--------- I'm Stacy Losio. I am the emergency management coordinator for the city of Northport. And we're going to talk about why it's important to have a go kit and what should go inside of it. It's important to have a go bag because if you wait last minute to pack, there are definitely going to be items that you are going to forget in the scramble to
get everything put together. So, it's important to have your documents such as IDs, insurance paperwork, titles for your home and your vehicles and your boats just so that if your home does flood or your roof blows up, all those
documents are with you and they're safe because you don't want to end up losing those and having to try to replace those later on. Also, in your go bag, you should think about what medications you might need to have ahead of time. If we're under a state of emergency, you are able to refill your prescriptions
ahead of time, even if they're not due yet. So, it's important to do that. Also, in your go bags, you should have non-p perishable food, flashlight, batteries, a radio that is battery powered, and extra batteries. Should all power go out, we will be able to
broadcast on 97.5 FM anything uh any emergency information. So, be sure to have your battery powered radio ready and tuned in to 97.5. >> 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 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. >> Think of it as your weekly guide to staying in the know about what's happening in Northport. >> Next, we have Northport 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. And don't worry, Voices of Northport isn't going anywhere. I'll continue bringing you even more personal stories and interviews with residents who shaped our city. And last but not least, Northport
Living. Cody and I will also rotate hosting this show, which is all about tips, events, and lifestyle ideas to help you make the 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 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 social media and our website. >> Frank Llama, solways manager. I am here
today with Mario Vendidi. Mario, tell people here how long you've been doing this job. >> I've been here five years. >> Five years. Excellent. Excellent. So, Mario, tell people what it entails, what you do. >> I'm a planner scheduler for solid waste of the city and um I go around and I I
greet the new residents and I educate them on the recycle. >> Excellent. Sounds interesting. Very good. Y So, Mario, what do you find inside the recycling bins that shouldn't be there? So, let's try to tell the people how to recycle, right? Well, >> the most common thing I find, Frank, is plastic bags. >> Okay.
>> So, the plastic bags are not recyclable. I find them just tossed in the container or they bag to recycle with them. >> Right. >> And they should >> This is inside the blue lid container. >> That's right. Inside the blue lid containers. >> Correct. >> And they should be either taken back to the grocery store or tossed in the trash. >> Very good. Do you see a lot of recycling
inside the containers? Uh >> I do bags. >> I come across a lot of that. >> Okay. We don't want to do that. So, okay. So, if you have any questions, you can always look at our website ww.northportf.gov/solidwaste. Water in a swale that's kind of the ditch by your house is not flooding
within a after a storm event. Water should be in that soil up to 72 hours after the storm. that allows the water to be filtered to get the stuff that came off our roofs and off the road out of the water so that when it reaches the habitat, it no longer has those
contaminants in it. It also provides an opportunity to slow down water so that the water doesn't go so fast that it erodess um the roadways or any other infrastructure. So, when you see water in a soil, if it's only been, you know, up to 72 hours since the last rain, that
is not flooding. That is doing its job. I'm Stacy Losio. I'm the emergency manager for the city of Northport and I'm going to discuss first responders after the storm. So, it may take a while for first responders to get to after the storm and that's due to a variety of reasons. One being we pull first
responders off the roads when tropical storm force winds are sustained for their safety. That is a standard usually across the state and other states that have hurricanes as well. So we will have a backlog of calls that have come in during the storm that we will prioritize based on urgency and they'll be
responding to those as well as the calls that are currently coming in if they're urgent as well. Also, the roads might be flooded. There might be debris in the roads. Our tactical first in teams will be going out right away to clear the roads of any hazards so that our vehicles can get through and respond as
quickly as possible. Just keep that in mind when you call after a disaster for assistance. We are coming. You are very important to us. We care about our residents and their safety, but it may just take a while for us to get to you depending on the conditions of the roads. I'm Stacy Losio. I'm the emergency
manager for the city of Northport. And today we're going to discuss storm surge and flooding and how both of those affect Northport during the current. So storm surge is when strong sustained winds are constantly blowing over a long period of time over the Gulf and pushing
water up onto shore. So when that happens, there is a lot of flooding along beach erosion along the beaches and the homes inland. However, the storm surge can also push water up the river. So, it could push storm surge up the Maka River, for instance, from the Gulf.
And then the water coming downstream from the river has nowhere to go. So, that can cause water to back up along the rivers and cause flooding. That along with a lot of rain that comes from these hurricanes can also cause an increase of water flooding into the rivers and into our water management
systems causing flooding as well. Public works does a lot of work before the storm to make sure that our water levels are as low as possible so we can handle additional storm surge and flooding in our water systems. If you want additional information about that, we have a great video about our water control structures and you can visit the
public works website. I'm Stacy Losio. I'm the emergency management coordinator for the city of Northport and I'm going to tell you the difference between flood zones and evacuation zones or in Sarasota County we call them evacuation levels. So flood zones were generated by FEMA and they're
used to determine the likelihood that you will flood and they're used to determine if you need flood insurance if you have a mortgage on your home. Now the evacuation zones are based on storm surge data that comes from the National Hurricane Center and they use topography
as well as hurricane vulnerability for storm surge for the area and we use those to determine who needs to evacuate during a storm. So it's important to understand that there is a difference. If you're interested in finding out what evacuation zone you are in, which we highly recommend you do, uh you can use
your search engine of choice and type in Sarasota County know your level and that'll take you to the Sarasota County government website. Hello everyone. My name is Devon Pulis. I'm the aquatics manager within our parks and recreation department. We're here today at the Northport Aquatic Center just to talk to everyone about
our Float for Life program. We recognize that nationally unintentional drowning is the leading cause of death for children that are under the age of four. So, we have an awesome program here called Float for Life. Float for Life is a program that we teach that starts with the fundamentals of floating before we
actually learn swimming. This program is targeted for those children ages 6 months to four. And what we want them to do is we want them to get comfortable in the water and if they accidentally fall in the water or find themselves in a trouble situation, they can roll over their back and float. When we launched
this program, uh we were the only one in the state that was actually teaching this milestone program. So want to give a shout out to our Northport Rotary as well who sponsored this program here at the aquatic center and actually paid for a trainer to come in all the way from Nebraska where this program originates
there. We practice and we go through what's called milestones here. So as soon as the kids progress through the milestones we can continue moving on through them. And at the end of it, it's a pretty awesome program. When they graduate is one of the final things that they do is they jump in fully clothed
and they have to turn over, roll over on their back, and actually be able to scream for help at that point in time. It's just an awesome segment program that leads right into our learn to swim program. So that way we can make sure we're keeping our kids safe in, on, and around the water.
Hello everyone. My name is Mario Van Diddi. I am the planner scheduler for the city of Northport solid waste. I got into this position um first I was a recycle driver for five years for the city of Northport and then I became the planner scheduler after taking an
interest in educating the residents on how to recycle properly. In my position my daytoday usually I start out by visiting the new residents that schedule garbage and recycle containers to be delivered and I will go see them and educate them on our solid waste
guidelines. more or less I'm more focused on the recycle part of it. After that, I will drive around the city and I actually inspect recycle containers manually for contamination and then I will take calls from drivers if there's any issues with uh repeat
garbage in the recycle and I will go educate those people as well. What I love most about the city of Northport is their residents are from all over the world and I get to learn about the solid waste guidelines where they come from as well as educate them on the city of
Northport's solid waste guidelines and how to recycle properly. 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? >> 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. So 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 up, and even sometimes could potentially collapsed uh covers 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 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 blockage inside the system. This is clearly a um a legal 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 uh drainage way, it's full of water. But when we look at our 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. >> 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.govnorthreports
/northreports or you can give the public works customer service a call. We believe that the natural resources department will be an integral part for the city's growth as we want to achieve
a more balanced approach of development in the future. >> What we really want to do is see sensible development, sustainable development and development that is um in line with what we already have here. So we want to preserve as much as we can
of the uh natural resources so there is still place for our natural species, our our migrating birds and all the other species that live um and survive in our habitat. >> Natural systems are a big part of the
ways ecosystems function, an important part for our community, our listed species. They stabilize the soil. They provide so many different benefits including shade, limiting the heat
island effect uh within our city, providing habitat, providing shelter for these species and just uh also for our aesthetic enjoyment. Well, as an arborist, uh a lot of what I do is
making sure that development conforms to the tree protection code. So, one thing we already have in place since April of 2022 is a tree protection code which is quite robust in the city of Northport that was adopted by commission and the city
through also >> All righty. Good evening everybody. Today is Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 6 pm. We're in city chambers and I call the city commission regular meeting to order. Commissioners present,
commissioner Dval, Commissioner Langden, Mayor Stokes, Vice Mayor Emerich, and Commissioner Pro. There is a quorum present for the meeting. Also present, City Manager Fletcher, City Attorney Fuino, City Clerk FA, Board Specialist Lindner, Police uh what do we have
there? Deputy Chief Hurley, and we have uh Captain Fuzzle and uh Mr. Phil Parks, would you be kind enough to lead us in the pledgece to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it
stands one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. not happen. All right. I am looking for a motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> All right. Got a motion by Commissioner
Langden, seconded by the Vice Mayor to approve the agenda. There's nothing else to it. Let us vote. And that passes 5 to zero. Uh, city clerk, public comment. >> Stephanie Gibson, to reiterate the email
sent this weekend, I am requesting Mayor Stokes and Commissioner Emerich recuse themselves from any deliberations on the interim city attorney's declination memo or matters involving city manager Fletcher's misconduct. Both commissioners were active participants in the incident which creates a clear conflict of interest and the public has
need for a fair proceeding free from prejudice. Their direct involvement in any harassment taints their objectivity. Florida Code of Ethics Chapter 112 demands recusal when bias risks even the appearance of impropriy. How can they fairly deliberate when they're entangled
in the very same misconduct under review? I urge the commission to enforce their recusal if they refuse its further proof of neglecting their oath. Inviting commit ethics commission scrutiny. Residents demand accountability as public trust is paramount. Step aside, ensure impartiality and restore faith in
this board. Lead for Northport, not personal loyalty. Thank you, John Parker. Thank you, Commissioner Petro, for revisiting the discussion regarding the interaction of individual commissioners with city staff. It is a great idea to review the policies outlined in the city charter so that there are no more misunderstandings
going forward. And yes, having regularly scheduled meetings for city commissioners and the city manager, city staff once a month is another wonderful idea. However, the best way of healing the strained relationship surrounding the recent picture incident would be for the city manager, mayor, commissioners, and all apologize to each other publicly
and then move on. When I taught fourth grade, I was amazed at how the kids could be fighting one minute and be best buddies the next. Therefore, I think we can all learn a lesson from kids and simply decide that we are going to apologize for anything we did wrong knowingly or unknowingly and choose to offer grace to those who offended us. And for the Northport residents who
watched all of this drama, we should also have a forgiving heart and move on as well. Everyone makes mistakes and learning from them is a secret to success. You might even say that good governance can sometimes come from bad governance. So, let's clarify the rules of engagement between commission and city staff and even within commission so we are all treating each other with
respect and even love. After all, we are all on the same team. Thank you. City employee. As a city employee, I find it disheartening and frankly embarrassing that it even needs to be explained to the commission why direct engagement between elected officials and staff is not standard practice. This is not a Northport specific issue. It is a
wellestablished best practice in local government management. The International City County Management Association, ICMA, clearly recommends that commissioners communicate through the city manager, not directly with staff. This ensures transparency, consistency of information, and maintains professional boundaries that protect
both staff and the organization. Our city manager has been a tremendous leader for staff and has cultivated a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and trust. If there is a desire to engage with staff, I would encourage commissioners to ask the employees themselves how highly we regard his leadership and the clarity of
our reporting structure. To see phrases like a culture of isolation, as stated in the backup information of this item used in this context, is not only inaccurate, but is frustrating to those of us who experience the reality every day. What we experience more often is not isolation, but commissioners digging
for information outside of the established chain of command. The city's organizational chart makes the proper flow of communication clear. Please allow the city manager to continue to manage staff. He is good at it, and this structure is not a barrier. It's a protection for the integrity of the organization and everyone in it.
Brock Mitchell Development Master Plan Amendment PC I mean PMC CPA-240000000000114 ordinance number 25-28 to the Northport city commissioners. We will not be able to attend the commission meeting held on October 28, 2025. However, we do want to express our views regarding the request
to amend the Central Park development master plan. We live in the colony at Sable Trace and we are very much in favor of the requested amendment. We have been informed that Central Park Developer is also strongly in favor of the requested amendment. The lake adjacent to the colony has been there since the colony was built. There has
always been a clear view of that adjacent lake. We as owners backing onto said lake and as a community would like to remain that way with no additional trees or shrubs blocking our view. We purchased the unit based on it backing onto a lake with a view of the lake. Blocking the view will unfairly affect the enjoyment of numerous unit owners
currently enjoying the view. It will also unfairly affect the resale value of numerous units. As longtime Northport taxpayers, this is extremely concerning. We don't understand the purpose for trees or shrubs blocking the view. Originally, we backed onto a golf course which was shut down, but at least we
were left with the beautiful lake and view that it brings. The lake has been enlarged a bit and looks extremely attractive. Our shoreline remained the same, and we would like it to stay that way. Since its enlargement, it is now safe from any possible flooding concerns anywhere near our property and our community. With all of this in mind,
please approve the requested amendment and grant waiver one to the development master plan amendment. We thank you in advance for your consideration, Brock and Margaret Mitchell. Park users, at the October 14th meeting, Commissioner Langden again raised concerns specifically targeting a parks and recreation project, one that has no
current impact on the general fund. The decision to single out this con this consent item reflects a concerning misunderstanding of how park impact fees function and how these dedicated funds are structured. A strong and wellsupported park system isn't just an amenity. It's an economic driver. Parks contribute to increased property values
attract families and strengthen the overall tax base. It's difficult to reconcile the repeated scrutiny of parks projects when other funding allocations, including those benefiting outside organizations, such as the recent local nonprofit discussions appear to move forward without the same level of public questioning. Commissioner Langden stated
at the meeting that everything needs to be looked at. If that is truly the standard, then consistency matters. On today's agenda, there is a consent item for a $582,000 pole barn. Will that be pulled for additional review as well, or is this heightened level of scrutiny reserved only for parks projects?
In person, I have Pam Tokars, followed by Susan Palmer, and then Josh Smith. Hi, Pam Toars. Welcome, Attorney Funo. I probably screwed up your name. I'm going to put the old lady glasses on. Um, I would like to address the issue Commissioner Duval brought up at the September 23rd commission meeting during
the city manager's performance eval. I refer to this in incident as picture gate. Commissioner Duval held up a picture created by someone in the city. This picture was posted in city manager's office along with other city offices. I do understand that there are two sides to every story. This incident
was taken in Jess by other commissioners, city manager and commissioner Duval. Picture Gate was joked about by all involved and nothing more was done. However, with Commissioner Duval holding up the picture during the meeting meant to me and other residents that saw this that he was not okay with the picture. City
policy 6.2 in the employee handbook is regarding a respectful workplace. The purpose is to ensure the city maintains a workplace that fosters mutual respect and promotes harmonious, productive working relationship. This includes respect for the rights and feelings of other employees and demands employees
refrain from any conduct that may be personal harmful personally harmful to co-workers or that could be viewed unfavorably by the public at large. No employee should behave in any way that is discourteous or no I always get that word up the neg whatever to another
employee. distribution, display or discussion of any written that ridicules or insults or belittles, shows hostility towards an individual. Per the city manager's contact, he is subject to the same guidelines as employee as the employee handbook and policy 6.2 and
should be held accountable. Per the resolution 2019-R7, when human resources receives an allegation or complaint that a charter officer is currently or was previously engaged in unlawful discrimination, harassment, or other violation of law or
city policy, rule or standard of conduct, the human resource division department will be responsible for determining whether an investigation is necessary. If it determined by human resources department, the following allegation complaints are examples of what may or what may shall require the
initiation of investigation into the actions of a city charter officer. And I'm paraphrasing because I had to take some of this stuff out. This is not a complete list. The termination to conduct an investigation will be made on a case-byase basis. Non-compliance with or any violation of the city charter
officer employment contract is where you're going to find the standards that the employee must adhere to. His actions must always comply with the highest level of professional standards expected from the chief administrative officer of the city and in the other policies under the contract that the employee must
comply with all lawful city commission directives, state, local, and federal laws and the employer's policies, rules, and ordinances. And it seems to me that there is a clear direction that the city can take based on the policies and procedures already established. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Hi Susan Balmer. Um, I'm also speaking about the um picture and I just want to say I agree 100% with everything that Pam just said. I think there was an
awful lot in there that maybe needs to be taken apart and looked at more seriously. Um, I have tried to see any humor in this and I can't as a teacher I can't imagine what would have happened to me if I had done this and put up a
picture of my principal or anyone else, even a a fellow teacher. Um, I just think it was in really poor taste and um I'm not sure that an apology is enough
in this case. Not when you're looking at someone who we elected your boss and being um put in that situation. It really disheartens me. I wasn't here at that meeting, but when I heard about it,
I just I haven't been able to put it out of my mind that it was a joke. It It was mean and it was hateful. >> Thank you. >> Uh, good afternoon, Josh Smith. You guys, I mean,
how do we get here? We have HR policies. I know a bunch of you who've been in the corp corporate workplace for years. I've sat through more corporate meetings because I run a mechanic shop and we're terrible at HR. And even we know there's rules. We've broke them. I've lost
managers based on this same thing happening. Somebody wrote a name in the bathroom. Somebody said something. We've got to stop this stuff. I mean, we are literally speeding at C into becoming Cape Coral as fast as we possibly can.
If you guys been paying any attention to what they've got going on, we've got to stop this stuff. We have enough problems. You'd think with everything else you guys are doing that the citizens are unhappy with, we'd try to find a way to make sure we weren't also
a mess in house. Just come on, guys. I mean, tighten it up. start paying attention to some stuff and just I I don't even know where to go with this. Just try hard. >> Thank you. >> Next, I have Robin Samente followed by
Valdi Olander, Debbie McDow, and then Michelle Posey. >> Good evening, commissioners. Robin Santicente. Um, I wasn't here for that meeting. Uh, I guess they're calling it picture gate. I wasn't here, but I did watch it. Um, and I'm sorry,
Commissioner Dval, because what I saw and what I heard was wrong. Totally disrespectful. Uh, you're not the first commissioner that it's happened to. Commissioner McDow was subject to that kind of ridiculing and disrespect. I myself has
been the person and disrespected and called out, the vocal minority. We all have labels. I don't know what justifies the thinking that this is okay. It's not okay to be disrespectful, especially to
a commissioner from a subordinate. It's not. So, how do we allow this to continue to happen over and over and over again? And then we backdoor it into a retreat to deal with it. No, it should have been handled and the commissioner Deval should have had the opportunity to
respond to our city manager's uh explanation of the so-called picture gate. It's not okay to do that and and and humiliate a commissioner. It's not okay. And I just can't believe we're allowing it to happen over and over and over
again. We have to do something. The policy is there. It's in the contract. So why are we still allowing it to happen and then backdoor it so the public doesn't again we look and say oh gee we can't trust you guys because
everything is backdoored. It's not handled in front at a commission meeting when it's brought up. He brought it up. He should have had the opportunity to respond and and I'm sorry mayor. You cut him off. It's not funny. He should have had that opportunity to
respond. And that's in Robert's rules. should have had the opportunity to respond, not just cut it off. So, we have to do something or this community of unity that we keep trying to push ain't never going to happen. As as long as we continue this particular type of
behavior and disrespect to the citizens and now to commissioners, you're never going to have a community of unity. We're the ones that come up before you and we speak up because we got the coonzes to do so. But a lot of people don't and they call us to do it for
them. or half the community doesn't even know what's going on. They're too busy trying to make ends meet with their families. But the people that show up all the time, you're a vocal minority, as we've been labeled because we're very passionate about our city. We love our
city. We want to see it be successful. We want to actually have a community of unity. But you're never going to have it if we continue to allow this to happen. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, good evening. I am Valdi Olander. I
come here in peace and I am not a criminal. I have a dignity. Stokes. I am instructing you to remove Mr. Cohen off my back. Learn English
and obey your oath. Just move this bodium to the middle and you can have as many caps as you want. Act like civilized person. Anger. What caus it? What is it? I
observe there is lots of anger in the United States. Thomas Aquinus wrote anger look into good and justice and if you living in injustice without
anger you are immoral as well as unjust. Way of anger is fundamental passion of the soul and has appropriate role to play in
human pursuit of good when directed by reason changing the subject. When Soviet Union and China were a communist countries, they had five-year
plans what to achieve in that span further. Did you manage a proposed just 10-year plan recently that made you a super communist? Isn't it
under American jurist prudence legislative branch write the statutes executive branch implement statutes by writing what is called regulations without implementing regulations.
Legislative statutes are unoperatable like never written before. They're just Supreme Court. This is the very very important. You write the ordinances. Oh, let me finish. Your manager can only write
regulation concerning his employees, not with the people. Read the charter and learn the English. Please tell me Stokes how benefit but
you 50% salary English. One more time and 25 thou two 200205,000 205,000 new city attorney salary only how a benefit
and why there is attorney department as the nine people anybody smart over there am I only good to be fleeced Thank you, sir. >> Debbie Mcdow.
>> Hello everyone. Um, I'm Debbie Mcdow. First, I'd like to welcome our newest city attorney. I wish you all the best. You have a whole charter of your own course is to protect the city and help the commissioners
protect the city. So, I wish you all the best and uh Mr. Goolan, if you're listening, I want to thank you for your service. Uh you did a a job well done. Um parks event last week, parks and wreck, you did a fantastic job that it's
always a wonderful event. I remember when it was held here at city hall and the kids just absolutely love it. So, good job everybody, all of the staff. Um, I would be remiss if I did not mention the meeting on the 23rd.
