seeking and looking forward to the opportunities for us to be able to make a [Music]
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 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] [Music] 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 Good afternoon everybody Today is Thursday April 3rd 2025 It's 3:01 p.m We're in the city chambers and I call the city commission special meeting to order Commissioners present
are Commissioner Duval Mr Langden Mayor Stokes Vice Mayor Emerich Commissioner Pro there's quorum present for the meeting Also present city manager Fletcher interimm city attorney Goolan Assistant City Clerk Pal board
specialist Lane Uh we got Deputy Chief Morales and I don't see anyone from fire All right And fire chief Titus is here Uh Deputy Chief want to lead us in the
pledge please To the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible All righty I need a motion to approve the
agenda So move second Got a motion by Commissioner Langden and seconded by the vice mayor to approve the agenda Let's vote and that passes five to zero City clerk public comments No sir No public
comments Moving on to the consent agenda city manager Anything pulled Uh well there's only one item Mr Mayor but I would like to just introduce it and give the board a chance to ask any questions if you don't mind Appreciate it very much Okay Um this item is
25-2013 This is a approve the award of request for proposal number 25 uh for professional services parks and recreate master plan to GI consultants in the amount of
$249,665 for project P2 PMP park master plan Um first of all we do want to thank you for the ability to have this special meeting for this particular signing of this contract First and foremost it is timesensitive We do want to get going on it so that we can get the results back
as soon as possible But based on the history of how we got here we just want to make sure that you all have a chance if you have any questions to ask them so that we can make sure that the outcome of the plan meets your expectations and there's no um uh room for um
errors later on in the process Right Um I don't see any names up there Commissioner Langen Yeah Um I'll speak Um first I am delighted that we're moving on this plan We've we've talked
about it a couple of times and I'm very excited for us to get started thinking about and talking about what our parks and rec strategy and plan is for the eastern portion um of uh the city Anyway
in in reading through um the scope of work it triggered several thoughts that I wanted to share Um and one is I I hope that we also think about the older age
groups in the city We have done some really wonderful things on the western side of the city for our youth um all of the parks and the Morgan center and the aquatic center etc etc Um there are a
couple of things that I would like to see and and when I talk to people there are a couple of themes that I hear again and again in our city we really lack a place to do small events We do the best we can
with city center green but it's small and it's limited in terms of size So I would like to see um identified in this plan someplace where we could accommodate couple hundred people It
might have uh some kind of stage Um I know the Warm Mineral Springs plan at one point had amphitheater I forget what you call it but sort of a permanent covered structure And I guess the model I have in mind is Lashley Park in
Panagorta It's a it's not a big park and they make it available Third parties come in and organize festivals like the seafood festival and that kind of thing So having an asset like that within the
city I think would be terrific [Music] Um I in in the financial plan I'd love the financial Do you want to interact or do you want me to just kind of spew and then Well I I can address what you had
just brought up Absolutely Um so when you talk about uh needs of the of of older individuals in the community that's all going to be part of a needs assessment that's done citywide um and they will identify different stakeholder groups and so they will try and put
together a plan that addresses what comes up bubbles up from that needs assessment Right Um as far as a space um short of trying to identify property that's for sale that we don't own yet The Italy Avenue parcel is a large parcel out on that side of town Um that
maybe that's appropriate for something what you're thinking of Yeah that that would be great Um and and the other with the older and it's really 20somes and older pickle ball courts I know you've heard it a million times And then for me
it becomes a question of do we do it as part of parks and wreck or do we attract a commercial enterprise into the city to offer that Um and then I I'd really loved the financial plan We need to make
sure and you you brought it up Sandy that we need to acquire property So that definitely you know identifying where we'd like it to be um and and what it's going to cost as part of that financial planning I think would
be important in in order for parks to really become economic engines We need to provide in close proximity opportunities for people to spend money So so my thought was making sure not all
of the parks but some number of them are in proximity to the two activity centers out there and if there are other multi-use or commercial developments on the east side if there's a hotel going in da da da da let's make sure that some
number of our parks have an opportunity to really pull in tourism and people coming in from other areas to utilize our assets assets Just want to make sure Yeah Yeah Um yeah I think that's just about
everything So if I missed anything I'll come back Um I uh really in conjunction with with your comments regarding the financial plan um might be appropriate at this time I I I read through the contract the scope is great I mean it's
pretty comprehensive and I assume it's going to be pretty much modeled on the update the 2018 book and the one that was done earlier So it's going to be pretty similar and it'll kind of identify and review each of the parks and and and uh
you know uh uh the Morgan and Mullen centers and the aquatic center and all that um you know at some point obviously you know we have needs going forward and you know we're going to need to make investment on the east side of town We
have a lot of things that you know we need to look at to to to realign this master plan The thing that I think is would be helpful and I'm not sure it necessarily has to be part of this master plan but I think it needs to get worked on so that when that master plan
comes to us we have all the tools we need to make some real good smart decisions when on March 13th you guys provided us with um if I remember some part I think it was the 13th like a a set of emails from parks and rerecks that had a lot of great information like
statistical information on the value of parks and and numbers and this and that and recovery numbers And then there was a one uh exhibit there that was from Port Charlotte that had all their budgets It took all their parks their
wreck areas it broke them down It had them all costed out and it really I found it great because while we know you know that that it is a quality of life pillar and and and we appreciate it's not a money-making pillar but yet we
look at the recovery numbers and those things That was enormously helpful And I really was hoping that while it's been discussed I know by Commissioner Langan a number of times over the last couple years since I've been on this commission we have had discussions but we've never
gone ahead and done it because I know it's it's it's a it's a lift is I would very much like to see for our Morgan Mullen centers We already have it for for the aquatic center and and uh mineral springs but for the Oregon and
Mullen centers for Atwater for Dallas White for all the major parks and then maybe grouping some of the pocket parks cuz cuz maybe they're cookie cuttered is a real breakdown of a budget Knowing it's hard to identify each and every
cost There can still be percentages and allocations made The ability to look at what it's costing us and the recovery numbers for each of these various segments I think will be invaluable as we try to like look at the master plan
that comes forward and figure out where we get the best bang for our buck what things we could do because we do want to address the needs we have but we also want to make sure that there aren't some areas that are costing us an enormous amount that aren't giving us the kind of
quality of life return we would like And so if we have all those tools we'll be good Otherwise we're going to get this master plan We're not going to be able to make informed decision because we don't have financial numbers we need broken down And I know it's a lot And I would suggest not you know last year's
actuals this year's to dates and a and as we budget out for this coming year they be done that way all our other like you take public works they break down their divisions and and they're able you're able to look at each of those
