to the Putnham County Board of County Commissioners meeting and the Port Authority meeting. Um we will before we get started um we have a few words by Mr. Suggs. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Just want to take a moment uh yesterday
morning. Uh we lost one of our own. Um Baker County Commissioner James Bennett. We lost him yesterday. And I just want to take a moment to reflect if we could just briefly. Not
only was Mr. Bennett, a commissioner for Baker County. He's a good man, family man, wife, children, retired DOT, work for uh Jport. Uh he's an engineer.
You know, we can talk about all the things that that we are, but the thing that we need to remember most, especially during this time of year, this season, is the importance of family. >> Yeah. >> And we got a family in Baker County this morning. That's that's
going through some serious emotions and some sad times, but I just want them to know that their Putnham County family is here for them if they need us, not only for the Bennett family personally, but for Baker County as well. U as you know, Mr. Commando, our county attorney, also
represents Baker County, so it touched his life personally as well. I just want us all to be mindful of that and the fact that there's nothing greater or nothing more important than family. And so, uh, thank you, uh, Chair Wilkinson for allowing me to to have a few comments this morning before we go into
prayer. And if we could, if we could remember the Bennett family in our prayers this morning. >> Absolutely. Thank you for those words. At this time, we'll call the meeting to order and we'll have our invocation by Pastor Etnne Prietto from Panal Baptist Church, followed by the pledge of allegiance by Commissioner Harvey.
Please rise if you're able to do so. >> Let's pray. Our precious father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for this opportunity to serve in such a special way. We pray today for your wisdom as decisions need to be made. We
pray your spirit's guidance and discernment for to for us to always do well and to do what is right. Father, we pray for the Bennett family. We pray that you give them your peace, your presence, and you strengthen them during this difficult time. And so we pray
today for your blessing over everything occurring here. And we pray this in the name of our savior Jesus Christ. [music] Amen. >> America for all. Thank you. Um going into the approval of minutes. >> Madam Chair, I move approval of the
minutes in our packet for October 28, 2025. >> Second. >> Second. >> We have a motion. Second. Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. We will recess our board of county commission meeting and convene our port authority meeting. Approval of the minutes. >> Madam Chair, move approval of the
minutes for the port authority October 28th, 2025. >> Second. Second. All right, we have any other discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> All right. Um, public comment. Is there any public comment on port authority items only? We're on the port in the
port. Uh, discussion. All right. Seeing none, um, going into item C, procurement. Is there any discussion? >> Same. >> All right. Go ahead. >> Uh, good morning, Commissioner. Sam
Svin, Port Putinham. Uh before you is a procurement bid uh for $75,000 to have the antique crane removed so that we can commence uh infrastructure improvements to open the port for commerce. >> All right. Thank you. Um Commissioner Harvey, you're recognized.
>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um I fully support this idea, uh this award. We've been trying to get this crane removed since probably the day I walked in the building, and it's finally starting to come down. So, it's been badly needed to come down for many years. So, fully
support that. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> All right. Is there any other questions? Is there any questions or comments from the board? >> All right. Is there a motion on the floor? >> Madam Chair, I move that we award the 26-01 crane removal port for 75,000.
>> Second that. >> Have a motion and second. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. I. Motion carries. Thank you, sir. >> Any general discussion from the board? All right, we will close the port authority meeting and reconvene uh the Putnham County Board of County
Commissioners presentations. One book, one Putnham. Um we're going to have Commissioner Newold read the proclamation and if everybody from one book, one Putnham wants to come on up to the up to the podium. This is something that's done every year and we all and we all look forward to
it. >> Thank you committee for being here today. >> Today we have Can you guys hear me? Okay. >> Yes. We have Putnham County proclamation number 2025-113 one book one Putnham. The 2026 Putnham
County read is remarkably bright creatures by Shelby Vanpelt. Whereas reading is an important activity for all the residents of Putnham County. And whereas less than half of the adult population of Putham County now reads literature, the board of commissioners
wishes to encourage all county residents, both young and old, to read. And whereas reading is one of the very is one way to create bonds within a family and among friends and neighbors. We want to get everyone in the community from high school youth, office workers,
public officials, and senior citizens to read and discuss a great book together. Whereas one book one Putnham is encouraging all residents to read Shelby Vanpelt's remarkably bright creatures. It's a heartwarming tale of an unlikely friendship between a grieving widow and
a clever octopus that leads to healing, connection, and unexpected discoveries. Whereas this program aims to revive literary reading in Putnham County. Therefore, in support of this goal, there will be book discussions, community activities, and knowledgeable
speakers. And whereas the board of commissioners knows that the residents of Putnham County will benefit and learn from reading this book. And whereas one book, one Putnham is celebrating 21 years of encouraging reading throughout Putinham County. Now therefore, be it
proclaimed that the Putnham County Board of Commissioners does hereby support learning through reading as promoted by one book, one Putnham and proclaims January and February of 2026 as the one book one Putnham County Reads
months. Dun ordered and adopted this ninth day of December 2025. I would I would encourage a a uh we adopt this proclamation. >> All right, we have a motion and a second. >> All in favor say I.
>> I. Thank you. Congratulations. >> Hey, Steve. >> Hello. It's so good to see you. Happy holidays. It's a wonderful day in Putham County and it's a wonderful day to be able to talk about reading in Putham
County because reading is so important and anything we can do to encourage folks to read is vitally important 21 years. I think that we are one of the longestr running traditions in Putnham
County as well. Um, we have been at this for a long time. Um, behind me before I forget are some of the members of the one book committee. Chip, you know, he's sat on both sides of this wonderful
experience. Todd Dixon, Roberta Christen, Helen Mure, Lula Gail Griffith, and Joyce Oliver are a part of this group. There are some other folks who can't be here today, but it is
amazing that we have been doing this for 21 years because who knew? We would have thought, oh well, we'll do this when we had grant money, we'll do it, and when the grant money runs out, well, we'll see. But here we are back once again.
And I don't know what I would have done if you had not adopted the proclamation. probably would have gone screaming out of here. >> Yeah, we wouldn't allow that. >> No, I appreciate that a lot. And the commission has been stalwart in its
support of one book, one Putinham over the years. The faces in front of me have changed over the years, but that support has never wavered and we really do appreciate that. We appreciate the support of Stella and the library system
and Misha for all that they do to make us so successful. And this year I am truly excited to say that Shelby Vanpelt will be here for the finale. Um she is
on a trip through Florida and we are able to tag along on that trip. So we appreciate it and I need to remind you that we are an all volunteer organization and we rely on donations.
So someone from my group will pass the hat and um you know throw in those hundreds and things like that to help us keep one book one Putinham going. But no, seriously, your support is
invaluable. And like I said, the support from the library system is invaluable. And we've got a dance coming up, our book discussions in all of the libraries and other stuff that we can't talk about
yet, but that will be happening over the two months of the reading season. And if any of you came to the Christmas parade, you got to see me in the octopus costume. So you may see that pop up once
in a while through the ye through the season as well. But it's just a wonderful time in Putnham County to encourage reading, to encourage all of our residents to read, to spend some time with what I think is a very unique
book. It's very few books that I know about that have an octopus as the lead character, but I've learned through reading this book that octopi are extremely wy creatures. So, come find out about the octopus and
how it's all tied together. And on behalf of all of the members of One Book, One Putnham, thank you all so very much. And again, merry Christmas and happy holidays. >> Thank you, Steve. Um, I do want to say that um, as you're going through your season, please make sure and share your
events that you're coming up with us. We'll make sure and and get them out to the public as best we can. We've been trying to do that as much as we can. So, anything you have, share with us and we'll be glad to to get it out in the community. >> In in that spirit, the kickoff is coming
up on January >> January 15th at the golf club. um don't know quite all what's going to happen there yet, but there'll be some surprises there as well. But that's the beginning of all of this.
>> Yeah, send us an email. And then the other thing I want to say since we're discussing encouraging reading and thank you for recognizing the library. Um I do want to mention that the library has an angel tree right now and uh people can buy books and donate them and those uh books would go to the children and youth
that are at the Lee Connley House. So it's a very good program. Anybody who can help with that, I'm sure the library would definitely appreciate that. >> That's another longunning tradition is the library's angel tree. >> It's just beautiful. So, I wanted to mention it while we had a few minutes. So, thank you. >> Appreciate that. >> Thank you. Would y'all like a picture?
>> Sure. >> Sure. Thank you. [snorts] >> Yeah. Come up and smile. Just tear it up. >> Yes. And I haven't Next we have Rick Paul up with the Small
Business Development Center. Good morning, commissioners, staff, guests. Um, Rick Paul from the Small Business Development Center, 1100 Reed Street. Uh, just a quick note on 1100 Reed Street. The chamber is doing some extra hiring. So, um, they need my
office space. So, I'm relocating into, I believe, the downtown historical district, uh, probably the business district. Um, in front of you, you should have uh the fiscal year October 1 through September 30th document. It
looks like this. A couple notes about this. Uh, when I first got here, I totally redesigned this so it was one page and pretty clear and straight to the point. Um, they've now changed the format. I don't know what the next format will look like, but when I get
it, I'll I'll be sure to present it to you. This was set up in columns so it was easy to read. City of Palaca impact, Putnham County impact, me as a total impact, and then the impact for the whole University of North Florida region. Uh I'd like to point out for
Putnham County for this fiscal year, October 1 through September 30th, there were 82 uh Putnham County entrepreneurs consulted um 276 hours, 18 workshops.
That's a lot. um over a thousand people attending them. 26 jobs created 12 startups and capital investment of $546,000 plus. Underneath the quarterly headlight uh not headlights, yeah, headlights.
