[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:05]
I KNOW. ALRIGHT, WE'LL BRING THE CALL. THE MEETING TO ORDER. START OFF WITH THE PLEDGE. AND? AND GO FROM THERE. 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. ALRIGHT. LET'S SEE. YOU WANT TO DO A ROLL CALL FOR US? THANKS. CHAIR. BRECHBILL HERE. VICE CHAIR MOSER HERE. BOARD MEMBER. JAMES HERE. BOARD MEMBER. MANARA HERE. BOARD MEMBER. SHERER HERE. AND BOARD MEMBER. WHALEN HERE. ALRIGHT, LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT. HERE.
THANKS FOR COMING. I KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANTS COMING UP, SO LET ME GET
[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
RIGHT INTO IT. I NEED AN APPROVAL FOR THE AGENDA. MOTION TO APPROVE. MOTION BY BONNIE.SECOND. SECOND BY FRED. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE. CAN WE ALSO GET AN
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
APPROVAL OR REVIEW AN APPROVAL FOR THE PREVIOUS MINUTES? DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. SECOND. SECOND. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.
THE. START OFF WITH. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. SO IF YOU GOT SOMETHING ON AGENDA THAT'S FINE. WE'LL ALSO I GUESS WE CAN DO A WE CAN DO PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AT THE AT THE DELIBERATION PHASE OF THE AGENDA. RIGHT. IF WE WANT TO IF YOU PLEASE. YES. YEAH.
OKAY. AND THEN DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. YEAH. JUST ONE
[COMMENTS BY BOARD MEMBERS (Non-Aqenda Items)]
MARK. THE I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE A VACANCY ON THIS PANEL. YEAH I SEE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE RECURRING. SO I'M NOT SURE I KNOW HE'S NOT HERE BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROCESS IS. BUT THERE ARE GREAT CANDIDATES, ONE OF THEM BEING CHRISTINA VOGEL, WHO WAS SEEKING TO JOIN THIS BODY. I'M NOT SURE THE PROCESS IS, BUT WE EITHER NEED TO PUT A LITTLE PRESSURE ON THE COMMISSION OR JUST PUT THEM IN PLACE OURSELVES AND MOVE DOWN THE ROAD. BUT I THINK THIS PANEL HAVING A VACANCY FOR A WHILE IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. YEAH. THE. I'M TRYING TO THINK THAT WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT? THAT'S NOT ONE OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES. IT'S NOT CHAIR. SO SAY DEPUTY CLERK FOR THE RECORD. SO OUR VACANCIES ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS VACANCY, HE'D HAVE TO APPOINT SOMEONE. WE DO HAVE APPLICATIONS. THE CITY CLERK, MARY KENDALL. SHE'S THE ONE WHO WOULD WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONER TO PLACE SOMEONE IN THE POSITION. WE JUST HAVEN'T HEARD BACK. BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IT. WE HAVE ONE FOR CRB AND ONE FOR THE LPA AS WELL.OKAY. WE'RE WORKING ON IT. AND YOU SAY THAT THE CRB SLOT IS AN AT LARGE OR IS IT. NOPE. IT'S FOR COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER COLLINS NEEDS TO APPOINT SOMEBODY. OH IT'S COLLINS COMMISSIONER COLLINS OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THE HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT. WE'LL GET THAT FILLED COMING UP HERE PRETTY PRETTY SHORTLY. THANK YOU. NO NO PROBLEM. AND IF YOU I'VE GOT SOME I'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT, THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT. BUT I FIGURED WE'LL DO THAT AT THE DELIBERATION PHASE SO THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HERE FOR THE GRANTS DON'T HAVE TO STAY FOREVER AND EVER. SO GO AHEAD. TWO QUICK THINGS TO SAY. JUST SOME KUDOS TO THE CITY AND CRA. FIRST OF ALL, THE DECALS THAT ARE ON THE SIGNAL BOXES AROUND TOWN. MY SIX YEAR OLD NOTICED THEM WITHOUT ME SAYING ANYTHING DRIVING AROUND THE CAR AND REALLY APPRECIATED THEM. SO THEY'RE NOT GOING UNNOTICED. AND ON THE DRIVE HERE, I NOTICED THAT A COUPLE OF TREES THAT FELL DOWN DURING THE HURRICANE IN THE FALL ON OSCEOLA WERE REPLACED. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S GOOD. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. IF THAT'S IT FOR NOW, WE'LL COME BACK TO IT. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS
[2. PRESENTATION OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR FY 2025 (RC):RESOLUTION No. 03-2025 CRA; A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF STUART, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING AWARD TO APPLICANTS FROM THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025]
THE IS PRESENTATIONS OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM FOR 2025. AND CHAIR CHAIR, IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT YOU FOR A MOMENT, JORDAN PINKSTON SYRIA PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE RECORD, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATE FROM BEN HOGARTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES. AND IF YOU COULD GO FIRST, WE STAFF WOULD APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. IT'S JUST A VERY BRIEF UPDATE. ALL RIGHT. THAT'LL THAT'LL BE FINE. IF YOU IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT THAT'S FINE OKAY. I'M HAPPY TO WAIT IF, IF THERE'S APPLICANTS BUT WELL I, I DO THINK THAT THERE WILL BE[00:05:04]
SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME DISCUSSION. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LEAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR THAT SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HAVE TO DO WITH DIRECTLY IMPACT THIS BOARD. SO MAYBE IT MAYBE BE BETTER AND WE'LL DO THESE FIRST. THEY SHOULDN'T TAKE VERY LONG BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY I TOTALLY OKAY DOING THAT. I THINK LAST TIME WHEN I WAS HERE, I DIDN'T REALLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE JOINT MEETING TO KIND OF EXPLAIN IN DETAIL. AND I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT IMPORTANT JUST TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO DO THAT ANYWAY. NO, ABSOLUTELY.AND WE HAD THAT PRESENTATION AT CRA AND, AND, BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IT HERE BECAUSE I THINK WE FELL AFTER IT OR AFTER THE PRESENTATION. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN THAT. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND BEN, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO DO SO. ABSOLUTELY I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. GOOD. AND I DO KNOW WE HAVE WE HAVE SOME APPLICANTS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME COMMITMENTS INCLUDING DOCTORS DESIGNATIONS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE AND TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO. AND THEY'RE NOT NOT LISTENING. BUT BUT ANYWAY WE'LL WE'LL GO FROM THERE. LET'S LET'S START OUT WHAT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO ON THIS IS WHAT'S OUR FIRST STEP THEN JORDAN, I CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION FOR THE APPLICATIONS. THAT'D BE GOOD OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO GOOD AFTERNOON. CRB BOARD MEMBERS JORDAN PINKSTON, CRA PROGRAM MANAGER. FOR THE RECORD, THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM IS AN INCENTIVE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE VISIBLE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE INVESTMENT WITHIN THE CRA. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A REIMBURSEMENT GRANT OF UP TO $10,000 OF PUBLIC FUNDS PER PROPERTY TO MATCH FOR PRIVATE FUNDS TO PAY FOR THE DESIGN AND COMPLETION OF PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS. FUNDS ARE APPROPRIATED ANNUALLY BY THE CRA. SINCE WE HAVE SOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS, I DO WANT TO JUST RECAP AND GIVE A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM. THE PROPERTY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANT WAS LAUNCHED LAUNCHED IN 2009 TO ENCOURAGE VISIBLE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS TO COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CRA. THE GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDED A MATCHING GRANT OF UP TO $4,000 PER PROPERTY, AND THAT GRANT WAS ELIGIBLE FOR IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS WINDOWS, DOORS, SIGNAGE, LANDSCAPING, ROOFING, AND STREETSCAPES, AMONGST OTHER THINGS. THE PROGRAM HAD SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS FOR PROJECTS INCLUDING SIGNS, AWNINGS, NEW WINDOWS, LANDSCAPING, ROOF REPAIRS, PORCH ENCLOSURES, AND DRIVEWAYS. THE PROGRAM WAS AMENDED IN 2016 2017 AND RENAMED THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH YOU KNOW TODAY IS BURP. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A REIMBURSEMENT GRANT OF UP TO 10,000 PER PROPERTY TO MATCH PRIVATE FUNDS. THE GRANT WAS AVAILABLE TO COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES FOR EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ENHANCE THE PROPERTY WITH WINDOWS, DOORS, DECORATIVE SHUTTERS, SIGNAGE, LANDSCAPING, PARKING LOT STREETSCAPES, AND OTHER EXTERIOR FACADE IMPROVEMENTS. THE PROGRAM WAS AMENDED AGAIN IN 2018 TO REPLACE ELIGIBLE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS, FROM EXTERIOR SIGNAGE TO REPLACEMENT OF NON-CONFORMING POLE SIGNS, TO CONFORMING FREESTANDING OR MONUMENT SIGNS, AND THEN TO ENCOURAGE AND PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT WITH BRINGING EXTERIOR SIGNAGE INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND ENHANCE THE PROPERTY. AND THEN AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD. THE PROGRAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY AMENDED AGAIN IN 2021 TO ENCOURAGE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS TO UPGRADE LANDSCAPING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD THEN BRING THEM INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S LANDSCAPE CODE WHERE FEASIBLE. AND SINCE THOSE PROPERTIES WERE IN THE CRA WERE CONSTRUCTED PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CODE, AND THEN LAST NOVEMBER, THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES WERE AMENDED. ONCE AGAIN, THESE AMENDMENTS REMOVE THE LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS, REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR AWNING REPLACEMENT AND BROADEN THE OVERALL SCOPE OF ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS. STAFF ALSO CREATED A SEPARATE COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH FOCUSES ON BRINGING THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND THIS PROGRAM CAN ACTUALLY BE USED WITH BURP AS WELL. AND SO OVER THE YEARS, BURP HAS NOT ONLY BENEFITED THE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES LOCATED WITHIN THE CRA, BUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS OUR DEPARTMENT OFFERS. IT HAS HELPED THE CRA MEET OUR MISSION, WHICH IS TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC FUTURE WHILE PROTECTING AND ENHANCING THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF THE CITY. THIS PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED LOCAL BUSINESSES WITH WITHIN THE CRA WITH SOME FINANCIAL RELIEF FOR IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS CURB STOPS, RESURFACING, RESTRIPING, MURAL PRESERVATION, ENTRYWAY IMPROVEMENTS, PAVERS, BENCHES, MONUMENT SIGNS, AWNINGS, EXTERIOR PAINT, IMPACT WINDOWS, GATES, FENCES, BIKE RACKS, METAL ROOFS, AND LANDSCAPING. TO DATE, THE CITY HAS FUNDED 43 BUSINESSES AND HAS INVESTED OVER 300,000 TO PROPERTY OWNERS UNDER
[00:10:01]
THIS PROGRAM, WITH A 40% RETURN ON INVESTMENT. THIS CALCULATION DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THE PROJECT STILL UNDER RENOVATION OR THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED AS WELL, AS WELL AS DURING DUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS. OVERALL, BURP HAS GENERATED OVER 120,000IN TIF FOR THE CRA AND HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE 20% AVERAGE INCREASE IN TIF REVENUE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT REVITALIZATION EFFORTS TO REDUCE BLIGHT AND IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF BUILDING FACADES THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY AND MARKETABILITY OF THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE CRA DID PUBLIC OUTREACH TO ENCOURAGE THE BUSINESSES TO APPLY FOR THE PROGRAM. OUTREACH EFFORTS INCLUDE. ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER TO THE CITY'S CONTACT LIST, DISTRIBUTING FLIERS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, MAILING POSTCARDS TO LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS SUCH AS TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. THE CRA RECEIVED FIVE APPLICATIONS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING THIS YEAR. OF THOSE APPLICATIONS, ONE WAS INCOMPLETE AND ANOTHER WAS SUBMITTED AFTER THE DEADLINE. HOWEVER, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH THE APPLICANT, STAFF WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH PRESENTING FOUR OF THE APPLICATIONS. THE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED INCLUDE PARKING LOT RESURFACING, IMPACT WINDOWS, AWNINGS AND FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, AND IT IS AT THE BOARD'S DISCRETION IF THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO PRESENT ALL THE APPLICATIONS UP FRONT TO EVALUATE OR OR I CAN JUST DO THEM INDIVIDUALLY. IT'S UP TO LET'S LET'S DO THEM ALL AT ONE TIME. I THINK THAT'S FINE.THE FIRST ONE IS CLAUNCH ANIMAL HOSPITAL, LOCATED AT SIX, SIX FIVE SOUTHWEST PINE AVENUE. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE THE CURB APPEAL AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THEIR PROPERTY BY RESURFACING THEIR PARKING LOT. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE $12,700. THE EXISTING PARKING LOT IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF REPAIR. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EXISTING PAVEMENT IS CRACKING, ALLOWING FOR ROOTS AND VEGETATION TO ENCROACH ON THE PARKING SPACES. THE BUSINESS HAS TWO PARKING AREAS THAT WILL BE RESURFACED AS INDICATED IN RED. RESURFACING WILL INCLUDE PREPPING THE AREA BY REMOVING EXISTING DEBRIS, PRESSURE WASHING, APPLYING A LEVELING COURSE TO ENSURE PROPER PITCH AND GRADE, APPLYING A BONDING COAT AND APPLYING THE NEW ASPHALT AND RESTRIPING THE PARKING LANES. IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE A VISUAL, URBAN STREET AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. THE PROPERTY IS A FIRST TIME APPLICANT AND A CATALYST FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THAT AREA. THE APPLICANT PLANS TO ADD CURB STOPS AND APPLY FOR THE LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE TO ENHANCE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPING. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT 12,700, WITH A GRANT MATCH OF 6350. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
THE NEXT APPLICATION IS DOWNTOWN STEWART RETAIL LLC, LOCATED ON 37 SOUTHWEST OSCEOLA STREET. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE THE CURB APPEAL AND FACADE IMPROVEMENTS ON A HIGH TRAVELED STREET WITHIN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT $164,000. CURRENTLY, THE BUSINESS IS INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS HAVE DETERIORATING FACADES. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM SOME OF THE PHOTOS, THERE ARE ESTHETIC DAMAGE TO PARTS OF THE BUILDING, THE AWNINGS ARE FADING AND THE BUILDING COULD USE A PRESSURE WASH AND SOME PAINT. THE PROPOSED PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS WILL GIVE A FACELIFT TO GUMBO LIMBO, COASTAL CHIC, GUMBO LIMBO, KIDS, KILWINS, ANA CAPRI, DIRTY HIPPIE AND THERE IS ONE OTHER AVAILABLE UNIT. EXTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS WILL INCLUDE RAISING THE VISUAL SCALE OF THE STRUCTURE BY ADDING A NEW PARAPET WALL ALONG THE TWO THIRDS OF THE FRONT FACADE ON THE ADDED HEIGHT WILL BRING THE BUILDING MORE IN LINE WITH THE SURROUNDING STREETSCAPE, PRESERVING ITS ORIGINAL CHARM. NEW VINYL AWNINGS WILL PROVIDE SHADE ALONG THE STOREFRONTS, ENHANCING PEDESTRIAN COMFORT AND VISUAL APPEAL. ALSO, THE BUILDING WILL BE PAINTED IN A COASTAL INSPIRED PALETTE OF LIGHT BLUES AND GREENS TO COMPLEMENT THE CHARACTER OF DOWNTOWN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE RENDERING YOU SEE IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES IS CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED BY THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, SO YOU MAY EXPECT TO SEE MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE ACTUAL FACADE CHOICES. BUT KEEP IN MIND IT WILL. IT WILL STILL HAVE THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF DOWNTOWN IN MIND. IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE VISUAL, URBAN, STREET AND ECONOMIC COMMUNITY IMPACT ON THE PROPERTY. IS NEWLY DEEMED HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A HIGH VISIBILITY AREA ON THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL ENHANCE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AND HARMONIZE WITH THE VIBRANT HISTORIC CONTEXT OF DOWNTOWN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE PROPERTY IS IN THE CENTER OF THE CRA DOWNTOWN UNDERGROUNDING AND SEMINOLE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL, MAKING IT A CATALYST FOR HOPEFULLY OTHER DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES TO DO THE SAME. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COSTS WILL BE ABOUT 164,000, WITH THE GRANT MATCH OF
[00:15:07]
10,000, AS OUR MAXIMUM STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. OUR NEXT APPLICATION IS MARIA'S CAFE, LOCATED ON TEN SOUTHWEST OSCEOLA STREET. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY OF THE BUILDING BY INSTALLING IMPACT WINDOWS AND DOORS. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT $24,000. THE APPLICANT IS CURRENTLY HAS STANDARD WINDOWS NEAR THE ENTRANCE AND SLIDER DOORS THAT OPEN TO SERVE PATRONS ON THE OUTDOOR DINING DECK. IMPACT WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE CRUCIAL PROTECTION AGAINST HIGH WINDS, FLYING DEBRIS, AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE FROM STORMS. LIKE HURRICANES. THEY ALSO ENHANCE THE SECURITY AND IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE NOISE POLLUTION. ELIGIBLE IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE A VISUAL AND COMMUNITY IMPACT. THE PROPERTY IS ALSO LOCATED IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, MAKING THESE IMPROVEMENTS EVEN MORE CRUCIAL FOR OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION. THE PROPERTY IS ALSO ONCE AGAIN ADJACENT TO THE CRA DOWNTOWN UNDERGROUNDING AND SEMINOLE STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT 24,000, WITH A GRANT MATCH MAX OF 10,000. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AND THE LAST APPLICATION, THIS ONE DID COME IN THREE DAYS LATE, BUT WE STILL THINK IT IS WORTH THE FUNDING.I, DELLA LLC, LOCATED ON 300 SOUTHWEST FEDERAL HIGHWAY. SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW IT AS LOLA SEAFOOD. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO ENHANCE THE CURB APPEAL ON A HIGH TRAVELED ROAD BY REPLACING AWNINGS, INSTALLING IMPACT WINDOWS AND MAKING PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT $28,000. THE CURRENT PARKING LOT IS CRACKING AND BALANCED AND NEEDS TO BE RESTRIPED. EXISTING AWNINGS ARE WEATHERED AND CAUSING WATER LEAKS IN THE OUTDOOR DINING SPACE. NEW AWNINGS ARE ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THAT SPACE. IMPACT WINDOWS OFFER PROTECTION AGAINST HIGH WINDS AND WILL PROTECT THE BUILDING FROM STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE A VISUAL, URBAN, STREET, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY IMPACT. THE PROPERTY FRONTS FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND WILL SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. THE OWNER PLANS ON PARTICIPATING IN THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY TREE PLANTING PROGRAM AS WELL. THE TOTAL ESTIMATED IMPROVEMENT COST WILL BE ABOUT $28,000, WITH A GRANT MATCH MAXIMUM OF 10,000. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AND THEN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TOTAL GRANT MATCH AMOUNT THAT QUALIFIES FOR FUNDING IS 36,350. STAFF IS SEEKING A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION NUMBER ZERO THREE DASH 2025 CRA AUTHORIZING THE AWARD AMOUNT FOR EACH APPLICATION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 GRANT CYCLE. SOME QUESTIONS. OF COURSE. LET'S LET'S GET STARTED. LET'S LET'S SEE IF WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS. SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION. YEAH I WOULD MOVE TO SUPPORT OR APPROVE. A SECOND OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO DISCUSSION JEFF GO AHEAD. YEAH. ONE THING WITH WITH WHAT SORT OF OVERSIGHT OR AUDITS ARE THERE I MEAN IS THERE ANY HISTORY OF THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ABUSING IT. AND THERE TAKING FUNDS FOR WHEN THEY HAVEN'T DONE THEIR PORTION OR THEY HAVEN'T INVESTED PROPERLY IN THEIR PORTION? SURE. SO I CAN ANSWER THAT. IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT PLAN. SO IT KIND OF HELPS WITH I THINK WHAT WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING. SO THE PROGRAM IS STRUCTURED SO THEY THESE ARE THEIR IDEAL PROPOSED PLANS. BUT ONCE THEY EXECUTE THEM THEN THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT THE RECEIPTS AND PROOF THAT THEY DID WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARDS AND THE COMMISSION. AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THEM THAT TEN, 10,000 OR $3000, WHATEVER IT MAY BE. ALSO FOR THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL, IS THAT HIGHLY VISIBLE? IS THAT REALLY GOING TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, OR IS IT JUST GOING TO BENEFIT THEM? IS IT A HIGHLY VISIBLE TO THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY? I WOULD NOT CONSIDER IT HIGHLY VISIBLE PROPERTY, HOWEVER. THE IMPROVEMENT ITSELF BEING A PARKING LOT AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, PAINT OR SOMETHING WOULD BE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY. THE OTHER THING, IT'S JUST A COMMENT. I DON'T THINK, LIKE WITH MARIA'S, THE IMPACT WINDOWS, TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S PRIMARILY THE BENEFIT OF MARIA'S AND NOT THE COMMUNITY, IS MY COMMENT. SURE. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I GUESS I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION. SO WHAT IS THE CRITERIA FOR TO QUALIFY FOR THESE GRANTS? I KNOW IT'S ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED. I REMEMBER PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY HAD ALREADY DID IT IN THE BUDGET. SO WHAT DOES STAFF USE
[00:20:06]
AS A MEASURING ROD TO SAY THEY QUALIFY FOR THESE THESE PROGRAMS? SO WITHIN THE APPLICATION PACKET IS OUR EVALUATION METRICS WHICH YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN IF THAT'S HELPFUL. IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE IT FROM THERE. BUT IT IS IN EVERY APPLICATION PACKET. EACH APPLICATION NEEDS TO AT LEAST MEET 50% OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO EVEN QUALIFY. AND THEN OF COURSE, ONCE WE RECEIVE THOSE APPLICATIONS, STAFF WORKS WITH THE APPLICANT TO ENHANCE HOPEFULLY THEIR THEIR PROPOSED PROJECTS. SO THAT'S THAT'S OUR REVIEW CRITERIA. WELL, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NOT UNDERSTANDING THE TERMINOLOGY STAFF WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO HELP THEM OUT, TO HELP THEM WRITE OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO WRITE OUT. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT, CORRECT. THERE'S A LOT OF APPLICATIONS THAT AREN'T SUBMITTED IN FULL OR, YOU KNOW, THESE THESE PARTICULAR ONES AREN'T VERY HARD TO DECIPHER, BUT OTHER ONES THAT HAD LIKE LANDSCAPE PLANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAD A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PAST. AND SO RECENTLY WE HAVE MODIFIED IT, THOUGH TO MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY. THANK YOU. I JUST HAD TWO QUICK QUESTIONS FOR THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL. THERE ARE THOSE BEAUTIFUL TREES ON THE PROPERTY.HAS THERE BEEN OR WILL THERE BE AN ARBORIST THERE TO REVIEW? IT LOOKS LIKE THE ROOTS ARE COMING INTO THE PARKING LOT A LITTLE BIT. WHAT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF THE TREES WILL BE, OR DO THEY ANTICIPATE ANY IMPACTS TO THE TREES? WE DO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT AT ALL, YOU'D HAVE TO GO UP TO THE MICROPHONE. I DO, FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. I'M CHRIS CLAUNCH. I'M THE IT'S A FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED ANIMAL HOSPITAL. I SPOKE TO TWO, THREE, THREE DIFFERENT PAVING COMPANIES, AND NO ONE CONSIDERED THAT. WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS JUST GO ON TOP OF THE ROOTS ON THAT ONE AREA. IT'S JUST ONE AREA THAT IT HAS.
