[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:07]
          ALL RIGHT. I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY. 
          THE CHIEF OF POLICE IS BLABBING. WE'VE GOT A JACKET. ARE YOU OKAY? I'M ALWAYS A LITTLE COLD. 
          COULD YOU TAKE A SEAT, PLEASE? WE'RE A LITTLE LATE GETTING THIS STARTED. AND. SORRY. SORRY SORRY. TODAY MARY. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU TAKE THE ROLL, PLEASE? I SURE WILL BE HAPPY TO. VICE CHAIR. RICH. HERE. BOARD MEMBER. CLARK. HERE. BOARD MEMBER. COLLINS. HERE. BOARD MEMBER. 
          JOB. HERE. BOARD MEMBER. REED HERE. BOARD MEMBER. PENNY. HERE. BOARD MEMBER. BROOKVILLE. HERE. 
          PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 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. MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? SECOND. MOTION BY 
          [APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
COMMISSIONER COLLINS. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. ALL IN FAVOR? I. MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF 
          [APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THE MINUTES, PLEASE. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. SECOND. IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE, MADAM CLERK. 
          MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT YOUR HEARING AIDS ON. THAT'S RIGHT. 
          WELL SECOND. IT IS. OH, IT WAS. IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. I'M JUST KEEPING IT MOVING. ALL 
          [COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC (Non-Agenda Related) (3 Minutes Max.)]
IN FAVOR? AYE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS? DO YOU HAVE ANY? DO WE HAVE ANY GREEN CARDS? MADAM CLERK? OH, HERE WE GO. OH ONE AGENDA. REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT A NON AGENDA. ITEMS OKAY. WOW DEBORAH HARSH. PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE FOR THREE MINUTES. 
          THANK YOU, MISS HARSH. GOOD AFTERNOON. COULD YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC DOWN. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF AND MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO MY OPINION. I AM DEBORAH HARSH. I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER FOR OVER 20 YEARS. FOR 1895, CHURCH AND A PET PROJECT FOR MANY YEARS, AND SO HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BEHAVING CHURCH IN FOR AT LEAST THE LAST 15 YEARS. I HAVE KNOWN ROBERT AND PAULA HAMILTON FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEIR DEDICATION TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN MAKES IT ONE OF GRAVITATION, BUT THEIR BUILDING MATERIALS ARE MORE MATERIALS. YOU KNOW, MY TIME ON MEETING WITH THEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN. WE ALL THOUGHT THE PROGRAM WAS A GIFT FROM ABOVE. 
          THAT DESTROYED THE BOARD, VOTED TO PUT THE CHURCH ON THE PROPERTY ON THE DAY THAT THERE WAS MUCH PROJECT UPDATES AND INFORMATION THAT NO ONE. HOPEFULLY ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE TO THE CHURCH CAN BE RECTIFIED. AND OH, THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. AND THE ORIGINAL BONES OF THE CHURCH WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED AND BACK TO ITS HISTORIC STATE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION INTO SAVING THE 1895 CHURCH, AND MAKING IT A LANDMARK THAT GENERATIONS TO COME WILL KNOW AND APPRECIATE. THE HISTORY OF POTSDAM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MRS. HARSH. ALRIGHT, HAMILTON. WELCOME, MRS. HAMILTON. MISS HAMILTON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND I HOPE MY ACCENT OR ACCIDENTS. I SPEAK WITH ACCIDENTS. IT WILL. I'M VERY NERVOUS. SO MY NAME IS OLGA HAMILTON, AND I'M A RESIDENT HERE. AND MY HUSBAND AND I, WE ARE THE OWNERS OF THE FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH BUILT IN STUART IN 1895. IT'S STILL HERE IN THE CENTER OF THE FIRST SAINT MARY'S CHURCH. WHEN IT WAS, AND SINCE WE BOUGHT THE BUILDING. MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN RESTORATION. WE HAD GUESTS COMING, AND WHILE WE WERE WORKING, WE HAD GUESTS COMING NOT ONLY FROM OUR AREA, BUT ALSO 
          [00:05:06]
FROM THE AREA. ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. WE HAD GUESTS COMING SPECIFICALLY TO VISIT US FROM GERMANY, BECAUSE IT WAS GERMANS WHO BUILT THE STUART. I MEAN, THE FIRST SETTLERS HERE WHO PUT THE POTSDAM. OUR CHURCH WAS BUILT BEFORE STUART BECAME STUART, AND THAT'S WHY THIS IS HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING. THE FIRST NEWSPAPER, THE 1890. THE FIRST NEWSPAPER, THE STUART TIMES, WAS ESTABLISHED, FOUNDED IN OUR BUILDING. AND IT WAS WILL STEVENS, FOUNDER OF THE STUART NEWSPAPER, WHO FORCED SHOUT OUT THROUGH HIS NEWSPAPER THAT STUART HAD TO BE INCORPORATED AS A TOWN OF PALM BEACH UNTIL 1914. IT WAS A LITTLE VILLAGE THAT WAS COMMUNITY. IT WAS LIKE WHATEVER IT WAS THAT TIME. AND FINALLY IT HAPPENED AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT HISTORY FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE TRY TO PRESERVE THE BOOKS, THE RECORDS AND EVERYTHING GIVEN US TO. BY SANDRA. ALTHOUGH WE MADE A PROMISE TO ALICE LOCKHART WHEN WE BOUGHT THE DECIDED TO BUY THE BUILDING, WE CONTACTED ALICE LOCKHART AND ASKED HER, PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT BUILDING. SHE SENT US AN ARTICLE WE GOT ON THE PHONE CALL. HER FIRST QUESTION WAS, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT? AND WE FEEL YOUR FAITH. WE WILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS IT WAS IN 19. 
          SINCE 1996. WE WILL WITH THE HERITAGE STUART HERITAGE, WE WILL ON THE TOURS. IT'S ALL IN NEWSPAPERS. WE HAVE BEEN COOPERATING WITH THE STUART HERITAGE MUSEUM SINCE WE OPENED THE BUILDING. PEOPLE WOULD COME TO US. I WOULD SEND SEND THEM TO THE STUART HERITAGE MUSEUM. THEY WOULD GO TO THE STUART HERITAGE MUSEUM, STUART HERITAGE MUSEUM SENT TO US. NOW WHAT WE HAVE NO. 
          IS WHAT WE. THIS IS DONE BY THE RESPONSE TO THIS IS THE COURAGE. BUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS THROUGH THROUGH. I JUST REPORTED TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY DID NOT SUBMIT THE FULL PORTFOLIO. AND NOW WE ARE SITTING WITH OUR GROUP OF A HUNDRED 40 ARTISTS OVER 70 DEGREES. HUMIDITY GOES DOWN ON US. THANK YOU, MISS HAMILTON. HOW DOES IT WORK THAT WAY? IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. SO OKAY. SO, HAMILTON, YOU HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE COMMISSIONERS INDIVIDUALLY REGARDING THIS MATTER. THANK YOU. IS YOUR BOOK IS HERE, MISS HAMILTON, YOUR. ROBERT HAMILTON, HE WAS GIVING HIS TIME TO SEVERE. THAT WAS DONE. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH. WE HAVE WRITTEN EVERYBODY IN THE CITY, INCLUDING THE CITY MANAGER AND EVERYBODY. IT'S IN DETAIL. WHAT WAS DONE IS TREMENDOUS DAMAGE TO OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT WE'VE BEEN RESTORING FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. I'VE ATTEMPTED TO SIT DOWN WITH EVERYBODY AND NOBODY WANTS TO DEAL WITH THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. I'M FACED WITH A DIFFICULT SITUATION. I'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH BRIAN MAY'S OFFIC, AND THERE IS ANOTHER ONE COMING UP. WHAT WAS DONE HERE? OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO HAVE THE TEETH TO DEAL WITH THIS. OUR CITY MANAGER IN MY OPINION, NEEDS TO DEAL WITH THIS. I SENT HIM DOCUMENTATION. NOBODY EVER RESPONDS. SO WE COME HERE. MY WIFE, UPSET, BROUGHT IN TEARS BY THESE PEOPLE OVER HERE. THAT MAN SAYS I'M GOING TO FIX IT. BUT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE IT. IT'S NOT ABOUT ME LIKING IT. 
          THEY TOOK THE FRAMES OUT. THERE'S WATER LEAKING IN. IT'S BUTCHERING. REALLY? TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE SENT YOU PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, WE JUST VOTED NEW COMMISSIONERS IN HERE, AND WE WILL COME BACK HERE EVERY TIME. AND KEEP VOTING NEW PEOPLE IN UNTIL OUR COMMUNITY IS FIXED. 
          AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M SORRY. YOU HAD A RESPONSIBILITY, SIR, TO TAKE CARE OF US. THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED US AND SAID, I WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU. WE KNOW WE CAN'T SIT WITH THE WHOLE BOARD. WE KNOW THE SUNSHINE LAW. WHAT WAS DONE HERE IS TERRIBLE. WE ARE REMOVING THOSE WINDOWS. WE ARE NOT PAYING FOR THOSE WINDOWS. WE WILL NOT SIGN THE 
          [00:10:04]
DOCUMENTATION ON THOSE WINDOWS. THEY DESTROYED OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING UPSET. FOUR AND A HALF YEARS I'VE BEEN OVER THERE LIKE A LIKE A LITTLE CHURCH MOUSE. I MET WITH DAVID DIAS ORIGINALLY ALICE LOCKHART, CHUCK GEARY, WHOEVER WAS IN THE CITY PLANNING. WE HAD A PLAN FROM YEARS AGO. THIS JUST DIDN'T POP UP OVERNIGHT. AND THE BUTCHERS COME TO TOWN AND DESTROY OUR BUILDING. I WANT IT FIXED. THEY'VE BEEN TERMINATED BY THE GUARDIAN GROUP, AND THAT'S FINE. KUNAL'S BEEN WORKING WITH ME, BUT WE ARE NOT PAYING FOR THOSE WINDOWS. AND THAT INSTALLATION, THEY SEVERELY DAMAGED THE PROPERTY. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING UPSET. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. LORI GOSS. COULD YOU. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. COULD YOU? THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS. MY NAME IS. MY NAME IS LORI GOSS. MY ADDRESS IS 1182 SOUTHEAST MENDOZA, PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ABOUT THE FACT THAT I'M AN ARTIST, OLGA, TOO, IS AN ARTIST. AND WHAT'S BEEN NICE ABOUT THE CHURCH IS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE PIECES. PEOPLE COME IN AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE WILL PURCHASE ITEMS AS WELL. BUT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN IS THAT A GOOD PORTION OF WHAT WE CREATE GOES BACK INTO THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH, OUR GOAL ULTIMATELY WAS, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO REPLACE THE STEEPLE WITH THAT BACK UP, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT SURE WHEN THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, BUT, OLGA, WHO RUNS THE CHURCH OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING, AND THAT'S HER REVENUE. I'M AT A STANDSTILL RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO SELL ANYTHING AT ALL EITHER. SO, IT'S HURT US FINANCIALLY AS WELL WITH WITH THE LACK OF PROPER CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING, WHICH PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITHIN 3 OR 4 MONTHS. AND IT JUST DRAGS ON AND ON. SO THAT WAS ABOUT ALL I WANTED TO SAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MISS GOSS. WHO IS THE CHAIR? YES. BEFORE YOU GO ON, IF WE HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THIS, IF THEY'RE SPEAKING NOW, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO CORRECT THE AGENDA ITEM. NO NO. 
          SO THEY SHOULD KNOW THAT IN CASE THEY WANT TO WAIT FOR THE MR. CITY MANAGER, ARE THEY IN FACT, SPEAKING ON THAT REPORT? I THINK ON YOUR AGENDA IS CDBG, CDBG FUNDING. OKAY IT'S ON THE AGENDA WAS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR THEIR EMAILS AND RESPOND TO THEM SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD WELL, WE ONLY HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER. MR. FORSTER, ARE YOU SPEAKING REGARDING THIS ISSUE? IN FACT, ARE YOU? I CAN ONLY SPEAK WITH WHAT BASED ON THIS. OKAY, WELL, THEN WE WILL. THEN WE WILL HOLD OFF AND WAIT FOR THE ITEM TO POP UP ON THE AGENDA. COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS, MR. REID. 
          [COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS (Non-Agenda Items)]
COMMISSIONER REID, I HAVE NO COMMENTS. COMMISSIONER JOB. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY COULD BE ANSWERED TODAY. I GUESS THIS JOB WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE HAD BUILDING DEPARTMENT INDIVIDUALS, PERMIT DEPARTMENT, INDIVIDUALS ON THE JOB. YES. THAT'S JUST COMMENTS OR GENERAL COMMENTS. SORRY. OKAY. COMMISSIONER, THAT BOARD MEMBER BRECHBILL. YES. I JUST WANTED TO I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY BEEN DONE, BUT TO CONGRATULATE THE TWO NEW COMMISSIONERS, SEAN AND LAURA, AND ALSO RECOGNIZE THE COMMISSIONERS THAT DROPPED OFF AND FOR THEIR SERVICE FOR THE YEARS THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. MARK. THANKS, MARK. BOARD MEMBER. PENNY, NOT AT THIS TIME. EXCEPT TO SAY WE'RE ALL BOARD MEMBERS UP HERE. OKAY MR. CHAIR. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. AND IT'S NICE TO SEE SEAN WITHOUT HIS FRIEND. THE COMPUTER IN FRONT OF HIM. 