departments and see what they cost I I I just think it's important if if Charlotte County can do it I don't see why we can't do it Anyway that's I don't know what my fellow commissioners think about that but you know I would love to hear some
input or if I'm just alone Mr Wagman Yeah as you mentioned um I've mentioned that a number of times particularly for our very expensive assets Um it would be really really good to see that breakdown
um sort of a a complete budget As I was looking at my notes there was one other thing I wanted to mention We have two very large conservation areas in the city the Maka State Forest and Orange Tamk Um the state forest does a really
good job They have hiking trails and mapping and camping and picnic areas My understanding of the orange hammock is it's used by hunters and three-wheelers sort of informally I think we have a tremendous
opportunity to work with that conservation group and provide some walking trails and things like that I don't think that kind of use of a conservation area is verboten Um and
it's a beautiful property and I think giving people recreational access to it would enhance the city a lot So again I don't know that's a crazy idea or if that's you know a feasible idea Um but
we gave up a lot when we gave up that property for conservation and um I think at the very least we should explore enhancing the recreational opportunities of that property So does have I know city manager I'll let her go first on
what was just said and I'll respond to what was said before So um just to address some of the other things you brought up on the master plan um part of what we are asking that group to do is to um take the park system mapping that uh Trish had presented um
and take that a step further and identify what type of parks and um really hone in on where that's all going to be We know where the deficits are where we don't have them um but what kind of park would be there um this group that they negotiated with for the
um agreement has quite a bit of experience in working with parks and bringing in um more of um associating it with a commercial area exactly what you were saying Um so that was one of the things that attracted us
to to that group Um let's see And let me just say relative to that in in reading through the proposal um I know selecting the vendors is not in my lane but I do want to comment reading through I was very impressed with their credentials
and I think you've done a terrific job picking a good partner So thank you Uh earlier Mr Mayor to the point of breaking down the cost per particular location within parks and reccks that's a very atypical request and the is
they're not the the accounting practices of a parks and rec department is not broken out by singular location I don't want to set up the expectation that you think that we can go and pull that out on our own It would take time and probably an outside entity to help get
that separation if that's what you're looking for I think when the master plan comes back to you they will have estimated prices in there so that you can make your decisions but to go back and to give you actuals and projected for individual facilities for us is
probably not going to be as accurate maybe as you want it to be But if it is the will of the board and you want to do it it is going to take some time and some effort Well that's you know that's why I brought this item up because you know being an accountant I know and there's a lot of different ways to
approach it I mean I've done plenty of budgets where there were a lot of assumptions made and a lot of percentage and allocations made and you know some are accurate some are are less so Um but being as this this master plan is going to take us probably a better part of a
year at least to get done I remember you guys were shooting for the end of this calendar year and so we're in what April So nine months thereabouts to me Um I really thought it was valuable looking at Charlotte Countyy's numbers and if it
involves spending a little money to be able to have it done professionally because once it's modeled once we've got it then every year as we budget those numbers can be laid in And it and it you got to figure parks and wrecks is a
quality of life pillar And it's important to this city that we continue to provide the highest quality of life we can And Parks and Rex has always you see it it's always the lowest hanging fruit that everybody this commission
future commissions past commissions always want to pick at And it's important to be able to really look at the numbers and say we get that the return on investment or the or the recovery numbers are reasonable and they're comparable with surrounding
areas and we accept the fact that that our city tax dollars should pay to help support that quality of life I think it's important when we don't have that level of detail It's very hard our responsibility is to be you know the stewards of the tax
dollars and in an environment where we're trying to be as fiscally responsible as we can This will help us be better at it And I know it's a lift So I'm good I mean I would be in favor of having a firm do it You know I don't
know what the cost I can't imagine it's going to be a fortune but it would pay returns I believe in the long run because it's something that's missing and it's and it's going to be difficult when we make some good strategic decisions when this master plan comes because if we know our recovery rates in
certain areas are good if we recognize and accept the costs involved in providing this quality of life we we will as commission maybe feel a lot better about the investments we may have to make in future park decisions because
we do need more in the right areas and I don't want to feel that you know we're we're you know I I worry about the amount of monies we spend and justifying them and I believe they're probably justifiable but we we
don't have those numbers And when I saw a county that has it broken down so well it really gave me a good feel for you know what things cost So the county um numbers that we provided to you were a little bit different than what you see when you look at our budget We have a
per division budget which includes our free events a lot of other things We provided to you only the ones that were relevant to show like comparisons on facilities Um so that would be a a different overall look um if you looked at their entirety of their budget as
opposed to just those facilities that we pulled out and provided for you Um when we look at our recreation budget just the uh provision of the Freedom Festival alone adds 60 to $80,000 a year to the recreation budget So to actually
decipher and disseminate each little piece by event program facility would be a very comprehensive budget man And and it's that part of the budget I don't have as big a problem with but I look at the venues I look at Outwater
Park I look at Dallas White Park I'll just pick on those two We have such incredible resource in in those two areas What are we doing What's it costing us to maintain those two things Morgan and Mullen Now the information
you sent at Commissioner Lang's request was insightful as to usage and when the uses were but to be able to say "Here's what it's costing us Are there ways to to tweak that recovery number Is it not
possible Could we find outside partners who are coming into our city to pick up part of those services that would then allow us to add to the existing facilities which would then bring the recoveries up Those kinds of analyses while they're operational to some degree
as a commission the tax dollars are our responsibility and and it's hard for us It's hard for me to understand what guidance and direction we might give when we don't know those numbers So you know again I I think it's
a worthy exercise but again I'm one of five so I don't know what you all think So I'll shut up and I'd love to hear what everybody else is thinking on this If I could just address real quick the when you so when you talk about the facilities the Morgan Center while we
could tell you pretty close what the Morgan Center and the Mullen Center cost to operate with you know staff that it takes to open and close it and um the the electricity all of those things utilities but when the staff at the
Morgan Center are the ones that are organizing a citywide event and that money is in their budget That that's where we that's where the complication comes The July 4th event is in the recreation budget The poinsetta event is in the recreation
budget The reservations unit for all of our field reservations The team that makes those reservations is through recreation And so there's not a direct correlation to that Dallas White field for those direct costs And you know what With all the footnotes that go along
with that I'm I'm good with that I appreciate it's not clean and so it's not like looking at you know other types of department budgets that the intent isn't to analyze it from the standpoint of what do we cut what do we keep it's it's more to get a good comfortable feel
