and determine which ones need me to estimate their impact fees and that's where I start with that then I go to numbers that I have to put together and I put together the invoices for our developers I often times I'll get phone calls to give quotes before their uh the development comes through and so developers want to know how much they can budget for so sometimes I put through proposed estimates to help them with that and
the bulk of it is is making sure that the fees are in the system as fast as possible I love the espr decor that I experience just how everybody teamwork together I uh enjoy knowing that I'm can make a difference for the city and that my position can have a positive impact in for our city [Music]
oh you're sping in the pool [Music] [Music]
I'm Stacy loio I'm 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 vehicle and your boats
just so that if your home does flood or your roof blows off 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 for
[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 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 today is Thursday February 6 2025 it's 4 pm we're in the city Chambers and I call the city commission regular meeting to order Commissioners present are commissioner Deval commissioner Langdon mayor Stokes vice mayor Emich commissioner Petra there's a quarum present for the meeting also present city manager Fletcher interm City attorney goolan city clerk fa Bo specialist Lane uh we got deputy chief uh Hurley
and I don't know who from the police Commander lines welcome and let's see who's going to lead us in the pledge your victim dep pick your victim I know how about Mr Goan you do us the [Music] United States of America
toy and justice for all I'm looking for a motion to approve the agenda so move second a motion by vice mayor to approve the agenda seconded by commissioner Langdon let us vote
and that passes 5 to zero city clerk any public comments there's none there is none with that we're welcoming new employees uh city manager this is your item thank you Mr Mayor we' like to welcome Sandy NES our risk and benefits manager introduce the new employees to Northport thank you m good afternoon Sandy nolles the risk and benefits manager um it's an honor to be able to uh congratulate and welcome
everyone to the new to the city is I announce your names if you could please stand so we can be acknowledged by your peers City attorney's office Kimberly [Applause] Rubino thank you city clerk's office Shannon gray Sarah Lane from the city clerk's
office from development services we have Matthew Clemens chenice [Applause] Walker from fire we have Joel [Applause] aronda Adrian
Cordo Hunter Fuentes calb obney Nicholas [Applause] Peretti Antonio huana sorry [Applause]
Nicholas Gino it's great you all were here on Parks we have Maggie dinardo Mich Michael [Applause] branell okay the police department we have Jamie ersoff
Andrew Barker kayy R ranlet narcisso Sosa [Applause] Fernandez from the utilities department we have Michelle fora thank you Walter
haragan Kyle [Applause] row Adam finklestein Nicholas Jenna I fourth welcome to the city we thank you all for showing up for today and we do encourage you to connect with your peers ask them some questions and embrace the Opportunities For Learning and
Development at the city your contributions matter and we do look forward to seeing the positive impact that you'll make in our community and welcome aboard and we're glad to have you with us thank you all right next up we have proclamations and recognitions Commissioners let's move on down front
there go where's [Music]
all righty can I get uh Ro and Jane if they're here
come on [Applause] up right
are we on are we good I don't know if we're on or not but um this week at the Aquatic Association of aquatic professionals uh conference we were lucky enough to be there to have um our peers in the Aquatic field recognize two of our very own so without further Ado I'm going to have Devon Pula speak to their accomplishments and uh we'll get on with this course exactly correct taking off to the
moon so um just want to start off with our vision and mission for our parks and wck Department because I think it rolls right into what we're talking about today so as Trish said my name is Devon pulis and I'm so fortunate to be the aquatics manager recognizing these staff today so the vision of the Parks and Recreation Department is to be a recognized leader in providing Parks facilities and programs that increase wellness and enrich life experiences within our community our mission is to promote healthy and socially rewarding activities through the preservation of cultural resources and the provision of
diverse highquality parks and natural spaces let's talk about lifeguards for a little bit so lifeguards are more than just the people sitting in the tall chairs scanning the water they're trained professionals ready to respond in moments of Crisis every day they stand as the first line of defense ensuring the safety of swimmers patrons and families who come to enjoy the water their work is not just a job it's a commitment to vigilance skill and Readiness on November 23rd 2024 that commitment was was put to uh put to the
test in the most critical way possible at War Mineral Springs Park lead lifeguard Jane de Clerk and lifeguard 2 bro McMahon responded to a medical emergency in the water a woman in distress needed immediate assistance and without hesitation they sprang into action their training instincts and teamwork were pushed to the Limit as they worked to rescue assess and ultimately perform CPR and resuscitate the victim sustaining her life until Emergency Medical Services arrived their quick thinking and composure in those life or death moments made all the
difference as Trish stated um for their heroic life St life life sustaining efforts um they were nominated to the Red Cross for the uh professional Rescuers award award and were um given that award on Monday in front of 1500 Aquatics professionals from all over the country where they received a standing [Applause] ovation as their official citation States this action exemplifies the