Part of my frustration when I gave my public comment is three of the commissioners wouldn't even look at me. They know I have endured three years of what Commissioner Dval brought up. I don't know what is worse. the city
manager's antics for the past three years and then putting a picture of a commissioner, his boss, up in his office suite or the fact that three of you sat there and wanted to punt this to a retreat.
A retreat I remember too well where nothing got solved, nothing got resolved and the city manager got to be a little bit stronger and do it a little bit more. We have a country south of us, Jamaica,
that right now is going through fighting for their lives and protecting their properties. We need to remember them and wish them well because just a year ago it was us with Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helen. And God knows we all
really felt Hurricane Ian three years ago. So please, I hope everybody tonight goes to bed and says a prayer for them. Thank you. >> Thank you. Michelle Posey and then Chuck English. >> Good evening, Michelle Posey. Um, I
wanted to start by saying, uh, I may not have voted for each one of you on this board today, but I respect that my peers did and that you've all earned the right to be here on this board. The next step beyond that, beyond that mandate that we gave on 2024, is that we work cohesively
together. I didn't get the opportunity to vote for Jerome Fletcher, but you guys did choose him or the former board did. So, the idea is how can we cohesively work together? What I've heard took place with this poster uh for Commissioner Dval, uh it's it saddens me
and I'll tell you why. There are very uh very deliberate things me mentioned in the charter that allow us to figure out what we can do based off of what was done by city manager Fletcher. The first thing is Mr. Fletcher, as the city mayor, you know that um I'm sorry, could
you look this way? Okay. So, I'm not going to get that respect. Well, Mr. City Manager Jerome Fletcher, you are responsible according to 9.05 of the city charter. you're responsible to the commission, not the other way around. Um, so I believe that
you're acting in insubordination really and derelict of your duty when you call out somebody like Commissioner Duval. Uh, but the other the other onus is on the board because the charter also mentions in 9.03 that a majority of you can choose to get rid of the city
manager. And so I would ask this, a bully is only allowed to permeate because of lack of leadership and lack of accountability. And I I remember not that long ago there was another retreat where another commissioner was having to fight for her life to just be treated like a decent human being. You know, I
recently took on the director of the Sarasota County Turning Point USA headquarters. I have the blessing of working with young people. You know what I'm noticing? Young people get it. They're tired of politics. They're tired of people being rude. They're tired of uh no accountability. And they are
hungry to serve. And I have to ask you, what would we tell our young people in this situation? Somebody was just what, a month, month and a half ago, slain for speaking truth, and we think this is something funny to do, Mr. Fletcher. And the
disrespect to not sit here and look me in the eye as a constituent is really apprehend. I teach these children through Turning Point USA to do better, to be better. I think we all need to rise to that. We want to set an example for the young
people. Again, I didn't vote for all of you, but you are elected in this position. I respect you. I expect you to stand up in solidarity for your your your comrade here, Mr. Dval. And I expect for you to finally do something.
Can we get a different city manager for God's sakes? does not represent us Northport people that love and defend people with all that we have. Thank you. >> Evening. Y'all getting an earful, aren't you?
Well, you deserve it. All right. What was done to Commissioner Dval was an insult to the community. Right. I personally believe it borded on
defamation, at least public shaming. Right? I keep hearing three words: transparency, accountability, and unity. You all keep working on it, but
you're not going in the right direction. Communication's the key to everything. City manager definitely knows that. That's why he has such a strong grip on it as a leader should. But unfortunately, it also takes abiding by
the rules, which many believe have not been. All I can say is start practicing what you're preaching. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> All right. City clerk. Announcements. The current vacancies for the following boards and committees include the art advisory board, auditor selection committee, charter review advisory board, citizen tax oversight committee, environmental advisory board, historic and cultural advisory board, joint management advisory board, police
officers pension trust fund board of trustees, parks and recreation advisory board, and veterans park advisory committee. Sarasota County Advisory Council vacancies include one Northport resident to serve on the Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee. 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 train items been pulled. >> No, sir, Mr. Mayor. >> All right. Um, public comment. >> Yes. Stephen Harrison.
>> Good evening, commissioners. My name is Stephen Harrison. I am a student of St. Petersburg College, and I'm almost finished with my bachelor's degree in public policy and administration. Last semester, my main project was a meet with a commissioner and attend a city meeting. This semester, I am I had to
meet with someone that published the an agenda item and speak about it at a commission meeting. That being said, I'd like to speak in support of agenda item 252918 to approve the preventative maintenance agreement between the city of Northport and FITREV, Inc. for the uh fire
department fitness equipment at station 82. This kind of maintenance is important is an important vest investment in both safety and efficiency. I'm a first responder myself, so I understand this equipment is important to maintain the physical level of the job. If the equipment goes unmaintained,
it not only disrupts the firefighters training, but could also lead to higher repair costs later. Pref preventative maintenance helps the city avoid those larger expenses while encouraging our first responders uh to have reliable tools to keep themselves healthy and ready to serve.
It's also worth noting that regular maintenance shows a level of respect to taxpayer dollars. We are taking care of what we already own rather than waiting for something to fail and paying much more down the road. Fit Rev Inc. has experience maintaining this equipment
and partnering with them is a good idea. I want to thank uh clerk Matt Powell, communications manager Jason Bordalone, senior business manager Diana Marshall, and senior executive director Anna Duffy for all their help so I can complete my
assignment. Now, lastly, for myself, I would love to get involved with a board or committee. Uh, I believe I talked with Commissioner Duval months back about that, but being that uh I'm a full-time deputy at Manatee County Sheriff's Office, I'm also on the special response team, and currently I'm
a full-time college student, and afterwards, I'll be going for my masters. uh and I uh and I don't feel confident that I will have less than three absences in a year and I would not want to run the risk of getting kicked out in the future on a board meeting.
I'm requesting the commission to reconsider the absence policy to potentially excuse absences for members that are first responders/military personnel or working in an official capacity at the same time of the meeting. Thank you for your time and God bless. Thank you and good luck.
All right. Uh looking for a motion. >> I'll make it. Move to approve the items in the consent agenda as presented. >> Second. >> Uh motion by the vice mayor, seconded by commissioner
um who are >> I don't know. >> Commissioner Langdon, I'm teasing you. I always do that, don't I? Every meeting. I must be getting old. Anyway, um if there's nothing more to this, folks, let's vote on this.
>> And that passes 5 to zero. Moving on to ordinances, uh public hearings. Ordinance 2025-28. Uh this is a quasi judicial hearing. Uh city clerk, if you could read by title only, please.
>> Ordinance number 2025-28, an ordinance of the city of Northport, Florida, amending the Central Park at Northport Activity Center 9 pattern plan to revise the buffer plan amending article 33.3.1.2 2 dimensional standards and article 4
development standards of the unified land development code to reference the amended central park at Northport pattern plan providing for findings providing for conflicts providing for severability providing for codification and providing an effective date. Can everyone wishing to provide testimony
please stand and raise your right hand? You swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to provide is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. So help you God. Thank you. Thank you, city clerk. Um, looking for disclosure on exparte communications. Uh, Mr. Petro.
>> Yes, mayor. I did have a small conver uh short conversation with the property manager at Fair View Villas. Um, her name is Nancy Hill and few of uh those residents will reside there.
Thank you, sir. Vice Mayor, >> Commissioner Langon. >> Uh, yes, Mayor. I did have a conversation with a resident of the Sable Trace community regarding this um this matter. Uh, and he reaffirmed to me
uh that the residents in that community are supportive of the plan that was presented to us at the previous meeting. Luke, Commissioner Dval. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, obviously I've had
discussions with the city manager, uh, the interim city attorney, and I've also had several conversations with different residents of the Sable Trace area, um, in including, uh, a former commissioner.
Um, with this I have heard both sides. Um, you know, obviously I think we've all had communications from those supporting and
and those not supporting. >> Thank you, sir. And I also will echo my two fellow commissioners on this. I speak to city manager. I spoke to a number of uh members of the community in the Sable Trace area and um they expressed their support for this
request. Um so with that we can move on to presentations. >> Matt, just so you know, there are no agreed parties either. >> Yes, there are no agreed parties. Thank you very much. Moving on. Uh presentations applicant
See if I can do this better this time than I did the last time. I have to get it out of here. There you go. Can we get you a little help there? There we go. >> Thank you so much. All right. Thanks to our IT folks again.
Well, good evening. Um, commissioners, Mr. Mayor, Peter Van Buster with Kimley Horn Associates. I have been sworn. Um, I'm going to pretty much use the same presentation, but I will go through it much quicker. I don't need to bore you. Um, I'll give Commissioner Dval the speed reading version of it so he can
kind of catch up. Uh, so again, we're here to to here request for an amendment to the Central Park DMP. Uh, again, I am Peter Van Buster. I'm a licensed civil engineer in the state of Florida. I'm also a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified
Planners. Uh again, the request is to amend the DMP. Um this is in response to requests by our neighbors. That's why we're here today. Uh we did have a neighborhood meeting back in May of 2024. Um point I always want to bring up is we are still
providing all the open spaces that we were and we're still landscaping quite a bit of that. will not change the remaining 70 foot buffer areas that aren't along the lakes. Those will all still remain landscaped as they had always been planned to be.
Again, we're surrounded by of other residential uses, single family villas, and a small amount of um multifamily projects. I showed you these concepts from early on because I wanted to show that we've always been working with our neighbors.
We initially had a plan where we had 35 foot um areas around open spaces around the project. Later that year, we came back with a 70 foot version of the exterior um open spaces because we were requested to by our neighbors and also pointed out that
the lakes that are next to the mixed use, we actually wrapped them around the sides of the mixeduse so that the link and fairway villas would have lakes adjacent to them. um point out that when we were going through this process, the ULDC at the
time required a type B buffer between any single family and multifamily. So for our single family and two family, a budded linkside colony and fairway villas, we would need a tight uh BB buffer which is 10 foot tree every 50
ft. Um and that's why we're asking for waiverss for the areas between the colony and fairway villas where link side and a lot of the fairway villas above the mix use we will have buffers there and there'll be buffers that are
required based on the use that eventually ends up in the mixeduse uh tracks. So again we talked about where were we required to have buffer. So these blue strips are where we were supposed to have a required buffer or we would have
been required to have a buffer which we mainly still do. Um the length that buffer is 3,55 ft total. We would had 70 trees required 1,168 shrubs in that 3,55
ft. Now, the plan we're proposing where we don't plant behind lakes that are adjacent to our neighbors, we will have 11,290 lineal feet of a 70 foot wide buffer. There'll be 717 trees. That's 10
times the amount of trees that were required by the minimum code requirements versus what we will still be planting in the plan that if you approve it, will move forward. There will also be 3,810 shrubs and that's
just in that 70 foot around the outside. That doesn't include the 162 trees that are on the entry road coming in from Greenwood and Appamatics. Doesn't include the 947 street trees that'll be planted within the internal streets or
the 500 lot trees that will be planted on each of the lots. the 116 amenity site trees that are already planted at the amenity site and those mixeduse tracks they will also be planted based on the uses that will come forward at
some point in time in the future. This was the current buffer plan is the current buffer plan as we I talked about last time we used AB and C. Now we're using one, two, and three to not confuse the fact that city has abs and C's. And
this is what was proposed. Type A is planted with a burm. Type B optional burm with plantings. And then the type C which was along the mixuse would have optional wall, optional burm, and trees.
And again, the mixuse buffer will still be in play, but it'll be on the exterior of the mixuse tracks. Now, here's our amended plan. Um, we have made some changes. You instructed the city manager to get with staff, to get with the applicant
and our neighbors and look at some ways we could maybe compromise on what we could do here. So, let me just go quickly through the compromises that we've come up with. Um, we're still requesting the way the one waiver one which is along the colony. We've been told very strongly they do not want
plantings. They want what they have. realizing that we're we're not going to be planting trees there. We will plant six live oaks over by Lake Six where there's some open spaces. There's some pocket parks in there. So, we'll plant six extra trees there. Um the buffer
along Fairway Villas, we're saying we're willing to go ahead and plant the hedge. Um there's 10 mature oak trees that would make up the required six trees that are required in the in the type Buffer. So we have 10 trees that are
already there that we preserve and we'll plant the hedge and if commission so choose to approve waiver uh two and not require the hedge that's fine too but we are going ahead and offering that um as one of our compromises.
Um the other one is along lake 13 staff had requested that buffer be put in place. Um, we had spoken to those residents specifically for the villas that are directly on the north side of Lake 13. They would want the plantings. We're going to go ahead and add those
plantings. So, we'll get another 200 foot of buffer along Lake 13. And then the mended plan has a type one buffer which is really what our old type A buffer was. A type B um which is along
basically the ditch that juts out into country club estates. And then behind the lakes it would just be assided. Some some have little BMS some areas don't. They slope down the lakes kind of like what you'd see in the colony. Um again the amended buffer I
highlighted the areas where staff had made recommendations um for um option three I think was their uh oh no their option was option one that was their recommendations. So again looking at the option of lake
13 now instead of a buffer three which is sad we will be doing a buffer two. So we'll be providing the full plantings as part of um a revised plan. I think I think staff's going to be calling that option four. Um this is the area. So you
can see we you know we've already got our sixoot wall along here. So, we were shielding this entryway to begin with, but again, because those residents want that, we're we're willing to go ahead and do that. Just a couple pictures of what the wall look like. We showed you these last
time. Um, again, waiver one, this is against the colony. We don't want to have to plant anything there. We've been asked, please don't block our view. We liked what we had and we've got the same thing. But again, we'll be planting six
trees over by Lake Six in the open spaces. These are the letters from Colony um Linkside and and the Sable Trade single family board directors um stating they approve this request. Again, now we were one the colony I did
point out that you know currently the colony abuts lakes interior to sable trace and the and they're not buffered from their single family homes across the lake. So they're really seeing the same thing that we're requesting with waiver one.
And again the the amended plan we talk about planting the two six trees over by lake six. And there's those pictures of the colony. You can see this lake banks look really great. And that's what they've always seen. They've got actually a little more lake down to the south end
and it's a little bit wider. Again, this is what they'll see across the lakes internal to them. There's there's no buffers between those condominiums and the lakes. And you know, these are condominiums. Linkside, Colony, Fairways, people live there. They own them. It's not like it's an
apartment building where you have renters in and out a lot. Uh waiver 2 is Lake Nine. And as I said, our revised request has of us putting this uh shrubbery in along um Lake N
against the uh ferry villas with those trees, then I think we may not even need to approve a waiver because we'd have the shrubs, we'd have the trees in place. That would be our required buffer B that was in the ULDC at the time. Um,
but if you so choose to say we just go ahead and approve waiver two, that would be fine, too. Um, the Fairway Villas doesn't want the shrubs there, we won't plant them. And again, this is the letter from the Fairway Villas that came
um when before when we had our neighborhood meeting. And just a picture across the lake at Fairway Villas. You can see those mature oaks over there that were preserved and doing very well. By the way, again, um we feel our request is consistent with the comprehensive plan.
We feel it complies with the applicable findings and the review criteria. And so we'd like to respectfully request that you approve um this amendment to the DMP um which would be option one and it
could be option three with revisions or option four. I think that might be how staff would um be proposing it as but uh again we appreciate your consideration. Thank you very much. >> Thank you sir. >> Staff good evening. Elena Ray, director of
development services. For the record, I have been sworn and I am filling in tonight for the project planner, Sher Wlette Grandon, who could not be here this evening. Um, I will keep this short. Um, staff would like to uh incorporate all of our
testimony and presentation from the previous hearing. Um, staff has looked at the uh what we are calling option four, which is the new option that you have been presented with tonight from the applicant. Uh we have looked at the
comparison between that and staff's recommendation which was option one in your staff report. Uh we've determined that the total reduction in trees that would be lost from staff's recommendation to option four would be a
total of 48 trees and 225 shrubs. Um as uh an example of the importance of each of those trees, uh they do provide for wildlife shade and each canopy tree upon maturity
has the potential to uptake u approximately 40,000 gallons of water per year, storm water per year. So that would be the equivalent of two swimming pools of water per year for uptake of storm water.
Um, I'll note for the public record, staff's role is to review these plans for uh compliance with the ULDC and the comprehensive plan and provide that information to the commission so that
you have that for consideration. Um we did uh talk with the applicant about the additional um option and as I said wanted to be sure we evaluated that according to staff's recommendation. Staff does maintain its recommendation
based on uh the work then that has been done over the last year and the review with the ULDC and comprehensive plan and I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you very much. Uh we have no agrieved party. So um
any rebuttals? Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um just one thing to point out. Um staff did note the 45 trees less, but again we're looking at 70 trees that were required per the code to buffer and we're
providing 717. We went well above the required amount of trees to be planted to begin with. And yes, we're asking to reduce that back, but it's not us just standing here saying, "Hey, we just don't want to plant those trees." We really have been asked by our neighbors to go through this process. And of
course, this has been timeless costs and so forth um to do this. So, um we would appreciate you, you know, approving this for our neighbors because that's why we're here. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Staff
>> staff has no rebuttal. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Miss. Uh, city clerk, any public comments? >> Have Kathy Brown, followed by Ronald Barrier and James Murphy. >> Thank you for letting me speak. I've
called the commissioners. I've talked to our community. I live at Sable Trace for 25 years. I've been coming to these meetings for years, sold my business. I'm enjoying life here. The people at the colony have called many of you. And
we do not want the trees there. We're going to tell you a lot of reasons why. We pay taxes to this city, and we have a gorgeous view, and we thank Peter for that. After the hurricanes that we've experienced and the city experienced, you've been told today we've had no
water standing on our property since he expanded the lake. None. And we've had lots of summer rains, bad rains. We had water 12 in from the back of many of the condos. We have had no water on our property staying there. And I have 58
names and signatures and letters from homeowners that asked me to come here and tell the city, "We don't want the trees. We have a gorgeous view. It's a view that will add value to the community as well as to Central Park.
And we're neighbors and we need to remember that we're neighbors. We're budding up against each other. And there are areas that you can put trees and the trees will grow. But we have to remember during a hurricane, trees come down, too. We lost a lot of trees in our
community and they're dangerous. And we were trapped at Sable Trace for almost 3 days and couldn't get out because of trees falling and a lot of water. And the owners have expressed their concerns. And I thank all of you for admitting you received a lot of calls because the people are very concerned
that the city isn't hearing the people that pay taxes here that the value of their place will be higher. You will gain more taxes. There's options being given to you by Peter and the people at Central Park and we want to be
neighborly with them. We don't want to be bitter with them and saying, "Oh, you caused us to lose our view." I think the city needs to hear the people at Sable Trace and I am on the master board at Sable Trace, too. So, I just think it's important the commissioners hear us. We
vote for you. We rely on you to keep us safe here in Northport. And I think Central Park is gorgeous. We walk it all the time. Uh they don't care if we walk it. We've met our neighbors. And I think the city needs to do their best to approve what Central Park has put before
you. Um like I said, we've lived here 25 years. I've been in Sable Trace 25 years. That's a long time. And I've been in the colony for 14. And I'm not moving. But I'm asking you not to put those trees there. I'm going to have to
call me a jack guy if you cut them trees down. I'm just kidding. But thank you for your time. Thank you all for taking our calls. Many of the people have come here today to speak and we ask you to support us at Sable Trace and not put the trees there. Thank you very much for
your time. >> Thank you very much. Hi, I'm Ron Barry. I'm the president of Villas Disabled Trace. We're the only community that's surrounded on all sides by Central Park. We have 174 villas.
We are an approval of Peter's presentation and the staff because Lake 13 a butts against us. Lake six a butts against us. We don't have a problem with it. We are still going to have a clear view of the lakes and the gentlemen or
the people that live husbands and wives that are on late 13. They are in very much approval of having shrubs in that area and I really thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much. >> My name is James Murphy and I've been
sworn. I guess I'm going to be the only one descending up here. Um I think that uh with this central park with the development plan and even the time that we've uh lost uh Sable Trace golf course
11 and 1/2 years ago and we've been in this issue here with this Central Park now once a developmental master plan went on 7 and 1/2 years and this is what we're still dealing with. I mean, I understand
that some people, you know, don't want the views of uh, you know, they want to look at the water and things like that, but I mean, uh, it just is a never- ending thing. I mean, to grant these waiverss or whatever like that, I think
that they're just throwing this out there. I think that there's other waiverss that are going to be coming and we all know where this is headed down the line in another year and a half in court. I mean, the lynch pin of this whole development approval was the
bridge, and we're not going to be getting that or they're going to look not to do that. That's just too bad. Um, with what's been going on there for the last, I'm going to say four years, uh,
we were told, we were sold the bill of goods that there was going to be monitoring. the animals were going to be uh relocated. There were going to be this that and everything else. I can show you some videos of what actually went on there. There was nothing. I didn't see any water trucks out there.
