taking this action will provide secure future for bioolids management and will avoid reactionary responses to proposed
legislation in the future. So it sets the county well ahead of any proposed legisl legislation that may cost us and may rest restrict restrict how we're processing bioolids currently. So that's enough from me and I'll hand it over
back to Matt. >> Sure. Um so I'm going to turn it over to Andrew Bosinger from Synagro. He's going to do a quick introduction followed by Stanley Janicki. >> Great. Thank you very much, commissioners. Thank you for having me here today. Appreciate the opportunity
to uh to be here and to present these these concepts and importantly to be available to answer any questions uh that you may have. Um am I gonna There we go. Um, you know, we're here to talk about this as as well introduced already, the
advanced bioolids processing and and beneficial use contract. Um, and what it means what it means to Martin County. Uh, there's been a been a detailed uh kind of background already provided. So, I will just say that this this this
the priority that Martin County has always had a a clear, you know, and and very thoughtful approach to bioolids, proactive and and I think, you know, what you're hearing today is really about the the results of a of a strategic planning and and then procurement process and and about
implementation of the the strategy that that you've developed. So, Synagro was the uh this recommended respondent to to the RFP. Um, Synagrow is North America's largest bioolids management company. We have about a
thousand contracts across North America where we're providing bioolids management solutions for municipalities. So, I I think it's important to note that that Synagrow isn't a technology supplier. We're not a manufacturer, a designer. We don't represent any
specific technology. We're a solution provider. So our role is to go out into the marketplace and identify the best technologies in the world and bring them to bear for the solutions that best fit the specific market in in which they're designed to serve. And we believe firmly
that the Cedron technology is is is absolutely that technology for for Martin County and for for Florida in general really with its in very sensitive water environment uh for Martin County's goals of of taking bioolids off the land uh and and um you
know being in a very sustainable uh position and I think very very accurately you know in a in a position that's ahead of the market right now. Um, and so I I will let um I will let Stanley uh come up and and address some of the very specifics about um the uh
the Cedron technology, the Indian Town site and the project. >> Thank you very much. >> Yeah. So, thank you all uh for the time and thank you Andrew for the the intro there. Uh, so many of you may have heard a little bit about Sedron before, but we're a spin-off of an aerospace company
called Janick Industries that my father founded in the early 1990s. That company has about 2,000 employees. We spun off Sedron in 2014 with initial funding from the Bill and Meinda Gates Foundation to focus on water and sanitation in developing countries. We then realized
that there's an incredible need for these sorts of technologies here in the US. So we developed what we call the varore system which is what the technology that's that's proposed here uh which uh uh Sam did a great job providing on that is mechanical vapor recompression. So we'll jump into that
here in just a moment. Here's what one of them looks like. This is one up in Seattle. Uh so what it does is it takes the bioolids and it dries them out and it extracts the ammonia. I have to click it twice each time. The ammonia which is one of the nutrients, right? Nutrients come in nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium. the main nutrients. We extract the ammonia. We then make a dry solid product and we do that through distillation. The distillation that we use is mechanical vapor recompression. So normally when you see something getting dried, all this vapor comes off and is lost. That's
heat getting lost in the environment. What we do is we capture that steam and recycle it and use electricity to run that process. That allows us to boil water out of the bool solids for substantially less energy than other technologies. We then combine that with a power plant,
a biomass power plant that takes those dried bioolids. Dried bioolids have the same energy content as low-grade coal. It's absolutely incredible. You take those and you run them into a biomass power plant and you create green electricity. If you draw a circle around our var with the power plant, we
actually have carbon negative electricity, which is incredible to see. We have biofolids come in and electricity leaves. It's very, very cool. We'll take bioolids from a range of wastewater treatment plants in South Florida and of course the intent to take from Martin Countyy's plants as well.
So we're right here at the basically the beginning of Q1. We're hoping to break ground here in the next few weeks, months, and then we'll be off to the races with processing soon after that. So that's sort of uh the high level there. Uh Andrew, do you have more to add? >> No, that's good.
>> Yeah, >> I'm I'm done. And this the rest is yours unless you want me to go. >> No, just keep going. >> All right, just keep rolling. Perfect. Sorry about that. >> Um, yeah, happy to provide some context on what the the markets look like on Bio Solids in South Florida on the new Senate bill that came out on land application banning, which is a a
material thing. It's actually I think that Sam and and Matt and the whole crew have done a great job teeing things up because there's actually it looks like in in June or July land application of bio solids will be prohibited in Florida. And so that's putting the county way ahead of that proposed legislation. Uh the other thing that
you'll notice is is that the majority of wastewater treatment plants in South Florida are actually paying rates substantially higher than this. If you look at what Fort Lauderdale is paying, what Miami date is paying, these are all rates that are substantially higher. So I think that that they've done a great job taking a fiduciary view of this and
and getting a great contract. That's about it. Commissioner Heatherington, um I think in addition to, you know, the Senate bill you mentioned, um isn't the EPA passing some regulation and your technology will um start removing POS
from some of the like that that to me is in in addition to avoiding land application, the removal of the POS out of the material I think puts Martin County leaps and bounds and the EPA is definitely going to pass regul
population I've heard and um that puts us in the forefront of that. >> I we would agree with that. So what the literature says is that you need three things for POS destruction. There are three T's of POS destruction. Time, temperature, and turbidity. And what you
what it means is you got to take your product, you got to hit it up to 900° centigrade. That's in in our biomass boiler. And then you keep it there for 2 seconds or more. And you do it in a turbid environment. So you get plenty of of heat transfer happening in that process. And then you break down the
POS. That's what the literature suggests. You take that POS now that's broken apart. What is a POS molecule? Right? It's florine. It's carbons. It's oxygens. The carbons get turned into carbon dioxide and into energy. When that happens, the florine molecule that comes off of there, we can't have that
go into the environment. So we do is we run it by calcium, which is a a basic environment, and you end up with calcium fluoride. And that's an inert product. So what we do is is the process takes that POS and turns it into calcium fluoride. >> Okay. Thank you. So our this this
agreement is between Martin County and Synagro. What's your role, Mr. Janeki? >> We're the subcontractor for Synagro. We actually will design, build, own, operate, and maintain our technology in Indian Town, which is where it's being built, which is in the county itself
here. Uh it'll be a that >> Okay. Then what's Synagro's role? >> Synagog's role is to be the prime contractor. So we will pick up and service the bioolids management needs of the county every single day including providing as might be necessary backup disposal so that you know the there has
to be 100% continuity of removal and management of of count the county's bioolids. >> So both will be present for the term of the contract. >> Correct. And also um what the capacity of this facility um what percentage of the total capacity is Martin County
going to be absorbing? >> So the plant Martin County is about 8,000 tons of bio solids per year and we're designing the plant for approximately 300,000 tons a year. So it's a relatively small volume. >> Uh but it's it also by having the contract you'll guarantee that availability. >> Okay. And and what kind of space does a
300,000 uh ton facility take up? We're on 14 acres in the village of Indiantown. >> All right. Further questions. Commissioner Caps. >> So, is the plan to for Indiantown to service other
municipalities in South Florida? >> Yes, >> that is the plan. Okay. And um so this is kind of a new thing. How long has this technology been around in some area of the United States? I mean like >> so we had our first operational plant
using this technology in Texas in 2018. >> We then built another facility in Indiana, one in Seattle and then five more in Indiana and then three more up in Wisconsin. >> Okay. So it's it's catching on. >> Yeah. Mechanical vapor recompression
however in various forms has been around for decades as has thermal drying of sludge which has really been been a mainstream drying processing technology for bioolids since 1940s. >> This is it's it's what how I see
personally the the Cedron technology is is innovative um but it's using technologies at its core that are well proven and established. there's you know very little that's not >> very well demonstrated in the market
>> and then uh the the pricing and the cost uh comparison between what we have been paying and for this disposal or whatever you want to call it uh compared to what it's going to cost.
So there there's a very small premium right now. If you just look at the pure numbers of what's the cost per wet ton to to process and beneficially use the the county's bioolids, it's about $10 a wet ton or maybe $80,000 a year, but the
the prices don't really exist that you have now in in the marketplace. the the the very there's a very critical shortage of of bioolids management capacity in Florida right now which is is really you
know the the driver for for this project creating capacity that's urgently needed in the state um so facilities prices have been rising very very fast because of the constraints on capacity uh and you know facilities aren't able to keep
up they there there has been several instances where waste water plants in the state haven't had anywhere to go with their solids and have they've backed up into the waterways. They can. So, um you know what we're seeing now is the prices that you have now. If you rebid that contract right now, you'd get
a much higher price. On top of that, as as you've heard already, you know, there are bills pending in the Senate that are going to ban bio solids land application. That's going to further constrain the market. So, you know, there while there is a that there's a slight premium there, there is, you
know, it it's absolutely, in my view, good public policy and frankly, your staff is is looking they were way ahead of what's happening in the market to participate and and identify new technologies and solutions. Uh, it's
going to benefit not only Martin County, but but the entire region. And then, you know, I'm curious as to how this uh Well, let me ask you this. Is is uh this is going to be the only one in Florida or the first one in Florida?
>> This will be the first uh use of this technology in Florida. >> Okay. And the history of Martin County's pursuit of this type of industry, when when did that start? I know we have the former county administrator in the audience,
Taran Krda, and I think she had a lot to do with that. >> I first started working with people here in Martin County in 2018. So, we've been working for a long period of time. >> Commissioner Smith loved this whole concept. >> Right. Right. Well, one other comment.
You know, I I wrote down before the meeting uh this comment in my notes. What does Samson think? And so if if Sam's for it, that's probably a good thing cuz uh you can't teach an old dog new tricks. And if he's into it,
>> to an old dog, but I can learn new tricks. That's what I heard. >> If he thinks it's a good idea, that speaks a lot. So, >> Commissioner Heatherington, >> I'll just say I think um this sets Martin County apart, you know, as a
leader in the industry both u environmentally and economically. environmentally, you know, we invest so much of our time, energy, and dollars in water quality. And I think this, you know, speaks volumes to that that we're
a leader in the state for um this new technology and economically because we don't need to wait until unfunded mandates hit us because when we are reacting to unfunded mandates from the state or the federal government, then
economically we put our taxpayers at a disadvantage. So, I think addressing this before the unfunded mandates come forward, it puts our taxpayers at an advantage. And I would like to say to Sam and Matt, thank you for the very
diligent job you did working with the companies to negotiate the very best um transaction and deal for our taxpayers. And everybody, I think, did such an amazing job. And it's it again sets us apart as a leader in Martin County. I
would gladly make the motion to support it. >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yes. Um I'd spoken with you in meeting I've spoken with Mr. Emerson also Mr. Graham extensively. Um who owns the land where this is going to
be built? >> Yeah, Taran can answer that. I mean I can answer as well but Taran wants to answer. Come on down. >> Morning, commissioners. Taran Christie for the record. Uh the property where this site is going, Matt, you had a a
site photo, is the juice plant that was uh originally in Indian Town, had over 400 jobs and with the greening of the citrus, it went defunct, if you will, and those jobs were lost. Mr. Gary Henry, who uh was a Martin County
resident. I don't know if he still lives in Martin County or not, but anyways, he uh bought this property and he is repurposing it. This is a true example of economic development where he's taken a site that and with very little
renovations to it, he currently has about 14 different businesses there. There's a crematorium for large animals on that site. There's some boat um marine maintenance on the site. There's a power powder coating facility on the
site. Um his there's a welding company on the site. So this is so as Stanley indicated, he's taking 14 acres on the >> top left. >> On the top left. Actually, it's right here. >> Yeah, that's top left. >> Oh, yeah. You're right. I got to get
myself oriented. So, he'll be on the on the silver fox. uh and also along the railroad tracks there. And uh this will be the site. They worked out an arrangement with Mr. Henry to lease the property for a certain period of time.
And this will put tax dollars. They had the slide up there, but this the county will gain Martin County itself will get over a million dollars in tax revenue just from your general countywide and your fire rescue. And then uh the all the other taxing authorities there's
another million dollars uh within that. So um >> the benefit >> from where >> I'm sorry >> another million from where? >> Well Florida Inland Navigation Children's Services Council, South Florida Water Management District and then the village of Indiantown uh will
realize a over a couple hundred thousand in taxes at the existing millillage rates today. >> Okay. So somebody whispered over here 99year lease. Is that correct? No, I was only kidding. >> Okay, good. >> Because we nearly we need to roll that
back. Okay, that was it's not today. Um, so so in other words, I see here it's it's a 10year and then two five years. Am I reading this correctly with Martin County? Is is that correct? Our agreement with you >> that equals 20 in my mind.
>> Anyway, um, you mentioned I'm sorry I I couldn't hear you because you have a very soft voice. time, turbidity, and what was the other T? >> Temperature. >> Temperature, of course. Okay. And I understand about the PAS and all of that. And yeah, they're definitely going to be squeezing municipalities and
counties, you know, to correct this. I appreciate Mr. Emerson's um thoughtful consideration of this. And of course, um he has light years and this is wisdom, as I will say, that cannot be replaced
at all. has nothing to do with age. You can be young and wise, but that's unusual and so he has a lot of life in him and I know he wants to go snowboarding Colorado. But anyway, having said that, um I have not seen the property. I have, you know, where where
you are. I'm talking about in Washington State and hopefully we'll be able to to look at that. And of course, you have further north I think the the space development. Is that correct? That's with your father. >> Okay. >> Aerospace in general. aerospace in general. My my nephew is an aerospace
engineer with Boeing, so I understand. I don't understand anything about it. He tells me about the wing flap going. I said, "That's great, honey. I'm really glad for you, you know." But anyway, having said that, I appreciate what you're saying. Um, I don't think I have any other questions right now. >> Commissioner Campy,
>> thank you. A couple of points. One, it's interesting that Mr. Emerson, who says he's normally not enthused by agenda items, is very excited by this. >> Interesting, isn't it? >> Yes. And then based on what Commissioner Heatherington said, since we're the first one, and I normally say this exclusively about Mr. Emerson, but now
as a county, we're basically going to be number one in the number two business. >> Yeah, you can have that one. >> I have one more question. >> Well, I'm just I think it's an excellent idea. I know that I mentioned Commissioner Smith had been talking about this and I know that the Florida
Association of Counties has been this has been an issue for a long, long time. I don't think most people have any understanding of after they quote unquote flush their toilets what happens afterwards. It just magically disappears. And when we had originally heard that
it's, you know, processed and then spread out on land, I think most people would be shocked by that. And so for us to once again lead in an environmental arena as we are doing here um it was a long time coming as everyone said and it
was an issue that really until you guys came along didn't look like it had a solution uh that was viable. So with all those things in mind I would happily second commissioner Heatherington's motion. >> Okay. >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yes. I have a question. So you mentioned, I'm excuse Miss Terran had
mentioned about um powder coating, welding, crematorium for animals, um boat building, that sort of thing. So they're all going to be sharing this parcel with you. Is that correct? >> We're going to have we're leasing a portion of the parcel that will be exclusively our parcel. It's an
industrial park that Gary has turned that piece of property into. And there's other tenants on the industrial park, but our spot will be exclusively for us. >> Okay. Yes, I've toured that area. I believe that's an area that we toured and she pointed out different things there. So, just wanted to clarify that. Yeah, exactly. You know, that's not the
reason why I go to conferences because I'm very familiar with the Florida Association of well of counties. As a matter of fact, I'm going to one um in the next couple of days and that's why you have to stay on the cutting edge. If you're here and just sitting in the chair, you really don't know. That's why I encourage my fellow commissioners to
partake in that and any of them can do that. So I'm very well of the well aware of the conversation going on about this and other matters too. >> Mr. Donaldson, >> just one point that I think deserves to be reiterated and the reason why we're
so concerned about our processing of of bioolids and what happens to it and and Martin County was a leader in not allowing um unclassified bioolids uh uh being distributed on on Martin County itself. and this you know
uh and it can get processed in what's considered a fertilizer. So, one of the byproducts of of our sewage treatment essentially would be it would be processed in other communities and then farmers would use it as a fertilizer on their land. And the measurement of
fertilizer was only on one constituent, typically phosphorus or nitrogen, excuse me, and so you would overly apply phosphorus, but it was legal and it also had all other nutrients in there. So we wind up spending extra money in our own communities doing water quality
treatment to these nutrients are coming back on us. So so our interest in this and the commissioner's interest in this a long time has been you know this vicious circle of where are all the nutrients coming from and this is one of those areas and this is a technology
that ends that cycle of any of it coming on the land and that's why we're so focused on it. the and then as we're going through this process POS has emerged as a element of significant concern. Now it's not been banned or or
or res you know identified as a hazardous waste at this point but it is uh highly concerned by all of us and this is also a process that destroys that element. So we're getting a two for in that and I think in the end as Mr. Hmerson pointed out um that um both of
those reasons are going to be legislated in the future, but we wanted to do it initially because we already knew the the cost it takes to remove nutrients from our water once they're already in there. And this and that and that stops it. And and as Mr. Kristo pointed out,
while we are paying slightly more per unit to get it out of there, they are building the facility here in Martin County and the tax revenues will offset any costs that we have than the additional. So, I I think it's a great program. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Mayor Dupalo, would you like to address
us? >> Good morning. >> Happy New Year. >> No, I I had like a five-page speech for you, but I have to listen to everybody. >> Go ahead. >> You all get it. You all get it. >> So, I think we're making history here.
I think this is going to be the future for waste management and you know it's not even waste management. It's just it's it's you know it's preserving our environment. It's environmental.
