Good evening everyone. Welcome to our commission meeting Monday um June 23rd, 2025. The time is now 607. Madam clerk, roll call. Commissioner Bass here. Commissioner Irvin here. Vice Mayor Kelly present. Commissioner Santiago
here. Mayor Taylor here. As we stand for our invocation, God, we thank you for bringing us together one more time in your name. We ask that you allow us to do your will for your people, God. And we ask that you remember the family of our resident,
Mr. King, um, who lost his life in a tragic accident. And we believe you that you will comfort his family. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. I pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for which it stands. One
nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. And I just want to say um we just want to keep um that young child in our prayers. His name was King and he passed
away. So we ask that you keep his family, his mother and ask God to give them strength in this time. So, as we move on to uh Madame Clerk, do we have any words, proclamations, or acknowledgements at this time? No, Mr. Mayor. All right.
Moving on to our consent agenda. Do we have any polls, deletions, or deferrals at this time? Mr. Mayor, Vice May Kelly. Yes. I want to pull number um six and seven. All right. Any other proposed delations
or deferrals at this time? Hearing none. Um, can I get a motion to approve tonight's consent agenda? Move it. Moved by Commissioner B. Second. Second by Commissioner Santiago. Madam Clerk. Commissioner Irvin. Yes. Vice Mayor
Kelly. Yes. Commissioner Santiago, yes. Commissioner Bass, yes. Mayor Taylor, yes. Motion passes 5. All right. Can I get approval of the agenda for tonight? A motion to approve the the for tonight. Move it. Moved by Commissioner Santiago, second by Commissioner Irvin. Madame
Clerk. Vice Mayor Kelly? Yes. Commissioner Santiago? Yes. Commissioner Bass? Yes. Commissioner Irvin? Yes. Mayor Taylor? Yes. Motion passes 5. Okay. We're going into the approval of minutes. Can I get a motion to approve the minutes from the workshop meeting minutes May 28th, 2025? Move it. Moved
by Commissioner Bass. Second. Second by Commissioner Irvin. Madame Clerk. Commissioner Santiago. Yes. Commissioner Bass. Yes. Commissioner Irvin? Yes. Vice Mayor Kelly? Yes. Mayor Taylor? Yes. Motion passes. 5. All right. Can I get approval? A motion to approve the minutes from the workshop meeting
minutes June 5th, 2025. It was so moved by Vice Mayor Kelly. Can I get a second? Second. Second by Commissioner Bass. Madame Clerk. Commissioner Bass. Yes. Commissioner Irvin. Yes. Vice Mayor Kelly. Yes. Commissioner Santiago. Yes. Mayor Taylor. Yes. Motion passes. 5-0.
Um approval of the motion to approve the minutes from the regular commission meeting minutes to um May sorry June 11th, 2025. Um moved by Vice May Kelly. Second by Commissioner Irvin. Madame Clerk. Commissioner Irvin. Yes. Vice Mayor
Kelly. Yes. Commissioner Santiago. Yes. Commissioner Bass. Yes. Mayor Taylor. Yes. Motion passes 50. All right. Do we have any District 1, District 2, or state reports at this time, Madam Clerk? No, Mr. Mayor. All right. I do see we have two public presentations. The first
one is by Miss Jen Janice Smith, project manager for our prevails project nonprofit subject storied where art, legacy, and community converge. Miss Smith, you have the floor. Okay, moving on to our second public
presentation by I don't want to screw his name up, Miss Fuentes. It's all right. Lumi Fuentes. How's everyone today? Very excited. Thank you guys for having us present the
master plan. It's been a it's been a bit. We're getting there. Presentation going to be pulled up. So, you guys have copies out there? Um, I know there's some dark some things kind of in the dark here in on uh on the
computer, but um anybody in the public uh there's a couple copies up front, you you're more than welcome to to grab some and follow along. Okay. All right. So, this is uh just uh kind of the parks and recreation master plan. Um a process we kind of started um
probably about two years back. Um it's been uh more of a conducive uh process and analysis of all your your parks, your open spaces, your programs include and and your your services provided by
the city. Um we started kind of with uh meeting with commissioners um as well as uh your your park leadership um with your goals and objectives and setting that. We took a look at the demographics and got to know uh of the city a bit
more. We looked at your parks and facilities and programs inventory. Um we looked at the levels of service. Um we did online public surveys as well as workshops. Um ran to our draft recreation program. And then now we're at the draft parks and recreation plan
um master plan um where we're kind of presenting um some of these information. So, I'll run through the couple first slides a bit um quicker as where some of this information might be a bit repetitive uh as to our residents that are very familiar with our with their parks as well. Um but one key thing when
we were looking at the demographics of Opaaka was that our population while right now we have a younger population being um more of the 16% currently at like 2020 census. we look at 2035, you see that there's a shift and our older
population of 70 plus um is really growing to that 15%. So we what this kind of means is we got to really take a look at what programs we're offering um to our to our senior citizens um and making sure we're diversified in that as
well. Planning for that. Um as you could see, this is kind of a map of our city um highlighting um our parks and open spaces. Ingram Park, Sherbondi Park, Seagull Park, um Kaboom, um CAC, Magnolia North Park, um our butterfly
prayer park, our Timothy homes um park or open space, um the peace park, which is really an open space, um as well as kind of a transition of one of your gateway open spaces that you have um at the Alaka and then your um Coachman
Garden Canal um park as well, which is considered really an open space on that Um some of these highlights too, um your great indoor facilities like your um your your um Sherbondi Village Community
Center um as well as uh your Helen Miller Community Center at Seagull Park. Um the uh Timothy Holmes Community Center at Gloretta Apartments as well as our um Ingram um park which is currently closed. Um our uh our senior citizens
community center. Um, and just to highlight some of the images and inventory that we created earlier on, um, of some of of of the great assets that we kind of do already have throughout the city and how we could really look into this and improve it.
Um, we went through Ingram Park, Sherbondi Park, um, Seagull Park. We uh even visited um a lot of those smaller really open spaces um that we really consider as an asset because right we we're so much residential and and
commercial um we don't really have that much opportunity sometimes for open space. So it's it's actually important to look at these um spaces as well. Your beautiful butterfly prayer park which I know had um some recent improvements on there. um your Timothy homes, your peace
park, which really kind of is a little open space uh in in the middle of the kind of the neighborhood. Um and then as well as your your canal um little area, rest area that's that's there. Um, but most importantly, we really
looked at um not only the amount uh the quantities that you have out there of your basketball courts or your fitness stations or your how many playgrounds we had, but we really took a look at the conditions of what's out there so that we could make actual recommendations of what we know needs to be prioritized to
be improved. Uh we analyze your your programs and your sports um programs as well as your arts and all the um your seniors and on the move programs that are available. Um we looked up kind of some of your
participation numbers on there. Um your special events. Boy, the city is always busy. Uh there's a big list of all events all throughout throughout the year for sure. Um and then we really looked at if you were able to walk to one of your your parks, right? We look
at walkability and this is um the five minute walk. Um you could see obviously we know that the airport and then some of the industrial zones we we really not don't consider that um the area near Canamelia, but it's pretty walkable. You know, you you could walk you have a good
coverage um you know to to Shirani or Ingram Park as well or Seagull Park. And then when you look at your 10-minute walk, there are there are a lot of residents could easily walk to one of those open space or all these parks. Um but what we need to look at is how to make these safer routes. Um so you could
see one of the recommendations to ahead was to look at opportunities for either complete streets or trails along um some of your your streets to improve this and connect these parks. Um we looked at state and um national standards.
uh in terms of uh acres and then your actual number of of facilities that are out there. Um we didn't score super high, but we weren't um either super low. Um obviously uh this is very national and state. Opalaka is unique
and not ev in the community might want to play tennis. There might be a bigger need for for pickle ball for example. Um the same as you know your your courts. Um what's kind of the preference? So we although these are national and state, we also we
considered better um your your knowledge of what the residents needed more more than anything on that. And in terms of acreage of open space, um right now we are if if we look at what's in your comprehensive plan um and according to to kind of the county, we're a little
bit below. Um but in 2035 we we really do need to look at opportunities to make sure that we are preserving these parks and open spaces as much as possible as well. Um we had uh the public survey that went
out um and kind of ran for a couple months as well. I know um was shared um with QR codes in some of your events. We uh we also had the workshop um out at at Seagull Park where we had residents feedback and kind of notes on what are
the improvements they kind of wanted to see out at the parks. Um concentrating really in Ingram, Seagull and Sherbondi and then kind of all that analysis really what what it what kind of comes out is how are we able to weigh this stuff and make actual recommendations to
this. So we really have a system that looks kind of more of a key matrix. Um and we weigh out kind of on a point system the feedback um our analysis and the feedback from the residents. Um and then these are top some of the top um things that kind of came out. Um we know
that we need to improve what's currently out there. Um we need that's the main focus before we we start constructing anything new. Let's improve what we have. Um we need to take a look at um comfort features, right? your restrooms, your lightings, your seating areas, your
parkings throughout your parks. Um, upgrade your fields and your courts in your parks. Um, and then it make sure that our community centers or indoor spaces are are well um improved as well and and there's um maintenance uh costs
going into these as well. Fitness trails and equipment giving back to the community, being able to um to to help with health um throughout the community is is a big thing. um and and update some of our playgrounds, right? Some of our playgrounds are a bit um show kind
of signs of of of age. Um and we want some of these playgrounds to be unique and be destination um playgrounds to kind of for kids to to kind of come and play and them um to look different each and unique. A splash pad or a spray ground. Um we know how hot it is, right?