There was a water truck out there. It sat there for about 5 years. It's probably rusted. It's gone now once the uh sable taste development people pulled the trailer off and everything else was gone. Um
uh it just seems to be that we're just giving the store away, you know, is is it that the Northport is supposed to bail out this developer and I mean with the some of the things that they're requesting? I mean, it just doesn't make sense. When is somebody's feet going to
be held to the fire? That's what I really want to know. I mean, it just seems to be that it's just whatever they whatever they want. I mean, they're granted. I mean, we were
told going back with all of the uh even in the boy town uh the Boy Scouts office over there, all the big plans that were going to be made, the buffers and this that and everything else, everybody seemed to approve it, you know, at that time. and that that's what we were all
looking forward to. That doesn't seem to be the case now. I'm sorry that some of your people are, you know, with the buffers and everything else like that, but I mean, how can we change things like this and everything else? The
waiverss, I just find it just too much. I just would like to be not approved. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Connie Bernie. >> Hi, I'm Connie Brunie. I'm a Northport taxpayer. I actually own five properties
that back up and abut this specific piece of property. So, I'm very interested in this. I've owned my first piece of property since 2012. I've been coming to Northport since 2006. I'm very aware. I
was involved at every single step of this, including attending the auction way back when when the former golf course was auctioned off. And then the original buyer had to back out because of arsenic poisoning or contamination,
let's call it, at that time. So, I'm very concerned about ongoing changes being made. The folks who own this now knew what they were getting. They made specific promises to their neighbors in
as an incentive to get it approved. Now, many of us might have been more aggressive in opposing this had those incentives not been offered. So to come back now after the fact and
say we only had to do XYZ by code is irrelevant in my opinion. So I'm putting that on the record. With regard to May 2015, the golf course closed and it's was kind of ugly back
there for a long time. I've been to many of my units. I can tell you that it looks a whole lot better these days. It does. Mr. Van Busker's done a good job or whoever you're representing has done a nice job there. I do think that it looks better. But the concept that we're
continuously peeling away and peeling back what was agreed to feels like we are genulecting to developer demands and it is not something that's a good idea as a matter of policy. So I ask you to consider all of that. I I guess in this
case I differ from the president of our board. Uh I with the villas of Sable Trace. I'm not in favor of this. >> Thank you very much. >> All right. Well, commissioners, it's our turn.
Don't be shy. Welcome, Commissioner Duval. >> Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, yeah, I won't be shy here. First of all, you know, being a quasi judicial proceeding, um, I've
had to say this before, Mr. Buskerk has a son that is married to my wife's daughter and we share the most beautiful grandson that you've ever seen. Uh and that has nothing to do with my
vote. Okay. From my perspective here, I just do not see approval of changing these buffers. There are
residents in the colony. There's residents who have condos that are right on the lakes. Uh there are other residents of Sable Trace that aren't so close to the lakes. I have to look at they're all taxpayers.
And then there's other taxpayers that don't live in Sable Trace. At our last meeting that we discussed this, one of our environmental division people spoke and mentioned the
term heat dome. Heat dome is basically what's affected whether you have concrete, grass, trees, and it just seems
that everywhere. I mean, I've seen it myself, uh, being in the area of 41 and Veterans Boulevard, concrete
buildings, Walmart, stores everywhere, and the temperature. and then driving my way home on a road that has trees on both sides and literally the temperature drops.
So I have to look at all of the citizens of the city of Northport that can be affected by having foliage kept. And then there's one more group of people that I have to respect,
and that group of people are the commissioners that signed on to this back in 2019. Am I going to turn around and say, "Yeah, I don't care what you said. I'm totally against making any change to
this agreement." Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner. Uh, Commissioner Langden. >> Thank you, Mayor. I agree that when a developer makes an agreement with the city, a development agreement with the city, they should be
held to that agreement. However, um as I listened to the residents at the last meeting and over the past couple of weeks and at this meeting, it has become clear to me that
the majority of residents um in all of the Sable Trace communities support the developers amended plan. At the last meeting, staff did voice um
some concerns that were compelling to me regarding um some environmental protections that needed to take place. I was happy to see the developers um
presentation tonight with several modifications to the buffer plans that took into account staff's concerns. What I've also learned five years up
here that whenever we have to make a judgment about land use, it's inevitable. will make some people happy and we will make some people not so happy. I guess that's what we all signed up for. It just it comes with the gig.
So, having said all of that, I want to thank staff and I want to thank the developer for being willing to do some more work together to make some modifications.
Um, and I will be supportive of um implementing um this plan with the modifications that were presented tonight. >> Commissioner Petra. >> Thank you, Mayor.
I stated my position uh very clearly at the last meeting. So I'll be standing on that position in this meeting. And I want to say a few things. Um, not repeating myself because I called the staff and they talked about
environmental impact and whatnot and how it's going to benefit the surrounding community and um wildlife and birds and the root system. And today we heard that it will
support a big consumption of water if those trees are planted. But I want to say that I'm not too convinced that the majority spoke loud and clear. Um we I've talked to many I shouldn't say many
many but uh quite good number of people at Fair View Builders. Um and uh the actual manager that she supported this the property manager that she supported the actual initial buffer
and then she said once it was conceded by the city uh right now she's hesitant because the new proposal includes oak trees and she's afraid of oak trees altogether. So that might be she's in favor of the current waiver amendment to
wave the requirement. Um, but I also want to bring up the September 18th uh zoning and planning committee um where was well attended attendant and uh majority of those people who showed up and gave um their
whatever the speech or debut of a position majority of those people would not support the waiver. Um we were not told about that meeting and um clearly zoning and planning committee
recommends otherwise. So I'm not in support of uh granting waiver. After all I have not met any person who is against trees until the last meeting in this meeting. Uh we are the city of trees and the more trees the better and now we
saying the less is better. Um to me it's counterintuitive. I I don't know if um majority agrees with me but I have not met anyone who's against trees. Now granted there are circumstances that you would
not plant a tree over your driveway so it fall off fall on your car eventually but we talking about far away from the lakes and that would keep the wildlife in place and um ecosystem in place. Um
but um that's where I stand. Um but I do want to say a few things as a compliment to the uh Peter and his proposals and willingness to appease and work with the residents around that community. he has
done an amazing job um in that regard and um unfortunately I cannot be in support of your request at this time and I'm not sure how my commission how the rest of the commission thinks but that's
where I stand. >> Thank you commissioner. Uh anyone else on here want to chime in? Is that everybody else's book? I'll speak. Yeah, I was very firm on my uh position
in the last uh meeting and I still am. Um as a commission, we're always told we don't listen to the citizens. We don't listen to the community. I said it last time, I'm saying it again. Community is here. The community has spoke. This is what the community wants. This is where
they live. They have asked for these waiverss from the development and uh I would be ready to approve them for the community. That's all I got. Mayor, >> thank you, Vice Mayor. Um well um
last time this item was before us. I had serious reservations about it. Um, and interestingly enough, I kind of echo the sentiments of one particular public speaker who has concerns about this project and this developer.
And I did a lot since that meeting to try to put my concerns about the overall project and and and whether or not this was the beginning of a trend here to peel back this project
to satisfy the developer. And uh Lord knows I've been accused of being in developers pockets for a long time. ever since before I even got elected. But I listen to the people on this one and I talk to a lot of people who live
in and around this area. There is nothing that prohibits anybody as long as they're following city code from planting trees in their yards. So certainly if somebody would like to plant additional bushes or trees, I think if they follow their HOA rules and
the city's rules, uh they shouldn't have a problem doing that. And um in this particular case, as as Peter made a point of saying, I don't necessarily believe this ask is because the developer wants it. Yeah, she'll save a
few dollars, but the reality is this really was the desire of the neighborhood and the people who live in and around it. And so while I may have my personal views regarding this developer and this project and a lot of other things that are ancillary to this,
I've come to the to the conclusion and the decision that um we should do what the people in this neighborhood would like. And so I'm going to support this. I think that the parties work together to compromise and to find a a a fair
way, a balanced way, and and I think it's the right way to go. So, um, you know, I'm going to support it. So, with that, I'm looking for any, uh, where are we here? We looking for Not yet. Yeah, we do have closing arguments
coming. Um, so, who do we have up first? Excuse me while I put these on so I can see what the heck I'm looking at. Um, so I guess we got staff, Miss Elena. anything to this in the way of a closing
argument? >> No, sir. Staff has no closing arguments. We thank you for your time. >> Thank you, ma'am. Mr. B Kirk, >> I just want to thank staff for all their time. Again, um as I said last, I'm sure Wlette really had did a great job
putting her report together. Um she was very conscientious in how she put all the facts together for you guys. Um and um maybe just for Commissioner Dval and Commissioner um we are planting 717 trees where we're only required to plant
70. So we did go well above and beyond um even with this plan. That's where we are. So we're not ignoring the fact that we want trees too. Um and we will have street trees commissioner Dval up and down our streets. So um you know that that that cooling effect will be part of
our neighborhood. So thank you very much. Thank you, sir. >> Well, with that, folks, it's time to close this public hearing and I'm looking for a motion. >> Thank you, Vice Mayor. I move to adopt ordinance number 2025-28
including approval of the amended buffer plan as presented by the applicant and approving the gr approving the grant of waiverss one and two and approving the change proposed to the buffer adjacent to lake 13 as presented this
evening and revised. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by commissioner Langden. Um, somebody need it read back. >> Sorry.
>> City clerk, would you be kind enough? I've written differently to approve option four adopting ordinance number 2025-28 including approval of the alternate buffer plan along with waiverss as presented by the applicant featuring an increased number
of shrubs, a type two buffer along the north side of Lake 13 and the addition of six live oak trees in the open space near Lake Six. >> Thank you, ma'am. You're welcome. >> We ready to vote? And that passes three to two. Gentlemen, uh, we make some people happy.
>> Do either of you commissioners uh wish to speak to your vote? Um, or Mr. Petro? >> Uh, no. Oh, I stated my reasons. Thank you, >> Mr. Dva. >> Reason stated. >> There you go. Thank you, gentlemen. All right.
And thank you folks for coming in here. >> Thank you. >> All right. Moving on. Where are we? 7:00 5. We got plenty of time. Ordinance number 2025-31. City clerk, if you'd be kind enough to
read by title only. >> Ordinance number 2025-31. An ordinance of the city of Northport, Florida, regarding sales of alcoholic beverages in proximity to churches and schools, amending the code of the city of Northport, Florida, section 6-1 and 6-4, providing for findings, providing
for conflicts, providing for separability, providing for codification, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you very much, city manager. Your item, sir. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The information for this second reading at the October 14th, 2025 regular city commission
meeting, the city commission moved to continue ordinance number 202531 to second reading on a 40 vote. Um, there were no changes to the reading. The recommended action today is to approve option one, which is approving ordinance number 202531 on the second
reading today, October 28, 2025. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, sir. Uh, commissioners, anything to this item? Going once, going twice, three times. All right, we have any public comment on this item.
>> All right, I'll close this public hearing and I'm looking for a motion. >> I'll make it. >> Go ahead. >> Thanks, Vice Mayor. I move to adopt ordinance number 2025-31 as presented. >> Second. Got a motion by Commissioner Langan,
seconded by Commissioner Duval to adopt Ordinance 2025-31 as presented. There's nothing more to this, folks. Let's vote and that passes 520. Moving on to resolutions 2025-R77.
Uh, this is a quasi judicial hearing. City Clerk, if you'd be kind enough to read by title only. >> Resolution number 2025-R77, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida, Florida, vacating a portion of utility and
drainage easements for lot 27, block 2096, 45th edition to Port Charlotte subdivision, providing for findings, providing for recording, providing for conflicts, providing for separability, and providing an effective date. We did not receive any agreed party forms. Can everyone rec um wishing to provide
testimony, please stand and raise your right hand? >> Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to provide is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge? So, help you vote. >> Thank you. >> Right. Uh exparte communications, Commissioner Pro.
>> None. >> None. >> None for the mayor. >> None for me. >> None for me. >> All righty. Moving on to presentations. Applicant Good evening. Uh, I'm Evan Deninich. I'm an owner of about name property and uh
um I applied for vacation easement or partial vacation easement um about a year ago when I became aware that this property is not in a good standard of the city and zoning department. I became a property owner about 2 years ago, a little two
years ago and I um purchased this property as is and I was not aware of uh this current issue and about a year ago when I learned that uh the previous owner who built a house also built a pool and went over allowed
allowances on vacation easement. So when I did a survey I was aware of that and uh I came to zoning department they advised me to apply for variance major variance which was granted about a month ago and also for vacation of easement
for approximately 5.4 ft into the easement uh in the back of the property. I applied uh for that I provide all the supporting documents and um did pretty much what was required of me by zoning department.
Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Staff, >> good afternoon, Commission. Adriana Silva. For the record, I've been sworn in. Today we will be discussing um the vacation of easement at the
property 1328 Eastman Circle vacation of easement under resolution number 2025R-77 with a petition number of PVAC 251810. The applicant is I Mr. Ivan Dankinch and his request is to vacate a portion of
the platted rear 10-ft utility and drain drainage easement located on lot 27 block 2096 45th edition to the Port Charlotte subdivision with the listed property identification number at address 1328 Eastman Circle.
As a background, as Mr. Ivan Denin has explained he's requesting the vacation of easement to bring his property up to code compliance and he has been notified of the existing encroachment and has provided all the supporting documents which has been reviewed by planning and zoning to be in compliance.
The property area is 9,971 ft with the total utility and drainage easement to be vacated at 148.2 ft. And there is the portion of the easement to be vacated. The utility providers have reviewed this
request to vacation for the platted side 10-ft utility and drainage easement per thec section 2.2.17C 2.17c and through written response all of the utility providers have granted approval and it is standard practice that if
within 10 days we receive no notification it is assumed that the vacation of easement is uncontested. Again this has been reviewed by staff to be in compliance with Florida statute chapter 177 and the DC chapter 2
development review processes. As for legal review, the city attorney has reviewed the accompanying resolution number 2025R-77 as to form and correctness. Staff, the planning and zoning division does recommend approval of petition
number PVAC 25-01810 via resolution number 2025R-77. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, >> yep. Rebuttal's up next. Uh, applicant,
>> I don't have any further comments. Just asking for approval. Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. And staff? >> None. >> All righty. Um, there are no agrieved parties. So, uh, any public comment on this item? >> There is none. Then commissioners
anything to this? >> Commissioner Dal. >> Thank you, Mayor. Y basically this owner is kind of suffering the consequences of what another owner did and the whole thing of this is to bring it into compliance and
I support this. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, sir. Commissioner Langden. >> Thank you, Mayor. just want to thank the current owner for being willing to go through the somewhat arduous process to bring your property into compliance with city code. So, I just really appreciate
the effort and I'm very supportive. >> Anything else, commissioners? Are we good? All right. Uh closing arguments, uh staff, >> none. >> No. >> All righty. Then with that, I am going to go ahead and close this public hearing. And I'm looking for a motion,
folks. >> I'll make it. I move to adopt resolution number 2025-R77 as presented. >> Second. >> Got a motion by Commissioner Dval, seconded by Commissioner Langden to adopt resolution 2025-R77
as presented. Let's vote, folks. And that passes 5 to zero. Thank you, Sarah. >> Thank you. Thank you for your time. >> Moving on. Resolution 2025-R78. Is this also a quasi judicial hearing?
City clerk, you're up. Resolution number 2025-R78, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida, vacating a portion of maintenance easements for lots 19 and 20, block 1633 of the 33rd edition Fort Charlotte subdivision, providing for findings, providing for
recording, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. There are no agreved parties. Can everyone wishing to provide testimony please stand and raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to provide is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge? So, I hope you got it.
>> I do. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, commissioners looking for any exparte communications. Commissioner Petra, >> none from me. >> Vice Mayor? Nothing for the mayor. If I ask, >> nothing for me. >> None. >> All right. Moving on. We're ready for
presentations. Applicant? >> No. >> No applicant? No. >> We got staff. >> Yes. >> Again, for the record, Adriana Silva, Planner 2, Planning and Zoning Division. And today we will be discussing resolution number 2025-R78
for a vacation of easement request at 252 Pinewood Street. This request was submitted by Renova Homes LLC. Their request is to vacate a portion of the platted rear 20 foot maintenance easement with a total of 267
square ft located on lots 19 and 20 of block 1633 of the 33rd addition to the Port Charlotte subdivision. Again, the address being discussed is 252 Pinewood Street. Here is the area to be vacated and
Renova Homes LLC is requesting this vacation of easement to construct an ingground swimming pool on their property. The total property area is 20,02 square ft and the total area of the maintenance easement to be vacated is 267 ft.
The following utility providers have reviewed this request to vacate the portion of the the v the plattered rear 20ft maintenance easement and per the United Land Development Code section 2.2 17.C C and through written response were
have granted approval of this request. Again, it is standard practice that if no response was submitted that the vacation request is deemed uncontested. This vacation of easement was reviewed per Florida statutes and found to be in compliance with chapter 177 of the and
the ULDC chapter 2 development review. The legal review was conducted on this resolution by the city attorney as to form and correctness for 20 resolution 2025-R78. The planning and zoning division staff does recommend approval of petition
number PAC 250042 via resolution number 2025-R78. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh would staff care to rebut themselves? >> No. >> Right. We're happy to hear that. Uh and
we have no agrieved parties. So I'm looking for any public comment we might have on this item. >> There is none. >> Uh with that commissioners, we're up. Anything to this? Commissioner Pro. >> So the pool is not built it.
>> No. Yeah, they don't have enough space to build closer to the house or what's the deal? >> Any construction on this property will have to go through the building permit process and will be reviewed in compliance with the ULDC code.
So they have they have to continue the process and review it and it will only be approved if it is we have not reviewed the request but they will be subject to the code just like any other property and request to construct.
>> So they didn't care to come and be presenting. >> I'm not sure if the applicant had the time to come to the meeting. I have had other applicants have to request off of work to be able to come represent and I think they believe that you would make the proper decision.
>> So I guess I would rephrase my question. >> Yeah, >> there's not enough space for them as it is right now to build a swimming pool uh not encroaching on easement as of as of right now or >> correct. That is that is why they're
pursuing this vacation of easement. Right. Does that answer your question? >> Somewhat. >> Okay. >> You good? >> Yes. >> All right. Commissioner, uh, that any public comment?
>> There is not. >> All right. And commissioners through um, I guess at this point we'll, uh, we'll look at closing arguments. Any closing arguments? >> None. Then I will close this public hearing and I'm looking for a motion. >> I'll make it.
>> Go ahead. >> I move to adopt resolution number 2025-R78 as presented. >> Second. >> Got a motion by Commissioner Langden, seconded by the vice mayor to adopt resolution 2025-R78 as presented.
Let us vote. And that passes 520. All right. 7:30. Uh, moving on to resolution 2025-R83. This is a quasi judicial hearing as well. City clerk, if you read by title
only, please. >> Resolution number 2025-R83. A resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida, Florida, vacating utility and drainage easements for lots 12, 13, and 14, block 235, 18th edition to Port Charlotte subdivision, providing for findings, providing for
recording, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. There are no agreed parties. Can everyone wishing to provide testimony, please stand and raise your right hand? You swear or affirm that the testimony you're about to provide is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge, so help you God. >> Yes.
>> Thank you. Great. Thank you very much. Uh looking for any expert communications on this item, Commissioner Petrol? >> None for me. >> Vice Mayor, >> I have none. >> Mayor has none. >> None for me.
>> Um yes, I have. So, uh, this property is located in my district and it's also in in my neighborhood and I know the people that own this
property and I have had several conversations with them uh about this and u obviously, you know, we've had phone conversations and emails and and conversations in in
in in person about this. >> Thank you, sir. All right, with that, we're on the presentations staff. >> Thank you again, Adriana Silva, planner 2. I've been sworn in. Today, we will be discussing resolution number 2025-R83
for a vacation of easement at 2465 Salisa Terrace. The applicant on this property are Mr. Ronald and Miss Christine Cross. Their request is to vacate a two two of their platted 6-foot side utility and drainage
easements located on lots 12, 13, and 14 of block 20 235, 8th edition to the Port Charlotte subdivision. For the record, I have been sworn the background on this property, Mr. and Mrs. Cross are requesting this vacation
for the flexibility of use on their property. No specific intent to build anything expressly on the property at this time. The property area is 3 36,116 square ft and the total area of the utility and drainage easement to be
vacated is 2,640 square ft. This request has been reviewed by utility providers for compliance with the ULDC section 2.2.17C and through written response have granted their approval. If no response
was received within 10 days, the request is deemed uncontested. This request has been found to be in compliance with the Florida statute chapter 177 and ULDC chapter 2 development review. The city attorney has reviewed this
accompanying resolution 2025-R83 as to form and correctness. Planning and zoning division recommends approval of petition number 25-02921 via resolution number 2025-R83.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. And assuming you're not going to rebut yourself and we have no agreved parties. Do we have any public comment on this? >> All right, commissioners. Anything to this? Commissioner Langden?
>> Um, I have one question. Seeing as this property would be vacating two drainage easements, um, and although no plans are currently presented for how this property might be developed, what kind
of impact would the easements of those drainage um, the the vacation of those drainage easements have on the overall drainage plan for that property? I know it would be very dependent on what they might
build, but um I'm just a little bit concerned about flooding in the area with two drainage easements being vacated. >> Yes. So, I wanted to pull back up the utility review process slide. So, here you have all of the agencies that this
request is transmitted to. So when we transmit them for review, we do provide them with the sketch and description of the property as well with um the survey and they review this to see if the property would require further access in
the future to maintain and upkeep their requirement for drainage in the surrounding area. So, um, Northport Public Works and Utilities have reviewed this request and have deemed that this would not interfere with their future need for maintenance.