for what options how do we make it better how do we add how do we you know from a positive standpoint not so much an accountability standpoint but I just think it's it's a gap we don't have those numbers and you We have no idea
you know we we don't we just see the whole department in its entirety pretty much except for you know the the aquatic center in Mon Springs I mean I don't know what what are the rest of you think Am I if I'm alone with it then forget it You know I'm just one of five But you
know what are you all thinking You know what I think I'd like to see the data particularly on those really um capital intensive projects you know the the community centers war mineral springs
and we have a pretty good handle on the aquatic center Um so for me at least for those but I do see the value in having a model So I I don't know whether you actually
want to see actuals mayor or if what you're really looking for is if we want to create a passive park it costs X per acre to develop that Or if we want an active park it costs Y per acre So that
as we begin building out our park system out east we sort of have a model to know what kind of investment So are you looking for really actuals from an operating point of view or more from a planning Yes Where where they can I I
mean here's a good scenario You know on the next meeting we have we're going to be talking about spending close to a million dollars to do the engineering studies for the Legacy Trail Connector at Mineral Springs It's going to cost something
aside from the what it's going to cost to to put that in place There's it's going to cost money to maintain it and take care of it and the bathrooms and this and that and all the other things How if if we're spending tax dollars on this stuff and we don't know what it's
costing us it it and it's just part of a big cost bucket of quality of life doesn't do it for me And and I just feel that it's important to know these numbers and understand what it's costing I don't care if if it costs three
quarters of a million dollars to run the Morgan Center or the Mullen Center and and the re the return or the recovery is 25% I don't care because the quality I mean I do care but the quality of life is important And if that's standard and
if that's comparable with with other other venues other cities other counties I'm okay with that But I'd like to know it and I don't know it And I feel that I'm responsible for these dollars
being spent I don't mean to get on a soap box but we've asked for two years for this stuff And I know if staff can't do it and and finance can't do it because they're too busy and and they and they are I'm not being sarcastic Then maybe we should farm it out We're
going to spend a year We're spend a lot of money to have this study done Once it's all done and the recommendations are we spend all kinds of money to build parks out east and this and that and all the rest how can we sit here and make those decisions when we don't know what
it costs to operate the ones we got And and I I don't know how to say it any more gently or bluntly And I just feel it's well worth the money spent to do it Um especially in the environment within where everybody's looking at costs and
what it costs and quality of life is important It's the easiest thing for people to pick at and want to chop and I don't want that to happen But you got to have numbers to back up and justify why we spend tax dollars on these things And there's good reason to spend the dollars
So you know I I mean it in the most positive sense So Commissioner Duval I mean or Petro I'd love to hear what some of you but you you know know where Commissioner Langon stands but They're still here listening
Anybody else have anything to say here Commissioner Pro Well I do agree with you Mr Mayor and I think we should do some study I think it can be done in house because since you I from what I understand you're looking at the actual
not to project correct So if we do have actual expenses or like actual fees or whatever that we spend we can do it in house and instead of outsource it Obviously it's going to take some time and effort We're not
looking to have it tomorrow next month but I think it's really doable and feasible to do it and I think we should do it again b based on the ask and what we've given you based on what you've asked for us in the past I am not going to commit that we can do this in house we are
telling you that based on our accounting system and how it we are set up as a city with the systems that we have that our our team would not be able to go through and break out everything in the way that you're looking for it is going to take an outside party and it is going
to cause something and when we go out for the ask that things that We've all heard that you said they will bring back to you of course as naturally we would the contract that would say this is what it's going to cost and then we'll put that in front of you and then we'll get the details from uh the uh the process
that will let you know the time frame and the make sure it matches your expectations thank you because I don't disagree with you at all if if it could have been done in house it would have been done in house you guys staff has always been responsive anything we've
asked So I don't mean to imply that it was a it was a an ass that was ignored because I know how hard it is to pull these numbers out and make them have meaning You can't just slap them on a piece of paper without being able to justify them and substantiate where they
come from So I get that And if it costs a little money to do it I just think it it's its value is it will help us so greatly as we make decisions about how we can provide the highest quality of
life in parks and wrecks around this city We we need to do that We can't just be afraid that oh it's a cost center It's draining and and allow it to continue to be the one department that gets picked at all the time And it does And it's not fair because we don't have
all the numbers to be able to say this is how it works This is how it costs You know staff says it is But but commissioners present past and future will always question this without the ability to track these numbers And they can be tracked They're just going to
take a professional study to do it And you know I don't know You know we're going to spend a whole lot of money on the master plan We're spending a whole lot of money on something as small as a mineral springs uh or a legacy trail mineral springs hookup I mean we're
making some dollar commitments This to me when you look at the percentage of our our our uh general fund that that is consumed by parks and wrecks I think it's money well spent At least we should know what it'll cost and and what that
project would entail in the time frame if you all feel the same as me I mean it sounds like at least a couple of you do but Vice Mayor and Commissioner Duval I mean if you guys want to weigh in I'd love to hear I told you I'd say a few
words Um I understand what you're getting at but I I and I can understand I'm getting the pricing on the major facilities you know worrying about a pocket park out there and what it costs and stuff like that is just whenever and you don't have
to get up just nod If if I'm correct when we do put in a new park or we do look at putting in a new amenity don't you give us projections on what the cost factors are going to be going forward every single time This is what it's going to cost us to maintain See all those knobs back there So that
information comes in prior to us putting in a new park in the future So we know what it's going to cost and what it's going to take to maintain it I have no issues finding out what the Mullen Center is you know all them on on those cost factors But again we're
looking at parks and then you have recreation and they told you a lot of the monetary stuff recoups from the recreation side So So wait a minute let me finish And uh with that we didn't even ask Okay we got the ball fields out
there at Atwater with uh the little league or whatever Do they pay to use the fields Does that get recouped into the parks budget or is that under the recreation side as well There's a lot of different factors coming into play here and to go to an outside individual that
cost money I understand we're looking at spending money but costing money and for the last three months we've been preaching that we're trying to cut funds and money but here we are trying to add on different things right now in the middle of budget season
So my hands are tied on this I wouldn't want to commit funds to have this done because a lot of that information is readily available prior to us making a decision on a new park So then that's where parks and rec ought to be able to produce all that We ought to know exactly what it costs or what the
