e e e e e e e e good afternoon everybody today's Thursday March 6 2025 it's 4
p.m. we're in City Chambers and I call the city commission regular meeting to order Commissioners present are commissioner gal commissioner langon mayor Stokes vice mayor emrich and commissioner Petra there's a quum present for the meeting also present
city manager Fletcher interm City attorney Goan assistant city clerk pal uh no Lane and uh specialist Lane I'm sorry police chief Garrison and fire chief Titus
Chief not in the right lane should I start again no I did not miss Laura would you be kind enough to lead us in the [Music] pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which
it stands one nation under God indivisible with libery and justice for all I am looking for a motion to approve the agenda second got a motion by vice mayor seconded by commissioner Lang to
approve the agenda let's vote that passes 5 to zero uh city clerk no public comment sir thank you uh we are going to welcome new
employees uh assistant city clerk your item [Music] scre over I'll take over get over there city manager thank you Mr Mayor I'd like to welcome Miss Sandy no our risk manager to welcome my new employees
to the city of Northport good afternoon it's a tough act to follow our stes so I'm gonna try I'm gonna try so with that being said March is an amazing month it is the employee
appreciation month which is a great time to recognize and celebrate our employees which we did today and it was a great event I do want to thank all of the directors and all of the employees who participated in the event and our commission city manager because it's a
great event to support it helps um Foster a great healthy work environment for our employees when we appreciate them so we do have some new employees in the house and since there are times that we do forget to put somebody on this list if you're in here you can stand up
and shout your name if I overlook you and if I mispronounce your name I'm sorry I've been busy all day and I haven't had a chance to practice either but in development services we have Michael merman with economic
[Applause] development Parks we have Claire [Applause] sansi I checked you in today
Public Works we have Amanda may edia we have Donald Adams Solid [Applause] Waste Walter Kennedy Solid Waste Shane LEF franois solid BL and I
said that right utilities we have Christy Thomas welcome to the city of Northport we look forward to your time here and that's all I have thank you all right we're on to proclamations and
recognitions commission let's go on down [Music] whereas every March is a multiple sclerosis awareness month at time sers family members and supporters to share information sympathy and camarad drawing
attention to this disease of the central nervous system and whereas Ms happens when one's immune system attacks the nerves the nerve cells and renders them unable to properly transmit information causing balance issues weaken Prov
Vision fatigue and other unpredictable symptoms and wears approximately 2.5 million people world World while worldwide suffer from multiple sclerosis and whereas the cause of Ms is unknown and there's no definite cure however
there are many effective treatments so those Afflicted with Ms should not lose hope and whereas the month of March is all about raising awareness educating wide so wider Society fundraising and getting behind those scientists that
seek to advance our understanding of a mass now therefore we the city Commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby Proclaim March 2025 as multiple sclerosis Awareness Month in a witness whereof we have here onto set
our hands and seal of the city of Northport Florida to be fixed the sixth day of March 2025 human resour [Music] right everybody great whereas the role of government
Communications professionals is to inform educate and engage their communities and whereas robust Communication in government creates trust and inspires residents to take action and to be involved and whereas government Communications create
relationships and calls to action build awareness and understanding through storytelling engage and Foster engagement on civil issues Civic issues and use all channels to include people in critical decisions and whereas it is essential to have strong Communications
in government because it is a foundational element of living in a democracy where citizens have the freedom to make their voices heard whereas throughout the month of February the city of Northport was proud to recognize our government Communications professionals and has
deep gratitude and recognition for government communicators professionalism dedication hard work commitment enthusiasm and sacrifice now therefore we the city Commission of the city of Northport Florida who hereby Proclaim February 21st 20125 as Government
Communications day thank you very much Mr Mayor and City commission um we take our mission very seriously and that is to educate and inform our residents to tell the city's story and to build civic pride and so that's what we do every day and this is the team that does it we use our
creativity and our skills to help our residents whether that's answering the phone and the call center or telling our story visually engaging with them in uh events and meetings Town Halls uh through our social media channels through our designs um and working with
the local media so um we're very proud and honored to take part in this government communicators day Across the Nation um and we take our jobs very seriously and we're very proud of the work that we do to help our president stay informed and engaged so thank you very much [Applause]
you still have the best office the [Music] [Music] I think it's very appropriate that City man uh city mayor uh gave me the money people so would the folks from Grants please come
down whereas Grant professionals play a crucial role in securing essential funding for Vital Community programs projects and initiatives and whereas their dedication and expertise enable the city to achieve