So we're going to be the leader on that and everybody's going to be watching us. Everybody's going to be coming here just like some of us went to Seattle to uh see how the system works. There'll be a lot of different people coming here from different counties and different mayors
and different county commissioners and administrators from around the country. I think I I mean I I was talking about it. I was up in Boston and I was talking to a county commissioner up in Boston and he he's planning on coming down. He says, "Give me a call when when it's up
and running and we'll I would like to come look at it." So, I think we're making history here. So, thank you all for what you do. Appreciate it. I'm not going to say anymore. 26 is going to be a great year. Thank you. >> Thank you. Would anyone else like to
address us? I've been sitting in this seat for 23 years and we've been looking for this solution for 23 years. A good day for us. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, commissioners.
See you at the ribbon cutting. >> Yeah. Let's take up. Are we doing uh DPQJ2? Is that what we're up to? >> Staying on the same topic. We are taking up
DPQJ2 which is a quasi judicial uh item to consider the American Humane Society Association septic septic system waiver. Uh this is quasi judicial. Any expporte disclosures? Commissioner Vargas,
>> I have any. They have been filed. >> Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. Commissioner Campy, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. >> Yeah. Commissioner Heatherington, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. Uh, anybody who's going to be providing sworn testimony in this case, please
raise stand, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I did. >> Thank you. >> Mr. Elam, have you provided all of your necessary documentation to the clerk? >> Yes, Madam Chair. A copy of the agenda
item and my work history have been turned in. >> Perfect. Please proceed. >> Uh, for the record, Brian Elim. I'm principal planner with the growth management department. Uh the American Humane Association is requesting approval of a waiver of
policy 10.2A.8 of the comprehensive growth management plan which applies to on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems outside the primary urban service district that exceed a total site buildout flow of 2,000 gallons per day. Not to exceed
total site buildout flow of 5,000 gallons per day. The approximate 13 and a half acre property is located at 4903 Southeast Quail Hollow Street at the northwest intersection of Southwest Quail Hollow Street and Southwest Citrus
Boulevard in Palm City. Last January, the American Humane Association met with staff to discuss development of their approximate 13.5 acre property as a rescue center and service dog training facility. and the property is currently being reviewed for minor f minor final
site plan approval under project uh A089-00003. The total site buildout flows for the proposed development are below the 5,000 gallons per day threshold allowed by the waiver and have been approved by the Department of Health. Proposed septic system drain fields meet the required
setbacks for upland preserve areas, water bodies or wetlands and retention and detention areas. Um staff recommends approval of the American Humane Association waiver request and we move that the board receive and file the agenda item as
exhibit one. I move that the board approve the waiver of the 2,000galon per day flow limitation not to exceed total site buildout flow of 5,000 gallons per day. And that concludes my presentation. >> Questions for Mr. Elon? >> Commissioner Caps.
>> Okay. the uh the words onsite sewage treatment and disposal system. Is that what is used to be called a package sewer plant? >> No, this is a septic system.
>> Septic system. Oh, okay. Okay. Tell us the difference between those. Good morning, commissioners. Paul Schilling, growth management director for the record. So the package plant is a different animal entirety that is intended to serve multiple properties.
Uh this property and is going to uh be redeveloped and is currently in the process of being reviewed for that proposal and will be an on-site sewer system meaning it is specific to the 10 acres of which are the subject of this application.
Um it is being permitted by the department of health and following all those criteria. It has been analyzed by the department of health and their representatives and the purpose of the hearing today is because of the limitation on the 2,000 gallons within
the uh regulations. So, the purpose of the waiver today is to request uh the additional flow for the existing site. >> Commissioner, uh on-site uh uh systems are just another word for a septic tank
and drain field. So, it's what you would typically see at a a single family home and a package plant, which would have mechanical pumps and a system uh to to serve a much larger volume typically. So, uh, where you'd have to have an operator, this does not require an
operator. It's just a, uh, as is you would typically see in a, um, in a in a residential community. >> So, what what's the rationale in the comp plan for the uh, 2,000 um, let's see, it's 2,000 gallons per
day limitation. Um, and then and then what is the rationale for an exception? I don't know what the rationale for the 2,000 gallons per day is. >> I do. When it's my turn, I'll tell you. >> Uh it's it's in our code. Uh and that's
the limitation of a you know, the Department of Health has a much higher uh limitation for a property owner. commissioners. I I believe that the rationale was to limit the size of um a facility that would be outside our urban
service district that is uh using a on-site system. So, it was to uh try to uh or at least restrict, you know, uh when it would require board approval if you're going to exceed that volume. So,
uh um if it's less than 2,000, uh this application would not be seen. If it's between 2,000 and the state maximum which is what 5,000 >> 10,000 >> 10,000 um it requires your review to and I believe the board is looking to ensure
that um the facility and its location is such that it would not be harming an adjacent water body. Mhm. >> Mhm. >> And um as far as the frequency of these exceptions, are are they are there a lot of them that are granted for various
reasons or uh >> I know that's a vague question, but >> they are in infrequent. Uh >> infrequent. Okay. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay, that's all. Thanks, >> Commissioner Campy. >> I was here then. Um I think the two key
words that Mr. Donaldelsson used was limit and restrict. the states, unless they've changed it, the state's um number is 10,000 gallons per day. Uh the debate at the time amongst the commission was
to go down to 2,000. We tried to negotiate back to 5,000 and I think at the time what we've come up with is what we're doing today that we would uh primarily make it a 2,000galon per day limit. That's a household or whatever else. And then when something was to
arise that would have a different set of circumstances, it would come before the board. Imagine this whole project could be approved without coming to the board. The only reason it's coming to us is to decide how many times, you know, how many gallons can go into the septic system per day. I remember the argument
was well just because the state is at 10,000 we are different. We just had an agenda item that shows we are different, think differently. So, we had to come up with the compromise of 2,000 gallons and the ability to have an applicant come forward so that we could see what it
was. If it was, and if I'm not mistaken, it might have even been that neighborhood project that was on the couple of homes. It might have been Mr. rains. Couple of homes down like uh off of Island Way and the Locksah Hatchee where they had come forward looking to
get onto a sewer a sewer line and um they wanted some additional housing and instead we said the the the argument was hey they should keep the septic systems and we were saying well they're so close to the locks what are we doing septic
systems for and so that's where the gallon if I'm hopefully not confusing two different items, but the the point being historically we had agreed to 2,000 with the ability to go to more if it had to. So with that in mind, I would make a motion that we accept the waiver
to go to 5,000. I've had the opportunity specifically within the applicant that we're discussing today. I've had the opportunity to go out there. It is a beautiful facility that will be rehabbing and rescuing uh dogs. Uh, and then also their other issue is they're
going to be training service dogs for veterans and other folks that need service dogs. They're nationally recognized organization that has decided to uh build a facility here in Martin. It's out off of Citrus on a very large piece of property. It's not on a water
body. Um, so to go from 2,000 to 5,000 to allow them to do what they need to do out there. We are fortunate to have them in conjunction with our own humane society. Uh, so to go from 2,000 to 5,000, which is still half of the state
daily limit, I think makes perfect sense. >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yes. Okay. So, um, this is to growth management question. So by virtue of the fact that a septic system will be built to a capacity
maximum of 5,000 is that correct? That that would be the policing factor. Is that correct? >> That's correct. The permitting uh in effect currently would be the flow rate is in here. I think it's 3,400 >> 314.
Right. But the absolute limit is 5,000. Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. And so is the potential they could come back and ask us to increase if the state is 10,000. >> There is no provision to go over 5,000. >> There will not be. >> Correct.
>> Okay. >> Second. Commissioner Heatherington. >> Yes. So any uh septic tank would would take into account the DP's 2030 advanced treatment system requirements
in their uh application. >> Yes, Commissioner. It'll have to comply with the state's requirement um which that is li it depends on your location and proximity to an impaired water. But if that does qualify, they would have to
upgrade that to make meet that that 2030 standard. >> Okay. I'm supportive. >> Any further questions for staff? Commissioner Vargas. >> Okay. Um I just want to clarify this. There is no water body visible not visible from the street from
the property adjacent to this. >> There are wetlands on the property that have been encompassed in a preserve area management plan for several years. Uh the sighting of this the equipment associated with this meets the demonstrated setback criteria from any
water body which we could get into but it's it it meets the all those criteria. >> We want to protect that. We're working hard. >> Yes ma'am. >> To do that. >> Absolutely. >> Yes. >> Is there an applicant presentation? >> Apparently not an applicant here. Uh we
will would anyone from the public like to address us? Seeing none, we will come back to the board. There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I >> opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. We'll now
go on to DPQJ, which is a quasi judicial uh hearing requesting approval of the final site plan for the discovery planned unit development phase 1D tract R3 pasture recreation area. Mr. Elam,
this is quasi judicial. Any exparte disclosures? Commissioner Vargas, >> I have any. Uh, it's been filed. Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. Commissioner Campy, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. >> And Commissioner Heatherington, >> I don't have any and that's been filed.
>> Anybody who's going to be providing sworn testimony, please stand up, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> Mr. Elam, have you provided the clerk
with all of your necessary documentation >> as a copy of my work history and the agenda item? Madam Chair, thank you. >> Thank you. Please proceed, Mr. Elam. >> All right. Uh, for the record again, Brian Elen, principal planner with the growth management department. This is a
request by Lceto and Associates on behalf of Atlantic Fields Club LLC for final site plan approval for the phase 1D within the Discovery PUD. The final site plan includes the construction of an access road from phase 2C to access
pasture areas, temporary sales center, building, parking areas, barn, and related supporting infrastructure. Included with this request is a certificate for public facilities reservation. The phase 1D is approximately 15 and 3/4
acres and is located in the northwest area of Bridge Road and Southeast Discovery Drive intersection in Hope Sound. The current zoning on the property is the discovery planned unit development zoning agreement with the future land use of um rural lifestyle.
This is just a uh a picture of the phasing plan so that you can see the site and and the area that we're talking about for the phase 1D final site plan is highlighted in red. And this is uh sheet one of the phase 1 D final site plan which is uh the
pasture recreation area. Uh you can see the access road really that I that I mentioned before is here to the adjacent organic farm which will be coming up uh next I believe. Uh they have uh these
are production I believe uh farms and this is the sales center and a barn. So review of this application by the local planning agency is not required. Development review staff have found the
Atlantic Fields Club LLC application to comply with all applicable regulations of the comprehensive growth management plan is detailed in our staff report and staff recommends approval of this application. We move that the board receive and file the agenda item and its attachments, including the staff report
as exhibit one, and move that the board adopt the resolution approving the phase 1D final site plan for the discovery PUB project. That concludes my presentation. >> Questions for Mr. Elan? Applicant, do you have a presentation?
>> Good morning. For the record, my name is Morris Krady, senior partner with Lucido and Associates. On behalf of the applicant, I do not have a presentation. We are in full agreement and I appreciate Brian's job of uh describing the the phase that this phase and the next two phases are consistent with the
approved master site plan and the PUD agreement and all the conditions of approval. Um this is uh you know this is probably the least of the of the uh activity on this particular phase. This is right at the entry to the project. What you see today is pasture land out
there. This is really enhanced pasture with barns and a sales center that's going to be uh constructed. Um the next phase is the organic uh uh farm phase where we have a farm-totable restaurant. And then the the the last phase that's going to be heard today is the adventure
park which is the recreational amenity for the uh for the project. So we don't have a presentation, but I do have Rick Melory here to give you just a brief update on the progress of the project and to answer any questions you may have on the operation. Good morning, Madam Chair, members of
the board. Um, my name is Rick Malori, senior vice president of development for Atlantic Fields. Um, I appreciate the time today. I'm just going to give you a real quick update on where we stand. Um, we have now been in development of the property for a little over two years. Um, we started basically two years ago
in October. Um, most of our infrastructure now is complete. Uh we are in the process now of final testing of water systems, sanitary systems, startup of lift stations, etc. Um and then constructing and final paving of
some of the roadways that are that are remaining. Our east loop is complete. The west loop is is um constructed but still needs to be paved. Uh we do anticipate primarily finalizing all of the infrastructure fully certified and done probably by
March, April time frame. Um depending on testing maybe a little bit later. Um we do now have both golf courses are open to the members. Um we opened some new facilities this year including the two comfort stations on the golf course, uh
the golf house and the performance center. So, those are all completed and active and and operational at this point. Um sales, can't complain, have been going pretty well. We've sold 133 lots so far. Um we've closed 114 of that
133. Um we have probably 10 to 12 more in the pipeline that we feel should be contracted between the next couple of months. Um it's been a good season for us so far. Um some of the other things that we've done um landscaping wise, we've planted now almost 11,000 trees,
350,000 shrubs. Um that includes on the golf course, the roadways, starting the perimeters, etc. Um the only other thing that I think was left out hanging of our um public benefits, I know we had done
the tree farm was put into conservation. We had uh taken care of the train station. We've taken care of the park and that dedication and I believe and the park now is actually they're occupying the facilities and planning how they're going to utilize them and open them to the public. I would
anticipate that probably sometime this year that that'll that'll take place. Um but the last thing was a habitat restoration area. All of the earth work is completed there now. Um and we'll go ahead and begin the planting um and landscaping of that area here in first quarter. Um, so with that, that's kind
of a quick update of where we're at, but happy to answer any questions. >> Commissioner Campy. >> Thank you, Mr. Mccuri. Um, yeah, from the beginning of the time that we heard about the project that you guys were thinking about coming out, um, had the opportunity to review Discovery Land
Company and see what they had accomplished elsewhere in the world. So, I was always so appreciative of getting to have this project in Martin County. You mentioned I mean you you live it so it's different but when you talk about 11,000 trees and 350,000 that's before a
lot of the houses are even built. We're not talking about site. This is just your work. This is just common. This is common area which is remarkable and uh it doesn't go um unappreciated by me and I think a majority of our residents most
people have no idea what you're doing down there. they'll reap the benefits in their tax collection that for the schools and us and and all the other taxing authorities. Um you guys were the first of the premier folks that came our way and so
uh really appreciate it and I would make a motion to accept staff's recommendation. First of three today. >> Commissioner Caps. >> So how many lots are in the whole development? >> 317. >> 317 and 133 have been sold. Correct.
>> And then so the plan would be to eventually build 317 houses. >> The plan is for 317, but we have buyers that have bought multiple lots adjacent to each other. >> Mhm. >> So I would expect with unity of title, we're probably
going to end up around 310. >> Okay. >> Somewhere in that area. >> And then how many have actually broken ground? >> Um, good question. We have 26 developer built that are under construction. We have another five customs. So there's about 30 houses
under construction. We would anticipate the first cos um sometime June Julyish um in theory obviously a resident can move in but I think our residents are a little more seasonal. So we really anticipate starting occupancy with
residents sometime September, October. >> Okay. And then uh there's a little road on the eastern border of that that goes north and that's going to be the public access to the Atlantic Ridge State Park.
That's >> correct. Yes. >> You know, many people don't even know that that is a state park because there's no real evidence of a state park in the southern part of the county down at Bridge Road. you know, uh, you can you can enter the Atlantic Ridge State
Park from Cove Road back on Gaines Avenue, and my wife and I have gone in there before, and it's a little dirt road that you have to kind of hunt for. And then there's a gate there that has the phone number for Jonathan Dickinson State Park
on there. and uh you you dial that number and they'll let give you like accommodation and you can go in and walk the trails from Cove Road south toward Bridge Road. But hopefully one day uh we
will have trails cut in from Bridge Road coming up north that join in with those trails. Um the cove road trails I'll call them. Um, so that you can uh you know take your horse or or uh or walk or your
mountain bike or whatever and and and ride trails from Cove Road all the way down to Bridge Road through the wilderness. And it's going to be really cool one day when we have that. And um it's as far as that road on the eastern border of the property there. Who owns
the road? >> We own the road, but um the park has a dedicated easement on it. >> Mhm. that was done by the plat. >> Okay. >> Um my understanding now the park actually is living out there. They have a a person in residency at the the building that we donated.
>> Um I hearing give or take they're going to do something this year with as far as opening it up to public access. >> Um I know the idea is obviously to connect the trail systems. >> Um they're going to have vendors for horseback riding and other things out there. I just don't know their official plans yet.
>> Right. Well, we look forward to having that. That's going to be nice. >> We do too as our residents also do. >> Thank you, >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yes. Uh, what is the anticipated tax revenue final buildout? >> Um, I'm going to go out and guess
probably somewhere in the 40 to 45 million a year. >> Is that correct? >> I'm I'm not an accountant. >> On your studies, what do you anticipate? Well, I I mean, I can say that effectively this year our tax bill was in the 25 million range, and that's
before a house is on there. So, I think 40 is probably reasonable. >> Okay. Since these are part-time homes, they wouldn't be homesteaded property. >> We have some residents that are going to be, you know, family oriented that kids in school, so they may homestead, but I would suspect the majority would not be
>> because this is a big year for adoran taxes. So, >> understand. >> Commissioner Heatherington. Yes. So, um, Mr. Milory, you had 317 homes. What's the total property, um, including the tree farm acreage and can you describe
the mechanism that was put in place to conserve that, uh, perpetually? >> Sure. Um, our property, the developable property is 1530 acres. The tree farm is 800. Um, the 800 acres was put under a permanent agricultural easement. So, basically, all of the development rights
on that property were removed. That is a three-party agreement that was done between um us as the owner, Becker as the owner, the county, and Conservation Florida. Um basically what we've done is bonded that to Conservation Florida and
provided them um basically a revenue source. So they come through once maybe twice a year and inspect it to make sure that we're basically doing everything according to what the easement agreement is. Um and that's obviously in place for perpetuity.