It's we're we're not we're not even in the mid of summer and it's it's kind of super hot out there. So, the community really spoke out on the need for like a splash pad or a spray ground out there. Um, areas of picnic and barbecue opportunity for the families to to kind
of gather as well. Um, and then track and field um was one that kind of came up for for the kids to be able to to um to have their sports there. And then diversity of your programs, expanding the afterchool, aquatic youth camps, and
the youth sports in general. and then preserving of some of these open spaces came up. And then one thing that the last three are kind of really key um to make sure we're planning ahead for the next 10-15 years is just always keeping ahead of of the trends and your our
current needs. Um things change so we always have to kind of get the feedback from from the residents throughout the years. Um this isn't set in stone what what we're what we're kind of proposing as well. and then continue and you guys do a good job with partnerships and sponsorships, but let's continue to make
those happen. Um, as well as make sure we're providing money and allocating it for renovations and maintenance throughout the years of of your parks on there. Um, and then one of the the what we looked at, right, how do we connect um
these parks? And we kind of worked with with the with the city staff on this. Um, and this is something they kind of worked on too is opportunities for proposed um, uh, park connections and trails. So, this is not only um, like a regular multi-purpose trail, but it
could be a designated um, bike lane uh, or sidewalk improvements on on the community where where people could easily um, move to through and walk to a park. Okay. and we look at Ingram Park. Um,
and these are looking at big picture um, long range. Our plan is kind of focusing on a 10 15 year plan. Um, and this is kind of phased out as well. If to make improvements to Ingram Park, one of the first um, kind of items is really making
sure that it's considered a park by having an exit or an entrance to to the park. Um, and this is an example of of of one way that we could make sure that happens. Um, our the current um senior center there um is currently I know it's
closed so we could we could reuse kind of that area as an entrance um and connect those two parking areas. Um but more than anything as you could see huge is a track and field um area to to be able to give back that allocated space
for for the youth and the adults to kind of play in that. Um, we have a fitness area, a centered fitness area. We have shaded bleachers. We have restrooms and kind of concession stand upgrades in that area. Shelters upgrades. Um, and
then we proposing upgrades to the playground. And then there's space even to in Ingram Park to provide a splash um a splash pad or spray ground. Um the difference between the splash pad and the spray ground is the splash pad has sanding water and the spray ground is is
is just kind of a misters and stuff as well. And then looking uh making sure the the basketball courts are renovated in that area um the two of them. And then um allocating really the tennis to pickle ball as there's a huge trend and demand for that and we want to make sure
that the residents um are able to play pickle ball within the community as well. Um and these are flexible. These could always kind of change too um with the courts. You you could make it a multi-purpose courts. You could if you don't want pickle ball, we could change it to tennis. Um but what the the
concept plan is really showing is the space that's allocated in Ingram and everything that could possibly go in Ingram with kind of those um feedback recommendations. Now, um a lot of the unseen things that you don't see physically is upgrades to sports lightings that need to happen. um
infrastructure upgrades with drainage and um that need to happen in in Ingram as well. Um and then we got to make sure um and in the future um and this is maybe 15 years or 20 years down the road um there could be a possibility where
you do have the space in Ingram if you want to do another recreation center um and it could be anywhere between 10 to 15,000 square feet of of a community center. So again, these are concepts. This is along the road thinking all the
possibilities that could go into the community. Uh we're trying to give you not just to fix what we currently have, but thinking big in the future of of giving kind of back to the residents of it. Um these are just kind of planning scenarios of what could fit in in Grim
Park as well. We look at Sherbondi Park. We have um the field renovations. If we were to do artificial turf in this field, the play time and the downtime to um for maintenance would uh decrease
highly. And you're able to kind of have and more and more you see this where you are able to use multi-purpose fields and then also have baseball w with with artificial turf, you're able to kind of give back and have those two back. Um the basketball courts renovations again,
the playgrounds and then shelters. And one thing that we really um know that's needed at Sherbondi is a restroom, an outside restroom where the kids could actually um go out there or have a concession stand to support all those um all those play sports that are happening
there. And thinking big and down the road too, uh one thing that kind of came up too was what about an an event space? Where is our formalized event space in the city? you have so many events and we're kind of spread out um and kind of throughout this throughout the city, but
it would be amazing to kind of have that connection as Sherbondi and and and use it for an amphitheater and it could just be kind of an open lawn type of style um you know with a with a stadium. But this is kind of big picture um giving you all the opportunities that could possibly
happen out there. Um again, infrastructure of your lights, your drainage, um would happen in throughout throughout the park as well. And at Seagull Park, um apart from your upgrades to your paths, looking into
adding um parking, um and you're able to kind of add parking into it, but there was one concept that we did see where the parking kind of goes to the outside on of the of the border. Um, we're thinking it'll probably be best and for safety of of the residents attending and
the kids when you park your car, you get off and you just go instead of parking and then going across a drive to the park. So, that's one change. I know you guys have seen this. Um, and you're able to even fit not only upgrade uh a nice playground in there with it being a
destination, but have a fitness um area to for for the adults, right? You could have fitness that's multigenerational um and it's ADA compliant for your seniors that kind of attend um at at the center already as well and and it could be used
for for all ages not just the seniors as well. And then some other recommendations in in your other open spaces as well is um you know eventually Kaboom. We know that the playground would need an update. Um whether that is kind of funded by the
city or by by the partnership. Um the shaded fitness area in there would eventually need an upgrade. Amenities um just rest, you know, your your benches, your trash recepticles, just to be uniform, uh same look throughout
throughout all your parks would be would be the best recommendation as well. um and making sure that open play area that's out there um is is kind of improved a bit on on the field and and and allow for open play um just pickup kind of games on that. Um your butterfly
prayer park, I know there were some improvements already on there. Um but just the maintenance, you know, any anywhere you have um butterfly kind of dedicated landscape. Um they they you constantly have to do modifications and replant because the butterflies like
they're eating the the plant material, the milkweed and all that. So that's something to always kind of have to keep in mind for for maintenance purposes. And then site amenities as well. um as well as at Timothy Holmes um park um you know the playground would eventually need an upgrade and kind of more of a
shade structure again um amenities and then at your peace park which is kind of in between the neighborhood it's just an open space it'll be nice to have you know some nice landscape out there just just some benches people walking through the neighborhood could just you know come out as well and it it doesn't have
to be it's just a passive little um kind of area as well as your um your Burlington um canal park. Um just some improved amenities there. It's kind of a nice shaded area. Um we did see some residents out there, but just some improvements with side amenities would
will help that area out. Um and then in terms of recommendations, right, we're thinking big. Remember, we're not thinking just about your parks. We're thinking of your whole park system. Um so one of our we have really four main goals. The first goal really
is to improve um department organizational efficiencies. Um that's with recommendations for your how we communicate about our programs, how we communicate um about all that we have to offer in the parks as well. Um and how
do we market that at a target to our residents and and have that visible as well for for all events. um improve customer service um as well as additional partnerships um and uh additional transportation um routes and stops. Um we know that some of this kind
of is provided by the city especially for our seniors, but we want to make sure that um accessibility to these programs are are are important for for the rest of your community. Um improve your programs and service delivery. We got to make sure our programs, as you
could see, the diversity of age group that we have here, um that they're diverse and accessible um to the to everyone in the community. Um multigenerational programs where not only you you could kind of have events
where the seniors have um and and could teach the younger um kids uh something kind of a mix program for them. um offerings of your times of these programs um whether it's on the weekends or later in the afternoons um
improvements um as well to increase aquatic um programs. And then with all that, if we're improving, you know, our our programs and expanding them, uh we need to make sure that our indoor spaces are equipped for these programs. So, we we do have to allocate a bit of funding
to that. Um, and I know we do this already, but you know, some of these the neighborhood events and popup events that we kind of do, um, just continue to do these, I know that, um, our residents love it. Um, and just just kind of allocating, um, funds for it and then
just, um, highlight your partnerships for for these events. That's doesn't always fall back on on the city as well. Um, goal number three is improve facilities and amenities. And this is kind of where the the higher cost of things kind of come. Again, this is a is
really a 15-year plan. Um, we have a short term, which is 1 to three years. We have a midterm, four to six, and then the long term is 7 to 10, and then the uh the future term is really 11 to 15 years, being realistically um planning out what we could provide to the city.
Um, this includes enhancing your parks as we know. um a lot of the upgrades to what we talked about on the amenities, your your benches, your trash recepticles, just in general through all your parks. Um and then some of the new facilities like as we mentioned um the
splash pad or new courts or or fields um as we were proposing before. And then one thing that always kind of popped up um as well is that we've got to make sure you know lighting and security is through all our parks, but we're um also when we're designing these, we're looking at crime prevention through
environmental design. Um and this comes through, you know, the the height of your landscape, eyes on your parks, um and activating some of these parks, which which which we kind of already do on that. Um and of course um improve of ADA accessibility and then expanding um
your trails and and signage throughout your parks as well um is is key to kind of uh facilitate the visitors kind of attending your parks. And then one um one of our last goals really is well we're proposing all of this right we got
to take a look at how do we increase our financial opportunities. Um, so we got to make sure we are looking at how we cost recovery and pricing policy for our our programs. Um, taking a look at our CIP for our park maintenance um and
improvements and developments and being realistic um and setting that um grant opportunities um neighborhood improvement grant programs that we we could assist with and then additional sponsorships um through throughout.
Um and then these are some kind of a highlights of of what would come in our short term. Um and from shortterm all the way to future term um these are these are kind of ongoing services. Um and these are kind of lower cost and it's most of the times is even just
staff um creating these but it's really customer service training um advertisement of of your your programs and of your parks and your events. Um special programming equipment if we need it. um neighborhood events, making sure these continue to happen. Um and we're
programming for them correct. Um park safety improvements, your greenways, which are your trails and signage. Um so that happens all through from short term to future term. And this is just ongoing kind of work that we know has to be kind of um done for for our parks. Now, um,
in the short term, uh, one of our recommendations really is to to look at Ingram Park, um, as is one of their parks that kind of needs needs really the most attention as of right now. It's unrealistic to think that we're going to be able to implement everything in Ingram in one to three years. So, we're
um, spreading Ingram Park recommendations between the short term and the midterm. So, it's up to six years of kind of updates to Ingram and phasing it out. um your butterfly prayer park would be in your short term. The
peace park and then the um Coachman Gardens Burlington Park um or open space really would be in your first year which because that's a low cost and really that's just site amenities of benches and trash recepticles. Um in your long-term we're really looking at
Sherbondi Park and Seagull Park and then um playground Timothy Holmes Park. Um and Sher Bondi uh park is kind of split. Um some of the recommendations are in long-term and future terms for the reasons that in the future term if we're
really looking at Sherbondi and I I did not say this in the recommendations is that we got to make sure that eventually 15 20 years from now when the community center really could use the improvements we look at our our indoor basketball to make it regulated and our swimming pool
to be regulated as well. Now, this is um long-term kind of kind of goals. There's there's bigger um things to kind of concentrate as well. And and then the same with Ingram Park um potentially opportunity for if if we were to expand
another indoor gymnasium there. Okay. So take a look to what some of the funding strategies and what could be applicable to the city um apart from CIP and user fees that we we could really kind of make recommendations on on how we kind of work with the community on
these on on what's the right price um for these services. Um an opportunity would be parks bonds and grants. Um grants I know we kind of currently um use and implement as well as sponsorships. Um, but I do want to highlight some of the recent park bonds
that have happened. And and the reason why we're highlighting this is because when you have um improvements of of you have to touch up, you know, and it's it's quite a bit of amounts. Um, most cities, as as you know, Miami Gardens kind of went through that. Look at part
of park bonds to be able to implement these at at a quicker rate. This is just a chance, but these are some of the rates. You know, Dorado went through it for Lauderdale, Sunrise, Hollywood, Plantation, West Palm, and Delray Beach. Um, and they're usually they they have a high chance of getting passed. Um, and
this is just, you know, one one area of providing that. Um, but one of the best things and assets that we really need to focus on before we even look at a park bonds is, um, apart from our CIP is grants, right? We could stack grants. Um, we there's there's quite a bit out
there of grants that are applicable to these recommendations to the community. um the current climate I know there's some on hold but um we feel that if it's a plan for 101 15 years a lot of these could be um actually implemented. So we
do have um in the appendex of the actual document about 30 different grants that could be applicable to the city um for for services that would apply to some of these recommendations of field upgrades or trails or improvements in your
landscape as well. Okay, know that was a bit long, but thank you for that. Thank you. So, I open up the floor for any questions. Commissioner Santiago. Thank you, Mr.
May. Um, question for Miss Lumila Fuentes. Um this is the first time that I see you here in the commissioner meeting. Um
we'll be talking this morning about this program. Uh they told me that uh this is be approved for the commissioner's chamber like two years ago and they started this program.