>> Okay. Thank you for that. >> You're welcome, >> Commissioner Duval. >> Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Um, basically, you know, because I do live in a neighborhood, I'm familiar with this property. U,
Mr. and Mrs. Cross own three lots. Uh basically they're asking to vacate the easements on either side of their house. Um they do have plans um to possibly in the future right next to
their house on one side where the easement is, you know, to put in a standby generator. and the um contractor that would do it, you know, kind of requested, you know, that if we
could get this done before hurricane season, he would get that generator put in. And I do thank the city manager and city staff for getting this on the agenda now because there has been some delays. Um,
another neighbor across the street at the corner of Arena and Salista. These people own the property at the corner of Arena and Salista. and another neighbor across the street who owns a
couple of lots put in a concrete drainage paid for it himself that takes water excess water from that area and dumps it into one of the city canals behind their property and they paid for it themselves. Um
so obviously I kind of support this. Um, I would ask city city attorney, um, could could you shed a little light on whether or not the input commissioner Duval just
gave is input that under a quasi judicial process we're allowed to consider. And I'm asking that I sort of know where I sit with this item, but I think it's important that you might weigh in on that because I
think it it it is an issue worth. >> So in >> oxygen too proceeding, >> the board no matter who it is, is only supposed to make a decision based on the evidence that's before. So you had they said what they said to you,
commissioner, but they're not here before you. So you can't make any decision based on P. If that was here before you, it would be a different story, but that's not here. So you have to make it based on the evidence that before you applying it to the law, which is the code as and you know chapter 177.
>> I just have a question related to that. I was thinking along those same lines. I had a similar concern. >> Certainly. >> Did you give me the floor? >> You have the floor. Okay. Thank you. Um but but given that the commissioner was
providing the information as part of his um uh via quasi judicial exparte evidence. Does that make it
legitimate information for us to consider? >> If it was before the board, yes, but I think it was given secondhand to him. So, no. If if the individual was here, it would be a little bit of a different story. May written something in a letter
and you enter that into evidence would have been a little bit different. >> Okay. Thank you for that. >> Yeah. Again, in this particular case, it's relatively benign, but but I bring it up only because it it's it serves as good education. It's also a good reminder to those of us who have served a little longer, too, because it's easy
to lose sight of the idea of competent, substantial evidence and what >> Exactly. And the issue is whether or not you're going to have to cross-examine the evidence. And the person not here, you can. >> Cool. Appreciate your input. Um, anything else, commissioners?
uh or on the closing arguments >> if it would be beneficial to the commissioners. I did want to expand on the ULDC section 2.2.17c for more context on the review process.
So in the code it does explain that based on the review that the utility agencies provide they need to find that the easement meets the following requirements that the vacation is of a public easement. It is not needed to provide city service to any property. No
public utilities or city facilities are located or planned to be located in this area and the easement is not necessary to any logical extension of public utility service, sanitary sewer service, drainage or other city services to any property in the future or an alternate
and equally acceptable easement of such extension has been dedicated to the city. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Okay. Uh, we have no grief parties and we have no applicants. So, let's, uh,
close this public hearing. And I'm looking for a motion. >> I'll like to make that motion. I move to adopt resolution number 2025-R83 as presented. Sorry. >> Got a motion by Commissioner Duval, seconded by the vice mayor to adopt
resolution 2025-R83 is presented. And let's vote on that. Commissioner and that passes five to zero. With that, yeah, we're about to move on to general business. Let's take 12 minutes. Pete always needs an extra two
minutes. So we're going with 12 minutes. Figure be back here at 7:52ish. >> Community involvement. So we're very happy to have that tree protection code. So what I a lot of what I do is making sure that development either residential or commercial conforms to that code.
>> We are such a passionate team. We come from varied backgrounds. Uh I think between us we have over a 100red years of experience and we are every day raring to go and you know we know our work is cut out here and we're happy to uh take the challenge
>> through the division and community involvement and leadership in the city. We really hope to make great strides in protecting what we have here and finding that balance with development and environmental stewardship. I am excited
to be a part of this team and I'm really seeking and looking forward to the opportunities for us to be able to make a difference. I started with Charlotte County Utilities as a meter reader in 2004. So that's kind of where I got my foot in
the door. And once I reached a point in my life where things were more stable, I decided to leave Charlotte County Utilities and I went and got my insurance license. It was very exciting doing that for a short period of time. But after a while, I started thinking about the utility. It was in my heart.
At this point, I had almost 12 just two months shy of 12 years in. And so I realized during that time my heart was in utilities. And so I started looking around again. and I seen an opening here to be a CN D tech. So, I applied and I
got in. Typically, I get here at 7 in the morning. I get my list of, you know, if I can get to this, this is what I need to do. And I get in my truck. If if I need any supplies, parts, tools based off of the work I was given that morning, I'll pick that up here at our
shop. And then I head out and um my goal for the day is just to get as much work as that was assigned to me done as possible. And sometimes that happens. And other times there's a lot of first response calls that come in. My favorite part is the uniqueness. It's um not knowing what I'm going to be faced with
every day. It could be different. It's not mundane in any way. And it's exciting when you get a call and you're you're on your way and you don't know what it is. And you you have the experience and the knowhow and the backing to face whatever it's going to
be. So I feel very confident in facing these calls. And I think that's my favorite part. Hello everyone, Devon Pulis here, aquatics manager. Welcome to my crib. We have fun here at the crib. Programs included. Become a past member. Play all
year long. Payer at the crib. 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. 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 ever here at the
crib. You're coming to enjoy 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 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
individual and unique. Check it out. Check out the main pool kept at a wonderful 84° all year long. I just want you to have a good time. We have safety covered. Lifeguards here,
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. My crib is your crib. Looking forward to
seeing you here. >> Duty calls. Hello, my name is Devon Pulis. I'm the aquatics facilities manager with the city of Northport. And today we're going to be talking with you guys about our free swim evaluation. It's important that we do these swim evaluations so as
uh kids are registering for swim programs, they get placed in the right class. What we're looking at when we're doing the swim evaluation is every swim level has what's called exit skill assessments. So, what we do is we have your child get in the water and we'll go through a series of different movements. Can you go under the water? Uh, can you
show us your front crawl? Can you show us back crawl? Can you show us elementary backstroke? Different strokes within there. And what we're doing is we're trying to see where your child tests to before it becomes a challenge for them at that point. Once we assess that, then we'll let you know and you can go ahead and sign your child up for
that appropriate level there. It's important that we have these so that way when we're teaching a level one, we don't have kids that should be potentially in a level two and a level one class because they're not learning the appropriate skills that they need at that point in time. Right now, uh when we're in full summer operations, uh we
ask that people come between 8 and 10 to do the swim evaluations just as you can hear the water splashing in the background, slides and everything like that. But any day of the week uh that we're open, you can come in at any point in time and ask for a swim evaluation. We always have a certified swim instructor on site that can uh have your
child take a swim assessment. They're trying to get >> close to me. I decided to become a firefighter. I used to work in uh hospitality and group sales and I had always had friends that were firefighters and I decided one day
that I wanted to change my job and serve people. So I went ahead and went through a EMT and paramedic program, went to fire academy and then I saw Northport were hiring and I really liked what they
had on their between their ISO rating and their beliefs and values and everything. So I applied. They gave me an opportunity. Every day is different, but for the most part we start off the same. We'll uh get our gear onto the
apparatus and um make sure everything's operational like our air pack. Then we also check the inventory. Uh make sure we have all our medical equipment. Um everything's operational. Um that way we can respond to any emergency so we're always stocked and ready to go. I think
the best part is that everyone's passionate about their job. So they come to work and they're ready to train and uh take care of each other and and teach each other. So everyone's sharp and on their aame. So it makes the job fun and I just look forward to coming to work.
Yeah. >> Oh, you're swimming in the pool. Most of us don't think about how our city works. We drive on maintained 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 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 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 departments. So in the case of a 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 it's state, local, federal, revenue. All these things come into play. And >> with Commissioner Emering,
I'm sure he will be here momentarily, but we can move on a little bit to general business 25-2905 discussion, possible action regarding the city clerk's annual evaluation. City manager, you're right, sir. >> Thank you, Mayor. This is the annual evaluation for madame city clerk as a
spouse. Um the city commission shall individually and collectively review and evaluate inviting the city clerk annually no later than November the 1st due to personal and budgetary reasons. The city clerk is requesting an approval of a 0% increase in salary for this
evaluation period and respectfully request the commission to honor that request. We have also transmitted information requested today regarding the other clerk salaries in the area for your consideration. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, sir. All right,
commissioners, we're up. >> Let's talk first. >> Commissioner Langdon. >> Thank you, Mayor. I've been working with city clerk now for five years.
>> Yeah, but sure. Thank you. >> I've been working with city clerk now for five years and from my perspective, I've watched her grow exponentially. In those five years,
she's grown not only professionally, but also personally and as a manager. She is the most credentialed city clerk in the county.
She has recreated her team 100% >> uh since she took her current position and she's building her team. I have personally witnessed some of her team
building exercises much to my amusement. they were having a lot of fun. I want a job in the clerk's department. And um she also encourages everyone in her department to also develop professionally
so that we can continue to deliver a very high level of service to the residents of this community. Finally, she's really focused on improving her confidence um and her communication skills,
particularly in speaking in these forums and speaking in public. And as someone who has had to overcome a fear of public speaking, I really appreciate the effort
that that takes and I have a lot of respect for that. I also want to point out that not only is she the most credentialed city clerk in the county,
she is also the least well compensated. Now, we've spent um this in the previous commission has spent a fair amount of time over the past few years of rightsizing
um the salaries of our charter officers. And as we saw tonight, city clerk, this is the second time. It might be more, but this is the second time that you have asked us to not give you a raise at
all. I find that unacceptable given the performance that you have put in. So for all of those reasons, oh let me also say
I totally understand that we are in a current situation where finances are um very important. We are in an environment where we don't know what the next year is going to bring in terms of
the city's taxing authority and I totally expect that this commission will go into the next budget cycle with a very different headset on. I think we've done the right sizing we've needed to do in terms of numbers.
We've done the right sizing we've needed to do in terms of compensation so that we can attract the very best talent in this city so that we can continue to improve and deliver a high level of service.
And so for all of those reasons um despite our concern about what next year might look like we'll address that in the next budget cycle. I don't think that burdening
our city clerk with those concerns at this particular point in time is fair to her given the results and the performance that she has put in. So, um, I'm going to propose a 10% raise for the
city clerk. That will put her slightly above the next most poorly paid city clerk in the county. So, let's sort of sort of keep this this in balance. Um, so
that's my review. I'm sticking to it and and that is my proposed um increase for the city clerk and I'm sticking to that. >> Thank you, mayor. >> Well, thank you, Commissioner. Commissioner Petro. >> Thank you, Mayor. I find it very
acceptable to honor her ask and not to have a raise because we have to honor her ask. That's a starting point. But I find it very intriguing that when we look for comparison, we choose within
the county and we um I don't want to say the less affluent community, but uh certainly we comparing Longboat Key, city of Venice and uh city of Sarasota with
you know how they stand and how affluent those communities are. But we don't compare Punaorda for example or Port Charlotte. Uh I find it amusing that we pick and choose what we want when we come to decision making process. So I would like
to be very unbiased and unfair uh and fair. Um but I also want to compliment the city clerk and her work at least on my level interacting with her. uh she's
been very prompt replying, very approachable, uh very disciplined and I guess that comes from a military experience. But um at least on my level, I can say that she has done a good job
uh with me as a individual city commissioner and what I've witnessed as a city commission war that she did a good job. So, uh, also going back to my first point, um, I think, uh, 149 is a fair
salary taking into consideration the current economic condition we are in as a city. Um, and I would not be in support of in support of raising 10% um, of her salary. that doesn't mean
anything of what I think less of her or more. It's totally separate uh in a way and um plus she asked us to wave it. Um and I want to honor her ask.
Thank you for your work. >> Thank you for your input, clear commissioner. Anybody else on this? >> I got a question. Commissioner Bow. >> Thank you, mayor. Some of the points, you know, we were
given this data sheet. Um, you know, comparing city of Northport, Longboat Key, city of Venice, city of Sarasota, our population is the highest. Our city clerk's salary is the lowest. Her certifications are higher than any
other. I've been here a year and I get to see a lot of, you know, the city clerk's office has been my lifeline. Uh, I'm an Android per person and city gave
me an Apple phone and an Apple iPad and without the people in the city clerk's office and some IT people, uh, it's a different language, you know, and when you're 76 years old, learning a new language isn't easy.
um the work that she's done, you know, as my fellow commissioners have mentioned, you know, building her staff, building the correct staff, and making the tough decisions when needed.
Um that's not easy. And then I look at um the request to, you know, not get a raise, you know, in in the vein of, you know,
leave some of that money for the people that work for me. And I add to that, um, I had a discussion with the city manager in in my one-on-one and we talked about, uh, CPI.
A lot of senior people, you know, myself included, you know, are on social security and our raises go per the CPI. And with my discussion with the city manager, you
know, we talked about, you know, well, what's average for for CPI? It's kind of difficult because, you know, there isn't a real average. Some years it's 2.7, some years it's 3%. Occasionally, a few years ago it was one
it was almost I think it was around 8%. Um, but just for this year in the example I well I got the notice it's 2.8%. And that will be the social security raise. So I kind of take that into know I'm trying to put everything together
and you know next year you know we are going to have problems. Um, it's hard for me to say to the city clerk, "Yeah, take no raise." Uh, everybody deserves a raise. You
know, the work the city clerk has done and looking at all the figures, um, I'm going to say I think 10% is a little too high, but I'd go along with 5%. >> 100%. I've always,
you know, said from when the city clerk, you know, when I first met the city clerk and I was sitting down there, uh, we have the best city clerk and I believe that totally. Thank you.
>> Thank you, sir. And vice mayor. Yeah, that's questions for uh, Miss FA. in your past raises and and this I'm going off of Commissioner Lang Langden's statement. Didn't we do a rate sizing a
few years ago or has it been just a consistent raise platform over the years? >> I've had consistent raise platforms over the years. Last year I did um change my evaluation date to match the time frame of new commissioners coming in so they weren't rating me right after they came
on board. >> Right. No, I remember that. But I I thought we might have given you an extra raise, but no, it was because we changed the dates, you ended up getting two different raises in in that year. >> Yes. >> Okay. Gotcha. I just wanted to remember
um as Commissioner Deval spoke coming into this, I was not happy with saying, "Yeah, I don't need an increase." I I think she's worked very hard for it. Um and I I I agree. She does deserve an
increase and I was a little shocked when I heard Commissioner Langden propose the 10% because our normaly with charter officers is 5%. So I'm in agreement with Commissioner Dval uh on the 5%. I I wouldn't go any higher at this time.
That's just my opinion. >> Thanks better than zero. >> That's all I got mayor. >> Now I get to weigh in last. Um, do you deserve a raise? You bet you do.
You run a great department. In the 3 years I've been on this commission. I've seen the department get more and more professional. And frankly, it's a pleasure to work with you and your staff. So, you know, do you deserve
a raise? You bet you do. And it is to your credit to care enough and to have the big picture to realize how tight dollars are for this city, but you shouldn't have to do it on your dime.
You can do it on your budget, on your department's budget dime. And so, you know, I'm supportive of a raise of 5%. I think it's fair. That's typically what we do. and um it's an acknowledgement of how good you are at what you do and and
the hard work you've put in and the credentials you've accumulated here and and the value you bring to this city. Um as we go into our next budget cycle, which is going to happen a lot sooner than probably anybody ever thought it
would or wished it would. Um and there's a chance where we have to really tighten up the belt even more. We know we're going to have a lot of challenges. And to me, that's the place for each of our department heads to look at when they're
given a direction and and and a number of dollars or percentages to work with. That's what they work with. I don't think any one person needs to fall on the sword for it, but I commend you for doing it. I think it's an honorable thing to say and do, and it makes me want to give you the raise all that much
more. So, I'm good with the 5%. Commissioner Langden. Yeah, I I I do want to acknowledge that Northport is not a wealthy community,
but when we go to source staff, these are the communities we compete with. And I think it is very safe to say that
when you're the city clerk in a city of almost 100,000 people that the workload is heavier than smaller communities that aren't growing as rapidly um and don't have some of the
financial challenges that we have. And when you have a city clerk who has aggressively pursued her own professional development, has recreated her department,
um, and pulled together. So, I mean, I have never been more happy with the support I get from the city clerk's team and to give her the average raise knowing we're going into an environment
where there might not be any raises. We don't know. Um, to not acknowledge what she has accomplished in the past few years and give her the average raise. um I think is an injustice to our city
clerk. And if not 10%, let's do a little better than 5%. We know we're going into tough waters for the next few years. and to to not
acknowledge and reward what this city clerk has accomplished would be grossly unfair to her. >> Mr. Christian Petro, >> thank you, Mayor. Now, you can see that we have turned to zero.
Just I want to make it clear. I did not propose zero. I just said let's honor her request. Uh, but I just want to make it um uh more fair and I I do believe that the city clerk sized her department
appropriately and um there's uh enough people and she's doing good job as far as managing. Um I'm okay with 5%. Um I would not go more than 5%.
Um but uh that's the beauty of a board you know we have differences of opinions and we can narrow it down and make it more workable and pleasable to um in this case city clerk um that she
might be be well rewarded for that but I think 5% is is very fair and I wouldn't anything above I think it's extra extra it's >> extravagant Thank you. Um, so I would I would I
would do uh um 5% and be in support of 5%. >> Thank you. >> One more time. I didn't hit the >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. >> Well, I I just remember the last time
when she came up and asked for 0%, we got on this tangent of talking about how great she was. So, I just think this is a repeat performance. Thank you, city clerk. >> It's a strategy. >> It's a strategy. >> That's all I had, Mayor.
>> Thank you. Do we have any public comment, city clerk, on this? >> Do we have any public comment? >> Debbie McDow. >> Debbie McDow. And it just shows what a leader she is by saying, you know, I
don't need to raise budgetary constraints. She's looking out for her team. She's looking out for the taxpayers. She's looking out for the citizens. And that should be commended. The other thing is she is highly skilled in her role. Municipal city clerk.
That's her her experience. That's her training. She earned that certification. But what I did not hear, and forgive me if I'm telling your story out of school, she's also a Florida municipal city
clerk. That is amazing that she has that kind of credentiing. >> And I have to I have to correct you, Vice Mayor, when you say on average we give our charter officers 5%. y'all gave
him 15 last year >> in the right housing. >> So, you know, I I um she does deserve a raise and I know that's shocking to hear from me. uh 10% is I would never go for it, but you also
have to honor part of her request of looking out for her team and the budget and every other reason that she doesn't want a raise and maybe just kind of meet in the middle of zero to 5% and just give a CPI so that way then she's not
losing any of the income that she already has. So, I'm just throwing it out there. Great job, city clerk. You do a very good job for your department. >> Any other public comments? >> All righty. Um,
with that then looking for a motion. I'll make it. >> I can hit this button. I move to conclude the annual evaluation of the for city clerk Heather Fost and give her
a 5% salary increase. Second. >> Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Dval to uh conclude the annual evaluation of city clerk Heather FA and award her a 5% salary increase.
Um there's nothing more to it, folks. Let's vote. And that passes 520. Congrat. >> Yeah, why not? >> Um I I voted for the 5% raise. I'm I'm
disappointed that it wasn't higher, but I didn't want the community to perhaps misconrue that I was not supportive of giving city clerk a raise at all. So, it was clear for me in the comments shared that the
other commissioners felt 5% was appropriate. So, um I I I went with that. So, I'm I think city clerk, you definitely deserve more, but again, I didn't want anyone to
misconstrue if I voted no that I didn't think city clerk deserved a raise at all. So, uh I I went with the 5%. Thank you for sharing that. >> Yes. >> All right. >> My heart on my sleeve.
>> Moving on. We got 25-29 21 discussion possible action regarding individual commissioners interaction with staff. This is item is at the request of Commissioner Pro. Um so I'm going to turn the floor over to him and Dimmitri.
>> Thank you, Mayor. >> Certainly. There are a number of reasons why I put this agenda item for discussion. Um to solve this issue. Um, one of the main reasons is uh I guess it's a great concern for me and it needs
to be addressed and solved and um I would like to ask u city clerk to put or it to put the chart of a city organizational work chart
and um just I have a couple points to make so it might be a little bit too long but not too long a little bit long but not too long. Uh first let me be very clear all five of us are public elected officials. Uh which means um we
were elected by the people of the city. Hence we're accountable to the people of the city and not only on election day but every day we serve. And uh I highlighted the top
of this chart with the citizens of Northport. That's who is in charge. And we as at least I'll be speaking on my own on my behalf. Now I'm accountable to my constituents to the citizens of this
city. Um I do know I do know my role as a commissioner and uh lest we forget we can take a look at this chart again and that that chart clearly shows
the flow of authority. So that's my first point. Um, and uh, because I was elected, I'm not looking for any more promotion because if anything, and I tell this somewhat often, I'm not looking for any
more promotions because if anything, I got promoted by being elected. Uh, so that's my first point that the citizens of Northport are above us and we shouldn't forget that. The second point I want to make is let's talk about the
charter limitations for the commission and yes thank you Heather. Um and if we look and why do we need to talk about this because um I was told not to ask any questions uh to city staff
let alone get on one-on-one discussion with the staff. Um, we can talk about the interpretation of this item and get differences of opinions and legal opinions and legal
scholars, but the truth to the matter is is simple. What is the best for the city? Now, if you want to be technical, and I want to be technical, um we can use our logic and um I'm going
to be reading from the city charter section 5.02 02 uh and uh in the booklet of the city charter that it's page eight and it clearly states that neither the
city commission nor any commissioner that is individual commissioner shall give orders or orders to or make requests of any of the city's city manager subordinates.
Now give orders means tell someone to do something. Make requests is a bit different. Means ask someone to do something. So, as a commissioner, I'm prohibited or
limited um by the city charter or our constitution to tell some our staff to tell some someone to do something for me. Give me this report. That would be I'm not allowed or limited to give
orders. Making request, hey, can you ask to do this for me? That is also not allowed. A simple dictionary definition in short, it simply means not to give directives or orders to the city employees i.e
staff. Uh it does not this document does not prohibit me from talking to the staff. This document does not prohibit me to have a discussion or one-on-one.
