Okay. Well, welcome to the city of Palaka city commission meeting on September 10th, 2025 at 6 pm. We're going to begin with the invocation by Commissioner Borum and the pledge of allegiance led by Commissioner Davis.
>> Excuse me. >> Oh, okay. Go ahead. I didn't know you're here. Go ahead, Pastor Malberry. Sorry. >> That's okay. Go ahead, Pastor Malbury. >> Father, we thank you. We praise you. We give you glory for all you do for us. We
thank you, dear God, for your goodness all day long. How you brought us together once again. We pray God your blessing upon this uh gathering on this day. Father, that you will be in the midst of your people, that you will bless the furtherance, God of the city
as we move forward in the proper direction. Pray for your wisdom and your guidance in all that we do, God, that you would be glorified in everything. We thank you for it now in Jesus name. Amen. >> Amen.
>> Join me in our pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for
all. >> Roll call, please. Madam clerk, >> Davis, >> John >> here. >> Present. >> Present. Has everybody had an opportunity? We have forum. Sorry. Has
everybody had an opportunity to read the minutes of special call meeting August 4th, 2025 and August 6, 2025 budget workshop? Move to approve. >> Second. >> We have a motion, second. All in favor? >> I. Any any opposition? Thank you. On to
city manager administrative reports. Miss Cotti. >> Yes, ma'am. Um that one pager the city manager report uh in reference to do you actually have it? You have it.
Okay. Start the airport. Um it's in a favorable position as it relates to operations. Uh we have two signature projects and our air airport manager is here to augment this. uh jet
center hangar taxiway are progressing to the design phase. The official renderings will be coming to assume uh we're very near the term of breaking ground ceremony. Um so the critical
operational focus at the airport is repairing the uh weather observation system. airport managers working very closely with code enforcement. Also, we've been working with the ski club and um have also completed the
airport manager completed a tour of the wastewater treatment plant and realized that uh there's a lot of um an accumulation of shotgun pellets there. So, um, we're looking at this more closely
and so the airport, uh, advisory board, we're hoping that that will move forward soon. >> Okay. Do you want Mr. McNe to come up? He is in the room. >> If he would like, is there more that you can add to it? You're always welcome. >> You want to contribute to the report?
>> Question. >> Does anybody have any questions in Mr. McN? >> Apparently not. >> Okay. as thank you loading doc and this is just an update um we're finally making progress uh we have two consultants working with us we have been
able to secure the authorization to remain in place and not as temporary structures but as permanent and authorization has been provided uh we will renew the lease in uh 2027 the items of non-compliance have been
resolved and we are in the midst of um getting the authority or the approval to replace the uh floating dock that was damaged by the hurricane. We are also uh working on mitigation and
as soon as we have the pricing from the consultant we will move forward. So, I just wanted you to have an update of how we're progressing with the floating dot and um there's a item that the commissioners always want
to have update on and that's called the public works building. Just want you to know that that is progressing quite well. Uh we did have some pictures just to show you how it's progressing. It's up there on the uh screen. If you could
just go one by one, I'd appreciate it. and uh some of the commissioners have completed tours of the building. We are encouraging uh all of the commissioners to come by and see the work that's being done. Thank you.
It also should be noted that a lot of the work much of the work has been done by public works employees. Yes, ma'am. Saving a substantial amount of money. I think that should be noted. >> Thank you. You're quite right. >> Mayor and commissioners, pursuant to
Florida statute 286.0118A, 0118A. As your city attorney, I am respectfully requesting that we schedule an executive session, also known as a shade meeting, to discuss the pending litigation between Jeff Nations and the city of Palaka. Um, I would respectfully request
that we conduct this shade meeting within a oneweek time frame and we need about an hour and a half. So I I need for all of you to confer and give me a date and a time certain so that we can publicly notice the meeting.
>> We need to set this up. >> No, this is my my request to you. >> Okay. So when looking at a dates for next week, >> Miss West, Miss Hayes, do you have dates? is in person.
>> In person in person is preferred. >> Okay. I'm I'm not available Thursday and Friday because I'm I'm on a conference. Not a conference, but uh FMIT um city city business. >> So, this is >> Okay.
>> What does uh Monday, September 15th look like for everyone? have to go and make sure >> you are not in person. >> Okay. You can attend by teams. >> Yes. >> Um Monday works for me.
>> Okay. >> Monday good for me. >> Tuesday's better, but if I have to do Monday, I'll cancel what I have Monday night. That's all. >> Commissioner Bor, >> Monday will be five. >> We're doing this at what time? >> What time?
>> Five. >> Six. Five. >> Five would be better. I'm better with five, too. Is everybody okay with five? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay, thank you. >> Okay, so 5:00 on the 15th. >> Thank you very much. The clerk will uh proceed with publicly noticing September
15th at 5:00 pm for an executive session, also known as a shade meeting. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I would like to call up Mr. Cutright for the Alaska Gov.
Eddie cut right community affairs director. This just a quick snapshot of >> mayor. Is it possible for you to increase the size of the documents you're sharing so that they can be visible for the attendees?
you close back out. If you close back out and use the um >> and use the magnifying glass, >> I'll just leave it on that one person. piece of >> fil.
>> All right, this is the uh the app that we came that we put together for the neighborhood improvement team because my palaka gov. The app purpose is just to keep the resident informed of everything. Deliver real time city update directly to your phone. Uh
transparency, share important information quickly and clearly. uh simplify communication one platform for alerts, updates and requests. Notification uh it will help us notificate notify any kind of stuff that s want to put out special events, road
closures, any kind of uh safety issues that's going on there and it give you a chance to see it quick real time instead of going through newspaper or social media or word of mouth. Uh the benefit of this for resident they'll stay connected. Uh, one of the things I hear
a lot is that we didn't know this was going on or we haven't heard about this. Well, this would eliminate that because now you'll get it as soon as we put it out if you have this app. Uh, real time alerts, easy access, view the news,
events, and alerts from anywhere because it's going to come directly to your phone. The benefit from the city is direct communication. Now, we can keep them, our citizens informed with everything we're doing. some of the things we do is not being noticed by the community. So this will give you opportunity to share i.e. something
about the public works building. I'm pretty sure a lot of community didn't know that we was doing that with the public works building. So this is where that'll be a streamline to kind of help bring a more transparency a more complete notification to all the
community and also help us get our important events and other things out from the city. So, uh, actually call to action is just I really want y'all to download the app. Uh, it's, uh, should be a couple things in there that
you can go to your your your Google store or your app store. It's simple. Uh, and then we're going to start uploading some stuff here in the next couple of weeks once we get uh, the commissioners on board and and actually got it download and we'll run a little test run with y'all and see how y'all
do. I already downloaded so good. >> All right. Well, I was hoping because I did send it to you earlier. Yes. >> With this um I'd like to see a full-fledged campaign come from city hall um with regards to the um
to the new app. I think it'll be beneficial um especially in times of storms and things of that nature. So, I would definitely like to see a full-fledged newspaper, Facebook, radio, just a full-fledged campaign coming from the city hall with regards to this app.
>> Yes, of course. Thank you. >> And we will utilize the the gas authority bills and other uh the post office to kind of get this information out to everybody we can. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Any other questions? >> Well, no, just a comment. Um like Commissioner Campbell said, uh I think
you know the best person to be able to do that is our PIO. >> Yes. said we're going to, you know, not only this uh thing, but anything that we have that should be a highlight for what the city um is doing as it relates to improving things for our community. So,
look forward to seeing things. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Um there was also in the packet special events. >> Is that Mr. Cart? It was in our packet. There was a holographic presentation with it
>> the funding guidelines special >> the guidelines but I didn't know >> can we under >> I think you went over it before but >> no I thought this was the the one that I think we were talking about was the city's special event package of what we're doing
>> it's in our packet so I didn't know if you were going to go over that right It's it's in the >> right special events is >> I'm sorry. M would you confirm also that
you're sharing your screen when you um are showing the documents? Thank you. Okay. So, this this this right here is put together by my team uh at the community affairs and also the special team just to highlight and y'all don't know who is the team and what they're doing in the business that we do as a
city. Uh this is just an opportunity to give y'all a quick snapshot about what Next slide if you don't mind. Give a a quick snapshot about how we how we do things over at the community affairs when we do our special event team meetings. Have a team in place created
consistency and accountability. Reduce the burden on other departments and allow clear communication with city leaderships partners and residents. Most important, a special event team helps strengthen community pride by creating memorable exclusive experiences that
brings people together while maintaining professionalism and physical responsibility. Um team itself. Uh and I'm that was pretty quick there. Next slide. >> They can stay there.
>> Yeah. Uh this is our team here. This is the team that we have that meets every twice a month to go over special events and kind of vet the events. And this the same team that's going to be the one that can bring y'all back categories for the funding. This team will make the decision on what category these these
events fall in. And then that'll be up to y'all to make a decision on where you want to get funding or not. The special team is Jessica Cruz, Courtney James, Amanda Tubville from public works, uh Toby Williams, police department, Erica
Gentry, police department. Matthew Keith, police department. Chad Brford, fire department, fire marshall. Henry Blanco, he's the gentleman down at the taxi determined boat house. So, he's kind of help us with doing anything on the river. So, her him and Miss Marlene
would know what's going on so we won't have any conflicts. Marlene Lagosi, Kimberly Morgan from the Chambers. It's just only on big tournaments that she comes in, big events that she comes in on, but we keep her in the loop. And um Tina Hitchcock, she's part of the uh EMS
service that we utilize when we have bigger tournaments. So, we want to keep everybody in the loop. >> May I ask a question with regards um with regards to the chamber? Um, in in these meetings, are there opportunities for individuals who may be putting on special events um that discuss that
there may be funding through the chamber? >> It's a possibility if they bring it up to them. Yes, they can. >> I'm asking, can that not be a standard? >> We can make it a stand. We could make it >> that everyone would apply, but I want if we are, you know, working as a team, I definitely think that all funding
sources should be put on the table at the time of an event um for possible uh consideration. And what I do is I add another piece to the special event meetings to see if they want to apply for stuff. >> Go ahead, Commissioner Davis. >> This team I I like I I want to
understand how this will be executed. So I'd like to use the Blue Crab Festival as an example. Don't use it as >> No, I I am going to use the Blue Crab as an example because remember now the Blue Crab Festival should be working like any
other festival. >> Yes, ma'am. Oh, it is not taboo. >> So, here here's So, we have an application. We have a group that's been approved to do it. >> So, is this kind of like the team they
will this team meet to review applications >> and identify needs in each of these departments? >> That is correct. >> Okay. Um in an instance if the um
riverfront is not used in an event for example Henry Blando I'm sorry Bland Pro and Marlene Lagassi >> one >> okay so it's situational so I just would maybe document that because the way it
looks is if every uh I think you said twice a month this team will meet. >> So, so to clear it up for you, Mr. Commissioner. >> Yes. >> If you stop at Chad Bradford, the fire marsh, >> that is the team that will meet every meeting.
>> Anything below that becomes a river a bass tournament or something that has to do with the riverfront. Okay. Or a big a big event like Bass Elite that the chamber will get involved. >> Okay. Great. Thank you for the clarification. on your documentation if you could just clarify that maybe put a
line because that's the committee and maybe as needed depending on venue >> or whatever >> I got I think I got perfect I guess >> okay >> I think I got >> okay I just >> uh so next slide annual >> one other thing I'm sorry one more thing
this team is just reviewing the needs from a city perspective not giving feedback of how something's done or anything like that. >> Yes, this this team right now is just going to give you what you will be needing from city services to make this better happen. It'll give you i.e. if
the police department say you need five police officers for the duration, >> boom, boom, boom. Chad say we need to inspect so many tents, so many uh food trucks and if you need barriers, trash cans or something, that's where none of them will come in. >> Very good. Thank you very much.
Uh this is a annual calendar of just the city events. These are just the city events that we do. This is not all the events. I think we gave you a calendar a while back of the 39 events that we do throughout the board. But this is just for the city stuff. Then our golf tournament and the mayor's reception in
February, February, March depending on how the mayor's reception falls. Uh we got the spring summer jam series hippity hopping in April, fourth of July. Uh now in uh Riverside Fall Festival, Jingle Jam and we're also going to start a
winter series for the series jam series. So we're going to do some in the winter. We're going to try to highlight this down the river down the downtown corners and kind of get the downtown businesses involved with this one. Uh hopefully we're going to meet with some of the downtown businesses next month to see if they get on board and we're going to
start this in detail. Next slide. These are just some of the events that we have put on. Uh that golf tournament is a wonderful tournament. I I had a commissioner come to one one time and I still have the video. Next slide. Next slide. Now, these are the annual
events that we put on throughout the city, and that's city events and community events that people come in and host. partnering events that we have that we're trying to partner with now. We're going to try to partner with Junth. Uh we do the back to school bash pink walk.
We partner with the police department on the trunk of tree and boom avenue and uh parades. Now we're going to try to partner with the parades uh with Sam Deputy and other parades that come through the city of Palaka. And then the last sheet is the funding thing that we've been talking about for
the last couple meetings. And it's it's pretty much class A's will get $3,000 up up to two days. Class Bs will get 2,000 and class C will get $1,000. >> Go ahead, Commissioner Dav. >> Um, Mr. Cartright, I I just want to
personally thank you. This is a great presentation. I think it lays out what's needed uh for our PIO when now that we see the dates for the city sponsored events, we can go ahead and get those on the website so
people can understand what's happening. Um and thank you for um not duplicating any efforts where someone has an established event or program that the city can partner with them. so we're not
duplicating efforts and using unnecessary resources. Um, I appreciate this presentation. It's very clear. Thank you very much, >> Commissioners and Mayor. Your your voice always heard. >> Thank y'all for supporting us.