highest degree of concern of one human being for another who is in distress that sentiment is at the heart of what it means to be a lifeguard it is why they train tirelessly why they remain Vigilant and why their presence at our pools beaches and parks are so essential now specifically within our division the Northport Aquatics division we demand Excellence from all staff because when things go wrong there are no Second Chances redos are not an option our lifeguard trrain I said I wouldn't do this our lifeguards train a
minimum of 4 hours a month after enduring a difficult certification process ensuring they are always prepared for emergencies like this this level of Readiness would not be possible without the unwavering support from our department leadership the city manager's office and our city commission their commitment to maintaining high standards allows us to provide the best possible protection for our community additionally later on our strong relationship with Northport fire rescue in our annual joint training sessions plays a crucial role in preparing for these for moments like these these
sessions allow our lifeguards and fire rescue Personnel to understand the challenges each other face ultimately leading to more successful outcomes for those in needs this partnership is Paramount and its value cannot be overstated I could not be more proud of Jane and Brody for their incredible rescue their dedication skill and composure Under Pressure that was a crazy day and and they embody what it truly means to be a professional lifeguard they let their actions serve as a reminder of why rigorous training
strong leadership and teamwork are so vital within our field when researching for this um day um what made this moment even more special was Jane and Brody uh four years ago actually took the lifeguard certification class together to start here with the city so from day one they train side by side they learn the life sing skills and they ultimately put those to test on November 23rd um a little bit about Jane on once again she's been with the city for a little bit over four years um she came
to us as a seasonal lifeguard and quickly moved to a part-time lifeguard we saw that leadership the drive um there and now she's a the lead lifeguard at War Min Springs leading that lifeguard team day in and day out to make sure they're prepared she's dedicated to providing a high level of service to everyone she encounters and she's a huge asset to our team um her dedication was once again on full display during Hurricane Ian where I'll never stop telling the story that even though her home had walked up to the porch she kayed to Sumpter
Boulevard and drove in every day to serve the citizens in Northport thank you Jan uh Brody has also worked for the city for over four years and without going into it has had many challenges personally throughout the time and we're so proud to see his growth um last year he successfully completed uh both the fire and EMT school and he's now taking the next steps in his career by applying what he's learned both in fire in the
EMT positions um to start applying for careers within the fire department hopefully we see him in the next year wearing one of those uniforms we saw earlier his driving commitment to Public Service are evident in [Applause] everything to finish off here before I'm a mess my makeup starts running these two individuals exemplify the best of what it means to be a lifeguard a first responder and a dedicated public servant Jaden Brody we
thank you for your hard work your courage and your unwavering dedication to our community thank you [Applause] [Applause]
of all the times that Devon has made fun of me for crying up here I really I got it back today I got it back today with that being said uh in honor of our partnership I would like to invite Chief Gorski to [Applause]
thank you congratulations if it wasn't for what they do would have been able to save a life you all remember from American Heart Association that chains of survival that's the first link recognizing that emergency and calling 901 and doing so if you guys weren't there the outcome
of that patient would have been entirely different with that we like to recognize you all with a life savings for excellence Award of BR and a job done [Applause]
[Applause] that's
[Applause] right next up we've got uh president presentation 2024 American Academy of
parks and rec all right if uh this is a whole team award so the whole Parks and Rec team that's here please on come on down uh so tough act to follow but you know it's the parks and rec show we got this so recently Northport Parks and Recreation was named a national gold medal finalist um for excellence in Park and Recreation management uh today we have the honor of
Lisa Paradis a fellow of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation administers to present that award to our team today well I got to tell you that was I know I am here let me just put it that way wow that was just an awesome way to tee this up so as a as as Scott said um my name is Lisa Paris and I'm
representing the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration I'm here today to present locally present the gold medal finalist plaque to your community the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration a governing body organization uh for the national gold medal award consists of 137 distinguished practitioners and Scholars in the field who are committed to the advancement of the Park and Recreation
field the academy Embraces opportunities to raise the bar and enhance the quality of Park and Recreation services to the local community Through the National Gold Medal Awards program the national gold medal award is the most coveted award in the Park and Recreation profession honoring agencies and communities throughout the United States that exceed industry standards and establish Lish a higher standard for
delivering public Park and Recreation services gold medal finalists and Grand plaque recipients measure the impact and benefit of their services while addressing Community need needs through the involvement of citizens staff and elected officials into all planning addressing conservation Equity oh all planning processes Northport uh Park and Recreation Department has demonstrated exemplary efforts in addressing cons
