[ROLL CALL]
          [00:00:03]
          CLERK, WHERE'S OUR CITY MANAGER? RIGHT. OKAY. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE. I'M CALLING TO ORDER THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE STUART CITY COMMISSION. FOR JANUARY 13TH. OUR FIRST MEETING IN THE YEAR 2025. AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR AND THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR RICH HERE. MAYOR. VICE MAYOR COLLINS HERE. COMMISSIONER CLARK. YES. HERE. 
          HERE. COMMISSIONER. READ. OKAY. THE INVOCATION WILL BE PROVIDED THIS AFTERNOON BY THE CHAPLAIN FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT? CHAPLAIN SKIBA. AND WILL YOU THEN LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? AFTERWARDS. MISTER MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY ATTORNEY, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CITIZENS OF STUART. IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE ONCE AGAIN, TO BRING THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD INTO THESE PROCEEDINGS. BECAUSE WITHOUT IT, WE DON'T HAVE A CHANCE. LET'S GO BEFORE HIM. OUR GOD AND OUR FATHER. GREAT CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. THIS IS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY I HAVE HAD IN THIS SETTING SINCE THE NEW YEAR TO INVITE YOUR PRESENCE. 
          LORD, WE LOOK FORWARD TO A FRUITFUL YEAR. DESPITE ALL THE MISGIVINGS SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD. 
          WE SEE YOUR HAND IN EVERYTHING WE DO AND WE LOOK FOR SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE. WE LOOK FOR AN INCREASE IN VISION AND INCREASE IN DEVELOPMENT AND INCREASE INCREASE IN UNDERSTANDING GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LORD, WE LOOK FOR AN INCREASE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THIS NATION. WE INVITE YOU, LORD, TO COME AND WASH OVER US WITH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT AND BRING RIGHTEOUSNESS BACK INTO A FOREFRONT OF THIS COUNTRY, THIS ONE NATION, UNDER GOD AND INDIVISIBLE. WE NEED YOU MORE THAN EVER, FATHER. AND IN 2025 WE SAY, THIS IS ONE NATION UNDER GOD. THIS WILL BE ONE NATION UNDER GOD. IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE AND IT'LL BE A STRONG NATION UNDER GOD. WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO FOR US, LORD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE INCREASE IN BLESSINGS YOU'RE ABOUT TO POUR OUT ON THIS NATION. AND WE RECEIVE THEM WITH OPEN ARMS. WE THANK YOU AND PRAISE YOU AND BLESS YOU. 
          FATHER. WE PRAY ALL OF THIS IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. 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. SORRY ABOUT THAT. THAT'S OKAY. PROCLAMATIONS. MISTER BAGGETT, 
          [PROCLAMATIONS]
WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION? ABSOLUTELY. WHEREAS 153 YEARS AGO, ARBOR DAY WAS FIRST OBSERVED IN 72, IN NEBRASKA AND IS NOW OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND THE WORLD, THE CITY OF STEWART IS ONE OF 164 CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A TREE CITY, USA BY THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION IN HONOR OF ITS COMMITMENT TO EFFECTIVE URBAN FOREST MANAGEMENT. AND WHEREAS TREES SUPPORT OUR ENVIRONMENT BY REDUCING THE EROSION OF OUR PRECIOUS TOPSOIL BY WIND AND WATER FILTERING OF STORMWATER, PRODUCING OXYGEN, AND PROVIDING A HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE. TREES IMPROVE OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH BY CLEANING THE AIR, REDUCING EXPOSURE TO THE SUN'S ULTRAVIOLET RAYS, AND DECREASING TEMPERATURES DURING THE SUMMERTIME. TREES ALSO SUPPORT OUR ECONOMY BY CREATING JOBS, INCREASING PROPERTY VALUES, CONSERVING ENERGY, AND ENHANCING THE RETAIL EXPERIENCE IN OUR DOWNTOWN. AND WHEREAS THE GARDEN CLUB OF STEWART HAS TIRELESSLY ENCOURAGED THE PLANTING OF TREES AND ENCOURAGED THE CARE AND PROTECTION OF TREES SO THAT WE CAN PASS ON AN ENDURING HERITAGE OF A VITAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE TO SUCCEEDING SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS. THE ANNUAL TREE GIVEAWAY AND NATIVE PLANT SALE WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 18TH. NOW THEREFORE, I, CAMPBELL RICH AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STEWART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 17TH, 2025 AS STEWART ARBOR DAY AND ACCEPTING 
          [00:05:03]
THIS PROCLAMATION IS JENNIFER PELHAM AND MISS PELHAM IS THE COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR AND URBAN HORTICULTURAL AGENT FOR ASSOCIATE DISTRICT EXTENSION DIRECTOR. WOW. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. NOT ONLY ARE THEY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT CAN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT? OH I'M SORRY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF TREES AND PLANTING TREES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND IN OUR YARDS. AND THEY'RE NOT JUST IMPORTANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ALSO TO OUR OUR HEALTH. TREES HELP WITH SHADE, AND THEY ALSO HELP WITH OUR MENTAL WELL-BEING. AND THE REASON THAT FLORIDA RECOGNIZES ARBOR DAY, THE THIRD FRIDAY IN JANUARY INSTEAD OF APRIL, LIKE NATIONAL ARBOR DAY, IS BECAUSE WE CAN BECAUSE IT'S HOT IN APRIL HERE AND WE WANT TO PLANT TREES IN JANUARY. SO THAT'S WHY WE CELEBRATE NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU FOR. MISTER BAGGETT. WHEREAS REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BELIEVED THAT A PERSON'S WORTH SHOULD NOT BE MEASURED BY COLOR, CULTURE OR CLASS, BUT RATHER BY THEIR COMMITMENT TO CREATING A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL IN A BELOVED COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR WAS A VISIONARY WHOSE COURAGE AND DETERMINATION TO BALANCE THE SCALES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE CHANGED THE WORLD FOREVER. AND WHEREAS THE REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY IS THE ONLY FEDERAL HOLIDAY DESIGNATED AS A NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE TO ENCOURAGE ALL AMERICANS TO VOLUNTEER TO IMPROVE THEIR COMMUNITY AND TO REFLECT ON REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. S LEGACY. AND WHEREAS, FOR MANY YEARS, THE CITY OF STUART HAS JOINED WITH LOCAL CIVIC GROUPS THROUGHOUT MARTIN COUNTY IN UNITY AND PARTNERSHIP TO HONOR THE LEGACY OF REVEREND DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR AND STUART MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA. NOW, THEREFORE, I CAMPBELL RICH, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 20TH, 2025 AS REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY CELEBRATION. AND ACCEPTING THIS PROCLAMATION THIS AFTERNOON IS JIMMY SMITH AND NINA DOOLEY. AND JIMMY, I DON'T NEED TO ASK. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT PRAYER. FIRST PRAYER OF THE YEAR THAT YOU ASKING GOD TO COME IN AND BE UPON ALL OF US. THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER. AND IT IT MOVES A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS PLACE. SO WE WANT TO SAY THANK THE CITY FOR ALLOWING HIM TO BE IN PRAYER. AND WE WANT TO INVITE ALL OF YOU OUT ON MONDAY FOR THE PARADE. SHE CAN PUT MORE TO IT, AND IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG WEEKEND. SO YES, YES, WE HAVE A FIVE DAY WEEKEND PLAN FOR MLK. THURSDAY WE WILL BE IN JENSEN BEACH FOR THE FISH FRY ON THE 16TH. THE 17TH WILL BE DOWN IN PORT SALERNO AT THE CIVIC CENTER. THE 18TH WE WILL BE AT BANNER LAKE CLUB IN HOBE SOUND. THE 19TH WILL BE OUT IN INDIANTOWN BOOK PARK AND OF COURSE, THE 20TH HERE IN THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF STUART, WITH THE PARADE AND THE CELEBRATION IN THE PARK AT GUY DAVIS PARK. SO WE WANT EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES. IF YOU CAN'T MAKE ONE DAY, WE HAVE FIVE. SO YOU HAVE A CHOICE. BUT WE WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND CELEBRATE DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING AND HIS LEGACY AND THE LIFE THAT HE'S LED. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO DO TODAY. SO WE THANK YOU. THANK THE CITY COMMISSIONERS. THANK THE CITY FOR PARTNERING WITH ASUS TO PUT ON THIS EVENT EVERY YEAR. I THANK YOU GUYS. SO THE PARADE IS MONDAY. IT STARTS WHAT TIME 11:00 11:00 LINEUP IS AT 1015 AT STEWART MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT'S SHORT IN DURATION, BUT BIG IN HEARTS. IT'S A IT'S A CUTE PARADE. SO I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO IT. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF S.O.S. BAND THAT WILL BE COMING. YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE TRIED TO START IT, SO HERE STUART AND THEY ARE HERE. HE'S IN HIS POSITION IN WEST PALM BEACH. 
          HE'S COMING TO DEDICATE HIS TIME TO STUART TO HELP ALL KIDS FROM MARTIN COUNTY BECOME A PART OF A BAND THAT THEY COULDN'T PROBABLY JOIN IN SCHOOL. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. SO COME OUT AND MEET AND CELEBRATE. AS WE DO THAT. I'LL SEE YOU. YES, SIR. HEY, JIMMY. CHIEF. 30 MINUTES 
          [00:10:18]
HERE. MAYOR, IF I MAY. FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER REED ARRIVED AT 408. THANK YOU. AND FINALLY, MISTER BAGGETT, TO CELEBRATE LITERACY WEEK. WHEREAS MARTIN REED'S SEEKS TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURROUNDING LITERACY IN MARTIN COUNTY. A DECLARATION OF THE WEEK OF JANUARY 27TH THROUGH THE 31ST OF 2025 AS CELEBRATE LITERACY WEEK FLORIDA PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR AWARENESS, LITERACY ACTIVITIES AND ADVOCACY OF THE YOUTH. AND WHEREAS, CHILDREN WHO ARE UNABLE TO READ BY THE THIRD GRADE ARE MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, ENGAGE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, AND EXPERIENCE POVERTY AS ADULTS. AND WHEREAS, MARTIN READS IS DEDICATED TO INCREASING THE LITERACY RATE OF OUR CHILDREN TO 90%, BUT NO LESS THAN 70% BY THE YEAR 2030. WITH ROBUST PARTNERSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS, A COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO HAVING LEARNERS THAT ARE EQUIPPED, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND LITERATE. NOW, THEREFORE, I, CAMPBELL RICH, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 27TH THROUGH THE 31ST AS CELEBRATE, CELEBRATE LITERACY WEEK AND ACCEPTING A PROCLAMATION THIS AFTERNOON IS KIANA KELLY, WHO IS A MARTIN READS COORDINATOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS KELLY. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN. THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR REQUESTING THIS PROCLAMATION. AND AS YOU KNOW, EVERYONE HAS A LITTLE CONSTRUCTION TRUCK. THE REASON YOU HAVE THAT CONSTRUCTION TRUCK IS BECAUSE GOVERNOR DESANTIS DECLARED THAT THIS YEAR'S THEME EVERY YEAR THERE'S A THEME. THIS YEAR'S THEME IS BUILDING LITERACY, CONSTRUCTION FOR SUCCESS. SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT LITERACY, I DON'T WANT US TO BE OBSESSED WITH NUMBERS, PERCENTAGES OR ANY OF THAT. WHAT DOES IT TAKE SUCH THAT WE WILL DEVELOP STRONG, INDEPENDENT, PRODUCTIVE, CREATIVE LEADERS IN OUR SOCIETY? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. READERS ARE LEADERS, AND WE WANT TO ENGAGE OUR CHILDREN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY SEE LITERACY AS A LIFE SKILL AND A TOOL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED, AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO PASS A TEST OR LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THEY JUST WANT TO, THAT THEY JUST WANT TO GET THROUGH IT AS SOMETHING TO DO. WE WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS ENCOURAGING FOR THEM, A PLACE FOR THEM TO ESCAPE WHEN THEY WANT TO GO TO A DIFFERENT PLACE IN THEIR MINDS. 
          AND SO THIS YEAR, WE'RE DOING THIS REALLY BIG, AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF STUART. WE ARE HAVING A CELEBRATE LITERACY KICKOFF, WHICH YOU HAVE ALL BEEN INVITED TO. THAT IS GOING TO BE ON THE 25TH. IT'S FROM 130 TO 4:30 P.M. AT THE 10TH STREET COMMUNITY CENTER. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ACTIVITIES BASED ON BOOKS AND TYING INTO THE THEME OF CONSTRUCTION. THE KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN. WE HAVE MISTER SOFTEE IS GOING TO BE THERE. WE HAVE DONUT ENVY IS GOING TO BE THERE FOR PURCHASE. WE ALSO HAVE BUBBAKOOS, WHICH IS PROVIDING THE FOOD, AND WE DID STRIVE REALLY HARD TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES. PHOTO BOOTH IS GOING TO BE DOING THE 360 PHOTO BOOTH, SO IT'S GOING TO BE AN AMAZING FREE ACTIVITY FOR THE KIDS TO GET THEM ENGAGED IN LITERACY, AS WELL AS PROVIDE RESOURCES FOR THE PARENTS. IN ADDITION TO THAT, ALL THROUGHOUT THE WEEK OF THE 27TH AND 31ST, THERE'S GOING TO BE ACTIVITIES ALL THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M GOING TO BOUNCE AROUND AS MUCH AS I CAN. AND SO WE JUST ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO SHOW UP FOR OUR KIDS AS AS LEADERS WHEN IT COMES TO LITERACY, WHETHER IT'S MODELING WHAT YOU DO, WHAT YOU LIKE TO READ, HOW YOU BECAME SUCCESSFUL AS A READER, AND HOW READING HAS BENEFITED YOU, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, ALL THE THINGS THAT ALL HELP. SO ANY LITTLE PART THAT YOU DO, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR, BUT WE HAVE A LONG JOURNEY TO GO, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLEAR THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, CAN'T DO IT BY OURSELVES. SO WE DEFINITELY NEED YOU. WE ARE PARTNERED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS WELL AS THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF MARTIN COUNTY, TO HAVE A FIRST LAB SCHOOL IN THIS COUNTY. AND SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AND AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SHOW SOME GAINS IN LITERACY AND THROW RESOURCES IN THAT IN THAT SPOT AND THEN REPLICATE THAT MODEL. 
          SO WE JUST WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP AND CONTINUE TO GET SUPPORT FROM OUR LEADERSHIP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR. WHAT WHAT WHAT AGE GROUP DO YOU WORK WITH PRIMARILY OR? WELL, THE GRADE LEVEL READING IS FOR THIRD GRADE BECAUSE BY THE THIRD GRADE, BEFORE THE THIRD GRADE, CHILDREN ARE LEARNING TO READ. AFTER THE THIRD GRADE, THEY'RE READING TO LEARN. SO CHILDREN WHO ARE UNABLE TO READ BY THE THIRD GRADE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO 
          [00:15:05]
MOVE FORWARD. AND IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT. LIKE MY OWN SON DIDN'T GET DIAGNOSED WITH DYSLEXIA UNTIL HE WAS IN THE 10TH GRADE, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE EARLY MARKERS. BUT THE EVENT ON THE 25TH IS FOR ALL THE KIDS. I SAID UP TO LIKE 1314 BECAUSE I THINK THE OLDER KIDS WILL BE BORED. YOUR SON AND I TAUGHT KIANA HOW TO READ. I TAUGHT YOU. MINE DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. WAIT ONE MORE. OH, SORRY. THANK YOU. GOT IT. DARCY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. SERVICE. AWARDS. WE'LL GO IN NUMBER. THE ORDER OF NUMBER OF YEARS OF 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
SERVICE. AND WITH FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. CODY CZARNKOWSKI. 
          WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING? CODY. YEAH, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO GIVE A SPEECH. CODY. YEAH, NO, YOU DON'T TRICK ME ON THAT ONE. MILTON TRICKED HIM. THANK YOU, THANK YOU SIR, WE APPRECIATE. 
          YOU. CONGRATULATE YOU, CODY. THANK YOU. THANK. TEN YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. LONNIE. HE'S SLEEPING. SLEEPING? WORKS THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT. ACTUALLY, HE HE DID SAY HE WAS COMING. MORE ABOUT 4:30 P.M. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY AND JUST PAUSE ON THAT ONE ON HIS WAY TO WORK. YEAH. 25 YEARS WAS FAIRLY. AND HAPPY HEART. 
          THANK YOU. KATHY. THANK YOU. NORMALLY WE ALL GO DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THEM BUT. 25 YEARS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH YEAH. HUMAN TRAFFICKING. WE'RE ON HUMAN. HOLD ON TO THIS OKAY. 
          MR. ANCHORVILLE. ALL RIGHT. WE NOW HAVE A PRESENTATION WHICH IS GOING TO PROCEED. A PROCLAMATION, THE PRESENTATION IS GOING TO BE MADE BY. IS IT LYNN, YOU BY MISS LYNN BARLETTA. 
          BARLETTA, WHO'S THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE. YOU'RE ALSO THE FOUNDER OF THE VISIONARY VISIONARY SCHOOL OF ARTS. IS THAT CORRECT OR FOUNDER VISIONARY OF THE VISIONARY SCHOOL. SO, MISS BARLETTA, YOU MAY GO AHEAD. MAYOR, DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THE PROCLAMATION FIRST OR. OKAY, SURE. LET'S DO THE PROCLAMATION FIRST. OKAY. LYNN, WE'RE GOING TO READ THE PROCLAMATION FIRST. WHEREAS HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A FORM OF MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN WHICH HUMAN BEINGS ARE CONTROLLED, ABUSED, AND EXPLOITED FOR PROFIT THROUGH LABOR AND SEX. AND CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING IS THE FASTEST GROWING CRIME IN THE WORLD. CHILDREN. CHILDREN HAVE BECOME THE PRIMARY TARGET OF TRAFFICKERS AND PREDATORS. AS REPORTED BY THE FLORIDA STATE ALLIANCE TO END HUMAN HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND WHEREAS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ONLINE IS HAPPENING IN OUR OWN BACKYARDS, WITH ARRESTS DOCUMENTED IN STUART THIS YEAR, FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE NATION FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE CALLS, LOCAL AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS AND LEADERS ARE CONNECTING TO BRING AN END TO THIS HORROR OF ENSLAVING AND ABUSING CHILDREN AND ADULTS THROUGH AWARENESS AND EQUIPPING CITIZENS TO PROVIDE TIPS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE IS PROVIDING AWARENESS, VIDEOS AND CURRICULUM FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES TO BE A LARGE PART OF THE SWEEP OF AWARENESS. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF STUART COMMISSIONERS CALL UPON ALL RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO EQUIP PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS TO ELIMINATE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND HELP EMPOWER SCHOOLS AND CITIZENS TO 
          [00:20:05]
RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS, TURN IN TIPS, AND SAVE LIVES. TOGETHER, WE CAN RISE TO STOP THIS TRAVESTY THROUGH AWARENESS AND EDUCATION WITH A LONG TERM PLAN TO HOUSE AND RESTORE VICTIMS. NOW, THEREFORE, IN RECOGNITION OF CHILD TRAFFICKING PAST AND PRESENT IN THE CITY OF STUART, I. CAMPBELL RICH, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF STUART, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY AS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH. OKAY, NOW WE'RE READY. THANK YOU. MAYOR RICH. COMMISSIONERS, MY NAME IS ROB GLUCKMAN, ALONG WITH MY WIFE, DOCTOR MICHELLE LIBMAN. WE OWN TREASURE COAST URGENT CARE AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS HERE IN STUART. I HAVE THE DISTINCT HONOR OF INTRODUCING LYNNE BARLETTA. BOTH MICHELLE AND I HAVE BEEN HUGE SUPPORTERS OF THE FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE SINCE IT STARTED. JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER, SHE HAS BEEN IN THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING SECTOR AS AN ADVOCATE FOR VICTIMS OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, ASSISTING WITH MULTI COUNTY AND MULTI-AGENCY STINGS, AS WELL AS EDUCATING BUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGN OF A TRAFFICKED VICTIM. AND I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T LET YOU KNOW THAT LYNNE IS THE 2024 ASHLEY MOODY COMMUNITY ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROBIN. AND THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS AND MAYOR CAMPBELL. SO I HAVE BOARD MEMBERS HERE. MY HUSBAND, TONY, WHO IS THE CEO, AND DENISE THALACKER, OUR FFA PRESIDENT. 
          YOU ALL STAND UP AND OUR COUNTY COORDINATORS, PRESENTERS AND VOLUNTEERS, THEY ALL CAME HERE TO STAND WITH US. SO. HOLD ON JUST ONE SECOND. THERE WE GO. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ECONOMIC GIANT. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS IDENTIFIED CHILD TRAFFICKING AS THE FASTEST GROWING CRIME IN THE WORLD. AMERICA IS THE BIGGEST BUYER OF SEX, AND DEMAND FOR YOUNGER AND YOUNGER CHILDREN IS GROWING AT A HORRIFIC RATE. FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE NATION BEHIND. I THINK IT WENT BACKWARDS. LET'S SEE. THERE WE GO. I'M JUST GOING TO I'M GOING TO SAY NEXT SLIDE AND LET YOU DO IT BECAUSE I'M GETTING DISCOMBOBULATED HERE OKAY. 
          FLORIDA RANKS NUMBER THREE IN THE NATION BEHIND CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS. AND 50% OF ALL PROSECUTIONS INVOLVE ONLINE RECRUITMENT. BUT EVERY CHILD IS AT RISK. AND WE MUST HAVE ONLINE DEFENSE IN PLACE. SO THESE ARE THE 15 APPS. NEXT SLIDE THAT OUR SHERIFF POSTS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT. AND NEW APPS ARE POPPING UP ALL THE TIME THAT ARE USED IN TRAFFICKING. WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. HERE ARE SOME APPS THAT CAN HELP TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN OR SHARE WITH CONCERNED PARENTS. YOU ALL HAVE A PARENT HANDBOOK IN CASE YOU ARE PARENTS AND WANT THIS INFORMATION. THE NEW THING THOUGH, IS VAULTS AND CONDOS, SECRET FOLDERS THAT CAN BE ACCESSED ONLY BY A CODE. BUT THESE APPS LIKE BARK AND NETNANNY CAN TELL YOU IF A CODE IS BEING USED. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THESE ARE COMMON SYMBOLS USED BY PEDOPHILES. THEY ARE OFTEN IN TATTOOS OR IN JEWELRY. THE BEAR IN THE MIDDLE IS A UNIVERSAL SIGN WORLDWIDE THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF, INCLUDING THOSE LITTLE SPIRALS AND TRIANGLES AND CIRCLES. THIS CAME FROM AN FBI WORKSHOP. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS A LIST OF THE TOP GAMES THAT TRAFFICKERS USE TO SOLICIT CHILDREN. A TRAFFICKER OR PREDATOR WILL TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS TO CONVINCE A CHILD THAT THEY ARE THE SAME AGE. MANY OF THESE GAMES HAVE VAULTS AND CONDOS AND A VIRTUAL PLACE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE WITH CHILDREN. A TIP CAME IN TO US BECAUSE A GRANDMOTHER AND SHE'S SITTING RIGHT OVER HERE. GO AHEAD AND STAND UP, PLEASE, DONNA. AND SHE ALERTED HER DAUGHTER, WHO'S WHO, WHOSE CHILDREN ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA. AND SHE WAS 14. SHE BEGAN TO LOSE FOCUS IN SCHOOL. SHE WAS DISTRACTED. SHE WITHDREW FROM HER FAMILY. SHE BECAME ANGRY AND DEPRESSED. HER GRADES FELL. SHE HAD ALL THE SIGNS OF A CHILD BEING TRAFFICKED. WHEN THE GRANDMOTHER, DONNA, INSISTED THAT THE PARENTS QUESTION THEIR DAUGHTER, THE PARENTS SAT HER DOWN AND BEGAN TO PRESS HER FOR ANSWERS, ONLY TO FIND OUT SHE HAD A NEW BOYFRIEND THAT WE NOW KNOW WAS A RECRUITER HAD INVITED HER INTO A VAULT INSIDE A ROBLOX GAME WHERE THERE WERE VIDEOS OF VIOLENT SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH ADULTS AND CHILDREN, AND IT AFFECTED HER WELL-BEING VERY DEEPLY. THE PARENTS WENT TO THE LOCAL SHERIFF IN VIRGINIA, WHO WAS NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT HE HAD TO DO, AND THEY ALSO WENT TO THE SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHO ALSO DID NOT UNDERSTAND. THANKFULLY, WE ARE TRAINED HERE IN STUART, FLORIDA, WITH OUR SHERIFF AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OUR SCHOOLS. THEY ENDED UP PULLING THEIR DAUGHTER OUT OF SCHOOL, JUST AS HER SEVEN YEAR OLD LITTLE SISTER WAS BEING INVITED INTO THE VAULT BY THE BOYFRIEND, WHO WE NOW KNOW, AS I SAID, WAS 
          [00:25:02]
A RECRUITER. RECRUITERS ARE THE SAME AGE AS OUR CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS AND THEY ARE IN MOST SCHOOLS. WE INTERRUPTED BEFORE THE LITTLE ONE GOT IN AND TURNED THIS INTO THE CYBER TIP LINE. 