>> Thank you. Um, anything else, Miss Potty? >> Okay. >> I'm going to open the floor to public comments. public comments for items not specifically listed on the agenda. Is anybody here for public comments,
general items not on the agenda? Please come up and also fill out a yellow card when you're done. Provide your name and city town of residence and three minutes and please be respectful. >> Good evening. My name is David Jen and I'm here about the brawl that took place
last Saturday. >> My grandson Braan Demag was jumped on by three um men. He suffered a gash up under his eye. He
has epilepsy. Saturday, his mom took him to the hospital. They stitched up his eye. Monday morning, he had a seizure. His mom couldn't be here today. due to the fact she had other kids at
home and she didn't want to leave them. But I really feel as if the city of Palaca, the I'm not going to say city of PLA, I'm say the Palaca Police Department, every time something goes on on the north side
and if something's going on, they turn a blind eye to it. They don't care about the residents over there. And for Beckham to say, "Let everybody go. There's not going to
be any charges file." I really feel as if that's unacceptable. >> Thank you. Um, is Chief Shaw available when we get responses? Not quite yet. Thank you. Is there anything else, ma'am? >> No, ma'am. That was it. >> Thank you. >> And I'm being I'm being nice.
>> Thank Thank you. Is there anybody else here for public comments for items not specifically on the agenda? >> Could you let her know that there's a possibility, Miss Jenkins? There's a possibility that there's a response. >> There's going to be a response. Possibility. We have to wait for
everybody to have their opportunity at public comment, but at the end of that, we will respond. >> Thank you. >> Hi. >> Name. See you, Mayor Korea and commission. Uh my name is Sam Carr. I'm
108 Riverside Drive Satsuma, Florida. And this is >> Mary Garcia. I'm on the board of uh the B park and trail society of Florida. >> So um I'm I'm here and I'm here just in time because I too want to thank Eddie Cutright and his group. Is he leave?
>> He left. >> I knew he would >> because um this year will be the 10th year for the St. John's River Bart and Frolic. We got some changes coming, but we want to thank this commission especially uh for the and the city's community affairs department, especially
Eddie Courtney James, Jessica Cruz, and Captain Toby uh Williams. He it is uh they have uh we had our best event ever. This is our 10th one. And this past year, 2005, was our best year ever. and
we had uh around 2,000 people show up and we educated another one 850 children river while we did doing >> so uh you're going to be passing a resolution later of for the new Bartum
event. It's going to be called the Bartram Frolic and Festival. It'll be April the 20th through the 26 of 2020 26 and um it has moved from a basically a one day event to a three-day event which was u was what u everybody wanted
and um you again you'll be uh the going through the special event application this time was absolutely fabulous. All the people were aware that we needed to talk to and they listened to all of our concerns and all of that kind of stuff. It really really went well and we really
appreciate that. For those of you that don't know what the Bartum Brolic is about, uh, in 2013, the city of Palatka and Putnham County uh commission, the city commission and Putnham County Commission approved a
joint uh uh grant request from the uh humanities council of Florida. And at that humanities council request was to build the Bartum Trail here in Putnham County. And uh the city's part of that was to provide the management of the
grant and the um and then the uh the county was going to provide other stuff such as signage and this that and the other. So that happened in 2013. In 2015, the national group, the Bartum Trail uh uh Florida, our Bartum Trail
Coun or Commission Conference came to Palaca and brought over 500 people here to town. In 2016, the river center was built and we were built as part of the river center. So, we were involved in all of that. Um, and in 2016,
uh, the, uh, Department of the Interior designated the trail that this count that this city and county that built as a national recreation trail. So, congratulations to all of us. In the fall of 2016, the Bartum Trail frolic
was formed in this room and um, and we really appreciated that. And then shortly thereafter in 2017, the riverkeeper came to town, worked with the part with the uh u the the city or with the school department. And since
then, we have educated every two every second grader in Putham County about William Bartum and the St. John's River, 5,000 children since we started this thing. >> Thank you. Thank you. I'm sorry. >> I appreciate I just want to say thank you. >> Thank you >> special
>> for everything you do. Um, Rob, >> good evening. Um, I have comment tonight. Uh, it's does relate to one of the agenda items, but more importantly, I just So, I'll start by saying my name is Robert Moore. Um, I started with the
city as an employee in 2010. Um, I'm a lieutenant with the Pla Fire Department. So, I'm here in regards to one of the agenda items as far as our contract. Like I said, more importantly, um I'd really like to recognize the women up front, Miss Jones, Miss Cardi,
Miss West. Uh this will be my fifth contract that I've had some sort of involvement in, whether it's just an employee, the negotiation committee. Um I no way, shape, or form want to take any credit for this contract. We have a group of firemen that work really hard.
These ladies work really hard and um what I'm trying to say is I want to thank them for their hard work. Um it's recognized by us. We do feel like there's been a great relationship made. Um hopefully with this contract um
it's it's nice to see our younger firemen, our one year, two year, threeyear employees um looking at a future here. Um, that's something that in the 15 years I've been here hasn't been a real thing, right? We have a group of guys that are in the second
half of their career and we have a lot of really, really young people. Um, ultimately for me, someone that won't be here in the next 5 to 10 years due to retirement and a lot of our older guys, we need people to fill our spots. We need people to fill our shoes. We need
these younger people to have the experience and the time to be able to serve the citizens. Um, we have a really, really good group of people. Um, a lot of young guys that are driven, that want to be here and that really enjoy it and it's impressive to see.
I've taught them as their instructors um, and now as their officers responsible for them. So, it's it's a pleasure to work with them. I want to thank these ladies um for their help, you know, for their understanding, the the back and forth, and uh ultimately it
was it was it was more of a pleasure than them past uh contract. So, again, I just want to thank them and uh and thank the commission, the mayor. So, >> thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Miss Duke.
Vicky Duke, Palaca, Florida. Um, I have a couple of questions. I know on the agenda at the last meeting, it must have gotten pulled. I had a question about the retaining wall on River Street that had been on there and it wasn't on it
got removed. I guess I didn't see it on there um at the last one. I wanted an update on um it looks terrible >> and but it's safe. But, um, I want to I want to update on when we're going to
get that taken care of. And then I would like the I would like information on how many of our of the city properties are still in code violations that the city owns. Ex. Exactly. How many buildings are still have code violations besides
the Tilman house? and my my surprise to have this meeting on Wednesday. Um I know there there was issues with how you schedule them, but I try to schedule the things I have to keep these two Thursdays of every month open so I can
come. But today I had to decide whether I follow what the Lord has me do on Wednesdays or whether I come to a city commissioner meeting. and um I was not happy about that. >> Thank you. Is there anybody else here
for general questions of items not specific on the agenda? Seeing here, seeing none, we'll close public comment and we can provide responses. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh mayor, as it relates to um I'm going to do the re May I you
don't mind if I can do it in order, please? >> Okay. Retrainer. Let's do it in order of the in order. All right. So, police chief come up. That's fine. >> Yes, ma'am. Jason Shaw, chief of police,
city of Palaka. Good evening, Mayor Commissioners. Uh in in response to Miss Jenkins uh statements, uh I I believe you all already know the work that we're putting on in the north side area. Uh in
particular, uh we made an arrest in a case uh involving her daughter as a victim uh with a shooting towards the house. So, I'll just bring that one up specifically. Those two individuals were arrested and and put in jail. Um, we've made a number of different arrests on
the north side with uh some of our violent cases that we've had. So, by no means do we tear a blind eye to activity on the north side. I think it's important to understand that in many of the cases we have without uh cooperation, it doesn't happen uh in a
30 minute span of time. It has to involve further investigation. We need to look into it a little further so that we don't make haste decisions and those decisions are wrong decisions. In the case of this past weekend, uh there was a very large uh incident, a fight that
involved multiple people. There was no one to turn over video at the scene and we did not get video the day of and we are still looking into it further. The fact that action wasn't taken then does not mean action will not be taken. It means that we need time to
properly investigate the situation before we can take further action. >> Thank you. Thank you. uh as it relates to um >> retaining wall >> the retaining wall uh what I'd like to
let you understand that um the engineering design all of that has been completed and we um are actually going to be project manager could you come up please thank you >> good afternoon to everyone project
manager Carlos Dominguez retaining wall project it's out to big has in like one week or two weeks ago. We're opening the bids I believe by the end of this month on that project. >> Right. Exactly. >> Thank you. >> Code violations
>> that I will have to research. I'm not sure if >> are you able to answer >> one second, please? >> I guess on the retaining wall. Um, as I think Commissioner Campbell had asked the last time that we have the right proper uh barricades in place uh for the
areas that's unsafe so that we we we keep the citizens or pedestrians uh safe as it relates to the areas >> and that's been done. It's not pretty. I agree. That's fine. >> But it has been done. >> It has done right. You just want to make sure there not something that could be
easily moved where where it will present uh represent Yes, sir. >> uh >> the um >> liability risk. Yeah, we we did follow the recommendation immediately. So, it had >> just wanted to make sure we we had that
in place. Thank you. >> Yes. Are you able to answer >> code enforcement? >> I'm bringing up the planning director and code enforcement. Madame mayor, commissioners, I don't have that information uh but I can get that
information for you with the city own more than 100 properties of which you know some of that are vacant obviously uh but we do continue enforcing our code to city own properties. Uh a good example is that the airport we just
issued not a violation to the airport uh for various items various and so I can get the information for the next meeting. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> As it relates to why are we here on a Wednesday uh state regulation because uh
this is a first read for our budget. So we were forced to do it today or request it >> also because we can't conflict with any of the taxing authorities. The school board had already scheduled their meeting for tomorrow. So we had to do it
at a separate date so the public has an opportunity to hear all the taxing entities budget reviews and such. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. On to the consent agenda. Is there any
items to be pulled? >> Anyone? >> Commissioner Davis, did you have something? >> Yeah, I have um D because I have a question. >> Just C or C. >> Is it C >> C? >> C
>> C. Oh, >> that's that's not the president. >> We're on the consent agenda five. >> Oh. Um, all right. Sorry about that. No, don't no words on that. H >> H
>> and uh K. >> Anybody else? >> Ma'am, I'd like to make a motion that we accept a consent agenda excluding items D, H, and K for discussion. Second. >> We have a motion to second. All in favor? I. Any opposition? Thank you. D.
Commissioner Davis. >> Yes. Quick question. Um, when Mr. Carr came up, I thought he said a three-day event. Are the dates on the resolution? Does that include setup and the actual date of the festival
or the weekend? Just want to get clarification because I think it says the 21st through the 26th, but I know it's a three-day event. >> Is that to accommodate the students during the week? >> That's part of it. But let me get my
notes here. Sam cars. Yes, it's 21st to 26. Uh the first couple days we have students that come down there and kind of >> relive the reactment of the of the bot. >> Got it. And then the the festival is a piece he just added pad.
>> Thank you. Uh move to um oh move to um approve. >> Second. Second. >> We have a motion to second. Is everybody here for public comment on this? Seeing none post public comment. All in favor. >> Any opposition? Thank you.
>> On to eight. It was D. >> Did someone pull D? >> Red H. Mr. Jones. >> Yes. This is resolution 2025 R-1 121. Community Affairs is requesting to
change the name of the Jenkins building and the color of the Jenkins building. That's Robert H. King building a logo for the community affairs in which I only want to um
recognize and kind of question just not really a question. It's a statement. It's a statement that Robert H. Jenkins was a wartime hero Vietnam and that school was named after
Robert H. Jenkins. I remember in the fifth grade, uh, the county had a a, uh, survey and was asking about naming our new high school, black high school, and the colors and the mascot and stuff like
that. It was a big deal. And, uh, Robert H. Jenkins had already been uh assigned to the old central academy school back in the day. So he was a
wartime hero who actually lived in a lockin but he graduated from central academy and so I think the history was because of what he did he saved his troop his platoon back then u and now
that school is gone the gym is the only thing that actually commemorates him and uh honor him in our in our neighborhood and I was just wondering could Or could we even consider incorporating still the name of
Robert H. Jenkins with the the name in some kind of way rather it's the Robert H. Jenkins Gymnasium uh at the Palaca Community Affairs and Recreation Department. Uh some type of
significance because in our city, the city of Pala, I don't think we have an African-American wartime hero name on anything any building in our community. >> Well, in addition to that, I support that
wholeheartedly. I want to know how did we navigate away from the original name that was discussed from the north side neighborhood facility. >> How we navigated from it? >> How did we navigate away from it? >> Well, we actually didn't navigate for I think at one point in this had three
recommendations to it. And one of the recommendations that we wanted was the north side community recreation center uh because we wanted the facility facility we wanted to be more welcome a community center not just a facility. So that's how we came up with that. But now
the names we gave was several different names and the Robert H. Jenkins I do wholeheartly with my military background understand that we was going to name some rooms after inside the building. But we are it's easy to make whatever name we put and then say also Robert H.
Jenkins Gymnasium. So we can tie that in easily. But the name when we we had the discussions with the African-American uh team that we had over the museum, some of the names that came up was going back to the old school neighborhood facility. The purple and gold came from that too.
And then we added a couple of spank. We wanted to put some recreation in there. So that's where the neighborhood uh north side community and recreation center became one of our fixtures. Uh that was just one of the ones that we wanted to go with. Now we have three different names that should have been on been on there, but at the end of the
day, we can make the names. I just want us to name the building so we can start bringing marquees and changing the color and also making the building known throughout the city instead of being Jenkins Community Center. >> Can it still be the Jenkins building and maybe having a mocker there with the
history of Robert Jenkins that you get a historical marker posted there so people know who Mr. Jenkins was because he was so significant to this community and his military history shouldn't be forgotten. Go ahead. Um, I I just want to say I'm a proponent
of it being the North Side Community and Recreation Center versus facility because facility can mean anything. >> But community and recreation center I think is um lends well to what it's used for. But I am definitely supportive of
having the Robert H. Jenkins Gymnasium. Yeah, we could >> um and and I would like to say that when the name was occurring and there was another name um my mother got a petition so it's important to me and she was asked if you could find someone in the
community and Robert Jenkins was selected the petition passed and then name changed so it's very personal to me as well but I do think we should honor him in some way >> and I think a historic mocka might be great to have somewhere on the property >> so people in
in conjunction with that. >> Yes. In conjunction with that so young people can learn more about the history as well. >> May I make >> I'm for it. But I think he's more worthy than a gym. >> I think the building should reflect what
>> the sacrifice that was made. So I I'm for the name. I just don't want him to be limited to a gym because nothing that he did was playful on that battlefield. But commemorating the entire building just shows a staple in the community
something his name will be forever remembered and also as we make this decision that we put in whatever resolution that it cannot be changed. >> Well, I'm waiting. Yeah. I also Commissioner Davis.
