we're going to open up the March 4th meeting we'll have the invocation by Mr Hart then we'll have the Pledge of Allegiance by myself and then we'll have rooll call please stand dear heavenly father through the abundant grace and mercy you've shown towards us we you've allowed us to come together to conduct the city's business
and father even though we may come in in in disagreement let us not be disagreeable let and let us not disengage from one another but to continue to work together as brothers and sisters we thank you for blessing us to live in this beautiful party your creation that we call ooy and we pray that you watch over our First Responders be with them on every call watch over
them as they watch over us we're so careful give you the son the praise the honor and the glory in Jesus name we pray amen amen amen a pledge aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation
under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all commissioner Kennedy here commissioner Wilson present Mayor Johnson here commissioner fer here commissioner Oliver here okay presentations and
proclamations I got a proclamation here for uh Ms week 2025 National Ms Awareness Week Proclamation do we have somebody here to discuss to here the back yes okay I'll call you up just a second all right whereas the
second full week in March is Ms Awareness Week throughout the country and whereas in 2025 March the 9th through the 15th is Ms awareness week and it time to drive awareness of multiple sosis to achieve our visions of
a world free of Ms and whereas in 2019 the national MS Society released the findings of a pre prevalence study that prevalence prevalence study that found that nearly 1 million people in the US live with Ms that's twice as many as we
originally thought and it means you very likely know someone living with the disease or someone who is caring for someone living with MS and whereas people with Ms can better manage their disease when they have the support and understanding of the people around them
when their support networks from doctors to employers to family members have a better em of what people with Ms experience every day and whereas the national MS Society is a movement by and for all people affected by multiple
sorosis we Embrace and are committed to bringing our entire Ms Community together representative of all various dimensions of diversity so that everyone feels at home and supported by the national MS
Society this a long one whereas the society paid the way for ever effective MS treatment available today including the first therapies for primary progressiveness and pediatric Ms and we've achieved more advances in Ms than
have been achieved for any other neurological condition we continue to lead the way for discoveries and neurological diseases and whereas our progress is accelerating we've made more progress in The Last 5 Years than the 70 that preceded it changing all aspects of
life for people affected by Ms and whereas Ms is a complex disease that requires many solutions the national MS Society helps people piece it all together so they can live their best lives and whereas to
reach a world free of Ms it will take all of us our time our energy our resources together is the only way forward now therefore be it resolved the city Commission of the city of ooy doeses hereby declare the week of March
the 9th through the 15th 2025 as a national Ms awareness week in the city of okoy in witness whereof I Rusty Johnson have mayor here to set my hand and caus the S of the city of hco all right you want to come on up
we'll take a picture here everybody want to stand up and this is T I'm sorry hold on we got camera thank you hello everyone thank you aoi my home Town um 75 years ago the national MS
Society was formed by a woman just putting an ad in the classified saying these are the symptoms does anybody else have these and the group was formed in that um fashion 1993 was the first year
that the first um disease modifying therapy for multiple sclerosis was had before then it was just you have MS go home come back to the emergency room when the symptoms are too bad um So
within my lifetime there's been over 20 medications now available for multiple sclerosis and if you're trying to figure out what the disease is essentially think about all of the the systems within your body that your central nervous system helps to control all of
those are up for grabs when it comes to Ms so therefore everybody can have different symptoms my symptoms range from vision loss to difficulty with my um muscle movements um my spee pain the list goes
on my sister also has Ms and her symptoms are different from mine she has a lot of numbness in her arms and legs she has no feeling in her arms and legs so just depending on where the lesions are located depends on how the disease
actually will affect you um but ultimately Ms awareness week is about bringing around awareness for what the disease is and some of those early indicators my symptoms started in high school but I was not diagnosed till 34
so that's almost 20 years of time that the disease was able to progress which makes my symptoms more severe as a result than if they had been caught earlier and then could have been um managed in the meantime so ultimately Ms awareness week we just want to make sure
that people are aware of it and that oh you know there's 15,000 people in Orlando that live with multiple sclerosis so our community is definitely affected by the disease but ultimately every time that we have one of these
awareness weeks we're raising more awareness we're bringing about um a better understanding and working towards that big goal of a world free of aess so thank you very much for your time thank you AO I appreciate the support for our
community than for sharing thank you thank you okay next we have Black History Month essay contest award we have Caitlyn and douie you coming up too oh okay C the back door hello good evening every one
Commissioners mayor city manager Shadrick we're excited to be here tonight to introduce the winners of our 20th annual Black History Month essay contest we have the winners the family members the teachers and the principles here tonight so we'd like to
congratulate you all and thank you all for coming out we also have members of our aoi youth Council here of volunteering as well so I'd like to give an extra special thank you to them as well um let's give them all a round of applause thank you this year's essay prompt was
the city of aoi is celebrating its 100th year anniversary 1925 to 2025 as the city reflects on its past Century what is your vision for aoi in America for the next 100 years and how can you promote and encourage diversity
and unity in your community the essay contest was open to fifth grade students and we had a total of six schools that participated this year we had hope Charter Innovation Monas aoi Lake Whitney Elementary aoi elementary
thornbrook elementary and Westbrook Elementary we have our first place winners and our overall winners here tonight and our overall winner will read his winning essay for us so the winners for this year will receive um a $100 gift card from Best
Buy and our overall winner will receive a $200 gift card from Best Buy our second and third place winners will receive a $50 Target gift card donated by Dr sandria Foster and our first place winners will also receive a gift bag
filled with goodies from our city departments and coupons from Chick-fil-A um I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Dr sandria Foster and Chick-fil-A for their donations we've used them for quite some time now and we're extremely grateful ful for their donations the
students worked really hard on their essays and we're super excited to introduce them if I can have our OIC members please come up to the front to present the gift bags and certificates all right first we'll have Alison Griffin from Hope Charter please
come up to the front [Applause] Qui [Laughter] here for
a okay before they oh they still I only asked you a question yeah of course you through I want to make sure that city clerk let me know that this group here went down to the cemetery is this the
group went to our Cemetery City Cemetery and cleaned all the headstones with sponges all the headstones let's give them a big hand for thank you very much all right go ahead K all right we'll have Juliana senar from Lake Whitney
Elementary it's Juliana here we'll have Andrew St Fort from makoi Elementary please step up to the front [Applause] and we'll have dantrell Maxwell please
step up to the [Applause] front all right and let's give our first place winners another round of applause and now the moment we've all been
waiting for I'd like to introduce our overall winner for our 2025 Black History Month essay contest Joshua medalist with Westbrook Elementary [Applause]
[Laughter] too much and Joshua I'll have you come up to the podium here to read your winning essay oh she made it oh before we have um Joshua Rita's essay we'd like to say
congratulations again to miss Juliana St car who is from um which School Lake Whitney Elementary please come up and get your certificate and gift bag congratulations Oh Come [Laughter]
and again congratulations Juliana Joshua if I can have you come up front please the city the city of wo has been a run for a 100 years that's a whole Century of people living and working and growing
together in Florida as we look back in the past we we must also think about the future what will aoi in America look like in the next 100 years I believe our future should be full of kindness Innovation and unity where everyone is
treated with respect and has a chance to succeed one of one of my biggest hopes for aoi in America is that we will continue to grow in a way that helps people live happy and successful lives in the future I imagine better schools safer neighborhoods and new technology
that makes life easier for everyone maybe we will have flying cars or robots that will help with everyday chores but no matter no matter how much things change the most important thing will always be how we treat one another one
one way to make our future bright is by making sure that everyone feels welcome when my parents moved to the city of aoi our our neighbors made us feel welcome by introducing yourselves to my mom my dad my brother and me with a with a GI
basket of of special treats aoi like the rest of America is home to people from many different backgrounds some families have lived here for Generations while some are just moving in no matter where someone comes
from they should they should feel like they belong to promote diversity and unity we need we need to be open learning about different cultures traditions and ways of life one way I can encourage diversity in my community
is by making friends with people who are different from me I can invite them to play learn about their traditions and share my own schools can help by celebrating different holidays and teaching us about history from many perspectives is when when we
understand each other we build friendship we build friendships instead of laws and another way to create a better future is by being kind and respectful to everyone we all have different ideas and beliefs but that doesn't mean we can't get along if we