This document does not prevent or prohibit me to ask questions such as why? Why are we doing this? Um meaning getting deeper in the question. Um,
and I find it ironic because we are a unity of community. We are community of unity. Uh, where's the openness? Where's transparency? Uh, for the past 12 months, I've been very weird. And I tell you why. Weird is
very strange or not natural. When I'm around staff, I can only ask, "Hey, how's the weather?" or "How are the kids?" That's weird. When I have when we have a national night out or any other city event,
I cannot approach anybody. I'm the first one to get away from the old festivities. I don't like to attend national whatever night out or Halloween. I'm not allowed to ask any questions by the directions of the city manager. Um I mean, do you see any
problems with that? Um do you see any problems with the control of information that flows solely through one person where the thousand of around thousand people are employed by the city
and um I cannot converse or and ask any questions um why are we talking about this I got to this point um few days of that meeting I don't know exly date, but I can look it up. The date of the meeting
was 23rd of September. Uh my agenda briefing is on Thursday. So whatever the Thursday before that meeting was, whatever the date was, I was essentially given an ultimatum saying either we discussed this publicly
or you abide. I'm paraphrasing, you follow the rules, um which I took it on my own initiative and um I'm bringing this to the light and
um want to talk about this. Um, shielding the commission from everybody else who works in the city is absurd in my opinion. Telling the city employees not to engage in conversation with the commissioners is absurd.
Hearing from a high level employee who is the director who told me personally after I had conversation with him commissioner sh you cannot talk to me
is absurd. Um asking some questions one of the directors and that is that is this is a different director. Uh, I was told I cannot talk to you. I cannot answer you because they going to
ask me what I said. I mean, I was I got to this point because sooner or later it had to be addressed and I'm not really confrontational by nature, but I
just want to want to resolve this. And this document is our policy for the city commission. And we just went through the give orders means tell someone to do something. Make request means ask someone to do something which I've never
done by the way. I have not violated either order. Give orders make requests. In short, give directives. Um more than once, more than twice, I witnessed such ridiculous statements to my face from the city employees when I was simply wanted to chat. Not about the
weather. but to even but but to deepen my understanding about something that was important to me to know as a commissioner to make a right decision and I know the explanation that was
given to me if you have any questions ask the city's manager's office or go through his office uh we did witness the meeting that was held on September the 23rd and the response from the city manager and that's a separate subject
which requires attention but I want to stick to my topic first. Uh the city manager misqued the charter which I came up to him after the meeting and I told him you did misquote the charter by saying we cannot ask questions or saying
ask he was saying asking questions is a violation of our city charter that is not true. Um, numerous times the city manager and some city commissioners told me personally that if I if individual
commissioner asks the staff, it puts them into uncomfortable position because of our status and that was repeatedly embedded into my brain over and over. You put them in uncomfortable situation.
Um, and quite frankly, if I was employee of the city, I would feel uncomfortable because I would not want to lose a job, my job, which is my my income to support my
family. Um, I would not want to lose my job and I would abide by that policy obviously. um which is my next point that will be leading to the the personnel policy. But before we go there,
I find it contrary we as commissioners can get firsthand accounts of our city operations. Uh we can challenges and opportunities by speaking directly to staff. I mean, if we're talking about transparency, what is that to hide?
um if uh if they're told not to engage, of course they're not going to engage. Um but I respect the office of a charter officer, in this case, city manager. Um but I will not respect tolerate any
behavior that undermines the effect effectiveness of my job as a city commissioner. Um and third I would like to ask uh it or Heather to put the policy uh so we can talk about this. It's the
expert uh it's a section from the policy that I want to talk about but which was developed I believe by the current uh city manager and adopted by the city manager. Uh let's look at the personal policy number 6.8.
Um and uh first paragraph of this policy says city commissioners are expected to communicate with employees through the city managers through the city manager or designe
and um let me pull it up myself because I brought some notes. I see so many problems and so many flaws with this policy that I don't know where to start but um just have some patience.
U I'll go through all of them. Um this policy self love that it needs to be modified. So city commissioners are expected to communicate with the city employees through the city manager. Um my question is and you don't have to
answer this now. How does one expect to enforce this policy for the city commissioners? I mean, this is a this is other way around. Uh, and I'm looking at the screen because the same policies displayed on my screen. So, don't don't
think I'm not looking in your eyes, but um it's to me, let's let's go even further. I have problems with procedure. Any employee who receives verbal written request direction, okay, or inquiry from
a city commissioner inquire. To inquire means to ask for information. It is flawed. Meaning commissioner must immediately notify uh employee must immediately notify the city commissioner
uh city manager, I'm sorry. Uh it's it's clearly flawed. F L AWE flood. Uh, no employee is authorized to respond directly to a city commissioner
without the prior approval of the city employee of the employee employees charter officer. It's like asking a deputy chief uh Morales, what is our vacant policy on public property?
and he would be like, "Commissioner, let me get back to you. I got to run through the city manager's office. We'll reconvene next week or I'll send you an email with a question or better yet, ask the city manager's office that question.
Don't ask me any questions." And that's a hypothetical example that did not happen. But if Deputy Chief Morales would abide by this policy, that that's how he would do it. Um, which is completely flawed.
Um, next we go to the second paragraph of procedure. Well, let's let's do first one. The commission does not answer to the city manager. The second paragraph uh says last sentence all verbal and written
communication with the city manager. Let me read it. This shall ensure that the city manager and appropriate staff members are informed on all verbal and written communication with city manager. I'm sorry, with the city commissioners. That's flawed. I mean that's that that's
that's another problem there. Uh number three, for employees who fall under the city clerk or city attorney authority, all written communication including request for information must be directed through the city clerk or the city attorney respectively.
I thought the charter officers are independent. How does this policy of city manager falls under the city attorney or city clerk? I mean by reading this policy the control is
expanded over to the city clerk which is a dependent and city attorney. How does this policy applies to other city charter? I I just want I'm asking these questions not looking for the answers right now but I want I want to know the answers after
I'm finished. Um, so in my opinion, staff should be free from fear to interact with individual commissioners. After all, they can read the charter themselves by not accepting orders from the
commissioners. Um, I know the intentions of commissioner Devolved. By no means he was trying to undermine the authority of the city manager's office. I know him well that he's he thrives to do what's the best for the city. I
mean he's 76. What is he promoting himself with city employees trying to be cool guy? I don't think so. But he can speak for himself. uh staff should feel free to engage in conversation with individual commissioners but case after
case I can tell you that the staff was and is directed not to engage with individual commissioners. It is evident that because I was told by those employees to my face, I cannot engage with you. I mean, what do you
want to talk? Uh, if you ask me, it's a hostile work environment. I just uh I I'm a new, but I cannot
continue as it is. I I just cannot. um we as individual commissioners or the board for that matter don't have to abide by this policy which is clearly expected that we should from the policy first sentence. Um
I grew up in the system where I was not allowed to ask questions where there was no freedom of speech. I see some resemblance in this city and
in the culture of the city and this is very worrisome or trouble environment for me at least. Um the policy should reflect the city charter instead of madeup rules that directly
impacts the commission board or individual commissioners in a negative way. Uh I just I find it ironic that the citizen can come to any
director to anybody in the city chat about whatever they they want as an individual or as a group whereas whereas commissioners or commission or individual commissioners as I am I'm not allowed to ask
questions. Um I do believe it's time for change and change must be implemented within this policy and our city cultural environment.
Um and I also believe um this policy certainly has ethical implications and most likely legal um implications which is include which includes the first amendment. I mean you're not allowed to ask questions.
Okay, you can ask questions but don't go any the nature of the question might be limited as we heard from the city managers on that meeting of 23rd. He started to ask questions that are in nature
that puts the staff into uncomfortable position. And again going back why why uh do they feel uncomfortable? Well simply because if they answer the questions or if they engage they can
lose the job. That's it. I mean transparency. What about my core values which I ran on was transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility.
I cannot go against my values. Um, I do have a motion to make, but uh I would like to open up the floor for the discussion of my fellow city uh commissioners.
Um, let me end with that. I do not my intention was not to undermine the authority of the city manager nor go against the charter but I can read
very well. I might not be as eloquent as some others but uh going back to give orders or make requests. Give orders means tell some someone to
do something. Make requests means ask someone to do something. Tell someone to do something. Ask someone to do something. If we cross that line, yes, we can be warned. We can be put on the floor and whatever you want
to call. But you might say, what about the sunshine law? I've looked into that also. Uh, Florida law does not have a general restriction on a commissioner talking to a staff member. Commissioners can communicate with city
employees for factual information and advice that would be totally against current policy without violating the sunshine law as long as it's one-on-one interaction with two commissioners or more being present without the notice of the
public. Um, I I do have something more to say, but I don't want to too take too much time. Um, so with that, I want to open up a a
discussion and thank you, mayor, for giving me the floor. I appreciate that. >> So, thank you, Commissioner. >> I would like to know your opinions. All right, Vice Mayor, you're up next.
>> Yeah, Commissioner Pro, you brought up the charter and you quoted from section 5.02, limitations of the city commission powers. The one thing that I noticed is you started in the middle of the sentence.
The beginning of the sentence states, "Commissioners shall deal with administrative services through the city manager." It says, "Shall, not may, not should, not maybe."
So that's what's in the charter. That's the language that was approved by referendum to be in the charter. >> Mhm. So it and if you need
just one second, the definition of administrative duties include overseeing city operations and departments, managing the city budget, and implementing council decisions. They are responsible for hiring and supervising
staff, acting as a liaison between departments and the elected officials and serving as the city's public facing representative to the median citizens. Essentially, they are the chief administrative officers responsible for
the day-to-day professional management of the city. This charter is what binds us as commissioners with those limitations. Now, with that said, you said you cannot talk to staff. That is untrue.
>> I was told that. >> No, no, no. Listen, because we have one-on- ones, we have agenda briefings, we have all sorts of ways that when we communicate with the city manager, and I'm just going to use a hypothetical since Sy's sitting back there. you had
questions about something going on in parks and wrecks. You go to the city manager and said, "Hey, I got my agenda briefing or my one-on-one on Friday. Is there any way Sandy could be here for this discussion to discuss these issues that I have?" And nine times out of 10,
if there's not a conflict between either one of them, she would be there to answer your questions. you do have access, but the reason being going through the city manager is so everybody's on the same equal playing field. If you catch an employee
offguard, they may not have that information handy. They may have to go look for it. But if they know that, let's say your your questions about new playground equipment, let's just use that. All that information would be easily available through that meeting. So all
your questions can be answered. It's a procedure that we go through to where you need information if it needs to be sent to the rest of the commissioners. Just like we get on agenda briefing emails, a commissioner asked this
question. Okay, we get the question, we get the response. Everybody's on the same playing field. If any one commissioner just goes rogue, we don't have all that information. We don't know what's going on with that situation.
you know, are you going and not using you personal is a commissioner going to this person or this department to try and influence staff to do something out of nature which is prohibited as well.
So that's why these procedures and policies are set up and the policy that you mentioned is set up because of this charter. Another thing that's set up because of this charter is the city manager's contract.
So when you violate the charter, you violate the contract. So that could open up doors down the road that we wouldn't want to see either. But either the charter needs to get changed. If the charter is changed, so does the contract need to get
changed. >> So can I respond, ma'am? That's all I had. I'm done. Might commission. >> We're having a conversation. I don't mind. >> Yeah. And and this is a healthy conversation. So, you know, I appreciate everybody being professional about it. Thank you.
>> Well, Commissioner Petra, by all means. >> Yes. Uh thank you, Mayor. Uh Commissioner Emir, I respect your uh input. Nevertheless, um I I will include commission shall deal with administrative services. I
never said that. I overstepping or and can you read the first sentence of that definition again? Um so I don't have to find it. I was going to find it but since you have it >> it says city I just googled it. It's >> city manager administrative duties
include overseeing city operations and departments. >> City operations departments >> managing the city budget and implementing council decisions. Never in my 12 months, a little bit less than 12
months, I've overstepped to that extent. I've never want, this is why I want to be loud and clear, never wanted to deal with administrative service. I don't want to manage the budget, manage the budget. I don't want to manage
employees, tell them what to do. This is completely irrelevant to what I'm saying. It's it doesn't this is has not no correlation what I'm saying and legally
I ethically and legally this policy is wrong I we can go point by point you can put this on the screen again um I have notes written under each end of the line all of them they actually
procedures violate the charter if you want to go that route these or this document or portion of this document violates the charter. I mean how do you want us
to be expected to communicate through the city manager's office? Uh what about inquiry? To inquire means to ask question for information. Moreover, the city employees are guarded in such a
way that they cannot engage with us. Uh I just find it amusing. I if this is not a clear presentation of my facts, I don't know what can be. But um
I want to hear what others say, but I I want to go on after that. Maybe make a motion or Okay, >> good to have you set commissioner. >> Yes, >> Commissioner Langden.
>> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I I do concur with vice mayor. When I read the city charter, what I see is a clear delineation in the role of charter officers. In this case,
city manager in the role of commissioners and city manager is responsible for the implementation of policies and laws that this body enacts. Um,
so I I do agree with Vice Mayor that we're limited and and should be, but I really don't want to go there because what I'm hearing in your comments, if I'm reading you right, is that you
feel that you are being prevented from getting information that you feel you need to do your job as a commissioner for the city. Am I reading you correctly? Is
that your concern? >> Uh you're so predictable, Commissioner Lincoln. >> I strive to be >> and I concur with the vice mayor on the uh administrative services. That was not
even my point. I'm not going there. I'm going what I'm not what I'm prevented from. If I want to get information, I will. But that's not the right way. I shouldn't say right way. That's not
the only way it should be. So, yes, I can ask the city manager, but I'll be repeating myself what I just said before. Um, I was very thorough. Um, if you want me, I can go back to my notes. I
>> if I may, I I do want to add some more on to one of the points that Vice Mayor made, which is about having anformational playing field. So, it's interesting. We sort of had this conversation when
Commissioner Duval was sharing some information in quasi judicial that he had gotten through casual conversations with his his neighbors. It it's a similar thing. So if one of us
gathers information through one-on-one conversations with different members of staff, how does that information get shared with all of us so that there is a level playing field of information
for me? You know, if if you brought information like that forward to share with this body, my question would be, who is this person? Are they really in a position to give us a full and complete
picture of the question? are they really someone who understands the broader topic and can give a really complete answer to the question.
So again, I and let me also say and I think Vice Mayor mentioned that, you know, we we had the opportunity in our one-on- ons um I really use my agenda briefings and um several times when I've
had questions of a certain department or even concerns. Now my job isn't execution, but sometimes you see things and hear things. If I have a concern, I'll have a conversation with city manager and say, you know, I I have
these questions. I'll I'll pick on Elena because she's here. I have some questions about what's going on in development or certain projects in the city. I'd like to speak with her and and either city manager will set up a
one-on-one for me or more commonly the department head that I have a question about will come to my agenda briefing and we use that time um and as I'm sure you've observed yourself we'll see memos
come across a commissioner had this question and this is the answer to that question so we all have an opportunity to get that information. Um, and again, if if any of us sort of
go outside of that, number one, we do run the risk of getting information from someone that may not have a complete picture of that situation, who might not be able to to share. and the and the rest of us I
wouldn't have the opportunity to question that person to say oh well what other things were considered and rejected and why you know so once we start delving into operations in that way I think we really
start skirting potential issues with the charter potential ethical issues I certainly would be unhappy with my fellow commissioners if I felt that they were getting information that I wasn't privy
to and couldn't validate on my own in my own way. So again, I I have to ask because I'm sensing that you feel that you're not getting access to information. >> I never said that. >> No, you didn't. But I'm sort of in your
comments and concerns. Is that not I mean do you feel you get the information you need to do your job as a commissioner >> because if you don't there could be a variety of ways we might resolve that.
>> Um >> well again I'm going back to the charter. If the charter does not prohibit me from conversing with the city employees, >> but again, I think it does.
>> No, >> reading the charter. >> No, it does not. But let let me folks, >> I want you would you all be kind enough. This is such an important issue for us to discuss and I think for the city, too. Please, it it's it's a bit
distracting for me at least to hear people talk. you know, we're trying to do this in a in a really civil, respectful way. So, we really want to air all this. So, please, if you could and and give the commissioners a chance to talk to each other here
>> again. Thank you, mayor. Uh, I'm going back to the city charter. The city charter does not prohibit me and I'm a logical human being. I intentionally ask ask questions on my agenda briefing or
oneon-one so that it can be emailed to all of you and you can have the same information. That's not what this is about. This is about the policy that is completely flawed. I mean if we if we need to go over again I can go paragraph
by paragraph. This is this policy is written in such a way that keeps us versus them. Well, no wonder that nobody wants to talk to me. Um, and I'm being weird for
the past 12 months. I'm not looking for the information that would be privileged information and not shared with you. Like I said, I intentionally ask on my agenda briefings, on my one-on-one, more of an agenda
briefing so that information can be shared. I'm asking and I I I can give example vaping policy. Hey, deputy chief, where what is our vaping policy on public places?
I cannot talk to you, Commissioner Petro. You have to go through the city manager. those types of questions, conversation. I'm not looking to overstep any authority. I'm not looking to promote
myself. Clearly, the charter states making requests, ask someone to do something for me. Give orders means tell someone to do something for me. Never I asked those
types of questions. But every time I conversed, somebody was looking over my shoulder like Hawks, you know, deputy or assistant deputy or assistant manager. Um, and I I was new. I couldn't figure out within minutes
the information flows back to the city manager who would rebuke me from talking for talking to them to those people which by the way not his employees are city employees. We we should not be doing these are my
employees or s or yours or this few. Um I was told from employees that are no longer with the city that information is being withheld from us. that information is being
presented in such a way that we would do what the staff requests upon directions of the city manager and those are not disgruntled employees those are real facts and if we want to go and get written affidavits and to that extent I
don't I don't think we should go that way but what I'm simply asking and that would be in my motion is to remove and redo this policy which is completely flawed. And go again, I'm not going on the same level of information
and all that stuff. I mean, I've heard that many many many times. I've heard same stuff over and over that that puts them into uncomfortable position. That's and I addressed that in my answer. Of course, that puts them into uncomfortable position because of this
policy that is flawed. If anything, this this policies has ethical implications and if we if we if we I don't want to go any route to that extent, but if it needs to be, it's legally
flawed as well. I mean, I'm not >> there's certain type of question you can ask and there's a certain type of question you cannot ask. I mean, who decides what? It doesn't prevent me from asking any questions. Of course, if I would be
saying, "Hey, assistant, whatever the director of planning zoning, I need the report of such and this and that." Yes, I crossed that boundary. I never done it.
And if I've done it, let the truth come out. Maybe I did it unintentionally, but I don't recall that I did. But I'm going back to this. This is flawed. This needs to be changed. I never want to do administrative services. I never want to
undermine the city's manager's authority. I just want to do my job effectively. And if I have a question, and I'm not going to approach somebody, a landscaper, and asking him, hey, how many properties do we have as a city? Do
we know? Do you know? That's that's not That's that's a joke. If you and you if you're referring keep referring to that same level of information. I mean it it's such I don't know what to say but if this is
not solved I'll seek other routes to solve this or alternative routes to do this because um clearly Commissioner Dval and I we wanted to do what's best for the city and we've been
uh coerced for a better lack of words but um the I want to do my job effectively. I want to be free. I don't want to be a weird guy and not converse with the city staff. Not giving any directions. I'm not
asking for that. I mean, how many times I had to make myself clear. I'm not looking to promote myself. I'm not looking to undermine his or her office, charter offices or authority for that matter. But this needs to be addressed
and have a proposition. But um I guess I'm going in circles repeating myself. >> Thank you. Um what's that? >> Well, I have something to say. If anybody wants to speak, they're more
than welcome to put their their name up there. Um, it's a good conversation and Commissioner Petro, you know, makes some, you know, raises some valid concerns, you know, about his ability to
talk to people and we could sit and and debate. You know, I listened to everybody speak so far and, you know, uh, you know, there's there's been a number of comments regarding the interpretation of the charter. I mean,
we all read and speak English and and we can read it and interpret it as as as we see fit. Um, you know, uh, but when this whole issue came up and it went on to the agenda, you know, I I I
tried to see, all right, who else is doing this? It's not like Northport is the only thing that exists in this world. There are there are other municipalities, counties, organizations. You got the military, you got private business, you got uh municipal
governments. H how do they handle this? Is does anybody else do this um and allow basically an unfettered uh access for commissioners in a council uh manager form of government?
