YOU'RE A SMART GUY. OKAY, I GOT IT. I HAVE ALL MY NOTES RIGHT HERE. SO I'M CALLING TO ORDER
[ROLL CALL]
[00:00:08]
THE SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING. TENTATIVE MILLAGE AND TENTATIVE BUDGET OF THE STUART CITY COMMISSION FOR MY NUMBER. THAT'S RIGHT. I FORGOT ABOUT THIS OFFICER HEIDI. YEAH. GO AWAY. I DON'T KNOW. ROGER THAT. CALL ME. THANK YOU. CALL ME. I GET TO RECALL MY THOUGHTS. SO I'LL GET TO RECALL MY THOUGHTS AND CHANGE WHAT I JUST SAID IS THE BUDGET ONE. DO I NEED MY SECOND MONITOR? DO ANYTHING YOU WANT. YOU KNOW WE CAN ALL GO HOME. MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL? MAYOR. RICH. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONER CLERK. PRESIDENT. COMMISSIONER. COLLINS HERE.COMMISSIONER. JOBE. YES. HERE. COMMISSIONER. REID YES. HERE. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS BY CITY
[COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS]
COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER REED, DO YOU WISH TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS REGARDING THIS SPECIAL MEETING? YEAH. AS FAR AS THIS, THIS IS FOR JOLIE. IS THE LINK STILL THE SAME FOR THE BUDGET, THEN THAT YOU ORIGINALLY SENT ME OR. THIS IS THE THIS IS THE PUBLIC VERSION OF THE BUDGET.GOTCHA. THE ONE THAT I SENT YOU HAD. NOT FOR PUBLIC ALL OVER IT. GOTCHA. THE PUBLIC ONE. OKAY.
THIS IS A THIS IS THE GOOD ONE. AND, I DON'T KNOW, BOSS. DO WE HAVE A DO YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION PLANNED OR. WELL, WE DON'T NEED TO. I MEAN, IT DEPENDS. WE DO. YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS OF JOLIE, LET'S DO IT. AFTER HIS PRESENTATION. OKAY. SO DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS REGARDING REALLY NON AGENDA THINGS IS THAT'S THE POINT OF THE COMMENTS. IS YEAH I JUST I WANTED CLARIFICATION. THERE IS THERE IS A NEW LINK COMMISSIONER. THIS IS THE PUBLIC VERSION. AND THAT'S THE ONE I SHOULD BE LOOKING AT. YES SIR I SENT EVERYONE I'M JUST MAKING SURE. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. OKAY. PLEASE DO. COMMISSIONER GOP, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NOT RELATED. OKAY. COMMISSIONER CLARK. NO, NO, I MEAN, I, I, I DON'T I OKAY, I HOPE THAT I HAVE NOT OFFENDED ANY OF MY COMMISSIONERS IN MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NOT A MATTER OF PREPARATION. IT'S PROBABLY JUST THE WAY THE MEETING HAS GONE. AND I REALLY UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND YOUR FRUSTRATION. I DO AND I WOULD TAKE OKAY, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT SPEAKING WITH EACH OTHER. WE'RE DOING. COMMISSIONER COLLINS, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? SHOULD I BOW, NO, I HAVE NONE. I HAVE NO COMMENTS. COMMENTS BY THE CITY MANAGER, NO, I HAVE NONE. MAY I GET AN
[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? MOTION FOR APPROVAL. MOTION BY COMMISSIONER REID. SECOND.SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. ALL IN FAVOR, A ROLL CALL. PUBLIC COMMENT. TWO. OH. PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NONE. SEEING NONE. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COMMISSIONER CLARK UP HERE. NO. YES. YES. YES. BUT FOR THE AGENDA. YES, COMMISSIONER REED? YES COMMISSIONER SELBY. YES, MAYOR. RICH. YES. COMMISSIONER COLLINS. YES. DO YOU HAVE ANY CARDS FROM THE PUBLIC FOR COMMENTS REGARDING NON AGENDA ITEMS? I DO NOT. SEEING NONE. MR. BAGGETT,
[COMMISSION ACTION]
WILL YOU PLEASE READ COMMISSION ACTION ONE, RESOLUTION NUMBER 66, DASH 2024, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. MR. MAYOR? YES, COMMISSIONER COLLINS. IF THERE'S IF THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGE FROM STAFF FROM THE LAST PRESENTATION TO THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE, CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE NUMBER 6 TO 6 DASH 2024? YOU CAN. I HAVE TO READ A STATEMENT, BUT YOU CAN DO THE MOTION. WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SECOND. I'LL READ IT AFTERWARDS. WE HAVE A MOTION ON RESOLUTION 66-2024. IS THERE A SECOND? I WAS JUST TRYING TO BRING IT UP. WE NEED TO ADOPT THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE. YES THANK YOU. THERE'S A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COLLINS. FORGIVE M. OKAY. BY FLORIDA LAW, TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS MUST BE HELD TO ULTIMATELY ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATES AND ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA.THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S FIRST OF THOSE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, OR TENTATIVE, IS TO HEAR PUBLIC
