All right, we're going to start open up the June the 16th, 2026 city commission meeting. Would please stand. Got the immigration invocation by Mr. Hart. The pledge of allegiance by Mr. uh Do
eternal most precious father, we thank you through your abundant grace and mercy, you've allowed us to come together to conduct the city's business. And father, we pray that you help us to come in with a spirit of unity. Even though we may disagree, let us not disrespect or disengage one another, but to treat each other as brothers and sisters. We say a special prayer for all
the brave men and women all over the world and our US armed forces that are keeping us safe. And once again, we pray as always for our first responders. Be with them on every call, on every uh shift. Watch over them as they watch over us and comfort their loved ones knowing that you have their loved ones in their care. We ask you the blessed name of the father, the son, and the
holy ghost. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. >> Amen. I pledge algiance 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 >> here. >> Mayor Johnson >> here. >> Commissioner Fner is absent. Commissioner Oliver >> here. We have a quorum.
>> All right. We have a presentation proclamation here for the 2026 June 10th independence day proclamation. I guess I will read it. So whereas America's independence day movement initiated by the Declaration of
Independence in the 4th of July 1776 did not include enslaved African-Americans as they were not recognized as full human beings. Freedom from slavery was initiated by the enforcement of the Emancipation
Proclamation on January 1st, 1863 and formally announced by Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on the 19th of June, 1865 through the reading of general order number three to the last group of slaves in bondage creating America's second
Independence Day celebration, June the 10th, Independence Day, reserved on the 19th of June as the oldest African-American holiday. And whereas the 19th of June is the freedom forerunner to the 13th amendment which
implemented freedom for all slaves in the United States. Junth Independence Day completes the cycle of independence day celebrations in America. In 18 in 1997, the 105th Congress of the United States passed Senate Joint Resolution 11
and House Joint Resolution 56 officially recognizing Junth Independent Day in America. Whereas the Junth celebration commemorates the im emancipation of southern slaves, blacks on June the
19th, 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. The memory of all those who moved from slavery to freedom remains a lesson for all Americans regardless of their background, race, or
religion. And whereas the Florida legislative issued an apology on March the 26th, 2008, expressing profound regret for a shameful history of enslaving black people and passing laws that sanction involuntary servitude upon
generations of American slaves. And whereas on June 18th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill creating a federal holiday to commemorate commemorate June 18th.
Whereas on June the 18th, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill creating a federal holiday to commemorate June the 10th. Now therefore, be it resolved that the city commission of city of Vcoy does hereby proclaim June the 19th, 2026 as June the
10th independence day for all Americans as a time to learn more about our common past and to better understand the experience of that have shaped our nation in. All right,
staff be staff reports. >> Thank you, mayor. I have a couple of items. Um, one is I would like to pull item number four from the agenda. Um, so that we can
address some legal comments uh that we received today on that. We would bring that back at the earliest opportunity um once those um concerns get addressed. Okay. So I don't know if you need to
make a motion. >> Make a motion to continue item four. >> Motion made about continuing item four. Do I hear a second? >> I'll second it. >> Seconded by Commissioner Oliver. Any more comments? Let's vote. Motion carries. Let's see. >> Okay. And I
>> So first absent commission is absent. >> So I have another one. Um, and this I would like to uh walk on an official agenda item that you have copies of before you with a staff report and a copy of the fourth amendment to the
development agreement for the Regency at OOI, which as you all know is a luxury apartment complex in our CRA. And uh this is an effort u of both parties to try to allow the developer to proceed forward um in a in a fashion
that allows him to meet all of the obligations that he has with his uh financeers. And um this is been a a down tothe-wire effort. Um what we've done is we've subfased all of
the phases and that allows him to continue to move forward uh versus the traditional way of of everything has to be done and then you get signed off on then you can go to the next phase. And so this this
agreement memorializes that. Um both law firms, our the cities and that of the developers have been working on this and I would request that you approve um and also authorize the city attorney to work
with um the developers council to address any dimminimous items that might come up after this. >> Is that it? >> Yes, sir. All right, we need a motion, right? >> I'll make a motion. >> I I'll make a motion. >> All right, Mr.
>> I'll second. >> Motion made by M. Commissioner Oliver, seconded by Commissioner Wilson. Any more comments on it before we vote? All right, let's vote. Motion carries unanim with Commissioner First or Epsit.
All right, nothing further. All right, public comments. I have a handful here. First, I'll have uh Dr. Moyer.
Good evening. My name is Dr. Jim Moyer. elected orange soil and water conservation district to supervisor. This presentation is that on my own, no other individual or organization unrepresented.
However, I was motivated to address this subject by Mr. Leroy Bell of Popka, who's very into the Florida aquifer. uh 500 to 300 million years ago, Florida
wasn't even part of North America. And then for the next 100 million years, the two superc continents came together and Florida was kind of in the middle then. And when the superc continent broke into
parts, Florida was then attached to North America. However, it was actually underwater, shallow water, but underwater for about the next 170 million years or so. Uh all this is
what created the Florida aquifer. uh major uh the movement of the different land masses, the plate limestone forming when it was underwater, sand clay coming from the Apple Asian
mountains, the sea level rising and falling changed the size of Florida and the acidic groundwater in the northwest and southeast part of Florida uh broke up from the limestone. Here's a picture of
it, but it's not exactly the same. We say Florida aquifer, but it's not exactly the same everywhere throughout Florida. It does go up into a little bit of um southeast part of the US. Also,
uh 90% of Florida and 100% of Orange County right now rely on the aquifer for our water supply. There are backups being created but my understanding is for example pulling water from St.
John's River. However, the backups my understanding is much more expensive. Uh as you all know the wet season we try to get as much replenishment to the aquifer as possible and the dry season we
attempt to survive without going into uh restricted water use. uh the aquafer is not exactly the same in all parts of even Orange County. Here in the west, the replenishment takes
place closer to the surface. So, it's most important here that we prevent our water bodies from being polluted. Prevent I promote something called D2C3 and I promote it all year round. Change
your habits. Conserve water use and clean water bodies. Be responsible. Be smart. Do your part. Change your habits. Uh create new habits that
respect the aquifer and water is life. Thank you very much and God bless you all. >> Thank you Dr. Moyer. Victoria Laney. >> Good evening everyone. The last time I was at this meeting, I sang for you. My
mother's antismoking song was a big hit, and I may sing it before the county commission meeting at the end of June. However, I'm here now in support of one of my mother's other favorite causes, and that is the Christian Service Center of Okoey. After 45 years of serving
Okcoy in the West Orange community, the Ooey campus is scheduled to close on June 31st, 2026. No longer will Oak residents be able to gather for a hot lunch every day and take home food for dinner and breakfast. No longer will
they be able to shop in the wonderful thrift store where I bought this dress today for $2.50 plus tax. Um, no longer can high school students volunteer there at the center and earn credits towards the bright future scholarships.
Before then, many of the essential services will end even sooner on June 30th. This includes the food pantry, hygiene vouchers, clothing vouchers, computer lab, SNAP food stamp services, and Aspire Health Partners services. I
was always happy to donate clothing to the Christian Service Center. I remember when I helped a lady get a job. She needed a certain kind of clothing for her job and she didn't have it and couldn't afford it. I took her to the Christian service center and they gave her a voucher for exactly the kind of
clothing she needed to start her job. I could cite so many other examples of the manner in which the Christian service center has served this community and blessed the lives of Okoi residents. I remember having um Commissioner Wilson
as the head of the Christian Service Center and the Koi was very supportive during that time. I remember having pallets of canned goods delivered to the uh the city commission chamber. And so when they came in there were remember
all those cans on pallets in the front of the room as an example not to brag but as an example of giving it to the Christian service center and supporting them. Um despite the Christian name there is no requirement to be any
specific faith or any faith at all. I bring people in need and they've always been blessed by the experience. The Christian Service Center says they're closing now because they run a $300,000 deficit. Believe me, if I got the money tomorrow, I would be donating it there
to help them stay open. Um, to my knowledge, they've not asked for money for Moco, but there's other ways to offer support. and I serve on Orange County's community development advisory board and we've given a lot of money to them, grant money over the years and
they've used it very well. Um the money is still well spent with volunteers donating their time and talents. Other organizations have also supported the Christian service center especially like Windemir Rotary and some churches from
Windemir have served uh meals there too on Sundays when the when the uh center is otherwise closed. And so the guests and clients there are so much fun. They inspire me with their kindness and determination to help others. They may
have literally nothing. you know, the widows might, and yet they're willing to share with the others they're in need. It's so touching. And so I often thought someone should actually make it into a reality show, a
reality television show, because the lives there are so fascinating, and what I see there every time I volunteer is so uplifting and encouraging. And so I I want to ask whether there's
any way okay of saving the um this wonderful organization in AOE. I know my time is up. I was hoping that the city would offer space at the center or another location to help people sign up for county benefits and any possible benefits offered by the city. I don't
think we as a city will fully re appreciate what we had until it is gone. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. All right. I'm going to start on these all about the um events at the radio station. So what I'm tell we have a
three minute limit. So what's your time up there? So we'll start off with Shante Persog. Good evening commission. Good morning. Good afternoon city. I have a presentation. And I think I gave you guys some forms to look at.
>> I have nothing. Do I just push? >> I have nothing. >> I have nothing. >> No. >> I am not great on a microphone, but good afternoon. My name is Shanti. I am the owner of WKB and Cultural Vibrations over on Clark Road and I'm here to ask
the commission for a chance to figure out how to make the sound work for the residents. I have had three staged events which is something that we haven't been doing recently. We just started trying to have cultural events at the radio station and I understand
that the sound is something that we have to work on. Um, I have brought my sound engineer here with me um to discuss how we plan on trying something different because as you can see from the diagrams, let me show you from the
diagrams on our first event that we did which was the Saint Vincent family day, the stage was set right here but it was a much smaller stage. The second event which was the kitty carnival, the stage was set towards the center with the speakers facing this way. The last event
which is the most the the event that we caused the most issues with right here was right against the tree line as you can see right here. And this is where this event was during carnival weekend which is a very popular weekend here in Orlando. And my sound engineer actually
set this stage up for us correctly. But because the promoter of this event was not part of Orlando, not part of our city, not part of our community, he had tinkered with the sound. And by the time my sound engineer got to the event to
control it, the event was already over. But moving forward, I will always have an engineer on staff. I will always have an engineer helping me make sure that we control the bass and the sound that's coming out. As we know, it's very hard to please everyone with sound. I know
that. I'm sure Okoi knows that with the music festival. I'm sure you get complaints, but what I'm trying to do is be considerate of the community. I have not had any events that don't end past 8:00 p.m. I try to control the traffic. I don't have any traffic backups. I
haven't had any violations with sound. But at this point, I would like to call up my sound engineer Anend with Power Line um so he can discuss where we want to do what we want to do moving forward for the next event for Father's Day.
>> Hi, good evening everyone. I'm very familiar with outdoor events. I work with Orange County. I had a meeting with Mr. Wright just recently and we discussed working at Orange County events versus Okoi. The first two events which was placed closer to the right
hand side of the property worked well. We had no issues. The officers came out. They actually commended us on the event. This third event the pro she said the promoter took charge of the event. Um did his own sound took just did his own
thing which we had no control of. Um going forward I will be the only person that will actually handle any sound which will keep to the right of the property staying far clear of the residence which is on the left side. Um that work well in past events and we'll
continue working like that to make sure we could still bring events to Koi. Thank you. So my my ask is if the county could allow us or the city allow us to do the father's day event and try this card.
