And uh thanks for the great turnout today. We've only got one item on the agenda. If everybody please stand. I'm going to do our blessing first. Mr. Chel, you're up. >> Lord, bless this council as we could
have another night bring us for the city and make us make sure that we make the right decisions for them. also bless our fire department, our chief department and our military
that we have here. I ask you all in this flag of the United States of America to the stands one indivisibley and justice for all.
Please be seated. See what you got for me. >> Call a roll, please. >> Miss Barrow, >> here. >> Miss Bifford, >> here. >> Mayor Kelly, >> here. >> Mr. Hayne. >> Mr. Chap.
>> Yes. >> Very good. Before we get started, is there anybody in the audience that would like to have a conversation about any subject matter that's not on the agenda? If you would please come to the podium, state your name and address for the record.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> Okie do. I'm asking to look into something about these I wound up last year last December 31st kitten on New Year's
Eve morning. I just had her spay two weeks ago $328. These cats are coming from one home and these They're not taking care of them. They're not getting fixed. They're going to everybody else's house and the
neighbor is at her home and she was taking some feeding. Now they're going to other people's houses on street and I don't have a problem. But the people that are not doing their
job and getting fixed is putting a burden on myself. I'm not just getting fixed but I'm feed food every day for It's costing me money, you know, and I I wind up keeping these cats. I'm feeding 15 cats.
Some of them are mine, which I had to take keep them anyway, but um I'm asking this council or something. Check with Bay County, anybody, anything. I don't care that we can have these people
accountable for this. for animal. >> Miss Barl, do do you really want me to do something about this? >> I'm asking because I keep getting the brunt of it and so is my other neighbor and all the neighbors around and like I
said, not here anymore because she's very ill and not at her house. >> We have the same problem in the opposing end of the city with just random cats straying through the neighborhood. No, we don't take them and get them fixed.
>> I'd rather do that than have all the babies coming. I'll have tons of trouble. >> I understand. I I will tell you and I I if you want I'll look into this one more time, but the last time they told me to get traps and the public works would pick them up
and put them in that building right there. And then once or twice a week the uh animal control would come by and pick up the animal and the trap and put down fresh traps for us to hand out. >> Well, I'm not into getting the cats taken to
put down because the cats can't help the ones that they have and stop. There's got to be something. I know that a friend of mine, I'm not name her, but she got in trouble because she had a whole bunch of them and kept coming by.
She had to have so many spade every so often. There's got to be something. >> Well, at $325 a hit, people aren't going to do that with random cats. >> Either they keep on just keep on or, you know, I'm not going to put my I'd rather spend the money and keep myself from
having a pile of kittens to have to take care of and then get them fixed. And it just keeps going. >> Well, you know as well as I do, it's almost impossible to give cats away. >> There's so many of them. >> So many of them. try to stop it somehow.
I I just feel that we can look into something to find some kind of law, some kind of we can I know I can't just ain't out to kill them or nothing. I take care of them and I feed them. I get them fixed.
when it hit me with $328 when it over doubled more than double in the last time last summer when I had three come at one time. >> You remember last year about this time we had an epidemic right here in the park and we looked into it and the
solution was to trap them and you know as well as I do they say that they don't put them down but there's no what do you do with 50 cats? >> Well, you can't make them friendly or anything. They're feral, >> right? >> But everyone that's coming up has to be somebody's cat. They're too nice.
>> Why do they leave home? Because they're not being fed. >> Well, I mean, there's reasons for that. And that's what >> I'll get you an answer tomorrow, but I know it's civil. It's not a crime. No one It's not a crime to not feed your your animals unless you charge somebody
with it, then it becomes a problem. >> Do you want me to go that far? >> We need to find out what we can do. Okay. >> I mean, I honestly think that's borderline animal. If you have animals, if you make the decision to have an animal, it is your responsibility.
