Jun 12, 2023 Regular City Commission Meeting

OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

[00:00:02]

[ROLL CALL]

COMMISSIONER CLARK HERE.

COMMISSIONER COLLINS HERE.

COMMISSIONER RICH HERE.

IF THE APPARENTLY REVEREND BROSIUS MUST HAD A SCHEDULING CONFLICT.

SO WE'LL START OFF WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

PLEASE JOIN ME.

THANK YOU. I PLEDGE 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. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

WE'RE GOING TO RECESS THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A OPEN UP A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CRA AND RECONVENE THE PARDON? THAT'S A MEETING. THAT'S A MEETING. THAT'S PROBABLY A RECORD. YEAH. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND RECONVENE THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COMMISSION.

AND WHILE WE WAIT FOR EVERYBODY FOR PAUL AND MIKE TO COME BACK UP HERE I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO CONGRATULATE COMMISSIONER COLLINS ON THE BIRTH OF HIS NEW DAUGHTER.

OH. WOULD YOU TELL EVERYBODY WHAT HER NAME IS? LILY JOY. WE CALL HER BIRDIE.

BIRDIE. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.

NUMBER THREE. ALL RIGHT.

WOW. I GOT THREE GIRLS.

THAT'S A SQUAD. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

THAT'S A SQUAD. IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? WE'RE WORKING ON A TEAM.

A BASKETBALL TEAM. WE'RE A BAND.

OKAY, SO LET'S GO ON TO OUR ARTS MOMENT.

[1. ARTS MOMENT - ISABELLA HODGES SINGING "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW"]

FOR HER. FOR THE RECORD, ISABELLA HODGES.

BUT IN ALL THE WORLD IS A HOPELESS JUMBLE.

AND THE RAINDROPS TUMBLE ALL AROUND.

HER. OPENS A MAGIC LANE.

ALL THE CLOUDS DARKEN UP THE SKYWAY.

THERE'S A RAINBOW HIGHWAY TO BE FOUND.

UP EARLY. FROM YOUR WINDOW PANE.

TO A PLACE BEHIND THE SUN.

JUST A STEP BEYOND THE REST.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW.

WAY UP HIGH. THERE'S A LAND THAT I HEARD OF ONCE IN A LULLABY. I. ALL FOR THE RAINBOW.

SKIES ARE BLUE. AND THE DREAMS THAT YOU DARE TO DREAM. REALLY DO COME TRUE.

SOMEDAY I'LL WISH UPON A STAR.

AND WAKE UP WHERE THE CLOUDS ARE FAR BEHIND ME.

WHERE TROUBLES MELT LIKE LEMON.

DROPS AWAY ABOVE THE CHIMNEY TOPS.

THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW.

BLUE BIRDS FLY. BIRDS FLY OH, FOR THE RAINBOW.

WHY THEN, OH, WHY CAN'T I?

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WHY, OH WHY CAN'T I.

MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS.

I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT ISABELLA WAS A WINNER IN THE BARN THEATER.

TEAM COMPETITION THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

YES, SIR. COME ON. BEAUTIFUL.

COME ON, DEAR. WE GOTTA GO.

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS. THANK YOU.

GOOD JOB. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM IS PROCLAMATIONS.

[2. JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY - JUNE 19, 2023]

PAUL, WOULD YOU READ THE PROCLAMATION FOR US? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. WHEREAS JUNETEENTH IS THE OLDEST KNOWN CELEBRATION COMMEMORATING THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE EMANCIPATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SLAVES, AND CELEBRATES THE SUCCESSES GAINED THROUGH EDUCATION AND GREATER OPPORTUNITY.

AND WHEREAS UNION SOLDIERS LANDED AT GALVESTON, TEXAS, ON JUNE 19TH, 1865, WITH NEWS THAT THE WAR HAD ENDED AND THE ENSLAVED WERE NOW FREE.

ON THAT FIRST JUNETEENTH, THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS WERE READ GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE, WHICH STATED, THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS ARE INFORMED THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCLAMATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE OF THE UNITED STATES, ALL SLAVES ARE FREE. AND WHEREAS THE FIRST JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WAS A TIME FOR REASSURANCE, PRAYER AND THE GATHERING OF FAMILY MEMBERS, TODAY, JUNETEENTH CONTINUES TO GROW WITHIN COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. NUMEROUS LOCAL AND NATIONAL JUNETEENTH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ARISEN ALONGSIDE OLDER ORGANIZATIONS WITH COMMON MISSION OF PROMOTING AND CULTIVATING KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, WHILE ENCOURAGING CONTINUOUS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND RESPECT FOR ALL PEOPLE AND CULTURES.

AND WHEREAS, ON A LARGER SCALE, CELEBRATION OF JUNETEENTH REMINDS EACH OF US THAT THE PRECIOUS PROMISES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, AND OPPORTUNITY ARE THE CORE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM.

AND WHEREAS, AFRICAN AMERICAN CITIZENS OF EAST STEWART WILL HOST A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT THE GUY DAVIS BASKETBALL COURTS IN STUART, FLORIDA, AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO CELEBRATE IT AS A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE AND CELEBRATION WITH FAMILY, FUN, FOOD AND MUSIC.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TROY MCDONALD, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 19TH AS JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY.

AND I'VE ACCEPTED IT AS IS NINA DOOLEY, BUT I DON'T SEE.

IS NINA HERE? NO, SHE'S NOT HERE.

OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO ACCEPT IT ON HER BEHALF? JUST GET IT TO THEM.

OKAY. SO WE'LL DELIVER THIS TO NINA.

YES, SIR. OKAY, I'LL PUT THAT OFF TO THE SIDE HERE. OKAY.

LET'S SEE. NEXT THING IS SERVICE AWARDS.

[3. SERVICE AWARDS - JUNE 2023]

FOR THAT. VINCE WAS RECENTLY FEATURED IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ON A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE.

AND THERE WAS A PICTURE.

SO I LOVE IT. I WAS CONCERNED FOR A MINUTE.

IT WAS A MEMORIAL.

SPEECH. I'M SURE YOUR WIFE WOULD LIKE YOU TO BRING THAT HOME ONE MINUTE FOR EVERY YEAR.

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YEAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE THINGS.

OBVIOUSLY TIME FLIES. EVERYBODY SAYS THAT GOES BY REAL QUICK.

THAT'S FOR SURE. I REMEMBER BACK WHEN I STARTED, I WAS A LOT SKINNIER AND HAD A DARKER HAIR AND NONE OF THIS WHITE STUFF, BUT I STILL LOVE MY JOB.

AND ANOTHER 45 YEARS I'LL BE HERE AS LONG AS MILTON.

SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. AND THANKS AGAIN TO MIKE MARTEL FOR THIS LOVELY DISPLAY OVER HERE. DOESN'T HE LOOK SO SERIOUS? YEAH. LOVE THAT GUY. THAT WAS REALLY GOOD.

OUR NEXT PRESENTATION IS JAMES FARLEY OF PUBLIC WORKS.

15 YEARS OF SERVICE.

CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT.

YOU HAVE TO GET UP A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAT WAY. BUILD IT THAT WAY.

THERE YOU GO. THIS IS VERY PERFECT FOR.

THE CITY OF STUART. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANKS, JAMES.

I'LL SAY ONE THING. I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYONE.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BEING ABLE TO WORK HERE WITH THE CITY OF STUART.

I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD BE HERE 15 YEARS WHEN I CAME.

I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A STEPPING STONE IN MY CAREER.

I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE TO WORK WITH A GOOD TEAM AND BLESSED TO HAVE A GOOD BOSS AND.

HOPEFULLY I'LL GET 15 MORE.

WELL THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MONICA SANDS WITH THE 10TH STREET CENTER FOR TEN YEARS. TEN YEARS. YOU DID IT! CONGRATULATIONS. YOU DID IT! THANK YOU. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YES. SPEECH. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF STUART FOR GIVING 18 YEAR OLD GIRL TEN YEARS AGO AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR THE RECREATION CENTER TO POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR YOUTH. IT'S BEEN SUCH A BLESSING TO HAVE TEN YEARS ON 10TH STREET, AND I HOPE TO HAVE TEN MORE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MATTHEW REUTHER FROM FIRE AND RESCUE.

TEN YEARS OF SERVICE. YES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THERE YOU GO. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE WORKING HERE IN THE CITY FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT 20 PLUS YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY THE GROWTH WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT 20 AND SEE WHAT'S IN STORE FOR US.

THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CARLOS MORALES WITH PUBLIC WORKS.

FIVE YEARS. ALL RIGHT.

CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. WAY TO GO.

HERE YOU GO. THERE WE GO. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.

OH. I SAID THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, AND I HOPE TO CONTINUE WORKING MORE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON. WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF MARTIN

[4. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF MARTIN COUNTY UPDATE]

THIS IS JOAN GOODRICH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD OF MARTIN COUNTY.

AND SHE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON THEIR ANNUAL REPORT AS TO WHERE THEY ARE AT THIS POINT IN THEIR YEAR IN SUCH HARD ACTS TO FOLLOW, RIGHT? I DON'T SING MY TENURE HAS ONLY BEEN FOUR YEARS.

AND BUT ON BEHALF OF THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD THE, THE BOARD ITSELF, OUR STAFF AND OUR GROWING NUMBER OF INVESTORS AND PARTNERS.

WE THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS TIME TO UPDATE YOU ON, ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER.

AND OF COURSE, FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, THAT GOES BACK TO WHEN YOU HELPED FOUND US

[00:15:05]

AND AS I TRY TO DO THE TALKING TO, TO YOU AND SWIVELING, I GUESS TO MAKE SURE THE SLIDE DECK GOES FORWARD, I'LL DO MY BEST TO BE COORDINATED IN THAT REGARD.

AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE JOINING US OR LISTENING AT HOME. YOUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD IS CHARGED WITH CHAMPIONING AND STRENGTHENING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS COMPRISED OF 15 BOARD MEMBERS IN WHICH THE CITY OF STUART HAS A MEMBER THAT SITS ON THE BOARD.

AND AT THIS TIME IT'S MAYOR TROY MCDONALD.

TROY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

BUT WE'VE ALSO HAD COMMISSIONER BRUNO BRUNER SERVE AND MANY MORE IN THAT TIME PERIOD OF 32 YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS TOGETHER.

OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM IS FOUR.

IN FACT, WE JUST ADDED THE FOURTH POSITION.

INEZ VAN RAVENSWAAY IS WITH ME IN THE AUDIENCE, AND WE COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED THAT SHE'S JOINING THE TEAM.

YOU ARE OR SHOULD BE SEEING OUR QUARTERLY REPORTS TO YOU VIA MAIL AND EMAIL.

SO OUR IMPACT THIS PAST YEAR, IS WHAT IS ON THE SLIDE AT THIS POINT.

AGAIN, WE COUNT IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS AS TO HOW WE TRY TO MAKE AN IMPACT WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU. NUMBER OF JOBS THAT ARE NEW.

NUMBER OF JOBS THAT WE SAVE, SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WE IMPACT, DIRECT BUSINESS CAPITAL INVESTMENT THAT COMES TO US.

SO SOME OF THAT IS ON THE SCREEN.

AND I DO HAVE PRINTED ANNUAL REPORTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, IF THEY'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE TOO.

BUT IN THE THREE YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS TOGETHER, WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE 14 ANNOUNCEMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT HELPED TO RETAIN AND GROW 736 NEW JOBS AND RETAIN JOBS TO OUR COMMUNITY, IMPACTING 1.2 4,000,000FT² OF OFFICE, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SPACE IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH A CAPITAL DIRECT CAPITAL INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN $160 $60 MILLION.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO ASSISTED MORE THAN 1500 LOCAL.

BUSINESSES AND LOCAL REQUESTS COMING INTO OUR OFFICE ABOUT HOW DO I START A NEW BUSINESS? HOW DO I GROW MY BUSINESS? OR SOME OF THE OTHER SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE FROM A FINANCIAL POINT OF VIEW? OUR REVENUES LAST YEAR WERE JUST UNDER 600,000.

OUR EXPENSES WERE ABOUT $516,000.

RIGHT NOW, WITH A NEW INVESTOR FRAMEWORK THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE JUST LAST SPRING IN, IN ENCOURAGING MORE INVESTMENT FROM NON COUNTY INCOME, THE PRIVATE SECTOR, OTHER ENTITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, COUNTY INVESTMENT AT THIS POINT IS ABOUT 76% OF OUR REVENUES.

SO AGAIN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU'RE MAKING IN THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER. AND WE THANK THE OTHER INVESTORS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER.

FROM AN EXPENSE SIDE, 86% OF THOSE EXPENSES ARE GOING STRAIGHT INTO CORE BUSINESS. AGAIN, CORE BUSINESS IS STARTING GROWING, KEEPING, AND WELCOMING NEW BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY TO OUR COMMUNITY.

OUR FRAMEWORK FOR OUR BUSINESS PLAN WE TRY TO KEEP OR WE'VE SIMPLIFIED AND HOPEFULLY WITH CONTINUED FEEDBACK, WE KEEP IT AS AS CLEAR AND CONCISE AS POSSIBLE.

WE'RE DOING FOUR THINGS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW STEWARD AND MARTIN COUNTY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

WE'RE LOOKING TO FOSTER CERTAIN INDUSTRIES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE.

SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GROW THOSE AND OPEN THE FRONT DOOR INTO THOSE INDUSTRY LEADERS THAT ARE IN THOSE TARGETED INDUSTRIES FOR FOR BETTER JOBS FOR OUR CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS.

WE'RE LOOKING TO GROW OUR OWN.

AGAIN, MOST OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOB CREATION COMES FROM THOSE ALREADY HERE.

SO WE RECOGNIZE IN TODAY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, THAT TAKING CARE OF WHO'S ALREADY HERE IS PRIME WORK.

AND THEN SO WHEN NEWCOMERS COME IN, THEY CAN SEE ON HOW WELL WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. AND THAT'S BOTH ON THE BUSINESS SIDE AND THE TALENT SIDE.

AND LASTLY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED NINE STRATEGIC AREAS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OPPORTUNITY. THESE ARE AREAS ALREADY PRIMED FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

PRIME FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT ARE IN THE URBAN SERVICES BOUNDARY.

SO THESE ARE THESE AREAS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING IN ON.

I MENTIONED TELLING OUR STORY, TELLING WHY STEWART'S GOOD FOR BUSINESS

[00:20:02]

SO THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN BUSY IN PROJECTING SOME OF THOSE KEY ATTRIBUTES FORWARD TO BUSINESS OWNERS HERE AND BEYOND.

THE REGION IN THE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA AREA UP IN ORLANDO AND TALLAHASSEE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WE CAN, WE SEE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR, WE'VE DEVELOPED A VIDEO AND BECAUSE MY TECHNOLOGY SKILLS ARE NOT ON PAR, I AM GOING TO SEND YOU THE LINK TO THE VIDEO THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE AT BDB MC.ORG.

AND WE KNOW THAT VIDEOS IS THE WAY TO GO FROM A SALES AND MARKETING POINT OF VIEW.

SO WE'D LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN OUR MESSAGE MOVING FORWARD.

I MENTIONED HUBS OF EXCELLENCE AND GROWING OUR OWN INDUSTRIES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.

OH, I DID IT CORRECTLY.

SO THESE ARE THE SIX INDUSTRY SECTORS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING IN ON AVIATION.

AEROSPACE AND MARINE IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST 12 MONTHS.

WE JUST FINISHED THE BUSINESS PLAN WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT, WE ARE GOING TO ADD THE THIRD HUB OF HEALTHCARE MEDTECH TO OUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, WHICH BEGINS OCTOBER 1ST.

BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE CLEAN AND GREEN ENERGY, AGRIBUSINESS, EQUESTRIAN, IT AND OH, WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE OTHER THREE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON AGAIN BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE INDUSTRIES ROOTED IN OUR COMMUNITY. FROM A DASHBOARD POINT OF VIEW, WE HAVE GROWN THE DASHBOARD PROSPECT DASHBOARD AT THIS POINT TO 29 PROSPECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.

IF WE WERE TO LAND ALL 29, THAT WOULD BE AN IMPACT OF ABOUT 27 100 NEW JOBS, 3.9 7,000,000FT² OF IMPACT FOR OUR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE WITH A $2.27 BILLION INVESTMENT COMING INTO OUR COMMUNITY.

I'M OFTEN ASKED, WELL, WHAT INDUSTRY SECTORS ARE THOSE PROSPECTS COMING FROM? SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE SLIDE.

AS FAR AS RIGHT NOW MARINE AND CLEAN TECH ARE THE PROSPECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING TO MOST OFTEN AT THIS POINT. FOLLOWED BY HEALTH CARE, BIOTECH. FROM A REFERRAL POINT OF VIEW, AGAIN, REFERRALS ARE CRUCIAL IN THIS WORK THAT WE DO TOGETHER.

BETTER TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY THAT ALREADY KNOWS SOMEBODY FROM OUR COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S WHERE WARM REFERRALS MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BUT AT THIS TIME, GENERALLY WE WERE SEEING A LOT OF NEW PROSPECTS FILES BEING OPENED BECAUSE OF OUR STATE PARTNERS AT ENTERPRISE FLORIDA.

AND IN YOUR LEGISLATIVE REPORT, YOU WILL HEAR THAT THE GOVERNOR NOW HAS SUNSET ENTERPRISE, FLORIDA, AND WE'RE MOVING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION BACK INTO GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO DIRECT REFERRALS COMING FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS AND OUR PARTNERS AT FLORIDA. POWER AND LIGHT IS HOW WE ROUND OUT OUR PROSPECTS.

I MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF WARM REFERRALS.

ONE OF THE STORIES THAT I LOVE TO TELL ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP IS RELATING TO GREENHEART AMMO. THIS IS A PROSPECT THAT WE WORKED ON TOGETHER, IN PARTICULAR MANAGER MORTEL.

I WANT TO THANK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROSPECT AS IT AS THEY WERE CONSIDERING STEWART FOR THEIR LOCATION.

OF COURSE, THIS IS THE COMPANY THAT TOOK OVER THE OLD YMCA.

YMCA WE JUST THEY JUST OPENED THEIR OPERATIONS JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO AND ARE GOING FULL STEAM. THEY WILL BE EMPLOYING UP TO 100 PEOPLE IN THIS LOCATION IN STUART, IT'S ABOUT A $45 MILLION INVESTMENT, DIRECT BUSINESS, CAPITAL INVESTMENT BEING MADE IN THE CITY.

AND WE'RE QUITE PROUD OF THAT.

ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE MADE TOGETHER.

ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE OF THE OWNERS OF GREENHEART AMMO WHILE, BECAUSE WE WERE DOING THIS PROSPECT DURING COVID TOGETHER.

THEY RECOGNIZED THAT AMMUNITION MANUFACTURING, WHICH WAS BEING DONE ACTUALLY OUTSIDE OF THE US.

THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THAT MANUFACTURING ONSHORE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POINT OF VIEW.

SO THEY HAVE NOW MADE A COMMITMENT TO BUILD A NEW FACILITY ALSO IN THE VILLAGE OF INDIAN TOWN, WHICH WILL COMPLEMENT THEIR STEWART LOCATION.

SO ONCE AGAIN, THIS WAS A REFERRAL THAT WE HAD RECEIVED FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN

[00:25:04]

WE WORKED ON IT TO FIND THEM A LOCATION SITE SELECTION SERVICES IS ONE OF THE COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES WE PROVIDE.

WE TURN TO MR. MORTEL AND CITY STAFF MEMBERS.

AS WE WERE WORKING ON DETERMINING WHETHER THIS WAS A FACILITY THAT COULD WORK FOR THEM, AND ALL OF THAT GOT GREENLIGHTED.

AND AGAIN, WE ARE JUST SO PLEASED THAT GREENHUT IS CALLING THE CITY OF STUART HOME AGAIN. I MENTIONED GROWING OUR OWN BUSINESSES IS A KEY COMPONENT TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY. WE DO THAT PRIMARILY THROUGH ONE ON ONE VISITS WITH LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO'D LIKE TO VISIT WITH US.

AND JUST LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME WE CALL THEM PULSE VISITS, WHERE WE KEEP A PULSE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LOCAL BUSINESS.

WE RELEASED OUR FIRST PULSE REPORT LAST FALL.

WE'LL RELEASE THESE REPORTS EVERY FALL, AND IT GIVES US SOME AMAZING PERSPECTIVE FROM OUR LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AS TO WHAT THEY NEED, WHERE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES ARE.

SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE SEEN THAT REPORT, JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING TO US ABOUT THAT THEY'D LOVE TO SEE IMPROVEMENT.

FROM THE COMMUNITY AGAIN, IN SOME OF THESE THINGS YOU'RE ALREADY TACKLING YOU KNOW, AND WITH YOUR PARTNERS THE VARIETY OF HOUSING, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR WAGES ARE STILL A LITTLE LOWER HERE IN THE AREA VERSUS OTHER AREAS NORTH AND SOUTH OF US TALENT AVAILABILITY, HOW WE CLOSE THAT GAP FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH AVERAGE 9 TO 10 PEOPLE, HOW WE GET THEM IN CONTACT WITH GREAT PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A GREAT COMPANY TO WORK FOR LOCALLY.

AND THEN THOSE LOCAL EMPLOYERS COST OF LIVING, OUR REPUTATION AND A FEW OTHER THINGS.

SO THAT'S ALL ARTICULATED IN THE PULSE REPORT.

THE ONE DATA POINT THOUGH THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP EVERY YEAR WHILE SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS MIGHT CHANGE A BIT, THE ONE QUESTION THAT WILL MAINTAIN IS WOULD YOU RECOMMEND STUART.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND MARTIN COUNTY AS A GOOD PLACE FOR BUSINESS? SO THE FIRST BASELINE OF THAT QUESTION WAS 93% OF THOSE WHO ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT.

ABSOLUTELY. AND A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE TO PUSH THEM.

THEY SAID, WELL, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. AND I'M LIKE, WELL, THAT'S THAT. WE LOVE TO HEAR THAT TOO. HOWEVER, WE WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY ABOUT BUSINESS.

SO THAT'S THE DATA POINT FROM A STRATEGIC AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY.

I MENTIONED THERE'S NINE OF THEM.

SO THOSE ARE ALL LISTED ON THE MAP.

IN PARTICULAR. THE ONE THAT I THINK I'M PERSONALLY MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY WITH THE INNOVATION HUB.

SO THIS WAS ONE HOLES THAT HAD BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT IN THE COUNTY'S FIRST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT ROLLED OUT IN 2021.

GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, TO PUT TOGETHER AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, REVITALIZATION, NEW INVESTMENTS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

AND AGAIN, THE AREAS MORE THAN 2100 ACRES, THERE'S ALREADY 8600 JOBS THERE.

YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES.

AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF OUR MAKERS AND INNOVATORS.

NOW, WHY THIS AREA FOR INNOVATION? WELL, THIS IS WHERE WE LEARNED IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN, WHERE MOST OF OUR PATENTS COME OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS AREA.

THERE IS AGAIN, FROM A PLACEMAKING, REDEVELOPMENT, REVITALIZATION, SO MANY COOL THINGS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO WORK ON TOGETHER.

SO THAT'S JUST THAT 15 MINUTE YOU KNOW, LOOKING LEFT, RIGHT, NORTH OR NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST.

AS TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF LINKING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, ASSETS AND PEOPLE AND PLACES TOGETHER.

SO THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE INNOVATION HUB, I UNDERSTAND FROM GEORGE STOKES, THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WHO IS LEADING THIS PROJECT INSIDE OF THE COUNTY. HE'LL BE MAKING A PRESENTATION LATER THIS SUMMER TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ABOUT SOME OF OUR IDEAS AS IT RELATES TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE BRANDING, THE REGULATIONS, THE ESTHETICS, AND THE ACTIVATED OPPORTUNITY SITES THAT WE HAVE IN THE INNOVATION HUB.

AGAIN, YOUR TEAM AT A PROFESSIONAL STAFF LEVEL HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS.

BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO GOING A LITTLE DEEPER AS TO WHAT'S POSSIBLE.

AND THAT NUMBER FIVE WITH OPPORTUNITY SITES.

AGAIN, THERE'S THERE'S NINE OPPORTUNITY SITES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THE INNOVATION HUB.

I BELIEVE ONE IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF STUART.

AS FOR THE POTENTIAL OF WHAT WE DO TO CONTINUE TO GROW JOBS AND INNOVATORS IN THIS

[00:30:04]

AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THREE TEAMS IN PLACE, OUR PARTNER COUNCIL, WHICH ARE INVITED TO OUR CORPORATE COUNCIL, WHICH IS LEADING OUR POLES AND HUBS OF EXCELLENCE STRATEGY, OUR TALENT ADVANCEMENT TEAM, IN WHICH YOUR PROFESSIONAL TEAMS BEEN ENGAGED IN AS WE TRY TO BUILD MORE OF A TALENT PIPELINE AND ALIGN THAT TO OUR LOCAL EMPLOYERS.

SO LEADERS ARE GETTING ENGAGED WITH US TO RAISE THEIR VOICE, TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS, TO ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES, TO BE RECOGNIZED AS ECONOMIC CHAMPIONS, ALL TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY.

AGAIN, WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD THAT STEWARDS GREAT FOR BUSINESS.

TELL THE GOOD BUSINESS STORIES AND IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS STORIES.

CEOS, BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WE SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTING AND SPOTLIGHTING AND RECOGNIZING. GOSH, I'D LOVE TO HEAR THAT.

ANY WARM REFERRALS THAT YOU HAVE.

I KNOW I'VE RECEIVED A COUPLE.

AND, AND MAYOR MCDONALD IN PARTICULAR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REFERRALS THAT YOU PROVIDE. THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD.

SO WHAT'S NEXT? I MENTIONED OUR BUSINESS PLAN HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN YOUR NEXT QUARTERLY REPORT.

WE ARE PREPARING FOR A BIG DISCUSSION WITH THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ON THE COUNTY'S INCENTIVE AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE TOOLKIT.

IN FACT, WE'LL HAVE I'LL HAVE THAT FIRST CONVERSATION WITH MY BOARD AT TOMORROW'S BOARD MEETING IN WHICH ANYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND.

SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, 830 AT INDIAN RIVER STATE COLLEGE.

WE'RE ALSO PREPARING FOR OUR FIRST EXPORT UNIVERSITY.

SEMINAR, WORKSHOP ALL DAY AFFAIR.

WE SEE FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL POINTS IN JOB CREATION AND INNOVATION THAT IS PERFECT FOR STUART IN MARTIN COUNTY.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, AND THEN WE WILL COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND CELEBRATE BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEIR COMPANIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

HOPEFULLY YOU ALL WILL JOIN, JOIN IN ON THAT CELEBRATION ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH FOR THE ANNUAL BUSINESS AWARDS.

SO THERE'S MY INFORMATION THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION TO YOU TONIGHT.

AND ONCE AGAIN, ON BEHALF OF THE BDB, ALL OF OUR INVESTORS, PARTNERS AND BOARD MEMBERS AND PROFESSIONAL TEAM, JUST THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING IT IN THE FUTURE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

JOAN. ANY QUESTIONS FOR JOAN? JOAN, DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF A PROSPECTUS FROM LAST YEAR THAT WOULD TELL US HOW MANY NEW JOBS AND NEW BUSINESSES CAME INTO OUR AREA THROUGH THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BOARD, KIND OF SHEPHERDING THEM AND GUIDING THEM.

AND MAYBE HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PLACE, BUT OTHERS DO YOU HAVE LIKE A PRINTOUT THAT HAS THAT INFORMATION.

SO FROM AN ANNOUNCEMENT POINT OF VIEW ON THAT ONE SLIDE THAT I HAD SHOWN, AND IN THE PRINTED ANNUAL REPORT IN WHICH I'VE GOT COPIES.

THERE WERE NO NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS.

SO JUST GRIND HARD AMMO.

THE YEAR BEFORE WAS THE BIG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAD MADE TOGETHER, ALTHOUGH AGAIN, THEY JUST OPENED UP THIS YEAR.

OKAY. JUST FROM A PULSE REPORT POINT OF VIEW THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST.

SO THIS IS WHERE I CAN SEGMENT OUT THOSE STEWART BUSINESSES THAT HAVE RECEIVED PULSE REPORTS. SO IF YOU'D LIKE INSTEAD OF THE PULSE REPORT BEING SO GEOGRAPHICALLY BROAD.

IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO BRING THAT DOWN TO A STEWART LEVEL, THE TEAM CAN DO THAT. THANK YOU.

I JUST I WANTED TO ASK HOW HOG TECHNOLOGY IS DOING.

HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING AFTER THE FIRE? I KNOW, JUST A TERRIBLE THING.

I KNOW SO MANY. AND THANK THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

I KNOW I'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ACTUALLY BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING DIRECTLY WITH JAMES TO, YOU KNOW, HELP WITH THEIR CONTINUED RECOVERY FROM THAT. BUT I, I SHOULD HAVE I SHOULD HAVE HAD THAT ANSWER.

COMMISSIONER BRUNER BUT I MAYBE YOU COULD FIND OUT AND CHECK WITH, CHECK WITH HOG AND, AND THEN LET ME KNOW ON, ON WEDNESDAY AND I'LL REPORT IT BACK TO MIKE AND HE CAN, I'LL BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AND SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL.

THAT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OH, COMMISSIONER RICH.

YOU MENTIONED THE DESIRE TO BRING MANUFACTURING BACK.

AND I BELIEVE THEY CALL IT ONSHORING.

IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.

COMMISSIONER. COULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE?

[00:35:01]

IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY IN PROMOTING THAT OR PROVIDING INCENTIVES OR MONIES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF MANUFACTURING? WELL, THERE IS CERTAINLY BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE ACTS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THIS REGARD.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WHY WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF INTEREST FROM A GREEN AND CLEAN TECH POINT OF VIEW. SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURING, SOME OF THE BATTERY PROJECTS HAVE BEEN CYCLING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, AND A LOT OF THAT IS TIED TO SOME OF THE FEDERAL INCENTIVES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED TO ONSHORE SOME OF THESE CRUCIAL AND ESSENTIAL MANUFACTURING FUNCTIONS.

SO ARE THESE MANUFACTURERS.

MANUFACTURERS GENERALLY AWARE OF THESE, OR ARE YOU VERY HELPFUL IN MAKING THEM AWARE OF WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MAY EXIST? THEIR CONSULTANTS ARE TOTALLY AWARE OF THIS.

AND FOR FOR PROJECTS OF THAT SIZE.

GENERALLY, WE ARE WORKING WITH THEIR SITE SELECTORS VERSUS THE ACTUAL PRINCIPALS OF THOSE FIRMS. AND AGAIN, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY FALL INTO THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE AS FIRMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD LOOKING TO BRING IN OPERATIONS THROUGH THE US AND HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND THEN OUR PART OF THE REGION.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER COLLINS.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE QUICKEST, SIMPLEST, EASIEST THING THAT WE COULD BE DOING TO HELP MAKE STEWART A MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY? IN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE TRENCHES WITH WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO? WHAT COULD THIS COMMISSION BE DOING, IF ANYTHING, TO HELP MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT BETTER? JUST QUICK. YEAH. I THINK, AGAIN, CONTINUE TO TELL THE GREAT STORIES ABOUT STUART FROM A PROCESS POINT OF VIEW.

ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE TO THE COUNTY AND THE TOOL KIT IS TO BE WILLING TO SIT AT A TABLE WITH SOME FOLKS WHO KNOW THE PROCESSES, AND MAYBE TO LISTEN AS TO HOW WE CAN BETTER INTERNAL PROCESSES.

YOU KNOW, TIME, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING TO SAVE THEM TIME, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM REDUCE THEIR COST OF BUSINESS AND TAKE OUT THE UNCERTAINTY AS WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT OUR COMMUNITIES FOR JOB CREATION AND DIRECT BUSINESS CAPITAL INVESTMENT. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WILLINGNESS FOR SURE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ALL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE SIDE OF WHAT YOU ALL DO EVERY DAY.

THANK YOU. IF I CAN KIND OF JUST TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, THE ON TO COMMISSIONER COLLINS'S POINT.

SPEED IS TIME IS MONEY.

BACK SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE APPROVED HOG TECHNOLOGIES NEW BUILDING.

LITERALLY FROM THE TIME THEY PUT THEIR APPLICATION IN, WHICH INCLUDED A LAND USE CHANGE AND ANNEXATION AND A PUD, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 135 DAYS FROM APPLICATION TO APPROVAL, AND THAT INCLUDED A THANKSGIVING, CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR HOLIDAY.

SO CONSIDERING THAT SO SO EXPEDITING THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ON ON COMMERCIAL PROJECTS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN TO COMMISSIONER RITCH'S POINT, THE ONSHORING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW THIS UNTIL I SPOKE WITH THE, THE PRINCIPALS OF GRIGNARD AMMO.

MOST AMMUNITION SOLD AROUND THE WORLD IS MADE A LOT OF.

IT'S ACTUALLY MADE IN ITALY.

SURPRISINGLY, A LOT OF THE COMPONENTS.

AND THEN THE LITTLE PRIMERS.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THERE'S ONLY THREE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES IN ALL OF THE UNITED STATES THAT MAKE THE PRIMERS FOR, FOR, FOR AMMUNITION. AND THERE'S ONLY 13.

I THINK HE SAID 13 PEOPLE WITH THE LICENSE FOR THE EXPLOSIVES THAT ARE USED IN THE IN THE PRIMER AND THE NEWEST PLANT BEFORE THE PLANT THEY'RE BUILDING OUT IN INDIANTOWN, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE. I THINK THAT'S THE PRIMER PLANT. CORRECT. AND THEN THE ONE IN STUARTS, THE ASSEMBLY PLANT.

AND BUT THE PRIMER PLANT, THERE'S ONLY THREE.

THE NEWEST PLANT WAS LIKE 50 OR 60 YEARS OLD AND PROBABLY NOT UP TO SPEED.

TO NEED UP TO SPEED TO GET THIS HIGH SPEED MANUFACTURING, HIGH TECH MANUFACTURING, JUST IT'S VERY OLD TRADITIONAL, PROBABLY WORLD WAR TWO ERA STUFF.

SO SO IT'S REALLY FASCINATING TO SEE HOW THIS STUFF IS COMING.

IT'S SLOW, YOU KNOW. WE'RE NOT A WE'RE NOT A MANUFACTURING MECCA.

BUT I, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING WITH SOME OF THE EXPANSION AROUND THE COUNTY OF LIKE WILLIS MARINE AND SOME OF THE OTHER BOATYARDS WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE MARINE INDUSTRY. AND ALSO AS MORE AND MORE SATELLITES NEED TO GET LAUNCHED OUT OF CAPE

[00:40:01]

SO 4 OR 5 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THEM DOING 250 PLUS LAUNCHES A DAY A WEEK.

I MEAN, A YEAR, A DAY, A YEAR, A YEAR, EXCUSE ME, A YEAR IN EACH ONE OF THOSE LAUNCHES, EACH ONE OF THOSE ROCKETS THEY LAUNCH HAVE SOMETIMES THEY HAVE 30 AND 40 SATELLITES ON THEM.

AND SO ALL THOSE SATELLITES HAVE TO BE MANUFACTURED.

AND WHAT IS IT, BLUE ORIGIN? JEFF BEZOS IS COMPANY.

HE THE FACTORY THAT HE HAS A FACTORY UP THERE THAT BUILDS A SPACECRAFT FROM START TO FINISH IN ONE LOCATION. THE ONLY PLACE IN THE WORLD THAT DOES THAT.

BUT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED VENDORS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE NOT JUST UP THERE.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALL OVER FLORIDA.

AND BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY AN HOUR AWAY, SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR MANUFACTURING AND AEROSPACE.

SO IT'S AN EXCITING TIME FOR MANUFACTURING.

I THINK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME, WE'RE SEEING IT MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO HOPEFULLY IT CONTINUES.

AND I THINK AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE THIRD HUB THAT WE'RE STANDING UP.

HEALTHCARE MEDTECH, I THINK IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF STUART.

SO HELPING TO TELL THOSE STORIES, WE CAN WORK ON MAKING THINGS EASIER FOR BUSINESSES THAT THAT SAY YES AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

AND THEN I THINK PULSE VISITS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR SOME OF THE STUART BUSINESS OWNERS THAT WE SHOULD BE SITTING WITH AND LISTENING TO AND STUFF, WE'D LOVE THOSE REFERRALS ALSO.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION FOR THE CONCERNS THAT I'M SURE WE'LL RECEIVE.

THE AMMUNITION FACTORY DOES NOT HAND OUT BULLETS TO THE STUDENTS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL NEXT DOOR. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN BACK IN THE DAY ABOUT PROXIMITY, AND THAT WOULD BE JUST TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND COME IN. AND THEY THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT.

IT'S A VERY SECURE LOCATION.

THANK YOU, MANAGER MORTEL, FOR YOUR HELP WITH THAT.

YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OKAY, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, STEWART MAIN STREET UPDATE.

[5. STUART MAIN STREET UPDATE]

HELLO. NICE TO SEE EVERYONE.

WE'RE WAITING FOR MY PRESENTATION.

35 YEARS. I NEED TO CLAP FOR THAT.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE WE ARE.

YES. CANDACE CALLAHAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR STEWART MAIN STREET.

35 YEARS. THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING PROPEL THE NEXT 35 YEARS WITH YOU.

A LITTLE BIT OF. OH, WHAT DID I DO, JIM? AM I OH. I'M BACK. ARE YOU THERE? GREAT. SO I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU BACK A LITTLE BIT TO BRING US FORWARD TO PRESENT DAY.

IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO TALK ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND OUR ROOTS ON HOW WE GOT HERE.

SO MAIN STREET AMERICA IS OUR BANNER PROGRAM THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1980 UNDER THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

AND THEN IN 1985, OUR STATE PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF HISTORIC RESOURCES. KEEP IN MIND, THOSE ARE JUST BANNER PROGRAMS THAT OFFER TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO OUR ORGANIZATION TO DO THE GOOD WORK THAT WE DO.

WE DO NOT GET ANY FUNDING FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS.

AND THEN IN 1987 IS WHEN WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF STUART TO BRING THIS FINE PROGRAM HERE. AND SO THAT SEVEN YEARS JUST AFTER OUR NATIONAL PROGRAM STARTED.

SO OUR PROGRAM IS ACTUALLY LOOKED AT AS ONE OF THE LEADING MAIN STREET ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, JUST TO TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING TO BE REALLY PROUD OF.

WE OUR PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED AS AN ANSWER TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING, OUR CLIMATE AT THE TIME BACK IN THE 80S.

AND I HAVE SOME OF OUR FOUNDING ORIGINAL MEMBERS HERE TO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE MISS ANNIE MCMILLAN OR EXCUSE ME, ANN MCMILLAN.

AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE MISS JULIE PRIEST AND OF COURSE, MISS HELEN MCBRIDE. I WAS HOPING THAT MISS JOAN JEFFERSON.

YES. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.

AND I WAS HOPING TO HAVE OUR FEARLESS LEADER, MISS JOAN JEFFERSON, HERE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, SHE COULD NOT JOIN US AND IS ONE OF OUR FORMER CITY COMMISSIONERS AND MAYORS.

AND SHE WAS ACTUALLY ALSO SHE HAD SERVED AS OUR STATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS WELL. SO SHE REALLY DOES BELIEVE IN THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM.

SO I JUST WANT TO QUOTE SOME NUMBERS THAT I FOUND IN AN ARTICLE WRITTEN ABOUT OUR PROGRAM IN THE INDIAN RIVER MAGAZINE SEVERAL YEARS BACK.

AND YOU WERE ALSO FEATURED IN THAT ARTICLE.

THERE WAS A SO ONCE OUR PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED, EXCUSE ME WHILE I READ MY NOTES.

SO SOME NEW INFORMATION FOR ME SINCE INTRODUCING OUR PROGRAM, STUART MAIN STREET BUSINESS TRIPLED, REDUCING THE 60% VACANCY RATE TO NEARLY ZERO.

[00:45:06]

SO WITH THAT CLIFF NOTES, LET'S SEE.

SO WHAT IS MAIN STREET? RIGHT. WE GET THIS ALL THE TIME.

IT IS NOT A PHYSICAL LOCATION, ALTHOUGH ONE DAY I DO HOPE TO HAVE A STREET NAMED MAIN STREET, BUT I DIGRESS IN THE FUTURE.

BUT MAIN STREET IS A, AN ADAPTIVE FRAMEWORK FOR DOWNTOWN TRANSFORMATION AND REVITALIZATION.

WE DO, IN A NUTSHELL, WE CREATE JOBS, WE IMPROVE OUR TAX BASE, WE PRESERVE OUR HISTORIC ASSETS, AND WE BUILD COMMUNITY PRIDE, WHICH WE LIKE TO SAY IN THE MAINSTREAM WORLD, IS PLACEMAKING.

WHAT DEFINES OUR UNIQUE COMMUNITY? RIGHT. SO WE DO THAT BY USING THE MAIN STREET AMERICA FOUR POINT APPROACH, WHICH IS GETTING READY TO CHANGE IN 2024.

SO I'LL REPORT BACK. IT'S EXPANDING.

SO ECONOMIC VITALITY, DESIGN, ORGANIZATION, AND PROMOTION IS WHERE WE FOCUS OUR TRANSFORMATIONAL STRATEGIES.

SO BASICALLY IT IS A FORMULA TO ARTICULATE OUR FOCUS, DELIBERATE PATH FOR STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.

SO WE HAVE OUR OBJECTIVES.

SO AGAIN THE FOUR POINTS ARE BROKEN OUT AS PROMOTION ECONOMIC VITALITY ORGANIZATION AND DESIGN. SO YOU'LL SEE UNDER EACH PILLAR IS KIND OF WHERE OUR EFFORTS IN ACHIEVING THIS GRAND BIG GOAL THAT WE HAVE OF CREATING A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN.

SO OUR EVENTS FALL IN TWO CATEGORIES FOR US CURRENTLY.

IT'S NOT ONLY A WAY TO PROMOTE OUR DOWNTOWN, BUT MOSTLY IT'S TO DRIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FOR OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES.

THEY'RE NOT FUNDRAISERS FOR MAIN STREET AND I'LL GET TO THAT MORE IN A LITTLE BIT.

WE ADVERTISE FOR THE DISTRICT, WE HAVE AN AWARD WINNING CAMPAIGN THAT WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY ON SEVERAL YEARS BACK, AND WE STILL RUN THIS AS SHOP LOCAL SHOP SMART.

WE DO A LOT OF OUR STORYTELLING.

WE CREATE JOBS AND CREATE THAT ECOSYSTEM FROM, FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP. SO BASICALLY INCUBATION OF BUSINESSES.

AND THEN WE LEVERAGE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS.

BASICALLY THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR ADVOCACY FALLS INTO ESPECIALLY FOR THE CITY AND THEN ORGANIZES WHERE YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF MORE OF OUR VOLUNTEERISM, OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS, OUR CHARRETTES AND OUR MEETINGS.

AND WE ARE MORE THAN THAT SERVICE FOR THE CITY IF YOU NEED THOSE.

AND THEN FOR DESIGN, IT'S REALLY WHERE A LOT OF OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION EFFORTS FALL INTO. AND WE FOSTER ACCESSIBILITY TO OUR DOWNTOWN.

SO WITH THOSE OBJECTIVES, NOW WE FOCUS ON OUR MISSION STATEMENT.

OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE AND PROMOTE A POSITIVE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS THROUGH COMMUNITY DRIVEN BECAUSE WE LIKE COLLABORATION, RIGHT? PRESERVATION. PRESERVATION BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? RIGHT. IT'S A LOT OF BIG WORDS.

SO I LIKE TO DESCRIBE US AS LIKE THE NUCLEUS, THE DOWNTOWN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

WE'RE YOUR ADVOCATES FOR THE DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY AS WELL AS FOR THE BUSINESSES AND THE RESIDENTS.

SO WE ALL, WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS.

I STOLE SOME LANGUAGE FROM A RECENT CONFERENCE THAT I REALLY THOUGHT STOOD FOR WHERE WE ARE AND OUR PROGRAM BEING SUCH A SEASONED, MORE MATURE PROGRAM. WE ARE THE GATHERING PLACE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY AND SHARED MEMORIES, INVITING GENERATIONS AFTER US TO LEARN ABOUT OUR CITY'S HISTORY.

WE HELP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY THIS CAME FROM ME, THAT WE DO REPRESENT SMALL TOWN AMERICA.

WE TRY TO CREATE. WE CREATED THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE TRY TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT.

SO ON TO THE FUN STUFF.

OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ALL OF THESE WONDERFUL PROJECTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS WERE.

WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THESE.

WORKING ALONGSIDE THE CITY, WE DID THESE TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP.

WE HAVE VERY. WE HAVE A VERY SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP.

WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS.

WE WERE RECENTLY AT THE BOTTOM.

I'LL GET TO MORE OF OUR RECENT ITEMS. OF COURSE, YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT WE OPERATE FLAGLER CENTER AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THAT.

IT MEANS A LOT TO US TO BE THERE MARKET ON MAIN.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT RECENT RENEWAL AND EXPANSION OF OUR AGREEMENT.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO GROWING AND MAKING IT EVEN BETTER FOR YEARS TO COME. RECENTLY, YOU ARE SHOULD BE AWARE THAT WE DID THE WE HELPED THE CITY GET THE HISTORIC SURVEYS, THE PROPERTY SURVEY UPDATED THAT HAD NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1991. WE ARE FINALIZING THAT AND THAT SHOULD BE ACTUALLY SENT OFF FOR APPROVAL. I BELIEVE THIS MONTH NOW THAT WE'RE IN JUNE.

AND THEN THE SECOND STEP OF THAT IS NOW, WHICH I JUST SENT YOU ALL AN UPDATE LAST

[00:50:02]

SO THAT'S A GREAT TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK THAT EVERYONE HAS DONE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

SO CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.

OFF OFF THE LET'S SEE, I LOST MY PLACE ON MY NOTES.

OH, YES. SO VERY EXCITING NEWS.

I, I WAS REACHED OUT BY A STATE PUBLICATION AS WELL AS A NATIONAL PUBLICATION, TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT WANT TO FEATURE OUR MAIN STREET PROGRAM BECAUSE OF OUR GOOD WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS.

AS I DO MY INTERVIEW, I'M SURE I'LL BE REACHING OUT TO SOME OF YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT AS WELL.

SO KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THAT.

AND ONE SPECIFIC IS SPECIFIC TO FARMING.

SO THEY'RE REALLY INTERESTED IN OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND OUR MARKET AND TO HEAR ITS STORY AND HOW IT'S EVOLVED INTO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

SO AGAIN, SOMETHING TO BE REALLY PROUD OF, I THINK AND WE WILL BE HOSTING OUR STATE PROGRAM IN THE SPRING OF APRIL FOR OUR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE.

AND I HOPE TO HAVE YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT WHEN THE TIME COMES.

I'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED.

IT'LL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRAG ABOUT HOW GREAT OUR DOWNTOWN IS.

SO HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS AS FAR AS OUR PROGRAM SPECIFIC AGAIN TO THE DOWNTOWN, OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT, YOU'LL SEE THIS IS CUMULATIVE.

IT'S NOT YEAR TO DATE.

SO SO FAR, SINCE THE EXISTENCE OF OUR, THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR PROGRAM, WE'VE HELPED GENERATE TWO OVER 2 MILLION IN PUBLIC INVESTMENT, OVER 11 MILLION IN PRIVATE INVESTMENT, 142 NEW JOBS, 42 NEW BUSINESSES. AND IN 2022, BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE ON A CALENDAR YEAR. SO I DO APOLOGIZE.

BUT SO IN 2022, WE DID CLOCK ABOUT 2200 HOURS, WHICH EQUATES TO ALMOST 66,000.

AND THAT WOULD WHAT YOU'D PAY A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE TO DO ALL THAT WORK.

AND WE ARE MOSTLY VOLUNTEER BASED.

SO TO OUR EVENTS, WHICH IS SOMETIMES THE FUN PART OF WHAT WE DO.

WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST AS FAR AS MAIN STREETS, AND THERE'S 1600 COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE MORE ROBUST EVENT CALENDARS OF ANY MAIN STREET.

THEY THINK I'M A CRAZY PERSON, BUT IT'S NOT ME.

THIS IS THIS IS THE ORGANIZATION.

SO WE'RE VERY HONORED TO HAVE THESE MEANINGFUL EVENTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

OUR MARCH ART IN OCTOBER.

ART AND CRAFT FESTIVALS HAVE BEEN RUNNING FOR ABOUT 30 PLUS YEARS NOW.

AND THEY GENERATE COLLECTIVELY $1.3 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR JUST THE DOWNTOWN.

SO THAT'S PRETTY PHENOMENAL, I THINK.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR SMALLER EVENTS, WHICH ARE OUR SIDEWALK SALES TO HELP BOOST SOME FOOT TRAFFIC TO OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES DURING SLOWER TIMES OF THE YEAR.

AND OF COURSE, OUR VERY MEANINGFUL HOBGOBLINS ON MAIN STREET AND OUR CHRISTMAS ON MAIN AS WELL. AND THEN OUR NEW EVENT BACK IN APRIL, WE HAD AN EVENT FOR EARTH DAY.

I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.

AND THEN IN MAY, WE INTRODUCED A SPECIAL CELEBRATION FOR FLAGLER CENTER TO HONOR HER 80 YEARS OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR WEEKLY ROCK AND RIVER WALK AND THE MARKET AND ALL THE EVENTS THAT WE HOST AT FLAGLER CENTER.

SO I HAVE AN INTERESTING STATISTIC.

SO GOING BACK TO OUR ANNUAL EVENTS, WHICH ARE THE EVENTS AT THE TOP.

SO WHEN SURVEYED, WE HAD 77% OF VISITORS TELL US THAT THEY CAME TO DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY TO ATTEND OUR EVENTS. I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY STRONG NUMBER.

91% HAD STATED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STAY WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN TO SUPPORT OUR SMALL BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY GOT COFFEE OR DID SOME ADDITIONAL SHOPPING.

SO THAT'S SOME PRETTY BIG NUMBERS TO HELP SUPPORT THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AS WELL.

SO AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY FOR US TO MAKE MONEY.

THOSE EVENTS ARE REALLY TO BRING PEOPLE AND TRAFFIC INTO THE INTO THE DOWNTOWN TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES. SO HERE'S JUST SOME SNAPSHOTS FROM OUR EARTH DAY EVENT THAT I HAD MENTIONED. SWEEPING THE STREETS.

KIND OF A PLAY ON DANCING IN THE STREETS.

THANK YOU, MISS ANN, FOR THAT.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME. WITH AN OVERWHELMING RESPONSE, WE COLLECTED, WE HAD ABOUT 75 VOLUNTEERS, WHICH I WAS EVEN SHOCKED TO HAVE THAT MANY.

AND WE COLLECTED ABOUT 3,000 POUNDS WORTH OF TRASH AND DEBRIS FROM THE DOWNTOWN.

SO AND THEY WENT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ALL THROUGHOUT HUDSON'S FLAGLER PARK, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MEMORIAL PARK, OSCEOLA.

WE DID NOT CROSS THE TRAIN TRACKS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO KEEP IT SAFE, BUT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR I WANT TO EXPAND THIS AND PARTNER WITH THE CREEK DISTRICT TO MAKE IT AN EVEN BIGGER EVENT.

SO AGAIN, STAY TUNED FOR THAT.

[00:55:01]

WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON MAINTAINING THIS SPACE.

SO FAR WE HAVE MADE ABOUT $130.

EXCUSE ME, $130,000 WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS AND RENOVATIONS TO THE SPACE AND MORE ARE ON THE HORIZON. NOT ONLY ARE OUR OFFICES HERE, BUT WE USE IT AS A MEETING SPACE FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND PLANNING AND STRATEGY.

SO IT'S REALLY A GREAT HOME BASE FOR US, WHILE STILL OFFERING IT AS A SPACE TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR THEIR SPECIAL EVENTS. AND WE DEFINITELY PARTNER WITH A NUMBER OF NON-PROFITS TO HOST THEIR EVENTS.

SO, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE LYRIC IS CURRENTLY THERE WITH THEIR SUMMER CAMP. THEY'RE THERE FOR THREE WEEKS IN JUNE AND THEN THREE WEEKS IN JULY.

SO THAT'S BEEN A LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM THERE. AND THEN STAY TUNED FOR TYKES AND TEENS BECAUSE THEY ARE RETURNING WITH THEIR ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF TREES. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM BACK AS WELL.

THEY'RE WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS.

JUST A COUPLE OF SNAPSHOTS.

YOU MIGHT SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES UP THERE.

AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING.

THIS WAS REALLY TO CHECK SOME BOXES FOR MAIN STREET, IN THE SENSE OF GETTING MORE INVOLVED IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND CELEBRATING OUR ASSETS THAT STEWART HAS BECOME SO KNOWN FOR.

AND REALLY JUST TO ALSO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT WHAT MAIN STREET WANTS TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN. SO I THINK WE CHECKED A LOT OF BOXES.

AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION ON THAT EVENT, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BRING IT BACK NEXT YEAR, BUT WITH A DIFFERENT THEME.

SO MARKET ON MAIN, IF YOU HAVE NOT VISITED THE MARKET, WHICH I THINK MOST OF YOU HAVE, I'VE SEEN MAJORITY OF YOU.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS.

THIS HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK.

BUT IT REALLY DOES ALIGN WITH OUR MISSION OF BEING AN ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEM.

I MEAN, WHAT BETTER WAY TO INCUBATE YOUR BUSINESS THAN AT A FARMER'S MARKET, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE WHEN WE HAVE SURVEYED OUR ATTENDEES, 88% OF ATTENDEES SAID THEY SPECIFICALLY CAME TO DOWNTOWN TO ATTEND OUR MARKET AND TO SUPPORT OUR MARKET VENDORS.

I THINK THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER.

AND THEN 77% SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STAY IN DOWNTOWN AND MAKE A DAY OF IT BECAUSE ROCKIN. WE RUN ROCKIN AFTERWARDS AND OF COURSE, MAYBE GRAB DINNER. SO WE HAVE INTRODUCED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT NEW FEATURES.

SINCE IT WAS THE STEWART GREEN MARKET, WE'VE TRIPLED THE AMOUNT OF VENDORS THAT WE HAVE THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL SPACE THAT WE'RE NOW LOCATED AT FLAGLER PARK.

WE HAVE INCREASED THE QUALITY AS WELL AND INTRODUCED A MOBILE BAR.

WE HAVE VERY REGULAR ACOUSTIC MUSIC.

WE HAVE OUR KIDS MARKET, OUR KIDS COOKING CLASSES.

WE HAVE A WELLNESS PROGRAM WHICH FEATURES DIFFERENT ARTS ART CLASSES FOR FREE FOR THE PUBLIC, DIFFERENT FITNESS CLASSES, AND HEALTH AND WELLNESS OVERALL.

WE HAVE A NEW SMALL BUSINESS PODCAST WHERE WE'RE INTERVIEWING OUR MARKET VENDORS TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE AND TELL US THEIR STORY, BECAUSE HOW OFTENTIMES DO THEY PROBABLY NOT GET TO TELL THEIR STORY, BUT THEY ALL HAVE VERY FASCINATING ONES, LET ME TELL YOU.

AND WE'RE DOING THIS AS A PILOT PROGRAM.

IF THIS GOES WELL, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO CONTINUE THAT FOR OUR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS AS WELL. SO AND THEN OF COURSE, WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER EACH WEEK WITH NONPROFITS WHO SERVICE OUR COMMUNITY BY OFFERING THEM A FREE SPACE AT THE, AT THE MARKET SO THEY CAN PROMOTE THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND ANY EVENTS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE COMING UP.

JUST SOME OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES FROM TWO OF MY AWESOME KIDDOS AT THE MARKET.

WE ACTUALLY HAD TO EXPAND THE DAYS THAT WE WERE HAVING THE KIDS MARKET FROM 1 TO 2 TIMES A MONTH BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH A HUGE RESPONSE TO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR AREA. AND WE'RE ACTUALLY HOSTING KIDDOS THAT ARE FROM SAINT LUCIE COUNTY AND EVEN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY. AND I THINK WE HAVE A FEW FROM PALM BEACH COUNTY.

SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO BE THE HOME OF THE KIDS MARKET.

AND IF JOAN IS STILL IN THE AUDIENCE, SHE MIGHT RECOGNIZE ONE OF MY KIDDOS THERE, MISS KEAGAN, AT THE TOP.

SHE WE HAD NOMINATED HER BACK IN DECEMBER FOR THE BDS ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON.

THEY HAD A CATEGORY THIS YEAR, WHICH I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THAT FOR YOUTH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AND OUR KIDDO.

GOT IT. KEAGAN IS THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR.

SHE'S GOT A BIG BANNER AT HER BOOTH.

SHE IS VERY PROUD. SO COME CHECK HER OUT.

BUT I REALLY LOVE WHAT HER MOTHER SAID BECAUSE IT AGAIN, IT'S JUST SO SYMBIOTIC AND ALIGNS SO WELL WITH WHAT OUR MISSION IS AS MAIN STREET.

THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT TO US AS WE BELIEVE IT WILL STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SHARED VISION TO POPULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENCOURAGE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS LIKE MY CHILD TO FOLLOW THEIR DREAMS THAT JUST.

[01:00:01]

SO EXCUSE ME. AND THEN THE RIVER.

WHO IS WHO STARTED WITH US WHEN HE WAS THREE YEARS OLD.

HE'S NOW FIVE AND HAS A NEW BABY SISTER.

HE'S VERY PROUD OF AND A VERY NEW HAIRCUT THAT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S ENJOYING VERY MUCH, BUT HIS MOTHER HAD SAID THE CONFIDENCE AND JOY BRINGS MY THREE YEAR OLD SON AS A PRICELESS GIFT. IT HE LOOKS FORWARD TO IT EVERY MONTH, AND HE REALLY DOES. AND HE TAKES YOUR MONEY AND SERVES YOUR LEMONADE.

SO. AND IF YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE LEMONADE, HE'LL SELL IT TO YOU.

SO WATCH OUT FOR RIVER.

HE IS QUITE THE SALESMAN HE IS.

HE'S GOING TO GO OFF TO DO BIG THINGS.

I KNOW IT. SO PART OF THE MARKET WE ARE TRYING OUT DIFFERENT THEMED EVENTS AS, AS PART OF THE MARKET TO KIND OF HELP ENGAGE CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE MARKET.

AND JUST TO HELP INCREASE FOOT TRAFFIC AT SLOWER TIMES OF THE YEAR.

SO THIS YEAR IN HAPPY EARLY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE AND FOR FATHER'S DAY. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.

SO SUNDAY WE'LL BE HAVING A CAR SHOW FEATURING ABOUT 20 TO 25 CLASSIC CARS.

AND WE'LL HAVE AN AWESOME BARBECUE VENDOR. SO LITTLE PLUG FOR THAT. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

SO WHAT'S NEW AFTER ALL OF THAT? WHAT'S NEW? RIGHT. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE BOARD, YOU KNOW, BUILD OUR BOARD AND STRENGTHEN OUR BOARD WITH BOARD DEVELOPMENT.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE TWO OF OUR NEWER BOARD MEMBERS ACCOMPANYING ME TO OUR NATIONAL CONFERENCE. THEY WERE NEW AND EAGER AND WANTED TO REALLY LEARN ABOUT MAIN STREET.

AND I HOPE THAT THAT RESONATED WITH THEM.

WHEN THEY WENT ON THIS TRIP. WE WERE IN BOSTON WITH A WONDERFUL PLACE THE FIRST TIME I'D BEEN THERE. WONDERFUL COMMUNITY VIBRANCY AND VERY ECLECTIC GROUP MIX OF PEOPLE FOR SURE. BUT IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE IN A ROOM OF PEERS THAT HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES OR CHALLENGES WITHIN THEIR OWN CITIES.

AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO, TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION, RIGHT? WE HAVE OUR NEW WEBSITE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON TO KIND OF HELP COMMUNICATE BETTER WHAT OUR MISSION IS AND HOW WE CAN HELP OUR COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE NEW FUNDRAISING AND MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.

WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING BETTER AT COLLECTING DATA, WHICH WILL BE ALSO HELPFUL FOR OUR CITY PARTNERSHIPS AS WELL.

SO JOAN, I MIGHT BE HITTING YOU UP SOON FOR SOME TIPS.

ADVERTISING IN THE DOWNTOWN.

I ACTUALLY PITCHED AN IDEA TODAY THIS AFTERNOON AND I'LL BE PITCHING IT TO MY BOARD TOMORROW. SO FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, I HOPE TO GET YOUR SUPPORT.

BUT I THINK OUR BUSINESSES NEED US AT THIS TIME, SO WE'RE KIND OF TRYING SOME NEW ADVERTISING TO HELP THEM OUT.

WE INTRODUCED NEW EVENTS.

I HAVE AN ART MURAL PROJECT THAT I'M ACTUALLY MEETING WITH AN ARTIST TOMORROW TO PRESENT YOU WITH FOR FLAGLER PARK.

I ALREADY MENTIONED THE HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY GRANT.

WE HAVE SPONSORED A SERIES OF MOSAIC ART CLASSES TO HELP PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC ART IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE CREEK DISTRICT ON THAT, AND WE'VE BEEN HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THAT AND EXPANDING OUR DISTRICT.

SO THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT PHASE AFTER WE GET THAT OFFICIAL DESIGNATION FROM YOU KNOW, THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION, THE NEXT STEP FOR MAIN STREET IS TO HELP EXPAND OUR DISTRICT, OUR BOUNDARIES, SO WE CAN BE OF MORE SERVICE AND OFFER MORE RESOURCES FOR THE CITY AND HELP ADVOCATE FOR WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE AS WELL.