          NOW, THAT SAME WEEK, BBC REPORTED IN THE NEWS THAT OVER 200 CHILDREN WERE INSIDE THIS VAULT IN IN ENGLAND. SO THIS IS WORLDWIDE. IT IS NOT JUST IN OUR AREA. SO I WON'T READ THESE STATS DUE TO TIME, BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE LARGEST VIEWING AUDIENCE OF PORNOGRAPHY IS UNDER AGE, AND ALSO KNOW THAT 88% OF ALL PORN SCENES NOW CONTAIN VIOLENCE. AND IT IS GETTING WORSE, AND IT INVOLVES MORE AND MORE CHILDREN. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS HOW I CONNECT THE DOTS FOR YOU. SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT PORNOGRAPHY FUELS DEMAND AND DEMAND FUELS SUPPLY. 
          PORNOGRAPHY IS THE ONLY UNREGULATED INDUSTRY ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH. AND THE GREATEST ISSUE PROVEN BY MULTIPLE STUDIES HAS PROVEN THAT IT IS ADDICTING. IT AFFECTS BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN. IT IS SERIOUS AND IT IS VIOLENT. MOST ARRESTS FOR TRAFFICKING, INCLUDING POSSESSION, AND HAS INCLUDED POSSESSION OF CHILD PORN, ACCORDING TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. AND IT DRIVES DEMAND FOR CHILDREN AND WE HAVE MANY DOCUMENTED ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS THROUGHOUT FLORIDA. BUT I WILL FOCUS RIGHT HERE ON OUR AREA. SINCE THE END OF 2023. 
          NEXT SLIDE. IN MARTIN COUNTY, OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, THERE HAVE BEEN 13 ARRESTS FOR TRAFFICKING, CHILD EXPLOITATION, ALL INCLUDING CHILD PORN, INCLUDING THREE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND TWO TEACHERS FOR SEXTING, MINORS AND HIGH SCHOOL. A HIGH SCHOOL JANITOR WHO HAD VIOLENT INFANT PORN THE WORST OUR SHERIFF HAD EVER SEEN. THE JANITOR THERE HE IS PICTURED UP THERE AND THE MAN HE WAS WORKING WITH ARE PICTURED AFTER CONVICTION AND RECEIVING OVER 1700 YEARS IN PRISON. THIS WAS BECAUSE OF AWARENESS THAT THESE TIPS COME IN. WE AT FLORIDA FAITH ALLIANCE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR FOUR ARRESTS. THREE MEN WERE RUNNING FOR HOMES FROM MARTIN COUNTY TO LAKE WORTH BACK TO INDIANTOWN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. WE TURNED IN THAT TIP AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE RESCUED. ALSO, A MAN WHO WAS LURING CHILDREN INTO HIS VAN AFTER SCHOOL WITH PROMISES OF ICE CREAM. THIS WAS IN 2024. THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE ARRESTS HERE IN MARTIN COUNTY FOR INFANT PORN, AND A MAN IN JENSEN BEACH WAS ARRESTED IN 2024 FOR TAKING PHOTOS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN AND USING AI TO PLACE THEIR FACES ON CHILD PORN TO MARKET IT WORLDWIDE. NOW, LATER, THESE PHOTOS CAN BE USED BY FACE RECOGNITION TO TRACK DOWN THESE CHILDREN AND EXTORT THE CHILD AND THE FAMILY. MOST NOTABLY, LAST MONTH IN DECEMBER OF 2024. 
          YEAR ON, STEWART POLICE ARRESTED THREE MEN FOR GOING AFTER A CHILD BY OFFERING GIFTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GROOMING. NEXT SLIDE. I'M SURE YOU'RE READY FOR A POSITIVE THING HERE. SO WE BEGAN WORKING WITH STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE TOBY OVERDORF SINCE 2019 ON BILLS, AND IN 2024, BILL HB THREE BECAME A NEW LAW TO SHUT DOWN PORN IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS SIGNED FIVE ANTI-TRAFFICKING BILLS RECENTLY, AND PORNHUB PULLED OUT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA AS OF JANUARY 1ST. BECAUSE OF THAT BILL. AND I HAVE MORE GOOD NEWS. THE VIDEOS WE'VE CREATED ARE CALLED DON'T TAKE THE BAIT, STARRING LOCAL STUDENTS WHO ARE AMAZING, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO AFFECT OVER 70,000 CHILDREN IN MARTIN COUNTY AND INDIAN RIVER SCHOOLS AND 7000 EMPLOYEES. WE ARE LIVE TRAINING ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. WE ALSO WORK WITH OVER 400 TRAFFICKED AND ABUSED CHILDREN RIGHT HERE LOCALLY. HIBISCUS HOUSE IS BRINGING THIS PROGRAM IN AND MANY OF THOSE ABUSED CHILDREN HAVE BEEN IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS VEHICLE OF RESTORATION AND HEALING. BUT FOR NOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE AWARENESS TRAILER FOR THE DON'T TAKE THE BAIT, AND THEN I'LL HAVE YOU SKIP FORWARD. JIM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE END FOR GRADES TWO THROUGH FIVE. WITH THE VIDEO NOW. YEAH. GO AHEAD. AND YOU HAVE TO CLICK IT ONE MORE TIME. 
          OH YEAH. THERE YOU GO. THAT'S OKAY. I'LL KIND OF AD LIB HERE. SHE'S TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS TRAFFICKING. AND SHE'LL EXPLAIN THAT IT'S A FORM OF MODERN DAY SLAVERY IN WHICH TRAFFICKERS 
          [00:30:01]
TAKE MONEY FOR THE USE OF A CHILD. REMEMBER, THIS IS FOR GRADES TWO THROUGH FIVE. AND TRAFFICKING CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS TRADING A PLACE TO STAY OR A MEAL FOR SEX. THEY USE FORCE, LIES, AND TRICKERY TO GET A CHILD TO DO WHAT THEY WANT. HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A VERY SERIOUS CRIME. AND KNOWING THIS COULD HELP SAVE A LIFE OR SAVE A FRIEND. BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO LEARN NOT TO TAKE THE BAIT. AND WHAT DOES A TRAFFICKER END UP PUTTING ON HIS HOOK? IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN FISHING, YOU KNOW THAT HE HAS TO PUT BAIT ON A HOOK, AND HE THROWS THAT BAIT IN THE WATER, AND HE JUST HOPES THAT A LITTLE FISH WILL TAKE HOLD AND NOT SEE THE HOOK. AND HE REELS THAT LITTLE FISH IN. SO WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BAIT YOU? WOULD IT BE A PUPPY? HOW ABOUT MONEY, BOYS? HOW ABOUT A NEW CELL PHONE, GIRLS? HOW ABOUT NEW CLOTHES? MAYBE YOU JUST NEED TO HEAR I'M PROUD OF YOU OR YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL. WHATEVER YOUR DREAM IS, THAT TRAFFICKER, THAT PREDATOR WILL MAKE IT REAL TO YOU. BUT DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND. YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL IN DESIGN. REAL LOVE ENCOURAGES YOU TO TREAT YOUR BODY AS PRICELESS. TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS TO CONVINCE A CHILD THAT THEY'RE THE SAME. A TRAFFICKER WILL TAKE UP TO TWO YEARS. WHAT IS SEXTING AND SEXTORTION? IT IS WHEN CHILDREN OR AN ADULT SEND PICTURES, NUDE PICTURES OF THEIR BODY TO OTHER PEOPLE, AND SEXTORTION IS WHEN THEY ARE THREATENED. IF THEY DON'T SEND MORE, THAT THEY WILL EXPOSE THEM PUBLICLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY CHILDREN. IN FACT, IT IS NOW THE LEADING CAUSE OF SUICIDE SEXTORTION. AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK TO A SAFE ADULT AND WE SHOW THE CHILDREN A SAFE ADULT LIST IN THE FULL VIDEO. YOU'RE NEVER ALONE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO TELL SOMEONE IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO YOU, JUST DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. YOU CAN READ THAT. 
          BE SAFE AND DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. SHERIFF BUDENSIEK DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. THEY'RE ALL SAYING, DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. THOSE ARE MY GRANDCHILDREN. OKAY, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. YOU HAVE A BROCHURE IN YOUR INBOX WITH ALL OF THESE SIGNS. AND THEY HAVE SPECIFIC TATTOOS THAT YOU CAN LOOK FOR. AS I SAY, WE JUST TRAINED ALL MARTIN COUNTY NURSES AND COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS LIFE BAR CODES, GANG SYMBOLS. A SHAME DEMEANOR WON'T LOOK YOU IN THE EYE. AN OLDER PERSON CONTROLLING THE CONVERSATION, SEXUALIZED BEHAVIOR, MANY ABSENCES FROM CLASS, FALLING ASLEEP IN CLASS. THESE ARE ALL SIGNS WE GIVE TEACHERS AT LEAST 30 SIGNS TO LOOK FOR AND THE LIST GOES ON. NEVER HESITATE TO CALL THE BRAND NEW FLORIDA NUMBER, WHICH IS 855FLA SAFE, OR YOU CAN ALSO CALL 911. AND THAT IS THE NATIONAL CYBER TIP LINE THAT WE USE TO TURN IN THE TIP ABOUT THE ROBLOX GAME THAT SAVED THE TWO CHILDREN. WE JUST FINISHED A DAY OF DEFENSE SATURDAY, JANUARY 11TH ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING DAY, AND THE YMCA HOSTED IT FOR US. IT WAS WIDELY ATTENDED. OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE PROVIDED SITUATIONAL DEFENSE. WE HAD BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU CHAMPIONS, DOCTOR MICHELLE LIBMAN, ROB'S WIFE, AND HER KARATE TEAMS DO AMAZING SELF-DEFENSE DEMONSTRATIONS, AND THERE WILL BE MANY MORE OF THESE EVENTS. OUR NEXT ONE IS IN INDIAN RIVER. WE'RE GOING TO SAINT LUCIE. 
          WE'RE GOING TO WEST PALM. PART OF OUR CALL TO ACTION, THOUGH, FOR THE CITY OF STUART, IS TO SUPPORT THESE EVENTS. BUT ALSO ASHLEY MOODY'S 100% CLUB, SAINT LUCIE COUNTY AND THE CITY OF PORT SAINT LUCIE HAS JUST COMMITTED TO TRAIN ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH A VERY SIMPLE ONLINE COURSE THAT COMES WITH A CERTIFICATE IN RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS AND KNOWING WHAT TO DO. 
          AND THAT IS OUR CALL TO ACTION FOR STUART. AND YOU HAVE THE PAPERWORK THERE TO TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW THIS IS. I BELIEVE IT'S A VERY DOABLE THING TO TRAIN THE EMPLOYEES. AND YOU HAVE AN OUTLINE AND ALSO A QUOTE FROM OUR FLORIDA HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE, TOBY OVERDORF, ENCOURAGING EVERY MUNICIPALITY TO JOIN. SO WE'VE STARTED THIS MOVEMENT IN THE TREASURE COAST, AND WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THERE ARE MANY MORE WAYS THAT CITIZENS CAN JOIN THE FIGHT AND VOLUNTEER, BECAUSE NEVER HAS IT BEEN MORE IMPORTANT TO UNITE AND FIGHT CHILD TRAFFICKING AND SAY, NOT ON OUR WATCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT WAS A WONDERFUL AD 
          [00:35:09]
LIB YOU DID THERE, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M GLAD TO ANSWER THEM. WHAT IS YOUR NEXT MOVIE COMING OUT? NEXT MOVIE? WELL, THE SOUND OF FREEDOM DID A LOT TO CATAPULT THIS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO ENGAGE WHEN THEY WALKED OUT OF THAT MOVIE. AND WE'VE GOT AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS THAT IS STEPPING UP. 
          YEAH, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SO UNAWARE FOR YEARS. YES. ISN'T THAT TRUE? AND THEY THOUGHT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE. BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE SHOW MUG SHOTS OF ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS IN EVERY COUNTY THAT WE GO TO PROVE THAT IT HAPPENS IN OUR BACKYARD, AND IT'S TIME WE GET ENGAGED. SO, DOCTOR LIPPMANN, THANKS. YES, ROBERT. THANK YOU. ALL TEAMS, ALL THE TEAM. 
          ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE WITH US. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. EVERYBODY DIVES OUT. SEE YOU. MR. MAYOR. 
          CERTAINLY DON'T TAKE THE BAIT. CHIEF TUMINELLI. FOR THE RECORD, I REALLY WANT TO. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. IT'S ALL ABOUT AWARENESS. AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS ACTUALLY MAKE YOU AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING TO COME FROM EITHER YOUR NEXT MEETING OR THE MEETING AFTER. 
          I'M GOING TO SAY THE WORD ICAC TASK FORCE, THE STUART POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH BROWARD COUNTY, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE. I HAVE AN MOU ON MY DESK, WHICH WITHIN THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO WILL BE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL. AND I CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. 
          ABSOLUTELY. TELL US ABOUT SO WE ARE SPEAKING WITH ALL THE TREASURE COAST SHERIFFS ABOUT STARTING THAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE, AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP FACILITATE THAT. VERY EXCITED ABOUT DOING THAT. AND HOMELAND SECURITY WANTS TO WORK WITH US. THANK YOU. AND. AS AS STATED, THIS TASK FORCE STARTED IN 2019, I BELIEVE, AND WE ARE ON THE HEELS OF JUMPING ON THIS TASK FORCE RIGHT NOW. SO AND WITH THE FEDERAL PARTNER AGENCY, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. THEY ACTUALLY HELPED US WITH THE CASE THAT WE JUST RECENTLY HAD. SO I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. OKAY. BEFORE WE GET TO COMMENTS BY CITY 
          [Additional Item 1]
COMMISSIONERS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS NEW DEVICE THAT'S IN FRONT OF ALL OF US. AND WE WILL ACTUALLY BE GETTING DIGITAL LED BUTTONS. BUT IT'S THEY WERE PUTTING IT TOGETHER TO SEE IF WE COULD GET THE WIRING DONE. OKAY. BUT SO WE DON'T REALLY BECAUSE I'M NOT ABLE TO CUT OFF YOUR MICROPHONE. NO. SO I WAS TOLD IT WAS TO INDICATE TO ME THAT YOU WANT TO SPEAK. SO, COMMISSIONER REID, IF YOU FLIP YOUR SWITCH, SEE THEN SO IT PUTS A LIGHT ON IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR. AND THEN WHEN THE MAYOR FLIPS THE SWITCH, WHEN HE PICKS YOU, IT SHOULD TURN YOUR LIGHT OFF. DOES IT THEN DID IT. COMMISSIONER REID YEAH THAT'S COOL. OKAY. BUT IT DOESN'T SHOW ME THE ORDERS. SO IF YOU ALL WANT TO TALK. BUT IT SHOWS YOU THAT THERE'S PEOPLE WAITING. BUT I ACTUALLY COULD USE IT. SO THIS IS. CAN I. DOES IT SHOW A RED LIGHT AND IT LIGHTS UP. SO IT'S I COULD USE IT ACTUALLY TO INDICATE TO THE OTHER MEMBERS THAT IT'S, THEY'RE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THE COUNTY COULD USE IT SO THAT THE MEMBERS CAN NOTIFY THE CHAIR THAT THEY WANT TO SPEAK ON THE BOARD. AND THEN WHEN THE CHAIR SELECTS A MEMBER, THEY TURN IT OFF TO RESET IT SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP TRACK OF IT AND KEEP IT. OKAY. THERE HAD BEEN SOME REQUESTS TO DO IT IN THE PAST. HERE. IT WAS STARTED TO BE INCORPORATED IN THE SOFTWARE. THEN WHEN THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT MOVING CITY HALL, IT GOT TAKEN KIND OF OFF THE LIST BECAUSE IT WAS EXPENSIVE TO DO IT LIKE EXTENSIVELY. AND THEN WHEN OUR MEETINGS WERE BECOMING COMPLICATED, I SPOKE WITH MILTON AND HAD THEM PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING THAT THE CITY STAFF COULD PUT TOGETHER, RATHER THAN PAYING $30,000 FOR A SYSTEM THAT IS JUST INTENDED TO NOTIFY YOU. IF A COMMISSIONER WANTS TO 
          [00:40:08]
SPEAK, LIKE RIGHT NOW, YOU HAVE A LIGHT ON, I BELIEVE IT'S COMMISSIONER READ IT IS. WHY IS THAT SO? BECAUSE YOU ASKED HIM TO TURN IT ON. OKAY, SO HIS. SO EITHER ONE OF US CAN TURN IT ON OR OFF. IT'S LIKE A THREE WAY SWITCH. TURNED MINE ON, BUT. SO ALL THE SWITCHES AREN'T AREN'T ORIENTED THE SAME WAY. THEY'RE ALL ORIENTED TO THE SAME INDIVIDUAL. NO. BECAUSE SHE TURNS HER ON BY SWITCHING IT TO THE RIGHT. WELL, IT DOESN'T TO THE LEFT. IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOUR SWITCH IS TO BECAUSE IT'S AGAIN A THREE WAY UP DOWN. IT'S JUST YOU'RE MORE FOCUSED ON THE LIGHT THAN THE SWITCH. IT'LL BE A PUSH BUTTON LED. WHEN IT'S COMPLETED IT'LL BE SMALLER. DO WE NEED A WORKSHOP FOR THE SWITCH? YEAH, WE NEED A. WE CAN DO THIS. YES, BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS I DON'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE DIOCESE. SUCH A BARRIER BETWEEN US AND OUR RESIDENTS. SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, BUT STILL IT IS GOING TO BE CHANGED. YEAH. WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN. THANK YOU. I LIKE IT, MILTON. OKAY, SO COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONER, 
          [COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS]
COMMISSIONER REED, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS AS AFTERNOON. IT TOOK ME 30 MINUTES TO DRIVE HERE FROM MY HOUSE. THAT'S CRAZY. MICROPHONE. YEAH. SO IT TOOK ME 30 MINUTES TO DRIVE FROM COLORADO JUST TO GET TO DOWNTOWN STUART. THAT'S INSANE. AND ALSO I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE HAMILTON PROPERTY. I KNOW MIKE AND I HAVE SPOKE. THERE SHOULD BE A AMICABLE RESOLUTION HERE SOON HOPEFULLY, AND WE CAN GET THEIR HOMESTEADED RESIDENCE FIXED UP ONCE AND FOR ALL. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY TONIGHT. THANKS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER JOB, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS THIS EVENING? YES I DO. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE. I WAS HOPING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT STATEMENT ON THIS FIRST COMMISSION MEETING IN 2025. UNFORTUNATELY, THE GOODWILL RECONCILIATION I WAS HOPING FOR HAS NOT HAPPENED. WE HAVE MAJOR ISSUES FACING OUR COMMUNITY. 
