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Video-Count: 2
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=G893-gd3erA
Video-2: youtube.com/watch?v=3pDOIztUOIQ

Part: 1

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--------- I appreciate it. >> Yeah, you you only been here for two years, right? >> Two and a half now. So, >> all right. >> Recognition is nice, but what he really values is the simplicity of the work. Meet Cole Sigley, a solid waste driver for the city of Northport. >> You can put me on the same truck and

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same route. Leave me alone for 30 years and I'll it'll be done. You don't have to worry. You don't have to worry about it. >> Right. It's very low stress. Let me do my job. >> Yep. >> I'll do it right. Come back tomorrow. >> Yep. And then you go on to your next route. And then you just keep doing that and then eventually the weekend comes,

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you enjoy the weekend, right back to it, >> right? That's that's how life should be. >> It's a career he planned for early on right after high school. >> I went and got my CDL after I graduated high school and my goal is to get here eventually. So >> All right. >> So I sound like a man with a plan.

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>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, we appreciate it. We appreciate everything you guys do. >> He even shared a little bit about where he grew up. Far from the Florida heat >> cuz we we're from West Virginia. >> Okay. What what part of West Virginia? >> Uh, so it's north central, so like Clarksburg. It's about 40 minutes from

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Morgantown, which is where the university and the schools are and all that stuff. >> I've been to Wheeling, West Virginia a couple times >> up in the mountains. >> Yeah. >> I I I'm going to tell you, driving up those streets when the streets are like really narrow. >> Uhhuh. >> And you got to wind up those, I was

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like, "Oh my." And I was young. I was like 23. >> Yeah. >> And I was like, "Man, this is going to be a problem." There are some of those mountain roads where it's just we like to call them kiss your butt turns where you're sneaking through >> and then you got to do that in the winter when it's icy on the roads. >> I don't even want to think about it. I

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don't even want to think about it. >> No, I'll take this over that up there >> any day. >> And when the talk turns to hobbies, the trucks don't stop at work. In his spare time, it's all about monster trucks and RC cars. >> Nice little basketball court right there. My son would like that outside of our house.

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>> Oh yeah, >> that's nice. your place to run your little RC trucks, too, >> right? Oh, yeah. >> I got a bunch of those. I like them. >> Do you? >> Yeah. >> Oh, man. Do you have the gas powered ones? >> I have the electric. I don't have the gas powered. I've seen them. >> I I just want like the ones that go fast. Yeah.

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>> It could be electric or gas, but how fast can yours go? >> I have So, I have a couple that can go 40 plus. >> Oh, yeah. >> So, they're the brushless motors. So, >> you go race them somewhere like on the track? >> No, I just race around my yard. They're monster trucks, so they you just take those things anywhere >> and they can jump over anything.

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>> Oh, yeah. Right. >> I rip them through the sand and the grass and hit big jumps with them. I break them more than I do. You take a big jump, you're like, "All right, let's do this." And then you land it and it's like boom, it's done. You just broke the wheel offer. >> But when the work day starts, the focus shifts to keeping the city running

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smoothly. Every collection has a plan. And behind the scenes, people like Mario Benditi, planner and scheduler for the city, help make sure it all runs like clockwork. >> So basically, um, and I will check them one by one. >> Right. Do you really? >> Oh, yeah. I'll get out at every one and

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I'll check I might take a section and do like three or four streets, >> right? >> But for the entire city. >> Yeah. So, here we have contamination, our first tote, >> right? >> We have yard waste which does not belong in there, >> right? >> And we're going to end up tagging this and they're not going to collect it

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because of that. >> Okay. But but as I'm familiar with, you write on there exactly what the problem is. >> I can check off there's a spot for yard waste on there that doesn't belong in there and I will show you that. >> The goal isn't punishment. It's education, making sure residents know what belongs in the bin and what

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doesn't. >> So, here we have these are um it's a recycling notice. It's not a violation. It's not It's just a warning. It's just saying that, you know, oops, you had something in here that didn't belong, >> right? >> So, I'll date this. Today's the 24th.

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And there's a spot on here. We noticed your recycle container that had something that didn't belong. And there's a spot for yard waste, >> right? any kind of branches, trees, plants, anything else. >> Good evening. Today is Tuesday, June

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23rd, 2026. It's 5:01 p.m. We are in the city chambers, and I call the fire rescue district special meeting to order. Commissioners present are Commissioner Dval, Commissioner Stokes, Mayor Emerich, Vice Mayor Langden, and Commissioner Pro. There is a quorum for

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this meeting. Also present are city manager Fletcher, city attorney Fino, city clerk Fost, board specialist Linder, we have Cat Maharvey in the back, and I don't know if Garrison's here. Chief Garrison and fire chief Titus is on board as well. I am

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requesting that all commissioners, public participants, and staff maintain order and decorum throughout this meeting. City Commission policy 2021-03 states that attendees shall refrain from engaging in personal attacks and boisterous, immaterial, inflammatory,

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obscene, profane, or disorderly conduct. Additionally, meeting attendees must refrain from obscene, profane, or disorderly conduct, including hand clapping, yelling, and similar demonstrations, all of which dis disturbs the peace and good order of the

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meeting. Thank you. I'm going to request a motion to approve the agenda. >> So move. >> Second. >> Have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stokes, seconded by Vice Mayor. If there's nothing to that, please vote. And that passes five to zero. City

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clerk, public comment. >> Ursula Kubra. Dear commissioners, I am opposing raising any taxes for Northport. We already pay enough. It's the highest time for the city manager and administrator to start saving and not overspending. Use the budget that you have and use it wisely. I strongly

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oppose building more houses and killing more forests around this Northport city. Dear commissioners, you should have some kind of plan on how this city is going to grow. If things will go the way they go right now, in a few years, we will not have any trees or forests. Please note the wild animals don't have places

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to stay. Their population is getting smaller. The population of rats is getting much bigger. Warm Mineral Springs. Nothing is happening there. We still don't have decent changing rooms or bathrooms yet. The prices went up. And I know the excuse that you just make the discount smaller. The truth is we

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have to pay more. The truth is the city is getting a lot of money from Mineral Springs. So start caring. Be a good administrator. Take care of the place that bring you golden eggs. Thank you. This is your city. This is our city. Let's make this a nice place to live in. And that's all.

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>> Thank you. Moving on to public hearings. Resolution 2026-R46. City clerk, can you read by title only, please? >> Resolution number 2026-R46. A resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida as the governing body of the Northport Fire

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Rescue District, establishing not to exceed non-avalorum assessment rates for the Northport Fire Rescue District for fiscal year 2026 through 2027, incorporating recitals, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your

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item. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Pursuant to section 66, article 2 of the code of the city of Northport, Florida, the governing body of Northport Fire Rescue District shall have the duty, right, power, and authority to levy by resolution and collect special

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assessments against all non-exhibited benefited property within its territorial bounds in order to provide funds for the purpose of fire rescue and first responder responsibility at the Northport Fire Rescue District. Resolution number 2026-R46

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establishes not to exceed nonadalorum assessment rates for the Northport Fire DIS District for the fiscal year 2026-27 as found in the table in section 2.01. The Northport Fire Rescue District is

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proposing a tier one rate of $261 and a tier 2 rate of $3.33 based on an average single family home with a structure value of $240,000. This would increase the cost by no more than $33 over fiscal year 202526 rates.

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The actual final adopted rate will occur in September of 2026 as part of the budget approval process. The adopted rate may be lower than the not to exceed rate based upon the budget process. So today we ask that you approve recommended action number one which is

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approving resolution number 2026-R46 establishing the not to exceed nonadalor assessment rates for the Northport Fire Rescue District for fiscal year 2627. And before you do that, Mr. Mayor, Fire Chief Titus would like to say a few quick words regarding the information

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you received. >> Good afternoon, Mayor and Commissioners. Uh, fire chief Scott Titus here for the fire rescue district. Um, the proposed not to exceed rates that city manager read are correct. The backup material that you have that shows the adopted

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rate for fiscal year 25 and 26 is incorrect. What what will be signed tonight and go on the adopted rate um is corrected in the updated version. But the proposed not to exceed rate that the city manager stated was absolutely correct. 20601 for tier 1 and $3.33 for

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tier 2. The corrected numbers for the adopted last year's rate are 18728 for tier 1 and $3.3 for tier 2. >> Thank you, commissioners.

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Questions, discussions, any public comment? >> There is none. >> All right. I'll entertain a motion. I'll make it. Go ahead. Move to adopt resolution 2026-R46 as amended, updating section 2.01 to

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read 187.28 for tier 1, adopted by 2526 and $3.3 for tier 2. adopted 202526. >> Second. >> Have a motion on the floor to adopt resolution number 2026-R46

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as amended updated section 2.01 to read $187.28 for tier 1 adopted FYI 2025-2026 and $3.3 for the tier 2 adopted FYI

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20252026. That was made by Commissioner Stokes, seconded by Commissioner Dubal. There's nothing to that. Please vote. And that passes 5 to Z. >> You all good, sir?

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>> Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. >> Uh, final public comment. There >> is none. >> All right. It is 508. I had during this meeting >> that does not belong in there. It's not recyclable. >> The collection shiner won't take it. So

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basically I just leave this notice on top of the lid like this. >> Leave it closed like that. >> Technical difficulties. >> Yard waste. >> And that's it. And the driver knows not

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to collect this. And if there's ever confusion, there's even an app that takes out the guesswork. >> So the Recycle Coach app, it's easy. You just put in your street, your zip code, and it will it will notify you the day before on your phone. You get a notification say, "Hey, tomorrow's your

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trash day, and you put the tan lid on. It'll give you a notification." >> I like that. >> All right. Good evening. Today is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. It's 5:09. We are in the city chambers and I call the road and drainage district special meeting to order.

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Everybody's still here and I'm going to request a motion to approve the agenda. >> So move. >> Second. >> Have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stoke, seconded by Vice Mayor to approve the agenda. There's nothing to that. Please vote. And that passes five to zero. City clerk

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public comment. Yazin Rosani, you can't hear Yazine Rosani. I own two Burger King properties in Northport. My non-acalorum assessment has grown over 400% in 11

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years at one location. I pay more than double in total taxes here than an identical Burger King I own in Charlotte County. Resolution 2026-R23 sets not to exceed FY27 rates at 15% above FY26. enhanced road from $7342

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to $8443. Tertarian drainage from 106.21 to $122.14. The resolution recites that the methodology fairly poor proportioned assessments as required by relevant

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Florida legal standards. That same resolution describes resolution 2023-R64 September 2023 as authorizing 15% annual increases without updating the methodology, sending first class mail notices, or conducting special hearings.

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I asked the city attorney to confirm whether that bypass as described in the city's own resolution satisfies Florida statute 197.3632. The commission approved the Stantech plan in March 2023, projecting 0% increases starting FY27. Five months

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later in 2023, the commission adopted the 15% bypass now being re relied on to exceed that plan without revisiting the methodology it had just approved. The formula treats building size as a proxy for traffic. It isn't always a drive-through only coffee shop just

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opened next to my Tamiami Trail property under 1,000 square ft. On the city's formula, it will be assessed at a fraction of what my 3,622 square foot restaurant pays despite operating entirely on vehicle trips on a corridor carrying 37,500 cars daily. The

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2020 the 2014 consolidation may have removed a useful distinction prior to 2014. The district is reported to have applied separate residential and non-residential drainage rates reflecting that commercial parcels generate more runoff. That distinction

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is gone. The runoff difference is not. The commission has my full report. I raised these concerns at the June 10th and June 11th workshop and emailed it to staff. Neither has responded to me. I asked the commission to adopt a not to exceed rate of 0% and direct a methodology review. In person, I have

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Debbie McDow. Good evening, commissioners. Um, this road and drainage meeting is to set the not to exceed and the city manager is requesting in his recommended budget a 15% increase in the assessment.

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This public comment is because I was on the board when we approved this methodology. So, I'm going to go back in time for those of you who may not know. methodology was approved to frontload

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fiscal years 24 with a 25% increase. Fiscal year 25 with a 15% increase. Fiscal year 26 with a 15% increase. All three of those were approved and did happen. However, the methodology has

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something unique and it was agreed that that we would do it this way to frontload Fiscal year 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

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are all at zero. You cannot by this methodology that is in front of you that was approved by the commission in 2023 charge a 15% meth uh assessment because the methodology has not been

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changed. If the methodology was changed to include a 15% increase, it would be reflected as a new methodology, not using 2023s. Please make sure you're following the

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methodology that is in the backup material. Go on to page 12. You will see page 12 has a chart showing what the assessment is supposed to be for fiscal year 27. The one that's before you right

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now is zero, not 15. >> That's all there. >> Thank you. Moving on to resolution number 2026-R23. Um, city clerk, can you read by title

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only, please? Resolution number 2026-R23, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida as the governing body of the Northport Road and Drainage District, establishing not to exceed non-ambalorum assessment rates for the Northport Road and Drainage District for fiscal year 2026 through

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2027, incorporating recitals, providing for conflicts, providing for separability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Resolution number 2026-R23 establishes the not to exceed

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non-avalorum assessment rates for the Northport Road and drainage district for fiscal year 2627. The maximum assessment of maximum increase of 15% is based on the prior approved methodology report and is in response to unforeseen

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circumstances. The actual final adopted rate will occur in September of 2026 as part of the budget approval process. The adopted rate may be lower than the not to exceed rate. Uh we do ask that you approve resolution number 2026-R23 establishing not to exceed non-avalorum

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assessment rates for the Northport road and drainage district for fiscal year 267. We have our public works director Chuck Speak as well as our consultant from Stantech Mr. Peter Napoli here to answer any questions you may have sir. Thank you.

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>> Thank you sir. Commissioner Stokes. >> Yes sir. Thank you mayor. Um would uh Mr. speaks and our consultant take a couple of minutes to shed some light on the reasons for the uh proposed 15% not

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to exceed. Uh Chuck speak public works director uh some of those those what we call unforeseen circumstances uh that happened since 2023 when this methodology was initially started. Uh and these are just uh some of the big

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ones. You have Price Boulevard construction which came in higher than what was expected. Uh we have uh the widening of the Makahachi Creek Bridge which we just did a budget amendment today to put some money into that project. Uh which is grant funded to the

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extent of about $10 million, but the city still has to kick in several million to finish that project or get that project underway and receive those grant funds. Um, and you have escalating costs of uh construction, building construction, which right now we're trying to put together a phase two to

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house our staff at public works. Um, we're currently working a good portion of our staff about half out of trailers. So, those are some of the big projects that that were uh new costs and increasing costs uh since 2023 when we

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initially put together this methodology. Commissioner Pro. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> I have a question and actually I want to speak on this because I have not talked to anybody but have not talked to

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the actual public commenter who gave this. And um as I was reading the material I noticed that it was attached this stante uh study was attached. So and my

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I'm going back to my concern and that is road and drainage district uh proposed rate increase is somewhere around 15%. And again I'm bringing this question to light about districts transfer to general fund and uh as I'm looking well

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before I go into the actual study or methodology I want to say that year after year the city raises the assessment fee per parcel in year after year the percentage of transfer of the money from each district is growing exponentially

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for example I'll since we're on the subject of road and drainage Um last year this current fiscal year it was 2.3 million this coming fiscal year 2026 2027 proposed transfer to be

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3.6 million and that is 57% increase in transfer from Royan drainage district to general font and then we can proudly say that we have not raised our military. Um, of course we did not because we have

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a lot of money being transferred from the actual district that need that money. Um, and that's just one district that is feeding the general fund. Um, and I was questioning at the budget meeting, how is the cost allocation? How

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does it work? And I'm looking at the Stant study on page 13. if you if you care to look at the attachment um backup material. So on page 13 we have table two cost allocation to

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primary functions and administrative is $462,000 roughly half a million. So when I look at this resolution that we're going to vote on today in a few minutes >> page two

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administrative services in the table it says 9.2 9.28 28 per parcel and I did a quick math um of 45,000 parcels roughly it's about half a million dollar so

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those align the study and the resolution yet we doing the transfer from roing drainage to general fund of 3.6 6 million which is increase an increase in 1.3 million that is 57%

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increase um and I was not planning to talk about this issue but now since the syntax study was included I looked into the location table uh page 13 and table two so

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to me I see this as a problem because um we raising these constant rates hikes on an annual basis. So 15% 10% 20%. Um but moreover we are transferring those money

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from the district that contradicts the whole methodology that administrative services is only half a million dollars. >> How do we explain that? >> That that's my first question. So I'll wait for the answer.

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districts. >> Yeah. >> So, so I'm I'm having trouble tracking your question. Uh I know that you're admin when you when you align the admin costs that you read off of the chart. Understand that those are admin costs

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that we use to build out our rate within road and drainage for road and drainage. Those aren't for the administrative services and the HR service and IT services that are provided by uh the the general fund to uh broaden drainage. Those are two different things

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completely. >> So what is the administrative services $500 million that in this table? >> That is for my internal admin staff within road and drainage. Correct. >> Okay, I understand. >> Yes sir. But why there's a such a hike

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of a transfer from road and range district into general fund that is 57% increase from this fiscal year that is proposed to be for the next fiscal year. I would I would defer that question to

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uh the finance director. >> Good evening. I gank a finance director. Um so that question has been asked yes at the budget um workshop. Um so the increase in costs in administrative costs as well as the increase in overall

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all different budgets. So I'm looking at our allocation right now. So last year administrative costs for fiscal year 24 was 19.8 million. Now in fiscal year 25

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that increased to 25.9 million. So there's a an increase in administrative costs and we are on twoyear behind like um the reallocation um it's two year later when we allocate those costs. So the increase in cost of

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administrative uh increase same thing for road and drainage there was an increase in cost. So as costs increase the allocation amount increases. Does that >> yes to some extent I I understand

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but how do you justify the increase in administrative cost by 57% which is um u more than almost let's see if I get these numbers correct so it was from 2.3 million to

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3.6 6 million. How do we justify the administrative cost that is attributed to the road and drainage that is general fund paying? How do we justify this hike? How I mean this much of an increase

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>> because road and drainage costs increase by a lot more than the other funds. >> No, no, no. I'm talking about administrative. This is administrative cost, >> right? But the allocation it's based on the percentage. So we take all of our funds costs and there's a percentage

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each fund that then contributes. So the increase in road and drainage overall was higher than other funds which then triggers a higher allocation to them than the other funds. So there's a methodology that we do is

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based on the cost of administrative plus the distribution based on the percentage for each fund. >> I would love to see that method. >> Yes. And we are planning to provide that information. to me. This is not justifiable

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and yet we charging the citizens and saying we did not raise the military thus we have not receeded or have not put an extra burden of raising the military tax. >> But yet we doing the other way around.

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We just shifting from advant tax to nonadalent tax by doing year after year after year. >> Right? But we are we've been consistent with this methodology. And if we change the methodology, that means your general fund is going to pay for more of the

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administrative costs. And now you have a fund taxpayer dollars paying for administrative costs higher than the district funds or utilities funds that are actually utilizing the services. >> Good thing you brought that you've been

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consistent with this methodology. And as I'm looking in page 29 of Sant study the year 2027 and I had no idea that former commissioner would bring this up as a attention point but I'm looking at

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2027 and it says zero zero for 28 zero increase for 29 zero for 2030. How have we been consistent? >> So I'm was referring to the overhead allocation. We've been consistent with the methodology distributing the costs

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that we have been consistent and so we can't just change the methodology just because the amounts seem like are much higher and seems like they're not reasonable. But the math is the math and that's how it plays out when you distribute the cost based in a percentage.