How do you say it? >> It's a matter of the it worked in the past. So any event going forward if we keep it to the right it wouldn't have any effect. It's just this one event that created this problem which I understand why because the promoter
which was out of town moved the complete stage to the left which is closer to the residence. That's all it is. He moved it and we had no control but again we understand why there's a problem. >> May I make a point of order? >> May I ask a point of order? >> Yeah.
>> Um this is public comment. >> Yeah. I appreciate I I guess that was an apology and explaining their proposed solution, but I don't think any the commission can take any action on this. I haven't I know nothing about this.
>> Well, we're not here I'm this is not the action part. We're here to let the citizens speak. That's what we're going to do. >> It's not to take action to let the pe people speak. But once again, when that three minute goes off, folks, I apologize. That's what the rules are. We got to go by it. We just keep leading
down. That's three doing three over. So, please go by the time scale. All right. Next is is that I can't read the I can't read it. >> Can you read that? Sorry. Hold on a minute.
>> Amanda Ramsoon. Ramsoon. >> Ramsoon or >> Amanda. Amanda, I'm gonna hold this to the last. We'll try to figure out who it is. >> Huh? >> I can't read it. >> Sounds alike.
>> That looks >> Yeah, that you >> Okay. >> Okay. All right. Now, you've had your time talking there. So, wait a minute. Where you going? You don't say
>> Sandra. Seni Sasha. >> Sorry. >> Good evening, commissioners and members of the audience. My name is Sasha Watson Sanki and I am a proud resident of Akoi for over 10 years. I'm here tonight to
speak in support of WKB and its events in the community. Before I speak to the events themselves, I want to acknowledge who WKB is. The station has been a part of the fabric of this community for
decades. The WKB call signal dates back to 1969, making it one of the oldest radio stations in Central Florida. It is a threetime stellar award winner and it has been named Orlando's best by
Orlando magazine. It is the longest running gospel station in the market. And when it calls itself the heart and soul of Central Florida, that is not a slogan. It is a statement that this community has earned the right to make.
You do not build that legacy without showing up for people year after year. and WKB continues to show up. The events that this station produces are a direct extension of that legacy. These events
bring our neighbors together. They bring foot traffic to the Okoi community, visibility and energy. They give families something to celebrate and residents something to be proud of. I was also want to speak directly to how
WKB has conducted itself. They do not require a permit from the city of Akoi. They are an unincorporated Orange County and nonetheless they have not waited to be told to communicate.
They have not waited on a complaint to stand before this commission. They have proactively reached out to every relevant city and county department before each event including code enforcement, law enforcement, permitting and beyond. That is exactly the type of
standard of civic partnership that we want from organizations in the city of Okoi that deserves recognition and not resistance. Now I understand that amplified sound will never satisfy every person with an
earshot. That has always been the case and it will always be the case. But the discomfort of a few for a daytime event cannot um be measured by what how we
judge the value of the station brings to the community. The question before this commission is whether the benefit to AOEI outweighs the minor inconvenience. And that question should be answered clearly that the events in the WKB puts
on are community events bringing us together as a community and I respectfully ask the commission to support their continued presence and their events. I yield my time. All right,
Jane Bear. >> All right, Susan Vault and Sandy Bailey. I'm Susan Vote. I live on White Road. I'm third generation Ooey. There's two more generations coming up after me. >> Uh my complaint about the uh events at
the radio station are not that it's a community event or you know I think that's wonderful that we have events. My complaint and I think some others is the noise. I live at least a mile and a half from that station. It rattles my
windows. It may be that one event that got out of hand, but even other ones, the noise is just constant and aggravating. Even though you say you put the the speakers at the tree line, it
carries all the way across Lake Olympia into Admiral Point, all the way down White Road, miles away. I don't think you realize how far that sound carries. Um, I have concerns about the traffic. I
have seen it backed up on Clark Road at other times. uh security which I hope they address the length of the concerts. Uh you know a few hours is one thing but you know seven hours is a lot to listen
to a bass thumping in your living room. Uh I'm concerned that this will become an aggravation rather than something that brings the community together. And um I don't know, I assume we would
have to complain to uh the county about violation of a noise ordinance because there is a limit on the decibels that can be heard at a certain distance. So I would ask some
help with finding a phone number that if you know it is still loud, we could could let that be known. Um, that's basically it. We would appreciate any help from Okoey to and from the
radio station to tone the noise down so that it does not carry into our homes. Thank you, >> Susan. >> It rattled my sliders that are all the way across the south north side of my house on the I live on the south side of
Lake Olympia and it it literally rattled them. Worship, right? >> Worship. >> Yeah. >> I'm Sandy Bailey. >> Haven't seen you in a long time. >> Last reunion. >> All right. Received another one. Jesus brought it
up to me. >> That's not for this though. >> All right. War Raj. >> My name is Loren Roush. I live at 1037 Coastal Circle in Okoey. Been a resident
of Okcoi for 38 years. Lived at Prima Vista. My kids played baseball, softball, you know, they all grew up there. Been at um Admiral Point for the last 23 years. When they say they had three concerts and only one was disruptive, that's
misleading because I heard all three of them in my backyard. And it is a sonic boom non-stop. We don't hear music. We hear boom boom boom inside the house, outside the house. Memorial Day weekend, we had company in
from um Oklahoma and uh we were trying to enjoy the outdoors, you know, have a barbecue with our family and friends. >> We don't have jurisdiction >> and all we heard was boom, boom, boom. Do you know how agitating that is? >> And they say that they're going to fix
the sound system, but it carries across the lake. There's nothing there's no barrier there for the kind of concerts that they want to put on. And I just don't understand why they can't pick a different location, pick a, you know, venue that's
made for this type of concert. >> You know, I've been here 38 years. We've never had an issue >> ever and lived at that property 23 years. I can't. >> So, I just I just don't understand, you know, um why all of a sudden, you know,
there's concerts there and and we have to endure seven hours of boom boom boom boom. And um also the area um you know, I looked it up. It's zoned agriculture and residential. I'm not that familiar with zoning and stuff, but it's A1LDR.
and there is a retirement home right next door that has 100 to 150 residents. So I went in there just to see if they heard the noise because I go out for walks often and um so they all jumped up and they says yeah and they said it's
horrible and they're right next door. So that's 100 to 150 people that can't escape their home. They can't leave. This is a retirement home and it's right next door. So, I ask you please not to give the permit and for them to find
another location to have their concerts. I appreciate your time. All right. Next person up is going to be Marilyn Franks. Please pull the mic up to your uh where you can speak into the mic.
Some people having a hard time hearing. Hello and thanks for letting us have our say. Also, I have been a resident in Admiral Point for 26 years. I am the first owner of my house and yes, we have heard music from the city and from other
places and it's never been as loud as it was on the 20 23rd of May when it was boom boom boom boom from 2:00 to 8:00. I'm 84 years old. I couldn't even my
house rattled. I had to take Tylenol and I do not take Tylenol until I go to bed at night be and I'm pride myself that I'm able to do that. But it was if you can figure out a way to do something
about the noise, but if you're going to have a thing on at Father's Day and it's going to be the same thing, we're going to be here to oppose you. It's never been that way. I like that the fact that you're trying to
incorporate the neighborhood and do things for people, but there's people in our neighborhood who are suffering from cancer and babies. We have a lot of new babies and stuff and their parents were
affected that day and it was horrible, you know. And I my house was built in 2000. So when the rat windows are rattling, I'm like, "What in the world's going on?" And I didn't know where it was. I thought it was probably down on Coastal. Somebody maybe having a
graduation party. And then I find out, no, it's over there on Clark Road where you saw the tents out behind your building. I go up and down that road two or three times a week going to the grocery store. I go
to Publix and I look at stuff and I'm in traffic and I saw all the tents that morning, but I didn't think it was going to be boom boom boom for eight, seven and eight hours. So, I would appreciate if you would
remember that and keep the noise down if they give you a permit or if the county gives you a permit. But, you know, it's just horrible. Thank you for letting me even talk. >> Thank you, ma'am. Chris
Mark. >> Yeah. Can you read this? >> Good evening. My name is Chris Marciniac and I live in Wedgewood Commons on Rachel's Ridge Loop. I've lived there for 16 years and over the years it has
been fairly quiet. But recently it's every time they have one of these concerts it's boom boom boom. It's not music, it's noise where I can't even hear my neighbors talk out in the yard. And I would just suggest that they find
a way to calm it down. I mean, I'm all for, you know, having community and everything, but I just wish that it would calm down and it's not going over the whole neighborhood and boom, boom, boom. So, if you could find a way to do
that and, you know, please everybody that way, I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Jay Joy Thompson. Good evening. I am a uh 46-year resident of Okcoy. When Okcoy was here, the radio
station was here, it was a dirt road. Nothing like what you are seeing now, people in here, is what you're seeing. It didn't even have six lanes. So, as a retired mortgage broker, I have seen
this area develop unbelievably. This situation that you guys want to bring into this area in a residential community is not effective not only to the property values but to the
economical value in the way that it is going to deter people that we need to stay in the city of Okcoy so that we can keep the values of our home and keep the money coming in
for the taxes that actually give us help for the people like the fire departments, the schools, everything. If we keep the noise value up, more people will not want to live here. More people
will be upset and they'll actually end up leaving and that won't value us as the city. I get what you're saying about how you want to bring communities together, but it would probably be better if served if you did it in an
area that was not residential because for us who have lived here as long as I have, that has never been the case with your radio station. And I've supported it. I've bought peanuts there because you sell boiled peanuts. It's
wonderful, but it's not conducive to a residential area. So, I hope the board will consider this. Thank you. >> I'm sorry about the ride, people. I I think one of the things we need to put on there, people need to print. So, this
is Gay gentleman back here in the back. I think it is I Gale or Uhuh. Keep reading. pronounce your name. >> Gao
Gao Joseph. Good evening. Um I'm the president for Lake Olympia Club Association um of Sylvester and Clark. Um I lived there for 20 years and um what those people say about the music they want to bring thing to a core
that's absurd is crazy because um that day so many homeowner call me um text me he like crazy and I even when they call me so much so I say no you got to call the city I encourage them to call the
police department and the music was so loud I I feel so bad for elderly lady who live on the street of Olympus. I feel so terrible. If you have a decency, how can you can come in the neighborhood in residential neighborhood try to bring
that craziness is absurd. And I was shocked when I listen to that music. We have a bar that in corner of Clark and um Silver Star who been here for years. We never have this issue with them. And
if this and send continue we will have an issue to sell our house and the value will drop and it will be a big issue. This will not bring money to a this is was bring disaster to our city because you cannot tolerate it is insane for you
to heard that the music was so loud it shake some people window on Olympus Drive. So even people who live on the lake, I got a call from one of them um is a neighbor who is not in our subdivision. So I upload the city not to
um consider this. This is uh bad for our community and for our city as well. >> Thank you. >> Thanks sir. Anybody else? That's all the last that you've already been up sir.