their mission and positively impact the lives of the community and whereas it is important to recognize and celebrate the vital contributions these dedicated uh individuals provide now therefore we the
city commissioner of the city of Northport Florida to hereby Proclaim March 14th 2025 International Grant Professionals [Applause] Day thank you uh mayor and commission um
I just wanted to say um it's a real Joy working for the city and being able to bring in funds and keep them and I just wanted to say thanks to um Jen Sherry and Mike because they're fantastic um they're really good at their job and we're doing a really great job job of
bringing a money money to the city so I just wanted to thank thank you guys for your support thank [Applause] [Applause] for all you do we appreciate it thank you
sir bring in that uh storm water CH you g to come on down here for this one or you got anybody here blood resources anyone we're still going to blame you
Chuck you just remember [Music] that whereas the city of Northport has experienced severe weather in the past in the form of extreme rainfall or tropical system events res resulting in flooding in coastal and riverine areas
and the flooding has caused damage and flood losses to homes and buildings in all areas whether they are highrisk special flood Hazard areas or low to moderate risk flood zones and whereas the city of norport is a voluntary
participant in the National flood insurance program that provides residents with the opportunity Pro to protect themselves against flood loss through the purchase of flood insurance at reduced insurance premium rates as well as setting higher regulatory
standards to reduce the flood risk and potential flood damage to their property and whereas the reduction of loss of life and property damage can be achieved when appropriate blood preparedness preparedness control and mitigation
measures are taken before a flood and whereas because public education and awareness of potential weather hazards and methods of protection are critical to health safety and Welfare of residents the city of Northport have
declared this week of March 10th through March 16th 2025 as flood Awareness Week to promote awareness and to increase knowledge of flood risk the availability of flood insurance flood protection methods and
how to prepare for emergencies now we the city Commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby Proclaim March 10th through March 16th 2025 as flood Awareness Week good afternoon Commissioners and
members to the public on behalf of our Natural Resources Division and development services department it is an honor to accept this Proclamation it highlights the significance of flood plane management and the ongoing efforts
we have made and will continue to make to promote awareness and resilience within our community this recognition is not only a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team but also a reflection of our City's Collective
commitment to environmental stewardship and Public Safety flood planes are more than just spaces on a map they're vital ecosystems that protect our homes enhance our water quality and provide habitats for countless species through
education collaboration and ProActive Management we're making significant progress in managing these critical areas I want to take this opportunity to thank the commission and our city manager not only for their support and
advocacy but also for making the vital decision to hire a dedicated flood plane administrator Matt Clemens his expertise will play a pivotal role in advancing our flood
plane management goals and ensuring the safety and sustainability of our community furthermore I would like to extend my gratitude to our colleagues in public works whose dedication and hard work have been in integral to the
success of these efforts thank you and we look forward to advancing this critical work together with your partnership and the continued support of our community thank you very much a
proclamation whereas in 1872 the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside for the planting of trees and whereas this holiday called Arbor Day
was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska and whereas Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world and whereas trees can be a
solution to combating climate change by reducing the erosion of our precious pop soil by wind and water cutting heat and cooling cost moderating the temperature cleaning the air producing lifegiving
oxygen and providing habitat for wildlife and whereas trees are a renewable resource giving us paper wood for our homes fuel for our fires and countless other wood products and
whereas trees wherever they are planted are a source of joy and spiritual renewal now therefore we the city Commission the city of Northport Florida to hereby Proclaim April 25th 2025 as
National Arbor [Applause] Day thank you very much uh commissioner city manager again on behalf of our division and development services department we're honored to accept this
Proclamation this recognition not only highlights the importance of tre in our community but also reinforces the shared commitment to environmental stewardship and health of our Urban campy PR play a vital role in our lives they provide
shade improve air quality support wildlife and enhance the beauty of our neighborhoods i' would like to thank again our commission and city manager for their unwavering support and dedication and I want to recognize our
Urban Forester Ryan peeper for his dedication towards tree planting and preservation this Proclamation serves as a reminder of what we can achieve together when we prioritize sustainability and Community engagement
let this Arbor Day Inspire us to plant more trees care for our environment and Foster A Greener healthier future for our city thank you very much thank have to tell me where to go or I get lost we need to make sure someone
[Music] hey CH give me a second after the meeting please I see assistant city clerk any general public comments no sir wow with
that it is 4:22 and I'm going to journ this meeting