[00:05:04]
COMMENTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND BUDGET, AMEND THE BUDGET IF NECESSARY, AND TO TENTATIVELY ADOPT THE MILLAGE RATE AND CITY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING HAS BEEN ADVERTISED VIA THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES MAILED BY THE PROPERTY.APPRAISER'S OFFICE. I CAN GO INTO THE PRESENTATION AND WE CAN HEAR THAT, OR I WILL FINISH READING THIS, AND THEN YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT A PRESENTATION OR NOT. WHY DON'T YOU FINISH READING IT? THE CITY OF FLORIDA ROLLED BACK RATE FOR FISCAL 2025 IS 4.7774 MILLS. THE CITY IS PROPOSING A MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, WHICH EXCEEDS THE ROLLBACK RATE BY 4.66%. THE CITY IS PROPOSING A MILLAGE RATE OF FIVE MILLS, WHICH IS THE SAME MILLAGE RATE THAT IT HAS HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE PURPOSE OF THE INCREASE IS TO FUND CURRENT OPERATIONS AND ACCOMMODATE NORMAL INCREASES IN THE COSTS OF THOSE OPERATIONS. TO FURTHER EXPLAIN THE ROLLBACK RATE, BECAUSE THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE ENTIRE CITY HAS GONE UP, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE ADDED THE $60 MILLION APARTMENT BUILDING AT THE FOOT OF THE INDIAN STREET BRIDGE AND WE ASKED, WE ADDED $75 MILLION WORTH OF CONDOS ON SEMINOLE STREET AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S GONE ON TO THE TAX ROLLS SINCE THE LAST BUDGET MEETING. ANY INCREASES IN VALUE, ETC. THE TOTALITY OF THE VALUE FOR THE CITY OF STUART HAS GONE UP IN VALUE. THEREFORE TO REACH LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WE WOULD HAVE NEEDED TO PASS A MILLAGE RATE OF 4.7774. BUT OUR MILLAGE RATE IS FIVE AND WE KEPT IT THE SAME THIS YEAR. THAT'S WHAT ROLLBACK IS. I'M JUST EXPLAINING IT. WHAT WE'RE ASKING ON NUMBER ONE, THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE MILLAGE RATE AT FIVE AS SET BY THE COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY AS IT RELATES TO THE ACTUAL BUDGET AT THE LAST BUDGET MEETING, THE ONLY DIRECTION THAT I WAS GIVEN FROM THE BOARD AS IT RELATED TO ALTERING OR AMENDING THE BUDGET, WAS TO PUT A RESERVE FOR $300,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR THE HIRING OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY. I ASKED THE DEVELOPMENT OR THE FINANCE DIRECTOR TO DO THAT, AND HE FROZE ANOTHER POSITION AND ALSO WE ADJUSTED SOME CAR REPLACEMENTS AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS. BUT THE FACT IS, THE, MONEY IS IN THE BUDGET AS A RESERVE. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PASSING THE BUDGET IS HIRING ANYBODY. IT'S JUST A RESERVE THAT AUTHORIZES THE BOARD TO DO SO LATER. SO IF YOU WANT TO HEAR A PRESENTATION NOW ON THE BUDGET, WE CAN GO FORWARD OR YOU CAN VOTE ON THE MILLAGE RATE. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? I'D LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. ALREADY ON IT'S ALREADY WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION. WE'RE DOING. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS. I HAVE SOME DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR A QUESTION FOR MR. MARTEL OR JULIE? SO I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMEND JULIE AND MR. MARTEL AND AT THAT SAME MEETINGHE STUART LEAGUE OF CITIES. I WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF COMMUNITIES OF MUNICIPALITIES WERE RAISING THEIR MILLAGE. BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL THEY'VE ALL ENJOYED THE SAME INCREASE IN THE VALUATION OF THEIR PROPERTY. AND I, I REALLY HAD SOME DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY FELT THE NEED TO DO THAT.