Thank you for keeping the corridor rule and I'll be glad to second it. >> Any further questions? Would anyone from the public like to address us? Seeing none, I'll close the public uh meeting. And there's a motion and a
second on the floor. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you. We will now go on to the organic farm DPQJ4 which is also quasi judicial. Uh Commissioner Vargas, any exparte
disclosures? >> I have any, they've been filed. >> Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. Commissioner Campy, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. >> Commissioner Heatherington, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. This anyone who's going to be providing
sworn testimony, please stand up, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> Mr. Elam, have you provided all of your documentation to the clerk?
>> There's a copy of my work history and the agenda item. >> Thank you. >> Please proceed. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, commissioners. Um, this is a request by Ledceo and Associates on behalf of Atlantic Fields Club LLC for final site plan approval
for phase 2C within the Discovery PUB. The final site plan includes the construction of new access roads from Southeast Discovery Drive, the farm packing house, production green houses, starter green houses, production beds, shade house, farm-to-table dining hall,
grill, outdoor dining, playground, parking, and various supporting elements and infrastructure improvements. Included is a request for a certificate of public facilities reservation. Phase 2C is approximately 8.15 acres and located west of Southeast Discovery
Drive, approximately a half mile north of Southeast Bridge Road in Hometown. Uh current zoning is the Discovery Plan unit development zoning agreement and the future land use is Rural Lifestyle. Uh this is a
shot of the phasing plan. Outlined in red is where the location of the phase 2C site is. And this is sheet one of the phase 2C final site plan. You can see that they have
production green houses uh planters and various things that I described here. And then the dining hall here and the parking areas. Review of this application by the local
planning agency is not required. And development review staff have found the Atlantic Fields Club LLC application to comply with all applicable regulations and the comprehensive growth management plan as detailed in the staff report. Staff recommends approval of this application. We move that the board
receive and file the agenda item and its attachments, including the staff report as exhibit one, and move that the board adopt the resolution approving the phase 2C final site plan for the discovery PUD project. That concludes my presentation.
>> Questions for Mr. Elam, Mr. Krady. >> Okay, for the record again, my name is Morris Krady here on behalf of the applicant. We agree with everything that Brian has presented to the board and uh we're glad to answer any questions. Commissioner Campy, >> I'll cut to the chase and say I'd like
to make a motion to accept staff's recommendation. >> Commissioner Caps, >> wonder if someone could explain uh how many phases are there at Discovery and what are what are the purposes for uh approving things in phases? Um
Rick or >> yeah that we we created I think there's about 16 different phases on the phasing plan on the approved phasing plan and what they describe is is a particular element. Um the first phase for instance was the entire site work for the entire
project for the entire 1500 acres. So each of these other phases are tied to plats the plats that were recorded. So within this organic there's a track of land that applies particular to this phase. And so on that track of land is where we do all the site data tabulation
and everything else so that each of these phases have a separate final site plan. And so if we change something in the future we're just revising that final site plan. We're not having to revise everything in the entire project. So we we break them out according to the construction schedule that you know that
they have. Um, like you said, the the next phase is the adventure park, which is the amenities for the uh for the the project. But that's the purpose is to is that be able to do these in individual site plan applications so that we're not revising the entire project or trying to
reapprove the entire project all at once and and broken down into con based on construction schedule more than anything else. Okay, >> good. Thank you. >> It's how you eat an elephant. >> Yeah, >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yeah. Um,
so this reminds me of what's that other development? New field. Everybody's doing the farm thing, planting. >> Is that like in vogue when they first had work live? You know, multi-story >> reinvented. >> Um, again
with Atlantic Fields. Um, it's a pretty common amenity in all of our projects. Um farm-totable dining has been a a kind of a invogue I guess for the last probably 10 or 15 years. So um we will create the restaurant facilities and
obviously the the farming facilities to go along with it. >> I say next to that it's car washes and storage facilities. >> We have no intentions in putting a storage facility or car wash on there. >> I like factory the table. >> Any further questions? Would anyone from the public like to address us? Seeing
none, we'll close the public hearing and come back to the board. There's a motion to approve. Is there a second? Thank you. >> I'll also second it. >> Didn't you make the motion? >> Second. >> Well, there's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion
passes unanimously. on to DPQJ5, which is a quasi judicial public hearing requesting approval of the final site plan for the discovery planned unit development phase 4, which is the uh adventure park. This is quasi judicial.
Commissioner Vargas, any expparte disclosures? >> I have any, they've been filed. >> Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> I don't have any and they've been filed. Commissioner Campy, >> I don't have any and that's been filed. Commissioner Heatherington, >> I don't have any and they've been filed. >> This anyone who's going to be providing
sworn testimony, please stand, raise your right hand, and be sworn in. >> Do you swore affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I did. >> And Mr. Elam, have you provided documentation, all the necessary documentation to the clerk? >> Thank you, Madam Chair. This a copy of
my work history and the agenda item turned in for exhibit one. >> Please proceed. >> All right. Again, for the record, Brian Elim, principal planner with the growth management department. This is a request by Lceto and Associates on behalf of of Atlantic Fields Club LLC for final site
plan approval for phase 4 within the Discovery PUB. The final site plan includes the construction of the adventure park consisting of a water park, baseball field, boat dock, and other indoor and outdoor amenities. included is a request with this
application is a request for a certificate of public facilities reservation. Phase 4 is approximately 18.88 acres located east of southeast thoroughbred drive approximately 1.7 milesi north of Bridge Road in Hope Sound.
Uh the current zoning is the Discovery Plan unit development zoning agreement and the future land use is rural lifestyle. Uh this is a picture of the phasing plan and outlined in red is to give you an idea of where uh the phase 4
construction is occurring. It's a picture of the phase or sheet one of the phase 4 final site plan. You can see the baseball field. Uh this actually is uh bordering a a large lake. So there's a dock, a boat dock here. We
have the parking, the water park. Uh some of these are indoor and outdoor amenities, tennis, not sure all the different uh amenities, whatever they would like. So review of this application is not
required by the local planning agency and development review staff have found the Atlantic Fields Club LLC application to comply with all applicable regulations and the comprehensive growth management plan is detailed in the staff report. Staff recommends approval of this
application. We move that the board receive and file the agenda item and its attachments including the staff report is exhibit one and move that the board adopt the resolution approving the phase 4 final site plan for the discovery PUB project. That concludes my presentation.
>> Questions for Mr. Elam, >> Mr. Krady. >> Hey, thank you for the record again. On behalf of the applicant, we're in agreement with everything that Brian has presented to the board. This is not your typical recreational amenity as you can see from the site plan. Um, and as Brian
mentioned, it does provide just about everything that you could possibly need in a recreation adventure park. Um, so with that, we'll answer any questions you may have. >> Mr. Campy, >> um, starting to get like a Groundhog Day feel, but um, I think
these amenities are probably going to be fantastic for the folks that live here. Um, I'd make a motion to accept staff's recommendation, >> Mr. Caps. >> Uh, second, provided that there's public access to the adventure park portion.
>> Okay, that was a joke. It's just a second. >> I have a question. The um the whole parcel is 18.8 acres. How much of that is water park? Who's the utility provider? How big is the water park? How much water is it using? Water is a
precious resource here. I would hope that we were very conservative about agreeing to providing uh a consumptive use permit to this facility. >> Um I'm I'm going to take these in little bite-sized pieces if you don't mind.
>> Um the overall site is as Brian mentioned is about 18 acres. The pool area and stuff is probably 2 3 acres. Um our public water source is SMRU. That's that's our water supply for
portable etc. Um we do have consumptive use permit for irrigation and those type of things. Um that is also or is done through hope St. Lucy conservancy district as part of their overall DNI permit. Um I think our consumptive use
and and this is a little the conservancy district gets a consumptive use permit for all properties within the district and then those properties are assigned a certain value or certain quantity. Um the property was assigned the quantity
of water for irrigation and those purposes based on um citrus at the time because that's when the conservy district was was put in place. Obviously the amount of water that we use currently for irrigation is considerably less than citrus. I mean fraction of
quite frankly. Um so we have plenty of available water through our consumptive use and obviously then through the the portable supplies through SMRU. >> Do are are any of the other HO St. Lucy conservancy district uh members do they
any of them have anything besides agricultural uses? uh >> big it's a big district so I I don't know >> well it's there's agricultural uses and then a a fairly substantial part of the
district is owned by South Florida and that's just basically preservation area so I would say if you combine South Florida and the the other property owners it's probably 5050 between egg and preservation or conservation or own,
you know, public lands. I guess you say, >> does anybody know how big Sailish Splash is? >> I do. >> How big is it? >> 10 acres including the parking lot and the remaining sites. >> How big is the water park?
>> Couple of acres, I think. You know, if you take >> this is going to be bigger than Sailish Lash. It says it's going to be two or three acres. >> No, but I mean I'm talking you got to talk about the amenities. We have a very small lazy river. We have two water
slides and then we have a little bit of a splash pad. So when we talk about acres, you can't really use that to figure out what the activities are. A lot of ours is concrete for chase lounges and things. There's a building that has classrooms and locker rooms.
The other side of the acres that I was talking about is the competitive swimming pool and the learn to swim pool. So when we speak about acres, if they could probably build two water slides similar to what we built at Sailfish Splash, because we built
Sailfish Splash to be, and I don't know if it's 10, I think it was a $10 million project. It might be a little less than 10 acres. Uh those are moderate water slides. They could have comparable water slides on their property, but ours are
not like the rapids or Disney level stuff. Ours are relatively small. Also, our lazy river is considered a very small lazy river. And in terms of water usage in most of these places, the evaporation is the biggest use. They
don't require a tremendous amount of constant water because once you fill them up, you're filtering the water or heating the water or cleansing the water. So, it's not like you're filling this thing up every day. So, it requires a decent amount of water, but like Mr.
Mal Cury said, a citrus grove requires way more water than they could possibly use on this. Selene Dion had her own water park in her on her property on Jupiter Island and she got beat up pretty good. But
that was just that was because if you looked at her water consumption versus her nextdoor neighbors that just had single residential homes and pools. She had a water park. >> This is a water park. >> This is also called a water park. >> It is it's a it's a beautiful
substantial amenity. There's no question. >> Yeah. It's going to be consuming a a lot of one of our most precious resources, >> less than it used to. >> Commissioner Vargas. >> Yes. Um, Madam Chairwoman, I'd like to understand your concern about this. I
can see that, you know, we're trying to, you know, put our our selfish splash park, you know, comparable to this, but it's not. This is huge. This is huge. >> I wonder if it was our utility if we had been so eager to permit it. I wonder
too. Unfortunately, it wasn't here. >> So, >> well, it's not it's South Martin. It's not Martin County. >> I mean, this is going to be a real real big consumptive use permit. >> It's really not a consumptive use
permit. So, we will obtain our portable water through our normal channels through SMRU. Our consumptive use permits are already in place through our DNI. So we have more than adequate volume of consumptive use for all of the the needs
that we have and it's actually considerably less than when the property was being when was being farmed for citrus. Considerably less >> and in an agricultural use you're spraying the water out onto the ground and it goes into the soil. this you're
filling up a water park and obviously it's going to require substantial amount of water, but it's not going into the soil every single day. The the pools and the and the amenities are filled up and recycled and recirculated and filtered. It's I mean it sounds like it's
tremendous amount, but it's not to the levels that other people that have come here that are just spraying it out onto the ground. Commissioner Caps, >> sort of a general question for for people who may not have followed this
stuff all the time. Um, tell us a little bit about the consery district and what its purposes are and who's in it in that area and and I believe there are more of them in other parts of the county. Is that right? Or something. >> There are Hope St. Lucy is a 298
district. filed under chapter 298 Florida statute which is basically a a irrigation drainage district. Um there's a number of properties that are included within it. Um that legislation I believe the initial legislation was approved
somewhere back in the early or 90s somewhere in there and then it was amended in 2006 to add some other recreational powers and things like that for the land owners. Um, there are
I'm and I'm don't quote me on these acreages because I'm not a 100% sure, but I would guess probably 15 to 20,000 acres of land that's incorporated within the district and its various parcels,
um, including private land owners and South Florida Water Management District. I think South Florida Water Management District is the largest land owner in the district. Um, and I want to say theirs is probably somewhere around 10,000 acres. Um, but basically it
operates um as a kind of a a pseudo government. Um, it's ran by the land owners. The board members are elected by the land owners. Um, there's assessments that are um given to each land owner every year based on
um maintenance of the the master infrastructure that supports the irrigation and drainage for the the properties. And then if there's any individual projects or maintenance that are done on on those properties that may becomes part of the assessment for that property. Um but basically what it ensures is it you know it's not tax
dollars that are being used. It's an assessment that is build directly to the land owner by the district and it's actually goes through the tax role. Um, so at the call it September, the district sends our assessment roles to
the tax assessor and then that's added to the tax bill for those land owners. >> Okay. So, u would Palmar be another example of a it's its own. So, this is kind of like another Palmar thing uh in
Hopetown. Um, and there are other ones in Palm City too or out by Indian. So they we have troop uh Indian town uh drain district uh hope St. Lucy Conservancy District. Palmar is kind of its own unique thing, so I don't want to compare that to the other ones, but uh
um you know, Palm City Farms had one. It went defunct I think in the 40s or 50s. And so um if you look in other counties, there were usually a lot of drainage districts. Um Martin County is kind of unique in that all of our separate
drainage districts were agricultural only and the urban areas don't have it. But you go south of us and there's, you know, uh, uh, if you live in Palm Beach County, almost everybody lives, they get a separate tax bill for the drainage district they live in, whether it's Lake
Worth or, uh, or South Indian River water control district, nicknamed Sir Wicked, right, is a northern Palm Beach. There's a whole host of them. uh you know, blackahhatche district. But anyway, not to get blavored into it other than it's
an educational moment for you all is we don't have those. So the county winds up being the drainage provider for most of its residents where other communities you have multiple drainage providers. Not only the county, but you have these
districts that take responsibility for canals, ditches, and things like that. And then I I'll I'll mention one other thing uh just uh about Discovery that I thought was quite impressive. Um
next to you is a large parcel that has uh the southern tip of the South Fork River on it. South Fork. And as I remember talking to you before,
there used to be more the water that used to go into the South Fork there was used to be dirtier than it is now. That that some of the things you've done it >> help to clean the water up before it goes into the South Fork. >> It is because prior to developing the
property, it was agricultural. So the discharge had there was no treatment for the discharge at that point. So through our development, we've incorporated 200 plus acres of storage. Um we've also accounted for 320 acres of land adjacent
to us that we take that their discharge and bring it into our property. So all that goes through treatment now before it goes into the South Fork. So yeah, we did we did provide good benefit there. >> Thank you. >> Mr. Elam, you would know this. I seem to recall also that Harmony Story is in So
St. Lucy Conservancy District. It's not okay. I thought it was. Any further questions? And would anyone from the public like to address us? Returning to the board, I believe. Is there a motion in a second? >> I have a motion.
>> Motion and a second. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. That motion passes unanimously. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Moving on to Commissioners, you want to chug through all this stuff until we break and then
we'll come back at 5:00. >> Look at this headshake. Yes. >> Yeah, everybody. Okay. Sounds good to me. Uh, let's do department one, Office of Management and Budget items, which require board approval. >> Give me a candy. >> I have a scone. You need a scone. >> I'm kidding. >> Let me give you a piece of a scone.
>> Good morning. Stephanie Merley, director of OM here. afternoon um to give you six items on OM today. The first item is a permission to accept the FY2526 Spencer Educational Foundation Summer
Internship Grant for a riskmanagement student intern. Our risk management division is requesting the award of $7,500 for funding of a student intern and there is no cash match required. The second item is a permission to accept the FY26 Surfing Evolution and
Preservation Foundation grant. Our ocean rescue division is requesting um the acceptance of $3,180 to fund the purchase of two training mannequins to enhance Ocean Rescue's training capabilities. There is no cash match required on that one.
Item number three is the permission to accept the FY26 mosquito control agreement from the state of Florida. Our mosquito control division is requesting the acceptance of $61,8556 um for the mosquito control purchase of chemicals for arthropod control. There's
no cash match required for that one. Item number four is a permission to accept the Florida Inland Navigation District or fine grant for the Fiddler Crab Access Project. Our ecosystem division is requesting the acceptance of 119,000
to fund um the Fiddler Crab Access Project for a boardwalk 6-foot structure and a floating dock. There's a $119,000 county match required which is programmed in our Fiddler Crab Access FY26 CIP budget.
Item number five is uh permission to accept the amendment number two for the FD um agreement for uh our utilities and solid waste department. Um this is a non-monetary change that is just reducing the number of connections um to
ensure that project connection schedule aligns with the duration of grant funding. Also it updates special audit requirements. There is no monetary implication or cash match required for this amendment. >> Can we pause there and explain to me why
we're reducing the number of connections to the central sewer system from 850 to 400? Tell me why and tell me where. Sure. Good. Uh good afternoon, Commissioner. For the record, Sam Ammerson, Utilities and Solid Waste Department. Um this item uh the D
recognized that we were having some difficulties in this one project area. We had anticipated several years ago when we submitted for this grant. We suggested that we would be able to uh apply grant funding to 850 connections.
the connections were not happening that quickly and so the the D recognized that and instead of losing out on grant funding they've reduced the number of requirements therefore allowing more dollars to go for each connection. >> Okay. >> And so it was an effort to utilize all
the grant funding available and not have to turn things back because we couldn't get to 850 connections during that time frame. >> And where is the project that's being imp impacted? >> Uh these are uh multiple locations. These this one was not project specific. What we've done, we've changed our
strategy over the last few years and instead of doing specific on-site connections for a specific project, it's uh it's area. So, it will apply to anyone that needs to connect. >> And also, um our septic to sewer
projects have uh been the subject of terrific inflation over the last couple years. You see any lessening of that? Uh, I think we did. We just recently, you awarded the um bid for the septic sewer system for Coral Gardens.