All right. >> Um, good day again. I know it was mentioned about a decibel of the music and I would like to clarify the first two events. Yes, we have a decibel of 70 which you can actually pull a meter at the front of the property to know how
loud the music is. The third event in question, we did have an issue which we admit to. Now, there were officers that came out and actually worked the event, we don't have any report or anything any statement or any ticket. We were not ticketed for loud music. I just want to
address that for the past events that we've had, we've complied. We um we have we have never had traffic on the road during the event because we have multiple security that made sure that Clark Road was cleared and that we had uh entrance a certain amount because
it's a lot of acreage that we were able to turn the vehicles in and park properly avoiding any traffic on Clark Road. Again, there is a decibel which we're going to comply by which is throughout um Florida. It's 70 and
anyone could get a it's a a meter that you read the level of sound and once we complied by that that is the law. We are not trying to go against the law. Now also the other law is that you you're allowed to have music till about 9:10
p.m. outdoors. We are not even going till that time. Our cut off is at 8:00 p.m. which is in respect to the neighborhood. Now when it comes to the home in question which is with housing 200 plus people we've visited there every single time we have an event had
conversations. We had people from the home came over and purchased food and come and hang out with us. We actually gave them free invites to every time we have them which is open to the entire city or any residents around it. The the the place in question is a couple acres
that's not actually in residential area. It's not in your com not in your jurisdiction. It's off of Clark Road and it's actually if you look carefully at the map which is not on the screen anymore, but you can pull it up 50 South Clark Road. It is based on Clark Road
itself, but we do understand the residents behind that particular area and again we apologize for that particular event. We'll move it closer to the which is surprising when we move it closer to the elderly home. There's
no issue from the elderly home or the residents and the officers could tell you we never had we have no nothing in writing that says we broke the law where it comes to the sound or the way we ran the event. We followed every guidelines even even
though we we in a jurisdiction that falls between city and county. We went to both both communities to get permission to do these events which we didn't even require to do that. But we continue to follow the laws to do the
events. Again, it's community events. The music is going to be different. It's probably not the same thing you hear on a daily basis. It is more of a Caribbean base. Okay. Thank you. >> That's it. >> But thank you. >> Real quick before I give it to the uh let city manager make comments. No one
from Orange County hasn't called us because they don't live out here. They don't get to hear it. They don't. And they kind of pushed it off like a lot of times they do with us. Shove it to old koi who's we're not that's that that and
I know it's not in the city. It's still every we're all around it. Why is it not in the city? So, but even so, being in the county, you still don't have the permit for the right zoning for it. But I'm going to let city manager talk to
you about it. That's not our business. City manager. Thank you, mayor. Um, just very briefly, I'd like to call Chief Vince Agburn down front as well as Mike Rumor, assistant city manager. while they're coming down front. This particular situation doesn't
fit into any boxes right now that are easy for the city to to manage and everyone's here tonight speaking on under public comment. um which you know uh Commissioner Kenny made the statement typically we would have an application
for a special event in the city and for the clarification for all here um when a special event application is pulled in AOE and we did look at the one that the county had um just to be clear this this property is in Orange County uninccorporated not in the city of Akoi
>> so we looked at the county permit when we started hearing complaints and um it it lacks a lot of the detail that would be in an AOE permit. We do a resource plan. The development review committee looks at the number of people expected
um sound um what's being proposed if there's alcohol sales, ingress, egress, management of traffic, parking, um security needs and and then we issue a recommendation which may in some ways
restrict what's being asked for but in order to make it more compatible with the community. Chief Agburn, when we started getting complaints, I asked him to reach out to the Orange County Sheriff's Department. They actually informed us that they hadn't seen any calls coming through on dispatch
because, you know, this is an enclave. And let me just get on a soap box. This is an issue that, you know, Orange County uh should be working more closely with us to address because we have enclaves, little pockets of unincorporated Orange County surrounded
by city municipal limits and it's it's a waste of services. So, the Orange County Sheriff's Department's having to serve this little enclave and uh and and that makes it difficult on citizens and working through these things with an applicant like the radio station because
they're caught in this enclave. And so to kind of cut to the chase, um the sheriff gets a call from Chief Agurn and they look in the the database because disp they can access what what goes into
our dispatch database and there's no calls. And so um calling 911 is absolutely the first thing you do. Call 911. You'd like to report a a noise violation um because they weren't seeing anything. said, "They're not sending
anybody out there." And um I asked Chief Aruburn to go and speak to the folks at the radio station. He did. Um our staff speaks very highly about how nice they are uh to work with, but at the end of the day, we have something that's impacting. We technically don't have
jurisdiction. And Chief Aguin can very quickly tell you the sheriff reached out to him and said they'd like they're not going to sign off on their portion of the permit unless they come and seek city approval, which technically requires it to go on an agenda with a staff report and
preferably a resource management plan that we would would execute. So, Chief Auburn, can you kind of just give a very quick overview for the benefit of all here on what your conversations have been with Orange County Sheriff? >> Yeah. Good afternoon, mayor,
commissioners. Um, I, as the city manager said, when I got the complaint, the first thing I did was reach out to Orange County and see if they had a permit. and they told them uh the last time that they were out there as a result of an event that Miss Prrisard put on I think was back in March because
of the amount of people that y'all had and they were concerned with the traffic on Clark Road. Um they researched our database, our call center and their call centers and of course like was mentioned they never received a call because as a gentleman stated back there people were
calling individuals rather than calling the um calling the comm centers. uh went out and met with Miss Prasad on her property, walked the property, would saw it. But again, I as a city as a chief, I cannot authorize that. It's still an
Orange County um property and I explain that to her. She's very unique because she sits right in the middle. But that's basically the conversation that I had and and my research into this this concern. Can you further highlight what the
sheriff told you about requiring them to seek city approval? >> Uh Orange County Sheriff's Office said that they would not give her uh permit until uh the city commission gave her something in writing saying that they would approve it.
>> So, bringing it back up here, um from a staff perspective, we don't have um a permit application. Um, we don't have jurisdiction to approve it, but we do have one member of their review team, the sheriff's
department, telling them they won't sign off unless they get approval from the city. And we don't have another commission meeting between now and Father's Day. So, I can't really recommend um an action that could be
taken aside from you all directing me, which you have in your purview, to have our staff work with them to process a permit. But again, we don't have another opportunity for you to um approve it.
And so that's the quandry we're in. >> All right. Does commission have any comments? Is Mike is Mike? I don't Mike adding to this or not? No, >> not yet. >> Okay, I'll speak. It is in my district. Um
well, this is not in my district, but the residents that are here are in my district. And yes, they may not have called 911, but they did call me and they were very concerned when I'm hearing about windows shaking. That is a concern. And that I think would be a
concern to anyone. And I realize I've been to the radio station. I know you don't want to disrupt the neighbors, but it is disrupting the neighbors. and the and you know when I have a resident call me and tell me that she can't go to someone's party because she thinks they're having a party that that's where the noise is coming from and ends up
you're disrupting and it's Father's Day too. You're disrupting you're if this is the same situation. What a day to pick to have folks who are having outdoor events especially in the summer now and they're they can't have those because their windows are rattling. Um,
I'm speaking on behalf of my residents in district two that many have been disrupted and all the neighborhoods that are around the radio station. It wasn't just one. It wasn't the back. It was all of them. I've had complaint before when another event happened. Um, I don't live
that far, but I was not home during that day and so I did not hear it, but I have heard that very close to my home that those folks also heard it. So, I mean, we're talking a distance from the radio station that you're disrupting many folks. Uh, your events are, not that you
are, but your events are. Um, I also heard that some people were parking over at the plaza, the shopping center. That's not acceptable either. They have businesses that are using the station. So, if your folks are over there parking, if they are, I was not there. I
can't vouch for it, but if they're over there parking, that's disrupting their clientele. You're a business. You understand that. Um, that's disrupting their clientele. They've I have a letter that they wrote regarding that the disruption, if that's the case, a disruption to their clientele when
people are coming to the businesses. So, and I gather since this is not an agenda item that we really can't vote on anyways at this point. I think Commissioner Kennedy mentioned that that would have to come as an agenda item. So, I don't see how personally how we could even really continue this
conversation if we can't we we can't give authorization at this point, even if we were going to, which I'm opposed to at this point. I'll just say that right up front. Um, that I don't think we have the ability to do that at this
point. And I would love to see a permit coming to us to meet our qualifications since it's affecting our residents. that the county permit is different than the city permit. And I would like to see that if you're going to hold this within the community
that that all um actions are covered on our end with our permit. Oh, that made was clear about that. But I want to see I would like to see our permit the qual the qualifications for a permit to be issued from the city of AOE
to be the per the same qualifications. >> Are you done? >> I'm done. I could go on, but that's okay. >> Um, just a just a couple of items. Um, comments uh regarding um for one uh we've heard comments uh from the
residents that live there that the noise was disturbing them. We heard comments from the radio station uh about um sound like more of apology and um and u and probably some corrective actions. But at the end of the day, what it sounds like to me is that uh and I commend both
sides for for for doing that. And uh this is just a part of our democratic process. This is this is how we should act as a democracy, allowing folks to be able to to say their speak their peace. Um and also not to be judgmental uh to one another, but respect each other's
judgment and respect each other's uh comments uh whether you agree or disagree. So, um, what it sounds like to me is that, um, again, as the city manager stated, we are in a very unique situation here. There's there's no box to really check off on this because the
permit has to be granted from Orange County. That seems that Orange County Sheriff's Department says they're not going to going to um give a permit unless OKOY uh uh would sign off on it. Well, the property is
not in Okoy. It's actually in Orange County. So, it seems to me that it might have been just a quick pass off uh just to kind of say, "Hey, let's just keep it moving." It sounds like this this uh discussion probably needs to be held at the county at the county uh at the BCC
should be listening to this conversation. Um and it sounds like the residents from uh Okcoy should be at the county to uh express your concerns because the ultimate authority to grant this permit is not in the city of Okoy.
is actually in Orange County. So, you know, we have our own uh ordinances. Uh there's no state statute that that governs uh noise ordinances. They actually allow these cities and municipalities to uh to conduct their own ordinances when it comes to uh noise
pollution and uh and a amplified sound. So, my recommendation would be if this uh uh again, I don't know what would happen between now and Father's Day because we're we're days away, but I think the uh the correct way to do this would would be to um have this heard at
the county level and uh maybe that there may be uh there they are authorized to make a decision uh without putting OKO in the uh in the mix as a pass off. That's just my comments. >> All right. I'm gonna ask the city law to
give his comments. >> This is A1 property in Orange County and from what I'm hearing, this is not a bonafide agricultural use. It's one thing to have a oneoff occasional um event. You know, the farmer has a daughter and daughter gets married and
and they have a wedding. That's that's one thing, but it's another thing to have a commercial concert venue where there are multiple events where you have 400 people, one event, 250 another, 450 another, where you're charging uh $20 a
ticket or free admission and $10 for parking. It's a commercial concert venue. I wouldn't say sitting here right now that you have the correct zoning even at the county level to be doing what you are proposing to be doing. So, I think you need to get with Orange
County. You need to get with their planning and zoning people and take it up with them. This is really the wrong place uh for this uh whole conversation. >> All right. So, what I would say is even with these names we have here from speaking tonight would be ideal to go to
that county meeting, show up at that county meeting and and do your talking there too. They're trying to put us in a spot which is not unusual with them. So, uh, they try to do that quite often. So, I don't see we cannot give the permit
through our regulations being it's not in the city of OKY. So, we can't do that. So, I think they need to go back to them and tell them they got to stand up and do what they're supposed to do. Go by what the zoning and everything else is. Don't try to lay it off on us.
So, you're our citizens. We got to look after you. We try but that is not in our jurisdiction to do for us. So that'll be it tonight I think. So you >> father's
>> I you you can't talk from the floor. What? Come up here and tell me what you want to say. I want to want to get this over with but I want to >> I'll be real quick. >> I I'll >> Her name is Joy. >> I know Joy >> Thompson. >> Sorry. Interesting. What about Father's
Day? They're due. They're due to have it. >> Well, they can't have it if they don't have a permit. >> Oh, okay. >> I mean, the county had to give me a permit, Heather. >> No, I'm saying we we're we can't do it. >> Okay. >> You know, we can't do it. And they they
know that county knew that. >> Okay. >> They they specifically knew exactly what >> they were doing. >> They just didn't want to handle the pro process. >> Right. Right. Well, thank you for you. Um, and thank you. >> Yeah, they they don't have a permit, I guess. So, right. Is that truth? You
don't have a permit. >> We don't have a permit. So, we can't go over 150 people to do a small gathering. >> It has to be a private. It's like to have people at your house. It's a private gather. >> Yeah. So, y'all figure that out with the county. We'll call the county and tell
them that we matter of fact, we need to notify them and tell them our meeting tonight and tell them that we we can't do a permit because we don't have the jurisdiction. >> So, all right. Thank you. Thank you everybody for coming speaking. >> Mayor John. >> Yeah. >> Would you like to direct myself and the
city attorney to dispatch a letter to Orange County? >> That's what I was saying. >> Please. We're going to send a letter to them telling them what our issue was and what we're doing. So, thank you very much. >> Appreciate everybody coming out and talking, taking the time. >> You're welcome to stay.