MORE ON THAT TO COME. SO HOW DO WE DO IT? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR CITY OF STUART AGREEMENT THAT'S BEEN AGAIN A LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP AND RELATIONSHIP.

AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THAT.

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU. WE HAVE THE SAME GOALS.

BUT I DO WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS.

SO WE HAVE 16 AND I THINK THAT'LL EXPLAIN THE REST OF THESE BULLETED ITEMS. SO AGAIN, 1600 COMMUNITIES, MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS HELP FUND 30 TO 50% OF THEIR BUDGET.

WE CURRENTLY GET 13%. SO WE RELY SOLELY NOW ON COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD TO TAKE ON BIG PROGRAMING SUCH AS FLAGLER AND THE MARKET TO HELP MAKE US SUSTAINABLE AND TO GROW, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SUSTAINING, IT'S ABOUT IT'S ABOUT GROWING RIGHT AND DOING MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE'VE HAD TO INTRODUCE NEW SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, MEMBERSHIPS, DONATIONS, LOTS OF IN-KIND SUPPORT AND DONATIONS, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY MORE.

I DO A LOT MORE SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TO KIND OF RAISE AWARENESS.

WE OBVIOUSLY HELP WITH GRANTS NOW.

WE DO A LOT OF GRANT WRITING AND GRANT SEARCHING.

WE ACTUALLY CONTRACT A A GRANT WRITER AND NONPROFIT CONSULTANT TO HELP ME LOCATE AND SEARCH FOR GRANTS THAT REALLY KIND OF ALIGN WITH WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.

ALSO THE CITY'S GOALS.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE DO THIS ALL WITH NINE BOARD MEMBERS, TWO FULL TIME STAFF. ME BEING ONE OF THEM AND TWO PART TIME HELPERS.

[01:05:01]

AND I DO WANT TO MAKE JUST ONE LITTLE ASK.

SO SINCE WE ARE NOW ENTERING THE SLOWER TIME OF THE SEASON AND CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT BEEN GOING AS WELL AS WE HAD HOPED, AND THERE ARE MORE CONSTRUCTION PLANS AHEAD OF US. I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO REALLY RALLY AROUND OUR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND GIVE THEM ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THAT YOU CAN.

BUSINESSES DOWN. I ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW BUSINESSES THAT HAD REPORTED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE CLOSING UP SHOP SINCE THE CONSTRUCTION WAS HAPPENING.

AND THEN I ALSO HAVE A MAJORITY OF THEM REPORTING NUMBERS THAT ARE REVERTING US BACK TO THE SAME KIND OF BUSINESS THAT YOU WERE DOING IN 2018, 2019. SO WE'RE SEEING THIS, YOU KNOW, 2021 AND 2022 WERE REALLY STRONG FOR OUR BUSINESSES FOR EVERYONE PROBABLY IN THIS ROOM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE REVERTING BACK.

SO AGAIN, JUST REALLY RALLYING AROUND OUR DOWNTOWN AND I'LL BE WORKING WITH MY BOARD TO COME UP WITH SOME SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN HOPEFULLY BE HELPFUL AND ADVOCATE MORE FOR THEM. SO THAT KIND OF COMPLETES MY UPDATE FOR YOU.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

CANDICE. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.

A LOT OF DETAIL. I WAS WONDERING, COULD YOU HAVE EVERYONE THAT FROM MAIN STREET YOUR BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE HERE STAND UP. EVERYONE'S KIND OF BEHIND ME, SO I DON'T KNOW. CAN YOU HAVE THEM ALL? CAN YOU HAVE THEM ALL STAND UP SO WE CAN KNOW WHO ALL IS HERE? BECAUSE THERE'S QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE. YES. SO.

AND AND OF COURSE, ANDY AND SHE'S HERE.

AND JULIE PRESIDENT JOE FLANAGAN IN THE BACK.

MISS SHERRY WHITE, WHO YOU MIGHT ALL REMEMBER.

YEAH. ALL EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED.

AND JIM HATCH. ALL RIGHT.

BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S ALL OF THOSE FOLKS, YOU GUYS AND ALL THE HARD WORK OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS GOT MAIN STREET WHERE IT IS AND ALL THE GREAT THINGS.

YEAH, I THINK ANN CAN ATTEST TO THAT.

OH, YEAH. SHE, SHE MADE SURE THAT WE KNOW SO AND SHE WORKED HARD AND, AND JULIE WORKED HARD IN THE BEGINNING ALONG WITH JOAN SIDE BY SIDE.

THOSE THREE LADIES DID PIONEERS, I CALL THEM THE PIONEERS.

THE PIONEERS. YES. SO THANK YOU ALL.

YEAH. OH. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A LONG PRESENTATION AND I THANK YOU.

I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THEM SO THAT MAYBE MR. MARTELL CAN TAKE NOTE AND MR. FLANAGAN CAN TAKE NOTE, AND WE CAN TRY TO WORK WITH THIS.

SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT EXPANDING DOWN TO THE THE CREEK DISTRICT.

WELL, WE ORIGINALLY HAD WHEN JOAN JEFFERSON AND MR. CHRISTIE WAS ON THE COMMISSION.

WE HAD TWO MAIN STREETS.

YES, MA'AM. AND EAST STEWART OF THE MAIN STREET.

AND WE WERE PUTTING MONEY INTO PAYING FOR SOMEONE TO BE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN EAST STEWART, AS WELL AS AT THE FLAGLER.

AND THAT PERSON KIND OF SPLIT THEIR TIME.

THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK AND MONEY FROM THE CITY.

WE'VE SINCE LOST THE EAST STEWART MAIN STREET.

AND WE WANT TO WORK ON THAT.

MISS OUR NEW PLANNING DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE CITY.

WE NEED TO WORK ON GETTING BACK EAST.

STEWART INVOLVED US IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CREEK DISTRICT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SEPARATE MAIN STREET, BUT TO GET THOSE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA AS WELL AS THE CREEK DISTRICT AND REALLY TRY TO WORK ON OUR STEWART MAIN STREET WITHIN OUR CRA AREA.

I THINK THAT THAT WILL BE A VERY GOOD THING THAT JOAN WOULD APPRECIATE.

WHILE SHE'S STILL ABLE TO GIVE INPUT AND REALLY GIVE YOU THE HISTORY WHEN SHE WAS UP IN TALLAHASSEE AND DOING THINGS HERE AND WORKING WITH MR. CHRISTIE AND OTHERS. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, AND THIS IS FOR MR. MORTEL TO THINK ABOUT AND FOR YOU GUYS TO THINK ABOUT, IS AND THIS PROBABLY LEADS INTO SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WITH THIS. THERE'S ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM ABOUT A CITY BUILDING THAT WE HAVE THAT WE LEASE OUT AND THE FLAGLER CENTER IS THERE AND YOU'RE THERE AS, AS THE MAIN STREET CEO AND WE'RE CONTINUING, WE JUST HAD THIS THREE YEAR EXTENSION AND THERE'S SOME THINGS GOING ON, BUT FOR THE FLAGLER CENTER AND WHAT IT DOES AND HOW IT FUNCTIONS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO EITHER COMING TO US OR COMING UP WITH A PLAN OF RAISING SOME FUNDS AND DOING SOME THINGS? IT'S OUR PROPERTY. WE KNOW THAT OF HAVING AN OUTDOOR THING, SOME KIND OF A WOODEN STRUCTURE OR SOME TYPE OF A STRUCTURE TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR WHERE YOU CAN HAVE OUTDOOR WEDDINGS, OUTDOOR AFFAIRS, AND ALSO INCORPORATE THAT

[01:10:05]

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR PLANNING ISSUES ARE, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S OUR LAND AND SOME OF THE MONIES WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO COME FROM US, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT COMING FROM FROM STEWART MAIN STREET.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S ALWAYS A PROVERBIAL ISSUE OF, OF PARKING. AND THEN I WANTED TO SEE HOW YOU WERE DOING IF IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US ANY NEWS OF ANYTHING THAT YOU WERE DOING TO WORK FOR JULY 4TH, OR IF THERE WAS SOMEBODY ELSE WHO WAS WORKING ON JULY 4TH, IF IT'S JUST A CITY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT JIM IS DOING.

I HAVE A LOT, BUT I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE.

NO. YOU'RE GREAT. THESE HAVE ALL BEEN THOUGHTS.

I AM VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF THE EAST STEWART MAIN STREET AGAIN.

THAT WAS A SEPARATE MAIN STREET PROGRAM.

SO IT DIDN'T UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T TECHNICALLY FALL UNDER OUR BANNER.

BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAD SOME ASSISTANCE IN HELPING THEM, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE BEING NEIGHBORS. RIGHT. WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. BUT I WILL HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS. AND THEN THE DESIGN PLANS FOR THE FUTURE FOR FLAGLER.

I HAVE GIVEN MENTION OF THIS BEFORE, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE SO BLUNT, BUT WITH ONLY HAVING A SHORT TERM LEASE, WE DON'T QUALIFY.

AND AGAIN, AS A 501 C THREE NONPROFIT, I MEAN, THE WORLD'S OUR OYSTER, RIGHT? SO I'VE LOOKED AT GRANTS.

I'VE EVEN APPLIED FOR SOME, AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN ENTERTAINING MY REQUESTS BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THE BUILDING AND WE HAVE A SHORT TERM LEASE NOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

I'LL SHARE SOME PLANS WITH YOU AS WE GET TO THAT POINT.

AND SOME HOPES AND SOME DREAMS. BUT, BUT AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS, OF COURSE. AND THEN REGARDING THE LAST ITEM WHICH WAS REMIND ME IT WAS PARKING, PARKING JULY, SO JULY 4TH, I THINK JIM CAN TAKE THIS ONE.

WE HAD OFFERED SOME FEEDBACK TO THE CITY AFTER SURVEYING RESIDENTS DURING LAST YEAR'S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION.

AND WE'VE HAD A LONG STANDING PARTNERSHIP WHERE WE SPONSOR THE MUSIC ON THE STAGE ROCKIN. SO WE CALL IT ROCKIN THE FOURTH.

SO WE PROVIDE THE MUSIC ON THE STAGE.

AND I THINK JIM AND HIS STAFF HAVE PLANNED ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE 4TH OF JULY, BUT MAIN STREET DOES NOT HAVE ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THAT. WE'RE JUST HANDLING THE MUSIC.

VICE MAYOR WILL OR COMMISSIONER CLARKE WILL BE STARTING OUT WITH A GOLF CART PARADE ON THE FOURTH, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE HAVING SOME FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK.

DURING THE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS.

FIREWORKS WILL BE SHOT OFF AT 9:00 AS WELL.

AND WE'LL HAVE MUSIC IN THE PARK.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

OF COURSE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NOPE. OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED DOWNTOWN THAT AMERICANA WE HEARD THAT DOWNTOWN LITTLE CITY, LITTLE TOWN. I LOVE THAT ABOUT OUR, THE 30 YEARS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT THE LADIES AND OTHERS IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHAT THEY FORESEEN OR I, IT'S JUST HARD TO BELIEVE, YOU KNOW? AND HOW FAR IT'S COME.

YEAH. BECAUSE, I MEAN, I WAS EVEN LOOKING THROUGH OLD PHOTOS, AND I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT WAS THE SAME DOWNTOWN.

THERE WAS BOARDS ON WINDOWS, BROKEN WINDOWS.

THERE WAS PICTURES OF RIVER RATS IN SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THE, THE, YOU KNOW, IT COME TO FRUITION.

SO KUDOS TO ALL OF YOU AS WELL.

I MEAN, WHOEVER WAS A PART OF THAT JOURNEY.

SO IT'S A TRUE WE LOVE OUR PARADES.

WE LOVE OUR FLAGS. YEAH.

IT'S JUST A GREAT DOWNTOWN.

YEAH. AND COMMUNITY YOU'VE DONE.

CANDACE CONTINUED. AND SOME OF THE HIGHEST RENT ON A BUILDING IS DOWNTOWN.

STUART. I HATE TO HEAR ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING.

THAT'S THAT'S A TOUGHIE.

YEAH. BUT WE HAVE REALLY COME TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I HOPE WE CONTINUE IT.

YEAH. THANK YOU. WELL, LET'S DO IT TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

MOVING ON. COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER RICH.

BEN. WE HAVE BEN. OH THAT'S RIGHT, WE DO HAVE ONE MORE, DON'T WE?

[6. 2023 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION RECAP ]

DON'T WANT TO FORGET BEN.

IT'S OKAY. IT'S ALWAYS A PRIVILEGE TO FOLLOW UP SOMETHING SO CHEERFUL AS THAT AS THE LAST TWO PRESENTATIONS WITH LEGISLATION.

SO THIS IS DEFINITELY MY PRIVILEGE.

YEAH. YEAH. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS BEN HOGARTH FOR THE RECORD, COMMUNITY SERVICES. SO I'M GOING TO JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO HOPEFULLY UPDATE THE,

[01:15:02]

OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE A LOT MORE THAN THAT THAT PASSED THIS YEAR, BUT I'M HOPEFULLY GOING TO JUST REVIEW A HANDFUL OF THE ONES THAT REALLY POTENTIALLY AFFECT US. AND SO JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, THIS YEAR THERE WERE 1800 BILLS FILED, THE MOST I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY, YOU KNOW, TEN PLUS YEARS OF DOING THIS SORT OF THING WAS ABOUT 3000.

SO THIS WASN'T TOO BAD TO GO THROUGH.

BUT OF THE 1800 BILLS, ABOUT 20% OR 350 PASSED.

SO IT WAS SOMETHING TO GO THROUGH TO ANALYZE, REALLY SEE HOW MUCH THESE BILLS ARE GOING TO AFFECT US.

AND THANKFULLY, COMPARED TO WHAT WE SAW FILED, THE ENDING RESULT IS, IS ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

SO THERE WAS A HEAVY FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT BILLS THIS YEAR.

AND YOU'LL SEE IN A HANDFUL OF THE BILLS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED TO TO SPEAK ABOUT AND RECAP HERE MORE ON THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT SIDE.

AND THEN JUST TO THROW THIS OUT THERE.

OUR APPROPRIATION REQUEST OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS WAS SUCCESSFUL WHEN WE WERE GOING FOR THE ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY PROJECT THIS YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL AND GETTING MONEY FOR OUR STORMWATER PROJECT.

THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD IN FUTURE YEARS, WHENEVER YOU'RE ASKING FOR WATER PROJECTS, IT IS THE MOST COMPETITIVE BUCKET OF MONEY THAT'S OUT THERE. AND I'VE SEEN YEARS WHERE THE STATE HAD $2 BILLION OF REQUESTS AND WERE ESSENTIALLY APPROVING LESS THAN 10% OF THAT.

SO IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING THING.

SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND IN FUTURE YEARS. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE SEE STATISTICALLY NOW I WON'T SPEAK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES TOO MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE WENT INTO AND WHAT THE COMMISSION ADOPTED. IT'S KIND OF A 5050 MIXED BAG.

WE SAW A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BILLS THAT PASSED, SOME THAT HAVE TO DO WITH RESILIENCY AND STORM RESILIENCY THAT PASSED.

AND THE STATE IS MAKING BIG PUSHES FOR VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS.

AND SO THOSE ARE ALL GREAT THINGS.

I HAVEN'T COVERED THEM IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE AND STUFF THAT STAFF IS LOOKING AT AND REVIEWING AS WE'RE ACTUALLY UNDERGOING OUR OWN VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT RIGHT NOW.

SO THE FIRST BILL THAT I'M GOING TO MENTION IS HB 89.

THIS STARTED OUT AS AN HVAC, HVAC, AIR CONDITIONING BILL.

TOWARDS THE END, THEY KIND OF THE LEGISLATURE KIND OF THREW IN A COUPLE OF PROVISIONS THAT REALLY APPLY TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

ONE IS THAT IT'S PRETTY MUCH IF YOU'RE A DEVELOPER AND YOU'RE PUTTING IN A BUILDING APPLICATION, WHAT THEY DON'T WANT IS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO JUST CONSTANTLY BE ASKING THEM TO CHANGE THINGS AFTER THE PERMITS BEEN APPROVED.

SO WHAT THIS BILL DOES IS ESSENTIALLY SAY ONCE THE ONCE THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN APPROVED, ONCE THE BUILDING SPECIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY, YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. YOU CAN'T JUST COME TO THE DEVELOPER AND START ASKING THEM TO, TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IN FLOWERS TO, TO DO ALL SORTS OF OTHER THINGS REALLY AT THAT POINT, WHAT THEY WANT IS ONLY IF SOMETHING COMES UP IN THE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, GERMANE TO BUILDING REGULATIONS OR FIRE SAFETY CODE, THEY WANT ONLY THOSE ITEMS TO MODIFY THE PERMIT AFTER THAT FACT.

AND EVEN WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY'RE HOLDING LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS ACCOUNTABLE WITH THIS BILL BECAUSE THEY CAN ESSENTIALLY BE ENFORCED AGAINST THEIR OWN PERSONAL LICENSE IF THEY DON'T PROVIDE THE DEVELOPER WITH INFORMATION DIRECTLY CORRESPONDING TO WHAT WHAT CODE HAS HAS BEEN VIOLATED OR WHAT CODE IS AT ISSUE.

SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. THIS IS MORE FOR STAFF PURPOSES, BUT FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, JUST AGAIN SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THEY'RE HOLDING KIND OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FEET TO THE FIRE ABOUT NOT, YOU KNOW, PULLING DEVELOPERS AROUND.

SO THE NEXT BILL THAT CAME UP YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES REVIEW THAT THEY, THEY SUPPORT THIS BILL.

AND IT MIGHT SEEM COUNTERINTUITIVE THAT WE WOULD BE SUPPORTING A PREEMPTION BILL, BUT WHAT THIS IS, IS SOMETHING THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO FOR, YOU KNOW, THREE, FOUR YEARS NOW PARTICULARLY THE, THE THE, THE PART WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WELL, ALSO ATTORNEYS FEES, BUT THE PART WHERE WE TALK ABOUT HAVING TO HAVE A BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE.

AND WHEN THAT BILL WAS FIRST FILED, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, IT WAS. IT WAS SO INSURMOUNTABLE THAT A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE FLORIDA LEAGUE PUT UP A HECK OF A FIGHT TO STOP IT.

AND THEY HAD PREVIOUS YEARS, I THINK THAT THAT THE LEAGUE SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL THAT THAT THE LEGISLATURE WAS GOING TO PASS SOME VARIATION OF THIS BILL REQUIRING A BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE ANY SINGLE TIME A LOCAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO PASS BASICALLY A POLICY ORDINANCE.

SO ORIGINALLY APPLIED TO ALMOST EVERY KIND OF ORDINANCE THEY MANAGED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WORKED WITH BILL SPONSORS, AND THEY'VE GOTTEN ALL THESE EXEMPTIONS, INCLUDING FOR BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUANCE OF REFINANCING OF DEBT EMERGENCIES, PRIVATELY INITIATED DEVELOPMENT ONES.

SO THEY'VE THEY'VE WORKED TO CARVE OUT A LOT OF THE PROBLEMATIC BILLS AND TO JUST IMPROVE

[01:20:04]

THAT WAS THAT'S A KIND OF LOW HANGING FRUIT.

WE PASSED THAT BECAUSE WE COULDN'T PASS ANYTHING AGAINST PLASTIC BAGS, STYROFOAM, ALL THAT. THE GOVERNOR ALLOWED US THIS REALLY, REALLY SMALL PLASTIC STRAWS.

AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD NEED TO DO SOME KIND OF BUSINESS IMPACT ESTIMATE ON WOOD FERTILIZER. LIKE WHEN WE, IF OUR, IF WE AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER ISSUES IN THE BUDGET REGARDING FERTILIZER ORDINANCES, BUT WOULD A FERTILE LIKE OUR FERTILIZER ORDINANCE BE POTENTIALLY.

YEAH, YEAH. ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK OF THAT'S NOT DEVELOPMENT BASED, THAT IS JUST DEALING WITH POLICY THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN YOU GUYS RECENTLY DID THE 21 VERSUS 18 AND SMOKING, I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR TO MATCH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON THE PURCHASING OF CIGARETTES.

SO THAT COULD HAVE BEEN THAT WAS A POLICY ISSUE THAT WOULD HAVE HAD AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE VENDORS. AND THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS IS THAT BASICALLY, WE HAVE TO SUSPEND IF IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF CHALLENGE BROUGHT FORWARD IN A IN A COURT OF LAW, WE HAVE TO SUSPEND THAT POLICY IF IT'S BROUGHT FORWARD 90 DAYS AFTER ADOPTION.

SO ANY SINGLE TIME THE COMMISSION PASSES A NEW POLICY ORDINANCE, THERE'S ALMOST LIKE A 90 DAY KIND OF COOLING OFF PERIOD BEFORE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE GOING TO WANT TO ACTUALLY START ENFORCING IT, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SEE IF ANYTHING IS GOING TO BE FILED IN COURT. SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND AT THE STAFF LEVEL THAT WE IN OUR PLANNING, WHENEVER WE DO A POLICY ORDINANCE FOR THE COMMISSION, SAME THING WAS ALSO INCLUDED A COUPLE YEARS AGO HAS BEEN INCLUDED HERE, BUT THE LANGUAGE IS THAT ONLY A PLAINTIFF MAY BE AWARDED ATTORNEYS FEES IF IT'S CHALLENGED.

SO THE ISSUE HERE IS, IS THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT WILL STILL, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO FRONT THE COSTS OF, OF DEFENDING ANY SINGLE TIME THERE'S A POLICY ORDINANCE, BUT A PLAINTIFF CAN IF THEY WIN IN COURT, CLAIM THOSE, THOSE FEES UP TO 50, 000 PER CLAIM.

AND ONLY ONE CLAIM PER ORDINANCE.

SO THEY CAN'T MAXIMIZE ON IT, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER BILLS, HOW THIS CAN, THIS CAN AFFECT US IN THE FUTURE. AND AGAIN, ALL THESE BILLS ARE IN NUMERICAL ORDER.

IT'S IT'S NOT A RELATIONSHIP.

NOTICEABLY ABSENT HERE THAT WILL BE TALKED ABOUT LATER TONIGHT IS SB 102.

THAT WAS THE ONE THAT HAD THE MOST IMPACT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

IT WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AN ISSUE ALSO THAT THE CITY HAS A PRIORITY GOING INTO THIS YEAR. JODIE DEVELOPMENT.

I THINK MR. NICOLETTI WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT LATER TONIGHT. SB 252 THIS WAS ABOUT HEALTH CARE CHOICES. SIMPLE.

THIS ONE WAS JUST TO TRY AND PROHIBIT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES FROM PROHIBITING PEOPLE FROM ENTRY FROM TERMINATING OR STOPPING EMPLOYMENT FROM SOMEBODY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A VACCINATION FOR COVID.

IT'S ALSO TO PREVENT THESE AGENCIES ALSO FROM NOT ALLOWING ENTRY TO A PERSON WHO'S NOT WEARING A FACE MASK. SO THIS WAS KIND OF THE ANTI FACE MASK BILL AS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT IN THE LEGISLATURE. THIS ALSO PASSED THIS YEAR.

JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.

IF WE HAVE A FUTURE EMERGENCY SIMILAR OR WITH COVID COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, SB 50 OR 540. THIS ONE REALLY HAD TO DO WITH AND TWO OF THE MOST RECENT CASES THAT MIGHT COME TO MIND, LIKE THE COSTCO CHALLENGE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT HEARING.

THIS BILL DEALS WITH THOSE TYPES OF CHALLENGES THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO FACE WHEN THEY GO TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT. REALLY WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO IS RESOLVE A SPLIT AMONG THE FLORIDA DISTRICT COURTS OF APPEAL ON THE SCOPE OF REVIEW.

WHAT HAPPENED WAS A LOT OF THESE ADMINISTRATIVE CHALLENGES WERE ON THE OTHER ASPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT, RATHER THAN WHAT ORIGINALLY THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE WAS, WHICH WAS TO TO ONLY BE APPLIED TO WHAT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.

IF THAT DEVELOPMENT IS, IS AFFECTING USE DENSITY AND INTENSITY.

SO THEY WANT TO BE VERY SPECIFIC.

THIS WAS ANOTHER BILL THAT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES SUPPORTED, BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS CONSTRICT CHALLENGES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORDINANCES. THE ONLY TWO LAND USE AND INTENSITY SO THAT THERE'S NOT CONFUSION IN THE COURT THAT WE. DON'T HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES THAT ARE GOING OUTSIDE THE BOX.

THIS BILL WAS TO. MAKE THAT BOX MORE CLEAR SO THAT THE COURTS AREN'T GOING BACK AND FORTH.

SB. 1718 THIS PROHIBITED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM REQUIRING AN INITIATIVE REFERENDUM PROCESS. ORIGINALLY ONLY DEVELOPMENT ORDERS THEMSELVES WERE INCLUDED.

SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE A PLAN AMENDMENT OR A MAP AMENDMENT CHANGE.

NOW THEY'VE EXPANDED IT TO LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS IN THEIR ENTIRETY.

SO WE CAN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF PUBLIC REFERENDUM THAT, THAT IN ANY WAY CHANGES A, OUR JUST LAND USE REGS IN GENERAL.

SO IT'S NOT JUST A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT.

NOW THEY'RE APPLYING IT BROADLY.

AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF INSTANCES IN SCENARIOS IN,

[01:25:04]

BUT THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT ALL OF US IN THE FUTURE. THE NEXT BILL WAS ON DRONE DELIVERY SERVICES.

THIS MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE BIT FAR FETCHED FOR FOR OUR CURRENT REALITY, BUT IT'S SURPRISING HOW FAST DRONE TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD.

IN, NOT JUST IN THE WAR IN UKRAINE, BUT ALSO IF YOU'VE EVER HEARD OF A COMPANY LIKE ZIPLINE ZIPLINE IS OPERATING ITS AMERICAN COMPANY OPERATING IN AFRICA RIGHT NOW. PRETTY BROADLY. AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TO, TO RURAL PLACES, THEY'RE BRINGING IN A DRONE, SHOOTING IT OFF FROM A DRONE PORT, AND THERE'S A ZIPLINE THAT COMES ALL THE WAY DOWN, DROPS OFF YOUR ITEM, AND THEN ZIPS ALL THE WAY BACK UP.

IT'S A, IT'S AN INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. BEN.

YES, SIR. MICHAEL JORDAN'S GOLF COURSE.

WHEN YOU ORDER A WHEN THEY'RE ON THE COURSE, THEY ORDER A DRINK FROM THE BAR.

IT GETS DELIVERED TO THEM ON THE COURSE BY DRONE.

I LOVE IT. SO IT'S GOOD TO BE MICHAEL JORDAN.

THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT'S THAT? YEAH. DON'T YOU LOVE IT? SO THIS BILL IS REALLY CATERED TO DRONE DELIVERY SERVICES AND PROTECTING THEM FROM LOCAL ORDINANCES OR POLICIES THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THEIR OPERATIONS.

SO WE CAN'T WE CAN NO LONGER PROHIBIT TAX RECEIPTS, BUSINESS TAX LICENSES TO DRONE DELIVERY SERVICES IF THEY MEET THESE CRITERIA.

SO THEY THEY CAN'T BE GREATER THAN 1500FT² IN AREA THE PORT SPECIFICALLY, I SHOULD SAY. AND THEY CAN'T BE HIGHER THAN 36FT TALL.

SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE AS FAR AS THIS PREEMPTION, AS FAR AS THIS EXEMPTION FROM OUR POLICIES.

SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. THIS ISN'T AT THIS MOMENT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US. BUT JUST TO KEEP IN MIND FOR THE FUTURE HB 1281, ANOTHER ONE OF KIND OF THE GOVERNOR'S PRIORITIES, THIS WAS JUST PREEMPTS CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM REGULATING GAS AND GAS AND GAS STOVES AND GRILLS.

SO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

THIS WAS SPONSORED BY.

AND IT'S ONE THAT ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH THE RECENT RIVERS COALITION MEETING.

AND REPRESENTATIVE OVERDORF MENTIONED IT.

IT'S BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM IN THE STATE. YOU MIGHT HAVE EVEN HEARD ME MENTION IN THE PAST, KIND OF THE, THE FAILURE OF THE BMP PROGRAM STATEWIDE, LACK OF ENFORCEMENT, ALL THOSE ISSUES.

REPRESENTATIVE OVERDORF TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WAS ABLE TO, AT LEAST FOR THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON FOR THE TIME BEING, START GETTING SOME REAL ENFORCEMENT, START GETTING SOME REAL AGAIN, PUTTING PEOPLE'S FEET TO THE FIRE TO, TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON FIVE YEAR PLANS.

SO ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF, OF THIS BILL ESTABLISHES THE PROGRAM WITHIN DEP. AND AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE COALESCING ALL THE BMPS AROUND THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON AND PART OF ITS FIVE YEAR IMPLEMENTATION MILESTONES.

AND IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS IS PROHIBITING NEW SEPTIC SYSTEMS WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE SEWER SERVICE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO GET.

BASICALLY, IF, IF IT'S ACCESSIBLE, IF SEWER SERVICE IS ACCEPTABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, YOU KNOW, MORE SEPTIC TANKS.

THAT'S THAT'S RULE NUMBER ONE.

AND THEN THEY WENT IN AND ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED A WHOLE IRL PROTECTION PROGRAM IN THIS BILL AS A PART OF THIS AND PART OF THIS THIS PART OF THE BILL, I SHOULD SAY, IS NOT JUST THE FIVE YEAR IMPLEMENTATION, BUT IT PROHIBITS SORRY, I'M READING THE WRONG PART.

IT ESTABLISHES GOING BACKWARDS.

IT ESTABLISHES THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEDULE. SO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS REQUIRE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO INCLUDE A LIST OF PROJECTS NECESSARY TO ACHIEVE POLLUTANT LOAD REDUCTIONS.

THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SOME, LIKE THE CITY OF STUART, WERE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME AND WE'RE STICKING TO THE B MAP PROGRAMS. WE'RE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY PUTTING IN THEIR THEIR CIP EVERY YEAR, EVERY FIVE YEARS, A NEW SET OF PROJECTS THAT COULD GET THEM TO THAT TARGET.

OTHER CITIES JUST PUT IT BY THE WAYSIDE AND SAID, IT'S KIND OF MORE LIKE GUIDELINES.

SO AGAIN FOR INDIAN RIVER LAGOON COASTAL COMMUNITIES.

THIS IS GOING TO BE APPLICABLE TO IT'S IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT REALLY THE CITY OF STUART, BUT ANYBODY IN THE LAGOON, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE APPLIED STATEWIDE IN FUTURE YEARS.

AND THEN THE LAST, I THINK THAT'S THE LAST BILL I GOT MY LIST.

THE LAST BILL IS ANOTHER COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

BILL. TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS ONE, IT'S THEY WANT TO TAKE FIVE AND TEN YEAR PLANNING ITERATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING.

AND THEY WANT TO EXTEND THAT OUT TO TEN AND 20 YEAR PERIODS.

SO POPULATION ESTIMATES FOR, FOR THAT, ALL OF THAT'S NOW GOING TO BE COMPOUNDED. AND BECAUSE NOW EVERYTHING THAT WE PUT INTO POLICY HAS TO CONSIDER AND REFLECT WHAT THAT POPULATION, WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE 20 YEARS FROM NOW, NOT JUST FIVE AND TEN.