AND THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY NEEDED TO DO ANYTHING EXTRA. THEY WOULD NOT WE WOULD NOT LOSE ANY TREES WHICH WE DO NOT WANT TO LOSE. SURE. YEAH.
OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THE TREES LOOK GORGEOUS. YEAH. THEY ARE KIND OF TREES OUT THERE. LIVE OAKS. YOU MEAN THE ONES THAT DIE OR. NO, NO, THOSE ARE WATER OAKS. THOSE ARE WATER OAKS.
OKAY, OKAY. I THOUGHT LIVE OAKS WERE THE ONES THAT DIE IN THE LIVE OAKS LIVE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. OKAY, OKAY. LIVE OAKS. YEAH. OKAY. AND THEN A QUESTION ABOUT THE AWNINGS FOR THE STUART STUART LLC. ARE THOSE GOING TO BE GOING OUT INTO THE SIDEWALK ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE THAT THE CURRENT ONES ARE NOW, OR WILL WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SHADE FROM THEM? SO THE INTENTION IS TO BE ROUGHLY THE SAME LENGTH. COULD YOU COME TO THE MIC, PLEASE? IT'S ROUGHLY THE SAME LENGTH AS THE EXISTING ONES AND THEY'LL BE CANVAS, WHICH WE BELIEVE MATCHES THE CHARACTER OF THE STREET.
OKAY. THANK YOU. NO MORE. OKAY. CAN WE GET YOUR NAME AND CAN WE GET YOUR NAME, PLEASE? YES, MAX.
DUCHARME. HEY, MAX. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE QUICK COMMENTS.
ONE, I KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED. I KNOW MOST OF THE BUSINESSES, BUT I HAVE AN OPEN MIND TO THE DISCUSSION ON THIS AND THE APPROVAL. SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME GENERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE RELATIVE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING. THE SECOND THING, THE FIRST THING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT I'M REALLY PLEASED WITH THIS TYPE OF APPLICATION. AND TO GET TO YOUR SITUATION, JEFF, THE PROBLEM BEFORE IS WE FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T THINK LOOKED AT WHAT KIND OF RETURN ON INVESTMENT WE WERE GETTING FOR THESE THINGS BECAUSE SINCE WE'RE IN THE CRA, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT KIND OF BENEFIT WE'RE GOING TO GET FOR THE CITY AND THE CRA IN EFFECT, OUT OF THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND, AND WE ARE GETTING 40% ON MOST OF THE STUFF WE DO. WE'RE GETTING 20% ANNUALLY ON THIS AS LONG AS AND I THINK PROJECTS LIKE THIS THAT ARE BIGGER, THAT PROVIDE MORE SUPPORT, THAT HARDENS SOME DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WILL HELP US IN THE LONG RUN. MAINTAINING AND STABILIZING THE DOWNTOWN. AND I WOULD SAY I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAX, AFTER SPENDING A TON OF MONEY ON ON BUYING A BUSINESS, I MEAN, A BUILDING IS TRYING, YOU KNOW, IS TRYING TO PUT SOME MORE INTO IT AND IS MAKING THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. SO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT THAT WE'VE GOT THAT WE'RE FOCUSING MORE ON THOSE KIND OF THINGS. WHAT I WOULD SAY SPECIFICALLY, ANYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO SOME DEGREE WITH THE BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN TO MAKE THEM BE OPEN
[00:25:04]
LONGER, TO MAKE THEM, IF WE HAVE A HURRICANE OR A STORM THAT MAKES IT, THAT THEY CAN START UP FASTER. NOW, AGAIN, I KNOW THESE PEOPLE. I EAT THERE ONCE A WEEK, SO AT LEAST SO I DO HAVE A PREJUDICE THERE. IT NEEDS TO BE OPEN AFTER THOSE HURRICANES, SO I HAVE SOME PLACE TO EAT. BUT BUT I DO HAVE SOME. BUT I DO SAY THAT I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THIS KIND OF LARGER INVESTMENT, AND I HOPE THE BOARD AGREES WITH ME THAT THESE TYPES OF INVESTMENTS, I THINK THAT WE CAN MAKE A GREATER IMPACT. AND ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE PROGRAM, I REALLY DO THINK THAT THAT WE SHOULD FOCUS ON, ON MORE OF THESE LARGER PROGRAMS THAT DO MAKE AN IMPACT ON, ON THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE. AND AGAIN, I'LL JUST USE MARIA'S AS AN EXAMPLE. THEIR BUILDING OWNER DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS. SO THEY'RE DOING IT AS THE BUSINESS, WHICH YOU KNOW, I THINK IS GREAT. BUT BUT THEY THEY'RE ONE OF THE REASONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS THIS GRANT HELPS THEM BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND THEY'RE NOT DEPENDENT UPON A PROPERTY OWNER WHO MAYBE IS ALREADY GETTING AS MUCH RENT AS THEY THINK THEY NEED, AND THEY DON'T NEED TO SPEND THE EXTRA MONEY, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING, THAT WE'RE THAT WE GOT THIS PROGRAM, THAT WE'VE RAMPED IT UP A LITTLE BIT. SO IF THERE'S NOTHING FURTHER OR IF ANY OF THE APPLICANTS HAD ANY KIND OF COMMENT THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE, I'LL JUST CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL RIGHT. DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL OR NO? YES. OKAY.BOARD MEMBER WHALEN HERE. YES OR NO? YES. OKAY. BOARD MEMBER. JAMES. YES. VICE CHAIR. MOSER.
YES. CHAIR. BRECHBILL. YES. BOARD MEMBER. SHEAR. YES. AND BOARD MEMBER. MONROE. YES. ALL RIGHT. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT MOTION PASSED. YOU GUYS, THANKS A LOT FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM AND THANKS FOR BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR DOING AND EVEN THE NEW PEOPLE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU'RE DOING TOO. SO ANYWAY, I WANT TO THANK ALL YOU GUYS AND APPRECIATE IT. AND I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE PLACES THAT YOU NEED TO GO. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN HEAD OUT IF YOU WANT. THANK YOU. CHAIR, I DID HAVE A COMMENT NOT RELATED. YOU GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. BUT WE DO HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING NOW LEFT IN THE PROGRAM BASED ON THE MOTION THAT WAS JUST MADE. OKAY. SO THE TOTAL WAS $36,350. SO I WANTED TO SUGGEST IT'S UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD. EITHER THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BECAUSE WE ALLOCATE 50,000 EVERY YEAR GOES BACK INTO GENERAL FUND, OR WE COULD OPEN THE APPLICATION CYCLE AGAIN, WHICH WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE ONLY OPENING IT FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS. I DO HAVE ANOTHER APPLICATION THAT MISSED THE DEADLINE AND WOULD BE INTERESTED, WHICH WOULD TAKE THE 10,000, AND THEN WE'D ONLY BE LEFT WITH THE REMAINING 600. OR LET ME ASK YOU 50 JORDAN, WOULD THE MONEY GO BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND? YEAH. OKAY. INTO THE CRA FUND BALANCE. OKAY. OH, THAT LOOKED LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY. BUT ANYWAY, I THINK THAT WHEN DO WE START THE WHEN DO WE START NEXT YEAR'S PROCESS? OCTOBER 1ST IS A NEW FISCAL YEAR. ALL RIGHT, I THINK LET'S ROLL THIS FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS OKAY. AND THEN WHATEVER'S LEFT LET'S ROLL THAT BACK INTO THE CRA GENERAL FUND.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MAYBE ADD IT TO THE ALLOCATION FOR NEXT YEAR. IF IT DIDN'T, IF IT DIDN'T GET SPENT OKAY, OKAY. DOING A MOTION FOR THAT FOR ME, PLEASE ASK A QUESTION BEFORE WE HAD THE MOTION. SO I THINK GENERALLY PEOPLE ACT EARNESTLY AND GENUINELY. BUT IF I GUESS IF I HAD A PROPERTY, I MIGHT COME WITH 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT REQUESTS RATHER THAN ONE BIG ONE, SO THAT I MIGHT GET TEN, TEN AND TEN VERSUS, YOU KNOW, ONE SINGLE AMOUNT OF TEN. SO IS THERE A KIND OF A DEFINITION OF HOW YOU WOULD SEPARATE THAT? WELL, I BELIEVE THERE'S ONLY ONE PROPERTY PER APPLICATION. SO YOU CAN'T. OH ONE PROPERTY. YEAH. ONE PROPERTY. SO YOU CAN'T HAVE MULTIPLE. YEAH. PER FISCAL CYCLE. SO OKAY. YEAH I'M GOOD OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE I'D MOVE TO APPROVE IT OKAY. SECOND SECOND OKAY. SCOTT GOT A MOTION TO APPROVE. AND A SECOND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE MOTION IS TO REOPEN THE CYCLE FOR 30 DAYS AND THEN AND THEN ROLL ANY BALANCE LEFT INTO THE INTO THE CRA. CRA GENERAL FUND WITH WITH A POSSIBLE INCREASE IN NEXT YEAR'S FUNDING FOR ANY MONEY THAT'S LEFT OVER. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT BOARD MEMBER? SURE, YES OKAY, I DO. AND WHO SECOND THAT MOTION. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT BOARD MEMBER? PERFECT.
OKAY. THAT ONE WE CAN D FAVOR. ROLL CALL. WE CAN DO IT. ALL IN FAVOR. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY. PASSED. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, THEN THE NEXT THING
[3. DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION - SCOPE OF WORK FOR COMMUNITY VISIONING AND MASTER PLAN FOR THE CRA]
[00:30:08]
IS, IS WOULD BE OUR DISCUSSION AND DELIBERATION AND BUT OF COURSE, WE WANT TO GET BEN IN HERE FIRST TO, TO GO BECAUSE THERE'S SOME THINGS GOING ON. HE'S GOING TO GIVE US A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE. I THINK IT'S PRETTY IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. AND I WANTED TO HAVE HIM BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS TOO. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. COULD THANK YOU. COULD THE SPEAKER IDENTIFY HIMSELF AND OR WHO OR WHAT HE'S WITH? YES, SIR. BEN HOGARTH WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TITLE OFFICIALLY FOR THE RECORD, IS COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT AS PART OF THE CITY. YES, SIR. GOT IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO I APOLOGIZE ABOUT LAST TIME. IF YOU WERE HERE FOR THE JOINT MEETING, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME. THE MEETING KIND OF RAN OVER, AND I WANTED TO GIVE KIND OF A PROPER ASSESSMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND SO THE KIND OF TAKE YOU TO WHY I'M HERE, CRAS SORT OF CAME UNDER ATTACK AGAIN, THAT'S BEEN REALLY THE NARRATIVE FOR A DECADE NOW. AND THE LEGISLATURE, IT'S IT HAS BEEN ALMOST EVERY SINGLE YEAR IN SOME RESPECTS, CRAS AS A WHOLE, AS A PROGRAM ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE, HAVE BEEN UNDER SCRUTINY FOR A NUMBER OF THINGS. AND WITHOUT GOING INTO ALL THE POLITICS AND ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CRAS AND THE STATE, THE GOOD ACTORS, THE BAD ACTORS, WHAT WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT AFTER TEN YEARS, THE LEGISLATORS HAVE HAVE STARTED TO HONE IN ON HOW HOW CRAS ARE CONDUCTING THEIR BUSINESS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING PROJECTS, BECAUSE AS A, AS A TAXING AGENCY AND A SPECIAL KIND OF TAX COMPARATIVE TO JUST REGULAR AD VALOREM, THAT'S NOT SET ASIDE FOR THIS PURPOSE, JUST SITTING ON THE MONEY AND NOT SPENDING IT OR SPENDING IT ON THINGS THAT AREN'T STRUCTURALLY CONSIDERED TO BE TRUE REDEVELOPMENT. WE'VE WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF THOSE CRITICISMS OVER THE YEARS. AND I FEEL, YOU KNOW, TO SOME DEGREE, MAYBE STAFF AND CITIES AND COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE BACK FROM TALLAHASSEE TO EXPLAIN TO THEIR BOARDS WHETHER THEY'RE ADVISORY BOARDS OR THIS SERIES, WHAT THE LEGISLATORS ARE SAYING. AND THE PROBLEM IS THE LEGISLATORS ARE GOING TO TALLAHASSEE EVERY YEAR WITH CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS, AND THEY'RE TELLING THE FLORIDA LEAGUE OF CITIES, FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES. BUT A LOT OF TIMES THAT MESSAGE ISN'T GETTING BACK DOWN TO THE LOCALS. THE STAFF HEARS IT, AND THEN WE JUST DON'T TRANSCRIBE IT FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD. SO I'M HERE TO HOPEFULLY DO THAT, AT LEAST NOW TO KIND OF SET THE NARRATIVE OF WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND MAYBE HOW TO GO ABOUT IN THE FUTURE ADVISING THE CRA BOARD AND THE CITY COMMISSION, BECAUSE IT'S JUST BEEN A DISSERVICE. I FEEL LIKE, TO NOT TAKE THAT MESSAGE FROM TALLAHASSEE. SO WITH ALL THOSE CAVEATS AND THAT SAID, WHAT WE FOUND THIS THIS YEAR IS THEY HONED IN ON BONDING AND WHETHER A PROJECT HAS BEEN PUT INTO THE CRA PLANS, DEPENDING ON YOUR CRA ARE STARTED, I BELIEVE IN 98. SO WE'RE COMING UP ON ALMOST 30 YEARS FOR THE CITY OF STUART CRA. BACKK IN 2019, THE LEGISLATURE DID PASS THE CRA BILL, AND THEY HAD SOME SPECIAL LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT BASICALLY SAID, IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE PAST YOUR 30 YEARS OR 60 YEARS, DEPENDING ON YOUR CRA, AND OURS WAS ONLY FOR 30 YEARS INITIALLY, THEY SAID YOU NEED TO PASS A RESOLUTION BEFORE OCTOBER OF THAT YEAR. AND WE WERE WE WERE CONCERNED. AND I TALKED TO THE CITY CITY ATTORNEY AND MANAGER AT THE TIME, CITY ATTORNEY MIKE MARTEL IS NOW THE CITY MANAGER. AND WHEN WE HAD ALL THESE DISCUSSIONS, WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA JUST TO KIND OF PROTECT OURSELVES AND DO THAT RESOLUTION AND RECOMMEND THAT TO THE COMMISSION. SO THE COMMISSION DID AND THE CRA DID. AND I'M, I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION, BECAUSE THAT CAME UP THIS YEAR WHERE IF YOU HADN'T PASSED AND ADOPTED THAT RESOLUTION BACK WHEN THEY PASSED, I THINK IT WAS LIKE HOUSE BILL NINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT THE TIME. THEN THIS YEAR YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO PROJECTS AFTER OCTOBER. SO THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OF WHAT COULD HAVE COME UP AND, AND UP UNTIL THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SEASON ENDING THIS YEAR, SAVE FOR THE BUDGET. I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL SEEN THAT ON THE NEWS. THE WORST CASE SCENARIO COULD HAVE BEEN STARTING OCTOBER 1ST. NO PROJECT THAT HAD BEEN BUDGETED OR BONDED AND OR BONDED COULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR THE REST OF THE CRA. NO MATTER HOW LONG WE WENT TO SUNSET. SO THAT WOULD HAVE FUNCTIONALLY KILLED THE CRA ITSELF. AND IT WAS THAT SERIOUS. AND OBVIOUSLY THE LEAGUE OF CITIES, EVERYBODY WHO WAS UP THERE DID THE BEST TO EXPLAIN TO, YOU KNOW, THE LEGISLATORS, HEY, THIS IS A PROBLEM TO OUR STATE REPS AND SENATORS. I DON'T THINK THE BILL DIED AT THE END BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD GOTTEN THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO THE TO THE LOCALS. I THINK IT DIED BECAUSE AT THE BY THE TIME THAT IT GOT TO FINAL PASSAGE, IT HAD BEEN SO WATERED DOWN, IT REALLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND I THINK THE, THE ORIGINAL AUTHORS OF THESE, OF THESE BILLS REALLY WANTED TO HOLD CRAS ACCOUNTABLE TO TIMELINES AND TO DOING PROJECTS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THIS AGAIN COME JANUARY WHEN THE WHEN THE SESSION COMES BACK. SO IT'S[00:35:03]