>> Um, I'm making a motion. So, >> okay. >> I move that the name change um the name be changed to the Robert H. Jenkins Community and Recreation Center and a marker be placed with the historical information related to Robert
H. Jenkins. >> Second. >> And the colors. I'm sorry. And the colors. >> I'm fine with the colors. I'm talking >> purple and gold. I just want to put it in the motion and that the name may cannot be changed.
>> Second that motion. Second. >> We have a motion to second. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposition? Thank you. >> We got you. >> Y'all like you like my logo, too? >> Commissioners, thank you. >> Um K.
That's you. Hey K is and also me. Uh I have a question in reference to the police benevolent association contract and that okay
>> who's going to be up and speak on that? Um do you want to pull that? Um, city manager as we discussed earlier or do you want me to we want to discuss? >> Okay. Um, give me one second, please.
>> We don't know yet. >> Well, that's that's the question. That's the first One minute. >> There are some errors and there are also some u things that I thought we had
squared away previously, but >> okay. So, I'm I'm seeking legal guidance to make sure we move forward correctly. So, I think it's fine if we Okay. Um, we've had the police uh to meet with
each commissioner and to express everything. Uh, so this would be a decision that the commissioners really would need to make. What would you like to do or can we just be open and talk about what the matters are? >> Well, I think we don't know what the
real issues are here. I mean, I'm I'm a bit perplexed. Yes, we did meet with Chief Shaw Minute. Commissioner, go ahead, Commissioner. >> I have not had an opportunity to meet Okay. So the then we could pull it completely off
or >> what what is the timeline on this? >> We have to have it done at least by the next one. >> Well then the deadline is September 30th is when it expires and it defaults to right >> the previous contract. >> So we must have it done definitely with
that next meeting. >> Okay. Commissioner Davis. Um I'm not a proponent of having it p having the um this pulled un first I don't understand what the questions if there are specific
questions so I do want to yield to that first let me just see what the questions are and then I'll give my comments. Okay. I was just given the opportunity to the uh city manager because we spoke on it and she mentioned that I am I am uh prepared to to speak on the issues
that I have with the contract. Um and just so the public know that we're not going back and forth. We're not able to speak together collectively as a a commission on it. So, um there are some
asks from the uh union and this contract was negotiated by our city manager, the attorney along with that organization. And there was some ask that uh
officers would be paid an additional $3,500 addition in addition to their salaries for being certified in a certain area. Now, these these areas actually included
being a field training officer, working with the PAL, a PAL certified uh team, uh somebody who worked for the suppression team, a master officer, special enforcement team, evidence tech, uh field training
officer, or a detective. There's about seven or eight auxiliaries with that is eligible for this type of funds. The history the putting county sheriff's office auxiliaries get $5,000
per year for the same certifications. My question was uh for these same certifications working in an area a quarter of the size of the county, are we prepared to be able to pay the our
officers $3500 per officer per certification? Um, with with all things being considered, for an example, one officer that may have three certifications,
that would be an additional $14,000 added to their salary. And according to the matrix that was provided after I asked in the last meeting that included all of our officers, all of our sworn officers,
which is uh what is it? 47 >> 42. So 42 of our officers. So an example like that, I was wondering would we be able to take that type of
hit from from each officer for each auxiliary pay. So you're adding and that's just if they had three certifications, they could have seven. So, seven at that
that same rate, $3,500, it' be a extra $24,000 per salary. So, if office officer is making $50,000 a year, they salary could go up to 74,500.
>> So, go ahead. That's just on one issue, but go ahead. >> Okay, commissioner, I would like to respond, but in order to do that, I'm going to have two people respond to you. The first one would be uh chief and also
human resources. >> You like to go first? I can respond to the stipens uh eligible for stipens and uh number of stipens >> if you want to respond to I don't know >> well
>> it's simple math if >> is it possible that one person could have okay no I can take care of that I apologize uh first Our stipens as as expressed cover areas that don't don't
fall in their job descriptions, extra areas, as explained before that if we didn't do in-house, we would actually have to go out and get paid services to do outside of it. It it actually uh allows us to save a little bit of money. It allows for us to get better trained officers internally so we can provide a
better product. Um we have no officers currently at the police department that have seven stipens. I can tell you that now. um if so I would be one of them. Um not to bloom my salary but um I I would qualify for uh those areas but we had we
don't have seven officers. I did agree with and we are working in that process with what Commissioner Jones stated about uh making sure we'd had some uh language that included a set number of stipens. But I I I caution us to the fact that we have to be careful. Um he
mentioned three. So I caution us to the fact that you have to understand that if we don't have anybody eligible to receive a stipen in that area, we do by law have to go outside and and recruit or do a contract with someone to come in
to do the training for us. So when we do when we do things like that, I think when the opportunity becomes available for other people to get uh certified and in that area, we do make it um to where they can get that stipen. But I don't think we should limit ourselves to the opportunity of not having someone in
house to be able to deliver that training or be able to uh in the event not only get better for their own career and better themselves but better the product of the city of Palaca which is within the PLA police department. Um in order to uh on some of them in order to
uh be placed on the unit they have to go through an oral board. They have to apply for it. um they have to receive the education um and the certificate and um they have to be able to uh um perform sufficiently in that area to continue. The other things about the stipen is the
stipen only does it temporarily while you're acting in that field. If you were to be removed from that area um you would no longer receive the stipen. It makes it eligible for someone else to receive the stipen. So it's not something that you could uh do for long to to remain for long term. Um so those
are those are a basic description of basically how our stipens work. Um how we how the stipens was originally set up to benefit um not the not the officers but the department and the city and uh how we utilize them now. Um we did he did make some very good points in our
discussion and it was it was heated and we are looking to add the the verbiage and create create the portion for the policy that outlines uh the number of the maximum stipens that you can have and that will be something that once we get completed we'll make sure we present to the city manager so she can present
to each one of you. >> Thank you for that chief. I don't want to uh direct your attention to article 12, section three that addresses exactly what you're saying. That's contrary to basically what you're you're saying. And you also said
that you got um that you guys go back, but we're we're talking about approving something now. I want to approve a finished product. Uh I think that's what you have before us to to do it. Um, and you said
there's no one that's receiving seven stipens. I understand that. But is it a possibility that they can't because all of these are obtainable or or are they not? >> Well, come on, Chief.
>> I'm come on. >> You don't know. >> I'm coming if you let me come. >> And and and this and this for the sake of time. My question is, are they obtainable? >> I I understand your question and that's why I stated yes, they are. I would have all of them if they were, but I don't.
So, it's it's it's equally spread out in the fact that when we have other people that are eligible to receive the stipens, they get the stipens. It's when we don't have people eligible to receive the stipens where we have to fall back to those who have that training. >> Got it. I understand. I appreciate that. But so, um, commissioners, this is for
commissioners and education person purposes. Article 12, section three. If I'm understanding it right, >> article 12, it say wages in section 1, two, and three. >> Let me tell them page 436 of 841. That's
what he's referring to. >> This is it's that little chart of >> referring that list final contract part two. Thank you. So, >> so it it it reads right there. So, if
you reads was stricken and then you read the final product and it could also go on to section four. These contracts are a negotiable for a reason because usually they ask for higher things and you you know how to
negotiate. I think everybody up here does. So section four, if you go down to the bottom when it say in addition to the other pay, bargaining unit members working as a certified instructor, that's just an instructor now will receive a stipen of it said it used to
be or currently I guess is it $46.16 per pay period, but it will go up to $90 per pay period that they work as a certified instructor. >> Go ahead, Commissioner Davis. If
Commissioner So, um, when I look at that, I do understand that's when they are instructed. When they're not instructing, I mean, the teachers that you say you have to go out and get. When they're not, do they still get the 96
>> $90 per per pay period or not? >> Yes, >> they still get it. Yes. In addition to Right. >> Yes. But like I made the statement before to you, we're training uh throughout the year. So to take it on and take it off, it really doesn't
benefit you at all because overall to go out and get a certified instructor to come in six to eight times a year, you're paying almost three times that amount. So to pay them that amount and not necessarily put it on and put it off,
you you you're actually benefiting as the city. The second thing is if you look at that for the pay period, if you multiply that pay period, I believe it's that makes 26 uh pay periods in a week, that's less than the $3,500 that you're talking about up top, >> right?
>> For that, >> correct? >> Just for that. But that's in addition to their regular salary. These are the questions I have and I want to make sure we all are >> up here on the same page. You had a question before I go? >> No, no, no. I'm that's a general comment so that
>> Yes, ma'am. Um I think so the last thing that I actually had and chief you didn't negotiate this right this is just >> No sir where your what's your role in this
>> good I'm glad you asked I need to know I'm glad you asked that question because I don't benefit from the the the police union at all um I'm actually the liaison in between for the city as well as the union to be able to stand in place like I'm doing now to answer any questions anyone may have for the simple fact that
uh one I carry the most experience and the knowledge for the policies and procedures and what's going on at the police department and where it would best fit for uh the city and explain what the officers are are attempting to articul articulate in their union contract. >> Great. So
when I did the comparison, not to cut our officers and our professionals short when I said 5,000 versus 3500 versus the 2,000 that I I proposed and and and I I gave the
example or the reasoning for my proposal based on the uh population that we serve and that goes from from our services that we we utilize and our taxpayers pay for as
well as what we will be paying for as we get some services from our law enforcement services. So, uh not discrediting because they're putting their life on the line every day. So, uh, so but I did have a problem with the 3500
and the 5,000 and I thought the last time we talked it was like 2500 from the city manager and uh, but in this contract to be passed it says 3500. How do we get there? >> Yes. I can explain. >> Yes, sir. Um because I speak to all five
commissioners and when I speak to all five I listen to what they're saying and you were the only one of the five that advocated the 2500. The rest that I understood when I met with them were fine with it
>> and and I did meet with each one. I did have my police chief as far Didn't we? >> No. Well, who did we >> I'll quickly explain. Uh for the the night of the meeting, um I did ask everyone if they had any further questions. We did have a confl conflict
with Commissioners Borum, Commissioner Borum's meeting, so we didn't get a chance to actually sit and meet with Commissioner Borum for the Friday meeting, but we did uh discuss with Commissioner Campbell and Commissioner Davis in regard and and Mayor Kareah in regards to the meetings and they were fine what they had and didn't have any
further questions or a need to meet with us. >> Right. And so because of that, I left it at the 35. Commissioner Davis first. >> Okay. So, this is a contract
which pretty much um to Commissioner Jones's question, the stipens really the contract is setting the amount if that criteria is met. Correct. >> Correct. So there's a contract and as
you mentioned I heard you mention there will be policies and procedures that support this contract. >> Correct. >> Okay. And so it could um make some appropriate recommendations and we'll see that the commission it'll come before the commission when it's finished
and we can approve it. >> Correct. >> Okay. So the one thing I want to do is separate the contract from the way we are meeting the contract terms and it sounds like there are some ability to limit your concern about seven versus
three, you know, someone getting all seven. >> So I do hear that possibility which would not impact the contract as it's presented right now. The second thing I want to confirm is um
that in terms of service and let me be clear I am speaking strictly from a business mind. I know Commissioner Jones w was an officer so and the way I see the city and the county, you know, our borders are very
um >> fluid. >> Fluid. Thank you. Um, and so while if we compare apples to apples as best we can with the county versus a city, yes, they have the
whole county. The city is a subset of the county. However, um I don't know that it's a one:1 ratio saying they're 5,000 and uh the um recommendation in this contract is 3500.
I don't see that as a deal breakaker. Um the other thing I want to say is one of our primary focuses for our community is public um safety, right? And
I want to ask you in terms of salary, I mean how does a city police department fair in terms of salary as compared to surrounding areas? So are we competitive so that we retain retain.