listen to each other and work and work together we can solve problems and make our community strong Community stronger simple acts of kindness like helping a neighbor or standing up for someone who's being treated unfairly can make a big difference technology and science
will will also play a big role on the future of AO in America we will have new ways to use clean energy better schools with fun ways to learn and new inventions that will help that will help people stay healthy but even with all
these changes one thing should stay the same in our Comm commitment to fairness and kindness as we celebrate a CO 100 year anniversary let's remember that we are building the next 100 years together if we choose to be kind and welcome
others and work hard aoi in America will have a great will have a have a future that is bright strong and full of opportunities for everyone
[Applause] that was wonderful thank you so much Joshua and I I can please have all of
our first place and overall winners up in the front to take a picture with our mayor and Commissioners good yeah oh you guys come in all right okay we wherever we are
yeah get us in my go side okay good thank [Applause]
you I will say real quick if you heard what he said during the end is everybody can be different but everybody can get along everybody should get along that's where it comes up word what you put in there young man words thank you thank
you all right basketball team I don't have anything on my paperwork for you but I see you come on up all of you come up front this is our oako high school basketball team right Golds basketball team was it the Regionals you you got
you guys the ladies won was it the Regionals Regional Champion for the first time in school history yay all right you want say a couple words at the mic okay good good
move ladies here first female Regional champion in history of high school in 20 years every one of these young ladies has a GPA over 3.0 and so like this week they're going to
go play the final four in Lakeland with a chance at the state championship so our captain now she's going to go ahead and talk about good evening Mr Mayor and City commissioners my name is darar merthy and I have the honor of serving as the captain of the AO lady nights
Vari basketball team I stand before you today with the great pride and excitement as we share some truly historic news the aoi lady nights have made school history becoming the first girls basketball team to ever advance state championship this is not just a win for the team but a win for our entire
Community my teammates and I have worked tirelessly showing incredible incredible dedication teamwork and resilience to get to this point and now we have the opportunity to compete at the highest level in in the State of Florida however we prep as we prepare to embark on this
exciting Journey we find ourselves in need of some support the expenses associated with travel lodging food and other essential needs for this trip are substain sustainable we will be leaving for Lakeland Thursday morning with our state with our state champion game scheduled for Friday March
7th 2025 at 1:00 p.m. where we will face off against Winter Haven High School we are reaching out to you our Value City our Value City commissioners and mayor to kindly request a donation of $2,000 to help cover these essential costs your support will ensure that the lady
Knights have everything they need to focus on what matters the most bringing home the state championship for the trophy to aoi it would mean the world to us if you if you could help make this dream a reality the team is committed to representing our city with pride and we are here to determine to return with the
championship trophy in hand thank you so much for your time and consideration thank you for allowing us to speak to you today and thank you for your unwavering support of our athletes our school and our community together we can help each other reach our goal and continue to make a KO proud
[Applause] all right ladies and gentlemen up here on the commission how about $2,000 for these young people to go to for you going yall going to win right you guys going okay that's what I
thought okay $2,000 we have we have the money in the contingency fund that way we don't I think this is the time we use $2,000 out of the contingency fund do I hear I'll make that motion made by commissioner Kennedy for $2,000 for the basket ladies girls basketball team how
about second second that motion did you second it Mr Oliver yes commissioner huh I second it okay second it by commissioner Oliver so let's let's vote I got to come back up and vote but hang on a minute motion
[Laughter] Carri V we're waiting on you we're waiting on you I want to be on that vot
[Applause] do a great job congrat Hey listen I went to the old boy High School back in the day you
got we got to get a picture yeah hang on that stand upy I am biggest guy in the place is stand in front of me you guys play Friday morning right 1 o' okay
good awesome right one more here's go all right thank you [Applause] coach you call Sher C all
right all right all right we go ahead staff report city manager yes I have a few items um first of all um most of you noticed you have a new monitor um we have a 30-day return policy so um unless you I hear feedback
that you don't like the new monitors then then we'll consider this a a permanent new fixture um and the second item I have is an update on the fire station um as you all recall in early
January we asked the commission uh and recommended termination of the agreement with Fortress secured um due to several months of trying to get to a price that we could afford with the knowledge that that fire stations are being constructed
that were significantly lower that were larger in other areas of Central Florida and so you you you all terminated and two weeks later we put out a solicitation for architectural design and um the Review Committee is
scheduled to to review the proposals in in mid-march which is in about a week and a half um and we'll be bringing back the recommendation to proceed forward with the final design of that and
following that award once we get to to 30% design we are almost are with what we had on on hand we will be issuing a solicitation for CM at risk which should help us get back um some of the time
that we lost and um we will be keeping you further updated on that I wanted you to to uh have have an update on where we are um the second item is the Law Enforcement Training Center um you have the final contract coming the next
meeting on March 18th uh to proceed with the construction of that we are looking at um a pretty significant lead time to have the groundbreaking um although ground will be technically broken on
that in advance but due to the number of um dignitaries that we want to invite to that um we'll be coming back to you with a date and of course um staff will be reaching out to you individually to make make sure that it will be a date and time that you can make
um and certificate of completion is is tentatively scheduled on that facility for June of 26 okay um the last item I have is an unpleasant one and concerns our cousins
with at at Orange County um back in November our utility department was informed that uh Orange County was going to be making some changes to the wholesale reclaim program and currently uh we're purchasing
wholesale reclaimed from Orange County in in a volume of about 2.1 million gallons per day um and we're purchasing it for 61 cents a gallon we sell the water to our residents at a slight
markup the proceeds help pay for the operations and maintenance of the reclaim program Orange County's new terms um in order to keep our rate um at 80 cents a gallon so that's that's an increase of
almost 20 cents a gallon um we have to have one day storage and a 2.1 million gallon tank of a backup Supply to supplement 90 days of Max flow at a 6.3
million gallons per day on Peak and without these structures by October 1st the city's rate would increase to a157 per gallon which is a significant increase in would require a significant
rate increase in order to continue our operations and maintenance um the cost on the infrastructure needed to meet their backup demands um is the startup was between four and a half and 5 million million um
and the sad cruel irony of this is reclaimed water is supposed to be our alternative Supply in the name of conservation and protection of the Florida and aquifer in order for us to meet the County's demand for a backup Supply we will be required
to build um construct and and permit a well that will be taking water from the Florida and aquifer um to meet those demands along with with the tank and pump and treatment station because it'll have to be treated before it goes into our
reclaim system so um those are those are pretty uh difficult blows to absorb we have reached out to um Orange County staff and um we will continue to try and get them to give us more time because
the October 1 deadline we can't even get U the facilities we would need designed by October 1st let loan funded and and and installed etc etc and and they require another consumptive use permit
from St John's so um we'll be bringing back some options based on our continued discussions about this matter um it it is a very significant issue that we're going to be faced with and uh that's that's all I have to offer this time can
I ask you a question yes sir what is the water plan call it go out of Orland to goes out we get some off the southide conerve two yeah is that going to be because of that going out to Horizon
West and all that no feeding all that um well I don't want to speculate typically when we yeah um raise prices to customers for anything it's to pay for additional infrastructure um so it very
well could be for um a fundraising for critical infrastructure that the county those they need um but I wanted to get this on your radar and we'll have further updates in the uing
days and that's all I have I have a question go ahead with the rate going up to 80 cents just using that as the first figure you threw out before the do52 I think was the other one do 57157 um what are we charging per gallon
ourselves right now that when if we get let's just use that 80 cents we'd already be in a deficit most likely at our 80 cent level well we would because to get the 80 cents we've got to go out and spend million four and half five million on
critical infrastructure um we're we're currently charging a122 per gallon okay so that's that's what covers that's a that's a profit of $474 770 annually that goes into operation
and system and I say that's not a profit that's that's cost that's our cost it's a cost cost of doing business goes into the to the fund balance that's used to um operate and maintain
um so just to be clear 80 cents is not guaranteed no um there's no way we can get to the 80 cent Mark by October 1st so um we're looking at a more than 100%
rate increase come up 1 you going to bring back further time we'll bring back some options for consideration yeah all right everybody understand I have a question okay so