conservation equity and health and wellness we applaud and congratulate your fine staff and Leadership for your outstanding accomplishments and I must say this is an amazing accomplishment as a firsttime applicant this never happens it's an amazing [Applause] thing Northport Parks and Recreation Department truly represents the best of the best since the awards Inception in
1965 there has been only approximately 300 agencies named a gold medal finalist you have demonstrated significant success with the design and delivery of Superior Services to the community Northport Parks and Recreation Department is now in the upper echelon of more than 8,000 Park and Recreation agencies Across the Nation while all gold medal finalists were celebrated on
October 7th at a special reception in Atlanta Georgia at the nrpa National Conference in conjunction uh we're delighted to be part of this local acknowledgement of this prestigious award a little bit later we had a we had a little bit of weather in there in the middle right but on behalf of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and at from our financial sponsor musco lighting we congratulate you on on your success I'm honored and
privileged to be here and I'd like to award [Applause] [Music] that to say that I am proud of this this outstanding team in being recognized as
a gold medal finalist is an understatement uh the award really reflects their tireless efforts to deliver highquality Parks and Recreation services to the community and their continued collaboration with our partners super proud of you all thank [Applause] you right thank you congratulations
[Music] the [Music] [Applause]
Mr Petra come on we get to JY what do we have what you want to do is just read the uh read it right on down to here and uh um yeah well there and
then we have anybody from Economic Development here hor only one [Music]
where's Northport Florida Proclamation whereas Career and Technical education programs provide students with opportunity to gain the academic Technical and employability employability skills necessary to succeed in the every changing Workforce and whereas CTE serves as a vital component of the local economy providing businesses and Industries with skilled
professional Professionals in high demand Fields such as Healthcare information technology advanced manufacturing construction and more and whereas CTE programs in Northport and across the State of Florida Empower students to achieve career Readiness by combining rigorous classroom instruction with Hands-On learning and Real World experience and whereas CTE programs offered by S Technical College Northport campus play a crucial role in preparing
students for high skill High wage and in demand careers in the modern Workforce and wears CTE programs help students explore their passions Foster Innovation and develop leadership skills that prepare them to be Future Leaders and entrepreneurs in Northport and Beyond and whereas the city of Northport recognizes the individual invaluable contributions of City Educators
administrators and Industry Partners who work tirelessly to equip students with the skills necessary for lifelong success now therefore we the city Commission of the city of Northport Florida do hereby Proclaim February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month in witness whereof we have her on to set our hands and seal of the city of Northport Florida to be affixed this
sixth day of February 2025 hi everybody um so not only is that two tough acts to follow but even that joke has already been stolen so I'm just going to jump right in um since we have the opportunity to recognize Career and Technical Education Month we would like to use that opportunity to uh really shine a light and recog recogniz on those who are doing some of the serious
heavy lifting in our community to uh Foster economic sustainability and job growth So to that end we have a very special guest today Mr Michael Andy he's the assistant director of the Northport Campus of sun Co Technical College here [Applause] to thank you um yes SDC um since 2017 when we opened our doors has grown tremendously um and with the job that I
now have and and the the impact we've made on the community it was really cool just seeing the firefighters that were announced EMTs I would say two-thirds if not all of them have gone through stc's EMT program um on their way to become firefighters the anti paramedic so [Applause] um it's it's really cool to see the impact we're having on the community um just some things I'd like to share as we move forward we have some really cool things happening number one with the help of the city commission and and city
manager Mr Fletcher we are able to secure $7.5 million from the County Commission through the SRQ resiliency Grant to um do our next phase our expansion for the city of northw so that's super exciting um that will be going before our school board hopefully this month on the 18th at the school board agenda so that's super exciting that project will hopefully be completed July of 27 for our grant so super excited to bring that expansion where we're going to bring in
at least um four new trades potentially here to the city that we desperately need on top of more Medical healthc Care with SMH and all of our other business partners that we work so closely with um our new Mental Health Hospital in Northport behavioral hospital just all of those great facilities that we're bringing into Northport they need the Workforce Development and that's what we're really here to do so the next really cool announcement is next year we're going to start a brand new hbac program we are lucky to get a grant um for 7 $7,000 through the uh state so we
are going to have a brand new HVAC program on top of everything else that we're continuing to do so um hope to continue to make a great impact in Northport can't wait for the expansion um and just to continue to serve and um the the hand in hand between the education the high school and all that they do um transitioning to us with dual enrollment and then getting those those students and young adults that we saw today that are already out into the fields here serving the community so uh thank you as always to the city of for for supporting us um and we of course
love to support you all thank [Applause] you to [Applause]
congratulations
all righty city clerk do we have any public
comments we do not there being no other business it is 4:29 and I adjourn this meeting e