NOT A DIRE WARNING, PER SE. WHAT I'M WHAT I'M COMING HERE TO TELL YOU IS I THINK IT'S REALLY INCUMBENT ON STAFF TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN TELLING US, WHY THEY'RE TELLING US, AND PERHAPS HOW WE CAN WE CAN CHANGE THEIR MINDS AND SHOW THEM, YOU KNOW, HOW CRAS CAN DO PROJECTS AND ARE DOING PROJECTS. AND PART OF WHAT THEY'VE FORGOTTEN IS THAT AS A TAXING KIND OF AGENCY, THE INITIAL TEN, 15, 20 YEARS OF A CRA WAS INITIAL WAS INITIALLY THOUGHT UP TO START RAISING THAT REVENUE SO THAT YOU GET TO A POINT WHERE NOW YOU HAVE KIND OF A MAXIMUM VELOCITY TO LEVERAGE THAT MONEY TO ACHIEVE PROJECTS. RIGHT? SO THAT WAS BAKED IN AT THE BEGINNING. AND I THINK PERHAPS SOME OF THAT WAS LOST IN TRANSLATION OVER THE YEARS. BUT THERE HAVE BEEN BAD ACTORS AROUND THE STATE, AND THERE HAVE BEEN LEGITIMATE CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS BROUGHT TO TALLAHASSEE AND TO THE LEGISLATURE THAT NOW THEY'RE KIND OF BROAD BRUSH APPROACHING ALL THE CRAS. SO WITHOUT AGAIN BEING FURTHER LONG WINDED, BECAUSE THIS IS KIND OF A LONG, LONG TALE WHERE THE LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN DOING THIS, I, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT MESSAGE TO YOU ALL. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT THAT CRB BOARD, CRA BOARDS START TRYING TO PUT AND LEVERAGE THEIR MONIES TO AS MANY PROJECTS AS THEY CAN HANDLE, BECAUSE MY CONCERN IS ANY GIVEN YEAR THEY COULD SAY WHATEVER PROJECTS YOU DON'T HAVE BONDED BY THE END OF YOUR FISCAL YEAR, THAT'S IT, YOU'RE DONE. AND THAT THAT'S THAT ALMOST HAPPENED THIS YEAR. I GOT JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR LEE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT TO CLARIFY, BEN, THIS IS YOU MAY BUT I THINK MAYBE IT'S LEE. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF THE CRA GOES AWAY? I'M TALKING FINANCIALLY. WHAT HAPPENS AT THAT POINT? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DOLLARS? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DISTRICT? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND WE UNFORTUNATELY HAD TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THIS YEAR. SO I TALKED TO I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN ANYBODY'S MOUTH. I DID TALK TO MY SO I'M JUST GOING TO ANSWER THIS THE BEST OF MY UNDERSTANDING. I DID TALK TO OUR FINANCE MANAGER. I DID TALK TO OUR CITY MANAGER TO LEE AS WELL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF WE HAD TO DISSOLVE THE CRA, BECAUSE IF YOU CAN'T DO PROJECTS, THERE'S REALLY NO REASON TO HAVE A CRA AROUND EXCEPT TO COMPLETE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE ON THE BOOKS ALREADY. SO WE WOULD HAVE COMPLETED THAT OUT, AND ANY ADDITIONAL MONIES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN STILL IN THE CRA KIND OF NOT ALLOCATED WOULD, UPON DISSOLUTION, GET PUT BACK INTO THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND. WE SAY GET SUCKED UP BY THE VORTEX. BUT WHAT WE MEAN IS THE GENERAL REVENUE FUND OF GENERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE CITY. WELL, THAT'S BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE RIGHT THEN YOUR CASH. BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONEY THAT'S COMING IN EVERY YEAR OF 6 OR $7 MILLION? DOES THAT GO BACK TO THE COUNTY? GOOD QUESTION. SO WE'RE GIVING MATCH IS DELETED. THAT GOES AWAY COMPLETELY. TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THE CITY'S AD VALOREM REVENUE PERCENTAGE THAT GETS TUCKED AWAY FOR THE CRA EVERY YEAR JUST GOES BACK TO BEING GENERAL REVENUE, ESSENTIALLY, OR BEING JUST STRAIGHT AD VALOREM, TO MY UNDERSTANDING. WELL, I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S YEAH, IT'S JUST IT WOULD GO BACK TO THE YEAH, I, IT WOULD GO BACK I ASSUME TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO GO BACK TO THE COUNTY ON THE ONGOING BASIS AND THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CITY. NO. SO BASICALLY WE'D HAVE A PLUS THAT WHATEVER'S LEFT IN THE CRA FUND WHEN WE'RE DISSOLVED WOULD GO IN THERE, BUT NOT NOT THE FUTURE FUNDING THAT'S COMING IN, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. SO THAT'S THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO CLARIFY. THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD IS FROM YOUR CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU MEET LOBBYISTS AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND LEGISLATORS AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF, AND YOU'RE A LOBBYIST IN EFFECT FOR US. I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S REGISTERED. I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE TO BE REGISTERED. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION FOR LEE LATER. BUT IS, IS THE STATE STILL TICKED OFF AT US, SPECIFICALLY MARTIN COUNTY AND ARE THEY AND THE GOVERNOR, I MEAN, ARE WE STILL IN THEIR CROSSHAIRS THAT THAT IS SOMETHING I PROBABLY COULDN'T ANSWER BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO PRETEND I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE THINKING AND BUY IN THE CROSSHAIRS. ARE YOU REFERRING SPECIFICALLY TO CRAS OR CRA OPERATION OR. NO, I'M TALKING IN GENERAL. YOU KNOW, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WE HAD THE WHAT WAS IT, SENATE BILL? I COULD GET IT TWO OR 1 OR 2. THERE'S A COUPLE. THE ONE THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE DEVELOPERS BEING ABLE I THINK IT'S TWO. RIGHT. SO THERE WERE TWO BILLS THAT DID. YEAH THAT. YEAH. SO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT INITIALLY SOME OF THAT WAS DIRECTED DIRECTLY AT MARTIN COUNTY BECAUSE OF NOT PROVIDING ADEQUATE HOUSING FOR THE TOURISTS THAT ARE COMING IN.YEAH. SO IT GETS IT GETS REALLY COMPLICATED BECAUSE WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GO BACK TWO YEARS TO WHEN THE LIVE LOCAL ACT PASSED, WHICH WAS SENATE BILL 102 TWO YEARS AGO, AND THEN 328 LAST YEAR WAS A YEAR WAS A BILL THAT MODIFIED IT TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE. WHAT HAPPENED WAS THEY FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF LOCAL PROJECTS STILL WEREN'T GOING FORWARD. AND SO THIS YEAR, IN SENATE BILL 1730, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE RECONCILED A LOT OF THE LANGUAGE SO THAT IT'S
[00:40:02]
CLARIFYING. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY CLARIFIED IS NOW THESE PROJECTS CAN BE BUILT IN PUDS. THEY WANT TO BE SPECIFIC AND SAY, HEY, WHEN WE MET MIXED USE, WE MEANT ALL MIXED USE. AND THAT THAT COMES AGAIN TO YOU HAVE ATTORNEYS THAT SAY, WELL, YOU DIDN'T SAY PUD. AND NOW THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, NOW WE'RE SAYING IT. SO, SO THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO DO THIS ON A ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS. AND I THINK THEY THEY'RE JUST GETTING TIRED OF THE GAMES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE WORDSMITHING. AND THEY'RE SAYING OKAY WELL NOW IT MEANS ALL AND THEY'RE STARTING TO BROADEN WHAT THE HOW THESE PROJECTS ARE, ARE APPLIED ON OUR CODE. AND THAT WAS ONE BILL, THE OTHER BILL THAT PASSED, WHICH IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC FOR MORE JURISDICTIONS, AND NOT JUST THE CITY, WAS THE EMERGENCY BILL THAT PASSED THIS YEAR. AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT. I'M GOING TO FORMALLY PRESENT THAT ONE ON MONDAY. IT WAS A BILL THAT I DID SPEAK ABOUT IN MY INITIAL KIND OF MID SESSION UPDATE TO THE COMMISSION. WHAT IT DOES IS IT HAS A RETROACTIVE CLAUSE AND A PROACTIVE OR PRO ACTION CLAUSE, WHICH GOES FORWARD IN THE FUTURE TWO YEARS STARTING FROM AUGUST 2024, WHICH WAS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF HURRICANE SEASON LAST YEAR, ALL THE WAY TO OCTOBER 1ST OF 2027, ANY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AMENDMENT OR MORATORIA THAT LED TO THAT IS FUNCTIONALLY NULL AND VOID ONCE THE GOVERNOR SIGNS THIS BILL. SO EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE CHANGED SINCE AUGUST IS NULL AND VOID IN ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THAT IS MORE RESTRICTIVE OR BURDENSOME, AND THAT THESE ARE VERY LOOSE WORDS IN THE LANGUAGE, WOULD BE NULL AND VOID UPON INITIATION. SO WE CAN'T EVEN CONSIDER THESE THINGS FOR THE NEXT TWO, TWO AND A HALF YEARS. AND THAT'S THE FIRST YEAR WE GET TO POTENTIALLY IF WE HAVE A HURRICANE IN 2027, ANYTIME WE HAVE A HURRICANE IN THAT MARTIN COUNTY IS WITHIN 100 MILES OF A STORM TRACK OF A HURRICANE THAT MAKES LANDFALL IN FLORIDA ANOTHER YEAR. TOLLS. SO THERE IS, I CALL IT THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE, 100 100 MILES OF YOUR COUNTY BEING WITHIN 100 MILES OF A STORM TRACK IN A PACK THAT COMES. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF YEARS WHERE THAT HAPPENS. YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, BEN, THAT YEARS AND YEARS AGO, PROBABLY IT'S PROBABLY 15 AT LEAST, MAYBE, MAYBE 20. THE STATE WAS ENCOURAGING BUILDING UNDER UNDER STANDARD BUILDING CODES. AND THEY WERE BASICALLY DISCOURAGING PUDS. AND IN THAT PROCESS OF DOING THAT, THAT LAW WAS PASSED AND IT WAS IN PLACE. RIGHT. AND THEN WE WENT TO THIS THING WHERE WE WERE DOING THESE PUDS. SO WE WERE WE WERE DOING ALL OF THESE PUDS. BUT WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS BECAUSE OF HURRICANES AND STORMS AND THE AUTOMATIC EXTENSIONS THAT COME WITH THOSE, THEY AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED THAT STATUTE. SO I KNOW IN MY PARTICULAR SITUATION, I ACTUALLY GOT SOMETHING APPROVED AS A PARKING PROVISION THAT WAS FROM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS BEFORE, BEFORE MY SPECIFIC INCIDENT. SO THAT DOES EXTEND THOSE THINGS. YOU KNOW, IT CAN ALMOST BE A PERMANENT IT CAN ALMOST BE A PERMANENT SITUATION WITH BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO GET HIT BY IT JUST HAS TO BE WITHIN 100 OR WITHIN 100 MILES. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT HAPPENS EVERY COUPLE YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE DRAGGING THIS THING OUT FOREVER. SO YEAH. AND I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO PAINT A WORST CASE SCENARIO HERE. THIS THIS BILL WAS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING FOR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS EVERYWHERE. IT REALLY TIES CITIES HANDS FROM BEING ABLE TO CHANGE CODE. NOW, THANKFULLY, THE CITIES IN THE POSITION WHERE WE'RE FUNDAMENTALLY FUNCTIONALLY BUILT OUT, I MEAN, GIVE OR TAKE A FEW FEW PIECES OF PROPERTY WE'RE BUILT OUT. SO MOST DEVELOPMENT WILL BE REDEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE FOR COMMUNITIES LIKE INDIANTOWN, THIS BEING, YOU KNOW, COMING UP INTO NEW DEVELOPMENT IS GOING TO BE MORE PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT AS QUICKLY IF THEIR HANDS ARE TIED YEAR TO YEAR. SO THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT BILLS THAN KIND OF THE CRA. BUT IT'S GOOD TO KIND OF PAINT THAT PICTURE O, OF, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT BILL WOULD PASS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO CRAZY. IT WAS TOO OUTLANDISH, TOO TOO MUCH OF A OF A OVER, YOU KNOW, TAKING OF CITY, YOU KNOW, AND IT PASSED. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECOGNIZE IT'S A IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS HOW THE LEGISLATURE IS HANDLING POLICY THERE. AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO BE DIPLOMATIC WHEN I SAY IT. IT'S A LOT OF LEGISLATING AT A LOCAL LEVEL. BUT FROM TALLAHASSEE AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE WE'VE TALKED FOR YEARS ABOUT THE ATTACKS ON HOME RULE, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE TWO BILLS PASSING, I MEAN, IT'S THERE'S NO HOME RULE. WHAT ARE WHAT ARE THE BILL NUMBERS AGAIN? SO 1730 WAS THE WAS THE LIVE LOCAL KIND OF REFORM BILL. THEY'LL CALL IT AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL. THE 180 BILL IS THE EMERGENCY BILL. AND IF YOU LOOK AT SECTION 18 AND SECTION 28IN THAT BILL, IT DEALS WITH THOSE TWO POLICIES WHERE OUR HANDS ARE TIED FOR EITHER THE THREE YEARS GOING BACK TO AUGUST AND THEN ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE, ONE YEAR, EVERY TIME WE HAVE A STORM. SO THIS IS BASICALLY THIS IS BASICALLY GOING TO ROLL IT BACK PRIOR TO ANYTHING WE DID HERE IN THE[00:45:04]
CITY, BECAUSE ALL OF THAT WAS DONE AFTER THE ELECTIONS IN AUGUST. RIGHT. SO ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE AFTER THE ELECTIONS IN AUGUST IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE NULL AND VOID. CORRECT. AND, AND IN ALL FUTURE. SO WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANY. THERE'S NO MORE. MORE. YOU CAN'T DO ANY MORE MORATORIUMS. ONE OF THE RULES, THEY ADDED, WAS YOU CAN'T DO MORATORIUM ONLY ONCE EVERY THREE YEARS BEFORE YOU DO A MORATORIUM IN THE FUTURE. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A NEEDS ASSESSMENT ON YOUR ON YOUR HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THAT CREATES POTENTIALLY AN UNFUNDED MANDATE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY HAVE TO DO THESE ASSESSMENTS, FORGETTING THAT IT ALSO WE USED TO BE ABLE TO DO 90 DAY AND THEN ANOTHER 90 DAY. NOW WE CAN ONLY DO A 90 DAY MORATORIUM AND THAT'S IT. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THAT UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST, 2027 AT THE EARLIEST. AND I SAY AT THE EARLIEST, BECAUSE IF WE GET A HURRICANE THAT YEAR, IT'S ANOTHER YEAR. YEAH. AND SO THE REASON I'M BRINGING THAT UP IS AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CRA, AND YOU ALL ARE KIND OF ADVISING THE COMMISSION, THAT'S HOW SERIOUS OF AN IMPACT THAT WILL BE FOR OUR FULL COMMISSION POLICY WISE. AND WHEN THE LEGISLATORS SAY THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT THE CRAS, I TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. AND I THINK THAT MESSAGE NEEDS TO GET BROUGHT BACK DOWN. I FEEL LIKE STAFF MEMBERS AROUND THE STATE HAVE HAVE DONE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISSERVICE NOT EXPLAINING HOW SERIOUS THAT IS. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS BEFORE.MAY MAY BE, YOU KNOW. OFF BASE, BUT. WITH THE FUTURE FUNDING, I MEAN, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN FORTIFY OURSELVES LOCALLY TO, TO RESTRUCTURE THINGS WHERE WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THAT? AND IS THERE ANY BONDING GOING ON THAT MIGHT ADD A LAYER OF, YOU KNOW, DEFENSE AGAINST WHAT WHAT THAT IS BONDING IS THE IS THE SAFEST ONLY BECAUSE ONCE THE BONDS LOCKED IN AND LEON KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE LAW THAN I DO WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, BUT IT IT'S PRETTY LOCKED IN THE LEGISLATURE IS ORIGINALLY SOME OF THE LANGUAGE WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE HURT BONDS THAT EXISTED. AND THEN IT WAS CLEAR VERY EARLY ON THEY MODIFIED THE BILL SO THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE. I THINK SOMEBODY WITH A LEGAL BACKGROUND FINALLY TOLD THEM, HEY, YOU REALLY CAN'T DO THIS. SO THEY MODIFIED THE BILL EARLY ON FOR THAT. AND THAT GAVE ME A LOT OF INTEREST WHEN I SAW THAT TO SAY, OH, WELL, MAYBE IF WE DO START BONDING MORE AND HAVING PROJECTS KIND OF LOCKED IN THE BILL SPONSORS, YOU CAN GO BACK THIS SESSION. YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEIR COMMENTS, WHETHER IT WAS IN COMMITTEE OR ON THE FLOOR. AND I LISTENED TO MORE FLOOR COMMENTS THAN THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE COMMITTEE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT. THEY'LL JUST SAY THEY WANT TO GET IT THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS. THE FLOOR IS WHERE THE REAL DEBATE HAPPENS, I THINK. AND WHEN I LISTEN TO THE FLOOR COMMENTS BY THE BILL SPONSORS, HE WAS SAYING, LOOK, I DON'T CARE. EVEN THOUGH THE LANGUAGE SAYS SOMETHING DIFFERENT. HE GOES, LOOK, I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE FUNDING IN PLACE BY OCTOBER. WHAT I REALLY WANT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALREADY IN THE PLAN COME OCTOBER, THAT YOU HAVE A SET PLAN FOR CRA AND YOU ACTUALLY EXECUTE AND CARRY IT OUT, I DON'T I'M TIRED OF LIKE ALL THIS BACK AND FORTH. AND SO AGAIN, I'M TRYING TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE BACK TO YOU ALL TO SAY, MAYBE BONDING ISN'T THE BEST SOLUTION FOR EVERY PROJECT, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT LEVERAGING MONEY, INCLUDING GRANT MONIES, THE BEST YOU CAN. BUT THE ONE THING ABOUT BONDING IS THAT IT'S LOCKED IN AT THAT POINT. AND SO WE NEED TO START THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES. LEE, CAN YOU DO INTERNAL BONDING? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. MARK. YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A FINANCE DIRECTOR WITHOUT YOU KNOW, THAT HE'S ALWAYS OUT THERE SOMEPLACE. I DON'T WE DON'T NEED HIM. MAYBE I'D LIKE TO. I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT JUST AS A AS A CURIOSITY. MAYBE PAUL KNOWS. BUT WHETHER WHETHER THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND CAN BOND THE OR THE CRA CAN BOND USING THE, YOU KNOW, USING THE TWO FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE CITY AND, AND THE SPECIFIC BONDING CAPABILITY THAT WE HAVE IN THE INTERNAL BONDING KIND OF BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES THAT WE COULD AT LEAST SAY, WELL, WE BONDED, YOU KNOW, WE BONDED WITH WE'VE WE'VE GOT A BOND OUT THERE. THE ONLY THING IS WITH BONDS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PROJECT THAT'S LIKE SHOVEL READY. I'M SORRY. WITH BONDS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE SHOVEL READY. THAT MEANS THE DESIGN IS COMPLETED. YOU'RE GONE OUT FOR RFP, AND YOU'RE READY TO AWARD THE CONTRACT. SO THAT'S THAT'S HOW FAR ALONG YOU HAVE TO BE IN ORDER TO BOND A PROJECT. YOU CAN'T JUST DO IT AT THIS POINT. THAT'S WITH INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE COMPANIES OR WITHIN INDIVIDUAL. I'M TALKING ABOUT AN INTERNAL BOND. THEY COULD WAIVE THEIR REQUIREMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN DISTANCE ALONG.