>> So um so that's a concern and I think we have to remain I do want to say that I had the opportunity and privilege to attend the um Northeast Florida Crimestoppers Awards last week and you
know sitting with Chief Shaw a couple of times officers went up to get awards and he said oh they came from Palaca. They came from Palaca. They came from PCA and I was like, "Oh my gosh, they're so amazing. I really wish they were still here." And I don't want us to be a
training ground doing great training. Um, and this is the same for the fire department, but then we can't retain these officers after we're um and firefighters after we're pouring into them. So, that's number one. Number two is in
terms of the stipen. I heard that there's an application process that you got to go to the training, you got to operate in that area. And I think that gives us um gives our officers opportunity to prepare for
next level or promotions when they become available. Um, and not only that, but just increase the depth of knowledge in our police force. So, I am a proponent of approving this
contract as it exists for all of those reasons. Um, and um, and again, I think we have the opportunity to address Commissioner Jones's concerns when we look at the policies and procedures, but in terms of
the contract, I think it's reasonable. I think it's more than fair and I think it's necessary for our officers to have these opportunities to increase their knowledge, be prepared for promotions,
and to be competitive in this area. Thank you, >> Commissioner. >> Yes, I thank you, Mayor. But again, I I'm one of the biggest fans of public health and safety. Uh that's always on the top of our list. At the same time,
everything still have has to be affordable as well. So, I always like to look at the bottom line as it relates to what is the overall cost. And the same thing I went through with the fire department. We talked to it. We went through the presentation. I have not had
the opportunity to speak with um Chief Shaw or you because I was set for the meeting. The meeting got cancelled due to uh Chief Shaw having another engagement. So, That's the only reason that I was not afforded the opportunity
to meet because I was available. Chief Shaw had a conflicting appointment and so I had not had opportunity to walk through it with you and I thought you would have known that. But um >> so I would like the opportunity in terms of the numbers and where we are if those
things can be changed or whatever I'll be fine with. But I we we we have to come to some happy medium as it relates to what's affordable for the city. We would love to and we we've gone through a number of iterations as it related to
um pay for um individuals in our city. We've we um 2018 we did the study. We went out re reclassed um various jobs and different things of that nature. 2023 we came back again and and and amped up more funds. But again when we
look at the overall u budget and how that looks >> what we take in in terms of uh avalorum tax roughly about 4.7 4.8 million
>> uh we got two department that will consume that right away and that's that is police and fire. We need to continue to put money into that those areas but those two it take up all of that avalorum plus we have to go into our >> fires >> right so we got other departments as
well so my thing is uh let's see what the affordability is that's what I like to see our overall impact before we just make a decision and not knowing if we got the funds to be able to sustain that. >> So I I would like to at least still have a conversation and look at the
presentation. >> Yes sir. If I may respond, >> if I may. >> Go ahead. >> Oh, okay. Um, so in the presentation, we did I'm sorry that you did not get that. I I thought >> you were you I wasn't afforded the
opportunity. >> Yes, I understand it. >> So, in order for us to It appears that nothing will get accomplished tonight because Commissioner B was not afforded that opportunity. Is there an opportunity for us to pull this? you get with the commissioners individually once
again, >> however that may look, so that they're able, everyone has the same playing ground if this is not an immediate action that we need to take because I do believe that Commissioner Bour I mean Commissioner Jones asked that it be removed >> having trouble hearing you in the
audience here >> to be removed before we actually had the discussion in depth and I think it would give an opportunity that when we do come back because again I don't believe it's fair um that Commissioner Borum um did
not have the opportunity and it gives him the opportunity. I still stand by what I said with regards to my conversation and not needing the meeting because I am in the same mind frame of Commissioner Davis. But again, I just don't feel like the back and forth is going to accomplish anything at this
point because even if it was to go up for a vote, again, Commissioner Borum does did not have that opportunity based on a conflicting Yes, sir. So, >> could you speak to the budget aspect of it, Miss Cotti? I think that's what I
wanted to that the amount uh the additional amount to uh meet the needs of the union, I think it was 168,000 >> overall. Yes, ma'am. >> Yeah. About 168,000. If And if we did nothing and um it just stayed as it was,
I believe it was 90,000. If we did nothing, something like that. You were more in depth with those numbers. 57. >> It's 108. >> 108. Right. So, the differential was like 60,000. >> Yeah. Something like that. If we did
nothing, I'm sorry. Go ahead. If we did nothing, right, and we allowed the thing to we did nothing, then we would still have to put in the budget additionally 108. >> Correct. >> Correct. >> Right. Now, by putting in the union
changes that we have here, >> the increment 160, you know, the difference was only 60,000. >> And and to also kind of go back to some things Chief said, these are requirements training wise, if we don't
have people that are certified to provide that training within the police department, then we have to contract out. And it sounds to me we're going to be spending a lot more than that if we were to do that. To me, it's fairly clear. I concur with Commissioner Davis. Um I I don't I hate procrastination,
which I think is what we're doing again. >> I will say this because I had the floor and you just took the floor from me, >> you guys. Yes, you did. You took the floor. So, I'm taking it back and I'm going say this and and just make it
clear. My purpose was not to say that our department didn't need this. It's not to say that uh we're not being a training ground because we've been trying for years not to be a training ground, but that's
that's going to always happen. It's just because a small department is going to accept more newbies than uh a season a bigger department. So, that's going to happen. Uh however I wanted to bring awareness to what we
are signing on to because one thing always happened when it come back to us up here. They always said you guys signed off on it. So I wanted to let you know what you signed off on and being clear transparent. There is also uh was a
section in here article 21, but I'm not going to mention it again because we've we did sign off on it and it's up here again with the union because it's a play on it's a different it's different wording in it and I caught it. But okay,
we're okay with the negotiations. I'm one guy over here and one vote. I just wanted to let our constituents know what how I feel about it. I put it out on there and I'm just one commissioner, but I'm your commissioner. So, I wanted to put it out there how we're spending
our tax dollars and I'm I'm done with it. So, whether you pull it uh or vote on it in the past right now, it's okay with me. Commissioner Borham, >> Mayor, um you you're um the facilitator of the meeting and you set kind of the
precedence of how things work and when you make comments toward other commissioners about procrastination and other things like that. I I think that's not appropriate. >> I made a general statement. It wasn't directed anyone in particular about >> oh the community is not procrastinating.
We're the We're the ones up here voting. >> General comment. >> It was a general comment directed. >> We're not to argue. I'm not >> I'm not arguing. I'm making a statement. >> Okay. >> Um but anyway, I just think it's inappropriate. >> Thank you, Commissioner Davis. >> Um I'm not finished.
>> Go ahead. Is not >> I just learned additional information from Miss Cardi. what that the total amount if you did nothing is 108,000 >> and the maximum would be 168,000.
So that being said coming and understanding that piece of it that makes me a little bit more >> knowledgeable about what I would be voting on and you were asking me to vote on something I didn't even know what the
numbers were so I don't think that's appropriate. I'm good with the numbers, but then if there's other things that Commissioner Jones would like to look at in terms of uh I I think that need to be taken in consideration as well, but I'm good with
the numbers. Uh but I just don't like when when I get these uh angle um comments. That's what I don't like. Miss Cart, if I may, u I believe the uh Commissioner Borum, I'm not sure, but I'm I believe every all of the
information was sent out to each commissioner uh with that those totals on it, with those numbers on it already, and that was the information that we preferenced to talk about at the meeting, >> right? But then again, like when we when I walked through it with the fire department, we walked through and I had
questions of certain things and we walked through those questions. >> Yes, sir. I didn't >> I did not have the opportunity and it was something outside of my control which you had an appointment that you had to uh make it. >> I didn't get a chance and so that was my
other pause. I had two things. >> No, no. I was just want to make sure you did get the information in your email in reference to those numbers. That's that's the only question I'm asking you >> because I in order for you if you didn't then I want to make sure we get it to you before we have our our next meeting. >> It's in the email.
>> We'll make sure. Thank you, >> Commissioner Danny B. >> I move that we approve consent agenda 5K. >> Second. >> We have a motion and second. Anybody here for public comment on this item?
>> Come up, Miss Kitchens. >> I agree with Commissioner Davis. Um, and the police department has been bleeding police officers since at least 2015 due to the sheriff's office and adjoining counties paying more money. So, I think this will help keep our police officers.
And $60,000 more is not it's nothing. When you add up each of you get $5,000 special events per year, that's $25,000 for spending money for special events. And then you you figure out how much money you gonna give each special event promoter this year. I think that the
police department 60,000 pales in comparison. So, please support the police department. We need them desperately. You just heard this young lady talk about one of her family members got injured. We need the police department and we need to keep them. We have trained them in years past. Mr.
Jones knows that. And then when they get trained here, they go someplace else for more money. So, approve this. No problem with it. And Mr. Borum, I understand what you're saying. uh when I was on the commission and I had questions like that and couldn't meet with staff. I went through what was in the agenda. I wrote the questions down. I emailed the staff
the questions so that I had the questions. So that might be an option for you in the in the future. And as to procrastination, uh I know what the mayor meant. I didn't take it as any of you being insulted, but it was talking about all the things that are tabled or continued. It was a general statement. I didn't take as a personal insult to anybody. And I'm
sorry that you felt you were personally insulted, but I didn't think it insulted any of you. So I hope you weren't insulted by it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anybody else here for public comments on this topic? >> Seeing none and close public comments. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposition? Thank you. Do we want to take a break? I'll keep going. Okay. Just double check on to 6B. Lama RFP bid protest.
Mayor and commissioners. This is a bid protest agenda item and the procedure that the city must follow is uh codified in our purchasing policy in section 11. I'm going to briefly read that section
so you understand how we got here. Um we had a uh bid protest on the LAR awarding the LMAR RFP. When we do have a bid protest, what is required is the general services director shall conduct
a meeting with the protesting party to attempt an amicable resolution of the protest. If such resolution does not occur, the general services director shall forward to the city manager of recommendation which shall include background information related to the bid. The city manager or designate shall
attempt to resolve the protest. If such resolution does not occur, the city manager shall forward to the commission for a recommendation which shall include background information related to the bid. The commission shall thereafter conduct an informal hearing at a
regularly scheduled meeting. And that is how we got here. So the first item you're going to see is obviously the staff report where we have made the staff recommendation affirming the analysis by the project manager and the finance director that supported the
rankings of the evaluation committee in this particular RFP. The second item in your agenda package is the informal hearing template. This is the informal hearing. We have divided the time slots into two sections. a presentation by the
Arts Council of Greater Palaka of 10 minutes. That is the protesting party here. And then also as required um by our se our purchasing policy the presentation must involve all parties and therefore there will be a
presentation by the River City Players, the Arts Alliance of Putinham and the Gathering Artists of Putinham cumulatively because they were the other entity that was awarded the bid and they will also get 10 minutes. there is no
public comment um for this particular agenda item, then it goes back to the commission for deliberation and you must render a decision on the merits of the protest to have a final action on this particular bid protest. And so that is
the template that we are following. And with that, we will commence with the presentation for a 10-minute time period by the Arts Council of Greater Palic. Please give us your name and city or town of residence when you get up to the
podium. Thank you. >> So, do any of you want the presentation itself? >> I do. Okay, >> we do. But can you give us your name, please? >> Thank you. >> Thank you.
I have a few additional copies. >> This is 10 minutes. >> That's really >> Please don't do that. >> Please come up and give us your presentation. Okay, >> we're going to have to start the clock over again, please. >> Oh, you haven't started. Yes, start the
clock. >> May I begin? >> Okay. Good evening, commissioners and mayor. I'm Dustin Watkins, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Palco. We have been Putinham County's designated local arts agency since 1975 and have stewarded the Lammer Arts
Center for more than 25 years. I appear on behalf of the Arts Council concerning the protest of RFP 202501. First, jurisdiction. For the record, the commission does not have jurisdiction over this protest. At the July 8th evaluation committee meeting, the city
attorney Jane West confirmed that Florida's statute governs the appeal process. The evaluation committee results, the effective note of intent to award again cited Florida statute 1257 subsection 3. These elections of statute
are binding and preserved in the record. Meanwhile, section 11 of the city's purchasing policy requires every solicitation to include a waiver clause. That clause is absent. By omitting it, the city waved its own policies.
Florida statute 1257 section subsection 3 subsection B through D imposes strict deadlines. Protesters have 72 hours to file a notice of intent to protest, 10 days to file a formal written protest, and the agency has seven business days to
resolve the protest or escalate it to the division of administrative hearings. We met our deadlines. The city did not meet it. The city's late reliance on the purchasing policy is not a harmless mistake. It is a jurisdictional trap.
Only after the protest was filed did the city staff begin invoking that policy retroactively. That maneuver is designed to deprive protesters of the process the city itself elected under statute and to suppress escalation to an impartial
tribunal with trial-like procedures, namely the division of administrative hearings. Any award or cancellation attempted here tonight is outside the legal authority of the commission and void. The very structure of this hearing is at odds with protest resolution. The
protest concerns procedural defects in the city's procurement process. The inclusion of River City Players, Gathering Artists of Putnham, and Arts Alliance of Putnham is merely diversionary to the substance of the protest. Framing this as a re-evaluation of proposal merits is irrelevant because
what is under protest are the city's actions, not the content of any proposal. Under Florida section 12057 subsection 3 subsection D, the city had only two lawful options. Resolve the protest or refer it to the division of administrative hearings. By staging this
hearing. Instead, the commission positions itself outside of that lawful framework. To proceed here is not neutrality. It is complicity in perpetuating the very defects under protest. Second, staff report errors.
The staff report before you include an in agenda packet is fatally defective. It claims the bid protest is included in your packet. It is not. The packet contains only a notice of intent to protest which as its title suggests is merely a notice of intent to protest.
The operative filing, the formal written protest and actual bid protest is omitted. The staff report also says our protest was comprehensively addressed in a July 16th memorandum. That is false. The protest was filed on July 18th, 2
days later. The memo could not have addressed a document that did not yet exist. In reality, our protest refutes the city's memo point by point. Third, conflicts of interest. Several conflicts undermine this process. Jay and West,
this conflict isn't about personal arrangement. It's about collapsing roles that must stay separate. As drafter, she created the rules for the competition. As counsel, she was supposed to advise on how these rules were applied and defended. As evaluator, she judged the
competitors under the rules she wrote. And she went further. At the evaluation committee meeting, she enforced postsolicitation scoring alterations ver violating the very rules she herself had drafted. No sport, no contest, no fair proceeding allows one person to write
the rules, play the game, referee it, and alter the rules midame. The conflict deepened when she drafted her own defense in the city's July 16th memo, reducing a structural conflict to a question of personal gain, and Madata confirms that she authored the template
of this very hearing, framing it as a merits review instead of a protest of the city's procedure. This is the essence of a dual role conflict. the same official creating, interpreting, defending, enforcing, and even violating the process that cannot produce a
neutral outcome. Robbie Carrera, Mayor Robbie Carrera is a founding member of the gathering artist of Putnham. Its own website says so. That creates a clear appearance of impropriy, especially where her vote could, assuming that this was the proper forum, be decisive.
Carlos Dominguez bridto Carlos Dominguez bridto circulated. He dispersed altered scoring criteria to the evaluation committee after the close of solicitations, decreasing weight for facility maintenance and inflating finances that prejudice the evaluation.
