Okay. Good morning everyone. I'd like to bring the meeting to order for the Veco the echo advisory committee meeting at 9:03. Could we please have roll call? Reggie Santilli here. Pat Drago
here. Gerald Fiser here. Tom Leapuda here. John Maluso here. Pat Nory here. Jay Pendergas here. Doug Pettit here. Leah Washington here. Thank you. We have
We have a quorum. Thank you. We have two new members of our committee. Um we have Leah Washington and Thomas Leuta. Leuka. Lee, you want to tell us a little bit about yourself? Sure. Um, so I've lived in Belich County for almost five years
and um, you know, raising three kids here, so I'm pretty involved in all things that are going on. They're in uh, well, last year they were in elementary, middle, and high school. So seeing the gambit of uh, things for them and then also being involved in the community for
for them and for, you know, just being involved and heard about Echko and wanted to get involved. Welcome aboard. Thank you, Tom. been in Blush County for um long time u probably since 80 82 83 um I
was mayor of our city for five years uh prior to that on board member for another um four years um I am a member of a few committees around the county and this is new to me I've always wanted to be on an echo and it happened this
year so happy to be Come see if I may. Welcome. Um, do we have anyone for public participation? We do not. Um, just remember on your mics there's a button to push just so we
can hear you guys. Okay. We also have a county attorney with us. Want to introduce yourself? Yeah. Thank you. Um, uh, my name is Paulo Sora. I'm the senior assistant county attorney. I usually cover land use matters management matters. I don't know if you
ever watch county council. I'm usually there. So, um I'm covering for uh Sabrina Slack who is hopefully having a nice vacation somewhere in Alaska and hopefully she'll come back. Uh but if you have any questions um on any procedural matters, sunshine issues,
public records issues, our office is available um and you know you can contact us at any time. Thank you. Okay. Um, has everyone had the opportunity to read the meet the minutes from April
10th? And do we have a motion to second? Any discussion? Corrections? All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Same sign. Motion carries. New business. Um,
direct county expenditure update. All right. So, uh this is the newest projects into the direct county expenditure uh for your guys review that we are taking to county council on July 22nd. Um we have the
historic courthouse interior preservation of the historic structure for 400,000 200,000 26 and 27. Um this is to preserve the historic structure back to its original uh signific
significance uh especially in the interior uh restoration of the dome, ceiling, entryway doors and interior fountain. And then also at Deerry Hall, we are going to do preservation of the historic windows and shutters to restore
them back to their historical significance as well. So, it's an additional $456,000 into the direct county expenditure plan uh spread through 26 through 29. Okay.
Yes. Thank you. Um the historic courthouse interior preservation we remind me do we have an expenditure already for the lighting around the building. Correct. The
actually we removed the lighting from the direct county expenditure plan but facilities has taken that project inhouse and is moving forward with it. Okay. So that project is still moving. It is. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Excuse me. What
year do we think that will be completed? When will be completed? Um, okay. I'll get you an update when I talk to uh the director. Have we gotten anywhere on the lighting
of the exterior of the the courthouse? Oh, okay. Yeah. All right. Great. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. So we will move on to the strategic planning session and the design sprint.
All right. Um TPMA is here. Um I think about six of you have already met with them either virtually or on the phone. So Mariah and Lindsay um have ventured down here from Indianapolis to be here with us today. um they're going to
present comprehensive findings uh from the extensive community engagement and facilitate the launch of this design sprint session here this morning which will provide direction for us into 2040. Um this will be a fast-paced collaborative session um to transform
and look for solutions that we can move forward with Echo. So Lindsay and Mariah It wasn't that we were super advanced. It was quite young. We were being dragged. Okay. Are we ready to continue? I do
have some. Okay, Dan, staff comments. All right, just want to give you guys a very uh quick update on some of our projects here. Um, we've recently had a groundbreaking for the uh, D Ranch Preserve and Nature Center. Um, we've
also had the groundbreaking for the Hub on Canal. Um, the Marine Science Center officially open this week. Um, the plan is to possibly have a celebration or a ribbon cutting at a later date. So, I'll keep you guys posted on that. Um couple
updates from previous uh things that we've discussed at other uh council meetings would be um all children's park has put in the new porn and play surface there. So they are up to compliance with that project. Uh Mary Mloud Bthoon Home
will also have the official grand opening of that project on July 10th. does fall on our next meeting. Um so we won't be able to to attend but uh it is the 150th birthday of Mary Mloud Pthoon. So they're opening that home back up. Um
this last cycle um we had Little Theater has put the LED video wall up already. So that project is almost complete as well as City of South Daytona Reed Canal prehistoric playground. The giant sloth has been brought in from overseas. So um
that is that has arrived and then we've also uh broke ground uh on the a center has made ex significant improvements as well as the Doris Leapers Spruce Creek preserve dome property. Uh they actually just started construction. They are on
site this week. So those are the project updates that I have for you guys. And then the next meeting is July 10th. Advisory committee comments. I do. Oh, there you are. Still looking for you over there. Um, I just want to throw
this out and see if there's support for this. Uh, I think we need to make a recommendation to the county council for consideration that they change the re annual review process from a forbid this
grants that was 40 years previously that we make them all 20-year grants. So I would make that as a motion. You have a second. I have a second that. Okay. Any discussion? Thing I want to add is that we also have
grants that are 30-year restrictive covenants as well in the previous program. So there are grants with 40 years as well as 30 years. Okay. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. Any
opposed? Okay. Motion carries. That's it. Any other committee comments. I I just want to say thank you. I know I have pushing for this for some period of time and I really appreciate the time
and thought. So, thank you very much for the strategic planning and we have an opportunity to maybe change things that I know some of us have really been concerned about. So, thank you. Thank you. A um I have something that I would like to say. that I went to the um the strategic
planning session on Tuesday and it was interesting because you're talking to grant writers, you're talking to people that were sat on this committee and then also are executive directors of nonforprofits and as you all know the cultural council
everything has changed with those grants. It's no more based on budget and operation, right? Now it's programs and projects and they're struggling. We have 32 applications.
Um, Echo has money. Perhaps we should maybe look at, you know, separating some funds out like we do for the trail system. We give $1.5 million every year directly to the trails. Maybe we should think about
doing something with the cultural organizations in Valuchia County. It's just a thought how that could be presented to us for consideration. Mhm. I I would just tell you I'm very
discouraged with the current discussions at the council level regarding cultural. They it appears to me that they don't support it and and my concern would be we take money out of Echo and does that
make a difference to them? I think you might be open a Pandora's box there if you start trying to supplant funding from traditional sources perhaps. But you you chair it you chair that right? I do. So I would be interested
not this meeting because this could just been introduced but to hear your thoughts on that how how that would work. I mean we're we're scoring right now. We're in the we're in the middle of scoring. Okay. And the applications are different than we've seen in the past. I
mean, I understand what what Gerald was saying about opening Pandora's box. Yeah, I agree. So, let's get let's get this. Any other comments? Motion to adjurnn.
Okay, we are adjourned.