I can tell you that I really like working with all these parks around the city and bring new projects and new uh features for the resident in Opalaka
especially two parks that be always in that location in the east side and one of the park is Ingrren. I love Ingram Park and that's one of the parks that I like to see. Not in six years. I don't know if you're going to be here
in six years, but I love to see that part work and running in the next seven months. One of the things that I have is five question that I be writing. All the cost and finance
that we gonna have in this program is coming through the city budger to the city budge. Okay. And I going to asking one of my colleagues before but I'm going to asking you because I really
want to learn what is the word of CIP capital improvements plan. Capital improvement plans. Okay. I apologize for not saying that. Okay. Yeah. And that's money that coming from us, correct? From
the taxpayers. Yeah. From the taxpayers. Um I don't want to make it too long, but I I don't if he Mr. mayor and the city attorney and the manager that is any
possible that I can have a meeting because I don't this is the first time that I know about the program and I know about that company and everything that I can get together with them do a story all this idea because I have a lot of question for you a lot of
question okay that one with the six years okay to make Ingram P Ingram part better. I'm be honest, I don't like it. Yeah. I want the that part be starting running the soonest we can and to redoing it.
Okay. The best that we can and I don't want to make it long because I know my colleagues have also question but I asking okay that I need to uh be together uh when your stuff for the company and
Mr. Thank you. Yes, we can definitely set set up a meeting with Commissioner Santiago and Representative from Miller Lake. I think it would be great if we could meet one-on- ones if whoever would like to go over the plan and and we could kind of walk you through it now that we publicly everybody's in the same place. We could meet one-on-one um over
the plan. Absolutely. We'll be available for that. Yeah. And I think that's going to helping a lot because u it's coming. I know that we have a news idea here in the city and we want to share with you and I know there's a lot of of thing going on around and we want the best the
best that happened here in the city for all the residents of the great city of Opalaka. Yep. I appreciate it and again well I going to finish I going to have uh the other four question for her private. Okay. Perfect. Yes sir. Any other questions or concerns through the
consultant? The mayor? Nope. No questions. just um just to say thank you. Um like it's been said and we've been working on this for several years and I understand where Commissioner Santiago is coming from wanting to see what's going on, but just a footnote, it's not up to her. What we do first is
up to budgeting and what we deem necessary. That's point. So, um, I like what I see and I know it's going to take time and I'm sure we as mayor commission will look at it along with the city manager's office and decide what we think we need to work on first based on
budgeting and preferences. So, that's all I want to say, but thank you. Appreciate it. Okay. Any other Mr. Mayor? Commissioner. Hi. I want to say thank you. I've had the pleasure of being in the workshops. Great workshops. Um, I just wanted to make note of
something because on Ingram Park, well, where it says gazeos, you have that we only have one gazebo, but there is a gazebo at Ingram Park. Just so that you can make the correction and we no longer have a playground at Seagull. It was
removed, but Right. Yeah. I just going forward in case you needed the accurate information, I just wanted to um bring that to your attention. Thank you. You all did a great job. Thank I'm sorry. Um one second vice Kelly and Commissioner B
Commissioner. Go ahead. I I'm sorry. I just want to get in Charman. Um also the one that's at um Gloretta that's also removed the playground. That's right. Um Vice May Kelly. Okay. I like the idea of
individual meetings. I'm challenged because we've been at this since 2022. 2022, we should have had an implemented plan and have already decided if we want to do a bond or something way before now.
And I say that because well, I said for me before you meet with me, make sure all these things that in here are updated cuz their playgrounds gone, their playgrounds improved, there's things as my colleagues said are not there anymore. a whole lot of change because we've had to take uh matters
into our own hands just to improve things. Our residents were not pleased seeing broken down this and have that. So I don't know how you're going to schedule them but before you meet with me cuz I was glancing at it and as my colleague pointed out too I've got about 20 but I'm not happy the fact that it
took three years to get to this point uh when this was budgeted back when I left in 2021 of $150,000. Um, and of course the catch all is going out for a bond. Um, which a lot of cities do go out for bonds. Um, but I
also would have liked to seen some more creativity other than just the bond concept or just a general statement of partnerships. But before you uh meet with me anyway, please make sure you update all of this and have an explanation for me as why it took so
long to get to this point considering it's been out there for a while. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, thank you. Um, so I want to say thank you for the presentation. Greatly appreciate it. And the only question I have or concern I have is I
don't like bonds. Opalaka is highest. We have the highest millage rate, one of the highest mill rate in the state of Florida and we know that. So I would like to exhaust all the resources um before we go down that road and hopefully we don't have to go down that road. But I know that you said that
there were grants that you identified. Have you spoken to the manager about those grants? I know we have a grant person on staff. We contract with a grant writer. So, have you spoken to the No, we could make another meeting, but there's there's specific parks and recreation database that we kind of have
of all those grants. We have the the time that you apply for them and that kind of information, but we could work with the grant writer to tweak and make sure what's applicable to the city and and actually target these projects. Okay. And the only reason why I'm stressing that because I know we just um
the state of Florida just passed their budget and I think the um the federal budget will start well couple months from now and I say it's probably going to start earlier even earlier this year because it's election year next year. So I just want to make sure that we're not behind the eightball. So if we can
identify those funding sources and send it to the manager so that we can start applying. Yep. And then the other thing I just want clarity. You have CIP park bond grants user fees. Are you suggesting like parking fees and amenity fees your events your event if you have
any um like revenue coming from your events or that's why that's why I ma'am. All right Mr. Major Commissioner um Serge. Yeah. Last question. Um is for everybody here in the chamber. Um the we
can include in there in this program uh private budget for anybody anyone want to be a partnership with us. I mean, we could um I would have to take a look at your partnership agreement um
and your me looking for Yeah. people to invest in our part. Yeah. And I know I know there's been a couple a couple of of partnerships wanting to come to I know at one point Ingram had maybe two different options.
I've been kind of kept up with that, but um Okay. Yeah, we could help with some of that. Okay. Thank you. All right. Thank you, Miss Fuentes. Thank you for the presentation. All right. We're going Oh, so madam manager, you have your marching orders to set up the individual
meetings and to update the plan be. So, we'll go back to Miss um Janice Smith, project manager for our prevails project nonprofit storied where art, legacy, and community converge. Miss Smith, you have the floor. Thank you.
Good evening, commissioners, mayor, and members of the city of Opalaka. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. My name is Janice Smith, and I am here on behalf of a creative partnership between Art Prevails Project and the New Canon
Chamber Collective. Together we are bringing forward a vision rooted in preservation, community connection and cultural legacy. We believe that Opaaka is more than a city. It's a living archive of stories, memories, art,
struggle, triumph and resilience. Our elders, those who are becoming ancestors, carry a depth of wisdom and experience that if not preserved now could be lost to time. Our project storied aims to honor and preserve these
voices to become the trumpeters for stories too often untold through visual art, oral histories, and in-depth community immersion. We aim to document the lived experiences of Opalaka residents, especially the elders, so
that future generations can learn from and be inspired by them. To show what's possible, let me share the origin stories of both organizations and how they have gone to serve gone on to serve their communities. The Art Prevails
Project founded by poet Darius Dory in 2015 is a Broward-based cultural arts organization dedicated to enriching the community through creative expression. The organization's programs make the arts accessible. And by harnessing the
transformative power of the arts, arts prevails empowers individuals and communities to connect, heal, and grow. By blending art with activism, Art Prevails projects seeks to foster cultural dialogue, uplift underserved
voices, and champion creative expression as a path to healing and empowerment. The New Canon Chamber Collective, founded by Porsche Dunley in 2019, is based on a desire to amplify the voices of black and brown musicians in the
classical music cannon, create equitable pay opportunities, and ensure that our children can see themselves represented on stages as classical musicians. New Canon has gone on to create equitable pay opportunities for its bipok
musicians, changed the perception of what a classical orchestra should look like and brought attention to composers and musicians who are often overlooked and marginalized. Both organizations are a true testament of what it looks like when art meets
intention. Communities are not only inspired, they are also transformed. So when you merge these two ideas together, we have measurable economic value. Studies consistently show that neighborhoods in re enriched by public
art see increased civic pride, tourism, and yes, property value. According to Americans for the Arts, every dollar invested in public arts generates up to $7 in economic activities. Cities that invest in community centered cultural
projects experience improved social cohesion, reduce crime rates, and increase engagement across all age groups. Here is what we envision. A citywide creative project that places Opaaka's story at the center. Two
commission artists will immerse themselves in the life of your city. Over the next three months or so, they'll engage residents in intimate, candid conversations and scheduled interviews, capturing the lived experiences, cultural, cultural
richness, and generational wisdom that make Opaaka so unique. From these interactions, we will create original music and a visual and audio record that reflects the heartbeat of the community. To wrap up, we will do a public
culminating presentation, a powerful moment of reflection and celebration that we anticipate staging in late August or early September. This is just the beginning. We want to make Opaaka the blueprint, a national model for how
cities can invest in their stories, their legacy, and their people. You have the opportunity to lead the way and show what's possible when a city boldly centers both its both its future and its past. Therefore, we're asking for your blessing and your partnership. While we
do not need funding, we do need your city spaces where we can hold community town halls, conduct interviews, and host our culminating celebration. These spaces are essential for making this project as inclusive, accessible, and
impactful as possible. Therefore, my assignment today is to petition this commission for the blessing and the commitment to engage with your community in a meaningful way. Let's honor the voices of our elders. Let's preserve what makes this city extraordinary and
let's build something enduring together. humbly submitted on behalf of storyried an art prevails and new canon collaboration. Thank you, Miss Smith. Do we have any questions for Miss Smith? Mr. Mayor. Okay. Um I
would like to meet with you. Thank you. I would like to meet with you oneonone. Sure. Um because this is the first time I'm hearing it. I like it, but I still would like to, you know, sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with you. Sure. and I'm all about the arts, so I'm looking forward to the conversation. Okay.
All right. Any other All right. Thank you, Miss Smith. Thank you. And well, we'll be in touch through the the city clerk. Thank you all. All right. We're moving on to our citizens forum. Madame clerk, can you please state for the record how to um participate in
citizen form? Yes, Mr. Mayor. Thank you. Good evening. City of Opalaka Commission meetings are held in person at the Opalaka Government Center, City Commission Chambers, 780 Fisherman Street, Opaaka, Florida. Members of the public wishing to address
the commission may do so in person or virtually. Those persons wishing to participate virtually should register prior to the scheduled meeting time on the city's website at www.opalaka.gov. When speaking before the commission, please make sure to give your full name
and address for the record. There is a threeminut time limit for public comments. Please adhere to the decorum policy which is part of the commission meeting agenda. City commission meetings are aired through liveream at www.youtube.com/user/city
of opalaka. And Mr. Mayor, at this time we do not have any virtual public comments. Okay, so citizens form is open for those in the chamber. Citizens form is open. Good evening, Mayor Commissioners. Uh Brian Dennis, address uh 2140 York
Street. Please excuse my address this evening. Um my mentee who I'm I'm watching can turn the mic up, please. I'm sorry. I'm watching last the last commission meeting, right? And I get a call
get a call from him because he's meeting with some people that is formerly of the city of Opalaka but own businesses and property in West Park. City attorney comes up. Now what I didn't know was that the city attorney is the city attorney in West
Park. So I go watch a few meetings concerning this. The the one reason why I'm addressing this because I don't want nobody to think that I'm attacking them. If any other person name would have been on that legislation, you would have got the same type of energy, right? But as a watching the meeting, guess what's not
happening? They're not getting weak legislation and they're not getting vague answers. The answers that you all get. Go back and watch the commission meeting after you all leave here. They are vague answers. They are not definitive. They are not directive.