projections were to maintain these things and they don't exist because we don't have them Okay and and as far as how we account for things and how we move what monies for for projects or or programs or activities fall into what
maybe a study would actually help us properly account not properly but account for them in a method that would make it much more easy to make smarter financial decisions regarding this stuff I'm trying to find ways to support the
parks and recreck programs and to enhance them and to justify the costs and the percentage of recovery not trying to drag it down and pick it apart And we don't have that If if what vice mayor is saying is true that before any
new parks are put in we have projections on what it would cost to maintain them Where are they Why don't we have them And and I don't think they exist quite frankly And if they do I'd love to see them for all the parks in the last five years or 10 years that have been put in
place So you know I I I if this cost $50,000 or $100,000 or $20,000 it might be money well spent in order to know I mean the idea is a positive thing I'm not you know I
I'm not trying to make it a negative thing but I feel that I don't have a grip on what it's costing us to operate our various larger operations in parks and wrecks And I'd like to know that because before I can make a decision
about a 40 acre park out east I need to know that or I'm not going to be able to support stuff like that Juliana Balia uh assistant city manager Uh mayor when we process our budget every year parks and recreation
department we have capital improvement sheets On those capital improvement sheets as part of the budget we do have reoccurring maintenance costs We include in there how much staffing will be needed uh equipment supplies if we have restrooms if we're going to have
in-house maintenance of a park if we have um if we have uh a contractor for certain services So we do have we do have costs identified each time we develop a park Yeah I think I think possibly what I'm hearing the commission
give some direction is you would like an overall study done financial study as to what it's costing for us to to uh build and construct and maintain our parks which is a little bit which is a little bit more comprehensive this this master
plan is is giving you a a vision for the future and laying out all the parks that are going to be constructed you know in the future for the for our city Um but what you're talking about is a little bit more comprehensive and a little bit more deep but our parks and recreation does do their due diligence through the
budget on the capital improvement sheet worksheets and identifying recurring maintenance costs I have no doubt it does And I don't mean to say that this ask is part of what the master plan should be but you're you're actually supporting Commissioner Pro's contention
that this could be done in house if all this information is put together for CIP sheets and I know it's not What I'm trying to say is that it requires I agree with city manager This is not something that we have a handle on
internally I'm asking for a look at how to do this differently so that we can actually do it Charlotte County does it We could do it but it's going to cost money time and involvement But I think the tool is valuable How can you not
know what it costs to operate some of our major parks and recreation areas We're a we're a city with approximately approaching $300 million budget and and we spend millions of dollars taxpayer dollars How could we
not know what it's costing us to run each of these things And I mean it in a positive sense because if we want to make good decisions as to how we allocate more dollars or redirect dollars to enhancing our quality of life amenities under parks and reccks we need
this information that that's the reason I brought this up It's just that simple And and you know I don't know I mean at some point we need to make a motion with Commissioner Dval We haven't heard anything from you I don't know if you want to weigh in on this
Fair enough I mean yeah just a final comment for me where I always go with this stuff and let me back up Parks and wreck budget comes out of the general fund which is
populated through property tax cut That's where the money comes from So in an way oversimplified model where my mind goes is okay if we're going to spend these are made up numbers If we're going to
spend $10 million to build a community center then that and we have 20,000 households then that means it's going to take $500 of property tax per household to
build that facility And then if by our model we have a $500,000 a year shortfall operating cost minus fee recapture then a community
center 20,000 households means $25 per year of property tax So as we're approaching the buildout of parks and wreck out east I would like to know what is the impact going to be on our
property taxes to support number one the building of it and then the operating of it And and I agree with mayor the request is not punitive We just really need to understand it and and the
community needs to understand what it means so they support it So that they support it right I mean unless someone else has a Commissioner Petro on a final note I would like to add a
couple things um if it's not feasible to do in house I'm a little bit hesitant to to outsource and confirming uh vice mayor's remarks Um that would we
kind of trying to save money and then we asking to to hire outsourcing outsource consulting company out I I guess what I'm trying to say is they already have some some sort of
compilation of finances and it doesn't have to be to the dollar but I guess the staff can do more analytical analysis and they do partially already So it doesn't have to
be exactly to the sand but uh and maybe we can ask Charlotte County how they did it or what system they used or what consultant if they used it outside um firms or not what they did it in house but I don't think it's too
complicated to kind of break it down more And I'm not in a staff position but that's just my final thoughts on it But we're all trying to save money all trying to cut unnecessary expenses but at the same time we need to see the full
picture I'm really supporting the mayor but as well as the vice mayor because we're trying to save money So one thing maybe we can ask Charlotte County a second maybe do more breakdown of the
reports they already have on on files That's it from me Well if if no one I'm happy to try a motion if you don't want to do it You want me to make the motion Mention a pro Let's try this
Um I move um to instruct city manager to work with staff to develop a budget for key park assets evaluating the feasibility of
doing it in house and taking a look at Charlotte Countyy's approach to quantifying um the operating costs of their park
asset That do it As long as the other commissioners approve it Well we'll see if it gets a second right Second for discussion Sure Okay Commission City Manager
I'm sorry Mr Mayor We were trying to make sure that it was okay and of course legally defensible for you to make this motion in this uh setting based on the item is a item about the master plan So I was trying to converse with the city attorney and I'm looking over at the
deputy city clerk as well to make sure that we're all in alignment with what we can do My question from the commission is whether whether you are not going to vote on the underlying item unless you
have this information before you consider it the underlying item Is that what you're waiting for or is this in addition to your discussion on the underlying item today I think for me this is in addition to so I would see two separate motions coming and and and
I would say to that while I see the same thing Commissioner Langden does they are two separate items one may have weight with regard to how one might vote on the agenda item
okay understand and I I don't see the current motion as being unrelated to the master plan topic I think they're intrinsically intertwined Um so I don't think we have
an issue of this topic not being on the agenda I think it's quite pertinent within the context of a master plan for Audi's Just my two cents That's what that's what prompted my
question If you're going to if you can't vote on your underlying item because you don't know this information then then um I would say to bring it back in as a discussion item to vote on in another meeting But if you are going you're still going to move forward with your
underlying item regardless of this information that then you can move forward with this motion I would say yes to that to the the commission What to others Well yeah If we can move on with the regular item
that's on the agenda and vote on that without any further information then you're okay with that Correct I would prefer I would prefer to do it that way to move forward with your underlying item Ideally bring this item back for discussion in the vote to move it forward at another meeting once it's