>> Yeah, >> that came in well under our engineers estimate which was based on recent pricing and inflation. Um, that's just a point in time, but once we receive bids uh in the next few months for Port Solerno, New Monrovia, I think we'll
know then and have a better feel for inflationary impacts. I mean, we don't see the the rate of inflation as it was. I mean, it's slightly slowly coming down the rate of inflation, but um once we get those bids in um for Porcelo, I
think we're we're going to be able to determine that yeah, things are turning around. We're seeing some pricing leveling off. >> And any other grants in jeopardy because we're running out of time? >> No, ma'am. >> Okay, good. Thanks. >> Thank you.
Item number 6A um is a request to allocate unanticipated contribution from the US Sailing Center for the phase 2 overflow parking lot project at Indian Riverside Park. The county has received a contribution of $31,350
to use towards the construction. Um this is based on an me memorandum of agreement between Martin County and the US Sailing Center and OM is requesting a budget resolution to appropriate those funds. Um 6B is a request to allocate an
unanticipated contribution from the hog striping storage final site plan. So as agreed upon in the hog striping storage development or order, the owner has agreed to compensate for $181 required trees. Um we are in receipt of $42,716.
These funds will be used to plant the excess trees on an approved public site within District 4. >> Who's going to make that determination? Commissioners, Paul Schilling, growth management director for the record. So, this is the hog striping site plan. This was approved uh by way of a minor final
site plan application which I signed in August of this year. One of the requirements of that development order is to provide this payment. Um, we don't have the plan on the screen right now, but it is an open yard with a commercial
building approximately 20,000 square ft. And one of the provisions in the in the landscape regulations provides that if you cannot first of all we we managed to um our staff managed to save Peter may know a little bit more about this some
significant Champion oak trees on the perimeter um which are uh un unaffected by the proposed development but there are provisions in the in the plan the land development regulations which state that if the is more burdensome to put
the more material on the site. There are provisions to compensate. So the 181 trees results in 42,000 approximately and that is the purpose of this agenda item. >> And do we know where those trees are going to be planted and who's going to determine where they're going to be
planted? >> Um, as far as I I understand, uh, public works and Yep. >> You could use a few of those in Hope Sound. and district four >> and Palm City. >> Oh boy,
>> Beach. >> And normally you would divide it out evenly over the five districts. I'm just saying >> do that. >> Jim Gordon, public works director. So our urban forestry division is the one that's working on locations. They're going to meet with the district commissioner with some proposals on
locations that make sense. >> Okay. Terrific. Commissioner Campy, I >> I had a question about one of your other items. Are you done? >> I got one more >> and then I'll ask my question. Okay. And finally, we have a request to allocate the um anticipated reimbursement from the state of Florida
for health department renovations. Um our general services department is administering the administering the renovation work on behalf of the state of Florida for the Steuart and Indian Town Health Department facilities. Um there the scope of work includes first floor reconfiguration and modifications
to walls, doors, and workstations. Um, and the state of Florida has issued the purchase orders to the county of $232,936 that OM is requesting to appropriate into the budget. And that's it. >> Questions for Miss Merurl? >> I had a question about the ocean rescue
mannequins. Is there anybody here from Ocean Rescue that I could speak to? >> Yes. >> Guy's dressed up. >> Happens. We have a >> Guy's dressed up. He's in his class A. Can't let him hide in the back of the room. Uh, what have you been using currently?
Have you been using volunteers? And, uh, >> uh, Ian Moala, ocean rescue chief with Martin County Fire Rescue. Uh, commissioner, I can always rely on you to call me up. >> I'm here for you. >> So, thank you. >> But, um, yeah, so to answer your question, uh, we do tend to use each
other for our, uh, training scenarios each morning. Our, uh, captain organizes our, uh, weekly trainings. So, anything that's in the water, we'll typically use each other for um any kind of water related emergency training. So, these mannequins, I think, will really enhance
our training capabilities. We'll have one that we'll be able to use in the water. Um and then another one we can transfer to. It's a half mannequin uh that will uh simulate a an an adult airway. So, we can use the uh the adult mannequin in the water uh which will be
heavy, about 150 lbs. Um, and then we can transfer over >> if it's full of water too, maybe. >> But, um, uh, you know, the we also having the the training mannequin to simulate an airway that we can use, um, all of our airway equipment to simulate
any kind of drowning emergencies that we might see uh, on our beaches. >> No, I appreciate it. I mean, I know you guys are always looking to be in front of the curve and out and especially with technology. So, I appreciate it. When I read it, I I thought, you know, you don't really think about you I know I've
seen we've all seen training dummies for CPR and everything else, but you don't think about the mannequins. Excuse me. I'm going to use the proper terminology, the mannequins in a in a water rescue scenario. So, I was pleased. So, I was thinking if I saw you, I would obviously, especially if you're in a
class A. So, thank you very much for keeping us safe at the beach. >> Absolutely. Thanks, sir. >> Thanks, Commissioner Caps. I'd just like to mention something that I've picked up uh from one of our advocacy organizations in Martin County. There's
the Martin County Taxpayers Association, and they put out an email and and a lot of times they'll focus their a lot of their comments on this portion of our agenda, the Office of Management and Budget items, which require board approval. And you don't usually see much
commentary written about this section of the agenda, but a lot of times they help to give shape uh and to simplify what this item is about. So uh I just like to
recognize them for that and give them a little bit of a shout out for helping the public to understand uh what these grants are all about and what they're used for. >> Motion to accept staff's presentation. >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. All those
in favor? I >> opposed. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you, Miss Merly. >> I say we break for lunch now. We're not going to do that. Department two, >> contracts that meet the threshold for board approval of a million dollars or
greater. >> Good afternoon. Thank you for uh powering through. I appreciate it. Christy Brotherton, your chief procurement officer. Um, I have four items for your consideration today. And the first one is a continuing services agreement. This is for underground
services. This contract has a maximum not to exceed value of $5 million with a maximum not to exceed term of five years. And staff is Oops, we jumped around here. Where' we go? Staff is recommending that the board
award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, which is Black Sands Development Group, and move that the board authorize the county administrator or designate to execute all documents related to this request. Number two, we have um a contract for
the Rocky Point Neighborhood Restoration Project and staff is recommending that the board award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, which is Sunshine Land Design, in the amount of 2,638,629.82 and move that the board authorize the
county administrator or designate to execute all documents related to this request. Miss Brotherton, before you uh move on, how does this coordinate with septic to sewer uh water extension and road resurfacing because those things are all around the corner?
>> Yep. So, uh Jim Gorton, public works director. This is phase one of the Rocket Point neighborhood restoration and it's on the roadways that don't need water or sewer. So, we're going to catch all of those first in this phase and then uh the future phases will uh
incorporate those other uh improvements in the neighborhood. >> Okay. So, these are probably the newer >> develop a mix. Uh Coral Point on the north end is one of the roadways that is going to be picked up and it's just the ones that already have infrastructure in place that have already done an
accessible project for water and sewer. Um but it is it's it's a mix. It's not any one spot in Rocky Point. It's it's you know spread around the community >> and so it's not it's not going to be on the along the perimeter roads. >> It won't be on the major roadways.
>> So it won't be a a an exercise and frustration for the entire peninsula. It will just be on a street by street basis. Okay, sounds good. >> Going on in your neck of the woods. >> Okay. And next we have the This is jumping around. Construction contract
for the Martin County Fire Rescue Training Tower. Um staff is recommending that the board award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder which is Proctor Construction Company in the amount of 6,723,641. Um local vendor preference was applied
to this contract award and move that the board authorize the county administrator or designate to execute all documents related to this request. Tell me how this is going to be used for $6.7 million.
We have anybody >> commissioner. This is the final piece of the training facility which is the tower um the burn tower. They have the burned building and then this is a burn tower to uh you know simulate fires and um and
stairways and uh up uh uh so that's it is the final piece of the training facility. >> Okay. It's got the one here. >> It's a it's a training tower that's $6.7 million. I would assume that for $6.7 million it's used every day all day.
>> You have a good point. >> Afternoon, commissioners. Joe Labasco, District Chief Fire Rescue. That's correct. It'll be used on a daily basis >> by whom? >> By our fire rescue personnel. >> So, they'll be leaving their jobs in order to to train here or are they going
to be receiving additional uh overtime pay in order to train here? >> They'll be training on duty, ma'am. and they're when they're on duty, they're not fighting fires or rescuing people. They're here instead. >> You'll be at the training facility and we'll have uh people covering their
>> Commissioner Caps, >> I had a question about local vendor preference and how it's used and when it's used. I think that only applies or that does not apply when there's state funds or federal funds involved. Right. Like
>> um the county has an ordinance where if a non-local bidder >> so we have interlocal agreements with St. Lucy County. So we only consider Martin County and St. Lucy County businesses as local vendors. Um, whenever a non-local vendor is the low
bidder and a local vendor is within 5% of that low bidder's pricing, the local vendor will have the opportunity to match the pricing of the non-local vendor. Um, we're seeing the prices come in a lot tighter now. So, um, which is a
good sign. I know you guys were talking about inflation and whatnot. So, we haven't had a local vendor preference applied in a while, mostly because a lot of our projects are grant funded, so we're not allowed to um implement that. But this is one of those instances where the 5% was in play. Um it was actually
less than 5% and uh Proctor Construction agreed to match the low biders pricing. So, >> yeah, I thought that was interesting to learn about that. Like a lot of people might say, well, why can't we have a local preference for certain things? And
you know when federal dollars are involved or state dollars are involved you know the the federal government has to watch the way their money is handled because it has to be for the benefit of everybody in the whole country you know
um and it wouldn't be fair to have local vendor preferences when federal money is involved >> and the same with the state but if it's if it's a local project then you can use local vendor preference. Thank you. >> And commissioners, it's important to note that there were the taxpayers are
getting the lowest price because they the local had to match. So, um it's just that the federal procurement rules don't allow us to use that technique, but in the end, they are getting the lowest price. It just gave our local vendor the opportunity to match the outside
vendor's price and and to get the award. Commissioner Campy, >> I just wanted to follow up on your concern, Madame Chair, in regards to your question. If they are training, they're not working, doing something else. The beautiful advantage of what
we've created here is for decades, our staff and our equipment used to have to go to other counties, specifically up into Indian River County, driving our rescues, driving our uh engines, and taking our staff. So there was the commu
the commuting time paying to be in another county training in another county in a facility that we had no say our people had no say in what the facility would look like. So we've built this facility in three phases. Uh
the burn you call it the burn building. >> This is the tower. Yeah. Train tower. >> Yes. And then uh >> burn building was second phase. >> Correct. And so the tower is the the last of the three phases. And now we will have a much more efficient use of
our equipment and personnel. So I think it's finally it's been many many years for us to get to this point. So I'm very happy for our residents. And then in terms of training versus actually protecting, I'm sure they have it worked
out, but the job for the benefit of the public and the benefit of our personnel is to constantly train so that they get that muscle memory to know what these circumstances are. You can't have, especially when we're hiring, constantly
bringing on younger members of the department that might not have been involved in any of these scenarios. I think each of us have had an opportunity to be in the burn building and it's much different than you think. You you know I remember hearing about a fire and you
hear well the people didn't run in and rescue because there's like a a force field of heat around even a minor fire that most people don't even comprehend and even if you're wearing the equipment I don't think you understand what it genuinely is like to be there. So, if we
can continue to train them to keep them safe and then so that they're ready to go in rescuing our residents, I'm happy, very happy we can all check a box that we've created that on our watch. I make a motion to accept Miss Brotherton's um presentation.
>> I have one more item and I I have another question and that is you say that this new training tower is going to be used on a daily basis. How often do the the uh fire rescue people train currently? Currently we we train seven days a week, ma'am.
>> So driving to these these remote locations. >> Um we have different levels of training. Right now like Commissioner Campy said, we have the burn building. We have some part of phase two of the training facility. So they do our our crews do
utilize that on duty. Um anything off duty they would be going to Indian River State College. So will there because this when this facility is built will there be a reduction in our costs because we had this local facility whereas before we
had to drive to Bureau Beach or wherever I where were you driving before? >> So will we see a savings uh because our we're no longer commuting to the these remote locations? >> Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I believe it was in the CIP. I believe it was $120,000
savings roughly per year for commuting to for peers. >> Take a while for that to add up to 6.7. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. And last but not least, we have a change order. This is for the Coral
Gardens vacuum sewer system engineering services. Um, I do want to point out that this work that is being requested through this change order was initially um, included in the 2022 contract. Just a dollar amount was never negotiated at
that time. So, um, staff is recommending that the board approve amendment number two to Wade Trim Incorporated in the amount of 1,511,847 and move that the board authorize the county administrator or designate to execute all documents related to this
request. And that concludes this item. >> Commissioner Heatherington, >> what was what was the material change in the engineering of the the plan? I I don't know that there was any material engineering. This was just the
um it said there was a design change and that was the the increase. So, >> uh Leo Repeti with Martin County Utilities. Uh there were no design changes associated with this. This is a an amendment to their original contract. They had done the design work for the
project. >> Okay. Now, the CI service >> I was concerned when I saw when I I read design change. Sorry. >> No. And this and this item unfortunately didn't make it to the uh um Port County Commission chamber uh meeting back in December when we approved the coal
gardens uh assessment and also the contract for the uh contractor to perform the construction. So this should have been with that but unfortunately didn't didn't make it. >> All right. Thanks. >> So now I will make a motion to accept Miss Brotherton's presentation and go Navy.
>> Mr. Caps. When it comes to septic to sewer, big septic to sewer projects that we're doing, 10,000 houses in 10 years, um which ones have already been done and which ones uh like give me like a just a
bullet point schedule like um which ones have already been done. >> Okay, so um on our vacuum sewer project uh we've completed the north river shores and the Golden Gate projects. Uh on our grinder program, we've gone into about 24 different neighborhoods and uh
the grinder program has allowed us to convert uh almost 3,000 homes for septic to sewer and for the uh vacuum sewer uh just over,200 homes. Uh we're on track to continue on
with uh we have the coal gardens project uh coming up next. Ports right behind it. Our prediction for our tenure, which uh starting back in 2019, this would take us out to 2028, is to have uh septic to sewer conversions available
for 8,000 homes. So, our goal was uh 10,000 in 10 years. We're on track for 8,000 in 10 years at at at our current level of funding and and projection for the assessments. >> Good. So, uh Coral Gardens is it's already started, right? Or not?
>> Uh not yet. No, the the contractor is very anxious to get going. Uh we actually have a uh pre-construction meeting with them next week. Uh they've uh submit all the documents they need to purchasing to uh have the contract in place and and to get moving with it. Uh
Felix uh they did the construction for the North River Shores project and they're very anxious to get uh to get moving. So appears they have u manpower and availability and uh they really want to get moving quickly on this one. And then next is Portzalo.
>> Uh correct. >> And that's a really big one, right? Big area of >> uh it encompasses a larger uh geographic footprint than the Coral Gardens project. Uh it's approximately 930 homes. Uh this project for Coral Gardens
about 630 homes. So it is a bit bigger. >> Okay. Thanks. >> And Palm old Palm City and Rocky Point are also right there in the mix that we actually have some grant funds already for. Good. Mr. Repeti, do we hope to complete Palm
City and Rocky Point by 2028? >> Uh the the plan right now is to have Cole Gardens complete in 27 to have uh Portal complete in 28, Old Palm City complete in 29. >> We like 28 as well. >> Rocky Point
>> uh right behind that. >> 30 >> uh 29 or 30. We're going to shave years off. We're going to get a year off the Palm City. We're going to get a year off Rocky Point. He's got a full head of hair. >> Madam Chairman, what's what's your concern?
>> It's taking too long. >> Yeah, >> it happens. >> Even though I will remind us that the board at the time it was 10,000 homes in 20 years and we cut it in half at the time to say we wanted 10,000 homes in 10 years and our staff has done a
remarkable job to get us pretty close. Thank you. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Is there a motion in a second? >> Yes. >> All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. We will go on to number department three, which is
adoption of the updated Martin County local mitigation strategy. Good afternoon, commissioners, and happy new year. Sally Wait, emergency management director. Every five years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, otherwise known as FEMA, requires local
governments to update or formally adopt their local mitigation plan. Amy Hibberger Lopez, deputy director, will provide an overview of those updates included in this revision. And we are respectfully requesting after the update that the board formally adopt the updated plan.