YOU HAVE TO BE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEORETICALLY, IF IT'S US IN THE CITY, THE CITY COULD SAY, OKAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS IN THE PLAN. AND AS LONG AS WE GOT IT IN THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BONDED. THAT'S A DEFENSE AGAINST TALLAHASSEE. YEAH. YOU'RE THINKING AHEAD OF US, MARK. WE DIDN'T GET THAT FAR, TO BE HONEST. THIS YEAR. IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO POTENTIALLY CONSIDER. AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR JOEL AT ALL FOR THAT. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT GETS INTO A LOT. SO BUT BUT THAT'S THAT'S THE DEBATE. THAT'S
[00:50:03]
THE CONVERSATION. AND THAT'S MY MESSAGE FOR TONIGHT IS THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I REALLY BELIEVE NEED TO BE HAD. OBVIOUSLY IT'S I'M NOT A DECIDER. I'M NOT A YOU KNOW, I DON'T LEGISLATE. SO I JUST LISTEN TO THEM AND I REPORT BACK. THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. AND MY CONCERN IS THEY'RE GOING TO BE BACK IN JANUARY, NOT MARCH.THEY'VE CHANGED IT WHERE EVERY OTHER YEAR, ELECTION YEARS, EVEN YEARS, THEY'RE BACK EARLIER.
THEY'RE BACK IN JANUARY. THE REASON THEY DO THAT IS SO THEY CAN GET BACK OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN EARLIER THAT YEAR. BUT AND SO THEY NEED SOMETHING TO GET ELECTED. THAT'S WHY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO NOW. AND YEAH. DO THEY PROMISE TO DELETE CRAS FOREVER NEXT. YOU KNOW AND IT AGAIN IT'S GOTTEN MORE SERIOUS YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR. BUT THE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FOR YOU KNOW, STAFF MEMBERS LIKE MYSELF THIS IS MY 12TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION ADVISING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. WHAT I SEE THEM IS HONING IN ON IS NOT JUST ON THE BONDING, BUT HOW HOW HARD ARE THESE PROJECTS IN THE PROCESS, OR ARE THEY JUST WILLY NILLY? YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IDEAS, AND I THINK THEY'RE TIRED OF THE IDEAS. THEY WANT YOU TO BE WORKING TOWARDS HARD PROJECTS THAT ARE HAVE FUNDING IN PLACE, OR AT LEAST ARE ON THE TIMELINE AND THE COMPLETION, INCLUDING ALL BONDING FOR THAT PROJECT WOULD END WITH YOUR TERMINATION DATE. THEY DON'T WANT YOUR BONDS TO GO BEYOND TERMINATION DATES EITHER, AND TO FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S I THINK, SOME GOOD ARGUMENT THERE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT THE GENERAL FUND TO THEN HAVE TO COVER BEYOND THE DISSOLUTION DATE OF THE CRA.
RIGHT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DEBATE THERE. I'M NOT A DECIDER, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT, OKAY. GOING FORWARD, THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS ON ON THE RIVER INITIATIVES AND WHAT'S DID ANYTHING PLUS OR MINUS COME OUT OF THAT. WHAT KIND OF GOOD THINGS OR BAD THINGS ARE ARE COMING OUT OF IT THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR RIVER? NOT SO MUCH THE THAT WE DID TALK ABOUT MITIGATION BANKS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS COME UP THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND IT GOES BACK SEVERAL YEARS, IS HOW LAND ACQUISITION TRUST FUND MONEYS WILL BE ALLOCATED. HOW MUCH LAND CONSERVATION ARE WE DOING RATHER THAN EXISTING LAND MANAGEMENT. AND OBVIOUSLY IN MORTON COUNTY, WE'VE SEEN THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR WHAT VOTERS WANT, RIGHT. IT'S LAND ACQUISITION FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES, NEW LANDS. WE DID THAT WITH THE RECENT SALES SURTAX THAT CAME UP IN NOVEMBER. THE VOTERS VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY IN FAVOR OF MARTIN COUNTY TO DO THAT AND USE THOSE FUNDS THAT WAY. SO THE STATE IS MAKING MORE UNIFORM GRANT PROCESSES THROUGH. YOU'LL HEAR IT AS LIKE RESILIENT FLORIDA GRANT PROGRAM. THEY'RE BECOMING THEY'RE BECOMING MORE CONSOLIDATED. AND ONE THING THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD ME SAY DURING MY MID-SESSION RECAP IS FIVE, TEN, 15, 20 YEARS. YOU KNOW, GOING BACK EVERY SINGLE YEAR THE STATE LEGISLATURE GETS AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO BIFURCATE WATER PROJECTS AS A SEPARATE LOCAL REQUEST AREA BECAUSE OF HOW MANY IT WAS SO MUCH THAT IN SOME YEARS IT WAS BETWEEN 2 AND $2.5 BILLION IN LOCAL REQUESTS FOR WATER PROJECTS. THAT'S UTILITY PROJECTS, STORMWATER PROJECTS, ALL THAT. AND THEY WOULD FUND ON A GOOD YEAR 10% OF THOSE REQUESTS. SO JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW THEY'RE COMING UP SHORT. SO WHAT THEY SAID IS, LOOK, WE'RE DONE. WE NEED A UNIFORM PROCESS. THEY PUT EVERYTHING UNDER DEP.
AND THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO CALL THIS THE RESILIENT FLORIDA GRANT PROGRAM. CITIES AND COUNTIES NEED TO DO A VULNERABILITY RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT, WHICH THE CITY HAS JUST COMPLETED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. SO I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT NOW. WE CAN QUALIFY FOR THOSE GRANT PROJECTS AGAIN. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CRA, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF GRANTS THAT WE'RE USING OUR CRA MONEY OR TAX MONEY TO LEVERAGE WITH IF THOSE IF WE'RE NOT LEVERAGING THAT GRANT MONEY, OUR LOCAL DOLLARS ARE ONLY GOING TO GO SO FAR. AND SOMETIMES THE PROJECT SCOPES ARE GOING TO BE WELL BEYOND WHAT WE CAN AFFORD, JUST AT A LOCAL LEVEL. SO AGAIN, THAT'S A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT YOU ALL SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE WITH YOURSELVES, WITH THE CRA, WITH THE OTHER, WITH THE COMMISSION GENERALLY IS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO LEVERAGE THESE LOCAL DOLLARS THE BEST, THE MOST, AND REALLY IN THE SHORTEST TIME FRAME TO MEET, WHETHER IT'S 20, 45, 20, 50, WHATEVER THE FINAL CRA SUNSET IS GOING TO BE, WHETHER IT'S ACCORDING TO US OR THE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE THIS YEAR THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT 2045, THAT WE GET THAT LOCKED IN AND THAT EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE. DOES IT DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US? LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I'M NOT SURE WAS IN THERE WAS FUNDING FOR SEPTIC TO, YOU KNOW, SEPTIC TO SEWER CONVERSION. RIGHT. AND WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN THE CITY OF STUART, BUT NORTH OF US IN INDIAN RIVER COUNTY AND TO SOME DEGREE IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY, THEY HAVEN'T DONE AS GOOD A JOB. THERE WAS MONEY IN A COUPLE OF THESE BILLS PREVIOUSLY THAT THERE FOR SEPTIC TO SEWER CONVERSIONS. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MONEY IN THIS YEAR? AND ALSO, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO CREATE SOME SORT OF LIAISON WITH, WITH PORT SAINT LUCIE, SAINT LUCIE COUNTY, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, YOU KNOW, VERO AND MAKE A UNIFIED EFFORT
[00:55:03]
FOR MONEY FOR MAYBE JUST VERO FOR THE NORTHERN END OF THE I MEAN, WE CARE ABOUT THE LAGOON AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AND EVERYTHING ALL OVER. AND SO IF WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM COMING IN AT THE BEGINNING, IT BENEFITS US IN THE LONG RUN, EVEN THOUGH THE DOLLARS AREN'T COMING TO US, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO START LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO LEVERAGE OUR OWN DOLLARS INTERNALLY IN THIS AREA, TO TRY TO TRY TO PRESERVE THE RIVER? AT THE VERY LEAST, I WOULD SAY FROM AN ADVOCACY STANDPOINT, THAT THAT BECOMES BENEFICIAL WHERE YOU AND THIS YEAR IT WAS KIND OF DISCUSSED, THEY TALKED ABOUT INSTEAD OF HAVING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCILS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCILS, AND I AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT CAME UP. WHAT WAS IRONIC IS AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DISCUSSING THAT PLAUSIBILITY, THEY WERE SAYING, OH, BUT WE THINK WE NEED RESILIENCY PLANNING AT A REGIONAL LEVEL LOCALLY, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD ALLOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO KIND OF FORMULATE THESE, THESE REGIONAL GROUPS OR HAVE THE REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCILS DO IT FOR THEM. SO IT WAS IT WAS REALLY IT WAS A WEIRD YEAR FOR THE LEGISLATURE. BUT TO YOUR POINT, MARK, IS THAT I DON'T KNOW, THE SCOPE IS SO LARGE, WHETHER IT WAS EVEN IF IT WAS THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, I JUST DON'T I DON'T SEE US BEING IN THAT GAME. BECAUSE IF YOU TALK ABOUT INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, THE AMOUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF SEPTIC TANKS THEY WOULD IDEALLY WANT TO CONVERT, WHICH IS 100%, IS LIKE, I THINK 600,000 OR SOMETHING. IT'S SOME INSANE AMOUNT. AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE LOOKED AT THOSE NUMBERS. SO BEAR WITH ME ON THAT. BUT IT'S OUT OF SCOPE FOR ANYTHING THAT WE CAN IMAGINE. BUT WHAT WE WOULD BE GOOD FOR IS ADVOCATING, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND YOU ASK FOR MONEY, THEY LOOK AT YOU AS ONE PARTY. BUT IF THERE'S A CONSORTIUM SAYING, HEY, IT'S INDIAN RIVER COUNTY'S TURN THIS YEAR TO GET THOSE MONIES, IT'S A LOT STRONGER OF AN ARGUMENT. AND WE'VE SEEN THAT THOSE KIND OF COALITIONS WORK, AT LEAST FOR ADVOCACY FOR STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS. AGAIN, IT'S JUST A CONCERN OF SCOPE. IT'S A MASSIVE, MASSIVE PROBLEM. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SORRY I DOMINATED, BUT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. YEAH I DO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE SCALE OR THE COST OF THE PROJECT THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL THEY'RE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH, IT'S HOW QUICKLY WE'RE MOVING IT THROUGH AND THAT IT'S NOT JUST SORT OF SITTING ON A SHELF, IS IT? IT'S STUCK IN THE PLANNING OR SORRY ABOUT CRA PROJECTS IN PARTICULAR. YEAH, SORRY. SO I THINK WHAT THEY'VE SEEN AROUND THE STATE AND AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF GENERAL COMMENTS AND YOU DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING LEGISLATORS ARE TALKING ABOUT, BUT WHAT THEY'VE SEEN IN THE EXAMPLES THAT THEY'VE, THAT THEY'VE HAD BROUGHT FORWARD, FORWARD IN FRONT OF THEM. SO CRAS FOR YEARS IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE DID A LOT OF LIKE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS AND A LOT OF STREET SCAPING AND ALL THAT, BUT NOT HARD PROJECTS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO REDEVELOP THIS ENTIRE BLOCK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BRING NEW COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES IN AND MAYBE DO BUSINESS INCUBATORS AND SOME, SOME CRAS. WE'RE ONLY DOING LIKE SPECIAL EVENTS AND JUST PROGRAMMATIC, JUST THROWING PARTIES, YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS GOOD. SO IS THERE. YEAH I DON'T WANT TO IS THEIR VERSION OF REDEVELOPMENT. THAT NEEDS TO BE AN INCREASE IN VALUE OR MONEY MADE, OR CAN THE REDEVELOPMENT BE ESTHETIC, ESTHETIC, PUBLIC SPACE? ARE THEY ARE THEY TRYING TO VEER AWAY FROM THAT. AND IT'S MORE OF I'VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH LIKE THIS YEAR, ONE OF THE AGAIN I'VE READ SO MANY DIFFERENT THEY, THEY AMEND THESE BILLS MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE SESSION. SO I CAN'T SAY HOW MANY VERSIONS OF THE SAME BILLS I READ OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ONE VERSION, FOR EXAMPLE, SAID YOU CAN'T SPEND MONEY ANYMORE ON THESE SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE TO BE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS. YOU KNOW, THEY'VE HAD THEY HAVE THAT PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT THAT WASN'T THEIR FOCUS, THEIR FOCUS THIS YEAR IN WHAT WE'VE SEEN AS A KIND OF THE GENERAL PATTERN THE LAST FEW YEARS IS, WELL, WE WANT TO SEE THE PROJECTS IN THE PLAN. THEY'RE ALREADY SPELLED OUT.THEY'RE NOT, I SAY WILLY NILLY, IT'S NOT A TECHNICAL TERM. IT'S THEY WANT IT TO BE SPECIFIC, INCLUDING POTENTIAL COSTS. AND YOU KNOW, HOW COSTS HAVE GONE WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. SO THAT'S HARD TO DO. AND THEN THEY WANT TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING IN PLACE, PLANNED OR ALREADY ALLOCATED, INCLUDING BONDING. THAT'S WHAT THEY REALLY, REALLY WANT TO SEE. AND I THINK MONEY PART OF IT TOO, IS THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CRA IS TO ELIMINATE OR TRY TO ELIMINATE OR AT LEAST REDUCE BLIGHT, BOTH ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL BLIGHT. RIGHT. AND WHAT IS HAPPENING INSTEAD IS A LOT OF CRAS ARE GIVEN THIS BENEFIT OF THIS EXTRA MONEY COMING INTO THEIR POT, BUT THEY'RE SPENDING IT ON, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPENDING IT ON SMALL PROJECTS, AND THAT'S NOT HAVING A MAJOR IMPACT. AND THAT'S WHY AND I APPRECIATE PANEL DOING THIS AND JORDAN DOING THIS. EVERY TIME THEY BRING A PROJECT TOGETHER THEY GIVE US AN INVESTMENT PERCENTAGE FOR THAT PROJECT AND AN INVESTMENT PERCENTAGE
[01:00:04]
OVERALL. SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY FOCUSED ON THE BENEFIT THAT THAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT MONEY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AVAILABLE TO REDUCE THE BLIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS SPENDING THE MONEY TO REDUCE THE BLIGHT. WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY JUST TO SPEND IT. AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THE ISSUE IS. I AGREE 100%. AND WHAT THE LEGISLATURE AGAIN, I ONE OF MY EARLIER COMMENTS WAS WHAT THEY FAILED TO RECOGNIZE IS A LOT OF THE CRAS WERE COMING INTO A POINT WHERE AN INFLECTION POINT WHERE THEY FINALLY HAD ENOUGH MONEY IN THE COFFERS TO ACTUALLY EXPEND TOWARDS PROJECTS BECAUSE LIKE, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH OUR PROGRAM IN OUR CRA, IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT. THE MOST FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS WORK THE SAME WAY. WE HAVE TO PONY UP THE WHOLE 100% OR MORE REALLY, AND THEN ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT AFTERWARDS, HOPING WE COME UP WITH ALL THEIR ACCOUNTABILITIES IN PLACE AND GET THE FULL AMOUNT THAT WE BELIEVE WE'RE DUE. THAT'S A THAT'S A HARD THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY TIMING WITH ALL THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL. AND THAT WAS OUR THAT'S BEEN OUR ARGUMENT BACK TO THEM AS TO SAY, HEY, LIKE THE CITY OF STEWART CRA IS FINALLY AT THIS KIND OF MATURITY DATE, NOT WHERE WE'RE SUNSETTING A MATURITY DATE, WHERE WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING IN PLACE TO ACTUALLY START DOING REAL PROJECTS. MY CONCERN WAS THEY HAVE VALID CRITICISM OF TALLAHASSEE. AND NOW THAT WE'RE AT THIS INFLECTION POINT, IF WE DON'T START GETTING THAT INTO PLACE AND SHOWING IT AS REAL SUBSTANTIAL, THAT WE'RE STILL WE'RE GOING TO MEET OUR OUR TIME, OUR DEADLINES, THEY'RE GOING TO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT WORSE WHEN THEY GO BACK TO TALLAHASSEE AND START WRITING AGAIN. AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY NEEDS TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THE LEGISLATORS, CALL THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS. I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S BEEN A DISSERVICE WHERE WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS CONVERSATION OPENLY IN THE PAST YEAR TO YEAR, THAT WE KIND OF CLENCH OURSELVES AND HOPE THAT THEY DON'T. THEY DON'T HURT US. AND IT'S LIKE, THAT'S NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE. WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO ALL RIGHT. ANY ANYTHING ELSE? I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. SO I WAS MAYBE YOU JUST PARTIALLY ANSWERED IT, BUT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE LIKE THE FOLKS IN TALLAHASSEE. WHAT WHAT WOULD WHAT WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE OR TWO OF BAD BEHAVIOR BY A CRA? IS IT JUST NOT DOING THE BIG PROJECTS LIKE WE JUST HAD THE DISCUSSION, OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT THEY SEE ON? I DON'T I DON'T REMEMBER THERE WAS LIKE A FEW YEARS BACK WHERE THERE WERE SOME SERIOUSLY BAD ACTORS FOR CRAS AND ALMOST LIKE TO THE POINT OF LIKE CRIMINAL. OKAY, THOSE ARE I DON'T WANT TO USE THOSE AS EXAMPLES BECAUSE I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT VERY OFTEN LATELY. IT'S MORE OF KIND OF WHERE WHERE MARK WAS COMING FROM IS THEY WANT TO SEE SERIES ACTUALLY APPROPRIATING ACTUAL BUDGET DOLLARS TOWARDS PROJECTS.BECAUSE IT JUST COMES DOWN TO BASIC GOVERNMENT IS YOU'VE TAXED THIS MONEY, YOU'VE HELD IT. AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT MONEY WAS TO GO TOWARDS THIS AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOCATING, YOU'RE SITTING ON IT. SO THEN DISSOLVE, PUT IT BACK IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND BE DONE WITH IT. LIKE THAT'S THE ARGUMENT, OKAY. AND THAT'S THE REASON THAT ONE OF THESE BILLS IS CALLED THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BILL, BECAUSE WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE WAS MORE HOUSING. THEY WERE THE GOVERNOR IN PARTICULAR, WAS COMPLAINING BECAUSE IN MARTIN COUNTY, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH HOUSING TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES. AND OH, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH. SPECIFICALLY MARTIN COUNTY.
YEAH, THAT'S THE WORD I GOT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING. YEAH. THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME THAT HE WAS SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT MARTIN COUNTY BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS, I DON'T KNOW FOR 100%, BUT I DID HEAR THAT FROM A RELATIVELY RELIABLE SOURCE THAT I REFUSED TO DISCLOSE.
INTERESTING. THE I GUESS, A WELL, I GUESS, YEAH, WE HAVE I GUESS CRA CAN HELP INFLUENCE THAT, BUT I GUESS IT'S MORE THE COMMISSION BUT THE. YEAH, I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THAT. HE WASN'T MAD SPECIFICALLY AT THE CRA AT THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME HE WAS UPSET WITH MARTIN COUNTY. GOT IT AS AN OVERALL. YEAH, HOUSING IS A PROBLEM. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. THE SOMETHING ELSE MAYBE A POINT OF CLARITY. YOU YOU MENTIONED A SEPARATE BILL, NOT CRA BUT A BILL THAT HAD TO IT. I THINK YOU INDICATED THAT IT MAKES EVERYTHING NULL AND VOID AROUND ANY CHANGES IN CODE AND SO ON. SENATE BILL 180. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO IF THAT I JUST TO MAKE SURE, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. SO FOLKS IN THIS CITY AND IN THIS CHAMBER SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON, ON CHANGING, LET'S SAY SOME CODE. IT WAS THE TERM ZIP WAS USED QUITE A BIT.