um it sounds like we may be heading to this1 57 because we can't meet this this uh this October deadline correct if we're charging a122 which is a difference of about 35 cents which we passed on to to our
residents um what are well you may not be able to answer this question but are there any other the options that we can explore prior to October 1st that would negate 4.5 million to 5 million but also
keep us close to 80 80 cents because it seems like that's inevitable I'm glad you asked that we did reach out to our our much closer cousin Winter Garden uh because they currently have Surplus that um even our
Golf Course can't use and we were told by Orange County that we can't use reclaimed water from another system we can only use you know um a Florida aquafer well as a backups in that so um
that's one consideration which we disagree with and without getting in too big of a discussion we would normally take an approach and this is a backup Supply in case the count system goes down most of the time when these systems go down it's for just a couple of days
we would take a policy based approach and say okay you can't water right now because the the system's down or you can only water on one day um but they rejected all all manner of of those types of options that we threw out and
it without trying to uh sound antagonistic towards Orange County um it it's drawing dangerously close to them dictating policy to us in order to purchase wholesale reclaimed
water and you know as a reminder as part of our consumptive use permit our designated alternative Supply as is everyone else's is is reclaimed water it's a conservation measure so getting people to irate with reclaim prevents
additional water being taken out of the aquafer for irrigation we our plant capan can only produce 1.7 million gallons a day so we have to we need that extra 2.1 million because we've got that
many customers that want reclaim now this is It's a complex issue and it it has a lot of deeper discussions that are going to have to happen um I've reached out to um Byron Brooks and spoke with him about it um I know there's there's a
sentiment from the county that they don't want to um subsidize municipal utilities and they feel like they are um but as a reminder we're we're all wearing the conservation badge so when they have the uh I I think there are
some onus on the county aside from um a a a money grab here to to help those of us who have a fractional comparative budget to their own in in trying to meet the goals of of minimizing additional
draw downs from the aquifer and um I I don't have any more ideas yet we do have a couple that we're vetting right now but they don't really they they're not far enough along for me to even mention it this time but I wanted
you to be aware we've we've had the staff meetings I've talked to um Mr Brooks um we're g to probably start talking to Commissioners because um it's not unreasonable when we haven't had a rate change from them in in probably I
don't know n or 10 years I would say um for the for us to Stage up a little bit naturally and give us more time that's you know I jokingly told Mr Brooks that's like you telling me I've got to run the Disney Marathon by October 1st
like I there's no way I can I could train every day for six hours and can't do that so you've given me an insurable task um given the deadline you know to over come and so it's all right it's not
good you'll be bringing that information we'll be bringing additional briefings how many are on reclaim water I do not know off the top of my head doesn't affect everybody it affects whoever's own reclaim it affects the customers that are on reclaim it's a
pretty substantial number because um it's cheaper to irrigate with reclaimed water than it is pole so thanks sir thank you all right public comments Chris
Atkins thank thank you mayor uh Chris Atkins 606 Ridgefield Avenue uh here in ooi Florida uh just to spin a little bit off of what Mr Shadrick said there I'm not sure if the whole commission is aware uh the city of OKO did a reclaim
water feasibility and capacity plan in 2015 it was the final in the update but it's a good read it'll let you know where we thought we were back then I'm aware of it because I had read through it um with the expansion of everything going on these types of scenarios have
to be considered um I'll kind of transition that maybe a little bit into what I was going to speak about I didn't want to um uh cause too much of a a tussle with Mr Douglas from montier development um that was here last week and his Representatives you know they
were all here and I felt they've done their diligence and really busted their butt to get to where we are but I don't didn't hear us or anybody really talk about how we're going to handle our First Responders aspect of that there's going to be a significant increase in
needed police and fire force there's going to be a significant increase in reclaimed water that's going to need to be used at that facility um I know that that's in the beginning stages of a lot of things and I'm not sure if that may possibly be able to uh be a way to access or work out a way to uh mitigate
our expenses um I would like to see them be paying for police and fire and perpetuity you know personally um you know they're taking up a lot of space and it's going to require a lot of tax dollars you know assets here and I don't want to take away from anybody that's
already here not not that you guys haven't done that those are just things I didn't specifically hear um I also uh would like to get a little update on the golf course itself I I did pay attention to a meeting a few months ago I don't always get a chance to attend uh but I
but I do watch uh and I'm curious to maybe I could get some more information on what our specific process moving forward with that is um I know there's some lease issues I know we utilize that facility to get rid of a lot of reclaimed water so if somebody uh could update me on that that um but I want to
say something um as a leader right if you're a leader there's a couple things that are really important okay the first thing is you got to lead by example it is completely unfair to hold others accountable to an example that
you don't follow yourself okay um I was disappointed at the end of the commission meeting last uh uh two weeks ago when the mayor announced he's running for election he's got every right to run for
election and if he thinks it is interpreted that he's able to do that I don't know if this is the time or place to do so you know this is a dasis you're not supposed to be campaigning or potentially and I know that there's other individuals on this dicese that have been given a hard
time by leadership and then leadership goes and does it time's up so to me I'll answer you I'll answer your question time up sir yes sir your time's up the deal is it was about CA the charter Chang the reason I said it all I said was I can
run and that's because the charter thing changed they didn't have the right dates so if you'd have read that or seen that you knew why I said that know why I said that so that's why that happened Mr Atkin so also while we're talking about the lections and stuff I read an article
that you put out about telling everybody not to vote for the uh the charter amendments the charter amendments is is was issued to our citizens through citizens if you read them you'll understand what they are and if anybody
has know anybody doesn't know what they are but I can have this gentleman here read it in after we get through a little bit that's part of what's going on the chart you put it out on Facebook as usual that do not vote for the charter members the charter amendments is what
is made up by the citizens of this city that makes it where we can tell people what's going on with the city the CH amendments one of one of the major ones is because you could move in okoy tonight and tomorrow one of the things that changed is you can you run that's
changed that's changing the other thing is is when having a background check on people who put in for running and that's not a bad thing either because you get people to come in that don't live here or don't or felons or whatever the deal is that's why that's there so I I put
out thing on Facebook myself s telling people if they want to know which I've had calls this week because of what that was put out saying that there is a reason why the the charter is getting changed so if people will read it understand it that's what to do I don't
know why you would say don't pass those that's that's I'm I'm GNA give you another minute I appreciate that I value that I don't huh okay all right so so I sorry what happened I didn't hear what happened I'm sorry we're not
not doing this doing what we're not going to go back and forth no oh I'm not going I'm not going to go back and forth I didn't intend I didn't intend first off I just want to be clear I did not intend with what I said to be rude and I don't believe I came off of it rude yeah and I don't want to go back and forth
about Charter extend more time and go back oh you just don't want to get provide me the extra minute yeah I believe I'm G to come in here if you don't mind mayor for a second I believe citizens comments are your opportunity to talk for three minutes I don't believe that we up here should be
bantering with someone we have five minutes at the end of the meeting if you want to start making your com it's my opinion to make your comments but I believe that we in order to move on to the next person let them have three minutes you get three minutes you speak if you want to speak to us individually
after you can if we elect during our five minutes to speak about what was brought up we can but I think it's yeah I I I think that's your chance to talk not for us to ban her with you and I I I don't think that's appropriate myself so yeah no I I didn't understand what had
happened so I was just looking for clarification that's no that's no problem I have I don't have anything to say thank you answer have a good afterno have a good even I believe we should say thank you and yeah and then I have plenty of time after to talk Mr G good evening Mr May Commissioners
fellow citizens I have two things I want to talk about tonight one is I had a real thrill today as I drove down Clarcona COI Road and turned South onto Clark Road even though that lane is still not all the way open it's open now
was it at 3:00 this afternoon it's open this afternoon but Clark Road was a breeze but now on the bad side of this I want to thank staff for getting that all done but I'm going to say this you guys are a tight community in Central Florida you know other cities you know other
counties if this contractor gets any more bids in this town or this Central Florida area without a Time Financial penalty it's Criminal and it's our fault for not letting it get out these people jerked us around awful and everybody
sitting in this room paid that price no matter what happen so that's all I'm going to say about that and I know that these kind of contracts can have Financial penalties ATT tied to them if you ever do this again make sure you do it number two I want to talk about the golf