          SO, YES. BOARD MEMBER COLLINS. I HAVE NO. BOARD MEMBER CLARK, WELCOME TO THE NEW MEMBERS. AND, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO JUST HEAR SOME OF THE EXPLANATIONS. TODAY. SO THE CRA IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY, AND PEOPLE NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CRA, THE SUN, THE SUN FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE CRA AND REALLY GET INVOLVED AND ENGAGE BECAUSE THERE'S MONEY THAT COMES IN AND WE ALWAYS NEED TO LEAD TO FIND PLACES TO SPEND MONEY AND TO DO PROJECTS AND TO COMPLETE PROJECTS. AND IF THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS TODAY, I'M WILLING TO LISTEN TO THEM. I DID HEAR THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS, AND I DID HAVE LOTS OF DISCUSSION WITH MR. HAMILTON, 
          [00:15:06]
AND I'M JUST GLAD THAT PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE ENGAGED VERY POSITIVELY AT THE BEGINNING. AND THIS IS OUR TIME. THIS IS OUR BUDGET TIME AND, PEOPLE JUST NEED TO STAY INVOLVED WITH CRA MATTERS AND NOT JUST COME HERE WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOOD. SO JUST AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I KNOW THAT OLGA AND ROBERT HAVE BEEN MR. AND MRS. HAMILTON HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH US A LONG TIME AND HAVE PARTICIPATED SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO WELL WITH ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. AND I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NEW MEMBERS ARE USED TODAY AND ALL THE OTHER DAYS TO REALLY GET INVOLVED WITH THE CRA ISSUES AND HOW WE KEEP OUR CITY VIBRANT BY BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CRA, I HAVE NO COMMENTS. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE FIRST ACTION ITE. 
          [1. PRESENTATION OF ART/VINYL WRAPPING ON TRAFFIC CONTROL BOXES WITHIN THE CRA]
PRESENTATION OF ART VINYL WRAPPING ON TRAFFIC CONTROL BOXES. GOOD AFTERNOON. BOARD MEMBERS JORDAN PINKSTON, CRA PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE RECORD. THE TRAFFIC BOX ART WRAP INITIATIVE ENHANCES COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND CELEBRATES THE CITY OF STEWART'S NATURAL BEAUTY. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, VINYL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PLANNED TO BE PRINTED AND INSTALLED ON 13 TRAFFIC CONTROL BOXES DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE CITY'S CRA. THE INITIATIVES TRANSFORM TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLER BOXES FROM FUNCTIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE INTO COLORFUL AND INSPIRED WORKS OF ART, ALL REVOLVING AROUND THE CITY'S ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE. THE ART IS MEANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE VITALITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND ENHANCE NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY. TURNING ORDINARY SPACES INTO CREATIVE LANDMARKS AND PROMOTING COMMUNITY DIALOG. 
          MANY CITIES AND COUNTIES ARE BRIGHTENING THEIR COMMUNITIES BY ENHANCING THE DULL, METAL PLATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES WITH COLORFUL THEMED PHOTOGRAPHS USING A VINYL WRAPPING METHOD. 
          IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, A SIMILAR PRODUCT PROJECT WAS COMPLETED IN PALM CITY, MARTIN COUNTY. THE PROJECT WAS INITIATED BY COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF THAT DISTRICT. THE BIRD THEMED PHOTOGRAPHS WERE DONATED BY THE COUNTY BY A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER IN PALM CITY TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT. OTHER NEIGHBORING CITIES, SUCH AS THE CITY OF PORT SAINT LUCIE AND CITY OF FORT PIERCE, HAVE ALSO IMPLEMENTED SIMILAR PROJECTS IN 2020. COMMISSIONER ULLA CLARK REQUESTED STAFF UNDERTAKE A RESEARCH REGARDING THE POTENTIAL OF USING VINYL WRAPPING ARTWORK TO ENHANCE TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. THE WRAPS DID NOT RECEIVE SUPPORT FROM FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AT THE TIME, BUT DIRECTION WAS GIVEN TO KEEP IT IN A LONG RANGE PLAN IN 2023. THE CRA GAVE STAFF DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING AND WRAPPING THE TRAFFIC UTILITY BOXES WITHIN THE CRA. THE BOARD ENCOURAGED STAFF TO SHOWCASE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF STUART BY USING PHOTOGRAPHS THAT REFLECTED NATURE AND LANDMARKS. THE GOAL IS TO ADD ATTRACTIVE AND CREATIVE ARTWORK ALONG THE CRA CORRIDORS AND ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE OF RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. BEAUTIFICATION OF THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOXES IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CRA PLAN AND WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE BOARD. AS PART OF THE CRA CONTINUOUS MISSION TO ADVOCATE AND PROMOTE PUBLIC ART IN THE CITY OF STUART, THE CRA REACHED OUT TO MULTIPLE LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SEEKING SAMPLE PORTFOLIO IMAGES THAT WOULD BEST REPRESENT THE VISION FOR THE BOXES. STEVEN MARTIN WAS SELECTED TO PROVIDE THE FINAL ARTWORK AND STAFF WILL BE USING AMPERSAND TO FABRICATE AND INSTALL THE VINYL WRAPS ON EACH BOX. CURRENTLY, MARTIN COUNTY OWNS AND MAINTAINS THE BOXES AND IMPROVES THE CITY WRAPPING. HOWEVER, THE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT IS BEING AMENDED TO REFLECT THAT IT WILL BE THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THE WRAPS IN REASONABLE CONDITION. THE CITY OF STUART HAS 37 TRAFFIC BOXES WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. OF THE TOTAL, THERE ARE 25 BOXES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AREA. HOWEVER, MARTIN COUNTY STAFF HAS ADVISED US THAT SOME OF THOSE WITHIN THE CRA ARE WARNING BEACONS AND DO NOT HAVE CABINETS TO WRAP, AND OTHERS ARE BEING RESERVED FOR A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FDOT TO PROVIDE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY MESSAGES ON THE CABINET. WRAPS AT KEY INTERSECTIONS ALONG FEDERAL HIGHWAY. THE CRA WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH WRAPPING 13 BOXES WITHIN THE CRA STAFF STRATEGICALLY SELECTED IMAGES FOR EACH OF THE TRAFFIC BOXES BASED ON THE BOXES LOCATION AND SCENIC BACKDROP. ALTERNATE IMAGES MAY BE NECESSARY BASED ON TRAFFIC BOX DIMENSIONS, VISIBILITY AND PICTURE ORIENTATION, AND GRAPHIC QUALITY, BUT STAFF WILL WORK WITH OUR VENDOR TO DETERMINE WHICH PHOTO FITS BEST FOR EACH LOCATION. STAFF HAS SELECTED THE MAIN IMAGE AS OUR FIRST CHOICE, AND THE SMALLER IMAGES AS ALTERNATE AS ALTERNATES. THIS TRAFFIC BOX IS LOCATED ON NORTHWEST GREEN RIVER PARKWAY, AND DIXIE HIGHWAY IS THE GATEWAY TO HANEY CREEK PRESERVE. THE PRESERVE PROVIDES THIS AREA WITH NATURE TRAILS, LUSH LANDSCAPE, AND WILDLIFE. THE BEE AND 
          [00:20:02]
BLUEBONNET FLOWER PHOTOGRAPH WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN AT HANEY CREEK. THIS BOX IS ADJACENT TO NAUTICAL LANDSCAPES AND MARINAS. THE NEW LANDSCAPE WAS RECENTLY PLANTED AROUND THE BOX, WHICH WILL FURTHER HIGHLIGHT THE ARTWORK. THE RED CRAB BRINGS OUT THE RED IN THE BROMELIADS BEHIND THE BO. 
          NORTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND NORTHWEST RIVER. NORTH RIVER BOULEVARD. IT'S LOCATED NEAR THE ROOSEVELT BRIDGE, WHICH OVERLOOKS THE WATERWAYS AND MARINAS. A GREAT EGRET IS A NATIVE BIRD TO THIS AREA AND WILL BLEND IN WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. NORTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND SOUTHWEST OCEAN BOULEVARD. THIS BOX ABUTS TO THE CITY'S VERY OWN SHEPHERDS PARK, AND THIS LOCATION HAS WATER VIEWS WITH BOATS AND MARINE LIFE. A PHOTO OF MANGROVE WILL REFLECT THE NATURE THAT YOU CAN FIND WHILE YOU'RE WALKING THE BOARDWALK. SOUTHEAST OCEAN BOULEVARD AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AVENUE. THIS BOX IS THE CLOSEST ONE TO MEMORIAL PARK AND MEMORIAL PARK IS RICH WITH NATURE, INCLUDING BEAUTIFUL BANYAN TREES, AND THE BANYAN REPRESENTS GROWTH, STRENGTH AND SELF AWARENESS THROUGH REFLECTION. SOUTHEAST MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD AND SOUTHEAST LAKE STREET, AN ENTRY POINT INTO THE EAST STUART COMMUNITY. BASEBALL HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF EAST STUART, AND STAFF THOUGHT WE COULD SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL SPORTS AND THE SAILFISH BALL BALLPARK ON THIS SPECIFIC BOX. SOUTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND PALM CITY ROAD NATURAL FLOWERS AND GREENERY WILL BE COHESIVE WITH THE SURROUNDING BACKDROP. SOUTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND JOHNSON AVENUE. THIS ONE IS LOCATED OFF THE ACCESS POINT TO THE ARTS AND THE CREEK. ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND JOHNSON AVENUE HAS A DIRECT VIEW OF THE WATER TOWER IN THE DISTANCE. SOUTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND SOUTHEAST CENTRAL PARKWAY, LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE MARTIN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BUILDING. PINK BOUGAINVILLEA BRINGS A POP OF COLOR TO THE SURROUNDING GREEN LANDSCAPE. SOUTHEAST DIXIE HIGHWAY AND SOUTHEAST CHRISTY WAY. A GREAT EGRET IS A NATIVE BIRD TO THIS AREA AND WILL BLEND IN WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. SOUTHEAST DIXIE HIGHWAY AND SOUTHEAST FLORIDA STREET. THIS BOX IS LOCATED CLOSEST TO THE AIRPORT AND IBIS BIRDS IN FLIGHT SIMULATE PLANES IN THE SKY. SOUTHEAST PALM BEACH ROAD AND 10TH STREET. THESE FLOWERS WERE PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE 10TH STREET GARDEN DOWN THE STREET ON THE ORANGE FLOWERS COMPLEMENT THE BRICK ON THE CORRESPONDING WALL AND STIMULATE GROWTH FOR THE NEARBY SCHOOL STUDENTS. SOUTH COLORADO AVENUE AND SOUTHEAST FEDERAL HIGHWAY ON THIS BOX IS IN A KEY LOCATION. ACTS AS A GATEWAY INTO DOWNTOWN. STAFF WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND ADD THIS ONTO OUR LIST RECENTLY. THE IMAGE GIVES YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPERIENCE IN DOWNTOWN STUART. THE WATER AND GREENERY WILL BLEND IN NICELY WITH THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPING, AND IT BRINGS OUT SEACOAST BANKS, COLOR PALETTE. FEDERAL HIGHWAY WILL LEAD YOU TO THE ROOSEVELT BRIDGE, WHICH IS ALSO FEATURED IN THIS PHOTO. CITY STAFF IS EXCITED TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROJECT AS OUR TRAFFIC CONTROL BOXES SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY. BUT NOW THE BOXES WILL ALSO SERVE AS A PIECE OF ART. AND THIS CONCLUDES STAFF PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBER CLARK. YEAH, I LOOKED AT THEM BEFORE AND THEN I'M LOOKING AT THEM AGAIN ON THE MARTIN LUTHER KING ONE. MAYBE IT'S JUST A BAD PICTURE OF SOMETHING AT SAILFISH PARK, BUT BECAUSE THE MOUND IS IN THE MIDDLE AND IT KIND OF TAKES UP EVERYTHING YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THAT BLUE OVERHEAD. AND IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE POND THERE, WITH THE WATER FEATURE ON MLK, WE HAVE POINCIANA TREES. WE HAVE, THE EAST STUART COMMUNITY SIGN, THERE THAT I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOMETHING MORE REFLECTIVE OR MAYBE A BETTER PICTURE OF, CAN YOU PUT THAT UP, PLEASE? OF, OF, SAILFISH BALLPARK OR. WE HAVE SOMETHING ON THE TRUCKS THAT WE HAD AN ARTWORK FOR OUR VEHICLES, WHICH HAS, THE, THE BASEBALL PLAYERS, BUT IT'S JUST LIKE. SURE, IT'S KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE THAT BLUE STUFF IS SO DARK THERE, IT'S JUST NOT VIBRANT ENOUGH FOR ME. SO OKAY. FIND SOMETHING ELSE. 