>> You can stay if you like to. >> Oh, yeah. All right. Consent agenda. >> I'll make a motion to approve um with the exception of item four which has already been pulled. >> I'll second. >> Motion made by Commissioner Wilson,
seconded by Commissioner Kennedy. Any more comments? >> No more comments. Let's vote. >> Motion carries unanimously here and Commissioner First are absent. All right. First reading of ordinance. First reading of an ordinance regulating
micromobility vehicles. Police Chief Auggrren. That'll be the first reading. So, uh, we'll have the ordinance. You got it? >> Yep. >> We have the city attorney read the ordinance. An ordinance of the city of Akoi, Florida, amending chapter 153 of the city code, streets and sidewalks to
establish a new article 5 to regulate and govern the operation of electric bicycles, electric scooters, and other micromobility devices. Providing definitions, establishing operational requirements and restrictions, establishing sidewalk, street, park, and
public property regulations. Prohibiting reckless operation and stunts. providing for enforcement, penalties, separability, conflicts, codification, and an effective date. >> All right. This will be back on uh what's the next meeting? >> July
>> two weeks. >> No, Jul. >> What is it? Two weeks. >> July second. >> July 7th. >> Uh 7th. July 7th. >> July the 7th. And then it'll be a public hearing. We'll open it to the public. All right. Item number 12. First read of an ordinance to create chapter 105
master capital project and services assessment. All right. An ordinance of the city of Akoi, Florida relating to the provision of services, facilities, programs, and local improvements within the city of Akoi, Florida. Adopting chapter 105, the
city of Akoi code of ordinances entitled master capital project and service assessments authorizing the imposition and collection of special assessments against the property within the city of Akoi. Providing certain definitions and
defining the terms assessment, service assessment and capital assessment. Providing for the creation of assessment areas. Establishing procedures for imposing capital and service assessments. Establishing procedures for notice and adoption of assessment roles.
Providing that assessments constitute a lean on assessed property upon the adoption of the assessment role. providing that the lean for an assessment collected pursuant to section 197
3632 and 197.3635 Florida statutes upon perfection shall attach to the property on the prior January 1st the lean date for advalorum taxes providing that a perfected lean shall be equal in rank
and dignity with the leans of all state city district or municipal taxes and assessments and superior in dignity to all other prior leans, mortgages, titles, and claims. Authorizing exemptions. Providing procedures for collection of assessments. Providing a
mechanism for the imposition of assessments on government property. Providing for issuance of obligations. Declaring the provisions of this ordinance to be supplemental, additional, and an alternative method. providing for applicability and severability, providing for conflicts
and codification, and providing an effective date. >> Same thing as this one. This this ordinance will be back on the July the 7th for the second reading. All right. No second reading of ordinance tonight. No public hearing here. Regular agenda item number 13. Discussion and direction
on Oakcoy solid waste franchise. Public works director Krug. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> mayor, commissioner, commissioners. Steve Krug with public works. I just want to review the subways franchise
where we're at with it right now for the commercial and residential service in the city and get some direction on proceeding. Um at the end of next April, the initial contract expires and Waste Connections
has notified us per the contract before July 1st of this year that they do not wish to extend the three-year continuation which is an option mainly because of the rates um what's happened with the market. So at the end of the meeting and or at
the end of this presentation, I'm going to ask um direction on two items. One with the franchise as a whole after I review it is would you authorize us to negotiate with the vendor to control costs or go outside to bid and in the
open market and also do we continue curbside recycling? Now on the commercial side, one of the things that Waste Connection is requesting is about an increase of about
8% on our the front load service. It still puts us, as you can see, below a Popkco, Winter Garden, Orlando, and makes us a favorable area for commercial business for solid waste. >> What percentage for us?
where it would increase about 8% which still >> what is it now >> the rate >> the rate is about $42 a >> I'm asking about the percentage you saying 8% more so what is the percentage is that what you're saying
>> yes sir >> it's going to go 8% above what >> 40 it be go up around I think it goes up to 47 approximately 8% >> and that's lower than a popco winter garden I'm sorry I >> there's a lot of different information if you have have any questions, feel free to ask.
>> Just kind of going through. >> So, let's look at the residential side. I just I didn't include this in the staff report. This reviews the residential market in Central Florida. You can see AOPKA has a $320 per
household per year rate at the moment. They did a rate study that last year that said, "Hey, if you guys want to maintain two collections and recycling in house, you really need to be at $400 a per year." So, they've actually
implemented a 6% increase every year to get them up to $400 um per household per year. One of our talking with our neighbors, Winter Park is at 342 for comparison. and they still do two collections with recycling and
that is contracted out to Waste Pro, not our vendor. Then you have Winter Garden which is a little below 300 as everyone heard last year they did away with recycling and they're still doing two collections and they do handle that in-house.
Continuing Orlando just completed a rate study. They do one collection recycling and they do everything inhouse which means they control all the commercial and residential and they're charging went up to $320 a household. I threw a
veto in there as an example because they did the most recent rate study and that is Seminal County. Um, but doing one collection with recycling and contracted is at 351 a year. But they also
dump their um waste in Seminal County which is about $12 cheaper than what Orange County charges per ton. Orange County for all our um the residents of Orange County, which is the most recently bid contract. They do one
collection, they recycle, it's all contracted out. They're charging $400 per household per year, and they plan on increasing that annually in order to stay ahead of the market. So, where's a COE? Last
year the commission authorized the non-adorum 3 of3 of 3442 per household. Now that covers all our administrative costs. It covers our operational costs which we have the people in public works and also in some
of that is illegal dumping. That also covers our contract costs. What the contract allows us to pay waste connections. And on the bottom there is just was a quick summary just so you see where do we fall in the market.
Um looking at the contract waste connections can charge based on what we entered into back in 2020 26 just about $263 a year to provide the service they are now. The reason they've told us they don't
want to extend the contract is because what it's cost him is $312 and that is what they've requested for to extend if we were to enter into another contract. Of course, um looking at the financial side, I doing my due
diligence, I said, "What if we dropped recycling?" I can't imagine I can't imagine we'd want to go to one collection per week, but if we drop recycling, it would it would only need about an $18 increase and we could cover that within what we're currently
charging at 344 um the current non-AD Valorum fee and we can go into that um where we're where we get that mainly I I'll show that in another slide. But my first commission
request and what I'm recommending is if you would authorize us to negotiate with waste connections to bring this back to the commission as an amendment for an extension of minimum three years include a annual CPI in the contract so that we
can get the cheapest rate now that'll allow it increases or the other option is to bid out for a new franchise. All right. I want to ask you a question. Yes. >> Winter Garden's 29808 with no recycling.
>> Correct. >> Are they doing it theirel? >> Yes. >> Yes, they are. And they also do the commercial, >> right? >> Which is higher than >> I I know I don't know how the rest of this council is, but I get tons of calls because it's always always a problem.
And I hate to bring that up when you try to get them another three years. I personally don't want to vote for another three years because I can tell you I'm the one answers the phone when they call me griping about they didn't complete a no no neighborhood got picked up that day wasn't a week or two later
it's the same thing then they'll go by and pick and choose on what they want to pick up and that and the recycling is a no win anyway because if you go around the neighborhoods and see the recycling bins it's not recycling it's
construction material anything that can't get in the other garbage can. Now, not every person does that, but the majority of them do. So, I I'm saying I personally don't want to hand them another three years past next April. >> Okay.
>> So, you really said it's four more years from now. That's that's my opinion. So, commission can speak speak on it. >> Uh I have several questions. >> Yes, sir. 7 years ago this contract went into
place. What was the increase to the residential when the contract went into place? >> It was Oh, that's a good number. >> It went from like $20 to $21 and change.
>> Okay. >> If we were requesting inhouse in order to catch up because we hadn't had a rate increase in 10 years, >> Yeah. it was going to be up around 24$25 a month. So, um
that's where we were back then. >> What is the ratio or what is the total dollar amount since you used to run this? I figure, you know, we had it. What's the commercial total dollar amount versus the residential total dollar amount
roughly? >> I'd have to do some calculations. The residential is in the $3 million range. We get about $250,000 in franchise fees, 20%.
So 1 something million around 1 million. >> So it's like 3 to one residential. >> Yes. >> Perfect. Um, what is the cost roughly the loaded cost
if you have it of and I forget the title, but you had to hire a supervisor, a babysitter >> to follow the truck around. What's that costing us annually?
>> Our operational costs are at 205,000. included in that you've got some more of administration of public works the cost of the trucks that person and we actually are there's also some landfill
fees in that for illegal dumping however we have been streamlining that >> yeah there was like an F250 >> yes and claw truck and things like that there's a couple pieces of equipment >> and I would remind everyone that about a
year ago So we also finally cleaned up during an audit. I believe it was 765,000. >> It was actually >> dollar loss on disposal of equipment that we got. >> Yes. >> Uh >> between that >> the right what would an appropriate word
be? Snooker. >> You're correct. That and the >> is that an appropriate word for public comment? Um, so I I consider it um a joy um that they don't I mean if I was them
I would have extended um because renegotiating um I'm not looking at an increase. Um you've got a I'm looking for some
concessions. Um, we've lost in seven years. I don't know. How many years have you had the guy? You've only had the guy about two or three years. >> It's been about 3 years. >> So, uh, I'm out $1.5 million unplanned
on a seven-year contract in my mind. The seven and a half and three years at 200. Um, and that has to be answered for in my opinion in a in a renewal somehow.
Um, and then the other part is as I looked at your presentation, so you're looking at an 8% increase on commercial, which leaves us 44% below AOKA, correct? So, there's plenty of room
there to do a larger commercial increase, still stay, you mentioned competitive uh competitiveness with businesses. Um, there's plenty of room there to have a non-material impact on the business
community and still stay extremely competitive and raise the commercial higher and not raise it on the residential. That's what I would be negotiating. And I would be asking for some concession. I
mean, it can't be part of the deal that we're going to continue to pay a4 million dollars a year to make them do their job they're contracted to. And um and I would just say the mayor is absolutely right. You know this from
from dealing with me and and my neighborhood. I mean, the level of service that you used to provide, which was above and beyond, but it was amazing. They're not even half
what it was when it was with the city. Um, I don't expect them I think it's unreasonable to expect them to hit the level of service that you and the staff provided. I think you just cared more. Um,
obviously you're invested in the city, but they got to do better than than this. And so I would say put it out to bid. They're welcome to bid. I think they made a mistake by asking to renegotiate.
And I think if they were uh I don't know how you can structure the bid in that way. Um but I would um you can give them first dibs or something on a renewal, but I I would want to see some some of these answers and concessions before I would approve that. I also agree I want
to stick with two uh two collections and etc. >> What was the last part? I want to stick with the two collection. >> What about the rec? >> Oh, yeah. We don't want to get rid of two. >> Um, I like recycling. >> I'd want to learn more about that. I don't know. I hear people say people
don't recycle. I've tried to recycle. I I don't know. I don't know what what that's about. I'd need more information to have an opinion on that. Um before we talk about recycling, I guess what I'm hearing and I like
confirmation is if yeah the rest of the commissioners let me know >> we have to say about recycling. >> Well, I'm not a recycle. I'm still looking at um if we negotiate I'm not sure if that commissioner was a indication as if we negotiated with a
higher commercial rate maybe to make up for the difference. if I brought something like that back if that would be considerable or are you guys just direct I guess the commission saying no we just want to bid it out >> that'd be significant but it wouldn't be
enough. >> Okay. I'd like to see the other issues addressed and I'd like to see um I'd like to see some for form of uh my word construction liquidated damages performance punishment.