These are not minor lapses. They are structural conflicts that go to the heart of procedural integrity. Fourth, competing biders. This protest is about the city procedure, not merits of proposals, but context matters. River City Players has operated since 2018,
paying roughly $4,500 annually to the Arts Council, 10% of its gross proceeds. That does not cover utilities and amounts to a subsidy by the Arts Council. Gathering Artis of Putnham was founded by the sitting mayor. Arts Alliance of Putnham was
incorporated only two months before the issuance of the RFP with overlapping leadership and addresses with a gap. It appears engineered to circumvent any potential restrictions against for-profit entities occupying the LMER
building. Together, these facts reinforce the city's procurement posture was neither neutral nor competitive. And this leads to yet a another potential defect. The city knows that the Lmer property is subject to the Melon Reverter clause, a deed restriction tied
to the building's use. Yet, the RFP is silent on this condition. By omitting it, the city mis misrepresented the very interest being solicited. It invites bids without disclosing restrictions that may bar certain entities from
occupying the building at all. City attorney Jane West and internal communications volunteered to sit on the evaluation committee because she had studied this clause. Yet, public records requests for the clause submitted on July 15th and again on August 6th have been nonresponsive. Last 10 minutes is
not nearly enough to cover and adjudicate the defects in the procurement of RFP 202501. But the central point is simple. The city chose to bind itself to state statute. The city missed its statutory deadlines. This commission does not have
jurisdiction. Any actions taken here tonight are ultra vieres beyond the city's legal authority. The proper venue is the division of administrative hearings. No amount of rallying will change that. This is not a matter of popularity or re-evaluation. It is a
matter of violations that the very governing policy the city itself chose. >> Thank you. I'll see the rest of my time. >> Thank you. Next, we have the presentation by River City Players, the
Arts Alliance of Putinham, and the Gathering Artists of Putinham LLC. also for a 10-minute time period. >> Good evening, mayor. Good evening, commissioners. Uh, my name is Kevin Shar. I live at 114 Riverview Drive, East Palatka. I am speaking on behalf of
River City Players, the Arts Alliance of Platinum, and the Gathering Artists of Platinum LLC. So to begin, um there's a lot of talk about uh Florida statute 120.57. Uh what you should also know is there's another section of that statute. First
of all, attorney West said that the time to protest was laid out in that statute and that is true. The section three does lay out the time for a protest. However, this section also deals with hearings involving disputed issues of material
fact and also hearings involving issues with no disputed material fact. And what you have here is an issue where there is no disputed material fact. And when you look at that section of the statute, which is paragraph two, it talks about having this form of a hearing, which you
have here tonight. So I would argue that within the statute it's clearly uh appropriate for you to be having this hearing this evening. In your packet you did receive the underlying bids responses from both of the organizations. Um I think that the
evaluation committee uh form their evaluation. I think other individuals can go and look at the the bids that were proposed and form their own evaluation. And I think I think we would do we would stand very well from anybody going and just looking at the two. And you can strip names off them. It doesn't
matter. Just look at what's there and what's being proposed. So that being said, I would uh basically request that the city uh commission follow staff recommendation and uh approve what has been uh presented to
you by the evaluation committee. But before we go into all that or along with all that, I'll give you some more information. Um, first there was some mention of a reverter clause. I will say I've heard that multiple times and so I decided to do some investigation myself.
The best I could come up with from Mr. Gullet who went and pulled the deep files was the actual deed of conveyance of the property upon which the building sits. It was in 1903 for I believe was $600. You bought the whole block over there. This is before the building was
even there. So there's no reverter clause in a deed that I've been able to find. If there's any kind of restriction on the use of the building, it would have to be somewhere in city archive records where there was some kind of a grant that was contingent upon something, but we don't have that before
us and I I don't I've tried to find it personally. So I just put that to you. Now we talk about the um or Mr. Watkins spoke about how long that the arts council has uh been the steward of the property.
I'm glad he used that term and not the tenant because we do not actually have a lease agreement uh that was ever in place here. What we had here was an arts council agreement back in 1997 between the city and the arts council basically saying, "Hey, the city's going
to agree to let the arts council manage the building and the schedule for a period of 20 years or until such time as either party cancels this within 90 days notice." So I would say back in 19 2017
after the 20 years this agreement itself expired. if you want to see it under some kind of a lease, commercial lease agreement law or whatever. And at that point, you have a what we call a teny at sufference. And um just the term kind of makes me think of that movie uh Pacific
Heights back where you had uh Michael Keaton rented property and they couldn't remove the tenant from the property. He was damaging the property. Anyways, um I would like to we it was also raised as the the relatively recent uh formation
of the um of the Arts Alliance of Putnham. If we're going to speak about history and when things have happened, I think it's important that the commission understand the following history. And this is the Arts Council of Greater PLCA's board. They were incorporated in
1975. In 2007, Rosemary Anderson was named the president. In 2020, when CO arrived, Denise Aken, who was the executive director, basically for health reasons, left PLA, left Putinham County, and to my
knowledge has not physically returned to that space or the county since 2020. And yet, she was the authority figure of the arts council controlling apparently the schedule and the building in the main. what whatever. All right. So, up until
2024, Rosemary Anderson was still named as the president, which is about, I don't know, 20 years, something like that. Uh, and Denise Aken was the director. Um, interestingly, May 29th of 2025 when they filed the
annual report, all of a sudden there's a whole new slate of individuals named on the board and instead of it Rosemary, now it's Reic Johnson as the president. Dwayne Mun is vice president and some other individuals. in the end of uh May or beginning of May
is the first I saw any email from Denise referring to Raikica and following that she basically was indicated as the president in the response to the RFP that was submitted. So here's a a new uh president for their board submitting this and Dustin Watkins
was indicated as the executive director when I then was asked to provide the new executive director Mr. Watkins with a Wi-Fi password and I asked, "Well, can you just tell me who it is?" And I was I was given his name. That's when I went and looked and realized that he's actually Rama's son. So, apparently,
they decided to put in a whole new board and actually one of my board members was a board member prior to finding out that they were no longer a board member when this new filing happened. So, um, when I asked, well, is that even how is how is that decision made? Is that a paid
position? Whatever. No one could give me any actual information to that. Um July 8th the evaluation committee met recommendation was posted and at that meeting uh Mr. Steven Crowley asked, "Is there a means to protest or object to
this?" And subsequently, I was kind of surprised. Subsequently, I found out that apparently Raikica had stepped down as the president and now Steven has stepped in temporarily as president. And so, he's the one who is saying, "Hey, how can we object?" Well, um, subsequent
to that, it appears that Mr. Crowley has also stepped down as president. I have no idea who the actual board members are or who the leadership is of that board at this point. Um I did um the notice to appeal was filed signed by Mr. Watkins
on July 11th and on July 15th is when the uh Lammer started to be open to the public basically in response to the request in the RFP for there to be you know the building being open to the public. Prior to that, the only time anybody was in there to actually see the art being exhibited was on the opening
night and then whenever we would have our plays for those 10 days, people were able to access the building and see what was in there. So, the whole reason uh well, one of the main motivators that I that I have in this is that the kind of
events that we do require long range planning, like a year and a half out to get the rights to do certain plays, have the time set to sell advanced tickets, etc. And for that reason, it's very imperative for us to have some stability with calendaring and scheduling. And
historically, it's been very difficult because the arts council, Miss Aikens, basically, you know, her her event planning horizon is much shorter, maybe, you know, two weeks and then, oh, we're going to have a concert and that pops up, but she wants to hold dates on the
calendar in case she gets something scheduled. It's just very difficult for us to plan around. I believe that our proposal that we presented that was scored higher uh basically addresses getting people into the building, increasing foot traffic, making it a more vibrant and welcoming area. I
believe you have the authority to take action uh in accordance with what your stat uh your legal council has given you, but I'll give you a couple other possible steps you could take. Just so you see it out here, you could take I believe the city commission has the authority to take what we call su sponte
action. In other words, hey, we're not even going to consider what the evaluation committee did. We're just going to it's been noticed, we've seen the bids, we're going to take an action ourselves and do it. Uh you could uh formally notice the tenant at suffit to vacate the building and say, "Okay, while we sort all this out, I tell you
what, we're going to take control of our building and we'll have control over what the calendar is for the next couple of months and we'll have control over who has what in it or etc. I mean, that's a possibility in my mind. Um, as I said, this is a hearing that's not
involving disputed issues of material fact. Um, so I think uh at the at the end of the day, who is it that the city wants to to work with and collaborate with? And with that, I thank you very much for your time and ask you
to support our position. >> Thank you. >> No, please. Stop. Stop, please. Um I'm going to open up in discussion for a minute but because there's been an a comment or allegation made that I
am involved with GAP I can explain but also should I recuse myself and I'm asking you that this >> so these are the >> No you can't you cannot sorry >> so these are um I'm reading directly from form B the memorandum of voting conflict for county municipal and other
local public officers um in order to comply with section 112 of the Florida statutes. A person holding elective or appointed municipal office must abstain from voting on a measure which would end inure to his or
her special private gain or loss. Each elected or appointed local officer also must abstain from knowingly voting on a measure which would enure to the special gain or loss of a principal by whom he or she is retained including the parent, subsidiary or sibling organization of a
principal to the special private gain or loss of a relative and relative is defined later. So if any of that criteria do you have a special private gain or loss? >> No. Then it is your decision on whether
or not you want to recuse yourself from the vote. >> Let me know if you do and I'll have you fill out a form AB. >> If I don't want any question of impropriety, so I'm more than willing to accuse myself. I do want to clarify that I encourage the gap organization to
form. I've not been a part of it in any way, shape or form. I just in fact ironically encouraged them to form so they could provide some additional dosent services to the lammer to keep it open and work with the arts council who I've also been a long-term supporter of
in many ways which can be researched and found to be true. Um, but I'm more than happy to recuse myself if people are commendable. Okay. Thank you. We'll go on discussion. Commissioner Campbell, do you have any
regards to the um the question the recusal? If the answer was no vote, if the answer would have been yes,
she should not vote. the um jurisdictional um issues and then you can deliberate but it I think >> chapter 120 of the Florida statutes it is Important to note that municipalities are not automatically bound by the APA,
but they may adopt relevant parts under their own ordinances and codes. And if you will look at code section 54-160.10, declaration of exclusion from the administrative procedures act, um we
very explicitly back in 2008 removed ourselves from the jurisdiction of the APA. It says nothing contained in this article shall be construed or interpreted to include the city in the definition of an agency contained in
Florida statute 120 or to otherwise subject the city to the application of the administrative procedures act Florida statute 120. This declaration of intent and exclusion shall apply to all proceedings taken as a result of or pursuant to this article. So I just wanted to clarify that the references to
DOA which is under chapter 120 are not relevant. DOA does not have jurisdiction here and that is why we are following our purchasing policy. If there is a disagreement with the decision that is rendered here tonight, the appropriate form of appeal would be to circuit
court. And with that, you must deliberate and further just so you have a little guidance here. According to our purchasing policy, following the presentation by all involved parties,
the commission shall render its decision on the merits of the protest. And that is where you are now. >> Madam, may I have a question? >> Miss West, uh, in reference to the questions that the young man had and the
affiliations that he accused you having, where are we with that? I mean I would I need some guidance on that. >> Sure. As to me serving on the evaluation committee that is completely standard procedure. I have served on evaluation
committees um for RFPs in the past and ITPS. Um there is nothing flawed about that. >> Yeah. But do you have any conflict at all with being a part of one side or the other? >> No. I drafted the RFP for the LMER. Um,
I took it upon myself to do the research to find out the history of the project, of the building. Um, I'm interested in the history of the particular building. So, I researched that. The documents that I found, um, were all online. We do
not have any particular documents here in the city that would be produced as a result of a public records request. Um, and so in compiling that research, it was deemed that it was appropriate for me to serve on the evaluation committee because I had taken all the time to do
all that research and I drafted the RFP. >> Any other questions? >> I had drafted numerous RF. It's >> Well, yeah, but it you were there's allegation that you had conflict. So that's why it's a question clarify. Not
only that, the the the la final question I have is the procurement policy and we don't have a uh procurement officer at this time. So um there was a question of how we did
things and the error erroneous way we did it. Could anybody do anybody want to >> We don't have a general services director. And if you recall when I was reading the purchasing policy, there's numerous references to the general services director. Um given the lack of
a general services director, city manager uh appointed finance director to serve in that capacity. And as she served in that capacity, one of her responsibilities was to attempt to meet with the bid
protester. Um, and that did not happen. So therefore, um, it was referred up to me. So therefore, I met with him and did listen to everything. I also met with staff to be certain that there was no
conflict of interest to the best that I could. Um, additionally, I looked at um the original the what he's referring to with uh the project manager uh the grading of the the points and so
forth. I looked at both ways. I looked at what was in the RFP. I looked at what was calculated and I also looked at the one calculated afterwards. So uh there was a very small how and it's in the
package as well that the difference was minimal like the basically what I'm saying is that the uh choice the selection would have been the same the evaluation committee >> go ahead commissioner Davis
>> when I look at the notice of protest there are seven areas that were specifically protested tested. Um, I'm going to ask the city clerk to put up the protest answers in response to that if you would. I just want to reference the documents. And
while she's pulling that up, the areas or the categories were fundamental ambiguity in the RFP document, failure to ensure transparent bidding pro procedures, improper composition of evaluation committee, prejuditial
deviation from published scoring criteria, misidentification of proper uh uh proposer during evaluation, arbitrary and capricious scoring, gross procedural irregularities and f in final
records. So, and this document is in the actual formal written protest packet. Um, and the responses were provided by Carlos Dominguez Breurto, who's the
city's project manager, and Chantel Pierre, the finance director. So when I looked at this document, yes, that's the document. If you could make it larger so everyone can see it. The the responses provided
um what my question is in the responses provided um it it looks like the everything was addressed. Um, I don't know that I see any
thing that wasn't addressed. So, is it appropriate that I can ask or um just feedback? Because that's really what we're here for, right? The protest only, not what was decided, but to address the
protest and to make a decision as to how we'll move forward. So, I see that all of these items were addressed and I did not see any other response to them. So, I'm assuming they are they addressed
anything. Was there any additional contact or uh questions um by phone or in writing after this response was given from the
organization that protested? And that's Miss Pierre, Mr. Breida. >> Can everybody hear me? >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, so the the answers was emailed to Mr. Watkins and at that point I will
say I was not part of the scoring or the valuation committee. I was not yet hired or did not start here at that time. I'm coming in after the fact. Um, I became involved when it came to the point where we had to reach out to Mr. Watkins to
meet with him um to honor what's in our policy. Um, he basically refused to meet with me. I attempted at least twice to meet with him. He refused and insisted to meet with the city manager instead.
And at that point, um, I forwarded that to Miss Cardi and she reached out to him. >> Right. >> Thank you. >> Mhm. >> Um, >> so in regards to that, was that kind of the full answer?
>> Yes, you're you're that's fine. Thank you. I just wanted to know. So, um, Miss Cardi, >> yeah. No, I didn't say anything other than I met with him. I heard his concerns and then I met with staff to make certain that we had to address it
completely. I considered all options as to how would I approach this you know even withdraw and all kinds of things but uh basically uh council informed me that we had to adhere to the purchasing
policy. purchasing policy says that once there has been a bid that's in protest, we must follow the steps. So what I wanted to do, I really could not do because it would not have complied with policy. Thank you.