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>> Yeah. And I like cons consistency but 57% increase from last year to the next year it's not consistent. Thus we have to cover the cost. Thus, thus we can hire more people and whatnot. But we're

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charging the residents of this. I'm I would love to see that methodology because I don't see any consistency in that methodology. >> Yeah, the cost allocation's been consistent. The 15% that's not has nothing to do with the cost allocation. That increase has to do more with the

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project side. So like Czech speaks has mentioned there's a public works phase two. the cost for just that alone project from that methodology back three or four years ago uh increased by like 20 million that now the road drainage

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has to contribute. So it has nothing to do with the methodology or the cost allocation. It's on the project side the cost increased much more than what original um study assumed that the cost

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would be for those projects. I understand that. Um and Chuck speak thank you for your explanation about price whiting and makahi bridge. What happens next year? Are we going to do again 15% once that project is and that

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project is complete? Are we going to go again or we going to stick with this methodology? >> So we're required to to uh update the methodology every four years. So this cycle that cycle is up. It's why you see that 27 year as a zero. That year is is

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very difficult when you're trying to come up with those costs in 23 to project out to 27, right? It's about keeping our fund balance where we need to keep it in our reserves and be able to provide the the funds to to uh complete the projects or or plan for

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projects in the future. So that that being a zero and then us coming back and requesting a a increase is not an unusual thing. Um the methodology is just that it's how we get to numbers and what projects we have. It doesn't

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account for all those costs changes and those things that come up in between. So the the commission approving the methodology does not mean the commission cannot approve a rate increase in a year outyear on that methodology where it says a zero. >> That is correct. I knew that and I think

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most people understand that. Uh my question is then going back because we we got to do assessment of why it was done this way. For example, Price Boulevard widening. Why in the red? Why did we was it contractor's fault that

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over under bid or why are we covering that? Somebody has to say or give uh the residents the the actual explanation. >> Sure. I I can give you a at least my explanation of that. Um, we bid that

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project right around the time of Helina Milton and most of your large contractors left town. They went up into the Carolinas and they got those jobs. Uh, that was Price Boulevard is a job we put out to bid. Uh, took us what, three years to get prepared to go out to bid.

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Uh, and we had one bidder come back. Uh so when you have very few contractors putting in for your job uh and most of them leaving the state to go work for FEMA uh that that drives costs up for us and

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>> I was aware of that but the actual shortage was that not uh planned once we got the bid or why couldn't we do this before? >> Well we we had the money we had money for what we thought that project was going to cost somewhere around $60

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million. uh the project came in at $80 million. So you go from having a $60 million cost in your head to opening a bid that next day and now you're $20 million short. In short, I'm not going to go in circles.

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I just want this methodology or at least to stick to something that is more consistent and not raise rates because as it was pointed out correctly and I did did see that in 2024 we up front we

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fronted the money we promised if you will to the citizens hey we're going to text you at 25% then at 15% then 15% and in 2027 you're off the hook. It'll be zero for 2027,

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zero percentage increase for 2028 and on and on. Then we again breaking our promises to the you know residents and we taxing them taxing them and we don't want to call it tax. If it's a fee it's still a tax because they paid I paid. So

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my this my problem is that if we do a methodology we have to stick with that at least more or less but not from 0 to 15. So, I'm not in favor of raising. I'll vote yes on capping the rate

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because uh I'll read this. The board clarifies that the rates are established only as not to exceed rates and this action does not officially adopt any rates for the 2026 2027 fiscal year. So, this vote today

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we're just voting on the cap. >> Correct. This is this is just a not to exceed that actual rate will come back at a later time >> for your approval or your discussion. >> Yes sir. And that's I'm just making it clear for the co anyone who is watching

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but I'm not going to be willing to vote 15% in September for this one because we say one thing and we do the other the other things. So those things have to be reconciled to some extent but not from 0

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to 15. This is where I am. So thank you. >> Yes sir. Thank you. >> Sur public comment >> Michael Scott Smith. Another increase presented without detail. This one a 15% increase for unforeseen circumstances.

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is the city commissioners must that they they they are acting upon their fiduciary responsibility on behalf of the residents and property owners within Northport and deny these excessive increases. Northport non-avalorum taxes are high for the overall services provided. As a resident that is nearing

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the time in life in which budgets are fixed, these large increases are not acceptable. In person, I have Debbie McDow. >> Excuse me. I assure you I'm not yelling. I get very passionate when I speak about things that I am absolutely confident I am

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speaking about. I have done eight budget cycles and I have gone through many methodologies. And when we sat up here in 2023, we all agreed, the three colleagues that

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are still remaining and myself and then commissioner White that we would frontload for the facilities building to get that project done. That's why we frontloaded it. Go back and listen to the tape. It's all there.

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Now, as far as unforeseen circumstances, it's not mentioned in the methodology report. Look it up. The only time unforeseen circumstances is mentioned in the methodology report is relating to fleet

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and their unexpected unforeseen circumstances with fleet. Nothing else. You want to talk about Commissioner Petro brought up about the transfer to the um general fund. Do you

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realize that this 15% increase for road and drainage is $3.6 million? Do you know how much is being transferred from road and drainage to the general fund? $3.2 million. Hello.

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Unforeseen circumstances. I talked to many of you regarding Price Boulevard. There is a contractor, a developer who is supposed to be paying for a portion of Price Boulevard. I have pulled public records after public records after

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public records to make sure that money gets put into Price Boulevard. Guess what? I get crickets. There's none. There was one document and that's when I was still in office. I have not seen any since of them trying to get that money

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from that developer. That's over a million dollars, I am sure. Probably more because the cost of construction keeps going up. When are you going to fight for that money? Stop looking to the taxpayers to foot these things.

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These people cannot afford this tax increase when it's supposed to be zero because we told them it was going to be zero. Now you want 15% for what? Oh, unforeseen circumstances. No, it's to go into the general fund. Call it what it

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is. >> That's on there. >> Thank you. I'm going to close this public hearing and request a motion. >> I'll make it. >> Go ahead. >> I move to adopt resolution number 2026-R23

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as presented. I have a motion on the floor made by the vice mayor to adopt resolution number 2026-R23 as presented. Do I have a second? I'll second. There's nothing to that. Please vote.

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And that passes five to zero. Final public comment, city clerk. >> All right, it's 5:36 and I'm going to journ this meeting. and prior to serving the community. >> I do the best I can for y'all. Learned a lot today. Had a great experience with

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the gentleman from Solid Work Division of Work. >> Evening. Today is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. It's 5:37 p.m. We're in the city chambers and I call the solid waste district special meeting to order. Everybody's still

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here. I request a motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> Second. I have a motion made by Commissioner Stokes to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Vice Mayor. If there's nothing to that, please vote and that passes 5 to Z.

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Um, public comment. Laura Miranda, I oppose raising or adding any advelum or other taxes. The residents have to tighten their bills to the point of barely making it. The city needs to do the same. Frank Wagner, I think it is time to consider

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privatization of solid waste. The city has shown they can't run a city within its means. At least there would be com competition for the services. Patty Paulie, I would like to know how this will affect residents whose homes sit on two lots. Will they be charged double the rate?

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And in person I have Debbie McDow followed by Dwayne Rimes another methodology report you know I reached out to a staff member I don't remember February March Maybe it was

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early April. I don't even remember anymore. It doesn't matter. And I must have a do not engage sign somewhere hiding in city hall because obviously they never called me back. Yeah, I can see city manager, you're agreeing with me. I appreciate that. I really do

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appreciate that. And I know that you people, especially my fellow colleagues when I set up on the board, don't appreciate me either. And that's okay. You're entitled to your opinion. And you're entitled to say that I cause you PTSD, mayor,

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but your disrespect towards me does not change the fact that I have a valid concern about this methodology. If you look at page 14, table three,

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it says vacant properties by zoning code related to density and the density units. Density is residential single family. It is also res it is also multif family.

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But in this case, multif family is commercial. Density then only goes to residential single family. We reszoned this city. You cannot build a single family home in activity center 6 for the most part.

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There are small portions that you still can very small. You cannot build a single family home in 10. You cannot build in CO or in CT activity center 3 has an area called ladies slipper you

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cannot build single family homes on. Now those homes are vac those parcels are vacant right now but according to this table three there are 3600 parcels that will be allowed to build a home in

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activity center 6 39 in activity center 10. I could go on and on. This is a flawed methodology. You guys are not going to have enough money for this project because you cannot charge these single family residential

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vacant parcels this $150 in these activity centers cuz they're not single family anymore. They're commercial. And I tried to bring this up to give you time to really look at it, but nobody wants to call me back because of my do

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not engage poster. So, either I'm right and I don't care, take credit for it because I'm telling you about it, or I'm wrong, which then I'll say, "Okay, well, it was I'm glad you looked into it. Put your hatred towards me aside and look into this." And why is Welling Park not

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being charged for their homes and their vacant properties? They are part of the city. They use solid waste. They need to be charged, too. Ah, good day. So, I attended the Northport University this spring and we

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went to the solid waste management facility and the manager spoke with us about this transfer station. Um, he raved that it was going to save the city all this money or the taxpayers this money. Uh it would save two to three hour trips to the landfill for every

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truck every day when they had to uh offload. Huge savings on fuel, huge savings on the maintenance, less mileage, wear and tear on the trucks, which would equate to needing less trucks. And basically the 2 to three hour drive that they're be saving. The

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the waste management drivers could pick up more trash, more time that they'd be able out on service would would equate to less manh hours. Um, but looking at the budget, I don't see none of the savings. All you do is keep raising and raising and raising every year. So,

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where is the budget by having this uh this uh transfer station? I just don't see it. You guys post it. So, either the manager doesn't know the numbers and doesn't know he's talking about or you guys are just padding it so that he can

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obviously put in the general fund. So, I I just don't understand. I listen to you guys over and over, but you're not working for the citizens. You're just working for yourselves. Give yourself a raise when you need to. >> All right, moving on to resolution 2026-R24.

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Can you read by title only, please? Resolution number 2026-R24. A resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida as the governing body of the Northport solid waste district establishing not to exceed non-advalorum assessment rates for Northport solid waste district for

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fiscal year 2026 through 2027 incorporating recitals providing for complex providing for severability and providing an effective date. >> Thank you city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you Mr. Mayor. The current solid waste district nonappaloral assessment rate for fiscal year 202526

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is $332.75 for each residential unit. The Northport solid waste district is requesting the fiscal year 2627 solid waste district nonadalorum assessment rate to be established and confirmed at $460.76 for each existing and developed

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residential unit and $15049 for each future vacant residential density unit. Resolution number 2026-R24 further provides the option to increase assessment rates up to a not to exceed rate of 38.47% per year to allow the solid waste

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district to react to future unse unforeseen circumstances without having to update the methodology send first class mail notices publishing papers and or conduct special hearings. We ask that you approve resolution number 2026-R24 as presented. Uh we do have Mr. Chuck

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speak again and Mr. Peter Napley here to answer questions and Mr. Speak will speak to some items that the second Northport president uh spoke to just a moment ago. Thank you, sir. >> Chuck Speak, public works director. >> U just to address the the the

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lack of of cost savings in this year's budget for solid waste. those cost savings and those savings you're going to see from not buying the trucks and the fuel savings and all that, they don't happen until after that transfer station opens. Once the station opens, that's when you start to see those sta

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those those savings compile. Right now, we have to do business as usual. We're still running the two and a half hours. We're still putting on 30 to 40 new residents uh or new customers a week in the city. So, those savings will come at a later time once that uh transfer

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station opens up for business. and I'm happy to ask her answer any questions uh that you may have. >> Commissioner Dval. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um going backwards a little bit, you know, uh this transfer

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station, we asked the citizens in a referendum, you know, to pay for this and it got turned down. So, this commission, we voted to

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add a one-time fee to our citizens taxes for the year coming up, 2027, the tax bill you're going to see in November. And I've been a big proponent of this because this transfer station will save

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our citizens money. Now, short time ago, within the last couple weeks, we had a meeting and we were given some figures and those figures, this is off of that resolution.

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Uh, that one time increase for a residential parcel for a vacant home was $106.99. and for a home an existing home 12801.

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Now I got the material for this meeting and that number for the vacant lots went from the $106 up to $150. And in my

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agenda briefing I asked a question why was that? And I got told that it wouldn't be fair to charge the people that live in Wellland Park area for those fees because their trucks are

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still going to be going up to the landfill. They won't be using the transfer station. And my answer to that is if you're a citizen in this city and you don't have any children in the schools, you still pay taxes

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to the county for the schools. If you don't use our aquatic center, the citizens all here paid taxes to build that aquatic center. Cool. Today park, the city gave about $5 million

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towards that. All the citizens paid for that no matter where they are or where they live. I have a question. when we do get the transfer station built and we start

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seeing some of those uh cost savings, are we going to not give any of those cost savings to the people live in Wellen Park because they're not going to be paying this tax? And you know, we're

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I'm calling it a tax. Uh you know, we're raising it from 106 to 150 on lots around here. And this may be true or not, but it occurred to me while I was thinking about this that in the legacy section of Northport, like

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where I live, we have a lot of homes that are already built. We still have a lot of lots that aren't built on yet, but a good share of those lots are owned by individuals. If you get out to

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Wellland Park, this break we're giving, there's an awful lot of lots out there that are owned by the developers. We're giving developers a big break here and not our own citizens. And I I just I will not vote for this.

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Thank you, >> Commissioner Pro. >> Thank you, Mayor. Many of you know that I'm a big proponent of building a transfer station that will save us millions after it's built and that's >> right

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>> to comment on that question that we had when when do we see those savings but um >> we have tried public private partnership and I was against that because it was with Florida development solutions here

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was it was too expensive Um and then on January 5th at the workshop we talked about this transfer station and um we agreed that we would do this although I was absent but I watched it. Um now

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having said that this board with this resolution um clarifies that the rates that are established only as not cost not to exceed rates. So basically we're

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not setting the rate at this vote. I just want to be clear on that. What we are voting on is just to put a ceiling on the cap if whatever rate is chosen at a later time which would be September I

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suppose. Um but uh I want to say that also that this resolution does not spell out or even mentions the reason for this potential increase. So how do we know that this would be exactly used for the

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for the transfer station? Granted, there's a it's a 38% increase, but I do understand there's a 10% usual increase, and I have not looked at the methodology for this one, but is that correct?

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>> So, there's there's no there's a 0% increase to the service, uh, which which you're saying there's usually a 10% increase. There's this year there's a 0% increase to the solid waste assessment related to the service. >> Okay. The entire increase uh of this

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will be for the transfer station and you'll get to see that in the budget as we go forward and that's you'll see where that money is as far as the CIP those dollars. They're not being moved anywhere else. This is to completely pay for and recover the cost of that transfer station.

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And once we get closer to the, you know, vote on the the actual rate, I do think we have to look into this and um because this resolution does not even specify what sections are going to be taxed or

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assessed. Same thing the residents will be paying. So, um I do think we should we should include the Wellland Park area uh just for consideration if we're including non um

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vacant lots uh which would might not even developed. Some people owned vacant lots and they're never going to develop because they just want to have that you know nature if you will. So if we taxing

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uh bait and plots, why not tax or assess what are >> Sure. And and I'm going to let uh Peter speak to the difference between taxing and the legalities of that versus assessments. >> Hi commissioners, Peter Napley, Sante

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Consulting. There's an important distinction between tax taxing and a special assessment. And a special assessment is based on benefit. So you can only include properties in a special assessment program that are directly

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benefiting from the either the improvement or the service that's provided to those properties. And these well-in park properties in addition to the activity centers were identified as not being you know spe it it not uh

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directly being benefited by the provision of the transfer station. they will likely use a separate transfer station at a later date. But this for this particular transfer station, the service area didn't include that region of the city. So by including them in the

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special assessment calculation, you open yourself up to risk that any of those property owners could say we're our services don't utilize the transfer station. Why are we paying for as you know a portion of the cost of that transfer station? With taxes, there

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doesn't have to be a direct relationship between benefit and taxation. It's why property taxes are are more general. You can collect from anyone and it doesn't really matter if they're benefiting from that particular service or capital project. But special assessments are

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very um regulated in that there has to be a direct proportional relationship between the residents and the property owners that are paying for the service or capital project and then the amount that they are charged on their tax bill. >> Yeah, it's a fair answer. I understand.

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Although I want to make a point that every resident of the city would be benefited from transportation because we're going to have a cost savings on transporting instead of 3 hours it's going to be 30 minutes thus we're

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going to buy less trucks less maintenance they're going to be directly affected anyways but this is just something to look into it and I clearly understand the difference between assessment and tax for the residents that are paying it doesn't matter they

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paying you want to call it assessment or tax it's us paying the residents paying so when I brought this distinct uh tried to distinguish and I was I think it was

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an April budget discussion and I said that uh 50 cents from each dollar the city retains that money so 50 cents goes to the county 50 cents stays in the city and I

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was not really welcomed when I said that explanation saying it's not taxes and and assessments are different and yet the second round of budget we it was clearly said that you know

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half of the money stays here half of the money goes to the county yet county does not service as well as as they should. So just want to make sure that people understand that the tax assessment it's the fee that they pay. Thank you.

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>> Yeah. And and if I can just speak to the the Wellen Park issue. So we we are uh in our developer agreement with Wellen Park. We have property in Wellen Park that is going to be slated or slated for a transfer station at that time. Um

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at that time when we when we move forward with that project, those properties that are in that area will be charged or we will present that to commission to uh assess those properties for the construction of that transfer station that they'll actually use it. Commissioner,

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>> I just want to reemphasize that this board clarifies that the rates are established only as not to exceed rates. We're not voting on establishing a rate and this action does not officially adopt any rates for this for the next year.

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>> Commissioner Stokes. >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Um, it's an interesting conversation. You know, Commissioner Duval brought up an interesting point. When the station's built though, once it's completed and we

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start to reap benefit, I appreciate that the cost savings or mitigation of future increase costs will endure to the benefit of those people in the service area. So well in part

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people won't benefit from that but to the extent we're able to sell these services outside the city to other municipalities or counties and the city reaps benefit. Additionally, are will we stay

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consistent and the benefits will enure to those property owners within the scope of service and not enure to the overall benefit of the city, which would be partially well in part people. I mean, if we're going to

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do it, it's got to stay consistent. They shouldn't if they're not going to incur the cost, then they shouldn't reap the benefit at all in any way even into the future. And that's kind of nebulous cuz I don't know what happens when we start

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to generate revenue from this station. Will it only come back into the district or will it where will it fall and who will benefit from it? I mean it's an interesting question. You know I I personally living in I don't have any

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real problem. Commissioner Dva brought up a really interesting perspective that you know we pay for schools we pay for a lot of things. I don't have kids in the school system but I pay. But I understand the distinction in the law. I mean the law is the law. You got to follow the law and the law says you

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can't charge people who don't benefit. So I get that. But I'm curious cuz there's some as we go forward there's going to be revenue generation. There'll be profit potentially from this station. Who's going to get it? Where's it going to fall? >> Sure. And at some point that's going to

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even out when we build that transfer station in Well Park. you're going to have transfer stations on both ends of town that both groups paid for. Gotcha. >> Uh in that meantime, if if we and that's one of the things we'll have to look at for our our next rate study or methodology if that comes into play. But

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think about it like this. You have street light districts in places to put up street lights, but they don't charge you differently because you drove down that street, but you don't live there, right? You're still you're still getting the benefit of that district or sidewalk districts, right? that you aren't you're

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still people will benefit from the outside that didn't initially pay for that but the focus and to be within the law is we can only charge those people for that initial upfront uh that are directly benefited. >> I get that. Thanks sir. >> Yes sir.

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>> But that's I'm I'm we will definitely look into those those questions when we do the rate study for sure. >> Thank you mayor. Um, I had a couple couple other thoughts. I know, >> you know, as far as, you know, the benefit.