properly noticed in case there's any other information that you need or want or other people who want to comment it on it because it wasn't really notified this way before this discussion There might be the public who wants to weigh in on this right And that's what I was trying to get at because if we just did what was on the paper here that we're
supposed to and then have a separate agenda item at a future meeting discussing this again and then making that move forward the best way to move forward That's that's what I was thinking should have happened That's all that's why I'm asking If I may mayor I would just say I think both of these
pieces of work can happen concurrently I don't see coming up with some kind of financing model as being required before we can move forward on a master plan I think they can happen concurrent Well
what does the mayor say He brought it up Dval commissioner Dval speaks Now I have a problem Uh I'm starting to feel like we're going this way Um if we do one thing it may affect what
you do in the other And if you're doing them both at the same time when you get each one finished you may find out that geez they
went in different directions Uh I would rather see one completed first and then based on that look at the other later on
Mr Yeah Um I I hear what you're saying but what I come back to So so what I see in my mind very vividly was a
decision the city made over 10 years ago to purchase Warm Mineral Springs without any appreciation or documentation or budget allocation for
the maintenance of that property Um so again I think both the call it the modeling or or the proposed or the anticipated budget of certain
assets once we come up with the master plan that's like a vision of what we would like to do rather than waiting what is it going to cost to do it we would have that information ready at the same time to be
able to plan and budget it out I I just want to avoid having a master plan a beautiful picture that we all in the community gets excited about and then we go "Oh whoops It's going to cost a bazillion
dollars to create this to implement this vision and then maintain it." I just don't want to see another warm mineral spring I want us to know financially what we're in for when we approve
certain investments Oh there is a motion and it was seconded So unless somebody else has something more to say on this subject I could go on for an hour but I won't say another word Let's just vote and see where this falls
Could you read back Could you read back the motion please I would recommend that you withdraw that motion The motion Nick withdraw that motion and move forward with the item on the agenda Bring this item that you're discussing now back at a different meeting on different agenda
under proper notice to consider it at that time And your reason being sorry And your reason being if the if the discussion for directing this is not properly noticed that there the public does not
know that this conversation this discussion has taken place might want to participate and to ensure that that is done properly to bring it back at another time Oh I'd like to comment on that You're a motion maker Um I I don't understand
that because understanding financially what it's going to cost to implement anything in the city that is not a community conversation That's an obligation of
this board For us to plan and adopt plans without having a clue what it's going to cost to create and maintain that vision is not good governance Mr Mayor yes sir Ju just for a point
clarity the the plan itself is going to bring you back numbers that will be associated with what the plan is driving you towards The difference between as was referenced earlier a CIP document and
the plan is that those are the planning numbers for the implementation Once you implement it it falls into the big bowl so of soup so to say of parks and wrecks You're asking us to go now and separate
that bowl which is separate and different from go explore the plan and tell us how much it's going to cost in that plan There will be a cost in that plan without us going and unraveling the bowl of soup But they're they're both important based on what I'm hearing from
this board But I don't want you to believe that if you don't adopt the plan that we put in front of you today for consideration that it will come back to you without the financial information in it that will help guide your future decisions And and I appreciate that with
regard to the plan because I read the contract and I read the scope and I read everything else that was in there And I do agree when it comes to laying out a master plan it will talk about that What what is missing though is what exists
today and the costs of what exists today and the and the cost of maintaining everything we have today because it'll take a year for this master plan And when it comes back to us or nine months when it comes back to us we're going to be asked to adopt this plan We're going to be asked to make decisions based on
this plan at some point We we we we totally agree All All we're saying as I'm following up with um the interim county attorney is that today we're asking you for the plan based on what I'm hearing You're saying bring back to me direction so that you can give
direction so that we can unravel the current operations And but to to the acting city attorney's point and and and what commissioner Langden said she was right on point In my
opinion this is not this is our responsibility Making this ask doesn't require public notice It doesn't require anything more than the commission directing staff to do this And I don't see that the fact that it isn't properly
noticed here as a separate item matters I think that it's going to take every bit as long to do this as it will to do the master plan And if this goes on another agenda another week two weeks 3 weeks four weeks from now I don't see
any reason for not dealing with it now because I don't see an issue of notice Again city attorney says it but it's tied together These things are integral And while we can make a decision to further a master plan there's no reason
why we can't make this ass now In my opinion I I don't see anybody anywhere who's ever going to complain about this issue The fact that their electeds want more financial information to make the best decisions as to how they use their
tax dollars Who in the world's going to complain about that So I I I you know what what I hear is that this should be massaged out for a later date as it is I don't even know if this motion's going to pass
Okay So you know I I really have Mr Mr May we're talking about six days not six weeks or six months There's a meeting next Tuesday morning we can amend the agenda and get it on at that point and keep you satisfied Six days isn't going
to change the time frame and this interim city attorney I think is satisfied with that as well Ask a question Um let me pose a question and see if this makes the request a little more palatable So what I'm hearing is
making a request at this point to take a look at the operating models of current parks and wreck is outside the scope of today's discussion
Is that what I'm hearing Okay So what if we rephrase that to expand the scope if it needs to be because I I didn't see it in here What I
did see was what the financial obligations would be to create the different assets What if we expand the scope to include anticipated operating costs of
different classes of parks to be determined you know passive try to keep it very very high level passive active special assets and special assets might be a community
center blah blah blah as much as I would like to my concern is that the group that's going to do this plan is not necessarily the group that would be in a position to do the financial analysis we
need I think they're two different groups Well I could be wrong Yeah I I agree And if that were the case then yeah it would take it it would it would basically put you know kick this this
particular agenda item back to staff to modify which you know just puts off the overall master plan I mean I don't want to I don't want to do that I I want to appro I want to instruct staff to move forward with the master plan I mean there's not a question in my mind about
that But the next time this is on the agenda to review the plan I want to know what we're in for in terms of building it I think we'll get that based upon what I read but also maintaining it And we have
like three minutes until our Mr Mayor Yes sir So I have Caitlyn Coglin our assistant city attorney who's worked on this contract and she might have a little light to to shed on on the situation Caitlyn Coglin assistant city attorney
What I wanted to add is if we change anything in the scope of work it's going to have to go out and rebid Um so I just want you to keep that in mind is that if anything has changed then we have to change from the beginning forward and that's why we have it on the agenda as it is
Well you know I might thank you very much That's what I surmised And if the motion maker would like to resend your motion we can spend an hour a couple of days from now and have this conversation all over again And let's direct staff at