AND ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IN PARTICULAR, EAST STUART, GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION AND THERE WAS LOTS OF WORKSHOPS AND ALL THAT AND MAYBE SOME INTENDED OUTCOMES. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. SO WHATEVER THAT ALL OF THAT WAS DOING YOU'RE SAYING IS NULL AND VOID FUNCTIONALLY. THAT'S OUR BELIEF. AND THE REASON WE BELIEVE THAT IS THE LANGUAGE SAYS IF IT'S IF YOU PASS A LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT OR DO A MORATORIUM, ANY ONE OF THOSE IN THE FUTURE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. BUT THE REASON THIS APPLIES, AND IT'S PROBABLY AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION, IS THEY GO BACK TO AUGUST 1ST, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THOSE HURRICANES CAME THROUGH FLORIDA. I THINK IT WAS HELENE, DEBBIE AND MILTON. AND THAT WAS THAT MIGHT BE THAT'S MY FAULT. I PROBABLY LEFT THAT POINT. NO THAT'S OKAY. SO IF YOUR COUNTY WAS AFFECTED BY ONE OF THOSE THREE, AND THE REASON SOMETIMES I LEAVE IT OUT IN MY THOUGHT
[01:05:01]
PROCESS IS LIKE, THAT'S ALL A FLORIDA. IT'S THERE'S SO MANY COUNTIES THAT ARE COVERED IN THAT. OKAY. SO THAT'S ALL ALL THAT WAS FOR NOTHING. SO EVERYTHING REMAINS THE SAME AS IT WAS PRIOR TO AUGUST 1ST IS WHAT I HEAR. YES, SIR. AND OUR HANDS ARE COMPLETELY TIED ON MAKING A WHAT THEY CONSIDER RESTRICTIVE AND MORE BURDENSOME AMENDMENT TO ANY ONE OF THOSE LAND DEVELOPMENT COMP PLAN CHANGES FOR THE NEXT TWO AND A HALF YEARS OR SO. GOT IT. AND WHAT WAS WHAT IS THE LOGIC OF TYING CHANGE IN CODE TO HURRICANE? WHY DOES THAT MATTER? SO WHAT HAPPENED IS IN IN I WANT TO GO INTO THE FULL STORY. BUT LIKE IN PLACES LIKE TAMPA SAINT PETE, WHICH IS WHERE THE STATE SENATOR WAS FROM, THAT'S HIS AREA. AND HE WAS THE ONE THAT CHAMPIONED THAT BILL. ON THE SENATE SIDE. HE HAD LITERALLY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FROM HIS WORD OF MOUTH, LITERALLY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS THAT HAD SUFFERED TOTAL LOSS BUSINESS. YEAH, SURE.AND YOU EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW DEVASTATING THOSE THOSE WERE. THE PROBLEM WAS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THERE. THEY'RE NOT EVEN NECESSARILY BAD ACTORS. HE PORTRAYED THEM AS BAD ACTORS WHERE PASSING CODES, PROBABLY SOME THAT EVEN HAD IN THE WORKS OR HAD AN EDITION OF ONE LONG BEFORE THE STORMS HIT, DIDN'T GET TO AROUND TO ENACTING IT, DOING ALL THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND EVERYTHING UNTIL AFTER THE STORMS. WHY IS THAT PROBLEMATIC? WELL, IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER, YOU JUST LOST YOUR HOME. YOU WANT TO REBUILD. WELL, YOU GO TO REBUILD. YOUR HOME WAS PROBABLY BUILT 30, 20 WHATEVER YEARS AGO. ALL THE CODE HAS CHANGED AND NOW IT'S CHANGING AGAIN. AND YOU'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE PERMIT PROCESSES THAT ARE MORE BURDENSOME THAN THEY WERE WHEN YOU ORIGINALLY BUILT YOUR HOUSE. IN SOME INSTANCES, WORST CASE SCENARIO, YOU'RE NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO REBUILD WHAT YOU HAD BEFORE. YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT INSURANCE NIGHTMARES AND ALL THAT. SO THIS WAS KIND OF THEIR ATTEMPT TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, YOU'RE OUT OF CONTROL. YOU'RE YOU'RE CHANGING THINGS TOO FAST, TOO MUCH. AND IT'S SO IMMEDIATE AND RIGHT ADJACENT TO ONE OF THESE SERIOUS EVENTS THAT IT'S HURTING PEOPLE UNNECESSARILY. AND THE HARM FAR OUTWEIGHS ANY BENEFIT OF THE CHANGE IN THE CODE. RIGHT? LIKE THAT'S THE ARGUMENT. THE REALITY IS THE CODE HAS CHANGED PROBABLY A LOT OVER 30 YEARS IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS TO A YEAR, PROBABLY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING EXTREME COMPARATIVE TO THE LAST 20 OR 30 YEARS SINCE THEY BUILT THEIR HOME. BUT THAT WASN'T THE ARGUMENT. THE ARGUMENT WAS, WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FEES, ADDITIONAL BURDEN, RIGHT AT THE TIME OF WORST EVENT. AND IT'S A HARD ARGUMENT, YOU KNOW, TO ARGUE AGAINST. SO WHAT ARE THEY SUGGESTING THEY DO BUILD IT TO 1950 MODE? NO, THAT AND THAT'S NOT EVEN THE RESULT OF THE BILL. I MEAN THAT THAT'S NOT EVEN WHAT IT WOULD RESULT IN. ALL IT DOES IS IT TIES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HANDS FROM KIND OF CHANGING CODE IN THE IMMEDIATE ADJACENCY. THE REASON IT'S RETROACTIVE IS THEY HAVE TWO CLAUSES IN THERE, ONE FOR KIND OF FUTURE STORMS AND ONE THAT COVERS THE MOST RECENT THREE STORMS THAT CAME THROUGH.
WE JUST HAPPEN TO AT LEAST BE COVERED BY MILTON, IF NOT EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO, HELENE AND DEBBIE. SO BECAUSE WE'RE COVERED, MARTIN COUNTY AND ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN MARTIN COUNTY ARE COVERED UNDER THIS LANGUAGE. EVERYTHING THAT GOES BACK TO AUGUST 1ST OF 2024 FORWARD. SO REALLY THREE YEARS TO OCTOBER OF 2027 IS NULL AND VOID. SO WE CAN'T IF YOU'RE DOING AN AMENDMENT THAT IS MORE BURDENSOME, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE CODE WHERE YOU'RE NOT BURDENING SOMEONE. ADDITIONALLY THAT'S THAT'S THE PROBLEM. IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE WOULD CHOOSE TO MAKE WIDE SWEEPING POLICY BASED ON 1 OR 2 VERY, VERY SPECIFIC SITUATIONS.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING APPROACH. IT'S THEY'VE THEY SWATTED A FLY WITH AN AX. YEAH. YEAH. THAT'S THAT'S WELL THOSE FOLKS IN TALLAHASSEE, THEY'RE A LOT SMARTER THAN WE ARE I GUESS. SO MUST BE A REASON. THAT'S TRUE. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANKS. ANYTHING ELSE? ALL RIGHT. BEN, THANKS. I APPRECIATE YOU STAYING LATE. I KNEW WE WOULD HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. WE APPRECIATE YOU STAYING HERE WITH US. AND. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY FOR THE REST OF IT, BECAUSE WE ARE. WE'VE STILL GOT A COUPLE OTHER DISCUSSIONS IF THE BOARD IS OKAY WITH IT. WELL THANK YOU. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, YOU KNOW, I HAVE OFFICE HOURS. IF YOU EVER HAVE QUESTIONS AND YOU REALLY WANT TO ASK WHAT KIND OF CHANGE AND WHY, I'M HAPPY TO TALK OFFLINE AS WELL. SO OKAY. APPRECIATE IT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT THING THAT WE HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, DISCUSSIONS AND DELIBERATION. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, IS THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO DO. ONE, REINFORCE, YOU KNOW, THE LAST CRA MEETING, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANTED THEY ASKED US TO BRING FORWARD OUR SUGGESTIONS ON THE CHARRETTE CONCEPT. OKAY.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED TO DO THAT, THAT WE'RE BRINGING THAT FORWARD AS A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO SEE IT AS A RECOMMENDATION SPECIFICALLY FROM THE CRB. AND SO I THINK WE MADE A MOTION BACK THEN AND DID THAT. BUT IF WE DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN MAKE A MOTION NOW, BUT I THINK WE PROBABLY COULD REINFORCE THE MOTION THAT WE MADE PREVIOUSLY. SO I HAVE A LITTLE PRESENTATION. I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THAT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FROM THESE WORKSHOPS, BECAUSE IT'S
[01:10:02]
IMPORTANT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF WORK. SO WHEN WE GO OUT FOR RFQ, WE INCLUDE THE PROPER LANGUAGE AND SCOPE THAT. SO WE GET THE RIGHT RESULTS THAT THE BOARD IS LOOKING FOR. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I CAN GO THROUGH THE LIST THAT I'VE CREATED AND YOU CAN ADD TO IT, OR YOU CAN TELL ME, LET'S REVISE IT, WHATEVER THE BOARD DECIDES. YEAH, THAT'D BE GOOD. SO I'VE CREATED A LIST. THE FIRST ITEM ON THE LIST IS ESTABLISH A VISION FOR THE CRA IN DOWNTOWN.WE WANT TO ASSESS COMMUNITY VALUES, TO GUIDE, TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VISION FOR THE CRA IN DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, AS BOARD MEMBER HAS MENTIONED THAT THE VISION HAS CHANGED FOR THE DOWNTOWN FOR THE CRA. SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY THE COMMUNITY VALUES IN THE CITY. ALSO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS THAT FORM THE CRA, WHAT ARE THEIR FUNCTIONS AND BOUNDARIES? SO THAT'S REALLY THE BROAD SCOPE THAT THAT WILL PROBABLY DIVE INTO MORE WHEN WE WORK WITH THE CONSULTANT. THE SECOND ONE IS REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES ON PUBLICLY OWNED LANDS FROM THE EXISTING CITY HALL SITE TO FLAGLER PARK. AT THE LAST MEETING, I PRESENTED SOME OF THE CONCEPTUAL PLANS THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED FOR THE CITY HALL SITE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAS THAT CHANGED? SO WE NEED TO GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK AS TO WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THESE PUBLIC OWNED PROPERTIES. IDENTIFIED DISTRICT FOR EXPANSION OF DOWNTOWN. EAST OF SOUTH COLORADO AVENUE TO SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AVENUE. IF THE CITY HALL IS GOING TO RELOCATE TO WELLS FARGO, YOU KNOW OUR OUR OUR DOWNTOWN IS EXPANDING. SO WE WANT TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND CREATE AN IDENTITY AND BRANDING FOR THOSE NEW DISTRICTS, EVALUATE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF THE PUBLIC REALM WITHIN THE CRA. IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC STREETS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO SEE, SOME ENHANCEMENTS OR NEW RENDERINGS ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THOSE STREETS, WE SHOULD INCLUDE THE SPECIFIC STREETS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO IDENTIFY IN THE IN THE OUTCOME. NEW CULTURAL PUBLIC AMENITIES, IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKS, PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES, AND OTHER ENHANCEMENTS. RECOMMENDATIONS.
AGAIN, THIS WILL COME FROM FROM DOING WORKSHOPS AND UNDERSTANDING. IS THERE A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AMENITIES IN THE CITY? YOU KNOW THE SECTION ON, ON, ON I THINK YOU SAID ON NEIGHBORHOODS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, CAN WE PULL OUT THAT STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY MAIN STREET WHERE THEY DESIGNATED POTENTIAL POTENTIAL DISTRICTS THAT THAT THEY THOUGHT MADE SENSE? AND AT THE TIME, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT MAIN STREET EFFORTS IN THOSE AREAS. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THE ONE THAT WAS THE PROFESSIONAL AND ARTS DISTRICT. IT WAS IT WAS A COMBINED. IT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE CURRENT ARTS DISTRICT IS. BUT BUT BUT THIS MAP. WELL, NO, I'M, I DON'T THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN BACK IN, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO. IT WAS A SPECIFIC IT WAS A SPECIFIC MAIN STREET INITIATIVE THAT WE HAD. WE BROUGHT PEOPLE INTO TOWN. WE HAD CONSULTANTS IN TO TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT WAS BEING DONE IN OTHER PLACES TO CREATE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THE CITY, WITHIN THE MAIN CITIES OR CRAS. AND WE ENDED UP DEVELOPING, I THINK IT WAS 3 OR 4 OVERALL DISTRICTS. THEY MIGHT BE THE EXISTING DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE CAN TIE IT KIND OF AT LEAST HAVE SOME KIND OF AN IDEA WHAT WAS DONE BACK THEN IN TERMS OF WHAT MAIN STREET DID, BECAUSE THEY PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THAT AND SEE IF I'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH, SEE IF YOU CAN DIG THAT OUT. IT MIGHT BE IT'S THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CRA STAFF WORKED ON WHERE WE IDENTIFIED DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
YEAH. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT THE CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT. YEAH. GOING BACK, WE ALSO WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD ADDITIONAL AMENITIES IN THE CITY. WHAT ARE THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE COST. SO WE WANT THE CONSULTANT TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE REPORT.
ILLUSTRATIONS, RENDERINGS, ELEVATIONS OF THE VISION AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND BUILD OUT OF ALL THESE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE. AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE MENTIONED THE CITY IS PRETTY MUCH BUILT OUT, BUT THERE ARE SOME REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. SO WE WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE FOR DOWNTOWN, TRIANGLE DISTRICT, CREEK DISTRICT, EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD OR OSCEOLA STREET. AND WE ALSO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME DEVELOPMENT ON WELLS FARGO SITE. I KNOW WE'VE DONE RFP IN THE PAST BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG PARKING LOT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PROVIDE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
[01:15:06]
WE HAVE THE CITY GARAGE SITE THAT WOULD BE RELOCATED. SO WE'VE IN THE PAST WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN GO IN THERE AND ON ON THAT SITE IN THE FUTURE. AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS COME UP FOR THAT SITE. AND THEN WE HAVE THE 325 SOUTHEAST OCEAN BOULEVARD AND 330 SOUTHEAST OSCEOLA STREET, WHICH IS RIGHT ADJACENT TO WELLS FARGO BUILDING THAT THE CRA PURCHASE. SO THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REDEVELOPMENT FOR THAT SITE. SO WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IT THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THOSE ON THOSE SITES? PARKING PLAN, A RECOMMENDATION FOR CODE AMENDMENTS TO FOR PARKING REQUIREMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE REDEVELOPMENT ALONG DIXIE HIGHWAY FROM JOHN JEFFERSON TO COLORADO AVENUE. I KNOW THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC, BUT IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE TRACK, WE HAVE THE OLD AUTO SHOP AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PARCELS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO DEVELOP BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MEET THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS. SO WE REALLY NEED SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, FOR THAT AREA. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STANDARDS.YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO REVIEW OUR EXISTING DESIGN STANDARDS AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WE WOULD WANT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON NEW DESIGN STANDARDS THAT'S ALIGNED WITH THIS COMMUNITY'S VISION AND PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY DESIGN. STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. FOR THE 2015 CRA EXPANSION AREA, WE EXPANDED THE CRA IN 2015, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY. YOU KNOW, WE NEVER AMENDED THE CODE. THEY STILL HAVE THE GENERAL CODE REQUIREMENTS. SO WE NEED SOME SORT OF GUIDANCE FOR HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THOSE AREAS, IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WITH WIDER SIDEWALK AND LANDSCAPING AND CORE DOWNTOWN. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE VERY LIMITED SIDEWALK IN DOWNTOWN. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR THAT POTENTIAL PARKING GARAGE LOCATION AND ANY OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT EXISTING EXISTING BUSINESSES AND CREATE NEW JOBS. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I CAME UP WITH. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE BOARD IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE WE SHOULD ADD TO THE SCOPE. I, I WOULD LIKE TO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A, AN ITEM TO DETERMINE WHAT TYPE OF JOBS THAT WE WANT WITHIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES ARE WE LOOKING TO, WHAT SIZE BUSINESSES ARE WE LOOKING TO, AND IN WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITY THERE IS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY, THE CRA, AT LEAST THE CITY, I GUESS CAN DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT THAT OR NOT, BUT WHETHER WE SHOULD FOCUS ON POTENTIALLY ANY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IN TERMS OF BRINGING IN A UNIVERSITY, EVEN IF IT'S A, YOU KNOW, SMALL CAMPUS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF EDUCATIONAL OR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR US OUT THERE.
WE HAVE SOME YOU HAVE SOME EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN EAST STUART. RIGHT, RIGHT.
THE PROJECT LIFT, WHICH WILL PROVIDE TRADE, TRADE CLASSES. SO GOOD PROJECT. BUT YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT WE WERE COMMITTED TO IN THE CITY WE WERE COMMITTED TO, TO INCUBATIONS TO INCUBATORS. AND WE'VE KIND OF MOVED AWAY FROM THAT. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, FRED TALKED WE HAD OR THIS GROUP HAD TALKED ABOUT FRED HAD MENTIONED THAT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY PROBABLY NEEDED ALL OVER THE CRA. BUT, YOU KNOW, EAST STUART HAS BEEN MENTIONING FOR YEARS THAT THEY NEED SOME SORT OF PROGRAM LIKE THAT. AND, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING BEFORE I GET TO YOU, THE QUESTION I HAD FOR FRED IS, IS THIS GOING TO ADDRESS THE MEMO THAT YOU GAVE US AT THE LAST MEETING IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT PERSON? IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE DON'T HIRE A DEVELOPMENT PERSON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING TO WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THIS STUDY DONE AND THEN DO YOU THINK THAT'LL BE OKAY? MARK? I THINK SO. BUT WHAT I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, IT SEEMED LIKE THEIR ATTITUDE DID NOT WANT TO BRING IN COUNSELING OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE TO ADVISE. AND SO HOW MUCH OF AN EFFECT DOES WE AS A BOARD HAVE WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO LISTEN TO IT OR CONSIDER IT? WELL, YOU'RE TWO VOTING MEMBERS OF THE CRA. SO YOU COULD NO, THEY HAVE THE THEY HAVE THEY HAVE THREE OF THE YEAH NUMBERS. THAT NUMBER THE TOTAL IN TERMS OF IN TERMS OF RESTRICTIONS. AND I WOULD I WOULD DISAGREE A LITTLE BIT. I, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW ALL THREE OF THOSE COMMISSIONERS PRETTY WELL.