          POINCIANA TREE, BOARD MEMBER OKAY, SO WE ARE GOING TO SPEND HOW MUCH PER WRAP OF 2000? NO IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT THE 30TH. SORRY. IT'S OKAY. SO THE TOTAL COST WE BUDGETED 25,000, BUT IT ACTUALLY CAME OUT TO ONLY BE ABOUT 12,000 TOTAL FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHY, INSTALLATION AND 
          [00:25:03]
FABRICATION. OKAY. AND THEN WE HAVE THE INSTALL. DOES THAT INCLUDE INSTALLATION THAT ENCOMPASSES EVERYTHING. AND HOW LONG DO THEY LAST, I'VE SPOKEN TO THE CITY OF PORT SAINT LUCIE AND CITY OF FORT PIERCE. THEY SAY ABOUT FIVE YEARS, AND THEN IF WE WERE TO REWRAP, IT WOULD ONLY BE 500 PER BOX. YEAH, WELL, THEY LOOK VERY PRETTY, AND WE HAVE ARTISTS IN THE ROOM, AND I HAVE SPENT A FORTUNE GIVING PUBLIC ART TO THE TO THE CITY. YEAH, BUT I THINK WE COULD DO MORE FOR OUR COMMUNITY WITH THAT MONEY THAN WRAP SIGNAL BOXES. SO I NEVER SUPPORTED THIS. AND I'M STILL NOT CONVINCED WE SHOULD GO FORWARD WITH IT. BOARD MEMBER BURKE. YEAH, I MUST HAVE MISSED THIS MEETING. I DON'T I DON'T REMEMBER THIS WAS PROBABLY BEFORE I WAS ON THE BOARD, BUT, I MEAN, THIS TYPE OF THING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE IN AN AREA WHERE IT'S WALKABLE AND PEOPLE CAN TAKE A LOOK AND THEY CAN SEE IT. SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE REMOTE ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BUY THEM. AND WE'RE GOING TO SPEND WHETHER IT'S $500 OR $12,000, WE'RE GONNA SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON STUFF THAT I THINK PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO REALLY SEE. AND I THINK WE COULD USE THAT MONEY SOMEPLACE ELSE TO PROMOTE ART AND ARTISTS IN OTHER PORTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS WE'RE TAKING OVER THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS THING FROM THE COUNTY. AND SO, HEY, WHAT'S THAT GOING TO COST IN THE LONG RUN, BE WHEN THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO FIX SOMETHING AND WE'VE JUST WRAPPED IT A YEAR, A YEAR OR SIX MONTHS AGO, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO REWRAP IT OR ARE THEY GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REWRAP AND SOME OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS? I JUST SEE THIS AS A WHOLE WHEN WE START TAKING OVER SOME RESPONSIBILITY THAT THE COUNTY HAD, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT OVER AS THE CITY. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. JORDAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO BOARD MEMBER BURKEVILLE? SURE. I MEAN, IF A WRAP GETS DAMAGED, ULTIMATELY, YES. THAT WOULD BE THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY, YOU WILL SEE I'M COMING BEFORE YOU WOULD BE THE AMENDMENT TO THE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR THE TRAFFIC BOXES TO REFLECT ADDING THESE WRAPS. SO, YES. CAN I ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION? DID WE GO OUT FOR RFP ON THIS FOR BOTH THE WRAP AND THE AND THE ARTWORK ITSELF? YEAH, WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE QUOTE FOR THE ACTUAL WRAPS THEMSELVES FOR THE FABRICATION INSTALLATION. SO WE DID GET THE THREE WRITTEN QUOTES FOR THAT. 
          AND WE GOT, WE GOT THREE WRITTEN QUOTES FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AS WELL, BUT IT WAS UNDER 5000 FOR EACH, SO AN RFP WASN'T NEEDED. I WOULD JUST LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING LOCAL ARTISTS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, TO, TO GET IT DONE, WHICH WE ARE. YEAH, WE ARE. BOTH ARE LOCAL BOARD MEMBER READ HOW MANY OF THESE ARE WE TAKING OVER FROM THE COUNTY AND THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TO MAINTAIN AND PROVIDE CONTINUOUS OPERATION OF THEM. SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TAKING OVER, OPERATION OF THEM. IT WOULD JUST SIMPLY BE THE MAINTENANCE OF THE WRAP ITSELF. SO NO OTHER AMENDMENT IS BEING MADE OTHER THAN IF THE WRAP ITSELF IS DAMAGED. WE ARE AMENDING THE AGREEMENT TO MAINTAIN JUST THE WRAP, BUT THERE WOULD BE 13 IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT LINE. ITEM NUMBER FOUR, IT TALKS ABOUT THE CITY TO COST TO MAINTAIN AND PROVIDE CONTINUOUS OPERATION OF ALL TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND EXHIBIT A, SO IT DOES TALK ABOUT MAINTAINING THEM. YES. SO WE'RE JUST SO THAT AGREEMENT ISN'T CHANGING. WE'RE JUST ADDING THIS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE AS THE, JUST AS THE WRAPS THEMSELVES. WE WILL TAKE OVER THAT AND JUST MAINTAIN THE WRAPS. NOTHING ELSE IS BEING CHANGED IN THE AGREEMENT. JUST AN AMENDMENT. SO YOU'RE SAYING IF THAT OBLIGATION IS THERE, IT ALREADY EXISTS. YES. OKAY BOARD MEMBER JOB, IT ONLY EXISTS IN THE MATTER OF THE BOX ITSELF. BUT NOW WE'RE PUTTING ARTWORK ON THAT WE'VE PAID FOR, AND IT'S BEING WRAPPED. SO THE THING I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IS THAT IF SOMEONE IF SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY IS WORKING ON THE BOX OR IN THE AREA NEAR THE BOX, AND THEY DAMAGE THE WRAP, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, SOMEHOW, IF IT CAN BE NOTED ON THEIR WORK SHEET THAT THEY DAMAGED IT, THEN CERTAINLY THEY SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, NOT US, THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE HAVE SUCH TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'VE BEEN IN CITIES WHERE THEY HAVE UTILIZED NOT ON ELECTRICAL BOXES, BUT IN OTHER VENUES WITHIN THE CITY WHERE THEY DISPLAY THEIR, TEENAGE HIGH SCHOOLS DO GRAPHICS AND WHATNOT, AND THEY'VE DISPLAYED THEIR ART, WHICH IS REALLY NICE TO INCORPORATE WHAT OUR CHILDREN ARE DOING IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. AND IT'S PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT THAT'S JUST MY $0.02. WELL, JUST TO REITERATE, THESE ARE IN FACT LOCAL ARTISTS, CORRECT? WE USED A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER, STEPHEN MARTIN, FOR THIS. AND OF COURSE, THIS DOES NOT PRECLUDE US FROM 
          [00:30:05]
ADOPTING THE PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED HERE. BOARD MEMBER COLLINS. YES I TO ME, THIS IS RELATIVELY NOMINAL FOR THE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST AT 12,000 FOR THE, VISUAL IMPACT, I THINK, ESPECIALLY OF THE NATURAL ART HAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING BY, I LIKE EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS PICKED HERE EXCEPT. OR WAS IT. THERE WAS ONE. I WAS GOING TO SUB OUT OF THE FEED, STORE THE FEED STORE WAS A LOWER PHOTO. YEAH. OKAY, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, COMMISSIONER LOOKING AT THE BOARD, RIGHT NOW. SO WE ORIGINALLY CHOSE THE FEED STORE AND THEN IT THE WAY IT WAS KIND OF IT KIND OF LOOKED ON THE BOX DOESN'T WORK. WELL YEAH. SO WE HAD THEM DO THAT AS A RENDERING. I WANTED A SAMPLE OF NATURE AND A SCENIC VIEW AND A BUILDING, AND IT JUST YOU. I WOULD HATE FOR YOU NOT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE BUILDING AND KIND OF CUTS IT OFF. YOU TOLD ME, OKAY, THAT WAS ALL. OKAY, I AGREE THIS THIS IS A NOMINAL COST. AND WHAT IMPRESSES ME IS THE QUALITY OF THESE IMAGES. NOW, THE REPRODUCTION IS JUST SO IMPRESSIVE, AND THEY ARE, IN FACT, VERY DURABLE. AND SO I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I'M SORRY. NOMINAL COST. DO ADD UP. SO IF THIS IS NOT SO IF THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THE CRA IF WE SPENT 12,000 HERE AND 20,000 HERE AND 30,000 THERE, WHAT'S THE WHAT'S OUR INTEGRATION. WHAT'S THE PAYBACK. WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS. AND I DON'T I JUST SEE YOU DOING A LOT OF PROJECTS FOR NOMINAL AMOUNTS. AND I DON'T SEE WHERE THIS INTEGRATES AND HOW WE'RE INCREASING VALUE OF THE CRA. AND IT'S ALL ABOUT TAKING WHAT WE HAVE AND MAKING IT MORE VALUABLE. SO I JUST DON'T SEE IT. IT'S NOT IF WE WERE DOING REAL PUBLIC ART, I THINK WE COULD GET HONEST AND REALLY BRING IN PUBLIC ART WRAPPING BOXES, YOU KNOW, LET'S LET'S DO SOMETHING WITH PUBLIC ART. SO ANYWAYS, THAT'S MY $0.02. YOU'RE NOT SEEKING ACTION FROM US. YOU JUST WANTED FEEDBACK. THIS IS PRESENTATION. YEAH OKAY. THAT'S ADDRESS ONE. SURE. BACK TO THE AGREEMENT WHERE THE COUNTY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGING THE WRAP. I THINK THAT SOMEHOW THAT SHOULD BE A LITTLE TIGHTER. YOU KNOW, WHERE IF THEY DO DAMAGE IT, THEY SHOULD REPAIR IT. AND EACH TIME WE WRAP IT OR HAVE TO REWRAP IT, IT'S A COST. MR. MARTEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY RESPONSE TO THAT COMMENT? I THINK WE'RE OKAY. PRESS THAT ACCORDINGLY. 
          FOR ME AS WELL. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO 
          [2. PRESENTATION OF MAIN STREET BUCK PROGRAM BY CANDACE CALLAHAN]
PRESENTATION. ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS? OH NOPE. HERE COMES MAIN STREET BUCK PROGRAM BY. 
          APPARENTLY IT'S NO GOOD AFTERNOON SIERRA DIRECTOR. FOR THE RECORD, MAIN STREET IS ACTUALLY LAUNCHING THIS PROGRAM, CANDACE IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM. INITIATIVE, THEY ARE SEEKING CRA FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S BEING PRESENTED TO THE CRA BOARD, SO STAFF WILL BE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD ON WHETHER TO PUT THIS ITEM IN THE CRA BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE BOARD NEXT MONTH. SO I'LL HAVE CANDACE PRESENT THE PROGRAM. 