          ONE, THIS WAS WORLDWIDE WITH THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SO IMPORTANT WE HAVE A HOMELESS POPULATION ON THE RISE. WE'RE IN NEED OF REASONABLE HOUSING. WE'RE FACING THE LOSS ON APRIL 1ST OF A MATERNITY AND NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE SERVICE IN OUR AREA. FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESS SITUATION, WHICH IS NOT CERTAINLY EXCLUSIVE TO THE CITY OF STUART, BUT WE DO HAVE A HOMELESS PROBLEM STARTING ON JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR, STATUTE 1365 HAS MADE IT ILLEGAL FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH HOMELESSNESS TO SLEEP OUTSIDE ON PUBLIC LAND. MUNICIPALITIES HAVE BEEN MANDATED TO PROVIDE CAMPING AREAS, WHICH MUST BE APPROVED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY. INCLUDES SECURITY, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND BATHROOMS WITH RUNNING WATER. THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE BUILD THOSE AND HOW QUICKLY DO WE SECOND REASONABLE? I DO NOT THINK AFFORDABLE DEFINES WHAT WE NEED. HOUSING IS NEEDED FOR THE RESIDENTS OF STUART AND THOSE WHO WORK IN STUART. THIS IS ALMOST UNATTAINABLE GOAL SINCE THE VALUE OF LAND, THE COST OF MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION, HIGH INTEREST RATE FOR LOANS HAVE MADE THIS A VERY CHALLENGING AND ALMOST UNMANAGEABLE AND ACCEPTABLE SITUATION. THE SITUATION WAS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE STATE WHEN THEY PASSED IN 2023. THE LIVE LOCAL ACT WHICH TOOK AWAY HOME RULE. THIRD IS THE LOSS OF THE LOCAL ACCESS TO MATERNITY AND NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE, EFFECTIVE APRIL 2025, IT APPEARS THAT CLEVELAND CLINIC DID NOT HAVE TO ADHERE TO ANY COMMENT COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY SERVICES WHEN THEY ACQUIRED MARTIN MEMORIAL. RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY AND COUNTY MUST NOW TRAVEL AT A MINIMUM OF 35 MINUTES. IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GO INTO LABOR DURING NON-PEAK HOURS AND IN OFF SEASON. THE CONTINUED FOCUS, THOUGH, HAD REALLY, OTHER THAN ADDRESSING ALL OF THESE, HAS BEEN THE SHAMING AND BLAMING OF NEWLY ELECTED COMMISSIONERS AND VICE MAYOR HAS BECOME A SPORT IN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. THERE ARE ENOUGH FINGERS TO POINT AT AS TO THE WHO AND WHY, BUT THAT'S A SUBJECT FOR ANOTHER DAY. WE ARE A GREAT CITY, AND I WAS HOPING THAT IF THERE'S SOME PEOPLE'S INITIAL DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THEIR CANDIDATES DID NOT WIN, THAT WE WOULD COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER, TO KEEP THE UNIQUENESS OF STUART STUART. HAVING SAID THAT, I WANT ALL OF YOU NAYSAYERS OUT THERE TO UNDERSTAND I DID NOT RUN FOR THIS SEAT IN THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE I HAD SOME BURNING DESIRE TO BE A POLITICIAN, OR AT MY AGE, TO RETURN TO THE WORKFORCE WITH A FAIRLY COMMITTED SCHEDULE. I DON'T REALLY GIVE A DARN WHAT YOU SAY, BUT STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELVES BY CONTINUING TO GO BEHIND THE SCENES THROUGH BACK DOORS, BACKSTABBING AND HALF TRUTHS. I RAN BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY NEEDED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION, PLEASE CONTINUE TO RALLY AROUND US. CONTINUE TO GET THE WORD OUT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. SEND LETTERS TO EDITORS AND LOCAL NEWSPAPERS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BELIEVE IN THIS VISION, YOU NEED TO ATTEND 
          [00:45:03]
MEETINGS AS YOU DO TONIGHT, AND YOU NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE VOCAL FOR THE NAYSAYERS. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION. I CANNOT SPEAK FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS, BUT I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT ME. BUT WHEN YOU SAY IT, YOU BETTER MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT A HALF TRUTH OR A LIE. STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELVES BY CONTINUING TO GO TO THE PRESS WITH FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS. THOSE WHO ARE NOT ON YOUR BANDWAGON ARE AWARE OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU ARE CONTINUING THIS COURSE OF ACTION. THE MORE AWARE EVERYONE BECOMES OF YOUR GAME, THE LESS LIKELY YOU ARE TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION. EXCEPT TO THOSE THAT HIDE IN THE DARK WITH YOU. BUT WITH ALL OF THAT ABOVE, AND WITH THE MAIN FOCUS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS NEW YEAR, WAS THE COUNTY THREATENING TO BRING LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE CITY SHOULD THEY FAIL TO SIGN A LETTER OF SUPPORT AS PART OF A GRANT APPLICATION. I WILL ADDRESS THIS LATER, AS IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM A NEWS ARTICLE THAT THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR WILL BE BRINGING THIS UP AT THIS MEETING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO'S COME HERE TONIGHT AND WHO'S ONLINE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER, VICE MAYOR COLLINS, YOU HAVE ANY REMARKS? YOU WANT TO SPEAK? COMMISSIONER CLARK, HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I GOT THE TYPICAL ORDER. ARE WE GOING? NO, NO. ARE YOU OKAY? THOUGHT YOU FORGOT ME. DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY? OKAY, SURE. SO MY COMMENT CENTERED AROUND ALSO THE LETTER FROM THE COUNTY. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL, COMMISSIONER. BUT WITH REGARD TO THAT LETTER SENT TO OUR CITY MANAGER THAT PUTS THIS COMMISSION ON NOTICE, PRESUMABLY UNDER THREAT OF LAWSUIT, I KNOW WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT NOW. I'M NOT GOING TO BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS LETTER. AND IF YOUR GOAL IS A STATION, WHY DRAG THE CITY BACK INTO THIS? IT'S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR MARTIN COUNTY TO BE SUING THE CITY ON A GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW. I WOULD IMAGINE THIS COMMISSION AUTHORIZED OUR CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH THE INCOMING COMMISSION AT THE COUNTY TO CRAFT A DEAL WHERE BRIGHTLINE WOULD PAY HALF. THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN VERY MUCH OPEN TO AND IN FAVOR OF A DEAL. THAT IS, UNTIL THE OUTGOING COUNTY COMMISSION PREEMPTED THAT KIND OF A DEAL BY CHANGING THE 2018 SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND GUARANTEEING THE TAXPAYERS WOULD BE 100% ON THE HOOK FOR THE COST OF THE STATION, WHICH WAS A BREACH OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. THE COUNTY COMMISSION DECIDED TO ENTER INTO A DEAL WITH BRIGHTLINE UNILATERALLY TO APPLY FOR GRANTS WITHOUT US, SO THE CURRENT BRIGHTLINE COUNTY DEAL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY. THE GRANT APPLICATION IS BEING FILED WITHOUT US, WHICH IS WHAT SECTION SIX OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IS IN REFERENCE TO, NOT A LETTER OF SUPPORT. FOR YOUR GRANT APPLICATION. BUT WHAT SECTION SIX DOES SAY? OF THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY THAT WE WANT TO LEVERAGE IS THAT IN THE EVENT THE APPLICABLE COUNTY AND OR MUNICIPALITY OR BRIGHTLINE ELECTS TO SELECT TO SEEK FEDERAL, STATE OR OTHER GRANT MONEY? YADA, YADA, YADA, THE PARTIES AGREE THAT SUCH CONSTRUCTION COSTS SHALL BE REDUCED PROPORTIONATELY UPON THE GRANTING OF FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING FOR SUCH CONSTRUCTION. BUT AND REMEMBER, IF WE GO UP JUST A LITTLE BIT, THAT THE STATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE PAID FOR 50% BY BRIGHTLINE AND 50% BY THE COUNTY. SO IF SOMEHOW THIS COMMISSION IS IN BREACH OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY BREACHED THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IN MARCH WHEN THEY UNILATERALLY, UNILATERALLY SENT A LETTER WHICH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, DIDN'T EVEN HIT THE DAIS. BUT THAT RELIEVED BRIGHTLINE OF PAYING HALF. ALSO, UNLESS THE COUNTY IS PLANNING ON CONVEYING THE LAND TO THE CITY, THAT WOULD 
          [00:50:01]
ALSO BE A BREACH OF THE ILA. SO THIS IS WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND BECAUSE WE ARE SITTING ON AN AGREEMENT CURRENTLY THAT IS UNFULFILLABLE BY BOTH PARTIES. UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE AND I'M TALKING TO YOU, MARTIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE BRIGHTLINE, YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE YOUR NEW DEAL THAT YOU JUST SIGNED WITH BRIGHTLINE, WHERE THEY NO LONGER HAVE TO GET THIS AMENDED LOVELY SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WHERE WE GOT TO GO BACK TO THEM PAYING HALF AGAIN, UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT AND YOU'RE GOING TO CONVEY THE LAND TO THE CITY, THIS IS NOT FULFILLABLE. SO HERE'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO. IN MY OPINION, WE NEED TO AMEND THE ILA THAT WE HAVE WITH LANGUAGE THAT ABSOLVES BOTH PARTIES OF ANY FUTURE OBLIGATION TO PERFORMANCE, BECAUSE NEITHER ONE OF US CAN FULFILL OUR OBLIGATIONS AND NEITHER ONE OF US HAS CLEAN HANDS. LET'S SAY RIGHT CLEAN HANDS DOCTRINE. SO. THAT SAID, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS TONIGHT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLEARLY ARTICULATE HOW I FEEL. AND FOR ONE, I'M TIRED OF BEING STRONG ARMED BY THE COUNTY. YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO DO A CERTAIN THING. WE HAD CONSENSUS FROM THIS COMMISSION TO HAVE A DEAL WORKED OUT WITH THE NEW COUNTY COMMISSION, AND I REALLY DIDN'T APPRECIATE THAT. THE OUTGOING, SORT OF LAME DUCK COMMISSION WOULD TRY TO FORCE THIS KIND OF A DEAL THROUGH WHEN THEIR HANDS WEREN'T CLEAN. SO AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING A LETTER LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THAT IT'S OUR OBLIGATION AT ALL. THIS DEAL HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY AT THIS POINT. AND AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE. I'M SURE YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY MONEY ON THE TABLE, BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT US ALONE. AND IF YOU WANT TO GO TO WAR, SO BE IT. SO WITH THAT, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR. COMMISSIONER CLERK, I'M GOING TO TURN YOUR LIGHT ON. OH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. WE NEED TO TURN OUR LIGHT ON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          I JUST WANTED TO WISH EVERYBODY A HAPPY NEW YEAR AS WE START ANOTHER YEAR. AND AGAIN, THANKS TO OUR POLICE CHAPLAIN FOR THE PRAYER AND ALL THAT. IT WAS A MIXED THING WHEN WE DECIDED TO DO THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETINGS, BUT WE'VE DONE IT NOW, PROBABLY LIKE A YEAR AND A HALF OR MORE, AND IT'S BEEN WORKING SO FAR PROBABLY TWO YEARS. SO. SO I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH REGARD TO MY COMMENTS, I SAW AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE HOMELESS SITUATION IN MARTIN COUNTY, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN TALKING WITH OUR COUNTY COMMISSION COMMISSIONER, KEMP. HE HAD BROUGHT THIS UP A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE JOINT MEETING, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS REALLY FOLLOWED THROUGH. I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE TRYING TO WORK ON HOMELESSNESS FROM BOTH THE FROM THE COUNTY LEVEL AS WELL AS THE HOMELESS COALITION. AND WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE HOUSING AND OTHER AMENITIES TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR THE CITY TO AT LEAST GET OUR NEW SHERIFF, TO PROBABLY HAVE A MEETING WITH THE PUBLIC, AND TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING CERTAIN THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND FOR US TO ALSO GAUGE, I KNOW THAT WE USED TO HAVE AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE STILL DO. WE HAD DOCTOR COCO WHO WOULD DO THE FEBRUARY CENSUS TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HOMELESS AND WOULD COME AND GIVE US A REPORT FROM THAT LEVEL. I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE STILL HAVING THAT, BUT I JUST THINK THAT WE JUST INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING LIP SERVICE ALL THE TIME, WE AT LEAST NEED TO LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS AND LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR PARKS OR IN THE CITY OR SOME OF THE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING. AND WE ALSO HAD A RECENT UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT IN ONE OF OUR PARKS. AND I ALSO LEARNED THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT SOME POLICIES OF HOW THEY WOULD ALSO BE IMPLEMENTING THE GOVERNOR'S GUIDELINE, AS WELL AS KEEPING OUR PARKS SAFE AND MAKING SURE THAT I GUESS EVERYBODY IS FOLLOWING ALONG AND KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. I WANT OUR POLICE CHIEF TO GIVE US SOME IDEA OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT AND HOW IT'S COMING ALONG SO THAT WE CAN KNOW, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE TO GIVE US EVERY SINGLE DETAIL POLICY 
          [00:55:03]
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE POLICE HAS DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING THINGS THAT MAY NOT ALL BE SOMETHING THAT WE ALL EACH NEED TO KNOW, EVERY SINGLE THING. BUT I JUST THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO DO SOMETHING TOWARDS HOUSING. AND I'LL BRING THIS UP AGAIN. AND I'M GLAD THAT COMMISSIONER JOB BROUGHT THIS UP, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD JUST THROW UP OUR HANDS AND SAY NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN. WE HAVE THE ORGANIZATIONS AND WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE OR FINDING ROOMS FOR PEOPLE. AND EVEN IF WE JUST GIVE A 2 OR 3 HOUR AFTERNOON WHERE WE HAVE THESE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATION MEET AND LET US KIND OF GATHER AND SEE HOW THINGS ARE WITH REGARD TO THIS HOMELESS SITUATION AND GET SOME INPUT. WE ARE WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE, AND WE WERE GOING TO LISTEN TO OUR PUBLIC. SO WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THEM AND HEAR WHAT'S HAPPENING, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLATANTLY HOMELESS THAT ARE IN THE PARKS, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MAY BE BECOMING HOMELESS, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE THEIR HOMES NEED WEATHERIZATION, THEIR HOMES NEED SOME OTHER REPAIR, AND THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, OR THEY MAY BE IN TAX PROBLEM ISSUES. SO THOSE PEOPLE WILL PROBABLY COME OUT AND TELL US WHAT THEIR PROBLEM IS, AND WHY THEY FEAR THAT THEY MAY BECOME HOMELESS AT SOME POINT, OR IF THEY'RE ALREADY HOMELESS, OR THEY'VE SEEN THE EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO SET ANY PARTICULAR DATE RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M GOING TO BE MEETING BACK WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND SEE IF I CAN WORK ON SOMETHING TO SEE IF WE CAN AT LEAST DO MAYBE A FEW HOURS ONE EVENING TO HAVE SOME TIME FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND TALK TO US SO THAT WE CAN REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY KNOW. I KNOW THAT THE POLICE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HANGING OUT, BUT WE DO HAVE THIS THING THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE GOVERNOR, AND SO WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT. AND WE ALSO NEED TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE, BUT WE NEED TO PROVIDE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LESS THAN. THE NEXT THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE MLK EVENTS. AND WE JUST SAW THE PROCLAMATION THAT WAS GIVEN. THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER DAY. IT IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. IT'S A DAY OF SERVICE, AND IT'S THE ONLY NATIONAL HOLIDAY THAT HAS A DAY OF SERVICE ATTACHED TO IT. 
          SO IT'S AN IT'S A IT'S A CALL TO ASK YOU TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY OR TO EDUCATE YOURSELF, ESPECIALLY ON AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, AND TO LEARN WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH IN ORDER TO MAKE A WAY IN THESE UNITED STATES. SO PLEASE COME TOGETHER AND GET TOGETHER WITH SOMEONE ON DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY AND LET THAT DAY BE MEANINGFUL FOR THE REASON WHY IT WAS GIVEN THE HOLIDAY. SO I JUST ASK THAT YOU COME OUT AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING OR ANYONE, PLEASE COME OUT TO THE TO THE PARK AND PARTICIPATE FROM THE MARCH AT STEWART MIDDLE SCHOOL TO WHERE IT WILL END UP AT THE 10TH STREET, AND THEN FOR ANY ACTIVITIES DURING THE DAY, YOU WILL CERTAINLY BE ENLIGHTENED AND HOPEFULLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. AND IN THAT REGARD, AS WE START THE NEW YEAR, THE MARTIN COUNTY BRANCH NAACP, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ARTS MOMENT TONIGHT, BUT I TOLD MARY THAT I WAS GOING TO FIND SOMETHING. SO THIS IS THIS IS ART FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT'S IN THE CALENDAR, AND IT'S BEEN PROVIDED AT THE COST OF $25 TO HELP WITH LEGAL DEFENSE AND FOR OTHER ACTIVITIES WITH REGARD TO CIVIL RIGHTS EDUCATION. AND SO WE WILL BE THOSE ARE BEING SOLD. AND THIS IS THE ARTWORK DONE BY OUR LOCAL STUDENTS IN THE MARTIN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HELP WITH WITH THIS, THIS BEAUTIFUL CALENDAR THAT'S PUT OUT BY THE MARTIN COUNTY BRANCH NAACP. I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR COMMISSIONER COLLINS SO THAT WE CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF US. I'M SURE THAT ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE GOING TO GET A COPY. I'M JUST KIDDING. 
          BUT THIS IS IT, AND I'LL JUST PASS IT ALONG IF ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE IT. AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT THIS IS A NEW YEAR. WE HAVE NEW ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN OUR CITY, AND ONE OF THEM IS WE'LL SEE THE FULL FLEDGE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE VERY LARGE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG THING, BIG THING. BUT WE ALSO HAVE NOT JUST THAT ACTIVITY FOR THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE IN SCHOOL OR FOR CERTAIN AGE OF SCHOOL, BUT 
          [01:00:02]
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY CENTER AND RECREATION CENTER AT THE 10TH STREET RECREATION CENTER, WITH BALL FIELDS AND TRACK AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND INDOOR BUILDING, AND OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR, MR. KOWALSKI. IS HE HERE TODAY? HE WAS JUST. MR. MR. KOWALSKI, COULD YOU PLEASE STAND SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE YOU? JIM KOWALSKI IS BEHIND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY INCH OF PUBLIC RECREATION LAND THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY, AND ALL THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY ARE WORKING EFFECTIVELY. SO THEY HAVE LOTS OF ACTIVITIES AT THE 10TH STREET. THEY HAVE ACTIVITIES ON THE RIVER WALK WHERE THEY HAVE YOGA AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, AND THEY ALSO COORDINATE MANY GROUPS, WHETHER IT'S LACROSSE OR SOCCER OR FOOTBALL OR BASEBALL AT THE 10TH STREET AND AT THE OTHER RECREATION FACILITIES WITHIN THE CITY. SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES ACTIVITIES. I'M ALSO PERSONALLY INVITING EVERYONE TO WATCH A MOVIE AT THE 10TH STREET RECREATION CENTER ON JANUARY 31ST AT 5:30 P.M, AND AFTER THE MOVIE, WE'LL BE HAVING A DISCUSSION IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO PLEASE, THOSE COME OUT TO THE RECREATION CENTER. THE MOVIE IS ON BLACK PANTHER, AND I THINK ONE OF THE PEOPLE WAS GOING TO PRESENT IT WAS HERE EARLIER ON TODAY, BUT SHE LEFT AND THAT'S IT. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I WANT TO SPEAK ON, BUT I'LL WAIT UNTIL THOSE ITEMS COME UP AND I SEE THAT I'VE BEEN OVER LAID BY MR. BILL, WHO JUST CAME IN TODAY TO A WHILE AGO. WELCOME, CLAUDINE. OKAY, THIS IS A RECIPIENT. YES. SO DESPITE BEING OUT OF ORDER, WE'RE STILL HAPPY TO RECOGNIZE TEN YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CLAUDIA AND TEN YEARS. TEN YEARS. SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. TONIGHT. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. 
          I'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME REMARKS. THANK YOU FOR THE MEETING. YES. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. AND I'M HONORED BY THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. 
          FOR. INVITING. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING. DOES HE WANT TO? MR. CLARK, WERE YOU DONE WITH YOUR REMARKS? YES, SIR. OKAY. SO IT'S BEEN A. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. A GREAT DEAL HAS HAPPENED. I'M SURE I'M GOING TO FORGET TO MENTION SOME THINGS, BUT JUST A COUPLE IN PARTICULAR. COMMISSIONER CLARK AND CITY MANAGER MARTEL AND MYSELF ATTENDED THE BTB LUNCHEON OUT ON HUTCHINSON ISLAND, AND IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED. IT'S IMPRESSIVE HOW MUCH BUSINESS THIS COMMUNITY HAS, AND IT'S A VERY NICE EVENT. AND THEY RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO ARE HAVING GREAT SUCCESS. I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER REED, YOU WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND BECAUSE YOU, IN FACT, SIT. YOU ARE THE CITY'S REPRESENTATIVE WITH THAT ORGANIZATION. IS THAT CORRECT? WHEN WE DID THE BOARD, THE ORGANIZATION, I WASN'T ON THERE ANYMORE. OH, OKAY. BECAUSE I DID SEE YOUR NAME ON THE PROGRAM, BUT. OKAY. BUT I DID WANT TO. 
          THERE WAS THERE WAS YOUNG ONE YOUNG KID WHO WAS MENTIONED AND HE IS A GRADUATE OF BOB ZACKIOS PROJECT LIFT. AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT. AND IT JUST GIVES ME GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROJECT WE'VE APPROVED ON MLK WITH PROJECT LIFT IS GOING TO YIELD SOME GREAT RESULTS. SO THAT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE. SECONDLY, I ATTENDED THE BOAT SHOW YESTERDAY, WHICH IS WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO HAVE THE BOAT SHOW 700 VENDORS. IT'S BIGGER THAN EVER TO HAVE AN EVENT THAT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF A BUSINESS SECTOR. THAT IS SUCH A HUGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY IS JUST TERRIFIC. 
          [01:05:03]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF NUMBERS THEY DO. YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGER, I DON'T I MEAN, BUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND WE COORDINATE WITH THE TRAMS. AND IT WAS WE CLOSED THE BRIDGE, THE OLD ROOSEVELT BRIDGE, AND YOU COULD JUST PARK DOWNTOWN AND WALK OVER IT. AND IT'S JUST A GREAT EVENT. AND I'M, IT'S A GREAT ASSET AND IT'S, IT'S VERY NICE THAT THE CITY PROVIDES THAT AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT IN. SO MANY PEOPLE COME FROM OUT OF TOWN TO SEE, TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. FINALLY, IN ANTICIPATION OF A MOTION REGARDING THIS, I'M GOING TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER TO DISCUSS THE LETTER THAT WE, IN FACT, DID RECEIVE FROM THE COUNTY WITH REGARD TO REQUEST FOR A SIGNATURE OF SUPPORT WITH REGARD 
          [COMMENTS BY CITY MANAGER (Part 1 of 2)]
TO THEIR GRANT APPLICATIONS. SO, MR. MARTEL, WOULD YOU LIKE? I'LL BE HAPPY TO WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS, IF THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE. I'M HAPPY TO. WELL, I WASN'T I WAS GOING TO PASS THE GAVEL AS THE FINAL OH I'M OKAY. SO I'M HAPPY TO DISCUSS IT NOW. I RECEIVED A LETTER, I BELIEVE IT WENT TO MYSELF AND TO THE CITY ATTORNEY, BUT IT WENT TO ME ON JANUARY 7TH. WE'VE SENT IT TO THE COMMISSION. AS YOU KNOW, IT WAS SIMPLY A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY REQUESTING THAT THE CITY OF STUART DO A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE GRANT, THAT THEY ARE APPLYING FOR, AS IT RELATED TO THE BRIGHT LINE STATION. I DID READ THE HEADLINE FOR THE STUART NEWS TODAY, AND I HAVE TO SAY WHEN I WHEN I SPOKE TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ABOUT THE LETTER, I DIDN'T GET THE IMPRESSION FROM HIM THAT HE WAS THREATENING THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE A LAWSUIT AND THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO BE AS DIVISIVE AS IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE LAST WEEK OR SO, BUT RATHER THAT THEY WERE JUST LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FOR A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THEY WERE FILING FOR THE GRANT. I ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT IN THE EVENT THAT THE COMMISSION WANTED TO DISCUSS THIS LETTER OR GO INTO GREAT DETAIL ON IT, THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE US TO SCHEDULE IT FOR AN AGENDA ITEM FOR JANUARY 27TH, BECAUSE THIS AGENDA WAS ALREADY OUT, AND AS A RESULT, I COULDN'T PUT IT ON THE AGENDA PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND RATHER WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT HEARD ON THE 27TH IF IN FACT, IT WAS THE COMMISSION JUST PURSUING JUST TO DO A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION WITH NO OBLIGATIONS TO THE CITY. IT COULD BE DONE BY MOTION. AND SECOND, BUT IN THE EVENT THAT IT REQUIRES ANY DISCUSSION, IT WOULD ABSOLUTELY NEED AN AGENDA ITEM. AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD GET BACK TO HIM AND THAT I WOULD RAISE THE ISSUE TONIGHT FOR THE BOARD AND GET BACK TO HIM. AFTER HEARING FROM THE BOARD'S COMMENTS, WHICH I THINK I'VE ALREADY HEARD TO DURING COMMISSIONER COMMENTS, BUT THEY ASK THAT THE LETTER BE PROVIDED PRIOR TO. YEAH. SO THE APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT WAS DECEMBER 16TH, I BELIEVE, AND THE GRANT SAID THAT IT WAS THE LETTER REQUESTED THE GRANT BE OR THE LETTER BE WRITTEN BY JANUARY 21ST, WHICH IS WHAT CAUSED ME TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WASN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT ON THIS AGENDA. AND AS A RESULT, MIGHT END UP BEING BACK ON THE 27TH. BUT THEY YOU KNOW, NONETHELESS, THE REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY WAS THE 21ST. SO THERE WOULD BE NO POINT TO PROVIDING THE LETTER AFTER THE 21ST. I'M NOT SURE. I DIDN'T GET INTO THE DISCUSSION WITH HIM ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, I DON'T KNOW. I KNOW THAT IT'S MORE ARTIFICIAL URGENCY. WELL, NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE. I KNOW THAT THEY'VE SUBMITTED THE GRANT AND THAT THEY WANT THE SUPPORT FOR THE LETTER OR THE GRANT. THEY WANT THE SUPPORTING LETTERS. JUST LIKE WHEN WE DID THE MEGA GRANT, WE HAD THE MARINE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION, FLORIDA INLAND NAVIGATION DISTRICT AND OTHERS DO LETTERS OF SUPPORT THAT WE ATTACHED TO OUR GRANT WITH IT. BUT WHAT IS THE 21ST IS A DEADLINE. I THINK THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY JUST ANTICIPATING THE GRANT BEING REVIEWED. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SPECIFIC DATE WAS. I THINK THEY'D PREFER IT TO BE ON DECEMBER 16TH, BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I BROUGHT IT UP WAS ACTUALLY IN NOVEMBER. I MEAN, GRANTS DO HAVE DEADLINES. SO YOU'RE SAYING, MR. MORRELL, THAT IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE DISCUSSION? I'M SAYING THAT IF YOU REGARD TO THIS MATTER THIS EVENING, IF I'M SAYING IF THE BOARD IS INCLINED TO DO A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, YOU CAN DO A MOTION AND A SECOND AND DO A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET INTO THE MERITS OF THE AGENDA ITEM AND DISCUSS THE EBBS AND FLOWS OF IT, OR WE COULD JUST NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AT ALL. WELL, I HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PUT IT ON 
          [01:10:04]
THE AGENDA. I'VE GOTTEN A REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY TO HAVE THAT PUT ON THE AGENDA. WE CAN'T VOTE TO NOT GO FORWARD WITH IT, BECAUSE WHY? WHY ARE OUR AGENDA ITEMS DICTATED BY THE COUNTY? THEY'RE NOT BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS THIS WAS MY ISSUE BEFORE, AS WE AUTHORIZED YOU TO COME BACK WITH A CERTAIN DEAL WHERE BRIGHTLINE PAYS HALF AND START CRAFTING THAT LANGUAGE. AND AGAIN, WE WERE PREEMPTED BY A DEAL FROM DON AND THE OUTGOING COMMISSION THAT WE HAD TO NAVIGATE. AND IT THIS WAS NOT WHAT WE HAD ASKED YOU TO COME UP WITH. SO AGAIN, WE'RE BEING PUSHED AROUND BY THE COUNTY, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE THIS COMMISSION ALREADY SAID WE WERE NOT INTERESTED IN WRITING THAT LETTER. THIS COMMISSION ASKED FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF DEAL. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE COUNTY WAS INTERESTED IN. AND THEY WENT IN THEIR DIRECTION. AND NOW WE'RE BEING DRAGGED BACK INTO THIS. WELL, WHY WOULD THAT BE ON OUR AGENDA IF WE ALREADY SAID NO? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ALREADY SAY NO. WE DID. THIS COMMISSION CLEARLY SAID WE DID NOT WANT TO WRITE THAT LETTER. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THIS COMMISSION GAVE ME DIRECTION TO GO BACK AND MEET WITH THE COUNTY. THE COUNTY THEN NEEDED A RESPONSE FROM US BY THE FOLLOWING WEEK, AND I DID AN ADDENDUM TO A MEETING AND PUT IT ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY'S AGENDA ITEM. AT THAT MEETING, THE COMMISSION TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO ADDENDUMS TO MEETINGS ANYMORE RELATED TO THE BRIGHTLINE ISSUES, WHICH IS WHY I TOLD THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THAT I COULDN'T PUT THIS ITEM ON THIS MEETING, WHICH IS WHY I'M SAYING WE SHOULDN'T BE DISCUSSING IT, BECAUSE THIS BOARD TOLD ME NOT TO DO THAT, BECAUSE THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC CAN'T COME AND DISCUSS IT. WHEN WE PUT IT ON THE MEETING. THE LAST TIME THIS ITEM CAME UP, THIS COMMISSION THAT GAVE YOU CONSENSUS THAT WE WERE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THIS, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. WHAT HAPPENED WAS BECAUSE THIS COMMISSION TOLD ME NOT TO ADD STUFF TO THE MEETINGS LAST MINUTE, WHEN THE COUNTY ASKED ME ABOUT THE DOING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION I BROUGHT UP AT THE MEETING IN NOVEMBER THAT I WAS PLANNING TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING, AN ISSUE TO TALK ABOUT DOING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION. AND THE BOARD VOTED FOR ME NOT TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. I MEAN, FOR THE NEXT MEETING, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE A FORMAL REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ITEM WERE PRETTY CLEAR. WOULD YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT? I DON'T DISAGREE, COMMISSIONER. READ. WELL, LET'S LET'S LET'S I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE FORCING AN ISSUE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DEALT WITH. I'M BACK ON THE 
          [Additional Item 2]
COMMISSION OF THE VICE MAYOR, AND I AM MAKING A MOTION THAT WE PROVIDE THAT LETTER OF SUPPORT TO THE COUNTY IN RESPONSE TO THEIR REQUEST. OKAY, MR. MAYOR, I'LL SECOND IT. AND I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. YOU HAVE TO PLEASE, MR. VICE MAYOR. YES. OKAY. I'LL SECOND IT. AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO I THINK THE VICE MAYOR. SO COMMENTS COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS ITEM. IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND COME UP AND THEN FILL OUT A GREEN CARD BECAUSE THIS IS A SPUR OF THE MOMENT KIND OF A THING, RIGHT? YOU MAY YOU MAY SPEAK AND THEN FILL OUT A GREEN CARD. HAPPY NEW YEAR COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF. THE BLOG I'M ABOUT TO READ IS AVAILABLE FOR VIEW ON WE CARE. MARTIN.ORG. THE SITUATION SURROUNDING THE BRIGHTLINE STATION GRANT APPLICATION RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. IN RECENT ARTICLES BY SEVERAL NEWS OUTLETS, THE FOCUS WAS ON COMMUNICATION FROM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DON DONALDSON TO CITY MANAGER MIKE MORTAL. THE LETTER HIGHLIGHTED A SPECIFIC CLAUSE IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN MARTIN COUNTY AND STUART THAT REQUIRES THE CITY TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO SECURE GRANT FUNDING FOR A NEW TRAIN STATION. DONALDSON'S MESSAGE ALSO IMPLIED THAT THE COUNTY MIGHT PURSUE FURTHER ACTIONS SHOULD THE CITY FAIL TO ENDORSE THIS INITIATIVE. THE CITY HAS YET TO ISSUE A FORMAL LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED TRAIN STATION. ONE CRITICAL LEGAL QUESTION IS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT STILL IN EFFECT? SINCE THE COUNTY FIRST RECEIVED BRIGHTLINE FROM ITS CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, THUS ALTERING THE AGREEMENT, IT SEEMS OVERLY OPTIMISTIC TO BELIEVE THAT A MERE LETTER FROM THE CITY COULD SWAY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S ASSESSMENT, WHICH SHOULD BE GROUNDED IN OBJECTIVE CRITERIA LIKE NEED AND FINANCIAL VIABILITY, NOT WISHFUL THINKING AND POLITICAL GAMBITS. 