least if nothing else to put this on the agenda as a separate agenda item for the very next meeting we can That makes sense And let's have this discussion all over again Okay I'll I'll pull my the seconder I'll pull my second Okay I I
pulled the motion and I will remake the motion to instruct city manager to work with staff to um accept this contract and begin the master planning effort for parks IDs And I'll second that
There's nothing else to that or nothing more to that Let's vote And that passes 5 to zero Uh about I would say at this point are there any other public comments No sir Well then it is 3:58 and uh we'll
adjourn this meeting Good afternoon everybody Today Good afternoon Today is Thursday April 3rd 2025 It is 4:03 p.m We're in city chambers and I call the city commission regular meeting to order
Commissioners President or Commissioner Dval Mr Langden Mayor Stokes Vice Mayor Emerich Commissioner Pro There's a quorum present Uh also present city manager Fletcher interimm city attorney Goolan Assistant City Clerk Pal Board Specialist Lane Police Chief or I'm
sorry deputy chief uh Morales and uh there he is Chief Titus And let's see Uh we get to do the pledge here Let us see God I'm having an Alice
White moment City manager how about you Why not All right To the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with
liberty and justice for all All righty I need a uh motion to approve the agenda Second Got a motion by Vice Mayor seconded by Commissioner Langden to approve the agenda Let's vote on that And that passes 5 to zero Uh any
public comments No sir Okay with that then we're going to welcome new employees City manager you want to introduce Thank you Mr Mayor I'd like to call up Miss Sandy Nolles our risk and benefit manager to introduce the new employees for the city of Northport
Hi good afternoon Sandy Nolles the risk and benefits manager for the city Um I get the opportunity to um welcome all of our new employees and we're excited to welcome you um to our team Um as I call your names if you could please stand for
recognition that would be fantastic In the city manager's office and information technology we have Adrien Rodriguez Adrienne you didn't have your speech ready Unfortunately not Okay next time Um
Casey Simmons service desk [Applause] From development services we have Thomas Fiorelli our planning and zoning manager From our police department we have Ryan
King We have Janine Angelini James Nyas Christopher Ramsey Public works we have Gaba Gabriel I'm sorry Gregory Abel solid waste and utilities We have James Floyd
water distribution Welcome aboard We're glad to have you guys Thank you All righty Moving on to proclamations and recognitions Commissioners let's go down
front You want first Whereas one of the most meaningful gifts that a human being can bestow upon another is the gift of life And whereas over 104,000 men women and children are
currently on the national waiting list for organ transplantation of which over 5,500 reside in Florida And whereas 48,149 a historic number of organ
transplants occurred in the calendar year 2024 in the United States Thanks to the generosity of 24,08 deceased and living donors of which LifeLink of Florida honored more
donors than ever before serving 361 organ donors who provided 936 lifesaving transplants to patients in need And whereas more than 2.5 million people throughout the country
and in Florida benefit annually from TR tissue transplantation thanks to thousands of tissue donors And whereas the need for organ eye and tissue donation remains critical as a new patient is added to
the national waiting list for an organ transplant every eight minutes And each day roughly 16 people die due to the lack of available organs And whereas more than 11.1 million Flidians have
already registered their decision to give the gift of life through organ and dis tissue donation at www.donatelifef.org or on their driver license And whereas LifeLink of Florida
a nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplantation therapy in Florida with a mission to honor donors and save lives through organ and tissue donation Now therefore we the city commission of the
city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim the month of April 2025 as donate life month Thank you We have M Moses here Yes Come on up I get a moment or something You
get a moment sir Everything I was going to say he just said So uh almost every time I work the health desk come on behind Yeah come on behind and use the mic This way those listening can hear you Yeah those listening Uh I'm I'm Jack Moses I've
been a longtime volunteer with the organ donation information Uh and I live in Northport by the way And u I really want to thank you for taking some time out of your day to support uh this cause As you mentioned uh we did 48,000 organ transplants in the US last year That was
a record That was like a quarter more than we've ever done in a year uh there's still 100 and some thousand people waiting as he mentioned there's still uh more than a dozen people a day that uh don't make it until they get an organ So until we can grow these things in laboratories uh it's great that people are willing to give their organs
when they're done and don't when they're done with them and don't need them anymore So I want to thank you very much and also from LifeLink of Florida who is the organization charged by the federal government for carrying out uh organ donation activities uh in Florida Uh I've got these pins for everybody here
If you would pick one up if you'd like one to show your support for as we know we have Thank you very much sir Oh my gosh Thank you very much Thank you very much [Music]
All right [Music] North Court Florida Proclamation Whereas child abuse and neglect is a complex and continuing problem in our society affecting over 3 million children annually nationwide And whereas there's
no test of a society more important than the status and treatment of its children And whereas the child protection center works to prevent child abuse and to protect and treat children affected by child abuse with the hope of creating a
community in which every child is free and safe from child abuse and urge all citizens citizens to be aware of and involved with the local and national programs which provide ongoing protection of our children Now therefore
we the city commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim April 2025 as child abuse prevention month There she is Come on down You want to say a few words Uh good afternoon everyone I am Danielle
Hughes I am the supervisor of the child protection team It is a program of the child protection center On behalf of our board of directors our staff and volunteers I want to thank the city of Northport for proclaiming April as child abuse prevention month Um I would
encourage you all to educate yourselves on child abuse that is in our community And you can check out our website at cpcserasota.org Thank you all so much Who we have City of Northport Utilities That's you Michael
Come on down All the glory goes to you Where is everybody No No Coco Coco Come on down here All right Whereas water is a basic and essential need of every living creature and whereas the state of Florida water
management districts in the city of Northport are working together to increase awareness about the importance of water conservation And whereas city of Northport Sarasota County and the state of Florida has designated April typically a dry month when water demands
are most acute Florida's water conservation month to educate citizens about how they can save help save Florida's precious water resources And whereas city of Northport has always encouraged and supported water conservation through various educational
programs and special events And whereas every business industry school and citizen can make a difference when it comes to conserving water And whereas every business industry school and citizen can help by saving water and thus promote a healthy
economy and community And whereas efficient irrigation design programming and maintenance can conserve water City of Northport will encourage citizens and businesses to evaluate their irrigation systems for potential efficiency enhancements Now therefore we the city
commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim April 2025 as water conservation month Uh yeah just to touch on that with water conservation um I don't know if you've noticed in
Northport we seem to grow a little bit slightly Um and the the more we grow our precious water it the conservation of that is so important that there you're right there's a lot of water out there We're surrounded by an ocean It's just
the cost of the water to treat it to make it potable to make it safe And the more we conserve and the more we do um ourselves and for our environment the better off we're going to be as a community So it's important that we conserve whatever water we can You know