Um this is unacceptable and um and for us to have to pay more to uh is completely unacceptable. And um so uh you know maybe they need to pay for that position. If they can't do
their job then they need to uh cut us another quarter million dollars to pay for you to have somebody to supervise them. That's the kind of concessions I'd be looking for. >> Okay. Commissioner. >> Okay. Timing is wonderful. Today was an
interesting issue. I will tell you that I have not gotten a lot of calls of late um as it was in the beginning. I was the one who was opposed to taking it from in-house. I was probably the only one that was opposing that. I guess I'll throw that out for told you so, but uh I
like to throw that I like to throw it once a while. I was the only one that opposed >> bidding it out. I wanted to keep it in house. So, I love to say I told you so, but I'm I I I'm I'm going to stop there. Um but I like to throw that out every so often. Um, but I have not, the time I
get complaints is during leaf season because my neighborhood, my district is very established, has a lot of trees, had a lot of leaves. We've always had problems to picking up because my folks put out a lot of bags. The city always picked them up, but then when we went to the private hauler, they conformed to
the four feet by four feet by six feet or whatever the numbers were. Um, but timing is wonderful. Today, this morning, I had complaints And I haven't had them in a while. Across the street from me, they just dumped the can. They broke the can. The
other house, the can was dumped sideways. 7 o'clock this morning, they're there. They picked up my trash. They did not pick up the trash next door to me. And then our cans are always in the same position every week because we bring them out the same direction. They
didn't pick up their trash. um it's kind of like it's zooming around and it's like to me it's kind of like the hit or miss and today unfortunately was perfect timing for us to have this discussion. Um I'm not opposed to bidding it out. I don't know if that's going to end up increasing the cost. It
could to where maybe more than what we expect here. Um I am a recycler. I could go with one pickup a week but that's me. But my recycling is always full. Um, unfortunately we have folks that put stuff in the recycling bin like a
laundry basket sticking out the top of it. >> That to me is the that that's going to be thrown away. That that doesn't that destroy the whole truck if it's going to go to recycling when they put >> it used to be the way we we have to go out and pick it up >> years ago. Yes.
>> If there was something that wasn't acceptable that the county made you come out and get a backhoe and pull it all out. Correct. >> Yeah. We would basically have to pick it up and haul it to the landfill >> yourself. >> Yes. >> So that cost us more. Um I'm I know
costs are going up. We're we know that. But I guess I'm tending to think that maybe it was time to go out to bid after seven years. My thought. >> Commissioner Oliver, >> I remember um when we went we made this
you made this decision to go to a third party and Yes. Commissioner Wilson, well, >> you're correct. You did say no. And and I do remember when we did have our own uh trash pickup and it was uh it
was superior service. I even rode on the on the truck twice. I did it twice, two full shifts, and had a great time and watched the level of service that we were providing uh as our our city uh uh sanitation department. They took pride in what they did and um it was really
sad to see them go um because we thought we were saving money. Uh if I had my way, I would figure out a way that we can bring our own bring it back into the city. I've been I've been a proponent of that for years now because the first first year horrible service growing pains, the second year growing pains,
third year growing pains, seven years growing pains. We're still dealing with the same I'm getting the same thing, growing pains. Uh when does it stop? Um, you know, right now we we have an opportunity because when you're able to to to push that reset button, we have
the opportunity to go out and get bids from other companies that do the same thing that may may that may provide better service. But we won't know that unless we actually put an RFQ out to to determine that. We also have the ability to uh uh to negotiate concessions at the
same time. So, we have the ability to do a whole lot of things. we can be very creative about it because as it stands right now, it don't seem like we have we're in an affordability crisis in this country by the way. Uh we don't have the funds to uh just go and buy new buy new uh trucks and all this other thing, let
alone pay someone to follow a third party. It's just like to me it doesn't make any sense. I'm putting in new doors in my house. I go buy the doors. I hire the company to do it and then I have to hire another person to watch the company that's putting in the doors. That doesn't make any sense to me. So right now I think we have an opportunity to uh
uh put it put it out for RFQ. Uh that would be uh my suggestion. Um it sounds like that we all seem to be on the same page when it comes to that and it allow us to um you know to negotiate the way we we need to negotiate add more onto
the commercial side. uh try to lower uh the impact for uh our residents because again we we got to talk about property tax reform or property tax shifting that we we got to have that conversation. Uh we got other things coming up on this agenda tonight that we're going to have
to talk about. So uh if we can do anything to save our citizens money, I think that's what we need to be doing. >> Yeah. >> That it has it. >> Well, I'll go back four years ago, Commissioner. Maybe it was four years ago that vote. The reason why that
happened was citizens were sitting here that night during that process. They didn't want the rates to go up. So, we figured out a way not to have the rates go up and that's why the vote went the way it did where the rates wouldn't go up. So, that's why it got into this four
years later. >> You the only one that voted no. I am. >> But you sat there because those people were asking us not to raise the rates, >> but they also didn't. That's exactly what it was >> because we didn't want to raise the rates so everybody can say what they want to say. Citizens didn't want us to.
But once again, recycling, my wife recycles. I have to do exactly what she says and not recycle. But take a ride around this city on recycling day. >> They do not recycle. And tell me something else, Steve. Do they take it to a recycling place?
>> It goes to the same place. One of the benefits with waste connections is they do have their own recycling area and their own landfill. So what can be recycled actually does. When we were doing it, if it wasn't a pure and or
anybody else that can take it to Orange County, if it's not a pure recyclables, it has to go to the landfill. And right now the state and we're we seem to be right on average about 56% contamination which is sad because a lot of people are
using as a garbage and that's a lot of times even and the plastic industry is it's not there anymore. >> As I was getting ready to come to meet tonight I heard I went out the front door and heard this big zooming noise. It was a guy in the pick with the arm truck from that cuff come zooming down
the road was going to run the rail out but I walked out to the street was watching he he you could hear the brakes then he comes over and pulls over my neighbor's house behind across the street and picks up and the pickup day is Wednesdays so they don't they don't
have a set date the day is Tuesday and he's over there picking up stuff that's supposed to be picked up on Wednesday so what are we doing the rest of us put it out tomorrow I mean they don't they don't have a control of what is according to who that guy's working that day
>> and they they went by and missed three trim palmeta or palm limbs that was three and wrote it up. So that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about with them and I I I know what the guy's there. I've known him all his life. That's got nothing to do with what
it does to service for the citizens of the city. And I'm telling you what I don't know about the rest of them. I can take and give you my phone and my calls because you know I call you. They do not always pick up stuff. It's according to what the guy driving that day feels
like. So I'm not for them. And like I said, I'm going to make somebody mad about that, but I'm sorry. And the franchise, we need to look at the recycling because I think that's just something extra because we don't want to use it. Nope. That's it. So >> I just had one last question. If the if
the load is uh deemed to be contaminated even with waste connections having their own uh recycling, do they charge that back to us? >> No. >> Okay. >> All right. So, do you do you want us to vote on >> I guess if I could know what your
thoughts are on recycling like a yes. >> We'll get a consensus first about do we want to put it out in the bid. I think Commissioner >> I think what I'm hearing is yes. >> I would What about you? That's two. I'm the same way. I say put it out the bid.
Four of us say put it out the bid. >> Okay. >> Question. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Do we What's the percentage of recycle of the uh residents that recycle? Do we have a do we have any percentages that they >> pick up? It's just inquisitive because you know, Winter Garden gave up their
recycling. I think they have some private company coming in doing it as individual homes. >> You can sign up. >> Yeah. But I just wondered about if we had a percentage of our folks that recycle. >> I couldn't tell you that. Um I think a lot of people put a card out.
>> Orange County's done a lot of studies of people, you know, they'll do like an 8week education in a neighborhood. And what they found is people improve for like 3 weeks and then go right back to putting nonrecyclables in there.
>> Uh who knows? Sorry, >> I know we I wish we could do it better. >> It's frustrating to see the laundry baskets hanging out at top of recycling bin when you know the laundry basket is not acceptable. >> Pizza boxes are not acceptable. They have food in them.
>> I mean, >> everyone going with Amazon, there should be enough boxes in your recycling to >> all right, >> fill that up. >> So, we've given you the consensus and what our thought process. I just asked a legal account. We don't have to make a motion for it. We're asking for the
>> Did we uh did we get a consensus on the recycling? >> No, we didn't say about the recycling. >> Do you want to do that? >> I would love a little more direction on the recycling. And we can talk more about that if you want. >> I'm not ready to
>> So if if if you put it out to bid, you go see what they bid anyway. If they bid on a recycle, >> we could put it out to bid with or without recycling if that would help. You just tell them what we want and see what we want to recite to >> and then they'll decide because >> that sounds perfect. >> Okay.
>> All right. Thank you, commissioners. >> Thank you, >> mayor. >> Was that clear? >> All right. We're going to adoption of the amended and restated initial assessment resolution for the fiscal year 2627 fire protection assessments.
Assistant city manager Rumor. Mayor, before uh Mike begins his presentation, I've got a statement I'd like to make for the record. Um, as you all recall, well over a year ago, we had a similar discussion that we're
going to have tonight uh before you because our costs continue to go up. And we're going to show you that again and what they're the costs are doing associated with providing fire service are. So I I want to make sure I establish firmly for the record. This was something this was a story that
began well in advance of any discussion about property tax reforms. Okay, this is an AOE initiated study and we raised the assessment last year
and we're I was directed by you to over the past year evaluate our methodology because our methodology was the strictest way to look at it. was based on fire protection units and it
was very heavy impactfully to the residents and so we hired a professional expert answer environmental who is is a expert in these types of
studies and we also employed the law firm of neighbors Giblin Nickerson they came up with a couple of alternate methodologies IES and those were presented to you on May 19th again well
in advance of any legislation passing. And the commission directed us to go ahead and proceed with preparation of a new fee resolution that contained the demand availability methodology. And so Mr. Rumor is going to be proposing
staff's recommendation tonight via a presentation and as a as an impact to what happened between the 19th and now we are factoring in our recommendation
the ability for the city to absorb the budget hits were this amendment that will be placed on the ballot in November to pass. But I want to make it very clear and then I'm going to allow Mike to start. This was something that started well in advance
of any proposed talk about tax reforms. And the tax reforms are secondary to what we're doing. But as any um community should, we have to plan for the potential impacts of those.
And I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Ra. >> Thank you, Craig. Mayor. Um he did speak on my first two pages of the presentation. So we're going and uh when this legislation passed, I was out of town in California, which has the highest income tax of 13.3%.
So it was not good news to hear while I was there, but I was happy to be there. So, the purpose tonight is to seek from you to set the initial rate for the fire service assessment fee and to set August 18th as the public hearing to adopt the
final fire assessment fee. I'll go over this again, but after tonight's decision, every property owner in the city will receive a letter with their new proposed fire assessment fee. it does not get to go out on the trim
notice. It we send it to each individual property owner and then we come back August 18th and we hear this read the resolution again and we set the final fee. So what we're going to do tonight is something similar we've done with our millillage. We're going to ask to set it
knowing that we can't go above but we can go below. We're going to explain how the fire servicees are funded. uh review just sort of really quickly the increased demands funding gap how revenue the additional revenue would support fire service lightly talking about the tax
reform and present the proposed assessment. So >> thank you. >> Thank you. Okay. So that's the purpose.