          SINCE IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT SUCH AN AGGRESSIVE REQUEST FOR FUNDING WILL BE GRANTED. IS THE COUNTY PLOTTING ITS NEXT MOVE? THE NOTION THAT A POTENTIAL LAWSUIT FROM THE MARTIN COUNTY AGAINST STUART, STEMMING FROM THE CITY'S RELUCTANCE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE PROJECT, HINTS 
          [01:15:01]
AT MORE STRATEGIC MANEUVERING THAT COULD IMPLY A TROUBLING ULTERIOR MOTIVE. THE COUNTY PREEMPTIVELY THREATENED LAWSUITS WHEN THE CITY RESCINDED ITS AGREEMENT WITH BRIGHTLINE, AND HAS SINCE DESPERATELY SEARCHED FOR A BASIS. SUCH ACTIONS RESEMBLE EXTORTION AND SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY BE A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO MANIPULATE POLITICAL DYNAMICS, UNDERMINING THE STRATEGIC, STRAIGHTFORWARD GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS. BECAUSE OF THIS BEHAVIOR, THE IDEA OF A PRECONCEIVED PLAN TO COERCE THE CITY TO PARTICIPATE FINANCIALLY, POSSIBLY OBLIGATED TO $45 MILLION, DOES NOT SEEM FAR FETCHED. IT IS A IT IS CRUCIAL TO PRIORITIZE TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS IN THIS PROCESS, RATHER THAN ALLOWING POLITICAL MACHINATIONS TO DICTATE OUTCOMES. WHY ARE WE INCLUDING IN LEGAL POSTURE? WHY ARE WE INDULGING IN LEGAL POSTURING INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON GENUINE COMMUNITY NEEDS? IT IS TRULY APPALLING THAT THE COUNTY HAS EVEN ENTERTAINED THE IDEA OF SUING THE CITY, WHICH THREATENS TO DEEPEN DIVISIONS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. NEIGHBORING OFFICIALS ARE SUPPOSED TO COOPERATE AND GET ALONG, NOT BICKER OVER POLITICAL DIFFERENCES. STUART RESIDENTS ARE NOT JUST CITY RESIDENTS BUT ALSO PART OF THE COUNTY, SHARING RESOURCES, CHALLENGES AND A COLLECTIVE FUTURE. THE THOUGHT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TREATING EACH OTHER LIKE ADVERSARIAL PARTIES IS REMINISCENT OF FAMILIES AT ODDS. 
          GAIL, YOUR TIME IS UP. OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL, I HOPE YOU ALL SIT THERE AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE IT AFFECTS ALL OF US. THANK YOU. GAIL, FILL OUT A GREEN CARD. I DID. PERFECT. IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? NONE. COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS. OKAY. YOU HAD YOUR. SO I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY. MR. REED WAS FIRST. COMMISSIONER REED WAS FIRST. NO, IT'S COMMISSIONER JILL. OH, IT IS COMMISSIONER JILL. YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S MY BUTTON. THAT IS. 
          YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT. YOU'RE NOT THE CHAIR RIGHT NOW. YOU GOTTA LET YOU GOTTA LET GO OF THE GAVEL ALL THE WAY. OKAY, SO DO I HAVE PERMISSION? ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT I'M GOING TO READ YOU TWO SECTIONS FROM THE LETTER THAT WAS RECEIVED FROM THE COUNTY. 
          THE CITY'S REFUSAL TO PROVIDE THE REQUESTED LETTER OF SUPPORT IS A CLEAR BREACH OF SECTION SIX OF THE INTERLOCAL, AND WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE COUNTY'S FREE GRANT APPLICATION, LIKELY RESULTING IN MONETARY DAMAGE FOR WHICH THE CITY WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE. PLEASE PROVIDE A LETTER OF SUPPORT. THE COUNTY IS HOPEFUL THIS MATTER IS RESOLVED QUICKLY AND AMICABLY, WITHOUT THE NEED TO RESORT TO FURTHER ACTIONS PURSUANT TO SECTION. BLAH BLAH BLAH, OR ADDITIONAL LEGAL ACTION TO ENFORCE THE OBLIGATION OF THIS VALID INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. NOW, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE. TO ME THAT SOUNDS LIKE IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT WE WANT, WE'RE GOING TO SUE THE CITY. NUMBER ONE, I HAVE AN ISSUE BECAUSE AT ONE POINT THE COUNTY SAID THAT THEY COULD DO THIS ALONE. THEY DIDN'T NEED THE CITY. I GUESS IT TURNS OUT THEY DID. COMMISSIONER REED. OH, YEAH. THIS IS A QUESTION FOR CITY MANAGER MIKE. DO WE KNOW WHO SAT ON THE MARTIN COUNTY MPO BOARD IN 2017, 2018, 2019 OR 2020? OFFHAND, ANYONE WHO SAT ON THE MPO BOARD, ANY BOARD COMMISSIONERS. CLARK DID. GOTCHA. SO IN THE 2045 LONG RANGE PLAN WITH MARTIN COUNTY MPO, IT'S SPECIFICALLY STATED AND THIS WAS VOTED ON BY BOARD MEMBERS THAT SIT ON THE MPO, THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PRIVATELY FUNDED. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THAT CHANGED FROM PRIVATELY FUNDED TO USING TAXPAYER MONEY, BUT IT WAS IN THAT PLAN IN THE 2045 PLAN. 
          THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. YEAH. COMMISSIONER CLARK, YEAH, I HAVE BEEN ON THE MPO BOARD IN A LONG TIME. SO I THINK IT'S COMMISSIONER COLLINS AND COMMISSIONER MCDONALD. MCDONALD. 
          YEAH. AND THEN HE ASKED FOR 2017. BUT WAS I ON THERE ON 17TH? I DON'T THINK SO. I HAVEN'T BEEN ON THERE I THINK IN 17 AND 18. COMMISSIONER MCDONALD WASN'T ON THE CITY COMMISSION. I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS ON THERE THEN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DOESN'T MATTER. ALL RIGHT. SO. OH. SO OKAY, I WAS THIS WAS AN ITEM THAT JUST GOT PUT IN. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE'RE JUST DISCUSSING IT AS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP OR IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. BUT I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER NOW BECAUSE WE'RE DISCUSSING IT. SO THAT'S IT REMAINS MY POSITION THAT THE IRONY OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, WHICH WAS WHY I WAS SAYING THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS IT LIKE THIS, IT WAS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA SEVENTH. OKAY. NONETHELESS, IT'S THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD. IT WAS IN THE 
          [01:20:02]
NEWSPAPER. PEOPLE SHOULD ASSUME WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S NOT HOW WE DO AGENDAS. SO THAT WAS MY THING IS THAT IF WE WANT TO PUT IT IN, IF IT COMES LATE, IT COMES LATE, WILL THEY GET AN ANSWER. BUT IF WE WANT TO DO IT NOW. SO THAT'S ONE THING. THE OTHER THING IS THAT I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER JILL READ SOMETHING ABOUT AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. 
          WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WITH THE CITY IS THAT WE HAVE THE WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT SAID THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH THE WITH THE COUNTY ON REGIONAL PROJECTS AND ON TRANSIT PROJECTS. AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISAGREEMENT WITH THE RESCISSION OF THE THING. BUT IF THERE'S NO AGREEMENT, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT 45,000, 45 MILLION OR 15 MILLION OR 60 MILLION. IT'S ALREADY SET. THIS IS A LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, THE SEAT OF THE CITY, TO SAY, MOVE AHEAD. IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STATE OR FEDERAL OR ANYBODY WHO'S LOOKING AT MARTIN COUNTY LOOKS AT THE HIERARCHY AND SAYS, THIS IS A COUNTY AND THEY HAVE A CITY AND A CITY SEAT, AND IT'S GOING TO BE LOCATED IN THE CITY SEAT. THEY JUST NEED TO HAVE THAT. AND I DON'T THINK IT WILL HURT ANYBODY FOR US TO SEND THIS LETTER TO SAY THAT THE CITY OF STUART IS THERE I, WE THEY WE'VE HAD OUR DISCUSSIONS ON VOTING ON THE NO INVOLVEMENT IN THE AGREEMENT THAT VOTE HAS GONE THROUGH ALREADY. THIS IS NOW MOVING AHEAD. AND THIS IS A GRANT APPLICATION THAT'S NOT ASKING US FOR ANY MONEY. THAT'S NOT ASKING US TO GO BACK AND UPDATE AND RECREATE AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT. IT'S JUST IT'S VERY TO ME, IT'S A IT'S A PLANNING MODE. IT'S A ADMINISTRATIVE MODE. AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST. AND I THINK COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, FORMER COMMISSIONER, NOW CITY ATTORNEY, US CITY ATTORNEY, NOW CITY MANAGER, MORTAL BROUGHT UP SOMETHING THAT I THINK. WHAT'S WHAT'S YOUR NAME AGAIN, MISS JILL? GAIL. GAIL. OKAY. YEAH. GOLDIE, NOT GOLDIE. SO MISS GOLDIE, MISS GOLDIE. YEAH. MISS GOLDIE, MISS GOLDIE BROUGHT UP ABOUT YOU KNOW, NOT WE SHOULD JUST GET ALONG AND WE SHOULD NOT BICKER. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE THIS AT THIS PHASE OF THIS PROCESS, THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO GET ALONG AND NOT BICKER. THE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER REED. YES, I KNOW COMMISSIONER CLARK MENTIONED COMP PLANS. WELL, I WANTED TO MENTION MARTIN COUNTY'S COMP PLAN. IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION 1.2, THEIR SCOPE, IT STATES MARTIN COUNTY HAS PROCLAIMED A SUSTAINABLE COUNTY BY THE STATE LAND PLANNING AGENCY. SUSTAINABILITY MEANS MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE PRESENT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE ABILITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. ALL PLANNING DECISIONS MADE BY THE COUNTY SHALL BE BASED, SHALL BE BASED UPON A CONSIDERATION OF IMPACTS ON THE ECOLOGY, QUALITY OF LIFE AND FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY. OF SUCH ACTIONS INCLUDE THE LONG TERM CUMULATIVE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SECTION 1.2 B, IT STATES. IT IS FURTHER INTENDED THAT THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS, MARTIN COUNTY SHALL. SECTION SIX SAYS PROTECTS PROTECT TAXPAYERS BY REQUIRING CONSERVATIVE AND PRUDENT FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND A FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE CGMP, WHICH ENSURES AND REQUIRES THAT DEVELOPMENT PAY FOR ITSELF RATHER THAN BEING SUBSIDIZED BY TAXPAYERS. I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? SO I HAVE I ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE SIMPLEST BASIS TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS EASY, AND I DON'T THINK WE EVEN NEED TO GO TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BECAUSE OUR COMP PLAN IS VERY CLEAR. AS COMMISSIONER CLARK INDICATED, AND POLICY TWO POINT. EIGHT 10., THROUGH DIRECT ADVOCACY AIMED AT ELECTED OFFICIAL AS WELL AS FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE MARTIN COUNTY MPO AND THREE ACQUISITION OF GRANTS AND OTHER APPROPRIATE FUNDING. SOURCES. SOURCES. THE CITY SHALL ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE REESTABLISHMENT OF PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE ON THE FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 
          [01:25:03]
DOWNTOWN RAIL STATION TRANSPORTATION DEPOT, PREFERABLY ON FLAGLER AVENUE BETWEEN EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD AND MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BOULEVARD. MOREOVER, JUST TO READ IT COMPLETELY, MOREOVER, THE CITY SHALL ACTIVELY SUPPORT THE INTRODUCTION OF COMMUTER RAIL SERVICES TO THE FEC RIGHT OF WAY. THIS SAYS WE SHALL AND ALL THE COUNTY IS ASKING US FOR IS A LETTER OF SUPPORT TO APPLY FOR GRANTS. AND THEY KNOW AS WELL AS I KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO PEOPLE AROUND THE STATE THAT WHEN ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES WHO WOULD BE AFFECTED BY INVOLVED IN THE GRANT, WHEN THEY ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES SUPPORT IT, IT INCREASES THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS AND INCREASES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A HIGHER LEVEL OF FUNDING. AND THAT'S THE SECOND REASON I SUPPORT THIS, BECAUSE THE EASIEST DECISION WE EVER GET TO MAKE IS, ARE WE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY, AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS KEEP THAT IN MIND. AND BY ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THIS GRANT WITH THIS LETTER, WHICH DOES NOT REQUIRE THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY TO PUT UP ANY MORE MONEY. BUT WE AS THE CITIES AND THE COUNTY, SO THE GREATER SUCCESS OF THE COUNTY HAS, THE MORE MONEY WE'RE GOING TO SAVE OUR RESIDENTS. AND THERE'S NO WAY I'M TURNING MY BACK ON THAT OPPORTUNITY. OR WILL I EVER. SO I OBVIOUSLY, AS THE MAKER OF THE MOTION, I AM IN STRONG SUPPORT OF PROVIDING THIS. ANYTHING ELSE? I'M DONE. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER REED. 
          YEAH, IT'S SUCH A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. I MEAN, WE CAN GO TIT FOR TAT ON THINGS. I MEAN, YOU CAN READ THE MARTIN COUNTY COMP PLAN. YOU SHOULDN'T BE SUBSIDIZING IT ON TAXPAYERS BACK, BASICALLY. I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT ANY WHICH WAY. I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT SHOULD BE A REFERENDUM AND PUT IT ON THE BALLOT AND LET THE VOTERS ACTUALLY DECIDE. THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GOING TO GET MY SUPPORT. 
          I MEAN, I THINK IT'S HARD FOR THE FIVE OF US BOARD MEMBERS TO SIT UP HERE, WHETHER IT'S AT THE CITY OR THE COUNTY, AND HAVE THAT MUCH VOTING POWER. I MEAN, YOU CAN'T VOTE SPECIFICALLY ON AN AGENDA ITEM BASED OFF OF A SHIRT COLOR STACK IN THE CHAMBER. WHAT ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE AT HOME THAT WE REPRESENT? THAT'S A BIG FACTOR AS WELL. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. THANKS. SO AS AS SOMEBODY WHO SITS ON THE MPO, I'M WATCHING IN REAL TIME THE MPO HAVING TO AMEND ITS LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN BECAUSE THE PASSENGER RAIL THAT IT DID PLAN FOR AND SUPPORT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDED ON ITS OWN. I'VE BEEN WATCHING EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS THIS HAS HAD TO BE AMENDED AND CHANGED AND SQUARE PEG FIT INTO A CIRCLE HOLE TO MAKE BRIGHTLINE HAPPEN. 
          SO THE BRIGHTLINE DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS. LIKE I MENTIONED ALREADY, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US. WE ARE COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM THIS. THE COUNTY HAS DECIDED TO GO UNILATERALLY ON ITS OWN AND PURSUE THIS GRANT AND FORM ITS OWN DEAL WITH BRIGHTLINE. YOU SHOULD LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE. YOU KNOW YOU YOU. IF YOU'RE THE COUNTY, YOU HAD EVERYTHING SET UP AND GOOD TO GO. IF YOU ACTUALLY WANTED TO ACHIEVE A STATION. THIS LOOKS TERRIBLE. 
          YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THIS AND TO COMPEL THIS BOARD UNDER THREAT OF LEGAL ACTION? NO, NOT WITH ME UP HERE. MAYBE PREVIOUS COMMISSIONERS, NOT ME. THIS IS MY CITY, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE BULLIED BY THE COUNTY. I MY FAME THIS IS OUR HOME. AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE PUSHED AROUND BY THE COUNTY OR DON DONALDSON OR ANYBODY ELSE. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE ILA, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, POTENTIALLY HAVING LEGAL ACTION WITH THE CITY OVER IN SECTION SIX, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. MARTIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THAT WE ARE OBLIGATED TO DO THIS FOR YOU OR YOU FEEL LIKE WITHOUT THAT PERFORMANCE, YOU SHOULD BE SUING FOR DAMAGES AS WELL. 
          POTENTIALLY. IT SAYS IN THE FIRST HALF OF SECTION SIX, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. 
          AGAIN, AS TO THE TRAIN STATION, THE COST OF WHICH IS TO BE SHARED BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND BRIGHTLINE ON AN EQUAL BASIS. THAT'S IT. YOU GUYS THREW THAT OUT THE WINDOW IN MARCH WHEN YOU SENT A LETTER TO BRIGHTLINE IN RESPONSE TO THEIR LETTER THAT SAID, IT'S COOL, WE'LL LET YOU OFF THE HOOK FOR HALF AS LONG AS WE ARE ONLY GOING TO PAY UP TO 15 MILLION. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT SAYS. YOU GUYS ARE TOTALLY WINGING THAT AND MAKING THAT UP IN RESPONSE 
          [01:30:06]
TO BRIGHTLINE. THAT'S A COMPLETE BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT AS WELL. NEITHER ONE OF US AGAIN, CAN PERFORM THE OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE IN THIS AGREEMENT. SO AGAIN, BEST THING TO DO MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY PARTIALLY FULFILLED THIS, YOU KNOW, IS TO AMEND THIS DECEMBER 12TH, 2023, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY THAT SAYS SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF BOTH PARTIES ARE RELIEVED OF ANY FUTURE OBLIGATIONS MOVING FORWARD. I WOULD PROPOSE THAT THE BOARD DIRECT ME TO BRING BACK ON JANUARY 27TH, THE AGENDA ITEM, AND I COULD ALSO PUT THE AGENDA ITEM TOGETHER IN A MANNER THAT AUTHORIZES THE BOARD TO AMEND THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT OR RESCIND THE AGREEMENT ACCORDINGLY, ALONG THE DIRECTIONS OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I WOULD LIKE THOSE TO BE SEPARATE. I DON'T NEED THAT TO BE TIED IN TOGETHER WELL, BUT THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN SEPARATE BRIGHTLINE FROM BRIGHTLINE NOW. THE LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE GRANT APPLICATIONS VERSUS AMENDING THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WOULD BE TWO SEPARATE ENTITIES. OKAY, SO THE LETTER OF SUPPORT THAT NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE HAS SEEN OR READ, THAT NO ONE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW BECAUSE IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA THAT WE KEEP MAKING REFERENCES TO IN THE COUNTIES NOT HERE, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. IT MAKES ME JUST VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE US HAVING THIS FULL ENGAGEMENT OVER. SO THEN MAYBE LET'S LET'S HAVE A VOTE AND SEE IF WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE THAT AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME. AND IF WE ARE, WE CAN. WELL, I, UPON THE REQUEST OF THE OF THE COUNTY, I CAN'T MAKE THE DECISION WITHOUT AN AGENDA ITEM. I CAN'T HAVE YOU GUYS POLLED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENDA. 