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>> We have I've read material that says, you know, we have plans to, you know, maybe do away with ball pickups and we also have plans to maybe get rid of the pickup of yard waste because when we get a new transfer station, people can bring their own yard

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waste to that transfer station. Are we going to be giving some kind of a pass to everybody else that's helping to pay for this so they can use that transfer station and the people from Wellen Park are not going to be able to use it? They're not going to be able to

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bring their yard waste there. And then on another point, um I'm looking at page 237 out of our budget planning book and

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there's a peel off related to the solid waste fund. And that peel off is money. When it comes to solid waste, that's a service. And when a government provides a service, the government

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should charge for that service. But the government shouldn't be making a profit on that. And through this pre peel off, basically the city is taking money from the taxpayers as a fee. And then that peel

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off, it's going to the general fund. It's not going to solid waste to help build this transfer station. An appeal off from the recommended budget for 2027 goes from the adopted

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of 2026 of 1,885,500 up to $2,825 $825,5817. That's $940,000 more than last year. And that money's going to the general fund. It's not

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being used to buy our trash our trash trucks, pay for the fuel, you know, it's not coming out of the the solid waste fund. Uh the money's disappearing. That's all. Thank you. >> Yes, sir.

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>> Thank you, city clerk. We're over our time. Can we continue with this meeting or because the other one's not time certain or >> the other it's 6:00 or shortly there after >> Okay. because I wanted to give public comment and everything a chance before

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we moved on. Okay, public comment. >> Michael Scott Smith, there is little to no explanation for a 38.47 increase in solid waste. This increase is not only exorbitant, it's irresponsible. The city continues to experience an increase in population. That being the case, what is

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the city doing with the money that is collected from property owners? This appears to be a failure in proper budgeting. I believe that residents would agree that solid waste pickup has an associated fee. However, they would most likely agree that a 38.47 increase is unacceptable, especially when there is no provided reason for a

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massive increase. Mary Heindelman, these rate increases are ridiculous. How can all this development that you keep approving be good for our city when you keep telling us that it won't increase our tax structure and then you increase the NTE tax burden? These ridiculous

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amounts. I totally oppose these NTE amounts. Laura Miranda, I understand the cost of everything is rising. However, families and residents are barely keeping their heads above the water. Tamara Rain, in reading the information provided from the documents for this

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resolution, I am very much against charging residential empty lot owners a fee for the transfer station. The lots may never be developed or may not be developed for many, many years, at which time the transfer station should be paying for itself. from the report. In addition to the special benefit requirement, the cost associated with

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providing these services must be reasonably proportioned to the properties that receive a benefit from the services in proportion to the benefit received. If the lot is never built on, there will never need to have solid waste removed from the lot. It's an unfair charge. This is the part of

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the resolution that I feel is an unfair charge. Whereas for fiscal year 2026 through 2027, a onetime increase of $15049 for vacant residential parcels per density unit raising fee from 0 to $15049.

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Please do not vote to unfairly charge people who own vacant residential lots a one-time fee for something they may may never even need. Carol Bell, I oppose a not to exceed of 38% for solid waste. Why not a more realistic 10%. If that is not doable,

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then you should consider privatiz privatization. Put a contract out for bid. I'm sure there are private companies that could do it for less. My real estate taxes in Florida are already higher than my other house in New Jersey for which the value is 90% greater. And yes, I am considered a full-time

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resident of Florida. So even with the homestead exemption, it is higher. The tax situation in Northport is already having a negative effect on resale values. And with the constant increases in taxes, it will just get worse. It's time to sharpen your pencils and look for cost reductions. In person, I have

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Debbie McDow. So, I have to ask, what's the purpose of a methodology if you're not going to follow it? It's a legally binding, kind of like a contract. It it tells what the plan is. And in the methodology is I'm

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sorry I think it was Commissioner Dval maybe it was somebody else said that a one-time vacant residential assessment was $106 but this is 150. So which is it?

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Um I if you have this methodology you're not going to follow it. How do you how do you prove there's that nexus? because you're using the methodology to justify the increase.

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Your methodology says 106, but you want to charge 150. How do you justify that? And as far as Well and Park not having a direct nexus, they use solid waste department. It is a department that

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furnishes removal of trash citywide. Are you going to then uh absolve Bobcat Trail or Lakeside Plantation from picking up trash if they want to do a their own privatization?

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You guys, this we're one city. We're supposed to be a community of unity. We're one city in the boundaries of this city. You cannot charge one section of town a different rate for the same service the

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entire city benefits from. They do not may not use the transfer station, but I'll I'll bet you at the bottom dollar they're going to benefit from the savings that this transfer station is going to have. Has anybody done an analysis to see if it is cheaper to go

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have Wellen Park go up to the county landfill or go to the transfer station? There's a cost of going to the landfill. Are they going to pick up those operational costs? You guys, this is not right. And you really need to think this through

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and and to expect the taxpayers to pick up 38% of it. When you're charging vacant property owners who don't even get trash, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, they're getting charged. Where's their benefit to paying this

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tax? You guys, this is this has has epic proportions of being challenged. And I strongly suggest you look at it differently or consult your city attorney if that's what you're paying him for and get his opinion and maybe

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the city attorney can weigh in on the day is for everybody's benefit. >> That's all right. >> Thank you. I'm going to close this public hearing and request a motion. >> Anyone? I'll make it. I move to adopt

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res resolution number 2026-R24 as presented. I have a motion on the floor to adopt resolution number 2026-R24 as presented made by Vice Mayor. Do I have a second?

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I'll second. There's nothing to that. Please vote. That passes 3 to two. Moving on to public comment. >> There's none. >> All right, we're going to adjourn this meeting at 609.

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What I learned today was that we have a lot of programs I don't think citizens are aware of to take advantage of. Whether it's cardboard collection, whether it's to cleaning, or also just the fact that we have one gentleman, Mr. Mario who goes out to the entire city making sure that we recycle properly.

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Please make sure that we recycle properly so that we can get the best most efficient use of our solid waste throughout the entire city. It was great to be here. >> We're going to take a 10-minute break and then we'll just jump right into the six o'clock. Just give you all a break and this way we can take a emergency

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health break if needed. >> Thank you. Residents may begin to see some changes taking place here at Fire Station 81 on Sumpter Boulevard. And here to tell us more about it is Deputy Chief Nick Hurley. Thank you for being here. >> Thank you for having me, Madison. >> So tell us about what's going to be going on to station 81 in the coming months.

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>> So in a few weeks, uh, we will see the station being torn down and the crews that normally respond out of this station are moving into the temporary fire station, which you can see in the background, and our fire admin will be moving into city hall. So,

Part: 2

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So by the end of the year it should be all flat ground and then we're being told anywhere between 12 and 14 months before the new station is complete and ready for our crews to move back in. >> Gotcha. Okay. So with a project like this, what does the cost look like and where are those funds coming from?

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>> So the majority of the funding is through SIR tax. Uh the total project is around $17.5 million. >> So since a brand new building is being built, what kind of improvements can be made by taking that route? So, one of the biggest is we are a critical

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infrastructure building. So, our crews are expected to respond as soon as the storm clears. The new building will be rated up to a category 5 hurricane. And that meets the code for our wind load this far inland because we we get a little bit less intense winds as we get away from the

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coast. >> Sure, that makes sense. So, we're coming up here on some beautiful trees. >> So, tell me about the plan for these. Are some of them sticking around? What is your plan? >> Yeah, absolutely. So, one of the things we did very early in the project is we

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recognized that to the best that we could, we wanted to save as many trees as we could, but especially the mature oaks. >> Sure. >> They provide a lot of shade and they're beautiful and, you know, native to Florida. So, we worked with the contractor to design the parking lot in a way that we could really [music] maximize the ability to keep these

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trees. So, a large amount of these uh more mature oaks that you see that were standing under the nice shade canopy, we were able to keep a lot of these trees. Some of the smaller oak trees and some of the older palm trees uh we won't be able to keep, but we worked with the city arborist to ensure that, you know,

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we we did the best we could with how that design can be and found out that honestly some of the palm trees are at their end of life as is. >> Got it. Okay. Well, that's great. I know a lot of the residents are going to really appreciate that as well. So to cap it off, service is saying the same, everyone's getting the the same level

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going forward. >> Yeah, Madison, you're right. So the crews that normally operate out of this fire station are just going to be a little ways down the road in the temp station with a temporary apparatus bay. And all of our administrative staff from fire rescue are moving into city hall, which is right down the street. And if

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you need anything from fire rescue, you can go in the front doors of city hall, turn to your left where economic development just moved into, and you'll see a friendly face from fire rescue ready to help you out. >> That's great. Continuing to provide that exceptional customer service. So, I really appreciate all the information, chief. Thanks for joining us today.

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>> Thanks for having me. The city wakes before you do. Quiet work already in motion. >> [snorts] >> Work continues even after you've gone. The way forward kept Ready. Every step, every turn, prepared long

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before you arrive. When your day ends, others begin [music] theirs. Every hour, every act quietly connected. [music] >> [music] >> Most of us don't think about how our city works. We drive on maintained

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roads. We call when there's an emergency. We assume someone's keeping it all running. And they are Northport University gives residents a chance to step behind the scenes to meet the people doing the work to see how decisions are made and to understand how

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we as a community can be part of it. It's not just about learning the facts. It's about learning where you fit in and how you could shape the city we call home. Uh the most surprising thing would probably be the opportunity to get taste which is really cool. Understanding how

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that feels. Would recommend for everyone unless they have a heart condition. I think another thing would probably be how many people it takes to run everything >> is how well all the departments work together and how well each of the departments know about other

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departments. So in the case of a [music] big emergency, they already know what other departments are already supposed to do and they all work together. >> This is always a dance. There's always moving parts. There's always things that are that can impact a decision whether

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it's state, local, federal, revenue, all these things come into play and it and it's just amazing all these things that of how how the city is impacted for the variety of things that can occur. >> I feel more confident in the city in the way it operates. I don't see wasteful

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spending. I see a lot of uh proactive thinking way outside the box of what I thought a city does. >> Well, I was already in love with Northport. Um I think everyone knows that I got to meet the people who work here, their love for [music] the

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community, how hard it is to run a whole city, um the intricacies of it, and the why. [music] It answers so many questions about the why things are done their way they're done. So it does it empowers you to love where you live more

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and to get more involved. [music] >> And I think the important message here is the confidence that I've really feel now of the people running each each of these departments. You know, they are running multi-million dollar businesses

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all separately but coming together with tax dollars that that come through. And that is by far not an easy task. departments that we've been to seem to have improved with the growth in the city. So, the mere fact that we've grown such a major amount, department heads

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have grown, the staff has grown, the offerings [music] have grown, and the um need for involvement from the residents has also grown. >> I think parks and wreck really showed up and did an amazing job. They had a bunch of staff people. [music] They kind of brought us around, had different

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speakers. I think they take the prize for the best uh overall display. >> Places that I didn't think I would enjoy as much. [music] Like I didn't think I'd enjoy public works as much as I did. I loved it. And it seemed to me that there were the more questions that were asked. >> The economic development council. I

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think that is just a again it all points to uh live, work, and play within our community. >> I think there's a lot of misunderstanding out there about where we >> Good evening. Today is Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. It is 6:20 p.m. and we are in the city

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chambers and I call this city commission regular meeting two quarter. Commissioners present are Commissioner Deval, Commissioner Stokes, Mayor Emery, Vice Mayor Langden, and Commissioner Pro. There is a quorum present for this meeting. Also present are city manager Fletcher, city attorney Fuino, city

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clerk Fost, board specialist Linder, police chief Garrison, and Fire Chief Titus are in the back. I am requesting that all commissioners, public participants, and staff maintain order into decorum throughout this meeting. City policy 2021-03

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states that attendees shall refrain from engaging in personal attacks and boisterous immaterial inflammatory, obscene, profane, or disorderly conduct. Additionally, meeting attendees must refrain from obscene, profane, [clears throat] or disorderly conduct,

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including hand clapping, yelling, and similar demonstrations. All of which disturbs the peace and good order of the meeting. Thank you. I'm going to call on Miss Karen, Brianna, and Amy Newkerk to lead us in the pledge, please.

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I aliance 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.

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>> Thank you ladies. >> Request a motion to approve the agenda. >> Second. I have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stoke, seconded by Vice Mayor to approve the agenda. There's nothing to that. Please vote. That passes 5 to Z. City [sighs] clerk,

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public comment, >> please. >> This is PM Tilkars, 8609653749. This is a general public comment for tonight's agenda, June 23rd, the 6 pm meeting. This public comment is regarding the discussion about whether

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serving as a city commission is a full-time or part-time job. I realize this is a discussion to save money in the upcoming budget. During your discussion, I would like to remind you of the conversation that took place during the September 10th, 2024 meeting.

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The discussion involved increasing the commission salary base. A few of you sitting on the dis today had provided examples of various duties you perform as a commissioner. Some of these duties were attending all commission meetings,

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the extensive preparation for the agenda items, joining various boards either city or state level. There were many public meetings to attend not relating to regular commission meetings. participating in any way you can to engage the community. The many comm

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community the many community events that they attend and when they're out in the community, people approach them with questions and it now turns into a work event. They are available 247 and immersing yourself in the community is a full-time job. Please keep these items

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in mind as you have your discussion. >> [laughter] >> If as a group you decide it is a part-time job, then the next discussion on the salary portion of the commission budget should reflect part-time pay. Thank you, David Ionati. Spending is an extremely

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sensitive topic presently. Having said that, kicking the can down the road yet again on more mineral springs will only cost the city even more money. It's time to make good on making the only park we have that generates income look respectable with the legacy trail tie in and improved amenities. It's time to

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bear down and finally get some resolution on the matter. Thank you, Lisa Kinszel. I ask that the new 38% higher fees and garbage and other non-avalorm items be voted against. 38% with or without the additional $128 and

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15% for storm and drainage when I believe [clears throat] that just raised around a year ago are huge increases. Your citizens are already struggling and we voted down funding things you seem to be trying to sneak through continually. Please re in the spending and fees otherwise. I will definitely be voting

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for the property tax reforms for everyone. Thank you. Kelly Verata, I oppose the uldc reszone. I want to know I want to know how you think it will benefit the city. So far, this reszone will ruin lifelong dreams, homes, and investments of my entire neighborhood.

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For example, the 75 Parkplace RV and boat storage facility on North Chamberlain and Greenley Street will immediately lower a home's values. The potential for disaster is very real and an entire neighborhood could be worthless because of the reszone. You are risking an entire neighborhood's future because of your poor planning.

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This needs to stop. If the I75 unit or 175 unit scheduled pump out station cracks, leaks or floods, it has the potential to ruin up only water supply. If [clears throat] any of the 175 vehicles leaks toxins and chemicals into the ground, which they will over time,

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our wells will be polluted and useless. We are above the utility line and do not have the option of city water. This type of facility does not belong in a residential neighborhood that is 100% tied to their well. It belongs off of a highway in an industrial or commercial

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area. In addition, crime will increase due to theft noise will be 24 hours a day with massive vehicles going in and out. Increased rodents stench in our backyards every day from a pumpout station holding feces and urine from 175 vehicles. Flooding will increase as there is estimated over 2 acres of

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cement planned and the children of the neighborhood will be at risk with an influx of theft and vagrants. The future and well-being of this neighborhood is at risk. How does this help the future of Northport? I believe you have opened a can of worms without a plan and just picked lots to reszone without

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forethought, without an economic impact plan. These are basic facts of RV and boat storage facilities. It is documented everywhere. One business versus a whole community's depreciated home values and a major loss of quality of life with the potential to destroy an entire neighborhood literally is real.

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The reason is destroying the future of its citizens and the future of Northport. Cheryl [snorts] Cook, I am submitting this comment to raise concerns about whether the city's electronic public comment process provides equal opportunity for all residents to participate in commission meetings. Electronic public comment is

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intended to expand participation for residents who cannot attend in person because of the disability illness transportation limitations, work schedules, caregiving responsibilities, safety concerns, and other barriers. For many residents, it is the only practical way to engage with local government. However, the process appears to create

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an imbalance when electronic comments are submitted before a meeting and then become the subject of discussion during the meeting. A person who attends in person can hear discussion as it occurs and may have opportunities to address issues that arise later. By contrast, an electronic commenter whose submission

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deadline has passed has no comparable opportunity to respond if a commissioner or member of the public discusses that person's comment. >> [clears throat] >> This concern is especially significant for residents with hearing impairments or other disabilities who rely on captions, recordings, assistive technology, or remote participation

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methods. They may not become aware of statements made about them until after the meeting has ended. The result in a s is a system in which some residents can engage in a live exchange while others are limited to one-way communication that may be publicly discussed without

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any opportunity for response. Whether intentional or not, this creates the appearance that residents who rely on electronic participation receive a lesser form of public comment. I respectfully ask the commission to review whether current procedures provide equitable access to public participation and to consider safeguards to ensure residents losing using

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electronic comment are not placed at a disadvantage when their comments become the subject of discussion during a meeting. In person, I have Valdi Oleander, Steven Harrison, and Robin Samosente. >> [clears throat]

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>> Uh good evening. I am Valander and I come here in peace and I am not the criminal. Don't treat me as one. And I have a dignity. Please respect it. Emage, I am

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instructing you to remove the policeman and let him sit here 90°. This is not much um because Phil Stokes says law is law.

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Laws are law. I'm talking about the Florida Constitution. We don't give a damn. I watched last two 22 2027 budget meetings. Meetings were held in picnic-l like

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atmosphere. People were given three minutes only to speak. Clearly violates violates charter preamble. When I go to Walmart Publix, Aldi a Home Depot etc. There is no police, no metal

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detective doors. I feel welcome. Employees are friendly. No one demand any payment until I concern. question in Alice's chart. There was the first meeting uh at 2027.

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Who is responsible for poverty in Northport? Our constitution were made for moral and religious people. Are you one of those people? You all take the pledge of allegiance,

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flag, god, etc., and then disobey your odds. You must allow people more time to rebut 2027 budget proposal, not only three minutes.

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Your manager Fletcher said that 755,000 allocated to the um commissioners is not much money. Of course, this is not his money. What he cares? And you all compare salary with the

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other city employees around. You should compare your salary what make people makes here. You out of you out you all are completely out of touch with the foundation of this nation.

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Just remember under Fletchers he since his arrival budget went up 85% when population grew only 17 general fund is up 75%.