So the fire assessment seat fee helps the city to uh support the city's fire protection and emergency readiness uh and but has this very neat term called assessible cost. We cannot in the fire service fee
calculate all of the cost but we have an assessable cost. Some of those that cannot be calculated or EMS. So it does cover fire suppression service emergency response. You can see the list here. protective gear, which I'll show you. Uh cost are escalating. Uh training, station operation
readiness, and here's the list of the non-accessible services. You know, emergency management, disaster response, our great education programs we do, mutual aid, other general government functions are not in
this calculated cost. So what we've done under the new fire assessment methodology is we projected the budget for the fire department for the next 5 years including the new ratified uh fire union contract
and came up with a fee. I'll show you that later. So here we go. This is the projected fire department expenses in the next five years. You see we get up into the 20 millions
and the accessible budget is in purple. Those other costs that we cannot capture and some things like human resources, finance, finance has to code in every firefighter differently based off overtime and situation ride up and this
takes time. There's a cost to that which is not captured. It's not build back to the fire department. Services demands by the fireart department have grown. Now we're a city over 50,000 residents. Uh not the 24,000
when I started here 19 years ago. You can see we have had EMS increase calls and we have had nonEMS incident calls. The exact measurement for 26 and 27 are just estimated. We don't have that data
yet. We were conservative on those as well. Uh if you remember, we had the you can see the calls for service have gone up and under our online survey on property tax, we've got the preliminary results. And interestingly, under the
question, which of the following services are important to you and your family? Fire and emergency response was 90.8%. Police services was 89.5%. So protection services is really high
service for our citizens. The rising cost, we have personnel benefits. We have the new contract with fire, medical supplies, fuel, utilities. You can see the list protective equipment. We'll show you just the personnel cost
in the green is under the new contract. Personnel c costs are increasing. includes health care and pension cost, equipment cost, and I'll just lightly go over it. The you can see the chiefs are here to answer any further questions, but you things have changed, legislation
changes, as we know, stretchers have greatly increased. this the SCBA program some of these are required by law. You can see that the cost are rising
equipment life cycle is changing is decreasing and I will provide this uh PowerPoint presentation to you afterwards so you'll have that and again of course it's the city will have it on record but you know
it's just we're looking at radios It's every six years we fund to replace them over three years. By the time we finish that third year, they're already out of date. A lot of this stuff is mandated. This the fire apparatus.
The fire apparatus cost uh actually the the engines have increased to up to 1.7 million. As you know, we have a a tower truck and so we'll have a tower truck that we need to replace. These are the costs. The the fire
service assessment fee provides an equitable acrosstheboard ability to provide funding that by law is dedicated to fire services. Now, this new law does say that per uh public safety is an
essential service that has to be funded, but it doesn't give you guidelines. Then we have, you know, not only do we have the cost of this apparatus, but then we have the replacement schedule. So, what we want to show you today is
that presently we funded 36% of the budget based off of a five-year projection a year and a half ago. and it generates a little over $4 million.
We do collect revenues. You see the green bar that is from the fire service fee. It's 4.4 million. The number kind of fluctuates because you know if you pay your property taxes in November, you get a 4% discount. When we get all this data, we get up-to-date data uh uh every
couple of months. Um we have fire plan review windmir but you can see the overall budget for fiscal year 27 is 17 million. What we can attribute to the fire service assessment fee is 14
million and we collect 4.4 million. So again this is another way to show projection under the current methodology. which we was only approved for a year and you've brought us here to go under a new methodology the demand
and availability. But this is how the funding gap we want to talk funding gap in two ways. Above the purple to the top of the blue bar is made up by the general fund. >> That's mostly adorum
>> adalorum taxes general fund. >> The other funding gap we're looking at is the potential for the reduction in non in advorum revenue based off the legislation that passed. And so we talked about this last year
when we updated the fire service fee from a protection unit. Um you know the ability to provide changes to the fee are diminishing.
Without this update the gaps will continue to grow. we will continue to have the rising cost and a set fee generating a big gap. So, real quickly, you can see how it's projected
showing again the gap. This is just the gap that the ad valorum general uh funds cover. And if the legislation passes, that's voters pass that we lose the red.
when we looked at our fee and Craig said that 91% of the residential units um pay currently between $25 and $342 a year. When we last month when we talked about the demand and availability method, we found
that this is the uh better method to more keep those residential units in line with the current fee with the proposed uh new methodology. Uh the new methodology really places more of the onus on non-residential and
apartments. And the benefit of this current fee is the flat fee. The old methodology under the fire protection unit was based off a square foot. You had tiers one to seven. This is a flat fee for every residence. >> Um, let me butt in.
>> Yes. >> For the commission and audience, when we modeled the new methodology, at the current rate we're at, 92% of people paying the assessment would have gone down.
So it the point I want to make is this is the most robust methodology that's legally defensible to keep what a homeowner pays as low as possible while still being able to generate the
necessary revenue. The purpose of this slide is to differentiate what AOE citizens are paying compared to Orange County. Orange County charges a millage rate. And you can see on the east side just near
Apopkav Island, uh unincorporated county residents are paying $76, $300. Interestingly, if you look down in Belmmere, uh there's a house paying $1,600 to the county. You can see on the north end, county residents are paying
$650, $474. And uh so and we provide a lot of the fire service under a mutual aid agreement. So just wanted to give you that comparison with the county. So we want to evaluate funding alternatives.
Now, back in May 19th before the legislation, we came and said we're going to ask to select one of these two map new methodologies. And we were looking at funding 40% of the revised budget for the next five years
as a way to provide more set funds above the four 1.1 4.4 million. We were just trying to close that gap based off of the escalating cost as a fire and our set fee and our
our pretty much set revenue post that now we're looking at an opportunity to lose as I showed in the that graph the red funds. Oops, going back up this way.
And so we're proposing a little different methodology and assessment. So that red is now comes in play that we would be losing under the homestead legislation. We want to first look at an approach that as I said
with May 19th we're looking at 40%. And that's what the commission didn't authorize us for. They authorized us to use the demand and availability and come back for the initial rate hearing tonight. And under that approach, it would have provided additional funding,
but that's not going to work for us. Now, what we're asking for tonight is to set the initial resolution fee to cover 70% of the assessible cost. That will be a number we cannot go above
come August 18th. Now that fee flat fee would be $597 per year or $49.76 a month per resident. Uh the non-residential you can see is broken down to 34 commercial institutional 34 and
warehouse 22 cents. this that would provide an additional revenue of 9.5 million. That would really help in closing that gap. We're going to ask that you set that rate for the 70% tonight under this
initial resolution. And then when we come back in August 18th, from today till then, the city will have will increase its efforts in educating the public, educating this commission on
the impacts of property tax reform, on the fire assessment fee. We will have upto-date revenue projections from the property appraiser for all new parcels, parcels that pay that 4% discount
and more than likely come back with a rate around 45 or 47%. This was since this was directed by the commission to look at 100%. This is just to show you in if there was a 100% initial rate set, this is what the fee
would be. What's interesting is even at 100% for the first two years, we're doing well by closing the gap, but the costs continue to escalate and we're still going to be collecting pretty much a set
fee other than new construction. For instance, it under with $1 billion dollar of accessible buildings infra uh new buildings that's not homesteaded that would only generate advalorum taxes
of 4.9 million only. That's a lot but it takes a long time to have a billion dollars worth of accessible development comp to to reach that 4.5 4.9 million. Mike, let me uh butt in here before you go through the recommendations real
quick. Um so what we're asking tonight, you know, that option one really wasn't an option because it's not enough anymore. Option two is enough for a while and um it's reasonable.
Um the option three there at 100% is what you you could set the maximum to but we're recommending the 70% and then the thing I wanted to impress upon you once we have all the estimates and get further into this for the first year we
would recommend going up like Mike said to about 47% so that we're not over um charging we're keeping pace with the budget deficit that may occur with this. But doing it this way gives us the
maximum flexibility that we need. Um, and then once you set it at the 70%, you don't have to go out and renotice again. You can handle that via the trim. So you can, we would be recommending most likely this year you set it like Mike
said at about 47% and then going up the following year. um which you would be able to do by vote and not and without having to notice everyone because they would have been noticed this year that you set the maximum that you could state
at 70%. Um the other thing I wanted to mention to you is the legislation also includes a cost of living increase that is set to take effect in 2029 if the ballot initiative passes. So,
you're going to be talking about a CPI increase on top of the uh exemptions that will go up with the the published market CPI. And that's not taken into account with this. And that's another
argument to do what we're recommending, which is to set it higher than what we would initially set it at. Um, and Mike, I'm going to let you kind of just wrap up here with the recommendations. Yes. So, as Craig addressed, you know,
in 2027 with the new $150,000 homestead exemption, we were looking at a 4 mil $4.1 million decrease in advorum. And uh as Craig said, we could set the fee at 45 or 47%. which would just make
up that loss advalorum revenue not really um making any effort to close the gap on the overall cost and then as we go through 28 29 uh we have that ability to get up to 70% if that was set
today. So, we're asking you to set the initial ordinance resolution at a fee that covers 70%. And we're asking you to set the public hearing date for August 18th. what that would be. So
what happens is by July 28th after this meeting we will provide the updated role of property uh property appraiser role to our consultant answer who will mail every property owner the letter stating their new fee. It looks similar to like
a trim notice. We will set up a phone bank as we did last year uh to answer phone calls. We will have a website on our on our website information available to help address this and as as well we will begin educating through social
media website and community meetings on fire fee as well as budget items. And so with that I'm going to ask for a motion to approve at funding at 70% in an August 18th public hearing meeting.
>> You got to read it. Let me ask the lawyer to read it. >> Title to the resolution. A resolution of the city commission of the city of AoE, Florida relating to the provision of fire protection services facilities and programs throughout the city of Akoi.
Providing authority, purpose, and definitions. Providing for the provision and funding of fire protection services. Providing for the imposition and computation of fire protection assessments. Providing certain legislative findings. describing the method of assessing fire protection
assessed cost against assessed property located within the city of Koi, Florida. Determining the fire protection assessed cost and initial fire protection assessment rates for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2026 and maximum
rates for future fiscal years. directing the preparation of an of an assessment role providing for a vacancy adjustment for mobile home uh uh park and recreational vehicle park property. Authorizing collection pursuant to the
uniform assessment collection act. Authorizing a public hearing and directing the provision of notice thereof. Providing for application of assessment proceeds providing for conflicts providing for severability and providing an effective date. Mike.
>> Yes, sir. >> For instance, I know through going through all that, if if say mine was 350 a year, now what's it going to now?
It would show on that letter 57157 >> from 300. >> Yes. Mhm. >> And then it's going to go up again >> at at a rate of 45%. Now, we're going to come back in August and adopt the true rate.
>> The true rate is >> Oh, 67. Oh, 67. >> You didn't? >> Yeah. 45% is 38390. >> I already read the 67%. Let me get to the 70% what everybody pays. >> 70% is >> you're right here.
>> But it's broke down different per house. >> Yeah. >> No, it's a flat fee now. Yeah. >> Or the flat fee. >> Yes. >> So that that's the new matrix. >> That's the new matrix. All right. >> Um we we going to start getting confused here. So >> I'm
>> 67% is 571. Yeah. 70% is >> then you're going to talk about raising it again. What what's you you said you were going to send 70 on the notice, but you were going to recommend 47% the first year.
What's that number? That's 383. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> For every house in Okoy >> for every house. >> What about commercial? What's their monthly on average commercial? Say 10,000 square foot. What's it?