          YOU'VE BROUGHT IT UP TO THIS BOARD IN DAYLIGHT. AND IF THIS BOARD SAYS THAT THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED WITHOUT NOTICE, WITHOUT, WITHOUT, WITHOUT PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA, I HEAR YOU. BUT THE COUNTY DID NOT HAVE ANY NOTICE WITH REGARD TO SENDING THIS LETTER OUT. NOBODY WAS. IT DIDN'T HIT THEIR DIETS THAT THIS LETTER WOULD EVEN GO TO THE CITY. I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE COUNTY DID IT OR DIDN'T DO IT. AND THAT'S NOT HOW I YOU BROUGHT IT UP IN THE DAYLIGHT. 
          AND IF THIS CITY COMMISSION IS NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT ON AN AGENDA, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE COUNTY WANTS. CORRECT. I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE LEGAL OPINION ON THAT. YEAH, BUT WITH REGARD TO AGENDA, THIS ITEM IS WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING. THAT'S IT. OKAY. OKAY. AND DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? MAKE A QUERY OF THE CITY MANAGER. YES. SURE. OKAY. 
          SO I'M WILLING TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION. I HAVE THE SENSE IT'S GOING BADLY HERE. OKAY. IF THE BOARD WOULD AGREE AS COMMISSIONER REED. SENSIBLY SUGGESTED THAT WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. AND BY PUTTING IT ON THE AGENDA, WE WOULD PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH AN OPPORTUNITY. 
          YEAH. HE DIDN'T SAY AN AGENDA ITEM. HE SAID, I MEAN, LET'S NOT FORGET WE RECEIVED OVER 600 EMAILS IN SUPPORT OF BRIGHTLINE. SO THERE'S 170,000 PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS COUNTY. OKAY. SO OKAY. BUT WE'RE WE'RE DECIDING WE'RE DECIDING FOR THE CITY, NOT FOR THE COUNTY MAYOR. RICH. YES. 
          SO YOU'VE RESCINDED YOUR MOTION. I SAID I WOULD BE WILLING TO HAVE YOU OR HAVE YOU NOT? NOT AT THIS POINT. OKAY. SO THEN DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YES, I WOULD WITHDRAW IT AND THAT MIGHT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA. JUST NO, I WOULD JUST LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO READ THE VERY FIRST SENTENCE OF SECTION SIX, WHICH THE VICE MAYOR HAS BEEN QUOTING FROM, AND IT SAYS THE COUNTY AND CITY AGREED TO COOPERATE IN APPLYING FOR FEDERAL, STATE AND OTHER GRANTS, WHICH WE ARE TO OFFSET THE COST OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WE ARE NOT JOINTLY DOING. 
          CORRECT. WELL, BUT WE CAN WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT A PARTY TO THEIR GRANT. CORRECT. COOPERATION TAKES MANY FORMS. AND THEN SECONDLY, IT SEEMS OF GREAT CONCERN THAT THE MPO HAS AMENDED THEIR PLANS. THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. THEY HAVEN'T YET. AND YET WE SEEM TO BE PERFECTLY WILLING TO IGNORE OUR OWN COMP PLAN, WHICH IS VERY CLEAR WITH REGARD TO OUR OBLIGATION. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY, WOULD THERE BE A REASONABLE BASIS FOR A LAWSUIT FROM ANYONE? IF, AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING INTO THE WEEDS ON THIS, THIS WAS JUST TO AGENDA THE ITEM OR NOT. SO I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION, MARY, IF YOU WOULD CALL THE ROLL. WELL, THAT'S I DON'T KNOW. YOU'RE TRYING TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON IT I THINK IT I I'LL, I'LL WITHDRAW. I'VE ALREADY ASKED YOU TO WITHDRAW. I'VE ALREADY ASKED MARY TO CALL THE ROLL. SO WOULD YOU CALL MARY? I WITHDREW MY MOTION. SO. AND I HAD THE SECOND, SECOND, SECOND IT. OKAY. SO IT'S. SO YOU 
          [01:35:06]
FORMALLY WITHDRAWN THE MOTION, CORRECT. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE ON WITH. WELL, THANK YOU. SO, MR. MARTELL. PUT THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. NO. DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR ANY PART OF THAT? THE AGENDA ON THE 22ND? I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS ISSUE. IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING? DID YOU NOT JUST HEAR THAT? I HEARD I HEARD YOUR MOTION. SO WE'RE MOVING ON, CORRECT. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM. I HAVE A REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY TO DO AN AGENDA ITEM, AND I CAN GIVE IT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD AS TO WHEN THEY WANT IT, BUT IT WOULD NORMALLY BE AT THE 27TH MEETING IS WHEN I WOULD HAVE PUT IT ON. SO WHAT DO YOU MEAN? NORMALLY I WELL, WHEN I GET A REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY TO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM, I WOULD PUT IT ON OUR NEXT MEETING. IF FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, OUR NEXT MEETING AGENDA IS FULL BECAUSE WE HAVE TOO MUCH ON IT, WE COULD ROLL IT TO ANOTHER AGENDA. AND THE CURRENT MEETING. I'M GETTING THE DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD THAT THEY DON'T WANT IT ON THE JANUARY 27TH MEETING, SO I DON'T WANT IT ON AN AGENDA, PERIOD. SO JUST TO JUST CLARIFY, AS A MATTER OF STANDARD PRACTICE, YOU'RE SAYING, MR. MARTIN, THAT WHEN WE RECEIVE A REQUEST, I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH THIS ITEM. WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? I'M SPEAKING MORE GENERALLY. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM. I'M SPEAKING MORE GENERALLY. THIS ITEM, WE WOULD AS A COURTESY TO THEM, WE WOULD PUT IT ON OUR AGENDA. ANY ITEM. YES, I THINK SO. SO FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. THE STAFF STAFF WOULD NOT HAVE THE DISCRETION TO RESPOND TO THIS LETTER WITHOUT THE COMMISSION TAKING AN ACTION ON IT. CORRECT. THE COMMISSION CAN'T TAKE AN ACTION ON THIS LETTER BY POLLING THEM, BECAUSE THAT'S A VIOLATION OF THE SUNSHINE. SO THE ONLY WAY THAT THE COMMISSION CAN TAKE ACTION ON THE LETTER IS BY HAVING AN AGENDA ITEM. CORRECT. BECAUSE THERE WASN'T AN AGENDA ITEM ON THIS MEETING. THE DUE PROCESS CLAUSE DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT REQUESTED THE AGENDA ITEM OR ANYBODY THAT OPPOSES WHATEVER THE DECISION IS BY THE COMMISSION, NONE HAS BEEN MADE TONIGHT. BUT REGARDLESS, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THE MEETING TO BE HEARD WHATEVER THE ITEM IS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I GO TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THIS IS THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WITHIN THAT MOTION. BUT OUTSIDE OF THE MOTION IN NUMBER SEVEN, FACSIMILE SIGNATURES FOR THE BANK, IT'S THE MAYOR'S SIGNATURE NEEDS TO BE AUTHORIZED BY FACSIMILE FOR BANKS TO ACCEPT IT. NOT A BIG DEAL. WE DO IT EVERY SINGLE YEAR, YET IT STILL HAS TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM, AND THE COMMISSION STILL HAS TO VOTE ON IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE AN EFFECTIVE RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE US TO MAKE THE DECISION. IN THIS INSTANCE, I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TELL THE COUNTY NO OR YES IN RESPONSE TO THEIR QUESTION WITHOUT A COMMISSION VOTE. SO I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A COMMISSION VOTE WITHOUT HAVING AN AGENDA ITEM, OR ELSE THAT WOULD VIOLATE SUNSHINE. SO IT'S IN LIMBO UNTIL IT GETS ADDRESSED. OKAY. AND SO WE SHOULD TELL YOU THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IT ON THE 27TH, AND IT WILL BE ADDRESSED ON THE 27TH, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE NOTICE TODAY AND IT WOULD, COULD THAT CAN WE JUST DO THAT? NO, THAT'S WHAT WE JUST HAD A MOTION ON. THIS IS A POINT OF ORDER. THIS IS A POINT OF ORDER. THIS MOTION WAS WITHDRAWN. YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO THAT'S WHAT I ASKED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THE CITY ATTORNEY. SO THE CITY ATTORNEY, WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD THE CITY ATTORNEY PROVIDE US, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM OR WHETHER OR NOT WE ADDRESSED IT ALREADY, OR WHETHER WE ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS IN A PREVIOUS MEETING. WE KNOW IN THE PRIOR MEETING, I BROUGHT IT UP AS A I'M GOING TO PUT ON THE AGENDA A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION YOU NEED FOR US TO VOTE TO NOT DO YOU NEED FOR US TO VOTE TO NOT AGENDA THIS. THAT'S YOU CAN'T WRITE WITHOUT HAVING AN AGENDA ITEM. SO IF WE DON'T TAKE ACTION, THIS SHOULD BE DONE. CORRECT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND WITH AN AGENDA ITEM FROM A LETTER FROM THE COUNTY. THAT'S YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM. WELL, THE COMMISSION COULD NOT RESPOND, BUT I DON'T GET I DON'T HAVE THAT DISCRETION. WELL, THIS COMMISSION IS, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, DOES HAVE THAT DISCRETION. AND THIS COMMISSION IS NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT BE ON THE AGENDA. THAT'S THE CONSENSUS. SO CAN WE MOVE ON? IF THE COMMISSION WERE TO DIRECT ME NOT TO PUT BRIGHT LINE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, THAT'S NOT WHAT WHAT WAS JUST SAID. I KNOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD KNOW. LIKE THAT'S NOT WHAT WAS JUST SAID. RIGHT. BUT I'M SAYING, HOW CAN WE KNOW? HOW CAN I KNOW WHICH ITEMS THE COMMISSION JUST DISCUSSED? AND THEY DO NOT WANT THIS LETTER TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM. BUT THAT'S MY PROBLEM. THE 
          [01:40:01]
FACT THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED IT WAS THE PART I SAID BEFORE WE STARTED DISCUSSING IT. THAT DOESN'T COUNT. THAT DISCUSSION IS VOID BECAUSE THERE WAS NO AGENDA ITEM. WE JUST DISCUSSED HAVING IT BE AN AGENDA AND WE'RE NOT INTERESTED WAS NOT I MEAN, WE CAN DO THIS CIRCULAR. I THINK YOU SHOULD ASK THE CITY ATTORNEY AGAIN. I'M NOT THE PERSON THAT SHOULD BE MAKING THE DECISION. 
          CAN WE HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, PLEASE? MR. BAGGETT, AGAIN, POINT OF ORDER. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WITHIN THE MOTION. ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION AGAIN? NO. I'M ASKING AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE CITY MANAGER THAT WE HERE. YOU WITHDREW YOUR MOTION. THE CITY ATTORNEY ON WHAT? WHAT ARE WE DISCUSSING IF WE'RE NOT IN A MOTION? YOU'VE TOLD ME THIS A HUNDRED TIMES UP HERE THAT WE CAN'T DISCUSS THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION FOR, CAN WE? JUST. SO ARE YOU GOING TO PASS THE GAVEL AND MAKE ANOTHER MOTION? NO. YOU'RE TRYING TO CREATE. THIS IS A POINT OF ORDER. YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF A MOTION I CAN PASS. YOU HAVE BEAT ME TO DEATH WITH THIS RULE. 
          ENJOY THE SLEDGEHAMMER BACK. YOU NEED TO BE IN IN A MOTION HERE. AND IF NOT, WE SHOULD BE MOVING ON. WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. CITY MANAGER COMMENTS BY CITY MANAGER. DO YOU HAVE THE MAYOR? 
          [COMMENTS BY CITY MANAGER (Part 2 of 2)]
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE I MOVE ON TO MINE. SO WITH THAT, NO, I HAVE NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. I MET WITH OUR FINE COMMISSIONER TODAY, THE FLORIDA INLAND NAVIGATION DISTRICT. THE OUR DISCUSSION WAS PRIMARILY ABOUT LAKE OKEECHOBEE AND SOME OTHER ISSUES. AND AS YOU KNOW, OUR BOARDWALK IS FROM A FINE GRANT. AND WE ALSO HAVE A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT FINE GRANT TO DO WAVE ATTENUATORS ON THE COURTESY DOCK. AND WE WERE DISCUSSING THE FACT THAT THE CURRENT FIND GRANT CYCLE IS AGAIN OPEN. AND I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE MEETING WITH MILTON. WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY CONTINUE WITH THE WAVE ATTENUATORS AND ALSO LOOKING TO DO POSSIBLY A FINE GRANT TO REBUILD THE DOCK IN FRAZIER CREEK THERE THAT'S BEEN IN DISREPAIR SINCE BEFORE DUFFY BOATS VACATED. ALSO ON THE HOMELESSNESS ISSUE RAISED BY COMMISSIONER CLARKE, THERE WAS A NEW LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 2ND, BUT THAT LAW ACTUALLY WENT TO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 1ST. THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I ACTUALLY MET WITH THE COUNTY ON THAT LAW. WE'VE ALSO MET WITH OUR POLICE CHIEF ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A POLICY IN PLACE. RIGHT NOW. THE CITY ATTORNEY IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR OUR STAFF, THAT BEING OUR PARKS AND REC AND OTHER PUBLIC WORKS TYPE EMPLOYEES, THAT IF THEY COME ACROSS EVIDENCE OF CAMPING OR WHERE SOMEONE IS USING A PUBLIC FACILITY AS A PLACE TO STORE THEIR PERSONAL ITEMS, IT CREATES SOME LIABILITY FOR THE CITY. SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM WE'RE GOING TO BE CREATING FOR THEM TO REPORT IT SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE ACTION. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT COMMISSIONER CLARK BROUGHT UP AN. UNFORTUNATE EVENT THAT TOOK PLACE IN ONE OF OUR PARKS. I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT IS TRUE. HOWEVER, IT HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON. THIS WAS NOT A SITUATION WHERE HOMELESS PEOPLE WERE SLEEPING IN THE PARK AND LIVING IN THE PARK. 
          AT 2:00 OR 3:00 IN THE MORNING, IT WAS BROAD DAYLIGHT, 3:00 IN THE AFTERNOON, AND AS A RESULT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE FALLEN UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THIS HOMELESSNESS LAW. THAT'S IN A PLAY IN EFFECT, AS OF THE SECOND. I WAS ALSO GOING TO MENTION THAT IN JANUARY 7TH, WE SAW THE RETIREMENT OF SHERIFF SNYDER AND THE SWEARING IN OF OUR NEW SHERIFF, BUDENSIEK, AS WELL AS A NEW SHERIFF IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY, SHERIFF DEL TORO, AND ALONG WITH SHERIFF DEL TORO, THEY ALSO HIRED A NEW DEPUTY CHIEF OF SAINT LUCIE COUNTY, WHO IS OUR VERY OWN, DAVID DIAS, WHO WILL BE WEARING POLYESTER AGAIN. AND WE'LL PROBABLY SEE HIM FROM TIME TO TIME. THEN ON MY LIST WAS THE LETTER OF THE COUNTY, BUT I THINK I'LL SKIP OVER THAT. MOVING ON. AS IT RELATES TO ONE OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS TONIGHT, BOTH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND I WERE CONTACTED INDEPENDENTLY BY A FEW DIFFERENT PRIVATE LAW FIRMS OFFERING SERVICES RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY POSITION. I RESPONDED BACK AND TOLD THEM TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS. AND I ALSO IN ONE OF THE. EMAILS, I WAS ENGAGED WITH ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS. I ASKED HIM WHAT HE CONSIDERED THE BENEFITS AND DETRIMENTS OF EACH, AND ASKED HIM TO GIVE ME SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT AS 
          [01:45:05]
WELL, AS WE HAD A DISCUSSION REGARDING STANDING, AND HE PROVIDED A TWO OR 3 OR 4 PAGE MEMO THAT I GOT THAT I ACTUALLY RECEIVED TODAY. I THINK HE MAY HAVE EMAILED IT OVER THE WEEKEND OR AFTER FIVE ON FRIDAY, BUT I GOT IT TODAY AND I PRINTED IT AND PUT IT ON EVERYBODY'S DESK. 
          ANYWAY, THAT GOES TO THE AGENDA ITEM LATER. ALSO ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT ABOUT 4:00, WE HAD A WATER MAIN FAILURE ON US ONE AND WEST OCEAN BOULEVARD. THE LOCATION WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT DIXIE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED FOR THE BOAT SHOW. BUT I DO HAVE TO GIVE BOTH MILTON AND PETER ACCOLADES BECAUSE THEIR TEAMS GOT OUT THERE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT, BUT I KNOW THAT I WAS GETTING TEXTS FROM PETER AT 230 IN THE MORNING, SO THEY WERE THERE FOR A WHILE, AND I ALSO HAVE PICTURES OF OUR GUYS STANDING IN THE HOLE, AND THERE'S 3 OR 4 GUYS IN THE HOLE AND IT'S WAY OVER THEIR HEADS. SO THERE WAS A BIG HOLE ON WEST OCEAN AND US ONE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND THEY SOMEHOW HAD IT UP AND RUNNING BY MONDAY MORNING. SO THAT BUSINESS WAS AS USUAL, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. AND I WAS VERY PROUD OF THEM FOR DOING SO. THANK YOU. AND THEN AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE THE MARTIN COUNTY OR THE MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY PARADE PLANNED FOR MONDAY AT 11, AND OBVIOUSLY WOULD INVITE EVERYBODY TO ATTEND. AND IT ENDS UP AT THE GUY DAVIS PARK, AND THERE'S EVENTS AND VENDORS AND THINGS AT THE LOCATION. IT'S A GREAT EVENT. THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I HAD ONE OTHER THING TOO. I ALSO ON DECEMBER 9TH, THE COMMISSION HAD DIRECTED ME TO SEND A LETTER TO CLEVELAND CLINIC REGARDING THE MOVING OF THE OB GYN. I SENT THAT LETTER. I RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM DOCTOR SINGH. I TALKED TO HIM ON TWO OCCASIONS AND THEN ULTIMATELY MET WITH HIM AS WELL. AND HE HAS REQUESTED THAT HE COME TO HE WAS ACTUALLY WILLING TO COME TO THE FEBRUARY OR THE JANUARY 27TH MEETING, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR MEETINGS WORK, WE DO LIKE PRESENTATIONS ON THE FIRST MEETING OF THE MONTH. SO I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD COME ON FEBRUARY 10TH, AND HE HAS SAID THAT HE ABSOLUTELY WILL BE HAPPY TO ATTEND AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE. AND HE SEEMED VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND FORTHRIGHT, AND I THINK YOU'LL ENJOY YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH HIM BECAUSE HE'S VERY, VERY PREPARED FOR THE CONVERSATION. AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. AND I'M I'M AWARE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN TO THE COUNTY AS WELL. SO FORTUNATELY, THEY'RE TAKING A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO FILL THIS NEED. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT, THOUGH, AND IT IS IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO HIRE OB'S IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA BECAUSE OF SOME OF OUR RECENT. IT'S ALSO IT'S ALSO DIFFICULT FOR THE CITY OF STUART. COMMISSIONER JOBE AND I HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATING ABOUT IT AS WELL. AND SHE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS. AND I SAW A COUPLE EMAILS WHERE SHE SENT CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE CERTIFICATE OF NEED AND THE WAY THAT HOSPITALS WORK NOW VERSUS THE WAY THEY WORKED BEFORE. AND IF TEN YEARS AGO OR EVEN SIX YEARS AGO, A HOSPITAL WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CERTIFICATE OF NEED, IT WOULD BE A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. AND LIKE THE EMERGENCY FACILITY THAT SAINT LUCIE HOSPITAL BUILT ON KANNER HIGHWAY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE BUILT THERE WITHOUT THE STATE REVIEW BOARD AND THE CERTIFICATE OF NEED AND THE AND THE PATIENT REVIEW. ET CETERA. JUST AS THEY WOULD HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROVIDE CERTAIN SERVICES AS PART OF THE HOSPITAL SERVICE HERE, BUT THERE IS NO CERTIFICATE OF NEED ANY LONGER. AND AS A RESULT, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY A BUSINESS DECISION. AND THE CITY OF STUART DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT JURISDICTION OR AUTHORITY OVER A PRIVATE BUSINESS TO TELL THEM WHICH CUSTOMERS TO SERVE OR NOT SERVE, OR FOR THAT MATTER, HOW TO SERVE THEM. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, CLEVELAND CLINIC WANTS TO BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, WANTS TO BE ENGAGED WITH US, AND WANTS TO MEET WITH YOU GUYS AND DISCUSS IT AND TRY TO KEEP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US SO THAT WE HAVE UNDERSTAND IT. I WILL SAY THAT. NO MATTER WHAT, THEY'VE GOT ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR THEIR ER, HOSPITAL DOCTORS. THE FACILITY IS ALL THERE. IT'S NOT GOING AWAY BECAUSE IT WAS OBVIOUSLY BUILT ALREADY. AND ACCORDING TO DOCTOR SINGH, THEY'RE NOT TURNING AWAY ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION. SO IF YOU HAD THAT SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY WENT INTO LABOR AFTER IN SEVEN AND A HALF MONTHS OF PREGNANCY AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING AND WENT INTO THE ER, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE FACILITIES AND THE ABILITY TO TREAT THAT PATIENT AND WILL AND THEN ONCE 
          [01:50:03]
THEY STABILIZE THEM, THEY WOULD TRANSPORT THEM TO THE UNIT WHERE THEY TRADITIONALLY WOULD, RIGHT WHERE THEY HAVE IT. NOW, I DON'T CLAIM TO KNOW ANYTHING CLOSE TO THE MAGNITUDE OF ALL THE DETAILS, AND THEREFORE I'LL LEAVE THE REST OF THE DETAILS TO DOCTOR SINGH FOR FEBRUARY 10TH. 
          UNLESS ANYBODY COMES UP WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR WANTS ME TO REACH OUT TO HIM BEFOREHAND, AND THEN THAT IS ALL I HAVE. COMMISSIONER CLARK. YES. SO THIS IS THE PART WHERE I WAS GOING TO ASK IF WE, IN THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, THE ITEM THAT YOU YOU WITHDREW, IF WE COULD HAVE ADDED IT TO THE AGENDA. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA AS PUBLISHED, I THINK. 
          COMMISSIONER JOB, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT WITH REGARD TO THIS? I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER IN REGARDS TO DOCTOR SINGH, STATING THAT THERE WOULD BE EMERGENCY SERVICES. 
          WOULD HE BE WILLING TO DO A COMMITMENT OF SERVICES SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IF THEY'RE HAVING AN EMERGENCY, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO TRY AND TRAVEL 35 MINUTES? I OBVIOUSLY WILL FOLLOW UP. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON HIS BEHALF, BUT I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK HIM DIRECTLY AS WELL. BUT I THE WAY IT THE ROUNDTABLE THAT I WAS ATTENDING, THE WAY HE DISCUSSED IT AND MAYBE THERE WASN'T A SPECIFIC FOLLOW UP, BUT HE DID SAY THAT RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINING THEIR ER DOCTORS AND THAT THEY HAVE STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL THAT IF IN FACT SOMEONE HERE HAD AN EMERGENCY, THEY COULD CALL 911 OR APPEAR AT THE ER AND THEY WOULD BE TREATED AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DRIVE 40 MINUTES TO, TO TRADITION FOR THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A COMMITMENT OF SERVICES ON THEIR PART. OKAY. AND I'LL FOLLOW UP. 
          REMEMBER HCA IS BUILDING A FREESTANDING EMERGENCY ROOM. YEAH. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE? I KNOW THAT'S A QUESTION WE SHOULD ASK. I WAS GOING TO SAY I WAS ON THE LPA WHEN THEY CAME FORWARD. THEY REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR MATERNITY, I MEAN, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. A MEDICAL EMERGENCY IS, I WOULD THINK, INCLUDE THAT. BUT THE LAST. WELL BUT THEY REQUIRE DIFFERENT THINGS FOR EMERGENCY I DON'T KNOW NEONATAL THOSE ARE ALL REQUIRED. THERE ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU GOING IN WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND OR A BROKEN LEG OR SOMETHING FROM AN ACCIDENT, A GUNSHOT YOU'RE GOING ALONG WITH HOOKING YOUR EYE IS MORE LIKE WHAT WE DO IN STUART, YOU KNOW, FISHING HOOK. OKAY. YOU BETTER WATCH OUT. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. MORTAL. WE 
          [APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF AGENDA BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. SECOND, A SECOND BY VICE MAYOR COLLINS. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE. ROLL CALL, PLEASE. 
          VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES, 
          [COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC (Non-Agenda Related) (3 Minutes Max.)]
COMMISSIONER. SELBY. YES. MAYOR. RICH. YES. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON AGENDA RELATED NON AGENDA RELATED ITEMS. I DO HAVE SOME. MADAM CLERK, DO WE. SURE. ROBERT HAMILTON. GOOD EVENING, MR. HAMILTON. GOOD EVENING. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING TONIGHT. WE'RE GOOD. MR. HAMILTON, HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING OKAY. I, I WANTED TO ASK FIRST OF ALL THANK EVERYBODY. HAPPY NEW YEAR. I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THAT THIS IS BEING LOOKED INTO. I DO HAVE A REQUEST THAT APPARENTLY THERE WAS A PACKAGE SENT TO TALLAHASSEE AGAIN CONCERNING THE ROOF ON OUR PROPERTY. WE NEVER GOT A COPY OF THAT. AND I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD PLEASE HAVE A COPY OF THAT, BECAUSE WHEN I START REQUESTING UP THERE, IT SLOWS EVERYTHING DOWN AGAIN. WAS WAS IT SENT BY THE CITY OR BY WHO? WHO WAS IT SENT BY? IT WAS IT WAS SENT BY THE CITY. ANY OF THE PANEL ARE YOU I DON'T I DIDN'T SEND ANYTHING. I DON'T I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT IT IS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO GET YOU A COPY OF IT TOMORROW. I'LL ASK, BECAUSE THE ROOF IS A SERIOUS PART OF THE ISSUE WOULD BE HERE TONIGHT. 
          BUT SHE'S DEALING WITH THE NATIONAL LEVEL NOW BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO APPLY NEXT, IS TO HAVE IT PUT ON THE NATIONAL. AND SHE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT BEING HERE. BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. MR. MORTAL, WAS IT A LETTER OR A JUST SO I'M CLEAR, IT WAS A PACKAGE OF SOME LIKE I'M NOT SURE. I GUESS IT WAS INFORMATION ON THE ROOF. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, I READ WE START EVERY TIME IN HERE. WE PRAY. PASTOR COMES AND PRAYS. AND IT SEEMS TO ME NOT JUST MY ISSUE. THERE'S A LOT OF SHIFTS IN THIS AUDIENCE, AND WE MAY NOT BE ON THE SAME SHIP, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY SAILING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. CIVILITY WE TALK ABOUT HERE. I GET LETTERS NOT FROM MR. MORTAL, FROM OTHER CITY EMPLOYEES, FYI. HI. I'M REALLY TIRED OF THAT. IT'S MRS. HAMILTON, THAT'S HER NAME, NOT HI. SHE EARNED IT. SHE EARNED HER DEGREES. IN FACT, SHE HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE. SHE EARNED THAT RIGHT. GIVE HER THAT RESPECT. BUT WHY? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 
          [01:55:04]
THAT. I'M VERY THANKFUL TO PEOPLE LIKE CASEY INGRAM. MRS. CARTWRIGHT AND I TOOK THE TIME BECAUSE OF ALL THE ISSUES I'M SEEING. TRAIN THIS, THAT I TOOK THE TIME TO READ MISS HALL'S CASE. 25 YEARS OF READING CASES. AND I NOTICED SIMILARITIES. IN THAT CASE, I'M NOT GOING TO DISCUSS THAT. WHAT BREAKS MY HEART IS SHE'S A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. SHE STOOD ON THIS BATTLEFIELD FOR OVER A DECADE ALONE. THINK ABOUT THAT. THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES TO THE TAXPAYER, TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, THEIR PEOPLE, EVERYBODY IN HERE, EVEN IF WE'RE DIFFERENT AND HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION, THERE'S NO NEED FOR WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT MATTHEW 5.9. BLESSED BE THE PEACEMAKER, FOR HE HAS THE HAND OF GOD. I DON'T SEE PEACEMAKERS. I SEE BACKROOM STUFF, AND I DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD. THANK YOU. IT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE RESPECT. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. GAIL. GOLDIE. 
          ROBIN CARTWRIGHT. THANK YOU. ROBIN. BEFORE I BEGIN, BEFORE YOU START MY TIME, MARY BRIGHT LINE IS NOT A COMMUTER RAIL. I JUST WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT. SO NOW NOW WE CAN START TONIGHT YOU'LL DISCUSS IS AN EXCEPTION TO THE ZONING AND PROGRESS. AND I ASK THAT YOU'LL INCLUDE MEANINGFUL CHANGE THAT CAN HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF THE ZIP. THE NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS ALLOWED PER PROJECT NEEDS TO BE LIMITED. THE FEES PAID BY DEVELOPERS NEED TO BE ENFORCED, AND PUBLIC BENEFIT NEEDS TO BE A TRUE PUBLIC BENEFIT. AND APPLICATIONS FOR PROJECTS SHOULD INCLUDE WATER CONSUMPTION PROJECTIONS AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE. FROM A 2022 FLORIDA DEP REPORT SAYING THAT BY 2040, QUOTE, ANALYZES CONDUCTED BY THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS INDICATE THAT GROUNDWATER RESOURCES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO FULLY MEET FUTURE DEMANDS IN LARGE AREAS OF THE STATE. AND FROM A 2023 DEP WATER PLAN PRESENTATION. QUOTE. 
          WITHOUT THESE PLANNING EFFORTS, THE DISTRICT'S PROJECT THAT EXISTING RESOURCES OF WATER WILL NOT ADEQUATELY MEET THE REASONABLE BENEFICIAL NEEDS FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS. THERE WAS ALSO RECENTLY AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN GRIST ASKING IF WATER HAS IF FLORIDA HAS SUFFICIENT WATER. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE. AND WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW IS THAT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS DRAW FROM THE SAME WATER SOURCE. I KNOW CERTAIN STAFF WILL SAY, SFWMD SAID. IT'S OKAY, SO IT'S OUT OF THEIR HANDS OR THAT IT'S A COUNTY ISSUE. IT'S NOT OUR ISSUE, BUT IT IS OUR ISSUE. ALL MUNICIPALITIES SUBMIT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE WATER THEY WILL NEED IN LARGE DEVELOPMENTS LIKE TERRA LARGO AND NEWFIELD ALSO SUBMIT FOR PERMITS. YET TERRA LARGO WAS JUST NOTED AS LACKING APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEEDING A WATER PLANT. AND THEN THERE'S HARBOR GROVE, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF STUART ON COMMERCE BY INDIAN STREET. IT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY TO BE DEVELOPED, YET THE UTILITIES ARE PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. THEY HAVE HAD DOCUMENTED WATER PRESSURE ISSUES IN APRIL, MAY, JUNE, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER, AND AGAIN ALL OF THESE PROJECTS DRAW FROM THE SAME SOURCE, BUT THE CITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THE CITY'S APPLICATION ARE NOT INCLUDED. THEY DO NOT INCLUDE ANY WATER CONSUMPTION POTENTIAL OR GUARANTEES, AND NO DEVELOPER SUBMITS A SEPARATE WATER CONSUMPTION PERMIT. YET. IT IS NOT PART OF THE CITY'S PRESENTATION, AND WE MAKE PROJECTIONS FOR TRAFFIC AND OTHER THINGS. SHOULDN'T WE ALSO MAKE THEM FOR WATER? THIS IS WHY WE NEED MORE HOLISTIC PLANNING, AND PLEASE MAKE IT A PRIORITY FOR HOW WE DEVELOP THIS COMMUNITY GOING FORWARD. ON A FINAL NOTE, COMMISSIONER CLARK, I MET WITH THE COUNTY WITH REGARDS TO SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, INCLUDING HOUSING, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FORWARD THEM TO THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION AS WELL. THANK YOU. MAYOR, I HAVE NO FURTHER 
          [CONSENT CALENDAR]
COMMENT. OKAY, WE'LL GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR, PLEASE. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE MAYOR COLLINS. I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER JOB. ALL IN FAVOR? BY ROLL CALL. OKAY. VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES, COMMISSIONER. JOB. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, MAYOR. RICH. YES. WE GET NEW DRONES. 
          OH, BOY. OKAY, SO. MR. BAGGETT, WILL YOU PLEASE READ ITEM 12 FOR OUR CONSIDERATION? A RESOLUTION 
          [12. APPOINTMENT/RATIFICATION OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS (RC): RESOLUTION No. 03-2025; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, APPOINTING AND RATIFYING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE VACANT POSITIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS AND ADOPTING THE MEMBER TERMS FOR THE 2025 CALENDAR YEAR; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, APPOINTING AND RATIFYING THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE VACANT POSITIONS OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS AND ADOPTING THE MEMBER 
          [02:00:04]
TERMS FOR THE 2025 CALENDAR YEAR, PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WE HAVE ANY PRESENTATION ON THIS BY STAFF. NONE. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO DISCUSS IT. NO. OKAY, THEN LET'S HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. OKAY. FOR THIS, I'D LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO SPOTS THAT ARE STILL EMPTY. RIGHT. AND THEY NEED TO BE PUT IN AT LARGE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE APPLICATIONS COME TO US AND WE VOTE ON THEM, OR LET'S KEEP THE MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? WELL, YOU HAVE YOU HAVE. WELL, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 12, RIGHT? YEAH. YES. SO THIS IS THE ADVISORY BOARD RATIFICATION. CORRECT. THIS IS NOT THE AT LARGE POSITIONS. THESE ARE THE RATIFICATION OF THE ADVISORY BOARD. APPOINTMENTS WHERE WE HOURS, HOURS OKAY. WE ARE OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLARK, A SECOND BY VICE MAYOR COLLINS. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THIS ITEM. SEEING NONE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD. COMMISSIONER. YEAH. MAYOR. MAYOR RICH OR MIKE, THE AT LARGE BOARD MEMBER. WILL THAT BE A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM? WE'LL DO THAT NEXT. OKAY. GOTCHA. 
          THANKS. IT'S SOLVING THE SAME THING. IT'S NOT. IT SAYS ADVISORY BOARD APPLICATIONS ARE IT'S THE SECOND. IT'S ONE RESOLUTION. IT'S ONE RESOLUTION. IT'S ONE. SO YOU JUST I MEAN, YOU COULD DO IT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND DO THE ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTMENT. IT'S AGENDA. SO IT'S NOT A HUGE STRETCH TO HAVE THAT BE ADDED ON. WELL NO YOU HAVE IT. IT'S THERE. IT'S IN THE IT'S IN IT. YOU JUST YOU WANT TO DO IT IN ONE VOTE OR TWO VOTES. I THINK WE CAN DO IT ALL IN ONE VOTE. THANK YOU I DON'T KNOW. YES. I'M SORRY, MADAM CLERK, MAY I INTERJECT THE LISTING OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE ALREADY POSITIONED FOR COMMISSIONER? LIAISONS ARE CHOSEN, AND THEN THERE'S TWO APPLICATIONS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE WITHIN YOUR PACKET FOR THE AT LARGE POSITION ON THE CRB. AND THOSE WOULD BE KRISTINA VOGEL AND FAYE JAMES. SO IF WITH YOUR MOTION TONIGHT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A SELECTION FOR WHO THAT AT-LARGE POSITION. SO KRISTINA WAS ON THE BOA AND YOU ALSO HAD A THIRD APPLICATION FROM A GENTLEMAN. BUT HE'S NOT ELIGIBLE, WE DETERMINED, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME HE'S LIVED WITHIN STUART. IT'S NOT BEEN 12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS. THAT'S SO OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT EACH OF US HAVE HAS APPOINTED. 
          WE DON'T I DON'T THINK WE SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO ANY OF THOSE NOMINEES. SO I BELIEVE THE AT LARGE. RIGHT, THE AT LARGE, CAN I MAKE SURE I'M, I WAS ACTUALLY VERY INTERESTED IN MR. SHEARER IN THAT ROLE WITH HIS BACKGROUND WAS REALLY DECORATED. I THOUGHT HE WOULD BRING A LOT TO THE ROLE. SO THAT KIND OF THREW ME FOR A LOOP LAST MINUTE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD HAVE SOME MORE TIME BEFORE WE NECESSARILY FILL THAT POSITION, BECAUSE I WASN'T ASKING, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T OUT THERE SORT OF POLLING FOR PEOPLE TO SEE IF THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN IT BECAUSE OF MR. MR. SHEARER. AND THAT WAS A BIT OF A LAST MINUTE SHIFT. NOBODY'S FAULT. BUT THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY SOMETHING WE HAVE TO SEE TONIGHT. SO NO, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO. WELL I, I WOULD PREFER THAT YOU APPOINT THE ADVISORY THE RATIFICATION OF THE. YES. OH YEAH. YEAH YEAH YEAH. BUT THE AT LARGE POSITION. RIGHT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT THEN LET'S SEPARATE THEM. SO LET'S DO LET'S DO A VOTE. FIRST I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT YOUR MOTION WAS FOR RATIFYING THE BOARD MEMBER APPOINTMENTS. SO LET'S VOTE ON THAT ONE FIRST OKAY. IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU VICE MAYOR. AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE AT LARGE. SO ROLL CALL ON THAT ITEM. I DO ALREADY HAVE A MOTION FROM ULA CLARK, COMMISSIONER CLARK. AND THEN YES OKAY. SO WE'RE JUST VOTING ON THE APPOINTMENTS THAT EACH COMMISSIONER HAS MADE. NOT ON THE AT LARGE. CORRECT. RIGHT NOW IS A SECOND. HE WAS THE VICE MAYOR WAS THE SECOND. AND FOR THE FOR THE RECORD, THAT WOULD BE TO APPOINT FREDERICK JAMES AND SCOTT WHALEN TO THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT BOARD AND TO APPOINT ROY D GAINES TO THE EAST STUART HISTORICAL COMMITTEE. YOU CAN. OKAY. ROLL. I JUST WANT TO PUT THEM ON THE RECORD. OKAY. VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES, MAYOR. RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, 
          [02:05:03]
COMMISSIONER. DOBEY. YES. OKAY, SO LET'S GET A MOTION FOR THE AT LARGE. YEAH, BECAUSE WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT IN A MOTION TO TABLE. YOU CAN MOTION TO CONTINUE. YOU CAN MOTION TO POSTPONE THE MOTION, I THINK I THINK KRISTINA VOGEL WOULD BE A GOOD. BOTH CHRISTINA AND FAYE HAVE SERVED ON OTHER COMMITTEES BEFORE. BECAUSE I CAN. LET'S HAVE A MOTION. SOME KIND OF MOTION. 
          RIGHT. YEAH. SO WE CAN DISCUSS. WE HAVE MAKE A MOTION FOR KRISTINA VOGEL TO BE ON THE. 
          WHAT IS IT, THE CRB, CRB, THE AT LARGE APPOINTEE TO THE CRB. I'LL SECOND IT. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CLARK AND IS SECOND BY COMMISSIONER REED. ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD I HAVE A COMMENT. 
          YEAH. COMMISSIONER JOB, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY CLERK. MR. SHARON. HIS THE ONE ITEM FOR HIM WAS THAT HE DIDN'T MEET RESIDENCY, BUT I BELIEVE HE WOULD BE MEETING IT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. YES. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND HIS APPLICATION STATED SIX MONTHS, WHICH WOULD PUT IT AROUND JUNE OR JULY OR JUNE. I'M SORRY, BUT HE KNEW THAT IT WAS A SPECIFIC. 
          IT COULD HAVE BEEN NINE MONTHS. HE DID SAY SIX MONTHS, BUT I SPOKE WITH HIM AND HE SAID IT WAS APRIL. SO COME THIS APRIL HE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. IS IT SOMETHING WE COULD WAIVE? IT'S IN THE COMP PLAN. NO, IT'S NOT IN THE I'M SORRY, IT'S CODE OF ORDINANCE. YOU KNOW YOU'D HAVE TO THE COMMISSION HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE CODE BUT NOT WAIVE THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE. AND YOU THE COMMISSION HAD WAIVED IN THE PAST THE RESIDENT RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT FOR THE CITY MANAGER. SO I IMAGINE YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE DISCRETION TO WAIVE IT. I MEAN, LIKE MR. VICE MAYOR. YES. FORGIVE ME. I WAS EQUALLY IMPRESSED BY HIS RESUME. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SHAWN FORBES RESIGNED. AND SO I HAVE A VACANCY TO FILL. AND I TRIED TO MEET WITH MR. SHEARER. ACTUALLY, PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, I THINK I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH HIM WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. SO I'M HOPING TO YOUR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. I MEAN, I'M USING I'M HOPING TO I WOULD LOVE TO COMMANDEER HIM THOUGH ULTIMATELY FOR THE CRA. I WOULD LIKE HIM TO BE THAT AT-LARGE. OH YEAH. WELL, BECAUSE I AND BECAUSE IN JUST SPEAKING WITH HIM, HIS PROFESSIONALISM I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY WITH A VERY IMPRESSIVE RESUME SOFTENING UP SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS. BUT HE DOESN'T LIVE HERE. HE HASN'T LIVED. MR. CHAIR IS IN THE AUDIENCE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MEET HIM. IF IT IS. YES, YES. COME ON DOWN. OKAY. BUT IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO WAIVE THAT, IF WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE THAT ABILITY. SO GOOD EVENING, I'M CLAY SHEARER. THANK YOU FOR THE VERY KIND COMMENTS. BUT I MEAN YOU MAY HAVE SOME OTHER QUALIFIED CANDIDATES. I JUST APPRECIATE YOU CONSIDERING ME. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF A LITTLE BIT TO ADD MAYBE WHAT I'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED. SO I'M A LIFER, BORN AND RAISED IN STUART, VERY PROUD GRADUATE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE AND WENT ON IN LIFE AND LIVED OTHER PLACES. I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN COMMUNITIES WHEREVER I'VE LIVED, BOARDS, ADVISORY BOARDS, ZONING COMMITTEES. I HAVE SOME FAMILIARITY OF THE INTERSECTION OF URBAN PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. I'VE RECENTLY RETURNED TO STUART. THIS PAST YEAR, MY WIFE AND I, AND THIS IS OUR LAST STOP. SO WE'RE HERE NOW, COMMITTED, AND IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CITY THAT I CALL HOME NOW AND GREW UP IN. I'M GOING TO GET INVOLVED NO MATTER WHAT, AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BEGIN. I GUESS I WOULD SHARE THAT. CLAY, WOULD YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, IF YOU DON'T MIND? I WAS GOING TO DO THAT FOR HIM. IF HE DIDN'T DO IT FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SEE HIS SUBMISSION TO THE. I JUST HAD IT UP. HIS SUBMISSION TO THE BOARD OR HIS APPLICATION, AS IT IS. SURE. IS THAT HOW YOU SAY IT? SURE, SURE, SURE. YEAH. 
          HE HAS A VERY EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND GRADUATED, AND HE ATTACHED HIS RESUME TO THE SUBMITTAL. IT INCLUDED A DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN ENTOMOLOGY. HE'S GOTTEN, I GUESS, MULTIPLE DEGREES. HE'S ALSO GOTTEN GRANTS AWARDED AND DONE STUDIES ON THE IMPACT OF PESTICIDES ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ON THE PESTS, AND IS LOCAL TO US AS WELL. AND SO HE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR COMMUNITY. BUT IF YOU GET A CHANCE, YOU SHOULD 
          [02:10:01]
REVIEW HIS RESUME BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE SOMEBODY HAD TO MAKE IT UP BECAUSE IT WAS SO EXTENSIVE ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE AND THE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL WAS DISTINGUISHED. I. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? BUT JUST TO CLARIFY. SO WE RETURNED IN IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR. SO APRIL WILL BE 12 MONTHS. AND I REALIZE IT'S NOT THE GREATEST TIMING FOR WHEN YOU MAKE THIS DECISION. BUT IF YOU MAKE AN EXCEPTION, GREAT, I APPRECIATE IT. IF YOU NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION, THAT'S FULLY UNDERSTANDABLE. SO IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO WAIVE THAT, I WOULD ASK IF I DON'T THINK IT'S WAIVING IT AS MUCH AS WELL. THE CITY CODE SAYS THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY BOARDS SHALL BE A CONTINUOUS RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF FLORIDA FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE APPOINTMENT. SO WHAT I THINK COMMISSIONER COLLINS IS REQUESTING IS THAT THE CITY COMMISSION DECIDE TO DEVIATE OR WAIVE THE IMMEDIATE. 
          THE RESIDENT 12 MONTHS ON THE RESIDENCY BECAUSE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE HAS BEEN A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF STUART FOR MORE THAN 12 MONTHS. JUST ISN'T THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12 MONTHS TRUE? SO HE IS. I DON'T THINK THAT. I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE IMMEDIATE 12 MONTHS. IT WAS TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT WAS HERE, NOT SOMEONE WHO JUST MOVED HERE OR RENTED. YEAH. 
          SO I REMEMBER HAVING THAT DISCUSSION. I'M JUST CHIMING IN. SORRY FOR THAT. OH THAT'S FINE, I'M READING IT. AND MR. MARTEL WAS CORRECT. IT SAYS TO BE QUALIFIED, A PROSPECTIVE APPOINTEE SHALL HAVE SHALL BE OVER THE AGE OF 18 AND HAVE MAINTAINED A PERMANENT RESIDENCY WITHIN THE CITY OF STUART FOR AT LEAST 12 CONSECUTIVE MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE APPOINTMENT, OR BE A PROPERTY OWNERS OF REAL ESTATE WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC LIMITS OF THE CITY OF STUART. SO I GUESS, DO YOU OWN PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY? YEAH. HAVE YOU OWNED PROPERTY? FAMILY? YES, YES, YES WE DO AND I WOULD. SO THEN DOESN'T HE FULFILL THAT REQUIREMENT. SO. RIGHT. EXCUSE ME, MR. STUCKEY. AND IT DOESN'T THAT FULFILL THE REQUIREMENT THAT YOU OWN THE PROPERTY FOR AT LEAST 12 MONTHS AS WELL OR SO THE PROPERTY THAT WE LIVE IN THAT WE PURCHASE IS APRIL. DID YOU OWN OTHER PROPERTY IN STUART. NOW WE OWN AN ADDITIONAL PIECE BUT IT WAS A SHORTER IT'S MORE RECENT. SO IT DOESN'T HELP THE 12 MONTHS. SO IF WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO WAIVE THIS I WOULD I WOULD ASK THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO AMEND YOUR MOTION, I WOULD ASK IF WE COULD REPLACE THE OTHER CANDIDATE WITH MR. SHEARER, IF YOU WOULD BE OPEN TO AMENDING YOUR MOTION. FOR THE AT LARGE POSITION. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, COMMISSIONER, ON EVERY DEVELOPMENT ORDER, THE COMMISSION DEVIATES FROM THE CODE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE CITY. CORRECT. SO ESSENTIALLY, YOU'RE DEVIATING FROM THE CODE. YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT. IT'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT JUST MOVED HERE YESTERDAY. IT'S SOMEONE THAT'S GOT A LONG HISTORY FROM HERE. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK IT WOULD BE A CRIME TO LET HIM. NOT BE ON A ADVISORY BOARD. 