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City employee 24%. And per capita tax is 45% up. >> Thank you. I come in peace as well. Uh my [snorts] name is Stephen Harrison. I am uh the chair of the Charter Review Advisory Board, but I'm speaking on behalf of

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myself as a private resident, not on behalf of the board and whatsoever. Uh so I'm here to speak about section 5.2 of the city's charter. So going back to Nikki Day's legal opinion given to us from the city in the

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conclusion section it says the charter's non-inference clause is a lawful and essential limitation designed to perfect protect professional administration. So in Venice's charter in section 3.6 6. It's in and their non-interference

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clause. It says, "Except for the purposes of inquiry or investigations, the city council shall deal with city officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the city manager solely through the city manager." Also in Sarasota, the city of

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Sarasota, their non-interference clause in section 8 of their charter, it says, "Except for the purposes of formal inquiries and investigations pursuant to provision article 4, section 17 of this charter, the city commission and its members shall deal with city employees

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who are subject to the direction and supervision of the city manager solely through the city manager." Also in Charlotte County, the same exact thing in section 2.3 of their charter, it says, "Except for the purposes of inquiry or information, the members of

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the board of county commissioners shall not interfere with the performance of duties of any employees uh for the county under the direct or indirect supervision of the county administrator." So, I've found this same exact language all across the state now

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with 30 different local governments. Okay? Our neighbors Venice, Sarasota, Charlotte County, they have the same thing in their charter, but we do not. Our charter in section 5.2 needs to say, except for the purposes of inquiry or

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information, the city commission and its members shall deal with city officers and employees who are subject to the direction and supervision of the city manager solely through the city manager. I've sent this to email for to all of

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you guys. I've received a automatic comment from the mayor. I've received two actual emails back from commissioners and Stokes and Miss Lang. I've received nothing. I've sent two emails. I do public comment. Unfortunately,

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nobody talks about it. Nobody at all talks about it. It's all around the city. In different cities, they have it in their charter. Why is it not in our charter? It's it's simple in information and inquiry. That's it. Everything else is directed through the city manager. I don't understand why we can't come

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together and have a discussion and get this in our charter. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Good evening all. Robin Sande, this is kind of an intro to what I'm going to be saying later on on the agenda item, but I want you to notice uh

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who's in the audience. This is over the War Mineral Springs issue. the majority. It's very important. Uh we're looking at War Springs and everybody is looking at and forgive me as the bastard child of the city of Northport because nothing's

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being done and everybody seems to be waiting and waiting and waiting. When is something going to be done? Are we just going to keep looking at these disgusting buildings in the shape that they're in? Or are we going to finally do something about them? We got to do something. we can't keep

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kicking it down the road. So hopefully at tonight's meeting, we can come to some kind of a definite uh of whatever we're going to do, but something has to be done at this particular point because again, it's a disgusting eye sort of look at. So I

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don't know how close we are in the uh renovation or the lack of money and funding for that. So, I'm hoping that we can have a really good discussion and that you really take the citizenry into consideration when

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you make your decision. Thank you. >> John Bryan, Jill Luke, and Chuck English. >> Good evening. I'm John Bryant. I'm a partner and an architect at Sweet Sparkman Architects, but I'm speaking tonight as a private citizen um and a

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Sarasota County resident. So, I am one of the architects working with the city of Northport on the Warm Mineral Springs project. I wouldn't typically get up as kind of a private citizen, but in this case, I've been working on this project for close to 10 years and really felt

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compelled to come up and kind of share some personal thoughts and a little bit of context. Um uh we we first completed renovation drawings back in 2021 for the buildings. Uh fortunately that project kind of fell victim to cost increases of

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the COVID era. You know as you all know the buildings sort of were shuttered and then suffered through the hurricanes of 2024. Um around that time I think the commission had actually voted to demolish the buildings. Um, and what occurred at that point, not not with our

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involvement, but was a really to me a just a a great example of kind of public and government interaction where a group of private citizens, historic preservationists really put forth a a strong plan, convinced the commission to give it another shot. We helped

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facilitate some public meetings and really came to uh what was a better plan for the buildings, a more efficient, a more adaptive reuse plan that kept the historic buildings. And um it it was really inspiring for me as a public citizen to see that interaction of the

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the citizens, the government and to be able to be a part of it to again really come up with a smarter solution um an adaptive reuse of the buildings to preserve those buildings and th that was the design that we carried forward in the completed renovation [snorts] drawings that I know that uh you know

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will be voted on. So I um again I wouldn't typically get up and give kind of this personal plea. I just feel like having spent 10 years with these buildings, they they have a life of their own in a sense. They they never should have probably lasted as long as they have, but yet they're here. They've

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sort of persisted through that. And I think the opportunity now to move forward with a smart renovation that preserves sort of this historic integrity of the city of Northport and really will provide just a a phenomenal community asset. U now is the time. So,

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I again just uh uh uh encourage you to support this project moving forward. Thank you, >> Jill Luke. I'm also going to encourage you to support the project, too. I was sitting up there where you are during the point in time that he spoke. It's

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time to get this done. Everybody here knows it's an archeological treasure, geological treasure, hydraological treasure. It is a architectural treasure because there's hardly any of the midcentury architect anywhere anymore.

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The cycllorama what? Three of them left. Six in the entire world. Three in the United States. We need this. It's we have a historical designation to this property to this water.

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But the history goes back further than Northport. It goes way way back before the M brothers parents even had the twinkle in their eye. I mean we are going back to paleological time.

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We've got this is the history. This is the legacy of our city. I want to swing over and talk to you about the sir tax money. That's not taxpayer money. That is that one cent tax. You guys have the

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privilege of deciding where it goes. I would encourage you to put it toward this. This makes money. We spent $12,000 or $12 million on aquatic scent that keeps spending. We

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keep putting money into this makes about 1.8 million or so a year. I've heard a little jingle that maybe you guys have thought about looking at the certax as a loan for it to be redone because it

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makes money it can pay back. I'm not going to encourage you to do that. It is an option, but you're going to be setting a precedent. So that is the fire department or the police department going to have to pay you back or pay the sir tax back if you

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turn this into a loan? No, it's not a loan. It's sir tax. It was given to us. We utilize it for what we feel we need to. We need to get Warm Middle Springs done. We need that

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pride of who we are in our heritage. It was Northport before we put the stake in the ground and we need to make that claim ours. Thank you. >> Here you go. Thank you. Evening. I'm going to change the subject

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a little bit. Um, I watched the road and drainage meeting today. It lasted 7 minutes. That is got to be a record. And I watch a lot of meetings. Okay. The thing that got my attention,

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I'm glad it did, was the discussion as it related to my Creek Bridge on price. I just want to let you know when you get to that I will be very very interested in the

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environmental impact of that bridge. And I would also let you start thinking about the admatics bridge and the historical aspects that may be involved there as it relates to sable trace and the adjoining

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properties. I was going to make a relatively long dissertation on warming those springs, but I'm going to sum it up uh

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simply. Please stop kicking the can. Secondly, my grandma had a 58 Buick Roadmaster that she loved dearly. And when I was a little kid, I used to sit in the back. Okay. Well, her horn stopped working, right? And and and and

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she had a remedy to that. She'd hang her head out the door and say, "Shit or get off the pot." That's what I'm asking you to do. Y'all have a blessed evening. >> That's all. >> Thank you,

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city clerk. Announcements. [clears throat] The current vacancies for the following boards and committees include art advisory board, auditor selection committee, charter review advisory board, citizen tax oversight committee, community economic development advisory board, environmental advisory board,

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historic and cultural advisory board, joint management advisory board, parks and recreation advisory board, and planning and zoning advisory board. Sarasota County Advisory Council vacancies include one resident in Northport to serve on the Sarasota Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizens Advisory Committee

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and one resident of Northport to serve on the Citizens Oversight Committee for Schools Facility Planning. If anyone would like more information, please see the city clerk's office. Thank you. >> Thank you. Moving on to the consent agenda. Uh, city manager, has any items been pulled?

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>> No, Mr. Mayor. >> All right. Do we have any public comment? town sunset. >> Good evening again. Okay, this is going to be on the um item for the abatement services agreements. When I'm looking at the attachments,

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first of all, it would be nice if we had all the attachments to whatever agenda item is going to be here so that we can really look and understand and have available all the information necessary. So, we can either make a an intelligent public comment or or we can just say,

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okay, everything is great, but we need the information. When I'm looking at the the uh submitts from the three, I I go to pull it up and it says it's currently unavailable. So, I can't look at anything. All I

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could see are the signed contracts and then the um bid tabulation. Everything else is unavailable currently. So, what's what is the story with that? And this is not just limited to the consent agenda. This is limited. This is also

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taking into consideration some of the other agenda items not just on this particular commission meeting but on others where we need the information necessary to understand the specific agenda item. So a lot of information we

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feel is missing as an attachment in order for us to properly understand. And then what happens is we have to do public record request after public record request or we have to email the commissioners or email and bar staff. And it's totally unnecessary

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to have to go that route when if you're going to put together an agenda, we need the specific information so that everybody can fully understand what it is you're voting on and if we have something to say about it. So I would

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just hope that things get improved. Thank you. That's all there. >> All right. I'm going to request a motion. >> I'll make it. >> Go ahead. >> I move [clears throat] to approve the items in the consent agenda. >> Second. [laughter]

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>> Toss ball. I >> have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Dval to approve the items in the consent agenda. Seconded by Commissioner Stokes. If there's nothing to that, please vote. And that passes 5 to Z.

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Moving on to public hearings. Ordinance first reading, ordinance number 2026- 19. Request a motion to direct the city clerk to read by title. >> Second. >> Have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stoke, seconded by Vice Mayor to direct the city clerk to read

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by title only. There's nothing to that. Please vote. That passes 5. City clerk. >> Ordinance [clears throat] number 2026-9, an ordinance in the city of Northport, Florida, amending the non-district budget and capital improvement budget for fiscal year 2025 through 2026 to

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increase the War Mineral Springs Building Rehabilitation Project WM19BR by the amount of $4,82,133. Providing for findings, providing [clears throat] for posting, providing for conflicts, providing for separability, and providing an effective date.

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>> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The Warm [clears throat] Mill Springs building rehabilitation project currently has 12,587,596 in available funding remaining. The the remaining funding available of the

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project consists of $2.3 million from the War Springs, $382,625 [laughter] fees, and $9.8 million in sir tax funds. The project scope supported by these functions include the historic renovation of the administration building, hybrid renovation of the spa

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building, stabilization and mocking of the cycllorama, implementation of wet flood proofing measures across project structures, utility infrastructure and parking lot improvements. The guaranteed maximum price for the construction phase of the project is 16.7 million. to

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address the shortfall of funding for the project. Staff has identified uh funding resources in need of a budget amendment in the amount of $4.1 million approximately. Um so we're going to stop here [cough and laughter] and announce that you please provide us some guidance on how you would like us to move forward

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as we ask for the approval of ordinance number 26 202619 um to the second meeting on July the 2nd. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. >> Thank you. I got a question for you. With this 4 million being put over there, 4,82.

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>> Is that complete? All the funding 100%. We can move forward. We can be done with it. All the other monies are still there. >> Yes, sir. Shove on the ground. >> I support that. I just wanted to start the ball rolling. So, Commissioner Stokes, you're up. Well, appreciate Mr.

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English's comment. Um, I will take exception and will not swear, but I'll just simply say it's time to not kick the can down the road. Let's get this done. I support this 100%.

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I support using the uh the uh money from sir tax to get this done along with some funds that are coming out of I think uh a couple of the district funds, utility funds to these, you know, and impact fees. So, you know, let's get this done.

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We we're almost there and like once and for all, let's bring this place back to something we're all proud of and uh and move forward. Everybody's been waiting a lot of years. This was this was conversation when I got on the commission three and a half years ago

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and like [applause] I would love nothing more to get it done now. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> Wasn't you, Vice Mayor? >> Yeah, thank you, mayor. Um, warm [clears throat] mineral springs has been a controversial subject in a lot of

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quarters and there are a fair number of people [music] that I've spoken with in the city who have said the city never should have bought it. But the fact is we did. We are now the stewards of this amazing [clears throat]

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place. And and I won't reiterate, the public commenters did a very fine job of identifying all of the value that Warm Mineral Springs brings. Um, and I think our restoration of the buildings and

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improving that property, putting conservation on a significant portion of the surrounding property is absolutely the right thing to do. So, I am violently

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in support of adding another $4 million into the budget because we are required by law to have all the money in house before we're able to proceed. So, the designs have been done. We've gone

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through procurement of the architects and the vendors to work with us on this amazing project. We are ready to go. We were just waiting for the additional budget to make it happen. So gentlemen,

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let's make it happen tonight. >> Pat, please, please. >> Sorry, >> Commissioner [laughter] Petro. It's just hard for us to hear up here, man. That's that's all. >> It's been a long time. >> Okay. >> Thank you, Mayor. The Warm Mill Springs

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is the only park that generates close to$2 million dollars and is the only park that generates revenue. So, let's stick to the plan that was adopted on May in May of 2024 to preserve those historical buildings and I'm full

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support to do so. Thank you. >> All right, city clerk, public [clears throat] comment, >> Michelle Moore. Mayor and commissioners, I am writing to express my strong support for ordinance number 2026-9 to amend the budget for the Warm Mineral

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Springs Building Rehabilitation Project WM19BR. Investing these funds into the rehabilitation of the historic buildings at War Mineral Springs is a vital step forward for the identity, preservation, and economic future of Northport. Warm Mineral Springs is not just a local park. It's an irreplaceable asset with

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immense historical, ecological, and cultural merit. It is a cornerstone of our community's heritage that deserves to be meticulously preserved and proudly highlighted. For years, residents and visitors alike have looked forward to seeing these iconic facilities restored to their full potential. Passing this

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ordinance honors that shared vision. Beyond the undeniable historical merit, this project represents a smart long-term investment in our city's financial health. By rehabilit rehabilitating these structures, we are actively restoring a major economic engine. A fully operational, modernized,

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and historically preserved War Mineral Springs will drive significant ecourism and generate sustainable long-term revenue. Crucially, this revenue will flow back into our parks and recreation department, providing the necessary funding to maintain and elevate recreational spaces for families all

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across Northport. I want to thank the commission and city staff for identifying a balanced funding strategy that utilizes dedicated fund balances and impact fees, including the strategic reallocation of $500,000 from Langlas Park to make this monumental project a

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reality without overburdening our general fund. Let's protect our history, invest in our parks, and secure a vibrant economic dragger for Northport. I urge the city commission to vote yes on ordinance number 2026-9. Thank you for your time and continued

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dedication to our city. [music] I love Northport. Go Kapla. David, I feel it's time to finally put War Mineral Springs in the path to the dignity it deserves. Continuing to neglect it is only going to cost the city even more. Not to mention,

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everybody is pretty tired of discussing it. Thank you. Jan Fuuli. Dear commissioners, I'm writing as co-president of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation to urge you to approve the budget request to complete the rehabilitation of the War Mineral

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Springs Historic Buildings. This board made the right decision in May 2024 to halt plans to de demolish the three historic buildings at War Mineral Springs and to instead explore plans to restore them. Those renovations will soon start and I urge you to stay on course. The buildings are in the

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National Register of Historic Places and Northport's local register was created specifically to list these three buildings. The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation developed a preservation plan for War Mineral Springs that lists a viable path to paying for the rehabilitation and will

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we remain committed to helping Northport complete the preservation of these buildings. City staff, the architects of Sweet Sparkman, and preservation experts have worked hard to get the project to where it is nearly shovel ready. Please approve the requested $4.08 million budget increase to complete the

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renovations and ensure a legacy of preservation. Thank you. In person, I have Debbie Blackwell, Robin Sambasente, and John Thaxton. [clears throat and cough] [clears throat] Hi everybody. I'm Debbie Blackwell,

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Northport registered voter. Uh, no more co-vote operations like stalling the outstanding Florida spring. Uh, a huge high school was just built in the city since Hurricane Ian. A huge high school was just built in the

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city and we don't have anything done out there at Warm Mineral Springs. Nothing. So, if this amendment is going to delay more progress on getting this thing started, I can't support it. But if you're going to get things started, I say no more procrastination, no more

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P3s, no more lolly gagging, no more distracting, no more delays, no more diversions, no more pivots, no more insulting voter intelligence, no more wasting money on reviews and designs. No more play ploy. No more deceit. There is

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a plan. Follow the plan. Start the plan this week. The shovels are ready. do the work. There's a large collaborative organization behind all of this. Allow them to get started. Let the horses out of the starting gate. As I've said

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before, be neighborly. Be environmental stewards. Be voter aware. Be accountable and be alive because faith without work is dead. And bring the warm mineral springs to life. Thank you.

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>> Thank you. Okay, one more time on this. Um, thank you for finally addressing this um, and bringing it to where we're going to finally actually take some action on it. So, I I thank you for having this on the agenda. I want to

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thank everybody for also showing up and supporting One Mineral Springs. I also want to make a comment because I can't tell you how my phone was blowing up when we saw 245,000 and change coming out of the tree fund. We almost died. I want to personally

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reach out and thank Devon uh from Parks and Wreck who took the time to explain where that money is actually going to be designated. Uh which fits right into the tree fund, the environmental fund for landscaping and all that other stuff.

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So, I want I want to thank him personally for that and I wanted to make that known to the public because that's where that money is going to be going. So, um I would hope and it sounds like you all are going to finally get things done and I thank you once again for bringing this on the agenda. Thank you.

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>> Good evening, commissioners. For the record, my name is John Taxton and I am speaking on behalf of the GF Coast Community Foundation. Thank you for your service. As a county commissioner, I realized that the greatness in

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Sarasota County was fueled by the diversity of our four amazing cities. We offered something in Sarasota County because of these cities for everyone. And this diversity was anchored in the individual unique features of the

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cities. Sarasota has St. Arman's Key. It has Leo. It has the arts district. [snorts] Longboat Ki has endless miles of Gulf of Mexico beaches. And Venice has their amazing historic downtown. All of these features require periodic and

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sometimes substantial investments to maintain. Warm Mineral Springs is one such amenity that is worthy of a similar investment. Its warm mineralized spring is the only one of its kind in the state of Florida and the surrounding

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mid-century architectural buildings have achieved national recognition. This site distinguishes Northport in a way that no other Northport amenity can. Nowhere else in the state can this fortuitous combination be found. It is

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unique and it is and it unapologetically requires an investment to remain the asset that it is and the asset that it can become. GF Coast Community Foundations has many investments in Northport and we will continue as your

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partner. We have a lot of our staff that lives in Northport. We recognize that you have [clears throat] a professional and a competent staff and we believe that they have offered you a professional and a competent recommendation to fund the

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improvements of these springs that will distinguish this great city of Northport into the future. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. >> Aaron DeFazio, Lom Mcdown, and Miriam Springle.

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I brought some copies just in case. Good evening. For the record, my name is Aaron DeFazio and I'm the managing director for the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, a countywide organization dedicated to preserving our

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historic spaces. First, I would like to commend the commissioners for their 2024 shift to preservation of the Sarasota School of Architecture buildings on the Warm Mineral Springs campus. The thoughtful consideration of community

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input demonstrated leadership not often seen in Florida. At that time, members of our organization presented you with a preservation plan outlining some resources and strategies to ensure the survival of this internationally beloved

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attraction included on both the Sarasota 6 to save and the Florida Trusts the Florida Trust for Historic Preservations 11 to Save. I would also like to thank the city's staff for countless hours that they have committed to bring the

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plan to pre for preservation into being. Since 2024, city staff has championed these iconic elements of warm mineral springs. Restoring and wet flood proofing these buildings is not only the most economically responsible approach,

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it is also in tune with best practices for a vulnerable natural site requiring climate adaptation. We appreciate that in these past two years, the hard work of creating a future for these historic buildings was taking place largely behind the scenes

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with little visible evidence of what is to come. But now we are so close. It's crucial to recognize for the same reasons the decision to preserve was made two years ago. It is imperative that we continue on the course toward a future for these important buildings. If

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there are addition additional questions to resolve, SHP is ready and willing to help find answers. Northport doesn't have a long architectural history, but what it does have is a few really significant mid-century icons. The world

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will celebrate when we keep it that way. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello. Uh, for the record, my name is Lori Mul Downey and I am the historic preservation consultant who prepared had the privilege of preparing the National Register nomination for the War Mineral

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Springs Resort. So, I'm very happy to be here with you this evening. Uh, many of the people have echoed some of the comments I was going to make, so I'm going to shorten up my comments. Um, but I did want to uh point out to you that the story of the War Mineral Springs Resort is a quintessential American

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story, one of postworld War II enthusiasm about the future ahead. The mere feet of its construction speaks to the optimism of the times. The buildings were completed in about a 100 days, and there were 14,000 visitors here on that

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opening day. The plan before you this evening is one that was developed with extensive community input and preserves the most important architectural elements of the resort. It was developed as a compromise plan to meet budgetary goals while preserving these significant

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aspects of the building. Excellence isn't easy. It demands vision and it demands courage. I would encourage you to bring this excellent project to fruition. It will honor the past and provide the facility that the community can be proud of once again. Thank you. Thank you.

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>> Good evening. My name is Miriam Springle. I'm a member of the board of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation. Historic Preservation is an economic engine. It drives visitors to an area.

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Visit Florida's 2024 research study notes that the travel and tourism sector accounts for 7.8% 8% of Florida's gross domestic product. Local tax collection from tourism grew 2.2%

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in 2024 over 2023. By preserving the War Mineral Springs buildings, you are helping support the local economy of the future and helping ensure that the national and international tourists who enjoy

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Northport continue to come to Northport. In addition, historic preservation helps enhance the image of a community, its identity, and its sense of place, ensuring both residents and tourists talk about the city with pride and with

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commitment to its future. The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, as you've been hearing, has provided help and support as this commission made wise decisions about the future of the site. The alliance will continue to support you as you move the work of these

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buildings forward. Board members and our managing director, who you've just heard from, are ready to lend their experience and their expertise as you, commissioners, and the city staff preserve the Warm Mineral Springs Historic Buildings.