>> Um you see some of the the little notes in there. Um some workshops that uh I attended. Uh what's missing on this particular one because it was just held about a month ago was access to capital workshop I held at the uh boardroom for
the chamber of commerce. Uh that was pretty successful. We had about 30 attendees for that. Also what's not on here is Florida Rural Economic Development Association uh meeting I attended in Ocala. I'd like to thank Larry Harvey, Commissioner Larry Harvey
for his work on that board. It was a fantastic meeting. It always is. uh they continue to improve year after year after year. Uh Secretary Kelly was up there giving us a lot of economic uh news and he introduced Governor Ron DeSantis. He was talking about the rural
initiatives that they're working on in the state house to help uh counties like ours. Um the good news uh about this is that if you look at your investment of $22,000,
um the Small Business Development Center was a good steward of your money returned a 2,184% return on your money in order to generate the $546,000 in capital. I'm not sure how many other
people you invest in that give you that rate of return, but but I feel like that's pretty good. Um, so hopefully you're you're happy with me and my services uh to the county. Uh, other news is pretty important. If you
remember last time I presented in front of you, I think it was in May, uh, I had a success story on Sunshine Rail. uh that Sunshine Rail Services LLC uh by Douglas Fornier and his family. Um the
story after I uh presented it to you was picked up by Peter Willlet and the Blacka Daily News. That story got 4,000 hits in the first four hours on the website on their social media page. It had 24,000 hits in the first 24 hours
and the Plaque Daily News only has 24,000 subscribers. So it went it went viral. Uh, and because of that, uh, the I believe it was the state office for the SPDC at University of West Florida, uh, has referred the story
over to Florida Trend Magazine. >> Oh, wow. >> So, it's been rewritten and hopefully it'll be showing up in a current issue of Florida Trend Magazine. So, keep your eye out for that. Um, the, uh, letter I'm holding up, you can't really read it, of course, but I'm just
showing it to you. It's uh I have nominated uh Doug for the Small Business Administration's small business person of the year award. Uh so that will be the regionally for um you know our 18 county region here. Then it'll go uh
statewide and then maybe it'll go national. I don't know. But I think that's uh pretty good for Doug to come on board, hire local people to uh employ them, purchase the land and the properties and equipment and run a very successful business which of course he
started from scratch uh like four years ago. Um the good news is that u he's still working on expanding is expected to have almost 50 employees within about five years up from about 12 right now
and revenues will be in the tens of millions of dollars on that. So there's a local homegrown uh hero for you for small business and that really reflects on Putnham County, the residents of Putnham County and building that infrastructure to help attract other
industries. Uh with that being said, uh that is primarily my report. Uh are there any questions from the commissioners? >> No, but I just want to say thank you. Uh thank you for giving us an update every once in a while. We appreciate that.
That's definitely a good return on our investment. So, thank you for for uh sharing that with us. Is are there any other questions or comments? Thank you for everything you do for Putham County and our small businesses. We all know that small businesses are really the backbone of our economy. So, thank you.
>> There are. Thank you all and merry Christmas and happy new year. >> Thank you. You too. >> Uh Miss Lorie Parker, human resources employee of the month. We're gonna have Miss Young, Deputy Minister, stand in for Miss Miss Parker this morning.
>> Thank you. >> Good morning, chair and commissioners. Um, it is my honor to present to you the October employee of the month for Putnham County to Miss Nancy Brown. Um, Miss Brown is here beside me and I'm going to tell you that consistently I
hear feedback from both our internal staff and external citizens that when they work with Miss Brown, it's always um working towards uh progress and resolution to whatever is happening. She explains things to citizens so that they can break down the process and
understand the steps that are needed to take action to get them where they want to be. Um, and does so very professionally and always very calm in her demeanor. um just really really well representative of our um planning division. And beside me, I'm going to present this to her and then I'm going
to turn it over to Mr. Zach. >> Congratulations. [applause] >> Good morning, commissioners. [clears throat] For the record, Zachary Baker, Development Services. Thank you for the continued opportunity to recognize those staff members who go the
extra mile. Uh let's take an uh an additional moment to appreciate Nancy, the county's planning technician and at the beginning of my career, my mentor. While calmly reviewing permits, she was secretly shaping leadership at the highest level. Think of her as the
planning world Yoda. wise, patient, and quietly steering us away from disaster, one corrected application at a time. Nancy, thank you for keeping us on track, teaching us with humor, and proving that behind every great executive director is a planning
technician saying, "Actually, here's the right map." We appreciate you. >> Thank you, commissioners. >> Yes, we'd love a picture. All right. Before we move into public works, I just want to recognize Tyler Nolan um from the Northeast Florida Regional
Council for being here today. Thank you, Tyler. Public works hearing to vacate an easement. Madam Chair, may I ask? >> Yes, please. >> Mr. Stout, before we get started on this, I sent you some information. We
talked last week about uh Mr. Dean and some problems he was having um I guess with us. He wants us to vacate, but he was having some problems with uh the planning department and ditching and
coverts and all kinds of things. Uh my question to you then is the same now. If we do this vacation, are we hurting him, helping him, or do we even know what he's involved in at that point? the only ditching and I'd have to um sit
down with planning and development to see what they're specifically looking at, but from public works standpoint, his driveway that's already existing doesn't need a covert for that driveway and the drainage and utility easements that are on the property, uh he doesn't need to do anything with as far as we're
concerned either for a site work permit to put the trailer on the property. >> Um and that so that's just something Mr. Baker and I will have to talk about, but from our perspective, we don't we don't see an issue. All right. Are there any questions for uh Mr. Stout?
All right. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here who wishes to speak regarding the vacation of easements at 207 Leno Avenue in Interlarkin? If so, please come forward. All right. No one's come forward. Madam Chair, I'd like to move approval
of the resolution 2025-114, resolution of the board of county commissioners, uh, Putnham County, Florida, vacating certain drainage and utility easements located at 207 Lenor Avenue, Enarkin Lake Estates, Frederick Town, Unit 16 in
Enarken in accordance with section 336.09, 09 Florida statute closing and abandonment of roads authority of and section 336.12 Florida statutes closing and abandonment of roads termination of easement conveyance of fee.
>> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. Any uh questions or discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. All right. Moving into agenda items. This portion of the agenda is designed
to allow citizens an opportunity to bring matters to the attention of the board. It is not reasonable to expect that the board will engage in debate or deliberation about matters on which the board has received no prior information as part of the agenda. Please limit your time to three minutes. Public comment
cards are conveniently placed at the meeting room entrance and should be submitted prior to the meeting to the deputy clerk who sits to the right of podium. Um, are there any cards on consent agenda items or any agenda items? Let me look.
Okay. on Mount Oliveme. Is there is any is it anything that's particular to the on the agenda items? Okay. All right. And we're going to do public comment once we get through with this. Thank you. All right. Agenda items. Does any commissioners wish to
pull any items? Starting with Commissioner Harvey? >> I have none. >> Commissioner Alexander. >> I have none. >> Commissioner Newold. >> I have nothing to pull. Commissioner Paliser, >> I have nothing. >> I will be pulling item
D >> is in dog. >> Madam chair, based on that, I would like to move the consent agenda. Consented agenda items A, B, C, E, F, G, H, and I. >> Second.
>> Have a motion to second. Any further discussion? >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. The reason um item D is resolution for substance abuse re-entry facility. I just wanted to talk about
that briefly so that um the commissioners all had an understanding of of how we got to where we're at. On um in 21 I'm sorry 2223 the state appropriated a million dollars for what was titled for
the project Putnham County Mental Health Project. That money was split. Um I don't know the division but this is part of it right here. Um between two facilities. One of those facilities is what they call the insight building which is the old uh we call it I guess the old um putt golf right out in front
of the sheriff's office. That building and then a building that the county owns and both of these buildings are county owned. Um a building that the county owns that SMA uses. So, two projects that will be going on for this uh with this million dollars and it is
specifically tied to re-entry program and um so the one is in partnership with the Putham County Sheriff's Office, the one out in front of the sheriff's office and the other one is in in partnership with the SMA and SMA actually came and spoke.
I hope you guys remember they're going to have a 15 bed facility once it's done and that'll help people coming out of the jail system. um to have a place to to go and enter a program where they can get help whether it's addiction, I think it's addiction and mental health. And so
they'll have a place to go. So that's that's a big um a big lift for us in Putnham County. I'm excited that we're going to have that. And then on the jail side, I just want us Mr. Suggs, he stepped away. But if we can just get a [music] meeting with the sheriff's department, I want to make sure that on
the inside building that we're following the parameters of what we're doing, what we said [music] told the state we would do on the that building, particularly um some of the things that we talked about in the appropriation was redu reduction of addiction rates among inmates.
um and several different ways we talked about doing that whether it was through medically assisted treatment providing them with um resources in the community and the whole purpose is elimination of repeat incarceration by the program. So
that was that's the the the meat and potatoes of it. But if we can just work with the sheriff's office in the future um for that and um I just want to make sure that we're following the guidelines of what we told the Florida legislature. Yes. Go ahead. Uh, Commissioner Alexander, >> I just wanted to share something
regarding that. I have visited the facility and I've spent some time with the ladies out there and um, >> talking about SMA. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. >> And I wanted to share a little success story. Um, as most of you guys know, um, Madame Chair and I have gone to a number of the drug court graduations together.
And, uh, one of the graduates from the drug court actually applied and, uh, successfully secured a job with SMA to help the folks down there. >> That's good. >> Yep. So, I I thought that was a really really bright really bright spot for us.
>> Yeah, I agree. >> Commissioner Paliser, you're recognized. Just to highlight that a little bit. I think this is very important to these people that are are coming out of of the system and some of them actually truly have nowhere to call put their head that
night. And this is a a great thing and and certainly a feather in our cap to support such a great organization doing such good work for these people that in their time of need we're able to provide that. It's I think it's a wonderful thing. >> Thank you. Thank you. and I I believe on
the insight program and again we'll have to meet with the sheriff's office and maybe they could even come and give us an update as to what they want to do um or what they're planning on doing at that building. They can come and give us an update at the county commission meeting. Um with that um I move approval of item D, administrative budget resolution. >> Madam Chair, I move approval of the
consent agenda item D. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> Second. You got a second. All in favor say I. I. I. >> Thank you, Commissioner Harvey, for covering for me there. Uh new business acceptance of rightway
on various county maintained roads in Putnham County resolution 2025-117. He was handling that. Here he comes. >> Here he comes. >> Commissioners, these are various uh properties that were uh that are being
split according to land development code. If they're not uh with the 33 feet of rideway, land development code requires them to give that to the county for proper road maintenance. Uh, and that's just what's happening with these three properties here. We either don't have a ride of way or it's not recorded.
So, we're just cleaning up the the deeds >> and we have all the um all I see them all the deeds record. Okay, I got it. >> All right. Is there any questions? >> I move for approval of acceptance of the rideways on various county roads main
county maintain roads in Punip County. >> Second that. Do we have to read this by title? >> Okay. >> How much of this? >> Oh, you said it. Okay. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> All right. All in favor say I.
>> I. >> Motion carries. Thank you. >> Code enforcement. Is there anybody here just speak on any kind of code enforcement items A, B, C, D, or E on code enforcement fine reduction request?