          I THINK COMMISSIONER FORD IS QUESTIONING HER MOTION. I DON'T THINK SHE THINKS SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE A MOTION. MOTION? IT'S FOR KRISTINA VOGEL TO BE THE AT LARGE I. OKAY, I WAS SAYING THAT KRISTINA WOULD BE A GOOD PERSON BEFORE MR. SHEARER CAME UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS SECONDED OR NOT. IT WAS SECONDED. IT WAS SECONDED BY SEAN. WOULD WOULD THE TWO OF YOU BE OPEN TO AMENDING YOUR YOUR MOTION? AND SECOND. KRISTINA. YEAH. SO COMMISSIONER READ WOULD BE OPEN OPEN TO AMENDING HIS SECOND, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO AMENDING YOUR MOTION, COMMISSIONER CLARK? OKAY. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE I'M WITHDRAWING MY MOTION. I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, IN THE SPIRIT OF HAVING SOMEONE SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE MR. SHEARER AS OUR AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVE. IN WHICH ONE? THIS CR A CRB, CRB, CRB. I SECOND IT. OKAY. ARE YOU RELATED TO SCOTT AND GREG BY CHANCE? THERE YOU GO. YEAH, YEAH. NICE. GOOD FAMILY. IT'S A ROLL CALL. 
          SO THAT'S ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION. MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU JUST RECENTLY HAD SOMEONE LEAVE ONE OF YOUR. YEAH. THE LPA SEAN FORBES. OH, OKAY. BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO SAY KRISTINA VOGEL IS REALLY GOOD, BUT HER HUSBAND IS NOW ON THE LPA, I BELIEVE. YEAH, YEAH. SO THAT WOULDN'T WORK. WELL. AND KRISTINA IS SPECIFICALLY WANTED THIS POSITION. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE GOING AGAINST THE CODE. AND I'M CERTAINLY NOT COMFORTABLE FOR SOMEONE WHO I'VE NOT MET WITH. OKAY, SO, MR. SHEARER, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MEET WITH YOU AND BEEN UNABLE, BUT ABSENT THAT, ME SPEAKING TO YOU ONE ON ONE, I'M 
          [02:15:03]
JUST I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN ABDICATION OF MY RESPONSIBILITY TO VOTE FOR YOU IN THIS INSTANCE. SO THIS IS THIS A ROLL CALL? NOT YET. NO. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS, WE WILL NOW TAKE A ROLL CALL. COMMISSIONER REED, I HAVE TO. COMMISSIONER, DID YOU HAVE A COMMENT? COMMISSIONER CLARK? I'LL TURN IT OFF FOR YOU. OKAY. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. MADAM CLERK, FOR CLARIFICATION, THIS IS FOR MR. SHEARER AND KRISTINA, NOT KRISTINA. NO, KRISTINA, NOT CHRISTINA. NO. CHRISTINA FOR CLAY. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          PUBLIC COMMENT. YEAH. GIVE ME THE HISTORY. THANK YOU. ELLEN MCBRIDE FROM THE CITY OF STEWART. I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE THAT DRAFTED THE RULES AND REGULATIONS, BUT I'M JUST HAPPY THAT HE WENT THROUGH SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, JUST LIKE MY TWO CHILDREN AND ALL OF OUR CHILDREN WENT THROUGH. AND BECAUSE OF JOB OPPORTUNITIES, THEY MOVED AWAY. BUT NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK AND WE SHOULD WELCOME THEM WITH OPEN ARMS. THEY MADE THEY WERE HERE LIKE WHEN I WAS HERE. WHEN WHAT THE CITY WAS DOING. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU REALIZE, WELCOME BACK. 
          BUT THESE ARE OUR KIDS AND THEY KNOW THE CITY. LIKE I HAD A GUEST AT THE HOUSE AND SHE SAID WHERE SHE WORKED. AND I SAID, OH, THE STORE, OH, THE ARCADE. OH, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? AND IT'S JUST THANK YOU ALL FOR VOTING FOR ONE OF OUR OWN. THANK YOU. TOOK CARE OF. ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING THIS ITEM. I THINK WE CAN TAKE A ROLL CALL NOW, COMMISSIONER REED. 
          YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, MAYOR. RICH. NO. VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. 
          GOBI. YES. CONGRATULATIONS, MR. SCHEER. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT AND BEING PRESENT. SO, WHERE ARE WE? DO WE NEED TO VOTE ON CHRISTINA AS WELL? HAVE WE VOTED NO? IS THERE ANOTHER SEAT? THE ONLY ONE IS THE EAST STEWART. I THOUGHT THERE WERE TWO AT LARGE VACANCIES. NO MARK STILL ON THE. OH, OKAY. OKAY. NEXT AGENDA ITEM. WE JUST HAVE ONE IN EAST STEWART. BUT WE'RE NOT. WE DON'T HAVE. I GAVE MARY SEVERAL PEOPLE AND I PROBABLY NEED THERE'S NOBODY NEEDS TO CALL. THERE'S NO OTHER NAMES ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. RIGHT. RIGHT. 
          RIGHT. YEAH. JUST THERE'S A VACANT SPOT THOUGH IN THE EAST STEWART AREA. YES THERE IS. 
          THAT'S MY VACANCY. YEAH. SO I GAVE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO BRING THAT UP AGAIN TO. YEAH. TO PUT SOMEBODY IN WHEN IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY, ONCE THEY'VE APPOINTED SOMEBODY THE BOARD THE STAFF WILL PUT IT BACK FOR THE COMMISSION TO. YES. YES, I WAS WORKING ON THE LPA FIRST SO AND NO ONE CAME, NO ONE SPOKE TO ME REGARDING WANTING TO BE ON THE EAST. STEWART. SO OKAY, I'LL MAKE SURE MARY GAVE ME THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE CONTACTED ME. YOUR APPOINTMENT IS ON THE APPOINTMENT. ROY D GAINES IS YOUR APPOINTMENT. IT'S ALREADY BEEN RATIFIED, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, BUT I'M SAYING THAT RECOMMEND. HE WANTS RECOMMENDATIONS, SO HE HAS TO PHONE SOME PEOPLE AND GET SOMEONE. THE VACANT POSITION IS TO BE FILLED BY MARK BRECHBILL. HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A VACANT POSITION LEFT REMAINING. OKAY, SO MARK IS THE APPOINTER. OKAY, SO THEN SEND MARK SOME POTENTIAL. OKAY. THAT ALSO IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT THE NEXT CRB MEETING, BECAUSE THE CRB HAS TO VOTE TO DETERMINE WHO THEIR CRA REPRESENTATIVES ARE. AS SOON AS THAT HAPPENS, THEN THEY CAN DO IT. I SPOKE TO MR. BRECHBILL ABOUT IT, AND HE SAID HE WANTED TO WAIT BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THE APPOINTMENT AND THEN HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE, OKAY. THE PERSON SENSIBLE. OKAY. MOVING 
          [13. ESTABLISH AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY SCREENING COMMITTEE (RC): RESOLUTION No. 08-2025; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY SCREENING COMMITTEE; PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
ON. MR. BAGGETT, WOULD YOU READ ITEM 13 FOR CONSIDERATION, PLEASE? RESOLUTION NUMBER ZERO EIGHT DASH 2025, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY SCREENING COMMITTEE PROVIDED AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. I PUT THIS AGENDA ITEM TOGETHER AT THE LAST COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON DECEMBER 9TH. YOU THE BOARD, APPROVED THE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT WAS DRAFTED FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER POSITION. AND ALSO YOU INSTRUCTED THE STAFF TO INITIATE THE PROCESS OF ADVERTISING AND PUBLICIZING THE OPENING. AND THE HR DEPARTMENT WENT FORWARD WITH THAT. IT'S 
          [02:20:06]
BEEN ADVERTISED. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL APPLICANTS ALREADY APPLY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OUR HR DIRECTOR IS HERE AND CAN ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS. BUT PURPOSE OF TONIGHT IS TO ESTABLISH THE SCREENING COMMITTEE. THE SCREENING COMMITTEE WAS SET UP WHEN YOU WHEN THE CITY HIRED ME. SO WE FOLLOWED KIND OF THE SAME PROCEDURE. AND IN THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION, WE HAVE A SCREENING COMMITTEE THAT WILL CONSIST OF SIX MEMBERS. IT WILL INCLUDE MYSELF, THE HR DIRECTOR, ONE CITY COMMISSIONER, ONE OUR CITY PARALEGAL, AND TWO ADDITIONAL MEMBERS THAT THE CITY COMMISSION WANTS TO APPOINT FROM THE PUBLIC. LIKE I SAID, WE KIND OF PATTERNED THAT AFTER COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN PRIOR AGENDA ITEMS ON THIS ISSUE AND HOW WE DID IT. WHEN YOU GUYS HIRED MYSELF, OBVIOUSLY IT'S UP TO THE BOARD. IF YOU WANT A DIFFERENT NUMBER OF MEMBERS ON THE ON THIS COMMITTEE, OR YOU WANT DIFFERENT PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE, THAT THAT'S UP TO YOU, BUT THAT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION AND VOTE TONIGHT. 
          OKAY. COMMISSIONER CLARK. DO WE HAVE ANY DO WE HAVE A MOTION? COMMISSIONER CLARK WAS FIRST COMMISSIONER CLARK OKAY. AND I DON'T HAVE IT'S ON THE AGENDA, SO I JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS IT. 
          SO WE'RE DOING THE ESTABLISHING THE SCREENING COMMITTEE AND HOW THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE DONE. MY ISSUE IS KIND OF AND I DON'T WANT TO SEEM LIKE A DEBBIE DOWNER, BUT I'M JUST WANTING TO GO BACK. I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A MOTION. PLEASE FIRST COMMISSIONER ONE. SO, MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE WELL BECAUSE WELL OKAY. BECAUSE MY DISCUSSION MIGHT CHANGE THINGS I DON'T KNO. 
          DO YOU WANT TO MAYOR I WOULD LIKE MAYOR. I WOULD MOVE THAT WE FORM THE COMMITTEE AND COMPRISE IT OF RYAN BECAUSE SHE IS THE MVP OF THE LAST ONE. LEE. MACK, ED KILLER MYSELF AND THEN ROSS FROM H.R. THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COLLINS AND A SECOND BY VICE MAYOR COLLINS, AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER JOB. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? I DO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. MARIBEL NICHOLSON CHOICE. OKAY. HELLO, MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR. COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS MARIBEL NICHOLSON CHOICE, AND I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER WITH GREENBERG TRAURIG LAW FIRM. I'M A FORMER CHAIR OF THE FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL AND LAND USE LAW SECTION. I RECEIVED THE EMAIL THAT SAID THAT THE CITY OF STUART WAS SEEKING TO HIRE ENVIRONMENTAL COUNSEL AS IN-HOUSE COUNSEL, AND I'M ONE OF THE ATTORNEYS THAT HAD REACHED OUT TO YOUR CITY ATTORNEY THAT YOUR CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, THAT WANTED TO ASK WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAD CONSIDERED CONTRACTING OUTSIDE SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR THIS, FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES OR FOR PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES. SO I'M HERE TO JUST BRING THAT OPTION UP TO THE FOREFRONT AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU DO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH MY FIRM, GREENBERG TRAURIG LAW FIRM. WE HAVE REPRESENTED YOU ON LAND USE MATTERS AS ON A SPECIAL OUTSIDE CONTRACT BASIS, ON BOND MATTERS AND THE UTILITIES. I ALSO SERVED AS VICE CHAIR OF THE FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION COMMISSION, WHICH IS THE RULEMAKING ARM OF FDP. I'VE BEEN IN PRACTICE FOR 30 YEARS, AND MOST OF THAT TIME HAS BEEN WITH GREENBERG TRAURIG LAW FIRM. I'M IN THE TALLAHASSEE OFFICE AND WE HAVE AN OFFICE IN WEST PALM BEACH AND MIAMI AND EVERY CITY IN, IN THE STATE. AND I KNOW ONE OF THE PRESSING ISSUES IS THE DISCHARGES INTO LAKE OKEECHOBEE. I WAS INVOLVED IN ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR THE EVERGLADES WHEN I WAS ON WHEN I VICE CHAIR THE DRC. SO I JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF THE OPTION OF HIRING OUTSIDE COUNSEL, AND THAT WE'RE HERE AND I'M HERE AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY IN THE EVENT THAT YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE THE OUTSIDE COUNSEL PROCESS OR TO SOMEHOW COMPLEMENT THAT WITH YOUR IN-HOUSE COUNSEL. BECAUSE I SERVED AS IN-HOUSE COUNSEL FOR AS AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, AND I HANDLED THE ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS THAT WE DID IN TALLAHASSEE, WE CLEANED UP A LANDFILL AND REDEVELOPED IT TO CASCADES PARK, WHICH IS OUR SIGNATURE PARK. SO I ALSO SERVED ON ON THE FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMISSION, AND I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT AND PROTECTING WATER BODIES THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY ON SO MANY LEVELS, FROM FISHING TO RECREATION. SO I JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE THAT PRIVATE SECTOR IS HERE, AND GREENBERG TRAURIG IS VERY INTERESTED. AND IN THE EVENT THAT YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE THAT AS AN OPTION OUTSIDE COUNSEL, THAT YOU HAVE INTEREST AND EXCITEMENT ON ON FROM OUR FIRM. WELL, IF YOU'VE CONSIDERED THE OPTION, WE HAVE A POSITION 
          [02:25:02]
THAT'S OPEN FOR IN-HOUSE. YOU SOUND WELL QUALIFIED. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO TALLAHASSEE. I APPRECIATE THAT TOO, BUT I DO REPRESENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON A PRIVATE SECTOR BASIS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF REPRESENTING Y'ALL. AND I JUST DID NOT WANT Y'ALL TO OVERLOOK THAT OPTION OR TO ASSUME THAT THAT WASN'T AN OPTION. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IT'S REAL. WE'RE AVAILABLE. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT OF BEING ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH THIS ISSUE AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, AND IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU USE TO COMPLEMENT YOUR IN-HOUSE COUNSEL. FLORIDA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW IS VERY SPECIALIZED, AND THERE'S A HANDFUL OF US. THAT'S WHY A HANDFUL OF US GOT THE EMAIL FROM THE FLORIDA BAR, AND THERE'S AN EVEN SMALLER HANDFUL OF US THAT SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE FLORIDA BAR'S ENVIRONMENTAL LAW SECTION. SO YOU'RE TAPPING INTO A VERY SPECIALIZED AREA OF LAW, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WATER QUALITY. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PARAMETERS ON THE ISSUE THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH RELATED TO THE DISCHARGES INTO THE SAINT LUCIE RIVER ESTUARY. AND I'M JUST HERE TO HELP. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. I HAVE STEVE CONTACT GUERRERO. OKAY. SORRY IF I, YOUR HONOR. COMMISSIONER STAFF. SO MIRIAM HAS FORGOTTEN MORE THAN I'LL EVER KNOW ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. AND SO I'M HERE RISING TO THE SAME PURPOSE, WHICH IS TO HAVE YOU CONSIDER. 
          AND IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE YOU YOU COULD DO IT. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT A RESOLUTION WHERE YOU PUT A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO SELECT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY, WHETHER OR NOT THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY STAYS IN-HOUSE OR WHETHER THAT GOES THROUGH SOME SORT OF QUALIFICATIONS PROCESS, AND YOU CHOOSE A FIRM, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A GOOD RESULT. IN PARTICULAR, WHEN IT COMES TO LITIGATION, I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT AN OUTSIDE ATTORNEY CAN DO THAT WILL RELIEVE THE BURDEN THAT THE STAFF ATTORNEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO. IN OTHER WORDS, THE STAFF ATTORNEY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE SUNSHINE FOR A LOT OF IT AND ANYTHING PRECEDING THE LITIGATION. AND THEN DURING THE LITIGATION, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO CAN SHAKE AND BAKE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RETRIEVING THE BEST INFORMATION FROM THE STAFF AND SETTING YOU UP AS PROBABLY INEVITABLY, FACT WITNESSES IN WHATEVER ENVIRONMENTAL LITIGATION YOU GET DRAWN INTO. AND SO THAT WAS REALLY THE POINT. YOU MAY HAVE A MEMO, IT SAYS MORE THAN YOU NEED TO KNOW. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, AS LONG AS YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE OUT HERE. AND SO JOHN ROMERO IS MY BOSS AND MENTOR. YES, SIR. RIGHT. SO THE PERSON WHO SHOULD BE HERE IS JOHN ROMERO. HE WAS GENERAL COUNSEL AT THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT FOR A BUNCH OF YEARS. SUSAN MARTIN IS HIS PARTNER. SHE IS ALSO FORMER LITIGATION CHIEF AT THE WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. AND I JUST DO WHAT THEY SAY. SO I HAVE SOME GOVERNMENT CLIENTS, CITY OF OKEECHOBEE, YOU KNOW, PORT OF PALM BEACH. SO I DO GENERAL GENERAL GOVERNMENTAL REPRESENTATION. SO I WOULD BE PART OF THAT TEAM AS WELL. BUT YOU'LL HEAR A BUNCH OF PITCHES JUST LIKE THESE AND PROBABLY BE BETTER IF YOU GO THE EXTRA STEP AND CONSIDER OUTSIDE COUNSEL. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT. I HAVE NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND DISCUSSION AT THE BOARD. 
          COMMISSIONER. CLERK OKAY, SO THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY QUESTION WHEN COMMISSIONER REED MADE THE MOTION THAT I WANTED TO MAKE. BUT IT'S I WAS I WANTED TO REALLY CONSIDER IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE'VE PUT IT OUT FOR ONE ATTORNEY TO BE IN-HOUSE COUNSEL. AND I DO AGREE WITH THESE TEAMS BECAUSE IT'S SO COMPLEX AND ONE PERSON DOESN'T HAVE ALL THAT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE. 
          AND IT'S GOOD WHEN YOU HAVE AN OUTSIDE FIRM THAT THAT HAS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT STILL CHARGING THE SAME OR LESS MONEY BECAUSE THEY'RE ON SOME TYPE OF CONTRACT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT EXPERTISE AS WELL AS THEIR PREVIOUS HISTORY. I THINK WE HAD SOMEBODY HERE WHO CAME IN THE VERY BEGINNING, AND THEY WERE EITHER STILL IN LAW OR JUST FINISHED LAW SCHOOL. BUT I DO KNOW THAT WHATEVER COMMITTEE WE AGREE WITH, THEY'LL LOOK AT ALL THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAD PUT IN THE APPLICATION AS WELL AS OUR STANDARDS. I THINK ROSS IS HERE, AND ROSS KNOWS WELL HOW WHEN WE LOOK AT VERY COMPLEX, PROFESSIONAL SELECTION, HOW THAT WORKS. SO I JUST REALLY WANTED US TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH WITH JUST ONE PERSON IN-HOUSE OR MAYBE RE-ADVERTISE IN AND REQUESTING THAT WE, WE CAN GET FIRMS SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE A FIRM TAKE YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS. AND I DO KNOW THAT MR. STUCKEY REALLY WANTS TO HAVE SOME PERSON THAT IS HERE THAT WE CAN TALK TO EVERY DAY, AND THAT WE CAN SEE, 
          [02:30:01]
BUT I THINK THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE STILL NEED TO I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREAM HERE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP, NO PUN INTENDED. YEAH. MURKY WATERS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD REGARDING THIS? SO HOW MANY COULD YOU JUST CLARIFY? VICE MAYOR COLLINS HOW MANY PEOPLE WAS HE SUGGESTING BEYOND THEIR SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN'T HAVE AN EVEN NUMBER. AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD LAST TIME. WELL, WHERE DID THAT RULE COME OUT? THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RULE, I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE THE I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR MR. KILLER TO BE ON THERE. HE DOESN'T LIVE IN THE CITY. HE'S THERE'S PLENTY OF ADVOCATES FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR WATER. AND, YOU KNOW, I'D MUCH RATHER SEE SOMEONE WHO HAS MORE EXPERIENCE ON A STATEWIDE LEVEL. 
          GIL SMART OR EVE SAMPLES OR MARK PERRY. MARK PERRY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ADD IF YOU'RE GOING TO ADD. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY, I WOULD BE OPEN TO AMENDING THE MOTION TO ALSO INCLUDE MARK PERRY IF HE WAS INTERESTED. AND WE HAVE AN ODD NUMBER. AND THEN WE HAVE AN ODD NUMBER, AN ODD NUMBER. I ONLY HEAR ABOUT MISS JOHNSON AND MR. COMMISSIONER. VICE MAYOR. I JUST HAVE THOSE TWO AND ED KILLER WHO ARE THE OTHER PEOPLE. SO RYAN LEE, MAC ED WHO'S RYAN THE PARALEGAL PARALEGAL IN OUR OFFICE. OH, RYAN. OKAY. SHE WAS INVOLVED LAST TIME. OKAY. PROBABLY WAS THE MVP. THE MOST IMPORTANT OF EVERYBODY. SO RYAN LEE, MAC ED, MYSELF, ROSS AND MARK PERRY, THAT WOULD BE OUR SEVEN. NOW, IF HE'S INTERESTED. MARK PERRY WELL, I'M. YEAH, I HAVEN'T HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM RECENTLY ABOUT IT. JUST ONE I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST GOING TO I DIDN'T REALIZE MR. KILLER WAS GOING TO BE ADDED SO I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH. I THINK WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ONE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THERE. WHAT ABOUT EVE SAMPLES INSTEAD OF ED? WELL, THE MAYOR JUST ASKED FOR AN ODD NUMBER. YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD INSTEAD OF ED I SAID INSTEAD OF NOT. BUT THAT WOULD BE I WOULD BE OPEN TO HAVING MARK ON THERE, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO SWAP ED OUT FOR SOMEBODY ELSE. RIGHT NOW I HAVE SEVEN. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE SEVEN. ED DOES NOT LIVE IN THE CITY. MARK JUST HAS. HE'S HAD A HISTORY WITH US, BUT THAT'S OKAY. 123456. HIS ORIGINAL FAMILY. BUT HE'S A STUD. 123456. YEAH. AND HIS FAMILY HAS ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CITY. ONE. TWO THREE. FOUR. FIVE. SIX. SEVEN. SO WE'LL MAKE NINE THEN BECAUSE WE HAVE LIKE THREE. THAT'S THAT'S TOO BIG. WE HAVE, WE HAVE I KNOW I KNOW WE HAVE THREE STAFF PEOPLE, THREE STAFF PEOPLE. SO IT'S FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE CITY AND THEN THREE PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE. I THOUGHT WHEN WE HIRED MR. BAGGETT THERE WERE FIVE. IT WAS IT WAS PAUL MICHELETTI ACTING AS THE CITY ATTORNEY WAS RYAN WAS THE HR DIRECTOR. IT WAS SCOTT KONOPKA, RIGHT. AND THE MAYOR, RIGHT. IT WAS FIVE, RIGHT? I HAVE FIVE. WELL, I MEAN, THE MOTION'S IN PLACE. SO DID WE HAVE A DID WE HAVE A LET'S GET IT ON RIGHT NOW. IT'S ONLY IT'S SIX INCLUDING MR. KILLER. SO VICE MAYOR COLLINS IS WILLING INDICATING HE'S WILLING TO AMEND IT. SO WE WANT TO PROCEED WITH THAT. AND THEN YEAH, I WOULD BE WILLING TO AMEND IT TO HAVE SEVEN. AND SO WE WOULD BE ADDING MARK PERRY ON IF HE'S INTERESTED. AND I'M NOT 100% SURE IF HE IS OR NOT OR AVAILABLE, BUT I'LL SECOND THE MOTION OKAY. OKAY. SO AGAIN FOR CLARIFICATION, WE HAVE RYAN LEE, MAC, ED KILLER, MYSELF ROSS AND MARK PERRY IF HE'S AVAILABLE. OKAY. AND THEN I WOULD ONLY ASK THAT WE ONLY YOU ONLY CONSIDER THOSE ATTORNEYS WHO HAVE PASSED THE BAR. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN MAKING THE TAXPAYERS OF THE CITY OF STUART PAY FOR SOMEONE TO STUDY FOR THE BAR EXAM. THERE'S PLENTY OF EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS OUT THERE. WHAT IF JUST JUST A HYPOTHETICAL WHERE IT IS? IF YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCED LAWYER THAT'S LIKE OUT OF STATE, THAT HAS TO PASS FLORIDA, I'M WITH YOU. IF YOU HAVE A NEW, FRESH NEWBIE OUT OF SCHOOL. RIGHT? BUT WHAT IF YOU HAD A STUD LAWYER FROM NEW YORK OR SOMEWHERE THAT WANTS TO MOVE HERE? OKAY, THEN WE JUST HAVE A RFP THAT WENT OUT THAT SAYS FLORIDA FLORIDA ATTORNEY, I MEAN, GOT IT. OKAY, OKAY. THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY REQUEST FOR THOSE OF YOU ON THE. HEARD. OKAY. AND I THINK I APPRECIATE THESE INDIVIDUALS 
          [02:35:04]
COMING. AND, YOU KNOW, I SUGGESTED OUTSIDE COUNSEL INITIALLY AND THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY INTEREST IN THAT FROM THE COMMISSION. SO THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH A FULL TIME ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER. I'M SURE WE'LL BE WORKING TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE. AT SOME POINT. THIS IS AN INTERESTING PIECE YOU PROVIDED US. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T KNOW YOUR NAME, BUT IT'S IT SAYS THAT WE OUR GREATEST PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD ON AN AIR QUALITY ISSUE AND NOT A WATER. IT'S INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, LET'S. 