thing I feel like I can throw my two cents worth in here because I've been I play 125 to 150 rounds of golf a year and I've been involved in the golf business since I was 10 years old all the way from playing in college to playing on Pros sponsoring Pros I know
what it's all about I live in aoi and within 40 minute drive I can play 64 golf courses in this town the difference you got to understand is I can pay as little as $25 to play a golf course and I can pay as much as $450 to play a golf
course that's my choice I can get in a car and go play for $100 $200 whatever I belong to Forest Lake golf course because I can get there and pay $55 around what I'm going to warn you about
is be careful what you wish for you've got a group of people here that are trying to retire these people are 60 some years old a lot of the work of what you're asking them to do is going to cause them to go out and get a loan that's going to have to be paid off before they can try to sell this be
careful you don't look at the membership the demographics of the people the belong to Forest Lake are not the people like me that can go out and play $200 golf courses once a week they'd have to play on fixed incomes and if you get that thing to price itself out you've
got about 254 members at Forest Lake that aren't going to be be able to play the two times a week that they are now they're going to either have to pick once a week and then go play somewhere else at a cheap golf course understand that it's stratification to its ultimate extent when you play golf in Central Florida
every everybody knows when the PGA shows in town when Arnold Palmer's here every golf course that normally charges $80 is150 we end up playing at Forest Lake all the time because we can play it for an affordable price so be careful what you wish for when you force these guys
to go get a 7 half million loan don't think that those prices aren't going to go up because they are and be careful about what you're doing the whole idea of this of this golf course was to be for the citizens of a koi not people driving around but people that Bel here can only afford those kind of prices
times up times up thank you thank you sir all right Jim Moyer Dr Moyer supervisor Dr supervisor supervisor supervisor my name is Dr Jim warer I'm
the elected orange soil and wood District 2 supervisor um but that's not what I'm here to talk about uh someday yes uh city manager
sric I wish I could talk about what you just brought up I'm not prepared to do that I do go to Every County Commission meeting nowadays and I met with with the County Administrator Brooks and assistant County
Administrator Weiss just couple days ago so I'm working on it but I'm here to talk about art and Park Mr Mayor you took the words right out of my mouth we just need to get along as that young man said in case
you're not aware of it there's infighting going on with the HOA board at ardan Park that's a five person board uh there's potential lawsuit
involved uh they had a closed door meeting I believe it was yesterday um we are not the only part of District 4 I'm not saying we are as came up in that meeting but mathematically we're about
2500 residents of aoi which is roughly 5% the population of AO and 20% of of District 4 so we shouldn't be ignored I understand we're a gated community when
the art and Part North Gate Works which tell me which I'm here to tell you it it often does not work including today um but we pay over
$2,000 a year in HOA fees that's that's a lot of money um and I know there's I'm not a lawyer I decide not to go to law school four decades ago but um artan
Park is not an island in the Pacific we're not an island in the Caribbean we are a part of the city of aoi and for last couple years I've asked the HOA people for just one thing just one thing
I don't think it's unreasonable why do they have to meet on the third Tuesday of the month at the same time that the city of AO Commission meeting is uh thank you very much for your time and and look into this if you would
thank you very much and God bless you all thank you all right we're down to conscent agenda I'd like to make a motion to pull the minutes for amending and to pass the rest of the consent agenda items two
through 11 I'd like to pull the minutes to amend the minutes pull the minutes to but I'd like to make a motion to pass the rest of the agenda which which number he wants to pull number one one number one Al since you must have OB something second I I'll second that all
right second by commissioner Wilson motion made by commissioner Ken second by commissioner okay oh do we have to vote on that yeah oh to pass the rest of except for one oh okay oh you're voting okay that's right 2 through 11 passed all right he
uh a lot of people have made comments and uh some of them are not good some are good um but I did look at the minutes and in the minutes in the commissioner comment section it lists
the times that the um that the total commissioner comment section starts and it lists the end but the rules that we have adopted uh specifically 4.2.1 says that each commissioner and
the mayor shall have five minutes for comment and I've heard things I've heard comments you know well the mayor may get 10 or no we all get five you I don't take that and um also section 5.2 does
say that the chambers and the official meetings of the commission shall not be used for political purposes or press conferences and in my opinion unfortunately uh that is what happened
at the last commission meeting our uh rules our commission rules have no enforc ment mechanism there's nothing we can do when a member of our commission breaks our rules they're just the rules
we would have to raise an objection at the time and of course in the protocol on the meeting the mayor goes last he made his comments and adjourned the meeting um but in retrospect I think that was a violation of the rules I
think and just parenthetically from 2018 till now uh just as a citizen I'm not going through that for two more years um I don't think we want to go
through that as a city I think the last two years we've had a good uh positive engagement in the commission and um so I would suggest that we actually my motion is that in the minutes we would note the
actual time that each commissioner speaks so that we can at least inform the public whether Commissioners or the mayor are abusing the rule and their privilege the mayor does have a privilege to extend time if he chooses um and to note the items in the
minutes which are in there uh that the mayor announced his campaign and Etc and he attacked he did attack George I think rightfully so but it's out I mean I can agree with what he said and disagree that it should be happened
happening from this Di and that's my position I think we should note that in the minutes for the record and that's my motion I have no problem with that okay no problem to get a vote on I I don't you know I'm just going to say I don't know if that's again I thought it
was something else maybe a correction it is it's the time it's the time but um well if you look basically we spent 20 minutes for five people and two of us had no basically no there was yeah there um well I I don't
know if we again need to get in my opinion that particular because it's taped and it shows how many minutes each person used I don't personally feel the the minutes need to express that I also don't know if that was a necessary item to pull where it could have been a discussion item we don't have a
mechanism to do that we have a mechanism with during your five minutes to make your comments and that's to say that I want the minutes to show the time that the mayor spoke well no I have to agree to I will ask him to put it in there you don't have to worry about direct Mr keny I don't I I guess I say now that I don't
want to sit here for 10 and 20 minutes at a time for the next two years while the two of them go at each other with comments that don't belong in this commission even if I agree with them which many of them I do I I admit it let me he said it I I'll tell you
commissioner Kennedy I've heard you make some comments with them I do not ever stop you when you go over five minutes nobody gets stopped we should but we don't now that let me finish that that was not I said it was because of the thing and I apologize but it's it's what
it is it's because of the rules that changed I only the reason I brought up the comments because it's just like one ago if I see stuff that gets put out to the citizens on stuff I'm going to say it it it it offended you too because it's the statements that made that
you're giving out stuff to the off and all because so when you're out in the public making that comment then somebody's going to say something about it now I don't ever Take 5 minutes I don't take usually no minutes at all except to read what they give me the functions we got to go on so people get
upset because somebody else ain't going to run from there that's their problem I don't care but the the the problem is you get up here and you say five minutes you say three minutes they want something else just like we to go but I never ever if you go back and check the times I never speak the five minutes so
let's move make a motion make a motion to pass that mayor mayor I just want clarification so the motion would be to correct these minutes that are before you to include the time stamps yes at the end of each um elected official because as it is it just says as she
said five Commissioners spoke for 20 minutes okay so I I speak for 20 minutes no it says five of us spoke for 20 minutes I have to say I'm just going to say at this point I mean we can approve this and I but I guess I should have asked what you wanted to do because I'm sorry I made
the moot second motion I was expecting a correction yeah is unfortunate for my partner it won't happen again um that the correction was not a correction it was a comment and I think those are things that could be held for the F no I've got comments for my public comments good but that's I think that was I'm that's my
opinion I want to see the times because I'm not in a position the mayor says he's never spoke for over five minutes frankly usually speak over five minutes I disagree and I can't go to the minutes and find the truth and I think that I think we if we're going to cut people
off I I objected to more time I don't want people to have more time we have rules we pass the rules we all agreed to live by the rules let's live by the rules some of the stuff I have to read at the end because I can't do it dur the thing so it's just like I mentioned when
you know you we do the different function matter of fact I got them tonight so I won't read them tonight wouldn't it be nice if we listen to that young man's speech no they can't do thank you we upset about some other reason and I'll explain that to you okay but I'm just going to say wouldn't it be nice us to listen to that young man's speech thank you so if you going to make