I can't find anywhere even AI and we all know AI is like they know I mean AI is the truth right I mean I pulled all kinds of stuff off the line and AI says absolutely commissioners should have
access to information and to subject matter experts in order to be able to do their jobs and represent the citizens as long as it's done through a structure And there are so so many reasons I see
why why that's important. You know, accepting the basic premise that any elected official has the absolute right to any information they want and access to any person who works in this city. I
absolutely concur with Commissioner Petro that that's should be the case, but it should go through a structure in order to protect everyone. I believe that Commissioner Petro and Commissioner Duval have the utmost
integrity, but not everybody may believe that Commissioner Petro has a business with his brother. What happens in the event some third party who who might have been hustling to compete with him for a project he
might want to do and said and makes the accusation you know I have an unreliable source that Commissioner Petro talked to members of the building staff about this now maybe he did maybe he didn't but I don't want to see him in that
position if if we were to ask the ethics board what they thought they they would say he hasn't violated anything either way, but potentially
this that could possibly happen. I don't know what their recommendation would be. the ICMA, the um I mean I I the university studies, people who are experts out there on this form of
government and all of them start with the same basic statement. Elected officials absolutely have access to information and to any subject matter experts, but you got to do it through some form of
structure. I've never wanted anything or if I just wanted to learn more about something. Okay, no one person knows everything. So I, you know, if I want to talk about land use, man, I know who I want to talk to and I have asked for the
ability to do that on occasion and and of course I've gotten it. It's not been a problem. And then it's processed and everyone can share from the same information that I've benefited from. And and for employees, you can look at it one way that employees might live
under the fear of god a a an oppressive leader who might say, you know, you run the risk of losing if you if you talk to anybody. I look at it the other way that what if an employee
who has a certain limitation of information at whatever level they may operate at, we as commissioners need to make sure that the information we're getting is accurate. It's complete. It's comprehensive. It includes all perspectives. We've been fighting hard
to make sure staff is held accountable to that. We don't want to know just what staff recommends. We want to know what staff thinks, their subject matter experts input into a 365 degree view of a particular issue. I want to make sure
we all benefit from that so we can make the best decisions for the citizens. The other thing is as commissioners, we should hold our charter officers responsible for their departments and for the actions and
behaviors of everyone who reports to them. If and and we know it happens because in especially an organization of a thousand people there there are people who are happy with things aren't happy happy sometimes happy not sometimes have
issues sometimes and the ability for an employee to either purposely or inadvertently circumvent that chain of command so to speak and undermine perhaps the authority of a supervisor or
or a manager puts them in a tough position because if they that employee were to say, "Well, you know, I did it because, you know, I mean, I thought that was what I understood. I talked to commissioner so and so and and they said this and that and how can we as
commissioners hold our charter officers responsible for what happens in their departments?" I don't want to withhold information or access to anybody. So, you know, we've we're layman up here and ladies, we sit here, we we we try to
interpret this information. Um, I've talked to other administrative people. I've I've talked to other municipal venues. Nobody nobody does it. and and and some commissioners
want to get a little deeper into subjects and and that needs to be accommodated through a structure. I no problem with that. I'm totally in lock step with commissioner on that. But, you know, maybe the best way, you know, we
sit here and we have our opinions and we're all entitled to our opinions and we all have made some pretty good points and and and raised various perspectives. What about getting one a legal opinion from our legal opinion? Even though we
we sort of already have that, but maybe in a more formal sense, maybe we should reach out to a third party organizations to actually get some input on this. Maybe we should turn it over to the charter review board because after all, that's one of their responsibilities.
I'd be real interested to to allow them to perhaps go do some due diligence and try to determine who else does this and and where there might be a sweet spot, you know, or or maybe a a way to do this
because I think we're talking a little cruep. I mean, Commissioner Petro is saying, "I'm not doing anything that's wrong. I just feel that I ought to have access." And there's arguments for why you should and there's arguments
for why that's a can potentially be a very slippery slope for everybody involved in a particular situation. So maybe we should defer to to you know either people andor organizations who
are incredibly more knowledgeable than we on the on the the charter is ambiguous and and that maybe it doesn't say that. Well then yeah maybe we need to address a policy thing. But it it just seems like, you know, if you step
away from it a little bit and you just look at this issue, what's our endgame here? The end game is to do the best for our citizens in this city. And that requires access. It requires information. If there's a way
to get it without undermining a chain of command or walking that slippery slope, I'd be interested in hearing more about that. So maybe that's a direction we could go. And again, I
you know, if it takes a form of a motion or consensus, we could see. But um I don't want to hug any more time. Commissioner Duval, you have the floor, sir. >> Thanks. Thank you, mayor. I have so many
so many thoughts. Since that meeting where I held up the poster, I can't tell you how many nights I've woken up at 4:00 in the morning and I can't sleep. Whenever I have a meeting that I have to
come to, I don't sleep. On a day when I know I don't have to go to city hall, I sleep like a log. 76 years old. I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself.
But I am an elected official in this city. This is very uncomfortable for me. Back when I worked for a living, I supervised as many as 120 people. And the dictim that I lived by was
you praise in public, you criticize in private. If I had an issue with one of my employees, one of my students, brought him into my office and we talked things over.
This is city government. This is different. Everything's supposed to be Sunshine Law in the open. So, as uncomfortable as this is, you know, I've known for weeks that
this has to come out in the open. First of all, none of it is personal. Me, it's about the business. And the business for me is the citizens's business. When Commissioner Petrol first started speaking,
um, he used the term hostile work environment. And for me, that's what I've been seeing. Shortly after I was elected, we had an item on our agenda to
vote to either replace or not replace a couple of trailers, storage trailers at public works that had been damaged by the hurricane, Hurricane Ian, I believe it was. One of the trailers was around $20,000.
The other one was over $50,000. And I'm like, gee, a storage trailer, you know those metal containers that come in on ships and they go on flatbeds, they go on trains. You can buy one of those used for about $4,000. I'm thinking,
gee, maybe the citizens would appreciate if we could buy something a little cheaper. Public works isn't far from my home. I went to public works, parked my car in the yard. It was around 3:30 in the afternoon. There were some
workers that were finished, you know, with their major jobs for the day, but it wasn't time to clock out yet. So, they were sitting outside. So, I just asked a couple, you know, where are these storage trailers that need to be replaced?
and they, you know, seemed a little confused then and he said, "Well, go ask that guy." And the guy went over and asked, you know, apparently he was a supervisor of some sort. And I asked him and he looked at me, he said, "Who are you?" And I told him that I was a newly
elected commissioner. I left there, went did some errands, went home. By the time I got home, city manager had called my my phone twice. And the next time I saw the city manager or city manager said to me, "We don't allow the public in those areas."
I didn't say anything, but in my head, I had this thought. I am not the public. I am an elected official of this city, and it's up to me
to know as much as I can about the decisions that I have to make. That was the first one. When it comes to talking to city employees,
we had a meeting here on this day as we were all here not that long ago and the topic was options for funding for a possible
transfer station. And we were given three possible options of how to pay for it. Our referendums didn't pass. So there were there were an option of well we'll charge a onetime fee of $160
to all residents or maybe two years at $80. There was a third option. Mr. speaks who is a wellrespected public works official here was right
there speaking and in public in this meeting I asked him a question if you were making the decision and I was asking his opinion if you were making the decision which one of the options would you pick
and when I asked that he turned red. He started to get he got flustered. He started to laugh a little bit and I turned and the city manager was shaking his head. No, do not answer. This is a public meeting
and I mean how much more open can I be? And it put Mr. Speaks. I apologized to him later because you can see it put him in a in a bad position.
There was another meeting during our budget talks and we had a manager here from the head of IT. my career, I dealt with some of the equipment that
it deals with. And I asked that director in a public meeting said, "Are these switches that you're asking me to spend $600,000 on this year? Are they multiplexers?"
And he looked at me and said, "I refuse to talk about anything that has to do with security. I didn't catch on to, you know, I didn't even know about, you know, this policy. I didn't catch on to it in the beginning.
One day I walked into permits. I work in city hall. It was easy for me. I have a brand new door sitting in my garage. And in this city, you have to have a permit to change your front door. I walked into the permits to ask about how
to apply for a permit. And there was a lady at the desk and she came to me and I told her what I wanted. And all of a sudden this gentleman came from all back and he started to talk. He interrupted her. He stopped her. I said, you know, what are you doing? You know, and I said to him, he said, he's trying to apply
for permit. Oh, okay. Well, then you you can talk to him. I was like, "What is going on here?" I became aware of an email that was sent to a citizen, not an employee, not a commissioner, but
to a citizen. And it said in the future, send your emails to the city manager, especially if it's concerning city commissioners. A city official is demanding that a
citizen do something. I'm sorry, that's just wrong. Plain flatout wrong. I spend quite a bit of time here sometimes. Sometimes I come in on the weekend.
One day I came in on the weekend and it was raining, but I knew there was an employee door on the side of the building. I went over, tried my badge, door clicked, and I went in, went to my office, and did what I planned on doing.
The next time I tried to use that door, my badge didn't open it in between the time. Well, uh, we used to have a a printer
in the storage room over here. It was between the hallway and the hall that goes to our offices. Well, fire department, they're doing a new new building and people are moving around and everything. And now that's
being used. You know, there's employees sitting in there. is used as an office. So, we lost that printer. So, anytime I need, you know, I'm going to print a number of things or I'm going to print anything that might have to be color, I go to the city clerk's office.
The quickest way for me to get there is to I can't go through that office anymore. I go around the hall, go through a door, and I go down the end of that hall, and then I go in that back door to the city clerk's office. When I came in to work on a Friday,
a week or so ago, I went to the front door of the city clerk's office and clicked my badge and it was locked. I couldn't get in. I went to that door and it was locked. I couldn't get in. I had to ring the doorbell.
City city clerk staff came out and let me in. I'm like, what's going on? Well, after a little bit of investigation, he said, "Well, they're trying to separate things."
And a few minutes later, my access to the front door of the city clerk's office was resumed. Few minutes after that, my access to that door to go into the back way that was locked out and it's
still locked out after the meeting with the where I showed that poster. Shortly after that, um,
we had one-on- ons with the communications division about progress on their rebranding. We Okay. I'd like to ask my fellow commissioners where
they had that meeting. either the clerk's office clerk's conference room or the uh city manager >> city manager's office >> two it's usually where we at >> I had mine in the city manager's conference room not his office the
conference room >> city manager's conference room that is inside of the city manager's office. I had mine in the city clerk conference room 204. My one-on ones after that meeting were not in the city manager's office. They
were in room 204. Since then, they've been redone again and now they're back scheduled for the city manager's office. Zoom. >> When I was given tours of different
departments when I was first elected, I always had an escort. And when I went to the utilities department again the instrumentation that and by the way
nuclear instrumentation is my background the instrumentation they use their SCADA systems okay I'm very familiar with all that stuff so when I toured through there and you know was speaking with the workers it didn't take very long before they realized ized that, hey, this guy's
one of us. And when I left there and we're walking out, one of the employees shook my hand. He said, "Hey, come back anytime." I didn't walk 25 ft. And one of my escorts, the deputy city manager, said he didn't
really mean any time. We've had a number of employees in the last year leave of the city's employee. Some of their own valition and some not.
And I really worry about and I've said this in my city manager's evaluation. There's this top down. There's this it's all the city manager
and that's carried over last year. Shortly after I was elected, Christmas season came. fire department had a food drive down in front of a Walmart. I went and bought $150 worth of groceries and I went down there and gave
them to the fire department. Shortly after that, the police department had their shop with a cop. They do this for four or five days in a row. The first day they did it, I went
down there, gave them $150, you know, and, you know, watched as children were able to walk with a cop and a shopping cart and get $150 worth of stuff.
So, this year, I came up with an idea. I have a preferred parking spot. I came up with an idea that maybe I could do a raffle and I'll raffle off my parking spot.
I'll charge a dollar for a ticket and it'll be for city and people people at work in city hall and I will match up to $250 of my money
hoping to get $250 combined from city employees. That's $500. 250 you'll go to the fire department for groceries and 250 you'll go to shop with a cop. So I talked about it
with some people and tried to figure out well you know how would we do this? Where could we put the thing? Next thing I know, I get a an email from
HR. I thought HR should be involved basically because I didn't want to run a foul of some law that I don't know about, you know, where public officials can't solicit money or something, you know, it just I wanted to
make sure I was doing things legal. HR came back and said, "Talk to the city manager. Do I feel that there's been a hostile work environment regarding, you know, with me? Yes, I do.
I just don't know what else to say. Thank you, >> Commissioner Pro. >> Thank you, Mayor. I told numerous times to our city manager that I don't have anything personal and if someone else was sitting
in your chair, I would be asking the same qu the same questions regarding agenda items or whatnot. I'd be researching topics the same way and I tell him all the time
nothing personal and this is the case that it's also nothing personal but I have to concur with commissioner Dval it is a hostile environment and I want to wrap it up because um you know we cannot go on and on but we make it
more complicated um I'm not asking for anything but freedom to converse with the city staff. We wouldn't need a legal opinion because the charter says I cannot give directions or directives.
Uh the charter does not prohibit me from asking questions from conversing with the staff. I mean the best way to understand a person is to be in his shoes. So if you were a commissioner,
you have a public event and there are eyes following you where you're walking and what are you talking about and every person that I talked to get has to report to the city manager what I was saying asking what was the
topic and what was the answer of that city employer to the city commissioner. It's completely wrong. It's completely restrictive and it wouldn't do anything. It's shame on the commission board. I tell you
right now, it is a shame because from what I'm reading, it's two against three if it comes to voting. >> But it's a shame if we don't change this policy. Uh legally, it's has its own
implications. certainly ethical ethical implications. So I want to conclude with this. It's overstepping of city manager authorities uh at least within this policy that is
coercing me and commissioner Dval to relinquish our right to engage with the city staff. there might be need to instit institute an outside investigation to conclude that by the outside party that we witnessed on September 23rd 2025.
I was told many times numerous times and I was given an ultimatum either this you abide it or you will be or this agenda will be publicly addressed which I took initiative on my own.
It is apparent from this that the city manager does not does not know the limitation of his role and be accountable and be held accountable for such and
I'll conclude with that nothing personal and uh I also So make a motion if I may. >> Well comment. >> Yes. I'm sorry. Yeah. Later on if I can
make >> Skip before you make before you make any motions. Commissioner is there with regard to this agenda item because again we got to kind of land this plane. Um we've been at it and and I don't want to suppress anybody's right to talk or or voice their opinions, but we need to
have a pathway forward somewhere. So commissioner, please feel free. You got the floor. And then let's let's let Commissioner Petro make a motion and see where we can steer this thing. You got the floor, sir.
Well, now you're trying to direct me in one one direction or another. Uh but after I finished speaking, you know, I thought of a couple other instances. Okay. And I can't believe I, you know, forgot this was, you know, in my
one-on-one with the city major. I go around to different city departments occasionally. Started with the fire departments. I buy a couple boxes of cookies. Fire departments are really easy because you can pull in the driveway. Usually there's a big door open and there's
probably a couple of guys working on a truck. So, I've gone to all the different fire departments and things. police department wasn't so easy. You know, they're all kind of locked up and you know, I didn't get inside. A pole car pulled up and uh
when I talked to Deputy Chief Morales about it, he said, "Well, you know who got those? The detectives did. You know, it's hard. You know, our patrol and they're out their cars 12 hours a day and you how do you get a cook, you know, some treats to them?" But our parks and recck department won
three awards recently. So I bought a couple packages of cookies. I'd never even been in their offices. But I went to the third floor. I went to their door. And as I got there, somebody was coming out. They opened the door. They came out. I
went in and I saw some ladies sitting in their little cubicles in the the front of the floor. And I said, "Hey, heard you guys won some awards. It's cookie day. One of the managers out back came came out of her office and actually showed me
the the award, you know, the little statueets. And it just occurred to me at that moment that I had just seen something on an agenda or whatever that uh we need to resurface the lazy
river at the aquatic center. It just popped in my head. We haven't had the aquatic center that long. I've had my swimming pool in my house for 22 years. I haven't resurfaced it now. I know I don't get the same usage that our aquatic center gets, but it just
occurred to me. I said, you know, why are we redoing that? And, you know, simple answer was, you know, we went with the lowest bid. And I said, you know, you get what you pay for, you know, and it was nothing else.
Next time I had a meeting with a city manager, he handed me this policy thing, the thing highlighted, and he raised his voice and said, "It's been a solid year. I don't work for the city manager.
I don't raise my voice to any employee." As you know, as I said earlier, I'm a big boy. I'm 76 years old. I've been through a war. Stuff like this goes off my shoulder. But I do represent the citizens of this
city. And when I see this city going wrong, when I see the tail dragging the dog, and I've seen that a number of times. One time I got requested. about having a meeting with staff over Warm
Mineral Springs outstanding designation. >> I didn't ask for that meeting. What? I went to it. There were about 15 staff members there and from different departments, parks and
recrecks, development services, finance. The whole purpose of that meeting was to convince me that getting that outstanding springs
designation was not a good thing. That was staff leading the way. Staff has decided that that's a a bad thing. >> You almost ready, Commissioner?
>> We bring this in for a landing. >> I'm uh It's got so you know, you know, a lot of this stuff has been on my mind and I wanted to go to HR, but I can see that the way things are run, HR is run by the city manager.
What's the sense of me going there? But I believe something should be done. This issue should be addressed. All right, let's take a deep breath. Commissioner Pro. No. Um, >> no, I'm just saying.
>> Yeah. Um, I I would prefer not actually, sir. >> It's not a comment. It's not a comment. I'm just asking before you go further, since there will be legal action, and I'm glad there will, will you please ask the city attorney his opinion of the matter is done.
>> Thank you. Okay. Um, >> thank you. >> Um, I do believe that the policy comports Please hit the button there. Get your volume on. >> I do believe the policy comports with the chart
>> and >> speak up please Michael >> into your mic. >> Oh, I apologize. So, I believe in the policy comports with the charter >> and here's why. Um, it goes back to what
the vice mayor spoke of, which was the first part of the second sentence of both paragraphs A and B. I'm going to focus on paragraph B for a second because that deals with the city attorney that deals with me and we haven't talk about me. We'll talk about
me right now because that limitation in the charter also deals with the city attorney. What 5.02 O2B says is that the commission
um the commissioner shall deal with legal services through the city attorney. What are legal services? Well, it's the giving of legal advice. And how do you give legal advice? Well, I only give legal advice through the
questions that are posed. That doveet tales with another part of the charter which relates to the city attorney which is article 12 subsection 5 uh paragraph H which says one of my
duties is to upon request from the commission or the manager of the cler of commissioners to give a legal opinion of the city. Another one of my duties under 12.05 5 is to let you all know, which I
appreciate the manager asking what you your compliance or non-compliance with the charter. Charters are red and I'm going to go a little law schooly now, but there's a reason for that. Charters are red. They're staying light up. Statutes are
laws are red. And there's these ideas that we call statutory interpretation. And there's certain clues and contextes that lawyers and judges use when you interpret laws. One of those rules is that you give full
effect to every word in a charter. So we're giving full effect to the first part of the sentence as well as what commissioner set is the second part. The other part another statuto interpretation rule is that we read
parts of charters they call empire material which means together as a whole. So you can read this whole thing together. What does that mean practically? Well, let's just think about it for a second. Say the city's being sued
and any commissioners walk into the city attorney's office and come up to one of my assistant city come in the city assistant city attorneys and say, "Hey, what do you think of this lawsuit? You think it's a good one? Do you think it's a bad one? You think we should settle? You think we should fight it out?"
Well, if you ask 10 lawyers the same question, you'll probably get 20 different opinions because each lawyer that's about two But the reality is that under the charter, it's my duty to discharge that virus. And I remember when I was an
assistant, I never wanted to get in front of my city attorney because we may have differ of opinions. And now as a city attorney, I don't want my assistants to get in front of me because we may have differ of opinions.
Um, and so that's a lot. And so that's my reasoning for saying that the um the personnel policy as enacted does comport with the step what does comport with the charter. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. I'd like to uh at
this point like you know we could go all night but Mr. Petro you you you wanted to make a motion. I believe >> you got public comment. >> No sorry before I have a quick question for the legal. >> Okay. Certainly. Go ahead. >> Just one question. Uh
can city commissioner according to the charter can city commissioner converse ask the staff question? the city commissioner can ask a staff a qu a personal question but it's when it delves into city business is when it's
the only logical reading of you is the commissioners go through the attorney for legal services or through the manager for administrative services is that they can't ask business rel I I recognize that the words you're looking
for aren't specifically there but one of the other statutory interpretation cannons is that you don't read provisions in in an absurd way that would lead to certain results that aren't there. >> Okay. Can can I paraphrase the question?
>> Yeah, sure. Uh, does the city charter prohibit the city commissioners asking questions >> that that well on business related questions? It is my opinion that yes, based on everything I just said, >> it it does prohibit >> it would prohibit the
>> Oh, can you reference the specifics where it says that it does prohibit? It it says that you the commissioners go through the attorney for legal services and goes through the manager for administrative services as well as also
the second part of the sentence which you talked about. It doesn't I agree with you commissioner doesn't explicitly say you can't ask questions but my interpretation in the st of the charter is that only logical reading of it is the answer to your question is yes it prohibits
>> it clearly says administrative services which I completely concur with the vice mayor as well as the making request or uh what was the other one um making request or giving orders I concur
with that completely, but I tend to disagree about asking questions. I mean, doesn't say anything about that, but that's just my opinion. I'm ready to >> Thank you, Commissioner. And thank you, city attorney. Um,
city clerk, let's move to public comments on this item. >> Tammy Rain, I believe that the commission should be able to talk to any person employed by the city at any time. The environment for city workers should be such that they don't feel worried to speak to a commissioner. Setting a policy up that restricts commissioners
from talking directly to city employees makes it appear that there are things to hide by city employees. That is not an open and trusting environment to expect city employees to work in. In person, I have Robin Samosente, Pam Tokars, and Susan Palmer.