          YOU KNOW, LET'S LET'S HOPE WE DON'T FIND THAT THE GREATEST SOURCE OF POLLUTION IS, IN FACT, IN THE MANATEE POCKET, AND THAT WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE COUNTY IN MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BEING VERY NICE TO EACH OTHER AT THIS POINT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING THIS ITEM? YES. OKAY. COMMISSIONER LIGHT ON. MR. I'M SORRY. I'M OKAY. THERE IT IS. SO JUST SO THAT WE ARE NOT HERE AGAIN, OR WE PROBABLY COULD BE HERE AGAIN IF MR. PERRY IS NOT AVAILABLE TO DO THIS, CAN WE JUST MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT BROADER AND SAY, AT LEAST HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE RIVERS COALITION AND THEN WE CAN BRING THAT NAME JUST IN CASE WE NEED AN ALTERNATIVE? MR. PERRY IS NOT AVAILABLE. LET'S GET SOMEBODY FROM JUST THE RIVERS COALITION. 
          LET'S LIMIT IT TO SOMEONE FROM THE RIVERS COALITION. WHEN YOU SAY THAT, DO YOU MEAN THE BOARD? BECAUSE EDS ED IS A MEMBER OF THE RIVERS COALITION. YEAH. DARRELL OR SOMEBODY ELSE? YES. 
          SOMEBODY FROM THE BOARD. FROM THE RIVERS COALITION, I DON'T THINK I, I WOULDN'T LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS. YEAH. WE NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU. OKAY? OKAY. IF HE DOESN'T WANT. OKAY, THEN. ALL RIGHT. TWO OPEN ENDED. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. OKAY. SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. ROLL CAL, PLEASE, MADAM CLERK. COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, COMMISSIONER. DOBEY. YES, MAYOR. 
          RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES. VICE MAYOR. COLLINS. YES, MR. BAGGETT, DO YOU READ THE NEXT ITEM FOR OUR CONSIDERATION, PLEASE? YES. THE MUSIC. MR. MAYOR. YES. TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK. OH, I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT. THANK YOU. WE WILL ALL RIGHT, LET'S RECONVENE THIS MEETING FOR THE LAST ITEM. MR. BAGGETT, PLEASE. WE HAVE ACTUALLY ONE MORE THING. YEAH. 
          OKAY. WELL, WE ARE SORRY. 14 RIGHT NOW. WAIT, DO WE HAVE ONE MORE THING WITH REGARD TO 13? YES. YEAH. BRING IT UP NOW. OKAY. LET'S WAIT TILL WE'RE ON RECORD HERE AND GOING EXTENDING IT, EXTENDING IT. EXTEND. GO AHEAD. READY TO GO. WE ARE SO, MR. MAYOR, WE DO NEED TO EXTEND THE AD THAT'S UP CURRENTLY. I BELIEVE FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AT THE DECEMBER 9TH MEETIN, WHEN YOU ADOPTED THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE. ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY, YOU ALSO GAVE DIRECTION TO THE HR DEPARTMENT TO ADVERTISE IN THE DIFFERENT PLACES AND TO RUN IT UNTIL, I BELIEVE, JANUARY 17TH. OBVIOUSLY, THAT DATE IS FOUR DAYS FROM NOW, AND BECAUSE OF THE HOLIDAYS, THE NUMBER OF RESPONSES THAT THE CITY RECEIVED, I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT A SINGLE RESPONSE. SO I'M NOT COMMENTING ON THE QUALIFICATIONS OF ANYBODY, BUT IT WAS LESS THAN THAN WE HAD EXPECTED TO RECEIVE BY THIS, THIS TIME. AND I THINK THERE'S MORE PEOPLE ON THE COMMITTEE, SO WE PROBABLY NEED ENOUGH. HOW MANY DAYS WAS THAT COMMITTEE? HOW MANY DAYS WAS THAT ADVERTISED FOR? JUST AFTER DECEMBER 9TH. SO IT WAS LIKE DECEMBER 12TH PROBABLY IT WENT UP UNTIL JANUARY 17TH. SO JUST THE ONE MONTH. SO THEN LET'S I WOULD I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND IT FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS, ANOTHER MONTH. OKAY. AND THEN WE NEED TO WE CAN ALWAYS EXTEND IT. AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A SOME SOME FLURRY OF EMAILS RIGHT NOW. RIGHT. IT'S STILL UP BUT IT'S GOING TO IT WOULD EXPIRE OTHERWISE ON THE 17TH. SO I'LL ASK THE HR DIRECTOR TOMORROW BASED UPON THE MOTION, IF THE COMMISSION EXTENDS IT TO CHANGE THE DEADLINE TO WHATEVER DATE THE COMMISSION EXTENDS IT TO. THERE WAS ALSO SOME DISCUSSION AS IT RELATES TO WHERE IT WAS BEING ADVERTISED. I BELIEVE THAT THE HR DIRECTOR HAS ACTUALLY DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF MEETING THE CRITERIA OF WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY ADVERTISE POSITIONS, AS WELL AS SENDING IT TO THE FLORIDA BAR AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE. I KNOW THERE WAS AN EMAIL FROM MR. 
          [02:40:02]
STUCKEY ABOUT TAKING OUT AN AD IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. I JUST DON'T THINK A DAY OR TWO AD IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL IS GOING TO HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE, OR ANYBODY'S EVEN GOING TO SEE IT. HIS OTHER RECOMMENDATION, THOUGH, FOR THAT. SO I'M BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE I WANT SOME DIRECTION FROM THE FROM YOU GUYS. IF YOU THINK THERE'S MORE ADVERTISING OR WHAT WAS THAT OTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT HE MADE, THOUGH, WITH REGARD TO. WELL, THE FEMALE ATTORNEY THAT SPOKE SAID THAT SHE RECEIVED I MEAN, EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IS AWARE GOT A GOT A DIRECT EMAIL. PERFECT. OKAY. SO THEY I MEAN THEY'RE USED TO GOING ON THESE. SO THEY THEY WERE CONTACTED. IT'S JUST THE TRUTH OF IT IS, IS THE LIKE, YOU KNOW I WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER COLLINS ABOUT IT EARLIER OR LATE LAST WEEK. THE LAWYER THAT REPRESENTED THE CITY IN THE PFOA CASE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER. BUT THE PFOA CASE WAS HIS THIRD CASE. 
          THAT WAS MORE THAN $1 BILLION. SO WHEN YOU GET IN THE LEVEL OF SOME OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS, YOU KNOW, HE DID THE EXXON VALDEZ CASE, HE DID THE WHAT WAS THE MISSISSIPPI OIL PLATFORM, THE GULF OF MEXICO CASE. AND SO DEEPWATER. YEAH. SO WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE AT THAT LEVEL, THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, TAKING AN IN-HOUSE JOB AT LESS THAN $1 MILLION A YEAR, SALARY IS JUST THEY'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO RESPOND TO IT. SO THERE ARE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ARE THERE THAT JUST ARE, NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, ARE NOT GOING TO RESPOND, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS A PLAINTIFF'S BAR TYPE OF THING. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T FOLKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OR PEOPLE THAT WILL RESPOND. BUT I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT IS GETTING THE WORD OUT. 
          OKAY. COMMISSIONER SELBY, YES, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY MANAGER. AND WE HAVE, WHAT, TWO ATTORNEYS ON THIS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT DOES THE FLORIDA BAR HAVE A SECTION? YEAH, THAT'S WE SENT IT. OH, YOU DID SEND IT TO THEM OKAY. THERE'S SECTION AND WE ACTUALLY SENT AN INDIVIDUAL EMAIL TO EVERY SINGLE ATTORNEY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SECTION OF THE FLORIDA BAR. NICE JOB. AND THAT'S WHERE THE TWO ATTORNEYS THAT CAME RESPONDED TO GETTING THAT EMAIL RIGHT. THERE'S ALSO I CAN'T REMEMBER MARTINDALE OR SOMETHING. THERE'S A MARTINDALE-HUBBELL. YEAH. 
          MARTINDALE-HUBBELL DO THEY HAVE A SERVICE RATING SERVICE OR RANKING SERVICE? THEY, THEY I DON'T KNOW IF THEY EVEN DO ADVERTISING FOR JOBS, BUT WE COULD LOOK INTO THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL RANKING SERVICE. I'VE NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT IT. 
          RIGHT. AND I KNOW FOR CORPORATE THERE'S HEADHUNTERS. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THE SAME ENTITY WE DO LIKE WE DO LIKE MONSTER.COM AND WE'VE DONE THE OTHER. THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER SITES LIKE THAT THAT WE ACTUALLY DO THE ADVERTISE AND POSTED ON. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WERE HEADHUNTERS WHO SPECIFIED IN ATTORNEYS WITHIN SPECIFIC FIELDS. I MEAN, YOU GUYS COULD GO OUT AND HIRE ONE IF THAT WAS THE DIRECTION AT THIS POINT, YOU HAD JUST TOLD US TO ADVERTISE AND POST IT, BUT WE COULD GO IN THE DIRECTION OF A HEADHUNTER. WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE FOR CITY MANAGERS IN THE PAST. YEAH. MR. BASINGER YEAH, YEAH. COLIN. OKAY. WE NEED MR. MAYOR AND A SECOND, MR. MAYOR, REAL QUICK, I THE WORD WAS OUT. I MEAN, WE HAD TWO EXTERNAL LAWYERS OFFERING THEIR SERVICES, AND OUTSIDE I HAD A THIRD LAW FIRM OR A FEMALE LAWYER. I DON'T JUST SOLE PRACTITIONER OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL. SHE ALSO EXPRESSED INTEREST IN BEING OUTSIDE COUNSEL. SO THE PEOPLE IN THE FIELD ARE GETTING THE ADVERTISEMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO ME UNSOLICITED. SO. SO I THINK WE'VE HAD THREE LAW FIRMS I WOULD ANTICIPATE THE REALITY IS THAT THIS OUR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY IS GOING TO FEEL THERE IS A NEED FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL. WELL, I ALSO THINK THAT WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO END UP GOING DOWN THAT ROAD ANYWAY. I THINK PART OF IT IS AT LEAST THE BRIEF CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD IS THAT WE'VE WE HAVEN'T REALLY TOLD ANYBODY WHAT THE JOB IS GOING TO BE. SO I THINK PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE GUN SHY TO QUIT THE JOB THEY'RE AT AND MOVE TO FLORIDA WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING. YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION. AND IT'S HARD TO CREATE THAT EXPECTATION OR TO KNOW IT. AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE I SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE RESPONDING TO THIS DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMISSION IS EXPECTING THEM TO FILE A DECLARATORY ACTION WITHIN 30 DAYS OF GETTING HERE, OR IF THEY'RE BEING TOLD NOT TO FILE SUIT AT ALL, OR IF IT'S MORE OF A LAND USE POSITION, OR WHETHER IT'S A REGULATORY OR AN AGENCY POSITION. SO IT MAY BE. 
          AND WHAT I RECOMMEND AT THIS TIME IS THAT WE JUST LET THE COMMITTEE MEET CORRECT EXTENDED FOR THE 30 DAYS OR SO THAT THAT YOU'RE EXTENDING IT FOR. AND THEN IF THE COMMITTEE COMES BACK AND SAYS, LOOK, AFTER MEETING AND HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION OR THAT DIRECTION, THEN THE BOARD CAN RECEIVE THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, DO AN AUDIBLE AS THEY SAY, OR RESPOND ACCORDINGLY AND ADDRESS IT AS WE GO. BUT THAT'S A GOOD POINT, MR. MARTEL, 
          [02:45:08]
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD IN THIS, THEY'RE SEEING HUGE OBSTACLES TO EVEN BRINGING THESE SUITS. AND THE REALITY IS, IF THE CITY SUES AND THE STATE AND WE LOSE, WE'RE LIABLE FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE DEFENDANTS COSTS. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING JUST AMOUNTS OF MONEY CAN BE STAGGERING. AND I'M SURE PEOPLE ASSESS THAT AS CAN BECOME QUITE AN IMPEDIMENT TO THE CITY. SO YEAH, IT'S A DIFFICULT SET OF INTERVIEWS TO BE HAVING BECAUSE OF LACK OF SPECIFICITY, SPECIFICITY, SPECIFICITY. THERE'S ALSO SOME, YOU KNOW, AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT, THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT IF LOATHSOME STARTS TO WORK, WILL THEIR JOB GO AWAY. RIGHT. THAT'S TRUE. THOSE ARE ALL VALID CONCERNS. COMMISSIONER JOB. WELL, WE SAY THAT WE DON'T GIVE DIRECTION, BUT EVERY TIME WE TALK OR ANY EMAIL THAT GOES OUT KEEPS TALKING ABOUT LITIGATION AND GOING TO COURT, AND THAT REALLY ISN'T THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY. SO ARE WE MAKING THEM BELIEVE THAT THE MINUTE THEY GET HERE, WE'RE GOING TO BE FILING A SUIT? THEN I THINK THAT ON THE DAIS, WE NEED TO NOT REALLY DISCUSS THE FACT THAT IT WILL IT WILL GO TO A LAWSUIT. IT WILL WIND UP IN A LAWSUIT. WE'LL WIND UP NOT WINNING. I MEAN, THESE ARE ALL NEGATIVE THINGS. WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO THIS CITY AND HELP US FIGHT THIS, THIS GOOD FIGHT FOR A CLEAN RIVER. AND WE'RE GIVING OUT, I THINK, ALL NEGATIVE VIBES. I THINK WE NEED TO BE ALL MORE POSITIVE ABOUT THIS. AND MAYBE WE WOULD GET BETTER APPLICANTS. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I MADE A MOTION TO EXTEND FOR A SECOND I DID SECOND IT. SORRY. SECOND THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER DISCUSSION. ROLL CALL PLEASE, MADAM CLERK. I DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. I'M SORRY. 
          DEB FRAZIER. IS THAT ON NUMBER 14 OR NUMBER 13 SPECIFICALLY? WE'RE NOT ON 14 YET. OH, I AM SO SORRY. THAT IS WHAT I THOUGHT. I'M SO SORRY. THIS IS 13. ALMOST THERE BY MISTAKE. WE'RE ALMOST THERE. THANK YOU, I APOLOGIZE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, GUYS. I'M SORRY. I'LL CALL THE ROLL. COMMISSIONER. CLARK? YES, COMMISSIONER. READ. YES, MAYOR. RICH. YES, COMMISSIONER. GOBI. 
          YES, VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES. 14. NOW, MR. BAGGOTT, ITEM 14 FOR CONSIDERATION. RESOLUTION 
          [14. ADDITION OF EXCEPTION TO ZONING IN PROGRESS (RC): RESOLUTION No. 09-2025; A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADDING AN EXCEPTION TO THE PENDING “ZONING IN PROGRESS” UNDER SECTION 1.04.04, STUART LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AS AUTHORIZED IN RESOLUTION 95-2024, FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE A MULTI-RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.]
NUMBER 09-2 THOUSAND 25, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, ADDING AN EXCEPTION TO THE PENDING ZONING IN PROGRESS UNDER SECTION 10.040.04 STUART LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AS AUTHORIZED IN RESOLUTION NINE FIVE DASH 2024. FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PROJECT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE A MULTI RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT. PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT. PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF MY AGENDA ITEMS. IN THE PRIOR MEETING THAT WE HAD, YOU HAD VOTED TO DO AN EXCEPTION AND SO I BROUGHT IT BACK IN A RESOLUTION FORM IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON IT. BUT THIS IS ACCEPTING ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS THAT DO NOT INVOLVE A MULTI RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT. AND IF I CAN JUST CHIME IN AS WELL, THE PURPOSE FOR THIS RESOLUTION BEING ADDED ON THIS AGENDA WAS ACTUALLY TO DOCUMENT AND RATIFY THE MOTION THAT IS ACTUALLY ALREADY TAKEN PLACE, BECAUSE AT THE LAST ZONING IN PROGRESS WORKSHOP, THE CITY COMMISSION VOTED TO GRANT THIS EXCEPTION AND THE CITY ATTORNEY PREPARED THE RESOLUTION FOLLOWING THE MEETING. AND WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABIDING BY IT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. IT JUST NEEDED TO COME BACK BEFORE YOU FOR REVIEW AND ADOPTION TO HAVE IT AS A FORMAL PART OF THE RECORD. NOW, WITH THAT BEING SAID, BECAUSE TO RECEIVE APPLICATIONS, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE RECEIVED ANY OR NOT, BUT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. I KNOW THE GUY WITH THE PIZZA HUT PLACE OR WHATEVER COULD HAVE SUBMITTED HIS APPLICATION. ONCE WE ADOPTED THIS EXCEPTION, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT'S NOW THAT IT'S NOTICED FOR A HEARING AND IT'S IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION. IT'S KIND OF LIKE PANDORA'S BOX. YOU NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO AMEND IT, ADJUST IT, OR LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS. BUT I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT YOU'VE ALREADY THE COMMISSION ALREADY VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE LANGUAGE THAT'S THERE. OKAY. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 092025. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE MAYOR COLLINS AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? COME ON DOWN, DEB. YOU GOT HERE 
          [02:50:05]
AT FOUR FOR THIS? I DID. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OH, NO, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. SO ALL I REALLY NEED THIS EVENING IS CLARIFICATION. SO FIRST OF ALL, TO YOUR QUESTION, MIKE, OR MR. MARTEL, THE MARINA, PLEASE. I'M SORRY, I'M DEB FRAZIER FROM THE TREASURE COAST BUILDERS ASSOCIATION. I THINK YOU ALL ARE USED TO ME BY NOW. I'M SORRY, MAYOR, BUT THE MARINA THAT THE YOUNG MAN, BEN THAT WAS HERE ASKING YOU ABOUT, HE'S ALREADY STARTED WORK ON THAT, AND HE'S ALREADY FILED FOR HIS PERMITS. I CHECKED WITH HIM YESTERDAY, SO THINGS ARE MOVING FORWARD. WHAT I NEEDED ON THIS WAS CLARIFICATION, AND I'LL BE HONEST, I WENT BACK TO YOUR LAST MEETING AND REWATCHED THE VIDEO LIKE FIVE TIMES BECAUSE I WANT TO BE SURE I WAS HEARING WHAT I WANT TO BE SURE I WAS HEARING CORRECTLY. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IT SAYS MULTI-RESIDENTIAL. AND MY QUESTION IS WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS SAID IS MULTIFAMILY. AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE BETTER SUITED IN THERE. I THINK IT SHOULD SAY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL. OKAY. BUT THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS YOU ALSO HAD AGREED IN THAT MOTION TO PULL RESIDENTIAL OUT OF HERE AS FAR AS LIKE DOING ADDITIONS AND THINGS YOU HAD SAID IN THAT MOTION THAT YOU WERE ALSO GOING TO PULL RESIDENTIAL OUT OF THE ZIP. AND THAT IS NOT CLARIFIED HERE. SO FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL, SINGLE FAMILY WAS NEVER IN THE ZIP, JUST SINGLE FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY WITH ADDITIONS WERE IN THE ZIP IF YOU WANTED TO DO AN ADDITION. AND I THOUGHT IN THE LAST. FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, I THINK THAT IT WAS THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD WAS, OR AT LEAST MY UNDERSTANDING, IS THAT SINGLE FAMILY WAS NOT INCORPORATED INTO THE ZIP UNLESS IT WAS A DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIPLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES. SO IF IT WAS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WANTED TO BUILD A SINGLE, SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT OWNED A SINGLE LOT, THEY COULD COME IN. OR IF YOU OWNED A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND YOU WANTED TO PUT A SHED OR A POOL OR A AN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ON YOUR SINGLE FAMILY HOME WITHIN THE CODE, YOU COULD MAKE THAT APPLICATION. IF YOU WERE A SMALL DEVELOPER THAT OWNED FIVE LOTS AND YOU WANTED TO BUILD FIVE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THAT'S WHERE I THINK THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOUND THEMSELVES IN A QUANDARY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS INTENDED BY THE BOARD TO BE ALLOWED TO MOVE FORWARD OR NOT. SO MY UNDERSTANDING. SO THIS COULD BE MY FAULT. MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IF IT WAS A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, AND I WANTED TO ADD AN ADDITION TO PUT MY MOM IN OR SOMETHING, THAT THAT WAS NOT ALLOWED UNDER THE ZONING IN PROGRESS. AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IT IS ALLOWED. IT IS. OKAY. PERFECT. THE DIRECTOR IS NODDING WITH YOU. SO, OKAY, WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. YES. AND IF WE COULD CHANGE THAT THEN TO THE MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT. I THINK THAT WOULD CLARIFY IT A LITTLE BETTER, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL ALONG, THAT IN THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION IT DOES. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. SO THE TAPE RECORDING SAID MULTI RESIDENTIAL OKAY. BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DISCRETION TO CHANGE IT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE TAPE RECORDING SAID. BUT I THINK THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD IS MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL. THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING. YEAH WE NEED TO AMEND THE MOTION TO CLEAR THAT. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT, MAYOR. MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND MY MOTION TO UPDATE THAT WORDING TO BE MULTI FAMILY RESIDENTIAL. OKAY, OKAY. THAT LANGUAGE. YES. AND IT'S WHERE IS IT. IS IT AGREED INSTANCE I AGREE. AND ANYWHERE ELSE THAT. YEAH IT'S IN TITLE AND IN THE SECTION TWO I JUST AND SECTION TWO WE HAVE MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT CONSISTENT MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL WHICH IS THROUGHOUT WHICH IS SAME AS THE LAND USE. OKAY. THANK YOU GUYS I HAVE ONE SECOND. DO I NEED A SECOND. IS THAT IS THAT SECONDED ALREADY. OKAY. AND THE MOTION AND THE SECOND OR AMENDED. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. I HAVE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENT RYAN HANSEN. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. RYAN HANSEN HANSEN CONSTRUCTION, ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE TREASURE COAST BUILDERS ASSOCIATION I'M GOING TO REPEAT WHAT DEB SAID. JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION WITH SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ADDITIONS. REMODELS. ET CETERA. SO GOOD. GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THAT IT? YES. OKAY. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM ANY MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION? NO. I'M GOOD TO GO. YEAH I JUST SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I KNOW THIS WASN'T EASY ON EVERYBODY AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE WHILE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO HASH THIS OUT, THIS WAS A BIG DEAL. AND THE LAST TWO ELECTION CYCLES, UNFORTUNATELY, WE COULDN'T GET THIS DONE TWO YEARS AGO, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'RE THERE. WE'RE DONE. YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE JUST IRONING THIS OUT INTERNALLY AND FREEING UP COMMERCIAL SO THAT YOU GUYS CAN GET BACK TO BUSINESS IS EVERYBODY'S GOAL UP HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. 
          ANYBODY WHO'S LISTENING AS WELL. I'M GOOD SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS. ROLL CALL PLEASE. 
          [02:55:02]
COMMISSIONER SELBY. YES, COMMISSIONER CLARK. YES. VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES. 
          COMMISSIONER. REID. YES, MAYOR. RICH. YES. THERE'S NO OTHER
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.