a motion make the motion to pass I made it you got a second for it you got to have a second I guess I'll second I knew you would Mr all right can can I just ask for clarification is this for all meeting all meeting minutes going forward I would like minutes to show the time they got it also tell when it gets
to the 5 minutes the city clerk needs to tell us buzz it or what yes frequently no disrespect to anybody frequently I think out of deference to you when you speak she doesn't start the clock she does what frequently out of deference to you she doesn't start the clock I don't
believe that's true sir okay let's let's Replay that gentleman's speech do we need to vote vote on that yeah I said let's okay I'll vot for to okay motion carries you name thank you all
right we passed the rest we're going down to uh first reading of ordinance we don't have any second reading of ordinance public hearing number 12 I think that is a second reading second reading of ordinance amending chapter 51 building code code of ordinances relative to
updated and new permit application and inspection Fe Rea speak to us now Mr MC yes sir good evening mayor and Commissioners um I'm here tonight to bring you two items an ordinance of the city amending chapter 51 of the code of
ordinances as well as a resolution um setting the uh fire permit impact fees uh or the fire permit fee schedule I'm going to speak about both items um even though they're both separate on the agenda um because they relate to one
another uh they are two separate items though I just wanted to make that clear um some brief background on this the city of okoi adopted chapter or an ordinance um in 2002 uh creating chapter 51 of the code of ordinances
establishing the fee schedule for our building and inspection fees um in that time in the last 23 years the city has not had a significant um update to to the co uh to the to our building fees um
and costs related to the enforcement of chapter 51 on our um building codes Florida building code and all related codes has has increased in those in those 23 years um examples include you know Personnel costs training and
licenser for uh for building Personnel um including our uh planning or uh um plan reviewers as well as inspectors and and technicians um so the ordinance that we're bringing for your consideration tonight is the methodology we used is
looking at um what we currently charge what other municipalities in the area charge to get a feel for the region um and that's what we've brought for you uh tonight um I do want to make one quick note from the first reading to the second reading we did receive some information from other municipalities
that we were waiting on um so the fees from the first reading to the second reading have changed slightly um nothing has increased they've all been slight decreases from the first reading to the second reading and I'd be happy to speak more about what those decreases were
um next regarding the the resolution setting the fire permit and inspection fees um in 2018 um the city adopted um an ordinance that created chapter 78 of the code and in that it allowed for the city commission from time to time to pass by
resolution a um schedule of of Permitting fees for our fire uh permitting um they currently align and they have always aligned with what our building permit fees are and so this resolution is just to ensure that our
fire permitting fees keep in line with what we're setting our building um permitting fees as I've included a a small table on there just showing the different changes um and I'd be happy to talk more about that um I do have a table showing all the current and
proposed fees and changes I'm not going to go through them because that would be um a significant amount of time but I have that for for reference uh should anybody have any questions but I'd be happy to answer any questions anybody got any questions no I think it's nice to tell our residents
that it is on the agenda if they get when they go to the website these things kind of Flash in front of you quickly but these items are all on the agenda yep all right anybody else all right redo in ordinance of the
city of aoi amending sections 51-1 128 51-42 51147 51151 51153 51161 and 51163 of chapter 51 building code of the city of aoi code of
ordinances relative to increased and new building permit application and inspection fees providing for severability prevailing in the event of any inconsistency and providing an effective date all right go to public here anybody in the public have any comments on item
12 all right close the public hearing back up I need a motion I'll be Happ to make that motion motion made by commissioner Wilson for item 12 amended this chapter 51 building code code of ordinances relative to updated and new permit application Fe
here second I'll second second commissioner Kenny any more comments no more comments let's vote somebody just motion carries un n all right public hear none regular
agenda 13 approval of resolution adoped an updated fee schedule for fire permits and related fees concurrency and commitment coordinator mck car yes mayor this is the um the resolution that I was
discussing in this uh slide it's um relative to the to the ordinance so if you want me to a resolution of the city of aoi Florida adopting a schedule of fees for fire permits and Rel at ated Services provided by the city in accordance with chapter 78 of the city
of aoi code of ordinances providing for severability providing an effective date I just want you to read it all right need to public I'm going open the public Hearing in case anybody wants City attorney
approval of resolution adopting an updated fee schedule for fire permits and related fees any comment and the no comments all right mve back to the D anybody make a
motion I'll make a motion to adopt the resolution updating the schedule of fire fees for permits and related all right motion made by commissioner Ken to hear second we'll second that second by commissioner firstman any more comments
no more comments let's V all right number 14 City attorney discussion regarding the contract for purchase of 17.96% Road and Fuller's Crossroad 2020 2020 yeah the closing was expected to occur
quickly and we were assured that funding was available to provide the designs the city desired that has not happened today on several occasions I've voted to support them moving forward especially when they needed additional land however
over the past year or so I've re-evaluated my position and believe that Apartments may not be the high and best use for that area whether or not the ball field facility is developed since I was on the prevailing side I had the ability to revisit the apartment issue and would like to either remove
that use from the contract or if possible cancel the contract entirely Mr attorney what option do we have well this issue uh was um presented uh last summer and staff has been looking at
this I've been looking at this uh we've been looking at funds received relative to this contract and uh it appears that not all monies that were owed under this contract were paid uh to the escrow
agent so the escrow agent was originally the Sheffield lman law firm and then uh then then became our Law Firm we have an escrow uh $755,000 uh from GP KO which is consistent with
the initial 10 ,000 deposit and the subsequent $65,000 deposit what we do not have is a $5,000 contract fee nor do we have deposited uh either of two $115,000 fees
that were required in order to extend the governmental approval deadline the governmental approval deadline uh should not have proceeded beyond June 177 2022 according to the contract the other bit
of information that I received today was that gpk o was to provide evidence of insurance with the city as a named insured uh for when there um inspectors
went on the property uh we have the city has no record of receiving any insurance certificates so what and and I I'm not so familiar with the institutional history of of this whole thing as I am with looking at
what the contract requires which are these these payments the 30,000 total of 30,000 to extend governmental approvals I don't see any provision here for extending governmental approvals beyond June 17 2022 there is a provision in the contract that says time is of the
essence and when time is of the essence in a contract that means the parties really ought to be held to deadlines in the contract act um I don't see um any um any any waivers of these requirements in
writing um there is a 10-day cure period uh that would have to be provided to gpk oet uh if this commission were to decide that it wanted to terminate the contract they would have 10 days to cure I don't
think in 10 days they could possibly get governmental approvals uh and and uh there is uh some question in my mind as to uh the uh refunding of the deposit that uh was
paid uh early on there's some some language in the contract that indicates that that deposit could be liquidated damages uh to the city for having taken this property off the market for all these years there's also language in
here that requires the escrow agent to return to the party that delivered the same uh any funds delivered to the esro agents there's some conflicting language there um and so that um if if the contract were to be terminated um I
think the the city could expect a claim uh from gpk oet for for the return of their deposit um and then as far as the the history of this whole thing what was supposed to be there probably Mr rumor is is is uh in a much better position
than me to uh to remind you of that history you're are looking at me okay I'll give you that history back in 2020 2019 the city put out an RFP request for proposal on this property in the Pud it has afforded commercial uses for this subject
property and we put out an RFP request for proposal and uh gpk ended up getting selected for that and maybe may have been somebody else that then assigned it gpk and we approved that assignment but and after
they were provide selected and approved by the commission on that and going to contract um they came back several months later and said well they approached us staff and said we want to do apartments and we said that's not a right place for
apartments they came to the commission was able to get in front of the commission and said we've got a Kabota dealership we're going to put there or we can put a part ments please approve Apartments as an acceptable use in the contract and the commission approved that we
uh worked with oops what I do it's not shown on the TV I want need to show the computer or is it there we go okay hit the wrong one so we worked they applied they were in the preliminary site plan process and in July 22nd 2022 we took a
mixed use plan had commercial on the corner of Fuller's cross and AO poka and it had the apartment buildings and then the the center is really the uh the the main
part of the approval of the the mixed use Apartments is this see how the the center was combined with a courtyard in the middle that was sort of a staff saying you know for a mixed use project this is something that we could stomach
this is something we could put forward they went through to pnz and stopped at that point and never made it to the city commission there was some history there with the road improvements for Fuller's cross and aoya poka and they