          SORRY FOR THAT DELAY. I'M CANDACE CALLAHAN, I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR MAIN STREET, JUST CELEBRATING MY FOURTH YEAR IN MY ROLE, AND I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE TIME TO CONGRATULATE AND WELCOME OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH OF YOU TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN OUR STRONG PARTNERSHIP AND OUR VIBRANT DOWNTOWN, BUT TO HELP GROW THAT IN THE FUTURE. AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DIVE INTO IT. UNFORTUNATELY, I DID INCLUDE 
          [00:35:04]
SOME INFORMATION, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON OUR ORGANIZATION. SO YOU KIND OF HAVE A GOOD FOUNDATION AS TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SHOWING YOU. SO MAIN STREET IS A 501 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. WE, ARE NOT A PHYSICAL PLACE, AS SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK. WE DO NOT HAVE A STREET NAMED AFTER MAIN STREET, BUT MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WE MIGHT, BUT IT'S MORE OF A, AN ADAPTIVE FRAMEWORK THAT, IS USED FOR REVITALIZATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT. IT'S A FORMULA USED TO ARTICULATE A FOCUSED, DELIBERATE PATH FOR STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY AND COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF THE MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION. SO MAIN STREET AMERICA WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1980 UNDER THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THEN FOLLOWED THAT BY THAT WAS OUR STATE PROGRAM, FLORIDA MAIN STREET, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1985 UNDER OUR FLORIDA DIVISION OF HISTORIC RESOURCES, AND THEN STUART MAIN STREET, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF STUART BACK IN 1987. SO AFTER SEVEN SHORT YEARS OF NATIONAL MAIN STREET BEING ESTABLISHED, STUART MAIN STREET WAS ESTABLISHED AND WE DID THAT WHILE THE CITY DID THAT AS A STRATEGY TO HELP OUR DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE AS THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY, UNFORTUNATELY, IT WASN'T DOING SO GOOD IN THE 80S FOR THOSE OF US WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN THERE. THERE WAS A 60% VACANCY RATE IN THE DOWNTOWN, AND THAT'S CONSIDERED AN UNHEALTHY DISTRICT. SO WITHIN FIVE YEARS AFTER ADOPTING OUR PROGRAM THAT WENT DOWN TO A FIVE OR A 0% VACANCY RATE, AND WE'VE MAINTAINED THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, FOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH OF THE DOWNTOWN, WE DO BELONG BEING AN ACCREDITED MAIN STREET PROGRAM. WE DO BELONG TO A NETWORK OF MORE THAN 2000 OTHER MAIN STREET COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO OUR NETWORK IS WIDE, OUR RESOURCES ARE BROAD, SO WE OFFER A LOT OF SUPPORT AND A LOT OF VARIOUS WAYS WHICH I'LL BE ABLE TO GO INTO IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES. AND FOR THIS YEAR, UNDER NEW STANDARDS FROM MAIN STREET AMERICA, WE ARE NOW NATIONALLY ACCREDITED AND ALSO STATE ACCREDITED. SO THAT'S A LITTLE EXTRA NOTCH ON OUR BELT. THERE SO THIS IS OUR LIST OF OBJECTIVES. SO WE USE THE FOUR POINT MISSION WHICH IS THROUGH MAIN STREET AMERICA. WE HAVE TO STAY ACCREDITED. WE ARE REVIEWED ANNUALLY BY OUR NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND OUR STATE ORGANIZATION. SO THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR INITIATIVES THAT WE DO IN EACH PILLAR OF OUR MISSION, AND THEN AS THEY WORK TOGETHER, THAT'S WHAT WE SEE A LOT OF OUR TRANSFORMATIONAL STRATEGIES COME THROUGH FOR OUR DOWNTOWN. SO, YOU'LL SEE PROMOTION, ECONOMIC VITALITY, DESIGN AND ORGANIZATION. AGAIN, THOSE ARE OUR FOUR PILLARS OF OUR MISSION. AND THEN THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES IN EACH PILLAR, I WAS ONCE ASKED BY A COMMISSIONER, WHO DOES IT? THE BEST. AND THAT RESONATED WITH ME BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT WHO DOES IT THE BEST. ALL MAIN STREET PROGRAMS ARE IN DIFFERENT VARIOUS STAGES OF THEIR REVITALIZATION EFFORTS, SO IT'S NOT EXACTLY A FAIR QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE ALL DOING REALLY GREAT WORK. IT'S JUST WHO HAS STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS AND MORE SUPPORT TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN QUICKER. THANKFULLY, OUR PROGRAM ALONGSIDE THE CITY, THANKS TO THE CITY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CHECK A LOT OF THOSE BOXES VERY EARLY ON, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE LOOKED AT AS A LEADING ORGANIZATION IN THE COUNTRY. AND EVERY MAIN STREET PROGRAM IS DEPENDING ON THEIR UNIQUENESS AND THEIR NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY, IS REALLY WHAT MAKES THEIR MISSION RIGHT. SO MOVING FORWARD, SO WITH ALL OF OUR OBJECTIVES, OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE AND PROMOTE A POSITIVE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS THROUGH COMMUNITY DRIVEN, PRESERVATION BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THAT'S A LOT, RIGHT? SO REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO I LIKE TO ALWAYS CONSIDER US AS THE NUCLEUS OR THE LIAISON FOR THE CITY OF STUART. WE HELP ADVOCATE WHILE EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. WE CREATE AND MAINTAIN A GATHERING PLACE FOR SHARED PROSPERITY AND MEMORIES, INVITING AND ENGAGING GENERATIONS AFTER US TO APPRECIATE OUR CITY'S HISTORY AND MOST RECENTLY, I CAME UP WITH THIS. SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT REPRESENTING AND MAINTAINING AND PROTECTING, BUT IT'S ALSO WHAT OUR TAGLINE SAYS. IT'S EMBRACING THE FUTURE WHILE PRESERVING THE PAST. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW, BUT ONE OF OUR PILLARS DOES HAVE SOME HISTORIC PRESERVATION ON EFFORTS ON THERE AS WELL. I WON'T BORE YOU BY GOING THROUGH OUR IMPRESSIVE RESUME, BUT HERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE HELPED THE CITY WITH OVER THE YEARS. I'LL FAST FORWARD UP INTO. ONE OF MY 
          [00:40:02]
FAVORITE PROJECTS WAS THE COLORADO AVENUE DIET. SO IF YOU REMEMBER COLORADO AVENUE WAY BACK IN THE DAY, THAT WAS KIND OF AN ELBOW STREET THAT YOU TOOK TO GET TO DOWNTOWN. BUT BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE HELPED WITH THE CITY WITH ON THAT PROJECT, THAT ROAD DIET, TO MAKE IT DRIVABLE, A LITTLE BIT WALKABLE, A LITTLE BIT PRETTIER. THAT WORK HAS HELPED THAT DISTRICT THRIVE. 
          AND NOW THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ART AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. THOSE BUSINESSES ARE DOING REALLY WELL DOWN THERE. SO THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THAT WE HELP THE CRA WITH AND CITY LEADERSHIP WITH. BUT FAST FORWARD TO PRESENT DAY FLAGLER CENTER. I'M SURE YOU ARE ALL AWARE OF THAT WONDERFUL SPACE WE CURRENTLY OPERATE THAT BUILDING, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR FUNDRAISING STRATEGY FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, WHICH AGAIN, THAT MONEY JUST GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE DOWNTOWN AND HELPING OUR BUSINESSES AND OUR COMMUNITY ENJOY THEIR DOWNTOWN AND THEN, WE HAVE OUR MARKET, WHICH IS OUR FARMER'S MARKET THAT'S HELD EVERY SUNDAY. WE TOOK THAT OVER IN JULY OF 2021. IT IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE IN MY CAREER, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE MOST PROUDEST THINGS I'VE EVER DONE IN MY CAREER, IN 2022, WE HELPED THE CITY, SUBMIT A GRANT TO THE STATE WHERE WE RECEIVED AS MAIN STREET 100% OF THE FUNDING TO HELP UPDATE OUR HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY THAT HADN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1991. 
          AND THEN THE NEXT PHASE OF THAT, JUST ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A SECOND GRANT AT THE $25,000 LEVEL TO HELP THE CITY RECEIVE THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR THE DOWNTOWN. SO AGAIN, THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS, RIGHT? SO AS A MAIN STREET PROGRAM, AN ACCREDITED MAIN STREET PROGRAM, WE'RE FAVORED IN A LOT OF THESE DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT WE CAN HELP THE CITY WITH. DIFFERENT PROJECTS. AND THEN I THINK THAT BRINGS ME TO OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MOST KNOWN FOR, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST CALENDAR OF EVENTS. SO WE HAVE THREE ART AND CRAFT FESTIVALS THAT HELP GENERATE $1.3 MILLION OF ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN AND SURROUNDING AREA. WE HAVE TWO STEWART STROLLS, WHICH ARE LIKE OUR SIP AND SHOPS, AND WE HAVE THREE SIDEWALK SALES. BOTH OF THOSE REALLY DO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES DIRECTLY. OUR ANNUAL EARTH DAY CLEANUP. WE'VE LAUNCHED THAT LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE SOME COMMISSIONERS ON THE DAIS HAVE ASSISTED WITH THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR HALLOWEEN EVENT, WHICH HOBGOBLINS ON MAIN IS CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. SO PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDARS, PLEASE. YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO COME. AND THEN OUR CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING, WHICH IS CHRISTMAS ON MAIN, WHICH IS ALSO CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY. THIS YEAR AND OUR YEAR ROUND EVENTS. I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED OUR FARMER'S MARKET EVERY WEEK, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ROCK AND RIVERWALK ON OUR BANNER, WHICH IS HELD EVERY WEEK AND THEN OF COURSE, AT FLAGLER CENTER, HOSTING OF VARIOUS VARIOUS EVENTS, WE HAVE ABOUT ON AVERAGE 250 THAT WE MANAGE THERE AT THAT SPACE. WHEN WE SURVEYED ATTENDEES AT OUR EVENTS FOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, COLLECTIVELY IT'S COME OUT TO 77% OF OUR EVENT ATTENDEES AND VISITORS CAME SPECIFICALLY TO OUR EVENT OR TO OUR DOWNTOWN TO ATTEND OUR EVENT. AND THEN 91% OF THAT, 77%, SAID THAT THEY WERE EITHER STAYING AFTER OR DURING THAT THEY WOULD BE SUPPORTING OUR SMALL BUSINESSES AND OUR DOWNTOWN. SO WE LOVE TO HEAR THAT. AND WE DO THAT WITH VERY LIMITED STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AND RESOURCES. SO ALWAYS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS. LITTLE BIT THERE. OUR OUR IMPACT. THESE ARE OUR CUMULATIVE STATS. UNFORTUNATELY THEY'RE NOT AS YOU KNOW TECHNOLOGY WASN'T WHAT IT WAS. SO UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T REPORT FROM OUR INCEPTION. BUT THIS IS CLOSE, SO SOME PRETTY BIG NUMBERS THERE OF OUR PROGRAM AT WORK, WE HAVE ABOUT $2.5 MILLION IN PUBLIC INVESTMENT. WE'VE HELPED GENERATE ALMOST $12 MILLION IN PRIVATE. AND THEN WE HAVE ABOUT 158 NEW JOBS, 50 NEW BUSINESSES, WHICH THIS YEAR WILL BE REPORTING SOME NEW BUSINESSES COMING INTO OUR DISTRICT HERE PRETTY SOON. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. AND THEN IN 2023, WE LOGGED ABOUT 2700 VOLUNTEER HOURS, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT $80,000. IF YOU WERE TO EMPLOY STAFF AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO NOW THIS BRINGS ME TO MY REASON FOR BEING HERE. SORRY ABOUT THAT. AND THAT WAS A CLIFF NOTES. AND I'M OUT OF BREATH, SO FORGIVE ME. LET'S GET DOWN TO IT. DOWNTOWN DOLLARS, DOWNTOWN DOLLARS, I'M HERE TO SEEK YOUR SUPPORT, FOR LAUNCHING, RELAUNCHING AND INTRODUCING, REINTRODUCING OUR DOWNTOWN DOLLARS PROGRAM, WHICH WE LAUNCHED AS A PILOT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION FOR OUR ASSISTANCE IN SOME COVID RELIEF SUPPORT FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. AT THE TIME, IT WAS NOT ELECTRONIC. I'M LOOKING TO TAKE IT TO THAT, BRING IT UP TO 2024, MAKE IT ELECTRONIC, MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO 
          [00:45:02]
SPEND MONEY IN OUR DISTRICT, SO WHEN WE DID IT, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT A $2,000 BUDGET. AND THAT WAS USED AS A BONUS BUCK PROGRAM. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN IT AROUND THE HOLIDAYS WHERE A RESTAURANT MIGHT DO IF YOU BUY 25, YOU GET 25. IF YOU BUY 50, YOU GET 50. 
          SO THAT THAT THAT $2,000 WAS USED AS JUST THE BONUS PROGRAM. OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAD ABSORBED ALL THE COST, OBVIOUSLY, OF ADVERTISING, YOU KNOW, TO HELP GAIN AWARENESS OF THAT PROGRAM, THE DESIGN WORK, THE ADVERTISEMENTS THAT WE HAD TO PRINT AND DESIGN. SO ALL OF THAT, THE MANAGEMENT OF IT BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT WAS NOT ELECTRONIC, IT WAS PAPER, LITTLE EXCEL SHEETS HERE AND THERE. SO THAT WAS LABOR INTENSIVE. SO ALL OF THAT COST WAS ABSORBED BY OUR ORGANIZATION. AND 100% OF THE SALES, PLUS ALL THE BONUS BUCKS WENT STRICTLY TO THE BUSINESSES. 
