Around the clock. And this we shall call the Sustainability Committee of the City of Tarpon Springs. To order. And the
first thing we shall do is have a roll call. Perfect. Okay. Chairperson. Carol, make it present. Siobhan Meehan.
Present. Melina. Skelly. Present. And Loretta Righetti. Present. Thank you. Everyone is here. Board members. Excellent.
The first order of business is to approve the minutes. May I have a motion? Motion? Motion
to approve the minutes. A second. All in favor? Aye. And they are. I'm sorry. Who made
the motion? The first motion? Okay. Okay, so public comments. And look, we have a person from
the public. Denise Menino for 70 Cypress Street, Tarpon Springs. And I'm assuming we're going by the same rules as the
BoCC. Three minutes. You have a timer. I will. I think we can probably just look at the clock. That's probably. Yeah. I'm hoping to break the ice so that other people will come to the
meeting and and share also. And I first order item is that I'd like to commend this committee for the letter that was written regarding the Forbes lot. And,
you know, the requisites for choosing what or whatever was chosen to use green infrastructure in the plans. And I appreciate that. And I
hope that I heard correctly that the plan that was selected also will collaterally include the Mother Mary's parking lot being turned back into a
commons, a park, green space which I think is really important. A lot of people in Tarpon Springs wanted the lot to be maintained the way it was,
because it was a gathering place, but if they, you know, are able to return that to a public space with a stage, it would be great, great for the community and it would be a lot
like what they do in Europe with the city squares. And second, I'd like to echo Sue Swanson's public comment at the last meeting because she she
was mentioning the value of taking time to listen to other committee and board meetings as we are able. I know that it's kind of a challenge time wise, for us to do that. I generally,
if I know a meeting has been posted on YouTube, I'll listen to it while I'm getting ready for work or I'll listen to it while I'm commuting. But it really helps us connect the dots and interface more
seamlessly with other committees and what they're doing, and understand kind of the overall experience of the community without just being
little pieces of the puzzle that are kind of scattered. We're more linked. And I think that that was a great comment. And I really, you know, I was
really impressed that she said something also something that I think that is going to be an increasing concern. This is non sequitur. But in the future, and I think that we need to
just keep our eyes on it, just generally and in the community is various places around the country are connected and connected to the devastating effects of energy consumption,
water use and toxic pollution as a massive as a result of the servers that are used for AI. And I know that that's happening in Tennessee right now. The Tennessee Bar
Association is is addressing this issue on behalf of the citizens of South Memphis, because their water supply has been tainted. But I think, you
know, anytime we could avoid using AI, it's it's better for the environment. Most people have no clue. And I think it might be a good idea to give information to the public
regarding the environmental impact of the AI servers in general. I'm off. Okay. Just wanted to ask one more thing is
that everybody take a look at keep our radars tuned in for Florida SB 80, which strips local governments of the right to protect their communities. And it was mentioned by
Commissioner DiDonato. And there is a group that is challenging it right now and want to look it up. I think it would be good. Thank you very
much. Thank you, Miss Moreno. Thank you. Okay, so. It's important to have comments from
the public to remind us of things to consider. And even though we know about these things, the more they can be brought up that it becomes
something that can jar our memories, get a broader discussion. So thank you, Denise, for initiating this. And I hope that you're an
example and other people will come and join you. So thank you. Okay. So now we're going to move on to living with wildlife
presentation request update. So Holly yes going to bring all of
my stuff. Okay. So as you can see we don't have a prisoner here tonight. But I have followed up on all of the requests from the committee to
get a presentation formulated about this. So I spoke with Barbara Hoffman. She connected me with our extension agent at Brooker Creek, who I already am
familiar with in the in the peer, you know, circles here in Pinellas County. Larry Milligan is her name. And she actually recommended the a Fish and
Wildlife agent out of Lakeland. So I had a great conversation with her. Her name is Rhonda Latour, so Rhonda is essentially a coyote expert.
Rhonda knows so much about coyotes and is very willing to do presentations. However, the sticking point is that she could literally spend every day
all day on coyote, she said. She gets so many reports Pinellas County has more, I think, she said, than any other county in the state, which kind of tracks, being that we're the
most densely populated county, the predominant number of calls that they get are actually from below highway 60. So the southern half of the county,
however, she is very interested in doing a presentation somewhere in the northern half of the county. But obviously for her time and to utilize resources to the best of, you
know, everyone's just to benefit the most people. She would like for it to be a larger sort of public gathering type of presentation. So that
is that's kind of where we left things. I said I would bring this back to you all, let you know the status that, you know, while obviously everybody wants information and I but I think
it would be incredibly amazing if we could find a way to sort of spearhead a larger one. So I have a little bit of research to do with, like, could we use city facilities and all of
these types of things? And also, if you all were supportive of this, you know, how would we spread the word to get that attendance that she really
would, you know, need to show up to make it, you know, as successful as possible. So that's kind of where the, the, the coyote presentation. Let me check my notes and make sure
that I didn't miss any of her information. October is actually a very active time. They're breeding right now, so it is top of mind. She did recommend, you know, kind of
moving quickly on it if we want to do one for the fall, because by the spring it will be not as top of mind anymore. And essentially, yeah, just
concentrating again the information to get it out to as many people at once was her, was her recommendation and preference. She said. She's tried, I think, in the past, to
sort of do one in the northern portion of the county, but it just has never taken off for whatever reason. So if you all thought that, you know, between
Tarpon Springs residents and any other circles of influence that you might be able to reach out to, obviously we have social media. We have lots of, you know, potential connections.
If if, again, the city is able to be a host for it, which I have to verify that, you know, if that's something that you all want to pursue. That's kind of where we left things. I
think it would be so good. And if we couldn't have it at the Heritage Center, I bet we could have it at at the college. Leepa-rattner has a really good
auditorium, actually. They have two of them, and so that holds a lot of people. I've done events there and they're they're well attended. And then
that would bring in other people. I know that in my neighborhood there are coyotes walking around all the time,
and I know my neighbors would really be interested in this. They're beautiful animals, but people are afraid of them. And, you know, they don't like
there's been studies that show they really do not like the human voice. So if you speak, they'll go away. They don't want to be around us, but, you
know, nature is something that people fear because we don't understand it. So I think this would be just brilliant to get people to respect them, but
also understand how wonderful they are and the contribution they make. Does anyone else have something they would like to say? I do like the idea of
reaching out to Leepa-rattner and seeing if that would be a good venue, just because they would also have a good mechanism to sort of get that information out. You know, they do a lot of different
presentations in the community. I don't know what the logistics of that looks like, but I think Leepa-rattner would be a good venue for a bigger draw. And
just contact Cristina, who's the director? Okay. No, that's okay. I don't know if there how how far in advance they plan their events because I imagine
they put out their monthly calendars pretty, you know, a few months in advance. But if we were trying to do, I think we could do it pretty quickly as long as we reach out. And I
would be happy to reach out to Christine, that would be excellent. If you know her personally, that could be an effective means of, you know, building that connection. I
mean, you have the connection of building the bridge. That would be fabulous. Yes. Like I said, Rhonda's concern was just timeliness and making sure that the message reaches people during the time that they may
actually be seeing them, because during the winter, you know, it will settle down and they will be less active and people will be, you know, very less concerned. So October, sorry, October is pretty full.