So, if I if I'm giving you advice, do you really think I'm going to put you in a position to where you could be attacked? And that's not what it was. It wasn't an attack. It was attack on the legislation. Here's who taught me how to read legislation. Former Mayor John Riley, former city attorney Patricia
Ellis, the late Arthur Teal, Barbara Kerry, and Miss Claudette Freeman that worked in Barbara K's office. when you read the legislation, you should be able to know what you are looking at. So now as I'm looking at the meeting, what what strikes me is and see why the attorney
and the former manager was at each other. It's crazy, right? So watch this here. I was very disenchanted about a year or so ago about the attorney not getting paid. I'm
like, she's doing a job. I see why one of the commissioners didn't want to pay her. You can't give out you can't give out soft information to get to get a we legislation don't get you nowhere.
Legislation is a key that moves the city. So any type of resolution, any type of ordinance, anything that's coming before the commission, it has to be concrete. But when it's vague and there's no teeth in it, it looks a type of way.
It really does look a certain type of way. There's no way if I'm advising any of you that I'm going to put you in a position where you're going to get attacked. And it's not a personal attack. It's the legislation. It's what's bought. And we know what came behind it.
It's nothing but simple legislation. I've been on the charter board since 1998. Thank you, Mr. Dennis. Citizens form is still open. Good evening, Mary Commissioner Audrey
Dominguez, 1147 Jen Avenue. I first wanted to thank um Commissioner Irving for the nice Juneenth event that we had on Friday. It was beautiful. I enjoyed myself. Um I also
wanted to thank um the mayor for bringing up the sponsoring that the resolution regarding uh Jan and Ahmad. although it was first sponsored by Commissioner Williams, but now it seems like we need to keep on pushing it for
it to happen. And I just hope that this time something gets done because it seems like you bring resolution ordinance and resolutions yet it just sits there. It doesn't go anywhere. And I don't understand why it it shouldn't be. You're talking about people's lives,
you know. Yes, maybe nobody has died in that corner, but what do we have to wait for someone to actually die for something to be done? And you know, we have the county that needs to be watching and hearing these things. Um,
also I notice on line the news and social media online um needs to be updated. Um, you have the previous PR firm with their phone number and the information that's up there is from February 2023.
There's, I guess, events and things of that nature. The lamp newsletter, old information, need to update Commissioner Santiago, your picture is not up there, so I'm just letting you know. Um, they also should update the picture of the historic city hall, which looks it's
been restored. So, that's something that needs to be looked at. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Dominguez. Citizens form is still open. Citizens form is closed. Um
I do want to address this. Madame manager, I'm sorry. I don't normally do this, but I will today. Um Commissioner Dominguez, you is the website or what were you news and social media online? Where did you get that information? Is is that
from the website or social media? Opaaka. Madam manager, can you look into that, please? Thank you. Thank you. All right. Moving on to our consent agenda items.
Um 136, a resolution of the city commission of the city of Opalaka, Florida, directing the interim city manager to take all necessary steps to install a traffic calming device at the intersection of Jan Avenue and Ahmad Street in conformity with applicable local and
state laws providing for adoption of representations providing for an effective date. This is sponsored by Mayor Taylor. Okay. Can I get a motion? Second. Moved by Commissioner B. taken by Commissioner Santiago. It is my item, so I present it. So, simply put, it's just to direct
the city manager to take all necessary steps. Um, I just want us to be proactive, and I know that the attorney brought up in the last meeting that we have to um do this in conjunction with the with the county, obeying the laws of the county as well as the state. So whatever she
needs to do either connect do anou with the county or do something to engage them to let them know that hey we need traffic calming devices on Jan Avenue. So that's simply put what this legislation is doing just giving her that directive and that goto to ensure that this happens
right and this was pulled by Vice May Kelly so I will yield to you. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Um, I I support the item, but I want to just put a caveat behind it because you're going to open up a Pandora's box because at every Mimi Monday, I get folks that want speed
bumps, street common devices, and the like. And I my answer has always been, we're waiting on the county to finish their overall assessment of the city. I've heard the concerns of uh that area.
Uh, Jan and Ahmad, I ride down it like everyone else, but I want to just put on record cuz I've already received some calls from residents. They want mitigation. Um, and I like the the language um that's here um in the
legislation to mitigate the traffic concerns pending a completion of a study. Uh, and as you said, Mr. Mayor, we don't know when that study is going to be complete. We don't know what the county is going to say, but this is just to mitigate for the short term to install these radar speeding warning
signs at all four locations at a cost of $18,000. You cannot put a cost on anyone's life. So, I'm not trying to do that. I just want to be aware that you're probably going to see two or three more of these kinds of legislations coming forth for
particular areas. Um, but I understand the need. I understand we want to do something to address it. and I'm all for that. But there are three or four others that all this probably could name that have um challenging locations that have data to back them up to their challenge
locations, but I'm going to support the item, but um it's going to be coming up with some more locations. Just want to put that on the record. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, thank you, Vice Commissioner Santiago. Uh thank you. Um the opportunity that I have is to say yes, I'm going to support that
resolution 100 150%. And I'm with the same idea with my Calio vice mayor and also we'll be discussing the uh this morning about about the speed bumpers that I believe is one of the best resolutions,
okay, that we can make it be done here in the great city of Opalaka. I'm tired to always hear the same thing about day county they count on day county and I said but it's only for opalaka because I
see a speed bumper in cordos I saw a speed bumper even in part of Miami I see a speed bumper in north Miami I see a speed bumper even in our sister city here next to us Miami garden and we have a representative for district one that
he used to be there the mayor for that city and he's there why we don't have anything from him about it if he know the opala is still here and I want to see how can we get in touch with him because we going to have a very good
talk to district one representative for day county I need the speed bumper that I going to fighting for that that's that's the best solution not uh the machine that we have there nobody respecting it they passing like Crazy. Okay. And we scare the neighborhood
there because we saw a lot of bad things there in that corner. And like I say, I'm when vice mayor this is this is not only the intersection that we have to do. We but we need to make real the speed bumper here and I going to start
into Friday by this week. Even if I had to go personally to date county and talking with the representative for district one. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Commissioner, Commissioner Santiago, when he goes to the county to talk to the person that's over District One, I
would love to go with you, sir, cuz I'm tired of it, too. Yes. Honestly, and we're going to We do exist. And we're going to go in residents, too. They're going to listen to us. Mr. Mayor, I I would just ask if that happens, if
you all the resident was complaining. I don't put things on the record. I do all the time, but if you all go, you need to sunshine that meeting as you know. So, don't just go together. Thank you. Thank you. Um, Commissioner Bass, thank you, Mr.
Manager. Mr. Mayor, I requested a meeting with him a couple months ago. He met with me, but he said to me that he does not meet with commissioners or council people. He meet with the mayor. And I had to tell him that it doesn't work that way. So, I'm just putting that
in the air so you guys will know. That's what he said to me. Oh. Oh, okay. Yeah. Okay. But this is not enough. Thank you for Yeah. Yeah.
And Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor. Commissioner Santiago. Yeah. Well, yeah. Okay. I want to get a meeting with him. Okay. Let let me let's bring this back to what I what I don't understand is how can our city attorney tell us that okay
about breaking any sunshine law because we're not going to go there to see him when the people here from opalaka to ask him that we going to vote for something we're not voting for anything the only thing is we want some action and they have some respect for the great city of
opalaka right I'm only I'm only um commissioner Santiago talking about two of you meeting to discuss That's something that is foreseeably likely that you will vote on. That's the that's the law. And so that part of it I caution you on and I think Commissioner Natasha um Iran understands what I'm
saying. So if you do go, you need to sunshine the meeting. Okay, that's all. I don't have anything to do with what you you know, anything else. I'm just telling you that legal part. Thank you. Um thank you, Madam Attorney.
Thank you, Commissioner Bast. Um, so moving right along. We can call the question if there are any other concerns. Vice Mayor Kelly, mayor. No, no, no. I mean, I'll call him for a meeting. I, you know, I haven't called him for a meeting, but
Commissioner Bass has said she met and that's what he said. So, we we have concerns about this item. Uh, we all understand what the attorney is saying about the sunshine, but um, you know what? as the chair since this is your legislation and I do foresee uh some
other things coming up so maybe through your meeting with him we will get a resolution so I don't have to come back with three or four other locations and my colleagues have to because all of us concerned about the safety and the real key is maybe not so much having four or
five individual resolution is to get the county to push along whatever the study is being done so we can get a finite answer on what we can do going forward so we can budget for it. So if if a meeting from you uh as the mayor will
push that, then go ahead and you get that meeting and bring it back cuz otherwise, like I said, I got some areas. I'm quite sure my colleagues got some areas and we'll be done spent a whole lot of money while we're still really just waiting on the county's uh study. So your meeting gets that pushed
quicker. You're the mayor while you sitt in the middle. So you you uh schedule that meeting, Mr. Mayor. We'll look for an answer by the next meeting. Mr. Mayor, if you will, when you meet with him, just remind him of the conversation I had with him in regards to the lighting on 27th Avenue from 151st to
131st. Oh my, please. That's why I was saying because I wanted us to stay focused on the No, because it kind of went left cuz Commissioner Santiago went from talking about the item to We all agree with you. Okay, man. We dance in Opal locker, too. Okay. You
see, so we should have our list to you by Wednesday. Give it to the clerk. Give it to the clerk. Okay. Call the question. Can we call the question? Vice Mayor Kelly? Yes. Commissioner Santiago? Yes.
Commissioner Baz? Yes. Commissioner Urban? Yes. Mayor Taylor? Yes. Motion passes 5. All right. Moving on to item 13 seven. Seven. I just want to say I love y'all.
