All right, we'll go ahead and call this meeting to order. Madam clerk, please call the role. Mayor Robertson, here. Deputy Mayor Gilbert here. Council member Paul here. Council member Urban here. Council member Fletcher here. All right. And
we have a few people that want to speak from the audience. So, I'll go ahead and let Helen Doy Adams come on up here. Yeah. Let's go and stand for the pledge. For some reason, I'm so sorry. I'm allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Let's please have a moment of silence. I just follow directions. Hello, mayor, council members, andi citizens of St. Can I get your name and
address? Sure. Helen D. Adams, 1767 California Avenue, St. Cloud, Florida. So, I have three um quick questions. Just need clarification. Mayor, that's it. Yes, ma'am. Um, one is the Thank you all of you for starting a veterans advisory board. Fantastic. But I want to
know, um, I was looking on the website. They're not listed as a board yet. And secondly, when is the first meeting? Do you know yet? Yes. I've been working with the clerk's office on that, Stacy. I think we spoke about a month, three weeks ago about letters are going out to the the members. They did go out. Okay. So, what we're doing is is reaching out,
trying to find the best day for them to meet and then we'll announce it, put it out there when the meetings will be. Sounds good. And they'll be open to the public. Yes, perfect. Thank you. I can't wait to attend. Absolutely. Um the second one is the Veterans Day parade historically has um been alternated between St. Cloud and CMI with the Oculo
County Veterans Council um in charge of that. Is the city of St. Cloud going to be taking over the St. Cloud parade starting this year? The city of St. Cloud, as far as I know, is not. Uh that's the city of St. Cloud. I don't know what the St. Cloud Veterans Committee plans on doing, but that's we'll see how that plays out. Okay. And
then the third we have and we'd love to have you all part of it if they do. We we this year it's CMI for us and that's why we just wanted clarification and then we don't know if we're going to be alternating back and forth again. But I think St. Cloud should have its own every year no matter what Veterans Day parade. Right. I agree. So yes ma'am.
And then the third is um one of the recent meetings that I attended they talked about changing the grant. Um Mr. uh Councilman Urban you talked a little bit about using the money for Citizens of St. Cloud and having uh the nonprofit based in St. Cloud. I recall and um if
I'm mistaken please correct me but um our organization is mailing address is CMI for Ocula County Veterans Council but we service citizens of St. Cloud. So I just want to make sure that that kind of definition gets clarified a little bit that we we do service about 50% of
our funerals and color guards come out of St. Cloud and this coming next year we're having our annual veterans tribute dinner in St. Cloud at the VFW post. So even though our mailing address is Cassumi, we still do service. So we want to be still considered for the uh St. Cloud grant. Thank you. Yeah. And we've
had multiple conversations over the past probably four months even before some other issues came up that we don't know which direction that's going to go at this point. We're going to have some some workshops and meetings on that. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Any questions I would like to entertain? No. Great. Thank you. Thank you.
Josh Meyers. Josh Myers, 4853 East Erllo. Um, you guys know me. I watch all the agencies for sunshine. I believe you guys have violated five maybe six times in the last 30 days. One
of you attempted to have a meeting, this one actually, at 2 p.m. when no one could be here. You then got told, "No, it needs to be at 6:30." So then one of you said, "Well, let's have it the next Tuesday or Monday at 2 p.m." and got
told, "No, it needs to be at 6:30." That's the charter. Your charter also says that all special meetings and regular meetings have to be held at 6:30 at night. You have violated that at least twice in the past months. And
mayor, I wasn't going to address it, but the emails came from you, sir. You're the one that tried to do this meeting at 2 p.m. Yes, absolutely. Yes, sir. No, that's that wasn't And and when I was made aware from the city manager, we had to get confirmation from the city
attorney who is out of the country right now. And thankfully, we got Mr. Patrick over here and we got the answer and everything was fine with that. If you saw all the emails, I said, "That's fine. We can do six." That's not a violation. It's I went to schedule one. and I asked if we can schedule one and we can't do it. Sometimes we kind of
catch each other and things that we can't. So, did you read the rules of conduct that you signed back in December? No, actually, well, I signed an amendment and it wasn't that part that and and by the way, the 630 is not in the charter. The charter is actually silent. Uh, and Patrick will confirm
that the charter that's not a charter violation. That's a rules of conduct if there's if we actually did that. But there's been meetings and workshops scheduled how many times, you know, since I've been here that weren't at 6:30. This has just got caught now. So, okay. Yeah. And the last thing, do you
guys realize that consensus in a workshop is a violation? It's a vote. Uh that we got direction from the city attorney on that. So, and you realize that direction from a city attorney is all we have to go on.