AND OUR RATE OF FIVE IS LOW. AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF SOUND MANAGEMENT. A VERY GOOD BUDGET DIRECTOR. REALLY. YOU DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT. AND I WAS VERY PROUD TO SAY WE'RE NOT RAISING OUR MILLAGE AND WE'RE ONLY AT 5%. SO DESPITE THE RECENT VOTE THAT SEEMED TO IMPLY SOME INABILITY. THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL. AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT WAS DU, MAY I ASK A QUESTION, MR. MARTEL? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FREEZE A POSITION? IT MEANS THAT THAT POSITION IS NOT GOING TO BE FILLED THIS YEAR. IT'S NOT BUDGETED. WAS SOMEBODY IN THAT POSITION? I DIDN'T FIRE ANYBODY. IT'S JUST THAT IF THERE'S A VACANCY, THE PERSON WHO HAD THAT, THEY WERE THE VACANCY WAS IN PLACE AND THE DIRECTOR WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE TO OTHERWISE GO OUT AND HIRE SOMEBODY TO FILL THE SHOES OF IT. BUT BECAUSE THE POSITION'S VACANT, WE'VE SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO FILL THOSE SHOES. AND YOU SAID ONE OTHER THING YOU DID IN ORDER TO THERE
[00:10:03]
WAS SOME CAR LEASES. OH, OKAY. YOU KNOW, EXTENDED AND SOME OTHER THERE WAS A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS WE CAN GO THROUGH IT, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS THAT THE 300 IS IN THE RESERVES.SO WHO'S DRIVING AN OLDER FLEET? THE POLICE OR CHIEF CHIEF'S CAR? EVERYBODY IS. OKAY. SO THAT.
PRESENTS CHALLENGES. BUT WE WILL DEAL WITH THEM. SO MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU CALL THE VOTE? COMMISSIONER COLLINS? YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK YES. MAYOR RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. JOB.
YES, COMMISSIONER. READ. YES NEXT. ITEM NUMBER TWO. MR. BAGGETT, WILL YOU READ ITEM NUMBER TWO, RESOLUTION NUMBER SEVEN NINE DASH 2020, FOR RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 DASH 25 NON AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT ROLE FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS. DIRECTING CERTIFICATION OF THE ASSESSMENT ROLL TO THE MARTIN COUNTY TAX COLLECTOR. PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY. PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. I HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT. THE, THE RESOLUTION IS TO ADOPT THE FIRE ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF STUART IN 19 OR 2014. AND WHAT HAPPENED IN 2014 IS WE WERE RECOVERING FROM THE RECESSION. WE NOTICED THAT INCREASES IN MILLAGE RATE DIDN'T AFFECT 65% OF THE PARCELS IN THE CITY OF STUART, BECAUSE THEIR ASSESSED VALUE WAS SO LOW THAT THEY PAID ZERO TAXES. SO THERE WAS A HUGE BURDEN OF TAXES BEING PLACED ON THE TOP 5% OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND ZERO BURDEN OF TAXES BEING PLACED ON 65% OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THESE FIRE ASSESSMENTS HAVE BEEN SPREAD TO EQUALIZE THE RISK AND THE BENEFIT. AND BASICALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS IT'S ROUGHLY $123 AND CHANGE PER PARCEL. AND THEN THE FORMULA THAT WAS ADDRESSED WAS THAT THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S ASSESSED VALUE OF THE ACTUAL BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY FROM THE YEAR BEFORE WOULD BE USED TO DETERMINE THE APPRAISED OR ASSESSED VALUE FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THE MATH FORMULA ON THIS FIRE ASSESSMENT, IT COMES OUT, AND I THINK WE USED TO DO LIKE A $300,000 HOUSE AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT IT CAME OUT TO UNDER $200 A YEAR FOR EACH ONE. AND AS A RESULT, IT EQUALIZES THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THE FIRE SERVICES TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WITHOUT RAISING THE MILLAGE RATE ON THE BALANCE OF THE PROPERTY APPRAISER. THE PEOPLE THAT DO PAY THE PROPERTY TAXES. SO WE HAVE A FIRE ASSESSMENT THAT WE ADOPT AS A NON AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION. IF YOU WANT A FURTHER EXPLANATION, I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MORE JOLIE KENT AS WELL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS REGARDING THIS ITEM? COMMISSIONER CLARK? NO, I WON'T SAY IT. I WAS GOING TO SAY A BAD WORD WHEN THIS STARTED. PEOPLE CALLED. PEOPLE CALLED IT THE FIRE TAX. YEAH, WELL, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT IS. YEAH. NO. AND IT HAS WORKED AND WE'VE BEEN DOING WELL. RIGHT IT'S $193, $0.87 PER PARCEL FOR TIER ONE AND $2.34 PER EBBU FOR TIER TWO, IT JUST A SINGLE IT IS A REMARKABLE STATISTIC THAT 65% OF THE AND I THINK THAT NUMBER HAS NOW GONE DOWN BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WHEN PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES GO ABOVE $75,000 IN ASSESSED