I mean, I don't think we will get it by the end of October, but November? Wow. Does that mean the spring we might have more coyotes, right? So I it's true, I don't know. I am not a
coyote expert. I do not know their gestational period, but that is a valid point. Right. So if they're breeding now in theory there could be more showing up on the scene. So I
think that's a great point. Ones do pass away you know. Sure sure sure sure. I, I think it's a great idea and I'd be
willing to even record a presentation. And maybe we can put that on to maybe our website for people who can't make in person. It's like a PSA
that could be maybe even released a few times a year driving to work and at least listen to it. Yeah, I think that all sounds great. I'll
I'll mention that that you do that. Very cool. And I will get back. But so they could if you had equipment, you could set it
up. I know there's always an issue there of someone running it. Running what? The recording. Oh, I would just record on my phone and use my tripod. That's
what I've done in the past. That's great. That's a good point that if they have, it would let me know. Right. If there's availability and then I can contact, get back in touch
with Rhonda and try to bring that together. Fabulous. Okay. I'm willing to use whatever equipment is available okay. Okay. No, I think that's a
really good idea. I like that okay. So that is, that is that. Okay? You're up next. I'm still here. Okay. In the agenda
packet. You all oops. Let me put it in presentation mode. Okay. You absolutely may. Okay.
So in the agenda packet I included the. Project prioritization list from the sustainability the solar feasibility study rather. And
it is very it is summed up in a very nice a very clear way. Essentially we looked at eight sites. There was a site assessment that was done back in April. The consultant that
is working with us on this project, they then did a site assessment summary. They did an energy efficiency analysis and gave us lots of other suggestions on ways we could
reduce our energy, you know, load prior to looking at actually installing any solar systems. And then this is the third component of the study, which is the project
prioritization list. So when did this come out. Did it just come out. So they sent this in early September. But we our September meeting was a little bit busy. And also I hadn't had
time to fully review it at that point. So yes, it's very it's very timely. It's great. I'm super pleased with it. And I love that it's you know,
everything is last page is really good. Yes. The last page. I think I will just skip to that actually because it's kind of brings everything. Oops oops. I mean I printed it out because
I couldn't get it to there. No, that's not it. Well we might not be able to turn it. I don't think we'll be able to turn it, but. It is. You want to look? I
printed it out. You want to look at it? Yeah, I can show. Zoom. Okay, so the top project,
which is exciting, is the community center at 400 South Walton Avenue. Essentially, you know, they looked at a combination of factors to rank
the projects they looked at. You know, how well the building is prepared for solar installation. They looked at the current energy usage and how well a solar system could
offset that usage. And of course, overall, you know, just cost and approachability from that regard. And so the community center came out on top. It's a very the community
center and the library, and I believe the course maintenance building at the golf course all have, you know, newer roofs. There are they are like a standing seam metal roof. So they're actually pretty easy to
install solar systems on. There are clips that attach them that you affix the panels with so that you'd never have to puncture or do anything at all to compromise the, the, the
roof itself. So really it's it's pretty straightforward. I mean, we have some money set aside for solar. So the question will be, you know,
from the, from the staff and from the, I guess, like from our departmental perspective, is finding the rest of the money for to push one of these
into, you know, into the process of actually trying to procure the system and getting a, a construction firm on board
and all of that. So, so is there a budget line for solar? So we do actually have I'm going to go to the next page. So we have down in we have a
line item for the first time ever in the sustainability budget. It's in capital outlay and it's $225,000. So over here,
yes. You'll see it in the lower right corner. It's at the very bottom. And it's its own kind of. Line item for all, not just for solar. It's specifically
line for solar. So that's why we asked for those funds. But it wouldn't cover the it would. So it would not cover the community center, for example.
However, you know, we can we we can look for other funding. And I feel like there's a possibility of being able to bridge that gap. So I'm very
hopeful. And it's, you know, the the next big step is, is taking that big step to then start talking about, you know, what it looks like to really invest in a project of this
size and just to make sure that we're making the best choice, which is why we had the feasibility study done, it lays it out pretty clearly. How can our community help to make this
a city priority? I would say, I mean, this is it made it into the budget, which is great. So that I feel like is a good
solid baseline. I am not exactly sure we haven't actually taken you know, you all are the first to see the results of the solar feasibility study. So we
haven't actually presented it anywhere else yet. So I would be Oak hasn't seen this. No not yet I mean it's like I said, we hadn't really had time to fully,
you know, digest it. And the budget just got approved at the end of August. This came out at the beginning of September. So it's all kind of like flowing together. So just thinking about, you know, the funding
aspect of it, there may be something I'm not sure that I have an answer for you tonight, you know, but I think that you all just obviously giving your support and I mean, there may
be, like I said, there may be a way to, you know, that you all want to document, that. You all want to send a message to the board about it. I'm just not really sure of what that is at
this moment. The biggest issue really is timing. And if if you didn't have a chance to read it before tonight, completely understandable. But you can go back and look at what the consultant said about timing.
So there are changes to the rules, to the laws that allow for cities to claim tax credits for clean energy investments. So because of those changes, we
have a shorter timeline in which to begin this project. But I think we can accomplish it. You know, it's just has to be done. It has to be December,
December 2027. Yeah. So not 2026, but 2027. So started construction July 2026, finished by December 2027. So
it's a little bit you know I try not to look at it as limiting. I think it's just it directs our priority. So start before July 4th 2026 and it's
already mid-October. So get this approved, find the extra money and get. Yeah it's a very started. So it needs to move
very. The good news is beginning of construction has essentially two different definitions. Beginning of construction. Construction excuse me can be just an investment in a certain amount
of the material. So you could have just purchased a certain amount of materials. Typically they'll say 5%, but a better cushion is 7 or 10% of
materials. Or physically having obviously broken ground to institute some type of construction. This is a little bit different. Rooftop solar. You can't really do a groundbreaking for that. But
there those that is. Yeah exactly. So that is what the the definition of beginning of construction is now considered. So even if we weren't physically installing the first
panel by July 4th of 2026, as long as we had invested again that capital and purchased some of the materials, up to the percent that would count us as
having started construction then that the city has installed solar before. Is there a company from which I
think some buys these panels? I think that it's it would be a specific we would have to take it through the whole procurement right process. You know, I have lots of resources
to look, for example, you know, request for proposals out in the world, other cities that have done this. But I think that just because it's been several I mean, it's been a couple of years since we
previously contracted with the company. So I think we would have to do that. There's always the possibility that we look at other contracts that other cities have used, and that's something that we can do. So there are definitely like a few
different pathways that we can go down for actually, you know, choosing how we want to approach the procurement process. And is your judgment
that the city would only be able to do one of them. So that's a really great question. And that's part of kind of the, the, you know, think through
everything before you act. You know, I think in I would have to be very sure. And again, that's really a procurement and finance backed decision process.