Uh, good evening again, Robin Sanders for the record. All right. I've done quite a bit of research and I um respect your opinion. However, I'm going to expand on that opinion as far as interpretation goes and Florida law, which does not really prohibit the
communication between a commissioner and a staff member. Now, there are certain guidelines that will trigger the sunshine law. However, the way that our policy and our charter is written is very vague and it's very open to interpretation and it
doesn't even coincide with each other and it doesn't even coincide with some of the Florida law. And there's been many and numerous case law within Sarasota County itself on this exact specific item. And one of the situations
actually I'll name a few situations where communication is permitted and that is non-commission business one-on-one discussions which a single commissioner can speak with a city staff member to get factual information or advice without triggering the sunshine
law information gathering. A commissioner can informally ask staff to seek follow-up information or clarification on a topic that will be discussed at a public meeting. Administrative functions. The Sunshine Law does not typically apply to meetings
of staff where their function is to inform and advise the decision-making body such as research or preparation. And then again, you have specific circumstances where you might get into some legal advice that is warranted. Um
what you can't do it is of course if it's an an agenda item that's going to be forthcoming seeking that particular information that will trigger the sunshine law but informal versus formal administrative versus non-administrative. So what are we
talking about here? Our policy is so vague and so open and our charter is so vague and so open. You have all these questions and circumstances that you can't just make up and not abide by Florida law. You're still subject to that. >> You can't just make a policy and a
charter and not abide by Florida law at the same time. You can't. It's >> true. >> So, you have to amend your your policy and your charter because it's too vague. It's too wide open. And I've just given you circumstances and you can look up yourself case law in Sarasota County
alone of all these particular instances that have come before boards and they've had to amend their charter. So this is great conversation but we need to really are we doing formal are we doing informal discussions with an
employee. Hey, how you doing? Hey, by the way, I need a little clarification on this item that is coming, you know, that we discussed. I don't understand it. That's totally informal. Formal is something different. Hey, this is coming on agenda. What? I need some
information. No, that'll trigger the sunshine. So again, we have to have legal opinion. Look at the charter. Has to be amended. It's too vague. >> Thank you. could have gone for years.
>> Oh my goodness gracious. Good conversation, guys. This was a good one. Um the um the policy that Demetrius, Commissioner Petro brought up was 6.8 and that's what we were discussing the policy only. The city charter does offer
definition on the guidelines of what the city manager is allowed to do and everything else. And it does make sense when you are discussing items that are on agenda that everyone be all on the same page. However, I'm going to throw another example at. If a commissioner needs to research or respond to a
resident's questions, they should be able to research and find out the answer. Having an extra process to go through by getting permission for a 5-second answer is not very productive. If you did a time study, you would see the amount of money spent from salaries trying to figure out how many alligators were found in warm mineral springs
during last month. Well, it is a simple phone call to someone to say, "Hey, so if you would follow policy 6.8, it would cost extremely more than just picking up the phone because now you have to go through a bunch of upper management that are getting paid more than the person that's going to answer the phone and
say, "Hey, 10 were found last month." So that's what So I think um for Commissioner Pro, if he just wants to ask a simple question and just get an answer that doesn't need anything, he should be able to do that. And um I know there's been some talk that uh the uh
employees feel uncomfortable when the commissioners approach them. This creates a great concern. Why are these employees uncomfortable? Are they afraid they're going to get in trouble by their supervisor? If that's the case, and this creates a hostile work environment. I don't want city employees to feel uncomfortable in their workplace. There
was also mentioned that if the employee might not give the correct answer. If the employee gives an incorrect answer, it would be a perfect opportunity to retrain that employee because if that employee has the wrong information or doing a procedure the wrong way, then there's probably another employee who was taught the same thing. Having to go
through the city manager to speak to an employee adds more time to the process, but you might get an you might not get an honest answer from the employee. You would get what the upper management wants them to say. I also have an issue with the very first sentence in the policy definition. City commissioners
are expected to communicate with employees through the city manager. City's manager job is to oversee the employees, not dictate what the commissioners can do. And part of the agenda attachments is the city organization chart. At the top are the citizens, then the commissioners and
city staff. The chain of command flows down. I use this comparison when I train my staff and it pertains to so many other things in life. flows downstream. It doesn't flow upstream. There's a clog in the toilet and we as a community need to fix it.
>> Thank you. >> Susan Balmer. Um, do you not see how you're being manipulated? Do you not see how your job as commissioner is being held captive? Just listen to this. One, commissioners
shall deal with administrative services through the city manager. Two, commissioners are expected to communicate with employees through the city manager. Three, no employees authorized to respond directly to a city commissioner without approval and all written communication must be directed
through the city manager's office. report department directors must keep the city manager advised in writing of any verbal or written communication between the employees in the city commission. This that's the procedure the purpose of
that in the city in the employee policy 6.8 8 communication between employees and city commissioners is stated to provide guidelines and to allow for open communication between employees and the city
commissioners. What am I missing? Where is the open communication? Who's in charge here from the top? Is it the citizens? Is it the commissioners? Or is it the city manager? When are commissioners supposed to
converse in any way with the employees of the city? Isn't there a better way than every communicant every communication controlled by the city manager? I agree that things need to be
changed. I come to these meetings, I see extremely apprehensive looks in the faces of city employees when they try to respond to the city manager not knowing exactly what they're supposed to say.
And it makes me wonder why. I also hope there are no repercussions against Commissioners Pro or Duval for expressing their position on this. The structure
and word is condescending. The problem is all information is filtered through the city managers opinions and directives as to how you should think and what you
should do. Think about that. Is that really how we want to run our city? Is that accurate? Thank you. >> Thank you,
>> Connie Brunie, Michelle Posey, and Josh Smith. >> Connie Bernie, I want to refer you all back to your organizational chart. We'll start with that because that is your chain of command. We've talked about chain of command. You talked about process. Guess what? Who's at the top of
that? Me. These people, the citizens and taxpayers in this city are the top of the food chain, not the bottom. You have forgotten that. and for whatever reason, you've allowed yourselves to be manipulated into
believing that somehow the city manager is above you. That is not correct. Your own organizational chart in black and white in the city's budget documents and even this evening shows you that that's not
true. It's not correct. And what is the problem? Lack of trust. that I stood here in 2016 and talked then about a circle of trust and how that trust had been eroded to a flat
tire. Unfortunately, we're back in exactly the same position we were then today. What's really going on here? It's lack of trust by the public in the person you've hired to administer what's
going on in the city. He has a very very poor history of disseminating information equally among you as elected officials. This has been proven
proven in public and that's a huge issue. So when you say to one another, "Oh, we're just going to have information." When not all of you can get that information equally, there's a problem that stops one or more of you
from properly performing your job. It should never be acceptable. Never. What I will tell you is this. I sincerely hope that whatever regulatory agencies are out there will listen and finally do
something about these abuses. I hope that you'll consider voting on this policy 6.8 that was instituted unilaterally by the city manager in 2023 when he came here. You're the policy board. We are looking to you to fix
this. >> Thank you. Michelle Posey. Well, color me confused because I don't know what just happened here. Uh, apparently if you avoid these chambers for any longer than a month, there's a complete you know what storm that you come back to. I don't
understand um how we're talking about policies or chain of command and the sharing of information. Are we saying that on this dis with a straight face? Because the last time I sat here, I still can't get an honest answer of who
pulled our outstanding spring status. Where was that chain of command? Where was that accountability? Where was that transparency? I still can't get it. So, it's laughable to hear those words at this day. I've listened to uh Vice Mayor Stokes talk about how he cannot find any
other boards that function this way. You and I both know the same friend group, sir. Joe Nunder, board of county commission, can walk into any room and ask any question. Karen Rose can talk to from our school board, can talk to a teacher, she can talk to the superintendent, she can talk to a a parent, and she can talk
to a child. Let's not pretend that these are grave issues that we are tackling at this board. We're talking about a chokeold on information. And we, the people of Northport, do not approve of that. You want to know why this is allowed to go on and why Dval and uh by
Dval and uh Petron what? I'm sorry, these two commissioners. Why they are going through this? Because you haven't solved the problem that I watched Commissioner McDonald go through and because largely the city of Northport is unaware that this is happening. If you
know nothing else about me, understand the size of my mouth. And now that I am aware of this, I will be the thorn in the side of Northport and I will be the person that champions for these two commissioners. I want to help all of you, but if you're not going to stand up and do the job that you were elected to
do, then the people will make sure that this gets done for you. And lastly, I will say, you know, with the I go back to the assassination of Charlie Kirk because I work with Turning Point now. One person was politically assassinated and it created a billion more. You took
out the ability, in my opinion, of Commissioner McDow to fight this fight. You know what? Now you got two of them. And amplify it through the city because I will not let this go. This will not be the last that you hear of us. Josh Smith, I don't have that kind of
energy left. So um stick with me. Um I I feel like we are trying to handle three issues with one thing. It sounds like we're having some issues with what might be law, what might be a charter problem,
what might be an issue. We're also having issues with simply a quote unquote authoritarian problem with being able to speak to people. We're also dealing with a what seems to be um
a very hostile workplace. As somebody who sat in way too many corporate meetings because I've managed for long enough that I know what those are. Um the hostile workplace problem really sounds like um an HR issue. It
you know I don't know why they're not tackling this and it's not known and it's not handled. Um charter and stuff. that uh you know, we've got a new city attorney. He seems to be on top of it. I'm sure he can reach out and get some legal aid in some issues. As far as the
authoritarian problem, um I mean, I've tried to deal with you and the answer is always city manager has made sure to redirect me to him. Um my problem is I'm a chain of command guy. I'm a manager.
It's me, then you, then him, me, then you, then him. And for some reason, it's always him. That's why I quit doing meetings. That's why I quit coming here. Um, it from me as a citizen. I want you to hear me say it. I I don't know why
you guys exist. I should just have meetings with him. He He controls everything you hear and know. He controls everything going on. I honestly don't know. When I was running, I was trying to get to the bottom of what was
I going to fix when I got in. That was my plan. We have problems in this city. I'm running to figure it out. Also hoping that along the way, if I didn't win, I would nudge the person I ran against to understand that the
citizens were unhappy. It's been more of a doubling down of what we've already got. And after listening to this, it's because you guys only get one opinion. I mean, I couldn't imagine running my maintenance department or running my current company
on the opinion of only one person. I mean, that would be wild to me. That would be wild. I also couldn't imagine the vice president of my company coming in and going, "Hey, hey, Matt, you can't you're not
allowed to talk to Josh." I mean, it can't work that way. That's not how the real world happens. So, I really want you guys to know that I understand why it's always the same old stuff because you have one opinion to run on. So, hopefully we just start getting it and
we can start doing the right thing. Thank you, >> Debbie McDow and Stephanie Gibson. Wow, what a conversation. What a discussion. I've sat here and listened to this. I have sat in meetings and watched you
guys since I left office a year ago. Things have not changed with that city manager. And everybody thought I was the problem. Now you've got two more commissioners that are reaping the same things that I
experienced. Commissioner Deval, here's what's going to happen. You have your meetings one-on-one in the city manager's office and then in his conference room and then you're going to go to the clerk's office and then they'll be by Zoom because he doesn't want to hear you. He doesn't want to listen to you. He doesn't want to hear
your questions. So, he's going to place you in timeout via Zoom. That's what's going to happen. That's what I endured for the past two years when I was an elected official. You talk about equal distribution of information. Let's go
back to March May 2023 when we were all up in Tallahassee and Outstanding Springs was being discussed and being pulled. I filed a formal complaint because all of the commissioners knew about it but
me. A former commissioner knew about it but me. And who did it? The city manager. Talk about overstepping authority. Hello. go back and read my complaint because I know you didn't do it the first time. The city manager's personnel policy or
personal man manual, whatever you want to call it, says the commissioners are expected to. That was a manual approved by the city manager and the HR director. Read the
preface. It's in there. The city manager expects you to do something that he wants done. People, that's passwords. And and by the way, aren't you all legislators? You guys should be approving that
policy, not him. Think about that. He's telling you guys what to do. You are his boss. I was a 120th of a boss. 4:1, 4:1, 4:1. Now it's 3:2 experiencing
the exact same things. I have a list longer than Commissioner Dval. I tried to bring it to your attention so that the problem could be solved, however that looked, and it was ignored. Now you got two commissioners. Are you
going to ignore them, too? So, I'm going to go the other way. I'm I'm talking about the declination memo that wasn't presented to the public that there was a p there was a citizen that applied a complaint to HR asking to hold them accountable for the actions that
the city manager took which are like first level supervisors are putting and by the way it's not just in his office apparently it was all throughout the building do not engage with Mr. with Commissioner McDow or I called it McDall to Dval.
>> So my questions are we get we get this declaration. It just says nothing about there's no there's no opinion upon it. It's purely resolution. It's all deflection. The the memo circles the wagons around a
t toxic status quo. We saw it with McDow as those just spoken to and now we've got two more. HR when when when they got in trouble with their toxic workplace, Julie Balia signed the the paper to open up an investigation. This is exactly
what we should do here. None of you are in a position to judge this. We got two victims. We got three complicit man uh commissioners that's worked with him in the past. These are his behaviors. And if you think that works for the public,
come on. People see it. Nobody even bothered to tell the citizen. I hit the citizen up, ask her, "Sorry that it didn't work out because they declined to investigate it." They didn't even bother to tell her because I guess that's all his will.
So my question is, why did we not that the the workplace HR manual dictates what you do when you have a workplace environment? Office one is you take them out of the office. And in this case, it's Fletcher. He's laughing now. What did he do to Scott Titus? What did he do
to the director and the manager and a staff member in HR? First thing, they're put on paid leave. They get their paycheck. They go off. You find a third party. It's in your It's in their policy to do it. Do the damn investigation. Find out the facts. I I appreciate the
finally somebody weighing in on the uh charter. We may disagree, but that's probably where it should have been a written one up front. So y'all had the conversation of knowing what is or is not. The memo failed us. The the citizen has failed us. You want you want to go
to the charter and change this? Good luck with that. Y'all need the public. You need to step up and correct this public trust issue and it's coming out of your city manager's office. The idea I tell you, the first time I've ever considered running is because he thinks he's going to shut me up. I'd ask the
questions. The discomfort doesn't come from the question. The discomfort comes from staff thinking they're going to lose their flipping job like Todd Miles did when he reached out to you. Where was that? Y'all don't give a rats because you're getting what you want from him. You give a little to get a
little as he told me. That's on you. Two of you were part of that that gross test thing with Duval. Shame on you. My mouth ran out. >> All right. Well, Commission,
>> where do we want to go from here? Commissioners, >> anybody want to offer up a motion or uh >> Yes. >> Petra, >> I move to direct the city. Before I go
on, I just wanted to be clear that I didn't I did this on my own. Nobody told me to do this. I move to direct the city manager to revise cur communication procedures to allow staff to respond directly to commissioner's questions without needing
to report through the city manager's office. We >> have a motion. >> I'll second that. >> We got a second. We want to discuss this motion. Where do we want to vote? Anybody have anything
to say that they haven't already said? >> Oh, I would like to Commissioner Pro. Would you consider an amendment to your motion that directed this to a third party to a to
city one to city attorney to to possibly uh you know an outside group to actually review the charter, review the policy. um talk to whoever they need to talk to
to come up with a recommendation to this board as to how we might proceed, whether it be uh amending this policy, amending the charter, um getting some third party clarification
here. You know, we've heard from our new city attorney who certainly is brand new on the case and and he's made his case. he doesn't agree with you, but you know, again, you know, that's his legal opinion. Um, if you would be comfortable with something else that you know, I I
feel as if we know where this is going to ask to amend this policy. you know, it makes it I mean, I I can't support it as you've said it, but I appreciate the need to address this issue and and I
feel as if um you know, for me to expound on my opinions as we all have here for quite some time. It seems to me that we need to really reach out to to some
group or some individuals who have who have way more knowledge about this form of government and and have the legal background and capability to to analyze this and and and tell us the legal interpretation
of this charter in this policy. If if it requires, you know, fixing, then then we can go in that direction. But >> yeah, >> mayor, that's not an amendment to this motion. >> No, no, >> that would have to be a whole separate motion, >> right? But we're having a conversation. >> I just wanted to make it clear it's not
it wouldn't be an amendment to >> No, I appreciate that. And and so, you know, I just I I don't want it to seem so harsh as to like, well, we're just going to vote it three, two, bump, okay, and nothing gets fixed, nothing gets changed, nothing really gets resolved.
So, if you want, I mean, we we can vote on that motion, but then perhaps, you know, we can we can push again in another direction to try to make this, you know, make sense of this for all the five of us. Yeah, I can reread it if you if it's
I can reread it if it's okay. So, a little bit slower. >> I move to direct the city >> I move to direct to direct the city manager to revise current communication procedures to allow staff to respond directly to commissioner's questions
without needing to report through the city manager's office. And again, it's just questions, not no directives. >> I'd like to say that >> vice mayor. Sure. And I heard the motion originally when when you went and made it. I can't support it written that way
because that's the way that the charter states it to be. Now, what I'm willing to compromise with on this is to have a look at the policy itself. You had public comment say, "Hey, you want to change the charter?" Well, you can kiss
my it ain't going to happen. So, if the charter is not going to be changed, we have to follow the charter. So if you want to work on the policy, that's a different animal. >> I am. >> But right now, all you're doing is
you're trying to allow us to talk to staff, which is in conflict of the charter. >> Well, it specifically relates to the policy. >> Never mind. I I'll just vote my way. That's fine. I I got you >> to revise current communication procedures. >> Correct. I got you. I got you. If
>> which means ask questions. >> All right. I mean, so let A first and a second. >> We got a first and a second. >> Let's go ahead and vote. >> As expected, voted no. Three to two. Um
I >> Excuse me. Please, folks. Um, >> I'd like to make a motion. Um, >> pass. >> What's that? >> Oh, yeah. >> Like to make a motion that we direct our
city attorney to seek third party. >> Is your mic on? >> Yeah. >> Yeah, it's on. a third party formal opinion with regard to what our charter and this policy
say and are they in conflict with each other and a report back to this commission um for you know possibly further action.
It I would second for discussion. >> City clerk, we have a motion on the floor. Can you read that back as best as possible, please? >> To direct the city attorney to seek outside legal opinion to get a formal opinion in regards to the charter and
policy to determine if there is a conflict and report back to commission for possible further action. >> Have that motion on the floor. It's been second. seconded by Commissioner >> for discussion. >> Sorry. Yeah. >> Um, >> who's got the floor? So I I think
I would want the language to read both the legality and appropriateness of the language in the city charter and related policies because I think part of it is the legality.
I I would like some independent research and report back. This isn't part of my >> this is part of her discussion >> talking this is just discussion >> um I would like some feedback third party I >> let me step back I'm getting a sense in
the conversation that some of us believe that our city is doing things in a very weird to use your your choice of words commissioner pro that that we're do
we're mavericks that we're doing some things that are not common practice in other municipalities and and for me that's a little different than the legality of it. It's also the appropriateness of it. Are we behaving
in a way that's pretty consistent with how other municipalities in the county and surrounding areas behave or act or whatever? >> The city attorney is in there listening to everything that you're requesting. So if you if this were to pass and it go
forward, he would know that this is all part of the language that we're looking at between the charter and the policy. >> Right. And so I understand the it's you you want an outside opinion on how to change
the charter to comport with the policy or is does the policy comport with the charter? I don't know if my question >> probably both of those >> well we we are looking at legalities and
and are are they coinciding with each other? Does the policy match the charter and does the charter match the policy or is that third party's opinion one that has something to change? You know, is and more than likely it would be the
policy that may need some addendance put into the policy itself because we're not going to be able to change the charter until it goes to the election or whatever if that were the case. So basically, it's look at the policy. Does
it coincide with the charter and does the policy need to be tweaked? That's probably the basis. >> And it's just recommendations, you know, >> good. >> Yeah, >> that's it. Let's revisit her race since
I have >> Are we good with discussion? Does anybody else wish to discuss anything? Commissioner Deval, I see you poked the button. Regardless of this issue with policy versus charter,
everyone except for me seems to be ignoring the fact that I've been harassed. And tomorrow, and I'm speaking to the city manager right now, I'm requesting a one- on-one to file a complaint with HR.
And I will be in city hall tomorrow to meet with HR to file a complaint. >> All right. As as is your right for tomorrow, but we were discussing the motion. So I I got you. I understand. So
can we move on with the vote then? Everybody ready? Let's vote. >> We did twice. We can do it again. >> Go ahead and read it again for me, >> please. >> Okay. To direct the city attorney to
seek outside legal opinion to obtain a formal opinion in regard to the charter and policy 6.8 to determine if there are any conflicts and report back to commission for possible further action. Is >> that good, sir? Okay, let's vote.