          NOTHING CAME OUT OF THAT. THOSE FUNDS TO HELP OFFSET OUR EXPENSES, SO IT ONLY TOOK US TWO WEEKS TO GO THROUGH THAT EXTRA $2,000. SO THAT KIND OF PROVED TO US THAT, OH, WE MIGHT BE ON TO SOMETHING HERE, IT WAS VERY WELL SUPPORTED BY OUR COMMISSION AT THE TIME. OUR CITY LEADERSHIP, OUR BUSINESSES WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE. AND EVEN OUR CUSTOMERS THAT BOUGHT THE GIFT CERTIFICATES, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM, AND THEY HAVE ASKED WHEN WE WERE GOING TO BRING IT BACK. SO HERE WE ARE HOPING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE FUNDING, WHICH WE CAN MAKE AN EVEN BIGGER IMPACT. AND I INCLUDED A SLIDE OF BENEFITS, BUT I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS. WE KNOW THE BENEFITS. BUT MY MOST IMPORTANT, MY FAVORITE ONE IS THAT IT'S AN IMMEDIATE CASH FLOW INTO OUR BUSINESSES. SO YOU CAN REVIEW THOSE AT YOUR LEISURE DOWNTOWN GIFT CARD. SO THIS WE ARE GOING TO BE PARTNERING. LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT ELECTRONIC. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH A THIRD PARTY. PROGRAM CALLED GIFT. IT IS USED BY THOUSANDS OF OTHER MAIN STREET PROGRAMS AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. SOME CITIES HAVE ADOPTED IT THEMSELVES, SOME CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S HAVE DONE IT, BUT US BEING IN THE HISTORIC DOWNTOWN, WE'RE GOING TO HELP LAUNCH THIS WITH IT. SO IT'S ALL ELECTRONIC. THEY CAN BE PURCHASED ON OUR WEBSITE, AND THEN YOU GET LIVE UPDATES AS YOU SPEND THE FUNDS ON YOUR GIFT CARDS. LET'S SEE, WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE HERE? THAT I DID INCLUDE A EXTRA INSTEAD OF ME CHANGING MY PRESENTATION. I DID GIVE LITTLE FLIERS THAT HAVE THE QR CODES TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. IT'S NOT LIVE YET OR PURCHASE. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HOPING TO LAUNCH PRETTY SOON FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT ONE QR CODE WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR WEBSITE LANDING PAGE FOR THE GIFT CARD PROGRAM, AND THEN IT EVEN INCLUDES A MERCHANT SIGN UP FORM. SO THOSE IN OUR SERVICE AREA, IN THE DOWNTOWN WILL BE ABLE TO SIGN UP TO BE A PARTICIPANT. AND IT DOESN'T COST THEM ANYTHING TO JOIN. THEY'RE JUST ALLOWING ME TO HELP PROMOTE THE DOWNTOWN AND THEIR BUSINESSES. AND THEN THE OTHER QR CODE IS THE LANDING PAGE THAT TAKES YOU TO THE ACTUAL GIFT PLATFORM SITE, WHERE THE LINK TAKES YOU TO PURCHASE, SO I DON'T I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I DON'T KNOW, AN INVESTMENT LIKE THIS THAT GETS YOU THIS KIND OF RETURN THAT QUICKLY. SO WE'RE ASKING FOR A $30,000 INVESTMENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP TURN THAT INTO $180,000 OF IMPACT FOR THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. AND AGAIN, 100% OF THAT IS NOT COMING FROM THOSE BONUS $30,000. THE ADMIN COSTS ARE COMING FROM OUR ORGANIZATIO. AND I DID HAVE I THOUGHT SOME, BUT I THINK THAT'S IT. I THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE QUESTIONS I THINK. IS THAT A QUESTION? CANDACE YES, BOARD MEMBER COLLINS. SO, THIS PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IS GOING TO BENEFIT PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES. YES, SIR. THAT'S WHAT I SAW. YES THE GREAT THING I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT. THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE PROGRAM PARTNERING WITH IFD IS WHEN A BUSINESS PARTICIPATES, THEY SAY, HEY, I WANT TO SIGN UP. THEY GET THEIR OWN CUSTOMIZED MERCHANT CARD. I SIGN THEM UP, I GET THEM PROGRAMED. THE BANK TALKS DIRECTLY TO THEIR BANK SO I DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THAT EXCHANGE AND THEN ONCE THEY'VE SWIPED THEIR CARD AND THEY'RE OFFICIALLY SIGNED UP AS A PARTICIPATING MERCHANT, IT CREATES A GEOFENCE AROUND THE DOWNTOWN SO THAT MASTERCARD CAN'T BE USED AT THE MALL. IT CAN'T BE USED AT HARBOR BAY. IT CAN'T BE USED AT RESTAURANTS ACROSS ON US ONE THERE. SO IT'S STRICTLY STAYS IN THE DOWNTOWN. SO I'M A SMALL BUSINESS GUY, BUT IT DOES CONCERN ME THAT WE WOULD BE, I GUESS I WOULD SAY I DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY THINK IT'S A ROLE OF GOVERNMENT TO BE PURCHASING GIFT CARDS FOR THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. YOU'RE CRA 
          [00:50:04]
YOU'RE NOT PURCHASING THE GIFT CARD, YOU'RE GIVING, YOU'RE SPONSORING. AND IT'S A VERY COMMON PRACTICE. I CAN SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES AT ANOTHER TIME, BUT THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES, LIKE I SAID, WHO ACTUALLY ALSO DO THIS PROGRAM ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT A MAIN STREET. SO LIKE THERE'S EVEN THE CITY OF BOULDER I THINK IS ONE OF THEM, OR THE CITY OF WISCONSIN. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT CITIES THAT DO IT THEMSELVES, A LOT OF PLACES THAT DO IT. BUT MY POINT WOULD BE, IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND MONEY, INVEST MONEY, IT SHOULD BE TO BENEFIT ALL RESIDENTS, RIGHT? WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS, NOT NECESSARILY, WHATEVER SUBSET OF PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES. WELL, I LOOK AT IT AS YOU ARE SUPPORTING YOUR YOU'RE SUPPORTING THE RESIDENTS TOO, BECAUSE YOU'RE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND AND SUPPORT THEIR LOCAL ECONOMY BY GIVING THEM A BONUS. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. I SAY I'M ALL FOR THEM DOING THAT IN A FREE MARKET. THAT THAT WAS MY ONLY COMMENT IS I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN FAVOR OF THIS, BOARD MEMBER READ. SURE. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. IN PRIOR YEARS, WHAT WAS APPROPRIATED TOWARDS THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THAT IN PRIOR YEARS IT EXISTED OR DID I NOT HEAR THAT? CORRECT, I DON'T THE THIS WAS THIS I HAD JUST STARTED WITH THE ORGANIZATION WHEN WE LAUNCHED THIS PROGRAM. THERE WAS NO FUNDING BECAUSE WE WANTED TO DO IT AS A PILOT PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO COME FORWARD LATER ON TO ASK FOR SUPPORT FOR THIS. SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE TODAY, BUT YEAH, AT THE FIRST, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD A VERY FROM OUR ORGANIZATIONS. WE ONLY AT THE TIME HAD $2,000 THAT WE COULD AFFORD TO PUT INTO THE PROGRAM. 
          SO AND NOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE ACCREDITED, DOES IT OPEN YOU UP TO MORE GRANTS THAT YOU'RE EVEN ABLE TO APPLY FOR, OR NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VERY DIFFERENT THINGS. SO OUR ACCREDITATION, DOESN'T NECESSARILY WE DON'T GET FUNDING FOR THAT, BEING ACCREDITED HELPS US GET HELPS US BE BETTER POSITIONED FOR GRANTS THAT WE MIGHT APPLY FOR TO HELP THE CITY. SO, FOR INSTANCE, THAT HISTORICAL PROPERTIES, THAT HISTORIC PROPERTY SURVEY, HAD THE CITY HAD GONE AFTER THAT GRANT, THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO PROVIDE A MATCH TO BE ABLE TO GET THE AWARD AND THEN HIRE THE CONTRACTOR AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS. BUT AS A MAIN STREET PROGRAM, AND WE PUT IN THE APPLICATION, WE GOT 100% OF THE FUNDING. I MEAN, I HAD TO PAY MY GRANT WRITER TO MANAGE THAT GRANT, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER. BUT YEAH, THESE ARE VERY DIFFERENT TOPICS. AND QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING. AND AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS, THE BUSINESS WOULD BE SIGNING UP FOR TO ACCEPT THAT. SO THEY'RE TECHNICALLY SIGNING UP FOR US. LIKE WE'RE KIND OF LIKE THE SOLICITOR, I WOULD SAY WE WANT TO DO THIS NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR THE DOWNTOWN. THE BUSINESSES WILL SIGN UP. WE ALREADY HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM EXISTING, BUT IT'S NOT A BONUS PROGRAM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S MORE OF US GIVING GIFT CERTIFICATES TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN THEY ENTER OUR RAFFLES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND WE HAVE A LIST OF PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES THAT ALWAYS PARTICIPATE IN THOSE. BUT WE'RE TRYING TO EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT OF THAT PROGRAM, BY ENGAGING MORE OF THE DOWNTOWN AND NOW MORE OF THE RESIDENTS AS WELL. 
          SO BY INCENTIVIZING THEM. YEAH. SO THIS IS MAINLY FOR DOWNTOWN. OUR DISTRICT IS ONLY DOWNTOWN. 
          YEAH. WE ONLY SERVICE THE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THAT'S THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. YEAH MAIN STREET IS ONLY FOCUSED ON THE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE LIKE I'M LOOKING ON THEIR WEBSITE. SO IT'S ONLY ONE USER. THERE'S NOT ADDITIONAL USERS. I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT AS WELL. FULLY. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION LIKE FOR THE MERCHANT AND THE FRANCHISE CARDS LIKE YOU PAY A FLAT FEE OF 29.95 A MONTH AND THEN IT'S $12. NO IT'S FREE FOR US AS A MAIN STREET. GOTCHA. SO THAT THEREFORE IT'S FREE FOR ALL OF MY MERCHANTS AND ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO PARTICIPATE. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER, CANDAC, I'M NOT SURE YOU MADE THIS CLEAR. SO HOW IT WORKS FOR THOSE OF US WHO WOULD PURCHASE THE CARD IF I PURCHASE A CARD FOR $100, HOW MUCH VALUE WILL I ACTUALLY GET CREDITED ON? SO YOU GET TWO SEPARATE GIFT CARDS. YOU'LL GET ONE FOR THE 100, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE WITH THE BONUS BUCKS. SO YOU COULD GIFT THAT SECOND ONE. SO FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS AND SPEND $100, THEY GET, THEY'LL HAVE $200 TO SPEND DOWNTOWN, BOTH CARDS I KNOW THE ONE CARD IS GEO RESTRICTED, SO THEY'LL BOTH BE GEO. YES, THEY'RE BOTH GEO RESTRICTED. 
          YES, SIR. AND IT'S NOT LIMITED TO THE CITIZENS OF STUART. ANYBODY CAN BUY THESE. I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA LOVE DOWNTOWN STUART. SO WE WOULD HOPE THAT THAT BRINGS VISITORS AND BENEFITS TO DOWNTOWN. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO 
          [00:55:02]
MAKE THAT CLEAR. YES, SIR. SORRY ABOUT THAT. BOARD MEMBER GOP, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I HAD THE SAME QUESTION THAT SHAWN DID, WHICH IS ABOUT THE FEE, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THERE IS NO FEE BECAUSE THE BUSINESSMAN, THE BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN WOULD BE CONNECTED THROUGH YOU, SO THERE'S NO FEE FOR THIS? THAT'S CORRECT, SO BASICALLY WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE SUBSIDIZING THE CITY, IS SUBSIDIZING THE BONUS. THE EXTRA BONUS BOX. YOU'RE SPONSORING. 
          YEAH, THE BONUS BUCKS. YEAH. OKAY. AND JUST A SIDEBAR YOU HAD PUT ON YOUR PROJECTS DOWNTOWN DOLLARS COVID RELIEF. WERE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS? I MEAN, MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES HAVE HAD COVID FUNDS AND THERE'S LEFTOVER MONIES. DOES MAIN STREET HAVE LEFTOVER MONIES FROM COVID RELIEF? WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY FUNDS OTHER THAN A LOAN TO HELP, OBVIOUSLY, HELP WITH OUR OVERHEAD DURING OUR ORGANIZATION'S OVERHEAD AND COSTS, WHETHER IT BE STAFF COSTS OR WE ENTERED INTO THE AGREEMENT FOR FLAGLER CENTER RIGHT WHEN COVID WAS GETTING STARTED. SO WE HAD SOME WE HAD SOME EXPENSES THERE, OBVIOUSLY, SO THAT WE DID RECEIVE A LOAN, LIKE I MENTIONE, BUT THAT WAS KEPT IN RESERVES AND NOW THAT'S BEING PAID BACK. 
          OKAY. SO WE'VE PAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MAIN STREET RECEIVED A RELIEF FUNDS. NO, NO NO. BUT YOU REALLY JUST WERE ABLE TO WE WERE ABLE TO TRY TO HELP THE BUSINESSES JUST USING SOME FUNDS THAT WE HAD IN OUR RESERVES. SO YOU TOOK A LOAN? MANY OF THOSE COVID LOANS WERE FORGIVEN AT THE END. WE HAD TWO LOANS. ONE WAS FORGIVEN AND THIS ONE WAS KEPT FOR A RESERVE FUNDS IN CASE THE INEVITABLE HAPPENED. WHO WHO KNOWS. BUT THAT HAS BEEN PAID BACK OR THAT'S BEING PAID BACK. 
          SO ONE WAS FORGIVEN, ONE WAS PAID BACK. OKAY SO TECHNICALLY IF YOU WANTED IF YOU WANT TO, IF WE CAN HAVE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS REGARDING OUR FUNDING AND SOURCES DURING THOSE TIMES, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT. BUT FOR THIS SPECIFIC MEETING, I'D LIKE TO STICK TO THE AGENDA. LEFTOVER FUNDS. OH NO, WE DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY RECEIVE FUNDINGS AND I THINK. 