So you know part of me thinks, sure you could invest in several different ones to get them started, but then you also still have to get them completed. Right. So I think
that's the big picture. If we were counting on being able to get those tax credits, that we would really want to make sure that we could see one project through to completion. So
that's kind of where I stand on it right now. I mean, 30% tax credit is a good incentive. It really is. It's it's money that, you know, you don't want to
leave on the table if you can possibly help it. So it's a huge benefit to city governments who are investing in clean energy. You know, whether it's production and they're selling it to someone
or whether you're just, again, putting it on a building, offsetting your own energy costs and usage. So you know that it I do see it as a
priority to get one solid priority project to completion at that would be the goal. I do
all. It's a lot of money though. It's because like City Hall is 1,000,506 City Hall, city hall,
the roof is in good shape, right? To do a whole study. 19,000 for the cart barn. Even though it's a. Yeah, but the live, you know. But these
things would be a good investment. Oh yeah. It's really I mean, it is kind of eye opening to see how in some cases it lines up again, very directly with the amount of
solar that you could put on the building and the amount of energy it would produce, almost directly offsetting what we currently are pulling. Right. And paying for. So it's it's
it's a pretty smart I think, you know, long term investment for sure. Number two the course maintenance it says some concern with golf ball strikes.
Yes. So and that is a point right. There are. So there are panels that they make now that are hardened for hail. Obviously there are people have installed them. I say people, whether it's individuals or
commercial entities, other municipalities have installed them around, you know, sporting fields. There are multiple, I think, workarounds, you know, for that to baronets. Exactly.
So it's not it's definitely not a it's not an impossibility to really think of having one just because of golf balls. Can we
can can we find out how much the electric bill is for the community center and for, for all of these, or at least the
top four, so we can see how much money is actually going to be saved. It should. That would
help. Yes, I can do that. Right. And also what the ten year, you know, five year, ten year outlook. Yeah. And what's the payback? What's the payback.
Right. Maybe we as a committee can recommend several on the list that we. Yeah, usually it's seven years for
residential. Yes. I can't speak to the actual payback period on these, but I do know, you know, they they illuminate a few things that would obviously add
to the payback period. If you obviously have to do improvements beforehand and you're investing in, you know, some type of new roofing or upgrade that makes it a less, you know, savvy investment.
Obviously the ones that are the ones that are roof the roofs that are ready, though, that's, you know, it's just a lot simpler to yeah, go ahead with
those first. So to get insurance like residential people do. And I know for residents if your roof isn't any good they force you to
replace it. That is true. Yes, I'm sure that we do have to have I don't know the ins and outs of that though. Yeah, we do have a I mean, sure, it's
possible if there's a roof replacement on the horizon that you could then dovetail in some cities do that. They essentially have a, you know, a policy that states you're, you know, you're going to add solar
whenever you redo a roof. However, there's obviously a budgetary component to that. But that is something that some cities have been able to, you know, sort of combine into the
process of like facility maintenance. Are there solar grants anymore or is that all been eliminated? Not I mean,
that's a tough one. I don't know of anything. I mean, the tax credits is really the that's the bread and butter for municipalities as far as, you know, making the investment in
getting something back for it. It's sort of like free money if you spend it first. But other than that there's really not I mean, there's there have always been more supportive programs
for financing and, you know, co-ops as far as, like community buying, you know, programs for solar, for residential. There's a lot more resources for that. So what is
something I don't understand? Do this Tarpon Springs pay taxes. We do not know. So municipalities, how do you get a tax credit if you don't pay.
Well that's it's a that's a great question. So we are a tax exempt entity. But the way the federal government tax code was written, I'm going to try to do my best to explain this
properly. Essentially, we say that the the investment that we made that we like over paid essentially. So it's they look at it as more of like a rebate.
So that's just the way the tax code was written for the. The IRA bill. That's where all this was written into code, because that doesn't work for
residential. No, but there are there were there sadly those tax credits are expiring at the end of the year, but there were tax credits also available for residential users don't have
regular income. The tax credit would be right. It's it's it applies differently to different individuals just like you. Your tax brackets apply
differently to different people. But yeah. So the when the IRA included cities you know, municipalities as being able to access these tax credits, that
was really a a new thing. We had never been able to do that in the past. So just only had a couple of small small window to
do it. We did submit for the solar of course, at the. R.O. plant, and the government is shut down right now. So our check hopefully is, you know,
hopefully it will come at some point. Yes. So that will be a hugely exciting day. And you know, it's my hope that we can take perhaps some of that money to reinvest into the next
project. So that's. Yes. So that's kind of I think the best way to kind of keep the sustainability flowing. But it also, again, is a again, that's a lot to do with finance and
where the money came from in the first place. So I don't get to totally, you know, I don't get to dictate that. But I'm hopeful that we can create a precedent to take some of the
the tax credits and reinvest them and keep moving it forward. What's the process? So is it up to you to present this or. Well,
it's up to our department. So yes, I would say me I mean really obviously with like Tommy's help as being the department director, but I mean,
yes, it would, it would be, it would, it would, it would be a team effort again with procurement because doing a project of this size project administration would be involved being as that it is a
project on a city facility. So I think it would it, it kind of has to all spool up. And I haven't initiated a project of this size before. So it would
be a learning opportunity and very exciting. So I think yeah, now that we have the we have the, you know, clear
prioritization, I don't know that, you know, we just have to the funding aspect of it is really what I think will dictate which of the, I would say top three projects. I mean,
when you look at the way it breaks down, there are really only three that would be, you know, solar ready essentially. And that's the community center, the maintenance facility and
the library. So the top three facility is at the Gulf. It is correct. So would you report to us next meeting? Yes. What the
progress is on this? Sure. If there's anything that we can do to support or to move it forward. Absolutely. That sounds I think we'd all be
willing to attend any meetings that you would need us at. Sure. I mean, I you know, right now in in the project initiation, there's not really a lot of
outside input. It really is a staff, you know, interdepartmental again, sort of staff thing. But I will if we're having any, you know, challenges, any extra support can't be a bad thing. So I
really appreciate that. And I will absolutely bring anything back to you. You know, if something comes up between now and then, I can send you an email just to keep you abreast of where things stand. Thank
you. You're welcome. Are we ready to move on? Does anyone have anything else they want to say? So we, the tax credit, we
really should look at it as a rebate. Is that okay? Exactly. That's that's the simplest way to think of it, is you invest whatever you spend and you're
going to get 30% back, essentially what, 30% of 363,000? It's. Yeah. What is that? 990 90,000. Yeah. So it
would reduce the 200. Yeah. 90,000 back. That's pretty good. Yeah. 90 plus is it's 63. And
then we have which looks a lot closer to what our budget is. It does, it does. That's it's 25. You just don't get it until after you've already spent it. So that's why I call it a
rebate because it's you still have to have the money to complete the project before you can ask for it back. Yeah, but that's just the way it is. But it's better than not having that ability. So. Because then
you can use it on your next project. Exactly. So that's so now you have a little bit, hopefully some better idea of what that what that entails and what that looks like. Great. If,
if you it could also be figured out how to do all three and what the money would be and everything and we may and that
may be where we have to, you know, bring a lot more input. Like you were saying. You know, I just I don't know I don't know what the appetite or the
numbers and to see, you know, what the benefit is of doing all three given you get this 30% back. Do they have a
ceiling. Is there a ceiling on how much tax credit you can get back? So there is the way that they do it is there's a there's
a base percent. So it depends on the size of the system. So all of ours are below one megawatt, which is what the requirement is to claim the 30%.