>> Good afternoon. My name is Amy Heimberger Lopez, deputy emergency management director. I'm excited to present to you an overview of the Martin County local mitigation strategy plan that is ready for your approval and adoption. In emergency management, there are four
phases that guide us. Preparedness, response, and recovery, which you may be very familiar with, and the lesser known, less flashy, although equally important mitigation. Mitigation is the action of reducing the severity or harmful effects of an existing or
possible hazards that affect Martin County. The local mitigation strategy or LMS is required by title 44 code of code of federal regulations part 201.3
D where it describes the that the key responsibilities of local dollar governments are to prepare and adopt a jurisdictionwide natural hazard mitigation plan as a condition of receiving project grant funds under the HMGP or hazard mitigation grant program
in accordance with part to a 1.6 and at a minimum review and update the local mitigation plan every 5 years from the date of the plan approval of the previous plan in order to continue program eligibility as outlined in 44 CFR 2011.6 and in
accordance with the Florida Administrative Code Chapter 27P-22. This plan presented is the five-year update and meets the required criteria to be approved and adopted by Martin County and the local jurisdictions. The
last update of this plan was in 2020. The LMS plan is structured into four major sections. The introduction, the planning process, the risk assessment, the mitigation strategy. The introduction mainly outlines the
geography, climate, climate, demographics, economy, housing, education, health, transportation, utilities, media, and tourism in Martin County and its jurisdictions. This provides a clear picture of what is
important in our county and why it's worth mitigating hazards to preserve and improve the existing conditions. The planning process outlines how the plan was updated. The formal update process for this plan began in July of
2024 with participation from various county departments and all the jurisdictions in Martin County, the city of Stewart, town of Souls Point, town of Jupiter Island, town of Ocean Breeze, and the village of Indiantown. Other agencies included in this plan are
the Martin County School District and Cleveland Clinic. All of these agencies mentioned will also formally adopt this plan after the board has adopted it. I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all the representatives from the jurisdictions who made this update possible, as well as other partner
agencies and organizations that participated in the plan update, providing data, feedback, and their expertise. The risk assessment describes how any potential hazards could affect Martin County. Hazards are divided into three categories: natural, technological, and
societal. The natural hazards that could affect Martin counties are drought, epidemics, and pandemics, extreme temperatures, including both hot and cold, floods, harmful algo bloom, invasive species, sea level rise, severe
thunderstorms, shoreline erosion, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, tsunamis, and wildfires. The technological hazards include cyber incidents, dam and levy failures, hazardous materials incidents, radiological and nuclear incidents,
transportation, transportation system incidents, and wellfield contamination. And finally, the societal hazards are civil disturbances, mass migration, and terrorism and sabotage. >> Boy, happy new year. >> We deal with this every day.
>> Yeah. Um all these hazards were ranked for their risk by comparing their threat to us and our vulnerability to them. Considerations for rankings including included frequency, probability, onset,
response time, location and human property, infrastructure, economic and environmental impacts. This table on the screen illustrates where each hazard ranks with others on the scales from minimal to extreme threat and minimal to
extreme vulnerability. Finally, the mitigation strategy takes all the aforementioned information into account to our to present projects for each jurisdiction that can lessen the impacts of these hazards in our community. We currently have 35 projects
on our LMS committee has reviewed and prioritized and are eligible for hazard mitigation grant program funding. These jurisdictions have already applied some jurisdictions have already applied for HMGP funding and are in the process of getting approved pending the adoption of
this plan. Approximately half of the projects focus on flood mitigation. Each jurisdiction is responsible for funding and completing their projects. One way we keep this list updated and plan information current is by having
quarterly LMS committee meetings that are open for anyone with an interest to attend. These meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of February, May, August, and November. The plan was submitted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management
Mitigation Bureau for review and we received a full approval on December 2nd, 2025. This approval confirms that Martin County Local Mitigation Strategy meets all the requirements for state and federal regulations. The formal approval by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency will be issued once this plan is adopted by Martin County and its jurisdictions. This concludes the Martin County Local Mitigation Strategy Plan update. My contact information is on the slide and I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Excellent questions for Miss
Heimberger Lopez. Commissioner Caps, >> I would just like to note that uh this looks like a ton of work that somebody did. Um I think it's the supporting documents for this item in our book here are 365 pages
>> long. Uh that's like writing a book. So >> did you get a chance to read it? >> Uh over the holidays. >> We read it around the fire with the kids. But anyway, uh, thanks for your hard work. >> Of course.
>> Any further questions? >> Terrific work. Thank you. >> Motion to accept. >> Second. >> There's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I opposed. That motion passes unanimously. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Uh, we are finished, commissioners,
until 5:00 this afternoon. So we will return at approxim Part: 2
And we are back. We are taking up our 505 uh public hearing. This is a quasi judicial public hearing uh to consider adoption of a resolution designating a brownfield at 95 9450 Southeast Gomez
Avenue uh in Hope Sound. This is the second required public hearing. Please proceed. Oh, first of all, any exparte disclosures? Commissioner Vargas, >> I have any. They've been filed. Commissioner Caps, >> if I have any, they have been filed. >> If I have any, they've been filed.
>> If I have any, they've also been filed. >> Commissioner Heather, >> if any, they've been filed. >> Anyone who's going to be providing sworn testimony, please stand, raise your right hand, and be sworn. Anyone who's providing testimony. >> Do you swear or affirm that the evidence you're about to give will be the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> Miss Nab, have you docu sent all the required documentation to the clerk? Yes, Madame Chair. A copy of my work history and the agenda item has been turned into the clerk.
>> Excellent. Please begin. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Jenna Nabi, senior planner with the growth management department. And before you today is a request to consider adoption of a resolution designating a brownfield at 9450 Southeast Gomez
Avenue as requested by the Palms of Hope Sound LLC and Oasis Development LLC. Section 376.80 of Florida statutes outlines the brownfield program administration process and states that the jurisdictional local government shall
adopt a resolution designating the property as a brownfield if the requesting party establishes that all of the necessary criteria in the statute have been met during these two public hearings. The first public hearing for this was held on December 9th, 2025, and
this is the second of two required public hearings for this designation process. Brownfields are defined in Florida statute as real property the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by actual or perceived
environmental contamination. And we covered a lot of this information in the first public hearing, but I'll reintroduce it. So, this property is located at 9450 Southeast Gomez Avenue in Hope Sound and it is 19.44 acres.
[clears throat] This is an aerial of the subject property. It has a future land use designation of residential estate density, two units per acre, and two different zoning designations, R2 and R2B. There is currently a minor site
plan application in review with the growth management department that proposes 38 single family residential units, amenities, and associated infrastructure for that development. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection or FD is the state agency
that oversees and administers the brownfields program. And so when properties are designated as brownfields and they're entered into the program, there are state-based financial incentives that are afforded to brownfield sites that are eligible for
uh the brownfields program. These incentives are intended to promote voluntary cleanup and remediation of these brownfield sites. and brownfield sites also must enter into a rehabilit rehabilitation agreement that um the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection is a party to that agreement. Since [clears throat] the December 9th uh 2025 public hearing for this request, there were um there was additional information and um documentation that
was requested by this board. So since that meeting, the applicant has provided an economic report that speaks to the job creation criteria. They've also sent out a letter notifying uh surrounding property owners within 500 ft of this
public hearing today. They've provided updated notice materials consistent with the uh statutory requirements and they've also provided additional financial documentation all of which has been provided either in the published agenda or on the dis to you today. So I
know the applicant can speak more to the contents of that supplementary information. But with all of that being said, staff recommends that the board receive and file the agenda item and its attachments, including the staff report as exhibit 1, and move that the board
finds this request meets the criteria outlined in section 376.802C of Florida statutes and adopt the resolution designating the property as a brownfield. That concludes staff's presentation and I know that the applicant has their own presentation as well.
>> Questions for Miss Nab. For starters, Miss Nave, is there a deadline for uh additional materials to be submitted for them to be reviewed? In other words, have you have I haven't had the opportunity to review the additional uh materials? Have you?
>> I I've reviewed them as they've come in. Yes. And what's been part of the published final agenda for this meeting? >> And how do you authenticate the materials that you received? >> They we received them from the applicant. Um, so if they're, you know,
signed bank statements and letters and reports. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Uh, applicant, would you like to make a presentation? Good evening, Madam Chair, board members. For the record, I'm Michael Schnopstyler. I'm an environmental
attorney with Cobb Cole. Uh office is located at 1D Boulevard Suite 600 in Daytona Beach, Florida. On behalf of the applicants uh here this evening, uh appreciate the opportunity to be here and for you all moving the meeting to to 5:00. It's a lot easier for us coming from Daytona Beach than if we had to be
here at at 9:00 this morning. Um want to thank staff for their their report and um the opportunity to work with them to provide the supplemental materials that you all requested after our hearing in January. Um we do have uh the applicant here as well as um someone affiliated with the company that prepared the
employment report that you all have that was in the agenda and they are available to authenticate those documents uh here this evening as well. I have the clicker here. So um just uh by way of overview I am going to just go very quickly through some of
the background materials that were reviewed last time. think your big concern and focus for um tonight's hearing were on the job creation requirements and the financial viability of the applicant. So, that's really where I'm going to focus um my presentation this evening, but I'm happy to revisit any of the other things we
discussed at the previous meeting, anything that's in the staff report related to the Brownfields program. Um but we'll also include um some discussion on the next steps for the property as well. I I I don't think it's relevant for the actual designation criteria that applies to this evening,
but it is important, I think, so that everyone understands where we are in this process and where we'll be going from here. So, again, um as staff mentioned, approximately 20 acres, uh 19.44 acres. It's a former flower nursery that had uh
packaging and chemical storage structures out there. And the proposed redevelopment is for residential uses. Uh this kind of shows the uh this is a slide from last time that shows the layout when the nursery was in operation. And this is the same summary from last
time of the previous environmental investigations that have occurred since 2018 before our clients acquired the property and into 2024 as our clients have owned the property. And then this is just uh an overview of the the residential development, the
same um figure that was in um our presentation from the last hearing. And here are some of the renderings um for the uh proposed residences. Again, similar to what we exactly what we had at the last hearing. Staff covered the definition of of a
brownfield. Um and then along those lines, what's before us this evening is a request for a brownfield area designation. And so a brownfield area is just one or more brownfields that has been um declared a brownfield area by resolution of the local government. So
again, tonight we are here just to determine whether this property meets the definition of a brownfield area under the applicable Florida statutes. And the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as staff mentioned, does enforce and manage the
brownfields program. And they have some fantastic guidance on the importance of redeveloping brownfields in Florida. I provided some statistics at our our last uh hearing on this, but I just wanted to um give you some information from the guidance. The guidance states that
investing in brownfields utilizes existing infrastructure, increases your local tax base. It removes development pressures on undeveloped green spaces and vacant and open land. It improves and protects our environment, all while encouraging the highest and best use of
blighted properties. A brownfield area designation is based on specific requirements in Florida statutes that I'll jump in to very uh shortly. But I think it's important to review the the state's legislative intent on the brownfield program when
the Florida legislature created this program because it guides you in the decision-making before us this evening as the local government with jurisdiction over the property. So this is a direct quote from Florida statutes. the legislative intent of the beginning of the Brownfields Act.
And I've just covered one of four, the first four um legislative intent um findings. There's, I believe, eight total in the statute, but the first one focuses on the reduction of public health and environmental hazards on sites proposed to be rehabilitated and
redeveloped is is vital. what's important to their use and reuse as sources of employment, housing, recreation, and open space. And that word housing is going to be really important, and I'll I'll get back to it later in the presentation because I think there's been some question about whether brownfields can be redeveloped
for housing and single family housing. And I'll give you some examples of projects that I personally am working on now where brownfields are being redeveloped for single family housing throughout the state of Florida. Uh some other of uh the legislative intent um focuses on how the abandonment
and underutil underuse of brownfield sites contributes to concerns about environmental equity and the distribution of environmental risks across population groups. Environmental justice is a key component to the brownfields program. The idea that underprivileged communities, minority
communities, and communities in general shouldn't bear a disproportionate burden of the impacts of environmental contamination issues. The intent goes on to say that incentives should be developed and put in place to encourage parties to take responsibility for cleanup and
voluntarily implement cleanup plans without the use of taxpayer dollars or the need for enforcement actions by government agencies or local governments. And finally, environmental and public health hazards cannot be eliminated without clear definable
remediation standards that provide for protection of the environment and public health, which is what this brown brownfield program helped establish and create. Florida statute provides for two different ways to designate a brownfield area. One is by the initiative of the
local government, meaning without a request of an applicant. And the second is the one that's before us this evening by the request of an applicant. Separate criteria apply depending on whether the local government takes the initiative or the applicant requests the designation.
The local government designation process is open-ended criteria. It's very subjective. Will we attract redevelopers to the property? Are there portions of the site that can be used for open space and recreation? Is it a reasonably sized
area to designate a brownfield area? That's done to encourage people to come in and redevelop these properties without needing to come to the local government for the brownfield area designation. And on this slide that's before you is what's called the seminal
economic enhancement district in it's a brownfield area in Semino County. It's a nearly 16 mile stretch of land starting from the northern point of Seminal County going all the way to the southern point of Seminal County that's already been designated as a brownfield area
because Seminal County and the local governments in that community took the position that we don't want redevelopers to have to go through this process if they've got a contaminated site that they want to redevelop. If you didn't cause the contamination, if you have a contaminated site that you want to redevelop, we're going to designate this
large corridor as a brownfield to encourage people to come out and redevelop these sites. And and this includes property that can be redeveloped for residential uses, commercial uses, industrial uses, open space. It it extends, like I said, north to south throughout an entire quarter of
the county. That's all these areas in blue on the figure. The areas in turquoise are the actual brownfield sites, the sites that are are being cleaned up. There's a a rectangle just by the um the airport there on Lake Mary Boulevard that we actually cleaned up
for a client in um the city of Sanford. Um, the second way that a brownfield area can be designated is by the request of an applicant, which we call the mandatory brownfield area designation process because it's for a specific
project and it has specific criteria that if you meet the five criteria, the statute actually says you shall designate the brownfield area. >> [clears throat] >> So this is the beginning of the specific criteria that's before you all this evening. So if you're designating a
brownfield area that's proposed by someone other than the local government, so by an applicant, the local government with jurisdiction shall adopt a resolution if at the public hearing the person establishes the following, which are the next five criteria that we're
going to work through. So again, I think this one has been established. I don't think there's a a question about it, but the person who owns or controls the site is requesting the designation and has agreed to clean up and redevelop the site. The applicant owns the property, controls the
property, and they intend to enter into the brownfield cleanup agreement with the state if the brownfield area is designated. The second criteria is focused on job creation. So will the redevelopment of the property the brand site result in the economic productivity of the area
along with the creation of at least five new permanent jobs that are full-time equivalent not associated with the cleanup. So not your consultants and not associated with construction activities. So not um you know the the building of
the homes, the grading of the property and all that. The job creation component does not apply if recreational areas are part of the redevelopment. Um we do know that there is a a recreational component to this, but it's not the primary use.
So we're not relying on that here before you all this evening. But I just did want to point that out to you that the job creation criteria does not apply if you're going to redevelop the site and it has recreation as a part of it. But with the job creation and the emphasis on permanent jobs not
associated with the cleanup and not associated with the redevelopment, the intent is to look at the job creation after the redevelopment is complete. Meaning but for these housings being developed, would these jobs exist at the property? [snorts]
And so to verify um the job creation components of this project, uh the applicant did hire uh uh a company, Fishkind Consulting, to prepare an employment report that was part of your agenda packet that was submitted um
before this meeting. And their analysis of the number of full-time jobs created by the project um divides the number of jobs into two types of of categories. jobs that are related to the community itself and jobs related to the specific
homes, meaning people that would be helping homeowners with the maintenance and the use of their homes or people that are helping with the community itself. So, that report uh documents 6.8 community related jobs um for security,
landscape and maintenance and the fitness center and the recreation areas and then 15 15.2 household related jobs. house cleaning, home property maintenance repairs, and things of that nature. And so with us this evening is
uh Tony Dinardo with Fishkind and Associates. So I'd like to bring him up uh just to answer some questions about uh his report. >> Good evening, Madame Chair and commissioners. My name is Anthony Donardo. They call me Tony, but it's
Anthony Donardo. Mr. Jonardo, what do you do for a living? >> I'm a senior uh associate for Fishkind Litigation and Consulting Company. >> And um what do you do in that role? >> I analyze. I do fiscal impact analysis.
I do resoning. I do economic model analysis and I do litigation analysis. >> And um what's your educational background? I have a BA in economics from New York University. I have an MBA
in accounting from New York University. >> And can you talk about your employment history? >> Uh my employment history, I worked for a company called I started my experience in real estate back in New York City with a company called Helmsley Spear.
And I came to Florida in 1979. And I worked from 1981 to 1994 with a company called AITA. And there I was uh had the position of uh VP of finance for the hospitality
division. In 1994, I went to Naples and I worked for a company called Gul Bay Group, which developed a community called Fiddler's Creek, which is 4,000
acres and will be over 6,000 units in the Naples area. And it also we developed a lot of the highrises in a community called Pelican Bay. After that, I retired for a year or two and
then I [clears throat] presently working with Fishkind Litigation Services and Consulting. >> Okay. And have you testified as an expert witness before? >> Yes. >> And in what types of fields and matters have you >> in real estate development in real
estate zoning? >> And um does that experience include uh property management, community management? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. And you you mentioned development of residential communities. Does that include um high-end or um luxury developments? >> Yes.
>> Okay. Um great. And Tony, is this a copy of your resume? >> Yes. >> All right. I would just ask that um would give a copy of the resume to the clerk to be put in the record for the matter. [clears throat] >> Okay. And um
just to just to clarify if I may ask staff the is the report already provided to the clerk the employment report? >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. [laughter] Um [clears throat] so uh Mr. Donardo is this a copy of the report that Fishkott and Associates prepared for this matter? >> Yes.