>> Yeah. 30 cents a square foot. >> How much is theirs? >> Um >> that's about 30 >> 3,420 >> per year. >> Per month. >> Per year. >> Per year.
>> And >> I thought we were raising the commercial and not raising them. >> We are >> residential. >> No, we're raising residential, too. >> We are. We didn't say we weren't raising it. There's no way. comes from the advalorum problem. >> Yes. >> The citizens,
>> let let me say something for the the benefit to clarify things. Okay. Because we just heard that garbage rates are going to $400 a year in the market. Okay. This residential rate of 59716, that's at 70%. Okay, that's only a
couple hundred bucks above what people pay for garbage. Um, and that buys a long time for us. that allows us to absorb it. Now, what Mike was trying to tell you is that for the first year, we won't have to absorb as much. So, it
would be that $383 rate increase. So, with your example, if you're paying about 350 a year, now you would only go up 30 bucks. But people that are paying in the hund $150 range are going to go up more. Um, and the
reason we're recommending this is because you you don't have a lot of options. Um, you could we could propose a millage rate increase. Um, but three millillage points don't get you three millillage points worth of revenue.
Okay. So, we we don't want to go the the adorum route. Um, and this is the the best route to to keep our bar department. And um, we would be calculating that um,
we would be calculating it for this year based on what we think we're going to lose after we get the final estimates from the tax collector um, of what that would be. And that would be a flat rate for all residents. Um but again, we had
to absorb what happened. Um and and it pains me to say this because we had done this study after you all directed us about a year and a half ago. And if we had just been needing to come
up with what we're coming up with now in revenue, and that's a little over $4 million. If none of this legislation had happened, then 92% of people paying an assessment right now would have gone down in what they're paying.
So, what you're seeing is is the the catchup from the possibility that this ballot initiative does pass in November and we have to protect ourselves now. You don't get another opportunity. Um, we we
recommend strongly that you put this into place now as proposed. Um, I want to repeat again, we would not be proposing you increase it to the full 70% this year. Um, and if it doesn't
pass, then we'll be back in front of you talking about that and there would likely be a budget amendment. Um, but these are all preemptive measures that we strongly encourage the commission to approve tonight. Um, because this best positions you for the eventuality that
this ballot initiative passes. >> All right. I have a question. >> Um, can one of you explain If we're going to send the notice with the hypothetical maximum
and the discussion that we had last year about transparency and um I'll say the uninformed comments that we charge a fire assessment and then we put it in the general fund and
we pay the fire out of the general fund. all that nonsense. Um, and I understand that you can there's only certain accessible costs, but question, why wouldn't you
plan hypothetically or really strategically within five years to have the assessment be 100% of accessible cost? >> What's the strategy there? I would like to answer that
and it gives me great pain to answer it this way but you are chasing a chicken around the barnyard. Okay. It becomes a very complicated situation to be able to recover 100% of
your assessable costs because the cost you're having to go back and add in percentage increases to that because as as we have shown tonight, the the market for all the assessable
costs is going up astronomically, more so than the CPI. Um as you could see in in some of the things like some of the uh bunker gear which is required now to be poly floral alkal substance free and
you know you also have you know the life pack costs that have gone up like 188%. So capturing that in a CPI increase on top of assessing it at 100%. And we did have that approach three. You could set
it at 100% and you can always go down from there. That 100% does not equal 100% because every 3 years we negotiate a contract with the union for their personnel cost. Um, we have that replacement schedule of so you're having
to recalculate it every it just is very difficult to get to a 100%. >> I I get the challenge. I don't understand how tell me how the calculation changes if the variable is 70% 80% 90%. I mean maybe you get 99
maybe in your you get 99.5%. But I don't understand why we're not going maybe for a theoretical maximum of assessible cost to be in the assessment is more general. >> Okay. That theoretical maximum cost that
you're referring to is approach three. Okay. >> Yes. >> And that number is in the 800 something dollar range per household for residential. And that is a snapshot window, >> right?
>> Okay. So, it would need to be recalculated annually and then notice sent out to every property owner that this is the rate we've determined it to increase this year based on our costs. um that becomes, you know, kind of an
expensive way to do it and rather unwieldy because you would be having an annual public hearing on the fire cost if you were going the 100% way. Now, the the so the cons to that are you're going to have more push back from the
community um and you're going to have to deal with this on an annual ongoing basis. Um the 70% just buys you time and without getting into another presentation that we're preparing for the commission which
is is the total picture of the the tax reform and its impacts. Um, all of our costs have gone up well above what we collect in revenue and we have benefited
by the actions of the commission over the last couple decades of trying to improve our community. So, our property values have increased every year and so we've been able to balance with the increment represented by the increase in
property values. And this commission deserves to be commended tremendously because you've held firm on not going up on the millage rate. We're in our 11th year without a proposed millage rate increase. Okay. And while I'm while I'm
on my soap box, our Doge reports were wellreceived. Um I don't think anyone could look at what we're doing and say there's a bunch of waste going on. Okay. Are there always things we can cut? And I had a
conversation with a resident recently. Well, what about all the events you guys have? Well, um these block parties that we like to have in the downtown and events like the music fest, um we added them all up and it came to about
$300,000. So $300,000 doesn't make up a $4.1 million deficit. That would be the case at the the first year. $150,000 homestead exemption.
Okay, so back to what I was saying at the 70% which is what we're recommending. The pros to that are you go up but not a whole lot and it buys you a little bit of time but under no scenario do you
ever make up all the differences because your police costs are rapidly exceeding our ability to continue to fund them as well. Okay. Um, one of the things I've been talking about with other um, colleagues is the idea of introducing a
local bill to the legislature to create a public safety district to use as a funding mechanism for our public safety departments. And we've we've had a lot of discussion at the local mayor managers uh, meetings about that. Um,
that's not going to happen overnight either. Um, so you know the pros of what we're doing is we're proposing an increase but not a huge one and people are going to be upset. You all have a great excuse now.
This was not really a a tax and there's a lot of articles going around about it. It's not really a tax reform. It's a tax shift. I'm sorry to to to portray it that way. Um, but what's happened is it's it's been placed entirely on your
shoulders to figure it out, quote unquote. And this is what we're doing. You didn't ask for it. City staff certainly didn't ask for it. Um, we've looked at it multiple ways. Um, I don't believe there's ever a way to do 100% cost
recovery without a pretty complex model. um given all the constraints that have now been placed on us. Um assessments help kick the can down the road. We are we are evaluating a lot of things with our budget right now. Um you know your
your enterprise funds and seeing what we could absorb under those um by doing some matrix management and um funding certain positions under the enterprise that are not currently funded. Uh we're also um as I've stated before to you,
we're we're creating internal service funds. So to to Commissioner Kenny's comment, um I think a lot of the residents, especially the ones that are not in the no, look at this assessment and go, you're just putting it in the general fund and you're not you're not
showing us what all the costs are. Well, that's not true, but we're going to really show you what all the costs are. Because what the commission's been doing for decades is they've been absorbing in the general fund and keeping the millage low all these other costs that we could attribute to the police department, the
fire department, public works department. And when they see those numbers, that general fund number looks really small because police and fire are the top two users of IT services, HR services,
you know, finances, um, portion of work, um, and all administrative costs. That's your top two. Those aren't being shown. So, when a resident asks you, "Well, that's just a bunch of smoke and mirrors." It's really not. we can account for every red cent
of costs and revenues and we would not be uh performing well on our audits um were that not the case. But we have the data and we're preparing to show that at a series of workshops and community meetings. Um so I'm just going to kind
of finish it up for Mike here, but we recommend that you go with approach to and set the maximum at 70%. Um, want to repeat, we would not be proposing the rate at 70% this year. We would only
be proposing it at a rate that allows us to absorb the budget deficit created if this amendment passes um of 4.1 million. Now, the vote's going to happen after we have to adopt our budget. So, one question could be, well,
what if it doesn't pass? Well, you all through the city charter have the ability to do a budget amendment and we can we can easily take care of that that way if it doesn't pass. I do believe it
will pass. I'm kind of a pragmatist. Um, we will be providing education in conformance with state statute on the impacts of the tax reform via flyer, via website, and via
information sessions. Uh the mayor and I um have a meeting with the mayors and city managers of West Orange County to talk about um doing some joint information sessions um and uh that would be open to the public. Um but we
would be having our own as well and we're working on scheduling those. Um but it's really there's nothing to add to or take away from the story. Here's the problem. Here's really the only way to deal with it ethicably um at this
moment would be with approach number two. Um and like I said, if you don't approve this, then I will have no choice but to propose a massive millage rate increase, which again a millage rate increase does not it's not dollar for
dollar. So this is the the fairest way to do it in a very unfair situation. All right. Read it. >> William, >> hi. >> Uh, I have one more. Uh, in the
presentation, you said the multif family was currently uh 8639. But in this, it doesn't show what the multif family goes to. Does the multif family go up >> per unit? Yes. So it gets the res >> from 45 per unit to
>> the what the residential rate is. >> Oh, it does. >> Yes, it gets it gets whether it's one bedroom three or four bedroom. >> Got it. Thank you. I'm good. >> All right. What else? >> Yeah. Um so we have been um you as you u
so u cleverly put it we have been looking at um chasing a chicken in a barnyard the way you put it. So over the past let's say five years when we look at our our fire assessment
um we have take money taken money out of the general fund. Is that what we've been doing? Is that is that right? I just want to make sure >> so so to to to just to kind of keep up or or cover the gap >> and probably not at 100% because again
um it probably would have over five years probably would have decreased the general fund down to to almost nothing. So we've been actually taking uh money from the general fund which is what right about 77 million something around there 78 million that where we are with the general fund. >> That's your total budget.
>> That's the total budget. Okay. All right. So, so, um, looking at at the at the chart that was that was actually proposed that shows the gaps and you had you had 27 all the way through like 30 32 31 32.
>> Yes. >> And it shows those gaps. You had one slider that had the it showed the red. We we've talked about the red. Go back to that slide and I'm I'm curious to know um what does that red >> keep it there >> represent?
>> Okay. that the red gap is the gap that would be created if the ballot initiative passes in November. Okay. So on on the right hand side you see the revenue generated by the fire assessment
in purple. Okay. >> And you see the assessable costs. Remember assessable cost is not equal the total fire department budget. Um, that's just what we can assess for which Mike went over. All right. So, the
purple is what we generate with the current fire assessment. As you can see, it's far below. So, looking at the 2026 to your first question, that gap is being made up by general fund revenue. Okay.