          BUT IT WAS FORGIVEN. THE LOAN WAS FORGIVEN, RIGHT? RIGHT. SO THOSE MONIES WERE THERE, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE UTILIZED THEM ALREADY. I WAS JUST OH YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. TO GET FLAGLER STUFF UP AND RUNNING AFTER COVID. YEAH. ALL THOSE FUNDS WERE PROBABLY YES. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTION? BOARD MEMBER BROOKVILLE. WELL, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT RELATIVE TO THAT. JUST AS A CLARIFICATION, THE ORGANIZATION WAS ELIGIBLE FOR SOME, SOME PEP FUNDING. AND THEN THE OTHER FUNDING WAS THROUGH THE EIDL LOAN, WHICH WAS ONLY A LOAN. IT COULDN'T BE FORGIVEN. IT HAD IT FOR A NONPROFITS. IT HAD A 2.75% INTEREST RATE. SO THAT THAT WAS THE THAT WAS THE PROGRAM. YES. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT FOR ME, MARK, RELATIVE TO, COMMENTS, IF I JUST HAVE UNLESS YOU WERE GOING DOWN. NO. GO AHEAD. OKAY, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, IN GENERAL, I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THE YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT THE GREEN MARKET AND WE'VE GOT, AND WE'VE GOT THE FLAGLER CENTER, THE MONEY FROM THE FLAGLER CENTER GOES BACK INTO WHAT, INTO REFURBISHING THAT BUILDING OR WHERE DOES ANY MONEY THAT'S OVER THERE GO TO? JUST FUND THE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? YEAH WHATEVER THE PROGRAM, WHATEVER OUR PROGRAM EXPENSES ARE. YEAH. SO WE'VE GOT RENT, WE'VE GOT UTILITIES TO PAY. WE HAVE ADVERTISING THAT WE DO FOR THE MARKET FOR THE DOWNTOWN. WHAT ABOUT ANY MARKET PROFIT FROM THE MARKET? WHERE DOES THAT GO, DOES THAT GET PUSHED BACK THROUGH IN AGAIN? THAT'S IT'S ALL ABOUT THEY'RE ALL FUNCTIONS OF STEWART MAIN STREET. SO WHETHER IT'S ROCK AND FLAGLER OR THE MARKET, THOSE FUNDS, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP GENERATE MONEY FOR THE ORGANIZATION TO FULFILL OUR MISSION, WHICH I JUST WENT OVER. SO THAT'S TO HELP THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN THAT IS OUR DISTRICT, THAT'S OUR SERVICE AREA. AND THEN, OF COURSE, ANY EXTRA REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE ARE TO HELP FUND PROGRAMS LIKE I'M PRESENTING TODAY, BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A HEFTY COST WITH US DOING THIS PROGRAM FOR THE DOWNTOWN. SO JUST LIKE THERE'S COSTS RUNNING FLAGLER, THERE'S COSTS RUNNING THE MARKET, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UNFORTUNATELY, COMING FROM THE MARKET BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE REVENUE SOURCE, WHICH ARE THE VENDOR FEES. AND THAT JUST GOES STRAIGHT INTO PAYING A STAFFER ON SUNDAYS. THE PAYING ADVERTISING. THANK YOU. I'M NOT SURE WE SHOULD DO THAT. THANK YOU. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WERE SOME DOLLARS THAT WERE GOING BACK THAT WE COULD REDIRECT FROM THE BUDGET, SPECIFICALLY, ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE BY THE COMMISSION. RIGHT. FOR MAIN STREET BUCK PROGRAM. RIGHT. AND I AGREE WITH WITH BOARD MEMBER COLLINS ON THIS AND THAT I PERSONALLY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, THE CITY SPENDING MONEY, YOU KNOW, TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS FOR PRIVATE BUSINESSES THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULD AND PARTICULARLY WHEN THEY'RE NOT RESIDENTS OF STUART OR EVEN POTENTIALLY MARTIN COUNTY, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE BENEFITS, AS YOU POINTED OUT, ARE GOING TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THE AREA. AND SO FROM MY 
          [01:00:03]
PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, NORMALLY I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THIS KIND OF PROGRAM. AS I SAID AT OUR CRA MEETING, A CRB MEETING THAT, IN THIS CASE, I KNOW THAT LOCAL BUSINESSES TO SOME DEGREE ARE STRUGGLING. WE HAVE SOME WE HAVE SOME STRAIN ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW. AND THAT'S HAPPENING. AND SO FROM I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BE A PERMANENT PROGRAM. BUT PERSONALLY I CAN UNDERSTAND DOING IT NOW BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE SOME OF THE STRESS THAT PEOPLE ARE FACING. RIGHT NOW IN THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY OWNERS MAY HAVE COME OUT PRETTY WELL, BUT THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES HAVE SEEN INCREASED RENTS AND ARE STRESSED RIGHT NOW FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT. SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I ONLY FAVOR IT BECAUSE OF ITS IMMEDIATE BENEFIT ON A ONE TIME BASIS. BUT THAT'S JUST MY COMMENT. MR. CHAIR, BOARD MEMBER PENNY, THE CRB APPROVED THIS PROGRAM FIVE ONE. I VOTED TO APPROVE IT, BUT I'M NOT SO SURE IT'S THE BEST USE OF FUNDS. I'M LIKE BOARD MEMBER COLLINS. I DON'T KNOW IF WHY AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD DO THIS. AND I DON'T KNOW. WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR 6 TO 1 PAYBACK? WHAT DOES THAT FIGURE COME FROM? SO WE MULTIPLY THE AMOUNT OF, THE AMOUNT OF GIFT CARDS THAT WOULD BE SOLD AND THEN BASIC MATH, WE JUST MULTIPLY IT BY THE BONUS FUNDS. THE GIFT BACK. YEAH, YEA. 
          IT'S MATH. IT'S EASY MATH. YOU KNOW, MULTIPLY. YOU CARRY THE TWO, YOU KNOW. SO I MEAN, SO THAT'S HOW WE SPEND 20,000 HERE AND 30,000 HERE. AND 15,000 HERE. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO GET TO THE NEXT NOMINAL BOARD MEMBER. CLERK YES. SO SPEAKING OF NUMBERS, IF THIS PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED, THAT WOULD BE A WAY THAT FROM THE 30,000 TO THE, 180,000 TO SHOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN. SO IF YOU EVER MAYBE USE IT TO APPLY FOR A GRANT OR SOMETHING TO REALLY SHOW WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND TO PINPOINT THE GROWTH OR THE NUMBERS THAT WE CAN SEE. AND I THINK THAT IF IT'S FOR A SEASON, THAT'S NOT A BAD DEAL. AS TO THE 30 K, WE'RE GOING THROUGH BUDGET NOW AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS. WE KNOW THAT WE GIVE YOU MONEY, YOU PAY US MONEY, AND IT'S ALL LIKE A WASH WITH THAT 70. BUT MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE NEED TO GIVE CITY MANAGER TO SAY, HEY, LOOK INTO IT, SEE IF THERE'S THE AVAILABILITY. FROM THE BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS IT. OKAY. BUT I'D SAY I'D SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT SAYS PRESENTATION. 
          SO, AND IT DIDN'T HAVE US ANY STAFF, A FULL IS THAT IF YOU GIVE DIRECTION TO BRING IT BACK IN THE CRA BUDGET TO ALLOCATE FUNDING. YEAH. SO IT WILL PROVIDE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A, I JUST LIKE TO SEE WE TALK ABOUT DOWNTOWN ALL THE TIME. WE TALK ABOUT WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. TO ME THIS GIVES A RAZOR NUMBER OF WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOSE. IT'S A MARKETING. IT'S A BRANDING. IT'S A PART OF THE BRANDING. AND THERE'S FUNDS AVAILABLE FROM TIF FUNDS. AND WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE DOWNTOWN THAT WE HELP WITH THE STEWART MAIN STREET. I REALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT, BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT, IF PEOPLE ARE HURTING DOWNTOWN. YES. IT MAY NOT BE, BUT THE BUSINESSES ARE DOWNTOWN AND THEY'RE SERVING THEIR PURPOSE WITH BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE CITY OF STEWART, KEEPING THINGS VIBRANT. MAYBE WE MAY NOT DO ALL 30,000. IT'S A TRIAL THING. YOU'VE GONE FROM 2000 WITH PAPER MONEY. WE MAYBE COULD DO A SMALLER PILOT PROGRAM, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A VIABLE THING TO HELP TEST, REALLY HOW VIABLE OUR DOWNTOWN IS. SO I'M MAKING A MOTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM. 
          THERE'S A MOTION. DO WE ARE WE VOTING ON THIS? WE CAN VOTE. YEAH, I NEED A MOTION TO ADD THIS INTO THE BUDGET. YEAH. OKAY. TO GIVE HER DIRECTION, WE SHOULD VOTE. IS THERE A SECOND? THE MOTION FAILS. I THINK WE HAVE THE DIRECTION YOU NEED IT. THEN IF THE MOTION TO GO 
          [3. CDBG HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM UPDATE]
FORWARD. THANK YOU. CANDACE THANK YOU CANDACE. SO DON'T PUT THIS IN THE BUDGET. NEXT ITEM IS 
          [01:05:01]
THE CDBG, KNOWN AS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT IN CITY POLITICS, HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAM UPDATE AND WHO WILL BE. I'LL INTRODUCE THE ITEM AGAIN, SO THIS THE CITY OF STUART RECEIVED $750,000 IN CDBG HOUSING REHAB GRANT BACK IN 2021, WITH LIMITED STAFF. WE DID CONTRACT WITH GUARDIAN TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO ADMINISTER THE GRANT. AT THAT TIME, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A GRANT ADMINISTRATOR, SO THEY THEY ARE HELPING US, APPLY THE PROGRAM. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO MINIMUM OF 11 HOUSING UNITS, AND THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT NO LESS THAN FIVE HAS TO BE LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS. AND NO LESS THAN TWO HAS TO BE VERY LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLD, AT THAT TIME, WE ALSO ADOPTED A HOUSING ACTION PLAN, SO AS WE RECEIVE THE APPLICATIONS, WE DID HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HOUSING ACTION PLAN, WE HAVE, ANTONIO AND DON HERE, TO GIVE US AN UPDATE ON ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WERE FUNDED AND THAT ARE UNDERWAY AND WE DO EXPECT TO COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION ON THOSE PROJECTS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, SO I'LL LET ANTONIO PROVIDE BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM AND WHERE WE ARE. GOOD AFTERNOON, AGAIN, MY NAME IS ANTONIO JENKINS, AND THIS IS DON COBB. AND I JUST GAVE YOU MY INTRODUCTORY SPIEL. I WAS GOING TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM, BUT SHE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF THAT. SO WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TODAY IS GIVE A BRIEF, VERBAL UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE TO DATE WITH THE PROJECTS AND THE PROGRESS MOVING FORWARD. 
          THIS WILL BE GIVEN BY INDIVIDUAL HOMES. WHAT I WILL DO IS START, THIS PARTICULAR PROCESS BY DESCRIBING THE ACTIONS THAT ARE ONGOING WITH THE PROJECT. WITH THE HAMILTON PROJECT THAT YOU HEARD FROM EARLIER, THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT, UNFORTUNATELY, IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS OF 11, AND IT JUST DIDN'T GO TO PLAN, I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO A BACK AND FORTH ABOUT THE CONTRACTOR AND THE HOMEOWNER. HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY, WE HAVE REMOVED THE CONTRACTOR FROM THE PROJECT. WE'RE WORKING TO MAKE IT WHOLE. THE PLAN AS IT STANDS IS TO ALLOW THE HOMEOWNERS TO GO OUT AND FIND CONTRACTORS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. THEY HAVE THE WINDOWS REINSTALLED, IN A MANNER THAT THEY ARE HAPPY WITH, SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT TO MAKE THEM WHOLE. ADDITIONALLY, IF THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ROOF, BUT TO DATE THE ROOF HAS PASSED, BUT IF THAT COMES TO PASS WHERE IT IS REVERSED, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE WILL ALSO MAKE THAT WHOLE, IN THE MANNER THAT WE NEED TO, AS IT RELATES TO PAYING FOR THE WINDOWS AND ANY OF THE WORK THAT WASN'T INCOMPLETE. THERE IS A DRAFT SET FORTH FOR THE CONTRACTOR FOR WHAT'S JUSTIN DO, THAT IS NOT ONLY TO PROTECT THE PROGRAM, BUT TO PROTECT THE HOMEOWNER FROM ANY POSSIBLE MECHANICAL LIEN, AS PROJECT, AS THE PROGRAM IS SET UP, THE CONTRACT REHABILITATION IS STRICTLY BETWEEN THE HOMEOWNER AND THE CONTRACTOR. THE CITY ONLY ACTS AS AN OVERSEER AND AN AGENT IN THAT PROCESS. SO THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW TO TRY AND RECONCILE AND MAKE THE PROCESS WHOLE, SO AGAIN, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE HOMEOWNERS TO TAKE CARE OF THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, AS QUICKLY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY MORE COMMENTS FROM THE HOMEOWNERS AND OR THE CONTRACTORS, WE'RE BOTH HERE TODAY, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THOSE AFTER WE GIVE THIS PARTICULAR UPDATE. THEY HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT WE ARE. IT'S UNFORTUNATE, AND WE PROVIDED OUR APOLOGIES. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES APOLOGIES DON'T MEAN AN AWFUL LOT TILL WE GET THINGS RECONCILED. BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RECONCILING THAT, TO ENSURE THAT IN THE END, THE HOMEOWNERS ARE MADE WHOLE, THAT THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE PROCESS, AND THEN THAT IT'S A GOOD REPRESENTATION, FOR THE CITY AND THE PROGRAM, AT THE VERY END OF THINGS BEFORE WE CLOSE UP. BUT THAT BEING SAID, I WILL PASS OVER TO MISS DON COBB HERE, AND SHE WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE FOR THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTIVE OR PENDING. ACTIVE STATUS HERE. PRETTY SOON. OKAY. THE NEXT PROJECT IS FOR ALBERT BRINKLEY AT 815 SOUTHEAST CENTRAL AVENUE. FINAL INSPECTION WAS DONE TODAY. EVERYTHING IS PAST THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. 
          THERE IS A SMALL PUNCH OUT LIST THAT WE ARE HAVING THE CONTRACTORS GO BACK AND FIX SOME OF IT IS JUST, THEY GOT LAMINATE COUNTERTOPS AND THEY NEED TO REGLUE LIKE A SIDE. CAP ON ONE. 
          IT'S LOOSE AND CLEAN UP SOME DOORS, LIKE SMUDGE MARKS AND STUFF BECAUSE IT'S BRAND NEW. WE 
          [01:10:05]
WANT EVERYTHING TO BE CLEAN AND PRISTINE. BUT THAT HAS PASSED, BRUCE DAVIS AT 724 SOUTHEAST BAHAMA AVENUE. THIS HOUSE IS A DEMOLITION RECONSTRUCTION. DEMOLITION HAS BEEN DONE ON THE PROPERTY. IT'S IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE BUILDING PLANS SUBMITTED FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOME. AND THE CONTRACTOR IS WAITING ON ELECTRICAL POLE TO BE INSTALLED BY FPNL. BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT FOR THE PERMITTING, MARGARET BRUMFIELD AT 1201 SOUTHEAST SAND DOLLAR LANE, CURRENTLY THE WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE BEING INSTALLED AS WE SPEAK, THERE IS A CHANGE ORDER FOR ELECTRICAL AND PLUMBING WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO WORK ON THE PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL WORK ON THAT CHANGE ORDER, STARTING ON THURSDAY, AND THE ROOF REPLACEMENT ON THAT HOME HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND HAS BEEN PASSED. NELLIE RUTLEDGE AT 930 SOUTHEAST BAHAMA AVENUE, THAT IS THE HOUSE THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE IN 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND. HER, ELECTRIC SCOOTER BATTERY EXPLODED AND THE HOUSE WAS PRETTY MUCH, IT'S BEEN TOTALED. THE HOME THE SHE SIGNED A FORM TO BE OFF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE OUR HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE IS GOING TO TAKE OVER AND REBUILD HER A NEW HOME. HELEN MCBRIDE AT 921 SOUTHEAST FLAMINGO, HER HOME HAS ALSO BEEN COMPLETED. SHE DID HAVE BY, PLANTATION. PLANTATION SHUTTER THAT WAS DAMAGED. THE CONTRACTOR HAS ADVISED ME THAT HE WILL BE THERE, BY THE END OF THIS WEEK TO INSTALL IT, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IS PAST INSPECTIO. 