SO IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.

THE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING LANGUAGE THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE LEGISLATURE WANTED TO DO WAS ON POPULATION PROJECTIONS IS

[01:30:01]

BASICALLY, THE LAND USE AGENCY STEPS IN THE STATE PLANNING AGENCY, THEY STEP IN AND THEY GIVE YOU POPULATION PROJECTIONS THAT YOU THEN HAVE TO USE.

IF THOSE POPULATION PROJECTIONS ARE GREATER THAN YOUR NUMBER, YOU CANNOT USE YOUR OWN.

YOU HAVE TO USE THEIRS.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT WE REALLY WANT TO STAY ON TOP OF WHAT OUR NUMBERS ARE. MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CONSISTENT WITH THE STATE JUST IN CASE.

AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T THAT WE DO FOLLOW THE NEW RULES.

AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY SLIP UPS THERE BECAUSE THE STATE COULD THEN TAKE OVER AND WE'D HAVE TO USE THEIR DATA. BUT AS FAR AS BILLS, THIS IS THE LAST THAT I HAVE ON THIS LIST.

AND I KNOW THIS IS HARDLY EXHAUSTIVE OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS FILED THIS YEAR, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND HOPEFULLY WHAT WE PROVIDED IN WRITING IS A LITTLE BIT CLEARER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

THANK YOU. BEN. YES, SIR.

I'M SORRY. BEN. YES, SIR.

DID YOU GO TO THE LAST LINE OF THE LAST LINE? OH, I THINK. I CAN GET IT FROM.

ISN'T THIS A PROBLEM FOR FORM BASED CODE? THAT MINDSET. YES. IT SAYS WE THE COMPLAINT.

WHICH ONE WAS IT? ARCHITECTURAL CAN'T DO ANYTHING FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.

CRAS AND HISTORIC AREAS ARE EXEMPT.

OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH.

I GOT A LOT OF TROUBLE OVER THAT BILL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

YEAH. THAT'S IT. OKAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

NOW WE MOVE ON TO COMMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS.

COMMISSIONER RICH. I HAVE NO COMMENTS THIS EVENING.

[COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS]

YES. SO BEN, YOUR PRESENTATION IS A GREAT SEGUE FOR WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS JUST THE INCREDIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT I HAVE IN THE SENATE, NOT CONFIRMING JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH BACK ON THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT BOARD.

AND I'VE BEEN TOLD BY PEOPLE THAT ARE MUCH MORE SEASONED IN POLITICS AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FOR A LONG TIME, TO JUST BASICALLY NOT MAKE ENEMIES AND KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT AND JUST GO ALONG TO GET ALONG.

BUT INCREASINGLY. FROM GAYLE HARRELL AND KATHLEEN ASAMOTO, I JUST WANT TO REMIND THEM SPECIFICALLY, GAYLE, THAT THEY ARE REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MARTIN COUNTY, ALSO PORT SAINT LUCIE.

BUT THIS SEEMS JUST LIKE ANOTHER WINNER FROM THAT CREW.

SB 102. YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TONIGHT.

I SEE IT AS A BILL THAT ROBS RESIDENTS OF COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL LAND, THE ABILITY TO POTENTIALLY HAVE FUTURE JOBS, SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY.

FROM A CONSERVATIVE STANDPOINT, WHICH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, REPUBLICANS HERE THIS SEEMINGLY WAR ON SINGLE FAMILY HOMES PAVING THE WAY BY EATING UP AND CONSUMING INDUSTRIAL LAND.

COMMERCIAL LAND TO INUNDATE A MUNICIPALITY, ESPECIALLY A PLACE LIKE STEWART WITH HIGH DENSITY, MAXIMUM DENSITY, MAXIMUM HEIGHT RENTAL APARTMENTS.

IT JUST SEEMS LIKE A WAR ON CONSERVATIVE VALUES FAMILIES AND WHAT MAKES THIS PLACE GREAT. SO THAT PEOPLE FROM NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY CAN HAVE AN APARTMENT.

WHEN THEY GO TO LOOK FOR ONE ON THE MLS.

THE NEXT WINNER, WHICH BEN GRACIOUSLY DIDN'T REFERENCE BUT WAS FOLLOWING DESCENT FROM.

I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE, BUT I'LL SAY IT WAS PROBABLY THE LOUDEST TO THAT BILL. OUR APPROPRIATIONS REQUEST, THE CITY APPROPRIATION REQUESTING I BELIEVE IT WAS $500,000 FOR THAT WOODS POINT STORMWATER BASIN.

THE MONEY JUST COULD NOT BE FOUND, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE, SEEING AS GAIL HARRELL SITS ON THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE.

SO YOU WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A SURE BET THAT SHE WOULD BE THERE TO FIGHT FOR OUR STORMWATER IN LIGHT OF HURRICANES AND A LOT OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON LATELY, MAKING SURE THAT THE STORMWATER, THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE WAS PARAMOUNT. BUT AMAZINGLY, THAT APPROPRIATION COULDN'T BE FOUND.

[01:35:06]

NOBODY SAYS IT OUT LOUD, BUT I'M.

I'M OF THE DNA THAT IF YOU DON'T START PUNCHING BULLIES BACK IN THE FACE, YOU'RE LIABLE TO CONTINUE TO GET BULLIED. SO.

FOLLOWING THAT INABILITY TO FIND APPROPRIATIONS FOR US, SEEMINGLY AS PUNISHMENT TO SILENCE AND CENSURE ANY DISSENT.

NOW WE SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR HAPPENING TO JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE TO ME.

I CANNOT IMAGINE SOMEBODY LIKE MISS LIPPISCH AND WHAT SHE'S DONE FOR THIS AREA AND FOR WATER, FOR HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, THE THE CALIBER OF HUMAN BEING THAT SHE IS NOT GETTING THAT NOD. WE SHOULD BE SO LUCKY AND BLESSED THAT SOMEBODY WOULD TAKE THE TIME AND ENERGY TO DO WHAT SHE DOES FOR WATER QUALITY AND FOR THIS AREA, AND FOR HER TO NOT GET THAT NOD AGAIN FROM THE FLORIDA SENATE.

I DON'T HAVE A WORD FOR IT.

IT JUST SEEMS CRIMINAL.

AND LIKE THE TCPALM ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY POINTED OUT THE AGAIN, WHO KNOWS, RIGHT? WE CAN'T SAY FOR SURE, BUT ALL THAT WE CAN ASSUME IS THAT HER FRUSTRATION WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S SB 2508 BILL WAS.

WHAT DID HER IN. SO WE SIT IN AN INTERESTING MOMENT RIGHT NOW WHERE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANY ENEMIES ANY MORE THAN I ALREADY HAVE, BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK GAYLE HARRELL.

I WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK KATHLEEN SASAMOTO.

ANYBODY ELSE WHO REPRESENTS US ABOVE US TO REMEMBER THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, THE TYPE OF PLACE THAT WE WANT STEWART AND MARTIN COUNTY TO BE FOR OUR FAMILIES, FOR OUR CHILDREN, FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN LONG TERM, AND NOT TO GET LOST IN POLITICAL POSTURING.

IF RON DESANTIS IS GOING TO BE PRESIDENT AND WILTON SIMPSON IS GOING TO STEP IN AND WHO'S DOING FAVORS FOR WHO AND MAKING SURE THAT WE GET OUR YOU KNOW.

POLITICAL CURRENCY WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE IN PREPARATION.

REMEMBER WHY YOU DID THIS JOB.

REMEMBER WHO YOU REPRESENT.

AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT.

ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING FOR JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH TO BE REINSTATED FORMALLY AS A CITY. AND I HOPE THAT ULTIMATELY IS THE CASE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS CAN TAKE A MINUTE AND SEE THAT AND MAKE THAT CALL SINCE IT FAILED TO BE DONE BY THE FLORIDA SENATE.

THAT IS ALL. OKAY. COMMISSIONER CLARK.

THANK YOU. I, I WANTED TO JUST SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE MAIN STREET REPORT AND OF COURSE, OUR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REPORT.

I JUST WANTED SPEAKING OF MAIN STREET AND I BROUGHT UP EAST STEWART, BUT I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE LAST WEEK.

WE, I DIDN'T GET TO GO ON JUNE 3RD, BUT MR. CRAIG MCCARTY AND HIS FAMILY HAD A RECEPTION AT A PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE.

I THINK IT'S AT 432. MARTIN LUTHER KING AND SOMEONE WHO HAD VISITED THAT EVENT SAID THAT WHEN THEY WERE PULLING OUT, THEY HAPPENED TO SEE A SIGN WHICH IS IN FRONT OF THE STEWART CITY PARKING GARAGE THAT SAYS NO PARKING FROM LIKE 11 P.M.

UNTIL 5 A.M., SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I DROVE BY THERE. I DID SEE ONE SIGN.

I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHERS THAT GO BEYOND EAST AVENUE TO THE EAST, OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT GOES BEYOND GEORGIA AVENUE TO THE WEST, OR IF IT'S JUST ONE SIGN ON THE FENCE IN FRONT OF THE CITY PARKING GARAGE.

I DID CALL PUBLIC WORKS AND ASKED THEM WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE SIGN.

THERE WEREN'T ANY ACTIVE BUSINESSES ON THE STREET OR THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE PARKING ON THE STREET. IF THERE WERE TRUCKERS PARKING OVERNIGHT OR IF THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON. I HEARD THAT THE SIGN HAD BEEN THERE SUPPOSEDLY FOREVER, BUT MAYBE IT HAD BEEN COVERED BY BUSHES OR SOMETHING.

SO I JUST, I JUST KNOW THAT I WANTED TO HAVE MR. MORE TO LOOK INTO THAT.

[01:40:01]

THAT'S NUMBER ONE. THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THAT WE HAD A LONG LIST OF PEOPLE WHO CAME IN, I THINK IT WAS AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HOUSING FOR PERSONS WHO WERE BASICALLY BEING SUPPORTED BY FAMILY PROMISE AND WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY COULD PROVIDE SOME FUNDING TO ASSIST IN DEFRAYING, SOME COST OF, OF SOME OF THEIR HOUSING.

I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A SUGGESTION ABOUT POSSIBLY RENTING CERTAIN PLACES FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, BUT I WANTED TO DISCUSS OR HAVE MR. MARTEL LOOK INTO BRINGING IT BACK AND IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO EITHER FIND SOME FUNDS IN WHATEVER CATEGORY WE HAVE TO HELP FAMILY PROMISE AND TO HELP DO SOMETHING THAT WILL FALL INTO A CATEGORY WHERE WE'RE NOT LIMITED INTO CONTINUING ONE PARTICULAR PROJECT, BUT DOING SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS ASSISTING THEM BASED ON SOME NEED THAT THEY MAY HAVE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT COME BACK TO US FOR THAT $500,000 AND TO LOOK INTO THAT. AND WE'LL HAVE FULL DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON IT.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO SAY IS THAT FOR THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING TO OUR CITY COMMISSION MEETING, IS THAT I THINK IT'S I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THURSDAY OR WEDNESDAY, BUT IT'S THE 15TH.

ON THE 15TH, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A JOINT CITY COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, AT 9 A.M. AT THE BLAKE LIBRARY, YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND SEE WHAT'S COMING IN FROM INDIAN TOWN, THE SCHOOL BOARD, MARTIN COUNTY AND THE CITY OF STUART.

AND JUST BE UP TO DATE ON WHAT EACH OF THESE ENTITIES ARE DOING AND WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE.

THAT'S ON JUNE 15TH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

I DID SEND YOU AN EMAIL THIS AFTERNOON REGARDING THOSE SIGNS.

MILTON WAS KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE PICTURES FOR ME.

THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO SIGNS AND THEY SAY NO PARKING.

10 P.M. TO 5 A.M. 10 P.M.

THEY'RE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHAT USED TO BE KNOWN AS L'S LOUNGE, AND THEY WERE PUT UP IN THE LATE 90S, WHICH IS NOW WHO'S GOT GAME.

BUT IT WAS PUT UP IN. THE SIGNS WERE PUT UP IN THE MID TO LATE 1990S.

OKAY. AND THEY WERE WHEN IT WAS A LOUNGE BECAUSE OF THE OVERNIGHT PARKING AND THE TRAFFIC THAT WAS GENERATED.

SO THEY'VE BEEN THERE JUST OVER 25 YEARS.

BUT WE, I IN THE EMAIL, I DID ASK YOU IF YOU WANTED ANY DIRECTION TO REMOVE THEM. I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE BUSINESS IS OPEN ALL NIGHT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE AS IT RELATED TO THE.

ISSUE WITH THE FAMILY PROMISE.

I KNOW THAT THE CITY DID RECEIVE AN APPLICATION LATE LAST WEEK THAT WAS FROM FAMILY PROMISE AS IT RELATED TO SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.

I HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH MR. NICOLETTI, DOCTOR JACKIE MAY AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, JOLIE ABOUT THAT. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING AT TODAY'S MEETING THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DEFICIENCIES WITH THE APPLICATION.

AND DOCTOR MAY WAS ASKED, WAS SENT, HAD SENT OUT AN EMAIL TO UPDATE IT AS IT RELATED TO THE BUDGET.

AND I HAD ORIGINALLY TOLD THEM THAT IF THE APPLICATIONS WERE COMPLETE BASED ON THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION, THAT WE WOULD PUT THAT ON THE JUNE 26TH AGENDA IF IT WAS COMPLETE.

OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONER. NO.

VICE CHAIR. COMMISSIONER.

WHEN YOU MENTIONED JACKIE'S NAME AND ALL THAT SHE'S DONE.

I CAN ONLY THINK OF OF THE RIVER AND ALL THAT ALGAE THAT'S OUT IN OKEECHOBEE RIGHT NOW.

LIVING HERE, I DON'T THINK THAT SOME OF THE POLITICIANS THAT'S NEVER LIVED AROUND THIS

[01:45:01]

I MEAN, IT'S SO SCARY WHEN THAT BLACK PLUME JUST NEVER STOPS.

AND IT JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING AND KILLS EVERYTHING IN ITS TRACK.

AND WE'VE DONE WE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS.

AND NOW NOW IT'S MORE OF A HEALTH PROBLEM THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BECAUSE OF THE ALGAE BLOOMS. I MEAN, THEY'RE TOXIC.

THEY'RE GREEN. AND AND SITTING UP HERE AS A COMMISSIONER, IT'S THE HARDEST THING TO DO.

AND YOU CAN'T SEEM TO GET ANYTHING DONE.

IT'S IT'S VERY SAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT I SURE AGREE THAT JACQUI THURLOW-LIPPISCH NEEDS TO BE REINSTATED WITH THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT BOARD.

AND LIKE I SAID, WHOEVER THE POLITICIANS WERE OR THE PRESIDENT, THE SENATE PRESIDENT, AND UNLESS THEY, THEY LIVE HERE, I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'LL EVER UNDERSTAND IT.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD. SO MANY MEN FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND WOMEN AND POLITICIANS AND IT, THEY JUST HAVE SO MUCH POWER, SO MUCH POWER OVER THERE ON THE LAKE.

WITH ALL THE AGRICULTURE.

IT IT GETS SO ANGRY. YOU COULD JUST.

ANYWAY, I'M I'M, I'M WITH YOU.

I, I, I AGREE IT'S TOUGH AND I WANT TO YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU DO, WHAT CAN YOU DO? AND IT'S MORE AND MORE AND AND, AND THEN WHEN IT DOES COME AND THAT ALGAE BLOOM IS JUST MAKING EVERYBODY BREATHE HORRIBLE AND YOU DON'T GO NEAR IT AND THE ANIMALS ARE DYING YOUR DOGS.

BUT WE KNOW IT'S COMING.

IT'S COMING AND I DON'T.

IT'S JUST VERY, VERY TOUGH FOR ME.

AND NO MATTER HOW YOU SAY IT OR WHERE YOU SAY IT OR WHO IT'S LIKE WE'LL NEVER HAVE A CHANCE, BUT I HOPE WE WILL.

I, JACKIE IS A VERY POSITIVE LADY.

SHE NEVER STOPS. I AGREE WITH HER.

JUST KEEP GOING. WE KEEP GOING.

AND NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER STOP.

AND SOMETIMES, JUST WITH ALL I'VE SEEN AND LISTENING TO ME AND THE DISCOURAGEMENT YOU THINK OF, THE PEOPLE WILL GET DISCOURAGED.

AND THEY DO. THEY DO. THEY DON'T COME BACK AROUND ANYMORE.

THEY STOP IT. NEVER. ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICS AND ALL THE CRAZINESS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS OUR HEALTH AND OUR SAFETY AND THAT RIVER.

SO WITH THAT, I WILL STOP AND THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THANK YOU. AND JUST ON THE NOTE ON FIRST REGARDING JACKIE, I AGREE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SIGNING THE RESOLUTION AFTER WE PASS IT.

SO A COUPLE OTHER QUICK THINGS ON MY PART.

HAD A REALLY NICE VISIT WITH THE RESIDENTS AT VISTA PINES.

THEY HAD A LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIREFIGHTER APPRECIATION LUNCH AND GOT TO TALK TO A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT STUART.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS REALLY HAPPY ABOUT WAS HOW POSITIVE EVERYBODY'S.

EVERYBODY WAS REALLY HAPPY. THEY WERE HAPPY WITH THE DOWNTOWN. THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE CITY OVERALL, THE CITY SERVICES.

THE ONE THING I DID HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT WERE SOMETHING OUT OF OUR CONTROL.

AND THAT WAS THE SKYROCKETING INSURANCE.

VISTA PINE SAID THEIR MASTER INSURANCE POLICY IN FOUR YEARS WENT FROM $275,000 TO 1.4 MILLION. SO THAT IS A I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY UNITS ARE IN VISTA PINES, BUT I GUESS 350 AND IT'S PROBABLY MAYBE MORE.

BUT IF IT WAS 350, IT'D BE LIKE THAT.

THAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 300 AND SOME A MONTH FOR INSURANCE.

SO, SO IT'S IT'S A, IT IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE.

I ACTUALLY HAVE DISCUSSED IT SINCE THEN WITH OUR, ONE OF OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES JOHN SCHNEIDER AND THE STATE IS WORKING ON THINGS, BUT I DON'T KNOW, UNTIL THEY GET MORE COMPETITION IN THE STATE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE INSURANCE WILL GO, BUT THE, BUT THE, BUT THE POSITIVE AND BRIGHT SIDE OF THE DAY WAS THE WONDERFUL TIME I HAD WITH THE RESIDENTS AND THE REALLY POSITIVE FEEDBACK I RECEIVED.

THE OTHER THING IS JUST SOMETHING I WANT TO CONSIDER.

FOR MANY YEARS WE, WHEN WE DID OUR LAND USE AND ZONING, WE DID IT CONCURRENTLY.

AND THE REASON WE DID IT CONCURRENTLY WAS THAT WAY, WHATEVER, WHEN THERE WAS A LAND USE CHANGE THE, THERE WAS A SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

[01:50:03]

AND WE STOPPED DOING THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

I THINK I'VE BEEN LOOKING BACK AND I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE BECAUSE WE CAN CONVERT SOMETHING TO DO A LAND USE CHANGE.

WE DO THE LAND USE CHANGE, IT BECOMES, SAY, COMMERCIAL, AND WE APPROVE A DEVELOPMENT AND A SEPARATE ORDINANCE.

AND THEN THAT DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T GET BUILT.

AND NOW SOMEONE CAN COME IN AND DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH IT.

AND WE'RE, WE CAN TIE THE LAND USE CHANGE TO THE ZONING A LITTLE MORE MORE THOROUGHLY.

AND I'VE TALKED TO MR. MARTEL ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT HOW THE BEST WAY TO GO THAT AND, AND BASICALLY, I THINK WHAT MIKE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M SAYING THIS WRONG, WE WOULD STILL DO IT AS ONE ITEM, BUT TWO SEPARATE, TWO SEPARATE ASPECTS OF IT.

AND THEN IT WOULD BE THE ZONING WOULD BE, OR THE LAND USE WOULD BE LIKE PART A OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE ZONING WOULD BE LIKE PART B.

IS THAT KIND OF HOW YOU DESCRIBED IT TO ME? WELL, OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSION. AND WHAT I WHAT I SAID IS USING COSTCO.

IF I COULD HAVE DONE COSTCO OVER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO COMPLETELY SEPARATE THE TOP HALF OF THE ORDINANCE AND HAVE IT BE JUST THE LAND USE, AND THEN THE BOTTOM OF THE ORDINANCE BE JUST THE ZONING SO THAT WHOEVER'S LOOKING AT IT CAN TELL QUICKLY AND EASILY THAT IT IS VERY SEPARATE AND DISTINCT AND EASY.

SO YOU DON'T GET THE CONFUSION BETWEEN ZONING OR LAND USE.

IS THAT THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NO.

OKAY. SO WHAT WE DID AFTER COSTCO, THE COMMISSION DIRECTED US TO HAVE ONE ORDINANCE COME IN TO CHANGE LAND USE AND A SEPARATE ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE ZONING.

AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION IS THE DEVELOPER CAME IN AND THE PUD ZONING PART OF IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH.

AND INSTEAD THEY'VE CHOSEN TO GO SENATE BILL 102.

AND IF THEY HAD THE PUD WAS TIED TO THAT DEVELOPMENT, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO AMEND THE PUD.

BUT BECAUSE THE LAND USE WASN'T TIED TO THAT ORDINANCE, THEY CAN GO. STRAIGHT WITH THE LAND USE.

SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? WELL, WE DID IT BY CONSENSUS.

AND SO IF WE HAVE CONSENSUS WE CAN JUST GO BACK TO.

YEAH. HONESTLY IT'S STYLE MORE THAN ANYTHING, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T AFFECT IT FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT.

THE LAW IS ALREADY IN PLACE.

THERE'S NO CHANGE IN TEXT.

IT'S JUST THE POLICY OF THE BOARD.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO GO THAT DIRECTION. I'M I THINK IS THAT WELL HOW'S THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS FEEL ABOUT THAT? I'M IN AGREEMENT. YOUR AGREEMENT.

WE DID IT THAT WAY FOR YEARS.

YEAH. IT WAS REALLY IT'S ONLY BEEN ABOUT ONE YEAR, A YEAR AND A HALF THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT JUST FOR DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. WHY WOULD WE NOT WANT TO DO THAT? WHY WOULD THAT BE A BAD IDEA? WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE THE GIVE AND TAKE THERE? I DON'T SEE ANY BAD IDEA.

I, I RELUCTANTLY WENT ALONG BECAUSE I WANTED TO BECAUSE IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE COSTCO THING. BUT NOW THAT WE'VE GONE DOWN, IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S I DON'T SEE ANY VALUE TO IT. MIKE, IS THERE ANY REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T DO THAT? WELL, AT THE TIME, THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS BEING GIVEN TO THE BOARD WAS THAT THE CITY WAS DOING THE COSTCO ADOPTION WRONG.

AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAD DONE, WHAT WE WERE DOING WRONG.

THAT WAS THE ARGUMENT FOR THE OBJECTION.

IT REMAINS MY POSITION.

AND YOU CAN TALK TO PAUL, WHO'S SITTING AS A CITY ATTORNEY NOW, THAT WE DIDN'T DO IT WRONG AND THAT WE HAD BEEN DOING IT THAT WAY FOR CLOSE TO 30 YEARS.

SO IT'S MORE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FLORIDA STATUTE, IT SAYS THAT THEY CAN BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY A PREFERENCE OF THE BOARD.

AND IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A IF YOU KEEP IT LIKE AS I WAS TALKING TO MAYOR MCDONALD ABOUT IT, IF WE KEPT IT VERY DISTINCT AND YOU LITERALLY HAD A PART ONE AND A PART TWO IN THE ORDINANCE, IT COULD BE MUCH CLEANER.

SO THERE'D BE NO MISUNDERSTANDINGS, BUT YOU'D STILL HAVE THE SAME ORDINANCE NUMBER. SO IN THE EVENT THAT THAT DID HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.

IF SOMEONE DEVIATED FROM THE PUD SIDE OF THINGS, THEY WOULDN'T GET THAT LAND USE CARTE BLANCHE.

IT ORIGINALLY STARTED JUST BECAUSE THE THE COMMISSIONERS DIDN'T WANT TO GRANT LAND USES WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE ULTIMATE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE ANYWAY.

SO THEY STARTED DOING THE THOSE WITH THE ANNEXATIONS AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DOING THE PUDS. THEY JUST KIND OF MERGED THEM TOGETHER OVER TIME.

WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT THEY DID THEM IN THE SAME PRESENTATION, AND THEY CO-MINGLED IT ENOUGH TO WHERE THE PARAGRAPHS DIDN'T SEPARATELY DISTINGUISH THEM. OF COURSE, LAND USE AND ZONING ARE DIFFERENT, AND YOU COULD DISTINGUISH IT, BUT IT WOULD BE PROBABLY A BETTER PRACTICE TO REALLY SEPARATE IT WITHIN IT.

BUT IF YOU HAD THE ONE ORDINANCE NUMBER ONE ADOPTION, IF THEY DIDN'T MEET THE TERMS OF PUD, THE LAND USE WOULDN'T MATTER.

[01:55:02]

I MEAN, IT'S SEPARATE, RIGHT? SO THE STAFF REPORT WAS DONE.

YEAH. SO ARE WE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO BRING BACK SOMETHING TO US.

WE DON'T WE DON'T NEED CONSENSUS.

WE CAN JUST DISCUSS IT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND JUST START TALKING ABOUT A POLICY. AND I'LL HAVE HER IN THE CITY ATTORNEY SIT DOWN AND JUST KIND OF PUSH IT THROUGH, FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST METHOD IS. COMMISSIONER RICH, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS? YEAH. I MEAN, THE CHANGE WORKED ITS WAY DOWN TO THE LPA AND WE'RE LOOKING IT WAS VERY CUMBERSOME. AND IT WAS WE UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, IT WAS PROBABLY AN OVERREACTION TO A PERCEIVED ERROR.

BUT I THINK MR. MARTEL'S SOLUTION IS MUCH SIMPLER AND MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE IF WE'RE JUST VERY PRECISE IN THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE, WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WANT WITH YOU.

WE BASICALLY HAD TO SIT THROUGH TWO, TWO IDENTICAL PRESENTATIONS, RIGHT? YEAH. GREAT. OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, AND THANK YOU.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE ON MY COMMENTS.

JUST SO MOVING ON TO COMMENTS BY THE MANAGER.

[COMMENTS BY CITY MANAGER]

FIRST, THERE IS AN END TO THE BLOCKAGE OF CONFUSION CORNER.

IT WILL BE THE 14TH OF JUNE ABSENT SOMETHING ELSE.

WHICH YEAR? THAT'S RIGHT.

THE PFOA P PFAS OR MULTI-DISTRICT MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION CASE.

I SPOKE TO OUR ATTORNEY TODAY.

THEY ARE STILL IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THREE M AND WORKING TOWARD A RESOLUTION.

HOWEVER, I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OTHER THAN THAT AT THIS POINT.

ALSO THE COAST GUARD ADOPTED A NEW RAILROAD BRIDGE RULE.

THAT'S COMPLICATED. I KNOW THE CITY ATTORNEY SENT OUT AN EMAIL LAST WEEK.

IT'S GOT A LOT OF MOVING PARTS IN IT, BUT ESSENTIALLY IT'S 5050 MARINE AND RAILROAD, BUT IT'S BROKEN DOWN INSTEAD OF 30 MINUTE CHUNKS, 15 MINUTE CHUNKS. SO TWICE AN HOUR, THE BRIDGE HAS TO BE OPEN FOR 15 MINUTES FOR MARINE TRAFFIC, WHICH MEANS TWICE AN HOUR IT'S CLOSED 15 MINUTES FOR RAIL TRAFFIC.

HOWEVER, SOME OF THE OTHER RULES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

ONE OF THEM IS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT EVERY TIME THE BRIDGE OPENS, NOW THE DIXIE DRAWBRIDGE IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN, AND THERE'S A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GOING TO APPLY TO THE BLACKOUT PERIODS, BECAUSE WE'D GOTTEN A RULE AS IT RELATED TO THE DIXIE DRAWBRIDGE.

THAT SAID, FROM 7:30 A.M.

TO 9:30 A.M., IT WASN'T ALLOWED TO OPEN BECAUSE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THAT.

I'VE ASKED FOR SOME UPDATES ON IT, AND I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO BE HEARING MORE ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE.

I THINK FROM THE RAILROAD SIDE OF THINGS, IT WAS CALLED FROM BOTH BRIGHTLINE AND FEC, BOTH OF WHOM SAID IT WON'T WORK.

I'VE ALSO SPOKEN TO THE MARINE INDUSTRY FOLKS, AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO THINK THE 15 MINUTE EXCERPTS WORK EITHER.

WHAT BOB FROM THE FEC TOLD ME ON FRIDAY WAS THAT IT COULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN TRAINS HAVING TO STOP IN STUART.

AND HE SAID IF A TRAIN STOPS, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BLOCK INTERSECTIONS AND IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO RESTART, I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THAT MAY BE A BIT OF AN OVERREACTION.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET AN UPDATE ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY I CAN GIVE YOU SOMETHING AT THE 26TH MEETING. SUPPOSEDLY THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOME TYPE OF ILLUSTRATION FOR US.

AND THEN LASTLY IN SPEAKING WITH THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, WE ARE PLANNING ON GIVING YOU THE, WHAT WE HISTORICALLY CALLED THE SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT THE BUDGET PROJECTIONS ARE FOR THE YEAR AT THE JUNE 26TH MEETING AS WELL.

HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING LIGHT JUST TO GIVE YOU DIRECTION AS TO WHERE WE FALL COMPARED TO LAST YEAR AND WHAT WE SEE AS ISSUES.

THE MAYOR'S COMMENT ON INSURANCE WILL BE A HIGHLIGHT.

I BET IT WILL BE. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.

OKAY, WELL MOVING ON. LET'S SEE.

CAN WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? MOVE! APPROVAL. ARE WE GOING TO REMOVE ITEM TEN OR OR NOT?

[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

NOBODY'S ASKED TO REMOVE IT.

SO JUST SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER CLARK.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. YOU HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COLLINS.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, SAY AYE. AYE.

[02:00:02]

[COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC (Non-Agenda Related) (3 Minutes Max.)]

THANK YOU. OUR MOST RELIABLE COMMENTER.

YES. AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL GIVE YOU MY NICKEL LATER.

HELEN MCBRIDE, FLAMINGO AVENUE AND STUART, A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.

I NOTICE ON THE AGENDA DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION.

NOW, ONE OF THE OTHER MEETINGS, WHEN THAT CAME UP AS MAYOR, YOU SAID THAT IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT MYSELF AND SOMEONE ELSE WANTED TO SPEAK. YOU ALLOWED US TO SPEAK, BUT YOU SAID THAT IT WAS JUST MORE OR LESS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR.