>> I agree. I agree. I think everybody in the room would agree. But what do you do? >> Cruelty. It's no different if you have children and you don't feed your children, it's a crime. I just got down there brothers and sisters
and I took But like I said, I'm not coming as a council member. I'm coming. >> Are you saying it's a code violation to do this? >> Okay. Can you be my office at 10 and give me a
an update on what we're going to do? >> Okay, sounds good. We um we'll look into it for you, Miss Barl. I could we could put the parker police on it and have them round them all up and I don't know what you did with them, chief. What are
you going to do with them all? Take them to the farm and drop them off. Right. >> Taylor Callaway. Good lord. >> If you could go talk to these people, >> say, "Hey, you know, you're you're causing
>> heartache >> on all your neighbors." >> Yeah. >> Because you're not taking care of your animals. >> I understand. >> Yeah. But I'm not going to give no address in this meeting. the wild cats are too. >> No, they're friendly. They come up and
like I said, somebody's just not they're not feeding them. I know these people aren't. All they do is smoke dope all day long. >> And I know because you can't go by there and it it looks like Chich lives there. It coming out everywhere. That's all you smell. >> They will they will smoke their dope,
but they won't feed their cats or they won't get them fixed. And I'm just sick of it. I'm to the point where, you know, when it's when it gets to where it's really digging into The chief could do something about it if they're over there smoking weed. I mean, that would take care of >> that thing. They probably need to be in
a nursing. >> That's right. >> Going and talking to somebody and putting fear in them a little bit might help, you know, just let them know that, you know. Well, let's give uh let's give the code officer a shot. And if that
don't work, we'll have to do animal control. There is no other way. >> Well, they need to do something because they're not doing anything. They just sit in there and let them roll. >> So, as I said, la last year the solution was, and whether you knew it or not, I don't know how many Mr. someone had in
his spare room back there in a supply room, but we would get three or four a day and then the truck would come by and collect them and uh I I there's not a good answer to this. I'm telling you, there's not a good there's not a
>> We can figure something out. Like I said, >> I think Mr. Mr. Chapel might be the one that's got the right answer. >> Take them to another city and drop them off. >> But you don't know when you grab them up if they got babies. I mean, >> yeah,
>> heartbreaking. Okay, so um first item, ladies and gentlemen, is approval of the minutes from the posted dates. >> I have corrections on the recent one, April 7th. Uh on the approval of the
minutes, it was seconded by Mayor Kelly. It was either either Katie or John. >> I didn't second >> the minutes. >> I just voted on them. >> I don't second nothing.
>> That's right. >> Correction that needs to be corrected on that part. Yeah. >> And then the next thing under auction >> for surplus items is table. We didn't table that. I made a motion to go ahead and give him let him deem it as surplus
and go ahead and get what he had to do. And then the one on March 3rd's name was out. Okay. >> Got a first and a second. You call a roll, please. >> Okay. Miss Barrow.
>> Yes. >> Miss Bodifford. >> Yes. >> Mayor Kelly? >> Yes. >> Mr. Chapel? >> Yes. >> Mr. I don't think that has anybody talked to Mr. Haney by chance. >> Eric,
he's good. Okay. Yeah. How bad is it? >> Okay. >> Okay. Um uh we have one item on the agenda, then I'll open the floor up to you council members. Uh it's the reading of the fair
housing proclamation and today it will be read to you by our new city clerk, Miss Stanley. And we have some folks here from the fair housing and they just gave us our check and um we're going to we're going to get a
photograph opportunity with everybody in them at the end so that they can uh post this. So Miss Stanley, you have the floor. Go ahead. >> Okay. Um proclamation Whereas the Fair Housing Act enacted on April 11th, 1968 enshrined into federal
law the goal of eliminating racial segregation and ending housing discrimination in the United States. And whereas the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familiar status,
national origin, and disability, and commits recipients of federal funding to affirmatively further fair housing on their communities. And whereas City of Parkers is committed to the mission and intent of Congress to provide fair and
equal housing opportunities for all. And whereas our social fabric, the e the e economy, health and environment are strengthened in diverse inclusive communities. And whereas more than 50 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, discrimination persists and
many communities remain segregated. And whereas acts of housing, discrimination, and barriers to equal housing opportunity are repug decency and fairness. Now therefore, I, Mayor Andrew Kelly, mayor of the city of
Parker, Florida, do hereby acknowledge and recognize the month of April 26 as fair housing month in Parker and hereby urge the citizens of Parker to become aware and support the fair housing laws. There you go. Thank you. Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen, for that. It's very nice. Um, Mr. Chapel, you have the floor. >> Yeah. Just want to remind everybody that I believe it's the 30th of May, we're having that
barbecue ridge out at the pavilion at the park. cover dish a meat will be supplied start about 4 o' go to 6 or 7 I' got a DJ coming to it trying
to get some games for kids to do some games and I'll be contacting some of the businesses around here to get some door prizes for the kids that might win first or second place or
something like It's just a get together for Parker. You're welcome to come out earlier if you want to, but we won't start feeding until about 4. I think I got enough right now.
I counted right. I got about 12 or 125 servings. I think I get three servings out of a rack of Where you got them at? >> In the right there on the counter in the back.