          AND, VERNON DAVIS THERE AT 902 SOUTHEAST HALL STREET. THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED ON JULY 12TH, AND THE CONTRACTOR IS IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING THE PERMITS. WILLIE DICKENS AT 907 SOUTHEAST HALL STREET. CONTRACT WAS ALSO SIGNED ON JULY 12TH. ELECTRICAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE CONTRACTOR IS WAITING ON THE REPORT FROM THE ELECTRICIAN. THE ROOF IS SCHEDULED FOR INSTALLATION IN TWO WEEKS, AND WINDOWS HAVE BEEN ORDERED AND ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE RECEIVED IN SIX WEEKS. JANIS DELANCY AT 918 SOUTHEAST TARPON AVENUE. THEO JUST GAVE US SITE APPROVAL, FOR THESE HOMES, NOT ONLY DO APPLICANTS HAVE TO APPLY THE HOMES HAVE TO ALSO BE APPROVED BY DOE, AND THEY DO WHAT THEY CALL AN ENVIRONMENTAL. ENVIRONMENTAL IS. OH, OKAY. 
          FLORA COMMERCE. I'M SO USED TO THE FLORIDA COMMERCE CRUISE, IT. TIER TWOS CONSIST OF AIRPLANE NOISE, TRAIN NOISE, CAR NOISE, EAGLE NEST, WHAT THEY CALL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. HOW FAR AWAY IS GAS TANKS? THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF THAT'S INVOLVED. THEY JUST FINALLY GAVE US APPROVAL. SO WE'LL BE SETTING UP CONTRACT SIGNING PROBABLY IN THE NEAR. I SAY NEAR FUTURE, PROBABLY ABOUT TWO, THREE WEEKS. DAVID WILEY WAS ALSO JUST RECENTLY APPROVED BY DOE AND WILL ALSO BE SETTING UP. AND THAT'S AT 1616 SOUTHEAST APACHE. AND WE'LL BE DOING CONTRACT SIGNING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE OTHER HOUSE. AND THEN WE HAVE BRENDA LANGSTON AT 716 SOUTHEAST. AVENUE. COMMERCE IS REQUESTING ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION FROM AN ENGINEER PRIOR TO THAT SITE APPROVAL, THEY'RE ASKING THERE'S THAT HOUSE IS A TEAR DOWN REPLACEMENT AND TWO BUILDINGS OVER INSIDE OF ONE BUILDING. THERE IS A TANK OF SOME SORTS. WE HAVE TO GET AN ENGINEER SAYING THAT IN BETWEEN INSIDE THE BUILDING. AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER BUILDING NEXT TO IT. IT'S METAL. IF IT EXPLODES, HOW MUCH DAMAGE WOULD BE DONE TO THE NEW HOUSES BEING BUILT? AND THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? YEAH BOARD MEMBER BRECHBILL. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO. 
          I'M GOOD. BOARD MEMBER CAMP. ANY SO. SO THAT IT'S CLEAR TO EVERYBODY THE CITY IS INVOLVED BECAUSE IT IS A GRANT PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO REQUEST, CORRECT? YES. IT HAS TO COME THROUGH US. YES, SIR. BUT THEN WHO PICKS THE HOMES AND HOW DOES THAT ALL WORK? SO THEY HAD TO. 
          WE ADVERTISED, FOR THE PROGRAM AND WE RECEIVED APPLICATIONS. WE REVIEWED THE APPLICATIONS. WE RANKED THE APPLICATIONS. THOSE WERE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COMMISSION, ABOUT A YEAR AND A 
          [01:15:07]
HALF AGO, AND THEN ONCE THOSE WERE RANKED, THEN WE STARTED, INSPECTING THOSE HOMES, AND THEN MAYBE ANTONIO CAN KIND OF EXPAND ON HOW WE THEY GOT SELECTED AFTER THE APPLICATIONS WERE SUBMITTED. YOUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLAN, THAT'S THE DOCUMENT THAT MR. NOEL DESCRIBED EARLIER, OUTLINES HOW APPLICATIONS ARE ADVERTISED FOR OUR APPLICANTS OR ADVERTISED FOR ARE THEY ARE VETTED HOW THEY ARE APPROVED. YOUR HOUSING ASSISTANCE PLAN REQUIRES THAT HOMEOWNERS ARE APPROVED ON A FIRST COME, FIRST APPROVED, MEANING THEY SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION AND ALL THE BACKUP DOCUMENTATION. YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE CLEAR OWNERSHIP. YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE INCOME, CERTIFICATIONS AND THOSE THINGS. SO ONCE THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN VETTED AND APPROVED, THE APPLICANTS ARE PUT ON A RENT LIST BASED ON THE PLEDGES THAT WE'VE MADE FOR THE HOME, A MINIMUM OF TWO OF THE HOMES HAVE TO BE WHAT THEY CALL VERY LOW INCOME, OR 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, THEN ANOTHER FIVE HAVE TO BE 50% OR LOW INCOME OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME. AND THE OTHER SIX CAN RANK UP TO 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME. SO ONCE YOU HAVE THOSE FOLKS, THEY'RE PUT ON A LIST BASED ON THOSE RANKINGS. AND BROUGHT BEFORE THE COUNCIL THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IN ALL THIS. I MEAN, SOMETHING SOMETHING WENT WRONG. I THINK WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT THE CHURCH SOMETHING WENT WRONG, AND NOW THE CITY IS THE ONE THAT HAS TO SORT IT OUT. WE DO HAVE BUILDING OFFICIALS HERE. THEY'VE DONE INSPECTION AND CLEARED INSPECTION ON THE ROOF. THE WINDOW IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING WORKED OUT. THE APPLICANT IS ALLOWED TO HIRE THEIR OWN CONTRACTOR. WE'RE ALLOWING THEM TO HIRE THEIR OWN CONTRACTOR, AT THEIR OWN CHOICE SO THAT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY'RE HAPPY WITH THE WORK THAT TO COMPLETE THE WORK FOR THE WINDOWS, SO WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS FOR THE WINDOWS. MY WHOLE POINT IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CITY STARTS GIVING OUT SOMEONE ELSE'S MONEY, RIGHT? THERE'S A PROBLEM. 
          AND THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE THE FALLBACK PERSON, EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HIRE THE CONTRACTOR, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, PICK REALLY PICK THE PEOPLE PER SAY. WE PICK IT ACCORDING TO A PLAN THAT REALLY WE'RE TOLD WHAT THE PLAN IS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. AND WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG, WE END UP ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK AS IF WE HAVE TO NOW FIX IT AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT MAY NOT BE WORTH TAKING THE MONEY IF THIS IS THE RESULT. AND MAYBE THIS IS ONE OUT OF TEN HOMES OR WHATEVER IT WAS. BUT GEE, I MEAN, I THINK I THINK OLGA HATES US. SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY HATE IN HER HEART. HEY, WELL, HERE'S WHAT I WILL SAY. THESE PROGRAMS DO A LOT OF GOOD IN THE COMMUNITY. YES. ALL PROGRAMS, ALL PROJECTS, UNFORTUNATELY. JUST DON'T GO TO PLAN. EXCUSE ME SIR, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME SIR, ALL PROJECTS DON'T GO TO PLAN. THIS HAPPENS TO BE ONE PART OF THE REASON YOU HIRE A CONSULTANT IS TO GET OUT THERE IN THE FIELD. AND TO RECONCILE THESE PARTICULAR ISSUES, THERE IS DAMAGE DONE TO THE HOME. THERE WERE ATTEMPTS TO RECONCILE IT WITH THE CONTRACTOR OF RECORD BEFORE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RELATIONSHIP WAS JUST IRRECONCILABLE. AND AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT, IT WAS BEST TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING HERE. AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I WON'T GET INTO THE FIGHTS OF IT OR THE MUDSLINGING OF SO WE HAVE THAT PROCESS TAKEN CARE OF HERE. VIRTUAL AND WE'VE HAD SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS. 
          THIS IS JUST ONE CASE WITH THE CONTRACTOR. SO IF YOU SPEAK TO THE OTHER TEN, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE OTHER APPLICANTS. SO UNFORTUNATELY THIS WAS ONE APPLICATION WITH THE CONTRACTOR ISSUE. I DON'T WANT TO SAY THEY'RE NOT COMPLAINTS ABOUT ANY OF THE OTHER PROJECTS. IT'S CONSTRUCTION AND PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN THE HOME. THE ISSUE IS 99.999% OF THE TIME. WE WORK THEM OUT IN THE FIELD WITH THE HOMEOWNER AND THE CONTRACTOR. 
          THIS ONE JUST HAPPENS TO SPILL OVER PUBLICLY, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE. AND THIS IS AN EVOLVING SITUATION. AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE THIS UNDER CONTROL. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE HE'S HAPPY RIGHT? AND THE CITY IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE MAKING SURE HE'S HAPPY. 
          THAT IS CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THERE IS THERE IS AN OVERSIGHT PROCESS. IF AND WHEN WE NEED TO REVISIT THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH FURTHER, WE WILL HAVE BOARD MEMBER CAMPAIGNING. DID YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? BOARD MEMBER REID. 
          YES. SO WHAT IS THE GOAL TONIGHT? BECAUSE I SEE THE POSTER BOARD THAT OLGA AND ROBERT BROUGHT IN, AND I KNOW THERE WAS QUESTIONS ABOUT A RIDGE VENT OR SOMETHING BEING 
          [01:20:03]
COVERED UP, AND IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE TERMITE DAMAGE WITH WINDOWS BEING INSTALLED AND SCREWED TO THAT. MAYBE FROM THE WINDOW BOX. WELL, HERE'S THE POINT. WE WERE WE HAD AN ENGINEER TO COME OUT TO THE HOME, WORKING WITH THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE CAN ONLY WE'RE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT WE TOUCH. THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT TERMITE DAMAGE AT OTHER PARTS OF THE WALL. WE HAD AN ENGINEER TO COME OUT THAT PROCESS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS, DIDN'T WORK ITSELF OUT, AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT, WE DECIDED THAT'S WHEN WE DECIDED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CONTRACTOR AND THE HOMEOWNER WAS IRRETRIEVABLE, AND WE NEEDED TO MOVE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN ONGOING ESCALATING SITUATION HERE, SO, AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF RECONCILING BEFORE THE RELATIONSHIP WAS JUST BROKEN TO THE POINT OF WHERE IT WAS JUST GOING TO NOT BE GOOD FOR ANYBODY INVOLVED AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, WHO WAS THE ENGINEER BOARD MEMBER, JUST A RANDOM ENGINEER. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY WEREN'T AFFILIATED WITH THE PROGRAM. THE HOMEOWNER OR ANYBODY INVOLVED, HE IS NOT HERE. HE DIDN'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE CAR. DO YOU HAVE HIS NAME OR DO YOU? WE'LL LET THE CONTRACTOR. IF THEY WANT TO SPEAK, WE'LL GET UP AND LET THEM. OKAY? AND SPEAK THE NAME OF THE ENGINEER. CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING? ARE YOU DONE? YOU CERTAINLY MAY. BOARD MEMBER CLARK. NO, NO NO, NO. GO AHEAD. GOOD I JUST I KNOW THAT WE TRY OUR HARDEST TO MAKE SURE THAT CDBG DOLLARS GO TO THE BEST PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE MEMBERS WHO RECEIVED THIS HELP HAVE CALLED ME AND SAID THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D CALL IT DISRESPECT OR LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM OR WHATEVER, AND IT MAY NOT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MISS COBB OR YOU AS TO WHO WAS WHO PICKED THE, THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS AND THEN THE SUBCONTRACTORS THAT THEY SEND OUT TO THE HOME. BUT A LOT OF UNPROFESSIONAL STUFF WENT ON AROUND THOSE HOMES WHERE THEY PUT THEIR TOOLS, WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY LEAVE, THEY DON'T TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE COMING BACK. TWO WEEKS LATER, THERE'S A DISPOSAL CAN THAT'S BLOCKING MAILBOXES, THAT'S DOING ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY JUST NEEDS TO BE MORE PROFESSIONALISM WITH WHOEVER IS CHOSEN FOR THIS. AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT THIS IS LIKE ALMOST TWO YEARS AND SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING OR COME TO US, WHETHER WITH A QUARTERLY REPORT OR WHATEVER. IT TOOK SO LONG AFTER THE FIRST TIME WHEN PEOPLE WERE BROUGHT IN HERE AND GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS TOGETHER. AND THEN THE 11 PEOPLE WERE CHOSEN, IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET STARTED. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS LACK OF MATERIALS OR GETTING OVER COVID OR WHATEVER WAS GOING ON, BUT IT'S JUST BEEN GOING ON FOR SO LONG. I APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD PROBLEMS. I WANT TO SEE PROGRAMS SUCCEED, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE CONTRACTORS IN HERE OR IF WE DO ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE WITH ANY CONTRACTORS THAT WE REALLY PUT THEM TO THE FIRE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE CITY OF STEWART WHERE MONEY IS BEING PASSED THROUGH AND IT'S HAPPENING, OUR CITY, OUR PEOPLE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THERE AND DENY, DENY, DENY EVERY TIME BECAUSE THE WORK IS SO BAD. SO WE NEED TO HAVE THINGS. YES, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN MAYBE OUR BUILDING CONTRACTORS, MAY YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PASS EVERYTHING, BUT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS NOT SHODDY. THAT'S THEIR JOB. THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB. AND I THINK THAT THIS WAS JUST NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. AND I AGREE, WHEN YOU SAID TO MR. COMMISSIONER COLLINS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORK ON THE ISSUES, LET'S WORK ON IT AND WE NEED TO DO THAT AND GET IT RESOLVED AND MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL. AND HERE'S WHAT I'LL SAY ABOUT THE TIMELINE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE SIGNED OUR FIRST CONTRACT IN JANUARY OF 2024, THE TIME PRECEDING THAT IS JUST THE UPFRONT TIME IT TAKES TO GET THE GRANT UP AND RUNNING. THERE ARE A LOT OF PROCESSES THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THE STATE TO GET THE GRANT UP AND RUNNING, ALTHOUGH WE RECEIVED THE GRANT IN 2022, AGAIN, WE DIDN'T SIGN OUR FIRST CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT UNTIL JANUARY OF 2024. WAS IT 24? WAS IT 23? I DON'T KNOW, JUST RECENTLY. YEAH, IT WAS 2023. PROBABLY NOVEMBER. I THINK IT WAS NOVEMBER 23RD WHEN WE SIGNED. OKAY. SO THAT WAS SO VERY RECENTLY IS WHEN WE SIGNED OUR FIRST SET OF CONTRACTS BECAUSE IT'S THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH. AS I SAY, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON ONE TO CLEAR COMMERCE. YEAH, IT'S A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AS IT RELATES TO, THE EXPERIENCE THAT SOME OF THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE HAD, I WILL TAKE THE BLAME FOR THAT, BECAUSE I AM YOUR PROJECT 
          [01:25:02]
MANAGER THAT YOU HIRED THROUGH THROUGH YOUR CONSULTANT, I HAVE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE CONTRACTORS AND THE HOMEOWNERS, LIKE I SAID, NOT ALL COMPLAINTS. NOT EVERY PROJECT IS GOING 100% SMOOTHLY, BUT 99.9% OF THEM ARE TAKEN CARE OF IN THE FIELD. JUST BEFORE WE WERE HERE TODAY, WE VISITED EVERY PROJECT, INCLUDING THE PROJECT WITH THE DUMPSTER, DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS AN ISSUE UNTIL LAST WEEK. DIDN'T KNOW IF I'M NOT TOLD THESE THINGS, I. I UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T READ MIND SOMETIMES. SO IF I SHOW UP AT THE HOUSE AND YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING IS GOOD, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING IS NOT GOOD, I CAN ONLY GO BASED OFF THE INFORMATION THAT I SEE. 