I did not see that direction at the May 20th workshop. So, well, we had our city attorney there. Absolutely. No, he actually said that, right? But there was no discussion about that. So, um just beyond notice. Wait, which workshop? Uh May 20th. Which May which May 20th workshop you talking about with the
ethics uh training? Yes, sir. Oh, yeah. Actually, it was heavily discussed by Mr. Mayer that it only has to be consensus and not a vote. Consensus is a vote. Just so you're right. I understand. I'm not I'm not an attorney and I, as I told Patrick, I don't like
to play one on TV, but uh our city attorney said that that is the process and that's all we have to go on, Josh. Okay. Well, just be on notice. I believe you violated five, six times. If you continue, we will go litigate it again.
Yes, sir. Thank you. All right. Anybody else like to address the council? Miss Mayha, would you like to come up here and say hi? No. I would like to I would like to thank whoever brought me a Waw Wa. This meeting is brought to you by Wawa. No,
thank No, they're really not. All right, we'll go ahead and move on. Uh discussion regarding investigations inquiry. Um this actually this was not the original meeting that I intended on asking for. It's actually there's a meeting I'm asking for next
week. I had asked for June July 2nd. Mr. Mzer's out of town. So I agreed to move on to the next uh a day or two after he got back. So essentially um a few months ago we talked about uh look just reviewing departments
understand what's going on using section 3.11 and that's that's what we have to go by with with the the charter in this council. That's our our document to to live and breathe on. So uh essentially I emailed the city manager. I said, you know, can I schedule council meeting for
um actually I asked for for Monday uh June 30th. That was the the first 2 p.m. one and that actually is going to be not on the on June 30th because Mr. Manzerus isn't going to be back until later on. Um so what I asked for discussion witness testimony regarding economic uh
development department and also discussion witness testimony regarding parks and recreation department. Nobody's saying anybody did anything wrong. Obviously you guys know what happened the past two weeks here. There's been a lot of things said back and forth and and I just want clarification as the mayor. I need to
ensure that when I make a decision, especially when we go to do a a 250 plus million, $80 million budget, I've got to know exactly what's going on in all departments. So, essentially, I emailed that uh using the charter language. You know, it it talks about uh staff coming
in and testifying, giving sworn testimony in the process. So, um after speaking with Mr. uh Brandt our city attorney here a little further. Um I there were two things council actually that I'll be asking you guys um if if we
can do is there there were two departments that I would like to to bring to us and I think I don't know when we haven't scheduled that meeting you know it's the third I believe I I said the second or the third whatever is good for for Mr. remains ours. I I think
what I understood was if council agreed to the investigation this evening, then we would he would issue subpoenas and move forward with scheduling that meeting. That's that's how well it doesn't really matter what happens on this today. It can be scheduled anyway. It's still a special meeting to be
scheduled. And um regardless, I can still ask questions of people. So I I do want to schedule that meeting if you can. Uh, I assume I don't know if Dan ever got back on exactly the day or let's just make sure it's at 6:30 p.m.,
right, Josh? Um, but what I would like to do is I don't think subpoenas are definitely necessary for um for for both employees. Um, one I I would like to ask if we could have uh Aaron Jensen from Parks and W come and
speak to us at that meeting next week. This isn't a gotcha on anything. It's um you know, she's a supervisor in that department and I just I've I've got some some questions. I'm I need answers. And um but the one that I believe that we do
need to subpoena is Miss Antinet Forbes from economic development. And that's only because her end date of employment is July 4th. And so uh this essentially says it requires her to come uh testify before us. So this isn't this isn't like a congressional hearing where we beat
them up. It's just asking questions and this is the only way to truly get everything on the record in sworn testimony. So it's heavily documented because I got to tell you last week I I think we I don't think we were I I wouldn't say us. Um I I just don't think
that the taxpayers dollars were were looked after like they should have been. Um but I think at the end I think they had a great event out there from what I've been told. Um there were a few events over the weekend that that went off well. So um do we have any discussion on that? We have Fletcher.