IT'S FIVE TOTAL. RIGHT. YOU SAID THREE. I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE THREE COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BEEN GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF, OF CHANGE IN, IN THE TYPE OF THE TYPE OF DOWNTOWN WE HAVE OR NOT
[01:20:08]
DOWNTOWN, THE TYPE OF CITY WE HAVE. AND IT'S LIKE I SAID AT CRA, AT THE CRA MEETING, I DON'T THINK THAT I'M I DON'T THINK THEY'RE WRONG NECESSARILY. I JUST DON'T THINK WE'VE ASKED PEOPLE, I MEAN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DESIGN AND WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP CODE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR OUTCOME IS. AND THIS AND I THINK THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS, IS TO COME TO THE IS TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT THE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE THIS PLACE TO BE WHEN IT'S DONE, AND LET'S MOVE TOWARDS IT. AND IF ALL OF THESE CHANGES WE'RE MAKING, THEY COULD BE VERY POSITIVE. IF, IF THIS WANTS TO BE A TRADITIONAL CITY, BECAUSE WE'VE FELT LIKE WE'VE ALREADY KIND OF BUILT IT OUT IF IT WANTS TO BE A TRADITIONAL CITY WITH TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS, THEN A LOT OF THE CODE CHANGES THAT THAT THEY'VE MADE ARE VALID CODE CHANGES. THEY'RE GOOD CODE CHANGES TO ENCOURAGE SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT AROUND SCHOOLS AND AROUND, YOU KNOW, AND ALL OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS NOT A BAD THING. I'M NOT I DON'T AND I THINK THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING WITH THIS IS THAT I THINK PEOPLE CAN COULD DO THIS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE LOCAL RESOURCES, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOCALLY HAS A VESTED INTEREST. RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WHOEVER IS GOING TO LEAD THIS PROGRAM IS NOT LOCAL AND DOESN'T HAVE A SPECIFIC THING THAT THEY SELL. YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T A LAND PLANNER THAT YOU GO TO WHO ALWAYS DOES DUANY DUANY TYPE STUFF OR ALWAYS DOES, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL CITIES OR WHATEVER. WE WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN TELL US WHAT THOSE OPTIONS ARE, WHAT IT MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY, AND LET THE COMMUNITY TELL US THIS IS WHAT WE WANT OR DON'T WANT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUT OF IT. BUT IS ANYBODY ELSE HAVE I HAVE LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY GENERALLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WHAT WE AS RESIDENTS OF THE CITY HAVE BEEN SAYING AND HOW WE'VE BEEN VOTING IS THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT, BUT AT SOME POINT, WE DO HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO WANT. AND I THINK THIS IS THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT GROWTH, WE DON'T WANT THIS, WE DON'T WANT THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE JUST WANT OUR CITY TO STAY EXACTLY THE SAME? NO IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PUBLIC SPACES. YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ESTABLISH THAT AND GIVE US SOME DIRECTION. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY YEARS. I THINK THIS IS MY SECOND OR THIRD YEAR ON THE BOARD. BUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE COME TO MAKE THE BUDGET AND THEN THERE'S THESE THINGS THAT ARE JUST LIKE FLOATING AROUND, AND IT WOULD BE NICE FOR US TO HAVE MORE OF A, A FIRMER GRASP ON, LIKE, WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS US TO MOVE FORWARD ON AND SPEND OUR MONEY ON. SO THAT'S JUST A GENERAL COMMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS ANYTHING ELSE. GENERALLY, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE WEEDS OF WHAT PANEL WANTS US TO DISCUSS.SO I JUST HAVE MAYBE A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THAT THE CRA DID A KIND OF A PUBLIC COMMENT WORKSHOP TYPE THING? SO WE'VE DONE ONE IN THE TRIANGLE DISTRICT. SO WE'VE DONE IT BY DISTRICTS, NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE CRA. PROBABLY THE ONE FOR THE CRA WAS PROBABLY DONE WHEN DUANY PLAN WAS DONE IN 2002. SOMETIMES AROUND THERE WE HAD WE HAD A COUPLE THAT WERE DONE AROUND PARKING. WE HAD ONE. WE'VE DONE PARKING STUDIES, BUT AGAIN, VERY SPECIFIC. PUT THEIR LITTLE STICKER UP WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PARKING GARAGE. AND WE DID. WE DID SOME OF THOSE AROUND THAT. THAT WAS DONE TWICE, I THINK IN IN THE PAST, PROBABLY WITHIN THE LAST TEN YEARS AGAIN. BUT A LOT OF THAT PARKING GARAGE DISCUSSION KIND OF WENT AWAY BECAUSE WITH THE BRIGHTLINE COMING, WE THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WOULD BE A PARKING GARAGE THERE. SO THEN THAT KIND OF THAT SOLVED THE ISSUE. GREAT. SO. I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA. I'M GLAD THAT I THINK IT'S BEEN THIS BODY, THIS BOARD. BUT CERTAINLY MARK AND FREDERICK SORT OF CHAMPIONING THIS AND THE TEAM. SO I THINK IT'S A IT'S A GREAT IDEA. WHAT WHAT KIND OF PERSON OR PARTY LEADS THIS OR WHAT IS THEIR CREDENTIALS. ARE THEY AN URBAN PLANNER, AN URBAN DESIGNER? ARE THEY A, I DON'T KNOW, A MEETING FACILITATOR? WHAT KIND OF PERSON OR PEOPLE? IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A TEAM. TEAM. YEAH. YEAH. ALL OF THOSE THINGS. YES. OKAY. SO PEOPLE WHO KNOW STUFF. RIGHT. PEOPLE WHO KNOW STUFF. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO KNOW STUFF. SO WE WOULD DO AN RFQ. SO IT'D BE A QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO EVALUATE BASED ON THE CRITERIA WE ESTABLISHED TO SELECT OUR CONSULTANT. YEAH. THANKS. AND I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT IS SOMETHING YOU SAID FREDERICK I AT THE LAST CRA. I HEARD IT AS WELL AS YOU DID ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT COMMISSION, WHETHER IT'S A MAJORITY OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THE CURRENT COMMISSION KIND OF SEEMS AND FEELS LIKE THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN DOING A WHOLE LOT. IT'S KIND OF LIKE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS GROUP IF WE'RE GOING TO PROPOSE THINGS AND, AND MAYBE THE COMMISSION
[01:25:04]
DOESN'T SUPPORT. I HEARD THAT AS WELL. BUT I GUESS THE WAY I LOOK AT IT IS, OH, THERE WAS ANOTHER COMMENT AMONG THAT GROUP IS THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID, WELL, THEY, THEY WANT, THEY WANT, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ALREADY GOT COMMUNITY INPUT. AND I THOUGHT THAT'S THAT'S AN INTERESTING COMMENT. BUT ACTUALLY THAT'S WHAT THIS GROUP IS. SO THIS IS THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT BOARD. SO WE ARE REPRESENTING OUR OUR FELLOW CITIZENS. WE ARE REALLY THE COMMUNITY GIVING GUIDANCE TO THE COMMISSION. SO WE ARE THAT GROUP. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR CIRCLES THAT WE RUN AROUND IN AND WE REPRESENT DIFFERENT EXPERTISE BECAUSE THE CITY COMMISSIONERS CANNOT BE EXPERTS ON EVERYTHING, OF COURSE. AND WE ARE KIND OF WITH OUR OWN DIFFERENT EXPERTISE IN BACKGROUND REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY. SO I KIND OF SEE IT AS WE ARE THE COMMUNITY AND CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSION BASED ON THE MISSION OF THE C, B AND CRA. SO I'M NOT QUITE AS DEPRESSED AS IT MIGHT SEEM ON THE ON THE OUTSIDE ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE ANY FUTURE HERE, BUT I THINK I THINK WE DO AND THIS IS A GOOD STEP IN THAT DIRECTION, MAYBE HAVING A WORKSHOP AND BUT I GUESS THE REASON I ASK ABOUT THE AND I'LL STOP TALKING IN A SECOND. THE REASON I ASK ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE LAST TIME, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU YOU GAVE US LOTS OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION WHEN WE JOINED THE BOARD. THERE WAS LOTS OF DECKS OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, AND I, I SAW LOTS OF IMAGES OF WHAT I THOUGHT LOOKED LIKE WORKSHOPS AND, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND TOURS AROUND THE CITY. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, I MEAN, A LOT OF ENERGY WENT INTO WHATEVER THOSE WERE AND I'M SAYING WHATEVER, BECAUSE I REALIZE THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND SOME OF THOSE ARE STILL HERE IN THIS LIST. AND WHAT I STARTED TO THINK ABOUT IS THESE ARE THESE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU DON'T JUST GO WILLY NILLY AND HAVE AN IDEA AND GO DO IT NEXT WEEK. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF PLANNING AND EFFORT, AND ONCE YOU GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MOMENTUM, YOU YOU SHOULD JUST GO. AND SO WHAT I WORRY IS WE'RE NOT JUST GOING IN A CIRCLE, ARE WE? IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THIS LIST, IF THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN VETTED, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, I MEAN, UNLESS THERE'S A STRONG, STRONG OPINION NOT TO PROCEED, WHAT YOU'RE WE SHOULD. OTHERWISE YOU'RE JUST DISCOUNTING ALL OF THAT INVESTMENT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. AM I WRONG ABOUT THAT? NO, I AGREE. I MEAN, YES, ALTHOUGH KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS A PLAN THAT'S NOT DEVELOPED, NOT DESIGNED TO BE DONE TODAY. IT'S A PRIORITIZED SITUATION.SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THESE ITEMS ARE THINGS THAT THE CRA HAS DETERMINED THAT THROUGH INPUT FROM THE CRB AND OTHERS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE. OKAY. THE ISSUE IS WHEN. ALL RIGHT. AND SOME OF THAT WAS STRUCTURED BASED ON SOME THINGS THAT WE PLAN TO DO, LIKE HAVE A TRAIN STATION OR HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE DEVELOPMENT OVER HERE OR NOT HAVE DEVELOPMENT THERE OR HAVE MONEY COMING IN FROM HERE. AND SO, SO SOME OF THAT HAS HAD TO BE RESTRUCTURED. WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT AND WANT TO SEE US, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO BRING UP TONIGHT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALONG FRED'S COMMENT ABOUT FEELING A LITTLE DISCOURAGED THAT NOBODY WANTS TO GO ALONG. DISCOURAGE IS A BETTER WORD THAN DEPRESSED. THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S. YES. YEAH, BUT IT'S A RECOGNITION BY OUR BOARD THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW. AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS JUST ADJUST AS A BOARD AND FOCUS ON THINGS THAT WE THINK STILL MAKE SENSE AND DON'T NECESSARILY STEP ON THAT DIRECTION UNTIL WE HAVE A GREATER DIRECTION. ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE BEFORE IS BECAUSE I RAN FOR OFFICE. SO I KNOW YOU WALK AROUND AND YOU TALK TO ALL THESE PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND AS BONNIE SAID, THEY TELL YOU WHAT THEY DON'T LIKE. MOST OF THEM DON'T TELL YOU. OH YEAH. YEAH THAT'S FANTASTIC. COSTCO'S GOING IN, YOU KNOW. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO ASK THEM THAT QUESTION. AND MOST OF THE TIME THE ONLY ANSWER YOU GET IS, IS WHEN YOU ASK THEM THE QUESTION. AND A LOT OF TIMES YOU ONLY HEAR FROM THE NEGATIVE PEOPLE. AND SO, SO IN EFFECT, THERE'S PROBABLY 100 OR 200 PEOPLE THAT HAVE DETERMINED THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY RIGHT NOW. WHEN YOU GO BACK TO ELECTIONS. AND THAT'S AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKE. AND THEN INTERNET, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STUFF THAT COMES OUT AND THAT'S VALID. I MEAN, YOU GET TO HEAR. BUT AGAIN, MOST OF THE TIME YOU HEAR A LOT OF CRITICISMS ON INTERNET. YOU DON'T HEAR A LOT OF THE POSITIVES UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO GET INTO A SHOUTING MATCH. SO ALL I'M SAYING IS WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PLANS THAT ARE GOOD PLANS AND THEY CAN BE DONE NOW. WE CAN CHANG FOCUS. THEY CAN BE DONE NOW AND WE
[01:30:04]
DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THEM. ONE THAT I'VE MENTIONED IS I'D LIKE TO SEE US COME FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH SOMETHING RELATIVE TO QUIET ZONES, BECAUSE THEY'RE A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN YOU HAVE QUIET ZONES, YOU HAVE THE MAXIMUM SAFETY THAT YOU CAN HAVE. AND SO BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO TURN OFF THOSE, THOSE SIRENS, I MEAN, THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE HORNS. AND SO JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A, A TRAIN STATION DOESN'T MEAN WE DON'T STILL HAVE A TRAIN GOING THROUGH TOWN. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT TRAIN DOESN'T DISRUPT AND HAVE AN IMPACT, AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ON DOWNTOWN. PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO THE TRAIN CUTS OFF THEIR CONVERSATION OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AND SO OR THEY'RE NOT SURE HOW TO GET THROUGH WHEN A TRAIN COMES. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE AFRAID OF THAT. AND SO IF WE CREATE A SAFE AREA DOWNTOWN, THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG PLUS. IT'LL BE A BIG PLUS FOR THE CRA. IT'LL BE A BIG PLUS FOR THE BUSINESSES AND THE AND THE PEOPLE DOWNTOWN THAT KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WILL HAVE THOSE QUIET ZONES. THAT'S WHY THEY WERE PROPOSED. INITIALLY, IT WASN'T STRICTLY SO THAT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, GET THE BRIGHT LINE THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES BACK THEN, ONE OF THE ISSUES BACK THEN. BUT IT'S IT WAS IT WAS TO CREATE A, AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T HAVE NOISE POLLUTION AND WAS WAS SAFE. SO THERE'S SOMETHING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE, WE'VE WE USED TO HAVE INCUBATORS. WE DON'T HAVE THOSE ANYMORE. THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT. IT HAS ALL TO DO WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S OPPOSED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE COMMISSION. I THINK THEY JUST WANT TO SEE WHAT IT IS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE AS A BOARD WE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT. WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK FOR THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE, FIT AN OVERALL STRUCTURE. I MEAN, EVEN IF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY COME IN AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT QUIET ZONES OR WE DO, WELL, THE CHANCE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN AND SAY, WE DON'T WANT QUIET ZONES. I MEAN, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY YOU CAN'T HAVE THE TRAIN BECAUSE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DECIDED. SO I DON'T SEE ANYBODY SAYING, YEAH, NO, I WANT THAT HORN TO BLARE. I LOVE THAT BABY. YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY. BUT I THINK ONCE PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE TO GET A, YOU KNOW, TO GET A QUIET ZONE, YEAH. YOU SEE HOW SAFE IT IS. I MEAN, AND I WALKED, I WALKED THIS, I WALKED THE DOWNTOWN, THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND I STAYED OFF THE TRACKS. BUT I WALKED DOWN AROUND THEM, DOWN AT THE CROSSINGS. I STOOD THERE IN CONFUSION CORNER I WALK, I WALKED ACROSS THERE AND I WALKED ACROSS THE SAILFISH. AND BOTH OF THOSE, BOTH OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS ARE JUST A DEATH WAITING TO HAPPEN. I MEAN, BECAUSE THEY'RE ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY. AND I WAS GOING TO BRING IT UP TONIGHT. IS THE POSSIBILITY AS LONG AS PART OF THE QUIET ZONES IS THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO DO TO CUT OFF SOME OF THE SOME. WELL NO, SOME OF THE ROADS THAT GO INTO CONFUSION CORNER. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT. WE'RE KNOWN NATIONALLY FOR CONFUSION CORNER. ARE YOU GOING TO GET RID OF YOU KNOW MAYBE WE SHOULD UPDATE CONFUSION CORNER SO PEOPLE KNOW WE ADDED ANOTHER TRAIN COMING THROUGH AT 75 OR 80 MILES AN HOUR. BUT BUT DO YOU TAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT.THAT'S THAT'S REALLY PART OF OUR HISTORY. I MEAN IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT, THAT WE'RE KNOWN FOR NATIONALLY, THANKS TO CHARLES CARROLL. SO YOU KNOW, SO IT'S BUT THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT I THINK WE COULD STILL COME FORWARD AND WE CAN STILL MAKE AN IMPACT. AND WE CAN WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SHE'S DONE A LOT OF THE WORK. WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO ARE YOU. ARE YOU COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS TO PUT ON A LIST TO PRIORITIZE, OR ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE CURRENT VISIONING AND MASTER PLAN? I'M TALKING ABOUT MORE ITEMS TO PRIORITIZE. OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE KIND OF BACKED AWAY FROM SOME ITEMS LIKE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I DON'T KNOW IF CITY HALL, FOR EXAMPLE, NEEDS TO BE IN THE DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW, DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE WITH THE COMMUNITY VISIONING, YOU KNOW, IT MAY COME OUT THAT THAT AT LEAST WHERE THIS BUILDING IS, THAT THE CITY WOULD RATHER SEE AN ENTRANCE TO A DOWNTOWN PARK, WHICH IS FLAGLER PARK, AND SEE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT THERE AND THERE. WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY WANT TO REDEVELOP THIS SITE. WE MIGHT NOT WANT TO KEEP IT AS A PARK BY ITSELF, BECAUSE IT'S SMALL AND WE'VE GOT THE WHOLE FLAGLER PARK. THE USE OF IT COULD CHANGE COMPLETELY DEPENDING UPON WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO DO WITH CITY HALL, SHOULD WE'VE MADE DECISIONS IN THE PAST THAT CITY HALL SHOULD BE DOWNTOWN, ALL RIGHT, AND IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR IT TO BE IN THE CRA AND TO BE THE COUNTY SEAT HERE, ALL OF THAT KIND OF THING.