If you go over that, it gets much more arduous to show what to meet the requirements. And then you can add on for different things. They call them adders. So there's like a
base amount and then there are adders. But the problem with the adders is they're very hard to take advantage of, because it depends on what the source of your materials was. If it was made with like American,
it's you start getting into the where it was made manufactured. And then also there's like a wage, a wage thing that you have to prove that the people
that did the labor were it's it gets incredibly difficult to pull together paperwork. If you know what you're looking for up front, you can put all that into the procurement documents.
Like we could have that in the contract. I just don't know. I don't know how effective that would be. 30% is a pretty good, pretty good baseline to not
have to go into the more arduous things. There's also a an adder for low income areas. If you're doing the project in
a low income area, however, they only open the application window for that like once a year. And if the timing doesn't match up with where you are in
the project, it's let me just say it's very they make it kind of challenging to get any of the adders very easily. So we would we could certainly pursue
any that we thought that we could get. But whether through the procurement process or just, again, staying abreast of timing, we did. The previous project was just it was done by
the time we we you have to apply for the low income adder before you begin construction. So if it's not open and we're trying to begin construction, we miss the opportunity. So
it's just it's kind of so how very governmental. What degree is Duke Energy involved. So Duke Energy is involved from the standpoint of once we got
to the construction phase, then you have to obviously connect into their system. Yes. So they have to do an interconnection agreement with Duke Energy. And
really I think it's just coordination and making sure that, you know, they know that we're bringing this new system online and things of that nature. So. To do that, they
charge residential people using solar because you have to your energy goes to them and then they give it back and then they've there's a base fee you
have to pay them. There's all types of things that does to solar. I didn't see any of that previously. But it it's possible. I mean we're
coordinating with them, you know on other projects. So I'm sure the municipality a different sort of deal. I mean I was going to say I don't, I, I don't know because I have not
ever been part of the structuring of the interconnection agreement, but I just know that that's kind of the mechanism to get it all approved for them. If you look at the, you know, look at how
much your energy bill is for these, these different places, you have to also look at how much Duke Energy will charge you once you have the solar
installed. I will certainly check into it. Because they do charge residential people. That's true. And they went up
recently and and they keep making up. The story of our rates right now. So okay. Are
we ready to move on? We are ready to move on. So that's such good news about this. It feels it feels hopeful right.
Yes. Positive. Very good. That's a good thing okay. So the next topic I don't actually have any files. So dovetailing
on to the doctor. And I met and we were talking about kind of the, you know, the letter that Siobhan drafted, which we didn't finalize in time to get
it sent to the doc prior to the CRA meeting. However, I put this on the agenda. Doctor McCourt said we should have a discussion. And so I called it
the creation of sustainability guidelines for the development review process, essentially. So my thinking is that that letter kind of clicked on a little
light bulb that said, where where does the rubber meet the road? What you all are interested in doing is you're interested in having input, having, say, creating perhaps guidelines that could be looked
at through part of the development review process. So where that ends up happening really is through the technical review committee. And so I say committee through the process.
So when developers, you know, come in, they're talking to planning zoning, they're talking to building development. You know, they get whatever applications they need checklists. So maybe there's a
sustainability checklist that needs to be made. Right. And so I just thought that, you know, instead of having to do a one off letter on this, on that
when we should it should be. And and to be clear, I do think, you know, it would be Non-regulatory. We don't have that authority. You know, I don't have that authority. Any guidelines that were given
would just be that suggestions, you know, how can this development include more sustainable components. Right. Thoughtfulness and design features that are, you know,
whether you want to talk about landscaping, whatever it is. So I just put this on because I thought that, you know, maybe you all could kind of take
whether it's, you know, the next two meetings or however you want to do it and kind of outline, have a discussion about what those things are to you. All that are important. In
the development, redevelopment, you know, sphere for Tarpon Springs. So. Holly and I had a
meeting and because I needed to know what I was supposed to do, and we talked at length about
what our job as a committee would be. And that and in some ways, a frustration that we aren't more active, that we
don't have action. And just sitting around talking isn't enough for us. And we're not integrated. Exactly. And that
and so Holly's was incredibly receptive. And as you can see she's moved in this direction. And I commend you, Holly, for that because this is exactly
what I think the committee wants. Great. And we all have an expertise in terms of moving this ahead. So I would suggest
and hear what everyone else wants to say that we do do the next two meetings and we take it upon ourselves for the next one to have things. And Siobhan
has done an excellent job in starting this. And one of the things that Holly mentioned, since she was part of the
review committee for the city, was that there are things sustainability issues, not just about the environment, but
sustainability issues about economics, about is it is a development sustainable in the sense that if you put you build it and suppose you have shops
in it, are those shops going to be maintained? Are they going to end up being empty? So that's sustainability. So we
have to think in a broad way about it. And Holly told me that she has a background in city development. City planning.