>> Okay. Great. Thank you. Um and have you seen this report before? >> Yes. >> Okay. And the report was prepared by your employer? >> Yes. >> And that's a true and correct copy of the report? >> Yes. >> All right. So what documents were reviewed by Fishkind in the preparation
of the report? uh besides the law itself and making sure that the report adheres to the law, we pulled from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics uh the consumer expenditure
survey for households to calculate um the amount of employment employees or full-time equivalent employees that this report would that this report encompasses. And we also used our personal experiences to come up with
these numbers. >> And did you also look at the site plan for the redevelopment? >> Yeah. Yes, of course. You start with a site plan. I'm sorry. [laughter] >> Um, and what is Fishcon Consulting's opinion on the potential for job creation at the site >> that we divided the types of jobs into
two categories? Uh, [clears throat] one is the the jobs that will be on the site itself, which is about 6.8 8 jobs, 3.8 dealing with security and the rest dealing with the
other amenities and 15.2 jobs, full-time equivalent jobs relating to the households in areas like pest control, landscaping, AC, what typical households would use at that level of uh value and homeowner.
And so for a community like this, so the demand created by the homes exceeds the need for one job for each of the job types you all identified? >> Yes. >> And were any of those jobs you identified affiliated with the cleanup of the property or the construction of the homes?
>> No. >> And were any of those jobs associated with sales positions to sell the homes? >> No. >> Um Okay. So, at a minimum, will the redevelopment result in the creation of at least full-time, five full-time equivalent
jobs that are not associated with the cleanup and the redevelopment? >> Yes. >> Okay. And then how will the residential development add to the economic productivity of the county? >> There's about there's three segments of economic development. one, even though it's not being counted
as employee for the community, there'll be the construction of the community of the of the Oasis community which will which will have a economic impact on the county. the permanent
employees will have an impact on the county. And in all in addition, the third aspect is that the fiscal impact that's generated by this community would increase because at present the taxable assessed value of this land is 1.8
million and after this community is completed, it'll be in excess of 72 million. So those three elements will have a p positive impact on the county. >> Um Mr. Dero, thank you. That's all the questions I have for you at this time. Um after we conclude, the um commission
may have some questions for you. >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> So we've touched on the first two criteria. I'll I'll um briefly touch on the third criteria, which is is the redevelopment consistent with the comp plan and permittable under your local
government regulations? Um, we've addressed that with staff. We addressed that at the last hearing. I don't I don't think there's an issue here. Um, with respect to the land use and zoning. As staff mentioned, there's that minor site plan that's uh moving forward, 38 single family homes, which is in line with the land use and zoning. And then
briefly, as staff mentioned, um we did follow the statutory notice requirements in um uh the Brownfields Redevelopment Act. But in addition to that, we did mail notice of this meeting to residents within 500 ft, which resulted in us sending over 210 notices out by
certified mail for this meeting. We followed the same process that any redeveloper would follow if they were coming before you for resoning. Um, we could have done 100 feet, 200 feet, 300 feet, but we went into your land development code and went with um 500 feet.
And then the last criteria is that the person proposing the brownfield area designation has provided reasonable assurance that they have the financial resources to complete the cleanup and facilitate the redevelopment. And so what we initially provided to you was we
we followed what you all did for the Brownfield area that was designated in February of 2025. The applicant submitted a letter that described their their history, some of their projects, their their plan um for the redevelopment. We submitted that to to you all. We provided it to staff. Uh as
you all mentioned at the last meeting, you had some concerns about the financial ability of this applicant to complete the project. So throughout December um we um provided a loan commitment for a $35 million loan for the project. There's an affidavit of authentication that is provided with
that loan commitment that you can see that it uh has been signed by someone affiliated with um the um the lender for the the project itself. We've provided a lot of information on existing and planned developments in Hob Sound and
other um areas in Florida that our client is currently developing or has previously developed. And um we do have um our primary client uh contact here um Richard uh Waserstein who would like to bring up um to provide some testimony as
well. >> [clears throat] >> And Richard, before I get um into the questions I have for you, um I just wanted to state on the record that if you take a look at those financial records that are on on the DAS, $35 million um for the loan commitment along
with the affidavit of authenticity. We do have a bank statement from TD Bank showing that the applicant has over $6 million currently in the applicant's bank account. And then we've provided um statements showing um funds in excess of $19 million for partners or family
members um uh associated with Mr. Waserstein who are walking working with him on this development. So um can you please state your name for the record? >> Richard Waserstein 1124 King Concourse Bay Harbor Islands, Florida 33154.
>> Okay. And Mr. Waserstein, what do you do for a living? I'm a real estate investor and developer. >> And how long have you been investing and developing in real estate? >> Since 1983. When I was younger, I used to go with my
father and my grandfather when they used to build and go to the different projects and that's where I fell in love with with construction. >> And just generally, we'll get into specifics, but what types of real estate developments have you worked on?
I've worked on I started off with single family homes and we built in the 80s in Surfside and Miami Beach in Bay Harbor multiple single family homes and then
we've veered into commercial back in the RTC days. We were able to acquire some commercial properties and then from there we've bought some warehouses and then we've also um started
developing condominiums and converting condominiums to to um converting rental properties to condominiums. Um and then currently we've gotten involved in hotels. We own um Candlewood Suites by
Miami International Airport. It's an IHG hotel. It's one of the top performers in the country. We built it from scratch and and and operated. We are currently building Holiday and Express right next door to the Candlewood, which is also an
IHG hotel. We just finished completing the structure and are currently doing the interior. And then in Fort Lauderdale on um US1, we're building an Indigo, which happens to also be an IHG hotel, a little higher scale.
>> And um can you describe how the the business entities that you work for are are set up? So, you know, sometimes I'll do the deals myself. Sometimes, most of the time we'll do it our my family, my
parents, my brothers, and occasionally we'll bring in outside investors. So, for each property, we'll set up a an entity and depending on who the partners are. And and is it common for developers to
use a specific entity like a limited liability um company for a specific project? >> Yes, it's a singlepurpose entity. So you open it and you use it just for this project. You have insurance, but if god forbid something horrible happens, your
exposure is limited to this one this one project. >> And um we provided a summary of some of the projects that you have developed uh to the clerk. It's on the dis there in front of you. Um I have this document in front of you. Um can you just take a look at the document and just let us
know what it is? >> Yeah, these are pictures and descriptions of some of our projects. Um unfortunately I didn't keep, you know, a very good log of every project. So these are the ones more recent. I did provide
to my attorney last night. I spent going through the public records on different companies and different properties and there was another I think 20 30 properties that we've developed in the early 80s, early 90s. >> Um can you speak to some of the single
family residential developments, single family homes and things that you've developed um in Martin County and um throughout Florida? Yeah. So like I mentioned initially when I I graduated law school in 1986
I started developing homes. I started in 1983 but then in '86 I became more active. I had a partner who was a general contractor and with him we were building in Surfside Bay Harbor. We were building upscale homes. One of the homes that we developed was sold to Julio
Glesia's daughter. Um then I kept developing homes in those areas and I joined somebody who lives in Jupiter now but used to live in Martin County and we built homes in Zeus Park. We built homes in Jupiter
um and on Pineree we built uh I think it was like a 78,000 foot home that we sold for like four and a half million. So, we've been very active in in building, you know, we try to do upscale homes, you know, top quality homes that people
will be proud of. >> And can you speak to the the auto art gallery that you have in Martin County? >> Yeah. So in in Martin County at 11700 Southeast Shell Avenue with with a local
Martin County partner, we built 12 townhouse 12 um warehouses, condominiums which people have purchased to put store their cars, you know, expensive cars and things of that nature and collectibles. And then we're working on an office
building on the corner, finishing up an office building that will also be sold. >> And that warehouse space you mentioned, that's where we had the community meeting for this brownfield area designation. Correct. >> That's correct. >> Okay. Um, can you um talk about how you
funded the capital investment in these developments that we've been talking about here this evening? >> I've been I funded it from my own personal funds. Um the warehouses is all my personal funds. The funds came from
my practice of law for 35 years and my developing for 35 years and investing in real estate. The values, you know, have gone crazy. So, thank God I I've done well and my family's done well. And
>> I want to turn our attention now to the property that's being considered for the Brownfield area designation this evening. How long have you owned that that property? >> I it was owned in 21. It was acquired and my company had a mortgage on the
property as well as an ownership interest and we took control of the property in about a year ago. And we've started we hired, you know, top architects, top designers, uh, top engineers to develop a community that's
going to be a beautiful upscale community. And um what is your plan to fund the cleanup and and redevelopment of this property? >> So when we discovered that there was the problem with the dean and I think
arsenic, um we hired an environmental consultant. I've spent with him close to $100,000 testing and trying to designate the area that has the contamination. We finally
have reached the point where we know exactly where it is and I want to clean it up. I want to remove it because I want to build the beautiful community of upscale homes. I know families are going to live there. There's going to be kids and I I want to have a kid, you know, I want to have it cleaned. I have five
kids myself, eight grandkids. So, it's important, you know, for me to clean it. [clears throat] >> And And what are the funding sources you're going to use for both the cleanup and the redevelopment? So the sources will probably as of right now everything that we've used has been
personal funds. Um pursuant to the bank statements we have enough funds to fund the entire development. I also have a commitment letter from NewWave to lend us $35 million which is all that we need
to complete the the project. I think we need to put one more million dollars in, which we clearly have, and and they would lend us the $ 35 million. I've also, well, I'm on the record and I'm I've sworn to tell the truth, we've also
used Ocean Bank in the past for most of our projects and they've already expressed an interest also in lending us the money to develop the project. Unfortunately, my loan officer was on vacation the whole
uh Christmas. He just got back. In fact, he just sent me a an email to pay for an appraisal, you know, for another loan that we're doing with them. So, Ocean Bank will also fund the the project without question, but we have sufficient funds. Um I don't know if my council
provided you the le the other letter from my brother Allan that was dated in March that had like 20 million Uh, no. We just have the more recent letter. >> Okay. So, there's another letter in March. I didn't need extra money, so I didn't. But there's a letter um in March
that we had my brother and I and my parents and my family have in different business accounts, another $20 million available to us. >> Can Can you speak a little bit about um New Wave Residential, who they are, and what types of of funding um you've seen
them do before? Yeah, Newwave is located in Aventura, Florida. And there's a lady Alexandra and a gentleman Ryan Powers. And we've done deals with them in the past, loans, loans for clients of ours,
and they're kind of what you call a hard equity lender. So basically, they they they viewed the property, they viewed the values, and they felt very comfortable. Um, so they're a little bit higher interest rate than a bank, but there's no personal guarantee and it's a
much easier process. >> And um um just for the record, we we have provided the financial records to to the clerk. Um they're in your packet, but I just wanted to point out that in the affidavit, New Wave Residential does point out that they have over 1.1
billion in commercial residential loans funded since 2021. Um is this the packet? um that we provided to the county. If you want to flip through it, I think it has, >> as you mentioned, the Oasis statement, the new wave loan commitment,
>> the um statement for your family's funds as well. >> Yes, that's correct. >> Okay, great. And you had mentioned um um Ocean Bank. Um do you have any other partners in this development currently >> in >> for this specific project? >> Just my family.
>> Okay. and their resources total more than 19 million as documented in these records. >> Far more than that. >> Okay. And Richard, there's there's been some concerns made about the charges that were previously made against you. Um, has that impacted your ability to
finance and develop projects like like this one? >> So, in the in the beginning, obviously, it did impact me. I was unable to get any financing. um the banks because we did a lot of business with Ocean Bank, they hired their own council
and they did a review of what happened to me and and now I'm receiving funding from them and I'm approved by them to Ocean Bank to um get any loans and if you know anybody on the commission or the public or anybody has any questions
about what happened, I'm more than happy to to elaborate. >> Okay. and and the existing loans and funding that you have, that's all occurred after um you know the the criminal um proceedings you went through and all that. >> That's correct. We just recently
um about 6 months ago closed on the loan for the Holiday and Express with Ocean Bank. They lent us $25 million for that project. We closed on a loan for the Indigo, the one in Fort Lauderdale, the hotel. We've already closed on the loan
and started the construction with with S3 Capital and they're they're a hedge fund and they lent us $30 million on that project. >> Okay. And the the financial institutions we've talked about today, New Wave, TD
Bank, um they all have approved loans and are holding funds and are aware of what occurred >> 100%. >> Okay. And um just to finalize last question here um does the applicant have the financial ability to complete the cleanup and redevelopment of the project?
>> Absolutely. >> Okay. Thanks. Can I have you now? >> Um so again just to turn back to the the criteria um the requirement is reasonable assurance that you have the financial ability to complete the
project. So it's not funds in hand at the moment. It's have you provided reasonable assurance? And so the testimony, the exhibits, the track record, um we believe all is substantial competent evidence that demonstrates that there's reasonable assurance of the
ability to uh complete the project. And the jobs report, the financial records, our original application, uh the exhibits we've provided today, that's all substantial competitive evidence that's been put on the record. And since this is a quasi judicial
hearing, I just wanted to share some of the case law um up on the screen that talks about how the substantial competent evidence works in the context of a quasi judicial hearing where you all are applying that specific five criteria to the facts that have been put
on the record. So again, um if someone is opposing or wanting to deny this application, they must show by substantial competent evidence that that criteria is not met. Um the case I cited applies to a special exception, but I think that holds true for any quasi
judicial hearing. Um a staff recommendation of approval is substantial competitive evidence to support the decision to grant an application. That's a case from the third DCA. Um we do have our staff recommendation of approval for this application as well. And then um uh
another case from the first DCA, the evidence must be beyond just a lay person's opinion um to support claims of of denying the competent evidence that's that's on the record. Moving through just to to conclude here because I know I've been talking for a
while. Um this is just some of the same statistics on the success of the Brownfields program. Uh this all comes from the Florida Department of Environmental Protections annual report that the legislature requires um the state to prepare and submit to the legislature. Again, $3.1 billion in
capital investments in brownfield sites in Florida since 1997. Um you know, approaching a 100,000 uh confirmed and direct indirect jobs and uh more than 600 of these brownfield areas exist and then 532
projects have moved forward. um for cleanup. Um and again, I mentioned earlier some concerns have been expressed about uh brownfields only being redeveloped for commercial and industrial uses. I think that's contradicted by the legislative intent that I shared with you earlier
that specifically focuses on housing and encourages redevelopment for both housing, open space, and recreation. At the last hearing, I shared with you a success story. City of Ovido prepared uh a beautiful park um on a former Brown area as well. But I wanted to share um three projects that that I personally
and my colleague Jessica Gal and I have worked on that are um you know true um um um success stories in the brownfield redevelopment world. Um provided a couple of articles and links here as well. Um these are brownfield sites that have been redeveloped for single family residential use. Uh we represented a
developer that bought an abandoned golf course in the city of Dand, Florida. It's the former Dand Country Club. They um um signed a Brownfield site rehabilitation agreement after the city of the land designated the Brownfield area. The no further action letter, it's called a site rehabilitation completion
order, was issued in 2015 at Madame Homes, which is a a large developer from from Canada, built a fi 155 single family residential community um called Bentley Greens. It's sold out. Um it's a a very successful community. It's um a
great addition to the the delayed area. In fact, this project um was featured as as a success story on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's annual brownfield report after the redevelopment occurred. Um Madera at St. Augustine is uh the former Pon Leon Golf
Resort located up of US1 north of downtown St. Augustine. It's a project that u my colleague Jessica and I are currently working on right now because that c golf course is being redeveloped in phases. So as each kind of section of the golf course gets redeveloped, a different home builder comes in and they
release a set of homes. Um you may recognize some of um the home builders that are in there. Toll Brothers, um Mastercraft Homes, AR Homes. Some of these homes are on the waterfront, so they're they're beautiful homes. um over 400 single family homes in in this
community. Uh we anticipate getting through and final closure on the cleanup of the last phase towards the end of this year or or possibly the the year after. And a project we're we're currently working on right now in the um process of identifying the extent of the
issues and working on a cleanup plan is the Bear Springs redevelopment. It's also located in Dand. Um that um property was acquired by Dr. or Horton, which is another large home builder. They bought the property and then took an assumption of the brownfield cleanup
agreement. There was already an existing cleanup agreement by a developer. They started it. Dr. Horton came in and said, "We love this community. We understand the issues. We want to step into your role as the responsible party." And so, we're working on the cleanup as we speak. Um, that redevelopment plan was
approved by the city of Dand a couple years ago. The plan is to redevelop that site for 250 single family homes and 150 town homes um as well. So this is a very similar slide to what I shared at our our last hearing in
December. This is our final hearing on the proposed area designation. Um if the Brownfield area designation is approved, the property owner plans to execute the brownfield cleanup agreement with D. That is the contract between the state department of environmental protection
and the redeveloper that requires them to complete the cleanup as if they were the responsible party. They have to follow the specific brownfield regulatory framework in the Florida administrative code. All the work is is completed at the cost of the
redeveloper. The reports are submitted to the D for review and approval. There's a schedule. There's compliance requirements. It also establishes an advisory committee that we have to periodically update on the progress of the cleanup. That's very different from any other um gas station site or if the
site weren't going to be cleaned up um under the brownfields program. That is a specific requirement of the Brownfield program that actually requires locals who live either in the Brownfield area that's been designated or in the vicinity of the Brownfield area to get periodic updates as the cleanup
progresses and moves forward. Um and again just a brief summary on how the cleanup process works. We're happy to answer any questions that you have uh about that. But you just to conclude um the presentation, you know, we've demonstrated compliance with the five
statutory requirements for the Brownfield area designation. Our client is committed to the cleanup of a significant environmental issue uh under the Brownfield's program. We appreciate um your time this evening, the opportunity to prevent present to you
all. We're available for any questions that you have. Um we respectfully request your approval of the application and um I would also ask for just the opportunity to briefly address you all uh after um public comment occurs. So thank you so much.