YOU KNOW THE SUNSHINE LAW BECAUSE LIKE THE WELLS FARGO BUILDING DISCUSSION, I'M THE TAXPAYER. WELL, YOU'RE ALL THE TAXPAYERS.

WE SHOULD HAVE SOME INPUT.

I MEAN, IF YOU'RE JUST THREE MINUTES AND THEN THAT'S IT, CUT THEM OFF. BUT I THINK YOU KNOW, AND I DO KNOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN HERE AT THESE MEETINGS TO 1:00, 02:00 IN THE MORNING AND I'VE STAYED.

BUT I REALLY THINK YOU SHOULD MAYBE YOUR ATTORNEY THAT LOOK INTO THAT BECAUSE THE SUNSHINE LAW SAYS, YOU KNOW, MEETING THE SUNSHINE.

BUT I THINK WE, THE TAXPAYERS SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE OUR INPUT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. MOVING ON. OKAY.

CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.

[CONSENT CALENDAR]

EIGHT. 910. OKAY. SECOND.

OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLARK.

A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER, I THINK.

RICH ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE. MARY, DO YOU CALL THE ROLL COMMISSIONER RICH? YES. COMMISSIONER. CLARK.

YES. VICE MAYOR BRUNER.

YES. COMMISSIONER COLLINS.

YES. MAYOR MCDONALD. YES.

OKAY. OKAY. LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.

DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION. DISCUSSION.

[11. DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION INCLUDING POSSIBLE AUTHORIZATION TO PROCEED WITH FUNDING THE REIMBURSEMENT OF TENANT IMPROVEMENTS (WATERFRONT RESTAURANT) FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO STRUCTURAL RENOVATION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF STUART]

WATERFRONT RESTAURANT FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO STRUCTURAL RENOVATION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY OF STEWART. MIKE, ARE YOU TAKING THIS ONE? YES, I AM. JUST FOR A QUICK BACKGROUND ON THIS.

THE PROPERTY, KNOWN AS WATERFRONT WAS ALSO KNOWN AS MULLIGAN'S.

THE CITY IS THE OWNER OF THE REAL ESTATE AND HAD ENTERED INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH SPOTO'S RESTAURANT. JUST PRIOR TO THE END OF THE SPOTO'S LEASE.

SPOTO'S ENTERED INTO AN ASSIGNMENT AND ASSIGNED ITS LEASE TO MULLIGAN'S.

MULLIGAN'S ASSIGNMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION, AND WHILE THEY WERE A TENANT, MULLIGAN'S CAME BEFORE THE CITY COMMISSION AND ASKED IF THE CITY WOULD ALLOW A LONG TERM LEASE.

IF MULLIGAN'S INCURRED THE EXPENSE RELATED TO A REFERENDUM, THE CITY COMMISSION SAID YES.

THEY DID THE REFERENDUM AND IT WAS PASSED.

FOLLOWING THE REFERENDUM, THE LEASE WITH MULLIGAN'S WAS EXTENDED.

ULTIMATELY, MULLIGAN'S ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BUSINESS NOW KNOWN AS WATERFRONT. THE CITY COMMISSION SAW WAS PRESENTED WITH A AN APPLICATION FROM MULLIGAN'S TO ASSIGN THE LEASE TO WATERFRONT, WHICH THE CITY COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY PASSED AND WATERFRONT BEGAN OPERATING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. SOMETIME IN 2022, WATERFRONT CAME TO THE CITY MANAGER OR TO THE CITY AND WAS DISCUSSING SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS RELATED TO THE OPERATION OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO.

AND WHEN THEY TOOK UP THE FLOORING OR STARTED DOING SOME OF THE WORK, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SOME SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL ISSUES.

OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR WAS INVOLVED, AND THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, DAVID DIAS, HIRED A STYLIST, PETE, TO SERVE AS AN ENGINEER ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER WHO DID IN FACT CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE AGE OF THE BUILDING, SALT WATER AND IMPACTING THE CEMENT, AND THAT IT WAS IN NEED OF SIGNIFICANT REPAIR. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISCUSSIONS WAS THAT DIAS HAD SPOKEN WITH THE CURRENT TENANT AND SAID, YES, THE CITY RECOGNIZES THESE PROBLEMS AND THE CITY WILL SHARE IN THE EXPENSE OF FIXING THESE PROBLEMS. THE WATERFRONT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THE TIME.

AND ULTIMATELY COMPLETELY REBUILT OUT THE BOTTOM.

I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S BEEN OVER THERE, BUT REDID THE WHOLE DOWNSTAIRS AREA AND THE FLOORING IN LATE 22.

[02:05:05]

I KNOW THAT CITY MANAGER HAD REVIEWED IT AS HAVE I, AND THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $300,000 THAT WERE DIRECT COSTS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE.

ACTUAL STRUCTURAL REPAIRS THAT WERE MADE THAT WERE REQUESTED BY THE APPLICANT, AND THEN OTHER COSTS ARE LISTED IN THE SPREADSHEET.

BUT IN THE DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION, ESSENTIALLY WHAT I WAS RECOMMENDING RECOMMENDING AS THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER WAS THAT THE COMMISSION RECOGNIZED THAT IN FACT, IT IS A CITY BUILDING.

IT DOES PROVIDE PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR US TO MAINTAIN THE BUILDING PROPERLY.

IT DOES GENERATE AN ANNUAL RENT AND THEY PAY TAXES AND SO FAR HAVE BEEN A, A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND TENANT AND THAT IT'S TO THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THIS THESE IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE IT'S IN THE CRA.

IN FACT, IT IS A EXPENSE THAT COULD BE COVERED WITH CRA FUNDS.

AND WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND IS THAT IF THE COMMISSION IS INCLINED TO DO SO, YOU COULD. YOU COULD. OPTIONS ARE.

YOU COULD DIRECT THAT IT BE SCHEDULED FOR A CRA MEETING FOR A PRESENTATION WITH LINE BY LINE ITEMS TO ADDRESS IT.

YOU COULD TELL US THAT YOU WANT US TO PAY OUT A GENERAL FUND AND PAY IT AND MOVE APPROVAL RIGHT NOW IN THE MEETING IF YOU WANT IT. OR YOU COULD SAY YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY IT HERE IN THE, IN THE MEETING, OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD PROBABLY RESULT IN SOME ISSUES FROM THE TENANT.

BUT BECAUSE IT WAS A OPEN ENDED MATTER AND, AND WHAT NORMALLY WOULD HAPPEN IS THAT.

THE CITY'S POLICY AND PROCEDURE WOULD NORMALLY BE THEY WOULD GET ESTIMATES, ETC. WE'D BRING IT TO THE COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION WOULD REVIEW THEM AND APPROVE IT IN ADVANCE, AND THEN WOULD GO FORWARD AND SAY, HERE, THIS IS WHAT WE'LL APPROVE, AND THEY WOULD DO THE WORK. I'M NOT 100% SURE OF WHAT EXACTLY TOOK PLACE.

AS FAR AS WHY IT DIDN'T GO IN THAT ORDER.

THIS. IN THIS INSTANCE.

BUT I KNOW THAT PART OF IT WAS THAT THEY DID.

THEY LITERALLY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WHEN THEY PULLED UP THE FLOOR AND FOUND THESE PROBLEMS. SO I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTOR WAS ON SITE.

YOU KNOW, THERE WASN'T A SITUATION WHERE THEY WERE COMING BACK THREE MONTHS LATER TO EVALUATE IT. AND I KNOW THAT, LIKE I SAID, THE CITY MANAGER HAD PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED IT. SO THE PURPOSE FOR PUTTING IT AS A DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION WAS KIND OF GET DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD AS TO WHAT YOU FELT WAS THE BEST PROCEDURE FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD AND FOR ADDRESSING IT.

SO I, I MET WITH THE, THE OWNERS OF THE RESTAURANT, I THINK THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

AND AND A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE IS I JUST KIND OF LOOKED AT WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND WHAT THEY ARE DOING.

AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY FROM WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY COMPLETED.

I WAS THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED.

IT WAS A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT TO OUR PROPERTY, AND I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THAT.

AND WHAT I'M SEEING UPSTAIRS THAT'S GOING TO BE UPSTAIRS WHEN IT'S DONE.

ANOTHER DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT.

THAT BEING SAID, I THEN PROCEEDED TO LITERALLY GO LINE BY LINE WITH THEM AND TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT EXPENDITURES.

AND WHAT I CAME TO A CONCLUSION IS THAT A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE IS THAT I THINK. SEVEN.

I DON'T THINK THAT WE OWE $700,000, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE DO OWE THEM SOME MONEY TOWARDS THIS STRUCTURAL.

I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE THAN 300, BUT IT'S NOT LESS THAN THE 700 SOMEWHERE PROBABLY IN BETWEEN.

I DISCUSSED WITH THEM POSSIBILITIES OF, YOU KNOW, A CASH PAYMENT AND EVEN MAYBE A, I THINK THEY BROUGHT UP A, A POSSIBLE PORTION OF AS A RENT CREDIT, WHICH I, I PERSONALLY LIKE THAT.

BUT PART PART CASH, PART RENT CREDIT.

WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE DO IS THAT A WE DIRECT THIS TO GO BACK TO STAFF.

STAFF TO GO AND REVIEW ALL OF THE NUMBERS ARE PROBABLY WORKING WITH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE WAS A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT

[02:10:03]

SO WE COME UP, STAFF CAN COME UP WITH A NUMBER, BRING IT BACK TO A CRA MEETING FOR APPROVAL AND REVIEW DISCUSSION, APPROVAL PAY IT OUT OF CRA.

THEN IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A COMBINATION OF RENT CREDIT, I THINK THE CITY, THE CITY COMMISSION WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE RENT CREDITS.

WOULD THAT BE CORRECT? SO IT MAY BE A JOINT MEETING TO, YOU KNOW, OF A CITY COMMISSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF THAT. BUT LIKE I SAID, I SPENT AN HOUR WITH THEM GOING OVER THE NUMBERS AND, AND BY THE WAY, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.

AND I THINK THAT I WAS I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW THE, HOW YOU'VE TRANSFORMED THE LOWER THE LOWER BAR.

I CAN TELL YOU, I DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF VISION.

SO, SO THERE'S WHAT I THOUGHT THAT'S, THAT'S JUST MY BELIEF ON HOW WE SHOULD HANDLE IT. AND IT'S COMMISSIONER COLLINS, WHAT WAS THE MIC, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE? WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT WITH DAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE CITY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR? WAS IT LIKE A PERCENTAGE OF THAT SAFETY SLASH STRUCTURAL? IT WASN'T A HE. WAS IT A SENSE THAT HE WOULD WE WOULD BE WE WOULD BE PAYING FOR ALL OF THAT SAFETY SLASH STRUCTURAL.

I BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT SORT OF ON THE FLY NOW, RIGHT? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE JUST KIND OF UPHOLDING WHATEVER THAT AGREEMENT WAS INITIALLY WITH THE TAXPAYERS.

SO I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT SOME OF THE EMAILS AND, AND I'VE TALKED TO THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF THE BUSINESS AND I HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH DAVID. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS EVER A, THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY THIS PERCENTAGE OR THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY THIS AMOUNT, OR THE CITY IS GOING TO PAY THIS.

IT WAS MORE WHEN IT FIRST CAME TO OUR ATTENTION WHEN WHEN DAVID BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION, I SAID, AS THE LANDLORD, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE.

IF THERE'S A TRUE STRUCTURAL PROBLEM UNDERNEATH THIS BUILDING, WE DON'T WANT THE BUILDING TO FALL INTO THE RIVER. SO I THINK WE SHOULD GET AN ENGINEER TO HAVE A LOOK AT IT. SO DAVID HIRED A ENGINEER, STYLES PETE, WHO WENT OVER WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT OR OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR AND IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WAS, IN FACT, THESE STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES, AND I WASN'T PRESENT FOR THE DISCUSSION AS TO. IS THE CITY GOING TO PAY TO DO THIS? WHAT I KNOW IS THAT THE CONTRACTOR AND THAT THE FOLKS WERE LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT DOING WHATEVER WAS BEING DONE WHEN THEY RIP THE FLOOR OUT AND FOUND THESE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. DID THAT ENGINEER MAKE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY? HE SAID HE DIDN'T DO. HE.

WE DIDN'T HAVE HIM DO LIKE AN RFP WHERE YOU DO A OR A BID PROCESS TO HAVE IT GO OUT TO BID. HE SAID, YEAH, THIS NEEDS REPLACED, BUT SOMETHING THAT'S DOCUMENTED THAT NEEDED THAT HE RECOMMENDED NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR SAFETY AND STRUCTURE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE A REPORT FROM HIM OR NOT.

I'LL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN A MINUTE. BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO CARVE OUT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT MAKES THAT RESTAURANT SORT OF YOUR VISION VERSUS WHAT IS STRUCTURAL AND SAFETY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COULD SORT OF BE WHAT MAKES IT SAFER, BUT TRULY STRUCTURAL WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING FALLING INTO THE RIVER, WHAT DID THE ENGINEER SAY? YOU KNOW, IF THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL CONVERSATION WITH DAVE WAS AROUND, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE ENGINEER WAS EVER ASKED TO DO A PLEASE DIVIDE THIS INTO WHAT THE CITY SHOULD PAY AND WHAT THE WHAT THE TENANT SHOULD PAY. IT WAS MORE THAT HE WAS ASKED TO GO AND LOOK AT.

IS THIS DOES. ONE OF THE CONCERNS, I'LL TELL YOU IS THAT BASED UPON THEIR CONCERN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR DIDN'T KNOW IF HE NEEDED TO CLOSE THE BUILDING.

LIKE, WAS IT A WAS IT A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HE NEEDED TO MAKE THE TENANT NOT BE THERE ANYMORE? AND SO ONE OF THE ISSUES FOR THE ENGINEER WAS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO PUT YELLOW TAPE ACROSS THE FRONT DOOR.

OBVIOUSLY IT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE THAT SIGNIFICANT, BUT HE DIDN'T BREAK IT DOWN.

AND, AND THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT MIGHT OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED HAD IT BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY WHERE THEY PRESENTED IT AND SAID, HERE, THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WANT TO DO.

BRING IT TO THE COMMISSION AND YOU GUYS WOULD BE VOTING IN ADVANCE.

THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THIS INSTANCE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S WHY IT'S ON A DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE CLEAR DIRECTION.

I DON'T REALLY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GIVE THEM ANY MONEY.

I'D HAVE TO GIVE THEM TO THE COMMISSION FOR ANYTHING. SO IF IT WAS AN EMERGENCY, AN EMERGENCY REPAIR, THE CITY MANAGER CAN HAVE AUTHORITY UP TO X DOLLARS AND THEN HAS TO COME BACK AND GET, YOU KNOW, AFFIRMATION FROM THE BOARD AFTERWARDS. BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, IT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE AN EMERGENCY REPAIR.

[02:15:03]

IT WAS A YES, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A NECESSARY REPAIR.

NO, THE BUILDING IS NOT SLIDING INTO THE RIVER THIS WEEKEND, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO FIX IN THE FUTURE AND THEREFORE IT WAS FIXED.

PART OF MY RECOMMENDATION FOR THE AGENDA ITEM IS, AND I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS WANT TO TREAT IT.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT STAFF TO GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE.

AND FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE REFERRING TO JUST STRUCTURAL.

I KNOW THAT THE APPLICANT WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING IN A D AND D, IT MAY NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. OKAY. ONE OF THE THINGS COMMISSIONER COLLINS, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO SAY, I WENT LINE BY LINE AND, AND I VERY QUICKLY PULLED OUT ABOUT 125,000 WITH JUST WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WITHOUT BEING, HAVING THE BENEFIT OF HAVING STAFF.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S MORE TO PULL OUT.

AND SO, BUT IF YOU SAY PULL OUT, PULL OUT OF THE WHAT PULL OUT OF THE TOTAL FIGURE. OKAY. BUT I THINK WHAT'S RELEVANT TONIGHT IS WHAT IS THAT LINE? WHAT'S THAT LINE OF DEMARCATION OF WHAT IS YOU KNOW.

YEAH. AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR VERSUS WHAT'S JUST IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE THAT PLACE A BETTER RESTAURANT.

WELL, AND I AGREE, AND THAT'S, AND THAT WAS WHERE I WAS AT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT A LOT OF THE KITCHEN WORK AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE KITCHEN'S GOT TO COME OUT.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S AND AND THAT'S WHY I ASK ABOUT THE ENGINEER BECAUSE IF THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT ENGINEER, HEY, THIS CONCRETE IS FALLING OFF, THIS REBAR IS RUSTED.

THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED, YOU KNOW, FOR SAFETY.

THEN WE CAN SAY THE REPAIRS THAT ARE RELATED TO THAT ARE TRULY WHAT NEEDED.

YOU KNOW, WELL DONE. THAT LINE ITEM.

SO I JUST PULLED UP THE SPREADSHEET THAT'S ATTACHED AND I'M GOING TO USE AN ADA RAMP AS AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.

UNEQUIVOCALLY. ADA REQUIRES AN ADA RAMP.

HOWEVER, WHEN IT WAS OPERATING AS THE SEAFOOD BAR, THE CITY IN A PRIOR ISSUE RELATED TO ADA HAD PARKED, HAD PLACED AN ADA PARKING SPACE UNDERNEATH THE BUILDING THAT WAS DEEMED IN COMPLIANCE WITH ADA. RIGHT. SO THAT ISSUE WAS SOLVED.

NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO EXPAND THE DOWNSTAIRS AND BUILD OUT AND, AND REMOVE THAT PARKING SPACE AND HAVE THAT BE DINING AREA, WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANTED, THEN YOU HAVE TO REMOVE THE ADA RAMP.

BUT IF YOU WENT TO AN ENGINEER AND SAID, CAN THEY HAVE THIS DOWNSTAIRS RESTAURANT WITHOUT AN ADA RAMP? THE ANSWER WOULD BE UNEQUIVOCALLY NO.

YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE AN ADA RAMP.

SO UNDER THE TERMS OF THEIR LEASE, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? THE THE THE BUSINESS HAD ADA PARKING AND WAS AVAILABLE WHEN THEY TOOK IT OVER WITHOUT THE BUILD OUT. SO THAT WOULD BE WHAT IN MY MIND, IF IF JUST LIKE PAINTING THE WALL, IF THEY WANT TO PAINT THE WALL, THEY CAN PAINT IT. BUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT UNDER THE LEASE? THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.

BUT IF THERE WAS NO ADA RAMP, THEN WE WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR IT WITHIN THEIR EXISTING LEASE.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THE LEASE IS THE SAFETY.

THE WHAT? THE LEASE IS A LAND LEASE THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE AN.

AS IS. THE PROPERTY IS A LAND LEASE.

LONG TERM. EVERYTHING'S ON YOUR HOOK, RIGHT? HOWEVER, THE REPRESENTATIONS RELATED TO THE STRUCTURAL.

YOU COULDN'T SEE THEM. THEY WERE WHAT'S CALLED A LATENT DEFECTS.

THAT IS, YOU CAN'T SEE THEM FROM AN ORDINARY OBSERVATION.

ORDINARY DUE DILIGENCE WOULD NEVER EXPOSE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE HIDDEN FROM VIEW.

SO IF THE TENANT WASN'T GOING TO REPAIR THOSE, THE LANDLORD WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE THE BUILDING AND THEN THE BUILDING WOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL WE REPAIRED THEM AND PUT A NEW TENANT IN.

SO LOGICALLY, THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME SAID, WELL, THAT'S SILLY. WE NEED TO REPAIR THOSE AS IT RELATED TO THAT ADA RAMP THAT I'M USING AS AN EXAMPLE, OR I'VE COMMISSIONER OR THE MAYOR MENTIONED SPRINKLERS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF THE SPRINKLERS WERE, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY, AND I KNOW THAT THE BUSINESS WAS OPERATING, I DON'T KNOW IF THE SPRINKLERS WERE NECESSARY TO EXPAND AND NEEDED TO BE PART OF THE EXPANSION, OR IF THEY WERE PART OF THE ORIGINAL THING.

SO THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T INCLUDE. DOES THIS HAVE TO GO IN FRONT OF THE CRB I'VE? I THINK IT JUST HAS TO GO. WELL, IF YOU GUYS DECIDE TO FUND IT WITH CRA, WE CAN. CAN WE CAN WE SET I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE THE C ARE A FEW THINGS I'D LIKE TO ADD TO. SO AND I'LL I'M ALMOST DONE.

NO, NO. I LIKE THE MAYOR'S POINT TO HAVE STAFF GO LINE, LINE BY LINE THROUGH THIS AND REALLY KIND OF DISSECT IT AND THEN MAYBE COME BACK TO US AND WE CAN SORT OF FLESH OUT WHAT WE THINK IS APPROPRIATE.

[02:20:03]

MAYBE YOU HAVE THAT OF IF THERE WAS A PERCENTAGE THAT WAS THERE WAS IT WAS NOT.

THERE'S ANY MORE. I'M 100% SURE OF THAT.

MEAT AND POTATOES. YEAH.

THE, THE THING ABOUT IT IS, IS THIS TOO IS.

AND AGAIN, HE'S HERE. THAT'S WHY IT MAY BE THAT A PRESENTATION WOULD BE BETTER AT THE CRA LEVEL. IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE THE CRA FOR THE FUNDING, BECAUSE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE IT SAYS IN LINE ONE LABOR OR WHATEVER, AND THEN THE AMOUNT THAT THEY REQUESTED IS A IS A LINE ITEM THAT IS 50% OF THE COST OF THE LABOR ASSOCIATED WITH THAT STRUCTURAL EXPENSE.

SO THEIR PRESENTATION IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE, WELL, WAIT A SECOND. IF YOU'RE LIMITING IT TO THAT, THEN WE WANT 100% OF THAT NUMBER.

AND IT'S IT'S A GOING BACK AND FORTH.

SO IF THE COMMISSION GIVES US DIRECTION THAT YOU WANT US TO JUST COVER THE STRUCTURAL EXPENSE, THEN WE CAN LINE ITEM IT AND GO THROUGH AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE AND COME BACK AND PUT IT IN FRONT OF WHICHEVER BOARD YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE. I'M FINE WITH THAT.

OKAY. VICE MAYOR BRUNER.

WELL, I YOU KNOW THAT ALL THAT WORK THAT HE'S DONE, THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY IS LIKE TRIPLED.

INCREASED? YES. I WAS INVITED TO GO AND I MET WITH JIM AND HIS PARTNER AND GOING DOWN THAT THAT BOARDWALK. AND WHEN WE GOT DOWN TO WHERE ALL THAT FURNITURE IN THAT FLOOR, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.

IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL.

IT WAS SO OPEN. I CALLED MY FRIEND JACKIE.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND SHE AND I WENT THERE.

YOU DIDN'T KNOW AND HAD LUNCH AND TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER AND EVERYTHING.

I HOPE I DIDN'T SCARE YOU.

OH, MY GOD, AFTER ALL THAT, WHAT I SAID.

BUT YOU KNOW, ALL THESE YEARS AND NOBODY OPENED IT AND YOU OPENED IT UP AND IT'S JUST AMAZING. I'D BEEN WANTING IT LIKE THAT FOR A LONG TIME.

I ALWAYS WONDERED WHY, WHY, BUT HOW I FEEL.

I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD TAKE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD DOING THIS.

HE'S PAID HIS RENT AND TAXES ALL THROUGH THIS.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.

I MEAN, WHAT DO WE DO FOR THE OTHER RESTAURANT, IT WAS A LOT. WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE THE PANDEMIC, WE WAIVED HIS RENT DURING THE CONSTRUCTION.

YEAH. AND HE HAS CONTINUED PAYING IT.

THIS IS AN OLD BUILDING.

DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW OLD IT IS? OR THE ORIGINAL RESTAURANT THAT STARTED THERE WAS THE ORIGINAL RESTAURANT WAS THE FIRST ONE WAS HUCKLEBERRY'S. THAT GOES WAY BACK A LOT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR BUILDING AND AND WE SHOULD PAY FOR THIS AND TAKE CARE OF THIS.

HE HAS TRIPLED THE VALUE OF THIS PLACE.

IT'S NOT HIS. HE DUMPED ALL THAT MONEY IN IT AND IT'S OURS.

AND AND HUDSON'S IS OURS TOO, YOU KNOW, AND AND YOU ARE CONCERNED.

CAN PEOPLE PAY THEIR RENT OR NOT? AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE, SIR, IS IS AMAZING.

THE UPSTAIRS IS NOT COMPLETE.

HE NEEDS THIS MONEY TO CONTINUE.

HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS GOING TO COST UNTIL HE GOT UNDER THERE.

I SAY IF WE WOULD HAVE DONE IT, IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN PROBABLY A YEAR.

AND ALL THE RED TAPE AND THE PAPERWORK, AND WE WOULD HAVE PAID THREE TIMES AS MUCH.

AND HE HE WAS TAKING CARE OF THIS HIMSELF.

AND I DON'T THINK IF HE NEEDS TO COMPLETE THE TOP BUILDING, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND PAY WHAT WE OWE THIS MAN AND LET HIM FINISH IT BEFORE THE SEASON GETS HERE.

IS THERE A MOTION? NO.

JIM. JIM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND MAKE A MOTION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP? COME ON UP. AND WHY DON'T YOU JUST COME UP AND JUST. OH.

OH. I'M SORRY. ONE SECOND.

JIM. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T CATCH YOU OVER THERE.

SO, YOU KNOW, AND PLEASE TALK INTO YOUR MIC AS WELL.

SO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE WHAT HE'S DONE THERE AS WELL.

BUT THERE'S CERTAINLY A CAUTIONARY TALE HERE, AND I SHARE THE DISCOMFORT WITH SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND HOW WE FIND OURSELVES HERE. I MEAN, THE CITY CANNOT MAKE OPEN ENDED, NONSPECIFIC AGREEMENTS TO SPEND MONEY.

AND RELY ON SOMEBODY ELSE TO SAY, HERE ARE THE FIGURES.

NOW GIVE ME HALF. IT'S JUST SO I DO, IN FACT, HAVE THE EMAILS. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TO DAVE DYAS REGARDING HIS CONVERSATIONS, AND I'M SORRY, WHAT'S YOUR MR. CHAIRMAN, SIR JIM HOGAN YEAH.

SO IF I MAKE AN INCORRECT STATEMENT OR THE TIMELINE IS WRONG, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME. BUT THIS STARTED BACK IN OCTOBER, CORRECT? YOU APPROACHED DAVE, MR.

[02:25:02]

YEAH. SO JIM CORRIGAN AND I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE WATERFRONT.

SO YOU'RE TALKING TO DAVE, YOU'RE EMAILING HIM AND YOU'RE GOING, THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AND WE NEED ENGINEERS.

AND MR. DIAS SAYS WE NEED OUR ENGINEERS.

AND THIS IS OCTOBER 15TH.

OCTOBER 17TH. OF COURSE, MILTON HAS TO GET INVOLVED MILTON.

AND HE SAYS, I'LL DRAW IT UP.

AND THEN THERE'S A COMMUNICATION FROM MR. MARTELL, AND IT STATES, HE STATES CLEARLY THE LEASE REQUIRES THAT THE LESSEE MAKE ALL REPAIRS.

SO AT THIS POINT, ALL YOU KNEW FROM US, FROM THE CITY IS THAT, WELL, I THINK THE TIMELINE THERE WAS A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRIOR MANAGER THAT WE HAD IN A MEETING AND ALSO IN AN EMAIL.

I DON'T I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT TIMELINE, SIR, BUT YOU KNOW, LOOK, WE WERE GOING TO DO WE WERE GOING TO DO IT. RIGHT? RIGHT. LET ME LET ME START FROM THAT. SO WE, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE SAT HERE FOR TWO HOURS AND IF I COULD WHAT I WAS WANTING TO DO SO MANY TIMES DURING THIS MEETING IS TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE GOOD STORIES.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE NEXT DOOR, THAT'S A GOOD STORY. NO. AND YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OPPORTUNITY. I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, YEAH, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTION BEING ASKED TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY HERE THAT'S SORT OF OUT OF THE BLUE FOR SOME OF US. AND SO YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, YOU COULDN'T I DOUBT YOU HAD A MEETING.

BUT AT THIS POINT, THE ONLY THING YOU KNEW FROM THE CITY WAS THAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THIS, RIGHT? SO, SO WHAT IS WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME? BECAUSE THAT'S OCTOBER 17TH.

AND THEN THE NEXT EMAIL.

IS NOT UNTIL DECEMBER 28TH FROM MR. MARTEL. NO. WE HAD EMAIL TRAFFIC WITH THE PRIOR CITY MANAGER, AND WE HAD MEETINGS WITH THE PRIOR CITY MANAGER AFTER ONCE THE TRANSITION WAS STARTING TO HAPPEN, THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED TO MEET.

WELL, WE'LL TRY TO RETRIEVE THEM BECAUSE THERE'S ONE ON DECEMBER 28TH SAYS, I AM NOT RESPONDING TO THIS OR EVEN OPENING THIS UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ON THIS MATTER. THAT WAS FROM ME TO THE CITY MANAGER.

RIGHT. RIGHT. SO AND YOU'RE ASKING AND DAVE GOES, I'M HAVING A HARD TIME.

THIS IS DECEMBER 28TH.

I'M HAVING A HARD TIME DETERMINING WHAT THE FINANCIAL ASK OF THE CITY IS BASED ON THE TWO ATTACHED DOCUMENTS. AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, THE LEASE AGAIN, THE ONLY THING YOU'RE TOLD IN WRITING THAT THE LEASE IS AN.

AS IS LEASE WITH ALL MODIFICATIONS AND REPAIRS GOING TO THE TENANTS.

WEREN'T YOU A LITTLE WORRIED AT THIS POINT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR ALL THIS? I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE ON THE HOOK FOR IT.

I JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO FIND BEHIND THE WALLS AND UNDERNEATH THE FLOOR AND IN THE CEILING, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE NOT JUST COMPLIANT STRUCTURALLY, BUT NOT COMPLIANT FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT AND NOT SUPPLYING FROM A PERMITTING STANDPOINT. SO AS OF DECEMBER.

WELL, BECAUSE HE ASKED SPECIFICALLY HERE.

SO SOME PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT THERE WERE STRUCTURAL NEEDS, WHICH IT'S MY IMPRESSION THE CITY WAS HINTING MAYBE MAY BE WILLING TO SHARE THOSE COSTS.

SO ON DECEMBER 28TH, EVERYBODY WAS AWARE THAT THERE WERE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS. IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK ON DECEMBER 28TH IT WAS FINISHED.

I THINK THE INVOICES THAT WERE GIVEN TO THE CITY MANAGER WERE AFTER IT WAS COMPLETE.

SO WHEN THE EMAIL FROM MR. DIAS THAT SAYS, I CAN'T MAKE HEADS OR TAILS OF THESE SHEETS, OR WAS WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE AND THEY SENT HIM THE BILL AND SAID, HERE'S THE. OH, AND BY THE WAY.

AND DAVE SAYS AGAIN, OH, AND BY THE WAY, YOU'RE.

YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR IT ALL.