Yes, I have a I have a master's in city planning. So those things are very useful. So we certainly want your input on this. I am absolutely here to,
you know, just facilitate really. But if you can also make suggestions about what you think should be included, because it could be an incredibly valuable document. I
think that a starting point is kind of looking at, you know, again, where I always go is what are some other cities do peer cities, you know, doing how do they address this in
their processes. So, you know, kind of look for something that could maybe serve as a loose guide and bring that to you all and you can say, you know, yes,
this is what we want, but we want to, you know, add this is what's tarpon specific. You know, what's important to us. And then you can, you know, you can take things out that don't apply, you know, that kind of
thing. I always think of ways to work, you know, smarter and don't. You don't need to reinvent the wheel or maybe start from scratch if there's something that another city that you like is doing or you
think you know, do you have a suggestion about where to look? I just, I, I'm part of a network of so sustainability directors for the entire southeast. So I can really, you know, look at what other people
have as part of their review process and ask them to send me, you know, have a do you have a set of guidelines that you give to developers? How do you infuse sustainability considerations into that? And
some might have I don't know I don't know how other cities, you know, do it wholly, holistically. We haven't obviously really gotten to that part. Yeah. First one and you'll initiated for other
people. I don't think we'll be the first ones. But you know, we're we're going to we're going to do it. We're going to see what we can make happen to us. So we can use that. Yes. I think that would be a good
starting framework. And then you could work from that. I actually super excited about this idea when I was here last month and, you know, went home and I was like, oh, we need a
quantifiable system for all this and started looking into it. And there actually is a framework. It's called Leed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for cities.
And they have the framework. I printed out some stuff, this sort of yes, as, as Holly was saying and it was saying that
we can sort of use as a, as a jumping off point. And so can you send that to Holly and then. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And I love it because I think it, it's
pulling in already. Some of the things you guys are saying, and I think overlapping it with the sustainability plan for Tarpon Springs, we can look at what are the things that we as a
community value, maybe not necessarily giving it the same point values, but I think it would be a really great idea for us to be able to go and say, okay, just as like a suggestion,
here's what the sustainability committee would, would grade this project or this idea based on all of these elements or
dimensions. Yeah. So I, I think that this would be a cool way to start. Right? No. I love that you found the lead framework. The one thing I'll say about lead is it is it is
very you know, it's it's all encompassing. It's very thorough. A lot of cities will take that as their base kind of build off of it, like you're suggesting. And I think that's
a really great idea to where lead could be somewhat burdensome. I think in some cases. Yeah. To just again pare it down a little bit and make it more approachable. But it is
such a great framework. It really, really is. And, you know, we actually the city of Tarpon Springs previously, I mean, we've been certified three times. I think as a
Florida, you know, by the Florida Green Building Coalition. So, you know, as a local government that is interested in and values it, I feel like we haven't translated
that into the built environment as much. So this could be a great. And I personally am like if we could ever get a building, you know, whether it's Leed certified, there are other certifications as well. Leed is
definitely the, you know, the tip top. It's the highest sort of industry standard, I guess, if you will, for, you know, in the green building industry or in the sustainability world as
far as what, you know, local government operations and professionals sort of can look to for certifications. And actually, one of the articles that I found online cited
Pinellas County, as, you know, sort of a model for for Leed sustainability. So I'm sure that there are other there are other cities that we could maybe pull from theirs, but
obviously we want to put our touch on it, but just gives us a good idea of not just development, but implementation of it at a city level. The school system in Pinellas
County gets lead awards all the time. Yeah, they've been really good. I think one thing is like, I noticed things like environmental justice, and I
think what one has to say ask is, well, what does that mean? Right. And put it in, you know, natural language to give
examples of what we're thinking about. And you started to do that in this. And I think that for me, those charts are helpful. But it's like, well,
jargon. It's jargon. Yeah. So I think we need to be good examples of how not to use jargon, but to use natural language and make sense. Yeah.
So thank you for finding that. Yeah. So excited. Yeah that was exciting. That's great. Yeah that's great research. That's super super good starting point.
Excellent. Well fabulous okay. Is now the letter what happens. So what now this is just my
perspective on it. But you know kind of what we're talking about is is creating a non again non regulatory guidelines or sort of a policy to ask
developers to go through a sustainability checklist. So you know we would I'm not sure about the process I guess for getting that implemented. But I
think an intro letter. But I think what you have in your letter is a lot of that needs to go into the guidelines. Right? Like I think that well, I think we have an opportunity here with this new project on
Main Street, the one that was just voted on the boutique hotel. And I think we could, if we get our guidelines done because, you know, the the
process is going to take them a little bit to get ready. They just got the approval. So maybe that's our test case or pilot
project. I'm not sure at all about the process, but I do know that it should go through the technical review committee as well. So like you said, if we get that done, if for some
reason the timing doesn't line up, I mean, I'm I still think it would be great to flesh out, you know, what you all wanted to say, should this first, you know, should the opportunity to
give input precede, I guess, having guidelines ready? I think you can absolutely do that and just, you know, say sustainability considerations. It seemed like the from the,
you know, proposal from the presentation that they gave and everything that they are, you know, they're they're obviously being mindful of how it's going to blend in and work with the
landscape, the surroundings. But whatever you all want to say specifically in regards to that project, I mean, I think you could probably still, you know, do that as well. And it
might be I'll have to ask who it would like be addressed to for the because the negotiation process is a little bit different for this than, than like if just a developer comes
in and proposes something as a one off like, oh, we own the land at the corner of, you know, us 19 and whatever street and we're going to build up, you know, 18 story high rise. This
is that's made up. That's not happening. That's not real. I'm just giving an example of if someone said that, then they would have to go through all the proper development channels. This one will too, but I'm just not sure because it's kind of
happening through a slightly different process with the invitation to negotiate and the, you know, CRA guidelines and all that. Like, I don't know exactly the timing, so I'll try to find out a little more
detail on that as well. Yeah, I think it's important that we address this. Yeah. And the other thing is and I don't haven't heard anybody mention
this, is that there isn't a boutique hotel going in downtown that should be up and running by December. Where is
that on ring? It's the old yeah, yeah. The livery. Right. The new boutique hotel. And I know that because all the art in it is you're doing, it is ours.
Yeah. Cool. Very cool. When I drove by, I saw that they were putting structure out in front. Would be in the back. No, in
the very front. Oh, yeah. So yeah, I was in it not too long ago. I was in it not too long
ago. What happened? Do you have a yes, I do, I do, I have a Band-Aid okay. Good thing you do. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. There's
also a box of tissues over there, too. Okay. Thank you. Oh, look. What else? I have a Band-Aid. Thank you. Okay.