A resolution of the city commission of the city of Opalaka, Florida, directing the interim city manager to allocate funding in fiscal year 2025 through 2026 for a community newspaper providing for incorporation of recitals providing for an effective date. This is sponsored by
Commissioner Santiago. Can I get a Sorry. Can I get a motion? Move it. Moved by Commissioner Santiago. I'll second it for the second um by Commissioner Bass. Commissioner Santiago. Oh no. Uh I think the um Vice
Mayor Mey um this is your item to present. Oh okay. Thank you. Uh thank you Mr. Mayor. Um yes I presenting uh again the item. Uh I remember the years and years ago we used to have the uh
what we calling the community newspaper in the city. For some reason that paper disappear and I don't have too much information about it and what I tried is to bring him back like any other city
because if you go to any city and visiting you know the places out there they have their own community papers. why we can have our own newspaper here in the great city of Apalaka. And
one of the thing is that we be talking about fixing, you know, the medias and doing this and that. And I remember when we used to have that newspaper outside, a lot of people from the resident and also the uh commercial uh uh uh business
people, they know a lot a lot about events and uh program that we have in the in the city is that's a way to also to give information to our residents and people that they pass by through the
city. Anytime that I go to any city to do anything, I always pick up one of this paper and I starting to read it and I see a lot of good good things there. They maybe um they are not for me because I'm not for that city, but it
make me interest to bringing back to our great city of Aalaka. This is something that I try to bring it back to see if it uh is can be added to the new budget year and I want to say to you I going to
make the best okay to bring back some kind of information even if it's a page only but I going to bring that back to the great city of Palaka to make announcing everything that we do changes in the maintenance and the uh uh rules and regulation that we have but we're
going to have new day for each or one of us for anything that we do good for the city. If we are not getting that budget, I going to get the budget for ASA. Thank you, Malis. All right, Dr. M. Kelly, I yield to you because you pulled
the item. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I'm fully aware of the newspaper. Matter of fact, I championed many years ago to get the newspaper and my colleague is correct. We did have it. My challenge with the um legislation at this moment uh and I've said and that's kind of my
uh practice. I don't like to allocate um future funding for a budget that hasn't been completed unless it's infrastructure or public safety, something that um we can't we can't avoid or or something of that nature
because we got it tied to several years of uh improvements. And so I would suggest to my colleague, I know that the manager is looking at um our communications and all of those things and the like. And um she's already
mentioned I think she's looking at how she wants to rework our whole um notification getting the word out because all of us hear it all the time. So I'm looking forward to hearing that. But my main concern is um $40,000 that you're really saying to put in next
year's budget. And I've always made a practice unless it's something tied to a continuing infrastructure or public safety related uh concept. I don't like to allocate future money now because if that's the case, all of us would be doing that to
make sure our whatever got in next year's budget. And then if you do that, by the time you get to next year's budget, it's already filled with a lot of allocations. So, I'm not against the newspaper. I think we will um hopefully have something that the man is going to
recommend. And if the sponsor really wants to have it uh bring it back um as a part of the new budget um to be discussed, I wouldn't have a problem with that at that time. But to really allocate funding for the future now,
it's not I think something we ought to get in the habit of doing. And it's not just this. I've said this in the past uh and it's not against the newspaper or getting the word out because as he said um I remember the fact that we championed the fact that the commission
had its own page um the manager the business community of course supported through funding was able to pay for it and we had paging to tell the city's events and stories. So, I'm not opposed to the concept, but I am opposed to
allocating the funding now and tying the manager's hands now with $40,000. That's really for next year's budget. I don't think we're going to get into that that habit of doing that on these kinds of items. Uh that's just my my concern. Um but of course, the will of the
commission. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Mayor, my sentiments exactly. Um, I will kindly ask our sponsor to probably table it because I I don't think that we should
allocate $40,000 right now, not knowing what our everything is going to be coming up. I don't want to repeat what um, Vice Mayor said, but basically I feel the same way and I do agree that we do need to have that paper, but I just think we should wait till we pass our budget to talk about it further.
Mr. Mayor, reserving. Yes, I I too share those same sentiments. Um although I I know the concern, one of the concern is getting information out to our residents. Um we have to remember that we also have channel 77 that's coming
back. So that's going to be a way for us to advertise what we're doing in the city, what our events are, and when they are when they when they're going to be. Um because I know that it could be expensive cuz just doing the newspaper
and I do remember the newspaper back in the day. But back in the day we had the newspaper. That's all we had. We didn't have social media. We didn't have other means of getting the information out. And now we have to talk about how we're going to get that out to people because
to put it in stores there going to be more work for beautifification to pick up off the ground. So are we going to be mailing these newspaper to people? That's more more expenses. It's just some of the things that I thought about.
So maybe we could table it until we have time to do more thoughts about it. Um just a suggestion. Thank you. Okay. Um I I guess I don't really agree
with everyone because this is actually the best time to do it because we are going into budget season. So, but I do agree. Well, no, cuz channel 77 only goes for one, which is Comcast Xfinity. Everybody doesn't have Xfinity, just like everybody doesn't have social
media. And I don't think that the newspaper is a bad idea. We had it in Opalaka before and I think this is the best time to have this discussion. Why? Because we are going through the budget process and she's preparing it. So if we are to vote for it to go in the budget,
then the manager knows to put it in thing that if we do it after the budget is already passed, we got to do another budget amendment. I just ma'am, I think this is this is the proper time to do it. If this sponsor doesn't pull I like Vice May
Kelly, let me respond to that. If you do it that way, then all of us have worthwhile things we think ought to be in the budget. I have 40. You got 40. Commissioner Irvin has 40. Commissioner Bass has 40. Commission. Sun has 40. We've already allocated now maybe
$200,000 of future money. And we haven't had the first budget workshop. Again, I'm not against the newspaper. I'm against the timing. I don't like if this was something tied to a future project or continuing project of infrastructure that we know we're going to be doing or
something that's tied to some grant funding that we got to allocate money to make it go forward. I can see that. But to do it now, then what's going to stop me or you or anyone else coming back the next meeting or any meeting prior to the budget being passed to say I want to
allocate funding in the future now for something and we haven't had the first budget workshop and and while we are we all know even though the manager has not scheduled it yet, we know already that we're trying to get out of financial emergency. And the way you do that is to
actually tighten your belt. And you don't tighten it by saying to the state or whoever you're allocating dollars in advance before and it's nothing. It's newspaper. Like my colleague said, when we did that in 212, 213, 214, the newspaper was the primary source of how
you get stuff. Even when I go to my doctor's office, I don't even see newspapers anymore. I see fly is maybe a brochure. So to allocate again $40,000 in advance, I don't think it's the the process. He can bring in my opinion the
same suggestion at the budget workshop and the manager concluded in that workshop numbers. So we're having our final discussions before it formulates to go to the state August 1st. If the commission feels at that time because of everything that's been presented that
40,000 is good, fine. But if you pass this, then all of us are going to leave here tonight and say, "Let me go see what I want to put in the budget for next year and get it passed." So, I ain't got to worry about the budget process because my my whatever want to do is in there. And that's why I said
you don't want to do that because you always have emergency have things come up that you may need to fund with that 40,000 right now if you're going to do it. that may come up in next year's budget because of some grant, some opportunity of um committing to money,
you know, and so I don't think that's that's the best way to do it, but it's on the table. You got a motion to second. Call for the question. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. Um yeah, for me, Mr. Mayor now, Commissioner Santiago,
um I like that word that you that they say before table. Table it. Table it. Okay. Uh table is mean like defer for the next uh futures meetings or to see
uh first how the uh budget um uh process that we have is going to pass. Yeah, I understand. Uh uh I received a email today about the workshop that we have um when uh the stuff in the manager's
office uh is been cancelled. It's canled. Yes. Okay. And that they're going to be uh oneonone with us. That's correct. Perfect. Perfect. I I want to say I want
to say this u Mr. Mayor and Mike Ali, what I can do, okay, is I like to table or defer the item and leaving for the next meeting that
we're going to have after the budget after we have the workshop for the budget. So okay because if if I waiting for the budget pass and that not including okay that item for sure I have to wait for
the next fleear okay to get him back me to you now uh we calling the newspaper just remember that that's a community paper a community newspaper it's a paper that is not going to be in a in a big
huge cause like um sometime and things that we have that we spending money. Okay, perfect. It's not a problem with that. But it's something that I like to bring back to have some kind of information out to
our community. It's not me that is going to go out everywhere and it's going to be something that is going to cost a lot of money to us. And like I say, I can bring community paper for all the cities that I've been talking about. You
see, they had it. They have there's not something old or that historic already the the everybody can have as to you know the phone and see everything that we have. We giving a good example now with the sign that we put out you know
for the event. A lot of people they already talk starting to talking about photooly this and that because they see like how we promoted it when the newspaper come out once a month. I know
that you're going to have a lot of information for the future and also things they already passed by. There a lot of people they don't know that that happened here in the great city of Palaka. It have we had to choice. I I
can uh keeping going and we both pass good not pass it's fine with me but I going to try to create in that community paper people or even if it has a little page every month I going to bring it for
the great city of Palaka for the resident they have information about what we doing around and I going to go out to private businesses to get funding FBI needed for that. It's up to you. I'm ready for vote for
then it pass. Yes. It's not up to us. It's actually up to you. It's up to me. You can withdraw the item and bring it back a during the budget time. Defer the item date certain, which I don't think we should because we don't know we were going to have those budget um meetings. So, the best option would be either to
vote it up or down or to withdraw and then bring it back after the budget hearings. Mr. Mayor, Vice Mayor Kelly, if I could suggest to my colleague, just defer your item to a time uncertain that untie you and it doesn't uh make it go
away. That's my suggestion. Just defer it um until later cuz we're going to have some workshops. We're going to have some individual meetings um that will give us all opportunity to look at it. Again, my issue is not a newspaper as
much as it is the timing of allocating money now for the future. But as mayor says your item, so if you want to vote, I'll call for the vote for it. I have no problem with that either. Okay. Uh Mr. Mayor, what I do, I going to defer that
item. Okay. Up to the next future meeting. I don't know if it the next one or the one is follow but I want to wait for the workshop that we'll be talking about and the one-on-one um meetings that we going to have uh I think that I
already by I think the 30th yeah two hours you can make three hour but we're going to talk so he deferring the item until after the budget workshops there workshop three hours it's something that we're going to talk.
You know, we're going to you're going to see it's going to come. All right. So, um it is president that we do this. So, we're going to keep it up. Um can I get a motion to defer the item to after the budget hearing? Move it. Moved by motion moved by Commissioner Santiago, seconded by Vice Mayor, Madame um clerk.
Commissioner Bass, yes. Commissioner Irvin, yes. Vice Mayor Kelly, yes. Commissioner Santiago, did I have to say yes? Yes. Okay. You didn't say yes. I say yes. You said do I have to say yes? Yeah. Well, I say yes. Mayor Taylor. Yes. Motion to defer
passes 50. All right. Moving on to our first reading ordinances. An ordinance of the city commission of the city of Opalaka, Florida, amending the annual adopted general proprietary and special revenue funds budgets for fiscal year commencing October 1, 2024
and ending September 30, 2025. adjusting revenues and expenditures as reflected in exhibit A. Providing for the expenditure of funds established by the budget, authorizing the city manager to take certain actions, providing for appropriation of all budgets and expenditures, providing for fees
consistent with appropriations and amendment, providing for incorporation of recitals, providing for conflict and repealer, providing for severability, providing for an effective date. This is sponsored by the interim city manager. All right. Can I get a motion? Move it. Moved by moved by Commissioner Urban,
second by Commissioner Santiago. Madam Manager, go ahead and present and then we'll open up for public hearing. This is the first reading for budget amendment number two for fiscal year 25. This will align the city's expenditure and revenues while identifying
operational concerns and the current fund balance. I also have our budget administrator, Mr. Robert Anathan, available to answer any questions you may have at this time. All right. This is a public hearing item. Public hearing is open.