>> Questions for the applicant. I have two request to speak forms from the public. If you would like to speak to us, please fill out a request to speak form, hand it to the baiff, and the baiff will get it to me. The first request to speak form I have is from
Mary Gavin, followed by Kelly Layman. >> I'm going to read because I'm trying to stay within my three minutes. >> Sure. >> And if you would like a copy of this because I'm going to speak very quickly, just let me know or I can email it. Happy new year staff and commissioners.
Because I only have three minutes, I'm going to read my personal assessment after a lot of research, support, and information. Although this is the first residential zone property that I was able to find for Brownfield. Maybe there have been some, but they certainly
weren't on the site according to Scott Sweeney at at the uh at the state. Um, my concern in this case is more the fact that we do have somebody applying for tax credits that has unfortunately
defrauded our state. I don't have an issue with the brownfield status. I think it's absolutely necessary. I'm more concerned with the tax credits, but that's not the main issue. I also find it a little bit appalling that I don't feel like we've received straightforward information from the owner's
representative. For example, we were told that the property was not for sale and that it was removed from listings, although it had been previously listed. Contrary to what I was told, we found the listing on LoopNet and on December 20th, I have a copy of the listing and
it was removed about a week later, I believe, after I notified Michael. He probably wasn't aware it had been listed for over three years, right about the time this property was purchased by the one of the current owners. I don't think it really matters and it's it's kind of none of my business. They
can sell it according to, you know, the information I've gotten, but once again, this is a matter of getting straightforward information and it would be helpful. And I think having brownfield status is probably going to help them facilitate a sale if that's where they go. Additionally, of more concern and the biggest issue is with
the brownfield status stating that it's contained to the property. I had asked Michael for information about testing of the surrounding areas. I did not receive any. We've proceeded to do some of our own and unfortunately I haven't gotten all the tests back due to the holiday, but I have gotten one that is of
concern. This is county property that I was testing because it's our swale that the homeowner association maintains and there was a DDT issue on one of the swailes which I've been digging in that dirt for years. So, I do want to mention that. I guess really it's something that
I feel like the county should be doing. When I checked into the reports to verify whether or not they were there, there's a report called Oculus. There were not any reports that my representatives and resources were able to find there regarding testing outside the property. From my personal
perspective, I think the thing to do is of course give them uh status contingent on the testing of the property because the scope could change. They may need to also do some additional work in the out in the outlying areas. The tests that were conducted are from a reputable firm both a law firm and
geocentech in Boca in Boca Raton, Florida and the DDT camp. >> You have 15 seconds. >> Okay. Okay. I'm just going to summarize by saying I think it should be put on hold. I also want to add that Moren Smith who administers the tax credit program, I
have an email from her stating that it requires 10 jobs to be created and not five. And the last thing is relative to the Dade development, their program is different. Dade has their own program. I don't know if they still follow any of the state statutes. Thank you. >> Thank you. Kelly Layman is next,
followed by Jan Forest. >> Afternoon. >> Is the overhead projector working again? It is not. Okay. I'm going to give this to your attorney, Elise Elder, to look at and maybe pass down the line if that's okay with you, Chair Herd. Okay.
Happy New Year. Um, I am a private citizen here tonight. I have never addressed you at this microphone in this chamber. I'm here purely as a good Samaritan, private citizen, community member who cares about uh this area and
Hope Sound in particular, family there. Um I am myself trying to relocate to that area um when market prices maybe stabilize. And if you remember, um, about 2 years ago, this county commission was
wonderful in asking the Florida legislature for some funds to bring the Petway neighborhood, um, which is just to the southwest of this parcel you're discussing, onto portable water, unfortunately. And in that map you'll
see which I'm happy to email in as well if if needed for the public record. Um Commissioner Jenkins for all his might was only able to secure funding for the west side of the railroad. So, if you can visualize this, and that's what the
map is, but basically the east side of the railroad, which is East Pet Way, there are about two dozen homes who will not be able to tie in to public water. That area has a known well field that is
contaminated, that is not pro that is not providing um good portable water for those residents. they are enveloped by public utilities everywhere else around them. So as as much hard work as the
county has done, I would strongly suggest and I do not have a dog anywhere in this hunt. I do not have uh any property in this vicinity. I do not know the property owner. I have no clients with a vested interest in this issue. My
only concern is the about 25 homes that are on both sides of Pway east of the railroad lying about roughly four streets south immediately south of this parcel. So Brown Fields and I I heard
the word arsenic tonight. I have not had a chance to look at the brownfields legislation that was just passed in the 2025 legislation which completely rewrote the brownfields statutes with much more incentives for development for same. Um, so I have not had a chance to
to do the research that I know your staff is highly capable of doing and may have already undertaken, but I just hope that we possibly in this exercise keep in mind those two dozen homes that missed under the wire being
brought into the petway transfer for for drinking water onto public utilities and that we somehow keep them in mind. And I did um very briefly talk with Commissioner Jenkins very briefly and neither one of us could remember today if the county had had the Florida
Department of Health test east of the railroad. We know it was done west of the railroad. Don Donaldson might remember where the testing occurred um for those homes, but perhaps we could um bring them into that testing before this exercise is final. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you. Jan Forest is next, followed by Ted Johnson. >> Good afternoon. >> Good afternoon. [clears throat] Thank you so much for moving this meeting to 5:00 pm so more people could attend. Uh my name is Jan Forest. I live
on Sable Street, which is right across from the former Flower Carnation Farm. And um my I just wanted to voice my opinion about that this property was known as a flower farm. It had had been there ever since we have moved to Hope
Sound 37 years ago. And as an experienced developer, I feel that they should have known that there would be environmental cleanup. I'm not sure how I feel about them. I do um I am in favor of the brownfield, but my question is
that um their renderings of their development does not even show the railroad tracks and I feel like that's a little bit deceptive. I also feel like their um development and the cost of the
homes are not really going to be conducive with Hope Sound, our area. This is not Miami Beach. Um, and so my question is, um, if the developer ends up not being able
to develop the land because of the, um, lavish plans that he has, what, you know, how is that going to work as far as like if they are um, awarded the brownfield or if it should just be up to
them to personally their company devel um, clean up the land. So that's my question for you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Ted John is next, followed by Chris Mezer. >> Good evening. I'm Ted Johnzac. I
[clears throat] live on Southeast Royal Street, which backs up to the development. I've been there since 1986 and I was at the last meeting and I've been very involved in my community. I was a president of the homeowners association for like 30 years, dealt
with the county on a number of issues. I'm going to reiterate probably some of the things have been already said uh by some of the speakers, but the concern I have in reviewing I'm requested information from the county and I was given reports. She requested it two months ago and I just got the
reports today and probably about 500 pages of information. So really haven't had a chance to do really good due diligence on that. I saw who the reports are from. Uh specifically one I looked at was from Hardman and Associates and
a lot of historical information there. Uh one of the uh sections shows all of the plats. You know, this Carnation Nursery Farm started in the 1960s, okay? And was just sold by them in 214.
So that was an active site for 50 years. And at one time, that entire site was filled with carnations. And you're only looking at one particular area where you think the contamination is contained.
But and I was looking at some of the testing wells and the locations of the testing wells. It shows them on a eastern side of the development, but I don't see any designated testing wells around the rest of the property.
Obviously, if we had carnations growing around the whole property, they had to be treated with pesticides. Okay. So, how could we eliminate that? And it doesn't look like there was a lot of due diligence done with the previous owner. Some of the comments made in some
of the reports on my li limited time to evaluate them says that they had li limited contact if any with the previous owner. So, how could you really do a valid assessment not having talked to
the owners of Sun Sun uh Shine Corners Nurseries and getting a full, you know, uh perspective of what exactly was done on that site. You know, it's pretty easy to assume because it was a nursery that
as we've stated before and environmentalists have, you know, it was designated as a brownfield site because, you know, just being from a u perspective of logic, you would think that that site was contaminated. My
biggest concern is why did we just find out that we had a contaminated site in like last year? Okay, my understanding from what I reviewed, I might be wrong, but I think they knew that that site was contaminated back in 213.
You know, why isn't RETO action taken back then? Um, and the bigger concern I have, I'm all for the development. Okay, I want to state that clearly. You know, if it's done properly and it's cleaned up properly. >> Sir, your time is up. Thank you. Wrap it
up. >> Can I make one more comment? >> Sure. >> One more comment. This is probably the most critical comment and it ties into what I just heard. If they're not successful in cleaning up that site, who
is obligated and responsible for that cleanup? I don't believe the county can just ignore that. You know, you know, you have a known contaminated site in the middle of residential developments. Somebody has got to be responsible.
Okay? And I'm willing, you know, as a as a property owner, I've been there since ' 86, to take it to whatever degree I need to to make sure that that site is cleaned up by somebody because that's my biggest concern. Again, I'm I'm I'm all
for the development, but we need to know what you're going to do next. >> Sir, >> thank you very much. Appreciate the time. >> Chris Mezer is next, and Mr. Mezer is the last request to speak form. I have >> I live right next to Ted. >> Got to speak into the mic.
>> Sorry. >> I live right next to Ted in the same spot back in my yard is the issue that we have and you know and so what I'll tell you is I moved there in ' 86 also and raised my kids there. We picked it
specifically for the way it is. I think most of the people in Hob Sound that have been there for any time at all recognize the uniqueness of it. People talk all the time about they go to other towns for ceremonies and that kind of stuff. It's unique. It's absolutely
unique. Okay? And we're screwing it up to make it the truth. Okay? You got little areas, you got hearing the natives, you got, you know, your business is there or was there. Okay? And uh I I just think it's a atrocity.
People look for this kind of places. Okay. The area you're talking about, you're going to put h double that amount of houses in there and everything. You know, the the road, it goes up and down there. It it can't take any more
traffic. It's terrible. Now you can the bicycle guys are run getting run over. I mean, it's just ridiculous. Okay, I'm sorry. That's all I got to say. But I think we need to understand what we have here that people come to see. Sure they
want to move here and get a who who doesn't. Okay. Sorry. Thanks. >> Thank you. Would anyone else like to address us? Back to the board. Questions for staff or the applicant?
>> Well, he had asked for an opportunity to rebut. Okay, >> Madame Chair and board members, again for the record, Michael Schnops Tyler on behalf of the applicant. I'll I'll keep this as as brief as I can. Um I think the consensus of um the public comment was not focused on the five specific
criteria, but I'm happy to address some of the concerns. I think the most important one is the cleanup itself. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the cleanup. They review every single document related to the assessment of the site where the
contamination starts and stops. They tell us based on the reports, do you go off-site or not? Do you go test here, there, and other places? Um, as soon as we get the reports back from from Miss Gavin, when they're ready, we'll provide them to our consultants. We'll analyze
them and see how it relates to the issues on our site and we'll work together with the D since it's county property. We'll work with with county staff. We'll we'll work together on this. This is how brownfield sites are cleaned up throughout the state of Florida. There is a very specific iterative process in the Florida
administrative code that has penalties. It has requirements. It has obligations that says these are the steps you have to take to take to to complete the cleanup. And that's what the Brownfield program requires you to do. You are signing a contract that says you are going to do this. We don't get to
dictate what level of cleanup occurs. we can propose something, but if it doesn't meet the state requirements, the D is going to tell us, go back again, do more testing, go back again, come up with a new plan, go back again and go offsite.
These are all requirements um that happen on thousands and thousands of cleanup sites throughout Florida and more than 500 sites that are currently in um the Brownfield program as well. I wanted to just kind of briefly finish with talking about the tax credit
program. tax credit program is just one of many many important aspects of the Brownfields program and that ability to apply for and receive for tax credits is based on the actual spending that is done on the cleanup and it's defined by very specific statutes and even its own
set of regulations in the Florida administrative code. the environmental consultants sign and seal their professional um engineering and and geology certifications on the line when they put the cert for certification in
for the applications. A CPA has to do an independent review of all proposals, invoices and bank records, not just copies of checks, but the actual bank records to show that the cleanup activities have occurred, the money has been spent, the funds have been
withdrawn for the account. That's all reviewed and scrutinized by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. We are many, many, many steps away from even being able to submit the application. And the D is very protective of the $35 million in tax
credits that they're able to issue every year. And they will deny applications. They regularly deny applications that are not in compliance with their statutes and um regulations. But as I mentioned, the tax credit program is just one just one small part of the
brownfields program that is critical in the cleanup and redevelopment of so many underutilized sites throughout Florida. We have expedited technical review, the advisory committee that I talked about, the set schedule for the cleanup, um the regulatory framework. These all benefit
not just the redeveloper, but also the community at large that's concerned about the environmental contamination on the site. So again, if our client does not qualify for that tax credit program, the D will not approve it. They will not approve it, but we will still be able to
utilize those other aspects of the program that allow us to keep complete the cleanup of the site. Thank you. >> Hold. >> I don't know who this question is for. I'm looking at the um proposed soil sample sites and I'm looking at an
outline of the it's an aerial of the site and also a cartoon of the site. I'm on pages 189 and 191 and I see that that 60% of the property is has been uh
cultivated. So they're grow plots on a majority of the of the parcel and yet the only proposed uh soil samples are in a very small area
on the east side where it says former plant packaging and former chemical storage. Well, it it's just makes sense that the same chemicals that were stored and pack and and in in on the eastern
port part were used on the rest of the cultivated site. So, who makes the determination of where the soil sample sites are? >> I' I'd be happy to just briefly address. >> Please be brief. >> Very brief. >> Yeah. Um this is just a snapshot in
time. This is just a proposal um for the yellow circles to be sampled at that specific time based on previously testing that occurred. The assessment is still in progress. We have a good handle on the extent of where the soil starts and stops. You'll see some green dots,
just a few um towards the west side of the property, the north side and the south side. Again, those are just some former soil samples from previous assessment events, but there have been other soil samples taken. This is just one small snapshot in time. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
reviews the entire history, all the historic aerials to see where the operations occurred and then works with and provides letters and recommendations and then if we don't follow those recommendations, orders the redeveloper, the responsible party to complete those cleanup activities. Again, this is just
one small example of, you know, the hundreds, if not thousands of pages of environmental cleanup reports. um that either currently exist or will exist as we move through the cleanup process for the site. >> Well, we're we're not making a decision
on that. We're making a decision today based upon the illustrations that we've been given and they're unsatisfactory. I can tell you that. At least from my perspective, they are. If >> I may just respond again, we have five brownfield area designation criteria and it's not what is the extent of the
issues. Um, there are brownfield sites that have very small cleanups and they have brownfield sites that have millions and millions, tens of millions of dollars being spent. This was provided just to designate the property as a brownfield area and show that there's an
existing contamination issue on the property. That's it. That's all it shows. >> And for our staff, we have to make a determination about whether these five criteria have been met. And what do we use to determine if
five new permanent jobs will be created? >> Are we are we relying upon the applicant's consultant? >> We review the application materials that are submitted to us as part of this request and if a professional report is
attesting to that then we review and make the determination based on those materials. So, we're we're um accepting the the consultants um theory that there are going to be 22
full-time jobs created with 38 homes. I I couldn't buy five and so I'm really struggling with 22. I uh Paul Schilling, growth management director for the record. Uh Madame Chair, uh we routinely rely on
professional reports and um testimony within public quasi judicial matters. So this isn't unique in that respect. Um, the applicant could probably talk more about their job report, but from my
position, uh, as far as a department director and in my role, I I take that report as meeting the criteria. >> So, we don't verify. >> Oh, no. >> Um, I'm You have the expert testimony tonight.
>> Commissioner [snorts] Campy. >> Uh, old light. I'm going to wait. Commissioner Vargas, >> you know, character is everything. Character is everything. I mean, I when I saw this, I I was I'll tell you a ghast. Criminal case, sober home
takedown. You know, I'm I'm from Miami Dade County. I know Miami Beach very well. Graduate of Miami Beach Senior High. Know it super well. You know, Bell Harbor shops is my second home. I understand all of that. The housing is
exploded. in so far as pricing and I know some of the areas that you've developed. I also have a broker's license too for many years. Um I I I've got a lot of questions similar
to what our madam chairwoman has too. Who says they're going to be five or 10 full-time jobs? A person that you paid. Um is it five or is it 10? I'm really confused
and um my colleagues know me. I do my homework very very carefully and I check and I go back and double check and I test it also. Um so if we're talking about a quasi judicial to do we meet all five criteria.
I think we're lacking on that. I would not pay a full-time guard the salary plus all the benefits for 38 homes. I I would not as an astute business person and a homeowner and and you're a
businessman. I see these numbers here. 5,570 11 million. Let me do my math quickly. That would be that would be about another 13 million right there plus another 20 million. You're asking us to
say, "Sure, let's go ahead and stamp But what happens when the market, the real estate market turns down, which is already starting to put the brakes on? I know this because I'm in the business and I understand about hard money lenders. They're just looking to the property for collateral,
not a personal guarantee. I understand that because I'm in the money business, too. Um, but permanent full-time jobs, I'm not satisfied with that. And the other thing is that normally this would be for blighted areas. Um so that you
would be able to say okay this is public use. We're reclaiming the blighted areas. Um it could be environmentally impaired for civic civic and broadly accessible purposes. So So here's the thing. You're you're you're looking for tax incentives.