Sorry, Council Member Fletcher. Um the only thing that I wanted to say, Mayor, was um uh I have a scheduling conflict with the third with the third. Just a just a heads up on that. That's fine. Um is there a certain time like that whole day you can't? So if we were to do it in
the evening, then I wouldn't be available, but anytime. It's going to be 6:30. Right. It is going to be 6:30. Okay. I just wanted to just one make sure. Sorry. All right. Um any other council comment on that?
Um yeah, council member uh Urban. Yeah, my only comment would be I I just um I feel like if if there's an investigation warranted, I feel like it might be better to have a third party look at it. I I don't know if as a council if that's
I just that'd be my only comment on it. Um and and you know, of course, uh we are all uh as council members entitled to ask questions of what's going on, but I just think if there is one warranted, I think it would be better suited for to have a third party or something look at
it. But what do you mean? Yes, sir. Council member Gilbert. Well, that this is interesting. Um we have a couple questions. Uh that's all it is. There's a couple questions, a couple folks, and I just don't get it. in the uh public sector,
you know, the process of investigation does not make a lot of sense because we're not investigating. We're just asking questions. And for me, I would love the opportunity to ask permission from the city manager to let me speak to
uh anybody to biz out there or somebody and just to have that conversation and through our charter and through what we do and through these laws. I'm sorry, attorney, but it just convolutes what we're trying to get after. And now it has to be an investigation. It has to be special. All we want to do as a council
is look at it and ask questions to save the taxpayer dollars. So, I don't know what we can do to change that and that would be an attorney thing, but shouldn't council be able to talk to uh heads of department on a basis of
questioning, not Yeah. uh a legal matter of subpoenas and injunctions and felonies and misdemeanors. I I don't know because in private business if I have a a problem with somebody in Dallas, I call my general manager and I meet with that director
and we just talk for a few minutes and it gets resolved. I've got reports right now that I have questions on through economic development through CGDP to but I don't want to have an investigation. I just got a couple questions. So I if it pleasures the council, how do we change
the charter? How do we change it to not make it a quote unquote investigation, but just a couple questions and protocol issues? So that's the only thing I got. This is nothing. Questions should be addressed and your everyone's questions
are valid, but how do we go about that process to get them done without special meetings and 6:30s and you guys need to tell me because I'd rather just sit around a table and ask two or three questions and high-five and go home, you know? So, so that's the only question I
have. What the can we change the process, Mayor? Right now we can't because it's in the charter and it's what we do. But is there future things that lead us to be able to do that as a council? We can have man-to-man, manto woman, womanto woman conversations and
just answer our questions and we can go on our way with that. I yield back. I just I think there could be a simpler way. Yes, sir. Yeah. No. And and I agree. And this isn't an investigation. That's just the language that's in the charter. And we can't change the charter. That's a vote of the people. Okay. Um, this is just the that's that
is the language that allows us the opportunity to bring them before us and it's just asking questions. It's not we're not going to spend a dollar. It's asking questions. It may take five minutes and then that's it because they may be able to answer every question and and you know it it I've got questions
about some of the things that occurred and and I just feel like the the best way to do it is for all of us to hear it at once so we can talk about it at once. We can't do that one- on-one. I mean, we can do it one-on-one, but I can tell you we may be getting different answers and not know it because we can't talk about
that. That's where the pieces can't we this puts all the pieces together and it's so the taxpayers know that we're looking out for them because there's been a lot of chatter out there that we're not doing right by them and I know we are. I know. Same thing. I just have a few questions. I don't want to go through that process. Well,