Public hearing is closed. All right. Do we have any comments or questions to Miss Anath? Mr. Mayor, Vice May. Um, yes. I I had uh my brief, of course, we didn't have all
the information, the big booklet um at that time, so I couldn't ask them specifically. So, what I would like to do, uh, madame manager, I'm going to just ask the questions and you can get me the answer between now and and the, uh, before the next budget hearing. Um,
just for the sake of time because I would have asked them and had probably answer by now. So, I'll just go through the list and then um, you can provide me responses the next couple of days, not wait till the next budget hearing though. So, okay. Um, in your budget
amendment to summary by line item. So, I'll just go through the numbers so you know what I'm referencing. Um, number 10 that talks about the uh deductibles with prior uh incidents and additional legal expense. If you could
explain that to me. Um, number 13, uh, the red light camera fines reduction. And I I mentioned in the briefing the cameras being inoperable uh for the first seven um months, but I see that it's offset by contingency, which kind
of threw me off um in terms of that um because it's doing being done by contingencies. The next one was the historic city hall maintenance uh program at 18,000. Uh I want to know what the cost of the maintenance would be. Uh what are we
paying now for maintenance per month? what it's going to look like or is that done per quarter? And the fact I know we talked about having a management company to uh run the historic city hall uh property for special things is going to
come up. Where we that where we at on that? Um down in number 21 compliance, you have some temporary staffing. I was trying to understand. I know they had some vacancies. So, we hired temporary uh code officers. Um, and you got the
money from savings, I guess, because you had to hire your folks. Um, so I'd like to know about that. And the number 19, you had to do some additional road material supplies and you took it out of housing and social services, which is department um that the commission
passed, I think, for 150,000. Um, but we haven't really done anything. So, you took that savings out of there. So, I don't know how much is left, if anything else has been taken out of that. And when you look at um number uh 10 again on the uh 65,000 you took from the
savings for red light camera um and I was trying to understand how we're saving it. We don't have all the cameras operable. And then uh what also I'm looking at is the um storm water vacancy
savings, wastewater. So, I'm assuming those positions haven't been filled. And if they haven't been, we just taking them out for next year or what are we going to do? And I see that in a couple of places where we have vacancies. Um, one being in the um finance vacancies
that you're using 132,000 for municipal complex security services and repairs. Um, which how much is on security and how much is on repairs? because that's a lump 132,000 and you're taking it from finance vacancies and I thought uh
finance was fully staffed. So um unless I'm incorrect, please let me know how you take it from finance vacancies if it's fully staffed and it's not. I know that's one of our departments we need to make sure is staffed to get out of financial emergency. So I need to get a
clarity on on that. And um also line 43 31,000 the increased credit card expenses. What what that four again funded by finance department vacancies. I don't seen that twice. Um where we got
vacancy finances. That's the case. I think this commission really wants to know because we've been asking and want to make sure that finance is fully staffed to do what we need to do for our uh audits and everything to to get out of financial emergency. and also the uh
48 public works engineering services funded by vacancy uh because I guess you're going to take that position that was funded and um hire someone as a consultant I believe is the language I heard in the briefing. So my question
becomes what's going to be what's going to happen with the rest of that salary because I know that's a high uh position paying salary. So what's going to happen with the rest of that um savings? Um, so those are my questions that I have regarding um that budget amendment and I
know we're at the end of the almost fiscal year and we had not done a whole lot with housing and social services and so when I saw y'all take that 15 out, that's a red flag. So I got to figure out uh to my colleague, Mr. Mayor, are we going to um we need to do something
to get that that department functioning with some of that funding before it disappears into other places for vacancies. So, uh madame manager, those are my concerns, questions I need to get answers on and of course get them to me
so that I can um get a clarity on those. Um thank you for uh breaking it down and Mr. Anthem's course. I didn't mention it, but you know that that line item you have for those miscellaneous that you kind of lump a lot of those small ones as I mentioned the briefing. I'd like to
get those too um as well. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Any other questions for Mr. Anathan? Okay. So, um Madame Manager, my questions are not that but yeah, 19, you
know, I had questions on that and the vacancies for the finance department. That would be my question. That was that's Yeah. We'll make sure fully staffed. They are fully staffed now, but it was one point where they were not. So, he was using the savings for that period, but they
are staffed now. But that will be in your detailed report. Okay. Okay. So, then that would be my next question. I do like the report that you're giving now is better, but can we detail it a little bit more with the breakdown of what and why?
We'll provide additional information. All right. Any other? Yes. Um, Commissioner, thank you. Um, and they're looking the one I think it's number 10, Madame Manager.
Uh, we've been discussing this morning. The red light camera. Yeah, the red light camera. And uh the information that I have for your stop is um actually uh yes they um they um
explaining to us like uh we will not be receiving any funding from them from the light cameras. And my question is okay, how come they you know they the camera is there and we don't have
the part of the money that we supposed to have and we giving that service to the state and we giving the service to they county and also I heard again they county is against us that they don't let us use another seven I think seven
camera around the city. I don't like that at all. If the camera they there because I tell you remember I'm one of the person they pay already $150 for the red light camera they are in uh
what is that legume and 135th okay and why they take my money and they don't giving the money back to the city opala no way so there are oh they pay us or or I want I'm going to be on resolution to turn down all the cameras all the red
camera for opalaka so there are be poor vice mayor Timothy home. We don't need a camera in Opalaka. Understood. But there are coming in but there are some cameras as Mr. Anathan explained this morning that we are having permitting issues
through Miami Day County. Mr. Anathan along with the police department and the provider is working on that trying to get a solution as to what's going on. Yes, you are correct. The cameras are up and some of them are not working. Let's make it working soon with them
because they always have something with us. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right. Thank you, Commissioner. Um, Santiago and Commissioner Bass, you you said you good now. All right. Your questions are answered. All right. Big me. Huh? You have a big meeting.
A long list, right? Any other questions for Mr. Manager at this time? All right. Um, madam madam clerk, call the question, please. Commissioner Irvin,
yes. Vice Mayor Kelly, yes. Commissioner Santiago, I won the morning. Yes. And Commissioner Bass, yes. Mayor Taylor, yes. Motion passes. 50 first reading. All right. Moving on to item 16. Was that 82? Yes.
an an ordinance of the city commission of the city of Opaaka, Florida, repealing ordinance 07-03 of the city of Opaaka's code of ordin ordinances providing for severability conflict and repealer and providing for an effective date. This is sponsored by
the interim city manager. All right. Can I get a motion? Move it. Second. Moved by Commissioner Urban, seconded by Commissioner Bass. Madam Manager, go ahead and present and then we'll open up for public hearing. The 2025 employee handbook has been adopted. Administration recommends that this
ordinance be appeal repealed and the corresponding language referencing the previous policies of procedures and regulations to ensure the revised handbook is the governing manual citywide. Um I'm sorry. I also have our HR
director here and our city attorney should you have additional questions on this item. Okay. Um this is public hearing item. Public hearing is open. Public hearing is closed. All right. Do we have any questions for my HR director
or the manager at this moment? No. Hearing none. Madame clerk. Vice Mayor Kelly? Yes. Commissioner Santiago? Yes. Commissioner Bass? Yes. Commissioner Irvin? Yes. Mayor Taylor? Yes. Motion passes 50. First reading.
All right. Moving on to item 16B1, an ordinance of the city commission of the city of Opalaka, Florida, amending article 4 entitled personnel division 2, adding new section 2-222 to be entitled extra compensation beyond state statutory limits. Providing
providing a definition for cause and prohibiting severance pay to charter officers or other employees where the individual is terminated for cause. Pro prohibiting severance pay, bonus pay, extra compensation, and additional payment to any chartered officer of the
city after services have been rendered or after a contract has been executed unless authorized by Florida law or a majority vote of the city commission. Providing for statutory required language to be included within future employment agreements. Providing for
certain severance payment terms and conditions as consistent with Florida law. forgive forgiving any payment made inconsistent with the terms of this ordinance prior to and including calendar year 2022 providing for conflict and repealer severability
inclusion in the code and providing for an effective date. The first reading public hearing was held on June 11th 2025. This item is sponsored by Mayor Taylor. Can I get a motion? Move it. Moved by Commissioner Santiago, second by Commissioner Bass. I go ahead and present this item is secure finding
number 49 that came up in our 99 finding. Simply put that if a man if a manager or one of our charter offices fired with cause, it states it as well as without cause. We don't pay any extra compensation outside of what the state law um allows or unless voted on by this
commission. So that's why this is here. So this is a public hearing item. Public hearing is open. Public hearing is closed. At this moment, I entertain any questions or concerns. If not, then we'll call for the question.
Commissioner Santiago? Yes. Commissioner Baz? Yes. Commissioner Irvin? Yes. Vice Mayor Kelly? Yes. Mayor Taylor? Yes. Motion passes. 50. Mr. Mayor, why we changing the language now? We calling calling for name. She's
not calling for both. 16B2, an ordinance of the city commission of the city of Opalaka, Florida, amending article 6 of the city's purchasing code to create new section 2-325 to be entitled Establishing contractual
service controls, providing for greater monitoring and enforcement of terms and conditions of contracts to ensure that contract deliverables are provided. allowing for payment of contractual deposits when authorized. Providing for severability, conflict and repealer,
inclusion in the code, providing for an effective date. The first reading public hearing was held on June 11th, 2025. This item is sponsored by Mayor Taylor. Um, can I get a motion? Move it. Can I get a second? Second. Second by moved by Commissioner Santiago, second by
Commissioner Irvin. And again, this is another one of our findings that we're trying to cure. This just gives us contractal controls that before we pay out, we make sure that the work is done based on the RFP, RFQ that went out and the contract. Um, we don't pay out until
we make sure that the work is done. Simply put, um, this is a public hearing item. I open up for public hearing at this time. Public hearing is open. Public hearing is closed at this moment. I entertain any questions.
Hearing none, Madame Clerk. Commissioner Bass, yes. Commissioner Urban, yes. Vice Mayor Kelly, yes. Commissioner Santiago, yes. Mayor Taylor, yes. Motion passes 50. All right, moving on to item 16B3, an ordinance of the city commission of
the city of Opaaka, Florida, amending chapter 2, article 1, section 2-8.4 four of the city of Opalaka's code of ordinances to provide an option for the city commission to establish a search committee or appoint a majority vote or appoint by majority vote a city manager
city attorney or city clerk providing for a local and or national search at the option of the city commission providing for conflict and repealer providing for severability and providing for an effective date first reading public hearing was held on June 11th
2025 this item is sponsored by Mayor Taylor. Can I get a motion? Move it. Move it. Moved by Commissioner Bass, second by Commissioner Santiago. Again, this is secure another finding which is finding number 78 which allows pretty much says that the commission has three
ways to hire a city manager either by majority vote appointment or national search, national or local search or via a search committee of which all we have done in the past. I just want to well this item just pretty much says that
this is what we can do legally right so this is just curing that finding so this is public hearing item public hearing is open public hearing is closed at this moment I entertain any question on this item
hearing none madam clerk oh yes commissioner Irvin yes vice mayor Kelly yes commissioner Santiago I love it yes commissioner Baz yes mayor Taylor yes motion passes 5-0. All right, moving on to our last item, item 16 B4. An
ordinance of the city commission of the city of Opaaka, Florida, amending article 11, division 5, entitled civil service board, specifically section 2-526 to specify that the civil the civil service board shall have the power
to recommend on matters through hearing from city employees at a properly noticed meeting. Amending section 2-530 to amend the role of the human resources director. Amending section 2-534 to clarify definitions for classified
and unclassified service. Amending section 2-535 to delete certain inapp inapplicable responsibilities of the human resources director. Amending section 2-536 to delete the word officers for higher
vacancies. Amending section 2-537 to delete certain inapplicable timelines. Amending section 2-539 to remove penalties. Amending section 2-541 to specify persons exempt from test.