AND THEN NOTHING HAPPENS TILL THE END OF MARCH.

WELL, MAYBE NOTHING ON EMAIL, BUT I KNOW WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS. AND BY THE WAY, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THE THE EMAILS THAT I SEARCHED, I MIGHT NOT HAVE SEARCHED EVERY EMAIL COMBINATION OR WHATEVER, BECAUSE LIKE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN THAT THERE'S ANOTHER EMAIL IN IT.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE EMAILS THAT WERE ATTACHED, SOME OF THEM ARE LONG CHAINS OF EMAILS THAT. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. SO THERE MAY BE MORE IN THERE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I DON'T KNOW THE DATES EITHER. WHEN, WHEN DID WE RECEIVE THESE FIGURES? WHEN DID THE CITY RECEIVE THIS SPREADSHEET THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA THAT THAT EMAIL THAT DAVID DIAS SAYS IN IN LATE DECEMBER, HE SAYS SOMETHING LIKE, I CAN'T MAKE HEADS OR TAILS OF THIS DOUBLE SHEETED THING. AND THEN I REMEMBER THAT THAT WAS DECEMBER 28TH.

AND THEN I KNOW DEREK SHAMBAUGH, BY THE WAY, I'M NOT BLAMING JUST YOU.

I THINK THERE'S NO DEFICIENCY.

I'M NOT TAKING IT AS BLAME.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU I CAN GET IF YOU'D LIKE, I COULD PULL TOGETHER THE EXACT TIMELINE. BUT I REMEMBER IN THIS THIS TIME LAST YEAR,

[02:30:01]

AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE STARTED TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, LOOK, WE'RE WE KNOW THE LEASE, WE UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND ON AN INSPECTION OR A DUE DILIGENCE THAT ARE BEHIND THE WALLS AND UNDER THE FLOORS. SO I'M JUST AND WE CAN GO, WE CAN, WE CAN GO TO DAVID DYE'S CALENDAR AND SEE WHEN YOU HAD THOSE MEETINGS, I'M JUST SURPRISED THAT AND CERTAINLY THIS IS SOMETHING I DID IN BUSINESS FOR 30.

IF I HAD A MEETING WITH SOMEONE AND THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT FOR SUBSTANTIAL SHARING OF COSTS, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU FOR THE MEETING YOU ATTENDED, WHO WAS HERE? AND JUST TO CONFIRM, WE HAVE AGREED THAT WE WILL PAY WHATEVER.

BUT I DON'T SEE I DON'T I DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT.

MR. MARTEL, I I'M JUST SURPRISED THAT WE'RE AT THIS POINT.

IT'S ALL VERY VAGUE. THAT'S THAT IS ACTUALLY THE PROBLEM.

THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT WAS I THINK THE VAGUENESS IS, IS THE, THE PROBLEM. AND THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY AGAIN, GOING THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT THE IF WE ARE GOING TO PAY SOMETHING, WHICH I'M FINE WITH THE STRUCTURAL STUFF, IF I COULD JUST FINISH.

YEAH. GO AHEAD. I THINK YOUR IDEA IS A VERY GOOD ONE.

LET'S SEND IT BACK TO THE CRA.

LET'S TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW ALL THE COMMUNICATIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS AND MAKE A DECISION, AND HAVE STAFF REVIEW THE NUMBERS.

CORRECT? CORRECT. GOOD ENOUGH.

IF THAT'S I MEAN, AS FAR AS I AS FAR AS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

COMMISSIONERS FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE TIME. WE WE ARE HERE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE HERE.

I ONLY HAVE TO DO IS GO DOWNSTAIRS AND AND SEE WE COULD HAVE EASILY COSMETICALLY DONE THINGS AND WE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT. AND IF I COULD JUST FINISH UP FROM MY EARLIER POINT.

THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS TOWN, AND WE'RE RESIDENTS HERE.

WE BELIEVE IN THIS PLACE AND WE'VE INVESTED IN IT AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET.

NOW, I WOULD SAY, THOUGH, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE ASSESSMENTS, PLEASE LOOK AT IT FROM THREE STANDPOINTS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THERE'S THE STRUCTURAL PIECES, WHICH ARE THE BUILDING. THE NEXT. YOU CANNOT WALK AWAY FROM SAFETY ISSUES AND SAFETY ISSUES AROUND ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, HVAC AND FIRE, ALL THOSE THINGS. WE WOULD HAVE NOT GOTTEN PERMITTED IF WE DID NOT COME TO THOSE COMPLIANCE. AND THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE WE ALSO MADE SURE THAT THERE WAS SOME, I WOULD SAY, NECESSARY VALUE ADDS, THE ROOFING OF THE STRUCTURE.

THERE WERE THINGS THAT WE KNEW AS INSPECTORS CAME THROUGH AND APPRAISERS CAME THROUGH THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS. AND LIKE YOU.

CAMPBELL CAMPBELL. I AM A BUSINESSMAN TOO, AND I KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT GOD'S NOT MAKING MORE OF DIRT AND TIME, AND SO I DON'T WASTE ANY OF IT.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE MOVE FORWARD.

WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION AROUND THIS. I HAVE TO RECOMMEND.

I HAVE TO ALSO THANK MR. MORTEL. HE'S BEEN INCREDIBLY GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME WITH US.

AND AND AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM. AND I'D MAKE ONE LAST POINT, WHICH IS ALL YOU'RE SEEING IS THE PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE SUNK INTO THIS.

AND THERE'S NO FURNITURE, THERE'S NO PAINTING, THERE'S NO COSMETICS. THIS IS ALL AROUND STRUCTURE, AROUND COMPLIANCE AND AROUND SAFETY.

CAN I SAY SOMETHING? ACTUALLY, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER CLARK.

AND THEN YEAH. SO I VISITED THE BUILDING AND I THINK THAT THE THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE THERE. AND I ECHO LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT EVERYBODY IS SAYING HERE, BUT I THINK. MR.. RICH, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE NEED TO GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER WHEN WE RENT OUT THESE BUILDINGS AND WHEN WE DO THINGS, WE NEED TO SET SOME LEVELS ON HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR BUILDING AND HOW WE LEASE OUR BUILDINGS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS CORRECT FOR RATS AND WHATEVER ELSE THAT COMES IN AND OUT OF THE RIVER OR INSIDE BUILDINGS.

THE WAY THAT PLACE WAS WET AND TERRIBLE IT PROBABLY COULD BE CONSIDERED THINGS THAT I DON'T WANT TO SAY. I'M NOT AS BRAVE AS MR. COLLINS TO SAY CERTAIN THINGS ON THE DAIS.

I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT.

SO I'M JUST I, I, I, I JUST THINK THAT AND THEN THE VALUE THAT'S ADDED LIKE MISS BECKY TALK ABOUT IT. IF WE'RE GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THESE NUMBERS, WELL THEN THE RENT SHOULD GO UP OR THE RENT SHOULD GO DOWN OR THEY SHOULD GET CREDIT.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT OUR POLICY AND IN GOOD SPIRIT TRY TO WORK ON THIS.

BUT WE NEED TO GET CLEARER WAYS TO DEAL WITH WHEN WE RENT.

WE WENT THROUGH THIS WHEN WE DID THE REPAIRS TO FLAGLER, THE FLAGLER PLACE, AND THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF WITH MAIN STREET AND WHO OWES WHO AND WHO OWES WHAT.

WE NEED IF WE DON'T, IF PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN A PLACE.

GEORGE HUFF OH, I DID CALL NAMES.

SORRY HE DID THAT WHEN HE WAS REWORKING IT THE FIRST TIME.

[02:35:02]

COMMISSIONER COLLINS, WHAT IS A LINE? I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH THAT.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM IS ABOUT 116,000.

SO A MAKE LINE IS THE ACTUAL THE KITCHEN ITSELF AND THE REASON WHY WE PUT THAT.

BUT WE SEPARATED IT OUT BECAUSE ALL OF THE MAKE LINE ITEMS THE KITCHEN HAD CITY OF STUART LITERALLY LIKE TAGGED ON EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF THE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.

AND SO WE SEPARATE THAT OUT BECAUSE WE SAID, WELL, WE'RE NOT SURE IF THAT IS WE WERE A LITTLE BIT VAGUE ON WHETHER THAT IS PART OF THE PROPERTY OR WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF INSIDE THE QUOTE UNQUOTE, SHEETROCK? SO WE SPLIT OUT THAT 116 GRAND AND SAID, LOOK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GOING TO DO THE MAKE LINE, BUT WE WANTED TO PUT IT OUT THERE TO LET YOU KNOW, HEY, WE REDID THE MAKE LINE.

AND THAT MAKE LINE IS REALLY WHERE THE CHEFS WORK, WHERE THEY PREPARE THE FOOD, WHERE THEY COOK THE FOOD, WHERE THEY REFRIGERATE THE FOOD, AND WHERE THEY FINALLY DO ALL THE PREP.

AND WHEN THEY BRING IT OUT TO YOU. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY MAKE LINE IS THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I SAID, TAKING OUT A.

SO JUST JUST, YOU KNOW, MAN TO MAN.

YEAH. AND YOU ENTERED INTO THIS WITH THE CITY. WAS IT REALLY YOUR INSTINCT THAT THE CITY WAS GOING TO BE PAYING FOR LIKE THAT MAKE LINE ITEM? I THOUGHT THAT WHEN I DID THE COMPLIANCE ON THE MAKE LINE, I THOUGHT THE MAKE LINE WAS GOING TO HOLD TEMP. I THOUGHT THE LINE WAS GOING TO BE SAFE.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HOLD HOLD.

YOU WENT INTO THIS WITH THE CITY? YEAH. REALLY? BEFORE WE GO ON. THEY DIDN'T.

I KNOW THAT'S THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.

THAT'S WHY I'M LOOKING FOR CLARITY. BECAUSE IF WITH COMMISSIONER CLARK MULLIGAN'S ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY, THE CITY SIGNED A LEASE WITH MULLIGAN'S IN THE MULLIGAN'S LEASE. THE CITY MADE CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS, AND MULLIGAN'S MADE CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS.

AND MULLIGAN'S MADE CERTAIN REPRESENTATIONS.

WITHOUT THE CITY BEING A PARTY, MULLIGAN'S AND WATERFRONT ENTERED INTO A NEW DEAL. WE WERE NOT THERE.

WE WERE NOT. DURING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THEY CAME BEFORE THE CITY AND SAID, WE WOULD LIKE TO ASSIGN THIS LEASE TO WATERFRONT.

AND MULLIGANS REQUESTED THAT THE CITY COMMISSION VOTE TO ASSIGN THE LEASE TO WATERFRONT. THE CITY VOTED YES.

WE WILL ALLOW WATERFRONT TO TAKE OVER MULLIGANS LEASE.

AT THAT HEARING, THERE WAS NO LIST OF CONDITIONAL ITEMS TO SAY WE NEED THIS, THIS, THIS AND THIS FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT TO WORK.

IT WAS WILL YOU DO THE ASSIGNMENT? AND THAT WAS IN 2021 OR 20 21ST QUARTER OF 21.

RIGHT. AND AND THE CITY APPROVED THE ASSIGNMENT.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE FIRST THING THE WATERFRONT SAID IS WE WANT TO CLEAN THIS PLACE UP. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING THE STUFF THEY WERE GOING TO DO, BUT THE CITY WASN'T GIVEN A IT WASN'T A VACANT BUILDING THAT I'M REPRESENTING TO YOU IS IN TRIPLE A SPACE AND HAS FUNCTIONING X, Y, AND Z. I DON'T KNOW WHAT GEORGE DID.

THE OWNER OF MULLIGAN'S REPRESENTED AND OR STATED IN THOSE MEETINGS OR DURING THOSE REPRESENTATIONS, BECAUSE WE WERE NOT A PARTY TO THAT.

THEN THEY BECAME OUR TENANT FOR TWO YEARS AND THEN STARTED THIS BUILD OUT.

AND THAT'S WHEN THIS AROSE.

NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE KITCHEN OR WHAT WASN'T.

THAT WAS MAKE LINE THAT HAD CITY TAGS ON IT.

BUT I KNOW THAT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS GOING TO ASK ME AS SOON AS THIS MEETING IS OVER IS WHERE ARE THOSE ITEMS? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THE INVENTORY FOR THEM AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY EXIST NOW.

WE HAVE PICTURES OF THEM. SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE DONE THE DOWNSTAIRS AND YOUR WE DID IN PROCESS DOING UPSTAIRS.

YES, WE WE STARTED DEMOLITION ON THE UPSTAIRS.

THAT'S CORRECT. YOU'VE STARTED DEMOLITION.

SO YOU'RE JUST IN THE DEMO PHASE.

IS YOUR PLAN TO COME BACK AND ASK THE CITY TO.

WHY NOT? BECAUSE WE'VE GONE BEHIND THE WALLS AND WE DID ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN WE HAD TO DO DOWNSTAIRS. THERE'S NO INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO BE CORRECTED.

WE DID THE INFESTATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THAT BUILDING THAT'S ON US, AND ALL OF THAT'S BEEN CORRECTED, BUT THERE'S NOTHING UPSTAIRS THAT'S GOING TO.

THE INFESTATIONS ARE IN HERE TO 46.

AGAIN, WE GAVE YOU 25%.

[02:40:01]

OKAY. DUMPSTERS. OKAY.

OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THING.

FOR THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS OF OF OUR CITY THAT ARE ANYONE REALLY NEEDS TO GO AND SEE WHAT YOU DID, HOW IT'S OPENED.

HOW AWESOME. WE DON'T HAVE A RESTAURANT LIKE IT IN TOWN.

IT'S JUST REALLY AMAZING HOW MANY, HOW MANY SQUARE FEET IS THAT? 10,000FT²? ABOUT 1500S.

KITCHEN. AND THERE'S 3500 UPSTAIRS AND 5000 DOWNSTAIRS.

YEAH, I'VE BEEN BACK THREE TIMES, BECKY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO TAKE HIM.

WELL, WE HAVE ABOUT 76 ITEMS ON THE MENU, SO YOU HAVE 73 MORE TRIPS TO GO.

OH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ALSO THAT YOU HAVE BEEN A REALLY A NICE PERSON TO ME.

WELL THANK YOU. YOU'RE HUMBLE ABOUT IT. VERY KIND AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I REALLY BELIEVE YOU'RE A TOP NOTCH GUY AND YOUR PARTNER.

YOU KNOW, BETWEEN MY PARTNER AND I, WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR YEARS OF RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE. AND WE PICKED WE PICKED STUART.

I MEAN, WE, WE, WE LOOKED AT 76 DIFFERENT PROPERTIES AND WE PICKED STUART FOR TWO REASONS. WE LOVE THE DEMOGRAPHICS.

WE LOVE THE FACT THAT WE'RE ON THE WATER, BUT WE'RE NOT ON THE OCEAN.

IT'S A IT'S A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION.

AND WE LIKE THE SMALL TOWN FEEL.

YOU KNOW, WE WE DON'T WANT TO BECOME A NIGHTCLUB.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BECOME. WE'RE TRYING TO BECOME A GATHERING PLACE. AND AND STUART'S THE RIGHT TOWN FOR THAT FOR US.

SO I'M GOING TO JUST GO TO COMMISSIONER COLLINS AND THEN I KNOW COMMISSIONER OR MR. COMPANY WANTS TO MAKE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT.

SO COMMISSIONER COLLINS, IN THE DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION, JUST JUST THIS SENSE THAT THE SENTIMENT THAT YOU DID A GREAT JOB AND I'M SURE YOU DID, BUT THAT'S THAT'S YOUR MATERIAL TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. EXACTLY. IT'S IMMATERIAL, HOWEVER MUCH ENERGY, MONEY, TIME YOU'VE INVESTED INTO THAT TO BUILD YOUR DREAM RESTAURANT OR LOUNGE, YOU KNOW, THAT IS NOT WHAT'S RELEVANT.

AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR. I MEAN, THE NATURE OF THE THE DEAL AND THE ARRANGEMENT THAT WE HAD AND HAVING AN OPEN ENDED DEAL WHERE SOMEBODY CAN JUST POUR MONEY INTO BUILDING THEIR DREAM RESTAURANT AND THEN THE CITY SOMEHOW BE ON THE HOOK FOR MORE OF THAT THAN, THAN THEY SHOULD BE.

I STRUCTURAL IS MY ONLY CONCERN.

SO, COMMISSIONER, LET ME LET ME ASSURE YOU, I'M MORE THAN HAPPY AND MORE THAN WELCOME TO HAVE A LINE BY LINE AUDIT OF THIS, BECAUSE I DID A LINE BY LINE AUDIT BEFORE I PUT THIS SPREADSHEET IN FRONT OF YOU. AND I HAVE 26 YEARS OF CFO EXPERIENCE AT GENERAL ELECTRIC AND THEN THREE OTHER PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS. SO I KNOW WHAT A FAIR DEAL LOOKS LIKE, BUT I WELCOME THE AUDIT.

I THINK THE AUDIT IS HEALTHY AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING TO DO.

WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR WHAT WE DID TO INVEST INTO OUR DREAM.

WHAT WE DID IS ASK THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BUILDING IS SAFE AND SECURE.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU SPENT UP UNTIL THIS POINT? OVER $4 MILLION. THAT'S WHAT I WAS CURIOUS.

WOW. OKAY I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

MR. PENNY, I KNOW YOU.

WHAT'S THAT? MAYOR, I'M NOT SPEAKING AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.

I'M SPEAKING AS A CRA MEMBER.

IF YOU DECIDE TO SEND IT BACK TO THE CRA, WHAT YOU CAN DO.

I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THE RENT THAT YOU COLLECT FOR THIS DOESN'T GO INTO A CRA FUND. IT GOES INTO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FUND.

AND AS A CRA MEMBER, I PROBABLY WILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM WITH YOU TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE CRA TO PAY FOR SOMETHING WHERE THE PROFIT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND OR THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FUND, AND I.

AND YOU CAN DO THAT. IT'S NOT THAT IT'S WRONG, BUT IT'S LIKE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.

I THINK KERRY PAID FOR THE BUILDING, THOUGH, DIDN'T IT? I DON'T KNOW, I THINK GENERAL FUND DID INITIALLY.

THE, THE REAL QUESTION IS THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY THE ISSUE FOR TONIGHT.

I MEAN, THE CRA QUESTIONABLY NOW IS SOMEHOW HAS PULLED A MEETING TOGETHER BECAUSE MR. PENNEY'S COMMENTS HAVE PUT US INTO A WORLD I, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A NO TO CRA MEETING.

SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE HAVING A CRA DEBATE.

NO, I'M JUST REMINDING THE REMINDING THE COMMISSION OF WHERE THE FUNDS ARE COLLECTED AND PLACED. AND IF YOU SEND IT BACK TO CRA.

THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR HAVE YOUR I THINK INSTRUCTIONS.

SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE LIVE LOCAL ACT NUMBER 12.

[12. LIVE LOCAL ACT (SB102) STAFF PRESENTATION ]

THAT'S RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR MACDONALD AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD FOR THE RECORD, JODY COOGLER, THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. TONIGHT I'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE FOR THE LIVE LOCAL ACT.

AS YOU RECALL, THIS WAS APPROVED ON MARCH 29TH AND WAS SIGNED IN AS SENATE BILL 102 IN WHICH BECAME WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST OF 2023.

[02:45:02]

FOR THE FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, THE BILL REQUIRES.

I CAN'T HEAR YOU. I'M SORRY.

I'M NOT SURE. IS THAT BETTER? WHERE'S YOUR SPEAKER? BETTER.

OKAY. FOR THE FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, THE BILL REQUIRES THE CITIES AND COUNTIES TO ALLOW MULTIPLE MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL AND MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AS ALLOWABLE USES, WITH ANY ZONED FOR COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL OR MIXED USE FOR AT LEAST 40% OF THE UNITS THAT ARE AFFORDABLE TO INCOME ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS FOR AT LEAST 30 YEARS.

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MAY NOT REQUIRE FOR A PROPOSED PROJECT TO OBTAIN A ZONING OR LAND USE CHANGES, OR ANY CONDITIONAL USE, OR ANY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE HEIGHT, DENSITY OR ANY ZONING AUTHORIZED BY THE BILL.

UNDER THE ACT, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CANNOT REGULATE THE USE, HEIGHT OR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THE THRESHOLD FOR DENSITY AND HEIGHT IS BASED ON THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PROJECTS LOCATED WITHIN ONE MILE RADIUS OF THE PROPOSED MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

AND STUART. THE MAXIMUM DENSITY COULD BE APPLIED UP TO 30 UNITS PER ACRE AND A MAXIMUM OF FOUR STORIES IN HEIGHT.

HOWEVER, THE DEVELOPER WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET ALL THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, SETBACKS, LANDSCAPING, STORMWATER AND MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY WAS HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS, THIS NEW PREEMPTIVE LAW AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH THE BECAUSE WE, THESE ARE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED.

SO WE WANT TO. SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND TO THE FLORIDA, THE FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE WHICH IS ACTUALLY STATED IN THE BILL.

WHO DOES LAURA'S. SO WE'RE REALLY STAFF WANTS TO BRING BACK A POLICY THAT YOU'LL BE ADOPTING AND LOOKING AT.

BUT RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTIES IN THIS LAW AND HOW IT'S GOING TO BE ENFORCED. SO OUR STAFF ON JUNE 22ND WILL BE ATTENDING THE MARTIN COUNTY SOLUTIONS SUMMIT AND ALSO THE FLORIDA HOUSING FINANCE WORKSHOPS.

AND A LOT OF THE TOPICS IS, IS HOW IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOING TO ADMINISTRATE THIS LOCAL LAW? SO THEY'RE HAVING THE SAME STRUGGLES WE ARE IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DO THE TAXATION? WHAT IS, WHAT'S THE NEGATIVE EFFECT? WHAT'S THE WHERE'S, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN 30 YEARS AFTER 31 YEARS? WHO'S GOING TO MONITOR THOSE, THOSE REPORTS ONCE THEY GET APPROVED? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF IS STILL STRUGGLING WITH.

AND IN TALKING TO PALM BEACH COUNTY HOUSING SOLUTIONS AND SAINT LUCIE COUNTY HOUSING SOLUTION AND MARTIN COUNTY HOUSING SOLUTION NO ONE HAS THAT ANSWER YET.

SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND JIM HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES IS ACTUALLY PUTTING TOGETHER SOME TYPE OF GUIDELINES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

SO I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE THAT.

BUT I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUE GIVING YOU UPDATES.

IF WE RECEIVE AN. ARE WE TALKING WITH THE MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY? JUST TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTRATE OR.

THANK YOU. JODY. ANYTHING ELSE? THAT'S IT.

COMMISSIONER COLLINS. I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK WHY WE WOULD DEFER TO FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES OR ANY OF THESE OTHER GROUPS TO SORT OF SET THE PRECEDENT FOR HOW WE REGULATE THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPENING IN-HOUSE.

YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, I'M SURE, I'M SURE WE ARE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOOK TO FLORIDA AT LARGE.

I'D LIKE TO BE INNOVATIVE ON OUR END.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, THOUGH, TO KNOW WHAT ELSE IS BEING DONE AROUND THE STATE. SO THAT SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT.

OBVIOUSLY WE, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOW HANGING FRUIT EITHER.

YEAH. BUT WE DON'T GET SUED.

YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T LAY CLAIM TO HAVING ALL THE ALL THE GOOD IDEAS AND.

AND SO IF THERE IS ONE OUT THERE, WE OUGHT TO LEARN WHAT IT IS.

THERE'S OFTEN FROM THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE.

THERE IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT FROM THE 411 CITIES OR SO.

AND A LOT OF THEM ARE SMALL CITIES LIKE US.

SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BECAUSE WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS.

WHICH IS, AS YOU KNOW, THE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES FROM THE CITY, THEY REALIZED THEY MADE A MISTAKE.

SO WHAT IF THERE'S 50 OR 60 PEOPLE IN OUR TREASURE COAST REGION, FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES? WITHOUT EXCEPTION, EVERY MUNICIPALITY IS VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS AND VERY WORRIED ABOUT THEY

[02:50:08]

THEY HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK FULL TIME IN TALLAHASSEE.

SO CERTAINLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO RELY ON BLINDLY WHAT THEY TELL US, BUT CERTAINLY THE INSIGHT AND THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDE, I THINK, WILL PROVE VERY VALUABLE.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OKAY.

I'M GOING TO GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. LAURA.

LAURA. I ALWAYS HOPE I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME CORRECTLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT DOWN RIGHT NOW. I KNOW I'M TERRIBLE ABOUT THAT.

WHAT CAN I SAY? HELLO, EVERYBODY.

OH, LAURA JOB 2950 SOUTH EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD.

STUART. FIRST, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS FOR BEING HERE AND FOR DOING, YOU KNOW, THE WORK OF THE CITY.

MR. MARTEL, CONGRATULATIONS IN YOUR NEW APPOINTMENT.

AND WELCOME, MR. NICOLETTI.

THANK YOU. OKAY. SO MR. MARTEL, ON THURSDAY, I LISTENED TO THIS REPORT FROM THE STAFF, WHICH DID A GREAT JOB.

AND MR. MARTEL WAS REALLY BENEFICIAL IN GOING OVER SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THIS BILL.

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DID MENTION WAS THAT YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER. YES, MA'AM. YES.

AND SO I WAS VERY PIQUED BY THAT, BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEIGHT SITUATION IN STUART.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FOUR HEIGHT LIMIT, AND EVERYONE'S CONCERNED THAT WITHIN A MILE OF THAT THE BUILDERS MIGHT BE GOING OVER AND ABOVE.

AND WE'D CERTAINLY LIKE TO STAY WITHIN THE FOUR HEIGHTS OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN STUART.

YOU MENTIONED THAT MR. SNYDER SAID THAT NOT TO WORRY, THAT WAS NOT A PROBLEM.

I ASKED IF YOU COULD HAVE HIM PUT THAT IN WRITING.

NOT THAT I DON'T TRUST POLITICIANS, BUT TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST, I DON'T. YOU KNOW, VERBAL IS ONE THING.

IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE IT IN WRITING AND HAVE IT ON FILE IN THE CITY AND HAVE IT AS PART OF OUR RECORDS, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER THINGS.

YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN GETTING TOGETHER INFORMATION, AND I THINK A COALITION OF ALL THE CITIES THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SHARING ALL OF THE INFORMATION.

WE CERTAINLY SHOULD BE OUR OWN MASTER OF THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT EVERYONE IS KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT, AND I THINK THERE'LL BE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS OUT THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MARK.

AND AS ALWAYS, PLEASE FILL OUT A GREEN CARD WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED.

OKAY. THE MARK 208 SOUTHEAST OSCEOLA STREET, STUART, FLORIDA. I JUST HAD A COUPLE COMMENTS.

ONE. I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON WHAT OUR RISKS ARE HERE.

I KNOW WE'RE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME PIECE OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO COME IN AND THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS THING ON. BUT THAT'S NOT THE RISK. THE RISK IS THERE'S EXISTING BUILDINGS OUT THERE THAT ARE WORTH FIVE, SIX, $7 MILLION, $10 MILLION.

RIGHT. YOU COME IN AND JUST TEAR THOSE DOWN AND PUT UP FOUR STORIES, 800 UNITS. YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT $150 MILLION BUILDING.

YOU'VE GOT A $200 MILLION BUILDING THAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO SELL THAT ON WALL STREET.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVERSION OF THOSE PROPERTIES.

AND I THINK WE NEED TO GO START LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS TO SEE WHERE THOSE RISKS ARE, AND FRANKLY, MAYBE START LOOKING AT WHETHER SOME OF OUR ZONING NEEDS TO CHANGE AND WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW SOME OF THE ZONING ON THOSE PROPERTIES. YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A DIFFERENT ZONING THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THOSE PROPERTIES.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE CHANGED ZONING ON OR LOOKING AT ZONING CHANGE ZONING ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY FROM INDUSTRIAL TO MARINE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT OPEN THAT UP OR TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF SENATE BILL 102? SO ANYWAY, ALL I'M SAYING IS I THINK WE REALLY I AGREE THAT WE SHOULDN'T WAIT.

AND I THINK I ALSO AGREE THAT WE SHOULD FIND OUT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING.

BUT I THINK IN THE INTERIM, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TARGETED PROPERTIES AND WHAT RISKS WE HAVE IN TERMS OF CONVERSIONS FOR PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT COULD COULD SELL OUT AND BE REPLACED BY VERY LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.

CRITERIA FOR CITY ATTORNEY POSITION.

[13. CRITERIA FOR CITY ATTORNEY POSITION]

YOU SAW IN MY NOTE TO THE COMMISSIONERS THAT I HAVE ATTACHED THE THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR CITY ATTORNEY AND BUT ALSO WHAT I'M SAYING TO YOU IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY.

DID YOU SEE IT, MISTER? YEAH. IF YOU'D SPEAK INTO THE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THAT THE APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT IS YOUR CITY ATTORNEY BECAME YOUR CITY MANAGER.

IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO DISPOSE OF THAT SITUATION FIRST.

I AGREE, AND I KNOW WHILE IN MARCH YOU ASKED THAT,

[02:55:01]

I WOULD TELL YOU THE REAL ISSUE IS TO DEAL WITH THE CITY MANAGER POSITION BECAUSE AFTER THAT, THEN IT'S. RELATIVELY SIMPLE.

IF YOU APPOINT MR. MORTEL AS CITY MANAGER, THEN CLEARLY.

YOU'VE GOT TO STEP UP AND DECIDE HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO OUT AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO AS FAR AS CITY ATTORNEY.

SO I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE STORY THAT I'VE GOT.

AND DID WE MAKE HIM OUR MANAGER TONIGHT? LET'S DO IT. MIKE, DO YOU LIKE LIVING IN STUART? YEAH. I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR IRONICALLY, I AM THE LAST OF THE THREE CITY MANAGERS THAT DID LIVE IN CITY.

STUART. I THINK PAUL AND I WERE THE ONES THAT QUALIFIED.

THE OTHER TWO DIDN'T. YEAH.

AND I SUPPOSE YOUR QUESTION IS YOU'D HAVE TO SOMEHOW ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.

SO YOU'D HAVE TO PULL YOUR AGENDA BACK AND ADD IT.

IT'D HAVE TO BE. AND THEN THE TERMS AND ALL THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE.

WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT WE DIRECT THE ACTING OR INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY, MR. NICOLETTI, TO NEGOTIATE.

A AND USUALLY THEY DO IT WITH THE MAYOR A CONTRACT WITH MR. MORTEL AND BRING IT BACK FOR APPROVAL FOR DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL AT A AT A LATER DATE.

AND THEN AS FAR AS THE CITY ATTORNEY'S POSITION, JUST HISTORICALLY, THE LAST TWO CITY ATTORNEY'S APPOINTMENTS BOTH WITH MR. MORTEL AND WITH MICHAEL DURHAM PRIOR THAT, WE PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE OF LOCAL ATTORNEYS THAT ALONG WITH ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS I SERVED ON IT ONCE.

COMMISSIONER GLASS LAYTON SERVED ON IT.