water saving fixtures are huge Um just just the little things that we do to save water is important So and I do have Coco who wants to announce an upcoming campaign we have on water conservation Okay Hey April is water conservation
month and as you may or may not know if you follow our social media on the city we are participating in the Wyland mayor's challenge for water conservation Mayor Stokes has made a video talking about it Um so it's just take the pledge pledge
to show you There's a little battle going on back here Take the pledge with conserved water and it's shorter showers Skip a week of watering of your lawns and whatnot Check your irrigation system all of that But take the pledge vote vote vote vote vote early vote often
like we always do Let's get us to number one And it's mywaterpledge.com Thank you Yes you are You can stay right here And I'm stealing this one too That one This one's for utilities I want the water professionals to come up
That's right Everybody from utilities please All right There we go I want each one of you to plan on what you want to say when you come to the night want to turn the water Holy mackerel That was right
Just get cozy Whereas water industry professionals in Florida dedicate themselves to the production and distribution of safe drinking water as well as the proper collection treatment reuse and disposal of waste water and storm water And
whereas the professionals employed in this industry commit themselves to protecting the health of Florida citizens and our state's natural resources And whereas it is fitting that the city of Northport recognize all those who have played a significant part
in operating and maintaining drinking water wastewater and storm water systems in Florida by celebrating Florida Water Professionals Month which applauds their constant efforts to protect our health and environment Now therefore we the city commission of the city of Northport
Florida do hereby proclaim April 2025 as Florida Water Professionals Month [Applause] Okay this I am very proud of this and I'm very proud to talk about this because these are your water professionals industry professionals
here in Northport They operate the system 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year There's no stopping what we do We don't shut off the water go home at night We operate the system We maintain pressure We we maintain the collection system
and just it it's it takes a huge effort And these group of professionals I am honored here to sit and and congratulate them for the recognition of this because they truly do deserve it They're great group They work hard They're dedicated
They're committed to what they do And I just want to say thank you Great Great job [Applause] I'll turn side [Music] There's always got to be three Wait a minute One more go
Thank you Thank you guys for all you do There you go We've got liveins in here Is there a Ning Tinsley
Ning Tinsley from Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center [Music] You'll work Come on out Come on up She set it up No right here up front
Help them read it Whereas sexual violence continues to be a major social and health crisis in our society Safe Place and rape crisis center Spark CC is that okay provides
free services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for Sarasota and Dotto counties and seeks to prevent such violence through public awareness and education And whereas we urge the citizens of Northport to recognize the
prevalence of sexual assault promote awareness and seek to prevent sexual assault by wearing teal ribbons which are available from Spark during the month of April 2025 Now therefore we the city
commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim April 2025 as sexual assault awareness month [Applause] Hello my name is Michelle I work for Spark Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
and I'm the advocate for Northport I help with domestic violence and sexual violence I'm in the family service building on Pan-American Uh we also have an office in Venice our main office in Sarasota and we also serve Dotto County So thank you for this
We got to get [Music] me Thank you sir Um would Misty Elmore Deputy Chief and any other representatives of the police department who want to come down I'll start reading
as you come down Whereas emergencies can occur at any time that requires police services And whereas when an emergency occurs the prompt response of police officers is
critical to the protection of life and preservation of property And whereas the safety of our police officers is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained from citizens who telephone the Northport Police
Communication Center And whereas public safety communicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services And whereas public safety telecommunicators are the
single vital link for our police officers by mon monitoring their activities by radio providing them information and ensuring their safety And whereas public safety communicators of the Northport Police Department have
contributed substantially to the apprehension of crim criminals And whereas each dispatcher has exhibited compassion understanding and professionalism during the performance of their job in the past year Now
therefore we the city commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby comp uh proclaim April 13th through April 19th 2025 as National Public Safety
Telecommunications Week Sure Okay Good afternoon commissioners and city staff On behalf of all telecommunications professionals I'm honored to accept this proclamation recognizing National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week This week is
dedicated to the hardworking men and women who serve as the unseen backbone of public safety our dispatchers call takers and teletype operators Every day these dedicated professionals answer the call literally serving as the vital link between the public and first responders
Whether it's a distress call in the middle of the night a life-threatening emergency or simply someone needing guidance in a moment of crisis they are always there providing calm clear and life-saving assistance Their work often goes unnoticed but today and throughout the
week we take the time to acknowledge their commitment professionalism and the critical role they play in keeping our communities safe It is a job that requires not only technical skill but also compassion resilience and the ability to remain
composed under pressure I want to express my deepest gratitude to all telecommunications personnel for their service and dedication Your work truly makes a difference in countless lives and this proclamation is a well-deserved recognition of your efforts Thank you to
the city of Northport for this proclamation and for highlighting the importance of National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week Let us continue to support and appreciate these essential individuals not just today but every day Thank you Thank
you for everything you do Thank you for everything You guys are so much a great We got the National Volunteer Week uh presented to the city of Northport Police Department
So Deputy Chief all you want here Well there she is Come on then Behave yourself Whereas Florida Volunteer Month and National Volunteer
Week was established in April as the official time to recognize and celebrate the effort of volunteers at the local state and national levels And whereas volunteerism strengthens communities improves social problems enhances the overall quality of life for all citizens
including children seniors those who are disabled impoverished imprisoned homeless physically or mentally ill or otherwise in need of assistance And whereas volunteering changes the lives of volunteers in a positive way
increasing self-confidence esteem physical well-being offering the chance to meet new friends and providing opportunities to learn new skills and abilities And whereas volunteerism is proven to have a positive influence on businesses that
are socially responsible increasing employee morale loyalty and teamwork and building goodwill towards company And whereas nonprofits charities community and faith-based groups schools and national service programs in the city of Northport have joined together with
state and local governments in celebration and praise of volunteers who have given tirelessly and selflessly to the service of others Now therefore we the city commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim this month of April 2025 and the week
April 27th through May 4th 2025 excuse me as Florida Volunteer Month and National Volunteer [Applause] Week Good afternoon everyone My name is Shelby Mendlesson and I am the recreation manager for Northport Parks
and Recreation Today we would like to recognize the dedication and hard work of our outstanding volunteers Through the city of Northport's adopt a park program individuals businesses and groups can partner with the parks and recreation department to help maintain