Excellent. Thank you. Sorry, I don't have a Band-Aid. Usually have Band-Aids. Okay. Moving.
Oh, yes, I do. How about that? Hail Mary Poppins bag? The other. I think this they mentioned and and the article I
read about the proposals that there was another proposal that was interesting with container shipping containers. And they
are encouraging them to look for another site. And I, I think that would be really interesting because it's a
forward thinking sort of thing. And it's that could be a very sustainable thing. We we're limited in our town about
regarding gathering spots, and it's going to take a while for the conversion of the mother mirrors, but that I know I
thought that the concept of the container, you know, Park is a very cool concept, and the board did support it very much. Like you said. They said, don't
give up, you know, on this concept. So it could be something that very likely comes to fruition somewhere else in the city, which would be really exciting. Yeah. You
know, I went to one in Austin and it was unbelievable. Just very cool. There are several other in the area, so and I went to Costa Rica and painted
murals and the jungle on shipping containers and at a yoga center, and it was amazing what you can do with. So I was
very excited about the recycle. So yeah, it's right up our alley. Our alley. Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if there's a way for us to contact the
people who presented that. And, and encouragement their way possibly. Maybe not. As as I say, I don't I don't think that
you could do that as a. Yeah, yeah. As a representative of the city. But if you wanted to encourage them as an individual, you could probably. Yeah. It
was, it wasn't it was very interesting to look at all of the, you know, the ideas that people come up with. That's the cool thing about. So I think to
end this section, I think that so in the future when things come up, we can, you know, think about ways to do action.
Yeah. We'd be prepared because we never guideline and for other things. Yeah. That's what I mean. Yeah. Yeah. Hum. Okay.
So. Items for the next agenda. I did speak to the I guess she's the chair of the Klosterman okay. And she'd like
to come to the November. Great. I mean I have to I will contact her again. Okay. I've been in Montreal for two weeks, so I've
been sort of for you some. And I'll I'll comment about that in my committee comments. But. So that would be a good item to
talk about that and follow up some of the things that Robin Sanger had suggested and. Just ways the city can partner and
we can and who knows. So you'll reach out and invite her November and confirm that she's available. Yes. Great. And that would be our number one. And I
will also reach out to Christine about Coyotes meeting. Great Christine Carter is her name. We may not have to put
that on the agenda. Well, hopefully we'll have hopefully we'll have something in progress and that won't necessarily be an agenda item for the next. But yes, it's
just a put it on just so that perfect project update. And then we should talk about this
the development guidelines and your update about the solar. I think that's a lot. That's good.
Is there any other items that anyone would like. No. I think that that's going to be a very
productive meeting. And remember to put in some guidelines, given your background about how to how to
make faces. That you know are really health supporting psychologically health supporting. Yeah, I mean, that's always a major thing.
When, when Robert and I build things, it's like, how how is this going to feel? Will people want to be in it? Yeah. And I think that that's really
important enough light coming in, not feelings that you feel claustrophobic in. Yeah. So I think, you know, if you would think about that given your
background. Yeah. Well I'd like to know more about the plans for the mother mirrors. I would
have to reach out to. I don't even know I will, I can find out who is. Yeah. Spearheading that. I don't even know. Within the city, honestly. Who? Which
entity? I don't know where it is in discussions, the mayor suggests that or said that city manager would be. Yes, but again, he would be my go to
person to ask. But I don't know. You know where it is obviously in any process mentioned it. Yeah. Right. But he did. That could be something for the
future a future item. We can ask for an update on that at some point. I would say November is pretty, pretty, pretty packed our meeting, but we can see if we can get even
if you can just send me something that I can share. Okay. So when is the December meeting? Right. When is the November meeting? I was going to say so the November meeting
is the week of the I believe it's the 20th of November 20th would be the third Thursday. Okay, so that's before Thanksgiving giving. I'm just thinking about people going
away. Yes. And then December is going to be 18th okay. It is A12 three fourth day of Hanukkah okay. If anyone has a,
you know, again, conflict that comes up between now and either of the next two meetings, just be sure to let me know so that we can adjust properly and make sure we make sure we have a
quorum. As long as we have three, we're okay. Yes, we may hold a meeting with three people I yeah, and then January will be the absolute earliest it could ever be, will be on
the 15th, because that is the third Thursday. Believe it or not, the first is on a Thursday, so that will feel pretty quick at the beginning of the year as well. But we will just take it
one meeting at a time. As far as confirming scheduling, great. Okay, so the upcoming fall newsletter, yes, it's in
production. We have some fun. There's going to be a little like sustainability spotlight on the cemeteries, doing some native plantings. Christina in
my intern has been working on it, so I actually just been letting her new arborist. We do have a new arborist. Her name is Mona Neville. She's been
here for a few weeks ish, so she is in the planning and zoning department. And can she come to our meeting? Our meeting so we can meet her? I
will certainly invite her. I don't know what her capacity is for. I know she's been super busy just meeting everyone and getting acquainted with a lot of things that are happening in
the city. But I will extend the invitation for whenever she might be able to. Yeah, because we've always had a good relationship with arborist. Yes,
she was at a I know that Siobhan had asked me for her contact information. She's been at workshops, she's been at meetings. So I know she has just been, you know, whatever the expression is drinking from
a fire hose, it's just a lot when you when you are picking up, you know, where is she from? She's she's local. She grew up in, for lack of a better word,
this area maybe Pasco. Anyway, she she would have to tell you more about her background, but she's been with the state. Forest Service for some number
of years I think prior to this. So yeah, the name sounds familiar. Do you know her? No.
Okay. Are we on to the Storm drain mural? Yes. So just a brief little update. There was a public art committee meeting on last Wednesday the eighth. I attended that, so the public
art committee is working on the call to artists aspect, fleshing that out. City staff, myself as well as the the cultural arts staff, we're
working on more of the, you know, pricing, just making sure we have all the details in place. I would say probably, you know, there's another meeting. The public art committee voted to have their
meetings. Now, I think every two months they were on a quarterly schedule. They voted to have more. So they will be meeting again in December. And I think after that meeting will kind of be able to take it to
the next phase of whatever approvals or anything that needs to happen. And I think probably in the first quarter or I'll just loosely say spring of 2026 is when maybe any, you
know, movement as far as painting and art and that kind of thing would actually be starting. But it's very exciting. So it's moving along and yeah, there's just a lot of
good energy around it. So I heard the art committee input. Yeah, they seem to be very they are very supportive of it, which is great. It's a cool collaboration because it's sustainability. We've got
streets and stormwater. We've got cultural arts, you know, multiple committees having kind of been involved pushing it forward. So I think it's just a cool it's it's just a great
opportunity to work together. So there's that. And then I just was going to make sure you all saw that I gave you the budget, you know, sheet in. And I don't really have anything additional to say about it. But
I just want to make sure that you thought was provided. And so you don't have to look through a 400 page budget book to find it. Much appreciated. Sure. No problem. So it's good.