unfortunately, we have a um Miss Antinette is leaving us July 4th. So that's why we need to go through this process. Um because she can if we just ask her, she could just say no. But through this process, it brings her here. So we can understand that department. She was the director for 5
years. And I don't think it's fair that we have somebody that's just leaving us. And we have had no opportunity. Remember, she was going to be coming back here and answering other questions, but she had to go get her daughter at some event. Um no fault of her own. It just kind of we ran out of time that day. We were here for about five or six
hours, I think, that day. So yeah, that's the that's all it is. And when it comes to to to Miss Jensen, that is just a um just asking an employee to come here voluntarily. And and and the only reason I'm asking is for future I have just a few questions of these awesome
reports that were delivered to me that I'd asked for. And for me, the word investigation wasn't it. I said, "Hey, can you send me some reports?" I send it. I go, "I got a few questions. How can we get past this process if we can? If it has to be voted on by the citizens, I think they would understand
because it costs the government less money just to ask questions versus having to go through the legal process. And again, I know Patrick, you're making money off this, but but I for me, right, I rather do it in in a cordial way if we can in the future at the pleasure of
council. Well, and this is cordial. This is actually this is the the the way we can do it, right? It's not an investigation where we got to go because I've seen that where they will go out and hire a third party and then everybody gets interviewed by the attorney and it racks up an $18,000
bill. That's not what this is. So, we have I believe we are owed the information and that especially if we have somebody that's leaving us, we want to get her and I would rather not have to do the subpoena with with Miss Antranet, but she's leaving us and by the time uh that next meeting comes
around, she'll no longer be an employee. She'll be on her last leg. She may say, "You know what? I don't want to show up." Sure. And then we're we won't be able to get that information. five years of a director's information. I think it's important to be able to ask because it it's not necessarily on any specific
incident. It's let's understand the department. We may run through in an hour, maybe five minutes, I don't know. Right. And I agree with you. I'm just saying what as council the pleasure of the council how we can do this a little more efficient and not as public and not
not to hide anything from the public just to get a couple questions answered but we may not be able to do that because I can't talk to you outside this building nor Jen uh unless it's notice. So I I agree with you and this is necessary you have questions asked. I
understand about deadlines, but I I don't know how to change the process to make it more I guess I'd say simpler, but in in a private sector, you go, "Hey, can I talk to your department head?" They go, "Okay, let's sit down. You have a kumbaya. Five minutes later, everyone walks away." And we can't do
that as a group without the public, right? I get that's the that's where it it comes in issues. And and you know, I love workshops because I love everybody getting together. I love the public there. I wish I don't know how many seats we have in these these the conference room. I love having workshops in here. Um which I think we did the
last time we had a workshop but you know that's the only time that we can get together is have a formal meeting and you can ask individual questions. We had I mean this was kind of a unique situation I think over this past week where um there were a lot of it's a
roller coaster ride and it's unfortunately it it required us to spend additional money to ensure the safety of our complex and and I know we had um our our great police force was out there. I know our fire department was out there and and they took care of things and I I
heard everybody had a great time and that's what we want to maintain and I I believe that that there were there's some check and balance issues when it comes to economic development department, but how would we ever know if the director of five years is out the door and we won't hear a thing about it?