and care for our beautiful neighborhood parks facilities and nature trails Volunteers play a vital role in keeping our city's public spaces clean safe and welcoming for all Whether it's park cleanup or simply keeping an eye out for anything unusual their contributions
make a lasting impact Today we want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Environmental Conservancy of Northport and making Florida dreams whose dedication has gone above and beyond Together their 32 volunteers contributed
nearly 75 hours of service to Oaks Park Atwater Park Makahhatchee Creek Environmental Park and the Makahahache Creek Greenway Trail Your time effort and passion for our community do not go unnoticed Because of you these spaces
remain places of recreation and connection for all On behalf of the parks and recreation department we sincerely thank you for your generosity and commitment to keeping our parks [Applause] thriving The Northport Police Department
also has volunteers Are there there's there's none here Because we keep them working No time to come to this But we have 25 volunteers that mainly help in the police department but also help out with the other parts of our city for
events and things like that And uh just in the past year they've done over 1,600 hours of volunteer work for our city And the stuff that they do is so meaningful to what we do sensitive materials
running transmitts It saves not only our our our city uh just an unbelievable amount of money but they're really there to pick up the the slack for a lot of things that we do So they're just unbelievably valued And you know these are things like calling our hearts uh
people who sign up for our hearts program which we help with seniors who don't have anybody to call and talk to And these are things that if we didn't have the volunteers it's difficult to give to staff members So they're just so appreciative and uh they deserve every recognition that we could possibly give
them Thank you [Applause] [Music] Thank you very much Thank you so much Vice Mayor Prime Weeks you're up Let's see who we got here
[Music] sent to autumn rapola Is there an autumn rapola [Music] rapa Okay Which one are you No Whereas crime affects individuals
families and communities in a profound and varied ways often leaving lasting physical emotional and social challenges And whereas the concept of kinship underscores the connections that build bridges to support services and
shared strength among survivors advocates and communities And whereas kinship is the foundation of victim advocacy inspiring traumainformed care that meets survivors where they are And
whereas through kinship we build peer networks and community alliances that empower survivors foster resilience and offer pathways to healing And whereas kinship reminds us of the strength that comes from connection the importance of
listening to every voice and the power we have to create lasting change when we work together Now therefore we the city commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim April 6 through April 12th 2025 as National
Crime Victim's Rights Week [Applause] My name is Autumn Polo I'm the victim advocate supervisor at the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office And on behalf of the Victim Advisory Council and all crime victims we thank you for making next week National Crime Victim Rights
Week On Friday April 11th at 8 a.m Rothbach Park will be hosting a walk for victims Um it's like a threemileish walk Uh pretty it's very beautiful out there So we welcome all of you to join us um in that effort Thank you so
[Applause] much Thank you very much Commissioner L Thank you Mayor It's an honor and a privilege for me to call down Edie Dre And do we have some representatives of
Friends of Wildlife come with you Great Whereas in 2016 the Northport Friends of Wildlife proposed to the city of Northport that there be a day set aside for recognition of the gopher tortoise
I'm not even going to try to um pronounce the the Latin name of the gopher tortoise And whereas April 10th was officially adopted as the Gopher Tortoise Council as Gopher Tortoise Day
And whereas in Florida gopher tortoises are found in parts of all 67 counties and are frequently encountered in neighborhoods along roadways and in many of Florida's public parks and forests And whereas the gopher tortoise has been
living on the earth for 500,000 to 2 million years And whereas the gopha tortoise today is in the state of Florida listed as threatened and in parts of the US is federally listed as
threatened And whereas the gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species because they dig burrows And whereas the gopher tortois' burrow protects more than 360 other commenial
species some of which are also listed as threatened And whereas the gopher tortoise habitat needs protection And whereas having gopher tortoise and other species in our area helps to sustain the area's ecology and provides people with
a source of joy and appreciation for nature Now therefore we the city commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby proclaim April 10th 2025 as Gopher tortoise
day So I have some good news here Uh um a year or so ago um the Wildlands Conservation Group started up an initiative that the state of Florida then could have a license on our plates on our cars
So this should be available in about six months So they say um what they had to say is they are these plates are now being manufactured and will be available at your local tax collector's office for pickup soon Wild Wildlands Conservation will post more information about this
with the instructions on exchanging your current plate with the new license plates And by the way Northport Friends of Wildlife has a website and you can find the information there too about these plates Um and then the question would be well where's the money going that is collected when these plates are
are being purchased Well that money will go to wildlands conservation and they will be funding research education and conservation for upland habitat which is what these critters like um for restoration and management in Florida to
benefit this tortoise and other [Applause] species My name is Jennifer Critzier I'm an ecological consultant authorized gopher tortoise agent and a member of uh Northport Friends Wildlife I'm thrilled to be here to mark Gopher tortoise day Um with our new environmental permitting
resources team that we have in Northport we've got a fresh chance to balance development and conservation ensuring projects that help protect this threatened species and its habitat I would love to see a local tortoise friendly yard program that mirrors what the FWC offers on a limited basis every
year I would also love to see an updated plant list for our developers because I have it on good faith that the builders don't really care what they put in So we might as well put in what our tortoise and commensiles like to enjoy Um they make better neighbors than some people
So I'd like to let's celebrate by committing to smart permitting and habitat preservation because together we can keep our county thriving for both the wildlife and the people [Applause]
Absolutely I just wanted to say that um I'm Dr Greg Mason professor at um FSW in Ponta Gordon But um for the last 5 years we've been working closely with the Northport High School here Uh we have a poster an
action contest on the gopher tortoise So the students are educated about what it means to be threatened and to be a keystone species Um the last few years we've expanded it beyond the gopher
tortoise to any species in Florida that is threatened and um perhaps endangered and and maybe a keystone species itself including plants Um so last year we had 165 uh [Music]
entries Um and this year Stephan is going to be uh our main judge [Music] [Music] Good afternoon Thank you for allowing me to speak My name is Stefan Caiff natural
resources division manager with the city of Northport And um I wanted to say that I am excited to celebrate April 10th as golfer daughters day I think that's a wonderful accomplishment and
effort Few words about my team We safeguard golfer tortoises through a detailed permitting process that includes preliminary and follow-up inspections all while respecting private property development rights And
sometimes this is not easy We also collaborate closely with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and many other groups and entities Today we celebrate this keystone species
the Gulfer tortois and honor advocates like the Northport Friends of Wildlife Their tireless work reminds us of the shared responsibility we all have to protect our natural resources Thank
you Thank you so much I love those little critters That's wonderful I was protecting Yes All righty folks Any public comments sir No sir We have no public comments at this point It is
4:45 There's nothing else to this business I adjourn this meeting