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People travel to experience the places, artifacts, and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and of today. Preserving these important buildings is critical to the rebuilding of the region after Hurricane Ian. I urge you to

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support the rehabilitation of Warm Mineral Springs three historic buildings. Thank you so much. Regina Melman, Laura Anzel, and Debbie McDow. [clears throat] Virginia Melman, a local realtor.

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Thank you so much for for helping and that's the reason why I clapped because being a realtor around this area and I apologize I'm a little bit stressed out about that. I want to tell you that warming all springs makes a such a big difference to the area.

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speaking just from the European point of the community from just sales point you know I just want you to know 4,39 buildings in this area belongs to that war meal springs by removing those buildings and it's hard I know money is

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tough especially nowadays economy everything I understand the way how I came to this town I came to this town because of war meal springs from Chicago just to see what it If it wouldn't be for Warming Springs, I

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wouldn't be here. So, it's so many other people would not. It's a mental state of mind, a healing zone for a lot of people who come here and want to get better. So, and I just want you to know just removing those buildings and I know from business point of view, it's going to be

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very difficult for you guys to restore. It's going to be mission impossible. We've been there with we you guys been wonderful years ago. I just know it's no money and I understand. So the reason why I'm asking of you just you know just from the area of spring attraction

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150,000 150,000 visitors who comes here every year just to visit it you know for inexpensive visit you know that's how many people you're going to lose each year coming to this area spending money in your stores in your restaurants in

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the town and that's how the Northport became Northport not because it's a working zone it's not a resort it's not Vienna And I agree with a lot of people. Real estate is different here. It's just because of those springs. And I really hope that you guys will be on board with

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it. Do not remove those buildings. I understand politics. I understand no money. Keep the buildings going. Restore them. Bring more revenue. Not so much revenue attraction for people to come here. Something got to differ from other, you know, other places here.

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Sarasota, Viennas. Something got to differ. Northport is the biggest and growing town. Don't make that to go down because that minute that's going to go down, the whole the whole town is going to go down and then nobody's going to need you guys as a commission. That's

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why truly I appreciate what the support I support of the manager and the commission. I talked to you guys years, you know, you you probably remember we were here after Ashley Group. Help us help us to restore it. I'm not even from Northport, just so you know. I'm from Venice and I wanted to make sure that

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you guys understand how important the warm meal springs to us right now because we're 15 minutes away. Well Park will not help. Believe me, Venice is not going to help. Northport is going to grow and that's what's going to help and make the community grow. More people

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will come to Northport just because of that springs and make sure that that area is going to grow with us. Please help us. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, good evening. For the record, my name is Laura Anel and I've been a

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resident of Northport now for 10 years, believe it or not. And during that time, I've had a front row seat to the journey of War Mineral Springs Park. And while I'm not an active user of the park, I recognize its significance to our community, its importance as a tourist

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attraction, and its historic value. I'm here tonight to encourage you to see your original vision through and approve the ordinance for Warl Springs Park. The future of the park has been a hot topic in our community for more than a decade, believe it or not, and both the project

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and its visitors have suffered because we keep ending up back here with the commission reopening the topic or changing the plan right when we're on the five yard line and about ready to score the winning touchdown. Over f 15 150,000 visitors who come to

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the springs each year deserve better. The hardworking parks and recreation staff who handle their questions and concerns on the front line every day deserve better. And frankly, the city deserves the opportunity to realize the value of this asset.

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Even under its current conditions, War Mineral Springs generates nearly 2 million in revenue. That's insane. If you've been to the park and you've seen the facilities, that's insane. this, you know, imagine what it can generate once your vision and our vision as a community comes to life.

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Warm Springs is one of our most unique and valuable public assets. It's a natural resource, an important part of our city's identity, and a meaningful contributor to our tourism economy and long-term quality of life. But further delay and deterioration only risks

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increases the risk to these historic structures and the costs of preserving them. This ordinance is a chance to preserve a public asset, honor its significance, improve access, and support our economic development and growth management goals that you've all identified in our strategic plan.

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Denying or delaying this will risk more deterioration, higher construction, and another setback. Owen D. Young once said, "It takes vision and courage to create." You have already shown vision and courage by supporting this plan and bringing it to

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this point. Now is not the time for hesitation. We're on the five yard line. We've got a great plan. You're right there. You know, to run a little option pass. It's going to be great. So, I respectfully urge you to see this project through and approve the ordinance. Thank you.

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>> Here we are again talking about Warm Mineral Springs. Wow. What a story War Mineral Springs can tell. What what a story the city has about Warin Springs. I mean, starting with the county when we bought it from the county to the master plan that was

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approved to Hurricane Ian coming through to the P3 that almost oh my god almost came to fruition that didn't happen because of divine intervention. So, I see today as another opportunity for divine intervention, and it's up to

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the five of you to seal its fate. I hear you guys are all excited about moving forward and I am excited to hear that because it sounds unanimous and this Warminal Springs, these buildings are historic. They deserve the

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time and energy to make it what it should be. Once it's finished and you're across that gold line, the possibilities are endless. This will be the gem that it was

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destined to be. Please vote to have these buildings refurbished. Please get this project done. Please do not pull a Charlie Brown. [snorts] Have a great evening. >> Chuck English and Steve Kowski.

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>> [clears throat] >> Evening again. I did say I had a dissertation. Nah, you all know what you need to do and I believe you understand and have the wisdom to do the right thing. Thank you. >> Good evening, Steve Ksky. I want to

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thank you all in advance and in anticipation of your vote tonight. This has been a long time coming. My first dives in War Mineral Springs 1985, I went to the Cycllorama maybe only a couple of times, but every day at 1:00,

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as I've mentioned before, Helen would come on and say, "Cycllorama will start in 5 minutes." And everybody in the spring would come up and line up in front of Cycllorama and they'd have a 15, 20 minute presentation. If none of you have been in the cycllorama, there

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are still a few murals and and uh um figurines left. And wouldn't it be great to restore some of that as well? I worked with Sunny Carl for 4 years at War Mineral Springs and nobody understood the significance of War Mineral Springs and its buildings more

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than Sunny Carl. [snorts] And um and then I went on to make a career of our two local treasures, War Mineral and Little Salt. So, I want to thank you for your recognition of this significance. This is going to be part of your legacy

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that will be here long after you're gone. And I would like to see your photos on the wall of the cycllorama. And uh and and thank you for this uh uh

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monumental >> [snorts] >> uh evening that I believe is going to move forward. Thank you. >> Thank you. Going to close this public hearing and request that almighty motion. >> It will be my pleasure.

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>> All right. Settle down. One of y'all. >> He He got the jump ball last time. >> Okay. Go ahead. Vice Mayor. [laughter] >> I move to continue ordinance number 2026-9 to second reading on July 21st, 2026.

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>> Second. >> All right. I have a motion on the floor made by the vice mayor to continue ordinance number 2026-9 to second reading on July 21st. >> 26. >> July 7th. >> Huh? >> July 7th. [clears throat]

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>> The only the reason that we did put it for the 21st was because of it being our first July meeting is a nighttime meeting as well. >> So to have it on a day and a night it would be the 21st. And that's all you're getting because

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these people are waiting. [laughter] >> There's a timing issue with the SEO. >> I was just I was just going to say that >> there's a timing issue with the Seymour. If we push it back a little further, it kind of gets us outside of a 30-day window that we need. >> Who's got an issue with that? >> Right. I think you'd have heard a lot of

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public comment and I think you might be okay with missing out on your practice, >> right? So, we're going to go the seventh than due to that. >> Yes, sir. >> Perfect. Okay. [clears throat] I would I would much rather do that. >> Amend my own motion.

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>> Yes, you can. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I get to go. I move to continue ordinance number 2026-9 to second reading on July 7th. >> And I'll second that again. >> 2026.

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>> I got a motion on the floor to continue ordinance number 2026-9 to second reading on July 7th, 2026. Made by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Stokes. If there's nothing to that, >> I'm waiting for you.

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>> I'm waiting for your vote, mayor. Let's vote. Well, I have to do my part first. Now the board's stuck. All right. Yeah, that pass is five to zero. Mayor, it's okay.

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CL one exception. While we're clear, we're going to take a 10-minute break. Just like >> Yeah. Everybody's noisy. 10 minutes. >> How the city really works. [music] And I

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think by offering a class like this, you get such an exposure to so many different departments and meet so many different people. you can't help but want to be a part of it. >> If you plan on living here and living [music] amongst the community and understanding the growth and

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understanding what we need, definitely [music] join the Northport University. You're going to be pleasantly surprised. >> I would absolutely say do it because you don't know until you know. And you can go online and you can read all these things, but a lot of it is the

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experience and sitting across from from whether it's the the chief of police, the the chief of fire, rescue, utilities, all [music] these, you know, administration, all these departments are absolutely you want you meet the leaders. You can look into their eye and

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ask pertinent questions that are important to you. to understand of where they're at, where they're going, what are their constraints, and how we can be as residents, try and give them the resources they need to provide the services that we're asking them to provide.

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>> I'm more in love with Northport than I've ever been. >> Hey, Brandon, what are you listening to? >> Just listen to my CPR playlist. What's on that? >> Staying alive. >> I'm Zach. And this is Travis from Northport Fire Rescue. And I'm Brandon.

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And this is Brett from the Northport Aquatic Center. >> Did you know a lot of the songs that you listen to on a daily basis follow the beats of CPR? 100 to 120 beats per minute. >> CPR saves lives.

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[music] >> Hey, Northport. I'm here with Ryan from our engineering division in public works and we're in an area that is experiencing some drainage concerns that were brought to us by some residents. So Ryan, what are some things you do when you get onto a scene like this to see what the issue may be?

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>> First thing we do is we start at the bottom of the system, the outfall, how it connects into the uh canal. Then we start working our way up. We go through the cross drains, the culverts, the under drains, and we look at every way the water flows downward. And we look for blockages, uh, sumped uh, dirt pile

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up and even sometimes could potentially collapsed uh, coverts underneath. And you got to remember, you can't report your uh, water being an issue until we have 72 hours of no rainfall. And let's say it rains on Tuesday and a couple days go by and that second day it rains

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again, you got to restart your 72 hours. We have to spend time of our water inside the system in order to clean it and in order to slow it down. Otherwise, we're going to end up washing out our neighbors below us. >> Absolutely. So, tell us about what's happening here. >> Right here, we have a rather large uh

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blockage inside the system. This is clearly a um illegal dump of some sort, uh a tree obviously, and this will slow down the water. If we could see on the north side of it, or north as in the upper part of the drainage way, it's full of water. But when we look at our

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footage from down below, it's dry. So this is a huge point of collab collecting water. These systems really fail sometimes with like a a death by a thousand cuts. You get a um a sump here, a collapsed uh covert pipe, a blockage like this, and it slowly adds up.

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>> That makes sense. So if anybody out there is seeing issues like this or experiencing it in your neighborhood, you're welcome to report it um through our Northreport system, which is at northportfl.govnorthreport /northreports or you can give the public works

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customer service a call. In Northport, families are finding more and more places built just for them. We opened um this past June. We are an indoor play center for children ages 0 to 7. We do open play sessions, birthday

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parties, special events, and classes here at the play center. for me. Um, you know, being a Northport resident, there was really not a whole lot in Northport for children, um, besides the local parks. So, it was super important for me to have something in the community to be

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able to offer to families with young children. You want to have that option to be able to still get out of the house with the kids, get their energy out, and not [music] have to hike all the way up somewhere with traffic. and you can just go to a spot near you and just make

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those special memories that are close to home. >> Playtime Paradise isn't the only new spot making Playtime local. Do the Beach is a immersive indoor adventure park. We are primarily an inflatable based attraction. We have over 14 different ride attractions scattered throughout

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the park. with growing young families pouring into Northport and growing the city, we just knew there was such a need for families to have an outlet and some some good entertainment, active entertainment for children. One of our core beliefs as a as a company is encouraging kids to get involved in

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active and social play, getting them away from their screens and using their imaginations. >> From slides to inflatables, dance classes, birthday parties, Northport is growing, and so are the options for young families right here at home. The community has welcomed us with open arms.

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>> We are thrilled to be here. It >> shows families that there's a place for them um to grow as a young family in Northport. There's a place in Northport that invites you to slow down to see, hear, and feel the world around you.

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Inside the Garden of Five Senses is Boundless Adventures, a playground where every child can play, no matter their abilities. Just beyond the playground, the story stroll turns a simple walk into an interactive adventure. Each step reveals a new page or

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activity, sparking imagination, curiosity, [music] and conversation. It's a walk, a story, and an adventure all in one beautiful setting. The Garden of Five Senses, Boundless

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Adventures, and the Story Stroll, where every visit is a story waiting to be discovered. [music] >> While you're watching me run away from this hurricane, you could be signing up for emergency alerts. Sign up at alertsacount.com

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today. Welcome to the brand new Northport Podcast Network. We're so excited to introduce you to our revamped lineup of shows created to keep you connected, informed, and inspired about everything happening in our city. >> That's right. With three unique shows

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under one network, there's something for everyone. >> First up is Northport. Now Madison and I will rotate hosting this fast-paced news-driven podcast to bring you the latest city updates, event previews, and important information all in one quick listen. [music] >> Think of it as your weekly guide to

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staying in the know about what's happening in Northport. >> Next, we have Northport [music] Stories. Laura and I will share heartfelt and inspiring tales from around our community. stories that showcase the people, places, and moments that make our city special. [music] >> And don't worry, Voices of Northport

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isn't going anywhere. I'll continue bringing you even more personal stories and interviews with residents who [music] shaped our city. And last, but not least, Northport Living. Cody and I will also rotate hosting this [music] show, which is all about tips, events, and lifestyle ideas to help you make the

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most of life right here in Northport. Whether you're looking for family-friendly activities, ways to get involved, or helpful home and garden tips, Northport Living has you covered. With breaking news, heartfelt stories, or practical tips, the Northport Podcast Network is your go-to source for all

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things Northport. >> Make sure to subscribe to the Northport Podcast Network wherever you listen and join us as we celebrate and connect with our amazing community. >> Northport Now will be released bi-weekly. >> Northport Stories and Living will be monthly. A schedule will be available on

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social media and our website. [music] Hello everyone, Devon Pulis here, aquatics manager. Welcome to my crib. We have fun here at the crib. Programs included. Become a pass member. Play [music] all year long. Hey, at the crib,

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we do have rules. We take all payments here at the crib. Apple Pay, Mastercard, Visa, cash. You pay right here to enjoy the crib. So, enter through the gate. Childproof, most adult proof

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shade. What's that? Our newly installed sun shade available for rent all season long. Here at my crib, you don't have to worry about a place to find a seat. We've added more chairs than [music] ever here at the crib. If you're coming to enjoy

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the cribs and you got little ones, we got the perfect area for them. Our Pelican playground, newly painted, fresh floor, fresh palm tree. It's looking clean. Looking for a place to work your upper body? Take a shot at here at our

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Stingray shuffle. Looking to relax? I got you covered here with our lazy river. Living more on the adventurous side. Check out the slides right behind me. Newly painted. All offer something

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individual and unique. Check it out. Check out the main pool kept at a [music] wonderful 84 degrees all year long. I just want you to have a good time. [music] We have safety covered. Lifeguards here,

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staff all day, every day when we're open for you to enjoy. Concession is open. Pizza, pretzels, nachos, ice cream. We got it all. >> All right, we're back at it. Moving on to ordinance second reading. Ordinance

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number 2026-09. City clerk, can you read by title only, please? Ordinance number 2026-09, an ordinance of the city of Northport, Florida, providing that failure to appear at a code enforcement hearing, constitutes an admission and waiver and authorizes imposition of penalties and

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costs, amending the code of the city of Northport, Florida, section 2-508, providing for findings, providing for confiding forability, providing for codification, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. During the city

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commission regular meeting held on June 9th, 2026, ordinance number 2026 09 was forwarded to second reading with the 50 vote. There were no changes recommended. We ask that you today approve orders number 2026-09 as presented. Thank you, sir.

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>> Thank you. I'm seeing anything in the queue from commissioners. Do we have public comment? >> There is no closes public hearing and request the motion. >> I'll make it. All right. And I move to adopt ordinance number 2026-9 as presented.

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>> I have a motion to adopt ordinance number 2026-09 as presented by Commissioner Stoke, seconded by Commissioner Dubalum. There's nothing to that. Please vote. That passes five to zero. All right, moving on to ordinance number

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2026-17. City clerk, can you read by title only, please? >> Ordinance number 2026-17. An ordinance of the city of Northport, Florida, regarding street naming and property numbering, amending the code of the city of Northport, Florida, section 70-55 through 70-58, providing for

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findings, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, providing for codification, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. During the city commission regular meeting held on June 9th, 2026, ordinance number 2026-17 was

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forwarded to second reading with a 50- vote and no recommended changes. We ask that today you approve option one, which is approved ordinance number 2026-7 as presented. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. Seeing nothing in the queue, any public comments, city clerk?

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>> There is none. >> All right. I'm going to close this hearing. Request a motion. I'll make it. >> Go ahead. I move to adopt ordinance number 2026-17 as presented. >> Second. I have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Dval to adopt

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ordinance number 2026-17 as presented as presented. Seconded by uh Commissioner Stokes. There's nothing to that. Please vote. That passes 5 to zero. Moving on to ordinance 2026-18.

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City clerk, can you read by title only? >> Ordinance number 2026-18, an ordinance of the city of Northport, Florida, amending the non-district budget for fiscal year 2025 through 2026 for use of state of Florida contraband forfeite funds in the amount of $55,000 providing for findings, providing for posting,

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providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [clears throat] During the city commission regular meeting held on June 9th, 2026, ordinance number 2026-18 was continued

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as presented to second reading on a 50 vote. We ask today that you adopt ordinance number 2026 18 as presented. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. I [snorts] see nothing in the queue. Any public comment? >> There is none. >> All right. I'm going to close this hearing and request a motion.

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>> I'll make it. >> Go ahead. Move to adopt ordinance 2026-18 as presented. >> Second. Have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stokes [clears throat] to adopt ordinance number 2026-18 as presented, seconded by Vice Mayor. There's nothing to that. Please vote.

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[snorts] That passes 5 to zero. Moving on to resolution 2026-R27. City clerk, can you read by title only, please? Resolution number 2026-R27, a resolution of the city of Northport, Florida, approving the expenditure of

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forfeite funds for costs related to the police department, crimerevention, community outreach, and youth substance abuse prevention programs, providing for incorporation of recitals, providing for conflicts, providing forability, and providing an effective rate. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item.

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>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This resolution supports community based programs and crime [clears throat] preventing crime prevention initiatives helping the city meet statutory requirements while strengthening partnerships with local organizations and in help enhancing public safety efforts. We ask today that

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you approve resolution number 2026-R27 as presented. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. I'm not seeing anything [snorts] in the queue. Do we have any public comment? >> We do not. >> All right. I'm going to close this hearing and request a motion. I'll do it. Go ahead.

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>> I move to adopt resolution 2026-R27 as presented. >> Second. >> I have a motion on the floor made by Commissioner Stokes to adopt resolution number 2026-R27 is presented. Seconded by Commissioner Dval. If there's nothing to that, please

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vote. That passes 5 to zero. Moving on to resolution number 2026-R37. City clerk, can you read by title only, please? Resolution number 2026-R37, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida, naming the new utilities administration

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building as the Richard J. Newark utilities administration complex, providing for incorporation of recitals, providing for complex, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. [clears throat] During the city commission regular

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meeting held on March 23rd, 2021, as part of the discussion of an agenda item regarding the possum [snorts] pres presentation of a key to the city for Richard Rick Newkerk, the city commission discussed additional way to recognize Mr. Newkerk service, including

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dedicated the new utility administration building in his honor. While the formal action taken at that meeting was approval of the key to the city presentation, the discussion reflected interest in a future facility dedication. Approval of resolution number 2026-R37

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establishes the new facilities official name prior to opening and occupancy to ensure consistent use across signage, map GIS, wayfinding, and communications. Today, we ask that you take option one, which is approving resolution number 2026-R37.