Deleting and replacing old section 2-542 with new language to specify that in the case of conflict. Collective bargaining agreement shall prevail over this ordinance providing for repeal of all prior ordinances in conflict. providing
for severability providing for an effective date. The first reading public hearing was held on June 11th, 2025. This item is sponsored by Vice Mayor Kelly. All right. Can I get a motion? Move. Moved by Commissioner Kelly. Second. Second by Commissioner Santiago.
Vice Mayor Kelly. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, this is the second reading. As we know, the Civil Service Board was reestablished back in 18. This really kind of codifies and defines the duties and powers of the board going forward so
that our uh employees would have um somewhere to go with their challenges. I'll say it like that. I I made the um speech on it last meeting. So uh last time I so go through all the details. I just would um also say that as a part of
this board and I know the uh manager, attorney and clerk are still working on the whole boards to bring it back. Um but again with this one, I like for it to be the same way that it uh coincides with commission um terms when it whenever y'all bring it
all back because this is one of the boards that's going to be established too. Um, and I know we're reestablishing their duties and powers, but it needs to run with um with the terms. Um, and right now I think there's no board there anyway, so it's got to be reappointed
anyway. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is a this is a public hearing item. Public hearing is open. Public hearing is closed. Madam Attorney? Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um,
we have a typo in uh section 2-526 under powers and duties. Um, it's uh number three and it should be it should read 25 days rather than 20. And so that's the um that's the difference and we've um let
the sponsor is aware of this as well. So, we will make the change um if you all approve it with uh 25 days rather than 20 once it is um um finalized. Okay. So, I'm assuming we would need to
vote on that change because it's a significant change. All right. Move the amendment. So, the amendment was moved by Vice May Kelly. Second. Second on the amendment. Um Madame Clerk. I'm sorry. Who second? Commissioner Bass second the amendment to change it from 20 to 25
days. Madam clerk, Commissioner Santiago, yes. Commissioner Bass, Commissioner Irvin, yes. Vice Mayor Kelly, yes. Mayor Taylor. Motion Motion passes 5 Z on the amendment. Okay. There
there is no there are any aren't sorry any qu Jesus. If there aren't any questions or concerns to the um to the sponsor, we can go ahead and call the question. Vice Mayor Vice Mayor Kelly. Yes. Commissioner Santiago, yes. Commissioner
Baz, yes. Commissioner Irvin, yes. Mayor Taylor, yes. Motion passes 5-0. All right, moving on to our city manager's report. Madam manager, you have the floor. Good evening. I I did submit a written report to the city commission. Um, however, I would like to just
apologize to the commission for cancelling the budget workshop, but the reasoning behind that is I felt as we were as staff, we were just throwing the budget at you and we're going you were going to see it or hear about it for the first time in a
workshop and I wanted to be able to speak with you all individually, go over the budget and hear your concerns or your desires for the upcoming budget, then schedule the workshop. So that was the reason for the individual meetings. Um and after those meet after I have
those meetings, we will go ahead and schedule the actual workshop and I'll take any questions or concerns you may have at this time. All right. Any questions or concerns to the manager at this moment? Um Commissioner Commissioner Santiago. Uh thank you. Well um what I can see in in the uh in
your report, Madame Manager, I love it. I like it. Uh the first thing that I enjoying today is the 14 student in the building. Oh my god. I take him to my office and they enjoying it out there in the fourth floor and this something good
to see that we do something for our teenagers here in the great city of Palaka. The only thing that I want to be sure is that everybody that participating in that program, please I want to date be a a resident for the
great city of Opalaka. But that beautiful group of young people, I enjoy it and I think that's something good and that's made me uh still believe that you're doing a great job, okay, for our community. Um
the other one that I that I see um uh where is it? Oh, I see something good too. And in your report everything is is so good that you working in the canals and you working you know to beautify the city. Uh all this program they really um
made me um be sure that we we doing the right thing in the city. um building a lizing. Wow. I surprised with that department the money that they collecting in only one month. Only one
month. Yeah. That's something that made me see that we have some progress. Two weeks. In in two weeks. Wow. is something you know that we that we have some progress there that we uh try to do the best when everybody here in the
great city of Opalaka telling you know the business people that they have to apply that they have to be comply when everything that we asking and then I'm going to have no problem that's a good amount of money and 154,000 almost $155,000
in two weeks that's a great number very very very great number Um also I want to say um the we be talking about all the um situation with the flooding around the city and I have a very good report
today too about that we're going to need in initiative the uh the work out there behind the bank. Yes, the area needed and I think that's a that's one of the beautiful projects that you have, madame manager, keep and do the good job that you do, please. And I'm sorry to call
you madam manager. I don't like the other one, but I call I love to call you madam manager always. Just keep doing the good job for the city. Thank you. Thank you. Any other concerns to madam manager?
Question. Mr. here. I have a few um concerns, but I would meet with you one on one. Okay. Thank you. I'm not happy right now. All right. My just got messed up. That's all.
All right. So, I guess I I'll take up the That's a strong lady. I'll take up the rear. U Madam manager, only concern that I have or question that I have 133rd Street that is where what where is that? Where's this project? Which one? You come on. Come on. Come on. The um
Miss Gross is going to give the underground um utility installation in proximity. That's by Romos. That's by Romos. Oh, that's okay. Yes. Yeah. When you said 133rd, I'm thinking 132nd, which is right behind in front of the bank. I got it. Mayor and Commissioner
Sadina, CIP division manager. May I was praying that it was a misrep, but go ahead. So the northwest 133rd Street is a sewer extension. Uh we are replacing the line, adding the laterals and that project at this moment is at 75%. We are currently working during the
night. So we are working to complete it without the traffic. Okay. The industrial area. Yes. Got it. Okay. All right. So then my next question I I think you answered this before but I'm not sure. about 132nd Street from in
front of um I don't care Mary Alice Mary Alice thank you Mary Alice u Mary Alice Brown that's that legislation passed on the last commission meeting and so no when is it going to start we are waiting for the
budget amendment resolution to be uh in place and contracts to be signed and then the last one um the Ingram Ingram Kingdom Terrace, which I know is a county property. 171st. Oh, yeah. 131st Street is
currently under design. We are working with the county due to some contamination that is in the area and to address it properly. And once we are figure um we have an assessment on the contamination, we are going to the permit the permit phase. As
part of the county support for that project, they are providing partial funding for design and partial funding for construction. Partial funding. Partial funding. Okay.
All right. Thank you. All right. That's interesting. All right. Thank you, madam manager. All right. So, I guess we're moving on to our mayor and commission report. No, next slide. We have no official board reports at this moment. I don't see any chairs here. So, mayor commission reports.
We'll start from right to left. Madam, um I mean, sorry, Commissioner Irvin. Um thank you. I want to say thank you to um Vice Mayor Kelly for the round table discussion u regarding Junth.
Um it was very nice. I happen to know all the the the the speakers or the the yeah the speakers. And um I think the thing that I enjoyed the most sometimes when we're fighting for things, we don't
realize how long it's been that we've been fighting. And I reminded um Commissioner Jordan that in 2018 or 2017 I went to her office and took
because I around I saw so many um parks and wrecks and mommy gardens being done and here was Obalaka and we needed a playground set and I told her I said you explained to me she she did took her time and said well that's only county
parks and Well, my park needed too. And she said, "Maybe you should run for office and see what you get." But I told her, I took pride in telling her that it took a while, but we finally got our playground set at Shrebundi. So, if you
go from 2017 to now, that's been a long time, but it was very nice. I enjoyed the dialogue amongst um the guest, and it was really nice. Um also, um as you
all may know that we're preparing, maybe you seen our posters around the city um advertising that um we are preparing for the 4th of July and uh simply said bring your barbecue grills, your families, your games. Come out. We'll provide the
entertainment. We have the pool. We have the water sides coming. Come out. fill up our pool with with a great vi I'm sorry, our park with a great vibe to enjoy the holiday and wait for nightfall so that we can all enjoy the fireworks
that we're going to be privileged to see. Um, also we know that bingo is this Friday at 6:00 p.m. um, kings and queens. So come on out, enjoy that um, activity with us. On Friday, we also
celebrated um two things. Thanks again to Commissioner to Vice Mayor Kelly for um meeting with the kids and educating the kids on Junth. It was interesting. It was an interesting yet educational
event. Um and thanks for Parks and Recck for getting the kids over there to us. And also we had our um Junth celebration Friday night. It was nice. I won't get into too many details of that, but for those of us that actually RSVPd and
showed up, we had a nice time. Thank you for doing that. And I want to say thank you to the ladies that came out for Father's Day and helped us to serve the father's uh uh father's day lunch. And I hope the fathers enjoyed their father's
day. Um and then the last thing is as we all know that today I am supporting my brothers and sisters in the pride community um as they celebrate pride month uh this month. Thank you. I think I don't have nothing else to say. Thank
you. Vice May Kelly. Thank you Mr. Mayor. Um I along with all of us really the Ingram Park basketball uh ribbon cutting on uh early this month the 12th. Uh the courts
are wonderful. They are uh done. Um I'm I'm planning now a threeon3 uh basketball tournament out there um in the in the near future. Uh but I'm glad to see the courts are up. Um I attended the Father's Day uh picnic. Thank you,
Commissioner Irvin. and all those who assisted. It was a great uh time, great meal, and I actually got to meet some of our new employees that I didn't even know work for the city. So, I want to thank you um for that. As you mentioned um our Junth awareness that is really by
the whole commission, but we had the opportunity to host it, Commissioner Irvin and I, um for our youth learning about the history and um really not only but just history about Opaaka. I want to thank Commissioner Bass and Commissioner Irvin for stopping by and
adding uh their reflections. We also gave uh out gift cards for the top three um paintings by our young people. I was hoping they would have been here tonight, but I forgot about it. But we're going to um have those highlighted as well. I attended the Juneen uh dinner
that was hosted by Commissioner Urban. And I want to just um say she didn't say she want to get details. I'll go into details. Um, it was a great opportunity showcas in the city in Junth. A lot of folks RSVP didn't show up. Uh, but for
those that did, it was very, uh, well, and when we do RSVP, you need to RSVP coming. If you're not, don't do it cuz that's um, an economic impact. But I want her to to know that it was very well. Keep your head up and when you're
going to do something, you do it um, with with pride and honor. and that's all you could do. Can't make folks come, you just do it. So, I I was glad to be there and I know those that were there uh enjoyed it as well. And then we culminated our city Junth celebration
with our community dialogue at historic city hall on that Saturday 12 noon with former representative Bush, Commissioner Jordan, and Mayor Riley. Um an inspiring afternoon. Uh hearing about history from history. That's what I said. hearing
about it from history. Uh I want to thank uh Commissioner Irvin and Commissioner Santiago for uh being there and offering their insights and thoughts as well. And to Madame Manager because I really don't use the ICM title either. Madame manager, I want to tell you that
was a great um presentation by your staff with the pictures. Uh I don't know individually who all I'll just say your staff from parks and wreck to it all of them and putting the um videos together to all the things on the eels to parks
and wreck with the kids being there all the refreshments every facet of it was first class. It was first class and I had people uh that were not there but actually saw it on videos whatever impressed. Uh, part of me got upset
because I wanted to say to them, Commissioner Irvin, you don't think we know how to do things first class in Opalaka? Yes, we do. Unless we don't know who our mayor is. I won't get into that. But anyway, um, but trying to light in a moment, but all of the uh,
departments from the police, the clerk's office, especially helping out a park and wreck and the director uh, made our Junth a memorable one. We got to just hopefully next year increase the the budget for some of that educational opportunity. Uh but it was great. Um we
also on last Friday hosted our feeding South Florida distribution and resource fair of course along with all the food items which were numerous and great. I I want to thank my colleagues for stopping by. Commissioner Santiago and Commissioner Irvvin, Commissioner Bass
as well. I know the mayor couldn't make it but thank him for his support as well. um and all of the staff that make it possible and to uh public works and Mr. K and his staff because I know we had a few hiccups with tents um and and uh tables, but they made it work. So, I
want to commend them publicly for that as well. Uh we had the DMV there, we had project umbrella with various service, we had 10 north there with housing assistance and our own HR uh providing information for job opportunities. Um, and of course the way we do our our
fairs, our resource fairs, we don't do them every month. So the next one won't be held really until August. Um, won't be held until August. But it was a great opportunity again, not only with the food, but to bring resources to our community that can help our um, citizens
here in Opalaka. I of course uh, want to mention a couple of things um, upcoming. Um, of course, our farm share will be July 2nd at Shabbandi. We didn't have it last month because of the weather. Uh, there will be no Meet Me Monday in July.