>> Oh, the yard sales are going good. We had 12 vendors last uh sec the second Saturday of the month. People are selling stuff. It's all free. You want to come out, put your table out
there or use the table that's there, you're welcome to it. We start that at 8 and it goes to 12:00 or 1:00 just depending on the crowd. Right now,
the pavilion is uh reserved for the yard sale, but if somebody wants to reserve it, say like at 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon, on the second Saturday. They're welcome to do that. We're normally out of there by
>> pretty good, Miss Barrow. >> How Kate? >> Okay. I got a couple things, but let me hand this out to you council members first so you have a little bit of insight to what it is I'm trying to talk to you about.
There you go. This one for Mr. Chapman. So, what you're holding is a a poor rendition of this gentleman's property that he drew and gave to me. >> That's my old house. >> It is your old house. And uh it's not to scale obviously. It's
much smaller than what they're what they have here. So the h the square on the left is the building or shed or workshop or whatever you want to call it on the property. And on the back of this piece of paper
is his name and phone number. And he would like to extend that shed three feet so that he could put his motorcycle in the building and not leave it sitting outside or leave the door open. >> So then you know what I'm talking about,
right? So it probably does not meet the land development regulation because the angle of that property is such that it's waterfront and it leads right into the water and everything that's there was
built there before the hurricane eight years ago and then the lift station and all was moved after the hurricane and so it put the fence in its correct location but it wasn't in the correct location prior to that. And
so that moved his whole lot around. And that whole property there is odd in that they own the road, too. The street in front of the house is his. And I've asked him, I said, "Why would you want to own the street? You know, the city would pave it and put it on the pavement list if you didn't own it." But what
Max, what he's asking for is permission. Well, what I'd like you guys to do is to call him and see him. Go see the guy. Call Tony and ask Tony because It does it does not meet the land development
regulation specific. However, the piece of property is not as big as this room that it's all built on. And there's just because of the way the street is set up, there's no room for this guy to do what he wants to do. It's impossible. So, I says to the guy, "Why
don't you just buy a bigger shed, right? Have him take that one out and put new one in." tent because as soon as they do that, it changes the dynamics of what's already there and then he can't put a shop back there to
put his motorcycle in. The rules, I agree with the rules, you know, I do, but I don't agree when they're not when when they're not fair. But I like you guys to talk with him and get him to explain to you what it is he's trying to accomplish. There's nobody at the end of this
location but him. And I mean, he could put a 30 He could have put the extension on this building and nobody would have ever known. But he told me, he said, "Mayor, I want to make sure that I do the right thing and that uh I put the extension on my building with the
blessing of the city council." And that I mean, that's to be commended that the guy wants to do the right thing. I think it is anyway. But what I'd like for you to do is to look at this. I haven't discussed it with Regga yet. I will discuss it with Rega and then we could
maybe have a conversation about it and you and then we could perhaps vote on doing what we're going to do because I think three feet added to the back of a shed is a minimal minimal thing to to ask for the city. The property is
immaculate. The other thing he wants to do is the house has got brand new u clad on the outside and the new windows and all. He wants to put new clad on the shed after the extensions built if you give it permission so that the shed,
whatever you shop, whatever you want to call it, all of that matches his house and uh it all matches and looks um pristine. Now the lift station he can't do nothing about. that's been there. That's not going to change. Uh I wish
there was a way I could enclose that for him, but I can't. And um uh so he can't go left and he can't go back and he can't go forward and he can't go right because going forward he'd be in the street. Going left he'd
be in the lift station. Going back he'd be in the lake and going right he'll be on his neighbor's property. So, uh, if you guys would just take a minute to look at that and and and contact him and, uh, any do you want to have any conversation about it or you just want to wait till we can get back together or
what do you want to do? >> Well, are you going to put it on the next agenda? >> I didn't know yet because I it may not be possible. It may I will put it on the agenda, but um I'm not sure that um we can even legally do it. we would have to we would have to make a we would have to
make a change to the rule for this particular property if we did did decide to do that and and I'm okay with that too but I wanted to um if you could talk to him individually and um let Miss Stanley know you have spoke with him then I'll put it on the agenda and we
can discuss it if that sounds good >> if I can just take my input >> absolutely >> being I used to own this property and this house of course you know lived there 20ome It is a very odd piece of property. >> It is odd because you can't really do
much with it. No, >> it's a beautiful property. >> Beautiful. >> I mean, but it's hard to abide by all rules. I guess >> some rules. Some rules you have to have. Um >> because at the time when when Chuck did
this property, he was in talks with his name, but he used to own that trailer right there. They're building the new Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> So, he was talking with him >> and I have to ask Chuck to make sure, but I'm pretty sure where that big oak tree is where it goes up the hill in
that alleyway. >> Yeah. >> Pretty sure that piece of property that's back there went with this house as well. >> Don't quote me on that. >> I think you're right. >> But I know of the shed obviously that's been there since before the hurricane.