That's our money. That's our tax money. And anybody who's heard me for the last year knows I really, really will always protect the taxpayers. I being one of them, too. The thing is that if you're going to be getting the tax credit, I mean, you have enough money here to do this on your
own. I'm I'm just looking at this right here. And you have an attorney and you have consultants and you've been in the business for a long time, you should be able to do this on your own. But but the thing is, what's the clawback? How do we claw back those incentives? This was another issue that came before us, too.
It's not fun to do. It is not fun to do at all. Here comes the attorney again. Okay, [sighs and gasps] but here here here's the thing. You are very capable of doing this. If you made a bad purchase, well, so be it. So be it. But
it is on the market. I think it's for is it 16 or $12 million? Is it still on the You can >> I don't know. Can he come up? He wants to talk. He wants to >> rebut. question. >> 12,6 million, whatever. A million here, a million there. Uh, the thing is, if you just say, uh, I don't want anything
to do with this. Maybe the neighbors don't want this. These homes are extremely expensive for little old Hope Sound. And I do love Hope Sound. I will tell you, Commissioner G, I enjoy going down. It reminds me of my old Florida neighborhoods. But we're talking almost three. No place like Hope Sound or
Jensen Beach either. Stand in your shoe. Well, Palm City is a little more sophisticated, but anyway. >> I accept. >> Yeah. Take that as a compliment. I do. [laughter] Okay, remember I'm from Miami Dade County. I know what sophistication is, but anyway, you're talking about a spa fitness center attendant, a pool boy, I
think is what I see here, on-site landscapers, a man gate. You know, there are communities that have 134 homes. Originally planned to have a security guard there. No, it's not there. The cost is excessive.
Excessive, especially today. And certainly to find those positions to what what your scenario is, what what your creation is uh might be a bit difficult. So then we're going to make a decision based on all five criteria met
which I'm not satisfied that particular one has been met. But but more than that, why do you need the money to do this? Just write the check and do it. Just do it. Because if you don't go through with it,
I do not I believe my fellow commissioners do not want to be put in the position of chasing after money. That's not good business. And and you know, you've been doing this a long time. Your grandfather, your father, you, as I say, I know the areas you've developed
and in Miami, too, near the airport. Haven't stayed at your hotels, but I've passed by them. So, that's what I have to say about this right now. Commissioner, come back again. >> Commissioner Campy, >> thank you. Um, there's a lot to unpack
here. The presentation, the uh comments from the owner, the public comments, our staff. So, let me try to capsulize it as best I can in regards to using the program, the
reason you're here today in the first place. It's not a Martin County program. It's a state of Florida program. It's a tax credit program and a policy that the state put in place for the entire state to take advantage of. So, I'm not uh you
know, as a shrewd business person, I see no reason why you and hundreds of other people in the last several years have taken advantage of a bonafide legal state program. I I don't care if
you were Elon Musk if you know smart business people are taking advantage of programs that are available back to our local residents. Couple of points were made during the public comment and I was very careful to listen and I appreciate you all coming out and I appreciate the people that speak so
that we can get a better understanding of what's happening right there. I will tell you during today's lunch break I drove down uh looked to see if the property was cleaned up and it was uh drove down both the streets the dead ends on both sides uh north and south of
the property. Gorgeous both and then I went across the street as well. Beautiful neighborhoods. Um obviously not blighted which is fine because this property is blighted. I'd also remind you and my newer colleagues that several
years ago when this property was set to be redeveloped, the skies opened up and people came and were very well organized and we denied it and the property has sat with the contamination on the site for the years
since that happened. It's not going to get any better. These are probably generational kind of issues that if left untreated and and un um taken care of. It's it's dangerous for you all. And
when you go to sell your own beautiful homes, uh you're going to have to explain or your realtor is going to have to explain. I think by law you you got a couple of realators up here. I don't think you can keep that a secret from potential buyers. So, I think the sooner
we get we get it cleaned up, the better. And there have been I don't remember the last group that was looking to develop that property coming forward and talking about the brownfield program. I don't remember even we didn't get that deep into it at the time, but we didn't even
start to talk about the contaminations. So, if you finally have someone who's willing to come forward, obviously bought the property knowing it was contaminated. It's Carnation Farm. And I'm not an expert, but I'll tell you, we had the exact same situation in Palm
City on Berry Avenue with the exact same company. It was Sunshine Carnation Farms. And we didn't discuss Brownfield. And there wasn't a lot of talk, if I can remember, and I have a pretty good memory of contamination. [clears throat] And that's a beautiful neighborhood now.
much less, you know, um, very pretty homes, but not to the scale of the homes that would be appropriate in your neighborhood or would be appropriate. So, and I also heard very carefully the the neighbors didn't say actually they said the opposite. I'm in favor of the
project. I'm in favor of the brownfield cleanup. So, I'm wondering where the controversy is or where the animosity is here because I've heard the neighbors very respectfully say, "Look, we're not opposed to the project and we want it
cleaned up." Well, there's a guy that's willing to clean it up and he's allowed to take advantage of a program that exists for everywhere. You saw that one picture 16 miles in Seminal County. We and and then he showed the only knock
I'll give you is you talk and this is coming from me your presentation too long. I get that you're trying to put it all on the record. I get it. But that being said, the property was not contaminated by its current owner or his representatives.
Those people escaped. They contaminated the property and then they left. Now, like I said, I'm not an expert, but I have been involved with some folks that were looking to purchase property here in Martin County ago, and they had
to do their due diligence because there are flower farms all over Martin County. It's a flower, it's the crosanthemum capital of the world. So, I had a friend who was looking at some property and he had to go through the the level one uh
inspection, the level two and and where did you pick and choose? Um it would make sense as a lay person that if you put the over go back to the one that showed what it used to look like this one. I mean, you don't have to be,
you know, Perry Mason to figure out formal former chemical storage area. It's it's we're talking about the content like the the level of contamination. if they're spraying whatever they were spraying onto the
flower on the grow plots versus letting it soak out a gallon of rusty containers or buckets or filling equipment and sprayers at that location and it's just seeping into the ground. I understand why it might not be contaminated all
over the place and it is very much concentrated right there. So now we start looking at, you know, look his history and his criminal background. That was interesting to hear the last time we did. But I think between, you
know, look, we're not the moral police and the judge and jury up here if if and he was willing to tell the story and I was cringing when he said it because I don't want to hear the whole entire story. We read through the information that was submitted and I appreciate it. I have it in my mind. I I thought it I
thought about it thoughtfully on whether or not I would, you know, deny the entire project because of his history. I won't um in terms of the questions that I asked and if you go back and watch, I was the one that was saying I want this
and I want that. I wanted you to notify the neighbors beyond a sign that maybe see some people saw and some people you notified what' you say a couple hundred people. 500 oh no 500 feet. couple hundred people. I checked that box because our responsibility is to make
sure that the infected impacted parties are at least aware. And you did that. I thought, well, if you're trying to come here and ask us to do something for you, at least shape the property up. The signs were all the grass was tall. I specifically drove down there today to
see if you did it, and you did. in terms of the employee count look 15 20 25 I have no idea but the co but the requirement from what we have heard from our staff and from you is five now Mary
said that she got an email that someone says it's 10 I didn't see the email but let's say it's >> that's fine >> yeah and and and it's fine look all we're not experts but we got one in the back who's obviously qualif qualified.
He he read his whole resume to us and when Mr. Schilling says that hey you know we rely on and I wrote it down outside consultants and professionals come with every application environmental consultants lawyers
traffic consultants we don't then say well you know I don't know if you're a traffic consultant or not that guy gave his resume and he's that's what we required of you now if he if you don't in terms of will you have a manned guard gate in front of your 38 homes if there
are million million dollar homes. It's not impossible to have that. Some people will love it. It's a gorgeous I mean the soundings and across the It's beautiful down there. It's probably one of the nicest areas in Martin County. It re you
know all in a row. Gomez is gorgeous. He said yes. I got to take him at his word. I don't know more than he does. He said yes. He's staking his professional reputation and he signed the letter in terms of if you can raise the money or not. Uh, you know, look, we could say
that to every applicant that comes forward. You showed a letter that said you could afford to buy the property today, 3 months from now, you sell it, you don't sell it, you know, I don't care. My concern is for the constituents and the residents. What's the ultimate goal? Clean up the property. I mean, you
don't have to be a biologist or a scientist to realize the first thing we need to do as quickly as possible is clean up the property. We've only done brownfields very recently, and it's been two in like the last 6 months. We didn't grill the other team that hard. We were just glad they
were cleaning up the property. And there that was on the canal, and you're not on the canal. You're close on the other side there. But I would clean it up for the residents, for the people that live adjacent to it. You have deep properties. And so at the end of the day, let's get the property cleaned up. If you want to
start figuring out what does the architecture look like and you know what uh that's that's down the road. And the last thing I'll say is that this is a quasi judicial which gives us sort of like judicial kind of responsibilities. And I know you tried to put it lay it
out there very casually, but by the way it's like listen this is legal precedent that's been said. These are court cases that have been solved. Our staff which did have time to review all the documentation which have decades of experience and collectively probably
centuries of experience reviewed this and what did they say to us their job? Yes, we agree that it's been handled. So if three of us decide today that we shouldn't I think and I always tell people I'm not afraid of the county
getting into a lawsuit. [snorts] I'm afraid of the county losing a lawsuit. our staff that we task with telling us, do you think this is up or down? They said up. We saw the finances. We got the guy with the five jobs. We're guessing
if there'll be five jobs there or not. But the final thing to my colleagues is this. We're not going to have to claw the money back from the applicant if they don't do what they're supposed to. It's a state program. The state is going to come looking for their money back.
the state's going to hold their feet to the fire to see if they do what they're legally required to do. So when I put those things together, even if at the last meeting I left thinking I'm a no, I think I have to be a yes because at the
end of the day we're looking to clean the property up and I think they've met the burden of uh of at least getting them to the next step. And then when we get into the fact of do you like the house? If this wasn't contaminated, would this size project even come to us? >> No. And it won't?
>> No, sir. It's 38 units proposed. So, it's under the threshold of a major. >> If it wasn't contaminated, we're not even having this conversation. So, I'm focusing most of my attention on how do I clean up the contamination for you? And we got a guy that's willing to do
it. Let's make sure he does it, but let's give him the opportunity to do it because if it's not him, there's no one else coming behind him. Thank you, >> Commissioner Heatherington. I will um one number one I can empathize with the residents. I'm a fourth generation native and I know it it's
changed and it it's hard to see especially when it's going literally you the two gentlemen in your backyard. Um and whether it's out of character for the area um in this particular determination I'm only looking at the
brownfield because that will come and and clearly it will not come before this board. But the five criteria um have they been met? So number one was ownership um that's certainly been met in my opinion. uh jobs. Um
I my question to Miss Elder is um if there are questions on the expert who's what's the legal uh requirement for someone to produce this information and is it five jobs or is it 10 jobs?
>> So under the under the statute it's five jobs. So they have to establish by competent substantial evidence that this project will create five jobs. they brought in an expert economist to do that. So if the board for some reason um doesn't find him credible or doesn't
find the evidence he provided credible, that would be the only way for you to deny it if you found it not to be credible um evidence because the county does not usually provide evidence in response to contradict an applicant. Um,
and I think staff evaluated the evidence and determined it was credible. But the board can make that determination on their own if the um, expert was credible. And Commissioner Campy said, you look at his um, his work history, what he's done in the past, what kind of
um, expert he is and things like that to determine if he can if he has the credibility and the skills to make this determination. >> Okay. And then three was does it follow the local comprehensive plan which staff
says it does. And four was the notice and they you've gone above and beyond the notice. And number five was uh reasonable assurance of the financials being met. And I don't believe that was the case the last hearing but I do
believe that reasonable assurance has been met. um in this particular case. And so I I I believe in this particular hearing that those five criteria and I think
Commissioner Campy mentioned this. Um no one wants to be in a lawsuit, but we certainly don't want to be in a loss a losing lawsuit for our residents. So I'm inclined to um support this Brown
area. And I have one more question. So if it was never designated a brownfield area, it would still require cleanup. Correct. >> Correct. So the applicant can still clean it up whether or not it's designated as a brown up brownfield. If they want to develop it, it has to be cleaned up.
>> So regardless if it's designated, once it's cleaned, it's it's eligible for whatever the county deems is legally acceptable to develop in. >> Correct. Mhm. [clears throat]
>> Commissioner Caps, >> I want to thank my fellow Hopetown residents for coming out and speaking about this. Um, I share your concerns. I live about a mile south of the project
off of Alabama Place. So, uh, I think our our main thing is we want this cleaned up. And, um, and I appreciate what everyone has had to say. and I think you've you've added tremendous value to the
discussion. Um this is a quai judicial hearing where the the legal standard is competent substantial evidence in the record. It's a state program. There are five
uh very um clearly laid out criteria. Um and it seems to me that there were two issues going in. one had to do with uh sufficient financial resources
and it appears that there's there's that requirement is met uh and that we have reasonable assurance of adequate and sufficient financial resources. And then the only other uh issue really
in play it would seem is whether five uh permanent full-time full-time equivalent positions are satisfied. You know, at first when I thought I was a little concerned about
this because I thought is a 38 home community going to have 247 security with 3.8 eight uh workers um involved and for a community that small, you know, I've
been to a lot of gated communities [clears throat] in Martin County and and uh that would seem questionable to me as to whether you're your homeowners association is going to keep u that much staffing for security for a
community that's that small. Um but when it comes to this five full-time equivalent permanent positions um if we look at the criteria
on page let's see um if we look at the full-time jobs created by Oasis Hopson on page 23 234 and then you look at these tables. >> Um
like on page 237. >> Um well, let's see. We've got three tables. Table one is gate staff, 3.8 workers, and then table two is household staff. And that total comes to uh well they
don't have that totaled up but uh >> 3.8 >> yeah 3.8 yeah down at the bottom. And then table three permanent jobs supported by the project. And until I read a little deeper, I didn't
know you could count all of this, you know, but you know, you got house cleaners, pest service, AC maintenance, uh, spa, fitness center, landscape pool maintenance, uh, gate
guards. It's it it comes to a grand total of 22. So, it's not really a close thing. I mean, like if if we were really worried about whether the security guards were critical in order to meet the five
person requirement, but it's not it's not even close. I mean, if if if they have competent substantial evidence that shows 22 uh FTEES and all we need is five, they're they're way over that number. So
I I think that allays my concern about the five worker requirements. So it seems to me that the requirements are met, but I really appreciate uh everything that everyone has said that gives further light on what needs to be
done with this project uh going forward. And I uh I look forward to seeing it coming to fruition and and allaying everybody's concerns. um in Hope Sound and I have those concerns as well. So, I I will support
uh the designation of the Brownfield here tonight. >> Commissioner Vargas, >> no, I I think that I've said what I had to say about this um enough. It it can be cleaned up without being designated as a brown field. >> I don't know how many people are going to be spraying for bugs, but I'd be more
concerned about that. You know, I I see the number of hours here. The pool I mean, the fellow comes once a week. Um, so there's a lot of inconsistencies, inaccuracies here, and it's not that my heart doesn't go out to those folks in
the area, but we have to be careful. Are we going to be consistent or inconsistent, my fellow commissioners, some have been here longer than I have, and they need to come to that determination because people are watching. Martin County taxpayers and residents are a very
astute group of people. Very astute. And I get the calls because they say there's nobody else to speak to. So I hope this changes this year. Commissioner Campy, >> thank you. I just wanted to bring up the point that another public commenter had
make made about the east side of the railroad tracks for Pway. if separate from this obviously has nothing to do with this but I while it's being mentioned and while we're discussing it I'd like staff to look into seeing what would be the case. I do remember when that came up originally I didn't
realized that the outcome was half one side of 95 of the railroad tracks was yes and the other side was no as a separate thing and then in regards to our taxpayers the project is currently bringing in one point is $1.2 $2 million in taxes,
taxable value, and then it'll be as a fully built out, beautiful neighborhood in conjunction and uh uh appropriate to the rest of the surrounding neighborhoods, it'll bring in multi-millions of dollars. So, I think our taxpayers, as well as the fact that
we're cleaning up a contaminated site in Martin County, I see it as a as a win. Thank you. So, I guess we're all dancing. I'll make a motion to accept staff's recommendation. >> Second. Commissioner Vargas. >> Uh I mean um we are assuming that the
taxes will be brought in. This is a year when there's going to be strategic change with advalorum taxes. So to hang your hat on the same argument may not carry water. And if the market has a downturn, I I think that the gentleman will definitely say, "Wait a
moment, maybe this is not the right time." So I I think we really need to look a little deeper than just making the same comments we've made for the last 16 years. So there's a motion and a second. All those in favor? I >> I >> opposed. >> Opposed.
>> That motion passes 4 to one with Commissioner Vargas dissenting. That brings us to the end of our meeting. Uh I'm just going to generally ask if commissioners have any comments. You'll feel free to refrain. I just wanted [laughter] to make an announcement on
two events that we're having in Palm City. On January 15th at 8:00 a.m. at the Palm City Community Center, I'm having dish with the commission with our sheriff Binseek. Uh we're going to discuss a lot of the issues that Martin
County residents have questions for him. uh 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 15th. And then on Saturday, January 17th at 6 p.m. we're having music in the park on Map Road, which is right next door to
the station 21 fire station. And with that, I appreciate it. Those are free events. >> Any further comments? >> Nope. >> We are adjourned. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you.