Um and again as I read this I just want to say that in this document it says the city does acknowledge I know one of the um protest concerns or one of the items
that was protested was a clerical error in naming the organization um but it says it was a scrivener's error in the documentation only that the evaluators recognized iz that this was the Arts Council of Greater Palacla
um and there was no confusion as to who they were evaluating. Um, in terms of the RFP process, there's an indication that there's a difference between an R request for proposal, which is RFP, which is
different from an invitation to bid and ITB with the ITB being based solely on price. So under the RFP process, proposals are evaluated based on these qualitative factors which is what occurred.
Um so let's see I am just looking um I think the third item was improper composition of evaluation committee which we just heard from Miss
West that there was no conflict of interest presented when the city attorney served on the committee. Um, this conclusion was reached through a thorough review of the corresponding Florida statutes and the rules regulating the Florida bar,
>> specifically the rules of professional conduct. Um, and there was no unfair competitive advantage and no private interest to influence the participation. I will say that I did personally go look up to see what's what
was a best practice for a city attorney in particular sitting on an evaluation committee for an RFP. And what I got from my research is that it is um allowable and in most instances seen as
um providing confidence for the evaluation considering the um attorney understands um what is being looked for and to provide some credibility based on
professional standards and position um the scoring issue. So I believe the complaint or the I use the right terminology, the protest was that
the scoring by the evaluation committee was arbitrary or capricious. Um and that whenever an evaluator scores, it's a normal and expected part of the process because each evaluator
evaluates based on their review of the RFP. um with variations occurring. Um it notes that the evaluations was conducted in accordance with Florida procurement standards and the evaluators
had access to the same materials and the same scoring guidelines. I know there was a difference in the scoring points, maximum points in the RFP versus the scoring documents that were
used. And it was mentioned that the final rankings reflected the average and compiled results of a legitimate evaluation process. when the
um scores were put into the um using the scoring um in the RFP the results were the same is what I just understood that I just heard.
>> Yes. And finally, the last protest was um sorry, number seven, I'm going back and forth. I just want the attendees to hear that there were
gross procedural irregularities in the final records. um saying that numerous scores were visibly overwritten on scorecards and that the master ranking sheet totaling the final results was not
signed by the committee. Um and the city's response is that the individual evaluation sheets were signed by each evaluator. There were some notes and we have copies of those um that were taken
and again they were signed. The markings do not indicate procedural flaws but rather demonstrate the evaluator's active engagement with the scoring criteria in the proposals. The master ranking sheet was generated based on the signed
individual score sheets. While the master sheet itself does not bear signatures, it functions as a summary and compilation document and the accuracy is verifiable against the signed originals and that it does not undermine the integrity or finality of
the evaluation results. So those are the responses. Um not hearing any objection. I just wanted to go through that for the purpose of the attendees to understand what the city responded and that's all I have.
Thank you. Commissioner Borne, do you have anything? >> I don't have anything. Commissioner Jones, Commissioner Campbell, with that said, how would we like to proceed at any further deliberation?
And so we are required to make a decision. Mayor, >> go ahead. >> I'm going to move that we accept the recommendation of the evaluation
committee. Seeing there are no um followups or based on the responses. >> We have a motion in a second. All in favor?
>> I Any opposition. >> Did you vote? I'm sorry. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't I couldn't Okay. We >> for the record, can we please? >> You want to do a roll call for the Huh? Excuse me. Go ahead. >> I did. I was just going to for a roll call.
>> I was just doing the same thing because of that. Could we have a roll call, please? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Commissioner Davis, >> we're doing a roll call. >> Yes. I'm sorry. The reason I'm was hesitant. Is there public comment on this or because Okay, thank you. I just
wanted to make sure we didn't have to backtrack. >> Um, yes, Commissioner >> Campbell. Yay. Commissioner Jones. >> Yes. Commissioner Borum. >> Yay. Yes. Unanimous.
Thank you. >> On next to the next agenda item, discussion, direction, legislative priorities and appropriations. >> Yes. Um so we're um uh we are meeting with our lobbyists and we're also uh
developing information forming information as to where and hoping that um commissioners are you know giving us guidance as well. Uh today we did have a meeting with the lobbyists. uh their
suggestion is that we focus on um completing the uh appropriations that we have thus far. Um we are currently have at least about 14 to 15 million that we're in the midst of working on. Their
suggestion is to finish that as quickly as we can at least between 2026 and 2027. also to tell the story and to memorialize which we're in the midst of doing right now. Additionally, if we are
going to go after uh or request funds from our legislators, um the the recommendation was to continue with infrastructure and public safety. Uh we do have a a PowerPoint
here that would give what we were thinking but we are going to pretty much follow the guidance of our lobbyists. >> Any questions? >> Would you like to look at the PowerPoint? >> You want to see the PowerPoint? Go ahead. I think for the community to see the PowerPoint would be helpful.
>> I got a comment. >> And that form is the form we utilize when we submit. Okay. >> Yep. Can you go to the PowerPoint, please? >> I had a comment. >> Okay. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Commissioner B. >> These these things are very important.
Our appropriation um priorities that we have every year. Um one key thing that we need to do as commissioner staff >> Yes, sir. is to make sure that we meet
set up meetings with our representative and we need to >> I've asked in the past to set up meetings with our representatives just sap we need to set up a meeting with him within the next month.
>> Yes. and follow up with having him to invite him to have updates from what's happening and materializing in Tallahassee. That's important. >> Yes, sir. >> The other key thing before we go to
Tallahassee and do any lobbying again like to have >> information, >> prepared information, >> right? >> Bullet points with pictures so that we can present to them so we can have something to give to them. We only missed out on this one year.
>> So we and it was I think that was super important because we did not get appropriations this year because they didn't see a story. They heard the story. We took the story to them but it did not stay with them. >> Exactly. >> So can you please >> and everything you're saying is exactly
what the lobbyist said as well. You're completely correct. I have a question while go ahead to No, it's not. No, it says city of educated priorities. It's got photos, >> right? Keep going. Right after that, right there.
>> Yes. And can you >> That's it. >> Thank you. Uh, Miss Cardi. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Um, and the the priorities as we review them, I guess I want to know are they aligned or is there opportunity where to
align these with the county priorities? Is there some relevance or relationship or something? I was just just understand. >> I'll I'll be candid and admit I did not do that, but I will definitely do that.
Look at it. I appreciate it because I think that provides additional leverage and I know we have some of the same concerns but at least if there are some synergies we can state that there are some yeah that we're in partnership with our
county. Imagine that. >> Thank you Miss uh >> uh next slide please. So, uh, the first legislative priority, um, tapping into that infrastructure narrative is clean water infrastructure
for a growing city. Palaca's water reclamation plant was established in 1985. Currently treats about 1.7 million gallons of flow per day. Um, we need uh essentially more lift stations and they cost 2 million each. And the entire
reclamation plant, if you've been out there, does need to be expanded because we are getting a lot of growth. And so to uh afford this request, the city is requesting 7.2 million in state appropriations. Next slide, please. Improving
transportation in infrastructure. We are the county seat of Putnham. We've all seen that increased traffic, especially on Reed, and we are a connecting corridor to surrounding uh counties. Thank you. So, in order to improve connectivity, we are seeking uh a
request of 4 million in state appropriations. A good chunk of that is going to go towards uh according to public works, central brick roadways that require reconstruction. >> Next slide. Upgrading an industrial fleet vehicles again for a growing city.
You heard about this a little bit at the last um commission meeting where we are getting all new residents and they are going to need garbage trucks. Um, these vehicles, uh, I learned from public works are really expensive. They're about $3 million or $300,000 each. And
so we are requesting 1.5 million in state appropriations. Next slide, please. Tapping into the public safety legislative priority, supporting our first responders. You all are very familiar with the 1.8 million
that uh we're trying to budget for for a new ladder truck. And finally, tapping a little bit into economic development um and addressing the the ports consolidated lot next door. Um, we're
going to try and draw some innovative public private partnership investments and that would need a consultant to help with that economic development plan so we can go out into the private sector and try and attract as much money to lift that piece of property up because
it is in our entry corridor. We anticipate that that would cost about approximately 230,000. Um, and just a reminder, the Putham County Legislative Delegation meeting is next Friday, the 19th at 10 in the
morning, and that will take place at the Putnham County Governmental Complex, and our state reps will be there in attendance hearing all of our legislative priorities. So, it is imperative that we express what our priorities are at that time. And for
that reason, we brought this to the commission tonight to let you understand that we will be there. We will be attending. We will be presenting. And your feedback will be very helpful to us, you know, like now. So we know that
we are representing what you want us to represent. >> Go ahead, Commissioner. >> I just have one with regards to the economic um development. That number needs to increase >> I was thinking >> and the reason I'm asking that it be
increased is it's best to put flame uh filet >> yeah it's good to put that expanded number >> right >> uh filet minyong I know how to say it y'all laughing a little too hard but I
think it's um very important for us to put that number inflated number and land somewhere up under versus putting the number that we think something actually may cost and not meeting that mark. Okay. >> And that's the only reason I would like to see that number increase um because
if we do get the higher number, it gives us an opportunity to expand fundings in other places. >> Thank you. >> Go ahead, commissioners. >> Uh I agree with Commissioner Campbell. I in looking at these priorities, there's
definitely improving transportation infrastructure is definitely an opportunity with the county and this is critical. Um, and the reason the county has a vested interest in this is because they are approving
all of these projects, right? We have the one in East Palaca. We have them around and to get from point A to point B, they're coming on these roads already. which are already overt taxed. So again, that's some leverage that we can use to
get some uh coordination in getting that supported to support their already approved projects. It's going to increase cars and trucks and everything on that highway. So
>> go ahead. Just a quick question for the meeting on Friday, next Friday. What's the allotted time for the city to be able >> Last year it was three minutes. >> Yeah, it was >> when we when we went last year. >> Yeah, it was three minutes. >> There there is usually difference. I've
attended legislative delegation meetings throughout the entire state of Florida. They do give a lot of difference to the government officials. If you're a member of the public, it's usually limited to three or five minutes, but for government representatives, there's leeway. >> So, I think
>> it's just three. They they cut you off at three. >> Yeah. So, I think it goes back to the importance of what Commissioner Bourne was saying because what I would love the idea of, and this would include our public information officer, if we are available um if we are successful in
getting those meetings with the reps, I would love for them to have a more um a better visual of the water treatment plant. And I don't think that picture does the justice of what that water
plant needs at the moment. >> So I don't know if there could be some kind of visual >> video or some other things of those kind of things when we get those meetings. Um because it I get the if we're going to get them before we get to Tallahassee,
it makes more sense to hit them hard at the beginning. So when we go there, we leave them with that um that pamphlet, the simple pamphlet, but they have a visual already of what it is that we're dealing with. >> Yeah. And additionally um if I may go ahead,
>> additionally uh they have uh their assistant there. So on next Friday, we can also leave with the assistant the uh handout or the information as well. >> All of that builds up to when you finally get their
And so to piggy back off of Commissioner Campbell's um invitation to have that visual, uh I think we can even go one step further and have a field trip set up so that they can come out and see it. And and if it's not the representative
or the senator, uh the key people who are the the the gatekeepers are are the aids. So, um, if they put their eyes on it and different things of that nature. So, we want to at least get them to the field if we can. >> So, yeah,
>> agree. And I think we can tie it into the benefits for the county as well for getting the funding to enhance and provide more capacity on our part as the city. Um, also which just Miss Cottie and I are meeting with Mr.
Suggs and the chairman Wilkinson on Friday to discuss possible future meeting dates and also agenda items. So to that end, I I asked Miss Cotty, but if you haven't had that information yet because each of you provide an agenda item to Miss Cotti,
>> please. >> Yes. And I have a draft agenda >> for the first meeting. >> Well, we also have to get in. >> No, no, no. I mean I mean Yeah. I don't mean not for their input. I'm just saying sometimes it's easier to edit
than create. >> Okay. >> Um >> I I did that too. >> Yeah. >> And question. >> So I want to reiterate what Commissioner Borum said. Don't just read this. Let's tell a story. >> Yes. >> And please the story you tell make it so
that we understand the story so we are always giving the same >> on the same page. Thank you. I just want to make sure we got we got to use the three minutes wisely, >> right? >> And um and help our legislators to understand
why they need to pay attention to the city of Palaca and Putinham County and all the areas they re um they represent and why it's important to them. So I just can't reiterate that enough. They want to hear a story. They don't want to read a paragraph. They don't want to
hear a paragraph. And another thing, the reason I think a visual, not only so much for the representatives, but for our constituents here in the city, um you'll be surprised at the amount of people that take trips up to Tallahassee
for whatever reason um during the legislative season that may be from our area. We bump into them all the time. But I think if they have an idea, they say, "Hey, I'm from Palaca." But if we do, and I'm all about campaigns because I feel that we've lacked so much in that
area previously that this should be another campaign. Hey, these are the legislative priorities going into the um next season. this is the story that we're telling in Tallahassee when we go to Tallahassee so that they actually see
what it is that we're advocating for because I don't believe again we rely on certain sources to provide information to our community and a lot of times it's misconstrued and it's one-sided or it could be sided not to the best but I
think if we can work to do a visual having some of our staff speak um on it having some of our I I want to do a campaign with regards as we enter into it. So when we tell people we're in Tallahassee, this is what it is that we're doing in tea. This is what we're
advocating for in Tallahassee. We need your support. You have people that can sit um behind keyboards, send emails to the different representatives. You have people that and I just feel that we need to do a better job at telling our story locally so that when we are abroad more
people is tell more people are telling the story outside of the five individuals that take that trip to Tallahassee. >> Go ahead. >> And like Commissioner Campbell was saying we certainly need to make sure that we expand on that. They want to see us. They want us to be there advocating,
but we need to also take our department head, people who uh have the expertise in the areas especially that we are trying to um get appropriations um for. >> That's a good suggestion. And and also
we we have to let them know that we're being good stewards of their dollars because the funding that we get, we need to let them know here's where we were. Here's where we are. And we can, you know, and say, "Hey, we got 67 miles of pipe that needed to be completed. We
have completed 23 miles of pipe and we have this much more to go. Here's the funding left that we need." They might give it all to us, but we have to tell tell those stories. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Any further discussion or comments? Thank you.