Madam Chair, seeing no one's here in the audience for the codes if it pleases the board, I'd like to move this a little faster. Um, codes case number 202-0000260. The fine reduction >> 262 >> 262
>> 262 I apologize. >> Total enforcement was 10,000 uh $12 and um let's see. The property is now compliant. Board approves we recommend the reduced fine to be paid within four
years. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. I'm fine with that if that's fine. Okay. So, $10,12 of pay within four years on this case. That's my motion. >> Second. >> We have a motion to second. All in favor say I. >> I. Motion carries.
>> All right. Let me get to the next one. Madam chair, on codes case 2015-0000324 is now in compliance. Um, the total fine incurred is $34,97.34. staff has calculated the actual hard cost to be $7,191
as shown. Uh there is a tax deed on this. Correct, Thomas? >> Yes. >> Okay. So the uh so right now we'll be taking money from the tax deed. The property owner has has requested
approval of the fine reduction and that's going to be Thomas. What? I don't see your um notes on here about how long >> that the $7,191 will be completely paid
because the tax surplus. >> So, Madam Chair, the motion is for them to rece for we've already got our money $7,191. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. >> Second that. >> All right. We have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I. Motion
carries. Madame Chair, on codes case 2020-0000718 is now in compliance. Total fine was $19,193.50. Staff has calculated the actual hard cost of enforcement to be $2,345
uh on the fine reduction worksheet and staff is recommending that they property owner pays $2345 if paid within 90 days. >> Second, >> Thomas, for clarity, I see in our our backup document that says 718, but on
our agenda it says 178. What is the correct number? >> 718. >> All right. 718 as stated. All in favor say I. >> I. Motion carries. >> Madam, >> okay, I'm a little slower. I'm working off the computer and I apologize. So,
>> you're doing great, >> Madam Chair. On codes case number 23-0000650 is now in full compliant. Now in compliance, I'm sorry. The total amount of the fine was $20,118.50. staff has calculated the actual hard
cost to be paid back to the county as $2,69 and recommend I move that we accept that hard cost of $2,69 if paid within 90 days. >> Second. >> We have a motion to second. All in favor say I.
>> I. >> Motion carries. >> And madame chair, the last one is codes case number 23-00005267. the uh now is in compliance and the total amount the fine accured is $16,168.50.
Staff has calculated the hard cost of enforcement to be $1,743 and that would be the recommendation and my mo motion is to be paid within 90 days. >> Second that. >> We have a motion to second. All in favor say I.
>> I. I. >> Thank you, commissioners. >> Thank you. All right. Public comment on miscellaneous items. This portion of the agenda is designed to allow citizens an opportunity to bring matters to the attention of the board. It is not reasonable to expect that the board will engage in debate or deliberation about matters on which the board has received
no prior information as part of the agenda. Please limit your time to three minutes. Public comment cards are conveniently placed at the meeting room entrance that should be submitted prior to the meeting to the deputy clerk who sits to the right of the podium. If we uh first we have um Tiffany
Croer. if you'll just give your name and address for the record. >> Sure. My name is Tiffany Croer. I'm at uh 195 Horseman Club Road. Uh thank you for your time to speak. Uh I wanted to start by saying seeing many
of you walking around talking to your neighbors shows that you truly do care about your citizens. And uh the problem that I'm bringing to you today, I'm sure that you will take seriously. Um I'm affectionately known as the squeaky wheel.
And the problem that we're having, I was here, this is my second visit to these proceedings. I was last here in April. Um, our neighbors, I represent the neighbors, uh, on Horseman Club, uh, which I believe falls under District 5. I'm here because our road continues to
be unsafe and the danger is growing. The last time I was here, I was approached after voicing my concerns and told I'd be more effective if I came back with a solution to the problem. So at my um I'm bringing back the same pretty much the same solutions or ideas
as a citizen because I don't have that not that uh education as I came with the first time and that is visual and physical speed limiters. I've waited for the completion of the school to return um with this issue. As I'm sure you're
all aware, a beautiful new school has been built on Horseman Club Road. However, it seems that some safety measures and precautions are missing. There's no sidewalks. There's no traffic calming devices. No meaningful protection for children or residents.
Next school year, which is in eight months away, will be increasing traffic as well as the wear and tear on our already crumbling road. As of yet, there are no safety precautions in place. Right now, vehicles are traveling at speeds that do not align with the Department of Transportation's
recommendations for residential roads. Um, especially roads with a school and an agricultural event center such as the Horseman Club Arena. This is not just a concern, but it uh will result in a liability and a safety failure. The
recommended speed for the type of area according to DOT is 25 miles per hour. We have a horse arena and now a school with a road with speed limits similar to that's right here on Krill, which has sidewalks and no deep swailes that our
Horsemen Club Road does have. It's become a straightaway for motorcycles and trucks to race on. Heavyduty semis and everyday drivers accelerate through the community, creating noise, fear, and danger. I'm sure some of this is due good to good people who are just
distracted and wanting to get to their location, whether it be home or work. I've been guilty of it myself, catching myself going a little too fast. This is why physical reminders are suggested since police presence to regulate is not realistic. Our community has taken the
suggested action. A petition is already in motion and homeowners along the road are unified. This is not a one household complaining. This is an entire neighborhood asking for your protection. We're not asking for excessive measures, only proven safety solutions, including
a turning lane off of Highway 19. We are the only road on 19 without a turning lane. Um, many times the car behind us opposing turning lane to turn around us, leaving the vehicle behind with no visual warning.
because of the degree of the turn, you have to almost come to a complete stop. Um, I don't want to go over myself again. It's my sincerest hope that the concerns I'm bringing to you today do not fall on deaf ears, but timely action will be made if it's not already in
process. And that's all I have. >> Thank you. >> I have a little bit there could add, madam chair. >> Yes. >> Um, I'm I mean we're eight months out. Mr. Stout could have certainly shed more light on this than I could. Um,
I'm sure before their open school there going to be appropriate signage uh and speed limits posted and that type thing along Horseman's Club would will have to be done. I just can't see any way that could go on without as far as the turning lane on 19. I think that's a
great idea, but there again that's the state of Florida. That's not us. and we'd have to ask and you see if we can get them to to do such a thing. But that again, that's a state property, not ours. Am I kind of right there, Mr. Stout?
>> I thought you'd get the hint and head this way. [laughter] >> Good morning. So, State Road 19, uh, yes, State Road. As far as the turning lane's concerned, um, there will be school beacons that will be installed, uh, for during drop off and pickup times for Horseman Club Road in front of the
school. Um, the rideway, we don't have enough rideway to do a sidewalk to go down Horseman Club Road. Uh, and if we're going to do a reduction in a speed limit, correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Commando, I think we'll need a traffic study in order to reduce that. Um, and that's another cost that we'll have to
do. uh in order to lower that speed limit. Other traffic calming measures, um I know it's been brought up um speed bumps of some sort or speed humps, we don't do that on our county roads unless you direct me to otherwise, but we've always stayed away from that. Uh just
because they end up causing other issues that we don't want to mess with. Um I think I hit most of what you had. >> St. John's Avenue has those has those speed rumbles. They have St. John's Avenue has those those rumbles. They I guess that's what they're called. Rumble strips. >> Yeah, you can do that. Just it brings
attention to the speed. Um but it it's not something that you would want to someone to ramp off of it. Yeah. Right. >> And as regarding the uh traffic study, do we know if the school board did a traffic study on that road? >> Um I'd have to get with them and see if
they did that. I know they have a they have an engineered plan for the school beacons and where their location is based upon the current speed limit of the road. Okay. Well, I think those locations >> if you could find out if they've done a traffic study, I think that we could at least take a look at that. Go ahead.
>> I I know the school beacon loca if you change the speed them on a horseman club, then the beacon locations would need to change. >> What is the current speed limit? >> 35. >> 35. So, if you lower it, you still would have to they would have to move >> more than likely they might change the the beacon locations.
>> Really? >> Yeah. >> They go hand in hand. with it being eight months out, I really think we need to take and address this issue. Anything that we can do, um I actually was um my I was raised on Horseman Club Road, so I'm very aware of the traffic uh that
goes through there. It's it's dangerous. Um with the new school coming, I have some real concerns regarding the safety and the the depth of the ditches and the the rideways. They're it's non-existent. So, it's it's going to be a struggle and I I question
um whether or not they did a traffic study on that and uh I don't know how well that the uh that was thought out. So, uh anything we can do, I will gladly get behind. >> Is there a reason why we can't do or why
the speed humps that are throughout even like Gainesville, Green are not allowed in Putham County? We we typically don't do that because of the possible accidents that they could cause. >> That can be a liability. >> So >> frustration.
>> This comes up in all the counties that I work in and there are traffic engineers that have professional opinions that sometimes speed calming devices actually create more accidents. So I'm not saying that's the case here. I'm just telling you that that's kind of the there's
another side to look at it that usually comes as part of your traffic study. I'm afraid that the next thing may be another fatality of a child and we're protecting the people breaking the law rather than the people who want to live by the law. So, if there's something that you as a commission can come up
with as a solution to slow people down on this road, this is a necessity because we don't want to be grieving a child because we have uh lacked in getting into action. >> Yep. I understand. And um in an effort
to mitigate some of that, um we do have a a new piece of equipment coming online that hasn't been shared that will be uh distributed in place strategically throughout the county as needed to helpfully hopefully calm some of that.
Um I think uh Monday that will be shared. So it's temporary, but it can be very helpful in doing what you're trying to do. M treasure, just continue to work with Commissioner Paliser on this and he'll if there's anything he could do,
I'm sure he will. >> I'll reach out to the school districts contact for construction. >> All right. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you for your comments. >> All right. Next, we have Mount Olive AM Church. >> Hey y'all. >> Good morning.
>> Good morning. Just give your name and address for the record. >> My personal address? >> Yes, ma'am. Or a address for >> Jackan Hills. I live at 134 Cracker Swamp Road. All right. >> But I'm a member of Malib Ame, which is located on 115 Pine Street. >> Yes, ma'am.
>> We have been there 125 years. Wow. >> Due to a water bill, we don't know if we will continue to exist. We got a water bill of $600. >> A water bill. >> A water bill. >> Yes, ma'am. $700 was the next one. The
other one was a thousand. In the midst of this in the midst of this, I have been to the county 15 times since Kylie Wy, I think is her correct name, has been there. She has been of
great assistance. Prior to Kylie, nothing. We requested, could we cut the meter off till we get our problem fixed? We were told that's a crime. We would go to jail. That is
against the law. So then I had a handyman to come out and look. Mr. Bellamy from Bellamy's Plumbing came and look. We're still not sure what the problem is, but my concern is if they had just allow us to turn the
meter off, we would owe $600. We're there Sunday for three hours. I've gone back and forth and I've only met and I want to say his name is JT once. Yes, sir.