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Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. I personally believe Rick would really say, "No, you don't do this." >> [clears throat] >> But that's just the way he was and it is an honor to do this for him. But one suggestion I want to make sure is included in here to the utility people

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out there somewhere on that property on the wall or inside that there is a huge mur mural of Ricky Raindrop has has to be in place. So Commissioner Duval.

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>> Thank you, Mayor. Um I wanted to speak because I truly miss this gentleman. When I first started, I met him in this room when I first started to come to city meetings and as a citizen

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coming in here, he was a person that no matter who you were, he spoke to you. You asked a question, you had a question, he answered it. And he always had a smile. Um,

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I truly truly believe he is a deserving of this and he's also his loss was a big loss to this city as well as I know to his family. Um, he was definitely a gentleman that we

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should honor with something like this. Thank you, >> Vice Mayor. >> Yeah, thank you, mayor. I think I was the last commissioner to have the honor of spending the better part of a day with your dad and your husband. And we

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visited every vacuum station, every pump, every asset that had anything to do with the treatment and movement of water through the city. And it was clear in taking that tour with him that he

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took personal pride in every single thing. So I am so delighted that the building will be named hopefully [laughter] after [snorts] Mr. Newkerk. >> There was one thing that I wanted to add to when she brought up about the tours

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and stuff. Many many years ago, there was a new feature that was put in at the wastewater plant, otherwise known as the plant. And uh my office happened to be right next to it. And the fumes from that plant used to come over and Rick

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come over and he goes, "Hey, I got to show you something." He takes me over there to this big vat. He goes, "Do you smell that?" [laughter] I go, "Yeah, it sort of smells like flowers." He goes, "They just put a deodorizer thing up here. Isn't it great?" I go, "Yeah, but I still smell the other stuff over in my office. It smells great here, but it

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needs to be dispersed and bigger." And we just laughed about it. And that that was the way Rick was. He was always thinking about somebody else and what was going on. And he he was a great man and a great friend. So, anything else from anybody?

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All right. Public comment. If anybody [clears throat] deserves a building named after them, it is Rick Newkerk. He was a force to be reckoned with and this will solidify his legacy and his

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contribution into the city of Northport forever. Um, I personally remember him explaining about straws and in the system and it's like putting a straw in and you only have so many space for straws. I will never ever forget his

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analogies on that. So, commission, please unanimously approve naming the new utility building after Mr. Rick Newkerk. That's all there. >> All right. I'm going to close this public hearing and request a motion.

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I'll make it. >> Go ahead, David. >> I move to adopt resolution number 2026-R37 as presented. >> Agreed on. >> So, sorry. >> All right. And I have a motion on the

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floor made by Commissioner Dval to adopt resolution number 2026-R37 as presented with great honor and seconded by Vice [snorts] Mayor. If there's nothing to that, please vote.

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That passes 5 to zero. Thank you all very much for being here. Moving on. Resolution number 2026-R44. City clerk, can you read by title only? >> Resolution number 2026-R44, a resolution of the city commission of

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the city of Northport, Florida, adopting city commission policy number 2026-01 related to the open data policy for what works city certification providing for incorporation of recitals, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, city manager. This is your

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item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This dashy policy is intended to make appropriate city data more accessible, usable, and understandable so that residents, businesses, and stakeholders can better evaluate city services, monitor performance, and engage in civic life. It is designed to complement and not

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supersede Florida public records laws, as well as other applicable confidentiality requirements, regulations, and policies. The policy also supports the city's broader strategic direction to advance data informed decision-making and aligns with nationally recognized best practices

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including what works city's standards of excellence. Today we ask that you adopt resolution number 2026-44 R44 as presented. Thank you sir. >> Thank you sir. I see nothing in the queue. Any public comment? City clerk.

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>> I close this hearing and request a motion. >> I'll do it. >> Go ahead. I move to adopt resolution 2026-R44 as presented. >> Second. >> I have a motion on the floor to adopt resolution number 2026-R44

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as presented. Made by Commissioner Stoke, seconded by Commissioner Pro. There's nothing to that. Please vote. Passes five to zero. Moving on to general business. Uh item 26-0847

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discussion and possible action regarding commissioner appointments to the Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committees and the Legislative Advocacy Committee. Miss Fox, would you introduce this item, please? >> Yes. This is the annual appointments of commissioners to the Florida League of

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City Policy Committees and the Advocacy Committee. These are due to the FLC by August 15th, I believe. Um, and following the November election, any new commissioners with the appointment for the outgoing commissioner. >> Okay. So,

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basically what we're looking at is anybody wanting to change their appointments or would you like to keep your current appointment that you have right now for the policy committees that you have over there? Myself, I'm going to keep mine. Commissioner Dval, >> I'm good. >> Commissioner Stokes,

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>> mine. Commissioner Pro >> and Vice Mayor. >> I do not. >> Well, you have to. Nobody wants to stop. [laughter] >> Do we have any uh public comment? >> There is none. >> All right. I'm going to request a motion. >> I'll make it. >> Go ahead.

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>> I move that we maintain all current appointments for the Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committees and the Legislative Advocacy Committee. >> Second. I have a motion on the floor to maintain all current appointments for

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the Florida League of Cities Legislative Policy Committees and the Legislative Advocacy Committee made by Vice Mayor, seconded by Commissioner Pro. If there's nothing to that, please vote. And that passes 5 to Z.

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Okay, moving on to item B 26-0875. discussion and possible action regarding whether serving as a city commissioner is a full-time or part-time job. Miss Fost, you're to introduce this item and then slingshot it back to me, I do

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believe. >> Yes, that is correct. Um, this item was requested to be added to an agenda for discussion during the June 10th budget workshop and um, we put the next agenda item after it because it is one to discuss budget items. So, the two were kind of in correlation. That's why we

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put this one first. Okay. So, my question is is what what type of action are we really looking at doing besides just a discussion on whether we feel if it's part-time or full-time? >> I don't believe there is any action to be taken. >> Okay. I just I just wanted to cuz it

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said possible action. So, I just wanted to do that. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to poll each commissioner um to see what their opinion is on this and then we'll go one by one. I'll start with uh Commissioner Pro and work our way down.

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>> Thank you, Mayor. I do believe that, you know, the premise of this discussion is really flawed in a way because how can one commissioner defined the work of the other commissioner and that is the full-time or part-time position. Although I have

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to make it clear I know where it's coming from because I said uh to one of the candidates that it's a 10 15 hours of week and that is public meetings I meant and just to be clear you know

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whoever twisted my words saying you know it's 15 hours and 20 15 hours I urge you to look at the any of our calendars and public meetings are about um 15 20

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hours per week. Now, that doesn't mean that it we stop there. So, um that being said, I don't think we should classify this as a part-time, neither classify this as a full-time position. Each commissioner

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chooses to devote whatever time he feels or she feels is appropriate to serve his or her constituents. Um, and as I go back in reference to the meeting on September 10th, 2024, which was not part

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of that meeting because I was not elected yet. um listening to that meeting um I made some notes and the stuff that was said there it's a all day commission meetings the extensive

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preparation for the agenda items there are many public meetings not related to regular commission meetings participating any way you can to engage in the community the many community events to attend not

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related to regular commission meetings When out in the community, people approach and talk to us. They're available. That is commissioners available 247. Immersing yourself in the community is a

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full-time job. And this is the quote. These are the quotes that were were set at that meeting. And specifically, three commissioners um that were on that board reference that it's a full-time position. Um, so I just

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want to be clear that when I set 15 20 hours per week, that is the public meetings related to our calendars. And again, if you have any questions, you can do a public record request or look at any of our

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[clears throat] calendars where it says how much time we spent. But I not merely believe that this is a part-time position. And uh the other thing is if it's a part-time position

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and we hypothetically agree that it's a part-time position at what you know [clears throat] at what number of hours we say hey I reached my part-time position so I'm no longer doing my job this week because I'm at

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the part-time threshold. Um, so again, how many hours is part-time? If the part-time is 20 hours per week, if I work 20 hours for this week and we get a workshop, a special meeting scheduled, what do I say? Sorry, it's a

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part-time position. So, I have my workload filled this work week. Um, and I would be I will not be attending this weekend this week meeting. So I I think it's uh more of a individual commissioner's

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approach how much time each commissioner wants to devote uh himself to the community. After all we are responsible to our constituents and uh I took this job not to promote myself but to serve the

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city. >> Thank you mayor. >> All right vice mayor. Um, thank you, mayor. Getting ready for meetings, it sounds like a simple thing. You know, we meet twice a month, easy peasy. Um, but

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anyone who's ever looked at the attachments to the agendas to hack your way through those, um, really does take a lot of time. And then most first Mondays of the month, we have a workshop that goes several hours. I think what

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might not be as visible to the community is that each of us have our formal commission assignments to different groups and boards. So, for example, I sit on the board of the economic development

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um council of Sarasota County and that board agenda has a list of attachments that you have to go through so that you're ready for the meeting. and I also sit on the teen court board of directors representing the city and that agenda

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has the same list of um things that we need to go through in order to be prepared and represent the city um in a lot of ways the community events. So we have city events. the city does a ton of things

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for its employees, um, groundbreings, uh, all kinds of things and and those are really important, I believe, for a commissioner to attend. Um, but the the

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really unexpected pleasure for me in being a commissioner is getting invited to places where I never would have gone on my own. And the value of that is getting a perspective on the city and

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what we do and what's important to people um in an informal kind of relaxed setting. We all travel in our own circles. We all tend to talk to the same

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people um on a daily or weekly or whatever basis. But the opportunity to go to community events into places where normally we don't cycle through is one of the most invaluable

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aspects of the job though not required. And when we talk about serving our constituents, those constituents are the entire city. And so any kind of community event that gets us

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out, particularly out talking to people who we don't normally talk to on a regular basis, I I view as an essential component of the job. So I look at it as full-time. I mean, am I 40 hours a week

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every week? No. am I always thinking about, oh my god, what are we going to do all the time? So, um whether I'm preparing for a meeting or at a meeting or or talking with city residents, I

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also have sort of a personal thing. I love to meet people for coffee just to sort of sit down and and have a chat. And I try to do at least one or two of those a week. So, I'll put people on notice. Every once in a while, um,

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actually more than every once in a while, I'll get an email from someone who really talks about something in a very interesting way or or shows a very interesting analysis of some a decision

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that the commission has to make. And when I get those, I I typically reach out to that person and say, "Hey, let's get together for coffee." um and and talk about that a little bit more. What you had to say was really interesting.

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So, um being available for those kinds of interactions with the community are really invaluable. So, um and Commissioner Pro is right. I mean, we can't dictate to each other.

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There's nothing um in our charter that dictates a a job description or whether this is full-time or part-time. And and we're all kind of free to roll our own, so to speak. Um and I and I like that.

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But for me, it's definitely a full-time. It is when I'm not here, it's always on my mind. So, [clears throat and cough] uh that's it for me. Mayor Commissioner Dval. >> Thank you, Mayor. Uh, first of all,

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I just don't consider this a job for me. You know, this is a service position. Um, now, as far as whether it's full-time or part-time, considering that I'm 76 years old, any time [clears throat] I spend here is

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a considerable amount of the life I have left to live. [laughter] And The vice mayor is correct. Um, there are many times now. Tomorrow's Wednesday and I don't have much on my schedule for tomorrow. I'll bet you I'll sleep until

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6:00. But the days that I have meetings where I have things going on, I'm awake at 4:00 4:30 in the morning. Things are on my mind. And I know that's not peculiar to just me. Thank you, >> Commissioner Stokes.

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Well, I think it's my obligation, okay? My obligation, my promise to people who elected me to give this more than full time, to give this all my time. And I do um I spend lots of times

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preparing. I go to all the meetings, all the agenda items, and I immerse myself in the community pretty much every month. I do town halls. I go into neighborhood communities. I don't advertise it blowing up. Every month I'm somewhere else. Every day I'm somewhere else. I believe I owe it to all the

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people who voted for me and whose tax dollars pay for my salary. So, you know, I consider it a full-time job and I consider everyone who sits on this deis has the obligation to do the same. That's what I would expect as a citizen. That's what I would expect from every

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one of my electeds. Okay? This is a big city. This is challenging. We've got a professional staff that challenges us continually to be better at what we do in order to keep a balance between

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commission and management. If that doesn't require fulltime in anybody's mind, they should not sit up here on this desk. So, you know, again, um that's my feeling and uh I'm going to continue to do it as long as I serve and

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I hope it sets an example for everybody else because, you know, um like I say, we owe it to the people who elected us and the people who pay our salaries. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same boat, but I

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wanted to go back to what Commissioner Pro had said. It's it's true that you cannot judge the other commissioners. It's how you involve yourself into this. But if you were looking at, you know, 15 to 20 hours of your regular meetings, which is probably fair to say on a

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weekly basis, we've also got staff meetings. We've also got other meetings, community meetings out of here. When we go to FLC, we're displaced for couple three days from our families. And some weeks are a lot busier than other weeks.

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So, I agree with Mr. Pro when he says or Commissioner Pro when he says, you know, if it's part-time and we hit our 25 hours, I'm done. I can't do Thursday and Friday. No, some weeks are going to be heavier than others and some are going to be lighter. And when you go with

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Commissioner Deval, it is a service. You have to be available. I go out all the time. Before it was funny, the wife wrote for the paper. We couldn't even go out to dinner in town without people coming up to her and say, "Ela, what do you think about this, this, and this?" I wasn't even on this DAS at that time.

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And I said, "Ela, we got to go to Sarasota. We got to go to Port Charlotte." We did that. Same person. Hey, Elton, I got a question. Now, the shoe's on the other foot, you know, and wherever I go, I get asked questions and stuff like that, and I don't mind stopping and answering those questions.

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I'm always available. So, it's it's part of the moment as well. So, you want to be informative. You don't want to be rude and say, "Oh, no. My calendar, you know, set up an appointment. I'll meet you at city hall 3 weeks from now." No, you have to be open and available. So, 24/7, yeah, they're not going to get me

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when I'm sleeping. That's not going to happen. But, you know, if if I'm out and about, yeah, I'm approachable. That's the way it should be. Except for Chuck out there. He he's [clears throat] he's already used up his tokens, but that's all right. [laughter] But no, that's what it is. So, it's it's

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hard to judge it between full-time and part-time. It's, you know, like I said, it's summer busy weeks, summer easy weeks, but altogether, I guarantee you we put in more than 2,80 hours in a year. So, that's full-time. So,

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Commissioner Petrol. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Just want to add if you take into account psychological mental investment and work that is more than full-time not count that it is full-time but it is

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I would say more than full-time because some agenda items are on the on my mind even on the weekends when I'm laying to bed when I get up constantly thinking what and how should I do better for the

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city. Thank you. >> You're still not going to steal the overachieve it award from Commissioner Stokes. >> I guess that's it from us. Can we have some public comment? Jane Woolston. The city commissioner

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position as a part-time job. As such, I hope the commissioners will not increase their salaries except for Congress. Very few people can raise their own salaries. Perhaps a reduction in salary could be considered to ease the various proposed increases being considered tonight. In person, we have Robin Samente, Mark

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Franson, and Debbie Mcdow. I thought this was going to entail a lot more uh than just this. Um, it's definitely a full-time job. I know what I'm doing, and I'm not even a commissioner, and I spend more than 60 hours a week researching all the city

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stuff. Al so I know it's full-time plus what you got to do with the community plus yes you take a lot of your information from staff but then again you do your own research on top of that in order to understand the pros and the cons of everything. So whoever says it's

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part-time there's just no way I know it's full-time and I thank you all for your full-time devotion. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Mark France and I am resident of the city of Northport.

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I appreciate all the hard work each and every one of you do each and every day. Uh, in my humblest of opinion, I do believe you do have a full-time job. But when I saw this agenda item pop up, it kind of grabbed me. And the reason being I have interviewed every one of the five

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candidates or six candidates uh who were running for uh Northport City Commission. And of them, three of the five have told me that they were told it is a part-time job. And that concerns me from the standpoint that your income is

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not a part-time income. And the second thing that really spoke volumes to me and it kind of jumps into the next section is why are we giving benefits to commissioners who consider themselves having a part-time job and all three of them got that same

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information from commissioner Petro and he said today that he has told them it's 15 hours a week 12 to 15 hours a week. Uh and I know the amount of time that is spent there is nothing in our charter in regards to it. Uh when I was on the

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charter review board, we actually interviewed the current commissioners. My commissioner that I had the pleasure of interviewing was Mr. Mayor, and we talked about whether or not it was a full or part-time job, and he emphatically let me know it is a full-time job. And I agree with him. My

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concern is why are we telling candidates [clears throat] or why are we telling prospectus job seekers because that's what you're doing is seeking a job for four years with hopefully a 4-year extension on your contract. Why are we telling them you

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should be looking forward to a 12 to 15 hour a week job out of fairness? Some of these people have other employment family. Uh I was the homeschool father of eight kids. I can tell you that alone was a full-time job and I had my normal

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job. For you to sit down and tell somebody who's doing similar work, raising a family, homeschooling children, that they're entering into a part-time career is unfair to the candidate and I believe

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misleading. And I think you guys should talk amongst yourself if you can, not in regards to the sunshine, but talk to as much as you can that it is just not a reality. It is a full-time job. And I'm disappointed that you believe it is

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somewhat part-time, but now part-time plus. Thank you. Have a great evening. God bless. >> Thank you. >> Sorry. As a former commissioner, I can tell you it is a beyond a full-time job.

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It all depends on what that individual commissioner wants to make of the job. If they don't want to do the homework, then they don't do the homework and it will show. If they don't want to go to

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outside meetings, it's their prerogative, but at the same time, they're not going to have the information. If they don't want to answer emails, can't force them. Sure, it would be nice if people would answer emails that citizens give, but that's their

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prerogative, too. And I can tell you as a commissioner, you guys do a hell of a lot for the community. I know we didn't always see eye to eye. I know you guys don't like me, and that's okay, too, because you

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don't have to like everybody, but you do have to respect them. Good luck to you guys. It is a [clears throat] full-time job. And I'll tell you a little secret. Once a commissioner, always a commissioner. >> That's on there.

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>> All right. So, we won't be taking any motion on this due to no action. We just had the discussion. Correct. All right. So, we're going to move on to item C, 26-0876, discussion and possible action regarding city commission budget items.