No Meet Me Monday in July. No Meet Me Monday in July because there's a certain birthday on July the 13th. And I'll leave it at that. Um, so there's no Me Monday in July. Uh, we're still asking and madam manager, I need to get that number from you as well. anyone
interested in the search training uh to please call the clerk's office. The dates for it is July 10th, 11th, and the 26 at the Hela Miller Center. As I mentioned before, an opportunity for you to learn um how to be able to assist in
the event of a hurricane or a natural disaster. So, if you're listening, tuned in, and that's something you'd like to take those um classes and be a part of, it is free. uh just have to make the commitment for the time for those uh three dates July 10th, 11th, and the 26.
Also, um our family fishing tournament, because we couldn't do it in Father's Day time, is going to be July the 19th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at um Ingram Park, the lakefront. So, it's not just limited to Father's. Uh, Commissioner Bass, I know you was
anxious to fish, so now you come on out on June 19th and see if you can outdo the mayor because he's still trying to figure out how to bait that hook. Uh, but um, everyone is invited to that. And of course, um, on July the 18th, this
is, um, really a spin-off when the mayor had all of the, uh, new officials in, we're going to be hosting the clerk of the courts here in the city of Palaka, their mobile unit that offers, um, services from collecting court fees for
felony misdemeanor and parking related uh, payment plans for those things, reinstatement, a driver's license, for traffic citation, affidavit for reinstatement, whole lot of different services that the clerk at the court uh mobile unit provides. Uh July the 18th
at Hela Miller from 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. We do have flyers and I think it's posted on our uh website. We're hosting that uh July the 18th. So please pass the word for those who may be interested um in that as well. Um the last thing
that I will mention um we supported the mayor in the um taking it to the community the government services couldn't stay for the whole thing but we supported that as well and we're looking forward to um later in July you hear
more about it um and I was kind of not thinking about it but some of the scenes even reminded me our family car space tournament that'll be at Helen Miller. Um, so look forward to that as well. Um, Mr. Mayor, I think that's about it for the moment. Again, thank you very much
to all my colleagues for your continued support. We're doing things and that's the way we get it done, working together. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. All right, Commissioner Santiago. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Well, I'd like to start and say uh first thank you
uh to Commissioner Bash for that event that we have in uh the basketball in Shabandi. Uh I really enjoying it because I beat Vice Mayor Kelly. Uh we pass a very wonderful time out there together with all this kid. But we
have even you know my son they are playing and vice mayor sand and we really enjoying the afternoon they all together that's something beautiful to see that the community getting together and we enjoying our park facility also I
want to say thank you thank you for uh to the manager for have uh so wonderful park and recreation director I can see a lot of progress in that park. Yesterday I'm be inviting
to an event for one of the our biggest community here, the Parawaiian community in Ingram Park. Let me tell you that 90% of them they they have so great view and
so great opinion about that part that they they feel they feel like they are in that in their own country out there. A lot of people say and now I want to say that I never see no bathroom in any
part here in day county to smelling so good. What a clean facility that we have. Thank you madame director for the part because that's a really something that we had to say the way that they take care public out there and the way that
they take care of the opera it's going to be great things in the future for that facility and I want to say thank you to my colleague uh are going to starting for the first person they appear there to support that community and people like him you know to be you
know take picture with hand and everything and that's vice mayor Joseph Kelly that he go and pass by and people they get so happy to see you know the uh the elected official you know they care about about people about the community.
Um also I want to say thank you to the mayor of the great city Opalaka Juicy he love that he love that name. Yeah, everybody receiving him yesterday. You see, you see, you see. Yeah. And my Cali
Commissioner, Dr. Charlene Bath, we enjoying it. I can say, "Hey, we need more um um men here." Oh, you know, because woman they win all the time. Yeah. Woman they they win. Uh she beat
us in the What is that? The Yeah, the race. Oh my god, man. I fell down. I don't know what happened to him but she's the big winner. She's the big winner last night. Yesterday. Uh thank you very much. We enjoying it that picney yesterday. Uh everything be so
beautiful in order. Um wonderful and we also sharing with all the community they are around they so happy people I we attending them. That's beautiful, a very beautiful event for that community and thank you all my
colleies to supporting that uh beautiful community for Parawai. Um also let me tell you um um I want to say uh thank you to um Vice Mayor Kelly uh for that
event on Saturday uh the round table. Um let me let me say that that I I really enjoying it. I really enjoying it because one of my point is to go there and learn about our history
and learn about things that I don't even know that that happened in the past. One of the thing that I learned that that three monuments in Washington if I don't make a mistake is be the idea for one of our people
and it's incredible. He made so wonderful that the day in line that three monument I think that's the Washington monument the white house and the capital palace no the the congress
the day and line you forgot I'm done but I see that's good to learn and that's that's what I want to say thank you uh thank you very much uh Vice Mayor Kelly you really bring you know things here to the city to make people uh be involved
involve in our community and learn about things that we don't know that when we go out out there we might have to know what is real we have here in the great city of Palaka and our history in the past. Um thank you also for um last
Friday uh for the uh DMV program that you have uh vice mayor. Uh we really enjoying and a lot of people for uh the residential area they they have benefits that they can go there with no limes and no uh no house or okay to get back the
license or to renew the license. That's a wonderful program for everybody here in the great city of Opalaka. Um uh I like to see I like to say uh uh Madan Irving, Commissioner Irving. Hey,
I enjoy that party. Okay, for Jun, I never be involved before in any event from Jun. Now when I starting in November, I don't even know that that happened here in Opalaka. But let me tell you, the whole week we have an
event and I enjoying it and I learn and I know and I found out that we have a wonderful mayor too that he's dancing a lot. He's a d we call him the dancing mayor that night. Well, we dancing in opalaka,
but he can't win the sack race. That's that's good. And I think um I have everything you know that I say tonight, but I really uh want to say it again. Thank you to all my colleagues to support all the time this beautiful
community of the great city of Opalaka. And I think that we going in the right way in the right track to make that city better every day that is passed. Thank you very much, Commissioner Bass. I don't have much to say because I
forgot something that you had to say about Okay. Okay. Domino. Dominoes and chess will be cancelled um due to the four Fourth of July weekend celebrations. So, we will not be having chess and and dominoes. And not to uh say what have been said,
but I totally enjoyed my whole weekend working for the people in the great city of Opalaka. And it's good to see the camaraderie with us working together, supporting each other. Let's continue to do so. Mr. Mayor, if I may, Commissioner have asked, can we for the Fourth of
July picnic, can we bring out the chess and dominoes um that day? Yes, of course. So, it's not cancelled. Just be on the 4th of July. All right. Okay. And and we can add his own, you know, music. Yeah. Look, Daddy Yankee, right? Your mic.
You You said enough. All right. So, we'll bring it home and then that way we can get up out of here. Um, couple things. I don't want to restate it. The event all weekend was were perfect. It was perfect. Thank you for having it. Thank you for sponsoring
it and pushing it forward. But again, not paying overtime to the And Mr. Mayor, Mr. Mayor, I have a package there that they give me today. This is the first flight that is coming out tomorrow morning to a lot of places, business
places. They're going to be there. Okay. for photo you like. All right. So, um, thank you to Madame Manager and the directors that came out for our city hall on wheels. Very impactful and very informative and helpful to our residents in that area. We'll keep it going and
we'll let you know where our next stop is. Last but not least, we got some good news, but we're going to need your prayers and support on this. So, um, as you're aware, myself, our city manager, um, our finance director, and our CIP, uh, manager have been going back and
forth to Tallahassee and also been on various calls with Tallahassee advocating for the city of Opalaka. And one of the things that we advocated for was uh, drinking water to improve our drinking water. So, I just want to say that and the other thing was, and I've been advocating for this since I've been
here, is to digitize our city with a new ERP system. So, so far the city of Opalaka has been awarded both both, but we just need your prayers that the governor signs off on it. We got $300,000 for our drinking water
improvement phase one and $700 um,000 for our Tyler technology to improve our finance department and to digitize our city. So, we got it so far.
I just wanted to make that announcement and we are excited. We are excited and I know you see the the finance director's face and me and the manager are relieved because if we take one more call we we have been working for this we've been working for the city and we it our
work has not gone in vain. But we also want to thank our partners in the state which is our state rep um representative Ashley Gant and our state senator Chevron Jones as well as other people that have been helping us that have been helping us and are still trying to help
us. But we need your prayers opaka because we need this to be approved for our city. So that's the only thing bad said we going to touch and agree. So we I hey you ain't got to fight out of me. So that that's the good news. So, um, we
are excited about that. So, um, I have no other announcements. Everybody said everything. We're moving on to our official board appointments. The only thing we have on here, the agenda is the two at large appointments. If anybody is ready for the charter
charter. Oh, no. Okay. And I believe that you already had you already met, right, Madame Clerk? Yeah. The city clerk is um Yes, Mr. Mayor. All right. So, this meeting, can I get a motion? Second. I didn't even get it out. This
meeting is ajourned. Have a great night, you all.