          SOME OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE MOVED SLOWER THAN I WOULD LIKE, MUCH SLOWER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED THEM TO. I'M NOT GOING TO SUGARCOAT THAT. AGAIN, THAT MEANS I NEED TO BE BETTER, IS WHAT THAT MEANS, SO AGAIN, I VISITED THE CONTRACTOR. WE NEED TO MOVE ON. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE, BOARD MEMBER JOB. PROGRAMS COULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO A COMMUNITY, BUT THE REALITY IS THE CITY IS A CONDUIT OF THIS MONEY. OKAY? SO IT FALLS BACK ON THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE CDBG PROGRAM TO MONITOR IT, TO GO FORWARD WITH IT WHERE THEY NEED TO TAKE PLACE, AND REPLACE, CONTRACTORS. THAT'S ON YOU. IT SHOULDN'T COME BACK TO THE CITY. AND THAT IS WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN THIS CASE. AND IT COULD HAPPEN IN FUTURE. BUT I THINK IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE TIGHTENED UP. 
          IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A CONDUIT, YOU GET THE MONEY. WE'RE PASSING IT THROUGH, WE'RE MAKING IT AVAILABLE. BUT THEN ALL OF THE OTHER RESPONSIBILITY IS ON YOU AND SHOULD NOT COME BACK TO THE CITY. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE YOUR PROGRAM WORKS IS THAT IF WE CAN'T RESOLVE IT IN THE FIELD, IT DOES COME BACK TO THE CITY, THAT IS JUST THE WAY THE PROGRAM IS SET UP, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS ONE PROJECT THAT WE JUST COULDN'T RESOLVE IN THE FIELD. SO IT WILL INEVITABLY GOING TO END UP HERE, AND IT WILL INEVITABLY END UP WITH ME SAYING EXACTLY WHAT I JUST SAID, THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF RECONCILING THE ISSUE. AND WE HOPE TO EXPEDITE THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. OKAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CLEARLY THERE WE NEED SOME ANSWERS, YOU'RE SAYING 99.9% ARE FINE AND COMMISSIONER CLARK IS SAYING THAT SHE HAS HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS. SO I THINK THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS. AND AS YOU SAY, TIGHTEN IT UP AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME VERY GOOD POINTS MADE. I DON'T THINK WE NEED ANY ACTION. MR. MARTELL, DO WE REGARD WHAT PUBLIC COMMENT? OKAY. CAN WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE, ON THIS? ELLEN. MISS MCBRIDE. YES. SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY. BUT I'M HELEN MCBRIDE. I WAS PART OF THIS PROGRAM AND, THERE WERE TWO CONTRACTORS WHEN I CAME. IT WAS RIGHT HERE. WE HAD THE MEETING. ONE WAS MORE EXPENSIVE. ONE WAS CHEAP. I PICKED THE MORE EXPENSIVE MR. DESANTIS WAS MY CONTRACTOR. AND THESE TWO PEOPLE WERE HERE. THAT YEAR. THEY WERE GREAT. BUT HER POINT OF CLARIFICATION WHEN I SIGNED THE CONTRACT, IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME AFTER THEY FINISHED, IF I SELL THE HOUSE, I PAY BACK ALL THAT MONEY. IF I RUN OUT MY HOUSE, I PAY BACK ALL THAT MONEY. NOW WHEN I DIE, I DON'T HAVE TO PAY YOU BACK. THE MONEY WHICH IS I'M NOT HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY. I FELT BAD FOR THE OTHER FIVE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THIS ROOM AND SIGNED THE CONTRACT WITH THE CHEAP GUY. WELL, I'M GOING TO SAY CHEAP. 
          THE LOWER PRICE GUY. THEY GOT TERRIBLE SERVICE BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL COMING TO ME AND ASKING ME. AND I REMEMBER MR. BRINKLEY, HE CAME AND SAID, HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH IT, MRS. MCBRIDE? OH, I SAID, THEY'VE BEEN FINISHED FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS. I'M WE'RE DONE AND FINISHED. EXCEPT LIKE SHE SAID, THEY BROKE THE SHUTTER, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO REPLACE THE SHUTTER. AND OF COURSE, THE SHUTTER IS QUITE OLD, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE PUT THEM IN THE LOWES HAD HER ORDER IT AND THEN IT WAS ON BACK ORDER. BUT THIS PROGRAM, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT BECAUSE I COME TO THE MEETINGS AND WHEN THE MAN EXPLAINED IT TO ME, I THOUGHT, WHY NOT TRY? HE ASKED ME TO TRY. 
          HE SAID, WE NEED MORE MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE, BUT IF YOU GO AND HAVE, LIKE I THOUGHT 16 YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT I PAID SOME GUY TO PUT IN WINDOWS IN. HE DIDN'T. I PAID HIM QUITE A BIT OF MONEY. 
          THIS PROGRAM, AS SOON AS THEY FOUND OUT MY WINDOWS WEREN'T IMPACT, THEY PUT THE IMPACT WINDOWS IN, DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB AND THEY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND BECAUSE I'M BY MYSELF AND I AM HANDICAPPED. THEY DID ABOVE AND BEYOND MOVING THE FURNITURE, TAKING THINGS DOWN. THIS IS A FANTASTIC PROGRAM, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST THINK SOMEONE'S GOING TO COME INTO YOUR HOUSE AND DO ANYTHING OR YOUR CHURCH, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE RIGHT THERE WATCHING THEM AND LIKE WHEN WE 
          [01:30:04]
BUILT OUR HOUSE ON FLAMINGO AVENUE, I DROPPED THE KIDS OFF AT PARKER. I ALWAYS CAME DOWN TO FLAMINGO TO SEE WHAT THE MEN WERE DOING THAT WORKDAY. SO WHEN YOU SIGN A CONTRACT, YOU JUST CAN'T SAY BACK, OH, THE CITY IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT. THAT'S THEIR JOB. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE THERE. ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR, ASK A FRIEND. I ASKED MY NEIGHBOR BECAUSE ONE DAY I COULDN'T BE THERE. BUT THEY ALWAYS CALL THE DAY BEFORE BECAUSE THE ONE DAY AND I TOLD MR. DESANTIS, I'M NOT GOING TO BE HOME. WHAT CAN WE DO? NO PROBLEM, MRS. MCBRIDE. WHEN IS IT CONVENIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY WORKMEN TO BE THERE? SO THIS IS A FANTASTIC PROGRAM. AND THESE TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE STANDING HERE AND SHE WAS A SAINT BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS. I WAS VERY NERVOUS. I WASN'T A LITTLE. I CALLED SHE CAME RIGHT OVER, EXPLAINED EVERYTHING. SO THE PROGRAM IS GOOD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHURCH WENT WITH THE WRONG CONTRACTOR. 
          NOW I KNOW THE GOVERNMENT SITE YOU MAY ASK QUESTIONS ARE NO LONGER DOING BUSINESS WITH THAT PERSON, BUT THAT'S HIS FAULT. THEIR FAULT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS MCBRIDE, IS IT JUST THESE TWO? YES. THEY GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, SO THAT'S UP TO YOU, MR. AND MRS. HAMILTON. YOU BOTH. IT WAS MY ERROR AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. BUT YOU DID MAKE A COMMENT REGARDING THIS ITEM IF YOU HAVE AND PERHAPS IF JUST ONE OF YOU, BECAUSE WE'RE WAY OVER TIME HERE, IF JUST ONE OF YOU COULD SPEAK TO YOUR CONCERNS OR IS IT NECESSARY? WHEN AT THE MEETING. 
          I'LL JUST. I'LL JUST BE BRIEF. I JUST WANT A REBUTTAL TO WHAT MR. JENKINS SAID. MAJOR DISAGREEMENT THERE. AND HERE'S WHY. HE MADE THE STATEMENT ON THE RECORD IN YOUR ROOM THAT WE'RE GOING TO REINSTALL THESE WINDOWS. THEY CAN NEVER BE REINSTALLED. THE STRUCTURAL FRAME HAS TO BE PUT BACK IN. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. WHAT IT'S ABOUT IS SOMEBODY DIDN'T READ THIS RIGHT. 
          IT'S IN THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS. AND SO THE TAXPAYERS WERE MR. WANTS US TO DO IS LET THEM GET PAID, THEN USE THE REST OF OUR GRANT MONEY TO HIRE AND GET ANOTHER SET OF WINDOWS PUT IN AND GET THE FRAMEWORK FIXED. SO THE TAXPAYERS GOT PAID TWICE, HE TELLS ME, WELL, YOU CAN DONATE HIM THEN. NO, THEY KNEW WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY DID IT AND WE OBJECTED. AND THERE WAS ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN WHO WE HAD ASKED TO COME AND GIVE US AN ESTIMATE. I DIDN'T KNOW THE GUY. HE DIDN'T KNOW ME. HE SAW HOW WE WERE TREATED, HOW HE TREATED MY WIFE, AND HOW BELLIGERENT THEY WERE AND HOW THEY WERE GOING TO FORCEFULLY DO IT. AND THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO OR THE CITY COULD DO ABOUT IT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING TO GENERAL MEETING, BUT I HAD TO HAVE THAT REBUTTAL BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT ACCURATE INFORMATION. THEY'RE NOT BEING PUT BACK IN, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON, AND I APOLOGIZE. I'M UPSET. I'M CONFIDENT THAT YOUR CONCERNS HAVE GOTTEN THE ATTENTION OF AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER AND THAT SOME OF US WILL BE OUT THERE VISITING YOU. I WOULD THINK, TO DEAL WITH THIS. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW TWO, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH. OKAY, I'M GOING TO CLOSE FOR THE WE'RE OVER TIME HERE AND YOU'VE LEARNED THE FIRST SUPERSTITION OF COMMISSION MEETINGS IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT AN AGENDA AND GO, OH, THAT SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO LONG. DON'T EVER SAY THAT. BUT I WANT TO GET GOING BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE TIME AT THE END OF THEIR WORKDAY TO COME HERE, AND I WANT TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. SO I'M GOING, YES. SO I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING. WHAT YES. DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON THAT? YES, WE NEED TO PUT IT ON. ALL
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.