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Miss Fost, this is your item. Once again, >> this item again was requested to be added to an agenda for discussion during the June 10th budget workshop with regard to family and commission health insurance coverage, funding for travel to FLC legislative action days in

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Tallahassee, reimbursement of travel for events that are not directly related to commission board and committee appointments, and waving of a cola increase for commissioners. >> Okay, go ahead, Commissioner Sto. I'll kick it off. You know,

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this is a tough one. I mean, [sighs] if we forego any increase, as Commissioner Duval said the last time we discussed this during budget time, um

397
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it really isn't a lot of money. if we do it for if we set the precedent and it happens for a period of years, we're going to fall behind a little bit. Um, but it's a symbolic gesture. There's no doubt about it. It sends a message to the citizenry that, you know, [snorts]

398
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however small the amount is, it's it's something that we're willing to offer up because we hear them. Um, you know, I see more in the area of benefits where we could possibly save money in our budget, you know. Um,

399
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I mean, I I'm sort of with the idea of of commissioners getting their health benefits, but maybe, you know, I don't know what the if we quantified it, how much money, you know, and who's using the dependent coverage. Could we save a

400
01:55:37.760 --> 01:55:52.159
significant chunk of money? Would [clears throat] that be a better direction to go as opposed to foregoing any increase this next year? I mean, you know, with with with the realization that probably property tax reform is going to take place in November, you

401
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know, this is not going to be something that sort of disappears as an issue. We're going to have challenges going forward, but you know, whatever we try to decide here, it sort of ought to be something that we can stick to. And I hate the thought of all

402
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right, let's just take a year off of raises that next year we're going to give it and we might be in the face of like huge tax revenue reductions and and then you know we're back facing the same question again. So you know maybe we

403
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should look at what package benefits we get and maybe we can forego them and maybe we should look at really slashing our budgets, you know, our spending budgets. I mean, I appreciate some of the value that FLC

404
01:56:39.360 --> 01:56:54.719
gives us. I mean, certainly, you know, I I don't see the need for five of us to have to go up to Tallahassee if if you know, a mayor and and and a vice mayor can go or or a designate, you know, I mean, we get 15 minutes in front of

405
01:56:54.719 --> 01:57:09.920
those people. They are available, our representatives. They're in and around the area. They come and speak all over the county and the state. I make it a point to go to those things to meet with them. I don't need to go to Tallahassee to be able to talk to them. I can pick up the phone and make a phone call and

406
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get to them. So maybe there's an area where we could save some money in our small budget. It's not a huge budget, but it's symbolic to the citizens that [clears throat] we make some sacrifice here. So I don't have anything real definitive, but I I hopefully I launched the

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conversation and you know, I'm happy to hear what my fellow commissioners have to say. >> [clears throat] >> It Mr. Fledger, this may go to you. If not, it may go to finance. Since Commissioner Stokes brought up the financial impact on the benefits, do we

408
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know what the city pays for like our group benefits or whatnot. If it's a spouse, spouse and family, I know that we have to as a employee and normal employees, they get theirs for free, but

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they pay a family package >> and then the city subsidizes on top of that because of being self-insured. There's a cap on that family package. >> Yes. >> We know what those numbers are. >> I do not think we have those numbers tonight.

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>> Okay. because we may want to bring that back for a discussion because if we don't have numbers on that then we don't know what we're talking about because just at our fingertips the numbers are available we just don't have them she's walking >> I think she might know >> because if it may be a differential and

411
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I'm not sure how we're going to look at it as a group but you have okay the commissioner in the job has their benefits [snorts] >> um then you may want to have a spouse that you'll pay for and then you may have family members that you want to pay

412
01:58:48.320 --> 01:59:03.760
for as well and those costs are subsidized by the city because they pay ex what I remember when I was an employee I paid like 300 bucks a paycheck for my family side of it >> right >> so I don't and then the city subsidized

413
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on top of that so if we >> yeah if it wasn't available then the city wouldn't be subsidizing >> or maybe our employees maybe the [snorts] commission, you know, commission pay for their >> for the subsidy and complete. So, the

414
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city's not subsidizing a portion of it. That might work. >> Not saying not make it available, but there there could be some tweaking in some numbers. Just hold on a second and let her possibly answer. >> Hold on one sec. Just want to make sure I'm looking at the numbers.

415
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So, of course, it depends on which plan you would pick. Um, so there's Etna select plan, there's Etna POSOS2 plan, and then HSA plan. Um, so depending on which plan you would pick, the employer cost uh for employee plus family

416
01:59:54.480 --> 02:00:13.440
uh is about 2,400 that the city pays uh per that's per month, I believe. I just want to double check that is per month. I'm hoping that's per year and not [laughter] >> sorry.

417
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>> Think of the same thing. >> Um, >> now you're scared. [snorts] >> Yeah. Hold on. Because it says per pay period, so I'm like that doesn't make sense. >> How about we come back and confirm that through HR? >> Ready? Oh, >> yeah.

418
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>> Sure. Yeah, >> I'll come back and confirm those for you for HR and you send you some information and then you'll have it for a better >> Yeah, because here here's a scenario that I mean I know Commissioner Dval wants to speak here real quick, but if

419
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it was like when we were just talking trying to get the numbers here without the subsidy, let's say if they were pay >> 2,000 per month. >> So So >> yes, that's employer cost. >> Yeah, it's our cost. You ask for our cost, right? Yes.

420
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>> Right. But then it goes down to the employee for so 300 a paycheck. That's 300 per 1400. >> So if we're talking about reducing the benefits on commission and the family,

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it would be like they would have to front the cost for the whole benefit without subsidy from the city. >> Right. That's what I think Commissioner Stokes was looking for at a savings because you know you're budgeting two grand a person. That's 10 grand.

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>> Well, we have the next budget session which is July the is it 10th 11th. >> Oh, no. End of the month. >> Yeah. 29th or 28th. >> We'll make sure we can have you that information before then so then you can make that decision as you >> Yeah. Because that could be a very significant amount if we were all on

423
02:01:50.719 --> 02:02:07.199
family plans up here. That's 120 grand a year. No, we don't budget that way. So, whatever plan you're on right now, like for certain commissioners that are not >> It's just me. I'm mine. >> Yeah. So, then we don't budget for if you're not on it. >> Correct. You can probably tell them

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collectively or individually what their cost is in that category and then you can decide if you want to change it or >> for as their total budget. Well, no. Their individ like their individual um decisions on their plans will add up

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to a number that the city is paying for based on what they have selected. >> Yes. >> And we'll be able to tell you what that is and then you can decide if you want to change that or not. >> Right. Yeah. We just need those numbers >> which is already in the budget. >> Yeah. It's already in the bud. Yeah. True.

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>> So, do you need those numbers now? >> No. >> Not right now. >> Yeah. Do you have any? >> Yes, in our budget they individually >> not individual. >> Yeah. >> Well, individual I have it in front of me right now. >> Okay. What do they what what is it individual?

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02:02:52.639 --> 02:03:10.800
>> So for each specific individual commissioner you would like a numberual >> just an individual. Is that what you're asking? >> Yes. He he wants to know >> how much it would be if it was just an individual plan not citizens

428
02:03:10.800 --> 02:03:27.440
>> not with the citizens if it's individual >> public information are are we issue >> so if it's an employee only without family >> yes >> correct but is that public information was the question >> yes >> is that >> it's just the amount of the plan

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>> no it's a total Right >> we don't want to put a name to it >> no that's >> I'm just telling you what's The total cost for just an individual without a family. Correct. >> Without child. >> Yes. >> $1,000. >> Yeah. >> Per month.

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>> Per month. >> And with the family? >> With the family. So with the spouse is,700. >> Yeah. >> With the employee plus children is, about 600. Depends on which plan you pick. And then employee plus family is

431
02:04:00.560 --> 02:04:17.440
about 2,400. >> Okay. Got it. >> Yeah. 1,67. >> That's employer cost. >> That's that's the total amount that that person would pay based on that selection. >> That's the employer cost, not the

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employee. >> I'm sorry. First selection as you. So for the next budget meeting, could we get across assuming let's take the scenario that commissioners get their health insurance?

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What would we save if there was no additional coverage? In other words, how much would we save from our budget right now if all that was done was the city paid for the five commissioners healthcare? not their families, not

434
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their spouses, not their dependents, not their kids, just us. How much would we save? Because that's a number then we could talk about in terms of making a decision. Should we not offer dependent coverage, but just commission coverage? That that

435
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I mean, that would be a number I'd want to >> It would be about $40,000. >> How much? >> 4040,000. >> Well, not all right now are picking family plans. >> Correct. I'm I'm I'm going based on how I know >> is that per month or per year? >> That's an annual cost.

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>> Annual cost 40,000 we would save. Okay. >> Roughly. >> Roughly. >> But you'll come back with more concrete evidence. >> Yeah. We could calculate and provide you all of that information because not everyone is participating in the plan. So that's not really a savings in their

437
02:05:38.159 --> 02:05:54.560
budget. Right. >> Right. >> Yeah. So, we need >> Don't make assumption that if you do that, you're going to save 40. >> I can't hear you. >> Thank you. You need to speak up, too, because nobody can hear you. >> Outside. >> I said I said um >> it's not necessarily that we're going to

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save 40,000, right? Because not everybody's participating in a family plan. >> I added that in when I got to 40. >> But thank you. >> Before you go, director, are you done? >> Yeah. Thank you. You're next. Go ahead.

439
02:06:10.080 --> 02:06:24.960
Okay. Um, I just have a question. In terms of healthc care benefits, are commissioners treated any differently than an employee would be treated?

440
02:06:24.960 --> 02:06:40.800
>> Not that I know of. That's more of a HR question, but not that I know of. >> Um, because on the benefit question, you know, we just had a conversation that this is a full-time job, did we not? I think there was agreement on

441
02:06:40.800 --> 02:06:58.320
that. Um, I've also had conversations or I think we on the deis have had conversations in the past about our desire to attract younger people to the deis. So, if we're attracting younger

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people and they have families, I don't see I'm very uncomfortable thinking that we wouldn't cover health insurance in those situations. I I think

443
02:07:13.360 --> 02:07:30.079
that would be a huge disadvantage for a younger person um being willing to do this service job without being treated family. I mean, we're telling them it's a full-time job

444
02:07:30.079 --> 02:07:45.520
um having to take a job, particularly if they're leaving a position where their health care benefits are subsidized in in whatever way. that would be a serious disincentive for them to run for

445
02:07:45.520 --> 02:08:01.040
commission. So, I just want us to be really careful on that. Um, and and as long as we're treated as any employee would be treated, um, and and we're not receiving any favorable treatment, then

446
02:08:01.040 --> 02:08:18.480
that's fine. Um, when I took this position, I already had Medicare in my supplemental. I'm not a spring chicken, so I opted to not participate in the city's health plan, but I do take advantage of dental and vision and

447
02:08:18.480 --> 02:08:34.239
that's covered. Um, so I would certainly entertain that not being covered or is that normally covered for a single? Um, because I think I used to pay for my late husband. I signed him up for those

448
02:08:34.239 --> 02:08:51.199
as well. So again, just so long, I think commissioners should be treated in the health care area the way an employee would be treated and and they have the option to sort of pick and pay like any employee would pick and pay. Um so

449
02:08:51.199 --> 02:09:08.560
that's just my input on that. Um I agree we should consider and again some of these numbers are small but as someone already mentioned I think it's symbolic and uh forgoing a cola for us in 27. I'm

450
02:09:08.560 --> 02:09:26.159
good with that and maybe a second year going, you know, we'll worry about 28 when we get to 28. >> But I think it it shows that we're we're recognizing the pinch that everyone is feeling and that we're willing to give

451
02:09:26.159 --> 02:09:43.520
up some things. So again, I'm kind of a pro nocola for 27. Um I also think we can cut our travel budget. We could do that a couple ways. Sort of line item by line item. Two people go to Tallahassee.

452
02:09:43.520 --> 02:09:58.719
The other three stay home. I I don't care about that. It might be better to just cut our travel budgets in half and then we decide what we do with that budget or not. So, uh, that's sort of my

453
02:09:58.719 --> 02:10:15.679
input on it. I do understand that benefits is is more than likely the biggest bite, but I already sort of my expressed my concerns with treating commission any different than we would treat any employee.

454
02:10:15.679 --> 02:10:32.159
Uh oh, am I in trouble? May I? >> Juliana Balia, deputy city manager. I just spoke to the uh human resources director Christine McDade and commissioners are treated the exact same as employees with respect to healthc

455
02:10:32.159 --> 02:10:51.119
care benefits. >> Okay, [clears throat] >> Commissioner Dval. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um I'm going to kind of go through some of the things that have already been mentioned like the vice mayor just mentioned. you know, the

456
02:10:51.119 --> 02:11:07.199
COA uh you know, it would be symbolic for us to you know, give up any raise this year. And you know, during or one of our budget talks, you know, what I spoke of was uh when the

457
02:11:07.199 --> 02:11:25.840
raises went from, you know, the pay for this job was about 425 and over two years it went to 665. When that happened, some of the reasons given for those raises were to make the

458
02:11:25.840 --> 02:11:42.000
position amendable to someone who is younger, you know, and maybe giving up a a job or or or their business. And my only caution with that is is if you

459
02:11:42.000 --> 02:11:56.560
give up the colas, you may drop back down to where you get back into that argument again. You know, uh giving up the COA this year in particular, whatever. You know, I don't have a problem. As far as health care, you know, that's that's an individual thing.

460
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I know that the uh in the 2025 budget book, the commissioner's health care costs went from 60,000 down to 49,000 from 2024 to 2025. And a good part of that was because being so old, I

461
02:12:15.280 --> 02:12:32.480
already have all my health care benefits and I do not use any health care any of the insuranceances from the city. um our travel. Um just this week for the first time I

462
02:12:32.480 --> 02:12:50.000
used a city vehicle to go to one of my meetings up in Sarasota and then other members didn't show up and the trip was for not no forum. Um, but that travel budget, you know, it's

463
02:12:50.000 --> 02:13:08.239
Commissioner Stokes mentioned, you know, FLC, uh, and I believe this myself. I don't believe we all have to go there. Um, letter of intent, you know, amongst ourselves, we can say what are our issues that we bring forward there. Um,

464
02:13:08.239 --> 02:13:25.440
it does cost a lot of money when we travel. Um, and then there's there's different things. One of one of the things, and this is just with me, I'm not saying there is no worth here, but

465
02:13:25.440 --> 02:13:41.760
the past year and a half, I get invitations from the EDC and some of their meetings are at the the Ritz Carlton. Uh, the first one, it was a lunchon and it was $150 a seat. The next one was $300.

466
02:13:41.760 --> 02:13:59.280
U and sometimes the um staff will buy a table. Okay. I have not attended any of those. I will not spend taxpayer money. Um you know if we even have you know one person going to

467
02:13:59.280 --> 02:14:19.360
those I I believe that's enough. I I just I personally just can't spend taxpayer money. EDC is a corporation. [clears throat] >> That's all [snorts] I got.

468
02:14:19.360 --> 02:14:36.719
>> All you got? All right. Well, talked a little bit about insurance, the cost of living. I got no issues with that if we paused it for a year um to re, you know, visit it again next

469
02:14:36.719 --> 02:14:52.560
budget cycle or whatnot. the travel. That's that's a big issue is I I firmly believe we do not need five people up in Tallahassee. That's that's the biggest hit to our travel budget at about a,000 bucks a person. So if you

470
02:14:52.560 --> 02:15:07.840
have like be it the mayor or vice mayor or designate or whatever, if the mayor doesn't want to go and he says, "Hey, Commissioner Pro, can you go on my place?" And he goes, "Yes, I'm I'm free that time. I'd like to go up there." Then it's available. But I I would slot

471
02:15:07.840 --> 02:15:23.360
it to two individuals. The other travel I mean FLC has different things mostly in Orlando, but then they got one down in Hollywood which is a hell of a drive too. Might want to pick and choose some of those. If it's not a committee meeting,

472
02:15:23.360 --> 02:15:40.639
maybe you don't need to go. Um and that that again that falls on the individual. So I mean I see where we need to to decrease our budget. That's the place to look at it and I look forward to see what those insurance numbers are when

473
02:15:40.639 --> 02:15:55.760
they come back. Commissioner Stokes or clerk, you you got your name up there. I'll let you go before Commissioner Stokes. >> So, when you're talking about the travel, there's a couple things to keep in mind. New commissioners are two new commissioners. They've both

474
02:15:55.760 --> 02:16:13.199
gone to um EMO. So, their amount that they've spent this year is a little more than the rest of the other three because y'all didn't go to email. And so if you were to deduct that amount for FLC FL legislative action days from them, that probably would remove their funding to

475
02:16:13.199 --> 02:16:30.400
be able to go to the four meetings for the boards that you're appointing them to, which is the Hollywood and the Orlando, not Tallahassee. We still want to be able to cover that expense for them to be able to go to EMO because that's where they're going to learn a lot about what they're doing up here. One of the things that I will say

476
02:16:30.400 --> 02:16:46.960
is for your training and education, none of you have even made it to $1,000 yet this year that you have spent from that. So that will be an option to maybe cut some extra. I did cut a,000 already going into this budget. So it was 3,200 last year. This year I recommended 2,200

477
02:16:46.960 --> 02:17:04.719
for it, but nobody has even spent $1,000. And that is for your registration for like events that you're going to attend. So that might be an option to look at that to cut from there instead of the actual budget for going places,

478
02:17:04.719 --> 02:17:19.599
>> right? But let's just say if you have your new individuals, let's say you got two new individuals coming on board in November and you get them enrolled in EMU and blah blah blah. Well, that would take precedence over going to legislative days up in Tallahassee. You

479
02:17:19.599 --> 02:17:35.120
would want your seasoned commissioners going to those days. So, it's going to be a give and choose, you know, give and take from those commissioners. You're either going to do this or you want to do this. So, if you want the training, you want the emu, you want to learn,

480
02:17:35.120 --> 02:17:52.479
then go to this. We just can't have it all anymore, you know. >> Yeah. And for the the ones that the two commissioners that did travel to EMO and that went to FLC, they didn't go to actually most didn't go to the four

481
02:17:52.479 --> 02:18:09.439
FLC conferences or that y'all have had this year where you go for your policy committee meetings. So most of the money was spent on FLC for all of you, but then didn't go to the other ones that if they would go to those, you all would be over the budget. You see what I'm

482
02:18:09.439 --> 02:18:25.040
saying? So if you take it from they're already sacrificing not going to those ones to go to FLC. So they still need that money to be able to go to the policy committee meetings is what I'm saying. >> Well, and there's another thing too with the policy committee. There is one time

483
02:18:25.040 --> 02:18:41.120
when you go to vote to make your vote count. The other ones are meetings prior to that with discussion items and stuff and they are available online. So, or via Zoom or whatever you call it. So, there's there's options that we can

484
02:18:41.120 --> 02:18:59.800
look at at that travel budget. >> City manager, I see you poked in there, too. So, go right ahead, sir. >> Just want to um say, Mr. If you do choose to forgo your cola, it will require a super majority of the board to do so.

485
02:19:02.319 --> 02:19:19.120
>> Yeah. No, I got you. Okay. >> Commissioner Stokes. >> Yeah. Um, you know, the places where we might I mean, you know, the email meetings I mean, you know, we got to look at where they are, too. I I mean, you know, if they can be

486
02:19:19.120 --> 02:19:34.319
done in Orlando, you're in and out in the day. You don't need a hotel room. You get up in the morning, you go, you do your business, and you come home. Um, ethics, that's the s that's that's the other thing. I mean, you can do them virtually, but quite frankly, I think

487
02:19:34.319 --> 02:19:50.319
you get a lot more value doing them in person, but I got to tell you, I went to Sarasota and South Sarasota Commission and did my ethics there. Didn't cost the city a dime. Same thing when I went to uh Longboat Key the year before. Drove up there for the day, spent a day, they

488
02:19:50.319 --> 02:20:07.120
fed me lunch, I got my ethics training, didn't cost, right? It made a lot more sense than going somewhere. Um, you know, those are areas we can address. I I'll bring up, you know, maybe a minor elephant. You, you know, quite frankly,

489
02:20:07.120 --> 02:20:23.520
I haven't found much value at all in going to the Florida League of Cities. The first year I did, I went to I think all three. Quite frankly, I find the Florida League of Cities totally impotent. Okay? Every year we get

490
02:20:23.520 --> 02:20:39.680
preempted. Every year the state takes away more of our responsibilities. If you ask me, their organization does nothing. Why are we spending thousands of dollars to go and support Florida League of Cities and go to these committee meetings when we're voting on stuff that most of the time doesn't even

491
02:20:39.680 --> 02:20:55.439
affect our city at all. It affects subject matter that's totally unrelated to our little old Northport here. And you know, I don't know how much money that adds up to, but quite frankly, I don't find them to be very good at advocacy because every year for the past

492
02:20:55.439 --> 02:21:11.920
god knows how many years, cities are taking it in the head. And so what are they doing to help us? Nothing. In my book, they ought to be suing the state and fighting for our rights at local government levels and they don't. So why are we using taxpayer money to go to these things? But I'm just throw that

493
02:21:11.920 --> 02:21:28.560
out there as a hand grenade. See if anybody wants to pick up on it and tell me I'm an idiot for even bringing it up. You know, >> no. >> Just a thought. You know, we're trying to save money here. We really are. And you know, I mean, every department, I assume, is doing this same thing and

494
02:21:28.560 --> 02:21:45.120
taking a hard look at where they're spending money. And if you think this year was tough, wait till next year and the year after that. Everybody better start looking every inch of their pockets and what goes on here because this is what we're going to be facing. So, you know, we better look for what

495
02:21:45.120 --> 02:22:00.319
kind of bang we're getting for our buck out of every taxpayer dollar we're spending. Thank you, mayor, for having me again on my podium here. >> City attorney. >> Thank you, mayor. And uh just as to the um insurance issue,

496
02:22:00.319 --> 02:22:17.439
there may be an issue with not the inability to only offer asset commissioners under the American Care Act, which requires employers, including municipalities, have more than 50 employees to offer full-time employees

497
02:22:17.439 --> 02:22:34.800
uh and their dependent health insurance. So, we'll look into that. We'll get you the numbers >> and that's fine. We need all that information. We'll get that question. >> But it could be paid for. I don't say we don't offer it. I say that if we offer it, dependent coverage has to be paid for >> by the employee rather than the city.