>> Which includes adalorum, gas tax, >> communication service tax, all those. But the bulk of that is advalorum revenue. And this is something that we've stated over and over is that most of our Advalorum revenue pays for police
and fire. And um but we have to make that up with Avalor revenue currently. And um moving to 2027, you know, you've got the purple, which is what we currently generate,
you know, and I'm I'm already forgetting now, Mike, what the green is there. The green is what the general fund has to cover. >> Okay. So, right there, that's this is without legislation. This is what the
general fund >> currently covers. >> Currently covers it. If you did the 2026, it would do the same. And remember, that's just the accessessible fire budget. That's not the total fire budget. >> The green is what we have to come up with. We currently use abilorum funds. If the amendment passes, then the red
shows you what the impact is for for just those two years. >> Okay. So does so based on this particular model um if we were to let's just say the tax reform or tax shift passes and you mentioned showing the red
this is what we have to this is actually this is this is the gap that it creates. You mentioned the first year there was uh 4.1 million uh that we would lose if this passes atund is that 156k homestead right is that right
>> 150,000 homestead >> 150,000 homestead >> the second year you didn't say anything about the second year the second year if we keep this keep the same model just looking at this same model here the second year at 250k is probably somewhere 8 million or more somewhere
around in there Right. >> Correct. >> So it actually creates even larger gap. So based on this model, would we be allowed to for any taxes that we can rec recover or any taxes that we can actually bring in AVLORM taxes that we bring in? Could that money go into the
general fund and still be used to cover the the the gap under under that under under the current proposal? >> Because I know they're trying to regulate what we can use the the rest of the adorn money for. >> Correct. Would would it be allowed to be used for this particular
>> police and fire can um can be funded from advalorum revenue under the proposed ballot initiative. >> What we are recommending tonight at the 70% rate
allows you to set it in the 45 to 47% range to absorb that 4 million in 2027. and then it will allow you to absorb the hit when it moves to $250,000 homestead
exemption. That's what we have attempted to do with our recommendation >> just just just on the tax reform. Um, I was reading something the other day. Statewide, first year, the entire state,
municipalities, counties of municipalities will lose about $5 billion.$5 billion worth of ador taxes that they would actually use for these type of services. The second year, they'll lose $9.3 billion. This is statewide.
up to six years, you're talking upward almost $15 billion that's gone that we have to figure out all these things, all these services, level of services. And I think ultimately what happens is if we start losing services, property value is
going to go down. Parks and wreck looks all crazy and you can't mow the grass when we need to mow the grass. We can't get the fire equipment, the training that we have to get. Then we have to look at how we outsourcing all kind of different things. The way I see this is uh is that
and I hate to say it because it it looks like we're we're heading down a path that that if if this passes that a conversation that we might have to have that I don't I I frankly don't want to have it when it comes to our fire service
and and how we're handling this. But just looking at this and just trying to catch that chicken in a in a in a in a in a chicken yard, it's like we're never going to catch it. So, >> okay. >> I don't know. I think that we just have
to really look at this and and really be savvy about the impact on our citizens. What is the impact? How do we decrease the impact that the the the least amount of impact that we can, but also be able to reach the goals of keeping up with our our
services the same way we've been given the same service, training, equipment, all of those things, fire trucks, all that stuff. We have to consider we got to keep these things. We got to have these things. >> And how do we do it? And if it is a um
if it is a 70% and I if my understanding is right, you're proposing 70%. >> But you're only going to do f 47% the first year and then the difference would be the second year. That that what I'm understanding >> that's correct. >> All right. I don't have any more
questions. And and then with that by the initial assessment of 70 70% each subsequent year when you set the fee below it's a different type of notification. >> We don't have to go through all the public hearing process. If we set the initial assessment at 50% but in 2028 we
want to go up to 75. We've got to come back and do this dog and pony show over and over. It's just a different process to get there. >> All right. I'm going to read what the lawyer gave me here that that we have recommendations for tonight. All right.
>> I want to say some comments. I want to have some comments, too. >> You skipped over ahead. >> Well, you skipped over me. >> Deeper. I didn't skip over it. >> Yes, you did. >> I did not. >> Yes, you did. >> You just didn't say I want to speak. >> I haven't spoke yet either. So, go ahead. That's fine.
It appears this is very similar when we do when we do the uh millage rate that you can't go over a certain rate without having to acknow to notify the residents if we went over a certain rate based on the votes. Correct? >> Yes. >> All right. What you're asking for us to do is 70% so that when we come back in
August, we can't go over the 70% unless we would do a public notice if we did if we did go over the 70%. But right now we are at the max can be 70% going to the August meeting. >> Yes. >> Okay. We're not looking to do a 70%
increase at this point. Also by doing doing nonadvelor everyone shares in the expense equally versus when we take it out of general fund um it does change the rates what everyone pays. This would be an equal across the board for every
household. Am I correct? >> Correct. It' be a flat fee for everyone. >> Flat fee for everyone. So everyone is sharing in it. Not just the folks who may have different um except exemptions etc. We take it out of the general fund. They have different exemptions. That
changes the amount. They may contribute to the fire versus now doing a flat fee. Everyone shares equally which quite honestly is probably fair at this point. Um we you been very clear about we know
this all the expenses have gone up drastically. When you tell us a new truck cost 1.7 when it costs less than 1 million before everything has gone up. Um I kind of look at this as insurance. We all pay car insurance hoping never to have an
accident. We all pay homeowners insurance hoping never to make a claim. We by sharing this equally, you're kind of doing the same thing as car insurance and homeowners insurance that if you need it, you call it makes a claim, but if we
don't use it, it's just knowing that our fire service is there. At one point here, when you put the Orange County figures, was that the MSTU? >> That's the millillage. It's not an MSTU. Orange County is a millage rate, >> right? >> MST. The MSTU the the line item on your
on their property taxes for unincorporated Orange County is MSTU. Sorry, we use acronyms. >> It it MSTU is a nonadalorm. It goes on the bottom. Theirs is a millage rate based off the value of their house times $2.84,000 >> eight mills.
>> That's why you saw Belir $1,600. >> You saw $700 to the east side of the city. It varies based off the assessed value, but they pay a millage rate. Yes. Okay. Just want to clarify that. Okay. I mean, it's it's it's unfortunately it's
a tough situation that we we are in, but we're going to make we're going to have to make some of these tough decisions. So, thank you. I wanted to clarify that. >> Done. >> Done. Thank you. >> Anybody else?
>> Recommendations the lawyer wants we have to come up with. Staff recommends that the honorable mayor and city commission adopt the amended and re restated initial assessment resolution for the fiscal year 2026-27
fire protection assessments establishing a maximum fire service assessment funding level equal to 70% of the 5-year average assessment accessessible fire budget and schedule a public hearing on
August the 18th, 2026. six for adoption of the final assessment resolution. So what we need is a motion. >> May I ask if I can make a motion? >> Um
I'm for the third option. Um, we have so many problems communicating. We have so much bad information. We have so much demagoguing. And we need to get to a point where
there is absolute transparency, which I know the staff is working on, but there's also as close as possible as a onetoone relationship with what we pay for what we get. And uh that's going to help with the contract negotiations.
That's going to help in a lot of areas. We have people who come up here and say, "You don't want to give the firefighters another $20,000 a year." Um take it's coming out of the general fund and uh we could have some really frank conversations if we said, "Hey, we're
all going to go up $50 a house next year and give the firefighters the money." Um, I think that is although very poorly implemented legislation coming out of Tallahassee, I think in the end that's where we're
all going to end up. I'd also like to see some more creative ideas. Um, we pay EMS fee for service. We could have fire fee for service search charges. um that would incentivize people maybe not to
keep fire hazards in their garage and to engage in uh fire prevention measures and clear brush. We see what happened in California um because they didn't do that. So I think the more that um there's a direct relationship to our
behavior to our actions um and to the cost and the more obvious that is to everyone the better that is for the discussion. So, I'm for option three to get as close as possible to 100% accessibility. Um, I understand
why that may fail, but that's my motion. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Here's a second. Motion fails for lack of second. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Now, do I hear another motion? Pull back. Can you pull back? Can you
pull back? >> You want this? >> No, I I don't think I need >> I think we're basically in a situation to go with approach. That's I understand what you're saying, Scott, but that's no different than Can
I just say something? That's no different than how laundry Um, >> it's charging them extra for putting the laundry. >> I understand. Um, I'm going to make a motion to approve approach number two, which is the
maximum 70% the assess. Do I need to read? I'm sorry, mayor. So, I have to read that. >> Yep. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Um, >> I read this in yellow. >> Not right here. Yeah. Um to adapt to adopt staff
recommendation that the honorable mayor and the city commission adopt the amended and restated initial assessment resolution for the year 20 26 27 fire protection assessment establishing a reading thing.
>> You you can or the mayor said you could you could adopt what the mayor said. >> Adopt approach number two. >> Yes, you could do that because the mayor read it out loud. So I think the record's clear. >> Sorry. >> Now we need a second. You read it. You need a second. >> I'll second it. >> Motion made by Commissioner Wilson,
seconded by Commissioner Oliver. Any more comments? Let's vote. Motion carries. And as with Commissioner First or absent. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. All right. Um,
down to the mayor's announcements. Mayor's announcements. June events, cookies and milk with a cotton happening on June the 26 and July the 10th and 24th at the West Oaks Library from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Children can enjoy
story time with the Oakco Police Department. Restoration is required. Visit oakcoay.org for more information. July events, 4th of July and 2:50 celebration will take place from Saturday, July the 4th from 5:00 p. p.m.
through 900 p.m. at the Bill Breeze Park. Come enjoy rides, games, live music, food trucks, and fireworks in honor of America's 250th. The event will also feature historical reenactments and Paul Rivere will ride
horseback I didn't know that along Lakeshore Drive at 6 and 7 and 8:00. Who's in charge of the pooper scooper uh family recreation day happening on
Saturday, July the 18th from 11:00 a.m. through 2 p.m. at the Jim Beach Center. enjoy a day with our your family and join us for rides, games, and free pool mission. Commissioner Oliver, comments.
>> Uh just quickly, um this particular um time of year has been extremely extremely hot. Just going outside, you just kind of lose your breath out there. So, uh uh my message today is for the seniors that are out in their yards. I
have two elderly widows widowers uh living on both sides of me. So, I really have to look out for them because they they're pretty mobile and they like getting out in the yards and and actually just being very independent and I can respect that. But I'm also worried about them um taking care of themselves
um in this heat of course for heat stroke, heat exhaustion. So seniors are highly um susceptible to heat related illnesses and dehydration due to reduced senses due to reduced senses of thirst and um decreased ability to u to
regulate body temperature. Essential summer precautions include staying in air conditioned environments during peak heat, uh hydrating con consistently and protecting skin with UV UV rays. And also um being mindful of their
medications. Uh some medications are uh very uh sensitive to sun. They're very insensitive to sun uh and affect the ability to uh stay cool. So pay attention to your medications. That's really all I have. And then finally, I'll leave with this. Always
remember that everything happens for a reason. It might not make sense right now, but at the right time it will. That's all I got. >> Commissioner Wilson, >> were you looking at me when you said senior citizen? >> No, I was not looking at
me. >> Say he was worried about >> their health. Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Um, no, I'm looking forward July 4th. Vivian. Yes, we have. It sounds like Paul Reier. I've offered to be Betsy Ross if they haven't dressed me up to be
Betsy Ross. Um with a flag of 13 stars. I've done my homework. Um I think it's going to be wonderful time. Please abide by the heat issue because it will be hot. But um again, Fourth of July, I think would be a wonderful event. And I think that there's going to be something
on the first commission meeting in July that we're going to be wearing. >> Has anyone know? Did you read? Did you you didn't read? Okay. >> You didn't hurt the news. That'll be a surprise. >> Haven't heard it. >> Have a wig. Did you? So, at least that's what was on one of
the brochures, one of the paperwork we got. So, uh I think it's going to be fun. So, please come out, enjoy the activities that we have in the city of Akoi. these events. I know it was talked about how they the expense of them, but this is what makes our community great is to come here and enjoy and meet your
neighbors and come down and this is kind of like that small town atmosphere in a town that has almost 50,000 in it. You get to come down and um kind of what we grew up with was smaller communities. So come on down, enjoy with the activity she has, meet your neighbors and abide
by the heat recommendations that Commissioner Olifer gave us their mentors. >> Thank you, >> Commissioner Kennedy. >> I got them all out. Thank you, Mayor. >> I I've got one little thing. I wanted to
make a comment. I was in uh London with my wife last week for vacation, one of the oldest countries. Let me tell you what they do with their garbage. It is put out in bags every night on the street. Every night on the street, they
come by a pickup with a back thing on it and pick it up and sling it in the truck. I couldn't I I have never I just couldn't believe it. But I don't know what they charge for their garbage pickup. All right, everybody have a good evening. Appreciate it. Thank you very
much.