I mean, it's more money than it was last year. It's just yeah, it's just allocated slightly, you know, differently. And then of course with the with the line item for solar, that's
really just a huge it's a huge win. Yeah. Good. Are you happy with it? I am very happy with it. I, I'm capable with you
know capable to do a lot with with what I'm given. We'll just keep doing as much as we can with what we have. Well, you seem to be doing a lot, and we
all appreciate it. Good. Well, I shouldn't say that I appreciate it. Everyone else can speak for themselves, I second that. Thank you. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for your time and your
energy. That's really my only other staff comment. Okay, so committee comments. I would like to I'm going to talk about
some things that happened in Montreal. So. We were waiting. We had to wait in a long line to get a taxi. So most people take taxis from the airport and
there was a long line and we're like, oh, well, there's a Tesla. Hey, look, that's a that's a blazer like yours. Oh, it's an Equinox. Look at that. And then
when we got in the cab, all cab drivers are required to have an electric car or a hybrid, and they have to be 20, 21 or newer.
And the cab drivers own their car, so they also drive their car. So the taxis and that, you know, most people go with a
taxi from the airport, they don't use Uber so much. But we. So this is a requirement in Montreal that you have to have
that. So there the cars that move the most right. Yeah. It is incredible. And the other thing that was really nice about the taxi. Is it the fixed
fee if you're going into Montreal, which is an island, it's one fee no matter where you're going in that zone. So there's no issue about, you
know, are they taking advantage of you? Are they like going the wrong way? You know, in New York you got to go. Don't go that way. Go this way. Because,
you know. But so that was remarkable. And not only and then I mean, we walked all around the city. We were like
crazy people walking, but people own electric cars. The amount of electric cars was
unbelievable. So that was refreshing. Very. And so it was not it was nice being in the city. They have an incredible
metro system. We became experts on the metro system and there was some we went to a hockey game and we could take the Metro to the hockey game, as did most other people who went.
So there's just this weird, real awareness. And the other thing they had were open markets. So you'd go to these giant markets and there was,
you know, local food and and not only vegetables and fruits and all of that, but whole like areas where you can get organic
meats and, and then all of this bread and pastries, you know, that. Incredible croissant that they oh, we found the most
incredible almond croissant. I mean, it was like, wow. So it was really instructive going there. And they have a giant
park that was designed by Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City. And we hiked around that. And but the people and lots of people are
out walking. And one of the things we took this hop on, hop off tour bus just to get a sense and we and and and the
bus driver said, we're a peaceful, tolerant city. And it was they have a whole, you know, like a Christopher Street area
that has rainbows down the middle of the road. And, and, and I mean, that's he said that we're a peaceful, tolerant city. And it was really remarkable to
have this bus driver. Yes. Take a statement. Right. So I mean, it was delightful to be there. I have to say that when I went there, I thought, you know,
maybe I'd move there, but no, it didn't. There wasn't a place that called me, but I would go
back and to see the difference in how how this city and Canada has approached things that we
aren't approaching. Well, it's a very European city, very European. Did you hear a lot of French? Yeah, yeah, they all speak French, but they all speak English, too. It's, you
know, you you do your basic French, but they're very accommodating and but it was nice to hear the French and I
spent a lot of time in. Denmark. Summer. I have family there. And it's the same sort of thing
where I am just so inspired by everything I see there. I mean, from the wildflowers. My daughter was just as we're in, my husband's in a line to get
our rental car, and she's just basically right outside the doors like wildflowers and like they treasure that so much and value the importance of it. And
my, you know, just she literally, literally was just sitting in it, just like, absorbing the flowers and the energy of the place. And it was a parking lot for a rental car
agency. And I just thought, well, every public space is really considered I, I've been to Denmark. Yes. And I went to
Vermont on my vacation, part of my vacation, and we went to Burlington and they have the most beautiful bike trail. We rented electric bikes right
there, and that was great. But two years ago I went on a European trip for three weeks, starting in Ireland and ending in Prague. And our my friends
and I just couldn't get over how worked out the transportation system is there. I mean, in Germany it's very complex. And they they told us, don't worry because we get
confused. Sometimes it's over, over thought, you know, but just getting around is just. And we came back to the United States and we're like, oh yeah, there's just so much work to be
done. There really is a lot of work. Yeah, the public transportation is, I agree. And you know, that adds so much to the your quality of life. And it really does. And our safety
to safety. And it's so easy. Yeah. You don't have to look for parking. You don't have to do anything. You just you know and pricing it and then you're you're with people of all
different, you know, income ranges and cultural and, and that's very positive mentally too, because we're too segregated in our little we're
very isolated. Yes. It's very easy to fall into. And we're very isolated as a society. There's so much depression, right, because of that. So that's you know, why it's good
to hear we're doing solar projects, and it's good to hear that the city and I know this is the mayor really is into
creating community spaces. Yeah. And he understands the importance of that. So, you know, we have this small town.
It's not a big city. We don't have all those resources. But. So we can see it as our job. Yeah, I really love that. And
if we can even just think about ways to make it an inviting space, because I know that parking lot is not very inviting. I mean, you're just getting the exhaust from the
cars driving by. So it would be nice if like a structure somehow or some sort of thin wall or plants can maybe create
some sort of like boundary to separate the, the road. That would be why a good idea, a nice space to actually feel like to meet the arborist. Yes.
And Siobhan has mentioned before creating like a, a network of people who can
maintain things. I mean, there is a community garden, but, you know, Montreal had wildflowers everywhere too, and they had this incredible botanical
garden that's so huge. But there's no reason that for those sorts of things that, you know, people, citizens of
Tarpon can join up together and plant things. That's true even in Safety Harbor. They have a really cute park there. Yeah, yeah. Well, and Dunedin has
Pioneer Park, right. But I have to say Tarpon is showing some color. You know, we have nice pots and stuff. That's and that's sort of recent and I
think that's super positive. I think the city managers doing a good job. But I mean we do have the problem that, you know it's
really hot and we've got a water. Yes. And you know there's not a lot of shade. Well we have a watering. We have a watering truck. Yeah we
do. And I was just noticing walking up tonight and I put my I always do the finger test. There are these begonias out there and they don't have you know and I always noticed. Do
they have trips on those pots. They didn't have trips and they were nice and moist. And I'm because I'm like, how are these begonias making it through this? Because they've been there a
couple months and all that heat. And so there's somebody here. Really on the job, and it's really nice to have that. It is it is burst of color right, right there and then on the
trail, you know, we have some pots on the trail which are nice. And I mean I came here 30 years ago and it was it was pretty rough. And it is really
improved. But we still have this problem of not enough public spaces to gather. It's it's all like, okay, if you want to buy something, you know.