[01:35:01]
ARE WE GOING TO WHEN WE GO FORWARD, ARE WE STILL GOING TO WANT TO BE THE COUNTY SEAT? DO WE WANT TO BE THAT ENTITY? I THINK I THINK NOW I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING. IF I COULD REWORD IT MAYBE IS OR YOUR THINKING IS THERE ARE FROM THAT THE EXISTING LIST OF PRIORITIES. THERE ARE SOME THAT PROBABLY SHOULD BE PAUSED UNTIL WE HAVE THE WORKSHOP. THEN THERE MIGHT BE MAYBE A FEW THAT WE COULD PROCEED WITH WITH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THINKING THAT, WELL, THOSE ARE NOT GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY A, A WORKSHOP. SO THERE'S TWO LISTS, BUT I, I THINK THIS GROUP WOULD PROBABLY ALSO WANT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROPOSE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS FOR THE FOR THE LIST TO CONSIDER, TO GO FORWARD WITH VERSUS THOSE THAT WE PAUSED AS PART OF THE WORKSHOP SO I COULD SEE THOSE AS TWO THINGS WORKING AT THE SAME TIME. YEAH. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING. I'M THINKING THAT THAT I'M WITH YOU, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT. AND NOW WITH WHAT BEN SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWO YEARS BEFORE THERE CAN BE ANY CHANGES MADE TO CODE ANYWAY. SO WE'VE GOT TIME TO GET THE INPUT FROM THE CITY AND TO DO IT. AND SO WE PAUSE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY BE MORE CONTROVERSIAL, MAYBE NOT WHEN IT'S DONE, BUT AT LEAST THE DESERVES COMMUNITY INPUT. AND WE GO FORWARD WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE DONE. FOR EXAMPLE, UNDERGROUNDING OF UTILITIES FOR HURRICANE. JUST PROCEED. YEAH. THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANYBODY SITTING IN A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT'S GOING TO SAY, YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO SEE UTILITIES UNDERGROUND. YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT. NOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME PEOPLE SAYING, HOW MUCH IS THIS ALL GOING TO COST ME? IT'LL COME TO PRIORITIZATION. AND WHERE ARE THE TAX DOLLARS COMING FROM. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE IT. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE GENERATING 40% RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT. THOSE TAX DOLLARS WERE SPENDING WISELY BECAUSE WE'RE PRODUCING RESULTS, AND WE'RE PAYING FOR THINGS LIKE THIS THAT HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. STREETSCAPING, WHICH IS UNDERGROUNDING SIDEWALK TREES ALTOGETHER. I MEAN, IT'S A NO BRAINER, BUT SO NOW HELP US OUT A BIT. SO WHAT WHAT DO WE SHOULD WE CONTINUE WITH YOUR SLIDES OR. I MEAN, I THINK I THINK SHE JUST WANTED OUR I THINK IT COVERS A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THAT THE BOARD IS DISCUSSING. SO AND IT'LL HELP PRIORITIZE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN THAT ARE FURTHER DOWN THE LIST. AND JUST TO GET PUBLIC FEEDBACK ON THAT, ON THOSE ITEMS, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS ARE DEFINITELY MOVING FORWARD. STATEMENT NEIGHBORHOOD QUIET ZONES COULD MOVE FORWARD. IT'S ALREADY IN THE IT'S ALREADY IN THE CIP. WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO GET SOME COST ESTIMATES WHAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS LOOK LIKE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE CRA VISION. IT'S MORE ABOUT COST AND WHAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, ARE. SO I THINK IT'S MORE OVERALL A VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN AND THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND HOW WE WANT TO EXPAND OUR DOWNTOWN AND CREATE UNIQUE IDENTITY. AND IF THERE'S ANY NEED FOR ADDITIONAL AMENITIES, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MORE BROADER VISION FOR THE CRA. I THINK BONNIE COULD PROBABLY WELL AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT THEM AT LEAST WHOEVER WE HIRE, I'D LIKE THEM TO TELL US WHAT WE ARE NOW OR WHAT WE'RE CLOSEST TO, WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY WE'RE CLOSEST TO, SO WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT, YOU KNOW? YEAH, LIKE LIKE YOU'RE SUGGESTING NONE OF US ARE URBAN PLANNERS OR CITY PLANNERS. SOMEBODY COME IN AND GIVE US LOOK THIS SECTION HERE. WE NEED TO TEAR THIS DOWN AND PUT THIS UP. AND THIS IS WHAT WAS DONE IN THESE THREE CITIES. AND LOOK AT THEM NOW, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A BACKGROUND IN THAT. YOU KNOW, I THINK BONNIE IS THE CLOSEST WE COME. BONNIE. YEAH, I DO DO THAT. BUT I KNOW WE'RE HERE. I DON'T WORK IN MARTIN COUNTY, SO I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, CLAY, ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE SCOPE OF THIS, WOULD BE THAT THOSE PLANS, THEY WOULD BE INCORPORATED AND WE WOULD FIGURE OUT, LIKE, HOW THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER IN COHESION, LIKE THE TRIANGLE DISTRICT PLAN IS NOT VERY OLD. I'VE LOOKED THROUGH IT. IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. YOUR, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER YOU'RE HIRING WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT PLAN AND FIGURE OUT HOW IT WEAVES INTO THIS GREATER VISION AND HOW IT'S ALL CONNECTED. JUST AS A SIDE NOTE THAT THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN THE TRIANGLE DISTRICT AFFECT CONFUSION CORNER. IT MAKES THAT RAILROAD CROSSING AND THAT AREA MORE DIFFICULT. RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S THE THAT WAS THE BIG PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE HAD WITH THAT WALK AROUND. WAS THAT HOW DO YOU REDIRECT WEST OCEAN THAT COMES IN THERE WITH DIXIE? AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT THAT PORTION OF THAT INTERSECTION IS IMPACTED. SO THAT'S WHY I SAY SOMETHING LIKE THESE QUIET ZONES, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN[01:40:02]
FIGURE OUT THAT WILL TELL US WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO OR WHAT WE SHOULD DO WITH THE TRIANGLE DISTRICT, THIS WILL BE LIKE A LITTLE BIT BROADER AND HIGHER LEVEL THAN THAT. LIKE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ALL THE WAY INTO CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS OR SPECIFIC LIKE VERY DETAILED DESIGN FOR ANY OF THESE. THAT'S JUST TOO BIG OF A SCOPE FOR ONE PROJECT. BUT I WOULD SAY, LIKE OVERALL, I THINK EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE GOT IN HERE IS PRETTY GOOD. I THINK IN ORDER FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO USE WHATEVER THE FEE IS IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE PLACES, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, LIKE THE REVIEW AND THE VISION FOR PUBLICLY OWNED LANDS, PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY PARKS, CITY OWNED PARCELS BE MORE HEAVILY EMPHASIZED BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THAT. AND THEN IT MORE OF A HIGHER LEVEL WITH, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. WE CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF BUSINESSES WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN AND, AND WHERE THOSE MIGHT GO. BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET INTO LIKE URBAN DESIGN OF THIS IS WHAT THE BUILDING SHOULD LOOK LIKE. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY YOU KNOW, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE EXPECT TO BE. THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT TEAM OF PEOPLE. YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE CITY GARAGE SITE ALWAYS OFTEN COMES UP AND NOBODY HAS A VISION FOR THAT SITE. AND YEAH, I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO FINALLY NAIL THAT DOWN. I THINK TALKING ABOUT THIS SITE AND WE'VE GOT THAT RENDERING, BUT THAT WAS DONE BY STUART MAIN STREET. SO THAT WAS NOT LIKE A COMMUNITY PLAN. AND I THINK THAT WOULD TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY INPUT ON THAT TO SAY, BECAUSE I THINK RIGHT NOW THEY'VE GOT LIKE MAYBE THIS PORTION UP HERE AS A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SPACE, LIKE PERSONALLY, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WOULD WANT IT TO BE USED FOR. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY HAVE A FINAL SAY. AND PART OF THAT WOULD BE THAT THIS WHATEVER THIS IS, I DO THINK CHARRETTE STYLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CHARETTE. THAT'S THE TYPE OF WORKSHOP. I DON'T REMEMBER THE FRENCH TRANSLATION, BUT WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY DESIGNING IN REAL TIME.SO INSTEAD OF GOING TO A MEETING WHERE PEOPLE LIKE MAYBE GIVE YOU A BUNCH OF FEEDBACK OR YOU GIVE A PRESENTATION, IT COULD BE A FULL WEEK LONG PROCESS WHERE YOU TALK TO PEOPLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, AND THEN YOU'RE IN REAL TIME DRAWING THESE PLANS AND GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK, AND THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, OH, I DON'T LIKE THIS, OR OH, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. IT'S VERY FRUITFUL. YOU GET A LOT OF BUY IN FROM THE COMMUNITY WHEN IT'S THAT STYLE. SO I THINK HAVING THAT IN THE SCOPE IS IMPORTANT.
AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THERE ARE SPECIALISTS WHO KNOW HOW TO RUN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROPERLY. BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT DONE WELL AND I'VE SEEN IT DONE REALLY POORLY. AND IT IT HAS A BIG EFFECT ON THE OUTCOME. I'VE GOT A COUPLE LET ME JUST RUN THROUGH. THE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF THE PUBLIC REALM. YOU HAVE ADD SPECIFIC STREETS OF INTEREST. I THINK I COULD GET INTO SPECIFIC STREETS, BUT I THINK STREETS THAT ARE CONNECTING, MAJOR STREETS THAT ARE CONNECTING TO DOWNTOWN, CONNECTING TO SCHOOLS, TO PARKS WOULD BE THE REALLY IMPORTANT ONES. AND THEN DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM WHERE YOU'VE GOT IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WITH WIDER SIDEWALKS AND LANDSCAPING, I'D PROBABLY BROADEN THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT TO PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, MICROMOBILITY AND POTENTIALLY GOLF CARTS. AND THEN WITH THE LANDSCAPE IN THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN, I THINK THE GOAL WOULD BE FOR ECONOMIC, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE TRY TO MAKE THE CITY A FOUR SEASON CITY. AND SO IN THE SUMMERTIME WE'VE GOT TO HAVE SHADE AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE COMFORT. SO INCORPORATING THAT IN AS WELL. I THINK THAT'S ALL I GOT. I DID HAVE A QUESTION AS FAR AS NUMBER OF WORKSHOP, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED, BECAUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, DETERMINE THE COST FOR THIS. TYPICALLY IT'S A ONE WEEK CHARRETTE WITH TWO WORKSHOPS.
IT'S LIKE ONE IN THE AFTERNOON ON A WEEKDAY AND THEN ONE IS ON A WEEKEND. BUT IF YOU WANT MORE LIKE A ROBUST TYPE OF CHARRETTE, THAT COULD BE LIKE TWO WEEKS WITH FOUR WORKSHOPS. AND THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. TYPICALLY CHARRETTES ARE 300, 400 PEOPLE. IF YOU DO A ONE WEEK WORKSHOP AND THAT'S GOING TO BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CITY.
[01:45:01]
YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE ONE WORKSHOP THAT WHOEVER'S LEADING THIS DISCUSSES WHAT WE WHAT THE CHOICES ARE, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHY. AND ALL OF THOSE KIND OF THINGS JUST, YOU KNOW, A, A BASIC EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, HOW THE CRA WORKS, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL WHAT THE LIMITATIONS ARE, WHAT THE WHAT THE POSITIVES ARE. IT'S EDUCATIONAL. AND THEN FROM THERE, YOU KNOW, WE START MOVING DOWN. I THINK THESE MEETINGS NEED TO BE AT TIMES WHEN PEOPLE WON'T BE WORKING.AND I KNOW PEOPLE WORK ALL DAY LONG. SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T EVER HAVE SOMETHING. BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE MORE IN FAVOR OF EVENING MEETINGS OR, YOU KNOW, SATURDAY OR SUNDAY AFTERNOON MEETINGS OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE THAT I THINK YOU'RE SPOT ON, MARK. SO I THINK THE WAY I'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST IS WE WILL HAVE 2 OR 3 DIFFERENT WEEKS THAT WE COME TO A CITY. ONE OF THOSE IS A DISCOVERY WEEK WHERE IT IS INFORMATIONAL.
YOU'RE PROVIDING EDUCATION TO PEOPLE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO TALKING TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS. AND I DON'T MEAN LIKE 2 OR 3 MEETINGS. I MEAN FROM 7 A.M. TO 9 P.M. NOW, NOT I DON'T KNOW, WHOEVER YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE TO DO THIS MAY NOT BE UP FOR THAT, BUT. AND THE EDUCATION ASPECT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK THAT IS REALLY KEY SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS ON. AND THEN WHEN I'VE DONE CHARRETTES, WE HAVE A MEETING IN THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK, USUALLY IN THE EVENING, BUT THEN THE CHARRETTE PORTION GOES ALL DAY LONG THE ENTIRE WEEK. AND SO YOU HAVE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, BUT THEN YOU HAVE OPEN HOUSE HOURS SCHEDULED DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT. SO YOU'RE ABLE TO HIT A FULL SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE. THOSE ARE USUALLY MONDAY TO FRIDAY, BUT WE COULD SHIFT MAYBE TUESDAY TO SATURDAY, SO THAT YOU'RE ALSO GETTING PEOPLE ON THE WEEKENDS. BUT I THINK I THINK YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT. LIKE WE'VE GOT TO IT'S GOT TO BE ROBUST. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PUTTING IT AT TIMES THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY SHOW UP AND ATTEND, AND THEN POSSIBLY HAVING SOME ONLINE INTERACTION AS WELL, NOT LIKE FACEBOOK, BUT MORE IN-PERSON TYPE STUFF. BUT BUT PEOPLE CAN MAYBE GO ON LIKE DO SOME MAPPING EXERCISES, TAKE SOME ONLINE SURVEYS AS WELL. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOOD THAT I THINK THAT THAT FIRST MEETING, THAT EDUCATIONAL MEETING NEEDS TO DISCUSS WHAT ALL THE OPTIONS ARE, INCLUDING THE REALLY BAD ONES, BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THE MORE PEOPLE YOU WILL GET TO THE MEETING, THE MORE DIRE YOU MAKE IT SEEM. SO LIKE, IF I'M DOING MEETINGS FOR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS OR CONDO ASSOCIATIONS, THE FIRST THING WE TELL THEM IS, WELL, YOUR ASSESSMENTS ARE GOING TO GO UP. EVERYBODY SHOWS UP THEN. OTHERWISE YOU GET THREE PEOPLE, BUT YOU TELL THEM THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE GOING UP, EVERYBODY SHOWS UP. SO IF YOU TELL THEM, WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL OF THE FUTURE, MAYBE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IN MORE APARTMENT BUILDINGS. I GUARANTEE YOU YOU'LL HAVE A THOUSAND PEOPLE AT THE FIRST MEETING.
YEAH. AND SO YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO RIGHT. CITY HALL, YOU KNOW, SO YOU KNOW, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND IT IS KIND OF IMPORTANT TO, TO SCARE PEOPLE, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS COULD BE SOMETHING YOU REALLY HATE IF YOU DON'T PARTICIPATE. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S REALLY THE BOTTOM LINE. WE'VE GOT TO CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT. YOU CAN'T DO THAT BEFORE THE FIRST MEETING. SURE.
BUT YOU COVER AGAIN. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. WE'LL WE'LL GET ONE. KEITH GILBERT, PAUL STREET HERE.
I'M A THIRD, FOURTH GENERATION HERE. WHEN CONFUSION CORNER WAS ACTUALLY A BLOCK THAT WAS THREE BY THREE BY THREE. SEEING THAT AND THIS WAS OUR THE AREA, I MEAN IT WAS THE BANK CHURCH POST OFFICE WAS ALL RIGHT HERE. TRAIN STATION WAS HERE, BUT I WAS YOU HIT ON A COUPLE OF POINTS. START WITH THE LATTER. FIRST THOSE MEETINGS. IS IT OKAY TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE WE'RE. MY AREA IS RIGHT HERE. ELDERLY MOSTLY. AND THEY ARE PRIMARY OWNERS OF THEIR LAND AND THEIR HOMES. WHO HELPED BUILD THIS, THIS, THIS TOWN. AND I MYSELF AM A COUPLE OF MY NEIGHBORS WOULD LOVE TO BE REPRESENTATIVE. SO YOU WON'T GET BOMBARDED WITH PEOPLE AS THAT. BUT BUT WE WANT TO BE BOMBARDED WELL FOR THAT MEETING. WE WANT TO BE BOMBARDED. I'M SAYING BECAUSE ELDERLY SOME OF THEM, THEY THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO COME OUT. I UNDERSTAND, BUT CAN WE REPRESENT
[01:50:01]
THEM? I THINK YOU'LL MAKE MORE IMPACT IF YOU'RE OUT IN FORCE. YES. IN TERMS OF GETTING ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE? YES. BUT THOSE PARTICULAR ONES, YEAH. WE WANT TO KNOW THE INFORMATION, SPEAK FROM MY EXPERIENCE AND WHAT I HAVE DONE IN THE PAST. WE HAVE WE SOMETIMES WILL HOST MEETINGS IN DIFFERENT PLACES SO THAT WE CAN ACCESS LOTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE, BUT ALSO HOST STAKEHOLDER GROUPS. SO THERE'S GENERAL PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COME, BUT THEN WE IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS AND WE'LL HAVE A TEAM FROM THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP COME AND MEET ONE ON ONE WITH WITH WHOEVER THE CONSULTANT IS. I CAN'T SEE US NOT HAVING AT LEAST 1 OR 2 OF THESE MEETINGS OVER THE PERIOD OF TIME, MAYBE MORE AT AT VERY SPECIFIC LOCATIONS. NOT HERE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT. RIGHT OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN. YEAH. OR OUTSIDE OF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO COME AND SIT FOR A WHILE. AND THEY WOULD THEY ASKED IF WE COULD REPRESENT MAYBE WHAT QUESTIONING OR SOMETHING THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE OR JUST EVERYBODY. YEAH. AND THE OTHER THING IS THE POINT YOU MADE BACK SOME, SOME OF THE LIKE MY COMMUNITY, THEY'RE OKAY WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON, BUT THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE SACRIFICED PER SE. AND THAT'S THAT'S THE MAIN THING. AND GETTING COMFORTABLE. SURE. AND THEN SOMEONE WHO HASN'T BEEN HERE FOR OVER 15, 20 YEARS MAKES SOME OF THE GENERATION THINK, OKAY, WELL, THAT WASN'T HERE OR THEY AND THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHY I GO AROUND. I TALK WITH THEM TOO. AND SO HAVING SOMEBODY THAT'S HAVE SOME LONGEVITY HERE ACTUALLY HELPS. SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING I TOLD THEM I WOULD BE GLAD TO STAND UP AND YOU KNOW, LISTEN AND WHAT I CAN GET BACK TO THEM SO THEY CAN GET THE FEEDBACK AND I'LL BRING IT. OR MY NEIGHBOR WOULD DO IT. HE'S GOOD AT SPEAKING. SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SAY, I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY DO KIND OF LIKE THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON, BUT THEY JUST, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE SACRIFICED TO IT. AND I SAID, WELL, I HOPE I DON'T THINK WE ARE, BUT NO. AND YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT IT IS IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL COMMUNITY. IT'S, IT'S GOT YOU KNOW, IT. NOT EVERYBODY AGREES ON EVERYTHING WITH ANY STEWART. AND SO EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S FIVE, SIX, EIGHT PEOPLE THAT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON WHAT HAPPENS IN EAST STEWART. BUT IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S TOO MANY TIMES WE ASSUME PEOPLE FROM ONE COMMUNITY, ANY COMMUNITY ARE ALL THE SAME. WELL, THEY'RE NOT WE'RE NOT WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT. AND SO AND THAT'S THAT'S GOOD. SO YOU'RE ANYBODY'S GOING TO BE WELCOME TO THIS THING. EVERYBODY IS WELCOME TO THIS THING. AND THE BIGGER THE MORE INVOLVEMENT WE HAVE FROM THE PUBLIC, THE BIGGER IMPACT THAT'LL HAVE OKAY. WE'LL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF IT BEING SUCCESSFUL. I WANT TO REPRESENT SOME OF MY, MY, MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS. THAT WOULD BE GOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO COME OUT. SO. BUT THAT'LL BE FINE. AND I'LL HOW DO I GO ON. DO I GO ON THE SITE TO SEE WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE OR WHEN IT, WHEN IT ACTUALLY START MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS. YEAH, WE'VE GOT TO WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS TO THE COMMISSION. THEY HAVE TO APPROVE IT, WHICH THEY HAVE KIND OF INDICATED THEY WOULD HUM. RIGHT. ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE QUESTIONS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WHY WE NEED IT, BUT THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD LOOK AT THIS. THE PEOPLE HAVE INDICATED THAT WE'VE TALKED TO THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE THIS. SO, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS WAIT AND THEN PEOPLE WILL ARRANGE IT ALL. IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS SATURDAY, BUT I'M SURE SHE'LL HAVE IT DONE BY THE NEXT SATURDAY. AND SO SHE WILL GET THAT PUT TOGETHER AND IT IT WILL BE THERE AND HOPEFULLY THIS WON'T. IT'S MY GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS FROM NOW IT ACTUALLY COMES TO CULMINATION. IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, 2 OR 3 MONTHS OR LESS.OKAY. MY GENERATION, I KNEW THAT WE WHEN SOMETHING'S DONE, WE GET ON IT. THAT'S WHAT I'M USED TO.
SO WHAT I HEAR AND SEE THIS, I'M LIKE, I STILL LOOK, I'M STILL ON THIS. MY NOTES I'M TAKING. YEAH.