>> Because the first eight times I went and asked to speak with him, I was told he's too busy. And I just don't think nobody in the county should be going through what we're going through. And my church at
the point of the beginning of this, we had five members. They're 90, 87, 78. The other person, I don't know how they are. I was not living here at the time, but since my mom's 90, I have relocated
and I'm trying to help them fix the problem. I did speak to Josh. I ain't going to lie. He was having lunch. He didn't know who I was. I just stepped out and started speaking because we wish to continue to exist, but we cannot with
a bill of 30,000 at this point is up to $3,464. The other lady who, and I'm glad I don't remember her name, who was no assistance, I asked her, should I take the meter up and have it examined because I wasn't sure if the problem was
on my side or their side? Why waste your money? And I'm glad she's gone because she was no assistance to me in any. If you saw me coming in that building that many times, I'm trying to fix our problem.
And the corner that we're located on, I went up one day with a shovel digging trying to see if we had a leap that I'm not aware of. The worst person in that neighborhood who's on drugs got a shovel and dug with
me and I didn't find anything. Mr. Bellamy capped off her shower that's in the building behind, but nobody has been in that building cuz we've not had a pastor who stayed.
I don't know what the problem is, but Mount Olive needs help. This is my new pastor, Reverend Samuel, who we've only had two weeks, [laughter] so he stepped into this problem. But Mount Olive needs assistance from someone. I've called people who had
money to pay bills. They could not assist me. I reached out to Catholic services. I've not gotten an answer back yet. I reached out to I want to say her last name is Artez or something, Crystal. She had money to help people to pay bills. She said, "I don't have
anything. We're trying to pay it, but the six months thing is not going to allow four people to pay $3,000. There's just no way. Yes, ma'am. >> If the effort is there, yes, but we have
to have money behind that effort. And right now, it's not. And I just realized last week that you continue to get the bills. And that's why I came because everybody don't understand that the bills are computerenerated. So now we received something last week and my
90-year-old mother is all excited because they're saying they're going to cut the water off in 10 days. >> Okay. All right. >> I just wanted the board to know what we're going through. Yes, ma'am. >> Go ahead. >> Good morning. >> Good morning.
>> I hadn't seen you since we spoke at Angels. [laughter] I was really hoping that no news was good news, but obviously it's not. >> The last bill was over a thousand. >> Yes, ma'am. Um, I would like to address the comment that you said that the water
meter could not be shut off or it was a criminal offense. Did was that inferring that if you guys cut it off without permission that was a criminal offense or Okay. But >> yes, >> was if a request is made to the county
to cut it off, is that acceptable? Um where are we at on that? Cuz if they're continuing to have a bill and they're struggling with it and they can't determine where the problem is, are we able to cut that bill off? Because I know you at one time you said you had a
a well on site. There is a well and we added a cut off valve. I added a cut off valve to the annex since they were saying that it was on my side. So I wanted to be able to cut everything off. >> I drove by at night to see if somebody had a water hose out there trying to see
>> and we talked about that and setting up some cameras. But I also have a question regarding the the tiein with that well to the point that with the the water issues that we have with the aquifer now if that well isn't collapsing and
allowing the city water to back feed into that. >> Commissioner Alexander I see Mr. Suggs has got his lit. I don't know if that'll help at all. >> Yeah. I don't know. Uh but listening to the conversation here this morning, this is the first that I've heard of this issue. It's the first I believe Mr.
Grimes has heard of this issue. So if it would uh be good with the commission for I think the best thing we can do is I got my business card here to share. I think we need to have a a conversation uh uh in the office and let's see what we can do
about finding out what the issue is and how we might be able to assist. That way there's no more back and forth about who might have said what and who didn't say what. I think we can work on this directly as administrative staff and see if we can get some assistance as at least figure out what the issue is is is
uh being created from here. But I will tell you that the comment this morning that you made was actually factual that if you folks turn it off without any authority then that is an issue. I will find out from public works if anyone's requested to have that meter shut down
and I'll get with Mr. Stout and we'll we'll we'll we'll figure out what the issue is and offer whatever assistance we can this morning. >> So, Miss Hills, what we'll do is he we'll give he'll give you your his card >> because it was a request down at the office >> and he'll get with you and you guys can sit down and it sounds like he's you
know that's that's the best way to go forward. >> Mr. Suggs, thank you for taking that interview. Thank you, >> Miss Hills. I hope that helps out. >> Thank you. >> Y >> congratulations, Reverend Sam Samuels, on your new uh appointment.
>> Yeah. >> Welcome to Putnham County and our in our beautiful community. >> All right. Next. >> We have a T. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Tyler Nolan.
Thank you, Mr. Suggs. >> Morning, Madam Chair. Tyler Nolan, Northeast Florida Regional Council on 40 East Adam Street, Jacksonville, Florida. Um, it's nice to see everybody. I know a handful pretty much everybody at the DIS with the exception of just a few. Um, my
name is Tyler Nolan. I'm a special projects coordinator with the Northeast Florida Regional Council and I have just been appointed by our office um as your new liaison to the agency. Um it will be myself um our TD coordinator also Miss Summer Jones um and so we will be in and
around your meetings um if we're not here in person we'll be watching them virtually um really just kind of keep tabs on what's going on down here in Putham County and finding ways that as an agency we can continue to support um the great initiatives and things that y'all have working on. Um some of the
things that I have brought with me today um is our legislative priorities have been completed and published. Um this is a regional look. Um you all send us your individual legislative priorities. Um we look at that um across our board of directors and put that into a regional
scope. Um, so that way when you are working with the folks down in Tallahassee for the legislative session, um, you have some Q cards and some things to help you in those endeavors as we, you know, bring communities together across Northeast Florida and really work through those things. I also have our, um, annual report from last year, which
has been, um, recently completed. Um, so you'll have a copy of that. I'll leave it over here with your um, staff. Um, and then my business card as well. If something comes up, you all um get to see my CEO, Miss Beth Payne, pretty routinely. Um you all will have her phone number, but if there's something
you ever need, by all means, please feel free to uh um reach out to me directly and I can get it up to our senior staff um and see how we can assist you with some things. And then the last thing is uh we will have our regional awards of excellence in elected officials lunchon
on January 8th. Um the awards were just decided at our last board of directors meeting last week. Um so it's very exciting that we are now in that process and getting ready for our next wave of um elected official lunchon that we get to do every year. So madam chair with that that's all I have for you. Just
wanted to introduce myself and bring um the documents and stuff that our staff has put together over the recent months. >> Well great thank you and I would just say um I appreciate having uh summer and uh worked with her before. So I'm glad that you two are teaming up with Putham County. And then I would also say we're
always looking for funing. So, if as you're going through uh besides your legislative priorities, if you see any grants or anything that you think would be beneficial to Putnham County, please share with us on that. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Yeah. And with that, um thank you. Thank you so much for coming forward. We're
going to take a quick um a quick recess. Thank you. We are still in the middle of our public comment cards. We will have Dan Steel next. Dan Steel. Good morning. >> Good morning.
>> Uh my name is Dan Steel, 202 May Lane, Interlockan, Florida. Um what we're here today is uh talk about the land that was purchased at George's Lake out there for $400,000.
And uh Ralph will go into that for a minute. And then I got some other issues. >> So are you both you want to you're what are y'all doing? You you speaking or he's speaking? You want three minutes? He wants three minutes. Is that what you're saying? >> We're both here about the same same lake. >> Okay. >> Okay.
>> Ralph Haggy12 Paul Drive. Hollister footage. Okay. Um as you know, we're purchasing land for this lake and I I just got a I'm a fisherman. Okay. and I have a boat, but
I'm just more concerned about the money used for uh paved roads and fixing roads. Uh because there's more people that drive then fish. I mean, I'm I'm almost dead
sure of that. But uh anyway um see here was there did anybody ever check to see if that land was partially swamp land? I don't know if anybody knows that or not but that was brought to my attention but
and then uh see I'm thinking um the better tax plan should be used for our roads instead of boat ramps right now. I mean, I understand it will, you know, benefit some people, but I think we got to look
for the majority of people. And besides that, uh, Palaca is have a lot more traffic now. If you have noticed, I'm sure you noticed that we got a lot of more people here. So, and the main road right down here downtown,
uh, needs to be resurfaced. Some It's It's bad through here. And I don't know whether we do that or the state does it. I don't know. But I'm just using that as a as a uh reasoning. And let's see something else here
uh about the cost of uh now if you buy the land then there's additive costs which they're going to have to resurface and they're going to have to have place for people to park. They're going to pave all that. Where does that money
does that come out of the better business? I mean, not better business, but that's that's another thing. But I mean, out of the better uh uh plan here or or do we purchasing that, too? I mean, far as the surfacing, >> we haven't voted on that.
>> Uh >> we have not voted on that yet. >> Okay. All right. Well, that's something to be be aware of. And then uh see um extra cost me um I'm just see I'm more concerned about
the Oh, and my time up already. >> Yes, sir. >> Well, anyway, I just think the money should be used more towards the roads because we got more people here and we need to be fixed. >> I mean, we could do that another time, but I mean, there's more people that
drive the roads than fish. I guarantee. Thank you. >> Thank you. George's Lake way back in December of 2022, health alert issued for George's Lake about blue green algae.
Okay. and a little bit what it says right here. The blue green algae blooms are wait can impact human health and ecosystems including fish and other aquatic animals. The agency uh said in
its press release, I got it right here. Now, there was a sample taken uh on uh I believe it was in March of this year.
>> There is still blue green algae in there in that lake. And right here it states that uh blue green algae may uh may not always be visible in a in a bloom but it
can still be present in the water. Now people have been urged not to swim, let your dog drink it or anything out here because it's a health hazard. Now here we purchased a boat ramp. Did
anybody know about this blue green algae out there at the boat ramp? What's being done about it? Well, has anybody got an answer? What's being done about it? Because you're not supposed to put your boats in it. If you do get in it and
people are going to be getting in the water, you're supposed to make sure you wash it off. You can't even boil the water to get rid of the toxins from blue green algae. It states right in here. He came boil it.