VALUE, HOWEVER, IT'S STILL A LARGE NUMBER. A LOT OF PEOPLE BOUGHT THEIR HOUSES IN 2004. I BOUGHT MY HOUSE IN 2002. AND SO IF SOMEBODY BOUGHT THEIR HOUSE AND I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GUESS WHEN MRS. MCBRIDE BOUGHT HER HOUSE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE SAVE OUR HOMES LAW, IF SOMEBODY'S HOUSE WAS ASSESSED AT $45,000 WHEN THEY BOUGHT IT, IT ONLY CAN GO UP 3% PER YEAR. SO THE VALUE OF THAT HOUSE WOULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, 30, 40 YEARS TO GET OVER $75,000, EVEN IF THAT PROPERTY IS WORTH $300,000 TODAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE IT'S HOMESTEADED AND IT'S PROTECTED. AND AS LONG AS THEY DON'T SELL IT, IT DOESN'T GET ON THE TAX ROLLS. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S IT. NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS,
[00:15:08]
WILL YOU TAKE TAKE THE VOTE PLEASE. THERE'S NO MOTION YET. OH THERE'S NO WITH REGARD TO SORRY. WE'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION NUMBER 79 DASH 2024 NON AD VALOREM ASSESSMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES SECOND. WE OKAY SEEING NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS. NO. IS IT A ROLL CALL OR IS IT A IT'S A IT'S A ROLL CALL. IS THERE ALL ROLL CALL. YEAH. MAYOR RICH.YES. COMMISSIONER JOBY. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK YES, COMMISSIONER. COLLINS. YES CAN YOU READ ITEM NUMBER THREE, PLEASE, MR. BAGGETT, RESOLUTION NUMBER 80, DASH 2024, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADOPTING THE TENTATIVE BUDGETS OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING OCTOBER 1ST, 2024 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. DO WE HAVE A MOTION, JUST SO YOU KNOW, ONLY I KNOW IT'S LATE AND EVERYONE'S READY TO GO, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE CITY MANAGER MADE SOME VERY TOUGH CHOICES THIS YEAR, THIS MEETING IS JUST ANOTHER INDICATIVE OF HOW THE YEAR HAS GONE. SO THERE HAVE BEEN POSITIONS THAT WERE CUT AS IN REMOVED AND FTES WERE CUT. THERE'S ALSO BEEN POSITIONS THAT WERE FROZEN WHERE WE'RE NOT ALLOWING THE WE DIDN'T BUDGET ANY DOLLARS FOR THE POSITION, SO IT WON'T BE FILLED. WE DENIED CAPITAL REQUEST AND AS CORRECT. AND AS TO THE VEHICLE STUFF, WHAT WE DID WAS YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL YOU WE NEVER MATCH ONGOING EXPENSES WITH ONE TIME REVENUES. BUT TO PUSH THIS OVER THE GOAL LINE, WE DIPPED INTO SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE'VE SAVED UP FROM SELLING VEHICLES TO FUND SOME OF THE VEHICLES OUTRIGHT THIS YEAR TO TRY AND LESSEN THAT BURDEN ON THE BUDGET. SO AFTER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION AT THE LAST BUDGET TO WHAT THE MANAGER'S REFERRING, WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN THIS BUDGET, WE DID NOT DIP INTO FUND BALANCE. WE DID NOT INCREASE MILLAGE. WE FOUND THE MONEY IN OTHER LINE ITEMS TO COVER THE $300,000, AMOUNT FOR THE PROPOSED POSITION. SO THAT'S WHAT'S DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE LAST BUDGET YOU SAW ON THIS ONE. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR? COMMISSIONER? READ NONE. COMMISSIONER. NO NONE. NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SO WITH REGARD TO RESOLUTION NUMBER 80, DASH 2024, MOVE APPROVAL. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLARK AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COLLIN. CAN YOU CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE, MADAM CLERK? COMMISSIONER CLARK.
YES, COMMISSIONER. READ. YES, MAYOR. RICH YES, COMMISSIONER. COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER.
SELBY YES, FINALLY, I NEED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 MILLAGE RATE AND THE FINAL BUDGET IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD AT 5:15 P.M. HERE AT CITY HALL, WHICH IS 121 SOUTHWEST FLAGLER AVENUE IN FLORIDA. WE WILL DO THOSE EXACT SAME THREE ITEMS AGAIN, JUST TO TWO OF THEM, JUST TWO, ON THE, AT THAT HEARING, BECAUSE IT WAS A PROCESS. AND I ALSO WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT WE ALSO, AUTHORIZE THE SCHEDULING OF ANOTHER MEETING ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, TO ADDRESS THE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IN THE AGENDA AND THE ZONING OF PROGRESS. WILL YOU GIVE US A TIME? YEAH WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE THE STANDARD TIME OF 530. THE FORMAL MEETING START. UNLESS YOU GUYS WANT TO DO A DIFFERENT TIME. NO, NO. 530.
OKAY, GREAT. MR. MAYOR, PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL NOT BE AT THAT MEETING ON THE NINTH ON THE COMMISSIONER CLARK, YOU WILL BE MISSED. THANK YOU. GOOD LUCK. OVERSEAS. SEE NO OTHER ITEMS FOR
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.