needed some additional storm water so the city uh provided the opportunity and put the property to the north where you see that large Blue Square to the north and we worked on a plan got a plan together and said okay let's submit that was in August of
2022 then in April of 2023 they said well we have another plan we want to change it we want to go over to the West so we canceled the contract to the north we put the 6.7 acres to the West under contract the plan changed a little
bit that was April of 2023 9 months later they said we've got another change this is just not submitting not going through and you can see it's this isn't colored but what happened is they went to a
garden apartment as the main uh identity of their development walk up standard Garden variety they moved the retail off the corner of the road moved it up on AO poka and they provided these sort of
like a town home type apartment units and we addressed that we didn't that was not acceptable uh staff would not be providing a recommendation uh these are the architectural renderings for the area and then we finally worked and got
at least the the the the architecture to sort of change we these are the the town home areas that we kind of we agreed to this is a workable model that we could move forward with and then they said okay well we want to
change it again so they provided a fifth plan eight months later where they took away uh the building on the corner to try to set this more urbanesque mixed you Center we wanted activity up on the street corner up on the streetcape uh
they they revised the plan yet again and I kind of circled some of the the changes the plan on the right was the one we negotiated and then they submitted this and now we're on a another plan concept that they're
working on and so just the confidence uh staff never wanted departments there we were going to make it the best project we could in line with the commission's um thoughts uh just want to let you know
that staff never foresaw an apartment community here and it is has been a commercial track in the PD just wanted to give you that history we're on now plan number six with this developer just to get back to
Planning and Zoning just to get the preliminary plan it still needs all the final site plan so that's the history can I ask a question okay no ask C okay go ahead maybe he'll answer the question before I ever have it well I I
I I'm assuming that the question is what are the options and so I I've I've heard um well one option is you can declare the buyers in default and terminate give them their 10
days to cure uh after which um the contract will be terminated um I don't know if if they will bring some sort of claim and response um but that is the prerogative of of this of this commission um I also
heard a a desired not to see apartments at this site uh there was apparently some kind of approval by the by the commission uh to allow it as as a as an allowable use you all could resend that use um those are those are at least two
options I I don't know if um Mr Rimer can think of any others I do have a question okay it kind of follows what you just said but if they have a satisfied the financial aspects of it have they just walked away apparently
not because still no money from them I mean the money would when it went to um was it uh Scott cookson what was that law firm I'm sorry the shield Lo Shield lman okay and now to you but the money
wasn't satisfied correct it wasn't fully satisfied we only have $75,000 in escrow relating to this project we're missing the $5,000 contract fee we're missing Insurance $30,000 well we're missing well well the city would have gotten the certificates of insurance but they did not receive
them and we're missing $330,000 to extend the governmental approval deadline the fees that were required by the contract so what's the last contact we've had with this developer we have our our Urban Design staff has been meeting with them as of uh the last
date was January 13th and they are supposed to be submitting for preliminary site plan plan approval any day now why are we allowing it when we haven't gotten the money yeah if they haven't satisfied what they what they originally planned why are we continuing
it until they actually satisfy that aspect I me I'm not whether we like the apartments or not they haven't come through with the money that they said they would so we're continuing to work with them but we have they have not satisfied all the aspects that they were supposed to per the contract correct yes
been over four years I I don't understand why why we're moving forward can we treat that as a non rhetorical question why is Staff why doesn't your staff say I'm sorry we can't meet with you you haven't paid your fees what
what's the answer to that the answer is as in my role as the development services director we always try to be as good stewards as we can to keep working and let the plan and let that process go
forward contractually there's a side element to it that wasn't adhere to to a t but staff's always going to do their best job and keeping the process going yes if I could add to that um this it seems
these property sale contracts with the exception of maybe one or two never go the way they're supposed to and I don't mean to editorialize but um we have experienced the full gamut of the kind of things that a developer can do when
they put a property on contract now in this particular case there have been a few complications that uh we worked with them in good faith to address because we actually did not secure RightWay uh when we were doing the uh
Fuller's cross intersection improvements and they had already gotten to Almost 100% design the first time around a couple years ago and so we gave them some concessions on that but um I I I agree we should probably have some
uh some controls in place uh to prevent someone from proceeding past a certain point uh without editorializing on the the the climate through the first couple years of the contract um that's easy to
remedy um I would also just offer since I have the mic here that regard regardless of what you determine to do with the contract it's important to consider that this was a commercial property and you know you you definitely
need to deal with the um multif Family use um as as a body and and you know um the commission approved that unanimously five years ago so um one of you could you know has brought that up
tonight um so that's one that staff would be really um supportive of let me ask this because I I was not here when all this was happening uses would typically be approved in in a PD they would be you would have an ordinance it
would be go through two different readings did any of that happen back um when when we had this apartment approval or or was just or was this just Direction the staff saying you know you can go ahead and work with them um at
the time there was room in the PD without adding New Uses or adding new density to make something work so it wasn't required at the time but we have had further development utilize uh that density but we also had
some other density come off the table in there it's a large PD uh when the tech school came in there was a lot of density attributed to that parcel to either be a bus depot or town homes there there's a lot of density available so there was a and apartments were an approvable use in the PD so there was no
need to take the PD up and bring it forward and add additional density and New Uses because it's all fit within the PD just this the tracks were kind of designated differently different uses in the tracks okay I I just want I'm just
because I was not here I I just don't know whether you can take away a use without going through the whole process of having ordinances and having two readings of an ordinance um I I just you know but but I think the cleaner question here in my mind is you know was
there a default in in my mind there were there were some uh clear clear examples of non-compliance with the contract and I think that would be the the cleaner way to go tonight if uh if you're didn't figure out I have a question I thought we had a
I thought we had a u thing on not building any apartments right now anyway so we had a moratorium overall development not specific use so want to do what we need to do about their contract and then we figure out what to do with
the Zone I have a question that was where I was going was the update to the comp plan and the Land Development code you said at the time that this came
up it we didn't have to have an approval for that use currently if this project came to us you would correct we will look at the density to see what uh the Marlo development is at
and this development and see what the density of the PD has if it doesn't if the total density is going to increase then we would tell them hey we need to get you know you need to lose eight units so that evaluation would be going on yes okay yes thank
you what do you Commissioners want to do uh well as as the note says uh I'm the one who brought this up in June of last year it's in my district the property's been sitting and and everyone just keeps asking me what's going on what's going on we voted on it I was on
the pnz at the time when it came up and we tried to offer uh the church made some concessions and you were trying to make concessions um so I'm comfortable with making the motion to void the contract and start the 10day process so it be a
motion to declare default and with 10 days to cure absolutely all right do I do I he a second I'll second that second commissioner first second U any more comments I have one
question for the attorney can you defend that sorry can you defend that that they're in default yes I can you can okay I just want to make sure because I just I just don't because I was not here during all the everything that has happened for the last 5 years I
don't know if there's some fact out there that they can latch on to but sitting here right now I I don't I don't see one okay but that's part of the process that's part of the 10day process the review that would be if if they can come back and say well hey no
we we did give the 30,000 to shuffield Lo and here here's a copy of our check yeah okay then then that they could do that they could demonstrate that so that would be my question as well um when these funds were due um seem it's
been a while um my question would be can they prove that these funds were were paid to uh secure this contract if not I agree with commissioner Kenedy all right let's we got that's let's vote you read off read it off yes
it's a motion to declare a default of the gpk oet purchase and sale uh agreement uh and giving uh the um the the contract buyer 10 days to cure the defaults all right motion made and
second let's vote motion carries unanimously all righty all right so there what I'm going to do I'm gonna read this off as part of part of the meeting that's a good idea sure is
you got good ide thank you thank March 25 healthy West Orange Wellness block par Saturday March the 8th 400 p.m. through 7 p.m. healthy West Orange Welling Park this