Doesn't do any good. So, uh kind of wondering about that if there's going to be big signs put up out there, uh hazard to your health or what if you put up a boat ramp there because a lot of people won't know about this
and you're have people swimming in the lake and getting sick and stuff like that. A lot of people come from up north down here and they're going to have their boats in there and I'm just kind of wondering about the
people's health in this county about what they're going to do about it. Has anybody got an answer? Because I got the articles right here and I don't know if anybody studied it,
but it's not good for your health. I wouldn't get in to swim. I wouldn't eat any fish out of it. Nothing. So, um then also uh
that I've been out to that ramp. $400,000 for that piece of land. I don't know who was looking at it. I don't know. I don't know. Uh it's it's we got roads out there. In fact,
uh, three Sundays ago, this past Sunday, the record was out there pulling out a fire truck on one of the roads, got stuck out there. When our fire trucks get stuck, when they're going to a fire or to a
house, and then we spend $400,000 for a boat ramp and putting them kind of that lake is affected with blue green algae. I can I don't know where you people are coming from. >> So really I I don't I
>> Thank you. Your time is up. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'd like to get an answer on this blue green algae uh sometime here in the near future. What you're going to do about it because >> your time's up. Thank you. We I we we got your question. Thank you. >> Okay. For four years now we've had it in
that lake. So it's it's all toxic. >> Okay. >> Happy holidays. Uh, going into appointments. >> Um, Commissioner Alexander, do you have any appointments? >> No. >> Commissioner Newold? >> None.
>> Commissioner um Harvey, >> I have none. Ma'am, >> Commissioner Pelisier, >> I have an announcement. Um, >> push your button. >> I have an announcement. Um, I appointed some time back Larry K to the fair board. >> Yes. and um due to some personal issues,
he's going to have to resign. Okay. >> So, I will be replacing him in the hopefully the near future. I've got a few names I'm kicking around. >> Okay. >> So, u just want to make that announcement, but other than that, no, I don't have anything. >> Okay. All right. And I don't have any uh
I did get a text from clerk of court Matt Reynolds. He apologizes he couldn't make it today. Um going into uh county attorney Rich Commando, do you have any comments? >> No, ma'am. Thank you. >> Thank you. County Administrator. >> Uh yes, ma'am. Madam Chair, I have a few
this morning. Uh just uh quickly uh just uh I was requested to reach out to our commissioners about committees and appointments that they may sit on. So uh if you could possibly get that information back to me, some of you already have. I appreciate that very
much. I'm trying to put a list together so everybody knows kind of where we're at and and who's doing what, so to speak, and so we can we can uh hopefully make our calendar a whole lot more accessible and and uh help you five out uh in that arena as well. Uh so I do
appreciate the the help there. Uh I was cha uh challenged tasked with working with the city of Palanka on a joint meeting. Uh did get uh information back from uh the city yesterday. Uh uh Miss U Marcia Cardi called me back yesterday.
We're looking again at January 13th at 3 p.m. Uh so here in our chambers uh some of the suggested top hits that they had for for the agenda I think are some of the uh things that we also they wanted to talk about. Uh one thing is municipal boundary service areas. They keep bringing that back up to us and I think
that's probably one of the things that be on the agenda. Possibly shared resources between the city and the county as well. uh legislative priorities moving forward. They'd like to talk to us about uh legislative priorities and then uh impact fees. I was talking with Zach earlier. I
apologize for stepping away from the dis. Zach and I are having a conversation about the impact fees that the city of Pala collects and there are portions that will go to the county. We're going to have to figure out how we want to uh take care of that uh transfer of of of resources and then uh the roads
and all that they put down or or or service. I'm sorry. I'm getting is there. Okay. Um my apologies. I didn't know if there was something I was missing. Um uh then also um shout out to uh Commissioner Larry Harvey uh last
week. Uh I was able to attend the uh Florida Association county's trust dinner uh where Mr. Harvey was uh where he was recognized and received a very nice plaque for his several years. I didn't realize it had been that many years, sir. on the board. Uh they had a
lot of positive comments uh for our commissioner Harvey and I'd like to share one that I think is very instrumental and very uh important for all of us to pay into that trust. Uh I believe the [music] comment was and correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Harvey or
Commissioner Harvey was uh since Mr. Harvey's appointment to that board and serving on the claims committee uh our claims have uh for for the trust have gone down 31%. >> That's a huge number folks and uh one that uh absolutely needs to be
recognized. Uh so uh he's done great work. He was absolutely uh uh uh rewarded with a with comments the other night and I was I was privileged to be there, blessed to be there and I understand uh now M. Commissioner Newbold is is stepping in on on that as
well. So, uh, Mr. Newold, they've all I don't know how your meeting went Friday, but I can tell you Thursday night's uh, dinner said that whatever needs you you had or or help that they were they're there for you. And so, uh, I think
you're stepping into a good group there and it's going to be interesting, uh, you know, moving forward. >> Well, I've got big shoes to fill. Larry was um excellent in that capacity and and I'm just glad he's here to >> help me if I have the need. So, thank you, Larry.
>> Yes, sir. Absolutely. >> Madam Chair, if I could take a moment Sure. of >> of privilege, so to speak. >> Yes, sir. >> You know, we've had uh we've had one of our citizens. He's reached out uh to myself. He's reached out to public
works, Mr. out uh he's probably reached out to to the commissioners especially you bound chair uh with some um let me just say some outrageous claims okay uh the gentleman has decided that he thinks he needs to go on Facebook and
post uh nasty comments and photos and listen we live in a world of social media that's that comes with a territory but if you want to make these outrageous claims that no one is listening no one's responding no one's trying to help Well, I'm going to defute that this
morning. I'm going to tell you that he claims that no one's called him back. Well, I've called him twice. I know Mr. Stealth has returned calls. You know, I've actually I didn't receive a call from him. I actually called him back from a from a message twice, offered to
come out, schedule an appointment to meet with him on his property to discuss whatever issues he thinks he may have from our public works division. Uh the quote that I received was, "I don't want you on my property. I don't want you out here.
Followed up with some very nasty language, some very colorful language, and I'm okay with that. Um, but if you want to if you want to go on Facebook and bash my staff and my commission, you better be prepared for for consequences of that. So, this morning, Mr. Mayor, if
you're listening or you're watching, you obviously have my phone number, but I'll give it to you again because it rings directly on my desk. That phone number is 329-0208. I'll be more than happy to schedule any further conversations, meet with you on your property, discuss whatever you
think we've done wrong. I will tell you that we've also site visited without him knowing that just to go out and take a look. And what we found was absolutely nothing. So I again want to let my commissioners know that if Mr. mayor wants to come
back in our office when none of us are here and chastise my my young lady that sits at the front desk and use colorful language. Again, I welcome the opportunity to have that conversation with Mr. Mayor directly. So, there's where we're at and uh a
little upset about that this morning, but if you're going to challenge my staff, myself, and my board, be prepared for the consequences. So, next I will say this. I want to close on a positive note. I love my staff. I love working for this board.
We're in the midst of holiday season. I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas. Happy holidays. And please remember to hug your families at night because as we all know from yesterday, we are not promised tomorrow. That's right. So, uh I love each and every one of these
folks. So, uh merry Christmas you guys. Thank you. >> Thank you. And um Administrator Suggs, before I go into Commissioner comments, I will say um and and and whether you're in your personal business or you're working for the government, you don't have to tolerate people that are cursing
at you. You just don't have to do it. And it it's not fair. Everybody's got their own job to do, but if if our staff receives uh phone calls, and I know we get some hard phone calls, but when we get those phone calls, if they just need to escalate them all the way up, all the
way up to administrator Suggs or their director, um in this case, it was Mr. Stout. And then Mr. Stout can he did call this gentleman back several times. And the gentleman still, and I'm using that term loosely, uh the gentleman continued to uh use foul language um
bad. And so it went up to Mr. Sugs, Mr. return the call. But at the end of the day, we're humans, too. Just because we work for the public doesn't mean that the public gets to curse and use foul language at us. We can have civil discourse. We can disagree and uh we can
move on, but it is not going to be tolerated. So, thank you, uh, Administrator Suggs, um, for standing tall in and your comments. [music] With that, we'll move into commissioner comments. I had on the agenda, um, this is just a typo. What I wanted to talk
about was the county committees that were on, not the Florida Association of Counties Trust appointment. Um, but we're going to visit that again in January. Like Mr. Suggs said, we're going to get those together, get all those committees that were on and then look and see if there's any committees that uh anybody doesn't want to be on or
how we want to move forward and divide up the work a little bit on that. And with that, we'll go into commissioner comments. Um, Commissioner Alexander, you want to start? >> Yes, ma'am. >> A for first. [laughter] I usually got to sit close to the teacher, so I had to go first. Anyhow,
but uh um just with Mr. Sugg's comments, um you know, we all get excited and we get upset, but um again, as as staff has seen, as the commission has seen, um if
you treat me like a gentleman or you treat the rest of us up here like human beings, then that's how you will be treated. Um, we have a passion for this community and we have a passion for our staff. Mr. Suggs has seen um, me stand
up for staff and take some calls that um, where someone had been rude to our our staff, our receptionist. And you know, you step back and you ask yourself, what if that was your daughter and somebody spoke to her like that or
your son or your brother or your sister? how upset would you be? And that's kind of the the attitude that we take because every one of us up here, though we may disagree from time to time, we still function similarly to a family. Maybe a dysfunctional family, but we are a
family and we're trying to do things the right way for this county. So, please, before you make comments and accusations, um, give us a call personally. Uh, don't take it out on staff. My number is publicly available. I'll give you my personal cell phone number, but I would
rather you call and get upset with me than any of staff. Um, and I'll do my best, as I know the rest of the other commissioners will to make it right or at least, you know, help you understand our position on things. So, but um just thought about that after Mr. Sug's
comments. We we will help any way we can, but we will um defend our staff if if they are in the right or if they have been mistreated. Moving on. Um, I wanted to get an update on the VA services um,
move. Have we had any progress on that or we talked about it anymore? JT or JR, Mr. Grimes, I'm sorry. >> Yeah. So, on I mean, we really at a point where we have to make a decision. Um, do we got to send it out to bid? I mean, we've got a basis of design. I
mean we can put it if you guys formally want us to send it out we'll absolutely send it out but it's got to be a lot of times when the first question is when we're in that room is what's the budget >> okay >> we don't have that right so we really I mean how much is it going to cost really don't have any idea but I mean usually
during our budget season is when we put these budget numbers together right I mean this one was kind of after budgets were already completed so we don't really have a number right so us putting together a plan we have got a conceptual for design but it's got to be some funding in behind it. So, if you guys want to, you're going to have to say,
"Okay, guys, we're committed. We're going to put funding behind it because right now, we're going to put a bid out on the street and we have no I don't have formal action from you guys to fund it when we bring it back." So, it's really wasting a lot of time of your contractors, your vendors, and all that stuff to put a proposal together with no
funding. So, we have a conceptual design we showed to you guys, and that's as far as it went. So, we need board action to give us dollars, real money to put behind the project to move it forward. Until that point, we're just kind of in a limbo of how do we want to move forward. We've got a conceptual for design. We can go after design build,
which would probably be the best probably the quickest route for us to do this one and and bring back some what they would do is they bring an engineer and a contractor back as a team. They would bring it back. They'd bring us back a a proposal and then we would issue the low at that point the lowest
um one and bring back to you guys for final award. But we don't have a budget. Is it is it $10? Is it a million? I mean, what what what what is the parameters of what you want what you want us to work within? >> Okay. And thanks, man. Um, so could you present us a budget number that you
think would cover that cost >> because I can't just commit to a random number, but I mean I need to know kind of an idea of what we're talking about spending. Is it a million dollars, $5 million? >> I I think you're probably for that space. I mean, a a starting budget number would be probably around $200 a
square foot. I mean, that thing's 2500 square feet. I don't have a calculator in front of me. I mean, >> Julian, excuse me, Miss Miss Young does. >> I think you're probably gonna see it's gonna be around a half a million dollars. I mean, shooting from the hip with fireman math as I get accused of using all the time. >> You're not allowed to use fireman.