And that passes five to zero. Giving you the gavvel back. All right. Um we're moving on to item C. Final item on the agenda under general business 25-2971.
discussion and possible action regarding the debt management advisory committee. Uh, city clerk, you want to introduce the item? >> Um, give me one second. I didn't open it up. I don't really have a lot of information on this one. I know that we
passed the um the the ordinance to create this committee based on the the election the referendum questions that were put on the November ballot and those did not pass. So, we were determining what we want to do with that committee because if we keep it, they're required to meet and we don't know what
they will meet to discuss based off of the current requirements. >> Good. Um, >> um, sure. Go ahead. Go ahead, Vice Mayor. >> No, let's just say um, since there we don't have a need for it at this specific time, we could go ahead and
dissolve the committee and then reenact it if there does become a need in the future. Correct. Absolutely. >> That's what I thought. Okay. That's all I wanted to know. >> Okay. Um I went up first on this. You know, I think um
I mean they do need to meet. Um what time frame? City clerk. When would they need to meet in order to stay in compliance here? >> Technically, they already should have. This was an oversight because this was
passed in 2024. And so they're required to meet, I believe, annually. Let me look at that. Um, shall meet at least once within the city's fiscal year. >> Because well, I appreciate that and there's nothing on the table today, but that doesn't mean there won't be
something on the table in the very near future. You know, just philosophically as we when we put this all together and and we created a debt management policy, tied to it was this management this this debt
management um you know uh board or or committee and I don't like the idea dissolving it. um it needs to stay there in my opinion and you know I would anticipate that in in
the next fiscal year there will be opportunity for them to take a look at some things and weigh in on certain matters. Um I'd hate to dissolve it and and you know I don't know how my fellow commissioners feel about it but I I
believe also for the citizens you know this if and when the time comes when we we utilize certain types of financings in order to to you know address certain projects. um we need this group in place
and you know I if it just you know it's like how how many issues did the charter review board have that that that we've asked them to do and yet you know we you know we keep it in place because it's a critical committee it's a critical board and I and I I just I don't like this
often it I'm not real supportive of that vice mayor go ahead I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry vice mayor >> commissioner lang subject. >> I didn't I got the wrong screen up. >> Thank you. >> Um I I agree with the mayor. Um
>> when the time comes, I think we would want to be able to act quickly. I would be more supportive of suspending the meeting requirement at this particular time >> rather than dissolving the board. I'm
very uncomfortable dissolving that body. That's what I just thought. I was going to say suspend instead of dissolve. It was just >> So I think you said suspending the meeting requirements, >> but there's the option to suspend the actual board like we did for the historic board. We temporar temporarily
suspended that until we were able to revamp it a little bit and get more members. Um so they would be two different things that we have to decide. But the meeting requirements is in the ordinance. So we will have to bring that back to change the meeting requirements. But I would also think that we would need to discuss their they currently
only have three powers and duties. So if you wanted to add anything outside of those powers and duties or review them to make sure that they're even applicable without having the in acquiring the debt. So >> So if we suspended the board,
what would it take to reinstate the >> two hearings? Two ordinance hearings. >> So the same, right? It would be the exact same process in either case. Anybody else? Is anybody inclined to to Commissioner Dval?
>> Yes. When we went to the citizens about borrowing, we were asking to be able to borrow and this debt management policy was part of the uh impetus to get that passed. Well,
it didn't pass and I just don't think we need this board at this time. Thank you, Commissioner. Uh, >> is there any action anybody wants to take on this matter? >> We have public comment as well.
>> Yeah. >> Okay. I I want to hear if anybody else is on that board, but any public comment the court >> Robin Samosente, Pam Tokars, Debbie McDow, and Josh Smith. >> I do not agree with dissolving the
committee. Uh there's a lot of things within the debt management policy that needs to have a second look at especially the co-mingling taken from here to pay this like we did with Price Boulevard. >> Take from more mineral springs to pay
for that. Uh let's not do this project because now we need the money for this particular project. dissolving the committee, you're dissolving citizen oversight and we don't trust you in the first place. So now we're really not going to
trust you. If dissolve that committee, you already have a citizens tax oversight committee and that's good. Now you're going to get rid of the debt management committee. No, we need to keep looking at that because we're always going to have debt and we need to
adjust where applicable within that policy. So I totally disagree. do not resolve it and do not suspend it. We need to continue. >> Thank you. >> Hi, Pam Topars again. Um I support keeping this um committee in place
because you never know what's going to happen down the road. I mean, we've got talks about uh the next election year with the property taxes going. what happens if we lose all that revenue from the property taxes? We're going to have to find ways to get money somewhere else. So, and I know that there's, you
know, city manager mentioned last Thursday during our Northport government alumni, you know, there's other options we can look at. So, if there's if he can find something and and get it done for us and you know, then we're still going to need this committee. and the amount of startup time it's going to take to
get the committee into place with getting people to serve on the committee. You know, you have a hard time filling the vacancies as it is now. Um, I would volunteer to sit on this committee, but but you know, that's, you know, it's going to be a lot of work to get it back and going. So, keeping it is
actually going to be a good idea. >> Thank you very much. you. >> All right. Debt management. The committee, you guys have a debt management policy. And in that debt management policy, it says as directed by city ordinance, the city will
establish and maintain a committee to serve in an advisory capacity to the city commission. So, if you're talking about dissolving or putting it on hiatus, you're already violating
that management policy, which you guys already said when this was first adopted, will not be changed. This is like etched in stone. We're not going to change this. This debt management policy stays in place. So, now you're already here a year later.
So I I really think you guys need to leave the debt management policy alone and that means the committee too because at some point in the future you guys are going to need to come to the com to the citizens to ask for them to sign off for
bonds and stuff. And if you start monkeying with this now, there's already no trust. I've been waiting patiently to join committees based on whether this committee exists or not. So, I truly hope this committee exists. Um, I love
nothing more than numbers and I would love to dive into any debt policies you guys have and hope to advise you on it. So, please keep it going and hopefully um you see fit that I can join it. Thank you. >> Alrighty.
So, >> take no action. >> I suggest we take no action which leaves it in place. Seems like an easy thing for government to do.
All right. There's something else we can add to this agenda tonight. I guess not. Do we have any other general public comment? >> No, we do not. >> Then we are on to commissioner communications.
Commissioner Petro, >> I attended uh Florida League of Cities uh tax and finance committee. It was fun to be there. Um they all concerned and freaking out about the new eight bills
that were filed regarding tax reform that company is proposing. That's about it for me. Oh, and and I went to the Northport Police Officers Association
gala, inaugural gala. Um it was really inform informative and I really enjoyed it. and I'm glad to support our police officers. >> Thank you, Commissioner, Vice Mayor. >> Yeah, I got nothing.
Commissioner Langden. >> Thank you, Mayor. um city clerk and I met with a high high school student Omi Patel who met with us uh with a request to create
um a teen advisory slashaction committee. Uh very impressive young man. So, city clerk is working with him to put his request in the proper format and that will be coming to us soon before
the end of the year is my understanding. Is that sort of >> No, she um emailed what's her name Liz? She emailed back and I guess they don't intend to start until March which gave us more time. However, I did send it today up to the city attorney's office for review with a deadline of January, beginning of January. So,
>> okay, that's great. So that that um request and submitt will be coming to this board for adjustment sometime in January. >> That's it for me. >> Commissioner Duval, >> I was contacted by a teacher at Toledo
Blade Elementary School asking me to speak on city government uh to fourth graders. Uh, I put in the application to the Sarasota County School District, you know, to be checked out, okay, to
whatever. And I expect tomorrow, uh, these teachers are I'm being directed at 7:30 tomorrow to meet with this teacher to sign the paperwork. Uh, so sometime soon when
I'll be speaking to a fourth grade class, >> right? All right. Thank you. Um I attended the police gala uh with commit commissioner Petra was really the inaugural dinner. I mean,
that group does so much to help officers out there with the challenges they have and the stress and the and the the personal angst that sometimes goes along with being a a first responder and and they do an incredible job and and it was
really an honor to be there and and to listen to some of the stories and to see the support out there for this organization and uh you know uh Gavin Fussle and and his group have done an
unbelievable job in in supporting the rank and file and uh they sure should be commended by everybody. Um thank you and I I hope I have the the honor of being there again next year
as long as it's before the next election. Um, I also have the pleasure of being invited to the Tiger Bay Club and sit on a panel with uh Joe Nunder and Nick
Pachetta of Venice uh this past week where we uh discussed uh property taxes and the impact uh actions that the state legislature may make on on that issue and how it
might affect us all. And it it kind of made me think that, you know, for a municipality that's been looked on as a red-headed stepchild for so long, I I I considered it quite an honor and not a personal honor necessarily, although it
was an honor for me, a real honor for this city to finally be recognized as the progressive city, the strong city, the powerful city that it has become and
with all its challenges, with all the things that we got to work on and fix and correct and the challenges we need to overcome all over this county and the state. The city's been recognized as a real
upandcomer and and and a professional group of people from staff on up through commission to to to and and our opinions and our ideas are listened to and and the collaboration with with our our peer
groups in other cities and counties made me feel good and proud to represent Northport. So, um, you know, hopefully, uh, that's a good way to end this meeting.
Maybe except that I will look to city attorney. Anything from you, sir? >> Again, welcome. City manager. >> No, sir, Mr. Mayor. >> And city, >> we have a public comment on the city
manager's report agenda item. first time. Go ahead, Robert. Okie dokie. >> Okay, there's a there's a few items on the uh
on your report, city manager. Uh item 577, the uh Spring Haven Roadway Extension. Okay, that's been going on over 15 years now. That's how long. Uh back in 2011, we had an environmental
assessment done on that roadway. uh extension where they had um people from fish and wildlife, army corpse and all of the uh pertinent people to look at that because we want to provide a wildlife corridor. Uh the assessment
that they came up with which you should still have in your files from 2011. Uh also they provided for wildlife um crossings. So that was one of the recommendations from them.
My problem is we're waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting and we've got SKS developers who own those 30 parcels which the only reason we would need the extension would be if he would develop those parcels because of the ingress and egress statutes. Correct. And the and
the roadways that he would need to get out of that development which would then you'd need to extend that road. However, the road for the aquatic center picks up Spring Haven. So, we actually we could start it there
and still do a conservation easement on the other part, but we need to look at this. We need to have this as an agenda item or a workshop. We need to definitely do this finally. I mean, 15 years is long enough. And then your direction to have staff bring you back
um their um recommendations. So, if we can just kind of move that because we're all waiting. We don't want to keep waiting until now all of a sudden it's too late. That was one. The other one was agenda 587 regarding more mineral springs and the conservation easement on
that. We're still waiting for some kind of an update on that. >> And then the last thing is the um outstanding Florida Springs designation. We're all waiting on that. Um the last we heard was the memo. I think in May of
this year. Um I'm not sure of the date, but uh we need to have an open discussion and that needs to be an agenda item and we have a full discussion on that too. All three of these are very important with a large majority of the citizenry. Um and it
needs to come before the commission hopefully by the end of this year, not next. Thank you. That's it. >> Thank you, Robin. So noted with that it is 10:40
and I adjourn this Okay. Part: 2
hurricane vulnerability for storm surge for the area and we use those to determine who needs to evacuate during a storm. So, it's important to understand that there is a difference. If you're interested in finding out what evacuation zone you are in, which we highly recommend you do, uh you can use your search engine of choice and type in
Sarasota County know your level and that'll take you to the Sarasota County government website. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]
[Music] [Music] Hello everyone. My name is Devon Pulis. I'm the aquatics manager within our parks and recreation department. We're here today at the Northport Aquatic Center just to talk to everyone about our Float for Life program. We recognize that nationally unintentional drowning
is the leading cause of death for children that are under the age of four. So we have an awesome program here called Float for Life. Float for Life is a program that we teach that starts with the fundamentals of floating before we actually learn swimming. This program is
targeted for those children that ages 6 months to four. And what we want them to do is we want them to get comfortable in the water and if they accidentally fall in the water or find themselves in a trouble situation, they can roll over their back and float. When we launched this program, uh we were the only one in the state that was actually teaching
this milestone program. So want to give a shout out to our Northport Rotary as well. sponsored this program here at the aquatic center and actually paid for a trainer to come in all the way from Nebraska where this program originates there. We practice and we go through what's called milestones here. So, as
soon as the kids progress through the milestones, we can continue moving on through them. And at the end of it, it's a pretty awesome program when they graduate is one of the final things that they do is they jump in fully clothed and they have to turn over, roll over on their back and actually be able to scream for help at that point in time.
It's just an awesome segment program that leads right into our learn to swim program. So that way we can make sure we're keeping our kids safe in, on, and around the water. [Music] Hello. Hello everyone. My name is Mario Van Diddi. I am the planner scheduler
for the city of Northport solid waste. I got into this position. Um first I was a recycle driver for 5 years for the city of Northport and then I became the planner scheduler after taking an interest in educating the residents on
how to recycle properly. In my position, my day-to-day, usually I start out by visiting the new residents that schedule garbage and recycle containers to be delivered and I will go see them and educate them on our solid waste guidelines. More or less, I'm more
focused on the recycle part of it. After that, I will drive around the city and I actually inspect recycle containers manually for contamination. And then I will take calls from drivers if there's any issues with uh repeat
garbage in the recycle and I will go educate those people as well. What I love most about the city of Northport is their residents are from all over the world and I get to learn about the solid waste guidelines where they come from as well as educate them on the city of
Northport's solid waste guidelines and how to recycle properly. [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? >> 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. So 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 up, and even sometimes potentially collapsed uh covers 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 on that second day it rains 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 blockage inside the system. This is clearly a um a legal dump of some sort, uh a tree obviously, and this will slow down the water. If we can see on the north side of it, or north as in the
upper part of the uh drainage way, it's full of water. But when we look at our 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. >> 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 customer service a call. [Music] We believe that the natural resources department will be an integral part for
the city's growth as we want to achieve a more balanced approach of development in the future. >> What we really want to do is see sensible development, sustainable development and development that is um in line with what we already have here.
So we want to preserve as much as we can of the uh natural resources so there is still place for our natural species, our our migrating birds and all the other species that live um and survive in our habitat.
>> Natural systems are a big part of the ways ecosystems function, an important part for our community, our listed species. They stabilize the soil. They provide so many different benefits
including shade, limiting the heat island effect within our city, providing habitat, providing shelter for these species and just uh also for our aesthetic enjoyment. Well, as an
arborist, uh a lot of what I do is making sure that development conforms to the tree protection code. So, one thing we already have in place since April of 2022 is a tree protection code which is quite
robust in the city of Northport that was adopted by commission and the city through also a lot of community involvement. And so, we're very happy to have that tree protection code. So, what I a lot of what I do is making sure that development either residential or
commercial conforms to that code. >> We are such a passionate team. We come from varied backgrounds. Uh I think between us we have over a 100red years of experience and we are every day raring to go and you know we know our work is cut out here and we're happy to
uh take the challenge >> through the division and community involvement and leadership in the city. We really hope to make great strides in protecting what we have here and finding that balance with development and
environmental stewardship. I am excited to be a part of this team and I'm really seeking and looking forward to the opportunities for us to be able to make a difference. [Music]
[Music] I started with Charlotte County Utilities as a meter reader in 2004. So that's kind of where I got my foot in the door. Then once I reached a point in my life where things were more stable, I decided to leave Charlotte County Utilities and I went and got my
insurance license. It was very exciting doing that for a short period of time. But after a while, I started thinking about the utility. It was in my heart. At this point, I had almost 12 just two months shy of 12 years in. And so I realized during that time my heart was
in utilities. And so I started looking around again. and I seen an opening here to be a CN D tech. So, I applied and I got in. Typically, I get here at 7 in the morning. I get my list of, you know, if I can get to this, this is what I need to do. And I get in my truck. If if
I need any supplies, parts, tools based off of the work I was given that morning, I'll pick that up here at our shop. And then I head out and um my goal for the day is just to get as much work as that was assigned to me done as possible. And sometimes that happens. And other times there's a lot of first
response calls that come in. My favorite part is the uniqueness. It's um not knowing what I'm going to be faced with every day. It could be different. It's not mundane in any way. And it's exciting when you get a call and you're you're on your way and you don't know
what it is. And you you have the experience and the knowhow and the backing to face whatever it's going to be. So I feel very confident in facing these calls. And I think that's my favorite part. [Music]
Hello everyone, Devon Pulis here, aquatics manager. Welcome to my crib. We have fun here at the crib. Programs included. Become a past member. Play all year long. Payer at the crib. 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. Childp proof, most adult proof 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 ever here at the crib. You're coming to enjoy 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 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 individual and unique. Check it out.
Check out the main pool kept at a wonderful 84 degrees all year long. I just want you to have a good time. We have safety covered. Lifeguards here, 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. My crib is your crib. Looking forward to seeing you here.
>> Duty calls. Hello, my name is Devon Pulis. I'm the aquatics facilities manager with the city of Northport. And today we're going to be talking with you guys about our free swim evaluation. It's important that we do these swim evaluations so as uh kids are registering for swim programs, they get placed in the right
class. What we're looking at when we're doing the swim evaluation is every swim level has what's called exit skill assessments. So, what we do is we have your child get in the water and we'll go through a series of different movements. Can you go under the water? Uh, can you show us your front crawl? Can you show us back crawl? Can you show us
elementary backstroke? Different strokes within there. And what we're doing is a little bit more. >> Good afternoon. Today's Tuesday, October 28th, 2025. It's 400 pm. We're in the city chambers and I call the road and drainage
district governing body meeting to order. Commissioners present. Commissioner Duval, Commissioner Langden, Mayor Stokes, Vice Mayor Emerich, and Commissioner Pro. There's quorum for present for this meeting. Also present, city manager Fletcher, city attorney
Fino, city clerk FA, sports specialist Lindner, uh, Deputy Chief Morales, and who do we got back there? >> Oh, Deputy Chief Hurley, uh, Deputy Chief Morales, you want to
lead us? Thank you 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.
>> All righty. Looking for a motion to approve the agenda. >> So move. >> Second. Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Langden to approve the agenda. Let's vote. And that passes 5 through zero. City
clerk, any public comments? >> There is none. >> Moving on consent agenda. City manager, any item been pulled? >> No, Mr. Mayor. >> Then uh any public comment? All >> righty. Um, looking for a motion.
>> Move to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Second. >> Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Langden to approve the consent agenda. If there's nothing more to it, let's vote. [Applause]
And that passes 5 to zero. Moving on. Public hearings. Resolution number 2025-R62. Uh city clerk would be kind enough to read by title only. >> Resolution number 2025-R62. A resolution of the city commission of the city of Northport, Florida as the
governing body of the Northport Road and Drainage District, authorizing the purchase of real property located on Cabalero Avenue described as approximately 0.0053 acres of parcel identification number 0966051023
incorporating recitals, providing for filing of documents, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, ma'am. City manager, your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, the Department of Public Works is seeking to acquire additional land along Cap Cabalero
Avenue to support future infrastructure improvements. Specifically, this acquisition will enable completion of a planned bridge over the cosmic waterway between Cabarelloo Avenue and Alpin Street and will provide the necessary space for a bridge and multi-use path.
Um, this project is directly supports the goals of the city's mobility and connect connectivity plan by expanding motorized and non-motorized travel options to facilitate the purchase. Public works has partnered with American Acquisition and Appraisal LLC to
determine the fair market value for the corner clip. An agreement has been reached by the seller to sell the quarter clip of the property to the Middleport Road and Drainage District for $1,000. We ask that you approve option one and approve resolution number
2025 R62 as presented. Thank you, sir. >> Thank you. Commissioners, anything to this item. Come on, Commissioner Duval. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just want, you know, I I'm for
this. I looked at it. Uh, I just want to kind of add that, um, if we adopt this resolution, you know, which I recommend, I'd like to add we send a the city the
city commission, someone from the city send a very nice thank you note to the people that own this property um, for being, you know, so generous with us, you know, just acquiescing, you know, to losing just a a portion of their property, you know,
for a a very reasonable $1,000. Uh, I just like to see us say thank you. That's all. >> If there's nothing else to this, any public comment on this item? >> There is none.
>> All right. Then I'll close public hearing and request a motion. >> I'll make it. Move to adopt a resolution number 2025-R62 as presented. >> Second. >> Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Langden to adopt
resolution 2025-R62 as presented. Let's vote, folks. And that passes 5 to zero. Do we need a second motion, city manager, or is that an accommodation per commissioner Dval
to extend our appreciation? I mean, is that something we do informally or do we feel we need a motion for it? >> Do you want it to come from us or come from you? >> Uh, this can come from us. I'll ask the commissioner, >> right? What does he prefer?
>> Yeah. Which would you prefer? >> I wouldn't mind. I would I could I could write that myself and you know on behalf of uh the city of Northport and the city commission. How's that? >> Yeah. Then run it through Heather. Let Heather distribute it to the rest of us. We'll look see and sign off. We're good.
>> Except that's the mayor's job to communicate. >> Yeah, that's the mayor's job. >> So you write it and I'll sign it. >> I agree. >> You're all funny. See, that's teamwork. >> Thank you very much. There you go.
>> All right. Um, I guess at that point we can move on to the next one. Uh, resolution 2025-R70. City clerk, if you'd be kind enough. Resolution number 2025-R70, a resolution of the city commission of
the city of Northport, Florida, as the governing body of the Northport Road and Drainage District, approving and authorizing the mayor to execute a maintenance agreement with the state of Florida Department of Transportation to clarify maintenance responsibilities within the limited access and state right of way of Interstate 75 at Big
Slow Makahhatchee Creek in Sarasota County. providing for incorporation of recital, providing for conflicts, providing for severability, and providing an effective date. >> Thank you, ma'am. City manager, your item. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This agreement establishes shared responsibilities between the city of Northport and FDOT
for the ongoing maintenance within the interstate uh rightway. By entering into this agreement, city staff will gain year-round access to these critical drainage areas, allowing for regular upkeep and emergency response if needed. All maintenance activities must follow federal and state regulations, including
the Florida green book standards. The agreement includes standard legal provisions, including mutual indification and the preservation of sovereign immunity as allowed under Florida law. It replaces any previous arrangements regarding this maintenance
area. We recommend that you approve option number one, which is approving resolution number 2025-R70 and maintenance agreement between FDOT and city of Northport for interstate system local road crossings. Happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
>> All righty. Um, commissioners, anything to this? Going once, twice, and three times. Any public comment? >> There is none. Uh close the public hearing. Request a motion. >> I'll make it. >> Move to adopt resolution number 2025-R70
as presented. >> Second. >> Got a motion by the vice mayor, seconded by Commissioner Dval to adopt resolution 2025-R70 as presented. Let's vote. And that passes 5 to zero.
Any final general public comments? >> Well, it's 4:09 and I adjourn this meeting. >> We're trying to see where your child tests to before it becomes a challenge for them at that point. Once we assess that, then we'll let you know and you
can go ahead and sign your child up for that appropriate level there. It's important that we have these so that way when we're teaching a level one, we don't have kids that should be