Um, and I know that I know what the outside >> these houses back there have been back since the 40s. >> Oh, yeah. >> And there's nothing's going to change back there. They're all made of block. They're going to last forever. >> And uh I just I don't know the guy real
well. Just say hey to him, you know. But I just feel like if there's something that we could do to help out a citizen, then perhaps we think about doing that maybe. Huh. >> I mean, me personally, I would I don't mind. I mean, One is on a private basically a privately owned road.
>> Y >> he's tucked in behind a fence. >> He is no desperately looking for it. >> That's right. >> All you can see is the right portion of the house. >> How did you mow the grass there? Did you
What did you use? That's a steep hill. >> Oh, Chuck. >> Question. I didn't mow the grass. I still don't grass. >> Okay. >> But you can't even see the shed unless you're purposely driving down that road. to physically look for it. Otherwise,
from Highway 98, you're never going to see. >> Well, the guy's trying to do more on his property and >> which I did. >> Oh, absolutely. And I went and met with him and and what he's asking for is three feet 3T three or something like that added to the back of the shed. So,
when they open the door and he takes his motorcycle inside, I don't know. It's it's it's like that on the back of that shed. It really is. proposal here says 8 by 204. Is that what she wants to do? >> That's the building. That'll be the
whole building. >> Oh, I thought that's extension. >> Yeah, the extension is 8 ft, but the building currently there's >> that's the width. The 24. It's got to be there ain't eight. There's not 24 ft to
go straight back behind. You'd be in the lake. >> It's going to be long >> this way. He wants to add on to it. It's already 12t 12 by. >> So in other words, it's a 12 by 24 building and he wants to make an 8 by 20
add 8 ft to it, >> which is taking in the three feet of setback basically. >> Well, the setback's the water. >> Yeah. I mean, >> I mean, you can't help the fact >> to be honest with you, the house that's
really that's that's there now >> that doesn't even follow. Not even close. >> Not even close. >> On the water. >> That was built before they even had rules and regulations about where you build house. >> Should be an apartment. >> There is still there.
>> They're still there. >> But I I he came and he asked me and I went over and I looked and I and I told him I'd give this to you if you would try to find the time to speak with him and uh we'll put it on the agenda and we'll vote on it and and if it's yes,
it's yes. If it's no, it's no. That's >> already >> Okay. And I'll speak to John. We'll get somebody to speak to John. >> I mean, you could cast your fishing tackle out the back window, couldn't you, down there and catch a brim.
>> But you know what? I love that house because the turtles that are back there was the best part. That was Chuck's like highlight of the day was feeding the turtles. >> Good lord. So, uh, I've got one last thing and, uh,
um, I I'm just come at you with it head on because I don't know any other way to talk about this other than ask each of you after this conversation to speak to the department heads. Over the last three or four years, um,
the bill from the city's attorney has gone up and up and up and up. Um, give you an example. For him to come here tonight, if he was here, he would charge me $900 for one roundtrip ticket, come
from Panama City to Parker, hear one item, and then go back. And I can't do that anymore. I can't do that. I Everybody works really hard to try to s not not waste money, to save money.
Uh I have plans for depending on what the governor does in November. I have some plans for our future adorum. I'm not willing to increase the taxes to cover the salary of the attorney when there's other things that I could do.
Um there are many many things that have happened in most recent months such as and I would ask each of you to speak to the department heads but we had a code enforcement hearing two weeks ago
and the attorney fee exceeded the fines levied by the magistrate for the code violations. Well, I can't do that. I I can't pay a lawyer more than we get in the fine because the fine is supposed to cover
the infraction of whatever the code officer got or did or whatever he did to him. So, uh, what I'm going to ask you to do to allow me to do, you won't have to do a thing. Me and Miss Stanley will do it all. And I'm not really sure how
to do this yet. I talked to the magistrate and he told me we needed to go and get what's called an RFP. and see if it doesn't mean we're going to change lawyers because he might come in a lower bid, but I want to rebid his
contract. It's not been rebid for 33 years. And I would like it to be rebid. And I would even like to consider not an hourly rate, but an annual rate where we would give him projects and title. And
but we have problems now. We we've we were going to submit a grant for a new police station. We met at the lawyer's office four months ago and we've yet to get the paperwork to even hire the company that was going to submit the the
bid for us. So, and I know he's busy. I know he's got a lot on his plate. I know he's had a lot of employee turnover, but I would like to to see if I can find somebody who's willing to be our attorney for less than we're currently having to pay because I can't keep
rolling out 13 plus thousand a month every month to tell me something that we know the answers to most of the questions. And if you take the time to speak to the department heads, you're going to be shocked. Shocked. Since I've been mayor, every month when we get the
bill, I go through it. >> And if it's one, if it's something I generated, I mark it. Then it goes to the next person. And then they go through it and they mark it. And there's never a month, never a month where it's not something that's not correct that
they that we've been charged for something that we actually didn't get or if we did get it, it was just too much. One telephone call, they charged me 50 bucks. an email, he charges me $25. So, you pick up the phone and call him and
in one minute I owe him $50. And it could be that that's the standard going rate and we'll have to rethink how we do it. But you can't I can't keep paying him more than I think he's worth. But if you guys think he's worth that
amount of money, then um I'll go with that. But that's what I'm asking us to do. You think it'd be wise to talk to some of these other cities that have mayors and see what what kind of fees they pay them or so?