I THINK WHEN WE BROUGHT IN MR. MORTEL AND THEN OUR HR DEPARTMENT PUT OUT THE THE THE ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISED IT THROUGH THE FLORIDA BAR, THE MARTIN COUNTY BAR.

LIKE SAINT LUCIE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATIONS, THE MUNICIPAL ATTORNEYS BAR, THEY HAVE A LOT OF BAR ASSOCIATIONS THEY BELONG TO.

AND THEN THE HR WOULD SCREEN THE APPLICANTS FOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO ENSURE THEY MET THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS.

AND THEN THE COMMITTEE WOULD REVIEW THE RESUMES AND THEN CAME UP WITH A, I THINK, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, LIKE A LIST OF LIKE THREE ATTORNEYS THAT CAME BEFORE THE COMMISSION THAT WE ULTIMATELY DID EFFECTIVELY INTERVIEWED FROM THE DAIS.

AND IN SOME CASES, I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT WE DID, WE ADJOURNED MEETINGS AND WENT AND HAD EACH COMMISSIONER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANTS PRIVATELY.

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A KIND OF LIKE A SPEED DATING FROM ROOM TO ROOM TO ROOM KIND OF THING. AND THAT WORKED WELL MR. DURHAM WAS HERE FOR 3 OR 4 YEARS UNTIL HE WENT TO, I GUESS MAYBE THREE YEARS BEFORE HE WENT TO THE COUNTY. OF COURSE, MIKE HAS BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS. I ALSO REMEMBER I ACTUALLY MIKE TOOK TWO VOTES TO GET HIM TO BE CITY ATTORNEY AND I WAS THE SWING VOTE AGAINST MIKE ON ONE OF THEM.

SO HE AND HE'S, AND HE'S FORGIVEN ME.

SO NO, HE HASN'T. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT.

YEAH. I, I THEY ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED ME.

I WAS STANDING IN THE WELL HERE AND, AND IT WAS LIKE FIVE ON ONE.

IT WAS AN INTERESTING.

WELL, WE DID THAT AS WELL WITH THE, WITH THE ONES WE ACTUALLY SET UP, WE HAD A TABLE SET UP HERE AND, AND WE HAD THE APPLICANT SITTING AT A TABLE ONE BY ONE. AND WE AND WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS.

AND SO I THINK THAT IT WORKED WELL IN THE PAST.

AND I WOULD CONSIDER THAT WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO DO THAT NOW.

COMMISSIONER CLARK. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I THINK THE ISSUE IS WHEN WE DO PUT OUT RFP OR SOMETHING FOR CITY ATTORNEY, ARE WE GOING TO BE PUT IN SPECIAL LANGUAGE IN THERE WITH REGARD TO THEIR ROLE AS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES? ARE WE GOING TO STILL KEEP THE SAME ROLES AS WE HAVE IN OUR REGULAR IN OUR CITY ATTORNEY? I THINK IF I THINK, I THINK WE NEED A MUNICIPAL ATTORNEY AND JUST AS IN THE, IF A SITUATION ARISES WHERE THERE IS A CAUSE OF ACTION, JUST AS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRST CASE WAS CASE WHERE WE BROUGHT IN A

[03:00:01]

WE HIRED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY THAT SPECIALIZED IN THAT KIND OF LITIGATION.

SO THAT'S JUST, THAT'S MY OPINION.

I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THE DAY IN, DAY OUT WORK OF THE ATTORNEY IS REVIEWING ALL THIS STUFF, ALL THIS OTHER STUFF, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY DO HAVE SOME LITIGATION EXPERIENCE, THEY CAN OVERSEE THAT.

YEAH, I LIKE THE LITIGATION EXPERIENCE.

AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, QUITE HONESTLY, IT'S A IT'S A BIT OF GOING TO BE, I THINK, ESPECIALLY AFTER SEEING MR. MORTEL IN TRIAL IN A RECENT CASE AND SEEING HIS ABILITY, WHICH I, I'M A I'VE SPENT MY ENTIRE LAST 20 SOME YEARS DEALING WITH ATTORNEYS EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE. AND IT'S SOME SORT OF CAREER.

CERTAINLY A 26 TO 1. ARE YOU? YEAH. YEAH. I LEARNED HOW TO LOSE ARGUMENTS REALLY FAST.

GOD BLESS YOU. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT MIKE IS A WONDERFUL LITIGATOR AND HAVING HIS LITIGATION ABILITY ON STAFF.

I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN REPLICATE THAT.

I HOPE WE CAN, BUT AND THAT'S A AND THAT'S MY KUDOS TO MIKE.

SO WE HAVE TO DO THE WHOLE STATE.

NO, I MEAN, WE CAN I THINK WE'D BE WASTING OUR TIME ON SOMEBODY.

NO. MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA BAR GENERALLY.

I MEAN, THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE AND EVEN OUTSIDE THE STATE.

BUT IF THEY MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FAIRLY SMALL COMMUNITY, RIGHT. THAT'S CERTIFIED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

YEAH. THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ALL THAT MANY.

AND I, I WOULD TELL YOU, AS I SAID, I THINK VERY EARLY ON, EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAWYER SHOULD KNOW SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY ARE, QUOTE, ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS.

RIGHT. AND JUST AS MIKE HAD, I'LL SAY, MIKE HAD THE BENEFIT OF PAUL'S EXPERIENCE AS A GOVERNMENT ATTORNEY.

WHEN PAUL BECAME CITY MANAGER, WHOEVER WE HIRE WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF MIKE AS WELL. EXACTLY. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW I KNOW MIKE HAS TOLD ME THAT PAUL WAS MENTORED HIM AND, AND AND AND ACTUALLY, I'VE BEEN KIND OF HAPPY THAT PAUL'S BEEN BACK FROM HERE TO HELPING WITH THE CITY MANAGER POSITION. AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S THE TRAINING WHEELS ARE ABOUT TO COME OFF.

SO I WAS HOPING WE'D WAIT TILL AFTER THE BUDGET SO I COULD BLAME SOMEONE ELSE.

AND BECAUSE IF I HAD TO IMAGINE THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE THE LAST PFOA THAT COMES UP, YOU KNOW, AS DEP STARTS TESTING FOR MORE, THERE'S PROBABLY GOD KNOWS WHAT IN OUR WATER.

NOT TO. NOT TO KNOCK AT PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, BUT TRULY WITH THE RIVER, YOU GOT, YOU KNOW, GREEN ALGAE ALREADY.

AND EVEN IF ARMY CORPS PERFECTLY MANAGES THE RIVER IN OUR BENEFIT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET SUED BY SUGAR.

AND POTENTIALLY WE SHOULD BE A PARTY WITH THE ARMY CORPS IN A CASE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT GOING ON FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE. SO, OKAY, SO WHAT DO WE NEED? WHAT DO YOU GUYS NEED FROM US? CAN WE TAKE OFF THE INTERIM TAG TONIGHT, OR DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT ON A SEPARATE MEETING? NO. YEAH. I MEAN, YOU ARE IN D AND D, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, YOU'RE PROBABLY BETTER OFF TO DO THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING. THAT WAY YOU GET NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC THAT AND BY THAT TIME WE WILL HAVE A CONTRACT FOR YOU TO, TO.

OKAY. SO YOU HAVE DIRECTION.

YES. OKAY. MIKE, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOW OR NEVER TO SAY NO.

THAT'S RIGHT. COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGE.

OKAY, GREAT. YES. BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ATTORNEY AND SPECIFICALLY AS AS MR. CLARK MENTIONED, THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS.

CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE? COMMISSIONER. RICH. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. I'M VERY BAD AT THAT. I STILL WOULD LIKE.

FOR US TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER AUTHORIZING SOME ATTORNEYS TO.

HAVE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IN THESE MATTER DESCRIBED TO US IN DETAILS WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT LEGAL OPTIONS MAY EXIST FOR US IN THE FUTURE.

I WAS JUST HANDED THIS TODAY.

I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.

IT IS HOLDING STATES ACCOUNTABLE FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS. FLORIDA'S WATER CRISIS IN FOCUS.

IT IS BY TWO INDIVIDUALS, PRIMARILY JASON AUTHORED JASON TO TOYOU AND JACQUELINE LOPEZ. I DON'T KNOW, MR..

BUT I SAW JACQUELINE LOPEZ AT THE EVERGLADE CONFERENCE.

[03:05:04]

JASON. ODDLY ENOUGH, IS A SENIOR ATTORNEY AT THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND HOLDS A J.D. FROM TULANE LAW SCHOOL.

HE WAS BORN IN STUART, FLORIDA.

HE GREW UP FISHING WITH HIS FAMILY ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE, THE SAINT LUCIE RIVER, AND THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON.

MISS LOPEZ IS A LAW PROFESSOR AT STETSON AND DIRECTS THE JACOBS LAW CLINIC FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE ENVIRONMENT. SHE HOLDS AN LLM IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND LAND USE LAW FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, LEVIN COLLEGE OF LAW AND A J.D.

FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER STURM COLLEGE OF LAW.

AND THERE'S EIGHT OTHER PEOPLE MENTIONED.

THIS IS AN 80 PAGE ARTICLE.

JUST THE CHAPTER HEADINGS ARE THREE PAGES AND ANY STATEMENT OF CONCERN YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OR SPOKEN OF YOURSELF IS MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY HERE.

IT IS THE MOST HEAVILY FOOTNOTED ARTICLE I HAVE, MOST HAVE ALMOST EVER READ, AND I WILL MAKE COPIES AVAILABLE TO ALL OF YOU. I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY EASY TO ASK THESE PEOPLE TO PROVIDE THIS.

THIS WAS AUTHORED FALL OF LAST YEAR TO FOR THEM TO TELL US WHAT OPTIONS MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST FOR US, AND CERTAINLY WOULD BE NICE TO HAND THAT DOCUMENT TO A NEW ATTORNEY SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT AWARENESS GOING FORWARD AND MAYBE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM.

THE DISCUSSION ABOUT HIRING A, HIRING A LAW FIRM TO DO A REVIEW.

WELL, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO DO A REVIEW.

SO IS EVERYBODY WANT AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THAT? YES, YES. AS LONG AS IT IS, IS LET'S SAY THESE, THESE PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY AND NOT, YOU KNOW, SOME LARGE GROUP THAT'S COMING IN TO GIVE US WE SHOULD LOOK, LOOK AT OUR OPTIONS OF, OF EVERYTHING.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE AGENDAS FOR TO DISCUSSION.

I, YOU KNOW, I ALSO DON'T THINK YOU CHERRY PICK ONE LAW FIRM, I THINK AND SO, BUT I THINK THAT AND WHO KNOWS IF THEY EVEN WANT TO DO IT.

YOU SAID MAYBE THEY CHARGED, MAYBE THEY HAVE A CHARGE OR JUST EXPERTS.

WELL, THIS IS WELL, THESE ARE ACADEMICS, BUT MR., I KNOW THAT THE CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 1986.

THEY HAVE LITERALLY DOZENS OF LAWYERS.

THEY ARE FIGHTING ENVIRONMENTAL BATTLES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO THEY'RE I THINK THEY'RE A GOOD MIX FOR US MYSELF.

I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE NOT THE RIGHT ATTORNEYS. I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T JUST LIMIT OUR SCOPE ONLY TO OH, I AGREE.

I AGREE. NO, I EXACTLY.

I WAS SUGGESTING AN AGENDA ITEM, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ARE YOU TRYING TO SUGGEST THAT MAYBE IF THE CITY, FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE OF THE CITY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, MAYBE IT COULD WORK WITH THE RIVERS COALITION OR SOMEBODY ELSE AND DO, LIKE A SUMMIT AND INVITE SOME OF THESE GUYS HERE? IS THAT WHAT THAT IDEA, THAT IDEA HAS COME UP MORE THAN ONCE.

COMMISSIONER CLARK. I THINK THAT IS A GOOD IDEA.

AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THINK THAT THE CITY OF STUART HAS A UNIQUE STANDING. YES. AND WE SHOULD WE SHOULD EXPLORE THAT.

OKAY. SO WE'LL PUT AN AGENDA ITEM TOGETHER BEFORE.

HOLD ON ONE SECOND BEFORE POTENTIALLY.

TO COLOR WHO WE HIRE. IS THAT TRULY THE IDEA FOR THIS POSITION OR TO ARM THEM WITH WHO? YOU KNOW, LIKE A FULL TIME HIRE IN YOUR THOUGHTS? IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY. I'M SORRY.

I DIDN'T FORGIVE ME IF THAT WASN'T CLEAR.

SO IN LIGHT OF DOING THIS, IN LIGHT OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING MORE OF A MUNICIPAL LAWYER THAT MAYBE COULD LITIGATE, BUT ARMING THEM WITH SOME OF THIS INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY WITH LOATHSOME LOOMING AND THAT NOT GOING WELL OR WHATEVER, SO THAT THEY, THEY HAVE MORE TOOLS TO POTENTIALLY HIRE A FULL TIME ATTORNEY FULL TIME EMPLOYEE ATTORNEY AT SOME POINT. MAYBE HYPOTHETICALLY.

IS THAT SORT OF YOUR MINDSET OR YOU SAY SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, WE'RE GOING TO DIG INTO THIS SO WE CAN DECIDE WHO WE'RE GOING TO HIRE AS A CITY ATTORNEY. SO THIS IS A 80 PAGE ACADEMIC STUDY.

AND THEIR CONCLUSION IS THERE'S NO LEGAL ACTION THE CITY CAN TAKE AT THIS TIME.

AND NOBODY HAS SPOKEN TO HAS SAID THAT THERE'S ANY LEGAL ACTION THAT WE CAN TAKE AT THIS TIME. THAT WAS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS.

YES. SO SO YOU'RE DOING THIS MORE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE AWARE YOU'RE DOING THIS MORE FOR POLITICAL COVER.

SO THERE'S AN OUT BASICALLY.

[03:10:02]

OKAY. SO YOU KNOW NEVER MIND.

I AM NOT IN SUPPORT OF THAT AGENDA ITEM.

SO HERE, YOU KNOW, AS A AS AS THE CONCLUSION YOU JUST SAID, MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO FAR AS PUTTING TOGETHER SOMETHING LIKE COMMISSIONER CLARK SAID, A SUMMIT TO BRING IN SOME AN EDUCATIONAL ASPECT. AND WE CERTAINLY CAN TAKE THAT REPORT 80 PAGE.

IT'S I'M GUESSING YOU THINK IT'S A LAW REVIEW ARTICLE MAYBE.

I HAVEN'T SEEN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT SOUNDS LIKE A.

YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A BIT OF A DISTRACTION BECAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY SORT OF CASE IN FRONT OF US. RIGHT? THERE'S NO WE DON'T HAVE A CAUSE OF ACTION.

THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. SO IT'S JUST SORT OF POLITICAL COVERAGE. THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO FROM AN EDUCATIONAL STANDPOINT AND WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.

SO OKAY, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE I THINK WE HAVE EVERYTHING WE NEED THERE.

SO I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE LAST ITEM, THE WELLS FARGO BUILDING DISCUSSION.

[14. WELLS FARGO BUILDING DISCUSSION]

YEAH, I WILL IF YOU DON'T MIND, MIKE, I'LL JUST SAY WHY I REQUESTED IT.

I WAS NOT ON THE COMMISSION WHEN THE CITY PURCHASED THE BUILDING.

QUITE HONESTLY, AS A CITIZEN, I WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THAT BEING SAID, WE OWN THE BUILDING NOW, AND SO WE HAVE THE BUILDING.

AND THEN I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT THE FINANCING, WHICH IS AT THE TIME I WAS AS A CITIZEN, I WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE FINANCING BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE ROUGHLY 1% INTEREST.

BUT WE CAN'T WE CAN'T MOVE ANY NEW TENANTS IN AS PEOPLE HAVE MOVED OUT WHILE WE DECIDE WHAT AND IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH IT.

SO THAT'S A IT'S CLOSE, BUT IT'S WE WE CAN'T USE THE PROPERTY AS AN INVESTMENT. SO WHEN YOU SAY TO MOVE TENANTS IN TO START CHARGING MARKET RENT RATE, TO TREAT IT AS AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY, WOULD BE TREATING IT AS AN INVESTMENT.

OKAY. SO A LITTLE BIT OFF ON THAT, BUT THANK YOU, MIKE.

NOW, THAT BEING SAID, FOR SPECIFIC REASONS INVOLVING THIS BUILDING AND SOME CHALLENGES THIS BUILDING HAS IT IS THERE.

ALSO HE WANTS TO MOVE FINANCE OVER THERE AND I THINK THAT'S A FINE IDEA FROM, BUT WE, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE MOVE AND TURN IT INTO CITY HALL, WE NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION TO DO THAT.

MAKE THE DECISION TO SPEND THE MONEY ON TURNING INTO CITY HALL.

AND WE. THEN THERE'S THE $64,000 QUESTION IS, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS PROPERTY? AND QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DO ANYTHING WITH THAT PROPERTY DOWN THERE UNTIL WE MAKE THAT DECISION, BECAUSE WE NEED IF WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING COMMERCIALLY, WE NEED TO DO A REFERENDUM.

I WILL TELL YOU, THE FIRST TIME I RAN FOR OFFICE IN 2010, I WAS A BELIEF THAT CITY HALL SHOULD BE RAISED.

THERE SHOULD BE A HOTEL PUT HERE OR AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS.

CONVENTION CENTER. I NEVER THOUGHT A CONVENTION CENTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH, BUT I HAVE SENSED MY POSITION HAS EVOLVED ON THAT, PRIMARILY BECAUSE I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL HOTEL OPERATORS.

THAT SAID, THE SITE IN ITSELF WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO A HOTEL.

WE STILL WE ALSO HAVE THE REFERENDUM THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY HAS A LOT OF VALUE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AS MUCH AS WE WOULD HOPE IN ORDER TO. SO I'M AT A, I'M PERSONALLY AT A UNDECIDED OF WHERE WE SHOULD GO. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE MORE THAN ONE DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION ON THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING TO GO REGARDING CITY HALL. YOU KNOW, I WAS TALKING WITH, I ACTUALLY SPOKE QUITE A BIT ABOUT THIS WITH MY WIFE LAST NIGHT.

AND I TOLD HER, I SAID, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE I WANT TO BE ON THIS.

THIS IS A QUESTION I WANT TO BE.

I KNOW WE HAVE ONLY TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT WERE HERE, YOU KNOW, AND I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL AND WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.

BUT MY WIFE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO ME THAT SHE WOULD BE JUST DEVASTATED IF CITY HALL WASN'T IN THIS LOCATION ANYMORE. SO I HAVE THAT AS WELL.

SO SO ANYWAY, SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.

ANY. COMMISSIONER. MINE ARE MY QUESTIONS ARE MORE FINANCIAL WITH REGARD TO WELLS TO TRY TO DIG INTO IT A LITTLE BIT WOULD, LET'S SAY WE DID USE IT AS AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY AND BROKE THE TERMS OF.

THAT ALLOWED US TO GET THAT LOW RATE.

[03:15:03]

WOULD WE GET KICKED UP TO ANOTHER RATE? WOULD WE BE FORCED TO SELL IT? HOW, HOW WOULD NOT BEING IN COMPLIANCE AND MAKING THAT CITY HALL, AS WERE THE TERMS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GET IT AT THAT RATE? WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE OUTCOME? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? HYPOTHETICALLY? COULD YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE? I MEAN, COME ON UP. COME ON UP.

YOU'RE HERE, SO LET'S TALK.

VERY GOOD. HEY, JOLIE.

JUST REPEAT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.

YES. FRONT AND CENTER, FRONT AND CENTER.

NO HIDING BEHIND THE SCREENS.

ALL RIGHT. WE WANT TO HAVE SQUARELY ON CAMERA. I'M 240 POUNDS AT FIVE FOOT NINE.

IT'S HARD. IT'S ALL MUSCLE. FOR A WHILE. YEAH. NO, THE. SO THE CITY ACQUIRED A 1.285% INTEREST RATE.

THE EFFECTIVE RATE IS 1.29 BECAUSE OUR INTENT AND IT'S LISTED IN THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT OF THE THE, THE NOTE ITSELF THAT IT WAS INTENDED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSE TO BE CITY HALL, INCLUDING THE PARKING FACILITY. WE WAIVED THE OPTIONS FOR EARLY PREPAYMENT BECAUSE OF THE INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE RATE THAT THEY GAVE US.

SO THERE IS NO EARLY PREPAYMENT OPTION ON THE NOTE.

SO THE TERMS FOR THEIR THEIR TERMS FOR EARLY PREPAYMENT WERE SOMETHING LIKE 50 BASIS POINTS ADDED ON TO THE INTEREST RATE.

IF WE HAD CHOSEN TO PAY IT OFF IN TWO OPENING WINDOWS, I WOULD HAVE TO CONSULT WITH BOND COUNSEL.

EXACTLY. WITH JP MORGAN'S BOND COUNSEL ON EXACTLY WHAT THE PENALTY WOULD BE IF WE SUDDENLY DECIDED TO CHANGE THE USE OF THE BUILDING.

A BIG QUESTION WHAT DO WE OWE? WE STILL HAVE EIGHT YEARS ON THE NOTE, AND WE PAY $507,000 A YEAR AT THE TIME THAT WE STARTED THE AGREEMENT.

THE RENT FROM WELLS FARGO COVERED THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.

SO IT WAS ESSENTIALLY A WASH FREE MONEY THROUGH ATTRITION.

WE YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL FUND IS PICKING UP A LITTLE MORE OF THAT.

HOW MUCH RENT? I THINK WE'RE ABOUT 20,000.

SO AS PURSUANT TO THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION, THE LEASES AND THE TENANTS WERE NOTIFIED OF THE CITY'S INTENTION TO OCCUPY THE BUILDING AND AS A RESULT, AS THEIR LEASES HAVE COME DUE, THEY HAVE BEEN VACATING THE PREMISES AS THEY VACATE.

OBVIOUSLY, THE RENT GOES AWAY AND IT'S WE'RE.

SO I SAY WE'VE COME WE'RE NOW ABOUT 20,000 SHORT ON THAT ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT.

SO WE'VE ONLY PICKED UP A LITTLE BIT. SO WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE BROKE THOSE TERMS. I, I EXPECT IMMEDIATELY, YES, THE INTEREST RATE THAT WAS PROPOSED AS THE PENALTY RATE WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE BACK PAYMENTS, AS WELL AS THE FULL AMOUNT DUE, WOULD BE PAYABLE IMMEDIATELY.

GOT IT. I MEAN, THAT WOULD JUST BE MY INITIAL THROW.

OKAY. AND YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO OUR I KNOW I COULDN'T GET 1.29 TODAY ON ANY LOAN IF WE WERE GOING TO TRY AND DO THAT.

I ALSO DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MARKET RATE OR SALABILITY OF SOLUBILITY OF THAT PROPERTY WOULD BE. I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD REGAIN MY MONEY ON THAT.

PLUS WE THREW 2 MILLION IN IN CASH AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO SELL IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO BE APARTMENTS. OKAY. WELL, I'M JUST SAYING WE WE WE FINANCED FIVE AND THREW TWO IN. SO THE TWO IN CASH? I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF I SOLD THE BUILDING FOR FIVE AND COVERED MY NOTE. IF I COULD SELL IT FOR FIVE, I'D STILL BE OUT THE TWO I SPENT.

SO YOU'D BE GIVING AWAY THEIR MONEY.

IS THERE A PERCENTAGE OF THAT BUILDING THAT HAS TO BE OCCUPIED BY US TO STILL COUNT? YES. I MEAN, CURRENTLY THAT BUILDING IS TAXABLE.

EVERY EVERY PROPERTY THAT THE CITY ENTERS INTO A COMMERCIAL LEASE WITH BECOMES TAXABLE.

WE GENERALLY HAVE THE TENANTS PAY THE TAXES, YOU KNOW, THE TRIPLE NET LEASE. WE GENERALLY HAVE THE TENANTS PAY THE TAX AND SOME SOME WE COVER THE TAX. MOST THEY DO.

THAT BUILDING IS TAXABLE.

WE WOULD HAVE TO. AS WE OCCUPY PERCENTAGES, THE PROPERTY APPRAISER WOULD BEGIN TO REDUCE THE TAXABLE AMOUNT. SO YOU COULD HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE CITY WOULD OCCUPY THE MAJORITY OF THE BUILDING AND ONLY BE PAYING A TAXABLE VALUE ON THAT REMAINING PERCENTAGE THAT WAS TAXABLE. SO IF THE DOWNSTAIRS WAS STILL NOW YOU HAVE SOME SOME MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS THAT SUBLET LIKE A SUBWAY SANDWICH SHOP.

AND LIKE WITH JP MORGAN, DOESN'T MAKE THE BUILDING. JP MORGAN HAVE A THRESHOLD FOR WHAT. NO, JP MORGAN DOES NOT.

THAT'S BETWEEN US AND THE PROPERTY APPRAISER ON WHEN IT BECOMES TAXABLE OR NOT TAXABLE.

BUT I MEAN TO STILL QUALIFY FOR THAT.

OH THE MEAT THE MEAT. THE TERMS OF OUR NOTE.

RIGHT. I I'M SURE SOMEONE COMES ALONG AT THE END OF THE 15 OR 10 YEAR NOTE AND SAYS, DID YOU OCCUPY THE BUILDING? IS IT THE REASON I'M ASKING IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT GIVES A SENSE OF HOW HOW

[03:20:03]

IT'S EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD BE THIS WOULD BE THE NEW CITY HALL SITE, AND THAT THERE WOULD BE A DE MINIMIS USE OF COMMERCIAL THERE.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SUBWAY. THAT IS WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE. WE WE WOULD BE THE CITY HALL THERE. THAT WOULD BE THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING. AND THEN YOU COULD SUBLET SMALL PORTIONS FOR THINGS LIKE A SUBWAY SANDWICH SHOP IN THE IN THE LOBBY AND STILL MEET YOUR TENANT. IT HAS TO BE CITY FOR THE MOST PART. IT HAS TO BE GOVERNMENT USE DEFAULT. THAT'S IT. SO AND THE CITY, IT'S EVEN LISTED IN THE DOCUMENT.

CITY IS NOT DEFAULTED ON ANY LOAN SINCE 1975.

IT'S NOT A DEFAULT. IT'S A VIOLATION OF THE BOND.

IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF SPEAKING TO YOUR.

IT'S A TECHNICAL. IT'S WHAT THEY CALL A TECHNICAL DEFAULT. SO.

SO DEFAULTING IS LIKE A HARD DEFAULT IS NOT MAKING THE PAYMENT RIGHT.

TECHNICAL DEFAULT WAS I DIDN'T MEET BOND COVENANTS OR I DIDN'T MEET MY DEBT TO EQUITY RATIO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO WE ALMOST DEFAULTED ON OUR WATER BONDS IN THE EARLY 2000 DURING A DROUGHT.

WE ALMOST DID. ALMOST.

WE ASKED THE PEOPLE TO CONSERVE WATER, AND THEY CONSERVED SO MUCH THAT WE HAD TO INCREASE THE RATES. YEAH.

SO THAT PRETTY MUCH SOLVES THAT. BUT EITHER EITHER WAY, IT STILL IMPAIRS THE BONDS.

SO. RIGHT. WELL, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.

IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A AND THEN AND THEN MOODY'S.

I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER RICHARD ASKED MOODY'S YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS A A A TWO RATING, WHICH IS GOOD, ONE POINT OFF TRIPLE A RATING.

IT WOULD DRASTICALLY AFFECT MY CREDIT RATING WITH THOSE AGENCIES IF I TECHNICALLY DEFAULTED ON THE BONDS, MUCH LESS IF I DIDN'T MAKE THE PAYMENT, THAT WOULD BE HORRIBLE. BUT IF I TECHNICALLY DEFAULTED ON THE BONDS, IT WOULD INTERFERE WITH OUR FUTURE LENDING.

OKAY, SO ASSUMING WE'RE NOT GOING TO SELL IT, THAT'S CITY HALL, THAT'S GOING TO BECOME CITY HALL INCREASINGLY. SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THE DISCUSSION IS REALLY AROUND WHAT DO WE DO HERE? RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT WHAT DO WE DO HERE? HOW WE FUND THE CONVERSION TO CITY HALL AND COMPLETE IT. DO WE HAVE AND THIS IS HYPOTHETICAL.

THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO DO. I'M JUST ASKING, DO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES? WOULD WE WANT TO HAVE THIS BE ANOTHER SO MUNICIPAL BUILDING, OR DO WE JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY THIS? IS THIS THE INTENT? WHEN THE CITY VOTED TO PASS THE RESOLUTION TO BUY AND BORROW THE BONDING MONEY TO BUY WELLS FARGO, WAS THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PAY OFF THE DEBT WITH WHATEVER REVENUE WAS GENERATED FROM SOME REDEVELOPMENT OF THE FRONT SIDE OF THIS SITE OR WHATEVER IT WAS.

THE BENEFIT THAT YOU HAVE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS THAT THERE IS A CITY LAW THAT PROHIBITS US FROM ENTERING INTO ANY LONG TERM LEASE OR SALE OF CITY PROPERTY ON THE WATER WITHOUT FIRST HAVING A REFERENDUM.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT GIVES YOU AN OFFER. NO. BUT TO EVEN RENT IT, TO EVEN RENT IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE FOR TEN YEARS OR LET THEM KNOCK IT DOWN AND DO ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT. THE POINT IN SAYING THAT IS IT ALLOWS THE COMMISSION TO ENGAGE IN AN EXERCISE OF GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN THE PATH OF LET'S HEARING ALL THE DEVELOPMENT IDEAS.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A BAD IDEA, BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH THE SITE WITHOUT FIRST GOING OUT TO A REFERENDUM VOTE AND GETTING THE SUPPORT OF EVERY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

SO WHAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO IS, BEFORE IT GOES TO REFERENDUM, GET THE BEST IDEA YOU CAN GET, GET THE BEST DESIGN YOU CAN GET.

AND WHEN IT GOES OUT TO REFERENDUM, SAY, THIS IS WHAT OUR IDEA IS, NOT JUST KIND OF A BLANK SLATE OF, HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT US SELLING AND REDEVELOPING, BUT LITERALLY FULL DESIGN, FULL.

HERE'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.

YOU KNOW WHAT? NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT, NEW JAIL, WHATEVER THAT BEST IDEA IS, AND PRESENT IT TO THE PUBLIC FINISHED SO THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING ON.

AND THEN IF THEY LIKE IT, THEY'LL VOTE YES.

IF THEY DON'T, THEY'LL VOTE NO. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE RESIDENTS.

BECAUSE I THINK THE CRUX OF YOUR NEW JOB, MR. MORRIS. WELL, NO, I'M NOT SUGGESTING TO DO IT AT ALL.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF YOU GO DOWN THAT PATH, YOU'RE NOT. BY DISCUSSING IT, YOU'RE NOT VIOLATING SOME, YOU KNOW, SACRED LAND BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS YOUR INTENTION TO HAVE EVERYONE VOTE ON IT AND GET EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK.