>> On to public hearings. Second reading airport chapter 7 ordinance 202516 an ordinance of the city of black of Florida establishing chapter 7 of the municipal code of the city of black of Florida pertain to the airport establishing the jurisdictional and territorial limits rules and
regulations of the airport advisory board providing for serverability and effective date and scriveness errors the second reading. Does anybody have any questions? Is there anybody here for public comment on this item? Seeing no closed public
comment. Do we have a motion? >> Yes. Move to approve ordinance 2025-16. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. >> He'll have to vote when he come back. >> Well, >> we can he must want to use the restroom
>> soon, but he'll still have to render a vote. >> I know he still has to vote. That's why I'm kind of pausing a little bit and let's just do it all at once instead of moving on. >> So, we're going to take a recess. You can think of anything. Second reason to not go far.
We have a motion in a second. All in favor? >> I. Any opposition? Thank you. On to second reading. Ordinance number 202540 and 202542 in regards to posle 1210 2608200050. Address 249 President Street. Do we have
Do we have any questions? >> I got a question. The um this this parcel this was tied up during the time when we had a conflict of interest with one of our city
employees who was per time. It is dated February 19th 2025 when I guess that property was um acquired or what have you. And so I have some I have paws on it in terms of it
being like a conflict of interest based on the internal invest in investigation that we had. So that's my pause. >> It is this the same address though or >> 2409 >> Yes. President. >> Yeah. I missed that. I missed it the
last time and I looked it up and I saw the the issue with that. So that's why I'm I'm I called it this time. So that's why I'm I have pause. >> Okay. So you had a question or >> No, I mean I'm just saying this was a
conflict of interest piece of property at the time the investigation was going on with a former employee here in the city of Pala. This is still was tied into the whole link analysis that we had with Ros.
>> I would refer that to the city attorney, but I'm not aware. I seen I mean I seen the date the sales and the whole nine. So I'm just I just had pause with it and my vote would be different. >> Um I miss West was this the same is this
property I thought we talking Smith in that instance. >> I'm sorry I did step out. What can you? >> So we're talking about second reading for ordinance number 202540 and 202542. Um 2409 President Street 121026 082000
1 0 050. >> If you look at the link analysis, the link analysis shows one of the individuals on there that that the individual was in business with is part of this whole setup. So that's my pause and that's going that's just my vote.
It's in the link analysis and I saw I caught that when the when the last time it came before us. So that's my uh position on it. >> So >> it was linked up in tie at the same time
period the the investigation was going on. So that's my pause and issue with it and I'm staying staying to to to my tune. Commissioner Davis >> and um I just want to know um even though we passed the first reading of
it, if the second reading doesn't pass and it's just done or can we talk about consequences to this these decision? >> Absolutely. If if this applicant has met the essential requirements of the law,
it is my advice that you pass um this application. Um otherwise we would subject the city to potential liability. >> Well yeah and I've got to um open it up to public comment. >> Is there anybody here for public comment on this issue
>> or on this property I should say >> is the applicant >> as the applicant present? >> Yes. This an agent for the applicant >> this Yes. And that's fine. Would you like to come up Mr. Kennedy and Kenny? I don't know what to say. There's no real question.
Um, okay. With that said, there's nobody for public comment on this issue. Do we have a motion to approve? >> Motion to approve. Second. Do we have a second?
>> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. All in favor? Well, let's do a roll call, please, Madam Clerk. Sorry. >> Commissioner War. >> No. >> That ain't usually the order, but no. >> Davis. Dave.
>> Yes. 32 passes. Second reading ordinance number 202543 and ordinance number 202545 regarding possible 12 number 121026
403040046 located at 2706 Diesel A. Anybody have any questions of the planning director? Do we have a motion? Can we Oh, sorry. I have a question. Um, can we do 2025 and 43 and 45 or we do
need to do them separately? >> Do them together. >> You want to do them separ. >> Can I I can do them together. >> Do them previously. Motion to approve >> a second. >> Motion to second. Anybody have a public comment on this? Being none, we'll close
public comment. All in favor? I any opposition? Thank you. Um F adopt ordinance 20255 fees schedule ordinance of the city of Palcoa, Florida amending the Pala municipal code and amending appendix A
fee schedule of the municipal code of city of Palac as it pertains to fees and other charges related to chapter 34 by provision and protection. Chapter 46 defenses and miscellaneous provisions. Chapter 50 parks and recreation. Chapter 82 traffic and vehicles. Chapter 86
utilities and chapter 95 administrative fees providing for conflictability effective date and scriers errors >> move second. >> We have a motion a second any discussion. Anybody here for public comment? Seeing
any closed public comment all in favor? >> I. Any opposition? Thank you. Ordinance number 202531 and ordinance number 202533 identified pos 1610260024000013
589 Kelly Smith School Road in Palaska. Commissioners, uh, been informed by today that the school board needs a little bit more time to complete the legal description and they're asking this to be continued to the next meeting of September 25th.
>> I'll make a motion that we continue this to our next meeting. >> We have a motion and second continuance to the next meeting. All in favor? >> I. Any opposition? Thank you. >> Question. >> You can see. So currently
>> yes >> um that property is in the county correct >> it is in the county. So this this second re was for the annexation and for the reasoning of that property. It is owned by the schoolboard district >> right. So
technically the county got all the fruit, you know, they got the taxes for that property, you know, when it was owned by private person and they're getting ready to sell it to the county, which once the county school district
get it, we going to annex it and get no taxes. >> Well, they're asking for the annexation, the voluntary annexation. Yeah, but we won't get any taxes or any benefit from that property. Right.
Just that's 10 acres. They need to, you know, they need the water and the sewer service from the city. That's the reason for that mixation. >> It's going to be on it will be on the agenda for next meeting, >> right? And then there'll be opportunity
for public comment then. Thank you. On to the first public hearing for the proposed millage rate and budget for fiscal year 2025 2026 6.0000 mills proposed.
Um adopt resolution 2025 R114 setting the proposed FY 2025 2026 millage rate at 6 at 6.400 mills. Adopt resolution 2025 R123 adopting the tentative budget for fiscal year 20252026
in the amount of 85,592,317. We're going to go on to that process. Introduction to public hearing for city of Palaca fiscal year 2025 2026 tentative mill and budget. The city of Palaca commissioners convenes the public hearing on the city of Palaca fiscal
year 2025 2026 proposed millillage rigs intentive budget as required by Florida statutes chapters 129 and 200 as advertised in the truth of millage trim notices. If anyone not audience is here for the purpose of contesting their assessment, a petition for adjustment
with the value adjustment board should be filed by 5:00 PM Thursday, September 10th, 2025 as stated in the term notices sent via first class mail by the county's property appraisal to every taxpayer on the property value assessment role. For those in attendance
this evening wishing to address the commission, citizens comments will be taken following the overview of the tentative budget by the finance director. The finance director, Chantel Pia, will now present an explanation of the proposed and roll back millage rates. Miss Pia.
>> Good evening, mayor and commissioners. This evening, we'll take a few actions related to the adoption of the proposed millage rate and budget for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026. Tonight's hearing is the first of two public hearings required to be held per
Florida statutes prior to the adoption of final millage rate and the budget by a taxing authority. As such, this is not the final budget hearing and the final adoption of the millage rates and budgets will not be considered tonight. At the conclusion of this hearing, a
specific date, time, and place of the second public hearing for adoption of final millage rate and budget will be established. Florida statutes requires the name of the taxing authority, the millage rate to be levied, the roll back rate and the percentage change over roll
back rate be publicly announced. In addition, one of the requirements of the truth in millillage legislation is to provide information about why proposed millage rates differ from the roll back millage rates. Roll back millage rate is defined as the millillage rate which
exclusive of new construction, additions to structures, deletions and property added due to geog geographic boundary changes will provide the same adorum tax revenue for each taxing authority as was
levied during the prior year. The trim process requires that a notice of tax increase be advertised when the current year proposed aggregate millage rate exceeds the calculated aggregated aggregate rolled back millage rate. The aggregate roll back millage rate is
calculated by dividing the prior year adjusted property tax revenue by the current year taxable property value multiplied by 1,000. The current year taxable value does not include new instruction and tax increment CRA values
for the fiscal year 2025 budget. The aggregate proposed operating millage rate for the city of Palaca is 6.400 mills which is 2.57% greater than the roll back rate of 6.2397
mills. The increase in property tax revenue is essential to fund the appropriations needed to operate the general citywide budget. This is inclusive of personnel cost, operating costs, capital expenses, as well as grant matches.
Mayor and commissioners, the total county tentative budget for fiscal year 2025 2026 is $85,592,317. I'm happy to answer any questions pertaining to the changes or and on the
budget before you currently. >> Are there any questions for members of the commission? >> Citizens comments on fiscal year 202526 proposed millage rates intentive budget. I would now like to invite citizens to comment on the fiscal year 2025 2026
proposed millage rates and tentative budget. Please come forward to the podium if you wish to address the commission. Fill out a yellow speaker card that can be found in the back of the room. Is there anybody here for public comment on the subject? Come up and make sure you fill out a yellow card
afterwards. Mr. Sheffield. >> Thank you. >> Give us your name and city and town of residents. >> Alan Sheffield Palaka. >> Um I know this this this is this is up. You got one more meeting you've got to do for the budget. So really this comment is towards next year. I'd like
the the commissioners cons to consider uh really tasking the staff over this next year because we see the taxes go up. We get the lovely information in terms of this is what will happen if it doesn't change, this is what it'll be and all of that. Um, but with the
pressure you're under to approve a budget and get get to things in the time frame that you usually do one, you never find the savings uh that you need to to actually keep our taxes the same in any year. So, I don't see it realistic for
you to even get there. So, what I'd like to ask is for next year that you do by actually tasking during the year city staff to identify areas that will save and get to a position of a goal of next
year not increasing our property taxes. >> Thank you. Is there anybody else here for public comment? >> Seeing none, I will now close the public comment section of the public hearing. City of Palaka Commission's action on
FY20252026 proposed millage rate attended budget adjustments by the motion to the city of Palaka fiscal year 2025 2026 tenative budget Mr. Miss Pia, >> mayor and commissioners, the budget document before you, fiscal year 26
tentative budget includes appropriations described earlier. Any additional adjustments to this budget can be made by motion at this time. >> Does anybody want to make an adjustment? Make a motion to adjustment. >> I would like to uh make a motion for an
adjustment to uh uh 6.2 25 or or what have you because that that really the roll back is what we produced for fiscal year
uh 2425 right 2425 >> the roll back uh in the prior year it was a different amount I don't have it in front of me >> it's was it 6.12 >> something like that yes sir and uh for 23 24 but
>> we didn't we didn't accept that though we did 6.4 >> right? >> Okay. >> So is there any can we roll it back just a little bit to provide some level of um reduction
because again uh the property values continues to go up and each time that happens it impacts our uh the 3,900 residents that we have. And so again, and you were you were looking at the
fire fee and I thought we identified 700 and something thousand that we could at least uh cut back on some of that to be able to help in that regard is around 71 175 to $200 per household. So are we still
going to be looking at something along those lines that we discussed? >> No, sir. We did not touch the fire assessment this year. >> But you identified three posified that if um you all wanted to do that
then we would have uh I gave you different scenarios but I did not get from you to actually do that. So I did not do that. >> We talked about the pos you gave me the positions. >> Yeah, I did. I gave it to all of them.
And so the positions you said that you would not need going into this year and that would help with that. You identified it and then that's where I thought we were going to be, but sound like you're backtracking, >> right? No, I did not do it. I did present it so that you all could say if
you want me to really do that, I gave you the options. So with the fire assessment, no, we did not touch it. So it is at the uh 2.46 46 and the 125. But
I did give alternatives and options to all the commissioners for you all to tell me yay or nay. Do you want me to do that? >> I started with you back in March. >> That's right. And also again, I did it in June, July, and August. I did
>> sorry, >> Miss Pierre. And then go ahead. I just want to highlight that we are currently in the 11th hour at this point. There is no room to make any drastic changes only
because we have Florida statutes and I can refer this to Miss Jane West. She can provide more insight on that, but we have Florida statutes that we have to abide by. Um, and fortunately I can't speak on what happened before I started,
but I can encourage and say that if I'm here, and I intend to be, I will be sure that you're involved and we'll keep on communicating and keep bothering you as much as we need to so that this doesn't happen again.
>> We're we're in the 11th hour. >> That's not it. That's not really it. >> The point is that Okay, go ahead. >> Go ahead, Commissioner Davis. Sorry. >> What all I want to say is we've had the budget workshops and I don't know if
it's even viable to make a modification at this point and because we would have to adjust the budget to those numbers. So where the recommendation would have had to come is
in our last budget workshop before this >> um um budget I'm sorry before this recommendation came because those numbers were made according to revenue based on the fire assessment
>> and the 6.4 poor millage rate which was I know the direction I gave from the desk to make sure that we did not um adjust our budget at the higher um interim rate of 7.1 that was just to see
if we could get down to at least keeping the millage rate at 6.4 four. Ideally, I wish we could have used a roll back, but I don't even think that was feasible based on our discussion in the workshops
because the truth of the matter is everything has gone up and um and we have cut cut at this point until um we do something differently in the upcoming year. As Mr. Sheffield just recommended we need to start doing this all
throughout the year and identify these opportunities so we're not at crunch period but um >> yes and we did have several works to attend and make these adjustments at the time and we we did not and the costs have not reduced and we also have a very
low tax base in this city to no fault of any of us but the fact is we have minimal tax revenue. We have a lot of properties that aren't taxed and unfortunately that is the reality of Palacta. Um, go ahead, Commissioner. >> Yes. Okay. And and again, I'm always
looking out for the best interest of our taxpayers and uh I did start out early um um very early in terms of working >> right and um and we had identified some things and I was led to believe that we
would be able to reduce it and it did not happen. But anyways, I just want the taxpayers to know that I'm working on your behalf to try to do the very best I can to help provide the uh reduction. Uh not for the sake of just reduction, but
I understand and know how it's impacting people who are paying taxes. And I have seen the number grow from $300 over over $1,000. So it went over two or 300% as it relates to that. When we first
initiated the fire fee, it was supposed to be to help balance the budget. And now we have gone grown to rely on it because of um uh different administrators moving things and adding things into the
budget that sometimes that commission and put commission uh at odds as it relates to budgeting and different things of that nature. So that's one thing I I do not like. What I like to see is people come in and analyze our
budgets and understand and know what we need and what we do not need. And I'll be so happy, God happy when an operational order happens. >> Uh I just want to respond. Commissioner Borum, I 110% agree with you.