>> Well, the way the rules are on, you have to go out for RFP. In other words, get bids from other people. Um, I do know >> you can't call. >> I don't I can't stack the deck. It's against the law. I just, you know,
certain rules you have to follow. and uh uh 33 years is a long time and I don't treat him any different than the way I treat all the rest of the folks. I treat everybody extremely fair. But this is just I cannot keep paying
out this amount of money every month. I got one on my desk right now that I just reviewed and I I just can't do it. And it could be to be fair, Ron, to be fair to him. It could be that his prices are commensurate with everybody's. But then
I want us to rethink how we do this and not charge by an hourly rate. Just give me a flat rate, X amount of money a year divided by 12 and I'll send you that check and you'll work for like we all do 40 50 hour weeks, you know.
>> And I just I don't know. But I I'd like some conversation, some discussion, some guidance if I could get it. I'd hoped that John was going to be here tonight, but um >> you know, Parker has a we are, as far as I know, we are the
only city that operates in the black. And to me, I want to keep it that way. And if the attorney is going to keep on charging more and more and more, We have to do something to offset the
fees. That might start putting us in the red. >> Not while I'm mayor. We're never going to be in the red. >> Yeah. I mean, I don't want the city to be in the red either. I take pride in saying that
of the cities in Bay County, we're the only city that's actually in the block. I don't know how many people realize that, but the council here only our fee is $1 a year. And you go to these other
counties or other cities and their their fee is the mayor of these other I mean that's business for them. I'm talking they get 50 $60,000 a year for being mayor and our
mayor gets two out of maybe gets a dollar and I I do it because I want to try to help the city. If it's a volunteer thing that's fine and me >> well you you can't expect the lawyer not to get paid. He's a lawyer. It's his
job. It's like any other employee deserves a salary. and everybody deserves a fair salary. But unfortunately, this is getting to the point where >> I mean I feel like it makes sense though, but if you're going to make a salary, make a salary. So >> that's right. >> I would say yearly divided by 12 there's
your average. You may work 10 hours a month. You may work month. >> That's right. Bear, >> I just think do what everybody said, talk to the department heads and that way. >> I would really like you guys to do that
because uh this is going to have to come to a vote. Not tonight, but it's going to have to come to a vote officially. And uh we will put this out for pricing.
And every it was once in a while and maybe I was naive. I probably was. But people people come to me now almost daily and say now look at this. He is done this or not done this. But this thing with the
police department really really was irritating. The grant was available. We met with the grant writers. Wasn't going to cost us a penny because we were going to put up the property for the deposit. And here I sit three months later and I
still don't have the paperwork to give to you so that we can say here's Baxley's drawing, take it to anchor and let them decide if it's right or wrong, and then get us a free police station. That was my goal for this year. But it's never going to
happen. It's never going to happen. And so, uh, what would you guys like to talk to the department heads, speak to them, or you want me to go out for them? Get the RFP going, or what do you want me to do? I'll do what you tell me to do. >> Well, I'd rather John be in on it, too.
>> Yeah, but I can't go speak to John because it would violate the sunshine law. >> The clerk can give him the information. He can he wants to talk to the department. I mean, everybody needs to go talk. You don't on a regular basis, you need to be talking anyway.
>> That's true. That's true. Well, I'll just tell you, it's impossible to come here every day and try to save money for the city when you're losing it hand over fist, hand over fist for um things that are avoidable. And if I've reached the
end of my tenure because I can't fix the problem, then that's what it'll end up being. So, okay. Anybody got anything else? We're good. All right. Thanks,