AND JUST, JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THIS IS SO HYPOTHETICAL AND UP IN THE AIR, BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT GOES HERE, JUST BEING CONGRUENT WITH WHAT'S AROUND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE FLAGLER CENTER, YOU GOT MAST'S OFFICE, YOU HAVE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF DOWNTOWN JUST OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, VERSUS SOME OF THE DISCUSSION I'VE HEARD IS,

[03:25:03]

IT'S US AND IT'S US. IT'S US HAVING A DISCUSSION AND COMING TO A, AN AGREEMENT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON YOUR LINE, IF IF I WERE, YOU KNOW, IF, IF HYPOTHETICALLY, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE HYPOTHETICALS, YOU KNOW IF YOU WERE TO TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, RAISE THIS BUILDING, TURN EXTEND OSCEOLA STREET ALL THE WAY TO, TO WATERFRONT RESTAURANT AND WHICH I BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT. ONE, YOU'RE GOING TO BE DIVORCED. WELL, WELL, NO, SHE WON'T DIVORCE ME.

SHE'LL JUST. YOU KNOW, I WILL.

I'LL JUST GET A LOT LESS SLEEP.

BUT SORRY, SORRY, SORRY.

YEAH. SO THEN, BUT THEN TAKE.

AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EXTENDED OSCEOLA STREET.

YOU CREATE SOME SORT OF JUST EXTEND THE DOWNTOWN A LITTLE BIT SO YOU CAN CREATE SOME REVENUE. NOW THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT SOMEONE PRESENTED TO ME THAT I THOUGHT, HEY, HE AND THEN ALL THIS BECOMES PARK THEN YEAH, LINEAR PARK AND OVER HERE BECOMES A COMMERCIAL ENDEAVOR OR THAT'S SIMILAR TO DOWNTOWN. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WORKSHOP TO GET SOME FEEDBACK? DON'T WE HAVE THAT ALREADY, MR. NICOLETTI? YES. YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THIS ALREADY EXIST.

WE JUST HAVE TO DIG THEM OUT. BUT WE SHOULD WORK, WORK, SHOPPING. IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE PROBABLY BE THE IDEAL.

SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE MORE OF A FREE FLOWING DISCUSSION WITH PICTURES.

IS THERE A TIME FRAME ON WHEN THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN? NO, NO. I THINK IF WE COMPLETED IT ON THE LAST DAY RIGHT, IT WOULD BE MORE YEARS, PAY OFF THE PAY OFF THE MONEY BECAUSE WE KEEP PAYING WELL AND WE'RE GOING TO WIN.

AND MR. ALREADY MOVING CITY STAFF AND IT IS ALREADY OVER THERE.

SO THERE'S THERE'S SO FINANCE I KNOW WANTS TO GO OVER THERE.

AND MIKE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT MOVING FINANCE OVER THERE FOR SOME VERY GOOD REASONS, ABSENT THE COMMISSION TAKING ACTION TO AGAINST THE RESOLUTION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS ALREADY PASSED, I AM CHARGED WITH CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTION OF THAT RESOLUTION, WHICH INCLUDES PACKING YOUR STUFF, MR. BUGLIOSI. NEXT WEEK.

DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU.

WE'VE ALREADY TAPED OUT THE SPOTS AND NUMBERED THEM.

OF COURSE YOU GUYS DID IT BY A SPREADSHEET. THERE'S A SPREADSHEET. WE HAVE NUMBERS LABELED AND TAPE LAID OUT ON THE FLOOR.

WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY.

NO ONE LIKES CHANGE, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THIS AT ALL.

BUT AND I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO MOVE.

I LOVE IT HERE. MY GOODNESS.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO THAT. I CAME TO WORK FOR THE CITY IN FEBRUARY OF 1995, AND I LOVE TELLING THE STORY.

MY FIRST DAY AT WORK, ALL MY PENS AND EVERYTHING RATTLED OFF MY DESK BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL DYNAMITE BLASTING FOR ROOSEVELT BRIDGE.

SO PEOPLE WERE LIKE, YOU'RE OLDER THAN THE BRIDGE. YES, I'M OLDER THAN THE BRIDGE. BUT I WAS TOLD THE FIRST DAY I CAME TO WORK HERE NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO GET A NEW CITY HALL.

AND WE HAVE WE HAVE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T FIXED THE ROOF. WE'VE DONE WE DIDN'T PUT IN A NEW AUDIO AND VIDEO SYSTEM IN HERE FOR YEARS BECAUSE, OH, WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING. I'VE BEEN HERE 28 YEARS AND I JUST NOW HAVE NUMBERS IN TAPE LAID OUT ON THE FLOOR AT WELLS FARGO THAT YOU MIGHT KILL TONIGHT.

SO. ALL RIGHT. SO JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING THEM UP, SETTING THEM UP AND KNOCKING THEM DOWN, SHOULD WE SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP? WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? SO WE'RE DOING SOMETHING PROACTIVE IN THIS DIRECTION, NOT JUST TALKING FOREVER ABOUT IT. YEAH. WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION, MR. MANAGER? WELL, SO IF IN FACT YOU'RE INCLINED TO HEAR REDEVELOPMENT IDEAS RELATED TO THE CITY HALL, I WOULD MEET WITH THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND HAVE HER INTERNALLY PUT TOGETHER PROBABLY A PRESENTATION TYPE MEETING, NOT TO VOTE ON ANY PARTICULAR THING, BUT JUST TO COME FORWARD.

AND AS MR. NICOLETTI POINTED OUT, WE HAVE SOME OLD PRESENTATIONS, WE HAVE SOME OLD STUFF, AND JUST MAYBE FOR 10 OR 15 MINUTES SAY, LOOK, HERE'S HERE'S EIGHT PAST IDEAS THAT HAVE COME FORWARD.

HERE'S THE STUFF THAT'S OUT THERE.

HERE'S SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT.

[03:30:02]

YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT COULD PLAY ROLES IN IT AND JUST SIMPLY PRESENT THAT TO YOU TO GET IT KIND OF SHIFTING IN THAT DIRECTION.

I'M SURE IT'S RIGHT. I'M SURE IT'S EXPENSIVE TO COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, PLANS. BUT AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT FULLY DESIGNING ANYTHING AT THIS POINT, THEN ONCE YOU GET THE DIRECTION AND IF YOU GUYS SAID, WE WANT CONDOS AND JUST CONDOS ONLY ONLY RENTAL APARTMENTS, RIGHT? THEN WE COULD GO OUT TO RFP AND SAY, LOOK WHO CAN BUILD THE MOST TALLEST CONDOS.

IS THERE LIKE A, IS THERE LIKE AN RFP LIGHT WHERE YOU CAN GET LIGHT IDEAS FROM DEVELOPERS AND YOU CAN DO ALL SORTS OF STUFF THAT'S FRESH RIGHT NOW, THE PROBLEM IS NOBODY WANTS TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY, RIGHT? DOING THAT. YOU COULD ALSO HIRE A.

YOU CAN HIRE TREASURE COAST REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL. YOU COULD HIRE LUCIDO ASSOCIATES.

YOU COULD HIRE DIFFERENT PLANNERS TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE MARKET PLANS FOR, WHAT THE MARKET SAYS. AND YOU CAN ANY DEVELOPER IS GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE IS, BECAUSE THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

SO YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO NEED TO EXCLUDE THOSE BECAUSE HONESTLY, IF YOU BROUGHT THIS FORWARD RIGHT NOW TO A STRICTLY, LIKE YOU SAID, MONEY SIDE OF THINGS, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE RESIDENTIAL CONDOS.

BUT IF YOU WANT IT TO HAVE SOME PUBLIC PURPOSE PUBLIC ACCESS, THEN MAYBE YOU WANT SOME TYPE OF MIXED USE THAT HAS A RESTAURANT, A COMPONENT TO IT, OR A HOTEL COMPONENT TO IT, OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WOULD MAKE IT SO THAT THOSE GREEN SPACES AND OPEN SPACES ARE ACCESSIBLE ON A DAILY LEVEL TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT COULD COME.

AND WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WE WOULD NEED TO NET ON WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS REQUIRED FOR WELLS. WELL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIGHEST AND BEST USE VERSUS WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED IS CONSENSUS RIGHT NOW IS ALL WE NEED FOR WELLS.

I'M NOT GOING TO MISDIRECT.

I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION.

ON CONTINUING TO MOVE STAFF OVER TO WELLS NOW.

THERE'S NOT ANY IT'S NOT LIKE A PLACE IS GOING VACANT TOMORROW ANYWAY.

SO THERE WAS JUST SOME VACANCIES AND I WAS FOLLOWING THE RESOLUTION.

IF IN FACT WELLS BANK WERE TO LEAVE, THEN WE'D BE UNDER A MUCH DIFFERENT THING.

THE BIGGEST TENANT THERE WOULD BE GONE. IT'D BE TIME. LIKE PART OF THAT WAS THIS PART OF IT, WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING ANY TIME SOON. THAT COULD BE UP TO FIVE YEARS OR UP TO 15 YEARS. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN.

THE TENANT HAS THREE OPTIONS ON THE TABLE THREE, FIVE YEAR OPTIONS THAT THEY COULD EXERCISE, THEY COULD EXERCISE WELLS COULD BE THERE FOR 15 YEARS OR WELLS COULD LEAVE.

BUT THEY HAVE ALSO TOLD US THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE THERE, THAT THEY WOULD NOT PREFER TO BE IN THAT BIG OF A SPACE FOR 15 YEARS, AND IF THEY FOUND A BETTER SPACE, OR IF WE REDEVELOP THE SITE AND INCLUDED THEM IN IT, THEY MIGHT STAY. I MEAN, THERE'S LOTS. THAT'S THE NEXT STEP.

COMMISSIONER. RICH. THANK YOU.

SO IF WE DID NOTHING, WE HAVE EIGHT YEARS LEFT ON THE NOTE 500 000 A YEAR. CORRECT. SO ABOUT WE COULD LET THE TENANTS PAY OFF THAT $4 MILLION FOR US, MINUS THE 2160 GRAND. SO IF THERE WAS NO FURTHER ATTRITION WE WE WORK, WE HAVE A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY THAT KEEPS THEIR EAR TO THE GROUND ON WHETHER THE TENANTS EXPECT TO RENEW THEIR EXISTING LEASES OR IF THEY WANT TO CHANGE THEM.

I THINK IF IT WAS OUR INTENT TO KEEP THAT BUILDING OCCUPIED FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, WE MIGHT HAVE TO TRY AND EITHER BE PREPARED TO EAT A LARGER CHUNK OF THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, OR TRY AND WOO SOME OF THE TENANTS TO STAY LONGER.

YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S THE TRADE OFF.

THEY WANT. DO THEY INDICATE THEY'D PREFER TO STAY? BUT WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN SAYING YOU NEED TO GO.

THE OTHER ONE IS THERE'S A THE ONCOLOGY OFFICE, WHICH IS A LARGE PORTION OF IT HAS LESS THAN FIVE YEARS LEFT.

AND WE. THE THE STRIP MALL ON THE EAST END OF THE PROPERTY IS VACANT AND HAS BEEN INTENDED TO REMAIN VACANT BECAUSE IT WAS SOLD AS REALLY COMPLETELY DEPRECIATED PROPERTY.

THE ROOF HAS LEAKS AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF AND IT WAS INTENDED FOR BEING DEMOLISHED.

WE JUST DIDN'T GET INTO DEMOLISHING IT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO SENSE IN DOING ALL THAT TWICE. IF IN FACT IT WAS GOING TO BE A REDEVELOPMENT.

IS THAT STRIP MALL SUBJECT TO THE SAME COVENANTS? THE ONLY WE. WE SPLIT THE DEAL UP.

THE CRA BOUGHT ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY GENERAL FUND, BOUGHT ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY, AND THE FINANCING DEAL COVERED ESSENTIALLY THE BANK BUILDING FOR COMMON TERMS, BUT I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THE CITY COMMISSION WENT OUT TO RFP AND AWARDED AN RFP FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THAT CRA PIECE TO STEWART MEWS, MUSE THAT IS A DEVELOPMENT OF THE WELLS FARGO SITE THAT

[03:35:07]

I THINK IT'S MEWS ACTUALLY.

MUSES AS MUSES. THAT'S RIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW. JUST SAYS NO, NO, HOLD ON.

WAIT A MINUTE. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET THE MIC.

DO WE NEED ALL THAT ROOM? DO WE NEED ALL THAT ROOM? CITY. MR. CITY MANAGER.

SO WE'RE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS HERE IN INDIANA.

WE'RE IN THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS.

AND AS A RESULT, THE STEWART THE WELLS FARGO BUILDING WITHOUT THE ONCOLOGY PORTION WAS GOING TO BE ADEQUATE TO FILL IT.

AND WITH DESIGN AND HAVING TO BUILD A MEETING SPACE, ETC.. HOWEVER, WITH THE ONCOLOGY BUILDING POTENTIALLY MOVING, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A REDESIGN AND MAYBE MAKING THAT BE THE CHAMBERS BECAUSE FOR SECURITY REASONS, YOU COULD HAVE THAT BE UNLOCKED.

AND LIKE THE RIVERS COALITION COULD MEET IN THERE, BUT THE BUILDING ITSELF COULD STILL REMAIN COMPLETELY LOCKED UP.

AND THEN YOU ONLY HAVE THE PUBLIC SPACE AND THERE'S A LOT OF BENEFITS TO IT.

THOSE ARE ALL UNKNOWNS BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF WHEN STUFF HAPPENS AND DOESN'T HAPPEN.

I MEAN, DOES THE CITY ANTICIPATE OUR HEAD COUNT CONTINUING TO INCREASE YEAR AFTER YEAR GOING FORWARD HERE? NOT REALLY.

IT SHOULDN'T. IF YOU TAKE THE POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS OUT, FLUCTUATE MINIMALLY. POLICE AND FIRE UP AND DOWN.

BUT OVERALL, THE. YEAH, BUT WE DON'T HOUSE THE POLICE AND FIRE IN OUR BUILDINGS. BUT YOU SHOULDN'T BE FACING MUCH MORE.

OKAY. SO BUT SO THAT'S NOT A PRESSURE WE'RE GOING TO FACE, RIGHT? NO, IT HANDLES BUILD OUT JUST FINE.

THAT BUILDING. AND WELLS FARGO HAS A WHOLE BOTTOM FLOOR THAT'S ALL THEIRS IN THAT BUILDING. WELL, RIGHT NOW THE BANK IS OCCUPYING RIGHT NOW THE BANK IS THEY LEASE IT. SO CAN THE BANK JUST CAN THEY SAY TOMORROW WE'RE GONE? WELL, THEY'D HAVE TO GIVE THE BANK.

THE BANK SIGNED A LAST MAY.

THE BANK SIGNED A FIVE YEAR NOTE.

HOWEVER, IN SIGNING THAT FIVE YEAR NOTE, THE CITY.

WHEN I SAY NO LEASE, THE CITY SAID TO THE BANK, HEY, IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN MOVING OUT EARLY, LET US KNOW AND WE'LL LET YOU.

IT SAYS WE HAVE THE OPTION OR WE WILL LET YOU.

WELL, IT WAS A. THE LEASE ITSELF IS FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THE. THE HARD WORDS OF THE LEASE ARE FIVE YEARS.

IF THE COMMISSION'S INTENTION IS TO HOLD THEM TO THAT FIVE YEARS, THEN I NEED TO TELL OUR BROKER AND THE BANK TO STOP LOOKING, BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE COMMISSION WANTS US TO MOVE INTO THAT BUILDING AND THAT THEY, IF THEY FIND ANOTHER LOCATION, ARE FREE TO GO TO IT. DO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP PAYING THAT FIVE YEARS? WELL, THEY HAVE TO IF THEY'RE SIGNED.

THEY'VE SIGNED A CONTRACT. YEAH. BUT THEY'LL STOP LOOKING.

I MEAN, IT'S A LARGE SECOND LARGEST BANK IN THE WORLD.

YEAH. I THINK COMMISSIONER RICH, THE REASON AM I GOING TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN HERE. OKAY. THE REASON THAT WE GOT THAT FINANCE IS ON IS ON THIS IDEA IS, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN IN THIS BUILDING 28 YEARS.

WE CONSISTENTLY HAVE WATER LEAKS AND WATER DAMAGE.

SO LAST TWO FRIDAY NIGHTS AGO, MILTON WAS.

OH MY GOSH, THERE WAS A WATERFALL FROM THE SECOND FLOOR ROOF DOWN TO THE FRONT DOOR.

AND YOU KNOW, AFTER RAINSTORMS, THERE'S WATER ALONG THE CARPET LINE.

SO WE HAD TALKED TO BUILDING MAINTENANCE ABOUT MAKING A REPAIR.

YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO FINALLY SEAL THAT WALL AND SEAL THAT OUTSIDE WALL.

AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU HAVE TO MOVE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS.

AND WE'RE LIKE, WHERE WOULD FINANCE GO FOR TWO WEEKS? OH, WELL, WE OWN WELLS FARGO.

WE'D MOVE OVER TO WELLS FARGO FOR TWO WEEKS WHILE THEY DID REPAIRS AND FINANCE. WELL, THEN WE'RE LIKE, THEN WHY WOULD WE MOVE BACK? WE OWN THE BUILDING.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE NEW CITY HALL. IT'S GOING TO BE VACANT EITHER WAY. IT'S GOING TO BE VACANT EITHER. SO SO WE'RE LIKE, WELL, IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS TO MAKE REPAIRS, WHY NOT JUST MOVE OUT? RIGHT? SO WHEN WE MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERATION, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST OF MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING AND IMPROVING THIS FACILITY.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL NUMBERS, I WOULD TELL YOU.

BUT WE DID THAT EXTENSIVELY, OKAY.

IN THE BOND AND IN THE DIRECTION OF THE RESOLUTION.

I MEAN, THAT WAS HOURS OF PRESENTATIONS FROM BOND COUNCIL HOURS OF PRESENTATION ON DESIGN DID A COMPLETE BUILD OUT OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REPAIR THIS BUILDING VERSUS THAT.

AND SO ALL THOSE DECISIONS HAPPENED, AND ALL THOSE NUMBERS ARE YEARS OLD NOW.

I EXPECT I EXPECT INFLATION HAS GONE UP ON THEM.

THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN, RIGHT? THE IT MADE FINANCIAL SENSE, OBVIOUSLY.

[03:40:01]

OH, IT'S JUST THE PROBLEM.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL. WE'RE ON THE ORIGINAL TIMETABLE. OH OKAY. I'M JUST NOW MOVING PEOPLE AND YOU GUYS ARE A NEW BOARD.

AND SO AS THEY'RE MOVING, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ON BOARD WITH IT AND THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SAY STOP, DON'T MOVE.

OKAY. AND IT'S WHERE YOU'RE AT.

IT'S I THINK IT'S JUST SO UNHEALTHY.

IT'S JUST, IT'S WISE TO GET OUT OF THERE.

WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT. YEAH.

I THINK IT'S TIME. YEAH.

NO, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I'LL TELL YOU, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION.

AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE I KNEW IT WOULD BE LIVELY. IS THERE A NEXT STEP? I MEAN. WELL, I THINK THE NEXT STEP IS I THINK IS FOR JUST FOR OUR EDUCATION, FOR OUR EDUCATION, IF STAFF CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT DO WHAT THEY MENTIONED AND ALSO GO BACK AND FIND SOME OF THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS.

SO WE CAN JUST SEE, I MEAN, IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE.

WHEN I FIRST IN THE EARLY 2000, THERE WAS THERE WAS A VERY INTENSE PROPOSAL MADE FOR THESE PROPERTIES.

AND THERE'S BEEN SOME VERY INTENSE, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS.

ARE WE TALKING ABOUT DEVELOPING THE WELLS PROPERTY AS WELL? NO. WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT ISSUE.

THAT ONE IS THERE'S ACTUALLY A.

THAT ONE. THERE IS A WE HAD GONE OUT TO RFP AND WE AWARDED THAT TO STEWART MEWS, WHICH WAS THE OF THE TWO TALKING ABOUT.

YEAH, IT WAS THE. TWO OF THE TWO PROPOSALS WAS THE LEAST DENSE OF THE PROPOSAL.

IT WAS A MIXED USE KEEPING CITY HALL AND THEN BUILDING TOWN KIND OF LIKE TOWNHOMES AROUND IT IN A PARKING GARAGE.

JESUS. NO. OKAY. SO. WELL, WE'VE ALREADY AWARDED IT FOR THAT.

SO CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? JUST ONE SECOND, COMMISSIONER. I'LL GET TO YOU. DON'T WORRY.

SO SO THERE IS SO THERE IS THERE IS A RFP AWARDED TO STEWART MEWS FOR THAT.

SO BUT THE, THE THING IS, AND THINK ABOUT THIS IS IT IS A CONSIDERABLY LESS DENSE PROPOSAL. SO, SO IF WE, IF WE DO GO IN THIS DIRECTION, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH WELLS. WELL, WELLS IS, ARE WE LOCKED INTO THAT? WE'RE NOT LOCKED INTO. I DON'T THINK WE'RE LOCKED INTO. WE HAVE A.

BUT WE HAVE TO DO FAIR LEASE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THEM.

SO WITH MUSE. YEAH. SO WHICH THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRESENTING SOON, BUT WE BUT WE SELECTED THEM AS THE DEVELOPER.

AND THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR CITY HALL SITE.

BUT THAT IS OKAY. HOLD ON, I NEED I NEED HELP HERE.

SO OKAY, SO WHILE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT, COMMISSIONER CLARK HAS SOMETHING SHE WANTS TO SAY.

SO WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU.

YOU'RE SAYING WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT PROPERTY.

WE JUST HAD OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING THING AND WE NEVER HEARD BACK.

STAFF WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT SOME STUFF.

AND I THINK SOME OF THIS IN TERMS OF HOW WE PERCEIVE AND WHAT WE DO IF WE STAY HERE AND STILL DO SOMETHING WITH WELLS OR IF WE MOVE EVERYTHING TO WELLS.

FINALLY, I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING.

SO, MR. MARTEL, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN? I THOUGHT STAFF WAS PUTTING SOME THINGS TOGETHER.

AND SO WE I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT TALKED ABOUT.

OKAY. OKAY. SO THAT'S STILL ON.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD. SO IT WE ARE ALLOWING MUSE TO DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY TO BUILD TOWNHOUSES. I THINK IT WAS TOWNHOUSE SOME.

WAS IT TOWNHOUSES OR SOME SOME.

YEAH. YEAH. NOT FULLY.

IT WAS LIKE A PARKING GARAGE ABLE TO TO HAVE IT, TO HAVE IT NOT BE THAT.

ARE WE LOCKED INTO THAT? I'D BE A MODEL, MR. MARTEL.

NO, WE'VE AGREED TO IT.

THERE IS NOT A SIGNED LEASE.

THEY MIGHT NOT. EVEN AFTER FIVE YEARS, EVEN I WOULDN'T GO THAT FAR.

OKAY. WHY DO WE. WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE THEM DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY? I GUESS I'M CONFUSED. THAT WAS PART OF THE PLAN WHEN THEY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY WAS TO I. I HAD REFERENCED EARLIER THE 2 MILLION IN CASH.

YES. SO CRA PUT A MILLION IN CASH INTO THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY SITE FOR THE PURPOSES OF REDEVELOPMENT.

NOW, I'M NOT THE PLANNING DIRECTOR AND I'M NOT THE CITY MANAGER, BUT I'VE BEEN IN THESE MEETINGS AND I THINK THE GOAL WAS TO TRY AND PULL DOWNTOWN AND DEVELOPMENT DOWN OCEAN.

YES. AND SO THE CRA WAS BUYING THAT PROPERTY FOR REDEVELOPMENT.

JUST LIKE EARLIER. WE TALKED ABOUT THE RESTAURANT NEXT DOOR.

THAT WAS THE WHOLE PURPOSE FOR PURCHASING THAT PROPERTY ORIGINALLY WAS CONTROL THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT. SO CRA THREW IN A MILLION WITH THE WITH THE GOAL OF REDEVELOPING THE PROPERTY GENERAL FUND, THREW IN A MILLION OF BUYING THE PARKING LOT AND THE DRIVE THROUGH AREA.

AND THEN WE FINANCED THE BUILDING ITSELF.

[03:45:02]

THE CRA WAS THE PURPOSE OF.

THAT WAS AGAIN, I WASN'T HERE WHEN THE PURCHASE.

BUT IT WAS A PURPOSE TO.

THAT PORTION OF IT WAS PURCHASED AS A REDEVELOPMENT SITE.

IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE PLAN, ACTUALLY.

IT IS A PRETTY NICE PLAN BECAUSE IT INCLUDES A PARKING GARAGE AND SO.

BUT ANYWAYS, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO. WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT ACTUALLY WE HAVE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A FEW LORI, ARE YOU ARE YOU DONE WITH ME? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO THESE ARE JUST FOR LAURA JOB 2950 SOUTH EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD.

IF YOU GO THE ROUTE OF DOING THE WORKSHOP, WOULD YOU CONSIDER HAVING PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY GIVE SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS BUILDING SHOULD YOU MOVE OVER TO WELLS FARGO FOR SURE.

WELL, YOU. CAN I ASK FOR JUST ONE SEAT IN THAT? NO, I'M. I'M JUST ASKING IF YOU WOULD TAKE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY AS TO WHAT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU. I'M GOING TO GET TEN OF THEM TOMORROW. I MEAN, I MEAN, HONESTLY. OH, GOOD. I CAN SEND MINE IN TOMORROW.

THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF IT IS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS IT, BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT IN SPENDING ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE MONEY TO PUT IT OUT THERE AND HAVE A REFERENDUM THAT FALLS FLAT ON ITS FACE.

YOU WANT AN OVERWHELMING BUY IN FROM EVERYONE INVOLVED.

OKAY. AND IT MADE IT SOUND LIKE THE WORKSHOP WAS GOING TO JUST BE AMONG THEM. NO, NO, NO. IT WOULD BE MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS, MULTIPLE PRESENTATIONS.

THIS IS NOT AN OVERNIGHT THING. NO, NO, I REALIZE THAT.

OH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY.

HELEN. HELEN MCBRIDE, FLAMINGO AVENUE.

I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WENT AROUND WITH THE PETITION FOR THAT REFERENDUM.

BECAUSE I WAS HERE WHEN YOU WANTED TO PUT CONDOMINIUMS ON THIS PROPERTY.

I WAS ALSO ON A COMMITTEE WHERE I THINK I'M PRETTY SURE ME AND MIKE HUDSON, HE'S AN ARCHITECT, RIGHT? HOUSTON. HOUSTON. MIKE.

HOUSTON. HOUSTON. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT.

HE CAME UP WITH A NICE PLAN FOR THIS PROPERTY.

IT WAS TO YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHEN WE HAD WELLS FARGO.

THIS WOULD BE TORN DOWN.

GREEN SPACE, A PARK BY THE WATER LANDSCAPED AMPHITHEATER.

NO, THE THE AMPHITHEATER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOWN BY FLAGLER AND FLAGLER PARK.

A LANDSCAPED PARKING LOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO TURN AROUND AND THEN STORES ON FLAGLER. BUT I MEAN, I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, AND I'M GOING TO BE 87.

I'LL GO DOOR TO DOOR. IF ANYONE THINKS OF PUTTING IN ANY KIND OF A BUILDING RIGHT HERE, I DON'T CARE. OUT FRONT, YOU CAN BUILD STORES.

WHAT? BUT THIS BECAUSE I COME, I DON'T COME ANYMORE BECAUSE A THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE. YOU COME DOWN ANY SUNDAY.

YOU HAVE TO BE HERE AT 12:00 TO GET TRY TO GET A PARKING SPOT, BUT YOU FIND A BLADE OF GRASS TO PUT YOUR CHAIR ON FOR THE MUSIC FESTIVAL.

WOW. IT IS SO IF WE HAD MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE COULD COME DOWN.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUNG FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN AND THEY DO.

THEY COME WITH THEIR KIDS AND WATCH THE CHILDREN PLAYING THAT KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE WORKSHOPS. AND I DON'T SEE ANYONE VOTING TO PUT ANY KIND OF A BUILDING RIGHT HERE. THANK YOU. MARK.

MARK. ROCKVILLE, 208 SOUTHEAST OSCEOLA STREET, STUART, FLORIDA. I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK HERE ON HELEN'S COMMENT.

WHAT SHE'S REFERRING TO IS THE MCCARTY PLAN.

AND I KNOW MIKE, YOU SAID MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT IT. MAIN STREET WORKING WITH WITH THE CITY, DEVELOPED A PLAN TO TAKE THIS PROPERTY OUT OF THE MIX SO THAT THIS AREA DOWN HERE COULD BE REDEVELOPED WITHOUT HAVING TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY. IT WAS LEFT VACANT, IT WAS LEFT OPEN, VACANT, WHATEVER. AND IT'S A GREAT PLAN.

IT CONNECTS THE CITY TO THE PARK, TO THE.

IT MAKES UTILIZATION OF THE RIVER, MAKES UTILIZATION OF THE PARK OF THE FLAGLER CENTER. IT TIES IT INTO FLAGLER CENTER.

THERE IS AN OUTDOOR AREA FOR ENTERTAINMENT.

IT'S, IT'S A FANTASTIC PLAN BECAUSE IT TAKES THIS ISSUE OUT OF THE ISSUE.

SO I THINK YOU REALLY SHOULD LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT WAS SPENT ON THAT. IT WAS DOVETAILED WITH SEMINOLE RENOVATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE TO EXTEND THAT PAST THIS PROPERTY AND ON DOWN.

AND IT DOES MAKE USE OF SOME OF THE PROPERTY AWAY FROM THE WATER INSTEAD OF CLOSE TO THE WATER. SO IT'S A REALLY, REALLY GOOD PLAN. AND MCCARTY DID IT FOR FREE. AND HE'S A LAND PLANNER THAT DOES THIS FOR A LIVING.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'D TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

[03:50:01]

SO THAT NEW URBAN COULD DEVELOP IT.

AND IN FACT, IT IS THE PEOPLE BEHIND NEW URBAN THAT CURRENTLY HAVE THAT PROPOSAL, THAT RFP AND THAT PROJECT.

AND, AND THAT'S HOW THAT HAPPENED.

AND THAT'S HOW IT TOOK PLACE.

THAT PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED NOT WITH THE INTENT OF IT BEING PART OF CITY HALL, BUT WITH THE INTENT OF REDEVELOPMENT AS AS JOLY SAID.

AND THE REDEVELOPMENT WAS INTO TOWNHOUSES THAT WOULD BE BUILT ON THAT, INTO THE PROPERTY TO SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ANYWAY.

OKAY. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE.

I THINK I THINK WE'VE KIND OF COVERED THIS SUBJECT.

YOU GUYS HAVE SOME DIRECTION, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS.

I THINK WE HAD A VERY GOOD, ROBUST MEETING TONIGHT.

I WAS LONG, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL TIRED.

BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD GOOD DISCUSSION TONIGHT.

SO AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

NO POINT OF ORDER. AND WE HAVE A SOLID BUILDING NEXT DOOR NOW.

YEAH. WELL, AND SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THE MEETING.

THANK YOU. GOOD POINT.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.