event will feature Rock CL Rock priming food trucks and live music municipal election day Tuesday March the 11th election of District 4 commissioner for the purpose of voting on referendum ballot questions visit the city's
website for ballot information and polling locations St Patrick's Day block parking Friday Mark the 14th from 6:00 p.m. through 900 p.m. downtown ooy mcke Street join us for music games food
vendors and more spread to protect that's yours Saturday March the 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. hosted by the a.m. I'm sorry You' be there late hosted by the okoy police department in partnership
with the ooy Lions Club and Woman's Club of okoy first box is free suggested $5 donation for additional box living as five boxes per family April the 25th 100e
Chick-fil-A 5K and family fund day Saturday April the 12th from 7:30 to 12:00 p.m. Bill Breeze Park restoration is required for the 5K and Kids Fun Run this event will feature free rides games
and activities Easter egg extract of Anza Saturday April the 19th from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Oaky Lake short Center enjoy an egg hunt exciting games crafts
and visit with the Easter bu all right now we'll start the comments commissioner Al okay um start clock road is open so those barriers removed late this evening so clock road is actually open so that's a great thing we're so happy about
that um one of the things that that I I um listened to tonight was um I listen to a young man give his his speech and um it was quite touching and all I thought I can think about is the civility code you
know and I I looked it up the the the meaning of Civility it means to a form of politeness and a courtesy in behavior and in speech I hope that we can treat each other with Civility and respect as we move forward I have sat on this diets for the
last year and I have been attacked many times several times that's quite all right because I can deal with that because greater In Me Greater he is in me than who's in this world answer to a higher power and I and I stand on my faith regardless of whatever man does or
whatever they say it's okay cuz I can forgive so whatever was been said about me or or to slander my name to assassinate me um in a political way on from this Das it's okay because I can forgive and I forgive those that have
trespassed against me me and it's okay so but one of the problems I do have um from last week's last last meeting is there was uh a a a slanderous remark made about my wife and see my problem is
when you come after me it's okay but when you come after my family and you slander my wife because a statement was made that one of the candidates wives approach someone from the Women's Club and asked why was the mayor there well there was only one Canon's wife
that was in the room at the time that was my wife so you can say that that was slanderous you can say it was a lie you can say all these things but I'll choose a latter I'll just say he misspoke I'll choose the latter I can
forgive and I'm sure that my wife can forgive as well but my issue is when you come with my family you come with my wife then I have a problem I think that um it has been uh
a thought that my humility has been mistaken for weakness or fear I I assure you it's neither one of those things again I can forgive I'm okay but I feel that the mayor who made that
statement owes my wife an apology because my wife did not do that my wife has never transgressed in against anyone this D or in this room she she sits here she listens and she leaves but for you to do that is
Despicable I can forgive and I'm pretty sure that she can do can too now you can take it any way you want to take it and you can do whatever you want to do and say whatever you want to say and it's okay cuz we will continue to forgive it is my hope and my prayer that as we move
forward that we would take a a the lesson from the young man that spoke tonight and continue or at least as we move forward to treat each other with dignity and respect and honor our code of Civility that's all I got all
right I'll go ahead and take my five minutes have after me I will not apologize for something that the club said sir and it was one it was the wife of whoever it was the wife that said why was the mayor at the Woman's Club
function why would I not be at woman's C function and it was said no slander it's a fact and talking about slander commissioner I don't want to get into it all that crap tonight but back few years ago you slandered every one of us up here about what we did and commissioner
Wilson and I was talking to each other about doing everything we do up here that was slandering it was slandering when you sit in the house of the Lord and made those comments about us giving away to development we picking who we want to be developers that's slander so I'll forgive that too if you're going to
be a godly man be a godly man you know and under that process you shouldn't tell lies or anything but when you slander it's okay for you to slander somebody else but it ain't okay for somebody else to slander that so no I was here with my wife as a citizen
through the Woman's Club and that was said to him so that's a fact if you want us to stand up here and bring that person up here and let him say that fact I'll do that next week and I apologize if I said that last week about that but it was I got into to it because of what
just like reading that article in the in the in the paper about what was said at a church which should have never been done in politics in the church you going to talk about when you do things but that's what you utilize those factions so I don't I'm not apologizing for saying something that's the
truth and and not not it was not true cuz my wife was here didn't say anything to anyone well let's bring I'll bring that lady please do please do my wife said nothing to anyone please do because not why I said nothing to anyone that's not the truth stop the time stop the time
that's you too you said your piece now I'm going to say mine nobody's bothered I don't remember if if the rest of them will go agree with it the past year you have nobody said anything to you nobody until you went to that church and did that now
that's a fact the lady put it on print lady put it in the paper it's a fact everybody that rigs that can say it so that's that's a fact you know I'm not going to with this commissioner I'm not going to worry with you about it because it's a fact and I will not say it slander it's slandering
when you go out and do the things you do so even if you pray unto the Lord whatever you want to be I got a Godly Man myself but let me tell you something there's there's a lot of things going on people don't pay attention you can make all the comments about God you want all the stuff but you got to live it and that takes in you
exactly what I said earli that young man said it exactly that'll never happen with some people never but I said you you you didn't start my time back time back I'm I'm about done anyway so yeah I will say that I've done this for a long
time 39 years and I've never had too many things I've said that was offensive to people except for what needs to be said and I've heard I've heard a lot of stuff said about some of the Commissioners up here from the other side that is slander so if we want to get into the slander stuff we can go to
do that but uh I can bring that lady here verify what they said all right so Comm Wilson good evening just want to go ahead and say that remind you of the shred event that's going to take place on March 15th
at the police department and again it is a um hosted by the Ki police department and working with the koi Women's Club and the Lions Club we want opportunity to shred your documents that you probably should not be putting in the trash so we'd like to do that the other
one this weekend we had a spring in a conservation event which I thought went very well um very steady flow of folks um I'm looking for it to get larger and larger um I think it was great I think a lot of folks had fun they enjoyed it I'm looking head shaking out here and um we
hope you'll come back next year I would like to defer my four minutes and 18 seconds to the attorney I'd like to ask him we're having a ballot everyone Citywide is going to be voting this Tuesday on the on and there's for folks who are not in District Four I have to
get my numbers right um we will be voting on three ballot items and I'm going to ask him if he could please explain them in simple terms sometimes the legal ease gets a little uh complicated so I've asked him if I give him my three minutes and 50 seconds if
you don't mind he's going hold a minute I need one more minute I have many all right I'm I'm finished thank you very much this is City business this is just I'd like him to explain that thank you all right the asan American Heritage will be having their event again they have it every year at Lakes Center May the 17th and 18th event and they were
not charg rental or Advantage part last year they'd like it to be this year made 15th and 17th I want they want the commission to see if we'll approve it again is they have a big which is this one the American Asian oh that's a festival they put on every year yeah they put it on every year I'll make a
motion to approve for them to use the facility at no charge yes you second and it's open I'll second yeah okay second motion made by commissioner Wilson and seconded by commissioner kenned any more comments let's vote great thing to
attend motion cares un answer thank you all right I just want to defer if he doesn't mind I I don't mind um I I hope the there three questions I hope they're not too full of legal ease uh if they if they are that's my fault um and so I went with the uh
direction of of the city commission um a while back when I was directed to to draft these uh section the first question says section C9 of the city B's Charter shall be amended to provide that the city commission has authority to
interpret and enforce the city Charter subject to review of such Decisions by a court of competent jurisdiction shall the above described Amendment be adopted I I think it's implied uh by the charter it's implied by the city's home rule
powers that the city can the city commission can interpret its own Charter but it's not stated explicitly um there was a a Judicial opinion that that appeared to call that into question and so um the intention here was to make it crystal clear that the um City
commission does in fact have the authority to interpret the city Charter uh subject of course to review by Court of competent jurisdiction if the charter is interpreted in such a manner as to as to harm someone that that person if that
person disagrees with the interpretation they could certainly go to to a court and ask for a declaratory judgment that the interpretation is incorrect the second question says section C10 of the city of ao's Charter shall be amended to provide
that the city commission has authority to judge the qualifications and eligibility of candidates for the commission establish procedural rules for C10 including insurance that notice in due process is given to affected persons and provide for review of such