498
02:22:34.800 --> 02:22:49.520
>> Well, well, okay. >> Okay. That's what I mean. That would be what I'd love to know if it's legal or not. Well, I think that's what the clarification would be. If we're offering it to all employees at X, then it should be offered to the commission at X legally. So, they'll they'll look

499
02:22:49.520 --> 02:23:04.960
into that. So, that's good. >> Commissioner Petro. >> Thank you, Mayor. [clears throat] With regards to EMO, I think and I do believe it's two-day. So if we care about the our own education and how to serve better, it is a

500
02:23:04.960 --> 02:23:21.600
two-day. So it will require overnight stay. Uh with regards to health insurance, uh since we agree that it's full-time, if we're going to cut the benefits, which is I'm okay with

501
02:23:21.600 --> 02:23:39.280
if as as long as it's a board decision, but I pay for my dependence. I pay about almost $400 every paycheck. Hardly use it, but it's insurance. And the the the whole definition of insurance is if something happens uh you know you're

502
02:23:39.280 --> 02:23:54.800
able to use it. Now taking that away there might be some legal implications uh because we just like the city attorney said that it would be you know some nuances that we have to look into

503
02:23:54.800 --> 02:24:11.760
those but uh I do pay for my dependence um and uh if it is taken away I do believe it's it is in a way discriminatory and that is age discriminatory because I have dependent.

504
02:24:11.760 --> 02:24:27.439
Um, I do believe the other four commissioners don't have dependents that they pay for or use the health insurance. So, it's a double-edged sword. I mean, if we do take it away, there might be some implications. Uh,

505
02:24:27.439 --> 02:24:42.000
but in all fairness, I don't think it's it's big savings. It is a saving absolutely. uh but you know we have to take a look at this carefully

506
02:24:42.000 --> 02:24:59.040
because it is a discriminatory thing in my opinion at least and uh we as individual commissioners we choose what we or what plan to purchase. Um and if we don't participate there would be some

507
02:24:59.040 --> 02:25:16.640
savings. If we do well we're still paying for it. It's It's not like we're getting free, but uh that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> All right, Commissioner Stokes. >> Yeah, I have really a legal question. You know, an employee

508
02:25:16.640 --> 02:25:34.720
I'm trying to remember the language. To me, the charter doesn't define a commissioner as an employee. We've treated them as employees for benefit purposes, you know, so there's an equity there. You know, if if we're lucky, we

509
02:25:34.720 --> 02:25:52.800
serve eight years. If not, we serve four. We are temporary temporary people. Okay? We, you know, we're not full long-term employees of the city. So, it does make

510
02:25:52.800 --> 02:26:10.319
one question whether or not we should be defined in in certain respects as employees. We've chosen to do that. But legally, it would be interesting to know if if we're considered employees. I I mean, because I don't I don't consider

511
02:26:10.319 --> 02:26:27.040
myself an employee. I consider myself an elected official who serves the city and serves the folks who elected me. I I I don't consider myself an employee of the city. I mean, I don't know if legally I am. You know,

512
02:26:27.040 --> 02:26:42.640
>> I understand the question. I never had to research that issue. So probably >> I mean makes you wonder >> then it might have implication on on the stuff we're talking about. That's the only reason I put it up kind of popped into my head. >> But yes,

513
02:26:42.640 --> 02:26:58.479
>> I think they are considered an employee because when we were doing some research on another item >> when it talked about them um giving their oath. I think it was in the oath that said as an employee of the city because commissioner Kaval I want to say it was something related to you and I

514
02:26:58.479 --> 02:27:13.359
had I was you were like you were not an employee and I was like oh but you took note it says you are an employee so I think it is in there somewhere commissioner >> be good to know >> I think I remember from somewhere >> listen to the conversation it made me wonder I want to try to find it

515
02:27:13.359 --> 02:27:32.960
>> W2s thank you Yes. Yes. >> Well, that's because you're getting paid. >> Yeah. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> We're not. Yeah. It could be treated like contract labor, >> but it's not a 1099. >> Well, if I may. Yes. Uh, you know, exactly that. You know, I have another

516
02:27:32.960 --> 02:27:48.399
little part-time job. I do. The company that >> hires me, >> so they don't I don't get a W2 from them. I'm considered as a contractor to them. Let's not report that to the

517
02:27:48.399 --> 02:28:09.240
>> Here we get it to so we're employees in that respect. >> All right. We we've pretty much exhausted this one for now. Uh we got any public comment there, city clerk? >> Yes. Mark Franson, W McDente.

518
02:28:13.037 --> 02:28:32.080
[clears throat and cough] >> That was truly a bizarre conversation. Again, thank you, commissioners. Most of what I had to say was kind of covered. Um when I I saw this agenda

519
02:28:32.080 --> 02:28:48.640
item originally as I made mention once [clears throat] you make up your mind whether it is or full-time or part-time and then the question goes to part-time employees how much benefits and it also goes one step further in your benefits

520
02:28:48.640 --> 02:29:04.240
and I'm not I I'm not here to see any of you lose a penny uh of your benefits or your pay but I I look at a few things. For example, your your pension. Well, you're limited to eight years.

521
02:29:04.240 --> 02:29:20.000
Unless you're fortunate enough, if you only serve four to get a job with the city, then you can continue on to get your total of eight cuz you have to be eight years to get the full vested. That's a lot of money that the city is paying in all brought up and it's kind of just

522
02:29:20.000 --> 02:29:37.120
oldfashioned grunt work uh as we do with any business or family. If you realize your income is going to be cut, you can only do one thing, and that's tighten your belt. You have to look at every single item in your family household budget, what you

523
02:29:37.120 --> 02:29:53.280
can cut out. If it's going out to dinner instead of once a week, once a month, if it's uh dropping some of the insuranceances, the lowering the quality of plan, those are all things that unfortunately it's a tough decision to

524
02:29:53.280 --> 02:30:14.479
look at, but you've got to look at it. And as they used to say, bite the bullet. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. your salaries. I'm glad to hear you're considering doing it for one year, but then you're kind of twisting it around

525
02:30:14.479 --> 02:30:30.479
and saying, "Well, we're going to remove all the benefits um for dependents and have the employees pay 100% of it as opposed to what is covered partially by the city and partially by the employee. Are you prepared to do that for the other employees? Because I believe

526
02:30:30.479 --> 02:30:47.920
believe me, you guys were shocked at the amount of money that the city pays for dependent coverage for the commissioners. Wait till you see that number citywide. It's humongous. All right. If you're looking to try and cut things, here's a couple of ideas.

527
02:30:47.920 --> 02:31:02.800
Oh, your F FRS, that's statemandated. You have no control over those contributions. It's statemandated. Um, you can walk during the [clears throat] poinsetta parade instead of getting a golf cart or foot the bill yourself. Uh,

528
02:31:02.800 --> 02:31:18.960
you can, um, not send out birthday cards. I know when I was in charge of birthday cards, I loved doing that every single month. I paid for those myself because I loved doing it was that

529
02:31:18.960 --> 02:31:35.359
important to me to make sure that our employees got a birthday card. uh the miscellaneous flowers and stuff. You can cut that probably in half. You haven't spent it, but you do need to have something in there in case there's a death in the family or one of y'all, you know, you need to send flowers somewhere.

530
02:31:35.359 --> 02:31:52.200
Special event sponsorship program. It's great program, but if you're really serious about cutting things, there's $5,000 that's in your budget. I'd hate to see it go, but you got to tighten your belt.

531
02:31:52.720 --> 02:32:10.160
um you want to cut the tra cut your your travel and stuff, you do not get to dictate where a commissioner gets to go for travel. That is not fair to the commissioners. That's not your role. You already stated that when you were talking about full-time job and telling

532
02:32:10.160 --> 02:32:26.479
commissioners what they can and cannot do. If you want to cut it, you just cut it across the board. You don't say, "Oh, you can't go to Tallahassee because you're going to email." That's not fair. That is an individual commissioner's decision. And I hate to tell you guys,

533
02:32:26.479 --> 02:32:43.120
y'all are talking really small potatoes here with these these benefits that the city pays for dependent. And one of the commissioners, I think it was Commissioner Langden already said you're trying to get young people to join the board. Good luck with that. If they got it, if they're not getting the same benefits as all the other employees, and

534
02:32:43.120 --> 02:33:04.720
yes, you are [clears throat] an employee because the city pays your workman's comp. You are an employee. I'll just uh thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Langden, because that was exactly what was on my head as far as trying to get younger people on

535
02:33:04.720 --> 02:33:20.000
the commission. That is one thing that they're going to look at is their dependence. This is a full-time job and you are technically an employee, so you're entitled to those benefits.

536
02:33:20.000 --> 02:33:36.399
And in my opinion, as a citizen, I have no objection to paying a commissioner what you're getting paid and then having those benefits available to you. There's plenty of other areas that you can cut. I don't even understand what what this

537
02:33:36.399 --> 02:33:52.240
health center is for the employees. What is that? huge. >> That's one thing you can cut right there. If we have to seriously make cuts, then we got to seriously look at other areas, but the more you cut from

538
02:33:52.240 --> 02:34:09.920
from the commission, the less you're going to get and the less active you're going to be and the less motivated you're going to be. That's not good. >> So, I think we need to look at other areas and especially that health center just for employees. Thank you.

539
02:34:09.920 --> 02:34:25.040
That's all. >> All right. Is there any type of action we're willing to take this evening or are we going to wait for >> some more information? Budget or wait for budget? >> Gave us a lot of food for thought. >> Yeah. I mean, we had good good

540
02:34:25.040 --> 02:34:42.840
discussions, but we're going to need more information and we can look at it at budget. You good with that, city clerk? >> Good. Got one item left. Take a deep breath, sir.

541
02:34:43.520 --> 02:35:00.240
>> All right, moving on. Item D, 26-0765, discussion and possible action regarding amending city commission policy number 2020-02, ceremonial items. Miss Fox, this one's yours. >> Yes. This item was requested to be added

542
02:35:00.240 --> 02:35:17.439
to an agenda for discussion. I believe it was by Commissioner Stokes. Um and the attached policy provides language changes that would allow for a broader criteria to present the key to the city to residents and to limit the issuance of key to the city to twice a year. Um the thought process behind it was so

543
02:35:17.439 --> 02:35:34.399
that we weren't giving them out every month. And so we would take you know say from January to April whatever ones we've received from then we would put them on a agenda for approval in May to have them presented in June and then do the same thing at the end of the year. So then we just have two days that we

544
02:35:34.399 --> 02:35:53.200
present the key to the city to someone. >> All right. So, Commissioner Stokes, since you put this up here, would you like to take the lead on this? >> Yeah, there were a couple things I thought about. One, you know, I'm glad that we amended the language a little bit because the to me a key to the city

545
02:35:53.200 --> 02:36:11.200
should go to an individual who has gone above and beyond to give back to our city. It shouldn't just be for a veteran. It shouldn't just be for a hero. It shouldn't just be for a visiting dignitary. It should be for an individual who has gone above and beyond

546
02:36:11.200 --> 02:36:27.359
to serve this city in whatever capacity they may see fit and have been recognized by the citizenry. So, the language we have there I I like. I mean, I researched it a little. It It's good general language. it's inclusive because

547
02:36:27.359 --> 02:36:44.319
truthfully the the way it first came out on the attachment, not one person we gave the key to the city to would have qualified, right? So, I'm glad there's that. Um I I don't like the idea of every other month giving out this. So, twice a year or

548
02:36:44.319 --> 02:37:00.319
once a year I'm I'm good with. I also don't think that commissioners ought to recommend the key to the city. I think that if a commissioner thinks someone's worthy, go find someone in the community to sponsor that person and and then

549
02:37:00.319 --> 02:37:17.520
there ought to be some criteria, it's like, you know, some general review by some group with a recommendation to commission as to here's the reasons why this individual is worthy because, you know, otherwise it can become very

550
02:37:17.520 --> 02:37:32.880
self-serving. I mean, you know, I think Jul deserved the key to the city as much as anyone I've ever known. But she was my she's been my mentor. She's been my rabbi. She I I succeeded her. How could I volunteer?

551
02:37:32.880 --> 02:37:48.399
It's just not I don't feel good about that. That's why I didn't. And I think that it shouldn't come from commission. It should come from the community. and and there should be some substance to why this person is qualified under the

552
02:37:48.399 --> 02:38:06.399
definition, you know, that that we've put in this resolution or this move. So, there's a little more to it than just let's do it twice a year or once a year, you know, I don't know what everybody else thinks, but that's kind of where my head was at on this item, you know.

553
02:38:06.399 --> 02:38:20.399
Vice Mayor. >> Yeah, I I do like the idea of having it come from the community. Um I do believe that the keys to the city that we have given out, at least while I've been a

554
02:38:20.399 --> 02:38:37.200
commissioner, have been well deserved. Um [clears throat] >> absolutely. >> But but I I do I agree it should come from the community. Um and then now are you recommending additional language around who might or

555
02:38:37.200 --> 02:38:52.560
might not qualify or just more definition there? What is your thought? >> I was hoping that okay let's say a citizen said you know I really think um Andrew size is deserving of Kansas City. Well, when Yeah, I know how you would

556
02:38:52.560 --> 02:39:09.680
vote, but I might vote differently. And and that application for it should be written up in a formal fashion, submitted to the clerk's office perhaps with here are the reasons why this person is deserving. Now, I don't know if we need to go so far as to actually

557
02:39:09.680 --> 02:39:25.280
have a group, a committee of some sort. If it were submitted in that fashion with some structure to it, then it could be submitted to us as commissioners to look at just like we kind of do, you know, when we pick people for the advisory boards, we get a resume, we get

558
02:39:25.280 --> 02:39:40.880
a cover letter. It's kind of like you got something to work with here because like the last one, like I didn't I didn't really know the gentleman yet. all the things I heard about him convinced me that wow, he was welld deserving, but I didn't really know. So, what did I have to work with? I kind of

559
02:39:40.880 --> 02:39:56.479
sat here and waited to hear what all you allo had to say and the public had to say and then I went along. I don't think that's like we could tighten that up a little bit. So that was sort of where my head was at, you know, nothing overly formal, nothing overly burdensome, but

560
02:39:56.479 --> 02:40:11.680
just let it come through so people could see, so people could say, "Wow, look at this laundry list of what this person contributed to the city. Here's why I, Jake, you know, John Q public thinks, you know, Chuck English deserves the key to the city. Look at what he's done for

561
02:40:11.680 --> 02:40:27.439
this city. Look at how crazy he's driven us." I did I say that? But you know, you know where I'm my head's at on it. >> Oh, we know where your head's at, sir. >> Thank you. You're welcome. >> City clerk, you're in the queue. >> Yeah.

562
02:40:27.439 --> 02:40:43.600
>> The only reason I did not add the language for commissioners not to be able to recommend or for the the committee to review them. The commissioner portion was because since 2019, of the seven that we received, only one was from the public. And we do

563
02:40:43.600 --> 02:41:00.319
have online our key to the city and our proclamation request form. So when somebody from the public does fill that out, they will put that information in there and then that is presented in in that agenda item to commission. But we only received one from the public since

564
02:41:00.319 --> 02:41:17.680
August of 2019. Um, and we've received seven. and the committee portion of it. The only concern that I would have is we'd have to create a board and then we might not have people show up and then it'll get delayed. >> We don't need that. But

565
02:41:17.680 --> 02:41:33.439
>> question on that committee, is there any current committee that this could be placed upon as part of their duties? It would not fall under any of the duties of the boards that >> not even the historic board or anything like that which I know is not in active fall under fall underneath there trying

566
02:41:33.439 --> 02:41:50.160
to get key to the city to the >> current has been here historically >> and and what they've done. >> We use historic paper. >> We can use historic paper. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. No, it wouldn't fall under their current roles of responsibilities. >> Okay. I I just thought that maybe it

567
02:41:50.160 --> 02:42:05.120
could be thrown in there so then it becomes your committee in the clerk's office. Okay. >> He had that up. >> I'll do that. >> I vote for it. >> And city manager volunteers to be on that committee as well.

568
02:42:05.120 --> 02:42:23.840
>> Yes. City is denied. >> Oh, no. Not Not what I He's not on that committee. [snorts] >> All right. Um I'm glad that you did the amendment of that. Do we want to make a motion to

569
02:42:23.840 --> 02:42:41.280
make it to where it's uh not commission orientated or do we just want to leave it as is and let the cars lay where they lay. I'm good with it the way it is right now because you know we can always deny deny deny until June and stuff like that. You

570
02:42:41.280 --> 02:43:00.560
know, that's up to y'all after November. So, >> I think we're good. What do you think? You want more direction? >> Well, there's a motion to draft a resolution to bring back for approval to change the policy.

571
02:43:00.560 --> 02:43:16.960
>> Okay. Is that with all your changes that are in it right now? >> Yeah. As presented. >> All right. Well, all right. Then, uh, we got public comment. >> Um, we do not. >> All right. I'll request a motion. Um, it's right there. So, >> yeah, I Yeah, I guess I'll make it. I

572
02:43:16.960 --> 02:43:31.760
move to direct city clerk to draft a resolution amending policy 2020-02 as presented. >> Second. >> Have a motion on the floor to direct the city clerk to draft a resolution amending policy 2020-02 as presented. Made by Commissioner

573
02:43:31.760 --> 02:43:51.760
Stokes, seconded by Commissioner Dval. If there's nothing to that, please vote. That passes five to zero. Final public comment. City clerk. Um, there's none. >> All right. Communications. Commissioner Dval.

574
02:43:51.760 --> 02:44:08.080
>> Yes, I did attend a CAP meeting in Sarasota, uh, which did not have a forum. That's it. >> So, that was a non-attendance to that CAP meeting. Okay. Thank you. I just wanted to update that >> nonattendance attendance. >> Commissioner Stokes,

575
02:44:08.080 --> 02:44:23.120
>> I've got nothing. >> Yeah, me too. Vice Mayor, >> nothing here. Thanks, >> Commissioner Pro. Good. Because I was trying to go all five five. [laughter] >> City clerk.

576
02:44:23.120 --> 02:44:44.319
>> City attorney. >> Nothing here. >> City manager. >> Just to be different. >> Go ahead, sir. Meeting adjourned. No. Go ahead. >> I have nothing. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, sir. 856. I adjourn this meeting. >> Is your crib. Looking forward to seeing

577
02:44:44.319 --> 02:44:50.439
you here. >> Duty calls.