>> No fireman math. >> That's what that comes up. You can do that in your head. >> $500,000. >> $500,000. Okay. So, what we would need to do is board action to approve $500,000 to move forward with that. Correct.
There we go. >> So, um, if the board would like staff to prepare to move forward, what will happen is we can go ahead and release a or begin drafting a design build contract and at the first meeting in January, we'll bring back a budget
resolution to move um the allocated $500,000 budgetary estimate into a line item. And then it would from that the process design build um procurement would go out staff would assemble a team to evaluate and then at some point we
would bring back to you a contract um that would show exactly where we are given given everyone's knowledge that if it comes in a little bit more then we would have to add more money. If it comes in a little bit lower then we could release a little bit of the money. So today, would you need a wave of
support or do we need to bring it back before the board at the next meeting for a vote to approve the half a million dollars plus or minus? >> The budget has to be formally approved by the board. >> Okay. >> Um if the board would like staff to move in that direction in advance of that
board meeting, we could begin um drafting that design build proposal. With the holiday season and contractors, I hate releasing procurements right now anyways. Absolutely. So, I would not want to necessarily release it until that first week of January. Um, but we could have everything lined up at that
time, both budget resolution and the procurement on the street. >> Okay. Topic number. Okay. So, I'd like >> I I just would like to clarify that that's just a rough number straight from the hip. I have >> We understand it's fireman math. We we get the fireman >> math. I'm going to say I mean there's potential you could get it for much less
and I mean it just all depends. >> My wife is very familiar with Josh math too. So, it's very similar. I think we went to the same school together. But uh all right, topic number two is um the IT move. Is are we in the same situation with that or have we've gotten a
conceptual design on that or where we at on that one? >> So we're still working with the IT department. Mr. Richie is actually out on a conference right now. Um so they've brought back a few preliminary designs and we're going through that same process of what's needed. Um what can we
make work? How do we get this um into a situation where we fulfill all of their needs but do so in a very fiscally responsibly manner? >> And I know you guys are and again um I want to commend you guys. Uh if if the people in Cyber World aren't aware, uh
our animal control facility was built somewhere under $2 million and our neighboring county spent $21 million to accommodate a similar number of animals. So, these guys are doing a good job as far as getting the bang for the buck and uh I'm very happy with that. So, you're
saying the IT move is probably a step behind the VA services move at this point. We're waiting on the conceptual design and then so maybe a couple meetings away on that. >> I would absolutely tell you that Veterans is far more shovel ready than it is. >> Okay, good. But I just I want to stay on
top of these projects and and keep the public updated where we're at and staff updated where we're at on those because those those are both close to my heart, near and dear on those. And um >> with that being said, merry Christmas everybody. I'm done. >> So >> So
I guess I'm not done. >> Yeah. [laughter] Both excited now. >> We talked about it, but I would really like a wave of support of who wants us to move forward, right? So that's that's kind of >> No, no, no. No, no, no. Wait. No, wait. Time out. Time out. I think I I I have comments. Um, not that I think I have
comments. I have comments. >> We know you do. >> We know we do. Uh, so it's easy for us as a board to say, "Yeah, we like this project, and yes, we want to spend money on this project." But at the end of the day, I feel like we've got several things going on. Um,
>> uh, first of all, we don't have we, you know, we don't have a >> we have a lot to consider. We have a lot cons to consider. We've got um we have no idea what's going to happen in Tallahassee this year with uh property taxes. As you know, the governor is um
proposing to remove homesteaded uh property from the uh tax roles. [snorts] If that moves forward, our budget going into the next year is going to be or could potentially be drastically different than what it has been so far. Um, while we have some money in reserves, um, I think we have to be very
cognitive of how we move forward as a board because we all have these projects and I talked about this before that we want to see come to fruition. And so what that we had conversation and what that did is that got us the ones that we had already discussed and approved, we got them in the budget. And so we got a
capital plan this year and we didn't have a capital plan before. So we have that all the things that we're talking about now including these and as much as I support these and other ones that we've talked about we need to sit down and I feel like plan and say okay if we
put this together and we put this together and we put this together what's our total number and do we have enough money and re and and resources because what's going to happen is we're going to say we want to move the the IT we want to move the VA which I support both of those but at the same time we don't know
that we're going to have the funds to do that. Well, we might have it in reserves today, but then the next project that you want, you're not going to have the funds for. And so, it's like it's like you're you're you got to know what's in your checkbook. And so, um that's that's the challenge I have. And so, I don't
want us to just wave in support. Again, I know that that that simply says they can go out to bid, but then to Mr. Grimes point is you go out to bid and you've had contractors and if you've been in the private business and you're bidding on stuff, you have some sense of, oh, I might I might get this bid and
you know, there's some hope there. And I don't want us to be falsely giving hope, I guess, is the way I would say that. So I I almost feel like we need to have a planning session about all the projects that we want to work on as a as a board and then get an
idea of what those costs and know exactly what our bottom line number is. Again, these none of these items those two items were in our budget going forward. >> I understand completely. I am very conservative on on the fiscal spending. Uh but we need to know what these
projects are going to cost so we can accur accurately evaluate um their worth compared to the other projects we have out there. And we very well may be uh we very well may have less revenue but there are certain things that you know
we still need to get done for for our staff. >> So let me ask you this on for for instance let's just take the boat ramp that you support in East >> Paca. What what if you were told that if we did one of these moves, you couldn't build your boat ramp
>> and now we've already spent money for that for that plan and project. >> I understand. And so >> that's a challenge that you have because you don't know what your checkbook is. >> We don't. And so Sam and I are engaged with FWC now on a BIP grant. We were kind of late to the to the dance last
year on it. So he and I got started a little earlier on this one. And one of the biggest factors that we had securing that funding last year was the fact that we didn't commit any um you know we didn't have any skin in the game. This year we do because we we've committed
the money for the engineering and permitting phase of it. So you know everything is always up in the air when it goes with a grant I'm learning. But based on my conversations with staff and with Mr. Sullivan I feel like we've got a much better shot at this.
>> We do. But that's not going to fully fund it. It it may not fully fund it. >> It's not even going to fund a million dollars of it. >> If you look back, >> I think it's right at a million on that one. >> Is it right around 800,000 is the most they've ever um ever um awarded that I
could tell in the research. So, I'm just being cautious on this. >> No, I agree. I agree. And I appreciate that, you know, and and that's again, like I said, when we we've discussed before, the the projects that we have outstanding, a huge goal for this commission is is, you know, as Mr.
Harvey loves to say, bringing this plane into land, and we really need to finish those uh before we fully commit to doing anything else. So, I I appreciate Miss Holm's update, Miss Young's update quarterly on the projects and where
we're at and where what we need to do to finish those. So, again, you don't you don't want to spend um any more of our reserves than we have to uh because staff has fought so hard prior to my election, Mr. Nubold's election, and Mr.
Pelos's election to secure that surplus for us, and we do not want to spend that frivolously. And I agree, we do need to evaluate the priority of each one of these. So, um, >> so maybe just after I guess what I'm asking is instead of doing a wave in support right now, maybe we revisit this
in our January meeting and then have a and and set a time that we can sit down and go over all of the things that a workshop that we can discuss all of the things that we're wanting to see in the next that's not included in our budget. >> Yeah. the the goal of my comments today
was more so to find a an estimate on the costs. So when we do sit down and evaluate this, we're not just grasping at straws and I want an accurate a semi-accurate number on what these are going to cost so we can look at them as far as and compare them realistically
numbers numerically to what else we have outstanding and then we can prioritize them because the cost is definitely going to make the priority different. So if it's you know exorbitant cost and we can get two of these and one of these or vice versa we need to make the best decisions for the community. So that
that's was really my goal is to find out what the total cost of these is going to be and is it more important that we address these issues before we move forward with the others issues. So I would I would prefer to see that. >> Okay. Well, you have the floor. >> Okay. I'm I'm good. That's all I would I
would like to see a better estimate on those. Do you have a way to secure that for us, Mr. Grimes? >> The the way to secure the estimate is to release the proposal or is to release the procurement. >> Okay. >> Um and to release the procurement, we need to have some budgetary estimate.
[music] Um so I can tell you I mean roughly from what we do as far as projects that we've seen, um I think you're going to be close there. So if it's worth the the allocation of the 500,000 for this project, then we will
bring you a board item back in January and release that procurement. If you're not certain that it's worth that to you, then we will wait for further direction. >> So the way that we do our um our budget request, appropriation request for for Tallahassee is we we prioritize them. So
based on that, I would like to recommend that we schedule a workshop and each commissioner bring in what their pri or what their their goals and their asks are and our current projects that are out outstanding and um we sit down and
basically hash it out if if the board so so approves. >> Okay. >> Would you guys be okay with doing that? >> Um yeah. You're making a motion for a for a workshop. >> Yeah, I'd like to make a motion for a a
workshop regarding existing projects and upcoming projects. >> Okay. >> Second. >> We have a motion, a second. Any further discussion or comments? Right. All in favor say I. I. >> All right. We'll do that. We'll set that sometime in. >> Madam Chair, I mean because I mean we're talking about two things. I think it'd
be just wise if we're going to sit here in the room and discuss priorities of the commission is why don't we do it in every division, right? Because we're just talking about it and veterans. I mean let's talk about parks. Let's talk about fire rescue. Let's talk about them all, right? Where where I mean it's truly then you then you formulated what they call a plan, right? And then when
we formulate a plan, we're able to budget for it and things like that to where we can actually see these things come through fruition, right? It's not just two buildings today, right? What what are you guys' vision for two years from now because then Miss Miss Young has the ability to start formulating that budget to make that happen, right?