Decisions by a court of competent jurisdiction shall the above described Amendment be adopted and so that judicial qu uh opinion that I referenced uh called into question the authority of this city
commission to judge the qualification and eligibility of candidates to the commission uh there was language in the charter says that you can be the judge of the qualifications of of members to the commission and the judge said well a
member of the commission is not a candidate for the commission and this particular uh question is to make it crystal clear that the example was given earlier that if someone is running for the commission who is not a Bonafide
resident of the district that they seek to represent or if that person is for example a felon whose rights have not been restored by the the governor and they're ineligible to hold public office that this commission would have the authority to ajudge that that person is
not eligible to be a candidate however if this commission were to rule in error um that that disqualified candidate would have an opportunity to bring an action in the circuit court and uh
determine otherwise that that person uh could in fact um run for office and then the last the last question uh says section c17 of the city ao's Charter shall be amended to state that a member of the city commission who
resigns cannot thereafter seek election to any part of the same term of office from which the member resigned shall the above described Amendment be adopted U and so that was a a determination of of this commission maybe a year and a half
ago uh and uh that is to make it clear that once you resign to say if you want to run for mayor and you're a sitting District commissioner um you're done you could not run uh for any portion of the term from which you resigned uh and so
this is asking the voters uh if they if they agree with the uh interpretation of this uh City commission uh when when this uh was determined to be put a place on the ballot I ask you a question about that wasn't that because they put that on the
ballot your microphone on there wouldn't that be because they're putting that on the ballot at the same time isn't that what what they were talking about they'll put that same seat on the same ballot time as one yes huh yes yes you're correct so that's why that says
that well I I think this came out of the the resigned to run statutes a Florida statute uh and um and I know mayor that that that you had um stated on the day that um at one point you resigned uh
your your seat as as District commissioner and your belief at the time um was that that was it you could not you can not go back and and run for any portion of of that original term and so this was to memorialize the
understanding of of this commission at at that time it does it stops you from having to spend 20 or $25,000 for another election after that it just puts that seat on the same time that ballot that that would be that that would probably be the
effect of of the um of of the ordinance change that that was made here that place is qualifying back in December and so that was to to try to um avoid the need for a special election yeah you understand that yes I just want
thank you I just wanted so folks will vote please vote on your Citywide ballot than K yes sir I'm just going to say QED which means uh that what was
demonstrated I think we just saw the reason for what I want what we did when this commission took over in 2023 was we pass those rules to put an
end to this and we're not following them and we should on the matter of the charter um the rules I'm so glad you read those because as we just heard it is the
commission which is the determinant of the eligibility of its members when the mayor announced in his public comments that the charter had changed and that they had told him he
could run for a fourth term he pointed to our city clerk and our city manager in an interview he later said the City attorney told him that neither those none of those three
people have any decisionmaking Authority except for this man at a day-to-day basis pardon me but on that issue none of those three people have any decisionmaking Authority in this city on this issue isue the role of the City
attorney is to advise the commission we got into this mess in the beginning two years ago when one of our commissioners asked our then City attorney for campaign advice and instead of saying I can't do that he gave campaign advice
and started this argument he directed our city clerk what to do and avoided our city Commission we've already been down this road now it's happened again we received an email as Commissioners from our City attorney
telling us that a commissioner had inquired and says on his own opinion which he's entitled to his legal opinion this upon a plain reading of C11 term limits do not include any terms of
office that began before January 1 2022 here's what it says effective with each First full term commencing following January 1 2022 the mayor or a commissioner who has
held the same district office for two full terms is prohibited from appearing on the ballot I would tell you that that means that an election in 2027 which is after
2022 people are prohibited from appearing on that ballot who has served two full terms the article announcing the mayor's announcement said Mayor Johnson announces he's going to run for a fourth term we have term limits of two terms
that doesn't make any sense and the decision should come to this commission the I saw your comment describing the Amendments as a power grab I asked for these when we lost the
lawsuit I asked the City attorney to recommend Charter amendments that would clear up the confusion and the division among all of us over these arguments let's make the rules clear let's take out the
discretion let's take out the interpretation and when there is a question let's have accountability let's have it come to this Commission in a public Hearing in front of the people who vote for us and pay the taxes and make our decision and
stand the consequences that's what this is about that's what we need that's what should have happened in 2023 and that's what should happen for 2027 the City attorney with all due
respect doesn't make that decision he's welcome to defend his legal opinion in the public hearing and to advise the commission we're all entitled to have a different opinion this is what's wrong this is the
problem my wife sits back here at every meeting lots of wives do that's their right we do have a civility code we should be following it and we should be making the decisions
under the under the open sunshine in public accountable to the citizens not going to staff and getting them to make decisions and using them as cover for what we want to do all right I'll make a comment your
time's up no I still got the G I'm going to make a comment sir and I wanted you just made a comment I want commission the Craig Shadd city manager tell her who told me and did you not with Melody tell me that
okay yeah let me let me just clear the air for everyone the city manager does not make any interpretations based on Election law or that's right or that um what I informed you was of the discussion that
we had that day earlier with the city attorney where we were talking about a request from another commissioner as to whether or not um they were in their final term and I shared with you um what the attorney shared at that time and um
we went back and pulled the ordinance for when that language was placed into the charter um and I that's all I have to say about that and I want to make very clear that nor myself or the city clerk ever makes
any interpretation regarding uh the charter um especially when it pertains to the election laws thank you that's not the truth sir that is not the truth so you can say it all you want I'm not going to argue with you tonight and I'll
let the lawyer read it you sit me down in your office and told me exactly that that's exactly what you told me you said you first words out of your mouth you get to run again so you can sit there and you say what you want but that's what you told me on I don't know if I'm going to run
again I said let's put it on the agenda well I don't have to put it on agenda if the law saids go to court take go to court I'll go to court with you you you so hard about wanting to run I'll let you run I'll run against you let's go all right what does it say mes they get us the lawy read it um
the dates are there F first off uh c26 says the City attorney shall furnish to the city commission and the city manager an opinion on any question of law affecting the city um and so I was asked um that's not what that say let him finish reading let
him finish reading what he's saying so so the language in question says effective so it's not effective with each first first fullterm commencing following January 1st 2022 a mayor or commissioner has held
the same district office for two full terms as prohibited from the appearing on the ballot for election to that office uh so I I don't know how you could read this to say that that would include he want run full full terms that
commenced before January 1 we can discuss that in the public hearing when it's on the agenda and the citizens are allowed to speak they can speak oh let's open a public hearing that I love that I'm going to call the meeting to order
just wait if we're going to go what the legal thing says like we've done before somebody else went to Legal Court we'll go to Legal court again that's fine with me you know you you made the comments and I I I beg the differ with the city manager he flat told me I have a
question City attorney a point of order yes sir uh where that says that commission you're there to advise the commission right you just read a couple different when we advise the commission we do it here in a meeting all five of
us together I can in front of our citizens I can advise the commission uh during a public hearing or like I did in a memorandum to all of you after at least two after the fact after at least two Commissioners asked me and you put the mayor in a bad position I I
sympathize with him because the mayor thinks that he can rely on your opinion as law I give you my very best I give you my very best I appreciate that but it is your legal opinion it's not the law can I just say something before you poose
you represent us we come to you represent the city we represent but we can come to you privately and say could you interpret something for us could you I ask can ask you questions I this I'm not going to say what I want to say because you'll have to bleep it out in the next room but this is getting out of hand
right now we are very unprofessional very unprofessional this is our audience we have an audience on TV and we look like I won't say it we just don't look professional and I apolog I'm going to apologize to the group tonight because
I'm sorry with the way it looks me too and it's not the impression I want to give as your commissioner and I I I don't act this way and I'm going to try not to act this way to you so I I I'm going to apologize
for tonight I'm done it is what it is if the law says that you can or you can't so that's how we do it all right well we'll see good Court