So I I agree with you. I'm just I'm looking at the process versus today's thing and looking at the future. This the only time I talk to the council about it and how we can do things more efficiently in the future rather than bring it to here and and I'm all public. Yeah. Until I'm with my grandkids. I'm
all private. All right. No, I agree. And and maybe that's uh in a a normal setting, a normal incident. I think that that we can do that maybe in a in a workshop type setting more than Well, thank you for solutions. That's what we're looking for. Yes, sir. Uh, Council Member Paul,
I'm in agreement with us all sitting at the table or in the chambers um to discuss, you know, if we need to ask questions to internet. We're all together, you know, since we can't talk individually because of the sunshine law. So, I think a setting where we're
all able to participate would be good. Okay. Thought you were hitting your light again. No, it's Sometimes I can't see if it's on or not. All right. Um, and and as I stated before, I I'd like to go ahead and make a motion to go ahead and
um to subpoena Antonet Forbes to meet with us at the scheduled meeting uh whenever if we can get that scheduled. And I do want to make sure it fits your schedule. You said 6:30 is fine on the third. Point of
information. Yes, sir. Um you mentioned that there would be zero dollars. That's not entirely true. It's minimal cost, but there is cost of preparing the subpoenas and having them formally served. So, I want to make sure that that's on the record before we move forward with a vote that a subpoena does
cost approximately $150 to $200. Yes, sir. All right. But it's not a it's not going into an investigation. It's just to to right get it there to get her to show up and and get the information. So, okay. Uh but yes uh and and with Miss Jensen,
Miss Aaron Jensen, uh I don't know if we just need a consensus on that or is that a vote to ask her to I mean she's an employee so we can ask her. Typically we would ask the the director to speak but she's leaving internet. No, Aaron.
Aaron's here. No, no, I thought we were just talking about Aaron just now. Yeah. For the second one. So I was saying normally we would ask the director to speak. No, I'm asking for Aaron Jensen. Yeah. Next uh whatever day that next week, whatever weekend. Okay. And with her, we don't need a subpoena. She's an
employee. I think she'll come voluntarily. She's got nothing to to um she's got she's very open giving information. So, um I'd like to go ahead and make a motion to do that if we can. I'll second. Uh we have a motion from Mayor Robertson, second from Council Member Gilbert. Madame Clerk, please
call the role. Deputy Mayor Gilbert, I. Council member Fletcher, no. Council member Paul, I. Council member Urban, I. Mayor Robertson, I. Motion carries 41. All right. Next up, we have resolution
number 2025-109R. I'm going to go ahead and let Ivy read that. That's her resolution number 2025-109R. A resolution of the city council of the city of St. 12 Florida supporting government efforts in identifying unnecessary local government spending,
creating efficiencies and saving taxpayers dollars, providing for conflict, providing for severability and and providing an effective date. Uh city manager would would you like to explain this? Yes, thank you. Um, I was having a conversation with the
city lobbyist who was explaining that we have three potential or we're or we have three approved projects on the list at the state right now in the budget. Um, and he was mentioning that because we had not adopted a resolution um supporting Dodd
the Doge that um it it could put our projects at risk. So therefore, um, in front of you is a resolution that we are supporting the Doge, um, effort that's being done at the state and if council goes ahead and approves this, I will
send it to the lobbyist this evening where he's going to file it immediately and we would prefer Gilbert. So my understanding is that we comply with the Doge and we get um our requests answered.
When you when you say request, you mean the the the project funding. He he can't guarantee that we still don't get vetoed. So we guarantee we could still do this and not have our projects, but um he thinks it will help us not get vetoed. I I I'm sorry, Miss Mill. I
didn't mean to put you in that pickle, but I I see no reason not to do this if we have projects moving forward. So, I yield back to you, mayor. Yeah. And in no way this is this is political. This is all about we're trying to get those funds for uh for our fire boat, for our water daming system,
for our uh storm water retention there at Hopkins Park. Right. So, and we're in the budget for everything. So, uh our lobbyist team, our everybody, city manager, everybody did an amazing job up there working to get that done. So, and everybody that went up there as well. I mean, we we we worked the halls of of
Tallahassee there for a few days. And um so, can we get a motion to go ahead and approve resolution number 2025-109R? Motion to approve. Motion to approve. Council member Fletcher. Second. Second from Council Member Paul. Madame Clerk, please call the RO. Council member
Fletcher. Hi. Council member Paul. I. Council member Urban. Hi. Deputy Mayor Gilbert. Hi. Mayor Robertson. Hi. Motion carries 5. All right. And with nothing else on there, we'll go ahead and adjourn this meeting. No, sir. Don, it's Well, you can come up
and talk to me.