Yes. It's yes, you're right. It's very retail driven, very retail driven. So maybe one of the things we can think about is identifying places that
could be public. I mean, the peace pole just went up and there's benches that you can go there, but it's a little you know, you have to go there. But
I know one of the things the mayor talked about and, and I know that this has been a project in terms of art we've thought about, is creating
places that are connected, you know, so there's one here and then you can go here and then and there's a theme that connects them. So if we could
start identifying well, the other thing I've been thinking about for a long time is and I've thrown this out, but it never went anywhere. Don't
throw it out. I guess that's the problem. But different municipalities have different citrus, you know, Dunedin. I was there right then when they
started, and I know the people who did it and they just did it as a gag, painted it at night. And then they were like, they call. Yeah. And then they called the press and they're
like, where did where did this come from? I mean, they were they were very clever about it. And Safety Harbor has oranges and I, I'd love to have lemons. And then we could have this
mural of this citrus trail, you know, mural citrus trail. Well, somebody has in the city painted little sponge helmet.
Yeah. On people have them on their houses and they have them. So. But it's a really good idea and it can be a trail and then
there can be. Places to gather, you know, benches. And that's something the mayor's talked about. Right. And then we you know, I think it's a really
good idea, a lemon festival. Friends of mine are buying an apartment, and the lemon capital of France. Of France, which it's mental. And they
have this fantastic lemon festival and that that works with our Greek culture. Yeah. And then Sorrento in Italy. Yes. Where they make limoncello. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know a few
years ago they were, they were really talking a lot about trying to get more connectivity between the sponge docks and downtown, creating a walking trail. And so if we could sort
of, you know, jump on to that, how do we contribute to that? You know, is it a sidebar? I'll tell you. Okay. Yeah. So the city is currently undertaking a
placemaking. Right. A whole placemaking exercise, planning exercise and has an excellent consultant coming in. I think they're based out of Gainesville, but really, really
great. They have the second input session workshop session coming up next week. I want to say the 20. Yes. I was gonna say the 23rd Thursday. It's on connect Tarpon are you if
you're signed up for Connect Tarpon, you should have gotten an email about it. If you're not signed up for Connect Tarpon, go to Connect Tarpon. Get signed up 6 to 8. I believe
that is correct, but it is at the community center and the community center that's going to have solar. We sure hope so. So but that's one of the things they're talking about there.
You know, the first workshop I went to the section that was for like the Planning and Zoning Board, just so I could kind of see what they were doing. Since I have a planning background and I'm just interested in that. But the
connections between downtown Sponge Docks definitely being talked about, you know, public places, what type of activities are suitable for which areas, you know, that kind of thing.
Like would it just be an open space? Would there be a commercial component, all that stuff, you know, kind of voting with your, you know, your eyes and and putting stickers. It's like a charrette activity, you
know, kind of giving them an indication of what the people of Tarpon Springs want to see in future developments. And of course, the planning, you know, guidelines are what really set
up what you're going to see being built. So anyway so that's yeah. So that and spread the word right with your networks. With just the more
people that have a say right. The, you know, the more information they get the better representative the outcome of those types of exercises is. I think that the first one was
very well attended in my understanding, but it was well attended. But it's still a small group overall of it. It didn't really work. Yeah it was the exercise was a little bit
complicated I think. So I'm not sure what. They're complicated, but people wanted to talk about stuff and there wasn't. You just were told to put stickers
and and then it was like, okay. So it didn't have the depth and breadth that I think it would have been better if people could sit together and talk
about things than just be given these stickers. And I'm not sure what the format is of the. It didn't really work as well as I thought it would. And
there and I mean, people were there and they wanted to engage good feedback. I mean, I don't know, again, what the format of the next one is. I don't I imagine it's going to be
different than the first one. But again, I'm not at all. It's not in my department. I just want to be informed and, you know, kind of know what what the planning department is, is doing. And you know, how
sustainability obviously ties in with that. And so I would just encourage you to, you know, go try to see what it's all about. And that's but yeah,
it's a huge effort. The placemaking. You know I think the city has been doing branding stuff as well. There's been a lot of things branding is the last time was branding I
couldn't go, I do not know what the current. I don't know what the status is of the branding efforts. I believe they've been doing that more in with the
downtown effort, but I'm not 100% sure. So. But hopefully there's information on either connect Tarpon or I definitely seen an email about that as
well. So I think that we have a effort to make, you know, a central calendar for all the things on the website. So hopefully that's if it's not already there. That's something that'll be happening as well.
One thing the city has been doing that I hadn't seen before is every day I get a notice for the Facebook page. There's one thing that comes up. Oh, and
I've never received that before. I think that's new. Okay. And so it's really nice. It's some announcement about, you know, maybe a road is going to be
closed or this meeting or something about the fire department or whatever, but it's nice to have one every day. Yes, I will say, I think having a public information officer,
his name is Jordan. He's amazing is you know, that's that's great for the city. It's just it's it's a huge just it's just a great resource to have.
So he does a really good job. I also like the the digital board they have on Auburn Avenue driving home with my kids from
school. And I see it I'm like, oh, that's going on. It really does communicate to people. I love the idea. It would be cool if it was prettier. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was just thinking that
the other day I was like, I love that this is what it's doing, but it would be really nice if it was not like a construction road sign. Yeah, well, that's a that's a good recommendation because it's one
of the first things you see when you come off of 19 and it doesn't speak so well. It does look like a construction thing
if you don't know to look at it for the, you know, sort of city announcement, it would just look like what what are they telling me about the roads coming up. Yeah. It looks like
if that's going to be permanent, it seems like a good permanent structure that looks good. Can you recommend that? Sure. Yeah. I don't know if I have any. I
mean, but I can absolutely recommend that mention it to the art Committee. Yeah, I mean honestly. A public art, right, right. You know, it's, you know,
a digital sign there, but that has, like you said, a permanent, more appealing surrounding structure. Make it an art project or something with
mosaic. Yeah. Art project. Yeah. Maybe I'll bid up. Okay. Is there any other thing or can we adjourn? I think we can adjourn.
So I have a motion. Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn second. I'll second. All in favor? Aye, aye. Done. Well
done. Great meeting. Yeah. And it's 726.