So, I think we did a great job and the leadership we had building a budget for this year. I mean, you guys have funded more things in this year's budget than you've ever funded before, right? So, moving that forward, if we have a plan for 2020, I guess it' be 2027. I may be
off a year, but 2027, these are the things that we can just go ahead and plug in those numbers and then whenever it comes time for budget season, this thing's done, right? Right. >> So, I mean, even if you stood in January, hey, let's let's do veterans, let's do this. It's January. We start building that budget in March, you guys approve it in July. So, it's a way
forward so that we so that the rest of your staff knows what y'all's vision is, right? Because if we don't do it but one time a year, maybe bring all your st all your department heads in here and go, "Okay, guys, here's our vision. Where do you guys see it fitting perfect?" I think it's a great opportunity in all divisions. I mean, because I mean, we're spending a lot of money at Francis,
right? The ballpark got there. Maybe we need just that little bit extra to get us over the hump there. Maybe it's just a little bit in Dun's Creek. We don't know until we know what all you guys' vision is as well. Um, so I mean once we lay it out there, I mean you have a strategic plan >> of the of your next five-year capital,
right? What is it? Because then we have a number that we can usually try to plug in and it makes our world a lot better. >> Especially in the in in the the financial world when she has a plan. Um, it makes it so much easier because like right now, I mean, you guys funded Dun Creek State Park or the not the state
park, I'm sorry, the the boat ramps in in Georgetown, right? We know where we're working inside of. We know the parameters. So when we put it on the street, we can go ahead and get rid of two steps when it's coming to you guys because we can go ahead and value engineer and bring you back a budget of or a project that fits inside the budget and then you guys can approve it and we
can go to work, right? So it it really does make things line up a lot better when we truly have a true strategic plan from you guys on how we want to do the the the capital plan, especially moving forward in all divisions, not just one or two. >> Okay. So I think that's what what we're t discussing is is having a a a um
capital plan >> workshop >> workshop. So if I I could so what I could do is amend my motion and request that you guys bring in the request or the information from your department heads to that meeting and y'all join you
guys join us in this workshop. >> Sure. I think we we can bring our ideas but you also need to bring yours so that you guys have a vision too, right? Our departments have a vision and hopefully they align in this meeting 45 minutes and we're done. >> But I mean >> Mr. Mr. SGS you're recognized. Thank
you, Madam Chair. And first of all, follow on, Mr. Grimes, Deputy Administrator Grimes. Uh this is exactly what we did this year. If you if I remember, we brought a robust capital plan with a lot of those projects already budgeted to you for you guys to
approve. Believe it or not, it seems like it was just yesterday, but we're four months, five months away from designing the next budget. So, I think this is a very gerine conversation to have today. for us for us to be able to start putting that next budget together with
the dollars we know that we have uh resources and that we can allocate. So I think uh you know it may seem like we're pushing this this down the road some for for example for uh veteran services but we're truly not. No >> uh I mean veteran services has been
doing a tremendous uh job in the facilities that they're in. We want to be able to expand those facilities in order to be able to give them opportunity hopefully to expand their services. Uh but if we have to wait another four, five, six months to get this uh uh worked out as far as a
budget, I think it it would behoove us all to do that. And so uh again, I think Mr. Grimes is spot on. And I think moving forward having a workshop where we know what your desires are as a board versus in in in conjunction with what our needs are as a staff makes a whole
lot of sense moving forward. So we're not allocating dollars that we don't have access to in the near future. >> Exactly. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> All right. >> Yep. That is that is the goal and you know thank you guys for your input. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. I just want to get the ball rolling forward. I understand I'm excuse
me. I'm beginning to understand that uh it takes a little time with government and we have to work through these processes. >> You know, it does, but we do it the right way. Uh I will say U5 elected and then the staff that you've uh allowed us to assemble on this side of it, we work very diligently and we work very uh
closely with U5 to make sure that we're providing the citizens with the with the the service that they that's not only required but expected. And uh and I think moving forward with with these type of conversations, especially going to a workshop type uh meeting is very
beneficial. >> Yeah. Well, thank you guys for uh humoring me on that. I mean, again, some of these discussions we have to have in here and I'm not trying to extend the meeting, but I just wanted to discuss that and get uh some input from staff. So, should I amend that motion? Madam
Chair, >> I think we just Sounds like we're going to be working on a we we'll schedule something. It sounds like in the near future. >> Okay, >> I think we're good. I don't know that we ne necessarily I think we're good. >> Okay, good deal. Um, that's that's all I got again.
>> That's all you got. There you are. I know you are. What's going to happen? Is somebody else going to comment and then you're going to go? [laughter] >> Oh, no. But I do I do commend Mr. Suggs for stepping in and uh trying helping uh the church Mount Olive that came forward earlier. And I hope that we can get to a successful resolution for those guys.
that is a a long tradition of a church in our community and and hopefully we can we can find a resolution that works for both. Thank you. >> Thank you, Commissioner Alexander. Commissioner Harvey, you're recognized. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Do want to thank um this board and previous boards for allowing me to serve the Florida
Association Counties Trust. It was a real honor to use my experience. Uh, Commissioner Newol will do a fabulous job and I will be there to help you as I move up the ranks of the Florida Association of Counties second VP. So, that's a good move right there. Do want
to talk to you about the Melrose Music Festival. I know you've gotten probably a thousand emails at least about that. So, I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Grimes because we did get a copy of Elatchua County special use permit and
most every piece of that property not every piece the property they're going to use is going to be in Elatchua County but there is a little piece in Putin they're not going to use but I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Grimes and if you will Mr. crimes if you'll. >> So, I think the best way to start is none of this stuff derived here, right?
It didn't go through our special use process. It didn't come to before your staff. This was already basically worked through their side. Um myself and Miss Young went out to Melrose last week. I pulled a random person that I think is very active inside that community out
there and goes, "What's what's the deal?" Told me attended every single one of the meetings. A lot of it was environmental and concerns whether it was through, you know, what are we going to do with waste, you know, during the time, but they that they said they addressed that. They're bringing in uh
the portable bathrooms and such like that. Everything was going to be primitive camping. People could use the the temporary facilities for that. Also, they were going to bring self-contained like RVs in. So, all that was addressed, I thought, very well from the company
through the the gentleman that I spoke to. And we didn't know about any of the meetings until after the fact. it was already basically through the process. Um, very like to Commissioner Harvey's point, very little of it is in Putham County. I think the only portion of the project that's in Putnham County is actually a wetland.
>> Um, so it's not being used. Um, they do have emergency services access established off of a particular road that goes into the property that is not the same as the entrance for the general public. So, they have that established. They've worked with the fire department in Melrose and Elatcha County Fire Rescue to handle those portion and
pieces of it. And I said, 'How many people are you really expecting?' He said, '3 to 5,000 people a day to come into to there and to to go to this uh music festival. And I said, 'What's the difference between that when the University of Florida plays a football game in Gainesville on Saturday? He said, none. I said, you have RVs and
stuff like that come through your town and you know, people that travel over, you know, right there. And he said, absolutely. He said, probably not that much of a difference. Um the main entrance into the property is off of uh County Road 219A, which I believe is in all in Malache County. didn't seem like a big deal. Um, it went through their
development review. I think there's one more meeting. Maybe potentially it has to go through at the board level at Lashwa County. Uh, but none of it was really here. I talked to our sheriff. Um, went over the plan that I'd heard that there was the the facts from the, uh, music festival, talked to the guys to this company. Um, that Wildflower,
Inc. has like four properties around the country. Um, their objective and goals was to bring the community together and give them something to do. Um, every one of those they researched it, he researched it and said they were all successful. They all just did exactly what they were supposed to do. Um, if the question becomes how does Putnham
County handle it from an emergency services standpoint, just like we would if there wasn't a a block party downtown or a blue crab festival or anything else, if they would have came before us, we'd have made them put on a special event unit. We'd have had extra law enforcement presence, but it's not ours, right? How would we handle it if it
happens? The same way we would anything else. and a disaster can happen in this county at any given moment is our fire rescue folks are prepared. Our sheriff's office is prepared, we'll handle it. I mean, that's what we have to do every day. I mean, we don't get the warning, hey guys, there's going to be an emergency today at X, right? They're
prepared. They're ready if something was to happen. If they need to, they can call in additional units. We we have a m statewide mutual aid plan that allows us if something was to happen, we could call in units from Marian County and Klay County and everywhere else. So, the situation here will get handled from a public safety standpoint. with us
without us without us being through the full application process and special events process that would have normally been done. There's a lot of unknowns for Putnham County, but I mean I think they've been addressed. I mean it's all being addressed through Elatcha County. I hate that you guys are being drugged into it, but it's not truly ours. Yes, it's sitting right on our our border,
but it's not ours, right? So, um if there's any questions, we'll absolutely take them. Uh but I think I think we're in okay shape and if something was to happen, we're prepared. We'll let our folks know that it's happening in these three days and if there's something that happens I talk to the sheriff and we can absolutely he can make call over there and have it stopped right if it's
something that really is aim threat we'll make sure it's it's eliminated. >> Thank you Mr. Grimes and I appreciate that. I did promise to keep the board up to date. So you did that and I appreciate it. One other thing you might be hearing about too fellow board
members are is the food pantry in Hollister is losing their or not losing their lease or giving up their lease. They wanted to talk to us about the Hollister Fire Department, but that's not a fit either. So, if you'd like to kind of expound on
that too, Mr. Grimes, you and I have talked about that. >> Yeah. So, my issues with using one of our fire departments is we have a lot of capital assets that are stored inside there that maybe not necessarily could be watched as you got people coming in and out. I mean, if you just take for instance, you guys just did it. One of those portable radios that's kept inside
that truck is $8,000. I mean, and if somebody doesn't check it after the food pantry, it's gone. AED, med bags, firefighting equipment. It's it's just not a great fit in a volunteer station where, you know, you could potentially not have somebody represented there.