It's just that we missed it at a workshop. That that's that's I want to make sure I'm clear because I do know I think we all are concerned about our citizens and we hear it all the time about these taxes going up up up
and I did I agree with you. I think we missed it at the budget workshop where we should have made the adjustment and didn't recognize it hap didn't happen or didn't happen before we got to this point. That was the only point I'm
making. But I asked for the roll back. >> Right. Right. And and it's and it is true that you know he commissioner I'll stop. Thank you. >> Yes. Go ahead Miss Pia please.
>> I'm working on drafting the budget book at this time and realize that the budget is driven by strategic goals. So I my hopes are that in the upcoming year we can discuss what the goals are and that
can determine what needs to be cut. Just want to add that. >> Makes sense. Thank you. >> Is there any other further discussions adjustments? Excuse me. >> So we're on to the adoption of resolution establishing fiscal year 2025
2026 proposed city of >> No. Yes. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. I was done. I'll go. Didn't you propose? >> No, I made a I made a proposal, but don't just I want to withdraw it. I just I just withdraw it because Okay. >> If if if it's um meeting the time
criteria, >> that's separate. >> That's two separate. Make a motion. We made a recommendation. >> I understand. Yeah. Let's just >> I'll just re recall. >> Okay. >> I was just saying to saying to the mayor
that we need a motion. We'll get the whole script. >> Are we Oh, I'm sorry. >> Yeah, we still stay on this. >> Okay. Mayor and commissioners, Florida statutes require the board to adopt proposed millage rates prior to the adopting prior to adopting the related
budget. As such, before you is resolution number 2025-114, a resolution to adopt the tentative millage rate for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026 pursuant to the provisions of chapter 200 Florida
statutes providing for conflicts and severability and providing for an effective date. The resolution includes the total general fund millage rate of fiscal year 2026 is 6.400. 400
which is unchanged from fiscal year 25 but more than the roll back millage rate of 6.2397. >> So in essence it's an increase >> correct 2.57% which is in alignment with the cost of living increase for sorry
>> CPI >> for CPI just for the record. >> Yeah. Adoption of resolution adopting the fiscal year 2025 2026 tenative budget. Miss Miss Pia, >> mayor and commissioners, sub subsequent to the commission adopting the fiscal
year 26 proposed millage rate, you must then adopt the corresponding fisc year 26 tentative budget. Before you is resolution number 2025-123, a resolution to adopt the tentative budget for the fiscal year ending
September 30th, 2026 pursuant to the provisions of chapter 200 Florida statutes providing for conflicts and severability and providing for an effective date. Would somebody like to make a motion please to approve resolution number 2025123 adopting the
tentative budget for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026. Will somebody like to make that motion? >> Sure move. >> We have a motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion second. I'm going to Any discussion? Any further discussion? I'm going to open the floor to public comment. Is anybody here for public
comment on this? Seeing none, we'll take a roll call, Madam Clerk, please. Yes. >> Thank you. >> That's what I was I was trying to say earlier. >> You were following the script.
>> Yeah. >> You missed the millage rate at the top of >> see it should have been up here when it said move to approve resolution 20254. So this is what we need to do that reverse >> the finance director.
>> No, >> but the mill right. Yeah, you you missed we >> okay because I saw county commission motion that's why I >> okay move to approve resolution number 2025114 adopting the tent of millage
rates fiscal year ending September 30th 2026 order please mayor since we had a motion on we have a motion on the floor for the budget do we need to withdraw that motion and so that
we can make another motion yes So should it be >> withdrawal? >> Second. >> Motion a second. All in favor? >> I. Any opposition? Thank you. On to move to approve resolution number 2025114 adopting the tentative millage rates
fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026. >> Move to approve. >> Oh, second. >> We have a motion to second. Any further discussion? >> None. report of public comment. Is there anybody here for public comment? Ppposing public comment. All in favor?
>> I. Any opposition? >> Nay. >> Okay. Nay. We have one option, so we can pass. >> Why wasn't the entire caption read? You stopped. Yeah. >> Okay. So, it was red. >> It was red,
>> but she didn't. >> I didn't I didn't I missed the motion. That is my fault. But the rest of it was red. >> No. where it says this resolution includes >> can you increase the size of that word document please? >> That was read by Miss P.
>> Thank you. >> That part same. >> It was read on to C adoption of resolution adopting the fiscal year 2025 2026 tentative budget. Miss P. >> Okay. I'm so I'm rereading this I guess.
Mayor Okay. Mayor and commissioners, subsequent to the commission adopting the fiscal year 2026 proposed military, you must then adopt the corresponding fisc year 26 tentative budget. Before you is a resolution number 2025-123,
a resolution to adopt the tentative budget for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026, pursuant to the provisions of chapter 200 Florida statutes providing for conflicts and severability and providing for an effective date.
We have move to adopt resolution number 2025123 adopting a tentative budget for the fiscal year ending September 30th, 2026. Do we have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. >> A motion to second. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, is there anybody here for public comment?
Public comments closed. All in favor? >> I. Any opposition? >> Nay. >> Thank you. Establish and publicly announce the date, time, and place of the second public hearing to consider the final adoption of the millage rates and budget. Finance director.
>> Mayor and commissioners. The final action requested from the commission this evening is to establish and publicly announce the date, time, and location of the final public hearing to consider adopting the final millage rate and budget as amended. This meeting must be held within 20 days of following the
conclusion of tonight's public hearing. Properly advertised and held after 5:00 p.m. Staff recommends that the second and final public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 25th, 2025 at 6 p.m. in this same location, the
commission's chambers. >> On to the motion. Do we have a motion to move to schedule the second final public hearing? >> Okay. >> Second. A motion is second. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, I'm open the floor to public comment. Is there anybody here
for public comment? Closing public comment. All in favor? I. Any opposition? >> Thank you. That concludes our public hearing. Miss Pier, >> mayor and commission, the budget related business for this evening's public
hearing is complete. Thank you. >> This concludes the first term public hearing. Thank you everybody. That said, do we have any comments from the commission's comments in general? >> I do. Um, just real quick, um, my comment from our last meeting took
flight and, um, I still stand by what I said, but I'm grateful that we are moving forward and having a necessary meeting so that we um, can move forward. But also, I want to make sure that from the city's perspective, um, I appreciate
the work that is being put in to bettering the sound and everything, but I want to make the recommendation also to have someone review what actually goes out. Just I know, and it's nothing to miss Karen at all, but I think when
one eye look at some stuff, it has a tendency to miss something. just more specifically what we went through. um that was something that was a public document but I think the more eyes that we have that could look at things before it is published I think we will be able to catch a lot of those errors that um
and that's just that one thing pointed out but again when one eye look at things again I do it all the time I have my some people who work with me could you look over this before it is published just to make sure that we don't we can catch as many errors
because those are public documents >> thank here. Commissioner Jones, do you have any comments? >> Only comment I have is when we do meet with the county commissioners um in their um manager, county manager that we
actually have a plan and a goal versus going over and singing kumbaya. You know, what are we trying to accomplish? And I think uh Commissioner Davis said
she had a an agenda that started. So if we all have input on that agenda, at least review that agenda, that would be nice going forward. But we all need to be on the same page when we go. That's all I'm asking. >> Thank you. And that would be the intent
once we have an agenda drafted um with the county that everybody here would look at it as well as everybody on the county commission. Um Commissioner Borum. >> Yeah. I'm I concur with Commissioner Jones with what he said in terms of when
we go and meet, we want to make sure that we have those priorities and some of those priorities are going to be some things that we're going to be revisiting and um so I'm looking forward to re u re um submitting those back to the county
and um again just to see what their position is as it relates to our priorities and what we need in the city to help u reduce the number of um um overlapping services that we we currently have in addition to some other
things as it relates to uh Avalor that we uh taxes that we could be receiving for the enclaves in our city. Uh the other thing is I want to thank the staff for well job that um everybody's done with the budget um and
everything that you do on a daily to help make the city shine. Uh, I had one individual I spoke with uh that kind of brought some to my attention and I've seen it um as we uh recognize uh employee of the months. I think uh we
need to look at our sanitation department. I don't think we ever had employee of the month from sanitation department area and I think that's one of another critical area of of our city function in in addition there's a lot of other areas that has been u recognized
as it relates to that but I think they are as critical as in our other departments as well. Uh the other key point is I spoke with an individual about their insurance, health insurance, and talked about how they could not uh uh carry forth
insurance for the city. That's another thing that we need to look at about employees being able to um at least afford the insurance. the insurance is going up and up and up and we need to
make sure that our employees are able to afford that if we need to go out for other bids to help uh with reducing those costs. Uh that's what I would I would recommend. Um so everybody could be covered. So other
than that, I thank everybody what what you do on a daily. Commissioner David. >> Um, yes. I mentioned earlier, um, I had the opportunity to attend the Northeast Florida Crimestoppers Awards, annual
awards. And I want to say, um, congratulations to Detective Burger. Um, she won officer of the year from the Palaca Police Department. And, um, it was just an honor to be there.
Um I really wanted to do a Facebook post but nature her job I was going to get approval from uh chief. So in the absence of me not requesting that approval I didn't post anything because I I don't I don't know um but it was very um I want to say that she
um was selected over other officers who had done amazing things. Um, Chief, >> just to add, uh, we will be, uh, V mentioned talked with Breta earlier and we will be, uh, releasing, um, that
information on Facebook and it will also be tagged on the city's page. Uh, we wanted to make sure we, uh, included the photos and the, uh, writeup that uh, actually was presented uh, to assist in her winning the award. >> Thank you. That's why I didn't post
because we have a a PIO now. So, thank you very much. looking forward to that. Um, I want to um reference um oh the limbs that should be picked up by the city in the city, the debris on the side
of the road from limbs and trees. If you're not sure, if you just look in front of the building, our city buildings, and I drove around all around the city, and I recognize there was a holiday last week, but I don't know if
we're behind, but Miss Cardi, can you please make sure that that is picked up immediately? it it it looks really poor that our city buildings and you can tell it's been out there for a while because they're brown.
>> So, not acceptable and that should be a trigger when we see that to look around the city. Um I would like to um follow up on a letter that the
commissioners and the mayor received from Mr. Sheffield. I don't know if we've talked about this in public, but I want to bring it up because I don't remember us, but it was regarding the FY 24 audit report. Um, and I want to first
say thank you to Mr. Sheffield for following up on that because I think we did have some major gaps that should have been addressed and we have some opportunities to ensure those gaps are not that they're filled. One was there was no reference in the
audit report to the finding of a conflict of interest with our staff. While we know we addressed it, but there was enough evidence and documentation that that should have been documented in those findings and um to Mr. Sheffield's
point I agree when something that um visible is not included um it I just want to make sure that we are getting complete audits and I'm I'm just going to say that I'm going stop
right there. The second thing um um I will say that I did get an email this morning from Mr. Rodri uh hearing, what's his name? Harvey Harvey. >> Harvey, the CPA who conducted and he did ask for me to set up a meeting if I had
some follow-ups and I I'm going to take him up on that. >> We all do and that's event. >> Got it. So, I don't know. >> We all got that. >> Okay, good. So, just wanted to disclosure. Um and then in Mr. Sheffield's letter. Um
there is an opportunity to shore up our um conflict of interest um I guess process. And he offered a suggestion which is a very practical
suggestion is when someone comes up to discuss property um that they be required to make a declaration orally and in writing that they or any parties related to them have no conflicts of interest with any property or parties
associated with the matter. And if it's not something that comes before the commission that we do get that um that statement be added to a checklist so that again everyone can acknowledge it. We want to make sure every point where
we are making decisions on property that we are dealing with or making sure we have that statement so that the city can be protected and we're not having to go in and and um relive some of the gaps that we had before and the consequences
of those gaps. Um I believe that's all. I will submit if you don't have it, Miss Cardi, I will submit this to you for operational uh for us to add it in operationally. And again, thank you because I I'm I'm
asking all citizens when you see something, just provide the information. We're processing a lot of information up here and we don't always get to fill in the holes, but our intent is to make things better for our city, make sure we
have um controls in place so that processes are fair and normal. And I think you hear that from the commissioners up here over and over and over. and recognizing that we did have some gaps and we want to fill them to make sure again the city is protected,
our citizens are protected and that the integrity of this commission is understood and not questioned. So, thank you everyone to our staff for all the work you've done especially to our finance department. Miss Pierre is new came in during budget season. God bless
you and I think you have done an amazing job and I really really appreciate it. Thank you. To clarify though, don't we have that reform and requirement already for declaration? >> You may. I know. Well, not really. You can't really No, you can't.
>> Yeah. >> Correct. So So >> we'll speak afterwards, right? >> There there's an opportunity because again I I intentionally mention him because he's the resource. >> Exactly. >> Thank you. Um any commission, you have
something else? Well, I was just going to super concur with Commissioner Davis uh with that and then again like um I'm not sure if I I should continue to speak with Mr. Roger Realm some of the things that >> Yes.
>> Uh that occur. Okay. Cuz again, we had that $1.4 million loan that and then it it supposed to been corrected. I like to see >> it was corrected. >> I would like to see the correction. It should be some note >> copy. I'm sorry. I'll stay
>> and that's the other thing with the uh as it relates to the audit and having a clean audit. When you had it down as a loan, then it came back that it was revenue. So, all of those things need to be addressed. And uh again, I concur
with uh Commissioner um Davis with the U cleanup around cuz I've gotten a call that I got to go out and look at where we've had um uh trash that was supposed to been picked up and it's been well over almost a month now, almost 3 weeks
to a month. So >> there are different areas. I will say they picked it up the brush in my neighborhood today, but I know that it has been delayed for a while. Um any other comments and Apparently the meeting was adjourned before anybody even made a motion to adjourn. Somebody
like to make it. I know it wasn't facitious. Would you like to move to >> Okay. Thank you. I was being facitious. Oh