FROM FROM THE 2002 MEETING. RIGHT WHERE WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS. MY FATHER USED TO WORK UP HERE AND, AND WE WERE ALL OVER THIS COUNTY AND STATE. SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, TALKING ABOUT. AND IT IS A LOT. SO I APPRECIATE THAT ANSWER. I APPRECIATE THE BOARD. NOW I GET TO SEE EVERYBODY WHO'S ON THE BOARD. I SEE AND YOU'RE ON THIS LIST HERE. YES, SIR. YOU'RE ON HERE. EVERYBODY'S ON THIS LIST. YOUR NAME? YEAH I THINK WE'RE ALL THERE. OKAY. WE'RE ALL THERE. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. I JUST HAVE ONE FINAL COMMENT. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO COMMEND THIS BOARD AND THE COMMISSIONERS FOR EVEN TAKING UP THE CONVERSATION I WAS IN. I'M NO LONGER DEPRESSED. THEY ACTUALLY HAVE IN THIS CONVERSATION. AND I BELIEVE IT'S MOVING THE CITY FORWARD TO BE A PART OF THE CITY. I'M LEARNING, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE EDUCATION THAT I'M GETTING. SO AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS, I'M ENCOURAGED. YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND I WILL TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF TIME THERE'S BEEN A
[01:55:08]
LOT OF TIME IN THE LAST MONTH OR SO SPENT WITH, WITH EAST STUART BECAUSE PEOPLE IN EAST STUART FINALLY REALIZED THE IMPACT THAT SOME OF THE THINGS COULD HAVE ON THEM, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE. BUT AND YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF EAST STUART, THAT'S A COMMUNITY THAT PROBABLY NEEDS MORE DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF DIRECTION THAN ANYBODY BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS EAST STUART, THE ECONOMIC BASE THERE LARGELY DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. AND IT WOULDN'T BE SUCCESSFUL PROBABLY IF IT WENT THERE, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH, WITH THAT POPULATION, THE POPULATION THERE BEING RESTRICTED FROM GOING TO THE WHITE OWNED TO THE WHITE OWNED PREMISES FACILITIES. AND SO THEY WENT TO THE COMMUNITY OWNED STORES AND THAT WAS GREAT. BUT IT'S HARD NOW, NOW THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED. AND NOW THAT THERE'S THINGS SEGREGATED, IT'S HARD FOR A COMMUNITY OWNED GROCERY STORE TO COMPETE WITH PUBLIX OR COSTCO, YOU KNOW, SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT EAST STUART AS WELL, KIND OF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO BE AS WELL, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THEY WANT TO GO? BECAUSE WE GOT MONEY TO SPEND, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING IT ON THE RIGHT THINGS, YOU KNOW? SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THE ONLY OTHER THING, LIKE I SAID, I WANT I WANT TO STAY ON THIS. AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO TO NOT FOCUS SOLELY ON THIS. I KNOW WE'RE PUTTING A LOT ON YOU AND JORDAN, BUT I WOULD NOT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KEEP SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT MOVING. I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME THINGS ON THE AGENDA THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME DECISIONS GOING FORWARD AS TO WHAT WE WANT TO RECOMMEND THAT BE SPENT. AND IF THAT'S A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT THIS TIME, THEN WE GET A BUDGET ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET UNTIL AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER OR WHATEVER IT IS. SO I DON'T WANT TO JUST SIT HERE AND WAIT UNTIL THAT BUDGET ROLLS THROUGH. YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE ALREADY CREATED THAT LIST OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. THAT'S WE'VE GOT THESE THREE MAJOR EXPENSE PROJECTS THIS YEAR AND ONE MAJOR EXPENSE NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? 44 MILLION NEXT YEAR. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ON THE I THINK EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'VE KIND OF PUT ON HOLD IS, IS NOT REALLY IN THAT BUDGET. IT'S SO I WOULDN'T SAY THAT SEMINOLE LANDSCAPES THAT ARE FURTHER ALONG LIKE TO WHAT IS IT, 2728 I THINK THOSE THOSE ITEMS COULD BE DISCUSSED AS PART OF THE WORKSHOP. SURE. RIGHT. YEAH. BUT WHERE'S THE QUIET ZONES ARE THAT IN? IT'S IN THERE. IS IT IN THERE FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. FOR WHICH YEAR? FOR 2027. I DON'T SEE QUIET, I DON'T I DON'T SEE I MIGHT HAVE AMENDED IT AFTER OUR DISCUSSION. OKAY, OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO BE BRINGING THE AMENDED CIP AND THE DISCUSSION WE HAD TODAY ABOUT THE SCOPE OF WORK TO THE CRA AT THE END OF THIS MONTH TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK. AND THEN ONCE THEY ONCE THEY PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE CIP, THEN YOU WILL SEE THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET, OKAY, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE THE FINAL CIP AS A BUDGET HEARING. GOT IT. SO I GUESS I, I HALFWAY LEARNED HOW SOMETHING GETS ON THIS SHEET. SO MARK AND QUIET ZONES ARE GETTING ON THE SHEET FOR LACK OF A BETTER DESCRIPTION. WHAT MY QUESTION WOULD BE IF THIS BOARD OR MEMBERS HAVE OTHER IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT OR INVESTMENT, HOW DO WE DO THAT? LIKE STREETSCAPING AND STUFF? WE'VE MENTIONED IT A FEW TIMES, BUT IF THERE'S EITHER ADDITIONAL BLOCKS OR STREETS THAT WE WANT TO DO THAT, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE GET THAT ON THE LIST FOR CONSIDERATION? WELL, I THOUGHT THE CHARRETTE WOULD KIND OF DETERMINE AND PRIORITIZE THE STREETSCAPE PROJECTS. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE ALREADY IDENTIFIED FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THE CHARRETTE WILL HELP PRIORITIZE A LOT OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THE LIST AND ADD ADDITIONAL PROJECTS. OKAY, SO DURING THE CHARRETTE PROCESS, I MEAN, INTERRUPT.THAT'S OKAY. I'M GOOD. ARE THERE IS THERE A STRUCTURE WHERE IT ENCOURAGES NEW IDEAS AS WELL AS GOING OVER A FIXED SET OF IDEAS? NO, THEY IT SHOULD ENCOURAGE NEW IDEAS THAT COULD BE PUT ON THE LIST. AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT PRIORITIZATION LIST, WE'LL AMEND THE CRA PLAN. WE'LL AMEND THE CIP TO ADD ALL OF THE ALL OF THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE COMMUNITY. OKAY. KEEPING IN MIND ON SOME OF THESE BIGGER PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING A YEAR'S WORTH OF SOFT COSTS. SO THAT'S WHY I'D LIKE TO GET THEM ON SO THAT THAT PROCESS COULD BE STARTED. YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND ON A QUIET ZONE PROJECT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, $5 MILLION UP FRONT. WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, $500,000 UP FRONT GETTING ALL OF IT. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT. AND THE LONGER THAT THE SOFT COST PORTION OF IT
[02:00:02]
TAKES, YEAH, THE LONGER IT IS BEFORE WE FINALLY GET TO THE HARDENED IMPROVEMENTS. THAT'S HOW I USUALLY BUDGET. I ALWAYS I BUDGET ONE YEAR FOR DESIGN AND THEN THE CONSTRUCTION COST FOLLOWS THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO I DON'T HAVE THE UPDATED CIP. BUT I KNOW I'VE INCLUDED THE, THE DESIGN AND THE CONSTRUCTION FOR QUIET ZONES IN THE CIP, AND I WOULDN'T LUMP THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN GET THE DESIGN CONSTRUCTION DONE IN ONE YEAR. IT'S ALWAYS ONE FOLLOWS ANOTHER, RIGHT? OKAY, OKAY. ANY ANYTHING ELSE? I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW, AND I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED. I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, WHETHER WE ULTIMATELY ARE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, WE'VE STARTED THE PROCESS OF THINKING WHERE WE'RE GOING. AND I THINK THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT THING. AND I, I REALLY DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD. AND, AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO. BUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THIS MEETING, WE CAN DO THAT. WE CAN DO THESE THINGS.AND, AND I THINK WITH, WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, I MEAN, LISTEN, COMMISSIONERS WANT TO GET REELECTED, TOO. I MEAN, SO WHEN THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIRECTION IS, THAT'S THE DIRECTION THEY'RE GOING TO GO. AND IT MAY BE THE SAME DIRECTION THEY'RE GOING NOW, JUST FASTER BECAUSE THEY'LL HAVE MORE SUPPORT BEHIND THEM. AND THAT'S THE KEY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT ONCE THEY KNOW THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO BE IN FRONT OF SOMETHING WHERE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THAT. SO YEAH. SO THAT'S I, I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED BY THAT.
ONE OTHER THING I'M JUST GOING TO MENTION, AS A SIDE NOTE AND FOR DISCUSSION, IS THAT WE HAVE CRA PROPERTY THAT WE OWN, INCLUDING A PARCEL THAT THAT PUT ALL I THINK JUST MENTIONED. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE PARCELS AND DECIDE WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO OWN THEM ANYMORE, OR IF WE NEED TO SELL THEM INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND REINVEST THOSE FUNDS INTO SOMETHING THAT'S GENERATING A 20 OR 40% RETURN. SO. PRIVATE SECTOR IS GOING TO DO WITH IT.
YEAH, WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHATEVER CODE SAYS RIGHT NOW. THEY DO WHATEVER THE CITY SAYS, AND THE CITY CAN EXEMPT IT FROM CODE IF THEY WANT. AND IN SOME CASES THEY'RE ALREADY EXEMPTED FROM CODE. BUT I THINK THAT IN THE CASE WHERE WE OWN PROPERTY, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHETHER A THAT MAKES SENSE AND B, THERE'S A BETTER USE OF THAT MONEY BACK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR IN THE, IN THE CRA TO BE USED FOR OTHER PROJECTS THAT THAT IMPACT MORE PEOPLE OR PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY. SO TO ME IT WOULD JUST DEPEND ON THE USE. IF IT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE THEN YEAH, WELL I'M GOING TO JUST THAT'S DIFFERENT. I'M GOING TO MENTION BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC, THE CITY ACQUIRED A PARCEL BACK ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO. SEVEN YEARS AGO THEY ACQUIRED A PARCEL TO FLIP. THEY BASICALLY BOUGHT THE PARCEL WITH THE SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SELL IT TO A SPECIFIC BUYER DOWN THE ROAD AND FLIP THE PROJECT, AND THAT THAT DEVELOPER WAS GOING TO BUILD A CERTAIN PROJECT ON THAT PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY WAS NOT NEEDED AS PART OF CITY HALL. IT WAS JUST AN EXTRA IT'S AN EXTRA PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WAS ADDED TO THE PROCESS. AND I WAS THERE WHEN THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ASKED FOR THAT TO BE APPROVED TO FLIP. I DON'T THINK THE CRA AND THE CRB SHOULD BE PROVIDING MONEY TO FLIP PROPERTY, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING WE SHOULD HAVE DONE. I WAS OPPOSED TO IT AT THE TIME. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE'VE ACQUIRED PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO WITHOUT ANY SPECIFIC USE. I THINK WE EITHER NEED TO SEE IF IT HAS A SPECIFIC USE. THAT MAKES SENSE NOW FOR THE CRA. OR WE GET RID OF THE PROPERTY AND WE TURN IT BACK INTO THE TAXPAYER, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OTHER FORM. WE HAVE SOME SAY ON HOW IT'S USED. SURE. WELL, YEAH. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THAT PROPERTY WAS OUT ON AN RFP. NOW THAT RFP, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S STILL EVER BEEN FINALIZED NOW BECAUSE THEY AGREED TO IT AND THEN DISAGREED. THEY DECIDED THE RENT WAS TOO HIGH. BUT THAT'S WHY I SAY I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT PROPERTY. AND THERE'S PROBABLY OTHERS IN STUART THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, SEE IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THOSE PROPERTIES. WE CAN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN TALK ABOUT THAT. SO I WAS JUST BRINGING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD TODAY. BUT IF THE BOARD'S OKAY WITH IT, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BECAUSE PINAL DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A BOARD. YEAH. YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT PROPERTIES MIGHT FIT IN THAT CATEGORY THAT WE OWN THAT WE DON'T EITHER, THAT WE'RE, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC USE FOR OR WE BOUGHT FOR A SPECIFIC USE THAT'S NO LONGER APPROPRIATE OR WHATEVER, JUST SO THAT WE CAN SET A LONG TERM LAND LEASE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TOO, AND BRING A WELL, THAT'S WHAT THIS ONE WAS GOING TO BE. BUT BUT IT REQUIRED THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS GOING TO BE TOWNHOUSES AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO, YOU KNOW, THE WHICH IS, I'M SURE NOT
[02:05:04]
A DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO TODAY, BUT AT LEAST IT CAN BE DISCUSSED BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK, WE WANT TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE CHARRETTE. I DO WHAT WHY WOULD WE INCLUDE THAT IN THE CHARRETTE. WE WOULD NOT. I'M TALKING ABOUT DOING THAT AT ONE OF OUR MEETINGS HERE. TURN US I'M TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE, AT LEAST AS OUR DUTIES HERE AS THE CRB. LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES AND SAY, CAN WE SAVE THE TAXPAYER SOME MONEY? CAN WE, YOU KNOW, CAN IS THERE A WAY WE CAN GET RID OF SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT MAKE SENSE, THAT THAT PROPERTY WAS ACQUIRED BY THE COMMISSION TO FLIP SO THAT IT COULD BE TURNED INTO RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY, RELATIVELY HIGH DENSITY UNITS.COULD I ATTEMPT TO PUT WHAT YOU SAID INTO A REQUEST TO PINAL? SURE. I THINK WITH THE CHAIR IS ASKING FOR IS AN AGENDA ITEM. MAYBE ONE OF THESE NEXT MEETINGS WHERE YOU SHARE A PANEL OR MAYBE A LIST OF CITY OWNED PROPERTIES IN THE CRA? YEAH, THAT'S PRETTY EASY ENOUGH. I WONDER WHICH. AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS IF THERE'S ALREADY A LEASE ON THOSE PROPERTIES. AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY JUST COME OUT. AND IF IT'S A VACANT PARCEL THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED FOR WHATEVER THE BOARD WANTS TO DO. YEAH. AND SOME MAY LEND THEMSELVES MORE TO JUST GOOD GREEN SPACE, YOU KNOW, THAN, THAN TO RESELL. YEAH, MAYBE. YEAH. WE GOT TO LOOK AT EACH ONE. IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION A SECOND THIRD OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. OPPOSED. ALRIGHT. THANKS I APPRECIATE THAT. I DO HAVE ANOTHER UPDATE. SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT YOU TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. OKAY? OKAY.
I DIDN'T ADJOURN THE MEETING. PRETEND LIKE I DIDN'T SAY THE LAST. GO AHEAD. I DO HAVE AN UPDATE BECAUSE BOARD MEMBER BONNIE MOSER HAD ASKED FOR A RECAP OF HOMES THAT WERE BUILT OR REPAIRED BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY. SO I DID SOME RESEARCH. AND HABITAT HAS BUILT ABOUT 25 NEW HOMES IN EAST STEWART. THOSE STARTED BACK IN 1991. THEY WERE EITHER PURCHASED BY HABITAT OR DONATED BY PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS OR THE CITY. AND A LOT OF THIS HAPPENED BEFORE MY TIME. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WERE THREE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT IN 2019 WHERE THE CRA DID CONTRIBUTE $100,000 TO PARTIALLY FUND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PROJECTS. SO AGAIN, HERE'S A LIST OF THE 25 PROPERTIES THAT WERE THAT WERE BUILT BY HABITAT. AND THESE ARE JUST A LIST OF SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE REHABBED. BUT WE'VE REHABBED OVER 100 HOMES THROUGH BRUSH WITH KINDNESS PROGRAM. THE CRA APPROPRIATES ABOUT 20 TO $40,000 EVERY FISCAL YEAR FOR THIS PROGRAM THAT'S IMPLEMENTED BY HABITAT, AND IT HELPS TO MAKE ALL THE EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS AND HELPS TO PRESERVE OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IN THE CITY. SO IT IS ALSO TO HELP CORRECT ANY CODE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES ON THE PROPERTIES. SO THE PROGRAM HAS HELPED OVER 100 HOMES IN EAST STEWART AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE CRA. ALSO AT THE LAST MEETING, THE BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSSED THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES OWNED BY THE CITY IN EAST STEWART, AND MOST OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE THAT ARE OWNED BY THE CITY OF STEWART. IS THE GUY DAVIS PARK 10TH STREET RECREATION CENTER. THERE'S A STORM DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE AREA, POLICE AND FIRE SAFETY BUILDING ALONG MLK CITY GARAGE SITE AND THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. SO AND THE SMITH TURNER PARK. SO THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 5% OF OWNERSHIP IN EAST STEWART. SO IT'S NOT THAT MUCH. IT'S MOSTLY THE PARKS AND SAFETY BUILDINGS. AND OF COURSE RECENTLY WE ACQUIRED THE WILLIE GARY PROPERTY, WHICH IS GOING TO HAVE THE PROJECT LIFT. THERE'S ONLY ONE TRIANGLE PROPERTY JUST WEST OF CENTRAL AVENUE THAT WAS DONATED TO THE CITY BY MARTIN COUNTY IN 2021, BUT IT HAS A STIPULATION THAT IT HAS TO BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IF IT'S EVER DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT COULD BE A DIFFICULT SITE TO DEVELOP, SO IT MIGHT REQUIRE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. SO JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU WHERE IS THAT? IT'S RIGHT BY DIXIE HIGHWAY. IT'S JUST BY CENTRAL AVENUE. JUST WEST OF CENTRAL AVENUE. I DON'T HAVE A FULL MAP, BUT IT'S ADJACENT TO THE TRACK.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S NO ACCESS TO THAT SITE, SO IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIP WITH ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS TO PROVIDE ACCESS. BUT THAT'S ONLY PROPERTY THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT THAT THE CITY OWNS. EVERYTHING ELSE IS LIKE I MENTIONED, IT'S 5% OF OWNERSHIP, BUT IT ALREADY HAS BUILDINGS OR GREEN SPACE. THANKS, I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK
[02:10:03]
YOU. WELL, ALONG THOSE LINES, SINCE SINCE WE WERE DISCUSSING THAT HABITAT, THE STATE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE A BUSINESS COULD DESIGNATE THEIR SALES TAX TO GO TO FUNDING UP TO $25,000.I THINK IT WAS ON A ON A HABITAT HOME TO CONSTRUCT A HABITAT HOME. AND FOR A LONG TIME, HABITAT HAD PLENTY OF MONEY TO BUILD THESE HOUSES. BECAUSE OF THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S STILL IN EFFECT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A WAY THAT THE CRA WE COULD ENCOURAGE LOCAL BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COST THEM ANYTHING TO COMMIT TO THAT PROGRAM. AND AS A AS A BUSINESS DISTRICT, WE COULD PROVIDE FUNDING FOR HABITAT HOMES, WHICH WOULD BE KIND OF A NICE THING BECAUSE IT WOULD HELP WITH WORKFORCE HOUSING AS WELL. SO THAT THAT WAS ONE THING I WAS GOING TO MENTION FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO LOOK INTO THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST MENTION FOR US TO LOOK INTO AND, JEFF, YOU MAY HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS. THERE ARE CERTAIN LENDERS OUT THERE THAT LEND INTO THAT WILL THAT CAN ONLY THEY'RE DESIGNATED BY THE STATE. THEY CAN ONLY LEND INTO ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AREAS OR SIGNIFICANTLY ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED AREAS.
CORRECT. AND SO STEWART HAS A COUPLE OF THOSE. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S A FLAGLER PARK. AND IT'S ALL OF THOSE AND BUT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS. SO ANYTHING THAT YOU TRY TO BUY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE THAT THAT FUNDING IS NOT AVAILABLE, INCLUDING OVER THERE IN INCLUDING ANY OF THAT MONEY THAT COULD BE USED OVER IN THE FRAZIER CREEK ADDITION OR ON THAT SIDE OF THE TRACKS, BECAUSE AND IN MOST COMMUNITIES, USUALLY IT'S LIKE A, YOU KNOW, IT'S TWO ROADS THAT CROSS AND, YOU KNOW, INTERSECTIONS ARE INCLUDED. SO IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD LOOK AND SEE WHAT WHY THAT'S NOT THE CASE. AND IF WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THAT SOURCE OF FUNDING CAN BE GREAT FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE TRYING TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AND ACQUIRE STUFF BECAUSE IT HAS A BETTER RATE, IT DOESN'T HAVE SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT IT HAS BECAUSE IT'S ACTUAL DIRECT STATE MONEY THROUGH THE SBA. IT DOES BENEFIT OTHER BENEFITS. YEAH, YEAH. SO BETTER BETTER TERMS AND YEAH, SOME SOME LENDERS HAVE A SPECIFIC QUOTA THAT THEY HAVE TO LEND WITHIN. RIGHT. THOSE THOSE ECONOMIC. YEAH. AND THEY DO SMALLER LOANS TOO. AND SO IT'S NICE. SO IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR SOME BUSINESSES THAT WOULD BE GOOD BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COST US ANYTHING. I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO SOMEHOW DESIGNATE THAT AREA AS BEING AS MEETING THE REQUIREMENT. I THINK THERE'S SOME KIND OF A GENERAL STUDY THAT YOU HAVE TO DO SHOWING THAT IT'S ECONOMICALLY DEPRESSED. YEAH, BUT BUT ANYWAY, SO WE HAD A MOTION TO ADJOURN. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? WE GOT A MOTION TO ADJOURN. WE HAD A SECOND. ALL IS APPROVED. WE'RE SECOND. ALL IN
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.