It's a it's probably a great location, but just the wrong fit, right? Um and so it's also the other thing we got to remember is is the the fire station there sits on state property. So, not only would they had to have clearance from us, they're going to have to have some kind of clearance from the state of Florida. So, we lease land from the
state of Florida that our building is on. So, the property doesn't belong to us. So, we're going to stack cars and stuff up inside of a state facility. So, there's a lot of issues with using particularly Hollister as an example of where it's just might not fit. Um, so that was just my when I Commissioner
Harvey sent it to me, that was just kind of my initial thoughts were is this probably a great location and it's a great building, but it's just not a good fit. So, >> thank you for that. >> All right. You're welcome. And the last thing I want to do is say um thank you to all of my fellow board members for
all the year the service that you've done and wish you a merry Christmas you and your family and I'll see you next year in 2026. >> Very good. Commissioner New Bulger recognized. >> I hope I'll be a little lighter than than than some of that. Um
three things real quick. Um I had a few questions about that little animal services enforcement project we have going on. Um, it is moving forward. We've made progress in the space. There are a few logistical hurdles that are slowing us down a little bit, but uh, we're moving forward and things are are
looking positive. Um, I've been working on a possible project, a little joint, uh, workshop with the county school board and ourselves. Well, that's a a scheduling nightmare, but we have a a potential date of February the
18th, and I just like my fellow commissioners to kind of hold that date. Um, that's a day before we go to Tallahassee, we should be able to hopefully get that uh pencled in for everyone. So, February 18th, if you put that on your calendars. Um, we have a
new program going on at the fairgrounds this year. Festival of Lights is a a uh I don't know how to to describe it, but it's a it's a pretty big deal. They're going to have a light display that you can walk through. They'll have ice
skating, uh, crafts, food, train ride. It's something that we haven't had in our community in the past. It's um from December 11th through the 14th and it's from 5 to 10 each night and it's going to be a kind of a an exciting program.
Engage kids, adults, uh I mean I don't know how how far you have to go to ice skate, but you got to you can run down to the fairgrounds and ice skate. So anyway, I'd invite everybody to come out. I think there's a $10 fee. Um it'll be well worth it. So, uh, come enjoy the
Festival of Lights at the Pon County Fairgrounds the 11th through the 14th. >> I'm gonna be ice skating. >> Yeah, man. >> Video time. >> Madam Chair, just because that just Mr. Newol, thank you for mentioning the fair authority. Just so you guys know, you
had given us an initiative to get that last roof redone on the Mary Phillips building. That PO has been issued and it was, I think, 11 or 12,000. So, um, each one of y'all did not have to spend the full allocation that that you did to it, but that permit is in the process. The contractor's been awarded and the
permit's been issued. So, that roof will be going on very shortly onto that Mary Phillips building. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> That Yeah, that's all I have. Merry Christmas to you guys. Uh, it's been a a great year and looking forward to good things in the coming. >> Thank you, Mr. Paliser. You're
recognized. >> Um, I have a laundry list. I'm sorry. >> All right. >> Um, Mr. Commission New Bold. Commissioner Nubold. Uh I didn't if you set a time on the or a location for the school board joint. >> We'll meet in this room. Um it will
likely be a morning meeting. Um we're working out on time yet. >> Don't have a time yet. >> Okay. Thank you. Um going to jump all around here. Y'all know how I am. Um just as it hits me. It hits me. um way
back to where we discussed the um person coming in here and causing a problem with our staff and being rude and talking vulgar. Um I don't I possibly endangering any of our employees or anyone else. Um, possibly
he needs to take a uh a ride with our fellow here in the back of the room in the green down to uh on Highway 19 and and spend some time down there and hopefully meditate and rethink his actions. Um
um Miss uh Young, the indigent burial, have you worked on some possible numbers to come back to the local funeral homes with? >> I have. Um I'm planning we can do it now or I was going to to put it on the agenda for the 13th. I have we reached
out to um about six counties that were just less than our population and kind of our surroundings. So, I have a great number of survey responses from those counties and we can discuss that in January. >> Great. January, that'd be great. We can discuss that then. Um, how are we coming
with our letter to the uh lady in uh California on the Fort Gates Ferry? Um, possibly [music] getting use of uh her land if we can procure the funding to rebuild the ferry. >> So, I've been going over some of that. I actually want to talk to you right after the meeting about kind of what the scope
of that looks like. >> All right, sounds good. Um, go back to the um VA and the IT department being moved over here and those type things. Coming from the private sector, uh it's
it's different for me to understand. I've never given anybody a budget. If I told the man I wanted a dog house and he said, "What's your budget?" And I said, " $500." I'm pretty sure it's going to come in at $499. And that don't work for me. Uh I just I don't know if that how
that works in government, but you know, we we let them put forth their best foot forward. And you know, I' I'd like to say, somebody have to explain that to me better. So, we have to have a budget, right? But that's one of the questions and we have to I mean, if we try to answer it to the vendors
when they're in the room is they do like to have and we don't have to tell them, right? But it also can work in the reverse. If our budget's $100,000 and the project's probably going to be $500,000, we have to disclo would be behoove us because it would keep them from having
to waste their time going to, well, I can't even do this project. So, I mean, it does kind of work both ways of that, right? A lot of times we don't disclose how much it is. But if we don't have a budget to work in, right, from you guys to give to us to go out and procure it, it's really a difficult thing, right? As
unless we go out there and just say because what the truly is is that the vendors are going to want to know, is it funded, right? Because if it's not funded, why are we spending 30 days of our time putting together a proposal? And I mean because it's not like this stuff is free to them, right? It's not like me coming out to your house and
giving you an estimate to build the doghouse, right? didn't cost me anything, but when they have to engage an engineer to come work with them to design a set of plans for them to submit to us, they're spending their real dollars. Um, so it's it is a little bit different. It's if if we were to go procure an engineer and have engineer
drawings and all that stuff done, maybe a little different scenario, but sometimes we can see where it works a little better if we had them on the same team because then they've cut some of those unneeded costs out of the project, right? Whenever, like I think Mrs. Young's explained it very well yesterday. If we should have went left
with the pipe and we designed it right that now the two of them got to come together and decide whether it's right or left, right? So if they're on the same page as they're designing it, sometimes it makes a little bit easier for that. So that's kind of why we need to establish a budget from you guys. And I mean it's a matter of because when we
do it, it's a matter of them really truly getting on the computer and googling this meeting and when you guys establish a budget, they know what it is anyway. >> Um, you make sense. I make sense. I mean, it's just uh it's I think I think Commissioner Alexander said we need to have a maybe a meeting that we sit down
and we and we list things one, two, three, and four is how we the [music] boat ramp, the pantry, pride building, the VA, the whatever, and and come up with with a what we can afford and what approximate numbers of what these things are going to cost. Um, [music] and don't take anything personal right here, but
kicking the can down the road. I'm tired of it. Tired of it. I'm ready to stomp on the can and throw it. just get just get going, you know, make some things happen. Um, I think that um that may conclude me for this time, but you know me, I may come back. >> Might be like Josh.
>> I may I wave wave my hand again. But thank you. >> Thank you. >> And merry Christmas, happy new year. Best of everything. See y'all on 26. >> See y'all on 26. Okay, so a couple things that we have. I want to mention that um we did have nine dog adoptions
um over the weekend and so I'm very thankful for our staff for doing that. Um they participated in the porch fest and they also participated in I think it was something in another where Mandarin. Thank you. And um there are two dog um
there are two dog events coming up um adoption events at the Putnham at the new Putnham County Animal Services building. Saturday, December 13th and Saturday, December 20th from 10:00 am to 2 PM with the adoption fees being waved.
So, um we are at we are over capacity. We are we have dogs coming out the ears and every other parts. And so, um if somebody feels the the desire to come and look at our dogs and our adoptable pets, we would glad to have you on one
of those days to come and hopefully adopt a pet. So, I'm gonna put a shameless plug >> just while we talk about dogs coming out of ears. Um, we also have a great foster program if you'd just like to give a little pup a home for the holidays or um
anything that we can do to alleviate um that capacity in the shelter and truly get some dogs some socialization opportunities and just opportunities to kind of integrate into families. Um it is not something you on the foster program you can return the animal. um
obviously with with no issues, but if you'd like to kind of [music] explore that as well. >> Very good. Thank you. Thank you. Um we have been very busy as county commissioners going to a lot of different um events, sometimes three and four events on a on a Saturday. And so I
just want to thank um my fellow commissioners for being so involved in our community. I know that they the people see it and I'm glad that we are a very involved community and uh board. And then I also want to say a shout out to downtown Palaca. They look great,
y'all. If you haven't been down, take your kids down. They are decorating the um all of the windows are being decorated. The lights are nice at night. Um the courthouse looks great. The riverfront looks great. And um it's just
a festive time to be downtown. And I went down there Saturday and uh to get something. Actually, I went to an event Saturday. I went to the 5K and the vibe downtown was really cool. Like there were so many things going on. You had the 5K, you had the porch fest, you had
the boat show, there was boat boats out on the river. Wasn't a show, but the boats the toy boats were out on the river and um the farmers market. And then there was something at the Aelia the the market that's at Aelia uh brewery. So so many things going on. People just walking up down the street
shopping. It was it was just really really a good vibe downtown. and that's what we want to see. And don't forget next year I'm going to be hitting you up for that community Christmas tree. Um that's coming up, but I'll work on that at the beginning of the year. Um a couple things um legislatively. Uh one
other thing we they had the ribbon cutting for the park on the on the riverfront and Commissioner Alexander and Commissioner Peliser attended. So thank you for doing that and that'll be great downtown to have those to have that new park on the riverfront. Uh, rural county days, uh, January 21st and
22nd, headed up by the chamber of commerce. Um, Putnham County Day, February 19th on the 22nd floor of the Capitol building, headed up by [music] county administration team. And then, um, any other any other updates that we
need to give, Julian? We talked about the city meeting, Commissioner Newold, you talked about a joint meeting with school district um, coming up. I think that's all I have. Um, >> rule days are January 21st and 22nd in
Tallahassee where we'll be presenting our legislative priorities. And then February 19th is our Putnham County Day. And with that, I think that's all we have. Um, I want to say thank you for
um, a great 2025. It's crazy to think we're going to be going into 2026, but um thank you all for your service and everything you do for the community. And with that, this meeting is ajourned.